No Council Meeting Monday, December 28, 2009

The next meeting will be held on January 11, 2010, 7:00 p.m., in Council Chambers. 15115 E. Jefferson on the third floor.

City Council Meeting, Monday, December 14 2009

The next City Council meeting for Grosse Pointe Park is Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the Council chambers. The agenda is as follows:

Amending the use of CDBG funds

Board of Review Re-appointment - Robert Buhl

Finance Report

Holiday Line Up

Here are some things happening in the community to help you kick off the holiday season - All events are complimentary:

Tonight - Grosse Pointe Woods Tree Aglow. 7:00 p.m. GP Woods City Hall, Mack Ave.

Friday, November 27 - Grosse Pointe Santa Parade, 10 am, Kercheval from Lewiston to Cadieux. For more information visit the Village Association website.

Monday, November 30 - Skate Swap, 4 - 6 p.m. at the Lindell Lodge at Patterson Park, Grosse Pointe Park.

Wednesday, December 2- Holiday Tree Lighting and Gift Market - 4 - 8 p.m. Tree lighting is at 6:30 p.m. followed by carols and a free holiday movie at the Okulski theater. See Grosse Pointe Park website for more details.

Thursday, December 10 - Figure Skating Extravaganza at the ice rink, Patterson Park. 7:00 p.m. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served in the Lindell Lodge. Must have a valid Park pass for entry. For more information, visit the Grosse Pointe Park website.

Disney's "A Christmas Carol" at Okulski Theater

From November 20 to December 3rd, come and enjoy Jim Carrey in Disney's new movie "A Christmas Carol."

Ticket Prices
Matinees (before 5:00 PM)
$4.00 for all

All Other Shows
Adults: $6.00
12 and Under and
60 and over: $5.00

“Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3D motion picture event. Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late.
Running Time: 1 Hours 36 Minutes

MPAA Rating: PG - scary sequences and scary images

City Council Meeting Cancelled for 11/23/09

I was informed Friday evening that Monday's Council meeting was cancelled. The next meeting will be December 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council chambers, 15115 E. Jefferson, 3rd floor.

Michael Jackson in Grosse Pointe Park

Michael Jackson's This is it movie, rated "G," is now showing at the Okulski Theater until Thursday, November 19. Show times are as follows:

Saturday, November 14 3:00 & 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 15 3:00 & 7:00 pm
Tuesday, November 17, 7:00 pm
Thursday, November 19 7:00 pm

You must have a valid park pass to enter. For more information, call 313-822-2812, ext. 1 or visit the city's website at www.grossepointepark.org.

Mulier's Wine Tasting Tonight - 11/12/09

Mulier's Market is hosting a wine tasting event tonight at the Tompkins Center at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $10 per person and wine will be available for purchase at a discounted price.

City Council Meeting Summary - 11/09/09

Here is a quick summary of last night's city council meeting (NOTE- these are not official minutes of the meeting):

Mayor Heenan and Council members Laurie Arora, Jim Robson and Dan Grano took oath of office for their term of office. Mayor's term is 2-year and Council term is 4-year.

Council voted to re-appoint members of the Parks and Recreation Commission for a 2-year term. I asked how one applies to serve on this commission. If you are interested, send me a note or see the City Manager at GPP municipal offices so your appointment can be considered.

Council also voted to approve the Board of Canvassers for a 4-year term.

Greg Theokis was elected Mayor Pro Tem by Council.

Council formed a new committee to look into updating our city website. Dan Grano, Laurie Arora and Jim Robson will form that committee.

Council voted on a neighbor dispute.

Approval of new DPW vehicle went to lowest bidder.

Approval of invoices over $5,000.

Rodent committee chair, Jim Robson, gave an update and said the committee would be meeting soon.

Meeting adjourned into closed door session for real estate acquisition.

City Council Meeting Tonight - 11/9/09

The agenda for tonight's City Council meeting is as follows:

Swearing in of Mayor Heenan and newly elected Council members Laurie Arora, Dan Grano, and Jim Robson

Committee Re-appointments for Recreation committee and Board of Canvassers

Public Works vehicle acquisition

Whittier chimney

Finance Report

Beautification Awards Tonight

Grosse Pointe Park will present Beautification Awards tonight at the Tompkins Center. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you there.

Summary of City Council Meeting - 10/26/09

I'm going to refer readers to the "Grossepointetoday.com" write up of the Council meeting. Isaac Elster does a nice job with his summaries.

Trick or Treat in the Park

From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ghosts and goblins will gather at Windmill Pointe Park to collect treats on Saturday, October 24. Resident volunteers will attend stations and distribute candy to the tiny trick or treaters. Hope to see you there! Look for the cowgirl!

City Council Meeting Summary - 9/28/09

Despite the confusion about whether the Sept. 28 meeting was on or cancelled due to it being listed one the city's website as "cancelled," many residents turned out for the meeting to express concern over various matters. Unfortunately, some of the reporters who usually cover the meetings thought it was cancelled based on the city's website and didn't attend. However, a reporter from "Grosse Pointe Today," an online news organization was there. He summarized the meeting on the website which can be found at GrossePointeToday.com.

My only additions to his write-up are as follows:

A resident from Nottingham asked to have an accounting of where the $7-million bond money, approved by residents in 2007, has been spent. Apparently he asked for an accounting of the real estate transactions under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). He is now interested in knowing about the rest of the bond expenditure.

City Council Meeting Tonight is ON

The Grosse Pointe Park website indicated that tonight's meeting was canceled. Since then, I've heard that it is not. Maybe someone should correct the notice. Sorry for the confusion. I'm only reporting what it says next to the meeting.

September 28 Council Meeting Canceled, St. Ambrose Oysterfest

The City of Grosse Pointe Park updated its website this morning and listed tonight's City Council meeting as canceled. At the last meeting on August 24, one Council member asked if a DTE representative could be invited to the next Council meeting to discuss the number of power outages in Grosse Pointe Park. However, the last two meetings have been canceled, so we have not heard anything further on this issue.

If you're looking for something else to do tonight, stop by the St. Ambrose Oysterfest from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. on Kercheval in the parking lot next to Mulier's market.

A Community Conversation, Monday, September 21

On Monday, September 21, from 6:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m.,at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. Rep. Tim Bledsoe and U of M Board Regent Andrew Richner will host a bi-partisan “Community Conversation” with the Center for Michigan. I am a guest facilitator for the event along with Grosse Pointe Councilwoman Vicki Granger and Circuit Court Judge, Lynne Pierce.

A few months ago I participated in one of the Center for Michigan’s conversations and found it enlightening. It is a chance for Michigan residents to voice their opinions regarding how our state should handle its challenges and create a vision for our future. Conversations are held around the state. The views shared at the forums will be compiled and presented to state leaders to provide them direction in their policy decision making. By participating, you can help influence Michigan’s future.

I hope you’ll join us on Monday evening at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. There is no charge to attend but reservations are strongly suggested.  To RSVP, email kjohnson@thecenterformichigan.net , or phone 248-333-2759.

Council Meeting Cancelled for September 14

The regularly scheduled City Council meeting for September 14 has been cancelled. And I was looking forward to hearing from the DTE representative that was supposed to attend this meeting.

The next meeting will be Monday, September 28, 7:00 pm in the court chambers of city hall.

Sore Muscles? Get Relief in Grosse Pointe Park

A new business at 15214 Charlevoix will help with the healing of overworked muscles. "Tamara's Touch" offers massage therapy, laser acupuncture, facials and even tanning. Hours are by appointment only. Call owner,Tamara Francis, CMT, at 313-475-1219. You can visit her website at www.tamarafrancis.iwantamassage.com

A Chance at the Nationals

Park resident and Full Circle resale shop employee, Laura Casey, is one of the first-place finishers in the Special Olympics swimming competition. Laura's name will be put into a lottery for a chance to compete in the national Special Olympics next summer in Nebraska.

Good luck, Laura! We hope they choose your name.

August 24 City Council Meeting Highlights

Lev Wood from the Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) announced a program that CRWC will be hosting next week. On Tuesday, September 1, "The Little Things you can do to Protect Water Quality" will be presented from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ewald Branch Library, 15175 E. Jefferson. Learn how everyday actions influence the health of our local waterways. Registration is required. Call 248-601-0606 or email contact@crwc.org to register.

The Council voted to award Clearwater Pools and Services the contract to re-line the Windmill Pointe Park pool. The cost of the project will be $93,595. This company was the lowest bidder and provided a 3-year warranty on their work while the other two bidders were offering a 1-year warranty and would provide less prep work. The project will begin in spring. The Parks and Recreation Director wanted the Council to move quickly on this so the pool would be ready for next year's swim season as the Park is slated to host the annual swimming tournament between all of the Grosse Pointes.

Dan Clark will be the Council's representative at the Michigan Municipal League's meeting in September. Greg Theokas will be the alternate. The Michigan Municipal League is a non-profit foundation dedicated to support local government leadership and development.

Comments from the audience:

A resident asked the City Manager if he had further information about possibly getting a cell phone tower placed in Grosse Pointe Park due to the lack of cell phone service in areas along the waterfront. Mr. Krajniak explained that he had spoken with AT&T. The company is going to determine if the area not covered by existing towers justifies the cost of adding an additional tower. The cost of a tower is approximately $250,000.

Councilman Robson requested that the City Manager invite a representative from DTE to address the Council at the next meeting regarding power outages in Grosse Pointe Park.

Council adjourned to closed door session to discuss pending litigation.

City Council Meeting - August 24

The Grosse Pointe Park City Council will meet at 7:00 p.m. in the municipal court chambers (top floor) at city hall - 15115 E. Jefferson. The agenda is as follows:

WINDMILL POINTE PARK POOL BIDS
Mayor and City Council Members will be asked to consider bids received for re-lining the Olympic pool at Windmill Pointe Park.

CLINTON RIVER WATERSHED
Mr. Lev Wood will give a brief presentation.

MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE ANNUAL MEETING
Mayor and City Council Members will select a representative and an alternate representative for the Annual Meeting to be held September 22 – 25, 2009 in Kalamazoo.

FINANCE REPORT
Mayor and City Council Members will be asked to accept and approve the Finance Report and list of invoices for $5,000 and over.

A Long-Time Park Treasure - Mulier's Market

How lucky we are to have a family-owned grocery store right here in Grosse Pointe Park.

In 1922, Valere Mulier, a Belgian immigrant, opened his first market at the corner of Mack and St. Clair. Mr. Mulier built the current location at 15215 Kercheval in 1939. His son, Eugene Mulier, who began working in the store in the 1940's, is the current owner and president. Eugene's sons, Michael and Paul, began working in the store after college and run the day-to-day operations.

Mulier's Market has a variety of specialities. At the meat counter you will find ground sirloin, baby back ribs, roasted herb chicken, and lamb kabobs to name a few. The pesto, made "in house," is a personal favorite of mine. The guacamole and potato salad are also delicious and worth a try.

Along with fresh produce, Mulier's also carries Avalon baked goods, made in Detroit.

Store hours are Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You can reach the store at 313-822-7786.

Corn Roast and Beer Tasting at Farmer's Market

The West Park Farmer's Market will feature a corn roast and beer tasting on Saturday, August 15. Extended hours are 10 a.m. To 3 p.m. Come on down and grab an ear of corn and a cold one.

Park-It, A Free Family Fun Night at Patterson Park

Patterson Park will be the location of a Family Fun Night on August 6. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., there will be musical entertainment by Cliff Erickson, a guest appearance by "Spongebob." Later in the evening, the movie "Happy Feet" will be shown. Food and drink will be available for a nominal fee. Giveaways will be provided by event sponsors.

Harry Potter at the Okulski Theater

From July 31 to August 13, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will be at Grosse Pointe Park's Okulski Theater. Summer hours are still in effect.

Showtimes are as follows:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday - 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday - 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Ticket prices are $4.00 for matinee shows. Evening shows are $6.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under 12 and adults over 60.

Park Artist is Pointer of Interest

This week's "Pointer of Interest" in the "Grosse Pointe News" is the Park's own sculptor, Janice Trimpe. Ms. Trimpe sculpts life-size bronze statues and has a gallery at 15229 Kercheval in Grosse Pointe Park. In her gallery you will find a collection of her work as well as husband Roger Wayne's art. Ms. Trimpe also teaches art classes from her studio in the back. Visit her website at www.trimpesculpture.com.

If you are heading to the West Park Farmer's Market today - hours are 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. - stop in front Ms. Trimpe's gallery where you will most likely find her sculpting a bust or a pet of someone you know.

Larger Recycling Bins Headed to Grosse Pointe Park

Grosse Pointe Park will soon offer residents the opportunity to purchase larger recycling bins on wheels. The city must buy the bins from the distributor in lots of 200. A group of residents is collecting names so the city will have 200 buyers for the first purchase. If you would like to add your name to this list, respond to this post, or email Laurie@AroraForGPP, or call me at 313-204-5452 and leave your name and phone number. You can also call city hall at 313-822-6200. City Manager Dale Krajniak estimates the new bins will cost around $65 each.

The city can now offer these larger recycling containers because it changed recycling contractors from Tringali to Rizzo. Rizzo is willing to utilize both the larger bins and the smaller ones.

Grosse Pointe Park City Council Meeting Tonight, 7:00 p.m.

The Grosse Pointe Park City Council meets tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the court chambers, upper level of city hall. To see the agenda, go to the Grosse Pointe Park website and click on "City Council," then click on "Agenda and Minutes" up at the top of the page in small text.

Annual Village Sidewalk Sale and Street Festival this Weekend

The Village of Grosse Pointe is hosting its annual sidewalk sale on Friday, July 24 from 12 p.m. - 9 p.m. and Saturday, July 25 from 9:30 am to 5:30 p.m. Events will be held in downtown Grosse Pointe on Kercheval between Cadieux and Neff.

Some of the planned activities include a concert featuring the Balduck Mountain Ramblers on Friday evening. Services for Older Citizens will host a "Dancing in the Streets" party at the corner of Kercheval and St. Clair on Friday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information and a complete list of activities, visit the Village website.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at Okulski Theater

From July 18 to July 23, the "Transformers" movie will be at the Okulski Theater in the park.

Show times and ticket prices can be found at the Grosse Pointe Park website or in an earlier post on this blog or call 313-822-2812, ext. 1. A description of the movie is on the Grosse Pointe Park website.

Please note that you must be a Park resident to attend. One guest is allowed per resident.

Sandlot Baseball in Grosse Pointe Park

Sandlot baseball games are Grosse Pointe Park Little League's supervised youth pick-up games. Any 6 or 7-year old that played in GPPLL this year is invited to keep playing baseball this summer.

Every Monday night at 6:00 PM (starting July 13) on Defer's A Ball Diamond come on out, bring a friend, bring a teammate, bring mom and dad and keep the fun going all summer long. Same format as A Ball with coach pitch. The kids that show up each Monday will be divided into evenly matched teams and play "until the street lights go on!" Players can work on their hitting and fielding and best of all it's FREE!

No reservations required! Play once or play every Monday - whatever your family's schedule will allow. If you have any questions you can contact Dean Valente, Second Season Commissioner, through www.gppll.com.

See you at the ballpark!

At the Movies - Okulski Theater

The movie "Up" is showing at the Okulski theater until July 16.

Show times are as follows:

Monday & Wednesday - 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday & Thursday - 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Friday - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday - 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Ticket Prices for matinees (before 5:00 p.m.) are $4.00 for everyone.

The 7:00 shows are Adults - $6.00, Children under 12 and Adults over 60 - $5.00.

You must be a Park resident or guest of a Park resident to enter the theater. Valid park passes are required.

For more information on the movie, visit the Grosse Pointe Park website.

Grosse Pointe Park Little League District Tournaments

District tournament play started Monday, July 6 for many of the Grosse Pointe Park Little League (GPPLL) tournament teams. Additionally, GPPLL is hosting games for the 11/12 International, 11/12 District and Junior League tournaments.

Fans are encouraged to come out and support our tournament teams and see some good baseball. Many of the games are played locally. The 11/12 International team plays Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Art Getz Field located at Defer Elementary. Games start at 6:00 pm. The Junior League team plays Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Kerby (Grosse Pointe Farms) and Elworthy (City of Grosse Pointe) fields.

For more schedule and tournament information, visit the Grosse Pointe Park Little League website.

Grosse Pointe Park Little League 2nd Season Registration

Grosse Pointe Park Little League registration for 2nd Season (2S) ends Friday, July 3, 2009 Second Season is open to all Little Leaguers...Majors are 10, 11 & 12 year olds; Minors are 7, 8 & 9 year olds and for 6's we have Monday Night Sandlot pick-up games. See www.gppll.com 2nd Season Registration for the link to online registration and additional details. For questions, contact Dean Valente, GPPLL 2S Commissioner at dinogplaw@yahoo.com.

See you at the ball field!

Farmer's Market & Mini Swim Meet this Weekend

Don't forget to shop the West Park Farmer's Market on Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. Kercheval in the Park. Be sure to check out the Full Circle upscale resale shop and Janice Trimpe's new art gallery. The Blue Bay Fish Co. always offers a good lunch at a reasonable price. And you can eat it al fresco while you people watch.

The Mutants will host Grosse Pointe Farms for a mini swim meet on Saturday at 9:00 am at the Windmill Pointe Park pool.

Park Foundation Fundraiser tonight

The Grosse Pointe Park Foundation is hosting a fundraiser at Windmill Pointe Park. It will start at 6:00 p.m. with cocktails followed by a picnic at 7:00 p.m. At 8:00, the movie "The Proposal" will be shown in the Okulski theater. "The Proposal" was directed by Anne Fletcher who was born in Detroit and has current Grosse Pointe ties.

Cost is $35 per person. Space is limited. Call Kathy at 313-822-4379 for more information.

City Officials Rescind Theater Policy

City officials rescinded the new policy that would allow non-Park residents to use the Okulski theater for a $50 yearly fee. This was in response to strong objections from residents who had not been notified of the change until they read it in the Grosse Pointe News.

The consensus among residents was to try marketing the theater to Grosse Pointe Park residents if you need to boost revenues. There are many no-cost ways of doing this. Residents were creative and generous in sharing their ideas with the theater manager. I hope the city will take me up on my offer to volunteer and assist with the marketing effort.

Tonight's Council Meeting Cancelled - June 8

The City of Grosse Pointe Park cancelled its City Council meeting tonight, which is unfortunate. There is some discontent in the community regarding a recent decision that the city made about non-Park resident use of the Okulski theater. Having a meeting tonight would have given the residents a forum to inquire why this decision has been made. In fact, some think that residents should have had input prior to this change in park policy.

Non-residents will be able to use the theater for a $50 yearly fee.

City Council Meeting Tonight

The Grosse Pointe Park City Council meets in the municipal court chambers at 7:00 p.m., 15115 E. Jefferson.

The Newest Shop on Kercheval

Full Circle is the newest store to open in the Kercheval shopping district of Grosse Pointe Park. Located at 15300 Kercheval (at the corner of Beaconsfield in the home of the old Movie Store), Full Circle, is a subsidiary of the Association of Retarded Citizens (ARC). It an upscale resale shop that is dedicated to enriching the lives of the special needs community. The store provides job opportunities and training so young adults may develop their social, intellectual, and occupational skills in a manner that allows them to serve as productive members of society.

The store takes donations from community members. I've dropped off some articles of clothing and I've purchased a few gowns from Full Circle. One was a stunning silver satin number. All for the low price of $15.

Mary Fodell, the tireless Director, has been the driving force behind the store. Last year, the Full Circle was located in the North Performing Arts Center and open only on Saturdays. Mary's dream was to find a storefront. She combed the area for months when the Movie Store location became available.

Full Circle services will expand to include a cafe in the near future. Hours are Wednesday through Friday 11 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. Closed Sunday through Tuesday.

If you have any donations for Full Circle, they can be dropped off right at the store. Say "hello" to Mary and all of the young adults working there. And while you're there, look through the many racks of clothing and take home a bargain.

Also, mark your calendar for Full Circle's fundraiser on September 27 at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. There will be performances by local talent. Call 313-469-6660 for more information.

The Park Weekend - June 6

Saturday, June 6 promises to be full of activity in our community.

At Windmill Pointe Park beginning at 10 am and going to 4 pm, there will be "Paws in the Park." Bring your leashed pooch and enjoy live music, yoga/doga demonstration, dance demonstrations, a pet parade, and contests including a dog/owner look-alike contest. Entry fee is $25. All proceeds benefit the Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society. There will also be vendors on hand to outfit your dog in the latest accessories. Call 313-884-1551 for more information. See you there!

The West Park Farmer's Market continues throughout the summer every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Last week, in addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, I purchased a few birdhouses, flowers and a great piece of original art work from the new Janice Trimpe art gallery. Of course, I just can't walk past Lloyd David Antiques without picking up something from the sale table. Last week was no exception; cuff links and a beautiful bottle opener for only $10!