New Sign At School-WHAT??

connor · Post by **connor** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:06 pm

Well said Sheri!

sbsp · Post by **sbsp** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 7:49 pm

Kathe -
Your reply above was addressed to me but I think you might have been responding the Ken's reply????
My above reply was in response to Richie's question about getting hung up on the "who" is posting rather than the "what" is posted. I was not defending "beaverisle" in the content or tone of his original post. My point is simple, sometimes, when a post is made by a known or unknown person the responses are personal attacks on the messenger rather than attacking the message with facts. What are the facts of the digital sign? Richie is right, as long as the focus remains on the who and not the what is posted, it is going to be difficult to resolve the issues facing our community and country. Step back, take a breath and get the facts before making the judgements.
More to the point, by presenting the facts about the digital sign that I suggested with the questions above, "beaverisle" may very well be shut down and over whelmed with the facts of the matter. It may also win the support of other forum readers and disprove any validity to "beaverisles" complaints.
The continued bickering over who "beaverisle" is only makes everyone look foolish, resolves nothing and continues the divide of people in the community. Work on resolving issues together rather than fueling a silly dispute of who "beaverisle" might be. That was my take away on Richie's post.

Kirk D. McBride

Post by **Gillespie** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:08 pm

I guess I thought that my comments yesterday would be taken in all seriousness as they were meant, or implied......... I was and I am trying to point out that we all can be dressed for the dance but if no one asks you out I guess you dance alone. No one is, or at least seems concerned where the people that will fill the school or look at the sign might come from. Kathy, great that you can come up and that you can support our school with your tax dollars, what about those that want to be here and cannot, is it a different world for them? I am looking for deeper concern and consideration here, all of these modern things could be considered nice but how many furniture trucks are coming toward us and how many are not? We are in a generational transition (graveyard) with few to replace the rest of us. Retiring is on the horizon for a good many local people, not me, I love to work. Who is going to pay, who is going to work? Who is going to run all of this? What have we done to prepare? It is easy to just defend any of it and reflect that "Beaverisle" is a bastard but who wants to take a crack at reality? We are sinking! None of our 4 children could find opportunity here unless they choose to work like their parents, who would? Only 4 years ago we suffered a huge fire/loss in our world, we are not quitters, we didn't show up with money and will end with less, no pension no silver dollar but that which we worked for IF we can pull it out of the "debate". Many come here with pensions, earned from thirty years or more of effort, how else could they get here? I thought, when the school millage was to retire, here's our chance to save some money.............no.........does anyone get it? Because we thought our turn was there after paying taxes on schools for 25+ years we could put money into retirement.............no......all of this is heading for collapse and yet the blame is thrown toward one anonymous poster, almost as if to divert the real question, and it becomes part of the national question! The HAVES and HAVE NOTS in our middle class world are those with pensions and those that have contributed without concern for themselves until it is too late! Did Beaverisle have the right to raise the question, yes! Do they have they right to post time and again, no, this has been debated many many times! If you want to berate one post fine, if you want to be part of the solution stay in!

Here is an oversimplification: We have been waiting forever for the ice cream truck to come by, fancy new one..................oops no money!

sbsp · Post by **sbsp** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:25 pm

Richie -
As is the popular saying, "well said".
You and I have had this conversation several times. People would rather bicker about who the messenger is and totally miss the prophecy of the message. Try to figure out the mystery poster as opposed to paying attention to the run away gravy train headed down the wrong track, hemorrhaging gravy (livelihood) right into destruction and extinction.
My family have been coming to the Island for over 80 years and I can tell you right now, Judy and I are the last generation. I therefore understand the pain of families who have been on the Island for several generations, now realizing they too could be the last generation to be able to sustain a living in paradise.
There are no easy answers to the tough questions but besure and tell me if anyone figures out who is "beaverisle", it will make me rest easy as I list our properties in a depressed market.

Kirk D. McBride

Terry Frysinger · Post by **Terry Frysinger** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:16 am

If you re-read the post from beaverisle you will see that it was an attack on the management of the school system, e.g. "bound and determined to devoid...", "throwing money down a hole...","we are being insulted...", "taxpayers are being had...". An anonymous attack like this is a separate issue from WHAT money is being spent on. Indefensible.
Now back to the WHAT money should be spent on issue. Adults have choices about what they do or don't do in their lives. Kids are pretty much limited to what tools we give them to prepare themselves for the future. Maybe a "cozy" school was appropriate at one time but money spent providing island kids with new technology is not throwing it down a hole.

kathemeade · Post by **kathemeade** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:20 am

Playing "games" to get your point across is childish anyway you cut it. If you want your message to be heard then don't be afraid to be vested in your message. The way to be vested is to say who you are.

Everyone has a right to know who their accusers are...even on a public forum.

The only one that is hurting the message is the fake person posting it. If you want an adult conversation and debate then act like one...What a wonderful tool the forum could be to have RESPECTFUL conversations about ideas to move forward. There is a line that is crossed when someone post nameless, and yes it does cloud the issue. But more importantly it hurts feelings, leaves others to feel devalued, and causes rift. What horrible examples of communication are being set for the youth.

We could debate this issue all day. The few that defend the actions lead me to wonder if they are part of it. Do as you will, but understand if you want to be treated with respect it starts with you. If you want your message to be heard then be vested in it.

Richie, as an elected official maybe you should consider having "coffee time" and welcome people to discuss with you these issues. Maybe there needs to be an economic development committee put together to discuss ideas and concerns. Maybe you should get the youth of the Island involved, invite them to come from their Government class at school and join in so you can hear it from their perspective. As for this post, I am finished. I enjoy the forum for learning about community events, happenings on the Island and the new market place is great! This could be a great gift to this community. It saddens me that so often it is used for personal agendas and in the long run hurt the image of the community. Below are the rules you set for the forum. I guess until the rules are respected we can choose to partake or not. (After all that is the "nameless" posters argument isn't it?) Maybe you should start another forum or blog for those that want to get down and nasty, and leave the Beaver Island forum for what the "rules" say it is intended for.
FORUM RULES as found on bottom of page.
1.) Please be kind and considerate, and keep the forum constructive.
2.) Please include your name with your post. We value everyone's right to express their views, but in cases where someone else may be negatively impacted by a post or where the lack of a name causes confusion, anonymous posts may be deleted.
3.) Please keep the forum clean and appropriate for any age. Posts which are intended to attack or offend others are not appropriate.

Brad · Post by **Brad** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:27 am

Gonna be a long winter!

pam moxham · Post by **pam moxham** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:37 am

yup! getcha boots ready or don't put them away... lol !

medic5740 · Post by **medic5740** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:22 pm

Follow this link to view the video. You need a flashplayer to view it:

http://public.streamhoster.com/resource ... ue&pmiuri=

Posted on Beaver Island News on the 'Net on September 13, 2012.

JFPowers · Post by **JFPowers** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:47 pm

I have to laugh at this whole thread. In 1997 when we decided to invest a large amount of our money to build the hardware store we were told by the local governing body, we will approve the hardware store but please DO NOT put up any brightly lit modern digital signs, that would ruin the character of Beaver Island.!

Oh well, times change.

Bernadette Green Cole · Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:15 pm

No one asked for my opinion but I have to agree with kathemeade "If you want your message to be heard then don't be afraid to be vested in your message". It often seems on here, the "anonymous" authors post without confidence and information on their topic. These posts make Beaver Island look less than desirable to the forum reader who are interested in visiting.

PS Richie--I am surprised at your dissatisfaction with the new BI school, I graduated in 1978, and that building was aged then!!!

kathemeade · Post by **kathemeade** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:44 am

The sign looks great! I urge Beaverisle to watch the video. Kitty does a great job explaining the funding of the sign. Looking forward to getting up there and seeing it in person!

Vincent · Post by **Vincent** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:03 pm

My thought on the school sign was that it seemed to be a distraction to drivers entering a school zone. The changing message catches ones eye in an area where attention should be at a high level.
Possibly if the message did not change drivers could quickly scan the sign and not be distracted.

John Bolton · Post by **John Bolton** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:44 pm

Jeff,
Concerning efforts being thwarted for electronic signage for you hardware store...
You should look at the situation with Island Logic.......

If it is impossible to make change on the island, because you might ruin its' character..
Conversely, if characters on the island choose to change it...
Then it is impossible that their actions can ruin it..

JFPowers · Post by **JFPowers** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 10:03 am

John, that all makes sense then sort of like when the Greyhound Bus

bumped Ace Hardware's plans for bringing over the Ace Semi Truck

and having a big grand opening back a dozen years or so ago.

Pretense was that the Greyhounds were going to be a bigger benefit

to the island.......

maybe its just Beaver Logic!

Beaver Island Michigan

New Sign At School-WHAT??

K. McNamara makes a statement