health
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
December 23-29, 2009 Page C-4
THE MEMORY TRAIN
Michigan small businesses urge
The life and times
Senate to pass clean energy plan
In a letter to Michigan Sen- suffering. We cannot afford plan in Congress,” said Loch
of the potatoes
ators Carl Levin and Debbie to wait any longer. Michigan McCabe, president of clean
Stabenow, Michigan busi- businesses are ready to be in- energy management and con-
nesses recently called on novative and become leaders sulting firm Shepherd Advi-
By Hugh Burrell
d o n e shirts, pants, skirts, shoes
the U.S. Senate to pass clean in the energy economy. Clean sors of Ann Arbor, and a board
This week is a story about
s o t h a t and plenty of toys. Even more
energy legislation because it energy legislation can give us member of the Small Business
how a girl potato and a boy
when she so, they were brought to our
will create local jobs, support the support we need to com- Association of Michigan.”
potato got together. It all start-
graduated, home by the Detroit Police De-
businesses and jump start the pete globally, create Michigan
ed when a girl potato and boy
she would partment “Big Four.”
state’s struggling economy. jobs and move our economy
Michigan is consistent-
potato had “eyes” for each
really be in
There was a wonderful
The business leaders called
forward.”
ly ranked as one of the top
wind energy locations in the
other and finally got married.
the “chips.”
spirit in the in the entire area.
on the Senate to act as scores Investing in clean energy nation. In August, Michigan
They had a little “sweet potato”
But in spite
We did not have the shoot-
of businesses from Michigan can create up to 54,000 jobs was awarded more than $1.5
which they named “Yam.”
of all they
and across the nation pre- in Michigan in the next two billion in federal funding for
did for her,
ings and killings that we have
Of course, they wanted the
pared to leave for Washington years, according to a study advanced auto battery and
one day
today. This has to do with
best for Yam, so they told her
to urge senators, including by the Political Economy Re- electric vehicle research, de-
Yam came
having a strong neighborhood
about the facts of life.
Levin and Stabenow, to sup- search Institute at the Uni- velopment and manufactur-
home and
— from all nationalities and
we all could communicate
port clean energy legislation. versity of Massachusetts-Am- ing.
They warned her about announced
with and respect each other.
In June, the House passed its herst. Even in tough times,
going out and getting “half- when was
Unfortunately, those days are
version of clean energy legis- clean energy has created more
Since June, more than 170
baked,” so she wouldn’t get
Hugh Burrell
going to
gone.
lation. than 100,000 jobs in Michigan
Michigan scientists and more
accidentally “mashed” and marry Tom
get a bad name for herself like Brokaw. Mr. & Mrs. Potato
I would like to send a spe-
“Clean Michigan energy
— an 8 percent increase —
than 150 Michigan doctors,
“hot potato” and end up with were very upset and they told
cial hello to my good friend,
means good Michigan jobs and
while jobs overall declined 5.4
nurses and health care profes-
f
a bunch of “Tater Tots.” Yam Yam she could not possibly
Brian Fountain, on the loss
new opportunities for Michi-
percent from 2005 to 2008, ac-
sionals have signed letters o
support for clean energy and
said not to worry, no “spud” marry Tom Brokaw. And they
of one of his family members.
gan businesses,” said Dianne
cording to the Michigan Green
climate change legislation,
would get her into the sack said it was because he was
We have been friends for many
Holman, principal of Work-
Jobs Report.
which have been delivered to
and make a “rooten potato” just a “commentator.”
years. To the Fountains, may
ing Bugs LLC, a clean energy “Michigan’s emerging Michigan’s congressional del-
out of her. But on the other
God continue blessing you for
company based in East Lan- clean energy industry will be egation.
NOW THAT WE got that
hand, she wouldn’t stay home
sing. “Michigan’s economy is a winner under the energy
out of the way, growing up at
having your loved one for so
and become a “couch potato”
960 Garfield in the old Hast-
many years.
either.
ings Street area, I can remem- Special Hello Dept: Pastor
She would get plenty of ex- ber how wonderful this time of
James, Lionel Richie, Dora AARP launches money-saving
ercise so as not to be skinny the year was.
Linsey, Joe Burrell, the Bostic
like her “shoestring” cousins.
My Mother Mittie was an ex-
family, Ethel King, Pastor and
When she went off to Europe,
cellent cook and never had to
Mrs. Moore, the Gus Hughes
prescription drug resource
Mr. and Mrs. Potato told Yam
use a cookbook. For over 30
family, the Robert Grubbs
to watch out for the “hard-
years, she was the main cook
family, the Mathis family and
By Felicia Wasson
As a part of our Health
boiled” guys from Ireland and
at Mackenzie Hall on Wayne
all of you wonderful readers.
Action Now campaign, AARP
the “greasy guys” from France
State’s campus. She was so And once again I would like Each year, millions of
is calling on Congress to close
called the “French fries.” But
good, they named certain foods all of you to know that I have older Americans fall into the
the doughnut hole and lower
then she went out West and
“Mittie’s creations.” Every not retired from entertaining. “doughnut hole” — a coverage
prescription drug prices so
had to watch out for the Indi-
holiday, there were home- If you need an entertainer for gap in Medicare’s prescription
that no one has to go without
ans so she wouldn’t get “scal-
made rolls, sweet potatoes, all occasions, give me a call. drug program that leaves in-
the prescriptions they need to
loped.”
lemon, apple and custard pies,
Words of Wisdom: “While
dividuals on the hook for all
stay healthy.
Yam sai, she would stay on all types of cakes. She could
you are busy looking out for
of their own drug costs while
Research has shown that
the straight and narrow and take the smell out of “chit-
number one, make sure you
still paying premiums.
people cut back on their pre-
wouldn’t associate with those tlins.” My dad would always
don’t step in number two.”
AARP recently launched a
scription drugs when their
high class “yukon golds,” or have his “hot tottie” and his
Until next time, I’ll plant U now
new online resource to help
costs become unaffordable,
the ones from the other side of John Ruskins cigar. Even our
and dig U later.
older Americans avoid this
which can lead to more seri-
the tracks who advertise their dog got the leftovers and really
dreaded coverage gap.
ous health conditions and
trade on all the trucks that had a “dog-gone good time.”
Peace and chicken grease.
larger health care bills.
say, “Frito Lay.”
Happy holidays!
Then we also qualified for
The AARP Doughnut Hole
Calculator, available at www.
Saving money on prescrip-
Mr. and Mrs. Potato sent the Goodfellows organiza-
Hugh Burrell can be con-
aarp.org/doughnuthole,
tion drugs is going to mean
Yam to “Idaho P.U.” (that’s tion, which meant we got free
tacted at (313) 872-3437 and
guides visitors through their
pressing hard in Washington
Potato University). This was clothes, including flannel
Hughburrell@aol.com.
prescription drug options,
to close the doughnut hole. In
using localized information
the meantime, we also want to
about their plans and pre-
give Americans the tools they
The Cookers coming to Music Hall
Felicia Wasson
scriptions to determine if or
switching prescriptions.
need to cut their drug costs
when they fall into the cover-
and stay out of the gap in the
age gap.
Twenty-one percent of first place.
The Jazz Café will present the all-star hard- Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter Michigan residents in Medi-
bop septet, the Cookers, Jan. 8-9 at 8:30 p.m. and Dexter Gordon, to name just a few.
In about 15 minutes, visi-
care fall into the gap each year,
I encourage every person
and 11:30 p.m.
tors to the Calculator website
The group performs newly arranged versions
and millions more nervously
in Medicare to take a few min-
can view a graph of their out-
The Cookers is comprised of many of the of classic compositions by Billy Harper
wonder if they might fall in.
utes to check out the Dough-
of-pocket spending by month,
musicians who contributed to the development along with works by the other members of the
For the first time, people in
nut Hole Calculator to find
look up lower cost drugs for
of this sound and to pushing the music forward. ensemble.
Medicare have a simple way
the right drugs at the lowest
their conditions, create a Per-
The members of this ensemble have peretty
to learn if they’ll fall into the
prices.
sonal Medication Record and
much every jazz great of the past 40 years, in-
Tickets are $27. Visit or call the Music Hall
doughnut hole and find ways Felicia Wasson is the as-
print out personalized letter
cluding Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey,
box office, 350 Madison Ave. in downtown De-
to avoid it by switching to safe, sociate state director for gov-
to their doctors to help start
Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Herbie Hancock,
troit, call (313) 887-8500 or visit www.ticket-
less expensive medications. ernment affairs for AARP in
master.com.
a conversation about safely
Michigan.
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