Jul 23-29, 2014

Jul 23-29, 2014 / Vol. 34 / No. 41

Poll shows Ficano way behind in county executive race

If a poll released last week offers any indication of how the Aug. 5 primary election will pan out, current Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano has reason to worry.  According to a poll obtained by Fox 2, Ficano, who’s seeking a third term, finished in fourth place — behind former Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans,…

Cannabis Cup and ballot counts

Well, we can chalk up another medical Cannabis Cup for the state of Michigan. Truth is, I was too busy to make it to Clio, although the Wyclef Jean show to cap it off would have been worth the trip on its own. At least I got to enjoy Lee DeVito’s posts from the affair.…

Advice on disclosing about that open relationship

Q: I am wondering when the best time is to mention being in an open relationship to new girls. I’m a 27-year-old straight guy who’s been in an open relationship for six years. I often seek out extracurricular activities, but I am unsure of how to bring up my situation without doors closing. I wrote to…

Horoscopes (July 30 — August 5)

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 20): The people in charge keep messing with your head, and you can’t figure out what you did to deserve this. Those of you who understand the Laws of Karma may be having an easier time being accountable for all of this but, nevertheless, enough is enough. Hard aspects from Jupiter and…

Rovers Scooter Club Celebrates 10 Years

Rovers Scooter Club, a local gang dedicated to celebrating and riding motor scooters, will be celebrating its 10 year anniversary this week with a very special ride. Motor City Shakedown, the annual birthday party for the club, will commence this Friday, August 1 at New Way Bar. DJ Grover from Cincinnati will be spinning northern soul, reggae,…

Detroit residents sue incinerator owner over ‘noxious odors and contaminants’

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the owner of Detroit’s municipal solid waste incinerator Monday, accusing the company of nuisance and gross negligence violations According to the complaint filed by Detroit-based Liddle & Dubin P.C., “On occasions too numerous to list, Plaintiffs’ property including Plaintiffs’ neighborhood, residences and yards were physically invaded by noxious…

‘Robocop’ released 27 years ago this week

27 years ago in Metro Times: The first Robocop had just been released, and the staff at MT was in quite a tizzy. A movie set, even if not filmed, in Detroit still managed to show a lot of the city’s harsh realities — white flight, a city still corrupted by crime in the future, and…

Winners announced for the ‘High Times’ Medical Cannabis Cup

Photo courtesy High Times. The High Times Medical Cannabis Cup is more than just a celebration — although with the recent shift in attitudes toward marijuana legalization, there certainly is much to celebrate.  HT’s Danny Danko described it as “just like any other harvest festival or a county fair where people bring their best produce, their…

Reports from the ‘High Times’ Medical Marijuana Cup in Clio

On Saturday we set out to check out the High Times Medical Marijuana Cup in Clio, Mich. — High Times did hold a Cannabis Cup in the Motor City back in 2011, but Detroit police flexing their muscles and making arrests at that event may have been to blame, at least partially, for the choice…

ICYMI: Forbes rates Detroit #9 on its “America’s Most Creative Cities” list

Yes, it’s true. Forbes says Detroit is one of America’s most creative cities: “We ranked these places based on four metrics: activity per capita on project-funding platforms Kickstarter and Indiegogo and music sites Bandcamp and ReverbNation. The goal was to capture organic creativity, since many artistic and musical types have “day jobs” outside of creative pursuits.” The Forbes list…

Food trucks go to the dogs

Today, starting at 10am, Milo’s Kitchen Treat Truck will be swinging by the  Cherry Hill Village at Preservation Park on  N. Roosevelt St. in Canton. They’ll be serving the pups (“gour-mutts,” as Milo’s calls them) treats and the dog parents the opportunity of “family portraits.” Milo’s is on a cross-country food truck trip, promoting their “grilled burger bites”…

First Little League game at Navin Field today

Today Navin Field (the Old Tiger Stadium) hosts its first Little League game on a new field made just to host the youngsters! Here’s a photo of the game happening right now, courtesy Tom Derry and Metro Times’ copy editor extraordinaire, Dave Mesrey: Stop by the site (corner of Michigan and Trumbull) today to watch history…

Twerk du Soleil shakes up Detroit

Former American Idol contestant Vonzell Solomon weighs in on twerking, natural hair & CEO status. In 2005, recording artist Vonzell “Baby V” Solomon embarked on a journey that changed her life. At the age of 20, Vonzell made it to the top three on American Idol before she was eliminated. But that was not the beginning…

Poll shows Bob Ficano behind in Wayne County Executive race

Bob Ficano, Wayne County Executive (courtesy of Wayne County) If a poll released this week is any indication of how the August 5 primary election will turn out, current Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano has reason to worry, Fox 2 reports. Ficano, who’s seeking a third term, polled in fourth place — behind former Detroit…

A Mad Decent Mixtape

Mad Decent Block Party will roll through town on Saturday, August 16, bringing to town artists like Dillon Francis, Diplo, Flosstradamus, RiFF RAFF, Keys N Krates, and Zeds Dead. Thugli, a Canadian duo, will perform on the Toronto leg of the tour and they put together a 45 minute mix that features songs by some…

Tangent Gallery to host Breaking Borders

Detroit’s Tangent Gallery will host a special event this Saturday, July 26 in hopes of raising money for the local faction of an international nonprofit, Burners without Borders Detroit. Breaking Borders is a one-evening-only event that will feature live music, performance, and art. Satori Circus will perform along with spoken word artist ZakAndWhatArmy. Music by…

Dinner Club Does Brunch

Sure, The Dinner Club, a regularly occurring pop-up that takes places at the Storefront Gallery  in Ferndale (and other locations, occasionally), usually happens around dinner time, but this Sunday, July 27, there will be a special edition: Brunch Chef Matthew Baldridge, who’s resume includes stints at such Detroit greats as Cliff Bell’s, The Rattlesnake Club, and…

Jurassic 5 holds onto what’s golden

  By Ashley Zlatopolsky It’s been a little over twenty years since iconic ‘90s alternative hip-hop group Jurassic 5 first formed in Los Angeles’ Good Life club. Widely regarded as a pivotal influence in the decade’s underground hip-hop movement by critics and fans alike, the six-piece crew consisting of two DJs (Cut Chemist and DJ…

Detroit Riverwalk west extension opens from Riverfront Towers to Rosa Parks

Photo: (Healthy Detroit Facebook page) Dogs of Detroit have new territory to trot: Yesterday, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy held a soft opening for a 20-acre westward extension of the Riverwalk. Part of a planned two-mile track of the West Riverwalk, the new span runs from the Riverfront Towers to Rosa Parks Boulevard, says Mark Pasco, director of communications…

DJ Josh Cheon shares his favorite darkwave tracks

San Francisco’s Josh Cheon runs the darkwave revival label Dark Entries and is a member of the Honey Soundsystem DJ collective. This Saturday, July 26, Macho City switch out of disco mode and get a little gothic, bringing the Dark Entries 5th Anniversary Tour to town. Synth bands Bézier, Max + Mara, and Redredred will play, and Cheon will spin select cuts…

Metro Times seeking stories of college sexual assault

The Metro Times is looking to hear your experiences will sexual assault on a Michigan college campus — from anything to how many sexual assault prevention programs, rape kits or crisis centers you may have had access to, to how the administration or local law enforcement handled your experience. If you, or anyone you know…

2014 ballot proposals

SMART Millage The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) has managed to garner voter approval for taxes to support the tri-county bus system’s operations, but officials say an upcoming vote is of the utmost importance. Without it, they say, the bus system could be forced into a struggle for survival. The authority’s operating budget…

Warren Evans

Evans, 65, is no stranger to the executive position. Having served as assistant county executive in Wayne County, Evans has also served as Wayne County Sheriff before moving on to the head of Detroit’s police department. Metro Times: Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? Warren Evans: I’m disgusted by what’s happened…

Russell Leviska

Leviska has called a number of western Wayne County communities home, including Garden City, Detroit, Livonia, Wayne and Westland. During his time in Wayne County government, Leviska has worked in the treasurer’s office, as a health inspector, and as clerk. Metro Times: Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? Russell Leviska: I…

Phil Cavanagh

Cavanagh, 52, currently serves as a representative in Michigan’s legislature. Son of former Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh, He’s graduated with multiple degrees from University of Detroit Mercy and Aquinas College, and volunteers with groups such as Focus:Hope and Motor City Makeover. Metro Times: Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? Phil Cavanagh:…

Kevin McNamara

McNamara, son of former Wayne County Executive Ed Mcnamara, he lives in Belleville with his wife, Aida, and son, Cullan. McNamara, 57, currently serves as a Wayne County Commissioner and on the board of the Wayne County Airport Authority.  Metro Times: Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? Kevin McNamara: I have…

John Dalton

A graduate of Salem High School, Dalton has been an active body in local politics. He points to his appointment by Livonia Mayor Jack Kirksey to the city’s human resources commission, and his position as a party delegate. Metro Times: Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? John Dalton:I am running because…

Fred Bolden

Bolden, 59, lives in southwest Detroit. A computer consultant at Hewlett Packard in Pontiac, he’s earned his masters in public administration from Western Michigan University, as well as masters in computers information science from the University of Detroit. Metro Times:Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? Fred Bolden: Character counts I am…

Cindy Darrah

Darrah, a lifelong Detroiter, has wore many hats: swim instructor, cab driver, Wayne State teaching assistant, and more. She’s a frequent speaker during Detroit City Council meetings and most recently ran for Detroit City Clerk in the Nov. 2013 election. Metro Times: Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? Cindy Darrah: My parents,…

Christopher Wojtowicz

Wojtowicz, 60, lives in Hamtramck and is the former owner of Central Collission Inc. He previously attended Mercy College and Wayne State, and works as a claims investigator for Wayne County’s Management & Budget Risk Management department. Metro Times: Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? Christopher Wojtowicz: I decided to seek…

Bob Ficano

This rag has poked fun at incumbent Wayne County Executive Robert “Bob” Ficano over the years, perhaps rightly so. Since taking office in 2003, Ficano has drawn the scorn of the public on a number of occasions: near six-figure pensions for some employees who retire in their 40s, only to come work for the county…

Bettie Cook Scott

A lifelong Detroit, Scott graduated from Wayne State University and previously served as a state representative. ducation BA Wayne State , retire DPD and former State Rep. Metro Times: Why are you interested in running for Wayne County Executive? Bettie cook Scott: The county is in trouble because the people have lost faith in the…

Bill Wild

Now in his seventh year as the mayor of Westland, Wild, 46, owns the Wayne-based auto recycling business, Scrapbusters. He’s a graduate of Westland Public Schools, studied business at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He’s lived in Westland most of his life with his wife, Sherri, a 6th grade science teacher and member of the Michigan…

Wayne County executive election guide

It’s every political wonk’s favorite time of the year: Election season! Though it’s an off-year, Wayne County voters have an important choice to make in picking their next executive. There’s 3 candidates in the race along with 11 Democrats. Although the election is partisan, the position typically falls to a Dem, though we’ll still profile…

Eastworks Detroit

Joe Mazzola is the manbehind Eastworks Detroit. The local musician collects old fans and bits of metal piping, spigot handles, gauges, and other small oddities, crafting them into usable and unique lamps and other types of home décor. He combs estate sales, eBay, Craigslist, and similar places, looking for beat-up and worn-out fans, lamps, and…

El Dorado General Store

El Dorado General Store | 1700 Michigan Ave., Detroit; facebook.com/eldoradogeneralstore
 Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m.; Sunday, noon-6 p.m. Erin Gavle lived the corporate life. She went to school, got a degree, and began her life as a young professional in advertising. She moved to New York and then to L.A. She made good money. And then…

Meet Ebony Rutherford, co-owner of Trish’s Garage

ish Ebony Rutherford is the owner of Trish’s Garage, a social and community-based fashion store that offers image workshops, as well as clothing and accessories. She loves to mix and match the old with the new to complete a look. She calls it a #styletuneup. Ebony loves chatting up new friends and connecting with people both…

Detroiters make good neighbors

Detroiters, we are rising. It’s not because of the eighth annual Neighborhoods Day on Saturday, Aug. 2, organized by ARISE Detroit. But Neighborhoods Day — with more than 200 block clubs, neighborhood associations, churches, and faith-based organizations, and small businesses participating in festivals, educational events, cleanup projects, garden planting, and volunteer initiatives across the city…

Racism on display in bizarre march in Vassar, Mich.

The ugly side of patriotism was on display last week in Vassar, a shabby little town in Michigan’s thumb. Fifty or so heroes bizarrely carried flags, automatic rifles and handguns on a short march in sugar beet country. They had hard faces. They had a woman with wispy blond hair as their leader, and a…

Reports from Phish, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pig & Whiskey, and more

Something’s Phish-Y The legendary hippie bandPhish performed a nearly sold-out show at DTE Energy Music Theatre this past Wednesday. Phish has been around for more than 30 years and just released another new album entitled Fuego. This band has one of the most dedicated following of fans, known as Phans, and it is they who…

Restaurant review: Tony V’s Tavern

Tony V’s Tavern 5756 Cass Ave., Detroit. 313-833-5595. Pizzas: $9-$14. Salads, sandwiches: $7.25-$10.50. Open Monday-Wednesday: 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; Thursday-Friday: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday: noon-2 a.m. Closed Sunday in the summer, open noon-midnight in the fall. Big shoes to fill? Alvin’s Finer Delicatessen and Twilight Bar was an institution in the 1970s, a hangout for artists…

Kuhnhenn Brewing Co.

Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. 5919 Chicago Rd., Warren. 586-979-8361, kbrewery.com. Open Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-midnight; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Call for hours Sunday. The part of Warren where Kuhnhenn is located is about as different as you can get from the rest of the city’s broad-brush zoning and seven-lane roads. We later learn that it’s  actually a…

Meet Maci Delaghetto

When talking about the city of Detroit and its vibrant music scenes with a local musician, the responses are generally overwhelmingly positive. The metro area is, quite correctly, often referred to as a jewel, a cultural wonderland, a musical mecca — that sort of thing. Maci Delaghetto comes at things from a different angle. “There’s…

Green Dot Stables owner plans to open Johnny’s Noodle King

It was September of 2010 when some guy named Jacques Driscoll and his wife Christina emailed Metro Times wondering if they were crazy for considering leaving San Diego for their mutual hometown of Detroit. We put a reader poll on our blog and a resounding 88.5 percent of respondents said Detroit would be the right…

George N’Namdi talks ‘psychological gentrification’

George N’Namdi has called Detroit home for his entire adult life. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, N’Namdi and his wife moved to Detroit in 1976 after attending the University of Michigan with aims to start the Nataki Talibah Schoolhouse. Shortly after establishing the school, N’Namdi got into the art game and opened the G.R. N’Namdi Gallery,…

313 years of drinking in Detroit

Even before Detroit was settled, the French explorers plying the waters of the Great Lakes looked longingly on its grapes. Just “passing through” with the explorer La Salle in 1679, Franciscan priest Louis Hennepin wrote of what he saw: “The banks of the strait are vast meadows, and the prospect is terminated with some hills…

Elise McDonough’s classic pot brownies recipe

Elise McDonough pens High Times’ Psychedelicatessen, a weekly column that offers recipes for cooking with cannabis. She’ll be featured at the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup Sunday with a panel on medical edibles, discussing industry issues, recipes, safety tips, and more, and is prepping for the autumn release of Marijuana for Everybody, a sort of…

Motor City Sports Bar

How do you know a serious burger joint? It’s not in the look, that much is sure. You’re probably better off going behind the building and standing in the alley, sniffing at the aroma coming out of the grill vent. By this standard, Motor City Sports Bar excels, filling the nose with a promise of…

Notes on Detroit Public Schools

In reply to a guest opinion piece by Dr. Thomas C. Pedroni (“Starving our schools,” July 15), “Ed” posted: Excellent, excellent, excellent. Thank you Dr. Pedroni for this information.
 And “Bob Beans” posted: There is one problem that is being overlooked, and that is the controlled failure of DPS. By now, I would think that…

Staff picks: Lydia Loveless, Boot Liquor Radio and more

Somewhere Else— Lydia Loveless (2014) The album’s first track finds Loveless doing blow at a party and calling up ex-boyfriends — a pretty good indicator of the sonic trip to come. Polished alt-country on the surface, Somewhere Else references Chris Isaak, Verlaine and Rimbaud, and even a little bit of punk, all while brimming with…

Record review: The Ugly Beats — Brand New Day

The Ugly Beats Brand New Day Get Hip Bringing garage rock to Detroit is a little like transporting steel to Pittsburgh, potatoes to Idaho, or cuckoo clocks to Switzerland. We know how to do this stuff here. And yet Austin’s the Ugly Beats offer a 1960s swing-style approach that is, oddly enough, refreshingly different. There’s…

Cass Corridor’s corner café

Melt 4160 Cass Ave. Detroit  You may have noticed quite a bit of content in this issue devoted to beer and cannabis. What goes with both of those recreational (medicinal?) pleasures? Bold, aromatic coffee. Just up Cass from the Old Miami is a sweet little corner café, Melt. Unpretentious, light, and airy, with high ceilings…

Rightfully Raw’s Key Lime Pie

Rightfully Raw rightfullyraw.com Salsas, dips, desserts and snacks There’s something about a sweet key lime pie on a hot summer day that is at once soothing and energizing: the deliciousness of the cool sugar melting on the tongue coupled with the zesty spark of lime dancing with it. It’s absolutely delightful. And for those with…

The High Times Cannabis Cup returns to Michigan

After a few years’ absence since the High Times first brought their Medical Cannabis Cup to Detroit back in 2011, the event is back, this time at Clio’s Auto City Speedway. The two-day event combines a pot expo, seminars, a musical performance by Wyclef Jean, and of course the prestigious pot awards issued by High…

Cyber infidelity or harmless online flirtations?

Q: I am a gay man and have been in a relationship with my GGG boyfriend for more than three years. We are in our early 20s and have a good sex life. I just discovered that he has been engaging in what can only be described as cyber infidelity. He had a secret email…

More than 1,000 people protest Detroit’s water shutoffs

Netroots Nation Whether or not you attended the ninth annual Netroots Nation convention at Cobo Hall last weekend, you may have heard about downtown’s large demonstration against Detroit’s water shutoffs. More than 1,000 people took to the streets to protest against the city’s ongoing shutoff initiative, while a number of civil rights organizations formally called…

Red Wings owner estimates new arena lifespan to be 48 years

On Sunday, the front-page, above-the-fold headline of the Detroit Free Press must’ve jumped out at readers: “Hockey, Housing and a Whole Lot More.” Olympia Entertainment of Michigan, an arm of Detroit Red Wings owner Ilitch Holdings Inc., had made a grand announcement: It had a vision for the city’s downtown entertainment district. There were renderings…

Michigan craft beer by numbers

Something wonderful has happened with Michigan beer. A gradual loosening of brewing laws has caused the craft beer industry to take off throughout the state. In just a few decades, we’ve seen more than 80 brewpubs and microbreweries sprout up, with more opening all the time. And, instead of competing against one another, Michigan’s craft…

Quindell Mitchell’s path to artistic salvation

On a Sunday earlier this summer, we enlisted the help of graffiti writer and artist Jesse Stark to paint the cover image for the photo shoot for our “American Graffiti” issue near Lincoln Street Art Park. It was an all-day effort that took a small crew, and we were off to a rough start thanks…

Get ready for National Tequila Day!

The rising popularity of tequila is reason enough to celebrate. Thursday, July 24th marks National Tequila Day, and forget everything you know about the beverage. Those nasty old “tequilas” of yesterday were find for doing body shots, but tequila has become something of a luxury spirit while few were paying attention. Have you tried all the varieties of…

Horoscopes (July 23 — 29)

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 20): Things change so fast, every time you turn around something else pops up to keep you spinning. The dizzying effects of too much random interference has many of you wondering why life doesn’t want to settle down. Others have been off the charts with their issues and demands. It’s gotten to…

A look at Detroit’s Garden Court Apartments

Carved into the mantel  of Garden Court Apartment’s lobby fireplace are the intertwined initials “GC.” They’re original to the building, which was built in 1915. The fireplace is ornate, as is the detailed ceiling from which hangs a beautiful chandelier. The circular room has been updated; so has the vestibule. Most of the living quarters…

Founder’s Brewing Co. All Day IPA Session Ale

Founder’s Grand Rapids All Day IPA Session Ale 4.7 ABV | 42 IBU Founder’s All Day IPA is available all year-round, but one could argue that this session beer is in its prime during the warmer months. It’s just 4.7% ABV, making it easy drinking whether you’re mowing the lawn or taking a shower. It’s…

Science meets art in Kelsey Brookes’ psychedelic paintings

By his early 20s, Kelsey Brookes was already on track for a career in science. Originally hailing from the suburbs of Denver, Brookes studied microbiology in college and landed a fellowship at the Center for Disease Control, tasked with the glamorous job of testing dead birds for the West Nile virus. But by the time…

Thrillist Names Detroit’s Motz’s Burgers Among Best in Nation

Photo via Joseph Maino, Instagram The folks at Thrillist have again compiled their annual list of the nation’s best burger joints, and Southeast Michigan, it seems, is well represented. Ranking alongside burgers in major cities such as Los Angeles and New York, is Detroit’s own Motz’s Burgers, hailed particularly for its double cheeseburger slider. Via…


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