The following is a quote from a professor at Dickinson College about 50 years ago. I believe this is exactly where we are at today. "Two things were absolutely essential for a democratic republic to function successfully: self-control by the majority that they not oppress the minority, but ...

Responsible editorial oversight seems lacking in the publishing of some recent letters to the editor that blaspheme the God of the Bible. It is an appalling disgrace — both the hate speech against the Lord Jesus Christ and His eternal Word, and letting space in a community publication be ...

To the outstanding citizen that chose to use the Hamilton Road Nature Trail as your personal dumping ground: How did it feel to get caught? Did you enjoy picking it all up? How much will it cost you in fines? Assume it will be more than what it would have had you taken care of it responsibly. ...

I was encouraged when first reading your call for a return to respect and integrity to the political arena. I then had to assume you were only being facetious. You know, pulling a few liberal legs or perhaps rubbing some salt in our wounds. After all, you have spent the previous eight years ...

A response: Marlin Goebel as a minister and because of your quiet strength you displayed as one of my favorite teachers, I imagine your "flock" holds you in high esteem. Mr. Greene, your gift of poetry is commendable and as a believer your letter begs a response. Two things I won't do. Number ...

As a subscriber of the Alpena News and concerned citizen, I am very disappointed that there wasn't anything in the paper about the recent presentation by chemical engineer and environmental activist Ed Timm. Because the safety of the 64-year-old pipeline at Mackinaw is at stake, any ...

Interesting stop at a local grocery store. I was in line behind a man making a purchase of almost $100 worth of, pretty much junk food with an EBT card. Frozen pizzas, burritos, cup cakes, chips and a lot of soda pop. I also noticed he had a smart phone in his pocket, (you have a lot of time ...

And we thought that Caligula represented the ultimate form of human depravity; well, not necessarily so. On Thursday, May 4, the GOP declared war — war on the elderly, the poor, and anyone (including infants) with the misfortune of having a pre-existing condition. The 217 House GOP ...

Jim Klarich has heard it all before. As economic development director for the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce and Target Alpena, he knows when people talk on the street about economic development, more often than not they are talking about new plants and industries moving to the region, ...

Concern about mercury in vaccines has been disproved by math (one can of tuna fish contains more mercury than 50 vaccines). Now the anti-vaccination movement has turned toward aluminum to mislead people into putting children and community at risk by failing to vaccinate. Childhood diseases ...

Representative Bergman voted Thursday to throw millions of Americans and many of his constituents out of Healthcare so billionaires and corporations can get $600 billion in tax cuts. We see who he puts first and it's not us. Richard Magda Presque Isle

In an era when the media seems to be under attack on all fronts, we appreciate the Alpena News and local TV station WBKB for their coverage of last Saturday’s March for Science in Alpena. The reporting of that non-partisan event by both was accurate and comprehensive. We were also ...

I have been told that conservative Republicans at the Gaylord meeting with Congressman Bergman were upset with the behavior of some attendees. I also recently read a letter to the editor of one person's view that conservatives like him were better at attending town hall meetings because; well, ...

I had a talk with God the other night while sitting at my kitchen bar. A mighty wind stirred outside and he walked through the door, pulled up a stool, looked me in the eye and said, "You need a shot of Vodka." When my glass miraculously became two I took the hint, poured us each a round, and ...

I would like to challenge the time reference (350 million years) that appeared in the Alpena News article on April 27, 2017, entitled "Removal of ancient fish remains planned." The consistent, accurate dating of fossils does not exist with our current methods of analysis; therefore, we must ...

Friends and neighbors of Alpena County, “Picking for People” may not mean anything to everyone, but most of us in Northeast Michigan immediately think of a great group of men with guitars, fiddles, accordions and songs that most of us hadn't heard since our childhood. These fellows have ...

This is in response to the letters of Mr. Goebel, Elaine Thompson and Mr. Greene. I think that if a child could understand the sophisticated lingo he/she would probably respond this way: This is the story of “Salvation History”: God created man in His image to share with Him eternal glory. ...

Harmful effects of medications and supplements at home result in 700,000 ER visits or hospitalizations in the U.S. each year — costing the equivalent of Michigan expenditure on K-12 education. Contrast this to the inpatient setting, where we minimize adverse drug reactions through strong ...

I believe that the budget for our Plaza Pool should be fully funded by the Youth and Recreation Millage. The Pool facility benefits our entire community whether you are a swimmer or non-swimmer; young or old; or an athlete or someone with special needs. I am sure that the local groups that ...

I hope that you will take to heart what I'm sharing with you This letter is to make you aware of just one issue the Alpena Senior Center is facing if the present budget gets passed in Washington, D.C. I'm referring to the reduction in funding for Meals on Wheels program. You only need to avail ...