Our guest for lunch this week was FHPD Sergeant & U.S. Army Reservist, Mike Fluhart. In July of 2010, Mike was promoted to Sergeant in the Farmington Hills Police Department, but he wasn't there to accept his new badge.

As a member of the U.S. Army National Guard, he was just returning after spending a year as part of a helicopter crew in Iraq. He has been with the department for 22 years, starting as a cadet and moving through the ranks to become a motorcycle officer, accident deconstructionist and range officer. He has earned 20 awards, including Officer of the Year, and has received 25 letters of appreciation from citizens. About a half dozen Farmington Hills city employees have gone on leave to serve in the Armed Forces.

Mike talked about his time overseas, enduring 130-140 degree heat while dressed in a uniform with body armor. His crew moved equipment, weapons and sometimes, bodies by helicopter. Their primary mission was to move people, which was a safer means of travel than roads. He brought along a wonderful slideshow of his year in Iraq, and provided some remarkable insights into the efforts our military are making over there.

Our guest for lunch this week was famed local historian and video editor Brian Golden. The subject was SWOCC. We checked, and according to Google, SWOCC stands for Stichting Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Commerciele Communicatie, the Dutch broadcasting company. Upon further research, we discovered it is also an acronym for Southwestern Oakland Cable Commission. SWOCC was formed when the three cities (Farmington, Farmington Hills and Novi) joined together to negotiate a contract in 1982 with MetroVision (cable television provider at the time).

The mission of community access for the Southwestern Oakland Cable Commission (SWOCC) is to bring local residents, schools, governments, religious organizations, service groups and businesses together through constructive, prudent uses of communication technologies to build and enhance community.

SWOCC Studios offers state-of-the-art equipment, two studios, four channels for playback, one allocated for each city and one public access channel for the public in all three cities. PEG is the acronym for Public, Educational and Government programming. Brian explained the various opportunities within SWOCC for local citizens to create and broadcast their own shows as part of the PEG program. SWOCC also offers commercial nd web videos, DVD duplication and tape transfers. The four access channels are cablecast in the cities of Farmington, Farmington Hills, and Novi on the Bright House Cable and AT&T U-Verse to approximately 40,000 households.

Our guest speaker for lunch this week was Alicia Douglas from Special Day Camps, "Surviving childhood cancer since 1979". Special Days Camps offers activities of a "normal" camp, adapted to meet the special needs of our campers. Programs include all of the traditional elements of a camp; arts and crafts, swimming, horseback riding, boating and campfires. Campers are given the opportunity to challenge themselves and develop life skills as they move through our programs.

Their activities are intentionally designed to promote self-esteem, confidence, friendships, teamwork and leadership in a camp environment that is medically supervised and filled with support, understanding, fun and laughter. Developing these skills can help them successfully meet the challenges of treatment, school, work and family.

After attending Special Days, campers bring home more than just dirty laundry... they bring home unforgettable memories and long-lasting friendships. They bring home tales of tasks accomplished that before were thought of as unattainable. They come home feeling more confident in themselves and more secure with their illness. It is amazing how one week at Special Days Camps can truly make a difference in their lives!