(In response to, Why all the hate?, The Citizen, a letter by Vickie Lucus, Sept. 2, page 6)
Unfit nincompoop
Dear Editor,
It is uncanny that Ms. Lucas cannot see Trump as the deplorable bigot he is. Instead she has dissidence with me.
As a Korean War veteran, I have lived long enough to know a phoney when I see one. Trump had 5 draft deferrals from military service. Yet had the audacity to deride John McCain for getting captured after his plane was shot down. He refused to honor and American Musilm who was killed in Iraq fighting for our country.
Trump has no moral authority to be commander in chief of patriotic defenders of our liberty.
Trump is so envious of Obama that he is determined to undo achievemnets that benefit us all. One achievemnet he cannot touch is the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Obama.
Why does he insult and turn our allies against us? That weakens America. Not make us great.
I expect sooner than later, republican leaders will step up and employ constitutiomnal ammendment 25, section 4 to remove the unfit nincompoop from office.
God bless America.
Dale Bond
Forgotten Harvest
Dear Editor,
Bravo to our grocery stores in Ortonville and Oxford for donating surplus food to Forgotten Harvest. When a bakery worker at one store was rolling away a rack of marked down goods, I asked her if they were headed to the trash. She replied they would be donated to Forgotten Harvest. A few days later I saw a Forgotten Harvest truck pulling away from the back of one of our grocery stores here in Ortonville. Thanks to this nonprofit organization which collects surplus food from farms, stores and restaurants and distributes it to shelters, emergency pantries, etc. free of charge. Bonnie Beltramo

Recall board if passes
Dear Editor,
I’ve talked to numerous residents in the last three weeks, not one person said they would move out of Brandon if we didn’t put in a trail. Countless said they would move if we did put in the trail or if taxes go up to pay for it.
One unscrupulous person is telling people that it’s going to be free. In actuality we will have to pay money up front and only get seventy-five percent back, and then there are maintenance costs and police that are not free. Other communities have businesses that donate; Ortonville does not have near as many businesses.
A lot of people have the idea that board member Scott Broughton got Route C removed; nothing could be further from the truth. It was proven to be unsafe and invading into yards, some properties would be split by the trail. I believe Scott’s name is being dug through the mud so someone else can run for his seat at the next election. I’ve been to most all the meetings and I feel he has our best interests at heart.
The trail will take years to complete. Your children will be driving before it’s finished, maybe even your grandchildren.
I’m asking all to come to the board meeting on October 5th which is decision day. If this passes we need to recall every board member who votes for it.
Rick Gibbons
Sick and tired of NIBYs
Dear Editor,
I am so tired of the “Not in my back yard” types we have in this township. My feeling is that NONE of these people owns a bike or has ridden or walked on trails in Lake Orion and Oxford. Maybe none of you have seen the trail extension work going on in Lake Orion, Clarkston and even Atlas. Keep it up and the state will just pass us by. Welcome to backwards, dead end Brandon Township. The place that is happy to close schools and watch people move away. The reality is that if you want to be isolationists then pack up and move to some remote wooded lot in the UP.

I would suggest that our township board (and all those that object to a trail) try walking or biking down Granger or Hummer Lake road. Most of the time you have to will have to contend with cars, trucks and construction vehicles racing up and down the road (not literally). On a recent walk along Granger, my dog and I had to step into a swampy area in order to avoid two speeding diesel pickups that made no effort to give me a little room. Please note that the option with the least impact on property and lowest cost was removed by a board member with a vested interest (his own property). Maybe the township should check into the building code violations along power line and railway trail proposal.
In closing I could not help but comment on last weeks letters. I would like to add that bringing a trails through the township have nothing to do with “science”. This would be economics! Having amenities such as parks, good schools, shopping, water treatment (scratch that) and trails are things that make a community attractive to potential home owners. Increase the tax base and you can add things like a water treatment plant, trails and new business’s. Do nothing and you have roads that don’t get repaired, schools that close, and people that look at other communities. Bicycles and hikers do not make much noise. Bicycles and hikers do not weigh much (when compared to trains). This means you could have easily updated the railroad bridge, on proposed route C, to support people vs the trains it was designed to support. Too bad that route was removed for personal reasons. We need to look for ways to improve and update our community. Not try to create some remote up north village.
J.Coyne

Thank you Ortonville
Dear Editor,
On behalf of the Ortonville area, Neighbor Helping Neighbor, facebook group and our partner, The Brandon Community Church of the Nazarene, we would like to thank the many volunteers in the community, including Girl Scout troop #70465 led by Leeanne Claxton, that made over 1,000 cookies and then showed up on Saturday Sept. 9 to assemble more than goodie bags and information sheets that were delivered Sept. 11 to staff at all of our schools, government offices, police, fire, and our treasured seniors in an effort to make them aware of our free community Clothes closet.
Neighbor Helping Neighbor is a facebook group with over 800 members, where our neighbors in need as well as our teachers, first responders, sport teams can post or have an administrator post on their behalf, requesting things that they are in need of. Other neighbors can then post their offers to help. Everything is given at no cost and we do not allow requests for money.
We are presently collecting Halloween costumes and winter coats, snow pants, boots, gloves, warm socks in infant through adult sizes, for our neighbors in need.
Donations can be dropped off in the brown bin just outside the entrance door at the Brandon Community Church of the Nazarene, 2300 S. Ortonville Rd, Ortonville.
For more information contact Esther Skiba at 248-217-7656 or estherskiba@gmail.com
To join our group search Ortonville Area, Neighbor Helping Neighbor on facebook.
Sincerely,
Esther Skiba