Behind the Headlines

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

Today’s Monroe Evening News (Nov. 29) on page 5B has an article about charitable giving in America, “Study: Donating to charity fuels greater societal, economic good.” I recommend this article as a good read and food for thought.
The piece, written by Mark Trumbell of Christian Science Monitor and referring to a book by Arthur Brooks, “Who Really Cares?”, explains how increased charity efforts are statistically connected to a healthier and wealthier society. “It pays off for society in ways that may transcend the rates of return on many traditional investments.” the reporter writes. “It’s not just that charity helps those on the receiving end …. it also strengthens the cohesion of society at large.”
I have been very impressed with the strong tradition of the Monroe County community in both organized and grassroots charitable efforts. Even when financial donations cannot be as much as in previous years, the good will and intent remains. I cannot recall meeting anyone in this community who led a charitable effort soley to get their name in the newspaper. I also know of many good gestures that were done from one friend or neighbor to another, with no public attention at all.
So I find it quite interesting that academic researchers have devoted time and attention to something that is literally an everyday occurrence here at home, and praised its significance and impact on society as a whole.

By Adam Bennett adam@monroenews.com

I received an odd message yesterday.

It was from a Monroe man thanking me for the job we did on a story highlighting the Monroe County Mentoring Program. The story, which ran in Tuesday’s Evening News, detailed this man’s involvement with the program. For four years he has been helping teens find their way through life by lending a guiding hand.

I interviewed him for the story and our photo staff snapped a great picture of him doing what he does, talking with the young man he’s working with now.

I found his story inspiring. Albeit a brief meeting, he spoke with me about his troubled youth growing up in Detroit. He escaped that to become a successful businessman.

Now with a life’s experience to draw from, he’s using that wisdom to help show troubled young men how to get on the path they need to turn their lives around. He’s a role model and a listening ear to the half-dozen at-risk youth he’s mentored since joining the program.

That’s why I found it unique, and somewhat ironic, that this man was thanking me. I had only chronicled his good works.

So thank you Mr. Zarb for what you have done.

By Dean Cousino, dean@monroenews.com

Friday was the last day for the three free countywide yard waste recycling stations to be open. They will be sorely missed until next April when they will reopen. The three sites in Ash, Bedford and Monroe Townships have served a vital role in providing a place for getting rid of grass clippings, leaves and tree limbs and keeping this debris from being dumped illegally out of our roadside ditches and other hidden areas. It is one of the most successful county programs initiated locally. I took about a dozen van loads with more than 50 barrels of stuff this fall to dump and found it so convenient than waiting for our weekly yard waste pickup in Frenchtown. The yard waste came from my home and two other yards in Erie and Temperance. While unloading, I ran into several people who mentioned how useful the recycling bins were. My only suggestion for next year is they might want to provide some staircase or platform for people like me who have to empty their barrels because we use them over and over again. In many cases, you can’t just walk into the bins, but have to throw your paper recycling bags over the side rails. That can be difficult for anyone who doesn’t have a pickup to stand on.

The county takes a lot of heat for programs that have floundered or failed, but this one has been valuable from its onset several years ago. Jamie Dean, the recycling coordinator, should be commended for arranging these bins with Homrich Inc. every spring and fall.

By Charles Slat ctslat@monroenews.com

Who says Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on major issues?

Last week, during the War of 1812 bicentennial committee kickoff event at the Monroe County Historical Museum, State Sen.-elect Randy Richardville, a Republican, crossed the room to shake hands with John Dingell, the veteran Democratic Congressman.

They both congratulated one another on their recent election victories and vowed to work together to make a War of 1812 park in Monroe a reality.

Mr. Dingell then told Mr. Richardville, “That wife of yours is a real asset.”

“I married up,” Mr. Richardville responded, adding, “Your wife is an asset.”

“We both married up,” Mr. Dingell replied.

Mr. Dingell had a lot more to say to The Evening News about his reinstallation as chairman of the House’s Committee on Energy and Commerce. You can read more about that in The Monroe Sunday News.

By Paula Wethington, paula@monroenews.com

It’s been years since I had the luxury of Friday after Thanksgiving as a day off. So I am not one of those people who can line up at the mall or shopping centers in early morning hours. But occasionally I make a lunchtime shopping trip on Black Friday.
That’s what I did today, in hopes of finding some gifts while Black Friday sales remained in effect. Frenchtown Square mall was really busy at lunchtime. Perhaps the morning fog meant local residents stayed in Monroe rather than going to Detroit or Toledo, or delayed their shopping trips until late morning. But everybody I met was polite and patient, the checkout line moved fast, I got in and out of the store in a reasonable amount of time, and I was happy with the packages I took home.
There’s more shopping to do, but I’ll spread that out over the next two weeks.
I’m really amazed at the people who do all of their shopping on Black Friday. The logistics have to be mind-boggling.

By Adam Bennett adam@monroenews.com

When my wife told me she wanted to brave the crowds to snap up the best savings in the day-after Thanksgiving sales, I told her she was crazy.

The pushing, the shoving, the crowds, the waiting in endless lines. It’s all too much for me.

But covering Black Friday for the Evening News this year disproved a few of my misconceptions about one of the biggest shopping days of the year. I saw very little pushing and shoving, a few grumbling, disappointed people and a lot of money changing hands.

It should be comforting in tough economic times that people are getting out and spending their money–and spending it on each other.

However, I find one thing in particular most fascinating.

All the early-hour shoppers hitting the stores for this must-save phenomenon are gettign out at 5 or 6 a.m. for just a chance at the big buy.

Stores sell a limited stock at a monstrously low price, meaning a few will save big. Still, the crowds rush to line up and see if they can be the one to get that $300 laptop or $150 iPod. What a sacrifice.

I’d rather stay home and sleep in, saving my money and my time. But for those that get wrapped up in it, I suppose it’s the experience that is more rewarding than the savings.

By Charles Slat ctslat@monroenews.com

During the unveiling of the War of 1812 Bicentennial logo Monday, Mary Jo Stoyanovich could barely contain her excitement of tentative plans for her son, pianist-composer Patrick Stoyanovich, to compose a special War of 1812 Overture for the bicentennial festivities. Mr. Stoyanovich is an accomplished musician and pianist. A Seattle area resident, one of his last performances in Monroe was this fall when he featured his compositions from the Six Day Bicycle Race, a recently produced PBS documentary about the heyday of marathon bicycle racing in the early 1900s. The film is scheduled to air in the spring. Mrs. Stoyanovich said the Monroe County Historical Society is planning to commission the new Overture, not to be confused with orchestral work by Tchaikovsky commemorating the unsuccessful French invasion into Russia in 1812 that marked a major turning point of the Napoleonic Wars. That Tchaikovsky piece often uses real cannons as part of the presentation. Whatever final form Mr. Stoyanovich’s piece takes, Monroe residents probably will get a real blast out of it.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

So … you’re planning a fundraiser event for a favorite cause or charity. You need to recruit business sponsors, vendor reservations or customers. But it can be hard to attract attention from the public for a new or first-time event and make it a success.

In my job as Community Page reporter, I often speak with fundraiser and event chairmen on how best to publicize their fundraising activities. Some events sell out well in advance, or become so popular they move to larger locations. But I also hear about events that get canceled or fall short of their goals because donations or ticket sales were disappointingly slow.

Sometimes, the problem is a schedule conflict with another event. (Hint: check out our calendar section at www.monroenews.com before firming up your date, and send us the information as soon as possible so other groups know what you’re planning for that day.) Sometimes there is bad luck with the weather. (Even indoor events have been hit with this problem, because potential customers didn’t want to leave home.) Sometimes the appeal letters and event fliers get misdirected or missed a critical deadline. (Clubs that meet once a month need publicity notices five to six weeks before the event so they can discuss plans at their next meeting.)

But I don’t have all the answers. So I’d like to get a conversation started among our veteran and rookie community volunteers. Some thoughts:

What are the logistics to consider when you are working on such a project?

How do you recruit enough volunteers or sponsors to make a fundraiser event happen?

How do you turn initial interest and attention into customers calling in with reservations or showing up at the door?

Stephanie Ariganello, Stephaniea@monroenews.com

Today was the most difficult day I’ve had as a reporter in awhile, if not ever. I was covering the murder trial of Sonya Moussaed, the 28-year old woman accused and now convicted of killing 17-month old Gracie Simmons. The verdict was called a little after 11:30 a.m. this morning. Sonya was found guilty of first degree murder.
It was difficult because I had to approach both families involved - one knowing their person was going to prison probably for life and the other dealing with the reality of the murder of a little girl. Both were experiencing intensely intimate moments and emotions and it was my job to interject myself into that, get an impression and then dispatch it to readers.
The people from Sonya’s family that I approached made it clear that they did not want to talk to me. A group of what I assume were her grandparents or at least older relatives literally turned their backs and refused to even answer if they were related to Sonya.
Walking up to Gracie’s father Joe, was nearly impossible. Dressed in a suit, pacing the hallways of the courthouse, crying, it was probably hardest to talk to him. I worked up the guts as he wandered away from the pack of family. I introduced myself and tried to explain that I wanted to talk to him, if he could, but I would understand if he needed some time. I will not soon forget the look he gave me. It was not necessarily personal, but I still felt this pressure in the back of my throat.
The reason we approach people in the first place is to help place the reader in their shoes. To help people understand what this is like. To make the experience a human one, rather than a hard news item. It also gives people a chance to tell their stories. That said, the reality is not always as idealistic as that.
It’s a fine line of compassion and professionalism – of sensitivity for those involved versus the need to get a job done – that we walk. I was right up against that wall today. I’m not whining about my job, it being difficult, etc. That’s not my point here. It’s simply that reporters are often regarded as cold, vulture-like creatures (and I have to admit I do think that somewhat about TV reporters) just out to get their quotes and move on, but it’s not like that.

By Charles Slat ctslat@monroenews.com

Folks in Monroe who lined up for hours waiting to buy a PlayStation 3 system just to sell it at a big profit might be rewarded.

The systems started selling vigorously on eBay, the Internet auction site, for around $2,800 Thursday afternoon. Some systems were sold as far back as a week ago for $9,100 after 42 bids. The list price of the units is $499 or $599 depending on the memory capacity of the system.

Several thousand PlayStation 3s were listed for sale on eBay Friday morning. Chances are the systems will hold their inflated values for a while. They’re in short supply and Sony doesn’t expect to ship more to the marketplace until at least March.

So if you haven’t got one yet, don’t look for Santa to bring one.

By Adam Bennett adam@monroenews.com

The Monroe City Council decided to seek a road millage after a lengthy debate earlier this week on how to fix the condition of the city’s crumbling streets.
Officials said that short funding in past years has left the road system too far behind in terms of restoration work. Some of the streets have not been reconstructed for decades, going far beyond their useful life. But the issue is how to pay for it. Already cash-strapped, city leaders say not enough money is available for the additional $1 million needed each year and tapping other sources may not be an option. They opted to put it to the voters to decide on the ballot. That’s a method that some cities prefer, taxing all residents for the improvements. I once lived in a community where homeowners were tagged with special assessments to pay for the improvements on their streets. What do you think is the best way of doing this?

By Charles Slat ctslat@monroenews.com

Suddenly, the region is being eyed by giant retailers as fertile ground for expansion. Wal-Mart wants to put one of its Supercenters on Telegraph Rd. in Frenchtown Township and on Lewis Ave. in Bedford Township. Meijer is looking at expanding with stores in Flat Rock and Dundee. There’s scuttlebutt about the existing Wal-Mart in Monroe being converted to a Sam’s Club. Is this something we should look forward to? Could we use even more? Are there other stores you’d like to see settle in the area? Please share your thoughts.