Coleco

PF Chang's is to Chinese food what the Olive Garden/Johnny Carino's is to Italian.

The way I understand it is that's an addition that includes a theater/multi-purpose room that would have expansive views of the river.

Fountains in Michigan are an expensive proposition with very limited usage and plenty of maintenance hassles. I'd rather see something, like a sculpture (or ArtPrize venue) that can be enjoyed year round without the maintenance hassles than a fountain that's turned on 5 months or less out of the year. Empty fountains in winter, fall and spring are depressing magnets for trash. From a green standpoint, the power and water used in a fountain isn't really an efficient use of resources.

Lia Rose, a new women's store, opens in the former Pallets space on Monroe Center on Oct. 13. http://blog.mlive.com/knapescorner/2009/09...monroe_cen.html

What about putting on Monroe across from DeVos Place, replacing the stone wall that greets conventioneers with something that encourages them to cross the street. Parking beneath City Hall and DeVos Place could also serve the market.

It's probably Roskam or its spin-off, Hearthside Foods, that you smell. Roskam has been known to buy buildings and leave the old signs up. Mazda Great Lakes on 29th Street also is Roskam's building, despite the old Mazda signs being on the building.

The "press release" above is actually an Associated Press report written based on Kellogg's earnings release. AP reporter James Prichard is based in Grand Rapids. AP style is for the dateline to where the report was written. Some papers, like the GR Press, deviate from that style so readers can quickly identify the community most closely tied to a story. The NWA site report, compiled from AP accounts, simply made a mistake. Kellogg has substantial operations in Grand Rapids (28th St. and Roger B. Chaffee), but its HQ remains in Battle Creek.

Not just any Zombie walk. The biggest zombie walk. See you Thursday? http://www.mlive.com/grpress/entertainment...rapids_zom.html

I hope they replace the smelly tram and gas-powered utility trucks with quieter, no-emission electric cars and trams. That always annoys me about the gardens, which are one of my favorite places to visit in the area.

Where the heck is bloom? I've never heard of it.

It still drained money and has a very limited range. Last year also was boosted by the Super Bowl and an exceptional year for the Tigers. Look at the ridership figures from the previous 20 years. It has never come close to paying for itself. Face it, the DPM has been losing money for years, provides a very limited form of light rail around downtown and is incredibly expensive to maintain and add on to (which is why it hasn't been added to in any significant way). There's a reason no one has built a similar system. It just doesn't make economic sense (plus it interferes with the architecture of some wonderful old buildings. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad ridership is up and now that it's there, Detroit should maintain and promote it. But "Coleman's Train" is nothing to hold up as an example of an urban transit system done right. From the freep last year [http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/578223/trains_in_transit_people_mover_rides_high_detroits_short_rail/index.html]: "The system was paid for in fiscal 2005 with $8.74 million a year from the city and $2.95 million from the state. Fares that year brought in $443,669."

It's gone....

Sort of off topic, but in the realm enough to post: Much of the urban renewal area is connected by tunnels. I'm told a few them were even operating until 9/11. They were closed due to security issues that seem more obvious now. I believe the Fifth Third, City/County, and old Hall of Justice were part of the system. Anyone know more? Also, the Press has a tunnel between the Press building and the Int. 196 bridge, used for loading paper rolls from the train tracks into the old printing area.