News

  • Local voters go to the polls Nov. 6
    (EDITOR’S NOTE: Lenawee and Monroe County residents will join the rest of the United States in the democratic process by electing representatives next Tuesday, Nov. 6, from the grassroots level right up to the U.S. president. In today’s Advance, please find a Voting Guide to provide information on candidates and issues at the state and national level. Here, we have information on local elections. Candidates were provided with a questionnaire. Their answers follow:) Blissfield Twp. Blissfield Township residents will elect a new supervisor and will also choose a candidate for township clerk and two trustees in the General Election. Only treasurer Karen Baldwin is unopposed after winning the Republican primary election in August. After winning the Republican primary against two other candidates including incumbent supervisor Lew Bowman, Adolio “Al” Navarro faces off against Democrat Mark Burgermeister for the supervisor position. Both men currently serve as trustees on the Blissfield Village Council. Navarro’s term expires in November, while Burgermeister’s would expire in 2014. Four candidates are running for two trustee positions on the board. Incumbent Reed Mapstone did not run for reelection after serving nearly four decades on the township board. Orrin Gregg, who was appointed in March to fill out the remainder of Jason Fischer’s term on the board is running as an independent candidate. Also running are Pat Laberdee, also an independent, and two Republican candidates, Devon Gilson-Pitts and Kris Ruhl. Pickup an Advance today to read more…
  • Main Street candidate list shaved to three

    A slate of 15 candidates for the Blissfield DDA/Main Street manager position has been narrowed down to three finalists who will face public interviews this evening (Wednesday) at the Schultz-Holmes Memorial Library. The DDA/Main Street board may have two additional members take part in the interview process as well.
    Blissfield Village Administrator Jim Wonacott said it is likely the DDA/Main Street board will interview two men and one woman for the position now open due to the resignation of former manager Michael Sessions.
    Village president Michael Gunter who is also part of the board was not quite certain at the village council’s Monday night meeting whether or not all three candidates had been notified yet that they were in the final running for the position.
    The village council approved…

  • Robertson series presents Baker on ‘green building’

    The Schultz-Holmes Memorial Library in Blissfield, will present homebuilder, engineer, and environmental advocate Frank Baker, founder of Riverbend Timber Framing and Insulspan, Inc., as part of its Phyllis Robertson Program Series at 7 p.m. Thursday.
    Baker will speak on “Green Building,” a construction practice which seeks to minimize the environmental impact of both the process and the finished structure.
    All library programs are free and open to the public.
    Through Baker’s career as an engineer at General Motors, founder/owner of Riverbend Timber Framing and Insulspan and currently as he is representing PFB Corporation on a number of national and international trade associations and non-profits, there has been a common thread, concern for the environment. Frank was building “Green” before the term “Green Building” came into common use to describe homes built to minimize the impact on our environment. He has also worked at the community level in Blissfield to encourage Green practices in many local endeavors. Frank and his wife, Brenda, recently completed a Certified Green Cottage in Lakeside, Ohio and built a very green home in Blissfield nearly 20 years ago, as well as a previous green home 32 years ago before there were Green Certification programs. Riverbend and Insulspan have produced thousands of green homes over the last 33 years and continue to do so today.
    The library’s Phyllis Robertson Lecture Series was made possible by a gift from the estate of Phyllis Robertson, a local writer and photographer, as well as a long-time benefactor to and advocate of the library. Programs this fall will include a mediation workshop and a holiday card making workshop.