Columns

May I Walk with You? Time Flies

May I Walk with You? Time Flies

Editorial Staff Sep 6, 2024 3 min read

Wow! First thing you know summer is about over and schools has started. It’s time to put away summer fun things, begin to tie down everything, store stuff and prepare for the cooler and colder and darker moths ahead. Does…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial Staff Sep 4, 2024 4 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorAnother Roundabout“Here we go again,” I thought hearing news Pine Trail Camp had sold within 10 days of Saugatuck Township scheduling a $3.6-million bond request towards buying the land itself.Private money moves fast and nimbly, especially for largely…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Sep 4, 2024 7 min read

    Dr Lucy Pollock just published a new book:  The Golden Rule:  Lessons in Living from a Doctor of Ageing, Perhaps the most important of her rules is the most basic, “Do not work in a nursing home if you cannot…

Mike’s Musings: Stories that tickle your funny bone

Mike’s Musings: Stories that tickle your funny bone

Editorial Staff Sep 4, 2024 3 min read

Once in a while, when I have no other topic that peeks my interest, I like to scan stories I find interesting in other media. Here’s what my latest look see from stories I found to be odd, but interesting.Headline-…

HISTORICAL NOTEBOOK: LONERGAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY UNION HISTORY

HISTORICAL NOTEBOOK: LONERGAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY UNION HISTORY

Editorial Staff Aug 30, 2024 3 min read

By Frank Passic             Happy Labor Day to all our workers, and enjoy the day off. This day is for you! As we observe Labor Day Monday, we remember the history of another Albion factory union formed during World War…

Looking Out: Summer Resorts

Editorial Staff Aug 30, 2024 4 min read

by Jim Whitehouse My beloved wife Marsha and I took a little trip up north to see friends and ride our bicycles along the Lake Michigan shoreline. We stayed in an old summer resort hotel. It was great. These old…

Out and About: UCAP, spam calls, and facts

Out and About: UCAP, spam calls, and facts

Editorial Staff Aug 30, 2024 3 min read

A couple of weeks ago, I shared information about the Stone Cottage Free Store in Three Rivers. Rumor has it that we have a homeless problem here in St. Joe County, and I wanted to let everyone know how much…

Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Bits – Labor Day – that means fall!

Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Bits – Labor Day – that means fall!

Editorial Staff Aug 30, 2024 4 min read

The weatherman may not be saying it, and these sunny warm (hot) days we have been having aren’t showing it, but you know that fall is in the air again.Labor Day is Monday and August is over already.I just don’t…

May I Walk with You? HOW DO I DO IT?

May I Walk with You? HOW DO I DO IT?

Editorial Staff Aug 30, 2024 3 min read

Recently I was asked by a patient about how I manage to listen to so much negativity? After all, people who are not depressed, anxious, don’t have substance abuse issues, legal issues, or relationship issues do not usually seek counseling.…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial Staff Aug 28, 2024 4 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorTruckin’At an Oval Beach press conference Aug. 21 I was introduced to Lakota Hobia, who in 2019 became Gun Lake Tribal Historic Preservation Officer.I took her picture with others that day, but the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance-called event…

Mike’s Musings: Competition and the freedom to choose – cars, hamburgers, schools, and ice cream

Mike’s Musings: Competition and the freedom to choose – cars, hamburgers, schools, and ice cream

Editorial Staff Aug 28, 2024 4 min read

Dr. Glenn Mollette In 1975, I bought a four-cylinder Chevrolet Monza. In my opinion in was a terrible buy and a lousy car. There was one episode after another of maintenance issues and the four-cylinder engine was just a piece of…

Life as Performance

Life as Performance

Editorial Staff Aug 28, 2024 3 min read

Every Christmas Eve, Humphrey Bogart would slip away from family and friends to watch the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” When she knew it was over, his wife Lauren Bacall would join him as he told her, “I’ll never accomplish…

Historical Notebook: THE INFAMOUS BALL DROP OF AUGUST 1962

Editorial Staff Aug 23, 2024 2 min read

As we approach the end of August, we are reminded of one of Albion’s most unusual promotional events “gone wrong” that occurred on Friday, August 17. 1962 at 9:30 am. On that date, the Albion Chamber of Commerce was sponsoring…

Looking Out: Sunblasted

Editorial Staff Aug 23, 2024 3 min read

by Jim Whitehouse The east wall of our living room is mostly windows. This is a wonderful thing as my beloved wife Marsha and I can look out on the wooded land and meadows, enjoying the wildlife, the wind-driven dance…

Out and About: Protein, Labor Day, and trivia

Out and About: Protein, Labor Day, and trivia

Editorial Staff Aug 23, 2024 3 min read

Last week I wrote quite a bit about “Fiber”. I mentioned how important Fiber is to us and how we should try to include Fiber in our daily diet. Protein is another important item that should be included in our…

Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Laundry baskets and junk drawers

Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Laundry baskets and junk drawers

Editorial Staff Aug 23, 2024 4 min read

This place is a mess.Although I am lucky enough to have a “house husband,” who keeps up with most of the chores around our (almost) tiny home these days, we still manage to collect a lot of clutter!.I am banned…

May I Walk with You? PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

May I Walk with You? PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

Editorial Staff Aug 23, 2024 2 min read

It is no secret! The Diocese of Saginaw is in great need of more priests. We are also in great need for vocations to marriage as well. It is rare that anyone gets married, let alone in church. Baptisms seem…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial Staff Aug 21, 2024 5 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorHeroesThursday, Aug. 15, 12:44 p.m., southbound on Blue Star Highway from I-196 Exit 41 towards Saugatuck, an Allegan County Sheriff’s cruiser raced by, siren on, lights flashing, around stopped traffic through the 64th Street light beyond where, bottlenecked,…

Mike’s Musings: Political conventions no longer serve a purpose

Mike’s Musings: Political conventions no longer serve a purpose

Editorial Staff Aug 21, 2024 3 min read

Dominating the airwaves this week is the Democratic National Convention. Three weeks it was the Republican National Convention. Despite a lot of pomp and circumstance, very little gets done at these four-day lovefests. In my opinion, they should no longer…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Aug 21, 2024 4 min read

I just read in my old hometown newspaper that my elementary school principal died. Mr. Were was 95 and his passing brought back memories. This time of year our minds probably slip back to ready-for-a-new-year-of-school days. The whole cast old and new characters post-summer…

By Mike Wilcox
Owner/Publisher

Every year, as the Christmas season draws near, I’m reminded just how generous our communities can be. For nearly two decades, Wilcox Newspapers has hosted what’s become one of my favorite traditions: our Annual Christmas Wish Program.

It started simply enough. We asked readers who were struggling to write in and tell us what would make their Christmas a little brighter. The idea was to connect local families in need with local people who wanted to help. Over the years, it’s grown into something truly special—and this year, we’re doing it again.