Rotary president weighs in
for three million pounds of help

It took Bob Bashara three years to reach the presidency of the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club, and when he arrived in the office, he faced a decision.

“About a year and a half ago, I asked myself 'What do I want to do?’ because presidents can choose a project in the club,” Bashara said. “I saw all these different clubs doing different services and decided to have one large project that all clubs can take advantage of.”

"Large" may be putting it mildly. Bashara initiated the Three Million Pound Challenge, to gather a million pounds each of food, clothing and books for the needy in Detroit.

“While helping Haiti and Africa and these other places is wonderful and a great thing, we have our own issues right in our backyard,” Bashara said. “We got our District Governor Neil McBeth’s blessing on the project, but he told us we’re going to have to run the project.

“I said ‘No problem, Grosse Pointe will take the lead.’”

The Grosse Pointe Rotary Club is teaming up with groups like Red Cross, Crossroads of Michigan and Matrix Human Services, which help poor people in Detroit.

“Rotary just doesn’t have the infrastructure that these groups do, and with their help, we can reach our goal and reach to the community,” Bashara said. “From July 1 until now, we’re at a total of 850,000 pounds. With only five months to go, we’re about one third of the way there.” read more...

Study group suggests ways to cut
$340,000 from City's spending

The Grosse Pointe City Council heard from the Ad Hoc Citizens Budget Committee at its meeting Monday night (Feb. 22), suggesting numerous cost savings and expenditure reductions.

Speaking for the committee, Gary Bresnehan noted the significant decline in property tax and other revenues, and laid out a multi-pronged approach to bringing city costs and revenues in balance over the long term. read more...

Recall-targeted Shores council
is looking for two new members

Grosse Pointe Shores officials are trying to fill City Council seats left empty by the abrupt resignation of two members amid pressure from a citizen recall movement.

Mayor Pro Tem Brian J. Hunt and Councilman Fred Minturn announced their resignations at the Feb. 16 council meeting, days after recall petitions aimed at them, Mayor James Cooper and two other council members were certified for an election later this year. The recall movement began after the council voted to raise taxes by 1 mill, in response to falling revenues. read more...

Comment: When you wish the
wish books would stop already

From mid-October through Christmas Eve, some 400 slick, colorful catalogs slipped through the mail slot in my front door and thumped onto the rug below. They dazzled me with their wares: gourmet cooking apps like programmable espresso makers, electric citrus presses, indoor grills, whoopie pie mixes and mahogany drawer organizers; obscure "aids" for senior citizens like hand exercisers and lighted magnifiers and pill organizers; and an unbelievable variety of travel-related gear, such as disposable underwear, money belts, crushable Panama hats and power conversion kits. read more...