Manchester Mirror’s Top Ten for ’21
It’s that time of year, when everyone takes stock of the past 12 months and looks ahead to what’s next. New Year’s Resolutions and “Top 10” lists are everywhere, and the Manchester Mirror is no exception. We have taken a look back at 2021 — the good and the bad — and determined what stories were most important to our editors and the readers we serve. This list was taken in part from the most-read stories of 2021 and in part from a consensus of our editors and publisher. We hope you will enjoy this look back at 2021 in Manchester, Michigan.
10. Watkins Lake Trail will eventually connect the Village of Manchester to the Watkins Lake State Park, thanks to a grant sponsored by Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission. In early December, Manchester Township received a $370,000 Connecting Communities Grant, which will be used towards completing the final engineering and bid package and then constructing the first segment of the non-motorized trail through the township. The first segment will extend from Carr Park to Grossman Road and will run along the south side of Austin Road in the road right of way. This summer and fall, progress was completed on the portion of the trail from Austin Road just west of the stamping plant, across Sharon Hollow, and extending to Noggles Road. Construction of further segments will continue in 2022. https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/12/13/manchester-township-receives-grant-to-continue-watkins-lake-trail/
9. A “Passport to Manchester” allowed locals and those from outside the community to participate in a bit of history, a bit of art, and a lot of music for the first time in 2021. From June 12 to September 25, the bi-weekly events took place from 10 am to 2 pm in and around the Manchester area at various historic and cultural sites in the community, in keeping with the missions of the sponsoring organizations, The Manchester Area Historical Society and Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization. Farming, blacksmithing, water power, the Underground Railroad, historic tours, and more were featured throughout the summer. https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/04/26/riverfolk-and-mahs-plan-joint-summer-events-with-passport-to-manchester/
8. A tragic accident claimed the lives of two Clinton High School students, and injured two more, in late September. Despite a long-standing football rivalry, the Clinton and Manchester communities are very intertwined, with businesses, schools, services, and friendships among students bridging both sides of the Washtenaw-Lenawee County lines. That connection was personified by Samuel Kyle Simkiss, 17, of Manchester, who was one of the victims who perished at the accident scene. Sam was the son of Jeffrey and Melissa Simkiss. His grandparents were Richard and Linda Simkiss of Napoleon (formerly of Manchester) and Ted and Kay Miller of Manchester. He worked on the Vershum farm in Bridgewater Township during the summer months. Both communities gathered to mourn the lives of Sam and his classmate Cobey Pouliot, 17; and to support the families of Zachary Hodges and Kyle Wenk, who were both seriously injured. https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/09/27/accident-claims-lives-of-two-clinton-students-one-from-manchester/
7. After a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Manchester’s annual Fourth of July fireworks returned this summer. After initially being cancelled, the lifting of masking, curfew, and crowd and capacity limitations on July 1 allowed the show to go on. The Manchester Men’s Club thanked the community for their support of this annual event, which was deeply missed by the community in 2020. “We are very happy that we don’t have to cancel for a second year,” said club president Andy Mahony. To make a donation to the 2022 fireworks, click here, or send a donation by mail to the Manchester Men’s Club, PO Box 171, Manchester MI 48158. The club does not have any corporate sponsors for this event; the fireworks are, as always, funded 100% by donations received ahead of time or at the gate. https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/05/24/the-fireworks-are-back-for-this-july-3/
6. Freedom Township now has an emergency siren, funded by Consumers Energy and administered by Washtenaw County Emergency Management Services. The siren, only the second one in the southwest quadrant of Washtenaw County, will alert neighbors to all types of public safety situations that could poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or the environment. A summer open house and facilities tour at the Freedom Compressor Plant helped introduce the community to the activities at the plant and served as a public relations event for Consumers Energy, to those who live in the area and had expressed concerns about the activities and potential dangers of the facility. https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/08/09/consumers-energy-holds-open-house-tour-at-freedom-compressor-plant/
5. Broadband Funding is coming to rural Washtenaw County! In late August, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a historic resolution pledging up to $30.5 million dollars for community investments through the Ways and Means Committee. This proposed package leverages $24 million of the $71 million coming to the county through the American Rescue Plan Act. One of the programs it will fund is bringing high speed internet access to all parts of the county — including Manchester! “We are one step closer to bringing about important structural change in our county,” said Justin Hodge, Commissioner for District 5 and Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. “With this resolution, we have a unique chance to help build a more equitable community, so that no matter where you live, you have the access to the opportunity you need to be able to thrive.” https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/09/06/funding-pledged-to-bring-broadband-access-to-every-home-in-washtenaw-county/
4. Lead in tap water caused a stir around the Village of Manchester as well as many other communities across the state. Households with lead service lines running to their homes were notified by the Village when they began the replacement process in 2020, but if you have an older home and don’t know whether you have a lead service line, please call the Village office at (734) 428-7877. Since 2020, Manchester has been upgrading known service lines leading from the water mains to homes with lead service lines, and currently is well ahead of schedule. State and federal regulations have mandated that a minimum of 5% of lead service lines need to be replaced per year; the village has replaced 10 lines in 2021. It is important to know that the water quality provided by the village water system has historically been, and remains, very good! There is no lead in the village water supply itself.
https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/10/25/lead-in-village-tap-water-cause-for-concern-but-not-panic/
3. The New Manchester Market held its grand opening on October 16. After many, many responses of “soon” to the “When do we open?” question, the answer, on September 20, was finally NOW! The market includes the unique Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café, Iorio Gelato, Grand River Bakery, Grand River Butchery, and the Super Perky Pantry which is a full service grocery store. Behind the scenes, their production is not just for the Manchester Market but for many restaurants, including the Grand River Brewery and Veritas restaurants in Jackson, and Doll n’ Burgers in Tecumseh and Jackson. https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/09/20/new-manchester-market-opens-today/
2. Staff members consider Manchester High School a “hostile work environment”. A disturbing letter addressed to the school administration and school board and signed by 21 teachers and staff members was presented in October along with a union grievance filed by teachers in response to increasingly difficult working conditions at the Junior/Senior High School. Disruptive and defiant students, threats from parents, and rampant destruction of school property are just some of the factors listed by staff members as making Manchester High School a hostile working environment for them and a hostile learning environment for the students. The letter laid responsibility for the situation with the district, including the school board, and states that the staff members who signed the letter were making a formal complaint against MCS including the Board of Education, for allowing the hostile environment. It stated, “We do not take the filing of this complaint lightly. This was a difficult decision for all of us but safety (issues) and the overall working conditions have become unbearable.” https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/10/11/twenty-one-staff-members-assert-manchester-high-school-has-become-a-hostile-work-environment/
1. The Manchester Chicken Broil is facing a new era. Times are changing, and “the ladies” no longer need an excuse to have a Thursday evening out of the kitchen. So, while you’ll still receive the famous half of a chicken, slowly roasted over charcoal on grids, basted in butter, and served accompanied by secret recipe coleslaw, radishes, bread and butter, and a bag of chips, in 2021 and in the years to come, you’ll get it on … the Third Saturday in July. In addition, the broil saw a modest price increase this year, to $11 for pre-sale and $12 on the day of the broil. That is expedited by a new online ticket sales process that will now accept credit cards for the first time ever. But a bigger change that will be seen in years to come will be a transition in leadership. Michael Tindall, who has served at the helm for 17 years, stepped down as chairman following the July 17, 2021 Broil. “I believe the Broil has moved beyond my leadership,” Tindall said. “They need to take new directions to be successful.” Jeff Mann and Gary Bross will co-chair the Chicken Broil for 2022. https://themanchestermirror.com/2021/03/22/changes-ahead-for-the-chicken-broil/
And what will 2022 hold for us all? We’ll remind you next January!
You must be logged in to post a comment Login