Detroit's official symbol, the Spirit of Detroit statue (also know locally as the Green Giant), turns 50 today. And he's been given a nice sprucing up just for the occasion.

The Spirit of Detroit sits outside the Coleman Young Municipal Center (where I valiantly and courageously served the citizens of Detroit for seven years, writing press releases and City Council Ceremonial Resolutions - I once wrote one for James Brown and another for the Emperor of Japan - I felt very important). Anyway, the statue is made of bronze and was completed by sculptor Marshall Fredricks in 1958. Its cost at the time - a mere $58,000. You couldn't make it out of plastic for that today.

The Spirit of Detroit is often dressed in Detroit sports team uniforms - most often the Red Wings because the are most often in the playoffs and finals. Trust me, the statue has NEVER seen a Detroit Lions jersey. But it has seen a Pistons jersey several times, a Tigers jersey and even a tuxedo when the Three Tenors were in town.

Happy birthday, Spirit of Detroit. Let's shoot for another 50!