​Celebrate Earth Day at the 2023 GLEF in Manistee!
We will be celebrating Earth Day later this month.  This is a day when we all can come together to celebrate the work being done to protect our environment and those groups, individuals, organizations, and businesses that are working to create a more sustainable future for us all here on planet earth.  We have a great opportunity to join in a community celebration as we are proud to be hosting the 2023 Great Lakes Environmental Festival on Friday April 21st and Saturday April 22nd right here in Manistee!

We have a lot to celebrate as we are most fortunate to be surrounded by nature’s bounty of fresh water, clean air, and extensive carbon-sequestering forests all right outside our door and easily accessible to all of us who call this home.  We must be forever vigilant to protect these resources so they are available for the greater good of everyone in our society.  This means we need to be continuously educating ourselves and others so each of us can implement the science-based best practices that will protect and heal the damage done to our global environment. 

The 2023 Great Lakes Environmental Festival (aka: GLEF) will provide attendees with just that kind of information!  The GLEF organizers have recruited a group of subject matter experts who will be delivering engaging informative lectures hourly from 12 noon to 5 pm on Friday April 21st and Saturday April 22nd at the West Shore Community College Building on River Street in Manistee.  Interspersed with the lectures will be short videos that have been produced by local high school students and student artwork that will demonstrate to adults that our children understand the challenges caused by climate change and their effect on the future of this planet.  

On Saturday April 22nd from 10am to 3pm there will be an Environmental Expo at the Wagoner Senior Center on St Mary’s Parkway in Manistee that will feature information tables and booths from local and regional environmental activist organizations and businesses.  There will also be a display of electric vehicles in the parking lot.  Shuttle bus service will be provided between the Expo and the WSCC building to enable folks to park their cars at the Senior Center and do their part to reduce their carbon footprint while enjoying the 2023 GLEF.

We will be honoring organizations that have proven to be consistent guardians of the Great Lakes and our regional environment during this year’s GLEF.  The US Coast Guard will be conducting a water rescue demonstration in the Manistee River between the Maple Street and US 31 bridges.  The Little
River Band of Ottawa Indians will be​
 presenting a lecture on their research work on reviving wild rice habitat in our waterways.  Both organizations will be honored by the 2023 GLEF for their work as Environmental Guardians of the Great Lakes!

​Now, many of you may be wondering what all this environmental festival stuff has to do with what it means to be a Democrat in Manistee County.  I hope you can agree with the scientists who study climate change and a large majority of people who believe in science that it is being hastened by human activity.  Protecting the environment is a key issue for the Democratic Party both nationally and here in Manistee County.  Supporting the 2023 Great Lakes Environmental Festival is one way that Democrats in Manistee County can help get the word out to more of our neighbors that they too can take action to slow the damage being done by climate change. 

I have no doubt that some who read this will be among the minority who do not believe we are currently experiencing climate change or its’ adverse effects. To those doubters I say that it is not normal for our winters here in NW Michigan to be mild as they have been over the past few years.  The lack of significant snow cover hurts our local winter tourist-based economy.  There was no significant ice formation on any of the Great Lakes this past winter meaning a large amount of water was lost to evaporation.  That evaporated water will eventually fall on areas that may already be saturated with heavy rains and damaging floods. Our summer storms coming off the warmer waters of Lake Michigan are more intense and damaging.  Toxic algae blooms caused by runoff from big corporate farms and inhumane confined animal feeding operations entering the warmer waters of all the Great Lakes have threatened the safe drinking water of many large population centers. 

Climate change doubters must also be aware that as the temperatures rise, and fresh water supplies dwindle that we are living in the region that has the potential to become the primary global climate change refuge.  Millions of climate change refugees displaced by rising sea levels, lack of fresh water, high temperatures, and toxic air will be clamoring to live right here in Manistee County.  We must demand that our elected officials take the action necessary to enable them to stay in their current homes and not have to leave just to find dry land, clean water, clean air, and a safe environment.
​   
We look forward to providing a fun and educational Earth Day experience for you, your family, and your friends at the 2023 Great Lakes Environmental Festival on April 21st and 22nd in Manistee on beautiful Lake Michigan! 

Michigan Democratic Initiatives

Picture
Mason/Manistee US-31 Billboard
2024
It’s going to be a
​great year!!

How to Run for Local Office Guide

​So, you’re considering a run for local office? That’s so exciting. Local officials have the power to transform their communities for the better. In this guide, we’ll go over the basics that you need to know in order to field a successful campaign. When you’re ready to dive deeper on a topic, we’ve linked to resources that can give you a more robust understanding. We’ve also created a Campaign HQ page that has upto-date resources. We’re here for you. Let’s get started!
​
Democratic Headquarter
P. O. Box 65
Manistee, MI  49660
Manistee County Democrats...
social and economic justice.


Developed and maintained by Lee Trucks,
​Jackpine Internet Service