UP, DOWN: Randy Krause invested in Houghton Lake’s vacation economy by buying a small hotel. He eventually lost his investment. “Weekends were busy, but that was all,” he said. (Bridge photo/Nancy Derringer) PRUDENVILLE – Whether Randy Krause’s business was the victim of hard times, changing tastes or just plain bad luck hardly matters now. The […]
Capsized by economy, Houghton Lake clings to hopeful signs on vacationers
Posted inBusiness Watch
Once a gem, African-American resort community seeks new identity
TOP ATTRACTIONS: The resort community of Idlewild once attracted some of the nation’s top entertainment acts when it served as a mecca for African-American families in a segregated America. (Bridge photo/Nancy Derringer) IDLEWILD – Emma Jean Clark’s view from the front room of her family’s summer cottage is similar to that enjoyed by thousands […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
America is doing great job in creating low-skill workers
(Bridge archive photo/Sam Zomer) If you wanted to create a system that limits educational options and consigns the vast majority of poor American children to continue to live in poverty, just look around you. Whether you live in urban or rural America, the results of an educational design which cripples young learners who are […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
POSITIVE TREND: In 2012, the number of fatalities on Michigan roads was 26 percent less than the number in 2002 – even though the number of miles driven was basically the same for both years. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) *Illinois became the 50th state to legalize the carrying of concealed weapons. As of […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Stockton, Vallejo warn Detroit: You ain’t seen nothin’ yet
With Detroit running out of money and options, Bridge visited two cities in California that have had their own fiscal woes – Stockton and Vallejo – to assess the impact of bankruptcy on neighborhood life. (Bridge illustration/A.J. Jones) STOCKTON, Calif. – Here in Stockton, the standard postcards show a palm-lined City Center, without revealing that […]
Posted inMichigan Government
In Vallejo, residents rally to protect themselves
SORTA SILVER LINING: When bankruptcy led to vastly reduced police patrols in Vallejo, Calif., the number of neighborhood watch groups exploded from nine to more than 400. (Bridge photo/Ron French) VALLEJO, Calif. – The break-ins and the squatters in her middle-class neighborhood were bad enough. But when prostitutes began offering – and performing – […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Shifting middle-class fortunes transform Michigan’s ‘cottage on the lake’ lifestyle
NEW POINTS OF CALL: Michigan’s manufacturing shift has helped spawn a change in the vacation business in the state, too. (Bridge illustration/A.J. Jones) Richard and Patricia Dolland spent countless warm summer days and cold winter nights in their rustic cottage in Northern Michigan. Every few weeks, they’d drive three hours north from their Macomb County […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
As Michigan families redefine vacations, tourism industry turns to out-of-staters
FILLING UP: Michigan’s swimming pool industry says business is picking up in the wake of the Great Recession, as families choose more backyard vacations over journeys Up North and elsewhere. (Bridge illustration/A.J. Jones) Earlier this year, John and Katy Wustman talked about buying a little place Up North to spend their vacations. “It was a […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Michigan has to catch tech wave transforming learning
Phil Power is founder and chairman of the Center for Michigan. Reduced to essentials, here’s what happens in most American schools and universities: A “teacher” appears before a group of pupils and talks, making notes on a board or putting up images, while students take notes. Classes range in size from 20 to 30 […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
A REPRIEVE: A $20,000 donation by the president of the Irish Hills Historical Society may help these historic viewing towers stave off the wrecking ball. (courtesy photo/Mlive) *Homeowners know what July means … property tax bills. While it might not feel like it, Michigan is not at the top when it comes to taxing property. […]