Columns

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial StaffAug 28, 20244 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 StaffAug 28, 20244 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 StaffAug 28, 20243 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 StaffAug 23, 20242 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 StaffAug 23, 20243 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 StaffAug 23, 20243 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 StaffAug 23, 20244 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 StaffAug 23, 20242 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 StaffAug 21, 20245 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 StaffAug 21, 20243 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 StaffAug 21, 20244 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…

Looking Out: Eccentric

Editorial StaffAug 19, 20243 min read

by Jim Whitehouse “There’s Benny walking by on the sidewalk,” says my friend Lyle Pratt. We’re sitting in the café having coffee. “I haven’t seen him in a long time,” I reply, turning my head just in time to see…

Looking Out: Eccentric

Editorial StaffAug 16, 20243 min read

by Jim Whitehouse “There’s Benny walking by on the sidewalk,” says my friend Lyle Pratt. We’re sitting in the café having coffee. “I haven’t seen him in a long time,” I reply, turning my head just in time to see…

Out and About: County Fair, fiber, and local events

Out and About: County Fair, fiber, and local events

Editorial StaffAug 16, 20243 min read

The St. Joe County Grange Fair is a little more than a month away. I’ll be volunteering as a Courtesy Cart driver, so if you see me, flag me down and I’ll take you anywhere you want to go on…

Pat’s Bits and Pieces: An interesting age we live in

Pat’s Bits and Pieces: An interesting age we live in

Editorial StaffAug 16, 20244 min read

You have to admit we live in an interesting age – the technical revolution.These days you can’t even comprehend what we would do without our computers, tablets and cell phones.In fact, those “housebound” weeks as we muddled through the pandemic…

May I Walk with You? HOLY COMMUNION/ALTAR CALL

May I Walk with You? HOLY COMMUNION/ALTAR CALL

Editorial StaffAug 16, 20242 min read

What happens when you go to communion? Almost all mass-goers receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, each time they go to mass. Wow!Often, I have witnessed Evangelical Christians, at the end of their services, walk forward…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial StaffAug 14, 20244 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorMyLifeThe email from MyLife said “Fix mistakes in yo …” A generous offer. Where do I begin? Yo-, I thought again. Who is “MyLife” and why do they call themselves that?What shall I pay them to scour databases…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffAug 14, 20244 min read

Many of our parents cautioned us to “Be nice” when playing with other children,  talking with adults or any other social interaction. From the 1940s until May 1985, the Ivy Room was Durham, N.C.’s foremost and only kosher Jewish deli. It also served…

Mike’s Musings: I’m disgusting and stupid- so readers say

Mike’s Musings: I’m disgusting and stupid- so readers say

Editorial StaffAug 14, 20244 min read

I take a lot of flack for my opinion column, Mike’s Musings, from time to time. Readers (and I’m so happy you read the paper) often disagree with what I have to say. That’s all right- everyone is entitled to…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial StaffAug 7, 20243 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorRoad ChatterOnboarding freeway to Saugatuck, goose gas, shoot gap, tuck in behind truck, patient, read plates, speculate-state-to-state, there’s a space, swing left, boost speed to 80, patient, bottleneck clears past where M-6 scissors inAway to the shining sea,…