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Letters to the Editor

State needs to restore funding cut by vetoes

On Oct. 11, the Dickinson County Board of Commissioners voted to send a letter to our state representatives detailing the financial impact from Governor Whitmer’s vetoes. The results of these vetoes to Dickinson County are devastating. The reduction in funding will necessitate layoffs of essential personnel. Vital services to our residents will be reduced or eliminated. Additional fiscal hardships will also be imposed on our townships, cities and school districts because of these vetoes. Effects on the private sector have yet to be determined. Dickinson County had $584,750 ...

County cancer loan closet needs help, cooperation

EDITOR: With the onset of the holiday season, I’d like to take a minute to first thank all who have donated in some way to the Dickinson County Cancer Unit Loan Closet. Your thoughtfulness is truly appreciated and has made our organization such a successful endeavor. We are here to help our local residents who are battling cancer and while we are not able to help those outside of our service area, we may be able to pass on valuable information and phone numbers of others who could possibly lend a helping hand. On the downside, because our donations and contributions have begun to ...

Almost time for the annual train show in Florence

Some of the folks around here know my wife, Melissa, and I through our annual Florence Country Library train show that happens the second Saturday of December every year. This will be year 11! We started with one train set and a rather small gathering, with more old folks than kids in attendance. One of the older men won the only train set and buzzed out the door without mentioning his name and surely without a thank you very much. Oh, the faces of those sad and disappointed children. The second year and each year since have had a rule or two. You have to be younger than 18 and be ...

Think about family — give up smoking

EDITOR: My wife passed away on Jan. 19, 2019, of stage 4 lung cancer. Yes, she smoked, but it is the cigarette companies I would like to go after. They make a poison, they know it, it kills, but there is big, huge money involved. Same with alcohol, addictive and it kills, and snuff. These people will pay some day for selling this poison, and knowing it kills, what a shame. Judgement day is coming for them. My wife was also going blind from smoking — eye specialist told her she would go blind if she did not quit. Did not and could not quit, addicted. If you people who now smoke ...

MCAC needs community’s help to continue helping those in need

I am writing as the chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Medical Care Access Coalition, or MCAC. The MCAC was started in 2004, funded by a grant to help the uninsured and under-insured to receive the medical treatments and testing through services donated by local physicians and therapists, as well as local hospitals and clinics. This program provided residents of Dickinson and Iron counties with more than a million dollars of lifesaving medical services each year. In 2014, the donated services were discontinued, as each American would be required to have health insurance under ...

Should Trump be above the law?

Is anyone above the law? This requires we define what that means. It means that the justice system cannot investigate, charge/indict, try or convict a person for any suspected criminal act or activity. This has happened in some countries where the leader was viewed as ordained from a deific power, acquired a position by force, ordained as a king or became a dictator. This is the opposite of the value I believe this country and the Constitution stands for — nobody is above the law, no matter their wealth, gender, religion, sexual orientation or job/position in the private, religious ...