Building a Better Brandon
On Nov. 8 the voters of Brandon Township face several local proposals, one of which is whether to allow limited marijuana facilities in Brandon Township.
I, like many other Brandon voters, received a flyer from a group called Building a Better Brandon.
On the surface, it seems like it is proposing something good for the community. But is it?
Digging deeper, it seems this group’s purpose was to draft the proposal to restrict the township government’s ability to regulate dispensaries and create a monopoly for marijuana sales in Brandon Township.
Who benefits from this monopoly? It seems those involved with the group Building a Better Brandon.
How does this monopoly benefit Brandon Township or its residents? It does not seem to have any benefits.
The flyer states, “No Fancy Slogans, Just the Facts.” What are the facts? I was intrigued by the group’s name. How was this group going to build a better Brandon Township? The flyer doesn’t say.
I did a Google search for the group Building a Better Brandon and came up empty. I searched Oakland County’s D.B.A. list and found no listing.
Does this group exist?
It must because it seems to involve the same individuals who drafted the proposal and paid for canvassers to gather enough signatures to bring it to the township board to include in the upcoming election.
What connection does this group have to Brandon Township?
This group has no connection to Brandon Township. The flyer states the address for this group is a multi-million-dollar house on a street of multi-million-dollar houses in upscale Franklin, Mich.
How many marijuana dispensaries are there in Franklin? According to the village clerk, the answer is zero. She also said there are no plans to establish any.
So, why is a dispensary with exclusive control of marijuana needed in Brandon Township?
It will benefit the individuals involved in the Building a Better Brandon group.
The individuals involved in shepherding this proposal to the voters have deep pockets.
Of the two known participants in this group—one is the son of a former well-known politician who since leaving office consults and lobbies for the marijuana industry.
The other is an entrepreneur who has created a multitude of LLCs to hide his various business pursuits.
What will the passage of this proposal do? It will allow a monopoly of one dispensary in Brandon Township. It will the benefit the moneyed carpetbaggers from Franklin. Brandon Township residents will not benefit from it. It will line the pockets of a few non-residents of Brandon Township. It will take away the powers of our local elected government. This proposal is bad policy and bad for Brandon Township. On Nov. 8 vote NO on the Proposal to Allow Limited Marijuana Facilities in Brandon Township!
Bill Rathburg
Brandon Township

Vote for Chris
I would like to introduce myself, I’m Chris Caverly and I am running for a seat on the Goodrich Village Council. I have been going door to door in the Village and I have met many of you and have had a lot of conversations about what residents in the Village find important. I am thankful that there were so many residents that allowed me to put a sign in their yard, and I thank you for your support. I would like to encourage Village residents to visit my Facebook page, “Chris Caverly 2022 for Village Council”. My Facebook page offers information about what I would like to do as a Council Person and to provide some ideas that could better our Village. The Facebook page is also a place where residents can leave questions, concerns or ideas that they feel are important. Please go to and like the “Chris Caverly 2022 for Village Council” Facebook page. Please reach out thru my Facebook page or feel free to send an email to: chrisforcouncil2022@yahoo.com. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at the polls on Tuesday, November 8th.
Chris Caverly
Goodrich

Safe gun storage
(In response to, “4-year-old boy injured in gun mishap,” The Citizen, Oct. 15, page 3)
I am so distraught to see the news in the paper about a 4-year old Twp child who shot himself at home recently.  It is important that we do not refer to these events as mishaps like The Citizen did.  These are not mishaps or accidents.  These are predictable outcomes of adults who choose not to properly secure their firearms around minors.  The result is sometimes unintentional such as this young child, but can also be intentional, such as when my neighbor Hana St. Juliana was murdered at Oxford High School while she talked to her friends in the hallway between classes.  That was another case when a minor was allowed access to a gun and ammunition.  I always hesitate to criticize a parent because I am not a perfect parent, and parenting is very hard.
But we all need to speak out when these things happen on behalf of the innocents. The innocent victims who don’t want to have a bullet rip through them and don’t want to have that painful healing process or worse. This 4-year-old child is now a victim too.  I never want to see another family go through what my neighbors have endured.  Hana is so missed.  I implore all of my Brandon neighbors to join me in advocating for safe gun storage.  Audit your own storage.  Look up BE SMART for kids online for the latest statistics and for tips on this important issue.  Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children in America.  Lt. Glover had some important instructions for all of us in that article and I know he is willing to help any of us who have questions about storing our firearms at home.
If we work together and make this a topic we can discuss openly, we lower the chances of another child experiencing this awful trauma.  I think we all want our kids to have safe and happy childhood memories.
Marisa Prince
Brandon Township

Let’s not be a sheep
(In response to, ‘Board votes to oppose public transportation millage,” The Citizen, Oct. 8, page 5)
We are often told that our country is a Democracy. A Democracy means rule by majority. Our founding fathers wanted to avoid a Democracy because, eventually, the majority could impose its will on the minority. Ben Franklin gave an example of a democracy by stating that,” a Democracy is 2 wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for lunch.”
With this in mind our founders added Article 4 Sec 4 to the US Constitution. This section of the US Constitution states that, “The United States shall guarantee a Republican (Representative) form of government.”
This year the Democratic Party run, Oakland County Board of Commissioners is using it’s majority to place on the ballot a county wide millage proposal which, if passed, would impose a huge tax increase on Oakland County residents for transportation.
The more heavily populated southern part of the county could benefit at the expense of the northern taxpayers who have little need or benefit, for expensive transportation services. We can not opt out!
Covid 19 should have taught politicians that mass transit is a major cause of the spread of viruses’.
This County wide proposal is a prime example of why our founders did not want rule by majority.
Let’s not be a sheep! Oppose this imposition on north Oakland county residents by the, leftist run, Board of Commissioners!
Walt Dilber
Groveland Township

November election
As you may know, the State General Election will be held on November 8, 2022. There are several proposals that are on the ballot including, Proposal 22-1 to amend the state constitution to require annual public financial disclosure reports by legislators and other state officers and change state legislator term limit to 12 total years in legislature. Proposal 22-2 to amend the state constitution to add provisions regarding elections. Proposal 22-3 to amend the state constitution to establish new individual right to reproductive freedom, including right to make all decisions about pregnancy and abortion; allow state to regulate abortion in some cases; and forbid prosecution of individuals exercising established right.
Also on the ballot you will find Oakland County Public Transportation Millage, a Proposal to allow limited marijuana facilities in Brandon Township, and an Operating Millage Proposal for Brandon School District in the Counties of Oakland and Lapeer. I encourage all the voters to go to https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/ (then under voter information section, choose the last item-What’s on the ballot) to view your sample ballot and do your research ahead of time, with all the proposals on the ballot, we are expecting the lines to be long.
Roselyn Blair
Brandon Township Clerk

Heartbroken
(In response to, “Council grapples with cannabis retail location,” The Citizen, Oct. 1, page 5)
I would like to clarify something from the article in the Oct. 1 issue of The Citizen.
In the article regarding JARS trying to purchase the building at 258 South Ortonville Road for use as a cannabis dispensary, the building was referred to as the “former Ortonville Montessori building”. However in July, I sold the building as a childcare center to Little Learners, LLC, who own three other childcare centers in nearby towns. The intention was that the new owners would continue to provide childcare to the Ortonville community. I am heartbroken that apparently this is no longer the case and it’s important to me that the Ortonville community knows that it is Little Learners who is attempting to sell to the cannabis company not Ortonville Montessori.
Mary Wilcox

Vote for Shannon
To all Village of Goodrich residents, my name is Shannon McCafferty and I am running for a seat on the
Goodrich Village Council. I have met many of you over the past few weeks while attempting to visit
every home in the Village. I would also like to thank the residents that have put signs in their yard in support of my running. It was a pleasure speaking to all the residents that were home. For those I missed, I hope you will visit my Facebook page, “Shannon McCafferty for Goodrich Village Council”.
I created this Facebook page to provide information on myself and what I would like to accomplish while on Council. Please go to and like the “Shannon McCafferty for Goodrich Village Council” Facebook page. If you have comments or concerns, please leave a comment on the page or contact me by sending an email to: electshannonmccafferty@gmail.com.
Thank you and remember to VOTE on Tuesday, November 8th.
Shannon McCafferty
Goodrich