Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Monday

December 17, 2007

Editorial: Cheers: 12/17/2007

-- So what's next? Every week, it seems, the folks behind the State Theatre come up with something downright terrific. Over the weekend it was the simulcast of New York's famed Metropolitan Opera performing "Romeo and Juliet." It was the first of eight planned simulcasts for this season, all of which will feature high-definition images and surround sound. To film maker Michael Moore and company: Bravo!

-- To Matthew and Sarah Johnson and their son Harrison, who are getting on with their lives after surviving an explosion that leveled their new Solon Township home in June. The family was buried in the rubble, but somehow all survived. Matthew Johnson is still recovering from a shattered heel suffered in the explosion. They're now looking forward to a quiet family Christmas.

-- To area residents who think big when it comes to making holiday donations. Managers of thrift shops from Traverse City to Petoskey say they've gotten everything from armoires and roll-top desks to whirlpool tubs, cars and even a personal watercraft over the years. The Manistee Salvation Army recently opened a storefront for big items, including beds, couches, dressers, chairs, office desks, hutches and other items. Needs go beyond sweaters and jackets.

-- To Traverse City's Downtown Development Authority board for rescinding a series of rules for the downtown Farmer's Market that had come in for harsh criticism since May. The rules, aimed at reserving market space for local growers, had also banned products made from locally grown fruits and out-of-area farmers. The amended rules allow vendors from around the state, not just a seven-county area.

-- To Traverse City Area Public Schools officials for refinancing some district bonds, a move that will save taxpayers an estimated $2.2 million. The district also earned a AA rating by both Moody's and Standard & Poor's bond rating services, which makes it a more attractive option to buyers given the uncertainty of today's market.

-- To members of the Northern Michigan Railroad Club for once again making the Festival of Trains special, this time featuring "G" scale circus train cars on a 15-by-22 display that have not been featured in the annual event for nearly a decade. The festival, at the Traverse City Heritage Center, will run through Jan. 1 and features several new layouts in addition to the circus train.

-- To Michigan lawmakers who finally decided to regulate the tattooing and piercings industry. Michigan is at least a decade or more behind the nation; lawmakers finally realized the need to regulate an industry sometimes linked to hepatitis and skin infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

-- To the American Friends Service Committee and the Light Quaker Meeting for honoring Michigan service men and women and Iraqi civilians who have lost their lives in the Iraq war by sponsoring the traveling exhibition "Eyes Wide Open: The Cost of War to Michigan" at the Hagerty Center.

Text Only