Sports Interest and a Down Economy Link?

It seems as almost everybody I talk to lately has a major fascination with either the Red Wings or the Tigers. It's always great to go to the game in person, but we're able to watch our teams on television or certainly hear them on the radio. I wonder if people are looking for distraction from the economy, looking for something to cheer about, or if they're really die-hard fans. In any case, it's great to see the interest for our local teams. The Red Wings tied up Round Two play against the Anaheim Ducks last night at 2 games each. Tigers are one game over .500 at 14-13.

It's sad to see local shops go out of business. One goes, two seem to pop-up, though. Take the closing of Taorello's Market in Brighton. Sure, it was upscale, but I thought it filled a definite niche in the area. They're gone now, but an Aldi's opens at Grand River and Golf Club Rd in Howell and a new fruit and flower market is coming to the old Steve Brown used car site on Grand River, just west of National.

The old BP Gas station and Munzell Engineering building on Grand River and St. Paul St. in Brighton is being transformed into a new gas station and retail strip. Tim Horton's will be one of the businesses there. I always thought it was strange that Brighton had a Tim Horton's Regional Office but no retail stores (and I love their coffee). I'm glad they'll be a new face in town.

In Howell, rumor has it that the OfficeMax store in the Grand River Plaza is closing at the end of June. It's a pretty large store with a lot of product and an attractive layout. Hopefully that space will be filled again soon, but even as an optimist I have to admit that it's likely to be vacant for quite some time. Of course, this scenario gets replayed in towns and cities throughout Michigan on an all too regular basis.

Charity poker rooms seem to be popping up all over, too. Howell has had one for quite a while, Brighton now has two or three and there's also one in Whitmore Lake. What's the attraction? For poker players it's a low-cost tournament entry without having to drive to either Detroit or Mt. Pleasant to get to a casino. You don't have to worry about blowing the rent money to play and it gives you a chance to hone your skills with new players. Or it can just be a one-time diversion, something different to do. If you're a good enough player, you can consider poker a competitive sport. If you're a casual player, it's a diversion.

Area golf courses are open, trees and flowers are beginning to blossom and we're into that beautiful Spring weather right now. As I was out yesterday, I took time to make a couple of brief stops and take pictures. The visual of bright redbuds and various colored flowering fruit trees was too much to resist. Luckily I had my camera with me. The picture at left was one of about a dozen that I took just before the light rain started.

Signs Of A Down Economy?

I've been keeping my eyes open as I get around Livingston County. As bad as things are supposed to be, I do see signs of growth and potential.

There seem to be new restaurants popping up all over the place. Pi's asian cuisine in Brighton (on Cross and 2nd), a new asian restaurant coming to Main Street in Brighton, new owners taking over the old Fire Rock on M-59 and Old US-23 (now called Grille 23), India Gate at Grand River and Chilson in Howell, the New Century Buffet on Grand River just east of Latson (in the strip mall by Los Tres Amigos), and even the old Prairie House is living a new life as TJ's River BBQ (in front of Walmart in Howell).

It's been a great winter for outdoor sports, too. I've seen tons of snowmobile tracks on the rural roads, there are always a lot of ice fisherman on the local lakes, and everytime I've driven past Mt. Brighton in the evening, the slopes are full of skiiers and snow boarders. After so many disappointing winters, it's great to see them doing well.

Speaking of Mt. Brighton, they've entered into an agreement to lease space for a new charity poker room. The Shark Club in Howell has been doing this for quite a while, but it looks like the market is still open for more of this type of recreation. I know, some will say that it's not recreation, it's gambling. And yes, there is always a gamble when you play cards.

Not-for-profit groups can apply for a four day State Millionaire's Party License under their Charitable Gaming Regulations. Tournaments are conducted with approximately 80% of the money being paid back to the top tournament finishers. The rest is split between the charity and the group running the poker room. They provide professionally trained dealers, all of the equipment (tables, chips, cards, etc.) and have consistent rules of play.

The group that oversees the poker room at Mt. Brighton is Premier Poker Lounge (http://www.premierpokerlounge.com/PPL/). They just finished their first 4-day set of tournaments at Mt. Brighton and they did have enough players to make for a competitive set of games. Tournaments are popular with players because you pay a flat amount, usually $25 or $30, to enter. The winnings are based on the number of total players and dollars in the 'pool', but if you've watched poker on television and wondered how you might stack up this is a cheap way to find out.

My article word count just clicked over 400 words, and I'm trying to keep blog posts around that limit, so I'll wrap this one up now.