Trending
You have to admit, the Alpena Municipal Council is many things, but boring isn't one of them.
At its first meeting in January, councilmembers attempted to appoint a new mayor to finish the remaining year of Matt Waligora's term after he resigned at the end of December.
Two votes each ended in a two-to-two deadlock, however, between supporters of Mayor Pro Tempore Cindy Johnson and supporters of Councilman Mike Nowak.
While the city will function just fine until the council meets again to address the issue, the vote does point out that, until another person joins the council to break tie votes, it appears there is a division of thinking that could be experienced in other legislation, as well.
Thankfully, the council should be appointing a regular council replacement soon, which would bring the council number back to five.
From Johnson's and Nowak's perspective, the mayoral appointment would give him or her a stronger platform from which to run in November for the full four-year mayoral term.
Johnson and Nowak both are good candidates who bring with them a wealth of experience and history. From my perspective, either would do a good job, as both always seem to work hard to represent the people of Alpena well.
It appears we all are going to have to be a bit patient in the days ahead to see how that all plays out.
* * *
While I always look forward to the beginning of a new year, it is not because I anxiously await new resolutions. Rather, it's because I know the newest list of banished words/phrases will soon be released by the good folks at Lake Superior State University.
In a tradition that dates back to 1976, the newest list of "misused, overused, or uselessness" words/phrases for 2024 has just been released.
While I must admit to being a bit obsessed with the list, at the end of the day, I think you would agree that LSSU officials have slayed their picks.
I found no cringe-worthy picks in this year's selection, although the full impact and rizz of the list might not be learned until later.
Only a real hack who has an iconic side hustle going on would even question any of the words on the list. But then -- wait for it -- isn't that really the beauty of reading the list each year as soon as it is published?
And now you, like me, have just seen the 10 words/phrases that make up this year's list. (Iconic and side hustle are two separate words and/or phrases on this year's list.)
As Sheridan Worth, director of marketing at LSSU, said, "(The tradition) encourages us to laugh at ourselves as we reconsider and reflect on the importance of our vocabulary.
"Language is a dynamic, ever-evolving entity," Worth said. "The banished words list recognizes the rapid changes in expression, encouraging a reassessment of the impact and relevance of our vocabulary."
And who doesn't need a good laugh to start the year?
Bill Speer retired in 2021 as the publisher and editor of The News. He can be reached at bspeer@thealpenanews.com.