by Joe Paczkowski

UPDATE: 4/8/08 - The plot thickens. I have a report that even though Jason pretended not to know John Rowe from UP Engineers it appears they are good friends from the Michigan Township Association meetings. Another Oberle crony? These guys are getting paid an estimated $17,500 for the Recreation plan and the Land use plan. Much more to come on this one folks. Watch part two of the meeting when I get it online and you tell me if you don't smell something fishy?

UPDATE: 4/7/08 - Nobody knows what happened! Even though UP Engineers decided to show up just in time to come to Marvin's rescue they don't have an answer to why the Recreation plan mysteriously disappeared from their website. They declared the document a "living document" as part of their explanation why the trails are not in the plan. A living plan? I would call it dead on arrival! Long story short..they adopted the recreation plan anyways without adding the trails in. Continued arrogance..they don't care about your opinion. They are going to do whatever they please until they are replaced. Marvin said the Board paid $8,000.00 for this glorified high school project. Please read this plan and see if you agree.

UPDATE: 4/5/08 - Guess what? In a series of events surrounding the Kinross recreation plan, the Board has decided to put the Recreation plan on the agenda of the regular meeting this Monday, April 7th. Three years in the making and they finally are going to take some more action on the plan. It just so happens its is after we detailed their errors and reported them here on kinross.biz. Do you think they will add the trails now?

UPDATE: 4/3/08 - A cover up is on the way at the Kinross Township offices. U.P. Engineers & Architects pulled their online plan (see notice at left) which has been on their website for many months all of a sudden last night after this story was published. See page 2 of the Recreation Plan. Nevertheless I Have obtained a copy from the LSSU library and scanned it in for all to see.

ORIGINAL 4/1/08 -  I have to say I was even more disappointed than usual in the Townships "Recreation Plan". I hate to ask...how much did we pay U.P. Engineers & Architects to produce this document? I am trying to stay on the positive side but I must point out the obvious. This plan does not even list the snowmobile trails (also used for dog sled races), cross country skiing trails, or the RV trails. Just a bit short sighted don't you think. One of the biggest tourism assets to Kinross and they are not listed in the plan. Apparently they don't think the taxpayers use the trails locally. Apparently they don't understand that the trails generate much needed revenue for our struggling businesses The 38 miles of Kinross area trails should be a focal point of the Recreation plan. Hard copies of this Recreation Plan can also be viewed at the LSSU Library, the Pickford High School Library and the Rudyard High School Library. That is unless they already pulled those copies as well. Once again this Board is so out of touch with what this community needs or requires that they can no longer function honestly. Remember last winter when they "forgot" to list the snowmobile trails as open on the website and as a result many snowmobilers took their business else ware. How much money did our community businesses lose that winter. The chairman of the Recreation committee is Marvin Besteman. Marvin should know better. The process to produce this plan was started in 2005 and the results so far are pathetic at best. Make your voice heard and let him know that the trails are an intricate part of our economy and should be a part of all planning the Township does. Don't let him pull the wool over your eyes and say that the public should have given the recreation committee input at the designated time either. This is a no brainer folks.