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Letters to the Editor

SILENCE!!

….says the Grand Wizard of the Alpena Public School Board, Eric Lawson. It appears as though he really doesn’t want to hear from the public. In September he created an extensive list of what could be said at school board meetings and what was prohibited, including clapping. Lawson even had deputies at the board meetings to forcibly remove anyone who might clap. It would be interesting to know what those deputies thought about Lawson misusing their time and training in this manner. Using our law enforcement officers to threaten and intimidate the public is alarming behavior. When ...

Bussing

Dear Board Members, Let's discuss the pressing matters facing our school district, it is crucial that you shift your focus to the ongoing bussing issue. While community engagement and positive interactions are important, they pale in comparison to the real challenges our parents face regarding transportation. Bussing is not just a logistical concern; it is a significant aspect of daily life for families, particularly for working parents who pay school taxes and rely on the system to meet their schedules. When parents’ work commitments do not align with school drop-off and pick-up ...

Trash talking APS board

It’s important that discussions about school policy mention facts rather than speculation and personal attacks. The issue surrounding the so-called “Potty Policy” deserves clarity, not conspiracy theories that Diane O’Connor mentioned on 10/25. The insinuation that these parents don’t care about protecting their own children at a private school. That’s crossing a line. You can argue policy without dragging people’s families into it. Let’s be honest Diane— this nonsense isn’t about protecting students or “solving a puzzle.” It’s about smearing people who ...

WANT A LAUGH

Deer hunting season always brings forth the fact that our long winter is about to descend upon us once again. That, in itself, is depressing. BUT, there is a solution that can give us a temporary solace. What could do that, you ask? No surprise here: go see "Deer Camp" at Alpena Civic Theatre. The evening started off with an uproarious introduction by director Julie Meyers and then proceeded to embellish us with a never-ending array of reasons for laughter. These four guys poured it all out with witty words of enlightenment and wondrous harmonies. It was obvious by the audience ...

Free Speech Applies To All

At the school board meeting, during public comment time (the same 3 minutes any district resident may use to say almost anything), I prayed for peace, Godly wisdom, unity, and protection over all board members, all staff, and all students. That prayer wasn't political theater. It wasn't grandstanding. It was a plea for peace and Godly wisdom. Some didn’t like that I prayed - fair enough. This is America. You're free to disagree. That’s the point of freedom. Then came claims that my praying was unconstitutional. That the board was “endorsing religion” by not stopping me. ...

The Second Amendment

The 10/9/25 issue of The Alpena News contained an op-ed column authored by Jeffrey Brasie, ‘America has become a shooting gallery’. In his column Brasie calls for more gun control and cites violence statistics from the Gun Violence Archive, ABC New/Axios, Pew Research, and CNN, all left-wing organizations. Brasie says, “Other sensible options exist that uphold the Constitution’s Second Amendment”, whatever those are, in addition to the five he listed. Dan Wos of the Ammoland blog has a different view, one that I ascribe to. He states “Let’s be clear: the Second Amendment ...