Yes Virginia, they are having a Willow Run recall election

Washtenaw County Board of Election Commissioners voted 2-1 to allow the recall election of board President Claudette Braxton, Andy Blakita and Clifford Smith. No date has been set for the recall election date.

According to the Ann Arbor News:

"Election commissioners Darlene O'Brien, who is chief Probate Judge, and Larry Kestenbaum, the Washtenaw County Clerk, voted in favor of the language. Election Commissioner Catherine McClary, who is Washtenaw County treasurer, voted against the proposal."

Friday Pigskin Parade

Ypsilanti Willow Run (2-2) is home to Dearborn Heights Robichaud (3-1)

Ypsilanti Lincoln (1-3) is home to Ann Arbor Huron (1-3)

Ann Arbor Pioneer (3-1) is home to Temperance Bedford (2-2)

Dexter (1-3) is at Chelsea (3-1)

Saline (2-2) is home to Tecumseh (1-3)

Ypsilanti (2-2) is on the road to Melvindale (2-2)

And Ortonville Brandon (2-2) is at Oxford (3-1) tonight

Friday Pigskin Parade

Ypsilanti Willow Run (1-1) is at Ecorse (0-2)

Ypsilanti Lincoln (1-1) is home to Ann Arbor Pioneer (1-1)

Dexter (1-1) is at Ann Arbor Huron (0-2)

Chelsea (2-0) is at Saline (0-2)

Ypsilanti (0-2) is on the road to Garden City (1-1)

And Ortonville Brandon (2-0) home to Flint Kearsley (0-2) tonight

We also apologize for listing Ypsilanti's home game last week as a road game...

Friday Pigskin Parade

Ypsilanti Willow Run (1-0) is at Dearborn Heights Crestwood

Ypsilanti Lincoln (1-0) is at Dexter (0-1)

Chelsea (1-0) hosts Northville

Ann Arbor Huron (0-1) is at Tecumseh

Ann Arbor Pioneer (1-0) is home to Adrian

Saline (0-1) is at Temperance Bedford

Ypsilanti (0-1) is on the road to Dearborn Edsel Ford

And Ortonville Brandon (1-0) is in Clio tonight

Friday Pigskin Parade

We'll dust off the old High School football template and let you know who is playing where locally tonight...

Ypsi Willow Run already has a WIN in the barn as they win by forfeit over Warren Conner Creek West.

Ypsilanti Lincoln is home to Tecumseh

Chelsea is at Ann Arbor Huron

Ann Arbor Pioneer is at Saline

The Dexter Dreadnaughts are at Adrian.

Ypsilanti is home to Milan

Sorry, no MHSAA football page for Ann Arbor Skyline yet, who made their football debut in Fowlerville last night. The MHSAA page seems to not reflect this matchup...

In alma mater news, Ortonville Brandon skunked Holly 20-0

High School pigskin schedules from around the Ypsi City Desk viewing area

YPSILANTI
Aug. 29 MILAN 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 DEARBORN EDSEL FORD 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 at Garden City 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 DEARBORN HEIGHTS CRESTWOOD 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Melvindale 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Inkster 1 p.m.
Oct. 10 ROMULUS 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 HIGHLAND PARK 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 DEXTER 7 p.m.

WILLOW RUN
Aug. 29 WARREN CONNOR CREEK ACADEMY WEST 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 at Dearborn Heights Crestwood 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 ECORSE 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Redford Thurston 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 DEARBORN HEIGHTS ROBICHAUD 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Dearborn Heights Annapolis 1 p.m.
Oct. 10 RIVER ROUGE 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 at Dearborn Edsel Ford 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 DETROIT OLD REDFORD ACADEMY 7:30 p.m.

LINCOLN
Aug. 29 TECUMSEH 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 at Dexter 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 PIONEER 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Chelsea 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 HURON 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 SALINE 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 at Temperance Bedford 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 GRAND BLANC 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Adrian 7 p.m.

CHELSEA
Aug. 29 at Huron 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 NORTHVILLE 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 at Saline 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 LINCOLN 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 DEXTER 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Adrian 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 at Pioneer 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 TECUMSEH 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 TEMPERANCE BEDFORD 7 p.m.

DEXTER
Aug. 29 at Adrian 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 LINCOLN 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 at Huron 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 SALINE 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Chelsea 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 PIONEER 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 TECUMSEH 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 at Temperance Bedford 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Ypsilanti 7 p.m.

GABRIEL RICHARD
Aug. 29 DEARBORN HEIGHTS STAR INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY 5 p.m.
Sept. 6 ALBION Noon
Sept. 13 MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY Noon
Sept. 20 DETROIT LOYOLA Noon
Sept. 27 SAGINAW NOUVEL Noon
Oct. 3 at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10 at Riverview Gabriel Richard 7 p.m.
Oct. 17-18 Detroit Catholic League crossover
Oct. 24 DUNDEE 4 p.m.
or
Oct. 25 Detroit Catholic League Prep Bowl* 4 p.m.
* at Ford Field, Detroit

HURON
Aug. 29 CHELSEA 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 at Tecumseh 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 DEXTER 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Temperance Bedford 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Lincoln 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 PINCKNEY 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 ADRIAN 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 at Pioneer 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 SALINE 7 p.m.

MANCHESTER
Aug. 28 at Clinton 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 MICHIGAN CENTER 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 NAPOLEON 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Vandercook Lake 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Addison 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 HANOVER-HORTON 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 at Grass Lake 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 EAST JACKSON 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Onsted 7 p.m.

MILAN
Aug. 29 at Ypsilanti 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 at Flat Rock 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 CARLETON AIRPORT 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 GROSSE ILE 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Monroe Jefferson 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 at New Boston Huron 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 RIVERVIEW 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 BELLEVILLE 7 p.m.

PIONEER
Aug. 29 Saline* 8 p.m.
Sept. 5 ADRIAN 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 at Lincoln 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 HOWELL 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 TEMPERANCE BEDFORD 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Dexter 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 CHELSEA 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 HURON 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Tecumseh 7 p.m.
* at Eastern Michigan University's Rynearson Stadium

SALINE
Aug. 29 Pioneer* 8 p.m.
Sept. 5 at Temperance Bedford 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 CHELSEA 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Dexter 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 TECUMSEH 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Lincoln 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 at Milford 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 ADRIAN 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Huron 7 p.m.
* at Eastern Michigan University's Rynearson Stadium

Willow Run teachers approve new 4 year contract

Willow Run teachers voted YES to approve a four-year contract with the school district on Wednesday.

Teachers will not get a raise this year, but will receive a 1 percent increase in 2008-09. The bad health plan foisted upon teachers in August was still part of this contract but other HMO and PPO choices were also in the new contract.

It's not perfect but if an 80% teacher vote turnout resulted in 73% for FOR and just 27% voting NO, hopefully the next four years won't be as contentious.

Hooray and Huzzah! Willow Run teachers have tentative contract deal

After a mere THREE YEARS, the Willow Run teachers and the school district have a deal, we hope. Apparently the logjam was broken when the school board made some concessions. Huh, so much for the "last best offer" the board pronounced last summer. Suzanne Clark, MEA representative and chief negotiator for the Willow Run Educational Association had this to say:

"The board made some movement and offered some new proposals and the union met them half way,"

The proposal with all the details will be given to the entire WREA membership, all 160 of them, this upcoming Thursday.

Anybody wanna bet the planned "unity vote" results, where seven other local school districts in Washtenaw County had a small part to play in the new offer? Look we're happy as pigs in slop that the new deal was offered and we hope it's accepted if fair and we also realize other unions need to be taken care of in the district, but it certainly goes a long way to show bargaining tools like "Last Best Offer" are harmful to negotiations and in the end make those who say such things look awfully bad.

OK, the Willow Run school district is NOT closing

How DO these rumors get started? Simply up and closing a school DISTRICT in the middle of the week? People, let's use our heads shall we? That only happens to professional sports teams who leave in the middle of the night for other cities and small chain stores that simply go belly up.

There is EVERY chance if you have kids in the Willow Run school district you'd have been alerted by someone other than the 'grapevine'.

Willow Run Superintendent Doris Hope-Jackson felt the rumors were getting out of hand and sent home a letter to parents which said in part:

"Apparently, this is a baseless, vindictive rumor designed to create chaos and confusion within the district and throughout the community".

YCD doesn't know about vindictive but it sure did cause confusion for SOME people.

Again, Willow Run is open for business

Friday night pigskin parade

Ypsi Willow Run (3-4) is home for Dearborn Edsel Ford.

Ypsilanti Lincoln (0-7) is at Adrian. Keep plugging away guys, we'll NEVER desert you!

Chelsea (7-0) is in Tree City to take on Ann Arbor Pioneer (2-5)

Dexter Dreadnaughts (3-4) are at Saline (4-3)

Ypsilanti (6-1) is at Highland Park

Ann Arbor Huron (3-3) is at Muskegon Heights

Friday night pigskin parade

Ypsi Willow Run (2-4) is at River Rouge.

Ypsilanti Lincoln (0-6) is at Tecumseh. C'mon guys, this week is the one!

Chelsea (6-0) is at home to Dexter Dreadnaughts (3-3)

Saline (4-2) is at Adrian

Ann Arbor Pioneer (1-5) is at Temperance Bedford

Ypsilanti (5-1) is at Romulus

Ann Arbor Huron (3-3) is at Lansing Waverly

Friday pigskin parade (and a BIG game tonight)

Ypsi Willow Run (2-3) is home for Dearborn Heights Annapolis.

Ypsilanti Lincoln (0-5) is home to Temperance Bedford and YCD thinks THIS is the week for a WIN!

Chelsea (5-0) is at home in the HUGE tilt vs Saline (4-1)

Ann Arbor Pioneer (1-4) is home to Tecumseh

The Dexter Dreadnaughts (3-2) are home to Adrian

Ypsilanti (4-1) is home to Redford Thurston Howell the Third

Ann Arbor Huron (2-3) home to Flint Carman-Ainsworth and due to win this week.

Willow Run students rally gets RESULTS

Whereas before the students could not even get their questions answered, since the rally and for some the walk out, suddenly the adminstration can't wait to talk with them. Cleverly the students protested and made themselves unavailable for Fourth Wednesday count, used to apportion money to school districts.

See how it works WR Board of Edcation? You lowball the teachers and then the students cut your money. You now have ten days to account for the missing students.

Shi-Keeta Horne, take us home:
"I'm actually happy that we did this because what we finally got a meeting. I think we deserve that because they never told us anything about what was happening with the school."

Willow Run students (a couple hundred) rally for TEACHERS

That's good to see. A couple hundred Willow Run students held a before school rally this morning in support of teachers getting a better contract than the one foisted upon them by the WR Board of Education.

See, students are smart enough to know that education begins with TEACHERS in the classrooms every day. They know good teachers are compensated like good teachers. Good teachers should never have "last best offers" forced upon them.

The Willow Run students get this, are you listening Superintendent Doris Hope-Jackson?

Willow Run student William Gibson gets the last word:

"We want a better contract for the teachers from the board of education"

Friday night pigskin parade

Ypsi Willow Run (2-2) is at Dearborn Heights Robichaud.

Ypsilanti Lincoln (0-4) is home to Chelsea (4-0)

Ann Arbor Pioneer (1-3) is home to Adrian

The Dexter Dreadnaughts (3-1) are home to Tecumseh

Saline (3-1) upset losers to Tecumseh, host Temperance Bedford

Ypsilanti (3-1) is home to Melvindale

Ann Arbor Huron (2-3) lost last night 35-14 at Detroit Country Day

Willow Run School Board needs to get it's ducks in a row

Gee, WR School Board, you seem SURPRISED at what's happening in your district. You seem shocked at the animosity brought about by you IMPOSING a contract upon teachers. What did you THINK would happen? America is about freedom and negotitions, it happens in Congress and in business every day. So, by imposing your "Last Best Contract" you set off a chain of events you SHOULD have seen coming yet lacked the foresight to plan for.

If the contract was still being negotiated and was still on the table I'd disagree with teachers dropping out of their extracurricular activites. You cut their pay on this like a king or monarch would do by 20%. Beyond the fact you may have breached the very contract you just IMPOSED, it's bad form. Since this was imposed by the School Board the YCD is all in favor of teachers making decisions on their own about this, apparently is one of the few decisions left they CAN make freely.

School board President Claudette Braxton is claiming ignorance on the contract provisions. You see she's new to the bargaining team. Sorry, XXXXXXXX Wrong answer. If you're going for the high and mighty act you cannot claim ignorance of what you're imposing or negotiating.

YCD also agrees that you cannot pick and choose which pieces in the contract you imposed you want to pull out. Sorry WR School Board, it's all or nothing, it's how contracts work.

If you sign a contract for cell phone service with AT&T and they raise your rates on their whim, you can cancel the contract on it's face WITHOUT paying a dime in penalties. You don't tell AT&T you want to keep this part of the plan you liked and that part you liked while getting rid of this n that. NO, it's either WHOLE or it's VOID.

Come on Willow Run School Board, get with it. Sure times are tough but you can make better choices in how you deal with PEOPLE, people who teach OUR kids.