The public is invited to attend Mayor John B. O’Reilly’s State of the City Address on Monday, March 5. It is 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 13615 Michigan Ave.

Mayor O’Reilly will review the economic challenges facing Dearborn, the city’s recent accomplishments, and initiatives to keep the community moving forward.

For those who cannot attend, the Address will be shown at a later time on CDTV and will also be posted at www.cityofdearborn.org

After 26 years, the last day of business for Dee's Hallmark in Dearborn is Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012.

After 26 years of serving Dearborn, Dee’s Hallmark on Michigan Avenue will officially close its doors Sunday afternoon.

What remains in the store is all marked at 75 percent off. Bargain seekers will have until close of business today,  Feb. 26, to snap it up. Otherwise, store owners Don and Dee Belcher will pack all of the stuff up and take it home.

For those of us who like a good Hallmark store, there remains a good one in Dearborn’s Fairlane Town Center mall. That Hallmark is a corporate-owned store and is well kept and has a great selection of all things Hallmark. A clerk in Dee’s Hallmark said there is another Hallmark card shop in a strip mall at Cherry Hill and Merriman.

The Belchers are closing the store so they can retire. Clerks in the store say paid parking, which has hurt business, helped expedite the couple’s retirement plans.

The Dee’s Hallmark building remains for sale for a price of about $640,000.

When we wrote about the building being put on the sales block more than two years ago, Mr. Belcher said in a note he would do all he could to remain open even if it meant moving to a new location.

“My commitment to survival has always been strong but after closing (3) other stores and using the money to keep Dee’s going there was not enough left to (purchase the building Dee’s is currently located),” Mr. Belcher wrote in 2009. “It is common knowledge that this is not the best time to sell commercial property as evidenced by the many vacancies in our area. However should it sell I will make every effort to negotiate a favorable lease agreement with the new owner. If that is not possible I will look to relocate as close to my current location as I can. A smarter man would have given up long ago I think I’m just to dumb to know when it’s time to quit!!!!”

Dee’s hung on for as long as they could.

We will miss what was easily the best card shop in Dearborn.

Dearborn city officials say a recent online story about the 2011 salaries of City of Dearborn employees is inaccurate and issued a release to share the extensive checks and balances regarding compensation outlined in Dearborn’s City Charter.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy recently posted a story reporting that Dearborn’s top city administrators saw lucrative pay increases while many lower-paid Dearborn employees took pay cuts in 2011.  According to the report, while Mayor John B. O’Reilly’s salary stayed relatively the same — “his gross income increased by $500 in 2011 from the previous year, seven top administrations saw their gross income increase by 8 percent to 12.8 percent from 2010 to 2011.”  See story HERE.

In a release issued Thursday,  Dearborn officials say the City Charter gives the Mayor authority to appoint a chief labor negotiator, who negotiates with unions on the administration’s behalf to determine annual salary adjustments for fulltime city employees. Negotiated settlements must then be approved by the City Council.

Under the City Charter, the Mayor does not have authority to give annual raises to people in appointed positions.

Instead, the City Charter specifies in Section 6.8 that people in appointed positions may receive an average of up to the same annual increases and decreases negotiated with city unions and approved by the City Council.

People in appointed positions wait until multiple union contracts are settled when the average of the annua increases can be determined, city officials explained.

According to the city, appointed employees had not seen an annual salary increase since 2007. Annual salaries for appointed employees stayed the same in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

In 2011, with the resolution of union contracts covering 2008 and 2009, general employees, as well as people in appointed positions, received retroactive pay for those years. This occurred in a single budget year, according to the city press release.

The union settlements meant that from 2007 to 2011, employees’ salaries increased a total of about 3 percent for that period, and therefore so did appointed salaries. There is no salary increase in place for 2012, the city press release said.

However, Dearborn officials say the Mackinac Center’s inaccurate report implied that appointed positions had received double-digit increases in their annual salary in just one year from 2010 to 2011.

The inaccurate report purposely implied that gross earnings and salaries are the same, Dearborn officials said. In reality, gross earnings include other significant factors, like the retroactive payments in 2011.

The city explains that gross earnings in any given year also can include longevity payments to employees serving 10 years or longer, and factors that can vary from year to year, such as overtime for qualified employees, the choice to cash in paid time off (PTO) days, and minor payments, like mileage.

To clarify what the inaccurate online report should have listed as the 2010 and 2011 annual salaries, consider an example of one of the appointed positions featured in that story. Dearborn provided the information below:

The City Charter allows the Mayor, with Council approval, to set the salaries for appointed positions only once at the beginning of each elected term. It is a checks and balance provision that protects the taxpayers and doesn’t make department head salaries a controversial issue, the city states in the release.

According to the city, the last two opportunities to set department head salaries were in 2006 when the late Mayor Guido was in office, and in 2010 after Mayor O’Reilly was elected. However, due to the faltering economy, both Mayors declined to recommend one time increases for department heads as they began their new terms.

The Friends of the Library-Dearborn (FOLD) will feature incredible deals on VHS movies during its monthly sale 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7 in the rotunda of the Henry Ford Centennial Library.

Regular movies will be available for five for $1; children’s tapes will be available for 10 for $1. These rates apply only to the sale of the VHS tapes.  Anyone still using a VCR should take advantage of the selection available at this sale. It is a great price.

The sale will also feature books and magazines, as usual.

Among the highlights will be books on home repair, redecorating and outdoor gardening, just in time for the spring. Complete fantasy paperback series will also be featured.

Proceeds from the book sale support FOLD’s mission to enhance the library experience.

Residents in the Dearborn Hills neighborhood affected by the sewer separation project beginning this month can get updates on the construction by visiting a new city website HERE.  

The new website can also be accessed from www.cityofdearborn.org. Look for the Construction icon on the home page.

Residents will find a schedule, answers to frequently asked questions, traffic information, map, project details and timely updates. They can sign up to be automatically notified when new information is posted on the website.

They also have the option of leaving a question of a general nature regarding the construction in the Dearborn Hills area. Answers that will assist other residents with understanding or coping with the construction will be posted for the public.

Residents affected by the sewer separation project are always welcome to call the City’s onsite Construction Engineering Technician, Kelli Moore, at 313.613.1994 or the Project Engineer, Soud El-Jamaly, at 313.801.8578.

The sewer separation project will impact Dearborn residents who live east of Telegraph, west of Outer Drive, south of Cherry Hill and north of the Rouge River well into next year.

The construction is part of the federally-mandated water pollution control project commonly called the CSO project.

Separating storm sewers from sanitary sewers will reduce the amount of untreated sewage that is released into the Rouge River during wet weather events.

Dearborn city officials say the sewer separation will also involve the installation of new water mains and new roads, which will improve the city’s infrastructure.

The Dearborn Police Department has implemented a new online system for residents that can assist in recovering stolen property.

The free online systems at reportit.leadsonline.com helps keep track of all personal property, safety and securely storing important information that could be useful in recovering property in the event of a loss or theft.

The Report-it site is a secure online service that allows citizens to record serial numbers and upload images for phones, electronics, and other valuables. If those items were ever stolen, Dearborn Police say the documented information could assist in accurately and quickly identifying a resident’s stolen property.

“The LeadsOnline ReportIt system is an outstanding free resource for our residents which will allow them to be proactive and further protect their property”, said Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad.

The Report-it service is a part of LeadsOnline, the online system that works with police across the country to track and recover stolen property. The Dearborn Police Department recently implemented LeadsOnline to help track and recover stolen property —- everything from jewelry to sporting equipment to electronics, computers, cameras, and other items such as designer clothing, collectibles, and other items with invaluable personal worth. The system allows detectives to search for the items using a variety of parameters, including item descriptions and serial numbers.

When an item is sold to a pawn or secondhand shop, the product information is entered in the LeadsOnline database and is immediately viewable by participating law enforcement agencies across the country.

Since using the online system, Dearborn police say they have already had success recovering thousands of dollars in stolen property, including the recovery of property taken in recent burglaries, and developed additional suspect leads in several ongoing criminal investigations.

Citizens can store an unlimited number of serial numbers, item descriptions, pictures, and scans of receipts so items may be more easily identified in the event of theft. This record may also come in handy when filing claims with insurance providers in the event of loss. Citizens wanting to participate in ReportIt can register for the free service at reportit.leadsonline.com and begin building their personal property inventory list.

Dearborn Residents can also borrow engravers from the Dearborn Police Department Training Office that can be used to engrave their valuables.

Property owners in southwest Dearborn receiving letters from their mortgage companies that they now are required to purchase flood insurance should know that the issue may be resolved within four weeks, according to Dearborn city officials.

We received e-mails from several readers who expressed surprise at having to purchase such insurance. One reader on Katherine Street said he was informed by GMAC Mortgage that he now resided in a Special Flood Hazard Area when he began the process of refinancing his mortgage.

Dearborn city officials say these letters from the mortgage companies are prompted by the fact that Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) flood control maps for the Dearborn area, adopted in 1996, expired on Feb. 2, 2012. New maps were adopted on Feb. 2, 2012.

However, there is a process that allows property owners to be exempt from purchasing flood insurance even if their property appears within a FEMA floodplain. That process is expected to be resolved within four weeks.

In the past, many homes now receiving letters from their mortgage company were exempted through Letters of Map Amendments (LOMA), issued by FEMA. Those LOMAs expired on Feb. 2, 2012 when the previous flood control map expired.

From 2000 to 2011, FEMA issued 1,400 LOMAs to property owners in Dearborn whose homes fell within the old flood control map.

In the next four weeks, the City expects that FEMA will revalidate and reissue LOMAs exempting property from the need to buy flood insurance.

Dearborn’s Engineering Division will transmit this information to the affected property owners as soon as the City receives the notice from FEMA.

Dearborn’s Doriguzzi Photographic Artistry has come up with a novel way to help the Dearborn Animal Shelter and provide pet owners a keepsake image of their pet.

Beginning Friday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 26, Doriguzzi Photographic will take a portrait of pets and their owners for $50 and then send $20 of that fee to the Dearborn Animal Shelter. Owner Rich Duzzi calls it “Pets and Their People” portraits or “people-who-just-love-animals-and-want-to-benefit-animal-rescues” portraits.

Duzzi will place the portraits online for pet owners to download for unlimited use or will create a standard print for $20 in his lab. Wall portraits and framing are also available, he says,  at 25 percent discounts.

Appointments are required. Call Claudia at 313-565-8448.

For more information and to see a sample of photographs from Doriguzzi Photographic Artistry, click HERE.

Goodwill Industries of Detroit is seeking a special land use to open a second-hand store in downtown West Dearborn.

The Dearborn City Plan Commission voted 4 to 4 Monday night on  a request for a special land use from Goodwill Industries to open a second-hand store in downtown West Dearborn.

Like the first meeting, I voted to deny the request for a special land use. Goodwill now plans to come to the Plan Commission for a third time, perhaps as early as next month to seek approval.

Let’s be clear. This isn’t about whether Goodwill is good for Dearborn. It is all about the proposed location. Goodwill could be a good addition to our city. But the building in which it is so aggressively trying to locate its second-hand store is simply not a good fit for our city. There are other locations in Dearborn that are more suitable. But more on that shortly.

The location of the proposed Goodwill store will not encourage other retail to move into the area. In fact, it likely will have the opposite impact and even negatively affect the value of nearby businesses already in this area. Worth noting is that Goodwill said at the last City Plan meeting that it does not plan to install an outside collection bin for people interested in doing after-hour drop offs of used clothing or whatever else they want to purge from their closets. So when the Goodwill store is closed, trash bags will be piled outside for all to see until the store reopens the following day.

In the same two block street that Goodwill wants to locate there are at least three discount stores, including two different types of dollar stores and a Marshall’s, which also sells name brand clothes at deep discounts. Combine that with the fact we also already have places to donate used clothing in our city with ACCESS or easy door pickup with Purple Heart (the Salvation Army is just a short drive away), there really isn’t a need for this type of store in this particular Dearborn location.

In addition, there already are a couple of fantastic second-hand stores in downtown West Dearborn. One is an antique store on Michigan Avenue called Village Antiques, just down the street from the proposed Goodwill outlet. The second is just down the road from the antique store in the Westborn Mall, a second-hand clothing and toy store for children called Sweet Peas Baby Boutique.

Forget the argument that Canton has a Goodwill store on Ford Road. It’s not applicable here. The Goodwill store on Ford Road moved into a thriving retail area. Some of Goodwill’s Canton retail neighbors include Pier 1, Michaels, a stand-alone JC Penny, IKEA and a host of restaurants too numerous to list here.

Contrast that with the Norm Newman owned building here in West Dearborn where Goodwill wants to locate. We don’t have that kind of retail. If we did this would be a different story. Dearborn needs quality first-hand stores to jumpstart our downtown and attract other businesses to come here. For all the good Goodwill does provide, this great non-profit organization isn’t going to draw new retail business to our downtown.

Just like Norm Newman (the landlord of the vacant building Goodwill wants to lease) has made decisions about what he wants in his vacant properties, the City Plan Commission and the City Council (who must also approve this request) must do the same when it comes to taking a longer-term view of what we believe will help downtown West Dearborn in the future.

Norm Newman said at an earlier meeting he “regrets” that he let the restaurant Applebee’s get away when that chain wanted to move into the very location Goodwill now desires. We regret it, too. Same with the others he has turned away, including Merchant’s Fine Wine, who wanted to move into the building and even La Pita, who simply purchased the building of their current location when they couldn’t work out an agreement many years ago.

We have received dozens of emails from readers who agree that the location Goodwill desires isn’t suitable and the second-hand store should look at an alternative location, such as the vacant Border’s book store building on Ford Road and Mercury Drive. The letters we have received are from young professionals, grandparents, nearby residents and local business owners.

Mary Ray, owner of Cambells Paint & Wallpaper, said she does not support Goodwill moving into the proposed location. “I do not support the Inca location for Goodwill,” Ray said in an email. “I am fine with Goodwill locating in Dearborn. I do not believe that this is a good location nor do I think that it is in the best interest of the City and/or the downtown district to allow Goodwill to occupy this particular space. ”

Resident Dan Kosmowski, who lives on Nona Street, a couple blocks behind the proposed store location had this to say:

“I oppose the proposed discount store in the former Inca Computer storefront,” Kosmowski said. “At this moment, the area is saturated with discount retailers. I live one block from the proposed store at Nona and Haigh. I enjoy walking to the retailers, including Bellacino’s and Aco, but beyond these choices, I am forced to take my retailing dollars out of Dearborn.

“I understand the community needs affordable retailing options. I formerly worked in the automotive sector before I decided to return to school, leaving my full-time job for a part-time position and shouldering the burden both of a mortgage and tuition on my reduced salary. I must make difficult choices on what I can afford to buy. On a short budget, I know there are plenty of discount retailers nearby. The Dollar Store anchors the opposite end of the proposed discount store. Walking one block to the west, the Westborn Mall houses a Marshall’s, Bulk Food Warehouse, Dollar Tree, Sweet Peas Baby Boutique, Dots Fashions, Avenue, and Payless. Does the community really need another discount retailer?

“Further, I find it a distraction to label the discount retailer “upscale.” By adding the adjective upscale, is somehow the discount retailer converted to an upscale discount retailer really any different from adding another discount retailer to this community? In addition, I do not think that government can enforce “upscaleness” on a retailer; we must take the retailer at their word that they will maintain an “upscale” factor for years into their lease, a chance I am not willing to take.

“Like many residents, I do not want to see space unused, but at the same time, an anything goes mentality is disheartening. Rather than another discount retailer, I would like to see a restaurant (such as Frida’s) or an inexpensive market alternative to Westborn Market (like the Dearborn Farm Market). Surely saturating the area with discount retailers means people who want other goods must go elsewhere. I know that is my situation. My part-time job takes me to Ann Arbor and Troy. I spend my limited dollars in those communities, instead of literally in my own backyard which is disconcerting. Further, working in these far away places, I am exposed to the negative comments regarding Dearborn. I am told often by my peers in Oakland and Washtenaw counties that I should move, like many young professionals, and join them where there are diverse retail options.

“In conclusion, the Inca Computer storefront needs something other than a discount retailer. The area is saturated with discount retailers all within walking distance. I know because I live within a block of the location and I walk to the retail options.”

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Candyce Ewing Abbatt, who lost by 228 votes (even after a recount) in 2008 to Judge Mark Somers for the 19th District Court seat in Dearborn, is going to try her luck a second time for a seat on the bench.

Abbatt, who spent more than $190,000 in her losing bid in 2008, announced she will seek election for the district bench seat, which currently pays $138,272 annually.

The lifelong Dearborn resident and Fordson High School graduate has been a partner in private practice for 29 years, specializing in family law. She will face incumbent Judge Richard Wygonik, who was recently appointed chief judge for the 19th District Court. Former 19th District Court Magistrate Sam Salamey is also said to be considering a second run for the seat.

Dearborn judges serve six-year terms. Somers, in his third year, has said he will seek a seat on the Wayne County Circuit Court. Even if unsuccessful on the circuit court, Somers would still have three years on the district court bench to ponder his next career choice.

While Somers is not up for re-election, you can bet his legal troubles will be the focal point in election literature for Abbatt and any other candidate who decides to throw their hat in the ring for the seat. Let’s just hope that between now and the Aug. 7 primary election, the candidates also spend an equal amount of time educating voters on why they think they are best qualified to be a judge.