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Yesterday, we went to the rally to save Catherine Ferguson Academy, the truly wonderful school for pregnant and parenting teens in Detroit that I have mentioned before.  And it worked!

Ok, it wasn't the rally that worked, but because of all the letter writing, phone calling, protesting, and persistence of the students, faculty, graduates, community, friends and fans of the school it will be staying open!  They're even having summer school.

It all seemed too good to be true.  Even as we watched students and faculty abandon their prepared speeches about why they need their school to stay open and cry tears of joy knowing that it would, I couldn't quite believe it.

But it is true! And even though the deal isn't perfect, after listening to the principal, Asenath Andrews, speak about it on the news tonight I feel even better than I did earlier in the day.   

Sometimes, people work together and make good things happen.  And this is just a really good thing. 
 

heartbroken

Trailer 'Grown in Detroit' from Mascha Poppenk on Vimeo.

Remember that wonderful documentary, Grown in Detroit, I wrote about a few months back?

It's about Catherine Ferguson Academy for Young Women, a public high school for pregnant teens and teen moms, and the school's urban farm. In a city where almost 30% of the land is vacant (enough area to fit the city of Boston or San Francisco) this school is teaching these teen moms how to use that land and profit from it. The students grow all sorts of crops from apples to tomatoes, make apple cider, raise goats and bees.

Through their work on the farm the students learn about the importance of healthy food for themselves and their children and are empowered by knowing, no matter what, as long as there is land, they can provide that food by growing it.

The documentary is racking up much deserved awards, and the school is being recognized for it's innovation and achievement. But despite that Catherine Ferguson Academy is among the schools the city of Detroit has decided to close this June due to budget cuts.

I don't even know what to say, I'm just completely heartbroken and outraged. I know the Detroit Public school system has to get smaller to adjust to the city's shrinking population, and I am sure there are students, teachers and parents at each of the schools on the list who don't want their school closed, but Catherine Ferguson is one of only 3 schools in the entire country for pregnant and parenting teens. It is doing so much to help and empower these young women and in turn their children.

And at a time when there is talk of turning the empty parts of Detroit back into farmland, closing a school that empowers young women by teaching them to farm just seems wrong.

hazard orange

how cool are ornjbags?

made from used construction fencing,

they come with optional linings so you can carry just about anything.

And they're made in Detroit. Fabulous!
available here.

Detroit Urban Craft Fair

We had a great time at the Detroit Urban Craft Fair this weekend. It was nice to see so many people there snapping up the handmade wares.

My favorite things were the hand spun and dyed yarns and the paper superheroes, even though I didn't buy any of either. (I was a little overwhelmed by the yarn, and I wasn't so sure what I'd do with a cut paper superhero.)

I did buy a few things though. A dress for my niece Riley,

a Christmas ornament even though I really don't feel ready for Christmas (it's too warm!),

some silk screened fabric swatches for crafty projects, and some gift tags.

The D in DIY

We're headed down to the Detroit Urban Craft Fair at the Majestic Theater this morning, if you're in the area you should too!

paper chase

We went to the Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford Museum this weekend and it was amazing.
According to Wikipedia, "Greenfield Village is considered the largest outdoor museum in America. Patrons enter at the gate, passing by the Josephine Ford Memorial Fountain and Benson Ford Research Center. Nearly one hundred historical buildings were moved to the property from their original locations and arranged in a "village" setting."
The Village includes buildings from the 17th century to the present. There are so many things to see!
An old pharmacy,

Thomas Edison's factory,
a real working steam engine that you can ride on (Jackson would love it!) and a train depot,
Model T's driving around,

And I was really taken with the wallpaper.
The wallpaper?
Yup, the wallpaper.
They custom make the wallpapers of the old buildings, printing them in the traditional way with traditional materials using traditional patterns.
I love the way people were not afraid of mixing patterns.

And the use colors.

those who don't know history...

I wrote about the Detroit City Council's decision to tear down the Central Depot (using stimulus package money!) a few months ago, but thought about it again when I saw this article, "Demolished! 11 Beautiful Train Stations That Fell to the Wrecking Ball", that shows pictures of the now gone train stations and of what is in their place.

My favorite, if you can call it that, is Chicago's Grand Central Station which was replaced by a vacant lot. (the lot is still vacant 40 years later.)

Old Penn Station in New York was called "the best thing about our city," and then torn down.

from The Infrastructurist.

drive in

it wasn't actually open when we stopped by to check it out, but the Ford-Wyoming drive in is in business and someday soon I want to borrow a friend's pickup truck, throw a futon and some pillows and blankets in the back and go.

It's enormous!

We could sing songs from Grease, eat popcorn, snuggle up and watch Star Trek (again) in the back of a truck.  

What could be better?  

nothing.  

(Isn't that sign great?)

Freer house

Last night we went to a lecture about Iranian and Turkish Falnama (book of Omens) in Detroit. The lecture was just ok, but it was held at the Charles Lang Freer House (71 E. Ferry) which is amazing.

Charles Lang Freer was an industrialist and art collector and when he died he gave his collection of East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian and American art to the nation creating the Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian.  He left his house to Wayne State University where it now houses the Merrill Palmer Institute of Human Development and Family Life.

Built in 1892, the house is beautiful. On the exterior the first floor is blue limestone and the upper floors are made out of oak shingles. Maybe there are lots of houses like that in the world, but I can't remember seeing one.

The interior was designed to house Mr Freer's extensive art collection and it has 22 rooms with 12 fireplaces. The collection is now at the Smithsonian and the rooms are used as offices and lecture halls, but the wood work, fixtures and other details are meticulously maintained and lovely. My favorite part was that each room that had a fireplace also had a little, built-in, wooden bench next to it, which seems to me to be a brilliant way to survive a long Detroit winter. I wish I'd brought a camera so I could show you a picture.

(the peacock room at the Smithsonian is from the Freer House.)

photos from wikipedia, wayne state and flickr