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Local Conservationist Honored by DNRLocal Conservationist Honored by DNR

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The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently recognized the conservation efforts of a Chelsea woman. Retired executive director of the Legacy Land Conservancy, Susan Lackey was presented the Partners in Conservation Award in Lansing. The DNR award recognizes individuals or organizations for their contributions to conservation in the state. Lackey headed the Ann Arbor based organization through the process of purchasing land to expand the Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve. She accepted the award on behalf of the conservancy, saying she was not alone in the effort, which saw the purchase of 717 acres of land in Jackson County adjoining the park. The 1,122-acre state park is jointly managed by Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation and the DNR. Lackey says she looks forward to enjoying the parks now that she’s retired.

Hundreds Receive Free Backpacks Loaded With School SuppliesHundreds Receive Free Backpacks Loaded With School Supplies

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Hundreds lined up outside the Livingston Educational Service Agency last night to get a new backpack for the coming school year. The initiative offered by Connect for Kids saw children from pre-school through high school and beyond take home a new backpack filled with all the necessities they will need for the first day. Great Start Livingston Coordinator Robin Schutz says the annual event saw over 1000 backpacks filled with donated items. She says usually in the beginning of summer they start putting out requests for donations. Her organization has various community partners that put collection sites in their businesses and they collect the supplies. Schutz says they held a "Stuff the Bus," at the Howell Walmart and the State Police trooper held one at the Fowlerville Walmart. She says they collect the supplies from all the community donations and then we fill the backpacks on the Day of Caring. They put all the supplies out at LESA and had volunteers fill all the backpacks. Schutz says we're a couple weeks away from the start of school and it's a good way to just kind of get geared up and get ready to start school. Schutz says the backpack distribution was just one part of the event. There were also car seat fittings and bike helmet give-aways, as well as a number of other local organizations handing out information. Schutz says the backpacks given out were stuffed with donated items during the United Way’s recent Day of Caring. Although the event was not necessarily just for families in need, many were glad to give their wallets a break. Schutz says items, including the backpacks were donated by area businesses, churches and community members. (DS)

Brighton Council OKs Contract with Office WorkersBrighton Council OKs Contract with Office Workers

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At its meeting Thursday night the Brighton City Council approved a 3-year contract with the union representing five clerical employees who work at city hall. It’s the third contract that has been settled between the city and one of its employee bargaining units. The union local - the Technical, Professional and Officeworkers Association of Michigan – has already ratified the contract. The hourly employees will get a 2% pay raise each year under the new contract, which goes into effect today. The old contract expired on June 30 and the workers had been continuing under terms of that agreement. Five hourly employees sounds like a small number at city hall, and city labor attorney Dennis Gabrian says that the number of hourly workers at city hall has continued to shrink. He says two employees retired earlier this year and haven’t been replaced. Gabrian tells WHMI that under the new contract the second "tier" has been eliminated. Gabrian says that the previous, two-tier pay and benefits schedule created resentment among union members and has been done away with in the new contract. The office workers’ contract leaves just one more to settle…the 11 hourly employees at the Department of Public Works, who are also represented by the TPOAM and whose old contract also expired June 30. Gabrian says they are scheduled to get down to serious negotiations right after Labor Day. The employees include rank-and-file who work out of the DPW garage on Third St., plus those based at the wastewater treatment plant, water treatment plant and cemetery. The city previously reached agreement with the police patrol officers union and police command officers unit. (TT)

Pinckney Man Charged With Rape Of Friend Headed To TrialPinckney Man Charged With Rape Of Friend Headed To Trial

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A Livingston County man has been bound over for trial on charges of sexual assault for allegedly raping his female friend. 19-year-old Michael Austin Kotch of Pinckney was bound over for trial Monday on one count of third degree criminal sexual conduct of force or coercion. Kotch was charged as a result of the July 12th incident in which he allegedly raped his female friend in the backseat of her car. Authorities say Kotch and the 18-year-old Fowlerville woman were sitting in her car talking and drinking alcohol. Kotch reportedly brought up wanting to have a one-night stand with someone, at which point the victim began to feel very uncomfortable. Police say the woman tried several different methods to signal for help or leave, but her car battery died and Kotch told her he couldn’t find jumper cables. He allegedly began to pressure the woman to have a one-night stand with him until police say he then grabbed her arm and pulled her into the back seat of the vehicle, where he assaulted her. Kotch is currently free on bond with a GPS tether. Future Circuit Court dates have not been scheduled for him at this time. (DK)

Wildlife Clinic At Howell Nature Center Will Close TemporarilyWildlife Clinic At Howell Nature Center Will Close Temporarily

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The Howell Nature Center’s Wildlife Clinic will be taking a brief hiatus as a result of an unexpected high number of animals being brought in. Wildlife Director Dana Debenham says they have “never seen anything like it.” This year to date, the clinic has taken in 2,335 injured and orphaned wild animals. Debenham has been involved with the Nature Center’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic for over 20 years and says in the past, they have frequently exceeded over 2,000 cases per year but never over 2,300 in just seven months. Due to the “unprecedented” number of injured and orphaned animal cases this year, the Wildlife Clinic will be closing its doors Monday temporarily. The closure will allow staff and volunteers to focus on the animals currently in their care and implement some cost-cutting measures. They plan to reopen August 29th. The Nature Center is also launching an urgent fund drive with a goal to raise $15,000 to help offset the unforeseen expenses. More information on the closure and donating can be found at the link below. (DK)

Boating Buddies Will Fight Efforts To Quiet Their Boats On Thompson LakeBoating Buddies Will Fight Efforts To Quiet Their Boats On Thompson Lake

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A pair of boaters that have been the focus of ongoing complaints by residents living on Thompson Lake in Howell say they will fight recent ordinance changes that could sink their lake privileges. John Zeitler’s speedboat is one of at least two boats that have prompted ongoing complaints by lake residents. They say that when he opens the boat up to full speed it produces noise so loud that they often have to leave their own homes to get any peace and quiet. Zeitler, who lives in Marion Township, says he works hard and likes to enjoy his boat. But what has really frustrated residents is the fact that Zeitler has an option to muffle the sound by directing the exhaust into the water, but purposely chooses not to do so. He tells WHMI he sees it differently. "I bought the boat for the way it looks. I bought the boat for the way it sounds...but when we're out here having fun, pulling skiers, pulling tubers...the boat sounds nice. I like the way it sounds at that point." Someone who disputes that is Jerry Douglas, who lives on the lake. He says the noise that the boats make is completely unreasonable. "If they're out here, in front of our house, and I'm on the phone, I literally cannot hear who I'm talking to." He says the boats are often going full speed on the lake back and forth at full throttle from 10am to well past 6pm on some days. Zeitler says when they are out on the lake, he'll make a couple of runs and then stop at a nearby island to enjoy a beverage with friends before heading back onto the lake. He disputes that it is nonstop for hours on end. Douglas says it has ruined their quality of life. "When they're racing, they'll come down to our end of the lake, they turn around and then they gun it and all that noise is going out behind them so they're not hearing the noise that we're hearing." After two years of complaints from residents, Howell City Council recently revised sections of ordinance related to noise control and disorderly conduct that could result in boat launch privileges being revoked for those deemed to be a nuisance. Howell Police Chief George Basar says the boats in question are interfering with the quality of life of lake residents and their ability to peacefully enjoy their homes and their property. He said the situation was as if someone repeatedly drove back and forth in front of a house in a vehicle with no muffler. His full statement is posted below. But for Brandon Weierman of Howell Township (left), who often boats alongside Zeitler with an open exhaust system, this problem isn’t with them, but with those who live on the lake. "Get over it. They live on a public lake...with a public beach nonetheless with 50, 60 screaming kids at it everyday. What's the difference? Would you rather listen to a bunch of kids screaming or my V-8?" Homeowners like Jerry Douglas think that’s a question with an obvious answer, most especially since they pay many lake taxes and assessments so they can enjoy the lake, investments that visiting boaters do not make. However, Zeitler and Weierman say this is a matter of their rights to legally operate a boat without being harassed and insist they will fight any tickets they receive under the updated ordinances. (JK)

"Book Drive To Back The Blue" Underway In Livingston County"Book Drive To Back The Blue" Underway In Livingston County

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A book drive is underway to supply Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputies with books in patrol vehicles to help children in crisis. The Livingston County Sheriff's Office and Usbourne Books is teaming up for the book drive, which is currently underway through August 25th. Should a situation arise where kids are in crisis, organizers say the deputy will be able to give them a book to help ease their mind and hopefully focus on something else. Organizers are striving to raise $5000 in books over the two-week time period. Usborne Books has agreed to match the books purchased by 50%, potentially providing $7500 in books to the Livingston County Sheriff's Office. A link with further information is available below. (JM)

Suspects Who Fled From Police In Retail Fraud Incident Bound OverSuspects Who Fled From Police In Retail Fraud Incident Bound Over

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Two individuals who reportedly attempted to steal from a local store and fled from police are headed to trial. 20-year-old Zachary Winner of Haslett and 17-year-old Torrian Alicea of Lansing were bound over for trial Wednesday. Winner and Alicea are both charged with carrying concealed weapons. Separately, Winner is charged with 2nd degree retail fraud and furnishing contraband to prisoners. Alicea is also charged with possession of alcohol by a minor. Winner and Alicea are among four suspects in the July 15th incident at the Tanger Outlet Center in Howell Township. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department was called by a clothing retailer about four individuals placing high priced items at or near the door. When a deputy pulled up, all four left the store, got into a nearby car and drove off before being pulled over just outside the mall entrance. Two of the suspects, who are black, are alleged to have exited the car and started making racial statements. They then fled across I-96 before eventually being surrounded and taken into custody. The back seat passengers –Winner and Alicea - obeyed commands and stayed in the vehicle, which was searched and found to contain a stolen 9mm semi-automatic handgun, marijuana and alcohol. Sheriff Bob Bezotte says the mother of one of the juveniles accused police of arresting her son because he’s black, although he had just been released from juvenile detention. Bezotte says the incident was never about race but four individuals committing felonies. 19-year-old Kaylyn Williams of Lansing, one of the suspects that fled, has already entered a guilty plea in the case and is scheduled to be sentenced September 15th. The case against the 16-year-old male who was the driver has been petitioned into Livingston County juvenile court but may be transferred to Ingham County. (DK)

Bid To Demolish Brighton House That Is An "Eyesore" ApprovedBid To Demolish Brighton House That Is An "Eyesore" Approved

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The Brighton City Council has approved a bid by a Troy-based company to demolish a house at 1517 Whispering Oaks Drive that has been an eyesore to neighborhood residents. Three bids were submitted and the lowest responsible bid was by Bob Myers Excavating Co. The bid by the next-lowest bidder, PTSI, was $8,400 higher. Mayor Jim Muzzin tells WHMI the work will include much more than just demo’ing the house. The house is located off Oak Ridge, on the city’s south side. Muzzin says although the city could have a builder construct a house on the site once it is cleared, it will more than likely sell the property for someone else to develop as a residential home, since the property is ruled R-1, for single-family housing. The property came into the city’s hands when the previous owner defaulted on his property taxes. Since the bids came in higher than projected, council approved a budget amendment of $12,000, taking the money out of the general fund and putting it in the capital improvements fund. Also at the meeting Thursday, council approved a bid of $36,700 for repair of sidewalks in scattered locations around town. The low bid was submitted by Lacaria Concrete Construction Co. of Detroit. Since the bids were higher than the $30,000 budgeted for the work, council agreed to put another $10,000 into the major street fund to cover the remainder of the cost and any possible overruns. The work will be performed in various locations where sidewalks have been uplifted by tree roots or damaged by normal wear-and-tear. (TT)

K-9 Gryphon To Be Remembered With CeremonyK-9 Gryphon To Be Remembered With Ceremony

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A four-legged hero is being memorialized in a ceremony later this month. K-9 Gryphon will receive a ceremonial interment from the Michigan War Dog Memorial at their cemetery on Saturday, August 27th, at noon. The non-profit organization will honor Gryphon who was a Search & Rescue Trainee. The MWDM has made a goal of expanding knowledge and awareness of K-9’s that serve and protect while continuing restoration and maintenance of the cemetery grounds. War Dogs have been serving our country going back to at least World War I when they were called Ambulance Dogs. In World War II they were trained for scouting, tracking, and sentry roles and have been attributed to saving 15,000 lives in that conflict. Through Korea and Vietnam they were trained to detect ambushes as well as sniff out explosives and booby traps. War Dogs have continued to serve all the way through the conflicts in Iraq and some are still on duty in Afghanistan, today. The Michigan War Dog Memorial and Cemetery can be found at 25805 Milford Road, in South Lyon. Photo- MWDM Facebook page (MK)

Veteran's Treatment Court Graduates Its First Four ParticipantsVeteran's Treatment Court Graduates Its First Four Participants

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Four men were given certificates and graduated a unique program through 53rd District Court in Howell Friday. Judge Carol Sue Reader marked the graduation of the first veterans to complete the county’s Veterans Treatment Court with a special ceremony and speakers. The men have spent most of the last two years in the special program rather than having to spend time in jail. Airforce Veteran Dan Carlton says it is a program that can help anyone who wants it. He says his wife and friends and family who were there for him and were a huge part of his support system. He says everybody who is willing to help, you've got to let them help. Put your pride down and take a chance on success. Carlton says help is out there, you've got to want it and that's just it, you've got to want it; the help is available. You can really accomplish anything you want as long as you try. You've got to try, you've got to want it and take advantage of all the resources when they're there. The program, which includes some rigorous requirements, also includes mentorship, counseling and meetings with probation officers. Reader says it takes time and work, but in the long run is the better option. She says if we treat what brought them to the court, they won't come back and she thinks that's something they need to learn throughout the criminal justice system. Reader says they can't just put people in prison; that's punishment, but it does nothing to keep them from coming back. She says you've got to be able to refer them to the social agencies that are going to deal with those life problems that everyone else seems to be able to handle okay, but that they can't. Reader presides over the court, but says she doesn’t do it alone. The court involves probation officers, treatment centers and representatives from the prosecutor’s office along with veteran mentors, to work with the veterans to help them live productive lives after they get into trouble. Several local officials, including Brigadier General Michael McDaniel, Sheriff Bob Bezotte and Prosecutor Bill Vailliencourt spoke at the event. McDaniel told the men the Veterans Treatment Court is a gift to the community, but for them is what they are due because of their service to the country. The Veterans Treatment Court in Livingston County is one of 23 statewide and opened to the four men in November of 2014. There are currently over 20 participants receiving help. (DS)

MSU Scholarships AwardedMSU Scholarships Awarded

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The Livingston County MSU Alumni Club awarded area high school graduates $1,000 towards their education at Michigan State University last Sunday. Students, family, and other members of the Spartan Nation gathered at the Recognition Picnic to celebrate the students continuing their education in East Lansing this fall. Graduates from Howell, Pinckney, Brighton, Williamston, and Fowlerville were recipients of the prize. The Livingston County MSU Alumni Club is a free-to-join organization that serves alumni and friends of the university that live or work in surrounding area. A list of the scholarship winners can be seen on our website. (MK)

Howell Teen Pleads Guilty to Vehicle Break-insHowell Teen Pleads Guilty to Vehicle Break-ins

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A local woman charged in connection with a series of thefts from vehicles in the Howell and Brighton areas has entered a plea. 17-year-old Kendra Keranen of Howell, who is considered an adult for the purposes of criminal law in the state of Michigan, entered a felony plea which was accepted in 53rd District Court Wednesday. Keranen pleaded guilty as charged to five counts of larceny from a motor vehicle and one count of larceny of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000. Keranen, along with three other young adults from Howell, are all facing the same charges for reportedly stealing from multiple vehicles in Brighton and Oceola Township. Authorities say electronics, cash, purses, wallets, tools, gift cards and sunglasses were taken from vehicles outside residences between July 5th and 8th. The suspects were identified and arrested after a deputy discovered one of the stolen gift cards was used at a local Target store. Keranen was bound over to Circuit Court and will be sentenced September 22nd. She is seeking sentencing under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which would expunge her record if she successfully completes probation. Two of the other suspects, 26-year-old Adrian Ortega and 24-year-old James Juel, have been bound over for trial. Meanwhile a competency evaluation has been ordered for the final suspect, 25-year-old Catherine Barrera.(DK)

Future of HAPRA Facilities In Question After Millage DefeatFuture of HAPRA Facilities In Question After Millage Defeat

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A lack of support for the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority millage has put its new facility plans on hold. HAPRA had sought 0.75-mills (75 hundredths of a mill) for five years in hopes of generating $1.5 million a year for recreational programs, activities and a new facility. The operational and capital millage levy did not receive voter approval at the August primary election. HAPRA Executive Director Paul Rogers says the goal had been to help the authority continue and expand current programs but also maintain and improve existing facilities, which are 40-50 years old. Rogers says HAPRA’s plan of action is to possibly bring the issue back on the 2018 ballot, but that’s all dependent on the authority’s future. Now, HAPRA must go back to its participating municipalities and ask if they want to continue the authority as it has been. The authority currently receives funding from Howell, Marion, Oceola and Genoa Township and the City of Howell. (DK/TT)

Brighton City Council Impressed with Kids' Ideas on Improving DowntownBrighton City Council Impressed with Kids' Ideas on Improving Downtown

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About 50 Explorer Camp children attended a special morning meeting of the Brighton City Council recently to present their thoughts on how to improve the city’s downtown, particularly the Mill Pond area. City Manager Nate Geinzer came up with the idea of asking the group to formulate ideas on how to improve the downtown and present them to council. The youths were accompanied by several adults, including Brighton School Superintendent Greg Gray. The kids shared ideas on how to improve the Mill Pond area, as well as the lack of bicycle racks and recycling bins downtown. One big problem in downtown Brighton is the goose and duck droppings around the Mill Pond. Mayor Jim Muzzin tells WHMI the group suggested the city take a few simple steps to discourage the waterfowl from defecating on the sidewalk and grass next to the pond, such as educating the public about not feeding them items from home such as bread. The kids told council that making coyote cutouts and placing them at strategic locations around the Mill Pond might be a solution to the problem of droppings, since the geese and ducks are afraid of the predators. The kids conducted a survey of residents, business people and city employees before making their presentation. The youths also made coyote cutouts and designed recycling bins. Muzzin says the meeting gave the Explorer Camp kids a good grounding in how City Council meetings are conducted and on how city government works. He says the children, with their good ideas and creativity, just might be the city’s leaders of tomorrow. The Explorer Camp group has also distributed jars in local businesses asking for donations to buy downtown bike racks and recycling bins. The goal is to collect $4,000. (TT)

Pinckney Schools Get Set To Start Cyber Security CurriculumPinckney Schools Get Set To Start Cyber Security Curriculum

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One local school district moves forward with plans to extend its technology curriculum. In June the Pinckney Community School District received a $191,000 grant through Ann Arbor based Merit Network, Inc. Last week the Board of Education heard an update on the programs coming to the district as a result. Technology teacher Cyndi Millns was joined by High School Principal Jim Darga in giving an update on the Cyber Sandbox project. Millns says not only will the addition to the high school curriculum benefit students, but also local business as well. She says they are going to bring people to the center through community events who might be looking for training. She says maybe it's something as simple as how do they make sure their computer at home is safe to advertising to businesses who already have an IT staff that needs additional training. Millns says it's really going to depend on the audience and the marketing will be geared toward the specific audience. So right now our big focus is going to be Livingston/Washtenaw. Millns and Darga told the board that the classrooms and connections will be ready when school starts early next month. She says they are looking for other grants to help fund the project that will give students certifications and options for future employment. Pinckney is the only high school to provide the cyber security training program, which Millns says is also available through Wayne State and Oakland Universities. Millns says the district drew the attention of the Department of Defense last year after students participated in the Cyber Patriot Games. Once the cyber security curriculum is up and running she says there will be events at the school designed to draw in community members and businesses in need of training. Millns says when people started using the internet no one really thought ahead to the need for security, but now there is a great need for people able to fend off cyber-attacks. (DS)

Sidewalk Expansion Project Underway In Genoa TownshipSidewalk Expansion Project Underway In Genoa Township

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A sidewalk and pathway project that’s been ongoing for many years is substantially done and will almost complete everything between the City of Brighton and the City of Howell. Genoa Township is in the midst of a new phase of sidewalk construction along Grand River Avenue between Hacker and Kellogg Roads. This latest phase will add sidewalk but also connect existing walkways along approximately 8,600 feet of Grand River. Supervisor Gary McCririe tells WHMI it’s a fairly ambitious project that the township had been postponing for a while because of the difficulty of construction. He says this section is on the south side of Grand River close to Hacker Road and will cut into a substantial hill. The challenging element is a retaining wall section of walkway between the Lake Edgewood subdivision and Collington Drive – an area that has steep grades and large boulders in the embankment. Although the costs were significant, McCririe says it’s a project that will connect sidewalk to the edge of the township – allowing people to get out and walk or ride their bikes. McCririe says it’s exciting, noting it’s been a long time in coming and the township has committed substantial resources but he thinks it’s a great project. The sidewalk project has been a focus in Genoa Township for many years. McCririe says it originally started with developers and as their site plans came forward, they were putting in sidewalks. However, he says the township has been installing segments since around 2000. The latest phase is expected to be completed sometime in September. (JM)

Two Kids From Fenton Hospitalized After Being Locked Inside CarTwo Kids From Fenton Hospitalized After Being Locked Inside Car

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An incident last week in Fenton in which two small children were hospitalized after being locked in a hot car is being a called an accident, but one with a lesson for the public at large. Fenton Police were called to the Georgetown Park Apartments last Thursday afternoon on the report of a 4-month-old and a 2-year-old being locked inside a car. By the time officers arrived, two brothers who lived in the complex had already smashed open the vehicle’s windows with a hammer after noticing that the baby appeared to be having some sort of seizure. The children were rushed to Hurley Medical Center and admitted overnight, but were expected to make a full recovery. Police say their investigation indicated that the children’s great-grandmother had accidentally locked them inside the car and had approached the brothers for assistance after trying to get them out. They say it was at least half an hour between the time the children were locked inside the vehicle and they were called. It was only while they were on the way to the scene that the windows were finally broken out. Fenton Police Lt. Jason Slater told the Tri-County Times that the lesson of the incident was that in a similar situation; the public should call 911 immediately. He said they could have had an officer on the scene within 5 minutes and the children out of the vehicle soon after. (JK)

Ceremony Will Honor Fallen South Lyon MarineCeremony Will Honor Fallen South Lyon Marine

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A ceremony to honor the memory of a fallen South Lyon Marine is set to take place next week. The Lance Corporal Dominic Ciaramitaro USMC Athletic Complex will be dedicated on Thursday, September 1st at 6:40pm at South Lyon High School. It’s being held by South Lyon VFW Post 1224 and the South Lyon Community Schools in memory of Ciaramitaro, a former South Lyon student, who died in combat in April of 2011 while fighting in Afghanistan. The district has encouraged students and the community at large to honor the “hometown hero” by dressing in red, white and blue for the football game that will follow against the Howell Highlanders. Among those expected to attend are members of Ciaramitaro’s family and Marines who served in his unit from the Third Battalion, 9th Marines. In addition to a military color guard, there will also be a moment of silence and wreath laying. The South Lyon High School Band is also expected to play the National Anthem, Taps, and the Marine Corps hymn during the ceremony. Fundraising also continues for an engraved memorial to Ciaramitaro. You’ll find a link to that below. (JK)

Green Oak Man Proud To Be Member Of "Detroit Mower Gang"Green Oak Man Proud To Be Member Of "Detroit Mower Gang"

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A Green Oak Township man is part of a group of 60 or so men from across Southeast Michigan who regularly show up at former Detroit Public School playgrounds and overgrown city parks to mow the grass, cut the weeds and do any other work that’s necessary. The Detroit Mower Gang, as they call themselves, congregate every two weeks at a chosen location in Detroit to mow the grass, install new chains and seats for the swings and do any other cleanup or restoration work that’s necessary. Jim Coffman, who lives in a century-old house on Silver Lake Road, gets a lot of satisfaction out of doing what he can as an individual to aid a city that is just coming of bankruptcy. More importantly, Coffman says he does it to give the children of Detroit more recreational opportunities. Coffman says after the group does a group of parks and playgrounds, it notifies the city, which comes the following week and picks up the trash left on the curbside. For the special “Detroit Mowdown” event this summer, the group mowed for 12 hours straight, mowing and cleaning up 32 playgrounds. Coffman says after hearing about the work the group does, Sears this year donated $18,000 worth of lawn equipment, including lawn tractors, chain saws and string trimmers. Coffman, an admitted “do-gooder”, is also in three other volunteer groups: It Starts At Home, Craine’s Woods Neighborhood, and the Detroit Development Corp. He says the groups board up abandoned homes, clean up the vacant lots and try to make the neighborhood “safe and secure”. Coffman says the Detroit Mower Gang accepts monetary donations and particularly likes donations of lawn equipment and gas cards. However, he cautions that the group is not a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, so there is no tax break for those who donate. Those who would like to help out can go to the group’s website through the link below and can “like” them on Facebook. The group has also been featured on TV’s “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”. (TT)
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