Inside: Football Friday is back
See how all the county teams did Thursday night — Sports, 1B
Volume 165 Number 211
Friday-Saturday, September 3-4, 2010
This Weekend’s
Best Bets
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE FILE PHOTO
Golf tourney helps
veterans’ families
A golf tournament to
help the Folds of Honor
Foundation begins with a
shotgun start at 8 a.m.
Saturday at Faulkwood
Shores Golf Club, east of
Latson Road at 300 S.
Hughes Road in Genoa
Township. Entry fee for
the four-person scramble
is $400 per team and
includes 18 holes of golf
with cart, range balls and
lunch after golf. Prizes
and gift certificates are
available. The nonprofit
provides postsecondary
educational scholarships
for children and spouses
of military men and
women killed or disabled
while serving in the U.S.
military. Find out more by
visiting the Web site
www.patriotgolfday.com.
Courthouse music
plays in Howell
The Livingston Arts
Council presents Steve
King and the Dittilies in a
free Concerts at the
Courthouse performance
at 7 p.m. today at the
amphitheater outside the
historical Livingston
County Courthouse on
Grand River Avenue in
downtown Howell. Call
(517) 540-0065 for more
information.
Splash it up over
a long weekend
Waterslides and beaches
at the Kensington
Metropark’s Splash ’n’
Blast are open from
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through
Monday. Cost is $4 for
adults, $3 for seniors and
children ages 2-15.
Martindale Beach and
Maple Beach will be
open without lifeguards
Saturday through
Monday. The park is a
few miles east of
Brighton at 2240 W. Buno
Road in Brighton
Township. See more by
visiting the Web site
www.metroparks.com.
Farmers market
is open Saturday
The Hartland Farm and
Flea Market is open from
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday
in the parking lot of the
Hartland Educational
Support Service Center,
west of Old U.S. 23 at
9525 E. M-59 in Hartland
Township. For further
information on the event
call (810) 632-1030.
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www.livingstondaily.com 50¢
ECONOMY
RECREATION
Lawmakers:
Budget will
Cyclists gear up for Mackinaw ride be on time
By Sarah K. Norris
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
School aid funding, deficit
The four-hour car trip to Mackinaw
City can seem like a chore, even if it has remain outstanding issues
the reward of an Upper Peninsula vacation
at the end. Covering the distance on bike By Christopher Behnan
over the course of four days or five days DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
might seem downright insurmountable.
Yet each year, cyclists take off from The state’s legislative leadership is expected to
Lansing to accomplish just that over the reach a consensus on next year’s budget at any
Labor Day weekend during the DALMAC moment, a sign the budget should be resolved by the
— Dick Allen Lansing to Mackinaw — bike Sept. 30 deadline or sooner, state lawmakers said.
tour. However, a list of issues — including a proposal
This year, eight Livingston County resi- to shift school aid dollars to relieve the general fund
dents are hopping into the saddle along- deficit in this year’s
side more than 2,000 other cyclists for the
tour, which includes camping and food
budget — remain
unresolved.
INSIDE
stops along the way and a leisurely view of State lawmakers and
• Our editorial: Don’t
Michigan’s late-summer scenery. Gov. Jennifer Gran- believe the rhetoric.
holm are attempting to The budget being craft-
Continued on page 4 erase a $302 million ed by state lawmakers
deficit this fiscal year is a sham and another
and a projected short-
fall of $484 million for
example of legislators
the fiscal year that be- playing state taxpayers
gins Oct. 1. for suckers. Read
Differences on the more on page 6A.
budget are “smaller
than larger” for the first time in weeks, said Rep.
Bill Rogers, R-Genoa Township.
“That deal was supposed to be struck yesterday.
It was supposed to be struck the day before. We
could use that line from here on out,” Rogers said.
Continued on page 4
EDUCATION
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS FILE PHOTO
A Brighton Area Schools parent is con-
cerned that the district’s bus routes will
be too long for her two children.
Parents upset
Debra Holdcraft takes her bike to work in
preparation for the DALMAC bicycle tour.
Photo by GILLIS BENEDICT/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
over lengthy
busing routes
MONEY By Jim Totten
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
Candidate says no to banks Although her three daughters are supposed to
take the bus to school, Kim LaFleur is planning on
that won’t lend in Michigan driving at least two of
them because she
doesn’t want them
By Kathy Barks Hoffman Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm has riding the bus for
ASSOCIATED PRESS appealed to the same banks to join the fed- more than an hour.
erally funded program, which would pro- Based on the bus
LANSING — Democrat Virg Bernero vide financial assistance for homeowners schedules LaFleur re-
said Thursday he’ll stop the state from struggling to keep up with their mortgage ceived from Brighton
doing business with banks that won’t lend payments. Area Schools, the
in Michigan if he’s elected governor. Bernero also said the banks should be Green Oak Township
He specifically mentioned Bank of helping more Michigan small businesses woman is estimating
America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co.,
Citigroup Inc., PNC Financial Services
get access to the credit they need to expand
and hire more workers.
her eighth-grader’s
morning bus ride will
Group Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co., criticizing “We are being robbed of our recovery as last about 105 min-
them for refusing to participate in the state’s utes, and her third- Superintendent Greg
Virg Bernero Helping Hardest Hit Homeowners Fund. Continued on page 4 grader is looking at a
ride of 75 minutes. Gray said bus rides
Inside: Online:
The first day of should last no longer
school is Tuesday. than an hour at most.
“It’s insanity; it’s ridiculous,” LaFleur said.
“I know plenty of other families who are just as
The county’s landscape will be See www.livingstondaily.com to upset as I am,” she said. “Everybody I have spoken
to has issues.”
a lot more visible this fall as view a photo gallery taken at She has spoken with Brighton transportation
several films shot here open. Thursday’s Week 2 football
See more in County, page 3A. match for Brighton High School. Continued on page 4
INDEX Contact Us
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The Weekender . . . . . . . . . . . . 1C
4A DAILY PRESS & ARGUS-Friday, September 3, 2010

COUNTY & STATE

Lawmakers are
hopeful to meet
budget deadline
Continued from page 1

“There might be a real opportu-

nity this time,” he added.
An extended budget period was
passed last year that gave the
Legislature an extra month, or
until Oct. 31, to pass the current
year’s budget.
The state government was
momentarily shut down in 2007
while lawmakers haggled over
proposed tax increases. State Rep. Bill Rogers
State Sen. Valde Garcia, R-
Marion Township, said he expects
next year’s budget to pass smooth-
ly because Granholm’s budget pro-
posal didn’t include tax increases.
Garcia said the governor left
leaders in the Democratic-led
House and Republican-led Senate
a workable plan.
“I’m optimistic we’ll get it
done, but I’ve been disappointed
before,” said Garcia, who was in
office during the 2007 shutdown. State Sen. Valde Garcia
The Senate is scheduled to
return to session Tuesday, and the
Passages
File photo by ROD SANFORD/GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
A DALMAC bike rider heads north out of Lansing in 2009. The annual event takes place over the Labor Day weekend. House on Wednesday.
Last week, the House approved

DALMAC riders set out on journey

Continued from page 1
There are no winners at the DALMAC.
“First thing’s first — it’s not a race,” said
Debra Holdcraft, a Fowlerville woman riding
in DALMAC. “It’s a tour.”
Holdcraft has been riding in the DALMAC
since 1999, when some friends who belonged
to the Tri-County Bike Association looped her
into the event.
The Tri-County Bike Association has been
organizing the ride since 1971. The 2010 ride
offers a different opportunity for dedicated rid-
ers — the “quint century,” a 508-mile route
along the coast of Western Michigan, requiring
riders to cover 100 miles per day of the tour.
“The hardcore riders do the quint,” said
Gary Oak, a Brighton resident, who has been
riding in the DALMAC since 1977.
The 500-mile route is only offered to riders
once every five years.
Oak, who rides in several “century,” or 100-
mile, rides throughout the summer, said that
fitness isn’t his main motivation for cycling.
“It’s not just getting in shape,” he said. “It’s
having fun. Exercise is a side benefit, the main
benefit is the fun of it.”
Holdcraft feels the same way about her
experience with the DALMAC.
“You meet all kinds of different people; you
get to see beautiful countryside and all the
details you don’t see driving in a car,” she said.
Not all DALMAC routes are as challenging
as the grueling “quint century.” The shortest
route clocks in at 286 miles, and riders can take
four days or five days to complete their given
route. The five-day rides began Wednesday and
the four-day rides started Thursday.
While most of the routes end at the
Mackinac Bridge, one five-day trek actually
ends in Sault Ste. Marie.
Tackling hundreds of miles on a bike pres-
ents some interesting challenges.
“Being in the saddle that long can be very
hard. No saddle is that comfortable,” said Mark
Lang, a Fowlerville resident also tackling the
508-mile route. “Plus, you have to make sure
you stay hydrated, especially in this heat.”
Being in the saddle, or on the seat, of the
bicycle can be the most uncomfortable part of
riding long distances, Holdcraft agreed.
“You’ve got to have comfortable clothing,”
she said.
Holdcraft added that in the northern parts of
the trail, the terrain can be very hilly, which is
difficult to train for in lower Michigan.
One of the aims of the race is to promote
appreciation of biking as both transportation
and recreation. Holdcraft incorporates that
idea into her life and her training plan.
“I work 18 miles away from home, so I try
to bike to work one or two times a week,
depending on the weather,” she said.
Holdcraft enjoys the leisurely pace of the
ABOUT THE DALMAC
The DALMAC, or Dick Allen Lansing to
Mackinaw, ride is named for former state
Sen. Dick Allen, founder of the tour.
The DALMAC fund has donated more
than $900,000 to bicycling-related organ-
izations and causes since 1985.
More than 2,100 riders will attempt the
Lansing to Mackinaw ride in 2010. About
73 percent of the participants are men
and about 27 percent are female.
The average age of a participant is 48.
According to organizers, the DALMAC
and its riders infuse more than $400,000
into the economy over the weekend.
DALMAC as a vacation from her everyday
life.
“You know, you leave your watch at home,”
she said. “You’re on no schedule.”
Other Livingston County residents tackling
the DALMAC this year are Keenan Cluskey of
Brighton, Nathan Crosty of Brighton, Ed
Helzerman of Fowlerville, Tim Grose of
Howell and Jeff Hansen of Howell.
Contact Daily Press & Argus reporter
Sarah K. Norris at (517) 552-2847 or at
sknorris@gannett.com.
a bill that would shift a projected Obituaries, Memorials & Remembrances
$208 million surplus from the
state’s K-12 schools fund to help Call 888-999-1288 or
pay for other programs. The sur- Email lcp-obits@gannett.com
plus school money would be used
to replace money from the gener-
al fund that goes to community
colleges.
That proposal has drawn the ire
of some legislators, including
from Rogers and fellow state Rep.
Cindy Denby, a Republican from
Handy Township.
Denby said the bill “robs Peter
to pay Paul,” and Rogers said the
bill proposes “just basically steal-
ing it” from K-12 schools.
Rogers said he’s concerned that
EDDI D. BEGO
an expected $26 million in Federal PINCKNEY, MICHIGAN
Medical Assistance Percentages Age 86, died Monday morning,
dollars, which are federal match- August 30, 2010 at her residence.She
ing funds for Medicaid, will pro- was born April 26, 1924 in Pontiac,
vide a “Band-Aid” to help plug the Michigan; the daughter of Noel and
budget. Rosanne (Smale) Martin. Eddi mar-
Michigan is also expected to ried Donald Bego on October 16,
receive more than $300 million in 1971 in Highland, Michigan and he
unexpected, additional federal survives. She is also survived by
school aid. three daughters, Sharon Meeks,
Without those funding meas- Robin Weakland and Elizabeth Roy;
ures, the Legislature would have one son, Clifford Pigman; two step-
been forced to make difficult deci- sons, Alexander Bego and Andrey
sions long unaddressed, Rogers Bego, fourteen grandchildren and
said. several great-grandchildren; Eddi
was preceded in death by a daughter,
“I don’t believe we’re going to
Diane Nichols and a son, David
make the changes, the real reform Pigman. Funeral service will be held
we needed to make,” he said. 11 AM Friday, September 3, 2010 at
Granholm last month proposed Shelters Funeral Home 250 N Mill St.
the school aid shift and spending Pinckney, Michigan 48169, crema-

Bernero won’t use banks that don’t lend
Continued from page 1
a result of the lack of capital,”
Bernero told reporters after unveil-
ing his plan to about a dozen
Lansing residents during a cam-
paign stop at a downtown coffee
shop. “If Wall Street doesn’t want
to do business with us, then we
won’t do business with Wall Street.”
The Lansing mayor also repeat-
ed his proposal to have Michigan
follow the lead of North Dakota
and open a state-owned bank that
could make low-interest loans to
businesses and college students.
Among the banks Bernero said
are benefiting from state business
is JPMorgan Chase, which he said
the state pays to manage a fund
relating to the state’s cash flow.
Yet the state has far more ties to
the banks than Bernero men-
tioned. As of Wednesday, the
State of Michigan Retirement
Systems had $650 million in com-
mon stock holdings in banking
firms Bernero criticized, about 1.4
percent of the total, Treasury
spokesman Terry Stanton said.
That included $246 million in
stock in Bank of America, $163
million in Citigroup, $135 million
in JPMorgan Chase, $88 million
in Wells Fargo and $17 million in
PNC.
Michigan Bankers Association
spokeswoman Gail Madziar was-
n’t impressed with Bernero’s pro-
posal to lock out the banks.
cuts, among other measures, and
called on the Legislature to make
difficult budgeting decisions.
tion will follow service. Family will
receive friends 5-8 PM Thursday at
the funeral home.
“We must continue to make the
SNYDER GIVES HIS CAMPAIGN $6.1 MILLION tough decisions necessary to
LANSING (AP) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick reduce spending. The cuts I’ve OBITUARY POLICY
proposed help our state live within The first seven lines of an obituary are pub-
Snyder vastly outspent his GOP rivals to win Aug. 3 GOP primary. lished free of charge. After that, there is a fee
its means while continuing to pro- of $3 a line. Pictures may be published for $25.
He also spent seven times more than Democratic winner Virg vide critical services,” she said.
Bernero, according to campaign finance reports filed Thursday. *Deadline for obituaries is 4:30 p.m. Monday
The Associated Press con- through Thursday for publication in the next
Snyder, a wealthy Ann Arbor businessman and former presi- tributed to this report. morning’s newspaper. Obituaries received
Contact Daily Press & Argus Friday or Saturday by 1 p.m. will be published
dent of computer maker Gateway Inc., gave his campaign $6.1 in Sunday’s newspaper.
million and raised $2 million from other donors. He then spent reporter Christopher Behnan at
For more information, call 888-999-1288,
(517) 548-7108 or at cbehnan@
$7.6 million, more than twice as much as anyone else in the race. gannett.com.
or contact your funeral home.
*Holiday deadlines are subject to change.
Bernero, the Lansing mayor, raised $1 million, including nearly
$95,000 he loaned his campaign. He also got around $112,000 in
public matching funds. FRIENDS OF
Although he didn’t pay for any television ads, Bernero’s cam- THE HOWELL CARNEGIE
paign was helped by more than $1.8 million in ads paid for by the
Genesee County Democratic Committee with union help. DISTRICT LIBRARY
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
The Friends of the Howell Carnegie District Library will be holding its

Parent raises concerns over transportation

annual General Membership meeting on September 14, 2010 at 7:00 PM
in the Meabon Room of the Library. This is an opportunity for the gener-
al membership hear what the "friends" have contributed to the Library
during the past year.
Continued from page 1 During the first two weeks, he tary School and seven minutes Nine Mile Road in Green Oak
said, the district will review routes away from Scranton Middle Township have also complained (9-3-10 DAILY 506137)
officials to complain about the and make adjustments, which School. However, she will have to about the length of the bus rides.
issue and has exchanged e-mails happens every year. get one daughter up at 5 a.m., and Gray said anyone who has con-
with Superintendent Greg Gray. Gray said he has received less another at 6:30 a.m. cerns about transportation should
Gray said these issues are being than 10 calls complaining about “They need to change some- call (810) 299-3890.
resolved, and that bus rides the bus rides: “We get phone thing,” she said. Contact Daily Press & Argus
should be one hour at the longest. calls; we make adjustments.” Residents who live in the Sand reporter Jim Totten at (517) 548-
“The longest routes have to be Gray said it usually takes sever- Crane Crossing subdivision off 7088 or at jtotten@gannett.com. PUBLICATION NO. USPS 316-500
around an hour,” he said. al weeks before the routes are ISSN 2150-5667
He noted that some ride times firmly established and operate as The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, published by Federated Publications, Inc, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Co. Inc, 323 E. Grand River, Howell Michigan, estab-
will be shorter because children they will the rest of the year. lished in 1843, is published daily Sunday through Friday in Livingston County, Michigan,
will be dropped off earlier than the LaFleur said she wasn’t happy and serves the cities of Howell and Brighton, the villages of Fowlerville and Pinckney, and
16 unincorporated townships of Livingston County. Phone 548-2000, Area Code 517.
school start time. He’s also spoken when she learned about times she Entered as periodical matter at the Howell, Michigan (48843) Post Office under Act of
with transportation officials who needed to have her children at the March 3, 1897. Subscription rates 50 cents per single issue/$1.25 on Sundays.
Sunday/Holiday* only subscription $17.00 for 13 wks. inside Livingston County. $28.00 for
confirmed the longest rides for bus stops. She lives only five min- 13 wks. out of county inside the state of Michigan. $32.00 for 13 wks. out of state. 6-day
subscription rates $34.00 for 13 wks. inside Livingston County. $206.00 per year out of
students will be about an hour. utes away from Hawkins Elemen- county inside the state of Michigan. $239.00 per year out of state.
*Sunday/Holiday subscriptions also include delivery on these days in 2010: 1/1, 5/31, 7/5,
9/6, 11/25 and 12/24.
We General Manager & Executive Editor Staff Reporter . . . . . . . . .Sarah Norris
Deliver
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