MESSENGER S A L E M T O W N S H I P, M I C H I G A N

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1 MESSENGER S A L E M T O W N S H I P, M I C H I G A N Volume 21 Issue 1 W I N T E R Thank You Salem Township Let me first say Thank You! for electing the New Beginning Team into office this past November. We have welcomed a new year and also a new beginning here in Salem Township. I can tell you from personal experience that this board is committed to serving our township with integrity and that they consider it an honor to serve you. S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T : Historical Society Auction Library Events Treasurer s Report Fire Dept. Update Land Preservation As we face the challenges of 2013 and beyond, this board will do its very best to communicate openly and honestly with you. Please feel free to contact me or any of the part-time board members using our township addresses. If you have a pressing matter that is outside of office hours, you may call my mobile number at I look forward to working with you for the good of Salem Township. Best regards, Gary Whittaker ~ Township Supervisor Salem Community Events Second Deputy Added to Township Salem Township would like to extend a warm welcome to Deputy Matthew Risha. According to Sergeant P. Cook, Deputy Risha will be working varying shifts to increase patrols and provide added presence particularly when Deputy Gorney is off duty. Welcome aboard, Deputy Risha! Contact Info for Washtenaw County Sheriff s Office Address: 2201 Hogback Road, Ann Arbor, MI, Phone: FAX: sheriff@co.washtenaw.mi.us

2 W I N T E R P A G E 2 Treasurer s Update From the Desk of Dale Converse I personally want to express my gratitude for the warm reception I have received since taking office. My anticipation of what it would be like to be a public servant was quickly realized upon being sworn in. The best part of the position is being able to interact with the Township residents and answering the many questions that I have received. I appreciated everyone s patience and understanding while I had to conduct sometimes lengthy research in order to answer your questions or concerns. The first deadline that was required of the Treasurer s office was to send out the Winter Tax Bills. We were fortunate to have a very capable consultant, great support from the County Treasurers Office and the software company. It was both challenging and rewarding for Janice Radatz, our new Deputy Treasurer, and myself to have met the December 1 deadline. Most of our time since then has been spent on issues that results of collection and distribution of the taxes. Lately, I now have more time to concentrate on the Township s investments. Many of the existing bonds have been called and I am working with our brokers to find new investments that: 1) meet the Public Act 20 requirements, 2) Highly rated, 3) highest rate of return with a short term commitment. Given the uncertainty of the bond market today, we do not feel it prudent to commit monies for an extended period of time at such low rates. Need a Tax Deferment? Residents that find it necessary to apply for a 2013 Summer and Winter Tax Deferment must complete the Application which is available in the Township office prior to March 1, A deferment defers the due date without penalty or interest. The requirement for applying for a deferment is: *Gross income cannot exceed $40,000 and *62 years of age or older, including the unmarried surviving spouse of a person who was 62 years of age or older at the time of death *Paraplegic or Quadriplegic *Eligible Serviceperson, Eligible Veteran, Eligible Widow or Widower *Blind *Totally and Permanently Disabled

3 Treasurer s Report, Salem Township P A G E 3

4 P A G E 4 New P.O. Box Address Salem Township has relocated its post office box back to Salem. Please send your correspondence to this address: P.O. Box Salem, MI Planning Commission The Board of Trustees appointed Mr. Bart Cann, Mr. Darryle Levandowski and TJ McLaughlin to the Planning Commission on December 11th, Mrs. McLaughlin serves as the Board Liaison. A special thank you to those who served their terms previously! Planning Commission meetings are every 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Township Hall. For published meeting notes, go to client=salemtwpmi M E S S E N G E R

5 Salem Township Fire Department P A G E 5 From Fire Chief Jim Rachwal Please help the fire department help you! On some of our fire and rescue responses within the township, we have a hard time reading the house address. You can help us by installing a Green Address sign. Small address numbers or missing numbers delay our responses. Remember, some of our roads have speed limits over 50 mph which make small address signs especially difficult to read at night or under poor weather conditions such as rain and fog. Another issue we encounter is driveways that do not have the trees and/or bushes trimmed back away from the road. Driveways that offer easy access to a car may not allow ambulances or fire apparatus to enter. We suggest a minimum of 15 feet across the driveway and 15 feet above the driveway be cleared of all obstructions to allow us to quickly get to your house. Please feel free to contact your fire department if you have any questions at , extension 2. Fire Activity Report Dec Response Activity Summary: 35 Accident (Motor Vehicle): 15 Public Service Request: 1 Accident (Pin In): 2 Grass/Brush/Forest Fire: 2 Medical: 12 Structure Fire (Assist): 2 Wires Arcing or Down: 1 Response Times Average Call Handling Time: 17 seconds (Answered to shipped to dispatch) Average Response Time: 5:32 (Dispatched to On Scene) Fire activity data provided by Huron Valley Ambulance Communications Fire Activity Report Nov Response Activity Summary: 26 Accident (Motor Vehicle): 3 Medical: 16 Accident (Pin In): 1 Public Service Request: 1 Any Vehicle Fire: 3 Structure Fire (Assist): 1 Commercial Fire Alarm: 1 Response Times Average Call Handling Time: 22 seconds (Answered to shipped to dispatch) Average Response Time: 7:18 (Dispatched to On Scene)

6 P A G E 6 C E L E B R A T E A M E R I C A! Salem Community Events 2013 FLAG DAY - MARK YOUR CALENDAR SATURDAY, JUNE 8th Salem Community Events meets the third Saturday of each month at 11:00 AM in the Township Hall, come join us. We are looking for volunteers. Next meeting is February 16th. From the Clerk s Office As the newly elected township clerk, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the residents of our community who have made Salem Township such a great place to live! As I get up-to-speed on the duties and responsibilities of the clerk, I want to encourage all the residents to participate in your local government. I encourage you to visit the township hall for a quick tour of our facilities, join us for the monthly Board of Trustees meetings or just review our website for meeting times, agendas, minutes and other important information regarding our township. One of the many responsibilities of the Clerk is to keep & protect the records, books and documents of the township; that includes agreements, contracts, legal documents, financial & budget records, voter registrations, ordinances, resolutions, and minutes of all Board of Trustee meetings. As Clerk, please feel free to call me, set an appointment or just stop by the township and my Deputy Clerk, Kim Taggert or I will assist you with your specific issue or concern. Over the years, I look forward to meeting as many residents as possible. As a reminder, the Salem Township Board of Trustees meet on a monthly basis, usually the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. The meetings are held in the Township Hall and parking is available either at the Township Hall or across the street. The meetings are well organized with a set agenda that can be viewed beforehand on the Salem Township Website, Del Wensley M E S S E N G E R

7 W I N T E R P A G E 7 Land Preservation and Conservation Board Article submitted by Susan Bejin Greetings Salem residents, The Salem Township Land Preservation and Conservation Board is pleased to report the completion of the township land preservation program s first project. In December, Salem contributed $64,200 (20% of the total) toward the purchase of development rights on 73 acres on Brookville Road east of Pontiac Trail owned by Daniel and Amy Hornback. The conservation easement was purchased by the City of Ann Arbor Greenbelt Program which has the ongoing responsibility to ensure the property is never developed. The property is a mix of mature woods, wetlands, farm fields, young woods and conifers with two first-order streams crossing it. The Washtenaw County Parks Natural Area Preservation Program also contributed 20% of the purchase price. The Hornbacks donated 10% of the appraised value. The property remains in private ownership, other than occasional public organized tours. It is not open to for public use but will remain in its natural and agricultural state forever. As we begin the New Year we look forward to making a public presentation to the New Board of Trustees to acquaint them with the work of the Land Preservation and Conservation Board. We look forward to working with them to preserve land. There are several land preservation projects already in progress in need of the Board of Trustees support. Thank you for all of your positive interest in participating in the Land Preservation Program. If you are interested in preserving some of your land, and want information, please contact Susan Bejin through the township office. Applications are available on the Township webpage under Land Preservation and Conservation Board. We the people of Salem have so much work to do to protect and preserve what we have for ourselves and future generations. As always your participation is encouraged and you are welcome at our Preservation meetings! Land Preservation and Conservation Board Meetings: Third Wednesday of Month 7:00pm Land is an endowment of a nation. How we leave the land today impacts how generations live tomorrow. Land Preservation and Conservation Board: Susan Bejin, Karl Gierman, Sandy Petroskey, Steve Shafer, Maribeth Schmidt (Board Liaison)

8 A U C T I O N P A G E 8 T I C K E T S Salem Area Historical Society Event Salem Area Historical Society will be hosting its Annual Dinner / Auction on Saturday, Feb. 9th, stating at 6 PM in The Golden Fox Banquet Center at Fox Hills. It will include an enhanced two-meat buffet. There will be both a Silent Auction and a Live Auction. Auction items will include tickets to area attractions, national attractions, sports memorabilia, historical items and restaurant gift certificates. All Proceeds go to support SAHS. SAHS mission is to preserve the past for the future. We have restored a one-room schoolhouse in Salem Township and the oldest barn in Washtenaw County. Address: Salem_Area_HS@yahoo.com Tickets can be purchased via mail using the form below or by calling Terry TICKET PRICING $30 SAHS Members $35 non-sahs Members SAHS Annual Dinner/Auction Ticket Order Form Saturday, February 9th, 2013 at Fox Hills Banquet Center Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: # of $35 each = # of $30 each = Make check payable to: Salem Area Historical Society Mail to: SAHS, P. O. Box 75011, Salem, MI M E S S E N G E R

9 P A G E 9 Salem Area Historical Society News The Salem Area Historical Society 2012 Events concluded on December 2nd with its Annual Membership Christmas Party. This event attended by twenty-nine members was the perfect social event to close out a very successful 2012 year for SAHS. The SAHS honoree for 2012 was Meroë Allen Kaericher. On Thursday, January 10th, a Public Hearing on the Jarvis Stone School Local Historic District Ordinance was held in the Jarvis Stone School. Those in attendance were informed about the process that is being followed and were given a presentation on the Study Committee Report that supports the creation of this Local Historic District. Salem Area Historical Society annual Memberships expire on March 31st. If you are not a member or you want to renew your membership, please send in your membership dues. Forms are available on the Membership - SAHS page of the Salem Area Historical Society s web site Salem Area Historical Society s 2013 Annual Dinner and Auction on Saturday, February 9th at 6 PM at Fox Hills Golden Fox Club House. See Page 8 for registration form and event details. March 2013 Event: Attend and vote at the annual Election and Potluck Dinner of the SAHS on Wednesday, March 27th at 6 PM at the Salem Township Hall. This meeting is SAHS's annual Potluck Dinner followed by the annual election and concluding with a presentation. All members are encouraged to attend. Memberships will be accepted at the event. Please bring a dish to pass, your own plates and flatware and your drink. Coffee and tea will be available. After the election, Bob Olender will be presenting the events surrounding Salem Township's refusal to subsidize the Detroit and Howell rail line in 1870 and the fallout from the court's decision supporting Salem's position. This decision helped change the nature of government around the country. Bob will talk about the events in the context of Michigan residents' changing expectations of government and private industry. The SAHS hopes that we can capture your interest in our goal of preserving the past for the future and to see you at our events. More information can be found at the Salem Area Historical Society s Website ( or via an request to Salem_Area_HS@yahoo.com. You can become a member or renew your membership for 2013 at any of our events or via our website. M E S S E N G E R

10 Salem-South Lyon District Library P A G E 10 LOCATED AT: 9800 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon, MI, Phone: Fax: Upcoming Events HOURS: Monday thru Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 pm. Friday and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 2/4 Angry Birds Valentines 2/8 Microsoft Excel Basics 2/9 Underground Railroad in MI 2/11 1st Grade Book Club 2/16 Saturday Cinema 2/21 Preschool Story time 2/22 Baby Bounce Two-rriffic Story time From cooking classes to story time, the library is a great resource for getting help with taxes and even learning a new language! There is something for everybody and for every age group at 8 Mile and Pontiac Trail. Google Drive Basics 2/23 U of M Children s Cooking Class 2/28 Page Turners Book Club 3/23 U of M Discovery Day 3/28 Page Turners Book Club Go on-line and check out their full list of offerings and services:

11 Remembering Washington and Lincoln P A G E 11 Every February we have President s Day sales at the mall, mattress stores, and furniture retailers. It seems appropriate to take a moment and consider why these two men are worthy of our respect. Here are but a few examples of how they viewed the world. George Washington, born on February 22, 1732 It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it. ~George Washington "Honesty will be found on every experiment, to be the best and only true policy; let us then as a Nation be just." ~ Circular Letter to the States, June 14, 1783 ~ George Washington Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12, 1809 I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong. ~ Abraham Lincoln

12 S a l e m To w n s h i p S i x M i l e R o a d P. O. B ox S a l e m, M I Please leave with current address Presort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Walled Lake, MI Permit 88 Salem Township Board of Trustees Supervisor, Gary Whittaker gary@salem-mi.org Clerk, Del Wensley dwensley@salem-mi.org Treasurer, Dale Converse dconverse@salem-mi.org Trustee, John Daniel john@salem-mi.org Trustee, TJ McLaughlin tj@salem-mi.org Trustee, Maribeth Schmidt maribeth@salem-mi.org Trustee, David Trent david@salem-mi.org Office Hours Phone: :00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Fax: Monday - Friday Emergency call 911 Non-emergency call Township Contact Info Fire Chief, Jim Rachwal firechief@salem-mi.org Deputy Treasurer, Janice Radatz jradatz@salem-mi.org Deputy Clerk, Kim Taggart deputyclerk@salem-mi.org Building & Zoning, Donna Krips Phone: , ext 3 donnak@salem-mi.org Township Assessor, Amy Thornton Phone: