Warrendale on Detroit Public Television

Back in May of this year, I was interviewed by a crew from Detroit Public Television about life in the Warrendale neighborhood. This was part of a larger series that DPTV did on Detroit's neighborhoods post-bankruptcy.

The clip on Warrendale aired on the American Black Journal recently. It is currently available on Detroit Public Television's YouTube channel and is embedded above.

I couldn't help but notice that the segment on Warrendale has received more YouTube views than anything else that DPTV has posted. I think that is a good indicator of the fact that there is an audience that wants to see more of the Warrendale neighborhood.

This blog will return in earnest on Monday, February 1.

Dr. Ben Carson from Detroit

Dr. Ben Carson - Photo by Michael Vadon

Retired brain surgeon and Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson, has been at the center a media firestorm in recent weeks. Much of it centers over details from his past, such as questions as to whether or not the story that he once stabbed a man as a teenager is true.

I don't normally discuss presidential politics on this blog. While Dr. Carson isn't from the Warrendale neighborhood, he is from Detroit. There is at least one portion of this scandal that I feel an overwhelming urge to opine about.

That is this: You know someone is from Detroit when them not stabbing another person is the basis for a presidential scandal.

And that, quite frankly, is all that I feel needs to be said about this matter.

Looking back on the Ransom Gillis House

The Ransom Gillis House has stood vacant in Detroit's Brush Park neighborhood for decades. Various attempts have been made to save this historic home over the years, but it looks like Nicole Curtis is going to be the one to make it work.

Nicole Curtis, of course, is the hostess of Rehab Addict on HGTV. She has rehabbed historic homes across the country but has concentrated on Detroit. The Ransom Gillis House is one of her latest projects.

Her work on this historic home has garnered a significant amount of media attention. Curbed Detroit, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, MLive, and WXYZ-TV are just some of the media outlets that have covered the redevelopment of this house. I'm excited to see this home come back to back to life and am grateful to Nicole Curtis for all of her hard work.

The media attention, though, does make me want to share a documentary short that I made with former Warrendale resident Lee Runchey back in the summer of 2007. Our film Held for Ranson is embedded above.

Detroit Police Commission issues annual report

The Board of Police Commissioners, which is a civilian board mandated by the City Charter to oversee the Detroit Police Department, released their 2014 annual report. This report includes statistics regarding complaints that citizens have registered against police officers or the department in general. More importantly, it documents a 20% increase in the number of complaints filed

Of the 6,461 complaints filed against the Detroit Police Department in 2014, 3,838 - or approximately 59% of the total - were related to allegations that an officer did not follow established procedures or allegations related to his demeanor. The remaining 41% related to arrests made, entry into a property, damages made to property, searches, use of force, or general harassment.

I spoke with Ricardo Moore, who represents Warrendale and the surrounding neighborhoods on the commission, about this spike. He believes a large portion of this spike in complaints has to do a similar increase in news stories and social media posts about the police. He went on to add that body cameras will soon come to the Detroit Police Department.

The full text of this 58-page report from the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners is available below.

2014 Annual Report of Detroit Police Commissioners

The report itself is fine. However, I believe it would have been useful if they provided some comparison with other departments of a similar size to Detroit.

Santana scares teens straight

For all the haters out there this special message is for you. Several months ago myself and my homie Raphael B. Johnson...
Posted by Harvey Santana on Tuesday, July 21, 2015

State Representative Harvey Santana posted this story to his Facebook page the other day. Please click "see more" to see the rest of this story. I think it is a great example of the power that we have to help teens turn their lives around.

My thanks go out to Santana and Johnson for doing their part.

Land bank to auction 17 Warrendale homes

Warrendale home - Photo by Frank Nemecek

The Detroit Land Bank Authority will soon place 17 vacant home in the Warrendale neighborhood up for auction. There will be an open house at Ss. Peter and Paul Church (7685 Grandville Ave.) this coming Sunday, June 28 from 1 - 5 p.m. to showcase these homes as well as the auction process.

If you are not familiar with the DLBA auction, a few basics are that bidding on each house starts at $1,000 and is open for one business day. Three homes are auctioned per day.

The 17 homes in Warrendale that will be placed for auction at:

• 6330 Abington Ave;
• 6481 Mansfield;
• 6594 Forrer;
• 6717 Longacre;
• 6720 Grandmont;
• 6759 Rutland;
• 7318 Woodmont;
• 7421 Mettetal;
• 7425 Rutherford;
• 7450 Woodmont;
• 7498 Rutland;
• 7501 St Marys;
• 7530 Forrer;
• 7537 Abington Ave;
• 7771 Memorial;
• 7811 Memorial; and
• 6315 Archdale.

Open House Tours are free and open to the public and gives folks an opportunity to see the house before bidding and get a sense of the rehab work needed. More information is also available on their website, which is www.buildingdetroit.org. On the website, one can also view the homes that are included in the auction.

Water deal on the line

The deal to create a regional water authority for southeastern Michigan is in trouble, according to published news reports. The City of Detroit's bankruptcy plan called for such an authority to be created no later than June 14. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel doesn't appear inclined to go along with it.

If Hackel doesn't like the deal, that's between him and the people of Macomb County. I'm okay with this deal falling apart.

If there is no deal on a regional water authority then there is nothing to prevent the City of Detroit to retain ownership of that portion of water system that is within its city limits but sell the suburban portion of it. Such a sale would not only remove the water system's debt from the City's books, it would likely also leave us with more than $1 billion in cash.

The cash from such a sale could then be used to pay down some of the other debt that Detroiters carry - either debt from the City of Detroit itself or from the Detroit Public Schools. Either way, paying down our debts would enable us to lower our property taxes.

And lower property taxes - either as reduction in debt service levied by the City of Detroit or a reduction in what the Detroit Public Schools levy - would be welcome in a city like Detroit which has the highest taxes in Michigan.

If Hackel isn't happy with the regional water deal, that's between him and the people of Macomb County. I simply hope that Mayor Mike Duggan, Councilman Gabe Leland, and the other members of the City Council use this opening as a chance to advance the interests of our residents.

Let the deal fall through, if Hackel continues to object.

Sell the portion of our water system that is in the suburbs to any number of private investors.

Use the proceeds from such a sale to pay down debts - for either the City of Detroit or the Detroit Public Schools.

Once the debt is paid down, lower the debt service levy on Detroiter's property taxes.

The choice is clear. The only question that remains is: what will Detroit's leadership do?

Friday Focus - Find your park

National parks | Stock photo by Free Photos/Pixabay

This past Tuesday the National Park Service publicly unveiled its Find Your Park campaign. The program is intended to encourage more Americans to discover their national parks. It also ties in with an initiative that President Barack Obama announced in February to offer every fourth-grader free admission to our national parks as a way to encourage more families to experience them.

The Find Your Park initiative part of a two-year celebration of the National Park Service's centennial anniversary in 2016. From the Motor Cities National Automotive Heritage Area to the Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Statue of Liberty, and Mt. Rushmore, the NPS includes more than 400 parks that preserve landscapes, history, and culture for future generations.

I had a chance to talk with Michael Liang of the National Park Service recently. He is one of five Centennial Ambassadors and a native of the Detroit area. Liang is currently a ranger at the Santa Monica National Recreation Area in Topanga, California.

Find Your Park, he pointed out, allows people a better chance to discover all that national parks have to offer. The newly launched website enables visitors to see videos and photos of parks across the country as well as a link to individual parks that they intend to visit.

I asked him what a greater interest in national parks would mean for state and local parks, such as Rouge Park here in the Warrendale neighborhood. “I'm a firm believer that a rising tide lifts all boats,” he said. “As people discover the wonders that exist in their national parks, that can only translate into a greater interest and usage of local parks at home.”

More on Michael Liang and the Find Your Park campaign is below. The closest national park to Detroit is the River Raisin National Battlefield Memorial in Monroe.

St. Patrick's Day in America

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Detroit - Photo by Frank Nemecek

St. Patrick's Day.

Here in America, St. Patrick's Day has become a holiday where we celebrate Irish heritage - regardless of whether or not one is of Irish decent - with Czech and German beers as well as food first cooked by a Jewish guy. All of which is done on the feast day of a saint who was born in Scotland to Italian parents.

And that, I believe, says a lot about the Irish American experience.

It all started on the Emerald Island. However, it has been heavily influenced by everyone that the Irish have encountered along the way.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! As someone whose family traces its roots, at least in part, back to Ireland, I hope you have a blast no matter how you celebrate it or with whom.

Volunteers needed for Rouge Park water quality testing

The Friends of Rouge Park are looking for volunteers to assist in leading 4th-8th-grade students. No experience is necessary; all information will be provided.

The Greening of Detroit's Our LAND Program will take 10 Detroit Public School classes, grades 4th - 8th, to test water quality at Rouge Park.  

Field trips are from 9:30 am-1:30 pm for the dates below.  The first groups are a high priority because more help is needed. However, any and all dates that volunteers are available for will be extremely helpful.

The priority dates, with the highest need for volunteers, are:

• Friday, March 27;
• Monday, March 30;
• Tuesday, March 31; and
• Wednesday, April 1.

Volunteers are also needed on:

• Thursday, March 19;
• Friday, March 20;
• Tuesday, March 24;
• Wednesday, March 25; and
• Thursday, March 26.

Volunteers will need to be able to pass a background check.  Interested volunteers can contact Jac by emailing Jentringer [at] greeningofdetroit [dot] com. One may also leave a message at (313) 285-2253.

Warrendale Radio Patrol returns to duty

Warrendale Radio Patrol - Photo by Frank Nemecek

A group of concerned residents is resurrecting the long-dormant Warrendale Radio Patrol. This group of volunteers acts as the eyes and ears of the Detroit Police Department, patrolling the neighborhood and reporting what they see.

If you would like to help them protect our neighborhood, either as a volunteer or with a donation to cover their gas and other expenses, please reach out to them. They can be contacted via their Facebook page or by calling David Brierley at (734) 560-4953.

I appreciate the work that these volunteers are doing in our neighborhood. I wish them the best.

Champps to host benefit for Beaumont Children's Hospital

As part of this blog's Friday Focus series, Champps in West Bloomfield is teaming up with the Student Heart Check program at Beaumont Children’s Hospital  to support free heart checks for high school students.  Champps, located at 7410 Orchard Lake Road, will host a celebration to benefit Beaumont Student Heart Check on Thursday, February 26.

Champps will donate 10% of sales for the entire day and night of Thursday, February 26 to the Beaumont Student Heart Check program, which offers free heart checks to high school students to help detect young people who may be at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.

The party begins at 6 p.m., when guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary sampling of Champps’ signature dishes, including Champps Americana Chopped Salad, Chipotle Burger, Pepper Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos and Calamari Fritti.

Featured signature cocktails include Grand Sangria, Island Rum Punch and Champps Long Island Tea for $4 each; draft beer will be available for $2 each. In addition, Michigan’s own Latitude 42 Brewing Company will be hosting a “Tap Takeover,” where they will feature six of their beers on tap, including favorites Schoolhouse Honey Amber Ale and Lucifer's Cuvee-Double Chocolate Rye Stout.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Champps for their celebration event and are so grateful they have chosen to support our efforts,” said Jennifer Shea, Event Coordinator for Beaumont’s Student Heart Check program.  “We are looking forward to a fun and festive event.  We invite everyone to come and join us on February 26!"

Champps in West Bloomfield offers 31 High Definition TVs; nearly 50 kinds of beer, including 24 beers on tap, 15 of which are craft and 11 of which are local; and a deliciously crafted menu for sharing, snacking and dining.

Champps in West Bloomfield is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday – Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday – Saturday.   For more information, reservations or to book a private event, call Champps at (248) 538-6333, or visit us at www.champps.com on Facebook and Twitter.

The Friday Focus is an occasional feature to draw attention to stories outside of the Warrendale neighborhood that the publisher believes is worthy of an extra dose of attention.

Uber to deliver Paczki from Warrendale

Paczki - Photo by Leslie Seaton

The social media-driven ride sharing service Uber confirmed this morning that they will deliver paczki to customers across metropolitan Detroit who request them tomorrow. Their exclusive source for all of these paczki will be the West Warren Bakery (15708 W. Warren Ave.) in the Warrendale neighborhood of Detroit.

In order to get these paczki delivered, all that users need to do is open the Uber app on their smartphone starting at 7 a.m tomorrow and select "pazcki" from the far right side. Users can then:

• Set their delivery location and submit their request;
• Meet their driver outside upon arrival to pick up their tasty treats.
• No cash is needed. They'll charge the card on the users Uber account. 

I'm thrilled that Uber is turning to one of the bakeries in the Warrendale neighborhood as their source for paczki this year. I hope people across the Detroit region enjoy them.

Investigation into Wayne County completed

U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced last week that the federal corruption investigation of Wayne County government was now complete. Joining her in this announcement was Paul M. Abbate, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation, which began three years ago, resulted in the convictions of five individuals, including Wayne County’s Chief Information Officer and an Assistant Wayne County Executive who served as the Director of HealthChoice of Michigan. The United States will not seek any additional charges in connection with the investigation.

“I would like to thank and commend the officials and staff of the Wayne County Executive and the Wayne County Corporation Counsel for their cooperation during this investigation,” said McQuade in a prepared statement. “Their assistance and openness allowed federal investigators to carefully review and assess a number of complex issues regarding the operation of county government.”

36th district court officer charged with extortion

An indictment was unsealed last week charging a former court officer for the 36th District Court in Detroit with extortion, mail fraud and theft, said U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade in a prepared statement.

Joining in the announcement was Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Paul M. Abbate, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Marlon Cleveland, 33, of Westland, was charged with misusing his position as a Court Officer for the 36th District Court to steal and extort thousands of dollars from defendants in civil cases over the course of more than a year. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2013 and 2014.

McQuade added, “Anyone who abuses a position of trust to steal from our courts or to extort money from members of the public should expect to face serious penalties under the law.”

“We must weed out corruption at all levels of government to ensure the public is served,” said Schuette. “Nobody will get a free pass when they break the law.”

“Preventing the abuse of power to conduct criminal activity remains among the highest priorities of the FBI,” added Abbate. “FBI Detroit, in concert with the Michigan Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to investigate these types of crimes and bring to justice those who abuse the public’s trust.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in collaboration with the Michigan Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Friends of Rouge Park to meet tommorow

Rouge Park on a foggy day
Photo by Frank Nemecek

The Friends of Rouge Park will hold their next meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, January 20. This meeting will start at 6 p.m. and is expected to last until 7 p.m. They will meet at the Don Bosco Center (9356 Westwood), which is half a mile north of the Warrendale neighborhood at West Chicago.

The agenda will include:

• Update on the Master Plan for Rouge Park;
• Update on the DWSD Green Infrastructure Project;
• Update on plans for Brennan Pools area; and
• Report from the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association.

Additional updates and news about Rouge Park will also be included at this meeting. The minutes from their most recent meeting are available here.

Anyone who is interested in the future of Detroit's largest park is invited to attend this meeting.