Districts time!

Lots going on this weekend... so for those of you who need an update on scheduling and everything, here is what's coming up in the next few days.

Today
--Saline girls' varsity soccer plays its second District game at home at 7 p.m. The finals are to be held Saturday.

Friday
--Saline girls' tennis is headed to the state tournament at Midland Dow
--Saline girls' water polo begins its state tournament competitions. The Hornets are set to play Hudsonville first and the winner of the Okemos versus E. Grand Rapids game next. The girls have a really good shot at second place in the state.
--Saline boys' lacrosse plays a regional game against Cranbrook after winning its first two
--Saline boys' golf competes at the Lakes of Taylor Golf Club in the regional tournament. Hoping for a title here
--Milan hosts the student versus staff softball game at the high school to raise money for sports

Saturday (big day)
--Both Milan and Saline track teams will be competing in state meets
--Saline baseball and softball host district games; their first games are at noon
--Milan baseball and softball host district games; their first games are at 10 a.m.
--Saline water polo continues to play presuming all went well the day before
--Saline district soccer final (presuming the Hornets won on Thursday)

Sunday
GRADUATION FOR SALINE

New Staff Reporter

I thought I would start my very first post to the blog, by introducing myself to those of you who haven't met me yet. I am the new staff reporter at the Saline Reporter and Milan News-Leader. In my first week here, I have already been asked a few times what brought me to Saline. So here is a shortened version of how I got here. It all goes back to me searching for a newspaper internship while completing my degree at Central Michigan University. I live in Jackson and while I was on spring break I searched the web to see what newspapers were located not to far from my home. Among the newspapers I found, I came across the Saline Reporter's website. I decided to stop by the office and see if they would be interested in having an intern for the summer. In the end, I was an intern for the summer of 2007. I wrote several stories and took photos for the Reporter and the News-Leader. I also had the chance to help put the newspaper together. It was an all around good experience, which I found very beneficial as I left college and entered the real world. I loved the people I worked with, I enjoyed meeting the people I met and loved the small town atmosphere. At the end of the day, I'll always be a small town girl. After my internship was over, I decided to sign on as a freelancer for the Reporter and the News-Leader. I figured it would be the best thing I could do, while I searched for a job. I also decided to do some freelance work for the Jackson Citizen Patriot. So that brings us to the present, as I wrap up my first week in Saline. Thanks for all the warm welcomes and best wishes this week. I look forward to the future here and hope to serve this community well. : )

Memorial Day in Pictures

I've just returned from covering Memorial Day events in Milan. It was a more solemn experience than in the past because the Milan High School Marching Band did not participate this year. The program went on as scheduled and brought out scores of residents, who paid their respects. Video will be up soon on our Web site and an article will be published on Thursday's front page. For now, enjoys these photos.

O.M.G. IT'S SO WARM!

I'm wearing a summery dress today and so is my editor and it's really exciting and lovely. Everyone should celebrate. Here's a few ways to get outside and enjoy the weather if you're indoors and at a loss for ideas... you could...

--Make a trip to a local ice cream place, such as Dairy Queen or Mickey's Dairy Twist. Always scrumptious. I like blue raspberry Mr. Misty floats. Best of both worlds.

--Clean that car! And do it yourself! It's decent exercise and it gets you outside, and afterwards you can cruise around and not feel like a bum. It only costs a dollar to clean your car at one of the carport car washes. Or really get some exercise and do it with a sponge in your driveway.

--Take a stroll down Main Street. All the flowers are poppin' and the breeze is nice enough to keep you comfortable. Plus, you might notice a few new local businesses which have sprang up over winter that you never noticed before when driving.

--Buy flowers. They're pretty, and they can lift your spirits, or those of a special someone you give them to. If you're a hardcore green person, I understand that cut flowers are against your religion. In that case, buy a trough and some dirt and some seeds or bulbs and grown your own.

--Go swinging! You know, swinging... on a swing set. The parks are starting to really fill with people and children and spring/summer activities, but enjoy that age-old pastime. But don't jump off from the highest point you can get. You might not be ready to try that again. I know I wasn't.

--Take pictures of a local event you heard about. We're always excited to get photos of the community for our neighbors pages, and you're the perfect person to do it. All you have to do is snap some shots with your digital camera, email them over to us (mrogers@heritage.com or jmiller@heritage.com) and include the names of the people in the photos. It's easy, and the people performing the activity will really appreciate your leadership.

--Go rollerblading! My roommate is a trainer at Bally's... and after she took one client rollerblading for some outdoor work, they all wanted to go. Just make sure you wear the proper protection, especially if you're likely to fall a lot or have any health risks. (I.E. wrist guards, helmet, knee pads, etc.)

--And of course, check out a local sporting event. It's the final stretch of the high school sports with end-of-season games and district competitions. So check those out while you can. Youth league things are well under way, as well.

Hopefully this will incline some of you to get outside and enjoy the beautiful day. Or at least get you thinking about the great ways in which you can do. Cheerio!

Make them pay!

I recently got into an accident with a city service company. I won't say which company it is, because I'm pretty sure they don't want people to know about it, and I wouldn't want to tarnish their image because they've taken care of this quickly and reasonably.

But the story goes as thus... at 12 a.m. at a friend's house on my day off, the doorbell rings and a policeman is waiting to tell me my car has been hit. Having parked half on the lawn and half on the street, this is the sort of thing that makes you want to kick yourself in the face. So I wander outside, and sure enough my parked car has a medium-sized dent where the driver's side quarter panel and door meet. I could not open the door, but it's drivable, as long as I enter the car from the passenger side and climb over the mid console in my teeny tiny Sunfire two door. It was an annoyance, but that is beside the point...

The point of this post is that I learned quite a few things about Michigan law over the past week in getting all of this handled. And I thought I'd share what those laws are so that if others find themselves in this situation with a less cooperative party than the one I worked with, you'll know your options.

First, I learned that accidents that are written up with absolute clear fault on one party or the other wave the no-fault law that Michigan accidents currently operate under. Now don't get excited, because this doesn't happen often. The only reason it applies to me is because I wasn't even in the vehicle. Someone just backed into my parked car when turning around in the opposite driveway. So when this happens, that guilty person is required by law to supply or give money for a rental car during the time which the damaged vehicle is undergoing repairs. Great law. I'm driving a rental that I won't have to shell out for while they fix my car. Thank god, too, because I'm under 25 and the rates are through the roof for renting to people my age.

The other thing I learned, is that when this situation occurs and the no-fault is waived, the guilty party has the option to put the accident through their own insurance rather than having it go through the insurance of the person they hit. Depending on deductibles and whether or not rates may increase for certain parties, this is a nice option to have. But additionally, if in the end the accident IS claimed by the person whose vehicle was damaged, the guilty party must pay the deductible. This is why the two parties will want to discuss which insurance to use.

Car repairs and accidents are a royal pain. Whether it's your fault or not, paying for it all or paying for none, they're still an annoyance and stressful. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you anytime soon or ever. But the likelihood that it will is fairly high, and especially right now (according to the repair shops I appraised with, the accident rate is extremely high right now), so I hope some of this information leaves you better prepared and collected if you find yourself in a similar situation. But good luck and drive safe.

A really beautiful Saline afternoon

This is a great job.
Today, after finishing a story about the budget challenges facing the diligent folks on City Council, I headed out to the SHS track where 180 athletes were gathered to compete in the county's Special Olympics. I love love love this event. I'm not sure who was having a more fun and rewarding experience - the competitors or the high school students who were volunteering to be their "buddies" I hope to print some of these in the paper, but here's a preview.




But wait, that's not all. I then stopped by the beautifully restored Weber-Blaess one-room school where my super awesome son, Patrick and his classmates were experiencing school, c.1860. Cheryl and Jim Hoeft (love them), Joe Rossi (former SHS principal) and parents were on hand to help. Some pics, here, too. Now, I strongly suggest you get outdoors. On your bike, because it's Bike to Work Week in Saline and around the state. Can I borrow your bike lock?

Dealing with athletic injuries

This hits close to home this week, because my knee is injured and I'm attempting to slowly nurse it back to help. But first of all, the best way to deal with an athletic injury is to have a professional athletic trainer or doctor look at it, especially if it is serious. If you have that option or someone knowledgeable available to you, take advantage. And if the injury is obviously bad (a break to a bone or something that causes an inability to move the injured part), you have to seek out a doctor whether you like it or not. But since we don't always have the time or money to deal with tiny aches and pains at medical offices, here are a few steps you can follow on your own to help things along.

Listed below will be some basic, simple guidelines for treating various athletic injuries. For the most part, this applies to sore muscles, which could be a result of fatigue, hyperextension, a pulled muscle, a hurt ligament/tendon, or (obviously the worst) a tear of some kind.

For all muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries, however, you should know that it takes a long time to heal. Bruised, sprained and weakened body parts that we hurt during exercise tend to be in areas that we use very often in everyday activities. That means if you hurt your knee, ankle, or leg, it's kind of hard to stay off of it enough to allow it to heal while still remaining functional in everyday needs such as work. But do your best.

The first step is rest. Stop what you're doing, sit down, and plan on staying less active until it is fully healed. Just because it starts to feel better doesn't mean it is, and you'll feel the proof of that if you try to compete again too soon.

The next step is to ice. Inflammation is a common side effect of an acute muscle or tendon injury. Ice is usually a post-workout technique. If your injury does not cause inflammation, ice might not be the best move, and you'll feel it if it isn't. Your body will know instantly whether or not the ice feels good or bad. If you are going to ice, it is important to follow the proper protocol. Putting ice directly on the skin can cause burns, and if there isn't enough barrier between the ice and your body, it can get incredibly cold and will actually make it more difficult for your muscle tissue to heal. So wrap your injury and put the ice in a towel before using it. Ice for 15-20 minutes about three times a day.

If ice isn't right for you, heat might be. Sometimes soreness and stiffness is best dealt with by using a heating pad on the area. But do not apply heat after exercise. Use it to loosen muscles and relieve tightness.

The next step is anti-inflammatory medication. AKA Tylenol. Motrin is ok, but what you really want is just Acetaminophen and that's all Tylenol is. Motrin is ibuprofen. Both will reduce pain, but many studies show preference to Tylenol where athletic injuries are concerned, and Tylenol is easier on the liver.

Another option to reduce inflammation and increase the likelihood that you don't push yourself too hard is to wrap it. Compression is another useful injury tool, and for this you can use ACE bandages and tapes. Don't wrap so tight that you start to tingle or feel numb in places, but it should be secure enough that it isn't loose.

If you are working through an injury, another side effect can be favoring other muscles and movements to avoid pain in the injured area. But this will probably cause an injury somewhere else. Try to move like normal as best as you can.

If you don't start to feel better after several weeks, make an appointment with a doctor because there is probably worse going on that may require surgery.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Saline

If you lived and breathed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, now's your chance to see it all again right here in Saline. As a part of the 25th anniversary "Shell-ebration," the TMNT Road Trip is coming to the ATA Martial Arts studio owned by Paul Teboe at Woodland and Maple Roads today, May 5 from 5.30 - 6.30. See Michelangelo and the Turtle Party Wagon. There will be martial arts demos, photos, free pizza and more.

get more into at www.ataonline.com/tmnt

Seems they are making a new movie and video and are on a national tour, stopping at the best martial arts studios, including Saline's own Teboe ATA. Call them at 429-5112 for class schedules and info. A few friends of mine take classes there and claim it's a very professional organization with programs for kids and adults. Check it out.

Discover Milan Day in Pictures

Discover Milan Day was a huge success Saturday. Here are some photos that I took and some Martha Churchill is sharing with the newspaper. Video is on our Web site, as well.