By Mark Ouimet, Guest Writer

If you listen carefully as this election year heats up, you’ll notice that every politician loves to say these five words: “I work across the aisle.”

It sounds good, doesn’t it? It sounds like everybody wants to join hands and do what’s best for constituents.

The thing is, anyone can say anything they want. That’s easy.

But I actually have worked across the aisle. And I know firsthand how difficult it is.

A bi-partisan effort requires putting aside the ego and party politics. It requires staying focused on the issues, and remembering that resolving issues isn’t for the benefit of one side or the other. It’s for the benefit of all Michigan residents.  Read more…

On February 11, the Flying Dutch hosted the Vandercook Lake Jayhawks for their second Pink Zone game to raise money for the Kay Yow Breast Cancer Fund.  Both teams wore pink uniforms and a pink basketball was used to play the game. Mark Ouimet, Washtenaw County Commissioner and candidate for Michigan House of Representatives, 52^nd District, announced the starting line-ups of the teams and spoke about the importance of breast cancer awareness.  Ouimet underscored the importance of early detection and screening.  Prior to the game, Ouimet helped serve spaghetti at a dinner to raise money for the Manchester After-Prom Committee.

The Pink Zone initiative is a national effort to raise awareness for breast cancer. The effort, started by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association in 2007 strives to bring awareness of the disease to schools across the country. Over 1,000 high school and college teams participate in the program.

The team engaged in a number of fundraising activities, holding a silent auction the day of the game which featured team posters, items donated by local businesses and more.  For more details of the fundraising activities of the team check out this article in The Manchester Enterprise.

Local residents, fishermen and chili chefs flocked to Chelsea over the weekend to compete in several tournaments for the American Legion’s annual winter carnival.

Though area youth braved the 24-degree weather to participate in the ice-fishing challenge, the adults were heating things up inside the legion hall Saturday in a winner-take-all chili cook-off….

Washtenaw County Commissioner Mark Ouimet attended the cook-off as one of the judges.

“It’s a lot of fun and it’s an relatively inexpensive family activity,” he said. “I’ve been coming here for the past four years and the crowds seem to get better every year.”  Read more…

By Mark Ouimet, Guest Writer

Projections recently released by the Senate Fiscal Agency in Lansing point to a budget deficit of $1.8billion for the 2010/2011 fiscal year. Under those projections, the School Aid Fund, which was sparred during the current fiscal year by one-time federal stimulus dollars, is anticipated to take a hit of $315 million.

Not twenty-four hours after the announcement of those startling figures, the Kids Count in Michigan Data Book was released. The annual report ranks Michigan counties based on a variety of quality-of-life issues that face our children, not the least of which is the quality of education opportunities.  Read more…

Members of the Chelsea community paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in grand fashion Monday evening at the One World One Family community celebration… Washtenaw County Commissioner Mark Ouimet acknowledged the importance of the national holiday.

“It’s an important day for all of us to reflect on how we treat each other,” he said.

Ouimet, who spent the day helping coordinate Red Cross relief efforts for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, said often he thinks about how King handled certain situations during his public life.  Read more…

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has put into effect an expense account reduction that will see the fund nearly halved.

The measure is intended to send a message during a time when employees are forgoing raises and union negotiators have been asked to accept cuts to their member benefits.  Read more…

County Commissioner and new board member to the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce, Mark Ouimet, speaks before the group’s first Tuesday breakfast held this week.

“Today is as fine of an example as any that the invisible wall at US-23 is coming down.”

Those were the words of Diane Keller, president of the newly formed Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 12, at the first Tuesday morning breakfast of the merged organization. More than 400 people attended the first meeting group.  Read more…

When:  January 18, 2010 at 7 p.m.
Where:  500 Washington St., Chelsea, MI
Admission:  Attendees are also encouraged to bring canned goods or personal care items to be donated to Faith-in-Action. Collection boxes will be available at the door.

The keynote speaker is Frances Kai-Hwa Wang. Ms. Wang writes the Multicultural Living column for AnnArbor.com. She will address this year’s theme for MLKJr. Day: Living in Harmony. Her column speaks to living with diversity and how to handle the everyday issues – good, bad and funny – that come with multicultural living.

Our State Representative Pam Byrnes and our County Commissioner Mark Ouimet will be sharing a few thoughts. Both have long been supportive of Chelsea’s efforts to celebrate Dr. King.

The winner of the 8th annual Carrying the Dream Award will be announced and Chelsea’s own Michigan Pops Choir will perform several songs to close the program.

Community groups are encouraged to come as a group and sit together. OWOF will be recognizing all groups in attendance

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has put into effect an expense account reduction that will see the fund nearly halved.  Read more…