Most Ferndale residents probably know that we have first-class musical organizations in our public school system. The Ferndale Golden Eagle Marching Band in particular has an amazing run of state championship appearances: they’ve come in first place seven of the last nine years, and when they don’t flat-out win, they’re still top contenders. This year’s show, End2End, put them in third place — a mere tenth of a point behind second-place Lakeshore Stevensville. The State Finals took place at Ford Field on November 2nd.

Ferndale’s shows have stood out artistically against their competitors — and that competition is fierce. In competition, bands are grouped into four flights of 12 based upon school size. In years past, there was a noticeable difference between flights but now there are no bad marchers. From the first to last, all bands look practiced and accurate. There is, however, a difference in sound and in movement across the field.

The Golden Eagles had the first championship sound we heard in flight III, and their coverage of the whole field was striking. Imagine how challenging trying to coordinate many dozens of young musicians must be, especially when you consider they aren’t simply congregated in the center of the field. From the onset of their performance, these musicians are moving all over the field — and moving quickly. Visually the show was stunning, and the effort to see everything, to take in all that was going on, combined with the gorgeous balanced sound to create the experience marching-band enthusiasts crave: a fantastic sensory overload.

It becomes obvious when thumbing through the program that this day of student excellence is a product of the public school system. Although the Michigan Competing Band Association (MCBA) allows — as far as their website reveals — any band to compete from any public or private school, every band listed is a Michigan public school. The roster left me proud of our schools; the day seemed actually a tribute to them and especially the artistic endeavors they are adept at producing.

Director Elon Jamison put it this way: “I guess I would say that competitive marching band
done right is just that: artistic. But, because of all the demands on them physically, musically, emotionally, and in terms of time, it educates the whole child in a way that nothing else does.

These kids walk away with so many stronger skill sets in so many disparate areas, they’re much better prepared for whatever comes after. The challenge is that (marching bands) are very expensive and because we are so demanding, many kids and families don’t or can’t commit, and many districts can’t, so, many kids are really missing out on what may be the single most powerful tool we have in our collective educational tool chest.”

Stacey Jamison described the big picture of what helps make this program so successful: “For me, it’s way more than the band or about being in the band. These people are my family. The people of our community are so accepting and welcoming, and marching band really exemplifies that. You come as you are, and you’re part of a team of people where each individual is just as important as the others. Everybody loves and cares about each other, from the directors and staff down to the kids that help bring equipment on the field. My son was a part of that family before he was even born.”

Those of us with marching band in our past often remember it as one of the best times of our lives. Taking the field with your peers after months of honing your own skills and meshing them with 117 others is a peak experience.

For the past three years, Ferndale Schools have been recognized as a Best Community for Music Education. We have something special going on here and we community members get to see it embodied before our eyes.

“For some kids, it’s their most loving, supportive, encouraging, excelling part of their lives,” Stacey Jamison told me. “I always say: marching band saves kids.”

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Stepping up to a microphone for the first time can be daunting. Especially when the material you plan on performing happens to be 100 per cent original.

“I sang in high school, but I really didn’t share it with anyone,” Amy Saari says. “I was never brave enough to perform my own songs in high school and college.” It took the Ferndale resident a long time to realize what she is: a performer. And now she’s got her very own album to show for it.

Saari, who owns SoundSorceress Studio in Ferndale and offers both singing and beginning piano lessons, has been playing piano since she was about five years old. “I did not have the patience to take lessons,” she says. “I would start, quit, start and quit.” As she got older, a newfound confidence began emerging. “I kept writing, and through some life changes, I was finally able to get the courage to perform,” she says.

“It took me a long time to see myself on stage and be a full-on performer.”

When she started performing in front of an audience, the fact that Saari plays keyboard made for some early challenges. “Being a keyboardist, it was tough getting out on open mic nights,” she says. “Most people play a guitar at open mic nights. It’s challenging to bring a keyboard up there.” But she took the stage again and again, gaining confidence the whole while and honing her unique style.

Saari released her first CD on Saturday, Nov. 16 at a private release party in Ann Arbor. The CD, entitled We Are Love: Metaphysical Piano Bar, consists of three songs featuring just Saari, her voice and her keyboard. The other three selections on the album feature Saari, Michael Brown on drums, and Kevin Nowak on upright bass.

What’s the trio’s music sound like? “The feel of the band is like a little bit of soul, and a little bit of funk,” Saari says. “I decided to call it Midwest soul. It’s kind of piano bar music with a Motown soul influence.”

Saari has drawn comparisons to Carole King. Some of her influences, she says, include John Mellencamp, Alicia Keyes, and early Tori Amos. Influences aside, though, Saari’s style is totally her own. “I’m not trying to sound like I’m on Valium,” she says. “I want to sound like I’m alive.”

Saari said she met Brown when she was performing at Spiritual Life Center in Ferndale, where he was also performing. “He just got my music,” Saari says. “He could easily play with me. He listens very well.”

People started asking Saari: “Have you recorded anything yet?” Once she joined musical forces with Brown and then Nowak, she decided the time had come to lay down some tracks in the studio. The trio entered Fifty-Four Sound in Ferndale, and We Are Love: Metaphysical Piano Bar is the result.

The trio is playing on Jan. 5th at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Grosse Pointe Woods at 3 p.m. as part of the Music in the Woods concert series to raise money for the restoration of the church’s historic E.M. Skinner Opus 705 organ.

After this, the group will play at the Black Lotus Brewing Company in Clawson on Jan. 25 at 9 p.m.

For more information about Saari or how to purchase her album, or to inquire about taking singing or beginning piano lessons, visit soundsorceress.wordpress.com, e-mail Saari at soundsorceress@yahoo.com or call her at (248) 467-4966.

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Oakland County is home to 1.2 million people and is among the top ten richest counties in the United States with populations greater than one million. The County is comprised of 62 cities, villages, and townships on 908 square miles, supporting around 471,000 households with a median income of $62K. Oakland County is also home to approximately 170,000 households that rent.

In 2012, more than 680 of these renters applied to an organization known as Oakland County Habitat (OCH) for a chance to be a first time homeowner. Only 20 of these applicants could be assisted.

OCH is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which made the national stage in the early 1980s through the former President Jimmy Carter’s participation. Today, Habitat for Humanity is among the top ten developers of housing in America. OCH has one of its two major roots in Ferndale, where the Southern Oakland County Habitat developed its first project in 1994. Since then, OCH has assisted 120 households, and this year they are preparing to announce another new home owner in Ferndale, among other cities.

OCH, as is generally the case, is more similar to other Habitats than different. It is unique only in terms of its geography and population demographics. The outcome of that mix in Oakland County has resulted in a focus on renovation (of fore-closed properties) rather than new home construction.

OCH CEO Tim Ruggles recently wrote that there are more than 100,000 people living in poverty in Oakland County, and the need for affordable housing is great. The challenge is in acquiring land and structures that can be developed into affordable housing; typically a single family home with three bedrooms and one bathroom. Stephanie Osterland, Director of Family and Community Relations, added that “there is a silent housing crisis in Oakland County and
many of Habitat’s clients are dually impacted. When the economy took a downturn, rents didn’t didn’t go down and now that housing prices are going are going up up, the chance of becoming a first-time homeowner is increasingly slim.”

Despite the rebounding housing market, Oakland County Habitat recent- ly launched a new program to assist working class households, the Critical Home Repair program. As the program nears the end of its first year, Stephanie Osterland is worried that the word-of-mouth campaign isn’t reaching those in need of the service. “There is a lack of awareness of this new program but definitely not of need,” Osterland said.

It is her hope that homeowners who can’t afford necessary health and safety related home repairs will apply for assistance this calendar year. The Critical Home Repair program will grow in its second year depending on demonstrated need in the community for assistance with projects under $15,000. The cost to homeowners cannot exceed 30% of their annual gross income, and in all cases this program will positively contribute to housing values.

The home repair program and housing development projects are both partnership experiences between Habitat and the client, and the community — volunteers and sponsors.

During our interview, Stephanie’s mantra, “Habitat is not a give-away but a hand-up” was employed to describe this partnership with clients. It is a philosophy that is reflected in the sweat equity investment by clients of about 300 hours for housing development
and a percentage of the home repair assistance for homeowners.

Why is the hand-up a focus for Habitat? Stephanie replied, “I’m fighting a misconception of our work being a give-away and the associated stigma, which is really harmful to our families.” She expanded, “I don’t want to see families that I know personally, who are working very hard, to have this negative view cast on them.”

The other partnerships with the community are a mixed bag; Oakland County Habitat is not struggling to recruit volunteers, and currently “has a wonderful volunteer base.” They are always looking for sponsors, though, and their “greatest need today is for financial contributions.”

Representing the donor-weary, I asked Stephanie, what’s different about donating to Habitat? She responded simply, that unlike many charities with unknown recipients and ill-defined, ephemeral goals, with Habitat “you are donating to your community, to your neighbors.”

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Please put away your books and notes and let’s begin our discussion of school funding with a high-stakes multiple choice test:

1. Does Michigan fund schools from:
A. Local sources B. Federal sources C. State sources

2. Does the revenue come from:
A. Property taxes B. Income taxes C. Sales taxes

3. Is school money allocated per:
A. District B. School C. Pupil

As with most interesting questions, there is actually no easy solution. While the answers in Michigan now tend toward C., the best correct response is the old standby answer D: all of the above. School funding in Michigan is so complex that even our political and economic leaders often fail to understand it. For more clarity, we need to look at where the money comes from, where it goes, and how the system has changed.

The best place to begin is the system Michigan used to use to fund schools (and the one that many people think continues to this day).

Before Proposition A
Until 1994, most school funding came from local property taxes in amounts that depended on how much a school district could get voters to approve. This allowed for local control, but it also allowed high inequality. In the early 1990s, the state legislature responded to concerns about high property taxes by simply eliminating property taxes as a source of school funding.

The legislature gave voters a choice between a ballot initiative called Proposition A based largely on sales taxes and a “statutory alternative” based on income and business taxes that would come into effect if Proposition A failed.

Voters approved Proposition A by 69% in part because it responded both to those who thought property taxes were too high and those who sought more equal funding for schools, but in appealing to many different groups the proposition created a very complex funding system.

Where does the money come from?
• Without access to local property taxes to fund school operations, Proposition A turned to almost every other possible source:
• Sales taxes and other state taxes. Proposition A took most school revenue from state sales tax (including a 2% increase imposed by Proposition A), state income tax, and a combination of smaller state- wide revenue sources including the lottery and cigarette taxes.
• State property taxes. Proposition A took the unusual step of levying a statewide property tax of 6 mills ($6 on every $1,000 of a home’s state equalized value).
• Local property taxes on non-homestead property. Proposition A did not eliminate school taxes on second homes, rentals, or commercial property (non-homestead), but limited school taxes on these to an 18 mill maximum. Responsibility for collecting these taxes lies stay with the localities, and school districts must from time to time renew the millage by citizen vote, though no district in the state have rejected a levy in this category.

Local homestead property taxes are still in the picture, but only in limited ways.

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One of the strengths of any great community is its education system and Ferndale is no exception. Starting with great teachers, a strong curriculum, and a focus on parent involvement, Ferndale’s schools have risen in stature to become some of the best in the state.

Now, in an effort to improve the impact, accessibility, and power of Ferndale’s special education programs, a group of parents, teachers, and advocates have gotten together to create a new organization designed to provide support and guidance for special needs students and their families.

The group is called Ferndale Friends of Different Learners (FFoDL) and they are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of all special needs students through a supportive program of community events and resources. “Our goal is to establish a presence, provide monthly meetings with topics and speakers relevant to our special needs families, provide support and/or guidance for our special needs families, and be the voice for special needs families to our school administration,” said Ron Owens, a parent and one of the founders of FFoDL.

The idea for Ferndale Friends of Different Learners came during a CLEAR (a political action committee focused on improving Ferndale Schools) meeting and was brought to the attention of the Director of Special Education for Ferndale Schools, Ray Locke. Inspired by similar groups in neighboring cities like Birmingham, the group of concerned parents were driven to create FFoDL to help promote an atmosphere of inclusion and information for the special needs community in Ferndale Schools. “We love this district and this group came about in order to improve and heal issues within the demographic of students with special needs,” said FFoDL Vice President Jodi Berger.

Though many may be aware of specific programs in place for students with special needs, many may not understand just how far-reaching the need for improvement can be.

“The term ‘special needs’ encompasses a very far and wide-reaching group of families and individuals,” said Owens. “Even so, it’s quite often that families feel as if they are alone in this; like no one else understands what they’re going through. After some time, it just becomes ‘normal’ to not want to go out and to just stay at home where it is more comfortable.” It’s the goal of Ferndale Friends of Different Learners to change that pattern.

The plan is to host monthly meetings, seminars, community events, fundraisers, and resource fairs to help spread their message and maximize the potential of different learners throughout the Ferndale Public School System. The group held their first annual summer picnic on August 19th at Geary Park, and the turnout far exceeded their expectations. “Hundreds of people came out to support us and we managed to get 80-plus email addresses of people wanting to know more about who and what we are,” Owens said. “If our picnic was any indication, our future is looking great!”

The group consists of parents, teachers, friends, family members, and caregivers of special needs students. The organization has a determined set of bylaws and an elected board (who are all parents of special needs children) that includes Owens (who serves as president), Vice President Jodi Berger, Secretary Barb Landry, and Treasurer Esther McCoy. Currently, meetings are being held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m., alternating between the Harding Administration Building and the Ferndale High School Media Center. Meetings are open to everyone.

Owens says the overall goal is to engage the whole community, which will have a lasting positive impact on families of special needs students and beyond. “It’s our hope that the whole community will benefit from our group,” Owens explained. “We want to give families the assurance that they’re not alone in this and by supporting one another, we can assure our kids a happier and richer school experience.”

For more information on Ferndale Friends of Different Learners including a meeting schedule, parent resources, and more visit http://ffodl.webs.com. The group can also be found on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FFODL.

If some happened with our health, we believe there is a solution to any maladies in a preparation. What medicines do patients purchase online? Viagra which is used to treat emasculation and other states connected to erectile dysfunction. Learn more about “sildenafil“. What humanity talk about “viagra stories“? The most substantial aspect you should look for is “sildenafil citrate“. Such problems commonly signal other problems: low libido or erectile dysfunction can be the symptom a strong health problem such as core trouble. Causes of sexual disfunction include injury to the penis. Chronic disease, several medicaments, and a condition called Peyronie’s disease can also cause sexual disfunction. Even though this medicine is not for use in women, it is not known whether this curing passes into breast milk.