Executive Committee Meeting 10-15-24

President's Report

Page 20 of 95

DETROITERS, AND PROUD!

Detroiters, and Proud!

Brian Peterson-Roest: beekeeper, founder of Bees in The D. I’ve been a teacher for 22 years, in Rochester, 40 minutes from Detroit. I'm a big nature fan. I’m the one who organizes outdoor field trips at my school, and it has to be said: Michigan is a fantastic playground. About 15 years ago, I attended a course on beekeeping, and I've been hooked ever since. I love bees, their precious nectar, and beekeeping! I met my husband, another Brian, who lived in the city, and we moved to Detroit. I missed my beehives, so I asked a friend to put one on his roof. Brian and I came up with the idea of founding the non-profit organization Bees in The D. The play on words refers of course to bees, but also to our own two initials, “B” in the plural (laughs)! The challenge was to create urban beehives, with urban bees performing better than rural bees, thanks to the city's diversified plant life. The news quickly spread. In no time at all, Bees in The D has grown from 6 to 225 beehives strewn across 75 sites. Today, I'm raising residents' awareness about the role of bees for our planet and the importance of pollination. Each beehive has its own label and its own pure honey production, sold on local markets or in gourmet grocery stores, and some of our renowned chefs even use it in their recipes. The income finances new beehives and awareness-raising programs for schools or the general public. As for Detroit, we're helping to make it a leader in urban beekeeping,

as a beacon of sustainability in city environments. Your favorite place in Detroit? The Rivertown district, along the banks, which you can walk or cycle. The Adventure Center is perfect for families. We’ve even got a beehive there! And your favorite place to eat? Green Dot Stables, a bar-cum restaurant oozing warm, local vibes and serving great burgers and craft beers! The bar used to be owned by a jockey, and has become the home of the Detroit FC soccer team’s supporters. Three good reasons to live in Detroit? 1 Living in a big city that has a small town feel, where it’s normal to say hey to your neighbors and bump into coworkers... Detroit is actually more of a village (laughs)! 2 Our riverside walk. Leisure, cycling, festivals: there’s always something going on there. The Riverwalk was voted the best riverwalk in the United States for three years in a row. 3 Detroit is full of opportunities and diversity. Everyone supports local businesses and wants you to do well.

in music, including Beyoncé and Lady Gaga on both their live shows and their world tours. But I always come back to Detroit. My city is what drives me. I’ve always lived here, and I’ll never leave the place. Today, along with my manager Sam Donald, we work in the city’s schools, teaching music in low-income neighborhoods. We explain to children just how incredibly inspiring our city is, and how you need to work on your passions and believe in your dreams, and that Detroit is a city where anything is possible! Your favorite place in Detroit? Palmer Park District has a lot going for it: beautiful historic homes, lovely gardens, and stylish shops on Livernois and Avenue of Fashion. For lunch or a drink? Baobab Fare, with African flavors and colors ( T p. 85) and Bad Luck Bar ( T p. 88) for the beauty of the place and its incredible cocktails! Three good reasons to live in Detroit? 1 The (still) affordable cost of living for such a vibrant city. 2 We're an international city, right on the Canadian border. It's just opposite, all you have to do is cross the bridge. 3 Our fabulous musical heritage, of course, so beautiful and diverse!

Detroit Musix

Kern Brantley: bassist, composer, music director I was born and raised in Detroit as one of ten siblings: six biological and four adopted brothers and sisters. We were raised by a single mother, and she quickly realized she needed to keep us busy! She gave each of us an instrument. I got the bass, never thinking it would be my partner for life (laughs)! I started out with my neighborhood's gospel orchestra, snagged my first jazz, soul, and funk gigs, and then my first paychecks. Motown legends like Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross were born and raised in Detroit. All these artists basically shaped my childhood and my career. Then R&B came along, and I worked with stars like Will Smith, Blackstreet, and the Wynans brothers. I've played for some of the biggest names

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Darrell Ellis