Thursday, December 29, 2011
If you need a ride this holiday, make sure you have these ride services on speed dial.
Heading out to the Townsend Hotel this New Year's Eve? Or, perhaps you're hitting up one of the bars around town? Or maybe you'll be celebrating the arrival of 2012 at a friend's house. Whatever you do this New Year's Eve, if you're out and drinking it's important to keep safety top of mind. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, two to three times more people die alcohol-related crashes during Christmas and New Year's than during comparable periods the rest of the year. And 40 percent of traffic fatalities during both holidays involve a driver who has been drinking. Those who ring in the new year in Birmingham are usually on the safe side, Birmingham Police Cmdr. Terry Kiernan said. "There hasn't been an …
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day promise temperatures around 35 degrees with partly sunny skies.
It's officially Christmas Eve, and while the Bloomfield area might not have a white Christmas this year, it will be a chilly one. On Saturday, the skies will be mostly sunny with a high near 34 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. On Saturday night, Santa had better be wearing some layers: Though the skies will be partly cloudy (good visibility conditions for flying sleighs), the lows will dip down to 27 degrees. On Christmas Day, partly sunny skies return with a high near 36 degrees. On Sunday night, prepare for another night with lows at 27 degrees and mostly cloudy skies. Thinking about the back-to-work commute on Monday? Skies will be mostly sunny on Monday, with highs near 36 degrees.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Help this nonprofit organization lend a hand to others facing challenging situations.
This is part of a 30-day series of ways Patch community members can give back this holiday season. We hope you'll take part in this 30 Days of Giving and take the spirit beyond the holidays, because there truly is need all year long. The Judson Center in Royal Oak is a nonprofit organization with resources to help individuals and families across southeastern Michigan facing challenging situations. Its services focus on a variety of family issues, such as adoption, autism, family preservation, respite care and counseling. To help make a difference in the lives of Judson Center clients, the public can donate money via phone, mail or online at www.judsoncenter.org. To mail a check, send checks to the Judson Center Development Department at …
42.5175
-83.20269
4410 W 13 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI
Judson Center
/articles/30-days-of-giving-day-28-the-judson-center-66c5ce33
/locations/6054082
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Do you know someone who has been impacted by domestic violence? Help HAVEN help them.
This is part of a 30-day series of ways Patch community members can give back this holiday season. We hope you'll take part in this 30 Days of Giving and take the spirit beyond the holidays, because there truly is need all year long. HAVEN, a non-profit organization with locations in Pontiac, Royal Oak and Bingham Farms, gives women, men and children who are being abused the tools they need to get out of violent relationship and live a healthy life. HAVEN offers its clients a variety of services, including counseling, a 24-hour crisis line, prevention education, a safe shelter and more. Last year Haven aided more than 25,000 men, women and children in Oakland County. HAVEN offers community members a variety of ways to help its cause. …
Not all treats are created equal. Tell us what you love and loathe.
Taste is highly personal, particularly when that taste is literally on the tip of the tongue. So it's no surprise that when it comes to the sugary, colorful indulgences served this week, one person's delight may be another's disgust. Fortunately, abundant choices at office parties, family gatherings and neighborhood visits let us grab what we savor and skip what's out of favor. In these polls, tell what you crave and what makes you cringe. Pick one on each list. Then feel free to tell us in comments what we've missed.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Learn more about the history and meaning behind this Jewish holiday, which starts tomorrow at sundown.
While Christmas is among the top two Christian holidays in terms of importance, Hanukkah is considered a minor holiday for the Jewish people. Nevertheless, it has become one of the more widely celebrated Jewish holidays and is certainly a favorite among children. Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Jews over the Syrian Greeks in 164 BCE (Before Common Era) and is celebrated by lighting one additional candle in a candelabrum, called a hanukkiah (or menorah) for eight days. The holiday is also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah means rededication and refers to the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its defilement by the Syrian Greeks in 164 BCE (or BC). As the website MyJewishLearning.com notes, "Beginning in 167 BCE…
Certain December music makes us pause, sing along and feel nostalgic.
Holiday voices sing, are you listening? Songs of the season are inescapable this week – whether they bring comfort and joy or lyrics and beats that annoy. Amid the jingling and roasting, most people cherish at least a few Christmas songs – perhaps because they've been sung many times, many ways since we were young. Though it may be tough to single out a favorite, here's a chance to click on one that invariably makes you pause, turn up the volume and feel nostalgic. So come and vote, faithful celebrants, and let's see which is triumphant. Write-in votes for unlisted tunes can go in the comments.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
We've got your guide to this season's best holiday concerts in and around Bloomfield.
You know the holidays are here when area orchestras and bands tune up their instruments and choirs warm up their voices, all the while preparing for a season of holiday concerts. So don't miss the sounds of the season with this year's line-up of holiday concerts: Winter Markt St. Dunstan's Christmas Concert Birmingham Concert Band: 'Make a Joyful Noise' Chancel Choir: Kirk in the Hills Annual Advent Concert Annual Carol Festival Oakland Choral Society: Handel's Messiah St. James and All Saints choirs: 'Caroling, Caroling: An Alfred Burt Family Christmas' Birmingham Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra: 'Make a Joyful Noise' A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols School band, orchestra concerts Bands, choirs and orchestras from both Groves and …
42.54602
-83.23793
1800 W Maple Rd, Birmingham, MI
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
/articles/need-to-know-ring-in-the-season-with-holiday-concerts-1d5a889a
/locations/5941887
42.545199
-83.216029
200 W Merrill St, Birmingham, MI
Shain Park
/articles/need-to-know-ring-in-the-season-with-holiday-concerts-1d5a889a
/locations/5941888
42.58872
-83.26551
Bloomfield Hills Lahser High School
3456 Lahser Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI
/articles/need-to-know-ring-in-the-season-with-holiday-concerts-1d5a889a
1540250
/locations/5941889
42.59161
-83.252279
The Roeper School
41190 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills, MI
/articles/need-to-know-ring-in-the-season-with-holiday-concerts-1d5a889a
1540274
/locations/5941890
42.58006
-83.29596
Kirk in the Hills
1340 W Long Lake Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI
/articles/need-to-know-ring-in-the-season-with-holiday-concerts-1d5a889a
1540515
/locations/5941891
42.566656
-83.244526
Christ Church Cranbrook
470 Church Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI
/articles/need-to-know-ring-in-the-season-with-holiday-concerts-1d5a889a
1540587
/locations/5941892
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Number of shoppers out after Thanksgiving exceeds last year's record.
It was a busy holiday shopping weekend along Bloomfield's main commercial coridoors as big-box retailers did their best to lure people in with early openings and limited specials. According to a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey conducted by BIGresearch, 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites Thursday through Saturday last week, a record up from last year's 212 million shoppers. In addition, the NRF reports that the average shopper spent $398.62 during the holiday weekend, up from $365.34 last year. Total spending reached an estimated $52.4 billion. Locally, despite the onset of mobile apps and other innovations, there were still plenty of reasons for people to show up in stores, even if that meant standing in line. Small …
42.606583
-83.296829
Best Buy
2169 S Telegraph Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI
/articles/retailers-optimistic-after-start-of-holiday-shopping-season
2031082
/locations/5899688
42.545348
-83.262307
Bloomfield Sports Shop
3594 W Maple Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI
/articles/retailers-optimistic-after-start-of-holiday-shopping-season
1540439
/locations/5899689
Monday, November 28, 2011
Patch tells you what's happening this weekend in and around Bloomfield Hills.
It's Monday and the extended weekend just ended. However, it's always fun to look ahead at what's going on in and around town for the next weekend. On Friday, we will compile a list to help you plan your weekend. Our pick for today: Birmingham Winter Markt Where: Shain Park When: Friday from 3-9 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; or Sunday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Why go: 'Tis the season for holiday cheer and what better place to start your December out then the charming German holiday market, a.k.a. the Birmingham Winter Markt? Enjoy ice sculptures and demonstrations, live reindeer, horse drawn carriage rides, traditional German food and drink, plus live entertainment from a variety of local choirs, the Village Youth Theater, choruses and…
42.545199
-83.216029
200 W Merrill St, Birmingham, MI
Shain Park
/articles/weekend-countdown-birmingham-winter-market
/locations/5887641
Alan Stamm
1:27 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Vienetta makes me smile, Geri, as does panettone from your people. I assume you modestly omitted other skillfully rendered selections in your repertoire such as struffoli, pizzelle, panforte and perhaps -- be still, my stomach -- Zuppa Inglese. Thanks for commenting. Mangia bene and Buon Natale to you and The Commissioner! more ›