2022 is going to be an even worse year

 I can't wish you all a Happy New Year because I know what is in store for all of us. 

A lot has happened this past year.  Between the stolen election, the total plandemic fiasco, the supply chain quagmire and now inflation going thru the roof, it has just been a miserable year.

And our veterans at our Vets home have suffered greatly being put in house arrest for months at a time without even having any due process. No visitors, no family, orders to stay in their rooms for weeks at a time except when they had to go to the shower room. 

All for "their own good". Yeah, well the road to hell is paved with good intentions. 

And despite its failure to properly follow the chosen model, for the new Michigan veterans homes, which are modeled after those in Tennessee, the state did manage to get 2 new homes completed. One in Chesterfield and one in Grand Rapids, right next to what remains of the old home. 

The 3 part old home in Grand Rapids housed over 750 veterans. The 2 new homes will hold about 250, 1/3rd of what G.R. used to.  And we still have the DJ Jacobetti home in Marquette. ok, so that's about 400 total, out of about 900 before.  Big improvement in 5 years.. NOT! 

Now we get to look forward to a year of hyperinflation.  And a long drawn out election battle over election integrity, and the battle against the progressive policies that are slowly destroying our country from within.

We might see an end to some of it by years end. The new Michigan Veterans home at Grand Rapids might open up to regular visitors, along with the old home, The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Yes they call the 2 buildings different names.  I just call it the Vets home, old and new. 

Same lock downs, same problems, same restrictions, just different days. And some of the same old problem people still working at the home instead of being replaced by more qualified personnel that would do a much better job at taking care of our veterans. 

Still, here is hoping that this plan demic will end, and the Vets Homes will open up to regular walk in visitors who want to help, donate to, and visit our veterans.  In other words, going back to more normal circumstances.

Update: Just learned that the state spent 8 million building the new GR home, and only 1/4th of it has been certified as livable by residents. 1 pod (living area) out of 4 passed inspection, the other 3 still need repairs and certification. 

Overall population at the new and old homes in GR is less than 170 people with a staff of about 400 providing for them, and keeping the buildings and grounds kept up. WOW.  At one time there were over 750 people living at the G.R. home.

Jeff has passed on, 2 down 1 to go - maybe; where is Ken?

For those who remember the "selling of untaxed smokes" fiasco at the Veterans home, 3 guys were told that the state prosecutors office under Bill Schuette was going to let the home deal with that situation. The home responded by expelling 3 veterans. And Bill Schuette ended up prosecuting them anyways. This is in part, why he was NOT elected as Governor. He failed miserably as Attorney General.  

Ken, Jeff, and Tony updates The 3 guys involved who only wanted to help fellow veterans.

This place was the only safe place Tony knew. He found a place which was a private ran apartment complex next to the VA hospital in Battle Creek, but they had no support services and the nearest grocery store was 7 miles away.  The combined with lack of support from the VA, and their reducing his meds in huge steps instead of gradually reducing them, led him to drinking heavily to deal with his issues. They found him dead in his bed. 16 September 2018 which was 3 years ago. 

I just found out one other person Jeff, who was living in an assisted living home near Greenville has also passed. Jeff passed away some time in October or November.  Jeff liked to play mental games with people and I do not mean the good kind. Eventually everyone who tried to help him, gave up and he spent his last year with his fellow residents with no one to go check on him, or find out if he was doing ok. 

Ken, who ended up somewhere on the East Side of Michigan up by Tawas or in that part of the state, has not been heard from in years. Last time we saw him, he was in bad shape a year after he left the home. We have reason to believe he passed away last year. 

New Vets home has lots of Problems, Corruption seems to be the norm with this new home.

When the Michigan legislature decided to FINALLY do something about the problems plaguing the Grand Rapids home for veterans, they decided to build a model based upon the Tennessee veterans homes. Individual units of about 120 people. Scattered throughout the state, near the cities where veterans lived so they could be near their families. These homes were also ran as Non profit enterprises with lots of people volunteering at them, and making lots of donations. Veterans at these homes rarely went without.

But again Michigan is setting up its new model for failure.

These new homes are to be run as FOR PROFIT enterprises.. if you cannot pay, you cannot stay. And Michigan has over 600,000 veterans. 

Also if you are a smoker, forget it. No smoking on the grounds, nor can you be a smoker at all. 

And the new bureaucracy running this show is so messed up its not even funny. The board of directors or whatever its name is, allows the members to accept gifts. Talk about an open door to corruption.

Also, it appears that the new home has the authority to ask anyone for donations, so they have informed the veterans organizations that they no longer need their help. Talk about saying F--K YOU! To those organizations who for years helped care for the vets. 

The new GR home has a new name. Michigan Veterans Home Grand Rapids.  So I guess they are going to run the 2 buildings as separate names and locations, right?

But after spending millions of dollars destroying an old growth forest, taking out trees that would take 100 years to replace, the new home has some serious issues.

One issue reported is the deck drains in the residents showers are too HIGH. And the showers cannot drain properly. OOPS! Flood the bathroom area, making it more dangerous for the resident.  How much tax money is this going to cost taxpayers to correct?

The Gates in the Alzheimer's wing, that keeps them safe in a yard, got knocked down during the recent storm because some idiot bought cheap plastic hinges for it.  If a strong wind can break it down, just think what a 250lb veteran with an attitude could do.. 

I am told the rules established means the coffee served to the residents can only be so warm.. just a bit warmer than the ambient room temperature.. no more hot coffee or hot chocolate either.

So far there seems to be only 6 residents moved into the new place.  So how long is it going to take to fill it up? With less than 150 in the older buildings, they shouldn't need another 4 months to fill the new one up. What is going on here? Where is the oversight? (none as usual).

Since the place is now Medicare/Medicaid compliant, its just a matter of time until some non veteran finds a money hungry lawyer and sues the place for discrimination. 

And that is just some of the problems.

Also, Was informed today that the old home is once again in COV lockdown due to one staff member coming in and testing positive for COV19.

I don't know for sure, but it sure looks to me like they are turning the new "home" into something not a home at all, but a warehouse for people waiting to die. 

I wonder if they will allow the residents to even play bingo. 

Grand Rapids Home for Veterans gets a new Administrator to replace Tracy.

 GRH4V gets a new Administrator, but they are not calling it GRH4V in the article. They are calling it the MVHGR or Michigan Veterans Home Grand Rapids..  So are they going to change the signs outside to reflect this? Who knows.

click here for the article

Apparently corruption is a curse at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

 Wow, I just read this article. After years of financial abuse at the vets home under a previous administration, of which is still unresolved, we find that the construction of the "new home" has had its share of problems too. What is going on here?  

Can't Michigan manage anything to do with Veterans without something being messed up? The new home is modeled after the Veterans homes in Tennessee, but those are non-profit. Michigan is going to run their "new vets homes" as a FOR PROFIT venture.. Meaning I believe they will continue to abuse veterans using the guardian/conservator program which in the past has systematically stripped a veteran of every penny, even at the expense of loved ones, such as wives and children.  

So it looks like the corruption is continuing. This is why I tell fellow veterans to avoid this place at all costs if they want to spend their last remaining days in peace. 

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/gr-home-for-veterans-contractor-pays-workers-26k-in-back-wages-after-investigation/69-62b36382-df4f-4e94-89b8-debcb471784a

Bike ride around the new home, thru the Grotto and over the old railway.

 Went by the vets home the other day and took a bike tour around the new buildings and shot some video coverage of the ride. Also down into the grotto and out the train track path.

Nice view of Riverside park from the west walkway overlooking Monroe avenue. 

The grotto is not used much now, mostly because of the recent construction AND the continued COV lock down. 

If any staff people at the home are reading this: 
The Train rail path that goes over Laberton Creek connecting the duck pond and the lower grotto creek, needs to be TRIMMED UP and maintained!  I had to ride in the grass because of all the vines growing on the fence that were so thick, I could not stay on the path.  

The Vets memorial that used to be down at the Marine Recruiting office farther down Monroe, is now sitting where the old Commandant house used to be. But that path and area needs better maintenance done on it as well. 

Here is the link to the bike ride along the new home.

HUH? Are you serious?

 Rode over to the Vets home today to try to talk to a few guys. 
One of the security guys came out and informed me that he asked about visitors.  

Now recently due to the changes in Michigan's backwards lockdown for COV, the home has been in high lock down, but I figured I could swing buy and stop and visit outside, keeping a distance from them yet be close enough to have a conversation. About 6 to 10 feet away.  Now I have had my shots, so I am not worried. 

However, the current policy is they want you to call in, schedule the visit, go in and get tested, then if ok, go to a specific area to have your visit. You cannot just pull up to the main entrance and stop and chat with the guys there.

Now I find this ironic since I just learned that Dom Unit's ride to the local Stores, is about to begin again.

Previously 1 time a week,  one of the buss's would take a group to Meijers or Walmart for a shopping trip. These trips were put on hold during the COV lockdown.

So these folks will go to an area, where they will be exposed to who knows how many people who have not gotten their shots, who may be sick. Then return to the home, possibly carrying God knows what with them.  Yet the home still will not let the general public come to the entrance for a simple visit outside.

Might as well let them do so, because by allowing residents to go to Meijers, you are in effect opening the whole home to the rest of the world. 

Even the Wild life is taking a look at the new GRH4V

 Was on a bike ride 17 June, when I took a spin around the Vets home. Look what I found.

It is all but done! Wow.

Today I rode my bike over to the Vets home. That new place looks sharp. But there is no short cut thru the building that you can take a bike thru! So its go all the way around it. Still it looks nice. The duck pond area has low water, as does the Grand River. You can tell we are in a drought here when looking at them. 

Did not see any of the Dom guys out and about, but did see several veterans being pushed in wheel chairs around the new buildings. Glad to see they were getting fresh air.  Talked to one of the security guys. They said some of the volunteers are now returning and they think soon visitors will be allowed again as well. 


So, in my last post I promised you some pictures when I finally got down there. Here they are.  Enjoy.

We are still here, but been busy lately.

 Wow, May has just flew by. Been very busy here.  Got a lot done this month. The weather is looking good for the next week, and I am planning on spending some time near it on a bike ride. Will take my camera and video gear. 

The guys still have it ruff. The can go outside but have to fill out a lengthy questionnaire to do so.  They are still pretty much locked down and no visitors are allowed yet. Some volunteers are back, but not many.

So in a few days I will post some updated pictures.. 

Good Bye Tracy, you will be missed.

Tracy, the administer of the Grand Rapids home for veterans, has announced her intent to resign as of 30 July 2021. 

Tracy and Hubby have decided to retire in North Carolina and will be selling their home here in Michigan.  

Since the awful days of the Dunne administration the GRHFV home has gone thru a number of administrators, with Tracy being the latest one and the most popular among the residents, staff, visitors and volunteers since then. 

She went out of her way to help the veterans feel at home at the place which has been undergoing constant changes due to the building of the new home and lately the COV-19 pandemic and how it has had an effect on the residents there. 

The new home is scheduled to open soon, and some residents may be transferring to the new home within the next few months.  

First of 5, "New Model" Veterans homes ran by the State of Michigan has opened.

The First of the new Michigan veterans homes has opened in Chesterfield!  

This is one of 5 new homes, which will be the new model of caring for our veterans locally instead of piling them up in 2 locations, Grand Rapids and Marquette. 

Here is the link to the article about it.

Chesterfield article click here

Malcomb Daily news has an article too, but you need a subscription to see it, so I won't post the link.

The new Grand Rapids home is due to open soon. Then the board of directors will begin searching for a good location for one of the other homes and get that one started being built.

The new model allows veterans to stay in the area of the state where they originally lived, making it easier for family to visit and allowing the state to draw on more diversified local resources.  

The only problem I see with these new homes is they are being ran as a for profit business and not as a non profit business, designated for caring for our Veterans. 

I said it last year: Its like putting people under house arrest without a warrant.

Very interesting article about Tony, on the WZZM site. And yes, he is not the only one that feels this way. I said it last year. Imposing strict isolation rules on these people is like putting them in prison without a trial. 

This is just wrong. Our leadership has failed us again. But, having resided at that home in the past, I find it the same ole song and dance. Not much has changed.  It felt like we were in prison under Sara Dunne's administration too. 

 https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/grand-rapids-north/like-being-in-jail-isolation-amid-pandemic-takes-its-toll-on-grand-rapids-veteran/69-a13d52a7-a172-4a44-9d0c-7d3b425daa3c

I thought Thornbery lost her licence?

 Sorry that I don't have much news about the home. This cold spell we have had this month has kept me at home. That and I have a car repair that needs done ASAP so I am trying to not have to drive anywhere if I do not have to. So I have been unable to swing by the Home and check on things.  If we get that next stimulus package, it will fund the car repairs. I need new shocks/struts. They are 75 bucks each plus labor and then I need a 4 wheel alignment. Figure about 700 all said and done. 

So, I was a bit shocked when a friend called me. Said someone contacted them about Cynthia Thornbery being appointed conservator and guardian of a relative.  

Thornbery is partially responsible for some of the early deaths of our veterans at that home. As far as I am concerned, she and Michigan Judge David Murkowski should be held as accessories to murder for those deaths. 

Rumer's a few years ago had Thornbery under investigation for over charging clients and the result was she lost her license.  Apparently that is not true.  Sure do feel sorry for anyone who gets that thing imposed on them as a guardian or a conservator.

Back in 2012, when the state legislature was investigating the home for corruption under the Sara Dunne administration the legislature then said Michigan's conservatorship laws were archaic and needed a major overhaul.  A decade later we are still waiting. 

This is our do nothing legislature. And why our vets are still suffering. Shameful that we have over 600 thousand veterans in this state, and we can't even properly care for less than 500 of them.