Thursday, May 23, 2013
As our armed forces come home from the Middle East, the Detroit Veterans Affairs benefits office is being stretched.
Our veterans are now facing a new enemy at home--long wait times for their disability claims. The waiting times started increasing in 2010 when U.S. troops were withdrawn from Iraq causing a dramatic uptick in first-time filers, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting. The data found that in most regional VA offices, not only did waiting times increase, but they vary dramatically with location: about a year and five months in Baltimore compared to four months in Fargo, ND. The national average now stands at about a year and one month, which is dramatically higher than in 2009 when it was four months. In Detroit, the current average wait time is 377 days, compared with 119 days in 2010. The backlog has also partly been blamed on…
Police: Outgoing mail stolen from several mailboxes in a township neighborhood.
A Plymouth Township man living on Morrison Avenue reported his mail stolen from his mailbox on May 16, according to a police report. The man told police he placed his mail inside his mailbox at the end of his driveway, which included four personal checks in separate envelopes addressed to businesses for bill payments, the report said. The man said that he put up the red flag on his mailbox, indicating he had outgoing mail, then left for a few hours. When he came back, he noticed the flag was still up, but his outgoing mail was gone, the report said. The man watched the USPS driver place mail in his mailbox, and the driver told him that he did not take any outgoing mail from his box, the report said. The driver also told the man that …
Plymouth and Canton-area families will honor those who served their country by attending a Memorial Day parade and ceremonies.
Memorial Day weekend – the first holiday weekend of summer, as it's called, is a few days away – a time for parades, picnics and perhaps a cottage-opening trip up north. It's also a more solemn occasion for many families, as befits the name Memorial Day. Graveside visits, flag placements and memories of former service members are part of the late May ritual for millions of Americans. In Plymouth, ceremonies begin downtown with the parade kicking off at Wing and Harvey Streets at 9 a.m. Monday. The parade will proceed north, ending at the Plymouth Veterans Memorial Park at Main and Church streets for a memorial ceremony. The ceremony will include laying of the wreaths for each military branch. Matthew Berta, an Iraq War veteran will be this…
Canton Public Safety Department issues temporary traffic order for Denton Road during tournament.
A Memorial Day Weekend tradition continues as the Canton Soccer Club hosts the 31st Annual Canton Cup Soccer Tournament Memorial Day weekend on over 50 fields in Canton. The largest tournament of its kind in the state, the 2013 Canton Cup will be held Friday from 5-9 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. There will be 577 teams competing in this event at the event. Teams will be comprised of boys ages 8 to 19 and girls ages 8 to 15. Each team is set to play a three game minimum with playoffs scheduled for each age group. Participating teams with over 9,000 players will travel from Michigan, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania to take part in over 1000 games, in one of the Midwest's largest club-based …
A Patch blogger made the hourslong trip from Chicago to Novi to attend the comic book convention.
The drive might have taken a few hours, but two friends said they couldn't have enjoyed their recent trip to Michigan any better. John Wroblewski and Cuzz Gekas traveled to Novi from Chicago last weekend for Motor City Comic Con, Michigan’s original comic convention held at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. "(We) spent the weekend enjoying celebrities, comics and other pop culture fun," Wroblewski wrote on his blog. "I have read criticism concerning various aspects of the convention. Perhaps we were just very lucky, but the problems we encountered were minimal and the fun we had was maximum." Wroblewski, who runs JohngysBeat.com, met sports and TV celebrities, in addition to other pop culture icons during the weekend trip. To watch …
Who’s NOT planning a BBQ this weekend? If the weather holds and you’ve got propane or charcoal, chances are, you’re grilling something with your friends and family. Here, new ideas for keeping your costs down. Sponsored by Home Depot.
Here at Patch, we like to be thrifty, so we talked to two barbeque experts and uncovered some really good ideas to help you save money on your next outdoor party. 1. Start with a good marinade. This means planning ahead -- say, Friday. But it’s worth it, says Rick Browne, host of Barbeque America on PBS, because you can pass up that well-marbled ribeye steak and buy a less tender and less expensive choice to grill like a flank steak or chuck steak. Just marinate it or brine for one or two days and then cook long and slow on the barbeque grill to break down tissues but maintain moisture. “You need to include an acid in the marinade, perhaps juice, vinegar or soy sauce, but avoid cola which is so acidic it can turn meat into a soggy mess…
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
ACO Home, Garden & Hardware plans to shut down under-performing stores in the region.
ACO Home, Garden & Hardware plans to close 14 local stores, including the one at 43335 Joy Road, Canton. Michigan's largest independent hardware retailer announced Thursday that the plan to shut down the under-performing stores aims to "improve and strengthen the company’s financial performance." “To ensure our long term growth and sustainability, we must always strive to manage our costs and allocate resources to areas of our business that make a meaningful contribution to our financial performance," President and CEO Dick Snyder said in a news release. The company is also in the process of remodeling other stores to lure shoppers and accommodate expanded merchandise. A blow-out sale is scheduled to begin May 23 at the stores slated for …
You can use this gas price widget to always find the lowest price of the moment. Pro tip: Gas up early this week to save money.
Click here for a full-screen view of the gas price map. If you don't see a map of our local area, click the magnifying glass in the upper right to enter your address. Nationwide, gas prices were predicted to be lower this summer compared to the last three years, but that won't translate into savings at the pump this Memorial Day weekend, experts said. "Motorists this year are facing rising gas prices heading into the Memorial Day holiday," said Michael Green, a AAA spokesman, adding that Memorial Day 2013 would probably be the most expensive since 2011. In past years, prices have declined heading into early summer as oil refineries produced more gasoline to meet expected summer driving demand. This year, though, Midwest refineries haven't…
Salon Trends held its Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony last week.
Like the missing piece of a puzzle, Salon Trends, Old Village Plymouth's newest salon, fits perfectly into the business plaza on North Mill Street. Salon Trends is located at 991 N. Mill Street, right next to JoJo's Treats n' Sweets, Simply Sue's Nail Spa as well as a massage spa. "It's like a trifecta," Salon Trends Owner Ben Romine said. "We've created a spa, almost, in our complex. Just a little bit of everything. We felt that everybody could play off of each other, it's a good marketing tool for us." The new business actually opened in March, but just held its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony last week. "Like any other business, it was a whirlwind," Romine said. "The first month, first day, first everything - it was our first…
Next week, Plymouth-Canton Patch will have a brand new design and a whole new way to connect.
Hi, everyone! I have some exciting news to share about Patch – we’re getting a whole new look! It’s coming in a couple weeks and it’s going to make Plymouth-Canton Patch easier to use, and a better place to connect and share. The best part? You’ll be able to see it all on your mobile phone! Here’s what you need to know: Our site is being rebuilt from the ground up! The news will look better and be easier to comment on. And, you’ll find more local voices to keep you in the loop with the latest know-how and opinion. We’re adding Boards to make it easier for you to connect with each other, debate an issue, or announce your garage sale, graduation, or find a lost pet. More to say? It will be easier to start your own blog, too. You’ll soon…
Tim McGee
6:35 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
All your brother needs to do is go to the closest VA Hospital and go immediately to Emergency...they will then "fast track" him to Urgent Care where he will be seen by a PA and a doctor immediately. You don't have to wait to see your regular doctor for emergency assistance...if he's in pain, then that is an emergency...believe me as I am a disabled Vietnam Marine vet and I have had to do this … more ›