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A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
May 2, 2013
Special Senior Prom planned
To the editor;
The MediLodge Group is dedi-
cated to enhancing the quality of
life of all of the residents that we
serve. In keeping with this commit-
ment to our residents, and to pro-
mote positive public relations, the
Life Enhancement Specialist and
all the MediLodge Activity
Directors host an annual Senior
Prom event for our residents, staff,
families and community members
every May during Nursing Home
Week.
Every year the theme of the
prom is determined based on the
theme of ACHA's (AmericanHealth
Care Association) nursing home
week celebration. This year, the
theme for the nursing home week
events, May 12-18, is Team Care.
The theme for the MediLodge
Promwill beLean onMe.
The 12th Annual Senior Prom
will be held on Friday May 17 from
noon until 3 p.m. at the Palazzo
Grande Banquet and Event Center
at 56400 Van Dyke Ave. in Shelby
Township. Over 450 residents, staff,
volunteers, family members and
community guests from all of the
MediLodge facilities from Hillman
to Monroe will attend the after-
noondinner/dance. This is a formal
event and all will be dressed in
their very finest. Entertainment for
this year's event will beChateau.
Following the Italian style
We admit, we didn't hear too
many protests or complaints last
time around, but we think Van
Buren Township Clerk Leon
Wright is on the right track here.
Wright issued a recent warn-
ing to voters about new proce-
dures at the polls on Election
Day, hoping to get information to
voters before they come face to
face with some new rules next
Tuesday.
Michigan is one of the states in
which voters must show identifi-
cation at the polls. No more
strolling in, telling the poll work-
er your name, signing your slip
and heading to the little desk or
booth to vote. Now, voters must
each sign in and provide a
Michigan driver's license or
Michigan personal identification
card.
Wright wanted to be careful to
explain that the new state law
prescribes what is acceptable as
identification. The poll workers
really have no discretion in the
matter. The lawallows for several
other types of personal identifi-
cation with a photo, too, but any-
thing else is not allowed by the
new law which became effective
late lastmonth.
Those who really didn't under-
stand the new laws andwho don't
have the correct identification
can sign an affidavit certifying
that they are who they claim to
be.
Voters who obtain absentee
ballots must also now provide
identification when they go to
their local clerk's office. Without
identification, their ballots will
classified as "challenged."
So take your identification
with youwhen you go to the polls.
And understand when the poll
worker asks to see it, he or she is
simply obeying the new law. It
isn't their fault and they are not
attempting to inconvenience or
challenge your right to cast your
ballot.
Our wise and diligent legisla-
tors have determined that this
added hassle is another way to
control voting by ensuring that
the inconvenience adds another
deterrent to the already hurried
and stressed-out population.
We hope it doesn't work. We
hope voters flock to the polls
Tuesday, IDs inhanddemonstrat-
ing that our right to vote is more
important to us than these pro-
fessional politicians trying to
keepus home ever thought.
We thank Wright for his effort
to explain the situation and hope
he and every other municipal
clerk throughout the area is very,
very busyTuesday.
Information about the new
law and process can be found at
the State of Michigan website,
www.michigan.gov/vote.
VOTEMay 7.
Talk about a crisis of confidence.
There I was, innocently enough
watching Jeopardy when who
popped up on the TV screen but
ole Geoffrey Fieger himself. Now,
no offense to anyone, but Feiger
isn't one of my favorite people. It
isn't based on anything personal,
just an irrational, judgmental opin-
ion based purely on personal prej-
udice. Anyhow, I digress.
Here is ole Geoffrey, using his
paid commercial time talking
about gun control and the failure of
our elected officials in Washington
to pass sterner measures regarding
background checks before one can
buy a gun. The shocking part was
that I actually found myself agree-
ingwithhim.
Yeah, I know. There's a first time
for everything.
What Feiger said, in the true
spirit of snarky sarcasm, was that if
we aren't going to control guns and
the 30-round clips people can buy,
why regulate them at all? Why not
just let people havemissile launch-
ers, rocket propelled grenades, or
any other weapon they might
want?
He was being quite snippy, but
he is sorta right. When 90 percent
of American citizens agree about
the need for new gun control and
background check laws but we
can't get those regulations passed
by our own elected officials, there
is something inherently broken in
our system.
We need to correct the systemor
replace those elected to fulfill the
needs of their constituency. Like,
right now, please.
Imagine my distress to realize I
was agreeing with Feiger about
anything. Look, this is the guy who
can't even get one of my favorite
quotations straight and keeps
repeating it over and over and over.
Geoff, look, the axiom is, “If you
don't stand for something, you'll sit
still for anything.” Ah, once again,
I'moff on a tangent here. Sorry.
Anyway, when I woke up from
my after-Jeopardy nap on the
couch, Jon Stewart was going off on
these same elected officials who
claim that having these gun laws is
foolish because nobody will obey
them anyhow and bad people will
still get guns.
“Right,” Stewart said, “and the
people who break into your home
will just do that, too, so what sense
is there in hav-
ing laws against
it? And people
will still kill
each other, so why do we need
those laws against murder. People
will just break those, too. And that
carjacking, well, we don't need
those laws, either, because people
will just steal cars anyhow.”
Yep. Seems to me he's got a
point, or two. Laws are broken
every day. That doesn't mean we
should eliminate or ignore the
need for those laws. It provides us a
mechanism to punish those who
disobey or disregard the law and
makes a mighty fine deterrent for
those who may have enough sense
to think twice about facing the con-
sequences of illegal actions.
Thenwe get to themilitants who
claim the government is trying to
make them register their guns so in
the event they need to overthrow
It appears that the voices of reasonmay have finally been
raised at thePlymouthTownshipBoard of Trustees
Last week, during a “special” meeting, when a $1,900,000
bond issue was being discussed, two trustees finally
appeared to realize that perhaps the other elected officials
were not acting in the best interest of the residents.
It's about time.
When trustees Bob Doroshewitz and Chuck Curmi asked
some pretty pointed questions about the plans to spend
nearly $2 million to “make the township more desirable,” it
was evident that Treasurer Ron Edwards and Supervisor
RichardReaumeweren't happy. Obviously, these two expect-
ed the usual lemming-like, slavish obedience to their deci-
sions by the township trusteeswouldbe the order of the day.
When Doroshewitz had the audacity to question the wis-
dom of the project, Edwards' angry gestures and dismissive
sneers were meant to demonstrate just how impertinent
those querieswere.
As Doroshewitz pointed out, the $1,900,000 bond issuewill
have to be repaid by taxpayers over the next 10 years.
Reaume and Edwards want to build a new park pavilion,
pave a parking lot, build a footbridge, a large amphitheater
and buy a street sweeper, alongwithmaking $150,000 or so of
improvements to the public golf course.
Remember, these are the same people who refused to
allow residents to vote on a millage question to fund a fire
department. This is the township, under this leadership, that
now depends on a skeleton crew of 12 firefighters and an
Ann Arbor-based ambulance company. These are the guys
who have jeopardized the safety of every single home, busi-
ness and resident within the township borders because they
claimed they couldn't afford to fund a full-time professional
fire department.
Doroshevitz has apparently had enough of Edwards' arro-
gance and lack of transparency. That attitude first manifest-
ed a few weeks ago when the trustee resigned from his vol-
unteer task of heading up the annual fireworks and barbe-
cue. When he couldn't get financial records of contributions
and spending from Edwards, he decided it was time to pro-
tect himself fromany hint of financial impropriety and leave
the job to someone elsewho could livewith the current state
of recordkeeping.
That may have been the first fissure in Doroshevitz' confi-
dence in Edwards and may have prompted him to take a
long, objective look at what has become of Plymouth
Township. Whatever motivated his questions and his
requests for greater transparency and accountability, we
applaud it loudly.
He asked reasonable questions, made viable arguments
and stated his opposition to this spending plan in the face of
Edwards' insults, demeaning attitude and rudeness. Not to
put to fine a point on it, but Edwards has been ruling the
other trustees by intimidation for some time. It took courage
to standup to this bully andhiswingman, Reaume.
Remember, these are the same people who
refused to allow residents to vote on a millage
question to fund a fire department.
”
The voices of reason may have been heard
Despite
new rules,
go vote
Why not just let people have missile launchers,
rocket propelled grenades, or any
other weapon they might want?
”
Gun arguments just don’t hit the target
Letter
See
Guns,
page 7
See
Voice,
page 7
See
Prom,
page 7