Rough roads no joke!
Q. What's the difference between North Long Lake Road and the craters on the moon?
A. Grand Traverse residents don't have to drive through the craters on the moon! (Rim shot.)
Thank you, thank you, I'll be performing here all week. Make sure you tip your waitress and try the stuffed lobster.
Mathew Branch
Traverse City
Middle man is problem
I disagree with most of the "Gas Man" article in the May 9 paper. The problem causing high crude oil prices is the middle man -- people buying crude that have no facilities to process it. Once they buy they have to have the price go up so they can make a profit. OPEC has said that $30 to $40 per barrel is due to this process.
Also, much of the crude produced by American companies is owned by those companies. One portion of the company sells raw product to the refinery side of the company. They were making profit at $40 a barrel and could keep the price reasonable by averaging crude prices.
Richard Buchheim
Traverse City
Wake up, folks
On the front page of a recent paper the headline read "Oil futures near $123 a barrel." It went on to say the prediction is for the prices to rise to $150 to $200 a barrel within two years.
What makes anyone think this rise in price will take two years when the oil giants are getting away with murder now, and people are upset but no one is doing a thing about it? Why has our government not stepped in to question why these companies have posted profits in the billions in their first quarter while the entire country continues to suffer with rising costs on everything?
Wake up folks, your future depends on it.
David Chrobak
Northport
No cypress mulch
Do you remember the devastating effects from Hurricane Katrina? This spring many gardeners in the Traverse City region will buy cypress mulch, not realizing that this mulch is cut from vital wetlands that stabilize the Gulf Coast against storm surges and erosion.
Cypress wetlands absorb floodwater like a sponge, protecting coastal communities and saving lives. They also serve as critical habitats for migratory birds and wildlife.
Many Louisiana cypress forests will never regenerate once cut. But state and federal government officials turn a blind eye to this illegal logging. Meanwhile, retailers use creative language to convince gardeners that their cypress mulch is "sustainable."
But don't believe what's written on the bag. Mulch producers admit to mislabeling their product and retailers don't really know the source of the mulch they sell.
The most tragic fact is that cypress mulch is not as effective as other mulches. A University of Florida study confirmed that cypress mulch isn't any better for your garden than pine bark or eucalyptus mulch -- or even leaf litter.
Why cut a tree to grow a flower? Please don't buy cypress mulch. Choose an alternative and save our cypress forests.
John Nelson
Traverse City
The writer is the Grand Traverse Baykeeper.
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