Disturbing trend in behavior at recent area fairs

September 8, 2021

EDITOR: When did we become so mean? When did we lose the idea of being our neighbors’ keepers? When did we teach our children it is OK to be rude and disrespectful to anyone who doesn’t look or think as we do? Are we losing our humanity? I ask this after working a shift this past weekend at the fair. While sitting in the Democratic Party booth at the Dickinson County Fair, I witnessed some rather poor behavior, as did my colleagues over a five-day period. I wonder if our neighbors across the aisle at the Republican Party booth felt the same way? Over the course of a few days, the ...

Morality and right vs. choice

August 30, 2021

What is a right vs a choice? A right is defined as “qualities (as adherence to duty or obedience to lawful authority) that together constitute the ideal of moral propriety or merit moral approval.” An important part of a right is its morality. Morality means to me behavior and choices that do not harm or by inaction help create the conditions or the potential of physical or mental harm. Based on this, I can make and act upon moral and immoral choices and rationalize either. The question now is refusing the vaccine that has been tested and proven effective and safe by the ...

Parents should become familiar with flavored tobacco products

August 25, 2021

As another school year arrives and summer comes to an end, parents and students alike are looking forward to beginning school after what seems to have been a very long year already. In fact, many families are looking forward to their children returning to in-person learning in the classroom. While back to school means school supply shopping and new clothes and shoes, and schedules, there will be other pieces that will continue to vary such as masks, social distancing, and vaccination status. However, in the excitement of back-to-school preparation I want to take this opportunity to let ...

The swampy rock — a true story

August 16, 2021

This goes back to the good old days around 50 years ago. Some of you will remember logging in this way. I had a D-2 Crawler made by Caterpillar. It had a 2-cylinder gas pony engine to start the big diesel engine. It also had a heavy-duty outside mounted blade. On the back was mounted a cable winch and boom pulp and log jammer with tongs. The winch was lever operated by hand from either side of the D-2. The operator would place the tongs on the pulp wood stick or sawmill log. Then using one of the levers would raise then lower the item onto a skidding dray to be pulled out to what was ...

Florence area sign offensive

August 13, 2021

I live in the Florence, Wis., area. While driving home, I noticed a local tavern owner that isn’t happy with the governor of Wisconsin. I totally understand everyone having their own opinion. There are people in the government that I don’t like or respect. The problem I am having is they decided to put a sign on their building using the F-word. They are not allowed to use that word on regular TV. After contacting the town office, I was told we are among many calling and complaining about that sign. This is one of the first things visitors to our area see. That includes children. I ...

Hearing set on mineral lease

August 12, 2021

EDITOR: A public hearing has been announced by the Mineral Leasing Division of the State of Michigan for 6 to 8 p.m. Central time Wednesday Sept. 1, at Menominee County Michigan State University Extension Offices, S904 U.S. 41 in Stephenson. Great Lakes Exploration, owned by Tom Quigley, has submitted an application for exclusive rights to explore “1,609 acres, more or less” for the presence of metallic minerals. If this application is approved, all landowners will again be subjected to massive drilling of test holes on state land to determine the viability of sulfide ...