Friday, February 27, 2004

Of course you all know the City of Saginaw wants to increase the water bill to Tittabawassee Township by 191%... and yet the Master Plan looks to adding all those residences by 2020. Read all about it in Wednesday's Saginaw News.

2020 is now only 16 years away... not very long when you think about it. How much real thought do you think has gone into this? They talk about being able to develop 'only' 130 more lots under the water ban!!! Then they talk about perhaps raising our water costs by 85% but LOWERING sewer costs by 25%!!! What!!!? One of the Board members is quoted as saying '...the city of Saginaw is 'raping' the Township'!!! Well, guess what folks. Looks like the Township wants to 'rape' the many residents who do not even have sewers!!!

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Just in... Jeremiah Stettler, Saginaw News reporter was at last night's meeting. Read his excellent article about the meeting... Plan changes to target urban growth. Good job, Jeremiah! Fair and unbiased reporting. I like it!
When my husband started collecting signatures petitioning the Township Planning Commission and the Township Board to not rezone a piece of property near us i vowed i would keep out of it. With the Hackert Lake Association website and Reflections newsletter... my recent increased activity in the Saginaw Valley Computer Association as President... and a need for more quality time with our grandchildren, i did not want another involvement. I knew i couldn't sit back in a meeting and just observe. As you can see, i got involved.

I guess i could have kept quiet if i hadn't heard the impassioned plea of our neighbor who, with her brother, just purchased the family farm from her parents. It looks like the '2020 Plan' for Tittabawassee Township will squeeze the 'farmer in the middle' - in this case this family. They are now being told they cannot farm land east of them because the DEQ has declared it so... due to the dioxin situation and resultant possible class action suit.

We live on a road that was a winding scenic drive when we moved in. It is still a winding road. It is still a two lane road. It is no longer scenic. It is no longer serene. Traffic flies past our house all times of day and night. There is no regard for speed limits... not even around the curves designated 34 mph zones. The side roads, formerly country lanes have become dangerous entries to our road. Rarely do we see people actually stop at the stop signs. I think it is time the planners consider the rest of us residents when drawing their lines on the map.

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Hello. I've lived in Tittabawassee Township for about 48 years, 44 of those years in the same location. It's been a pretty nice place to live and raise a family. My community involvement in the early years pertained to my children... six daughters, all of whom grew up and moved out of town. Girl Scouts and high school band performances were my focus interests during those years. I also taught catechism for a few years. I've always felt if people spent more time tending their own families, there would be less need for people to oversee everybody else's business.

The town has grown. Growth is good. However, with this growth came new issues and problems. One of the biggest problems concerns dioxin contamination along the river banks. Another problem is growth. How much is enough? How much is too much? I hope to touch on some of these problems here. I would like this to be a sounding board for members of the community who feel like nobody is listening.

My husband Frank and I recently attended meetings held by The Dow Chemical Company in an attempt to learn more about the dioxin situation. In reference to dioxins, I believe people in the legal field will be the only winners.

Today I attended a Tittabawassee Township Board meeting for the very first time. As usual i couldn't keep quiet. For that reason..... this web log.