From the Editor—
After piggybacking on the East Michigan Avenue offices of our D² Enterprises parent company, I am pleased to announce here that Saline Journal has leased space of its own now in what was once the Hoover Universal headquarters building on East Bennett Street. [1]
It’s an ideal location for what we do, with our window on the second floor providing a fantastic view out onto Henne Field, the old Union School and municipal water tower beyond that. The Saline History & Depot Museum is within walking distance. No problem with traffic or parking for those who come to meet with us here. [2,3]
d2 Saline is in the process of relocating as well — with its own set of criteria for new space selection.
When first targeting a suite “on the other side of North Maple,” Eastgate was too significantly identified by the empty Old Country Market grocery. So we felt it important to make our own financial commitment to this important if not then undervalued gateway between downtown and Pittsfield Township. [4]
With Emagine Theatre now exceeding expectations there and hotel construction now making further steps toward its own opening day with noteworthy brickwork progress, we felt it time to support other areas of the city with our brick-and-mortar presence. Two weeks ago I would have anticipated announcing a location decidedly west of Lewis Street. But a deal could not be reached and thus my partner is keeping another important item on her to-do list for the time being. [5]
Beyond personal anecdotes here, the bigger story I see here in the City of Saline is that there =are= so many choices and opportunities. A great many enterprises here could as easily thrive in one place as any of a number of others. Our own D² Enterprises got off to the great start in 1983 that’s taken us through to this day, from a place in the now long gone die cast operations building on Monroe Street. [6-9]
Not everyone sees it that way, of course.
The divides among East Michigan Avenue, West Michigan Avenue, and Main Street are widening to a point where it often feels like Chelsea and Milan see better eye-to-eye. Retail and restaurants cannot thrive in the same environment that fosters assembly and manufacturing operations success. Two of three City Council Members up for reelection this November have cited acrimony during delibrations as among reasons for deciding not to run again this year. [10-16]
Two separate Facebook Pages now provide forums where those seeking to put the most negative cast on Saline Michigan are indulged. Electronic Communications Policy notwithstanding, one or more sitting Council Members has appeared to speak on behalf of that office in fueling these flames. [17-19]
Is that an honest assessment of Saline, in whole or part?
Without ever compromising commitment to professionalism, I choose to look at these largely envy driven exhibitions as opportunities for objective journalistic examinations through Saline Journal. Not of the knee-jerk sort holding that every dark cloud must be answered by rainbows and sunshine, but rather, an endeavor to find the actual subject matter stories more balanced reality.
Much as I valued our position on East Michigan Avenue (and yes, at times, the proximety of Dairy Queen from my office there), you’re never going to do meaningful reporting if you stay rooted on the main thoroughfare. [20]
References
- “Sixteen Years Ago, I Set A Retail-Minded Course For Journalism in Saline From An Office On East Bennett Street” Janet Deaton (August 7, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Saline History & Depot Museum” Saline Area Historical Society.
- “Autonomous Vehicles Promise to Solve Downtown Parking Problems” Dell Deaton (March 19, 2018) Saline Journal.
- Pittsfield Charter Township Michigan (home page).
- Emagine Entertainment (home page).
- Saline (home page).
- Saline Area Chamber of Commerce (home page).
- “Thirty Years Ago, I Celebrated My Five-Year Anniversary As A Journalist – In Florida, Taking Photographs (As Usual)” Dell Deaton (August 6, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “‘We do not have an update on the remediation of former Universal Die Cast, Hoover Ball Bearing site on Monroe Street.’” Dell Deaton (July 15, 2019) Saline Journal.
- Saline Main Street (home page).
- “The first Saline Council Meeting of 2019 told a tale of two cities (and quite likely a good number more than that)” Dell Deaton (January 8, 2019) Saline Journal.
- City of Chelsea, Michigan (home page).
- Chelsea (home page).
- Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce (home page).
- Milan Michigan (home page).
- Milan Area Chamber (Facebook Page).
- “Share of US adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018” Andrew Perrin and Monica Anderson (April 10, 2019) Pew Research Center.
- “When journalists report social media as public opinion” Elizabeth Dubois, Anatoliy Gruzd, and Jenna Jacobson (September 28, 2018) Policy Options Politiques.
- “The difference between good and bad Facebooking” Josh Constine (December 14, 2017) Tech Crunch.
- “Captain Ron’s philosophy on sailing” Irish Wake (August 6, 2007) YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmcsr0wt4wk
