The fireworks show started at dusk and continued for about a half hour.
Watch video clips from the fireworks display:

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.



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.

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.

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

R&B

Jimmie Vaughan

“Blues, Ballads and Favorites”

Shout! Factory

3 stars

Jimmie Vaughan is the kind of guy you take for granted — so consistently, and offhandedly, good that you just assume it always has been and always will be that way. So it’s a bit of a shock to the system to realize it’s been nine years since the former Fabulous Thunderbird and older brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan put out an album, but that’s quickly eclipsed by the pleasure that is “Blues, Ballads and Favorites,” a deftly delivery of a dozen tracks from the great American blues and R&B songbook as well as a Vaughan-composed instrumental called “Comin’ & Goin’,” all of which spotlight his supple, fleet-fingered playing and polished arranging sensibilities. Unlike a lot of his guitar-playing  Texas brethren, Vaughan isn’t a rip-it-up kind of guy; taste is the hallmark of his style, and he treats material such as Billy Emerson’s “The Pleasure’s All Mine,” Don & Dewey’s “I’m Leaving It Up to You,” Johnny Ace’s “How Can You Be So Mean,” Roy Milton’s “RM Blues” and Little Anthony & the Imperials’ “I Miss You So” like well-crafted compositions, usually throwing in a three-man brass section for some added punch. But Vaughan can bring the heat when he wants to; check out Lonnie Brooks’ “Roll, Roll, Roll,” with its sharp guitar and saxophone solos, the wiggly rendition of Roscoe Gordon’s “Just a Little Bit” and a soulful take of Little Richard’s “Send Me Some Lovin’ ” sung by Lou Ann Barton, who also appears on four other tracks. “Blues, Ballads and Favorites” also marks the final recordings by keyboardist Bill Willis, a King Records alumni who’s been with Vaughan for the past 15 years and, in addition to his organ playing, also sings lead on the album-closing version of Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away.” A lot of time has slipped away since Vaughan’s last release, but this set certainly makes up for it.

ROCK

Ed Kowalczyk

“Alive”

Soul Whisperer

2.5 stars

Like a lot of frontmen who go solo, Live’s Ed Kowalcyzk faces a double-edged sword on his first album outside the group. To be creatively successful it needs to sound like something he could not have done with the band, but it can’t be so foreign that his established fans won’t buy in. To that end, “Alive” is basically a Live album under Kowalczyk’s domain; there are subtle differences, including the funkier groove of “The Great Beyond” and the soulful mood of “Fire on the Mountain, but it’s still primarily a showcase for the same kind of earnest lyricism and ebb-and-flow dynamics he’s mined so heartily in the past. There’s certainly no shortage of passion on these 11 tracks, but “Alive” is more a reminder than a reinvention.

New & Noteworthy

Big Boi, “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty” (Purple Ribbon/Def Jam): The OutKast member’s solo debut sports collaborations with his partner Andre 3000 as well as Jamie Foxx, Janelle Monae, B.o.B, Gucci Mane, George Clinton and more.

Capleton, “I-ternal Fire” (V.P.): The Jamaican dancehall star continues to balance peace and provocation on his latest album.

How to Destroy Angels, “How to Destroy Angels” (Null Corporation): The debut six-song EP by the new band formed by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and his wife, West Indian Girl’s Mariqueen Maandig.

Enrique Iglesias, “Euphoria” (Universal Republic): The son of Julio takes a bilingual course on his ninth studio album, with guest appearances by Usher, Pitbull, Akon, Nicole Scherzinger and others.

Juvenile, “Beast Mode”  (UTP/E1): The New Orleans rapper is still “Cocky and Confident” on his ninth album, for which he’s gone surprisingly guest-less.

Kelis, “Flesh Tone” (will.i.am Music Group/Interscope): The R&B/dance diva’s fifth album, and first in four years, is already making some “4th of July (Fireworks)” with its second single.

Brian Lopez, “Rojo” (Funzalo): The first of three planned live EPs from the Mostly Bears frontman.

Bret Michaels, “Custom Built” (Poor Boy): The recently incapacitated Poison frontman and “Celebrity Apprentice” winner’s third solo album is a mixed bag of new songs — a duet with Miley Cyrus on “Nothing to Lose” and a cover of Sublime’s “What I Got” — and re-recordings, including a country version of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”

Kylie Minogue, “Aphrodite” (Astralwerks): The Australian songstress returns to her dance club roots on her 11th album, with help from Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters and Tim Rice-Oxley of Keane.

Steve Poltz, “Dreamhouse” (98 Pounder): The San Diego singer-songwriter who mentored Jewel continues to navigate his own pop music waters blending characteristic wit and pathos.

The Rescues, “Let Loose the Horses” (Universal Republic): The debut album from the Los Angeles-based rock group that’s already landed five songs in “Grey’s Anatomy” episodes.

Johnny Richter, “Kottonmouth Kings Present…Laughing” (Suburban Noize): The indie rap ‘n’ rock troupe member takes the spotlight on this new outing.

The Stone Foxes, “Bears & Bulls” (self-released): The vintage rock-leaning San Francisco quartet’s sophomore album surfaces in hard copy after an iTunes release last week.

Trailer Choir, “Tailgate” (Show Dog Nashville/Universal): The second album from the Nashville country comedy trio signed to Toby Keith’s Show Dog Nashville label.

Walter Trout, “Common Ground” (Provogue): The blues and rock guitarist assembled an A-team — from producer John Porter to hot backing to players — to record his 20th album.

Various Artists, “Despicable Me: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” (Star Trak/Interscope): Pharrell and Robin Thicke contribute new material to a companion album that also features ’70s disco hits by the Bee Gees and the Sylvers.

Various Artists, “NPR Discovers Songs: Soul Revival” (Shout! Factory): An R&B overview that blends acts both old (Ann Peebles, Bettye LaVette, Chaka Kahn with Mary J. Blige, Thelma Houston) and new (Eli Paperboy Reed, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings)

From The Vaults

Jerry Lee Lewis, “Essential Sun Records Country Hits” (Varese Fontana); Various Artists, “The Best of New Latin Quarter, Jazz & Blues, Volume 1″ (Omni/Select-O-Hits)

— Staff writer Gary Graff

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.

JEFF KUEHN

The articles detailing what kids go through to compete at the highest level of amateur competition, the sacrifices families make in regards to time and finances, the role training facilities play, how college coaches have adapted their recruiting methods to a changing landscape and what the Michigan High School Athletic Association thinks of sports beyond the walls of member institutions would not have been possible without a spirited discussion between high school sports coordinator Keith Dunlap, myself and a half-dozen passionate readers.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once quoted the saying, “It takes a community to raise a child.” The same can be said for an aspiring college student/athlete.
Attendees at the townhall meeting talked freely about their own experiences and/or put our writers in touch with parents, coaches, trainers and athletes involved in non-high school sanctioned athletic clubs.
In an attempt to further engage readers and following a patriotic theme that arose in the news townhall meeting attended by close to 25 people, columnist Pat Caputo reached out and asked you to select Metro Detroit’s sports heroes through a column in the paper along with pleas on Facebook and Twitter. As evidenced by his report inside, the response was fantastic.
Caputo reveals the winner and shares a sampling of written responses he received via e-mails, tweets and hand-written letters.
Detroit Lions’ beat writer Paula Pasche jumped on the call for patriotic news as did Dunlap on the high school scene. Pasche wrote a feature story on linebacker Caleb Campbell, the last pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, who played for Army. Dunlap turned a call from a reader about Novi Detroit Catholic Central’s Tony Thomas opting to play college hockey for the Air Force Academy into a story suited for today’s Independence Day edition.
Pasche also sent out requests on Facebook and Twitter for questions to ask quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Jim Schwartz. Both men are entering their second season and expect to see a big improvement by the team in 2010.
Pasche took the assignment a step further by reaching out and asking Lions’ fans to predict the number of games the Lions will win in 2010. The results and some of the responses can be found inside today’s section.
The landscape has changed. Our ability to reach out, communicate and interact with you on a daily basis will open doors and allow us to cover, promote and chronicle local sports in ways never before imagined.
Video, live online chats, instant feedback from readers and the ability to break news as it happens have greatly enhanced our ability to bring the news to your doorstep and/or computer. The same enhancements on our high school website, MIPrepZone.com, which contains separate pages for every high school in Oakland County, provides parents, athletes, coaches, teachers and aspiring journalists opportunities to contribute and expand the mission of promoting high school sports.
Finally, consider this an invitation to take part in the fun. When the call for the next townhall meeting goes out, when we ask for your vote regarding a future project or story, when we reach out with seminars that instruct how to submit videos, photos and articles for publication, I hope you do what Oakland County sports enthusiasts have always done and get involved.

Contact sports editor Jeff Kuehn at jeff.kuehn@oakpress.com or (248) 745-4682.

What produces all of the above is non-high school sporting leagues or organizations that involve high school athletes.

A group of high school students, and recently completed high school students, do a thirty-second drill of stepping Tuesday at Wisner Stadium in Pontiac. (The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez)

For sports such as basketball and volleyball, it’s best known as AAU ball. For baseball and softball, it’s summer ball, while it’s travel hockey, club swimming and so forth.
No matter what side of the fence people stand on these offseason sports, several things are clear:

— AAU and travel sports have become big business. There’s a healthy amount of money needed to not only play for a team, but travel to tournaments or meets throughout the season.
Dave Smith, a coach for the AAU girls and boys basketball program “Team Basketball” that has kids ranging from sixth through 12 grade, said the average cost for a player to play in his program is anywhere from $400 to $800 a year, depending on how many months that player decides to play.
Those costs include a uniform and tournaments, but doesn’t include travel costs for families who go to out-of-state tournaments.
Smith and his staff are volunteer coaches and don’t coach for profit.
Other organizations that play in more tournaments than Team Basketball does charge more, as Smith said it costs anywhere from $200 to $600 to enter a tournament.
“These kids are being looked at and recruited earlier and earlier,” Smith said. “You have a lot of influence from parents and coaches. There are a lot of outside forces trying to push these kids to another level. “
John Pochas is the father of Birmingham Groves baseball player Chris Pochas, who will be a senior next school year for the Falcons and plays summer ball for the Michigan Red Sox.
John Pochas said it costs from $750 to $1,000 a summer to play for the Red Sox. Travel costs to tournaments are not included.
“It gets a little more excessive as (the kids) get older,” Pochas said.
Corporations who sponsor tournaments also contribute mightily to the business aspect of AAU or travel ball, hoping their sponsorship will lead to future clientele if those players one day reach the pros.

— College coaches seem to be more interested in scouting tournaments instead of high school games to find elite recruits. It’s simple math for college coaches in terms of going to an AAU/travel event as opposed to a high school one.
When a college coach goes to a high school game, it’s normally to see one player, maybe two. When attending an AAU/travel event, a coach is able to see many more prospects than that.
Oakland Community College girls basketball coach Marv Allen said he can see anywhere from 50 to 60 prospects at an AAU tournament, which also breaks the players down by age.
“When you look at a high school team, most of the players are there just for the athletic experience and are part of the team,” Allen said. “They are mostly part of the sport atmosphere. AAU is a competitive situation, so you’re getting the best of various teams participating together. As a college coach, I can go to one venue and I see more than likely the best of the best.”

Pinklon Thomas III (standing in center) has a group of high school students, and recently completed high school students, do a thirty-second drill of abdominal crunches Tuesday at Wisner Stadium in Pontiac. (The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez)

Football might not have an AAU or offseason league that consists of games, but it’s the same concept for college football coaches.
Most scholarship offers are handed out at camps held at the college during the spring or summer. Sometimes all it takes is to see a kid run an excellent 40-yard dash time or show an impressive vertical jump and a scholarship is handed out.

— More and more, parents are realizing excelling in AAU/travel sports is the best way for their kids to get exposure in hopes of landing a college scholarship.
John Pochas said this is an important summer for his son. The offseason before a senior year is generally the time when high school athletes in any sport are offered scholarships the most, and this summer John Pochas said they will be traveling to as many tournaments as possible in hopes of catching the eye of scouts.
“This is kind of the critical year because he just finished his junior year,” John Pochas said. “That’s a big strategy. If you want to make the investment, you want to make it a tournament that has some scouts there.”
Because of that, the mindset of attending travel tournaments has completely changed as his son has gotten older, according to Pochas.
“The kids liked it (earlier in life) because it was always like going on vacation,” Pochas said. “It’s a little more serious now.”
While recognizing the avenue his AAU program can provide to earning a college scholarship, Smith said ultimately his program tries to serve as an educational tool, not only for skill development in basketball, but to provide life lessons.
The odds of a typical kid earning a college scholarship still are remote, so Smith wants to make sure parents are realistic and realize their investment in AAU sports at the very least is providing an education for their kid.
“I think parents that go into the program with the expectation of a college scholarship could be disappointed if a player gets injured or burnt out,” Smith said. “I think if everyone goes in it with realistic expectations, the player will be successful (in life) whether or not they play in college.”

— Concerns exist that AAU/travel sports have eroded high school sports, and will further do so.
There are ways people believe high school sports have suffered because of AAU/travel sports. One, with the amount of games being played and travel being done in AAU/travel sports, it’s hampered practice time and the chance to further develop skills. That in turn has weakened fundamentals during high school seasons.
Another detriment of AAU/travel sports that proponents of high school sports cite is that team play has suffered, because AAU/travel has a tendency to be more about impressing and showing off individual skills.
As a result, team-first play has been somewhat hindered for high school athletics.
AAU/travel sports has also increased specialization among high school athletics, where athletes confine themselves to one sport all for the sake of earning a scholarship in that sport. That thinking has upset coaches who favor two or three-sport athletes to help an individual enhance competitiveness and develop other motor skills.
In addition, and this could really start to become an issue of the near future, AAU/travel sports could erode participation in high school sports, although that’s more the fault of school districts.
Because of skyrocketing pay-to-play costs for high school athletics, parents may find AAU/travel sports an option that isn’t much more expensive and a better investment given the college exposure they can create.
“That’s going to be huge this year,” Allen said regarding the effect pay-to-play fees could have on high school athletes.

— People such as personal trainers and marketing/recruiting agencies are becoming more prevalent than ever. For parents and athletes, it’s a matter of getting an edge beyond that of playing AAU/travel sports.
More and more kids are involved in sports-performance companies such as PlaymakersU, a Pontiac-based company that provides personal training, academic tutoring and character building.
“You’ve got to get that extra edge,” said Derek Denham, public relations coordinator/recruiting expert for PlaymakersU. “Because if you’re not doing it, someone else is.”
Denham said the organization trains more than 300 athletes in a variety of sports, ranging from age 6 to college. Those involved with the organization get physical dimensions measured, timed in the 40-yard dash, tutored academically to help raise ACT scores for college coaches, and are given character workshops.
“In today’s recruiting world, you have to have the whole package because (college) coaches’ jobs are on the line,” Denham said.
The organization meets at Wisner Stadium in Pontiac, but has tentative plans to move into the Howard Dell Community Center.
“The recruiting process has changed over the years,” Denham said. “With the advent of the Internet, people are not just recruiting from the state or nationally, but worldwide now. For us, when we talk to the parents (we tell them) that you need to go out and get enough competition and exposure as you can get. There’s never enough.”
Dan Renel, who is the father of Josh Renel, a former Rochester Adams football standout who will be a junior on Wayne State’s football team this upcoming season, said he hired a personal trainer for Josh before his junior year, and it helped greatly.
Dan Renel was complimentary of the training sessions conducted at the high school, but said there’s only so much a high school program can do.
“When these kids go to the school to work out, it’s not like they’re getting individual training,” Renel said. “You would have a coach there to supervise everybody, but he’s not pushing individual kids. Most of the high school programs aren’t that way where they have a trainer working with them individually.”
In addition to hiring personal trainers, Renel pointed out another growing fad for high school athletes: The highlight tape.
With YouTube and other video websites becoming more and more popular and athletes looking for ways to promote themselves to college coaches who might not otherwise see them in action, producing highlight tapes is becoming as a regular a routine as practice itself.
“It becomes an exercise in marketing,” said Renel, adding his son had a highlight tape produced for him. “The better market or your market your product, in this case an athlete, the more that athlete is going to get looked.”

All of the above aren’t necessarily newfound issues involving AAU/travel sports, but they seem to be shed in more light with their growth and the amount of people that are impacted each year.
Because of that, expect not only AAU/travel sports themselves to intensify for years to come, but the continued arguments as to their pluses and minuses.

E-mail Keith Dunlap at keith.dunlap@oakpress.com.