Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit has helped us put thousands of Metro Detroit friends and neighbors back to work.  They are asking that you can continue supporting their fight against unemployment with a single click of your mouse.
 
The Detroit Ben & Jerry’s Partner Shop is owned and operated by Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit and provides paid job opportunities for youth with employment barriers.  A nationwide video contest through Ben & Jerry’s gives us a unique opportunity to win $5,000 by earning the most online views of our “Ice cream so cold in the D: A Ben & Jerry’s Detroit Top Ten List”  Enjoy the video below.  By forwarding this on to all your friends you are helping Metro Detroiters gain jobs.

I can’t believe that Wonder Michigan is turning  1 year old.  Did Wonder Michigan live up to everything that I wanted it too?  I started this journey with A Marathon is Won with the First Stepand have tried to experience all that Michigan has to offer.  Just as the state that we love, we are not perfect, but am really working to be better.  It took a little bit of time to find our voice, we did not post as much as we would have liked.  Although on average we did post about once a week, there still where many lags in our post.  The passion is still here.  We have encountered many new Michigan businesses that we did not know exist a year ago.   There have been many proud moments for the Great Lakes State in the past year.  We have enjoyed Wonderful Michigan wines and beers, eaten at some amazing Michigan restaurants, made delecious food from Michigan products, and met some amazing people who are working to make this a better state. 

I am so excited to see what the next year has in store.  I am looking forward to exploring more of the Wonder of Michigan.  There are many things that I look forward to trying out, and also many new businesses that are opening in Michigan every week, that are going to help rebuild our beloved state.  Michigan is a little better, the auto companies are looking healthier, but there are still too many people out of work.  2010-11 will be a big year for Michigan, we have an election coming up, many other exciting events coming to the state.  Hopefully you will come a long for the ride with me to see the Great State of Michigan.

In his last speech at Comerica Park last September, Ernie said that he was happy that his journey was going to end in the Great State of Michigan.  Michigan was lucky to have Ernie for 43 years.  He will be greatly missed, but never really gone, because he made many generations of Michiganders Tigers fans, and even though he has not announced a game in 8 years, I still hear his voice when I at a game, giving me the play by play.

The most impresive was how they have incorporated technology into their cars.  They started with the Sync system, and have evolved that into the Ford Touch.  These systems are letting the driver stay connected to the world through their phone like no other time.  For more information on the Sync Technology, see the April edition of Fast Company article.  My second surprise was how Ford has used social media and the web to connect to their customers.  The best example of this is the Ford Feista Movement, were they gave 100 people a car that has never been in the US, to drive for a year.  The 100 were asked to talk about the car.  They even started to produce their own videos on the car.  The results of the movement was Ford received 10,000 pre-orders for a car that most have never seen.  Don’t get me wrong, Ford still has a long way to go, but they are moving in the correct direction. 

General Motors also had a very impressive presentation, and are doing some really cool things with social media.  Check out the SXSW Chevy Road Trip.  One last company that I would like to recognize is Current Motor Company, out of Ann Arbor.  They just launched their first Electric Scooter.  These bikes have a top speed of 70 mph and can go up to 80 miles on one charge.  This is a great example of Michigan Company being in front of the trend and working to make our world a better place.  Michigan will come out of our recent problems a better, leaner, and more humble state, that will again be one of the hubs of innovation and invention.  I am proud to be here to be part of it.

Last night again Michigan State’s Men’s Basketball team made it to the Final Four, this year in Indianapolis.  Out of the 6 Final Fours that they have made in the past 12 years, this may have been the toughest, and the most rewarding.  MSU started the year as the number 2 team in the country, and had a very up and down year.  Sometimes looking really good, while other times looking like a mediocre team.  Then in the second game of the tournament, their best player had a season ending injury.  The team rallied around each other to play as a team again, and began winning games that most thought were not winnable.  They worked together, picked each other up when needed, and as time ran down in the games they stuck together through the tough times.  If they do not win the NCAA National Championship on Monday April 5, they still deserve a standing ovation, and they leave the college basketball world excited for next year to see what this team can really accomplish.

Can the people of Detroit learn something from the 2009-10 Spartans.  I think that it only takes a few to start a trend.  Neighbors shoule work together to help improve their block.  The metro Detroit area can help pick up Detroit while it is down.  Make an extra trip to Detroit to go shopping, eat dinner, see a show.  Try to purchase products that are made in Detroit.  Work on not talking bad about Detroit, instead try to tell something nice about Detroit to everyone you meet.  Nobody else is going to help Detroit make a comeback, it is up to us, team Metro Detroit.  We all know there is a lot to offer in this area, lets just spread the word.

I hope not to jinx this, but I am going to say that it is officially spring in Michigan.  The snow is gone, I have seen the sun in the last few days, and the my winter coat has been hung up in the closet.  Spring may be my favorite time of year.  Get the benefits of Summer with out the heat and humidity.  Spring is a new start, the weather is only going to get nicer, and everything just smells new.  After sitting at home for much of the winter, I just have so many things that I cannot wait to do.  My golf clubs have been calling out to me, every time I walk by them in the garage, my running shoes are saying no more treadmill, lets go splash in puddle, and see what is going on in the neighborhood, while my bike is telling me not to forget about it.  It is time to start exploring Michigan again, I am just not sure where to go first.  I do have one confession, I will be sitting in my house on March 18 & 19 watching the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but hopefully I can open the windows.  What are you going to do in Michigan for spring?

I am a big believer in tradition and for the past 50+ years my family has been season ticket holder for your football team.  We have had seats on the 40 yard line behind the your bench since you played in Briggs stadium.  (I think it was Briggs at the time)  I am the third generation of my family to have these tickets.  My grandfather took my dad and uncle to the games, to sit in below freezing weather to support you.  Granted that back in those days the product on the field was worth sitting in the cold weather to watch.  Then later when I was born my grandfather and father would take my brother and I to games.  Three years ago I got the honor of taking over the tickets, and going to games with my dad.  I have to admit every season has been harder and harder to be excited for.  My ticket price has rose 33% over the time that I started to own the tickets.  The team also went from 7-9 to 2-14, not to mention the 0 for that happened in 2008.  Last year it was very hard to get up on Sunday and go to your games.  The best part was having brunch with my father before the games.  I have come to the realization that I do not need a football game to have brunch with my dad.  So I am no longer a season tickets holder of your franchise.  I am going to have to start a new tradition.

Sincerely

A true born and bred Detroit Sports Fan

The Made in Michigan Movement is an action-oriented grassroots network of businesses producing high quality goods and services in the state of Michigan and consumers who feel purchasing from those companies is in the best interest of the state’s economic future. With more than 14,000 members, the organization’s motto for Michigan consumers is “Earn it here. Spend it here. Keep it here!”  One way that the Made in Michigan Movement is making sure that we continue to buy Michigan products is their first statewide celebration of Michigan products and services.  They will be takin over the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi on October 16 and 17, 2010.  Designed to provide a boost to the Michigan economy, the event will be a two-day celebration of the wide variety of high quality consumer products, services and foods produced by companies across all Michigan geographies  They are expecting   10,000 consumers and 300 + businesses ranging from small to large from across the state.  For further updates Made In Michigan can be followed on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/madeinmich and found on Facebook.