Columns

Should we worry Mother Earth is trying to kill us before we kill her? Might be. There is information about that possible threat in nearly all reliable print and online newspapers.  Gari Voss has elegantly written well-researched Allegan County News articles…

Sometimes being a small business owner simply sucks. So much responsibility, and not enough time to enjoy life.Here’s an example, of one day last week. As usual I start my workday at 6 am. I figure I can get a…

by Larry-Michael and Becky Lynn Hackenberg A Weekly Almanac GuidePlan, Do, Finish, Rest.Living in Harmony With EarthWeekend ofMarch 9-10, 2024 Earth-Sun-Moon NotesIn A Nutshell…The New/Resting Moon on Sunday, March 10 at 4:00 a.m. EST, coincides with the return to the…

“May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country.” -Daniel WebsterI’ve heard that as long as you have a roll of duct tape and a can of WD-40, you…

Perhaps if Christopher Clark had given any serious thought to the town which would inevitably grow up around his mill site, Marion might be in a slightly different location. Since the early lumbering days and the arrival of Mr. Clark,…

I think all of us at one time or another have considered the idea of becoming a minister, priest, nun, or lay minister in our church. I know that I considered it as did many of my family members and…

March so far has been quiet…and mild.High temperature here on Monday was 72!I don’t know if that qualifies as “in like a lamb” or not, but it certainly has been warm enough for signs of spring this week, and the…

By Maggie ConklinCarrot Cake OatmealWhile visiting buddies last week in Florida, my friend Maria asked if my dear husband and I liked carrot cake.Since it was our wedding cake, I guess we must like it. In fact we love it!…

By Scott SullivanEditorCelebrate, or ElseNow it’s March we have much to beware and aware of. For instance, grammar. Saying “we have much of which to be aware” sounds clunky, but on National Grammar Day March 4 it was more correct.We…

For 50 years I marched around the woods marking trees. My daughters’ friends thought I was a forest ranger, which would have been less pay but more fun, but the correct terminology is Consulting Forester. Every day I would gear…

Despite my rantings about corruption in government, I still believe the United States is the best country in the world. Yes we have our failings, but overall our republic should be at the top of any list.Not so says U.S.…

By Maggie ConklinMonte CristoMonte Cristo is the name for a grown-up grilled ham and cheese sandwich on steroids. It is an Americanized term for what started in France (of course) as the Croque monsieur, loosely translated as “crunchy gentleman.”The classic…

By Scott SullivanEditor When I need advice, I know where to look: the newspaper. No, not this one. Sure, we have columnists who tell us what to do, where to go and so on. I mean papers that carry syndicated…

If you are a Republican, the Democrat next door is not your enemy, nor vice versa. If you are pro-life and your neighbor down the street supports Planned Parenthood, he or she is not your enemy.  If you believe in enforcing gun laws,…

Today’s a great day. I have a cold now running on 8 days, my bank account is in the negative, and my ex-wife has called for the umpteenth time- and it hasn’t even reached noon on my wall clock.But hey…

There are at least five things that are or will be getting cheaper in 2024. They include:

by Larry-Michael and Becky Lynn Hackenberg A Weekly Almanac GuidePlan, Do, Finish, Rest.Living in Harmony With EarthWeekend of February 24-25, 2024 Earth-Sun-Moon NotesIn A Nutshell…The Full/Doing Moon occurs Friday, February 24 at 7:30 a.m. EST. The Potawatomi named it Mnokesis,…

On Wednesday, February 22, 1922, Marion, the rest of the state, and a large swath of the Midwest, awoke to a glittering, ice laden, and broken world. Just outside the door the icing event of the 20th century had coated…

Can I love someone and accept them, even if I don’t like how they believe and act? Good question for today. Once, when I was preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) the priest made this comment, “God loves the…

Valentine’s Day is over.I miss my old buddy Al. He used to proofread the paper every Thursday. And every time I wrote a column about family, love or anything like that, he would be sitting at his desk behind me…