Vote for Onica
Dear Editor,
I write as a civically involved member of the Atlas Township community for nearly four decades. Current Chairman of the Planning Commission and member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, I was 2003 The Citizen Newspaper Citizen of the Year, and past recipient of the Kettering University Alumni Civic Achievement award primarily for my work with Goodrich Schools and Atlas government.
I tell you this simply as introduction for those of you who may not be familiar with the intensity of my commitment to working with Atlas leadership. Endeavoring to preserve and enhance the greatness of this place we call home, it has been my privilege to work beside Tere Onica among those leaders. As Township Clerk for 16 years, Tere was recognized by her peers, first County-wide, then State-wide, as the best Clerk in Michigan. Over the past four years as Township Supervisor, Tere has continued to lead a fiscally responsible and public policy-proactive Board of Trustees. Please join me this summer in reelecting Tere Onica to the job she does so well.
Richard Misek
Groveland Fire millage renewal
Dear Editor,
Kudos to Fire Chief Kevin Mason, Supervisor Bob DePalma, and Trustee Jim Christopher for reaching a positive solution for the fire department, putting the safety of OUR residents first, and keeping a promise to the residents. The plan, proposed by Chief Mason and accepted by the township board, allows for renewing the operating millage at 3.8005 mills and billing it at 3.5 mills in 2020, as promised to the residents when the property values plummeted and the millage was raised. The township tax rolls have rebounded, allowing for the roll back of the millage saving taxpayers money while continuing to provide excellent fire and medical service to the residents. The fire department in Groveland, operating under this new plan, continues to be fiscally responsible, sustainable and offers employees a compensation package comparable to similar sized communities.
Moving forward, OUR residents can feel confident that the fire and medical services they count on will be there for them, and their taxes will remain as low as possible. Thank you to the residents who attended meetings and voiced concerns. Residents with questions, take the time to be informed. Check the township’s website, YouTube channel or FaceBook page: Groveland Twp. On August 4, this proposal is on the ballot. The fire department is an issue that people feel passionate about, and the residents expect the board to look closely at spending. This hard work resulted in a promise kept for OUR residents, OUR township, and OUR fire department, keeping the millage rate from increasing and keeping the service in Groveland with Groveland Firefighters. I’d say that’s a millage renewal we can vote YES on!
Theresa Bills, resident and candidate for Groveland Township Treasurer
(In response to Nothing normal, a letter by Tina Furness, The Citizen, May 30)
Love Thy Neighbor
Dear Editor,
Thank you for publishing letters from our citizens, even those of different opinions. A letter a couple of weeks back expressed a great deal of pain and confusion over God-given rights and wearing a mask. I have asked multiple people where in The Bible are our God-given rights. No person can tell me where they are listed.
The lady also stated our health care was not overwhelmed. The pain and exhaustion of health care workers has been extreme, to the point where hospitals have had to cancel multiple medical procedures. I am not referring to breast enlargements, face lifts and cosmetic surgery. Real medical procedures have had to be canceled such as colonoscopies, dental care, heart surgery and multiple others postponed, even such things as mothers having delivery and having to be sent home before the baby has breastmilk.While it is true cloth masks are not the best at stopping the influx of the virus, they do however retain the ones the infected person has so there is a lower percentage in the air. I have not been able to research how many a person must be infected with before the disease develops. In history, a lower infection number has frequently resulted in a more mild infection and better recovery.
When I see people in public wearing masks, I don’t know them, but the health of others is important to them. I feel they are respecting my health. Most of all they are respecting the Bible, “Love Thy Neighbor.”

I wish to thank everyone for protecting me and others and understanding the importance of masks despite the irritation and discomfort they bring. Ilona Yates
Vote Kidd for treasurer
Dear Editor,
I’m so happy to see that Shelly Kidd is running for Groveland Township Treasurer to continue her great service to the residents.
Shelly has worked for the Township for five years. She was appointed Treasurer in February 2019. She is a Michigan Certified Professional Treasurer and is ready to continue serving Groveland Township.
She believes there are four important words in life: love, honesty, trust and respect. She respects others even under adverse conditions. She practices “by the book” guidelines and protocols established for serving the residents in a “fair” manner. She is conscientious and very capable, as she has shown for the last year and a half. She’s honest, truthful and displays love for her work and the community. She has lived here for 40+ years and is known and loved by many. I feel confident that she will continue to save our community with integrity and with our best interests in mind. She represents everything we need in a civil servant, today and in the future. I wish The Citizen would have posted information on other candidates by now, so we can make educated choices during this crucial time.
I do know the best candidate for Treasurer is Shelly Kidd. Come on Groveland, step up and do the right thing!
Thank you, Shelly Hewitt
All lives matter
Dear Editor,
In over 20 years of living in this community of Brandon Township, I have NEVER had the occasion to be disappointed in the people here, until two weeks ago.
While driving past Brandon High School on M-15, I saw a Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstration. I understand I will get “flak” for this, because I am not toeing the current societal “catch phrase” of the day, but I think it is necessary of us all that we speak truth to the lies. The falsehood that Blacks are, in overwhelming numbers disproportionately killed by white police officers is demonstrably false. I will not state the numbers here. They are easily researched for anyone seeking the true statistics. You can check with various studies that have covered the topic over the years. It simply IS NOT TRUE.
That was not why I was disappointed in those demonstrators.
I understand and agree that black lives matter, but so do the lives of Reds (remember all the times you bemoaned the fate of the indigenous people of our country). So too do the lives of Brown skinned people (remember the outcry against “children housed in cages”). Yellow lives matter (Remember the internment camps of Roosevelt’s administration). And now, the single line that is frequently used to claim someone is a “racist”, ALL LIVES MATTER. To select one group for preferential treatment or consideration over another, based upon the color of their skin, is inherently racist.
That was not why I was disappointed in those demonstrators.
The cause for my disappointment in those demonstrators could be their apparent lack of knowledge, facts, and historical context.
Less than five years ago, at demonstrations across the country, BLM and their followers chanted, for all the world to hear, “Pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon” and “What do we want? Dead cops! When do we want it? NOW?” These are the chants of people that want special treatment and special consideration because they feel their lives matter more than any others. You think this is ancient history? Just recently at a BLM rally in Seattle, BLM protesters, screamed the same chants. How about in Minneapolis? How about Manhattan? Washington DC? This is not just a localized chant spurred on by local vitriol. This is a national organization, chanting for the death of police officers.
Why was I disappointed?
I was disappointed in these people because they were supporting a hate group that seeks to target police officers for harm and death. They seek to target my friends (some who already gave their lives in the line of duty). They seek to target my family. They seek to target ME. I was a police officer for over three decades. I have taught criminal justice students for over two decades. I know these people. I know the vast majority of police officers to be hard working, dedicated, conscientious men and women who take abuse day in and day out from folks like BLM, and yet return to do the job all over again the next day, because they care. They care and know that their success can mean a better life for individuals that they encounter, and because their success means that our country is a better place to live because of their efforts.
What was most disappointing? This demonstration took place one half mile from where one of our own police officers, Eric Overall, gave his life, on Thanksgiving morning 2017, serving his community. Eric was a 22-year veteran, and because of that I am sure he, just like officers around the country, would have found the death of George Floyd to have been without justification and abhorrent. At the time of Eric’s death, many local high school students spoke of how Eric was a role model and committed himself to helping kids attain their goals in life.
I was disappointed because all those protesters had to do, was look less than a half mile down the road to see the memorial that still stands for Eric and remember that ALL LIVES MATTER Bob Marshall
Peaceful Anti-Racism Alliance
Dear Editor,
My name is Tammy Battaglia. I live in Hadley Township, in the footprint of the Brandon Schools and have a son who just graduated from Brandon High School and I call this community home.
I helped organize the Ortonville Peaceful Anti-Racism Rally. My reason: because my heart hurts for my black mom friends here and in other metro Detroit communities who worry about their children in ways I have never had to.

The rally stemmed from a post on the Ortonville Strong Facebook page, which has 4,600 members from Brandon, Ortonville, Goodrich, Hadley and surrounding entities that call this community home. The post said “we should do something” in light of the killing of George Floyd and a cry now heard around the world to address racial inequality.
A rally was a visible way to show our neighbors, friends and those passing through Brandon Township “Racism has no home here.” And most members were from this area. My sign read “Black mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandparents and families matter.” I was shocked at the ignorant response from Brandon Township Trustee Robert Marshall. The citizens there do not need a township trustee with an obvious agenda mischaracterizing who we are and what we want to accomplish: peaceful equality and respect for all people in Brandon Township and our surrounding communities.
We invited the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office to attend. We let the schools know we were going to be out there and choose that area with plenty of parking and a clear public sidewalk so as not to impede businesses. But did Bob Marshall bother to ask any of us about who we were and how he can help? No! Instead, he chose inaccurate ranting – not what took place in his township. He’s trying to scare you, the citizens of Brandon Township. Don’t buy into it! We want to support good policing. We want to support respect for our neighbors of all colors. And we want to support those who peacefully will address statistically proven disparities that exist. Unfortunately, I question whether that will ever take place in your township with leadership like Bob Marshall, who additionally disgraced the memory of Officer Overall by using it for his politics. As an alternative, Bob, get to know your constituency, even if you think you disagree with them – or don’t look like them. You may be surprised that you have more in common than you realize. We have since created the group Ortonville Peaceful Anti-Racism Alliance. Find us on Facebook. We’d love to talk.
Tammy Battaglia
BGYA Youth Recognition
Dear Editor,
A big thank you to Shelby Stewart and The Citizen newspaper for all of the great coverage of BGYA Youth Recognition Awards this year! Thank you for the articles in January asking for nominations and then all of the articles you published honoring the 185 students; the record amount we have ever honored! We so appreciate you! Thank you to all of the public officials whose aides worked so hard from home to assemble and deliver certificates and letters of recognition for all 185 nominees. We really appreciated it! And thank you to my Co-Chair, Jeannie McCreery for all of your hard work and countless hours on the certificates every year! Thank you to Dave Cullen of Cubies Trophies in Oxford for the beautiful plaques he made and generously donated for our two Star Award Winners this year!
Thank you to Paramount Signs for the outstanding yard signs to honor the students! Thank you Bob McArthur for arranging the signs to be made and the schedule to distribute! Thank you to the following people for handing out the signs to the students : Candee Allen, Tonja Brice, Shelby Stewart, Jane Derry-Burkett, Bob and Karen McArthur, Mary Kassuba, Mike and Jeannie McCreery, Judy Miracle, Diane Zedan, Mary Stayton, and Scott Broughton! I appreciate your time and hard work! Thank you to Liz Edwards for all of your hard work this year!
A very BIG thank you to Shawn VanSlambrouck for the excellent job you did making the amazing PowerPoint presentation honoring all of the students! You are so talented! Thank you to Diane Zedan for all of your work helping to coordinate this! Thank you to Tawn Hill, Nancy Dery, Darlene Barowski, Connie Zak, and Jennifer Halula for all of your hard work on this as well! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of the many hours you put in this year!
And a huge thank you to Brandon School District for all of your hard work behind the scenes this year! Thank you for letting BGYA distribute the signs and certificates at your pick up days at each building! If there are any students that were not able to pick up your signs please call Bob McArthur at 248-255-5321 to arrange this.
And again, THANK YOU to everyone who nominated a student and thank you to all of the outstanding students in Brandon that work so hard to make our community so special!
Fran Hotchkiss, BGYA Youth Recognition award chair