Traverse City Record-Eagle - Meijer-Acme Township Dispute

Boltres settles lawsuit with the Village
A secret deal closed the book on a series of lawsuits that for years enmeshed Acme Township public officials and development partners Meijer Inc. and the Village at Grand Traverse LLC. Former Acme Township Treasurer Bill Boltres reached confidential settlements with the Village and Meijer during a closed hearing.
New process for Acme in Meijer store review
New players and a new process will usher in a new-look site plan review for Meijer Inc.'s long-delayed store in Acme Township.
No settlement in Boltres-Village lawsuit
The rancorous lawsuit between former Acme Treasurer Bill Boltres and developers the Village at Grand Traverse LLC will continue after the sides failed to reach a settlement.
Meijer applies to develop Acme store
Meijer Inc. is taking another stab at building in Acme Township, five years after the Grand Rapids retailer and a development partner waged a zoning battle with local officials.
Deposition may violate Meijer agreement
A judge's warning may put an end to former Acme Township Treasurer Bill Boltres' quest to get to the bottom of election manipulations in Acme Township.
State Court of Appeals to hear arguments
Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Alan Schneider will try to convince three state judges he should be able to enforce state campaign finance law, rules that nine federal judges ultimately may gut.
Lawsuit alleges Village committed crime
Former Acme Township Treasurer Bill Boltres wants "the whole ball of wax" -- details of how he believes developers manipulated elections and drove him from office over a zoning dispute, his attorney said. Boltres' attorney Grant Parsons filed a motion in 13th Circuit Court this week that alleged criminal misconduct by The Village at Grand Traverse LLC developers in two Acme Township elections.
Editorial: Acme details still emerging
The issue: More recall campaign finance controversy in Acme Township; Our view: The Village's role emerges, and what little faith Michigan citizens have in the state's campaign finance laws unravels.
Village at GT didn't report campaign expense
The Village at Grand Traverse LLC paid lawyers thousands of dollars to work on a 2005 Acme Township election campaign, but did not report the expense to state officials.
Village had large role in Acme saga
Meijer Inc.'s travails in Acme Township dominated headlines and court activity over the past year-plus, but lawsuit testimony shows the retailer's partner, the Village at Grand Traverse LLC, and its investors had more to lose and played a major role in the long Acme development saga.
Meijer and Village to pay $1.5M
For years they fought, bitterly so. With lawsuits and countersuits and sometimes illegally waged election campaigns. At stake: control over development in Grand Traverse Countys Acme Township.
No ‘goodwill gesture’ yet for Acme residents
TRAVERSE CITY — Acme residents won’t be on the receiving end of any immediate goodwill gesture in the wake of a lawsuit settlement between township officials and a development group led by Meijer, Inc.
Events in the Meijer, Acme Township saga
Timeline: Events in the Meijer, Acme Twp. saga
3:28 pm: Meijer, The Village to pay $1.5M
TRAVERSE CITY — A bitter lawsuit that had its roots in a 2004 zoning dispute ended today in 13th Circuit Court, when Meijer and The Village of Grand Traverse agreed to pay five Acme Township officials a combined $1.5 million.
Details of Meijer settlement to go public
Details of a lawsuit settlement between five Acme Township officials and Meijer Inc. will be made public and might include a fence-mending offer from Meijer to the community.
Acme Meijer store still a possibility
Grand Rapids-based Meijer isn't discussing its plans in Acme Township. But Acme Supervisor Wayne Kladder expects talks with Meijer President Mark Murray and Village at Grand Traverse LLC managing partner Steven Smith will resume.
Meijer, officials settle lawsuit
Acme Township officials who sued the Grand Rapids-based retail chain, developer the Village at Grand Traverse LLC and their former attorneys, Dickinson Wright PLLC and Timothy Stoepker, agreed to a tentative settlement that's sealed in the court file of the protracted legal dispute.
Motions to dismiss denied in Boltres suit
A Traverse City judge had harsh words for downstate developers who tried to manipulate a bankruptcy proceeding to avoid being sued by former Acme Township Treasurer Bill Boltres. Grand Traverse County Circuit Court Judge Philip E. Rodgers denied two separate motions by the Village at Grand Traverse LLC to dismiss Boltres' lawsuit.
Former Meijer attorney appeals Acme ruling
Former Meijer Inc. attorney Timothy Stoepker and his law firm will try again to bar a local judge from presiding over a lawsuit filed by five Acme Township officials.
Bill Boltres' lawsuit set to begin
Former Acme Township Treasurer Bill Boltres' lawsuit against the Village at Grand Traverse developers is set to begin in earnest. The suit had been mired for a year because of legal motions filed by the Village over Boltres' previously closed personal bankruptcy filing.
Rodgers still will oversee Meijer lawsuit
A Benzie County judge has ruled another judge may continue overseeing a dispute between Acme Township officials and retail giant Meijer Inc.
Acme businesses move past Meijer
A community ripped apart by bitter debate over Meijer Inc.'s stalled development plans will try a new approach to unite its diverse business mix.
Meijer's appeal rejected, but suit on hold
The state Supreme Court rejected Meijer Inc.'s appeal of a local judge's decision that allowed an Acme Township planning commissioner and other township officials to sue the retailer for harassment. But the suit against Meijer remains on hold until 19th Circuit Court Judge James Batzer determines if Rodgers should be disqualified from continuing to preside over a case that began in 2005.
1:18 P.M.: Top court rejects Meijer’s appeal
TRAVERSE CITY — The state Supreme Court rejected Meijer Inc.’s appeal of a local judge’s decision that allowed an Acme Township planning commissioner and other township officials to sue the retailer for harassment.
Judge apologizes for calling lawyer a liar
Grand Traverse County Circuit Court Judge Philip E. Rodgers acknowledged he erred when he called Meijer Inc.'s former attorney a liar and issued an apology. But Rodgers said he won't step aside in an ongoing lawsuit between Acme Township officials and Meijer, the Grand Rapids-based retailer.
Judge may be removed from Meijer suits
A misstatement by Grand Traverse County Circuit Court Judge Philip E. Rodgers might remove him from the ongoing lawsuits between Acme Township officials and Meijer Inc. Meijer's former law firm, Dickinson Wright PLLC, and attorney Timothy Stoepker asked Rodgers to recuse himself because of "substantial personal bias and prejudice."
Court rejects Meijer appeal
Meijer Inc. will turn to the Michigan Supreme Court in an effort to fend off lawsuits from five Acme Township officials after a state appeals court rejected a similar request from the Grand Rapids-based retailer.
Lawmakers push for anti-SLAPP legislation
Two northern Michigan lawmakers expect to introduce legislation this week to discourage developers from using frivolous lawsuits to intimidate and harass public officials and local opposition groups. Lawsuits by Meijer Inc. and the Village at Grand Traverse LLC against eight Acme Township officials prompted State Reps. Kevin Elsenheimer, of Kewadin, and Howard Walker, of Traverse City, to introduce the legislation.
Attorney: Ruling won't stop Meijer probes
Even total victory by Meijer Inc. at the state Court of Appeals may not prevent a group of Acme Township officials from finding out who at the retail giant authorized illegal election tampering.
Meijer files emergency appeal in home court
Meijer Inc. wants Grand Rapids-based appellate judges to quash an Acme Township official's lawsuit and protect the retailer's top officials from having to testify in the case.
Growth debate splits Acme Township
The often bitter debate over a proposed Meijer Inc. store and other development plans along M-72 continues to cast a long shadow over Acme Township and its upcoming primary election.
Commissioner sues Meijer
A lawsuit against Meijer Inc. and its former lawyers is moving forward but some Acme Township officials won't be quick to jump back into the legal fray.
Judge reverses decision on Meijer documents
The Michigan Court of Appeals won't hide its review of a case that could help determine if Meijer Inc. officials and attorneys will face criminal charges for illegally tampering with two Acme Township elections.
Judge: Acme officials free to sue Meijer
Acme Township officials who agreed not to sue Meijer Inc. for alleged harassment and intimidation aren't bound by the agreements and may pursue legal action against the retail giant, a judge ruled.
Village representatives break with Meijer
Meijer Inc. and The Village at Grand Traverse LLC once stood united to push development proposals, election strategies and lawsuits against Acme Township government officials. Time -- and Acme Treasurer Bill Boltres -- changed all that.
Meijer gets judge to hide papers
Meijer Inc. convinced a state appellate judge to hide from public view documents related to Grand Traverse County's efforts to investigate the retailer's campaign finance violations.
Prosecutor pushes for Meijer probe
Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Alan Schneider won't go quietly in his effort to probe Meijer Inc.'s illegal campaign against Acme Township officials. Schneider formally asked state Attorney General Mike Cox for a go-ahead to continue an investigation into Meijer employees and others who may have criminally violated state campaign finance laws.
Cox accepted Meijer money despite probe
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox accepted $2,500 from Meijer Inc.'s political action committee in March, despite knowing he'd be asked to support a local criminal investigation of the retailer's actions in Acme Township.
Motion may allow more suits against Meijer
Robert Carstens didn't get what he considers justice from state authorities, so he'll try to do so himself. Carstens, an Acme Township planning commissioner, on Thursday filed a circuit court motion that seeks permission to sue Meijer, Inc., the Village at Grand Traverse LLC, and Dickinson Wright PLLC, the law firm that represented both in a would-be development in Acme.
Acme group was a front for Meijer
Meijer Inc. secretly gave an Acme Township political group $12,400 to fund its operations, and paid a local law firm, Smith & Johnson P.C., $6,400 to perform campaign work that wasn't reported as required by state law.
Meijer to pay $190K in civil fines
Acme Trustee Frank Zarafonitis' day began on a good note, when he learned Meijer Inc. would pay a fine for illegal campaign acts in the township and that criminal charges could be pursued against the people who crafted that strategy. But reality struck late Tuesday, when Zarafonitis discovered that the deal with Meijer Inc. undercut any possibility of state election law criminal cases.
AG: Meijer deal bars criminal probe
Authorities can't pursue criminal charges against individuals involved in Meijer Inc.'s illegal campaign finance activity in Acme Township, a state attorney general's spokesman said.
Prosecutor appeals Meijer ruling
Grand Traverse County's prosecutor appealed a "flawed, disharmonious and doubtful interpretation" of state campaign finance law that stopped his criminal investigation of Meijer Inc.
Boltres to step down as Acme treasurer
The man who stood up to Meijer is stepping down. William Boltres said he's had enough of public service and will leave his position as Acme Township treasurer effective June 30.
Meijer may face more lawsuits
Frustrated Acme Township officials may file personal lawsuits against Meijer Inc. and its agents over the retailer's alleged acts of intimidation.
Lawmakers want change in wake of ruling
Two northern Michigan lawmakers want to change a state law that prevented a local prosecutor from investigating Meijer Inc.'s alleged campaign finance law violations.
State police continue Meijer probe
State police continue to investigate Meijer Inc.'s alleged criminal violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, despite a recent court ruling that limits law enforcement's ability to investigate political crimes in Michigan.
Prosecutor's case against Meijer dismissed
Grand Traverse County's prosecutor won't drop a criminal probe of Meijer Inc. officials, despite a judge's ruling that halted a local investigation of the retailer's alleged campaign finance law violations.
Meijer wants county off case
Meijer wants to quash a series of subpoenas issued by the county prosecutor in his probe of the retail giant's possible campaign finance violations, arguing the Secretary of State has sole jurisdiction over the dispute.
Meijer wants county prosecutor off the case
Meijer wants to quash a series of subpoenas issued by the county prosecutor in his probe of the retail giant’s possible campaign finance violations, arguing the Secretary of State has sole jurisdiction over the dispute.
Meijer won't hand over documents
Meijer Inc. and the law firm it used to wage a secret recall campaign refuse to turn over corporate documents demanded by Grand Traverse County's prosecutor.
Acme treasurer vows to continue lawsuit
Acme Township Treasurer Bill Boltres wants his lawsuit against The Village at Grand Traverse developers to continue even if he cannot.
Meijer's ties to nonprofit at issue
Meijer Inc. critics are questioning whether the Grand Rapids-based retailer used a public relations firm to create a "grassroots" support group as a front to tamper with two local elections.
Land is asked to delay Meijer deal
Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Alan Schneider asked the Michigan Secretary of State to refrain from taking action on its investigation of Meijer, Inc. until his office finishes its criminal probe.
Acme wants Land to halt Meijer investigation
Township officials want Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land to refrain from investigating Meijer, Inc.'s alleged campaign finance violations until after state police complete a criminal probe of the Grand Rapids-based retailer.
Meijer: State laws probably violated
Meijer, Inc. isn't off the hook for alleged campaign financing crimes in Grand Traverse County. The Grand Rapids-based retailer's bombshell admission Tuesday that it likely broke state laws by secretly financing Acme Township election campaigns in 2005 and 2007 both heartened and created concern among some local officials.
Meijer, Village drop all lawsuits
Long-standing lawsuits filed against Acme Township by Meijer, Inc. and the Village of Grand Traverse are over, the second shoe to drop on a day in which Meijer admitted it likely broke state election laws. Meijer and Village at Grand Traverse LLC dropped all pending appeals in a series of zoning-based suits against Acme, and the township agreed to drop its one appeal.
Investigation awaits store's own probe
A criminal investigation into allegations Meijer Inc. illegally contributed to a local recall campaign awaits the Grand Rapids-based retailer's own internal investigation.
More fallout in Acme-Meijer dispute
Rules that govern state campaign financing continue to trip up opponents of Acme Township's Board of Trustees.
SLAPP lawsuits aim to intimidate
Amy Hardin occasionally awakens late at night and takes stock of her family's comfortable Acme Township home. Someday, she fears, it all could be gone. Meijer Inc. and developers for the Village at Grand Traverse LLC sued Hardin's husband, Ronald Hardin, among four Acme planning commissioners the developers personally targeted in 2004.
Zoning amendment on Acme Township ballot
Acme Township voters will be asked to decide whether a new zoning amendment gives private property owners more flexibility to develop their land or undermines their property rights.
Acme treasurer files another lawsuit
Acme Township Treasurer Bill Boltres slew one big-box developer through a lawsuit and now he's targeted a second group he contends tormented him for three years.
State police to investigate Meijer
Authorities in Grand Traverse County are investigating whether retail giant Meijer committed any crimes by funding last February's recall of Acme Township officials.
Officials push for Meijer probe
Erick Takayama and Frank Zarafonitis believe they were "bashed pretty good" by Meijer Inc. officials during a failed February recall attempt. Now the Acme Township trustees want to know a lot more about Meijer's role in the recall and whether the Grand Rapids-based retailer violated state law that bars corporations from contributing to political campaigns.
Meijer ad criticized township officials
Meijer, Inc. co-chairman Hank Meijer signed a letter that criticized Acme Township's elected officials just days before a February recall election, but he now contends the company's top officials knew nothing of a plot to topple the township board.
Plans for large-scale project continue
Two major development proposals in Acme Township may be stalled by litigation, but plans for another large-scale commercial project are moving ahead.
Meijer's Secret Plan
Retail giant Meijer secretly funded a plan to orchestrate last February's recall of Acme Township's elected officials, a potential violation of state campaign finance laws.
Big-box chain settles lawsuit
Meijer, Inc. settled a lawsuit filed by Acme Township's treasurer as public exposure of its plot to overthrow Acme's elected officials loomed.
PR firm 'ghosted' letters
A public relations firm worked with Meijer officials to manipulate Acme voters and taxpayers in the run-up to a February recall, in part by flooding the Record-Eagle with ghost-written letters, columns and Web site content.
Acme recall proponents silent
A handful of Acme residents and others who led a failed February recall of the township board had plenty to say while they were being directed by a Meijer, Inc. public relations firm, but these days, mum's the word.
Time line Events in the Meijer, Acme Township saga
Judge denies Meijer's motions
A 13th Circuit Court judge denied two motions filed by Meijer Inc. in the retailer's efforts to defend against a lawsuit filed by Acme Township Treasurer William Boltres.
Meijer files gag order for attorney
Meijer Inc. wants to gag Traverse City attorney Grant Parsons. Meijer's attorneys filed an emergency motion asking Judge Philip E. Rodgers to prohibit Parsons from talking to the Traverse City Record-Eagle or releasing testimony and documents Parsons obtained through depositions.
Acme treasurer may get $3M from Meijer
A mediation panel unanimously recommended Meijer Inc. pay $3 million for its alleged malicious harassment of Acme Township Treasurer William Boltres over a land-use dispute.
Ruling upheld Meijer-Acme lawsuit
The state Court of Appeals declined to review an appeal filed by Meijer over Acme Township's 2006 conditional approval of a Meijer superstore along M-72.
Ruling clears the way for Acme development
A shifting development debate along M-72 changed course again as the state Court of Appeals reinstated a special use permit for The Village at Grand Traverse mixed-use project.
Judge won't dismiss lawsuit against Meijer
A judge refused Meijer Inc.'s request to dismiss a harassment lawsuit Acme Treasurer Bill Boltres filed against the Michigan-based retailer.
Harassment case against Meijer considered
A judge will decide whether to continue a lawsuit that Acme Township's treasurer filed against Meijer Inc.
Bitter development battle takes toll on Acme
There has hardly been a clearer example of how the debate over development can rend a community limb from limb than Acme Township. It has been so intensely personal and so exhausting that earlier this month, after three years at the center of the storm, Acme Township Supervisor Bill Kurtz said he had had enough and resigned.