Memorial Day was first declared as a holiday on May 5, 1868. The first observance of this day was on May 30 of that same year. At that time, the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery were adorned with flowers. New York State was the first state to give this holiday official recognition in 1873.

At one time, it was the custom to ware red poppies on Memorial Day. People would sell these flowers and give the proceeds from the sales to charitable organizations. In 1948, the United States Postal Service issued a red three-cent postage stamp to honor Moina Michael, the woman who started what was referred to as the National Poppy movement.
The stamp bore Ms. Michael's image on it.

There was a National Moment of Remembrance resolution passed eight years ago to remind Americans about Memorial Day's true purpose. We are asked to observe a moment of silence at 3 pm on Memorial Day to reflect on the importance of honoring those who gave their lives for our country.

Sometimes we get the idea that art is something that is way out of our reach. We think of it as paintings hanging in fancy museums and figure that it isn’t for us. This is why it is so important to support local artists. Seeing art created by people from the area makes art more real and accessible to us. It also gives them the encouragement they need to keep at it. There is great art being created right here in Macomb County.

The opportunity to talk with an artist about their work makes it that more enjoyable. You will have the chance to do just that tonight at the Borders in Utica from 7-9 pm. John Meaghan, a Senior Biological Illustrator at the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology, will discuss his children’s book W is for Waves. He will also bring some of his original paintings. So come out with your kids to show them that art is within their grasp. Kids love animals, so Megahan’s illustrations are sure to please them.

Borders
45290 Utica Park Blvd.
586-726-8555

Today is Presidents Day, when we celebrate the birthdays of two early American presidents--George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

It has been said that Gerald R. Ford, himself from Michigan, said that he was “a Ford, not a Lincoln” after he had taken the oath of office to be Vice President of the United States. In saying this he was complimenting Lincoln on his fineness of speech and differentiating himself as being much more plainspoken. But Lincoln, who emphasized his humble log cabin beginnings, was probable a lot more forthright that Ford gave him credit. Despite his grand speeches, he was known to be a rather plainspoken man when he was out of the spotlight.

Michigan has honored our 16th president with various statues and named towns after him in the years since his death. And immediately following his assassination, Michigan provided some of the trappings of Lincoln’s funeral. Ludington, Michigan gave evergreens hat were used to decorate Lincoln’s funeral bier. His hearse was adorned with a bald eagle that was shot and stuff in our state as well. Michigan’s Twenty-Fourth Infantry regiment was given new uniforms so that they could act as the presidential honor guard for Honest Abe’s funeral.

Did you know that more than 95% of Macomb County businesses have fewer than 50 employees? That means that a lot of you out there took the plunge and started your own business. If you are thinking about starting a business, then you are in good company.

The Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development (MCPED) is here to help, whether you are brand new or have been running a business for a while.  You can find the information you need to know to start a business in our area when you contact that MCPED's Small Business & Technology Development Center. Sessions are free and confidential, providing information that will put you on the path to success.

MPCED counselors can help you to start a new business venture or take an existing one into a new direction and assist you in writing a business plan.

The MPCED's free seminars impart a wealth of information on a range of topics including: Business Basics, Selecting Your Legal Structure, and Team SBA Financing, How to Start a Business with Very Little Money, Taxes and Your Home Office, Marketing Strategies that Work, and Bookkeeping Essentials.

Visit this website or call 586-469-5285 to learn more about how the MPCED can help you reach your business goals.

This time of year everyone is talking about scary happenings in the dark, but the Macomb Cultural Center has decided to shed a little light on the subject.

The Center's upcoming events the focus on lighthouses will entertain and educate you. Lighthouses, the people who operated them, and the ships that were guided by these beacons are an important part of our region’s history.

Lighthouses and Legends
On Sunday, October 28 at 2:00 p.m. you can head over the center to listen as the multitalented Kitty Donohoe transports you back to days of yore. Ms. Donohoe is a singer and songwriter who finds inspiration in the tales and legends of those who were connected to the Great Lakes during the shipping era.

Then there are two great events, back-to-back on Wednesday, October 31:

Ladies of the Light
First, at 1:00 pm, Ms. Stampfler will give a talk about Michigan’s illuminating Ladies of Light—women who kept ships from going bump in the night by keeping lighthouses in operation. She has studied and given presentations on this topic for over 10 years. Her talk will include readings from journals and autobiographies, so you’ll be hearing part of the story in the words of these women.

Michigan’s Ghostly Lights
Then at 11:00 am, Dianna Stampfler will tell stories about a dozen haunted Michigan lighthouses.

For more information on these programs at the Macomb Cultural Center, call 586.445.7348 or visit www.macombculturalcenter.com.

It's apple time in Macomb County, Michigan. Sweet, tart, crisp and juicy, Michigan apples make the perfect snack food. You'll find all your favorites at the Mount Clemens Farmers Market Apple Festival this Saturday, October 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Farmers Market is held at the City Park & Ride lot on North River Road between I-94 and northbound Gratiot Avenue in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Click here for a map.

Come out, meet the farmers and pick out a big bag of apples for snacking, caramel apples, Halloween bobbing and Thanksgiving apple pie. The harvest season will be ending soon, but the market will remain open through the end of November. You can pick up hay bales, corn stalks and Indian corn for fall decorating. The kids can find the perfect pumpkin for their Halloween jack-o-lantern while you select colorful gourds for the holiday cornucopia.

If you want to make a family day of it, head out to one of Macomb County, Michigan's apple orchards for a fun day of apple picking. Click here for a listing of local orchards. Browse down the list; you'll find more than a half dozen Macomb County orchards listed with directions, contact information and notes on special events. You can pick apples yourself or buy them. At many of the orchards you can watch cider being pressed and pick up a fresh jug of cider and some homemade donuts to eat there or take home. Pig roasts, hay rides, pony rides, animal farms, corn mazes, haunted barns -- there's an endless list of fun family activities to choose from. What a great way to spend some time with your family on a crisp fall day in Macomb County, Michigan.

If you're a Macomb County, Michigan history buff, you'll want to tune in at 9 p.m. tonight, September 28, to find out about Mount Clemens' history as a booming spa center. Clinton Township cable will air the locally produced 30-minute documentary, Mount Clemens: The Bath City of America, in recognition of the Historical Society of Michigan's 2007 State History Conference taking place this weekend at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Utica, Michigan. Playing host to the conference for the first time, Macomb County historians are set to showcase our county's rich history.

Known the world over as Bath City, Mount Clemens was an internationally acclaimed spa center from 1870 until the 1950s. The documentary was produced by Donald Green, a member of the Macomb County Historical Commission, with Cindy Sue Donahue, Macomb County staff historian, and Joseph Peruzzi, Clinton Township Deputy Media Director. It will be screened at the conference at 9 a.m. Sunday in conjunction with a talk by Green and Donahue on The Bath City Spa Industry.

Tourists from all over the world used to come to Mount Clemens to "take the waters." At its peak, Mount Clemens boasted 11 bath houses or spas with a host of hotels, speakeasies, gambling dens, boxing rings and brothels catering to the many tourists. A local mill owner credited bathing in the rich, salty mineral water with curing his eczema. Local physicians were soon prescribing bathing in the local mineral waters for patients with rheumatism and all manner of other ills. Mount Clemens physician Dr. Henry Taylor built the first bath house which pumped water from deep wells into large tubs. Always known as the Original, it was located on the southwest corner of today's McArthur Park.

Thousands of people a day would bathe in the mineral-rich waters. A bath cost 50 cents, 75 cents with an attendant. Masseuses often rubbed down as many as 2000 people a day. Originally fairly utilitarian, the bath houses gradually became more opulent with Italian marble and porcelain tubs to cater to the comfort of guests. For more information on Mount Clemens bath house history, click here.

The 6th Annual Golf Outing benefiting the Macomb Food Program will tee off on Monday, September 24 at Gowanie Golf Club located at 24770 South River Road in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Registration begins at 10 a.m. with an 11 a.m. shotgun start and lunch on the turn. Prizes and gifts will be awarded at a buffet dinner at the conclusion of the event.

The annual golf outing raises money for the Macomb Food Program. The Macomb Food Program supplies 53 neighborhood food pantries that provide emergency food service for hungry people in Macomb County, Michigan. The non-profit organization accepts donations of money and food to assist county residents. For every $1 received, the Food Program is able to purchase over two days worth of food.

For more information on both the golf outing and the food program, visit the Macomb Food Program website or call 586-469-6004. Just one more example of Macomb County, Michigan residents helping each other.