In what will surely be a controversial move, DC Entertainment is returning to the universe of Watchmen, the acclaimed 1986 graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons.

This summer, the company will publish seven prequel comic book mini-series called Before Watchmen, each week unleashing a new title focusing on the characters’ lives and adventures in the years before the original story.

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Those characters -- Rorschach, Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl (whose first issue cover is seen exclusively here), Ozymandias, Silk Spectre and the 1940s superteam The Minutemen – will be featured in stories from such notable comics creators as Darwyn Cooke, J. Michael Straczynski, Brian Azzarello, Adam Hughes, Andy Kubert and Joe Kubert, among others.

Watchmen is the top-selling graphic novel of all time and was part of a wave of comics in the 1980s that redefined the genre. The work has remained untouched, never integrated into the larger DC Comics universe, due partially to the reverence by fanboys and partially to Moore’s insistence that it is a singular vision. (He also came out against the 2009 movie adaptation, Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder.)

DC, which owns the characters, is now saying that enough time has passed that it's okay to explore new stories featuring the Watchmen.

"It's our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant," said DC Entertainment co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee in a statement. "After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told.

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The company has also enlisted the blessing of Gibbons, a move that should mollify many fans. “The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC's reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire,” he said in his statement.

Straczynski, known as the co-creator of the sci-fi show Babylon 5, as well as a writer of Superman and Spider-Man stories, will pen the four-issue Nite Owl series (which has art by Andy and Joe Kubert) as well as the four-issue Dr. Manhattan (art by Hughes). yes">  He spoke to THR's Heat Vision to explain why the time is right for a return to the Watchmen universe, the writing process for the books, and his plans for Nite Owl.

Heat Vision: How did you become involved with Before Watchmen?

J. Michael Straczynski: The short answer is: I was asked. The long answer: Ever since Dan DiDio was handed the reins (along with Jim Lee) over at DC, he's been making bold, innovative moves that might have scared the hell out of anyone else. At a time in the industry when big events tend to be “Okay, we had Team A fight Team B last year, so this year we’re gonna have Team B fight team C!” Dan has chosen to revitalize lines, reinvent worlds and come at Watchmen head-on. It was, I think, about two years ago that he first mentioned that he was considering the idea, and he’s to be commended for fighting to make this happen.

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HV: Was there any trepidation on your end to be part of this?

JMS: Anyone who sets foot into the Watchmen universe and isn’t just a little nervous should be given a few days of electroshock therapy. I’ve always considered Watchmen to be one of the best graphic novels ever written, and when it came out back in 1986 I was as blown away as everyone else. Just masterful.

The thing is, though, writers are always being asked to play in amazing universes created by other people, and you can’t let that scare you.  If Darren Aronofsky can plan for a Noah’s Ark movie, Steven Spielberg can consider tackling the story of Moses, and Mel Gibson can do another Bible movie, I think it’s safe to say that the Watchmen universe is fair game, provided that you approach the work with clean hands and good intent.

HV: How do you think this will be judged and accepted considering 1) Alan Moore's stance against continuing the Watchmen universe, and 2) the sacred hold Watchmen has on readers?

JMS: The perception that these characters shouldn’t be touched by anyone other than Alan is both absolutely understandable and deeply flawed. As good as these characters are – and they are very good indeed – one could make the argument, based on durability and recognition, that Superman is the greatest comics character ever created. But I don’t hear Alan or anyone else suggesting that no one other than Shuster and Siegel should have been allowed to write Superman. Certainly Alan himself did this when he was brought on to write Swamp Thing, a seminal comics character created by Len Wein.

Leaving aside the fact that the Watchmen characters were variations on pre-existing characters created for the Charleton Comics universe, it should be pointed out that Alan has spent most of the last decade writing very good stories about characters created by other writers, including Alice (from Alice in Wonderland), Dorothy (from Wizard of normal">Oz), Wendy (from Peter Pan), as well as Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man, Jeyll and Hyde, and Professor Moriarty (used in the successful League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). I think one loses a little of the moral high ground to say, “I can write characters created by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle and Frank Baum, but it’s wrong for anyone else to write my characters.”
 
The whole point of having great characters is the opportunity to explore them more deeply with time, re-interpreting them for each new age. That DC allowed these characters to sit on a shelf for over two decades as a show of respect is salutary, but there comes a time when good characters have to re-enter the world to teach us something about ourselves in the present.
 
HV: Why do a prequel and not a sequel?
 
JMS: Alan spends a lot of time in the original Watchmen teasing out details of the history of our characters before the time in which the graphic novel is set. In so doing, he gave us an excellent road map that would let us hew more truly to the characters than by telling a story that takes place after those events. The first time all of us got together in New York to solidify the storyline, we each had copies of Watchmen in hand and whenever a question was raised about what happened to whom and when, we’d flip through looking for the slightest clue. I joked at the time that it looked a lot like Saturday afternoon Bible Study.
 
HV: How did you end up writing Nite Owl and Dr. Manhattan? Did you have a say over which characters you would write?

JMS.: I wanted those characters because they are kind of bookends from a power standpoint. Despite his really cool gadgets, Nite Owl is in many ways the closest we have to a regular guy. He’s not a near-nutbar like Rorschach, he’s not the smartest guy in the world like Ozymandius, doesn’t have the powers of Dr. Manhattan...he’s the most normal guy in the bunch and that means he has to work really hard to get things done. By contrast, Dr. Manhattan has nearly godlike powers. So they’re at opposite ends of the power spectrum, and that contrast appealed to me immensely.
 
HV: Did the writers work together to any degree?

J.M.S.: There was a summit and we’ve been emailing each other and using a website to upload ideas, scripts, outlines and ask each other questions.  We worked out a ridiculously detailed timeline for all of the characters, and took great pains to not step on each other’s toes. It’s really like a hive-mind in that respect.
 
HV: Which Nite Owl are you focusing on? (Or both?)
 
JMS.: My focus is on the second Nite Owl, Dan Dreiberg, though the first Nite Owl shows up in the story, along with many of the other characters.
 
HV:What is the plot and setting?
 
JMS.: I wanted to show how Dan became the second Nite Owl, what circumstances led to him as a kid to reach out to the first Nite Owl with the goal of becoming a hero...the road that led him to that point, and where it took him as he assumed that role. I also wanted to show how his friendship with Rorschach began, how it worked while they were together, and why it ultimately fell apart...all of this set against a series of murders that they are drawn into.  
 
HV: Are the prequels all connected?
 
JMS: There’s some overlap here and there, but it’s more thematic than plot-oriented. I think DC wanted to give each writer the room to really play with the characters he was given without worrying too much about tying it in with everyone else’s story. At some point, the integrity of each of the miniseries would be compromised trying to do that. Instead, we were free to really follow the story of each hero cleanly. One of the things that has bugged me about recent comics publishing “events” is that the individual characters or titles are too often sacrificed to the vested interests of that event; here, DC turned the formula upside down and let the “event” serve the individual characters.

Something I said in the room ended up becoming the thematic core of the series, which is my sense that there are five kinds of truth: the truth you tell to casual acquaintances, the truth you tell to you family and close friends, the truth you tell to only a very few people in your life, the truth you tell yourself and the truth you don't admit even to yourself. So these books are really about what we think we know about these characters, and the truth. 

HV: And if this is successful, will there be a sequel to the prequel? And are there any plans to eventually integrate this universe with the broader DC Universe?
 
JMS: Both of those are questions for Dan DiDio. I’m just glad to have a chance to play with these characters right now. The future will attend to itself, it always does.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com

Twitter: @Borys_Kit

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DC Entertainment Returning to 'Watchmen' with 7-Book Prequel Series (Exclusive Image)

Progress Energy will offer customers larger rebates to adopt energy-efficiency programs in their homes while doing away with some programs that are not working or are outdated.

The N.C. Utilities Commission approved the changes Tuesday but gave customers 60 days to submit claims for the programs that are being eliminated. The Raleigh-based utility will no longer pay customers $100 for an AC tune-up, $60 for duct testing or for window replacement.

Progress periodically adjusts its incentive programs to make sure they are saving energy and they are cost-effective.

For example, the company is eliminating its window replacement program, which paid $30 per window for up to 15 windows, because stricter building codes in North Carolina require windows that are more energy-efficient.

Progress has been adopting energy efficiency programs to comply with a state mandate to offset electricity demand with conservation programs and alternative energy resources. The utility estimates that 84,000 customers will sign up for the programs through 2016.

The programs, which Progress expects to spend $32.7 million on through 2016, are now going through a round of modifications.

Progress is increasing the incentive for attic insulation and air sealing from $350 to $500. The company will pay customers $190 to seal and repair air ducts, up from $120.

Progress is introducing two new incentives: $25 to install a window-unit air conditioner, and $350 for buying an energy-efficient water heater.

To qualify, customers must meet specific criteria, which typically include using one of 850 certified installers and technicians.

The program details can be found at http://www.progress-energy.com (Under "For your home," click on "Save Energy & Money"). The website will be updated soon.

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Published: 1/31/2012 - Updated: 1 hour ago

BY DAVID PATCH
BLADE STAFF WRITER

ODOT warns of an I-475 ramp closure. It was unclear late Tuesday why the sign says 120 days but a state official predicted 7 months. THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH Enlarge | Photo Reprints

West Toledoans: Still have your detour routes for the Douglas Road entrance to eastbound I-475 in the backs of your heads, or programmed into your navigation boxes?

Good, because the ramp that was closed for more than half of 2011 will close again, for seven months, starting Feb. 13, the Ohio Department of Transportation has announced.

The shutdown will allow construction of a retaining wall along the ramp and eastbound lanes immediately east of Douglas, similar to walls built on the westbound side. Its timing is a consequence of both the unusually wet weather that beset Toledo during most of 2011, and the unusually warm, snowless conditions in the city for most of this winter.

Originally, the retaining wall was to have been built during the 2011 ramp shutdown, which ran from mid-May until Dec. 2. But while the ramp itself was rebuilt then, the wet weather put contractor E.S. Wagner months behind schedule for wall construction, so that part of the work never started.

ODOT officials said in December that the ramp would close again in late March or early April to build the wall -- "whenever the weather breaks," district construction engineer Dennis Charvat said at the time.

But thanks to favorable construction weather, contractor E.S. Wagner is ready now to move on the work that requires shutting the ramp back down, Mike Gramza, the department's planning and engineering administrator in Bowling Green, said Tuesday.

"They're able to get in there and get working on a noise wall and retaining wall on that side," Mr. Gramza said.

The Douglas entrance is to reopen about Aug. 24 -- weather permitting, of course.

When it began in August, 2010, construction of the $64 million project to widen I-475 between Douglas and I-75 and replace four scattered ramps near Jackman Road and Central Avenue with a single interchange at a new ProMedica Parkway was to wrap up by June, 2013.

But a very wet spring last year quickly set construction back. By September, ODOT had extended the completion deadline to the end of the 2013 construction season, and Mr. Gramza said that more excessive rain in the fall put even that target in doubt.

Mild winter weather is helping now, he said, and ODOT "is working with the contractor to accelerate the schedule where they can."

The Douglas exit from westbound I-475, closed since mid-April, now is expected to reopen in July. It was more severely affected by last year's weather, because in late April part of a slope just east of Sherbrooke Road on the westbound side -- near where the exit diverges from the freeway -- began collapsing after a rainstorm.

The slope was stabilized with temporary steel sheet piling, and now project managers have settled on a redesign for the retaining wall there that will allow that part of the project to resume.

Soil conditions in a small area near Sherbrooke "were much weaker than expected," Mr. Gramza said. That will be counteracted by using heavy piles, sunk into shafts drilled five feet into bedrock, to anchor the retaining wall there, he said.

The northern abutment for the Sherbrooke Road bridge over the freeway, to be rebuilt as part of the project, will be reinforced because of the soil problem, too, Mr. Gramza said.

January was the seventh straight month with wetter than average weather at Toledo Express Airport, according to the National Weather Service.

But January also is typically one of the driest months of the year in Toledo, and with most precipitation falling as snow. Toledo received just 6.7 inches of snow this January, 4.7 inches less than normal, and the 2.42 inches of total precipitation that had fallen by late Tuesday was 0.37 inch higher than normal for the month.

More January precipitation than usual fell as rain because the month was 4.7 degrees warmer than normal -- a 30.2-degree average daily mean temperature, instead of the normal 25.5 degrees.

But neither the warm temperatures nor the low snowfall was extreme enough to make any Top 10 rankings lists. Among recent Januaries, both 2002 (35.2 degrees) and 2006 (36.6 degrees) were significantly warmer.

Tuesday was the warmest day of the month with a high of 58 at Toledo Express -- five degrees shy of the record for the date set in 1989.

A storm approaching the area was expected to usher in cooler air by Wednesday evening, with a chance of snow showers forecast for early Thursday, but National Weather Service forecasters expected warmer-than-normal temperatures to persist through the weekend.

Contact David Patch at: dpatch@theblade.com or 419-724-6094.

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Douglas Rd. 475 on-ramp to close

THE Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is warning that the practice of erecting retaining walls as a solution to landslides may not be the best option.

Project Manager for the Community Based Landslide Risk Reduction Mitigation Project (CBLRRMP), at ODPEM, Kirk Frankson, pointed out that retaining walls actually make the problem of landslides worse, because in many cases the actual volume of soil and water builds up behind the walls.

CBLRRMP is a low-cost slope mitigation pilot plan to be implemented in four test areas in Jamaica. It is funded by the World Bank at a cost of US$2.375 million.

He explained that when a retaining wall is built, oftentimes it is not properly constructed and so frequently, during heavy rainfall, water builds up resulting in the collapse of the structure.

Underscoring the point, Research Analyst at the ODPEM, Christopher Gayle, explained why retaining walls fail.

“Retaining walls, if not constructed properly, act as a dam or a holding mechanism for (excess) water, which may fail if adequate provision is not made for draining within the retaining walls. So, we’re saying if you’re looking at cost effectiveness, drainage solutions are better than the more expensive retaining [wall] solutions,” he said.

He added that in a lot of cases, the walls are usually thinner than what is required for an “adequate” retaining wall, hence they bulge, slant, flip or break up from the force of the contained water.

Meanwhile, Frankson said that various low-cost strategies are being investigated under the Management of Slope Stabilisation in Communities project (MoSSIC).

These strategies include traditional terracing, benching of slopes, planting of grass and the implementation of drains and gutters.

The first community test case, Harbour Heights, a former Operation PRIDE settlement, is now a regularised community which overlooks Harbour View, where some $50 million is to be spent erecting a network of drains, channels and rainwater harvesting strategies that will act as natural hazard intervention techniques.

The strategies being tested under the MoSSIC were developed by geologists, Professor Malcolm Anderson and Dr Elizabeth Holcombe of the University of Bristol, in the United Kingdom, and funded by the World Bank.

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ODPEM says retaining walls may not prevent landslides

City of Milpitas, along with the Milpitas police and fire departments, is investigating why a construction worker was trapped and killed under a collapsed wall on Calaveras Ridge Drive Saturday after crews had been given a stop work order.

Staff from the city's Building and Safety Department responded to a call related to a fatal accident at the construction site of a residence located at 814 Calaveras Ridge Dr. at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 28.

A worker was crushed in a 10- to 12-foot deep trench that had been cut for placement of a future foundation of a retaining wall due to the sliding of unstable soil, which had been caused by the lack of shoring of the trench walls, staff said.

The Santa Clara County Coroner's Office identified the victim as 39-year-old Hayward resident Raul Zapata Tuesday morning.

Firefighters reported they were confronted with a "mountain of loose dirt" where Zapata had been trapped.

Although they made every effort to reach Zapata, they determined there was no way to get him out from under the dirt, reports state.

Firefighters then withdrew from the area to develop a safe recovery plan, according to reports.

Investigators from the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Milpitas police and the Santa Clara County Coroner's office were called to the scene, and by 10 p.m. it was determined another collapse of loose dirt would hinder further recovery efforts, reports state.

Plans were made Sunday to cover Zapata with a concrete

box and use an excavator to pull piles of dirt down to make the area safe.

Crews did not recover his body until Monday night.

According to Keyvan Irannejad, the city's chief building official, a building inspector issued a stop work notice on the site Jan. 25 after seeing moist dirt in the 12-foot high retaining wall.

Irannejad said workers with Fremont-based U.S. Sino Investments, Inc. were building a new 5,800 square-foot home inside the gated community.

Construction was in the early stages, and a 12-foot cut into the hillside was made for the foundation.

The stop work order required a soil engineer review to determine any require action and provide recommendations for shoring, according to Irannejad.

Despite the stop work notice, workers continued to work in the trench.

"The stop work order was hand delivered to the project manager on the site Wednesday," Irannejad said. "But on Saturday there were seven or eight people at the site working again."

He added he did not know why U.S. Sino employees continued to work on the site after the stop work order had been issued, and said he was still investigating that detail Tuesday morning.

Calls to Richard Liu, U.S. Sino's president, were not returned. Irannejad confirmed Liu was in China, and all company representatives were at Calaveras Ridge Drive.

Only city staff, Milpitas police officers and fire crews, as well as contractor employees were being allowed on site.

Milpitas police issued a press release at about 2:50 p.m. Tuesday stating investigators were working with Cal/OSHA to determine if charges would be filed.

Investigators from Cal/OSHA were unavailable.

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Hayward man killed in Milpitas retaining wall collapse in hills

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The Aussie model stripped down to a tiny two-piece in Sydney, displaying a physique seemingly unaffected by nine months carrying her son.

Miranda ? who gave birth to son Flynn in January last year ? stretched out on a speed boat in her white swimwear.

She donned the bikini and assumed her relaxing deck position strictly for professional purposes ? the model was being snapped for an Italian magazine.

The 28-year-old beauty ? married to Orlando Bloom ? has been in fine form recently, promoting the Victoria's Secret 2012 swimwear collection alongside Candice Swanepoel and Lily Aldridge.

Laidback ... Miranda Kerr

INFphoto.com

And she stripped off for the lingerie firm's fashion show back in November, donning a bra worth a staggering ?1.6million.

The Fantasy Treasure garment sparkled with nearly 3,400 precious gems set in 18-carat white and yellow gold.

Speaking about the bra, Miranda said: "It's such an honour to wear the bra. And it's such a piece of artwork!

"It's absolutely stunning ? it kind of feels a little mermaid-like ? but I can't believe I'm wearing $2.5million on my chest."

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A local church with humble beginnings is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Members of Kingsburg Mennonite Brethren Church don't shy away from recounting the early days when the church was located on Draper Street at what is now the Kingsburg Community Assistant Program building. "It's first service was on Feb. 11, 1962 at the VFW Hall at the southeast end of Draper Street," writes Kathy Wiest. "Sixteen families from Kingsburg and the surrounding area formed the core of the new congregation which met in the hall's dining room for its first two years. A bowling alley and coffee shop were part of the hall." Kathy's husband, Steve, was a child when he attended the church.

"There were a lot of kids, so the church focused on having a good, healthy environment," Steve Wiest says. "The restaurant's dinning room served roast beef at noon on Sundays and then you would hear the bowling pins. That and the smell of the roast beef was plenty to distract us."

The church is encouraging early members to share their stories at its website http://www.kingsburgmb.org.

Two special events are planned with church members and friends invited to attend. The church will hold a celebration program at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 featuring music and stories from the church history. Special speaker will be former member Mark Isaac, current advance director at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary.

Music will be led by former choir director Alice Isaac and worship leader Liviu Amariei.

Guests can view early photographs of the church.

On Sunday, Feb. 12 the worship service will feature Lynn Jost, vice president of Fresno Pacific University and the Dean of the Biblical Seminary. Jost is a former associate pastor of Kingsburg Mennonite Brethren Church. Isaac will lead a special choir reunion performance. A dinner of the German-Russian Mennonite dish called verenika will be served following the music.

Doug and Norma Hofer both recall the bowling alley.

"I remember asking my dad, Clarence Hofer, if we could go bowling instead of Wednesday night classes," Doug Hofer writes. "You could hear the lanes rumbling with bowling balls as we tried to memorize Scripture. I also remember building the church on its current ground, my dad and I went out to see the progress every week."

Ruth Ratzlaff said the anniversary inspired her to look for "old material I have from our days at the bowling alley."

The move from bowling alley came in February 1964. The church celebrated a two-year anniversary with a dedication for its new location at 14th and Stroud avenues.

"When construction started, it seemed as if it was a long way from town," Steve Wiest says. "There was a vineyard and strawberry field. The idea of a junior high being built seemed like something that wouldn't happen in my lifetime."

Today, the church has 225 members and is led by Rev. Ron Penner. The church, through its Happy Days School, has provided preschool and childcare for the community's families since 1979.

Wiest takes pride in how the church has helped people get through troubled times. Many have gone on to minister to others.

"We have seen how God changes lives," he says.

Details: 897-4162.

Excerpt from:
Kingsburg Mennonite Brethren Church 50-year anniversary

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Dave Underwood, Matt Jeshurun and Daniel Rainey hanging out after eating lunch at Bar Louie at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills.

By DEBBIE LEVESKI
Special to The Oakland Press

Chad Apap, General Manager, Bar Louie at Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills.

Music blares from both entrances of Bar Louie, where two patios and an airy feeling throughout invite patrons to sit down, enjoy a drink and some homemade food, relax, have fun and meet a friend or make one anew.

“Bar Louie is the local neighborhood everything,” General Manager Chad Apap said of Bar Louie in Auburn Hills. “We have a scratch kitchen, a private dining room, specialty cocktails, over 40 draft beers and one of the best happy hours around.”

Bar Louie is in District 6 of Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills.

IF YOU GO

Bar Louie is open 11 a.m. to 2.a.m. Monday through Saturday for lunch, dinner and late night dining, and from 11 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. Bar Louie is at 4390 Baldwin Road, in District 6 of Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills. For more information call 248-409-0087, or visit http://www.barlouieamerica.com/home.

“We are known for our group gatherings, networking events and parties. Bar Louie is a place to meet old friends and make new ones at the same time,” Apap said.

Bar Louie has two entrances and two patios — one inside the mall and the other outside. With two bars, many booths, pub tables and six black leather couches, the bar/restaurant can seat more than 220 people.

Its décor includes black leather seating, warm wood table tops and walls decked out with black and white pictures of people — some with great faces like that of Rat Packers Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra — enjoying each other's company and having fun.

One afternoon three friends, Dave Underwood, Matt Jeshurun and Daniel Rainey met at Bar Louie to have lunch, relax and wind down a bit. Underwood said he picked Bar Louie as the place to have lunch at because “The vibe is good.” Continued...

Jeshurun said, “Their burgers are amazing.”

Rainey added, “I enjoy eating at Bar Louie's because they will make me a sandwich that I like and they no longer offer on the menu.”

Bar Louie's menu includes small plates or appetizers like meatballs al Forno, Adobo shrimp skewers, spinach and artichoke dip and Louie's signature appetizer — Bavarian pretzel sticks with cinnamon butter, queso and honey mustard.

The menu also includes verde chicken and roasted vegetable flatbreads and salads such as pear and bleu cheese and the BLT wedge.

The Blue Louie burger — made with bleu cheese, bacon, fresh spinach and Buffalo sauce — along with all of the burgers on the menu can be made with chicken breast, turkey burger or portobello substituted for beef.

Large plates on the menu include Drunken Fish and Chips, sesame encrusted ahi tuna, El Burrito Loco, Tuscan chicken pasta and baked mac and cheese.

The dessert menu consists of Louie's oversized chocolate cake and, for anyone 21 or older, Tennessee Whiskey cake — a fresh baked caramel cake soaked with Jack Daniel's whiskey glaze.

Specialty cocktails include Louie's Cosmo, made with Absolut Citron, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, white cranberry juice and a splash of pure cane sugar; the Strawberry Fizz, made with SKYY, DeKuyper Razzmatazz, strawberry puree and champagne; and the Dirty, made with Belvedere, olive juice and bleu cheese olives.

Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and includes specials on drafts, wines, martinis and half-price appetizers.

Whether it is live entertainment or tunes from CDs spinning there is always music in the air at Bar Louie. On Thursday nights, starting at 8 p.m., listen to acoustic from a local musician, and on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 9 p.m. there is dancing to local DJs and bands.

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Bar Louie in Auburn Hills a great place to meet WITH VIDEO