Category Archives: Announcements

Announcements, News

MARP treasurer Terry Donnelly died July 15, 2005

Terry Donnelly

Michigan Association of Railroad Passenger (MARP) Treasurer and U.P. Coordinator Terrence F. Donnelly died Friday, July 15, 2005 at his home in Harvey, Mich. after a lengthy illness. He was 73 years old.

Terry was an active member and past president of the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers, where he currently served as treasurer. This past March he received a lifetime achievement award for his work with MARP.

Terry is survived by: his wife, Pavie; his brother, John Joseph (Ann Nee) Donnelly of Three Rivers; a sister, Joan Therese (Richard) Sampson of Three Rivers; a sister-in-law, Shirley LaBonte of Marquette; a brother-in-law, Edward “Bob” (Mary) Rasmussen of Iron Mountain; several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Joseph Michael Donnelly; and a brother-in-law, Bernie LaBonte.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Louis the King Catholic Church in Harvey on Friday, July 22, at 12:30 pm with Rev. Ben Paris, pastor, as celebrant. The family will receive relatives and friends at a reception in the parish hall following mass. Burial will be made in the Holy Cross Cemetery with John Johnson, and nephews, Brendan Donnelly, Dan, Mike, and Rick Sampson, Tim and Greg LaBonte serving as pallbearers.

Memorials may be directed to Public Radio 90 or the Marquette County Humane Society.

More obituary information is available online at The Fassbender Funeral Home, Marquette, which is handling funeral arrangements. Memorial tributes can be made online. The funeral home phone number is (906) 228-3040.

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Announcements

Town Hall Meeting on Amtrak Funding

Please join State Representative John Espinoza, 83rd District and other Amtrak supporters and guests panelists.

WHAT: Discussion on Amtrak’s funding and opposition to proposed cuts to the passenger rail service and how it affects you.

WHEN: Thursday, June 30, 2005 at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: St. Clair County Community College
Room 150, Citizens First M-TEC Center
Corner of Glenwood and Erie Streets (Downtown Port Huron)

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Announcements, Press Releases

Help Stop the Great Train Robbery!!

Join with members of the SEMG Sierra Club, Transportation Riders United (TRU) and Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers on Saturday, June 25, 2005 for a day long excursion from Pontiac to Kalamazoo to show support for full Federal funding of Amtrak. Proposed Federal budget cuts would virtually assure an end to passenger rail service in the State of Michigan.

We will meet at the Pontiac Amtrak station (free parking available) at 10 a.m. for a press conference/rally after which we will board the 11:05 a.m. train (see schedule below for times) bound for Kalamazoo…join us for the whole trip or just part of the journey as your time allows!!!

We will leaflet and converse with passengers at each stop along the route, urging them to contact their legislators to oppose any Federal budget cuts to Amtrak!!! According to Amtrak’s latest surveys, Michigan ridership is up 15% from last year, serving over 600,000 passengers per year and employing 133 Michigan state residents. Rep. Joe Knollenberg (MI) chairs the House Transportation Subcommittee for the Appropriations Committee in Washington, DC. If there is only one action you can take, please phone, email or FAX (letters may be subject to security delays) his office to let him know you want full funding support for Amtrak. (FAX number (202) 226-2356 or email: Rep. Joe knollenberg@mail.house.gov), as well your own national and state legislator since state funding is also at risk.

Help spread the word to your family, neighbors & friends!!! Don’t allow George Bush and his Congressional allies to pull the plug on Amtrak by taking away Federal support!!

Don’t Delay; Riders must buy their own tickets or make reservations on line at www.Amtrak.com or at a staffed Amtrak station. The earlier the better; the fare could increase as it gets closer to the departure date or the train could reach capacity. Amtrak officials say that we should not wait for the special discount. Please R.V.S.P. Ed McArdle 313-388-6645 or ecoed@netzero.net so that we can notify Amtrak to make special arrangements.

For more info contact: TRU (313)963-8872 trumember@detroittransit.org or Sierra Club (313)388-6645 ecoed@netzero.net

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Announcements, News

USDOT releases annual Amtrak report

The U.S. Dept. of Transportation office of the Inspector General released its Congressionally-mandated annual report on Amtrak Nov. 22, 2004.

In the report, USDOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead is critical of plans to continue operating Amtrak in its current manner.

“Unsustainably large operating losses, poor on-time performance, and increasing levels of deferred infrastructure and fleet investment are a clarion call to the need for significant changes in Amtrak’s strategy,” Mead wrote in a memo accompanying the report. “Continued deferral brings Amtrak closer to a major point of failure on the system but no one knows where or when such a failure will occur.”

A copy of the report is available on the USDOT website.

The National Association of Rail Passengers issued a press release critical of the D.O.T. report Nov. 22. It is located at http://www.narprail.org/r04.htm.

Check MARP’s news page for the national and local media’s news perspective on the report.