9-14-2026

To the two angels who happened to appear out of nowhere in the vicinity of the old library at 9:30am on Sunday, September 6: My deepest gratitude for your quick thinking and response. You no doubt allowed me to see another sunrise. I am overwhelmed with your compassion. Once again, thank you and bless you.

George Daubner

BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR VARIANCE APPLICATIONS

Notice is hereby given that the Bridgewater Township Zoning Board of Appeals will hold public hearings on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in the Township Hall (10990 Clinton Road) to receive comments on a request from Timothy and Sarah Hackbarth for approval of the following variances from Section 3.101 (Table of Dimensional Standards by District) of the Zoning Ordinance No. 67:

1. a variance to encroach up to 25.0 feet into the required minimum 50.0-foot rear yard setback; and
2. a variance to encroach up to 4.0 feet into the required minimum 30.0-foot north side yard setback

to accommodate the encroachment of an existing dwelling and existing attached garage into the required side yard and to allow for construction of a new 24.0 foot by 36.0-foot addition with an up to one (1) foot wide roof overhang at the rear of the dwelling on a 2.21-acre lot at 10245 Kies Road (parcel Q-17-16-200-013) on the east side of Kies Road south of Burmeister Road in the NW¼ of Section 16 and in the AG (General Agriculture) zoning district.

The application materials may be viewed at the Township Hall by appointment through the Township Clerk’s office; please call (517) 513-9525 or email bridgewatertwpclerk@yahoo.com. Written comments on the proposed variance may be mailed to: Bridgewater Township Zoning Board of Appeals, 10990 Clinton Road, Manchester, MI 48158.

Necessary and reasonable auxiliary aids and services will be provided to individuals with disabilities at the public hearing upon five days’ notice to the Township Clerk.

September 3, 2026

The Manchester Fair Animal Clubs would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all of the generous sponsors who supported the youth livestock exhibitors and helped make this year fair a success! These local businesses and organizations play such an important role in helping our kids have the opportunity to raise, care for, and show their animals. We are incredibly grateful for your continued support of the Manchester Community Fair: Bootleg Brews, Briarwood Ford, Chelsea Lumber — Bridgewater, Clippin & Whippin, CLM Construction, Corrigan Oil, Gautz Enterprises, Jerome Country Market, M & M Smokehouse, Manchester American Legion, Manchester Masonic Lodge #148, Manchester Men Club, Patrick Conklin Farm Bureau, River Raisin Distillery, UA Local 190, UPI, Washtenaw County Farm Bureau, and Worth Repeating.

Cindy Grau
Manchester Fair Animal Clubs

Views expressed in any Letter to the Editor are always exclusively those of the author. Do you have something you want Manchester to know? Send your Letter to the Editor to themanchestermirror@gmail.com.

Grand Champion Pig, shown by Patrick Ernst. Purchased by Frank Place. Photo credit: Cindy Grau.

Reserve Champion Pig, shown by Sydney Porter. Purchased by Pat Conklin Farm Bureau. Photo credit: Cindy Grau.

Grand Champion Lamb, shown by Morgan Herrst. Purchased by J Proctor. Photo credit: Cindy Grau.

Reserve Champion Lamb, shown by Allison Blaine. Purchased by KPE Transport and Lauren Blaine, Cornerstone Realty. Photo credit: Cindy Grau.

Grand Champion Steer, shown by Anna Duvall. Purchased by Green Energy, Chemical Solutions, Wildt Farms/Beck Hybrid. Photo credit: Cindy Grau.

Reserve Champion Steer, shown by Caleb Benedict. Purchased by Chelsea State Bank. Photo credit: Cindy Grau.

BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MEETING SYNOPSIS
3-Sep-26

The regular monthly meeting of the Bridgewater Township Board of Trustees was called to order by Supervisor Fromhart at 7:05 p.m. Five board members were present (quorum), 9 people were present from the public and 4 citizens spoke. The board approved the 6-Aug-26 meeting minutes as presented. The Board approved the agenda as presented. The board approved claims listings of $59,532.50. The Board tabled the Burn Ordnance until next month meeting.ÌýThe Board approved Lisa Steinbach to the Zoning Board of Appeals, ending 12/31/2028. The Board heard Supervisor, Clerk & Treasurer reports. The board received written reports from the Zoning Administrator and the Assessor. The meeting was adjourned at 8:37 p.m.

Michelle McQueer
Bridgewater Township Clerk
Published: 5-Sep-26

Manchester City Hall, 912 City Road

CITY OF MANCHESTER

NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL VACANCY

The City of Manchester is accepting letters of interest from qualified residents interested in serving on the Manchester City Council following the passing of City Councilor Marsha Chartrand. The position will go until November 2028.

To be eligible for appointment to the City Council, an individual must have been a resident of the City of Manchester for a minimum of one year and must be a registered elector of the City at the time of appointment.

Letter of Interest & Appointment Schedule

• Letter of Interest Deadline: Letters of interest must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
• Letter of Interest Review: City Council will review the letters of interest at its September 8, 2026 City Council meeting.
• Applicant Interviews: Interviews will be conducted at the September 21, 2026 City Council meeting.
• Appointment: City Council anticipates selecting an individual to fill the vacancy at the September 21, 2026 City Council meeting.

Residents interested in serving their community are encouraged to submit a letter of interest.

Letters of interest shall be submitted to the City Clerk no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Freedom Township Hall

Freedom Township Board

11508 Pleasant Lake Road, Manchester, MI 48158

SYNOPSIS OF MEETING MINUTES

August 11, 2026, Regular Board Meeting

Held in person at the Freedom Town Hall

Meeting called to order at 8:00pm

Members present: Lindemann, Bristle, Layher, Schaible, Huehl absent-none Ìý 4 public in attendance.

The board heard public comments, communications received, and treasurer, clerk, planning commission, ordinance enforcement officer and zoning administrator reports.

Items approved:

1. Minutes for July 14, 2026
2. November Treasurer report
3. To accept the quote from K&L Telecom for the phone service provider for Freedom Township.
4. The safety event scheduled for Saturday, September 19^th, 2026, at the Freedom Town Hall starting at 10:00am.
5. To purchase Adobe Acrobat Standard application for teams.
6. Warrants

Second public comment

Meeting adjourned at 10:26p.m.

Prepared by Valisa Bristle, Clerk
Approved by Larry Lindemann, Supervisor

Copies of meeting minutes are available upon request from the Township Clerk or on the website at Ìý Ìý

Marsha Chartrand, founder, board member, and co-editor of the Manchester Mirror, April 2026. Photo by Fritz Swanson.

by Sara Swanson

I am sad to announce the passing of Marsha Chartrand, a founder of the Manchester Mirror, my co-editor, and my friend.

The paper would not have gotten off the ground without her involvement, and we will miss her knowledge of decades of Manchester history, newspaper industry experience, and moral compass. Although she had gradually cut back on the day-to-day work she was doing for the Mirror as her health got worse, she stayed involved almost up to the end, looking over the layouts before they were sent to the printer and giving them the thumbs-up from her hospital bed.

Losing Marsha is a huge blow to the Mirror. And what is truly hard to wrap my head around is that the Mirror is just one of the institutions she was involved with that are feeling this loss. Marsha was a current City Council member who had served on the Village council before that. She was also very active in her church, Clinton UCC. On top of the organizations she stayed active with after she began to get ill, there were many more she was active with just a few years ago.Ìý

I’m grieving the loss of my friend, but she had so many friends. There are so many people out there also feeling what I’m feeling. And, of course, none of this can compare to what her family is feeling.Ìý

As much as Marsha passing is my loss and the Mirror loss, it helps me to know that these are just a small percentage of the loss, and my grief, which feels huge and overwhelming, is just a small percentage of the grief being felt right now.Ìý

Marsha was smart, educated, talented, community-minded, and strong-willed. She took every opportunity that arose to participate and give back to Manchester. She was politically active and fought for justice. She had deep faith and cared deeply about veterans’ issues. She loved her family. She was compassionate and wry. She was creative and curious and always learning.

the Manchester Mirror will continue without her, but it is what it is today because it stands on a foundation that Marsha helped build. She will be deeply missed.Ìý

BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MEETING SYNOPSIS
6-Aug-26

The regular monthly meeting of the Bridgewater Township Board of Trustees was called to order by Supervisor Fromhart at 7:04 p.m. Five board members were present (quorum) with 5 citizens in attendance. The board approved the 04-Jun-26 meeting minutes as presented. The board approved the agenda as presented. The board approved monthly claims of $21,721.28 for June and the monthly claims of $74,179.81 for July. The board approved a motion to approve the WAVE contract for 26-27 in the amount of $2,500.00. The Board approved the Oblique Imagery Agreement for $1,311 as presented for the term of 7/16/26 – 4/5/27. The Board approved the Mannik & Smith Group Agreement for Professional Services not to exceed $10,000 as presented. The Board approved the Metro Act permit application for Cablevision Lightpath LLC as presented. The Board approved the Connecting Communities Resolution 2026-08 as presented. This resolution redirects funds for Washtenaw County to purchase land in Bridgewater township for connecting trails to other communities.ÌýBoard heard Supervisor and Clerk reports. The board received written reports from the Sheriff, Zoning Administrator, Assessor and Planning Commission. One citizen spoke for citizens participation. The meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m.

Michelle McQueer
Bridgewater Township Clerk
Published:Ìý– 07-Aug-26

Manchester Township Hall

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, the Manchester Township Planning Commission will conduct a Public Hearing, in accordance with the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, PA 110 of 2006, as amended, on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 07:00 pm at the Manchester Township Offices, located at 275 S. Macomb Street, Manchester, MI 48158.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this hearing is to receive public comment on a Conditional Land Use petition.

PETITION: Applicant is requesting approval to construct an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), located in the the AR (Rural Agricultural) Zoning District. Per Article 5, Section 5.03(CC), ADU are a permitted Conditional Use in the AR Zoning District, having first obtained approval under this statute.

PARCEL ID: P -16-11-200-002

LOCATION: Property is located north of Sanborn Road, South of Territorial Road, between Galloway Drive and South Macomb Street, at the address 19272 Sanborn Road, Manchester, Michigan 48158.

A copy of the proposed petition is available for public inspection at the Manchester Township offices during normal business hours. Written comments and/or inquiries may be submitted to the Manchester Township Clerk in person, or via email to dproctor@twp-manchester.org. This in compliance with the Michigan Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Manchester Township will provide auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities upon advance notice to the Manchester Township Clerk.

Freedom Township Hall

Freedom Township Board

11508 Pleasant Lake Road, Manchester, MI 48158

SYNOPSIS OF MEETING MINUTES

July 14, 2026, Regular Board Meeting

Held in person at the Freedom Town HallÌý

Meeting called to order at 8:00pmÌý

Members present: Lindemann, Bristle, Layher, Schaible, Huehl absent-none Ìý 6 public in attendance.

The board heard public comments, communications received, and treasurer, clerk, planning commission, ordinance enforcement officer and zoning administrator reports.Ìý

Items approved:

1. Minutes for June 9, 2026
2. November Treasurer report
3. To hire Markowski & Company CPA as the Freedom Township accounting firm to conduct the annual audit.
4. To approve the metro act permit application for Cablevision Lightpath LLC.
5. WarrantsÌý

Second public comment

Meeting adjourned at 9:59p.m.

Prepared by Valisa Bristle, Clerk
Approved by Larry Lindemann, Supervisor

Copies of meeting minutes are available upon request from the Township Clerk or on the website at Ìý Ìý