who ever designed us 23 through oscoda should be fired

I would absolutely love to see Lowes or Home Depot move to the Tawas area this spring.

Actually, I'm going with Home Depot and/or Sam's club. Sam's has everything including flooring, food, furniture, etc. Plus a discount on gas! Meijer's would just be another WalMart. Of course, I can't be picky; anything is better than nothing aka Oscoda. Well, gotta go, I have to drive downtown to take in the empty parking lots of Carters, Pack House and Arbys as well as the quiet, still gas pumps standing on a prominent street corner of downtown. Wish me luck! I have that murderous merge lane to manuever (say that 3 times fast).

Amen to that! The idiots who ran Oscoda into the ground after the base closed should be shot. Not to mention the greedy pricks (including a certain resteraunt owner) who kept all the businesses out of this town because they were afraid of the competition should've been fired a LONG time ago.

I moved out west and I wasn't surprised to meet over 30 people from Michigan. About half of them happened to be from....wait for it....OSCODA! Like that's a big surprise there. Let big business in and quit bitching about the effects of letting in colleges and prisons and everything else. Maybe Oscoda won't become a ghost town in the next 5 years.

Home Depot would be great for the town. Since 1963 are family has had a vacation home just 5 miles south of Oscoda. Since then the family has purchase 4 additional homes. Its a great Town! It does need to grow and few big businesses would help it do that. The old Carters needs to be leveled, great place for a Depot or Lowes. the old school building behind the Aces also should be replaced with a Sams, Target, or Meijers. Even a smaller version instead of the super size stores would be great. Its to bad the city couldn't of had a college move into the old Wurtsmith.

The problem with the old building behind ACE is that it's filled to the brim with aspestose (sp). It would cost more than what it's worth to tear it down and remove the material. Also, it's a historical building if memory serves me correctly. The township won't sell it unless the buyer agree's to keep the building intact. So it's pretty much worthless to any buyer unless they want to turn it into a museum and front the cost of removing the aspestose.

The guy who moved away wrote:

The problem with the old building behind ACE is that it's filled to the brim with aspestose (sp). It would cost more than what it's worth to tear it down and remove the material. Also, it's a historical building if memory serves me correctly. The township won't sell it unless the buyer agree's to keep the building intact. So it's pretty much worthless to any buyer unless they want to turn it into a museum and front the cost of removing the aspestose.

I also heard about that building having asbestos. I may be wrong, but word through the grapevine was that Tom, from Ace Hardware bought that building.(or Ace Hardware affiliates). I know that he(they) has the rights to the playground, which he(they) turned into a parking lot. He(they) have since fenced that off so only Ace Hardware has use of it. But the base has PLENTY of room for MANY business's. Would be great to see some move into there.

Yeah, it definatly has asbestos. I went to elemetary school there and remember picking that crap out of the ceiling (all the kids did it) when we were waiting in line for lunch.

That would be a huge amount of money to remove the asbesto's. After all that your stuck with an old school building? No wonder its still there. I see Tawas had no problem tearing down the old train depot to build a Walmart. If the town is going to grow they need to help people bring in businesses and jobs. The old air base still feels wierd driving around there, we spent alot of time there when the base was open. Even with fences down it still feel like the old air base. Has anyone heard of any big business trying to move in there?

Oscoda should play to its strengths. How about making the old AFB a UPS/Fedex stop? How about Oscoda court a manufacturing company to convert a hanger? Bonus for the manufacturer is shipping right there? How about making the Base a small airport (like Bishop) in Flint? I know my family drives to Midland or Flint to fly out. That tacks on over 70 minutes just getting to the airport.

I also thought of a mini port on the base. But I was told that not enough people flew out worth investing the money to build the terminal. Its really a shame to see such a huge field accommodate only a few cargo planes and just planes in for repair. I know that I had to take a flight from Alpena to get to Metro, and that was at a cost almost the whole fair to Az. Or I drive to Bishop to get a flight from there. Road time is not far as actual flight in the air. But could it be possible to handle the planes and cargo planes that are there now and still have passenger planes too?

My family had taken a small jet from Cleveland to Detroit---I think maybe there were 30-50 people on board? If there would be to few people to make a small airport then Oscoda needs to create the need. Get all the area Golf courses involved in getaway weekend/week specials in the Summer. Create a SandCastle contest at the Beach. Have a IceSculpture Contest in the Winter. Have a Lumberman Festival with chainsaw sculptures in the Fall. Convert a old hanger into roller skating/hockey rink/s. Ice rinks? Do the Golf Courses offer cross country ski'g in the Winter? Have Charity cross country runs. Snowmobile races? Dog sled races? Fishing tournaments?

Skating Fan wrote:

My family had taken a small jet from Cleveland to Detroit---I think maybe there were 30-50 people on board? If there would be to few people to make a small airport then Oscoda needs to create the need. Get all the area Golf courses involved in getaway weekend/week specials in the Summer. Create a SandCastle contest at the Beach. Have a IceSculpture Contest in the Winter. Have a Lumberman Festival with chainsaw sculptures in the Fall. Convert a old hanger into roller skating/hockey rink/s. Ice rinks? Do the Golf Courses offer cross country ski'g in the Winter? Have Charity cross country runs. Snowmobile races? Dog sled races? Fishing tournaments?

You know, these are ALL EXCELLENT ideas....but to get the township to agree and the few business owners to stop being afraid of the competition with new business's, is a fight in itself. For the life of me, I just can't understand how a few can make ALL the decisions for EVERYONE. I'm sure if there was a vote here, that these ideas would get a chance to go far.

Too bad the township officials listen to the businessmen instead of the township citizens who voted them in. Do any citizens go to township meetings and ask the officials questions reguarding jobs? Do they ask for committees to look into what business' would be compatible with what Oscoda has to offer? I guess if trying to get business' in Oscoda is to hard then we are back to the "fluff" ideas (seasonal community offerings) that pay minimum wage.

To skating Fan:
I really agree with you. Myself with, I'm sure, many others, wonder the same. I'm sure some citizens probably do go to the meetings, but whether they are counted or heard, is a good question. My thinking is that a few (knowing which few) want to keep this a tourist town instead of a prospering one, so business will run as usual for them. It looks as though they are not concerned about the others. But when elections come up again, I have often thought of getting involved, whether it be proposing candidates or ideas, and not just sit here and let whatever happens happen,- which, I think just about everyone does.(Not all). A bigger percentage of the town are retired people, and with thier incomes pretty comfortable, they have no worry's,,,,but for the other percent, growth is absolutely necessary. A little growth is not going to put the town in jeopardy.(as far as the negative effects big cities have such as, crime, drugs etc.) If handled properly with just the right business's and work places, we could prosper comfortably, and still have the tourism. Of course, this is just my opinion.

Well, Shirley I agree with you! I hope you get involved in the elections; such as running for the board. I think you have great insight!

As one of those retired citizens, I don't really want a lot of growth in our area. One of the main reasons I moved here was to get away from all the sprawling cities. That said, I definitely recognize the need for improvement in the local economy in both Oscoda & the Tawases.

We finally got rid of our Mayor in Tawas City last year. Hopefully things will move forward on the development of our "downtown". I don't need a bunch of chain stores & condos, but something needs to be done before the city just dies.

As for any big chain store- be careful what you wish for. The Walmart has been good for cheap shopping but only pays minimum wage; and where's all the tax money that was supposed to be generated to fix our roads, etc. The Tim Horton's was also a BIG disappointment- much better donuts & coffee at the local supermarket (Niemans).

So I'm not really sure what the answer is, but I do know people have to get involved with their local government if they ever want things to change.

Hello..I just happened on your forum. Have you ever taken any of these comments and printed them and showed them to the board?. I just moved here in August of '07. Yes got away from the annoying hustle and B.S. of the big city (Ann Arbor & Dearborn Heights). Now that I have talked to neighbors and other organizations you are all saying the same things. GET A MOVE ON OSCODA!!!!.
Well I have know problem speaking to a board for our community. But where, when and who are they? Do they hide? They are not even mentioned on line or in the newspaper. Am I missing something?. Please let me know.

Just noticed that topix listed me as living in or from Tawas City. Not correct I live in Oscoda. Also are there any restrictions to type, size, or industry on the base property?. Sorry if this is old stuff to must of you but I would love to see our City grow instead of being a thoroughfare to any of the surrounding communitys.

Board meeting are held regularly and broadcast on Channel 3. There are organizations that could use more volunteers as well as good suggestions. But please think them through and do the homework. Many of the statements of complaint most complainers make are barely connected to any facts. For instance, how would Lowe's or Home Depot be good for the community? Do you mean good like a Walmart is good? Google Walmart and "box stores" and see what the facts are. They kill hometown businesses. I think the idea is to protect the hometown businesses because in the long run they ARE the town. They contribute more to the tax base and communities in many ways that the "box" stores don't. I don't particularly want any of the stores listed above, but I sure do miss BayBeary's.