Letter to the Editor: Township Should 'Restore the Flow in the Mill Race'

This letter to the editor is in response to , in which Oakland Township resident Jan Olson wrote: "We have a giant ditch filled with stagnant water now. The Mill Race Trail by Gallagher Road has no water – it is a dry ditch."

Dear Editor,

We need the help of all Oakland Township residents.

We are just sick of the new Mill Race Drainage Ditch. I thought the Oakland Board of Trustees was supposed to represent the will of people, protect our neighborhood, protect the Goodison heritage and history and not destroy it.

Come out and witness for yourselves the Mill Race Drainage Ditch between Gallagher Road and Gunn Road. The neighbors throughout Oakland Township should be furious at this travesty. 

The Mill Race added historical character, helped with flood abatement, connected the mill to the dam, and ran through Oakland Township’s .  Neighbors and visitors used to enjoy the scenic beauty of the flowing Mill Race powering the wheel.

Now look at it. Just come out and look at the devastation for yourself.

We need help in restoring the water flow through the Mill Race. The Board of Trustees is not helping us. How can we fix this? Who can help us? Please voice your outrage.

For the past 21 months, the Goodison neighbors have fought against the removal of the 175-year-old historic presence of the Paint Creek dam and to save Mill Race. The Oakland Township to allow the Clinton River Watershed Council to remove this part of Goodison history.

We were just too small and the Board of Trustees too powerful. They did not listen to the residents. A board that can make decisions with no regard to the wishes of the people or no regard to the preservation of the area have no business leading our community. How can the board that we the people voted into their positions have the power to cause such devastation?

We need help in restoring the water flow through the Mill Race. And now, to add insult to injury, we just received a letter from "The Goodison Sub Area Plan Committee" regarding a planning process for the Goodison area. As a historical settlement, the purpose of this plan is to develop a shared vision for its future as well as goals, objectives and strategies for achieving that vision.

The original Goodison Plan focused on the historical qualities and promotion of those qualities to maintain Goodison’s significance as a unique place. Where was this committee for the past year? A little too late! The very first objective of the committee must be to restore the flow in the Mill Race.

Robert & Judy Spitz
Oakland Township

Send letters to the editor to Oakland Township Patch editor Jen Anesi at jen.anesi@patch.com. Please include a phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity.