Breaking News

Letters to the Editor

The school board member with the attendance problem

A couple months ago, a community member speaking to the school board during Community Comment time, referred to Sarah Costain as the school board member with the “attendance problem.” The community member never said Costain’s name, but everyone knew exactly who he was referencing. In Costain’s first year on the school board she missed over 30% of all school board meetings. If this was Costain’s employment she wouldn’t have a job by now. If she were a student she would be in a truancy program. It’s impossible to do any job when you simply do not show up. School board ...

Monica Dziesinski dug a hole for herself

In last Saturday’s paper, school board member, Monica Dziesinski, made statements justifying her vote on a paving bid. Her editorial was supposed to be a rebuttal to community perceptions of her questionable decision making and voting record. The legal jeopardy she may have put herself in with her explanation of why she voted to award an almost $700,000 contract to a higher bidder, Goodrich, is concerning. Not only is the information she provided in contrast to what the public was told regarding the quality of the asphalt the school system was purchasing, but it also appears she made ...

The school board member with the attendance problem

A couple months ago, a community member speaking to the school board during Community Comment time, referred to Sarah Costain as the school board member with the “attendance problem.” The community member never said Costain’s name, but everyone knew exactly who he was referencing. In Costain’s first year on the school board she missed over 30% of all school board meetings. If this was Costain’s employment she wouldn’t have a job by now. If she were a student she would be in a truancy program. It’s impossible to do any job when you simply do not show up. School board ...

Thank you Alpena school board!

I wanted to take a moment to thank the Alpena school board for what they’ve been accomplishing. Over the past several months, there has been no shortage of criticism and negative commentary, much of it louder than it is helpful. Through it all, this board has stayed focused and kept working. The focus sure shows! At the most recent meeting, the board approved moving forward with a new PE classroom and weight room. Anyone who has seen the current space—often called “the dungeon”—knows just how overdue this is. For years, it was talked about, but nothing changed. Now, it ...

Specifics on the recall issues and my supposed “political agenda”

I had unanswered concerns about the Rain Garden's construction, maintenance and long-range effectiveness. Others thought that it would not drain properly in floods and storms. Is it political to want to avoid a project that could become a liability? The paving project: I had concerns about the new product. Plus, the product we purchased was a proven one used at the junior high. Not inferior. Proven. Is pavement political? And regarding that bid policy, I brought it back before the board for reconsideration once I became board president, but they probably didn’t tell you ...

Lawson’s ‘ode to self’

Oh my. The editorial column School Board President Eric Lawson wrote about himself, and was in last Saturday’s News, was so self-aggrandizing. An “Ode to Himself” that could only have been written by himself, and a grand work of fiction with hardly a whiff of reality. Lawson used a lot of words but said very little of substance. He made vague references to the things he has accomplished without saying what those “accomplishments” are. Nothing he said aligns with the reality of what he has done, or has tried to do. For example: – Lawson made our school board a state-wide ...