Dearborn’s outdoor warning system will be receiving four new sirens as a way to address city and resident complaints that the present Wayne County-installed system is inadequate.

In March 2009, we wrote how the 12 sirens installed by Wayne County weren’t enough to cover the same geographic area that the city’s 28 “old” sirens previously did.

At that time, Wayne County promised the city four more sirens would be forthcoming as a way to fix the sound shortage.

Now, more than a year later (following pressure from Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. , with support from Wayne County Commissioner Gary Woronchak) four additional sirens are expected to be installed this fall.

The city says the four additional sirens will be installed in these areas:

•  Whitmore-Bolles school area
•  near the Oakwood Common retirement community
•  near the Dearborn Hills Golf Course and
•  near Cherry Hill and Outer Drive

These are many of the same areas residents complained they were unable to hear sirens following heavy storms in June. Click HERE for that story.

In addition to those four new sirens, Dearborn will benefit from the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s installation of four sirens to serve its campus on Evergreen between Ford Road and Michigan Avenue.

Further, the city will be pursuing two to four more sirens through federal Homeland Security grants. These sirens will have voice capabilities to alert people to seek cover indoors, or provide other specific directions.

The plan is to install these additional sirens in areas where large crowds typically gather outdoor, such as for athletic events, at visitor attractions or during festivals.

Even with the additional sirens, Dearborn public safety officials continue to say that the sirens are “meant to get the attention of people who are outdoors to alert them to seek shelter” and “not meant to be the primary warning for people already inside. In fact, they may not be heard inside houses or buildings.”

Dearborn advises residents to monitor TV and radio reports if weather conditions seem threatening and invest in weather radios or all-hazard radios to better ensure they remain informed.

The Dearborn City Council on Monday is expected to officially approve a plan to extend public swimming at Crowley Pool for an additional two weeks, a decision that could cost the city as much as $4,500, according to one city official.

The measure was approved at a council committee meeting Thursday evening and will become official during a vote at Monday’s meeting.

The Save our Pools neighborhood group that organized to save Crowley and five other neighborhood pools (Summer Stephens, Ten Eyck, Whitmore, Lapeer & Hemlock), was again the driving force to convince Council to keep Crowley open for an additional two weeks. Historically, the city has only kept Levagood and Ford Woods open until Labor Day.

While the city needs to do some fiscal belt tightening this year, this was one check approval elected officials weren’t going to deny.

Ticket Prices Lowered, Sales Extended Through Aug. 16

Here is a great way to help our Dearborn libraries continue to provide the great services they do to our community.

The Dearborn Public Library Foundation is having a luncheon fundraising event at Park Place on August 21 at noon.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the Foundation, which of course helps provide the additional funds necessary to enhance Dearborn’s library’s programs, services and facilities. The update of the Children’s Area at the Henry Ford Centennial Library is an example of the work completed by funds given to the library from the Foundation.

Now here is even better news: due to the generosity of the many sponsors of this event, the Foundation is lowering ticket sale prices and extending ticket sales through August 16.

Tickets are available at all Dearborn Library locations or by calling 313-943-2330.

Sponsors for this event include: AWE Computers, The Henry Ford, Century 21-Curran & Christie, Oakwood Healthcare, Hatteras Printing, Fidelity Bank, State Farm -Bob Zakar, Library Design Associates and Greenfield Village T-Drivers.

Dearborn may not have the kind of retail we’d like to see (at least not yet) but there is a good collection of restaurants.

And now some of those establishments will be featured on canvas as of a project called “Dearborn Paints – Good Food!”

Dearborn artist Janet Kondziela recently painted food at Top Dog Coney Island, 13342 Michigan.

Over the next 12 months, Dearborn artist Janet Kondziela will be bringing together art, commerce, marketing and a bit of fun. Some of you may have already bumped into Kondziela, who has been on location at several Dearborn establishments with her easel and paints, creating an original painting of each business’s signature product.

An exhibition of all the finished work is scheduled for September 2011 at the Padzieski Art Gallery in the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. The exhibit will include all the finished pieces plus additional original work by Dearborn artists.

Aided by a grant from the Dearborn Community Fund and some additional support from the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce, Kondziela will be on site at more than 25 businesses. The project kicked off in May at Westborn Fruit & Flower Market. Other locations have included: Alcamo’s, 4423 Schaefer; O’Kelley’s Knights of Columbus Hall, 23663 Park; Dearborn Farmer’s Market, behind Bryant Library, Top Dog Coney Island, 13342 Michigan; Jim’s Place, 13245 Michigan and Leon’s Family Dining, 23830 Michigan.

Kondziela’s dates for August include: August 10 (10:30 a.m.), LaPita, 22681 Newman; August 13 (11 a.m.), Buddy’s Pizzeria, 222148 Michigan; August 21 (10 a.m.); Westborn Fruit & Flower Market, 21735 Michigan; August 28 (Noon), O’Sushi’s (outdoors), 22431 Michigan (Sept. 4 rain date). New sites are added as they become available. For current updates, visit Kondziela’s  website HERE or  the Dearborn Community Fund at 313-943-5478.

Dearborn estimates Homecoming weekend will draw about 150,000 people over the weekend, which means driving and trying to find a parking space could be challenging.

The good news is the city is offering free shuttle service and free parking.

Two options exist: free parking and free shuttle service from Dearborn High School, sponsored by Henry Ford Health System, and free shuttle service from the west Dearborn business district along West Village Drive, from Military to Monroe.

All shuttles take visitors to the festival grounds at Ford Field Park in Dearborn.

The Dearborn High shuttle will pick visitors up at the school parking lot, on the west side of Outer Drive, north of Michigan Avenue. It runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, and noon to 11:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday of Homecoming weekend. Parking is free.

The shuttles are Dearborn Public Schools buses and include handicapped accessible buses and will make continuous loops between the festival grounds and the school. There is no established time schedule.

Another free shuttle is available on West Village Drive, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The City of Dearborn shuttle vans will stop along West Village Drive from Monroe to Military. Parking fees may apply, except on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, parking is at a special festival rate of $1 in the West Parking Deck only.

The Ford Field parking lot also provides a limited number of spaces, including handicapped parking, for $5 per car.

For complete details about Homecoming, including a schedule of events, visit www.cityofdearborn.org or call 943-2285.

The matter of whether Marge Powell is able to return to her position on Dearborn’s Civil Service Commission now rests with her former colleagues on that same commission and not city council, according to Dearborn Council President Tom Tafelski.

While the Civil Service Commission will meet tonight with Dearborn City Council members at 5:30 p.m. to conduct a Study Session to discuss various items, including the “vacancy” on the Civil Service Commission, Ms. Powell will not be reinstated by Council, as that vote already occurred, Tafelski said.

“It has been voted on,” Tafelski said. “It is now up to the Civil Service Commission.”

While Powell supporters may not like to hear those words, Tafelski is correct that council voted on reinstating Powell and the measure did not pass. Councilman George Darany made the motion at a June council meeting  for the Powell reinstatement. Darany had the option of waiting until the study session today but kept his motion on the table despite knowing he did not have the full council’s support.

Morris Goodman, a Dearborn attorney and local political observer who has submitted columns on this site in the pass, wrote earlier that council could just reinstate Powell, despite her not having been properly sworn in for the position for more than a year. Tafelski said Goodman’s comments are incorrect.

“The context of Goodman’s column is wrong,” Tafelski said. “He apparently doesn’t understand how the process works. A vote was taken and it now rests with the Civil Service Commission.”

The Commission has many candidates to choose from, too. At least eight people have applied to serve on the Commission, which is a voluntary position. Worth noting is that since the Powell matter surfaced, city officials have discovered that at least two other people who serve on other city commissions were not properly sworn in but have continued to serve in their appointed positions.

Tonight’s meeting should be an interesting one.

Biggby Coffee fans now have a new place to get a jolt of caffeine each morning.

Biggby owner Steve Swinney

Dearborn’s newest coffee shop officially opened Tuesday and for the remainder of this week the new Biggby store, 22445 Michigan Ave., is offering a free cup of coffee (any size) to anyone who stops in.

Dearborn resident and owner Steve Swinney was all smiles when we stopped by on Tuesday. The place looks great and we wish him the best of luck in his new venture.

The coffee shop also will offer outdoor seating, which it will share with another new business that opened right next door, the new Cedars Coney Island & Grille

Sam Berro and his father, Ali, opened the new restaurant several weeks ago and the two have done a great job remodeling the space. The Berro family and Swinney are sharing the costs associated with building the new outdoor seating area (how is that for teamwork!). And with free, easy-in and easy-out parking, both should do well in their Norm Newman-owned building.

“We have tried to make our place feel as cozy as possible,” said Sam Berro, a Fordson High School grad.

On Friday and Saturday nights, Berro says his restaurant will be open 24 hours to cater to the local bar crowd, at least for now.

We wish both new businesses the best of luck.

If you are David Bazzy this morning, the day after the primary election, you are smiling from ear-to-ear.

Bazzy you will recall finished just 548 votes shy of landing a seat on the Dearborn City Council in the last general election.

With Dearborn Councilman George Darany besting three other Democratic challengers for the 15th District seat in the Michigan House of Representatives and Councilman Suzanne Sareini running unopposed on the Republican ticket, there will be a vacancy on the city council at year’s end after the two square off for the $80,000 a year job in November.

Bazzy who finished eight in his first run for a council seat, just behind Councilwoman Nancy Hubbard, will now fill that vacancy.

The State House race was an interesting one. Darany, endorsed by The Detroit News, finished with 2,129 votes. His closest challenger was Linda Tafelski, a retired schoolteacher, and mother of Dearborn Council President Tom Tafelski. She finished with 1,753 votes. Stephen Dobkowski Jr.,who has a colorful political history in Dearborn, finished with 592 votes. Dobkowski, interestingly enough, also was indorsed by the Detroit Free Press. Finishing in last was Alex Shami, a former Dearborn School board member, with just 334 votes.

For full election results from Dearborn, you can click HERE.

Don’t forget to vote today!

Remember in a Primary election, you must choose candidates of one party only. If you combine party choices, your ballot will be invalid.

Polls are open today until 8 p.m.

For a list of all races and a look at what is on the ballot, you can click HERE.

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, stop by The Henry Ford in Dearborn for the first Maker Faire in Michigan.

Presented by MAKER magazine, Builders, inventors, crafters and artists show off their creations in a festival-like setting inside the Henry Ford Museum and in the parking lot.

As one of our readers points out to us, the Maker Faire is a “quirky techno circus of sorts, with lots of interesting exhibits going on. Pretty geeky and forward thinking.”

The event runs from 9:30 a.m. today through Sunday. Tickets are $28 or $48 for both days. Discounts are available for members, seniors and children. For more information, please call, 313-271-1620.

You also can read more by clicking HERE.