Side roads and tall corn

I had to drive out to Cone Road in Milan Township yesterday afternoon for a story and picture. It's a bit of hike from our offices in downtown Saline, but I was reminded what a wonderful time of year it is in Michigan to head out into the surrounding "farm country."

Maybe it's the cool clear light that really brings out the soft beauty of the countryside. The corn was tall on either side of me as I drove. The barns seemed to be a sharper rusty red, the farmhouses a brighter white. The sky was that wide open blue that makes you feel the world is domed by a pristine lake. I love the golden color of the rolled up hay and the way the rolls seem plopped down in the field.

The countryside around this area is a picture postcard this time of year. It was a beautiful drive.

And whenever the thought of the price of gas popped in my mind, I turned it away by turning back to admire the landscape of corn.

Any suggestions on more scenic drives nearby?

Individual wrestling takes teamwork, too

I attended the individual wrestling regional tournament in Warren on Saturday where three Milan wrestlers qualified to advance to the state finals March 6-8 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. David Box became Milan's first heavyweight regional champion and state qualifier. Dan Vivian at 125-lb and Jacob Nelson at 160-lb each finished fourth.

As far as I can tell from MHSAA archives, this is the first time in at least a decade that three Milan wrestlers have made it to state. We've had two make it before, but it looks like three is a first. I think it's the start of a trend because all three of these guys are juniors and there are a number of talented young wrestlers coming up behind them.

On Saturday, it occurred to me that there is a myth surrounding wrestling, particularly at the individual tournaments. The true part of the myth is that when a wrestler is on the mat he is on his own (with the help of some shouted coaching from two chairs at the corner, of course). Each wrestler ultimately determines his own fate. There is no one they can turn to for assistance; no one they can depend on to have their back if they slip up. There is not another teammate who can pick them up and save the team. It is all on the individual wrestler. They do it on their own.

That part is true. Here's what's not true: They do it on their own. As I witnessed on Saturday, there actually is some teamwork involved in the individual tournaments. Or maybe it would be more appropriate to call it "familywork." The Milan contingent of friends and family had secured a table overlooking the mats and had food, water, Gatorade, changes of clothes. You name it. They were there for the their wrestlers. Make no mistake, it was a long day -- began at 10 a.m. and didn't wrap up until after 6 p.m. I can't imagine any wrestler doing well on the mat without that kind of support. It's hard to wrestle well when there is no one cheering for you; when there is no one afterwards to pat you on the shoulder, hand you some water. The Milan wrestlers didn't have to worry about that.

State-quality individual wrestling performances demand the best a wrestler has on the mat. They also demand a strong support network. You know, almost like a team.

The Palace of Auburn Hills, here we come!

Time is running out for school board candidates to file

This is just a reminder. Time is running out for anyone interested in running for a seat on the Saline or Milan school boards.

The filing deadline is 4 p.m. Feb. 13 -- next Wednesday. Time to get on your horse!

Two seats are up on each board. In Saline, Lisa Slawson is running again, but Kim Van Hoek is not. In Milan, Mary Mehringer has thrown her hat in the ring again, but Dennis Albers last week announced that because of work commitments he was not up for another term.

The terms on the two school boards run from July 1 to June 30, 2012, with the election taking place May 6.

To run for school board, you must be at least 18 years old, a resident of the district and registered to vote. You need to collect between 40 and 100 signatures on a petition before filing with the Washtenaw County clerk or you can cough up a $100 filing fee.

Petitions may be picked up at district offices or the County Clerk's office. In Milan, applications are available at the central office at the high school and in Saline, petitions are available in the financial office on the second-floor of Union School.

This is a critical time for both districts. There are financial challenges to be met and both will be under the guidance of new superintendents come July 1.

These boards will not have an easy time the next few years and will have to make some tough decisions. Good people are needed.

Are you one?

Kids with drive are inspiration

I had the opportunity last week to write stories about two area teenagers who demonstrate a remarkable and rare drive for success. We're going to hear more about these two kids; each is going to do big things, I guarantee it.

Zach Wigal, a Saline High School senior, has spent much of the past year getting off the ground the Gamers Outreach Foundation , a non-profit that will bring video gamers together for charity fund-raisers. Wigal's idea emerged from disappointment: about a year ago, a Halo 2 tournament he planned to hold at the high school was canceled by school officials four days before it was to take place after they decided the game was too violent to hold on school grounds. Instead of throwing up his hands in despair or even just trying to hold another tournament somewhere else, Wigal decided to tackle a bigger issue. He decided to change the perception that video gamers were only obsessed with the violence of the digital world; that somehow gamers were social misfits because of their passion.

He envisioned turning gaming toward good. And his vision is taking off. The charity foundation will hold its first fund-raiser, Gamers for Giving, Feb. 29-March2 at Eastern Michigan University. Some 300 gamers are expected to take part in the event and GOF hopes to raise around $7,500 for the Autism Society of Washtenaw County.

The buzz on this continues to grow. I think Zach's vision has real, long-term legs. This isn't a simple fund-raiser. This is a movement. And this kid is only 18. Watch for some amazing things from Wigal; you'll be seeing his name again on a national level, I'm sure.

Another kid who is bound to be heard from a lot in the future is Tevyn Cole, a 14-year-old clothing designer attending Milan High School.

This kid, I'm telling you, all you can say is, "Wow." He started his line of School Me clothing when he was ten. Ten! I think at 10 I was collecting rocks and digging a hole in a nearby field to create an underground fort. Tevyn has more productive ways to spend his time. His clothing line celebrates Black history and the accomplishments of African-American scientists and engineers. The idea alone is solid, but Cole is a natural-born entrepreneur and he would throw the same amount of energy and committment behind any idea he became passionate about. He has his own business cards and Web site. He was recently selected as one of 100 teenagers from across the country to take part in the Disney's Dreamers Academy, where he spent four days hob-nobbing with Disney executives and other successful people in a wide range of fields.

One of these days, I fully expect to flip on my television and see Tevyn being interviewed by Donny Deutsch on CNBC's The Big Idea, where they talk to men and women who have become successful in entrepreneurial pursuits.

I really can't wait to see where these two kids take their lives. They have all the ingredients as far as I can tell to succeed and succeed madly.

But no pressure, guys, no pressure.

Muckler delivers strong State of the City address

I've had to sit through a number of State of the City addresses in my time, but I can honestly say I haven't heard one better than the address Milan Mayor Kym Muckler gave at the council meeting Monday night.

It was broad in scope, celebrated the positive things taking place in Milan, but didn't shy away from painting a pretty clear picture of the financial challenges the city faces.

Even after laying out the grim financial facts, Muckler managed to touch on a litany of events, volunteers, and bright spots that should have left most listeners uplifted and more confident about the future.

Read what she had to say for yourself and let me know what you think:

"Fellow citizens of Milan,

Tonight it is my honor to inform you of the state of our city. Although it has been a short two months since Election Day, I have been very busy getting up to speed on the issues now facing us, and as well as future challenges.

First of all, I am confident in the administrative staff and department heads that have seen us through a financially difficult time. Our city administrator, clerk treasurer, building and zoning official, police chief and parks and rec director are quality people, who stepped up their efforts to maintain our services, despite dramatic cuts in personnel and departmental budgets. I’ve reappointed them all.

Secondly, the most urgent test facing our city is our financial picture. You’ve all just heard the report from our auditor. It is certain that our budget will require vigilant stewardship.

Last year, the downturn in the housing market resulted in tap-in fees of approximately $50,000 instead of a projected $750,000. The projected amount was to be used to offset the annual $1 million payment towards the $13.7 million dollar Waste Water Treatment Expansion bond. This situation meant that our last council was put in the position of making some very tough budget decisions totaling some $600,000 dollars in cuts to make up for that difference.

Last March, Automotive Components Holdings, LLC, also known as ACH, submitted a challenge to their 2006 real and personal property tax bill. They requested an 84 percent reduction in their assessed valuation. We offered to reduce the real property assessment in return for ACH dropping the assessment challenge on their personal property tax. While they have not officially rejected our proposal, they continue to challenge the assessment. If the state should rule in ACH’s favor, it could mean a decrease of as much as $900,000 in revenue per year. This would devastate our already strained budget. We, as your elected leadership, have pledged to vigorously defend our assessments.

We are currently reviewing several options and strategies for minimizing the city’s financial risk.

Many of the cuts made last year made a positive effect on our finances this year. While this year’s budget will be a challenge for us, the news isn’t all bad. According to our audit, the city did experience some gain. The city realized an increase in the reserve balance, or rainy day fund of more than $212,000 dollars, which increased the city’s fund balance to just under $300,000. This growth translates to a fund balance reserve of 5.4 percent. This is up from 1.5 percent from last year.

While this is good news---it should be tempered with some caution. Remember, we made several ONE-TIME cuts to make this happen. Our auditor recommends we maintain between 20 and 25 percent of our general fund in reserve to cover any future emergencies or unforeseen contingencies. We are constantly reviewing our budget tokeep our costs down while maintaining services.


While the financial crisis is not over, our recovery is in sight. We have many challenges facing us in the coming months to stabilize our finances.

As a council we’ve reviewed the goals and objectives of the last council and reprioritized some of them. We all agree that the city must continue to focus on diversifying its tax base, attracting more investment here.

Gains toward this goal have been achieved, despite the state’s recession. We regularly experience interest from business and industry to open doors here in Milan. We will continue to focus on recruitment for investment here. This focus on economic development is starting to pay off. Very soon, we will welcome a nearly 22,000 square foot medical facility, Integrated Health Associates to Milan. This new venture will represent upward of $1.75 million in taxable value to our city.

In addition, trucking organization, Martin Transportation Systems, Inc is renovating the former Autolign building. This new business is expected to bring some 125 jobs to Milan.

Also, Bay Logistics, a sister company to Martin Transportation, is expected to make some 50 local job openings this year.

We continue to aggressively pursue industrial, commercial and business investment in Milan. We have established contacts with state and local economic development organizations. We stay in constant communication for leads of new investors that would be a good fit here. Our city is now on the radar screen.

Last week, the department heads and I started work on a “continuity” plan for our city, to enhance our current emergency management plan. We’ve also started a review of current city practices and procedures and are looking for ways to improve and enhance our services and public safety.

Moreover, I’m taking advantage of learning opportunities offered by the Michigan Municipal League for elected officials as well as the Institute for Local Government.

Next month, our city administrator and I will attend a Community Economic Adjustment Program to learn about potential funding resources to support our community’s recovery in response to the state’s economic situation.

We strive to continually learn and research ways to make Milan more environmentally responsible. This week, the city administrator and I, will attend an information seminar on Planning for Green Communities.

There are countless ways to solve problems, but only if you know what your options are---we are always looking for and exploring new options and possibilities.

Also, we will continue to take advantage of grant and aid opportunities to offset costs for infrastructure repair, through state and federal grants.

Our city administrator recently identified several projects for which we may apply for more than $3 million dollars in grants for several road improvement projects, including Wabash Street, sections of Plank Road, the Plank Road Bridge, and resurfacing of County, Tolan and North streets.

Moreover, we are looking at using environmentally responsible techniques for these road improvements, which recycles our existing asphalt. This procedure is also more cost effective than other processes.

Although there are many tests and challenges ahead, we will address them each one by one.
Despite the dismal economic projections of the experts we see on the nightly news—I believe we can take control of our own destiny, right here in Milan, by empowering our most valuable asset—our residents.

You and I are the stakeholders of our city—-we can make a real difference here, by shopping locally and spending our dollars here, in Milan’s businesses, restaurants, services, and locally owned industries. This should be our first priority.

In addition, we should encourage visitors to come here for great events like our Community Fair, fireworks, parades, and parks and recreation programs. Many of these events are run solely by volunteers at no cost to the city. Volunteers organize many of our youth sports, including baseball, soccer and most recently flag-football.

We have a great school system. Our Milan Public Library provides not only state-of-the-art resources for our community, but wonderful children’s programs and quiet leisure time for our residents and greater community.

We are a community minded citizenry. Our volunteer opportunities benefit our quality of life.
These events strengthen our sense of connection to one another, and they revitalize our economy.

Events include a weekly car show, hosted by the local car enthusiast club, the Backstreet Cruizers. This year the Backstreet Cruizers in cooperation with the Milan Area Chamber of Commerce organized our Christmas Parade. In addition, our Downtown Development Authority organized several exciting events, including Discover Milan, Downtown Trick-or-Treat, to promote our downtown and draw interest and vitality to our Main Street. The Moving Milan Forward group, which started as a coffee clutch has several exciting projects and ideas for improving our city’s parks along the lake and throughout town. Our Historical Society hosts some fascinating programs highlighting our own unique history here. The Milan Area Chamber of Commerce is extremely active in helping draw interest and business people to Milan on a regular basis. The Milan Chamber recently hosted an informative event that highlighted the benefits of “Thinking Local First,” that supports the premise of shopping and buying local. Many of these events were held at no cost to the taxpayers, and would not be possible without the people willing to volunteer. I hope to encourage more of that kind of commitment.

I’d also like to mention and commend the volunteers who serve on the Milan Police Reserve. This group of individuals volunteers their own time to keeping the peace in our community, at no cost to the tax payers. The reserve officers report for duty without any pay.

The on-call Milan Area Fire Department firefighters are another elite group of individuals who deserve our acknowledgement and gratitude. In Milan, the volunteer fire fighters are a source of both community and family pride, spanning some three generations in some families. We are committed to continuing this tradition of on-call firefighters long into our future.

This kind of involvement and commitment to the City of Milan helps us stay connected to one another. A tight knit community attracts more people interested in doing good things for our community—be it opening a business or becoming a new resident—both are investments in our city’s future. As your Mayor, I pledge to continue to provide the quality of life that we all have come to expect while keeping our costs and taxes down. If you have any comments or concerns—I want to hear from you. I am available to talk or meet with you to hear what you have to say and to answer your questions.

Remember: We are Milan. We are the stakeholders.

Thank you.

Picking All-Heritage team is tough work

I think it's three years now that we've been sitting down to select an All-Heritage football team. It's been tough every year. It seems there are always more deserving players than there are positions. It further complicates matters that I'm not objective enough when it comes to the sports teams I cover to base my choices solely on stats or size. I can't hide that there are some players I want on the team simply because I like their attitude on the field, I like the way they hit, or I like they way they lead on the sidelines. Maybe I just like that one tme they caught a third-and-long pass and put out the extra effort to get some YACs and the first down. It may be the only catch the kid had all year, but when I sit down to consider who warrants a spot on the All-Heritage team, I remember that play and think, "That was a pretty sweet catch, man. That dude deserves to be on the AH team!" It's an emotional reaction for me.

After all, these are my guys. I've been covering them all season long. And I want my guys on the AH squad. If it were solely up to me, there would be a preponderance of my guys on that team. Just the way I try to stack the All-Star ballot with Tigers.

Fortunately, I guess, there are my fellow sportswriters with whom I must consult and they temper my inclination to favor my guys. They're a difficult bunch of fellows to persuade that a kid should make the AH list simply because I say, "You should have seen this one catch!" They like to factor in stats and size as well. They're reasonable.

"They can't all be your guys," they say.

And that is true. So we settle in and do the best we can to distribute the honors and pick the best players for each position without coming to blows (which we never have). This year there was a cornucopia of outstanding area linebackers. We could have easily named seven to the AH team, but you can't have seven linebackers, can you? So a couple of my guys didn't make it, which bums me out.

But selecting the All-Heritage team is supposed to be tough. In fact, the tougher it is, the better year it was for all the teams, and that's a good thing.

Still, I look at the team and can't help thinking for some of the positions, "That should have been one of my guys."

Q&A on the streets of Milan and Saline

Finally, after more than five years here at the papers, I did my first Street Talk over the weekend. Street Talk is that regular feature on the Commentary page where random residents respond to usually innocuous questions such as "What is your favorite pie?" and we run their picture above their answer (e.g., "Pumpkin."). The reporter usually nabs people at the grocery store or at a coffee shop. I have the feeling that most everybody reads Street Talk -- it's quick, it's fun, and you never know if you might see the face of someone you know. I think readers enjoy Street Talk.

But here's a secret: a lot of the reporters seem to hate it. People, they complain, don't want to answer the question or don't want their photo taken. The reporters get tired trying to come up with interesting questions week after week.

Here's another secret: to enjoy doing Street Talk it appears you have to do it only once every five years. Because I got a kick out of it.

I enjoyed coming up with the question and I enjoyed approaching people to ask them. Only one said he didn't want to to do it. And while most complained about getting their picture taken, they all agreed in the end.

Here was my question: You're familiar with the song "The 12 Days of Christmas." If there were a 13th day of Christmas, what would you want your true love to bring to you?

Now, I thought that was a pretty fun question, but people had a more difficult time answering it than I thought they would. I thought people might say, "13 gargling gargoyles" or "13 playful puppies." I was surprised to find some took the question literally, which is fine, I just wasn't expecting that (after all, who really wants 13 of anything). I imagine being stopped on the street and asked a question out of the blue doesn't necessarily catch people in their most imaginative moment.

I get to do Street Talk again for the Dec. 27 editions, and I can't wait. Be looking for me. I'm trying to come up with my question now -- something tricky, but not too tricky; something clever, but not too clever; something provoking, but not too provoking. That is the challenge!

I'm open to suggestions, by the way. Let me know if you've got a good idea for a Street Talk question.

Timeline of Freshman Football controversy

The events leading up to the cancellation of the Saline freshman football season began back in August and came to a head the first week of October, according to an incident report obtained by the Saline Reporter. Other dates were provided by Saline High School principal Ben Williams in an report to the school board Saturday morning.

Aug. 27:
(approx. 5:30 p.m.) A Saline freshman football player is said to have swore at a coach during a conditioning practice. Approximately an hour later, head coach Jared Falkowski reports the incident to athletic director Rob White. White requests statements on the incident from Falkowski, assistant coach Mike Burchyett, and assistant coach Brian Buchanan.

Aug. 28:
(approx. 1:30 p.m.) White, Falkowski and Saline High School principal Ben Williams meet with the athelte and his parents. The student denies any swearing. The family accuses the coaches of denying the player water, of using abusive, intimidating and derogatory language, to the student-athletes and of violating the Michigan High School Athletic Association guidelines on hydration. Williams and White assure the family that an investigation into the incident would be held. The athlete was put on hiatus from practice pending the investigation.

After the meeting, Williams and White interview five freshman football players who the family said were witnesses of the incident and could corrobroate their son's story. The administrators also interview all four freshman coaches. Based on the interviews with athletes and coaches, Williams and White conclude that the freshman football staff broke no rules. They further conclude that the student conducted himself with "Gross Disrespect by cussing and threatening staff with lawsuits during practice." Williams and White uphold the coaches' decision to expel the student from the freshman football team.

Sept.
Over the next month, the family appeals the decision and meets no less than three times with Superintendent Beverley Geltner. Dates of the those meetings have not been obtained.

Oct. 1
Williams receives an evening phone call from Geltner, informing him she has new information on the incident. They arrange an 8 a.m. meeting for the following day.

Oct. 2
(8 a.m.) Geltner meets with Williams where they review MHSAA guidelines for hydration and Geltner announces her decision to reinstate the student. Assistant coach Mike Burchyett resigns later that afternoon in objection to the reversal. Freshman football practice is cancelled.

Oct. 3
Sometime during the day, according to a letter from the team doctor obtained by the Reporter, Geltner has a phone conversation with Dr. Sean C. Adelman, in which they discuss in general terms hydration policies for athletic practices and games.

Prior to lunch, Geltner meets with Falkowski to discuss the status of the freshman football program.

After lunch, Geltner meets with Williams and White, at which time they tell her they have heard rumors that the other three freshman coaches might resign. Williams requested additional police presence on campus from Pittsfield Township, expecting student and parental emotions to run high. Prior to practice that afternoon, the coaches announce to the players they are stepping down. Practice is canceled. The Adrian game scheduled for the following evening is also canceled.

Oct. 4
7:15 a.m. Williams holds a crisis management meeting at the high school, anticipating upset students and parents. There are no incidents. Williams decides it would be "prudent" to provide the reinstated football player a security escort as needed throughout the day.

William and White begin considering options available to save the freshman football season. They find no good answers.

Oct. 5
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Graden, Geltner, board president Lisa Slawson, and deputy superintendent of curriculum Betty Rosen-Leacher meet on and off to discuss options. Shortly before 4 p.m., the district announces the cancellation of the freshman football season.

Oct. 6
8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. A special school board meeting is held in the Union School gym. Nearly 200 parents, coaches, teachers, and students attend. More than 30 address the board, many calling for the superintendent's dismissal.

11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The board confers in closed session.

The next regularly scheduled school board meeting is 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Union School.

Sept. 11 should be day of renouncing fear

The day the World Trade Center was attacked remains undefined in the American consciousness. Six years after one of the most horrific days in our nation’s history, Americans have yet to resolve the depth of Sept. 11’s impact on our national identity.

An indicator that we continue to grapple with the tragic event’s shock to the national psyche is that there is still no unified understanding of how the day should be marked.

Americans know what to do on Independence Day, Memorial Day and Election Day. We even have traditional ways of spending Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Those days are well delineated.

But I do not know what to do on Sept. 11, a day so unlike any other national day of honor we have not dared to christen it with a name. It stands stark and stripped. It is 9/11. That is all. There is no “day” that follows. Perhaps we intuitively understand that to give the day a name would heighten the risk that it may evolve into a holiday, and that it can never be.

So I wonder, how should we honor the date? What should the day involve? What should the day signify?

I have personally struggled with how to recognize the sixth anniversary of 9/11.

Surely it is a day of remembrance for the thousands of innocent Americans who lost their lives. And so there will be ceremonies, moments of silence, the tolling of bells, and the laying of wreaths. That is all proper and fitting.

Surely, too, it is a day of reflection as Americans wrestle with the wound inflicted on us as a nation. So there will be discussions and editorials, addresses and prayers, and all that is proper and fitting, as well.

But I have concluded that Sept. 11 should be more than a day of reverent commemoration. It should be more than the media’s repeated showings of the monstrous and cowardly act; more than dramatic accounts of the countless feats of heroism that took place as ash and smoke filled the New York skyline.

Sept. 11 should be a day of not only remembrance and reflection, but a day of response. It should be a day of defiance. It should be a day on which every one us stands up and shakes a fist.

Terrorists attacked American civilians who were simply going about their daily business on Sept. 11 for the sole purpose of instilling fear within us.

Sept. 11 should be a day when we proclaim they failed.

It should be a day when we renounce fear. When we announce to the world that we will not cower. We will not lead our lives afraid.

About a year after the towers fell, a friend told me she had never been so afraid as she was the weeks following the attack. She was afraid for her children and for the world they would inherit.
Her fear has subsided somewhat since, but it has not vanished. It’s still there, lingering, smoldering. And it rears its ugly head every time the Department of Homeland Security ratchets up its terror alert from yellow to orange.

Sept. 11 should stand as a day for my friend and all Americans to confront and banish their fear.

Sept. 11 should serve as a reminder not only of what happened that day but also as a reminder that Americans will not forego the rights and privileges we have spent more than 200 years fighting to secure.

At the core of our founding principles is the right to live without fear. We shall not be afraid to speak; we shall not be afraid to worship; we shall not be afraid to assemble.

Living in fear is un-American.

We have taken to battlefields and to our own streets so that we do not have to live in fear and on Sept. 11 we should remember that, too.

That’s what I intend to remind myself again and again on Sept. 11.

The terrorists failed.

As an American, I will not live in fear. I refuse to. And now there is a day on which I will reaffirm that conviction to the world.

That day is Sept. 11.

Labor Day . . . should just be called Day-off Day

Labor Day. There is very little labor going on, however. The newspaper office is empty save for myself, and even I moseyed in around two this afternoon, wearing jeans, sneakers, and a ballcap. The phone has been silent. There are no e-mails, except for the ones inviting me to invest money in Nigeria or to purchase some confidence-boosting snakeoil.

I'm not a big fan of Labor Day. It ranks for me right at the bottom of the holiday ladder, not far behind Columbus Day.

If, like me, you ever wondered how we came up with this crazy, idle holiday, you can read about Labor Day's history at (where else) the U.S. Department of Labor's Web site.

The problem with Labor Day, of course, is that there's still work to be done; just no one's doing it. Everyone's putting it off until Tuesday, which in some industries might not be a problem, but at a weekly paper it can cause a real crunch. No one bumps back deadlines because, "Oh, sure, Monday was Labor Day, go on, take a little longer." That doesn't happen.

I think we should call the first Monday in September something else (Day-off Day, for example) and give Tuesday (the day we have to make up all the work we didn't do on Monday and then some) the name Labor Day. Or if everyone insists on continuing the 115-year-old history of Labor Day, we should christen the Tuesday following as "Two-Days of Labor Day" or "More Labor Than You Had Yesterday Day." Of course, then we'd have to take Tuesday off as well, and that would really set us back.

My disdain for the holiday aside, I hope everyone had a swell Labor Day. Now get back to work.

Community should be proud of Chapter 310

When I finally reached John Kinzinger this week to ask him his thoughts on being named Vietnam Veteran of the Year last month at the national convention of Vietnam Veterans of America, he was at the VFW hall, where he is commander, preparing for an upcoming event on Sunday.

Kinzinger is always preparing for something. He is a man filled with uncommon dedication and energy. He invited me to a fund-raiser at Sidetracks in Depot Town Wednesday night; he wanted me to make it to the WWII event at the VFW on Sunday to take pictures. Once Kinzinger gets a hold of you, he does not easily let go. His passion pulls you right in.

There has never been a parade I have attended that I did not see Kinzinger marching. He appears tireless in his pursuit to assist and support veterans.

I talked with other members of Chapter 310, which was named Chapter of the Year at the national convention, and I don't know that I have talked with so many men who have as clear a purpose and as sharp a focus as they do.

Gary Lillie and Pete Belaire will tell you story after story to illustrate the work Chapter 310 does to support veterans.

Here's one Pete told me that I couldn't fit in this week's article:

There is a soldier from Parma named Tim Lang who was badly injured by an IED in Iraq. He was at the VA and Chapter members had taken to visiting him. There came a time when Lang was ready to head home, but would need to make regular trips back to the VA for physical therapy and other treatment. He couldn't arrange a ride from Parma to the VA that would fit his schedule so the Chapter made some calls and got the VVM car lot in Milan to donate a car to Lang. It was all set. But Lang never got to drive the car. Shortly after, he had a setback and was transfered to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda where they amputated his foot. Belaire and Kinzinger took a trip to Bethesda to visit Lang and learned he needed new shoes to fit his prosthetic foot. They took Lang on a small shopping spree to find him shoes.

That is supporting our troops. That is the best of the human heart.

My hat off to Chapter 310 -- not just for the honors they received at the VVA national convention -- but for their generosity, caring, dedication; in short, for their humanity.

They should make us all proud.

Milan mayoral debate goes smoothly

I moderated the Milan mayoral debate Monday night. I wasn't initially too keen on the idea because I really would much rather have been in the audience reporting on it. My stomach tends to get a little gurgly and my palms a little damp at the thought of standing up in front of people. I was fairly nervous that I would make some kind of gaff; you know, call a candidate by the wrong name or mess up the order or burp into the microphone.

None of that happened, thank God, and I think it went pretty smoothly.


The three candidates running for mayor in Milan are Kym Muckler, Rod Hill, and Mike Armitage. I thought they did very well over the span of 2-1/2 hours, answering almost 10 questions; six or so from the audience and three from me.

The debate truly reflected democracy at its best, at its core. Monday night was a sound reminder of what democracy is all about.

Milan's next mayor will face some tough decisions, many of which will directly impact the lives of Milan residents. Milan voters face an important choice. The candidates present three distinct visions for Milan and three diverse leadership styles. It will be interesting to see which resonates best with voters.


Everyone believes that voting for the country's president is of vital importance, and it is. But when it comes down to it, who we put on our councils and in our mayoral seats have a profound impact on our lifestyle, our pride in our hometown, and our pocketbooks.

Milan residents should be sure to get out and vote in the Aug. 7 primary and in the November election.

It's important who Milan's next mayor is.

Milan girls' soccer web site in jeopardy

Longtime Milan girls' soccer coach and science teacher Phil Zuber is leaving for a teaching post in Jenison, Michigan. As a teacher he'll be missed and as a coach he'll be missed; he was skilled at both.

Zuber built a terrific and thriving soccer program that had its best season ever this year, going 15-3, and cultivated talented players that should serve the team well in years to come. The future of Milan girls' soccer, I believe, is promising.

What I'm worried about, though, is the future of the team's Web site that Zuber created and maintained. It is the finest I've ever come across for a high school team. It has everything: schedules, rosters, stats, game summaries, league standings, pictures, team records, individual records, awards and scores from the past nine years!

It's fantastic. An invaluable resource. Coaches from across the state should take note. Zuber should open his own consulting business on how to design a high school sports Web site.

I'm sure whatever head coach Milan appoints as Zuber's successor will know plenty about soccer.

The question I have is: will they know HTML? I sure hope so.

Saline's 07-08 budget presentation among the best

There can be nothing more boring than a budget presentation if you're not a numbers person. I know because I've sat through quite a few over the years. Budgets are also tough to write about succinctly while at the same time giving the complete picture.

But I have to say that Saline's assistant superintendent for adminisrative services, Tom Wall, gave one of the finest, clearest budget presentations I have ever seen at the June 26 board meeting. It was comprehensive without being overwhelming; compared well the 07-08 budget to the 06-07 budget; and gave excellent insight into the complexity of a district's financial structure. He used pretty pie charts, too!

If you didn't get a chance to see Wall's presentation (and many didn't because attendance was around 15), you can find it in all its PowerPoint glory here.

Is school of choice in Saline less of a flashpoint than in years past?

About 60 people or so attended an open forum held in the Liberty School auditorium the evening of June 25. They came to hear Superintendent Beverley Geltner explain her decision to begin a school-of-choice program in Saline.

I was struck by the attendance. I expected to see a packed house.

I was struck by the mostly sedate atmosphere. There was disappointment, disagreement, and disgust, sure, but I expected to see fire, outrage, and accusations.

I expected to see, in short, what I saw at similar forums on the issue a few years ago. I remember well the first "townhall" meeting then-Superintendent Sam Sinicropi called to discuss school of choice. It was held in the high school library. An estimated 160 people crammed in. And they were not happy. Their anger was palpable. It turned out to be a bloodbath. Opponents of school of choice chewed Sinicropi to pieces and spat him out. I don't know that he was prepared for the virulent reception. If he was, it didn't help. Looking back, I believe from that moment Sinicropi's days were numbered. I don't think he ever recovered a segment of the community's confidence, and school of choice became a flashpoint for disaffected residents displeased with the district's direction on a variety of fronts.

Flash forward then to Monday night. School administrators who were veterans of the first School of Choice War seemed relieved to me; revved up for an all-out assault, they really only had to fend off a few volleys. It wasn't even vigorous enough to be characterized as a skirmish.

And at the Tuesday night board meeting following the forum, not a single person rose to speak in opposition to school of choice.

Why? I wondered. What has changed over the past year since the school board voted 4-2 before a crowded boardroom to reject a school-of-choice plan presented by Sinicropi as his final shot over the bow?

Are opponents of school of choice weary of the fight? Do they see it as a fait accompli? Maybe many of them changed their view and have come to think of school of choice as disagreeable but palatable -- a lesser evil than laying off teachers and support staff? Did the administrators' decision to package the presentation differently by focusing more on school of choice's potential to reduce elementary class sizes than its potential boon to the budget appease people? Is it simply because Geltner is a new voice and was the candidate of choice for many of those who were most ardently opposed to the Sinicropi administration and so has been granted greater leeway?

Could be, I guess.

Then, again, maybe Monday night was not indicative of lessened opposition to school of choice in Saline. Maybe something's brewing.