What If a Tree Fell?
Dear Editor,
What if a tree fell in the Ortonville Village Park Forest – would anybody hear it?
Dan Eshman, your house was built on Ortonville Village Park property. Trees were felled, vegetation cleared away, animals and birds had their homes displaced, and fragile flowers were pulled out by their roots, with very little thought about how all these actions were damaging their ecosystem. Then your house, a large permanent structure, was built on this land solely for your own personal use and pleasure and to this day remains that way.
Do you honestly think that the citizens of this community, walking on designated trails, sitting at a picnic table, enjoying a meal with friends and family, could possibly do any more damage to this forest then you have already done?
I’ve lived in this town on Church St. for the past 25 years and there is a trail not more than 25 feet from my house that is used every day. It is called a sidewalk. People use it to walk, talk with friends, jog, ride bikes, push baby strollers and various other recreational pursuits – no major problems in all the time that I’ve lived there. This proposed trail system should not be a problem to you either.
So Dan, get this central thought in your head. You do not have the selfish right to deny the citizens of this town the use of their own park! You and your fellow misguided Council minions do not have the legal authority to singlehandedly determine this park’s future for all its citizens. Only our citizens can vote on this. Always remember, our Village Council Trustees are elected by our people to serve, not act as their god.
This park is an incredible and beautiful jewel to our community. It deserves to be used by all residents, not just a few!
This Saturday, during the annual SeptemberFest, Rick McAvincey, Lead Forester on this Project and I will be available from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM just south of the red barn on Church Street to distribute literature, listen to citizen’s comments and concerns. We will also have a petition available for citizens to sign if you support the Park Trail Development project.
Pat George
Village Council Trustee
Keep updated
Dear Editor,
There are multiple ways to keep updated on what is happening in our local Village government. ‘Documents on Demand’ provides current and archived agendas and minutes for the Village Council, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals at https://ortonvillevillagemi.documents-on-demand.com/. You can request email alerts when new items have been added by the village offices. If you want more details, OTV provides video of the meetings on their cable station and Youtube for your viewing pleasure:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=village+of+ortonville+council+meeting.
The best way to be updated and be involved is coming to a meeting on the fourth Monday of each month, 7 p.m., at the Brandon Township offices.
The Village of Ortonville’s Mission: Providing the best possible public service as defined by the citizens of this community in the most efficient manner. This mission includes preserving the finest of Ortonville’s “Proud Past” and building on past successes for a “Promising Future”. We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with us. Please text, email, call or write. That will assist us to provide the best possible public service as defined by the citizens of this community.
Tonja Brice
Ortonville Village President