Farmington Hills Youth Performing Tonight at the Detroit Opera House

Congratulations to our talented local performers!

Anne Koziara, 13, will sing in the holiday season Monday on the stage of the Detroit Opera House along with five other Farmington-Farmington Hills area students.

Koziara is part of the Michigan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus, which presents its fifth annual A Winter Fantasy holiday concert and fundraiser at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28.

“It really gets you in the holiday spirit,” said Koziara, of Farmington Hills, who attends Our Lady of Sorrows in Farmington and is in her third season singing in A Winter Fantasy.

Avery Rausch (North Farmington High School), Farrah Mechael (Mercy High School), Tamara Mechael (Our Lady of Sorrows) and Elena Dzousa (Warner Upper Elementary), all from Farmington Hills; and Ryan Kotlinski (Our Lady of Sorrows) from Farmington are also appearing in the performance.

A Winter's Fantasy features a variety of music, including holiday favorites; excerpts from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta H.M.S. Pinafore, which the choir performs in spring; and pieces by Bach, Gounod, Whitacre and more.

A silent auction and raffle begin at 6 p.m., with proceeds benefitting the chorus. The auction includes a luxury suite at Comerica Park and box seats to Wicked at the Detroit Opera House.

Many opportunities

The chorus is a permanent ensemble of Michigan Opera Theatre, formed in 2007 for metro Detroit youth interested in vocal musical theatrical art. The choir performs as a separate ensemble as well as in MOT productions.

The chorus accepts children ages 10-16 by audition. Rehearsals are held twice a week.

Chorus members learn various aspects of opera and voice training in a professional environment with renowned opera singers and voice specialists.

Koziara takes music class at OLS and is in the OLS church choir. The chorus gives her opportunities she would not have had otherwise, she said.

“We get to perform with adults and professionals,” said Koziara, whose performances with MOT include the recently staged Carmina Burana. “It's great because we get to see what it's like in the adult world.”

She doesn't know if she'll become a professional singer but said “it's something I can always put on my resume.”

Diverse group

“One of the things I like as a mom, when they are doing the mainstage opera with adults, they have such diversity,” said Michele Koziara. “They have singers from all over the world and have the opportunity to experience working with world class professionals. It's such an incredible opportunity.”

Tickets are $28 for adults, $15 for ages 16 and under, and free for children 4 and under. Tickets include strolling hors d'oeuvres and dessert.

Advance tickets are available at: www.ticketderby.com, or by contacting chorus administrator Megan Warzecha at             (248) 914-1966       or mwarzecha@motopera.org. Tickets are also available at the door.

MOT is supported by private donations, foundation and corporate grants, the State of Michigan through the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal Agency.

The chorus website is: www.motcc.org.

Read more http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20111127/NEWS06/111270429

Farmington Hills Fire Department Warns About Turkey Fryers

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! Please remember to practice safe turkey cooking:

(A Farmington Hills firefighter lower a turkey into a deep fryer as the department tests whether deep frying a turkey poses serious safety risks. Credit Farmington Hills Fire Department)

This article and safety advice has been released for the past four or five years, yet we still get information every holiday season on residents who defy the odds and risks associated with turkey fryers.

It’s possible that some of these residents are actually monitoring their turkey the entire time they are being cooked, but for some reason, we doubt it. And if they are standing there, watching the turkey being deep fried for hours, it would have been much easier to place it in the oven and set a timer to check on it when it is finished cooking.

With that said, the Farmington Hills Fire Department, along with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Underwriters Laboratory (U.L.), are strongly discouraging the use of outdoor gas-fueled turkey fryers that immerse a turkey in hot oil.

Many people rave about the taste and time saved in the kitchen, but most people are sacrificing safety for good taste.

These fryers use a substantial amount of cooking oil at a high temperature, and almost all units pose a significant safety risk, as hot oil will be released at some point during the cooking process. The use of these fryers has led to devastating burns, other injuries and homes completely destroyed by fire. The Fire Department urges those who prefer a fried turkey to consider a new type of “oil-less” turkey fryer.

Here are some hazards associated with the use of turkey fryers:

• Most units easily tip over, spilling the hot oil from the cooking pot.
• If the pot is overfilled with oil, the oil may spill out of the unit when the turkey is placed into the pot. Oil may drain onto the unprotected burner or flames, causing a fire to engulf the entire unit and its surroundings.
• A partially frozen turkey can cause a spillover effect. This too may result in a devastating fire.
• These units have no thermostat controls, and they have the potential to overheat to the point of combustion.
• The lid and handles on the sides of the cooking pot get dangerously hot, and pose a severe burn hazard.

If these concerns aren’t enough to discourage you from using a turkey fryer, consider the following tips to prevent a fire or disaster while cooking your turkey:

• Always use a turkey fryer outdoors, away from anything combustible or flammable.
• Never use them in a garage, under a shed or on a wooden deck.
• Always use them on a flat surface to reduce the possibility of tipping over.
• Never leave your fryer unattended.
• Never let children or pets near the frying unit.
• Do not overfill the pot. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Be sure your turkey is thoroughly thawed before placing it into the hot oil.
• Use oven mitts to prevent burning your hands.
• Have a portable fire extinguisher handy or ready to use if needed. Dial 911 if there is a fire.
• If the weather is forecasting rain or snow, consider scrapping the entire frying option, as water and hot oil do not mix!

Finally, the hot oil inside the pot will remain hot for several hours after your turkey has been removed. Continue to follow the tips and recommendations for safe use until the oil has completely cooled.

Be safe and enjoy the upcoming holiday season with your family and friends!

Lieutenant Denny Hughes is a fire and safety educator with the Farmington Hills (MI) Fire Department. He may be reached at 248-871-2823 or at DHughes@fhgov.com. Some material re-printed with permission of the NFPA and UL

About this column: Local emergency services providers share safe and sound prevention tips, ideas and information.

Read more http://farmington-mi.patch.com/articles/farmington-hills-fire-department-warns-about-turkey-fryers#photo-3389660

Toyota says hybrids offer best fuel economy gains

Hybrids are a “core technology,” says Toyota.

Toyota will explore various power trains and fuel sources, but sees hybrids as the core technology for improving fuel economy, an engineering manager says.
Ankil Shah, manager for materials engineering at Toyota's technical center here, says hybrids offer "the best short- to midterm gains in fuel economy."

Given that battery energy density is far less than that of liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel, the cost and weight of battery packs needed to produce an acceptable range in an electric vehicle are prohibitive, Shah said.

"This makes electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles a great challenge in a mainstream vehicle," Shah said recently in a speech at a conference sponsored by Plastics News on lightweight and electric vehicles.

Plastics News, like Automotive News, is published by Crain Communications.

Toyota has sold 3 million hybrids globally, Shah said. The Prius is by far the best-selling hybrid in the United States, with sales of 104,251 units this year through October--nearly half of the 211,598 total U.S. hybrid sales.

Aside from market leadership, Toyota uses the hybrid architecture as the basis for other alternative drivetrains such as plug-ins and EVs, he said: "Hybrid components can be easily adapted to other power train systems."

Shah said that Toyota sees a future for hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles, and plans to begin commercial sales in 2015. Its fuel cell vehicle has a range of nearly 500 miles per tankful and functions well in cold weather, he said.

Toyota sees fuel cell propulsion as optimum for large vehicles such as buses and delivery trucks, Shah said, particularly if they travel long-distance routes.

Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57324363-48/toyota-says-hybrids-offer-best-fuel-economy-gains/

Picture from: http://www.toyotainthenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/toyota-hybrid-x-concept-image.jpg

Hills city hall honored by Keep Michigan Beautiful

Congratulations to our beautiful city!

The City of Farmington Hills was honored at the Keep Michigan Beautiful Awards at the annual meeting and awards program held in October in Grand Rapids.

Keep Michigan Beautiful is a statewide organization that promotes beautification and environmental awareness with an emphasis on volunteerism.

The City of Farmington Hills was honored with the Michigan Plaque for the “Revitalization of Farmington Hills City Hall.” The Michigan Plaque is given for outstanding effort by a group or an individual in furthering the goals of Keep Michigan Beautiful.

The “Revitalization of Farmington Hills City Hall” involved a renovation and addition project that utilized pervious pavement, solar panels, heat pumps, and a green roof in a successful effort to be environmentally responsible and energy efficient. The project has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council with LEED Gold Certification for its sustainable building practices.

Farmington Hills City Manager Steve Brock and Beautification Commissioners were present at the awards ceremony to receive the award and to honor all the winners.

Read more http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20111110/NEWS06/111100529

Picture from http://www.fhgov.com/Business/Welcome.asp

Toyota Shows Machines to Help Sick, Elderly Move

This new technology would be amazing to have in Michigan with its large population of elderly residents. Can’t wait to see these products hit the market!

Toyota unveiled its ambitions for high-tech health care Tuesday, displaying experimental robots that the auto giant says can lift disabled patients from their hospital beds or help them walk.

The company aims to commercialize products such as its "independent walk assist" device sometime after 2013 — seeking to position itself in an industry with great potential in Japan, one of the world's most rapidly aging nations.

Eiichi Saitoh, a professor in rehabilitation medicine, demonstrated the "walk assist" device on Tuesday, strapping the computerized metallic brace onto his right leg, which was paralyzed by polio.

He showed reporters at a Toyota facility in Tokyo how the brace could bend at the knee as needed, allowing him to walk more naturally and rise from a chair with greater ease than the walker he now uses. Wearing a backpack-like battery, Saitoh walked up and down a flight of stairs, smiling with delight.

Saitoh said he had tried Toyota's machines with patients and was confident they helped people recover more quickly from strokes and other ailments that curtailed movement.

"It may be difficult to predict the future, but the era of an aging society is definitely coming," he said. "We need partner robots to enrich our lives."

Toyota also demonstrated an intelligent machine with padded arms that can help health care workers lift disabled patients from their beds and then carry them around. Another mobility aid worked like a skateboard to help people relearn balance.

Toyota officials said technology for autos such as sensors, motors and computer software are being used in such computerized gadgets to help people get around, and what they learn about mobility for people will likely be of use in future cars.

Prices and overseas sales plans of all the machines are still undecided, according to Toyota.

General Manager Akifumi Tamaoki said more tests were needed on more people to insure safety and reliability, and gain user feedback, but the commercial products in the works were going to be smaller and lighter than the prototype versions shown.

"We define gentle and smart machines as partner robots," he said.

Toyota has previously shown human-shaped robots that played the trumpet and violin, and those that move around and talk about Toyota cars at showrooms.

Rival Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. has developed a sophisticated humanoid robot called Asimo, which can run, talk and dance. But Asimo has been limited to showrooms and labs and has yet to enter any hospital or home.

Toyota faces competition from other manufacturers that are all working on gadgets to tap into the health care business. Honda also has demonstrated machines worn on the legs that help people move, as have some universities.

Hirohisa Hirukawa, a robot exert at the government-backed National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, said more time would be needed to see the full busineses potential of the Toyota machines but was upbeat.

"I feel that the walk-assist device has real potential to sell to consumers," he said in an email.

Tamaoki said Toyota is keeping its offerings simple, compared to those from Honda, so they can enter everyday life easily.

Read more http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/toyota-shows-machines-sick-elderly-move-14855252