The recent letter to the editor by Mike Westfall (March 23) concerning the City of Harrisville’s decision to allow recreational marijuana sales is a good example of why we have the separation of church and state. In Mr. Westfall’s mind, the city council should be recalled because a ...

I was going to respond to Mary Heimnick’s letter about coverage of the Heather Winfield case (March 23), but Mike Westfall’s “Reefer Madness” rant sucked all the air out of the room. (One point for Ms. Heimnick: no one is ever found innocent in a criminal trial in the U.S. At best, ...

My letter is in response to Ms. Gloria Weaver’s previous letter regarding Ms. Heather Winfield (March 9). While I can appreciate and respect Ms. Weaver’s loyalty toward Ms. Winfield, I believe her defense of Winfield is sorely misguided. Although Ms. Winfield may be a gifted and skilled ...

Is it so hard to believe that a special education teacher and mother took pity on a troubled young boy and welcomed him to her home, included him in family activities like swimming, trips, etc.? Bought him gifts like she would her own children? Innocent till proven guilty. Right? It seems ...

It’s hard to believe how behind our country is on access to high-quality, affordable child care. More than half of all Americans live in child care deserts and, for those who can access care, the cost is more than other major household expenses, including housing. Families can’t afford to ...

The Harrisville City Council has decided to allow commercial sales of recreational and medical marijuana in Harrisville. Have they lost their minds? To protect their communities, surrounding towns, including Alpena, Lincoln, Hillman and Rogers City, have rejected the blood money from pushing ...

This is not just about Alpena. It’s about Michigan, in general. We now have the higest car insurance in the U.S. We have one of the highest gas taxes in the U.S. Now there is talk of another 45-cents-per-gallon increase in gas tax to fix our crumbling roads. A month ago, our gas was ...

I agree with Darlene Prevosts’ letter to the editor on March 16 that seniors over 65 should not have to pay school taxes any longer. With a one-income home and the rising prices of gasoline, prescriptions and food prices, it gets increasingly hard to pay our bills. We need help and not ...

Of what am I speaking? The latest offering at Alpena Civic Theatre: “Rumors.” Neil Simon was a master of comedy and this show follows suit perfectly. Bill Powell assembled a great group of volunteers: the actors, the set designer, the set builders and all the others that made this a ...

We think it is time that our elected officials of Alpena and the township pass a bill that the senior citizens should not have to pay school taxes after the age of 65. Our social security can only be stretched so far and another school tax will be voted on in May. Also, there is one we are ...

I am an immigrant, now a U.S. citizen. It was a long time ago and somewhat arduous process to obtain my green card and be allowed entry to this county, and to be called an immigrant. Now, I find out all I had to do was to sneak across the border and I am home free, no muss, no fuss. I am no ...

I totally agree with Mike Dotsch’s letter to the editor (March 9). Alpena is a small town of mostly senior citizens living on fixed incomes. We have all experienced an increase in living expenses lately and are wondering how we are going to live out our retirement without living in poverty. ...

We have been reading about all the proposals to fix the roads and how the gas tax has to raised. Here is a novel idea: All taxes collected at the pump, as well as all license fees, go to fix the roads. No diversion to mass transit or anything else. It all goes to fix the roads. Even the ...

I am enjoying every day of my own retirement. I find it interesting to read about others that are planning to start their retirement journey. Congratulations to Alpena City Manager Greg Sundin. I hope he has a long and happy retirement. It was nice to read about his accomplishments while ...

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign slogan of “fix the damn roads” should not translate into an additional 45 cents per gallon gasoline tax for Michiganders, as proposed by her state budget request. We just had a gasoline tax increase in 2017 of 7.3 cents per gallon. If this increase is ...

Although I don’t know all the details of the case against Heather Winfield that is being reported in The Alpena News, I DO know Heather, personally, and I support her 100 percent as one of the finest, most caring and compassionate teachers that I have ever known. I first worked with ...

How many more taxes can seniors and the working poor survive with? When I retired from the military in 1994, my taxes were around $600 for 80 acres with a trailer and garage on it. Now, with 1,300 square feet and three outbuildings, we’re are paying over $2,300, $900 of that for school ...

I have learned that the City of Alpena is considering banning marijuana dispensaries and related businesses in response to the legalization of marijuana in Michigan. While I certainly appreciate the good intentions of those seeking the ban, this knee-jerk reaction is not the proper response ...

You may wonder why, after over 100 years of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place, we are writing to say, “Girl Scouts are alive and well.” Unfortunately, there are rumors in this community and in the Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore ...

It is so apparent as to be axiomatic that exposure to the arts — visual arts, theater, literature, music — contributes to what makes us human. Art allows us to see our potential and encourages us to become our better selves. It allows us to consider the basic questions of humanity, ...