Rebuttal to “Pointed Questions”

August 13, 2026

This letter is a rebuttal to a letter published on Aug. 10, 2026. The letter titled "Pointed questions posed" contains a laundry list of allegations, assumptions, and political rhetoric that Mr. Rich Clark presented as though every accusation were established fact. It isn't. Some examples are highlighted below: The most obvious problem is the repeated leap from “this happened” to “therefore Trump did it for corrupt or murderous reasons.” Those are entirely different propositions. The Iran accusation is a perfect example. You can oppose the military action, but calling it a ...

Back to “cash is king”

August 11, 2026

I believe in supporting local businesses in my community, whether it's the small mom-and-pop gas station on the corner or a large national chain. To me, "support local" isn't just about who owns the business—it's about supporting the people who live and work here, our neighbors, friends, and families. Lately, though, I've noticed more and more businesses adding a 3.5% surcharge for using a debit/credit card. That makes me wonder: why? A debit/credit card is a direct payment from a customer's bank account. Yet many of these same businesses will gladly accept an old-fashioned paper ...

Pointed questions posed

August 10, 2026

The following was sent to Congressman Bergman through his Congressional portal on July 16, 2026. Congressman Bergman, congress has generously supplied the federal government with money to protect borders and defend the United States. However, President Trump has used that money to: Start a war of choice with Iran, raising the cost of living in the Upper Peninsula. Continue killing unarmed crews in boats while drug traffic continues unabated. Open and close ICE detention facilities without planning. Deport and kill innocent people in ICE raids. Destroy the East Wing of the White House ...

A resident’s lived experience with DATA

July 31, 2026

My name is Saundra, and I have been riding with Delta Area Transit Authority (DATA) for more than 16 years. When I moved to the Gladstone area from Chicago, I was raising two young children and knew very little about the community. DATA became one of the first services that helped me get established. At the time, I was healthy, could walk without assistance, and still had my vision. As I learned more about DATA, I became involved with Friends of DATA and later volunteered with Regional Interagency Coordinating Council (RICC). My two children and I even helped raise money by selling ...

Support for public transportation

July 23, 2026

When people ask why I support the DATA Millage, I think back to the times it helped my family and me. In 1997, after surgery, I needed physical therapy and had no one nearby to drive me. DATA got me to every appointment and made my recovery possible. Later, as a working mother, I used it to get my children to scheduled activities, and I appreciated knowing they would be picked up and dropped off safely. Years later, when my mother came to live with me after being diagnosed with bone cancer and later needed a wheelchair, DATA helped her get to medical appointments and community activities ...

Rep. Jack Bergman wrong about Canadian wildfires

July 22, 2026

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman is completely wrong about Canadian wildfires and needlessly picks a fight with our closest ally. Many methods used in the United States don’t work in their forests. We live in an area of mixed forest types and agricultural land with lots of roads. Even our western forests are not as remote as those in Canada. Years ago, we had a forest fire threaten our home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A network of nearby state, federal and local fire organizations arrived quickly and contained the fire before it reached us! Canada’s boreal forest covers 1.3 billion ...