banner
In This Issue
Vote August 5th
Birmingham Cruise Event Approaches
Movie Nights & Outdoor Concerts
DINE: Corn Galore at Birmingham Farmers Market
SHOP: Welcome New Businesses
PLAY: Register for Ryder Cup Golf Event
Fire Dept. Recommends Knox-Box
Oakland County Introduces OakAlert System
Singer-Songwriter Program at Museum
Lincoln Resurfacing Project
Quick Links
City Calendar
Upcoming PSD Events Downtown Business Search
Parking Information
Follow us on Twitter
Like Us on Facebook


Contact Us
City Hall
151 Martin, P.O. Box 3001
Birmingham, MI 48012 
Ph. 248.530.1800
Fax 248.530.1080
 
AROUND TOWN
August 2014


Welcome to the August 2014 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!
VOTE in the Primary Election on August 5th
  Election
The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, August 5th.  The polls will be open from 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM. 
 
View a sample ballot - www.bhamgov.org/voting
Confirm your voting location - www.michigan.gov/vote
Obtain election results - www.bhamgov.org/electionresults

For more information, contact the City Clerk's office at (248) 530-1880.
Birmingham Cruise Event - Saturday, August 16  

It's the time of year when 40,000+ classic cars and more than one million people line Woodward Avenue to attend the world's largest one-day automotive event, the Woodward Dream Cruise, which celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. The Birmingham Cruise Event, scheduled for Saturday, August 16 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., is located on South Old Woodward from Merrill Street to Lincoln. It features 300 classic cars of all makes and models, sponsor exhibits, live entertainment and more. 

 

Again this year, the Chevrolet exhibit will be located in the "triangle" south of the 555 Building, where Old Woodward meets Woodward Avenue. They will host a variety of displays and activities starting at 9 a.m. Saturday and running through the conclusion of the Cruise at 9 p.m. It's a great location to check out the displays while viewing the classic cars on Woodward. Both WXYZ Channel 7 and WOMC 104.3 FM will broadcast live throughout the day from Birmingham and the Chevy event respectively.

 

Event day registration is open to individual cars, model year 1978 and older.  Individual cars may check in after 9:30 a.m. at the registration tent at South Old Woodward and Brown. Day-of parking is $25, based upon availability and on a first come first served basis. 

 

Volunteers are needed to help park classic cars, direct traffic, and miscellaneous other event activities. All volunteers receive a t-shirt, plus water and refreshments throughout the day.  Those who wish to volunteer may download a registration form online at www.birminghamcruiseevent.com.  

Movie Night & In the Park Summer Concerts in August


Concerts in Shain Park
The 2014 In the Park Summer Concert series is winding down! Take advantage of two more opportunities to see great bands performing live in Shain Park this year. Enjoy an evening of free, family-friendly entertainment with the Sun Messengers (R&B Show Band) on Wednesday,
A
ugust 6 and Steve King and the Dittilies (Rock 'N' Roll Band) on Wednesday, August 13. Concerts begin at 7 p.m.; bring your blankets, lawn chairs and dancing shoes. 

 

Outdoor Movies and Entertainment in Booth Park

The last Movie Night of the summer will be held on Friday, August 8 with Despicable Me 2 as the featured presentationIn addition to the award-winning play equipment at Booth Park, attendees will enjoy free pre-show activities at 7:30 p.m.; the movie begins at dusk. Grab a blanket or lawn chair and head to Booth Park (located on the west side of North Old Woodward, just north of Harmon Street) to enjoy movies under the stars!

DINE: Corn Galore at the Birmingham Farmers Market


 

Sweet corn is a recent addition at the Birmingham Farmers Market and it's already a top-seller. Just the smell of the sweet corn roasting is enough to make your mouth water as you walk through the market! There will be plenty of it at the fifth annual Corn Festival, scheduled for Sunday, August 10. This special event celebrates one of Michigan's sweetest harvests with games, special kids' crafts, a corn-kernel "pool" for kids to play in, demonstrations and old-fashioned corn shelling. Attendees will sample fresh prepared corn recipes, such as: roasted corn, kettle popcorn, corn bread and other homemade recipes. Shoppers can see and pet a variety of farm animals at the event from Bowers School Traveling Farm. Families can enter to win free tickets to Annie at the Fisher Theatre. 


The lively market is open Sundays through October 19 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. in Parking Lot #6 (located at N. Old Woodward and Harmon). For more information about the 2014 Birmingham Farmers Market season, visit 
www.birminghamfarmersmarket.org.       


SHOP: Birmingham Welcomes New Business

 

The Birmingham community recently welcomed the following new business:

  

Escova Salon - 367 South Old Woodward. At Escova Salon, hair is pampered and treated by professional stylists to maintain a healthy color and glow. Their services include hair, makeup and nails.
 For more information, call (248) 647-1111. 
 

Stop by and support our new business! If you have a business that will open soon in Birmingham, contact us at socialmedia@bhamgov.org

PLAY: Hit the Links in 1st Annual Birmingham Ryder Cup

     


Register now for Birmingham's First Annual Ryder Cup Event! Check out the event details:

Teams:
* Lincoln Hills (Red Shirts)
* Springdale (Navy Shirts)

 

Friday, August 22nd            Pairings Party at Lincoln Hills, 6 pm - 8 pm


Saturday, August 23rd        9 AM Tee Times at Springdale
                                                 1st Matches - 9 Holes Alternate Shot

 

                                                 11:30 AM Tee Times at Springdale
                                                  2nd Matches - 9 Holes Best Ball of Partners

 

                                                  Lunch Immediately after Matches

 

Sunday, August  24th          9 AM Tee Times at Lincoln Hills
                                                  Final Matches - 18 Holes Singles

 

                                                  Awards Luncheon Immediately after Matches

 

 

Entry Fee:                              $100 Per Player
                                                 Includes:
                                                *  36 Holes of Golf, Walking (Carts Available at $10 for 18 Holes)
                                                *  Team Shirts
                                                *  Appetizers and Open Bar at Pairings Party, 6 pm - 8 pm
                                                *  Lunch Both Days
                                                *  Winning Team Keeps Trophy for the Year

Register today! Call (248) 530-1670 or (248) 530-1660.
 
Birmingham Fire Department Recommends Knox-Box System
 

In 2012, the City of Birmingham and the Birmingham Fire Department made the Knox-Box System available for individual residents.  When dispatched to your home, the Knox-Box System allows the fire department to gain entry without causing damage.


 
A Knox-Box is a small safe that attaches to the outside of your house in a location accessible to the firefighter/paramedics. Entry keys and other pertinent information may be placed in the lock box for fire department use. The fire department has the only master key to open the lock box, and the master key is specific to the City of Birmingham. After providing the services needed to you or your family, your home can be locked and secured using your key rather than boarding up broken windows or doors because the fire department had to force entry. This allows a faster, more efficient response, with quicker scene evaluation by the fire department. All of that can lead to better outcomes when you are dealing with emergencies where seconds can make a difference.


 
Residents interested in the Knox-Box Entry System for their homes can contact the Birmingham Fire Department Fire Prevention Division at (248) 530-1900 for further information. 

Oakland County Introduces OakAlert System
 

Oakland County will now be offering the OakAlert system to anyone interested in receiving an email and/or text message with warnings and updates regarding emergency situations in Oakland County.  The system is completely voluntary and allows for specific messages to be sent to your email address and/or cell phone during an event.    

 

Notifications of emergencies, disasters or hazardous situations that would require immediate action will use email and/or text messaging to the devices registered online. Due to the type of messages that will be sent through the system, they are likely to be infrequent and will only be used as needed.


The messages will be limited to:

*       Imminent or perceived threats to life or property

*       Disaster notifications

*       Evacuation notices

*       Public Health emergencies

 

Examples include:

*       Chemical spills impacting public health

*       Outdoor warning siren activation (will not include other weather watches, warnings, or advisories)

*       Active shooter situations causing an evacuation or Shelter-In-Place orders

*       Significant road closures such as a high-way closure not lane closures or daily traffic incidents

 

To learn more about the OakAlert system, including the registration page, go to www.oakgov.com/homelandsecurity.   

Singer-Songwriter Saturday Program at the Museum
 

The Birmingham Historical Museum & Park is putting together a program to give young singers and songwriters the opportunity to perform their original music on the museum's back porch!  On

 Saturday, September 13th, the museum will host the Young Singer-Songwriter Saturday program from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. The museum is still looking for performers for the program, which is open to musicians 21 and younger. Please contact the museum (museum@bhamgov.org) for an application. The program will need an audience too, so please stop by as the program is free and open to the public!
 

Regular museum hours are 1 PM to 4 PM on Wednesday through Saturday. Second Thursday hours at 1 PM to 8 PM. Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors and students. Children under 5 are free. 2 hours free parking is available at the Chester Street Deck. The Birmingham Historical Museum is located at 556 West Maple. For more information, call (248) 530-1928.

Lincoln Ave. Resurfacing Project Begins This Month
Cone
The City has hired Cadillac Asphalt Paving to make substantial improvements to Lincoln Ave. between Southfield Rd. and Woodward Ave. The existing asphalt surface will be removed and replaced. In nine distinct locations, modifications will be made to the curbs and road edge to improve crosswalks and reduce speeds. The work is expected to start mid-August, and extend through the fall. As the job progresses, there will be several weeks where only eastbound traffic is allowed through the job. Westbound traffic will be detoured to 14 Mile Rd. 

At the same time, Clark St. (between George St. and Lincoln Ave.) will be paved with new concrete, as requested under a special assessment district. All homes on this one block will also receive a new sewer lateral in the right-of-way. Questions pertaining to either project can be directed to the Engineering Dept., at 248-530-1850.
Avoid Fines: Keep Grass & Weeds below Eight Inches 


 

Please remember that to ensure our city looks well-maintained, we require grass and weeds to be kept below eight inches high. Poison ivy, ragweed or any other poisonous, noxious or unhealthy growths are prohibited. Those in violation of this ordinance will have their lawn mowed by the City and receive an invoice. In addition, beginning August 3, those in violation are subject to a municipal civil infraction and fine of up to $200. Access the entire Grass and Noxious Weed ordinance (Sec. 118-66 to 118-69) on the City's web site.

August News from the Baldwin Library


 
Summer Reading Finales

Join us as we celebrate the end of Summer Reading with these three great events:


Youth: Baffling Bill the Magician
Monday, August 11 at 10:30 a.m.
All Ages
Registration Required

Adult: Corvette Expert Jerry Burton
Tuesday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Teen: Glow in the Dark Dance Party
Thursday, August 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Registration Required


Writers Live: Motor City Burning by Bill Morris
Sunday, August 24 at 2:00 p.m.

Come hear former Birmingham resident Bill Morris read from his new novel, Motor City Burning. In addition to telling tales from the Tigers' 1968 championship season and an unsolved murder from the previous summer's riot, Bill will play some of the songs that are laced throughout the narrative, including works by John Lee Hooker, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Mel Tillis, Miles Davis, and the Temptations. Books will be available for purchase and signing. 
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,