Chair Enriquez presented a list of standing committees for the event:

Financial: to be headed by Tom Dupuis.

Vendors: No head was named at this point. The committee is looking for a volunteer(s) to chair.

Press and Public Information: Again, no head. The Chamber will be plugging the event on the community calendar, Facebook, twitter, monthly newsletter, and weekly e-mail blast. Also Linda Gilson does 1000s of flyers, press releases and other media sources.

Entertainment and Activities: Enriquez named himself for this.

Security and Logistics: It was understood that since the Backstreet Cruizers will be in and around most of the park that they would have a lot of this responsibility. The committee is looking for a co-chair.

Fundraiser: Tom Dupuis will be co-chairing and looking for someone that wants to chair.

In addition to these committees, two new Members at Large were named:

Debbie Sudduth: Representing the DDA since their participation is key to the event, and

Linda Gilson: From BsC .

The next general meeting will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 6:30PM, Old Fire Barn.

Work being done around the Hack House. Photo submitted by John Farmer

On Wed. Jan. 18, the MAHS held their monthly meeting and program. The evening’s program consisted of Scott Dotson giving an overview of how the Greater Milan Area Community Foundation works.

The Foundation was founded in 2005, but the seeds for the idea were planted in 2003, and it took a couple of years of them to “sprout.” Scott has been the treasurer since its inception in 2005. Chris Wetzler is the president.

The Foundation has 17 different endowments. There are 15 board members, all of them volunteers. The Foundation operates through the Monroe Foundation, who handles all the paperwork and transactions. The Monroe Foundation receives 1% of the endowment for that service.

An endowment is a permanent savings account, set up for a particular organization, and the principal investment is never touched. The funds are generated through the interest that the endowment earns. The Foundation doesn’t just stick the money in a savings account, which earns very little interest, but diversifies by investing in stocks, gold, real estate, and bonds. So, to generate $12,000.00 per year, they would need to have an endowment worth $250,000.00.

The money that is granted to the MAHS for the repair and restoration of the Hack House, is understood that it is to be used for repairs and restoration, and the Hack House does not have to file a report specifying what repairs are being made.

After Scott’s presentation, the MAHS started their meeting. There was some disappointment that more members didn’t show up, and it was a small group. Don Harkness passed out handouts, outlining the extent of repairs that must be made, and the approximate cost, to the tune of about $203,500.00. These repairs are not only to the main house but to the carriage house, the exotic bird house, the outhouse and wash house, and to the exterior of the main house. The bulk of the expense appears to be in foundation and roof repairs, wood siding, and restoration of the ceiling art in the gift shop.

The endowment will help for future repairs, but there are many things that need to be done now, and funds are badly needed. Where will these funds come from? From donations, mostly, and hopefully they can find people to donate work, such as painting, and wood stripping.

Aside from money needed for the major repair and restoration work, they also have monthly operating expenses, such as electricity, water, gas, and phone, and a new boiler is needed. They are looking to take advantage of DTE’s rebate program when they can install a new boiler, which provides heat for the radiators and hot water.

At the meeting they talked about ways to generate interest in the younger generation, by possibly involving wood shop students to help with some of the more minor repairs.

They also talked about simple ways to fix things. For instance, instead of trying to jack up the out buildings, such as the carriage house and exotic bird house, to fix the foundation, it would be much easier to tear the buildings down, fix the foundation and build new buildings to look like old buildings. That would probably work. The main house needs new wood siding, and vinyl siding would be much cheaper, but would degrade the integrity of its historic authenticity.

The Hack House is one of Milan’s most precious jewels and needs help. In writing this article, I hope to inspire people to donate, not only money, but work for such things as roofing,  painting, and stripping and refinishing woodwork.

The next regular meeting of the MAHS will be held on February 15, at 7 pm in the Senior Center. The program for next month’s meeting will be on Harry Bennett, presented by Sara Ford. Harry Bennett was an executive at Ford Motor Co. during the 30s and 40s, and was the head of the Ford Service Department that discouraged unions and was part of the “Battle of the Overpass” at the Ford River Rouge plant.

He built the “castle” on Geddes Rd. in Ann Arbor. Harry designed and built the home with the help of Henry Ford as a safe haven for him and his family. Sara will have photos of inside and outside the home, tunnels, tiger/lion cases, cement trees and boat house. 

I encourage all Historical Society members to come, as it will be a very interesting presentation.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall. Sarah's Gowns Are The Prettiest Of All!

That’s what Manager Lisa Hall said of Sarah’s Bridal and Prom Boutique. Hopefully, with this article, we can change that. Lisa took me on the grand tour and I felt like a little kid in a candy store.

Sarah’s is owned by Christine and Herman Marquardt. It is named for their 7 year old daughter, and has been open for just over a year. The building used to be Controlled Wire Forms, owned by the Marquardt’s, and closed when the bottom fell out of manufacturing. They owned the building and got the idea for the Bridal Boutique after Christine ordered 10 gowns from E-Bay to resell with her girls jfor fun. Christine’s background is in catering, and this seemed like the perfect niche for her.

Obviously by the name, you can tell what sort of business it is. But you cannot imagine the scope of it until you walk in. There is room after room of gorgeous gowns, for all occasions. There is a whole room set up for prom gowns. When a girl buys a prom dress from Sarah’s, it is registered, which means that no one else from the same school can buy the same dress, even if it is a different color, so when you go to your prom, nobody will have on the same dress that you do.  That is very important to a young girl at her first formal occasion.

There is another room full to the brim with wedding gowns. They are all so beautiful, you would think that they cost thousands of dollars, but there is not a single gown in the whole place that sells for over $1,500.00! And some of them are quite reasonable and can be purchased for as little as $100.00-$600.00

They also have pageant dresses for those Miss Americas, made of real silk and chiffon. And they carry a line of pageant dresses for little girls. There are dresses and separates (skirts and blouses) for the mothers of the bride and groom or just for other special occasions, where you want to really dress up, but a gown is not appropriate.

They also have jewelry, tiaras, and a full line of shoes. They have the full line of Disney jewelry, one of only 3 stores in Michigan that carry that line. Each necklace is modeled after a necklace worn by a Disney princess, such as Belle of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, etc. And they also carry the Disney line of gowns.

Other wedding gown designers represented are Mori Lee, Blu, Juliette and Voyage, Pronovias’ White One and Atelier Diagonal, Jasmine and Jasmine Couture, Dere Kiang, Claudine by Alyce, Cara Mia and Private Label. The Prom Designers include: Mac Duggal, Alyce, Partytime, Jovani, Wow, and Heather French Henry.

I asked if there really was a big enough market in Milan for so many gowns, and Lisa informed me that they cater to all the counties around Washtenaw, and from coast to coast, and have shipped dresses as far away as the East Coast and Alaska.

All of their gowns can be ordered in any size ranging from 00 to 32, and they cater to the plus sized woman. They also have a cash and carry section of gowns (not for order but straight off the rack) that can be bought on the spot and out the door for $100-$600. They can compete with any shop in the area, and have a larger selection than David’s Bridal Ann Arbor, and are an alternative to the “Big Box” stores.

They model their space after the “Say Yes to the Dress” experience, with huge dressing rooms, big enough for 2 or 3 people, large full-length mirrors, carpeting and chairs.

Lisa told me that “this is my dream job.” She was a dental hygienist for 20 years, until her son was born, and absolutely loves what she does now. She said, “It’s like Christmas every day when the UPS man comes. We can’t wait to tear into the boxes to see what he brought.” She has a background in wedding and event planning, so this seemed a logical course to take.

They also do a lot of shows. They will be at the upcoming Milan Craft Show, and have engagements coming up at the Ann Arbor Sheraton, Laurel Manor in Livonia, and the Novi Sheraton, and have recently done shows at Briarwood in Ann Arbor, and the Dearborn Hyatt.

Christine says that Milan has supported and embraced them.

And, they haven’t forgotten the men, and also rent tuxedos.

The store is open Monday and Tuesday from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm; Wednesday through Friday, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm; Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm; and beginning on Feb. 5, will be open Sundays from noon to 4:30 pm.

Even if you’re not in the market for a prom or wedding gown, I would recommend a visit to Sarah’s. It’s lots of fun and makes you want to get married again!

Sarah’s Bridal and Prom Boutique is located at 525 S. Redman Road.

Dave and I were invited to the Lincoln Golden Ages Senior Center to learn about the program there and meet some of the people. We talked to Tammy Opfermann, the Director of the program and Liz Waffle, to learn about the Center and all the things that go on there. There are so many, I hardly know where to start.

The Center is governed by an advisory board, who are elected by the seniors, themselves. The Center is open Tuesdays through Fridays, 9 am to 4 pm. The activity programs usually start around 9 or 10 in the morning. The Center is funded by community grants, fundraisers, private donations and millages. They have three main fundraisers a year: A pasta dinner in October, with support from the community. They also have a Fall/Winter rummage, poinsettia and bake sale, and a rummage, bake sale in May on the 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th.

They have daily activities, such as Yoga classes, and informative classes on healthy diets, among other things. They have Marie Pierce from Hospice, come in to make presentations on how to live healthier lives, and do blood pressure checks. She helps them form an action plan to define their problem, and then helps them set their mind to do something about it. The moneys from the fundraisers are used for such programs. They have other nurses come in from U of M and Eastern, to help out with these things and also to get a feel for working with the elderly.

Tammy Foote is the Yoga instructor. She is an occupational therapist. She is an RPCV (Return Peace Corp Volunteer) who spent 7 years in Montserrat, West Indies. She teaches two classes. One a chair yoga class, and the other, a traditional yoga class, with an emphasis on breathing and balance, reach and access, relaxation and awareness of ones body. She works at a re-hab center in Dearborn Hts., and at Yoga Jule in Willis.

They also have Lisa Klinkman from the Kidney Foundation come in to speak to them about how to talk to their doctor. She will be coming back in March to give a presentation on Focusing on Diabetes. The Diabetes class is a 2½ hour presentation that she does for free.

Because the Center is located in the Brick Elementary Building, it is sort of out of the way, and is spread out over two counties, in areas such as Willis, Whittaker, Milan, Belleville and Ypsilanti. Because of this huge area, the Center strives to create more sense of community and togetherness.

They offer hot meals everyday, for only $3.00. The hot lunches are provided by a Federal food program — Washtenaw Nutrition. The Center has its own steam tables for keeping the food warm and has just passed their last health inspection with flying colors, as usual.

They also sponsor community outreach programs, such as Community Tree, where they distribute gifts at Christmas time to elementary schools to be given to kids at the discretion of the principle. They also adopt six families, and provide gifts for them for Christmas.

Their trip leader organizes extended trips for the seniors. She volunteers and spends hours and hours on planning these trips. She is planning a trip to Newport, R.I. by train in the fall. They also have a committee for day trips.

Some activities that they would like to arrange for the future are a weekly or monthly (depending on how many people are interested) Travel Logs, showing slides of peoples’ trips to other countries, and possibly dance classes.

Some of the other programs they offer are lectures, educational classes, ceramics, other enrichment classes, quilting/sewing/knitting/crocheting, weekly bingo, referrals (social work, doctors, etc.), a monthly newsletter (free at the Center or $10.00 if mailed), Lincoln School volunteers as class aids, projects with students, swimming, and a mini-van for residential lunch pick-up. There is a small fee for the mini-van pick-up service.

Tammy says, the whole point of the center is to get the seniors out of their houses, moving around and talking to other people, companionship, and getting more exercise.

The annual membership fee is only $15.00!  Such a deal.

For more information (or to volunteer or to donate) you can call Tammy Opfermann at 734-483-8366.

Athena Johnson and John E. Lawrence Jammin' the Jazz at Boneheads in Willis.

We in Milan have been missing out. Every Thursday evening 6pm-9pm at Bone Heads Bar-B-Que Restaurant on Willis Rd in Willis, famed local jazz guitarist, John E. Lawrence and his trio have been laying down some hot jazz numbers for the benefit of the lucky diners.

Bone Heads’ owners, Jim and Niki LaChance invited DMN owners, Dave and Lynn MacPherson and I down to check out their Thursday night jazz and we were certainly glad that we went.

John E. Lawrence is the Director of the Music Performance Program at Washtenaw Community College and has been playing jazz and R & B in this area for decades. His trio including drummer, Geroge Eberhardt and Bassist, “Mighty Joe” Aranda had a very smooth first set pulling out some jazz favorites while getting the diners ready for a heavy punching second set. When John E. and his group started an instrumental version of “Papa was a Rollin’ Stone”, I saw every seat in the restaurant with wigglin’ bottoms as the diners set into the groove (me among them) and the party just went on from there.

The food at Bone Heads is fantastic. Add to that some tasty, sweet jazz and well, what more would a person want on a Thursday night?

John E. Lawrence has six CDs out on the market and he is the author of three books on guitar work. His latest, “Motown Cord Melody Book” is on bookshelves now (see link below). And for those lucky enough to study under him at WCC, they will be drawing their syllabus from John E.’s text book, “Self-Management for the Working Artist.”

Sitting in with John E’s trio for a couple of numbers this week was a former student of his, jazz singer, Athena Johnson. Athena’s voice sounded lovely and she was a real treat for everyone in the restaurant.

I really encourage anyone who likes good music and good food to check out Bone Heads. Jazz night would make a fantastic date night out for any couple.

This clock has been know to make noises and hands move...The Inner Workings Are Not There!

Some of you may be familiar with Bone Heads as being one of our area’s more haunted establishments. It’s long been believed that the building in which Bone Heads occupies has at least three ghosts wandering its rafters. There’s the adult ghost “Nellie”, a teenager ghost that no one knows what her name is, and lastly there is the white ghost cat called “Pickles”. I guess for a building that’s been around since the late 1800s, one has to expect at least a few ghosts to be hangin’ around.

“Sitting at one of these tables, I once watched a glass vase actually begin sliding across the surface all by itself,” co-owner, Niki LaChance told me. “We’ve had several Michigan and area based ghost hunter teams come in here to run their investigations and they have all told us that, ‘yep, your place is haunted’.”

There’s been everything from lights switching on and off all by themselves to ghostly images appearing suddenly in the bathroom mirrors. For anyone interested in the paranormal, Bone Heads has some interesting history on the subject.

With a grin, Niki went on to say, “When Jim and I took this place over three years ago, I told the ghosts in here, you don’t bother me, I won’t bother you and we’ll all get along just fine.”

Jim LaChance told me that he and his wife have been doing everything that they can continue to generate business in this tight economy.

“When people come into Bone Heads, we go out of our way to make sure they feel appreciated,” Jim said. “We try to liven up our holiday events like our Valentine’s Day dinner coming up, the Super Bowl party we’re going to have, anything fun and exciting so that folks have a good time when they come here.”

“We want people to be dancing in their seats over our food,” Niki added. “You only get one chance to impress people so you have to do it right or you may not get a second chance.” Niki went on to tell me about the holidays. “We even had a pajama night over the holidays in December. All of our wait staff wore pajamas that night and about two dozen of our customers came in with their pajamas on. It was a lot of fun.”

“We’ve been reaching out to the families in this area too. We’ve begun serving breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings (7am-11am) to draw families in and give them a relaxed atmosphere where all they have to do is enjoy a good breakfast without the hassles of having to make it yourself,” Jim said.

Jim, Niki and Franchesca LaChance at the stairs. These stairs have been an active site of many mysterious happenings.

“Oh and you have to mention our 15 year-old daughter, Franchesca,” Niki added with a laugh. “She told me she’s not getting enough press.” The LaChance’ also have a son, Dillon currently serving in the US Marine Corp.

This is my second time to Bone Heads and I can tell you that their food is exceptionally good. I do believe I was doing a bit of dancing in my own seat while I was there. I’ve said several times that I’m a jazz-man and I love the music but even if you just enjoy well played tunes and great food you’re going to enjoy yourself at Bone Heads.

February has several musical acts coming to Bone Heads. Niki and Jim get their musical performers from all local area talent. Feb 3^rd, 4^th, and 17^th they will have classic rock musician, Dwight Carrol coming in. Feb. 10^th is singer/songwriter Cat Canyon. Feb. 18^th Bone Heads hosts Machine Gun Kelly, a young lady sax player and her band laying down some swinging’ jazz and blues. And rounding out the month is Motown performer, Dan Carter on the 24^th with classic rock band, the Motor City Kings on the 25^th with John E. Lawrence still kickin’ it every Thursday night.

So don’t miss out on this little musical secret Willis has been keeping to itself. Support these local artists and enjoy some great food at the same time – at Bone Heads Bar-B-Que.

(For more on John E. Lawrence and his music or books check him out at johnelawrence.org. and to see Bone Heads music schedule, read about their ghosts or see a menu, go to boneheadsinc.com)

(Mention this article when you go to Bone Heads and receive a free order of their famous “pickle chips” with any order of two entrees)

Smokey Joe's Cafe at the Encore

Leiber and Stoller, as much as anyone, virtually invented rock ‘n’ roll, and in The Encore’s upcoming production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe,their songs provide the basis for an electrifying entertainment that illuminates a golden age of American culture. In an idealized ‘50’s setting, the classic themes of love won, lost and imagined blend with hilarious choreography and slice-of-life emotions. Featuring nearly 40 of the greatest songs ever recorded, Smokey Joe’s Cafe isn’t just great pop music – it’s compelling musical theatre.

The show features some of the best songs ever written, including favorites like “Stand By Me”, “Jail House Rock” and “On Broadway” to name a few. And, as if the music weren’t enough, the cast at The Encore is stellar with familiar faces as well as the return of Tony D. Owens Jr. who last appeared as the jive talkin’ Chick Valentine in The Encore’s Club Morocco and the Encore debut of New York’s Amy Smidebush.

Guests at the official opening night performance of Smokey Joe’s Cafe on Friday, February 3 are invited to attend the Opening Night After Glow with cast and crew. Hors d’oeuvres will be provided along with a cash bar. And, don’t forget to book your lunch package tickets for the only weekday matinee on Thursday, February 23. Lunch will be served at The Red Brick Kitchen and Bar at 1pm followed by the 3pm matinee of Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Lunch packages include your ticket to the show, any sandwich with fries or side salad, a decadent dessert, a non-alcoholic beverage, plus tax and tip! A great value at only $39.

You can catch all of the romance and drama of Smokey Joe’s Cafe at The Encore starting February 2 through February 26, 2012. Tickets are available by visiting The Encore’s website at http://theencoretheatre.org or by calling (734)268-6200.

The Encore Musical Theatre Company

3126 Broad St.

Dexter, MI 48130

(734)268-6200

 

Performance ScheduleTicket Prices

Thursday, February 2 – 7pm Thursdays Feb. 2 at 8pm

Friday, February 3 – 8pm

Saturday, February 4 – 3pm All Seats Only $18

Saturday, February 4 – 8pm

Sunday, February 5 – 3pm Thursdays at 7pm

Thursday, February 9 – 7pm Adults – $26

Friday, February 10 – 8pm Seniors (55+) – $24

Saturday, February 11 – 3pm Youths (17 and Younger) – $24

Sunday, February 12 – 3pm Groups (10+) – $20

Thursday, February 16 – 7pm Matinees at 3pm

Friday, February 17 – 8pm

Saturday, February 18 – 3pm Adults – $28

Saturday, February 18 – 8pm Seniors (55+) – $25

Sunday, February 19 – 3pm Youths (17 and Younger) – $25

Groups (10+) – $22

Thursday, February 23 – 3pm

Thursday, February 23 – 7pm Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm

Friday, February 24 – 8pm

Saturday, February 25 – 3pm Adults – $32

Saturday, February 25 – 8pm Seniors and Youths – $29

Sunday, February 26 – 3pm Groups (10+) – $26

Encaustic piece by Leslie Sobel

Nancy Goings /-/

Leslie Sobel, local Milanite and President of the Milan Area Arts Council (Milan Art Center) has two of her encaustic works displayed in the River Gallery in Chelsea. It is a juried show, which means she submitted works to the jury and was accepted to display in the show.

Encaustic is a method of painting with hot, colored wax. She uses a butane torch and other tools including brushes, razor blades and dental tools to manipulate the wax to her liking. When the wax is hot, it is soft and other objects can be collaged into the paintings, to create a multi-media effect.

Leslie working on encaustic demonstration.

The opening and reception for the show in Chelsea, which took place on Saturday, Jan. 21, was actually two shows. The juried show was on the second floor, and Leslie’s works were only two among the works of 12 artists, all based in collage. The show consisted of paintings, drawings, sculptures, glass works, and multi-media composites. I was not familiar with any of the other artists, but Leslie informed me that Joan Painter Jones, also in the show, is a very well known artist and another Milanite. The work was fantastic and I had a great time looking at everything. I think my favorite was a sculpture of some sort of sea creature made from found objects, most of which many of us would have thrown away.

The other show, which encompassed the whole of the first floor, were works by Richard Wilt, an Ann Arbor artist who died in 1981. Richard was an art professor at U of M and an immensely prolific artist whose work spans decades leading up to his death. Wilt’s work, pieces from his estate, are being offered as donations to museums, and any that aren’t claimed by museums will be offered for sale for scholarships. The show was organized by his family, wanting to share his legacy with the rest of the world (and to clean out the basement!)

It was very interesting to discover a link between Richard Wilt and our little town of Milan. And here is how that works: Mr. Wilt has a daughter named Robin. Robin married Stan Mendenhall, one of five sons of George and Ethel Mendenhall of Ann Arbor. George Mendenhall was also a professor at U of M, a scholar of ancient languages and cultures. Stan has four brothers, one of whom is Gordon Mendenhall who is married to our own Milan Public Library employee, Nihal Riad. Another of Stan’s brothers is Laurie Mendenhall, who owns Prototype Design in Tecumseh, which just so happens to be where my husband works! It truly is a very small world.

Back from Hell (Zombie Scene) 1992 Ann Arbor Milan Area

Back from Hell (Bridge Fight)

Twenty years ago (1992) Matt Jaissle wrote, produced, and directed his first film right here in Milan, entitled, “Back from Hell”. Shot on 16mm film, it’s a campy horror movie of the kind people love to have fun with. Matt left us for a while after that to pursue his career in films out on the west coast but now he’s back and ready to bring a bit of his brand of Hollywood to our neck of the woods.

Matt Jaissle - Movie Director - Returns to Milan - May do documentaries in the area.

I sat down with Matt and asked him, what brings you back to Milan?

“Family mostly. My grandmother’s getting on in years and I have a nephew here now. After a while you just want to be around people you know you can trust.”

After “Back from Hell” Matt went on to direct and produce four more films while working in various capacities on still others. Matt’s latest film, “300 Killers” (aka: “Drug Cult”) is doing well on DVD and foreign release.

Is this latest film as campy as your other films or are you moving away from that formula?

“Yeah, to an extent I’m moving in a slightly different direction. This is a more serious film but we still wanted to have a little of that tongue in cheek campiness, just to a lesser degree.”

Where can people find “300 Killers”?

“It’s available on Amazon.com and you can easily find the trailer for it on YouTube. If you just type my name into YouTube’s search engine you get all kinds of clips from my past films.”

So now that you’re back in Milan, are you still looking to produce films or are you ready to hang up your camera?

“Oh no, I’m not ready to retire any time soon but I would like to move in a somewhat different direction as a filmmaker. I think my next project is going to be more of a documentary style film rather than scripted. I’d like to shoot documentaries that lean toward the fringe side of the weird and unexpected. I know there are stories in this area that don’t get recognition because they get written off as just weird but I’d like to see those stories told.”

Something like ghost stories, serial killers, UFO sightings? That sort of thing?

“Yeah maybe. I’m interested in seeing what stories are out there. I’m looking forward to developing this project from an impartial documentary lens.”

With “300 Killers” having a little bigger budget, were you able to use any formats like the green screen or CGI?

“Well I haven’t worked with a green screen yet. Pretty much every effect I shoot is shot in camera, meaning we don’t have to add anything in post-production. There is a little bit of CGI effects in “300 Killers” and maybe in the future I’ll work with that a little more.”

There is a lot of great stuff being produced strictly for the web these days. Have you thought of moving in that direction at all?

“Yeah well the web really is the way things are going. You can reach a whole different audience there than you can from DVD so yeah, that’s defiantly something I’d like to look into for future projects.”

Trailer: 300 Killers

What would you like the people of Milan to know about Matt Jaissle?

“Well I’d kind of like to put the call out there for other creative people to get a hold of me. I would love to start working with some of the sound people, lighting, set designers – anyone who wants to make films. I’ve been back in this area for about a month and I’m ready to begin working on a new project with local talent.”

We wish Matt all the luck with his next project. We need even more creative ideas in our area to really showcase some of the talent that exists here and maybe Matt Jaissle will be the next one to bring that talent out.

Legion of the Night Trailer 1994

The Necro Files (Zombies First Appearance) 1997

(To contact Matt, write him at carilliampictures@gmail.com or look for him on Facebook)

Landon Armitage is amazed at the support for this years Discover Milan Day celebration!

The first planning meeting for the upcoming Discover Milan Day, was held Thursday, Jan. 12 at the Senior Citizen Center, starting around 7 pm. The city’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) expressed that it could no longer organize this event, so the planning was offered to other organizations and citizens.

The organizations represented at the meeting were impressive. They included: (and forgive me if I left someone out) Discover Milan News, Back Street CruiZers, Chamber of Commerce, Moving Milan Forward, Milan Art Center, Milan Area Schools, Rotary Club, the Milan Historical Society, Parks and Rec., Kiwanis and the DDA.

It was a long meeting with lots of suggestions, but the main point was to change the date, as the first and second weeks in May usually have lousy weather. It was almost totally rained out last year. So the group has decided to piggy-back on the CruiZers auto show the weekend of August 4.

The next big discussion was concerning the name. The group eventually wants to extend the event over the weekend, instead of just one day, and wants to change the name to reflect the additional time. We discussed several different new names for the event, but nothing conclusive was decided and it was tabled until the next meeting.

Jerry Renning was in charge and asked for volunteers to man the executive committee. Robin Finch of Finch Sand and Gravel volunteered as secretary; Michael Armitage of City Council volunteered as treasurer, and Dr. Eduardo Enriquez of Milan Physical Therapy/Say Yes Fitness 24/7 volunteered to chair the committee.

Some of the suggestions for activities for the event included: A scavenger hunt to get visitors to visit more businesses downtown, a barbecue cook-off, and a pancake breakfast which the Rotary Club volunteered to sponsor. It was pointed out that the date change would mean that a 5K race the schools usually put on would probably not happen.

Linda Gilson suggested a tour to such historic places as the Old Community House, City Hall Bldg., which used to be the powerhouse for Henry Ford’s mill, the Fire Barn, and the Hack House (of course). She is planning on contacting Golden Limousine Trolley Service for the tour.

It was suggested that someone contact AATA (Ann Arbor Transit Authority) to provide mass transit to Milan from other areas. Other suggestions included: A bicycle race and possibly a bike repair workshop, a night time truck parade, a kayak or canoe race on Ford Lake, and airplane fly-overs, an ice cream social, a youth section of the CruiZers, and sculptures made from automotive parts, among others.

Someone pointed out that people might not want to stay all day on a hot, muggy August day, and suggested there be indoor activities so people could escape from the heat.

It was decided to keep it at one day this year, and work toward a longer event in the future.

It was brought up that the new Health Department guidelines may prohibit things like chili and barbecue cook-offs. The Rotary Club said that they work through a caterer to avoid that issue.

The group also discussed fund raising and the coordination thereof. This was suggested so that a potential donor wouldn’t be bombarded by 6 different people coming in at different times asking for donations.

Besides fundraising, there is a need for advertising, and someone (or multiple someones) to coordinate contacting vendors. The executive committee would be in charge of pulling contracts and health permits from the city for various booths, etc.

It was asked if the DDA could provide some seed money to get started, and Robert Creal, President of the DDA, said, “That’s a possibility that will have to be brought up to the board.”

Someone else suggested that there are a lot of things that can be done without money. All you have to do ask people to help out and they will.

Dr. Enriquez said that we need to establish a vision of the event, to think big. “Bigger, better, bolder.”

There was a meeting of the executive committee Wed. Jan. 18, and the next general meeting was held on Jan. 25^th at 6:30 pm in the meeting room upstairs in the old Fire Barn. Anyone interested in helping plan this annual event is welcome to join.

– Duane Donald /-/

For centuries the Masons have carried about them a cloak of secrecy as part of their fraternal rituals. However, in these modern times, one simply can no longer keep a secret. Such is the case with modern Masonic meetings.

What used to be a closely guarded secret, words and rites are now spread all over the internet and seen regularly on the History Channel. This being the case, the local Milan Chapter 323 decided to ask the press in to witness one of their more public ceremonies – the yearly installation of their officers.

This annually performed ceremony is openly witnessed by friends and loved ones of the newly installed officers. This year the local lodge asked Discover Milan News in to also witness this ceremony so that we might, in turn, relay the proceedings to our readers.

As Senior Deacon, Matthew Tomecek told me, “We just want the people of Milan to know we are still here, still a part of the community, and still serving the community of Milan.”

I will attempt to relay to my readers the ceremonial proceedings, as accurately as I can, to offer a glimpse of what goes on during a Masonic event. I offer even some of the more mundane procedures so that you can see; Masonic ceremonies are pretty much like any formal event. There is some pomp and circumstance but nothing alien to one’s expectations.

The ceremony, though very formal, leaves room for some personal levity. The 2011 Worshipful Master, Corey Curtiss opened the proceedings by asking the Senior Deacon to open the Holy Bible on a centrally placed alter to, “The Songs of Solomon” but more specifically for this ceremony to, Ecclesiastes; chapter 12; verses 1- 7. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…”

Here let me iterate, the Masonic Order does not require that a man be of any specific faith. The Masons welcome all faiths and spiritual beliefs. However one must have a spiritual belief in a supreme being to become a Mason (in this case, atheists need not apply). 

As Senior Deacon, Matthew Tomecek later told me, “There could be three different bibles (Christian, Torah, and Koran) on a masonic alter at any one time. We use the Holy Bible because in large, most of the men in this area are of the Christian faith.”

The Masonic emblems of a compass and square then get placed atop the opened page.

Then, three candles are lit and placed in a triangular formation around the altar. These candles symbolize the Sun, the Moon, and the Master of the Lodge.

The Deacon then parades the American flag, which stands left of the East Dias, (the rising Sun) to a stand near the altar, and the assembly all stand to offer a pledge of allegiance to the flag.

The Worshipful Master then declares the lodge open and offers an opening address to the lodge members and audience. 

The new inductees to the various offices are next escorted in and seated in a row behind the altar.

In this circumstance, the venerable Worshipful Grand Master of Michigan, Frederick S. Kaiser Jr., leader of all lodges in our State, made a special appearance at this ceremony. Grand Master Kaiser then accepted the gavel from Worshipful Master Curtiss, and went on to officiate the rest of the ceremony.

There is a series of ritualistic clapping by the members to acknowledge the Worshipful Grand Master.

The Grand Master addresses the lodge and makes introductions of some of the key officials present, most notably,Walt Wheeler PGM (Past Grand Master) and Ted Praria PGM. Here even the Grand Master offered some levity about Grand Marshal Joshua Woodyke’s very polished brass baton and his getting fingerprints all over it.

The lodge Chaplin then offers a prayer. Here again, no name for God is offered. The Masons use masonic and architectural symbolism in their order as homage to God, the great architect of the universe. 

After prayer, Grand Marshal Woodyke introduces the inductees to the Grand Master who then tells the new officers what will be expected of them. These expectations focus primarily on always striving to be better men, better servants to their community, as well as being prominent role-models. 

First to be inducted was the new Worshipful Master of Lodge 323, Douglas Betts, PM (past master). Mr. Betts knelt at the alter and the Grand Master read off a list of specific expectations to his position each requiring a pledge of service by saying, “I do.” These pledges are mostly vows of humility, honor, and faithfulness to humanity. There are also some functionary oaths to the office of Worshipful Master.

The new Worshipful Master is then offered an ornate chain with the emblem of a square (or right angle) hanging on its center as one of the two main symbols of the Masonic Order. 

Escorted to the East Dias the new Worshipful Master is welcomed by the Grand Master.

Senior Warden, Steven Gregory is introduced, his pledge accepted, he receives a chain with a symbolic level dangling on it. The level signifies how all men are equal, death has no favorites, and all men end up on a level plane. Mr. Gregory is then seated at the West Dias (the setting Sun) which is framed by the two pillars of Masonic ritual.

Then came Junior Warden, Pete Hindbaugh, PM. With his office explained and his vow accepted, he received a chain with a plumb to remind him to walk upright through life. He is escorted to the South Dias (the midday sun).

The new Treasurer, Ted Townsley, PM is offered an emblem of crossed keys to symbolize security.

Chaplin, Tom Fital offers his pledge of service and accepts the emblem of an open bible.

Senior Deacon, Matthew Tomecek, PM, received symbolizing his office, a square and compass enclosing a blazing sun.

And lastly, of the officer inductees was Junior Deacon, Art Keller, PM. His emblem was that of a square and compass enclosing a half moon.

The Grand Master then officially passed the gavel to the new Worshipful Master. Gavel in hand, Worshipful Master, Douglas Betts formally addresses the new officers reiterating the expectations of their office and their faithfulness in the service of that office.

The Grand Marshal then announces that all the officers are fully inducted.

The Worshipful Master addresses the whole assembly offering thanks for their attendance and participation. Members of the inductee’s families and friends in attendance were introduced by the members.

The new Worshipful master then offers a card and gift to each inductee as well as the visiting Grand Master as well as his personal thanks to each.

The former Worshipful Master Corey Curtiss offered Mr. Betts his best wishes for the coming year followed by similar well-wishing by other Worshipful Masters of other nearby Masonic lodges.

To close out the ceremony, the Senior Deacon again attends the altar, closes the bible, and snuffs the candles. The new Chaplin then offers a closing prayer and that was it. Nothing crazy or unexpected, just a fraternal ceremony offered by a group of fraternal brothers.

Before the closing of the ceremony, the Worshipful Master spoke of some community oriented events. One I agreed not to fully disclose, as there are still some finer points to be ironed out. It will involve a raffle but that’s all I can say for now. However I can tell you that the raffle will be to raise money for the Masonic Model Student Assistance Program (MMSAP).

MMSAP is a very important program wherein the Masons hire the company Newman/Stecher to hold an intensive two day seminar to teach teachers, social workers, and other professionals that work closely with kids, how to better recognize problems in a child’s behavior and hopefully prevent tragedies such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, or potential suicides. As we in Milan were made painfully aware of this past year, these problems do not happen everywhere else, they happen right in our own yard. Programs like MMSAP help prepare our teaching professionals to learn what to look for and how to stop problems before they lead to tragedy.

The Masons use the money raised to send Milan teachers to these seminars, paying for not only admittance, but also their hotel and general expenses. The Masons hope to raise enough money to also pay for the substitute teachers to take the burden off the schools.

Since coming to Michigan in 1991, roughly 1,600 teachers and child professionals have gone through this program. It is a very worthy cause and deserving of your participation. So please keep an eye open for the particulars on this coming raffle from the Milan Masonic Lodge.

Also coming this summer will be the 3^rd Annual Square and Compass Invitational Golf Outing on July 28^th.  Presented by The Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation, the proceeds collected will also go to help fund the MMSAP program (see webpage below for further information).

The Masons will also be running their yearly Child Identification Program. This program carries pictures and descriptions of tens of thousands of children, to better serve professional services programs, like the Amber Alert. Last year the Michigan Masons ID’ed over 12,000 kids in our state.

The Masonic Lodge #323 on Tolan St. has been in service since 1979, but Lodge #323 has had its charter since 1875 so there is a lot of interesting history with Masonic ties to Milan.

So now that you know a little more about what goes on behind the Mason’s closed doors, perhaps you won’t fear the Masons and instead join with them in their various endeavors to help the children of Milan and our community.

(For more information about the Masons and the MMSAP program, visit michiganmasons.org)