Pewabic Pottery: Save Our Chimney

**buckster1986** · September-29-11, 03:59 PM

They are trying to raise $125,000...

http://woodwardspine.com/2011/09/29/...e-our-chimney/

Vox · September-29-11, 04:39 PM

Let them sell some more 75 dollar tiles. Honestly. We have thousands of homeless and starving people in the city, and this is a priority?

**MikeM** · September-29-11, 05:27 PM

So they can't ask for donations because there are homeless people? They should wait until everyone has a roof over their head and hope the chimney doesn't collapse in the meantime?

**Richard** · September-29-11, 07:13 PM

Considering the history I would consider this a viable cause but would question what happened to previous preventive maintenance,grout,tuck-pointing etc, Would have been a lot cheaper then 125k.

**Huggybear** · September-29-11, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by Vox

Let them sell some more 75 dollar tiles. Honestly. We have thousands of homeless and starving people in the city, and this is a priority?

Vox, you're not asking the right question, which is "what thinking in capital budgeting prioritized the purchase, demolition, and conversion of the adjacent apartment building into a gravel lot over fixing a critical piece of infrastructure like a chimney?" The apartment building was an annoyance; failure of the chimney is game over.

But onto your question - and since it is one that would tell private donors what to do with their own money - why don't you sell your computer and give the proceeds to the poor? I mean, we have thousands of homeless and/or hungry people around here.

Someone once put it this way: "you will always have poor among you, but you will not always have [x]." Sure, Pewabic Pottery isn't Jesus, but the point is that you can talk yourself out of anything on the basis that you set the impossible goal of feeding and housing every single person [[or even most of them) first. And in Detroit, it's self-destructive. Things like Pewabic are not huge employers, not huge taxpayers, and not poverty charities. But they are attractions and amenities that keep market-rate taxpayers in town and keep Detroit alive in the memories of suburbanites who do donate to charity.

Or is this just hating on Pewabic and using poor people as a vehicle for doing it?

**Goose** · September-29-11, 08:41 PM

a chimney... an "iconic" chimney? that like saying the 5 stacks at the edison yard that were blown up 15 years ago were iconic and should have been saved...

its a chimney...

$125,000 for a chimney seems steep, but what do I know..... its probably that expensive because they have to buy all those pewabic tiles to line it with....

**jcole** · September-29-11, 09:07 PM

Is it possible that it's specially designed to handle the heat from the kilns they use for firing the pottery? Or is it simply cosmetic repair work? If it's the former it's probably integral to the operation of the pottery

Vox · September-29-11, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by Huggybear

Vox, you're not asking the right question, which is "what thinking in capital budgeting prioritized the purchase, demolition, and conversion of the adjacent apartment building into a gravel lot over fixing a critical piece of infrastructure like a chimney?" The apartment building was an annoyance; failure of the chimney is game over.

But onto your question - and since it is one that would tell private donors what to do with their own money - why don't you sell your computer and give the proceeds to the poor? I mean, we have thousands of homeless and/or hungry people around here.

Someone once put it this way: "you will always have poor among you, but you will not always have [x]." Sure, Pewabic Pottery isn't Jesus, but the point is that you can talk yourself out of anything on the basis that you set the impossible goal of feeding and housing every single person [[or even most of them) first. And in Detroit, it's self-destructive. Things like Pewabic are not huge employers, not huge taxpayers, and not poverty charities. But they are attractions and amenities that keep market-rate taxpayers in town and keep Detroit alive in the memories of suburbanites who do donate to charity.

Or is this just hating on Pewabic and using poor people as a vehicle for doing it?

It's just an example. There's always a shitload of other things to spend money on. And the poor and starving are just as convienient as any excuse NOT to donate to the chimney fund. As your above post stated, they needed to better prioritize their spending.

I believe the chimney is purely a symbol of their institution. It would not look good for them to tear it down and install a metal chimney, as their pricy tiles all portray the chimney at risk. It's all for show and appearances. Any chimney would do just as well, it's only to vent heat and combustion gases.

When they say "iconic" you KNOW it's all for show.

**Gistok** · September-29-11, 11:15 PM

Originally Posted by Vox

It's just an example. There's always a shitload of other things to spend money on. And the poor and starving are just as convienient as any excuse NOT to donate to the chimney fund. As your above post stated, they needed to better prioritize their spending.

I believe the chimney is purely a symbol of their institution. It would not look good for them to tear it down and install a metal chimney, as their pricy tiles all portray the chimney at risk. It's all for show and appearances. Any chimney would do just as well, it's only to vent heat and combustion gases.

When they say "iconic" you KNOW it's all for show.

LOL... yeah a metal chimney [[that conducts heat) would do for all the kilns in the pottery... until the Fire Marshall comes in...

**Gistok** · September-29-11, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by Goose

a chimney... an "iconic" chimney? that like saying the 5 stacks at the edison yard that were blown up 15 years ago were iconic and should have been saved...

Do you mean the Seven Sisters?

You must be a Westsider... no Eastsider would ever get that one wrong, or say something flippant about it!

**Goose** · September-29-11, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Do you mean the Seven Sisters?

You must be a Westsider... no Eastsider would ever get that one wrong, or say something flippant about it!

my bad

i was actually on the river watching that morning when they blew em

i just remembered there were two left standing so i assumed they blew 5

but i forgot about the two brothers....

Vox · September-29-11, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

LOL... yeah a metal chimney [[that conducts heat) would do for all the kilns in the pottery... until the Fire Marshall comes in...

Bullshit. Triple wall works just great. Among others.

Vox · September-29-11, 11:40 PM

Try this.
http://www.ventafume.com/content/pages/gas-kiln-venting

**GPCharles** · September-30-11, 10:06 AM

You know what - if you don't like it, don't donate. That will prove your point!

**Danny** · September-30-11, 10:08 AM

Yes! save that sacred Pewabic Chimney NOW!

ferntruth · September-30-11, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

You know what - if you don't like it, don't donate. That will prove your point!

It seems like you are in favor. How much have YOU sent?
I have a houseful of tiles already, they have my donation several times over.

**Detroitej72** · September-30-11, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by Vox

It's just an example. There's always a shitload of other things to spend money on. And the poor and starving are just as convienient as any excuse NOT to donate to the chimney fund. As your above post stated, they needed to better prioritize their spending.

So, instead of donating for the chimney, how much are you giving to feed the poor?

Originally Posted by Vox

I believe the chimney is purely a symbol of their institution. It would not look good for them to tear it down and install a metal chimney, as their pricy tiles all portray the chimney at risk. It's all for show and appearances. Any chimney would do just as well, it's only to vent heat and combustion gases.

When they say "iconic" you KNOW it's all for show.

So basically what your saying is that you hate the pottery and it doesn't matter what they need money for because to you it's all for pomp and circumstance.

**GPCharles** · September-30-11, 10:36 AM

I have not sent a dime and don't intend to - that is my choice. On the other hand, I don't see a problem with the institution trying to raise money to restore their chimney - that is their choice and the choice of those that want to contribute.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · September-30-11, 11:29 AM

I can't believe some of the hostility on this thread. The Pottery is a Detroit institution that has not fled the city, and I wish them well in their fundraising.

And as for "more pressing needs".... the funds raised will be used to hire people to repair the roof and chimney - i.e., providing jobs.

ferntruth · September-30-11, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

I have not sent a dime and don't intend to - that is my choice. On the other hand, I don't see a problem with the institution trying to raise money to restore their chimney - that is their choice and the choice of those that want to contribute.

Please show me where on this thread anyone has said that they should not be allowed to solicit funds? Yes, people have expressed an opinion that there are more pressing needs, such as the poor but no one has said that they should not be allowed to solicit

ferntruth · September-30-11, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

I can't believe some of the hostility on this thread. The Pottery is a Detroit institution that has not fled the city, and I wish them well in their fundraising.

Good, send a check.

Vox · September-30-11, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

So, instead of donating for the chimney, how much are you giving to feed the poor?

Why should you care? For all you give a shit, they may as well eat pottery.

So basically what your saying is that you hate the pottery and it doesn't matter what they need money for because to you it's all for pomp and circumstance.

I don't hate the pottery. I hate stupidity. Artistic restoration of a purely functional item is a waste of a 501c3's function. But they did raise 5k for Gleaners, so obviously they arent all bad. LOL

**prokopowicz** · September-30-11, 12:01 PM

I've bought a lot from them over the years, and I like the idea of keeping the institution intact. I was about to donate to them, but then figured that buying something would probably help them just as much as the donation. So I'll buy something nice when I come to Michigan in a few weeks. I'll miss out on the deduction but have something tangible.

In fact, instead of a donation drive, maybe they should have sell-a-thon, with reduced prices or shipping.

DetroitPole · September-30-11, 12:42 PM

I see how some people find this strange.

However it is like the Symphony debate [[except a chimney is even more obscure). Sure, you could donate to a food bank or you could donate to the Symphony, which a lot of people really hated the idea of. I'm of the camp that believes the world needs cultural institutions and that is what I donate to. I know other people choose to donate to things like food banks and soup kichens - those are good things and need tons of help but man does not live by bread alone so I give to the cultural stuff.

With Detroit being a land of cinder block liquor stores and burned out everythings, a historic chimney is almost a blessing. Frankly one of the few remaining things to like about Detroit is the interesting architecture that still remains, which the suburbs are almost entirely devoid of[[many of which are actually entirely devoid of). It seems to be an endangered species, though, what with all the evildoers, from the arsonists to George Jackson.

Evidently their campaign is working, on some level. A number of people have pledged to purchase tiles. I believe I will do the same.