New study says it is smarter to renovate existing buildings such as our Dearborn City Hall rather than lionizing fancy new 'green' construction.

It has been interesting to read some of the comments about whether Dearborn should look for a new City Hall rather than repairing the 90-year-old historic building that our city government operates in today.

We still believe making repairs and the necessary updates to the building is money better spent than packing up and spending money to buy a newer building and then spending more to make it suitable for city government offices.

Architecturally, our City Hall is one of the nicest looking buildings in East Dearborn and it deserves to be preserved and updated, just as you would do with a classic automobile.

Which brings us to a recent article we ran across recently in Time magazine. In that article, the magazine reports that making existing buildings “green” is actually a better strategy than constructing a new building.

“Revaluing building reuse is not just an environmental issue, it’s an economic opportunity,” Elizabeth Hider, senior vice president of Green Markets for Skanska, an international construction firm quoted in the article. “One that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and one that creates American jobs. Because renovation projects use less material, it is good for the environment, but it requires more labor, which has to be local. That’s good for America.”

You can read the full article HERE.

When the Founding Fathers drafted the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, their definition of “We, the People” was essentially people just like themselves – free white men. Today, “We” are a much more inclusive group, yet many still believe that minorities and immigrants are somehow not worthy of being called Americans.

The Arab American National Museum is pleased to present the innovative, experiential exhibition Fighting for Democracy: Who is the ‘We” in “We, the People”? as a companion to its current exhibition Patriots & Peacemakers: Arab Americans in Service to Our Country.

Fighting for Democracy opens with a public reception at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2; both exhibitions run through June 10, 2012 and are free with Museum admission.

Created by the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Los Angeles, California and currently on a national 10-city tour, Fighting for Democracy highlights the stories of seven diverse individuals, their service to their country during World War II, and their civic engagement that helped to change our American democracy for the betterment of all. This exhibition asks visitors to think critically about freedom, history, and, ultimately, the ongoing struggle to live democratically in a diverse America.

“By presenting Patriots & Peacemakers and Fighting for Democracy simultaneously, we bring attention and pay tribute not only to Arab Americans but to all minorities who have served our nation,” says AANM Director Dr. Anan Ameri. “While some today demonize and attack minorities and immigrants, it’s vital that we, as a nation, at this point in our history, understand the role these groups have played and continue to play in serving and protecting our nation.”

Fighting for Democracy uses World War II as a case study to begin discussion about how women and minorities have expanded the meaning of “we” in “we, the people.” It looks at the experiences of seven real people and traces their stories throughout the pre-war, war, and post-war periods as examples of the millions of Americans whose lives were affected by the war. They provide ways of helping viewers to understand the conditions facing Americans before and during World War II.

Those profiled in the exhibition include Hector Garcia of Mercedes, TX; Carl Gorman of Chinle, AZ; Hazel Ying Lee of Portland, OR; Domingo Los Banos of Kalaheo, HI; George Saito of Los Angeles, CA; Frances Slanger of Boston, MD; and Roger “Bill” Terry of Los Angeles, CA.

“Fighting for Democracy aims to teach young people that they too can shape American democracy,” says Akemi Kikumura Yano, president and CEO of the JANM. “We are hopeful that this traveling exhibition will inspire people with stories of remarkable Americans like George Saito and Hector Garcia and others and take it upon themselves to change our country for the better of all.”

Fighting for Democracy is presented by the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, an educational program of the Japanese American National Museum funded through a Congressional appropriation, to advance the understanding of, and commitment to, American democratic ideals. The Los Angeles exhibition and traveling version was funded in part by the U.S. Army Center of Military History. The traveling exhibition 10-city tour has been made possible through the generous support of The Boeing Company.

We’ve talked a lot on these pages about the lack of retail in downtown West Dearborn. Many have commented about how they would like to see a (fill-in-the-blank) chain store open in our city but there are many reasons why that isn’t going to happen here any time soon.

Which brings us to this story that aired recently on ABC News. It is about a small town in Ohio and what residents there did recently to help keep a hardware store open.

It got us thinking about some of the remaining downtown West Dearborn retail stores we have, like Nichols Ski and Snowboard Shop, Steven Bernard Jewelers, Campbells Paint and Wallpaper, Village Picture Framing & Art Gallery, Nigosian’s Carpet and Dearborn Music, just to name some.

How many of us have stopped in these stores in recent months and purchased anything? The story below got us thinking about how important of a role we all play in helping keep open the remaining retail stores we do have in Dearborn.

We all play a part in helping retail stores survive in this, our city . . .

The Dearborn Community Arts Council today released the names of the 2011 honorees for the 24th Mayor’s Arts Awards.   These esteemed individuals and organizations have been selected for their outstanding achievements in the Dearborn community.

Honorees for the 2011 Mayor’s Arts Awards are:

• Frank Padzieski, The Mayor’s Award

• Isabelle Renaud, Artist/Performer Award

• Kurt Doelle, Arts Educator Award

• Leslie Greeneisen, DCAC Bravo Award

• Cynthia Frabutt, Volunteer Award

• UM-Dearborn, Patron Award

• Artists Society of Dearborn, Organization Award

The Awards ceremony will take place Wednesday, February 8th in the Michael Guido Theatre at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.   The ceremony will begin at 7:30 pm and is free to the public.     A reception immediately following  the ceremony will be in Studio A, next to the theatre and will also be open to the public.

The  Mayor’s Arts Awards were created by Dearborn Community Arts Council (DCAC) and  late Mayor Michael Guido to honor those members of our community who create, perform, educate and the support the fine and performing arts in the greater Dearborn area.

 The Master of Ceremonies for this year’s  event will be Dearborn’s multi-talented  Brian Townsend.   Among the groups slated to perform during the evening are the Prysm School of the Arts, the Dearborn High Thespians and a film montage of the DHS Film and Video program.

No reservations are required.   Any inquires can be directed to the DCAC office; 313-943-3095.

Dearborn City Hall was built in 1922.

For 90 years, the corner of Michigan and Schaefer has been the home of Dearborn City Hall.

Now, it appears that could change.

The Dearborn Press & Guide on Sunday reported that a proposal to combine administrative offices for the city and Dearborn Public Schools is getting serious consideration.

Call us nostalgic, but Dearborn’s City Hall building needs to remain the hub of Dearborn. The building may need repair but it is simply too important of a symbol to this city to simply leave it to others (like an art community) or, worse yet, raze.

Dearborn City Hall was built in 1922. According to Press & Guide editor J. Patrick Pepper, the parking garage behind City Hall is “falling apart and could require a complete rebuild within the next couple years. An addition put on in 1981 that connects the main City Hall building on Schaefer Road to the western annex also is in need of a new roof liner.”

Dearborn Public Schools administration is currently is housed in the 1950-vintage Ten Eyck facility on Audette. The Press & Guide reports that the former school building has “several structural issues that need to be remedied. For one, the roof leaks in some places and needs to be replaced. Even more pressing is a settling foundation on the backside of the building that has started to cause significant cracking in the cinder block walls.”

“Those are very major expenses that will need to be address so if there are opportunities to save money we’re definitely interested in exploring our options,” DPS Spokesman David Mustonen told the Press & Guide.

So where would Dearborn City Hall and the Dearborn School District relocate?

Top on the list is the old ADP Detroit sales headquarters on Michigan Avenue. Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., told the Press & Guide that the property is about to revert to bank ownership and that within the next few weeks it should be on the market at a bargain-basement price.

The building is located across the street from Ford Motor Co. world headquarters and sitting adjacent to a nearly half-mile-long campus of other municipal properties, the move would consolidate all of the city’s biggest entities into one central location, the Press & Guide says.

The idea of combining administrative offices has been on the table for several years and was one of the considerations in 2003 when the city spent $2.3 million to purchase the 5.9-acre parcel between the ADP building and Henry Ford Centennial Library, the paper says. Part of the purchase agreement with Ford Land Development Co. was that the property, which is a grassy field, had to be turned into an office space within 15 years.

The Press & Guide says Dearborn could have a potential buyer for City Hall in the developer ArtSpace, which is looking to establish a live/work facility for artists in Dearborn. The mayor recently gave the Minneapolis-based nonprofit a tour of City Hall. With its big windows and tall ceilings, the Georgian-Revival style building fits a lot of criteria ArtSpace looks for in a redevelopment project.

“The timing of this is extremely good when you look at all the factors from the efficiencies too possible savings,” O’Reilly told the Press & Guide. “But we’ll do a thorough evaluation of it and if it works we’ll pursue it and if it doesn’t we won’t.”

In response to the popularity of its “tech time” workshops in December and January, Henry Ford Centennial Library now plans to offer the sessions in February.

This time around, patrons are asked to register for the free sessions, which teach people how to use their new electronic devices and to take advantage of the library’s Digital Catalog.

Kindle users should register for the session 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, February 7.

Nook, Sony, and Kobo users should register for the 6-8 p.m. Thursday, February 16 session.

Two more sessions for users of any devices will be 2-4 p.m. Thursday, February 23 and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, February 28.

Patrons who need help borrowing an e-book from the library’s Digital Catalog, uploading apps, downloading photos or just learning to use their new tech device would find a benefit to the sessions.

Participants are asked to bring their charged devices and all connecting cables with them to the First Floor Training Room on the date of their session. Please call the Adult Reference desk at 313-943-2330 during regular library hours to register and for more information.

Oakwood Common resident Marguerite Doman, age 96, is one of the interviewees featured in the newly published book Best Dearborn Stories: Voices from Henry Ford’s Hometown. We’ve been running excerpts from the book, which is a great collection of stories.

In recognition of Doman’s contribution to the book, Oakwood Common will host a book signing event, open to the public, at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012.

Doman will be available to greet guests and sign copies of the newly published book, which will also be available for sale.

Proceeds from the sale of the book, priced at $20 each, benefit the Dearborn Historical Museum.

In addition to her featured story, Doman is recognized as a natural writer in rhyme and meter. A former elementary school teacher in Taylor, where her husband held public office, Doman had never composed a poem before joining the writers group at Oakwood Common where she has lived for nine years.

Since then, her work has been published regularly in the residents’ newsletter and in several larger writing collections including Oakwood’s annual literary journal, Poetic Resonance Imaging. She is also a regular member of the Common Expressions writers group.

The book signing event will be held in the Rotunda Room of the Oakwood Common Retirement Community which is located at 16351 Rotunda Drive in Dearborn.

For more information, email donna.brandt@oakwood.org or call 800-642-4663.

Dearborn's Bistro 222

Dearborn residents know from living here that we have many great restaurants to choose from and visit. But it is always doubly nice to read stories about our eateries by people who actually do restaurant reviews for a living.

Enter Molly Abraham, a veteran restaurant reviewer who has published several books about her favorites places to eat. In her new list of the Top 12 restaurants to visit in 2012, she lists our own Bistro 222 at 22266 Michigan Ave.

Bistro 222 owner and veteran chef Michael Chamas (LA Express, La Dolce Vita), who trained with Wolfgang Puck and Keith Famie, has won several awards for his fine food since opening in 2009. He now can add another.

Here is what Molly had to write about Bistro 222 to people who want to try a fresh new restaurant and expand their taste buds in 2012.

“The L-shaped room is something of an oasis, entered from the rear through a courtyard-style passageway. Although wine and beer are served, there is no bar, leaving the space for linen-covered tables surrounded by a collection of art. Single page menus offer a list of dishes that include pastas, some house-made, a few vegetarian selections, and a nice mix of seafood and meat choices all freshly garnished with vegetables and herbs. The quiet skill of chef/proprietor Michael Chamas keeps this 60-seat spot a haven for those who appreciate handcrafted fare.”

Congrats, Michael. It’s a nice way to start the year.

How bad is Chuck E. Cheese these days? Well, consider that in the last month, one local TV station has reported on three assaults at area metro Detroit restaurants.

The most recent was here in Dearborn on Sunday evening at the store located in a strip mall on Michigan Avenue, just west of Telegraph

According to local broadcast and print media, a Dearborn Heights grandmother who was celebrating her grandson’s seventh birthday was allegedly assaulted by a man following her request to him that he watch his profanity.

The man in the other group responded with more profanities and then allegedly attacked her, hitting her in the face and dragging her by her hair, according to the victim’s family.

“There was an altercation,” Lt. Patty Penman of the Dearborn Police Department told The Detroit News. “And we’re trying to see if usable video exists and submitting the matter to our local prosecutor for review.”

It is another story taking off across the Internet, putting Dearborn again in the spotlight. We heard of the news from one of our readers who sent us this link HERE.

Headpace Gallery inside Dearborn’s Green Brain Comics is proud to announce its next exhibit, HOT/COLD, featuring some of Michigan’s best women artists.

The idea behind the HOT/COLD exhibit theme was to offer each hand picked artist the choice to create something hot and sassy, cool and wintry, or incorporate both themes. The results are amazing and Headspace Gallery is honored to showcase the wide range of styles resulting from this unique theme.

“As always, we like to promote our local home grown talent,” says Katie Merritt, co-owner and curator of the exhibit.

Most of the artists hail from the metro Detroit area, with one addition from Kalamazoo, and one former Detroiter currently residing in New York.

The artists vary as wildly as the styles including a published graphic novelist, Jane Irwin, two Center for Creative Studies students, Natalie James and Hanna Lee Stockdale, a musician/local business owner, Windy Weber, and even a 10-year-old aspiring artist, Audra Evans. The exhibit is featuring 14 of Michigan’s finest female artists in all.

HOT/COLD officially opens Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 with an opening reception/meet and greet with the artists at Headspace Gallery. The fun starts at 7 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m. with a live DJ, Terri “WhoDat?” McQueen.

Headspace Gallery is located inside Green Brain Comics, 13210 Michigan Ave.  in East Downtown Dearborn. For more information check the website HERE or call 313-582-9444.

The exhibit will be on display until March 31, 2012.