Observations from the Horton Nature Center

   Here at the Horton Nature Center, also known as our front and back yards, one can wile away the twilight hours marveling at the antics and activities of assorted creatures that share this space with us; a small sanctuary located near the heart of Downtown Fowlerville.

   Depending on my mood, I might be reposing in the rocker on the front porch, in a lawn chair next to the large shrub at the southeast corner of the house, or else in another chair situated next to the garden.

Fowlerville High School Alumni Banquet: A Fading Tradition?

   The Fowlerville High School Alumni Association held its annual banquet on Saturday, June 6. This was the 122^nd gathering of the organization.

   While that longevity would suggest a solid foundation of continuity, organizers fear that this yearly gathering of the school’s former students at one setting may be a fading tradition. A few years back attendance slipped to around 200 alumni and guests. Not a shabby number, yet nowhere near earlier years when an attendance of 300 to 400 was the norm.

   This time around the ticket sales dropped to 123; still a decent turnout, but the trend is going in the wrong direction. The culprit, the officers of the alumni board say, is the younger generation’s lack of interest in the event; a lack of interest that’s been going on for a number of years.

   Most of those present have been out of school for over 40 years.

Elected Officials: Leaders, Servants or Representatives

   On issues we care about—those matters that impact our lives or involve our deeply-held beliefs—not all of the decisions made by  our various governing bodies will be agreeable. Village councils, township boards, school boards, county commissions, the state legislature, and congress will, at one time or another, pass or reject proposals contrary to our preference.

   I cannot speak as an up-close observer on how congress or our Michigan legislature operates. My impression of its inner workings, as is true with most citizens, has been formed by what I read in the newspaper, hear on a radio report, or view on a TV program. On the other hand, I can claim the status of a longtime observer of local governance, based on many years of working as a reporter. From that vantage point, I offer a couple of observations.

    People are elected to a public office with the title of representative, meaning of course that the official makes decisions on our behalf. We elect people to a particular board to conduct the public business on our behalf. Of course we (meaning you and I) are not the only ones casting a vote. An official represents a lot of different people with varying views.

Time Bombs: Governmental choices that have future ill effects

    I call them time bombs, although maybe stink bombs would be a better description.

   They are the choices (either a decision to act or not to act) made by a governing board or other public officials that has had or will have unfortunate consequences. They lie there, awaiting just the right circumstances or the passage of enough years, before exploding. While these bombs are rarely earth-shaking, unlike their real-life counterparts, they can be (like a sink bomb) messy, annoying, and often expensive to fix or remedy.

    They are often the result of choosing the easier path, or putting priority on here-and-now pocketbook considerations, or giving deference to prevailing public opinion.  Sometimes these ill effects are unintended and unforeseen. But too often they are the outcome of deliberate calculation, of picking today’s expediency over tomorrow’s benefit or potential difficulty as well as our all-too-human inclination to get along rather buck the trend. Whatever the motivation, someone—a new set of representatives or officials—somewhere down the road, inherits the problem and has to take care of it. They get to “pay the piper.”

Gov. Snyder vetoes bill that could restrict sustainable forest management

Thursday, January 15, 2015

On Jan. 15  Gov. Rick Snyder  vetoed a bill that could have restricted the Michigan Department of Natural Resources from effectively and sustainably managing forests, potentially putting Michigan’s natural resources at risk. 

“Biodiversity is essential to how our world-class natural resources are managed,” Snyder said. “While there may be opportunities to look into our forest management practices, reducing biodiversity authority will only cause confusion and hurt our forests.” 

Senate Bill 78, sponsored by state Sen. Tom Casperson, would have restricted the tools the department could use for managing forests for biodiversity. In his veto letter, (See below) the governor wrote that this legislation could also threaten forest certification, which is critical in maintaining forest products industries.

Area lawmakers take Oaths of Office

    The Pomp & Circumstance of government was on display this past Sunday (Jan. 4) at the Livingston County Historical Courthouse. Before family and friends, Dr. Henry Vaupel and Lana Theis took their Oaths of Office as members of the Michigan House of Representatives. Both were newly-elected to two-year terms in the recent General Election. Both are Republicans.

    Vaupel represents the 47^th District which includes the areas of Howell, Hartland, and Fowlerville, while Theis represents the 42nd District which covers the areas of Brighton and Hamburg-Pinckney.

    On hand for the ceremony were the two people they are replacing-- Bill Rogers and Cindy Denby-- neither of whom could run for their seats again due to term limits. In the House, the limit is three two-year terms.

   The setting gave the occasion a gravitas, taking place as it did inside the county’s original court chambers on the upper floor; a location where so many judicial proceedings have been held since the late 1800’s, where countless other (earlier) oaths-of-office were administered, with photos of past judges hanging on the walls, and with the ornate and colorful interior wall and ceiling designs evoking a long-age era.