RSS
Community
WITH VIDEO: Huntington Woods residents celebrate Independence Day with parade
Jul 04, 2010
By KAREN WORKMAN
Of The Oakland Press
Huntington Woods residents lined the streets of their neighborhoods for an excellent view of a longstanding community tradition — the annual Huntington Woods’ Independence Day Parade.
“The community involvement for the Fourth of July Parade is just par excellence,” said Sharon Charlip, a Huntington Woods resident.
The parade began at 10 a.m. on Sunday and traveled through neighborhood streets, ending at Scotia Park. An all-day festival, hot dog roast, and Fourth of July bake-off continued the festivities at the park, ending with a fireworks display.
(more…)
More Articles
WITH VIDEO: Fireworks light up the sky at Addison Oaks County Park
Jul 04, 2010
The lawns, picnic areas and open spaces in general were packed Saturday night at Addison Oaks County Park in Addison Township for the annual fireworks display.
The fireworks show started at dusk and continued for about a half hour.
Watch video clips from the fireworks display:
Don’t let your plants fry this July
Jul 03, 2010
If July’s typical heat and drought have clocked in, get out the hose and supplement your garden’s moisture requirements. It may not be as satisfactory to the plants as a good old rainfall, but it will keep them alive and avoid drying from the ground up.
Don’t stew as to which time of day is most propitious to apply the water. As long as it is wet, any and all times are good.
When you do offer water though, remember to provide it freely even if thoughts of the coming water bill make you wince. Plants want a real drink, not just a sip or two, here and there.
If your municipality has summertime water rules, be sure to follow them. The water bills will be shock enough, without adding penalties for failure to adhere to the rules.
Remember, while heat-loving vegetables like eggplant and corn can survive on a tight water supply, others like lettuce, cabbage and celery must be watered generously.
Take time to keep the cultivator churning regularly to help conserve moisture already in the ground.
If you are tackling your first bed of celery, it is especially vital that you water well and cultivate generously to ensure a hearty crop for later use.
Old-timers suggest that a serving of nitrate of soda (one ounce to three gallons of water) will keep the planting growing fast. Be sure to hill it as it grows but don’t let the soil accumulate above the heart and keep your eyes open for blight.
To extend your harvest yield, keep setting out late celery in places vacated by early vegetables. Though not deep rooters, onions too thrive on water and feeding. If possible, alternately give them servings of manure water, nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia in solution, another old-timers hint for veggie success.
Keep your bed of leeks hilled up as they grow, feeding them regularly with the liquid manure and nitrates if you are eager to have a flavorful harvest to be proud of.
This is the month to make two sowings of bush beans. If the ground bakes too heavily, keep earlier sowings well hilled, mulching additionally if necessary.
To train lima beans, keep their leading shoots tied to poles until they start climbing on their own. Bush limas slated for early picking by the end of the month should not be allowed to get hard and dry. They should be green when cooked, not white.
Lettuce is a three-timer. To keep your supply adequate and healthy, you should sow lettuce seed three times during the month of July. It’s another water lover, requiring generous drenchings to prevent the plants from seeding too quickly.
If the site is bathed in too much sunshine, build a cheesecloth frame over the bed to protect plants that are heading up. Plus, plan a nightly and morning spray during the warm weather, you and the plants will benefit.
I am told this is the secret behind producing crisp, crunchy lettuce and there is nothing more tempting on a hot summer’s day than a salad bowl of lettuce highlighted by a combination of tasty meats and complementing veggies.
While you are planning for tidbits to heighten your salad desires this summer, don’t forget to make time to sow rutabagas for winter. The early part of this month is best but if you are short of space, hold off the planting session for a week or two until the right site is available.
Don’t forget your collection of fruits also need attention. Remember, in future years, fruit trees bearing heavily need thinning.
This includes peaches, pears, plums and apples.
Plan on taking out one-third of the young fruits so you will have room to watch the others grow to their capacity as they fill the available space with tasty temptation.
Raspberry and blackberry plants should be pruned back to 2 and 3 feet, respectively, to encourage side-branching and stocky growth.
Bramble bushes do best when their canes are strong. It’s the stronger canes that keep fruit production at its peak, not the size of the mother bush.
Everbearing raspberries bear the first year, in fall, at the tips of their canes. To encourage a second crop, cut off the tips after harvest. The following season they will then bear on the uncut portions in early summer.
Cut back the whole cane when it finishes bearing and do not be surprised when both crops prove to be smaller than one produced by traditional summer-bearing raspberries.
Mother Nature planned it that way.
Jody Headlee is a contributing columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact her at thegoodlife@oakpress.com.
Escalade costly, but saves energy
Jul 03, 2010
By RICHARD WILLIAMSON
Of Scripps Howard News Service
Could someone who is interested in saving money at the fuel pump spend $86,000 on a sport utility vehicle?
Not likely.
The buyer of the Cadillac Escalade Platinum Hybrid is not trying to save money. He’s trying to save face.
With the Gulf geyser spewing crude at a disastrous rate, an Escalade Hybrid driver can dodge blame by pointing out that the nearly 3-ton vehicle travels an amazing 22 miles per gallon on the highway and 20 in the city.
While some analysts might question General Motors’ decision to build hybrid versions of its most consumptive vehicles, it seemed to some of us like a smart move. The Escalade Hybrid provides 50 percent greater fuel efficiency than a standard V-8-powered Escalade. GM’s small cars already are very frugal. On corporate average fuel economy, an automaker needs to save money on the large end of the fleet.
On another economic front, the Escalade Hybrid driver might face derisive sneers for driving such a luxurious vehicle at a time when so many people are out of work. But informed citizens will also recognize that GM’s survival is keeping thousands of people employed. The workers at GM’s Arlington, Texas, assembly line are no doubt appreciative of every Escalade buyer.
By taking a government bailout, GM earned the opprobrium of many Americans but is working hard to regain its status in the heartland of the Homeland. There is always the possibility that the country will close ranks behind a venerable American brand.
If you want to look at the Escalade Hybrid through a patriotic lens, there is much to be proud of. It’s the only hybrid-powered, full-size luxury SUV and a technological showpiece.
GM’s two-mode hybrid power combines a 332-horsepower V-8 with an electric propulsion system that operates from the electrically variable automatic transmission.
When the brakes are applied or the vehicle is coasting, the electric motors create electricity that is stored in the 300-volt battery. The stored energy is used to move the vehicle, and the regenerative braking cycle is renewed. The battery pack is under the second-row seat without intruding into the bountiful passenger space.
Meanwhile, the 6-liter V-8’s efficiency is enhanced through Active Fuel Management and late intake valve-closing technology. There is a recognizable difference between the acceleration and power flow of the hybrid and the traditional V-8 Escalade. There are momentary and audible shifts from one power source to another. However, an excess of power is available if you really want brisk performance.
The Escalade Hybrid is the kind of vehicle you might buy for the long haul, so the fact that GM provides an eight-year warranty on the hybrid parts adds a welcome layer of comfort to the transaction.
Other marvels include Magnetic Ride Control, touted as the world’s fastest-reacting suspension system. The real-time damping system reads the road in 1-millisecond intervals and responds through electronically controlled shocks. The shocks are filled with a synthetic fluid containing minute iron particles. Under magnetic charge, the iron particles align to provide damping resistance almost instantly.
Escalade’s LED (light-emitting diode) headlamps create day-for-night brightness and last 20 times longer than traditional bulbs.
As with the regular Escalade, the Hybrid Platinum leaves nothing to be desired in its luxury appointments. The instrument panel, center storage console and door trim are wrapped in leather and stitched by hand. The leather-upholstered, heated and cooled seats are comfortable enough to inspire long road trips. The driver can use the power controls to adjust the seat 14 ways, and the tilt-steering adjustments are also automatic. The power fold-and-tumble second-row seat is exclusive to the Escalade in this segment, providing easy access to the third row.
Another standard feature on the Platinum version is power liftgate and liftglass in the back.
Other pieces of the Platinum package include a power running board that slides out to provide a step when you unlock the vehicle with the remote keyless entry fob. You also get a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled cupholders and a DVD entertainment system with screens mounted on the roof and the backs of the front-seat headrests. The system allows passengers in different seats to watch or listen to different programs.
The premium audio system is the Bose 5.1 Digital Surround system with six-disc CD changer, XM Satellite radio and MP3.
Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is the first large luxury SUV with fuel-saving hybrid technology.
Lincoln MKZ: Good looks, decent performance
Jul 03, 2010
By Russ Heaps
For The Oakland Press
Whoever hawks chrome to Lincoln purchasing agents must be awash in commissions. An abundance of brightwork is certainly a defining characteristic of this brand. Like a preening male peacock fanning its tail to seduce the female, a healthy display of chrome helps lure well-heeled buyers to luxury automobiles. In the MKZ’s case, it also helps distance MKZ from Ford’s Fusion with which it shares many of its moving parts.
Actually, the use of chrome tapers off dramatically once your eye works its way from the car’s front around to its flanks and hindquarters. It is its familial front end, common among Lincoln’s M-lettered vehicles, with its dominating chrome grille, headlamp surrounds and air port surrounds that leave onlookers somewhat dazzled. Lincoln stylists have applied chrome sparingly around the rest of the bodywork.
As a tidy, personal luxury sedan, the MKZ works well. Despite its 4-door configuration and three-adult-friendly backseat, drivers who spend most of their wheel time alone won’t feel they’re driving a lot more car than they need. It’s ideally suited for a couple’s weekend getaway, but can carry the workplace crew out to lunch. Comfortable yet intimate, the cabin is an elegant blend of convenience, luxury and functionality.
The leather-covered heated and cooled front bucket seats offer generous side bolsters and bottom cushions. Both driver and front-passenger seats offer 10-way power adjustment. Wood and subdued silver accents surround the soft-touch materials that cover the dashboard and doors. The 4-spoke tilt/telescoping wood-and-leather steering wheel sports a bevy of buttons for operating the audio system and cruise control.
The redesigned center stack is remarkably uncluttered and simple to decipher, even though it hosts a driver information center, the operation center for the 11-speaker audio system with its 6-disk in-dash CD player and iPod interface, and controls for the automatic dual-zone climate system. Operating the iPod interface is more involved than it needs to be, but otherwise operating these systems isn’t intimidating.
Included in the MKZ’s $34,965 base price is Ford’s voice-activated Sync connectivity system that allows the driver to operate most MP3 players, Bluetooth-compatible phones and USB drives with voice commands. It also accesses the optional navigation system, as well as real-time traffic when the satellite radio subscription is active.
Getting the optional hard-drive based navigation system with its 8-inch touchscreen display will require an outlay of at least $2,495, but this particular option package also includes a rearview camera, a THX-certified 5.1 surround sound audio upgrade with additional speakers, DVD playback capability, 10GB music storage and the integrated Sirius Travel Link with its traffic, weather and sports information, among other info features.
Further sprucing up my test Lincoln was the $795 Sport Appearance Package, which included upgraded seat coverings with a contrasting tuxedo seam and color piping, unique floor mats with a decorative “Z,” aluminum interior accents, stiffer sport suspension, and 18-inch 10-spoke aluminum wheels.
With its low liftover, the trunk can accommodate more than 16 cubic feet of cargo. Additionally, the split rear seat back can be folded down to increase hauling capacity.
A 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 delivers its power to the rear wheels by way of a 6-speed driver-shiftable automatic transmission. “Aggressive” probably isn’t the adjective you’d use to describe acceleration, but this V-6 does get the MKZ moving effortlessly when the light goes green. The 6-speed and V-6 work well together. Getting to 60 miles per hour from a stop takes under 8 seconds. Fuel economy is in the mainstream of the segment — the EPA rates its fuel efficiency at 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.
All-wheel drive is available and will set you back $1,890. Not only does it move power from axle to axle, but also side-to-side if wheel slippage is detected.
Living up to its luxury designation, the MKZ stresses passenger comfort over handling. A double-wishbone setup in front and a multi-link arrangement in the rear are the suspension’s key components. Its cornering capability is more than adequate, but it doesn’t straighten out the twisties with the competence of competitors like Infiniti’s G37 or Cadillac’s CTS. Ride quality, though, is excellent.
Bringing the MKZ to a standstill falls to disc brakes on all four corners supervised by an antilock system. Traction control, stability control and electronic brake force distribution are included in the base price. Dual front- and dual rear-seat side-impact airbags, as well as front and rear head airbags, are all standard.
OK, so it isn’t the sportiest sedan in its segment, but the MKZ offers good looks, better-than-average performance and a high-end passenger compartment in an easy-to-live-with package. There are enough high-tech features to wow neighbors, yet all the systems operate intuitively. Driving it says you’ve arrived at a certain station in life, but it doesn’t hit anyone over the head with your success.
And as for all that chrome up front, that’s why they invented sunglasses.
Immersed in Haiti: Oakland University student adapts Haiti trip to help after earthquake
Jul 03, 2010
By Kay Nguyen
Special To The Oakland Press
Oakland University student Saman Waquad did not want to go to Haiti after she saw the devastation caused by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in January.
She had been planning to go to Haiti for the last four years, and the earthquake just happened to coincide with her anticipated travel dates.
She originally became interested in visiting Haiti after reading “Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World.”
“The Haitians have struggled through a lot and they are very resilient people,” Waquad said. “That’s what sparked my interest and that’s why I wanted to go.”
Her intended trip during OU’s spring recess was first made impossible due to the freeze on commercial flights to the country in the aftermath of the earthquake. Waquad was also unable to volunteer her services through medical organizations like Partners in Health because of her lack of advanced medical skills.
After the initial setbacks, Waquad met Christopher Younan, who had been volunteering in Haiti for more than six years, through a mutual friend. She joined him and a group of volunteers from the metro Detroit area in Haiti from May 19-27.
After flying into Port-au-Prince, Waquad made her way to the small coastal town of Montrouis, which is about 50 miles north of the capital city. There, she volunteered at an orphanage that had been there well before the earthquake.
“(The trip) wasn’t necessarily because of the earthquake. This town had 4,000 refugees that spilled in from the earthquake, but they were also affected by a hurricane in 2008,” Waquad said. “All their problems are just compounded.”
She attempted to gather donations before her trip, but efforts yielded an “unfortunate” turnout. Instead, Waquad brought her own clothes to give to the children along with practical supplies like soap and plastic grocery bags, which must be purchased in Haiti.
Upon arriving in Haiti, Waquad said she was in awe of the country’s natural beauty.
“The view from the sky was breathtaking, but as we got closer we flew over an area that I thought was a tent camp set up after the earthquake,” Waquad said. “But (a fellow traveler) told me that it was the poorest part of Haiti – the slums.”
From there, she quickly saw many other disparities between the way the rich and poor citizens of Haiti lived.
Montrouis is a popular tourist destination because of its white sand beaches and was not affected by the earthquake directly. Waquad saw the differences between the orphanage she volunteered at and its neighboring beach resorts.
Because her trip was an immersion experience as opposed to a mission trip, Waquad was able to see the way the upper class in Haiti, the bourgeoisie, live as well as what conditions were like in earthquake refugee tent camps.
“The poor have seemingly gotten poorer,” Waquad said.
Though she felt compassion for everyone that asked her for money, she found it increasingly difficult to differentiate between who was in need and who was conning her.
“If they didn’t know anything else in English, they knew ‘one dollar’ and ‘I love you,’” Waquad said of children begging for money in the streets. “For money, people will do a lot.”
Some children claimed to have no parents who would later turn up with an adult and one woman offered to give her deceased cousin’s daughter up to volunteers because she could not afford the child, while buying a beer.
In addition to the supplies she brought, Waquad and the volunteer group brought groceries to stockpile the pantry of the orphanage and paid the tuition fees for a few children, as education is rarely free in Haiti.
She and the group also tried to come up with solutions to make nonprofit organizations in Haiti leaner by noting prices whenever they purchased something.
As a group, the metro Detroiters also formed a nonprofit of their own that focuses on sustainability and added one more to the hundreds of nonprofits with a presence in Haiti.
“These were people genuinely interested in helping the Haitians and that were interested in coming back and doing this continuously,” Waquad said of her volunteer group.
The name of the orphanage will be “Haiti’s Orphanage of Love” and Waquad is planning to return to Haiti in December.
“Despite all of the misery and disaster, these people still have hope,” Waquad said. “They’re still making life work: even if it’s just one day at a time.”
Those interested in volunteering with “Haiti’s Orphanage of Love” can contact Waquad at sfwaquad@oakland.edu.
Kay Nguyen is editor-in-chief of The Oakland Post, Oakland University’s independent student newspaper
New PBS show explores Michigan’s hidden gems
Jul 03, 2010
By JAMES HAWKINS
Special to The Oakland Press
There are many hidden gems scattered throughout Michigan that people are unaware of because they don’t know where to look — until now, thanks to the television show “Under The Radar: Michigan.”
The show, created by long-time friends Jim Edelman and Tom Daldin, hopes to positively portray Michigan by acting as a visual tour guide that sheds light on intriguing people, places and things across the state.
“The whole purpose of this show is to discover and to show people the really cool people, places and things we have here in Michigan that even those of us who live here may not be aware of,” said Daldin of Rochester.
“Michigan is a very unique, progressive and cool place to be right now. Because of the economy, it has gotten a lot of bad rap and bad press. I think a lot of people have gotten down on themselves and feeling down about the state. The whole mission of the program is to just say that Michigan is a great place to be, to plan your future, to live, to play and to vacation.”
Edelman, 47, of Salem, said that there are many great stories in the state and now they have a way to spread the word through their unique 30-minute show.
The idea for the show began after the duo experienced life-changing moments. Edelman had lost his job in radio in January 2009 and Daldin, who produced media for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, lost 65 percent of his income as the Detroit Three nearly went under.
“Here we are sitting here when we’ve lost virtually all our income,” Daldin said. “We just started thinking, ‘What can we do to help this situation? To create jobs for ourselves and people we know, create excitement about the state, help create jobs for other people in the state and help create more tourism.’ ”
After nearly a month of brainstorming, Edelman met with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to find out what options he had about starting a project. He was able to get an opportunity to do some outside programming with the station, luckily find funding and in early February 2009, “Under The Radar: Michigan” was born.
In a little more than a year, Daldin and Edelman were able to accomplish what they wanted by creating a handful of jobs and promoting Michigan as the show’s first episode aired on PBS stations across Michigan, in 2.5 million homes in Ontario and in Toledo and the Chicago area on June 26.
So far, Daldin, Edelman and their staff have visited nine cities and completed three episodes.
“We’ve already been to nine cities and the stuff that I’ve seen in these cities, we’re having a blast,” Daldin said. “A lot of people are excited about this because I think we need this right now.”
In the future, Edelman said he hopes they can expand the show to surrounding states.
“That’s a business plan goal,” Edelman said of expanding. “All the Great Lakes states need a show like this. Michigan is our first priority and we have to make sure we have a show solid here before we go expanding out.”
The show is scheduled for a full season, consisting of 13 episodes that covers 39 cities, with each episode showcasing three cities.
“It’s a little thing, but a TV show can really change the dialogue and make you look a little bit deeper into what’s around you,” Edelman said.
FYI
“UTR: Under the Radar Michigan” is scheduled to air Saturday mornings on PBS. To catch a glimpse of the show, check out a five-minute trailer at www.utrmichigan.com. Check local listings for show times and future programming.
Don’t let your plants fry this July
Jul 03, 2010
By Jody Headlee
If July’s typical heat and drought have clocked in, get out the hose and supplement your garden’s moisture requirements. It may not be as satisfactory to the plants as a good old rainfall, but it will keep them alive and avoid drying from the ground up.
Don’t stew as to which time of day is most propitious to apply the water. As long as it is wet, any and all times are good.
When you do offer water though, remember to provide it freely even if thoughts of the coming water bill make you wince. Plants want a real drink, not just a sip or two, here and there.
If your municipality has summertime water rules, be sure to follow them. The water bills will be shock enough, without adding penalties for failure to adhere to the rules.
Remember, while heat-loving vegetables like eggplant and corn can survive on a tight water supply, others like lettuce, cabbage and celery must be watered generously.
Take time to keep the cultivator churning regularly to help conserve moisture already in the ground.
If you are tackling your first bed of celery, it is especially vital that you water well and cultivate generously to ensure a hearty crop for later use.
Old-timers suggest that a serving of nitrate of soda (one ounce to three gallons of water) will keep the planting growing fast. Be sure to hill it as it grows but don’t let the soil accumulate above the heart and keep your eyes open for blight.
To extend your harvest yield, keep setting out late celery in places vacated by early vegetables. Though not deep rooters, onions too thrive on water and feeding. If possible, alternately give them servings of manure water, nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia in solution, another old-timers hint for veggie success.
Keep your bed of leeks hilled up as they grow, feeding them regularly with the liquid manure and nitrates if you are eager to have a flavorful harvest to be proud of.
This is the month to make two sowings of bush beans. If the ground bakes too heavily, keep earlier sowings well hilled, mulching additionally if necessary.
To train lima beans, keep their leading shoots tied to poles until they start climbing on their own. Bush limas slated for early picking by the end of the month should not be allowed to get hard and dry. They should be green when cooked, not white.
Lettuce is a three-timer. To keep your supply adequate and healthy, you should sow lettuce seed three times during the month of July. It’s another water lover, requiring generous drenchings to prevent the plants from seeding too quickly.
If the site is bathed in too much sunshine, build a cheesecloth frame over the bed to protect plants that are heading up. Plus, plan a nightly and morning spray during the warm weather, you and the plants will benefit.
I am told this is the secret behind producing crisp, crunchy lettuce and there is nothing more tempting on a hot summer’s day than a salad bowl of lettuce highlighted by a combination of tasty meats and complementing veggies.
While you are planning for tidbits to heighten your salad desires this summer, don’t forget to make time to sow rutabagas for winter. The early part of this month is best but if you are short of space, hold off the planting session for a week or two until the right site is available.
Don’t forget your collection of fruits also need attention. Remember, in future years, fruit trees bearing heavily need thinning.
This includes peaches, pears, plums and apples.
Plan on taking out one-third of the young fruits so you will have room to watch the others grow to their capacity as they fill the available space with tasty temptation.
Raspberry and blackberry plants should be pruned back to 2 and 3 feet, respectively, to encourage side-branching and stocky growth.
Bramble bushes do best when their canes are strong. It’s the stronger canes that keep fruit production at its peak, not the size of the mother bush.
Everbearing raspberries bear the first year, in fall, at the tips of their canes. To encourage a second crop, cut off the tips after harvest. The following season they will then bear on the uncut portions in early summer.
Cut back the whole cane when it finishes bearing and do not be surprised when both crops prove to be smaller than one produced by traditional summer-bearing raspberries.
Mother Nature planned it that way.
Jody Headlee is a contributing columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact her at thegoodlife@oakpress.com.
Veterans invited to participate in history project
Jul 02, 2010
By Sharon Longman
Special to The Oakland Press
The Springfield Township Library at 12000 Davisburg Road is hosting a Veterans History Project in conjunction with the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is collecting personal accounts in the form of war veterans’ firsthand oral histories, diaries, photographs, letters and documents as part of their collection.
Veterans and other citizens who were actively involved in supporting the war effort from the homefront and who are patrons of the Springfield Township Library may submit their stories and sign up for assistance with the assembly and submission of their war stories to the Library of Congress.
For more information, call Gretchen Mayville (248) 846-6550 or e-mail gmayville@springfield.lib.mi.us
The Southfield Veterans’ Commission also is working with the Library of Congress and the Southfield Public Library gathering interviews for the American History Series. They are asking all veterans to share their stories with everyone across the country.
Interviews are being Wednesday afternoons at the Southfield Library.
Veterans receive a copy of the interview for their own family record on DVD, a letter from
U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak and a certificate. You do not need to be a Southfield resident to participate in this program.
Any area wartime veteran who would like to have his or her story recorded by the Southfield Veterans Commission should contact Veterans’ Commission Chairman Daniel Brightwell at (248) 796-4838 or e-mail southfieldvets@cityofsouthfield.com to schedule an appointment.
Since December 2007, 175 vets have been interviewed. To view the interviews, visit www.sfldlib.org/pages/search/research.asp and click on Veterans History Project.
The library is in the Southfield Municipal Complex, 26300 Evergreen Road. For more information, visit www.southfieldlibrary.org or call the Guest Services Desk at (248) 796-4224.
For more information on the Veterans History Project, complete information and step-by-step instructions can be found at www.loc.gov/vets.
U.S. Army Sgt. Timothy J. Warren, a medic and son of Jerry and Donna Warren, residents of Independence Township, stands far right holding the flag as his fellow Medic receives an award in Afghanistan in January of 2010. His parents are members of The North Oaks Corvette Club. The club and others donated money and items to start a Post Exchange for his unit, because they had none. Photo courtesy of Jerry Warren
Boys State
American Legion Homer Wing Post 172 in Rochester recently sponsored two high school candidates to the Michigan Boy’s State Program at Northwood University in Midland, reports Post 172 Boys State program Chairman Howard Splete.
Boys State is an educational program sponsored by the American Legion Departments across the country that teaches young men from across the nation how government works and develops their leadership skills and appreciation for their rights as a citizen. As participants in the program, the high school candidates run for simulated public office, learn public speaking, create and enforce laws and participate in all phases of creating and running a working government that will help to positively shape their lives. While attending the program, they meet other students from across Michigan who sometimes become friends for life.
The two selected candidates are Grant Chenoweth, 16, of Rochester High School, and Vincent Viggato, 17, of Stoney Creek High School.
Chenoweth has been involved in local scouting and church activities. A National Honor Society member, he has contributed leadership in football, wrestling and track and field teams. He would like to attend West Point Military Academy and eventually become an FBI or CIA agent.
Viggato also is a National Honor Society member. His school activities include German Club and the Varsity Soccer Team. Vincent also plays Division 1 Club Soccer for the Carpathian Kickers.
He would like to attend either West Point or the University of Michigan and major in engineering.
This year is the 75th anniversary of the Boys State program.
For more information, call Splete (248) 651-1822.
Clarkston Cares website
The Clarkston Cares for Military Families organization has launched its new website. The site is the culmination of the work of a group of Clarkston neighbors who began meeting about a year ago because they were concerned about help being available to military personnel, those in the service or veterans of previous conflicts and their families.
“It is our desire to support warriors regardless of our attitudes about the ‘wars’ in which they do serve or have served us,” Clarkston Cares founder Tom Stone said. “I am very proud of this effort, in that it represents the commitment of about 24 people who have met periodically for some time. I am especially proud of the effort of retired Navy captain and Clarkston descendent Bart Clark, who crafted our Internet site.”
Check out the new website for resources, how you can help and be helped at www.clarkstoncares.org.
For more information, call Marylou Enneking (248) 625-4583 or e-mail clarkstoncares@yahoo.com.
Good Guy Award
Louise Downs of Desert Angels Inc. has been awarded the annual Good Guy Award for 2010 by the Past Department Commanders Club American Legion Department of Michigan.
Downs was nominated for the award in March and it was presented at the recent annual Michigan American Legion Convention in Dearborn.
Packing parties
First Congregational Church will partner with Desert Angels Inc. and host a Miracle Box Packing Party from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 6, at 5449 Clarkston Road, Clarkston.
For more information, call Sharen Worden (248) 625-1385 or e-mail daveandsharen@aol.com.
Desert Angels Inc. also will host a Beets, Beats and Eats Packing Party from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 9, at Crossman Park in downtown Ortonville.
The Miracle Boxes are named after Ortonville Hometown Hero PFC Joseph A. Miracle, who was killed on July 5, 2007, while serving his country in Afghanistan.
For a complete list of requested items visit www.thedesertangel.org, e-mail desertangel4u@gmail.com.
For more information, call (248) 736-6403.
Neck coolers needed
Louise Downs from Desert Angel Inc. is looking for sewing volunteers to make neck coolers for the troops.
A service member stationed at Camp Patriot, a Kuwait Navy Base, who received a package from the organization that included the neck coolers requested more. She said the extreme heat there makes them necessary.
Volunteers who would like to learn how to make them can call Downs at (248) 736-6403 or e-mail her at desertangel4u@gmail.com.
Miracle Quilts
The Miracle Quilts made by Desert Angels group will meet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 10, at Independence Village, 701 Market St. in Oxford.
The mission of the quilters group, with volunteers of all ages, is to create patriotic quilts to present to our wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., at Michigan VA hospitals, those currently serving and homeless veterans. The quilters say they are honored to spend countless hours creating these quilts to present to our troops for their service to our country.
Volunteers may attend anytime from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or sew at home. Attend for an hour or the day.
Volunteers are needed. Wish list includes a quilting machine, use of another quilting machine, batting and thread.
For more information, call Carole Carroll (248) 628-0979 or (248) 321-8669 or e-mail MiracleQuilts@att.net .
Flag class
American Legion Department of Michigan Scouting Chairman B.J. Arnold and assistant Dave Walls taught 5 and six-year-old Daisy Girl Scouts about U.S. flag history, etiquette and how to fold the American flag at Webber Elementary School in Lake Orion.
For more information about flag etiquette classes, call (248) 623-6061.
The Oakland Press is interested in all veterans events in Oakland County. Please send info in the body of an e-mail with subject line “Veterans Affairs” to Sharon Longman at sslstart@aol.com. Allow two weeks’ notice for scheduled events and include a phone number for readers to call for more information.
Don’t let your plants fry this July
Jul 02, 2010
By Jody Headlee
Special to The Oakland Press
If July’s typical heat and drought have clocked in, get out the hose and supplement your garden’s moisture requirements. It may not be as satisfactory to the plants as a good old rainfall, but it will keep them alive and avoid drying from the ground up.
Don’t stew as to which time of day is most propitious to apply the water. As long as it is wet, any and all times are good.
When you do offer water though, remember to provide it freely even if thoughts of the coming water bill make you wince. Plants want a real drink, not just a sip or two, here and there.
If your municipality has summertime water rules, be sure to follow them. The water bills will be shock enough, without adding penalties for failure to adhere to the rules.
Remember, while heat-loving vegetables like eggplant and corn can survive on a tight water supply, others like lettuce, cabbage and celery must be watered generously.
Take time to keep the cultivator churning regularly to help conserve moisture already in the ground.
If you are tackling your first bed of celery, it is especially vital that you water well and cultivate generously to ensure a hearty crop for later use.
Old-timers suggest that a serving of nitrate of soda (one ounce to three gallons of water) will keep the planting growing fast. Be sure to hill it as it grows but don’t let the soil accumulate above the heart and keep your eyes open for blight.
To extend your harvest yield, keep setting out late celery in places vacated by early vegetables. Though not deep rooters, onions too thrive on water and feeding. If possible, alternately give them servings of manure water, nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia in solution, another old-timers hint for veggie success.
Keep your bed of leeks hilled up as they grow, feeding them regularly with the liquid manure and nitrates if you are eager to have a flavorful harvest to be proud of.
This is the month to make two sowings of bush beans. If the ground bakes too heavily, keep earlier sowings well hilled, mulching additionally if necessary.
To train lima beans, keep their leading shoots tied to poles until they start climbing on their own. Bush limas slated for early picking by the end of the month should not be allowed to get hard and dry. They should be green when cooked, not white.
Lettuce is a three-timer. To keep your supply adequate and healthy, you should sow lettuce seed three times during the month of July. It’s another water lover, requiring generous drenchings to prevent the plants from seeding too quickly.
If the site is bathed in too much sunshine, build a cheesecloth frame over the bed to protect plants that are heading up. Plus, plan a nightly and morning spray during the warm weather, you and the plants will benefit.
I am told this is the secret behind producing crisp, crunchy lettuce and there is nothing more tempting on a hot summer’s day than a salad bowl of lettuce highlighted by a combination of tasty meats and complementing veggies.
While you are planning for tidbits to heighten your salad desires this summer, don’t forget to make time to sow rutabagas for winter. The early part of this month is best but if you are short of space, hold off the planting session for a week or two until the right site is available.
Don’t forget your collection of fruits also need attention. Remember, in future years, fruit trees bearing heavily need thinning.
This includes peaches, pears, plums and apples.
Plan on taking out one-third of the young fruits so you will have room to watch the others grow to their capacity as they fill the available space with tasty temptation.
Raspberry and blackberry plants should be pruned back to 2 and 3 feet, respectively, to encourage side-branching and stocky growth.
Bramble bushes do best when their canes are strong. It’s the stronger canes that keep fruit production at its peak, not the size of the mother bush.
Everbearing raspberries bear the first year, in fall, at the tips of their canes. To encourage a second crop, cut off the tips after harvest. The following season they will then bear on the uncut portions in early summer.
Cut back the whole cane when it finishes bearing and do not be surprised when both crops prove to be smaller than one produced by traditional summer-bearing raspberries.
Mother Nature planned it that way.
Jody Headlee is a contributing columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact her at thegoodlife@oakpress.com.
Stay Connected
E-mail Newsletter Signup
Get our daily news delivered to your inbox.
