It was a chilly, but fairly comfortable evening. On the day after Thanksgiving, Howell has one of the biggest civic events of the year - The Fantasy of Lights Parade.  At 6pm, a 5K run/walk begins at the First Presbyterian Church on Grand River and Chestnut.  The 3.1 mile course loops along the parade route on east and west Grand River in front of the crowds waiting for the parade.  Many of the participants in the race wear costumes or battery-operated lights to add to the festive mood.  As a member of the local running club, the Brighton Area Road Striders, I'm always there to help with this great event. Many club members work the registration table, then dash out to run the race without benefit of a proper warm-up.  Others give up running for the evening to work out on the course.  Wh... 11/24/2007

The Community Theatre of Howell presented the Wizard of Oz today. It was the last of eight shows.  It was a challenging role. Hannah Grischke, an eight grader at Williamson Middle School, played Dorothy Gale.  Although the theatre allowed four weeks to memorize the script, Hannah had the job done in two weeks, and maintained a 4.0 average in school.She received a standing ovation for her stellar performance.  This was her third CTH production.  Previous roles were Bet in Oliverand Brigitta von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Al and Sharon Weitecha of Lakeland are Hannah's maternal grand parentsThe Community Theatre of Howell's mission is to promote the performing arts in Livingston County.  The stage provides invaluable opportunities for youth, offering them a positive experience that impr... 11/19/2007

Mark Oglesby has been selected at Teacher of the Year by Howell Public Schools.A social studies teacher at the new Parker High School campus, Mr. Oglesby has been with the district eight years. He's also served as the girls varsity tennis coach, an advisior to the "We The People" civics team, and the JV girls volleyball team.Such awards are not foreign to Mr. Oglesby, either. He's previously been selected as Teacher of the Year by the Maple Valley Chamber school district in the State of Washington.Congratulations, Mark Oglesby. Howell is fortunate to have you educating our youth. 11/04/2007

I'll start by saying that I'm not a huge football fan.  I'm much more of a baseball and hockey guy, but driving through a Howell neighborhood last week this display sure did catch my eye.  Because my digital camera is usually pretty close, I slowed down and took a couple of photos.The Detroit Lions have been perennial under-achievers and coming into this season I would never have thought they'd be at five wins and two losses at week seven - but they are!  This apparently long-suffering fan decided to combine some Halloween fun with a sports message. Will he be responsible for breaking the Lions' jinx?  Is this all that has been needed for so many years?  Or is it truly the year for our Detroit Lions?I have many fond childhood memories of watching the Lions play from under blankets in ch... 10/28/2007

Come on out to downtown Howell Saturday, October 27th for the 'Legend of Sleepy Howell', a fun-filled day of family activities with a Halloween theme. There's something for every age group.  Activities include:Pumpkin Glow - carve a pumpkin and drop if off at the old County Courthouse between 11am and 6pm. You'll be entered into a raffle for a movie and dinner for two. Pumpkins are lit at dusk.Pumplin Carving Contest - same times and location as the Pumpkin Glow.Costume Parade - Begins at 5pm at the Courthouse Annex, with judging at 5:45 pm.Trick or Treating runs from 5:30 - 7pm in downtown.Hayrides from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Ride through Historic Downtown Howell.Scary Stories at the Opera House - 7pm for complimentary children's stories, 9pm for the real scary stuff. Reservations suggested f... 10/26/2007

How many good deals are there?   Too many is the best way to put it.   Currently there are just under 200 homes currently on the market.   If you or anybody that you know is looking for a new home then please feel free to visit my site, so you can look at the abundance of homes in the Howell Real Estate Market.   http://www.oaklandlivingston.com 10/22/2007

Hey Moms ... looking for a fun, but educational activity for your young ones? If you haven't checked out the Howell Carnegie Library yet you should really stop in for a look around. In the last year or so they have done some beautiful remodeling of the childrens area. You can find it in the basement of the building located on Grand River in downtown Howell. Here's a link to check out what they have to offer:http://www.howelllibrary.org/kids.htmI took both my kids there when they were in preschool and elementary and just needed that extra outlet for fun and learning. Here's a list of some the wonderful things the library has to offer:Story Time: Late Fall registration begins 10/22/07 ... get there early, it fills up quickly! They have programs for infants with their parents all the way t... 10/19/2007

One of the best events in Livingston County is Howell's Fantasy of Lights Parade and 5K Run.On the Friday after Thanksgiving, this evening event is simply spectacular.  Start off with Christmas Alley activities from 3-8:30 pm.  Cookie decorating, live entertainment, and of course visits with Santa are available in Downtown Howell.  Look at the ice sculptures, gingerbread house display and even live reindeer.At 6pm, the Fantasy 5K runs on the parade route immediately before the parade.  Over 900 runners participate and this event is consistently rated one of Michigan's Top 10 Runs by Runner's Magazine.At 7pm the parade begins on Grand River near Byron.  Each float must have a minimum of 5000 lights and it seems that this parade gets bigger each year.  What a great evening of fun for the ... 10/14/2007

Howell's Main Street Winery will run a charity event today, Friday, October 12, 2007, from 6-9 pm at 201 W. Grand River, Howell.  Local artists will display their work, which is also for sale.  Appetizers and live music are provided by the winery and a percentage of wine sales will go to the Livingston County United Way.For more information, call Main Street Winery at 517-545-WINE. 10/11/2007

The Brighton Art Guild is conducting its Second Annual Fine Arts Exhibition this weekend in the newly renovated first floor area at the Opera House, 123 W. Grand River, in Howell. The Exhibition is open 4-8pm Friday, October 5th, with a wine and cheese reception from 6-8pm; Noon - 8pm on Saturday, October 6th; and noon - 5pm on Sunday, October 7th.This juried show will feature prizes of $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place.  There are also high school and college student divisions as well as a $200 high school student scholarship that will be awarded.The show itself is free and viewers will have a chance to vote for the People's Choice Award for a $1 fee. Over 100 artists have entered pieces into the show in categories ranging from paintings, photographs,... 10/04/2007

Parker High School has been in the local news a lot for the last year. Just opened for this school year (2007-2008), there's been a fair amount of controversy over the School Board's decision to close down old Howell High for complete renovation and transfer the entire student body to the new, but smaller Parker.  There have also been some complaints about the length of bus rides to and from the new school.Today's (9/24/2007) Detroit Free Press had a feature on Parker High's new student store, a state-of-the-art facility that uses Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tags for quick checkout.  The store doesn't have to be manned by human beings.  Some of the more common uses of RFID are the Speed Passes that you may use at a gas pump, or if you're a runner, the electronic chip scoring to get your r... 09/23/2007

I've spent a fair amount of time and energy in the last few months on this very topic.  Why?  Because I owe it to my seller clients.  First, I've spoken with agents that have been through three (yes, three) down markets, right up to top producers that have been in business only four or five years.  Here's what I think it boils down to, in a nutshell.First, (and unanimously) it's price.  You cannot hope that your home is so special that it will even get noticed, let alone shown, in a strong buyer's market unless it is priced at, or lower than, market value.  Remember that all listings get the most agent and consumer attention in the two weeks that they are new to the market.  List high now and drop if you don't get action? Forget it, you've lost the opportunity.  Remember, too, that most... 04/16/2007