A giant yuletide thumbs up to Oxford High School students who collected an impressive 1,471 toys to help needy kids have a merry Christmas through the “Toys for Tots” program.
The majority of the toys were donated by the third-hour classes of teachers Jeanie Jones and Dave Carson.
Jones’ students raised approximately $4,200 in donations from local businesses and individuals, which they used to purchase 597 toys from the Oxford Meijer.
Carson’s class raised approximately $3,500 in donations, which it used to purchase 554 toys.
The toy pile was so massive, it completely filled the stage in the OHS Commons (see photo).
It’s nice to see that in addition to having their young minds educated in the usual academic subjects, OHS students’ hearts are being schooled in the subjects of generosity, kindness, charity, compassion and the virtue of helping your fellow man.
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and he’s here in Oxford.
His spirit lives in the good deeds of all the OHS students who helped put smiles on the faces of needy children, who otherwise would have had no presents to open on Christmas morning. But more than toys, you’ve given these kids the lasting gifts of hope and faith.
Merry Christmas! – CJC

Following the June 25th resignation of President Ron Etherton, the Oxford Board of Education will have the opportunity to right a great wrong and maybe restore a little faith in our system of representative government.
We strongly urge the school board to appoint Robert Guzanek to Etherton’s seat.
Etherton’s highly suspicious decision to resign well after the June 9 school board election robbed district voters of their right, privilege and responsibility to elect his successor.
It’s sad Etherton chose to end his school board career on such a sour note, increasing the public’s distrust of district officials.
Unfortunately, the power to choose who will sit in Etherton’s seat will rest with the school board, instead of the electors.
However, the school board now has the perfect opportunity to erase the black mark Etherton will leave behind and possibly regain some lost credibility by appointing Guzanek to the vacant seat.
We highly recommend appointing Guzanek because he garnered 112 votes in Monday’s school election, making him the third highest vote-getter among the five candidates who ran for two seats.
In terms of votes, Guzanek beat candidates Jamie Flemming, who garnered 111 votes, and Gary Skelton, who received 73 votes.
We are basing our recommendation strictly on the number of votes Guzanek received because that’s how we elect officials in this country.
We are not playing favorites or basing this endorsement on perceived qualifications or Guzanek’s answers to our questions.
In fact, this editorial was penned before the election results were known to us. It’s not up to the Oxford Leader to decide who should occupy Etherton’s seat.
And it shouldn’t be up to the school board to make that decision either.
Who will succeed Etherton is a question that only the voters should answer and we feel they have done that by giving Guzanek 112 votes, effectively making him the third place winner.
This isn’t a dictatorship or an oligarchy where leaders are selected by an individual or small group.
This is a democratic republic, where the voters chose who will lead by casting a ballot. The candidate who gets the most votes wins. It’s a simple little formula that’s worked relatively well for 227 years.
If the school board wishes to retain at least the appearance of a representative government elected by the people, it will appoint Guzanek to Etherton’s seat.
Guzanek informed us Tuesday morning that he does intend to apply for Etherton’s seat.
By virtue of the ballot box alone, it belongs to him.
If Guzanek isn’t appointed, district voters may safely assume there’s definitely something rotten in the state of Denmark.
If a candidate who received fewer votes than Guzanek is appointed, district voters may safely assume that ‘the fix was in? and favoritism is alive and well on the board. If someone who didn’t run in the election is appointed, district voters may safely assume that school officials don’t care what they think.
We will be watching this appointment very closely. We hope the board will do the right thing. ? CJC

Kudos to Oxford Area Community Schools for providing local children with an education that’s keeping them at the top of the list.
For the 2002-2003 school year, Oxford Schools came out well above state averages on all MEAP scores and had one of the highest score increases on the dreaded elementary social studies test. In that category, Oxford fifth graders went from 19.8 percent in 2001 to 33 percent in 2002.
In addition, the schools saw an impressive increase in the fourth grade reading score from 67.8 percent in 2001 to 84 percent in 2002, and in the seventh grade reading score from 56.7 percent to 71 percent.
The district also has an outstanding retention rate with 97 percent of students starting and completing their education at the high school, and 96.4 percent of the 2003 senior class graduating. Students at the high school in particular are achieving higher levels of success with over 200 enrolling in either Advanced Placement or college courses for the 2002-2003 year.
Oxford Schools can stand proud for these achievements. Good job and keep up the hard work and high standards that will keep the district at the top of the bunch.

It was my good fortune the day Bill Ardelan came to our Oxford Leader office and asked for a job.
Years later, I asked him why he approached me. He said, ‘I just wanted to work for you.?
He started in sales, moved to sales manager and then, as we added newspapers, he became advertising manager and then art director.
Bill was born with a talent to write, draw and play musical instruments.
And I mean ‘born? with talent. In a very early grade school class, the teacher asked her students to draw a swan.
Bill’s swan was in the water, and had its reflection on that water. The teacher asked why he drew the shadow. He told her that was the way he saw it.
He used his sketching ability to help sell advertising for our newspapers. To have something to show a business owner what their advertisement could look like, he would draw their building.
The idea was, if they liked it, he or other sales people would take a current picture of their building for their ad.
All the businesses approached in this manner preferred Bill’s sketches to camera shots. They were especially evident in our 1976 Centennial edition.
One day we took an afternoon off to go shoot pool. I liked pool, even bought a pool table, but wasn’t a very good player.
Bill was. By the time our session was over Bill was spotting me eight balls in a 10-ball game.
Bill Ardelan played the trumpet so good he had his own band. We had them play at daughter Luan’s wedding. He didn’t take music lessons or read a book.
He taught himself. In retirement, he taught himself to play guitar. He picked up piano playing along the way.
Of all Bill’s talents and abilities, the one that I enjoyed, envied and loved the most was his artistry, whether chacterization or real.
In retirement Bill and Joyce moved to Gladwin. His home had a walk-out basement with a village park bordering the rear, and off the corner was a view of a wooded riverbank.
Bill stood by a walk-out door and painted the scene on the basement wall. Only one thing was questionable. Bill was a bow and arrow man, and he painted himself, with his equipment, sitting in a tree, bow pulled and a buck passing by below.
It was a rewarding experience having such a talented person as an employee and a friend. A fine man gone, but remembered dearly. ? Jim (Jottings) Sherman

From burning homes to medical emergencies to car crashes on M-24, Oxford firefighters are always there when township and village residents need them most.
Now, it’s time to return the favor.
The fire department has a golden opportunity to win $10,000 through a contest being run by the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.
Liberty Mutual will give $10,000 each to the top 10 communities who rally behind their fire department by visiting www.befiresmart.com and taking a simple 10-question fire safety quiz.
Residents will be asked 10 basic questions about fire safety in the home. It’s not a pass/fail thing, so don’t worry, no studying or preparation is required. It’s simply a way to get residents thinking and discussing the topic of fire safety with their families.
After taking the quiz, residents will be asked to enter the name of the fire department they wish to see awarded credit for their efforts.
‘You do not need to be an Oxford resident to credit our department,? explained Oxford Fire Capt. Ron Jahlas. ‘Simply list us as the department (that) gets credit for your efforts.?
The 10 communities with the most entries will be given $10,000 each. Six of those awards will go to medium-sized communities like Oxford.
Since the contest was established in 2009, two Michigan fire departments have benefited ? Bay City and Tittabawassee. Oxford Township could be next!
The deadline for entries is Monday, Oct. 31 so don’t delay, take the quiz today. All that’s needed to participate is an active e-mail address.
Think back to all the times the Oxford Fire Department has helped you, a loved one, a friend or a neighbor.
This is our chance to help the brave men and women who put everything on the line everyday to save lives and protect property in the community we love.
If we all take just a few minutes out of our busy schedules to help the department win $10,000 and that money is used to buy new equipment that helps make Oxford a safer place, isn’t it worth it? We think so.
Grab those mouse devices and start clicking. ? CJC

It’s nice to know that with all the bad there is in this world, there are still plenty of good people who do good things without even being asked.
Case in point, five veterans groups got together last week and donated $500 to U.S. Army Pvt. Ken Flynn.
They did it because they heard about Flynn, who’s home on leave from his duties in Iraq, being robbed at gunpoint in Pontiac and wanted to help one of their comrades-in-arms.
‘This makes everything better,? Flynn said. ‘Over there, you don’t get a ‘thank you? or ‘good job? every day. You’re told, ‘Go back to your room. We have work tomorrow.? But when you come home and people show their appreciation, it makes everything worth it.?
Oxford American Legion Post 108, Legion Auxiliary Unit 108, AMVETS Post 108 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 334 got together and donated $400 to Flynn.
On top of that, the Association of the United States Army’s Arsenal of Democracy Chapter, based in Troy, donated $100.
‘I thought, ‘Why are they helping me? This happens to everyone,? but like they told me, we take care of our own,? Flynn said. ‘I appreciate it. I didn’t see it coming . . . I want to thank everyone who donated this. It means a lot.?
We’d like to echo Flynn’s sentiments.
Once again, our local veterans have proved themselves to be caring and compassionate folks who are always willing to do whatever’s necessary to help someone in need.
These veterans didn’t know Flynn or his family.
Prior to last week, they had never even met the private.
But they didn’t have to know him personally in order to extend their generosity.
They already know all they need to about him.
They know he wears the uniform of our country. They know he’s serving in a far-off land. They know he’s risking his life on a daily basis. They know what it’s like to be him.
Bravo and many thanks to all the veterans groups who donated to Flynn. They’ve given him so much more than just money; they’ve given him faith in the kindness of strangers. That’s something no one can steal. ? CJC

When Oxford Village residents go to the polls on Tuesday, Sept. 13, they should vote YES on Proposal A.
If approved, the proposal would give the village permission to sell ? when it so desires ? an odd-shaped 0.431-acre parcel located on the west side of Pleasant St., across from Davison St. It’s adjacent to the Polly Ann Trail and situated between Dayton and Lafayette streets.
The property formerly housed the village’s old Department of Public Works facilities, which were demolished in 2003. The eastern portion of the land is zoned industrial, while the western side is zoned for single-family dwellings.
We’re in favor of government owning as little land and as few buildings as possible because the more it owns, the less there is to tax (government property is exempt from millages) and the less there is for new residential and commercial development.
More government-owned property means less room for economic growth, less room for tax base expansion and ultimately, a heavier burden for existing taxpayers as the cost of government increases year after year.
Local government’s main function is to provide basic services such police, fire, roads and utilities. It’s not supposed to be a land baron, managing and accumulating properties at will.
Sure, government needs land to house its administrative offices, maintenance facilities and public safety departments, plus some parks and schools.
But to just sit on vacant land year after year with no plans, no purpose and no use is just plain irresponsible and of no real benefit to the taxpayers. It’s wasteful and we abhor waste in the public sector.
The village needs to be poised and ready to sell this piece of property when the time is right ? hopefully, to a private entity ? and get it back on the tax roll where it belongs, plus clear a few dollars to help offset some of the municipality’s declining revenues.
But before the village can do any of this, it needs permission from the voters. That’s where all of you come in.
We strongly encourage Oxford Village residents to vote YES on Proposal A.
It’s time for government to get out of the land business and just stick to governing. There’s a novel idea. ? CJC

We sincerely hope and strongly recommend that the Village of Oxford reject the Ox Bar & Grill’s plans to carve off a piece of Centennial Park and turn it into an outdoor cafe to be used exclusively by its patrons.
Centennial Park embodies the small town charm that is Oxford. It’s a part of this community’s heritage that should be respected, not exploited.
Centennial Park is the place we all gather on Memorial Day to honor our fallen soldiers.
Centennial Park is the place we congregate every Thursday evening during the summer for free concerts, family fun and friendly chats with our neighbors.
Centennial Park is the place where the Oxford Public Library holds weekly storytimes in the summer. It’s where local artists sit in the gazebo, sketching and painting downtown buildings. It’s where couples get married or pose for wedding photos.
Centennial Park is a hub of activity during most of the various downtown festivals. It’s the place where Santa visits with the children after every Christmas parade.
Centennial Park is the place to have lunch on a sunny day (particularly a carryout from one of our many fine downtown eateries), sip coffee while reading the paper, smoke a cigar or stop to rest while walking the dog.
We would hate to see even one inch of this quaint little park simply given away for exclusive private use, no matter who it is or how well it fits someone’s ‘vision? for our town.
Why can’t we just appreciate and promote the simplicity of what we already have? Why do we always have to make things bigger, allegedly better and always more complicated? Why can’t we just leave well enough alone?
Let’s not ruin a good thing.
Centennial Park is not some diamond in the rough waiting to be cut and polished for profit.
It’s already a jewel that sparkles and has immense value beyond mere dollars and cents.
The park is a unique spot that helps define Oxford and give us a focal point for the pride we feel in our community.
Although it technically belongs to all of us, we each think of it as ‘my little park.? Nobody will ever feel that way about some fenced-in outdoor cafe.
Despite our objection to the Ox Bar & Grill’s plan for the park, we wholeheartedly support other downtown eateries? efforts to create outdoor seating areas both in the front of their buildings and behind them.
To us, that’s exactly where these cafes belong, not taking up space in an already small public park.
Leave Centennial Park for the people to enjoy, free of charge and free of encroachment. ? CJC

In this day and age when it seems like nobody wants to get involved, speak up or right wrongs, we have to commend area resident Jim Fox for reporting the water pollution at Addison Oaks County Park (see Page 1).
Every man, woman and child who swims (or is planning to swim) in Adams Lake should thank Mr. Fox for pointing out there’s an illicit connection between a maintenance building sink and the lake.
Whether the substance Mr. Fox reported in the lake was gasoline, as he contended, or paint thinner, as reported by Oakland County officials, doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things because both substances are toxic and have no place being dumped in a lake, especially one people swim in on a regular basis.
We’re glad to see the county took the problem seriously, cleaned up the mess and is in the process of rectifying the situation to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
We need more citizens like Mr. Fox ? citizens who are willing to take action when they see something wrong.
Next to the air we breathe, water is perhaps our most precious natural resource. We can’t survive without it.
We all have a duty to protect it whenever we can, just like Mr. Fox did. ? CJC

Virginia Hubbard was a truly beautiful person.
Meeting her made an everlasting impression.
She had a magnetism.
At times, she showed a mischievous look in her eyes, a sassiness in her remarks, but her friendliness and kindness always showed through.
We’ve been swapping jibes for over 50 years. She was quick to point out my faults, and at times, I’d find a hair out of place or an insignificant flaw in her demeanor.
But this lady, Ginny Hubbard, was a very fine human being.
She and her late husband, John, took a tree-covered farm and made it a gem for this community known as the Oxford Hills Golf and Country Club.
I was in a Thursday evening golf club playing at Bald Mountain when the Hills opened. We were quick to come to the Hills in its first year.
The Hubbards and Shermans, along with many area families, shared aging, partying, child rearing and civic promotions for all those years.
Ginny had an enthusiasm to envy forever. She was an up-n-at-em person who never seemed to tire.
She will be fondly remembered for a long, long time.
? James A. Sherman, Sr.

Those in government who seek to hide what they say and do from the public won a significant victory last week.
Those who seek to expose wrongdoing, corruption and waste in government suffered a momentous defeat.
In a 4-3 vote Dec. 29, the Michigan Supreme Court denied leave to appeal in a key case concerning the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.
The case involved a citizen’s FOIA request to review e-mails sent by school employees on the Howell school district’s e-mail system. The initial request was submitted in March 2007.
In January 2010, the Michigan Court of Appeals denied the request. The ruling was subsequently appealed to the state Supreme Court, which has now flatly refused to hear the case.
We are amazed that an institution designed to interpret the law and protect the rights of citizens chose to take a pass on hearing this vital case.
Exactly what are we paying these justices to do? We realize many judges are just lazy or unsuccessful lawyers looking to collect a steady paycheck, but this is ridiculous.
Everyone from journalists to average citizens routinely use FOIA as their primary weapon in the never-ending struggle to keep government open, honest and accountable.
The Supreme Court’s indifference in this case coupled with the Court of Appeals? original ruling has effectively replaced the people’s sword of freedom with a dinky cap gun. We can still make a lot of noise, but we won’t actually strike our targets.
We’re not judges nor are we lawyers, but we do know that e-mails sent by public employees over a computer system paid for by the taxpayers are by no means private and they should never be classified as such.
We the people bought the computers.
We the people pay for the operation and maintenance of them.
We the people have a right to see whatever government employees put on those computers or use that system for.
Case closed.
If government employees don’t want people to read what they’re writing, let them use their private e-mail accounts and their personal computers to communicate. And let them do it on their own time.
Shame on the Court of Appeals for its ignorant and dangerous ruling.
Shame on the state Supreme Court for just sitting on its hands as citizens get stripped of their rights.
Who needs to worry about terrorists or the Chinese depriving us of our liberties when our own court system seems content to do the job for them. ? CJC

If we were going to give Oxford Superintendent Dr. William Skilling and the Oxford Board of Education a letter grade regarding their communication with the public, it would be a big, fat F.
Skilling gets an F for trying to keep his participation in a superintendent search in Granville, Ohio a secret.
‘Since I was meeting with (the) Granville Exempted Village School Board privately, I thought it would be kept confidential until I made a decision whether or not to pursue it,? he wrote in a Dec. 5 e-mail.
Where’s the transparency in that?
Skilling gets another F for his failure to comment to the Leader before and after we broke the story on-line Dec. 3.
We realize the superintendent doesn’t like this newspaper because we opposed his first bond proposal, have criticized his cooperation with the Chinese government and did not endorse either of the school board incumbents in the last election.
However, that’s no excuse for waiting until the Dec. 6 school board meeting to make any public statements regarding the Granville issue. That’s no excuse for Skilling telling his administrators that he wouldn’t be discussing the issue with the local media. The public had a right to know what was going on right when the story broke, not three days later.
Skilling deserves a third and final F for the way he informed people that he won’t be pursuing the job in Granville.
Rather than making a public statement via this newspaper or the school district’s website, Skilling sent a Dec. 12 e-mail informing only district staff of his decision.
Fortunately, we were able to obtain a copy of this e-mail through one of our many sources. How sad that we had to go through a third-party in order to inform the public of what their superintendent had decided (see story on Page 1).
Skilling isn’t the only one to blame here.
The Oxford Board of Education deserves a giant, red F because President Colleen Schultz failed to call the Leader and comment despite the fact that messages were left at her home, work and cell numbers.
Instead, the board chose to issue a Dec. 3 public statement via the district website that proclaimed Skilling was simply in Granville as a ‘professional courtesy.?
There was no mention whatsoever that he was considered a ‘finalist? for the job, which means it was much more than a mere ‘professional courtesy.?
We understand that the board may have been blindsided here. If that’s the case, they should be honest about it. Just because Schultz apparently knew about Granville, doesn’t mean the rest of the board did.
If anyone on the school board was taken by surprise or is angry with Skilling, they will never say so publicly because they don’t view themselves as individuals elected to serve the people. Their first loyalty is to the ‘team? and always making sure they present a united front. That isn’t open government nor is it responsible government.
The school board also gets an F for failing to inform the public either through this newspaper or the district website that Skilling decided against pursuing the Granville job.
As elected officials, school board members have a duty to keep the public in the loop when it comes to issues, big and small.
Throughout this entire ordeal, it appears the board felt it more important to protect their superintendent and keep the rest of us in the dark. Wouldn’t it be great if school boards remembered that they work for us, not superintendents. We vote for them to represent us, not the hired help.
Let’s see, by our count that makes all F’s for Skilling and the school board.
Doesn’t seem like a world-class report card, does it? Maybe they all need summer school. ? CJC

Among the numerous weapons in government’s vast arsenal to kill businesses, the two deadliest are taxes and unnecessary bureaucratic paperwork.
If something isn’t done soon, these two grim reapers of free enterprise will begin claiming victims in 15 months.
Section 9006 of the massive 2,409-page health care bill mandates that beginning in 2012, all companies must issue 1099 tax forms to any individual, corporation, vendor or supplier from which they buy more than $600 in goods or services within a tax year.
It’s estimated this provision will raise $17 billion over 10 years to pay for the new Prevention and Public Health Fund.
Let all this sink in more a moment or two.
This law will require the filing of not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of additional 1099 forms every single year.
That’s terrific news if the federal government’s plan to cut unemployment is to hire an army of new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workers to handle the avalanche of paperwork.
The IRS has already indicated it won’t be able to deal with the onslaught of new forms with its current staffing levels.
Let’s see, if the IRS has to hire thousands of new employees, guess who’s going to pay their salaries and benefits?
Here’s a hint, it won’t come out of Nancy Pelosi’s butter and egg money.
If the IRS, a federal agency that already has approximately 100,000 employees, won’t be able to handle this new burden, how do you think businesses are going to fare?
For small businesses that don’t have large, in-house accounting staffs, all this extra paperwork amounts to an administrative nightmare with the very real potential to cripple them.
Even U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) admitted it. ‘This new reporting requirement would have a devastating effect on small business owners,? she wrote.
Look at the small businesses in our own community and consider the unnecessary burden this will place on them.
Imagine Victoria’s Delights and Red Knapp’s American Grill having to send out 1099 forms to every vendor they buy their food and restaurant supplies from.
Imagine Patterson’s Prescription Pharmacy having to fill out 1099 forms for all the pill bottles and labels it buys every year.
Imagine this newspaper having to send 1099 forms to the companies from which we purchase paper, ink and computer equipment.
Every single advertiser who spends more than $600 per year with this newspaper ? which amounts to one full page ad ? will be required to send us a 1099 form. Every landscaper, handyman and guy with a snow plow who spends more than $600 in classified ads will have to send us a 1099 form.
Despite the utterly absurd announcement by elitist academics at the National Bureau of Economic Research that the recession ended in June 2009, the fact is many businesses, both large and small, are still struggling to keep their heads above water.
This new tax filing requirement basically amounts to the federal government throwing the business community a concrete block when it needs life-preserver.
Last month, two amendments ? one to repeal the 1099 requirement and one to modify it ? failed in the Senate.
Hopefully, when voters go to the polls in November, they’ll be shift the balance of power in Congress and restore a more pro-business attitude to the nation’s legislature.
Remember, the more you hurt business, the more you hurt people and families.
Without businesses, there are no jobs, no paychecks, no food on the table and no clothes on our backs. ? CJC

Every week, The Oxford Leader publishes numerous photos and articles featuring local young people.
We highlight the good deeds they do, the fun they have at local events, the impressive feats they accomplish and the awards they win.
Nine times out of ten, this paper shows our young people in a positive light.
We defy you to find an issue of this paper that doesn’t have a smiling kid in it or a positive youth story.
But now it’s time to shed some of that spotlight on this community’s most precious natural resource ? our wonderful senior citizens.
Beginning with the July 15 issue, the Leader will start publishing a monthly page dedicated to those age 60 and over who earned their gray and white hairs by fighting wars, working in factories, raising families and making those house payments every month.
Part of this page will feature a calendar of local happenings specifically for seniors including enrichment classes, bingo and card games, social activities, luncheons and musical entertainment.
Vital local services for seniors such as the North Oakland Transportation Authority and Meals on Wheels will be highlighted as well.
We’d like to feature articles about the seniors we see around town everyday.
We want to hear those life stories. We want to write about those unique hobbies. We want to see those interesting collections of memorabilia and antiques. We want to recognize those who show you’re never too old to volunteer.
We want to hear those thrilling memories of yesteryear when Oxford was small farming community and Detroit was still a thriving city with a vibrant downtown.
If you’ve got old photos of the Oxford area, we’d love to see them and publish them.
We also want to know what interests today’s seniors.
What do you want to see us to write about? What subjects do you want to read about? Tell us. Your input is going to be absolutely critical to making this page a smashing success.
Share your thoughts, ideas and stories with Editor C.J. Carnacchio by calling (248) 628-4801 or e-mailing shermanpub@aol.com.
As always, thanks for reading and caring. ? CJC

Hats off to Oxford Community Schools for being one of 14 Oakland County school districts to post its check registers on-line for all to see and inspect.
The move was prompted by a request from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a respected free market think tank based in Midland, as part of its increasingly popular ‘Show Michigan the Money? project.
Taxpayers have a right to know how every single penny of their hard-earned money is being spent.
In this time of shrinking bank accounts and disappearing paychecks, people need to know their money’s being used wisely at all times by the officials they’ve charged with spending it on the public good.
Having a complete and thorough record of expenditures just a few mouse clicks away at www.oxfordschools.org makes it easier than ever for average citizens to keep tabs on their school district from the comfort of their home or office.
Transparency should be a primary goal of government at all levels and we’re glad to see Oxford school officials have made it one of their top priorities.
In the end, it’s the free flow of information that builds trust in government officials and bolsters public confidence in how tax dollars are being spent.
For those seeking the truth, for those wishing to stay informed, the internet has become an electronic torch.
We’re pleased to report the school district is doing everything it can to brighten the flame.

Like you, we read, hear, and feel the state of our economy. In a few words, it ain’t good.
We understand, too, no amount of hoping or stimulus dollars from Washington, DC will keep our community a viable place to live, and do business. If we want to save our community we need to save ourselves.
We need action!
This week the Leader, and each of its sisters papers (Clarkston News, Lake Orion Review and Citizen) will embark on a ‘shop local? campaign.
Local businesses are stepping up to the plate and still spending their money on new products, building improvements and on marketing.
Despite the economy, local businesses still support many school projects, service groups and charities, and give residents opportunities for goods, services and employment.
We are all in this boat together, businesses and residents will ride the waves and weather the storm. We are asking local readers to do their part.
We ask government/school officials to review their purchases and to offer more consideration to local vendors.
We ask local business to keep us informed of their own initiatives to retain and grow customer bases; let us know of your special dates, anniversaries, sales and of good business news.
We ask readers to send us ‘one-liners? about shopping locally. Give us (and your neighbors) reasons to shop locally. Look for reasons each week on the Leader’s page 3.
Each winning entry will receive a free, 10-word classified.
To all, we ask . . . send us your ideas so we can get the word out.
Send your one-liners to: The Oxford Leader, PO Box 108, Oxford, MI 48371 or via email to: shermanpub@aol.com (in the subject line type Shop Oxford/Addison). Include your name, daytime phone and address with your reason. ? DPR

Hats off to the Oxford Twp. Planning Commission for its willingness to discuss and solicit public opinion on whether or not the proposed Kohl’s will be required to have a ‘village look.?
A majority of the opinions we’ve received from readers via e-mail, telephone, face-to-face and letters to the editor (see page 8) over the last few weeks were critical of the ‘village look? or the planning commission in general, and in favor of Kohl’s coming here.
Many fear, and rightly so, that forcing Kohl’s to meet such expensive ? and frankly pointless ? requirements could result in the department store chain looking to build a new location elsewhere.
At the suggestion of Commissioner Todd Bell, who’s now gone on the record as being opposed to the village facade, the board will discuss the issue at its 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 meeting. Bravo to Bell.
Chairman Don Silvester is encouraging the public to attend and voice their opinions. Bravo to him.
We want to make sure a healthy cross-section of Oxford Township is well represented at this meeting, not just one particular area or quadrant.
Oxford has a diverse population, from subdivision families to country gentlemen, from those who design cars to those who raise horses.
We are a community with asphalt streets and gravel roads, small backyards and 10-acre lots, folks who own barn boots and many more who don’t. Oxford cannot be characterized by a single stereotype or represented by one group of people.
We would hate for the planning commission to get a lopsided, inaccurate view of public opinion if, for example, only folks from the rural northeastern part of the township (which tends to be more anti-development), showed up to voice their opinions.
All the letters to the editor have been great and made for excellent dialogue, but they don’t mean squat if people don’t show up to this meeting.
Don’t sit at home watching reality TV and rely on other people to voice your opinion.
No one ever changed the world, or their community, by waiting for someone else to do it for them. If you don’t show up to tell the planning commission face-to-face exactly what’s on your mind, you can bet your bottom dollar someone with the opposite point of view will be there. They will be loud and they will be listened to.
Don’t let your silence be deafening.
This Kohl’s could mean a lot of things for Oxford ? jobs for struggling people trying to make ends meet, property taxes for the financially-strapped township and convenient shopping (i.e. not being forced to drive 20 minutes on congested roads while gas prices hover around $3 per gallon).
This is one government meeting Oxford residents can’t afford to miss.
Make your voice heard! ? CJC

Less government is always a good thing.
That being said, a big round of applause and a heartfelt thank you to the Oxford Township Board of Trustees for voting last week to eliminate half its regular meetings next year.
Beginning in January, the township board will only meet once a month (on the second Wednesday) instead of twice. Bravo.
Oxford government is plagued by way too many meetings.
Board meetings, committee meetings, subcommittee meetings, authority meetings, joint meetings, closed meetings, workshop meetings, planning meetings, zoning meetings ? the list goes on and on and on . . . with absolutely no end in sight.
Most meetings are filled with hours and hours of tedious discussion during which the same points are often repeated over and over and over again because nobody’s really listening.
It’s like being trapped in a coma with an accountant whispering in one ear and an insurance salesman in the other.
Once discussion of a topic has been thoroughly exhausted, it’s set aside pending further study, more information and perhaps a legal opinion or two.
Hopefully, cutting back to only one meeting a month will force the township government to be more efficient in the conduct of its public business.
Tighten up administrative practices (i.e. do your jobs) so fewer things have to come before the board and those items that do require board action get it in a timely manner.
Less chitchat, more action.
Fewer delays, quicker decisions.
And let’s not forget fewer meetings mean less time to debate new ways to spend our money.
Economically, the change will save township taxpayers the $110 per meeting each of the four trustees is paid plus another $100 per meeting for the recording secretary.
Granted, that doesn’t sound like a lot in comparison to the entire township budget, but every penny counts, especially when those pennies are coming from the public’s pockets and times are hard.
We’d like to challenge the Oxford Village Council to cut its regular meetings down to once a month. If a 36-square-mile township with about 16,000 residents only needs one meeting a month, certainly a 1.43-square-mile village with about 3,700 citizens can do it, too.
Let’s concentrate on improving the quality and reducing the quantity of government meetings in Oxford.
More evenings at home with family and friends sounds good to us. -CJC

Tolerance, property rights and the free market ? all the ideals that helped make America great are tossed aside when it comes to the issue of smoking.
Last week, the Michigan House of Reps voted 56-46 to ban smoking in places of employment and most public places, including restaurants and bars.
Fortunately, the Republican-controlled state Senate sent it to committee to die.
Government should not be deciding where we can and cannot smoke tobacco, which, for the moment, is still a legal product that can be bought and sold freely.
Bars and restaurants may be considered public places, but ultimately they are private property owned by private citizens, who work hard to pay taxes, bills and wages.
Whether or not an establishment permits smoking should be up to the owner who depends upon it for his livelihood.
If an owner wishes to have an entirely smoke-free business, that should be his right.
If he decides to have separate smoking and non-smoking areas, that should be his right.
If he wants to permit smoking anywhere and everywhere in his establishment, that too should be his right. It should not be up to government to make these decisions for him.
Ultimately, the marketplace is where a free society should decide the smoking issue.
Customers should be able to choose the type of environment in which they wish to dine or consume adult beverages. People will vote for what they want with their dollars and business owners will respond accordingly.
The free market is a mirror that reflects what society wants. Government is a mirror that only reflects what politicians, nosy do-gooders and special interests want.
Smokers don’t deserve the persecution they receive for engaging in a legal activity that’s a matter of individual choice.
Given all the high taxes smokers pay every time they purchase a pack of cigarettes, fine cigar or pouch of pipe tobacco, government and non-smokers ought to be nicer to them.
According to the Michigan Department of Treasury report released in August, cigarette and tobacco taxes generated $1.169 million for the state in 2006.
Of that, $472,199 went to the School Aid Fund (‘it’s for the children?), $228,994 went to the state’s General Fund, $390,741 for the Medicaid Benefit Trust Fund, and the rest went to various health-related funds.
The day everyone quits smoking is the day everyone’s taxes go up even more.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

If your child came home with a report card showing four D’s, one E and a B, would you be pleased?
It appears Oxford Area Community Schools is quite happy with those grades.
Results from the new Michigan Merit Exam were released Aug. 15 and the percentages of Oxford students who exceeded or met state standards were as follows ? Reading: 69 percent (D+), Writing: 57 percent (E), English Language Arts: 62 percent (D), Math: 61 percent (D-), Social Studies: 86 percent (B) and Science: 63 percent (D).
A report card like this usually ensures some sort of parental punishment such as grounding, loss of TV privileges or mandatory yard work until the age of 32.
In the old days, it meant a red fanny and a one-way ticket to bed with no supper.
But in today’s touchy-feely, spin-everything-in-a-positive-light world, this report card is apparently cause to celebrate.
‘We were quite pleased with those results because we didn’t know what we were getting into with the MME,? said Jim Schwarz, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum. ‘We did pretty well.?
Based on what?
The fact the school district exceeded the state’s even more pathetic report card, which consisted of four E’s, one D- and a B (again in social studies)?
Parents should be outraged by these abysmal results.
Taxpayers should be incensed they’re paying for this.
Teachers and administrators should be embarrassed.
Business owners should fear who their future employees are going to be.
Call us crazy, but we don’t think a D-average is something to crow about.
We think it’s a reason to hang our heads in shame.
Oxford can, should and must do better than this.
Students, parents and educators need to work together to improve these test scores.
The community needs to quit accepting the status quo and push the district to do better.
Bragging about bad grades won’t change things. Neither will passing the buck or playing the blame game.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and find out what we all can do to help before it’s too late.

Kudos to the Oxford Board of Education for seeing the light and moving its regular elections from May to November.
This wise decision will ultimately save the district money and increase voter-turnout, all of which are positives for the schools, the community and taxpayers.
Saving tax dollars and increasing public participation should always be two of government’s main goals.
We hope the district will use November not just for school board elections, but also for any bond issues or millage proposals that should arise.
Elections concerning taxes should always be held when voter-turnout is typically at its highest in order to get the truest sense of what the community really wants.
We are strongly encouraged by the school board’s desire to make elections more cost-effective and democratic.
It’s a victory for reason, common sense and logical government. ? CJC

This is a pivotal year in Oxford Village politics.
Four of the five seats on the village council are up for grabs in the Tuesday, Sept. 11 election.
For those seeking genuine reform of the village government, this presents a unique and powerful opportunity to make a real difference.
From cityhood to downtown development to relations with the township, there are many critical issues facing the village right now.
For those who don’t like the direction the village is headed in, now is the time for you to step forward.
Now is the time to act.
Talk is cheap.
Complaining about things in private does nothing to solve the problems.
Grumbling about council’s actions or inactions in your neighbor’s backyard does nothing to change things.
In the constant battle to keep government honest and accountable to the people, doing nothing is not only unacceptable, it’s unforgivable.
The great 18th century Irish statesman Edmund Burke once said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.?
How many of us want ‘I did nothing? etched on our tombstones?
Nominating petitions for the two, four-year council seats and the other two, two-year seats are due by 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 19.
(See the public notice on page 18.)
Valid petitions must contain signatures from at least 25 registered village voters, but no more than 50.
Acting Clerk Rose Bejma recommended candidates get 30 or 35 signatures as safety net.
Petitions can be picked up at the Oxford Village office (22 W. Burdick Street).
For more information call (248) 628-2543.
Will it be status quo or reform for the village government? What happens next is entirely up to you.

Just because something’s for sale doesn’t make it a good idea for government to buy it.
Case in point, the village has expressed an interest in purchasing the old township offices on W. Burdick St.
The office building and the parking that comes with it appears to be worth somewhere between $325,000 and $392,000. (And let’s not forget it needs a new roof.)
At first glance, it looked like a good idea for the village to buy the other half of the building it shared with the township for decades. This way the village would own the entire municipal complex.
But then again, what would the village need it for?
Only four or five people work in the village office.
We can’t really see the staff ever expanding beyond a handful of employees ? even if the fanciful dreams of cityhood were realized.
The police department, Department of Public Works and Downtown Development Authority all have their own spaces.
Conducting business isn’t a problem for any of the village’s governing bodies or committees given the municipality already has not one, but two meeting rooms.
Truthfully, we don’t see any good reason for the village to purchase the old township hall.
It would be a complete waste of tax dollars ? a bad idea anytime, a worse idea when the economy’s circling the drain.
We realize the village has plans calling for the municipal complex property to someday become a multiple family housing development, but that’s still not a reason to spend tax dollars now.
It’s not government’s job to make real estate investments.
If a developer ever did come along and wanted to build townhouses there, he could always buy the property from the village and whoever eventually owns the old township hall.
The village doesn’t have to own everything for that to happen.
Besides, we think turning that property into housing is a horrible idea because the village would have to find a new place to house its offices, meeting rooms and police department.
That means either buying, building or leasing a facility somewhere else. Why do that when they own a perfectly good building that everybody’s familiar with right there in the heart of town?
We say, let a private party purchase the old township hall and continue to use it for office-related purposes. The spot would be ideal for an accountant, chiropractor, real estate agent, lawyer or dentist.
Let the market determine what will happen to the old township hall, not government.
We pay taxes for roads and public safety, not so government can play real estate tycoon.

All government entities and officials should be familiar with Michigan’s Open Meetings Act ? even Downtown Development Authorities.
Recently, the Oxford DDA told a camera man from Oxford Community Television (Channel 19) that he could not videotape a Jan. 21 meeting held on the campus of Crossroads for Youth.
The meeting was actually a DDA ‘retreat? ? a discussion session concerning various issues at which no decisions are made or action taken. But it was still a public meeting of a public body.
‘I told him it was an open meeting and it was posted, but we didn’t want it taped. It was a retreat,? said DDA Chairperson Sue Bossardet. ‘I’m not aware that that’s not allowed.?
‘The village (council) has them all the time. Nobody’s ever come and taped their retreats,? Bossardet explained. ‘So, I had no reason to believe that we couldn’t do it. I said he was welcome to stay, but we just didn’t want it taped.?
For future reference, such taping is allowed by law.
The Open Meetings Act clearly states ? ‘The right of a person to attend a meeting of a public body includes the right to tape-record, to videotape, to broadcast live on radio and to telecast live on television the proceedings of a public body at a public meeting.?
And because this is a right, you don’t need the government’s permission ? ‘The exercise of this right shall not be dependent upon the prior approval of the public body.?
Obviously, the DDA had no legal right to tell the Channel 19 camera man he could not do his job. Dawn Phillips Hertz, general counsel for the Michigan Press Association, confirmed this for us.
The DDA violated the Open Meetings Act.
Granted, it appears the whole incident was caused by ignorance of the law, not by malice or duplicity.
We believe there was no sinister motive to keep the meeting a secret from the public.
But ignorance is no excuse for what happened.
The damage has been done.
A meeting that the public had a right to see and hear will never be aired by our local cable station because of ignorance.
The public’s fundamental right to know has been diminished because of ignorance.
A law designed to let fresh air and sunshine into government was disregarded because of ignorance.
Ignorance of the law is something that we cannot and should not excuse when it comes to public officials be they elected or appointed.
Government officials who conduct public meetings should be required to at least know the basics of the Open Meetings Act so as to avoid unintentionally trampling our rights.
Openness breeds trust, confidence, involvement and an informed citizenry. Ignorance begets fear, suspicion, exclusion and misinformation.
Oxford’s suffered enough because of ignorance.
Let’s give openness a try. ? CJC

When 358 people sign a document calling for their government to take a particular action, they have a right to know exactly why their petition has been denied.
To wit, the Oxford Village Council should immediately remove the attorney/client privilege surrounding the legal opinion from cityhood attorney Thomas Ryan which prompted council Oct. 25 to deny village resident and township Supervisor Bill Dunn’s recent petition.
Using the rules and requirements spelled out in the village charter as his guide, Dunn initiated and circulated a petition proposing an ordinance that would have limited the action, including spending, council and the village administration could take regarding cityhood without a prior vote of the people. A total of 358 village residents signed the petition.
In their denial, council cited four reasons based on Ryan’s legal opinion, among them that the initiative process Dunn followed in the village charter is ‘invalid because it is not authorized by state law.?
We believe these reasons ? especially the one mentioned above ? deserve further explanation and clarification, not just a quick summary.
What’s the legal basis, the reasoning behind the reasons? Is it sound? Will it stand up to public scrutiny? Does it pass the old smell test?
It seems the best way to answer these questions is for the village council to release the legal opinion to the general public.
We see no reason why it must remain privileged. It’s not part of any on-going or pending litigation.
The legal reasoning behind the denial of a citizen’s petition shouldn’t be kept Top Secret. It shouldn’t be kept from the public ? especially from the 358 people who signed it.
Too much government business in Oxford is kept from the public under the overused and often abused shield of attorney/client privilege. It’s time to let some fresh air and sunshine in.
Remember, the real ‘client? here is not the government itself, but the taxpayers who foot all the legal bills.
Government is here to serve the public, not the other way around.
When the public is owed an answer from its elected officials, it deserves to get one.

With all that’s going on politically in Oxford and economically throughout the state and nation, we don’t believe that now is the right time for the township to move ahead with building new municipal offices.
Oxford’s biggest problem has always been that it’s one community divided by two governments.
It seems to us that moving the township offices out of the village, out of the very heart of the community, to Granger Road will only serve to widen that gulf and move us further away from achieving a single Oxford government ? a desire shared by a majority of residents.
A unified Oxford is what officials should be working together to achieve before building any more idolatrous monuments to government.
One Oxford is more desperately needed than a new township hall.
Residents suffering under the dual yoke of two governments should be a more pressing concern than municipal employees working in cramped quarters or a basement packed with records. Rent some storage lockers or start burning old documents onto CDs.
Right now, township and village officials work right across from each other and relations between the two governments are at an all-time low.
Imagine how much worse communications between the two will become if the township moves off the beaten path all the way out to Granger Road.
It’s like moving headquarters off the front lines and into a bunker in the middle of nowhere.
The new hall’s site is away from the center of the community, away from the town’s main artery M-24, away from the township’s future growth to the east, away from the main hub. You might as well build Oxford’s new hall in Brandon Township.
We’d rather see the two governments stay right where they are. Let’s force them to continue sharing the same building, seeing each other day in and day out. Maybe something positive will eventually take place.
The other thing township officials should consider is the state of the economy, which despite what the White House says, is poor.
As a result, municipal governments all over Michigan are facing tough financial times. Some are already in crisis-mode. Take a look at Addison next door.
State revenue-sharing is decreasing, residents are not approving millage increases because they’re losing jobs and taking pay cuts, and government services are being cut left and right. These are not good times for local governments.
Now is a good time for the township to save that $1.3 million it plans to spend on a new hall and see what the future holds.
That Building and Site Fund money came in awfully handy back in 2000 when two failed police millages forced the township to use a good deal of it to pay for its first contract year with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
Who knows? The township could end up needing that $1.3 million for another emergency situation.
Rainy days are becoming more and more common for local governments in these uncertain times.
The other thing that bothers us is that the cash that’s been accumulating in the Building and Site Fund lo? these many years consists primarily of a string of surplus budget monies dating back to the mid-1990s.
To some, surpluses are viewed as a savings, a sign of frugality and fiscal responsibility.
To us, consistent budget surpluses mean government has been overtaxing its people.
We would rather see money stay in residents? pockets than sit in some government savings account collecting dust. People work for their money, government does not.
Bottom-line ? let’s wait a while longer before building a new township hall.
Maybe if we wait long enough we can someday build a municipal hall to house one Oxford government for all Oxford residents.
People are the foundation of good government, not bricks and mortar. ? CJC

It might be time for the Oxford Board of Education to start shopping around for a new superintendent.
Nothing personal against current superintendent Virginia Brennan-Kryo, but her recent pursuit of the superintendent’s position in the Novi school district indicates she’s most likely not satisfied with her $120,000-a-year job here in Oxford.
Even though she did not get the position in Novi, the point is it appears Brennan-Kyro may no longer be content here, therefore she’s not focusing all her attention on Oxford anymore.
It’s human nature. You can’t focus 100 percent of your mental and physical energies on doing your job in one place, if you’re dissatisfied there and seeking employment elsewhere.
You can’t devote 100 percent of your time and talents to your current employer ? which in this case is the parents and kids of the Oxford school district ? if your mind is planning a future elsewhere.
We believe Oxford’s kids deserve the absolute best and part of that means having a superintendent who gives his or her undivided attention to this district. Not one who’s sending out resumes and going on interviews.
If this was a one time thing, an isolated incident or a lark, and Brennan-Kyro is not actively seeking employment anywhere else, then we have no problem with her staying on as Oxford’s superintendent.
But if her bid for the Novi job is part of an on-going search to head another school district, then the Oxford Board of Education needs to start looking for a new superintendent right now. And hopefully hire one in time for the 2005-06 school year.
We thank Brennan-Kyro for her five years of service to the Oxford school district, but if it looks like the time has come to part ways, then let us shake hands and do it now in an amicable manner.
Oxford is a growing area in need of leadership committed to and focused on meeting the many challenges that still lay ahead.
We need leaders who want to make things better here because they plan on staying a while, maybe even buying a house and living here.
We don’t need leaders reading help wanted ads and searching for greener pastures.
Oxford’s kids deserve better than that.