Pearls before swine

Detroit's current devastated status is heart wrenching for both current and former Michiganders.I was concerned about the once vibrant metropolis as far back as when the corrupt Coleman Young was mayor.Do you remember when Hudson's downtown flagship store closed? That certainly was an early red flag. Now the piper must be paid, and nobody wins. I feel sad for the people whose pensions are compromised, and I ache about the possible demise of the Detroit Institute of Arts( DIA), as we all know and love it. I used to love going to Detroit.Glorious food could be found easily in Greektown and Mexicantown. Remember the original London Chop House and the Caucus Club ( where I saw B Midler perform) across the street? Every kid over 35 or so remembers Boblo Island Amusement Park and its ferries.Belle Isle really was a pretty place back in the day. I loved baseball at the original Tiger Stadium and hockey at the Joe. I saw some damn fine concerts at Olympia, and I loved seeing the Detroit Symphony. Motown and cars went together. (I literally cried, by the way, when Pontiac Motors was shut down.)In fact, the Omni Hotel was where Al and I spent our wedding night. We adored going to West Village and Van Dyke Place. Al was even a silent partner in the now defunct Harlequin Restaurant on Agnes Street, which had a very successful run. I loved Detroit's Thanksgiving Parade and its July 4 fireworks. And then there was the Vernor's plant!I remember Santa at Hudson 's and the fabulous Ford Rotunda. So much lush life and activity.Great, great memories! Now the main draw seems to be casinos.Don't get me wrong; I love casinos, but they didn't give as much tax revenue as needed for Detroit, and Greektown is a shadow of its former self, because of the casino there.Most of Motor City's mojo is gone. I hope the city will get it back, but it looks like it will take years, if at all.