Atlas Twp. – Back in the 1980s, Emery Bennett found himself at odds with Atlas Township board policies and ran for office.
‘I felt I wanted a chance to try to make a difference,? said Bennett.
He won several terms in succession.
Last year, Bennett announced he wasn’t seeking re-election. For the first time in 20 years, Bennett’s former seat is occupied by new trustee Barry June.
‘I felt 20 years was enough time to serve,? said Bennett, 70. ‘It was time for someone younger with new ideas to join the board.?
A 54-year resident of Atlas Township, Bennett moved to the area at the age of 16, when the township was primarily a farming community.
He grew up on an 80-acre ‘gentleman? farm, where his family raised chickens, pigs, corn, wheat, and flax.
‘The last crop in this field was flax,? said Bennett, who resides with his wife Nita not far from where the crop was harvested.
In the half-century since Bennett came to the area, he’s seen businesses come and go, and watched it distinctly diverge from its farming roots.
‘It has changed from a farming community to a place where most people leave the community each day to go to work elsewhere,? Bennett said.
Of all the changes, one of the biggest was the construction of Goodrich Plaza.
‘Although most people were not in favor of taking the businesses out of the downtown Goodrich area, it did provide for a larger supermarket, drug store, and hardware store at the time,? said Bennett, who viewed the plaza as one of the area’s ‘most positive? changes.
Since he began serving on the board in 1984, population growth’and the development of subdivisions’has expanded.
Township-wide garbage collection was one of Bennett’s major challenges, but fire protection was an issue perhaps closest to his heart.
‘The most rewarding (challenge) was to see the fire department grow with the completion of the new fire hall, and the acquisition of better equipment,? he said.
While township offices like supervisor, clerk, and treasurer come with regular office hours, residents are sometimes surprised at the number of hours devoted to the office of township trustee.
‘Trustees spend an average of 20 hours per month or more, depending on various meetings and the number of committees or projects they may work on,? Bennett said.
In addition to his seat on the township board, Bennett also served 18 years as township representative on the Atlas Township Zoning Board of Appeals.
‘I took this appointment very seriously,? he said. ‘I would go to see and research each case that came before the board.?
Bennett also served as a member of the Atlas Township Fire Department for 43 years, and was formerly a member of the Atlas Township Fire Board.
A member of the Goodrich United Methodist Church, Bennett has served on numerous church committees, and currently is a member of the Methodist Men, serves as an usher, and is on the building committee.
In the 42 years he’s belonged to the Goodrich Lions Club, Bennett has held each office, and currently serves as program chairman.
He’s also served on the Goodrich Schools Board of Education, the Goodrich Chamber of Commerce, and was a member and board chairman of the Goodrich Volunteer Ambulance for 19 years.
Atlas Township will remain his home, although Bennett looks forward to traveling without the responsibility of returning in time for a meeting.
How did board members get along?
‘Great,? said Bennett, emphatically. ‘We didn’t always agree, but most of the board members respected each other’s opinions. In most cases, we always worked out things for the betterment of the township.?
A soft-spoken man who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, Bennett feels township residents should devote more time to the issues of their community.
‘Board meetings are very poorly attended,? he said.
Despite retiring from his seat on the board, Bennett hopes to see the township succeed, growing with a ‘few more businesses and light industrial to create a little more tax base without adding more students to overcrowd our schools,? he said.
Road improvement is another area he hopes to see happen in the township within the next several years.
Atlas Township may not have heard the last of Bennett on roads, or any other issue.
‘If I have any advice, I will feel free to attend a township meeting,? he said.