January
Ortonville embezzler
A 40-year-old Ortonville mother was sentenced to at least 23 months in prison for embezzling more than $108,000 from an Oxford gym’s parent club.
Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Rudy Nichols sentenced Cheryl Ann Zardus to 23 months to 10 years in prison on Jan. 11 on a felony charge of embezzlement over $20,000. The sentence was the maximum the judge could give under sentencing guidelines.
Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Paul Walton described the courtroom as ‘packed? at Zardus? sen-tencing. Spectators included Jeni Ochoa, former owner of Elite Gymnastics, as well as several students and parents from the Oxford gym where, as treasurer of the Elite Gym Starz Parent Club, Zardus stole an estimated $108,000 from 2003 to April 2007. The club account held money raised by 80 families to pay meet fees.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office detectives began investigating Zardus in March 2007, after several checks bounced. According to police reports, Zardus opened an account, then immediately channeled funds into it from the parents? club account, accessing money by establishing a debit card. She also allegedly wrote checks to herself from the account, using the money to pay for her bills and for extras, including personal use at restaurants and retail stores.
New part-time clerk, treasurer named
Ortonville-The village council unanimously approved the hiring of a part-time clerk and part-time treasurer during their Jan. 14 meeting.
The move came more than two months after Village Clerk/Treasurer Mary Clark resigned during an investigation into her accounting practices. The council later decided to divide the full-time position into two part-time jobs.
The new treasurer is Larry Brown, an 18-year Brandon Township resident who worked for General Motors for 36 years and retired as a finance manager.
The new clerk is Julie Alexander, who has 20 years of management experience, mostly with EDS.

Ferguson removal protested
Brandon Twp.-The removal of Michael Ferguson as Brandon High School principal sparked controversy that included protests by students and teachers alike and left questions unanswered. More than 100 students, many donning black shirts sat in the hallway at Brandon High School following the transfer of Principal Michael Ferguson.
Superintendent Tom Miller said he told Ferguson on Jan. 17 he would be transferred to the position of Assistant to the Director of Special Education and the CHOICES program, Brandon’s alternative high school. The following morning, Miller told the high school staff and sent a letter home to parents informing them of the decision.
February
Embezzlement
Goodrich – Former sports booster treasurer, Tonya Ann Yannaki, 46, accused of embezzling more than $51,000 from the Goodrich High School booster club, faced trial in circuit court.
Yannaki’s case was heard by Judge Yuille at the 7th Circuit Genesee County Courthouse on Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m.
Facing charges of embezzlement, Yannaki was accused of taking the money from the Goodrich High School Sports Boosters club between October 2005 and September 2007.
The missing money was reported to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 1, 2007.
On Oct. 25, 2007 Yannaki was arraigned in 67th District Court before Judge David J. Goggins on embezzlement of over $20,000, a 10-year felony, plus fines of $25,000, or three times the amount stolen.
‘It isn’t all that unusual that a suspect would want to make restitution,’said David Leyton, Prosecutor for the Genesee County Prosecutor’s office ‘What happens is when they realize they are caught, they want to pay the money back to lessen the penalty they would receive for the crime. They hope they will find some leniency in the criminal justice system.?
Leyton said Yannaki is being charged with one count of embezzlement which he said has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Recall Dashed
Goodrich-The petition filed in October 2007 by Goodrich resident Greg Tankersley to oust four of the five Goodrich Village Councilmembers was rejected due to a petition slip-up, however Tankersley said the recall effort was far from over.
The recall petition in October 2007 made allegations of failure to balance the village budget. When those petitions were rejected on Jan. 23, Tankersley filed a new recall petition on Jan. 28, with similar petition language. The new recall petition language said councilmembers failed to balance the budget without using previous budget surpluses.
Councilmembers Richard Horton, David Lucik, Pete Morey and Village Council President Edmund York were again named in the newest recall. Not named in the petition recall was Patricia Wartella.
Ferguson Returns
Brandon Twp.-Michael Ferguson was reinstated as the principal of Brandon High School, less than two weeks after he had been removed by Superintendent Tom Miller in a move that inspired controversy.
But the controversy wasn’t over as some members of the community pushed for the firing of Miller.
In a news release, Miller explained his reason for reversing the decision, saying he and Ferguson had a series of in-depth meetings and conversations that resulted in ‘the determination that there had been miscommunication and philosophical differences that led to the reassignment? and ‘those issues have now been addressed and resolved.?
Soldier wounded
Ty Gucwa, 23, a 2003 Brandon High School graduate, was injured when a bomb exploded on Jan. 29 in the streets of Baghdad.
According to newspaper reports, five Fort Carson, Co. soldiers including Gucwa were wounded in the blast. All were expected to recover. The bomb was detonated near a checkpoint where American and Iraqi troops search people and cars near a residential neighborhood of Ameriya.
‘Army Specialist Tyler Gucwa is in stable condition,? said Maj. Jose ‘Frank? Garcia, Public affairs officer 2 BCT, 101st Airborn Division. (AASLT) Camp Liberty, Iraq.
Group home abuse
A 47-year-old Swartz Creek woman pleaded no contest to an abuse charge stemming from the severe bruising of a Brandon Township group home resident nearly a year ago.
Crystal Charlotte Overall pleaded no contest Feb. 5 to the charges of vulnerable adult abuse, third degree, as well as felony habitual offender, second offense, in front of Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Shalina D. Kumar.
March
Goodrich Wrestling State champions
The Goodrich wrestling squad was to be featured on some statewide sports shows, thanks to their victory in the state finals at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
‘These are some great kids,? Goodrich Coach Matt Turnbow said after his team beat Dundee 30-27. ‘They outworked everybody. That’s why they won a state championship.?
With the victory, Goodrich ended their team’s season at 45-2. It was the school’s first-ever wrestling state title. They placed second nine years ago.
Dundee was the defending state champ, but an 18-point swing from 130-152, which included wins by Kirk Britton, Grant Overcashier, Mark Weber, Joe Hopkins and Nick Gatchell, was too much to overcome.Goodrich Superintendent Kim Hart terminated
The school board voted unanimously to end the contract of the former district superintendent who was placed on an administrative leave July 26, 2007 at a special meeting. That decision came on the heels of a lukewarm review from the board along with tensions with the teachers? union and their sympathizers concerning contract issues.
On Sept. 4, 2007, Hart entered into a written employment contract with the Whitmore Lake Public Schools to serve as superintendent through June 30, 2010. School officials said when Hart officially accepted employment with Whitmore Schools, her contract remained in place; however, she went from being on a paid administrative leave to an unpaid status. Hart’s contract wasn’t to officially expire until June 30.
Hart did not return phone calls from The Citizen.
‘We have been working with ongoing legal counsel and have been unable to mutually agree on the termination of her contract,? said Michael Tripp, board of trustees president. ‘We wanted to make every effort to make sure Kim’s refusal to resign from her employment was without public scrutiny. However, her refusal to work through this process, left us no choice.?
District officials advised Hart by letter on Nov. 28, 2007 to resign her post, or they would consider her acceptance of employment with the Whitmore Lake Public Schools to constitute a violation of her employment contract.
Hart’s failure to provide a formal resignation to the board of trustees prompted the district’s legal counsel to advise them to officially terminate her contract. Their failure to do so, would have meant Hart’s contract would be automatically renewed (per her contract) on April 30.
Brandon School lawsuit
The Brandon Board of Education, aka Brandon School District, and Superintendent Tom Miller, along with Marian Horowitz, current boardmember Beth Nuccio and former boardmembers Ken Quisenberry and Gina Muzzarelli, have been named in a lawsuit filed by June Wuopio, a former employee of the district.
The suit was prompted for retaliation in violation of Wuopio’s rights to freedom of speech under the Michigan Constitution and under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; for violation of her statutory rights under the Bullard-Plawecki Act; and for violation of her due process rights under the United States Constitution, according to the 13-page complaint, filed in Oakland County Circuit Court on Feb. 21.April
Walton lawsuit
Goodrich – Brian Walton, director of special education for the school district for 32 years, filed a civil rights complaint citing age discrimination against the school district.
Walton said he received a letter from district officials indicating his contract was not being renewed for the 2008-09 school year; however, he said there is no connection between the non-renewal and the complaint.
Scramlin steps down
Groveland Twp.-Shirley Scramlin, 69, announced in April that she would not seek a seventh term as township treasurer.
‘I’ve absolutely loved my job, this is a great environment and staff to work with’I’ll miss many of the property owners that come in to the office’but it’s time I started doing what I wanted to’spend more time with our grandchildren, relax and travel.?
Scramlin began her career in 1982 as deputy treasurer when then Township Treasurer Bill Brondige moved the office from his home to the current building on Grange Hall Road.
Miller steps down
Brandon Twp.- By a unanimous vote, the Brandon School Board accepted the resignation of Brandon Superintendent Tom Miller.
‘Retirement was just down the road for me,? said Miller, 53, in an interview with The Citizen.
‘My wife and I decided to move if just the right job became available’that job may not be there in the future. I’ve been in education for over 30 years, which includes 24 years in administration, it was time for a change.?
Miller accepted a position as a high school principal ‘for at-risk students? in Arizona. The charter school has an enrollment of about 125 students.
Miller added that his decision to leave the district after three years was unrelated to the turmoil surrounding the removal of Michael Ferguson as Brandon High School principal, the lawsuit filed by June Wuopio a former employee of the district over alleged violation of freedom of speech, or the school board’s decision not extend his contract past June 2010.
May
Terrell among cuts
Since 2003, Oakland County Sheriff Detective Arnie Terrell has served as a school liaison officer to help these stu-dents cope with the gauntlet of situations that comprise local youths? daily lives.
Now the school liaison officer position is among the cuts school boardmembers face for the 2008-2009 school year.
Plane lands in trailer park
Brandon Twp.-A pilot thanked residents of a township mobile home community for mowing their lawns after his aircraft made a soft emergency landing there.
The pilot of the single engine four- seater Archer aircraft is a Clinton Township resident and pilot of seven years. The pilot, along with his passenger, a Macomb Township resident, was enroute from Owosso in Shiawassee County to Ray Community Airport in central Macomb County.
Dam inspection
Goodrich-No conclusions were reached after a state inspection crew surveyed the village dam, indicating only that the village is going to need to make some repairs.
However that statement made by Paul Wessel, engineer for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, left Pete Morey, the village council’s street administrator, frustrated.
June 2008
Judge says district wrong in cutting school calendar
Goodrich-A school board decision to reduce the number of school days in 2005 could now prove costly to the district.
Dianne Bregenzer, Michigan Education Association UniServ Director, representing about 100 district teachers, reported that a Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) judge said that the school district illegally removed 12 days from the school calendar without collective bargaining.
The decision stemmed from an April 2005 proposal to the Goodrich Education Association by the board of education promising no layoffs of certified teachers if they agreed to work 14 fewer days. The calendar reduction would save the district as much as $50,000 for each day school is not in session, said school officials.
Schools are required to be in session for students 180 days per year. In 2005, Goodrich teachers had worked 198 days; with student sessions held 188 days. The board reduced teacher days to 184, and reduced student days to 181.
In the end, two days were added back for the teachers and students, making the reduction at 12 days. In addition, 10 minutes of school time at Oaktree Elementary and five minutes at Reid Elementary school were returned.
Although Bregenzer did not comment on the exact cost in back wages to the district, she did say it could exceed $1.5 million.
Local births grandchildren
Goodrich-During a Caesarean section delivery, besides surgical staff, there is typically only one person allowed to accompany the pregnant woman into the operating room.
However, the arrival of a special set of twins in June at an Arizona hospital was anything but typical.
Kendra Sirignano and Aaron Simpson, who are married and the parents of these twins, were in the room? but in a reversal of roles, Kendra held the hand of her mother, Crystal Sirignano, who lay on the surgical table and was giving birth to her own grandchildren.
‘It was the most amazing thing ever,? says Kendra, who struggled for years with infertility and accepted last year an offer from her mother to use frozen embryos from Kendra and Aaron and be a surrogate for them. ‘I was beyond excited and nervous for my mom. Look at what she’s going through for us. When I saw her, she was calm and she smiled through the whole surgery.?
Kendra, a 1996 Goodrich High School graduate, and Aaron tried for years to have a baby and adopted Claire, now 15, three years ago. But after several unsuccessful fertility treatments, including three failed attempts at in-vitro fertilization that drained their life savings and also left them emotionally drained, they despaired of ever having biological children.
Crystal Sirignano then offered to be a surrogate. Concerned about her age, 52, her daughter and son-in-law at first refused; however, doctors found Crystal, owner of Total Body Fitness in Grand Blanc and a personal trainer, to be in excellent physical condition. Kendra, 30, and Aaron, 32, accepted her offer and watched as their dream of having babies came true.
Relay for Life
The first annual Relay for Life of Brandon/Ortonville, a 24-hour walk to benefit the American Cancer Society, attracted more than 1,000 people at the Brandon Schools Athletic Complex. A community representative for the American Cancer Society reported that $43,330 was collected from the event.