This letter was sent to the Mayor of Ann Arbor, John Hieftje, the Superintendent of Schools, George Fornero, the Ann Arbor News as a letter to the editor, the Board of Education trustees, the Sierra Club, the Ann Arbor City Council, the Michigan Botanical Club, the Washtenaw Land Trust, the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, the Michigan Nature Association and the Nature Conservancy.
May 5, 2005
Dear Mayor Hieftje:
Elected and appointed officials, who are leaders in Ann Arbor, particularly you, the Mayor, and Dr. Fornero, the Superintendent of the Board of Education, have sent a clear message to the parents and students of the Ann Arbor public schools and to the community: whether there is a complex issue that deserves careful analysis and bidirectional discussion publicly or whether there is a a fragile environment with diverse ecosystems and an endangered wildlife species that requires protection, just pave it over.
This mindset is a severely dangerous one to have when disagreements within the community exist, but it is clear this is where you and Dr. Fornero operate from as evidenced by your public and private responses to opposition to the building of the high school on Miller and M14. Both of you could have been champions of the community by protecting the environmental diversity and beauty of that land site, by encouraging and openly listening to alternate plans for that site, but your response has been clear--PAVE IT OVER; pave over the rich environment, pave over citizens' diverse views and ultimately pave over your own heroism, integrity and visionary leadership.
Instead of permitting the native plant club members of the Wild Ones to rescue wetland plants this weekend at the site, the Board of Education should be permitting all members of the community to rescue the ENTIRE SITE. This beautiful land needs our protection and care, our conservation and preservation, not our leaders' bulldozers and cement and destructive intent.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Hitt