The future of the Alpena County Fairgrounds has dominated local conversation in recent weeks, and for good reason: there's a major development proposal on the table, multiple parties are involved, and the stakes are high. This has also been moving very fast—perhaps too fast. In the rush, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
What are you grieving this morning? That was the crux of a question posed at church this past week as it got all in attendance to reflect and ponder. For some it might have been the loss of a loved one. Others might be grieving an individual’s economic circumstances and bad decisions. Still ...
I never imagined that serving on a local school board would come with this much attention—but here we are. I didn’t run for this position because I wanted a title or a platform. I ran because I care deeply about our kids, our schools, and the future of this community. As a mom, I ...