Henry Ford Community College will officially open its new Welcome Center in April.

Henry Ford Community College will open a new welcome and enrollment center for incoming students next month in a renovated building purchased from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers organization.

New signage on the building was recently installed and renovations to the interior of the building are nearly complete.

HFCC purchased the building from SME back in 2008. SME consolidated its business operations into one building on the 10-acre parcel of property at Ford Road and Evergreen, which is also owned by HFCC and located just behind the new community college welcome center. SME rents back about two-thirds of the building space from the college.

HFCC has been enjoying record enrollment thanks to the changing economy. Enrollment this fall was just over 18,000 students, up from 13,700 in 2006.

Responding to numerous traffic complaints at the onset of the spring season, Dearborn police on April 2-4 will be conducting a traffic enforcement initiative, targeting moving violations on major streets and around schools.

The Dearborn Police Department reminds citizens that safety on our roadways and around our schools is everyone’s responsibility. While Dearborn police are committed to improving safety by increasing compliance with traffic laws through education and enforcement, Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad says his department relies on the cooperation of the public to be aware of and to follow all traffic laws, whether as a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorist.

Chief Haddad reminds Dearborn citizens of the following:

• Please remember to drive safely and to wear seatbelts. State law allows police to stop a vehicle when the driver is observed not wearing a safety belt.

• Keep in mind that 20 percent of all injury traffic crashes are the result of distracted driving, especially while texting and talking on cell phones.

• State law requires vehicles to yield right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks.

• Forty percent of all crashes in the City of Dearborn are rear-end collisions. Keep your distance and don’t drive while distracted!

• Finally: please do not drink and drive!

“If our entire community works together to promote safe driving, we can ensure that Dearborn remains a safe place to live and work,” Haddad said.

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.

Dearborn City Councilman Robert Abraham is offering $1,000 of his own money as a reward for information on the man who assaulted him in Detroit following a Red Wings hockey game on March 4.

Anyone with information on the assault is asked to call the Detroit Police Tip Line at 800-SPEAK-UP. Anonymous calls are accepted.

The $1,000 reward can be collected if the information leads to the arrest of a suspect.

Here are details of the attack, which has been well-publicized:

At about 6:45 p.m. on March 4, the assault occurred on the west end of Joe Louis Arena following the Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks game.

The assault took place on West Jefferson, across from the Joe Louis Parking Garage.

The assailant was a white man, approximately 25-30 years old, of average weight and height.

He fled as the driver of dark blue four-door Chevy SUV. There were three passengers in the vehicle; all appeared to be women.

The vehicle was leaving the Detroit Red Wings Riverfront parking lot (permits only) onto eastbound West Jefferson.

Purchased in 1967 for $1.1 million, Dearborn sold its Florida apartment complex for $6.25 million.

Nearly two years after putting its Florida apartment building for retirees on the sales block, Dearborn has inked a deal to sell the 52-year old property for $6.25 million.

The sale of the apartment building, when final, will close a chapter in Dearborn’s history books.

It was the late Dearborn Mayor Orville Hubbard who led the charge to purchase the eight-story, 88-unit property back in 1967 for $1.1 million.

The purchase of the building, which Hubbard renamed Dearborn Towers, was billed as the first attempt by a U.S. city to own property outside the state.

The opportunity for Dearborn retirees to rent in Florida, at costs below market rates, for some or part of the year made Dearborn Towers immensely popular in the 1960s through the 1990s, and added to Dearborn’s reputation of providing one-of-a-kind services for its residents. A one mile walk from the beach, the complex included a heated pool, organized poker nights and other activities.

As times changed, so did Dearborn residents’ ideas about retirement, and the traditionally long waiting list to rent an apartment in Dearborn Towers disappeared.

The city put the Dearborn Towers on the sales block in May 2010, announcing it in a press release  that it was seeking buyers as a way to ease the city’s mounting financial challenges. The decision to put the Dearborn Towers on the sales block came nearly three years after voters approved a 2007 ballot measure to give elected city officials permission to do so.

Last week at a special meeting, the Dearborn city council approved the sale. But this time the city did not issue a press release that the Dearborn Towers had been sold.

In 2007, the 52-year-old Florida property was valued at between $8 million and $8.3 million, according to one informal appraisal. Another appraisal in March 2008 put the value of property at about $5.6 million.

So $6.25 million is a good price, considering today’s real estate market. The city in September 2010 said it had an offer for the apartments for $6.7  million but that deal never materialized.

The new winning bid was from Alchemy Management, via a broker the city hired in February. After brokerage fees, Dearborn will net just over $6 million from the sale when the deal closes, which is expected in about a month.

The apartment building is located near Clearwater Beach, which Dearborn says has consistently been named one of the best beaches in the country. The property sits on a 2-acre waterfront site on Clearwater Bay, and is near the Gulf of Mexico and downtown Clearwater. It has a private fishing dock, marina and pool.

Constructed in 1960, the apartment building has 40, one-bedroom and 48 two-bedroom units.

Public radio station WDET is inviting Dearborn residents to take part in a “community conversation” in Dearborn 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, March 21 at the Arab American National Museum.

The radio station is asking: What should metro Detroit know about Dearborn?

This community conversation will not be recorded.

Interested in participating? Visit HERE.

Starting March 20, classes are on the schedule for basic computer instruction and for assistance using e-books borrowed from the Dearborn Public Library’s Digital Catalogs.

All sessions will be at Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave., in the First Floor Training Room.

Participants of e-reader sessions are asked to bring their charged devices and all connecting cables, along with their valid library card with them.

Call the Reference Desk at (313) 943-2330 to register for any of the following sessions during the week prior to the class (classes can fill quickly):

• Internet Basics: 10 a.m. – noon Tuesday, March 20 or 10 a.m. – noon Tuesday, April 10

• ebooks for non-Kindle (Nook, iPad, etc): 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 20 or 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, March 27

• eBooks for Kindle: 2-4 p.m. Thursday, March 22 or 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 10.

• Basic Computers: 10 a.m. – noon Tuesday, April 3.

• Tech Time (Any device and question): 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 5.

It’s that time of year again.  Public Service Days in Dearborn begins again the week of April 2 and continues through Nov. 30, 2012.

During this time period, Dearborn provides critical services, such as street sweeping, tree-trimming, and sewer maintenance in neighborhoods on trash day.

To ensure these services are provided in a safe, effective manner, Dearborn city officials are warning residents not to park on the street from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on your trash day. Parked vehicles will be ticketed.

Dearborn officials also remind residents that parking across the sidewalk on Public Service Days is no longer permitted.

You must also keep your trash and recycle carts and yard waste containers off the street on your Public Service Days/trash days.

Additional information is available at www.cityofdearborn.org. For parking issues related to Public Service Days, call 943-2276.

The city of Dearborn is reminding Dearborn residents that for a limited time they can order affordable trees that will be planted on the easement in front of their homes this spring.

The City of Dearborn encourages the planting of trees as a way to keep neighborhoods attractive, reduce energy consumption and support a healthier environment.

The annual spring tree planting program is open to Dearborn residents only.

2012 trees cost $175 each, and the supply of trees for the program is limited. Trees range in size from 8 – 10 feet in height and are sold on a first come, first served basis through Dearborn’s Department of Public Works.

Residents can choose from an assortment of trees. Each species offered meets American Association of Nurserymen standards and is zone hardy.

To place an order or to request a selection guide, residents can call 943.2317 or visit www.cityofdearborn.org.

This year’s selections include: “Ivory Silk” Japanese Tree Lilac, Corktree, Celebration Maple, American Hornbeam, Golden Rain Tree, Corzam or Corinthian Linden, American Yellowwood, Ginkgo Tree/Maidenhair Tree, “Lustre” Allegheny Serviceberry and Sugar Maple “Legacy”.

Homeowners can suggest an easement planting location and city personnel will have final approval.

The area between resident’s sidewalk and curb must be a minimum of 4 feet wide to accommodate a tree. Public Works officials will decide if there is adequate space in the easement of a property owner’s home for a tree. Multiple trees may be ordered if correct spacing is available.

Trees will be planted by a contractor and have a one-year warranty. Planting usually takes place in late April and should be complete by June 1. The contractor is responsible for planting, mulching, staking, pruning, watering and clean up at the time of planting.

At the end of the first year, the contractor will provide a final inspection and remove tree stakes and bracing.

Residents, who are responsible for maintaining the health of the tree through regular watering, will be billed by the City of Dearborn after tree planting is complete, usually in late June or July.

The Michael A. Guido Theater is located in the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.

Taking a play from the revenue-generating pages of the Fox Theatre and the Detroit Opera House, the theater in the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center will soon begin offering patrons the option of purchasing beer and wine to consume while watching a show.

Cup holders are in the process of being installed in each of the 1,200 seats at the Michael A. Guido Theater and the plan is to begin sales of beer and wine for the upcoming show season, confirms Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr.

The city already holds a liquor license for the Center for when special events are held at the facility so broadening it to include shows in the theater is a smart financial move. The combination of beer and wine sales along with a show schedule that in recent years has had broader appeal will go a long way to helping the Center generate even greater revenues.