SAGINAW OPINION

Local Columns, Blogs, Editorials, Letters and Guest Columns

Ah, Buena Vista.

What is it about that Township Hall that makes it seem synonymous with the smoke of illegality?

Harold Hiser Sr. loved sports as much as he loved life.

He loved to teach as much as he loved to compete.

He loved to share as much as he loved to care.

He loved to laugh; so much, that he could make you cry.

What happened Monday up in Ishpeming probably is incomprehensible to police officers in, say, metro Saginaw, where they routinely investigate serious crimes such as drive-by shootings in which human beings die for no real reason.

But when a moose was loose in the Upper Peninsula city of 6,000, police there found themselves in their own theater of the absurd. Unfortunately, their ultimate reaction only added to the ridiculous incongruity of the day.

There are moments in the life of a country that call for leaders to set aside their narrow, parochial or partisan interests and approach challenges in a spirit of fearless accountability.

The recent votes by the U.S. Senate and House to help restore stability, security and confidence in our financial system were two such moments. Lawmakers deserve our thanks for the courage they demonstrated.

Editor, The News

A Sept. 30 letter writer indicates that Obama has the foresight to lead us out of Iraq, shut down al-Qaida and that the war should be in Afghanistan.

Are we not winning in Iraq, handing over multiple provinces back to the Iraqis monthly? We cannot leave until the job is complete.

Editor, The News:

In 1960 a young, dynamic and charismatic U.S. senator from Massachusetts secured the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

In his acceptance speech he coined the term "New Frontier" and said: "We stand at the edge of a New Frontier -- the frontier of unfulfilled hopes and dreams. Beyond that frontier are uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered problems of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus."

Joyce Seals is a good person and a good mayor, but you've got to wonder what was going on in her head when she reappointed Al Holiday to the Saginaw Housing Commission.

A couple of days back, Seals recommended the reappointment to City Council members. Six of the nine said no, which left the mayor "shocked."
That line is laughable. Consider this:

Editor, The News:

The week of Oct. 5-11 is National Emergency Nurses Week, and we in Saginaw County are very fortunate to have qualified professionals who are dedicated to promoting health care in the Saginaw area.

Recently, the emergency room nurses at St. Mary's of Michigan and surrounding hospitals have continued their dedication and professional commitment by completing certification in trauma nursing. This involved two days of intense training, classroom participation and performing their learned skills in preparation for emergency readiness. We can be assured by the commitment of emergency nurses that Saginaw County is being provided the best possible care.

Years ago, when I was a reporter for my high school newspaper, the Davison Innovator, I wrote an editorial against changing Michigan's legal drinking age.

Of course, back then, the push was to raise it to 21 from 18. My friends and I thought that was "bogue."

How ironic that I am here now writing a column against changing the minimum age back to 18.

Michigan's future depends in large part on our ability to transform ourselves into a place that attracts the best and the brightest from around the world, and then taking the knowledge that those people bring and turning it into jobs around the state.

Michigan State University is an important tool in both of those areas, and it is fighting to expand its ability to attract the best researchers in nuclear science.