Out and About Blog by Norm Stutesman

I mentioned last week how difficult it is, at times, to get together with family. My siblings and I have been working since last February to set a date to celebrate my one sister’s eightieth birthday. Either she was out of town, I had other commitments, or the weather was not suitable for traveling. At first we were going to …

Welcome to July. The day after tomorrow is the Fourth of July, which is a holiday. This means that there will not be any mail delivery, garbage pick-up, and the banks will be closed. So, if your garbage is picked up normally on Thursday, it will be Friday, and Friday’s garbage will be picked up on Saturday. Whew! I just …

I’d like to make one more comment on this year’s Water Festival. Last week I gave sort of a review on the Festival from my perspective, but there seem to be a few who are still upset about the cancelling of the Saturday Main Stage entertainment and fireworks. The Water Festival committee did not cancel anything. The fireworks company cancelled …

I’m starting this week’s column midway through the 57th Annual Water Festival here in Three Rivers. I’ve been involved with the Water Festival for at least five or six years now, so I feel that I know at least a little bit about what I’m talking about. I’ve been co-chairing the parade for several years now, working with Pam Hughes. …

If you had placed a wager as to whether or not I’d mention the Water Festival this week, and said that I wouldn’t even mention the parade, you would have lost the bet. Water Festival is probably the biggest event of the year for those living in Wildcat country. It used to be called “Water Carnival”, but because of all …

With the passing of Memorial Day, we are officially into summer. Although summer doesn’t officially begin until June 22, the gentlemen may now wear their white shoes and the ladies may wear whatever they usually wear, without fear of embarrassment. Please don’t accuse me of slamming the ladies, but I really am not aware of what the style is for …

About a month ago, I made a couple of changes in my column. I decided to make the column a bit more personal. I did this by sharing some of my experiences, with hopes that some readers might have experienced some of the same. Every so often, I throw in a few trivial things that might be helpful hints or …

Backyard BBQ chefs will be happy to hear about a new attraction to this year’s Water Festival. It’s a Backyard BBQ Competition. All backyard chefs are invited to compete in this event on Friday, June 14, from 2 until 9 PM. Century Bank and Trust has agreed to sponsor this first-time ever competition. The entry fee is $55, which covers …

We are all mortal, which means that we are all terminal and our days on earth are limited. I will, on occasion, mention the passing of friends in this column. I don’t do this to be morbid, but I do it because these individuals meant a lot to me, and I’m sure they meant a lot to many readers. Dan …

We have experienced eighty degree temperatures, I’ve mowed our lawn, the tree outside my office window is in full bloom, and my Gator is my main mode of transportation around town, so it must be springtime in Michigan. This is probably my favorite season of the year, because the days of high humidity haven’t arrived yet. It won’t be long …