Clinton Township Supervisor Robert Cannon, right, was the guest speaker at the Wednesday, March 8, evening meeting of Rotary of Grosse Pointe at The War Memorial. He was welcomed by Past President Diane Strickler, who presided over the meeting in President Ted Everingham's absence, and was introduced by Grosse Pointe Rotarian Liz Vogel, below with Cannon, who is the Deputy Clinton Township Supervisor.
 
Cannon grew up in Grosse Pointe Shores, graduated from Wayne State University and taught high school for 25 years in the Utica Community Schools. Now age 68 and in his fourth four-year term as elected supervisor, Charter Township of Clinton, Michigan, a community encompassing 100,000 residents supported by an $82 million dollar operating budget, Cannon is happy with his job. He is a longtime member of the Mount Clemens Rotary Club, where he met Liz.
 
“When I saw what she could do, I knew I had to hire her,” Cannon chuckled with a nod of respect. He explained the difference between a township and a city, with a city having an elected mayor and responsibility for water, sewer and police. “Townships run fire departments," he said, “and the counties get money for roads.” The township has a keen interest in maintaining infrastructure, however, from fixing road potholes to huge sinkholes, and funding is allocated by Clinton Township and shared for this purpose.
 
“Eighty-three mils are collected to run our township,” he responded to a question. Clinton Township is involved in business development, maintaining parks, trails and paths for residents and many special events from patriotic celebrations to recreational events for youth to senior-citizens," the supervisor said.
 
Following the meeting, Liz organized a fellowship euchre gathering.
(Photos by George R. McMullen Jr.)