Columns – Page 207

Monday Moanin’: None allowed in March in Gulf shores

March 6, 2016

From the blog of Mister Journalism: Reading, Sharing, Discussing, Learning By Jeff Salisbury https://misterjournalism.wordpress.com/ End of week one of four overlooking the Gulf of Mexico finds me with nothing much to moan about. We are blessed. I am blessed that my wife earned far more in her working in her...

Democracy Tree: GOP senators back religious coercion on voting

March 6, 2016

by Amy Kerr Hardin If five Michigan GOP senators have their way, religious leaders will be legally permitted to threaten voters with excommunication, dismissal, or expulsion from their church if they do not vote as ordered in public elections. Yes, you read that correctly — these lawmakers are calling for...

Yes It Is, It’s True: Bowling has exploded onto local sports scene

March 6, 2016

High school athletic arenas nowadays include overlooked and underreported “orphan sports,” meaning just about anything other than football or basketball. Though Wayland has a solid tradition in softball, sports such as cross-country, golf, track, tennis, soccer, wrestling, competitive cheer, ice hockey, volleyball and swimming often seem reserved for notice only...

The Muck Starts Here: Privatization is culprit in VA Home scandal

March 6, 2016

by Barry Hastings There's a scandal brewing at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. It broke the day before Mr. Dalton shot up Kalamazoo, and it disappeared in the media feeding frenzy that quickly followed and continued for over a week. The scandal involves poor treatment, lack of treatment, and...

Columns

Army Bob: All Michigan presidential primary candidates the same?

March 3, 2016

The March 8 Michigan presidential primary will allow voters in our area to be heard not only on who may run for president, but also on what type of government we want in the future. On the Democrat side of the divide we have Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary...

Barsura: The faux pas over ‘arrowheads’ at the Baldwin dig

March 1, 2016

We anthropology students at Grand Valley learned early that using the term "arrowhead" was unacceptable, at least scholastically. At institutions of higher learning, those artifacts are called projectile points. It really did make sense; points were found that came from arrows, of course, but also from spears and lances. I...

Ranger Rick: The pleasures and annoyances of driving in Michigan

March 1, 2016

In the many years I’ve commuted and traveled state and federal roads, I’ve notice many unusual things. One morning about five years ago on a nice warm spring morning, I was a little late in leaving the house, so I jumped on the expressway to make up the time. Traveling...

Monday Moanin’: Skilled trades workers needed In Michigan

February 28, 2016

Just Google the phrase “construction worker shortage Michigan.” After decades of the “college for all” mantra, too many K-12 public schools have divested themselves of their vocational and traditional “shop” classes. Intermediate school district “tech centers” have picked up SOME of the slack, but interest in skilled trades has waned...

The Muck Starts Here: A mass murder comes closer to home

February 28, 2016

by Barry Hastings And won't it be interesting to learn about his motivation? Even more interesting will be learning the motivation of Jason Dalton's neighbors who, time after time that Sunday, appeared before the cameras of WWMT-TV News talking about the many times they'd heard (or seen) this slovenly killer...

Democracy Tree: Schuette, Snyder and the games they play

February 28, 2016

As the effluence of Gov. Snyder’s carefully timed bolus of damning emails was discharged in bulk on the media last Friday, the political fallout went from bad to worse for him and his closest aides. Digging for a story, speed-reading reporters easily connected the dots — those same dots the...

Category: Columns