| |
Standing with the Berry
Gordy Walk of Fame star, from the left are: Arts &
Entertainment honoree Maria Costa, Martha Arnet and Caryl
Arnett owners of Arnet’s Monuments who crafted the stars.
Each one is made of red granite from Missouri, weighs 300
pounds and is 10 square feet. |
| |
Detroit’s
2013
Walk-to-Fame
to honor
over 100
candidates
By Karen
Hudson
Samuels/Tell
Us
Detroit
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
Detroit
is poised
to have
a Motown
Walk to
Fame to
rival
its west
coast
Hollywood
namesake.
The
names of
100
honorees,
to be
honored
with
their
own red
granite
pavers,
were
announced
Thursday
morning
in a
ceremony
at the
Virgil
Carr
Center
in the
city’s
Harmonie
Park
district.
Since
2003 the
Detroit
Entertainment
Commission
has been
spearheading
the
effort
to
commemorate
movers
and
shakers
in
various
fields
of
endeavor,
including
Music,
Archite4cture/Culture,
Art &
Entertainment,
Corporate/Entrepreneurs,
Science
and
Sports.
Entertainment
attorney
Gregory
Reed and
chairman
of the
Entertainment
Commission
hosted
the
unveiling
of the
Walk to
Fame
star for
Motown’s
Berry
Gold,
whose
name
appears
emblazoned
in gold
lettering.
Reed
said
“This is
a sacred
moment
for our
city.”
Technology
is a
distinguishing
feature
of the
Walk to
Fame
granite
stars.
Reed
said an
interactive
mobile
application
and QR
codes
will
educate
passersby’s
about
Detroit’s
legends
and
community
builders.
The
process
of
selecting
Walk to
Fame
nominees
started
with
over
1,000
names,
submitted
by the
Charles
H.
Wright
and
Detroit
Historical
museums.
That
list
said
Reed was
winnowed
down
over
time to
100
individuals
based on
their
achievements
and
having
at least
five
years of
experience
in their
discipline.
The
granite
stars
weigh
300
pounds
and are
large at
10
square
feet.
Each
side
walk
star
costs
about
$7,500
and will
be
placed
within
the
neighborhood
or
commercial
districts
related
to the
honoree’s
life’s
work.
The
Berry
Gordy
star is
planned
to be
laid
near the
Motown
Record
founder’s
Boston-Edison
home.
Enshrined
in
history
forever
are well
known
names,
Aretha
Franklin,
Eminem,
J.L.
Hudson,
Henry
Ford,
Rosa
Parks
and many
others
who
shaped
the
lives of
Detroiters
and the
country.
People
will
also
learn
about
the
contributions
of
lesser
known
figures
including
William
V. Banks
founder
of WGPR
TV , the
first
black
television
station
in the
country
and
Cornelius
Langston
Henderson,
an
African
American
who was
one of
the
architects
of the
Ambassador
Bridge
and
Detroit-Windsor
Tunnel.
A number
of the
honorees
attended
the
unveiling
event,
in the
Music
category
there
was
Martha
Reeves,
Marcus
Belgrave
and
techno
pioneer
Eddie
Fowlkes.
The
daughter
of
Martha
Jean the
Queen,
honored
in the
area of
Community
Builder,
was also
present.
Reed
told the
gathering
that no
Detroit
monies
had been
used to
fund the
stars, a
non-profit
organization
led by
Don
Davis
and
O’Neil
Swanson
handles
donor
contributions.
Future
Walk to
Fame
pavers
will be
produced
by of
Arnet’s
Monuments
of Ann
Arbor
and
Ypsilanti.
Company
owners,
Martha
Arnet
and
Caryl
Arnet
stood
with the
Berry
Gordy
Star
during
the
unveiling.
|
