Albert (Al) John Shaheen, of Douglas passed away on Jan. 11 at the age of 73, after a courageous five-month battle with glioblastoma. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Hannah (Corey) Shaheen; his brother, Michael Shaheen (Karen);…

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorGOBLES—It was a battle of two of the top girls basketball teams in the SAC Central Division when Saugatuck traveled to Gobles on Friday, Jan. 17.And for the first quarter, it appeared as though the game would…

By Scott SullivanEditorRealI like anything that starts with “real.” So real estate, Realtor, realize … the four-letter prefix gives me substance. At this stage, when so much amounts to vapor, firmament like the earth I’ll be buried in soon feels…

By Scott SullivanEditorYou can’t beat city hall, but in Douglas you might buy it. The police station too.City council was slated Tuesday, Jan. 21 to hold a groundbreaking for its soon-to-be new city hall/police station at 415 Wiley Road, then…

Only the Olds will remember the chart above the blackboard in every fourth-grade classroom across the nation. It was the alphabet, both capitals and lower-case letters, in cursive.It was bad enough having to learn how to print; now that we…

Welcome to the greatest political comeback ever recorded. America has gotten the president they wanted, and Trump has chosen the cabinet he wanted, and now it’s time to get down to business and make sure the promise that were made…

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorA balanced scoring attack.That was one of the keys to success for the Saugatuck boys basketball team in its home showdown with Black River on Friday, Jan. 10.Six Trailblazers scored at least eight points—led by 14 from…

Kathryn McLeod Tripp, R.N., N.P., age 84, of Macatawa passed away peacefully on Jan. 6 at her home on South Shore Drive after a brief illness.“Kathy” was born on July 10, 1940, in Duluth, Minn., the eldest of two children.…

By Scott SullivanEditorStarlight by ProxyHow many photons have there been in the history of the universe? 4,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, say astrophysicists. More or less.Since we don’t know when — or even if — time started, nor where/if the universe ends, this could…

Saugatuck High School recognized girls varsity basketball coach Kevin Tringali, shown flanked by assistants Marlene Capotosto and Brian Graves, for reaching 200 wins in his 14 seasons here Friday, Jan. 10. His Trailblazers raised their record to 7-1 this season…

By Scott SullivanEditorIf Douglas allows backyard chickens, why not Saugatuck? Resident Sevryn Nowicki is lobbying city council to create a new ordinance to do just that.Keeping a small flock of yardbirds offers benefits, said Nowicki, including:

The Saugatuck Middle School/High School Drama Club will present “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in the school auditorium Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m.Tickets may be bought for…

Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ has offered interim pastors Rev. Jody Betten and Rev. Daniel Plasman joint fulltime pastor duties. Betten has served DUCC since April 2024, taking the congregation through exercises of historic research, present circumstances and future planning…

According to physicians, therapists, pollsters and others, we are sadder than in the past. We smile less and feel gloomier, leaving many without much hope or enthusiasm for the future.In fact, about one in four, or some two billion people,…

In the midst of all the drama many of us experience I thought I’d write about an unusual story, actually better words would be strange and bizarre, that comes from the Ozarks in Missouri.Here’s the setup:A man wanted to cash…

A record number of spectators at girls postseason events during the 2023-24 school year pushed Michigan High School Athletic Association attendance past 1.4 million fans for the second straight, with the total of 471,651 spectators for girls competitions.The previous all-time…

By Scott SullivanEditorMovingIt was time to downsize. Add keepsakes from my 69 years, my parents, their parents, my wife and daughter … It is daunting deciding what stays, what goes.Each photo and handwritten note was a talisman. I dwelt on…

By Jim HaydenCorrespondentWith Al Meshkin retired as of Jan. 3, Laketown Township is without a manager. The board at a special meeting Dec. 30 put contract negotiations for a new one on hold until Jan. 8.In the absence of a…

There has been a new push in Congress to out right ban or heavily regulate TikTok. I’m neither a user nor am I fan of social media in general. However, to ban or heavily regulate the most popular social media…

What was once known as suicide has been renamed by some “Assisted dying.” Both terms make me uncomfortable.Western culture has long abhorred suicide. The ancient Romans considered it a serious offense against the person, their family and the empire. If…