Baseball Team's Success Brings Pride to Homer

UPDATE:Homer lost in the Diamond Classic championship game to Grand Ledge 7-6. Grand Ledge came from behind (6-1) by posting a ferocious comeback in the 7th inning. The big difference? Grand Ledge's season was ended last weekend in districts, but Homer is still in the hunt for a State Championship. Shoot, it's only their second loss in 110 games ;).

Homer, MI - A town the size of Homer (pop. 1,797) normally wouldn't be in the national spotlight. However, when your high school baseball team sets a new record for consecutive wins (a Herculean 75 in a row) people can't help but notice. The win streak ended in last year's state championship game, but this year's squad is currently 33-0 heading into tonight's Diamond Classic championship game against Grand Ledge.

Homer loves its baseball team. The only other claim to fame this small town had was Homer native Greg Barton winning two Olympic gold medals in kayaking at the 1988 games in Seoul, Korea. Well, that is not entirely true. There is also Cascarelli's Pizza & Pub which has been in business for what seems like forever to local residents (actually since 1935).

I have actually been to Homer a few times. It should be the image next to the definition of a small town. By the way, Cascerelli's has some of the best pizza I have ever tasted. If you love pizza, you have got to go there sometime.

How fitting that a town named Homer has a baseball team so successful that it has won 107 of its last 108 games? The baseball team has instilled a sense of pride that not too many towns of this size can attain. They are proud of their baseball team. They are proud of their town. If a town's size was measured with heart and compassion there would be no small mentioned in any description of Homer.

I will cheer on the Homer baseball team and wish them the best of luck.

Read the article at The Detroit News

MDOT Needs More Groups to Adopt Highways

Michigan is in need of more Adopt-A-Highway groups along a 23 mile stretch of I-94 beginning at the Indiana state line. Groups already made their first trash pickup from April 22 through the 30th. Two more pickup dates are scheduled for July 8-16 and September 9-17. The Michigan Department of Transportation supllies groups with everything from safety videos and vests down to the trash bags. I took part a few times in the Adopt-A-Highway program with my accounting fraternity at Western Michigan University. We had a large group and it didn't take more than an hour or two to clean up our stretch of northbound 131. It was a lot of fun to work together and make Michigan look a little bit cleaner in the process. It was also amazing and sad to see the amount of trash dumped along a pretty short stretch of road.

Visit www.michigan.gov/adoptahighway for information on pickup dates and applications for your group to participate in the program.

Via the Kalamazoo Gazette

Jeff Daniels to Help Promote Michigan

A $10 million marketing campaign that will be featured nationally in radio, TV, and print advertising is now launching. With a variety of spokesmen, Jeff Daniels is the most recognizable of the bunch. Not only has he appeared in the hit comedy "Dumb & Dumber", but he is also well known as the founder of the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea. Some of the other participants in the Michigan sales pitch are Subhendu Guha, president of United Solar Ovonic and Maria Thompson, chief executive officer of T/J Technologies. It is interesting to note that Michigan is using an actor and some of the top executives in Michigan technology companies. No representatives from the struggling auto industry to be found.

Why would you want someone selling Michigan who can't even do a good job of selling their vehicles? I think it is great to give notice to companies and individuals who are working their tails off to do their part in growing Michigan's economy and create jobs now as well as set themselves up for job creation down the road.

Read more about this in the Detroit Free Press.

Summer Energy Saving Tips

Just because winter is over doesn’t mean it is time to neglect looking at ways to continue to save in energy costs during the summer. The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) is offering tips on how to stay cool this summer while you keep your cool when your utility bills arrive. Here are a few of the top tips that appear at http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7-192--144160--,00.html

• Clean air conditioner filters and coils every month to make them more energy efficient
• Use a programmable thermostat. Setting it 10 degrees warmer when not at home can save 3 to 5 percent on electric bills
• Use fans? They can make the use of an air conditioner unnecessary. Ceiling fans, for example, can make a room feel six to seven degrees cooler
• Lower the temperature on the hot water heater to 120 degrees, a setting comfortable for most uses

You might also want to check out the Department of Energy’s website for energy saving tips at www.energysavers.gov.

Edison Electric has a list of 100 tips on saving energy at http://www.eei.org/industry_issues/retail_services_and_delivery/wise_energy_use/100Ways.pdf .

Detroit Zoo to Receive the $4M in Funding

All that is needed for the Detroit Zoo to receive the much needed $4M in funding from Michigan is Governor Granholm's signature. It reached her desk on Wednesday and she plans on signing it. Lets hope it is put to good use. Via the Detroit News

Muhammad Ali Creates a Field of Dreams for Niles

Thanks in large part to the efforts of Muhammad Ali, Niles schools have a new ball diamond for their baseball team. With "the world's greatest" spearheading the efforts and more than a little help from Home Depot and the Detroit Tigers, the old practice field (as players and coaches referred to the previous rundown field) at Niles is now a gem of a diamond. There are still funds needed to put in more bleachers, restroom facilities, a concession stand, and press box. Personalized bricks that will pave the walkway to the field are being sold to the public to continue raising the additional funds needed.

Watch a video from WWMT Channel 3 about this generous project that Muhammad Ali and his wife helped organize here.