Sean Mann of the Michigan Municipal League and Let's Save Michigan initiative will participate in a live web chat noon Tuesday on the Detroit Free Press website. The chat will focus on the progress made and challenges ahead over public transit in metro Detroit. Also participating in the chat will be Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United. You can view the chat live or after-the-fact here. Public transit is one of the eight assets that make for vibrant communities. The eight assets are identified in the League's Center for 21st Century Communities (21c3) effort.

Sean Mann of the Michigan Municipal League to talk transit in Detroit Free Press web chat.

Matt Bach is director of communications for the Michigan Municpal League. He can be reached at mbac@mml.org or (734) 669-6317.

Come April, Detroit City Council plans to Skype their public meetings. According to the Detroit Free Press, "City Council plans to allow Skype users a chance to address members with a Web cam during the public comment period of regular meetings," Steve Neavling reports. Detroiters with a web cam or networked cell phone (e.i. iPhone, Android, etc.) can contribute comments to City Council meetings mobily. 

This could be an interesting development in the realm of messaging & technology, one of the Center for 21st Century Communities' (21c3)'s "eight assets" that make for vibrant communities. Many government agencies and public officials across the U.S. are getting more into social networking and web communications sites like Skype. I recently blogged about how Facebook changed its terms of service to make it easier for State and local governments to join. 

Council President Charles Pugh told the Free Press he "expects the technology to spur more interest in local government among young people, who rarely attend meetings and are the least likely group to vote," in Neavling's own words. Depending on how much the public ends up taking advantage of the option to comment through Skype, it could potentially encourage more Detroit residents to participate in City Council meetings - young and old. "In a city of 750,000 people, fewer than a dozen residents typically speak out during the comment period," according to the Free Press.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info.

The Detroit Free Press featured a great piece that talks about how a few Detroit neighborhoods are seeing the return of investors and young professionals to the city. The article, entitled “Detroit’s profile grows as investors, young professionals return to city,” says there is good news for Midtown, New Center, and Woodbridge. Investment in the community, new businesses, art and culture, and revitalization efforts in these neighborhoods are bringing people back to Detroit. 

“Hotels, theaters, art galleries, charter schools, condos and dozens of restaurants have opened, primarily in abandoned buildings, in the past year or are to open this year in Midtown, New Center and Woodbridge neighborhoods,” the article states.

One of the best parts of this article is feedback from two 29 year olds who recently moved to Midtown from New York City and Washington, D.C. They talk about why they love living in Detroit and why they prefer it over places like New York City and D.C. It’s nice to hear; “Instead of finding the dangerous wasteland often depicted on TV and in the national media, the best friends discovered a city with friendly people, eclectic hangouts and great potential,” according to the article’s author Steve Neavling.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info.

A growing demand for commercial businesses that supply filmmakers with equipment and services is creating more opportunities for small businesses, new startups, and entrepreneurs to take advantage of emerging niche markets in Michigan.

A movie obviously needs lights and cameras before a director can call, “Action.” Lest we forget that there is much more to making a movie than that. Imagine you are a filmmaker with a shopping list of items. Now imagine how convenient it would be to have access to places like prop shops, antique stores, costume shops, and other specialized establishments.

The Detroit Free Press featured an article last week, entitled “Prop supply on the rise in Michigan,” which profiles how three local Michigan businesses are taking advantage of this emerging niche market. Events and design company Display Group, in Detroit, already had a massive amount of props that they use at “high-profile events and corporate events,” which “can also be used for the movie industry,” according to President Rick Portwood.  Royal Oak antique store Heritage Co. II expanded to rent and sell props to some big time film producers. Sam’s Prop House in Hazel Park got its start after co-owner Julie Juran and her daughter scored some props that a film crew was going to throw away.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info