“Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings,” says Zuzu Bailey in the closing scene of Frank Capra’s 1946 film, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. “That’s right. Attaboy Clarence,” responds George Bailey, as he realizes the angel sent to him completed his mission ...
Seems like people are decorating for Christmas earlier than ever this year. I can understand, given how this year has gone. I love the positive feelings that Christmas evokes. As much as I have wanted to decorate for Christmas for the past month, I have been holding out until Thanksgiving ...
If you value locally owned and operated businesses in Northeast Michigan, then this holiday season — more than ever — you need to shop local. Today is Black Friday. In normal years, it would signal the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Shoppers would be everywhere in ...
Things certainly will look and feel a lot different than anyone could have ever imagined this Thanksgiving. But these trying times have helped me focus on the positives in my life and appreciate what my family and I have more than ever. One thing I am particularly grateful for right now ...
Our teachers are working hard in a realm unfamiliar to many of them as more and more students learn exclusively online. Recent orders from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration require high schoolers and college students to learn remotely, and virus scares and forced quarantines have ...
Thanksgiving is a great time for counting our blessings and expressing gratitude. In challenging times, an attitude of gratitude is all the more important, and this year has been one of the most difficult for so many! Nevertheless, we’ve seen many people in communities across our ...
To the the list of the two things in life that are certain, death and taxes, you can officially add a third: The news media is biased. On the rubber chicken speech circuit, the question is always raised for the audience to answer, “Raise your hand if you believe the news media is biased.” ...
The coronavirus is once again deadly in Northeast Michigan. After nearly three wonderful months without a virus-related death, five people have died since late October, three of them in the last nine days. Also concerning, from a community perspective, is the fact that our hospitals are ...
Alpena’s retail scene has taken a beating in recent years, with the loss of J.C. Penney, Peeble’s, Neiman’s Family Market, and, soon, the Alpena Mall. But, as News staff writer Steve Schulwitz reported recently, Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director Mike Mahler ...
The warning on Tuesday was pretty blunt: If you leave your house, you do so at your own peril. While not exactly the words of District Health Department No. 4 officials at a board meeting this week, the idea is the same. According to them, the safest way to avoid contracting COVID-19 is ...
I am amazed at the hypocrisy of the City Council at their last meeting in regards to the appeal filed by Currier LLC. Did they even discuss and agree amongst themselves the criteria for the application process? It sure was apparent that this didn’t happen as they could not agree on the ...
In every presidential election, there’s usually a small number of people on the losing side incredulous that the media has declared a winner before votes are official and the Electoral College has met. This year, The News received a still-small but surprisingly large number of complaints ...
Enough is enough. The peaceful and speedy transition of leadership between the winner and loser of an election marks one of the tenets of our democracy and establishes the difference between our country and places like Russia, North Korea, Cuba, China, etc. Unfortunately, our current ...
We have to admit Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is full of surprises. Sometimes, you never know what to expect, or when it it is coming. Enbridge Energy officials learned that reality a week ago, when Whitmer announced the termination of a 1953 easement that allowed the energy company to operate ...
For those of you who like to do google searches, try “Trump,” “2016 election”, and “voter fraud.” You will find quotes and interviews of Donald Trump, claiming voter fraud in the 2016 election he expected to LOSE. He couldn’t stomach looking like a loser, so he needed to sell ...
I have progressed through chairs, stood on chairs, hidden behind chairs, rocked in chairs, and been where I wish I had a chair. I have sat in desk/chair combinations, library chairs, office chairs, and on a stump in the woods I was pleased to use as a chair. I’ve been the chair, sat in ...
The famous line by Yogi Berra of “it ain’t over till it’s over” is wonderfully suited for our recent election. There have been zero electoral votes awarded, therefore no winner can be declared nor can there be until that event. The media that is/has been on a relentless mission to ...
Voters have cast their ballots, and now it’s time for elected officials to come together and work on urgent housing needs in Northeast Michigan. That’s the message that Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan is sending as critical housing protections are set to expire, putting at risk ...
Why is it both the high school and junior high school remain open for special programs? Are we really trying to stop the spread of COVID-19? Not to mention our elementary schools remain open. Our community needs to go all-in with closures our remain fully open. A half-hearted effort ...
The aisles of supermarket garden centers have cleared out and transitioned to holiday merchandise. Seed packs have been swapped out for cinnamon-scented pine cones as a fiercely fragrant reminder that Christmas is kind of, sort of, near. That’s OK, because we don’t have to go store ...