By Jason WesseldykSports EditorGRAND RAPIDS—With two weeks between track regionals and the state finals, the annual Distance Under the Lights meet at Houseman Field has become a popular event for many runners in the area.The meet takes place the Saturday…

Janet Ellen Tomlinson passed away quietly and comfortably on May 22, 2023 at Douglas Cove in Douglas.She was born on Aug. 20, 1939 in Muskegon to Mary and Raymond L. McKamy. Janet is survived by her daughter Christy Tomlinson and…

By Scott SullivanEditor50th Reunion, Part 2It was assuring knowing I would die lacking nothing. The nurse and druggist had denied me insulin. Blood sugar played Bach’s Toccata and Fugue on my organs.“I’d considered going,” I said.“To your 50th reunion?” asked…

   Someone asked if it bothered me that sometimes people don’t like what I have written for the newspaper.  My answer is always the same:  Not at all. I know I have never sat down at the keyboard with the intention of irritating…

I couldn’t help but read with a smile when Allegan columnist E.C. Stoppel posed a question to random people (in this week’s Allegan County News) as to whether they liked pickleball or not. Some younger people answered that it was…

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorA record-setting effort from a freshman helped ensure Senior Night was successful for the Saugatuck girls soccer team on Thursday, May 18.Neave Rewa scored three times against Schoolcraft to give her a new single-season school record of…

By Scott SullivanEditor50th ReunionAs a diabetic, pokes and pricks-abetted, it’s imperative I have insulin. At the druggist’s I saw: Good healthIn a single stopSign up forShingles shots here The cute dark pharmacist on the cardboard sign next to the poem…

Of all the things England has exported, unquestionably Deric Foderingham was the best. From The New Forest in Hampshire, to Brantford, Canada, then Clearwater, Fla. and Douglas, Mich. He travelled. It was here in Douglas on a spectacular May morning…

The fifth annual Community Pride Week based in downtown Douglas June 1-4 will celebrate our diverse community with fun events. Top sponsors include Biggby Coffee and the Saugauck-Douglas Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Drag Bowling will kick off fun Thursday,…

Rado Kirov’s brightly-reflective stainless steel “Pyramid” (pictured) will be dedicated in its new home in front of the Douglas Police Station, 47 W. Center St., Monday, May 29, at 10:30 a.m. after the city’s Memorial Day parade. The hand-forged, highly-…

BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR “The gallery is her,” wrote Fred Blazer in The Commercial Record 25 years ago. “She” was Joyce Petter. “If she ever leaves to retire into a comfortable life surrounded by her art and memories, the world…

     On Memorial Day, there is no place I would rather be than in a small Midwest town. More specifically, it means a small town in southwestern Michigan.  Like the rest of the country on that day, we will pause for a…

Is anyone concerned about artificial intelligence as I am?You know the technology is growing at such a rapid rate that humans might be subservient to robots soon. Or so say a few prognosticators.Being somewhat a libertarian, I do not favor…

BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR Blue Star Highway bridge abridgments this summer at I-196 Exits 41 and 36 will not be simultaneous, the Michigan Department of Transportation told local officials May 11. Exit 41 reconstruction is up first June 6 through…

Sallyann Ardella (Peck) Decker, 85, of Glenn peacefully passed away surrounded by her family Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at her home. A graveside service will be Friday, May 19, at 11 a.m.at Taylor Cemetery, Ganges Township. Memorial donations may be…

BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR Douglas has a new logo (see nearby) featuring a patient heron poised in wavy blue water in front of a burst of sunlight rays. The latest branding item depicts the abundance of variety of life on…

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorThe winning ways continued for the Saugatuck girls soccer team.Hosting SAC rival Lawton on Monday, May 15, the Trailblazers scored seven first-half goals en route to the 8-0 victory.The game was stopped early due to the mercy…

By Scott SullivanEditorBeckett: The MusicalThe Saugatuck Center for the Arts will present musicals “Kinky Boots” and “Jersey Boys” this summer. Energetic, infectious, boffo on Broadway scores and scripts sung, acted and choreographed by pros? What is not to hate?I’ve always…

\Prizewinning azalea and rhododendron grower John Migas (above right) will host a free escorted tour of his now-blooming Woodllands Nursery, 6541 Bradley Road, Saugatuck Township, Wednesday, May 24, at 6:30 p.m.Bradley splits off to the south side of the Blue…

By Scott SullivanEditorBlue Star Highway bridge abridgments this summer at I-196 Exits 41 and 36 will not be simultaneous, the Michigan Department of Transportation told local officials May 11.Exit 41 reconstruction is up first June 6 through Aug. 22, The…