11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
It's time to get those potholes filled, Washtenaw County Road Commission
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10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Is it a myth that icy roads cause accidents?
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I recently received an e-mail from a reader in regards to a story I wrote on the accident on M-52, the accident that led to the death of former Manchester village president David Little. She disagreed with the following sentence: 'At this time it looks like icy roads and improper driving caused this accident, according to the sheriff's office.'
She told me this furthers a myth that icy roads cause accidents. I almost thought it wasn't a serious comment at first because I'd never heard that some believe that this is a myth. Even after thinking a bit about it I didn't really see the arguement that could be made. Icy roads can lead to accidents, sounded about right. I asked the reader to elaborate, which she did, and I can now say I can see where she's coming from.
She wrote: "Inability to adjust your driving to the road conditions is what causes the accidents. If one was driving at a prudent speed, able to maintain control of their vehicle under the present conditions, there wouldn't be all these accidents.
"Icy roads don't cause accidents. People not adjusting their driving to the road's conditions causes icy roads."
She also told me drivers with technology like electronic stability systems drive like they're exempt from slipping when they're not, and that when road conditions are so bad the answer is to just not drive. I'm not entirely convinced that its a myth that icy roads cause accidents. Improper driving given road conditions plays a role in many situations, I would imagine, but I think there are situations like a rare patch of black ice on a day of otherwise clear roads would present a problem for all but the most cautious drivers.
I try to drive carefully, but occasionally I will lose some control over my car during bad road conditions. Fortunately it's never led to an accident. Personally I try to be the most careful about turning and stopping, because that's where the majority of problems seem to happen.
I spoke with Saline Police Chief Paul Bunten about icy roads and he shared some traffic safety tips.
Feel free to share what you think about whether or not it's a myth that icy roads cause accidents.
She told me this furthers a myth that icy roads cause accidents. I almost thought it wasn't a serious comment at first because I'd never heard that some believe that this is a myth. Even after thinking a bit about it I didn't really see the arguement that could be made. Icy roads can lead to accidents, sounded about right. I asked the reader to elaborate, which she did, and I can now say I can see where she's coming from.
She wrote: "Inability to adjust your driving to the road conditions is what causes the accidents. If one was driving at a prudent speed, able to maintain control of their vehicle under the present conditions, there wouldn't be all these accidents.
"Icy roads don't cause accidents. People not adjusting their driving to the road's conditions causes icy roads."
She also told me drivers with technology like electronic stability systems drive like they're exempt from slipping when they're not, and that when road conditions are so bad the answer is to just not drive. I'm not entirely convinced that its a myth that icy roads cause accidents. Improper driving given road conditions plays a role in many situations, I would imagine, but I think there are situations like a rare patch of black ice on a day of otherwise clear roads would present a problem for all but the most cautious drivers.
I try to drive carefully, but occasionally I will lose some control over my car during bad road conditions. Fortunately it's never led to an accident. Personally I try to be the most careful about turning and stopping, because that's where the majority of problems seem to happen.
I spoke with Saline Police Chief Paul Bunten about icy roads and he shared some traffic safety tips.
Feel free to share what you think about whether or not it's a myth that icy roads cause accidents.
A different kind of Christmas (well, Advent) decoration in Saline
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Driving from Milan on Saline-Milan Road, I spotted a unique Christmas decoration in one front lawn.
It was four "candles" in some bushes made to look like an Advent wreath.
It was something I hadn't seen before that big, and thought it would be worth the share.
The Advent wreath is useful by Catholics and some Protestants to mark the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It has four candles, one new one is lit each week until the week before Christmas, where all four burn.
Ride along with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
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I went on a ride along with a deputy of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday this week. I have been looking forward to it for awhile. As the police and court reporter covering Washtenaw County, I wanted learn more about the sheriff’s department and its methods. I was assigned to ride along with Deputy James Roy, who has been with the sheriff’s department for about five years. He is part of a violent crime unit stationed in Ypsilanti Township, but there are a number of aspects of his job. Deputy Roy explains it himself in this video:
Deputy Roy showed me around Ypsilanti Township and the different areas he regularly patrols, which include neighborhoods like West Willow, some apartment complexes like Village Grove Apartments, and trailer home parks. Part of the reason for the patrols is simply to have a visible police presence in the community. I’m still pretty new to the area so I was seeing quite a few things for the first time. He also talked about the different technology and techniques he uses, and about his own experience as a law enforcement officer.
The different kinds of technology used by police are among what I learned about on the ride along. Recording equipment is heavily used. Deputy Roy showed me a body microphone held in patrol vehicles. When he leaves the vehicle he clips it onto his uniform, and it provides an audio record such as for interactions with residents and suspects. Patrol vehicles have cameras in them. Footage gets downloaded wirelessly when a vehicle gets to the station, which for him is usually the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center on Huron River Drive.
The sheriff’s department also looked into portable video cameras for deputies to keep on themselves like the microphone. Deputy Roy said he tested a few of these cameras out over the summer, trying to find something that works out good. It needs to be easily portable, he said, because deputies carry plenty of equipment already.
From my own understanding, recording equipment is used both as a record of what happened if needed in court and as a means to protect officers from accusations.
I was also shown the computer deputies connect to their vehicles while on the road. They look like heavily armored laptops. There’s all kinds of features, such as a touch screen and easy to navigate screens that allow deputies to look up information even while on the move. Systems are in place capable of pulling up any driver’s license photographs and mug shots a person may have, allowing deputies to cross reference – useful for determining if somebody has a fake ID. Some of the computers even have a print reader, which is able to pull up this information with the imprint of a finger or thumb.
I also learned quite a bit about Deputy Roy during the ride along. I could tell he was passionate about being part of the sheriff’s department and working to make the community a better place.
“I could do this every day,” he said. “It’s what I always wanted to do.”
Three members of his family are also in law enforcement, two cousins and an uncle, so one explanation for his interest in law enforcement is that it’s simply in his bloodline.
Overall the ride along was a good experience. I’m glad I got to know Deputy Roy. He invited me to do another ride along pretty much whenever, but there were some suggestions like a midnight shift in July. I was told that’s one of the most active times in the year for law enforcement – mostly because people are themselves more active and get out more when its warmer, and this activity peaks in July.
Deputy Roy showed me around Ypsilanti Township and the different areas he regularly patrols, which include neighborhoods like West Willow, some apartment complexes like Village Grove Apartments, and trailer home parks. Part of the reason for the patrols is simply to have a visible police presence in the community. I’m still pretty new to the area so I was seeing quite a few things for the first time. He also talked about the different technology and techniques he uses, and about his own experience as a law enforcement officer.
The different kinds of technology used by police are among what I learned about on the ride along. Recording equipment is heavily used. Deputy Roy showed me a body microphone held in patrol vehicles. When he leaves the vehicle he clips it onto his uniform, and it provides an audio record such as for interactions with residents and suspects. Patrol vehicles have cameras in them. Footage gets downloaded wirelessly when a vehicle gets to the station, which for him is usually the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center on Huron River Drive.
The sheriff’s department also looked into portable video cameras for deputies to keep on themselves like the microphone. Deputy Roy said he tested a few of these cameras out over the summer, trying to find something that works out good. It needs to be easily portable, he said, because deputies carry plenty of equipment already.
From my own understanding, recording equipment is used both as a record of what happened if needed in court and as a means to protect officers from accusations.
I was also shown the computer deputies connect to their vehicles while on the road. They look like heavily armored laptops. There’s all kinds of features, such as a touch screen and easy to navigate screens that allow deputies to look up information even while on the move. Systems are in place capable of pulling up any driver’s license photographs and mug shots a person may have, allowing deputies to cross reference – useful for determining if somebody has a fake ID. Some of the computers even have a print reader, which is able to pull up this information with the imprint of a finger or thumb.
I also learned quite a bit about Deputy Roy during the ride along. I could tell he was passionate about being part of the sheriff’s department and working to make the community a better place.
“I could do this every day,” he said. “It’s what I always wanted to do.”
Three members of his family are also in law enforcement, two cousins and an uncle, so one explanation for his interest in law enforcement is that it’s simply in his bloodline.
Overall the ride along was a good experience. I’m glad I got to know Deputy Roy. He invited me to do another ride along pretty much whenever, but there were some suggestions like a midnight shift in July. I was told that’s one of the most active times in the year for law enforcement – mostly because people are themselves more active and get out more when its warmer, and this activity peaks in July.
It's time to get those potholes filled, Washtenaw County Road Commission
To contact us Click HERE
The most obvious sign of the warm weather we've had the last few weeks can be spotted on Austin Road, west of Saline in Saline Township. The potholes are some of the worst I've driven in quite some time.
They stretch from the west side of the City of Saline and then mostly through Saline Township. Once you get to Bridgewater, most of the nasty potholes stop.
The weather looks pretty nice out, perhaps the county could take their truck and fill some of them...?
It's paczki day: where did you get yours?
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Tomorrow begins the season of Lent for Catholics and many Protestants, a season of fasting and penitence. Which means it's time for the metro Detroit favorite, the paczki.
A Polish favorite, the paczki has gained statewide popularity. I picked mine up at Benny's Bakery in downtown Saline this morning, and the line was the longest I've ever seen at the bakery.
Where did you pick yours up around Washtenaw County today? And who makes the best paczki?
 |
| Breakfast of champions...? |
A Polish favorite, the paczki has gained statewide popularity. I picked mine up at Benny's Bakery in downtown Saline this morning, and the line was the longest I've ever seen at the bakery.
Where did you pick yours up around Washtenaw County today? And who makes the best paczki?
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
In Case You Missed It - CMPD's DNC 2012 Police Department Badge
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An email sent to CMPD staff on June 27 outlines the 2012 Democractic National Convention Commemorative Badges which are being offered to CMPD employees, both officers and civilian employees.
According to the email the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Benevolent Fund is offering the badges in celebration of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
The email continues:
The cost of the badge is $40. Proceeds from sales support the Benevolent Fund’s efforts, which always have a direct impact on CMPD employees and their families.
These commemorative badges, which are two-tone with red, white and blue accent colors, will be available for a limited time beginning in early July. You can reserve yours now by visiting the CMPD Portal page and clicking the COP Shop link. Click on the DNC Commemorative Badge link to access the instructions to purchase your badge.
The badge will be made available to CMPD employees (sworn and non-sworn), as well as, those who come to Charlotte to assist us during the Democratic National Convention.
According to the email the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Benevolent Fund is offering the badges in celebration of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
The email continues:
The cost of the badge is $40. Proceeds from sales support the Benevolent Fund’s efforts, which always have a direct impact on CMPD employees and their families.
These commemorative badges, which are two-tone with red, white and blue accent colors, will be available for a limited time beginning in early July. You can reserve yours now by visiting the CMPD Portal page and clicking the COP Shop link. Click on the DNC Commemorative Badge link to access the instructions to purchase your badge.
The badge will be made available to CMPD employees (sworn and non-sworn), as well as, those who come to Charlotte to assist us during the Democratic National Convention.
National Victims' Rights Week
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The public is encouraged to attend the annual Victim Tribute planned as part of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The event will be held Tuesday, April 24, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th Street in Sarasota. The tribute is hosted by the Sarasota County Victim Advisory Council and is designed to honor victims of all types of crimes while also recognizing the strength of survivors. Several area agencies will be on hand to offer information on available community resources. The event concludes with a solemn candlelight vigil.
The public is encouraged to attend the annual Victim Tribute planned as part of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The event will be held Tuesday, April 24, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th Street in Sarasota. The tribute is hosted by the Sarasota County Victim Advisory Council and is designed to honor victims of all types of crimes while also recognizing the strength of survivors. Several area agencies will be on hand to offer information on available community resources. The event concludes with a solemn candlelight vigil.
People Don't Protect Privacy on Facebook
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This blog frequently includes warnings about privacy risks online, including the use of social media. A new investigation by Consumer Reports into data collection and privacy on Facebook found that many users are undermining their own privacy by not using the security options the platform offers. Please read this article from one of my favorite web sites Techlicious, and take the listed steps to boost your privacy on the popular site.
Keep Pets Safe this Summer
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Summer is here, and it's time to remind pet owners to keep their dogs safe while the heat is on. Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Public Service Aides have recently responded to calls where dogs were left in hot cars with the windows only down a few inches. Particularly in Florida, people should never leave their dogs unattended in a car, where the temperature is always higher than the outside temperature. Even with the windows open slightly, a parked vehicle can become a furnace and dogs can develop heatstroke. For more information on traveling with pets and keeping them safe in cars, visit the web site for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Summer is here, and it's time to remind pet owners to keep their dogs safe while the heat is on. Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Public Service Aides have recently responded to calls where dogs were left in hot cars with the windows only down a few inches. Particularly in Florida, people should never leave their dogs unattended in a car, where the temperature is always higher than the outside temperature. Even with the windows open slightly, a parked vehicle can become a furnace and dogs can develop heatstroke. For more information on traveling with pets and keeping them safe in cars, visit the web site for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
How Teens Hide Online Activities
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A new survey by online security software maker McAfee found 70 percent of teens hide their online behavior from parents. While that revelation isn't anything new, the survey revealed that teens have also met face to face with people they met over the Internet. The article also lists the top 10 ways teens are fooling their parents.You can read the CNN Tech article here. While McAfee is using the survey to promote new parental monitoring software, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office also offers a program called ComputerCOP that is free to parents and caregivers who need assistance ensuring their child does not become a victim online. To learn more or to request your free copy visit our Cyber Safety page.
A new survey by online security software maker McAfee found 70 percent of teens hide their online behavior from parents. While that revelation isn't anything new, the survey revealed that teens have also met face to face with people they met over the Internet. The article also lists the top 10 ways teens are fooling their parents.You can read the CNN Tech article here. While McAfee is using the survey to promote new parental monitoring software, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office also offers a program called ComputerCOP that is free to parents and caregivers who need assistance ensuring their child does not become a victim online. To learn more or to request your free copy visit our Cyber Safety page.
5 Temmuz 2012 Perşembe
Ride along with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
To contact us Click HERE
I went on a ride along with a deputy of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday this week. I have been looking forward to it for awhile. As the police and court reporter covering Washtenaw County, I wanted learn more about the sheriff’s department and its methods. I was assigned to ride along with Deputy James Roy, who has been with the sheriff’s department for about five years. He is part of a violent crime unit stationed in Ypsilanti Township, but there are a number of aspects of his job. Deputy Roy explains it himself in this video:
Deputy Roy showed me around Ypsilanti Township and the different areas he regularly patrols, which include neighborhoods like West Willow, some apartment complexes like Village Grove Apartments, and trailer home parks. Part of the reason for the patrols is simply to have a visible police presence in the community. I’m still pretty new to the area so I was seeing quite a few things for the first time. He also talked about the different technology and techniques he uses, and about his own experience as a law enforcement officer.
The different kinds of technology used by police are among what I learned about on the ride along. Recording equipment is heavily used. Deputy Roy showed me a body microphone held in patrol vehicles. When he leaves the vehicle he clips it onto his uniform, and it provides an audio record such as for interactions with residents and suspects. Patrol vehicles have cameras in them. Footage gets downloaded wirelessly when a vehicle gets to the station, which for him is usually the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center on Huron River Drive.
The sheriff’s department also looked into portable video cameras for deputies to keep on themselves like the microphone. Deputy Roy said he tested a few of these cameras out over the summer, trying to find something that works out good. It needs to be easily portable, he said, because deputies carry plenty of equipment already.
From my own understanding, recording equipment is used both as a record of what happened if needed in court and as a means to protect officers from accusations.
I was also shown the computer deputies connect to their vehicles while on the road. They look like heavily armored laptops. There’s all kinds of features, such as a touch screen and easy to navigate screens that allow deputies to look up information even while on the move. Systems are in place capable of pulling up any driver’s license photographs and mug shots a person may have, allowing deputies to cross reference – useful for determining if somebody has a fake ID. Some of the computers even have a print reader, which is able to pull up this information with the imprint of a finger or thumb.
I also learned quite a bit about Deputy Roy during the ride along. I could tell he was passionate about being part of the sheriff’s department and working to make the community a better place.
“I could do this every day,” he said. “It’s what I always wanted to do.”
Three members of his family are also in law enforcement, two cousins and an uncle, so one explanation for his interest in law enforcement is that it’s simply in his bloodline.
Overall the ride along was a good experience. I’m glad I got to know Deputy Roy. He invited me to do another ride along pretty much whenever, but there were some suggestions like a midnight shift in July. I was told that’s one of the most active times in the year for law enforcement – mostly because people are themselves more active and get out more when its warmer, and this activity peaks in July.
Deputy Roy showed me around Ypsilanti Township and the different areas he regularly patrols, which include neighborhoods like West Willow, some apartment complexes like Village Grove Apartments, and trailer home parks. Part of the reason for the patrols is simply to have a visible police presence in the community. I’m still pretty new to the area so I was seeing quite a few things for the first time. He also talked about the different technology and techniques he uses, and about his own experience as a law enforcement officer.
The different kinds of technology used by police are among what I learned about on the ride along. Recording equipment is heavily used. Deputy Roy showed me a body microphone held in patrol vehicles. When he leaves the vehicle he clips it onto his uniform, and it provides an audio record such as for interactions with residents and suspects. Patrol vehicles have cameras in them. Footage gets downloaded wirelessly when a vehicle gets to the station, which for him is usually the Ypsilanti Township Civic Center on Huron River Drive.
The sheriff’s department also looked into portable video cameras for deputies to keep on themselves like the microphone. Deputy Roy said he tested a few of these cameras out over the summer, trying to find something that works out good. It needs to be easily portable, he said, because deputies carry plenty of equipment already.
From my own understanding, recording equipment is used both as a record of what happened if needed in court and as a means to protect officers from accusations.
I was also shown the computer deputies connect to their vehicles while on the road. They look like heavily armored laptops. There’s all kinds of features, such as a touch screen and easy to navigate screens that allow deputies to look up information even while on the move. Systems are in place capable of pulling up any driver’s license photographs and mug shots a person may have, allowing deputies to cross reference – useful for determining if somebody has a fake ID. Some of the computers even have a print reader, which is able to pull up this information with the imprint of a finger or thumb.
I also learned quite a bit about Deputy Roy during the ride along. I could tell he was passionate about being part of the sheriff’s department and working to make the community a better place.
“I could do this every day,” he said. “It’s what I always wanted to do.”
Three members of his family are also in law enforcement, two cousins and an uncle, so one explanation for his interest in law enforcement is that it’s simply in his bloodline.
Overall the ride along was a good experience. I’m glad I got to know Deputy Roy. He invited me to do another ride along pretty much whenever, but there were some suggestions like a midnight shift in July. I was told that’s one of the most active times in the year for law enforcement – mostly because people are themselves more active and get out more when its warmer, and this activity peaks in July.
Social media in the classroom: a total taboo 6 years ago
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I'm not one for inspirational quotes. I don't get inspired by them, they don't do much for me.
But one stuck out to me yesterday while beginning my Monday morning routine of story linking and sharing. It was in a tweet by Saline Area Schools superintendent Scot Graden:
This attitude toward social media is radically different than what many of us are used to in schools even younger people like me. It's incredible to think how the space has changed since I graduated high school in 2006, when MySpace still ruled the market. Educators are now embracing the change instead of rejecting it.
I'm curious how exactly teachers plan to use social media in the classroom. If any of them are reading this, I'd be interested in sharing some of the ways you use it in the classroom.
But one stuck out to me yesterday while beginning my Monday morning routine of story linking and sharing. It was in a tweet by Saline Area Schools superintendent Scot Graden:
If a school prohibits social media, should they have to cross out the words "create responsible citizens" in their mission statement?
— Scot Graden (@SuperScot) January 30, 2012
This attitude toward social media is radically different than what many of us are used to in schools even younger people like me. It's incredible to think how the space has changed since I graduated high school in 2006, when MySpace still ruled the market. Educators are now embracing the change instead of rejecting it.
I'm curious how exactly teachers plan to use social media in the classroom. If any of them are reading this, I'd be interested in sharing some of the ways you use it in the classroom.
It's time to get those potholes filled, Washtenaw County Road Commission
To contact us Click HERE
The most obvious sign of the warm weather we've had the last few weeks can be spotted on Austin Road, west of Saline in Saline Township. The potholes are some of the worst I've driven in quite some time.
They stretch from the west side of the City of Saline and then mostly through Saline Township. Once you get to Bridgewater, most of the nasty potholes stop.
The weather looks pretty nice out, perhaps the county could take their truck and fill some of them...?
A reflection on Native American imagery in sports in Milan
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What's in a nickname?
What does it symbolize? Does it symbolize the fight and tenacity of an athletic team or school? Does it represent something else?
Flashbacks of my college days came as this story out of Milan was published, discussing the call to end the use of Native American imagery for the Big Reds.
I graduated from Central Michigan University in 2010.
Our nickname, of course, was the Chippewas, a nod to the area Native American tribe, although the term "Ojibwe" is more accurate in description of the tribe. Living near and visiting the nearby reservation, home to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, educated me greatly on Native culture, and what it means to be a living among a Native community. Growing up in suburban Detroit, I had never met a Native American person, nor did I give it much thought until 2005.
In 2005, the NCAA began its crackdown of schools using Native American imagery. Many schools began changing their nicknames and logos, taking out the Native American imagery and replacing it. Some schools, such as CMU, received waivers because of their relationship with the local tribes and their approval of the name. One of the last schools to hold out, North Dakota, is currently in the midst of removing the imagery from its campus.
Now, "approval" means the tribal council has approved it; it doesn't mean the complete tribe approves. The subject came up of changing the nickname at least once a year, and of course it was always shot down and no steps were ever take to change the name.Before attending college, I wasn't against using Native American imagery. I compared it to schools such as Alma and Rochester Adams, which use "Highlanders" as a mascot. I found no offense in that term, as I hold mostly Scottish blood.
But my views changed. I met Native people and heard their case. CMU has students go through orientation sessions when they arrive on campus with local tribal officials on proper use of the nickname in how to honor the tribe and its people. And it stuck with me.
How does this pertain to Milan? Mostly just to point out this happens elsewhere. CMU axed the Native American imagery decades ago, and has a strict policy on students attending athletic events in Native American wear (Namely, they don't allow it. At all. Show up in it, and they ask you to leave).
Students still attend football games, although barely in recent years, and they still have a great time and love their school. I'm certain students will still do the same after all traces of Native American lore are gone from football helmets, banners and signs.
Of course several factors go into making a decision such as this, and the district has said they are working to phase out the use of images such as a spear and feathers. I'm just here to offer my observations from someone who has observed this issue firsthand.
 |
| The "Flying C" replaced a spear and feather on the helmets at Central Michigan University years ago. Although the jerseys look different now, it's still a sharp-looking logo. (Courtesy photo) |
What's in a nickname?
What does it symbolize? Does it symbolize the fight and tenacity of an athletic team or school? Does it represent something else?
Flashbacks of my college days came as this story out of Milan was published, discussing the call to end the use of Native American imagery for the Big Reds.
I graduated from Central Michigan University in 2010.
Our nickname, of course, was the Chippewas, a nod to the area Native American tribe, although the term "Ojibwe" is more accurate in description of the tribe. Living near and visiting the nearby reservation, home to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, educated me greatly on Native culture, and what it means to be a living among a Native community. Growing up in suburban Detroit, I had never met a Native American person, nor did I give it much thought until 2005.
In 2005, the NCAA began its crackdown of schools using Native American imagery. Many schools began changing their nicknames and logos, taking out the Native American imagery and replacing it. Some schools, such as CMU, received waivers because of their relationship with the local tribes and their approval of the name. One of the last schools to hold out, North Dakota, is currently in the midst of removing the imagery from its campus.
Now, "approval" means the tribal council has approved it; it doesn't mean the complete tribe approves. The subject came up of changing the nickname at least once a year, and of course it was always shot down and no steps were ever take to change the name.Before attending college, I wasn't against using Native American imagery. I compared it to schools such as Alma and Rochester Adams, which use "Highlanders" as a mascot. I found no offense in that term, as I hold mostly Scottish blood.
But my views changed. I met Native people and heard their case. CMU has students go through orientation sessions when they arrive on campus with local tribal officials on proper use of the nickname in how to honor the tribe and its people. And it stuck with me.
How does this pertain to Milan? Mostly just to point out this happens elsewhere. CMU axed the Native American imagery decades ago, and has a strict policy on students attending athletic events in Native American wear (Namely, they don't allow it. At all. Show up in it, and they ask you to leave).
Students still attend football games, although barely in recent years, and they still have a great time and love their school. I'm certain students will still do the same after all traces of Native American lore are gone from football helmets, banners and signs.
Of course several factors go into making a decision such as this, and the district has said they are working to phase out the use of images such as a spear and feathers. I'm just here to offer my observations from someone who has observed this issue firsthand.
It's paczki day: where did you get yours?
To contact us Click HERE
Tomorrow begins the season of Lent for Catholics and many Protestants, a season of fasting and penitence. Which means it's time for the metro Detroit favorite, the paczki.
A Polish favorite, the paczki has gained statewide popularity. I picked mine up at Benny's Bakery in downtown Saline this morning, and the line was the longest I've ever seen at the bakery.
Where did you pick yours up around Washtenaw County today? And who makes the best paczki?
|
| Breakfast of champions...? |
A Polish favorite, the paczki has gained statewide popularity. I picked mine up at Benny's Bakery in downtown Saline this morning, and the line was the longest I've ever seen at the bakery.
Where did you pick yours up around Washtenaw County today? And who makes the best paczki?
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