By Scott SullivanEditorBlue Star Trail backers entered the holidays buoyed by an official state letter confirming their application for their $1.72-million federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant had been acknowledged with $1.344 million pending, though money’s not in the bank yet.Same…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor LAWTON—A third-quarter scoring run by Lawton proved to be the undoing for the Saugatuck girls basketball team on Tuesday, Dec. 13.After the teams fought to a 16-16 standoff at the end of the first half, the…

     For all true geeks and geekettes, December 12th was a milestone day on the calendar,  a seventy-fifth anniversary of considerable importance.     That was also the day I walked into a friend’s shop and saw a magnificent Skyscraper style radio, straight out of…

I always felt guilty as a child on Christmas morning, when I opened a treasure trove of presents. I say guilty because I knew next door or down the road, my friends were nearly bare under their Christmas tree.Although Christmas…

Randall “Randy” Scott Smit went home to his Savior on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022 at age 54.He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, James and Anna Smit, maternal grandparents, Elmer and Marie Kadera, father-in-law, Roger Westrate, and his…

By Scott SullivanEditorGoing PlacesBeep-beep-ahuga! Agent Mansel Boyd’s Model T tooted the State Farm Insurance jingle pulling in our driveway.Dad, stepping up from Lansing agent to Saginaw manager, had moved Mom and four sons (at 6, I was oldest) into a…

By Jason WesseldykSports Editor SAUGATUCK—Following a one-point overtime loss to Bridgman in its season-opening game, the Saugatuck boys basketball team was hoping to get into the win column in its SAC contest with Gobles on Friday, Dec. 9.The Trailblazers did…

I have a confession to make. I’m a local newspaper addict. I write them, I sell them, and most importantly I read every single one I can get my hands on.Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately depending on your viewpoint, I also…

  If anyone knows where you can find one of those ugly little soft rubbery-like coin wallets, please let me know. If it is before Christmas, bring it over to our place and let my wife know so she can wrap…

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorFor the record, Ada Roth and Penny Grob are both only freshmen.You never would have known that, though, based on the way the duo played when Saugatuck hosted Hartford in girls basketball on Friday, Dec. 2.Grob scored…

David B. Webster of West Olive went home to be with our Lord Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022 in Sarasota, Fla., under the loving care of his family and Hospice at the age of 92.He was the son of David C.…

By Scott SullivanEditorSwimming DinosaursThe world’s first swimming dinosaur, says The Smithsonian, has been discovered in Mongolia. I’ve been waiting for this to happen.So the foot-long merman/maid with jaws full of tiny teeth preyed 71 million years ago in the Gobi…

By Scott SullivanEditorRicky Zoet has become Douglas public works director on an interim basis after Matt Vogel was fired from his fulltime post following a closed city council session Nov. 22.City manager Rich LaBombard said reasons for the termination, being…

By Scott SullivanEditorThe Saugatuck Township Planning Commission has deferred granting special approval use for a brewery, restaurant and live-music venue on 2.769 acres at 6425 Blue Star Hwy. pending receipt of more information.Saugatuck resident David Rodriguez, working with Holland Engineering,…

82-year-old Martha Menefield of Valley, Alabama was handcuffed and driven to jail last week for failing to pay her Waste Management trash bill for three months- June, July and August.I did a quick reread when this was sent to me…

   One afternoon about this time of year, as my sister walked past his woodworking shop,  Mr. Ness stuck  his head out the door and called for us to come inside.  In his thick Norwegian accent, he told us that a letter for us…

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorSome teams are young. Other teams are experienced.Saugatuck is a combination of the two.Because although the Indians only have one senior on the roster—point guard Will Ayers—they can five players returning from last year’s varsity squad.“It’s a…

Patricia Marie Hercinger, age 84, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022 at Holland Hospital. Pat was born Sept. 9, 1938 in Sturgis and graduated from Sturgis High School in 1956. She continued her education with Western Union where she…

By Scott SullivanEditorOn the RoadAdopt-A-Highway crews are getting bored with I-5 in Oregon. The human skull they found in a backpack 75 miles south of Portland Nov. 21 was the second such in four years.Mother was right when I asked…

By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck City Council Monday reversed plans announced at its workshop four days earlier to replace planning commission liaison Russ Gardner with Garnet Lewis.Scott Dean, who replaced Lewis as mayor post-Nov. 8 election, said last Thursday he felt both…