Scuttlebutt - The Lowdown on Movers, Shakers, and Local Entertainment

By Robert E. Martin

Welcome to Scuttlebutt  - the debut column of our new feature spotlighting

the movers, shakers, fun-seekers, and gossip surrounding people & places

that make the Tri-cities happen!

You'll read about all the latest news and rumors percolating out of the

cracks in the concrete, and hopefully have as much fun with this column as

we do writing it.

Kicking off this week's 'scuttlebutt' is the opening of Saginaw's newest

entertainment complex, DECADES DOWNTOWN, an impressive multi- purpose

nightclub developed by accountant & entrepreneur Terry Robinson, located

right across from the Saginaw County Event Center at 310 Johnson Street.

Sporting a custom made maple bar that spans 80 feet, the 2100 square foot

venue underwent a $250,000 renovation, including the installation of a

$20,000 video & audio system with a complete computerized library of 20,000

songs and 200 DVDs, all in big screen format.

Additionally, DECADES will revolve its entertainment around a format of

R&B, Jazz, Blues, and Big Band, featuring live entertainment as well as

Salsa and different 'specialty' entertainment. No Hip-Hop or Rap music will

be featured.

With a staging  & mixing capability to service small groups of 210 inside

Decades  and an additional 300 in the Courtyard, Robinson feels his new

club is uniquely positioned to offer something unique within the community.

"As an accountant, when I started in the business, I had nothing but bars

as clients," cites Robinson. "I've probably done the books on 500 bars for

the last 20 years, so I felt I knew what I was doing going into this

project, and I feel there is a definite need in this marketplace for an

upscale club where people over the age of 25 can go."

Indeed, on the night of the Grand Opening VIP party, the club was filled

with a well-dressed evenly mixed crowd of fun-lovers and well wishers.

DECADES is available for private parties in the courtyard, plus they offer

a private party room and 6,000 feet of space on the upper level.

When coupled with the new injection of talent & money at the Saginaw County

Event Center, the addition of DECADES to the mix of Downtown Saginaw

development serves as a shining beacon to the revitalization of Saginaw's

cosmopolitan epicenter.

But what of the naysayers and people that express fear and uncertainty

about "driving downtown."

"Look at the Shrine Circus," answers Robinson. "Every kid in Saginaw goes

there and the most vulnerable market in the world is that of a small child.

They're here a week for matinees, in the evenings, it makes no difference."

"It is actually safer in this corridor downtown than it is at Fashion

Square Mall. The number of incidents is minimal, and we've never had one at

the Center. Our parking lots are well lit and we have valet parking for any

vehicle outside our parking lot. We have security people in the lot and in

addition to that, the County has tripled the amount of actual presence

downtown when events go on across the street, so safety is not an issue."

With the Tucker Blues Band scheduled to appear this Friday night and a

variety of divergent nightly events, our hat goes off to Terry Robinson for

his splendid vision, commitment, and investment in our cultural community.

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Speaking of Downtown Saginaw, we were pleased to make the

acquaintance of Barry Fleishmann, new General Manger of the Plaza Hotel &

Suites.

The Philadelphia native assumed the helm at The Plaza Hotel two weeks ago

and is equally enthusiastic about new changes at the long-standing downtown

venue.

In addition to bringing in a new Chef and commencing live entertainment

five nights a week from Tuesday - Saturday, Fleishmann has introduced an

innovative Sunday Brunch where children are actually weighed and charged

five cents per pound.

"It's all part of the fun," says Fleishmann.

___________________________________________

Shifting to innovative happenings in the Westside Entertainment

District, the latest craze at Nine's Firehouse Pub, 1313 Bay at Court, is

Dueling Pianos!

Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, keyboardist/tunesmith Noel Lehman and

one other guest pianist/vocalist trade rollicking songs, entertain

requests, and generally rev up the crowds with their vast repertoire of

popular keyboard favorites.

According to Nine's proprietor Paul Barerra, he first got the idea for

Dueling Pianos when he witnessed similar acts in Cleveland and Chicago.

"It's a fun and interactive form of entertainment, " notes Barrera, "and

originally I planned to feature this at the Old City Grill. But as time

pushed that project back, I thought it would be a fun thing to feature at

Nines because it's too small for a dance club, plus this entertainment is

unobtrusive to our normal clientele."

"One thing that is great about Dueling Pianos is that it can be enjoyed by

all and doesn't require a certain type of attention that you get with

listening to single and duo acts," he continues.

"It creates a definite energy and is upbeat in a way that appeals to adults

equally as it does younger people. Besides, everybody can't dance, but

everybody can laugh.  It merges well with the operation."

Speaking of the Old City Grill, Barrera's latest project slated for the

former Carter Building in Old Town Saginaw, does he have any updates for

Scuttlebutt?

"The contractor will begin work in the next few weeks," notes Barerra, "and

we will start renovation in December or January, so it should be up and

running by late May or early June of 2002."

_____________________________________________

"Engler has eliminated citizen input on a wide range of committees, ranging

from health and education to the environment, and that is simply wrong.

Politics should be inclusive, not exclusive," noted Granholm.

Look for an exclusive interview with Jennifer Granholm in a future issue of

The Review.