Supervisor Chad Moody

832-7882

Your board and I have been working very hard over the past few months to make some updates and minor changes to improve the functionality of the township. By the time you receive this newsletter the board should have completed the budget for the next year. In these economic times we are determined to make every dollar worth while. Your hard earned tax dollars are not going unnoticed and will be used conscientiously.

Every one should have received a notice that the assessor will be updating our cards for tax purposes only and will be visiting properties. This is in full swing. Please remember that the assessor/ appraiser will not ask to enter your home. This update is long overdue so please show your consideration to the assessor.

Just a reminder that if you are having a problem with your brown trash bin, please call the township hall, or Republic Waste Systems directly. The phone number is written on the bin.

I would like to congratulate our newly appointed Treasurer, Stacey Thompson. Stacey will be a welcome addition to our board. Her contact information can be found on the township web page at www.homertownship.org under the treasurer tab.

Congratulations to Chippewa Nature Center for partial completion of their expansion. I think this new facility will be a great addition to the Homer Township residents.

As always you can look for regular updates on our website. If I can help with any questions or concerns, please call me at the hall or email me. I will try to return emails and calls within 24 hours.

Have a very safe Fourth of July holiday !

You can use the Homer Road Park Pavilion/ball fields from April to October. Call Anna Miller at 631-6656 to schedule a date for your next party.

Clerk Todd Lee

832-0964

clerk@homertownship.org

Hello Homer residents.

It has been a long winter and hopefully summer is just around the corner. With spring here, of course, brings spring clean up. Burning permits are available at the DNR website. Refuse tags are available at the hall for $.75 each.

Recycle bins are available at the hall. The first is free, and each additional one is $6.00.

I am at the hall usually every morning between 8-9 am. I am also at the hall some evenings as well. You should call first before coming in the evening. Please feel free to contact me for anything.

Assessor Dawn Gentz

Just a reminder that the appraiser from Northern Michigan Assessing, Frank Gentz, will be visiting all properties for the next few weeks during the summer. His black truck is identified and he will be walking your property for the township. If you have any questions, call Chad Moody, our township supervisor.

Library Hours Reduced

Summer Fun at the Library

Beginning July 1, 2009, the weekday hours at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library will be reduced one hour each day. The new hours will be:

Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday hours will remain at

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday hours will resume on September 13^th.

Financial challenges facing the City of Midland have resulted in cuts in all departments. The library is eliminating four positions which have resulted in the reduction of hours.

If you are staying close to home this summer, be sure to stop by the library and join the Summer Reading Program that begins on June 8^th. Children, teens and adults are welcome to read and earn prizes.

Special summer events for children include:

Baffling Bill’s Magic Show, Tuesday, June 23^rd, 7 p.m..........

Fun Arts Fair, Tuesday, June 30^th, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m........

Touch a Truck Day, Thursday, July 23^rd, 9:30 -11:30 a.m......... and

Bubbleman, Thursday, July 28^th, 7 p.m.

Information about these performances and others, story times, movies, and Crafty Thursdays is available at the library, on the library’s website, and by phone at 837-3466.

Teens can test their skills at board games and Wii at several different times this summer. For dates and times, call 837-3466 or go to the library’s website.

The popular movie, “Twilight,” will be shown on Thursday, June 18^th, 6 p.m.

Pizza and pop will accompany the book discussion on Ella Enchanted and the movie on Monday, July 13^th, 6 p.m. for teens in grades 6-8.

Adults can enjoy movies every Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. June 9^th through August 11^th.

A Summer Book Discussion will be held on Thursday, July 16^th, 7 p.m. and Wednesday, July 22^nd, 2 p.m. on The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman. Copies of the book are available at the library. Call for more details at 837-3449.

The Summer Reading Program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Check out the library’s website for more information about upcoming events and activities.

www.midland-mi.org/gracedowlibrary

The library also offers free wireless access, borrow-a-laptop for in-library service and a wide variety of reading materials for everyone. Visit the library today!

Melissa Barnard, Library Director

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHIPPEWA NATURE CENTER

After six months of construction, Chippewa Nature Center’s (CNC) Margaret Ann (Ranny) Riecker Nature Preschool Center, is complete. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on September 11, 2009. This premier early childhood center welcomes its first nature preschoolers on September 14, 2009, for the 2009-10 school year. The Preschool building was Phase I of the $11.7 million Nature Center expansion project.

With this success, CNC turns its attention to Phase II, the Visitor Center. Over 600 donors have contributed $6.3 million to the project.

Foundation support includes

The Doan Family Foundation

The Alden & Vada Dow Family Foundations

The Dow Chemical Company Foundation

The Dow Corning Foundation

The Francis Goll Mills Memorial Fund

The Frank N.Andersen Foundation

The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation

The Midland Area Community Foundation

The Jury Foundation

The Kantzler Foundation

The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation

The Charles J. Strosacker Foundation and

The Bay Area Community Foundation.

The two other major supporters include the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) and Chemical Bank. Financial gifts have been pledged from 22 companies and businesses, 13 service groups, one government grant and many individuals throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. Fundraising is ongoing, as the organization works to secure the remainder of the funds through individual and corporate gifts and foundation grants. The Visitor Center construction timetable will be altered to reflect current funding, and the anticipated completion date is contingent upon securing the remainder of the funds.

The Chippewa Nature Center Visitor Center expansion project reflects the need for quality environmental education and sustainable living solutions, educating the public on real-world applications of green building practices. The temporary Visitor Center continues to serve as a place to register for courses, attend programs, talk to a naturalist and find expansion progress updates.

For information on how to become involved in the Chippewa Nature Center Expansion Project, contact Dick Touvell, Executive Director, at 989-631-0830 or dtouvell@chippewanaturecenter.org

You can also visit the Nature Center’s website

at www.chippewanaturecenter.org Jamie Hockstra

Treasurer Stacey Thompson 631-3422

As many of you know, Albert Tew, Homer Township Treasurer, passed away this past April. His loss will definitely be felt.

On June 2, 2009 the Homer Township Board appointed a new treasurer. As the new treasurer, I will be in place until 2010. My name is Stacey Thompson and I will be your new treasurer.

I was Al’s daughter and his deputy treasurer for the past six years and during the last year I had learned many of the duties that are held by the treasurer during my father’s illness. I

know that I have taken many of your tax payments during the last tax season and spoke with many over the phone. I want you all to know that I am working diligently to learn my duties as your treasurer.

I want this transition time to go as smoothly as possible for the township, especially now with the summer tax

season approaching. One of the biggest

changes that you will find is that I will be moving the office to the township

In with the summer tax bills, you will find an information card that will have office collection season along with the new phone number for the treasurer’s office.

Again I want you all to know that I will be continuing to work diligently at learning all that needs to be done so this transition can go as smoothly as possible. I look forward to this next year. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congratulations to anyone

who graduated this year!

Good Luck!

DID YOU KNOW?

hall.

As the summer tax bills become due, payments will need to be made at the hall or mailed to 522 N. Homer Rd,

which is the township hall’s address.

As a Homer Township resident, you can rent the hall for a $20 deposit and $40 rental fee. The deposit is refunded if the hall is returned cleaned. Funerals are free. The hall is not available on Monday or Wednesday evenings. To reserve the hall, call Pam Varner at 832-9618.

SUPERVISOR Chad Moody

832-7822

TREASURER Stacey Thompson

631-3422

CLERK Todd Lee

832-0964

TRUSTEES Charlie Glynn

835-1207

John Pruett

631-2775

John Stern

835-4203

Russ Varner

835-6845

Assessor Dawn Gentz

989-389-0832

Fire Chief John Hanson

832-8034

Building Inspector Kevin Varner

838-9181

Electrical Inspector Mike Gravis

631-3336

Plumbing Inspector Ted Van Wert

631-9645

Township Hall Pam Varner

Rental 832-9618

Park Pavilion Anna Miller

Rental 631-6656

Newsletter Carolann Maxwell

631-7488