There’s something for everybody this weekend…

July 26, 2012

There are 11 events or opportunities to do something in the Milford/Highland area between now and Sunday night. If you’re an active, outdoors type there is the family Olympics in Highland and Stand Up Board races Saturday and canoe and kayak races in Kensington Park on Sunday, also Sunday there’re 5K runs and walks in Highland.

For sports spectators, there’ the Milford Crit bicycle races onthe streets of Milford on Sunday. For music lovers there’s the Concert in the Park tonight in Central Park and Friday Night Live at the Center St Pavilion. There are also programs with bugs and snakes for the kids out at Kensington. Find out the times and other information for all of these events at http://www.movetomilford.com/  There’s always something happening in the Huron Valley.

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Posted by Norm Werner

For something completely different…

July 25, 2012

I went to the Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting ceremony at the Blue Grill in Milford last Wednesday (Co-owner Marianne Mansour in the middle in the black top is holding the big scissors, with Chef Steve Maneve just behind her) and I’ve  been meaning to write about it ever since. I’m reminded of the old Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, in which they used the line “And now for something completely different…”

The Blue Grill is something completely different for Milford and perhaps for most places.  The restaurant is the achievement of a dream by owners Dimitri and Marianne Mansour. The food theme is definitely Mediterranean but the focus is on fresh and fast.  Everything is fresh and to the extent possible organic. Everything is build your own, too; with a progression as you order that starts with a choice of how you want to eat – in a pita wrap, a toasted pita wrap or rice bowl  – and progresses through choices of meats, toppings, dressings and sides. There are also great salads offered as sides or entrees.  By the time you work your way down the line to the register you have a delicious meal awaiting you. Of course there’re dessert choices, too, with the Mediterranean favorite baklava as you would expect, plus rice pudding and cinnamon pita chips.. A choice of bottled water or soft drinks finishes off the selection process. I’ve posted the menu so you can get a feel for the choices.

Owner Dimitri Mansour brought many of the family receipts from his grandmother’s kitchen outside Athens, Greece; however, there are also foods that reflect the entire Mediterranean area from Egypt to Turkey. Chef Steve Maneve manages the day-to-day operation of the restaurant and can be seen behind the counter serving up the fresh offerings during peak times.

Many will just carry out their fresh made orders; however, there are several tables inside the restaurant and a few out on the sidewalk, plus an events room that can be used for groups or private parties.  The Blue Grill is open from 11 am until 8 pm every day. You can see and read more about the restaurant on its Facebook page. You may call them at 248-684-4545.

So, if you’re visiting Milford (or live in the area) and want to try something “completely different” for lunch or dinner, stop in at the Blue Grill for some fresh Mediterranean food.

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Posted by Norm Werner

The lost pastime of porch sitting

July 21, 2012

This article originally was written for my July-August Newsletter, which I print and send out to abourt 350 past customers and people whom I’ve met one way or another in my real estate career. Although lots of people like to read blogs on-line many of my Newsletter readers tell me they prefer to have a paper newsletter that they can put on the nightstand and read a little at a time.

We are fortunate to live in a house with porches. I have a big, wrap-around porch on the front of the house and a smaller “sun porch” on the back side. My historic home was built in 1885, but the porches were likely added later. There was a time when sitting out on your front porch and watching people go by was considered a nice pastime, especially on lazy summer afternoons.

We’ve sort of lost touch with that pastime as a society, it seems. Perhaps the pace of our lives has become such that we don’t feel that we have time for such an indulgence; but I suspect that air conditioning is mainly to blame. People move inside, close up the house and turn on the air when it gets too warm. I’ll admit that I do, too.  Porches sort of fell out of favor as a design feature sometime in the 60’s.

On those days in the Spring and Fall (and on occasion in the summer) when it’s not too hot, it’s still great to be able to go out to the front porch (which is screened-in to keep the bugs away) and just sit there and read or watch the world go by. I’ll admit also that I installed an overhead fan on my porch, so I can create a breeze when none exists.

Our porch is big enough to entertain on, with room for both of our children and all of the grandchildren when they come to visit. We have to drag a few chairs out for those occasions, but  everybody has a place to sit and the grandkids still have lots of room to play. There’s even an old fashion porch swing.

On the south side of the front porch we’ve put a nice little table where the grandkids can sit and color or maybe have a snack. In the corner by the front door is our little menagerie—two giraffes, a camel, a hippo and an elephant. The grandkids love those, too.

So, if you happen to be strolling by my house and see me out there, wave and say hi. I might even invite you up to “sit a spell”; maybe even have a beer; just don’t feed the animals.

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Posted by Norm Werner

There’s still time to volunteer for Milford Memories

July 19, 2012

My wife and I signed up as volunteers for the Milford Memories Festival yesterday. We’ll be doing duty on Sunday morning, August 12. There are still slots open for more volunteers on all three days – Aug 10 thru 12. An event like Milford Memories couldn’t be pulled off every year with a legion of volunteers. Just like a major golf tournament, such as the USGA Senior Open out in Orion, had hundreds of volunteers for crowd control and other tasks, the Milford Memories Festival  uses hundreds of volunteers over the three days for things ranging from street patrol to insure that restricted parking areas are honored, to emptying the many waste containers that are placed around the festival grounds to shuttling people around the grounds.

Last year my wife and I manned one of the Information Booths on behalf of the Milford Historical Society. We answered questions from festival goers and sold a few of the Historical Society books about Milford’s history. This year the Historical Society will have tents set up on the Museum lawn – one to sell those same books and other items that the Society offers and the other will house a display of the local Native American artifacts that one of our members, Bill Schimmel, had collected. Bill passed away this year while working on a book about Chief Tipsico, a local tribal chief for which Tipsico Lake was named. There will also be a Granny’s Garage Sale going on at the Museum during the festival. We hope to have the Museum open during the festival, if we can get enough volunteers to be docents for all three days.

There are still many volunteer slots to be filled, so stop by the Chamber of Commerce office and pick up a Volunteer form (or click here to download it) and choose what you’d like to do to help. As a volunteer you’ll get a spiffy T-shirt to wear (and keep) that identifies you as festival volunteer staff, but more importantly you’ll get the satisfaction of being an inside part of Milford’s premier annual event. It’s sort of our little microcosm of events like the Olympics or the Super Bowl. The festival attracts 10’s of thousands of visitors over the three days and you could be an important part of the impression that Milford makes on all of those visitors. Make a difference- Volunteer!

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Posted by Norm Werner

Granny’s Attic Sale a Success…now on to Milford Memories

July 16, 2012

The Granny’s Attic Sale that the Milford Historical Society (MHS) held last Friday and Saturday was a big success. We sold lots of stuff; however, we also had lots of stuff left over and actually had more donations coming in each day. So, we’ve decided to have a Granny’s Garage Sale during the Friday and Saturday of the upcoming Milford Memories Festival. The sale will be on the front lawn of the Milford Historical Museum again. The times will probably be about the same as last weekend 9 am until 4 pm each day; but check in at the Milford Historical Web site – www.milfordhistory.org  – as we get closer to Milford Memories for details and the times of the sale. Proceeds from the sales go to support the mission of the MHS.

The recent Summer Palooza on Main St was a miniature dress rehearsal for the big show – Milford Memories. The Milford Memories Festival, coming up on August 13, 14 &15, is rated one of the best in the country by the vendors themselves, so it brings out the best arts and crafts vendors. It has also become a must attend summer tradition for thousands of Michigan people from surrounding areas. There will be lots of added events and things for the whole family going on during Milford Memories, so plan to spend a whole day in Milford during that weekend. For more on the upcoming  Milford Memories Festival click here.

In the interim there are lots of things going on in Milford and Highland and the surrounding areas. For an up-to-date calendar of events in the area go to www.movetomilford.com and look at the Upcoming Community Events. There is just no excuse to be bored this summer in the Huron Valley.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Next up in Milford the Summer Palooza!

July 6, 2012

 

palooza in progress

What the heck is a palooza, anyway? According to the Urban Dictionary it is – an all-out crazy party; partying at one place with a ton of people like there’s no tomorrow. Let’s hope that’s true for Milford’s Summer Palooza. That place to party is the Milford downtown stretch on Main Street between Commerce and Liberty. July 13 thru July 15. This event started over 50 years ago out as a Sidewalk Sale and then grew, with the addition of entertainment and beer tents into Shop Rock and Stroll for several years. Now it’s the Summer Palooza! The event is presented by the Milford Business Association and the Milford Downtown Development Authority.

Shopping at the palooza runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. In addition to the beer tent at the Main Street Grill and Tavern location, there will also be a Vegas tent, where patrons will have their choice of playing on six blackjack tables, three poker/Texas Hold ‘Em tables, one “Let it Ride” table, and one roulette table, among others. Funds raised at the Vegas tent will go to support a local charity.

The beer/food and Vegas tents will be open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Many of Milford’s downtown restaurants also offer dining on the village sidewalks, and there will also be live musical performances by several local bands

There will be also activities for children. Kids will be able to play on bouncers, as well as scale a rock climbing wall and dunk someone in a dunk tank.

Maybe I’ll see you at the Palooza. I only live two blocks from downtown Milford, so I can walk home. If you intend to party like there’s no tomorrow call Snowbird Drivers and arrange for a personal chauffer for the evening. They’ll be your designated driver for about ¼ of the cost of renting a limo for the evening and WAY below the cost of a DUI conviction.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Only a news segment…

July 4, 2012

Oops! The initial report that I got which said that Channel 2 The Fox Network was going to broadcast our parade has proven to be inaccurate. They are going to tape segments of the parade to be used on Fox 2 News tonight. Oh, well, some exposure is better than no exposure at all. So look for us on the news tonight on Channel 2.

This will be one of our bigger parades of the year, with over 70 entries. Lots of politicians will be out, which might add some hot air to an already warm day. Bring your umbrellas (to shield yourself from the sun; there’ll be no rain on the parade) and your bottled water to stay hydrated; but please don’t bring your dog downtown, it will be way too crowded and hot for them. You might want to bring a little bag for the kids to put candy into when they get it.

The theme of this year’s parade is “Milford, Our Little Slice of Heaven”; however, with the passing of Andy Griffith, I couldn’t help but think of Milford as our own little Mayberry. Andy patterned the Mayberry setting for his show about a small town Sheriff after his home town of Mounty Airy, SC; however, I’m sure that he would have immediately related to Milford in a similar way.

Enjoy the parade today!

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Posted by Norm Werner

We’re ready for our close-up Mr. Demille

July 3, 2012

We’ve received word that our Independence Day Parade in Milford, Michigan will be broadcast live by Channel 2, the Fox network. How exciting. The local stations pick a parade to cover every year, usually in bigger cities or towns, but this year Milford’s parade will get its chance to shine.

The Independence Day Parade down Main Street in Milford is about an pure a dose of Americana as one can get. There are lots of Brownie and Cub Scout troops, a few of the local dance studios, local church groups and civic groups from all over the area in the parade. This year there’ll be lots of politicians too, since it’s a big election year.

The kids like the candy that parade participants pass out and the Huron Valley State Bank always gives out ice cream bars, which everyone likes. There’s always a band or two, although it’s sometimes tough to get bands to march once school is out. And at the end there are the big, noisy fire engines with sirens blasting. The kids love that, too.

The parade steps off from in front of the Milford Museum at 11 AM. The Milford Historical Society organizes the parade every year with help from a crew of volunteers. You’ll notice them this year in their BRIGHT orange shirts emblazoned with “PARADE STAFF” front and rear.

The first 2-3 vehicles in the parade represent the Milford Historical Society, including a tractor from historic Crawford Farm south of town. The Presenting Sponsor – Feldman Automotive Group will have the next two slots. The other major automotive dealers in the area who helped sponsor the parade are Hines Park Ford and LaFontaine and they will have new car models in the parade. Look also for the Digital Document Store vehicle and for the entry from The Milford Laundry and Horse Blanket Headquarters.

Maybe you know someone who always wanted to come to the parade but just can’t. Let them know that they should be able to see it on Channel 2 live as it is happening. I’ll see you all on Wednesday.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Bits and Pieces…

July 2, 2012

Let’s start the week getting caught up with a bunch of little bits and pieces.

First, I didn’t win the Harley Davidson motorcycle that the Milford Historical Society raffled off this past weekend; although I believe that I sold the winning ticket.  Milford’s ex-Police Chief (retired) Wayne Walli won the Harley and I recall selling him at least one ticket at one of our local “Lunch in the Valley” gatherings. Congratulations Wayne! I guess I can return my leathers and helmet.

I’m looking forward to the Independence Day Parade this Wednesday. It should be one of the biggest ever. Election years bring out all of the politicians and there are a number of local races that have multiple candidates, so there’ll be lots of them this year. A special thanks to our parade sponsors – Milford Township and Feldman Automotive Group as Presenting Sponsors, plus Hines Park Ford, Veterinary Care Specialists, and LaFontaine Automotive as Key Sponsors and The Digital Document Store and Milford Laundry as Sponsors. Several individuals also contributed.

It’s been so hot lately that we’ve started taking our dog, Sadie, out to the Bark Park in the evening. Lots of people have come to same conclusion, so now the time to be there is between 7:30 and 9 PM. By then it’s cooled into the 80’s and there’s always a breeze at the Park. It’s still too hot for the dogs to do much running, but it’s good to get them outside for a while.

I’m starting to gear up for the September Home Tour and Milford Car Show. I’ll be looking for sponsors for those soon. They take place in the third weekend in September. To keep us all amused until then we have Summer Palooza coming up this month (it replaces Shop Rock and Stroll) and of course the biggie – the Milford Memories Festival in August.

I can’t be at either of the September events this year, because I’ve committed to attend my 50-year high school reunion. Wow, where did the time go? I literally left for college and never went back. This is actually the first reunion event that my high school class has ever held.  It should be fun to see people that I haven’t seen in those 50 years.

I got the flyer on the Road Millage ballot proposal last week. It just makes sense to vote for this millage and get the roads in the Village repaired/replaced and then maintained. I know that some just hate taxes so much that they vote against proposed tax; however, the roads aren’t going to fix themselves and many are in desperate need right now. You can only throw cold patch into the potholes for so long.

I heard recently of a proposal that is floating around to turn some of our paved streets back into unpaved, mainly because they can then be maintained with a road grader. Having driven some of our more notorious local roads in the winter, when the grader can’t be used, I certainly hope that this proposition doesn’t gain traction. Our winter freeze/thaw cycles turn many local unpaved roads into almost impassable, rut-filled obstacle courses. Of course that does hold down the speeds that concern some.

So here we are, stepping off into July, the second half of 2012. Let’s hope the rest of 2012 is as much fun as the first half. I’m sure it will be, because there’s always something to do around Milford. For a run down on all of the Upcoming Community Events, go to my Web site MoveToMilford.com. I’ll see you at the parade!

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Posted by Norm Werner

Local businesses step up to keep parade going

June 29, 2012

Independence Day in Milford, Michigan will be celebrated with a parade again this year, on the 4th of July. Lots of people just take for granted that the parades, festivals and other events in Milford will go on, not realizing how much work goes on behind the scenes to organize the parade or that there is considerable expense involved. All of the parades that take place in Milford are put on by organizations that are generally non-profit, mostly volunteer groups.

The three major parades are put on by the American Legion (the Memorial Day parade), the Milford Historical Society (the Independence Day parade) and the Chamber of Commerce (the Christmas parade). The smaller parades are conducted by groups like the local Little League(the parade of little league teams down Main Street) and Milford High School (the Homecoming parade). Then there are the events that close some Milford streets, like the upcoming Summer Palooza, the Farmers Market, the Milford Memories Festival and others.

For most of these events the Village of Milford supplies Department of Public Works (DPW) and Police support. The DWP workers put up the detour signs and place the traffic barriers (and later remove them), as well as doing some extra clean-up after events. The Village Police provide traffic and crowd control as needed. Some of the events, like the Memorial Day and Independence Day parades take place on official holidays; so, those workers get overtime to work on those events.

The Village of Milford used to provide the DPW and Police support without charging the event organizers. These are community events that are put on for the citizens to enjoy, so paying for them out of tax dollars made sense when times were good and money was available. The Village’s tax base dramatically shrank in the recent “Great Recession”, so two years ago the Village Council voted to restrict the Village’s “in-kind” contribution to these events to the first $500 of cost. They cost much more than that; especially since the union contracts that both groups work under give them double time for working on holidays.

So, each group that runs these events has had to turn to soliciting financial help through sponsorships from the local community and business groups and from the citizenry. I’m happy to report that in the case of the Independence Day parade there has been great response and the parade will go on. Major contributions were made by Milford Township and the Feldman Automotive Group (Liberty Chevrolet, Liberty Hyundai and Jay Chevrolet in our area). Key Sponsorship contributors include Hines Park Ford, Lafontaine Cadillac/Buick/GMC and Veterinary Care Specialists and VCS Pet Hospital. Sponsors include The Milford Laundry and The Digital Document Store in Milford. Several individuals also sent in contributions to support the parade.

So the Independence Day Parade will go on for another year and this year it is actually on the 4th of July.I hope to see you there. Please thank and support or sponsors if you get the chance.

Also, let the Milford Village Council know that you support these events. There has recently been a proposal by some on the Village Council to stop all in-kind support for future events. I believe that these events area big part of what makes Milford the great place to live that we all love. Let your voice be heard. Email a Village Council member and tell them that you want them to continue supporting our parades and festivals and other events. Click here for a link to the Village Council page on the Village of Milford Web site.

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Posted by Norm Werner

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