By Scott SullivanEditorRumors of the Blue Star Trail’s death may be premature, witness backers’ response to a temporary state grant turndown and perhaps a July 21 Commercial Record front-page headline “$1.72+ million Trail request dead ends, for now.”Assuming one overlooks “for now.” Defeat and delay are different.Project engineer C2AE’s response to a July 8 letter Read More…
The toll road around Chicago had ground into a slow-moving parking lot, and my favorite uncle and I were caught in the middle of it. I was bored and restless, much as any youngster would be. Going to the railroad museum was my idea of fun; sitting in a traffic jam was not. To my surprise, Read More…
There is a different side to the Ukraine story than we’ve been told. Corruption has run rampant through the Ukrainian government ever since it gained independence from the former Soviet Union. One watchdog name Ukraine the second most corrupt nation in the world. That ranking by Transparency International rated Ukraine the second most corrupt in Read More…
By Scott SullivanEditorGimme Dat“I’m banging on doors of the universe,” I told Flannery.“It has doors?” my daughter asked.Should I run with or from this metaphor? “God isn’t in,” I told her. “The doorman told me.”“Kafka or the Emerald City? …”“Look!” I pointed skyward. “The Witch just sky-writ ‘Surrender Flannery.”“Your eyesight’s going.”“See my feet?”“Orange Sneakers aren’t Read More…
By Scott SullivanEditor“Houston, we have a problem.” Expected by many Blue Star Trail go-aheads hit a snag when the Michigan Department of Transportation dinged a $1.725-million Transportation Alternatives Program grant request to link the most-local part of it.MDOT noted two major concerns:• A planned Saugatuck Township connector from Holland Street east on North Street to Read More…
Editor’s Note: My friend wrote the following commentary about his experience flying to Florida. We have all been warned that flying is becoming more and more dicey. Personally, I fly back in forth monthly from Florida to Michigan, and luckily, other than price hikes and a cut back in direct flights, I have not experienced Read More…
A retired parish priest told me he always prayed no one would pass away on Christ-mas Eve or Day. He didn’t want family or friends to connect the most joyous day of the year with a loved one’s death.Perhaps we should add In-dependence Day to that list. Every year a few people are seriously injured, Read More…
By Scott SullivanEditorAtomize“Welcome to McDonald’s,” a voice crackled through speakers.“My order’s random.”“Want fries with that?”So much for foisting chaos. “Medium, extra crispy with two ketchup packets and a medium Coke, extra ice,” I said. My daughter likes two items medium with extras.They were short-staffed July 4. The disembodied voice took flesh in the form of Read More…
Tolerance of diversity and diverse ways to express tolerance are part of the Saugatuck-Douglas Art Coast experience. These daylilies in front of downtown Douglas’s Redefine Med Spa, shown with colors inverted, are only part. (Photo by Scott Sullivan)