O.A.T.S. Haunted Barn
Dear Editor,
I would like to thank Brandon Middle School for their support of the O.A.T.S. Haunted Barn this past Saturday. Over the course of two weeks the students collected about $800 and 188 pounds of candy. On Saturday evening parents and students decorated our barn and handed out candy to the many children who attended the event. An additional $571 was collected during the event. I want to extend a special thank you to math teacher Julie Kelly who spearheaded the middle school’s efforts. O.A.T.S. is a therapeutic horseback riding center that provides services to special needs children and adults. We rely on the goodwill of the community to continue our efforts. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to making our Haunted Barn such a success.
Beth Pellerito
Executive Director

(In response to, “Village fowl now fair,” The Citizen, Oct. 28, page 1)
Not there yet
Chickens are saved, yes, for now… Believe it or not, there are still some more obstacles to overcome.
Two of the council members brought up “salmonella” as a reason for not allowing chickens anymore because of a recent article published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
I looked up the newest CDC report on salmonella, posted October 19, 2017. The article states: “These outbreaks are a reminder to follow steps to keep your family healthy while enjoying your backyard flock. “ I would like to point out that they do NOT advise at all against raising backyard chickens! They advise you to wash your hands, the same way you would to avoid a cold.
Most people recover from an infection of salmonella in a few days without treatment. In rare cases, complications can lead to death.
January 2017 – September 2017, CDC investigated 10 separate multi-state outbreaks of salmonella infections in people who had contact with live poultry in backyard flocks. The outbreak strains of salmonella infected a reported 1,120 people in 48 States, 249 people were hospitalized and ONE death was reported from North Carolina.
As a comparison: approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur each year in the United States, according to the CDC. Dogs send an estimated 290.000 people to the ER and kill about 30 people a year.
Our ordinance talks about allowing, quote: “…harmless pets, like dogs…” but chickens are considered a threat?

Another Council member brought up that 200+ votes do not represent the whole village, suggesting that we are a minority. We had people go door to door for signatures for hours and hours and were not turned down once! Of course there will be naysayers but I am convinced that those are a minority. The rest of the people are neutral.
I guess we will keep on collecting signatures until we have all the council members convinced that raising chickens in downtown Ortonville is what the people want. The petition is still on my front porch, 68 South Street, downtown Ortonville, along with the “Save the Chickens” signs.
Brenda Timmermans
(In response to MABAS facility opens in township, The Citizen, Oct. 28, page 1)
MABAS opens
Dear Editor,
We attended the dedication to the Michigan Task Force 1 site in Groveland Township Monday, Oct. 23.
It was an impressive display of skill, training and dedication of the responders, (including the friendly rescue dogs, like our favorite, Magee). They are clearly enthusiastic professionals, eager and ready to help their fellow citizens. Although their shiny new equipment, sometimes high tech, sometimes simple ropes and knots, was clearly significant, we could see that it was still the people who make the difference between life and death. We are glad they are there.
Bonnie Beltramo
Deer baiting ban needed
Dear Editor,
Soon after serving in the Korean War in 1954, I started deer hunting in the western regions of the Upper Peninsula. My last hunting trip was 2012. During those years our group harvested many bucks and saw plenty of deer during the two week season. Our group of hunters were very succesful without teasing deer in with bait—that today has become a common practice.
What’s wrong with ethical hunting and a good fair chase? Harvesting a deer by appealing to its natural instints is the worst hunting rule the DNR has ever inacted. There is no good reason for baiting anywhere in the state—we have plenty of deer and the number of hunters contiunes to decline. How can young hunters ever learn how to pursue game when they are put by a bait pile and wait for a deer to walk up? We have to get politics out of hunting and those who lobby to foster commerce so gas stations and party stores can make a few bucks on bags of corn, apples and sugar beets is simply wrong not to mention unhealthy for animals.
Just look to our neighbor Wisconsin. Begining this season Wisconsin passed Act 41 amended Wisconsin Act 240 to limit the time during which the baiting and feeding of deer following a positive test for CWD or TB. Now 30 Wisconsin counties ban baiting for deer altogether.
So, on eve of the Michigan Nov. 15 firearm deer season, hunters should leave the bag of carrots at the convinence store and become true outdoors men and women.
Michigan needs to stop baiting before it’s too late to save what’s left of true deer hunters.
Don Kengerski

Crop Walk
Dear Editor:
On Sunday Oct. 1, fifty walkers and numerous volunteers gathered for the 37th Ortonville CROP Walk. The walkers raised funds to help combat hunger around the world, including our own community via funds donated to O.C.E.F.
On behalf of the CROP Walk committee, I would like to convey the deep appreciation to all who participated to make this year’s event a success. Thanks go to Bueche’s Food World, and Wojo’s Greenhouse for their generous donations. Many people helped the day of the event: the Ortonville VFW Color Guard, the C.E.R.T. team for keeping us safe, the kitchen helpers, registrars, Bill Vancil and Karyn Milligan for setting up and running water stations for thirsty walkers, The Citizen newspaper for pre-and post-walk articles and photos, individuals and churches who donated after-walk snacks, and of course, everyone who walked, sponsored a walker, or made donations. Numerous area churches participated in some form: Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Seymour Lake United Methodist Church, Brandon Community Church, Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church, and Ortonville United Methodist Church.
Please know that your efforts will make a difference to people in need, and for that you have the thanks of the entire CROP Walk committee. We hope to see you all again next fall!
Sue Sirgany
and members of the CROP Walk committee

(In response to ‘Village fowl now fair,’ The Citizen, Oct. 28, page 1) 

Eggsactly

Dear Editor,
I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus. Yes, yes, let’s “save the chickens”, and the cows, sheep, and pigs. I know the latter three aren’t allowed in the village, at least I’m thinking they aren’t. What about our dogs, cats, and canaries. Where does it stop? We all know how Noah saved the chickens, when he took them on the ark, along with all the other animals. Oh! And remember how he took along a rooster also? I guess he wanted to “save the chickens” and make sure they produced more chickens. By the way, do you chicken haters ever visit KFC? Do you ever have an omelet, or chicken pot pie, or bake cakes or cookies? These require eggs, to have eggs require chickens. Well this old hen has said “eggsactly” what she needed to say.
Sylvia Runyon

Shut the heck up
Dear Editor,
Could you please refrain from printing any more of this type of letter from the Trump lovers or the other side (ex: “Bonnie” or “Paul”, and all others like them) in this column? These people have seen fit to use this as their personal platform for exchanging blows in public, rather than going to a gym and putting on gloves, then climbing into a boxing ring and slugging it out one-on-one, which is where these clowns need to take their personal beefs against one another.
The smarmy, pseudo-intellectual, juvenile nonsense these people have been exhibiting toward each other is not only disgraceful, but absolutely shows how low some people will go to get their 15 minutes of fame (not that letters to the editor in The Citizen is anything to go bragging about down at the country club). This also demeans your paper, you know. It puts you right down there in the mud with these pigs, who obviously love rolling around in it.
Giving them the platform to continually do this, week after week, is putting your rag right up there with the National Inquirer and Star, as far as I’m concerned. And I, for one, am damn tired of it.
Either get some journalistic integrity there, or find some way to stop sending me this rag of yours, as I have no parakeet that needs its cage lined, and your paper is taking up space in my recycle bin that could be used for something else much more worthwhile.
And to those of you I’m pointing to who are publicly punching on each other back and forth here- Shut the heck up. We’re not interested in your petty bickering. Take it somewhere else!
Many thanks.
John R. Rose,
Ortonville