Official election results from August 4 Primary
Washtenaw County has posted its official election results from the primary held on Aug. 4. Figures were not finalized until after last week’s publication. The four local townships, as reported in our August 5, 2020 print edition, had excellent voter turnout overall. Bridgewater had 37.88% turnout; Freedom Township, with a road millage on the ballot […]
School Board discusses and approves preparedness and response plan
by Claire Pajka The Manchester Community School Board met briefly on Google Meet at 6 pm on Monday, August 10 with all members of the board present, and 25 members of the public in virtual attendance. The bulk of the meeting was spent with new Superintendent Brad Bezeau explaining the Manchester Preparedness and Response Plan. […]
Michigan businesses want cut of millions from uncollected pop returnables
by Kelly House (Bridge) As Michiganders continue to liquidate stockpiles of returnable bottles and cans amassed during the coronavirus shutdown, beverage industry officials are pushing for a cut of the deposits. At a press event Wednesday, they advocated for legislation that would give beverage distributors a portion of the multimillion-dollar pool of uncollected returns that now goes […]
Study: Wage gap widens between Black, white workers, especially in Michigan
by Paula Gardner (Bridge) Ricky Jefferson has watched the erosion of the Black middle class in the Ypsilanti area over decades. Today, as a Washtenaw County commissioner, he’s part of the mission to restore economic parity to the part of the county that didn’t thrive during the recovery from the Great Recession. Higher poverty rates, […]
New owners, new life for Manchester Market building
Since February 2019, the former Manchester Market building has sat empty and alone on West Main Street. Speculation about the possibility of a new grocery store coming to town has arisen periodically; but hopes have been dashed numerous times. After 18 months, on August 4, the uncertainty ended. A roll-off dumpster suddenly appeared. Vehicles were […]
Obituary: Patricia Smith
Patricia Ann Smith, age 85 of Clinton, died Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at St Joseph Mercy Chelsea Hospital. She was born March 13, 1935 in Detroit, the daughter of the late Dewey Lee and Hazel (Wilson) Bowns. On April 6, 1957 she married Hurst Smith, Jr and he preceded her in death on January 7, […]
Donating hair to help kids: Like mother, like daughter
It feels good to do something for others during these difficult times. A Bridgewater Township mother and daughter found a way to help children with hair loss, by donating their own hair to the cause. Mother-daughter duo Sara and Eden Weidmayer both recently donated their hair to Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan. “We chose […]
From Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café: More than just local produce
This letter is written to the community on behalf of the Acorn Farmers Market & Café, by Meghan Berry, the Acorn Market Manager. It is part of a series of articles submitted by the Acorn Board of Directors, to promote the Patronicity drive supporting the new market in Manchester. As of Monday morning, the drive […]
Sharon Township board discusses online tax payments, election results
by Claire Pajka The brief Sharon Township Board meeting was held on Thursday August 6, with six members of the public, and four members of the board in attendance. Clerk Kimberley Potocki was absent. After the June 23 meeting minutes were approved, Peter Psarouthakis gave the Supervisor’s Report, and stated that the only incident on […]
What’s in the River?
by Claire Pajka (This is part one of a three-part article series on pollution in the River Raisin.) Once a productive waterway full of sturgeon, the River Raisin took a miserable turn with decades of neglect and unregulated industrial and agricultural practices, to the point where a few miles of the Raisin claimed a spot […]
