Memorial (Decoration) Day. . . .

Memorial Day had its birth during the American Civil War.  With communities experiencing devastating losses, annual prayer meetings and memorials were scheduled to honor the dead.

One of the first U.S. Government initiatives for a nation wide day of Memorial was a proclamation from the Union Army after the war.  GAR General Orders 11 on May 5, 1868 set aside a day for decorating graves on May 30th.  The original Decoration Day focused exclusively on Civil War dead.  The old Confederacy was not about to take such orders.  Most Southern States, under reconstruction, held their separate holidays. (Lousiana and Tennessee chosing June 3rd, Jefferson Davis’ birthday, for example.)

Consensus on the May holiday date was only achieved after the First World War when Memorial Day was expanded to cover all American Wars.    Since then the Holiday has been observed in late May by all.

As you go about the business of the holiday, take the time to just remember those that have sacrificed all for our freedom.   Over 140 years later, you will help fulfill General Orders 11 from 1868. . .

If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.   GAR General Orders 11 – May 5, 1868

This Economy has presented some tough choices to all of us. Similarly, it has presented a very tough $3 Million challenge to the Novi School System.

The crux of this issue seems to be the High School Schedule change. The change keeps teachers in the class room 83% instead of 75% of the time. That is an increase in individual Productivity of 10.6%.

Increasing Productivity – That sounds like a way forward in a recession.

Let’s look at the individual student schedule. Under the new plan students are in class for 996 class hours per year with no additional school days. Under the current plan (4 X 4) we are talking 936 class hours. That’s a 6.4% productivity increase.

Increasing Productivity – That sounds like a way forward in a recession.

At the April 20th informational meeting there were a lot of individual statements and few individual questions. The most common question asked was “why now? Why can’t we have a couple years warning? Well I’m sure many of us would have liked a couple years warning for our jobs, mortgages, and investments, but we didn’t get it. Looking forward is what is important now.

The only question is, there’s a $3,000,000 bubble, where does the money come from? The alternatives seem to be to take away things at the elementary school level. In other words reduce the benefits of the schools who historically lead the pack in MEAP scores in the Novi School System. Schools that have historically met AYP progress goals.

Punishing the Productive – That sounds like a dead end in a recession.

Is that the lesson we want to hand to our next generation?

I’ll take a plan that increases productivity while saving dollars anytime.

On Tuesday May 5, we will have an opportunity to make a decision on an investment that will serve Novi for many generations to come.

It’s no secret that recent national studies show parks help attract both businesses and residents to new communities. This Signature Park will assist Novi in its continued effort to diversify the tax base, create economic development and improve the quality of life of its residents.

I respect everyone’s opinion, but I would ask this proposal be judged on its merits not on labels attached to it. If you are opposed to Signature Park merely because it can be labeled a “tax increase,” and those are unpopular now, I think that would be a mistake. It is either good for Novi – or it is not. If it is good for Novi in the long run the fact that it, technically, raises taxes does not magically transform it into something that is bad for Novi. Remember, we’re talking about .5 of a mil. That’s $75 a year for a home valued at $300,000. Let’s put that into perspective. It’s less than $1.50 per week. Surely $75 a year means something different to everyone. I get that. I have five kids, three in college, an aging parent and a mortgage on a house that has lost value just like yours. Not to mention a business that is trying to sustain itself during these trying times. But it’s the features and benefits of what $1.44 per week investment will return in the future that makes this almost a no-brainer.

There is one other very important aspect to the Signature Park; the preservation of 60 acres of open green space. If we are truly stewards of the future of our environment this is an opportunity, in all likelihood the last opportunity, to preserve 60 contiguous acres of green space in Novi. Surely the preservation of this much open green space for future generations is worth $1.44 a week. It’s worth it to me, regardless of what label is slapped on it: Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, environmentalist or tax raiser. This is good for Novi, that’s all I am concerned about. Please take the time to understand what this asset will bring to the community and
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visit www.novisignaturepark.com. There’s something for everyone in this park, and I hope you’ll join me and vote “yes” on May 5.

Very sad news regarding the death of Mark “the Bird” Fidrych. Looking at how brief his Baseball career was, one can’t fully appreciate Fidrych’s impact. “The Bird” phenom is hard to understand unless you lived through it.

1976 was a rough year in Metro Detroit. The city was still reeling from the first OPEC Oil Embargo (gas was an unbelievable 60-70 cents per gallon). Inflation was heading to 10 percent, the auto industry had faced it’s first “really big layoff”.

Like Detroit the Tigers were retooling. The champions of ‘68 and ‘72 were mostly gone, a few vets were there for DH duties and unproven rookies swelled the roster. The Tigers were headed for the cellar.

Here comes this exuberant, wacky rookie pitcher. He talked to the baseball, he had his own catcher (Bruce Kimm), he groomed the mound on his hands an knees, he went through all kinds of movements on the mound, he looked like “Big Bird” and oh, yes that unbelievable fast ball. Soon fans flocked to see him pitch. . . in Detroit and EVERYWHERE.

Tiger Stadium was near empty unless “the Bird” was throwing. Then you were lucky to get a ticket. On the Road if ‘the Bird’ “skipped” an opposing series, the opponent complained. You see Fidrych sold out on the road as well. Fans wanted “Rain Checks” if the ‘Bird’ didn’t pitch his turn in the rotation.

For an unbelievable summer no one cared about standings, wins and losses. Only one question mattered “Is ‘Bird’ pitching?”. If the answer was “Yes”, everyone forgot their troubles and turned to baseball. The Tigers would win 74 games, 19 of them went to the Rookie Pitcher.

The Career ended way too soon. Now Mark has left us way too soon.

We’ll miss you Mark.

Looks like rumors may be true. The silhouette Blue Lions Logo could be history. Rumors indicate that the Downtown Kitty Cats are dumping Bubbles for a new ferocious more realistic animal logo. . .

Well, sort of. . .

More like “Son of Bubbles”. The new logo gets an eye, an open mouth, and a black outline. “Son of Bubbles actually appears to have all 4 legs operational. Old Bubbles fans are sure to recognize this logo as one of the family.

How does the ferocity of this new logo rank? That shaking you feel is from the rest of the NFL shaking in their boots in fear. Or maybe they are laughing too hard. . Time will tell.

Do you remember what the number 1 industry was in 1900? Since the photo gives it away, can you name the two biggest firms in that industry? Each had a capitalization greater in scope than General Motors in its hey day. Neither company is in existence today.

Give up? The railroad industry kings were the New York Central and Penn Central Railroads. Who would have known these two transportation giants would be done in by a man in a Dearborn garage, and two brothers in a Dayton bicycle shop.

While today?s Big 3 isn?t involved in a total transportation shift, a shift in vehicle power train is still a daunting task. The country needs infrastructure to support non gas powered vehicles (charging or fuel cell stations vs. gas stations). Government needs to change as well (states including Michigan fund road repairs from per gallon gas taxes. Conservation hurts these funds.) A different generation of mechanics is needed. And so on.

There?s a good chance that the firm or firms that command a superior non gasoline technology will be key to providing for the prosperity of a large number of their country’s citizens in the next century.

Whether you are for or against the bailout imagine this marketing impact. Instead of being filmed getting out of a jet (public or private) the executives drive to Washington. The Executives emerge from an electric vehicle like the Chevy Volt. (Even if it takes a Greyhound Bus of Engineers to get it there.) Then say something like this.

?This is the future. It?s right for fuel economy, the prosperity of our nation, and the ecosystem. Where do I plug it in? We all have a lot of work to do. We need your help.?

I love the political season. This one will truly go down as the most creative ever.

First this from John McCain:

?It sounds like Paris Hilton supports John McCain?s ?all of the above? approach to America?s energy crisis – including both alternatives and drilling. Paris Hilton might not be as big a celebrity as Barack Obama, but she obviously has a better energy plan.?

Gotta love it!

As posted at Detroit Uncovered

Just an observation as we watch the news coverage of the massive flooding in the Midwest with over 100 blocks of the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa under water, levees breaking, and the attention now turned downstream for when this massive amount of water hits the Mississippi, what’s amazing is not what is being seen, but what is not being seen:

1. We don’t see looting.
2. We don’t see street violence.
3. We don’t see people sitting on their rooftops waiting for the government to come and save them.
4. We don’t see people waiting on the government to do anything.
5. We don’t see Hollywood organizing benefits to raise money for people to rebuild.
6. We don’t see people blaming President Bush.
7. We don’t see people ignoring evacuation orders.
8. We don’t see people blaming a government conspiracy to blow up the levees as the reason some have not held.
9. We don’t see the US Senators or the Governor of Iowa crying on TV.
10. We don’t see the Mayors of any of these cities complaining about the lack of state or federal response.
11. We don’t see or hear reports of the police going around confiscating personal firearms so only the criminal will be armed.
12. We don’t see gangs of people going around and randomly shooting at the rescue workers.
13. You don’t see some leaders in this country blaming the bad behavior of the Iowa flood victims on ’society’ (of course there is no wide spread reports of lawlessness to blame).

Where are all of the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in restoring Iowa and helping the folks affected by the floods?

Where is all the media asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn’t solved the problem? Asking where the FEMA trucks (and trailers) are?

Why isn’t the Federal Government relocating Iowa people to free hotels in Chicago?

When will Spike Lee say that the Federal Government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines?

Where are Sean Penn and the Dixie Chicks?

Where are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes and big screen television sets?

When will we hear Governor Chet Culver say that he wants to rebuild a ‘vanilla’ Iowa, because that’s the way God wants it?

Where are the people declaring that George Bush hates white, rural people?

As we roll into another election season, I was recently reminded of the famous quote by Ott Von Bismark:

People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.

The shifting sands of political posturing have never been more evident than in the current Democrat primary race. Both candidates are trying to define and differentiate themselves in a very tight race. Their positions on NAFTA, the War in Iraq, International relations and a host of other subjects seem to morph continually. I suspect the Senator Clinton will ultimately withdraw, but not until after she is able to extract promises in several key areas.

I can hardly wait for McCain vs Obama. It will certainly provide for many opportunities for commentary.