Recall's Goal: Putting Their Family and Friends First – Taxpayers Last!

Those handful of residents who are trying to recall our township officials falsely claim their only concern is to Save Shelby.  Yeah, right!  Save Shelby from what exactly?  Conservative spending?  Prudent financial planning?  Lower taxes?  Greater transparency?  Effective and workable reforms?  Greater government efficiency?  Enhanced public involvement in township decisions?

Or, perhaps, these people are trying to save Shelby for themselves????

The people in this group may pump themselves up as some kind of saviors, but they are far from it.  In fact, most township residents have questioned whether this recall is a power grab upon democracy by one towing family and their circle of friends in order to keep their gravy train rolling.

Is this how they plan to Save Shelby?  Save it for their selfish needs?

Predictably, the Nightingale family will deny any public involvement in the recall.  Sure, they come up and constantly spew their rubbish at Board meetings.  But they try to distance themselves from the actual recall.  As if residents are unable to connect the dots?????

For some reason, this clan doesn’t understand that in the computer age anything (and everything) can be found and verified/copied/distributed with the click of a mouse button.  Google is a fantastic research tool!

Case in point, the Nightingales and their Save Shelby scheme have a formal Facebook page.  We have written about this in a prior post.  On that page they display a list of “friends” — people who believe so strongly in their recall that they want the whole world to know where they stand.  Some of these “friends” don’t live in Shelby Township, while others are relative unknowns.  Some people who were “friends” had their name removed after being exposed.  The rest of their “friends” are people who, one could successfully argue, have a calculated political goal.

We are listing the names of the key figures in the Nightingale recall campaign.  As you can see, it is rather simple to connect the dots and see why they is trying to take revenge on others.

Linda DeRocher Maccarone — Wife of former Supervisor Skip Maccarone.  Maccarone has a personal grudge against Supervisor Rick Stathakis who trounced her husband in the 2008 Supervisor’s race by an unprecedented margin of 70%-to-30%.  Especially remarkable given how Maccarone believed he was invincible and unbeatable.
   Linda Maccarone, who works as administrator at St. Therese of Lisieux Parish in Shelby Township, considers herself a devoted Christian.  She was quoted in the January 11, 2008 issue of the Michigan Catholic (a publication of the Archdiocese of Detroit) as proclaiming: “I think people need to be reminded that through our baptism, we’re called to serve God in some way.”  Does Maccarone think badmouthing Shelby Township officials (especially the man who defeated her husband) and helping distribute misleading information for a recall is serving God’s will? 

Lisa Manzella — Current Shelby Township Trustee.  Manzella has said that she has no involvement with the recall, but facts (and her statements) tell a different story!  Her hatred for Supervisor Stathakis is well documented - both in newspaper stories and e-mails.  We will expose those later.

Joe Manzella — Husband of Trustee Manzella.

Vito Manzella — Another member of the Manzella Bunch.

Terri Kowal – Current Shelby Township Clerk.  Mrs. Kowal had her name proudly linked as a “friend” on the Save Shelby Facebook site until she got CAUGHT.  When confronted about this she denied any knowledge or involvement.  However, her name then vanished from the site quicker than an airplane at a David Copperfield magic show.  Coincidence?
   By the way, Kowal has perfected the Friends and Family Plan of governing.  Kowal hands out township jobs to family members as if it were part of her official duties.  Her sister, her daughter and her grandson.  We will expose the Kowal Family Plan in a future post.

Nightingale Towing — We are amazed that the Nightingales actually have their company Facebook page linked to the recall.  They encourage customers to check out the Save Shelby website for disinformation about their recall.  Since the Nightingale family apparently wants to control all future towing work, could this be why they are drooling at the idea of kicking out certain township officials? 

Marsha Nightingale — Nightingale towing family member.

Tiffany Nightingale — Another Nightingale towing family member.

Christina Nightingale — Yet another Nightingale towing family member.

Robert Newell – Another member of the Nightingale gang.  On his Facebook page, Newell describes himself as Automotive Technician and Wrecker Driver at Nightingale Service and Towing.

Val Alspaugh — Previously known as Valarie Short.  She has also used the alias MommaVee.  She is married to Bradley Alspaugh and is a close associate of the Nightingales.  As you remember, Mr. Alspaugh filed of two sets of recall petitions against Supervisor Stathakis back in 2009 after the towing vote.  Its pretty obvious whose side Mrs. Alspaugh/Short/MommaVee is on — and what her agenda is.

Tom Delies — Mr Delies filed petitions against Stathakis over a zoning issue.  He is a close friend of the Nightingales and an associate of Trustee Lisa Manzella.

Angela Marasco Freeman — Wife of 2008 Shelby Township Treasurer candidate Brent Freeman.  Although Mr. Freeman lost, we understand he plans to run again.  Both Mrs. Freeman and her husband are supporters of the Nightingales.  Could Mr. Freeman see the Nightingales as potential source of campaign cash if/when he runs for a future political office?

Jill Bleeda – She is a close friend of the Nightingales who spoke on their behalf (and verbally condemned Trustees) at the televised meeting when the Board voted unanimously to put towing services out to competitive bid.  She also came before the Board this year to urge residents to support the current Nightingale recall.

Cathy Morris — Friend of Jill Bleeda.  Morris and Bleeda are listed as employees of the Morris Insurance Group in Clinton Township.  They also list an office in Rochester.  Morris is also a personal friend of the Nightingales.  

Debbie Z. Zalewski — A Shelby Township real estate agent and associate of the Maccarones.  Zalewski is currently President of the Women’s Council of Realtors, Rochester Chapter.
   Zalewski’s group is hosting a forum on April 14, 2011 in downtown Rochester entitled “Art of Negotiating” and her guest speaker is (SURPRISE!) Ralph “Skip” Maccarone.  At that meeting, Maccarone will be giving advice for how to get the edge over your competition.  Apparently, one way Zalewski, Maccarone and the Save Shelby gang want to get a power edge in Shelby is through a recall.

Richard Bottcher — You remember this guy.  He is a former Shelby Supervisor.  The joke around Shelby when he was in office was that he BOTCHED up everything (and anything) he touched.  He was an utter failure.  Is he, perhaps, looking for a political comeback?  We will expose more about his failed four years as Supervisor at a later date.

Finally, there is Noel Nightingale.  Good old boy Noel may not be listed as a “friend” on the Save Shelby Facebook page, but that doesn’t matter.  Noel’s home in SW Shelby is “home base” for his family’s recall and the center of their effort to collect money.

Back in October 2009, Noel launched the recall madness by filing petitions against Supervisor Stathakis after the township Board voted unanimously (7-0) to put towing services out for competitive bid.  The Nightingales verbally protested this vote, and began their witch hunt against some township elected officials.  Since Mrs. Kowal and Mrs. Manzella are “friends”, this explains why they are untouchable to the Nightingales.  The Nightingales were given a three-year towing contract after the first company was disqualified for failing to meet township specifications.  The vote to award them the contract was 6-to-1, with Trustee Mike Flynn dissenting.  Even though the Nightingales have their coveted towing contract, they continue their recall threats and attacks.

As you can see, this crew is certainly no ordinary family.  They are a politically-motivated gang with a axe to grind.  They are engaging in a campaign of deception and disinformation to try and kick out our township officials.  They want to turn Shelby Township into the Nightingale Republic of Shelby.  We can’t let them succeed.

Ask yourself if these people are being honest about their recall intentions?  Are these just concerned citizens, or people concerned about their personal interests? Are people like this, who are trying to hide the real reasons for the recall, qualified to lecture anyone about “transparency”?

If you are approached by someone pushing or encouraging you to sign a petition, speak up.   Decline to sign, and remember you do not have to provide these people with any explanation.  If they persist, tell them to leave or you will call the police.  If you can get the discussion on video, even better.  Send it to us and let us do the rest.

Finally, keep in mind the REAL meaning of the word RECALL:
    R = Ridiculous
    E = Effort to
    C = Create
    A = Acrimony by
    L = Ludicrous
    L = Loudmouths

Until next time...