[An article on the Riemer Special Interest Group in Hamlin Township]

By Marco C. Iafrate

September 19, 2026

I’ve been watching the dynamic here in Hamlin for three years now. I kept my mouth shut as a good newsboy would when I was with the Ludington Daily News but I did my due diligence to take note of all I saw that was askew.

What I’m discovering now in this recall election is worse than ever and it’s in the same pattern that I’ve been filing for three years, but before we see the worst of it I want to touch on the events leading up to this recall election.

Here’s the pattern I’ve been filing:

I discovered that Marta’s husband, a doctor, is good friends with Dr. Riemer. It explains why she and Cook cornered former Zoning Administrator Zak Iverson to say Stix is off limits, and bullied him for doing his job by the book. It explains why Marta has been so willing to bat for Stix on such matters as the cross-walk, occupancy, and why her eyes wander in Trustee Chris Cook’s direction when she makes a motion. It also explains why she sits with Sue DeMott at Stix concerts, DeMott is Dr. Riemer’s person who runs his business and talks to the press for him.

Cook, he does contract work for Dr. Riemer. He has a property services company and does snow removal for Stix. That’s money in his pocket, which would be fine if he wasn’t also going to bat for Dr. Riemer.

I need to stress, if these two were on the board, friends with Riemer, but not going to bat for him and openly recusing themselves from the votes… I wouldn’t have been investigating them in the first place.

If someone says Marta wants to represent the community, one can also say she represents the special interest group.

So that was 2025, January. Throughout that year, the Clerk position also needed to be filled… of three candidates Marta was very impressed by Taylor Wilkinson’s resume, who, we discovered works for Riemer and lives in housing that he owns. I asked her for a copy of her resume and she was very eager to hand me it until she asked me “for what reason,” I said I was a reporter and she claimed she suddenly did not have any copies available.

I’ve missed a lot of meetings between about that time and now, but I am aware that Johnaine Gurzynski was voted off the Planning Commission, and Cook took her place. Contributing to that vote was Planning Commission Chair Timothy Walden, who also falls into this recurring pattern.

Tim Walden’s run for Treasurer:

We know citizen Greg Collins was heading the petition and now there is an election for treasurer and trustee… an attempt by the special interest to replace Treasurer Susan Ptaszenski and Trustee Johnaine Gurzynski on the Township Board.

To my surprise I saw Planning Commission Chairman Tim Walden’s road signs, he’s running for treasurer. If you think he is qualified to handle the tax money… Judge this: I came across a document that states Riemer Real Estate Investments works with Timothy Walden Consulting LLC.

Since I began watching Tim at the public meetings, I took notice of who he is drawn to and who aligns with his opinions… Marta, Cook, and Donna the office manager. I’m sure there are others but I personally haven’t seen it yet.

I don’t know where exactly Donna stands, but every time someone she disagrees with asks to work with her, she finds an excuse not to. Marta does that too and so does Tim.

The Special Interest’s Goal:

It’s the same goal with different tactics.

The goal… is to get Riemer’s people into political office. What we have in Hamlin Township is the Riemer Special Interest Group. My words are based on things I have confirmed in my investigation, and they are based on a recurring pattern. Investigation is my business.

In the beginning, Marta spoke on transparency when she was running for supervisor. If you ask me, Collins is trying his hand against the wrong two people on this board. I don’t care how anyone wants to twist it. We know who is in the wrong whether all of us will say so or not because I’ve already held it up to facts… facts are not my own opinion.

In any case, when I read a portion of this research to the board I offered them an opportunity to comment or explain. They chose to gloss over it. However, I do recall Marta looking like she was frozen in time near the end of the meeting.

At that same time, I saw a daggered, red-faced look on Chris Cook’s face directed toward me, and later on in the parking lot his words were directed at Johnnaine Gurzynski. As soon as her husband saw it he stepped into close proximity with Cook to defend his wife by questioning Cook’s ability to function as a trustee, and then Chris backed down all the sudden.

Chris Cook’s words and sudden change of demeanor, from predator to prey, were recorded and videotaped by this newsboy. My footage showed that he realized he made a bad step in bullying his fellow trustee so openly.

It aligns with what Iverson wrote in his resignation letter about Cook and Greenslait, when they would corner him because they didn’t like that he was doing his job by the book, especially in regard to Stix. Marta even said “I handle Stix.”

If anyone will say that Zak’s resignation letter exposing the corrupt behavior of the supervisor and Trustee Cook is a false narrative, then look at the acts of Cook and the acts of Greenslait, their own behavior in public lends to the validity of his letter.

I am aware that Greenslait publicly announced that Iverson does not want anyone talking about his resignation any more and wants to “move on with his life.” However, Greenslait has proven herself a liar in governmental affairs like this, so if Iverson really did say so, then I await confirmation as any stand-taking journalist would.

How Monopoly is Played:

Anyway, when you play monopoly a few players own big chunks of the town and squeeze the other players out for everything they are worth. Currently, Dr. Riemer has lists and lists of properties.

Among them are short-term rental buildings, doctor’s offices, restaurants, banks, and more. I have records that show everything he has, but I purchased those records no more than a year ago. Since then, the Doctor has purchased more properties than I can count with my ten fingers.

It looks like he moves fast with his Monopoly money.

Say for instance there was a secret guy in charge of the City of Ludington, a secret guy in charge of Pere Marquette Township, and a secret guy in charge of Hamlin Township.

If this were the case, then the Hamlin Township Board of Trustees is a space on the game board that the Doctor already has more than three houses on… Greenslait, Cook, and Walden for certain.

Private business is not enough for the Doctor. Putting all his friends into government is in his playbook now. Lobbying is one thing, but this is crossing the line.

We all know there is so much more to uncover than just what I provided, everyone knows something and they’ve seen the dynamic for longer than I have… I’ve only been living here three years and I try to work as fast as the shadows work in this town.

So, I learn quite a bit and confirm quite a bit.

At the end of the board game, nobody is pleased that one guy or girl owns all the properties, all the hotels, restaurants, banks, apartments, houses… the utilities and the government.

All monopolies are anti-democracy, that’s what the game teaches kids.

AndyS Lawsuit:

Dr. Riemer has filed suit against the City of Ludington for delaying the grand opening of his new concert venue and restaurant, AndyS.

Neither party is in the right in this lawsuit. The only way to look at it is the Constitutional way, neither party aligns with the Constitution, and I don’t care that the Doctor’s attorneys were arguing Constitutional law.

His lawyers represent a seasoned monopoly player who took his experience to his career. As for the City of Ludington lawyers, they represent a city that violates those rights often as well.

Hypocrites on both sides to put it plainly.

If Dr. Riemer was a private citizen in word and action, then the City would be doing wrong to the Doctor and his associates. If both parties were to reform and start doing honest business, then this article would be sunshine and rainbows.

Independent journalists in our area keep records on these violations and they await the right time to present and use them. In my case, I am in contact with some outside agencies who are reviewing my findings.

Final Words:

As citizens, we need to be concerned about the objective reality of the situation… We need to be concerned about monopolies in town and local governments that consent to the monocle men.

Our Constitution is the law of the land and it does not like the M word or anti-democratic takeovers of the government. It does not care if the rebels say they love democracy, it does not care for pretenders, it does not care for any way they want to twist it. Our law of the land only cares if we say we love it and show we love it… that’s it.

Up for recall is Susan Ptaszenski, Hamlin Treasuer, and Johnaine Gurzynski , Hamlin Trustee. They are just fine in their positions in the local government. They are the final two who have not compromised with the Riemer Special Interest Group, which is greater in number and therefore controls the narrative against the two up for recall.

Finally, my words are not my personal opinion. They are backed up by confirmed facts and advice from aforementioned outside agencies. By reading this article you are not being confronted with my opinion, but with a mirror reflecting the hard facts right in your face.

Make the right choice.

Goodnight and Good Luck,

Marco C. Iafrate

Newsboy Journalist

Ludington Halo

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A Word on Hamlin’s potential involvement with the local Data Center we are investigating:

August 11, 2026

I attended the Hamlin Board of Trustees Special Meeting last night, I sat and observed the dynamics.

It appears that the Zoning Administrator, now former, was run out for doing his job by the book and with good conscience, it was said that he was cornered at times by two members of that board… for doing his job and I suspect this has much to do with Stix.

Supervisor Marta Greenslait volunteered to temporarily do the job in his place, seemingly in an attempt to rush the hiring process in another apparent conflict of interest situation… much like the experience this board had with a certain candidate attempting to become the clerk last year… Taylor Wilkinson.

As I observed, I picked up on the allegiances that certain officers have with one another, not only on the board of trustees… but other officers as well, even citizens.

Finally, if certain people in Hamlin Township are involved with the apparent plot to bring a Data Center or Flock cameras to Mason County… then these dynamics would be that much more dangerous.