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Michael Moore says film festival a big hit
The lineup consisted largely of independent productions, including some documentaries and foreign films, that organizers said demonstrated cinematic excellence but were the types often ignored by large studios and theater chains. The audience grand prize was awarded to the romantic comedy The Baxter. Sharing the founders' grand prize were The Edukators, a German drama about a politically inspired kidnapping, and Grizzly Man, a documentary about a man who lived among grizzly bears until they killed him.
GT County mulls smoking ban ordinance
The county's tobacco task force and health department favor an ordinance similar to one recently adopted by Emmet, Charlevoix, Antrim and Otsego counties, but county commissioner Herb Lemcool, who supports a ban, said he fears there isn't enough political support to pass a similar ordinance.
Organizers pull plug on anti-Moore movie
The "family-friendly" Traverse Bay Freedom FilmFest turned R-rated. Festival organizers had planned to show "Michael Moore Hates America," a documentary-style film by Michael Wilson that examines the filmmaking methods of director Michael Moore, at 7 p.m. Friday. But about 10 minutes into the film - one of the festival's main attractions - organizers discovered it was R-rated, containing profane language. TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT NOW: CLICK HERE
TC Film Festival debut lived up to its promise
People from across all political and social boundaries rallied around the idea of movies for movies' sake. Traverse City probably surprised itself last weekend. Retirees, teen-agers, yuppies, hippies, baby boomers, gen-Xers, tree-huggers and business types found themselves shoulder to shoulder watching Jaws at the Open Space or "Mad Hot Ballroom" on opening night. No sniping, no griping. They were there to see great movies, and that's what they got. And they were proud of what their community had pulled off. Big-time kudos to Moore, Doug Stanton, John Robert Williams and their steering committee. They did what they promised, with a little help from some friends. Mickey and Judy would be proud. TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT NOW: CLICK HERE
That's a wrap for film fest
TRAVERSE CITY - Traverse City Film Festival founders gave their Grand Prize to "The Edukators" and "Grizzly Man," while the audience nod went to "The Baxter." The three films were among nine movies and directors singled out for prizes at the inaugural festival that ended Sunday.
Film festival boosts downtown business
Local businesses, especially those downtown, said film festival traffic provided a boost in an already-busy time of year. Merchants say the festival is bringing in the kind of crowds they like - the kind that spends cash while they're here.
"There's a ton of people in town, and they've got money," said Mike Nolan, owner of a tobacco shop downtown. "It's not like the Cherry Festival."
Plugging in to the Wind and Sun
Live off the grid without losing the modern comforts of life. Solar panels and small-scale wind turbines can provide ample power for a family home, and plenty of websites and green-living companies are out there to help potential back-to-the-landers electrify their refuges.
Jaws Agape as Predators Attack the Audience at Open Space
Traverse City—As perhaps the largest crowd of people to ever share Open Space [official estimates indicate the crowd as exceeding six-thousand people] in downtown Traverse City looked on, representatives of the predatory group opposed to the Traverse City Film Festival lead by Suttons Bay resident Genie Aldridge and a Texas group who call themselves the American Film Renaissance went on the attack. Aldridge and a handful of supporters have been praying and preying on the wildly successful Traverse City Film Festival since it was announced last month at the Traverse City Commission meeting. A small group of Aldridge sympathizers launched an attack, advertising their counter-event, from the waters of West Bay tonight against the Traverse City Film Festival as they sailed in circles behind a thirty-five foot tall movie screen just as the classic movie Jaws came to life with the shark attack sound-track blaring. How strangely appropriate ...
Michael Moore Hates America
The movie Michael Moore Hates America attempts a counter blast at Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore's critique of George W. Bush and the war on terror. It premiered on September 12th, 2004 at a small conservative film festival in Dallas, Texas. 'Michael Moore Hates America' is directed by Michael Wilson, a young independent film maker, with funding from Brian R. Cartmell, the president of a large online pornography corporation, Internet Entertainment Group (IEG), headquartered in Seattle. Cartmell and his employer were named as defendants in an early cybersquatting case. They were sued by the toy manufacturer Hasbro for using 'Candy Land', one of Hasbro's trademarks, in a domain name for a porn site. IEG was a known spammer. At least some of IEG's sexually explicit spam postings were made to non-adult-orientated newsgroups. TALK ABOUT THIS SUBJECT NOW: CLICK HERE
 Thanks Mike: Lights go up at State Theatre
Traverse City—There was no red carpet and only one limousine arrival, but the excitement on Front Street was palpable as moviegoers arrived at the historic State Theatre for the opening film of the first Traverse City Film Festival. Organizers planned the festival in just two months. Among its 31 domestic, foreign language, independent and documentary films are seven premieres and four free classics that will be shown nightly at dusk at the waterfront Open Space Cinema.
Interlochen reaps benefits
When Michael Moore sold the first Traverse City Film Festival ticket, it was no mere happenstance that he rang it up at Bravo!, a gift shop downtown owned by the Interlochen Arts Academy. Adjacent to the State Theatre, Bravo! is handling ticket sales for the festival, as is Interlochen's box office. The academy's prominent role represents a unique partnership between Interlochen and the Traverse City Film Festival - a partnership each sees as mutually beneficial.
City honors Nazi Group
CADILLAC - A civil rights group wants some answers after city officials gave a certificate of appreciation to the self-described America's Nazi Party.
Large Volume of FBI Files Alarms US Activist Groups
WASHINGTON, July 17 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has collected at least 3,500 pages of internal documents in the last several years on a handful of civil rights and antiwar protest groups
Septage plant 'structural failure' is investigated
The county's "state-of-the-art" septage treatment plant is in a state of disarray after part of the new $7.8 million facility collapsed, shutting it down indefinitely.
Sam's Club cuts food gift program again
Sam's Club has again sliced a program that provided day-old baked goods to local churches for meals for the needy.
The East Bay Township Planning Commission Instructs Developer to Do Further Study
President Myrna Yeakle expresses cautious optimism after the June Seventh meeting when the environmental, legal, and social arguments were expressed for conserving Arbutus Lake. Ms. Yeakle praised Commisssion Chairman Mike Nikels for having allowed a public forum. She added that the excellent turnout at the meeting can only have impressed the township with the serious concern of the Arbutus Lake community. Several people who attended the meeting praised the CCAL's legal and environmental arguments as persuasive and lucidly logical. Protests against the development have come from different parts of the country, including people who had attended camp 50-60 years ago.
New Website: TC Talks
TC Talks offers a better way to find your next contractor and other services. Our Message Center offers the personal experiences and opinions of real people, just like yourself, who have already hired regional professionals. It is our hope that our readers experiences will help you make an informed decision about who is good, who is bad, and who is downright awful in NW Michigan.
Go to the Beach: Some sun protects from many cancers
For years we have been told to stay out of the sun, paste ourselves with sunblock, sit in the shade and wear a hat. Now, it seems that we should be spending some of that time out in the sun, without the hat or sunblock, if we want to have a plentiful supply of Vitamin D and reduce our chances of developing cancer. Recent studies have found that the vitamin D you get from the sun protects you from lymphoma, colon cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and even skin cancer.
Psychiatric group supports gay marriage
Representatives of the nation's top psychiatric group approved a statement Sunday urging legal recognition of gay marriage in the interest of maintaining mental health.
Woman battles to change road's name
[The following story illustrates yet again the Grand Traverse County Road Commission's arrogance and callous disregard toward the public when it threw American tradition out the window. Rather than name a road after a pioneering family who were born, lived and died on the farm that the road passes through, the Grand Traverse County Road Commission has decided to name a road in Blair Township after an obscure religious figure.] Eunice Groesser's family farm abutted an unnamed road for 108 years until Grand Traverse County's Road Commission named it without notifying her. "They treat me like I'm not even there, like I'm not a person," Groesser said.
Drop the pants, or we'll put on the cuffs
Thank goodness for a sharp-eyed detective with the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department.
The plainclothes detective, ever-vigilant for major crimes and potential threats to local and national security, last month spotted Traverse City resident Keith Schwartz downtown decked out in a pair of brown pants with a dark stripe down each leg.
New Web Site: Weird Michigan!
It's a pageant of the improbable; a road-trip toski boy the bizarre. Scratch the Wolverine State's surface with one curving talon and discover....Imps and goblins from the dark underbelly of Michigan's past, roadside signs and icons like the giant fiberglass ski guy, people and characters who live la vida loca, monsters such as the Michigan Dog Man, ghosts and more.
Orth resigns city positions
TRAVERSE CITY - Longtime local politician and outspoken city commissioner Phill Orth suddenly resigned his city positions. "Due to personal reasons I am submitting my resignation as mayor pro tem and city commissioner effective immediately," Orth wrote in a Friday letter to Mayor Linda Smkya. Orth refused to elaborate [on the very scandalous story behind his decision].
Coming to Your Pocket: A Terrorist Beacon?
April 5, 2005—What do you suppose our enemies would pay for a device capable of identifying all the Americans walking down the street in a foreign city? And why might the U.S. Department of State be making such a weapon possible? We're talking about a plan to embed RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips into U.S. passports, which the State Department claims will help swoosh U.S. citizens through border crossings.
Feeling Blue? A Lot of People in Traverse City Are These Days and That's a Very Good Thing!
A group of Traverse City, Michigan, voters who call themselves TC for Common Sense are committed to bringing common sense to government. A major part of their mission is to get Democrats and blue-values citizens to run for local government positions or to help out on campaigns? Visit the web site at TC-commonsense.org and learn more.
Future border rules
April 6, 2005—Under proposed rules, by Jan. 1, 2008, Canadians and Americans will need secure documentation proving citizenship to cross the border between the two countries. The requirements would take effect on Dec. 31, 2006, for travelers entering the United States from Mexico and Canada by air and sea, and on Dec. 31, 2007, by land. The deadline is even earlier -- Dec. 31, 2005 -- for travel from Bermuda, the Caribbean and Panama.
Living Will for You
With all the talk about writing a Living Will. We submit the following for you to copy and paste for your own use. It begins "I, [Your Name], being of sound mind and body, unequivocally declare that in the event of a catastrophic injury, I do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. I hereby instruct my loved ones and relatives to remove any and all life-support systems, once it has been determined that my brain is longer functioning in a cognizant realm. However that judgment should be made only after thorough consultation with medical experts; i.e., individuals who actually have been trained, educated and certified as doctors." ...
Nice Pants
Nice pants, Keith Schwartz thought when he came across a pair of second-hand slacks at a local thrift shop. Grand Traverse County sheriff's officials didn't agree with his sartorial choice, however. After spying Schwartz in the well-worn brown britches with the distinctive leg stripes, a detective ran his name through a criminal computer and later showed up at his Traverse City residence to seize the pants.
Public access television funding uncertain
TRAVERSE CITY - Public access cable television funding hangs precariously in the region as area townships wrestle with a new cable franchise agreement.
Program to discuss poverty in region
TRAVERSE CITY - James Rowlett hopes the upcoming program "A Call to Action" sponsored by the Poverty Reduction Initiative will spur a greater grassroots effort to curtail the region's poverty.
Congress Overhauls Bankruptcy Laws
April 14, 2005 · The House of Representatives approves an overhaul of the nation's bankruptcy laws Wednesday, in a vote of 302 to 126. The bill, which passed in the Senate last month, will make it more difficult to get rid of debts by filing for bankruptcy, forcing tens of thousand of people to work out repayment plans instead.
More News on The Sacred Institution of Marriage
As you may recall, this past November Michigan passed the boneheaded "Michigan Marriage Amendment to the State Constitution denying health care and other benefits to unmarried partners and their children. However, Michigan is not the only place that is embracing the inane: (1) In six weddings this year in India, two boys and four girls were married in tribal-custom ceremonies to dogs, which is believed to bring better luck to children who have been cursed by teething first from the upper jaw ("dog teeth"). (Agence France-Presse reported that the four February marriages in Jharkhand state involved, [thank goodness, dogs of the opposite gender from the spouse].) (2) In February, a Pakistani tribal council in Kacha Chohan (Punjab state) ordered a 2-year-old girl to marry a man, age 42, to punish the girl's uncle for having sex with that man's current wife (although the marriage will not be official until the girl turns 18). [Agence France-Presse, 2-24-05, 4-7-05] [New Haven Register-AP, 2-21-05]
DEQ seeks to rebuild its image
TRAVERSE CITY - Bay Harbor's creation was enabled through a 1994 covenant not to sue between the resort's developers and officials in then-Gov. John Engler's administration. The covenant included a stipulation that the state would take no action against the developers for existing contamination at the site in exchange for remediation steps regulators now agree were insufficient.
Antrim corrections officer arrested in connection with sex crimes
BELLAIRE - An Antrim County corrections officer is in jail for alleged sexual contact with a female inmate. David R. Dorland, a corrections officer with the Antrim Country Sheriff's Department since 2000, was arrested by state police Monday on a five-count warrant.
Land use planning takes regional focus
TRAVERSE CITY - Thirteen townships, three villages and one city soon will ask each other, "What's the plan?" Local governments surrounding Grand Traverse Bay will meet in a series of workshops in upcoming months to discuss the state's Joint Municipal Planning Act. The 2003 act allows regional land use planning across jurisdictional boundaries.
Victim advocate placed on leave
BEULAH - Benzie County's crime victims' advocate is on indefinite leave after being accused of victimizing the wife of her ex-husband.
Social Security to Social Insecurity
Welcome to Senator Stabenow's Social Security Online Resource Center. Now more than ever, we need to fight to keep the security in Social Security! On this website, you can get more information about the proposed changes to Social Security, including a benefit calculator that allows you to see how well you'll do if the President's plan is enacted. You can also read reports about the future of Social Security, learn more about how Social Security works, and sign my Online Petition to tell Congress and President Bush that privatization is not the answer!
Ex-official may face more charges
BELLAIRE - There's a "high likelihood" Arlen Turner will face additional felony charges for alleged illegal conduct while he headed the Antrim County building department, a prosecutor said. Kalkaska County Prosecutor Brian Donnelly is handling a case against Turner in Antrim County Circuit Court for felony corruption by a public official and two misdemeanor violations of the state construction code.
Groups use privacy as Freedom of Information Act exemption
HARBOR SPRINGS - When 14-year-old ski racer Jordan Breighner was kicked off his high school team for participating in too many outside competitions, his parents demanded an explanation and concluded that authorities were stonewalling. So they filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Michigan High School Athletic Association for a copy of the rules their son had violated, as well as the organization's bylaws. The association insisted it was a private, nonprofit group and therefore wasn't subject to FOIA, which applies to school boards and government agencies.
County to pay legal fees
TRAVERSE CITY - A judge chastised the Benzie County's sheriff for refusing to turn over public records and ordered the county to reimburse the Record-Eagle about $65,000 in legal fees it spent to pursue the documents.
How Sexuality Is Used to Attack Women's Organizing
What does U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton have in common with Lohana Berkins, a leading activist for Argentina's Human Life International, with Vahida Nainar, who leads India's Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice and [Margaret Dodd former Mayor of Traverse City]? According to a new report issued by the New York-based International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), they all have been baited and smeared as lesbians by right-wing opponents seeking to undermine the work of prominent women working in politics or in legal and social advocacy. Read the full report here PDF
Pledge to Protect Social Security
George Bush claims he wants to protect Social Security -- but pushing a privatization plan which cuts benefits and increases debt is a funny way of showing it. Social Security is the most successful social program in the history of our country. It allows millions of seniors and people with disabilities to live independently and with dignity. It has reduced the poverty rate among seniors from about 50 percent to about 10 percent. And in the event of an injury or death to a worker, Social Security provides a family safety net. At the time of greatest need, Social Security ensures that a husband or a wife does not have to cope with the prospect of poverty at the same time they cope with the loss of a loved one.
There is no tomorrow
One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to sit in the seat of power in the Oval Office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington. Theology asserts propositions that cannot be proven true; ideologues hold stoutly to a worldview despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality. When ideology and theology couple, their offspring are not always bad but they are always blind. And there is the danger: voters and politicians alike, oblivious to the facts.
It's another black eye for court, legal system
As 86th District Court judge, Michael Haley has probably heard dozens of lame excuses from defendants.
And he likely didn't believe a single one. It was hardly surprising, then, that the state Judicial Tenure Commission didn't accept Haley's own "I forgot" excuse after he accepted U-M football tickets from an attorney, banned an Antrim sheriff's deputy from his courtroom for reporting the exchange and then denied it.
January 03 (6pm Reception / 7pm Presentation)
Traverse City Human Rights Commission Announces 2004 Sara Hardy Award
Each year the Traverse City Human Rights Commission selects an individual from a slate of nominees who we feel best represents the spirit and values of our community and region. The Sara Hardy award was created 12 years ago to recognize area residents for their work on human rights issues. Sara Hardy, who died in 1992, helped form the city's Human Rights Commission more than 30 years ago.
Help stop the Religious Right from rolling back 75 years of progressive gains
A Radical Right Court would reverse 75 years of progressive legislation that has defined the America you and I have worked diligently to create ... an America that we are proud of ... an America that the world looks up to ... an America whose shores immigrants struggle to reach ... an America based on democratic ideals. At risk are hundreds of court decisions supporting civil liberties, civil rights, the right to choose, the environment, workers' rights, Social Security, privacy, health care and church/state separation. In fact, many of the individual freedoms envisioned by our founding fathers and set into the Constitution are in great peril in the second Bush term. And that is why, with your help, we must stop the confirmation of Radical Right justices to the Supreme Court.
Bush Unbound
Winning on fear itself, the GOP is ready to take the country even farther right. "This country is going so far to the right you are not even going to recognize it," remarked John Mitchell, President Nixon's attorney general. Mitchell's prophesy became the mission of Nixon's College Republican president, Karl Rove, who implemented the strategy of authoritarian populism behind George W. Bush's victory.
Why Bush Opposes Dred Scott (It's code for Roe v. Wade)
In the Oct. 8 debate, President Bush baffled some people by saying he wouldn't appoint anyone to the Supreme Court who would condone the Dred Scott decision. Dred Scott was, of course, the famous 1857 Supreme Court decision that affirmed slaves remained the property of their owners even when taken to free territories and that prohibited even free African-Americans from becoming U.S. citizens.
Traverse City Human Rights Commission Opposes Proposal 2
October 11, 2004 — The Traverse City Human Rights Commission tonight unanimously approved a resolution Opposing Proposal 2. There was discussion about the word "marriage" and what it meant in a Civil context. This resolution will now be forwarded to the Traverse City, City Commission for review, consideration and possible adoption.
FBI Seizes IMC Servers
Thursday morning, US authorities issued a federal order to Rackspace ordering them to hand over Indymedia web servers to the requesting agency. The servers hosted twenty local IMCs, including UK Indymedia, Belgium, African imcs, Palestine, UK, Germany, Brasil, Italy, Uruguay, Poland, Belgrade, Portugal and others. The last few months have seen numerous attacks on independent media by the US Federal Government. In August the Secret Service used a subpoena in an attempt to disrupt the NYC IMC before the RNC by trying to get IP logs from an ISP in the US and the Netherlands. Last month the FCC shut down community radio stations around the US. Two weeks ago the FBI requested that Indymedia takes down a post on the Nantes IMC that had a photo of some undercover Swiss police and IMC volunteers in Seattle were visited by the FBI on the same issue. On the other hand, Indymedia and other independent media organisations were successfull with their victories for example against Diebold and the Patroit Act. Today however, the US authorities shut down IMCs around the world.
Man will face charges in crash
Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Dennis LaBelle on Tuesday authorized negligent homicide charges against Kalkaska's Timothy Schubert, 37, for allegedly causing the South Airport Road accident that killed Adrian Morris and Christan DeWitt, students at Traverse City West Senior High. An investigation by the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's office pointed the blame at Schubert by using witness testimony and a "black-box" computer chip taken from the man's GMC Envoy.
Using information gleaned from the chip, sheriff's officials said it appears Schubert traveled between 68 and 74 mph just seconds before the accident occurred, well over the 45-mph speed limit. According to the Secretary of State, Schubert's driving record includes several past license revocations and three speeding tickets since May of 2003.
Mary Cheney, Mary Cheney
Reservists mutiny in Iraq, old people keel over standing in line for flu shots and all sorts of cats leap out of Bush's bag of secrets: According to Ron Suskind's revelatory New York Times Magazine cover story, the President himself recently told a closed Republican meeting that if elected he would "move quickly" to privatize Social Security, lavish funds on faith-based initiatives and more. The debates, which were supposed to seal Kerry's doom as a garrulous dandy, actually showed that he'd make a pretty good President: confident, serious, knowledgeable, affable. Who cares about his windsurfing now? The President's performance--sluggish and sullen in the first debate, prickly and evasive in the second and third--was so disgraceful that even on the National Review website there was wailing and gnashing of teeth. He couldn't recall a single mistake he'd made in four years? Most people would have no problem thinking of a mistake they'd made that week.
Overconsumption threatens ecological balance
People are consuming the planet's resources at a rate that outstrips its capacity to support life.
Political Screening at Bush Campaign Events
Some would-be attendees at President Bush's campaign events say they're being asked to leave for wearing clothes or stickers that support the president's opponent. At Sen. John Kerry's rallies, the presidential hopeful ruefully acknowledges the presence of the opposition. NPR's Nina Totenberg examines the rights of campaign event planners and attendees.
Do you want to NOT watch the debate?
Made up you mind about who you are going to vote for? Margaret Dodd, friends and the presidentially disaffected, suggest that anybody who is determined to NOT watch the debate on Wednesday night, join us for a non-political good time. (8pm - 310 Tapas Restaurant - 310 Cass St, Traverse City - Firefly Lounge)
Help Wanted: Traverse City Human Rights Commission (PDF)
The Traverse City Human Rights Commission will soon have a seat open up that will need to be filled pretty quickly. Applicants for this particular opening must be Traverse City residents. Please consider joining us in service to our city.
Traverse City Human Rights Commission Opposes Proposal 2
October 11, 2004 — The Traverse City Human Rights Commission tonight unanimously approved a resolution Opposing Proposal 2. There was discussion about the word "marriage" and what it meant in a Civil context. This resolution will now be forwarded to the Traverse City, City Commission for review, consideration and possible adoption.
FBI Seizes IMC Servers
Thursday morning, US authorities issued a federal order to Rackspace ordering them to hand over Indymedia web servers to the requesting agency. The servers hosted twenty local IMCs, including UK Indymedia, Belgium, African imcs, Palestine, UK, Germany, Brasil, Italy, Uruguay, Poland, Belgrade, Portugal and others. The last few months have seen numerous attacks on independent media by the US Federal Government. In August the Secret Service used a subpoena in an attempt to disrupt the NYC IMC before the RNC by trying to get IP logs from an ISP in the US and the Netherlands. Last month the FCC shut down community radio stations around the US. Two weeks ago the FBI requested that Indymedia takes down a post on the Nantes IMC that had a photo of some undercover Swiss police and IMC volunteers in Seattle were visited by the FBI on the same issue. On the other hand, Indymedia and other independent media organisations were successfull with their victories for example against Diebold and the Patroit Act. Today however, the US authorities shut down IMCs around the world.
Man will face charges in crash
Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Dennis LaBelle on Tuesday authorized negligent homicide charges against Kalkaska's Timothy Schubert, 37, for allegedly causing the South Airport Road accident that killed Adrian Morris and Christan DeWitt, students at Traverse City West Senior High. An investigation by the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's office pointed the blame at Schubert by using witness testimony and a "black-box" computer chip taken from the man's GMC Envoy.
Using information gleaned from the chip, sheriff's officials said it appears Schubert traveled between 68 and 74 mph just seconds before the accident occurred, well over the 45-mph speed limit. According to the Secretary of State, Schubert's driving record includes several past license revocations and three speeding tickets since May of 2003.
Attorney faces criminal charges
After refusing a plea offer from prosecutors, attorney Mark Messing faces criminal charges stemming from his arrest during President George W. Bush's August visit. Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Dennis LaBelle said the misdemeanor charges include attempting to resist and obstruct police as well as disorderly conduct for jostling in a crowd, which is equivalent to disturbing the peace. Last month, prosecutors offered Messing, Spaulding and DeFilippo a plea deal to impeding traffic, a civil infraction.
The two women accepted the deal Sept. 20. But Messing's attorney Michael Dettmer wrote a scathing letter to LaBelle, turning down the offer and accusing the prosecutor of attempting to "extort" a plea from his client.
Gay marriage at issue
TRAVERSE CITY - Panelists for and against a state proposal to constitutionally ban gay marriage debated which way the "slippery slope" slides.
Ban diversion of Lakes water
Every drop of Great Lakes water is already serving a useful purpose within the basin. What is needed, both inside and outside the basin, are better sound water and environmental management practices.
All around the globe the North American Great Lakes are held up as a shining example. Let's keep it that way, and not allow our lakes to join the long and growing list of international water follies.
A Michigan Proposal 2 Supporter in the news
Evangelist threatens to kill gay men
U.S. evangelist Jimmy Swaggart during a televised sermon said: "I'm trying to find the correct name for it … this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. … And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died." [Vote NO on Proposal 2 — It's not about Marriage. It's about hateful discrimination!]
Michigan Proposal 2 Supporting Organizations in the news
Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart Threatens To Kill Gays
"The leaders of major organizations heading the campaign to deny same sex couples equal marriage rights frequently say that they do not hate gay people and that they respect us as human beings. Just last night in a national simulcast to oppose same sex marriage, for example, Focus on the Family President Dr. James Dobson said, "I'm not here to cast aspersions on homosexuals ... they need our acceptance and respect... We are not hateful people." We call upon the leaders of last night’s simulcast - Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Tony Perkins (Family Research Council), Ted Haggard (National Association of Evangelicals), Richard Land (Director of the Religious Liberties and Ethics Division of the Southern Baptist Convention) - to immediately denounce anti-gay violence and specifically repudiate evangelist Jimmy Swaggert’s statement, “I’ve never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I’m gonna be blunt and plain: if one ever looks at me like that, I’m gonna kill him and tell God he died.” In 1987 family values pro-marriage-amendment Swaggart was found with a prostitute. [Vote NO on Proposal 2 — It's not about Marriage. It's about hate filled discrimination!]
Annex 2001: Call for Public Comment PDF
Annex 2001 is an agreement between the governors of eight Great Lakes states and the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec, which will serve as an essential regulatory tool to manage future threats to the Great Lakes, including diversion. Public comment period on the Annex ends October 18. In an increasingly thirsty world, this is a crucial issue and an important opportunity to call on your elected officials to enact a guiding document which can really protect our Great Lakes water resources. Please comment.
Mental Marijuana
Smoking marijuana has helped thousands of cancer and AIDS patients, for example, contend with side effects of their illnesses and treatments. There is also evidence that marijuana works for some psychiatric disorders as well, principally depression and bipolar disorder. Among some people, pot is jokingly referred to as "green Prozac."
Public Thunder
Together, undaunted by a blazing late summer sun, hundreds of thousands marched through some of New York City's busiest streets on Sunday in a massive protest against George Bush and the Republican National Convention.
Gay marriage and Ralph Nader
It would be hard to pinpoint two more volatile issues. But in the name of due process, how can the state Board of Canvassers justify its decisions to deny both a place on the Nov. 2 ballot?
Bush Flip Flops In Pander to Midwest Voters
President Bush visited Traverse City Michigan this week and said, "We've got to use our resources wisely, like water. It starts with keeping the Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes Basin." He said, "My position is clear: We're never going to allow diversion of Great Lakes water." Yet according to The Associated Press, "Bush said he wants to talk to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien about piping [Great Lakes] water to parched states in the west and southwest."Though experts said, "diverting any water from the Great Lakes region sets a bad precedent," the President insisted, "A lot of people don't need [the water], but when you head South and West, we do need it."READ TRAVERSE CITY SPEECH
3 arrested for crossing police line
Protesters arrived in the hundreds, perhaps over a thousand, and lined East Front Street and later congregated on Fair Street, east of the Civic Center. They hoped to make enough noise to be heard inside the rally.
Kerry leading Bush in key swing states
Although polls show the US presidential race a virtual dead heat, Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) appears to be gaining an edge over George W. Bush among the key states that could decide the outcome.
Hecklers Banned At Bush Rallies
Said a rally organizer, "I wanna hear lots of cheering in there for the president!" The event tickets went to busloads [just like in Traverse City] of pre-screened party faithful -- who poured in hours in advance -- to be greeted and organized by Bush campaign staffers. The art of TV-friendly political stagecraft reaches new levels in this campaign. At "Ask President Bush" events, even the president makes no bones about the fact that he's speaking to invited guests. This tight control means that hecklers are almost never seen at Bush events. And that doesn't seem to bother the president's supporters.It's all about making sure that there's no public argument to spoil the party.
Flat-Growth Battlegrounds
George W. Bush should be worried about his re-election prospects, if for no other reason than this: With less than three months to go until November 2, the economy is flatter in the states that matter (i.e. Michigan).
One long-time GOP political consultant is advising Republican Congressional candidates to keep their distance from Bush.
“We have to face the very real possibility that the President of the United States is loony tunes.” “That’s not good for candidates, it’s not good for the party and it’s certainly not good for the country.”
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Bush Using Fear of Death to Wins Minds and Votes, Study Finds
Every time Bush is in trouble he generates fear by declaring an imminent threat.
Bush Using Drugs to Control Depression, Erratic Behavior
President George W. Bush is taking powerful anti-depressant drugs to control his erratic behavior, depression and paranoia. The prescription drugs, administered by Col. Richard J. Tubb, the White House physician, can impair the President’s mental faculties and decrease both his physical capabilities and his ability to respond to a crisis, administration aides admit privately. (See story above and below).
U.S. Debt Burden Is Higher Now than During Depression
The total amount owed – by consumers, businesses, governments and financial institutions – totaled $34.4 trillion at the end of 2003, according to the Federal Reserve. The economy produced $11.3 trillion of output. That makes the nation's debt triple its gross domestic product. In 1933, debt was about 2 1/2 times GDP, according to a study by the Gabelli Mathers mutual fund.
September Surprise
The Department of Homeland Security issued an official press release on August 10 that announces September as National Preparedness Month. The timing is probably just a coincidence. But wait, the "official" announcement is on September 9th. Whoa. Why September 9th? That's awfully late if it's supposed to be the entire month.
The Right Wing's Deep, Dark Secret
One of the secrets of conservative America is how often it has welcomed Republican defeats. In 1976, many conservatives saw the trouncing of the moderate Gerald Ford as a way of clearing the path for the ideologically pure Ronald Reagan in 1980. In November 1992, George H.W. Bush's defeat provoked celebrations not just in Little Rock, where the Clintonites danced around to Fleetwood Mac, but also in some corners of conservative America. Small-government types fume that G.W. Bush has increased discretionary government spending faster than Bill Clinton. Buchananite paleoconservatives, libertarians and Nelson Rockefeller-style internationalists are all furious - for their very different reasons - about Bush's "war of choice" in Iraq. Even some neocons are irritated by his conduct of that war - particularly his failure to supply enough troops to make the whole enterprise work.
Traverse City in Top 100 Places to Live in U.S.
Relocate-America announces the release of "America's Top 100 Places to Live in 2004."
Grooming request panned
Lake Michigan waterfront property owners can forget about the county obtaining general permits to allow for beach grooming.
Help Save The Brick Power Buildings!
 Take a walk along Traverse City's Open Space by the bay. As you approach the Light and Power structures, from any direction, put up one hand to block out the blue aluminum-clad L&P plant, leaving in your sight only the brick buildings. Then imagine on future walks, from any direction, any neighborhood, the brick buildings as a destination: a place to meet friends, to rest, to come in from the cold. Imagine further the brick buildings as a center for any number of community events, making the Open Space itself a hub of activity all year round.
Critical flaw seen in AOL Instant Messenger
Two security companies say that AOL's Instant Messenger application contains a serious vulnerability that could allow malicious hackers to take control of a user's PC. The problem resides in the chat software's "away" function, which allows users to show their friends that they're not at the computer.
Help Protect Michigan's Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands
At the state Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee, several prominent scientists testified that coastal wetlands are some of the most ecologically valuable areas in the Great Lakes, providing fish and wildlife habitat, erosion control, and water quality protection, and that so-called "beach grooming" activities can impair all of those functions.
Police deny spying claims
A top ranking official with the Traverse City Police Department denies having ever sent officers to surveil antiwar demonstrators. Capt. R. Patrick Hinds said any assignment, even from the chief, would go through the detective bureau, which Hinds heads.
Police lack knowledge about fire
Police hope information from someone who knows something about an anti-gay attack at a Friends North camp outing in Benzie County will lead to a break in their case. "I think whoever did it is a bunch of cowards," Undersheriff Joe Barone said, adding that his department takes the early Sunday morning incident seriously. We're hoping that anybody with any information comes forward.
|
Record-Eagle/Lara Neel
Sheryl Layton comforts her partner of 19 years, Hilda Charles, as they talk about the fire that destroyed a portable toilet on their property in rural Benzie County where participants of an annual gay-lesbian bicycle tour were camping. |
Community must reject the messengers of hate
This must also be a time for those who so loudly denounce the gay lifestyle to look at their message and listen to themselves. They need to ask whether their stridency might not engender just the kind of thing that happened last Sunday. While they may never turn to violence themselves, they must weigh the impact their words may have on others. When does incitement become the crime itself? Those who don't obsess over how gays and lesbians live their lives are puzzled by those who do. They can't figure out why the very existence of gays and lesbians excites such hatred in some people.
Fire sends signals of hate
HONOR - A midnight fire that organizers said was deliberately set and hate messages strewn across a camping area marred an area gay-lesbian group's yearly summer bike outing.
Friends North / Triangle Foundation Annual Bicyclist Tour Vandalized
Thompsonville — Shortly after midnight Sunday morning a campground containing over 70 bicyclists from around the state was vandalized. A plastic outhouse was set on fire. In the first light of morning dozens of hand written pieces of note paper containing hateful comments were found distributed in and around the dining tent area. Although no individual or group has claimed credit, the notes left behind included a full page swastika, and the letters KKK. The police are investigating. This story is developing..
Get OFF My Beach!
You may wish to know that there’s been mischief afoot in Michigan’s “property rights” crowd to deny people the right to walk on the state’s Great Lakes beaches. Yes, that’s right. A Michigan Appellate panel in May overturned a lower court judgment and ruled that owners of private Great Lakes shoreline have the authority to block people from strolling on the beach in front of their homes. The state Supreme Court is being asked to consider a ruling that is counter to hundreds of years of common law that has found the shoreline a public resource open to the public.
Michigan’s National Parks: Fraying A Little As Budgets Get Trimmed
Vacationers this week are streaming out of the state’s cities and suburbs, many of them heading to Michigan’s national parks — Isle Royale National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore — more parks than any state in the Great Lakes region. When they arrive, visitors will find magnificent and wild fresh water landscapes. They also will meet harried park managers who say stagnant budgets are making it ever harder to maintain the high quality that visitors have come to expect.
Zoning for water bottling disputed
A local man's plan to bottle and sell village water has slowed to a trickle after a local environmental group made waves.
Neighbors appeal BATA decision
Neighbors of a city-approved bus station on Hall Street downtown filed a legal appeal to overturn the city commission's recent split decision.
Cherry Festival finished in the red
Revenues and expenses for the festival were up about 10 percent last year totaling more than $1.3 million, the event's recently-released 2003 income tax returns show.
Traverse City OKs $13.3M budget, new tax
The city commission approved a $13.3 million budget Monday by a 6-1 vote and projected a $994,700 shortfall for the 2004-05 fiscal year. That deficit would have been larger if commissioners hadn't also approved a 1 percent administrative fee on property tax bills, which will raise $258,000.
Clous deal waits on state
Details of a settlement between Bill Clous, Grand Traverse County, and the Department of Environmental Quality will be outlined in court Tuesday - if the state signs off on the agreement in time.
Park hopes for land deal
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park officials hope they can complete a 105-acre land deal with The Homestead resort one parcel at a time.
Focus on gay marriage is a diversionary tactic
So since when did gay marriage become the most crucial issue of the day? Since George Bush wanted to stop talking about the deficit, jobs and Osama bin Laden.
There are a host of more weighty matters that we would like to see our president get zealous about in an election year.
Where to begin?
The
Death of Horatio Alger
The other day I found myself reading a leftist rag that made outrageous
claims about America. It said that we are becoming a society in
which the poor tend to stay poor, no matter how hard they work;
in which sons are much more likely to inherit the socioeconomic
status of their father than they were a generation ago. The name
of the leftist rag? Business Week...
Holiday
cab ride service to return
Revelers who have tipped a few too many at their favorite bar or
restaurant can get a free cab ride home over the holidays in the
17th year of the ALERT CAB program.
 |
Record-Eagle/John
L. Russell
Sasha Schusterbrown, 4, of Traverse City lights the first candle
on a Menorah during the evening of food and fun. |
For
friends and family, renewal and celebration
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, began Friday at sundown,
and for area Jews it's a time of rededication and remembrance. It's
also a chance for the local community to celebrate together and
share their heritage. Susan Abrahams grew up in New York, but she
and her husband are raising their sons Jake, Rob and Eric in Traverse
City. Her children look forward to celebrating at holiday parties
with other Jewish children, who are "like siblings," Abrahams
said. "My kids have a stronger sense of community and who they
are as Jews at this age than I did because it is special,"
she said.
Citations
against Clous increase, his wife cited, too
Prosecutors want to expand the time frame of alleged environmental
violations against local developer Bill Clous, which could push
potential sanctions against him into the millions of dollars.
Counterfeited
"We Are Traverse City" bumper stickers
While imitation may indeed be the sincerest form of flattery --
a forgery is still a fake. Somebody has reproduced and is distributing
counterfeit "We Are Traverse City" bumper sticker without
our knowledge or authorization. Be aware ...
City
settles lawsuit for $20,000
A lawsuit filed against the Traverse City Housing Commission by
its former executive director has been settled for $20,000. The
settlement, approved Monday by the housing commission, resolves
a year-old legal dispute with former director Lorri Burtt.
EPA:
Hartman-Hammond Bridge Objections stand
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday dealt another blow
to Grand Traverse County's Hartman-Hammond bridge plans by refusing
to withdraw earlier project objections.
Hartman-Hammond:
Plans await EPA ruling
All eyes are on the Environmental Protection Agency and a key deadline
next week on the county's Hartman-Hammond bridge plans.
Parks,
recreation fees will go up
Swimmers, little leaguers, campers and others will pay higher fees
at county parks and recreation facilities next year to help relieve
Grand Traverse County's budget crunch.
Smyka
elected mayor
Linda Smyka will be the next Traverse City mayor, after she defeated
current Mayor Margaret Dodd with 55 percent of the vote in Tuesday's
election. Unofficial results show Smyka captured 1,889 votes compared
to Dodd's 1,538. Also winning city commission spots were incumbents
Scott C. Hardy and Phill Orth. Top vote-getter Ralph Soffredine
was also successful in his first run for a commission seat.
Vote
ushers in new point of view
Winners say Traverse City government will be more responsive to
its residents, while those who supported defeated incumbents Mayor
Margaret Dodd and commissioner Ann Rogers fear a loss of diversity.
"This is going to set us back a couple of years in city politics,"
said Jim Carruthers, who worked on Dodd's campaign. "The conservative
business crowd won out."
Officials
report low turnout
Rain showers and generally low-key local races dampened eligible
voters' enthusiasm Tuesday, as elections officials reported light
balloting throughout northwest Michigan. In Petoskey, a scant 5
percent of registered voters turned out to elect a mayor and city
council members, a showing deputy clerk Priscilla Bawkey said "doesn't
get much lower than that."
Dodd
submits revised statement
A revised campaign finance statement was submitted Friday by Mayor
Margaret Dodd, which county elections officials said resolved earlier
questions over the mayor's contributions.
Get
set to hit the polls
Voting day Tuesday is considered part of an "off-year"
election cycle - but don't tell that to the dozens of city and village
officials in the region campaigning hard for local office.
Soffredine
submits financial records late
Candidate Ralph Soffredine raised $4,210 for his city commission
race through last week, according to his tardy campaign finance
report filed Wednesday with the Grand Traverse County clerk.
 |
Record-Eagle/Jim
Bovin
Jane Watts, center, moderates the Traverse City Candidate Forum
presented by "We are Traverse City, Inc." at the Traverse
City Area District Library Wednesday evening. The candidates
for mayor, Margaret Dodd and Linda Smyka, attended. Ralph Soffredine,
Ann Rogers, Phill Orth, Gregory J. Irwin and Scott C. Hardy,
candidates for city commissioner, were also present. |
TRAVERSE
CITY: Candidates face off on community issues
City commission hopefuls were quizzed on topics ranging from downtown
building heights to embattled Judge Tom Gilbert at a wide-ranging
candidate forum Wednesday night. The five commission and two mayoral
hopefuls were peppered with questions, then given a chance for more
in-depth responses, hoping to sway city voters with less than a
week remaining until the Nov. 4 city election. The commission candidates
-incumbents Ann Rogers, Phill Orth and Scott Hardy and newcomers
Greg Irwin and Ralph Soffredine - are seeking four-year terms, while
Mayor Margaret Dodd and mid-term Commissioner Linda Smyka are seeking
a two-year seat. They agreed on several issues, including the need
for a better approach to the city's traffic problems and support
for the West Boardman Lake Avenue plans.
Dodd
has earned right to again lead Traverse City
Traverse City needs leadership. That leadership needs to start on
the city commission. And on the commission it needs to start with
the mayor. That's why the Record-Eagle endorses Margaret Dodd for
re-election. Dodd's major attribute is reflected in her campaign
claim that she's the "mayor of all the people."
What
have the hopefuls done?
City commission candidate Greg Irwin isn't just a newcomer to local
politics - he's also a relative stranger to city voting booths.
GT
County decides to eliminate retiree insurance
TRAVERSE CITY - Scores of retired Grand Traverse County workers
are facing hundreds of dollars in extra monthly health care costs,
thanks to the county board.
Bumper
crop of fall bounty graces region
The apples this year are big and juicy, colorful and there are plenty
of them. The crop is getting glowing reviews from growers and processors
alike for both quality and quantity.
TC/TV2
Cancels Sound-Off
TCTV2 has cancelled all "sound-off" segments. It is alleged
that a city commission candidate who has never utilized "sound
off" applied pressure to TC/TV2 management. Anyone who pays
a Charter cable bill each month contributes to the financial support
of keeping public TV on the air. With one phone call, one of the
city commission candidates has cancelled free speech. This was the
only public, free, venue for free speech in the area. I urge you
to call TCTV2 and demand they reinstate "Sound-Off" 932-8572.
Next I would encourage TV2 management to invite the candidates to
use "Sound-Off" to help educate voters before the election.
...Voice your opinion on the cancellation Oct 27 at
6pm the subcommittee meeting at tctv2.
Lear
Closing
Top management just announced that the Lear plant on South Airport
Road will be closing next year. They are to begin offering packages
to some salaried personnel immediately, then will start the big
"weaning" process Jan 1 and anticipate the doors will
be closed and locked for good by July 1, 2004. ... developing
A
charitable alternative
Area labor leaders, disillusioned with the United Way of Northwest
Michigan, have started their own payroll deduction plan for area
residents to donate money to local charities.
TART
Trails to pave two miles on the Leelanau Trail
Traverse Area Recreation & Transportation Trails (TART Trails)
is paving two more miles of the Leelanau Trail! The Leelanau Trail
between Fouch Road and Lakeview Road, the section that will be paved,
will be closed for two weeks beginning today. Team Elmer’s
will be grading the trail this week and paving the trail next week.
MDEQ
letter suggests road commission rigged the alternative analysis
Attached is a new letter from the DEQ to the road commission the
says the road commission's design of the bridge project is the most
damaging design considered - the road commission stacked the deck
and got caught - the road commission wasted millions of taxpayer
dollars and years of citizen goodwill.
National
City Bank Donates $15,000 to TART Trails
National
City Bank and its Grand Traverse Area Advisory Board recently made
a $15,000 contribution to the Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation
Trails, Inc. (TART Trails) Pathways to the Future capital campaign.
The campaign to extend and improve the trail system is nearing completion
and is expected to close by the end of this month.
Integrating
arts in school
Two Traverse City elementary schools have been chosen as the only
Michigan sites to implement an art education model funded through
an $818,000 federal grant.
Society
secures purchase option
An 80-acre site in East Bay Township overlooking Grand Traverse
Bay is the choice for the future home of a proposed botanical garden
project.
Animal
control salvaged
A scaled-back animal control division is back in Grand Traverse
County's 2004 operating budget.
911
analysis was there if county had listened
Last May, voters crushed a county proposal that would have raised
the 911 surcharge fee from the current 80 cents a month to $4 a
month.Now, the board is spending $9,060 on a telephone survey, focus
group discussions and more to find out why. As Homer Simpson might
say, "Doh!"
New
site is best future for embattled TC zoo
Today some 25,700 vehicles zip by the zoo every day (as many as
34,000 on peak summer days). The Cherry Festival literally can't
get any closer. Clinch Marina is bigger and noisier than it's ever
been. The zoo is jammed into too little space. And every other year,
the Blue Angels literally rock the waterfront.What in the 1950s
was a quaint and relatively benign home for the animals is now one
of the busiest and noisiest places in all of northern Michigan.
It's no place for a zoo.
County
has to provide promised bridge fixes
Grand Traverse County Road Commission officials were right to finally
move the Hartman-Hammond bridge debate past the "trust me"
stage.
COUGARS:
Biologist prepares survey
Wildlife biologists don't agree on whether cougars prowl these parts.
But Patrick Rusz, a 30-year biologist with the Michigan Wildlife
Conservancy, says they do, and he would like to hear from anyone
who has seen one.
City's
idea to ban animal traps hits a snare
The city is pulling up stakes on a proposed animal trapping ban
that may have baited the state into a legal challenge. The proposed
ban - including a complete ban on the use of kill traps - that was
set for city commission approval tonight is being shelved after
the state Department of Natural Resources raised legal questions.
 Zoo's
downtown site criticized
" I used to think it was a really good spot," she said
of the three-plus-acre zoo between the newly renovated city marina
and Grandview Parkway. "It doesn't feel like that anymore."
A proposal to spend more than $200,000 to expand the zoo's bear
exhibit, to be discussed by city commissioners Monday night, is
touching off another community debate on the facility's future.
County
withdraws plans for Hartman-Hammond bridge
County road officials are withdrawing plans for the Hartman-Hammond
bridge and road corridor to develop a revised proposal they hope
will satisfy environmental regulators.
Traverse
City considers kill trap ban
City commissioners are studying an ordinance to protect critters
from animal traps within the city limits - including a ban on kill
traps.
Traverse
City Man Assaulted in Home
As the victim turned to shut the door and face Chalfont
he saw a pair of 14 inch long channel lock pliers descend on his
head. He
screamed and his roommate and the three other men came upstairs.
When they saw what happened the assailant, his three friends and
the victim's roommate ran out into the street.
Clous
tries to withdraw 2002 plea
Clous, president of Eastwood Custom Homes, faces over $600,000 in
fines for environmental damage he allegedly caused at a property
at Hammond, Three Mile and Townline roads.
Baseball
proposal divides residents
A proposed minor league baseball stadium is dividing the residents
of Elmwood Township.
Man
reports seeing cougar on side of road
Eric Brown talks about his sighting of a cougar on Garfield Road,
just west of River Road on Tuesday." As soon as I saw it, I
thought 'holy smoke, I know what that is - it's a cougar...
Fewer
bridge options may help bring clarity
The Grand Traverse County Road Commission appears to be running
out of options in its quest to build a bridge over the Boardman
River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Natural
Resources and, last week, the Environmental Protection Agency all
said the bridge option chosen by the road commission would cause
too much damage to the river.
EPA
opposes Hartman-Hammond bridge
Federal regulators dealt a potentially devastating blow to the county's
Hartman-Hammond bridge plans by telling the state to reject the
project's wetland permits.
Clous:
It's no ordinary civil suit
Clous faces penalties of up to $10,000 per day for willful violation
of the state's soil erosion control law - damages estimated at over
$600,000 - for alleged violations at an East Bay Township property
he owns at Hammond and Three Mile roads.
LaBelle
assails McManus role in Clous case
Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Dennis LaBelle is criticizing state
Sen. Michelle McManus over her attempted intervention in county
and state environmental cases against developer Bill Clous. "I
don't know if Michelle understands the law or if she doesn't care,
but I do know that she hasn't read it," LaBelle said. "She's
starting to bump up against the line as far as I'm concerned. I'm
not going to say it's unethical, but it's getting pretty close to
it."
State
Senator McManus interference in Clous case is wrong
The officials who have been on the receiving end of
the senator's letters and phone calls, however, have a accurate
description of her campaign to support Clous: intimidation. ...the
underlying message: "It's a way to tell a public official to
back off." The whole thing reeks. It's not about science, the
law or the environment. It's about arm-twisting and intimidation.
Wetlands
battle: LaBelle confident Clous skirted rules, regulations
Dennis LaBelle is gambling $7,200 of Grand Traverse County funds
to prove developer Bill Clous violated soil erosion control laws.
LaBelle is confident he can win the case and recoup the money in
court, along with additional fines and costs.
Elk
Rapids: Development halted by Army Corps
Another Clous project is embroiled in wetlands controversy. Developer
Bill Clous' Elk Rapids Preserve housing project has lingered for
more than a year, after the Army Corps of Engineers ordered work
halted at the site in the spring of 2002.
Wetlands:
Clous may go to trial
Developer Bill Clous's trouble with Grand Traverse County is far
from over."That looks like where we're heading, right to the
courtroom," said Grand Traverse Prosecutor Dennis LaBelle,
as he walked out of a settlement conference with Clous and officials
from the Department of Environmental Quality.
A
story of stumps, crops and zoning
Clous' critics say his property represents both an environmental
disaster and a massive loophole in land-use regulation. They point
to Clous' alleged violations of state and local wetlands and soil
erosion laws and say the state's "right to farm" act is
being turned on its head to clear the way for profitable land development.
TC
Housing commission 'in trouble' with HUD
Federal housing regulators will decide soon whether to impose sanctions
on the Traverse City Housing Commission for financial and policy
shortfalls.
BATA
must now show trust wasn't misplaced
Voters weren't blind to the inefficiencies of BATA. But they also
knew that thousands of area residents rely on the service, and they
were willing to pick up the tab. Now it's up to BATA to live up
to that vote of confidence.
Calling
all cyclists: Register now for the annual Leelanau Harvest Tour
The Leelanau Harvest Tour is coming up, Sunday, September 21. This
annual fall cycling event is sponsored by the Cherry Capital Cycling
Club and covers 100 scenic miles of Leelanau County roads. There
are also options for 25, 45, 65 or 100 miles. If you register for
the ride now, before August 23, the cost is only $18 or $45 for
a family. This includes the spaghetti dinner after the ride, maps
and all the food stops.
 The
Red Planet blushes
The Red Planet will be closer to Earth than it has been in about
57,000 years. “It is an impressive sight,” said Glen
Williams, a physics professor who viewed the planet three nights
ago through the on-campus telescope. During the entire month of
August, Mars has been closer to Earth than normal, but on Thursday,
the planet will reach its opposition — the point at which
a planet is closest to Earth.
Viruses
bring world-wide computer mayhem
Computer users have been blasted, rebooted, spammed, inundated with
rejected e-mails they never sent and forced to deal with patches,
updates and fake security bulletins during a chaotic two-week span
that is being called the worst period in Internet history.
Patriot
Act Community Forum
I intend to address this Act in an historic perspective. The Patriot
Act and the attendant Presidential Executive Orders resulting from
9-eleven are not the first nor will they be the last Acts of our
elected representatives in response to either very real threats
or those threats that are simply politically perceived or politically
exploited.
2
principles can't sign any checks
The financially troubled city Housing Commission's top two officials
are barred from signing payroll and other checks because the commission's
insurance agent refused to bond them.
Voters
say yes to BATA
Two millage proposals for the Bay Area Transportation Authority
were solidly approved by Grand Traverse and Leelanau voters Tuesday,
saving the two-county bus system from potential extinction.
Elmwood
zoning measures soundly defeated
Voters in Elmwood Township said Tuesday they did not want any change
in township zoning rules.
Does
it protect or does it snoop?
Thursday July-31 — Traverse City Community forum examines
if the country really is safer since it broadened surveillance powers
under the USA Patriot Act.
BATA
Millage proposal has changed some since it failed before
It’s do or die for the Bay Area Transportation Authority,
the two-county public bus system facing a July 29 millage vote.
TC
Greyhound bus service to end Aug. 19
Greyhound bus service between Traverse City and Bay City will end
Aug. 19 and the service to Lansing may be cut after October.
City
candidates announce
Eight city residents - five seeking commission seats and three wanting
to be mayor - filed petitions by Tuesday's deadline for this year's
city commission election.
Traffic
cameras raise Big Brotheresque fears
"There probably would not have been the concern over the cameras
before that there is with the Patriot Act in place," Scrivener
said. "That's because the USA Patriot Act has provisions in
direct contradiction of the Constitution.
Traverse
City Light & Power donates $50,000 to TART Trails Capital Campaign
The
Board of Directors of Traverse City Light & Power (TCLP) voted
to donate $50,000 to Traverse Area Recreation & Transportation
Trails (TART Trails) Pathways to the Future Capital Campaign. The
$1 million campaign was launched in 2002 to extend and improve the
trail system by constructing new trails, improving existing trails,
and connecting trails.
Former
official sentenced to prison
A former Antrim County commissioner was sentenced Monday to 40 months
to 10 years in prison on a host of charges related to fraudulent
business dealings. Steven Gayle Roote, 34, formerly of Bellaire,
also was ordered to pay restitution of more than $242,000.
Hartgmann-Hammond
Bridge Plan: TC continues to say no
The city commission Monday continued its criticism of Grand Traverse
County's plans to build a Hartman-Hammond connector bridge over
the Boardman River.
 Businesses
concerned about rise in graffiti
A wave of graffiti across town that popped up this spring has alarmed
some Front Street business owners who say it sends a message that
does not fit the city's image.
Many
shops moving in, some relocating
Downtown Traverse City is spiffing up in a big way for the summer
tourism season.
Crampton,
Casler win seats
Unofficial results show that former board member and retired teacher
Richard Crampton, 71, regained his seat on the board with 2,130
votes. Crampton had served two terms and was its president in 2002.
Joel Casler, 46, the lone incumbent, was re-elected with 2,510 votes.
The third candidate, W. Gregory Claxton, had 1,391 votes.
Bicycle
Rider Survey
Please,
as you are out cycling for the next month or so, observe conditions
around you and record the results on our form. I would be happy
to receive your completed forms by email or snail mail.
Proposed
Boardman River Bridge Illogical, Unnecessary
Once in a generation — once every 20 years or so — we
each have an opportunity to make a statement about our community
and the future of our region. That moment is now.
A
"proposed" bridge runs through it
Consider that the 26,600 cubic yards of wetland dredging planned
by the road commission would amount to excavating a football field
(with end zones) about 13 feet deep. And the 64,300 cubic yards
of wetland fill would bury an area the size of a football field
(with end zones) under 32 feet, or about 3 stories, of dirt.
Smart
Roads: Grand Traverse
Traverse City area residents joined with the Michigan Land Use Institute
and the grassroots group Coalition for Sensible Growth to develop
an innovative, citizen-led program to meet the Grand Traverse region’s
transportation needs now and in the 21st century. It’s an
alternative to the costly and destructive Traverse City bypass proposal.
Patriot
Act reminiscent of McCarthy's excesses
A half-century ago a drunken bully used his U.S. Senate seat to
ruin the lives and careers of countless Americans. In a warped sense
of "patriotism," Joseph McCarthy ran around the country
rooting out nests of "communists," at least as he saw
them through his liquor-soaked eyes.
Judge
rejects Clovelly lawsuit: City had right to deny extension
The developer of a stalled office building project downtown has
lost a round in court in an ongoing legal battle with the city.
Circuit Judge Philip Rodgers has rejected a lawsuit filed by Clovelly
Corp. appealing the city commission's December decision to not extend
a land-use permit to build a five-story office building.
TC
will keep lifeguards at Clinch and Bryant, cut West End
A city compromise will rescue lifeguards at Clinch and Bryant park
beaches, but West End still will have to go without in a cost-saving
measure. City manager Richard Lewis had recommended cutting lifeguard
patrols at all three popular beaches to save the city more than
$60,000 it spends on hiring a dozen seasonal lifeguards. Instead,
city commissioners decided to keep the guards at Clinch and Bryant
parks, the two busiest beaches.
Ex-judge
Foresman will run again: He's vying for Gilbert's seat
Former Grand Traverse County prosecutor and probate judge John Foresman
will announce today that he will run for the 86th District Court
seat now held by Judge Thomas Gilbert in the 2004 election. Foresman,
59, now serves as tribal prosecutor for the Grand Traverse Band
of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. He has never been a district judge
before, but said he has "extensive experience" before
the court as a prosecutor, defense attorney and visiting judge.
Library
board to evaluate new law
A local library board is investigating the federal Patriot Act in
hopes of getting a better grasp of how the sweeping homeland security
law will impact library patrons and operations.
Commission
Urges Traverse City to Adopt a “Resolution in Support of the
U.S. Bill of Rights”
The Traverse City Human Rights Commission will be presenting a "Resolution
in Support of the U.S. Bill of Rights" at an upcoming Traverse
City City Commission meeting. As soon as that date is known, it
will be posted here. [READ
RESOLUTION]
The
USA Patriot Act "prohibits library workers from informing
you if federal agents have obtained records about you."
NOTICE:
It would be in your best interest to act as if your reading
/ viewing habits are NOW being monitored at the Traverse
Area District Library.
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Give
us back our democracy
Americans have been cheated and lied to on matters
of the gravest constitutional importance
Experts
discuss arts, education
Calling Traverse City an "auspicious setting" in which
to discuss the role of the arts in education, a series of speakers
foretold that an inaugural weeklong seminar hosted by the city would
serve as a model for other communities.
Camp
fields war questions
In a town hall meeting Monday morning that grew heated at times,
the Midland Republican listened to comments and deflected questions
from more than a dozen residents opposed to the war. The meeting,
which took place at the Oleson Center on the campus of Northwestern
Michigan College.
Park
fees may rise
Campers across the state would have to pay more to camp at Michigan's
state parks and recreation areas, if the state approves a Michigan
Natural Resources Commission proposal to boost camping and day use
fees.
Road
plan moves ahead
Another step toward developing a new road on the west side of Boardman
Lake was taken by the city commission Monday night. The commission
approved a contract for just under $124,000 for a preliminary design
plan for the West Boardman Lake Avenue project, a new route starting
near the southern city limits that's been in the planning stages
for more than a decade.
Deck
will be dedicated to Hardy
One of the largest public projects in the city's history will be
named after former city commissioner Larry C. Hardy. The city commission
voted unanimously Monday night to dedicate the new downtown parking
deck at Front and State streets to the former mayor, who died a
year ago next week after a long battle with cancer just weeks after
delivering the deciding vote on financing the $8 million parking
deck.
Librarians
Use Shredder to Show Opposition to New F.B.I. Powers
The humming noise from a back room of the central library here today
was the sound of Barbara Gail Snider, a librarian, at work. Her
hands stuffed with wads of paper, Ms. Snider was feeding a small
shredding machine mounted on a plastic wastebasket. The move was
part of a campaign by the Santa Cruz libraries to demonstrate their
opposition to the Patriot Act, the law passed in the wake of the
Sept. 11 attacks that broadened the federal authorities' powers
in fighting terrorism.
Federal
Reserve Directors: A Study of Corporate and Banking Influence
Chart 1 reveals the linear connection between the Rothschilds and
the Bank of England, and the London banking houses which ultimately
control the Federal Reserve Banks through their stockholdings of
bank stock and their subsidiary firms in New York. The two principal
Rothschild representatives in New York, J. P. Morgan Co., and Kuhn,Loeb
& Co. were the firms which set up the Jekyll Island Conference
at which the Federal Reserve Act was drafted, who directed the subsequent
successful campaign to have the plan enacted into law by Congress,
and who purchased the controlling amounts of stock in the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York in 1914.
Nat'l
Do Not Call Sign Up Starts in July
People fed up with unwanted telemarketing can sign up in
July for a national do-not-call list that will block many sales
calls, the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday. The FTC will launch
a Web site on July 1 so consumers can register online for the free
service, the agency said. ...story
developing
Mourning
Procession
Over a hundred Traverse City area residents shared their concern,
fear and sadness in a silent “Mourning Procession” through
downtown Traverse City on March 20th at noon. The mourners walked
in solidarity with people who have lost family to war, and for those
who will soon die in Iraq as a result of the American Attack.
Rep.
Dave Camp Compelled to Meet with Constituents
Over 30 concerned citizens paid an afternoon visit to the office
of Representative Dave Camp in Traverse City today. The group insisted
that Mr. Camp create time in his schedule for a a Town Hall with
his constituents because of their concerns regarding his voting
record to date. Join us on April 7, 2003 at 10am for a Town Hall
Meeting with Representative Dave Camp. story developing...
Urgent
Appeal - Please Donate Health Kits!
The Traverse City area organization Mideast: Just Peace is collecting
"health Kits" to send as humanitarian relief to the people
of Iraq.
Parking
violators beware
Parking scofflaws beware - the city will be coming after you with
a bigger hammer this year. The city commission approved two ordinance
changes Monday night targeting repeat parking violators. One allows
the city to tow or immobilize vehicles with six or more unpaid parking
tickets, while the second will increase parking fines to $75 for
individuals incurring six or more parking tickets over a one-year
period.
Urban
League honors 'warriors
During his 12-year tenure as governor, William Milliken was largely
viewed as a bridge-builder and a politician admired by Democrats
and Republicans alike.
A
Letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush on the Eve of War
So today is what you call "the moment of truth," the day
that "France and the rest of world have to show their cards
on the table." I'm glad to hear that this day has finally arrived.
Because, I gotta tell ya, having survived 440 days of your lying
and conniving, I wasn't sure if I could take much more. So I'm glad
to hear that today is Truth Day, 'cause I got a few truths I would
like to share with you:
 Put
a Light in Your Window
Together with thousands of folks around the world, I'm putting a
light in my window. If enough of us do the same, we can send a strong
message of continued opposition to war and continued hope for peace.
It could be a Christmas string or candle, a light bulb, or a lantern.
It's an easy way to keep the light of reason and hope burning, to
let others know that they are not alone, and to show the way home
to the young men and women who are on their way to Iraq.
 Iraq
War Opponents Arrested in Traverse City Michigan
Across the nation, rallies for and against a U.S. military strike
on Iraq are growing more frequent and the voices are growing louder.
Eight opponents of a war were arrested Monday at Traverse City,
Mich., when they tried to block an Army Reserve convoy. One handcuffed
himself to a truck and the other seven locked arms in front of the
vehicle, police said.
Troop
Deployment Blocked in Traverse City
Fifteen people blockaded a convoy of army trucks this morning as
they deployed from a compound in Traverse City to take part in the
invasion of Iraq. Eight people were arresteed, and they have all
been released on personal recognizance or a $150.00 bond and will
be arraigned next week. The trucks blocked were part of the 182nd
U.S. Army Reserves transportation company of Traverse City. One
soldier said, "The first time we left for the Gulf the streets
from Charleviox to Traverse City were filled with people who were
supporting what we were doing," said Seargent Lyle Sutton who
served in the last Gulf War, "This time people are chaining
themselves to trucks to stop us."
Censorship
Reaches Ridiculous Extremes
A host of recent actions by government agencies, school boards and
other institutions attempts to limit what we read, see and hear
-- sometimes with debilitating effects.
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