Mr. Bleau, Bye

[XLFD]

As we begin the week of Thanksgiving, where we celebrate the blessings of the year while watching the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers and enjoying the bounty of the harvest on our dinner tables, folks in Pere Marquette Township have a little bit extra to be thankful for this year.  A lot of instability and strife had beset the township over the last couple of years, leading to recall elections that overwhelmingly showed a mandate that the incumbent treasurer and supervisor of the township were not popular, each garnering less than 20% of the vote in the election earlier this month against non-partisan challengers.  

But there has been little time to celebrate a hopeful return to normalcy, with Supervisor Jerry Bleau's 'retiring' just before the recall election was held, taking the official choice away from the people, and giving that duty to the board, who wisely chose the candidate who registered 85% of the votes on ballots after the withdrawal, slightly more than the 83% who voted against his wife, the former Treasurer Karie Bleau and for Sarah Iteen.  

So, for our friends in PM Township we at the Ludington Torch offer the following celebratory song, a slight variation on a classic Electric Light Orchestra hit called "Mr. Blue Sky".  Because our budget can't afford singers, we have supplied a video and our alternative lyrics, that we suggest you play the video and sing along with the lyrics (also supplied) of our modified hit, "Mr. Bleau, Bye" by the Elected Blight Orchestra.  We patiently await the cease-and-desist letter forthcoming; enjoy.

Morning, Todays Forecast Calls for Blue Skies

Sun is shinin' in the sky There ain't a cloud in sight
It's stopped rainin', Everybody's in the play
And don't you know
It's a beautiful new day? Hey hey  {Happiness, now comes the twist}

Cruisin' down Old 31 See how the sun shines brightly in the township
At the hall we saw a clown tripped, 
Mr. Bleau, he is out of there today, hey hey.

Mr. Bleau try, please tell us why, you had to keep your job for so long (so long)
What did we do wrong?

Mr. Bleau try, please tell us why, you had to keep your job for so long (so long)
Why did you do wrong?

Hey you with the smirking face, get out of the people's place,
A celebration, Mr. Bleau he's abdicatin'
And today is the day we've waited for-or-or-or.

Mr. Bleau try, please tell us why You had to keep your job for so long (so long)
Where did things go wrong?

Hey there, Mr. Bleau We're so pleased we're through with you
Was recalled, and then you flew

Votes you had were just a few.

Hey there, Mr. Bleau We're so pleased we're through with you
Was recalled, and your wife too

Citizens chose someone new.

{Mr. Bleau, bye chorus}

Mr. Bleau, you were a bith, But now comes Kelly Smith --sneak on over
Don't show Manistee your folder, 
Never mind, we'll remember you this,
We'll remember you this way:

Mr. Bleau try, please tell us why You had to keep your job for so long (so long)
What did we do wrong?

Hey there Mr. Bleau (sigh) We're so pleased we're through with you (sigh)

Was recalled, and then you flew

Votes you had were very few.

{Celebratory chorus}

[Willy]

Very creative and funny. Your next calling will be a lyric writer for hit songs, after of course, you finish being an ace reporter and winning the Pulitzer.

Here is the sky less version of Mr. Blue.

[XLFD]

I haven't heard that song in decades, but it does have a melancholy sound, appropriate for Mr. Bleau's fortunes of late.  Perhaps if Mr. Bleau has a comeback so that he can have another fall, I can parody that in the future.  

I chose ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" as the song in this case, because of a strange bit of synchronicity.  I was travelling to PM Township prior to a meeting back in October in my car, listening to the Manistee radio station (101.5) and heard this song and tied it in with Jerry Bleau without too much extra thoughts about mangling the lyrics.  At the meeting, it was announced he was retiring. 

Found out later, he took the building inspector job in Manistee.  With him and his wife getting drubbed by the PMCT electors in November, one imagines most see blue skies ahead.  This song is for them to better remember the occasion.