In the News

Michigan Council for the Social Studies - Memorandum, Winter - 2010 - In our conversation, Buzz and I share the activities we use at the Greater West Bloomfield Museum through the support of volunteers and our partnerships with local school districts. Knowing that every community's historical resources are more or less proactive, we brainstormed some suggestions for how you can apply some of these ideas. The activities are related to Social Studies Standards core themes for all grade levels namely: regions, patterns, processes, location, movement and connection. Read more ...

The Oakland Press, Saturday, December 12, 2009 - I am a supporter of an Oakland County, county-wide solution for public transportation. Acquaintances have asked for my comments on the Board of Commissioners decision to recommend the status quo on this important legislation. Having read the newspaper articles in the aftermath of the committee’s tie vote I was struck by some recurring themes in the oppositions comments. For example, Commissioner Long of Commerce Township did not want to support a transit system that was broke. The comment prompted me to ponder the question, “How many of our elected officials making decisions about public transportation have actually travelled on a SMART bus recently?” I wonder, “How many of our elected officials have stopped at a bus stop to ask riders why they take the bus and how important the system is for their daily life?” Read more ...

Keego Harbor, Mich., April 28, 2009 - Buzz Brown, President of QLINC, developed nine historical markers that debuted on part of the West Bloomfield Nature Trail, Orchard Lake Road north to Sylvan Lake, on Sunday, April 26. "As people walk along this old Grand Trunk Michigan railroad bed, they also are walking parallel to what was once a light-rail, mass transit system known as the Detroit United Railway's interurban line or D.U.R., " said Buzz Brown, president of the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society that funded and placed the signs.

"Now - as the nation discusses the possibility of creating light- and high-speed rail - the history of that earlier time will be explained on new markers to be setup once a month near the old trolley route.

"When people walk or bike the trail on Sunday afternoons, said Brown, they will get a better understanding of the mass transit system we once had. 'It is astounding to me that we once had the system President Barack Obama and many others are now touting,' Brown said" (as noted in the Oakland Press, Saturday, April 25).

The Interurban carried passengers and freight all over southeast Michigan from 1899 to 1929. The trolleys had electric motors and got electricity from an overhead wire. By 1929 competition between motorbus companies forced the closing of all interurban service in southeast Michigan.

Research for the markers was provided by Oakland County Historic Commission member Brian Golden while graphics and layout was created by Brian Bohnett. In addition to April 26, the signs will be placed by members of the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society on selected open-house Sundays throughout the year.

Keego Harbor, Mich., March 17, 2009 - Buzz Brown, President of QLINC, will be presenting "GeoConnecting" at the Lifelong Learning Forum at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Farmington on April 9, 2009 from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Brown will describe GeoConnecting as the interaction of location-aware mobile devices and Social Media databases to locate people, places, and things and to interact with what is discovered. Mathew Honan, writing in the February, 2009 issue of Wired Magazine stated, "Simply put, location changes everything. This one input - our coordinates - has the potential to change all the outputs. Where we shop, who we talk to, what we read, what we search for, where we go - they all change once we merge location and the web." Read More...

Buzz Brown, President of QLINC, was invited to attend the Sweden-Michigan Clean Energy Summit on Friday, September 26, 2008.

"Michigan hosted His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden at two events Friday aimed at cleaning the environment.

The king appeared with Gov. Jennifer Granholm at a clean energy summit in Dearborn, which focused on issues ranging from global climate change to advanced energy solutions with business, academic and international leaders in the field."[Detroit News]

Expanding use of the Internet and contracting additional programmers as needed has allowed the one-man Quantum to keep up with GM.