ArtPrize 09-Open Water no.24 by deviant_anomaly

ART PRIZE 2009-0032 by RichardD72

AND THE WINNER IS... by rkramer62

DETAIL FROM WINNERS CANVAS by bitsorf

The first-ever ArtPrize in Grand Rapids has ended with Open Water no. 24, a 6' x 19' oil painting by Ran Ortner being chosen as the winner by public vote from 1,262 artists who exhibited at 157 venues across the city. A former pro motorcycle racer, Ortner will receive a quarter of a million dollars for his finish. The Freep reports:

Ortner said he was stunned by his win. “Wow. Exhilarating, captivating, ridiculous. Can’t get my head around it.”

It means a lot to him that those choosing his work were not professional art critics but people who were moved by his work. “There’s been a heart connection here,” he said.

And it has been good for those who voted, Ortner said. “All of a sudden, those who know nothing about art have an opinion that matters,” he said. “It really has a life larger than anything anybody anticipated.”

ArtPrize 2009 Winners

1. Ran Ortner – Open Water no. 24
2. Tracy Van Duinen – Imagine That!
3. Eric Daigh – Portraits
4. David Lubbers – The Grand Dance
5. Bill Secunda – Moose
6. Nessie Project – Nessie on the Grand
7. John Douglas Powers – Field of Reeds
8. Sarah Grant – The Furniture City Sets the Table for the World of Art
9. Jason Hackenwerth – Ecstasy of The Scarlet Empress
10. Michael Westra – winddancer 2

You can get some more links to coverage at Who won ArtPrize? on the ArtPrize blog and stay tuned to absolutemichigan.com/ArtPrize for news about ArtPrize 2010!

Check out this video below for some scenes from the Winners Celebration - the close of this dance number is really impressive!

More videos can be found at ArtPrize 2009 Absolute Michigan.

ART PRIZE 2009 by RichardD72

Michigan has taken the national stage with one eye on the ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids and the other on it's burgeoning and award winning wine industry which gaining credibility amongst wine experts and wine lovers. This is truly a positive and a definite 180 degree flip from most of the national news our state receives as of late.

ArtPrize garners national attention in the New York Times

The New York Times reports on the competition and the overwhelming positive response and impact on Grand Rapids in their article Eyes on the ArtPrize by Micheline Maynard. The article also takes note of several of the exhibits including some of the final top 10 entries. The winner of ArtPrize drew over 1,200 artists and has had about 32,000 people register to vote on the works. The winner will be awarded 250,00 with a minimum of $7,000 for the nine runners-up.

No matter who wins, the 17-day competition has spurred a lively debate in Grand Rapids, a city of about 200,000 with a tradition of interest in art. It is home to several museums and a college of art and design.

“Every conversation I’ve had here for the past two weeks has been about art,” said Dustin Dwyer, a correspondent for Michigan Radio, a public radio network, who is based in Grand Rapids and has reported on the competition since its inception earlier this year. “From that perspective, it’s a success. But are we rewarding good art? That’s up for question.”

Be sure to check out Absolute Michigan on Location - ArtPrize and the Absolute Michigan's ArtPrize 2009 Page.

Michigan wine continues to gain ground as a world class product

The 45th parallel yielding good wine from Michigan, ABC reports.

Other national news regarding Michigan wines and wine trails

Off the beaten wine trail: Explore four emerging regions - USA Today

Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan: The state's 56 wineries are spread across Michigan along four wine trails, but most of the best grapes are grown near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and its bays.

Exotic vacations may be closer than you think: Napa Valley-esque wine tastings - CNN

If it's wine you want, find an alternative to Napa Valley in Michigan's Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. Here you'll discover more than 850 acres of land and more than 20 wineries for your choosing.

The area offers tastings and gourmet meals, and Kantrowitz says, "The region is particularly known for its great pinot blancs."

The new Napa Valley: Taste one of Obama's favorite wines at this Michigan winery - Examiner.com

The rumor is that Michigan is soon to become the new Napa Valley. With climate changes potentially affecting the California coastline, Napa vineyard owners are looking to Northern Michigan to grow their grapes.

Part of the appeal of Northern Michigan is the colder climate on the 45th Parallel where grapes for rare ice wines flourish. For more information on why wines do so well along the 45th parallel, read the Chicago Tribune’s story on this region.

Best North American Wine Destinations - Digital City

8. Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City lends itself to making Baco Noir and Cabernet Franc, thanks to grapes that grow near the shores of Lake Michigan, offering a unique climate. The rest of the state's wines come from Michigan wine country, where you can also find rare fruit and ice wines.

According to Michigan Wines - The Official Website of Michigan's Wine Industry:

Michigan's wine, grapes and grape juice products and related industries ...

... produced nearly $790 million of total economic value to the State of Michigan in 2005

... paid more than $42 million in state and local taxes in Michigan, and an additional $42 million in federal taxes

... account for more than 5,000 jobs across the state, for a payroll of more than $190 million

Check out their collection of photos of Michigan's vineyards and wineries.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Crooked Tree Arts Center by joseph a

Jennifer Guerra of Michigan Radio recently took a trip to northwest Michigan and produced three features on how organizations & individuals are dealing with economic challenges titled Up North in a Down Economy.

In addition to a story on the bright spot of growth that is the region's wine industry, she explored how people and nonprofit organizations are adapting. A Nonprofit Cafe Grows in Ellsworth looks at how folks in Ellsworth have banded together in the face of 16% unemployment to create a nonprofit, volunteer run cafe. In Arts Groups Press On Despite Recession, she documents how regional nonprofits are reacting to plummeting dollars by working together:

"The idea of that partnering has become greater and greater over time because there are limited dollars," says Murphy. "Even in a wonderful place like this where people support the arts, there's a limit to how many dollars there are."

In order to save money, Murphy convinced three other nonprofit arts groups, including the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, to pool there money together and create a website called TREAT. The group shares all the advertising and ticketing costs. People can just log on to one site, they can buy tickets there, and find out about all the arts events that are going on in the region.

If you have the time, I definitely encourage you to check out all three!

The June 10th, 2009 kickoff of the four-day festival will feature the documentary "Surfing 50 States". Actress Yeardley Smith, better known as the voice of Lisa Simpson, will be there, as will Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund and world renowned street artist Ron English. The opening-night party will also include a musical performance by South Florida rock band, Fallbrooke.

The festival itself will run June 11th-14th. Michigan's own Jeff Daniels will be there for the Midwest Premiere of his film, "Answer Man", and Daryl Hannah is scheduled to attend to promote her film, "Fierce Light".

Check out Absolute Michigan keyword Saugatuck for more about the festival and Saugatuck links and visit our Michigan Film Festivals page for many more film experiences!

inducement by powerbooktrance

Yesterday the city of Grand Rapids announced the ArtPrize, a competition open to artists of all kinds from around the world that will award nearly one-half million dollars to prize winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes. The display and voting will run from September 23 - October 10, 2009:

“It’s time to reboot the conversation between artists and the public. ArtPrize will be a celebration of art, design, and innovation that will bring artists and the public together like never before,” said ArtPrize creator Rick DeVos.

The city of Grand Rapids will become art gallery. ArtPrize art works and performances, professional and amateur, will be exhibited at hundreds of venues, all within a three-square mile area in Grand Rapids’ downtown riverfront district. The city has offered up parks and bridges for outdoor venue displays. Scores of businesses will convert lobbies and public space for displays.

They are holding a town hall meeting on Monday (Apr 27) to explain the ArtPrize and you can view the press conference with Rick DeVos announcing the competition from mLive.

In Rob Bliss calls artists of all ages to downtown Grand Rapids, Rapid Growth reports that social networking maven Bliss (who Facebooked up a giant pillow fight and a the world record zombie walk in Grand Rapids last year) is at it again:

Bliss plans to hand out 10,000 30,000 pieces of sidewalk chalk at Rosa Parks Circle on Saturday, April 18, to see what collective creative energy will bring to the core city. He hopes the Sidewalk Chalk Flood will bring the most age diverse crowd to downtown Grand Rapids of all his prior social experiments, such as the pillow fight that received national television coverage on CBS News last fall.

"The chalk flood is really meant to appeal to the child in us all," says Bliss, a sophomore at Grand Rapids Community College studying vocal and piano performance. "We hope everyone from experienced artists to families with kids will let their creative side come through that Saturday."

Chalk will be distributed free of charge from noon to 5 p.m., primarily funded by the Downtown Alliance, with support from the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and Grand Rapids Community College. Artwork on public pavement only; anything on buildings is strictly verboten.

Click through for the Grand Rapids Sidewalk Chalk Facebook group and if you get photos, definitely add them to the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!

Untitled by Vanessa Miller
Vanessa has a great set of photos from
allied media conference oh8

Wiretap's Jenny Lee has a great article called In Detroit: Arsenal of Creativity. It begins:

“Michigan will be the next film capitol of the world,” Clint Eastwood said in a recent interview following the release of his new film Gran Torino, shot in Detroit. The state’s generous tax incentives for film production have spurred a boost in jobs in a year that's seen declines in nearly every other industry. While it's exciting to see the rise of film-based enterprise in Michigan, we can't rely on it, or any single industry to fill the enormous hole left by the decline of the auto industry. Amid the current crisis we have an opportunity to fill the gap in our region's economy with diverse local initiatives, including community-based media, which thrives off the city's creative past and present.

It continues and ends well as it does a great job of introducing you to Allied Media Projects (AMP) and looking at some of last year's conference recommendations like building community wireless and broadband, cultivating local music and teaching media arts. You should go read it.

AMP hosts the annual Allied Media Conference in Detroit, which attracts North America's most creative and skilled media makers and social justice organizers. The 11th AMC takes place July 16-19, 2009 - check it out!

Untitled by susiej35

The Detroit News takes a look at what Governor Granholm is likely to propose in tonight's State of the State address to address Michigan's $1.6 billion deficit. It's not pretty:

Gov. Jennifer Granholm wants to eliminate the 160-year-old Michigan State Fair, slash elected officials' pay by 10 percent and slim down state government from 18 departments to eight.

The proposals, to be outlined in her seventh State of the State address Tuesday, underscore the gravity of Michigan's budget crisis, and the impact of the national recession on this state...

Lt. Gov. John Cherry will lead a year-long commission charged with reducing the number of state departments in future years, but Granholm will propose scrapping the 226-employee, $52.2 million Department of History, Arts and Libraries this year.

Michigan public television stations will broadcast the address and the Detroit Free Press will be streaming the State of the State online.

Tune in here at 6:30 or so tonight and we'll be live-blogging the State of the State and hope you'll add your comments to the mix!

Star Dream by Conlawprof

Our Michigan February Event Calendar seems to demonstrate that the more the weather tries to keep us bottled up, the more innovative ways Michiganians will find to tell the weather what they think about that!! Of course, there's still many, many more and we invite you to fill us in on other February events in the comments.

Notable February Dates from Michigan History Magazine

• February 13, 1855 The Michigan legislature protects escaped slaves. more>>
• February 24, 1863 Michigan supports the Emancipation Proclamation. more>>
• February 17, 1864 The First Michigan Colored Infantry is mustered into federal service. more>>
• February 21, 1905 The National Ski Association is organized in Ishpeming. more>>
• February 20, 1909 The Hudson Motor Car Company is organized. more>>
• February 2, 1936 Ty Cobb becomes one of the first players selected to enter the newly formed Baseball Hall of Fame. more>>
• February 8, 1985 The Stroh Brewery announces it is closing its Detroit plant. more>>

The Events
February 1 - 7
Winter Carnival - Houghton
Michigan Tech often registers more than 200 inches of snow in a season. Not content to let this abundant natural resource go to waste, students band together in an annual celebrtion of our beautiful, tough, exhilarating, and character-building climate. For complete event detail visit their website.

February 3 - 8
International 500 Snowmobile Race Sault - Sault Sainte Marie
2009 marks the 41st running of the International 500 Snowmobile Race and they invite YOU to join them for this outstanding event that is second to none! "All the thrills of NASCAR" All the excitement of I-500 Snowmobile Racing.

February 4
122nd Annual & Super Tour Ski Jumping Tournament - Ishpeming
The 122nd Annual & Super Tour Ski Jumping Tournament will take place on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 on Famous Suicide Hill. Junior jumping begins at 5:00 p.m. EST. The trial and competition rounds begin at 7:00 p.m. EST. Featuring jumpers from the U.S., Norway, Russia & Poland! There will be a bonfire with fireworks following the tournament. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the gate with children 15 and under get in FREE!

February 5 - 8
11th Annual Michigan International Auto Show - Grand Rapids
Nearly 40 car manufacturers from around the world will bring their finest traveling displays to the Michigan International Auto Show, where more than 300 new vehicles – including sedans, vans, SUVs, trucks, hybrids and sports cars – will be showcased with factory representatives on hand to answer questions.

February 5 - 8
North American Snow Festival - Cadillac
Opening ceremonies begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Fox Hill Event Center on February 5. Various events take place on Lake Cadillac on February 6, 7 & 8th.

February 6 - 8
Detroit's Winter Blast - Detroit
Detroit's Winter Blast features hip and cool winter events centered around Campus Martius Park and great city attractions throughout Detroit. Many signature winter activities are returning with free ice-skating in Campus Martius Park, Professional skating demonstrations, unique sculptures in the Ice Garden, the Meijer Kid’s Family Fun Zone and more. This year we are still working on expanding our mission to celebrate entertainment throughout Detroit.

February 6 - 8
59th Annual Perchville USA - Tawas
The 59th Annual Tawas Perchville Festival includes a Perchville queen, live entertainment, a Polar Bear Swim, a "Chilly" Cook-off, ice-fishing contest, the Perchville USA Parade, and many more fun winter events.

February 6 - 8
West Michigan Youth Wintersportsfest
Three days, 22 Sports competitions and 3,000 athletes. Open to any athletes 18 and under. This will be an awesome event with youth athletes from all over the state and Midwest! There will be 20 sporting events taking place in 3 days with 3,000 athletes in participation. There will be indoor and outdoor activities including events like bowling, target shooting, figure skating, and many more

February 7
White Pine Stampede - Mancelona
The White Pine Stampede is a major Nordic Ski race, part of the Michigan Cup series and the Midwest's premier Nordic event. The White Pine Stampede has a 50 Kilometer Event, a 20 Kilometer Event, and a 10 Kilometer Timed Tour.

February 7 & 8
Taste the Passion - Leelanau
Love is in the air as you celebrate the upcoming Valentine's Day at the "Taste the Passion" weekend February 7-8, 2009. This special weekend celebrates wine, chocolate and love in anticipation of Valentine's Day! The combination of winter's beauty in Leelanau with the special pleasures of life always makes for wonderful weekend.

February 13 - 15
Ice Carving Festival - Rochester Hills
World-class ice carving professionals will take up their laser sharp ice tools and chain saws when the Village of Rochester Hills hosts a weekend of ice sculpting, shopping and dining. Nearly 25 entertaining, and artistic ice sculptures will grace the streets and parks of the Village February 13, 14 and 15, 2009.

February 13 - 15
North American VASA - Traverse City
The VASA weekend festival of Races includes both a 27 and 50km special classic skiing race, a 12km Timed Class, and a 6km and 16km challenge. Junior VASA Races are also part of the weekend festival.

February 13 - 15
Pine Mountain Continental Cup Ski Jumping Tournament - Iron Mountain
Pine Mountain Slide is known throughout the world as one of the best jumping hills. The Kiwanis Ski Club hosts the best tournament in the United States. Year after year, they have the top foreign jumpers competing. All classes of records have been set on Pine Mountain, and the record of the U.S at 140 meters/459 feet is still held here. Annual attendance is over 20,000 spectators.

February 13 - 16
Cherry Capital Winter WonderFest - Traverse City
The Third Annual Cherry Capital Winter WonderFest is a three-day wintertime celebration chock-full of fun for all ages in the Cherry Capital of the World, President’s Day Weekend, February 13-16, 2009. Whether you enjoy outdoor activities with wintry frost nipping at your nose, or indoor activities that warm the body and soul, we have something sure to please you and your loved ones.

February 14 - 22
Detroit Boat Show - Detroit
The Detroit Boat Show is gearing up to celebrate 51 years of boating with its 2009 event. Boats of all types and sizes for fishing, cruising, wakeboarding, skiing, and other types of water fun will be on display for 9-days at Cobo Center.

February 14 - 15
Free Fishing Weekend
For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition - a time to get together and have some fishing fun. While some may find time to reflect while fishing, there are no limits to variations on a great theme! All fishing license fees will be waived for two days. Residents and outstate visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations will still apply.

February 20 - 22
U.P. Pond Hockey Championship - St. Ignace
The 2009 U.P. Pond Hockey Championship will be played on the Wild Ice of Moran Bay, Lake Huron, downtown St. Ignace, Michigan! We hope to have 104 teams competing for prizes!

February 20 - 22
UP 200, Midnight Run Sled-Dog Championships and The Jack Pine 30 - Marquette
Three UP sled dog races provide a variety of challenges for mushers. The UP 200 is actually 240 miles in length and is a qualifying race for the Iditarod. Over 15,000 visitors come to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.) to see the U.P. 200! It is a favorite winter event for local residents and out of town guests. The U.P. 200 has a dedicated group of over 500 volunteers from the U.P. and the mid-west region that come together to stage this great event each year.

February 21
Frost Bite Winter Festival - Harrison
Event takes place on 5 groomed nine-hole courses, where novice and veteran golfers hit brightly colored tennis balls over the snow. Bring a partner and sign up for the two-person scramble. Prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, men's and women's divisions.

February 23
The Outhouse 500 - Coopersville
Join in with the hilarious and wacky fun of the 5th Annual Outhouse 500 on Main Street in Historic Downtown Coopersville! Hosted by the Main Street Merchants Association. Teams parade, then race their uniquely decorated outhouses down Main Street! View footage from the 2007 Outhouse 500.

February 27
The Great Wine & Food Symposium
Escape the snow with an evening of indulgence at The Great Wine & Food Symposium, west Michigan’s premier wine tasting event. You'll enjoy gourmet food selections, as well as over 300 wines and beers from around the world. Sample these tastes as classical music drifts through the halls and the snowflakes drift outside.

February 28
Winter Beer Festival - Grand Rapids
Hundres of hand-crafted beers from microbreweries across the state will serve up samples at this 4th annual outdoor event. Tickets are $35 each in advance and will be available January 1 at www.michiganbrewersguild.org, at the Fifth-Third Ballpark box office and at participating Guild member breweries. If any tickets remain, they’ll be available at the gate the day of, for $40 each. Sponsored by the Michigan Brewers Guild.

February 28
Trenary Outhouse Classic - The Outhouse Races - Trenary
The Outhouse Classic is an annual race in Trenary where outhouses are built and raced down the main street. There are categories: speed, presentation, best use of theme, most humorous, best workmanship, and most miles traveled. Families come to the event to watch and to compete, there are two different age brackets making competitions fair. A few years ago nuns came to compete and built the Vati-Can. Make sure to head on up to Trenary for the annual Outhouse Classic. Read Absolute Michigan's Sports that ARE Silly: Outhouse Racing or watch Outhouse Classic Outhouse Race in Trenary, Michigan.

Hope This is the Fountain of Youth by Cherie S.

I came to Detroit for the Creative Cities Summit unprepared, frankly, for the scale of the challenge that Michigan's largest city is facing. As we toured sights selected to offer hope this morning, I found myself rendered nearly hopeless by incredible magnitude of the challenge at hand. There's no doubt that there are a lot of brilliant and committed people who are working to reshape the city, but when you stare into the face of the challenges they face, you wonder how they even have the strength to try. Or at least I did.

It was then more than welcome to hear Toronto's Poet Laureate (can we get a few of those here?) and author of The Municipal Mind Pier Giorgio Di Cicco, deliver an impassioned plea for fostering good urban citizenship as a core element of a vibrant city. He said that a city is place where one discovers their destiny through other people - a place to enjoy yourself through enjoying others. He called for strategies aimed at not just economic development, but at creating the kind of environments where people will bump up against each other, exchange ideas and help to build each other's stories.

John Howkins started with the concept that "thinking is a proper job." He wrote about the creative economy a few years ago. He's now talking about "the creative ecology" and sees creative ecologies as systems that are chaotic, nonlinear and self-organizing. Howkins says that such systems are inherently difficult for government to nurture through policy and funding due to the fact that the don't always behave in predictable patterns and don't generate directly measurable benefits.

I have to think at the end of the day that a focus on intangibles like the culture and ecology of Detroit and other cities has to be at the core of our thinking about how to rebuild them.

Rain or Shine (since 1922) by paulh192

Welcome to a special Monday evening edition of The Week on Absolute Michigan.

While the stock market falls, folks on Mackinac Island are getting ready for the Festival of the Falling Leaves Moon (Sep 18-20) which celebrates the time of year when the trees were told to stay awake for seven days and seven nights and only the cedar, pine and spruce obeyed. You can probably guess the punishment.

Perhaps in celebration of a certain Maize & Blue team's loss to a certain golden-helmeted gang, Kalamazoo holds the 2008 Irish Fest (Sep 20).

Other events on tap for the weekend include Oktoberfest in Frankenmuth (Sep 18-21), Old Town Blues Fest in Lansing (Sep 19-20), the Grand Haven Salmon Festival (Sep 19-21), the Harvest Stompede Vineyard Run & Walk in Leelanau (Sep 20-21), Autumn Harvest Festival in Negaunee, and the Copper Country Color Bike Tour in Houghton (Sep 20). the Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest in Scotts (Sep 21), Michigan's Center For The Photographic Arts Fall Focus Festival at Grass Lake (Sep 20-21) and the Helluva Rodeo in Hell.

Feeling the burn? The State of Michigan gets into Eventapalooza Harvest Festival at Leelanau State Park (Sep 20) and an Evening at an 1896 Logging Camp at Hartwick Pines near Grayling (Sep 20) and Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne kicks off the Halloween season with History, Mystery & Haunting.

Got something to say? Post it below. Going to start a new event? Maybe think about another weekend!

A Brief History
Through Discover Kalamazoo we learn that Kalamazoo County began as a small fur-trading post founded by Titus Bronson in the late 1700s. Like many Michigan cities, Kalamazoo's name was adapted from an Indian word, "kikalamazoo," meaning boiling water. Water has long been a vital component in Kalamazoo's major industries including papermaking and agriculture which have helped the area grow and prosper.

Some of the many famous products manufactured in Kalamazoo include Checker Cabs, Gibson guitars, Kalamazoo Stoves, Stryker hospital beds and Shakespeare fishing rods and reels. In the late 1800s, W. E. Upjohn moved to Kalamazoo and created The Upjohn Company, which is now part of Pfizer Corporation, the world ’s largest pharmaceutical company.

Recently Kalamazoo has made national news with the Kalamazoo Promise which provides a scholarship to every Kalamazoo Public School student. It has served as a catalyst and an inspiration throughout Michigan, the United States and even the international community.

Culinary Delights
Once know as 'Celery City', Kalamazoo was once was noted for celery and bedding plants. To this day the surrounding countryside still continues to produce significant quantities of farm crops of which can be found at one of the many area farmers markets and u-pick farms. Like other regions in Michigan the Kalamazoo area has become home to the burgeoning wine industry. The Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail hugs the southeast shore of Lake Michigan, extending from the Michigan-Indiana border north 70 miles to the Kalamazoo River. The Kalamazoo area also is home to several micro-breweries such as Aradia brewing Co in Battle Creek and the granddaddy of them all Bell's Brewery. Other notable food producers include Tree-Mendus Fruit which is home of the world famous International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship, the A.M. Todd Company which is a leading producer of peppermint oil and their offshoot Kalsec which produces spice, herb, hop, and vegetable extracts. Just a few of the great restaurants in the area include Zazios which features an interactive dining experience, the Epic Bistro, Food Dance, Tello Wine Bar and the historic Schuler's Restaurant & Pub.

Kalamazoo and surrounding areas, in pictures
The photo above is titled july 20 station taken by Kathie Gibson aka noearlybird and is part of the Kalamazoo flickr pool. The location of the photo is the new Kalamazoo Transportation Center. Also check out Kathie's shots of Binder Park Zoo in nearby Battle Creek. In addition to Kalamazoo, some other areas you may want check out include, South Haven, St. Joseph, Battle Creek and Saugatuck.

South Haven Pier by the kcephoto

But what is there to DO in Kalamazoo?
Known as the land of rolling hills and numerous lakes it is the cities that bring rich and diverse community culture to the Kalamazoo region. This area of Michigan is packed with must see attractions, abundant recreation and unique shopping experiences for everyone. In the summer months the beautiful inland lakes and the the Lake Michigan shoreline towns of St. Joseph, South Haven and Saugatuck are popular destinations. Other notable outdoor hotspots include the Kal-Haven Trail State Park, which is a 34.5 mile linear Kal-Haven Trail State Park extends from South Haven, on the shores of Lake Michigan, to the northwest suburbs of the City of Kalamazoo, the Kalamazoo Watershed Heritage Water Trail and Warren Dunes State Park. There is also plenty to do year around such as the Air Zoo, the Gilmore Car Museum, the #1 in the nation rated Kalamazoo Nature Center, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, the Binder Park Zoo, the American Museum of Magic and the expansive Fort Custer Recreation Area.

Where do I go for more?
You can dig deeper through Absolute Michigan by checking out Absolute Michigan county pages for St. Joseph , Kalamazoo, Cass, Barry, Van Buren, Allegan, Calhoun & Branch and also try the pages for Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, South Haven and many other towns that you can see on the Absolute Michigan Map of Michigan. Of course there are tons of other web sites with useful information. Some of our favorites are the The City of Kalamazoo, South Haven Visitors Bureau, St. Joseph Today and Battle Creek Play for Keeps.

Burst by SNWEB.ORG Photography

This morning we're excited to unveil our Michigan Event Calendar.

It uses Google Calendar technology - which means you can take it with you on your phone or to your Outlook. We've also got a list of other calendars you can check for even more things to do.

We're still of course going to be doing The Week and our monthly calendars of events, but this will allow us to feature even more events and to take things a bit further into the future.

Untitled by jenny murray

I hope that readers of Absolute Michigan regularly tune into Model D and its other regional publications Metromode (SE Michigan), Rapid Growth (Grand Rapids), Capital Gains (Lansing) and the latest Concentrate (Ann Arbor). They're really excellent publications that are chronicling the rebirth and re-invention of Michigan in a way that few other media sources do.

The latest issue includes UFOs Land in Detroit: Art Scene May Never Be the Same. It's the story of UFO Factory, which has its HQ at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD)

A three-person outfit who's M.O. is simply, "to do cool stuff," the UFO Factory supports art for art's sake, not for profit or PR. Take their installation currently holding court over at MOCAD's "Considering Detroit" exhibition. With nothing more than cardboard walls, silver paint, and a disco ball, they've created a space where art is free to hang out—and play nice with others.

"UFO Factory is like the adult Zoot's," says Dion Fischer, one third of UFO. He's referring to the days of the old coffee house on Second where he met his other two partners in crime. "It wasn't about the moneymaking," he says. "It was more about the glory of art in the '90s."

Here's the Zoot's Coffee group on MySpace.

ArtServe Michigan is a statewide arts and cultural advocacy organization that seeks to support, strengthen and build awareness of arts, culture and creativity in Michigan.

This Wednesday (March 18, 2008) in Lansing, ArtServe Michigan hosts their annual Arts & Culture Advocacy Day. It offers artists and arts supporters a chance to network with peers from all over Michigan, to learn about important issues and the state, to speak with legislators about the importance of the arts in our state.

Lake Michigan Film Competition

One attraction is the Lake Michigan Film Competition, which offers cash awards to filmmakers whose film was at least 1/4 shot, produced or financed in the states that border Lake Michigan: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The categories for the awards are Feature, Documentary, Short Film and Student Film. We are very pleased to offer the Message Makers Most Promising Student Filmmaker Award, a prize package worth $10,000.Once again, filmmakers from the Mid-Michigan area will come together to write, shoot, edit, and premiere an original five-minute production in a mere 48 hours. Participants will be given specified elements, such as a theme, prop, or line of dialogue at the start of the competition, and they must incorporate these elements into their finished film to be eligible for an award.

Discovering the Short

Discovering the Short shows a selection of short films from the 2006 East Lansing Film Festival appeared on WKAR-TV and was  produced by MSU students led by former student Randy Flick and faculty member Robert Albers of the MSU Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media.. The "short film" has long been the point of entry into the art of filmmaking and every year the East Lansing Film Festival offers aficionados a chance to view high quality short films made by professionals from all over the country.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch more of Discovering the Short on YouTube.

More Links...

ELFF 48/5 contest entries - filmmakers write, shoot, edit, and premiere an original five-minute production in a mere 48 hours.

Making the scenes: Local filmmakers race the clock for 48/5 - via Lansing City Pulse

For much more on the ELFF, check out elff.com, the ELFF MySpace Page, the ELFF on Flickr, the East Lansing Film Festival's B-Side Community. You may also be interested in MichiganFilm.org, a web site that highlights independent films from Michigan filmmakers and seeks to network those filmmakers and actors together.

More Michigan Film Festivals on Absolute Michigan's Michigan Film Festival Page.

• Friday, Feb. 8 @ The Crooked Tree Arts Center - Petoskey, MI w/Jamie-Sue Seal, John Latini, & Dave Boutette
• Saturday, Feb 9 @ The InsideOut Gallery - Traverse City, MI w/ Jamie-Sue Seal, John Latini, Dave Boutette, Andre Villoch and Josh Davis
• Friday, Feb 15 @ The White Crow - Saginaw, MI w/ Jamie-Sue Seal, John Latini, Chris Buhalis, Susan O'Rourke and Zig Zeitler
• Saturday, Feb 16 @ at Christ United Church in Dewitt, MI w/ Jamie-Sue Seal, Chris Buhalis, John Latini, Dave Boutette and Greg Jenkinson.

Get more info at the link above (including a list of some of the amazing musicians from Michigan and elsewhere who have appeared) and listen in to some of the artists at myspace.com/JamminRound.

The life-size portraits of twelve icons of hip-hop culture capture the larger than life personas embodied by these men, who are among the wealthiest and most influential individuals of our time. Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Common, Kanye West, Reverend Run, Duke, Lil Jon, Don "Magic" Juan, Whoo Kid, Marc Ecko and Russell Simmons are portrayed by Melamid as they are in life ‚ serious, ambitious, powerful and compelling. The twelve, dressed in their everyday clothes, are rendered with Old Master style and quality, providing a provocative visual context and an association with masterpieces of the past.

The opening takes place on Friday, February 8th and will feature Detroit-based emcee, spoken word poet and "Afroflow" creator Mike-E Ellison along with a live set by James Pennington a.k.a. the Suburban Knight. The exhibition runs through April 20th and there is also an exhibit by Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo.

Image credit: Kanye West, 2005, oil on canvas by Alexander Melamid

chicaloo (aka Kate Kehoe) by mfophotos
(from the Kerrytown Bookfest)

Annual Michigan Antiquarian Book & Paper Show - Lansing, April 6, 2008
The Midwest's largest book show will feature about 90 dealers from around the country offering over a million old, rare, and collectible book & paper items for sale!

Ann Arbor Book Festival - May 15 -18, 2008
The Ann Arbor Book Festival's mission is to promote reading, heighten awareness of literacy challenges, and showcase the rich culture of the written word in Michigan and beyond. A diverse group of community leaders committed to literature, language and the arts in Michigan are hard at work planning the Festival. The following people make up the Board of Directors and Planning Committee for the Festival.

Bear River Writers' Conference - May 29 - June 2
The Bear River Writers' Conference, which runs from dinner on Thursday through breakfast on Monday, is defined by its own particular geography, situated as it is at the intersection of the natural and creative worlds. Populated by an eclectic collection of writers of all levels of experience, it offers community members a hiatus from daily routine and the chance to find a space for themselves and their words.

Kerrytown BookFest - Ann Arbor, September 7th
The Kerrytown BookFest is an annual event celebrating those who create books and those who read them. The primary goal is to highlight the area's rich heritage in the book and printing arts while showcasing our local and regional individuals, businesses, and organizations. This year's focus is honoring fine printing and Ernest Hemingway.

C.S. Lewis Festival - Petoskey, October - November, 2008
A month long festival that seeks to provide an enriching cultural experience that explores the life and work of Narnia creator and theological philosopher C. S. Lewis through collaborations by the arts, education, and faith communities.

The Great Michigan Read - All Year, All Over
The Great Michigan Read is a community reading program for the entire state. With a statewide focus on a single literary masterpiece – Ernest Hemingway's The Nick Adams Stories – it encourages Michiganians to read and rediscover literature. Read the book, utilize the resources, talk about it with your friends, family, or book club, and participate in Great Michigan Read events in your neighborhood. Be sure to check out podcasts and other media for The Great Michigan Read!

One Book One Community - East Lansing
The "One Book, One Community" program encourages the East Lansing and Michigan State University community to read the same book over a six-week period this fall and to come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. Although dozens of similar programs have been sponsored nationwide, this is one of the very few that bring together a city and a university.

Michigan Writers Series - East Lansing, All Year Long
The Michigan Writers Series recognizes and highlights the literary work of important writers who live and work in Michigan. Hosted by the MSU Libraries, the series features individual Michigan writers for an evening of readings and discussion with their audience. The readings, which are free and open to the public, take place on most Friday evenings during the academic year in the Library. With the writer's permission, the reading, discussion, and a short interview is taped and made available worldwide on the Internet. Over one hundred authors are currently available for listening!

Ludington Visiting Writers - Ludington, All Year
Since January, 2001, Ludington Visiting Writers has brought more than 70 wonderful Michigan poets and prose writers to our small town on the Lake Michigan shore for readings, conferences, festivals, workshops, and good fellowship.

Michigan Reads! - All Year, All Over
You are invited to take part in Michigan Reads!, a statewide program highlighting the importance of early childhood literacy by focusing on a picture book by a Michigan author.

Parade 2 by joojanta

Here's a few Michigan festivals & events for the month of November. As usual, there's no way to get them all, so please add links and information about the one's we've missed (or reviews of ones we have here) in the comments below.

October 26 - November 18
C.S.Lewis Festival - Petoskey
A four weekend festival celebrating the life and work of C. S. Lewis through collaborations by the arts, education, and faith communities.

November 3
Michigan vs. Michigan State Football Game
The annual game between Michigan's 2 largest universities doesn't gather the press (or enmity) of Michigan-Ohio State, but it's still a big game!

November 8-10
Michigan Festival of Sacred Music - Kalamazoo
The Michigan Festival of Sacred Music offers events which represent diverse religious traditions, promoting mutual respect and understanding through sharing the music treasured by these traditions.

November 10 & 11 and November 17 & 18
Toast the Season Wine Tour - Leelanau Peninsula
Annual wine trail tour features a special wine pour and holiday themed gourmet food at each winery along with a holiday gift basket & ornament.

November 9-10
Kalamazoo Russian Festival
Celebrate the partnership between Kalamazoo, Michigan and Pushkin, Russia at this years Kalamazoo Russian Festival; a unique Russian cultural event in the Midwest.

November 10
Keweenaw Art Affair - Houghton
A juried fine art & craft sale featuring over 40 of the Cooper Country's finest artists at the Houghton High School Gym.

November 15-30 2007:
Deer Hunting (Regular Firearm Season)
If you think this isn't a major event, then you probably live south of Clare.

November 16
Silver Bells in the City - Lansing
The entire evening is filled with fun, a parade, free family entertainment, including admission to downtown cultural institutions, horse-drawn wagon rides on Washington Square, ice sculptures and performances by nearly 50 local arts organizations.

November 17
Dutch WinterFest - Holland
The city comes alive with dozens of events reminiscent of the joyful holidays of yesteryear. Events include a HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE, PARADE OF LIGHTS, SINTERKLAAS EVE, ICE SCULPTING…

November 19 - December 31
Battle Creek International Festival of Lights
The six-week holiday lighting extravaganza in greater Battle Creek, Michigan, features over one million sparkling lights, special events, lighting displays, and entertainment.

November 22
Detroit's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Celebrate the 81st anniversary of the America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, one of the largest and most spectacular parades in the nation!

November 23-25
Village of Holly Dickens Festival - Holly
Charles Dickens’ Merry Old England comes alive in the atmosphere of turn of the century buildings, welcoming shopkeepers, and skilled craftspeople.

1957 Detroit Lions Remembered in Style

The Mackinac Bridge isn't the only thing having a 50th anniversary. Last Sunday, the Lions honored members of the 1957 championship team that beat the Browns 59-14 at Briggs Stadium ... then they proceeded to honor their memory in style by smashing the Bears with an NFL record 34 points in the 4th quarter. The team featured Hall of Fame players including Joe Schmidt, Yale Lary, Lou Creekmur, Jack Christiansen, John Henry Johnson, Frank Gatski and the colorful and charismatic Bobby Layne. The Detroit News really put together a nice tribute to the team: check out 1957 DETROIT LIONS: Their impact is still felt 50 years later, be sure to watch this awesome audio slideshow on the '57 season and also see Rearview Mirror: Bobby Layne and the Lions' glory days in the Detroit News.

Detroit's Pewabic Pottery

Model D TV producer-director Tom Hendrickson presents a cool video tour of Detroit's Pewabic Pottery, which was founded in 1903 during the Arts & Crafts Movement. They are on the National Historic Register and operate as a non-profit ceramic art education center. For more, see the Pewabic Pottery web site!

Going Up ... a little

The Michigan Business Activity Index compiled by Comerica Bank rose 3 points in August to 107. Dana Johnson, Chief Economist at Comerica Bank says "I am becoming more optimistic about Michigan's medium-term economic prospects given that GM and the UAW have agreed on a new contract and a state budget accord has been reached. However, in the near term, the local economy is likely to remain pretty stagnant, given the distress in the local housing market, and the backdrop of sluggish national growth."

Mr. History presents The Saline Mill

The aptly named Mr. History has some nice photos and history on the Saline Mill (including this 19th century view of the mill pond). He relates: In 1947 over 8 inches of rail fell near Saline and the Saline River overflowed its bank tearing up the embankment and draining all the water in the pond. it was thought that the Mill would wash away. The owner of the Mill a women named Fanny Friss decided to blow the dam up with dynamite and the mill ceased to function. Go figure.

Saline, Michigan

The Saline Historical Society says that even before the name Saline was given to the river by French explorers, Native Americans came the area to hunt & acquire salt (more on the Salt Springs) and also that a significant find of mastodon bones and footprints was made near Saline. The City of Saline agrees with Wikipedia's entry on Saline, Michigan that the population was 8,034 in 2000. Wikipedia adds that the Saline River is a tributary of the River Raisin and introduced me to the Saline Fiddlers, a school music program that looks so cool I can barely stand it! More at Absolute Michigan keyword Saline.

michigan irish festival by Evography

The annual Michigan Irish Music Festival takes place this Friday through Sunday (Sept 14-16) at Heritage Landing in Muskegon. It features an outstanding line-up of music on 3 stages, an Irish Pub, the Irish Market & food vendors, cultural activities, a dance stage for demonstrations & lessons and an Acoustic Tent where patrons can jam with musicians. A stellar lineup of performers includes include favorites Scythian, Seamus Kennedy, Switchback, Craic Wisely, Kennedy's Kitchen, Blackthorn and The Muskegon Police Pipe & Drum band. New to the festival include headliners The David Munnelly Band, Grada, Old Blind Dogs, and the Elders.

The Michigan Feis (Irish step-dancing competition) is an affiliated event that takes place at Muskegon's LC Walker Arena on Saturday (Sep 15). The Feis will feature a variety of Irish Dancers competing at various levels from Beginners to Open, Pre-lim and Championship levels.

Check the web site above for all the details and visit Absolute Michigan keyword Muskegon for more Muskegon area links!

This photo of the Noguchi Fountain by Dave Hogg is one of a set of photos from the 2006 Detroit Jazzfest (slideshow).

The Detroit International Jazz Festival is held every year on Labor Day weekend. With 6 stages, 100+ acts, it's one of the premier free jazz festivals in the nation.

They have a spectacular lineup including Herbie Hancock, Detroit-born and raised violinist Regina Carter, Dave Brubeck, Marcus Belgrave & the Detroit Experience, Larry McCray and The Miracles to name just a very few.

To keep you up-to-date on the latest news and developments, we are launching the official TCFF blog today, packed full of exclusive content, in-depth features and insider reports. It's your one-stop shop for all of the latest festival information. Most importantly, it's also a way for us to start a dialogue with each of you. We hope you'll utilize the "Comments" feature on these blogs to share your feedback with us on how the festival's going, along with your ideas for how we can make things even better.

So head over there and give them some comments and follow along with the excitement of the TC Film Fest with interviews with directors like John Laurence, profiles of honorees like 2007 Michigan Filmmaker Award winner Christine Lahti, photos of venues and a look at the TCFF's new digs.

Michigan State Capitol Post Card by Marxchivist

Michigan Week is an annual celebration that seeks to to embrace, explore and celebrate the history, resources and opportunities that set Michigan apart as an ideal state to work, play and thrive.

Recently retired Michigan Week director Jim Schultz wrote an article on Michigan Week (PDF) that tells how Michigan Department of Economic Development director Don Weeks (who was also instrumental in the creation of the National Cherry Festival and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame) started Michigan week in 1954 along with a number of citizens.

It was the intent of the committee that Michigan Week would begin within state government. The first Michigan Week in 1954 used the tag line "This is YOUR Michigan!" and prided itself as "a seven-day celebration for 7 million citizens."

Spring was chosen over fall as the right time of year for Michigan Week so that summer tourism could be promoted. The inaugural Michigan Week began with the first week of May, gradually giving way to mid-May as northern communities complained that snow curtailed a number of outdoor Michigan Week activities.

Each day of Michigan Week was given a name that celebrated a particular reason or resource that made Michigan a special place to live, work or raise a family ... Spiritual Foundations Day, Mayors Exchange Day, Hospitality Day, Our Livelihood Day, Education Day, Our Heritage Day and New Frontiers Day.

Michigan Week 2007 begins this Saturday (May 19) and you can learn about the celebration at the State of Michigan's Michigan Week page, find out what's planned for your area at the Michigan Week event calendar and if you have any ideas for how to celebrate Michigan, post them in the comments below!

H H H N S (Hand Held Holga Night Shot) by G0da

Grand Rapids - Rapid Growth says that the recent Motion Picture Tax Incentives Package has begun the effort to attract more filmmakers to Michigan with a $7 million incentive fund offering rebates to cover up to 20% of production costs (details from the Michigan Film Office).

In this wide-ranging article, Deb Havens of the West Michigan Film Video Alliance (WMFVA) and Hopwood DePree of TicTock Studios (a Saugatuck Waterfront Film Festival co-founder) discuss many of the things that are being done - as well as those that still need to happen - to make Michigan a major film destination.

WMFVA has even established the West Michigan Film Commission Task Force to help coordinate activities and provide a structure for film industry growth, encourage local businesses to support filmmaking through incentives of their own and seeking assistance from Hollywood professionals with Michigan roots.

If all this energy seems excessive, consider this:

The impact of even a small production can be staggering for a small community. When the Hollywood blockbuster Road to Perdition, starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, shot in the Douglas-Saugatuck community a few years ago, more than 100 hotel rooms were booked in the surrounding area. Local production lasted only three days. But, when you factor in meals and other purchases, the film activity represented a significant boost to the local economy.

Read Silver Screen Dreams in Rapid Growth.

Blurs any ties to the beginning by Sarah Steffens

April has been designated Michigan Wine Month to honor the state's wide selection of quality wines and the wine industry's significant contribution to the economy. Michigan's wine and grape industries contribute nearly $790 million to the state's economy each year. Michigan's 50 wineries won more than 600 medals in 2006 at national and international wine competitions.

April is a good time to kick off winery touring. Tasting rooms are less busy than in summer and fall and many of Michigan's wineries also begin to release new wines. This spring will see the release of additional red wines from 2005 - regarded by all the state's winemakers as the best ever. The first white wines from the 2006 vintage will also be available, including many classically styled, crisp and delicious whites.

There are many events planned this spring that provide opportunities to meet winemakers and sample a variety of Michigan wines, including:

• Michigan Wine Celebration - April 21-22 - Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail
• Spring Into Summer - April 21-22 - Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail
• Wine & Food Festival - April 27-29 - Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
• Women's Wine Weekend - May 4-5 - Leelanau Peninsula Vintners
  
• Blossom Days - May 19-20 - Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula

Dianna Stamfler of Promote Michigan has put together a huge list of Michigan Wine Month events (below) and you can check Absolute Michigan keyword "wine" for all kinds of Michigan winery links!

April Michigan Wine Events

A nice Cab Franc? by deltasly

April 17 & 24
Wines of Michigan Class. Washtenaw Community College. This course highlights the unique features of Michigan wines, including similarities to and differences from those of California and Europe. Learn how wines are made; what factors contribute to the diverse flavors; and how to taste, enjoy and select wines. Includes wine sampling and discussion. 7:00-8:55 pm. $51 for two sessions. Register online!

April 20-22
Winemaker Dinner Weekend. Chateau Grand Traverse. Join the Winemaker and Chef Perry Harmon for an evening of fine foods paired with CGT wines. Includes two-night stay for two at The Inn, wine and cheese reception, deluxe breakfast bar, private tour and tasting, and dinner with the winemaker. $550 per couple for the entire weekend! (231) 223-7355.

April 21
Wine Immersion Seminar. Chateau Chantal. An all-day event providing an excellent overview of winemaking, viticulture, and food and wine pairing. Hosted by witty and passionate winemaker Mark Johnson. Includes a vineyard walk, peasant's lunch, cellar tour, wine tastings, learning materials, and multi-course gourmet dinner paired with Chantal wines. $125. Limit 30 people.

April 21-22
Spring Into Summer! Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail. Collect ideas to pair the perfect wines with "outside eats and sweets"! Pick up a bottle at each winery and plan your own wine tasting cookout! $25. Reservations required. (800) 716-9463 or purchase tickets online.

April 21-22
Michigan Wine Celebration. Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail. Sample foods made with Michigan wines, and enjoy a glass of wine paired with each. Receive a small, Michigan-related gift at each winery along the Trail. $25. Purchase tickets online.

April 26
Taste of Michigan Wine Tasting. Champane's Wine Cellar, Warren. Sample from a large selection of traditional and exotic Michigan wines, including Champagne style, and wines from the "Fruit off of the Vine" such as raspberries, apples, peaches, pears, blackberries and cherries. $15. Proceeds benefit Cub Scout Pack 1477. (586) 268-4900.

April 27-29
Wine & Food Festival. Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Acme. Package includes two nights lodging, strolling wine & food reception with local wines on Friday evening, Saturday winery tours and winemaker dinner with winemakers from five award-winning Grand Traverse region wineries. (800) 748-0303.

April 28
Winemaker's Pre-Release Dinner. St. Julian-Paw Paw. Join St. Julian's President, Winemaker and Assistant Winemaker, to celebrate the first vintage of Braganini Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, as part of this special wine dinner. A Provence-inspired menu will highlight their diverse selection of white wines. $75. Reservations required. (800) 732-6002.

April 29
Michigan Wine Month Closing Celebration. Sandhill Crane Vineyards closes out Michigan Wine Month with light hors d'oeuvres and a 5% discount on all wines. Register to win a Michigan Gift Basket. (517) 764-0679.

This is just a sample of the Michigan wine-related events throughout the state. For a complete list, visit www.michiganwines.com.

Pile Up by Turtle Creek by The Rocketeer"

WOOD-TV reports that Senate Republicans on Thursday passed a $34-per-student cut for schools, then voted for hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to local governments, community corrections, health care, arts funding and other programs.

"Today we resolved the budget like we wanted to and we killed for good this $1.5 billion tax plan of the governor's."
- Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester

State Budgeting Fun Fact!
The deficit grows by $130 million each month it isn't resolved. -Detroit News

"I'm not surprised it took you so long to unveil these cuts. I'd be embarrassed, too."
- Sen. Liz Brater, D-Ann Arbor

Show Me the Money?
The $34 will be a represent of about a half a million dollars for Flint & Lansing and over $4 million for Detroit for the current fiscal year which ends in June for schools.

Thanks to For my amusement only for the find.