Escanaba City Council Meeting(December 04, 2025): Railroad Ties, Low-Fat Chip Seal, Storm Water and Job Opening

Jared thinks good things are happening. 
Now he knows what happens
to all those chips that make it
past his beard and fall
on the ground. They seal the roads! 
It also explains why the roads
have so much salt on them
in the winter. :)

The city invested in its water systems
and there are new opportunities 
for entrepreneurs downtown.

The organic gluten free low 
carb chip road should be patented.
Innovation!

Watching towns grow and develop opens our minds to how these processes work and how people support their communities. As we observe this, we begin to realize that change is constant, yet it often continues moving in a constructive direction. We can see similar momentum at the county level, where leaders and residents are starting to shape a shared vision. While that vision may not be fully defined, there is a growing awareness of how individual choices affect one another, along with plenty of opportunity for stronger economic coordination.

Below are a few bullet points and an agenda for those who would like to dig deeper. Providing these agendas is important because it allows residents to access the same information city leaders use when making decisions.

We’ve also seen examples of people proposing new ideas—finding ways to save on road costs, rethinking development strategies, bringing businesses back to downtown, and showcasing community events, among others. Not all of these topics are covered in this particular meeting, but if you watch the meetings over time, clear themes begin to emerge, along with a better sense of the city’s direction and long-term vision.

I’ve included a few additional resources below that I found interesting while browsing online this morning over my daily cup of coffee. You can also read more about many of these ideas in our local favorite, The Daily Press (Also a good place to advertise. I got the electronic version for pretty cheap.).

December 4th, 2025 Agenda

-Some discussion on saving money through chip seal.

-Railroad tie processing location. 

-Electric Rates and solar pannels. 

-Storm and wastewater improvement.

-City Manager stepping down. He did a really good job so far and it would have been nice to keep him.

It’s worth considering whether these resources offer any real advantages. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they may not.

That said, our town already has much of what many industries look for, including a skilled workforce, a community college, a port, strong quality of life, reliable roads and rail, high-speed internet, a hospital, and—most importantly—great people who take pride in taking care of their community.

MEDC-Strategic Sites: Looks like you can list available industry sites.

Opportunity Zones: Looks like it has focus on development. A cluster could be a similar concept but very focused on building anchor industries that can influence the rest of the environment as it ramps up creating market resilience, adaptability, and higher market value.

Michigan Main Street: Looks like a framework for developing downtowns.

It Was a Dark Foggy Night: A photo and the global art market 2025!

The sunny day
border is not with the
picture but I used it 
here to show contrast.

I added this foggy bay photo to my gallery. If you happen to see it and think, “Yes, my living room needs a strong sense of impending mystery,” feel free to message me to the right. I can probably get you a full-resolution, poster-size print for around $35—because art should be affordable (or it is not that good).

I do photography and art mostly for fun and as an excuse to wander outdoors pretend I have done this many times before. These days, of course, magazines and newspapers can just generate images online without paying anyone, so the dream of being discovered and wildly overpaid remains safely hypothetical. Still, the art world seems to be doing just fine—strangely without my involvement.

This photo features a foggy bay and marina at night. It’s moody, eerie, and looks like the exact place where a insightful person would pause and question their life choices. I thought it was interesting enough to include in the gallery, so feel free to browse at your leisure and judge quietly. It seems my humor and sense of art is a little wry.

Foggy Sailing Harbor Photo

The Walking Path Gallery

Global Art Market 2025

How Philosophy Can Explore the Possibilities of 3rd Parties and Positive Reform?

We might explore the concept of partisanship and its impact on decision-making. Water cooler conversations that one can pick up on by listening to people hopes, fears and grievances. Many feel their concerns don't matter and no one is listening to what the everyday person needs (You have to make your own opinion here). Given the strong narratives that both major parties promote, it’s reasonable to wonder whether a third party could help ease gridlock and refocus attention on the needs of the average person. Maybe a good idea or maybe a bad idea....

Representing
the possibilities
of new ideas. 

A story can sometimes help highlight how positive change can help. The hypothetical, philosophical thought experiment titled The Story of the Clan was created to examine a worst-case scenario of justice failure due to extreme political views. In that scenario, decision-makers were trapped within partisan narratives and lost sight of what truly mattered to everyday people (Society builds institutions to ensure the protection of certain universal values.) Although the situation was eventually corrected, partisanship clearly influenced the outcome—something a “true north” moral compass would not have allowed.

The hypothetical Feather Party is another discussion tool, meant to conceptualize the idea of electing more independent thinkers who share a loose affiliation around core principles: scientific reasoning, ethical standards, foundational values, and a commitment to the next generation. One might wonder if that would encourage positive upward change. Membership in such a party wouldn’t require loyalty pledges or rigid voting blocks—only a commitment to vote based on principles. This approach might reduce the influence of straight-party voting and improve the quality of decision-making (Always seek to to be the best one can be when deciding issues for lots of people.).

There’s no right or wrong answer here, and the party is purely theoretical. But it raises the question: could such a model work? Or would it create new problems? Perhaps it could have both positive and negative effects on governance.

I thought the piece below was interesting and relevant to this discussion.

Corruption and Political Will

Oct. 2025 Hiring and Labor Turnover Report (John Decides to Custom Cut His Firewood)

John realizes he can't compete
with large corporations that 
others have argued obtain benefits
that small businesses won't have
because of proximity and campaign
contributions.
 Understanding his 
environment he decides to 
connect more with his
customers and business owners
to provide more customization.
He can compete by providing
much better service and truly
listening to customer needs.

Local gas stations
want one type and size,
people who use wood boilers have another,
fireplace has another, customers at
the Escanaba farmer's market
have their requests,
 and those who cook/smoke fish with
wood have still another.

Heck! Even Tom the Wood Widdler just 
past the Ford River Bridge has
his special requests! That is
way out there!

He knows
his wood and he knows his customers.
Through a survey he created
he learned that customers would
pay more for him to deliver.

Strategically he increased
his delivery capacity 
by sharing a mule with 
his small farmer neighbor.
Now he doesn't have to haul
his cart up hill both ways
like they did in the old days. 😏

Profits up 15%!

John learned by 
reading about economics 
and the global lumber market!

The more we understand our economic environment, the better decisions we can make for our businesses or the departments under our care. Reviewing hiring and separation trends across industries helps us see the fluidity and shifts taking place. Each metric captures only a small part of the picture, so the more we read, learn, and interpret, the better positioned we are to guide organizations toward long-term success. 

Looking at the numbers below, they seem fairly lukewarm—nothing particularly strong or weak. Low hiring paired with high discharges can signal a declining industry, while high hiring and low discharges may indicate growth and stronger talent retention. Overall, the current figures appear relatively neutral.

October 2025 Job Openings and Turnover

It’s important to consider which industries are expanding or contracting over the long term to understand broader adjustments. Natural fluctuations occur from month to month, so single data points rarely tell a complete story. Observing multi-month trends, along with staying informed about relevant news and events, provides a more holistic understanding of the market.

As we analyze industry changes, broader market shifts often begin to emerge. Always remember that any one metric is limited unless viewed alongside others. Metrics are imperfect—they don’t capture every nuance of the economy and rely on certain assumptions. That’s why sound judgment and strategic thinking remain essential in any major decision.

A few things I noticed:

• Mining and logging: Hiring and separations remain about the same.

• Manufacturing: Hiring is slightly down, and separations are also slightly down.

• Transportation, warehousing, and utilities: Hiring is up while separations are down.

• Federal government: Hiring is flat, and separations are down.

• Construction: Hiring is down, and separations are down.

How would you interpret the findings? Economists are often wrong so it is ok to be wrong. I see at the moment stability, low growth, with some shifting underlining trends. I'm not calculating or data crunching but just sort of putting my finger in the air to see which way it is blowing. To make a much more accurate spit ball projection would require a lot of digging and work so that isn't on my list in the next 15 minutes. 

Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

The Community Bartender: Cheers to lending an ear with a beer! (Listening as a Customer Service Skill!)

 From time to time, I jump behind the bar and volunteer at a couple of our local social and veterans’ clubs. It’s a lot of work, sure, but it’s also pretty enjoyable—mostly because you get to know the regulars and see firsthand how important these gathering places are for the community. The sense of being that people created when they come together for good causes and conversation.

Now, I don’t pretend to be the world’s greatest bartender. If you order something super fancy, I’ll probably break into a light sweat, glance at you like you just asked me to solve a physics equation, and then casually pull out my phone to Google the recipe like every responsible mixologist of the YouTube era.

I’ve also decided that drinks say a lot about personality. You’ve got your casual beer drinkers, your loyal whiskey folks, and then your martini sippers—who always look like they know something the rest of us don’t.

I got a couple of nice
gifts from the 
other barteners. 
During the holidays
it is the little 
gifts that count the most.

I must be doing something right, because they keep calling me back. Then again, it’s volunteer work, so the my skill level might be a little lower than at, say, a five-star resort. But I’ve learned that good conversation carries you a long way. Where I lack in cocktail wizardry, I make up for in human connection.

Everyone has a story, and everyone lives by their own themes. If you listen, smile, and ask a few questions, people will happily tell you what matters most to them. I’ve met some truly great people while bartending—proof that community knows how to create its own best members. Yes you must opt in to conversations.

In the end, bartending has taught me that sometimes all you need is a few minutes, a listening ear, and maybe a slightly lopsided drink to practice humble leadership. Cheers to lending an ear witha a beer!

I thought this study was a little interesting as it discussions bartending and how word of mouth is so important. If you are into business think of WOM as soft marketing that reaches further than traditional marketing. If my buddy tells me it is good, then it must be good! Please don't drop the peanut shells on the floor. Thank you.

Bartending Skills In Creating Customer Experience

From Military Drills to Game-Day Thrills: The Army–Navy Showdown

The Army–Navy game is coming up, and someone sent me one of those hype videos—so naturally I had to go find the Army spoof too and post that one as well. These games are all about fun, friendly rivalry, and good old-fashioned bragging rights.

Believe it or not, football actually served a purpose in military history. Early versions of the game were basically strategy drills—kind of like chess, if chess involved shoulder pads and people getting launched into the dirt. Modern football evolved after the world wars, and if you're curious, you can read more about that below.

Either way, sports are a great way to stay in shape and stay social. You don’t have to play football—there are plenty of options that don’t involve getting flattened—but you can always watch it from the safety of your couch.

And while I respect both branches, I’ll admit I’ve got a little more experience with the Navy… which probably explains why I’m better at navigating buffets than blitzes.

You can read War Football History

Rebuilding Trust: A Philosophical Look at Corruption and Collective Progress

Taking a holistic view of development means creating opportunities where none previously existed. When we look at society as an interconnected system, we see that business activity and social life together shape economic outcomes (Research works off simple measurements/metrics and thus complex relationships are a little harder to measure well. That doesn't mean those connections aren't there and can't be actually measured. The long tail of choices and outcomes. Sorry I digress....) Underlying any economy are core values and assumptions about how people should interact. Some of these values are almost sacred, and when they are intentionally violated, the effects on economic and social development can be significant. That is why a mistake can be improved upon but intentional mistakes fall into a much darker category. They can reach into dehumanization.

Respresenting a philosopher

discussing the importance

of institutional integrity.

Two pieces that seem

sort of interesting. It is more

of a philosophical perspective

vs. a religious one.

"Why do you look at the speck

of sawdust in your brother's eye

and pay no attention to the

plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3)

Judges who alterned their

judgements should

pay a fine and be removed

Law § 5 of the Code of Hammurabi

To explore this, we’ve been using a philosophical, hypothetical thought experiment called The Story of the Clan. In this scenario, an inner group of actors in official and unofficial positions engaged in various forms of misconduct. Their decisions were influenced by self-interest, prejudice, personal gain, and other destructive “isms.” In protecting their own interests, they caused harm and shielded that harm using a clan-based court riff with conflicts of interests. For the sake of the thought experiment, we assume clear judicial misconduct—actions taken to financially reward poor behavior because of social ties and biased assumptions that have historically damaged society. Sometimes those behaviors are allowed to exist without checks and balances (It is not specific to any location.). There should be laws that govern intentional misconduct that are practical for preserving our legacies passed down to us from previous generations.

When misconduct occurs and goes uncorrected, it affects far more than the individuals involved (The more victims the more lasting damage to society. It's a number and impact issue that to see clearly you have to be able to watch its influence over victims lives, social cringing and the lost human capital.😬 Short sighted thinkers shortchange future generations.). It undermines the daily micro-transactions and expectations that depend on shared values. Research consistently shows more often then not that where corruption is high, economic growth is low. Studies also indicate that corruption harms social development and erodes cohesion (Are they necessarily separate or are they part of the same broader metric that can be used highlight potential corruption?). The intent of a third world perspective was clear through the isms lens.

Yet in this story, there was a silver lining. Community members, officers, and officials eventually rallied around their core oaths and professional standards. Unsung heroes of our time. Where people have done that in general, we have often seen growth and development. It is a type of system where positive and detracting factors influence each other. Through these social and economic mechanisms, they helped the community move toward a renewed sense of trust and collective purpose. Society benefited and that also has an impact that is not always easy to measure with simple metrics. Voting one's conscious helps protect against other social contract violators getting back into positions where they can harm others. The higher the position the more important integrity and merit based skill becomes important.

Judicial corruption, however, is uniquely challenging. Systems often contain built-in protections, lack certain levels of transparency (sometimes a good idea sometimes not) and people operate within entrenched narratives (This often happens with too many highly educated/socialized perspectives on the gamemanship of law but not the philosopher's keen eye for a true north.). As a result, intentional wrongdoing can be left for victims to resolve on their own because doing so is easier—or more convenient (Is it really?). The same thinking that created the problem is then allowed to become the solution. Risks can remain if there isn't enough commitment or understanding of institutional purpose (We need more philosophers and theorists in society to balance out decision making. The dangers inherent if certain central liberties are trampled to appease wrongdoing.)

Encouraging decision-making that aligns with shared values is essential for rebuilding trust. In our learning example, the right thing was ultimately done, and trust increased. It serves as a reminder to those we entrust with authority that their decisions must reflect the values we hold in common. They work for the future of our society and the will of the people. Their roles come with the responsibilities of a higher moral conscious and commitment to society's needs over other special interests and considerations (We should care less about their political perversions/persuasions and more about their quality as individuals because that is what counts when choices require thoughtful consideration.). That is their role, their duty, their sacred oath. Society is by its nature an organism of which we all play a part and those we entrust with authority should be the best and brightest as defined by merit in alignment with our values and artifacts (Good idea or bad idea? No judgement!). 

This article really goes into depth on the topic so you can consider browsing it, 

Off the Record-Judiciary Conduct