Columns

By Maggie ConklinGumboMy dear father grows a vegetable garden every year, and some of my earliest memories are of him roto-tilling the field in the spring.Every year is a bit different, but always includes little redskin potatoes, golden potatoes and…

By Scott SullivanEditorFinal JeopardyNostalgia makes no sense. Why relive something? Once was not enough?Nor does headline hubbub about Covid’s comeback. Of course a virus will mutate, as flu does. New ones take time to study, develop vaccines for and test…

My daughters are keeping me up to speed on the outside world since I’ve decided to boycott the news here at the Arbor Springs Old Folks Hotel. I can hear Fox News blaring from multiple rooms, and I’m suspicious that…

I recently obtained a list of words that a certain company is demanding their employees cannot use, or they will be subject to dismissal. The list was passed on to me after the confidential informant attended a diversity training seminar…

Monday marked the end of Labor Day weekend and summer holiday season and, for many, when children went back to school.When I was growing up. Father advised us, “Get to know the secretary, janitor, stay on their good sides and…

It’s great to see so many American flags displayed around the community. What’s even better is to see POW/MIA flags flown as well. It’s unknown how many Prisoners of War (POW) are still missing, but there are some numbers on…

Many of us grew up in a kind of watered-down version of Christianity. While our parents and our religion teachers may have done their best to raise us as good Christians, others offered us a less orthodox version of our…

In the words of the indomitable Tom Petty, we’re “runnin’ down the dream” here in Clare. The summer was a very busy one for the Board of Education: processing May election results, retooling the bond proposal, seeking state approval of…

Marion Twp Unit School abt 1950 They sneak up on you. First one, then two and before you know it, television and the print media have fired up a frenzy. Yes indeed, we’re all being hit with the dreaded Back…

By Maggie ConklinMushroom WalkEvery second Tuesday of September I lead a mushroom walk through a hidden gem of a magical forest near Pier Cove. I started it years ago with a few good friends, it grew from there, and now…

By Scott SullivanEditorA.I.“Artificial” is not “official art,” an oxymoron, though the two are similar.The former means “humanly contrived, not occurring naturally (Her skin glowed in artificial light),” and/or “insincere or affected (an artificial smile).”“Official art” reminds me of Nietzsche saying…

It doesn’t pay to be cheap It’s an odd way to advertise Network news these days I mentioned a few weeks ago that I could see an American Flag out my window here at Arbor Springs. I’m now in a…

Here we go again- or I would like to say, I hope not. I continually hear rumblings that COVID vaccinations are again going to be required and masks mandatory in some locations. Will this lead to more schools and business…

Remember timelines we had to make in elementary school history classes? We drew a horizontal line, then vertical dashes to mark im-portant dates. For example, in February we might mark the 12th as Lincoln’s birthday, Washing-ton’s birthday 10 days later.…

I’m not sure what year the movie “The Graduate” was released, but it was a big hit for Dustin Hoffman. In the movie, his character was told about a word that will be very popular in years to come. That…

Yup, I‘m stoned, nicely, pleasantly, happily stoned. Although, more would be welcomed, and getting stoned with friends is a great pastime. In fact, there is always room for more stones and rocks of all sizes in my yard. Got your…

As I sit here on a Monday morning, I can only describe my week as a natural high like I haven’t had in a long time. First of all, my twin sister came in from Houston to spend a little…

Fish TacosGet up, dressed, fed and on the boat early to drop a line before slack tide.Slack tide is right for fishing high or low when currents are slowest, making the least chance of losing your gear by getting it…

By Scott SullivanEditorAyatollah JoeAyatollah Joe warned They were coming for us.They? I asked.“Liberals. They hate that my $38K Mom-funded Ottawa Impact thwarts Their tyranny.”Any moss that grows on you, I said, is on just one side. Let me put my…

A mercifully short-lived fad swept the U.S. in the early 1960s. It seems one day an aide to President Kennedy discovered a memo from President Theodore Roosevelt to the Marine Corps stating all Marines should be able to walk or…