Residents caught in grip of failing state, national economies
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Locals work multiple jobs making ends meet
Elyse Boyd darts between tables and the cook's grill, delivers hot plates of breakfast to hungry diners, then pauses to take a sip of Mountain Dew behind the counter. It's a busy life for Boyd, 21, who works four jobs to help support her family, including her husband and 3-year-old daughter.
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Fixed-income seniors struggle with budgets
There was a time when Pat and Bob Pierce had a money cushion, a few dollars left over once the bills were stamped and sent. Those days are gone.
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Fighting to stay afloat during recession
Aza Drielts-Davis would work 60 hours a week if she could. But no one's offering that many hours these days, so she logs about 40 between shifts at Admiral Discount Tobacco and as a receptionist at Advanced Computer Solutions in Traverse City.
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Mother can't work, so children step up
Teenagers Alisha and Nicole Bowles are expert bargain hunters; they frequently clip coupons and shop at discount retailers and secondhand stores for everything from clothing to Christmas gifts. "Young girls at their age want their own money," their mother, Barb Vickers, said. "But they want to help."
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School is 'first line of defense'
Children are not immune to the effects of an economic recession, even when parents try to shield them from discussions on family finances, an elementary school social worker said.
Continued ... - Sunday, August 24, 2008
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Families stretch back-to-school dollars
Instead of extras, Heather Pollington's daughters will return to school next week with just the basics. Some new supplies, a pair of shoes, jeans and a few shirts. There isn't room for much else.
Continued ... - Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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Housing slump, economy keeps shelter busy
Ken Homa can see the region's tattered economy wearing on the people his agency tries to assist during tough times.
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Homeless dream of better lives
Sometimes she wakes in the middle of the night and worries she's not a good mother. She listens as her children sleep nearby, their rhythmic breathing a small comfort, a hedge against anxiety and fear that threaten to overwhelm her. She listens to the night sounds so close, just outside the thin walls of a tent she and her children -- Mary, 17, Edward, 12, and Aimee, 4 -- call home.
Continued ... - Monday, June 30, 2008
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Business 'doing whatever we can'
The coolers inside John Rosa's liquor store and pizzeria are half empty. It's too expensive to restock. Outside, gas pumps are shut off, and stand as weathered remnants of a bygone era. For decades, Rosa's family made a living selling gas and repairing cars. That was then.
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<a href="http://photos.record-eagle.com/gallery/5292540_BfnGM">Photo Story: Getting by at Bud's</a>
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Teens struggle to find summer work
Leah Ferguson worked as a dishwasher at a local American Legion Post, then for a catering business and finally made restaurant stops at Mustard's and Trattoria Stella in Traverse City. The recent Traverse City Central grad has plenty of service industry experience, but now struggles to find a job.
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More people leaving the state
Bob Thalman is considering leaving Michigan to begin his career. He graduated in May from Cedarville University in Ohio with a degree in English and a passion for libraries. He has worked at the Traverse Area District Library since 2002, a job he holds today. But Thalman, 22, said Ohio is more "optimistic" than Michigan about library careers.
Continued ... - Sunday, June 29, 2008
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Hard times force residents to change ways
This story begins a three-day Record-Eagle series examines the lives of those caught in the grip of the failing state and national economies, and offers snapshot examples of how your friends, family, neighbors, and communities cope during bad times.
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Pawn shops thrive in lean times
Logan Drake's sweaty hair clung to his forehead as his mother Kristine lifted the toddler from their car parked near Ace Buyers pawn shop. Logan's father, Shawn, popped the trunk and retrieved a rifle case. Then the family shuffled into Ace Buyers, and minutes later the Buckley clan had what they came for: money for food and gas for another week.
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Times are tough in tiny town of Honor
A neighbor's worn-out swing set was headed for the dump before Becky Link salvaged it for her 4-year-old daughter, Riley. Link, of Honor, couldn't afford such a luxury. She makes $7.50 an hour at JC Penny in Traverse City, but after spending $10 in gas to get there and $20 for daycare, she leaves with only $30 after each eight-hour shift.
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Increased poaching for food 'possible'
One northern Michigan man acknowledges he's guilty of the crime of poaching. But he said he illegally killed a deer only because of his lousy financial situation. "It's feeding your family," he said.
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Some put away keys, turn to buses, scooters
Jan Nickerson doesn't mind walking to the Kingsley post office each day to make her public transit bus connection. The money she saves by riding instead of driving steered her to the bus nearly two years ago.
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Extra stops worth it to save on meal money
Madge Smith and her friend Barb Allen wheeled into the parking lot at Purchases Sales Company in Gaylord for just one thing: a gallon of milk. The friends from Waters stop by the wholesale milk and ice cream distributing company each week for bargains on dairy products.
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BATA driver: 'I've been blessed'
Doris Morgan may have a lot on her plate, but she's buoyed by the "angels on my shoulders." Morgan, 53, drives a bus for the Bay Area Transportation Authority and, like many other northern Michigan residents, feels the acute pinch of the state's economic woes. She works full time, but at $12 per hour struggles to make a decent living. She's not complaining, though.
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Hundreds in region face foreclosure
Susan Forcier loved the 10-acre, Hayes Township spread she called home for nearly five years. Over the past year she watched variable interest rates push her house payment to $1,500 a month, almost triple the previous payment, and late fees and penalties pulled her under.
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