It's off to Allen Park for Toys R Us.

Another Dearborn business is planning to close and move its operation to the top of the landfill in Allen Park.

This time it is the Toys R Us at 24411 Michigan Ave., just north of Telegraph.

And while some may be sad to see this store go, the reality is that in the long run it could prove to be best for Dearborn.

Officials at the store tell us that current plans did call for construction to begin in Allen Park this spring but because of current economic conditions that could be delayed a year. The new store in Allen Park will be a combined Toys R Us and Babies R Us, store officials say.

The Dearborn location of Toys R Us was usually messy inside and customer service was mixed. In a way, it kind of matched the building it was located in, a depressing-looking white, single story mall anchored on the opposite end by a Chuck E. Cheese’s. Only a dentist’s office sits between Chuck E. Cheese’s and the Toys R Us. The rest of the building is vacant.

Across the parking lot to the west of Toys R Us is a boarded up Pep Boys. To the east is a boarded up and closed Dearborn Theatre, Wendy’s restaurant and a now a Dunkin’ Donuts shop whose windows are covered with black plastic and outdoor signage in white plastic.

Dunkin' Donuts is covered and closed.

The silver lining in all of this might be that with all of these businesses closing the opportunity exists for someone to come along and flatten this entire mess of misfit buildings and actually put something of consequence in this very desirable location. With easy access to Telegraph Road, one could envision something such as a Costco or even an IKEA considering such a location. 

Sure it is hard to image this now in these hard financial times. But if city leaders can begin to think about what to do with this area — working with the current property owners and talking with other large retail businesses — Dearborn will be in a better position when we come out of this downturn to actually make something happen here.

Let’s hope our city leaders seize this opportunity.

Queen Latifah, John Mayer and Sesame Street’s Elmo are featured in the PBS special 'Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change.'

Dearborn has been selected as one of a handful of communities in the U.S. to host a special pre-screening event for family members of persons serving in the military of a national PBS primetime special that focuses on helping children of wounded service persons and features Queen Latifah, John Mayer and Sesame Street’s Elmo.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, has produced — in association with David Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants Inc., and Lookalike Productions — the 30-minute PBS special. It’s called Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change.

The free pre-screening will take place at Dearborn’s Henry Ford Centennial Library on Thursday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m. A second screening will take place at 7:30 p.m.The Henry Ford Centennial Library is located at 16301 Michigan Avenue west of Greenfield Road in Dearborn.

Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to reserve seats by sending an email to: cominghomedearborn@gmail.com.

Coming Home tells the story of service members who return home with injuries, visible and invisible, and explores the heroic struggles their families face in discovering ways of finding a “new normal.” The special salutes the extraordinary courage and strength of these military families and offers the general public a powerful glimpse into the lives of these amazing families.

The program will air nationwide on PBS on Wednesday, April 1, at 8 p.m. (check local listings) in conjunction with April as National Month of the Military Child.

“Coming Home is a fantastic opportunity for us to bring awareness to the struggles facing service members with combat-related injuries, and the problems their families face while coping with their ‘New Normal’. We hope that ‘Coming Home,’ will provide opportunities for the community to reach out to our Hometown Heroes and their families. We are proud to partner with the City of Dearborn and the Michigan Military Moms to bring you this screening,” said Gary Tanner, Reconnect Chairman, American Legion Department of Michigan.

City Wants General Contractor to Repair Water Leak First

The city of Dearborn is withholding about $37,000 in payment to the builders of one of the city’s $12 million parking decks because repairs to stop water leaks in the lower level of the structure have not been repaired since opening more than two years ago.

The waterproofing membrane surrounding the east parking structure is apparently pulling away from the building and causing water to seep into the basement level of the deck. A recent visit to the east deck revealed no water in the parking area or in the nearby mechanical room located in this area. So it appears the leak isn’t a severe one.

Water is leaking into the lower level of the east parking deck.

Dearborn officials say they are trying to determine who is responsible for the repairs to the east structure before the final check of some $37,000 is written to Turner Construction, the general contractor for the parking decks.

One city official says water leaks were noticed immediately after the parking structure opened for use in 2006. The water appears to be coming up from the ground and then into the deck. Construction of the two decks cost $9.8 million and when combined with bond financing and other costs totaled some $12 million in all.

Despite pre-construction site sample evaluations that indicated the ground was free of water, the leaks indicate that there is indeed water deep underground the parking deck, one city official said.

From where we sit, the water leak repair, no matter how minor it might appear to be, is the responsibility of the construction company, particularly since it was noticed once the deck opened for business. The City of Dearborn earlier paid more than $80,000 for the cleanup of contaminated soil found at the site after construction began (this despite samples taken that said the site wasn’t contaminated). But this latest discovery shouldn’t come out of the city’s checkbook.

For the fourth consecutive year, Dearborn’s Solstice Designs Jewelry is leading the efforts on a wonderful event that raises money so kids in domestic shelters can give their mom a handmade necklace on Mother’s Day.

This year Solstice Designs Jewelry hopes to raise more than $7,500 for its Project Mother’s Day Fundraiser, which is being held Friday, March 20 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Dearborn Hills Golf Course Club House, one of the event’s partners. Smooth Jazz V98.7 also is an event partner.

The fundraiser will feature champagne and all things chocolate, a jewelry trunk show and more. Solstice Designs will make, gift-wrap and ship 400 necklaces to honor women in 10 shelters across the country, including First Step of Michigan. Even sheltered women without children will receive a necklace as a special gift from a caring friend.

The “Project Mother’s Day” event is the brainchild of Sandy Boulton and Sherry Duquet of Solstice Designs, co-founders of the Dearborn-based artisan jewelry maker. The two very talented designers make some of the most unique and beautiful jewelry in Michigan.

Sandy Boulton gives the credit for the Mother’s Day idea to Sherry Duquet.

“One day in March, three years ago, it literally came to her plain as day,” Boulton said. “She said to me ‘I know we are just starting this business and don’t have any money, but I want to give something special to children in the care of a domestic abuse shelter so they will have a gift for their Mom on Mother’s Day’.

And that is how the idea to make a necklace for kids to give to their mother — while trying to find a way to raise money to help fund it — came to be. “We still don’t have the money on our own,” Boulton said, “but with the generous support of our clients, friends and the community, we know we do this again this year!”

"The Courage Within" necklace is adorned with three stacked charms: a sterling silver heart, a hand-hammered copper circlet; and a sterling silver coin hand-stamped with the word "Courage".

This year’s necklace is named “The Courage Within” and  represents the strength and the “courage” within every woman’s heart,  Boulton says.

Project Mother’s Day continues to grow. The first three events benefited First Step of Michigan. This year, in partnership with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the program has grown to support nine more shelters across the country.

Last year, just over $2,500 was raised, allowing Solstice to make 85 necklaces and a cash donation to First Step of Michigan. This year, the target is to make 400 necklaces, which is going to require $7,500 in donations to cover the costs of components, boxes, bows and shipping.

The work Solstice is doing is getting recognized nationally, too. Family Circle magazine will feature a story about Project Mother’s Day in its May issue in the “Good Works” column.

“We are so excited about the momentum of this event,” Boulton said. “Good things are happening in Michigan and Project Mother’s Day is living proof!”

Indeed, it is.

Tickets are just $20 in advance online or limited availability at the door. You can purchase tickets or make a donation at www.solsticed.etsy.com

Dearborn’s Farmer’s and Artisan Market, which is preparing for its second season beginning June 5, is in need of volunteers to promote the market, set-up and tear down and assist with general operations.

The market will have a new location this year, outside on the property of the Bryant Library, at the corner of Michigan and Mason.

Many of us here have expressed our support in words or by visiting the Market, which is hosted by the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce, but now is our chance to offer some physical volunteer support.

The Farmer’s and Artisan Market is exactly what Dearborn needs to boost foot traffic and bring some life to our downtown. Helping it to continue to be a success is something all of us in Dearborn can contribute to.

Nearly 25 vendors will again provide local produce each Friday beginning June 5 and running until Oct. 30 between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

For those interested, a special volunteer meeting will be held at the Chamber Offices, 15544 Michigan Ave., (just west of Greenfield) on March 19 at 9:30 a.m. Additional information can be obtained by writing Joan Reed, the manger for the Farmer’s Market, at jreed@dearbornchamber.org

Wayne County failed to install enough warning sirens in Dearborn.

On Saturday at 1 p.m., Dearborn will conduct its monthly test of its early warning sirens.

Trouble is, if you’re inside your home or in certain parts of the city, you’ll never hear them.

That’s because unbeknownst to Dearborn city leaders, Wayne County disconnected all 28 of Dearborn’s “older” but still-working sirens and installed just 12 new ones to cover the same geographic area.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly says the county’s decision to make the change was never communicated to his administration. However, when the first tests were conducted, it was pretty clear to all that something had changed.

“When they did the test, we couldn’t hear them the sirens as well. They left some coverage holes in the city,” O’Reilly said. “It was poorly handled by Wayne County in terms of notice.”

Wayne County has now agreed to install four more swivel head sirens in the city to improve the coverage area. It isn’t yet clear if that will be sufficient. O’Reilly said if it isn’t, Dearborn can install more sirens on its own.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Last year, the city announced that a new state-of-the art siren system was installed at a cost of $250,000, purchased with grant funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security via Wayne County.

Dearborn was one of several communities in Wayne County to get the new siren system. A key feature of the new systems is that they are interoperable. This means that emergency management centers in different Wayne County communities can activate each other’s sirens remotely, if a center in one community were damaged in a tornado or other disaster.  The new system was even touted as being louder, but it isn’t.

O’Reilly said the city’s old system of 28 sirens, still in perfect working order, was designed to emit sounds loud enough for people to hear even while inside their homes. And Dearborn’s older siren system, installed more than 20 years ago, was laid out in such a way to overlap sections of the city to ensure all residents could hear the sirens.

The new siren system doesn’t provide overlapping coverage and is designed to be heard only if you are outside. The sirens are designed to swivel and Wayne County officials were convinced that feature alone would allow them to reduce by more than half the number of new sirens to install.

“Wayne County’s goals and our goals were very different,” O’Reilly said. “The county wanted the most coverage per unit we thought it was better to overlap (sirens) to get better coverage. The county’s coverage was more marginal.”

Luckily, Dearborn doesn’t rely on sirens alone to notify residents of an emergency. In addition to cable TV, Dearborn has an emergency system in place that can telephone all homes automatically. In addition, Dearborn is working on a new system that could call cellular phones, too. Residents would have to register their cell phone number with the city of Dearborn to receive that service.

“Sirens, while still important, are not the principal way to get to people in an emergency,” O’Reilly said.

Russ Gibb is back "jumping up and down".

After nearly a six month absence, Dearborn’s Russ Gibb is back “jumping up and down” at his website, RussGibbatRandom.com

Mr. Gibb had to take a break from his website after undergoing back surgery. His recovery took longer than anticipated.

“Getting old isn’t for sissies,” Mr. Gibb said.

Mr. Gibb was my favorite teacher at Dearborn High School. While he and I share very different political views and agree to disagree, I respect and care deeply for him. There is never any ambiguity on where you stand with Mr. Gibb or what his thoughts are on any one topic. You’ll always get a straight answer.

Mr. Gibb launched his website in 2001, posting his rants long before the word “blog” was invented. He was still a teacher at Dearborn High School when he began his website, influenced to do it by his students. Mr. Gibb retired from Dearborn High in 2005 but he kept his website active and later added his own video web casts.

“I still feel I have a few good years left in me,” jokes the 77-years-old.

Good to have you back, Mr. Gibb.

To date, 13 residents have filed to run for Dearborn City Council.

We’re still eight months away from the November general election but the race for seven open Dearborn city council seats is already heating up with 13 candidates, including three current council members, lining up to run for the more than $14,400 a year part-time job.

What’s interesting is that 10 of those candidates don’t currently serve on the council. Combine that with the remaining four council members who will likely run again and you could suddenly surge to 17 candidates on the ballot. The filing deadline for council is May 12.

Councilmen Robert Abraham and Tom Tafelski told the Dearborn Press & Guide  they would be running for reelection. Councilman Doug Thomas, who was absent from many council meetings in 2008, said he hasn’t made a decision to run yet. Councilwoman Suzanne Sareini also will likely run again.

That means a primary will have to be held in August for the race, further shortening the time candidates will have to campaign.

The candidates so far include:

1. George Darany, current councilman
2. Nancy Hubbard, current councilwoman
3. Mark Shooshanian, current councilman
4. David W. Bazzy, former Charter Commissioner
5. Mark J. Dawdy
6. Sharon Dulmage, former Dearborn School Board member
7. Scott J. Marquette
8. Maureen A. McIlrad-Noland
9. Brian C. O’Donnell
10. Mark A. Otlewski
11. Adrenne M. Wygonick (wife of 19th District Judge Richard Wygonick)
12. Vincent Laing
13. Bradley Hajec

As for mayor, just Dearborn resident Ziad Abdul Malik has pulled a petition to challenge Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr., who also plans to run again.

It isn't clear how soon or what will move in, but the sign promises it all.

A Dearborn eyesore vacant for more than a decade will be redeveloped, according to owner Norm Newman.

As we reported here a couple days ago (for first story click HERE), the long vacant Inca and Pier 1 buildings owned by Norm Newman on Newman Street appear to be getting prepared for new construction. White paper was pasted over the glass windows of the store fronts last weekend. Now new signs have been added saying a “Redevelopment Coming Soon.”

It isn’t yet clear what will go into the buildings or how soon, but speculation still centers around the possibility of a grocery store occupying the two vacant properties. Newman officials confirm a new large store is coming but so far remain coy about the exact type of business only saying that it could be operational in about a year.

Should City Be Worried About Other LLC Agreements?

The owners of the former Burton-Katzman development company that the City of Dearborn is suing for not completing a multi-million dollar downtown residential-retail complex are now asking a Wayne County Circuit Court to dismiss the lawsuit.

Developer Burton-Katzman finished the first phase of the West Village Commons but failed to build the commercial/residential building it promised.

The request is the latest twist in what is shaping up to be a messy court fight between Dearborn and the Bingham Farms based Burton-Katzman company. Burton claims Dearborn entered into an agreement with a limited liability company that Burton owns and created especially for the development called West Village Commons LLC, which dissolved last year.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. told the Dearborn Press & Guide that the city entered into an agreement with Burton-Katzman, the development company, not West Village Commons LLC, which oversaw the project along Michigan Avenue called West Village Commons.

“LLCs (limited liability companies) don’t have any assets,” O’Reilly told the Press and Guide. “We entered into an agreement with Burton-Katzman because they had the financial wherewithal. They’re saying (Burton-Katzman) took the steps to transfer things to an LLC, but they didn’t.”

A judge will sort this one out. At stake is more than $16.7 million, an amount Dearborn is seeking from Burton-Katzman for its failure to deliver its end of a development agreement. For a copy of the original DeepSaidWhat post and copy of the lawsuit, click HERE.

If a judge should rule that Dearborn did enter into an agreement with an LLC and not Burton-Katzman one has to wonder if city officials, in these tough economic times, should be concerned about the Wards development at Michigan and Schaefer. The group overseeing the project also is a limited liability company called REDICO Holding, LLC, which is owned by the REDICO Development Company.  That project is worth more than $37 million.