Home Care In Fraser, MI

Bill Lindberg, Michigan State University Extension, and Bert Cregg, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Horticulture and Department of Forestry - November 16, 2023

Updated from an original article written by Bert Cregg and Jill O'Donnell.

Consumers still have an array of choices as supplies tighten for some Christmas tree species.

Michigan farms and tree lots offer an array of great Christmas tree choices. While it’s true that supplies of some species, particularly Fraser fir, will be tighter than in past years, consumers that want a real tree will be able to find one. Whether you look for a pre-cut tree at a local tree lot or bundle up the family for the choose-and-cut experience, you will find a wide variety of tree types that offer something for everyone.

As with most things, shopping early will ensure the best selection. If your holiday tradition is to put the tree up closer to Christmas day, you can store your tree with its cut end in water in your garage or other protected, unheated space until you are ready to move it into the house. (See “Making your real Christmas tree last through the holidays.”) Consumers will also have an easier time finding a real tree if they are willing to expand the menu of trees they choose from. Michigan Christmas tree growers produce a diverse range of Christmas tree types, and this might be the year to consider something different for your holiday tradition.

To help you pick the perfect tree, Michigan State University Extension has developed a description of the main types of trees grown in Michigan:

These Christmas tree species can be found at nearly every choose-and-cut farm or tree lot.

Fraser fir

Fraser fir continues to increase in consumer popularity and for good reason. Fraser fir has blue-green needles with silvery undersides. The branches are strong and stiff and hold up well to ornaments. The trees have a pleasant scent and needle retention is excellent. For more pictures and information on this species, see MSU‘s Fraser fir Youtube video.

Back to list of tree species.

Scots pine

Scots pine is the tree species that has long defined the Michigan Christmas tree industry and is still a favorite for traditionalists. Scots pines are dense trees with dark-green needles. Stiff branches hold up well to ornaments and needle retention is excellent. Scots pine is also a more economical choice. For more pictures and information on this species, see MSU‘s Scots pine YouTube video.

Back to list of tree species.

Douglas fir

Douglas fir is a dense tree with soft, light green needles. You’ll need to stick with lighter-weight ornaments since the branches are not as stiff as some other species. This is another good choice for budget-conscious consumers. For more pictures and information on this species, see MSU‘s Douglas fir YouTube video.

Back to list of tree species.

Blue spruce

Blue spruce remains a popular Christmas tree because of its bright blue color. Branches are stiff and hold ornaments well. Blue spruce needles are quite sharp, so be sure to wear gloves and long-sleeves when handling. While the needles may make the tree hard to handle, some people choose blue spruce to keep pets away from the tree. For more pictures and information on this species, see MSU‘s blue spruce YouTube video.

Back to list of tree species.

Black hills spruce

Black hills spruce have needles that are shorter and softer than Colorado blue spruce. Black hills spruce have excellent color and have a very traditional Christmas tree appearance. Branches are stiff and hold up well to ornaments.

Back to list of tree species.

White pine

White pine is one of two Michigan native conifers commonly used for Christmas trees, along with balsam fir. This is a dense tree with soft, green needles. This tree will require light-weight ornaments as the branches are not particularly strong. For consumers that have a high ceiling and want a larger tree, white pine can be an economical choice. For more pictures and information on this species, see MSU‘s white pine YouTube video.

Back to list of tree species.

Balsam fir

Balsam fir has long been a preferred species for many consumers because of its strong Christmas tree scent. It has dark green needles and excellent form.

Back to list of tree species.

Concolor fir

Concolor fir have longer needles than many other fir trees and they may be as blue as a blue spruce. The big draw for this species, however, is the strong, citrus-like scent. For more pictures and information on this species, see MSU‘s concolor fir YouTube video.

Back to list of tree species.

In addition to the traditional species mentioned above, Michigan growers continue to add species to their mix. For more information on other lesser-known trees, see "Christmas trees for connoisseurs: Try an exotic species this year."

Korean fir

Korean fir is native to Asia, as noted by the name, but grows well in our climate and soil. It has dark green needles with striking silvery undersides. The form and unique texture add to this species’ appeal. For more pictures and information on this species, see MSU‘s Korean fir Youtube video.

Back to list of tree species.

Canaan fir

Canaan fir combines many of the characteristics of balsam fir and Fraser fir. It is sometimes described as a hybrid between the two, but is actually a specific seed source of balsam fir from the Canaan Valley of West Virginia. For more pictures and information on this species, see MSU‘s Canaan fir Youtube video.

Back to list of tree species.

Want to find a Christmas tree farm near you? Visit the Michigan Christmas Tree Association website to see choose and cut farms, retail lots, and wholesale farms in your area!

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This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Fraser residents can vote on a proposed bond measure on Tuesday, Aug. 8 that would provide money for road improvements in the city.

FRASER — On Tuesday, Aug. 8, Fraser residents will get to decide whether to approve a new bond measure dedicated to fixing the city’s local roads.

The bond would allow the city to borrow a sum not to exceed $15 million. A millage would be levied to pay for this bond, to be paid back within 12 years.

“It would be an additional millage on their tax bill,” said Fraser City Manager Elaine Leven. “One of the big things this will let us do is to bond out for a big lump of money at a single point in time so we will no longer have to defer repairs. We will be able to make more repairs in a shorter time frame.”

The millage is estimated to be levied at 1.3058 mills, which is just under $1.31 per every $1,000 of taxable property.

“We’re going to let voters in Fraser decide what kind of city they want to live in,” said Fraser Mayor Michael Carnegie. “With the latest updated roads, it would be of value to their homes and the city itself. It’s better for safety and to everyone’s advantage. If they vote yes, we will start the process.

“If it doesn’t pass, we will continue to fix what we can, which isn’t much every year,” Carnegie said.

According to the language on the ballot, the bond would be usable for the “cost of acquiring and constructing street improvements throughout the city, consisting of paving, repaving, reconstructing and improving streets, including all necessary appurtenances and attachments.”

The city receives $1.5 million each year for its roads from the state of Michigan. Fraser officials say that $1.2 million is needed for standard operating costs, leaving only $300,000 to perform road projects. Estimated costs for a full reconstruction of a road, including sidewalks, driveways, and curbs, is $1.5 million per lane-mile.

“It’s a road bond millage, and it is something that will be asked of the entire electorate in the city,” explained Leven. “What we are asking for is to fund road repairs, maintenance, and sidewalk work because the funding we currently get from the state is so insufficient that it would take us years to do the necessary repairs.”

Road conditions have been a talking point for both residents and city officials for several years within Fraser. Carnegie said this would be a good starting point for addressing a big issue in the community.

“To fix all the roads that need to be fixed in Fraser, the price would be about $91 million. This is just a little bit of what we need to do. It’s a good start and hopefully we will be able to devote more money for the roads,” he said. “It’s going to affect everybody. They are everybody’s roads.”

The projects that would be addressed using these proposed funds would be determined based on which roads are in the most need of work. This would be determined according to the long-established PASER system, which stands for “Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating.”

“It’s all based on the PASER rating, so it won’t be based on favoritism or any roads being special,” Carnegie said. “It would be based on what road needs it based on its rating.”

“There’s nothing determined now in terms of what projects this would go toward,” added Leven. “It will all be based on the condition of the roads and everything we are seeing in our most recent data.”

The city of Fraser’s website states that 8% of the city’s roads are currently rated as being in good condition, 43% are rated in fair condition, and 49% are rated in poor condition.

The money could potentially benefit the proposed repairs to streets in the Fraser Industrial Park. The cost of that work would be paid for by a special tax assessment on the local businesses there, which has been a recent point of contention among some in Fraser.

“It could potentially benefit the industrial park road work we have been discussing,” said Leven. “We are looking at the industrial park as a special assessment district to handle those roads in particular.”

There is no timeline set yet for the work, since the individual projects that would be scheduled can only be decided after the bond measure has been approved.

“It typically would take a couple of months to go through the bonding process, so after that we could start working on developing a plan to determine what roads we would tackle first and put together estimates,” Leven said.

She added that the city was not eager to place a millage proposal on the ballot since it takes the tax rate very seriously, but she said that it was a step city administration thought would be necessary if any meaningful progress is to be made to repair the local roads.

“It’s a difficult decision for everyone to make,” she said. “It’s not something anyone is excited about doing, but it’s one of those things that is a necessary cost.”

For more information about the bond measure, go to the city’s website at ci.fraser.mi.us. To reach the Fraser Department of Public Works, call (586) 293-2001 and select option three.

Photo by Brendan Losinski

| Fraser-Clinton Chronicle | Published June 21, 2023

FRASER — Plans for long overdue roadwork in the Fraser Industrial Park are being debated as local property and business owners, and city officials, discuss a controversial assessment to pay for the project.

The issue was discussed at length at the Fraser City Council meeting on June 8. Many business and property owners from the industrial park attended the meeting to voice their concerns that the tax assessment that would be placed on the properties to pay for new roads in the industrial park were unreasonably high, with some stating that it could threaten their businesses.

“I am here to put it on the record that we are against this assessment,” said Kaitlin Fox from the Trinity Tool Company. “We have been at this location for more than 50 years, have contributed to the community in numerous different ways, have been loyal to the city of Fraser, and it is completely unbelievable this assessment that you are proposing. Our taxes would be doubling, if not more than doubling. It is just not sustainable. We love this city, but if this goes through, we might have to think about other options.”

The roads in the industrial park were last worked on in 1996, designed with a 20-year life span. Many, including the business owners in the industrial park, have long decried the poor state of the streets in the area. Councilman Patrick O’Dell said the project needs to be done and the money has to come from somewhere.

“The worst thing we want to pay is taxes, especially when we could instead be putting that money into machinery, people and things like that. But we also have been dealing with complaints over the years,” he said. “I’ve only been on the council two years, but I’ve heard again and again that those roads have to be fixed. There’s no easy fix for this. We’re going to need to work together to come to some sort of solution. We are talking about more than 120 parcels, but we want the industrial park to have the roads that it should. Unfortunately, over the years, money was not allocated for this.”

The assessment is based on each business’ frontage, not on the overall square footage of the building or property. Michael Vigneron, the director of engineering at Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick, which is overseeing the project’s planning, explained that this was a standard method of determining tax assessments for a project of this nature.

“It’s not always the entire frontage of the parcel, but the accessible frontage of the parcel,” he said. “This is a full reconstruction of the roadway, including the base and drainage. All driveways would be addressed. Some of the costs would cover some night paving (because paving during the day) was a big issue the last time work was done.”

The assessment would tax $808.27 per assessed foot of street frontage. Some in the audience made the claim that the city of Fraser thought it could charge whatever it wanted because business owners, who often do not reside in Fraser, do not get a vote for who is on the City Council.

“It’s not a case of, ‘If you don’t vote, we don’t care,’” said Fraser Mayor Michael Carnegie. “Fraser is a four-square-mile community, and we try to do what’s best for everybody. This is not to blindside anybody because this has been a long-term project.”

Several business owners who spoke said they believed it unfair that such a high assessment was being placed on them when the city is paying less than 10% of the estimated cost.

“One company (I own in the industrial park) has 315 feet fronting the street. This would equal $250,000 that would need to be paid over three years,” said Doug Hagerty, the former mayor of Fraser and owner of nine properties in the city. “Another down the street is on a corner with 499 feet. That would be $404,000 over three years.”

“It’s probably one-third of the city. It’s between 15 Mile Road, Kelly Road, and Malyn Boulevard,” Carnegie said. “Our goal is to pay part of the $18 million cost. Right now, we are looking at paying about $1.5 million, but if our audit comes back positive, we would like to pay more money toward this project. … We searched a lot of options looking for grants and other money. … We applied for funds from the state and the federal government, but sometimes you just come up short.”

The plans will be decided at the council’s meeting on Thursday, Aug. 10. To better work with the local business community and attempt to find possible solutions to concerns, a town hall meeting was tentatively planned prior to that. The date and time of the town hall meeting will be available on the city’s website, ci.fraser.mi.us, when plans are finalized.

“All we voted on (June 8) was to allow the tax assessor to publish what the tax increase would be for the frontages of each of those businesses,” said Carnegie. “We want to see what every actual business is paying. We want to make decisions based on real numbers, not estimates. … Nothing about the outcome of this issue was decided tonight.”

Some, such as Chris Michayluk, the owner of Complete Prototype Services, which has five buildings in the industrial park, said that unless major changes are made to the plans for the roadwork and how it is paid for, many businesses in Fraser could be threatened.

“I have over an estimated 1,200 linear feet between the properties I have in the industrial park,” Michayluk said. “I’m really concerned. A rough calculation I ran puts what I would have to (additionally) pay at $800,000 or more. I have made $150,000 in profit over the last three years, so business isn’t exactly booming. This would jeopardize my business.”

Work would be done over three years. Payment for the project is allowed to be spread out for up to 10 years. Even if it were spread out to its maximum amount, business owners say the amount being collected would still be a threat to many Fraser businesses — businesses that the property owners say pay for approximately 40% of the city’s revenue and were what kept Fraser going during hard financial challenges.

“The Fraser Industrial Park was developed in the 1960s. … This is what pays for the city during lean times. … If it weren’t for the industrial park, during the recession, when all the residential property values went down, it would have been a totally different story (for Fraser),” said Hagerty. “Some of these guys (who own property in the industrial park) feel like because they don’t vote, that the council doesn’t care about what they think. But this is a lot of money we’re talking about. … You could be hitting them really hard.”

Dubai Capitals, riding on belligerent half-centuries from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jake Fraser-McGurk, recorded an emphatic seven-wicket win over MI Emirates in the second match of the ILT20 season 2 at the Dubai International Stadium. This contest, played in the presence of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and a large Saturday crowd, saw Afghanistan’s Gurbraz crack an aggressive 81 runs off 39 balls with eight boundaries and four sixes and Australia’s 21-year-old rising star Jake Fraser-McGurk hitting a breezy 54 off 25 balls with four boundaries and four sixes. The pair put on a 114 runs partnership for the second wicket in 51 balls to chase down MI Emirates’ total of 159 for 9 in 20 overs and won the match with 24 balls to spare.

Emirates after getting off to a good start, slipped from a strong 79 for 1 in seven overs to 140 for 8 by the 19th over. Big hits from Tim David (27) took the score past the 150 run mark, but the architect of their fine start was UAE’s Muhammad Waseem who cracked 51 runs off 26 balls with four sixes and two boundaries. He was backed by Andre Fletcher (30) and Nicholas Pooran (21). Sikandar Raza was responsible to put the brakes on Emirates taking three wickets for 21 backed by Jason Holder (3 for 34).

After the win, David Warner remarked that the energy in his team’s camp helped. “I enjoy leadership. There is great energy in our camp and that helps.” On Gurbaz and Fraser's knocks, Warner said: “These two guys come with clear minds and are at the peak of their game right now.” He then went on to appreciate Trent Boult for the delivery that got him out. “I have had a lot of good battles against Boult. This is the first time I am seeing the ball swing so much here after a long time.”

MI Emirates skipper Pooran admitted that his team did not play smart cricket. “We kept losing wickets and should have played smart. All credit to Dubai Capitals, they bowled well. We thought we had a chance with 160, but surely it wasn't enough. We knew batting first was going to be tricky. We just weren't good enough. We fell short of runs. But Fraser and Gurbaz batted well.”

Player of the match Sikandar Raza said that belief in himself helped to bowl well: “It’s one of those games... they were running away in the powerplay. The wicket was a bit slow and some of those wickets were lucky. They are all world-class cricketers; but you need to play smart cricket. It's one thing to have a plan and another thing to execute. I try to change and bring in variations. I don't know what's coming out of my hands, so best of the luck to the batters facing. Faith is the one thing that has got me going. Just take care of your rough days and believe in yourself.”

Waseem’s half-century and MI Emirates batting collapse

Dubai Capitals' skipper Warner won the toss and elected to bowl stating that the wicket looked good and his team would chase the runs down. Emirates skipper Pooran too remarked that his team would have loved to bowl first, but they need to adapt to conditions and be competitive.

England’s Will Smeed, opening the Emirates innings with UAE’s Muhammad Waseem, hit the first boundary of the day square driving Dushmantha Chameera. Jason Holder struck in the second over having Smeed brilliantly caught by a leaping Sam Billings at slips for 5. This brought in Andre Fletcher. Waseem got off the mark hitting Chameera over his head for a boundary. He also hit the first six of the match lifting Roelof van der Merwe over long on, and took 18 runs off that over with two boundaries.

Fletcher opened up from the fifth over when he hit Paul van Meekeren for two boundaries and a six to take the score past the 50 run mark. Holder, who was re-introduced for the sixth over, was hit for 21 runs, which included sixes from Waseem and Fletcher.

Akif Raja bowled the seventh over to end Fletcher’s knock forcing him to hit high to Powell at long-on for 30. His 18-ball knock had three boundaries and two sixes. He put on 72 runs in 34 balls with Waseem for the second wicket. Waseem reached his half century in 24 balls, and together with his captain Pooran, took the score past the 100 run mark.

Raza ended Waseem’s fine knock forcing him to lift to Holder at long-off for 51. His knock off 26 balls had two boundaries and four sixes. Raza also struck to remove Ambati Rayudu, caught and bowled for 1.

The flow of runs however reduced from the 10th over with Van Meekeren yielding only six runs. Raza gave away just three runs and Akif Raja gave away only four runs. Raza then went on to bowl Pooran for 21 in the 14th over. With half the side back in the dug-out for 120, MI Emirates struggled for runs. Van der Merwe had Corey Anderson caught by Billing at deep-midwicket for 1.

Holder went on to trap Dwayne Bravo leg before for 2 and also had Akeal Hosen caught by Billings at long-on for 7. Tim David hit Chameera for two consecutive sixes in the last over and took the score past the 150-run mark. He got out to the fifth ball caught by Holder at long off for 27.

Aggressive knocks from Gurbaz and Fraser

Capitals began their chase through David Warner, who was cheered all the way to the crease by the crowd, along with Gurbaz. Boult would have got Gurbaz out for a duck to the third ball had he not dropped the return catch. Fazalhaq Farooqi, who was brought in as a super-sub in place of Rayudu, bowled the second over and Gurbaz celebrated his luck hitting him for a six over long-on.

The first to go was Warner to a fine delivery from Boult that took the outside edge and flew into the hands of Zahoor Khan for 1. Fraser, who came in as super-sub for Paul Meekran, went for his shots and hit Akeal Hosein for a six and two boundaries. He also smashed Farooqi for a well-timed boundary and another six over long-leg. Delhi Capitals' 50 runs came in five overs.

Gurbaz was severe on Zahoor Khan hitting him for three consecutive boundaries in the sixth over while Fraser hit Hosein for two successive sixes in the seventh. Fraser reached his half century in 21 balls and Capitals went past the 100-run mark in 8.5 overs. Gurbaz too reached his half century in 26 balls. So severe was the onslaught of this pair that their 100 runs partnership came in 44 balls.

By the halfway mark, Capitals needed only 38 runs. Fraser got out to Boult in the 11th over, caught at long-off by Anderson for 54. Gurbaz too got out but after hitting 81 runs, brilliantly caught by Waseem at deep mid-wicket off Farooqi. Sam Billings and Rovman Powell then steered their team to the target in 16 overs.

Brief scores:

Dubai Capitals bt MI Emirates by 7 wkts. MI Emirates 159 for 9 in 20 overs (Muhammad Waseem 51, Andre Fletcher 30, Nicholas Pooran 21, Tim David 27, Jason Holder 3 for 34, Sikandar Raza 3 for 21) Dubai Capitals 160 for 3 in 16 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 81, Jakes Fraser-McGurk 54, Trent Boult 2 for 23)

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