Reporter Julie Goldberg brought us some troubling statistics in Saturday’s edition: More than 180 incidents of bullying were reported last school year alone in Northeast Michigan school districts. Those numbers also are likely underreported, as more than half of the area’s middle ...
Is short-term pain worth long-term gain? That is how we view the current discussion taking place by Alpena Downtown Development Authority members who are considering installing parking meters on the streets of Alpena again. The thinking, and rationale behind the decision, would be to ...
German writer Jean Paul once offered this advice: “The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.” I would hope that for all of us that would be true. I would hope that as we grow older, we also grow a bit wiser from the experiences of ...
On Monday, Gannett Co. and GateHouse Media announced a $1.4 billion merger that would create one behemoth newspaper company and threatens communities all across America. In announcing the merger, officials from Gannett (which owns USA Today and my alma maters, the Lansing State Journal and ...
We could easily start to cool the mass shooting fever that has gripped America. It isn’t rocket science. We could, for instance: 1) Ban assault weapons and define the term broadly. The assault weapon ban that Congress let lapse in 2004 is a good start, but doesn’t go nearly far ...
In Alpena there is no goose who ever laid a golden egg. Instead, there are plenty of geese who have laid — well the polite term would probably be grease — wherever they land. This summer the numbers of geese in the city seems at one of the highest levels it has been in recent years. ...
Repeatedly, I am asked about the right-of-way regarding lane use by the hospital and the Duck Park in Alpena, and then at the intersection of Bagley Street and M-32. The question usually starts with something along the lines of, “When the light is a green arrow for the center turn lane on ...
Really thinking about what we read so often in the wake of mass killings is the only way we Americans can find a way to curb them. Taking the easy way out by concluding, as presidential candidate Joe Biden apparently has, that outlawing so-called “assault rifles” will do the trick, is ...
Last month, I had the absolute delight of having all my grandchildren under the same roof for a few days. Their laughter, their sweet curiosity, their silly games ... all of it just brightened the mood around the house. We took time to play and share stories, and I remember thinking, I should ...
We love a good story, and Jerry Lancaster gave us a great one last week. Reporter Julie Goldberg on Saturday told us all about how Jerry, at just 20 years old, started Alpena’s L&S Transit Mix Concrete Co. with his dad, Willis. Now 90 years old, Jerry still works at the business he ...
I’m from Alpena, but I’ve been to Bolton. Lately, I’ve been wondering what lies halfway between those two as I’ve been on a search for middle ground. But middle ground has been hard to find — more and more things are grounded elsewhere. Many people are casual observers, their ...
Few things are better than a Northeast Michigan summer, and the best part of a Northeast Michigan summer is getting outside to enjoy nature’s splendor. But, as reporter Crystal Nelson reminded us in a Saturday story, that splendor comes with risks. Alpena County is currently considered a ...
If you were asked to compare former Gov. Rick Snyder with the current governor, you’d be inclined to conclude, “What comparison?” After all, he’s a Republican and she’s not. He’s a business guy and she’s a career politician. He’s got a boat load of money, she does not. And on ...
It seems to happen all the time, this community making us smile, proud to call Northeast Michigan home. The latest example was came Thursday, when reporter Steve Schulwitz told us about the offers of not one, but two community groups to step in and make something of the deteriorating ball ...
Plaza Pool is too important of an asset to let slip away. Those who agree need to rally together to (a) help figure a way financially to help keep it open and (b) market the pool and its importance from one end of Alpena County to the other. In a region blessed with water as its most ...
Coming on the heels of the historic Apollo 11 50th anniversary celebrations, I read with interest news this week that Michigan had been designated the number one state in the Midwest for aerospace manufacturing attractiveness. In addition, it rose from 8th to 4th in national rankings. The ...
This week, a reader asked about The News’ policy regarding coverage of candidates for elected office. Specifically, the reader wondered why we ran a photo on Monday’s Lifestyles page of Sheriff Steve Kieliszewski (who has made clear he intends to run for reelection next year) giving a ...
I watched part of the big debate this week. Can you believe Hannah Brown picked that lousy dog food jingle singer over the other guy? Hey, what can I say, “The Bachelorette” was way more educational than the first Democratic debate. At least, with “The Bachelorette,” I learned two ...
After moving back to Michigan after a 20-year hiatus, it didn’t take but a few months to realize how much I missed this great state. It goes far beyond the geographical beauty of Northeast Michigan. It is centered on the people who have called this place home much longer than me. You have ...
The Alpena County Library is, in our estimation, one of the best libraries in the nation. The programs and events it offers for people of all ages is second to none. Compared to libraries in larger cities, with more of a tax base from which to draw, our library can hold its own and, in some ...