News Link and Dialogue: Should Parents be jailed for not attending Parent-Teacher Conferences

I'm reading this article in the Detroit news about Wayne County's prosecutor developing a plan, which is still in the works, to make it a crime punishable by a fine or jail time for parents who don't attend Parent-Teacher conferences at their child's school. They say that they want more parent involvement in the schools and in kids education. I don't think that jail time is appropriate for parents who skip out on conferences, because some parents may be too busy to attend, but I do think that there should be some other forms of communication between parents and the schools, such as phone calls, letters home, e-mails, and means of that sort. I think that parents should own up and take responsibility for what their kids are getting into and seeing to it that their children are keeping up academically in school. I remember going to Conferences with my parents when I was in school (my Mom usually went, but my Dad came to conferences with my Mom when I was in Elementary school and the 6th grade), and they both would find out how I was fairing academically from my teachers themselves. THey'd talk to me and help me out if I was lagging in any subject, and find the help necessary for me if they couldn't help me. When I was in High School, Report cards were handed out at Conferences during certain marking periods (they were usually mailed home or handed out in Homeroom, which was rarely used in my school), and the parents could talk with their child's teachers face to face about their child or children's grade. The day after conferences, students whose parents didn't attend conferences had to pick up their report cards at the office, and if they still didn't show up to pick the cards up then, they were mailed home. To all my readers with school aged kids, do you attend Parent-Teacher conferences for your child? What means are helpful to get parents who don't attend to get more involved in their child's education?

Row House

As I was taking my walk yesterday, I passed by the old Workers Row house in Corktown, which is on the Southwest side of town, just outside of downtown. It's the only one of its kind, according to the informational sign nearby. I see the houses, and think about all the people who lived here in the past, and how it must have been for them to walk or take the horse and buggy to and from work, school, houses of Worship, and to other places, since many people lived here long ago. I also wonder what the occupations of many of the tenants here were. I think that it'll be interesting to see what's discovered here in the long run.

YouTube Friday: mySCRIPPSdetroit.DRF: FM Dial Sweep

Just looking at the Detroit Radio Flashbacks page again (I mentioned this site in a previous entry), and I found their YouTube channel. This is one of my favorite videos of theirs. It's of the old Detroit FM Dial. It's a trip back in time for most if not all Detroiters that lived here "Back in the Days". I remember a few of these stations , including WLTI (Soft Rock/Adult Contemporary), WHYT (Pop/Top 40), WJZZ (Jazz), and WLLZ (Rock) The station content and some of the call letters have since changed over the years, but the memories stay alive to all who listen to the Radio

Link of the Day: Detroit Transit History

I'm currently looking through the Detroit Transit History website. It's a site chronicling the history of Public Transit here in Detroit. It has many interesting pictures and info there of old Buses, Streetcars, and other tidbits from the DUR, DSR, DOT and the old Semta and Smart bus systems of yesterday and today.
These Bus Stop signs have come a long way since the old Green and Yellow DOT stops from back in the day that I remember. THere were some old DSR "Board Coach Here" signs from way back when that have since been removed. The Smart bus signs haven't changed that much . I'm currently looking at a page with the old Route Numbers compared to the current route names and numbers. I remember a few of them that are no longer in existence, such as the old CAT-Cultural Attractions Trolley (Route #3), John R. (Route #33), Meyers (Route # Woodrow Wilson (Route #52) and Lahser (Route #99) more vividly.

Detroit Savings Bank facade

Here's the facade of the old Detroit Savings Bank, which is now part of Comerica Bank. According to the Funding Universe page about Comerica Bank, the Detroit Savings Bank was incorporated in 1871, and became the Detroit Bank in 1936. Nineteen years later, in 1955, Detroit Bank became Detroit Bank and Trust,which is what many Detroiters remember it as. In 1973, Detroit Bank and Trust was held by a corporation called DetroitBank, which became Comerica Bank in 1982. The Posters and signs near this doorway are from when the United Way occupied the building around the corner on Griswold. This door is on the State street side near Capitol Park. I like the arched window above the door here.

Lights and Reading Statues

This is one of my favorite pictures of the past week or so. This was taken June 1, 2010 after the Tigers-Indians game at Comerica Park. This was taken from the Grand Circus Park People Mover station. The People Mover was delayed a bit, and I had some time before the train arrived. Woodward avenue runs thru the center, and this is the east side of the park. The lights shining over the trees makes it look pretty cool. By the time I passed here while leaving downtown, the top rows of the light towers were on. These lights make the park and the area around it shine like it was high noon almost.
This is another one of my favorite Pictures from June 1. This is an iconic statue in the Grand Circus Park People Mover station. It's called "Catching Up" The statue has both the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press with him, and the papers both have 1987 dates on them. The People Mover opened up to riders in July 1987 Many people like to take pictures of and with this statue.

Womens City Club of Detroit Building

Here are some pictures I took on Saturday of the Womens City Club building downtown. It's been designated as a Michigan Historic site since 1980, five years after the club moved out of these quarters. According to the page on the National Park Service website, This building was designed by the husband of Mary Chase Stratton, who founded Pewabic Pottery and member of the club. There were many Pewabic Tiles adorning the building, including the ones pictured here. These tiles remind me of drops of water. . There were also different organizations within the club that had meetings and speakers there. I like the arched doorway at the entrance of the building an always wonder what the club was like back in its heyday in the 1940s and '50s. Here are a few pictures of the tiles in the club in the 1950s from the Wayne State Virtual Motor City Collection (Click on the words to get to the pics). The building is currently abandoned looks like it's about to be rehabilitated in some way, with new windows. I wonder what'll be there in the long run.