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Opinion

4,000 students is the number that matters most

Editorials and columns

Thousands of conversations, countless hours of volunteer time over nearly seven weeks, more than 2,000 petition pages, and dozens of misplaced pens are just some of the statistics for the effort to recall Alpena Public School board members Sarah Costain, Monica Dziesinski, and Eric ...

A determination of time

Editorials and columns

A few years ago, I wrote a column about time, our time, the time before the railroads imposed their time. It wasn’t until 1918, at the insistence of the railroads, that time zones were created. Our gatherings on depot platforms were at their time, and in time their time became our ...

We have the right to recall, sign the petitions

Letters to the Editor

The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education has a problem. Multiple members of the school board are casting votes that waste taxpayer money that is supposed to fund our schools. Their names are Eric Lawson, Monica Dziesinski, and Sarah Costain. All three members have “voted no to a $150,000 ...

How to keep loving America — even when it hurts

Editorials and columns

The approach of July 4 is making my heart hurt. Love of this country is deep-dyed in my soul, but pondering how or even whether to celebrate the semiquincentennial provokes a riot of mixed feelings. The right -- and not just the MAGA right -- responds to any queasiness about this particular ...

A case for letter writing

Editorials and columns

If there were a single task that could do all the following, would you do it? (1) cultivate deeper emotional connections, (2) improve cognitive and mental health, (3) increase mindfulness, (4) reduce screen fatigue, (5) lower anxiety, (6) stimulate memory retention, and (7) create tangible ...