Official Groundbreaking Held at Clare County Road Commission

By DIANNE ALWARD-BIERY

Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

HARRISON – What began in September 2024 with Clare County Road Commission Managing Director Dewayne Rogers informing the Clare County Board of Commissioners of his intent to seek bond funding for a massive rebuild of the CCRC facility, moved forward in January to the BOC approving a bond resolution which would authorize issuance of limited tax general obligation bonds to finance the Clare County Road Commission facilities improvements and pledging the county’s limited tax full faith and credit to repayment. FED Design/Builders were engaged for this project and after a great deal of the site preparatory work had been done by the road commission, the day finally arrived for the traditional golden shovels to turn the ceremonial first soil at a May 5 groundbreaking.

Representing the road commission there were Clare County Road Commissioners Karen Hulliberger, Merle Harmon, Max Schunk and Bill Simpson; Dewayne Rogers, CCRC staff members Dave Bondie, superintendent; Nate Hulliberger, north road foreman; Greg Hilyard, south road foreman; Dave Graham, shop foreman; Kayla Randle, finance director/board secretary; and Donna Henke, administrative assistant/payroll clerk.

FED Design/Builders representatives on hand were Brock Dennings, president/owner; Scott Losey, senior project manager; and Joe Perras, site supervisor.

Additional attendees included Gabe Ambrozaitis, Clare County commissioner; Brendan Powell, Hayes Township supervisor; and Shawn Burger, Farwell Village Council trustee.

All who had been listed as participating received their own cellophane wrapped package of commemorative T-shirt, helmet and miniature orange construction cone. After unwrapping and donning their helmets, the official photo snapping began, followed by the traditional gold shovel groundbreaking. It was not exactly a choreographed kick line, but the job got done and all enjoyed their participation.

This was a jovial and wholly upbeat gathering, and fully appropriate for such a substantial and landmark undertaking. Work on this site – which currently looks something like a desolate moonscape – has a targeted completion date of June 5, 2026.