The Dearborn High School Marching Band appeared on “Ireland AM” today (Wednesday)  at about 7 am. You can watch the band by clicking HERE. 

Some of you will recall that we wrote about the Dearborn High School band and Orchestra last September when they were invited to march in the 2011 Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Members, parents and supporters held numerous fundraisers so that some 119 people could travel to Ireland, including 18 chaperons.

Not just any high school band gets invited to perform in Dublin. You have to be good. And under the supervision of Dearborn High’s Music Director Jeff Oshnock, the Pioneers are outstanding. One proud parent tells us that Dearborn High School’s musicians score top rankings at solo/ensemble competitions and band reviews.

In 2008, the Dearborn High School Marching Band participated in the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC. It was that performance that helped the band secure a position to perform in the 2011 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin.

The Dublin Parade will be streamed live over the Internet.  To watch, click HERE.You will have to get up at 6 am to view it live.

Official Festival Site is HERE.

The Dearborn High School band was featured on Local 4 News, WDIV and you can view that HERE.

Mark you calendar for March 26 to attend a fundraiser for video students at Dearborn High School.

The event takes place at 7 pm the Dearborn Elks Club, 25000 Michigan Ave. Proceeds from the event will go to students making the video Saints Cove.

Door open at 7 p.m. and tickets are just $8 for a night with the Joint Chiefs of Detroit and special guest Rusted Blue.

For more information, please contact 313-827-1635.

One for our readers sent along a notice about the following upcoming event.

The 7th Annual Relay For Life of Dearborn Spaghetti Dinner brings people together to enjoy good food and good company for a great cause.

The Relay For Life of Dearborn Spaghetti Dinner brings people together to enjoy good food and good company for a great cause.

In anticipation of the April 30th Relay For Life, the Dearborn planning committee, working with representatives from Fr. Patrick O’Kelley Knights of Columbus Hall, is hosting an all you can eat dinner buffet benefiting the American Cancer Society on Sunday, March 27th from noon to 6 p.m. The fundraiser is well attended and open during times to accommodate both lunch and dinner patrons.

The success of the spaghetti dinner is due to the support of dozens of teams volunteering to bake goods for the dessert bake sale, solicit and donate silent auction items, sell tickets and volunteer to work shifts throughout the day. The Dearborn community is encouraged to bring their families to spend some time with 2011 teams and meet cancer survivors and caregivers. Tickets are available now or can be purchased at the door.

“Through events like the Spaghetti Dinner, we’re able to reach out to people in the community, talk about cancer and give hope to patients currently battling the disease – all in a relaxed, fun environment,” says Vice-Chair Alysia Schuler.

The Relay For Life of Dearborn supports the Society’s mission to save lives by helping people stay well, get well and by finding cures and fighting back. This inspiring overnight event unites the entire Dearborn community in the common goal of creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Planning for the Relay For Life of Dearborn has become a year round effort organized by a dedicated group of volunteers who focus on increasing cancer awareness in the Dearborn community while raising funds for the American Cancer Society. The Society reports 142 people in Michigan are diagnosed with cancer everyday, 30 of whom are from Wayne County. Participating in the Relay For Life of Dearborn is one way to help those people get well, bringing them closer to programs and services offered by the American Cancer Society.

The Relay For Life of Dearborn will take place on April 30 – May1, 10 am-10 am at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. Visit www.relayforlife.org/dearbornmi for more information or contact event chairperson Denise Abdullah at deniseabdullah@hotmail.com, 313.522.8785.

Event: Relay For Life of Dearborn 7th Annual Spaghetti Dinner

When: Sunday, March 27th, 12 – 6pm

Where: Fr. Patrick O’Kelley Knights of Columbus Hall, 23663 Park, Dearborn, MI 48124

Cost: $10.00 per person ($5 for ages 4-10)

Details: All you can eat spaghetti, plus salad, rolls, coffee and pop. Music, bake sale dessert and silent auction items will also be available.

All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society through the Relay For Life of Dearborn!

The City Council study session touched on several topics Wednesday night, including whether to raise parking fees or raise parking fines.

City Council is also asking for data on parking tickets, apparently trying to determine whether raising fines might generate additional funding rather than raising parking fees.

When any changes will take place still hasn’t been shared. We are told by one councilman that this is “information gathering” right now and no action is planned yet.

With the parking system hemorrhaging, odds are good a change will come sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned . . .

The contentious issue of paid parking in downtown West Dearborn will be the topic of a City Council study session on Wednesday, March 9, at Dearborn City Hall.

The meeting takes place at 5:30 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room. We will have more details about the upcoming meeting later today.

While it is a bit early to think about lawn work, the City of Dearborn will start its curbside collection of yard waste material the week of March 14 so residents can dispose of materials left over from the fall and early winter.

Beginning the week of March 14, residents can put yard waste in properly marked containers at the curb on their trash collection day, weather permitting.

The mid-March start up allows residents to get a jump on spring cleanup and dispose of materials left over from the fall.

Residents are reminded to place the yard waste materials in the proper containers at least three feet away from their trash cart and recycling cart.

Residents can place their yard waste in paper bags or in their own 20-32 gallon container. Cardboard boxes and plastic bags are not permitted. Containers should be marked with yard waste stickers, which are available for free at the Dearborn Public Libraries, Mayor’s Office, and Public Works Yard.

City officials say do not put yard waste in your trash cart or your recycling cart. Yard waste is classified as grass clippings, weeds, leaves, and shrub and brush trimmings.

Fruits, vegetables, dirt, sod, and animal droppings should not be mixed in to yard waste. Roots should be free of dirt.

Brush can be up to four feet in length and three inches in diameter. It should be tied with heavy cord or rope and weigh no more than 35 pounds. Shrubs should be bundled the same way, with root balls removed.

For more information, call the Department of Public Works at 313.943.2085.

Heads up to those out and about on Saturday. The northbound and southbound lanes of Southfield Freeway (M-39) will be closed, between Ford Road (M-153) and M-10, for bridge demolition beginning at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, March 4 and ending by 5:00 a.m. on Monday, March 7.

Entrance ramps to northbound and southbound Southfield within the closure limits will begin closing at 8:00 p.m., including those at the I-96 interchange. During the full closure, Southfield traffic will be detoured to Telegraph Road (US-24).

The City of Dearborn’s Recreation Commission is hosting a public hearing on March 8 to discuss a series of improvements to Camp Dearborn, including a new walking path, canoe launch and a shore fishing platform.

Residents will be able to comment on a proposed Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant application for improvements at Camp Dearborn in Milford.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Board Room of the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave.

The grant would fund the installation of a multi-use path that will connect the Milford Trail on General Motors Road to Camp Dearborn. The path will include a canoe/kayak launch and a shore fishing platform on the Huron River.

City officials say all improvements to be funded with this grant are proposed to be universally accessible; therefore, the City would especially like to receive input from citizens with disabilities.

If you are unable to attend in person, written comments about this grant proposal can be addressed to Greg Orner, Director of Recreation, City of Dearborn, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI, 48126.

Individuals with disabilities who require special accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to attend or participate in this public meeting should contact 313-943-2350 or TTY 313-943-2199.

The car glass in dozens of vehicles parked in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Inkster were shot out by a group of Dearborn Heights teens wielding BB guns Friday night, according to several readers of DeepsaidWhat.com and the owner of a nearby auto glass repair shop who contacted us.

It isn’t clear how many of the damaged vehicles were in Dearborn but the men responsible for the damage have been arrested.

We will share more details as they become available. The auto glass repair shop we spoke to says police from Dearborn Heights and Dearborn stopped in his shop on Saturday alerting him to be prepared for a very busy day of glass repairs on Monday.

The Dearborn Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the non-profit division of the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce, brings Dearborn SOUP to Dearborn beginning March 6.

SOUP is a monthly dinner that funds micro-grants for creative projects. This event, modeled after Detroit SOUP (www.detroitsoup.com), is designed to support local entrepreneurs whose ideas will positively impact the community in the areas of the arts, humanities, or “green” initiatives.

The event will take place the first Sunday of every month and will be held at The Glass Academy in Dearborn. Each attendee is asked to donate $5 for admission, which includes a light meal generally consisting of soup, salad and bread; all of which are donated. During dinner, up to four pre-selected individuals will present their ideas. The attendees then vote on a winner and a portion of the proceeds is then granted to fund the winning idea.

To ensure a successful launch, the Dearborn Chamber Foundation is looking for sponsors, local artists who would like to showcase or sell their work and a photographer who is interested in documenting the launch. All the furniture will be made of recycled material so donations of rugs and reusable materials would be appreciated. Interested parties can reach Dee Hamka at (313) 801-4444.

The launch will take place Sunday, March 6 at The Glass Academy located at 25331 Trowbridge (www.glassacademy.com) at the southeast corner of Michigan Ave. and Gulley. Doors open at 6:30 pm. You can keep up to date on  information about Dearborn Soup on Facebook.