The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power Plant

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Nuclear Wetlands

Nuclear Wetlands, photo by mandj98.

James writes that the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power plant is located on Lake Erie about six miles from Point Mouillee.

The Department of Energy’s page on the Enrico Fermi plant says that it was named for the first physicist to split the atom. The prototype Fermi 1 unit operated at the site from 1963 to 1972 and is now mothballed. The current 1,111 MW Fermi 2 unit is operated by Detroit Edison Company. It’s a boiling water reactor that ranks as Michigan’s 9th largest nuclear reactor.

Wikipedia’s entry for Fermi notes that plant suffered a partial meltdown on October 5, 1966, an event that inspired the Gil Scott-Heron song We Almost Lost Detroit. There was no reported release of radiation or injury.

Here’s an aerial view of Fermi Nuclear Power plant and you can also check out this satellite view of the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power plant on the Absolute Michigan map of Michigan.

quincy karma on US 12

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

quincy karma

quincy karma, photo by buckshot.jones.

This colorful capture is part of Scott’s A trip down historic US 12 set (slideshow). He writes:

I turned off the Interstate and took US 12 on my way back to Dearborn. Lots of small towns and rural scenes.

You can follow US 12 all the way to the Pacific ocean. In Detroit and Chicago, US 12 is known as Michigan Avenue. From the Water Tower to old Tiger Stadium, this route has lots of history.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_12 (and also see the US 12 in Michigan entry!)

Here’s Quincy, Michigan and US-12 on the Absolute Michigan Map of Michigan.

Nothing more I can say except “Thanks Scott for posting these in big, beautiful, background-sized glory!”

…and have a great weekend everyone!

Exposure.Detroit May Photographic Exhibition

Posted on by farlane

Cranes @ Sunset by epeoples

Cranes @ Sunset, photo by epeoples

Exposure.Detroit May 2008 ShowThis photo from the construction of the new MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Detroit is part of Eric’s Exposure.Detroit May 16th Exhibit set (slideshow).

The Exhibit Opening Party takes place from 7pm – 10pm on Friday, May 16th at the Bean & Leaf Cafe in Royal Oak.

In addition to Eric, photographers featured are Amy, Nicole, Ross and Paul N.

More about Exposure.Detroit and the upcoming show from the Exposure.Detroit group on Flickr.

Eaton County and the Charlotte Courthouse

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Court House and museum Charlotte Michigan

Court House and museum Charlotte Michigan, photo by baklein62.

The brief history on the Eaton County web site says:

Eaton County, named for President Andrew Jackson’s Secretary of War (John Eaton), sometimes referred to as a cabinet county, was organized in 1837. Due to lack of population and buildings in the designated county seat (Charlotte), government and judicial functions were performed in the village of Bellevue.

…In 1882 the Eaton County Board of Supervisors resolved “to erect a building for court and public office purposes” at no more than $50,000 cost; this was later amended to $40,000. When completed, the cost of this courthouse was nearly $80,000.

The contract for design was awarded to D.W. Gibbs & Company of Toledo, Ohio with the firm of Miles, Cramer and Horn also from Toledo doing construction. The corner stone was laid on July 4, 1883 and this building was ready for use in October 1885.

Read more about Courthouse Square and the museum including information about and photos of the exhibits.

This photo is part of Barney’s sales territory set and I think the set demonstrates that a good attitude goes a long way toward enjoying your job.

curvilinear

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

curvilinear

curvilinear, photo by powerbooktrance.

Grand Rapids, Michigan … though I’m told the judges would have accepted Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and Pink Floyd: The Lost Album Cover.

A House on a Hill and the Michigan Film Office

Posted on by farlane

House on a Hill by Richard Thompson

House on a Hill, photo by Richard Thompson

Janet Lockwood, Director of the Michigan Film Office writes:

The Film Office needs your help again…

We need a spooky house VERY remote and stark with open landscape and minimal trees in the way. Needs a big basement, but if no basement, a big attic. Big rooms, open halls, high ceilings, all the usual accoutrements for a haunted house. Nice film, will be shooting later in the year, not a big budget but recognizable actors.

You can contact Janet through the link above. She she says that with Michigan’s new film incentive package, you can expect to hear a lot more calls for location suggestions!

If you’re wondering why Michigan would want to attract movie production, consider that a major picture can provide $150,000 or more per day in economic impact on the local economy and films also generate interest in the region they are set in for tourists and others. Here’s a Detroit News story with some more info.

The Victorian home pictured above is near Chelsea and is part of Richard’s Landscape set (slideshow). I’m not the only one who thinks that Richard’s photos are basically movies waiting to happen…

Michigan March Madness: University Arena at Western Michigan University

Posted on by farlane

University Arena at Western Michigan University

University Arena, photo by Western Michigan University

University Arena is located in Read Fieldhouse at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. It is home to the WMU Broncos men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleybal, and gymnastics teams and seats 5,421. The building opened in 1957 and was named in honor of legendary coach Herbert “Buck” Read who coached the Broncos to a 345-169 record.

Wikipedia’s entry on Western Michigan Broncos Men’s Basketball says that the Broncos have appeared in three NCAA Tournaments (1976, 1998 & 2004). Alumni who have reached the NBA include Don Boven, Dillard Crocker, Paul Griffin, Ben Handlogten, Reggie Lacefield and Walker Russell.

WMU has a small photo gallery of University Arena and links to some photographers with WMU sports photos for sale.
More Michpics Michigan March Madness!

Michigan March Madness: Crisler Arena at the University of Michigan

Posted on by farlane

Gophers at Crisler Arena by B Cohen

Gophers at Crisler Arena, photo by B Cohen

Crisler Arena at the University of Michigan hosts men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s gymnastics and women’s gymnastics. It opened in 1967, was named for Fritz Crisler, legendary UM football coach and athletic director and designed by Dan Dworsky. Wikipedia’s page on Crisler Arena says that is is often called “The House that Cazzie Built,” a reference to superstar Cazzie Russell. Russell led UM to Big Ten titles ’64-66 and his popularity caused the team’s fanbase to outgrow Yost Fieldhouse. The arena seats almost 14,000 and you can read more about it at the Crisler Arena page at MGOBLUE.com.

Wikipedia’s entry for the University of Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball says:

The Wolverines have won 12 Big Ten regular-season conference titles, as well as the inaugural Big Ten Tournament in 1998, which it later forfeited due to NCAA violations. The team has appeared in the NCAA Final Four on six occasions (1964, 1965, 1976, 1989, 1992* and 1993*) and won the national championship in 1989 under Steve Fisher. The program later forfeited its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances due to NCAA violations. Other notable players who played for Michigan include Daniel Horton, Bernard Robinson, Gary Grant, Terry Mills, Glen Rice, Jalen Rose, Rumeal Robinson, Jamal Crawford, Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Cazzie Russell, and Mark Hughes. (I’ll  add Robert Traylor, Rudy Tomjanovich and Phil Hubbard to that list)

More items of interest for you include a biggee-sized view from up high, this photoset titled Paging the Fab Five and a couple of photos of Crisler Arena from the Bentley Historical Library.

More Michpics Michigan March Madness!

Wayne County Courthouse

Posted on by farlane

Wayne County Courthouse by St. Laurent Photography

Wayne County Courthouse, photo by St. Laurent Photography

This photo is from Alanna’s Detroit 03.14.08 set that she took while on an Exposure.Detroit outing downtown last Friday evening (slideshow).

Wikipedia’s Wayne County Courthouse entry says that Detroit architect John Scott designed the five story, copper, granite, and stone building which was completed in 1902. The entry adds that it may be the nation’s finest surviving example of Roman Baroque architecture (and has a gallery of photos illustrating that claim). Along with a photo from the Library of Congress of the courthouse taken around 1905, the Wayne County Courthouse page in the National Park Service’s Detroit Historical Register Tour relates that:

The Courthouse served as the center of Wayne County government for the first half of 20th century, holding most of its offices, court sessions, and public hearings. It was here that in 1906 roads commissioner Henry Ford reported to work; twenty years later, Clarence Darrow used one of its courtrooms to defend a play charged with obscenity. After the 1950s, however, most government functions moved to a new building several blocks away.

Here’s a close-up satellite view of the Wayne County Courthouse location on the Absolute Michigan Map of Michigan.

Michigan March Madness: Jack Breslin Student Events Center, Michigan State University

Posted on by farlane

The Breslin Center, Michigan State University

The Breslin Center, Michigan State University, photo by jgeorge_2006

The Jack Breslin Student Events Center at Michigan State University was named in honor of Battle Creek native and MSU grad Jack Breslin. In 1989, it replaced Jenison Fieldhouse as the site for MSU men’s basketball and women’s basketball games. Wikipedia’s entry on the Breslin Center says that although the arena nominally contains 16,280 seats, seating is about 15,000 for most events.

The arena’s current basketball court is the same floor where the Spartans won the 2000 NCAA Men’s Tournament, which was at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The school purchased the floor from the NCAA and Final Four floor installer Horner Flooring (based in Dollar Bay, Michigan) after the title game, and had a plaque installed on the baseline near the Michigan State tunnel to commemorate the floor’s purpose in the school’s history.

The Spartans have won two NCAA championships and ten Big Ten championships in men’s basketball. The Spartans won the National Championship in both 1979 and 2000 NCAA Tournaments. MSU alumns who play or have played in the NBA include Maurice Ager, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Greg Kelser, Morris Peterson, Zach Randolph, Shawn Respert, Jason Richardson, Scott Skiles, Steve Smith, Eric Snow, Jay Vincent and Kevin Willis.

I’m not entirely certain who jgeorge is, but they have uploaded the photo above large enough for great wallpaper and have many more MSU sports photos.

For more pictures, check out a Flickr search for Breslin Center, the MSU Basketball set by Blackbeard Ben and this incredible shot of the Breslin Center at MSU’s Convocation by Patrick T Power. The photo gallery at BeASpartan.com has a few photos from the Breslin including this beauty.

More Michpics Michigan March Madness!