Out and About – Week of July 28th

A week from today is Election Day. On the ballot will be several propositions, and you may vote yes or no as to whether you’d like to see these enacted. You will also vote on the person that you’d like to have represent you in Lansing as your State Representative from the 59th District.

All of the candidates on the ballot have worked hard for your vote. Some have worked harder to get their name out.

The only candidate that I have never met is Aaron Miller from Sturgis. I have not kept up to date as to what each candidate has said, and I haven’t followed any of the debates or forums where each candidate has spoken his mind. I do know that we shouldn’t expect all the promises that have been made, to be kept. Sometimes that just can’t be done, no matter how hard one tries to make it happen.

I have always kept my political and religious views private. I am a bit ignorant when it comes to politics, because my father loved to argue the subject, and I try my best to avoid conflict. I’ll respect your beliefs as long as you’ll respect mine, and, as friends, we have the right to disagree.

I could care less how you vote on Tuesday, August 5, but I care very much that you at least get up off the couch and go to the polls and vote. If you don’t want to go to the polls, then by all means do what you can to vote “Absentee”. The percentage of the population here in St. Joseph County that does vote is shameful. When Wal-Mart, here in Three Rivers, opened for the first time, it was an election day. More people walked through Wal-Mart’s doors on that day, than cast their votes for that election. That doesn’t say much for the citizens of this community. The excuse of not having a way to get to the polls doesn’t work, either. The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority will pick you up at home and take you to the polls. After you’ve voted, they’ll take you back home. This transportation to and from the polls is FREE.

If you don’t vote during an election, you have no right to complain about the election results. I think that it’s time that we show how much we care. Get out there and vote. I’ve done my patriotic duty and cast my vote a week ago. If my choice doesn’t win, at least I’ve done what I could to help.

We are definitely in the season for drinking lemonade. An ice cold glass of lemonade goes down so easily, and if it’s super cold, the brain freeze is worth it. Lemon juice does have other uses than helping to quench that summer thirst. You might want to try using lemon juice to dissolve soap scum and hard-water deposits, or mix it with baking soda for a paste to clean brass and copper. Just mix a half a cup of lemon juice with one cup of olive oil to polish hardwood furniture. I’d advise you to test this out first on a small area.

There’s a lot of sadness in the news these days. Being sad for any length of time is not a good thing and can bring you down, and those around you might be affected. I haven’t included a lot of “Happy Thoughts” in this column for a few weeks, so I’ll finish this column with a few things that might make you chuckle. Give these some thought:

If the directions for finding a place include the words “You can’t miss it”……you will.

If you have to “take it or leave it”…….leave it.

If you can’t do anything about it, don’t.

Never ask a question to which you really don’t want to know the answer.

The Three Rivers Fire Department has taken delivery of a new pumper/tanker. The truck is number 216, and the firefighters are in the process of being trained on its many uses. If you happen to be Out and About some evening and pass by Station Two, and if they aren’t busy, see if someone can give you a nickel tour of the truck. You’ll be amazed at what this piece of equipment can do. You’ll also be impressed as to how much all of the firefighters know about all the equipment and their jobs.

See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman

Check Also

Out and About – Week of March 18th

I’m pretty sure that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can be classified as “The …