Monthly Archives: June 2011

Who’s greedy?

By Joel Thurtell Some independent bookstores are — gasp!! — charging admission to book signings. What nerve! Book signings are cultural events. Book signings give regular people a chance to mix with a famous or maybe not-so-famous author, hear the … Continue reading

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Loosely speaking

By Joel Thurtell I still have not found the story I wrote about a Farmington museum’s quest for the site of its outhouse. This is driving me nuts. You’d think it would be easy to search. The lead of the … Continue reading

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Midwest Book Review: CROSS PURPOSES = ‘poignant read’

By JOTR staff CROSS PURPOSES, the latest book from upstart startup Hardalee Press, just got a five-star rating from Midwest Book Review. “Why compete with the other news reporters when your own paper presents plenty of competition already?” notes MBR … Continue reading

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Thank God it’s (not) Friday

By Joel Thurtell Okay, I have to admit: I had a lot of fun those last couple years working at the Detroit Free Press. When managers weren’t trying to fire me for giving $$ to the Dems, they pretty much … Continue reading

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Ambassador lies

By Joel Thurtell How many lies to you count in this historicbridges.org description of Matty Moroun’s Ambassador Bridge? This bridge may span between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, but this bridge is truly Windsor’s bridge. A well-maintained and extensive park … Continue reading

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Matty’s fence — gone!

By Joel Thurtell By the time we got to Riverside Park a bit after six Friday afternoon, June 4, 2011, Matty’s fence was gone. The metal poles that once supported it were still standing in a row parallel to the … Continue reading

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Matty’s fence

By Joel Thurtell Wonder what this might mean: An electronic flyer from Detroit Bridge Watch calls for “Community Action to Take Back Riverside Park.” Wow! Is somebody going to take direct action to return a stolen park to the city … Continue reading

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The myth of Matty’s twin

By Joel Thurtell Why am I not ecstatic about the Detroit Free Press’s strong endorsement of the New International Trade Crossing, aka Detroit-Windosr bridge on Sunday, April 24, 2001? How journalists shape their questions largely determines how they present information … Continue reading

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