March 29, 2024

Letters 08-11-2014

Aug. 10, 2014

Our simple rules: Keep your letter to 300 words or less, send no more than one per month, include your name/address/phone number, and agree to allow us to edit. That’s it. Email info@northernexpress.com and hit send!

Build A Better Cherry Fest

I strongly disagree with Mr. Tuttle’s piece insisting that we keep National Cherry Festival exactly as it remains. Many residents, including myself, are not in favor of eliminating the festival, but rather asking some very poignant questions. Should the festival be moved to a date that local cherries would actually be ready, instead of a weekend like the Fourth of July when the city is full anyway? Should we move the festival to the fairgrounds so our normally pristine Open Space can be on display? How can we better connect visitors with local commerce as opposed to the carnival that moves into town for 10 days? Traverse City will have visitors making a positive economic impact during the second week of July regardless of Cherry Festival. I applaud our city leaders and others for questioning the current impact on the Festival. Why shouldn’t we try to make it better for all in our community?

Aaron McBride, Traverse City

A Real Farmers Market

The ongoing practice of farmer’s market vendors reselling produce they don’t grow themselves, and failing to identify it as such, has never been about "big farmer versus little farmer," as one of the resellers claims, but rather about transparency and being straightforward and telling the truth to buyers. It’s about allowing buyers the facts they deserve and need to make informed buying choices. Many market goers believe that when they visit a farmer’s market, they’re buying food that’s been locally grown. Buying locally strengthens our communities when we invest our food dollars close to home, not to mention that it lessens the environmental impact from trucking our food in from other regions.

It’s important to know where and how our food is grown, what pest management practices were utilized, whether it was grown from GMO seed, whether it’s been grown on depleted or contaminated soil, not to mention when was it harvested, given the ongoing nutrient depletion after harvesting.

If market rules are such that reselling is allowed, it is often accompanied by the rule that vendors disclose the name and address of the farm where the produce was grown. That rarely occurs, and more often than not, we’ve witnessed resellers verbally representing themselves as the growers. The solution is really quite simple: transparency and honesty. If the resellers truly believe in what they’re doing, and it’s not just about making a buck, they shouldn’t have a problem with placing signs indicating where their respective produce is grown.

Karla Black, Platte River Gardens, Interlochen

Congrats on the Wet House

How wonderful to see that there are people who are intelligent, compassionate and actively doing something to help those with addictions and mental differences which are viewed with critical disapproval by many. Mental challenges and addictions to drugs and alcohol are not unique to homeless men, these things affect both men and women and people from all income levels. Our system does not do much to help support those with these differences, unless you can call throwing them in the slammer help. These differences are not crimes against society they need as much support as those who are affected with breast cancer or any other diseases. Making a place for them that helps them live a better life is the first step in advancing society’s treatment of these "throw away, go away" people.

There but for some toss of the dice goes you or your son or daughter. Every person deserves to be treated with respect and deserves to have a place safe and warm to call home. No judging, just intelligent help without unrealistic rules. I hope that Dann’s House receives the support that it needs. Something like this is long overdue. Way to go great people of Traverse City!

Sigrid Hansen, Petoskey

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