Here's a video feature that we last showed so long ago, it should feel new to just about everyone! Thanks Jim for the reminder...

Wally Wallington of Flint has demonstrated that he can lift a Stonehenge-sized pillar weighing 22,000 lbs and moved a barn over 300 ft in this great video feature. What makes this so special is that he does it using only himself, gravity, and his incredible ingenuity. Check this out and then check out theforgottentechnology.com.

fotek is working on a great set of Photomatix HDR photos of St. Anne's Church in Detroit (slideshow). He says that it's such a beautiful church that pictures will never do it justice, but I think he may be wrong.

Some of his other sets include Detroit and Mt. Clemens and you should check out his Flickrriver too!

Weird Wednesday already? Nope. Huge piles of ice were pushed by NE winds into homes along Linwood Beach (just north of Bay City), forcing evacuations and causing damage. Linwood Beach residents return to find ice piled around, inside and atop their homes from the Bay City Times begins:

"I was making a grocery list in the kitchen and the next thing you know, we had this," said Angie Hughes, nodding at the ice resting inside her kitchen.

"Once we saw the first two piles of ice coming over the seawall, we just ran," Steve Hughes said Monday, returning to assess the damage. "I just remember hearing the kitchen window explode and the kitchen table getting thrown back.

"It was just incredible to see. It's got to be about 50 tons of ice that came up here in less than a few minutes."

It has some great photos from this latest ice incursion from Saginaw Bay and also from a similar incident in 1946 when Lake Huron ice devastated homes along the bay.

Jennifer took this photo the other day in Evart (Osceola County). It's part of her architecture set (slideshow).

She lives in Cascade and has some other sets you might enjoy including Antrim County, Grand Rapids and (my personal favorite) Torch Lake Summers.

Spinners 1 by n8xd

The 3rd annual Michigan Energy Fair will be held June 27-29, 2008 at the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama. Billed as "one of the most comprehensive expositions of renewable energy generating equipment, home and business energy efficiency techniques, and technical workshops in the state".

The 2007 Michigan Energy Fair hosted over 4000 attendees who viewed the products and services of over 100 sponsors and exhibitors. Check out the video below in which fair organizer Jeremy Wittrock talks about the 2007 event

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association is bringing in several noted speakers including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Dr. Richard Blieden, and David Konkle. Workshops will address topics including wind energy, green building, geothermal heating and cooling, home energy efficiency and energizing Michigan's economy.

Michigan send $18 billion dollars to other states in energy costs. With activities for kids, food, music and a wide range of exhibitors, the Michigan Energy Fair is a great place to learn about how we can go about reversing this drain on our state's economy.

Energy Fair Links

Recap of the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair

Recap of the 2006 Michigan Energy Fair

The Michigan land Use Institute reports on the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair (with video) and also on the 2006 Michigan Energy Fair.

Check Absolute Michigan keyword energy for a gigawatt more related links and articles.

grand rapids art museum by chad™

When the topic of 'green building' comes up many still think of images such as earthships, built from recycled materials including used tires. Although efficient and intelligently designed, they didn't necessarily appeal to the maintstream home owner or developers. Today green buildings appear much like any other home or building. They are designed to save money, use energy and water efficiently, reduce waste and create over all healthier environments for living and working. Faced with increasing energy costs and the impact we place upon the environment the climate is ripe for the green building industry.

Perhaps surprisingly, Michigan is among the green building leaders in the nation - trailing only Oregon and California. As of April, 2007, 212 buildings in Michigan were registered or certified under LEED, placing Michigan in the top 10 states with registered green buildings. Within the state the west side is outpacing the east, with Grand Rapids out in front having the most LEED certified buildings.

Standing out is the newly built Grand Rapids Art Museum which recently received the distinction of being the world's first Gold LEED certified art museum. More stories from The Chicago Tribune, New York Time, Architect and ARTnews can be found here. In Lansing, General Motors has built the only auto assembly plant in the world to receive LEED certification. General Motors’ new Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant has received a gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The building is the only automotive manufacturing plant in the world -- as well as the largest facility and the most complex manufacturing site -- to ever receive any level of LEED certification. MSNBC covered this in 2006 in their feature GM builds a eco-friendly assembly plant - $1 million-a-year energy savings touted at unveiling

OK, time to grab the popcorn...

A video over at YouTube from Medialink titled "Buildings Are More Responsible For CO2 Emissions Than Cars" was produced for General Motors and is an interesting watch.

Even more below the fold...

Other notable Michigan green buildings, projects and programs:

S.T Dana Building Renovation - University of Michigan

The S.T. Dana Building is a 100-year-old academic building that houses the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) at the University of Michigan. In the 1990s, SNRE began planning for a major renovation to the structure. This project had two primary goals: to create a comfortable place to learn and work and to demonstrate state-of-the-art green design. The renovation resulted in a building where environmental principles are not only taught but also upheld and demonstrated to the community.

The Green Roof Research Program at Michigan State University

Green roofs involve growing plants on rooftops, thus replacing the vegetated footprint that was destroyed when the building was constructed. Germany is widely considered the leader in green roof research, technology and usage.

The green roof research program at MSU was initiated in collaboration with Ford Motor Company during 2000 in an effort to advise them on the installation of a 10.4 acre extensive green roof on a new assembly plant in Dearborn, Mich.

Kresge Foundation Headquarters

Our state-of-the-art facilities, which were completed in 2006, serve as a model of sustainable design and an educational resource for us and our community. The headquarters integrates a 19th century farmhouse and barn - part of our offices for many years - with a new contemporary two-level 19,500-square-foot glass and steel building. The construction process and day-to-day maintenance provides valuable new knowledge, lessons that inform our grantmaking.

Residential Buildings in the Copper Country

This residential guide to designing and building a green home was developed as part of the Sustainable Futures II course offered at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI. With so much information available about green buildings, it can be a daunting task to sort through the material to obtain specific aspects of green buildings that a home builder might be interested in. The purpose of this guide is to act as a resource for home builders in the Copper Country area to provide a base for green building practices. Due to time constraints of the course, this guide does not include all aspects of green buildings. Instead, the most relative aspects of green building to the Copper Country were chosen and included in this guide.

Bissfield Michigan Home, Model of Sustainability, Earns LEEDS Platinum

Michigan’s first platinum-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award has been given to “Burnside’s Inn,” a home designed by Riverbend Timber Framing, Blissfield, and built by Robert Burnside’s Fireside Home Construction, Dexter.

Is green building costly?

Most people think that building green will break the bank when in reality green building is an affordable alternative.

The Natural Resources Defense Council tell us:

Green building skeptics sometimes argue that it's difficult or even impossible to build green without paying a big cost premium. But real-world examples show that you can complete a LEED-certified green building project for an average of 2 percent more in upfront costs, and sometimes even below standard market construction costs.

Industry experts say homeowners who toss about $3,000 extra into building green can expect to make up for that in a few years with lower utility bills.

Attend Great Lakes Green 2008

Coming up in on August 21-23 is the Residential Green Building Conference at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, DeVos Place - Grand Rapids, MI. Their website tells us:

The world of homebuilding is going green! More and more homeowners are realizing the impact that environmentally friendly building can have on their world. Learn what green building is, what standards constitute green building and how you can put it to use for your home building business. Green building makes sense - from an environmental and a fiscal perspective.

If you are or know of a student interested in green building you may want to check out the "Student Home Design Competition". There is an entry fee for each educational bracket but the payoff for winners is nice.

Competition - Green home building is exploding across the U.S. and the Great Lakes region. Are you interested in the fastest growing sector of the construction industry? Do you care about the environment and want to help create sustainable homes? If you are or are interested in pursuing a career in the building sciences, architecture or any construction-related field, here is your opportunity to learn, have fun, and earn some cold hard cash for school. Gather your classmates, form a team, and develop drawings that show off your vision for the future of green home construction.

For more on green building check out the following resources and articles:

Michigan Green is a group of energy companies and energy consultants, together with government agencies and schools, colleges, and universities, has joined forces to champion the cause of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Michigan and throughout the Nation.

The Alliance for Environmental Sustainability, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was founded in 2000 as a vehicle to bring the residential construction industry into the 21st-century. The goal of the founders was to provide training to builders and homebuyers for environmentally friendly, healthy and energy efficient building practices and products.

Green Built Michigan, an independent 501 (C)(3), was created in 2006 as a statewide green building certification, professional development and education organization. Initially housed in Grand Rapids, Green Built moved its headquarters to Lansing in 2007.

The Green Revolution from the Northern Express

Blueprints go green- Environmentally friendly buildings gaining popularity, certification - via Metro Times

'Green' elements huge at builders show - via Ann Arbor Business Review's Michigan Environmental Issues, Great Lakes' Environmental & Conservation News

Their service is free, and after getting some information about your project, they will work to match you with a plumber, electrician, roofer, painter or any other home service professional you're seeking. They research companies licensing and insurance, financial and legal background, customer references, and pricing - taking a lot of the hassle out of finding a contractor.

At the core of their service is Handy's Rating, an unbiased rating system under which service professionals can not pay a premium fee to increase their listing rank, rating or which type of jobs they receive.

If your businesses or organization would like to help to support what we do on Absolute Michigan (and reach an audience that loves Michigan), please consider Absolute Michigan sponsorship!

Whaley Historical House by sarrazak6881

The central portion of this handsome Victorian home was built in the late 1850s. Several prominent Flint families lived in it before Robert J. Whaley purchased it in 1884. Whaley a local lumberman and banker, remodeled the house extensively. Three bays, the library alcove and a west-end addition were among the exterior changes. The interior was enhanced by adding ornate woodwork and colorful tiled fireplaces. In 1925, Whaley's wife endowed the house, making it a home for elderly women. In 1975 it became the Whaley Historical House Museum.

On their history page you can learn about the Whaley family including patriarch Robert Jeremiah Whaley (1840 - 1922):

R. J. Whaley served as Citizens Bank's president for over forty years. His 1886 loan to the Flint Road Cart Company eventually led to the creation of General Motors in 1908. William C. Durant's bank book which records the loan is currently exhibited at WHHM courtesy of Citizens Bank.

There's some cool old portraits there and even information about the family pets. The photo is part of Sarah's Whaley Historical House Museum set and also her Downtown Flint Houses. She has helpfully placed it on Flickr's photo map!

"Loren Andrus Octagon House by Larry the Biker

Made with bricks that Loren Andrus himself made with local clay, the Andrus house is Michigan's most elaborate remaining example of the Octagon form, considered by many to be the first pure American housing style. The leading authority and promoter of these eight-sided wonders was Orson Squire Fowler who garnered a new interest in architecture when he wrote the book, "Home For All". The book highlighted the benefits of living in an octagonal home which Fowler believed were less expensive to build and that they permitted additional living space and received more natural light through their large windows and were easier to heat in the winter and keep cool in the summer because of the spiral staircase that encompassed the center of the house leading to the other floors.

In 1986 a non-profit organized to save the house. The Friends of the Octagon continue to restore and maintain the property and you can learn more about it at that link and also at The Octagon House on Michigan in Pictures. There's also an entry for The Octagon House on the Absolute Michigan map of Michigan.

Another home that follows Fowler's Octagon form is the Currier home which is on the Historic Register but is private.

Many more Michigan Historic Homes on Absolute Michigan.

Henderson Castle, Effets de Neige
by John Clement Howe

The homes in the neighborhoods of Stuart, West Main Hill and South Street in Kalamazoo reflect both the individuality and also the economic status of their original owners. There are a variety of architectural styles examples here from the the turn of the century. The most popular of these are Queen Anne and Renaissance style, but there are Italian, Gothic and Greek influences as well.

The Henderson Park neighborhood was platted by Frank Henderson, who took advantage of Kalamazoo's topography by rejecting a typical grid pattern in favor of curving, tree-lined streets and deep setbacks. The Kalamazoo Public Library's excellent Kalamazoo Local History section features articles and photos of many of the homes. The Henderson Castle feature says in part:

The Queen Anne style house--always called "The Castle" by local residents because of its ornate style and imposing hilltop location--was designed by C. A. Gombert of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and cost $72,000 to build. With seven baths, a thirteen-head shower, an elevator, a third-floor ballroom, and a hot tub on the roof (added later) the 25-room castle exemplifies high society and expensive tastes. The castle’s exterior is made of Lake Superior sandstone and brick, and the interior wood includes mahogany, bird’s eye maple, quartered oak, birch, and sycamore.

John Clement Howe has a great set of photos of the historic district in Kalamazoo (slideshow). The city has many sites on the national, state and local historic registers and you can get a walking tour map from the Kalamazoo County Convention & Visitors Bureau - call (269) 381-4003.

If you're looking for a rental, check out the Kalamazoo Area Rental Housing Association. If a home purchase is in your plans, try the Greater Kalamazoo Association of REALTORS®.

Check out more Michigan Neighborhoods from Absolute Michigan

Bottle House by agilitynut

This home was built by John J. Makinen, Sr. using over 60,000 bottles laid on their sides with the bottoms toward the exterior. Most of the bottles were from his own company, The Northwestern Bottling Works. The house was completed in 1941 but sadly Mr. Makinen passed away before he could move in. The house was purchased by the Kaleva Historical Museum in 1981 and is listed on the National and Michigan Register of Historical Sites. The museum includes items relating to lumbering, farming, homemaking, office machines, railroad, local area schools and so much more. Please call the Kaleva Historical Society at 231-362-3519 for tour information.

You can see more photos of the Kaleva Bottle House on Flickr and in Julie Quinn's Kaleva Bottle House Gallery. Read more at Roadside America's Kaleva, Michigan Bottle House entry and other bottle houses from agilitynut.com!

The Manistee Chamber of Commerce has a complete list of historic homes and buildings to see in the Manistee area.

More Michigan Historic Homes on Absolute Michigan.

Wing House by KatheD

This impressive Second Empire style home with mansard roof sheathed in tin was constructed in 1875 for Jay Chandler (1850-1884) and his young bride Frances. This home has an open, two-bay porch along the front . The brick walls are covered with clapboard siding and a triple-bay porch with a balustrade of turned spindles and finials. The interior of the house features mahogany paneling, carved mantlepieces and period furnishings. The Michigan Historical Marker reads:

Lucius M.Wing (1839-1921), Civil War captain, county sheriff, and prominent businessman, purchased this residence in 1882. That same year he served a term as mayor. Making notable contributions to the industrial, financial and social life if the city, he was the long time president of the local bank, a manufacturer of cigars and the founder of the Bon Ami Social club. The house remained in the family for three generations until acquired by the Branch County Historical Society in 1974 for use as a historical museum.

The Wing House Museum is located at 27 South Jefferson in Coldwater. There is no official web site but you can get directions and other details from the Michigan Historical Markers web site or call them at 517-278-2871.

More Michigan Historic Homes on Absolute Michigan.

Alger lived here until his death in 1930. From 1936 to 1948, the house was used by the Detroit Institute of Arts as a branch museum. In 1949 it was deeded to the Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association in memory of those who served and died in the service of our nation and for facilitating the educational, cultural, and civic needs of the community.

Visitor information can be found at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial , and you can see more photos and learn about the Algers from the Gross Pointe Historical Society.

More Michigan Historic Homes on Absolute Michigan.

VOIGT HOUSE by GR58

The Voigt House is an elegant and perfectly preserved Victorian mansion was built for Carl G. A. Voigt in 1895. Voigt came to Grand Rapids in 1870 and ran a mill and dry goods store with W. G. Herpolsheimer. In 1902, when the partnership ended, Voigt took over the milling works.

The house was designed by eminent local architect William G. Robinson, was inspired by the chateaux at Chenonceaux, France. The design is pure Victorian, with a warren of rooms, each with its own function and purpose. The interior is furnished opulently with original possessions of the Voigt Family. Features include the cove ceiling with stenciling, some of which had been designed by the youngest Voight daughters.

In 1972, a year after the death of the last occupant, Ralph Voigt, the house became a public museum.

Explore more Michigan Historic Homes on Absolute Michigan.

Tower of Power by docksidepress

Heritage Hill has 1,300 homes that date from 1848 and representing over 60 architectural styles. To understand just how diverse these styles can be, visit the Voight House Museum, a beautiful example of Queen Anne architecture and then walk a few blocks over to the Meyer May house which was Frank Lloyd Wright's first commission in Michigan. Heritage Hill is adjacent to downtown and was the first "neighborhood" in Grand Rapids. The original owners of these homes were everything from lumber barons and judges to teachers. Today the people that occupy this neighborhood still come from all types of backgrounds, ethnic groups and incomes.

The Heritage Hill Neighborhood Association has information about walking tours of Heritage Hill and the very cool Heritage Hill mapping project. They host an annual home tour the first weekend in October.

Matt (docksidepress) has over 300 photos from Heritage Hill, you can view more photos of Heritage Hill in the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr and see even more photos and information about Heritage Hill from Rapid Growth. There's also a book titled Almost Lost: Building and Preserving Heritage Hill by Thomas Logan that explores how close Grand Rapids came to losing the neighborhood in the 60s and 70s.

We'll be featuring more Michigan Neighborhoods all month on Absolute Michigan!

Pickle Barrel House by agilitynut

Here's a fun one!

Two huge barrels make up this unique and much-loved landmark that has been restored and opened back up as a museum. The house was built for William Donahey creator of the Teenie Weenie comic cartoon feature by a grocery distributor grateful for the attention that the Teenie Weenies brought to its advertisements and products.

Originally this unusual structure was located in the woods outside of the small town of Grand Marias, functioning as a summer cottage for the Donaheys. The smaller barrel at the back was the kitchen, and the main "barrel" had two stories for living area and bedroom. It was eventually moved into Grand Marias to its current location on the corner of main street and H-58.

The photographer has a bunch of great historical shots of this. You can view a few shots of the interior at The Pickle Barrel House restoration (also see Then & Now) and learn more about the Teenie Weenies from the Wisconsin Historical Society.

More Michigan Historic Homes on Absolute Michigan.

The Governor's Lansing residence was built in 1957 for Howard and Letha Sober, who donated it to the state in 1969. American architect Wallace Frost, who was known for traditional architecture, designed the residence. The contemporary residence was a departure from his usual style. A garden room was added in the mid 1970s. The residence sits on approximately four acres in the Moores River Drive neighborhood of Lansing. Governors who have lived in the residence during their office tenure are William Milliken, James Blanchard, John Engler and Jennifer Granholm.

The summer residence on Mackinac Island was built in 1902 and is a three-story structure located on a bluff that overlooks the Straits of Mackinac. The home features eleven bedrooms, nine and one-half bathrooms and a full basement. The interior features yellow pine, while the exterior is constructed of Michigan white pine. The house retains many original fixtures and furnishings from the original owners. Since the first official function in 1945, Michigan's governors have used this home to host important events with national and state leaders. The house was named to the National Register of Historical Places in 1997.

You can learn more about both residences from The Governor's Residence Foundation (includes a photo gallery).

Absolute Michigan will be featuring more Michigan Historic Homes all month!

Homes along East Ferry Avenue - Detroit MI by pinehurst19475

For the month of March, Absolute Michigan will be featuring Homes with stories about historic Michigan houses, home & home design blogs, green building and other new trends in construction and redevelopment, and some of the great neighborhoods across the state for buying and renting. We'll also take a look at Michigan's real estate market and seek some answers for home buyers and sellers in how to get through this difficult time. Where we can, we'll feature some Michigan businesses who can help you make your home better through home improvements and enhancing your decor and furnishings.

As always, we recognize that there's so much to know and talk about and we really hope you'll help us with comments and emailed tips for stories!

Regarding the photo, pinehurst19475 says that the East Ferry Historic District began as an exclusive residential area in the late 1880s, after serving as an experimental seed farm for the Ferry Seed Company. Building continued through the 1920s, and today the area is a mix of well maintained structures used for residential, commercial and institutional purposes. The district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It's part of a great Residential Detroit set of photos.

well red by suesue2

For the whole month of March, we'll be featuring Homes on Absolute Michigan with features about historic Michigan homes, green building and other new trends in construction and some great neighborhoods across the state. Because you can't tune in any media without hearing how terrible the housing market is, we'll also talk to some people about the whys, wherefores and how that can be overcome.

Our Homes & Real Estate section can probably give you some other hints about topics we'll feature including home improvement and interior decorating. However, if you're hot to get in the garden, you'll have to wait for April when we feature gardening & Michigan flora!

Have ideas for topics? All you have to do is post a comment or send an email!

You gotta click through and see it bigger!

Nathan takes some amazing photos of Michigan's cities and urban architecture. Have a look at his photos of Ann Arbor (especially this one) and Grand Rapids (especially this one ... and that one ... oh and better not miss this one).

He's got all kinds of other great photos too that will open your eyes a little wider - check them out.

Cloudy buildings, forward and behind by caterpillars

Rivertowner combines information about the development of Detroit's riverfront with information about life along the riverfront (sometimes touching on Windsor, Canada), creating a fascinating view of life in Detroit and how the city is revitalizing itself as a place to live, work, and visit.

When it's not considering weighty questions such as What kind of shoe would Detroit be?, serving up interesting facts about fixtures of the Detroit riverfront like the Globe Building or snapping photos of startling wildlife, the site can be counted on to provide an informed look at planned efforts to revitalize the city like scheduled work on the Dequindre Cut Greenway, Tricentennial Park, the Book Cadillac redevelopment and Hart Plaza:

"The planned renovations of Hart Plaza would go a long way towards helping the public space live up to its potential. There would be a lot more green space for people to enjoy, and the DEGC (the city’s main economic development agency) evidently worked with the festival organizers to ensure that the reconfigured design would benefit the festivals. What’s more, a new restaurant and café in the plaza would give visitors an additional reason to make the hike across Jefferson Avenue. And the new 3,000-seat amphitheater will give Detroit an urban performance venue on par with those of other cities, bringing additional visitors and economic activity into downtown. "

If you love Detroit or are interested in following its rebirth, I really think you'll enjoy Rivertowner.

Today is Detroit's 306th birthday. Yes, it sort of looks its age. But in honor of the occasion, and inspired by a thread at the DetroitYES forum, I thought I'd list what I consider to be the Seven Wonders of Detroit. I felt these should be pretty unique, characteristic of Detroit, and man-made.

Check out the 7 wonders of Detroit.

Photo credit: Detroit River by James Phelps

Watch Sicko online ... if you want

After I read this interview with Michigan's most controversial filmmaker Michael Moore where he says he has no idea how his new documentary about the health care industry got on the internet, and that he's "...just happy that people get to see my movies," I figured it would be OK to link to a site where you can watch Sicko online. Here's the link to the official Sicko web site and also Absolute Michigan keyword theater (if you want to watch it with someone else making the popcorn).

The Birds of Brush Park

Bootstrap Analysis takes a visit to Detroit's Brush Park neighborhood to survey for birds and feed an interest in Detroit history. In addition to picking up some surprising birds - a Cooper's Hawk being pursued by an American Kestrel, and two different Gray Catbirds defending their territories - there's also a lot of photos and information on what was once the city's most posh neighborhood.

Brush Park - 291 Edmund Place

While I was tempted to trot out the ever-popular Old Slumpy today, I thought it best to choose a photo that shows the revitalization of Brush Park. The condos pictured are available to rent at edmundplace.com. Zunzuncito has a set of Brush park photos and also runs the blog Urban Dragon Hunters (about dragonflies of SE Michigan).

Michigan wines are a growth industry

In her new Michigan Grapevine blog, Cari Noga says that rather than counting the number of wineries in the state (50 or so), the best measure of success and growth is the total amount of wine these wineries are producing. In 1996, Michigan wineries made about 82,000 cases. 10 years later, we've seen almost a tenfold increase, up to 404,276 cases. She also notes that Michigan's share of wine sold within the state is increasing as well (though not at the rate of overall production). Read How much wine are we talking about, anyway?.

Fremont, Michigan

As with most of Michigan, the Fremont forecast calls for a good chance of much-needed rain. The City of Fremont (pop. 4200 or so) is located less than an hour from Grand Rapids and the Lake Michigan shore (view Google map). The Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce says that Fremont is home to the world's largest baby food company, Gerber Products. In fact, they have a National Babyfood Festival every July which Absolute Michigan keyword Fremont thinks is the coolest thing to do. For the insatiably curious, Wikipedia's Fremont entry describes how Fremont became home to Gerber Products.

Today Transformers opens at screens across the country, and we thought it would be a good idea to give a shout out to the city of Detroit in general, and Detroit's Michigan Central Station in particular. As the still above shows, MCS gets some face time in the summer blockbuster. The building is a favorite of many of the photographers who provide work for Absolute Michigan, and we've assembled our Absolute Michigan MCS Transformers Explosion most especially for all of them. As always, please add more links to photos and MCS lore in the comments.

On the Absolute Michigan channel at chime.tv we're featuring a 1987 video of Michigan Central Station from the Sunday Times that explores the then operational station with a few old timers that you have to check out. There's also a tour from 1999 that shows how far the depot fell in just 12 years.

The photo to the right - Ago by Jurgen Nation (Anastacia Campbell) - is part of a great set of Michigan Central Station photos that does a wonderful job of bringing home the shattered beauty of this abandoned Detroit landmark.

A search of the michigancentralstation tag on Flickr reveals that MCS is a favorite of Detroit's urban explorers. From the dramatic profile to the empty waiting room to the haunted hallways, MCS seems to draw cameras more powerfully than any other building in Michigan. Also check out a tour of Michigan Central Station from UrbanPlanet.org and the Detroit's Abandoned Train Station gallery at SeeDetroit.com.

Over on Michigan in Pictures today we have a few photos from the book Detroit's Michigan Central Station that show the station in all its glory. The Michigan Central Station entry on Wikipedia includes a photo of Michigan Central Station from December of 1913. David Kohrman at Forgotten Detroit has a Michigan Central Depot page with a good look at the history of MCS. On it he says that he views the fall of this monument as the ultimate symbol of the automobile's complete triumph over public transportation, something I'd never thought of but that makes a heck of a lot of sense.

I guess that brings things around to the Autobots. Making stars of cars in the Freep takes a look at the 4 GM vehicles that will appear in Transformers, talks with former Detroit Wonk and current Jalopnik editor Ray Wert about the appeal of Transformers, and says that a new Transformers animated series will be set in the city of Detroit. Speaking of Jalopnik, it's probably the place to go for all your car to robot to car Transformers photos and video. Any that you can't find there are probably in the Transformers photo pool on Flickr.

The annual Michigan Energy Fair will be held June 22-24, 2007 at the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama. Billed as "one of the most comprehensive expositions of renewable energy generating equipment, home and business energy efficiency techniques, and technical workshops in the state" the Fair features over 100 exhibitors and 60 workshops promoting energy efficiency, biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, renewable energy technologies like solar and wind power, and techniques for living sustainably.

The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association is bringing in several noted speakers including Eric Larsen, William Cooke, Jim Nichols, and Dr. Chris Schilling. Workshops will address topics including making gasoline from waste plastics, creating jobs, reducing pollution through renewable energy and energy efficiency, local government or school district green power project, and energizing Michigan's economy.

Michigan send $18 billion dollars to other states in energy costs. With activities for kids, food, music and a wide range of exhibitors, the Michigan Energy Fair is a great place to learn about how we can go about reversing this drain on our state's economy.

Energy Fair Links

The Michigan land Use Institute took a look back at the 2006 Michigan Energy Fair.

The Energy Fair model house pictured above was designed by Image Design, LLC and built by Hybrid Homes LLC and you can see some pictures of the home in process at those sites.

Check Absolute Michigan keyword energy for a gigawatt more related links and articles.

...and so you don't get too depressed, check out this Model D article about renovations in the Brush Park neighborhood.

The photo is old Slumpy I presume? by Paul Hitz.

by sparky05

The New York Times had an excellent article (From Michigan, a Clean-Running Museum) on the new Grand Rapids Art Museum. When Peter Wege pledged $20 million to relocate the GRAM, he required that the new building be "green." The museum is slated to open in October and is expected to receive a gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

This is also a great time to introduce Andy Dragt's new videoblog, Developing Grand Rapids. In The New GRAM, Andy takes a tour of the construction and offers his observations. Also, be sure to click over to Sparky's photostream for regular photographic updates of the construction.

You may also want to head over to gramOnline.org for renderings of what the Grand Rapids Art Museum will look like when completed.

Yellow House by anikarenina

The Detroit News reports (Buying a home? Tax freeze may be on way) that Michigan's House Democrats have proposed a package of bills calling for a state-backed second mortgage to provide six months of foreclosure protection to people who have lost their jobs and also for an 18-month moratorium on increases in the taxable value of a residence for homes bought and sold between March 1 and Sept. 1, 2008. While Realtors and even Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop have expressed interest in the legislation (provided it moves quickly so as not to depress the already despondent market further):

Michigan Suburbs Alliance Executive Director Conan Smith said the tax-increase moratorium would "undermine our cities" by preventing them from collecting the full property taxes on homes sold during the next 18 months. Smith said 70 Michigan cities "sit on the brink of insolvency and cannot afford to take the hit promised by the proposal."

Sometime over the weekend, the 10,000th photo was posted to our Absolute Michigan photo group on Flickr. Photo 10K was taken at the construction of a new casino in Greektown by Mac of Detroit Bike Blog fame.

It's an amazing milestone for us and we are so grateful to all the 400+ people who have chose to share their photos with the Absolute Michigan community!

Note: Mac decided to remove his photos from Flickr due to infringement issues. You can see his pictures on his blog though! 

Framed by detroitsky

Yesterday's Detroit News had an interesting article on the 9th Annual Detroit Design Workshop, an annual affair where:

Some of the nation's leading city planners, architects and designers envision a downtown Detroit in 2011 with 10,000 new residents, a big box retailer to replace the MGM Grand Detroit temporary casino, a new arena for the Detroit Red Wings on Grand River and more green space ... previous workshops helped propel plans that resulted in the redevelopment of the Detroit riverfront, the privatization of Eastern Market and the creation of pedestrian/bike pathways.

Read Planners lay out ideas for Detroit in the Detroit News and get more information from 5D: The Detroit Design Workshop (including a very interesting video from the 5D workshop). Really, check the video out - it explains their very innovative process and is worth a watch!

Below is a screen capture that demonstrates the dramatic change in the city over the years. The white represents buildings and black is streets and open space.