The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Democrats face off for township positions
Seats will be determined through primary
By Brian Cox, Heritage Newspapers
PUBLISHED: July 24, 2008
In the absence of a Republican opponent in the November general election, the Democratic primary Aug. 5, with its traditionally low turnout, is expected to determine the leadership makeup of Pittsfield Township for the next four years, barring a successful write-in campaign.
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Two camps of Democratic candidates have squared off against one another in the township — one, not surprisingly, calling for change and the other, just as unsurprisingly, urging constancy.
The first slate consists largely of incumbents who have assembled an influential political apparatus that has shown tremendous fundraising capability and drawn the endorsement of Congressman John Dingell.
Calling itself "Community Effort for Pittsfield," the slate is headed up by Township Supervisor James Walter and Treasurer Christina Lirones, both of whom are seeking their third term in office after being swept in eight years ago on a wave of opposition to a proposed development called Newmarket.
Clerk Feliziana Meyer is seeking a second term. She was elected in 2004 after Lirones left the clerk's office to pursue the treasurer's seat.
Rounding out the slate are board incumbents Kenneth Brostrom, Gregory Conner and Andrea Urda-Thompson. Joining the "Community Effort for Pittsfield" team is newcomer Karen Zera, who is looking to take the seat of Marilyn Burhop, who is not running again.
As validation for seeking re-election, the incumbents point to the township's balanced budget, a low millage rate of 5.195 mills that has not changed in six years, the purchase of 773 acres of parkland, and a $4.8 million general fund balance at the end of last year.
Nonetheless, the township leadership was hotly criticized two years ago for its handling of a proposal to construct a Wal-Mart at the corner of US-12 and State Road. A recall effort against Walter, Lirones and Meyer was handily defeated.
One of the primary charges coming from the incumbents' opponents, a slate called "Pittsfield Promise," stems from campaign financing of the recall fight.
The challengers, headed up by supervisor candidate Mandy Grewal, question tens of thousands of dollars developers and investors from the Bloomfield Hills area donated to the campaign against the recall.
Grewal went so far as to characterize the donations as "kickbacks," which prompted the "Community Effort for Pittsfield" camp to issue a swift call for a retraction.
Grewal, who currently serves as a county commissioner, also says the current township officeholders are not open, approachable or transparent, arguing that after nearly a decade it's time for a change in the township's leadership.
In addition to Grewal, the "Pittsfield Promise" slate is comprised of former Milan mayor Alan Israel, who is running for township clerk; Patricia Tupacz Scribner for treasurer, and trustee candidates Stephanie Hunt, Gerald Krone, Tom Sherony and Chol Yi.
"Pittsfield Promise" candidates have received the endorsement of the Pittsfield Township Police Officers Association and the Pittsfield Township Firefighters Union.
The Pittsfield Promise slate of candidates consists of:
Mandy Grewal for township supervisor
Grewal, who was elected a county commissioner in 2006 and is married to former county commissioner Robert Brackenbury, has lived in Pittsfield Township for 14 years. She currently serves as the vice chairwoman of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners and is chairwoman of the County Planning Advisory Board. She has a doctorate in urban planning from the University of Michigan and a master's in development, trade and planning from Eastern Michigan University. She serves on the Head Start Policy Board and has worked with SafeHouse on domestic violence issues.
Alan Israel for township clerk
A former mayor of the city of Milan (1988-1995), Israel has lived in Pittsfield Township for nine years. He is the chief of staff for the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office. He has previously served as a deputy sheriff and as township clerk for Superior Township (1974-1978). Israel and his wife of 28 years, Eleanor, have two daughters and four grandchildren. He currently sits on the board of trustees for Michigan Opera Theater and the board of directors for the Michigan Municipal League Foundation.
Patricia Scribner for township treasurer
Scribner has lived in Pittsfield Township for 15 years and is currently the vice president of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, on which she has served since 1989. Active in the Democratic Party, she was the chairwoman of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party from 1992 to 2002 and spent 16 years as an international representative for the UAW International union. She and her husband Edgar have two daughters and a granddaughter.
Chol Yi for trustee
Yi moved to Pittsfield Township in 1999. He is currently president of Liberty Street Partners LLC. He has served as president of the Korean-American Society of Greater Ann Arbor and as Washtenaw County volunteer coordinator for John Kerry's Presidential Campaign in 2004. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Korean Language School. He is married with two children.
Tom Sherony for trustee
Sherony has lived in Pittsfield Township since 2004. After earning a bachelor's degree at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Sherony moved to Southeast Michigan to work as an automotive engineer. He currently works with WDIV Channel 4 as a full-time helicopter pilot. He also serves as the secretary for the Ashford Village Subdivision Homeowners' Association.
Stephanie Hunt for trustee
The reigning Mrs. United States, Hunt has lived in Pittsfield Township for 11 years. She has championed the cause of the rare disorders nationally since discovering her 4-year-old son, Donnie, is afflicted with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome. She is currently a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines and spokeswoman for the National Organization for Rare Disorders. She was named Mrs. Michigan in 2007 and is the co-founder of Dress for Success. She has two sons and two stepsons. Her husband of 10 years, Donald, is an attorney.
Gerald Krone for trustee
Krone, a former trustee of the Saline Area Schools Board of Education, has resided in Pittsfield Township for 23 years. He worked at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry and the Michigan Department of Community Health for more than 25 years. He serves as secretary of the Silo Ridge Subdivision Homeowners' Association. He and his wife of 32 years have two children.
The slate of candidates for a "Community Effort for Pittsfield" is:
James Walter for supervisor
Walter is seeking his third four-year term as township supervisor. In addition to teaching mathematics at Eastern Michigan University for 37 years, Walter has served as a Washtenaw County commissioner, a county planning commissioner for 21 years, a county and township parks commissioner, and a board member of the Ecology Center. He has a doctorate from Wayne State University and a master's degree from the University of Michigan.
Christina Lirones for treasurer
Lirones was elected to a four-year term as township clerk in 2000 before running for treasurer in 2004. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and owned a graphic design company for seven years. She has served as the chairwoman of the Pittsfield Planning Commission for eight years and of the Saline Sustainability Circle since 2005. She and her husband have owned a family farm in the township since 1994.
Feliziana Meyer for clerk
Meyer was elected township clerk in 2004. A former student services administrator at the University of Michigan Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, she is currently the president of the Pittsfield Economic Development Corp. and second vice chairwoman of the Washtenaw County Planning and Advisory Board. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in business administration from Eastern Michigan University.
Kenneth Brostrom for trustee
Brostrom, who is seeking a third term, has a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and master's and doctorate degrees from the University of Michigan. He is an associate professor at Wayne State University. He sits on the Pittsfield Township Historical Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals, and is former chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Gregory Conner for trustee
Conner is seeking a third team on the township board. He has a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and a master's degree in business administration, specifically systems management and operations research, from the University of Southern California. He is a quality engineering manager at Ford Motor Co. He is a member of the Pittsfield Township Natural Resources Commission and the Elections Commission
Andrea Urda-Thompson for trustee
Urda-Thompson is seeking a second term as township trustee. She has a bachelor's degree in geography and environmental studies from Aquinas College and a master's in geography from Eastern Michigan University. She is a high school science teacher at Roberto Clemente School. She served as a Pittsfield Township planning commissioner for three years and sits on the Pittsfield Township Historical Commission.
Karen Zera for trustee
Zera has chaired the Pittsfield Township Parks Commission for the past four years. A retired eighth-grade teacher, she is a former Girl Scout troop leader and troops services director. She sits on the Pittsfield Township Natural Resources Commission.
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