[jb3115]

Jetengineman's wife,
Greetings from a former Northeastern L.P.er. Born in Grayling, grew up in St. Helen and Graduated from Whittemore-Prescott. I'm familiar with the Tawas/ East Tawas area, while in high school I worked at what used to be the Glens' store on the north side of town. I left the area to attend college and never moved back. I do miss the area in the summer but I can't say that I miss it in the winter.

To Gonnabeayooper, Dubya has had nothing to do with the way Northern Michigan economy has been. For as long as I can remember (early 80's and 90's) there has always been a shortage of jobs in the area, my father was in sales and his territory covered Augres to Oscoda over to Traverse City and south to Cadillac, and he was lucky to have that job and the 80 hour work weeks. My mom had to drive 20 miles to West Branch to work at the hospital there and when she had an opportunity for better pay she drove to the hospital in Standish. Heck, even in high school I drove from Prescott to Tawas for work. I went to school with kids that had parents that were either 2nd or 3rd generation on Welfare or were laid off from the few factories that did exist or cut trees illegally for firewood to sell. Don't get me wrong, there were middle class people there as well but there seemed to be far fewer of them.

Even my mom, a die hard Northern Michigander left the Tawas area recently to take a nursing position not far from where my wife and I live. Her reason? Twice the pay for the same amount of hours. She never knew she could make this much money being an RN.

Just my $.02

[missfyr]

Ossineke here, and we're not going anywhere

[DRD]

Originally Posted by GonnaBeAYooper

Heard your E C H O ringing on this forum. Not familiar with where you live but don't feel alone, it's due to a man named Dubya.

Didn't you hear, DUBYA didn't hear about gas going up so it's unlikely he's heard about the hardships in rural America! Shame, Shame, Shame

[DRD]

Originally Posted by kgabrysiak

Hello, I live in Presque Isle ( in the middle of Alpena and Rogers city ) I can tell you after living here for 33 years, Nothing has changed! I now have children who have grown up here as well , they have no opprotunities here. I have a college education and NO JOB! By the time a job goes in the paper it is already been filled. It is very pretty here in the summer and the fall. The winter stinks, and the seasons never know when one stops and the next begins ( it can rain, snow, and drop 40 degrees all in a matter of a hour!!!) I want to move and hope to do so very soon, (eastern Tn.) All over this state there is heartache, people are losing everything they have it is very sad situation and state. Hope that it will strive again, but I do not see that any time soon.

Hope if you've moved that you have discovered Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. They have to be two of the nicest towns in the country.

I live in west Tennessee and unless your into shooting deer and leaving them dead in the bush or fishing and leaving them to rot on the beach there's not much here.

Winters are bleek and the transition time between winter summer and fall winter leave you dodging tornadoes constantly.

[michimaize]

I'm from the Roscommon/Houghton Lake area

[jetengineman's wife]

Oh, hey there friends! I finally checked back in and am pleased to see a few northern folk here! Anyone else sick of this never-ending winter? My God, if I see another inch of snow, I think I'm going to run screaming down the street! Actually, now it's the ice that's driving me nuts because the snow keeps melting and re-freezing every day... we have quite the nice little ice rink in our front yard now. Ok... sorry... had to vent.

Hey, Michimaize! You live in the area of my favorite place to go camping as a child... S. Higgins Lake State Park. We went there so often that it was my Mom's dying wish to have her ashes scattered in the lake after she lost her battle with cancer. We go there once in a while to "swim with Mom". I have to drive through Houghton to get to my sister's place in Tustin.... Holy smokes, that has to be the longest city on record! How's the economy there these days?

[gramma_arlene]

I live in California now but was born in Detroit. I'm 79 years old, but my parents lived in Ossineke when they were young. I've been there and to Alpena, but don't remember much. My grandfather, William Webber, built most of the barns in that area and there was a hill called "Webber Hill". My dad and his brothers played baseball for Nicholson Hill and I have a picture of the team that is dated 1909. My mom's maiden name was Andres and she also lived there with her parents and 11 siblings...a German-speaking family and a good farmer. The Catholic church, where they were married, was a small white building with a tall spire...in a beautiful setting. About ten years ago, my brother and I visited the cemetary, where my grand-parents are buried. We also visited Highland Park, which is in the middle of Detroit, where we grew up and it was one of my saddest esperiences. It looked like a war zone, and even though our home was still standing and looked nice, many others on the street had burned and were just a pile of rubble. The stores where we shopped were boarded up. Our lovely little city was no more! My parents told us many stories about living in Ossineke...times were so simple then! I am sorry for the awful economy in Michigan and the loss of so many jobs. My dad worked for GM for 40 years. In reading some of the posts, the unemployment is so high...very sad that countries with cheaper labor have the jobs now! Corporate flight has really affected Michigan!