May 4, 2012--

One of my favorite things about spring is the return of great gems like local farmers markets. Shopping at farmers markets is a great way to find fresh, local produce and support hard-working farmers at the same time.

Below you can find information on all the fantastic farmer’s markets in our area that operate May through October each year.

Right here in Fowlerville, we have the Fowlerville Farmer’s Market, which operates every Wednesday from 2 to 7 p.m. in the 200 block of West Grand River in the Downtown Development Authority’s new parking lot next to the hardware store.

On Saturdays you can stop by the Downtown Brighton Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the municipal parking lot at city hall.

Also on Saturdays, you can shop till you drop at the Hartland Farmer’s Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Old Hartland High School parking lot on M-59, west of Target.

The Howell Sundays Farmer’s Market of course is open on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the corner of State Street and Clinton Street in historic Downtown Howell, next to the Livingston County Courthouse.

If you feel like traveling outside of Livingston County and seeing what other nearby farmers markets have to offer, I encourage you to explore the following locations:

The Laingsburg Farmer’s Market in downtown Laingsburg from 4 p.m. to dusk every Wednesday.

Weather permitting, the Durand Union Station Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday at 200 S. Railroad Dr.

The Downtown Owosso Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at 301 W. Main St.

I hope you take advantage of the warming weather and visit one of these great farmers markets to pick up some fresh produce and support your local economy. I know I plan on it!

I’m proud to report about the recent indicators that show our state’s economy is

indeed rebounding. Just this month, there were two pieces of good news on the jobs front.

From March 2011 to March 2012, Michigan and Alabama recorded the largest jobless rate decreases by both registering drops of 2 percentage points, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Michigan had the highest unemployment rate in the country. Currently, we are tied for 14th. While the change is happening slowly, things are starting to turn around and we are getting our state back on the right track.

We also recently learned that Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in nearly four years last month, when the state recorded an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent, according to state officials.

The March rate of 8.5 percent was 0.3 percentage points lower than the February rate of 8.8 percent, and it was a full two percentage points lower than the March 2011 rate of 10.5 percent, said Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget officials.

Additionally, the total number of people who reported being without work fell to 397,000, down 12,000 from February and down 96,000 from March 2011. This is a sign that Michigan’s economy is slowly, but surely, recovering.

This good news is evidence that the reforms the Legislature put in place in the past year and a half are working. These changes have produced positive results that are taking place across our entire state.

While I’m happy to see Michigan’s economic outlook improving, our work is not yet done. We must keep enacting reforms that will help ensure that our state continues to recover. I am committed to getting Michigan back on the road to prosperity and will with my colleagues accomplish that goal.

April 20, 2012--

Now that winter is securely behind us, and the trees and flowers are beginning to bloom, it’s a wonderful time to set out to explore the great outdoors. Living in Michigan, the options are nearly endless, thanks to our fantastic state parks system.

It’s also a great time to make a summer reading list and take a trip to your local library, where in addition to finding books for your reading pleasure, you can also receive a discount for visiting a state park.

The “Park and Read” program offered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Library of Michigan allows library card-holders to check out a one-day pass that waives the Recreation Passport entry fee into any of Michigan’s 101 state parks and recreation areas. That’s a savings of $10!

These free passes are also good at any of the 11 museum or historic sites within the Michigan Historical Museum system.

Passes are valid for seven days from checkout and are good for day use only. The Park and Read program will run at more than 400 participating libraries across the state now through Oct. 1.

I encourage everyone to use their library card this summer and obtain a Park and Read pass.

For more information, including a complete list of participating libraries, visit: www.michigan.gov/stateparks.

April 13, 2012--

Did you know that April is National Donate Life Month? According to the Michigan Secretary of State, there are 2,965 people in Michigan waiting for an organ transplant.

To help raise awareness of the importance of organ donation, the Michigan Legislature approved two measures that recently became law.

Public Act 54 of 2012 establishes a fundraising license plate recognizing anatomical donations. Funds raised from this plate will go to the Thomas Daley Gift of Life Fund, which was created through Public Act 55 of 2012. Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Daley, R-Arcadia Township, this new law (which was named after my colleague’s son Thomas Daley, who became an organ donor in January of 2011) creates the fund in the Michigan Department of State.

Signing up to be an organ donor in Michigan is simple. All you need to do is visit the Michigan Secretary of State website at: www.michigan.gov/sos and click the “organ donation” link. From there you can sign up to be on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. It’s that easy!

The gift of life is one of the greatest gifts you can make. Please consider registering as an organ donor today. It will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.