Two Southeast Michigan suppliers were among the first to be named by Volkswagen AG as suppliers to its new plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Troy-based EMCON Technologies L.L.C. will supply cold end exhaust systems and Auburn Hills-based Saturn Electronics & Engineering Inc. will supply solid state electronics modules for a new mid-size sedan to be made at Volkswagen’s new plant.
“EMCON Technologies has a long history of delivering quality exhaust products to Volkswagen production facilities abroad and we are looking forward to bringing that environmentally-friendly technology to our new Tennessee plant,” Volkswagen’s Chattanooga CEO Frank Fischer said in a statement.
EMCON employs about 7,500 people at operations in 19 countries and posts about $4 billion in annual revenue, according to the company’s Web site. EMCON is owned by One Equity Partners, a New York-based equity and investment firm that manages about $8 billion in investments from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. The company was formed in 2004 after One Equity Partners bought Troy-based ArvinMeritor Inc.’s exhaust systems business for about $310 million.
Saturn Electronics & Engineering, a certified minority-owned supplier, will develop the solid state electronics modules for Volkswagen’s new sedan from Saturn’s headquarters in Auburn Hills.
“Saturn presented us with exactly what we were looking for: an innovative and cost-effective module that is tailored to our U.S. consumer market,” Fischer said in the statement. “As a minority-owned business, we are pleased to have Saturn as a partner in the production of the vehicle.”
PRLog (Press Release) – Dec 08, 2008 – Milford, MI -- This Christmas give someone a gift they’ll never forget… a gift from their own personal “bucket list.”What’s a bucket list? It’s the list people make of the things to do before they “kick the bucket” made popular by the Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman movie “The Bucket List,” include for many a hot air balloon ride.
“The movie is about getting the most out of life in the face of death. The movie stars Nicholson as a rich guy and Freeman as a working stiff, both diagnosed with terminal cancer, the duo teaming up to travel the world with a wish list of exotic adventures to squeeze in before kicking the bucket,” says David Germain in an Associated Press review.
“The list is not far from reality,” says Scott Lorenz of Westwind Balloon Company in Plymouth, Michigan. “I’ve flown thousands of people over the years and many say a hot air balloon ride was on their list of things to do before they… kick the bucket.” Its not often one can participate in an activity that so many people hold so high in anticipation. It makes it a very rewarding experience for me personally as well as my passengers,” says Lorenz.
“That’s why the "bucket list gift” is so popular, because people who have accumulated everything material they could want don't really need anything. The only things they want to collect anymore are experiences. A balloon flight is the ultimate experience and it allows them to cross off that item on their own bucket list.
What’s the best time to go? Hot air balloons fly in Michigan May thru October. Lorenz says “springtime is nice, but summer’s pretty cool too and you can’t beat the fall colors in October!”
Most balloon rides last about one hour and Lorenz flies over the woods and streams of Kensington Park. He and several other pilot friends meet at Park 'n Ride area off Milford Road and I-96 (exit # 155) about 2 1/2 hours before sunset.
What to wear? Lorenz suggests passengers wear tennis shoes and jeans. He says the air temp “upstairs” is within a couple degrees of ground temp so its not a factor. Cameras and video cameras are highly reccomended to preserve the once in a lifetime moments while flying over the countryside.
Flights cost $695 for a private ride which is two passengers and the pilot. All flights are pre-paid. Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover and PayPal are accepted. Christmas gift certificates are available.
To schedule a flight call Westwind Balloon Company at 734-667-2098 or visit: www.westwindcos.com/balloon.
What’s on Lorenz’s bucket list? “I’d have to say white water rafting on the Colorado River, storm chasing tornados with a professional meteorologist, taking a zip line trip through the tops of a rain forest and flying balloons in Kenya,” says Lorenz.
About Scott Lorenz
Scott Lorenz, President of Westwind Balloon Company, has been a commercial balloon pilot since 1982, and has logged 1,450 + hours as pilot in command in a hot air balloon. Scott’s memorable ballooning experiences include: Flying over Niagara Falls, The Great Wall of China, Disney World, the Olympics in Calgary, St. Wolfgang, Austria, Saga, Japan, the Grand Prix in Spain, co-piloting one of two balloons for Mike Howard’s Guinness World Record ”balloon walk” flight at 19,000 feet, a 20 hour-361 mile Gas Balloon flight with Gordon Boring and handling media relations for Kevin Uliassi’s Round the World balloon flights. Lorenz and his balloon exploits have been featured by FOX-2 News, Hour Detroit and The Detroit Free Press. A balloon flight on Westwind Co. was named "most creative date" by It’s Just Lunch. Westwind Balloon Company is a member of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, The Balloon Federation of America (BFA) and the Southeast Michigan Balloon Federation (SEMBA). www.westwindcos.com/balloon
BY BILL LAITNER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
It's not serious transit on these party-style trolleys that seat 40 -- they will give free rides for six hours on just one night.
But plans for two rubber-tired trolleys to circle five cities in southeast Oakland County have city and business officials excited about everything from pumping up small downtowns to showing the value of mass transit.
The trolleys are to make 10 repeated stops, from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, in Berkley, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge and Royal Oak. Stops include two city community centers, restaurants and a nightclub.
"We're hoping this will be as big a hit as it was when we did it in October" -- when Pleasant Ridge rented a trolley for a night just to run to Ferndale and Royal Oak, said Pleasant Ridge City Manager Sherry Ball.
"This time, we scheduled it to see Ferndale's ice sculptures," which will be on display after Saturday's daylong Ferndale Holiday Ice Festival.
Pleasant Ridge will pay $850 for each trolley for Saturday, but the five cities would share costs if the rides continue, Ball said.
As modest as the plan is now, there's hope to repeat it often in 2009, said Pleasant Ridge City Commissioner George Lenko.
"If we had a small bus loop like this all the time, it would help people ... sort of live locally," Lenko said.
The trolley riding comes as the Legislature is expected to approve a 12-stop light-rail system on Woodward in Detroit this week. Both are signs that metro Detroiters increasingly see the value of "getting out from behind their steering wheels," said Luke Forrest of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance.
People who rode the trolley in October not only enjoyed the convenience of not driving or parking, but they spent their money to help the local economy, said Christina Sheppard-Decius of the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority.
"There's networking and camaraderie and neighborly socializing. That's what's appealing to the consumer and gets people to step outside their usual spending patterns," such as buying on the Internet, from catalogs or at far-off malls, she said.
For Huntington Woods, joining the trolley plan was a byproduct of facing a tough economy and wanting to promote southeast Oakland County, said City Manager Alex Allie.
He said he expects Huntington Woods residents will enjoy seeing holiday lights, meeting their neighbors on the trolleys and going for a night out that doesn't risk drinking and driving.
"Obviously, we don't have our own downtown, but it's a way of showing off our neighborhoods," Allie said. The trolley plan also is a way for the cities to build toward more collaboration on other things, he said.
For details about Saturday's trolley stops, go to www.berkleymich.org.
Contact BILL LAITNER at 248-351-3297.
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
It's not serious transit on these party-style trolleys that seat 40 -- they will give free rides for six hours on just one night.
But plans for two rubber-tired trolleys to circle five cities in southeast Oakland County have city and business officials excited about everything from pumping up small downtowns to showing the value of mass transit.
The trolleys are to make 10 repeated stops, from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, in Berkley, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge and Royal Oak. Stops include two city community centers, restaurants and a nightclub.
"We're hoping this will be as big a hit as it was when we did it in October" -- when Pleasant Ridge rented a trolley for a night just to run to Ferndale and Royal Oak, said Pleasant Ridge City Manager Sherry Ball.
"This time, we scheduled it to see Ferndale's ice sculptures," which will be on display after Saturday's daylong Ferndale Holiday Ice Festival.
Pleasant Ridge will pay $850 for each trolley for Saturday, but the five cities would share costs if the rides continue, Ball said.
As modest as the plan is now, there's hope to repeat it often in 2009, said Pleasant Ridge City Commissioner George Lenko.
"If we had a small bus loop like this all the time, it would help people ... sort of live locally," Lenko said.
The trolley riding comes as the Legislature is expected to approve a 12-stop light-rail system on Woodward in Detroit this week. Both are signs that metro Detroiters increasingly see the value of "getting out from behind their steering wheels," said Luke Forrest of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance.
People who rode the trolley in October not only enjoyed the convenience of not driving or parking, but they spent their money to help the local economy, said Christina Sheppard-Decius of the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority.
"There's networking and camaraderie and neighborly socializing. That's what's appealing to the consumer and gets people to step outside their usual spending patterns," such as buying on the Internet, from catalogs or at far-off malls, she said.
For Huntington Woods, joining the trolley plan was a byproduct of facing a tough economy and wanting to promote southeast Oakland County, said City Manager Alex Allie.
He said he expects Huntington Woods residents will enjoy seeing holiday lights, meeting their neighbors on the trolleys and going for a night out that doesn't risk drinking and driving.
"Obviously, we don't have our own downtown, but it's a way of showing off our neighborhoods," Allie said. The trolley plan also is a way for the cities to build toward more collaboration on other things, he said.
For details about Saturday's trolley stops, go to www.berkleymich.org.
Contact BILL LAITNER at 248-351-3297.
BY MARK STRYKER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Kresge Foundation's $50,000 Eminent Artist Award is the latest step in the Troy-based foundation's significant recent investment in local arts and culture.
The foundation has committed $8.8 million over three years, with more than $6 million in operating funds already flowing to large and small cultural groups in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. In addition, the foundation will award 18 annual fellowships of $25,000 each to local artists beginning next spring.
Kresge's willingness to fund not just institutions but individuals suddenly makes metro Detroit a national leader when it comes to supporting artists in their studios.
Other foundations and government agencies around the country award grants to individuals, but the scale of Kresge's $500,000 annual commitment appears unique. Arts advocates said the fellowships could have a transformational impact, keeping artists anchored in metro Detroit rather than feeling compelled to leave for greener pastures.
Artist Jef Bourgeau, director of the Museum of New Art in Pontiac, said that the Kresge awards "now lie at the heart of Detroit's future contemporary culture, not only regionally but, in overall awareness, nationally as well."
While the Eminent Artist Award and fellowships are going to visual artists this year, later years will reward performing and literary artists.
Kresge president Rip Rapson said the fellowships were designed to make it possible for artists to concentrate on their work for at least a year without having to wait tables or something similar to pay the bills. The foundation's arts support -- a long-term commitment slated to continue far into the future -- is aimed at strengthening the overall ecology of culture in metro Detroit.
"We can't acknowledge the past or aspirations for the future without artists making daily contributions to life in Detroit," said Rapson.
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Kresge Foundation's $50,000 Eminent Artist Award is the latest step in the Troy-based foundation's significant recent investment in local arts and culture.
The foundation has committed $8.8 million over three years, with more than $6 million in operating funds already flowing to large and small cultural groups in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. In addition, the foundation will award 18 annual fellowships of $25,000 each to local artists beginning next spring.
Kresge's willingness to fund not just institutions but individuals suddenly makes metro Detroit a national leader when it comes to supporting artists in their studios.
Other foundations and government agencies around the country award grants to individuals, but the scale of Kresge's $500,000 annual commitment appears unique. Arts advocates said the fellowships could have a transformational impact, keeping artists anchored in metro Detroit rather than feeling compelled to leave for greener pastures.
Artist Jef Bourgeau, director of the Museum of New Art in Pontiac, said that the Kresge awards "now lie at the heart of Detroit's future contemporary culture, not only regionally but, in overall awareness, nationally as well."
While the Eminent Artist Award and fellowships are going to visual artists this year, later years will reward performing and literary artists.
Kresge president Rip Rapson said the fellowships were designed to make it possible for artists to concentrate on their work for at least a year without having to wait tables or something similar to pay the bills. The foundation's arts support -- a long-term commitment slated to continue far into the future -- is aimed at strengthening the overall ecology of culture in metro Detroit.
"We can't acknowledge the past or aspirations for the future without artists making daily contributions to life in Detroit," said Rapson.
By Megan Pennefather • MIRROR STAFF WRITER •
Royal Oak found a sunny patch amid all this regional gloom: BusinessWeek magazine recently deigned the city as one of the nation's best cities to raise children.
The magazine in November released its second annual roundup of the "Best Places To Raise Your Kids," and Royal Oak was one of only three Michigan cities named to the list. Ann Arbor was the top community in the state, while Royal Oak and Shelby Township were named runners-up.
The magazine in November released its second annual roundup of the "Best Places To Raise Your Kids," and Royal Oak was one of only three Michigan cities named to the list. Ann Arbor was the top community in the state, while Royal Oak and Shelby Township were named runners-up.
The honor came as no surprise to City Manager Tom Hoover.
"We've got great neighborhoods, great services," he said. "We've got a very vibrant downtown. We've got it all, and we try to use it to our advantage."
School performance, affordability and safety were the top three criteria considered in compiling the list, but cost of living, air quality, job growth, diversity, local parks, museums and theaters were also factors. Towns with populations of fewer than 50,000 and median household incomes of less than $40,000 or more than $100,000 were not considered.
The honor came when the city is facing ever-increasing budget problems, as revenue continues to dwindle and costs of services inch up. Hoover said though economic times are tough in the city, Royal Oak is still a draw for many people. "All around, there are good places to live," he said.
Royal Oak school district Superintendent Thomas Moline said the honor says a lot about the quality of the city's schools. "That is a credit to the school district, and we continue to work hard on that," he said. "The community has put a lot into the schools in the last three years."
While teachers and staff certainly deserve part of the credit, he said, it's also important to look at the parents.
"Certainly, it's the instruction," he said. "But it's coupled with the high expectations by the parents, and when you have that, you have a vibrant community."
But is it vibrant enough for the superintendent himself to live there?
Of course, he replied. "I wouldn't live anywhere else."
By Megan Pennefather• MIRROR STAFF WRITER •
A green energy funding program that takes a cue from the national Adopt-a-Highway model caught the ear of Ferndale city officials last week.
"This council is always looking at ways to be greener," said Mayor Craig Covey, after Royal Oak resident Tom Wither presented his Adopt-a-Watt initiative to council members at the regular meeting.
The council agreed to consider a resolution at a future meeting supporting the program, which would provide private sponsorship of solar-lighting devices that would be used by municipalities and other public entities. In exchange, a sponsor gets naming rights and/or public acknowledgment.
The point is to encourage private sponsorship through public cooperation, said Wither. "We're going to take a business-based approach to this."
Municipalities would permit use of public space for the project and help Adopt-a-Watt representatives scout highly visible locations that may be attractive to possible donors. As with Adopt-a-Highway, said Wither, there is no public money used to fund these energy-saving devices.
The point is to encourage widespread use of alternative energy sources, said Wither, adding he started the program at airports across the country, with donors investing money in the project through an online bidding process at http://www.adoptawatt.com/.
"That's what our mission is, is to make things better for the next generation," he said.
In July, the Royal Oak City Commission approved allowing private donors to sponsor energy-saving devices on city buildings and parks.
The initiative is getting support from members of the city's Environmental Impact Commission, according to Timothy Risk, a member of the commission. "This is the kind of environmental initiative the commission would like to see," he said.
For more information on the Adopt-a-Watt Program, visit http://www.adoptawatt.com/.
The Sunday Times
It seems right now that if you work in a so-called white-collar job, and your company is in trouble, you get a bailout. But if you work in a blue-collar job and get your hands dirty - like a car maker - you don't.
It's a tough time for the American auto industry. Once you lose a manufacturing giant like General Motors, Ford, Chrysler . . . it never comes back again. As an American, I know it has something to do with national pride - something about supporting the home team.
I know so many British enthusiasts who have mourned the total loss of Triumph, and the loss of ownership of companies such as Jaguar and other wonderfully proud British names.
If I were running things, I would give the auto companies the bailout money, but I would also say that no CEO could make more than the highest-paid federal employee, which happens to be the president of the United States.
The minute you pay the $25 billion back, you can go back to making your millions again. That doesn’t seem unreasonable.
Have US auto workers relied too much on making trucks? Yes. That's a huge mistake. But there are now some tremendous vehicles coming out of Detroit - the Chevy Volt, the new Ford F150, the Dodge Challenger.
These are all cars that people want to buy, and the reason they’re not buying them isn’t because they don't like American cars, but because they can't get the financing. You go down to the docks here in Long Beach, and you see that for the first time in history Mercedes-Benz is leasing 15 acres to stockpile cars it can't sell. So is Nissan, so is Toyota.
Because GM was so big for so long, the American media like to pick on it. That's not to say it hasn’t made some mistakes - it has, but mistakes no worse than those the others have made. And globally GM (Vauxhall) and Ford are making some edgy cars.
I have a new Dodge Challenger and I have a new Corvette; these are world-class vehicles that I’d put against anything in their price range or even anything a couple of thousand dollars above their price range.
Right now perception is everything. If people perceive that American cars aren't as good as they were, then the American car market is going to suffer. I think American cars are as good as anybody's, though. You have a situation where you have a vehicle such as the Hummer, which becomes the face of the American auto industry. One Hummer cancels out 100 little Chevy Cobalts. That's where Toyota was smart: it built the Prius, but also built those giant trucks. But nobody notices those because the Prius is out on the forecourt.
For almost a year now, I have been driving a GM hydrogen fuel-cell car. It shows that we have the technology to do that, but the problem is that nobody can get a car loan. Americans are used to getting a car for almost no money down, but all that money has dried up. When they can’t do that any more they make the mistake of thinking that the products are inferior, when in fact it's just the loan they're not able to get.
So, did those Ford, GM and Chrysler CEOs make a mistake flying into DC on their private jets? Yes. They should have bought an economy ticket and taken the shuttle bus in – à la Martin Luther with his sackcloth - and thrown themselves at the doors of Congress. Do what you gotta do.
I think this is a wake-up call, and unlike in other industries there is a precedent for this. Lee Iacocca, the greatest car salesman in the world, got the government to bail out Chrysler in the late 1970s. No one had ever done it before, and I think he paid the loan back five years early, with interest. It showed that it could be done. Let's hope it's not too late for history to repeat itself.
It seems right now that if you work in a so-called white-collar job, and your company is in trouble, you get a bailout. But if you work in a blue-collar job and get your hands dirty - like a car maker - you don't.
It's a tough time for the American auto industry. Once you lose a manufacturing giant like General Motors, Ford, Chrysler . . . it never comes back again. As an American, I know it has something to do with national pride - something about supporting the home team.
I know so many British enthusiasts who have mourned the total loss of Triumph, and the loss of ownership of companies such as Jaguar and other wonderfully proud British names.
If I were running things, I would give the auto companies the bailout money, but I would also say that no CEO could make more than the highest-paid federal employee, which happens to be the president of the United States.
The minute you pay the $25 billion back, you can go back to making your millions again. That doesn’t seem unreasonable.
Have US auto workers relied too much on making trucks? Yes. That's a huge mistake. But there are now some tremendous vehicles coming out of Detroit - the Chevy Volt, the new Ford F150, the Dodge Challenger.
These are all cars that people want to buy, and the reason they’re not buying them isn’t because they don't like American cars, but because they can't get the financing. You go down to the docks here in Long Beach, and you see that for the first time in history Mercedes-Benz is leasing 15 acres to stockpile cars it can't sell. So is Nissan, so is Toyota.
Because GM was so big for so long, the American media like to pick on it. That's not to say it hasn’t made some mistakes - it has, but mistakes no worse than those the others have made. And globally GM (Vauxhall) and Ford are making some edgy cars.
I have a new Dodge Challenger and I have a new Corvette; these are world-class vehicles that I’d put against anything in their price range or even anything a couple of thousand dollars above their price range.
Right now perception is everything. If people perceive that American cars aren't as good as they were, then the American car market is going to suffer. I think American cars are as good as anybody's, though. You have a situation where you have a vehicle such as the Hummer, which becomes the face of the American auto industry. One Hummer cancels out 100 little Chevy Cobalts. That's where Toyota was smart: it built the Prius, but also built those giant trucks. But nobody notices those because the Prius is out on the forecourt.
For almost a year now, I have been driving a GM hydrogen fuel-cell car. It shows that we have the technology to do that, but the problem is that nobody can get a car loan. Americans are used to getting a car for almost no money down, but all that money has dried up. When they can’t do that any more they make the mistake of thinking that the products are inferior, when in fact it's just the loan they're not able to get.
So, did those Ford, GM and Chrysler CEOs make a mistake flying into DC on their private jets? Yes. They should have bought an economy ticket and taken the shuttle bus in – à la Martin Luther with his sackcloth - and thrown themselves at the doors of Congress. Do what you gotta do.
I think this is a wake-up call, and unlike in other industries there is a precedent for this. Lee Iacocca, the greatest car salesman in the world, got the government to bail out Chrysler in the late 1970s. No one had ever done it before, and I think he paid the loan back five years early, with interest. It showed that it could be done. Let's hope it's not too late for history to repeat itself.
By NICK MEYERFREE PRESS STAFF WRITERWith new energy-efficient styles lining store shelves, holiday light sales have remained steady in metro Detroit.
Associates from stores like Target and Rite Aid in Westland as well as English Gardens in Royal Oak have reported that sales are as good or even a little better than in recent years.
Many people are finding that going out and buying new lights is more cost-effective than stringing up the same outdated, energy-sapping models they’ve been using for years.
“Holiday lights are more energy efficient than they used to be,” said Scott Simons, DTE Energy Spokesperson. “Holiday lighting doesn’t add a whole lot (of cost), but for people looking for less of an impact on their energy bills, the newer, more efficient lights are better.”
Solar-powered Christmas lights have been a hot item at Target while battery-powered lights have been popular at Rite Aid.
But even the popular new LED (light-emitting diode) lights are a big upgrade from the old models that many people stash in their basements and reuse with designs on saving money.
“There’s been a huge shift to LED lights, more and more people are buying those because they’re energy-saving and they have long, lasting, vibrant colors,” said Dean Darin, general manager of the English Gardens store in Royal Oak.
Darin helps decide which Christmas lights and how many to buy for all seven of English Gardens’ metro Detroit stores.
According to Darin, who researches light efficiency to determine the best values for customers, a 700-light LED set saves over 90% in electricity costs compared to a similar 700-light set of classic miniature bulbs. LED light colors generally don’t fade and boast lifetimes of up to 200,000 hours. They first hit shelves in 2005 at English Gardens and finally caught on big last year, when the Royal Oak store sold out. This year, Darin ordered extra LED lights for customers and the results have been good so far.
While most people decide to make the switch to LED lights because of their brilliant colors, the energy and money savings are a welcome side benefit.
“We have Christmas trees in front of the store with sapphire blue, white, and purple lights in and people drive by, see them, and come in and ask ‘What are those lights?’” said Darin.
“We show them and then they buy them. Light sales are good because it’s kind of a new technology but it’s just now catching on and driving the industry.”
by Louise Rafkin, San Francisco ChronicleAs a principal dancer for the Martha Graham Dance Company, Heidi Stoeckley, 28, originally from Lansing, Mich., traveled the world. Her home? A storage space. Her friends? Other dancers. Romance? There was little time for that.
But in 2005, when, in Madrid, a performance was suddenly canceled, she quickly jumped a plane to Michigan to be the surprise at a cousin's wedding. What she didn't realize was that Chris Nogoy, a groomsman in from San Francisco, would be the real surprise.
The two met briefly late in the evening in one of those situations where someone shouts out "Hey, who are you?" and a group interview ensues. It was discovered that Chris, 32, an architect, had grown up an hour away from Heidi in Troy. Thirty minutes later, with Chris' e-mail address in hand, Heidi announced to her mom, seated nearby, "I'm going to marry that man." Her mom's response? "I agree."
Chris knew it too. "My work was done," he says with an incredibly bright smile.
But Heidi was off to South America, where, post performances, she would find an Internet cafe and exchange missives with a man whose appearance she could barely recall. The two bonded over art, craft and the meaning of expression. They "got" each other.
A month later Heidi was back in New York for their first phone call. A U.S. tour took her to Michigan, where both families turned out for her performance. Chris flew in, too. The two had seen each other only that single time. But just before Heidi took center stage, they had their first moment alone. Before a kiss, Chris said what was already known: "I love you."
Heidi performed exquisitely, and after the adoring families had finally dispersed, the two retreated to her hotel room, where Chris had deposited gifts. A ring box contained - not a ring - but a tiny figure of a baby ("for our innocence") and a ninja ("for wisdom and adventure"). Yet strung up in a large white box on threads of silk was an heirloom ring dating back 200 years to Chris' relatives in the Philippines. "Are you asking me to marry you?" Heidi asked. They both said, "Yes."
The very next day, Heidi was off again. But while away, Heidi's mom planned a Michigan Christmas engagement party at which the two surprised everyone by marrying. (Heidi wore a Diane von Furstenberg dress the designer gave her at a Martha Graham benefit.) A whirlwind year, during which the dance company went bankrupt, and the two married again, in the Philippines, led Heidi to graduate school in business.
This past spring, after graduation, the two moved back to Chris' beloved San Francisco. "We married the third time we met," says Heidi, still amazed at the turn of events.
"And we're still flying in love," says Chris.
The International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, routinely recognized for being among the top high schools in the nation, ranked sixth in the U.S. News Media Group list of the 100 best public high schools.
The list was announced Friday and will be highlighted in the America's Best High Schools issue of U.S. News & World Report, on sale next week.
More than 21,000 high schools were evaluated based primarily on college readiness and academic achievement.
The top 100 schools received gold distinction. Many more were recognized with silver, bronze and honorable mention distinctions.
In Michigan, 19 schools received the silver ranking. In metro Detroit, they included Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Grosse Pointe South High School, Renaissance High School in Detroit, Adams High School in Rochester Hills and Troy High School.
The list was announced Friday and will be highlighted in the America's Best High Schools issue of U.S. News & World Report, on sale next week.
More than 21,000 high schools were evaluated based primarily on college readiness and academic achievement.
The top 100 schools received gold distinction. Many more were recognized with silver, bronze and honorable mention distinctions.
In Michigan, 19 schools received the silver ranking. In metro Detroit, they included Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Grosse Pointe South High School, Renaissance High School in Detroit, Adams High School in Rochester Hills and Troy High School.
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