Saying no to data centers

August 6, 2026

To the Journal editor: Ryan Soucy’s Letter to the Editor in late July, “We Need A Better Conversation About Data Centers” needs some clarification. His comment that data centers “generally cannot be prohibited throughout an entire community", is not correct. If a community feels that the infrastructure needs that a business requires to produce its product, and, or, the product produced is incompatible with the stated values for that community, they may declare that a data center business is not allowed. Examples would be rocket launch sites, strip clubs or cannabis ...

Happy 250th Birthday America!

August 5, 2026

America has been a very long time in its making. It has taken 4.6 billion years to get from initial formation of the Earth to today. During that time, plate tectonic processes created pieces of land that "drifted" around the world, colliding with each other to make larger land masses like Pangaea, then rifted apart into smaller land masses that drifted apart. About 1.1 billion years ago, the Mid-Continent rift began to tear our region apart. Lake Superior overlies a segment of this rift. The Grenville Province, another drifting land mass, subsequently collided with the eastern edge of ...

Bergman challenged

August 4, 2026

To the Journal editor: It’s understandable that U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, does not know much about forest wilderness, living as he does, in New Orleans. But to propose sanctioning Canada for allowing its smoke to cross our border? Does he think Canada controls rainfall wind, humidity and temperature? Does he think they should have crews out thinning brush in forests that have no roads? I know he supports the president who would rather blame someone for a problem than try to fix the problem but give me a break. This is the Upper Peninsula. When neighbors have a problem, we ...

We need a better conversation about data centers

August 1, 2026

To the Journal editor: Much of the public conversation has focused on preventing data centers from coming to the Upper Peninsula. That concern is understandable, but it overlooks how land use regulation actually works. A statewide prohibition on data centers would be a matter of state law. Local governments, on the other hand, are responsible for considering where all lawful land uses may be permitted and what standards they must meet. Through my work as a regional planner and participation in Michigan's Statewide Data Center Working Group (a collaboration of statewide land use ...

Demand clear protections at the Chocolay Township Board public hearing Aug. 10

July 31, 2026

To the Journal editor: I am writing to urge Chocolay Township residents to attend the upcoming public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, at the Chocolay Township Fire Hall (5010 US 41 South). The board will consider proposed zoning amendments regarding natural resource mining that leave our community incredibly vulnerable. It could be your last chance to use your voice before a final vote. Many residents do not realize that under Michigan law, natural resource extraction can legally occur adjacent to and directly in residential zones. If a developer buys land in your neighborhood to ...

New political landscape

July 29, 2026

To the Journal editor: When my wife and I moved back to the UP a couple of years ago, we discovered a number of changes, positive and negative, in the state’s political landscape. When we left for jobs in Illinois in the 1990s, John Engler was still putting his distinctive right-wing stamp on government operations in Lansing. Here in the Upper Peninsula, Bart Stupak held the 1st District’s congressional seat. Bart was an interesting independent-thinking Democrat. He had opposed a number of gun control measures, but—much to the annoyance of the National Rifle Association —voted ...