Columns
Out and About: Kentucky Derby, elections, and faith
Every year, in early May, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky is the place to be if you’re a fan of horse racing. The Kentucky Derby is definitely a race like no other. Horses are beautiful animals and a thoroughbred racehorse…
Postcard from the Pines: Next Holiday, Please
Now that July 4th has come and gone, Marion’s Old Fashioned Days is rising fast on the horizon. Almost before we can turn around, we’ll be off to the Friday night Main Street Cruise, the Saturday morning parade and visiting…
Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Hot, hazy and humid days
Another summer week has flown by.We spent part of the holiday weekend (the 4th of July) enjoying time with family. It was my brother Jim’s 92nd birthday – quite a milestone. He told me afterwards that there were 45 and…
May I Walk with You? CALL FOR VOCATIONS
It’s no secret! All the churches are in desperate need of vocations! While we generally focus on vocations to the ministry, as priests, ministers, consecrated life (nuns and brothers and lay ministers), we are also desperately in need of baptisms,…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorChinatown“Let’s go to the Asian shop,” said Flannery.“Which Asian shop?” I asked.“The one I went to when I was 16.” That was eight years ago. “They had seaweed,” my daughter said.“I didn’t know you liked seaweed.”“I don’t,” she…
Life as Performance Art
In many ways, Jimmy Carter was a good President. He was decent, honest, free from personal scandals, and along with his wife, Rosalind, set the example of a good long-term marriage. A good man, but it turned out he…
Mike’s Musings: STR’s Are They good or bad?
STR’s, or in layman’s terms, Short Term Rentals are a hot topic all over the United States, and even abroad, but nowhere are they a heated topic of discussion than in resort communities.In the areas, some of my newspapers cover,…
Looking Out
“Admit it. You’re a pruning freak,” says my beloved wife Marsha with a pretty smile. “I do enjoy trimming things,” I say. “But I’m not abnormal about it.” “Wait a minute,” she says. “I appreciate that you give…
“Out and About” Eggs, paint, and bread
“The red and white and starry blue is freedom’s shield and hope.” -John Philip SousaAccording to Consumer Reports, there’s no nutritional difference between cage-free eggs and others. Cage-free means that hens weren’t raised in a cage, but there’s no guarantee…
Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Mid-summer – fairs, festivals and reunions!
Another holiday is over and the middle of summer – on my calendar anyway – is almost here.Actually that is kind of depressing.I count the summer season as three months long: June, July and August. The 15th of July is…
Postcard from the Pines: Still rockin’ after all these years…
In the ‘Where has the time gone?’ department, it was just the sixtieth anniversary of the release of the Beatles first album in Britain. It was swiftly followed by the Meet the Beatles album here. I own that album, all…
May I Walk with You? SYMPTOMS
When a person gets a cold they have symptoms. Usually they have a fever, runny nose, congestion, fatigue, chills, and sleepiness. The common folk diagnosis is that they have a cold, and the symptoms point to it. One of the…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorGrand ValleyHalf a league, half a league, Half a league onward … into Grand Valley, where Ottawa Impact lies.“Siri says go straight,” said my daughter Flannery. I switched lanes from the Saugatuck exit to continue due west towards…
Mike’s Musings: Assange finally freed, but more accountability needed
One could not escape all the clutter on the airwaves and internet concerning the debate between Biden and Trump this past week. The subject was pontificated on at length, everywhere. How badly did Biden, lose, everyone asked. Will he pull…
Historical Notebook: RAILROAD ARRIVED HERE 180 YEARS AGO
We have a special anniversary coming up here in Albion on July 4. It was 180 years ago that the first railroad train arrived in Albion. The State of Michigan financed the building of a strap-iron railroad across Southern Michigan…
Out and About: Water Festival, concerts, and prices
The Annual Three Rivers Water Festival seems to get better every year. We didn’t get as involved as we normally do with the many activities this year, so next year we want to try and make more time for this…
May I Walk with You? MORAL CONFUSION
Recently, I’ve been talking about morality with some people who are confused. They tell me that the advice they get depends on the educated opinion of the person they are seeking advice from. They complained that even ministers, clergy, offer…
Pat’s Bits and Pieces: Summer Nights – I’m missing living on the Tobacco
This time of year the newspaper business is pretty hectic.Even though I do all of my work out of this “home office” now, some weeks it seems like I am just about glued to this computer chair.I find I have…
Postcard from the Pines: A chip off the old Block
It’s no secret that I am fond of old things and have, through the years, gathered a rather unusual collection of bits and pieces of Marion memorabilia. For example, I have a galvanized piece from a windmill ‘tail’ with Morton’s…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorHeat WaveThe book “Ban This Book” has been banned by the Indian River County (Fla.) school board. Members voted 3-2 to ax Alan Gratz’s 2017 children’s tome after Jennifer Pippin, local Moms for Liberty chair, complained it was…
