From Hannah Provence Donigan, Commerce Township: As a longtime resident of the lakes area, I appreciate the news coverage the Spinal Column provides. However, I am bothered by trends I have noticed lately in the Mail Bag section of the paper. One is the inclusion of long, rambling, often incoherent and negative letters. Examples: “Blue laws are ‘crap’” and “Atlas shrugged” (Oct. 5-11). I wonder how many shorter, more succinct and concrete letters on important [...]

From Karen Thomas, Walled Lake: Harold Rosengren — you are an artist! That letter (“Blue laws are ‘crap,’” Oct. 5, 2011 Spinal Column Newsweekly) was simply delicious and so funny! I vote with you. Not only is this Commerce blue law a hassle for shoppers — it’s also a kick in the pants for Commerce businesses that might enjoy great brunch business. Perhaps a change in leadership is overdue.

From John Warr, Troop 1037, Boy Scouts of America: Thank you (staff writer Leslie Shepard) for doing the article about my Eagle project in the Spinal Column Newsweekly (July 13, 2011). Due to this, I am almost ready to start the building of the benches. Through your article I received two sponsors for my benches project. One was from the Walder Family and the other was from The Ronald Santavicca Family. In addition to these, [...]

From Flo Smith, Wolverine Lake: Texas Gov. Rick Perry has called Social Security a Ponzi scheme. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Throughout its 70-year existence, even in times of war and during recessions, Social Security has never failed to deliver monthly checks. In its present state, the system is solvent until 2037 and with a few minor changes, it will continue to be solvent far into the future. There is a great [...]

From Julie LeBlanc, 4 Towns Citizens Action Team (4TCAT): In the Sept. 28, 2011 Spinal Column Newsweekly, it was reported that the RCOC (Road Commission for Oakland County) and Commerce Township will share the cost of improvement to Haggerty Road. This is good news. The 4TCAT has been asking for three lanes on this roadway for several years. The townships of West Bloomfield and Waterford also agreed to this type of improvement. Three lanes on [...]

From Joe Hargrove, Commerce: America’s disdain of nuclear reactor proliferation is further evidenced by the Saturday, Oct. 1 protest rally at the Fermi 2 plant in Monroe. People from Michigan, Ohio and Canada are targeting DTE’s plans for yet another Michigan reactor, Fermi 3. “Fermi 3 would represent yet another assault the Great Lakes,” said Michael Keegan of Don’t Waste Michigan. “Fermi 2 has nowhere to get rid of its forever deadly radioactive wastes, and [...]

From Paul Kane, White Lake: A personal experience close to home helps me understand some of what comes out of our current White House. Last year, a former brother-in-law stopped by the house to drop off some items for his son. I was traveling to visit his son, my nephew, at a state university and I was going to save him a trip. That former brother-in-law and I have never seen eye-to-eye on political matters [...]

From Clark S. Robbins, White Lake: I was really surpised to find that Consumers Energy is a terrible place to work — and I mean terrible. I feel sorry for the employees who have to work there. Why do I say this? For the last seven months, I have been dealing with Consumers Energy over a relatively simple problem. I provided them the information and they apparently lost it. It was on E-Services two weeks [...]

From Harold Rosengren, Commerce: I would like to thank (Commerce Township officials) and the entire government structure of Commerce Township for drawing a line in the sand against the moral corrosion that threatens our social fabric. Apparently, the eternal and fundamental question of where and whether government should be posited in personal decisions of the citizens which compose its body has been resoundingly decided in the community of Commerce Township. Yesterday morning, being Sunday and [...]

From Kellie DePauli, Walled Lake: Based on the recent actions of West Bloomfield Township Police Chief Michael Patton, one has to wonder whether he has a hidden desire to decimate the good reputation of Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste and the police department, and undermine the public safety millage. To examine some of these recent actions: • He unilaterally and prematurely released information to the media concerning the traffic stop of a resident whom I know [...]