Chelsea, Michigan, Wednesday
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T QUOTE “If at first you do sue- 5 0 c seed—try to hide your aston pvr ropy ishment.” —Los Angeles. Times. Printed on Recycled Paper PI^S , ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FOURTH YEAR-No. 12 CHELSEA, MICHIGAN, WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 9,1995 24 Pages This Week supplement X )■' ■ j v m did so in the spring. The recommendation states the land f e l ® | ■ County Board of Commissioners has » should be annexed and developed as low density resi sc' ' m final say over boundary change. dential, which is called for in the General Development Plan. Low-density, according to Steele, allows four An attorney who specializes in land-use issues has homes per acre. been asked to draw up a property description on the A report by the commission examines how the expan Martin Merkel parcel in Lima township despite the local sion of village boundaries and the development of man businessman’s request to have an annexation request ufactured housing park on the site could affect the vil tabled. lage, Merkel and his partners have proposed a 400-unit Richard Steele, Chelsea Village Council president, trailer park in the past. The commission-driven report 'f&it "4,* 'v w said Monday that council voted July 25 to have Randy states a development of that size would put a strain on Kraker of Vernum, Riddering, Schmidt and Hewlett & the School system and village services, such as police, draw up the. properly description so council can proceed, fire, water and sewer. with a boundary change petition-. A final decision was . r|.' | | i-nWf^iinHvrW, expected at last night’s council meeting provided all doc “I would assume their intentions are the same as > *<‘>vWCA' ” » uments were available. If action is taken locally, the they’ve always been,” Steele said about Merkel’s plans St. Mary's church today. boundary change will be forwarded to the County Board for manufactured housing on the site. “Our intention is to ot Commissioners for approval. It will be at least anolh- bring the land in,.then we will tackle the zoning issue, er month before the county board holds a public hearing We will keep it consistent with the General Development and makes a decision. Plan.” Steele said council has reactivated the request bas|sd .■ 1______ .. The 157 on advice from its attorney. He said it has been recom- f - - 77— " " ”1 acres is presently mendecLthat the village take-inin the landlaiul based un an zoned agricultural agreement entered between Merkel and the council in would assume in Lima township. 1976. The agreement was reached when the council their intentions are the If the village needed an easement through the Merkel property. The same as they've always boundary is amend document requires the village annex Merkel’s land and ed to include the provide water and sewer service to the site. According to been.” 117 acres, the land Steele, approximately~in acres of the 157-aere sitejwiH— Would retain its Parishioners of St. Mary’s are cel of the land hot occupied-by the Savage of the Most Holy Trinity — RichanfSteele; ebrating the historic church’s 150 church was used as a cemetery. likely be annexed per the agreement. Council president zoning until a church in Detroit. When he died, he Council has been wrangling with Merkel’s annexation years in Sylvan township with a Before the church and cemetery was buried in the old Sylvan request is made to request for a year now. Chelsea Village .Planning jubilee slated Aug. 12. were established, Catholics buried Cemetery, near the spot he delivered have it changed. Commission was asked to make a recommendation, and Steele said requests are usually made within two years Among the activities planned are their dead on the McLaughlin farm hts first Mass. a barbecue and dance Saturday Aug, about two. miles away. Another local boy who became a 12 and a Latin Mass Sunday,_Aug. ch-s -The-ehurch-served-as-a-misshnr I priest was Charles Reilly. He was ft" 13. A choir concert is slated for Sept. and was part of the parish in Dexter. of.I astor of St. Patrick’s church in 17. Services were irregular in the begin letroit and later pastor of St. Mary’s The church has been a popular ning. The missionary’s arrival was E of Adrian, where he founded St. place of worship with area residents heralded by a messenger who noti Joseph’s Academy. over the years. First constructed on a fied residents of the time of services. Among the parishioners who two-acre tract of hillside land donat A visiting priest would often spend ■* were prominent in the old Sylvan ed by Darius Pierce, a state legisla the night in the anteroom behind the tor, the church has since been twice church were the Savages, Cassidys, (UV MMtrrr;. alter or at the home of a parishioner. Burnses, Dorans, Hagans, Mclntees, ftp,-*-’* /. .... ....—,% relocated and renovated but has con- Official records of the church Walshes, Looneys, O’Neils, 1 0 tinued to serve its purpbse. dare back to 1861. At that; time, the * * * Quigleys, Marrinanes, Morrisseys, JL >,HU******-****#*******' -SSL Rev. Fr. John Van Jennip of St. Giles, Lammers, Gormans, St. Mary *s Church Joseph’s Parish in Dexter was McKanes, Morans, Howes, Mullens, When built in 1845, the church attending the mission project. Duffys, Walls, Ryans, Kennedys, 1-H1 was known as St. Mary’s church of One of the more prominent prod Flemings, Geraghtys, O’Connors *.*4*$.*.* is. r- i i n ’ Sylvan and included 25 members. ucts of this early church was James 4/j ****** . and McKunes. Many of their descen Since that time, it has grown to Savage. His family lived nearby and dants are members of St. Maiy's ■:t* A fc fy- include 675. The original church was Savage attended the church until he today. - plain and unpainted, apd after two went qway *° study for the priest- The Sylvan church was relieved additions... .. ___ grew. The interior was also hood He returned in 1869 to cele- of its usefulness when*-new brick imp 1 tffipihte&wlth Wooden pews. It had brate his first Mass. He later rose to £htir6h was built in the Village neither a bell nor a cross. The portion be Right Reverend Msgr. James . Chelsea in 1869. Ifi April of 1903, a •'X ■-X fire completely destroyed the little mission church originally erected. The corner stone of the church read Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The building was constructed under the direction of Fr. Van Jennip Of the Dexter parish, Frank Staffan is believed to have built it with John Foster providing the carpentry. It was built of brick, and its steeple ___becarne_a-landmark of Chelsea as it could be seen for some distance. Father Rafter took over for a few . | months in 1871, but was replaced PARKER CORNERS CRAFTSMEN is the name his honor at the annual 4-H Youth Fair held last during the same^year by Fr Timothy 0f the 4-H Club led by Scio township farmer Ray month. Former members contributed some of their SlaHery of Dexter. He said Mass in Schairer for the past 50 years. A booth was erected In work to the exhibit. Chelsea every third Sunday. r v It was in 1878 that St. Maty’s was established as a parish, rather than a mission. With the change came the first priest , to-serve the church. The St. Mary’s of Sylvan. Rev. Patrick Duhig, under whose administration the first rectory was built, was hired. He remained in the post through 1881, when Bishop Borgess placed Duhig in the Northfield parish and Northfield’s 4 - H priest, Fr. William P. Considine, jn Chelsea. Considine remained in the MLocal farmer has been a leader to During his club years, Schairer enjoyed working with farm crop. He raised coni,-wheat and oats, and exhibit local parish for the next 34 years. three generations o f 4-H youth. ed samples during the County Fair-held on the county In September of 1888,. the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary Long-time Scio township farmer Ray Schairer has fairgrounds, now the home of Veteran’s Park in Ann under the title of The Assumption of : committed a life-time to.4-H. Few can say they’ve spent Arbor. : f e * ~ the Blessed Virgin and the Patronage half a century leading youngsters in the organization. When Schairer was a young man of 20, a friend asked of St. Agnes was organized. On Feb. Last month, the former dairy farmer was rightly hon- him if he would share his woodworking hobby with a gue * dCQuple-of-boys-she taught as 0 teacher in acountry "Heart was started as the first Friday Youth Show. The recognition comes just four months' schoolhouse. “She talked me into taking it over. I did Devotion in the parish. after he was presented with the Distinguished Service. that, and kept on evet since,” He said. Schairer and the Award from the Washtenaw County Livestock Council. boys named their 4-H Club Parker Corners Craftsmen. •; Under Considine’s rule, the The, name represents Parker School; the country, school church wak decorated and pastoral . A booth-was_ereeted by Schairer's-former club mem* .hers in his honor at the annual 4-H Show. On display he attended from grades first through eighth before going, residence beautified.. The grounds were many o f the woodworking projects his club mem to Dexter High. It was located on the corner of Jackson for. the new Mt. QlivcV Cemetery and Parker roads.