Black mountains, white summer. Leaves, the wind comes for thee.

As Fall approaches, I realize that I’ve been MIA for quite awhile. Fear not…I have plenty to jabber about so fresh content is coming soon.

In the meantime, go to the WSU Football home opener on Saturday.

KP.

Having intended to make it to the Wayne State Farmers Market when it was only being put on once a month, I finally made it over there a couple of weeks ago. In case you haven’t heard about it, the Wednesday Farmers Market is put together by SEED Wayne (Sustainable Food Systems, Education, and Engagement in Detroit and Wayne State University) and features farmers from the Detroit region offering fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, flowers, and more.

The market is located on Cass Ave. in front of Prentis Hall and is now being held every Wednesday from 11am to 4pm (through October 28th). The market vendors accept cash, Michigan Bridge Cards, and even your WSU One Card. I’m hoping to shop there as often as I can and it will be interesting to see how the food offerings change from Summer to Fall.

This time around, I picked up a red leaf salad blend from the ”Grown in Detroit” booth. I ate it with dinner later in the evening and the flavors were rich and earthy; much more satisfying than typical iceberg lettuce. Though I’m not sure I could afford to buy it every week, I do have a sense of pride from supporting local vendors so that makes it even more worthwhile.

In addition to the Grown in Detroit Cooperative, the market also features various local vendors such as D-Town Farm, Vandalia Gardens, Earthworks Urban Farm,  and Avalon International Breads. The market certainly has some room for expansion but I’m not expecting it to be like Eastern Market. In fact, though the offerings are obviously slimmer, it’s a good break from the hustle and bustle of Eastern Market on Saturdays. Everyone is extremely friendly and informative and the people at the SEED Wayne booth are more than willing to describe their purpose, goals, etc.

SEED Wayne works in partnership with community-based organizations promoting food security, urban agriculture, farm-to-institution, and food and fitness planning and policy development. Besides the market, they maintain campus gardens, send out a newsletter called “Wayne SEEDLING,” and put together various other projects including seminars and public lectures. They’re always looking for volunteers so if you have some extra time, lend a hand. If you’d like more information about the market or SEED Wayne, contact Kami Pothukuchi at k.pothukuchi@wayne.edu.

If you like humour blogs, Pillow Fights and Boxing Tuesday will knock your socks off. Laura Witkowski is the scribe and she’s also one part of the “Wonder Twins” who have a (weekly?) column in the Metro Times print edition.

Speaking of the Metro Times, there is a great cover story in the issue from last week (June 10). Curt Guyette chronicles the situation involving the construction of a second bridge span (from Detroit to Windsor) by Manuel “Matty” Moroun. That may not sound like a big deal, but he’s started building it without government permission! Keep in mind that this is the same guy who owns the infamous, rotting Train Station as well as the abandoned building where a man was found frozen at the bottom of an elevator shaft this past winter. If you care about Detroit, get informed and read the article (Metro Times).

Robber Barons aside, there are still plenty of things to be happy about in Detroit. The New York Post is in the midst of doing stories about each of the 50 states and Michigan is currently up at the plate. If you’ve lived in Detroit at all, most of the information in the article should be pretty familiar to you. Regardless, it’s a solid read so check it out : They Serve Pizza in Hell  (NY Post)

Hello everyone,

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus recently but I shall return with a vengeance! Life has a way of throwing you for a loop when you least expect it and the loops have been coming at me in full force. 

I did find some time to check out the Wayne State Farmer’s Market last week. I managed to snap a few photographs and purchased a tasty, Detroit-grown lettuce blend. Look for a post on that and other topics soon!

Wayne State will be hosting their annual film festival, MovingMedia, from May 22-24. I participated in the festival last year and it was a great experience. My film “Cold Heat” was a part of the COM 1600 showcase in the Experimental Film category. While I didn’t submit a film for this year’s festival, I plan to attend and I strongly encourage you to do so as well. The Wayne State film program has been getting stronger every ear and the work that I’ve seen from fellow students has been solid. Also, students from other area schools such as Eastern Michigan, Lawrence Tech, and the College for Creative Studies have been invited to make submissions. With that additional influx of talent and productions, the competition at the festival is sure to be fierce.

Friday, May 22
6:30pm – Opening Reception (Schaver Recital Hall)

Saturday, May 23
1:30-3:00pm – COM 1600 Student Film Showcase
4:00-5:30pm – Experimental and Animation
7:00-10:00pm – Narrative, Music Video, and Documentary
(General Lectures Building – Room 150)

Sunday, May 24
3:00pm – 48-Hour Film Challenge Showcase

For more information, visit the MovingMedia website.

I, like many of my fellow campus-area denizens, like to ride my bike to class whenever possible. When not locking up in front of Old Main, Manoogian Hall, etc, I’m pedaling over to Belle Isle, Eastern Market, New Center and anywhere else that my legs can propel me. Yet another cycling destination will be made available later this week. 

Though it’s been “unofficially open” for almost a year, the Dequindre Cut Greenway will open for real this Thursday (May 14, 2009). The Dequindre Cut is a 1.2 mile greenway with separate paved lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. The cut used to be a rail line and it is below street level for most of its length. You can enter at the South from Woodbridge St. and from the North at Gratiot. There is also an entrance ramp at Lafayette. 

To commemorate the opening of the cut, there will be a party on Thursday with various activities, tours, and entertainment. Get more information at www.detroitriverfront.org.

Wow, the semester is nearly coming to a close and needless to say, I’m a bit stressed out as I scramble to finish my final film project. I’m sure my fellow college students can sympathize. Those of you not yet in college? Well, just know that it isn’t all fun and games. I’ll throw a few solid posts up this weekend when I have some time to sit down and gather my thoughts. In the meantime, here are some quick hits for your viewing pleasure:

- The Detroit Lions have the first pick in the NFL Draft this year. Ah yes, another chance to grab a shining star such as Charles “Sir-Smoke-a-lot” Rogers or Joey “Blue Eyes” Harrington. Well, if you’re into this type of thing, here’s a solid mock draft that has a lot of good player analysis: NFL Draft Countdown.

- Local favorites The Hentchmen are playing at the Painted Lady (in Hamtramck) on Saturday night. Rekindle your love for Detroit “garage rock” and check ‘em out. I’m too broke to splurge for a ticket to see Flight of the Conchords so it will be a solid weekend alternative. 

- The official 2009 Lollapalooza lineup has been released…I can’t say that I’m too impressed. I was fortunate enough to have attended last year when Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine were headliners, amongst others. So, maybe I’m just biased because there was no way that the organizers would be able to surpass the stellar ‘08 lineup.

- The Wayne State Graduate Student Art Exhibit – Friday, April 24th from 5:00pm-7:00pm.

- Evidently, a WSU marching band is in the works – South End

Shoot over to the Russell Industrial Center on Friday night for the second annual Art Battle. 30 artists will create a work of art using their preferred medium in a competition from 7-11 p.m. The attending audience gets to vote for their favorite piece at the end of the competition and the artist with the most votes will walk away with a $1,000 prize. From what I understand, the party will rage on into the evening with music and dancing. Only $10 to get in and it’s definitely worth checking out.

The Mitten Movie Project is a monthly film night dedicated to screening independent films, shorts, trailers, music videos, documentaries, student films, video art pieces, etc. the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak, MI.

Coincidentally (ahem…), a film of mine is a part of the lineup for the April 7th installment of the MMP!

It’s called Cold Heat (click here to view) and I made it while taking a production class at Wayne State. Enough with the shameless self-promotion; this month’s MMP also features a sock puppet porno as well as various other shorts, trailers, documentaries, and animated films. 

Come out and support local filmmaking! Pre-sale tickets are available for only $8 at myspace.com/mittenmovieproject. Tickets at the door are $10.

If you’d like to have your film included in a future MMP, submission is FREE and easy. Visit the myspace site for details.

Hello boils and ghouls (apologies to the Crypt Keeper),

With hordes of college basketball enthusiasts ascending into Detroit for the Final Four, expect lots of entertainment options and maybe a burning couch or two. I suppose the latter depends on the degree of success Michigan State enjoys in the tournament, but you can count on the former regardless of game scores.

Various national music acts are playing FREE shows on the Riverfront, east of the Renaissance Center. Jesse McCartney (NO relation to Paul) goes on at 7:30 tonight (Friday) followed by N.E.R.D at 9:00. Other acts and events include Fergie, Gym Class Heroes, Staind, the Hoop City Basketball Experience, open practices, and more. Check out the Free Press website for a comprehensive Final Four Weekend Schedule. 

The previous link covers all of the big time happenings but there’s plenty of other options. Apparently, the Hockeytown Cafe is the “Official Headquarters for UConn fans” and their kickoff event tonight features the Von Bondies playing at the City Theatre (adjacent to the cafe) for FREE. Wristbands for that show will be handed out to the first 250 people starting at 6:00 and the show starts at 7:30. Get there early chaps!

Last but not least, the Motor City Rock Revue is set to take place on Sunday night at the Magic Stick and features a lineup of local bands including The Silent Years, the Hentchmen, the Muggs, Deastro, Spitting Nickels, and more. It costs $12 to get in and is an 18+ show.

Also, don’t forget about the FREE Deastro record release show in Pontiac on Saturday night (See my previous post for details).

The City of Detroit and its humble/hipster residents are in for quite a weekend….