We remain an exceptional nation because of the brave U.S. servicemen and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice or the ongoing sacrifice of service and challenges of the world at war today.

It is a fact we should keep in mind this and every Memorial Day.

The letter below appeared in Friday’s Wall Street Journal. It was written by Col. Tom Manion, USMCR (Ret.) who is on the board of the Travis Manion Foundation, which assists veterans and the families of the fallen.

By Tom Manion

I served in the military for 30 years. But it was impossible to fully understand the sacrifices of our troops and their families until April 29, 2007, the day my son, First Lt. Travis Manion, was killed in Iraq.

Travis was just 26 years old when an enemy sniper’s bullet pierced his heart after he had just helped save two wounded comrades. Even though our family knew the risks of Travis fighting on the violent streets of Fallujah, being notified of his death on a warm Sunday afternoon in Doylestown, Pa., was the worst moment of our lives.

While my son’s life was relatively short, I spend every day marveling at his courage and wisdom. Before his second and final combat deployment, Travis said he wanted to go back to Iraq in order to spare a less-experienced Marine from going in his place. His words—”If not me, then who . . . “—continue to inspire me.

My son is one of thousands to die in combat since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Because of their sacrifices, as well as the heroism of previous generations, Memorial Day 2012 should have tremendous importance to our entire nation, with an impact stretching far beyond one day on the calendar.

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Despite running a multi-million dollar deficit, Dearborn city leaders voted to purchase a new city hall.

With the city of Dearborn running a budget deficit that city officials have repeatedly said is upwards of $20 million, the decision this week by council and mayor to set aside nearly $4 million in taxpayer money to buy a new city hall has us shaking our head in disbelief.

For sure the building at 16901 Michigan Ave., which formerly housed the metro Detroit headquarters of payroll processor ADP Inc. and has been vacant since 2010, is a decent “deal” in a down real estate market. But a “good deal” shouldn’t be reason to spend when residents have been told we have money challenges.

Yes one can make the argument this purchase is for the long haul, but don’t think for a minute the new building won’t need major rework to accommodate city offices. This isn’t as simple as hanging a new city hall sign on Michigan Avenue.

City leaders know this, too, which is likely why no one was able to address the costs required to retrofit the ADP building to make it City Hall suitable. The city has set aside about $525,000 above the $3.2 million purchase price for the building. That won’t even begin to cover costs to get this building into shape.

Finance Director Jim O’Connor told the Dearborn Press & Guide that the money to cover the purchase of the building will come from either accumulated savings in the general fund, bonds, or an unspecified third source that he called “promising.”

We are told there’s a “potential buyer” lined up for City Hall, which is why this measure passed on a 5-2 council vote. City Council in March authorized a letter of intent to sell the campus to Artspace Projects Inc. for repurposing as live-work space for low-income artists.

But the nonprofit developer has not yet signed off on the agreement nor have city officials shared what price, if anything, the city will get for this prime piece of real estate.

We have heard the arguments that City Hall needs a supposed $5.7 million in repairs and that’s why Dearborn needs a new City Hall. But that is nonsense. Like classic cars, you can restore a building and indeed make it better. Even more efficient. The new building supposedly is three times less costly to operate? Says who?

Does Artspace have the funding to fix the building or is the city simply giving the building away?

If the city really is working to trim its workforce and operate with fewer people does it really need more space, which is one of the key arguments to justify the purchase of a new building. We think not. Yet, city leaders argued that the current City Hall – 95,000 square feet of it – has wasted space, such as the sweeping circle staircase in the center of the main City Hall building. Most people, including Artspace, would call that staircase a great design. So, too, about City Hall’s wide hallways.

They don’t make buildings like our City Hall any longer because it would cost too much to duplicate it. It is easier to build cheap buildings, such as one the city plans to purchase.

Just two council members opposed the purchase plan. Council President Tom Tafelksi and Councilman Brian O’Donnell.

“We’re saying we’re broke,” Tafelski said. “We can’t open up pools. Our neighborhoods have grass that’s nine and ten and twelve inches. Our legacy should not be in bricks and mortar. It should be in preserving and protecting the neighborhoods and fundamentally changing the downtown districts.”

Do our elected officials even have a plan to resuscitate our ailing city?

The fountain at the Henry Ford Centennial Library needs about $750,000 in repairs, city officials say.

We had heard the rumors and now The Detroit News reports that the water fountain which sits in front of the Henry Ford Centennial Library could be demolished and replaced with a smaller one because Dearborn lacks the needed money to repair the marble structure.

The fountain was a gift from the Ford Motor Company, an elegant water display to greet visitors to the city’s main library, which opened in 1969.

A new proposal could see the marble structure that once featured jets of water dancing upward amid colorful lights in a “water symphony” demolished in favor of a smaller version or even leveled for a garden.

According to The News, the venerable landmark to the drive down Michigan Avenue has fallen into disrepair, even after a $250,000 donation by a local benefactor more than a decade ago and repairs that were intended to “ensure the long-term future of the fountain,” according to the former public works director in 2006.

Jim Murray, director of the city’s Public Works Department, tells The News that annual maintenance and operation costs near $75,000. He says full restoration could cost as much as $750,000, a bit strain on the city’s budget. Officials are exploring options, including paving over the iconic structure.

All of this raises the simple question: How did we get here?

The start time for the adoption of the City of Dearborn’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget is now 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 29 in the City Council Chambers. The meeting was previously scheduled for May 22.

This meeting is open to the public.

Dearborn City Council is still scheduled to review Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr.’s proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget at a public hearing on May 14 at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at Dearborn City Hall.

Extensive documents relating to the budget proposed for Fiscal Year 2013, which begins July 1, 2012, are posted at the city’s website, www.cityofdearborn.org. Additional information about the city’s overall finances, proposals for future budget years, and past spending can also be found at the same website.

The First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn is inviting all on Sunday May 27, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for a celebration of Pentecost through contemporary song and pastoral prayers at the church, located at 600 North Brady in Dearborn.

The church is  asking everyone to bring a small dessert to share in fellowship afterward during an afterglow that will include ice cream courtesy of the host church DNA committee at FPCD. You can RSVP or “like” the event on Facebook. Please contact the church if you have a large group or other questions regarding attending this unique event.

For more information, click HERE

A new Tim Hortons coffee shop could soon be headed into a second location on Michigan Avenue. The Dearborn Elks, owner of the property at 25000 Michigan Ave., is requesting to have their property rezoned as part of negotiations it is having with the Tim Hortons franchise.

The property, formerly home to the Elks organization, is zoned BB, Community Business at the southern portion, while the northern portion is zoned RA, One Family Residential. The request is to rezone the residentially zoned portion of the property to BB Community Business. The change will accommodate resuse and redevelopment of the property.

The Dearborn Elks have been renting the property out for banquets, as it is too large for their current use.

Mark Kellenberger, on behalf of Tim Hortons, will make the request to have the property rezoned at a Monday evening meeting of the Dearborn Plan Commission.

Judge Richard Wygonik

Dearborn’s 19th District Chief Judge Richard Wygonik may not have received the endorsement of Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., for his re-election (the mayor endorsed attorney Sam Salamey), but he did pick up the endorsement of former Chief Judge Leo K. Foran.

The Wygonik re-election team issued a media release touting the Foran endorsement news this week. In addition, team Wygonik said the judge would “soon release a roadmap for future court reforms.”

Foran served 34-years as chief judge of the 20th District Court and one-year as chief judge of the 19th District Court. During his  judicial career, Foran also served as a visiting judge in both Circuit Court and Recorders Court.

Wygonik’s re-election team says Foran’s endorsement comes after recent statements by opposing political campaigns that “falsely” tried to link Wygonik to the rocky tenure of former Chief Judge Mark Somers, who is the target of lawsuits by court employees. Wygonik’s election team says he is not a party to the lawsuits and, in January 2012, the Michigan Supreme Court appointed Wygonik to replace Somers.

In their news release, Team Wygonik also noted that the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct requires that candidates for judicial office “should not knowingly, or with reckless disregard, use or participate in the form of any public communication that is false.” They also provided this link HERE

“I was a chief judge for well over thirty years and made decisions concerning the administrative operations of two district courts,” Foran said. “Chief Judge Richard Wygonik is doing an excellent job. We need him to continue to guide the court through difficult times. I’m proud to endorse his reelection,” Foran said.

Wygonik thanked Foran and pledged to continue to serve as chief judge to the best of his ability.

“I’m grateful for the support of former Chief Judge Leo Foran. I’m also proud to have been appointed 19th District chief judge by the Michigan Supreme Court. I will continue to strive for greater efficiency in court operations and to work to protect the rights of those who appear before the courts,” Wygonik said.

Wygonik was appointed to the bench in 2005. Dearborn voters retained him for a full six-year term in November 2006. He is a lifetime resident of Dearborn and a graduate of Fordson High School. He received his law degree from Wayne State University after completing his undergraduate work at Henry Ford Community College and Western Michigan University. Wygonik has been a practicing attorney since 1972.