Thunder Over Michigan parade to feature mass flyover of 20 warbirds

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
The 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, Thunder Over Michigan parade up Main Street in Belleville will feature a mass flyover of 20 warbirds, the Belleville City Council was told July 21 at its regular meeting.
Aaron Peters, filling in for Michael Luther, Air Show Director for the Yankee Air Museum, said they usually have a few old planes fly over the annual parade in Belleville, but this year they are trying to do a mass flyover of 20 warbirds.
Originally scheduled were the WWII T-6 “Texan” Trainer Formation Team and the Yankee Air Museum’s WWII B-25 “Mitchell” Bomber.
The rest of the parade schedule is the same as in previous years, he said, adding there will be no vehicles with metal tracks unless they are covered with rubber shields.
There will be rolling street closings for the parade which brings World War II U.S. and German military vehicles to town along with re-enactors in costume.
The plan is for them to leave Willow Run Airport and to roll into town around 6:30 p.m. for staging at Victory Park. Then the parade will head up Main Street to High Street where it will stage for a while between Main and Roys streets before heading back to Willow Run Airport and the air show at about 7:15 p.m..
Councilman Tom Fielder said this is another example of the more than 100 days of special events the city of Belleville is offering to the community this year.
In other business at the 50-minute meeting, the council:
• Set a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18 to get input on the new Sign Ordinance. Copies of the ordinance are available at city hall for study;
• Heard a request from Michelle Naser of the Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance to tie teal-colored ribbons to the lampposts along Main Street as part of the “Turn the Town Teal” campaign and place 4-6 signs downtown for the month of September. Councilman Fielder voiced concern about the ribbons that will look worn toward the end of September after being battered by winds and weather. If the city approved this, he said, it also would be a signal for others to tie things on the poles. “It’s an opening-the-door thing,” said Councilwoman Kim Tindall. “There are a lot of worthwhile organizations.” The council suggested Naser ask business owners to put the ribbons on their property and in private trees. Members of the audience suggested putting the message on the community events sign and the sign at the high school. “Council will do whatever it can to facilitate the teal ribbons,” Fielder said;
• Approved the request of Terri Morioka of First United Methodist Church to close Roys Street between Charles and Church to allow the church to have a Summer Sizzler family picnic from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, on the lawn and adjoining street. There will be about 30 to 40 children involved and the church parking lot is not suitable because it has just been repaved and, “It stinks,” she said. Artaffair on Main will be going on that day and Main Street will be closed down, so there was some discussion about motorist and emergency access to the area;
• Approved the 2015 Annual Implementation Plan of The Senior Alliance;
• Approved accounts payable in the amount of $103,395.19 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: to C.M.P. Distributors, $1,784.68 for police uniforms; to Oakland County Treasurer, $2,382 for police membership in CLEMIS; to Osborne Concrete, $603 for concrete in the cemetery; to SLC, $4,963.34 for new water meters; and to UMS, $3,156.83 for sewer repair;
• Heard City Manager Diana Kollmeyer report that she talked to the Postmaster and he suggested leaving the mailboxes where they are in Harbour Pointe, rather than moving them, and to post no parking on one side of the street, as desired, to provide space for emergency vehicles to enter. “It may not be an issue,” said Mayor Kerreen Conley, who has been considering for a few years solutions to the parking problem in the subdivision in which she lives; and
• Discussed encouraging people to plan ahead for events and to clear them through the city well ahead of time to avoid conflicts. The discussion was brought on by the church’s Monday request for a street closing on Saturday.