Our hearts are broken
Dear Editor,
We moved into our dream home at 301 Sleepy Hollow in 1999. Our girls were babies and our boys were in 1st, 2nd, and third grades. This was supposed to be our forever home. However, almost 20 years later, circumstances dictated otherwise. Keith was diagnosed with 2 very serious diseases that had no cures.
I didn’t want to move. I loved my house. I was very emotionally attached to it and we had many wonderful memories there. We were forced to sell the house and since the market was a seller’s market we listed our house for sale on a Friday and on the following Monday we had a full price offer.
Everything was a whirlwind afterwards. We had 30 days to pack up and move.
We were told that a young couple with a five-year-old daughter had purchased our home. We left many items there for the little five year old as well as many household items.
Now, almost six months later, we find out that felons-sex offenders!- have moved intou our old house. We were shocked and mortified. How could this happen?
It is unconscionable to put a group home with felons/sex offenders in a small neighborhood f four other homes. We are appalled and sickened that this could happen, and without anyone’s knowledge.
We know that there is outrage over this, and rightfully so. We feel the same. Had we prior knowledge of this we would have surely stopped the sale. Keith is a sworn deputy sheriff and would have never agreed to this if it was disclosed.
It disgusts me to think of those lowlifes living there enjoying what we created. They should not be allowed in that small community with children, who cannot feel safe in their own yards or ride bikes on their streets.
We are so very sorry for all of this mess. We wish we could go back ot how things were.
Our hearts are broken as well.
Keith and Jeanne Brodkorb

Brandon bus drivers
Dear Editor,
I recently sat down with the entire Brandon Transportation Department and I felt so humbled to be surrounded by such loving and dedicated individuals. I am sickened the (Brandon School) board is thinking of removing our entire department and outsourcing for our district. I asked Diane Salter, school board president, if she had even sat down with our department to hear their thoughts or ideas on the matter and she stated they had not discussed it with them. We are talking about Brandon employees that have dedicated their entire careers to our district, keeping our children safe, going above and beyond what has been required and the board has not even given them the courtesy of speaking with them at all. First Student is not a company I would want in charge of my child’s safety. Please Google “complaints against First Student” and you will be horrified by stories from other districts. Above and beyond that, we have an over-funded reserve fund, we do not need the $1.2 million for the waste water treatment plant that is saved, the sale of BFIS has not been accounted for in our financials, $26,000 paid in “extra duty pay” to the Superintendent and Executive Director of Business in 2017, as well as two properties that can be sold. Why are we willing to lose an entire department (which 95 percent of the department is not willing to work or associate their name with First Student) when our financials do not currently show justification? Lastly, this is not who we are as members of this community. This is not how we treat employees that have watched over our children for decades and dedicated their careers to our children. In Brandon we look out for one another, lift each other up, and when things are hard we work together to find solutions. I just hope the board is willing to remember that we are more than a bottom line in this district, we are love and family and THAT must be something worth fighting for.
Sarah Allen

No outsourcing
Dear Editor,
I oppose outsourcing of transportation for the Brandon School District. I also oppose how this outsourcing exploration has been handled by the district, causing stress and worry for our drivers month after month. How do you put a monetary value on having drivers who are skilled for our unique terrain, care about our children as though they were their own children, help our children with medical conditions and physical limitations, field adult drivers who are distracted or choose to pass a bus when it is loading children (this just happened this week), and most of all – do a job that I could not do for even one day, and do it well, in all types of weather conditions? Our district is pouring money into school security in response to mass shootings – which I support. The reality is that our children are at more risk of injury when in a vehicle/bus than in their classrooms. So let’s continue to invest in their safe transport. Brandon is a community that supports each other – it makes us unique. Our drivers need us. If this outsourcing happens, most of our treasured drivers will leave. They are not expendable. They are important to us and our children. NO OUTSOURCING.
Marisa Prince
Goodrich Robotics
Dear Editor,
Jay and Gaye TenBrink started year one and are still at it. Jay makes sure we have the best robot and leads the 494 drive team on the field. Gaye tracks our funding and leads scouting for 494. Liz and Art Nowakowski, Greg and Kelsey Thurk continue to mentor long after their own children have graduated. All four being crucial to Team 70s success. Nick and Marilynn Grant have stepped up and taken on the team management: running team meetings, hours and hours of practicing both teams, and making sure our webpage remains excellent. Bill Maxwell, never had any kids on the team but always makes sure our robots are programed to win. Jenny and John McKenzie remain active even though their kids are both now in college, with Jenny arranging travel, scouting, and team uniforms. John and Pam Jowski are always there for wiring, programming, and mill work. Bob Melrose, affectionately known as “grandpa Bob”, joined to help when his grandchildren were on the team. They have graduated, but Bob is still going strong. Steve Parker joined after his son said “robotics is not for me dad”. Steve said “I am joining even if you don’t because it looks like fun”, and he did. Brothers Josh and Joey Siemon are both team alumni that came back to mentor. Their dad still helps out as well. Nick Broughton is a team alum who came back full time as a CAD mentor and drive coach on Team 70. Tom and Jenny Buchler help with scouting and team spirt as we watch Jenny’s health improve. Tim Burkhardt is usually found over by the lathe making sure we get the parts built that we need. Justin Stockwell just graduated and returned to mentor where ever he is needed. A shout out goes to Jake Harris for getting the company he works for to donate us a CNC Mill. Finally, the Goodrich School Board for all their support and encouragement over the years.
Pat Major, Lucky to be part of this great team.
(In response to “Older and wiser,” a letter by Dale Bond, The Citizen, April 28, page 7.)
My side of fence is fine
Dear Editor,
Mr. Bond…There’s no problem on my side of the fence and I do mean what I submit to “The Citizen”. I may, at times be incorrect, and need to adjust my stance on something, but when it’s submitted it is 100 percent what I honestly believe. With that out of the way let me make a few observations.
“The Citizen” does not set type for print. I know how it’s done but have not personally done it. It’s ludicrous to expect that one must actually “set Type” before they understand the process. I’m sure that back in the day, when you were a teenager, that the “Guttenburg Press” was the latest technology and cutting edge. Unfortunately time marches on. “The Citizen” uses a different process and whatever you (everyone) reads in the paper appears exactly as it was submitted. Any typo’s you see, you own. Case in point, I’ve searched every Anatomy book I could find and I have yet to find out where my “foor” is!!! You know, that spot where you said I shot myself in! Proof reading your material before it’s submitted may help you out.
Regarding Road Rag; The topic is not ridiculous nor did I ever say it was. What I did say is that we were talking on the gun control issue so please stay on point by addressing fire- arms used in a road rage incident. Before responding to you, I checked and could not find any facts from a reliable source. I went with my memory on this one and I really don’t recall any great number of these type incidents. Given the mainstream press being anti-gun I would think any (and every) such incident would be heavily reported on.
You say I don’t know a compliment when I see one then let me just say this. You comment to Mr.Bills seemed to me to be sarcastic. If it was meant to be a “compliment” then it was a left-handed one. I’m not walking back on that and you owe the man an apology! As far as “knowledge and experience goes if you were talking about typesetting then I make no claim to either. If you’re referring to firearms then, judging by what you’ve written, I’d have to say you’re in way over your head.
Paul S. Lucas