Bad auto payback
I read the letter from Adrian from Beulah and agree with what he had to say (re: "Support the Home Team," 6/15).
I spent over 30 years with General Motors at the Willow Run Plant where we built the Corvair, Chevy II, Buick, Olds, Caddy and Caprice, to name a few. One of our tasks was to count the non-GM cars parked in the parking lot on a regular basis.
At one time the plant was thinking about not permitting these cars on the property. Instead they decided to tag the vehicles with a suggestion to buy GM and named the local dealers.
That didn’t go over well. Some employees didn’t care about GM. They were just there for the money. They stole parts, cheated on their time cards, drank to extremes, sold and did drugs. There’s a book out called “Been There” which tells a lot of what happens in an assembly plant. These true events will give you something to think about.
Don Montie • Northport
Purge the czars
What is it with the current Obama administration that makes me question whether they have the best interest of the United States at heart, or whether they wish to grab as much power as the opportunities allow them?
With all the new “czar” appointments of late, one might conclude they have a strange fascination and appreciation for the prior Russian empire. Perhaps it’s just me and that’s what the citizens want. I doubt it though, and I believe many are downright scared of the ongoing power grabs.
They should be. A lot of damage is being done. A lot more has been proposed. I don’t admire any “czar,” foreign or American-born. Wake up and voice your concern loudly to your representatives and friends.
Brian D. Spencer • TC
We are being betrayed
Yup! That’s it in a nut shell.. no, perhaps I should say in a light bulb! I voted to elect intelligent, knowledgeable individuals, who would represent my needs as a U.S. citizen, a mom, a small business person, and loving wife. Is this happening? NO! I can see by what I have read that our Congress is going the way of oppressive big business with bucks to bend logic, thought, heart, integrity and loyalty to their constituencies.
The current Energy Bill courageously initiated by President Obama and allegedly touted by his smiling, two-faced Congressional followers, is being gutted, renamed, and basically tossed into the abyss of a trash can, to allow the oil and coal industry to keep on, keeping on.
According to an Associated Press article titled “Congress abandoning Obama clean energy goals," the current bill they are playing with won’t require any boost in clean energy than is already part of a horrid Bush Energy Bill. Even more appalling this bill will repeal parts of the Clean Air Act, preventing Obama from cracking down on dirty power plants! I stand in disbelief that this is even happening!
Obama’s Energy bill would create good jobs to rebuild our failing environment, and our economy both locally and nationally. This new version won’t require more clean energy than we are currently working with. The prospects of creating new wind and solar energy sources would create more than twice as many jobs as filthy, polluting coal and oil.
If you really care about the future of your children and grand children’s lungs and physical well being... then call your Congressional representatives to put an immediate kibosh to this slanted and biased bill for the oil and coal industry and tell them you are watching them, their voting records, and their so-called financial gifts.
Linda Beers Aydlott • East Jordan
Promoting free speech
I just want to thank the Northern Express for allowing the writers of “Letters to the Editors” to actually express their views. Unlike the Record-Eagle, our letters are not picked apart, our opinions not challenged, and we don’t have to feel as if we are writing a blue book essay, including footnotes and an acknowledgement section. They state the section is “Your Views,” however it is your view only if you’ve satisfied them.
I’ve been writing letters to many publications over the years, (the R-E for 10) however what is currently being practiced at the R-E is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. One shouldn’t have to validate their opinion in order to get an opinion letter published. Thank you Northern Express for allowing freedom of speech.
Michele Lonoconus • Thompsonville
Thank you Michele, although it's worth noting that the Express also edits and shortens letters, to the irritation of some writers. -- Ed.
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What’s Doin’?
Your Summer Calendar of Fun
By Kelsey Lauer 6/15/09
With all the things going on in Northern Michigan during the summer, it can be hard to keep them all straight. Whether it’s an art fair or concert that strikes your fancy, there’s no shortage of events to choose from. Listed below are just a few of the many activities taking place over the upcoming months. (Be sure to check Web sites and/or call ahead for the most up-to-date times and locations).
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Go the distance
6/15/09
There’s no shortage of races on the scene in Northern Michigan this summer. Below is a list of the lineup of triathlons, road races and cycle events taking place across the region:
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Darwin’s Law
‘Adapt and Survive’ works for
local manufacturers
By Anne Stanton 6/29/09
Adapt and survive. With last year’s crash and burn of the auto industry,
Darwin’s theory has taken on new meaning.
Take Tellurex, a small company tucked away in a Traverse City business
park. At its height two years ago, Tellurex employed 52 people. Its
biggest customer was Cadillac, for which it produced a cup holder that
could either heat or cool drinks at the touch of a button.
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Arcadia Dunes
Nature Preserve
Has Arrived
By Mike Terrell 6/29/09
Arcadia Dunes, in case you haven’t heard, is the latest completed natural
area along Lake Michigan’s coastal dunes. It offers beautiful, secluded
trails that lead to panoramic overlooks and exploration of the 2,000-some
acres set aside for recreational use and hunting.
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Take a trip to
Market Days
By Kristi Kates 6/29/09
Up north visitors familiar with Blissfest may also be familiar with the
nearby Good Hart Mini-Fair.
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street
musique
Brings a Weekly
Mini-Fest to
Harbor Springs
By Kristi Kates 6/29/09
Visit Harbor Springs this summer and you’ll hear the melodies of Street
Musique drifting across the town even from blocks away, with the downtown
area—usually a bit quieter in the evenings after all of the daytime
tourist hustle and bustle—revitalized and full of camaraderie.
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Great Gear
for Summer!
By Kristi Kates 6/29/09
It’s finally summertime, which means it’s time to equip you and yours with
the best of this season’s summer gear.
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Manistee National Forest Festival
A small city pulls off a whopper of a party
By Vince Hancock 6/29/09
Less than 48 hours after word leaked that fireworks just couldn’t be afforded this year, Melissa Reed, the executive director of the Manistee Chamber of Commerce, received a phone call. It was the daughter of the late Dr. LeRoy Futterer, offering almost half the amount for the annual show.
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