PUT A RING ON IT: Michigan’s economic problems are well-known, but children raised in intact homes can still rise succeed in hard times. (Photo by Flickr user Anthony Kelly; used under Creative Commons license) By Jeffrey Polet The New York Times recently published a comprehensive article on income mobility. The data clearly indicate that income […]
Brunch with Bridge
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Drama in household appliances, or how a dehumidifier united three strangers
SHE LOOKS SO…TIRED: Sometimes, just buying a simple home appliance can be fraught with drama. Will Eduardo get the sale he worked so hard for? And what about the manager’s puppy? (Photo by Flickr user Gerard Stolk; used under Creative Commons license) In need of a dehumidifier, I go to Sears, where there are only […]
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After outliving a father, a son considers two different lives
THE OLD MAN: Fathers and sons share a blood bond, but may lead radically different lives. (Photo by Flickr user Landahlauts; used under Creative Commons license.) I remember the day I turned 59. I had survived 58, the age at which Tony Heynen, my father, died. In the years leading up to 58 I’d wondered […]
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No Michigan poet laureate? In the U.P., a grassroots campaign
TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR WORDS?: How can a region “by the shores of Gitche Gumee” not have a poet laureate? (Bridge photo by Nancy Derringer) No less an authority than the Library of Congress notes that Michigan has no poet laureate, a shortcoming we share with Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In national benchmarks […]
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Detroit, a tale of two cities – and worth checking out
RISING IN DETROIT: Avalon International Breads, an early pioneer in Midtown’s rebirth, is always worth a visit. (Photo by S.J. Carey, used under Creative Commons license) Things are pretty tough in Detroit, what with an emergency manager and a possible bankruptcy lurking just around the corner. But despite that, there are enough good things going […]
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Everyone dies, and planning for it is enlivening
TAXES AND THAT OTHER THING: Gay marriage isn’t yet legal in Michigan, but smart same-sex couples will prepare for the inevitable (death, that is) through estate planning. (Bridge photo/Nancy Derringer) I’ve done a handful of things in my life that made me think, “I’m an adult now” — you know, the usual milestones: – Got […]
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Detroit’s EM should surround himself with fresh faces, fresh thinking
RIGHT MIND-SET: Emergency manager Kevyn Orr, far right, and Mayor Dave Bing flank Gov. Rick Snyder at a press conference to discuss the city’s financial straits. (courtesy photo/city of Detroit) Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr came in with an impressive resume and a seemingly razor-sharp focus and determination to right the city’s finances. He is […]
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Down-and-dirty Tough Mudder lures athletes with warrior mystique
ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH? The grueling obstacle course known as Tough Mudder draws participants eager to test themselves against it, most of them in teams. (courtesy photo/Tough Mudder) At this war, everyone is wearing running shoes. We’ve just climbed an eight-foot wall to get onto the battlefield. “Come in, come in here, bring it in,” […]
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It would be nice to know size of classes in Michigan schools
A Bridge Editorial HOW MANY?: Michigan parents have no way to compare the number of students in their children’s classes to classes in other schools and districts, an information deficit the state Department of Education should quickly remedy. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) Bridge Magazine recently conducted an exhaustive analysis of class size […]
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To kill the gerrymander, elect better representatives
WHAT ROUGH BEAST? Oddly shaped districts, like Michigan’s 14th in the U.S. Congress, are the result of political power plays. But the solution isn’t necessarily to take politics out of the process, argues Brunch columnist Conor Dugan. Rep. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, has proposed legislation that would establish an independent, nonpartisan commission consisting of “regular citizens” […]
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