August 2016 - The Courant

S E RV I N G WA S H T E N AW, L I V I N G S T O N A N D OA K L A N D C O U N T I E S
COURANTONLINE.COM
AUGUST 2016
FREE
TIPS ON CHOOSING THE RIGHT
SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILDREN
THE RESOLUTIONIST, PAGE 12
BRIGHTON FINE
ART & ACOUSTIC
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Photos By Frank Boyd
The Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce and Champion
Automotive Group will host the 33rd
Annual Brighton Fine Art & Acoustic
Music Festival on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, August 5–7, 2016 in beautiful downtown Brighton. This highly
interactive art show, one of the most
prestigious juried art festivals in southeast Michigan, draws from the best of
the best - featuring talented local and
national award winning artists. Over
30,000 art enthusiasts visit the festival each year to support the arts in
our community, savor local restaurant
fare and listen to a gentle mix of live
acoustic music on four separate Main
CONTENTS
VOLUME XII • ISSUE 10
JULIAN K’S MUSIC SCENE, PAGE 3
ANOTHER GREAT 4TH OF JULY!
By Sophia Freni
Street stages. Balancing out this fun
and creative event, a walk down Main
Street will offer many unique art infused activities for both the young and
young at heart; creating the perfect
three-part harmony - art, music and atmosphere – the perfect complement to
any weekend plans! Visitors can speak
one-on-one with artisans about their
original works in glass, watercolor, oils,
sculpture, photography, pottery, jewelry, woodcarvings and more. They will
have the opportunity to watch up close
as many artists will demonstrate their
unique talents live.
Brighton Fine Arts will be bringing
a hip new band to downtown Brighton
for one night only on Saturday August
6th. This newest music stage, located
in the Hyne Street Lot behind Two
brothers Coffee and tagged as Brighton
After Dark, will feature Misty Lyn &
The Big Beautiful – a trendy local band
whose gigs have included The Ark, Ann
Arbor Summer Festival’s Top of the
Park and Ferndale’s FestivAle. Gates
open at 7:00pm with music starting at
8:00pm. Wristbands are just $5, beer
and wine also $5(with a “finer” wine
option at just $10!).
The Brighton Fine Art & Acoustic
Music Festival event hours are:
Friday, August 5th 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Saturday, August 6th 10:00am 8:00pm
S u n d ay, Au g u s t 7 t h 1 0 : 0 0 a m 4:00pm
Brighton After Dark hours are:
Saturday August 6th 8:00pm –
11:00pm Gates open at 7:00pm
For more information, please contact
Sophia Freni, Director of Events, at
810.227.5086.
George Bedard
& the Kingpins
GARDEN SPOT INSECT CURES
M
y straw bale gardening has
been a big success. At the
same time I had the opportunity to seeing what actual
pests are eating my vegetables. I used a
regular straw bale and I conditioned it for
12 days with water and fertilizer.
I was weighing whether I wanted to
use the organic or non–organic approach
since by vegetables were at stake. I started to see a couple of garden snakes staking out the straw bales. They were eating
the slugs that were enjoying my lettuce
all night long. The lettuce was being overrun with slugs and I would go out every
morning and take some off. I embedded a
can of milk in the bale. Slugs are attracted
to the milk and fall in. I noticed my dog,
Loongy, running to the bale every morning and sipping the milk. I thought of the
classic way of having some beer in a cup.
I could only think of Loongy drinking a
By John Keast
cup of beer every morning. She is already
high strung! I used Diatomaceous Earth
which is made up of crushed sea shells
and spread it across the bale. The slugs
would crawl along the bale and through
the Diatomaceous Earth and be killed. If it
rains, it will become compacted and you
will have to put it on again. A lot of gardeners, will put a ring of Diatomaceous
Earth around their prized hostas for the
same effect. The slugs have disappeared
and so have the garden snakes.
I had some ants on my vegetables and
was getting concerned about them. I was
about ready to spray some ant killer on
the bales when I checked with the Livingston County Extension office. It turns
out that most of the time ants will eat the
small insects for dinner and not the leaves
of your vegetables. Always try to identify
the actual insect or bug that is doing the
damage. If there is limited damage being
done, try to live with it instead of spraying
every time something pops up.
In the Upper Peninsula the Great Lakes
Boat Building School was busy working
on their latest school project. They are
building a Fantail boat for the Inland Water Route Historical Society of Alanson,
Michigan. The special hull is very slippery
and, around the 1900`s, the boat was
easily driven because outboard motors
weren’t very efficient. The boat will be
used for trips down the rivers around
Alanson. Ryan Hinnen, the Recruiting
& Placement Service Manager from the
school said their slogan is, “One boat at a
time.” There is still time to enroll for the
fall classes. Great Lakes Boat Building
School - www.glbbs.org
John Keast is an Advanced Master Gardener. Q&A at [email protected]
Copyright©2015 John Keast.
EXPANDING HORIZONS CAJUN COOKING
I
have been to Louisiana a number of
times, and I’ve written about some
of them, but not my Cajun and Creole Cooking School trip, over a long
weekend. I flew into Lafayette, Louisiana
on a Friday morning, rented a car and
drove to St. Martinville. I checked into a
bed and breakfast , a lovely place on the
bayou with a pool, friendly hosts and
good breakfasts. That evening, at Café
des Amis in Breaux Bridge, I met the
two other students, the wealthy wives of
professional football players. They were
both down to earth and friendly and included me in almost everything they did.
One unique aspect of this trip was that
it was being filmed for the Food Network. When I arrived at Café des Amis, I
met the crew; the “talent” would arrive
the next day, delayed because his wife
was ill. Our chef and teacher, Patrick
Mould, was a somewhat unkempt but
pleasant man probably in his late 40’s at
the time. I don’t remember much about
the meal at Café des Amis except that it
was fantastic. I’ve since been back to the
restaurant several times, and it’s been
wonderful each time I’ve been there;
they have live Cajun music on Wednesday evenings and during their Sunday
Brunch.
Advice.................................................. 12
Business Cards.................................. 12
Calendar.......................................................6
Gardening................................................... 1
Letters.........................................................12
Music............................................................. 3
Puzzle........................................................ 12
Travel............................................................ 1
Story By Phyllis Kreger Stillman
Our first cooking
class featured Cajun food, while the
second focused on
Creole food; after
which we enjoyed
our creations for
lunch. The weekend also featured
several outings,
some of which
were standards
while others were
special for the taping. Those host of
the cooking show was Rick; he was very
nice as was the rest of the crew. They
were staying in a houseboat on the bayou; one day we took a cruise along the
bayou in the boat, and one evening we
played cards with Rick and the crew.
One day we took a food tour, going
to a famous local market, Poche’s, for
sausage, including boudin, the quintessential Cajun sausage made of liver and
rice. One night we went to Don’s Seafood
Restaurant in Lafayette, a local tradition,
and on to a dance hall as well as a private
party to hear Cajun music and dance.
One morning, we had boiled crawfish
at an local restaurant dating back to the
NEWS BRIEF
1920’s in St. Martinville; unfortunately,
the restaurant is no more. We also toured
St. Martinville which is home to the tree
where, according to Longfellow’s poem,
Evangeline waited in vain to reunite with
her love, Gabriel. There’s also a fine African American museum in town. Overall,
this was a great trip. All three of us were
interviewed for the show, which I’m not
sure ever aired. I said I was going to try
to live my life with fewer inhibitions after being exposed to the open, fun-loving
Cajun culture. I’m still trying.
©2016 Phyllis Kreger Stillman. Phyllis
may be contacted at [email protected].
DAY OF CARING VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT What difference can one
day make? When it’s Livingston County United Way’s Day
of Caring, the impact on the community is tremendous! The
annual event is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17. Day
of Caring is Livingston County’s largest one-day community
service event with big-time community impact. Worksite
requests, volunteer applications and additional information
are available online at www.lcdayofcaring.org.
POSTAL
CUSTOMER
ECRWSS
SOUTH LYON MI
PERMIT NO. 15
PAID
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
2 • THE COURANT • AUGUST 2016
THIS MONTH @ THE BRIGHTON DISTRICT LIBRARY
LOCAL AUTHOR EXPLORES MICHIGAN’S TRAILS, MYSTERIES, AND LEGENDS
L
ocal author Ron Rademacher has written 6 books about
Michigan from destinations and
trails, to mysteries and legends.
Join Ron as he explores the Michigan you
may know little about in a two-part series called Discover Michigan. Each program is intended to entertain audiences
of all ages. Admission is free.
On Wednesday, August 10 from 7-8pm,
Rademacher will talk about Oddities
and Rarities. Ron will journey across the
state to visit small Michigan towns that
By Margaret Vergith
hide unique objects and boast interesting
mysteries and legends. Learn about the
unexplained artifact in Ontonagon from
the old Superior Mine, the Phoenician
artifact in Nahma, the Tomb of the Cow,
the Sanilac Petroglyphs and more. This
popular program will have an emphasis
on forgotten Michigan history.
Rademacher’s Trails & Treasures talk
Wednesday, September 14 from 7-8pm,
will take the traveler to some of the
most overlooked trails in Michigan. Ron
will show trails in every region of the
state that are accessible to anyone and
usually less than 1 mile long; you don’t
have to be a mountain climber to enjoy
these. The “treasure” portion of this
workshop is a destination or attraction
near each trail that make these great
day trips.
The Discover Michigan Series will take
place at Brighton District Library, located
at 100 Library Drive. Call 810-229-6571
ext. 227 to preregister. The Friends of the
Brighton District Library have generously sponsored this series.
Local author Ron Rademacher
GET RESULTS! ADVERTISE IN THE COURANT!
For more info call 734.629.6010
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 3
JULIAN K’S MUSIC SCENE GEORGE BEDARD & THE KINGPINS
G
eorge Bedard and the Kingpins
have been one of Ann Arbor’s
finest and longest lasting
bands, now going over thirty
years. Only the RFD Boys (a bluegrass
band) and jazz players James Dapogny
and Paul Klinger have performed together longer having now passed the
forty year mark.
“The Kingpins” specialize in early
rock and roll known as “rockabilly”.
They feature such stars as Elvis, Bill
Haley, and Carl Perkins plus mixing in
several originals penned by George. The
music has a strong backbeat of bass and
drums with plenty of lead guitar and
strong vocals. To keep the performance
balanced George and the boys will slip
in an occasional country tune, some
blues, surf music, and some string bending slide guitar. Drummer Rich Dishman
and bassist Pat Prouty are highly seasoned pros who play in other bands and
Story & Photo By Julian Konwinski
assorted genres. They can hit you hard
and strong or soft and subtle, whatever
the tune calls for.
George Bedard has been one of the
best guitarists has ever produced. Ask
an old townie about a band from the
70’s known as “The Silvertones”. George
was lead guitarist in that band that
many said was so hot you could nearly
get skin blisters just being in the same
room. They were nothing short of incendiary. He belongs with such notables as
Bill Kirchen, Russell Malone, Cub Coda,
Mark Tomorski, and Laith al Saadi.
George and the boys recently closed the
annual Top of the Park series at Ingalls
Mall. They have done that for over twenty years running.
Those of you interested in seeing
George Bedard and the Kingpins in full
form should mark your calendar to
catch them at The Ark on Saturday August 27th at 8PM. There will be guest
appearances by slap bassist David
Roof and piano man Mr. B. This will
be part four of his ongoing series of
how the guitar has changed music and
how the guitar itself has changed over
the years with advanced electronics,
clever imaginative players, and use
of computers and effects pedals. The
ground breaking work of Carl Perkins
will be featured. It will be a valuable
musical lesson well worth the time
and money spent.
4 • THE COURANT • AUGUST 2016
SOCIAL SECURITY HONORING THE BENEFICIARIES OF SOCIAL SECURITY
S
ocial Security is committed to
the principles and spirit of the
Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), which improves the lives
of our beneficiaries and our employees
who have disabilities.
We also want you to see and hear
from the people who rely on Social
Security disability benefits to not just
survive, but thrive, as active members
of our communities. Our Faces and
Facts of Disability website highlights
the real life stories of people who have
disabilities.
The newest person we are featuring
on our Faces and Facts of Disability
website is Lynne Parks. She is an artist
from Baltimore, Maryland. First diagnosed with metastatic fibrosarcoma at
age 14, she has lived with this illness
for nearly 35 years. It started in her
face and moved to different parts of
her body, including her abdomen and
By Mike Laird
leg. She also has various tumors on her
shoulder and arm.
Inflammatory responses, infections,
and new tumors are complications that
Lynne deals with every day. “Because
of the tumors, I have limited use of my
left arm,” Lynne said. “I have weakness
in my legs. There’s fatigue because
my immune system has taken such a
big hit from the cancer and the cancer treatments. I get sick all the time.
There might be a day that I can be at
home and resting and I’ll try to make
the best of it. I’ll wake up, fix breakfast
and eat, and that takes a while because
of my physical limitations, but also because of my first tumor that was in my
face.”
Having been helped by Social Security, Lynne tries to help others. “I’m also
helping people who have issues learn
to cope with them, because they see in
me someone as a role model, essential-
ly. Life without Social
Security benefits, it’s a
horror story, because
I imagine myself on
the streets.”
The disability benefits Lynne receives
are a crucial resource
for her quality of life.
Our disability programs continue to
be a mainstay in the
lives of many people
— p e o p l e j u s t l i ke
you. Social Security
disability beneficiaries are among the
most severely impaired people in the
country. It’s something that can happen
to anyone.
We invite you to learn the facts
about the disability insurance program, and see and hear these stories
of hardship and perseverance at www.
socialsecurity.gov/disabilityfacts.
For more information about Social
Security, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.
Mike Laird is the Social Security District
Manager in Ann Arbor. He can be contacted at 800-772-1213 or Mike.Laird@
ssa.gov.
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 5
JACK’S CORNER THE PARTY’S OVER
L
et’s do away with political parties. They’re divisive. Look no
further than the circuses we call
campaigns. Let’s also get rid of
the electoral college able to overrule the
will of the people like it did in 2000.
And don’t get me started on voting
straight party tickets. Does party affiliation magically anoint a candidate as the
best qualified? If a hiring manager asks
why you should get the job would you
say, “because I’m a Democrat?” Good luck
with that!
What do we really know about anyone
running for office other than what the
candidate, the party or the media wants
us to know? Nothing. That’s not acceptable. If you want to hold an office up to
and including President of the United
States, put your backside on the line just
like everyone else.
Submit a resume showing your education and grades, residence history,
work history, significant achievements,
personal and professional references, a
credit report, drug test, and cover letter
explaining why you’re suitable for the
job. Throw in five years tax returns too.
We’ll want to know if you’re paying your
fair share. Seen any of those disclosures
from candidates recently?
Screening committees, randomly
picked from a pool of Human Resource
specialists, weed out the crackpots, weak
resumes and those who don’t meet age,
citizenship or residency requirements.
They’ll also do background checks. Eligible resumes are posted on-line for all to
see, evaluate and fact check.
By Jack Belisle
Unscripted, individual televised interviews follow. Questions are culled from
voter submissions while the interview is
in progress. No screening content, notes
or teleprompters. No speeches, just answers. You’ll have to think on your feet
under pressure with millions watching.
We’ll want to know if you’re able to think
and act decisively to save American lives
if terrorists attack an overseas embassy.
Primary voting selects two or three
applicants for a second interview. A final
vote selects the winning candidate. Voting is done electronically by registered
voters assigned digital codes that identify you, your district and state.
Winners serve four or six year terms
as now, subject to termination for cause
that might include compromising state
secrets or aiding and abetting hostile
countries to acquire nuclear weapons.
Remedies for poor performance, violating the public trust and eliminating government immunity from lawsuits brings
accountability into play, non-existent in
today’s party politics.
The whole process lasts 60-90 days
from resume posting to final vote. No
more months on end of speeches, debates, press conferences, town halls,
conventions and other types of political
theater that mask outcomes often predetermined by party bosses, super delegates, global power brokers, mega-donors and the media.
I’d bet half the people holding office
right now and many of those running this
year would never make it to or past a first
interview having to face the American
people proverbially “wearing no clothes.”
That’s why nothing will change. An inept
or otherwise flawed candidate’s worst
fear is informed voters.
Bill Clinton started Loretta Lynch’s
political career in 1999 appointing her
U.S. Attorney for the eastern district
of New York. She returned to private
practice in 2001 until Barack Obama
re-appointed her U.S. Attorney in 2010.
She then became U.S. Attorney General
in 2015 thanks to Barack Obama. James
Comey became the FBI Director in 2013
thanks to Barack Obama.
Obama wants Hillary Clinton to be
President. Lynch and Comey owe their
careers to a Clinton or Obama. So, they
give Hillary a get out of jail free card
for compromising state secrets using
an unsecured email server and then
lying about it, actions that have landed
little people like Chelsea Manning in
jail for 35 years.
The moral of the story boys and girls
is that laws are only for the little people
and if you protect big people from prosecution you’ll be rewarded with high
paying careers in public service putting
little people in jail and keeping big people out.
Insurers Humana, United Healthcare and Blue Cross are pulling out
of Obamacare exchanges when loss
guarantees end this year. Reluctant
insurance companies only agreed to
participate when the President offered
to reimburse their losses covering too
many older expensive customers. As the
President might say, starting in 2017,
Courant
The
AUGUST 2016 EDITION
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Copyright © 2015
P.O. Box 440
Whitmore Lake, MI 48189
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THE COURANT STAFF
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Gary Wellings • 734.629.6010
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Volunteer Contributing Writers
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you’ll be able to keep your insurance if
you can find any.
How come our kids are no longer
taught about how and by whom America
was founded and how a Constitutional
Republic is the antidote for the tyranny
of big government. Are liberal academics
and politicians fearful kids would rebel
against their anti-American, multicultural, border-less, one world government
claptrap?
Your comments are welcomed and could
be referenced in future columns. Email
[email protected].
RIGHT AT HOME TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGING IN PLACE
T
he proverbial “an apple a day
will keep the doctor away” is
today more likely “an app any
time of day will keep the doctor
away.” The latest in remote healthcare
innovations can instantly connect a
person with not just a doctor but an
entire medical team, and all right in
the comforts of home. The upsurge in
health-monitoring technology is particularly beneficial to older adults as the
world’s population over age 60 is expected to reach nearly 1.2 billion people
by 2025.
To respond to an increasing demand
in caring for these seniors, home-monitoring devices and systems are redefining the landscape of “aging in place,”
the decision to continue living in one’s
home of choice as independently and
safely as possible. AARP reports that
nearly 90 percent of seniors want to
stay in their own homes as they age.
Even with certain health challenges, older adults now have a number of more
affordable and user-friendly advancements to help them live in their homes
as long as they can.
From data-compiling motion sensors
to Bluetooth connectivity, aging home
By Barry Paxton
dwellers and clinicians can stay in communication around the clock. Special apps
also equip family caregivers with visual
check-ins with their loved one or allow
adjustment of home controls for their senior from thousands of miles away.
“Often family caregivers do not live
close by their aging loved one, so personal at-home care coupled with hightech remote health monitoring offers
continued oversight of the senior and
tremendous peace of mind to caregivers,” said Barry Paxton, owner Right at
Home of Central Michigan.
Right at Home, a leader of the in-home
care industry, is partnering with global
health technology innovator Philips to
beta test a flexible and affordable blend
of in-home and remote care options
for seniors. The CareSensus well-being
monitoring features unobtrusive, camera-free sensors placed strategically in
the home to watch out for older adults
24/7. Data from the connected sensors
process unusual patterns of activities,
such as a senior taking much longer
to get out of bed in the morning, and
delivers the personalized blueprint of
behavior to the Right at Home remote
care team. The behavioral changes dis-
played via an intuitive online dashboard
alert the off-site Right at Home care
staff to intervene earlier during a health
complication or before a more serious
medical event. Family caregivers also
can access the dashboard to periodically
review their loved one’s care.
Seniors also have the option of being
provided with a tablet equipped with
video chat technology, so the Right at
Home remote care team can schedule
regular check-ins customized to meet
the senior’s needs. Video visits can
range from a casual discussion about
dinner, to reminders for the senior to
take their medication or blood pressure.
The CareSensus well-being monitoring
and remote check-in pilot continues in
25 Right at Home U.S. locations until
December 2016.
In addition to the Right at Home/
Philips blended care solution for older
adults, Paxton notes a number of other
home health innovations designed to
keep elders safe while living on their
own:
• Mobile device apps remind older
adults to take their medication or can
measure on the spot vital signs such as
glucose and skin temperature.
• Wearable health devices such as
wristbands, biometric shirts, goggles and
more measure and collect data on everything from blood pressure to vision.
• S e n s o r m a t t re s s m a t t ra c k s
air-pressure fluctuations to monitor a
person’s sleep patterns, heart rate and
breathing. The thin pad fits under a
mattress.
• Telemedicine features in-home
movable robotic devices to allow doctors to complete real-time medical appointments or track health conditions.
• Home automation auto-sets smart
devices to simplify daily tasks such
as opening or securing windows and
doors, turning off appliances, adjusting
the home’s temperature, and lowering
countertops and shelves.
When hands-on care is not always
possible for seniors who choose to age
in place, assistive health technology
may do more than keep the doctor away.
In many cases, the “always on” remote
care services prove to be life-saving
measures.
For more information, contact Right at
Home of Central Michigan at www.RAHMI.com, 810-225-4724.
WASHTENAW COUNTY LAWSUIT FOR UNCONSTITUTIONAL
TAXES WILL IMPACT LIVINGSTON COUNTY TAXPAYERS
Last month I reported on Livingston
County Board of Commissioners’ 9-0 yes
vote to try and fool taxpayers with a ballot
proposal aimed at taking an additional $1
million of the people’s money, during the
first year (if) it passes. All of us must remain vigilant this August and November if
we want to stop the fraud and continued
theft of our money by the un-Constitutional behavior of our government.
To refresh everyone’s memory, both
Livingston County and Washtenaw Coun-
By Linda Bullard
ty levied un-Constitutional property taxes
during 2009-2015. The totals were $2.4
million and $9 million, respectively. Just
last month, I learned that there is now a
lawsuit filed against Washtenaw County
government and all those who participated in the act of un-Constitutional taxation
against the people.
The April 14, 2016 lawsuit against
Washtenaw County is based on our
Michigan Constitution and will impact
Livingston County as well as others who
have unlawfully levied and collected the
same taxes.
The three taxes are: Veterans Relief
Fund Tax, Public Hwy and Public Roads
Tax, and Advertising Agriculture and
Tourism Tax. The lawsuit also says the
taxpayers (you) are entitled to a refund
of all the money unlawfully charged and
collected by the government. They will be
held accountable for violating their oaths
of office and the Michigan Constitution.
The lawsuit came about independently
from anything I researched or reported.
To me, it proves the same facts I uncovered and which my local government
tried to hide from me and from all of us.
For more information about the lawsuit,
please visit Taxpayers United of Michigan
website (taxpayersunitedmi.org). Bravo,
TUMF!
Talk to your family, friends and tell
your neighbors. Spread the truth and
don’t forget to watch your ballot and
vote accordingly.
6 • THE COURANT • AUGUST 2016
CALENDAR OF EVENTS AUGUST 2016
EUCHRE Every Wednesday. Begins at
7pm. For more information call the
American Legion at 734-878-9522.
PINOCHLE Every Tuesday and Thursday.
2:00p.m.–4:00p.m. FREE! Northfield
Twp. Community Center, 9101 Main St.,
Whitmore Lake. Everyone welcome! For
more information, contact the Community Center at 734-449-2295.
WHITMORE LAKE KIWANIS meetings at
6:30 the first and third Thursdays at the
community center. Our rummage sale
is every Friday from 3:00 to 7:00 pm
and every Saturday from 10:00 am to
1:00 pm at 9567 Main Street, Whitmore
Lake.
AUGUST 3
FIELD DAY RACES 10:00 AM & 2:00 PM.
Come participate in field day races and
games at the Hamburg Township Library. Ages 5 and under will be at 10:00
am, ages 6 and up will be at 2:00 pm.
Wear old clothes, running shoes, and
bring water. You must pre-register by
calling 810-231-1771 or visiting the
library, located at 10411 Merrill Road,
Hamburg.
AUGUST 4
FAMILY TREAT NIGHT 5:00 PM-7:30 PM.
$1.50 coneys and $1.50 root beer floats.
American Legion Post 419, 9807 Whitewood Rd, Pinckney, MI 48178. Phone
for more info is 734-878-9522.
AUGUST 5
DANNY D AND THE VAGABONDS – ROD STEWART TRIBUTE 7:00 pm. Outdoor Summer
Concert Series. Downtown Howell.
MOMMY AND ME FITNESS 10:30 am.
Parents and their children are invited
to join us for a fun fitness class set to
music, using creative movement and
simple yoga poses. Bring a yoga mat
or towel. Call 734.449.0066 to register.
Northfield Township Area Library.
District Library | 9800 Pontiac Trail,
South Lyon, MI 48178. Phone: (248)
437-6431 - ext. 201.
AUGUST 8
ZOOTOPIA 6:00 pm. Come watch “Zootopia,” rated PG, at the Hamburg Township Library, located at 10411 Merrill
Road, Hamburg. Bring a blanket and
snack. No pre-registration required.
MYSTERY BOOK GROUP 12:00 PM - 1:00
PM. A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve
Hamilton. Bring a brown bag lunch!!
New members are always welcome to
join us for a lively discussion! Books are
available at least one month prior to
the discussion for those who register.
Stop by the ‘Ask Us’ desk to pick up your
copy. Salem-South Lyon District Library
| 9800 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon, MI
48178. Phone: (248) 437-6431 - ext.
201.
AUGUST 10
NOVEL TEA BOOK CLUB 6:30 pm. There
is still room in our new evening book
club. For more information or to join
this club, call 734.449.0066 to register.
Northfield Township Area Library.
AUGUST 11
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON HEALTH
Please join for a community conversation on health in Whitmore Lake. The
evening conversation includes free dinner, $20 gift cards for each participant
and $3,000 toward a health improvement project in the community. The
event is an opportunity for neighbors to
share their lived experiences, identify
health challenges and opportunities,
learn about their community’s health
and brainstorm solutions. The conversation will take place on Thursday, August 11 from 6-8pm. Please RSVP and
direct questions to Rebecca at (734)
544-2986 or [email protected]
AUGUST 12
ALL YOU CAN EAT FISH, CHICKEN AND RIBS
5:00 - 8:00 P.M. Adults $10.00 Seniors
$9.00 Ages 6-12 $5.00 5 & Under: Free.
Cash Bar Available. The Livingston
County Wildlife and Conservation Club,
6060 E. M-36, Hamburg, MI 48139.
(810) 231-1811.
RUSTY WRIGHT BLUES BAND 7:00 pm.
Outdoor Summer Concert Series. Downtown Howell.
8 OZ NY STRIP STEAK with baked potato
and other side dishes, dessert. $12/
person. 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm. American
Legion Post 419, 9807 Whitewood Rd,
Pinckney, MI 48178. Phone for more
info is 734-878-9522.
AUGUST 13
AUGUST 6
A ONE DAY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Preschool through Grade 6. 10 am to 2 pm.
Lunch Provided. Immanuel Lutheran
Church, 330 E. Liberty, South Lyon. Pastor Scott Miller (248) 437-2289.
50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY! 2:00 pm. Come
celebrate the Hamburg Township Library’s 50th Birthday Party! We’ll have
lots of food and drinks, music, games,
a bounce house, and more! Pre-registration is required by calling 810-2311771 or visiting the library at 10411
Merrill Road, Hamburg.
COMMUNITY DOCUMENT SHREDDING EVENT
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Protect your
identity and the environment! Back by
popular demand, we will once again be
hosting a community shredding event.
We have contracted American Data
Security, Inc. to provide secure, environmentally-friendly disposal of your private documents. This event is intended
for residential customers only - please
no non-profits or businesses. Limit of
4 boxes per vehicle. Salem-South Lyon
SPAGHETTI DINNER $8 adults, $7 seniors,
$3 children under 9. 5:00 pm-7:30 pm.
American Legion Post 419, 9807 Whitewood Rd, Pinckney, MI 48178. Phone
for more info is 734-878-9522.
TEEN CRAFT AND PIZZA 11:00 am. Kids age
11 and up are invited to join us today as
we make a cool wall art out of recycled
items, and then snack on pizza. Call
734.449.0066 to register. Northfield
Township Area Library.
AUGUST 15
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Community Congregational UCC will be hosting Vacation Bible School Aug. 15 -17, 6:00 - 8:00
p.m. Dinner served at 6:00. Everyone
is welcome. Crafts, food and lots of fun.
Please stay with your child if they are
not toilet trained. 125 E. Unadilla St.,
Pinckney, MI 48169. 734-878-3140.
AUGUST 16
TRUE STORY: NONFICTION BOOK GROUP
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Bitter Brew: The
Rise and Fall of Anheuser Busch by William Knoedelseder. This group reads
primarily nonfiction with a few fascinating novels and short story collections to
round out the conversation each year.
New members are always welcome to
join us for a lively discussion! Books are
available at least one month prior to
the discussion for those who register.
Stop by the ‘Ask Us’ desk to pick up your
copy. Salem-South Lyon District Library
| 9800 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon, MI
48178. Phone: (248) 437-6431 - ext.
201.
AUGUST 17
RESUME WORKSHOP 3:00 pm. Our friends
from Michigan Works will be here to
help you create a resume that gets attention. Call 734.449.0066 to register.
Northfield Township Area Library.
DROP-IN GENEALOGY 6:30 pm. Our resident genealogist Mary Ferguson will be
on hand to assist you with your genealogy research. No registration required.
Northfield Township Area Library.
AUGUST 18
FOREVER YOUNG BOOK CLUB 6:30 pm. For
those who are a little more than “Y” and
a little less than “A”. This book club is
for adults who enjoy reading YA (young
adult) Fiction. This month’s book will
be Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne
Blankman. For more information or
to register please call 734.449.0066.
Northfield Township Area Library.
FAMILY TREAT NIGHT 5:00 PM-7:30 PM.
$1.50 coneys and $1.50 root beer floats.
American Legion Post 419, 9807 Whitewood Rd, Pinckney, MI 48178. Phone
for more info is 734-878-9522.
THE LADY IN THE VAN 1:00 pm. Come
watch “The Lady in the Van,” rated PG13, at the Hamburg Township Library,
located at 10411 Merrill Road, Hamburg. No pre-registration required.
A GAME OF TOMES 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM.
Literary Trivia for Charity at Aubree’s
South Lyon. This event takes place at
Aubree’s South Lyon! All team registrations are due by Monday, August 8th by
9 PM. Please visit the “Ask Us” desk for
more information. Gather your friends,
family and neighbors and form a team
for SSLDL’s Game of Tomes for charity!
Each team pays $25 to participate and
will choose a non-library charity of their
choice. If your team wins, a donation
will be made to the charity you selected.
Teams can have a maximum of 5 participants each. Salem-South Lyon District
Library | 9800 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon,
MI 48178. Phone: (248) 437-6431 - ext.
201.
AUGUST 19
THE DETROIT ALL STARS – MOTOWN, R&B
AND THE LIKE…. 7:00 pm. Outdoor Summer Concert Series. Downtown Howell.
TEEN MOVIE NIGHT AND PIZZA 6:30 pm.
Teens age 13 and up are invited to
join us for pizza and to watch Pride
+ Prejudice + Vampires. Please call
734.449.0066 to register. Northfield
Township Area Library.
AUGUST 20
PRINCESS TRAINING DAY 10:30 am. Young
ladies ages 4-10 are invited to join us for
a special morning of activities that teach
them how to conduct themselves as a
princess would. Light refreshments will
be served and a princess will be here
to read a few stories to the princesses-in-training. Please call 734.449.0066
to register. Northfield Township Area
Library.
HOMESCHOOL RESOURCE GROUP 11:00
am. This group is for families who are
currently homeschooling or would like
to homeschool their children. Come to
the meeting to share resources and support. Northfield Township Area Library.
AUGUST 23
GIGANTIC BOOK SALE Friends of Sa-
lem-South Lyon Library will hold their
annual Gigantic Book Sale Tuesday,
August 23-Saturday, August 27 at 9800
Pontiac Trail. Tues-Thurs from 9-9 and
Fri-Sat from 10-5. There will be a large
selection of books and other media at
very reasonable prices starting at .25.
On Saturday, a bag of books will be $6.
Book donations are welcome Aug. 1822.
AUGUST 25
PAGE TURNERS’ BOOK CLUB 7:00 PM 8:30 PM. The Girl on the Train by Paula
Hawkins. This months discussion will
take place at Lake Street Tavern!! New
members are always welcome to join
us for a lively discussion! Books are
available at least one month prior to
the discussion for those who register.
Stop by the ‘Ask Us’ desk to pick up
your copy. Salem-South Lyon District
Library | 9800 Pontiac Trail, South
Lyon, MI 48178. Phone: (248) 4376431 - ext. 201.
AUGUST 26
TOPPERMOST – BEATLES TRIBUTE 7:00
pm. Outdoor Summer Concert Series.
Downtown Howell.
SLOPPY JOES/PULLED PORK NIGHT 5:00
pm-7:30 pm. For $2.00, you will get
one Sloppy Joe sandwich, chips, additional Sloppy Joes are $2.00. Pulled
Pork Plates are $3.00, additional Pulled
Pork Sandwiches for $3.00, open faced
$7.00, all with a pickle. Boston Coolers
are also available for $1.25. American
Legion Post 419, 9807 Whitewood Rd,
Pinckney, MI 48178. Phone for more
info is 734-878-9522.
ALL YOU CAN EAT FISH FRY NIGHT 5:00 8:00 P.M. Adults $10.00 Seniors $9.00
Ages 6-12 $5.00 5 & Under: Free. Cash
Bar Available. The Livingston County
Wildlife and Conservation Club, 6060 E.
M-36, Hamburg, MI 48139. (810) 2311811.
AUGUST 27
BOOK TO MOVIE 11:00 am. Adults are
invited to join us as we present the
movie 11/22/63, based on the book
by Stephen King. You are welcome to
bring your lunch or a snack. Coffee, tea,
bottle water and popcorn will be provided. Call 734.449.0066 to register.
Northfield Township Area Library.
SUMMERFEST Join Kensington Woods
Schools in celebrating summer from
1-5pm! SummerFest is a free, public,
family-friendly festival that features
games, bounce houses, arts & crafts,
face-painting, prizes, music, food and
more. SummerFest will also feature local businesses and organizations. Join
us for a fun-filled afternoon! SummerFest is open to all! For more information, call 517-545-0828 or email info@
kwoods.org.
SEPTEMBER 3
CHICKEN RUN Join us for a day of new
traditions, old favorites, and family
fun. Old St. Patrick Catholic Church will
host a 10:30am “Chicken Run” which
includes a 12K Run and 5K Run/Walk.
Our 1 Mile Fun Run begins at Noon and
will be held on the Festival Grounds
along with activities for the kids, White
Elephant Sale, 50/50 Raffle and our
delicious Chicken Dinner – hence the
Chicken Run! Music with a DJ at 10am
and Swing Dancing at 3pm. Hours
from10am to 6pm. We are located on
Northfield Church Road. Run Registration starts at 9am. For more information www.stpatricka2.org or email
[email protected]
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK AHHH THE CONVENTIONS…
H
aving watched all but one
night of both the Democratic
and Republican conventions I
got a full dose of aggravation
to go with my “Education.”
It’s certainly no secret that there
are some very ignorant people in both
parties but I have to say what was most
striking was the difference in how the
current situation here in the U.S. and
around the globe is perceived.
The GOP of course paints a pretty
dark picture of where we are at and
where we are headed without a big
change in course. The Democrats paint
a fairly rosy picture with a little work
to still do.
No surprise if I agree with the GOP.
By Gary Wellings
Common sense will tell you that Europe is under attack not just physically
with terror attacks and violence but
the very culture of Western Civilization
that we take for granted is also under
attack. You may say it’s Europe. It’s not
our problem. THE problem is that the
Democratic view and the policies they
are following is leading us down the
same path, unmitigated immigration
both legal and illegal, which allows
dangerous people into our country and
then brings in such large numbers that
instead of new immigrants assimilating
into our culture they segregate themselves into pockets of their own culture
which breeds division, distrust and discontent on both sides.
If you believe things are great and
there is no worry then vote for Hillary,
you’re incapable of learning from the
mistakes of the last 7 and half years.
If you do believe we need to change
course you need to vote for Trump
whether you like him or not.
The other huge take away from the
Democrat convention was the disjointed hypocrisy that was so apparent. The
Dem change maker was Bernie Sanders but as we now all know, thanks to
the DNC email leaks, how the Democrats threw Bernie Sanders under the
proverbial bus to put Hillary into the
nomination. Rigged system? You bet.
The only thing that made it worse was
the fact that Bernie rolled over like a
trained dog to Hillary even though he
said he stood against everything she
stands for.
The biggest hypocrisy though is
reserved for Bill Clinton who tried to
paint a picture of Hillary as the best
change maker even though she is the
epitome of the bought by Wall Street
status quo elitist. She wants to continue the policies of current President
Barack Obama. How is that change?
Do you want Status Quo or Change?
It should be pretty clear to anyone with
common sense and who paid attention.
If you didn’t walk away from Hillary’s
nominating speech asking which Hillary you’d be voting for you weren’t
paying attention.
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 7
8 • THE COURANT • AUGUST 2016
This is a big tree that fell across North Shore Drive. The fire department were out and had it cleared in two hours. That’s service!!!! Photos submitted by Ivars Upatnieks.
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 9
ADVERTISE IN THE COURANT! • 734-629-6010
10 • THE COURANT • AUGUST 2016
ADVERTISE IN THE COURANT! • 734-629-6010
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 11
SOUTH LYON STUDENT WINS SCHOLARSHIP TO GERMANY
Teen ambassador for the United
States – that is the role that South Lyon
East High School student, Jessica Bledsoe, 16, will be fulfilling next school
year.
Bledsoe was awarded a prestigious
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange
Scholarship from Youth For Understanding which administers these scholarships in Michigan. She will spend the
next academic year in Germany, living
with a German host family and attending high school there.
The CBYX initiated in 1983, and Jessica will be the first student in South
Lyon to receive this award. What is even
more amazing is that Rachel Andresen
founder of Youth For Understanding,
nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in
1973, lived right here in South Lyon.
Jessica is the daughter of Debra and
Matthew Bledsoe of South Lyon. She
will be completing his junior year in
By Debra Bledsoe
Germany and has only been studying
German for one year.
She had to undergo a rigorous screening process before receiving the fullride CBYX Scholarship through Youth
For Understanding. She wrote a series
of essays, filled out questionnaires,
collected recommendations and participated in interviews to be considered for
the program.
Since she has only had one year of
German at her local high school, she will
begin a three-week language immersion
program to help him learn the language
and culture of Germany, according to
Barb Kilkka, local field director for
Youth For Understanding.
Bledsoe applied after she had the opportunity to go to Norway, Switzerland,
and Germany last summer and visit
some of her past exchange students. She
really wasn’t sure if she wanted to be an
exchange student even though her fam-
ily has hosted for many years. After she
came home she said, “I am doing this”
and applied.
The Bledsoe family has served as
a YFU host family, and they have had
over 20 exchange students form over
14 different countries, so Jessica values
the lifelong aspect of the program, “My
exchange siblings are still members of
my family even years after they have
left.” She hopes to bring her host family
all the positive benefits her exchange
siblings brought her family.
CBYX is jointly funded by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag (legislature), and began on the 300th anniversary of the first German immigration to
the United States. The program has exchanged more than 17,000 young men
and women since its creation in 1983.
It is administered in Michigan by Youth
For Understanding, one of the world’s
oldest and largest exchange programs.
More information can be found at www.
yfu-usa.org .
Youth for Understanding is looking
for local host families in southeast
Michigan and throughout the country to
host inbound exchange students from
70 countries. Contact Barb Kilkka, Oakland Field Director for YFU, at 248-9320811 for information or [email protected]
The inbound students include German
winners of the Congress-Bundestag
Scholarship coming to the United States
for the next school year. Available students can be seen at www.yfuusa.org/
meetstudents
Families provide a place to live, meals,
and common sense parenting: encouragement, guidance, limits, and love. The
students have their own spending money and health insurance and agree to
live according to the rules of the family
and the organization. They can share a
room with a host sibling.
12 • THE COURANT • AUGUST 2016
GRIFFITH VETERINARY HOSPITAL
240 Jennings Rd., Whitmore Lake, MI 48189
(U.S. 23 at Barker Road)
(734) 449-PETS (7387)
DR. BARBARA J. GRIFFITH - WATKINS
M 8-6 T 8-6 W 8-6 Th 8-6 F 8-6 Sat 8-12
SALESPERSON
WANTED
For more info
call 734.629.6010
CLASSIFIEDS
Start your own mobile
Sharpener and Selling High
Quality Shears! Sharpening Hair Cutting Shears.
Hamaguri system. Set-up in van. Call Ed Barbone
248-821-1213.
THE RESOLUTIONIST
By Amy Scholl
Dear Resolutionist,
We’ve been debating over which school
system our kids should attend. My husband wants the kids at a school with high
national testing scores and high-quality
teachers. While I agree those things are
important, I’m more concerned about
things like day-to-day safety at the
school, fine arts programs, and proximity
to home. We’ve always appreciated the
social aspect of public schools and the
ability for the kids to play team sports,
but sometimes I watch the news and it
makes me want to homeschool them. In
other words, I’m extremely torn on this
whole issue. Time is running out for this
coming school year, so I’m hoping you
can provide some guidance on how to
best navigate this conflict.
Sincerely, Margaret
Dear Margaret,
When one person’s concerns are valid,
it doesn’t make other concerns any less
valid. In other words, it’s fair to say that
all of the concerns you mentioned are
important. If your kids are old enough,
it might behoove you to have a family
meeting to discuss everyone’s top priorities when it comes to school. While
children may not know as much about
college or career preparation as parents,
they probably know what will motivate
them to succeed as an individual (again
that is if they’re old enough). Such factors as having good quality friends and
extra-curricular programs that interest
them may actually contribute more to
their educational success or failure than
things like where their teacher earned
his/her degree. Some websites may aid
in the decision, such as: http://www.
greatschools.org/michigan/ and http://
www.neighborhoodscout.com/mi/
schools/ but be warned that they may
contain advertisements, misinformation
and the ratings may not be focused on
the same factors that you and your family
deem most important. At the end of the
day, this may be a conflict hinging on the
avenue with the fewest drawbacks, rather than the avenue with no drawbacks (as
that choice may not exist).
Amy is a Mediation and Conflict Resolution Specialist.
HORSESHOE LAKE CORNER
S
ADVERTISE IN
THE COURANT
Beautiful wooded 1.24 acres in the middle of the
Pinckney Recreation Area and Potawatomi Nature
Trail in Dexter Twp. with sewer at street on paved
road. Call Keller-Williams Realty. Ed Barbone 248821-1213
FROM THE LYON’S DEN
By Tedd Wallace
O
ld letters become a part of
history when they tell their
story as the writer remembers their childhood. So it
was in several letters written by Lottie
Stevens Lyons about her childhood
in the early 1870s in South Lyon. Her
father had moved the family from
Lapeer, Michigan, to a living quarters above the South Lyon post office
because he saw South Lyon as the
new frontier. The building of the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad
enticed her father to make and sell
shoes and boots he made. Her mother
opened her own little bakery with one
little oven. Her mother had to bake
into the wee hours of the morning to
meet the needs, especially from railroad workers building the railroad.
The townspeople were content and
happy as the new incorporated village
of 400 people flourished with building
homes, and the railroad made South
Lyon a booming destination.
The town boomed to a point that
there was two competing village bands.
The first band was led by E.D. Howell.
non-motorized water crafts when you
are operating a boat or Jet Ski. Please
make sure to inform your friends and
visitors of these types of things while
on the lake. Also, the HLC Annual
Full-Membership Meeting is scheduled
on Sunday August 21st from 1-3pm at
the NFT Public Safety Building, (upstairs). We will be reviewing the projects and reports from our sub-committees, summary of the Schrum bridge
project and final costs, boat launch
upgrades, bylaw updates and beautification projects to name a few. We will
be looking for those that reside around
Horseshoe Lake to be present and contribute at this meeting.
NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING
The Northfield Township Board
meeting on July 12th was overrun with
Northfield Neighbors doing what they
have done for months which is verbally bash the Township Board,Planning
Commission and Northfield Township
Manager.
However, at this meeting during call
to the public, they also specifically went
after Township Treasurer, Kathy Braun
for her article in the July issue of The
Courant.
What amazes me is that they can rant
and verbally bash this administration
but when they are criticized,they don’t
like it. They need to understand that not
everyone in this township has a short
memory when it comes to the Northfield Neighbors.
The upcoming election in our township is an important one because we
need to continue moving this township
forward not backward. Therefore my
personal choices on August 2nd are the
following:
Marilyn Engstrom: Supervisor
Mark Stanalajczo: Clerk
Kathy Braun: Treasurer
Janet Chick: Trustee
Jacqueline Otto: Trustee
Lori Dancik: Trustee
Amy Lopez: Trustee
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Mary Devlin
Northfield Township Resident
DISAPPOINTMENT...
I was VERY disappointed to see that
the Kiwanis Bar-B-Q was canceled this
Fourth of July in Whitmore Lake. Being
a life-long resident, my family and I
looked forward to it each year. Oh, well,
maybe next year...
By Leo Tschirhart
Enter the numbers 1 thru 5 in their normal order both
forward and backward in the six horizontal rows and the
six columns.
Look for the answer to
this puzzle next month.
TEN ANIMALS SLAM
IN A NET
Dave Leland
Whitmore Lake
SALESPERSON
WANTED
For more info call 734.629.6010
Tedd Wallace is a former mayor and
retired teacher from South Lyon, email:
[email protected]
LEO’S MAGIC GRID
By Lisa Craft
ummer is well underway and
the Horseshoe Lake Corporation, (HLC) encourages everyone to have a fun and very safe
summer on the lake! A quick reminder
of the colored flags you may see raised
on one of the two flag poles on the
lake. A “Red” flag signifies a High water/flooding condition and No Wake is
a must while this flag is up. A “yellow”
flag will signify that no swimming is
recommended. In addition, please
be conscience of the “No wake” zone
through the channel where the marked
buoys are floating to identify this area.
Please also keep clear distances from
swimmers, kayaks, and other smaller
Then came a band led by Charles Birdsell. There was music in the air with
lovely concerts, and neighborhood
friends became enemies over who was
a better village band. War was never
declared but the village benefited from
the competition music brought out.
Mrs. Lyons father then built a store
with a living quarters above it. Then
came the thrilling news that the Grand
Trunk Railroad was coming to town
and cut across the Northern Railroad
in the middle of Lake Street. (Ten Mile),
on its way through to Jackson. Her
dad’s business now flourished with
cheap high top boots at $6.00 to the top
of the line boots at $8.00 a pair. People
rode on open air flatbed cars along the
Grand Trunk near the beginning of its
runs but the people were frightened
on how the train tracks sunk into the
swampland near Whitmore Lake. They
were happy when they made it home
with out mud on their boots!
Here is the answer to
last month’s puzzle.
T H E
E N E W
N A I R
N
M I T
A
S
L S L
A S
A
M A T
I N
A
N E T
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 13
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16 • THE COURANT • AUGUST 2016