SALINE, Mich., (September 4, 2015) – The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the City of Saline are partnering on a project that is scheduled to begin April 2016 that will include the reconstruction of Michigan Avenue in Saline from the intersection of Maple/Old Creek and Michigan Avenue to the east side of the bridge deck at the dam.  In addition to the reconstruction, the downtown streetscape amenities will be removed and updated along with the installation of new water/sewer utilities.  The MDOT has scheduled a public open house for Thursday, September 24, 2015 from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the Liberty School cafeteria
(7265 Saline-Ann Arbor Rd, Saline, Michigan).

The MDOT’s open house will allow the public to observe and be informed about some of the important details of the upcoming 2016 Michigan Ave Project.  Those specific items include:  1) staging of the project (partial width vs total closure construction), 2) how vehicular traffic will be impacted during the project (detour routes) and 3) the over-all redesign of the roadway from the Maple/Old Creek intersection to the east side of the dam.  MDOT representative Lynne Kirby stated, “This is a great opportunity for people to come out and learn more important details about this exciting project as MDOT and the City of Saline make preparations to begin work in April 2016.”

Contacts:
Todd J. Campbell, City Manager / 734/429-3148 or tcampbell@cityofsaline.org

Cheers to Craft Beer Lovers in Saline Michigan and All Points Beyond!

SALINE, Mich., (July 23, 2015) – What began as a fancy among friends has finally become a reality. The Salt Springs Brewery is proudly announcing their official Grand Opening on Friday, July 31st at 6:00 pm.

The love of craft beer and “Farm to Table” food motivated three individuals and their families to embark on a remarkable journey that would see the conversion of a 115 year old, former Methodist Church into an amazing backdrop for Michigan’s newest Micro-Brewery and restaurant.

The Salt Springs Brewery is located in the heart of downtown Saline and takes its name from the very origins of the area. Historic salt springs that reach back more than 12,000 years into our past are the very reason this area was settled and developed in the early 1800’s. The core philosophy of the founders has been to source local, sustainable foods that will form the core of the restaurant’s offerings. The beer will be produced on site utilizing an American made, 7 bbl, two kettle brewing system. Up to 11 ‘true to style’ beers will be offered along with many seasonal and original recipes developed by the head Brew Master, Ed Brosius and the Business Manager Mark Zadvinskis. Combined, Brosius and Zadvinskis have over 45 years of experience brewing superb craft beer. Brosius points out that, “The essence of beer making begins with the simplest element, the chemistry of the water. We strive to begin our brewing process with the purest water possible to deliver the best brewed product to our customers”.

The renovation of the space began in late January and will wrap up ahead of the opening in late July. The third partner, Ron Schofield, has overseen the renovation of the building, acting as the general contractor for the project. Schofield states that, “From the beginning it has been our mission to protect and honor the timeless beauty of our building. The original stained glass and woodwork blend seamlessly with the modern additions needed to provide a first-class dining experience for our customers”.

The three entrepreneurs had the vision to seek out the finest Executive Chef they could find to compliment their offering of craft beer in this amazing setting. They chose Chef Justin Dalenberg, the former EC of Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, to set the tempo for the restaurant’s menu. Dalenberg points out, “The significance of sourcing as much local food as possible is critical to maintaining a healthy circle between the producer, the provider and the consumer. It is through this process that we can deliver the finest product to our customers while respecting the local farmers that work so hard to produce these amazing, healthy foods”.

As the business prepares to open, Zadvinskis in his ever positive style stresses that, “This project has become a reality though the hard work of hundreds of skilled craftsmen. We also could not have completed this heroic task without the support of our families and our investors. It is through their efforts that we are able to invite you all to come to Saline and enjoy the finest craft beer and food around. It’s going to be pretty awesome!”

Please visit www.saltspringsbrewery.com for more information. Cheers!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Saline Area Schools Superintendent Scot Graden
Voice: (734) 429-8001 gradens@salineschools.org
Hornets Swarm Downtown Saline for Pep Rally

SALINE, MI July 13th, 2015 – Community members are invited to come downtown to help Saline Area Schools kick off the upcoming school year. The second annual Community Pep Rally is set to take place  in downtown Saline. Saline Area Schools is partnering with Saline Main Street for the event.

“We are going to have a pep rally at 7 p.m. on August 20th celebrating all of our fall sports, our marching band, our cheerleaders will be down there to really kick off the school year,” said Superintendent Scot Graden. “We had a great turnout last year and we expect to see an even bigger event this year.”

School board president Paul Hynek said the event is part of what the board of education has spoken about in the past in terms of connecting with the community. “The more events we can have downtown the better,” he said.

The rally begins at 7:00p.m. on South Ann Arbor Street and will conclude by 9:00p.m.

The Saline Area Schools is composed of 5,250 students with 325 certified staff. Saline was recently named the “Best Place to Raise Kids in Michigan by Bloomberg Businessweek. Its website is www.salineschools.org.

SALINE, Mich., (April 27, 2015)

Experience “A Taste of the Good Life, Lightly Salted” at Taste of Saline Event

SALINE, Mich., (April 27, 2015) – This week the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce is launching a new marketing campaign for Saline that is designed to commemorate the city’s intriguing past, celebrate the present, and create new opportunities for the future by placing Saline proudly on the map as a Destination Brand ~ a unique city that offers its residents, businesses and visitors alike,    “A Taste of the Good Life, Lightly Salted”. And what better place to launch the new campaign and celebrate a Taste of the Good Life than at the Taste of Saline event sponsored by Saline Main Street, taking place on Wed. April 29^th from 5:00 – 9:00 PM in downtown Saline. Both the new marketing campaign and the Taste of Saline event are a celebration of all of the wonderful shops, restaurants, history, culture and local talent that make Saline a can’t-miss destination in Michigan.

The new Saline brand campaign, logo and tagline were developed by Saline-based marketing communications firm JenMotion Marketing and their creative partners at MOEdesign, in collaboration with the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce (SACC) and community stakeholders including the City of Saline, Saline Main Street, Saline Area Schools, DesignHub and the Saline District Library among others. The development of the new campaign was made possible through a Community Tourism Action Plan (CTAP) grant awarded to the Saline Chamber from the Ypsilanti Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The CTAP funds were granted to Saline to help promote the community as a visitor destination in Washtenaw County and bring tourism to the area.

At its core, the new marketing campaign is a tribute to Saline’s fascinating and unique history. Saline is named for its natural salt springs that were created when salt deep in the earth from an ancient sea was carried to the surface by ground water, forming salt springs and flats across the land. For thousands of years, salt has been an integral part of the draw to Saline. The earliest examples of Ice Age animals and the Paleo Indians visited the area some 12,000 and 1,200 years ago respectively to harvest salt for their diets. Later, the Pottawatomie Indians, French Explorers and European Settlers arrived in this region and became an integral part of Saline’s history. In more modern times, Orange Risdon, chief surveyor of the Detroit-Chicago Road, (now US-12) officially established the town and named it Saline for its natural salt springs in 1832. The town was chartered in 1866, and will be celebrating its 150^th anniversary next year.                     —

Today, Saline is a vibrant community in Southeastern Michigan with an engaging presence and a promising future. Saline blends historic small-town charm with leading-edge opportunities… and a touch of spice. Strong community engagement, nationally ranked schools, rich cultural and recreational opportunities, a thriving downtown setting, unique dining and shopping experiences, and proximity to big-city amenities – they all contribute to a high quality of life in Saline. And this year some exciting new additions to Saline, the Salt Springs Brewery and the development of a new Salt Springs Park, will spice things up even further, while also offering some intriguing peeks into Saline’s well-seasoned past.

Art Trapp, Executive Director of the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce, said, “We are very happy to see this new branding effort rolling out for Saline. We see this campaign as helping to make Saline an attractive destination for visitors and potential residents and businesses for years to come. We also see it as a great opportunity to educate the students in the Saline Area School District and the community at large about their heritage and how the name Saline came about.”

In concert with the new brand launch, the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce, JenMotion Marketing and MOEdesign have launched a new line of Saline Lightly Salted merchandise, and established

“The Good Life Project” – a fundraising opportunity to “give back” to the many wonderful groups, teams and organizations that contribute so much to the good life in Saline. The Saline Lightly Salted logo wear, including T-shirts, crewneck and hoodie sweatshirts, caps and mugs, will be available for sale at Saline community events throughout the year – including at the Taste of Saline event venue at Carrigan Café on Wednesday evening. A portion of the proceeds from the Lightly Salted merchandise sales at those events goes back to directly benefit the host groups.

Keep an eye out for the elements of Saline’s new marketing campaign rolling out in 2015 at many of Saline’s exciting community events, and in a new website coming soon – www.visitsaline.com.

We hope you’ll join in all the fun opportunities that Saline has to offer and experience for yourself,

“A Taste of the Good Life, Lightly Salted.”

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For more information on Saline’s new Lightly Salted campaign or on how The Good Life Project could benefit your organization in Saline, please contact the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce at art@salinechamber.org or JenMotion Marketing at jweaver@JenMotion.net.