Vanguard Voices, the 70-voice, Dearborn-based choir, will host two outstanding Michigan choirs in an evening of musical performance and collaboration at 8 p.m., Monday, March 29.

In an event called the Vanguard Choral Celebration, the three choirs will perform individually and together in the Michael A. Guido Theater at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave. at Greenfield, Dearborn.

“It’s a great event that brings three exciting vocal groups to one stage, to perform for the audience, for each other, and with each other,” says G. Kevin Dewey, artistic director of Vanguard Voices and creator of the event, now in its third year.

“We have received raves for the past two years,” says Dewey. “Where else can you see three accomplished choirs in one evening for a great ticket price?” General admission tickets for the 80-minute concert are $5 and are available at the FCPAC box office or at the door.

Measure for Measure, a 75-voice male choir from Ypsilanti and under the direction of Steven Lorenz, will perform “All That Hath Life and Breath” by René Clausen, “Laudate Pueri” by Felix Mendelssohn, and arrangements of “Swansea Town” and “Joshua.” “I know our audience will be in for a treat with this group’s rich, deep sound,” Dewey says.

The Flint Festival Chorus, under the direction of Bradley Bloom, will perform “O Clap Your Hands” by John Rutter, “Saul” by Egil Hovland, and “Kyrie” from “Solemn Mass” by Louis Vierne.

“Vanguard Voices is looking forward to singing with Flint Festival Chorus once again,” says Dewey. The two choirs performed together in a 2001 performance of the Verdi Requiem with the Flint Symphony and a 2002 performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Dearborn Symphony.

The host choir will perform three pieces for double choir: “Nun Danket Alle Gott” by Johann Pachelbel, “We Beheld Once Again the Stars” by Z. Randall Stroope, and “Song of Exhaltation” by John Ness Beck.

“These three pieces will demonstrate the depth of the choir as well as its adaptability to widely varied compositional styles,” says Dewey. “Each piece has its complexities and each is fun to sing and to hear.”

The three choirs will combine on stage to perform Ascanio Trombetti’s “Misericordiae Tuae,” a polyphonic piece for double choir plus male choir, as the concert finale.

For additional information or to order tickets, call The Center box office at 313-943-2354.

Have you ever wondered what to do with that collectible figurine, crystal vase or piece of vintage jewelry that is just taking up space and does not appeal to your children or other heirs?

Have you ever watched an episode of “The Antiques Road Show” and wondered how much money is collecting dust in your china cabinet, jewelry box, attic, or basement?

If you answered “yes” to either question, you’ll want to take part in an April 30th fundraising event for the Dearborn Symphony that provides an easy way to donate what we call “Precious Collection” items without taking a road trip.

The “Precious Collection” event at the Fairlane Woods Clubhouse also gives those of you who want to keep your heirloom items a great opportunity to find out how much they are really worth, while helping the Dearborn Symphony.

Here is how it works:

1.) If you have an item to donate that you believe is worth $50 or more, contact Margaret Schaefer at 313-565-2366 or e-mail her at: margaretsch@wowway.com by Monday, April 5, 2010. She will arrange to pick up your donation, which will be appraised, then sold at the Precious Collection Sale to be held on Friday April 30, 2010 from 3-8 pm at the Fairlane Woods Clubhouse, on Auto Club Drive, just south of Ford Rd. in Dearborn. A donation letter, suitable for IRS purposes, will be provided following the sale.

2.) If you don’t have an item to donate, come to shop for “Precious Collection” items, bid on Silent Auction items, and enter hourly prize drawings—all while enjoying wine and cheese.

3.) Advance sale tickets are available for $15 each, payable by check made out to “WADOS.” Checks must be mailed or delivered before April 23rd to:

Patti Mack, 3501 Monroe, Dearborn, MI 48124

Tickets will be $20 at the door.

Admission price also includes verbal appraisal of up to two items you might bring along.

Best of all, proceeds go to support the Dearborn Symphony.

Have you ever wondered what to do with that collectible figurine, crystal vase or piece of vintage jewelry that is just taking up space and does not appeal to your children or other heirs?

Have you ever watched an episode of “The Antiques Road Show” and wondered how much money is collecting dust in your china cabinet, jewelry box, attic, or basement?

If you answered “yes” to either question, you’ll want to take part in an April 30th fundraising event for the Dearborn Symphony that provides an easy way to donate what we call “Precious Collection” items without taking a road trip.

The “Precious Collection” event at the Fairlane Woods Clubhouse also gives those of you who want to keep your heirloom items a great opportunity to find out how much they are really worth, while helping the Dearborn Symphony.

Here is how it works:

1.)  If you have an item to donate that you believe is worth $50 or more, contact Margaret Schaefer at 313-565-2366 or e-mail her at: margaretsch@wowway.com by Monday, April 5, 2010. She will arrange to pick up your donation, which will be appraised, then sold at the Precious Collection Sale to be held on Friday April 30, 2010 from 3-8 pm at the Fairlane Woods Clubhouse, on Auto Club Drive, just south of Ford Rd. in Dearborn. A donation letter, suitable for IRS purposes, will be provided following the sale.

 2.) If you don’t have an item to donate, come to shop for “Precious Collection” items, bid on Silent Auction items, and enter hourly prize drawings—all while enjoying wine and cheese.

3.) Advance sale tickets are available for $15 each, payable by check made out to “WADOS.” Checks must be mailed or delivered before April 23rd to:

Patti Mack, 3501 Monroe, Dearborn, MI 48124

Tickets will be $20 at the door.

Admission price also includes verbal appraisal of up to two items you might bring along.

Best of all, proceeds go to support the Dearborn Symphony.

Perhaps it is just us, but it seems a bit out of place to have professional wrestling in the Hubbard Ball Room located inside Dearborn’s Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

Ring of Honor Wrestling comes to Dearborn’s Ford Community & Performing Arts Center on Friday.

But that is just what will be taking place on Friday when the Ring of Honor the third largest wrestling federation in the U.S. will take to the stage. We have nothing against this type of “entertainment” but from where we stand this seems more suited for an arena and not a center with a world-class theatre, fitness center and meeting rooms.

The Dearborn Press & Guide in Wednesday’s paper described the show that will take place Friday as a night of the “hungriest, hardest-hitting, highest flying group of guys that are working their butts off.”

The Ring of Honor has performed in metro Detroit in the past, including the Michigan State Fairgrounds and in Novi in that city’s arena. Those are appropriate venues for this type of entertainment. But bringing professional wrestling to building designed for concerts, musicals and plays seems like an odd way to fill the building and pay the bills.

How will your child’s school look 20 years, 10 years, or even five years from now? What knowledge will every child need as they move from kindergarten to graduation? How will instruction be delivered?

These questions just begin to lay the groundwork for an in-depth discussion that will take place on March 29, 2010 during the 21st Century Schools meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Dearborn School’s Administration Building, 18700 Audette.

The Dearborn Public Schools, in conjunction with the Dearborn Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), the Dearborn Federation of Teachers, and the Dearborn Federation of School Employees, are inviting members of the community to take part in the first of many discussions that will explore how 21st century learning must look, operate, and educate.

The meeting will cover an array of topics, including what will students need to know in order to be successful graduates and how will schools utilize the tools at their disposal to properly deliver a 21st century curriculum. Changes that are driven by the educational needs of students will take the cooperation and input from all stakeholders in the community.

Registration will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. There will be two follow-up meetings in April and May. Those interested may contact the Dearborn School’s Communication Office at 827-3006.

“If you ever wanted to be part of redesigning education, concerned about state and federal requirements having too much control over local school districts, or have ideas about how to make schools better, then you will want to take part in the 21st century school discussion,” said Brian Whiston, Dearborn schools superintendent.

As a way to raise awareness about local small businesses in Dearborn, Dave Bowman, owner of networkdearborn.com, is kicking off a new promotion that he calls “Thousand Buck Thursdays.

While no one is going to win $1,000, Bowman says you can win a Dearborn T-shirt simply by shopping in Dearborn and then posting what you purchased, where you purchased it and how much you spent.

“Every third Thursday, let’s band together and shop in Dearborn on purpose,” Bowman says. “Every dollar counts as we try to get to $1,000. Simply go shopping and then post your details at http://networkdearborn.blogspot.com. Someone will win a fun Dearborn T-shirt as we work together to make a small difference for our city.”

Happy shopping.

The Relay For Life of Dearborn is holding their 6th Annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser on Sunday, March 28, from noon to 6:00 p.m. at the O’Kelley Knights of Columbus Hall, 23663 Park in Dearborn.

Tickets for the Spaghetti Dinner are $7.00 per person, or $5.00 for ages 4-10, and can be purchased through any Relay For Life of Dearborn Team, or at the door. Dinner will include all you can eat spaghetti with choice of three sauces (marinara, meat or alfredo), salad, rolls, pop and coffee. The Knights of Columbus will be cooking dinner and will provide a cash bar. Relay Teams will host a bake sale for dessert. There will also be music, dancing, silent auction items and more. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.

For more details about the Spaghetti Dinner, or to donate items for the bake sale or silent auction, contact Debbie Malyn at 313-683-2573 or debbiemalyn@gmail.com For ticket information, contact Branis at 313-561-2377 or pesichb@aol.com

The 2010 Relay For Life of Dearborn will take place on May 1 through May 2, from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

To find out more about the Relay For Life of Dearborn, contact ACS Community Representative Deena Gardner at 248-663-3427, deena.gardner@cancer.org or Dearborn Event Chair Denise Abdullah at 313-336-9020, deniseabdullah@hotmail.com, or visit www.relayforlife.org/dearbornmi.

Dearborn singer-songwriter Jeff Karoub

Dearborn singer-songwriter Jeff Karoub is helping to kick off the second installment of the Guinness World Record-holding Assembly Line marathon concert.

The Assembly Line-Second Shift gets started at 5 p.m. March 19th at AJ’s Music Cafe, 240 W. Nine Mile, Ferndale. Karoub takes the stage at 7 p.m. for an hour set.

The singer, guitarist and violinist first found his way to AJ’s stage in December 2009, when he shared a bill with Maine’s finest folkie, Putnam Smith. Karoub signed up then and there for the Assembly Line sequel, and shortly thereafter heeded AJ’s call for an original song that best fits the theme of the concert designed to raise awareness for the U.S. auto worker and industry. His candidate was the direct and personal ‘Made by Motown,’ honoring the made-in-Detroit foundation built for him by his forebears.

Karoub, who got his musical start while growing up in Allen Park, also credits genetics for his musical passion: His father is a longtime local music teacher, Detroit Symphony Orchestra veteran and Motown session man sonically responsible for the killer French horn lick at the top of Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard it through the Grapevine.’ Karoub made sure that little history lesson made its way into ‘Made by Motown.’

Either solo or as part of the duo ‘jar’, he’s been writing songs and performing them for more than a decade throughout Michigan. Gigs of note have included the Flint Folk Festival, Baseline Folk Society, Manchester’s Gazebo Concert Series and Riverfolk Festival, as well as many of the region’s finer caffeinated establishments.

Karoub is a professional journalist by day who is proud to make both his living and life in Michigan. He lives in Dearborn with his wife, three daughters and dog.

To check out his songs, including ‘Made by Motown,’ and learn about upcoming gigs, go to www.reverbnation.com/jeffkaroubjar

For more on the Assembly Line concert, click on this link: www.assemblylineconcert.com

Dearborn Councilman Robert Abraham

Dearborn Councilman Robert Abraham says the decision by Dearborn developer Hakim Fakhoury to put the properties held by his Dearborn Village Partners (DVP) corporation up for sale may turn-out to be a “blessing” for Dearborn business owners and entrepreneurs.

The councilman in December went to bat for DVP, penning a column here and in the local papers saying he supported a one-year extension of the preferred developer agreement Dearborn had with Fakhoury’s DVP. Chief among Abraham’s decision to support an extension was that there wasn’t a list of developers banging on Dearborn’s door to rebuild downtown West Dearborn. You can click HERE for that earlier column.

Abraham says it is unfortunate the plan presented by DVP never was able to get off the ground.

“Dearborn Village Partners, LLC has failed to deliver a complete proposal for the development site in West Dearborn to the Council and the Mayor,” said Abraham in a written statement. “The Mayor and the City Council have previously extended the Preferred Developers Agreement several times to accommodate the Developer and the drastic changes to the banking industry and the economic conditions.

“The most recent extension was granted by the Council in December 2009; this would allow DVP an additional year to submit a viable development and financing plan. It is very unfortunate for Dearborn, that the economic circumstances have derailed this project before it ever really began.

“The fact that many of the privately held buildings and properties on Michigan Avenue are now for sale, may turn-out to be a blessing for new Dearborn business owners and entrepreneurs looking for affordable locations in the West Dearborn Business District.

“I remain optimistic as we bring closure to the DVP agreement, that new opportunities can be discovered; let’s hope the glass is half full, and not half empty as so many believe.”

Some of the details to what contributed to the unraveling of the development are in the Sunday edition of the Dearborn Press & Guide. You can read that story and watch a video interview with Mr. Fakhoury by clicking HERE

Faced with decreasing property tax revenues and increasing city expenditures, Dearborn city leaders will be taking a critical look at separating the “need to have” from the “nice to have” services as a way to make up for lost revenues, Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., said Wednesday in his State of the City address.

Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr.

“We’ve already lost about 5 percent in property tax revenue in the past two years,” O’Reilly said. “We expect a 10 percent drop this year. And we’re anticipating another 10-15 percent in the next two years. In total, that’s a decline of at least 25 percent . . . If we take no action, make no hard decisions now, we’ll have a $20 million gap between our revenues and expenditures in just the coming year alone.”

Exactly where the cuts will come from is being studied but O’Reilly told the audience at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center Wednesday evening that “everything but the essentials is on the table – and even those essential services may have to be delivered differently.”

“Because of that, I’m not going to shy away from considering any idea regarding our programs and services, even the controversial proposals.”

To make those tough decisions, both the mayor and City Council will have to work together and accept some of the recommendations from the mayor’s recently created Task Force. The group of 28 people from across Dearborn will report their recommendations in May, helping define services and transforming them, too, O’Reilly said.

Last year, a recommendation to close some underutilized city pools as a way to save the city money was met with very vocal responses against the idea by residents. That was enough to convince city leaders — all running for reelection last year — to do nothing.

“We didn’t pursue the less costly alternative of the splash parks; and modest savings weren’t realized, meaning we’re facing even tougher financial decisions now,” O’Reilly said. “This is a process that we can no longer afford to repeat.”

O’Reilly said the city is going to need to look at whether some city services might be able to be converted into a regional operation where many communities could pool resources. Other ideas include trying to determine whether city facilities such as the Dearborn Hills Golf Course, Adray Ice Arena or even the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center could operate more efficiently with a business model, meaning each facility would cover all of their costs, including ongoing capital investments.

“We need to look at everything we do and ask: are we delivering this in the best possible way within our available resources? As tough as these questions may be, and as troubling the consequences they bring, they are relatively small ones.

“The real questions are: What do we want our community to be like in the future? What kind of Dearborn do we want for our children and our children’s children to have? I can’t answer those questions alone. That’s for us to decide together.”

Dearborn no doubt has some tough choices ahead. But as O’Reilly rightly pointed out in his speech, our city went through a similar rough time in 1983 when his late father was mayor. Dearborn emerged stronger because under his father’s direction, O’Reilly said, the city rejected the “business as usual” model; there was “political will” to make the unpopular decisions for the good of the community and because “citizens and businesses were engaged.”

Let’s hope the same is true this second time around.