Successful program
For the past five years I have been involved with Child and Family Services as a volunteer and board member. It was such a pleasant surprise to see the agency featured in the Oct. 12 issue. While there are many charitable organizations out there, there are few that nourish, protect and feed the core vitality of this community as directly as CFS.
While the article did a great job focusing on Foster Care and Safe Haven, there is another program of note at CFS that deserves attention. It is called Family Group Decision Making and it is designed to bring in extended family members, close friends and even neighbors who all work together as a team to create a "game plan" to remove risk factors in the family and ensure safety for all children involved.
It is one of the most effective, successful programs of its kind and our very own CFS was one of the first in the country to pilot it. Due to its success, CFS now serves as a model for other child welfare agencies across the country that wish to establish similar programs. Kudos to CFS!
Valerie Kirn-Duensing
Traverse City
Embarrassment to TC
I read in the paper today the comments made by Commissioner Deni Scrudato concerning Coach Irv Menzel, father of Tom Menzel, with absolute disgust. It's obvious she's an outsider and didn't know one of Traverse City Central's finest basketball coaches.
I would hope the people of Traverse City and the commissioners demand that this woman be removed from her position. She is an embarrassment to the fine people of Traverse City and the Grand Traverse region and has no place (being) in a position to lead Traverse City.
It's also very disturbing that Tom Menzel has withdrawn his name for city manager. I've worked with Tom in the Cherry Festival and he has been a great leader -- would have been a great leader to take Traverse City into the future.
Bob Hardley
Mesick
Still a blind eye
As a person of mixed-race ethnicity, I grew up with a great deal of bigotry in Traverse City. All while growing up though, the hardest thing about the bigotry was the seeming desire on the part of the citizens to turn a blind eye to what was going on.
Today an old school friend told me about the attack at the high school on a black student, and so I followed up and read your newspaper's article on the question of whether or not Traverse City now has a problem with "gangs."
I was born and raised in Traverse City, and miss it every day. I now live in Los Angeles where I work as a filmmaker, and also as a professor at a local university.
In Los Angeles we have gang problems. What you have is a hate crime. A crime like this is awful -- just like any act of violence, but there's an opportunity here for some reflecting on the part of your citizens, on the members of your law enforcement and on the officials in your schools.
Sadly, though, it looks like after all this time you still don't get it.
Patrick Scott
Venice Beach, Calif.
A local hero!
Eastwood Custom Homes, its employees and Mr. Clous are assets to the northern Michigan community. Most of the homes they build are for lower-income people. The townhouses and apartments off Holiday Road, and the many simple, well-built, single-family houses around the area are examples of the kind of housing we need more of. They even offer special deals for veterans.
Frankly, anybody who turns swampland into low-income housing for seniors is doing a good and noble deed and should be applauded for his efforts.
Bill Clous doesn't know me from Adam, I've only met him once for about two seconds. Anybody who can successfully irritate the Record-Eagle and the Department of Natural Resources like Mr. Clous, however, is a local hero in my book!
Mike Nicholls
Lake Ann
Reprimand deserved
What a crummy way to start a beautiful Saturday morning -- reading the headline, "Menzel drops bid for city manager." The headline didn't bother me, but the article did and I wanted to express an early opinion of what I believe will be a high-profile letter writing soapbox. I know none of the persons named in the article, but certainly can't understand how someone at the city commission level would have the audacity to make such an insensitive and disparaging remark as done by (City Commissioner Deni) Scrudato, referring to "someone told her" some negative garbage about Tom Menzel's deceased father.
First, the father was not interested in the position; he is deceased. Regardless, I see no place for such a remark in a job interview.
Great for Mayor Estes to reprimand such a remark. I think somehow the wrong person is representing the city.
Roger Favorite
Cedar
Funding inequity an issue
I go to Traverse City High School. The students here just found out that we have to lose a teacher. We would not be facing this problem if the state of Michigan paid northern Michigan schools the same amount they pay downstate schools.
This funding equity issue is a big deal for me and the students here because this school is like a big family. Losing a teacher here would be like losing a loved one.
Our superintendent, Jim Feil, has visited our school; I know this issue is a big deal to him. He has been working really hard to help us. The more support he has, the better it would be for all of us.
Andrea Udell
Traverse City
Another tax?
This is concerning the Grand Vision.
Are those (who are) envisioning ways to spend money, envisioning a regional property tax in addition to the usual county tax?
Nels Olson
Leland
Print this story
E-mail this story
