Community divided over dioxin resolution proposal... written by Kathie Marchlewski and published in the Midland Daily News today... read all about the Tittabawassee Township dioxin committee meeting held yesterday.

Upon seeing the photo of yours truly planting vegetables & flowers... a friend sent me an email commenting:

"It's true, the half life of dioxin is ONLY 3 hours when exposed to ultraviolet rays, yet "sunning" contaminated soil has never been an approved remediation alternative; per government officials, it must be dug up, burned or encapsulate it........ little factoid... Scientists have tried to convince public policy makers of the economical sense of using light, but it's TOO economical and TOO much common sense to warrant government approval. Industrial companies cannot be sufficiently destroyed using such simple solutions ....."

As you can see, I was just doing my part to clean up the dioxin in our environment! While I was planting, there was a farmer out in the field behind our property... doing HIS part to clean up the environment! He was plowing, dust was flying, farming was being done back there just like it has been for the past 45 years of our life here on the Tittabawassee River floodplain area! Why am I not whining and moaning and following Michelle Whatsername, protector of the weak and misguided? Because I'm happy... and healthy..... that's why! Maybe she should get out in the sunshine once in awhile!

FYI... I like the feel of nice clean soil between my fingers! I always wash my hands before cooking or eating. Duh!  

'Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm has talked with Dow executives, community leaders and state lawmakers. This week, she is scheduled to meet with environmentalists and citizens.' from Saginaw News June 21, 2004

THAT was before she actually met with Bay City's own environmental extremist Michelle Chicken-Little and her pitiful entourage of sadsack doom & gloomers, some of whom actually ARE residents of the Tittabawassee River floodplain. This angers me and many other residents! First of all, the actual residents tagging along with Michelle do NOT represent the majority of us!

Marcia Woodman no longer tends a vegetable garden. Even when the weather is nice, she tells her children, Molly, Michael and Mackenzie that they can’t play in the yard. Midland Daily News, June 23, 2004 I did notice, however, that Michelle has started dragging along a higher class of litigants... at least Marcia fits a higher class on my list. If she is the woman who so often assisted my husband through his rehabilitation after heart surgery, I know her to be a kind, considerate and knowledgeable young woman. Actually, it disheartens me to see her included in Michelle's angry little group. "My biggest concern is my children and health effects," Marcia continues... "Nobody is exactly sure what will happen. Something might show up in my children’s children."

Marcia darlin', look around you. See the people, not the hype! We have lived on the floodplain for over 45 years! I'm sure dioxin was in the soil back then too... especially since the bad chemical giant has already been cleaning up their act these past few years. Our children are fine... any medical problems are related to genetics, not dioxin, and we know that because Frank's health problems are those he inherited from his mother! Our children's children... the oldest is twenty years old, the youngest is twelve... fine healthy kids! That is probably genetic too.

Check with the rest of my group of approximately 1,840 residents... those of us not jumping on Chicken Little's bandwagon! Didn't you learn in Biology 101 about the scientific method? First identify the problem. Many of our 1,840 are long-term residents... like Frank & I and our kids..... some go back even longer! Show us the people sick from all those years of dioxin in the soil before DEQ even existed... even before the U.S. EPA was so powerful! We ain't happenin' ladies! Believe the science. Believe the truth. Don't believe the crap your boogey man Lonetree is dishing out!

...and a note to Ms. Granholm... Do you want a second term as governor? Then why don't you listen to the majority of residents... not just the group hand-picked by your favorite little environmental extremist group!

I just had to get this latest Midland Daily News Article up for you... just in case you don't read it every day. I even had to cheat a little. The online newspaper doesn't include the photo. Danielle Rappaport did such a great job I scanned the photo from today's newspaper and included it with the article. Kathie Marchlewski once again did a fabulous job of reporting!Here it is: Citizens want to be heard

Glad I checked my email again tonight!!! Just in from Bill Egerer... Thank you Bill! ... published in the Detroit News: Regulatory agency threatens Michigan jobs with action against Dow Chemical, by Doug Roberts Jr., director of environmental and regulatory affairs for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

I hope you're listening, Governor! There's more to governing a state than naming 'cool cities' and checking out all the fun places to visit!

Here's another fact about dioxin! "The amount of dioxin in one serving of (Ben & Jerry's) ice cream was determined to be 190 times greater than the EPA's "virtually safe dose" (VSD) for the daily human intake of dioxin." ........"Is Ben & Jerry's ice cream with its trace of dioxin safe? Yes, it is." ACSH > Health Issues >...American Council on Science and Health, Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall, By Dr. Francis Koschier, Posted: Tuesday, November 9, 1999

Another fact about dioxin...The EPA, FDA and other agencies note that since dioxin accumulates in animal fats, following normal dietary recommendations for a healthy, low-fat diet is the best way to reduce the potential for dioxin exposure. Wow! Am I ever glad I've been buying the leanest of ground beef for years... What a great thing that I've never been able to tolerate the 'flavor' of all that soft mushy fat on my meat! I always skin my chicken before cooking it and also trim the fatty stuff from fish servings! Do you realize the Pilgrims used to make candles out of the fat from meat? Just imagine what that does to your arteries... forget the dioxin in the fat!

You can even grow veggies in your backyard... even if MDEQ calls your backyard a facility..... just be sure to wash them prior to eating them! Gee I never liked the taste of dirt anyway!

Supplemental Advisory Regarding Part 201 Requirements Applicable to Property Contaminated by Dioxin This is THE document that declares each of our properties a facility! This is the document that LoneTree Council is so happy to see... and they say they represent the people along the floodplain? They represent a few malcontents!

Here it is... the really scarey evil backyard! Don't believe me? Just ask MDEQ... even worse, ask the self-appointed all-important 'representatives of the people' - LoneTree Council and their other boogey man friends! After four floods in one springtime, we were finally able to pick some fresh asparagus out of our backyard yesterday! Mmmmmm! It's so good... and so good for you!

Want some dioxin with that? Have a nice juicy cheesburger! Read the June Newsletter from Dow for details! I will believe a company that hires real scientists before I would believe anything from the extremest environmental extremist groups like LoneTree! 

I voted on the school issues today, did you? Dioxin Fact of the Day: ...the dioxin released by the backyard burning of 20 families’ trash for a year is equivalent to that released by a state-of-the-art combustor serving 150,000 families. That's a fact!

Yes, I wrote a report on the Thursday meeting of the Tittabawassee Township Dioxin 'Committee' It appears to be a committee of one - that person being Vince Castellanos, a non-bending, narrow-minded, tunnel-visioned, uncreative liberal in every sense of the word!

Dioxin Fact of the Day: Through regulation and voluntary efforts releases of dioxin to the environment have been dramatically reduced.

Some of us attended a regularly scheduled meeting of the Tittabawassee Township Board yesterday. As a last minute thing, the Board presented their proposed resolution of support for our position on the dioxin issue. It was not published anywhere! Michelle Whozitz and a couple of her adoring followers showed up. Michelle is NOT a resident of Tittabawassee Township or even of Saginaw County!

Election time is near folks! Votes were taken by board members on several agenda items... not the Resolution; it was tabled. The same people consistently voted against issues... If you care what happens in our Township, attend some of these meetings. See how individual board members are voting concerning our property!!! Ken Kasper keeps the meetings going like... well, like clockwork! Consider it time well-spent and I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting... and at the voting booth! You might be surprised.

While you're here check out the latest Scientific Quip

CAP Meeting - May 26, 2004 4:00 pm-6:00 pm... I had to digest this before I could tell you about it. Prior to the meeting I introduced myself to a few individuals. One of them was Michelle Whatsername. Yes I recognized her because everytime anybody has comments about dioxin in the newspaper or television, she is always there to give her opinion. She told me her news announcer friend, Terry Camp, said she should challenge me to a discussion on TV. Do I look like I enjoy being tortured? I don't think so!

Although Cheryl Howe opened the actual meeting, it was difficult for a newcomer like me to know who was running the meeting. There was a guy in an orange t-shirt who acted like he was running it, but when Cheryl told him to be quiet because she was the meeting moderator, I realized he wasn't. I don't think he was DEQ because they were appropriately dressed. Although they had an agenda there was not much opportunity for a newcomer to ask questions. I was told... numerous times..... that I should have attended previous meetings and that they didn't have time to answer my questions during this meeting. (I guess they were in a hurry to finish the meeting so they could speed over to Midland for the 7:00 meeting at the Center for the Arts because they were all there by the time we arrived in Midland.)

A skinny gray fellow in a gray suit advised me he would answer all my questions after the meeting, so when it was finished he bolted straight for me and cornered me near the exit. He tried the door to another meeting room but it was locked so there we stood. He had me literally up against the wall! He was way too close within my bubble of comfort for any stranger, let alone someone I consider my adversary, as he blathered away his 'party line' which I have read dozens of times already.

When he was finished he just stood there... too close..... and stared just beyond me, at what I do not know! Finally I asked him... 'What is your name again?' to which he responded, 'Andrew Hogarth; you know, the person who wrote the second letter from DEQ to your friend Heinzman.' Then we left for the DEQ meeting in Midland.

What did I learn from this meeting? I learned that I wish I had begun my dissention against this group sooner!!! There is nothing scarier than an extremist of any kind on a mission and these people are both! Just a little FYI..... I have had blogs and websites on the internet for several years with nobody bothering me. Since catching the attention of these environmental extremists I've had 4 incidents of which I am aware! The first incident - Somebody hacked my dioxindoll@yahoo.com identity. After that incident I discovered a Yahoo group with the extremist viewpoint about our dilemma. I no longer recommend Yahoo email because their security is not good. In the past two weeks I've had three (3) incidents involving somebody trying to change my Blogger passwords. I know this because Blogger does provide good security, so far. Today I learned there is another environmental extremist website... this one is following my lead and using Blogger for his format. Do you suppose..... ?

Almost forgot! MDEQ said they will notify all present parties with details of the next meeting. I think that's when they will give us minutes from the meeting we just attended. Ms. Howe promised to mail some information to me. I haven't received it yet. Also another young lady promised to mail a DVD of aerial photos of a flood on the Tittabawassee River floodplain to my husband. Since then we received an email from her. Mr. Hogarth told her we have to buy it from the company that produced it.

Governor Granholm apparently is totally unaware of this big ol' dioxin issue going on in the tri-city area! I know she never responded to my letter... and probably didn't even read it. Read all about HER interests in Michigan here:

The 2004 Mackinac Policy Conference will be better than ever with an agenda guaranteed to be thought-provoking and fun. This year the Chamber is focusing on issues critical to our state and our region. We'll talk about manufacturing and global competitiveness. Do we have the edge to attract and retain the workforce of tomorrow? We will hear from regional and national leaders on this issue and more.

We'll have some other surprises in store that you'll hear more about as we get closer to the conference. See you on the island!

Yup, she's partying down with the Detroit fatcats while we are here fighting for our homes! Sure, Governor, you care alright!

I just wrote another letter to her. It's going out via snail-mail today... also sending a copy of it to her via email (although my last one 'bounced'). FYI... you can read it here.

After a restful but productive weekend at the lake I just wanted to express a great big old Thank You to our wonderful State of Michigan legislators for introducing some common sense legislation regarding this dilemma along the Tittabawassee River floodplain and in the city of Midland. For those who haven't read it, here is the Midland Daily News article 'Legislators jump in on dioxin issue' written by Kathie Marchlewski , Midland Daily News 05/28/2004. I was able to read it because I registered with the MDN website. If you can't read it, let me know so I can just copy it for you.

I took this photo a couple of weeks ago... it represents the relationship between the city of Midland and the company that made it grow. I just thought it was a quiet comforting and beautiful spot in one of my favorite cities!

Now for the commercial... Governor Granholm, we need you to agree with us on this dioxin issue. We realize you want to revitalize Michigan. You want us to have jobs. You want us to have 'cool cities.' You encourage tourism. Governor, if you let the MDEQ and their entourage of environmental extremists follow through on their desires, they will destroy ALL of those goals! You will win the admiration of all of us ordinary people if you pay attention to what we are saying. MDEQ's scientists have a whole different philosophy than what we look upon as the real scientists in our country. Our cities will not be 'cool' if you destroy the City of Midland and their neighbors... that would be MY neighborhood, the Tittabawassee River area.

Governor Granholm, you can visit the schools, kiss the babies and ride your bicycle on our rail trails, but if you allow DEQ to continue in their unscientific venture to destroy us, there will be no people to pay the taxes!

Governor, I have no big fancy degrees... just a Liberal Arts Associates and a lot of common sense, but I DO know that the scientific method... as defined by real scientists says... first define the problem. Then fix it! Since that dioxin has been in our soil for many years... prior to the current cleanup plans and efforts..... look for that geographical 'pocket of disease' associated with the so-called problem. Where are all the sick people? We were all here before the few who are complaining about what could happen to them in the future... and we are NOT sick! Please Governor, I beg you to really think about it!