Jun 10-16, 2015

Jun 10-16, 2015 / Vol. 35 / No. 35

Cover Story

Detroit People 2015

To paraphrase an old saying, a city’s true wealth is its people. By that degree, metro Detroit is rich beyond measure. It’s said that people don’t shrug their shoulders about Detroit. If true, it’s partly due to the bold character of the people who live in this sprawling metropolitan region. It’s filled with a self-selecting…

Sad ending for runaway Emu in Ionia County

Update: Earlier this week, Ionia County Dispatch asked the public for its help locating an emu after it went missing from a farm on Peck Lake Road. Today we learn that the over-sized bird was located on Wednesday toward the back of the farm property and was later put down. During a mating scuffle, “one…

Michigan Appeals Court limits authority of state-appointed emergency managers

State-appointed emergency managers cannot unilaterally ratify acts that were prompted by another government official, a unanimous Court of Appeals panel ruled on Friday. The decision — the first to consider what, if any, limitations emergency managers (EM) have under state law — focused on former Flint EM Michael Brown’s decision to raise water and sewer…

A Brightmoor resident is publicly shaming alleged wrongdoers on his YouTube channel

Brightmoor resident Jonathan Pommerville has had just about enough of the alleged illegal activity that’s happening in his neighborhood. That’s why he’s taking matters into his own hands by publicly outing “wrongdoers” on his YouTube channel, fochnut. For the last few weeks, Pommerville has been observing various kinds of activity near his home — anything from dumping…

Detroit homicides up 6 percent in first six months of 2015

Homicides in Detroit earlier this year looked to be sky-high,  but through the first six months of 2015, rates in the city appear to be leveling off. Still, the city’s homicide total is up six percent year-to-date when compared to the same period in 2014, according to the Detroit Police Department. Through June 7, Detroit…

Ex-wife of embattled state Sen. Virgil Smith: ‘Justice will be served’

Anistia Thomas, the ex-wife of state Sen. Virgil Smith (D-Detroit), spoke out Friday against the embattled legislator, who’s accused of shooting at Thomas’ vehicle 10 times with a rifle last month. “Good afternoon, I am Anistia Thomas, and I am a survivor of domestic violence,” she said during a brief press conference after Smith left…

Pontiac Silverdome owner asking $30 million for stadium

The Pontiac Silverdome has transformed into a dilapidated punchline ever since the Detroit Lions moved to Ford Field in Detroit. It’s been the subject of slideshows illustrating how much the facility has fallen into disarray. After purchasing the Dome for just under $600,000 a few years back, the owner now wants to flip the joint for…

Snyder signs bill targeting adoption by LGBT families, expects litigation to follow

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder signed a law Thursday that will allow faith-based adoption groups to refuse to serve LGBT couples at their own discretion — and he expects litigation will be filed to challenge the statute’s constitutionality.  Contending the legislation affords Michigan children the “greatest opportunity” to be placed in a foster care home, Snyder praised…

Commission votes to raze historic hotel for new Detroit Red Wings arena

The Detroit Historic District Commission voted Wednesday to raze a historic hotel situated in the footprint of a new Detroit Red Wings arena, despite the objections of preservationists who say it could’ve been maintained for redevelopment. The move will allow the Red Wings’ owner to construct a loading dock area at the new facility.  The…

Robert Davis files FOIA lawsuit against Michigan Treasury

Robert Davis, a named plaintiff in many lawsuits, filed yet another on Monday in federal court, claiming he’s being deprived of his right to obtain public records under Michigan law as an incarcerated individual. In December, Davis — a litigious activist and former member of the Highland Park Board of Education — was sentenced to…

Concert review: Pixies at St. Andrews Hall

WHO: The Pixies WHEN: Tuesday, June 9 WHERE: St. Andrews Hall Maybe you can’t tell, but pictured above is the Pixies. The alt-rock reunion band on tour in perpetuity played a last minute set at St. Andrews Hall last night after Robert Plant, whom they’ve opened for recently, fell ill. For longtime fans, it was…

It’s National Iced Tea Day

It’s National Iced Tea Day or so we’re told, and one area restaurant wants you to stop in for a free beverage. That’s right: Olga’s Kitchen is running with a promotion today, and according to their Facebook page, both dine-in and dine-out guests can walk away with a free iced tea with the purchase of any…

Get a Faygo Rock & Rye Slurpee right now

Presented here mostly without comment we offer this Tweet from Faygo Beverages introducing the new Rock & Rye Slurpee available at 7-Eleven stores throughout Michigan and Ohio. Go. Go now. Introducing the new next best thing: Rock n’ Rye @Slurpee drinks at 7-Eleven in Michigan and Ohio. pic.twitter.com/0ml83lx8un — Faygo Beverages (@Faygo) June 8, 2015

Record review: LaShaun Phoenix Moore’s ‘Anthem’

Metro Times first caught up with vocalist LaShaun Phoenix Moore one year ago, while she was in the midst of recording her album Anthem. With the help of a successful GoFundMe campaign to offset the cost of the record, Anthem is finally here and bustling through headphones all over the metro Detroit area.

The Spirit: Olayami Dabls

When you visit MBAD’s African Bead Museum, housed in a century old-corner row house just Grand River Avenue near the intersection of Vinewood Street, you’re greeted by a tall, imposing, handsome dude. Olayami Dabls receives dozens of visitors a day (he’s been doing this for 15 years), so he might not be very talkative at…

The Tinkerer: Andy Didorosi

It’s no secret that Detroit’s public transportation system is abysmal. From his office’s vantage point off the Conant Street route, Andy Didorosi says he sees a city bus every hour — on good days. The system has other problems too. “Sometimes you literally cannot get somewhere on the bus system — it just does not…

Horoscopes (June 10 – 17)

ARIES (March 21-April 20): You’ve got too much going on to let your insecurities ruin a good time. All kinds of stuff is in the wind. Those of you who get the feeling that you’ve touched the pulse of something out of this world are not that far off. Having enough discernment to make the…

The Water Warrior: Monica Lewis-Patrick

Ever hear of a societal problem, shake your head, and then say, “Man, something must be done about that,” only to get lost binge-watching some TV show on Netflix? The first part happens to 49-year-old Monica Lewis-Patrick, but unlike the rest of us, not the second part. Lewis-Patrick was born into a family that believes…

The Soda Jerk: Derek John

It’s hard to categorize Derek John. He runs a small gallery in Ferndale, co-owns a soda company, and runs a lawn-cutting business. He’s also something of a local musician. He’s busy.. “I feel like Jimmy McGill from Better Call Saul, a real Johnny Hustle,” he says. “Between the gallery, Mary Ann’s Soda, and landscaping, it’s…

Hot Sam’s has been a fashionable fixture in Detroit for years

Hot Sam’s has been in business since 1921. It’s been rumored it’s the oldest store of its kind in Michigan. That speaks to the power of a good suit. The men’s retailer focuses on suits, dress shirts, shoes, and accessories as well as outfitting the city’s most fashionable politicians, ministers, athletes, and celebrities. When the…

The House Music Maven: Troy Ramroop

When asked what he studied in college, Troy Ramroop doesn’t give the answer you might expect given his current job. The owner of Grasshopper Underground, Ferndale’s beloved house music venue, didn’t major in business or finance. And when he was younger, he didn’t dream of running a nightclub. And since then, like many of us,…

Higher Ground: A mother’s instincts

Lisa Smith is outspoken about the good effect that medical marijuana has on the symptoms of her son Noah’s autism. She’s so passionate about it that she spoke at a public hearing before the state committee charged with making recommendations on adding qualifying conditions under the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. Actually, there may not have…

The Communitarian: Ashley Atkinson

It’s a breezy day in downtown Detroit, where Ashley Atkinson, 36, is making the rounds at Keep Growing Detroit’s downtown farm, which consists of greenhouses and gardens. She wears a sweater and blue jeans, seated on some great carved stones that buttress the metal that holds in berms of earth. A Hubbard Farms resident, she’s…

The Queen of Threads: Karen Buscemi

Many know Karen Buscemi as the editor of StyleLine. The Detroit-based fashion magazine was once the biggest in the state, but after six years in production, the glossy folded in October 2014. But Buscemi didn’t find herself suddenly out of work completely. Two years before the mag folded, she founded the Detroit Garment Group, a…

The Elder: Albert Barrow

Some might think Albert “Big Pete” Barrow sounds a little gruff, but it’s just his no-nonsense manner. Speaking with us in his northeast Detroit home, he talks directly, in a tone he’s earned with his 72 years in the city while working as hard as any other man. At this stage in his life, he’s…

The Neighborhood Evangelist: Yusef Shakur

Yusef Shakur is a product of his neighborhood. Born to teenage parents, Shakur was raised on the streets, becoming a founding member of Detroit’s “Zone 8” gang. By 19, he was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for assault with attempt to rob, a crime he says he did not commit. That could…

Politics and Prejudices: The politics of sex

“If I understand the history correctly, in the late 1990s, the president was impeached for lying about a sexual affair by a House of Representatives led by a man who was also then hiding a sexual affair, who was supposed to be replaced by another congressman who stepped down when forced to reveal that he…

The Healer: Erika Boyd

On a sun-splashed morning on Agnes Street in the West Village, 41-year-old Detroit Vegan Soul co-owner and chef Erika Boyd is in the dining room, composing herself for another busy day. The row of storefronts surrounding the restaurant was empty just a couple years ago; today, it hosts a coffee shop and an upscale restaurant.…

The Shopkeepers: Andy and Emily Linn

The block in Midtown where brother-and-sister team Andy and Emily Linn run a pair of lifestyle boutiques looks dramatically different than it did six years ago. Back when they first opened City Bird’s, there was no Shinola, no Run Detroit. There was no Willy’s nor Jolly Pumpkin. There were a couple of long-standing shops, namely…

Savage Love: Transitions

Q: A big congrats to Caitlyn Jenner on her big reveal and lovely Vanity Fair cover! But I am having a crisis of conscience. On one hand, I support a person’s right to be whoever the heck they want to be. You want to wear women’s clothing and use makeup and style your hair? You…

The Historian: Ron Gurdjian

At 75, Ron Gurdjian isn’t just a bartender. He’s a steward of history. The Highland Park native has been many things in his life — a teacher, a metal fabricator, a toymaker, an antique restorer — but it seems he’s finally found his firmest situation yet. Several nights a week, he sets up behind the…

Drink Up

White Hatter white pale ale New Holland | 5.5% ABV | 52 IBU Based in Holland, Mich., New Holland Brewing Co. is a triple threat. The microbrewery crafts award-winning beers as well as makes spirits and operates a popular brewpub in downtown Holland. The idea was born when founders Jason Spaulding and Brett Vander Kamp grew…

The Brewer: John Linardos

John Linardos, 47, honcho at Motor City Brewing Works, is hanging out in the green alley behind his taproom. It’s hard to believe this is where he started his rough-and-tumble brewing operation back in 1994. “This is where Johns would score,” he says. “That lot right there between the green garage and that building, cars…

Detroit Opera House opens Sky Deck

Two years ago the Detroit Opera House opened their rooftop patio for public use during baseball games. Sky Deck offered a unique vista, a 360-degree view of the city, one arguably unrivaled in downtown Detroit. Sun sails, modern couches, and greenery outfitted the space. It’s casual enough to enjoy during a Detroit Tigers game, but…

The People’s Chef: James Rigato

James Rigato is wearing a shirt and tie now, but he jokes that tonight will be the first time he’s worn a suit in two years. It’s because he’ll be working the front of the house for his old pal Luciano DelSignore, “playing” sommelier while his buddy Marc Bogoff of Eastern Market’s Stockyard heads up…

The Artisté: Tunde Olaniran

Tunde Olaniran does it all. He writes his own music, he designs his own costumes, he choreographs his own shows. He’s the face of his sound and the master behind the scenes. He’s in control. He’s driven. The Flint-based electro-pop and R&B artist has captured the attention of locals with his unique sound and even…

Despite missteps, ‘The Farewell Party’ aims high

The Farewell Party: B- Can we just applaud the intentions instead of the film? Co-writers/directors Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon are clearly out to make a compassionate and entertaining case for individuals to have the right to die with dignity when faced with terminal illness. In their Israeli award-wining The Farewell Party, they mount a…

The Jazz Disciple: Leonard King

Dr. Professor Leonard King Jr. laughs easily and has no problem talking your ear off, especially if you’re genuinely interested in what he has to say. King talks with his hands a lot, and his eyes light up easily. He’s earnestly professorial in a way no one who actually slogs through academia actually is, but…

The People’s Advocate: Rashida Tlaib

Rashida Tlaib has a direct reply when asked why she loves the city of Detroit. “I’m so much of a proud Detroiter,” she says. “My god, do we have some of the most amazing people. You won’t find stories like ours. You almost feel like, if there’s ever a need to tell an American story,…

The Camp Director: Joe Bailey

Once widely known as “Fabulous Ferndale,” what was one of the few visible gayborhoods in the region has now become, well, kind of straight. That’s not to say Ferndale has become homophobic — plenty of rainbow flags still adorn storefronts — but a downtown that used to be prominently dotted with gay bars, clubs, and…

Fuzz Fest II delivers a mighty dose of Michigan rock

In a time when Kid Rock has realized he shouldn’t ask for more than 20 bucks for a ticket to his show, Jack White would rather partner with a watchmaker than pick up an electric guitar in his old hometown, and one of Detroit’s most beloved garage/punk stages, the Magic Stick, has been converted into…

The Athlete: Zeke Harris

Zeke Harris has been playing soccer for nearly two decades and he isn’t yet 25. He was playing for his college team when Detroit City Football Club contacted him four years ago, just as it was turning from a casual neighborhood team to a semi-professional one. He’s watched the team’s popularity grow, earning them a…

The Optimist: Brent Petrone

When it was built in in 1917, Detroit’s Southeastern High School was located in a recently annexed rural part of town — hence the name for its sports teams, “The Jungaleers.” Nearly 100 years later, the school still operates in the fringes, so to speak: In 2012, it was one of 15 taken over by…

The Unexpected Politician: Raquel Castañeda-López

It took a cavalry of supporters to convince Southwest Detroit native Raquel Castañeda-López to run for Detroit City Council. Worst-case scenario, she thought, was saying “yes” but then failing to receive enough signatures to land on the ballot (she needed 300 in one week). That didn’t turn out to be a problem — supporters came…

The Commentator: Aaron Foley

Over the last few years, Detroit native Aaron Foley has made a name for himself as a well-regarded, insightful commentator on the city. But if you ask him what growing up in the hardscrabble city was like, the 30-year-old says he has nothing extreme to share, like stories other residents may have. “It was pretty…

The Keeper of the Printed Word: Maia Asshaq

If we told you Ditto Ditto is a small, cozy bookshop, you might still not be prepared for just how small and cozy it is. Run by the always-stylish, 28-year-old proprietor Maia Asshaq, the space is located in a former one-bedroom apartment located next to Hello Records, which has been there for seven years. The…

The Activist and Baker: Ann Perrault

Ann Perrault’s life has been full of baked goods from the start. She grew up in a large family of 12 and her mother owned a pie business. “My mom’s probably the best baker I know,” the 55-year-old says. Perrault was raised in Grosse Ille and Inkster before relocating to Detroit when she turned 19…

The Garbage Picker: Matthew Naimi

Sometimes it can be hard to take Matthew Naimi seriously — this is the same guy who tried to convince Detroit that it was actually he who painted the infamous Packard Plant Banksy. So when he speaks of his plans for the shipping container-turned classroom that serves as the location for our interview, it’s hard…

How Kassem Fardoun chose Detroit for his hip falafel shop

Kassem Fardoun isn’t your typical Lebanese-American restaurateur. The 35-year-old Fordson High School graduate (Class of 1998) lives in west Dearborn, in lofts above the Buffalo Wild Wings on Michigan Avenue. When he’s not working at his Midtown eatery, Falafill, he’s out playing soccer or watching it. He listens to reggae every morning, and, when we…

The Educator and Food Activist: Malik Yakini

As Malik Yakini will tell you, many describe him as a “food activist,” but his work as executive director and co-founder of the nonprofit Detroit Black Community Food Security Network should be viewed in a larger context. There are several reasons for his interest in agriculture, which is “part of what I do and part…

The Boundary Pusher: Shigeto

Zachary “Shigeto” Saginaw grew up in Ann Arbor. The 32-year-old is soft-spoken and polite. He’s also a monster musician; you have to see him perform if you’ve not. Put simply, he makes instrumental music using acoustic and electronic instruments, taking influences from jazz, hip-hop and, other genres. His first instrument was the drums, and now…

Troy’s Sammi is a family effort

A watchful reader alerted me to Sammi, a small Korean family effort in a strip mall in Troy, with a long menu and mostly Korean customers. (Readers, keep writing to me; if you’re not related to the owners, I want your recommendations.) Speaking of recommendations: How is anybody supposed to use Yelp? Every time I…

The Visionary: Adrienne Maree Brown

“My life is totally overwhelmed with great things right now, things I’ve worked hard to produce,” says Adrienne Maree Brown, shortly after leading a workshop at the Black Futures Fest in New Orleans. The 36-year-old artist and activist has lived in Detroit for six years, but before that, she lived in the Bay Area for…

The Industrialist: Zak Pashak

Detroit Bikes’ factory is located in a stretch of town that is neither hip nor trendy. It’s an industrial area, with no fancy signs and no fanfare — you can tell people actually make things here. And they do indeed. As Zak Pashak guides us through his factory, we pass workers at every step of…


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