FISHING

     Since the weather has been extremely nice lately, you could possibly start thinking about going fish. My favorite place to fish at right now is at Heritage Park, which is located in Taylor, Michigan. In the past the park has been full of fish, and this year there could possibly be even more due the unseasonably warm weather. The warm winter and early spring has caused the fish to start spawning earlier, says local scientist, potentially making this year an amazing fishing season.

     The Great Lakes are a common fishing destination. This past winter the lakes didn't get as much ice on them as they usually get, because of the unusually warm tempature. The ice usually locks up parts of the Great Lakes, providing the lakes protection against the invasive species like the quagga mussel. The quagga mussel alters the food web, which could threaten the delicate underwater ecosystem. It looks like for now, we are going to have to wait and see what effects the unseasonably warm weather has on our lakes as a whole.

     It is real relaxing to me to be able to sit outside when the weather is nice, and even more relaxing for me when I can go fishing as well. The most rewarding part of fishing to me, will always be catching the fish. Whether big or small, lets hope that this Spring means great fishing for the entire state of Michigan! 

LeapDay229.org

Once every 4 years we are given the gift of an extra day; and this year Special Tree Rehabilitation System wanted to make sure that it was put to good use. After months of brain storming and planning a group of Special Tree employees, who were inspired originally by an old note CEO Joe Richert had found, decided how they could make GOOD use of this year's gift of an extra day. The group's final idea was born; to build up an elementary schools library and help to promote youth literacy.

The group chose Ann Visger Elementary School in River Rouge, Michigan for numerous reasons. This project was not done in just one day though, since Ann Visger's Media Center had not been open and operating for 10 years! After months of planning and hard work by many people, the big day arrived and it was finally time to officially RE - open the elementary school's media center. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on February 29th, also known as Leap Day, and this ceremony officially RE - opened the school's media center for the first time in 10 years.

The most exciting part to me was during the actual ribbon cutting ceremony, and once the ribbon had been cut. This meant that the students at Ann Visger Elementary school could finally have their own library and media center to use, and to help them in the future. Channel 4 had a team of news reporters and a camera crew at this special event, and filmed when a group of students and some of the adults that were part of the project, cut the ribbon signifying that the media center was officially RE - opened. After the ribbon was cut one of the students read a few pages from his favorite story, making it very apparent to everyone in the crowd that the new media center was already being put to good use.

The next Leap Day is only about 4 years away, how will you spend it? You have plenty of time to plan so think BIG, and hopefully reading this will help you get inspired!

Check out the link below for some of the coverage done by the news!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVX-aKOtENU

Every four years we are given the gift of an extra; 86,400 seconds, 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours; however you want to phrase that we receive an extra day. This gift of an extra day is called Leap Day, and it happens every four years in between February 28th and March 1st, on February 29th. Leap day is happening this year 2012; how are you going to take advantage of this extra day?

For ideas and inspirations, I recommend visiting the website www.leapday229.org. The websites mission is to encourage people to use Leap Day to make a difference in our families, our communities, and globally. CEO of Special Tree, Joe Richert, was inspired to create the website and organization when he found an old note he’d written himself about putting the gift of an extra day to good use. After a brainstorming session with family members, the ideas and plans for the website came together.

The site lets people post their personal Leap Day plans or ideas, allowing others to see the various ways to make a difference in their communities. Special Tree's Leap Day projects consist of putting together a media center for the Ann Visger Elementary School in River Rouge, and organizing a food and coat drive for Mitch Albums “Hole in the Roof Charity”. Do yourself a favor, and take a few minutes to check out the website at www.leapday229.org, and get inspired. How are you going to spend your Leap Day?

The Scoop on December 7th

December 7th is a day that will be remembered for many different reasons. In my opinion to most people, Pearl Harbor day I think is the biggest deal and what stands out in our memories the most. Another big deal, and the motivation behind this blog entry, is that today is not only my birthday but also my boss’s. To expand your knowledge on December 7th history and facts, check out the list I put together below. You'll learn a little bit of everything, including what the #1 hit song was on the charts when both my boss and I were born.  

1787 – Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the United States Constitution.        

               

1808 – James Madison was elected US President; George Clinton was elected as his Vice-President

1917 – The U.S. declared war on Austria-Hungary in World War I.

1931 – The last Ford Model A was produced and production was discontinued.

1937 – The Boston Red Sox acquired the contract of 19 year-old, left fielder, Ted Williams.

1941 – On the morning of, America’s naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked by Japanese troops. Since 1994, December 7^th officially became National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, a day to remember and honor all those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

1948 – A weather record was set in Canada for a chilly 87 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit).

1972 – Apollo 17, the last Apollo moon mission was launched from launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center.

 

1982 – The #1 song on this day was Physical, by Olivia Newton-John.

1987 – The #1 song on this day was Walk Like an Egyptian, by The Bangles.

1995 – The NBA settles strike with referees, who return to work within a week.

2001 – Afghanistan Teleban Regime Surrenders, giving up it’s stronghold in Kandahar.

2004 - Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president.

FALL BASH 2011

On the evening of October 14^th, I made an appearance at the Fall Bash. Every year Special Tree throws the fall themed party for all of their clients and staff, giving them an opportunity to let loose and party down. The Fall Bash is an annual event, held at The Roma Hall in Garden City, Michigan. This party is always such big deal that typically even the owner of Special Tree shows up.

We started off the night by having dinner. For dinner there were meatballs, mostaccioli, salad, mashed potatoes, and chicken. I tried pretty much everything, but the meatballs. My favorite part of the entire meal was the mostaccioli, because the sauce it was in was delicious.       

    

A big part of the Fall Bash was the band, the music, and the dancing. The Channel 6 Band, a local metro-Detroit group, provided the music and entertainment for the evening. Almost everyone was dancing, including me. With help from the staff on standing up, I did some moving and grooving on the dance floor with an unbelievably gorgeous girl.

Besides eating and dancing, a big part of the Fall Bash was chatting with others. I knew a lot of people, so I spent a lot of time talking. It was nice to be able to talk and spend time with everyone outside of our normal therapy schedules. The best conversation of the evening to me was the one I had with the pretty girl I danced with earlier.

As 8:30 p.m. approached, the dancing and socializing began to die down. It had been a long day for most of the party goers, followed by an eventful and fun evening. Once I shared my thanks and said my good-byes, it was time to hit the road and head for home.

Our "Gridiron Heroes"

         If you’re a Michigan sports fan, the first half of October was a dream come true. There was a lot happening: the Tigers made the playoffs, there was the instate rivalry between U of M and MSU, and the Lions are winning more games then they’re not. Last week the Lions made their return to Monday night football, beating Chicago they made their record 5-0, undefeated for the first time since 1956. The whole city and state, and all of Special Tree, are excited to see what comes next in Michigan sports.

          Before last Monday nights game (October 10^th), I asked the director of community services Joe, if he has ever seen the Lions playing this good. With laughter he responded, “No, not in my lifetime. Definitely not in my lifetime.” It has been a decade since the Lions last played a Monday night game, which ended poorly. In Joe’s own words, the Lions got “walloped” by the St. Louis Rams 35-0. Joe attended the Monday night game on October 10^th at Ford Field and shared he was looking forward most to the environment and the games excitement and commotion.

          Going into last Monday’s game, the Lions were undefeated with a record of 4-0 and the Bears were 2-2. The Lions had the largest crowd in the history of Ford Field, with 67,861 fans in attendance that helped to cheer them on to a 24-13 victory over the Chicago Bears. The fans were very noisy, rattling the Bears to 9 false starts throughout the game. It was a good team effort by all with the Lions Jahvid Best leading the game in rushing yards, and his teammate Calvin Johnson leading the game in receiving. With this win, the Lions earned a 5-0 record for the first time in over 50 years.

          To get a better understanding of the Lions history, I interviewed a DTS staff member, George, who is a self proclaimed diehard Lions fan for more then 30 years. When asked who his favorite Lions player of all time was, he shared that “hands down it would be the running back Billy Sims.” He gave me two reasons why he was his favorite; first was because Billy Sims was his mom’s favorite player, and also because Billy Sims would motivational talks to his high school football team. George thinks that the most exciting thing about this year’s Lions team is the youth. “When you have youth in all key positions, which means these guys can grow together over the next four to five years.”

          Although the Lions lost yesterdays game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Lions are still proud of their hometown team. For all you sports fans, to get you through the last half of October I’ll leave you with some of my favorite Detroit Lions facts:

1.    The Detroit Lions hosted their first ever Thanksgiving Day game in 1934. 

2.    The Detroit Lions won the NFL Championship in 1935, 1952, 1953, and 1957. 

3.    At one time, soul singer Marvin Gaye tried out for the Detroit Lions but did not make the team. His friendship with Lions players Mel Farr and Lem Barney did lead to them singing backup on his 1971 song “What’s Going On?”

4.    The first Detroit Lion elected to the Hall-of-Fame was Quarterback Dutch Clark.

5.    The Detroit Lions have retired the number 20 jersey to honor former Running Back Barry Sanders. Number 20 was also worn by all-time great Lions Lem Barney (Hall-of-Fame) and Billy Sims.

"Young Adult Programs Are Taking Off"

 

     With or without a traumatic brain injury (TBI), being a young adult is a difficult phase of life. There are so many changes happening and transitions occurring, it's easy to feel lost or to get overwhelmed. When you mix in a TBI on top of everything else in life, trying to stay afloat as a young adult can become much more difficult. Normal activities like going to school, developing a career and even socializing with your peers can become a struggle.

     When doing some research for this article, I looked at the ages of people who have sustained a TBI and I found that individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 years old account for over half of the countries traumatic brain injuries annually. I also learned about the different developmental stages our brain goes through. I didn't know that the brain doesn't enter final stage of development until around the time you turn 18, and it continues until your mid-twenties to late twenties.

     I asked Joe Richert II, who is the Director of Community Services, why the final stage of brain development is so important. He informed me that during this last stage, the areas of your brain in charge of executive functions (like organization and planning) go through a huge growth spurt. Joe explained to me that when "someone suffers a brain injury hitting these developmental milestones becomes very challenging to an individual, especially without the appropriate supports."

       After talking to Joe and Joyce Z., who is the manager of the Young Adult Program, I felt extremely lucky. I feel like they designed this program especially for me and all of the other young adults that attend therapies and work with daily. It is nice to be able to do activities and go on outings as a group with others my age, which right now the group is mostly guys. I like the idea of having the option and ability to go out on a Friday night, like everyone else my age, and do things with the guys. Things like shooting pool, bowling, playing fantasy football and going to a sporting event are a few of the activities we have done and are planning I am really excited about.

       Joyce started working in her new position this past June, and that’s when the Young Adults Program began. At the time of the program’s start, Special Tree had over 80 clients that fell into the young adult’s category (which is 18 – 30 years old). Since then, even more young adults have joined the program to get assistance with their education, to develop and learn work skills, and even just hang out with peers and hit the town. I like the new program because it’s nice to be able to spend some separate time with others my age, instead of hanging around the kids or spending all of my time with the “older crowd.”

       Besides for the outings and activities we pick, I also am learning job development skills while I am earning a pay check. I write this blog and keep people informed about a variety of things, both personal and about Special Tree. Some of the guys work in the community, working on different vocational skills. Some people work in the ceramics studio filling orders that are placed, some of the guys work in different departments over at our NeuroCare Center, and a bunch more. The cool thing is, they will even develop and create a job for each persons individual goals and skills – like mine!

       Soon we will organize and kick-off a food and clothing drive for a church in Detroit, I Am My Brother’s Keeper Ministries. This ministry was one of the inspirations and focuses of Mitch Albom’s, book Have a Little Faith. I haven’t read it yet, but I know who Mitch Albom is, and I am excited to help out people that need it since so many people help me out everyday.  As of now we are planning to kick off the food and clothing drive on November 1^st. I will make sure to remind everyone on my blog, so then you can help us give to those in need as well.