Early Years
Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small village in Kenya, where he grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British.
Barack's mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in small-town Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression, and then signed up for World War II after Pearl Harbor, where he marched across Europe in Patton's army. Her mother went to work on a bomber assembly line, and after the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program, and moved west to Hawaii.
It was there, at the University of Hawaii, where Barack's parents met. His mother was a student there, and his father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his dreams in America.
Barack's father eventually returned to Kenya, and Barack grew up with his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983.
Time Magazine recently named Carl Levin as one of the ten best Senators in the nation, reporting that he has “gained respect from both parties for his attention to detail and deep knowledge of policy,” and that “his carefully researched, thoughtful remarks carry great weight with his colleagues.”
At its core, this campaign is about getting our District’s voice back in the Congress. Voters have made clear to me they view the vital issues which face us – a struggling economy, a mortgage crisis, worries about healthcare and concerns about our role in the World – the same way I do. When I am elected I intend to:
I’m a candidate for County Commission because we need a county government that is responsive and accountable to the public. County government has to be operated for the benefit of us, the taxpayers and citizens, its customers.
I’m Don Dierkes and I’m running for the 9th district County Commissioner. The 9th encompasses all of Grant Township, Green Lake Township number 2 and Long Lake Township numbers 1 and 3. I am married have 3 grown daughters and 7 grandchildren. I have lived in Green Lake Township permanently for 11 years. I have been summering there since the 1945. I graduated form the University of Michigan in 1961 and obtained a Masters Degree from Wayne State University in 1970. I was discharged from the Army reserves in 1968 and retired from teaching in 1997. I am a member of the AFT. I am a Board member of the Grand Traverse Democratic Party, President of the Friends of the Interlochen Public Library, and have been a Board Member of the Green Lake Betsie River Association. I am running for office because I feel that the current Commissioner is not responding to current and future problems that the County is and will face. Past experience does not guarantee a proper response to future problems.
The citizens of East Bay Township deserve the best candidate. It’s time to change the way business is conducted. The best interests of the residents MUST BE the number one priority of the elected township board. No more personal agendas and no more outsourcing of services. Keep it local.
There is a demonstrated lack of leadership in this township. Whether you see it in empty storefronts, the lack of a community police officer, access to recycling opportunity, or the clear cutting of ten acres of township property for a few well connected friends, Green Lake Township deserves better.