This is not an official blog of the City. It is the work of Mark Kapel who is solely responsible for content.

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Monday, September 30, 2013

Henry Ford and the Company He Kept.Bloomfield Historical Society, Wednesday October 2nd at 7pm.Bloomfield Township Library. Free Admission.








                                 

Program sponsored jointly by Bloomfield Historical Society and the Bloomfield Township Library. 

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Detroit Symphony Orchestra String Quartet at Baldwin Public Library. This Wednesday October 2nd at 7pm.


The Baldwin Public Library and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will present an evening of music at the Library on Wednesday, October 2 at 7 p.m. The event features a performance by a string quartet comprised of DSO musicians.

The quartet consists of First Violinist Laurie Goldman and Assistant Concert Master Hai Xin Wu, both on violin, Paul Wingert on cello, and Hang Su on viola. Their concert will feature String Quartet #2 by Alexander Zemlinsky and Lullaby by George Gershwin.

“The Library is proud to offer cultural programming of all kinds, but we are particularly happy to welcome members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to perform in our community,” said Library Director Doug Koschik.

This performance is funded through the support of the Jane Cameron Endowment Fund and will be offered free of charge to the public. The concert will take place in the Rotary Room, in the lower level of the Library.


To put you in the mood we have included this You Tube Clip of the Paray String Quartet playing Beethoven Opus 18 no.4  at  Masta (Michigan Chapter of American String Teachers Association).

Amazing the power and range of just  four instruments.

The Baldwin Public Library can be reached at 248-647-1700 or www.baldwinlib.org. The Library is located at 300 West Merrill Street in downtown Birmingham.  

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Michigan Library Association Picks Local Resident Larry Neal as Librarian on the Year.




 Locally, In 2011 the Birmingham Bloomfield  Chamber of Commerce  picked  Larry Neal as it's 2011 Person of The Year.  That year ended with the successful passage of a millage in which the City would contract with the Baldwin Library for services.  That ended a seven year drought of full Library Services  for the City. 

The efforts that resulted in a Library for the City began in the Summer of 2010 when Mr. Neal first appeared before Commission to discuss ideas for renewed library services.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

New Stephen King and Sandra Browne novels highlight Baldwin New Titles 9/24/2013



The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri:  Brothers Subhash and Udayan Mitra pursue vastly different lives - Udayan in rebellion-torn Calcutta, Subhash in a quiet corner of America - until a shattering tragedy compels Subhash to return to India, where he endeavors to heal family wounds. Check Availability
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King:  On highways across America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death. Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes "Doctor Sleep."  Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival. Check Availability

Deadline by Sandra BrownDawson Scott is a well-respected journalist recently returned from Afghanistan. Haunted by everything he experienced, he's privately suffering from battle fatigue which is a threat to every aspect of his life. But then he gets a call from a source within the FBI. A new development has come to light in a story that began 40 years ago. It could be the BIG story of Dawson's career one in which he has a vested interest. Soon, Dawson is covering the disappearance and presumed murder of former Marine Jeremy Wesson, the biological son of the pair of terrorists who remain on the FBI's Most Wanted list. As Dawson delves into the story, he finds himself developing feelings for Wesson's ex-wife, Amelia, and her two young sons. But when Amelia's nanny turns up dead, the case takes a stunning new turn, with Dawson himself becoming a suspect.
Killing Jesus by Bill O’Reilly:  Millions of readers have thrilled to author Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, page-turning works of nonfiction that have changed the way we read history. Now the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly two thousand years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion people attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God. Killing Jesus will take readers inside Jesus's life, recounting the seismic political and historical events that made his death inevitable - and changed the world forever. Check Availability

Iron Man 3 (DVD): When Tony Stark/Iron Man finds his entire world reduced to rubble, he must use all his ingenuity to survive, destroy his enemy, and somehow protect those he loves. But a soul-searching question haunts him: Does the man make the suit, or does the suit make the man? Check Availability.



Monday, September 23, 2013

City Celebration Day Like a Mini World's Fair.

Sunday September 22nd  was a day in which the City of Bloomfield Hills hosted a mini world’s fair and threw open its doors to welcome all from anywhere.

Seven attractions vied for attention. They included St. Hugo’s of the Hill, The Public Safety Department at City  Hall, The Village Club,  Cranbrook Institute of Science,  Cranbrook Art Museum, Cranbrook House and Gardens , and Christ Church Cranbrook.

That is two churches, a fire department, a police department, a landmark  community  club that was once a barn,  two museums  and two historic  homes and gardens.

Not bad for a day’s work and impossible to accomplish in a  1pm and 5 pm half day. 
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To whom do we owe this unique and wonderful experience?
To many and few. The many would be the extra efforts of the seven attractions whose staff provided an outstanding experience with the enthusiasm that would be the envy of a Disney attractions. 

The few are the City’s greatest asset, its residents. There are those who play on the world stage and there are those who just have a good idea that clicks.

Every year for the last five years residents have come forward with initiatives or ideas that have benefited the city in one way or other. 

In 2009 residents Margaret Brophy and Robert Toohey  working independently, on separate issues  started mailing letters to residents about what irked them about the City. The letters written at their own expense were sometimes funded by friends and neighbors who also signed on. This direct mail campaign is thought to have an effect in 2010 city election. 

In 2010  resident Larry Neal  came up with what he believed would be a solution to the City’s lack of a library. The proposal he put on the ballot lost at the polls . The Library issue however, thanks to his efforts was revitalized and in 2011 the City signed a three year contract with the Baldwin Library.  

That same year Mark Kapel  with the assistance of the Oakland Press Blog Workshop started the City of Bloomfield Hills Blog which you are now reading. 

In 2012 Michael McCready  a veteran of nothing more than our City Commission decided to run for State Representative. No one nominated him or asked him do so. He was on his own and at his own expense. In fact many of the political pros thought he was entering a crowded field late and gave him little chance. They were wrong and today Michael McCready is our  State Representative.

In 2013  City Resident Mary Juras came to City Commission with the idea of expanding the 2012 Public Safety Open House into multi attraction event. 

She chaired a committee which included the Mayor, resident Nancy Olin and some of the principals who hosted events. Juras told this publication that her  Committee worked wonderfully  and  she gave them most of the credit.

Those are five years of the few, whose individual efforts have benefited many.

When the Celebrate event was first announced in January,  meeting minutes and the word  provided to the press said the event would be held at no expense to the City. 

If that is true then all concerned benefited from a whole lot of donating.

The City of Bloomfield Hills has many  friends. Nevertheless money is money and the negotiation efforts of Chairperson Juras, committee member Mayor McClure, committee member  and City resident Nancy Olin, and Public Safety Director Hendrickson are not  to be discounted. Donations included....

The Village Club provided an afternoon long no charge Ice Cream Social.

Christ Church Cranbrook provided the free services of docents by the dozens (or so it seemed) who picked up new arrivals quicker than a sales person  working a  used car lot. Virtually one on one unforgettable tours of one of the City’s most fascinating landmarks, was then provided.

The Beaumont helicopter as part of the event landed across street from City Hall and what seemed to be hundreds of kids ran across traffic controlled and blocked off Long Lake Rd. for a closer look.  One observer from a half mile away said it looked like the greatest mad dash since the Red sea parted for Moses.

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Books and Bites Fundraiser to benefit outreach efforts of Baldwin Public Library.









  Tickets are now on sale for Baldwin Public Library’s “Books & Bites at Baldwin.” Join us for Books & Bites at Baldwin on Thursday, November 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Be part of this evening at $50 per person by calling 248-554-4683 to make your reservation. Opportunities for donors and sponsorship are also available. See www.baldwinlib.org/booksbites for event details.

Attendees will have their choice of wine and beer provided by Big Rock Chophouse and Griffin Claw Brewing Company. A strolling dinner is being prepared by Bistro Joe’s, Café Via, Churchill's Bistro & Cigar Bar, Frank Street Bakery, Townhouse and What Crepe?. Live music will be performed by Sean Blackman. Complimentary valet parking is provided by In House Valet

We have a wonderful team putting together another big night for Birmingham. We are grateful for the continued support of our sponsors and the community,” said Doug Koschik, Library Director.

You won’t want to miss out on this year’s fabulous chance-style auction which promises to be even better than last year’s auction! 

The proceeds of this event will benefit the library’s outreach programs that target children and adults with different learning styles, physical needs, and limited language skills by expanding its collections and programming, as well as purchasing equipment and software.

“I'm especially thrilled about our focus in helping to fund our community outreach programs. Expanding services, such as homebound deliveries and acquiring a collection dedicated to people with special needs, is exciting new territory for us.  I look forward to us fulfilling this need,” said Janelle Boyce, Birmingham resident and event coordinator.

The Baldwin Public Library can be reached at 248-647-1700 or www.baldwinlib.org. The Library is located at 300 West Merrill Street in downtown Birmingham

Brad Pitt Word War Z DVD, Novels by Pynchon Bleeding Edge,and DeMille The Quest top new releases at Baldwin..


World  War Z 
DVD)Gary Lane travels the globe in an effort to eliminate the zombie pandemic that is endangering the existence of humanity.

Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon:
  Maxine Tarnow is running a nice little fraud investigation business on the Upper West Side, chasing down different kinds of small-scale con artists. She used to be legally certified but her license got pulled a while back, which has actually turned out to be a blessing because now she can follow her own code of ethics: carry a Beretta, do business with sleazebags, hack into people’s bank accounts; without having too much guilt about any of it. Otherwise, just your average working mom: two boys in elementary school, an off-and-on situation with her sort of semi-ex-husband Horst, life as normal as it ever gets in the neighborhood - till Maxine starts looking into the finances of a computer-security firm and its billionaire geek CEO, whereupon things begin rapidly to jam onto the subway and head downtown. She soon finds herself mixed up with a drug runner in an art deco motorboat, a professional nose obsessed with Hitler’s aftershave, a neoliberal enforcer with footwear issues, plus elements of the Russian mob and various bloggers, hackers, code monkeys, and entrepreneurs, some of whom begin to show up mysteriously dead. Foul play, of course. Check Availability

The Bones of Paris by Laurie R. King:  Paris, France: September 1929. Private investigator Harris Stuyvesant, on the hunt for a missing twenty-two year old woman from Boston, must descend into the darkest depths of perversion to find a killer hiding in the Theatre du Grand-Guignol in Montmartre. Check Availability

The Quest by Nelson DemilleAfter receiving a tip from a dying priest, four unlikely partners begin a quest to find the Holy Grail in the jungles of Ethiopia. Check Availability




Disconnect (DVD): A couple is drawn into a dangerous situation when their secrets are exposed online. A widowed ex-cop struggles to raise a mischievous son who cyber-bullies a classmate. An ambitious journalist sees a career-making story in a teen that performs on an adult-only site. They are strangers, neighbors and colleagues and their stories collide in this riveting dramatic thriller about ordinary people struggling to connect in today's wired world. Check Availability



Thursday, September 12, 2013

State Rep Michael McCready,Chief of Police David Hendrickson, and LT. Noel Clawson during 9/11 Memorial Services Ceremony to honor First Responders.



Editors Note : Lt. Noel Clawson travelled to New York immediately after 9/11 to help the NYPD and NYFD. He and the Chief are friends from way back. Residents may remember Lt.Clawson  by  presentations made to City Commission about speciality vehicles used in Police work and renderings of dolled  sporty squad cars for public relations.

A year or so ago  then Chief Maltot told  City Commission that Lt.. Clawson then taking advanced training in Colorado had a line on a possible  free Hummer for the City. There were however a couple of complications  The Hummer needed work and there would be the cost of getting it to town from 1500 miles away. The Commission later passed on the offer  Just the idea however  created quite a buzz. What could the City PSD do with a Hummer ? Cut through the brush ? Break up beer parties at Cranbrook ? Parades  and more were some of the suggestions.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness DVD and Sue Grafton "W" Novel Highlight Baldwin New Titles 9/10/2013.


[Cover]

Beloved Enemy by Eric Van Lustbader:  When the Secretary of the Homeland Security is murdered, Jack McClure is framed for the killing and Jack has no choice but to go on the run and find the mole and the Syrian terrorist reponsible for the secretary's death. But he knows that ultimately he will have to confront the Syrian's lover, Annika Dementieva, the woman Jack once loved and lost. 
Second Watch by J. A. Jance:  Getting old is hell. J. P. Beaumont is finally taking some time off to have knee-replacement surgery. But instead of taking his mind off work, the operation plunges him into one of the most perplexing and mind-blowing mysteries he's ever faced. A series of dreams takes him back to his early days on the force with the Seattle PD, and then even earlier, to his days in Vietnam, reminding him of people and events he hasn't thought about in years. Are they just drug-induced hallucinations? Beaumont isn't so sure. When tugging on those threads from long ago leads to present-day murders, Beau's suspicions are confirmed. Some bodies from the second watch just won't stay buried. A masterful demonstration of J. A. Jance's superb craftsmanship, Second Watch is a thought-provoking novel that is also a poignant look at one of the most painful and divisive moments in our history—Vietnam—and a reminder of the staggering cost of war and the debts we owe to those who served then . . . and those who do now. Check Availability

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton:  Two dead bodies changed the course of my life that fall. One of them I knew and the other I'd never laid eyes on until I saw him in the morgue. The first was a local PI of suspect reputation. He'd been gunned down near the beach at Santa Teresa. It looked like a robbery gone bad. The other was on the beach six weeks later. He'd been sleeping rough. Probably homeless. No identification. A slip of paper with Millhone's name and number was in his pants pocket. The coroner asked her to come to the morgue to see if she could ID him. Two seemingly unrelated deaths, one a murder, the other apparently of natural causes. But as Kinsey digs deeper into the mystery of the John Doe, some very strange linkages begin to emerge. And before long at least one aspect is solved as Kinsey literally finds the key to his identity. "And just like that," she says, "the lid to Pandora's box flew open. It would take me another day before I understood how many imps had been freed, but for the moment, I was inordinately pleased with myself." In this multilayered tale, the surfaces seem clear, but the underpinnings are full of betrayals, misunderstandings, and outright murderous fraud. And Kinsey, through no fault of her own, is thoroughly compromised. Check Availability

Star Trek: Into Darkness (DVD): When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find that an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving the world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. Check Availability

 



Tyler Perry Presents 
Peeples (DVD): Sparks fly when Wade Walker crashes the preppy Peeples annual reunion in the Hamptons to ask for their precious daughter Grace's hand in marriage. 
Check Availability



Death Cafe at Baldwin Library. September 26th and November 6th. Co-Sponsored by Hospice of Michigan.







Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Public Act 523 allows Cities to hold municipal elections in even numbered years coinciding with State and National Elections. What do you think ?





State Bill 810 became Michigan Public Act 523, When Governor Snyder signed it this  March and it became law.

It gives cities  which vote in annual elections (we used to) or in November odd year only elections (we do now) the option of changing to elections held in even number years in November. That would mean  our City elections would coincide with State and Federal elections. Prior to Public Act 523 that cities were excluded from doing so.

This fall, on November 5th the City will vote in it's first November odd year election in its 81 year history. As of this writing an 

overwhelming voter turn out is not anticipated. The four candidates are the usual number  our City produced in an odd numbered year going back  almost a decade. The City will also carry the entire election costs because there is no common  community to share the ballot with. In 2012, in the City's  May election, the City piggy backed with Bloomfield Hills Schools who paid for a special spring election. Bloomfield Hills Schools however  by state mandate vote in even not odd years.  A small portion of the City votes in Birmingham Schools  and but they too vote in even years eliminates any sharing of cost there.


It was a year ago today (September 11th 2012)  that the City of Bloomfield Hills City Commission voted  to replace the Annual City Election  held in May, with a bi-annual election to be held in November in odd years only.

 Proponents of the change (The Mayor, City Commissioners  and the City Staff) cited 


  •  cost savings 
  • the fact that other Cities voted in November on a bi-annual basis.
  •  the prospects of a larger voter turnout because as the City Manager put it "people know to vote in November."
  • The City Manager also suggested that if the change were not made the Governor might make us do so at a later date.

Advocates of the annual May election  mostly residents, stressed
  •   the  importance  of residents participating in annual election
  •  and the value of an election which focused on just local concerns..

It was issue that could have been debated a number of ways with good arguments on both sides, but it was never debated. City Commission also could have elected to put the issue on the ballot for the residents to decide. That was not done

It seemed to one observer that City was a mission to change the City's election cycle as fast as possible as soon as possible. You may form your own opinion by watching the filmed  City Commission Meetings on the City web site.They are the June, July, and September meetings of 2012. 


Questions that did come up during those meetings included a four year terms for City Commissioners to maintain staggered terms. That was brought up by the City Attorney but rejected by the commission. Staggered  two year terms don't work with an every other year election cycles. That means in the current arrangement the entire commission will be up for re-election every two years.



 Last September the  the most significant election change in the City's eighty year history was decided after a short public hearing required by law. The City began the hearing with a twenty minute presentation of how the City would benefit from a change to a November odd year only election cycle. After which  three or four residents spoke with various degrees of enthusiasm for the November odd year switch and one spoke against it. Then the commission voted 5-0 to make the change.


There is a saying in regards to both Michigan weather and elections.

It goes Don't like it ?  Hang around. It will change.

It has. The debate going on elsewhere in the State about the advantages of a November election in either odd or even years exclusively seems to center around the pros and cons of a small election as opposed to big election. 

Off hand one would imagine a  small election works better for a small community if it can be afforded. The City of Bloomfield Hills can afford it but our Communion chose otherwise for cost savings and voter turn out neither of which has yet to materialize. A Big election offers the highest return in terms  of cost sharing  and voter turn out but at a price.

 Public Act 523 means  that now the residents  of the City of Bloomfield Hills will have some say in the matter. Lansing gives all the election decision making to the local government (which is our City Commission) but there is only a small buffet to choose from. Going back to annual May election does not seem to be a current option. November odd years only (which we have now) and November even years only seem to be the only alternatives.

Because there is an alternative  residents are not without some power. 2013 is after all an election year. Four candidates seek three vacant seats on the five person City Commission. Each voter will have one vote per vacant seat or three all together when voting  on November 5th.

"So what do you thing of Public Act 523," is a perfectly good question to ask a candidate seeking your vote. We are told it is often heard in the best salons and ballrooms statewide. \




  




Monday, September 9, 2013

Agendas for tonight's 7:30 pm Commission Meeting and this afternoon's 4pm Planning Commission Meeting





Chief Hendrickson lays down the law on Alarm Monitoring for the good of the City and it's residents. Agenda Item 5 at 9/10/13 meeting.



















Rocks in the Road Right of Way Ruckus for City Commission Meeting of 9/10/13



May 15th 2012.  Agenda Item 8. The commission will consider the request of the property owner  for permission to install landscaping in the city road right of way.


RIAN archive 324 In besieged Leningrad.jpg
Leningraders on Nevsky Prospekt during the siege, 1942
Simple enough. Nothing to get biblical over or to wax poetic. More than a year however has gone by. 482 days be exact. More than half as long as the siege of Leningrad during the  Second World War which lasted 872 days and has inspired books and movies.

So  perhaps 482 days of drama is worth more than a passing glance. Robert Frost, once poet laureate of the United States. concluded his famous poem Mending Walls with, "Good fences make good  neighbors."
The Good Book tells us we should love our neighbor. The Good Lord in a rather dramatic incident from New Testament,  full of finger pointing, and accusations says "he who is without sin many cast the first stone."

  Tonight's City commission meeting offers  Agenda Item 4:  The Commission will consider the request of the property owner for approval of construction in the road right-of-way will be discussed.  Yes it is the same property owner and the same property as the one discussed 482 days previous. Last year the subject was "landscape". This time it is "construction." If that sounds vague it is intentional. At the last commission meeting neighbors, (a husband and wife) were quite 
File:Rock of Gibraltar northwest.jpg
Rock of Gibraltar
 concerned large rocks (or boulders)  placed in the road right of way. That is something  which seems to be happening all over town these days. The idea being to keep those pesky home improvement/ landscape  trucks from trashing the edge of one's lawn. The problem arises however when the mini rocks of Gibraltar  make a narrow street narrower  or by encroaching on the roadway become safety hazard for motorists or worse City vehicles doing their job like plowing  snow.

Of course the City has a specific ordinance concerning the matter but has not been specific about enforcing it perhaps because some residents answer only to the Almighty.

The property owner as per the agenda item is expected to attend the meeting  and state his point of view. 



The commissioners have in their agenda packet a fifty page document  on the matter which reads like the Book of Job with the  City being the injured party. It is available on the City's web site and since the problem seems city wide it might be of interest to home owners or homeowner associations. The document written by the City Manger concludes by strongly suggesting that the City seek an indemnification clause for itself.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Joyce Carol Oates "Evil Eye" and Margaret Atwood "Maddam" Top Baldwin New Titles for 9/3/2013.


EVIL Eye by Joyce Carol OatesIn "Evil Eye," we meet Mariana, the young fourth wife of a prominent intellectual. When her husband's brazen first wife visits one night, Mariana learns a terrible secret that could be a harbinger of doom for her marriage and very soul. In "So Near, Anytime, Always," shy teenager Lizbeth meets Desmond, a charming boy who offers this introverted girl the first sparks of young romance. Yet just as their relationship begins to blossom, Lizbeth realizes that beneath Desmond's perfect facade lies a dark soul that could wreak havoc on Lizbeth and her loved ones. In "The Execution," spoiled college student Bart Hansen has planned the perfect, brutal crime to get back at his parents for their years of condescension. Yet what he didn't plan for is a mother whose love is more resilient than he could have ever imagined, who threatens to derail his carefully laid-out plans. And in "The Flat-Bed," childhood trauma has prevented Cecelia from enjoying the pleasures of physical intimacy with a man, but when she finally meets the love of her life, Cecelia realizes that finding intimacy will mean coming face-to-face with the despicable man from her past who robbed her of her innocence years ago. Check Availability

MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood:  Months after the Waterless Flood pandemic has wiped out most of humanity, Toby and Ren have rescued their friend Amanda from the vicious Painballers. They return to the MaddAddamite cob house, which is being fortified against man and giant Pigoon alike. Accompanying them are the Crakers, the gentle, quasi-human species engineered by the brilliant but deceased Crake. While their reluctant prophet, Jimmy--Crake's one-time friend--recovers from a debilitating fever, it's left to Toby to narrate the Craker theology, with Crake as Creator. She must also deal with cultural misunderstandings, terrible coffee, and her jealousy over her lover, Zeb. Meanwhile, Zeb searches for Adam One, founder of the God's Gardeners, the pacifist green religion from which Zeb broke years ago to lead the MaddAddamites in active resistance against the destructive CorpSeCorps. Now, under threat of an imminent Painballer attack, the MaddAddamites must fight back with the aid of their newfound allies, some of whom have four trotters. At the center is the extraordinary story of Zeb's past, which involves a lost brother, a hidden murder, a bear, and a bizarre act of revenge. Check Availability

Never Go Back by Lee ChildFormer military cop Jack Reacher makes it all the way from snowbound South Dakota to his destination in northeastern Virginia, near Washington, D.C.: the headquarters of his old unit, the 110th MP. The old stone building is the closest thing to a home he ever had. Reacher is there to meet, in person, the new commanding officer, Major Susan Turner, so far just a warm, intriguing voice on the phone. But it isn't Turner behind the CO's desk. And Reacher is hit with two pieces of shocking news, one with serious criminal consequences, and one too personal to even think about. When threatened, you can run or fight. Reacher fights, aiming to find Turner and clear his name, barely a step ahead of the army, and the FBI, and the D.C. Metro police, and four unidentified thugs. 


The Iceman (DVD): Inspired by actual events, The Iceman follows notorious contract killer Richard Kuklinski from his early days in the mob until his arrest for the murder of more than one hundred men. Appearing to be living the American dream as a devoted husband and father, in reality Kuklinski was a ruthless killer-for-hire. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor his daughters had any clue about his real profession. 

The Place Beyond the Pines (DVD): A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective.
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World Language Classes taught at Birmingham Community Education This Fall.

Fall 2013 Online
The caveat being sufficient  enrollment to warrant the class. Early registration is suggested. Many popular languages like Italian, German, French, and Spanish are here in varying degrees. German returns after a long absence with one course. 

To truly appreciate what is being offered at  Birmingham Community Education World  Languages one should note that the BCE offers some  languages that are rarely taught in a classroom setting except on  the university level. Modern Farsi (Persian) the language of Iran is being introduced this fall at the BCE. There is also Old Persian, A Journey to Cuneiform.

Modern Farsi is also taught at  Ohio State and The University of Michigan. 

Since April of 2012  the BCE  has been teaching  Hungarian. This language appeals to those of Hungarian, Slovak, and Croatian heritage of which there is an estimated 20 million worldwide.  Of note is the fact that the Hungarian of today is not much different than  the Hungarian of the 13th Century. That's because  it is the language of a small population that stayed more or less on place. Chinese, the language of a vast population has may dialects. Spanish, Portuguese, and English hopped continents. Old English which changed  with Norman invasion of 1066, is not the language of Shakespeare or anything like the English of today.

 The University of Michigan does not teach Hungarian. Ohio State does but adds  in parenthesis "courses  taught rarely." 

Years ago at the Ohio State University if you were interested in the languages of Eastern Europe you had to start with Russian. Proficiency in Russian 400 was a requirement for additional  study in Polish or Serbo-Croatian. Today incoming Freshman can start by learning Czech, Slovak, Polish, Serbian, Croatian, Romanian,and on rare occassions Hungarian. 
The University of Michigan also has offers courses in in many Eastern Europe languages and makes up for it's lack of  Hungarian and Romanian by offering Yiddish, and if this writer is not mistaken Uzbek from Uzbekistan in  of all things a German-Slavic Language Department.

Both universities  offer  a healthy  compliment of cultural and history courses to make for a country by country minor or  major area of study. There are even non-language minors available.

Russian which has taken a bit of a hit after the break up of the Soviet Union  still has a prominent  place  at the Birmingham Community Education however. Sometimes as many as four course levels  are offered.  Two courses levels are available this fall  and the second level says you will be writing cursive Cyrillic.

This writer not being particularly adept at languages  can attest to going from zero to low intermediate after approximately a year excluding summers in BCE Hungarian, a language not known to be particularly easy. 

Below are the language courses available for this fall. Quite a variety from conversational to the more intense. French and Spanish are widely spoken on the North American Continent.
Hungarian is not but American films dubbed in  Hungarians have turned up on You Tube. The exploits of Miami street gangs who are fluent in Hungarian is usually the tip off.



Ciao! Italian Language and Walking Class  120041  Class ID: 4622  Tuition: $101.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Mirella Panozzo  
Available Discounts  Monday 11:00 am - 1:00 pm; 6 sessions starting September 23, 2013, ending October 28, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  To Be Determined   Please read: First class meets at the Community Education ...More
Ciao! Italian Language and Walking Class  120041  Class ID: 4623  Tuition: $101.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Mirella Panozzo  
Available Discounts  Tuesday 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm; 6 sessions starting September 24, 2013, ending October 29, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F108 Classroom  
FRENCH 1  120001  Class ID: 4570  Tuition: $101.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Nouha Tabet  
Available Discounts  Wednesday 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm; 8 sessions starting September 18, 2013, ending November 13, 2013 (No class on Oct 16)  Location: Seaholm High School  F104 Classroom  
FRENCH 2  120002  Class ID: 4571  Tuition: $101.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Nouha Tabet  
Available Discounts  Wednesday 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm; 8 sessions starting September 18, 2013, ending November 13, 2013 (No class on Oct 16)  Location: Seaholm High School  F104 Classroom  
GERMAN 1 FOR BUSINESS AND TRAVEL  120045  Class ID: 4522  Tuition: $210.00  Materials Cost: $20.00   Instructor: Beierling  
Available Discounts  Tuesday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm; 8 sessions starting September 24, 2013, ending November 12, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F105 Classroom  
HUNGARIAN 1  120035  Class ID: 4577  Tuition: $161.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Lushnikova-Abbott  
Available Discounts  Monday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm; 13 sessions starting September 16, 2013, ending December 16, 2013 (No class on Dec 9)  Location: Seaholm High School  F106 Classroom  
HUNGARIAN CONTINUED (LEVEL 2 AND HIGHER)  120047  Class ID: 4587  Tuition: $161.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Lushnikova-Abbott  
Available Discounts  Monday 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm; 13 sessions starting September 16, 2013, ending December 16, 2013 (No class on Dec 9)  Location: Seaholm High School  F106 Classroom   Please read: There is no class on 12/9
Italian - A Step Up From Beginner  120039  Class ID: 4589  Tuition: $133.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Mirella Panozzo  
Available Discounts  Wednesday 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm; 8 sessions starting September 25, 2013, ending November 20, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F105 Classroom   Please read: No class on 10/16
ITALIANO REPEAT AFTER ME - Beginner  120005  Class ID: 4588  Tuition: $133.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Mirella Panozzo  
Available Discounts  Monday 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm; 8 sessions starting September 23, 2013, ending November 11, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F105 Classroom  
MODERN FARSI 1  120046  Class ID: 4580  Tuition: $149.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Lushnikova-Abbott  
Available Discounts  Wednesday 6:00 am - 7:30 pm; 12 sessions starting September 18, 2013, ending December 18, 2013 (No class on Oct 16, Nov 27)  Location: Seaholm High School  F106 Classroom   Please read: There is no class on 10/16 & 11/27
OLD PERSIAN LANGUAGE - A Journey to Cuneiform  120038  Class ID: 4576  Tuition: $149.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Lushnikova-Abbott  
Available Discounts  Wednesday 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm; 12 sessions starting September 18, 2013, ending December 18, 2013 (No class on Oct 16, Nov 27)  Location: Seaholm High School  F106 Classroom  
RUSSIAN 1  120022  Class ID: 4578  Tuition: $173.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Lushnikova-Abbott  
Available Discounts  Tuesday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm; 14 sessions starting September 17, 2013, ending December 17, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F106 Classroom  
RUSSIAN 2 (8 weeks)  120023  Class ID: 4579  Tuition: $173.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Lushnikova-Abbott  
Available Discounts  Tuesday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm; 14 sessions starting September 17, 2013, ending December 17, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F106 Classroom  
SPANISH 1  120003  Class ID: 4567  Tuition: $113.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Cheri Whalen  
Available Discounts  Monday 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm; 9 sessions starting September 16, 2013, ending November 11, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F107 Classroom   Please read: Required text is Spanish Step by Step by B ...More
SPANISH 2  120004  Class ID: 4568  Tuition: $107.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Cheri Whalen  
Available Discounts  Tuesday 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm; 9 sessions starting September 17, 2013, ending November 12, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F107 Classroom   Please read: Required text is Spanish Step by Step by B. ...More
SPANISH 3  120016  Class ID: 4569  Tuition: $107.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Cheri Whalen  
Available Discounts  Tuesday 7:15 pm - 8:30 pm; 9 sessions starting September 17, 2013, ending November 12, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F107 Classroom  
SPANISH 4  120019  Class ID: 4566  Tuition: $77.00  Materials Cost: $0.00   Instructor: Cheri Whalen  
Available Discounts  Monday 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm; 9 sessions starting September 16, 2013, ending November 11, 2013  Location: Seaholm High School  F107 Classroom