Their hearts are broken. But they continue to live their lives.

Since moving into our rental in 2021, I’ve been wanting to start a little garden in the yard for my mom and I, and as soon as it hit May, ready or not, I made sure to follow through with my intentions. With a few bags of soil, a variety of flower and vegetable seeds, a shovel, cultivator, and gloves (of which already has holes), I got my hands dirty and began my gardening journey.

To the editor: Wild fiat money creation! Reckless deficit spending! 19% inflation! Eroded quality of life! Wide open borders! Laken Riley! Crime! Fentanyl! $4 gas! Food up 30%! Energy up 32%! Lawlessness! Campus anarchy! War! Death! Destruction! Stalinist show trials! Election interference! Interest rates 8%! Rogue DOJ and courts! Hypocrisy and double standards! Unequal justice! Allies betrayed! Civil society collapsing! Afghanistan! Did I miss anything? Had enough of this upside-down, topsy-turvy Mad Max world? Me, too. So on November 5 I’m voting Republican right down the ballot.

To the editor: I appreciated the editorial on Earth Day that highlighted work of the Leelanau Conservancy. There is another agency that receives far less attention, yet is also busy conserving the resources of Leelanau county.

To the editor: The growth & strength of the Suttons Bay Public School’s Music & Art Programs this year is nothing short of AMAZING! Hip, hip, hooray to the passionate teachers that have led the way… Dante Billeci, Elizabeth Richards, & Mary Hall. You have ignited in the children more than just a desire to learn but a sense of community & belonging.

To the editor: We should continue to be concerned about the so called “cultural survey” that was conducted at the end of 2023 by John Scholten, and then reported upon him in early 2024. The “survey” has raised more questions than provided answers, but perhaps that was its intent.

To the editor: The Civil War ended 159 years ago, yet today some blue states and cities are considering reparations to the descendants of slaves. This means taking money from people who never owned slaves and giving it to people who never were slaves.

If you build it they will come but if you offer high school kids a hefty bonus for going to college, many won’t come. Such is the rather amazing finding that despite a state scholarship program dangling upwards of $5,500 a year to attend a four year university, 62% of last year’s high school graduating class found something else to do rather than pursue a higher education.

Whether you like him or not, when they rewrite the political history of the last 10 years or so, credit can be given to one Donald Trump for rewriting most of the political truisms that dominated the political arena prior to his grand entrance onto the scene.

To the editor: Early in my career my boss at the time, a Mormon, and I, a Jew, traveled to Japan. Our Japanese colleagues wondered why there were so many religions in America.