By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
MAYVILLE — Who would do this? That’s the question law enforcement officials and some residents of Dayton Township are asking after an ethnic intimidation sign was discovered Monday.
A sign with “KKK (Ku Klux Klan) picnic” painted on it in orange letters was placed on an open piece of property along Shay Lake and Harden roads. It’s not just the sign itself that is the issue, but where the sign was placed.
“The sign was located on a vacant lot in the Shay Lake Subdivision,” said Tuscola County Undersheriff Glen Skrent. “It wasn’t placed in Caro or Mayville. It was deliberately placed in an area where we do have a population of African Americans.”
The Shay Lake area was developed in the 1960s to early 1970s by African-Americans mostly from the Detroit as a summer getaway area.
The Civil Rights Act didn’t come about until 1968.
Although over the years, the ethnicity of Shay Lake has become more diversified, said Skrent.
Some African Americans feel the term “KKK picnic” is a reference to the era when the white supremacist group did lynchings.
The Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark Reene and the sheriff’s department is taking the matter seriously.
“This is an open investigation, Some area residents do feel it is threatening. Due to the word ‘picnic’ it would fall under ethnic intimidation,” said Skrent.
As the investigation continues and leads are followed, there could be other possible criminal charges against whomever put it up, said Reene noting an ethnic intimidation charge could be forthcoming because of the sign’s placement.
According to the Shay Lake’s Association page, some residents selected the are to call home because it is a calm and peaceful community where neighbors are friendly.
The sign is over shadowing that conception.
“It’s a mindless, offensive, and threatening act. It is ethnic intimidation… to have the most impact in the area where it was placed. It was done to intimidate and create bad feelings,” said Reene. “The residents are concerned and justifiably so. We are taking this very seriously.”
The Shay Lake Neighborhood Watch is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person and/or persons responsible for the sign.
Anyone with information about the sign is asked to call the Tuscola County Sheriff’s Department Detective Doug Kinney at (989) 673-8161, Ext. 4050, or Skrent at Ext. 2225.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.