Supervisor's Weekly E-Letter
October 13, 2004
This Evening: Fire Department Open House
Join the men and women of the GIFD at the station tonight for tours
of the building and equipment, demonstrations, refreshments, as well as
children's activities. The event, which celebrates Fire Safety Week, gets
underway at 6pm and all are welcome.
Congratulations GIPD
The GIPD has continued its successful track record of applying for and
receiving state and federal grants to improve operations of the GIPD.
The department was recently notified that we received at $14,000 grant
for "Youth Alcohol Enforcement" for the coming year. Our thanks
to the GIPD for bringing home some state and federal dollars to improve
our community.
Make Sure You Vote
Absentee ballots are now available for the November Election at Township
Hall. Voters in Precincts 5&6 should note that the voting location
has been moved from St. James Church to Centennial Farm at the Recreation
Building. For voting information, including your specific voting location,
hours, and type of voting equipment see: www.publius.org
Toll Bridge Delays Under Way
The EPA is now delaying traffic at the toll bridge while barges are pulled
up and down the river relating to environmental clean-up work on the "Black
Lagoon." Work is expected to continue into early December. We are
told by federal and state officials that TOLL BRIDGE DELAYS are scheduled
Monday thru Saturdays, (6 days per week), two times per day at 6:-6:30
A.M. and 7:-7:30 P.M.
Yankee Air Force Museum
http://www.yankeeairmuseum.org/
http://www.freep.com/news/mich/yankeeair13e_20041013.htm
http://www.thenewsherald.com/stories/101304/loc_20041013002.shtml
http://www.thenewsherald.com/stories/101304/opi_20041013008.shtml
Serve Our Community
You can get involved right away in one of the following boards or commissions
which currently have vacancies:
Festival Commission
Planning Commission
Board of Review
Public Works Commission
Zoning Board of Appeals
Construction Board of Appeals
Waters Edge Commission
Elected Officials Compensation Commission
Fill out an application at Township Hall today!
The Email Bag
Good luck in the future. I am sure you will not miss the bridge
questions & accusations. Here is my take. I have taken the toll bridge
to and from my office every day this week. (As I normally do.) I too paid
a toll to leave the Island between 0600 - 0700 Monday morning. On returning
to GI at 5:30 PM, after a ten minute wait on Jefferson, I informed the
attendant that I paid going off island that morning. The attendant indicated
that I would only have to pay one token & apologized for the delay.
(Friendly & courteous). My longest wait to come home has been 15 minutes.
My shortest delay was 2 minutes. The two toll booths & the Riverview
police have eased what could have been a very lengthy inconvenience. Our
communications with WCRC and others have been invaluable. The situation
is not perfect and many are inconvenienced but construction problems are
the norm. We all need to be patient and flexible. The roads & bridges
in Wayne County and beyond will always need work.Thanks again for trying
to explain the situation to all.
Island Resident
Hi Doug: I work a typical schedule usually start work at 8:00-8:30am
and return around 6:00- 6:30 or so each evening. Seems like I would be
crossing the bridge at the worst possible time. That said, I believe the
county bridge closure and subsequent use of the toll bridge has gone quite
well. Maybe an extra 8 minutes either way. I have no idea what everybody
is whining about. As far as the bridge company, they are not the Red Cross,
they are in business to make money
Island Resident
Hi Doug, Not sure how you choose items to publicize in your email
bag, but here are my thoughts. Thanks for all your hard work. I would
just like to say that last week I thought the bridge closing was handled
appropriately. While I understand from reading the email bag that many
people are disgruntled about being slightly inconvenienced I didn't mind
having to pay the additional $21 plus dollars I spent at the Toll Bridge,
nor did I ever wait more than 20 minutes, which on occasion I have to
do at the County bridge when it opens during rush hour anyway. These are
delays and inconveniences we CHOOSE to live with for the luxury of living
on such a nice Island. I think people need to stop being so whiny, so
there was some confusion Monday about what time the actual county bridge
closed and what time the Bridge was suppose to change fares, but come
on people - you are complaining about $1.50. If you don't like it - MOVE
OFF GROSSE ILE. When I left the island Monday I took the County Bridge
because I read all the posted notices that it would be open until 9am.
When I came home there were 3 Riverview Police directing traffic on Jefferson
and yes, I paid the $3 toll even though I only used the bridge one way.
I'm sure we all hope that this won't have to happen very often, but I
thought it was handled in a decent manner. Additionally, I think residents
need to realize that the toll bridge is a business - it does not HAVE
to help the township or Wayne County in this situation. Residents need
to direct their anger to Wayne County for not foreseeing the problems
with the Free bridge and making a significant plan of action over the
last few decades. Wayne County should have been planning on building an
additional County Bridge a long time ago. We should THANK the toll bridge
for having the foresight when they did years and years ago to build a
bridge to Grosse Ile. Otherwise we may all have been using ferry service
last week.
"South end" Resident
Good evening, Doug, Thank you for this newsletter. I just wanted to
send a note of support for the Toll Bridge and the Township's handling
of the closing of the County bridge last week. The people who write negatively
about their experiences and the bridge workers and owners apparently are
not using the Toll bridge that I used every day last week at least once.
I left between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m. every morning and returned between 5:30
and 10:30 each evening. Every day I noticed police officers both on the
Ile and main land--think they may not have been there Thursday evening,
but not necessary. The lights were operating--albeit flashing on Monday.
People alternated as usual. The attendants were efficient and friendly
every day. I paid as I exited on Monday. When I returned in the evening,
the attendant asked if I had paid in the a.m ; I answered "Yes;"
and I paid one token. I was held up unnecessarily only once and that was
with two lanes exiting the Ile and a person in one lane appeared to have
a problem paying. On Friday I left the Island and the state for the weekend.
When I returned on Sunday evening, we were not charged to return to the
Island as the County bridge was opened. My thanks for the early notices
that the County bridge would be closed for repairs and for you patience
in listening to the distorted and unreasonable rantings of three to six
people about the bridges. We live on an island. I keep a book in my car
in case of delays when one or the other bridges is closed. Didn't have
a chance to read a word last week. When I have to wait, I read or listen
to good music or radio discussions. Can't waste my time being upset about
a delay. I use the time to think about work and life and enjoy the trees
and the river.
Island Resident
Dear Doug, Over the past weeks and months I have read letters about the
free bridge closing and etc. I also read the letters in the news and on
line that put the Toll Bridge in a favorable light, as a business going
out of its way to help the community by accelerating the construction
of toll booths, what a fine corporation, get off their back and etc. Those
letters actually began to 'make me look'. But one thing, and one thing
only, by deeds, has convinced me that it is all horse puckey. And that
is the Bridge Company itself. I judge people by what they do, not by what
they say (or by what others say about them). For the Bridge to start charging
double tokens to return on the island last Monday afternoon said everything
that needs to be said about motivation. They probably made that day what
they normally make in a week. It was a calculated move. Carrying that
information to its logical end, this next Monday morning, when the free
bridge has been reopened, everyone should still be allowed that one last
trip off the island without paying. I now say good luck to the efforts
at eminent domain. Thank you for giving us a place to air our grudges.
G.I. resident / conscientious non patron of G.I. Bridge Co.
The GI Police have done an excellent job this past week when the County
bridge was closed. The only hold ups I had at the bridge were some of
the passenger cars not having the right change and thus holding up others
in line. I believe the whole plan was worked out as well as it could possibly
be expected. It was painless, and I crossed the bridge daily at all different
times having no problems. I thank the township, the police, the bridge
company and all involved in making this work as well as it did.
Bournemouth Resident
Doug: I would just like to take a few moments to thank everyone that was
involved with making this last weeks bridge crossings a real class event.
Grosse Ile and Riverview Police did an excellent job as well as the personal
in the booths. This is always a big undertaking and moving all the residents
on and off the Island is no small task. I personally only had to wait
an extended time once, and that was no big deal, and to those you know
who you are the ones who complain or the ones in there big expensive cars
with their white dogs hanging out of the window that tried to take cuts
in line thinking they are more important than all the rest of the residents.
To them I wish they have a frustrating life with long lines. The cost
of this event was no big thing to worry about as we still live in a very
beautiful community and that is a small price to pay for the wonderful
area we live in. Life is to short and there are more important issues
to be concern about. So to all the complainers get a life and enjoy this
community.
Rucker Road
Doug, I'm sure that everyone's experiences this past week were different,
but except for the slight snafu caused by the county's earlier closure
of the bridge on the Monday the 4th, I have to say, that the week long
closing of the county bridge was pretty much pain free. I'd like to personally
thank both the Grosse Ile Police Department and the Riverview Police Department
for their efforts in keeping the traffic moving. I'd also like to thank
the Bridge company for their efforts as well. I included the Bridge Company
in the email I sent last Monday concerning the experience I had paying
to cross and then paying double to come back home. They were very responsive
and said that I would be able to recover my extra payment when the county
bridge opened, which was exactly what happened yesterday, when I left
the island via the pay bridge, free of charge, and returned later that
evening via the county bridge. Despite the extra traffic and I'm sure
a lot of disgruntled customers, I found the toll both attendants to be
very polite. I'd like to give a special thanks to you and Kurt, for all
your efforts in coordinating with the County, the Bridge Company and the
Township and for your quick responses to my inquiries. I hope the future
closures will be as well organized.
Canterbury Resident
Hi Doug I do not normally use the toll bridge because I live on
the south end of the island. With all the buzz about the inconveniences
we would be forced to endure I expected long delays, impatient and inconsiderate
drivers, and myriad other unpleasantries. Although I am not a subscriber
to the Ile Camera I bought one the Friday before the scheduled bridge
closing on Monday knowing that pertinent information would be available
for me there. I found exactly what I was looking for in it's entirety;
when the bridge would close, the fact that the county bridge would be
passable until 9:00 a.m. on Monday, info regarding the system that would
be used (cross off the island w/o paying---cross onto the island, two
tokens) how the booths were set up etc. I have crossed many times through
the duration of the county bridge shutdown and did not experience any
of the difficulties I anticipated. I commend the bridge staff for their
pleasant and polite conduct and to all other drivers I encountered enroute.
Rucker Rd. Resident.
Perhaps this is a minority view, but I experienced virtually no inconvenience
crossing the toll bridge this week. The use of traffic lights, police
assistance, and the changes made to collect tolls worked beautifully.
My daily commute time varied little from what I normally experience with
the exception of Monday. I waited only an extra 10 minutes longer for
each bridge crossing that day. Congratulations to all involved for bringing
excellent planning to fruition and thank you!
Island Resident
This Week in Island History
Oct. 19, 1912 – The Livingstone Channel opened
for navigation. Cost of project - $7,000,000.
Oct. 22, 1878 – Louis Groh signed the release of
property through his land to the Township for use as a highway. He received
a consideration of $1. (This became Groh Road.)
Compiled by Clare Koester, GI Historical Society
Quote of the Week
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished
by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Dale Carnegie
http://www.inspirationpeak.com/
Have a question or comment for the Supervisor?
Email: douglasj@grosseile.com
Please discontinue using any other of my previous email addresses, as
they are being turned off in an effort to avoid spam.
Resources available at Grosse Ile On-Line include:
Past weekly updates: http://www.grosseile.com/government/supervisor/eletters.html
Searchable township code, zoning ordinance & master plan: http://www.grosseile.com/government/index.html
This week on GI-TV: http://www.grosseile.com/government/cable/gitv.html
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