View From Here

MME will help students
[Mar. 22, 2007] It is not often that our state government gets some kudos because, frankly, they don’t deserve many. But after the first go around of the Michigan Merit Exam, which also includes the national ACT college entrance test, high school juniors have fewer excuses to pursue higher education than previous classes, who have been stuck taking the MEAP test. By Patrick Hayes

Trust numbers frightening
[Mar. 15, 2007] As a member of the press, being critical is probably not looked upon favorably among many of my peers, but a recent study released by Project for Excellence in Journalism, a research group, offered some frightening numbers for those in the industry. By Patrick Hayes

Bowing out of power struggle
[Mar. 8, 2007] Anyone who chooses to work in the media has to accept the fact that, no matter what, there are always going to be readers unhappy with something that has been printed. By Patrick Hayes

Violent culture not exclusive to Flint
[Mar. 1, 2007] A recent shooting in Flint that leaves a 15-year-old facing murder charges has brought needed attention to the issues of violence, gunplay, crime and respect in youth culture. By Patrick Hayes

Diversity shows progress, but still work to do
[Feb. 22, 2007] One of the common positive traits associated with the growth of the Grand Blanc area is the assertion that ethnically, the area is rapidly diversifying. By Patrick Hayes

Snow days are tough calls
[Feb. 15, 2007] ast week, students all over got a free two-day vacation because of sub-zero temperatures. Adults everywhere let out a collective, “Back in my day, we walked three miles to school in sub-zero temperatures.” By Patrick Hayes

State of this state? Bad.
[Feb. 8, 2007] Let me just start out by saying this: there are few things I would consider worse to be called than a “Hoosier.” By Patrick Hayes

Patience needed with Meijer, GB Township
[Feb. 1, 2007] Officials from Meijer are once again scheduled to go in front of the Grand Blanc Township planning commission tonight, and there is a growing sense that many in the community are becoming impatient with the process. By Patrick Hayes

All roads lead to Rome
[Jan. 25, 2007] Okay, maybe Grand Blanc Twp. isn’t necessarily comparable to Rome, but last Wednesday township officials, recognizing that roads are the arteries to commerce, recreation and development, took the first steps towards repairing and upgrading the deteriorating thoroughfares. By Jim Newell

Key to econonomic recovery?
[Jan. 18, 2007] After winning a lawsuit blocking a developer from bringing more retail to area residents, Grand Blanc Township could be poised for a big influx of another type of development. By Patrick Hayes

King’s message still resonates today
[Jan. 11, 2007] In my ninth-grade history class, my teacher had a quote on the wall from Martin Luther King Jr. that read, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” By Patrick Hayes

We are a fickle bunch
[Jan. 4, 2007]   By Patrick Hayes

Township should hire manager
[Dec. 28, 2006] In 1999, a county board in Nassau County, NY, decided that the potential Y2K crisis posed an imminent threat. They decided to purchase 1,200 new computers just in case something happened. Needless to say, the computers were not necessary. By Patrick Hayes

Relax, Christmas is here!
[Dec. 21, 2006] For those of you who feel like I do, Christmas has really been sneaky this year. By Patrick Hayes