The Dearborn Historical Museum is hosting a Victorian Christmas open house 1-6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Museum’s Commandant’s Quarters, 21950 Michigan Ave. (corner of Mason).

This is the first time this annual event has been on a Saturday. Rick Danes, president of the Museum Guild of Dearborn, said he wanted to make the open house easier to attend for busy families who work Monday through Friday.

“Our favorite traditions come from this time in our history,” said Jack Tate, curator of the Dearborn Historical Museum.

The free event features Christmas music, decorations and refreshments. Children’s activities, including crafts, a visit with Santa, and a Santa’s Helper game take place from 3-6 p.m.

“It will be like stepping inside a Christmas card,” promised Tate. “Elaborate garlands, the scent of warm spice, men and woman in period dress and holiday carols will help people to experience an old-fashioned Currier and Ives Christmas.”

Donations for the museum will be accepted on site. For more information on the Victorian Christmas Open House, call 313.565.3000.

Dearborn Public Library and DFCU Financial, Michigan’s largest credit union headquartered in Dearborn, are continuing a series of financial education seminars to help you prepare for your financial future.

The seminars will be presented by Charles Hoff, an accredited financial counselor through the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, who has been with DFCU Financial for more than 15 years.

The series continues with:

• Pre-Retirement Wealth Builder, 10:30 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, April 6. This session will teach you strategies to money management that will get you to retirement in a financially healthy state.

• Post-Retirement Wealth Retention, 10:30 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, May 4. This seminar will provide guidance on how to preserve what you’ve accumulated while offering ideas on how to live comfortably on less income during retirement.

All seminars will be in the auditorium of Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Avenue.

Registration is required for these free seminars. You may sign up for one or both by calling the Henry Ford Centennial Library Adult Reference Desk at (313) 943-2330.

The Dearborn Historical Museum will host a lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, at the McFadden-Ross House, 915 Brady. The lecture is titled Michigan at War.

Dr. James McConnell, a local expert on the War of 1812, will speak on the “Struggle for the Old Northwest, 1812-1815.”

The lecture is sponsored by the Dearborn Historical Museum Guild and the Dearborn Historical Society.

The event is free, but donations to the Guild will be accepted.

The 5th annual Dearborn Area Board of Realtors (DABOR) free Home and Garden Expo takes place 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave.

The City of Dearborn is again a sponsor of the event, which promises new ideas, practical advice and great deals in remodeling and home improvement.

The Expo will feature the latest trends in home and garden services, including innovative products and companies that can beautifully transform your home and make it more energy efficient, safe and comfortable.

“Everyone wants quality service at a fair price. That’s what DABOR features each year at this event,” said Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. “We’re proud of our community and our homes in Dearborn. This Expo gives us additional inspiration.”

Tips and trends from experts will be provided for those looking to purchase a home and for existing owners who want to repair, decorate or create an outdoor living space.

One of the highlights of this year’s Expo is a live morning radio broadcast of “The Appliance Doctor.”

For 25 years, the program has aired across the country and been featured on television programs such as Prime Time and Good Morning America.

Joe Gagnon, the popular host, has helped millions save money on appliance repairs and maintenance. Following his WAAM Radio AM 1600 program at 11 a.m. he will take questions from his Expo audience.

At 1 p.m., a “Housing 101” panel of experts in the fields of appraisal, mortgages, home inspection, short sales, home improvements, titles and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority will offer advice and answers.

Children can enjoy a hands-on learning experience provided by the University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center.

Visitors have a chance at winning $500 towards work by one of the Expo contractors. There will be a drawing of names from those who attend and get their “passport” stamped at displays on the show floor.

These home and garden exhibitors include professionals in construction and remodeling, heating and air conditioning, kitchen and bath, garden and outdoor living, home décor and entertainment.

There will also be opportunities to learn about and donate money to the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, DABOR’s Community Focus Foundation and the Dearborn Animal Shelter.

Parking is free.

For more information about the DABOR Home and Garden Expo, call 313-278-2220 or visit: www.dabor.com

The Cass Ambassadors, a unique vocal group composed of formerly homeless men, will be the featured performers at an event aimed to help immigrants make a new life in their new home.

The group will share its Old Gospel and Motown favorites as part of a celebration dinner hosted by Justice For Our Neighbors of Southeastern Michigan, the national charitable organization which provides free, high-quality legal immigration services, education and advocacy to those in need.

The concert and strolling dinner, catered by Fuego Mexican Grill of Dearborn, will take place March 2 at Dearborn First United Methodist Church, 22124 Garrison. The dinner begins at 6 p.m., followed by the concert at 7:30 p.m.

The event celebrates the group’s third year in operation. Rev. Paul Perez, regional coordinator of JFON-SEMI explains, “Immigration has shot to the top of the national agenda in the past month. It has been at the top of our agenda for three years. As an organization on the frontline we pause to celebrate our success and to look forward to the hope of immigration reform.”

In recognition of advocacy efforts on behalf of immigrants statewide, Steve Tobocman, director of Global Detroit, a regional economic revitalization strategy for the Detroit area focused on immigration and global connections, will be in attendance to accept the Just Neighbor Advocacy Award.

The group employs a full-time immigration attorney who serves clients by appointment at three volunteer-led monthly immigration clinics located in Dearborn, Pontiac and Ypsilanti. In the last three years, it has served more than 300 clients from nearly 70 different countries. For more information on the group and its operations, or to make an appointment, go to www.jfonsemi.org

The Cass Ambassador choir was organized 10 years ago at the urging of Rev. Faith Fowler, executive director of Cass Community Social Services. Says Fowler, “The men volunteer their time and talent. More than that, they offer their stories of struggle, hardship, addiction, institutionalization, etc. and those that depict recovery, community, and mentoring. They serve as ambassadors for the church, Cass Community Social Services and for Christ.”

The event is open to the public. Tickets for the dinner and concert are $30 per person, $5 per child 12 and under, and can be reserved by calling Perez at 1-734-422-0149, or email: paul@jfonsemi.org. Admission to the concert only is $10 per person, children 12 and under free. Admission paid at the door.

Boy Scout Troop 1111 is holding its annual Pancake Supper on Friday, February 8 from 5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Cherry Hill United Presbyterian Church (Cherry Hill and Telegraph) in Dearborn.

This is Troop 1111’s main fundraising event. It supports troop activities throughout the year. Tickets are available at the door, $6 for adults, $4 for children and seniors.

This year’s fundraiser has a dual purpose. One of our scouts, Eagle Scout Karl Meffert, is ill and currently in the University of Michigan Hospital. Troop 1111 will be donating some of its supper proceeds to help Karl.

Please support Troop 1111 and their fellow scout Karl.

The First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn is inviting all on Sunday May 27, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for a celebration of Pentecost through contemporary song and pastoral prayers at the church, located at 600 North Brady in Dearborn.

The church is  asking everyone to bring a small dessert to share in fellowship afterward during an afterglow that will include ice cream courtesy of the host church DNA committee at FPCD. You can RSVP or “like” the event on Facebook. Please contact the church if you have a large group or other questions regarding attending this unique event.

For more information, click HERE

Tom Lewand, president of the Detroit Lions, will be the keynote speaker at the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce’s Business Builder Breakfast, Wednesday, May 16, 7:30 am at the Doubletree Hotel Detroit/Dearborn, 5801 Southfield Service Drive, Detroit. The event is sponsored by Oakwood Healthcare System.

The Detroit Lions 2011/2012 season was a cavalcade of historic moments and emotional highs. While the season may have ended in the first round of playoffs, fans were still treated to numerous nationally televised games this year, and this Lions unit proved they were not the same pushovers from years prior. They became a force in the NFC and a likely fixture in playoff race for the foreseeable future. Working alongside General Manager Martin Mayhew and Head Coach Jim Schwartz, Lewand is leading one of the NFL’s most improved teams.

“We want business owners and executives to be motivated and inspired by comeback stories such as the Detroit Lions,” said Chamber President Jennifer Knott Giering. “Lewand has proven to be a creatively aggressive business force. In addition to the transformation of the Lions’ business operations, he has helped position Ford Field as a cornerstone in the area’s urban renewal and revitalization efforts.”

Since taking the helm, Lewand continues to evaluate and review opportunities to grow the team’s operations to impact it’s ability to win on the field. In 2010, the team sold out seven of eight home games and introduced numerous fan-friendly and family-oriented ticket options. Overall attendance in 2010 increased 14 percent, the largest increase by any NFC team. Detroit was one of only two teams in the NFL to experience a double-digit increase in ticket sales. Under Lewand’s guidance and direction, Ford Field has been host to Super Bowl XL (2006); NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four (2009); NCAA Men’s Hockey Frozen Four (2010) that not only set NCAA Frozen Four records but world indoor hockey records as well.

Lewand received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1991, and earned both his Juris Doctor at the University of Michigan Law School and his Master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan Business School in 1996. Lewand aided the Michigan football program in various capacities on a volunteer basis while attending the school. He and wife Suzanne have four daughters and maintain several close alliances to community organizations.

The Dearborn Chamber offers this breakfast series as an opportunity for members to engage with newsmakers and key opinion leaders who make significant impact on the business community. The Business Builders Breakfast in May is the first of these breakfasts scheduled for 2012. Previous speakers included Ford Motor Company’s Alan Mulally and U of M Athletic Director David Brandon. Individual tickets are available ($30 for members; $35 for non-members) as well as corporate tables ($400) by going to www.dearbornchamber.org.

The Dearborn Chamber of Commerce provides 500+ members with the opportunities and resources to engage and network with other businesses, enhancing financial growth, professional development, and the ability to contribute to a thriving community environment.

“The Most Happy Fella,” a Frank Loesser musical, will be performed by Friends of the Opera of Michigan (F.O.T.O.) at Dearborn’s Ford Community & Performing Arts Center on March 30 and 31 at 8 p.m.

Based on a Sidney Howard play titled They Knew What They Wanted, Loesser wrote the book, music and lyrics for “The Most Happy Fella,” a story about a romance between an older man, a much younger woman and a case of mistaken identity.

When the show first opened on Broadway in 1956, critics referred to it as a “missing link between Broadway and opera.” Loesser called it a musical comedy and songs like “Standing on the Corner” and “Joey, Joey, Joey” became part of the popular music culture. “The Most Happy Fella” enjoyed a 14-month Broadway run and many revivals over the years including one by the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center.

The F.O.T.O. cast is led by baritone Quinto Milito in the role of Tony. Other principal roles will be performed by: Katherine Kujala (soprano) as Rosabella; John Hummel (baritone) as Joe; Annie Klark (mezzo soprano) as Cleo; Elizabeth Mitchell (mezzo soprano) as Marie and Steven Patterson (baritone) as Herman. Cameo appearances will be made by Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. and internationally known tenor Carlos Seise.

“The Most Happy Fella” is under the direction of James Pinard. Other production team members include: Patricia Damian, choreographer; Steve SeGraves, Music Director and William S. Harrison, Conductor.

Tickets priced at $29 and $24 are on sale now for the March 30 and 31 performances at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center Box Office, 15801 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn. Box Office hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. or one hour prior to scheduled performances. Contact the Box Office at 313-943-2354 for phone orders. Tickets can also be purchased online anytime at www.dearborntheater.com. MasterCard, Visa and American Express are accepted.

“The Most Happy Fella” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI).

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will host “Hiring Our Heroes – Dearborn/Detroit,”  a hiring fair for the region’s veterans and their spouses 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn.

The City of Dearborn is a sponsor of the free event, which includes the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce and many partners.

Employers and job seekers must pre-register for this free event by visiting www.hoh.greatjob.net. Registration closes on April 3, 2012

The event is part of the U.S. Chamber’s 100-city “Hiring Our Heroes” initiative and is designed to be one of the Chamber’s largest fairs to date, with the goal of bringing 100 employers together with hundreds of local veterans.