Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/917841
for openers Do You Measure Up? letters M easure twice; cut once." That's great advice if you are dealing with precision. However, there are many of us who wish to express a distance or time or weight, etc., and decide to be more colorful with our language choice. How many of the following are favorites of yours? When dealing with dis- tance, one might observe that something is only a stone's throw away. It doesn't matter that some stones may be thrown further than oth- ers; the idea is that the object is not far. Even closer items may be within spitting distance. That measure is much closer than some- thing that is as far as the crow flies. The closest might be only a heartbeat away. If you are really on top of things, you will act when you see the whites of their eyes. Which would be closer: a hair's breadth or a cat's whisker? We are all interested in having things done quickly. (And what do we do with the time "saved?" Find more ways to save time — but that is another column.) Something done very quickly may be accomplished in the blink of an eye. This, I believe, is a bit more rapid than two shakes of a lamb's tail. Oral quickness is measured by being faster than you can say Jack Robinson. If you feel that there is a long wait involved, it may be until the cows come home. Ever feel closed in or in some way hampered by the room you lack to operate efficiently? It may be that there is not even room to swing a cat. This is not the case, of course, with something that is as big as a house. (It does not seem to matter if it is a man- sion or a bungalow that we mean; the picture is there.) How much are you dealing with? Do not worry about ounces or pounds or even tons. Let it be known that it is more than you can shake a stick at. (What that activity has to do with amount still puzzles me since we rarely use a threatening gesture toward inani- mate things.) We measure trust by the distance one can toss someone: ("no farther than I can throw him"). No doubt the person in question is one you would not touch with a 10-foot pole. Well, I am sure you can search from here to the ends of the Earth for more such colorful expressions; these are only a drop in the bucket. • Water Rights Require Wider Action If Lori Lutz wants to make water a right, she has to explain how to pay for it ("Without Water There Is No Life, Dec. 7, page 5). I have no quib- bles with the moral argument, but to become a reality, it must become a legal argument. During my 41-year tenure with Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) that ended in 2010, there was considerable thought given to ways to address the prob- lem of those who cannot pay, but the department always found itself hamstrung by both legal and financial constraints. With adequate research, you will find that there is no solution that can be effected as a water author- ity action. It will require wider action including legislation from Lansing. One tangential issue that I can't let pass is the comment regarding aging infrastructure. Although all the facts presented are true, the federal receivership of the Detroit system, the sewer collapses at 15 Mile and Hayes (there were three so far due to incompetence and negligence), even the disaster in Flint and probably other events that don't come to mind at the moment are not the results of aging infrastructure. The water main on 14 Mile that failed has only reached half its design life. The sewer that collapsed is one of the newest in the entire system. The older facilities, like the 1932 Springwells plant, were built so well that it didn't fail when a 14-inch I-beam supporting an 84-inch pipe rusted away completely leaving only a brown stain on the floor. We caught a leaking pipe that washed away the foundation of the pumping station in the nick of time to prevent a collapse. Failures of the newer sys- tems cause major problems because the designs are compromised to cut costs to cover for the cost of their bad business practices. Prior to 1975, Detroit was a world- renowned leader in the water indus- try. What sent it into a death spiral was a change in management with a new charter that exposed it to exploitation for political patronage. When the politicians began making engineering decisions, they killed the goose that laid the golden eggs and, in an act of reverse alchemy, they turned gold into lead in Flint. As for the Great Lakes Water Authority, it is a clone of DWSD with county politicians replacing Detroit politicians, a shift change for the clown car. I've met with several reporters, but the story is too long and complicated for them. I spent two days testifying to the Detroit City Council, submitting nearly 40 pages of notes, which were totally ignored. I, therefore, keep several jugs of water on hand, which came in handy when that main broke. The director told the Detroit News they follow best prac- tices, but that's not possible. They don't have the staff to do what we did before 1975 when we had the lowest rates and the highest quality in the nation. Dennis L. Green, PE Retired DWSD Head Water Systems Engineer Farmington Hills views Sy Manello Editorial Assistant WINTER Vinter iz doe Indroisn is snow. Ich zog: oy vay iz mir Farmach yeder tir, Oy, where can I go? Vinter iz doe: winter is here Indroisn: outside Ich zog: I say Oy vay iz mir: woe to me Farmach yeder tir: close every door By Rachel Kapen Yiddish Limerick December 21 • 2017 5 jn New FedEd Classes Explore Afterlife, Medical Ethics, More The Jewish Community Center's FedEd is set to expand its winter- spring program with five new teach- ers and five new classes. Cantor Neil Michaels of Temple Israel will present "Finding Sacredness in Secular Song," focus- ing on ways non-liturgical music can inspire spiritual yearnings. Class will be held at noon on three Tuesdays beginning Jan. 9. Jill Gutmann will teach a four-week course on "Medical Ethics of Judaism: The Creation of Life." Classes, held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. begin- ning April 11, will consider Judaism's perspective on in-vitro fertilization, genetic testing, abortion and surro- gacy. "We're Not in Shushan Anymore: How the Rabbis Rewrote the Story of Esther" will be taught by Rabbi Rob Dobrusin of Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor and will be held at 10 a. m. Thursday April 26, May 3 and 10. This class will explore the Book of Esther and ways the rabbis trans- formed the story from one where God isn't even mentioned to an account emphasizing spirituality and the wrongs of idolatry. A lunch-and-learn series featuring Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, senior director of the Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, will consider "The Jewish Belief in the Afterlife." This class will be held at noon on Thursdays for five weeks in May. Oakland University's Dr. Michael Pytlik, director of Judaic Studies, will teach "Unearthing the Bible: The Archaeology of Palestine/Israel," focusing on the problems and oppor- tunities of using ancient written sources for archaeological research. Class will be at 1 p.m. for four Wednesdays beginning May 9. In conjunction with Congregation Shir Tikvah, FedEd also presents "Our Jewish Holidays — the Rest of the Story!" with Rabbi Joseph Klein at 7 p.m. for four weeks beginning Feb. 26, exploring the stories behind Purim, Passover and Shavuot; and "A Crash Course in Israel" with Professor Howard Lupovitch, held at 7 p.m. Mondays for four weeks, starting April 30. For pricing details and to register for any of these classes, go to Feded. online or call (248) 205-2557. •