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Friday, November 11, 2005
State Recovery Plan Falls Apart
The Detroit News reports that the agreement between Gov. Granholm and legislative leaders for a multibillion-dollar business tax relief and high-tech job investment package to save the floundering state economy apparently collapsed yesterday afternoon. The House and Senate passed a package of bills Thursday that Republican leaders said were true to the agreement, but Granholm said Republican leaders reneged on key parts of the deal and has vowed to veto parts of the package (which would totally fall apart as the legislation is formally tied together).
Five Things You Need to Know for Friday, November 11, 2005
Today is Veterans Day. Visit the Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars and say thanks to a VET.
Free College for All Kalamazoo Public School Students
WLNS TV-6 Lansing reports that students graduating from Kalamazoo's public schools will now go to college, for free. Anonymous benefactors are subsidizing the scholarship program and it is hoped it will spur housing sales and attract business development. Students who have attended for four years or more will be given funding for Michigan college tuition and fees according to years in the system.
Kalamazoo Public Schools (click on the huge "Kalamazoo Promise" banner) Armistice Day Storm & the Carl D. Bradley
While the Edmund Fitzgerald receives the lions share of the press, Michigan has many other shipwrecks worthy of a place in our memory. Carferries of the Great Lakes has a story on the Armistice Day Storm of November 11, 1940, one of the worst storms in the recorded history of Lake Michigan that claimed 5 vessels, and 66 lives. The Marine Historical Society of Detroit's "Great Lakes Ships We Remember" has a brief story on the Carl D. Bradley, which sank off Gull Island on Lake Michigan on November 18, 1958. All but two of the crew of 35 were lost and most came from tiny Rogers City.
Read The Armistice Day Storm of 1940 The Carferries of the Great Lakes Read CARL D. BRADLEY from Great Lakes Ships to Remember Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at the Whitefish Point Light Station Michigan Fallen Heroes Memorial to be Unveiled
The Detroit News reports that workers are putting the final touches on a memorial to honor the 761 Michigan police officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty since 1864. The Michigan Fallen Heroes Memorial is a life-size bronze statute of a police officer and firefighter kneeling side by side before a wall listing those who have died and will be unveiled Nov 21 at the the Oakland County government complex.
GM on the Ropes
The Detroit Free Press reports that General Motors' stock price plunged to a 13-year low Thursday after the latest in a string of financial problems dismayed shareholders once again. Wall Street experts say Michigan's largest company could be bought by a corporate raider like Las Vegas billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, forced to file for bankruptcy, or both.
Hillsdale Mayor Watch: Day Three
Hillsdale's new mayor, high-school senior and write-in candidate Michael Session has now made PEOPLE. However, his new career as one of the nation's youngest elected officials is not yet assured. His initial 64-vote margin was has dwindled to a slim 670–668 lead in the official count. By law, any vote that the Board of Canvassers believed was intended for Sessions was counted for him including "18–year–old high school student" (but not "anybody else"). A recount appears certain.
Also see High Schooler Elected Mayor in Michigan from PEOPLE.com can book deal/mini-series be far behind? Thursday, November 10, 2005
Five Things You Need to Know for Thursday, November 10, 2005
Updating yesterday: More about Hillsdale Mayor Michael Sessions, Sacramento Kings apologize, Kilpatrick seeks city unity.
Tax & Job Plan Finally Passes House
MITECHNEWS.COM reports that a marathon 12-hour session ended early Thursday when the Michigan House approved the business tax cut and high-tech job plan. House Republicans pushed through legislation to keep the sunset on the Single Business Tax, which Gov. Granholm vowed to veto and the Senate takes up the package today.
Michigan Deer Hunters Lowering Expectations
The Detroit Free Press reports that Michigan hunters (usually wild with anticipation around this time) are reducing their expectations as deer numbers are about 1/2 of what they were 15 years ago. The DNR says 750,000 people will buy hunting licenses, and hunters will kill about 450,000 deer this year. Our math may be wrong, but appears that Michigan has about 850,000 deer.
Motown Forever: Museum Preserves Musical Heritage
The Detroit News has a feature on the Motown Historical Museum and founder Esther Gordy Edwards (brother to Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr.). The museum will hold their annual fund-raising gala and honor Edwards this Saturday. Even if you can't spring for the $350 ticket, check this article for great pictures and info on this great music museum.
Motown Historical Museum web site (turn up the sound) New Book Chronicles WWII Ski Troops
The Cadillac News has an interesting review of The Boys of Winter: Life and Death in the U.S. Ski Troops During the Second World War by Charles J. Sanders. The book chronicles the 10th Mountain Division Infantry, a group of skiers turned soldiers who trained in the Rockies and fought the Germans in the mountains of Italy in 1945 and the reviewer interviews a local man about his experience.
Book information & purchase from University of Colorado Press Motorola & MDOT Test Roadside Network
USA Today has a report on the intelligent cars of the future that includes a Motorola announcement of a contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation to deploy a test system that connects vehicles to the roadside and to one another. Trials have started in the Detroit suburb of Southfield and the hope is to reduce traffic accidents and road congestion.
Michigan Department of Transportation site Read the News Release from MDOT When the world came to Empire by Glen Arbor Sun
Glen Arbor Sun writes: The quaint village of Empire is nestled in a valley between rolling hills to the north and south, with Lake Michigan lapping gently at its western shore. To the south looms a hill a bit taller than the rest, certainly prouder. Atop its peak sits a dome that crests the rise like a crown, its white facade gleaming in the sun as it gazes over the land with superiority. Of course, some call it nothing more than a glorified golf ball. But this white dome is no oversized sports ornament. It is a radome — one of the last standing reminders of a time that has passed into history.
Kings apologize to Detroit, throw Leland Patton under bus by Detroit Bad Boys
Detroit Bad Boys writes: It's one thing to just apologize, and it's another to take out full-page advertisements to do so
Experimental computer science, finding and recruiting good papers by Vacuum
Vacuum writes: Experimental computer science generates "artifacts", things that you can use and touch and see and experience directly. The most famous example of the field would have to be Doug Englebart's 1968 demo of his new mouse.
Check out his post entitled Lavendar Ice Cream while you're here! Goodbye, Detroit by The Michigan Review
James David Dickson writes: It's official. In an election tighter than it should have been, Detroiters chose to give Kwame Kilpatrick a second term as mayor. Defying all logic and willfully ignoring various scandals of the Kilpatrick Administration, including running up personal expenses on the city's charge card, the murder of a stripper who worked one of his infamous mansion parties, and the Navigator incident -- during which Kilpatrick leased, on city money, a Lincoln Navigator for his wife, even as he was laying off City of Detroit employees -- Detroiters elected to give the "thug mayor" another chance.
Auschwitz. Dachau. Treblinka. Nanking.
Arbor writes: Auschwitz. Dachau. Treblinka.
No doubt you’ve heard of these. What about Nanking? In 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army slaughtered 300,000 Chinese in the ancient Chinese city of Nanking. For weeks, the Yangtze River ran red from the blood of bodies. Overall, 20 MILLION people died from the Asian Holocaust that spanned from 1931-1945. Wednesday, November 09, 2005
My Two Cents on the Lions by Northern Michigan Detroit Sports Blog
Leelanau Sports Guy writes: Everyone's talking about it. "What to do next?" "Where do we go from here?" All I know is it's not the playoffs, that's for sure. The remaining schedule is brutal and the Lions offense is, well offensive. Our top draft pick receivers aren't contributing. The offensive line isn't protecting. The quarterbacks don't have time in to look downfield, and when they are they aren't finding open receivers.
TEN THREATS: PROTECTING CRUMBLING SHORELINES by GLRC
GLRC writes: One of the Ten Threats to the Great Lakes is changing how the shoreline interacts with the lakes. Humans like to improve on nature. For example, we like to build things to protect our property. Protecting a home from forces like wind, water and soil erosion can be a tough job and expensive sometimes. But if your property is along the shore of a Great Lake, it can be especially difficult. Reporter Shawn Allee looks at one engineer's effort to protect lakefront property and nature.
The end of software as we know it by PC Mike's E-Journal
PC Mike writes: In effect, that's what Bill Gates says in a memo leaked to the Associated Press describing what's happened because of Internet-based software and services, as pioneered by Google and Yahoo.
A POLITICAL NARRATIVE - With Cartoons! ** by Dr. Sanity
Dr. Sanity writes: **sarcastic commentary is included free of charge!
Once upon a time a very ordinary couple lived very quietly while working for a very very secret agency in the US government. Their one wish in life was to continue to live their lives quietly and remain undisturbed by the media or politics; just doing their important work the best way they knew how. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, after losing two national elections, was hopelessly adrift and out of any ideas as to how to cope with the world, which was becoming decidedly complicated and difficult. Most of their passion was directed at hating the President and his party for making them, literally, losers. Five Things You Need to Know for Wednesday, November 9, 2005
News Bits: Paul Newman has his spaghetti, Ted Nugent has his coffee, Grand Ledge's Diamond Vick in Billiard Hall of Fame, Cooking at Lansing's Golden Harvest.
Lansing Gets a New Mayor, Detroit Keeps Kilpatrick
Results are still unofficial, but the Lansing State Journal reports that State Sen. Virg Bernero appears to have easily defeated incumbent Mayor Tony Benavides. In Detroit, incumbent Kwame Kilpatrick claimed victory around 2:30 AM, leading 53% to 47% with 99% of precincts reporting according to the Detroit Free Press.
Read MAYOR COMES BACK: Kilpatrick grabs victory in early-morning finish in the Freep Three Faces of Detroit
Here's three conflicting stories about the city of Detroit. The first, from Model D looks at the influx in the number of young, educated professionals moving to Detroit. The second is a Free Press that found 1 in 3 would move out of Detroit if they could (59% would leave the state, 24% would move to a suburb and 13% would choose another Michigan city). The third reports that the Pistons were introduced in Sacramento accompanied by pictures of burned-out cars, abandoned buildings and empty streets.
Also see Poll finds 33% of Detroiters want to leave in the Freep Read DETROIT 102, SACRAMENTO 88: Pistons are insulted by Sacramento in the Freep Hillsdale Elects High School Student as Mayor
The Detroit News reports that Michael Sessions, an 18-year-old high school student, has been elected mayor of Hillsdale after mounting a write-in campaign to oust the 51-year-old incumbent. Pending clearance by the County Board of Canvassers on Thursday, Sessions will be the youngest mayor in city history.
Visit Hillsdale.net Film Promotion Legislation Passes House
WZZM TV-13 Grand Rapids reports that the Michigan House voted unanimously today to give tax credits to production companies that spend more than $250,000 filming movies, television programs and commercials in Michigan. The package of bills also would allow filmmakers to use state lands for free, except for hospitals and prisons. The measure now heads to the Senate.
Michigan Film Office home page The Economic Impact of Michigan Museums
The Mining Journal reports that the economic impact of museums and other cultural attractions on local economies tends to be underestimated according to Teresa Goforth, executive director of the Michigan Museums Association. 65% of adult travelers include cultural events in trips of more than 50 miles and 1/3 extend their stays. Michigan museums provide 7,600 jobs and a $130 million payroll.
Michigan Museums Association web site Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Pooches will have a new indoor place to play in Midtown by Model D
Model D writes: An indoor dog park will be opening on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Canine to Five – located at 3443 Cass Ave, in Midtown. Blondy, owner of Canine to Five, sees a need for this type of service downtown. She says there are many doggie daycares and indoor park facilities in the suburbs, but they are expensive and many times you have to be a resident of that city.
Heard in on a Podcast by Grand Rapids Podcasts
GR Podcasts features this track by Cruise Box.
Five Things You Need to Know for Tuesday, November 8, 2005
Vote Today!! Election info for: Statewide (Secretary of State), Detroit, Grand Rapids & Kalamazoo, Lansing, Flint, Traverse City, Marquette.
St. Louis Chemical Plant Keeps Giving ... Problems
The Detroit News has a dark feature on the city of St. Louis, home to the Velsicol Chemical plant that played a key role in the state's PBB livestock contamination in the 1970s. Now, St. Louis is the only city in the country where para-chlorobenzene sulfonic acid, a byproduct of producing the pesticide DDT, has been found in drinking water (in wells that supply half of the city's water).
West Michigan Food Pantries Reporting Shortages
WZZM TV-13 Grand Rapids reports that with Thanksgiving coming, West Michigan food pantries say they may not have enough to offer to the poor. For example: Kent County served served 27,000 people in 2005, up 20,000 from 2004. The Muskegon Rescue Mission reports just one turkey, 499 short of the estimated 500 needed. This is a statewide problem, please do what you can!
Five Michigan Schools Receive Energy Education Grants
The Michigan.gov Newswire announces that the Michigan Energy Office has made Energy Smart Schools Energy Education grants totaling $28,430 to five school districts (Fraser, Huron Intermediate, Laker School District (Pigeon), Marion & Riverview). The grants will be used to introduce energy efficiency and renewable energy curriculum into the classroom.
Rebuild Michigan Program web site Granholm Goal of Doubling College Degrees May Be Impossible
Crain's Detroit Business reports that a Detroit Economic Club panel discussing the importance of higher education in the turnaround of Michigan's economy came to the consensus that funding constraints may make it impossible to meet Gov. Granholm's goal of doubling the number of people in Michigan with a college degree in a decade. Many, like Dave Bing said there just isn't enough money, but former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer (head of Granholm's 2006 re-election campaign) said: "I'd rather set a high goal, even if we don’t make it. We cannot afford to wait."
Michigan Man to Take Tibet Show on the Road
The Mining Journal has a feature on Bill Thompson, owner of Downwind Sports in Marquette, who recently travelled to Mount Everest and Tibet. Thompson plans to present a slide show of his trip to school children and groups all over the state. There will be no charge for the slide show, but Thompson will be asking for donations for the orphanage he visited in Lhasa. Great photos!
Downwind Sports web site (Marquette & Houghton) Podcast: 2007 Cadillac Escalade by GM Fastlane Blog
GM Fastlane writes: In this podcast, FastLane radio host Deb Ochs interviews Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager, about the unveiling of the 2007 Cadillac Escalade, being revealed this week in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Cougar Comeback by ypsi~dixit
ypsi writes: Michigan's cougars were all killed by 1900. But, amazingly, they're making a comeback. There have been numerous recent sightings in southeastern Michigan, including Washtenaw.
Today's Photograph by The Snowsuit Effort
Snowsuit writes: "I'm a behavioral specialist; this is my first time being homeless."...Joeseph lives on the streets of Detroit.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Can George Bush Teach Ethics? by Detroit News Politics Weblog
Ron Scott writes: Flash!! President George W. Bush has discovered ethics. He wants to send his top White House staffers to a "refresher" course for those who have security clearances. What are the "good 'ol boys" at the White House going to learn? They're going to learn what "Scooter" wasn't supposed to say.
Hand to hoof combat by Upper_Lower
Eric Brown writes: You know, I've been to northwest Arkansas enough that a deer jumping into a house isn't completely surprising. A little wrasslin' isn't all that surprising either. Combining the two in a death match, however, that is news
The Pistons are running on all Cylinders by Motown Sports Revival
Motown writes: I have not enjoyed being a Detroit Pistons fan as much as I've enjoyed the first three games of this year since the Bad Boys era. It's not necessarily that I think this team is the best team or that they're going to win the NBA Championship
Fishing is Good on Inland Lakes by curly's weblog
Curly writes: Traverse City- Most inland lakes around the circuit are reporting a good bite, but few are fishing. West Grand Traverse Bay is reporting a good perch bite along with both Little Glen and Big Glen.
Five Things You Need to Know for Monday, November 7, 2005
Monday Moanin': Mitch Albom says Lions have a different organ grinder, same old monkey, Mich Democrats Blast Nominating Process, High winds knock out power to 210,000.
Vegetable Oil Powered Rabbits in Flint
MITECHNEWS.COM takes a look at students at Flint's Kettering University who are cutting their fuel costs with bio-fuel by burning used doughnut frying oil in their re-engineered Volkswagen diesel Rabbits. The "refit" costs about $120 and bio-diesel can be produced from any vegetable oil source.
Michigan Biodiesel Distributors from the National Biodiesel Board MSU Artisan Distillery Moves to Michigan Brewing Co.
The Lansing State Journal takes a look at Kris Berglund, the head of the artisan distilling program at Michigan State University. MSU has moved the program to the Michigan Brewing Co. in Webberville, which will be able to sell the European-style fruit brandies. Michigan allows winemakers to distill liquors (brandies) made from fruit and Michigan has 10 artisan distilleries (trailing only California).
Michigan Brewing Company web site Book Documents 10,000 Year Habitation of Ishpeming Area
The Mining Journal reports that a Negaunee man has published a book on his 1987 discovery confirming human inhabitation more than 10,000 years ago in what is now Ishpeming Township. Jim Paquette has written The Find of a Thousand Lifetimes: The Story of the Gorto Site Discovery documenting his discovery with John Gorto of Paleo-Indian projectile points in the drained basin bed of Deer Lake.
Michigan Holiday Shopping Tour
mLive's Kim Schneider takes a whirlwind holiday shopping tour around Michigan with stops including Black Star Farms & Leelanau Cheese Company (wine & raclette), American Spoon Food in Petoskey's Gaslight district, The Butler Pantry in Saugatuck (a gourmet kitchen store w/ blueberry crumble coffee), the Pinconning Cheese Company, Zingerman's of Ann Arbor (farmhouse parmigiano-reggiano).
Michigan Retail Outlook Gloomy, Discounts Being Offered
The Detroit News reports that holiday sales can account for as much as 50% of a retailer's income, but Midwest consumers are expecting to spend nearly half of the national average of $995 and the Michigan Retailers Association forecasts flat or declining sales from October through December. Many Michigan retailers are are offering agressive discounts to try and kick-start holiday shopping.
Avian Flu and the Home Flock by French Road Connections
French Road writes: It was hard to stop thinking about those first bird flu reports from Asia. I saw fleeting images of beautiful birds on the evening news as they told of killing all poultry in whole provinces. At first I wondered how many interesting breeds of chickens were going extinct.
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