It was the stupidbaby cow.
That's how I got into this mess.
The big old, sad-eyedbaby cow.
Every time I poke myself with a
wire, break another nail, fall off a
ladder or feel my back give out as I
lift a tree that is half my weight, I
think about that stupid baby cow,
who by now probably weighs about
a ton and is still cow-snickering at
theway she dupedme.
For several years, despite her
polite requests, I had refused Shari
Peters' invitations to decorate one
of the homes on the Northville
Community Foundation Holiday
Home Tour. She was well aware
that I go nuts at Christmas and will
decorate anything that doesn't
move out of my way fast enough. I
kept saying no until she brought
out the big guns in the form of the
baby cow with the huge sad brown
eyes which Shari explained, ever
so subtly, would die of starvation, as
would the other animals at
Maybury Farm, without the fund-
ing the holiday home tour provides
every year to buy cow food during
thewintermonths.
OK, so that may not have been
exactly what she said, but still. This
baby cow giving me the mournful,
helpless look weakenedmy resolve
and I said I'd do a house. That was
several tours ago, and I've been
hooked ever since.
I complain loudly and obscenely
about the work. And believe me,
this is work. Seriously, where else
can you find a woman on a 20-foot
ladder trying to hang up a baby
Jesus while using language that
wouldmake a sailor blush? You get
the idea.
I honestly don't know how the
other decorators manage to get it
all done in time the way they do,
but every year, each of these homes
is just better than the one before
and after.
This year, my partner in Home
for the Holidays, Sean Rhaesa, and
I are doing the house from Scream
4 in Northville, so it seemed like a
terrific idea to
theme each
tree and room
from a holiday
movie.
Well, it seemed like a terrific
idea until my (former?) partner and
I started bickering loudly about
whichmovies to do, which rooms to
put the separatemovies in andhow
to best display our “talent.” I sus-
pect the homeowner we're working
with, Sue Lamereau, is beginning
to have her doubts about our sanity.
Since we decided to have one of
our famous catfights in the middle
of Cornwell Pool and Patio which
becomes Cornwell Christmas
World this time every year, she's not
the only one. We were lucky
because like so many people, Sue
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
November 10, 2011
Just a word to the naysayers who continue to drone on
about the failure of the auto industry, the decline of
Michigan, the lack of job opportunities and the poor economy
in general.
There are some great things happening in our area and
we are overjoyed to be able to bring that good news to read-
ers. Not so long ago, we were able to publish a front page
story about the $500 million or so Ford Motor Co. is investing
in the Wayne plants on Michigan Avenue. Last week, GM
announced the investment of another $385 million in the
RomulusEnginePlant.
These staggering sums of investment money mean new
equipment, updated processes, new systems, advanced fea-
tures and most importantly of all, jobs. Both GM and Ford
have assured all concerned that these investments mean the
retention ofmany jobs and the creation ofmany newones.
No, the auto industry will never be what it once was.
Workers will not enjoy the cradle to grave benefits that were
once standard and we all know the impact that health care
costs havehad onboth current and retiredworkers.
It is a different world and things are not at all what they
once were when the economy was booming and the auto
industry employed, either directly or indirectly, about 70 per-
cent of workers in the area. We have all had to face the
changes that the failure in the banking industry and the
mortgage debacle caused, occurring at the same time The
Big Three were being overtaken by foreign imports and
downsizing.
It's been a tough, tough time. It is still, for many people, an
economy that has forced unimaginable lifestyle changes on
their families. Every one of the local municipalities has been
faced with the serious cuts in local tax revenue as more and
more homes have fallen into foreclosure. Without that rev-
enue, these mayors, supervisors, councils, boards and
trustees have been forced to make cuts in services that send
more folks to theunemployment lines.
This has been anugly time for just about everyone.
And we're not foolish enough to think it's over. But we are
optimistic enough to believe that these investments in our
communities, this creation of jobs, will be the start of a slow
but steady recovery. Our economy will probably never return
to the glory days we knew before the bubble burst, but it will
recover to something more acceptable and manageable for
residents than the dire circumstanceswe see every day now.
The point is this. There is hope. There is hope in the new
industries and businesses that do not depend on the auto
industry for success that are slowly but steadily opening in
the area and throughout the state. There is hope in the
investment by the auto industries in existing plants, retooling
to provide for newanddifferent vehicles.
The world is changing at a pace faster than we orbit the
sun and our economy and lives will all be changed and
impacted as these advances and developments become part
of our lives.
We're all suffering fromsome excruciating growing pains.
But we will grow and change. These investments by GM
and Ford are proof that while it may take time and be very
slow, our recovery is underway andwill happen.
It's been a tough, tough time.
It is still, for many people,
an economy that has forced unimaginable
lifestyle changes on their families.
”
Seriously, where else can you find a woman
on a 20-foot ladder trying to hang up a baby Jesus
while using language that would make a sailor blush?
”
Automakers’ investments soothe ‘growing pains’
Outwitted and manipulated by a baby cow
See
Cow
, page 7
Letters
Time to
get in gear
If the proposed improvements
at the Ford Road and I-275 inter-
change had wheels, they'd be trav-
eling about as fast as vehicles on
the troubledFordRoad corridor.
But at least they'dbemoving.
Canton Township officials
deserve a lot of credit for sticking
with this project and in bringing
the members of the Senate
Transportation Committee to the
community to see the need for the
project, first hand.
Likewise, it was also encourag-
ing to see so many representatives
fromnearby communities on hand,
even though many had their own
council meetings to attend later
that night.
This is truly a regional project
and it should be universally
embraced on a regional, state and,
yes, a federal level.
It's strange to see something that
is so clearly needed require such a
strong and long lobbying effort.
The safety statistics alone should
raise this project up the proverbial
flagpole: more than 2,400 accidents
along a 3-mile stretch or road with-
in six years. Granted not all of
these have been major collisions-
the traffic probably doesn't move
fast enough for that to happen-but
it still amounts to millions in prop-
erty damage, not to mention the
stress on the victims.
The fact that Wayne County has
been among the hardest hit in the
recession and this project would
help spur economic development
shouldn't be lost, either. It will
bring new jobs to the area and
additional revenue to the business-
es nearby and, in the long term, it
will make it easier for motorists to
get the businesses further east and
west alongFordRoad, too.
This is a project that is neces-
sary to ensure the welfare of the
entire area. It needs to be complet-
ed. We said it when Canton first
applied for the grant three years
ago, we said it when the township
tried a second time, too.
Let's hope the third time is the
charm.
Citizens plan meeting
To the editor:
We wanted to let everyone know that we will be
having a meeting this Thursday Nov 10. at the VFW
Hall on S. Mill St. in Plymouth at 7p.m. The purpose
for the meeting is to bring residents up to speed on
where we stand with the petition drive and other
issues regarding the future of our Fire Department
and the services that we currently have.
Please pass this info on to your friends and neigh-
bors in our community.
At this meeting we will also be discussing the pro-
posed budget for 2012 that the Township Board
showed at this past Tuesday's meeting. The Board of
Trusteesmeeting scheduled for Nov. 15 at 7p.m. is sup-
posed to be the meeting where they finalize things for
theupcoming year's budget.
We are asking residents and businesses to please
attendboth themeeting onNov 10 and theNov. 15.
Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition,
written letters to the Board, commented on the blogs
with the newspapers andhavehad yard signs out.
Hope to seemany of you over the next twoweeks.
The Citizens ActionGroup of PlymouthTownship
Goodfellows plan fundraisers
TheWayne Goodfellows are partnering with the fol-
lowing businesses to hold events to raise funds for our
“No Child Without a Christmas” in the City of Wayne
Program. The Avenue, 5-10 p.m. Nov. 30, Jake's Again,
5-10 p.m. Dec. 1, The Village Bar 5-10 p.m. Dec. 8 and
U.S. 12 from5-10 p.m. Dec. 15.
We have been having these events for years. Jake's
Again is in their 24th year holding a fund raiser.
Cathy Lutkenhoff
WayneGoodfellows
See
Letters
, page 7