Old Cisterns Found Beneath Unused Moran Building Sites
By Paul Gingras

Dangerous, obsolete cisterns continue to be found beneath Moran on M-123, remnants of an earlier era. It was a common practice by business owners years ago to build cisterns to collect water for emergencies or even for normal use, if they could not tap into groundwater, said residents at the Brevort Township Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, May 1.

Kirk Lipnitz and his son, Jax, found a cistern between the hardware store and the post office Friday, April 27. The cistern was revealed by a hole big enough for Jax to fall into, Mr. Lipnitz told The St. Ignace News. He could not determine its depth.

At the meeting, the township board discussed the matter and hired Maverick Construction to fill the cistern, for up to $250.

Rob Frazier of Maverick was present at the meeting and said he filled more than 10 cistern holes, many near the post office, last fall during demolition of old buildings. During the project, the rear end of a backhoe sank into the ground above a cistern, and he said he is surprised that no other vehicles have broken through the surface before.

Filling old cisterns has been done in Moran in the past, Trustee Vern Erskine said.

"We thought we had gotten them all when Maverick tore the Bradford building down," said Township Supervisor Ed Serwach. "This one popped up. We are going to have it filled, and we hope there aren't any more."

In other business, the board accepted information gathered from its Fire Committee, which was appointed to help plan a new fire barn. The board will decide whether to build a fire hall in early summer, Mr. Serwach said.

The committee has provided rough plans for a simple, 60-footby 60-foot building. The most recent plans were provided by DEM Architects of Gaylord, which estimated the cost at $323,000. Township Fire Chief Mark Peterson said when he sought the estimate from DEM, he had assumed the hall could be built for roughly $200,000.

The Brevort Township Building Committee continues to make separate plans for a community center and library, Mr. Serwach said.

The township board voted to pay $8,764.57 to Allied EMS Systems, Inc., the full cost of its portion of a new ambulance serving county townships and the City of St. Ignace.

It has no official position on the possible expansion of the Mackinac County Road Commission from three to five members, the township board declared. Members encouraged people to attend a public hearing on the matter being held by the Mackinac County Board Commissioners June 7. Written comments can also be submitted to commissioners, who will decide whether the road board should be expanded.

Two of the three elected road commissioners are from Brevort Township.

Responding to a complaint regarding poor conditions on Walker Road, the board agreed to have the Road Committee investigate. Local firefighter Ron Peterka observed, "there are holes so big you can get lost in them."