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Mediation up next for fair?
March 11, 2010
A conflict of events being put on by the Alpena County Fair Board and Alpena County 4-H appears to be headed to mediation with county officials.
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Keeping kids safe online
March 11, 2010
Students at Thunder Bay Junior High learned how to stay safe while using technology during a special presentation Thursday afternoon.
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Wilmot receives passing evaluation grade
March 11, 2010
Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District Superintendent Brian Wilmot has passed his annual evaluation for 2010.
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Time again to watch for deer along roadside
March 11, 2010
As the snow melts from the fields and roadsides in Northeast Michigan, it opens up a virtual buffet for the deer that have had limited feeding choices throughout the winte.
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More conflict for fair, 4-H
March 10, 2010
Members of the Alpena County Fair Board are expressing fear that an event being held a month before the 2010 fair could jeopardize the future of the fair and the fairgrounds.
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Chris Dobrowolski
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March has arrived
Mon, March 1, 2010 @ 5:45PM
By my clock, girls basketball district action officially gets under way in less than an hour. I've used all the information I've gathered this year and I've come up with my predictions for the district winners of the four districts involving area teams. Without wasting any more time, here they are: Gaylord district: Traverse City West. The Titans shared the Big North Conference title with Petoskey and have been solid all year. Head coach Patti Tibaldi has been here before, plus they did earn an impressive victory over the Northmen, who some feel could get all the way to the Breslin Center. I think TC West cruises through the district, though Traverse City Central figures to be the biggest challenger. Alcona district: Alcona. The Tigers have improved steadily over the year. New head coach Dan O'Connor has proven to be a good replacement for John Katona. Transfers Megan and Carolynn Miller have meshed with the rest of the team and given them a good inside presence.
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Sean Harkins
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Leaving Alpena, The News ... based on a true story
Thu, March 11, 2010 @ 2:41PM
Alpena is in my bones. I was born here. I've seen people I love born here. I've helped bury people I love here. If a breeze off Thunder Bay is my last breath, I have no qualms. For most of 25 years, I've grown to know the men and women of this town. They are people who build things - structures, businesses, families, bonds and love - people who donate blood, sweat and tears to causes greater than their own. Every town has a story, and it should not be surprising how Alpena's begins. In 1856 Daniel Carter brought his family here to oversee land to be used for lumbering. For five years the family was more or less completely alone. I still see Carters' courage and toughness here. That's why it's hard as hell to leave. I might not have said that seven years ago. I'm not sure I would have said that three years ago. But over the past three years, I've made sense of everything I knew and felt about Alpena and realized how great of a place it really is.
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Steve Murch
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The good, the bad and the ugly
Mon, February 15, 2010 @ 1:39PM
In a weekend full of highlights (and lowlights), there were some good, bad and ugly. Here are a few bad, a few good, and one ugly. The ugly The death of Nodar Kumaritashvili during a luge practice run at Vancouver Olympics was the lowest of the lowlights. Unfortunately, the ugly was the commentary by the pundits. Many, including the Associated Press' Jim Litke, took a holy-than-thou approach. “No one should be surprised, least of all the International Olympic Committee. The Winter Games have been veering closer to the edge of sanity for the last 25 years, more than doubling the number of sports largely by adding those where the thrill is exceeded only by the risk,” Litke wrote. If the edge of sanity has been approaching for so long, why then didn't any of the national sports writers harp on this repeatedly instead of contemplating whether the Kobe/LeBron Nike commercials were the best ever.
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Steve Schulwitz
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It's all Michigan's fault!!
Fri, February 19, 2010 @ 6:56PM
Let's just all blame it on the state of Michigan and Governor Granholm! That seems to be the message at every meeting I have attended over the course of the last year. Sure, many of the uncertainties surrounding the budgets of schools, counties and cities are a direct result of our leaders in Lansing. Their inability to agree on what cuts will be made and by how much has put everyone and everything into a form of gridlock. The job of our legislators is not one I envy. For every cut that is proposed, a public uproar and backlash is created. The public opinions are strong enough to where our leaders get backed into a corner and as a result, shy away from making any sort of firm decision at all. Let's not forget that there are so many institutions depending on the state's monetary contributions, that it is impossible to subsidize all of them to the degree as in years past. We need to realize that an increase or creation of new taxes is neede.
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Bill Speer
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Support Stupak
Thu, March 11, 2010 @ 11:12AM
U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak is the country's lightning rod over his pro-life stand regarding federal health care legislation and needs the support of constituents who agree with him that abortion funding should not be included in that package. I urge voters in the 1st District who agree with Stupak to call his office after reading this and let them know you stand beside him. As might be expected, the fight has become ugly in recent days as criticism and attacks keep mounting against him for being a man of conviction. Stupak shared on "Fox and Friends" this week that the personal attacks have really begun in earnest and its disappointing. "They have attacked everything from my friends, to where I live, to my Catholic faith...I guess when you're in the middle of a fight like this, they attack everything they can." I guess so.
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Diane Speer
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Sheer talent
Tue, March 2, 2010 @ 4:53PM
The numbers were certainly good. More than 150 people turned out last Sunday afternoon at Alpena County Library for a special "Music at the Library" concert. While that definitely is a healthy-sized audience for an event like that, for those not in attendance, it was a true missed opportunity to soak in and savor some of the outstanding musical talent found right here in Alpena. Pianist Loretta Beyer, who counts herself extremely lucky to be able to do what she loves - teach piano at Alpena Community College and privately - joined forces with pianist Linda Jones and vocalist Jennifer Jasso. The three took turns either playing or singing, a format that flowed smoothly and kept everyone fully engaged. Loretta demonstrates a true mastery of her instrument, and her personality is such that her students adore her - and rightfully so. She opened the concert with a piece by Schumann, captivating the audience right from the get go.
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