Judge Kelley Kostin congratula... HOLLY, Michigan – A new village manager, a new police chief, a small business explosion in downtown Holly and a Metro League Championship football team are just a few of the things that made Holly special this last year. For anyone who may have missed the top stories, this recap is for you!
Newbies
The 2011 brought the village of Holly two new key department heads with council members hiring Jerry Walker in March to officially serve as village manager, and Elena Danishevskaya to serve as the village’s chief of police.
A retired city manager for Walled Lake, members of Holly’s personnel and finance committees initially recommended Walker for the interim job last September following council’s decision to terminate former Village Manager Marsha Power’s employment.In April, council officially named Danishevskaya as the head of the Holly Police Department.
Danishevskaya, 42 has over 20 years of law enforcement experience and was formally hired to take over as Holly’s new chief in March. Danishevskaya spent the last six years of her career serving as chief of police for the city of Memphis in Macomb and St. Clair counties. She officially began her career in Holly on April 4.
Ongoing water and sewer issues
Shortly after Walker took the reins in April, it was announced that the village was drowning in water and sewer debt.
While the village pays nearly $1.7 million in water and sewer bonds per year, Walker reported that the enterprise fund cash reserves had dwindled to approximately $800,000.
The deficiencies in the old system, according to Walker were discovered just after the 2010-2011 audit was presented, causing the old rate structure to fall short of covering the annual debt and operational costs.
In August, council members approved increasing water and sewer rates again after the noted deficiencies in the system caused the village’s Standards and Poor’s credit rating to drop from an “A” to a “BBB+.”
Business booms in downtown Holly
Over a dozen new businesses moved to Holly over the spring and summer months, transforming historical downtown Holly into a shopping destination.
John and Dee Van Boemel celebr...
In March, television cameras, newspaper reporters and a record turnout of residents and local officials added to the excitement as the village of Holly celebrated the grand openings of several downtown businesses including Great Lakes Artisan Village, the BlackThorn Pub, Capital Music and Soundstage, as well as the grand reopening of Morgan’s Boutique and new ownership of Bittersweet Café. In July, the trend continued with Studio 215, Fenton Winery, Fire and Ice Café, and the Great Lakes Market Place all following suit. Later on in the year, Movies in the Village, and A Simpler Time Antiques also opened their doors downtown, while the popular Holly Candle Shoppe relocated to its current Battle Alley digs.
“We're fortunate to have such a dynamic group of people committed to turning business around in Holly,” Oakland County Commissioner Bob Hoffman said in July. At the time, Hoffman estimated that the new businesses had brought between 45 and 50 new jobs to Holly.
HPD ends rash of village larcenies
A rash of larcenies in the village of Holly that put residents and business owners on high alert last August came to an end after members of the Holly Police Department arrested a Holly teenager in connection with the crimes.
In October, the youth’s mother contacted HPD after finding what appeared to be stolen property in her home. A search of the home produced numerous other concealed items believed to be stolen in more than 200 larcenies occurring in Holly, Fenton and Clarkston last summer.
Powers versus village of Holly lawsuit settled
In litigation that spanned nearly one and a half years, the village of Holly finally settled with former Village Manager Marsha Powers this month.
In a vote of 5-1, council memb...
Powers filed a lawsuit with the Genesee County Circuit Court against the village of Holly on Sept. 10, 2010. Holly Village Council members fired Powers without cause three days earlier after she turned down council’s offer to take an early retirement with full benefits in exchange for her giving the village of Holly a release from any legal claims she may have had.
While the trial was slated for Jan. 24, 2012, the village settled with Powers on Dec. 12. In the agreement, the village of Holly and its insurer agreed to pay Powers $356,500. Additionally, the village of Holly will provide 65 percent of the health care premium for a single subscriber under the retiree healthcare plan beginning no later than Jan. 1, 2012 through the end of the calendar year in which Powers attains the age of 65.
Holly’s first annual Patriot Week Festival deemed a huge success
Holly began a new tradition in 2011 by hosting the first annual Patriot Week Festival, Sept. 11 – 17 in downtown Holly.
Patriot Week renews America’s spirit by celebrating the first principles, founding fathers, and other patriots, vital documents and speeches, and flags that make America the greatest nation in world history. Judge Michael Warren, who along with his daughter, Leah Warren, co-created Patriots Week, said many of the current holidays have become overly commercialized or have lost their deeper meaning, causing the need for citizens to invigorate their appreciation and understanding of the American spirit.
This year’s event included a wreath-laying ceremony at Great Lakes National Cemetery, a patriotic parade through the streets of downtown Holly, a Patriot’s picnic including a refreshment tent, and entertainment.
Festival coordinators are already busy planning for a bigger and better festival in 2012.
Dickens gets downsized
For more than three decades, Holly’s Dickens Festival has helped to lure thousands of yuletide visitors to its historical downtown area by transforming Battle Alley into a living chapter of Charles Dickens’ book, “A Christmas Carol.”
Volunteers are a key ingedient...
While the festival normally ran for at least three weekends in November and December, financial constraints and a dismal economy forced Dickens coordinators to scale it down to just one weekend this year, sponsoring three solid days of Dickens on the same weekend as the popular “Run Like the Dickens” 5K and 10K road race.
Even though the festival ran for one weekend only, downtown merchants reported record crowds and record proceeds for their efforts this year.
The Dickens Committee is hoping to add a weekend or two back into next year’s schedule, and is pleased that the Dickens tradition could be carried on for another year.
Sherman Middle School closes, ground breaks at Holly Academy
In March, members of the Holly Area Schools Board of Education opted to close Sherman Middle School as part of the $4.6 million of necessary budget cuts. The school officially closed its doors after the 2001-2011 school year.
Closing the building resulted in expanding the district’s elementary schools to K-6, and moving seventh and eighth grade students to the Karl Richter Intermediate School, later renamed Holly Middle School.
Meanwhile over at Holly Academy, ground breaking ceremonies took place in June as increasing enrollment at the K-8 charter school forced administrators to begin looking into expansion.
Demolition on the Holly Academ...
The old girl’s dormitory came crashing down in mid-August as part of the $2 million project that will eventually leave the school with a 15,000 square foot expansion that will house a third science laboratory, a new media center, a multi-purpose room, additional classrooms, and office space.
With the old girls’ dormitory gone, construction work continues to rage on in time to be open for the 2012-2013 school year.
Bronchos make the playoffs
For the first time in 59 years, the Holly Brochos football team claimed its first Flint Metro League title over Lansing Waverly on Oct. 2.
“It’s just incredible,” Coach Ryan Colloty said after the game. “We responded to everything they threw at us – it’s a great win for the team, and it means so much for the community, too.”
The Bronchos eventually fell to the South Lyon Lions on Oct. 29 with a score of 33-14. “This was a tough game, and the boys hurt now,” Colloty said. “But they’ve done a tremendous job all year,” he added. “They took the coaching well and worked hard – I can’t think of a better group, and it’s games like this that will build character in them.”
Rose and Springfield townships get new supervisors
Springfield Township’s former supervisor Mike Trout resigned from his post in June after taking another job elsewhere.
Trout was replaced by the previous Springfield Township Supervisor, Colin Walls. Walls will function as the township’s supervisor through November of 2012.
In November, Rose Township Supervisor Alison Kalcec also announced that she would be resigning, effective Dec. 31. Earlier this month, Rose Township officials appointed Glenn Noble to take over as supervisor, riding out Kalcec’s term which ends in November of 2012.
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Rose Township Clerk recognized for achie...
Rose Township Clerk recognized for achie...
Rose Township Clerk recognized for achie...
