Blogs > Frye on the News

Keeping his eye on the news and offering commentaries and insights on what is happening in Oakland County, around the world, on the tube and in the news.

Monday, October 31, 2011

LaRussa steps aside - on top


Tony LaRussa is retiring from managing baseball teams, leaving with an improbable, well, really unbelievable, championship with the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, his second with the team and third overall.

He should have leaked somehow that he wants to go where Albert Pujhols will be playing....and add a touch about calling his friend Theo. Blaahhh.

But if he stays retired, he's going down as one of the best ever. This season proved all the praise tossed his way as being true, starting with the 10.5 half game deficit to the Atlanta Braves in September in the American League East. The Braves didn't make it to the post season. The Cards first beat tv's favorite NL team, the Phillies of the East Coast, and they also reeked new havoc on the team they bested in 1982 - the Brewers.

Then they played the game for the ages, making up for their blown call at first in 1985 to the Royals, making this 2011 model of game 6 bigger than both the '85 and '86 versions.

So let's hear it for the old coach. He may not have won as many as he could have with the Bash Brothers in the 1980s, winning only one title. But the two in St. Louis give him three championships and with one in each league, too.

But nothing tops leaving on the top. Let's just hope he stays gone. But if he pops up in a Cubs uniform, it will make for some great stories.

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posted by Stephen Frye at 8:48 AM 0 Comments

Friday, October 28, 2011

What's going on in Ohio?


Don't mean to be the snooty neighbor to the north, but what in the Dickens is going on down south, south of the Michigan-Ohio border that is?

Ohio's news has been weird, disturbing and exceptionally negative lately.

First, there's the exotic animal escape, which is wrong in so many levels. 1. Having so many exotic and dangerous animals. 2. Committing suicide. 3. After having RELEASED the animals. 4. Shooting and killing so many wonders of nature.

Now, I'm not critical of the shooting and killing. It had to be done. But what was that nut thinking? Did he intend to free the animals to live free? Did he intend to have them nearly all killed? Did he intend to kill or terrify his neighbors? So destructive and wasteful. And now the wife wants the couple that survived???? What are they drinking in that state?

Second, there's the nearly naked lady drunk and running from the police. Real classy, Ohio. Our strippers can walk a straight line (generally) and know to wear a coat when driving.

Third, there's the sexed up teacher, convicted of having sex with multiple male students. We in Oakland County have seen this story plenty of times, about a half dozen just in the past year or so. Men, women. Drama teachers, coaches, regular teachers. We know that this happens. But our teachers don't plead insanity; they just cry before they're sent to prison. And this lady in Ohio got just four years for something like five boys, victims really, while some our's get the same for contact with one victim.

Fourth, the deer getting rowdy at a bar. Enough said. We shoot our deer; we don't over-serve them.

Fifth, Joe the Plumber. Psst. His name's not Joe; how you gonna know how to vote for him?

Sixth, Jim Tressel and the fact that people in Ohio don't see what was wrong. Hey, we've got Kwame Kilpatrick and now Wayne County government, but the residents love watching the corruption busts and prison sentences. We are never stunned to learn of corruption and we enjoy the perp walks. We don't cry about losing a corrupt leader and lament his departure.

You can't blame all of this on LeBron James leaving.

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posted by Stephen Frye at 7:34 AM 2 Comments

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

NBA, just give up on the year

There's been a couple significant instances of 'big news' coming out due to the NBA lockout, such as the cancellation of the preseason, or games into the regular season.

It's not breaking news; it's expected.

Breaking news about the NBA would be if there's a resolution and any part of the season is played. Of course this thing is going to last. There's no group of people, I think, more out of touch with regular folks than players in the NBA. These guys can't even relate to NFL offensive linemen, who share with them the classification of professional athlete.

And in the fight between millionaires and billionaires, no one making less than $200,000 a year has any sympathy for either side. (I have to think where ESPN stands in this, having brought the NBA into its fold at the expense of hockey, the NHL, which underwent its own de-fanification.)

No sport is as obnoxious about its wealth, its posturing and its out-of-touch views than the NBA, so I say let them cancel the year, let's let this go into the following season and let's see how few people actually miss it. The whines from players over the years has increased to the point of it being unreal how clueless these guys are. They've ruined the golden egg, the one sport with no masks, the best face time, and absolute most money to share (with only 12 players per team, versus say the NFL and their massive rosters).

As the more evident it becomes that people don't miss the NBA, both sides will have to continuously lower their demands, and we can lose these $20 million-a-year guaranteed salaries for people who don't contribute that much.

Baseball has high salaries, yes, and the Yankees abuse the system, it seems, but no one has seemingly been as arrogant and greedy as NBA players.

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posted by Stephen Frye at 11:20 AM 0 Comments

Cost of police reports?


So what are they spending their money on in Farmington? The police chief did not wish to share information on a story involving a 71-year-old woman who was caught having sex with a 54-year-old man in a car near a pizzeria and bar one night.

The chief reported that we could only get a Freedom of Information Act request for a report and that the report would cost $25.

However, it cost only $10 for a report out of Bloomfield Township on Ben Wallace's drunken driving arrest.

Perhaps Farmington could find someone to do the work cheaper in their office. Perhaps Farmington Hills could provide the same police coverage at a much smaller cost for the small city, which is surrounded completely by Farmington.

Farmington Hills police generally do a great job, and they have a very professional staff with training and equipment seemingly at a high level.

Now, over in Troy, they have all the tools and they wanted $100 for a video of a drunken driving arrest, but they let us film the screen for just $18. I don't know yet what I think about that, except they could find less senior staff to manage some of these more typical tasks.

When you put a dollar amount on a task, you open yourself up to criticism, very fair criticism, from others who can do the job cheaper, and in the case of city government, usually much much cheaper.

posted by Stephen Frye at 11:01 AM 0 Comments

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Farmington Hills police hide identities

Farmington Hills police told The Oakland Press and other media outlets that they would not report the names of the victims of this weekend's murder-suicide of a man and his son, Bruce Serven, 34, and Lucas Serven, who was just 22 months old when his father shot him.

Why, I wonder, would Farmington Hills reverse policy and not offer the names of deceased members of the community?

They have released names before, including of minors and of domestic violence victims.

Of course, in this case, it appears that officers waited outside for 3 hours after the shots were fired. I wonder if a life could have been saved.

Well, I wondered enough to check, and according to medical examiner's staff, nothing could have saved the child once he was shot in the chest. A tragedy, such a shame.

But don't minimize the death by protecting the name of the father and hoping the story goes away.

Law enforcement is supposed to provide detached professionalism, so please just share the information with your community and don't try to act as public censor.

posted by Stephen Frye at 10:05 AM 5 Comments

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Failed trade, a new hope

What a miracle if Jerome Harrison is saved from his brain tumor by early detection due to this week's failed trade!

I'm pulling for Harrison and I hope he recovers quickly.

posted by Stephen Frye at 1:41 PM 0 Comments

Monday, October 17, 2011

Schwartz hissy fit, an omen of what's to come?

So Mr. Fist Pump didn't like the excitement that Jim Harbough, winning coach of Sunday's Lions-49ers game, showed during their post-game handshake?

Perhaps, but I'm not one to listen to the rumors as to the why when it comes to Sunday's post-game on-field near brawl.

Perhaps a swear word was uttered, something that would shock even me. Probably not, though.

I'm guessing that Schwartz lost his cool when confronted by a guy he wanted badly to beat. But what does this mean for the rest of the season?


It's up to Schwartz to prove this was either planned, to get attention off his ailing 2-minute offense, or just an aberration that he will recognize needs to be corrected. He's a young coach, so he can have his moment. Jon Gruden had his drunken driving arrest. Wayne Fontes had the little cocaine question. It doesn't have to define a season, and this season has been a remarkable campaign so far for the long-lowly Lions.

If you're a Lions fan, you have to hope this is something out of the ordinary as the season has been going so smoothly. A few losses, though, and all that changes. But a hot head who can't back down from a slight....oh my. Just wait for the press conferences.

It would be better than the 'your daughter should have married a better defensive coordinator' (still the best comment to sum up the entire Matt Millen era). It would top, PLAYOFFS? It would outdo Marty driving off on his motorcycle. It would equal a drunken rant in a Southfield restaurant (Sorry, Gary, I had to go into your college career as your pro career's only blemish was a missed field goal.)

Let's just hope that Schwartz will keep the headlines for his quarterback, his defensive line and his team's won-loss record, and not on his short temper and his sensitive nature.

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posted by Stephen Frye at 11:22 AM 1 Comments

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Schools of choice or not?

Not much choice if you're forced to be a schools of choice district, hm? It seems that local control should involve some kind of control of one's district on a local level. That seems reasonable, right?

We still elect school boards to manage our schools, so many do not want the governor to take away the issue, but readers bring up many good points. We asked this on Facebook:

A bill in the Senate would open all schools to Schools of Choice, allowing for parents to enroll students in any district that has space. What do you think? Do you support this, or do you think schools should remain community-based?
Lake Orion board members, parents and teachers form group opposing Senate’s Schools of Choice bill W
www.theoaklandpress.com
Under the bill, a student would be allowed to enroll in any district in the state, as long as the student was a resident of Michigan.
· · · 9 hours ago

  • Joan G. Berndt likes this.
    • Eric Mende I support the premise of it but would have to know all the paticulars on it.
      9 hours ago ·
    • Eric Mende Note to school boards: get your junk together and become competitive with the prefered school districts in the area
      9 hours ago · · 2 peopleLoading...
    • Jeannie Thibault Parents have the RIGHTS to place their children where they believe the children will get the BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION!
      8 hours ago ·
    • Metro Detroit Mommy Positive: parents can choose their school and no longer be bound by their economic boundaries that tie them to low performing schools.
      Negatives: School that are not doing so well will die out and that process is really tough on the students and staff members that are left. The SOC is only really available to students whose parents care enough to seek out an alternative school and arrange for transportation each day. What happens when all the seats are filled at the "best" schools? Will they be forced to open new school?
      7 hours ago ·
    • Susan Averbuch Break down those walls, Governor Snyder! Break down those walls, including the private school, Green Hills, where you send your children. If it's good for public, it's good for private! Tear down that $20,000 economic barrier that prevents other parents from attending Green Hills. Here we come, I'll personally drive the bus to drop off the kids at Green Hills.
      7 hours ago ·
    • La'Salle Beatriz Surely separation of education is not the answer, but on the other hand, students being allowed to attend non-public schools or public schools in an enriching environment may find it difficult to understand that this transition is more complex than most care to discuss.
      6 hours ago ·
    • Brandon Pricopio So I work hard everyday and pay more taxes so that my children can go to a good school. Yet someone who doesn't work at all can send there child to the same school? Whatever happened to working hard for what you have? I went to a terrible school in the slums! I promised myself I wouldn't let my kids do the same. SO I WORKED FOR IT.
      5 hours ago ·
    • Brandon Pricopio Also our property values are low enough. This would kill them
      5 hours ago ·
    • Joan G. Berndt Good for Lake Orion. I support them. This sounds like such a simple solution for kids to get a better education. It isn't. What will happen is that the "good" schools will be overburdened, and their taxpayers will end up footing the bill for all the new kids who come into the system with only their foundation grants, the so called "poor" schools will be devastated with only those left whose parents don't care about the education their kids get, and in the end there will be no outstanding schools left in MI and the overall educational quality everywhere will suffer.
      5 hours ago ·
    • Sharon Chilson I believe that children should attend schools in their own communities. Saying that means I also believe that all schools in all communities should be good schools. Bussing/driving childen to schools outside of their communities in order for them to attend a better school
      leaves the children who can't afford to be bussed/driven in schools that are inadequate and therefore those children will receive poor educations. Improve the schools that are failing, that's the ticke.
      5 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
    • Brian Kitchin Keep the kids where their parents live. 49% of Detroit kids didn't go to school the 1st day. Is another school going to help? If the parents are losers and the ones that do go to school want to be rappers and thugs then why send them to schools in communities where the taxpayers care? Politically correct? NO. But sadly it's true. Fix their schools. They are certainly getting enough taxpayer dollars.
      4 hours ago ·
    • Cassadega Gold COMMUNITY BASED!!!!
      2 hours ago ·
    • Jo Nielson The problem is that these kids can't wait for their poor performing schools to be fixed. They need better choices now. How many years have we been talking about this? How many people in our region can't read or do simple math? There are legitimate economic reasons why we need to help these kids have a better future. Companies won't set up shop here if they can't find employees that can read/write/do basic math.

      Inaction has consequences. At this point, I'd prefer that the generation we are raising doesn't turn out as badly as mine did.

      Failing schools shouldn't be open. They aren't serving their primary purpose. Schools aren't open for adults to have jobs, but to educate our kids. If the kid has behavior problems in the new school, there's nothing to say that they can't be expelled. A lot of the opposition seems to be fear-based and there's nothing scarier to me than leaving another generation of kis to learn about life from the streets.

posted by Stephen Frye at 12:52 PM 1 Comments

Reader comments on Foxy Knoxy

I'll always know her as Foxy Knoxy, though the name can no longer apply as she is no longer a convicted murderer but now a freed political prisoner. OK, perhaps not directly a political prison, but politics certainly played a role in the case. If she is innocent, I'm happy Amanda Fox is freed.

Could she be guilty? Certainly. Lots of gruesome crimes occur without evidence left, but I believe in our system,which requires evidence, real evidence - whether DNA or eyewitness testimony - for a conviction to stand.

We asked a good question today on Facebook, and I'm impressed with the answers, looking at age and beauty (and hence, background) in how courts and jurors perceive defendants.

Here it is:

Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox - two attractive women. Do you think this helped them in their court cases?

    • Gerry Thomas it makes the news easier to watch thats for sure.
      4 hours ago ·
    • Michael Abbott It certainly gets them more media coverage.
      4 hours ago ·
    • L.t. Strickland it sure didnt hurt em!
      4 hours ago ·
    • Pam Laidlaw Bischoff we had a White school teacher run over a Hispanic Child in a cross walk and kill her last week out here in Ca.. The driver was NOT cited and released at the scene. Later police reports that the driver had been previously cited for 'Driving while distracted' and a second charge of 'Excessive speed', I wonder if it was a Hispanic driver, and a white child what would have been the action at the scene...So, YES, I believe it DOES matter, and I am ashamed for it.
      4 hours ago ·
    • Linda Whitehead no. one was guilty, the other not.
      4 hours ago · · 2 peopleLoading...
    • David Lally Sr Is this the best the Oakland Press can some up with as news today?
      4 hours ago · · 2 peopleLoading...
    • Heather Eagling ha! If attractiveness mattered, OJ would be in prison.... just sayin
      4 hours ago ·
    • Jennifer Jones Kienutske Eww... Who ever said Casey Anthony was attractive?
      4 hours ago · · 3 peopleLoading...
    • Ralph Chambers ‎"two attractive women"? How? in what way? To whom?
      4 hours ago · · 3 peopleLoading...
    • Neil Parsons Neither are attractive, one is a whore the other is just ugly.
      4 hours ago ·
    • Brigitte Cremer Wow , Neil yah for Amanda but Casey should be punished for keeping the death of her child a secret
      3 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
    • Neil Parsons Yes, yah for Amanda, down with Casey however neither are attractive. God only knows why Casey walked, it's definately not cause she looks good! Same goes for Amanda, doesn't look good and is home now, great. That's like saying OJ got off cause he's good looking. Haha! (this all coming from a fellow ugly person by the way)
      3 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
    • Brigitte Cremer Looks are inside and out , we are all created by god ,
      3 hours ago ·
    • Laura Eisenhardt Do you people not feel compelled to actually have FACTS to base your opinions on???? LOL Amanda Knox didn't "walk" because she was attractive. READ something people... opinion without facts is just ignorant.
      3 hours ago · · 1 personLoading...
    • Michael Abbott Laura, the question didn't ask if they walked because they were pretty, it asked it their looks were influential in the decision. Posting without actually reading is just....
      about an hour ago ·

posted by Stephen Frye at 11:27 AM 0 Comments

Appropriate find

I find it very very funny that on the day Forbes declares Detroit and metro Detroit the most dangerous place in America, someone also finds a cannon in the Detroit River.

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posted by Stephen Frye at 11:25 AM 0 Comments