Metro Times is pleased to announce that the paper is the recipient of eight awards in the Michigan Press Association's Better Newspaper Contest.

Competing against the state's largest weekly papers, we swept the special section category, including taking first place for our Pot Issue, which included a long editorial calling for legalization of the drug. Our annual Best of Detroit issue took second place, and our special section on the Hamtramck Blowout got third.

Other first-place winners included arts and culture editor Travis R. Wright, who won the Picture Story category for his photo essay about Detroit's annual Fash Bash. Wright took third place in the same category for his photo essay on street basketball.

Also taking first-place honors was John Carlisle, aka Detroitblogger John, who won the Feature Story category for his piece "Desolation Angel." Judges described the story as being an "ambitious, heavy-hitting piece" that utilized both "great writing and reporting."

Matthew Wolfe took second in feature writing for his piece "Letter man," which judges described as "brilliant, funny, quirky."

Jack Lessenberry took second-place honors for his Politics and Prejudices column. Said the judges "The guy writes like a pro, and has an unerring ability to hunt down, and flesh out, the kind of subject matter that matters."

See the winners online at metrotimes.com.

Native pride

I just wanted to send you a huge thank-you for the article you wrote about the Indian Schools, ("Chain of sorrow," Sept. 21). I had a hand in the project as well. It was so nice to see, in your article, that you didn't change or alter any of the truth about the boarding schools. Your article was very well written! Again, thank you so much. —Lucy McClellan-Hunter, Traverse City

Jenny take a hike

Regarding Jack Lessenberry's "Granholm's world" (Sept. 21), he is so right that no one outside of Michigan cares about Jenny's reign here. I equate this to Matt Millen finding another job as a "football expert." How in hell could they allow him to be on air for the Michigan-Michigan State game? Because nobody else in the country gives a shit! Has Millen written a book yet? —Lou Fleury, Royal Oak

Alternate realities

Jack Lessenberry's alternate history of the first decade of the 21st century was excellent, even touching. Coming from dark peoples, I naturally tender a more negative scenario:

President Gore was defeated for re-election in 2004 purely on foreign policy. There was a decent period of national mourning and bi-partisanship for the successful war against the terrorism-sponsored Kabul government. However, in early 2002, the right-wing howler monkeys in the chattering classes began their cadence, which emboldened Republican war dogs in the Congress. How could Gore (and goddam Clinton) have let this country down on Sept. 11?

Why does he refuse to attack Iraq — which everyone knows gave aid to the Islamic terrorists and continues to do so for further attacks on the Father— uh, Homeland? —G.M. Ross, Lowell

Schooled by Mom

As the mother of Morgan Blank, SROS Lords' guitar and vocals, I appreciated the write-up you gave my favorite band, as well as the picture on Aug. 31 ("Loaded"). Or do I? I'm not so sure.

SROS Lords behaving stupidly and you writing about them in a silly way I guess can be considered cool, but they really are a good band — shotgun to the back of the head or not. My SROS Lords son has been playing and writing songs since third grade. Maybe that's why he doesn't goof off like Jamie or Phil, who actually are good musicians. Yes, they do sweat, they are working hard.

I do know what SROS Lords means but I'm not going to tell you other than it's not Suck Rancid Old Socks, which was disrespectful. —Janeene Blank, Southfield

A crying shame

Thanks to Jack Lessenberry for "To hell with the poor" (Sept. 28). I read you every week. Some things I don't agree with you on, but 98 percent of it is dead on about Gov. Snyder. Maybe in his whole life he has never been hungry! Like, starving and not knowing where his next meal is coming from, or been out in the cold. The news said people will have to start going to soup kitchens and food pantries when their assistance gets cut off. It's a crying shame that it's coming down to this: snatching food and a place to live from babies. The governor, I'm sure, has never eaten at a soup kitchen! They collect food donations at my job every year for Gleaners, and the boxes have less and less in them for donations. Yeah, right: Eat at a soup kitchen with 11,000 people. Give me a break! What if you show up late and there's no food left and your stomach is touching your back? Desperate people do desperate things. How will the kids be able to learn in school when they're thinking about a ham sandwich? I'm also the working poor! I have two sons, one's a 17-year-old, athletic eating machine, and the other a broke college student. I drive 45 minutes to a low-paying job every day, still treading water, but it's under my chin. Gov. Snyder, this will turn Detroit into the wild, wild West. —Kamara Sweatt, Ecorse 

Erratum: In our News Hit "Time to rally" (Aug. 31), Samantha Moffett, a business consultant with the Ambrose Law Group in Oakland County, was incorrectly identified as an attorney.

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