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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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AGE
6
August 2, 2012
We didn't think it could get any
better.
Wewerewrong.
The Concours d'Elegance was
even more spectacular this year
than when the show made its
debut appearance at The Inn at
St. John's in 2011. For those who
missed it, mark your calendar now
for next year when this display of
art in motion will return. It's more
than worth the price of admission
to see some of these automobiles
that are beyond price on display
in one of the most beautiful set-
tings in the state.
Once again this year, organizers
estimate that more than 10,000
people flocked to the Sunday
show to see what legendary auto-
motive designers created in the
1920s and 30s. There were more
current models, too, several from
local collectors and restorers in
Plymouth and Northville, that
took the drive up to the viewing
and judging stand to the audible
reaction from the crowds. Others
were on static display and allowed
onlookers to walk right up and
take a look at what the artisans of
the early decades saw as real
beauty inmotion.
Some of the cars were above
price while others, many from the
50s and 60s, brought back memo-
ries for many who attended. A
Ford convertible with a hard-top
roof that retracted into the trunk
drew a lot of attention from the
crowd. This year there were early
motorcycles, too, that attracted
viewers of all persuasions.
This event, which also has
charity partners every year who
benefit from the admission fees, is
a real coup for the entire area.
The level of organization, of state
and country-wide attention and
attraction and of sheer popularity
and prestige brings all our com-
munities into sharp focus through-
out the state.
Not only those who love auto-
Who are these guys kidding?
Every time there is another
news story about these creeps from
Penn State, I want to throw some-
thing at the TV. When I heard there
were actually people protesting
when the statue of Joe Paterno was
taken down, my head wouldn't stop
shaking indisbelief.
What is wrong with these peo-
ple?
They argue that these guys were
just trying to protect the football
program which meant so much to
so many scholarship players….are
youkiddingme?Really?
This was about money. This was
about the $60 million a year the
football program put back into the
college coffers. After expenses. So
a few young boys were sexually
molested along the way, what can
that possibly mean next to protect-
ing a $60 million cash cow? That
was the attitude of every one of
these people from the college
administration through the entire
athletic department and especially
in the sacred football offices and
locker rooms.
Now the powers that be have
levied “unprecedented” punish-
ments against the school and stu-
dents are being interviewed with
long faces decrying the loss of the
football they love so much. Here's
my answer to that…transfer to
another school where the rape of
children isn't sanctioned. Oh, they
are going to lose scholarships and
it will affect the educational oppor-
tunities offered at Penn…well boo
hoo. Once again, transfer to anoth-
er school where basic humanity
and civilized behavior can be
expected from those who run the
place.
And if you still want to complain
about how unfair it is, make a
phone call to one of the many,
many victims of assistant football
coach Jerry Sandusky and see how
they feel about the punishment
handed out to the school. Ask them
about the quality of their lives after
being so horribly physically victim-
ized and then denied any sort of
protection by the administration.
Just ask them how they feel about
what is going on. Then tell me that
the reputation of the school and
your Saturday afternoon drinking
binge at the football game is more
important than protecting young
boys from this kind of abuse at the
hands of adults in positions of
authority (no
pun intended).
Can you tell I
am really angry
about this? Good, then my commu-
nication skills are not totally
impairedbymy fury.
I'll say this again about every
single one of these college officials
who all knew about this abuse and
chose to ignore it, cover it up or
protect Jerry Sandusky and Joe
Paterno. This was greed, pure and
simple. This wasn't about protect-
ing the school, this wasn't about the
image of a beloved coach and this
wasn't about opting for the best
choice for the largest number of
people. This was about money.
Nothingmore andnothing less.
And they won't admit it. Not one
of them. And these sports reporters
and commentators are nearly as
bad with all their euphemisms and
careful phrases about how these
guys were trying to protect the
No matter what you have planned for next Tuesday,
include a trip to your local polling place to vote in the pri-
mary election. Please.
This election usually doesn't garner the attention of the
presidential or state gubernatorial elections, but it is every
bit as important. This is the time that voters get to decide
who will be on the November ballot from the Democratic
and Republican parties---so those who choose the candi-
dates really control the future of local governance in many
cases.
There are communities and several offices where the
candidate who makes it through this primary election will
be guaranteed election. Either they are unopposed or the
community is so strongly entrenched and controlled by one
party or the other the oppositionwill be inconsequential.
Many voters are uninformed about the issues and the
crises taking place in their communities while others are
swayed by dramatic literature that implies, but does not list,
wrongdoing from those currently in office. It's difficult, in
these times, to know who to trust and what to believe about
candidates because as recent events at the state level have
clearly demonstrated, there seems to be little if any punish-
ment in our state election laws for those who lie, deceive
anddefraud the system.
We refer to the case out of our area where a candidate
came up with a phony opponent to ensure the voters chose
him over this straw man of his invention. That's an incredi-
ble simplification of the candidate's actions, but it is what
occurred. He will face no consequences, however, because
the state law does not provide for any punishment. The law
says doing these things is illegal, but it does not include any
penalty, so the candidate won't receive so much as a slap on
thewrist.
Which brings us to several local races in our communi-
ties where we have to say, we see the best and the worst
examples of public servants, and they are all from the same
political party, whichwe also find remarkable.
As we said last week, residents of Canton Township are
privileged to have some of the finest local government we've
ever seen. Those inPlymouthTownship, not somuch.
In Plymouth Township we can find no redeeming value
in any one of the current incumbents, although Clerk Joe
Bridgman did seem to put up a fight against the rest of this
cabal who continue to deny the voters their constitutional
rights in the community. These are the elected officials who
were apparently steamrolled by the strongest personality on
the board into thwarting the desire of more than 4,000 local
residents to vote on the public safety issue in the communi-
ty. These are people who have fallen under the influence of
just going along with the programwithout any evidence of a
real concern for the residents. None of them deserve to be
Concours
benefitted
community
See
Show,
page 7
Letters
Can you tell I am really angry about this?
Good, then my communication
skills are not totally impaired by my fury.
”
There are communities and several offices
where the candidate who makes it through this
primary election will be guaranteed election.
”
College silence sacrificed children for money
Choices are clear for some area voters
See
Money,
page 7
See
Choices,
page 7
Park maintenance criticized
To the editor;
I went to Attwood Park with my
son. We went to the play area. I
found cigarette butts in the equip-
ment, food wrappers, an unfin-
ished pop can perched where a
child could reach it, dog poop and
an open condom wrapper and the
used condomnearby.
A short time later while walking
with my son in his stroller, at 11:15
a.m. on a Saturday, I was greeted by
an older gentleman who appeared
to be quite the lunatic. I was told
that recently a young woman was
chased by such a man when she
was out jogging.
The bedding is black and foul
and filled with dust and garbage----
including papers, food wrappers
and other junk. It appears that
structure was built in 1998 and is
apparently made with chromated
copper arsenate (CCA)-treated
wood. All this in site of a brand new
skateboardpark in sparkling condi-
tion used by a small group able to
afford the expensive equipment
necessary to enter it. A loud event
was in progress at the time of this
series of incidents.
Recently the City of Wayne invit-
ed the residents of the City of
Westland to come and use the
underutilized services at the
Wayne Recreation Center. The rea-
soning was that local municipali-
ties should share services. Because
of the poisoned playing fields
soaked with mercury and other
chemicals right outside the
Westland pool and City Hall----the
invitation was probably a relief to
some.
So you really think these people
know what they were getting in
exchange?
AlfredBrock,
Wayne
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