Hey there, it's Jer.
I hope you’re doing as best as possible with the wildfire smoke. The numbers are a bit better than yesterday, and experts seem optimistic things will keep improving over the weekend.
Before I jump into some events and stories, I wanted to share a roll of photos from friend of the show Ryan Southen who trekked over the bridge to Belle Isle to see how the island looks under the smoke.
The series feels like something out of the spooky books I read as a kid. Familiar places, plus an eerie filter.
As I did yesterday, I'll walk you though what you're seeing.
If this is your first time here, be sure to sign up for future editions of the newsletter, and join thousands of Metro Detroiters who want to be plugged into what to know and where to go.
The Nancy Brown Peace Carillon (the tower in the distance) is more than 75 years old and has a fascinating history. Detroit News columnist Nancy Brown eventually started leading a sunrise religious service there that drew as many as 50,000 people to the island every week. [Historic Detroit]
The horseman Alpheus Starkey Williams still stands guard.
According to Historic Detroit:
Williams, a Detroiter, was a congressman, a judge, a lawyer, a postmaster, a newspaper publisher and a failed gubernatorial candidate, but he made a name for himself in the military, serving in the Mexican-American War and for the Union in the Civil War.
This is the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, with the Barbour Memorial Fountain in the foreground. The fountain was designed by Marshall Fredericks, who also created the Spirit of Detroit. It was dedicated in 1937, more than 20 years before the well‑known Spirit downtown.
A look at the now‑silent bandshell over the vibrant Oudolf Garden.
The Scott Fountain is undergoing a deep restoration and maintenance upgrade, so it’s quiet this year as it looms over the reflecting pond.
The rails of this bridge date from the 1890s, and if you look closely you can see two shield icons; one reflecting the seal of Detroit. Those shields helped inspire today’s shield motif for Daily Detroit as a nod and connection to our past.
Even in the smog, the birds sing.
The Oudolf Garden's vibrant mix of flowers still finds a way to punch through the gray.
I’ve always appreciated the juxtaposition of man‑made and nature in the garden.
This path leads to a seating area on the wetland portion connected to the Oudolf garden.
Another garden photo. I just love the layers of color and focus.
In better weather, the paths are well kept and give you a great chance to see the flowers up close. Remember to leave only footprints and take only pictures and memories here.
I can't help but think of the motto of the city of Detroit, "“Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus,” which translates to “We hope for better things; it shall arise from the ashes.” It was written as the city rebuilt from a great fire.
Turns out in 2026 we are also rebuilding... but this time, the ashes are from wildfires.
Thanks again to Ryan Southen for sharing these. We'll have more on our Instagram (and his, give him a follow) over the weekend.
📰 What To Know
🏡 A cryptocurrency real estate company that sold shares of about 700 Detroit properties says it plans to sell off its entire portfolio. [Outlier Media]
They say mounting financial and legal troubles are pushing RealT toward insolvency.
🛠️ The City of Detroit has installed the first of 3,000 mid-block lights, and announced plans to spend $184 million to fix more than 9,000 clogged or broken connections to sewers in alleys around the city.
The city says almost 1 in 3 residential private sewer line connections is clogged, offset, or disconnected from the city sewer, causing basement back-ups and alley cave-ins.
🗓️ Where To Go
🍹 You might have heard of the Detroit Athletic Club. Allow me to introduce you to something completely different.
The Carbon Athletic Club has been around for 79 years, in the shadow of I‑75 in the Delray / Carbon Works neighborhood.
The Zug Isle Tiki party is a rare event, as the club is usually members‑only. This public bash supports an institution that has not only weathered it all, but built a community that loves it.
It runs from 2 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, with a musical lineup featuring Don Duprie, Alison Lewis, John Krautner, Jeffrey Jablonski, Roland Remington, Tony Paris & The Sugarburn, Imaginatron, Craig Brown Band, Thelma & The Sleaze (Nashville) and more.
Key to this one: Be sure to follow the link for directions, and bring cash — it’s cash‑only, just like old‑school Detroit bar culture. [Eventbrite]
🪘 Concert of Colors is this weekend. Although it started earlier in the week, the grand opening ceremony is Saturday at 11 a.m. [Concert of Colors]
Called “Celebrating Ish,” it pays tribute to the recently passed founder Ismael Ahmed with a gathering on the DIA’s south lawn and a public procession led by the Gabriel Brass Band.
This year’s lineup leans heavy on legends and global sounds, with Sheila E bringing her percussion‑driven show to the DIA to close it out on Sunday night.
Since 1993 it’s been an all‑ages, free, “only‑in‑Detroit” event — and personally, I’m making sure to stop by.
📘 The 9th Annual Detroit Festival of Books (aka Detroit Bookfest) returns Sunday, July 19 to Eastern Market with free admission. [Website]
It runs from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Michigan’s largest book festival packs 300+ vendors with books, vinyl, comics, and art, plus a family-friendly kids zone and more.
Don't miss today's Daily Detroit podcast!
I was joined by my regular cohosts Devon O'Reilly and Norris Howard for a big episode of the show.
🔥 We talk about the wildfires and debate whether we should, as South Park would say, “Blame Canada.”
🏒 The Yzerplan didn’t work for the Red Wings — what’s next, and are they now the fifth major sports team?
🏟️ Why the Detroit City FC stadium project is such a big deal.
🗳️ We analyze, from a local perspective, the fluid Abdul El‑Sayed / Haley Stevens U.S. Democratic primary race, including the latest polling and the whopping 14‑to‑1 spending advantage for Stevens and associated PACs, with more than $50 million dropped on the race.
[Apple Podcasts] [Daily Detroit] [YouTube]
I hope you got a lot of value out of today’s newsletter. If you did, send this to a friend! Word of mouth is the best way to grow Daily Detroit and push the conversation forward.
A final reminder that this is the last chance to take our group Pew political topology survey. I'll be sharing my thoughts on it soon.
Also, thanks to our members on Patreon. Local media needs your local support to survive and thrive, so join us today!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you around Detroit.
-Jer
