A Quick Tour Of Mullett Township

Mullett Township News & Views-Promoting Open Government in Mullett Township

There is also the Mullett Township Party Line or you make drink the Kool-Aid from the Topinabee Development Association "Artesian" Well

Mullett Township is a general law township in Cheboygan County, Michigan. The population was 1312 in the 2010 US census. The township and Mullett Lake are named for John Mullett, who with William Burt, surveyed much of the area between 1840 and 1843.

The commercial center of the Township is the quiet unincorporated Village of Topinabee located on the west shore of Mullett Lake on M27 highway. The village is a trailhead for the DNR Trail with off-street parking and restrooms.

The village has a Post Office, Convenience Store with gas pumps, Public Library with 24 hour outdoor WiFi, an artisan-owned woodwork shop, a breakfast cafe and a bar and grille. Township owned buildings include the Library, Township Hall and Fire Hall, and an unused former school building on Lea St.

Recreation needs are served with a beachfront park and covered picnic area, free public boat launch at the north end of the village, a small public access to Mullett Lake across from the Nokia Cafe and tennis court, ball-field, and playground equipment at a public park located up the hill on Lea St.

The east side of Mullett Township is largely rural, with no commercial development. Township services include a Fire Hall and volunteer East Mullett Lake Fire Department.


Sunday, January 13, 2013

Do You Want a Candy Bar or a Swing?



A small victory for democracy occurred on January 8, 2013. The Mullett Township Board responded favorably to 170 people, who were brave enough to stand up to the Topinabee Development Association’s strangle-hold on the local government by signing a petition drafted by Patty King last July to save the Topinabee Athletic Club swings in the park. It was not a one-sided, winner take all victory, but a victory of compromise done in a democratic fashion.


David Ogg, a TDA board member and one half of the public participation on the Mullett Township Park’s Committee, with his wing-man Tom O’Hare seated by his side, presented his anti-swing argument and started as usual with “I knew nothing about the park” and that the previous Board was “adamant” that they did not want the liability of the TAC swings. 

This was the continuation of the falsity perpetrated by these two individuals working behind closed doors with the park designers to remove forever a set of swings that were gifted at no cost to the residents of Mullett Township by the late Topinabee Athletic Club. Mr Ogg ignored the fact his park redesign incorporates a large grouping of age specific playground equipment that has a larger footprint than the TAC swings. Mr Ogg’s playground equipment also includes climbing and overhead bars that have more than twice the injury rate of public swings for those age groups who will use Mr Ogg’s playground. 


Ignoring this, Mr Ogg went on to falsely state that there was no room in the park redesign for the swings. The TAC swings were there before Mr Ogg saw the park and were only crowded out by a redesign that was driven by aesthetics, putting beauty before practicality; while ignoring both the historical and practical use of the park by the public. Had this park redesign gone through adequate public hearings and input meetings, preliminary designs, and further meetings to actually show people outside of the TDA board what was happening, this situation would not have occurred.  


Beaches are beaches. Water and sand, some grass for tossing a ball, and a few picnic tables are the necessities. The TAC swings were just a plus and have been enjoyed by all. Playgrounds are increasingly age specific, do not need to be a part of a beach-front park, and almost never are because they add both liability and maintenance costs.  


David Ogg stated that the choice was between handi-capped access and the swings, between green grass and the swings, between picnic tables and the swings, or between the trees in the park and the swings. I‘m thankful he did not make the Mullett Board choose between motherhood, apple pie, baseball and the TAC swings. As I dozed off I am sure I heard the choices were between a candy bar and an ice cream cone and did I want the ice cream cone now or later? It’s a cruel thing to put candy bars and ice cream cones in our heads after the market has closed. 


Mr Ogg also threatened and attempted to thwart the option of adding a new smaller 2 or 4 swing-set by stating it might cost the entire approved project. I think one of Mr Ogg’s park attractions; the ADA viewing/fishing platform has disappeared. If so, it apparently did not kill the project. If a viewing platform is or isn’t in the plan could be stated more accurately if any member if the public had seen a final to-be-built plan for this $400,000 capital project.  


Mr Ogg stated a 2 swing unit might be accommodated with the loss of one tree, but a 4 swing, that typically would require less than 400 square feet more space, would require removal of all the trees. The tree-hugger card does not play well after personal observation of the TDA sponsored spring clean-up crew cutting every young tree along the park shore in 2012. 


Despite Mr Ogg’s do you want a candy bar little boy arguments, we are thankful that the Mullett Township Board listened to the people of all ages who signed a petition with over 170 names and their heart-felt comments. 


The Board passed a motion to install either a 2 swing or hopefully a 4 swing unit within the new park. Whether the swings are installed as the park is built or after is not important, the important thing is people will still find a few swings in the park to be enjoyed by all.