I would like to take this opportunity as a small proud citizen of Orion Township to comment on your last week’s ‘Letters to the Editor.?
First, Mr. Buckley (Resident sees need for change in supervisor positon) is listening to ex-Supervisor Matt Gibb’s group for his information. Their aim is to turn the Township Board into a Gibb directed board. Let me address the Orion Center and the Wildwood Pavilion expenses that he blames on the current Supervisor JoAnn Van Tassel.
Originally Mr. Gibb, as township supervsor, tried to put a new senior center together with Mr. Mike Church who was attempting to build a retirement center behind the K-Mart on Lapeer Road. This was without the involvement of the citizens of Orion Township and without the total involvement of the Township board. However, Mr. Church could not get the financing for his project. Then Mr. Gibb set his sights on the property wehre the Orion Center (initially named Senior Center) is located.
Mr. Gibb without inviting all the township trustees but inviting the press, held his own ‘Cavalcade of Progress? on October, 20, 2010, his groundbreaking ceremony for both the Orion Center and the Wildwood Pavilion. While sinking a shovel into the dirt where he was building the Wildwood Pavilion, Mr. Gibb offered the possibility that Kid Rock and Ted Nugent might be able to provide ‘his? music pavilion with new talent throughout the season when it was finished and opened.
On June 11 during the ribbon cutting for the Grand Opening which was during the middle of a performance of over 200 Orion Township citizens, Mr. Gibb took credit for the pavilion, opened up a bottle of champagne, took over the electronic key board and played and sang his version of how the new buildings came about.
As for Chris Barnett, I watched him act like a spoiled brat when he was not selected out of the four finalist to assume the empty seat opened by Mr. Gibb leaving his position as supervisor of Orion Township. Mr. Barnett went so far as to accuse some memsor of Orion Township. Mr. Barnett went so far as to accuse some members of the board who selected the new trustee, that they, the board, showed his resume to the other finalists.
I have their word that they did not do such a thing. Mr. Barnett will listen to his brother and Mr. Gibb before he listens to an average citizen.
Mr. Gibb is afraid our current leaders wil find more finanical problems caused by his ‘personal involvement? in the open bidding during his term and not the sealed bidding for contracts as it is now and should have always been.
Anyone can go to the Township Clerk’s Office and she can supply you with written evidence of what, why, and when to a question you may have about the happenings in our great Orion Township. Dig deeper and talk to people who don’t have an already set hidden agenda. Your vote must be fore best qualified person to take us beyond the spending Mr. Gibb did during his non-transparent role as supervisor.
Second I must compliment fellow citizen Mary MacMaster’s letter Vote yes on police millages. She his the issue right on the head. Our County Commissioner Mike Gingell, the total school board, as well as all of our leaeders on the township board, suppport both the police millages, as well as the fire millage, due to growth of our population, businesses, and crime rate coming from outside our community. Thank you Ms. MacMaster.
-Sincerely David W. Duenow