Residents living in the Dearborn Hills who awaked Wednesday and noticed the water coming into their homes was a rusty color shouldn’t be alarmed as a water main break is the culprit.

Water department officials with the city of Dearborn tell DeepsaidWhat that a water main break on Denwood, between Mohawk and Merridan, broke Wednesday morning and crews are now making repairs. The 12 inch diameter pipe that broke on Denwood feeds homes in the sounding neighborhoods.

The water discoloration noticed by some residents is simply rust in the pipes mixing with the water coming into homes. While we are told it is not a safety issue, it certainly isn’t nice to look at nor is it a good idea to wash white clothes with the water at this time.

Dearborn Water department officials say the main will be repaired by day’s end and the water lines will be flushed.

Dearborn’s Stucchi’s ice cream shop on Telegraph will be serving up single scoops of ice cream for just 25 cents today (Sept. 13) between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to celebrate Stucchi’s 25th anniversary.

For three hours, the Dearborn location of Stucchi’s, at 1338 North Telegraph, will provide you a scoop of your favorite ice cream for just a quarter.

Stucchi’s is a locally owned ice cream chain, with stores in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area.

Dearborn residents are invited to discover the results of three public workshops and an online survey that contributed to the creation of a new master plan for the city, at a meeting at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

The Summation Workshop will be in Club Room One of The Center, 15801 Michigan Ave.

Dearborn’s new master plan is being developed as a vision for the future of transportation, land use, the economy and environmental and cultural stewardship in the city.

The master plan will help determine the physical characteristics of the city and facilitate the renovation of the community residents want to see for the long term.

Three public workshops on different neighborhoods of the city have already been presented. As part of the process, residents also had a chance to take an online survey to give input on the desirable features they’d like Dearborn to cultivate.

The city of Dearborn will be activating its citywide Emergency Warning Sirens at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11 in observation of the National Moment of Remembrance. Residents are advised not to call the police when they hear the sirens.

The city of Dearborn is observing the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 in two important ways: by promoting the National Moment of Remembrance at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11 and by partnering with The Henry Ford and the Dearborn Area Ministerial Association (DAMA) for a public Remembrance and Unity Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 11

The National Moment of Remembrance, initiated by the U.S. Senate, asks all people in America to cease work or other activity at 1 p.m. September 11.

It is also asked that the moment be marked in an appropriate manner, including by ringing bells, blowing whistles, or sounding sirens at 1 p.m. Dearborn will be activating its citywide Emergency Warning Sirens.

The Dearborn City Council, upon request of Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., approved the resolution in support of the National Moment of Remembrance at Tuesday’s council meeting. The resolution is attached.

In addition, Mayor O’Reilly is inviting the public to attend the Remembrance and Unity Vigil Sunday on the lawn of the Henry Ford Museum, the same site that hosted a community candlelight ceremony in September, 2001.

The City is joining with The Henry Ford and DAMA, as well as the Dearborn Public Schools, the Vanguard Voices and other community members to honor those who perished on September 11, recognize the changes that the event brought to all of our lives, and to look forward with hope, empowered by strong community connections.

Mayor O’Reilly and Gov. Rick Snyder will speak and the ceremony will be hosted by Patricia Mooradian, president of The Henry Ford.

Local clergy will offer prayers and reflections, and members of the community will light candles in memory of the victims, and in honor of the heroes and families still touched by the tragedy.

Other members of the community will present hopeful visions for a more peaceful world.

The ceremony should last about one hour and will be presented regardless of the weather. Candles will be provided. Chairs will be available only for people who are disabled.

Dearborn’s newest Mexican restaurant is now open for business.

Frida Mexican Cuisine, 22053 Michigan Ave. in downtown West Dearborn, officially opened its doors today. We first wrote about the business coming to Dearborn back in April.

Owner Ricardo Gutierrez tells DeepsaidWhat.com that Thursday’s opening is part of a soft ramp-up to the restaurant’s grand opening in a couple of weeks.

Frida will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served all-day beginning at 8 a.m. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday until 2 a.m., to catch Dearborn’s bar crowd. Gutierrez says his restaurant will have a full bar in December.

Those who visit the restaurant for lunch in September will receive complimentary soft drinks, Gutierrez says.

Dearborn's newest Mexican restaurant, Frida, serves up a tasty selection of food.

Frida’s menu will offer a tasty selection of traditional Mexican food to the more popular Mexican mainstays. There also is a more contemporary food selection on the menu from salmon to fish tacos.

Gutierrez says he chose Dearborn as the place to open his first restaurant because he was familiar with the area, as he earned his MBA at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

“I wanted to bring Southwest Mexican food closer to Dearborn,” said Gutierrez, who opened the restaurant with this mother, Laurdes. “I am doing this concept with my mother . . . So you can count on good homemade cooking.”

Gutierrez is no stranger to good Mexican food. He served as a general manager and administrator at a Mexican restaurant in southwest Detroit and also worked at the Hyatt Regency in Cancun, Mexico, as part of his food and beverage undergraduate study.

Gutierrez says he named the restaurant Frida’s after the famous Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo, who was married to another famous Mexican artist with ties to Detroit, Diego Rivera.

“Frida Kahlo has some very couple famous paintings about Detroit and its Mexican culture,” Gutierrez said. “She has roots. We have five replicas of her art work in our restaurant.”

We wish Gutierrez and his new restaurant the best of luck in Dearborn. Hopefully they too will establish deep roots in our city.

After years of delays, it finally appears that three vacant buildings in downtown West Dearborn could soon be demolished by year’s end.

The former Brothers Tuxedo building at Michigan and Howard is one of three buildings city council approved to be demolished.

Dearborn City Council on Tuesday night approved (yet again) the demolition of the three biggest eyesores on Michigan Avenue: the Bally Total Fitness (previously a Vic Tanny); Brothers Tuxedo (gutted years ago and rotting since) and the remaining half of the building that was once Guilano’s restaurant.

Regular readers of this site will recall that the removal of these three buildings — all on the north side of Michigan Avenue between Military and Howard streets — were a key part of the Dearborn Village Partners (DVP) corporation’s planned development on Michigan, which at one time included a movie theater and condo/apartment living. In fact, those very plans for the development were submitted to the State of Michigan in order to obtain Brownfield tax credits.

A birdseye view of an early rendering of the DVP project that was once proposed on Michigan between Military and Howard.

With the economy still struggling, it is doubtful the scope and magnitude of the original development will ever see the light of day. The good news, however, is that a new plan for the property must be submitted to both the city and state if DVP still hopes to secure those tax credits.

It isn’t quite clear who will pay for demolition of the three buildings. At one point, it was going to be the city of Dearborn. The city would then hold a lien on the property until it recouped its cleanup costs. It now appears DVP will be paying to have the buildings razed.

The  city of Dearborn, the Dearborn Area Ministerial Association (DAMA) and The Henry Ford are coming together to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001 during a “Remembrance & Unity” candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 on the front lawn of the Henry Ford Museum. The event is free to the public.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will join Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. and The Henry Ford President Patricia Mooradian at this solemn ceremony that will offer both reflection on the past events and a shared hope for the future.

“We are inviting everyone to join us at this event, which will highlight the unity of our community,” O’Reilly said. “The tragic events of September 11 drew us together like never before as a nation, a state and a city. We will remember with respect the impact of that day 10 years ago, and at the same time reinforce the enduring community connections that comforted us then, and continue to strengthen us now.”

The vigil will include community leaders, members of the clergy and music. It will be held regardless of the weather and last about one hour. Candles will be provided and seating for people who are disabled will be available.

“It is truly an honor to host this event at The Henry Ford,” Mooradian said. “In 2001, days after the events that occurred on September 11th, we found people coming through our museum gates in an effort to seek solace and refuge and to be inspired by our nation’s history in a time of great uncertainty. Ten years later, we feel it is so important to gather as one community, to remember and to move forward with great hope and optimism for the future.”

For more information, please call The Henry Ford at 313-982-6001 or visit the website at www.thehenryford.org

Dearborn artist Janet Kondziela paints food at Top Dog Coney Island, 13342 Michigan.

Dearborn Paints – Good Food, an exhibition of art, commerce, marketing and a bit of fun, is finally completed and open to the public.

Following 12 months of painting good food from Dearborn restaurants (and probably a bit of tasting it, too, we hope), Dearborn artist Janet Kondziela is putting down her easel and paints, just for a day, so we call can view her original paintings of each restaurant’s signature product.

We wrote about Kondziela’s restaurant project a year ago, HERE and some of you may have bumped into her while she was on location at several Dearborn establishments with her easel and paints.

Aided by a grant from the Dearborn Community Fund and some additional support from the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce, Kondziela was on site at more than 25 businesses.

Now her finished works will be open to the public on Friday, Sept. 9 at the Padzieski Gallery, located in the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave. The public reception for the opening runs from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday and the exhibit will run until Sept. 24.

There will be a Dearborn Chamber of Commerce “After Hours” reception on Wednesday, Sept. 7, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Those wishing to attend that event should contact the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce at 584-6100 to make a reservation.

Both events are free.

From left to right, Dearborn's newest principals, Jamel Lawera, Kristin Waddell and Daniel Hartley.

Students at three Dearborn schools will begin the school year with new principals.

The Board of Education recently approved the appointment of the following principals:

Mr. Daniel Hartley, Principal of DuVall Elementary (my childhood elementary), previously Assistant Principal at Bryant Middle School

Ms. Kristin Waddell, Principal of Whitmore-Bolles Elementary, previously Assistant Principal at Maples Elementary

Mr. Jamel Lawera, Principal of Salina Intermediate, previously Assistant Principal at Salina Intermediate.

The Dearborn School District was fortunate to have had many outstanding candidates for these positions. We wish all three of these administrators a great school year.