The View From The Cheap Seats

Hello, Concord!

Here we are pretty much halfway through the year but it sure doesn’t feel like it, does it?  If it weren’t for all the recently completed home repair, cleaning and construction projects I’d say so far it’s been a wash.  Fortunately, I think all of us have used this time to our advantage in one way or another, some to our great advantage.  My house, for instance, hasn’t been as clean as it is now in…well…ever.  I’ve managed to fix a whole bunch of broken stuff, most recently including an old rototiller that hasn’t run in 26 years.  No kidding!  And Linda and I have taken many opportunities to get out and deliberately patronize our local businesses over and above what we would normally do.  I only wish I could convince our community of how absolutely critical they are to our way of life here.

I’d like to dwell on this for a second because it’s important: Our business community is, in my experience, the most generous, supportive, helpful group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.  We should all be jealous as hell of them, they make our community what it is.  There is no question that any one of them would be doing infinitely better were they located in Jackson, Battle Creek or Ann Arbor, but they chose to locate here and serve this community.  They support everything done in this community, and if we’re to be honest about it, without their support these things just wouldn’t happen.   Think about that.

Today, we are preparing to end (in some fashion) our forced incarceration.  Our temptation will always be to go where things are cheapest or we have the largest selection.  Resist that, at least initially.  Spend your money here, where it will make the most difference and have the greatest impact for you, your neighbors, your children and your community.

 

(Another) Moment of Gratitude.

Amongst the many – in fact uncountable – blessings we have in this community are two people I am privileged to call friends, who labor daily to keep us all informed about important events locally and what is going on in our community.  Both of them are unusually fair, evenhanded, apolitical and factual in their reportage and yet manage to be entertaining as well.  Clearly they enjoy what they are doing, more importantly, they enjoy who they are doing it for.  Both of them do excellent work for the Concord/Pulaski communities and they are yet one more very good reason for people to look to settle our area.  And who, may you ask, might these lexicographical titans of Jackson County be?  I thought you’d never ask!!!

Well, here you go:

Kibby Snow

pcchair@concordtownshipmi.org

Ken Wyatt

 

Road Warrior Update:

Whilst making my way by the long and winding detour to work the other day I chanced upon these happy asphalt technicians busily toiling away at our deteriorating roads.  They are part of the public/private partnership JCDOT is employing to help get our roads up to snuff for the coming summer driving season.  They are using a hot mix patching compound which sticks better, fills more solidly and lasts longer than the old cold patch did.  While it isn’t exactly a new road (and our roads are not going to be ‘good’ until they are) it’s the best we can do with the resources we have available.  By the way: if anyone out there is interested in initiating a citizens coalition to put a road millage on the ballot…just call me and I’ll get you started.

 

Cornell Rd. Bridge and All Its Little Buddies

According to my sources close to Trump’s White House, I have been informed that the Cornell Rd. Bridge has been ordered!!!!  The current target date for installation is still in the August/September time frame but I will be happy if it is in by hunting season.

Also my sources close to the Vatican tell me that JCDOT is working hard to secure funding for the King Rd, and Albion Rd. bridges as well.  I’m sure of this because they requested, and I provided, letters of support for their grant finding efforts.  I don’t know about you guys, but I’m very happy that we’re getting this kind of attention from the County and special thanks go our to Jim Cole, my contact at JCDOT and the guy who is largely making this happen.

Another Coronavirus Victim

Thanks to the uncertainty caused in part by the virus itself and our governments’ knee jerk reactions to it, I have postponed indefinitely our traditional Community Clean Up Day and our Scrap Metal Drive for the Concord Fire Department.  Rather than jerk around the dozens of people required to make these events work, we will not reschedule them until I have a safe and predictable time frame.  So please continue to collect and store your scrap metal (in a place out of public view) and I’ll let you know when we can collect it – and thank you for supporting your Emergency Services Department.

2 Comments

  1. Ronald Bradley on May 20, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    Wasn’t the King Road bridge done late 90s early 2000? So is it a replacement or repair?

    • Mark Horosko on May 20, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      King rd bridge was done in 87 or 88. It’s good to go.

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