Flint Mayor Karen Weaver's water service line replacement Fast Start Initiative continues.

By Editor & Publisher Jeff Brown.

As of November 21, 2017, lead tainted water service lines have been replaced at 5,752 homes homes in the city of Flint. The Mayor's initiative is now in phase 4 of the Fast Start Initiative. The mayor's plan is to replace the lead-tainted service lines at 6,000 homes in Flint before the end of the year.

According to a press release from the Flint mayor's office, "Crews from four area companies are replacing lead and galvanized service lines leading from the street to the water meter in residents’ homes during this fourth phase of FAST Start, extending the mayor’s efforts to restore safe, clean drinking water to Flint residents. Overall, service lines to 5,752 homes have been replaced since FAST Start launched in March 2016."

According to the press release from the Flint mayor's office, work crews noted that 1,185 homes in Flint have copper service lines which, according to the city, do not need to be replaced. Work crews are using a method called hydro-excavation in order to check the internal composition of some of the service lines. Apparently, this allows crews to avoid digging up service lines made of copper and focus on home that have lead-tainted pipes.

Speaking as someone who grew up in the city of Flint, I only hope that work continues and that all of the water service lines are replaced in the city, and the sooner the better.

Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration puts a shine on Depot Town in Ypsilanti Saturday night.

Photo Purple Walrus Press.

By Editor & Publisher Jeff Brown.

Ypsilanti residents turned out in high numbers Saturday evening, November 25, in Ypsilanti's Depot Town to participate in the Tree-Lighting Celebration. The Depot Town Tree-Lighting Celebration marks the beginning of the holiday season in Ypsilanti and at 6 pm Saturday evening, that tree lit up like a, well, Christmas tree! Santa and Mrs Clause could be seen mixing with the crowd and admiring the tree, also!

After the successful lighting of the tree, folks strolled over to the Depot Town Freight House for hot chocolate and cookies that were on the house. Pretty awesome! Oh, I cant forget the reindeer! Yep, Santa let one of his reindeer hang out for a while in front of the Freight House. I tried to get an interview with the reindeer but he was too busy having his photo taken with the all kids. Oh, well.

The weather was fab, the crowd was awesome, the reindeer was cute and the hot chocolate and cookies were delicious. What better way to kick off the holiday season in Ypsilanti!

Photos Purple Walrus Press.

Ypsilanti Depot Town Tree-Lighting Celebration November 25.

By Editor & Publisher Jeff Brown.

If you love the holiday season then Depot Town in Ypsilanti will be the place to be Saturday, November 25 at 5:30 pm! Come on down and enjoy the Ypsilanti Community Choir, and and gather with Depot Merchants, tenants, residents of the community and friends while witnessing the lighting of the tree. Sing Christmas Carols, also! This event officially kicks off the Holiday season!

After the lighting of the tree, tag along with Santa and Mrs Claus and head over to the Freight House for hot chocolate and cookies. Meet one of Santa's reindeer, also!

Special thanks goes to Bank of Ann Arbor for helping to transport Santa's reindeer all the way from the North Pole!

Happy Thanksgiving from Purple Walrus Press! Now, where's that Arlo Guthrie album?!

By Editor & Publisher Jeff Brown.

Happy Thanksgiving from the folks at Purple Walrus Press! If you are traveling, be safe! If you are staying home for Thanksgiving, relax and enjoy!

Soon yours truly will be torturing my wife and two kids by forcing them to listen very carefully to the entire 20 minute long Arlo Guthrie Thanksgiving classic talking song, 'Alice's Restaurant' in the car. Oh, deep down they love it, right?

David Cassidy dies. I will miss him. This is my tribute.

By Editor & Publisher Jeff Brown.

Sadly, singer David Cassidy died Tuesday evening at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after being admitted to the intensive care unit several days ago for organ failure. According to a statement on David's facebook page posted at approximately 9:45 pm Tuesday night, November 21, "It is with great sadness that I post this message.

David Cassidy has meant so much to so many people.

"David was an iconic teen idol in the 70's and he maintained a career spanning movies, theatre, music, writing, directing. His multi-generational connection to so many people from all walks of life, from all around the world will be felt today.

Despite being a star, he was kind hearted, thoughtful and considerate of others and a friend.
He will be greatly missed."

Jane.

As for myself, David Cassidy certainly made quite an impression on me while growing up in the late 1960's and 70's. When I was in elementary school back in Flint, Friday night meant two things. First, Friday meant that, mercifully, the school week had ended, and second, it meant the Partridge Family. Yep, between 1970 and 1974, every single Friday night at precisely 8 pm, I parked myself in front of our massive rabbit eared Panasonic T.V. set to watch the coolest show ever, which was of course, The Partridge Family. The Partridge Family was a music sitcom that starred David Cassidy. The theme of the show was centered around a widowed mom (Shirley Jones) and her musical rock star kids who set out on a successful pop rock music career. Cassidy played the oldest son (Keith Partridge) and lead singer of the family band...and David Cassidy did actually sing! 

For the 8, 9, 10 and 11 year old me, the show was the epitome of total hip and coolness. In my book, as a kid, Cassidy was the very embodiment of cool, hip, and total grooviness. Cassidy's good looks, cool demeanor, and even cooler hair style inspired me to fall in love with rock and pop music. Sure, I loved listening to my parent's Burt Bacharach and Herb Alpert albums, but Kieth Partridge...man, that was where it was at in the early seventies!

Let me say this... by the 5th grade I had a total David Cassidy (Keith Partridge) hair style...real long and everything! Seriously, The Partridge Family show did make a huge impact on me growing up in that the show inspired in me a life-long passion for rock, pop and style.

Soon after the Partridge Family show ended in 1974, I moved on and discovered The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, but I never forgot David Cassidy. I will miss him.