Columns

By Scott SullivanEditorGoing ApeBritish scientists say new footage of west African chimps sharing fermented breadfruit suggests booze may link them and man to a common ancestor.“For humans,” said Anna Bowland, a University of Exeter ecologist and lead author of a…

Many of you have read my rants concerning higher education. I believe the cost is outrageous and it certainly far outweighs the benefit most students receive.One of the reasons costs have risen extensively over the past decade is that universities…

If there is anything good to be said about doing mindless work such as blowing leaves out of the ground cover, it is that I allow my brain to wander off and play. When it comes back and we reengage,…

By Frank Passic THE BEGINNINGS OF RIVERSIDE CEMETERY             The land upon which Riverside Cemetery in Albion is located was once part of an original 80-acre plot located in Albion Township. The first two owners of the property were women,…

If you frequent the Wellness Center at Beacon Health in Three Rivers, and spend time walking the track, you may have wondered what that room is just off the track. I have passed that room many times as I was…

Easter is over, or is it just beginning? For many of us, Holy Week, the week leading up to the Resurrection, was full of busyness and activity as friends and family gather to eat and drink and catch up. I…

By Scott SullivanEditorSearchLily Tomlin won a Tony Award 40 years ago for Best Actress in the one-woman play “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in Universe.”Now NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has provided a sign, but only that, on…

    On the whole, as things go, this past week’s surprise natural gas outage, wasn’t really all that bad.  It could have been worse; a lot worse.  Fortunately, the disruption came when the weather was moderate, so we did not…

I was flipping channels the other night when a question was asked. What did you fear most as a kid? There were a variety of answers but one of the answers was quicksand.I immediately concurred. Quicksand was fear of mine…

I’ll never understand why employers will spend thousands of dollars on hiring new employees that will quit in a week, but won’t promote loyal employees with a raise they deserve.Here’s a marriage tip that I’m sharing free of charge. There’s…

“Grace does not destroy nature but perfects it.” “Grace does not remove nature but fulfills it.” (St. Thomas Aquinas, 13th Century) The words ‘perfects’ and ‘fulfills’ refer to the notions of progress and growth. We often hear people say that…

By Scott SullivanEditorMandatory LifeI read the news today, oh boy: “No mandatory life for 19- and 20-year-olds, court decides.”When I was 19 and 20, I never thought life was optional. At that age, why would I want to? Of course,…

Let’s give the tariffs time to work. If they don’t work I will be the first to admit I was wrong. President Trump seems to be backing off his hardline positions with a 90-day reprieve for most, and taking tariffs…

Sometimes we learn more about ourselves and our fu-ture by looking back in histo-ry.Today, we go back about a century to the Roaring ‘20s. Babe Ruth is slamming home runs, the Four Horse-men are playing for Knute Rockne at Notre…

To the editor: I am writing to correct the misinformation in the April 17 edition of the paper that mischaracterizes the April 14 meeting of the Allegan City Council. If you just read the headline, you’d be left with an…

“The flower that smells the sweetest is shy and lowly” -William WordsworthWe are approaching the festival season here in Three Rivers. From May through November, you’ll find many events to attend that will interest every member of the family. I…

In the ten years between 2000 and 2010 the Diocese of Saginaw lost about a third of its mass goers. Also, during this time many Catholic Schools were permanently closed. Sacred Heart in Gladwin, St, Athanasius in Harrison, St. Cecilia…

By Scott SullivanEditorBug AcreYum, yum … maggots? A Washington Post story stops shy of saying maggo-roni and cheese will soon be a diet staple for humans. But it already is for pets.Grubs are beetle, not fly, larvae, but no doubt…

I keep receiving emails from public health officials about the threat of measles. Just like a week ago, I read a release that announced two cases of measles had been diagnosed in Michigan. I had thought measles were a thing…

I keep hearing rumors about the Administration selling off the U.S. Post Of-fice as another cost-cutting measure. Maybe it is true; maybe not; maybe the idea is being floated to see what our reaction will be.I think it is goofy…