Columns
Out and About: Memorial Day, regrets, and summer
“Luck is the residue of design.” -Branch RickeyBuddha was not a Buddhist….Jesus was not a Christian….Muhammad was not a Muslim….They were teachers who taught Love….Love was their Religion.This next Monday, May 25, is Memorial Day. On this day we honor…
May I Walk with You? WHICH DIRECTION?
It seems part of Christian faith that all men and women, sooner or later must make a choice to follow Jesus or not to follow Jesus, to do our best to conform to his teaching the best we can or…
Blue Star
By Scott Sullivan,EditorWater MusicLast week’s Part 3 of our tentatively-titled “Tangram/Canary” series left off with developers Johnny Walker, of Tangram LLC, and his Enclave project near-neighbor Joe Novakowski, COO of Elzinga & Volkers builders, sharing differences near the end of…
Life as Performance Art
Memorial Day Monday, May 25 this year, is nigh upon us. Don’t mistake it for the Fourth of July, when our nation’s 250th birthday will deservedly be feted later in 2026, or Veterans Day Nov. 11 each year.Memorial Day began…
Mike’s Musings: On this Memorial Day
Editor’s Note: I thought I would use my space to sometimes contributor, Jeffrey Brasie. As a Vietnam veteran, he offers a movie, book and TV show that honor best those that served. By: Jeffrey D. Brasie, M.A,This coming Monday, May…
Out and About: Pickleball, men, and dogs
“Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure.” -Thomas EdisonIt’s still a month away, but this is something you’ll want to mark down on your kitchen calendar, especially if you are into Pickleball. The Three…
May I Walk with You? ETERNAL THINKING
One of the things successful people do is to set long term goals. Even nations set five- or ten-year goals and then make plans to make them happen. Everyone from huge corporations to governments to individuals set long term goals…
Life as Performance Art
Conspiracy theorists have taken time off from party, gender and the usual run of politics to resummon and oldie-but-goodie, UFOs.Given the rancor and stridency such said-hot-buttonConsidering some of the other hot-button topics of sure to generate ranting and rancor, flying…
Mike’s Musings: One Vote Can Change Everything – remember the tie vote in Hopkins
If anyone still doubts whether one vote matters, they need only look to what happened last Tuesday in Hopkins, a school district in Allegan County. In what some say was a record turnout, a bond issue did not pass because…
Out and About: True words, mobile markets, and dog love
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” -Daniel Patrick MaynihanSOME VERY TRUE WORDS:
May I Walk with You? HARD TRUTHS
As I was reading a meditation by St. Catherin of Siena in the Magnificat prayer aid for April 29th, I was struck by the fact that we “are convinced by lively faith that whatever God gives and permits us is…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorCracking CodesThe mugger who demanded “What’s the frequency, Kenneth?” while assaulting CBS News Anchor Dan Rather Oct. 4, 1986, was only identified eight years later as William Tager.Rather, having wrapped up another broadcast, was walking to his Manhattan…
Life as Performance Art
It turns out I’m a rarity: of all the last or surnames in the U.S., Stoppel ranks at 52,970th from the top of the charts. Still, with some 6.2 million Stoppels, it’s not surprising to discover at least two more…
Mike’s Musings: RIP Spirit, you were mocked by many, but this frequent traveler loved you
The news that Spirit Airlines has shut down operations after more than three decades in the sky feels like the end of an era—and not just for bargain travelers. For this frequent Spirit traveler, the news was devastating. I woke…
Historical Notebook: ALBION 100 YEARS AGO: MAY, 1926
By Frank Passic We continue with our theme of “Albion, 100 Years Ago.” May 1, 1926: Chris Petroff, proprietor of the West End Grocery, 619 Austin Avenue, has purchased the grocery of Charles Sprague, 306 Crandall St. Mr. Petroff…
May I Walk with You? AN ACT OF LOVE
Why do we take care of a disabled or elderly friend, spouse, or family member? The answer is simple, because we love them. In my work as a psychologist, I have never been more impressed than when hearing the stories…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorOriginsEtymology, a meal in itself, studies the origins of words and the way their meanings change throughout history.For instance the line “don we now our gay apparel” from the 18th-century Christmas carol “Deck the Halls” has different connotations…
Life as Performance Art
The U.S. Postal Service announced April 9 first-class stamps would rise from 78 to 82 cents July 12. Not good news but inflation is touching everything.The problem is people are buying fewer stamps because we are sending fewer first-class letters.…
Mike’s Musings: Let’s keep data centers in industrial areas
If solar panels and windmills weren’t enough, the newest intrusion to our lands and quality of life is the need to grow the number of data centers in America and Michigan exponentially. And that has created a frenzy among the…
Out and About: The next decade, Bingo, and things you may not know
“You must live with people to know their problems, and live with God in order to solve them.” -P.T. ForsythIn the next ten years:
