Dearborn’s seasonal services are coming to an end for the year.

– Loose leaf collection ends the week of Dec. 2.-7

– Curbside yard waste collection ends the week of Dec. 9-13. It resumes again in March.

– Public Service Days for the year ends Nov. 30, which means residents can now keep vehicles parked in the street on trash collection days

While loose leaf collection is scheduled to end the week of Dec. 2-7, that doesn’t mean residents should rake leaves into the street. Weather permitting, crews will be out doing a final pickup of leaves raked into the street — but only in specific districts.

The final week of loose leaf pickup will be for neighborhoods that recycle on the “A” week schedule. Crews will be by on trash days.

Residents with the “B” week recycling schedule will have one final pickup the week of Nov. 25-Nov. 30. (Note this is Thanksgiving week, and neither leaves nor trash will not be picked up on the holiday.)

Dearborn officials remind residents that not every block in every district can be picked up on one day, and so some properties may have already had their last collection of loose leaves.

At this stage of the year, the best bet for residents is to bag leaves and put them out on the curb on their trash day.

This can be done through the week of Dec. 9-13, when curbside yard waste collection ends for the year. Seasonal collection will start again in March.

Public Service Days end for 2013 on Nov. 30. That means residents will no longer be required to remove their parked vehicles from the street on their trash day, but doing so will make the final weeks of loose leaf and curbside collection of yard waste safer and more efficient. Public Service Days will start again in April.

Residents are reminded that their trash and recycling carts should never be put in the street.

Since winter is coming, it is good to note that parked vehicles must be removed from the street when a snow emergency is declared or they could be ticketed and towed. Police do not issue warning.

Do you enjoy the Dearborn Farmer’s and Artisan Market throughout the spring, summer and fall?

Now you can extend that feeling throughout the winter, beginning on Sunday, Dec. 22 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

The City of Dearborn, the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce and the Farmer’s Market are joining forces to present a Winter Market the third Sunday of each month during the off season.

The market will be open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. inside the Hubbard Ballroom. Admission and parking are both free at The Center.

Popular vendors from the summer version will be on hand for the Winter Market, include those selling edible goods, like gourmet chocolate, frozen pasties, hot sauce and kettle corn.

High-quality crafters will also be part of the Winter Market, with some new additions anticipated. It is expected the Winter Market will begin with at least 30 vendors.

The Winter Market in December will focus on ideas for holiday gift-giving, and then offer unique shopping experiences in January, February, March and April.

Dearborn voters approved the Dearborn Public Schools’ $76 million S.M.A.R.T. School bond by a wide margin, 11,525 to 5,239. That means homeowners will continue to pay 5.35 mills. The bond will be used to fund security, modifications, additions to buildings, renovations, technology and transportation in Dearborn Schools.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. cruised to an easy win.

The Dearborn City Council will have two new faces, including a new council president.

Susan Dabaja was the top vote getter, beating Tommy Tafelski, the current council president, by a slim margin. Dabaja spent a lot on her campaign and put a lot of effort in going door-to-door and her hard work paid off.

The other new face on the council will be Mike Sareini, the son of former councilwoman Suzanne Sareini, who did not run for office.

The vote totals for the City Council look like this:

Susan A. Dabaja . . . . . . . . 9,398

Thomas Patrick Tafelski. . . . . . 9,366

Mike T. Sareini . . . . . . . . 8,723

Brian C. O’Donnell . . . . . . . 7,929

David W. Bazzy. . . . . . . . . 7,809

Robert Alex Abraham . . . . . . . 7,477

Mark C. Shooshanian . . . . . . . 7,407

Here are the rest of the results for the others who were unsuccessful in this year’s council race:

Patrick A Melton . . . . . . . . 7,021

Tarek M. Baydoun . . . . . . . . 6,280

Sharon Dulmage. . . . . . . . . 5,601

Kristyn Taylor. . . . . . . . . 5,315

Jane Ahern . . . . . . . . . . 5,225

Colette Richards . . . . . . . . 4,231

Stephen S. Dobkowski, Jr. . . . . . 3,551

There will be several important ballot questions voters will have to decide on today when they head out to vote.

One of the most important is the Dearborn Public Schools’ $76 million S.M.A.R.T. School Bond, which will NOT increase the millage rate taxpayers currently pay. Homeowners are currently paying 5.35 mills, and that is what will continue if the bond is passed again.

The bond will be used to fund security, modifications, additions to buildings, renovations, technology and transportation in Dearborn Schools.

Voter approval of the bond is sorely needed to fill gaps created by state funding cuts, and decreasing property values even as costs for the district have continued to climb.

Over the past five years, the district has experienced an 8.1% reduction in funding from the state and an increase in the demands placed on its buildings. The S.M.A.R.T. School Bond will provide the funding to address security, aging inventory of buildings, computers, and an aging bus fleet.

In addition, safety and security will be integrated into the very fabric of every school with upgraded surveillance cameras, auto-lock doors, and a buzzer access system.

The average age of Dearborn Public School’s facilities is 58 years, with 21 of those facilities over 50 years old. Modifications to facilities are necessary in such areas as roofs, site, windows, furniture and equipment, lockers and flooring. Dearborn school officials say that every facility will receive modifications to ensure “the safety, accessibility, health and suitability of all learning environments for students and maximize the useful life of buildings.”

Additions are necessary at several schools to accommodate student enrollment growth of 2,060 students since 2000 and to allow curriculum flexibility.

If Dearborn students are going to compete in a global environment, it is critical for them to have the up-to-date technology tools to facilitate learning. In addition, on-line testing requirements by the State, impact the school district’s goals and needs for technology in the future.

So please remember to look for the Dearborn Public Schools S.M.A.R.T School Bond on the ballot today and vote YES!

A new flyer has landed in the mailboxes of many Dearborn residents questioning Council President Tom Tafelski’s ethics.

With just a day to go before this year’s general election, a new flyer has landed in the mailboxes of many Dearborn residents questioning Council President Tom Tafelski’s ethics.

Like the unnamed people behind “Let’s Reclaim Dearborn”, a group that sent out emails saying Councilwoman Nancy Hubbard backed a slate of candidates (only later to remove her endorsement in later mailings because she did not), this latest mailing about Tafelski says it isn’t “authorized by any candidate.”

The mailing calls Tafelski “TaFALSEski” and urges recipients to Google Search Case Case No. 05-71547 and then to call Tafelski at 313-943-2405 (his council office phone) and “tell him not to talk about ethics.”

The mailing appears to be directed at Tafelski’s actions where he called into question the ethics of Dearborn’s legal department.

Tafelski has said he planned to file an ethics complaint against Dearborn City Attorney Debra Walling because he said she engaged in “political activity” while on the clock for the City of Dearborn, which is not permitted by the City Charter.

Just last month, two candidates running for Dearborn City Council accused each other of being ethically unfit to be a public official, pointing to what they say are past misdeeds

Candidate Steve Dobkowski Jr. cited police reports he obtained that show candidate Michael Sareini being involved in three assaults of women in his family, dating back 23 years. Sareini accused Dobkowski of a “political ploy to get attention.”

Clearly, the gloves have come off in this Dearborn election for city council. While it will be interesting to watch, Dearborn residents love their incumbents (and the names of certain families) so don’t look for much change in the council when the results are finally tallied.

Is Dearborn struggling or thriving?

Depending on what city council member you speak with (or those running for office) you are bound to get a different answer.

The Wall Street Journal says there are five resources one can use to really find out the truth and whether battered roads and sidewalks and higher taxes and fees point to deeper financial woes or just temporary strain.

The WSJ story is below:

1.  For an overview, check out the American Cities Project by Pew Charitable Trusts, a research nonprofit. They research and report on fiscal, economic and demographic issues for 30 major U.S. cities. Also check out reports and data on local finances published by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. And the National League of Cities publishes research, too.

2.  Moody’s Investors Service is a major credit-rating firm that looks at the finances of thousands of debt-issuers, including cities. In the right corner of the website, click on “Register” to sign up. Once you’ve created an account, search for your city in the bar in the upper left of the website and read the available credit reports.  If you’re unable to find your city or town, it might not be rated be Moody’s. Some research is available only for subscribers.

The reports on “G.O.,” meaning general obligation, bonds are generally the most straightforward if you want to grasp a city’s finances. Read the “Summary Ratings Rationale” and then the “Strengths” and “Challenges” for your city. Moody’s rates bond-deals using a letter-grade scale. Triple-A is the top, followed by the B-category on down. An outlook indicates the likely direction of future ratings. Stable means the rating is likely to stay the same; positive, up; and negative, down.

3.  This website, known as EMMA in the municipal-bond world, is a repository for bond documents cities publish when they sell debt. Enter your city in the “Quick Search” in the upper right corner of the website. (Note: It’s often helpful to type in “City of X,” as this will pull up information about the city and not other local government units.) This search will bring you to a page with a list of securities issued by your city. To get the most recent document, click on the third column “dated date.” Then click again. This should bring up the most recent documents.  Next, click on one of the links in the second column (“Issue Description”) and then click on the tab that says “Official Statement” to access the bond document. Look for the “economic and demographic information” section, which typically has interesting information about your city’s population, major employers and finances. The organization that runs EMMA is developing an easier way to find this information. Click here for a look at their pilot program.

4.  Every year, cities publish a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, known as a CAFR. This massive document provides detailed information about your city’s finances. A simple way to locate the document is to Google your city’s name and the word “CAFR.” You can also look on your city’s finance department website. Or call your city for help locating this key document. Note that cities are often months late publishing the CAFR, so you may not be able to immediately locate the most up-to-date filing.

5.  Go to the U.S. Census Bureau for stats on your city and state. You can get figures on population, median household income and the poverty level. You can browse this data by county or city.

The Discount Tire store on Michigan Avenue in West Dearborn (shown here) has been razed and will be replaced with a new Kroger gas station.

While it is always good to see vacant eyesores along Michigan Avenue in Dearborn come down, it can be kind of a letdown when you eventually discover the new business that could be moving in.

That’s the case with the demolition of the long-vacant Discount Tire store on Michigan, between Outer Drive and Nowlin streets.

City officials tell Deepsaidwhat.com that Kroger is working with Dearborn to obtain permission to construct a Kroger gas station at that location. Kroger already operates a gas station on Ford Road in Dearborn Heights and this would be its second in the immediate area.

Now, we will be the first to admit that a new building – even if a gas station – is better than the vacant eyesore that the Discount Tire structure had become over the years.

It’s just that with so little new retail in downtown west Dearborn any time you see new construction, there is always the hope it will be something that becomes a destination. A gas station simply doesn’t live up to that dream . . .

At least two people were hospitalized and several others injured Sunday afternoon when a when a tractor-pulled hayride tipped over at Camp Dearborn in Milford, police said.

Milford police said there were multiple injuries, but none appeared to be life threatening, according to a Detroit Free Press article.

Ambulances responded to the accident, which involved 18 people, according to Karen Gabrys, a spokeswoman for Huron Valley Ambulance. She said the call came in at 5:43 p.m.. Huron Valley Ambulance, she said, transported two patients to a nearby hospital and both were in stable condition.

Other ambulances transported patients as well, Gabrys said.

Camp Dearborn, located at 1700 General Motors Rd. in Milford, is owned and operated by the city of Dearborn. Camp Dearborn has been operating tractor drawn hayrides for many years, hauling a maximum of 30 people per cart. Tickets are $7 per person with a minimum of 20 people per hayride.

With just over a week until the election, things are getting heated and ugly in the race for Dearborn City Council.

Two candidates for Dearborn City Council are accusing each other of being ethically unfit to be a public official, pointing to what they say are past misdeeds, according to an article in today’s Detroit Free Press.

Candidate Steve Dobkowski Jr. cited police reports he obtained that show candidate Michael Sareini being involved in three assaults of women in his family, dating back 23 years.

Sareini in the Free Press accused Dobkowski of “a political ploy to get attention.”

He also countercharged that Dobkowski had his own past problems, noting that he was removed from the City Charter Commission in 2006 by the City Council after he failed to pay his property taxes for 13 years. By not paying his taxes, Dobkowski was violating the city charter.

The dispute between the two is part of a broader fight between two camps among the 14 City Council candidates vying for seven open seats in the Nov. 5 election.

See the rest of the story HERE.

The biggest crisis facing public education is the relentless message that public education is in crisis, so says education historian Diane Ravitch in a new book that is out this week.

If you haven’t yet read the article about the book on politico.com, it is worth a read.

Ravitch argues that “corporate reformers” and “privatizers” have a vested interest in making it sound like teachers and schools are failing so they’ll be invited to run their own schools or sell educational technology at a profit.

It is an interesting thesis.  Here is the story on politico.com:

Do American public schools really stink? Maybe not

The drumbeat is hard to miss: Our schools are failing. Public education is in crisis. Our students are falling further and further behind.

The rhetoric comes from the left and right, from educators and politicians and lobbyists and CEOs and even Education Secretary Arne Duncan. The deep dysfunction of our public schools is said to threaten not only America’s economy but also its national security.

Read the rest of the story HERE.