Kayaking and Canoeing in the Western U.P. of Michigan

 Lots of great things to do in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Kayaking season is coming and the weather will be getting warmer. 

Delta County Firefighters are Motivated by a Sense of Community

Fires can have a devastating effect on families and communities that last longer than when it takes embers to cool. Property damage is one thing but losing loved ones puts the topic on a whole different level. Those who volunteer don't just show up to the parades looking bright and shiny; they also drop everything in their lives to respond to fires, car accidents, and other critical events. In the evenings, while most of us are engrossed in our favorite tv show, a firefighter will have their pagers within arm's length just in case they are called to duty. 

Why do they volunteer even though they may be yawning and rubbing their eyes in the morning? Racing to pummels of smoke in the midnight air to help their communities isn't something most are excited about. It is because these dedicated Americans choose to think beyond themselves to serve their communities in a meaningful way.

Despite the diligence of the firefighting crew, they are often asked to do more with smaller and smaller budgets. Rural fire departments have fewer resources than those in populated areas and must rely on the goodwill of the business community and individual charity to keep their operations functioning. In many cases, communities have no other alternative than to rely on highly trained volunteer firefighters that seek to step above self interest (See Values or Duty). 

Volunteer Firefighter Contributions?

Firefighters in Delta County MI.

People believe that firefighting in the United States is conducted primarily by full-time firefighters with fully funded departments. According to the National Firefighters Association out of 1,115,000 firefighters of which 745,000 (67%) were volunteer and 370,000 (33%) were full-time (NFPA, 2020). The training is the same in Michigan, and sometimes it can be difficult to attract volunteers to get through the courses and gain the experience needed when things get difficult. There is a significant time investment by firefighters.

It makes sense to use full-time firefighters in urban areas because of the demand and cost justifications. However, in rural communities where the geographic regions are large, firefighters must be prepared for all types of emergency contingencies. Volunteers need substantial training and commit significant time to training and staying up-to-date. For example, the volunteers in Delta County, Michigan train often work in environments like the national forest, a speeding highway, homes, urban businesses and/or snow-covered farm fields. 

Why Do They Volunteer?

Volunteer firefighting contribute with a smile on their face. As a dedicated crew, they do a lot with very limited resources. Despite the challenges and danger, they drop everything they are doing and rush headlong back to engulfing flames to save lives and protect property. Why?

The study assessed firefighter intentions and found that they were motivated by "leadership, attitudinal commitment, a strong sense of affiliation, altruism, and a sense of community" (Haski-Leventhal & McLeigh, 2009, pg. 1).

Volunteer firefighters care about their community and want to help out where they can. Certainly, firefighters gain a little recognition by their activities, but it is the inner satisfaction of helping others makes all the difference. They support their communities, and the communities should support and encourage this type of volunteering, among others. It's more than just setting an example for others, it is about walk the talk. 

The Fire Picture!

Resources are important for any organization, and when they are in scarce supply for first responders, it can create situations difficult situations. Any help from corporations, individuals, or other entities can go a long way in making a difference in the lives of people who rely on these institutions. Delta County Michigan is rural and relies heavily on volunteer help to protect vital infrastructure, property and people. 

When structure fires break out, it often takes all the resources in the area to respond, work as a team and overcome. For example, the picture shows a historic building erected 1881 swallowed in flames while a truck from Ensign Twp. feeds the larger pumper from Escanaba Twp with water! Responding departments include Nahma Township Fire Department, Ensign Twp. Fire Departent, Escanaba Township Fire Department, Thompson Township Fire Department, Masonville Twp Fire Dept. and Tri-Start EMS. There are many ways a person can engage in their community and volunteer firefighting is just one.

Author: Dr. Murad Abel

Haski-Leventhal, & McLeigh, . (2009) Firefighters Volunteering Beyond Their Duty: An Essential Asset in Rural Communities. Journal of Rural and Community Development, (4) 2, pg 1. https://journals.brandonu.ca/jrcd/article/view/400

NFPA (February, 2020). U.S. fire department profile. https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Emergency-Responders/US-fire-department-profile

Photo of a Wooden Ship

A picture of a ship with the ocean in the background you might enjoy. I think if I were to take this photo again I might consider trying to get more of the mast in the picture. While this was done with a cell phone camera it does offer an opportunity to sort of "spot check" a picture and then go back with a more professional camera under ideal conditions (sky, light, waves, etc..). Cell phone technology is likely to continue to grow and develop making cell pictures of higher quality. I'm still waiting on someone to invent a professional camera and cell phone combination. Sometimes you get the best shots when you don't have a camera!

Using Art Commercially

Someone asked if I would paint this picture on canvas for them and I might try to do it for them at some point in the near future. Right now I'm working on testing whether or not custom logos and art will sell well on a mallet head as "special editions". Perhaps I could take an outline of this ship and put it on a mallet head🤔 Of course special editions improve branding through uniqueness that can't be copied easily but also allows you to raise money for a special cause or purpose. The other thing that special offerings do is raise the overall value/revenue that can be drawn from a product when that customization is specific and limited (If everyone did it and it was the same its not really customization anymore).

Thinking about this custom idea and manufacturing. A single idea idea can build into product lines, gear, clothing etc... Not saying Escanaba Polo Mallet Co. would be able to do that but it is a business designed to understand road blocks to other businesses trying to emerge on a global market. From a curiosity stand point is possible to turn custom work into a bigger good works business (Teaching others while doing it yourself approach.)? As of yet its a very small start-up and more towards exploring ideas than actually capitalizing on them fully. (FYI---If you want to donate to the orphans through a non-profit check out HERE)

Here is the picture from the side......

Consumer Price Index (CPI) Rises in the U.S. April 2021

The Bureau of Labor Statics (BLS) recently released April's Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers that point to increasing inflation. While CIP rose 3.2% over the year the auto industry rose 10% in April. A rising CPI means we will pay more for products and services (specifically imported goods). It can also impact our cost of living and how much we pay for loans, credit cards, mortgages, etc... Furthermore, sometimes inflation can impact exchange rates and in turn influence import and export flow. (I'm not an expert in this area but like to sort of understand how the market is impacted and influenced by changes in the economy and policy.)

In case your curious this is how you calculate CPI. You can learn more HERE.

CPI= Cost of Market Basket in Base Year / Cost of Market Basket in Given Year ×100

You can take a look the BLS inflation calculator HERE and see that $1 in April 2020 is $1.56 meaning your money is worth less (That really isn't the whole story because any number of things can happen in the digital world.) Apparently, inflation can depreciate the U.S. dollar and adjust the currency exchange rate in a way that makes U.S. products cheaper. I think the U.S. has struggled to find ways to counter deflated Yen that makes Chinese exports cheaper (HERE)? 🤷 

What Happened?

In April, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 0.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis; rising 4.2 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.9 percent in April (SA); up 3.0 percent over the year (NSA).

What is CPI?

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services. The CPI reflects spending patterns for each of two population groups: all urban consumers and urban wage earners and clerical workers. The all urban consumer group represents about 93 percent of the total U.S. population. You can get into the details of the definitions HERE.

You can gain additional information on CPI for Michigan HERE.

CPI April 2021 by Dr. Murad Abel on Scribd

Pictures of Pacific Beach Early in the Morning

Pacific Beach has an awesome walkway along the coast that stretches for miles. In the morning, when the surfers are coming in and the tourists haven't rolled out of bed, you will find a different kind of atmosphere. Early in the morning is when the locals are jogging, getting coffee, and getting ready. You can tell they are locals simply by the clothing they wear and the activities they engage in. 

I thought you might like the picture. My personal opinion is it appears a little gloomy. Maybe with some sun it would be better.  😊

Briefing: Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (05-7-21)

The economy will have a longer-term approach and getting people back into the labor force will help the recovery.  She mentioned there are some trends of people not being as involved in the labor force as they once were. Long-term growth prospects will depend on whether we invest in American families and help them engage the market in meaningful ways. Averages give a better understanding of economic data than looking at daily chaotic fluctuations.

Escanaba City Council Meeting (May 6th, 2021)-Balancing Budgets and Creating Smart Investment Cities

Some people love action movies while others crave drama flicks but sometimes its kind of cool to understand city activities and see if there are ways to improve future opportunities (🤓Yes I realize its not as fun as watching the Packers but "real life" is played on a more global arena 😯). Watching the happenings of local government meetings, helps to get a feel for how everyday hum drum issues of city management are influenced by wider geo-political adjustments. As our government reorients toward long-term job creation and manufacturing development there will be adjustments in local governance as well (i.e. have city hall meetings shared online). As national infrastructure changes, industry will change, and in turn shift the platforms in which towns/cities exist that can come with benefits from global market alignment. For the most part I'm watching because I like to be an informed citizen but also because I want to understand more about city administration (That is not exclusive to Escanaba but to the general concept of city management). A few ideas and thoughts below ...

 Key Points:

1. City Budgets: You can read Escanaba's city budget HERE. I haven't read through the budget in significant detail but it looks like a fairly standard for cities of similar size. Local and national budgets are likely to be impacted by major market changes as the U.S. and China adjust their global networks to feed industry and growth. Attracting new businesses and opportunities is enhanced by developing a calibrated tax system that can balance out different stakeholder needs to attract business that feed growth that leads to fiscal balance  I'm thinking about how lower HQ costs could potentially impact supplier network investment that will significantly improve local budgets (See HQ Supply Taxes). All of these ideas are theoretical in nature and more of an exploratory approach to understand via real life models how a larger national theory might operate on the local level (Where it impacts real people, institutions, and cultures. See Cultural and Financial Development).

It is important to be flexible with budgets. Let us say that some new industry wants to invest in the area (Delta County Start Up) and/or Escanaba becomes a "hot spot" tourist destination (See Digital Nomads). As city revenue grows it may be possible to set up additional revenue streams beyond tax payer dollars to ensure that as the city expenses grow that its revenue grows at a slightly accelerated rate to develop long-term sustainability 💰💸  This can be partially explained via increases in revenue and benchmarking expenditure loops. Positive budgets naturally impact the quality of life for residents as local projects (influencing cultural branding) can be internally financed through surplus city revenue in a way that improve the lives of residents, their families, and their future children. See Perpetual Sustainable Development). 

The medium term impact of COVID is local municipalities seeking to take advantage of a future increase in high technology development. City budgets will then start to focus more on meeting the digital global market through tech/communication enhancements (See Delta County 18 Million Broadband). As places like Delta County become influenced by larger national infrastructure development they be pushed by necessity to adjust. Getting ahead of the digitization curve and maximizing one's future market position could come through the development of smarter cities better connected to the global market. Read a pretty descent overview article at Getting Clever About Smart Cities:New Opportunities Require NewBusiness Models. (Wouldn't it be cool in this philosophical exercise if we could spark digitization and innovation through pin pointed investments? See the Working Hub 👍)

2.Firearms: Not being able to use firearms within the city limits. Great idea! However, I'm curious about if I practice a recurve bow (vs. crossbow) in my backyard if it violates any ordinances? 🤔 No biggie either way! Just curious?

3.Hog Rally: Rock the Docks, July 23rd alcohol and parade request. I sort of thought about getting a bike in the next two years. I'm split between a Hog and Rocket!

4. Grants for Water: Discussion on grants for the water treatment plant.  Grants can be so difficult and time consuming. I'm trying to get some grants for one our our local firefighter organizations and the large amount of paperwork just to submit for some of these grants is time consuming. Lots of submissions but not very fruitful!📧

Now, if your a company executive reading through this (Sometimes the language and tone of writing attracts certain demographics and psychographics) and want to unload some corporate sponsorship and good works money to balance your corporate tax rate I'm sure that any number of volunteer firefighter organizations in the county/area would be happy to provide you with a receipt from one of their life-saving non-profit entities (....not to mention towns/cities like Escanaba and Gladstone have relatively small budgets wouldn't likely mind help either 💁). I know of one fire department that is looking for a new grass truck and air bottles. Help those who help us. :) Nahma, Township, Ensign Twp. Escanaba Township Fire Department, Thompson Township Fire Department.

5. Its nice of the city to give a kudos to someone improving their abilities. It helps create a better sense of community. 

Agendas:

You may be interested in the agenda HERE There are also previous agendas if you want to browse HERE.

Couple of Important Topics:

A couple of interesting key points from the Agenda......

Approval – Michigan HOG Rally Parade and Reception at Rock the Dock – Recreation. Explanation: The Delta County Chamber of Commerce is requesting approval for a parade permit and alcohol sales for Friday, July 23, 2021, in conjunction with the HOG Rally. Administration is recommending approval of the request provided: 1) proper liability insurance will be filed with the City naming the City as an additional insured.

Administration sought Council approval to award Great Lakes Fireworks of West Branch, Michigan, to conduct the annual 4th of July fireworks display on Saturday, July 3rd in the amount of $10,000. The City of Escanaba Recreation Department will be raising additional funds to contribute to the fireworks display. Great Lakes Fireworks is a sole source supplier.