Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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To the Editor: Before I went into education and became a teacher, I served as an assistant city manager in Texas. Politics in Texas is as rough and tumble as they say it is; yet, at the end of the day, factions would talk and accomplish something. Seeing that happen reminded me that Lyndon Johnson often invited his political foes into deliberations by quoting from the Old Testament book of Isaiah: “Come, let us reason together.” Regarding education and our schools in Gogebic County, we all have the same goal, providing the best education we...
To the Editor: On Aug. 5, some voters in the area will go to the ballot box to vote on the dismantling of the Bessemer Area School District and the Wakefield-Marenisco School District under the auspices of a consolidation between them. Many questions have been raised by this undertaking. Here are some questions I’ve entertained and here are the straight answers I’ve collected to some of the queries. How much money will this cost? Answer: This is not known. Will this save money? Answer: This is not known. Will any funds be provided by out...
To the Editor: Diana West laments the “recurring and gratuitous slander of the late, great (Joseph) McCarthy” and claims we “owe” the man for his “unflagging courage” in her column printed in the Daily Globe May 3. Minimal apolitical historical research shows a much different person. Joseph McCarthy was an unsuccessful lawyer, a gambler, a liar and an alcoholic. When, as a Democrat, his party refused to slate him as a candidate for district attorney in the late 1930s, he switched political parties. He did join the Marines late in World War II,...
To the Editor: At a meeting of the Historic Ironwood Theatre Board of Directors Thursday, we discussed the many ways in which our area has been supportive of the current effort to secure $25,000 through the State Farm Insurance grant for the Youth Drama Club. The support from multiple entities including the Ironwood Carnegie Library, Theatre North, the Kiwanis, local schools, radio stations and newspapers, the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District and local students themselves has been most heartening. As a result of the support...
To the Editor: May is National Foster Care Month and it is time for our community to recognize the special families that open their hearts and homes to children in need. At any given time there are roughly 14,000 Michigan children in foster care. Being a foster parent is not an easy job, and is often thankless. Foster parents provide not only for the needs of children, but also work with agencies, courts, birth parents and other service providers as a part of a team to remedy the problems in the family that brought the child into care. They...
To the Editor: I have spent my entire life being rather self-sufficient and successful in our society and never really worried about the day that I would be unable to care for myself. My life went on its merry way living a very nice life in this wonderful country of America. Often in the back of my mind there was a sense of wonderment of what it would be like if the tables turned. Being an avid reader of current events, I would read articles about those less fortunate and their horror stories thinking I was so lucky ... and indeed I was. Well,...
To the Editor: More than likely, you have asked someone, or they of you, “A penny for your thoughts?” Trite as those words are, they stand on their own as being the greatest inducement to dialogue. Unless brain-dead, thoughts vastly outnumber spoken words with most people, and if not born with a golden spoon, many fortunes are amassed by thoughts that won’t allow failure. In the greatest-selling book of all time, the holy Bible, the beleaguered man, Job, confessed to God “I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withhol...
To the Editor: There is an increase of methamphetamine use and manufacturing in our area. Generally society handles these types of behaviors with a legal response by incarceration or mandatory inpatient treatment. The significance of these factors is that the individuals are given the opportunity to clean up from the highly addictive drug, meth. A local group is being formed to help those who decide they no longer want to be using this drug and want their life back. If the individual desires to get off the drug or they are currently using and...
To the Editor: I encourage the voters of Bessemer Area School District to vote “no” May 6 on the bond referendum. As voters you need to take a serious look at who’s leading the support for the referendum: administrators, board members, support staff, teachers and their families. The same people who don’t want consolidation. Might they have alternative reasons? I think so. If the bond passes they will use “we paid for our schools already” against consolidation. They know a consolidated district will start fresh, a new board will hire a superinte...
To the Editor: From the beginning of time, a community consisted of a few necessary constitutions as a building block to sustain that community. These primary things we do have in the Bessemer area. A community needs industry or jobs. It needs stores that support the needs of the people. It needs various places of worship. It needs security like a police department. It also needs a place to educate our children in the community. When I moved to the Gogebic Range in 1993, my wife and I looked at all the surrounding towns and decided that...
To the Editor: Between now and this August, there may be two important issues put before the voters of the Bessemer Area School District and the Wakefield-Marenisco School District. The first, already scheduled in early May, will be to decide if voters of the Bessemer Area District should approve the sale of a bond to finance improvements and maintenance of the A.D. Johnston High School and the Washington Elementary School. If enough signatures are secured, another election will be held in August to see if the two districts should consolidate....
To the Editor: Much has been said and printed about the upcoming bond referendum facing voters on May 6. There are intelligent, passionate arguments on both sides of the table. Issues revolve around tax increases and consolidation. Because of inflation, tax increases are inevitable. Things just cost more than they did in the past. Each property owner’s taxes will increase based on the taxable value of their property. A property with a taxable value of $40,000 will increase about $11 per month. In addition, people with household incomes below $...
To the Editor: It is with interest that I noticed that a spokesman for the left in this country, Gary Trudeau, has taken a sabbatical. In his absence, his “comic” strip “Doonesbury” has been running strips titled “Doonesbury Classics” in the Daily Globe. They cover another period in our political life in which “crimes and misdemeanors” of the Nixon administration have been, and are, highlighted daily. Has the left confronted their own crimes? They have not. If they are acknowledged at all it is to deny them with brief remarks to the press on...
To the Editor: On Saturday, April 13, the Daily Globe published an article written by Ralph Ansami summarizing a report by the Heartland Institute (presumably at blog.heritage.org/tag/global-warming/) concerning the global warming controversy. According to the article, loss of jobs and higher product costs (e.g. electricity, cars, food) by reducing carbon emissions were unacceptable. Environmental damage due to uncontrolled global warming was also said to be exaggerated while ignoring benefits of milder winters and enhanced plant growth due to...
To the Editor: Just as other Gogebic Range communities, Bessemer is made up of hardworking, strongly committed, churchgoing individuals who may not always see eye to eye. But when it comes to items of significance — items of importance which might change its culture — people demand elected officials listen and listen well to their wishes. Bessemer’s diverse individuals sometimes differ, but on the major issues of monumental change, demand clarification before making their choices. This was first evident in 1994 with the A.D. Johnston High...
To the Editor: When we researched moving to the Gogebic Range, one of the first things we did was look at the schools. Bessemer stood out because of the high-quality teachers, excellent educational opportunities and the outstanding community support. This led us to settling in Bessemer and placing our four children in the school district. We see the schools as the community “home” for our children. It is the hub of activities from academics to athletics to community events. With that in mind, our “community home” has some needs that must be...
To the Editor: Schools are the social, economic and cultural pillars of a small community. They are the place for town citizens to gather around our children for sporting events and music. The façade of the buildings are historic and a focal point for those passing through. Successful students graduate and become business owners, educators, health care professionals, environmentalists, city employees, leaders of local government, booster club members and Fourth of July volunteers. There is a sense of belonging and spirit around traditions,...
To the Editor: The stabbings at the Murrysville, Pa., school which resulted in multiple victims has me wondering about a few things. Such as: Should the victims sue the manufacturer of the knife used? Do we need “knife control?” Should the feds stick their bureaucratic nose into it and call for knife registration and background checks for those wishing to purchase a knife? Ridiculous, you say? Outlandish? Socialism at its very worst? Hey, all the above apply to guns, so why not to knives, axes and other edged weapons, baseball bats and any...
On April 9, Iron County Board Chairman Joseph Pinardi criticized Iron County Sheriff Tony Furyk for not following the board’s vote to “eject individuals occupying the harvest camp by any lawful means necessary.” By ordinance, individuals may not camp in county forests for more than 14 consecutive days. The sheriff has no legal authority to simply arrest any individuals who might be at the site. It’s not, after all, unlawful for people to camp at the location. Without a court ruling that the 14-day ordinance has been violated, the sheriff...
To the Editor: At the citizens forum in Hurley a couple of weeks ago, Iron County Board members were filmed saying they don’t like public comment because they don’t want dirty laundry aired and stories in the newspaper. That’s why I was surprised to see board chairman Joe Pinardi’s criticism of Iron County Sheriff Tony Furyk in the paper. I agree with the county’s 14-day camping rule, but the harvest camp situation is more complicated. The county made an agreement to allow the harvest camp for a year. There are also federal treaties to consider...
It’s another successful play directed by Helen Fashbaugh: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” at Theatre North. It amazes me how each performer seems born to the role. The scenery looks so authentic that one forgets one isn’t in Rome. Thank you Helen Fashbaugh, cast and crew of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” for all you do to entertain us. It’s a fabulous play. Don’t miss it. Judy Lake Ironwood...
A Mercer Lioness Club community blood drive was held Tuesday, April 8. There were 21 registered donors. A milestone donor award pin was given to Shirley Thomas for two gallons. Mercer Lioness members are grateful for the donors and the volunteers who were involved in this blood drive, including Lori Ackerman, Joyce Brundage, LaRane Garrett, Dorothy Wahner, Barb Beshta and June Brunell. Donors received a carnations from the Mercer Lioness. The next blood drive will be July 1. Judy Bugni Blood drive coordinator...
To the Editor: At the Bessemer Area School Board’s March meeting, our superintendent (who lives in Ontonagon) demanded the people circulating consolidation petitions submit their plan for consolidation in writing to the board. Nice try. Our anti-consolidation, tax-and-spend school board is trying to instruct pro-consolidation citizens on how to run their campaign. I hope they don’t suspend us when we don’t hand in their assignment. Under state law, people circulating consolidation petitions don’t have to submit a consolidation plan or anythin...
To the Editor: I received the startling news that Mara MacKay was dismissed, or rather DAP-smissed, as the area Smithsonian “The Way We Worked” exhibit director. With a vendetta forming over someone who helped to create and deliver huge, golden opportunities for Ironwood and the Gogebic Range, we risk losing our momentum. We can’t further fragment our already fragmented community. We “were” coming together. Now, we are coming apart. It’s that simple. At times, Ironwood is a sandbox full of brats. Everybody wants everyone else’s toys. Seems s...
To the Editor: Since April 2013, a group of Lac Courte Oreilles tribal members and their friends have been living on Iron County forest property along Moore Park Road in what they have called a “harvest camp.” Although harvesting of certain miscellaneous forest products is granted to tribal members through federal treaties, living on the county forest is in direct violation of the Iron County Forest 15-year plan, Iron County camping ordinance and Wisconsin statutes that govern county forest land. Twice over the past year, the Iron County Forest...
