Last year for Memorial Day weekend, we served you a helping of Beyond Burgers, Brats and Buns.  This year we bring you this timely Memorial Day column by Michael Barnabas:  We the People – Memorial Day 2011 – Not on My Watch.

We also have a fine pictorial reminder sent in by a friend for our INspirations Blog this Memorial Day.

We have had a strong response to Marty Lavin’s recent columns, The Train To Oblivion and Again, Train to Oblivion, redux. Let me share a word of caution tied to a word of encouragement.

When we first hear, read or understand a message, we may feel a certain rush.  Then, there tends to be a fade out.  In America, where the focus of news is ever changing, Japan’s earthquake in March or Haiti’s disaster in January 2010 may have already passed from our thoughts.

We as Industry professionals cannot go to sleep on the topic that Marty and others are raising.

We need to encourage those who write and I invite others who have Industry relevant topics to sound off!  Please send your proposed items for Industry Voices Guest Columns with that in the subject line, and copy both myself and Catherine@mhmsm.com..

Better together.  That is a slogan used by ROC USA.  I want to encourage people to think about that slogan, and the success that program has enjoyed.  100+ conversions, quite an accomplishment.  No doubt those residents feel something special this Memorial Day.  Paul Bradley certainly gave us some points to ponder regarding IBISWorld‘s flawed report.

I want to thank all those who write – and read! – or podcast with us here.  Erin Patla has been doing our podcasts for right at a year.     Happy Anniversary Erin!  If you want to stay up to date during drive time or just prefer to listen than read, join our ever-growing audience of Factory Built Housing News at Noon podcast listeners.  See why so many are delighted with Erin and her podcasts.

Our editor Catherine Frenzel helps keep our wheels turning!  She, too, has been with us now for approaching a year.  When you think about MHMSM.com = MHProNews.com = think of the team from Bob Stovall to Industry in Focus reporter Matthew Silver, and all of our feature writers, team members and guest columnists.

To borrow ROC’s fine tag line, we are better together.  Many of our tips and ideas come from you.  When we glitch, readers let us know!  Important discussions or themes come from readers like you.  The more you read, the more you know.  The more you know, the more you can grow.  The more we share, the more we will dare to do.

Those are not platitudes, they are reality.  Happy Memorial Day.  Please thank a veteran. # #