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4
September 12, 2013
The name has been changed,
but the event will still be an oppor-
tunity to see exactly what has been
happening along the Rouge River
recently.
Canton Township and the
Friends of the Rouge are planning
a Run 4 the Rouge on Sept. 28 and
in Wayne the community will cele-
brateRouge-a-Palooza onOct. 12.
Both events will mark the
return of the Rouge River as a nat-
ural habitat for fish and other
wildlife and a recreational treas-
ure of the area. John Hartig, a
manager with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has called the res-
cue of the Rouge River “one of the
most dramatic ecological recovery
stories inNorthAmerica.”
We couldn't agreemore.
Most of the credit goes to the
Friends of the Rouge group which
has for many years been working
tirelessly to remove debris from
the river and replant the banks
while removing invasive species.
Volunteers have removed dump
truck after dump truck of debris
from the river, including cars,
truck, rubber tires, shopping carts
andhousehold items.
The federally-funded removal
of the dam in Wayne also provided
a big boost to the health of the
river.
The celebrations are a great
idea. In Canton this month, folks
can run 4 miles or walk 2 miles
along the banks. In Wayne there
will be a canoe race and canoe
rentals, along with live music, chil-
dren's activities and a festival-like
atmosphere.
The hard work of volunteers
and dedicated environmentalists
brought the Rouge River back
fromthe brink of near collapse.
Everyone should be celebrating
their success.
Impossible as it may seem, the
2016 Presidential campaign is
apparently already underway.
Yeah, that'swhat I said, too, but I
wasn't that polite.
When the massacre of children
in Syria became a tool of political
rhetoric, I decided that it was time
to reissue my sincere suggestions
for a new system of election and
governance in this country. I
almost said our country, but that's
not really the case anymore, is it?
Regular citizens and voters have
very little, if anything, to say about
the decisions made on our behest
inWashington.
The guy who angered me to the
point of throwing my shoe at the
television screen was a senator
from one of the southernmost
states. He was talking about the
proposal to launch some sort of
retaliation in Syria and he said: "I
can't sell this to the people when I
get back home."
I nearly choked on my Double-
Stuff Oreo.
He can't "sell" this? Is that what
he thinks his job is? To go back to
the people who foolishly elected
him and "sell" them a plan or a res-
olution? He didn't want to inform
the voters, he didn't want to edu-
cate them. He didn't want to ration-
ally explain the situation using
facts. No, he thought his job was to
go sell his political party's position
on the matter and convince, by any
means possible, voters in his state
to go along with it or reject it,
whichever position his party hap-
pened to support at themoment.
Look, I know I'm certainly no
political genius, but even I know
this is ridiculous and it is definitely
NOT the way things should work.
Voters, folks like you and me, are
supposed to have real representa-
tion in Washington. We are sup-
posed to have elected the people
best suited to represent our views,
our opinions and who will protect
our best interests.
We aren't supposed to be at the
mercy of political lemmings who
follow their party doctrine and
then attempt to "sell" it to us like a
used car salesman. (No offense
intended to used car salespeople.
There is no way they are even in
the same class of offensiveness as
professional politicians.)
And that takes me to the profes-
sional politicians who have made
"public service" their career. Right.
Public service my overtaxed, over-
regulated and underrepresented
butt. These people are looking for
a lifetime job and their only goal is
getting re-elected and to do that
they need to keep "the party"
happy. To get reelected, they have
to go along with and support what-
ever lame brained, idiotic and
even harmful position the largest
cash donors choose. Not yours, not
mine, the guy who gives the party
themost cash.
Which bringsme, none too soon,
I know, tomy suggestions.
Why don't we just stop all the
lame posturing and tomfoolery
and be honest about who gets to
serve in Washington? Just auction
the offices off to the highest bidder
and allow the rest of us some
peace and quiet for the three years
these people campaign. Seriously,
the billionaires who spend the
money to get their chosen candi-
dates elected could just bid on the
seat. And the major corporations
who can donate millions and mil-
lions of dollars without ever identi-
fying themselves, could bid against
them. Let the guy with the highest
bidwin, because that's prettymuch
what is happening now, anyway.
These candidates aren't represent-
ing the voters, they are represent-
ing the guys who funded the cam-
paign to get themthe votes.
Seems to me that would be a lot
more honest all the way around.
I'm sure Chief Justice Roberts
would go for it, after all, he's the
one who decided that corporations
were "people." And we could use
all that cash to
pay down the
national debt
rather thanpay-
ing for unrelenting, offensive,
untrue and insulting political
advertising.
If that won't work, let's make
every elected official wear an out-
fit like the NASCAR drivers with
all their "sponsors" logos sewn all
over, in plain sight so the rest of us
know exactly who put them in
office and who they really answer
to.
Because folks, it sure isn't us.
Last week, the Fall Festival took over the entire City of
Plymouth.
This weekend, for the 25th time, the City of Northville
will celebrate theVictorian roots of their communitywith a
costumed parade and Victorian-themed entertainment fill-
ing the downtown streets.
In Romulus next week, the annual downtown
Development Authority Pumpkin Festival will fill the
streets and community buildings with contests, vendors
and activities.
Each of these, and all the other community festivals we
haven't mentioned, are a celebration of the area in which
we live and the good that is done by civic organizations,
who are almost always the backbone of these events.
In Plymouth, Rotary Club members barbeque about
11,000 chicken dinners in one afternoon as one of the
major fundraisers of the club. The Lions Club, the Vietnam
Veterans of American, the Kiwanis, the Optimists and so
many others are all involved in the Fall Festival, and for
many of the groups, this is the main fundraiser of the year
for them. Those funds allow them to pour whatever they
collect back into the community.
Northville will also have booths along the street, selling
food and supporting many of the smaller groups from the
high school, there to earn money for their specific endeav-
ors. The event is colorful and too much fun to describe
with all the costumed residents parading in their Victorian
finery and the activities at Mill Race Village, designed to
remind children and adults alike of the history and roots of
the community.
There is something to see throughout the entire down-
town and just about everyone participates-it's hard not to
with the kind of community spirit that is displayed all
weekend.
Romulus begins with a Rotary Club sponsored and
organized lighted parade, which is one of the things not to
be missed. The only real rule is that entries in any of the
six categories have lots and lots of lights. As this parade of
absolute fun wends to Progressive Hall, there isn't anyone
in the viewing crowdwho isn't smiling.
School buses adorned with more Christmas lights than
seems possible, trucks, bikes, old cars-they are all there,
including regular parade floats, lit up like airport runway
beacons. These entries are a challenge to build, and a real
delight to watch. The parade begins the weekend of bingo
to benefit the animal shelter, pie baking and sunflower
growing contests along with jammaking, amusement rides
and booths that offer a real chance to enjoy the spirit of
community eachof these festivals offers.
We think everyone involved in each and every one of
them deserves a vote of gratitude. Helping to organize
these festivals means hours and hours of volunteer work,
often as much or more than a full-time job. These volun-
teers work hard, exercise more patience and management
skill than many of us could ever know, and do it all to help
make their community a better place.
Let's not forget the area restaurants and other business-
es who donate so heavily to these events, either. Residents
attending have no idea of the amount of funding and in-
kind contributions so many of these local businesses make
to these events to help these civic groups. It is amazing to
realize how much so many of these businesses actually
give back to the community throughdonations.
Those at the booths and at the civic club dinners and
events also deserve a vote of thanks and recognition. They
work very hard for weeks and months to help make their
events a success, and that success means there will be
more funds available to buy glasses for the sight impaired
who can't afford them, to help fund the Penrickton School
for Blind Children, to fund research for children who are
developmentally impaired, to stamp out polio, to build
wells in countries wherewater ismore priceless than gold.
These are the groups who take holiday baskets to shut-ins
and seniors, who feed starving children in other countries
and provide meals for our neighbors in need. The list of
good works of these groups goes on and on and on. And
they are all funded by events like these festivals where res-
idents are invited to have a great time, enjoy something
unique and feel that they really are part of a community.
We just want to thank each and every one of these vol-
unteers who worked so hard and express our gratitude for
theirwork and their dedication
They really deserve it.
Those at the booths and at the civic club
dinners and events also deserve
a vote of thanks and recognition.
”
Festival donors, volunteers deserve thanks
Celebrations
are in order
Voters, folks like you and me,
are supposed to have real
representation in Washington.
”
Let’s identify those political ‘supporters’, OK?