Reading is important all year long

June 14, 2025

A recent editorial by The Mining Journal Editorial Board emphasized the importance of reading and encouraged community involvement in summer reading programs at local libraries. We strongly agree and applaud The Mining Journal for supporting libraries and their programs. The Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan, a statewide nonprofit headquartered in Marquette, participated for a third year in a GivingTuesday project with 25 small rural libraries, many of them in Marquette County. Recently, LLF Michigan was featured in a GivingTuesday Spark case study, which is being used as a resource for ...

Tunnel best way to go

June 13, 2025

I’m glad to see the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finally focusing on the Great Lakes Tunnel project. I don’t want to see our beautiful Great Lakes damaged in any way and the logic behind this tunnel is undeniable; it simply makes sense. Enbridge has been proactive in securing the necessary permits from state and federal agencies, demonstrating their commitment to this project. Given its size, the project requires careful planning. Enbridge's efforts to work with various stakeholders to protect our environment and respect community values are noteworthy. Tunnels are an integral ...

History 101

June 12, 2025

Present Mideast issues can’t be adequately dealt with unless the true historical basis for Israeli national sovereignty is understood. There is strong evidence from both biblical and secular sources. Palestinians aren’t the descendants of the original owners of the land. A nation of seven allied groups lived there between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago. They were called Caanites and the land was Canaan. This is known because there was trade with peoples around, including Egypt. Some of their correspondence has been found. They were incredibly degraded, sacrificing infants, bestiality. ...

What’s real problem?

June 11, 2025

People are up in arms because protestors in Los Angeles are waving Mexican and Salvadoran flags instead of American ones. I don’t carry a flag myself; I’ve never found salvation in a piece of cloth. But let’s be clear: the outrage here is not about symbols. It’s about who is allowed to grieve, to demand dignity, to be visible. If you’re more offended by a foreign flag than by children held in detention, or by police swinging batons at demonstrators, your priorities are showing. This country has always made it dangerous to be poor, brown, or undocumented. ICE didn’t invent ...

Pretender isn’t great

June 10, 2025

“A day for remembering.” This was The Mining Journal headline on May 27. Yes, I remember well my cousin, Wayne, who died on Omaha Beach. Yes, I remember his brother, Paul, who died ... parachuting over France, only miles away from where his brother lay on the beach. Two boys from Springfield, Ohio, who died fighting against fascism. Their parents earned a gold star to hang in their front window. I remember it well. And I will likely never forget the affront I felt when I read the utterly shameless and loathsome Truth Social missive the present, so-called commander-in-chief ...

Cuts harming Americans

June 9, 2025

I learned that effective ... May 18, there will no longer be 24-hour staffing at the National Weather Service Office in Marquette. What does this mean? No weather forecasting services/updates at night. A sudden storm at night on Lake Superior? Mariners cannot seek shelter. A sudden thunderstorm with large hail, heavy winds, possible tornado? None of us can seek shelter. An unexpected sudden snowstorm at night with make travel hazardous? Drivers cannot alter plans or seek shelter. Anyone with extended time living in the UP knows these things happen regularly. Nationwide, the NWS had ...