Opinion
Why I Love Our President
Guest Opinion
By Walt Wood | June 6, 2026
Dear Mr. President, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Though I will stop short of naming you the greatest president of all time, you are definitely in the top five. You have accomplished over the course of five and a half years in office what no president has ever achieved in the history of our great nation. You have single-handedly forced us to confront the shortcomings of the … Read More >>
Nobody Home
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | June 6, 2026
We continue to be told there is a housing shortage, sometimes called a housing crisis. To read the stories and listen to the advocates, you’d think legions of people are wandering the streets of northern Michigan, dragging their possessions behind then searching for a place, any place, they can call home. The National Low Income Housing Coalition says the country is short an astonishing 7.1 million affordable housing units, and Fortune says … Read More >>
Pride Is More Than a Party
Guest Opinion
May 30, 2026
“During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. It was the dance that kept us in the fight, because it was the dance we were fighting for.” – Dan Savage, American author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBT community activist There is a new shape to the dark days we find ourselves in as queer and … Read More >>
You Are Being Audited
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | May 30, 2026
We’re being audited, but not by the IRS. More and more there are now among us folks with cell phones and/or digital video cameras and microphones standing outside post offices, banks, cannabis dispensaries, restaurants—any place people are likely to gather or come and go. Often calling themselves First Amendment auditors, they do nothing but record people coming and going and are sometimes confronted by those people or, rarely, by law enforcement. The … Read More >>
Trails That Change Us
Guest Opinion
By Dana Pflughoeft | May 23, 2026
Trails and the contemplation of them consume a significant portion of my days. As they should. I am the community engagement coordinator at TART Trails. Some days are filled with meetings with communities dreaming up new trails. Other days involve talking with volunteers and supporters who care deeply about the trails we already have. And often, I work with my colleagues, imagining better, safer, more joyful ways to move around our region. … Read More >>
Tired of Winning
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | May 23, 2026
He told us he would stop the Russian-Ukraine war in 24 hours with a single phone call. He said gas would cost less than $2 a gallon, that inflation would be next to nothing, and the world would respect us more than ever. He said we “obliterated,” “decimated,” and “completely destroyed” the Iranian military. He said, without a hint of irony, “We’re going to win so much, you may even get tired … Read More >>
The Courage to Be Disliked
Guest Opinion
By Isiah Smith, Jr. | May 16, 2026
The Tao Te Ching says, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready, the teacher will disappear.” That proverb means guidance arrives when you are truly prepared to learn, grow, or change your perspective and preconceived notions. Knowledge emerges when an individual is mentally and emotionally ready to learn. It suggests that proactive openness helps one find guidance in people, events, opportunities, or books. Years … Read More >>
Helpless to Resist
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | May 16, 2026
Our country has a long and unfortunate history of blaming external influences for the bad behavior of our children. Banishment was once the preferred solution, now replaced by lawsuits. In the 1940s and 1950s, the villains were an emerging genre of comic books focusing on crime and horror. These comics, some parents and authorities crowed, were leading directly to an increase in juvenile delinquency and its accompanying crime. This even led to … Read More >>
The Spring of Mothers’ Discontent
Guest Opinion
By Cathye Williams | May 9, 2026
The first day of spring is hardly ever springlike here in the northern latitudes. While we might think that “vernal equinox” sounds very sciency, we all know we’ll still be schlepping around in insulated boots and poofy coats. No one puts away their ice scrapers until well into April. I myself keep a stash of hats and mittens by the door until Memorial Day. Mother’s Day is my season opener. Spring is … Read More >>
And They’re Off, 2.0
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | May 9, 2026
Last week we took a brief look at Michigan’s Republican candidates for governor, so it’s only fair we now look at the Democrats’ far less competitive race. Or, at least it isn’t very competitive yet, but there is a significant wild card we’ll discuss later. Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited after an up-and-down tenure that saw recessions, a pandemic, and a kidnapping and assassination plot. Despite it all, Whitmer remains popular … Read More >>
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