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SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
4
May 9, 2013
The Northville schools are
doing a little more than educating
district students. The leadership
there is also demonstrating a
transparency and response to
community concerns that
deserves comment.
When unruly students were
ordered off a bus far before their
regular stops recently, district offi-
cials and administrators did not
attempt to obfuscate or dismiss
the concerns of parents. When a
student was found with a weapon
and drugs, that, too, was revealed
to parents in an email and when a
parent was concerned about
graphic descriptions in a book
assigned as reading to her daugh-
ter, the district was responsive and
took action.
We think that deserves some
note because that is the way any
public entity should be operated.
When a parent complained,
administrators did not overreact,
but they did, quietly and efficient-
ly, react without seeking publicity
for their response or attempting to
justify the decisions that had been
made.
When the bus driver was
unable to control the conduct of
the student passengers and put
themoff the bus, the district again,
reacted appropriately to the situa-
tion, didn't attempt to hide from
the negative implications and took
the actions necessary.
Like the Plymouth-Canton dis-
trict, Northville administrators
are responsive, professional and
transparent. Unwelcome news,
inappropriate conduct and what-
ever else takes place in the educa-
tional environment is public
knowledge. These educators
make no more dramatic pro-
nouncements about the incidents
than they do about the actions
they take to correct the situation.
They handle it all with the same
degree of professionalism and
calm that is necessary to keep the
focus of both parents and students
on themain goal of educating chil-
dren.
We give Northville schools high
marks for the manner in which
several of these instances have
been handled recently and sin-
cerely wish that some others
could learn to emulate their obvi-
ous respect for the public they
serve and the importance of pub-
lic input into the success of the
district and the students.
These professionals seem to
understand their priorities, their
goals and the philosophy of public
interest and involvement support-
ed by the superintendent, the
administrators and the members
of the school board.
Highmarks, indeed.
My mother, like everyone's,
taught me a lot of things. Some
good, some bad. Every year, as
Mother's Day approaches, I recall
more of the good in her parenting
skills and shakemy head and smile
at her flaws.
Hey, I survived and like the rest
of us attempting to raise children,
she did the best she knewhowwith
the experience she had at the time.
It may not have been ideal, but
then, what is?
All that came to mind recently
when a dear friend sent me a list of
household hints to make my life
easier. Now, my mother was by no
means a Little Suzy Homemaker
nor was she Heloise with all her
handy little hints. Nope. Mymother
was a woman who could almost
always figure out a way to make
whatever she was doing a little eas-
ier. Really, she had to. Her life was-
n't an easy one, by anymeans.
When I saw this list of hints, I
couldn't help but recall that this
was stuff she was doing when I was
growing up (well, as far as I got,
anyway) and she'd say any fool
could figure this stuff out.
Much of this, I taught to my sons
who accepted it as the only way to
do things, much to the surprise of
their wives who had never heard of
most of these little tricks.
When I saw the list, I figured,
hey, maybe it's time to share. After
all, my mother never made a secret
of any of it. Sohere goes.
• Your box of aluminum foil has
tabs on each end to hold the roll in
place. Use them.
• Stretch a wide rubber band
across the top and bottom of an
openpaint can anduse that towipe
the excess paint off the brush. No
messy drips outside the can or in
the rim.
• Instead of popping off the pop top
of a pop can, twist the hole part
over the can opening and put your
straw though it. Keeps it from
falling out of the can.
*If you break the pop top off the
can, you can slip it over a hanger in
your closet and you can then put
another hangar right at the neck of
the one on the rod. Saves a bunch
of space.
• If your shower head is full of
gunk, put some white vinegar in a
baggie and tie it to the showerhead
overnight. The vinegar will soak off
almost all the residue.
• Put your wet SOS or Brillo pad in
a sealed baggie to store it. No rust
and it lasts a long, long time.
•Use amuffin tin to servemustard,
ketchup, relish, mayo, onions and
whatever at a picnic.
• Put a wooden spoon across the
top of a pan of boiling liquid to
keep it fromboiling over.
• Use empty (and cleaned) squeeze
bottles for pancake batter. Makes
perfect-sized pancakes every time.
• Slice baked cake layers in half
withunflavoreddental floss.
• Stick a fork in the icing between
the cookies of an Oreo when dunk-
ing. Never lose a cookie again.
• Split empty toilet paper rolls
lengthwise and wrap them around
rolls of wrapping paper to keep
themneat.
• Use a bread closure tab on the
end of a roll of tape to keep your
place on the roll.
• Cut the screw top and the cap off
a plastic bottle. Insert the open
sides of a plastic bag of rice or
chocolate chips, for instance,
through the top, fold the sides of
the bag down over the screw top
and then screw the cap back on.
Presto.
• When heating leftovers in the
microwave, make a well of open
space in the middle. Saves time
andheatsmore evenly.
• Use stick of spaghetti as a long
match. Light it and use it to reach
candles, pilot lights, whatever.
• Use a magnet to find wall studs
whenhanging pictures.
• Smaller expressway exit number
signs are always on the same side
of the bigger sign as the exit. If the
smaller sign is on the left, that's
where the exit will be. On the right,
same deal.
• Use a spring clothes hangar
(yeah, they still
make them) to
hold a nail
while trying to
hammer it. Or a
combwill work, too.
• Freeze a flat, wet kitchen sponge
for an ice pack. (No mess when it
thaws.)
• Use a plastic straw to remove
stems from strawberries. Force the
sharp straw up through the bottom
of the berry and the stem and all
will pop out. Sometimes you need
several straws to do a pint of
berries.
• If you need to chill something
quickly (oh, say, like a beer can) put
a wet paper towel around it and
pop it into the freezer. Takes about
15minutes.
Whenever I use one of these lit-
tle tricks, I am reminded of my
mother, and all the opportunities I
missed to tell her thanks. Don't for-
get yours this year.
Peoplewant to live inCanton andNorthville townships.
These two communities were both in the top 10 of new
residential building permits issued last year, according to
data released by the Southeastern Michigan Council of
Governments recently.
We're not surprised.
These two communities offer excellent school districts
where the priority is educating students in themost efficient
and effective way possible. Students in both districts have
the benefit, not only of real educators in the administration
offices, but with dedicated, compassionate and professional
teachers in the classrooms who are treated as such by the
members of the school boards and the public.
That success shows every year when students excel at
state tests.
In addition, each of these townships fully understands the
importance of public safety to any resident, of any age or
income bracket. New families, retirees, empty nesters, all
potential or current residents at any time in their lives feel
that public safety is a crucial element in the community.
Both Canton and Northville townships understand and
share that opinion. Canton Township Supervisor Phil LaJoy
stated at a public meeting early this year that public safety
has to be one of themost important issues in any community,
andwe couldn't agreemore.
In his township, there is a full-time professional public
safety department with trained, certified firefighters, EMTs
and Advanced Life Support professionals. In Northville
Township, too, the public safety department is a priority and
the professional firefighting an emergency medical services
are some of the best in the area.
Each of these townships offers exemplarymanagement of
these departments by experienced proven professionals
who understand the seriousness of the responsibility they
bear for the safety of the public and the men and women
whowork for them.
Both these communities also offer exceptional recre-
ational and senior services which differ between the two,
but where each is clearly dedicated to serving the needs of
the community.
The real key, however, to the increase in home construc-
tion and the desirability of these two communities is the phi-
losophy of the administration in each. Without an adminis-
tration dedicated to public safety and public service, those
requirements would falter and eventually, diminish. It is the
elected officials in these communities, along with the
department heads they have hired and the employees who
represent the community to the public, that make the differ-
ence inwhere people choose to live.
People want good, current, successful schools and effi-
cient, trustworthy public safety before the other amenities
any community can offer. Nomatter if they are retired or just
starting out, new home buyers want to know that the schools
will entice other buyers when and if they decide to sell. They
all understand the impact of the public safety capabilities on
their home insurance and the future market value of their
property.
They may not, however, realize that it is the people serv-
ing in township hall and in the school board offices who cre-
ate the environment of public service and involvement and
dedicated education, who really determine the quality of life
they enjoy and the futuremarket value of their newhomes.
We fully understand why anyone would choose Canton or
Northville township where transparency, responsiveness
and good, solid financial management provides some of the
very best in schools, public safety and governance in the
state.
Congratulations are in order.
That success shows every year
when students excel at state tests.
”
Good governance key to attracting residents
Schools
deserve
high marks
When I saw the list, I figured, hey,
maybe it's time to share. After all,
my mother never made a secret of any of it.
”
Worthwhile lessons learned at Mother’s knee