Edition No. 55
Arts and Culture
Polishing up the tarnished city that was once called the “Paris of the Midwest,” the GPAA brings back Your Old Mansion a lecture series celebrating the past and present of Detroit.
Community and Family
As we launch into a new year of goals, opportunities and fresh ideas, a New York Times article shares ways to make meal planning fun for the whole family.
American Democracy
“COVID helped cause the biggest drop in U.S. life expectancy since WWII” – PBS NewsHour
Your Old Mansion
After a COVID-induced pause, the Grosse Pointe Artists Association is resuming its popular fundraiser, Your Old Mansion, Sunday afternoons this winter and early spring. The lectures will be held at Christ Church as The War Memorial thrusts ahead with construction progress. There are four lectures in this series and a bonus lecture for series ticket holders.
Series includes:
Sunday, Jan. 23 - Lowell Boileau, artist and website pioneer who drew international attention to Detroit in the late 1990s by posting photos of abandoned Detroit landmarks. For more details and to register, click here.
Sunday, Feb. 27 - Josh Elling, Jefferson East CEO will provide updates on completed projects and future plans for the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. For more details and to register, click here.
Sunday, March 27 - Mark Higbie, Ford Motor Company will share updates on the development of a world-class art park meant to complement the re-born Michigan Central Station. For more details and to register, click here.
Sunday, April 24 - Lisa Stolarski will introduce her company that chauffeurs its guests through Detroit’s historic neighborhoods in Model A’s, while pointing out the highlights. The tours will restart in May. For more details and to register, click here.
Sunday, May 15, as a bonus for the lecture goers, DuMouchelles will hold an Antiques Roadshow-type session, opening with brief notes on what is hot and what is not in the antiques world followed by item appraisals. For more details and to register, click here.
Tickets are available for the lectures and the appraisal separately or for the entire series with the appraisal as a bonus. All must register.
The Grosse Pointe Artists Association is appreciative to each presenter as well as Christ Church for hosting the series. Because of their generosity, 100 percent of the proceeds from the series will go toward purchasing supplies for the GPAA’s arts programming for veterans, senior citizens, their family and loved ones. For questions contact 313.881.3454.
Family Meal Planning for Real Life
Deb Perelman, a New York City-based writer and cook behind the noted food blog, Smitten Kitchen, and cookbook “Smitten Kitchen Every Day,” shares a few helpful tips in a New York Times article for those parents aiming to prioritize family meal planning more efficiently.
A new year provides a clean slate to try your hand at various approaches to day-to-day tasks. It is easy to make a quick stop for dinner before heading home from a long workday or shuffling kids to and from their various activities. To better arm your troupe for busy work and school weeks, Perelman dishes a few suggestions that have worked for her family. From finding family-friendly recipes to anticipating hurdles with your young helpers, check out these ways to make meal planning enjoyable for all.
Photo credit: New York Times
“COVID helped cause the biggest drop in U.S. life expectancy since WWII” – PBS NewsHour, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2020 COVID-19 reduced life expectancy for the average American’s life by 1.8 years – the largest drop since 1943 when deaths attributable to World War II also caused US life expectancy to fall sharply.
Over the course of 2020, COVID-19 rose to become the third-most common cause of death in the United States and accounted for 1 in 10 of all US fatalities.
Persons 85 years and older died at the highest rate but the highest rate of increase in the death rate was for persons aged 35 to 44.
Longstanding racial disparities, attributable to access to care, persisted in 2020. Black men continued to die at the highest overall rate but, when adjusted for age, it was Hispanic Men who experienced the highest rate of increase in the death rate rising 43% over 2019.
There was, however, a bright spot in an otherwise depressing picture – US infant mortality fell in 2020.
The story was broadly reported but one of the best summaries, including two excellent charts, appeared on the PBS NewsHour website. That story is available at the link below.
Inspired Thoughts is a collection of highly curated content that embraces the spirit and purpose of The War Memorial: arts and culture, community enrichment, leadership, and patriotism.
Derived from the notion that learning from others is the key to success, Inspired Thoughts is meant to shine a light on those making a difference in the world around them. This collection features artists, poets, writers, architects, and every thought leader in-between. Inspired Thoughts is the strongest reflection of what The War Memorial stands for, and what we aim to be.
The content featured on Inspired Thoughts is curated by War Memorial leadership — we also look forward to featuring special guest curators in the near future. If you are interested in providing content for Inspired Thoughts, please email our Communications team at dmurphy@warmemorial.org.