Back in my day, the RenCen hosted a Vertical Mile on Super Bowl weekend
I am a native Detroiter who grew up on the east side, graduated from Wayne State University and back in mid-70s, I was a waiter and teppanyaki chef in the Japanese restaurant called Mikado located inside the RenCen.
One of my favorite RenCen memories was a "Vertical Mile" event that was held multiple years by the American Heart Association, where competitors would climb 72 stories of an internal stairwell in the center building and eventually finish in the restaurant at the top of the RenCen.
I have many other fond memories of when downtown Detroit was a vibrant metropolitan center too numerous to mention here, but the RenCen certainly was the epicenter of business, entertainment and local activities. It will be a sad day when/if some or all of it is taken down. Some may call this progress, but from my point of view it is the opposite of progress.
Kevin Yamada
Canton
As we celebrate the countless contributions of Black inventors whose innovations have transformed industries and shaped the modern world, one such trailblazer is Marie Van Brittan Brown. A visionary who, in 1966, revolutionized home security with the invention of the first closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance system, Brown's pioneering work laid the foundation for today's smart home security systems. Nearly 60 years later and Brown's integration of video surveillance, two-way communication, and remote-controlled locking mechanisms — continues to evolve.
Brown's invention introduced real-time surveillance as a proactive security measure. Today, AI-powered vehicle monitoring systems can analyze driving behavior, detect potential intrusions, and alert owners in real time via mobile applications.
As Michigan cements itself as a leader in EV and battery manufacturing, the need for a skilled workforce is greater than ever. Marie Van Brittan Brown's groundbreaking work reminds us that innovation begins with everyday challenges and viewed through revolutionary eyes.
Phaedra Wainaina
Detroit
The restoration of the Michigan Central Station is impressive, but I am terribly disappointed with what was done to a wall in the gift shop.
When I heard that original posters of Detroit Bands were going to be displayed, I was thrilled. My brother's band, The Cadillac Kidz, is featured on one of those posters, with the legendary Iggy Pop. I was looking forward to seeing not only this poster, but other posters of the many bands I saw performing in Detroit during that era.
I walked around for a while in search of this wall. I had seen it on the news, and I remembered how colorful it was. I went to the gift shop to ask where this wall would be. The clerk pointed to a wall covered with framed blurry glass. The famous posters are totally obliterated from view.
Why?
They have permanently hidden from view a collection of posters that represented the hundreds of performers who entertained legions of Detroit fans. And for all the bands that never 'made it,' this wall represented their 'glory days.' One of these performers, Iggy Pop, did make it. Besides writing songs and performing with David Bowie, Iggy also influenced punk, post-punk, electronic and industrial musicians. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall as a member of the Stooges. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his solo work. And with a single piece of blurry glass, the Michigan Central Station just wiped him out.
So, once again, I ask, why?
Karen Badynee-Kwolek
Commerce Township
Editor's note: A spokesperson for the Michigan Central Station told the Free Press that the posters, which are reproductions, were part of a temporary display, and that the glass is a part of the gift shop's shelving.
(In response to Detroit Free Press column "Gary Peters, you've got 1 job: Stick it to Donald Trump," Feb. 3, 2025)
I am thrilled you are our senators and I urge you to fight with every tool available against Trump's malicious assault on our democracy and the well-being of people around the globe. These are perilous times and it will take the hard work and determination of elected representatives and their constituents together, to be the resistance. Democratic senators must be steadfast and dogged in the fight against the administration's reprehensible policies and illegal actions, hold them to account in every way possible and use every tool available to highlight what they are doing and intend to do. I know you are in the minority, but hopefully Democratic senators can throw sand in the gears to delay and disrupt, as Republicans have done so successfully in the past. We must use the power we have to intervene against the implementation of Project 2025, which seems to be the playbook they are following. There is so much at stake and so much to lose if we do not.
Katie Jacob
Bloomfield Hills
Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters and we may publish it online and in print.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Back in my day, the RenCen hosted a Vertical Mile | Letters
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