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Recent events in Plymouth
Township have prompted officials
to hire on-call volunteers towork at
the two remaining fire stations on a
full-time basis.
We think that's a good start. We
think it is unfortunate that two inci-
dents and a death took place before
officials took the situation seriously
enough to attempt to actually "right
size" the staffing they gutted. When
the Lake Pointe fire station was
closed, did officials really think it
would not impact on the quality
and service of emergency medical
aid to the community? When only
four firefighters and trained para-
medics were left on duty at each of
the two open stations, did these
men and women not realize the
jeopardy in which they placed the
members of the community who
trusted them to serve in elected
office?
When the ladder truck was
returned to the City of Plymouth,
did it never occur to these town-
ship officials that the limited staff
they still had might need such a
piece of equipment if there were a
roof fire on more than a single
story home or an evacuation need-
ed from a roof in a medical emer-
gency? Did these people not real-
ize that a fire truck of any type
needs brakes? That a pumper
truck from 1989 might need main-
tenance if it were going to be the
only piece of equipment at a fire?
We remember distinctly one of
these officials, when voting to virtu-
ally cancel fire service in the town-
ship, saying that no one on the
board would ever vote for any
measure that would put the public
in danger, because after all, they
live here, too.
That has obviously been proven
grievously incorrect.
A grandmother at Bradbury
Park Homes, literally across the
street from Fire Station number
one, died when she fell into the
pool after suffering a heart attack
in front of her 4-year-old grand-
child. The first ambulance to
respond from Beck and Territorial
roads had only three staffers, and
five were needed to provide the
needed airway care required to
save her life. The advanced airway
procedure she needed also
requires equipment only available
on an Advanced Life Support
ambulance.
Paramedics from Huron Valley
Ambulance did their best to help,
but without the correct equipment
and the necessary staff, this woman
lost any chance she had to survive.
But these board members
wouldn't ever vote to endanger any-
one, would they?
That incident followed the diffi-
culty faced by a roofing contractor
who suffered a spinal injury. He
remained trapped on top of a
home, unable to get the specialized
hospital care necessary, because
A
SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
June 28, 2012
The conversation around our
office this week has been one of
those, what-would-you-do dialogues
about an itemall over the news.
Despite the workload that seems
to overwhelm us, we seem to find
time to cure the problems of the
world and offer our superior wis-
dom in any situation. Our general
manager is in his very early 40s and
another staffer in her 50s. She has
children, grandchildren and a ton
of life experience. He is single and
still glowing with the untarnished
exuberance of youth in a lot of situ-
ations. Me, I represent the older
generation, I guess, but it seems we
were all of onemind on this issue.
We agreed, completely, that the
little monsters who tormented the
68-year-old bus monitor in
Rochester, New York ought to face
far more serious punishment than
that which seems to have taken
place. If youhave been too preoccu-
pied to see the news reports, the
older woman was riding the school
bus, which is her job, when a group
of seventh-grade students began to
taunt hermercilessly. The entire 10-
minute incident was recorded on
another student's cell phone and
posted on the internet, much to the
embarrassment of the parents
involved and the sympathy of view-
ers. I mean, if you watch it, the urge
to slap the snot out of these kids is
almost overwhelming. Even a
Quaker would be prone to paddle
these brats, who demonstrate a
level of cruelty and lack of human
decency usually only seen in bud-
ding serial killers while torturing
kittens. Yeah, it's that bad.
The interesting thing in the situ-
ation is that all of us, in each of our
varied generations, agreed that this
is a case in which capital punish-
ment is warranted. Make that
required. Gail said these kids
should be spanked soundly. Sean
agrees
they
should be physi-
cally punished
but he's also of the opinion that the
bus driver was the only one with
any authority in the situation. He
thinks he or she shouldhave turned
the bus around, taken the entire
load of students back to the school
and made the parents come and
retrieve the offenders, after they
were expelled or at least suspend-
ed fromschool.
Sean, by the way, is a Buddhist,
so you can see how provocative this
video and these actswere.
Despite my pacifist nature, I sus-
pect that if any of these little creeps
were fruit of my womb, they would-
n't be able to sit down comfortably
for a week and they'd be grounded
Everybody loves a parade.
Anyone with any doubt about that statement need only get
themselves to Northville or Plymouth next Wednesday when
tens of thousands of people will mob the routes for the tradi-
tional Fourth of July parades. There will be all the traditional
trappings of home-town, Norman Rockwell America events.
The high school bands, well-known area bands, veterans'
groups, and politicians waving to the crowds as the music
plays and the crowds cheer.
There are other parades throughout the area, too, but
these two really are something special.
Last year, as part of theNorthville event which is organized
and presented by the Northville Community Foundation, a
World War II veteran was finally, after all these decades,
awarded his purple heart and other medals he won in com-
bat. Just as he, in a tremulous voice, began to thank the crowd,
the Blue Angels flew over the assembled crowd. It isn't often
we see grown men cry, but the combined effect of the presen-
tation to Conrad Podolski-Dowel and the military jet flyover
touched an emotional chordwith every adult in the crowd.
The military planes will be back again this year at both
events, as will the Plymouth Fife and Drum Corps, always an
impressive sight.
Fred Hill and the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Plymouth
organize the Plymouth event which steps off at 9 a.m. The
costs of the event are paid by 20 private donors who each con-
tribute $1,000 for the event. In Northville, St. Mary Mercy
Hospital of Livonia is the major sponsor and Monroe Bank
andTrust andMeijer contribute to the cost of the event, too.
In Plymouth, Dan Morris and his Dogmatics, a canine drill
team always amaze and some of the local pooches will be
familiar.
Those are only a very, very few of the attractions of these
events. The real attraction is the spirit of America, the atmos-
phere of the crowds gathered to enjoy these events in local
communities that take a great deal of pride in their country.
Politicians may be parading by and waving, but partisan bick-
ering will take a back seat to patriotismat these events. While
there may be a great deal some would like changed, while
there are undoubtedly problems with our economy, these
events will push all that aside for a reminder of all that is
right, good and cherished inAmerica.
We'd just like to thank all the volunteers, the Kiwanis, the
Northville Community Foundation, those who suffer in the
heat tomarch or work for hours on floats for the work they do
to bring these reminders of our country to our communities
each year.
And we'd like to suggest that after the parade, and the fire-
works that evening, we try to take just a moment to preserve
that feeling of patriotism, of gratitude for our American free-
doms.
HappyFourth of July.
Increased
staffing is
good start
See
Brats,
page 7
Letters
Clerk wins senior's vote
To the editor;
I will be voting to re-elect
Township Clerk Joe Bridgman this
August and I ask that you join me.
Joe has lived and worked in our
township for over 15 years. I have
known Joe formost of that time and
know that he is well-qualified to
continue serving as our township
clerk.
Joe has a degree in accounting,
is a Master Municipal Clerk and
has worked in the township clerk's
office for nearly 10 years.
Additionally, he serves on the
board of directors for the Michigan
Association of Municipal Clerks
and the executive committee for
the Wayne County Clerks
Association.
He has unparalleled experience
to get the job done and I trust he
will continue to serve our township
well. Join me in voting for Joe on
Aug. 7.
SoniaMayer,
PlymouthTownship
Concerts are announced
To the editor;
ThoughMother Nature tried her
hardest, she wasn't able to put a
damper on the spirits of the over
100 fans who came out last
Thursday night to enjoy the 2012
Music Lakeside kick-off concert.
Steve King & The Dittilies rocked
the house (or in this case the
church) for almost two hours after
I mean, if you watch it,
the urge to slap the snot
out of these kids
is almost overwhelming.
”
There are other parades
throughout the area, too,
but these two really
are something special.
”
Once in a while, a good smack is needed
If only patriotism of parades could last all year
See
Letters,
page 7
See
Staff,
page 7