More Monroe Ice Festival…

The Ann Arbor Kiwanis Sale is my favorite second hand shopping experience.

One thing that makes it so much fun is that it only runs from 9AM until 12PM on Saturdays.  So, the place is just packed with people.  And most of them sleep in a little bit, so everyone rushes around from 11 until 12 trying to pick up all of the good deals.

The sale takes place at the Ann Arbor Kiwanis Club headquarters at 200 S. First Street just west of Downtown Ann Arbor.  Parking is easy in a city lot just to the NE of the sale building.

The sale has a little bit of everything.  There is a book section, a men’s and women’s clothing section.  There is an area for pots and pans, records and CDs.  The basement area has lots of good furniture, luggage, large appliances and antiques.  There is a half-level that is devoted to utilitarian items like tools and sprinklers.  This section also has rugs, toys and bed-related items.

The top level is my favorite.  There is a room for sports equipment and shoes.  Another area focuses on things like binoculars and cameras.  But this place is wonderful for older electronics, old computer supplies, outdated software and radios.  The guy in that room just knows electronics.

The place has a great community feel.  And the Kiwanis Club supports a large number of charities with the money raised.  I really think that if you really want to get a feel for Ann Arbor, this is the place to go.

Hours: 9AM-12PM; Closed most holiday weekends; Some special sales last for several days.

Address: 200 S. First St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104

The Monroe Evening News has an interesting article today about a proposed “Central Park” in Monroe.

Basically, the IHM nuns own 167 acres behind the Motherhouse.  They need to sell it to become more self-sufficient.  A citizen’s group is beginning a fundraising effort to raise $1 million dollars to help purchase the land.

This would be incredible.

Monroe has a chance to reinvent itself with this park.  It already has a sizeable greenway that connects Munson Park to Sterling State Park.

Just think about the possibilities.  Someone could start at Sterling State Park and look at a kiosk about the Battle of Lake Erie.  Then, they could take a trail through the marsh to visit the River Raisin Battlefield.  A little bit down the road, they could stop at the Custer Statue.  Farther along, they could stop at the monuments of Veteran’s Park.  And then, on the way back, a visitor could walk through a cemetary of American flags that note the veterans themselves.  It would just be incredible to unite all of this.

And the hiking and biking that becomes possible would be amazing.  Sterling has 5+ miles.  Munson has 5+ miles.  I would bet that the new park would have 5+ miles.  And the Greenway itself would be about 5 miles.  So, you’d have 20+ miles of trail that is interconnected with businesses and interesting sites all around.

I just think that this would make Monroe a more attractive place to live and locate businesses.

It would be a game-changer.

BTW, if anyone is interested, I’d be glad to give tours of Tecumseh’s Indian Crossing Trails Park or Adrian’s Heritage Park to give an idea of how great an urban park can be.  Those are the comparable nearby city parks.

http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070228/NEWS01/102280043

Truth can be created.

Prior to the Iraq War, no one talked about Weapons of Mass Destruction.  Chemical and biological weaponry have existed since at least WWI.  We’ve lived with nuclear weaponry since the 40s.  But the idea of Weapons of Mass Destruction as some unified, modern terror was a public relations creation.  And it was a successful creation because it helped to grease the skids on our way to Iraq.

So, it was interesting to watch Senator Carl Levin on this weekend’s Meet the Press.  Levin presented the idea that the pre-Iraq War Congressional vote granting President Bush the authority to use force in Iraq was simply a vote to remove the weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein.

If we take Levin’s position to its logical extension, it CAN be argued that Congressional authority ended when the weapons of mass destruction were removed and Saddam Hussein was eliminated.  Both of those situations have now come to pass.

It certainly can be debated whether this position is constitutional or even logical.  I would need to do some research on the wording of the authorization legislation.

But that is beside the point, because if this position can be argued effectively by the Democrats, the Constitution and even logic are beside the point.  Remember that truth can be created.

One of the interesting side issues related to this line of argument is the fact that it lets Hillary off the hook.  If this logic gains a foothold, she no longer has to explain her vote.  She simply voted to remove the WMD and Saddam.  All of the occupation difficulties were simply an extra-Congressional Bush adventure that she never voted to support at all.

One of the best little day hikes in Monroe and Lenawee Counties can be found at Hidden Lake Gardens near Tipton on M-50.  I usually connect the foot trails into one big loop and hike them backwards.  It ends up being about five miles.  It is possible to add additional length by walking on the pleasing blacktop roads.

Today’s Adrian Telegram has a neat little piece of information.  Hidden Lake Gardens is now free on Mondays for the rest of 2007.  So, plan your hike routine so that you hit the Gardens on Mondays.  And, if you have the money, buy a membership.

Goodwill Industries is one of the largest second hand store chains in the country.  They are very businesslike in their approach and it is not unusual to see inexpensive new items in the chain’s stores.

The Monroe store is located in the Foodtown Plaza on the west side of Telegraph Road.  The store focuses mainly on used clothing.  However, they also have a small furniture section, a bookshelf, a CD rack, some dishware and a variety of electronics.

In the past, I have found a new Target footrest in this store.  I also bought about 15 or 20 packs of closeout Gillete Sensor razors in this store.  I’ve been using them for about a year and I figure I have another year before I have to buy more.

So, put this place on your value shopping routes and buy when something good pops up.

Hours: 9AM to 8PM, Monday through Saturday 

Location: 235 N. Telegraph, Monroe, MI 48162

Phone: 734-457-3447

Here’s another great Monroe Ice Festival Ice Carving.

If you go to one second hand store in Southeast Michigan, it has to be Ann Arbor’s ReUse Center.  The place is massive.  It is 20,000 square feet of everything you can imagine.

You want books?  They have more than many used book stores.  You want furniture?  They have more than any other second hand store.  They also have pots, pans, exercise equipment, a collector’s corner and an entire row of ski equipment.

They also have lots and lots of building materials.  I wanted a grilling table for my patio a few months back and I was able to pick up eight cinder blocks for 50 cents a piece and a big, flat slab of stone for the top for just a couple of bucks.  It’s been just a great place to stage my grilling supplies.

You can also find filing cabinets and lots of tools.  There is also an electronics sections.  We even bought our Christmas tree here during the last holiday season.  It looked just beautiful.

The ReUse Center is part of Ann Arbor’s recycling system.  Whatever doesn’t sell gets recycled.  But the idea is that useful items should stay out of the landfill.  Really, every community should have a ReUse Center.

Hours: 9AM-5PM, Monday through Saturday

Address: 2420 South Industrial Highway, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Phone: 734-222-7880

Web: http://www.recycleannarbor.org/reuse/reuse.htm

As a sixth-grader at St. Michael’s Catholic School, I had a particular fondness for the Amendt Milling tower just off of Front Street.  It’s sheer size was enough to make any Middle Schooler take notice.  But those cool doors up on the top just seemed made for some great adventure.

I just knew that one day, I’d learn how to rappel and in the middle of some dramatic night, I’d steal my way up to the top for an exhilarating skip and hop down the side.

Maybe I’d rescue someone trapped inside.

Or maybe I’d wait just long enough for the Monroe Evening News to snap my super-hero visage for a place on the front page.

Of course, those were just dreams.

But there was no doubt that the best doughnuts in town came from the Amendt Milling offices.  If you played your cards right, you could stop right in and the nice ladies inside would have some warm sugar-covered carbohydrate delights ready for the neighborhood kids.

Mmmmm…  Those were great doughnuts.

Every time I head to Downtown Monroe, I just have to stop at Re-Find Furnishings on the Southeast corner of Monroe Street and First Street.

Sellers bring in furniture, pictures, mirrors, electronics and other household goods.  If the item sells, the seller and the store both get a cut.

I have found that this place is excellent to find wall decorations.  In fact, there were some beautiful Monet prints that I was very interested in.  But I decided to pass on them.

The store also seems to have better quality furniture than you might find in a non-profit Thrift store.  Items tend to turn over quickly, so regular stops are probably a good idea.

The store is open from 10AM until 6PM Monday through Friday.  It is open from 10AM until 5PM on Saturday and it’s closed on Sundays.

Phone: 734-457-5067