Week in Review: Senior Prom

“We have a new event coming up in July, which is Oktoberfest”

Week in Review

County Commissioners, Tuesday, April 22

Last week we covered the this meeting’s LifeWays discussion.

Reading Emergency Unit Update

Several weeks ago, Hudson Area Ambulance terminated its mutual aid contract with the Reading Emergency Unit on the grounds that the REU provided less mutual aid than HAA.

• Ingles: “Have there been any gaps in service. . . Is the community still receiving the full coverage, both ways from Hudson and REU?”

  • Reading Emergency Unit Director Lyn LaCourse: “While [Hudson Area Ambulance] chose to cancel their mutual aid agreement with us. . . they have said the choice to cancel the mutual aid agreement was so they could bill us for the calls that they are covering in our area. They are however still maintaining services. . . Likewise, we have never failed to go when we’re available to go to calls in their area.”

HAA is reportedly working on a revised mutual aid agreement.

Senior Center Report

Senior Services Center Director, Maggi Monroe delivered a general Senior Center update. Programs include:

• “low-intensity cardio drumming”;¹

• “cooking for one classes”;

• a lecture from Dr. Heather Green “on women’s pelvic health”;

• “our foot clinic”;²

• “senior prom”;³

• “a new event coming up in July, which is Oktoberfest”;

• “Michigan nonprofit association day every year”;

• “a diverse and inclusive environment.”

Hillsdale County Park Commission

Park Commission Chair Mike Wertz delivered a lengthy presentation, lamenting the lack of funding for County parks, particularly Lewis Emery Park.

• Wertz: “We’re about $6,000 short, and that’s why we’re here. . . It may take decades to bring [Lewis Emery Park] back to what it used to be.”

• Park Commissioner Gary Leininger, father of County Commissioner Bert Leininger: “We need adequate funding for the park. . . We all know the cost to do business. . . is a whole lot higher today than it was in 1990.”

  • “A lot of farms have been sold off to big landholders who’ve cleared the ground. A lot of the old houses are gone. A lot of people who own farmland and woodland posted ‘No Trespassing.’ So parks today are vital to a lot of people—a lot more than they were 50 or 70 years ago.”

• Unnamed Park Commissioner: “What we’re asking for is pennies of what you guys have to handle. . . to help us maintain the parks, which belong to you guys.”

• Commissioner Ingles: “Short-term needs need to be addressed. . . Beyond that, there’s sustaining the parks for the future. . . There needs to be a way to have sustaining care for our parks.”

• Commissioner Benzing: “What are we doing other than coming to the Board of Commissioners every year and asking for increasing funding?”

• Bert: “We have to make hard choices.” Hard choices are one thing, but axing parks for this. . .

⁴

The Commissioners will discuss the funding at a later date. Public comment:

• Matthew Bentley: “Maybe a little more for parks, and a little less for LifeWays.”

Jury Board Appointment

The Jury Board is composed of three members, who are nominated by the Circuit Court judge—in this case, Sara Lisznyai—and confirmed by the Board of Commissioners. The nominee, Jason Selph, is apparently a Democrat, and Selph’s appointment would allow the Democrats to keep their 2-1 advantage on the Jury Board.

• Bert: “In November of 2024, 75-percent of the individuals who voted for the President int his County voted for the Republican candidate. The Jury Board currently has two Democrat members, one Republican member. My understanding is one Democrat member is terming off. . . I do find it disturbing that 67 percent of this board is appointed as Democrats and only 33 [percent] is Republican. And we have the opportunity to make this body consistent with the voting history of this County, and so I cannot back this name for this nomination.”

  • Ingles: “Do you have another name to suggest?”

  • Bert: “I don’t, because the statute says the Circuit Court judges in the County shall nominate.”

  • Wiley: “We could table it and bring it back with a brand new name.”

  • Abe Dane, lurking in the corner: “Would it vote down?”

The motion to appoint Selph failed, 3-2, with Leininger, Collins, and Wiley opposed; Ingles and Benzing for. What is Lisznyai—a weak-on-crime LifeWays supporter—even doing that warrants her continued public service and six-figure salary?

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External Links

• “I’m solidly on one side. I’m with the people. The city staff needs to understand that the elected officials represent the people, and the people will be heard.” Councilman Matthew Bentley.

• “With the divided executive . . . it's hard to locate responsibility, and that has led to, I think, some confusion about the structure of government here, and I really want to focus on working that out.” Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Paladino.

• “I do believe that this issue will be back before the commissioners in the near future.” Commissioner Brad Benzing.

• “They will be getting a brand new, recently rehabilitated, beautiful building in which to stage weddings, meetings, performances, and other events. Really, the sky’s the limit.” Mary Wolfram.

1. Has anyone invited Jogger to this yet? Perhaps Socha could join—it’s his kind of fitness. Or maybe the whole Council could go—Team Building! (And an OMA violation to boot.)

By the end of the session, having attained unity and therefore Decency, all Council would link arms and march in lockstep towards our Bright and Beautiful Future: pocketbook plundering, Road Diets, property value nihilism, and Win-Win therapy sessions at LifeWays. Then, when you’ve been priced out of your own property, you can go to the Senior Prom to die.

2. “We are working. . . to expand that clinic.”

3. We thought to suggest that Bitchin’ Bob would be elected Senior Prom King, but then we recalled that he’s neither old nor wealthy nor retired. Perhaps hard workin’ Gerg Stuchell—he works 50-hour weeks—could be Senior Prom King. We could print up a certificate, something for him to hang on the wall.

4. Amusingly, LifeWays removed dozens of its most egregious anti-straight, anti-family photos from its Facebook page in recent weeks. Do they no longer back the LGBT cause? What about our Staunch Conservative LifeWays Man who said he’d possibly get fired for not toeing LifeWays’ PC line?

(Don’t worry, though—we’ve got the receipts.)