Kudos Mr. Trent!

(In response to: ‘Septic checks for chosen few eyed,’ The Citizen, April 8, page 1)

Dear Editor,

As one of many who fought the sewer bond, I thank Village Manager David Trent for his proposed septic check initiative.

One of the sticking points of those against sewers was…If it’s up to $25k to replace a failed septic and $25k plus for sewers, why not just have those with failed septics fix them? They’d pay $25k either way, why should ALL pay?

No surprise those along Kearsley (Creek) are compromised. How placing a septic feet from a creek was ever approved is anyone’s guess, but there are others. When at a sewer Q&A at the senior center and the “proof of inspection” was raised as an alternative, several men chuckled when one said “Well ‘x’ needn’t worry..he has no septic to inspect! His drains into that 55 gallon barrel set up!” They all laughed.

So why not require all to submit proof of pumping and inspection by year’s end, and then each ‘x’ number of years?

Let’s get this figured out sooner rather than later.

Laura Douglas

Thank you

Dear Editor,

I am writing to thank all of the amazing students at Oakwood Elementary, Harvey Swanson, and Brandon Fletcher Intermediate schools and all of the preschoolers for the 308 awesome get well cards I received when I had major neck surgery on Feb. 8. They touched my heart so much, the artwork was beautiful and the well wishes helped me heal fast!!!

Thank you to Robin Loughlin for coordinating meals to be brought to my family!!! A big thank you to all of the amazing cooks who lovingly prepared and delivered them to us!!! Thank you to everyone for all of their prayers, and love conquers all!!! This is the best, most generous community in the world!!! May 1, I will celebrate 42 years of service working at the Brandon Township Public Library and look forward to serving for many years to come!!! I am very blessed to have such an outstanding job!!! Thank you again to everyone for your kindness!!! I am back full time doing my outreach programs and I thank everyone for the extremely warm welcome back! It is great to be loved and appreciated!!!!

Fran Hotchkiss

OCEF thank you

Dear Editor,

Well, March is over and with it, the Sharin’ O’ the Green money match fundraiser. The dollars have all been counted and the Ortonville Community Emergency Fund can’t say “thank you” enough to this wonderful community for our success.

So, are you sitting down? Your marvelous, loving, compassionate generosity nearly doubled our match money. But wait, there’s more. Just after Sharin’ began in March, several individuals including the Masons asked if they could donate some large match dollars also. Why not? We can only try. And thanks to your cash, checks and PayPal donations, we nearly doubled all those match dollars and the original $3,000.

Now OCEF can buy three months worth of food to stock our community emergency food pantry to help our distressed neighbors. We can’t say “thank you” enough.

Margaret Lee

OCEF treasurer

Wrong country bashed

(In response to: ‘Look in the mirror,’a letter by Walt Dilber, The Citizen, April 1, page 7)

Dear Editor,

I was rather taken aback by Walt Dilber’s letter.

My first reaction was to ask myself whether Dilber is on Vladimir Putin’s payroll, handsomely compensated to parrot the Kremlin’s line, or whether he is simply one of Putin’s all-too-many “useful idiots” on both ends of America’s political spectrum, who seem to admire Putin’s “strong leadership.”

While one can certainly argue, with the benefit of hindsight, that the U.S. has engaged in unwise or unjustified actions in instances in the past, to equate the United States with Russia is proof of the writer’s deliberate mendacity or of his ignorance of the history and practices of the old Soviet Union, and of the behavior of Russia under its current leadership.

That behavior includes the murder of journalists and political opponents, the takeover of the media, the squelching of freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble and protest, the military invasion of neighboring countries and annexation of their territory, and the support of a criminal regime which uses poison gas against women and children.

President Ronald Reagan had it right when he called the Soviet Union an “evil empire.” Vladimir Putin, who was an officer in that empire’s KGB, has frequently bemoaned the demise of that empire as a “tragedy,” and is attempting to resurrect that empire, to make Russia “great again,” and is using naïve, if not malicious, individuals in the West like Walt Dilber to help him do so.

The United States has always served as a beacon of hope and liberty for nations and people around the world, and if it chooses to use its influence to help other nations attain their liberty, and rid themselves of tyrants, murderers and thieves, I say “wonderful!”

The “elected government” in Ukraine, whose overthrow Dilber says the U.S. supported, was led by a convicted criminal, a thief and a stooge of the Kremlin, who ordered his snipers to shoot and kill demonstrators in the street! He fled to Russia in the dark of night, with bags of loot pilfered from his people. The governments of Libya, Iraq, Cuba and Egypt whose overthrow Dilber also laments, were not democratically “elected,” as he falsely claims, but were seized and run like private fiefdoms by murderous thugs who got into, and stayed in, power by using force and terror.

The ludicrous assertion that Russian interference in our elections was for the purpose of “…telling the truth about corruption in the Democratic Party” speaks volumes about Wilber’s malicious mendacity and/or ignorance. His ill-will toward his own country is suggested by the following words: “Russia’s involvement, if any, is minor compared to our own.”

I happened to be in the process of reading “The Road to Little Dibbling” by Bill Bryson when I chanced upon Walt Dilber’s letter and found the following words in the book quite apropos to this situation: “…America is a wonderful country… America has given us a pretty decent modern world and doesn’t always get enough thanks for that. But for reasons that genuinely escape me, it has also become spectacularly accommodating to stupidity.” (Page 373)

Wake up, Walt Dilber, and stop stupidly supporting Russia to the detriment of your own country, and of the countries who have the misfortune to share borders with Russia, but want to remain free and independent!

Michael J. Berezowsky

Fed up with Left Wing

Dear Editor,

In a surprise move, Ortonville resident and longtime Viewpoint contributor Alfred E. Hackenback has vowed to devest himself of the socialist government.

“I am fed up with the left wing,” Mr. Hackenback stated, shouting into one of two tin cans joined by a string, despite being in the same room with this writer. Mr. Hackenback states he will not use a government regulated phone system that guarantees free market competition and monitors unfair pricing. “I am returning my Social Security checks, will not use Medicare and will not take any medications certified safe by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Citing further socialist intrusions and big government overreach, Mr. Hackenback stated he would not use the United States Postal Service, relying on rugged, personally responsible smoke signals to communicate.

County snow plows are no longer welcome on Mr. Hackenback’s road. Alfred E. will decline to drive any car with seatbelts, airbags or other government mandated safety devices. “Don’t get me started on Stop signs,” Alfred E. warned.

“Flying is right out, “Mr. Hackenback says. “No Federal Aviation Administration is going to license any pilot of a plane I am in. No air traffic control will tell me where we can land. The whole flying thing is just more socialism.”

Asked if Americans pool their taxes to provide services and benefits that we deem essential, and if we as a nation and as a community join to protect, improve and defend our families, Mr. Hackenback turned an alarming shade of purple. After refusing care from a well-trained emergency medical team from Brandon Township Fire Department, (maybe they got federal funding) Mr. Hackenback’s condition is unknown.

Bonnie Beltramo