Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover a historic new bakery, a new way to pay taxes, the start of the holiday season and more.

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Filipino bakery opens in New Center

Detroit’s first and only Filipino bakery celebrated their grand opening on Thursday. JP Makes and Bakes is in New Center on Woodward and Grand Boulevard.

Owner and pastry chef Jonathan Peregrino is a first-generation Filipino American. He says in the short month he’s been open, he’s already received many thanks from the community for bringing Filipino and Asian cuisine into the city.

“There are no Filipino bakeries,” he said. “I personally was driving to Chicago or Toronto to get the Filipino baked goods that I missed that were plentiful in California and Seattle.”

Peregrino received a $60,000 grant from Motor City Match to expand his bakery.

Filipinos are Michigan’s fourth largest Asian American ethnic group, with over 41,000 residents.

City to accept cryptocurrency

Detroit residents will soon have the option to pay taxes and other city fees using cryptocurrency through the service PayPal. The payment option will become available in mid-2025 along with additional improvements to the city payment services.

The city is also looking for blockchain entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas for innovative blockchain applications that can enhance transparency, improve data security and streamline public services.

Only three US states — Colorado, Utah and Louisianna — accept cryptocurrency for state payments. Detroit would become the largest US city to offer this option.

DTW opens sensory-friendly room

The Wayne County Metro Airport in partnership with Delta Airlines unveiled a new multi-sensory room today. The room is designed to provide a calm, supportive and safe environment for those with sensory sensitivities and cognitive disabilities.

The room features calming colors, sounds and activities, such as a tactile toys for children and a bubbling water sculpture. The room is located in the McNamara Terminal across from Gate 36.

Detroit’s Christmas tree arrives

Crews placed Detroit’s Christmas tree in the heart of Campus Martius this week. The 66-foot-tall tree comes from Manton, a small town in northern Michigan’s Wexford County.

The tree will be adorned with 25,000 LED lights and sparkling bulbs on Nov. 22 during the city’s lighting ceremony from 4–9 p.m. The ceremony will feature hot chocolate, giveaways, food trucks, shopping and a visit from Santa. 

Upcoming environmental events

The Environmental Interpretive Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn is hosting a series of events in November:

• Thursday, Nov. 14: Nature Photography Walk. Participants are asked to bring their own cameras and accessories. Photos taken on the walk may be featured in a photography showcase in April.
• Tuesday, Nov. 19: Nature Walk for Mental Health. Includes brief guided meditations and a raffle.
• Friday, Nov. 22: An Evening Owl Prowl with the Naturalists. Participants will listen for owls on the walk, followed by a short presentation.

For more information, visit umdearborn.edu.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.