April 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
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APRIL 2016
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SOCIAL SECURITY, PAGE 6
GARDEN SPOT, PAGE 4
ROSALYN TULIP
VETERAN
MIDWIFE
By Anna Durocher
Rosalyn Tulip of Ann Arbor has been
a midwife for 26 years, assisting in at
least 1,100 births (she stopped counting a few years ago). She is a lay midwife, meaning she provides care during
and after the birth. Lay midwives also
use herbs, homeopathy and other natural medicines for their clients. The neat
thing about being a midwife, for Tulip,
is that she gets to form a relationship
with her clients and tries to make a
positive impact by encouraging young
families to get a healthy start.
Tulip has always had an interest in
health, science and wanting to make a
positive impact on other people. She
received her training through courses
at several colleges. Her primary training was an apprenticeship under two
veteran midwives, Linda Honey and
Mary Cooper. During her training, she
was required to attend more than 75
births and at least 300 prenatal visits.
All of the births and prenatal visits
she attended were at different capacities, meaning that as time went on,
she was given increasing responsibility. After three years of apprenticeship,
she was ready to become an independent midwife.
Rosalyn Tulip weighing the writer’s newborn sister, Elizabeth Durocher, who is
now 2.
A few years ago, Tulip scaled her
practice back significantly. From attending two to three births per month
(24 to 30 births annually), to only
eight to 12 births per year. When
asked why she scaled her practice
back she replied,” I’ve been an independent midwife for 25 years and
that’s a long time to be on call. Being
a midwife requires a lot of emotional
and physical energy. I want to dedicate more time to my family and to my
few clients.” When asked how much
Tulip charges she replied,” My fee for
full scope midwifery care, one hour
monthly prenatal visit to 30 weeks,
bi-weekly to 36 weeks, weekly until
labor, labor and birth attendance, five
postpartum visits and on call availability for six weeks postpartum is
$4,200.00. I offer sliding scale and
payment arrangements.”
Studies concerning midwifery show
that births attended by midwives reduce the risk of premature birth and
Cesarean delivery. Ten percent of U.S.
births are attended by midwives.
CONTENTS
VOLUME XII • ISSUE 6
ASTRONOMY PROGRAM
LOOKS AT MARS
The Brighton District Library will
host Beginning Astronomy Monday,
April 11, from 7 – 8 p.m. at the library,
100 Library Drive. Join members of Ann
Arbor’s University Lowbrow Astronomy Group for a program focusing on
the constellations and planets, placing
special attention on Mars. Following the
program, and weather permitting (clear
skies and no rain), the group will bring
telescopes for dusk viewing. Preregister
for this program calling 810-229-6571
x227.
The Ann Arbor Lowbrow Astronomers are a diverse group of more than
90 amateur astronomers whose memberships consists of novice telescope
designers, professional rocket scientists,
and everything in-between. For more
information about them visit http://
umich.edu/~lowbrows/
Beginning Astronomy is part of the
2016 Livingston Reads “One Book, One
Community” project offered by the six
Livingston County libraries (Brighton,
Cromaine, Fowlerville, Hamburg, Howell, and Pinckney).
By Margaret Vergith
This year’s Livingston Reads book,
The Martian, by New York Times bestselling author Andy Weir is a suspenseful, entertaining story. When astronaut
Mark Watney is presumed dead in a
dust storm that forces his crew to abandon the first manned mission to Mars,
he is stranded on the planet alone with
no way of signaling to Earth that he is
alive. Mark will have to rely on his engineering and botany skills to survive,
grow food, and maybe find a way to
send a message back to NASA. But it
may be his irrepressible sense of humor
that keeps him going, and hoping that
against all odds he might actually make
it off the planet alive.
Livingston Reads will run through
April 30, 2016 and copies of the book
will be available at your library. Each
library will have programs and events
that reflect the themes of the book. For
a listing of programs visit www.livingstonreads.org.
Beginning Astronomy is generously
sponsored by the Friends of the Brighton District Library.
ACUPUNCTURE IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE
ALTERNATIVE FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT
By Erika Schultz, Dipl. OM, LAc, RAc, ACN
Last month we discussed the need for
better treatment alternatives to chronic
pain issues—with drug therapy and surgery not always proving to be the best
course of action. Concerned with patient
outcomes, more and more medical doctors are recommending acupuncture as a
solution to reduce and sometimes eliminate pain completely. In 2010 a group of
researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine reported a failure
rate of 74% for back surgeries— not to
mention most insurance covered patients
will still encounter significant out of pocket costs with these procedures.
Medications provide temporary relief in most cases, but the problem with
the most commonly prescribed drugs
for pain— opioids (also known as narcotics)— is that over time the body becomes less responsive to the medication
and requires more and more of the drug
for relief. After some time, doctors run
into ethical issues with over-prescribing
and in confronting an epidemic issue of
increasing rates of deaths due to overdoses.
Nationwide the numbers of overdosing on these drugs are staggering and on
the rise. The Centers for Disease Control
report that drug overdose was the leading cause of injury death in 2013. Among
people 25 to 64 years old, drug overdose
caused more deaths than motor vehicle
traffic crashes. In the same year there
were 43,982 drug overdose deaths
across the nation. Of these, 22,767
(51.8%) were related to prescription
drugs. Nationally Michigan ranks 10th
in per-capita prescription rates of opioid
pain relievers and 18th for all overdose
deaths.
One way acupuncture works for pain is
through the balancing of the nervous system. The nervous system has two partsthe Sympathetic nervous system that
governs what is often termed the fight or
flight response (like the gas pedal on your
vehicle) and the parasympathetic nervous system that governs rest and digest
functions of the body (acts like the brake
pedal). In simple terms, when the body is
experiencing pain, it is like the gas pedal
got stuck- and the body will not easily go
into parasympathetic mode, where the
healing of injured tissue is addressed. This
results in a feedback loop in the brain that
leads to the reoccurring sensation of pain.
The Brighton High School Interact
Club, affiliated with the Rotary Club of
Brighton, is hosting a Combination SAT/
ACT practice test for interested middle
and high school students on Saturday,
April 16th, from 10am to2pm, at the
Brighton High School Cafeteria, 7878
Brighton Road. Each student taking the
practice test will gain access to free online test preparation that includes selfpaced instruction of over 50 hours and
four proctored tests.
Early registration donations of $35 by
April 14th or door registration (as space
allows) donations of $50 are used to fund
student educational scholarships offered
by the Rotary Club of Brighton. Students
can register by 5pm on April 14th in person at the Brighton District Library, by
mail with postmark before April 7th to
Brighton Rotary Foundation, PO Box 11,
Brighton, MI 48116 or online (with a $2
transaction fee) at www.BrightonRotaryEvents.org.
A special scholarship worth up to $250
for Academic Enrichment will be awarded
to a randomly selected middle school student of grades 6th through 8th who regis-
Narcotic drugs over-ride the confused
nervous system by binding to receptors in
the brain, which blocks the feeling of pain,
but does not actually address the root
cause of the issue.
Acupuncture addresses the root cause
of the pain- the confusion in the nervous system. In addition it increases the
function of the circulatory and immune
systems to help heal inflamed tissues and
joints. It has also been shown to cause
the brain to release certain feel good
hormones like endorphins, serotonin and
oxytocin. Some of these substances are
10-200 times more potent than morphine.
This often results in a gradual decrease of
the pain and over time and with enough
treatments will keep it from returning.
Acupuncture is a 3,000 year old safe
medicine and minimally invasive- with
the insertion of single use sterile needles often the size and pliability of a cat
whisker hardly being detectable by the
patient.
For more information contact Erika
Schultz, LAc, RAc, Dipl.OM, ACN at info@
lakelandacupuncturist.com or go to www.
lakelandacupuncturist.com.
COMBINATION SAT/ACT PRACTICE TEST OPPORTUNITY
Advice.................................................. 14
Business Cards.................................. 14
Calendar.......................................................8
Gardening................................................... 4
Law................................................................ 9
Music............................................................. 2
Puzzle........................................................ 14
Travel............................................................ 5
By Elizabeth Walker
NEWS BRIEF
ters and completes the practice SAT. The
award can be used by the winning student
who has been accepted and attends an
approved academic enrichment program,
e.g. UM Math and Science Scholars Summer Program, MSU Spartan Engineering
for Teens, an art or music education program, etc. during the 2016-2017 academic year or associated summer months. A
student can win the drawing and scholarship only once per academic year.
Questions? Goto www.BrightonRotaryEvents.org or contact [email protected] or 810-227-0656.
ANTIQUE APPRAISAL DAY DuMouchelles Art Gallery Appraisers will be
coming to Dexter Area Museum May 7, 2016 from 9:30 – 4:00 for a
day of appraisals. The Museum is located at 3443 Inverness St., Dexter.
Call 734-424-9998 to make an appointment. This will include a verbal
appraisal for 1-3 items during the 15-minutes, with an asking fee of
$7.00 per item appraised. Proceeds and donations are appreciated and
benefit the operation and preservation of the Dexter Area Museum.
The Museum website is: www.dextermuseum.org.
POSTAL
CUSTOMER
ECRWSS
SOUTH LYON MI
PERMIT NO. 15
PAID
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
2 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
JULIAN K’S MUSIC SCENE LAITH’S DREAM
A
t some point in life every
s e r i o u s a r t i s t c o m e s to a
crossroad. They must decide
whether to go all in and risk
economic ruin or find a normal job and
relegate their art to a part time vocation, or worse yet, abandon artistic pursuits completely. What I am describing
here pertains directly to a brilliant local
musician from Ann Arbor, “Laith al Saadi”. He is currently deeply involved in
the NBC television program “The Voice”,
where if he can outlast and outperform
lots of younger like minded talented
singers he could win a handsome recording contract and even a fine paying
highly promoted concert tour. So far he
has made it through a couple of levels
and has picked “Adam Levine”, the singer/guitarist from “Maroon Five”, as his
coach for the competition. The problem
here is The Voice is produced and filmed
in Los Angeles. That means Laith misses
Story & Photo By Julian Konwinski
all his local gigs while going to L. A. to
compete. The stipend he gets for being
on the show is very meager and doesn’t
cover living expenses.
Laith al Saadi, now 38 years old, is
truly a homegrown talent. He was born
and raised in Ann Arbor and graduated from Community High School. He
attended music school and earned his
bachelors degree in guitar and jazz theory at The University of Michigan. His
dedication to his craft has been complete as the only type of employment
he has done has been playing music for
more than 20 years. He has averaged
over 300 performances a year during
that time. He has recorded three CD’s
over the years including his last called
“REAL”, which features some of the best
session players from the West Coast
including Jim Keltner, drums, Leeland
Sklar, bass, Larry Goldings, keyboards,
Jimmy Vivino, guitars, and Tom Scott,
saxophone. All but one
of the cuts are originals
penned by Laith.
When in town these
days you can find him
p l ay i n g h i s u n i q u e
powerful blend of rock
and blues at Webers
Inn in Ann Arbor on
Wednesday and Thursday nights. If strong
vocals and scorching
lead guitar jump your
heart rate check him
out. Go to “laithmusic.
com” to see his video
from The Voice. We
wish him tons of luck
and continued success
as he chases his dream.
Nobody deserves it
more. GO GET EM
LAITH.
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 3
WHAT I’VE LEARNED…SO FAR BOBBY
I
have a friend named Bobby Jourden.
His wife and, I assume, some other
members of his family refer to him
as “Robert,” and he always called
himself “Bob,” but to me and all our other
friends, he has always been “Bobby.”
Or, more commonly, “Bob-EEEE.”
The first time I laid eyes on Bobby was
more than 20 years ago during a large
party at another friend’s house on the
lake. A lot of people were having a good
time there, enjoying music, a tent, and
a fair amount of beer. And wandering
around among the crowd, drink in hand,
was this tall guy with impossibly thick
black hair and a mustache, wearing a big
grin and maybe the most inappropriate
hat I’ve ever seen at a party. It was a
baseball cap, on the front of which a couple of plastic balls and a swatch of fabric
had been fashioned into boobs in a bikini
top. I said to my wife, “Now, this is an interesting guy.”
Bob-EEEE!
Not too long after that, I was the Show
Director of the Whitmore Lake Water Ski
Club, and I decided that for our show - I
think were doing a soggy interpretation
of Robin Hood, Men In Tights - we really
needed to have an act involving a bunch
of us guys tap dancing on a piece of plywood. I recruited Suzanne Bellore, the
owner of the local dance studio, to teach
us how to tap dance, and formed a group
called the “Tap Hogs.” As I recall, the first
guy to join the group was this tall guy
with a big grin, impossibly thick black
hair, and a mustache.
Bob-EEEE!
Fo r m a n y y e a r s a b u n c h o f u s
lake-dwellers have indulged in a ritual we call “Flinking,” or “Floating and
Drinking.” The way it works is that we
all cruise around in our pontoon or ski
boats until we run across some friends,
then we drop anchor, pop open the cool-
By Mike Ball
ers, and Flink. And we could count on the
fact that before long a canoe would show
up, bearing this nice blonde lady named
Marie, two Shih Tzu dogs, and a tall guy
with a big grin, impossibly thick black
hair, and a mustache. There was always a
cinder block in the bow for ballast, along
with a hearty supply of strange and potent beers to share with friends.
Bob-EEEE!
Among our friends Bobby was known
as a mechanic (who likes to party), a
golfer (who likes to party), a softball
player (who likes to party), a bicyclist
(who likes to party), a scuba diver (who
likes to party), a campfire guitar player
(who likes to party), a bowler (who likes
to party), a hot air balloon crewman (who
likes to party), and a karaoke singer (the
definition of which is someone who may
not sing all that well, but who really, really likes to party).
Bob-EEEE!
He has always been a big fan of my
band, Dr. Mike and the Sea Monkeys.
He especially liked my song, Carlson the
Pissed Off Angel, the story of a guardian
angel who had the misfortune to be
assigned to take care of a totally rotten
guy – who happened to be named Bob.
I called the character that purely for the
purposes of rhyming, but Bobby got a
big kick out of it anyway. He would often
show up when we were playing bar gigs
and insist on buying the band a round or
two of strange and potent shots.
Bob-EEEE!
Over the years I had the good fortune
to spend a fair amount of time with Bobby. I gave him guitar lessons that often
involved more drinking of strange and
potent beer than guitar playing. He kept
me up to date on the doings of the two
prides of his life - his son, Troy, and his
daughter, Danielle. He fixed my cars, and
we chased balloons together. He mixed
up his own Irish cream liqueur and
Kahlúa, and he always seemed to be at
the heart of every good party that happened in these parts. Bobby was a big
supporter of my nonprofit, Lost Voices.
In fact, the only time I can remember him
ever being the least bit angry with me
was when we had a fundraiser concert
and I forgot to give him tickets to sell.
As all those years went by, the mustache and impossibly thick hair turned
gray, but that big grin of his never went
away. Not once.
A bunch of Bobby’s friends got together recently, and we spent the whole day
swapping Bobby stories like the ones I’ve
been telling you here. You see, my friend
has been battling cancer for the past
couple of years, and when it came back
this time it got him. I saw Bobby not long
before the end, and even though he could
only stay awake for a few minutes at a
time, he still had that amazing smile and
a couple of corny jokes for me.
So goodbye Bobby, my dear, gentle,
fun-loving friend. Know that our world is
better and more exciting simply because
you passed through it. And since you’ve
apparently made it to Heaven before me,
I’m holding you to the promise you made
the last time I saw you – to save me a
seat at the bar.
Copyright © 2016, Michael Ball
4 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
GARDEN SPOT SPRING HAS SPRUNG
T
he smell of spring is everywhere! Our favorite nurseries
are getting the plants ready for
our gardens. We are anticipating
the plants we want to use to enhance
or develop our garden. There are many
garden types. These include shade, sun,
wildlife, native, fairy and butterfly gardens.
My theme is turning more to attracting
butterflies to my garden this season. My
list of plants include the Cup Plant which
attracts butterflies and other pollinators
to the garden. The leaves capture water
so birds and insects can sip water easily.
I am now paying attention to how much
milkweed is around. The Monarch caterpillars sole food is milkweed. I notice
that along the road the milkweed is being
covered with road dust and the Monarch
caterpillars are absent on these plants.
I never thought that we would have to
plant milkweed for the survival of the
Monarchs. I plant fennel for the Black
Swallowtail butterflies. It is one of the
main host plants for them. If you plant
the host plant near the nectar plants the
butterflies feed on and, they lay their
eggs, you will have many more butterflies. If you capture them and put them
in a container you can watch them go
through their life cycle. You take leaves
off the host plant for the caterpillar to eat
By John Keast
until it forms a chrysalis and eventually
turns into a butterfly. The fresh colors
of a butterfly, when it emerges from its
chrysalis, are a sight to be seen. In the
summer, phlox is great for attracting
them. The classic butterfly plant is a Butterfly Bush.
The interest in a fairy garden is helping
young kids to be attracted to gardening.
Jenni Zimmer of Willow Greenhouse is
very excited about using the bowl of a
birdbath as your plant container. The
first thing to consider is whether it is
going to be placed in sun or shade. The
sun is great for succulents and tropical
plants. In shady areas, ferns and miniature plants are recommended.
The newest introduction of plants for
hanging baskets have unique qualities.
The petunia Supermia Picasso comes in
blue or burgundy and is recommended
by Nick Zimmer, owner of Willow Greenhouse. The flowers have a green edge
with a blue or burgundy center. Nick
says, “They are unique and unusual.”
The new perennial Echinacea Sombrero
series includes Sombrero Adobe Orange,
Salsa Red and Sandy Yellow. In a shady
garden, Nick recommends Besonia Rex
Escargot for an annual and Brunnea Sea
Heart for a perennial.
The Four Seasons Garden Club of
South Lyon will meet on Tuesday, April
Catch
12 at the South Lyon High School in the
Center for Active Adults at 7:00 p.m. Our
guest speakers will be Randy and Sandy
Graichen. They will talk on Bees and
Honey. For information : 248-437-8539.
with Gary Wellings
John Keast is an Advanced Master Gardener. Q&A at [email protected]
Copyright©2016 John Keast.
on
SATURDAY AFTERNOONS FROM 2 PM to 3PM
OR LIVE ONLINE AT WWW . WAAMRADIO . COM
Catch The Drift on podcast at www.thedailydrift.com
Call in line 734-822-1600 and email [email protected]
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 5
EXPANDING HORIZONS TANZANIA PART 4
L
ast month’s column ended with us
leaving the wilderness on our way
to Ngongoro Crater.
We reached the crater late in the
afternoon. Our lodge was gorgeous; made
of stone, it completely blended in with
the setting. Some Maasai did some tribal
dancing for us in the evening. Jumping
seems to be a big component in most of
the dances; in fact, one of the signs of sexual maturity is the height of the jump.
We spent the whole next day on the
floor of the crater. Highlights included
an elephant scratching himself as he was
eating leaves out of a tree; lions sleeping
near a very recently killed wildebeest; a
black rhino mom and baby – a rare sighting since there are only 15 still in the
park; an elusive cheetah sunning itself on
Story By Phyllis Kreger Stillman
a dirt bank; and an elephant at our picnic
site, wading in the pond and feeding on
water plants. Back to the crater early the
next morning. We saw the lions from the
day before with their wildebeest kill -it was almost gone. There was a vulture
eating some leftovers and jackals waiting
their turn. A vast column of wildebeest
was crossing the crater floor -- the line
stretched farther than the eye could see.
A leisurely procession, since the lions
were otherwise occupied.
After lunch at the lodge, we headed for the Serengeti. On the way, we
stopped at Olduvai Gorge, an important
anthropological site made famous by
George and Mary Leakey who discovered hominin remains, which convinced
most paleoanthropologists that humans
had evolved in southern Africa; some
remains date back 1.75 million years.
We arrived late afternoon at Ndutu
Lodge, which seemed even more remote than the camping. Shortly after we
checked in, my friend and I were sitting
on our porch when an elephant with
two children walked across the yard
no more than 75’ away. Later, a genet
cat jumped onto the wall, wandered
around the porch and came right up
to me and sniffed my pant leg. I wasn’t
sure what this creature was or whether
I should be afraid of it, but it turns out
the cats are tame; lodge staff feed them
so they’ll stay around and hunt rodents
and frighten tourists!
The next morning our walk in the
bush was cancelled. The Maasai had
stolen more cattle and the rangers were
busy. The Maasai, by the way, believe all
the cattle in the world belong to them,
so they’re not really stealing, just reclaiming their own property. We went
for an early morning drive and saw a
cheetah beautifully silhouetted by the
sunrise. We watched her for a while,
then drove to a site where breakfast had
been set up and cooked for us in the
bush. They had chairs and small tables,
and a gas cook stove in a grove of trees;
the meal ended with champagne. Does
it get any better than that? Next month,
more on the Serengeti.
©2016 Phyllis Kreger Stillman. Phyllis
may be contacted at [email protected].
SALESPERSON WANTED 734.629.6010 • SALESPERSON WANTED 734.629.6010
6 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
SOCIAL SECURITY REPLACING YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CARD ONLINE
W
e strive to provide you
world-class service.
With that in mind, Social Security rolled out
a new service that allows some of our
customers to request a replacement
Social Security card online.
The new online version of the Application for a Replacement Social
Security Card allows people in some
states to request a replacement card
online through our secure my Social
Security portal without traveling to
a field office. You can create or log
into your personal my Social Security
account at www.socialsecurity.gov/
myaccount.
Currently available in the District
By Mike Laird
of Columbia, Michigan, Nebraska,
Washington, and Wisconsin, it’s an
easy, convenient, and secure way to
request a replacement card online.
When you open a my Social Security
account, we protect your information
by using strict identity verification
and security features. The application
process has built-in features to detect
fraud and confirm your identity.
In certain cases, security experts
at Social Security will contact you to
ensure it is a legitimate application.
We only issue a replacement card if
there’s no suspicion of fraud and only
mail it to a verified address.
To take advantage of this new service option, you must:
· Have or create a my Social Security
account;
· Have a valid driver’s license in a
participating state or the District of
Columbia (or a state-issued identification card in some states); Be age 18
or older and a United States citizen
with a domestic U.S. mailing address
(this includes APO, FPO, and DPO addresses); and
· Not be requesting a name change
or any other changes to your card.
Before you request a replacement
card online, you may want to consider whether you need to get a replacement card at all. Most times, knowing
your number is what’s important.
You’ll rarely need the card itself, per-
haps only when you get a new job and
have to show it to your employer.
If you decide that you do need a
replacement card, log into your personal my Social Security account and
select “Request a Replacement Card.”
Next, answer the screening questions
to confirm eligibility, complete personal data, and you’re done! See how
easy that was? For more information,
please visit www.socialsecurity.gov
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.
[email protected].
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 7
UPDATE UNCONSTITUTIONAL TAXES
IN LIVINGSTON AND WASHTENAW
Livingston and Washtenaw counties
have been unconstitutionally levying taxes
($2.4 and $9 million).
I was recently contacted by a Washtenaw County Commissioner who wanted to
take action and asked me to review their
attorney’s opinion from one of three taxes
which was included in Michigan Attorney
General’s October 2015 conclusion the mill
rate limits were exceeded thus making the
taxes unconstitutional.
Review of Washtenaw’s tax Public Act 88
of 1913, which is to promote agriculture
and tourism, revealed the same conclusion
as Livingston’s Public Act 214 of 1899
(published last month). Both are unconstitutional but not just for exceeding mil rate
limitations.
There are two Constitutions that relate
to both Acts:
1) 1908, Schedule Section 1 “…The common law and the statute laws now in force,
not repugnant to this constitution, shall
By Linda Bullard
remain…”.
2) 1963, Article 9, Section 31 “…local
units of government are hereby prohibited
from levying any tax not authorized by law
or charter when this section is ratified…”.
Neither Constitution authorizes a tax
for agriculture and tourism promotion or
for charity functions found in the veterans
relief fund. Both Acts are ‘repugnant to’
and ‘not authorized’ and should have been
deleted from the books decades ago. Lack
of deletion does not make them valid. In
order to be valid a law must have constitutional authority.
Both counties’ government officials are
aware their oath of office demands adherence to the Constitution and rule of law;
they do not have constitutional authority
for and cannot collect these taxes. If they
continue to collect, or put the taxes on an
upcoming voter ballot, they will be continuing to break the law and commit several crimes.
The people have not given consent to
unconstitutional taxation.
County government must, therefore,
take the following actions:
• Stop collecting the veterans relief fund
and agriculture/tourism taxes
• Inform all tax payers of error and subsequent corrections
• Cease actions to place these taxes on a
future voter ballot
• Refund unspent money in funds
• Refund spent money unconstitutionally collected all years
• Terminate employment Veterans Benefits counselor administering relief fund and
employees associated with agriculture/
tourism promotion fund
• Take legal action against counsel and
government officials who willfully neglected their duty in association with these unconstitutional taxes
• Delete PA 214 of 1899, PA 88 of 1913…
and all related Public Acts and laws
Courant
The
APRIL 2016 EDITION
Published Monthly by Marula
Management and Consulting LLC
Copyright © 2015
P.O. Box 440
Whitmore Lake, MI 48189
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Gary Wellings • 734.629.6010
Thank You to All of Our
Volunteer Contributing Writers
Printed by Michigan Web Press
JACK’S CORNER FIX IS IN FOR HILLARY
W
hat is a person to do?
The Republican establishment hates Donald Trump.
They also hate Ted Cruz.
Democrats hate Cruz too but voted for
Trump in states with open primaries
where you can vote across party lines?
Do they want him to be President? No,
they and their media minions want him
to be the nominee.
Trump is already on record threatening the media with expanding libel laws
to sue them if they write something he
doesn’t like, very Venezuelan I might
add. Why would they want a President
who threatens freedom of the press?
Maybe they know it won’t happen.
You can bet the media has already vetted
every second of Trumps life from the day
he was born with a silver spoon in his
mouth and is ready to air all of his considerable dirty laundry when he faces
Hillary Clinton in the general election.
Donald Trump won’t be able to
out-bully the media, won’t get the free
air time like he’s getting now and won’t
risk self-funding a general election he
might lose that typically costs upwards
of a billion dollars. He’s going to risk
somebody else’s money so he doesn’t
By Jack Belisle
have to worry about filing another
bankruptcy.
Will he face Clinton? Sure will. That
game is rigged. She lost the Michigan
popular vote to Bernie Sanders but
walked away with more delegates. She
lost the New Hampshire popular vote
but left tied in delegates.
Democrats have super delegates
who can pick their candidate, voters be
damned. There are 717 of them unrelated to the will of the people that Hillary
already has or will soon have in her
back pocket. Bernie Sanders can’t win.
Neither can Donald Trump. The Democrat controlled media will circle their
wagons around Clinton burying her
jaded past just like they did for Barack
Obama while attacking Trump 24/7
leaving his fans second guessing themselves and giving the anyone-but-Trump
crowd more reasons to vote for Clinton
out of spite.
It’s a mess that’s playing out exactly
as orchestrated by the global power
brokers who’ll be satisfied with nothing
less than a committed globalist who already sees herself a citizen of the world
ready to accelerate the fundamental
transformation/destruction of Amer-
“THE SUN’LL COME OUT
TOMORROW” AS ANNIE JR.
TAKES CENTER STAGE AT
THE BEAUTIFUL JANE TASCH
PERFORMING ARTS THEATER
IN PINCKNEY!
By Ann Langford
Directed by Stephanie Heslip and
produced by Ann Langford, Annie Jr.
features a large cast of incredibly talented local youth ranging in age from
eight to eighteen.
Little orphan Annie charms her way
into everyone’s hearts in one of the
world’s best-loved musicals. Annie is
determined to find the parents who
abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the heartless Miss Hannigan. With eternal optimism and the help of her dear friends,
Annie escapes to wondrous New York
City and finds a new home and happiness with billionaire Daddy Warbucks,
his secretary Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. on April
16th and 23rd and 2:00 p.m. on April
17th and 24th. Tickets are available
now at Busch’s Valuland and the Community Education Office in Pinckney,
Brighton Tux in Brighton, and through
our on-line box office at www.pinckneyplayers.com. This on-line ticketing
option does allow you to choose your
own seats! Tickets are $12 for adults
and $10 for students and seniors when
purchased in advance, with an additional $2 added for tickets purchased
at the door.
Be sure to mark your calendars to
come out fully dressed with a smile
to enjoy this perfect, family-friendly
show!
ica begun seven years ago by Barack
Obama.
I see China has followed the lead of
the Netherlands mandating Muslims
adapt to their culture or get out. Both
countries will no longer tolerate those
wanting to live as a parallel civilization
with their own set of rules using intimidation and lawsuits to impose their religious and political beliefs on everyone
else.
It’s not surprising young people are
supporting socialist candidate Bernie
Sanders. Many of them have been nurtured in the socialist boot camps we call
universities. He’s promising more free
stuff paid for by confiscating more of
other people’s money commonly known
as raising taxes. That’s like a business
promising employees free stuff paid for
by cutting their pay. I’ll bet young people
wouldn’t be as fired up about Bernie if it
was their money he was planning to take.
Don’t miss the next episode of
America’s Biggest Bully, the political
campaign show taking the country by
storm after titillating audiences in third
world countries for years.
The presumed champ has honed his
considerable skills over a lifetime of
cheating Polish immigrant workers,
scamming Baja condo investors and real
estate students and then bullying them
again when they sued to get paid or
their money back.
Learn how to use the same bullying
techniques to stroke your ego at the expense of others. Learn the art of motor
mouth trash talking to drown out those
talking about stuff you don’t like. Learn
how to change stories on the fly and
accuse others of lying when they point
it out. Learn the art of facial contortions
to silently bully, using sneers and eye
rolls to distract followers from listening
to what others have to say.
Don’t let the kids miss an episode either. They can learn how to belittle and
shame others to dominate schoolyards.
Think how proud you’d be if you’re
child bullied their way to a nomination
for President using abusive language to
drown out anything of substance and to
publicly humiliate anyone standing in
their way.
You would be proud….wouldn’t you?
Your comments are welcomed and could
be referenced in future columns. Email
[email protected].
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IN THE COURANT
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8 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL 2016
EUCHRE Every Wednesday. Games start
promptly at 7pm. $7.00 per person. Public Welcome. Pinckney Memorial Unit
419 American Legion Auxiliary, 9807
Whitewood Road, Pinckney, MI 48169.
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.
APRIL 1
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) 2311811
APRIL 2
SALEM AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL
DINNER AND AUCTION 6:00 PM. Fox Hill’s
Classic Log Cabin Club House. $38.00
per person or $33.00 per SAHS Member.
Multi-Course Buffet Dinner with Silent
and Live Auctions. Auction items will
include tickets to area attractions, sports
memorabilia, historical items and restaurant gift certificates. All Proceeds go to
support SAHS. Reservations: Via Website
& PayPal at www.sahshistory.org . U.S.
mail via form at: www.sahshistory.org.
[email protected]. Terry 248486-0669
APRIL 3
TURKEY SHOOT LAST SHOOT OF THE SEASON. Doors Open at Noon. Selling begins
at 12:30. Shooting starts promptly at
1:00 P.M. We pay First and Second Place.
Bring your shotgun, we supply the ammunition. Kitchen is Open. Raffles - scatter Shots - 50/50. Fun day for the family,
WE DO NOT SHOOT TURKEYS........PAPER
TARGETS. The Livingston County Wildlife and Conservation Club, 6060 E. M.
36, Hamburg, MI 48139, (810) 231-1811
APRIL 4
COME WATCH “GRAVITY,” rated PG-13, at
the Hamburg Township Library, located
at 10411 Merrill Road, Hamburg. No
pre-registration required for this free
event. 6:00 pm.
APRIL 5
OSCAR NOMINATED MOVIE SHOWING -BIG
SHORT (R) 6:30 p.m. Pinckney Community
Public Library, 125 Putnam St. Pinckney,
MI 48169. FREE. Join us in celebrating the movies nominated (and some
big winners), of this year’s Academy
Awards Popcorn and movie style snacks
provided. Call 734-878-3888 for more
information about this or any upcoming
events or visit our website www.pinckneylibrary.org or on Facebook, & Twitter.
APRIL 7
OPEN MIC NIGHT Third Monk Brewing
Company hosts an open mic night every
Thursday night in South Lyon. Sign up
7:30pm, show at 8:00pm. Location is
228 S. Lafayette Street, South Lyon, MI
48178. Contact Info: 248-278-6366,
[email protected]
SKYPE WITH THE AUTHOR- A “LIVINGSTON
READS” EVENT 7:00 p.m. Pinckney Community Public Library, 125 Putnam St.
Pinckney, MI 48169. FREE. Join us for
a live Skype interview with Andy Weir,
author of the bestselling novel The Martian. The video call will take place simultaneously at all six Livingston County
libraries. Andy Weir will talk about his
experiences with writing, engineering,
self-publishing his first novel, becoming
a bestselling author, and more. Mr. Weir
will take questions from the audience as
well as patron questions collected from
the weeks before the conference. Call the
library at 734-878-3888 to reserve your
spot in our program room for this special event! Call 734-878-3888 for more
information about this or any upcoming
events or visit our website www.pinckneylibrary.org or on Facebook, & Twitter.
CREATE SOME BEAUTIFUL SPACE-THEMED
MAGNETS at the Hamburg Township
Library. Pre-registration is required for
this free event at 810-231-1771, www.
hamburglibrary.org, or stopping by the
library, located at 10411 Merrill Road,
Hamburg. 12:00 pm.
HEAR THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR of “The
Martin,” Andy Weir discuss his book via
video chat at the Hamburg Township
Library. Pre-registration is required for
this free event at 810-231-1771, www.
hamburglibrary.org, or stopping by the
library, located at 10411 Merrill Road,
Hamburg. 7:00 pm.
(810) 227-6473, cgaertner@sotlschool.
com, sotlschool.com
HAVE YOUR ANTIQUE ITEM APPRAISED at
the Hamburg Township Library. Drop
off items at 10411 Merrill Road, Hamburg between 10:00 and 11:00 am, then
return for the presentation at 1:30 pm.
Space is limited and pre-registration
is required this free event at 810-2311771, www.hamburglibrary.org, or
stopping by the library, located at 10411
Merrill Road, Hamburg. 1:30 pm.
12TH ANNUAL CREEK CLEAN UP in South
Lyon, MI. April 16, 2016 from 9am –
1pm. Meet at Michigan Seamless Tube
Truck Lot (400 McMunn Street). Sponsored by Michigan Seamless Tube.
APRIL 9
APRIL 10
ALL YOU CAN EAT BREAKFAST BUFFET 8:00
- 11:30. Adults $7.00 Seniors $6.00 Ages
6-12 $3.00 Under 5: Free Cash Bar Available. The Livingston County Wildlife and
Conservation Club, 6060 E. M. 36, Hamburg, MI 48139, (810) 231-1811
APRIL 12
OSCAR NOMINATED MOVIE SHOWING--ROOM
(R) 6:30 p.m. Pinckney Community Public Library, 125 Putnam St. Pinckney,
MI 48169. FREE. Join us in celebrating
the movies nominated (and some big
winners), of this year’s Academy Awards
Popcorn and movie style snacks provided. Call 734-878-3888 for more information about this or any upcoming events
or visit our website www.pinckneylibrary.org or on Facebook, & Twitter.
FREE BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS
1:45pm.-2:15p.m. FREE! Northfield
Township Community Center, 9101 Main
St., Whitmore Lake. Have your blood
pressure checked by an RN from Regency of Whitmore Lake. For more information contact the Community Center at
734-449-2295.
LEARN ALL ABOUT SCUBA DIVING, training,
and equipment at the Hamburg Township Library. Pre-registration is required
for this free event at 810-231-1771,
www.hamburglibrary.org, or stopping
by the library, located at 10411 Merrill
Road, Hamburg. 6:30 pm.
APRIL 13
LUNCH & A MOVIE The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. 12:15p.m.-3:30p.m.
Lunch Fee: $3.00/60 yrs. & Up; $5.50/
Under 60yrs. Reservations must be
made at least 24 hours ahead. Northfield
Twp. Community Center, 9101 Main St.,
Whitmore Lake. Join us for an afternoon
of good food and fun! Contact the Community Center at 734-449-2295 to register.
LET’S PLAY SCRABBLE! 4:30p.m.-6:30p.m.
FREE! Northfield Twp. Community Center, 9101 Main St., Whitmore Lake. Call
734-449-2295 to register or for more
information. Join in as we celebrate National Scrabble Day! All ages welcome
– we have Scrabble and Scrabble Jr.! Refreshments and prizes!
APRIL 14
DEMYSTIFYING ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE
MEDICINE 6:30 p.m. Pinckney Community
Public Library, 125 Putnam St. Pinckney,
MI 48169. FREE. Registration Required.
Join Erika Schultz of Lakeland Acupuncturist and Paramount Wellness as she
explores the history of Chinese Medicine
and Acupuncture and how it’s used in
treatment. Call 734-878-3888 for more
information about this or any upcoming
events or visit our website www.pinckneylibrary.org or on Facebook, & Twitter.
EUCHRE NIGHT! 6:00p.m.-8:00p.m. Fee:
$2.00. Northfield Twp. Community Center, 9101 Main St., Whitmore Lake. No
partner needed! Refreshments provided!
Contact the Community Center at 734449-2295 for more information.
LEARN ABOUT, AND PARTICIPATE IN ZENTANGLE, a relaxing method of creating
art by repeating simple patterns, at the
Hamburg Township Library. This program costs $5, which must be paid to
the instructor upon arrival. Pre-registration required at 810-231-1771, www.
hamburglibrary.org, or stopping by the
library, located at 10411 Merrill Road,
Hamburg. 6:30 pm.
APRIL 15
HANDS-ON SCIENCE NIGHT The Ann Arbor
Hands-On Museum delivers 15 interactive science and math activities geared
towards the whole family. Create giant
bubbles, launch an antacid rocket, pierce
a bag of water without getting wet, mix
up some slime, and more! Shepherd of
the Lakes Lutheran School, 2101 S. Hacker Rd., Brighton, MI 48114. 6:00pm to
8:00pm. Free. Contact Christi Gaertner,
APRIL 16
2016 PUTTING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER 2nd
Annual Pinckney Area Genealogy Seminar. 10 AM – 2 PM. Pinckney Community
Public Library, 125 Putnam St. Pinckney,
MI 48169. $20 Advance, $25 Registration
at the door. Online at http://pcplgenealogy.tumblr.com. Registration Required.
Join us for the Second Annual Pinckney
Area Genealogy Seminar, a joint event
of the Pinckney Community Public
Library, Friends of the PCPL, and the
Livingston County Genealogical Society.
Programming features lectures by highly
acclaimed speaker, Katherine R. Willson,
who will guide us through the puzzle of
family history research! Call 734-8783888 for more information about this
event or email to [email protected]
FRIENDS OF THE PINCKNEY LIBRARY BOOK
SALE 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Pinckney Community Public Library, 125 Putnam St. Pinckney, MI 48169. The Friends of the Library will hold a used book sale from 10
am – 2 pm. Call 734-878-3888 for more
information about this or any upcoming
events or visit the Friends of Pinckney
Library Facebook page.
APRIL 18
LET’S PLAY SCRABBLE! 6:00p.m.-8:00p.m.
FREE! Northfield Twp. Community Center, 9101 Main St., Whitmore Lake. Call
734-449-2295 to register or for more
information. Join us for an evening of
one of America’s favorite word games!
All ages are welcome – we have Scrabble
and Scrabble Jr.! Refreshments!
HEALTHY LIVING – CLEAN EATING 6:30p.m.8:30p.m. FREE! Northfield Twp. Community Center, 9101 Main St., Whitmore
Lake .Contact the Community Center at
734-449-2295 to RSVP. Arbonne representative, Loreen Couch, discusses the
importance of “clean eating” and its positive effects on our health.
COME WATCH “WALL-E,” rated G, at the
Hamburg Township Library, located
at 10411 Merrill Road, Hamburg. No
pre-registration required for this free
event. 6:00 pm.
APRIL 19
OFF THE SHELF BOOK DISCUSSION- THE MARTIAN A Livingston Reads Event. 6:30 p.m.
Pinckney Community Public Library,
125 Putnam St. Pinckney, MI 48169.
FREE. Join us for lively discussion of this
month’s selection, The Martian by Andy
Weir. Everyone is welcome. Copies are
available at the library or through MeL.
Refreshments will be served. Please call
to register. Call 734-878-3888 for more
information about this or any upcoming
events or visit our website www.pinckneylibrary.org or on Facebook, & Twitter
GENEALOGY – DROP-IN FOR ASSISTANCE
6:30 p.m. Pinckney Community Public
Library, 125 Putnam St. Pinckney, MI
48169. FREE. Registration: YES. The
library will have a member of the Genealogy Group here to help you if you are
having trouble progressing in your genealogy search. Drop in at 6:30 for free assistance. Please call to register. Call 734878-3888 for more information about
this or any upcoming events or visit our
website www.pinckneylibrary.org or on
Facebook, & Twitter
PRESCHOOL MOVIE MADNESS 11:30 a.m.
Pinckney Community Public Library, 125
Putnam St. Pinckney, MI 48169. FREE.
Special movie showings for our youngest
patrons and their caregivers. Join us for
story time at 11:00 followed by a new
release movie at 11:30. Bring a lunch,
popcorn will be provided. Movies will be
rated G or under. Please call for title. Call
the library at 734-878-3888 for more
information about this or any upcoming
events or visit our website www.pinckneylibrary.org or on Facebook, & Twitter
APRIL 21
OSCAR NOMINATED MOVIE SHOWING—MAD
MAX FURY ROAD (R) 6:30 p.m. Pinckney
Community Public Library, 125 Putnam
St. Pinckney, MI 48169. FREE. Join us in
celebrating the movies nominated (and
some big winners), of this year’s Academy Awards. Popcorn and movie style
snacks provided. Call 734-878-3888 for
more information about this or any upcoming events or visit our website www.
pinckneylibrary.org or on Facebook, &
Twitter.
LEARN ABOUT NATIVE PLANTS and creating
sustainable landscapes at the Hamburg
Township Library. Pre-registration is
required for this free event at 810-2311771, www.hamburglibrary.org, or
stopping by the library, located at 10411
Merrill Road, Hamburg. 6:30 pm.
APRIL 22
CARD-MAKING WORKSHOP 1:00p.m.3:00pm. Fee: $10.00. Northfield Twp.
Community Center, 9101 Main St., Whitmore Lake. Call 734-449-2295 to register. Have fun creating beautiful, handmade greeting cards! We will be using
various paper-crafting supplies such as
card stock, paper, ink, stamps, embellishments and more. By applying easy paper-crafting techniques, you’ll produce
greeting cards you will want to send to
family and friends!
PIZZA & A MOVIE – “WE BOUGHT A ZOO”
6:00p.m.-8:00p.m. Fee: $3.00/person
for dinner, beverages, dessert, snacks.
Northfield Twp. Community Center,
9101 Main St., Whitmore Lake. Seating is
limited. Call 734-449-2295 to register.
APRIL 23
LIVINGSTON COUNTY COIN SHOW 9:30 AM 3:30 PM. Howell Recreation Center, 925
W. Grand River, Howell 48844. Coins
bought and sold. Exhibits, free door
prizes and free appraisals. Free parking.
Sponsored by the Livingston County
Coin Club. Vic West 810-494-9221.
COME BROWSE OUR BOOKS, DVDs, and CDs
for sale, as well as crafts created by the
kids of Hamburg Township, at the Hamburg Township Library, located at 10411
Merrill Road, Hamburg. No pre-registration required. 9:00 am.
APRIL 26
HEAR THE HURON RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL discuss local environmental issues at
the Hamburg Township Library. Pre-registration is required for this free event
at 810-231-1771, www.hamburglibrary.
org, or stopping by the library, located at
10411 Merrill Road, Hamburg. 6:30 pm.
APRIL 27
AFTER HOURS MOVIE- LEARNING TO DRIVE (R)
6:30 p.m. Pinckney Community Public
Library, 125 Putnam St. Pinckney, MI
48169. FREE. Free movie showing. Popcorn and movie style snacks provided.
Call 734-878-3888 for more information
about this or any upcoming events or
visit our website www.pinckneylibrary.
org or on Facebook, & Twitter.
BEAUTY OF NATIVE PLANTS In April, Salem
Area Historical Society will be holding its monthly meeting on the fourth
Wednesday of the month, April 22nd,
at the Jarvis Stone School (7991 North
Territorial Road) starting at 7:30 PM. After a business meeting, Drew Lathin, the
General Manager of Creating Sustainable
Landscapes in Novi will give a talk on the
Beauty of Native Plants. Admission: Free
for SAHS Members, $2 for non-SAHS
Members.
KIDS AGES 10 AND UNDER ARE INVITED to
participate in Kids Craft Day at the Hamburg Township Library. Pre-registration
is required for this free event at 810231-1771, www.hamburglibrary.org, or
stopping by the library, located at 10411
Merrill Road, Hamburg. 6:30 pm.
APRIL 29
FUNDRAISER FOR CITIZENS FOR A PROLIFE
SOCIETY David Daleiden, the man responsible for the undercover videos
of Planned Parenthood, will speak at
a fundraiser for Citizens for a Prolife
Society on Friday, April 29, at 6:30 p.m.
The event will take place at Christ the
King Church, 4000 Ave Maria Drive, Ann
Arbor. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.prolifesociety.
com
ALL YOU CAN EAT FISH FRY NIGHT 5:00 - 8:00
P.M. Ages 6-12 $5.00 Under 5: Free. Cash
Bar Available. The Livingston County
Wildlife and Conservation Club, 6060 E.
M. 36, Hamburg, MI 48139, (810) 2311811
APRIL 30
STEAK DINNER NY strip, Baked potato,
baked beans, salad, roll, and fresh baked
pie. Apple, cherry, and lemon margarine.
$12.00. 5pm-7:30 pm. American Legion
Post 419, 9807 Whitewood Rd, Pinckney,
MI 48178. 734-878-9522 for more info.
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 9
WITHIN THE LAW MORE BOUNDARY LAW
L
ast month’s article was a summation of squatter’s rights and
discussed how ownership of
large parcels of property could
legally be gained over time. Adverse
possession was the central legal topic.
It, together with the legal doctrine of acquiescence, is continually occurring in
your neighborhood. At times these doctrines could result in someone gaining
ownership of large parcels of property,
maybe even some structures. However,
these legal doctrines are more often
used in settling boundaries between
parcels of property, where the legal descriptions in deeds are changed by one
party gaining and another losing much
smaller pieces of property.
Acquiescence is applied where two
neighbors are mistaken about where
By Chuck Hoffman
the line is between their properties, and
may treat something like an old fence
as a boundary for more than 15 years.
The fence will be treated as the line
after that period of time. It’s similar to
adverse possession, but there doesn’t
need to be hostile possession; both parties could be under honest mistakes as
to where the boundary is.
Acquiescence is also found where two
parties have a dispute over the location
of the boundary and then settle it. The
settled line becomes the boundary,
whether it matches the wording of the
lines in their deeds or not.
The third type of acquiescence is
where a party intends to deed to a
boundary but gets the written description wrong. If the parties still use the
old line as the correct one, acquiescence
fixes the mistake if there is ever a dispute in court.
These three acquiescence doctrines
are concerned with mistakes made between neighbors or where they agree,
as versus adverse possession which is
hostile conduct where one neighbor
knows where the boundary is but puts
the neighbor’s property to his or her
own use anyway.
The following problem was presented
in last month’s column: “You may see
an old stone fence, a string of survey
stakes, and a barbed wire fence located
somewhat near each other. GPS (GIS)
indicates a line even different than the
others. Which one of these four markers
will the court usually select as being the
true boundary between neighboring
properties?” The answer is …whichever
line or marker the neighbors have last
lived with in a peaceful manner for an
appreciable period of time. The courts
will utilize adverse possession (squatting) and acquiescence to arrive at these
conclusions.
Parties can hire lawyers and fight over
boundaries for years in the local and appellate courts. Ironically, it is likely that
their conduct determined the outcome
before it even started.
The information provided in this article does not constitute the giving or offering of legal advice or counsel. Chuck
Hoffman is an attorney located in Ann
Arbor. Contact Chuck at (231) 6274249 or [email protected] for
advice regarding Michigan real property matters.
LIVINGSTON CLASSICAL ACADEMY PRESENTS
A Classical Education for Modern Times
The following is the second in a series of 5 articles that makes an argument for a Classical Liberal Arts Education for our public school system
in America. It will be presented here in The Courant over the next 5 issues. The author is Dr. Terrence O. Moore, Hillsdale College.
T
he classical view of education holds that human beings are thinking creatures. Unlike other living beings, humans live by their
intelligence. We want to know things. Specifically, we want to
know what the things around us are and how they operate. We
want to know who we are, where we come from, and what is expected of us.
In short, we want to know the truth. From birth, the curiosity of children is
astounding. Children observe everything around them. They pick up language
at an astonishing rate. As soon as they begin to speak, they ask the question
“What is it?” of everything that catches their attention. Children demonstrate
what is true of all people: we are all natural learners. Any plan of education,
therefore, should take advantage of young people’s natural curiosity. Schemes
that stall children in their learning because “they are not ready for it” or it is
not “age appropriate,” or that use various gimmicks that sugar-coat learning as
though children regard their books as they do their medicine, are not only unnecessary but counterproductive and insulting to the human mind.
While children are naturally disposed to learning, everything we need to know
does not come to us unaided from nature. Children need explicit instruction
to understand the world around them, whether in language, the operations of
physical nature, or the relations among human beings. As children grow, their
questions become increasingly complex and their abilities to assimilate their
observations more advanced. At every child’s disposal is a veritable arsenal of
mental capacities: memory, reason, imagination, a sense of beauty, a facility
for language. Classical education does not simply leave children to their own
mental urges and inclinations. Rather, it feeds and directs and strengthens
children’s mental capacities in the same way that sports exercise their physical
abilities. The mind, like the body, atrophies when not well-trained. The emphasis on rigorous mental training is an important difference between classical
education and modern, progressive education. By stressing childhood “creativity” and “spontaneity,” while at the same time denigrating “mere rote learning”
(and therefore human memory itself ), without making children do much
work or work on anything important, the modern school takes bright young
children and puts them on a path to becoming bored adults who do not know
very much. It is the old story of the tortoise and the hare. Falling in love with
our talents—without making any substantial effort to improve them—causes
one to lose the race. In this case, it is the all important race towards becoming
informed, moral, thinking citizens.
So classical education puts young minds to work. It leads young people to
understand themselves and the world around them. Students do not learn in
the abstract. They must acquire concrete skills and gain knowledge in certain
disciplines to participate fully and effectively in human civilization. To this
end, Hillsdale, though it does not require the Core Knowledge curriculum in
its schools, does embrace E. D. Hirsch’s idea of “cultural literacy.” For people
to communicate effectively, according to Hirsch, they must not only use the
same language. To express and understand complex ideas, they must possess a
reservoir of common facts, ideas, and references known to all in a given social
and political order. Abraham Lincoln is perhaps the best example of a leader
who relied on cultural literacy to convey his ideas. Like other Americans on
the frontier, he had little formal schooling. Yet he read intensively the works of
Shakespeare, the King James’ Bible, the fables of Æsop, Euclid’s geometry, and
the documents of the American Founding. Few men in our history have been
able to express so forcefully and with such economy the principles of freedom
and human dignity:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created
equal.
Lincoln’s audience at Gettysburg instantly knew that he referred to the “proposition” of the Declaration of Independence. For this reason, the Gettysburg
Address is not only one of the greatest speeches in our history; it is the shortest. Lincoln did not have to retell the history of the Revolution. His fellow
Americans already knew it.
(To be continued in next month’s edition of The Courant.)
10 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP NEWS
S
pring is here! As the weather gets
warmer and the days get longer,
our projects are starting to ramp
back up. Here’s what’s happening
at our Township Office…
• The DDA was recently approved to
begin issuing Redevelopment Liquor Licenses. Currently, all of the Class C liquor
licenses for our Township are in use. The
Redevelopment Liquor License allows
the DDA to recommend issuance of new
liquor licenses for businesses located
within the DDA District, above and beyond the Class C licenses the state allows.
Businesses interested in applying for a
Redevelopment Liquor License should
contact the Township office for details
and regulations.
• The Downtown Planning Group is
looking for volunteers. The main focus of
this group will be to create a Downtown
Master Plan, and develop projects and
goals to create a unified vision for our
By Howard Fink
downtown. Submit letters of interest
to the Twp Manager, Howard Fink AND
DDA Chair, Barb Griffith. Call 734-4492880 for more information.
• The Parks & Recreation Commission
recently went before the Board of Trustees
with a proposal to formally authorize them
as the Township Parks and Recreation
Board, which was approved. Included in
this was an allocation of $10,000 to be put
toward improvement/maintenance of existing projects, as well as the development
of new projects and programs.
• Speaking of Parks & Recreation projects, next on the list is the development
of a Community Garden. This is intended
for residents to have an area to grow
their own fruits and vegetables using
raised beds. In addition, we are planning
on having a plot that will be used to grow
foods to donate to local food pantries.
The Community Garden will be located
across from the Community Center on
Main Street. Please contact the Township
Manager for more information 734-4492880 ext. 12
• Northfield Township will once again
be hosting a Washtenaw County Cleanup Day. This is an opportunity for Washtenaw County residents to get rid of some
of those items you just aren’t sure what
to do with: old furniture and appliances,
car batteries, paint cans, tires, etc. Also,
new this year there will be a prescription drug take-back vendor on-site. This
event will be held on Saturday, June 11
behind the Public Safety Building. Mark
your calendar, and help us keep our
township clean!
• This is an election year for our Township Board. Candidates who wish to be included on the August Primary ballot must
file their nominating petitions and Affidavits of Identity with the Clerk’s office by
4:00PM on April 19, 2016. Please contact
the Clerk’s office for more information.
• The Northfield Township Government Office is now on Facebook. “Like”
our page to get up-to-date notifications
about what’s happening in our community. You can also sign up for our free
e-mail newsletter. Visit www.twp-northfield.org or sign up at the Twp. office.
We value your opinion and we want
to hear from you! Our Board members
and Planning Commissioners are here to
speak and work for the entire community, but we can’t do that if we don’t hear
from you. Please join us each month at
our Township meetings and voice your
opinions. The Board of Trustees meets on
the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month,
and the Planning Commission meets on
the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. As always,
feel free to contact us at the Township
office for additional information. The
Board of Trustees is working diligently
to make Northfield the best community
in Washtenaw County.
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 11
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK ELECTION OF SURVIVAL
I
’m sure this editorial will get plenty of
heads shaking and a few extra emails and
calls. I always welcome even negative comments by the way folks. If you don’t like the
views in this paper you are welcome to contribute. I may be biased but I am fair, I try to
print all views, I just don’t get much from the
liberal minded.
I have people complaining to me vociferously about my support of Donald Trump, from
both my liberal friends and my conservative
friends. The conservatives say he’s not a real
conservative! The liberals say he’s a racist, he’s
rude and a hate monger!
Obviously I have to engage both these arguments; they are after all my friends despite
our differing views. That may surprise some
of you. Yes I have room in my life for folks who
don’t think like I do, it’s not always about politics even for a guy like me.
For those who don’t think he’s a conservative, you are correct. I say good, because what
have the so called conservatives done for me,
By Gary Wellings
for any of us? We gave the “conservatives” the
House and the Senate and they’ve been too
cowardly to do anything. They have one power
over a President who ignores the Constitution
with his executive orders, the power of the
purse but they cower before the media and
refuse to defund anything. Conservatives along
with Liberals have also failed to secure our
borders; that issue is the fault of both parties.
For those who think he’s rude and hatemongering because he wants to slow or halt immigration I say YES that’s exactly what needs
to happen and it’s not rude. Going on 15 years
now we have not had an increase in wages and
you won’t when you import 1 million people a
year legally. Big business is fueling that, the billionaires and Wall Street are fueling that. They
want cheap labor. On top of that include another million, maybe more of illegal immigrants.
The people that suffer most from immigration
are the uneducated, the low skilled, the urban
poor of every color. We are encouraging more
competition for the quickly disappearing low
skill jobs. With H1B visas the special interests
are now giving away our technical jobs to “educated” foreigners because they’ll accept lower
salaries. We are being played by Washington
and Wall Street. Ask yourself how Congressman and Senators come out of Washington as
millionaires when even their high salaries can
barely cover living expenses in high-priced
Washington DC.
The system is broken and corrupt, if you
don’t see that open your eyes. Democrats and
Republicans are both taking advantage of
taxpayers. People say Trump is no better, he’s
part of the broken system. Yes he is but there
is a difference. He simply plays by the rules
the political elite in Washington set up. There
is a difference between the man who has to
pay the bribes (political donations) to succeed
compared to the briber (politicians) who set
the system up to benefit from those bribes.
My support of Trump is based simply on statistics. I have 100% chance of nothing changing or things getting worse with all the normal
politicians be it a Bush, a Clinton, a Sanders, a
Kasich, a Romney, a Rubio or a Cruz (depending on convention games). The super delegate
game is proof of corruption and an attempt to
silence the voting public.
With Trump I have a 50% chance that he
may be who he claims to be, that he may do
what he says he will do. Those chances are better by half. He might be a complete liar or incompetent but I know all the other candidates
are with 100% certainty.
This election is about survival. Immigration
affects our national security and our ability to
create jobs for Americans which is a necessity
if our great country is to continue. Trump is
exactly right on immigration. Trade deals can
decimate or enrich our country. I trust a businessman like Trump to handle that, not another lawyer or politician who serves special
interests.
Hate me if you want, I’m taking the better
chance and rolling the dice with Trump. Our
survival depends on it.
12 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
CSPA HIGH SCHOOL NAMED GRAMMY SIGNATURE SCHOOL
By Haika Gay
Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy High School, a public school academy located in Brighton, Michigan, was
among the 13 U.S. high schools, and the
only one in Michigan, to be selected by
the GRAMMY Foundation as a GRAMMY Signature Schools for 2016. The
GRAMMY Signature Schools program
recognizes top U.S. public high schools
that make an outstanding commitment
to music education during an academic
school year.
Each of the 13 GRAMMY Signature
Schools will receive a custom award and
a monetary grant to benefit its music
program. The music program at CSPA
High School will receive the Enterprise
Award grant of $5,500. CSPA High
School music teacher Jessica Perry and
senior student Landon Brien will accept
the award in Washington DC in April.
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 13
DOWNTOWN BRIGHTON STAYS COMPETITIVE
WITH WORLD CLASS TRAINING
The Downtown Brighton Principal
Shopping District (PSD) is stepping up
its game in an effort to stay competitive
with surrounding communities. A total
of 80 employees from more than 20
different businesses in the PSD will be
attending ZingTrain, a customer service
training program created and operated by the world famous, Zingerman’s.
Firmly planted in Ann Arbor, Zingerman’s, and its community of businesses,
is widely known for its excellence in
quality, customer service and branding.
The idea to have the PSD offer this
training to its merchants came from
Brighton City Councilmember, Kristoffer
Tobbe last summer. Tobbe spoke to the
By Jen Ling
PSD Board about offering the training to
the downtown businesses, and to have
the PSD share the cost with interested
merchants in the district.
“Over the past 10 years, we have
established our downtown business
district as the downtown to be in,” said
Tobbe. “We have had enormous success
as a community, and have made the
downtown business district the heart of
not just the city of Brighton, but also the
entire surrounding Brighton area. I am,
however, one to believe that we should
appreciate what we have achieved and
work towards making it even better. We
have a great place, so let’s invest and do
things that can make us better.”
The PSD Board liked the idea and
had an overwhelming response from
its businesses. Since the main purpose
of the PSD is to market the downtown
area, and to keep people shopping, dining and using the services in the district,
offering this training seemed to fit with
its goals.
“All of us can improve our service,”
said Nick Palizzi, owner of Downtown
Main Martini Bar and Grille, PSD Board
Member and founder of Brightondining.
com, an independent restaurant group
made up of many restaurants in downtown. “If an opportunity comes along
to provide better service to our guests,
why wouldn’t we take it?”
The training consists of two sessions,
both aimed to give attendees the inside
scoop on the tactics and techniques that
have helped make Zingerman’s a strong
Michigan success story. This approach
is easily implemented, and many businesses around the country have been
successful with this training program.
“If we can elevate our customer service levels, as a community, it would
allow us all to prosper,” said Tobbe. “Our
business owners would thrive, their
staff would earn more money and be
more satisfied in their roles, and our
community would become known as a
place where people treat their customers well.”
SALESPERSON WANTED 734.629.6010 • SALESPERSON WANTED 734.629.6010
14 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
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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
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[email protected].
SALESPERSON WANTED
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THE RESOLUTIONIST
By Amy Scholl
An emerging area of conflict resolution is the field of infertility and fertility
treatment, which can affect one person,
a couple, or even a family. The sheer diagnosis of infertility presents a conflict
for many people in this country and
around the world, and complex decision
making regarding potential treatment
adds to the conflict. Patients may feel
confused, scared, and even angry about
the diagnosis of infertility. Over the past
decade vast improvements have been
made in fertility treatment which have
brought a lot of hope, but practitioners
are still developing methods for treating
both the physical and the psychological aspects of this unique conflict. The
mental health and conflict resolution
role in the diagnosis and treatment of
infertility is crucial and should not be
sidestepped, in-part because new re-
search suggests that the psychological
distress involved in fertility treatment
can be even greater than the psychological distress involved with infertility (so
the treatment may be more difficult psychologically than the condition itself, for
some people). This doesn’t necessarily
mean that people should decline treatment, but it does mean that those who
choose to engage in treatment should
consider mental healthcare along with
their physical healthcare. Fertility treatment has come a long way and it can,
in some cases, be the answer to many a
prayer; but the bottom-line is that the
mental health of a person (or couple)
facing infertility needs to be supported.
I
By Barb Griffith-Watkins
Q. I know there was an outbreak of canine flu in the Chicago area last year, and
dogs actually died from it. Is it a concern
in this area, and should I have my dog
vaccinated? What are the signs of this
flu?
A. The canine influenza (flu) has not
become an epidemic here, but those
are good questions that need to be addressed. Do we wait until there is an
epidemic and dogs die, or do we prevent
the disease from becoming a life-threatening situation? If your dog goes to these
By Tedd Wallace
to the Livingston Home Telephone Co.
This made long distance calls more readily available. By the turn of the century
it was not uncommon to see dozens of
phone wires on the poles as so many
companies had formed. Dial telephones
came to South Lyon around 1940 and by
1953 were serving 1400 hundred subscribers. The numbers rose to 3270 in
1972 and calls to Northville, Plymouth
and Ann Arbor were toll free! By 1913
the South Lyon Herald was publishing
the phone book with 406 names. Even
I can remember in the mid 1960s you
could make a local call by dialing just 5
numbers. Now we feel naked if we forget
our cell phones at home or are away a
few hours from it. I suppose someday a
chip will be installed in our body and the
thought process will make the call. Hmmmm I better apply for a patent on that!
Enter the
numbers 1
thru 7 into the
four rows, the
four columns,
and the two
diagonals.
2
3
5
1 2
I
5
7 I
R6
R 7
2
6
7
1
Look for the answer to
this puzzle next month.
ADVERTISE
For more info call 734.629.6010
Ask the Vet is brought to you by Dr. Barbara Griffith-Watkins, Griffith Veterinary
Hospital, 240 Jennings Rd., Whitmore
Lake. (734) 449-PETS (7387).
By Leo Tschirhart
Tedd Wallace is a former mayor and
retired teacher from South Lyon, email:
[email protected]
IN THE COURANT
places, he could get exposed to this virus:
dog parks, dog day care, boarding kennels, grooming facilities, dog shows or
events. The signs are: persistent cough,
sneezing, runny nose, loss of appetite,
loss of energy. There are vaccines available for both strains of this deadly virus.
Ask your veterinarian if it is something
you should consider for your dog.
LEO’S SQUARE GRID
Amy is a Mediation and Conflict Resolution Specialist.
FROM THE LYON’S DEN
t was 1884 and some merchants in
South Lyon wanted to help South
Lyon get that new fangled telephone
system invented eight years earlier
by Alexander Graham Bell. They had to
come up with $500 to get the line run
from Grand River in New Hudson the 5
miles into South Lyon. It’s actually closer
to six miles if it was run along the road
but they saved $100 to cut corners and
go cross-country though the fields and
the woods. Lines were run through the
tallest trees and roof tops. After running
some lines into Salem and Green Oak
Townships the customers still only ran
up to about 35 as many people scoffed at
their value.
The “speaking telephone” as it was
called then was still quite crude as people had to yell in the mouth piece to be
heard as the wires were noisy and conversation was difficult. The rates were a
dollar a month and $1.50 for the stores.
The South Lyon Telephone Co. was organized in 1893 and now was connected
ASK THE VET DOG FLU
Here is the answer to
last month’s puzzle.
5
1 3 5
5 2
1
3 1 2
1 4 3
5 24
4
1
42
34
54
5 2
3 1
2
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 15
16 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 17
ON THE WILD SIDE WOOD DUCK
W
ith April coming and the
birds returning, look up
into the trees, especially
the trees near water. Two
years ago I thought I saw a Mallard in a
tree, but after looking more closely I realized it was the Wood Duck. (Of course,
I had to look it up online.)
The wood duck or “Carolina duck”
is a species or classification of ducks
that perch in trees. It is one of the most
colorful birds of North American waterfowl. The mallard is another colorful
duck and it is larger than the wood
duck. What I noticed about the wood
duck was the shape of the head. It is as
if there is a helmet going down the back
of the head. The head looks like a metallic purple and green. The bill is shaped
so that from different angles it is different shapes.
Researching the information on this
bird I have learned that the male does
not have decorative markings all yearround. They use their attractive features
during the breeding season that will go
from fall to early summer. In late summer they have gray feathers with blue
Story & Photo By Mary Hobgood
on the wings and white on the face and
neck. As any school child will tell you
the male is more colorful than the female because the female sits on the nest
and she has to have more camouflage.
The wood duck has over 6 different colors on its body.
The female have gray and brown
feathers on the body.
“Wood ducks are about 19 inches in
length. They have a wingspan of about
28 to 39 inches.” As to their diet, wood
ducks alter their diet throughout their
lives. When young they eat small fish
and aquatic life. As they age they eat
more plant matter. Typically they do not
live past the age of 4 in the wild. The
wood duck likes a mix of habitats that
include, ponds, lakes, marshes, forests,
rivers and streams. We are in the range
that this duck occupies, but the bird
was losing numbers when women liked
beautiful feathers in their hats in the
19th century.
The female wood duck will lay eggs
in the cavity of a tree and will even lay
eggs in another nest. Sometimes there
will be as few as 6 eggs and as many as
40 eggs. People often make “boxes” for
the ducks to lay eggs in. The young will
leave the nest, drop down to the ground,
and make a mad dash to water.
I have seen this duck in April of 2014
and 2015. I am looking for it again this
April. If you don’t have a pond and trees
where you live, take a walk near one
and look up in the trees.
SOURCES
Wikipedia
National Wildlife Federation
CAUGHT READING
Tim and Janet Jarrett caught friends Linda Gamnes and Steve
Chaikin reading The Courant on their boat near Duck Key in Florida.
ADVERTISE
IN THE COURANT
Cartoon by William Barrel
For more info call 734.629.6010
18 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016
RIGHT TO LIFE LIVINGSTON ANNOUNCES
HIGH SCHOOL ORATORY CONTEST WINNERS
By Nancy Gillard Doran
Right to Life of Livingston County is
pleased to announce the winners of this
year’s High School Oratory Contest. The
contest was held on Thursday, March 10,
at the Brighton Chamber of Commerce.
The students spoke about prolife issues,
such as abortion, euthanasia and cloning.
Each participant received a gift bag as
well as cash prizes. First place winner,
Bailey Bonin, a sophomore at Brighton
High School, will advance to the Right to
Life of Michigan state contest in May.
Participants in the annual Right to
Life Livingston High School Oratory
Contest, from left to right: Holly Dunivant (Charyl Stockwell Preparatory
Academy), 2nd place winner - Alicia
Ward (Howell High School), 3rd place
winner - Olivia Pecuch (Howell High
School), Mitchell Carroll (Howell High
School) and 1st place winner - Bailey
Bonin (Brighton High School).
LETTER TO
THE EDITOR
I am appalled at what is happening
in this country. In addition to the violence at Donald Trump’s rally in Chicago where 2 officers were injured and
5 people arrested/the one in St. Louis
where a man was beaten to a bloody
pulp and the latest today (March 12th)
in Ohio where the Secret Service had
to jump on stage—the anger and hatred has to STOP! I am certainly NOT
a supporter of Donald Trump but if
you have made up your mind against
him—then don’t go to his rallies. I
understand why people are angry and
fearful but violence IS NOT the way to
combat it. Division certainly does not
unify and we all know this country
needs unity.
Mary Devlin
Northfield Township
WWW.COURANTONLINE.COM • 19
20 • THE COURANT • APRIL 2016