Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) officially announced his Senate candidacy Wednesday at the Xemplar Club, pitching himself as a champion for the middle class in a note to supporters. “Today, I am officially announcing that I am a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014,” Peters said. He called the present time a “critical moment” for Michigan. “I’ve always believed that the things middle class families struggle with around their kitchen tables should define my work in Washington,” Peters continued. First elected to Congress in 2008, Peters served as lottery commissioner and a state legislator before heading to Washington. The Republican field has yet to take shape. Rep. Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is considering a bid. So is libertarian-leaning Rep. Justin Amash, who has clashed with House GOP leadership.
Our guests for lunch this week were Kevin Hammer, Chair of the Farmington Area Commission on Aging and Marsha Koet, Farmington Hills Senior Division Director. The Commission helps toward the betterment of daily living for older adults with the mission of promoting their well-being and dignity through education and advocacy. The Commission examines social attitudes, creates community awareness, establishes a climate for living independently and encourages recognition for their contribution to the past and present. A Consumer Protection Committee is an integral part of the commission keeping the community informed about potential fraud and scams. The Senior Division provides low costprograms for seniors in the community from meals, to activities and trips. They serve over 80,000 meals each year to seniors at the Costick Center and through the Meals on Wheels program.
WDIV Meteorologist Paul Gross was our featured speaker for our Administrative Professionals Day honorees this year. Everybody talks about the weather, but Paul Gross has finally done something about it! His book, Extreme Michigan Weather, The Wild World of the Great Lakes State is the first ever written about Michigan weather, delves into the mysteries of extreme Michigan weather, explaining how the state's harshest extremes and biggest storms come to be. Paul was selected by National Weather Service Headquarters as one of only two broadcast meteorologists nationwide to serve on its Severe Thunderstorm Criteria Team; also named one of the project’s four group leaders. He also received the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle Award, recognizing significant career contributions to the television industry.
Our guest for lunch this week was Denise Henderson, Karmanos Cancer Center's Community Outreach Educator. Her Workplace Wellness presentation is aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge about the risk of getting cancer, prevention measures to decrease that risk, early detection and clinical trials. She outlined current American Cancer Society and Karmanos Cancer Institute recommendations for men’s and women’s cancer screening and encouraged members to take an active role in their health. What a great prompt to join the F2H Fit Challenge! Denise also talked about how eating healthy and staying physically fit can help prevent cancer, and shared information about advances in treaments and diagnoses of breast cancer health.