Columns
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorSalvationLeonard Michaels’ 1982 short-story collection “I Would Have Saved Them If I Could” explored how a writer/creator gives birth to characters, then watches almost helplessly as they develop and follow their own free wills towards whatever fates awaits…
Life as Performance Art
By G.C. StoppelAbout the time Pat and I married, new neighbors moved next to our home, and in no time Pat and Sylvia became close friends.Pat had worked in the fur department at Marshall Field’s in Chicago. Sylvia was across the street…
Mike’s Musings: I dare you to put down that cellphone and pay a visit
Interaction with other people is critical to our mental health. The texting, phone calling crowd must put down their cellphones occasionally and actually visit friends and families. Unfortunately, this is not happening enough and so many problems are caused because…
Out and About: October fun, flowers, and snacks
“Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There is no courage unless you’re scared.” -Eddie RickenbacherThe month of October is the time when we can all enjoy the arrival and colors of Autumn. It’s probably the last opportunity we…
May I Walk with You? IMITATION VIRTUES
One of the reasons that sin is so appealing is that it can masquerade as virtue. The most obvious of these is romantic and sexual love, aka lust. I am not saying that romantic and sexual love is evil, yet…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorDead in the WaterOur Physics Made Simple series has been on hold due to popular demand. Not that physics is so complex it’s incomprehensible, just my writing. Are physicists geniuses or the rest of us so dumb we…
Life as Performance Art
Prior to the Presidential election of 1932, Will Rogers and Franklin Roosevelt were standing in front of a microphone at a public event. Of the two, Rogers was the better known and held in higher esteem by most Americans. …
Mike’s Musings: Elected leaders- Do the right thing, eliminate earmarks
One of my often rants is the use of earmarks or pork barrel, as we used to call them, projects sneaked into the federal or state budget at the last minute, to benefit a particular constituency. It happens every year…
HISTORICAL NOTEBOOK
By Frank Passic HARNESS RACETRACK ONCE LOCATED HERE Have you ever wondered why there is a “jog” in the road on North Street headed east at the intersection of North and Clinton Streets? The reason is that there once was…
Out and About: Bees, persistence, and air movement
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” -John A. SheddSome bees can fly as fast as 15 miles per hour, depending on their species and wing shape. Weather and wind can also speed…
May I Walk with You? RETIREMENT?
What is retirement going to look like? Some say that it is going to be great. Just think, you can sleep in and stay up late. You can do whatever you want, eat whatever you and whenever. No worries! Watch…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorBuggyI’m moving to Japan, where they keep bugs as pets. Not just fleas as a corollaries to dogs and cats — real insects.“Japanese people,” reports Yuri Kageyama for the Associated Press, “appreciate the glitter of fireflies let loose…
Life as Performance Art
The name “Ned Ludd” was quietly whispered from person to person throughout the central part of England beginning in the early 1800s. People would say, “We’re going to meet up with Ned Ludd tonight at the Dew Droppe Inn.” …
Mike’s Musings: Erika Kirk’s Greatest Act of Courage-Forgiving the Unforgivable
When tragedy strikes, our instincts often turn toward anger, resentment, and the pursuit of vengeance. That is human nature. Yet, every so often, someone rises above those instincts and shows us a higher way — a path of grace that…
Out and About: Saving money, roads, and Iceland
“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.” -John A. Shedd As promised, here are some ways to save money on your home utilities:
May I Walk with You? Blessed
Recently, I had the opportunity to loan my daughter my pretty blue truck, because hers would not start. I got the call at 6:30 am. I had just got dressed, and my instant reaction was not positive. I was soon…
Residents shaken as fire ignites in Gateway apartments Later determined just a kitchen fire
By Christopher Johnson This past Sunday at roughly 5 PM, emergency crews rushed to the Gateway Village high-rise after reports of a fire. According to residents, the incident began in a third-floor apartment when a kitchen burner was left on…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorWild ThingA girl raised by apes has been found in northern India. The press there likens her to Mowgli, the wild boy in Rudyard Kipling’s novel “The Jungle Book,” which has been spun off into films, comic books…
Life as Performance
On several occasions, Pat told me that one thing she loved about her father was the first thing he would say in the morning. “Great Day! Wonderful Day! Great Day! That could not have been easy for him because…
Mike’s Musings: A Father’s Painful Choice Shows True Honor
Many of us are grieving the assassination of TPUSA founder, 31-year-old Charlie Kirk. Its unimaginable to me that in this day and age, a person debating students at an outdoor rally in Utah would be murdered.The assassin has been named…





PUBLIC NOTICE
2026 ALLEGAN COUNTY PROPOSED FINAL BUDGET
The Board of Commissioners of the County of Allegan will hold a budget hearing on Thursday, October 9, 2025, for all interested citizens to comment and discuss the proposed budget.
The hearing will take place at 7:00 PM in the Board Room, County Services Building, 3283–122nd Avenue, Allegan, Michigan, to discuss the proposed budget. The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be a subject of this hearing. The public may also participate in the meeting/public hearing by calling 1-929-205-6099, Meeting ID: 891 6032 7098, and Meeting Password 471420. For other options connecting to the meeting, please visit the meeting calendar website at www.allegancounty.org or contact the County Administrator’s Office.
The proposed budget may be examined online at www.allegancounty.org under News Media Room or on weekdays at the Office of the Allegan County Administrator (address below), between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. All interested citizens will have the opportunity to give written and/or oral comments.
County will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at the public hearing upon one (1) week notice. Individuals requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the following in writing or by telephone:
Robert J. Sarro,
County Administrator,
3283 – 122nd Avenue,
Allegan, Michigan, 49010
269-673-0239