Living in the D

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Category: Civic pride

Movie helps spurs revival of Highland Park's McGregor Library

The fabulous yet closed McGregor Library in Highland Park is finally seeing signs of life. The city of Highland Park has formed a 503(c) nonprofit to raise funds for the refurbishing and hopeful reopening of the jewel.

The library's bronze doors were finally revealed this week, albeit for just a short time for a movie, after being hidden under plywood for so many years.

Highland Park was an idealic suburb within the city of Detroit in the '50s and '60s. Now, 50 years later, it stands as a symbol of all that is wrong with racism, corporate greed and lack of opportunities. This is what happens when there is a breakdown and flight of an educated middle class - its effects are felt throughout.

Drive through any number of streets in the two historic districts and you will see only a smattering of homes that are kept up to their classic looks. Drive through other streets and see the sense of abandonment the residents must feel - burned-out shells of buildings, empty lots, trash strewn about and blowing from corner to empty corner. The schools are abandoned and windowless, the streets pock marked with asphalt patch. Industry, shopping and dining are almost nonexistent.

If Detroit is the barometer of what our cities are becoming, then I would say Highland Park is the barometer for Detroit.

All may not be lost. Recently, the city began policing itself again after a wave of corruption and scandal. The Wayne County Sheriff's Department is no longer assisting in patrolling the town. The new police chief, Theodore G. Cadwell II, said at a council meeting last night that the department has solved every major crime this month, either arresting or identifying those responsible. The city has a new mayor, Hubert Yopp, who is dedicated to holding property owners responsible for appearance and bringing back the library to its purpose: helping to educate the city's residents.

Benefit for library on Thursday
On Thursday at Taste, there is a benefit for the library with actor Danny Glover, the star of the movie "Highland Park," appearing to help raise money for the library and embrace a neglected treasure.

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Category: Civic pride

I will stay in Detroit if ...

Detroit is easy to beat up on and even easier to abandon these days. Sometimes it almost seems as if the city is pushing you away: too many bums, too many young people with no opportunities and too much time on their hands and a malaise of hopelessness that's magnified when official and unofficial representatives of the city make fools of themselves with the cameras rolling.

Ultimately those things pushed me away to Ferndale, but even as a suburbanite (which I object to because cities and suburbs combined make up metropolitan areas) I understand Metro Detroit will never be viable to young, talented people at the height of their mobility -- regional transit czar John Hertel referred to these people as the "lifeblood" of communities -- without a strong Detroit. Since the 1967 riot, Detroit has been getting older and poorer as the young people who should be taking jobs downtown head to places like D.C., Chicago and New York.

Much as I love Ann Arbor, it's not built to be that city. Which raises the question: Will I stay in Metro Detroit? What would need to change or improve to keep me here?

Almost as if on cue, in today's column by colleague Amber Arellano, the Great Lakes Urban Exchange has stepped forward to ask that same question: What would take to get you to stay in Metro Detroit?

This Thursday, GLUE, as the group is known, is holding a launch party to for its I will stay if... campaign, which is designed to get Metro Detroiters talking about how to improve the Detroit area rather than why they might leave for greener pastures.

The GLUE party is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Bureau of Urban Living at 460 W. Canfield, in Midtown Detroit. If you go, make sure to say hi and tell us what would make you stick around Detroit.

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Category: Civic pride

Calling the City Flag contest

I've found two more city flags and don't know how many more exist. In addition to the 10-12 that I and other bloggers here have found, we've probably hit every city flag that's currently hung in Detroit. So I'm going to call the competition if it's OK with everybody. Readers, if you do find anymore city flags, please let us know by e-mailing me at jdickson@detnews.com

My newest flags can be found at The First National parking garage on the corner of Bates and Congress, and at Campus Martius Park on Woodward. If you're approaching the skating rink from the east side, you'll see it flapping in the breeze.

This brings my final toll to 7.5, with the field -- April Beaton, where are you? -- standing at 5.5. Between hanging flags and two book references that counted for half a point each, we found a total of 13 flags -- about as many flags are hanging in Detroit's 139 square miles as you'd see in a five minute walk on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago.

When candidates for mayor come speak to The Detroit News' Editorial Board, they'll usually mention the dearth of civic pride in Detroit as something they'd like to change. I suggest the city flag play a major role in that change.

If Chicago can hang its bland, two stripe, four-star flag with pride, Detroit should make sure that everyone sees and knows the history of our own city flag. Be true to your flag, folks.

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Category: Civic pride

Wayne State University flies city flag

I'm still trying to wrap up this chilly workday, popping in for just a quick second to update the flag sighting tally.

Sighting three came today, on my first day back to the city, while I waited for lunch at the Potato Place on Warren Ave. I spotted it flying behind the Welcome Center on Warren between Cass and Woodward.

I've brought the field tally to 3.5, while James David Dickson stays at 4.5.

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Category: Civic pride

My second flag sighting comes on Jefferson

The flag doesn't always fly.

Today's sighting was a glass flag in a display box outside of a little building on Jefferson east of McDougall. The sign on the side reads Berke's Clinic. There's nothing around to suggest it's still open, but I could be wrong.

This flag, too, was faded and yellowed, like it had been there an awful long time. Other bloggers (well, James, at least) have found fancy flags near landmark buildings, but the two I've seen have been old, withered and ragged.

Certainly not in a place that anyone will be looking for them, anymore. I wonder if that's how most of them around Detroit are, left over from a more prominent time?

It's almost like someone just forgot to take them down.

New standings:

James Dickson: 4.5

Field (ahem!, me): 2.5

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Category: Civic pride

A rare flag sighting on Livernois

Whatever the heck this place was, it sure was big, and there sure were a lot of flags out front. All of them were faded, but it was windy, so they were flapping pretty good. The Unites Stated. Michigan. Even Canada - and I was way up by Seven Mile.

The fourth flag, though. The one that was a off to the left. Was that yellow in the corner?

I pulled in the little driveway, the one that said "Permit Parking Only". Whatever. The place was Hunter's Supper Club on Livernois near Outer Drive.

The flag, of course, was that of the City of Detroit.

I'll keep working to even the tally, which stands at:

James David Dickson - 3.5

Field (or, me!) - 1.5

Category: Civic pride

Detroiter? East or West?

I was at Foran's Irish Pub for a Downtown Detroit Meet-up Group meetup when someone asked me whether I was from Detroit.

I waffled in my answer, which he called me on. Though he had been in Detroit for eight years he was still a Frenchman at heart and there are some things you just don't know until someone explains them to you.

"Yes, I'm from Detroit," I said, "but I've also lived in Wayne, Inkster and Ann Arbor and went to school in West Bloomfield. Detroit is the one place where the distinction between city and suburb matters."

The drive home from tonight's Pecha Kucha Night (more on that later) revealed another distinction that's mightily important to Detroiters: East Side and West Side.

Woodward Avenue, of course, is the divider between East and West. Drive north on Woodward in Detroit and something really interesting happens when you start getting Midtown: street names are different on the right (east) side of the street from the left (west).

Where I live on Clairmount is a pretty main thoroughfare. Cross Woodward and my street doesn't even get the dignity of keeping its name. It's called Owen Street.

The history of this area is so rich and deep if you choose to appreciate it. Next week I'll be spending some time at the Detroit Historical Museum, so hopefully I'll come back with a few more nuggets of information.

Category: Civic pride

Third City Flag sighting

Westin Book-Cadillac. Washington Boulevard. Right next to the Wayne County flag.

For those of you keeping score at home, the tally stands at:

JD: 3.5

The Field: 0.5

(Note: I've graciously decided not to count the Wayne County flag at the Book Cadillac in my point total.)

I wonder if there would've been a more competitive showing if we had "made it a little more interesting" at the outset. But if I've found the two flags that are downtown I may have left pretty slim pickings for my co-bloggers.

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Category: Civic pride

I spotted a second City of Detroit flag

I spotted the city flat at 455 W. Fort St. I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it hanging there, in the lobby area next to the American flag and the state flag.

I tried to find out how long it'd been there and when they got it, but the security guard on duty had only been there two days and I have writing to do.

I'll pop back over there next week and see if I can find out more, like where the heck they bought the flag in the first place, because the city itself is having trouble finding them.

Guys, Detroit's City Flag is absolutely breathtaking in person. The online image doesn't do the richness of its colors justice. Go stop by the 455 Building some time and check it out. I guarantee you'll be impressed.

Also, by my unofficial tally, the score of the City Flag Sighting competition is:

JD: 2.5 (yes the Wayne County flag at WCCCD counts, too, but only for half)

The Rest of the Living in the D bloggers: 0

Come on, guys, where's my competition?

UPDATE: April Beaton is correct in her remark that she should get at least a half-point for blogging about the flag and its history.

The revised scores:

JD: 2.5

The Field: 0.5

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Category: Civic pride

Wayne County flag sighting

As it's become a common occurrence for my driver on the Linwood bus to overshoot my stop at Fort and Third, I decided to avoid all that by getting off at the Wayne County Community College downtown campus.

I'm always happy to see about half of who's left on the bus by that point get off and go to class. The investment those students make now will pay dividends in the long run.

So I'm headed east on Fort, toward The Detroit News building when I catch my first City Flag sighting, only I couldn't be sure because the sun was in my eyes.

When I found some shade and the wind slowed down for a moment so I could get a good look, I learned that Wayne County, too, has a flag and it's not a bad one either. Actually it's just the county seal bookmarked with vertical red bars, but, still, very well done and especially good to see flapping in the wind.

Makes me think that back to Walter's post about the Detroit city flag, which is shamefully nowhere to be seen in city-owned buildings. Detroit's city flag needs to be hanging outside of major city buildings, starting with the City-County building and the Manoogian Mansion. If Wayne County is gung-ho about making sure its flag is represented at a community college branch, Detroit should be flying its flag proudly as well. City residents should know what it looks like and the history behind it.

Anyone seen the actual City Flag around? Let us know!/p>