News notes

Turkey vulture

I’m a bird lover, and having an office next to Bob Pettit is a special treat.

Over the weekend, I noticed dozens of turkey vultures – I call them buzzards – flying over my house. I’ve never noticed buzzards flying together – unless they were circling a carcass somewhere. But it looked for all the world like they were traveling en masse, flying in a sort of disorganized flock.

And they were headed south. Not like geese, who fly in formation. This was like a herd of flying cats, kind of ambling across the sky.

So this morning, when I noticed Bob was in his office as I walked by, I stuck my head in.

“Do turkey vultures migrate in flocks,” I asked.

Yes, was his answer, and he went on. More than 5,000 had passed over Monroe County over the weekend.

See what I mean. Ask a question about birds, and you’ll not only get an answer, you’ll get lots more.

Bob is a biology professor at Monroe County Community College, but he’s more than that. He’s also one of the leading experts in the area on birds – especially the many migratory species who fly over the western end of Lake Erie.

Once last spring I thought I saw an eagle, but wasn’t sure. He supplied me with a handy, one-page description of how all the hawks and eagles in the area look from the ground – the shape of the wings, coloring, etc. I’ll never confuse a red-tailed hawk and an immature eagle again.

And now I know something else. Buzzards migrate in flocks, from Canada to Mexico – even if  they’re kind of disorganized, confused-looking flocks. And thousands pass over Monroe County in a day this time of year.

Thanks, Bob.

I can’t remember having as much fun voting.

There were more poeple in the gymnasium at Lambertville United Methodist Church than last weekend for the church craft show.

Each of the three lines for one precinct had several dozen people in them. There was a low buzz filling the room – kind of like a crowded library. The poll workers talked quietly, leading each voter through the process. But that many people can only be so quiet.

And, of course, it’s always a little more fun voting for president. Not that the local school board isn’t important, but presidential elections are the pinacle of our democratic process.

This ballot also was interesting because there were a variety of contested races, from county clerk to township trustees, where there was a real choice between good candidates.

Today was a great day to be an American, to exercise my right to vote, to join a crowd in the church gymnasium and feel the excitement of election day.

Too many times, I’ve felt like I was walking into a mausoleum when I cast my vote. Today was more like it should be.

Predictions are that more than 70 percent of registered voters will cast ballots today. I can’t imagine what the other 30 percent could be doing that is so important.

They’re missing out on a good time.

I’m cheering for the folks who are trying to raise money to preserve the land owned by the IHM sisters in Monroe.

Few cities of any size are given an opportunity like this – a beautiful piece of undeveloped property in the middle of the city.  And this property is more than beautiful – it’s also ecologically significant, from its oak savannah to the island in the river.

Future generations would get a lot of benefit from this property – if a way can be found to raise the money to purchase it.

I understand why the Sisters can’t just give it away. It’s their nest egg, the resource they’re counting on to finance their future.

The compromise they’re working on with the Friends of the Academy Preserve makes a lot of sense – a blend of local and state money to save the property from development, which will happen if the sisters are forced to sell it to private interests.

The Friends are trying to raise $750,000 from local contributions as the match to a $2.2 million state grant. That’s a big mountain to climb, but it’s not impossible. There are a lot of generous people and corporations in Monroe County.

City and county governments also should be looking for ways to help. This would be an appropriate use for some tax money, too. The benefit to the entire community would be immeasurable – especially when considered over the decades and centures into the future.

If the Academy Preserve was developed well it could become a jewel in the center of Monroe. Especially when combined with the other potential tourism draws along the River Raisin – the 1812 battlefield, Sterling State Park, the Custer Statue, St. Mary’s Park, a revitalized downtown – it’s a project that is worth the money.

I spent a few minutes this morning on the Alexander Zonjic radio show at the River Raisin Centre for the Arts. Mr. Zonjic is the morning host on WVMV-FM Smooth Jazz V98.7, and today he was broadcasting live from Monroe.

I was one of several Monroeites who were interviewed by the talented jazz flutist/dj. The point was to promote the seventh annual River Raisin Jazz Festival and the May 2 performance of Spyro Gyra at the River Raisin Centre for the Arts.

One of the themes of discussion between Mr. Zonjic and his guests was the remarkable success of the Jazz Festival and the winter Jazz Series in Monroe.

As I said on the air, Monroe is a surprising place. The ability to pull off a big-time jazz festival in our little town is just one more reason Monroe has a much higher quality of life than outsiders would expect.

On the surface, there is not much of a connection between Jazz and Monroe. Monroe was settled by the French, and so was New Orleans. And we both had famous War of 1812 battles. Anything else?

But somehow the River Raisin Jazz Festival, the winter Jazz Series and the summer Jazz Thursday nights have been big hits.

Surprising, but really cool.

There’s no doubt about it, the Big Read is a cool concept.

Getting thousands of people in one community to read the same book and then discuss it can be a powerful process – especially when the book is as thought-provoking as “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

The novel by Harper Lee explores racism in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s.

What’s that have to do with Monroe, Michigan, in the 20th century?

It was clear to me from the Big Read panel discussion on diversity last night that “Mockingbird” offers plenty of lessons for Monroe in 2008.

There seemed to be general agreement from the panel members that racism still exists in Monroe. It’s more subtle than 70 years ago. It’s closely tied to socio-economics – that is, the combination of poverty and racism together are a tougher foe than either by itself. But it’s still evident – in the segregation of the “East Side,” in achievement levels in school, in arrest and conviction rates in the judicial system.

One of the themes throughout both “Mockingbird” and last night’s discussion was that education is the most powerful tool we have in the battle against racism. The more people look beyond their narrow circle, the more they expand their horizons by reading and studying others’ thoughts and ideas, the more likely they’ll embrace people who aren’t like them and be tolerant of diverse cultures and lifestyles.

Another theme that ran through both the novel and the panel was the importance of parenting. Atticus Finch, the lawyer in the novel who defended a young black man accused of raping a white woman, constantly, patiently, explained to his children the importance of putting yourself in others’ shoes – viewing life from their perspective. It’s not an accident that Atticus raised thoughtful, respectful children, and his closed-minded sister raised spiteful, bigoted children.

Perhaps, in my opinion, the most important theme from the book and the panel was the interpersonal role we all can play. In “Mockingbird,” Atticus Finch wasn’t just a rich lawyer who defended poor black people. He was a friend and companion of everyone in his small town, whether they were black housekeepers or poor white sharecroppers.

A highlight for me of the panel discussion was the audience member (I wish I had caught his name, maybe someone can add it in a comment) who asked the panel members if any of them had personal friends of another race – implying that ending racism is a one-on-one issue.

I agree with the point he seemed to be making. Monroe County, for all its faults, is a wonderful place filled with caring, decent people. They’re quick to help a neighbor or a stranger, and they’re willing to step up and make a difference when needed.

For the most part, they live with the subtle racism that still pervades our community because it doesn’t touch their daily lives, doesn’t affect them in any way they notice. It’s easy to ignore something that you don’t see. If they were more aware of the problem, I’m convinced they would want to be part of the solution.

That’s why the Big Read and panel discussions like last night can be so valuable. They help us come face-to-face with issues we otherwise just let slip by.

Racism continues to be a serious problem in America. But we don’t have to look to the Mexican border or the inner city of Detroit to find it. It’s right here in Monroe County.

And the solution is right here, too. In education, in parenting, and in each of us.

—-

It was a privilege for me to be a member of the panel with Judge Pamela A. Moskwa, chief probate judge for Monroe County; Larry Arreguin, vice president of government affairs for VisionIT and chairman of the Hispanic/Latino Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party; Kelvin McGhee, Monroe City Council, third precinct; and Jeffrey Kodysh, editor of The Agora. Also thanks to MCCC and the staff of the Agora for hosting the event.

—-

If part of the problem is that Monroe County residents aren’t as aware of race problems as they should be, part of the blame must fall to The Monroe Evening News. What are your thoughts on what the newspaper and its Web sites should do to help raise awareness of race issues in the county. Please share them here, or send me a private note at danshaw@monroenews.com