It is officially spring in Detroit. Really. This week in Downtown Detroit 3/20/13 to 3/26/13

Posted on March 20, 2013 at 10:23 am by with Leave a Comment
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Today is the first day of spring.  While it might not feel like it when you step outside, there are a few sure signs that warmer weather is on the way back to Detroit.  Buds are starting to appear on trees.  Green stalks that will soon support beautiful flowers are beginning to peek out of the ground.  And the Marche Du Nain Rouge is this Sunday.

In honor of spring’s arrival, get out this weekend to transform your fears and doubts about this March into a ton of great memories about the first weekend of spring in Detroit.  Here are five ways to make that happen.

1.  La Fete Du Nain Rouge

Nora is one of those boutiques you don’t expect to see in Detroit but when you finally get there you wonder what took you so long.  It is part of Art Detroit Now’s Third Thursday’s promotion, so you get the chance to check out Detroit’s art scene while getting some shopping done.

2.  Business Promos and Events for the Marche/Run du Nain Rouge

Speaking of shopping, many Midtown retailers and restaurants are throwing open their doors and offering specials for people who are willing to come and drive the devil out of Detroit.

3.  The Last Temptation of the Nain Rouge

By now you know we love events with smartly written copy and the staff at Model D has given us something to love.  “What does a harbinger of doom do on the eve of his demise? Enjoy one last night of debauchery, of course.”  We’re sold!

4.  Run du Nain Rouge

Runners, you have until midnight tonight to sign up for this 5k.  Since this is the first one, you’ll be in an elite group of denizens who can say they remember when they got to chase the red devil out of Detroit before the march even started.

5.  Marche Du Nain Rouge

Describing the march itself is tough. It really is something that must be experienced to be understood.  The adventurous will be festooned in appropriate costumes, teams of people will be dragging their DIY chariots along the route and the Detroit Party Marching Band will follow along to keep participant’s spirits high.

And from this week’s In Case You Missed It files, our friends at Detroit Unspun give us this glimpse into what you can expect in year four of this parade.

Events, Midtown

Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company adds to downtown’s heart scene with “soul mates”

Posted on February 2, 2013 at 5:55 pm by with Leave a Comment
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Detroit has many great conversation starters these days: Belle Isle. Lena Dunham. Robotic coffee shops.

Here’s another one to add to the list: How do you know someone is your soul mate? Can you be in love with more than one person at a time? How do you handle friendships, family and fond feelings for the people who populate your life?

Soul Mates By the Magenta Giraffe Theatre CompanyThose are some of the questions “Soul Mates,” a play starting Friday at Detroit’s Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company, may bring to its viewers. Although it cannot promise to answer all of those queries, the thought-provoking play will run through Feb. 23 at the Abreact Performance Space in Detroit.

Frannie Shepherd-Bates, the Giraffe’s executive artistic director, also directs this performance. She describes it as a light-hearted play compared to some of the more serious pieces the Magenta Giraffe has previously performed. And that made it a perfect selection to do during February, when Michigan’s gray skies clash with the rosy glow we all get around Valentine’s Day.

The play’s central story line – Can a person have more than one soul mate in a lifetime? – is told through a series of vignettes. It a story told with sweetness yet it creates serious conversations among its audiences, Frannie said.

The Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company has a magnificent mission statement. Its goal is to “act to eliminate apathy, violence, prejudice and barriers to education through theatre productions, projects and programs; and further acts to reestablish and expand Detroit’s theatre district.”

Local playwright Kirsten Knisely, who was raised in Northville, attended the University of Michigan and now lives in Dearborn, wrote “Soul Mates” at the perfect time in her life as well – she was young and looking ahead at her artistic career. She was pondering some of the larger issues of adult life just as she was saying farewell to her careless teenage days. Searching for connections, she found more questions than answers…and this cathartic play was the result.

The cast includes Jonathan Davidson (Detroit), Julia Garlotte (Chelsea), Matthew Turner Shelton (Grosse Pointe) and Jaye Stellini (White Lake). Gwen Lindsay exhibits her scenic design; costumes by Lauren Montgomery.

Frannie co-founded the theater group in 2008, starting it with LG. (LoriGoe) Pérez-Nowak and Kevin Beltz. While still students at Wayne State University, the three realized that Detroit was losing many of its finest talent to the bigger cities (Chicago and New York). So they agreed that when the timing was right, they’d start their own non-profit organization that would promote theater, discussion as well as social and economic change.

“We felt that theater could do more than just entertain. We wanted a company that wasn’t strictly activist, but starts constructive conversation and gets people thinking. We also wanted to provide another place for artists to work here,” Frannie said.

As for the name…well, glad you asked. According to those in the know, “LoriGoe chose ‘Giraffe’ because of a giraffe’s ability to see over all obstacles; its presence as a gentle yet majestic giant; and because by natural design, the giraffe is so completely unique. Kevin jokingly, but enthusiastically tagged ‘Magenta’ on to the front of that and the three founders had a good laugh about the image. However, they later discovered that a magenta aura is characteristic of someone who is an artist, actor, author, costume or set designer – and that sold them on the combo ‘Magenta Giraffe!’”

Reservations are highly recommended as the performance space is intimate (also known as cozy, so be prepared to enjoy live theater in the way it was supposed to be seen – up close and personal). The conversation therein is a bit adult; Frannie would rate it PG-13, so older teens are cool (little tots, probably not). It runs at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. There is one matinee at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17.

Tickets are $18 per person or $15 for students or seniors. The Giraffe takes cash or check only. And if you don’t have the dough this month, don’t sweat it. In order to make theater available to everyone, there is a “pay what you can” policy. So if you have the cash, cough it up. If you can’t, come on down any way and get your poetry on.

Its next production, “The Maids,” by Jean Genet, will run from April 26 through May 11. Each spring, the Company also does a Stage Reading Festival where Michigan playwrights (here and ex-pats) get to hear their stories performed aloud. The public is invited…check back here and on its site for times and dates.

For more information, contact the Magenta Giraffe at (313) 408-7269 or www.magentagiraffe.org. The Abreact Performance Space is located at 1301 W. Lafayette, Suite 113, in Detroit.

Corktown, Downtown

Tour de Troit to hold inaugural Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bike Ride

Posted on January 18, 2013 at 4:54 pm by with Leave a Comment
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Sure it’s cold outside but that doesn’t mean bikes won’t be seen on the streets of Detroit. Detroiters are a hearty bunch.

So if you are a biker and you haven’t signed up yet get your legs in gear for the inaugural Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bike Ride and It celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

So far about 150 people have registered including families with children and representatives of local bike clubs such as Grown Men on Bikes (GMOB) and Eastside Riders. The ride starts at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 21, 2013 and is sponsored by Tour de Troit in partnership with Detroit City Council Member Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr.

You’ll ride about 10 miles starting and ending at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center on the campus of Wayne State University.

We know you’re fit so the ride shouldn’t last more than an hour. There is no cost to participate, but registration is required.  To register visit:  http://mlkjrride.eventbrite.com/#.

A portion of the route traces the path of the June 23, 1963 “Detroit’s March to Freedom” that concluded with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reciting his “I Have a Dream” speech for the first time ever to a crowd of more than 25,00 at Cobo Hall.  You’ll also pass several historical sites relevant to Dr. King and other local activists who participated in the 1963 march and were instrumental in shepherding the local Civil Rights movement.

“We’re excited for our inaugural Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bike Ride,” said Kelli B. Kavanaugh, co-director of Tour de Troit. “There are many ways to honor Dr. King on Monday and bike riders have shown a lot of interest for cycling in celebration of his life and legacy as one of them.  It’s our hope to make this an annual ride.”

So what should you wear on a bike ride? First a helmet … Tour de Troit requires one for all participants.  Also, wear comfortable clothing and dress for the weather.

Parking is conveniently located near McGregor Memorial Conference Center, both on-street and at structures PS#2 (Lodge Service Drive S. of Kirby) and PS#8 (Forest between Woodward and Cass Ave.). Regular rates will apply.

To learn more about Tour de Troit visit: www.Tour-De-Troit.org.
A Campus map can be found at http://maps.wayne.edu/

Downtown, Midtown

Navy Week is back in a big way in Detroit this year (now with schedule!)

Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:57 pm by with Leave a Comment
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Fort Detroit BombardmentThere’s going to be a lot of cool stuff happening Downtown September 3-10 to celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

War of 1812???? Not a big one in most of our history lessons. Although many considered it the second War of Independence today the War of 1812 is often referred to as the Forgotten War. It shouldn’t be.

The Star Spangled Banner was written during it. Washington, DC, was captured and burned during it. Detroit and Michigan almost went back to the British. Here’s what happened.

The US declared war on Great Britain in 1812. The causes included British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen and America’s desire to expand its territory.

During the War of 1812 Detroit was captured by the British … without a shot fired. It happened on August 16, 1812 and was a crushing defeat for the Americans. Our city was recaptured by the Americans a little more than a year later but the British continued to occupy the fort on Mackinac Island. As a result, they were able to control most of Michigan. Michigan was returned to American authority under the terms of the Treaty of Ghent in 1815.

So, the War of 1812 solidified our border with Canada and was important in the development of the Navy and also the future of America.  But enough of the history lesson …

On September 4 four ships … a patrol ship the USS Hurricane, the frigate USS De Wert, a coast guard cutter the Katmai Bay and a very cool US Brig Niagara, which is a time-period accurate replica tall ship … will be open to the public and available for private tours and on our riverfront. Over in Windsor will be the HMCS Ville De Quebec.

All the American ships will be docked at the Detroit Port Authority, which is on the RiverWalk between Hart Plaza and the Renaissance Center, with the Ville De Quebec across the river in Windsor.

“This year, Navy Week is more important than ever as we commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the writing of our national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner,” said Rear Admiral Nosal, commander of Carrier Strike Group Two.

The exact schedule for the events by the Port Authority is to be released closer to Navy Week. We’ll be sure to add it to this post once we have it.

If you can’t get enough Detroit naval history as this event, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum is planning a special weekend of free activities as well. If you haven’t had the chance to check out this hidden waterfront jewel now might be a good time. It has the War of 1812 travelling exhibit from the National Museum of the United States Navy on display until September 30. The Naval Sea Cadet training ship “Pride of Michigan” will be docked nearby the Dossin museum on September 8.

Navy Week Activity Schedule (Downtown Events Highlighted)

SEPTEMBER 5-9

Daily Navy Festival at the Renaissance Center

Navy Band will be in concert between 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. on most days. 

General Public Visitation

Ship tours are free and open to the public along the Detroit River Front on September 5-9. The visiting ships include USS De Wert (located near Nicholson Terminal), USS Hurricane (located near the Port Authority), the USCGC Katmai Bay (located near Hart Plaza), and the Flagship Niagara (located near Renaissance Center). Tour dates and times are as follows:

 

Date Time
Wednesday, Sept 5  12-7 p.m. Flagship Niagara1-6 p.m. USCGC Katmai Bay

4-7 p.m. USS De Wert and USS Hurricane
Thursday, Sept. 6  12-4 p.m. Flagship Niagara12-6pm USS De Wert and USS Hurricane

1-6 p.m. USCGC Katmai Bay
Friday, Sept. 7  12-4 p.m. USS Hurricane12-7 p.m. Flagship Niagara

12-7 p.m. USS De Wert

1-6 p.m. USCGC Katmai Bay
Saturday, Sept. 8  12-4 p.m. USS De Wert12-5 p.m. USCGC Katmai Bay

No public tours on USS Hurricane or Flagship Niagara
Sunday, Sept. 9  10 a.m.-4 p.m. Flagship Niagara12-5 p.m. USCGC Katmai Bay and USS De Wert

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

3:30-5 p.m.         Navy Band Public Concert at Church of Christ Assisted Living

Where:                  23561 15 Mile Road, Clinton Township, MI 48035

7:30-8:30 p.m.   Navy Band Public Concert, Veteran’s Memorial Park

Where:                   32400 Jefferson Avenue, St. Clair Shores, MI

 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

11:45-1:30 p.m. Rotary Club of Rochester

Who:                     Rear Admiral Sinclair M. Harris, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (bio) & 60 members of the City of Rochester’s business community.

What:                    Rotary Club of Rochester welcomes the Admiral to have lunch with the membership followed by a 25 minute presentation to the club membership.

Where:                 River Crest Banquet Center, Rochester, MI 900 West Avon Road, Rochester, MI 48307

3:30-5 p.m.         Wayne State University College of Engineering

Who:                     Rear Admiral Sinclair M. Harris, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (bio) & Wayne State faculty as well as active engineering students and navy-funded researchers.

What:                    The Admiral will visit Wayne State University’s College of Engineering to meet with the leadership, tour the engineering building and learn about Wayne State’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) efforts. The Admiral will also address a panel of active engineering students and meet with some Navy-funded researchers stationed on Wayne State University’s campus.

Where:                  Wayne State University, 5050 Anthony Wayne Drive, Detroit MI 48202

6-10 p.m.             Chaldean Chamber of Commerce CEO Dinner

Who:                     Rear Admiral Sinclair M. Harris, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (bio) & local Chaldean-American prominent business leaders.

What:                    The Admiral will speak at a CEO Dinner, which will include the Chamber’s top business leaders. During the dinner, the Admiral will discuss the Navy’s impact on business.

Where:                  Shenandoah Country Club, 5600 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323

4-6 p.m.               Navy Band Concert

Where:                 Renaissance Center, Detroit

4:30 p.m.             USS De Wert Arrival

Where:                 Nicholson Terminal

5:30 p.m.             USS Hurricane, US Brig Niagara & USCGC Katmai Bay Arrival

Where:                    Port Authority, Detroit

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

8:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Compuware

Who:                     Rear Admiral Sinclair M. Harris, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (bio) & Compuware leadership and employees.

What:                    Admiral Harris will visit the Compuware building for a morning flag raising ceremony including a color guard, belling ringing and Navy Band. After the Admiral addresses the crowd, Compuware will unveil memorial walls which will be on display for public viewing the remainder of the week. Additionally, the Navy Simulator will be available in front of the Compuware building that day for public use.

Where:                 Compuware HQ downtown Detroit, One Campus Martius, Detroit, MI 48226

12 p.m.                 Mayoral and Governor’s Welcome

Where:                 Renaissance Center, Detroit

 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 

8:15-9:45 a.m.    Public Relations Society of America

Who:                     Detroit-native Rear Admiral John E. Jolliffe, Vice Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (bio) & Members of the Public Relations Society of America.

What:                    Discussion on history and purpose of the Navy, leadership techniques, purpose and goals of Navy Week.

Where:                  Organic Building, 2600 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48310

9 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Capuchin Soup Kitchen

Who:                     Sailors

What:                    The participating sailors will meet with Capuchin’s volunteer coordinator, Roy Hoelscher. Following a brief orientation, the sailors will help to hand out food baskets and clothing to the 150 families visiting that day. At 11:00 a.m., the sailors will be given a tour of the Capuchin facility before sitting down to eat lunch with the visitors.

Where:                    6333 Medbury St, Detroit, MI 48211

11 a.m.-2 p.m.   Navy Band Public Concert

Where:                    Campus Martius Park, Detroit

11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Covenant House Michigan

Who:                     Sailors

What:                    Sailors to provide an intro and brief history of the Navy to the Covenant House kids. This will be followed by a short boot camp, a barbecue lunch and an athletic competition between the kids and the sailors.

Where:                   Covenant House, 2959 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Detroit, MI 48208

12-12:45 p.m.     Rotary Club of Dearborn Luncheon

Who:                     Flag Officer, and Members of the City of Dearborn’s business community

Where:                  Park Place, 23400 Park, Dearborn, MI 48124

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

9 a.m.-5 p.m.     US Coast Guard Silent Drill Team Performances

Where:                     Renaissance Center

12:20-3 p.m.       Marcus Garvey Academy

Who:                     Sailors

What:                    Sailors will train students with mock drills and obstacles courses. Also, the Navy suburban will be available for student interaction.

Where:                   2301 Van Dyke Street, Detroit, MI 48214

12:30-4 p.m.       Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and En Garde Detroit

Who:                     Sailors

What:                    During this event, sailors will speak to the students on Navy Life, the importance of science, technology, engineering and math as well as Navy careers. Following the sailors will interact with the students, through mentorship and fencing.

Where:                   Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, 15000 Trojan Street, Detroit, MI 48235

4-7:30 p.m.         Boys and Girls Club of South Oakland County

Who:                     Sailors

What:                    Focusing on the Club’s teen members (13-18 years old), the sailors will offer a presentation focusing on careers and educational opportunities with the Navy. Following the presentation, the sailors will interact with the teens in the Teen Center, playing games like pool, ping pong, video games, cards, foosball, etc.  Additionally, the sailors will conduct a boot camp with the kids of all ages at the Club.

Where:                   1545 East Lincoln, Royal Oak, MI 48067

6-9 p.m.               Philharmonic Concert and F/A-18 Fly By

Where:                    Lake St. Clair Park

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

8-4 p.m.               Habitat for Humanity

Who:                     Sailors

What:                    Sailors will work on eight homes with Habitat for Humanity in Detroit’s Morningside Community.

Where:                   Detroit’s Morningside Community, 4178 Lakepointe, Detroit, MI 48224

2-3:30 p.m.         Boys and Girls Club NFL/YET at Dick and Sandy Dauch Campus

Who:                     Sailors

What:                    Sailors will participate in various activities with kids.

Where:                   16500 Tireman Street, Detroit, MI 48228

6-7:30 p.m.         Military Tribute Concert with Daryl Worley

Where:                     Renaissance Center

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

8 a.m.-3 p.m.     Chef Ahoy Cooking Competition

Where:                    Grosse Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Point, MI 48236

8:30-10 a.m.        Navy Band Performs at Mariners Church Service

Where:                      Mariners Church, 170 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, MI 48226

9 a.m.-5 p.m.     US Coast Guard Silent Drill Team Performances

Where:                   Renaissance Center

6-7:30 p.m.          Navy Band Public Concert

Where:                      City Hall, 33000 Civic Center Drive, Livonia, MI 48154

Downtown

Downtown Boxing Gym: A knock out program that teaches kids to do positive things

Posted on August 10, 2012 at 11:06 am by with 1 Comment
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By Tunde Way

In a sport as explicit and intense as boxing, there is little room for ambiguity. There is an understanding between two fighters, an agreement that the outcome of their square-off will result in a winner and a loser. When those two gloves touch in the middle of the ring, both know there is no gray area, no second place.

Carlo Sweeney

Neither diplomacy nor negotiation guarantee victory in the canvassed boxing ring, only an abiding resolve to destroy.

Carlo Sweeney’s plain-spokenness is the result of a stark youth and over three decades of boxing. Sweeney, 42, who goes by “Khali,” grew up on the city’s East side. Hemmed by Poletown and Hamtramck, Sweeney says his neighborhood had no real name. It was an unpretentious place known by the confluence of two streets – “Harper Van Dyke.”

Sweeney says growing up, there was little in the way of constructive recreation. At the few venues he and his friends would visit, the threat of unexpected and total violence loomed. Fights, gunshots and sometimes murder would interrupt an evening of skating at the local rink or a round of bowling.

In founding the Downtown Boxing Gym in 2005, Sweeney wanted to offer an avenue for the city’s youth to be more meaningfully engaged. His goal, he says, was to “give kids something positive to do with their lives” – something he didn’t have himself growing up.

The Gym instructs kids in three areas; physical (boxing training), academic (tutoring and counseling) and community service (volunteering). With a current enrollment of 65 students (ages 8 to 18, all who attend at no cost), the program is determinedly maintained, with limited resources, by a small staff of two: Sweeney and Jessica Hauser.

Hauser, a former elementary school teacher is the Gym’s administrative director, managing its operational affairs. Hauser played an integral role in transitioning the organization to a registered nonprofit, formalizing its program offerings and slowly building its funding base. Hauser’s focus on running the Gym allows Sweeney to do what he does best: motivational speaking.

“The best way to dodge a right is to lean into it,” offers Sweeney in response to the apparent paradox of teaching boxing – a violent sport – to a young urban population overexposed to violence. Sweeney’s hope is that the kids he teaches choose the controlled violence of the boxing ring over the destructive and wanton violence of the streets.

Indeed, “leaning into a punch” – as a counterintuitive reaction to danger – is an apt metaphor for Sweeney’s approach to teaching, which has helped the Gym produce more champions than many better-equipped and staffed facilities.

While proud of their champions, the Gym does not require all students to box. They must participate in the training, as well as the academic programming and community service work. Boxing, Sweeney explains, is their entree into other learning.

Consequently, the kids enrolled in The Gym have seen a marked improvement in their grades and overall self-esteem. Sweeney believes a fundamental factor in this is trust. The kids know they can count on him being available, and this allows for an environment of learning that is comfortable and non-judgmental.

This trust is critical because the stakes are high. Sweeney knows there are dire consequences for kids who are not positively stimulated. “Every kid is at risk of going to jail,” he says, including the youth enrolled in his gym.

The antidote to this uncomfortable reality is what he refers to as “release points” – activity that harnesses their energies, frustrations and anger into productive outcomes. He speaks of boxing as a release point, no different from basketball or chess, where kids expend their fury responsibly.

Without these outlets, Sweeney warns of a grim future. “By the time they rebuild Detroit, we will be dead,” he says with a brutal frankness that is hard to ignore. For him, the real fight is showing others another way.

Tunde Way write for the Urban Innovation Exchange (UIX). Carlo Sweeney is a UIX member.

Portrait by Marvin Shaouni Photography.

Downtown
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