Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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To the Editor: I recently read an advertisement that said, “Investors staying the course are using a broken compass.” The ad reminded me of the Bessemer Area Schools bond proposal. Spending $7 million to repair school buildings that have been obsolete for decades doesn’t seem like a wise investment. In response to the special election, our school board should get its bearings and conduct a comprehensive education survey of Bessemer area residents. Part of that survey should ask whether the time has come for consolidation with our neigh... Full story
To the Editor: My response to the defeat of the Bessemer Area Schools referendum on Tuesday, May 7, was a mix of relief and concern. I am concerned because our schools have deficiencies that desperately need to be addressed. The heating, ventilation and other infrastructural issues affect the health and well being of our children daily. The technological inadequacies are unconscionable in today’s data environment and leave our children at a disadvantage. Finally, in the wake of Newtown, Conn., and other tragedies, the lack of security makes m...
1st Sgt. Tim Rang and I want to thank the Gogebic-Iron Range family for supporting our Luther L. Wright School JROTC program. This includes the parents of our students, civic organizations including Kiwanis, Rotary, the American Legion, VFW, the cities of Bessemer, Ironwood and Wakefield and all the people who take the time to recognize our students in the community. You support our program and are an important part of our mission: “to motivate young people to be better citizens.” Thank you for all you do for our students. Lt. Col. David R....
A heartfelt thank you goes to our community’s own poet, Pat O’Neill for a very special spring poetry reading event. Pat’s generous support will give area children fabulous opportunities to enjoy creative programs that emphasize art, writing and imagination at the Ironwood Carnegie Library and Schneller Art Gallery this summer. Special thanks also go to the local businesses that helped with the event and to everyone who purchased tickets. Lynne Wiercinski children’s librarian, Ironwood Carnegie Library Arlene Schneller owner/operator, Schnell...
To the Editor: Friday, April 19, was the worst blizzard and weather conditions that we’ve had this winter. It wasn’t very smart of us to be on the roads, but we had a function to go to and didn’t want to miss it. We are appalled by the number of irresponsible people that drive too fast for such dangerous conditions. It was almost a total whiteout and the roads were very, very slippery. A truck went by us so fast that we had total whiteout for a quarter mile and we had just enough time to miss an accident that had just happened. We pulled over...
To the Editor: There is a cost in doing nothing. We must all realize that as time goes by, all things need updating and repair. What is being proposed for the Bessemer Area Schools will put both our buildings and our students into the 21st century. Is there any good reason to not give our students every advantage others have in this country? Our grandparents and parents paid for our schooling along with buildings. Now it’s our turn to leave the school community in good shape for our present and future students. I would now like to talk about w...
To the Editor: “April is the cruelest month” (T.S. Eliot). This April has too often been about moving widow-maker snow from a 90 foot long driveway to some neighbor-friendly site while waiting for the mother of all plow banks. I pace myself, working with a scoop and shovel; my carbon footprint is minimal, and any fossil fuel emissions are my own. It is a perfect time for thinking, and collating thoughts. Here are some of my musings and reflections. 1. We have a political genius living in the White House, and much of this genius has rubbed off...
To the Editor: On Tuesday, May 7, voters of Bessemer and Bessemer Township will be asked to vote on the Bessemer Area School District’s bond referendum. All of us in Bessemer are confident that our schools rank among the region’s best. That’s a testament to the staff, parents and community that have made education such a high priority for our students. As we move forward, our mission is to continue this tradition by providing our staff and students a more safe, secure and healthy school environment. That’s why the school board approved placing...
To the Editor: Our schools represent the future of our communities. It’s there that we are training tomorrow’s civic leaders, business people, teachers and other vital public servants. Year after year, the Bessemer Area Schools continue to be awarded as one of the highest-ranked school districts in the state. However, over the years, our facilities at Bessemer Area Schools have deteriorated with aging and inefficient heating and ventilating systems that are becoming too expensive to repair. Leaky roofs and windows are wasting energy and mon...
To the Editor: Over many years of hard work, students, teachers and school officials of the Bessemer School District have succeeded together in building a now nationally-recognized school system. Heads down to the task, quietly and unassumingly, they have built an academic and economic magnet for all of the Gogebic Range and beyond to prosper from. Good schools are the cornerstones and hallmarks of communities that will ultimately succeed and flourish. While the rest of us adults may have been fussing over attracting corporate investment or...
To the Editor: I often see in my mind’s eye a picture of Lady Justice with her blindfold around her neck, scale broken beyond repair, dress ripped, being chased out of the White House by Eric Holder and President Barack Obama. This week a new picture came into my head: one of Lady Liberty with a suicide vest locked on with the torch replaced by a dead-man switch she dare not let go of. Are the terrorists winning? I watched as the people of Boston cheered law enforcement as they concluded a weeklong search for the surviving marathon bomber. G... Full story
To the Editor: My name is Kim Wright and I am a member of the Bessemer Area School Board. First, I want to encourage every voter in Bessemer and its townships to vote yes or no on our schools’ May 7 bond proposal. I am writing to explain why I voted no by absentee ballot, not to persuade others to do likewise. We all cherish our wonderful community and its schools. We all take great pride in our faculty and our students’ achievements, and we all have one vote to cast. What we don’t have is a bottomless pit of taxpayers’ money. What money w... Full story
To the Editor: On May 7, Bessemer Area School District voters will be asked to support a $6.67 million bond referendum for infrastructure upgrades to district schools. I will be voting in support of this referendum. Improvements include upgrades to information technology and heating and ventilation, new roofs, buses, security and asbestos and lead abatement. This has been a contentious issue and about the only thing everyone agrees with is that $6.67 million is a lot of money. So what do we get for our investment? At the April 16 public forum,...
To the Editor: My name is Bob Berg, president of the Bessemer Board of Education. I feel it is very important at this time to bring you up to date with information concerning the Bessemer Area School District and the current bond issue. Before the current proposal, there were many in-depth alternative plans that were explored and investigated before the present suggested proposition that was put in place for a bond consideration. Some of the considerations, such as building a new school or combining the Washington School with the high school,...
To the Editor: The people in this small town never cease to amaze me. The willingness to devote their time, energy, and resources for the betterment of our little community is, at times, beyond belief. We are not a rich group of individuals, that’s for sure. Most of us are on fixed incomes and the rest are struggling to survive. Yet, when it comes to supporting our community, we are rich because we share the same goal. We want to see our town thrive and survive and are willing to go out of our way to make sure that happens. Whether it’s support...
To the Editor: The editorial published April 23, “Let experts manage Michigan’s wildlife,” reprinted from the Detroit News, totally missed the mark. Using “sound science” resonates well with the public. In an ideal world, wildlife experts, researchers and biologists should guide wildlife management decisions, however, that is not reality. Top Department of Natural Resources officials are political appointees and the Natural Resource Commission is a politically-appointed body. At the March meeting, the NRC called upon an official from Montana a...
To the Editor: There is absolutely no doubt that there are necessary upgrades and repairs that must be made to the Bessemer Area Schools. Given the condition of the local economy and population flux, I feel it is imperative that a very conservative position be taken on this proposal. The ballot clearly states that $6,760,00 will be borrowed “for the purpose of remodeling, equipping and re-equipping existing school buildings, in part with security, safety and energy conservation improvement; acquiring and installing instructional technology i...
To the Editor: On May 7, the Bessemer Area School District is asking the taxpayers to approve a $6.67 million bond for structural repairs, including roofs, windows, wiring, technological upgrades, furnace replacement and repair and a security system for both schools. Unfortunately, for the past few years, funding from the state of Michigan has been drastically reduced. However, schools are still expected to provide above par education while maintaining the needs and repairs of their districts. Because of this decreased funding, the Bessemer...
The Boulder Junction Public Library is fortunate to have a staff of nearly 30 volunteers. With increasing costs of materials and limited funding opportunities, it would be impossible to keep the library doors open without the dedicated service of our volunteers. If you stop by the Boulder Junction Public Library this week, National Volunteer Week (April 21-27), say thank you to the helpful, professional volunteers behind the counter. Cherie Sanderson Boulder Junction (Wis.) Public Library...
To the Editor: On May 7, Bessemer voters will go to the polls to determine the direction Bessemer Area Schools will take in the year ahead. A total not to exceed $6.67 million is sought. If passed, the average community property will increase an additional $10 per month. School buildings are old and need upgrades. Lighting and energy sources are aged. Boilers and buses are quickly approaching the end of usefulness. Security enhancements are strongly encouraged. If updated, both buildings have strong foundations with 35 potential additional...
To the Editor: One of the many things that I love about Gogebic County is the great trail system we have for outdoor enthusiasts. Although we are blessed with thousands of acres of public lands in our county, many of the trails rely on the generosity of private landowners in order to provide trail continuity. I find myself on two sides of this very important issue and privilege: public access to private property. 1. I am a landowner in Wakefield. I have elected to grant access to the Gogebic Range Trail Authority for their snowmobile trail...
To the Editor: In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated. China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 195...
The report of a suspicious backpack found at the door of Gogebic Taconite’s office in downtown Hurley Saturday morning caused quite a stir. The good news is the bomb squad called in from Marathon County, Wis., found nothing explosive in the backpack and no one was hurt, but beyond that, it was, as always, heartening to see the quick and broad response of local officials. The Hurley Police, Iron County Sheriff’s and Hurley Fire departments were out in full force for the better part of seven hours. The area was efficiently evacuated and bar...
To the Editor: The people in the White House elected and appointed seem to have money to burn. We borrow from China; we then give it to countries that hate us along with high-priced tanks and jet fighters. I don’t think that a week goes by that I don’t get at least one or more organizations for veterans seeking donations to help our veterans. With the billions funneled out of this country, you would think that Washington would take care of our wounded, crippled warriors, physically as well as mentally. There is no reason why we can’t or don’t...
To the Editor: In the very early 1950s when radio was still more prominent than television, I happened upon a quiz program beamed over the airwaves. To this day I cannot tell you the name of the broadcast, but I do remember the multiple choice question asked of a man as if it were yesterday. The emcee asked, “Of these three nations, per capita, Switzerland, Finland or Columbia, which has the greatest number of coffee drinkers in the world?” The man quickly responded “Switzerland.” “No, I’m sorry, the answer is Finland,” the announcer sai...
