Councilman Robert Abraham

Dearborn’s proposal to close six of the city’s public pools as part of cost cuts to help close the gap on a multi-million budget shortfall is a “tragedy” but the city must work to balance its budget, says Dearborn Councilman Robert Abraham.

“The elimination of city programs and activities, like the outdoor pools is a tragedy!,” Councilman Abraham tells Deepsaidwhat.com. “Unfortunately, the Mayor, the administration and the City Council must work to balance the budget, and more importantly to position Dearborn to remain a premier community in Michigan for the next generations.”

The proposed pool closings has touched off a firestorm of angry posts on this site from residents against the closures. (Click HERE for that earlier story). A Facebook page dedicated to saving these pools now has 2,646 members at the time of this posting.

Abraham is non-committal on whether the pools should be closed but he does say whatever cuts are taken will not be easy. What is interesting is that Abraham says the city is trying to correct a $10 million dollar shortfall, while the city in its official press releases has said it is a $20 million shortfall. Our guess is that the larger figure is based on what it would cost the city to fund every department at current funding limits or before budget reductions.

“These cuts are not easy,” Abraham says. “We are trying to correct almost a $10 million dollar shortfall without the elimination of police officers and firefighters, due to the charter mandates. This means we have to save the $10 million dollars from about $50 million dollars in non-public safety programs.”

I came across my Dearborn Recreation I.D. Card from 1976 and on the back of the card (just $1, by the way) it noted Dearborn offered free ice skating at 33 outdoor rinks and swimming “at any of the 21 indoor and outdoor pools”. Today, Dearborn has but one outdoor skating rink and one large indoor center. As for pools, we are down to eight, which is still far more than most neighboring communities, which sometimes have just two pools.

“I remain fully committed to preserving the city services that make Dearborn unique,” Abraham said. “We must find creative and new ways to continue this fine tradition of first class services and generate the necessary revenue to balance these costs.

“We need Wayne County and the State of Michigan to step-up and provide fair and equitable revenue and services to Dearborn at a standard that Dearborn residents deserve and expect. Without their fully commitment and participation, Dearborn will continue to lose ground on the fight to keep our services and balance the budget.”

Residents will get a chance to speak their mind on the proposed pool closing on April 12 in the council chambers of City Hall. It will be a standing room only meeting for sure.

Suzanne Sareini

Twenty-year Dearborn Councilwoman Suzanne Sareini, who finished as the second top voter getter in the last election and now serves as council pro-tem, will officially announce later this month that she is running for the 15th District seat in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Sareini confirms to DeepsaidWhat.com that after long, careful consideration, she will declare her candidacy on April 27 for the seat of state Rep. Gino Polidori, D-Dearborn, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

“I know it won’t be easy, and the decision to seek the seat wasn’t without careful consideration,” Sareini says. “I have been urged by friends and neighbors to run. With my 20 years of legislative experience, I intend to win because I think that in this election experience will count.”

We had written on these pages earlier that Sareini would likely throw her hat into the ring for the 15th District seat back in February, as she was being urged by Republican Party leaders to run for the position. Sareini said she plans to hold a gathering for her supporters at Crave on April 27th from 5 to 7 p.m.

Her decision brings to two the number of sitting Dearborn council members seeking the 15th District seat in the Michigan House of Representatives. Dearborn Councilman George Darany also is running but on the democrat side of the ticket.

“I am a Republican who has been an independent voice on the council,” Sareini said. “I know how crucial it is to look at an issue from the perspective of what is good for Dearborn, not what is good for an ideological cause.”

City Also May Issue New Trash, Recycle Containers to Residents

Dearborn’s curbside leaf pickup program is on the table as a possible budget cut, yet another proposal the city is eyeing as a way to help trim a projected $20 million budget shortfall, the city confirms to DeepsaidWhat.com

Trash bins such as the one pictured here could soon be issued to residents citywide.

Separately, Dearborn officials also are looking at implementing a new trash and recycling program that would provide each home one large container for trash and one large container for recycling. The city last year began a pilot program with these containers in one area of the city and now is looking to expand it citywide.

First the curbside leaf pickup. Regular readers of this site will know that leaf pickup is one of those hotly debated topics; with some saying it is a waste of resources and others who feel it something that needs to stay.

Curbside leaf pickup may soon be a thing of the past.

Just how much the city would save from such a move isn’t yet clear but when you consider that the vehicles and number of hours of labor needed for leaf removal would no longer be needed (not to mention fuel, vehicle maintenance and purchase of new equipment), the savings could be sizable. As most cities have already abandoned street leaf pickup, this seems like an easy decision for the city to make. As inconvenient as it might be to drag 40 leaf bags curbside, this seems like a cut most residents would understand.

While there is no final decision yet, a city spokeswoman tells us to “stay tuned, as we continue with these tough, but necessary, decisions.”

Now for the new trash and recycle containers residents could soon be receiving. Dearborn’s current waste and recycling contract with Waste Management expires on June 30. The new contract has not been awarded yet, according to the city.

“It is hoped that we will be moving citywide to a system like the one in the pilot area, with one large container for trash and one large container for recycling,” a spokeswoman for the city tells us. “The pilot area has experienced a dramatic decrease in litter with this system.”

Such a change would mean the elimination of several dozen jobs for Waste Management workers, the company Dearborn currently contracts with to pickup trash and recyclables. The new large cans are designed to be picked up by a mechanical arm operated by the driver of the trash truck, making it a one-person job.

Mark you calendar for 5:30 p.m. April 12. That is when the Dearborn City Council will host an informational meeting for the public on a proposal to close six city public pools.

From the 'Save Dearborn's Small Pools' Facebook page, this is a photo of Ten Eyck Pool's grand opening day in 1954. City officials look on as the first swimmers dive into the new pool.

The April 12 date was going to be a study session on the city’s budget with a host of different topics but with the amount of outcry from residents about the proposed pool closings, the meeting will now serve this purpose.

The meeting will be held in the council chambers and judging from the amount of comments here and a new Facebook page dedicated to saving these pools with 2,047 fans at the time of this posting (click HERE for that link), it will be a spirited meeting for sure.

The Dearborn Historical Museum is hosting a free public lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7 on Detroit’s Holy Cross Cemetery.

The lecture takes place at the McFadden-Ross House, 915 Brady Street.

Author Elaine Walters Raymo uses her professional genealogical, historical research and family experience to create a snapshot of the remarkable individuals whose final resting place is in Detroit’s Holy Cross Cemetery.

Immigrants from several nationalities have laid their loved ones to rest there since 1838, when the footprint was only a two-acre plot. The cemetery has since grown to 65 acres.

For more information, call 313-565-3000.

The City of Dearborn is expected to close as many as six of the city’s aging outdoor pools as part of a cost cutting proposal to help the city this year with its $20 million budget shortfall.

The move most certainly will set off a firestorm of protests in the neighborhoods where pools are slated to be closed.

The last time the subject of closing pools came up, the council and mayor succumbed to neighborhood pressure and did nothing. But that was in an election year and now with the new term only three months old, the outcome likely will be different this time around.

The good news is that while pools will be closed, the proposal includes the construction of a larger, modern pool complex for Ford Woods Park, which will accommodate more swimmers and cost about half of the resources of keeping the six neighborhood pools operating, the city says in a press release.

The city says the difficult decision of closing smaller, neighborhood pools is expected to save $132,000 a year in operational costs alone. More significantly, the City claims it will save $3.8 million by not pursuing investments necessary to keep the six pools that are currently on the chopping block in a safe and healthy condition.

The city has not yet shared what pools will be closed, only saying that “as plans become more finalized, an informational meeting regarding the outdoor pool proposal will be held.”

The city does list what pools will receive improvements. The ones not listed would appear to be in jeopardy. Those include: Whitmore Bolles, Summer Stephens, Ten Eyck, Crowley, Hemlock and Lapeer.

City officials say it will continue to operate outdoor pools at Levagood and Ford Woods parks, and add summer swimming opportunities at three indoor pools inside Dearborn public schools, under a proposal developed by city officials this week. The proposal includes the permanent closure and demolition of the city’s six other aging outdoor pools, built decades ago in 1954, 1956 and 1962.

Ongoing operating costs and the significant investments required for the outdoor pools make this proposed change necessary for the 2010 summer season. The proposal regarding the outdoor pools is part of the budget review process being undertaken by Mayor John B. O’Reilly and his administration, together with the City Council.

The City of Dearborn’s Television (CDTV) will temporarily be off the air on Monday, March 29 and part of Tuesday, March 30 during the installation of equipment to enhance the TV station’s operations.

CDTV is channel 12 on Comcast and channel 10 on WOW. (AT&T does not carry CDTV.)

The City of Dearborn says equipment upgrades cannot be performed while the station is broadcasting.

The new equipment, the city said in a press release, replaces aging hardware and will streamline the process of getting programs on the air after they are produced and ready to go.

The old equipment required several time-consuming technical steps to transfer the completed programs onto the broadcasting system.

The City of Dearborn is reminding residents that most of CDTV programming can be viewed any time at www.cityofdearborn.org

In addition, www.cityofdearborn.org posts short videos exclusive to the website.

Beginning April 5, parked vehicles left on the streets on a Public Service Day will be ticketed.

Get ready for Pubic Service Days. They begin April 5 and will now run through Dec. 3.

While some may balk at having to remove their cars from the street once a week, this is a strong program to help keep our neighborhoods looking good.

A new change for this year is that the program runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. That allows many residents to leave for school or work without having to worry about moving their parked vehicles from the street.

Tickets will be issued to owners of parked vehicles left on the streets during Public Service Days, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For 2010, Public Service Days are the same day as trash collection days, every week.

Check www.cityofdearborn.org or call 943-2886 for general information on Public Service Days. For parking issues related to Public Service Days, call 943-2276.

LaPita Fresh on the campus of Wayne State University.

LaPita restaurant, the Dearborn gem that serves some of the tastiest food in town, is branching out to Canton.

The LaPita in Canton, Kasey Chammout’s third restaurant of the same name, will be located at Cherry Hill and Canton Center Road in a small strip mall. The store is expected to open later this summer.

The Canton restaurant will be smaller in size than the Dearborn location. It instead will be modeled after LaPita’s successful Detroit location called LaPita Fresh, just off the campus of Wayne State University.

The Wayne State location is less formal and serves some of the same tasty Mediterranean food as well as some unique offerings for university students. Canton will offer a similar menu and atmosphere.

We wish Kasey and the entire LaPita team the best of luck in their latest venture.

 Although the official date for the beginning of Spring occurs in March, Michigan folks will tell you it doesn’t really arrive until April when the days are longer, the birds begin to chirp, and flowers begin to bud.

In celebration of warm, pleasant feelings associated with Spring’s arrival, the Glass Academy of Dearborn is hosting “The Art of Spring” Hand Sculpted Glass Show & Sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11, 2010. The Glass Academy is located at 25331 Trowbridge, near Gulley Road and Michigan Avenue in west Dearborn.

The weekend exhibit and sale will feature a colorful variety of bird and flower glass sculptures, vases, and magnets, along with the demonstration and sale of “glass memory” wood engravings. The uniquely etched wood pieces are available in a variety of shapes and sizes for use as coasters, table runners, wall hangings and other décor.

“Each year we look forward to creating something different, yet affordable, for our patrons to purchase as collectibles or as gifts for friends and family,” said Chris Nordin, glass design artist and co-owner of the Glass Academy. “For glass art enthusiasts and collectors, April is also Michigan Glass Month.”

There is no admission to attend. New this year, visitors will have the opportunity to purchase paper birds for $1 each to assist The Greening of Detroit, an organization that supports reforestation and urban agriculture in Detroit, and to be entered in prize drawings for custom glass art.

Prices for “The Art of Spring” glass pieces, all Michigan-made, range from $10 to $250. Several museum quality pieces produced by Furnace Design Studio, which is housed within the Glass Academy building, will also be available for viewing and purchase in a separate display area.

For more information about “The Art of Spring” Hand Sculpted Glass Show & Sale, call 313-561-4527 or visit www.glassacademy.com