Page 880 – Model D

GM likely to keep HQ in Detroit; company has had huge impact downtown

By Newsroom

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Buzz

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May 19, 2009

GM's presence at the RenCen has been felt throughout the city, and even though the ailing company is ailing, it's not expected to leave Detroit.Excerpt:What visible progress Detroit has made this decade -- and there has been some -- has been largely because of GM's presence in the RenCen.GM was a key driver in a massive makeover of the Detroit riverfront. The company also brought its OnStar unit and 1,500 employees of Electronic Data Systems into the RenCen.Read the entire article here.

Reinventing Detroit’s schools — aim is for smaller and stronger programs

By Newsroom

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Buzz

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May 19, 2009

The Detroit public schools need some help and this new initiative to shrink classes may be the answer for some schools.Excerpt:"It's an opportunity for the secretary to meet with students at a school that is in the process of being transformed from a classic large comprehensive setting into one which follows proven principles aimed at ensuring student success in small schools with specific focuses," said district spokesman Steve Wasko. Kristen McDonald, senior program officer for education at the Skillman Foundation, said the model being used in Detroit is different from other schools' initiatives that attempt to create smaller learning communities within big buildings. Read the entire article here.

Dequindre (duh-QUIN’-der) Cut gets attention from outside Michigan

By Newsroom

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Buzz

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May 19, 2009

The Infrastructurist, a web site about rebuilding America's infrastructure, picks up on the ribbon cutting of the Dequindre Cut.Excerpt:In Motor City, land of disused structures, an overgrown old rail line has been excavated and turned into a spanking new bike thoroughfare. While, technically, it is more a “greenway” than a “freeway,” there are entrance and exit ramps and multiple lanes separated by yellow lines. (Perhaps to make disused auto executives feel comfortable riding on it, now that they have plenty of free time to explore their community?) The ribbon cutting ceremony, which took place yesterday, fell conveniently into National Bike Week. Though in recent weeks the path had already been seeing some action from pedestrians, stroller-pushing parents and, um, “graffiti artists” according to the Detroit Free Press. So the great battle of use vs. abuse is now underway.Read the entire article here.A cute excerpt from a Chicago Tribune article offering the phonetic spelling of Dequindre:The $3.25 million Dequindre (duh-QUIN'-der) Cut Greenway officially opened Thursday after two years of construction. Read the entire article here.

Bing defeats Cockrel, national media takes notice

By Newsroom

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Buzz

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May 19, 2009

The basketballing businessman Dave Bing beats the incumbent policy man Ken Cockrel Jr. Bing will only serve seven months until the next election in May (in which he will seek re-election) and Cockrel goes back to being Detroit city council president, relieving Monica Conyers of her duties, although he could run again in May. Follow all of that?Excerpt:"In the 42 years that I've been here, I still dream. I dream that this city can be what it was before I even got here." He added: "If you've got the right values system, regardless of how poor you are or what kind of background you come from, you can succeed. That's what I want to make the people here understand." Read the entire article here.

Tweet of the Week

By Newsroom

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Buzz

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May 19, 2009

We continue our quest for Detroit tweets that are insightful, informative, or just plain funny ... So, it'd be great to list them all, but we can't. With that said, here are a few we found in the past week:@surmeet: Gonna have the best night ever this friday. Graduating on saturday. Europe monday. Jus got an aparment in detroit. Life is kraaazeeeee.Welcome to the neighborhood, @surmeet. And thanks for choosing Detroit.@angiekarr: Willie nelson, hundreds of new friends, every cowboy hat in #detroit crammed into hart plaza.So Detroit's Hoedown was this past weekend. In case you missed it Kevin Costner's band was there (if you book it, he will come).@youngdetroiter: @modeld The translation of the Spanish tweet: There's something about (the song) "Put Your Hands Up for Detroit" that makes me like it.We'd like to thank @youngdetroiter for translating last week's Spanish tweet mystery. We couldn't have done it without you.But, the winning tweet, the one that takes that cake is this:@jamilaishere: Monica Conyers is up in the Detroit Fish Market lookin a hot ass mess! Shouldn't she be tryin to get her stuff out the office? For real?!!!@jamilaishere's tweet is a reminder to do your best to not look like a hot mess when going into the Detroit Fish Market.Keep reading. Keep tweeting.Please follow us on Twitter here.

Fast Company: Paxahau’s Jason Huvaere Dishes as Movement Gets Things Shakin’ Downtown

By Jon Zemke

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General

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May 19, 2009

Jason Huvaere made his passion -- electronic music -- his business. This weekend, the techo entrepreneur and head of Paxahau Event Productions will watch throngs of fellow fans dance and revel at the Movement festival in Hart Plaza. We catch up with him for a few fast questions.

Pardon Our Dust But We’ve Been Improving

By Malik Goodwin

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General

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May 19, 2009

Streetscape improvements made over the last four years in downtown Detroit have been enthusiastically embraced by pedestrian crowds, and more will be coming later this year. Support from the federal government's economic stimulus package will enhance plans that were already in place for significant projects near lower Woodward and Greektown.

Model D TV: Happy Trails in Detroit

By Tom Hendrickson

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General

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May 19, 2009

The Dequindre Cut is super cool, and it's just one piece of a whole system of trails, greenways and nonmotorized paths planned in the city. Model D TV talks with one of the people behind the plan, Todd Scott of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

Preservation for Economic Development

By Olga Stella

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General

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May 19, 2009

The restoration of the Globe Trading Company building in the East Riverfront District of Detroit took another step forward recently when the State of Michigan recommended it be placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Dogs of Detroit: Proud Pooches Bark About Their Hometown

By Jennifer Andrews

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General

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May 19, 2009

Let the wonks figure out what the young and the restless humans want from their city. What about their best friends? We go to some of the city's top pooches to get the word on the street about the best dog-friendly patios, favorite spots for a nice stroll with their owners, and what the city needs to do better to meet the needs of the four-footed set.