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151 Martin, P.O. Box 3001
Birmingham, MI 48012 
Ph. 248.530.1800
Fax 248.530.1080
 
AROUND TOWN
February 2018


Welcome to the February 2018 edition of the Around Town e-Newsletter from the City of Birmingham. We hope you enjoy this e-newsletter and forward it along to others who may be interested in the City of Birmingham!
Inside City Hall with Birmingham City Manager, Joe Valentine

Inside City Hall, February 2018
Inside City Hall, February 2018

Gourmet meets Affordable during Birmingham Restaurant Week


 
  
Birmingham's favorite dining event is here! The  13th annual event takes place now through Friday, February 2 and next week Monday through Friday (February 5-9). Take advantage of specially created menus from Birmingham's top chefs. Enjoy three-course lunches for $15 and three-course dinners for $30. Visit  www.BirminghamRestaurantWeek.org to peruse event menus. Bon Appetit!
Sponsor the Celebrate Birmingham Hometown Parade
 
 
It's not too early to think about spring and one of the City's signature events, the 2018 Celebrate Birmingham Hometown Parade and After Party, slated for Sunday, May 20 at 1 p.m.  Sponsoring the parade is a great way for a business, group, organization or individual to be part of a family-friendly event that reflects the hometown feel of Birmingham.

Interested parties may select from the following sponsorship packages that meet all budgets:  
  • Grandstand Sponsor - $1,000. Name included in all printed materials and press releases, company logo displayed prominently on sponsorship signs in Shain Park (location of the After Party) as well as company logo displayed prominently on volunteer shirts. Other benefits include logo displayed on parade website until the end of 2018 as well as options to sponsor an information table, two inflatables or strolling performers.
  • Parade Master - $500.  Similar to the Grandstand Sponsor but without your name in all printed materials and press releases.
  • Parade Friend - $50-$200. Includes your name displayed in Shain Park and on the parade website until Dec. 31, 2018.
  • In-Kind Contribution - Donate a service such as advertising, printed materials, entertainment, sound system, etc. 
Sponsorship packages must be secured by Thursday, March 15. For more information about sponsoring the 2018 Celebrate Birmingham Hometown Parade and After Party, please contact Birmingham City Clerk Cherilynn Mynsberge at  cmynsberge@bhamgov.org
 or (248) 530-1802.
  Birmingham Welcomes New Businesses
 
A warm welcome to the following businesses that recently opened their doors in Birmingham:

Union Barber - 185 West Maple Road. Close Cuts & Straight Shaves - Classic Barbershop now located in downtown Birmingham! Learn more at www.unionbarber.com or call 248-480-8811.

Savaya Salon - 544 North Old Woodward.  Savaya Spa Salon offers many options in beauty salon services and barbers. Services include: fade cut, tapper cut, hard line, shave beard, line up beard, a Brazilian blowout, edgy makeup, eyebrow waxing and more. Learn more at  www.savayaspasalon.com or call  248-885-8372. 

Stop by soon and support our new businesses!
Old Woodward Reconstruction Project Update



Plans are underway for the Old Woodward Avenue Reconstruction Project. Weather permitting, construction will begin late March, with a targeted completion of the end of July. The contract calls for 125 days of work, with significant financial incentives and penalties to the contractor to motivate the completion of the project as quickly as possible.  Scheduled improvements include: water, sewer, street lights, traffic signals, irrigation, electrical and communications.

Stay Informed:  Learn more about the project at www.bhamgov.org/downtowninfrastructure . Receive regular updates about this project by signing up for the "Old Woodward Reconstruction General Information" group at  www.bit.ly/bhamnews . Residents are also encouraged to sign up for an e-notify system for the project at  www.bhamgov.org/enotify  to get real time updates by email or text.
 
Mark Your Calendar: Early Golf Membership Bonus
 
If you're dreaming about the smell of fresh cut grass, rolling hills and your long iron, you'll be pleased to learn that Birmingham's Golf Courses are offering a 2018 Early Sign Up Membership Bonus. Early birds will receive their first round of golf on us! 

Get the Deal: Simply renew your membership between March 19 - 23 or March 26 - 30 at Lincoln Hills Golf Course between 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Lincoln Hills Golf Course is located at 2666 West 14 Mile Road. Learn more at www.GolfBirmingham.org. We'll see you on the green!
Save the Date: Register Soon for Ice Skating Classes
 
Escape the extreme temps by heading indoors for some time on the ice. The Birmingham Ice Arena offers ice skating classes for ages three years old and up! Ice skating is fun and a great form of exercise! See below for details regarding the next session of classes. 

Session 4 Dates:
March 5, 2018 - Sunday, April 22, 2018

Registration for New Skaters:
Wednesday, February 28, 2018 5:00 pm -7:00 pm
Saturday, March 3, 2018 10:00 am -1:00 pm

For more information regarding the class schedule and fees, registration and required forms, visit www.bhamgov.org/icearena or contact Jill Kolaitis, Learn To Skate Director, at jkolaitis@bhamgov.org or (248) 530-1644.
Birmingham to Receive Jay Lefkowitz Sculpture - Sound Heart
 
A new sculpture will soon be making its way into Birmingham's landscape to join the City's growing collection of public artwork. Last fall the City Commission unanimously approved the donation of a Jay Lefkowitz sculpture entitled Sound Heart. Jay Lefkowitz is a highly-respected abstract artist who works in a wide variety of media and styles. His artwork can be seen in private and corporate collections and museums across the world.  

Sound Heart contains a wild assortment of rectangular and curvilinear shapes. It stands over 8 feet tall, 2.5 feet wide, and is comprised of corten steel - a metal that acquires a rust-like appearance with exposure to weather.

The sculpture previously belonged to longtime resident Christina Heidrich who generously gifted it to the City upon moving out of their Willits St. residence. "We are moving and I'm sorry to say that we will not have a place for this beautiful sculpture," she wrote to the City.  The City Commission followed the Public Arts Board's recommendation to place the piece in Kroger's pedestrian plaza at the northeast corner of E. Maple and Woodward. The installation of Sound Heart will fulfill the vision of Kroger's 3-year-old site plan to have City-owned artwork in this location.

Sound Heart will transform the plaza into a vibrant, welcoming place and breathe new life into the street corner as a whole. As motorists and pedestrians travel about the intersection, they will be reminded of the City's civic, cultural, and artistic heritage.  The sculpture will be installed this spring.  
 
For information about the City of Birmingham's Public Art program and the sculptures currently installed on public property, please visit www.bhamgov.org/art.
Understanding the Snow Ordinance

Take measures to ensure you don't find yourself in violation of the snow ordinance regarding snow removal and snow parking bans. Here are the two most important requirements:
  
1) You're required to clear the sidewalk in front of your home of any snow and ice. If the snow stops falling during the day, your sidewalks must be cleared by no more than 12 hours later. If the snow stops falling during the night, all sidewalks must be cleared by 6 p.m. the following day. Sidewalks that are not cleared of snow and ice will be shoveled by the city and the property owner will be fined.
 
2) When a Snow Emergency is declared, residents must remove their cars from city streets so the snow plows can get through. Cars in violation of this ordinance will be ticketed.
 
View more information about  snow removal on the  city's web site .
February News from the Birmingham Museum


From now through December the museum is presenting "The People of Birmingham: Celebrating 200 Years of Stories", featuring submissions from the people of Birmingham, about the people of Birmingham. Stories from the lives of teachers, nurses, pilots, architects, coaches and business owners are on display, as well as a few famous names and faces. Stop on by for a different look at Birmingham's history!

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 556 W. Maple Rd. Parking is available in the Chester St. structure on the south side of Maple. Admission is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for students and seniors, children five and under are free. Please visit us on the web at: www.bhamgov.org/museum or www.facebook.com/TheBirminghamMuseum.
Celebrate Black History Month at the Baldwin Library    
 

The Underground Railroad, with Evelyn Millstein
Tuesday, February 13, 2018, 7:00 p.m. Registration required
Hear local author Evelyn Millstein discuss her book, "The Underground Railroad: A Movement That Changed America."
 
The Sphinx Organization Presents The Ivalas Quartet
Saturday, February 17, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Registration required
The Sphinx Organization addresses the stark under-representation of people of color in classical music, and is dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. The Ivalas Quartet is comprised of violinists Anita Dumar and Reuben Kebede, violinist Caleb Georges, and cellist Pedro Sánchez.
 
Poison, Slavery, and Resistance, with Dr. Erin Dwyer
Tuesday, February 27, 7:00 p.m. Registration required.
Dr. Dwyer will discuss American slaves and their use of poison in the resistance effort in the Antebellum South.
     
The Baldwin Public Library is located at 300 W. Merrill Street in Birmingham. For more information visit www.baldwinlib.org  or call (248) 647-1700.  
Thank you for reading Around Town, a monthly e-newsletter from the City of Birmingham.  We hope you find the information timely and useful. Please feel free to forward this e-mail to friends and neighbors who may be interested in Birmingham.  
 
Sincerely,