So Many Things Going On, So Little Time...

I am heading out of town this week, so I am going to miss (for the second year in a row) the Holidays in the Heart of the City event, which includes a fundraiser/keg party/silent auction for the Saginaw Art Museum. There will also be a new opening on Friday the 20th at the Court Street Gallery. For more information on these events, you can visit the calendar at 360 Main Street.

Speaking of 360 Main Street, it is updating regularly now. Two stories went up on Monday, and I believe we will have a new story publishing each day this week. My recent contributions include the article on BreakOut Night returning to the Hancock Theatre and the article on La Union Civica's upcoming Tamale Taste-Off. You can read it all here, plus much, much more.

More good news: It looks like the road construction on Outer Drive in BV is near completion (and may already be completed by the time of this posting). I was out there on Monday and it looked like they were finishing things up.

On a totally unrelated note: there are great photos currently on display at El Rancho Grande on N. Michigan.

Also, my book was recently reviewed by Marc Beaudin here.

I am taking my dad out to eat tonight for his birthday (which is actually in two days when I will be in Chicago). We have out favorite places we like to go, but this made me think of another food question: Where is the best place in Saginaw to get barbeque? I am a big fan of Magic Kitchen, but my boyfriend is very much not a fan of Magic Kitchen. So I am looking for answers from you. Drop a comment below or hit me up on e-mail. I am craving some good barbeque. Thanks!

P.S. Oh hey, don't we have a new mayor? Any thoughts about this? I'll always remember former Mayor Joyce Seals's powerful readings of Roethke poems on the Court Street Bridge. Also, I had the opportunity to meet former Mayor Pro Tem Larry Coulouris (who is a friend of my dad's).

Fort Saginaw Mall is meeting the wrecking ball

Demolition of Saginaw's first-enclosed shopping mall began yesterday. Read the SN article here.

[Note: demolition may have begun on Wednesday. The caption of the photo says Thursday, but the article says Wednesday. I am only out there once a week, on Mondays, so I can't confirm when it began just yet.]

Court Street Gallery gets some press in the Saginaw News

Finally. Scott Baker's article "Art gallery moves into Old Saginaw City" can be read here.

[Aside: Scott Baker? I thought he was a Review writer. Has he always written for the SN too, or is this a recent development? Seems like more and more local writers are pulling double duties...]

Photo of the Day

Thanks to Brad Osmond.

BV Construction

Does anyone know when the construction on Webber Street in Buena Vista is scheduled to be complete? Just wondering....

New Goodwill Store?

There was an ad in the classifieds this past Sunday looking for part-time workers for a new Goodwill store opening in Saginaw. Interested people can apply at the current location on S. Michigan. The last time I was in the store, I saw they had removed the Goodwill Optical, but I did not know about them moving to a new location. Anyone know where the new Goodwill will be?

360 Main Street Update

360 Main Street seems to have found its stride and is updating daily. Recent articles include a review of Michael Sikkema's Futuring, an interview with Hell's Half Mile Festival Director Alan LaFave, an article on local Celt-punk band the Tosspints, an argument for breastfeeding, and a review of two cds: Orpheum Bell's Pearls, and Musique Noire's Good Hair. You can read it all here.

Also, you can tune into Q 90.1 tomorrow morning at 9am to hear Brad Osmond, Jeanne Lesinski, and me talk about 360 Main Street on "FM Forum" with Jennifer VandeZande.