If you haven't already, you may want to check out what Time Inc. is calling Assignment Detroit, a year-long project with the intention of chronicling the life of the city of Detroit. It began in the Fall of 2009 and will continue until Fall 2010. The magazine has actually bought a house in Detroit and moved reporters and editors there from various magazines. Although the response has been mixed, you can follow the project via their blog, Detroit Blog, and view some videos about Detroit's economic plight including "How to Survive in Detroit?"
[Photo courtesy of eLibrary]

New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg discovers that drinking water can be legal and still be unhealthy in his series Toxic Waters. In researching the series, he studied thousands of water pollution records, which he obtained via the Freedom of Information Act and discovered that an estimated one out of ten Americans is exposed to unsafe drinking water. Look at What's in Your Water? to find out what the contaminant level is in your drinking water system. Also be sure to check out CPL’s water quality resources to find out more on this important topic.
[Photo courtesy of AP Images]

Send your old incandescent holiday lights to HolidayLEDs.com and not only will they recycle them for you but they will also send you a coupon for 15% off anything on their website. The program runs through the end of February 2010. For more green holiday ideas, check out "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More" by Anna Getty. Photo courtesy of AP Images.
 

OK, I admit it. I am obsessed with the topic of locally produced, organic foods. If you are too - and there are many reasons to be - you may want to check out "Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients" by Jesse Ziff Cool. Perhaps what I like most about this cookbook is that it is organized according to the seasons and transitions between them with chapters like "Early Winter" and "Deep Winter." Plus, the ingredients are relatively simple and includes things that I actually eat (except perhaps the Raspberry Millet Pancakes). With 150 enticing recipes, "Simply Organic" may encourage you to embrace organic foods "as a lifestyle rather than a fad."

TIECon Midwest 2009 will take place Friday, October 23 at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, MI. The conference is designed for entrepreneurs who "think creatively, innovatively and resourcefully to create their own future regardless of economic conditions and uncertainties."TiECon Midwest 2009 will focus on four vertical educational tracks including: Cleantech, IT, Healthcare and Emerging Concepts.

The Michigan Helping Hand site helps Michigan citizens facing economic hardship find the services they need. You can find information about jobs and training, unemployment benefits, health care, family support and housing. CPL has also put together (along with other members of the Metro Net Library Consortium) a checklist to help those that are facing unemployment and feeling overwhelmed by the recession. Tough Times - Library Lifelines is a list of resources to help you: file for unemployment, find affordable health insurance, find a new job, keep your home, maintain and repair your credit plus find additional assistance.