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Letters to the Editor

A Missed Opportunity

The headline story in The Alpena News on Monday, Sept. 8th, was about improvementsthe city is making to address storm runoff, improve natural habitats and protect the water quality of Lake Huron. The improvements include dune restoration, a pollinator garden… and a 1,000-square-foot rain garden. A public statement describes rain gardens as “green stormwater infrastructure.” The statement went on to say, “Rain gardens can reduce the load on underground storm sewers, prolonging the life of these systems, and contribute to cleaner drinking water.” This is what could have been on ...

Concerned Christian

As a Christian I am concerned what the results will be because of cuts in USAID as reported in the Lancet. The Lancet is an a weekly, peer-reviewed general medical journal founded in England and is considered one of the world's most prestigious and influential sources of medical research and opinion. The Lancet predicted around 700,000 childhood deaths per year due to cuts in U.S. foreign aid, specifically from the dismantling and severe reduction of USAID programs. This estimate is part of a broader projection that over 14 million preventable deaths could occur globally by 2030, ...

Enough with the Attacks on the School Board — Grow Up

Let’s call this what it is: a full-blown meltdown. A VERY small group of people in our community have made it their full-time hobby to harass the local school board. Not because of corruption or scandal — but simply because they don’t like someone else’s perspective or opinion. And instead of voicing disagreement like normal humans, they’ve chosen personal attacks, rambling rants in this paper, and Facebook conspiracy posts. Let’s be real: this isn’t civic engagement. It’s targeted harassment. Our board members — who, by the way, are actual human beings with jobs, ...

Potty Talk

At the August Alpena Public School board meeting, during public comment, one of the speakers shared surprising information about the proposed bathroom policy. She questioned why Monica Dziesinski and Sarah Costain, whose children attend All Saints, are promoting the Fairview bathroom policy and not the All Saints bathroom policy. Dziesinski, in particular, has been the most vocal about the need for the bathroom policy at APS. Why look elsewhere? This speaker spoke with parents whose children attend All Saints and they were not aware of a bathroom policy. She became suspicious and ...

The Obvious Answer to an Insincere Question

At the end of a recent Board of Education meeting, board member AJ MacArthur asked a question. He wondered if having a child in the school system is a prerequisite to being on the school board. MacArthur said he was tired of hearing people say a child in the school system should be a prerequisite to having a board position. What people are suggesting to MacArthur is having a child in the school system assures some element of “skin in the game.” They are indicating if he had children enrolled in APS maybe some of his decisions would have gone a different way… as in supportive of ...

Send in the Clowns

The August 25th school board meeting started out humorous enough, turned repulsive and ended with just plain goofery. The amusing part presented immediately. Three out-of-towners, who had traveled from Wayne and Eaton Counties, hijacked the meeting with repeat trips to the podium during the public comment times to lavish praise on School Board President, Eric Lawson… music to Lawson’s ears. A robust chorus of accolades from people who don’t live here, vote here or pay taxes here. Funnier still, presumed clown show facilitator, Monica Dziesinski, evidently had to exceed a 250-mile ...