The Watering Hole

[Veloise]

... Me paranoid? More like you sensitive.

I am proud to be a longtime Freep reader and subscriber; it is the best newspaper in the state, and one of the best I have ever read.

My staff reports were printed on CITY OF DETROIT KWAME M. KILPATRICK MAYOR letterhead.

[mgreven]

If this is violating the rules, please delete.

I have an antique piano that has been in my family for years. It's really cool (pink keys, glassed in action), but I really don't have room for it and haven't for years. At long last, I've finally decided to get rid of it. The reason I'm putting it on UP is because you guys are well connected with people opening/owning businesses. I've always thought it would be so cool in a restaurant/bar/store or something because it's so unique. Plus, if it's somewhere public, I can go "visit" it. =)

Here's the listing and photos - http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/msg/1264468055.html

I have a price on it, but if any UP people want it for such purposes, I'll give it away. Let me know if you have any ideas! Thanks!

[John E]

If this is violating the rules, please delete.

I have an antique piano that has been in my family for years. It's really cool (pink keys, glassed in action), but I really don't have room for it and haven't for years. At long last, I've finally decided to get rid of it. The reason I'm putting it on UP is because you guys are well connected with people opening/owning businesses. I've always thought it would be so cool in a restaurant/bar/store or something because it's so unique. Plus, if it's somewhere public, I can go "visit" it. =)

Here's the listing and photos - http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/msg/1264468055.html

I have a price on it, but if any UP people want it for such purposes, I'll give it away. Let me know if you have any ideas! Thanks!

If you would be interested in donating it to Dwelling Place, I know Carlene the Resident Service Coordinator is working on re-opening the Westy Playhouse and some kids may be able to get some use out of it. I'm sure she could get people in the maintenance department or In The Image or somebody to pick it up. I don't have her direct contact information but you can get that by calling the Weston Apartments office at (616) 454-2675

~John

[wingbert]

Why is the topic on redirects in the main GR forum locked? I get Firefox asking if I am sure I want to navigate away from the site too. It's frustrating. I've stopped visiting UP much because of it.

[GRDadof3]

Why is the topic on redirects in the main GR forum locked? I get Firefox asking if I am sure I want to navigate away from the site too. It's frustrating. I've stopped visiting UP much because of it.

Did you follow the link in that thread?

[wingbert]

Did you follow the link in that thread?

Ah, I confess I didn't notice the link. Looks like it's been addressed for now.

As you were.

[Veloise]

I asked the source...

From: "Dzwonkowski, Ron" <[email protected]>

To: Veloise

Subject: RE: Remembering Grand Rapids = counting sheep?

Date: Jul 12, 2009 11:10 AM

My Dad lives in GR and my brother in Muskegon, so I visit the area often. The City of GR is a relative success story in our troubled Michigan. The quote from GR Ford, as fine a president as has ever served in the job, is from a book based on interviews he gave to a reporter not to be released until after his death. He was well past 90, and knew the end was near. It troubled him, as you would expect, and he found that when he was unable to sleep, he thought back to his boyhood days of simple fun, family suppers and the loving, supportive relationships that formed him in Grand Rapids. That gave him peace.

It's a fine book, if you want to know more about the man:

DeFrank, Thomas. (2007). Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable Off-the-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford. ISBN 0-399-15450

Thanks for writing. I hope this information helps.

~~~~~~~~~~~

He doesn't hate GR.

[mgreven]

Hey all,

One more watering hole question...we're moving into the city! (East Hills) =) We have discussed about getting some sort of security system...we're not too freaked out about security, but would feel better with something. Any suggestions? I don't really know much about what the options are...you see a lot of ADT signs out there, but I'm not sure if I want a monthly bill. Anyone have anything they'd recommend?

[Veloise]

Hey all,

One more watering hole question...we're moving into the city! (East Hills) =) We have discussed about getting some sort of security system...we're not too freaked out about security, but would feel better with something. Any suggestions? I don't really know much about what the options are...you see a lot of ADT signs out there, but I'm not sure if I want a monthly bill. Anyone have anything they'd recommend?

Take a look at the front doors of your neighbors-to-be. Chances are good that they do not have burglar bars (locking gates) as a screen door.

Secure your ground floor windows, don't leave stuff visible in your car. Bring your bikes inside.

I've never lived in a residence with a security system, and in Midtown sure don't feel the need.

HTH

[mgreven]

Take a look at the front doors of your neighbors-to-be. Chances are good that they do not have burglar bars (locking gates) as a screen door.

Secure your ground floor windows, don't leave stuff visible in your car. Bring your bikes inside.

I've never lived in a residence with a security system, and in Midtown sure don't feel the need.

HTH

Yeah, I already know the neighborhood and plan on doing all those things. Just debating what I should do... As we were having work done on it while no one was living in it, there were a few days that someone working accidentally left the door(s) unlocked even overnight a couple times and everything was fine. But, when you have little children, you tend to want to take more precautions. Thanks for the insight.

[GRDadof3]

Yeah, I already know the neighborhood and plan on doing all those things. Just debating what I should do... As we were having work done on it while no one was living in it, there were a few days that someone working accidentally left the door(s) unlocked even overnight a couple times and everything was fine. But, when you have little children, you tend to want to take more precautions. Thanks for the insight.

I think EPS is locally owned:

http://www.epssecurity.com/

[twoshort]

I've had ADT for a little over three years. It makes you sleep better no matter what other precautions you've taken. We've never had it go off and still never second guessed our decision.

I have the monthly monitoring (fire/burglary), the maintenance plan, and a cellular back up (because i don't have a land line) and they just upped the monthly bill to around $45. If you have a land line and no maintenance plan i think it's around 30-35. I think the initial install (doors/motion/smoke/fire/glass break x 2) was around $1k.

[RegalTDP]

He doesn't hate GR.

I never said anybody hated GR. I said our two cities are prone to rib each other now and then, and that's a good thing.

But good work on calling me out. I hereby rescind the following with all due apologies:

Given that the quote was out of context, and the tongue-in-cheek style of the quiz as a whole, I insist all the same that Mr. Dzwonkowski intended for question #3 to have a double meaning.

I still stand by everything else.

[GRDadof3]

Has anyone else seen the new Mariah Windspire Wind Turbine along I-196 yet? I took a video of it in what I thought was basically a 0 mph breeze. When the wind is blowing just a little, this thing is spinning to beat the band! (and distracting if you're driving along I-196).

It's on the hill right by Words of Hope Ministries (donated by Bazen Electric apparently).

[fotoman311]

Can anyone recommend a place with free wi-fi that has a good upload bandwidth? Is the library's wi-fi very fast?

Whenever I upload photos from my house it always takes forever. (yes, I know I could make the files smaller before I upload, but I like the idea of having a backup of the original somewhere else.)

[Allison Slater]

The library is good after 5PMish. Before that, it's excruciatingly slow. Before 5PM though, there's wifi inside the Ledyard that was good if I recall correctly.

[RegalTDP]

I wonder if the Travel Channel has a tip line? We have to get Adam Richman back.

Wyoming Restaurant Challenges Fifth-Third Burger with Colossal Coney Dog (WZZM)

The Jolly Roger is a three-foot long hot dog that comes with Coney sauce, onions, mustard and pickles. The German-style wiener is made by a local meat market and the bun crafted by a Grand Rapids bakery...

The Jolly Roger weighs about three and a half pounds. To complete the challenge, hopefuls must finish it, a three-pound bucket of fries and a large pop in 45 minutes.

One of the WZZM anchors this morning brushed aside the challenge as a piece of cake, but I disagree. A 3 foot bun is a lot of bread, and a lot tougher to hold down in your stomach than it sounds. And 3 pounds of fries on top of that??

Richman dusted off the 5/3 Burger way too easily, but I think he might have trouble with this one.

[Allison Slater]

The Black Rose Irish Pub, located on Ionia Avenue closed its doors yesterday. Employees were notified of the closure last week.

This is the second restaurant in the area to closed this year. Churchill's closed in March, but has since reopened as a music venue.

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx...89&catid=14

Wasn't really expecting this one =[

[RegalTDP]

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx...89&catid=14

Wasn't really expecting this one =[

Nuts. Fonds memories of that place.

At least the space isn't going into disuse. Best of luck to the Grand Woods Lounge guys.

[GRDadof3]

If everyone who has tweeted, blogged, posted and pasted about The Black Rose had gone there, it would probably still be open. Sheesh. We were there two weeks ago on a Thursday night about 9:30 and it was DED dead.

[fotoman311]

If everyone who has tweeted, blogged, posted and pasted about The Black Rose had gone there, it would probably still be open. Sheesh. We were there two weeks ago on a Thursday night about 9:30 and it was DED dead.

Well, I thought the food was a little overpriced and not that great from the two times I went there (admittedly, the last time was a couple of years ago) and the drinks were expensive as they are at most of the places down there.

The atmosphere was pretty good though, and it seemed to be pretty busy on weekends along with a lot of the other places down there. Apparently, that wasn't enough to pay the bills.

[GRDadof3]

The Perseid Meteor Shower will put on a great show tonight and tomorrow night, especially with clear skies in the forecast:

http://www.examiner.com/x-16403-Grand-Rapi...eids-are-coming

[Allison Slater]

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx...76&catid=14

OLD MISSION, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan tart cherry growers say they're preparing to let up to a quarter of this year's bumper crop rot on the ground under a federal marketing order, and some say they'll shift into more profitable wine grape production.

Not too happy.

[John E]

Back to work after a 2 week vacation.

Uploaded 30 photos, mostly of construction in Heartside (Gallery on Fulton, 38 Commerce and Cherry Street.) to my Flickr Photos:

http://bit.ly/Tj3OP

~John

[RegalTDP]

The New York Times put out an editorial today supporting the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative:

Great Lakes Rescue - NYTimes