By Scott SullivanEditor1Rivers ran wine last week in São Lorenco do Bairro, Portugal after two distillery tanks burst, unleashing a 600,000-gallon tide to dismay or delight, depending.The vintner swallowed his losses — enough to fill an Olympic pool — and owned up for staining streets, stores, homes and the town’s reputation, but not my entrepreneur Read More…
Columns
Humor: UDDER NONSENSE
Here at the Old Folks Hotel, unless they were lying, everyone enjoyed reading my article a few weeks ago about life on a farm in the old days. At my current lunch table, we all have two things in common. 1) we are older than dirt, 2) we think today’s generation is more spoiled than Read More…
Mike’s Musings: Menendez, Johnson latest examples of corrupt government
I’ve always had a healthy distrust of government. From the time as a college student working in the U.S. Capitol and state legislature, I have felt that many of our politicians are there to enhance themselves and not the public they represent.Two more disgraced politicians hit the news last week. I would bet they represent Read More…
Life as Performance Art
“Don’t forget where you came from,” Father used to admonish my sister and me going out the door. In time I figured out it meant more than the house number where we lived, just remember to bring honor, shame to our family name.Revisionist history can be a good thing; it makes room for truth. For Read More…
“Out and About” County fair, aerators, and lead poisoning
Rouch Equipment would like to invite everyone to their Annual Fall Openhouse this Saturday, September 30, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Rouch Equipment is located at 56653 Abbey Rd., west of Three Rivers. There will be something for every member of the family including a display of small engine equipment, a Blacksmith demonstration, multiple Read More…
Proud to be a Pioneer: What Kind of Schools Do We Want?
The last 45 years for me have been spent in schools. From Clare to Alma College, a couple of districts in western Pennsylvania, two districts in southern Michigan, and back to Clare…you may get a kick out of the fact that I’ve been around that long and never really left! I’ve had jobs on the Read More…
Postcard from the Pines: Twenty-three Smoky Miles
This is the time of year when we all long for a great color tour. A few years ago we planned to travel on the Color Tour Train along a section of the old Ann Arbor Railroad. These tracks still run through Marion. We looked forward to it, only to have it cancelled and something Read More…
Humor: BEING FUNNY FOR FRIENDS
I’ve made some friends at the Old Folks Hotel. Perry is one of my GUY friends, and we are way outnumbered. Apparently, women live longer than men, but an argument could be made that it’s because women drove us to the grave. Anyway, Perry proudly served in the Marine Corps back when the country still Read More…
Maggie’s Pantry
By Maggie ConklinEasy Stuffed DuckThe family story goes one long-ago night my parents were eating at a fine restaurant with some Dad’s business customers, Mom’s cousin Bob and lifelong friend Margaret.Mom Milley lectured Bob all afternoon long about how to speak and act in polite society, without cuss words, proper conversation topics.Things started well with Read More…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorSaddling UpHe saddled up to the bar and gritted through rotted cuspids, bicuspids, incisors …“Aren’t you s’posed to sidle?” asked Zeke the Barkeep.“Buck you,” he spat through his bridge, spitting bloody Chiclets square into bullseyes of 12 dartboards. “I’m up for a ride. Whiskey.”“You want, I got.”“I don’t always drink risky, but when Read More…