Shocking News Out of California

In an absolutely shocking move, the City of San Bernadino, California voted yesterday to file for bankruptcy protection before the City of Detroit does. This was followed by officials from Compton, California confirming that they are considering a similar move.

Most pundits, of course, would have expected the City of Detroit to go into bankruptcy first.

Mayor Bing Moves Forward with Pay Cuts

Detroit Police - Same Beat for Less Pay.

Mayor Dave Bing moved forward yesterday with a series of cuts to the pay and benefits of the City's unionize workforce. While no one in Detroit seemed surprised by this move, I have to confess that I am more than a little disappointed that the Bing Administration did not consider any of the other options for reducing Detroit's budget problems that others, including myself, have proposed.

Quite frankly, it's very unlikely a workforce that has already made multiple concessions even before this, and was making less than their private sector counterparts even before this, will deliver top-notched services to Detroiters. Without those services, it is unlikely that Detroiters will stay in the city and continue to pay taxes that are almost double national averages.

And if/when those Detroiters leave, their tax dollars will go with them. That, in turn, will set the stage for yet another budget crisis in a few months from now. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Mayor Bing will want another round concessions from the labor unions then, too.

It's an absolute shame that no one in the Bing Administration is willing to listen to alternative solutions or, better yet, think of a few on their own.

Behind the Scenes at Gracie See Pizzeria

Gracie See Pizzeria has been in business at the same location in Detroit's Warrendale neighborhood for more than 40 years. Their food was named "Best Traditional Pizza in North America" at the 2008 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

Their legendary owner, Gracie, takes us on a behind the scenes look at this landmark within the neighborhood.

Butterfly Walk Comes to Detroit's Rouge Park

Stock Photo by Felix Carreto

The Friends of Rouge Park will host a butterfly walk this Sunday, July 22, from 2 - 4 p.m. in Rouge Park. This event will be led by Doris Applebaum of the Oakland Audubon Society. Attendees will learn to identify the variety of butterflies in Rouge Park. This is also an excellent opportunity for visitors to experience the recently restored tallgrass prairie within the park.

Those interested in joining this butterfly walk are asked to meet on the west side of Outer Drive, south of Joy Road (map). This walk will be postponed if it is not sunny and a rain date to be announced on the Friends of Rouge Park website.

Long pants and covered shoes are strongly recommended for those going on this walk. This is due to the plants in the prairie as well as the possibility of encountering poison ivy.

5701 Greenview - Featured Place to Live

The Featured Place to Live in the Warrendale neighborhood for this week is 5701 Greenview St., which is just north of Ford Rd. The thing that I love about this home is that it used to be two separate homes.

Built in the early 1950s, these were two separate bungalows. However, in 1991, the homeowner decided to merge the two homes into one. The result is a home with more than 2,000 square feet of living space, nine bedrooms, and four bathrooms.

More information about this home is available here.

Friends of Rouge Park to Meet this Wednesday

Derby Hill in Rouge Park

The next Friends of Rouge Park meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 18 from 6 - 7 p.m. They will meet inside of the Don Bosco Center (9357 Westwood at W. Chicago). This center is the former St. Suzanne Grade School, which is just north of the Warrendale neighborhood.

Everyone who is interested in preserving and improving Rouge Park is invited to attend this meeting.

The agenda for this meeting will include:

• Update on the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association and their return to the barn that was formerly used by the Detroit Police Department's Mounted Division in Rouge Park;
• Report on Rouge Rescue, which was held earlier this year; and
• Additional updates and news about Rouge Park.

Additional information about the Friends of Rouge Park is available on their website.

Intro to the Third Season of Warrendale (Detroit) Blog

As I kick off the third season of the Warrendale (Detroit) Blog on Blip.tv, I wanted to give everyone a kick look at what is coming.