More photos from Saturday's Medieval Faire

If you were like me Saturday, you traveled back in time a few hundred years visiting Carr Park.

The library hosted its second Medieval Faire, this time taking advantage of the large space on the park on the west side of Manchester. As soon as you arrived, you spotted people wearing hats they wouldn't wear today, heard the clanging of the metal worker and heard the trumpet of the heralder announce events about to take place.

The big event had to be the sword fighting, where demonstrators from Jackson and Ann Arbor were on hand to answer questions and act as a medieval resource.

And even the animal lovers had something to look forward to: a pen of Great Danes came out, as well as a hawk used for falconry. It was quite the scene.

Here are some other photos from the event, as well as a compilation video I compiled from Saturday's faire:

Camping season

I spent the past weekend camping at my favorite campground in Michigan, Fort Custer State Park in Augusta, just outside of Battle Creek. The large sites surrounded by trees are the perfect setting for a relaxing weekend. The bike trails and beach are added bonuses.
I've never done any camping in Washtenaw County. Are there any suggestions?

Manchester High School football is back

Ah, football season.

It's close to being the greatest time of the year (I'll still give Christmas the nod here). It's the quintessential American sport, and is played by people of all ages, in pads and in shorts.

While I haven't had the pleasure of enjoying a football game in Manchester, I was treated to the beginning of the season last night, as I watched the JV team play Clinton down in Clinton, nearby where I live. While the game was postponed due to the weather being poor, it was still refreshing to see the players on the sidelines, hearing the shrill of the whistle and seeing the lights pour down onto the field.

High school football is a great thing for both the community and the players. It's a game that brings together some unlikely kids, and forces them to get along while doing some physically and mentally tough training. It's a great thing for kids to partake in; I played football for three years (read: backup to the backup), and don't regret anything about it. With it comes risks, such as injury, but most times, the rewards outweigh the negatives.

As the Flying Dutchmen look to return to the playoffs this year, here's a taste of fall football from last night's JV game in Clinton. The Dutchmen held a 20-14 lead with more than nine minutes remaining in the third quarter:

The 9/11 10-year anniversary is coming and we want to know what you remember

It's just one of those days everyone know what they were doing.

Right up there with Pearl Harbor, JFK's assassin and the moon landing, everyone knows exactly what they were doing the day the Twin Towers fell on Sept. 11, 2001.

We'd like to help share some of the stories Manchester and Washtenaw County residents have from that day, which can either seem like it was forever ago, or just yesterday.

That's why we need your help.  Let us know in the comments below what you were doing that fateful day. Include your real name, and where you live, and we'll include it in our 9/11 coverage next month. You can even post it on our Facebook wall, as some others have already done.

It's something we all can share and remember, no matter what our political differences are. It's a time to remember.

You may see Tanya or I in the village later this month with our Flip cameras out, talking to people. We're looking to also gather several videos across Washtenaw County of people talking about that fateful day and what they remember. The staff here at Heritage will be doing the same, leading up to Sept. 11. We'd love to hear what you remember.

Worthy of a mention, but not first prize

Sleeping Bears Dunes was voted the most beautiful place in America by "Good Morning America" voters Wednesday. The Dunes were one of 10 finalists, including Aspen, Colorado, Grand Tetons in Jackson, Wyoming and Lanikai Beach in Oahu, Hawaii. As much as I love Michigan's natural beauty, there's no way Sleeping Bear Dunes is the most beautiful location in America.
I've been lucky enough to visit a lot of locations in the country, camping from east to west and north to south, all around our beautiful country. These travels have also included a great deal of time within the state of Michigan and I've always thought the beauty of the state was overlooked. The gorgeous coastlines and friendly small vacation towns were a hidden gem. This is why I'm pleased to see one Michigan location on the list.
Having visited Colorado and the Grand Tetons, as well as the Dunes, there's no comparison. The first two breathtaking locations win out over Sleeping Bear every time. I was also shocked not to see Alaska anywhere on the top-10 list. I've only seen photos, but the Alaskan wilderness and wildlife would top Sleeping Bear any day.
If I'm right, then what led to the Dunes being selected?. I have a theory. You may disagree and question my Michigan pride, but I think Michigan earned the top spot due to unemployment. There are probably a lot more Michigan residents sitting at home watching "Good Morning America" than in many states in the country where people are at work during most of the broadcast, accounting for more voters.
Even though Sleeping Bear Dunes may not be the most beautiful place in America, it's definitely one of the most beautiful in Michigan, and I support that vote.

More photos and a video from Saturday's Run Manchester races

More than 280 runners came out last weekend to compete in the 4th Annual Run Manchester.

The race, which runs throughout the entire village, seemed to go successful, and the weather was great for a Saturday morning run.

Not able to attend, or slept in after partying too hard at the Party in the Park Friday night? Here are some additional photos, as well as a video, from the races:

An earful

I paid my first visit to the Manchester Farmers Market on Thursday for the Faerie Festival. I took the opportunity to buy local sweet corn from Saline farmer Richard Weisenreder. Every year my family and I try to find the best local corn. Weisenreder's corn was fabulous and the family members I ate it with couldn't stop talking about how delicious it was. You'll probably see me at the market again this Thursday, buying more of Weisenreder's corn and trying other local farmers' corn as well.

The M-52 sign to Bridgewater is busted again

Either someone is a clumsy driver, or they just don't like Bridgewater.

The sign along M-52 just east of the village in Manchester Township points to the hamlet's direction down Austin road right before you get to the light. But for the second time in several months, the sign has been destroyed, leaving half of it still upright and the other half on the ground.

I noticed several months ago the first sign had been broken a few months ago, but thought of it as accident. It took quite a while for it to be replaced, but was new just a few weeks ago. When I drove to Manchester from my home in Clinton Monday, the sign was damaged again. Now, since the second sign is broken in the exact same way as the first, I can't help but wonder if it's a target for vandals.

Kari Arend, the communications representative for the University Region (which consists of south-central Michigan) of the Michigan Department of Transportation, said MDOT repairs signs based on priority, and couldn't speak for the specific sign on M-52.

"We will go out there and replace it as needed," she said. "When we have time, we’ll get a road crew out there."

Until then, just remember: Bridgewater is east on Austin Road.