Together we made a difference.
Dear editor,
Please know how grateful we are to everyone who so generously donated school supplies and gave their time to our OCEF Back-To-School project. Because of your support, we were able to provide school supplies for over 200 students and over 65 families. Because of you, they can experience a positive and successful school year.
Again, thank you for making their day.
The OCEF Back-To-School Team
O.A.T.S. Charity Event
Dear Editor,
What a fabulous night at the O.A.T.S. barn! On September 13 we held our inaugural Charity Event which featured food, music, dancing and a silent auction. We were a little concerned because of slow ticket sales in the weeks leading up to the event. Also, the weather forecast couldn’t have been worse with severe thunderstorms predicted and even the possibility of a tornado. Well, tickets sales picked up and it turned out to be a beautiful evening. As a result, over $6,000 was raised to help support our therapeutic horseback riding programs. We would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to make the event a success as well as everyone who attended the event and who donated so generously to O.A.T.S. O.A.T.S., which stands for Offering Alternative Therapy with Smiles is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. We provide Equine Assisted Activities and Therapy to children and adults with special needs and our horses, staff and volunteers also help people who have suffered emotional trauma. To learn more about O.A.T.S. or to volunteer, please call us at (248) 245-1020.
Elizabeth A. Pellerito
Executive Director
The Enchanted Forest
Dear editor,
Let me tell you a story about an enchanted forest that nobody in town knows about. It’s a 47 acre plot of trees and other vegetation, with streams and birds and animals – you know, things that you’d expect a forest to have. Many years ago, this parcel of Eden was deeded to the town’s folk with the stipulation that they preserve and protect its resources and develop it for the recreational pleasure of its citizens.
Some years back this parcel of land was named The Ortonville Village Park and if you look closely, you can find it on our village map – yes right there in living color. I’ve lived in this town for the past 25 years and I never knew that it was there either. But our village Planning Commission saw it and thought it would be a great idea to develop a trail system within our forest that would allow our citizens the opportunity to hike and picnic and enjoy its natural beauty and serenity. Their surveys indicate that a significant number of our citizens also feel the same way about how to utilize this beautiful parcel of land!
Let’s fast forward to the present. Today, certain members of our Village Council not only disagree with the development of this trail, but also have taken the extreme measure of deleting all references of this trail from the new Village Plan. I can only assume that they are either uniformed, misguided, or represent special interests. In addition, they also want to rename our park “Preservation Park”, with the false notion that this title will forever prevent any future development of our park!
There will a Village Council meeting this Monday, September 23rd at 7:00 PM at the Township Hall, next to the Village Pub. My understanding is that this topic will be on the agenda, with a subsequent proposal made to rename our park, with all its restrictive implications.
I need your help and your voice to stop this oppression. Please show up and speak up!
Very Sincerely,
Pat George
Village Council Trustee
G.E.A.R
Dear Editor,
On behalf of the members of Goodrich Enrichment Activities and Revitalization (G.E.A.R.), I’d like to extend a huge thank you to all who made our Second Annual Glow Golf Outing a success! We are a non-profit 501c3 whose organization’s mission is to give back to our community by providing opportunities to bring people together.
We are incredibly gracious to the returning golfers and for everyone who joined us for the first time this year. We’d like to thank Goodrich Country Club for hosting and providing prizes to our winning golfers, Grand Pointe Automotive for being our event sponsor, and Hudson Insurance Group, U Pose Photo Booth, Karma Salon, Cottage Used Books, Harris Allstate Group, ReMax Edge of Goodrich, and Salon 475 for providing sponsorships. Also, thanks to Mama Suds, Get A Haircut, Top Golf of Auburn Hills, Meraki Designs, Lil’ Homestead, Al Serra Auto Plaza, Loyal Tee Boutique, Behind the Shutter, and Jessica Modlin with Thirty-One for donating raffle items. The members of G.E.A.R. are humbled by the willingness of Goodrich and the surrounding communities to get involved and support our cause.
We look forward to providing more community events in the future and encourage your readers to visit our Facebook page (GEAR: Goodrich Enrichment Activities & Revitalization) and The Citizen’s Community Briefing section to check on upcoming events and activities. Lastly, we appreciate The Citizen giving us the chance to publicly thank everyone involved in supporting our endeavors and for highlighting the great things happening in our local communities.
Thank You,
Crystal Chapa