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Letters to the Editor

Lawmakers Prioritize Power Over People

I just finished reading the article about the tragic flood in Texas. What a horrific experience for those people to endure. Something else that is horrific in Texas is the legislators. Instead of dealing with legislation to prevent another such tragedy: (early flood warning systems, restrictions on inhabiting flood plains, etc.), they chose to prioritize and pass legislation gerrymandering voting districts to keep the party of their Fuehrer in power in Washington. Those in power in Texas are obviously not concerned about the people of Texas. They are only concerned with keeping ...

Education Over Politics

Recently, I read with interest two Letters to the Editor… one expressing “thanks” for electing certain, current members of our local school board as advocates for a particular political persuasion. The second letter admonished folks for “getting what we got” and chronicled a number of very specific “at what cost” issues which several members of our APS School Board have publicly advocated and/or approved. Without going into the details of the specifics of each of these several matters which the second letter identified, each appears to raise considerable concern ...

Is This Really The United States of America?

Donald J. Trump is an old, punch-drunk narcissist that commands the use of committed loyalty and there is only one man or one thing that he is loyal to. That one man or one thing is a man who in the late-20th Century took Donald J. Trump’s failing facade and made him into what he is today. It is unfortunate for The United States of America the man that Donald J. Trump is totally loyal to above all else spent his entire career committed to studying and working to destroy Democracy and The United States of America. President Donald J. Trump does not meet with this man as the Leader ...

Deaf Ears

I have noticed an interesting trend with the Alpena Public School Board. There could be 12 people speaking during public comment or via email, in support of the rain garden, or in support of LGBTQ students or for any number of other issues that have come before this Board in the past eight months. Those comments fall on deaf ears! But if they receive “one” email or “one” person speaking in opposition to one of those topics, the Trustees hyper-focus on that comment and want immediate change. One email suggesting that Pride Month is a religion, stimulated an immediate rewrite ...

The Double Standard

It was hard to miss Alpena Public School Board member Sarah Costain’s social media post last week: “We’re so happy we can give All Saints a beautiful greenhouse, a place to grow something amazing, and an outdoor space all the classes can enjoy.” Costain was referring to a greenhouse project she helped fund and build at All Saints School. Yes, in fact this does sound like a wonderful opportunity for the 100, or so, students enrolled at All Saints private school. At the same time, it’s hard to forget that Costain denied a similar opportunity for Alpena Public School students by ...

The Wrecking Balls

At the July 28th meeting, the Board of Education undertook the yearly task of voting for board leadership positions. Anna Meinhardt, who has been the president for the last 2.5 years and Eric Hansen, the vice president for the last year, were nominated to continue in these positions for 2025-2026. Meinhardt declined the nomination, stating the majority on the board has taken a direction she cannot align with. The majority she is referencing are Eric Lawson, Sarah Costain, AJ MacArthur and Monica Dziesinski… The Wrecking Balls. In particular, she spoke of the “Bathroom Policy” these ...