Grass roots recognition: the 22nd Annual Awards Program for the Grand Traverse County Chapter of the Michigan Townships Association and the Grand Traverse County Planning Commission celebrated the accomplishments of local citizens, planners, village and township officials and developers.
Held Thursday evening at the Gilbert Lodge in Long Lake Township, the event drew 96 attendees and began with a program on dealing with change presented by Noreen Broering, the Fife Lake Village President and a professional leadership facilitator.
Launching into the awards, the evening recognized the contributions of citizens who make the time to attend countless planning meetings, wrestling in either obscurity or under the glare of irate citizens and probing media.
These "unsung heroes” deserve to be lauded, noted John Sych, director of planning for Grand Traverse County, as well as all the others acknowledged during the evening.
"The main reason is to bring awareness of the efforts of all the local officials, particularly the citizen planners who donate a lot of their time to their communities for good planning and for the betterment of the community,” he said. "Also to recognize those developments that have been created that fit into the plans and ideas of our communities.”
At the end of the evening, Michelle Haugen, Garfield Township Deputy Planner, received the Roger Williams Planner Award. The finale featured the Frank Purvis Stewardship Award being given to Karen Rosa, Long Lake Township Supervisor, completely stunning the 20-year veteran of the job.
"I had no idea, I was never so surprised in my life,” said Rosa, a native and lifelong resident of Long Lake Township serving her fifth term as supervisor. "It was a very nice honor, I'll tell you.”
Rosa pointed to the township's partnership with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy to preserve undeveloped land. The endeavor tapped funding from a 2006 millage as well as grants to purchase the 212-acre Cedar Run Creek Natural Area and a 120-acre parcel on South Long Lake Road.
Voters and officials took action, Rosa said, when they realized that one of the fastest-growing townships had very few parcels left to save for future generations.
"It's not just one person that makes this happen, the staff we have here at the township are so supportive and the township board — without them it wouldn't have happened,” she added, reflecting on the accessibility of township government: "I've learned a lot and become acquainted with so many wonderful people — township government is a level that people feel they can walk into this office and ask a question and get answers.”
Nominations for awards are received from the county's 13 townships while Midge Werner, the county planning technician, also keeps her finger on the pulse of the people and happenings of boards and in townships.
"It's important for us to have a good understanding of what's happening in the community,” said Sych.
Two of the three Government Partner Awards reflected assistance the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy provided to local townships. Acknowledging one effort, Carol Hockin, the Whitewater Township clerk, nominated Todd Vigland of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy for his help protecting the Battle Creek Natural Area.
The 255-acre parcel had multiple owners and was the largest strip of undeveloped land on the south end of Elk Lake. The conservancy and township navigated the challenges together to preserve it. The conservancy is now helping the township develop a management plan.
"It is such a neat area, it really is, and to think that it will be preserved for future generations, that's really inspiring,” said Hockin.