Waynerville

I have lived in the little town of Waynerville, most of my life. It is centrally located just about midway between Detroit and Ann Arbor, surrounded by many other communities its size and many larger and smaller bergs.

Through the years Waynerville has pretty much remained the small charming town I remember from my youth. I can still tell you where the old NBD bank, the Credit Union and the old Kresge's Five and Dime was. Johnson's Bakery now houses a Curves Studio...strangely ironic? The State Wayne Theater remains, but is now owned by the city rather than Schaeffer's.
The high school has expanded and improved the 'flats' with a practice football field and sweet baseball diamonds for both the boy AND the girls teams. My elementary school, a big brown brick two story one, has long been torn down with big new houses in its place. Most of the homes are 1940 bungalows, like little boxes all lined up along its 'Tree City' streets.

Why do I tell you all this? To tell you how content I am, how proud I am to be a Waynervillian! The city that takes care of its people. The city who's motto is 'Its GREAT to live in Wayneville!'

We got a boatload of snow yesterday, me and my family excited about the whiteness of it all when about 2000 the emergency warning system went off. We all ran and looked out the windows of our 1940's bungalow wondering what the heck was happening. Has some weirdo once again decided to land at Detroit Metro and raise havoc? Did the chemical plant do something crazy again? NO, they were asking us to remove our cars from the streets. That way the snow plowing, salt spreading DPW guys, with their quietly reassuring rumble, could make sure we got out for work and school in the morning.

I have lived in some of the surrounding communities of Waynerville, and NOT ONE, has the city services that we do. Well...we don't have recycling that comes to our door step, however we have had a recycling station right in the heart of this town for the past 16 years. My streets are plowed AND ice free in ALL winter long, done as soon as the last flake has fallen. As I drove through many of the surrounding cities today, I found myself driving on side streets rutted and slippery from the snow, and knowing the ice sheet it would form as it melted, I felt thankful for my own city.

Once the water I was drawing for my Saturday morning coffee was brown. At first I investigated around the perimeter of the house and the other water taps. Then I got in the car to investigate the neighborhood. Turning the corner of my street, I encountered the city crew, with the street already open for their repairmen. When I stopped to tell them what I was up to, and told them I was happy they were there so quickly, they smiled and laughed at me. Probably because they were making some big overtime, but maybe because they wondered who this crazy old lady was, out at 0600 on a Saturday morning seeking out where the water trouble was? The DPW guys were there again with their quietly reassuring rumble fixing our problems.

Our Mayor, who ran unopposed last year, owned a party store up the street. I dislike calling it a party store as it had the feel of a 'country' store when you visited, with several of the Mayor's cronies around. It seemed all that was missing was the checker board. I work about a mile away and walk in good weather. On my way home, I often stopped into the Mayor's market just to say hello to 'Mr. Mayor'. He became a friend as well and often asked after my family. I still frequent the store, which has been modernized since the Mayor sold it, yet the men that are their now are still friendly, and ask after my family whenever I visit. My little market still just up the street, with friendly people in my community.

I don't know...it may sound corny, and you may laugh, but I feel it is 'Great to live in Waynerville', I am thankful for it and am proud to call it my hometown.