St. Patrick’s Day brings out the jokester

St. Patrick’s Day brings out the jokester

I actually like the month of March. The weather, while unpredictable, is gearing up for warmer days to come. March is a time when folks start to think spring in Michigan may actually arrive. It’s also a time when car dealerships and furniture stores have Irish-themed sales for St. Patrick’s Day – my son Sean’s […]

For the love of a son

For the love of a son

    I loved my dad. My dad loved me (I know, because he told me so). I love my sons. My sons love me (I know because they tell me so). I love the dynamics of father/son relations — the ebbs and flows of emotions from idealizing to eye-rolling to friendship, all bound with […]

Wacky weather and readers respond!

Wacky weather and readers respond!

I don’t know about you, but this weather thingy has got me all discombobulated. We’ve been bamboozled out of a decent winter and I’m kind of flabbergasted by the whole thing. It’s like I’ve been gobsmacked. (Yeah, yeah I know many of you are saying, “Don, you always look dazed and confused, so what’s the […]

Trying to figure it all out.

Trying to figure it all out.

  I live a swinging bachelor lifestyle. You know how it is. Each week night I watch Jeopardy, see how much I don’t know and then I turn the TV off, turn off the lights, start up an audio book and go to sleep. Sleep comes in about 13 minutes, so I don’t really know […]

When the sun never sets on news

 Guest Opinion By Shelby Stewart-Soldan I didn’t sleep Monday night. I’m sure many of you were the same. I’ve always said that news doesn’t take a holiday or a day off. Apparently it doesn’t sleep either. The violent acts at Michigan State University aren’t the first time I’ve been unable to turn off breaking news […]

The story of Don’t Rush Me (and more!)

The story of Don’t Rush Me (and more!)

Last week I was honored to be the guest speaker at Oxford Township Senior Citizens Coffee and Conversation. A handful of local seasoned citizens sat around me at a table with coffee and pastries to ask me questions. For about an hour they asked questions about my history (growing up on the mean streets in […]

I want a National Day for me

I want a National Day for me

Is it me, or are there more and more “National” days these days? There are so many it’s really kinda hard to keep up with all the “National” fill in the blank days. To satisfy my curiosity, I hopped on the old internet and searched for “National Days In February.” Holy, jump the shark, Batman! […]

Progress is the time to shine

Progress is the time to shine

For most of us these days the weather to a lot colder. And, when the thermometer mercury starts dropping below freezing it’s the time of year we here at your community newspaper start heating up and commence to work on an annual favorite section. Progress. Progress is the perfect way to introduce (or re-introduce) your […]

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to Me!

When this column is first published, Wednesday, Jan. 25 I will have turned 60 years old. I gotta’ say, 60 feels pretty easy, if only I have forgotten all the rough stuff from the last 59 years. So, I got that goin’ for me. I received three emails of interest this week, that through a […]

Young and impressionable = old and impressionable

Young and impressionable = old and impressionable

As a long-standing member of the media, I think it’s fair for me to be a little critical of “the media.” In particular of all the scare mongering which has been going on for the past three years. We haven’t had a day in three years where we haven’t heard or seen a newscast that […]