For transparency purposes I would like to provide a little more background behind this petition and my plan moving forward. Originally, I wrote a proposal letter and sent it to the DNR (possibly the leelanau county board of commissioners also but I don't remember for sure). I gave them a week and they met me with silence, prompting this petition. Moving forward, I plan to email them (decision makers) daily, increasing in urgency and pressure. If next week we're still met with silence, I will start emailing them twice a day and try to phone them as well. If the end of the week comes and they are still dismissing us, I will begin hinting at notifying news sources. However, I would prefer it not come to that. I would appreciate willing cooperation. Attached below is the email ALL of the decision makers will be reading first thing in the morning:
Dear Governor Whitmer, Director Bowen, Chief Kosick, Senator Hoitenga, Representative VanderWall, and Members of the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners,
I am writing to respectfully follow up on the petition I submitted regarding a memorial for the boys abused on North Fox Island. Some of you may be seeing this for the first time, and I want to emphasize both the seriousness and the urgency of this request.
In the 1970s, dozens—possibly hundreds—of boys were taken to North Fox Island under the guise of a nonprofit camp. Instead, they endured horrific abuse, and their stories were silenced. To this day, there has been no meaningful acknowledgement, and no justice despite the exposure of their abuse.
What I am proposing is simple yet meaningful: a bench and a plaque inscribed with the following words—
"For the boys abused by Francis Shelden, Gerald Richards, Dyer Grossman, and others. Your silence is felt.”
This is not about spectacle; it is about dignity and validation. These men deserve to know they are not forgotten, and Michigan deserves to be a place that acknowledges even its most painful history.
I would be grateful for your review and response to this petition. I believe we can take this important step together.
I have already gained significant support including members of law enforcement, and Catherine Broad.
This is not only about honoring those harmed but also about showing that Michigan is committed to acknowledging painful truths and standing with survivors.
Thank you for your time and for your dedication to the people of Michigan.
Respectfully,
Dylan Harrington