DTE Energy accepting applications for interns

DTE Energy is currently accepting applications for its popular 2014 Summer Student Employment Program Feb. 10 to Feb. 23. This program is an important part of the company 's efforts to develop future talent for our company. It provides full-time, temporary employment opportunities for students who are either college undergraduates or high school seniors who will attend college in the fall.

Students wishing to apply for an internship must complete an electronic Summer Student Questionnaire at dteenergy.com under Careers between Feb. 10 and Feb. 23. No paper applications will be accepted. When a student accepts an offer, he/she will receive instructions on how to complete the application packet from the recruiter with a specified completion date.

Applicants also should know:

• Students MUST provide a copy of their official transcript in order to be considered;
• Employee referrals are not required; and
• Leaders may request the rehire of former students on the "Summer Student Employment Requisition" eForm.

Reporting relationships must not violate DTE Energy Policy EM18, Personal Relationships. Consistent with policy EM18, summer students should not be placed in an area where they are in a reporting relationship (either directly or indirectly) to employees with whom they have a familial relationship.

Students will be hired and participate in orientation on predetermined dates in May and June.

Good bye, Mr. Patterson

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has stated in a published interview that he intends to walk away from the water deal that Detroit's emergency manager Kevyn Orr has proposed. I'm okay with that.

Orr's deal does much more for Oakland County than it does the City of Detroit. If Patterson isn't ridiculously happy with it, I'm fine with him rejecting it.

In my opinion, it's time for the City of Detroit to sell that portion of its Water and Sewage Department that is in the suburbs. The portion that is within the city limits should continue to be owned and operated by the City of Detroit. The suburban portion, however, should be sold to a private utility who can provide water and sewage service to suburban customers at market rates.

Detroit will be better off with the cash that such a sale would generate than it would with the lease to the suburbs. Patterson & Company can simply deal with a private utility for their water.

Save the date - May 31 in Rouge Park

Mountain biking - Photo by Paniti Marta

The Motor City Mountain Biking Association, which built and maintains the mountain bike trail in Rouge Park, is planning a special event for May 31. It will begin at 1 p.m. and celebrate all of the special things in Detroit's largest park.

This special celebration of Rouge Park will include, of course, our mountain bike trail. It is the only such trail in Wayne County and spectacular trail for beginning to intermediate riders.

More information about this is forthcoming. I will share it as it becomes available. Until then, please save the date on your calendars.

Revolutionary proposal for Detroit

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose a simply yet revolutionary idea; one that I believe will solve a great many problems for Detroit.

Steel cage match - Photo by Simon Q.

Imagine, if you will, a Steel Cage Death Match between the persistently controversial and rarely useful George Cushingberry, Jr. of the Detroit City Council and that relic from another time and space L. Brooks Patterson of Oakland County. I submit that no matter what the outcome of this hypothetical match-up might be, Detroit will win.

Cushingberry, of course, earlier this month claimed that he was racially profiled by police officers who were too far away to see whether or not he was using his turn signal. One could wonder how it might be possible for police officers who were that far away could even see the skin color of a driver. I, however, will not dwell on the idea for too long. I stopped trying to make sense of him decades ago.

As for Patterson, well, there are so many things that I could satirize him for that I'm not sure which one to go with first. Some conspiracy theorists, in fact, might even argue that he died years ago, but is simply being kept alive artificially so that local pundits have a go-to source of material.

As an added bonus, between ticket sales for the Cushingberry vs. Patterson Steel Cage Death Match and its pay-per-view rights, Detroit should be able to save her retirees' pensions and and still preserve all of the art at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

I simply cannot see a downside to this idea.

Leaning Tower of Pizza

CANstruction 2014 - Photo by Frank Nemecek

The monthly pizza party for readers of this blog was last night at Gracie See Pizzeria (6889 Greenfield Rd.). As always, it was a lot of fun to connect with current and former residents of the Warrendale neighborhood. Plus, our newly elected police commissioner, Ricardo Moore, was in attendance as well so people could ask him any questions that they wanted.

I also couldn't help but have a little fun with all of the pop cans that were at the table. When someone asked why I did this, I replied that the stacked cans, with the top one slightly off-kilter, was a commentary on mankind vis-a-vie our relationship with the natural world.

This, by the way, simply goes to show that can still B.S. with the best of them.

Anyway, there will be another one of these events on Monday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m. I hope to see even more people there.

Pizza party this Monday

Friends and Pizza - Photo by Frank Nemecek

The next pizza party for this blog will be on Monday, January 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Gracie See Pizzeria (6889 Greenfield Rd.). This is always a great chance to meet up with  current and former residents of the Warrendale neighborhood, as well as some good people who just like good pizza. The staff at Gracie's will also have some great drink specials all night long.

As always, the first pizza will be on me. After that, we simply order from the menu and split the check when it arrives.

RSVPs are preferred, but not mandatory. Please confirm your attendance on either the Facebook or Google+ page for this blog. I look forward to seeing lots of new faces at this event.

Duggan looks for unplowed streets

If your #Detroit street has not been plowed since Saturday w/at least a 10 ft path, please complete this online form: http://t.co/PuRGi6x30l
— Mayor Mike Duggan (@MayorMikeDuggan) January 10, 2014

Mayor Mike Duggan tweeted on Friday, asking Detroiters to fill out an on-line form if their residential side street has not been plowed. Since I haven't seen a single residential street in Northwest Detroit that has been plowed, I suspect there are going to be a lot of people clicking that form.

I, of course, entered my information to complain that my street, Ashton between Whitlock and Paul, has not been plowed. If I actually get a response, I'll be sure to post it here. If anyone else the same, please let me know what response you receive, if any.