South Haven mayor candidates differ widely

Vote for Dorothy!

I would rather vote for The Tin Man or The Scarecrow.

Burr is a businessman--what's his business? How long has he lived in South Haven? I've not heard of him nor do I recognize his family name (not that such matters too much--I'm just using family name as a point of reference in case I may know some of his relatives/acquaintances).

“When we look at our downtown, there’s not that much reason for people who live here to come downtown in the winter. That’s not good for the community. The downtown should be the heart of a community. It doesn’t help if 50 percent of stores are closed and 50 percent of housing stock is empty.”

Then stop your urban sprawling re-zonation that favors stores to be established out by I-196. All that does is create a drive-by climate that passes South Haven by. I've been away from South Haven for over 30 years, but I still consider it my home town. It's so sad to come back and see what has happened to a once vibrant downtown after 3 decades of catering to tourists. Get going Mrs. Appleyard!!!

I think downtown reflects exactly what the city is.

I like the theater (9 months out of the year) and once Wolverine moves I'll probably go there more, but beyond the odd meal, there is really nothing else down there for anyone other than tourists.
(Maybe a rug from Ducy's once a year)

KyObserver wrote:

“When we look at our downtown, there’s not that much reason for people who live here to come downtown in the winter. That’s not good for the community. The downtown should be the heart of a community. It doesn’t help if 50 percent of stores are closed and 50 percent of housing stock is empty.”
Then stop your urban sprawling re-zonation that favors stores to be established out by I-196. All that does is create a drive-by climate that passes South Haven by. I've been away from South Haven for over 30 years, but I still consider it my home town. It's so sad to come back and see what has happened to a once vibrant downtown after 3 decades of catering to tourists. Get going Mrs. Appleyard!!!

With Hale's closing and Wolverine moving, there will be some big gaps in the downtown. I loved Hale's, but it was more out of nostalgia than utility for the past 15 years. Wolverine will be the biggest loss because it is a functional store. I'm not sure what can replace a presence like that in the downtown.

I also wonder how long N&R can stick it out on that corner. Anyone have insight on how they're doing?

Burr is the king of Dunckley St., a shameless shill for the realtors, developers and his own property interests. He owns the Depot and the trailer park there, other properties too. Read his statements, he makes no sense. He loves himself, not SH.

Ha, Burr owns properties, like the Depot, in the Dunckley area but he is not in business anywhere except the hope to sell said properties for a fortune. If he wins for Mayor he will be flanked by a realtor from Shores in one ward seat, a realtor from Prudential in another, other cronies looking for
cash. These are not public servants, these are profiteers looking to run govt. for their own ends.
Vote Appleyard.

I'm a big fan of Dorothy Appleyard but I'm holding my applause until I've heard what the other candidate has to say. As for 50% of the downtown being closed all winter I have to disagree. I spend alot of time there. I'm downtown almost every day and the only shops that close are the harborside shops by Yorks. The only shop on Phoenix St. that I recall closing seasonally is Bayberry Cottage and that isn't until January. This weekend the downtown was bustling like anything even though the weather was lousy. Say what you may, I always have and I always will support my own home town. I'm certainly too old to play football and I don't have kids or grandkids playing on the team but I love to go and support the team. When you get to be my age you learn all we really have is one another.

I see Burr is touting his role in the improvement of the electrical system, but does not mention his involvement in the terribly mismanaged water plant. This has a direct impact on the citizens increasing their bills considerably for the next ten years. Yes, he is a business man, but a very poor one. Vote for Dorothy.

Lake front towns have the edge and the current recession has certainly shown that. If you travel, surely you would have seen the difference in the tourist populations in the lakeshore towns of our Harbor Country here in South West Michigan and the rest of the country. This past year while traveling to the east and west coasts tourism is drastically down. Even New York and Chicago are having the worst tourism seasons since WW2. Thank goodness for tourists and thank goodness we are a tourism town on the Big Blue Water where everyone was able to complain that there wasn't enough parking for all. Hurrah!!!! I hope and pray there's never enough.

SH-ite wrote:

Burr is the king of Dunckley St., a shameless shill for the realtors, developers and his own property interests. He owns the Depot and the trailer park there, other properties too. Read his statements, he makes no sense. He loves himself, not SH.

amen!

Oh great/ now we have a mayor elected who has the intelligence of a wart on a gnat's anus. Thank god for the recession..perhaps the real estate developers' drunken pirating of our natural areas will be somewhat abated by the fact that no one has any money to buy their tacky properties.
In the meantime, God bless Dorothy Appleyard, who showed us moral integrity, honest countenance , and fastidious detail and honesty in all of her decisions.
For the next 2 years, beware , South Haven. Unless you are on your toes,(so stay on your toes), a few of these newly elected nitwits will run this city into the ground as they pursue their own personal $$$ agendas.
Thank you, Mayor Dorothy Appleyard, for being the best mayor we have ever had.

Too bad you SH people have bought into the same old, same old (real estate development and ensuing bubble = the myth of "trickle down" theory) severely compromising the lake shore environment(s). Native SH-ers can't afford to live there now let alone after whatever happens over the next few years (as the economy recovers (maybe) and real estate $$ booms (inevitably).

as soon as my home recovers its original value, I am seriously considering a move..I dont want to be living next door to yuppies for the rest of my life, who only show up in the summer. This used to be a middle class family town, but it's being gentrified by people with really bad taste..see: Old Harbor Village. No, the local people cannot afford it here anymore. The reason this town was so attractive , once, was the fact that it was a small town with families. If this new mayor and his ilk get their way, it will become nothing but a fudge and T shirt town and will lose the ambiance that attracted people to town in the first place.