Review Magazine

12/31/2025

https://www.review-mag.com/issue/717
Happy New Year's Eve everybody! As we kick back to celebrate the start of a new year, we thought it would be fun to dig into the REVIEW archive and take a peak at what was happening in our region 15 years ago on New Year's Eve back in 2010. We hope you enjoy!

12/28/2025

In January 2006, ABC’s John Stossel’s brutally honest documentary, “Stupid in America,” first aired. At the time, he referred to it as “a nasty title for a program about public education, but some nasty things are going on in America’s public schools, and it’s about time we face up to it.” Stossel exposed the ineffectiveness of many government-run schools. But now, 20 years later, things are even worse.

Test scores from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), released this year, show that 33% of 8th graders—a higher percentage than ever—are reading at the “below basic” level. Additionally, only 22% of high school seniors are proficient in math, down from 24% in 2019, and 35% are proficient in reading—the lowest score since NAEP began in 1969—down from 37% in 2019.

The results of the latest NAEP U.S. history and civics tests, administered in 2022, were atrocious. The scores show that just 13% of 8th-graders met proficiency standards in U.S. history.

In January 2006, ABC’s John Stossel’s brutally honest documentary, “Stupid in America,” first aired. At the time, he referred to it as “a nasty title for a program about public education, but some nasty things are going on in America’s public schools, and it’s about time we face up to ...

12/27/2025

12/24/2025

As we prepare for another Christmas holiday, all of us at The REVIEW would like to wish you all a memorable holiday season; and most importantly, one filled with reflective gratitude for the riches of our past that never fade, and the blessing of spiritual harmony to help guide us through the future.

Meanwhile, here's a few good quotes to share at your family gathering:

The only reason Santa is so jolly at Christmas Is because he knows where all the bad girls live. - George Carlin

Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling. - Edna Ferber

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.
- Roy L. Smith

Don't let the past steal your present. This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone. - Taylor Caldwell

And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
- Jesus Christ

MERRY CHRISTMAS! - Bob Martin & the Staff at REVIEW

12/23/2025

It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." - Marcus Aurelius

Death is a common theme among great writers, philosophers, and spiritual leaders because our temporality on the physical plain of existence is something that connects all of us together, focusing our attention on life’s meaning, acceptance of the inevitable, and the legacy we leave behind us.

With these weighty considerations in mind, playwright Alex Burkart devoted six months of his life creating a poignant and compelling new play titled STONE POINT that promises to kick off the new year for regional theatre in the Great Lakes Bay in a major way with the World Premier of this freshly penned production at Pit & Balcony Theatre for a series of performances January 9-11 & 16-18th.

Learn more in this exclusive interview with the playwright and director of this compelling new drama.

Death is a common theme among great writers, philosophers, and spiritual leaders because our impermanence and temporality on the physical plain of existence is something that connects all of us together, focusing our attention on life’s meaning, acceptance of the inevitable, and the legacy we leav...

12/22/2025

Today we take a second look at 2025 in the Wide World of Sports through the kaleidoscopic lens of our intrepid sports reporter Richard Curry.

The Detroit Lions are 10-1 for the first time in forever. Tarik Skubai (Tiger Pitcher) won the 2024 Cy Young award with an 18-4 record, Nelly Korda won 7 times and was named female golfer of the year, while Mike Tyson lost in his comeback - hello, he is 58-years old! These are a few of the highlight...

12/21/2025

As we close out another year circling around the Zodiac, The REVIEW once again takes our annual inventory of the many significant souls who passed over to their higher unseen calling, affecting each of us each of us in ways that have singularly impacted our regional reputation with enduring achievements.

The poet T.S. Eliot once showed in his epic poem Four Quartets how the paths carved by our memories of the past and the dreams we have for our future both converge into our present, which is why their lives and accomplishments should never be forgotten.

Each of these individuals were special and irreplaceable in their own unique way and their legacies and contributions resonate strongly, even though their mortal coils have ceased to exist.

As we close out another year circling around the Zodiac, The REVIEW once again takes our annual inventory of the many significant souls who passed over to their higher unseen calling, affecting each of us each of us within community in a manner that has singularly impacted our regional reputation wi...

12/20/2025

https://www.review-mag.com/article/politics-in-review-2025-highlights-in-state-local-politics

Today we take a look at top stories in the world of local, regional, and state politics that took place in 2025, focusing on issues that will impact us as we move into the new year.

Kicking things off is the 35th District State Senate seat vacated by Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet back in January 2025. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the election to replace her has been delayed 18 months, during which time the people in our region have been unrepresented in the Senate. .

With a primary electon finally set for February 3rd, ironically the new year will kick off with an issue that began when this current year started.

We hope you find this recap useful and informative.

12/19/2025

https://www.review-mag.com/article/the-year-in-arts-culture

The Great Lakes Bay Region has long been blessed with many artistic and cultural entities that inspire and showcase the spark of illumination embedded within the artist’s eye, refocusing our sensibilities while fostering growth and vision into the future of our communities.

Here’s a 2025 recap of the many impressive and memorable highlights of arts and cultural events in our region, providing strong indicators of how the Arts continue to serve as beacons for creativity and solidifying the visionary strength of our cultural fabric and identity.

We hope you enjoy!

12/18/2025

Join us as we revisit some of the top regional highlights in the Wide World of Sports with our intrepid sports editor Jack B. Tany. Topping 2025’s list in the Great Lakes Bay Region is the talent-laden Delta College women's soccer team, along with Saginaw's new professional arena football team the Michigan Arsenal, which will give local football fans an opportunity to watch their favorite sport in the offseason. We hope you enjoy!

Topping 2025’s Year in Review for sports in the Great Lakes Bay Region is the talent-laden Delta College women's soccer team. Learn more about all the top regional sports stories in 2025!

12/13/2025

Americans feel they’re suffering an affordability crisis, despite the federal government spending more on them than ever before.

Washington is spending 98 times more per U.S. resident than it was a century ago during the World War I era. No, that is not all due to inflation. but also the real growth in federal spending per capita since 1916, adjusted to today’s dollars.

Learn more from this detailed investigation by 'Open the Books'.

Americans feel they’re suffering an affordability crisis, despite the federal government spending more on them than ever before. Washington is spending 98 times more per U.S. resident than it was a century ago during the World War I era. No, that is not all due to inflation but also the real growt...