Ted Koppel Truth Quote1 688w320h

Bike Trail at Lyon Township Library 10 11 2016 pic06 800w600h

From an October 5th report by Livingston County broadcaster, WHMI (93.5FM):

"The [Hamburg Township] board approved a motion authorizing the feasibility study, which will cost $22,800. Hohl says it will cost the township only $2,000, since $16,800 will be coming from the DNR in the form of a grant, the Washtenaw County Dept. of Parks and Recreation will be chipping in $2,000 and Hardwood Solutions, a Chelsea-based company, another $2,000. Hohl says the trail would connect with the Hudson Mills Metropark in Washtenaw County on North Territorial Road and from there go through Hamburg Township, taking one of four proposed routes. If approved, the local portion of the trail will connect to the Lakelands Trail State Park in Hamburg Township, which runs 26 miles from Livingston County to Stockbridge in Ingham County. Hohl says the reason for the study is to determine the most feasible, and most economical, route through the township."

 

In a twenty minute discussion, the Board learned about the proposal, the actors, and the actions.

 

The Michigan DNR's Iron Belle Trail viewer

Iron Belle Trail's facebook page

Iron Belle Trail - DNR FAQ

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you know who they are, you know what they want: collectables with a story and restorable Americana.  Contact American Pickers with a pitch for the best untapped picking spot you know about at the address in Jessica Shepard's MLive report.  The more hazardous the location is, the better Mike and Frank's Producers will like it.

The top 25 Michigan suburbs to raise a family have been rated in this Detroit Free Press story.

To be fair, Northfield doesn't feel much like a suburb.  That's what I like about living here.  Even if the label seems a bit off, it's nice to see someone joining us in appreciating where we live, the way we live, and what we share.

According to reporter Elissa Robinson, "the 2015 Best Places rankings were based on age demographics, school ratings, crime rates, and access to affordable housing, child care, libraries, and grocery stores."  Northfield Township's Number 11 rank places us in the company of tree lined suburbs like Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, and Grosse Pointe.

Northfield Township Washtenaw County, Michigan
  • Crime & Safety Grade: B+
  • Education Grade: A
  • Access to Libraries: B
  • Community Grade: A 
  • Housing Grade: A 
  • Residents 35-44 Years Old: 13% 
  • Residents 9 Years Old and Under: 13.3% 
  • Access to DayCares: A
  • Access to Grocery Stores: B+
     
Click [Read More] for the full list of the top 25.

[Update: November 2015.  Our latest brief FOIA request was handled free of charge.  Thank you, Mr. Fink]

Since his arrival in Northfield Township, Manager Howard Fink has maintained open books and free access to all Township documents.  This was, Howard said, a matter of personal ethos.  The FOIA requests that revealed both the parties to and the extent of the attempt to subvert our Master Plan were actually handled free of charge by Fink and his staff.

That was then; this is now.  At the June 9, 2015, Township Board meeting, Howard Fink asked the Board to approve a replacement for this policy of Township Transparency.   Township Attorney Bradford Maynes drew up a 32 page thicket of rules, regulations, forms, fee structures, payment schedules, and deposit requirements outlining Fink's "new & improved" Township FOIA Policy. 

Does anybody else remember Trustee Otto proudly defending Township Transparency?  Government transparency was the platform she got elected on.  She was elected largely as a reaction to the backroom dealing and non-stop in-fighting of the preceding Township Board. 

Otto's star shone brightest in those early days, when Janet Chick and Otto voted with Kathy Braun, Michelle Manning, and other Trustees to deny newly annointed Manager Howard Fink's recommendation to turn off Township Video cameras during Board Workshops.  Policy, he called it.  Just Policy.

Here's the video clip of the June 9th FOIA policy vote.  It's five minutes long.

At the May 5th polls, the following flyer was distributed by a man who refused to identify himself, the source of the flyers, or the source of the funding that paid for the flyers.  . 

You can view the flyer below.