(In response to, “Ideas for Ortonville’s Heritage Garden needed,” The Citizen, June 19, page 7.)
Keep the garden
Dear Editor,
I live downtown Ortonville and like many of us I often walk the area and one of the things I enjoyed the most was the tiny little garden next to the town hall building.
The wildlife habitat was a well established little plot of native plants and flowers to attract butterfly’s, bees, and other pollinators. Imagine my shock when I saw it bulldozed over just as it was beginning to come back.
If I had know Ortonville was going to do that I would have dug up as much as I could and planted in my own yard! I mean why? All of those plants were not only beautiful but come back every year at no cost and with zero maintenance.
So today I read in my local paper that the “Committee” is looking for ideas from the community as what to do with the property, like should we put some benches there, or a table. Seriously?! There are benches right next to the plot right now! There are benches all over town! They have already planted grass that will have to be maintained now. Hopefully Harvey Swanson keeps their beautiful native plant garden that is tucked away behind the building. It is also very well established and I have some beautiful pictures of it!
If you want ideas of how to spend money maybe put in a public restroom. Before I moved here into town I would not come here for fireworks or other events because there is nowhere to go to the bathroom. Not as if there are many public places if you are not super familiar with the area. I have lived in downtown now for over five years and still just discovering park land to hike that has always been there because signs only went up a few weeks ago. Who knew? My son is still scared to hike on the park land by Harvey Swanson because twice some guy told him to get off his land.
Not as if there is any signage out there either. Heather Dzuris, Ortonville