 To The Editor: I recognize I am introducing a commercial issue and my point is to get it out there to declare a need in our area. I am a very small eighty four year old woman who struggles to hoist a heavy hose and fill my gas tank. Since my husband passed (he always did it) I depend upon relatives to do it for me. My latest encounter brought me to tears and a gentleman at the other pump recognized my plight and did it for me. There is a need in this area to assist us. I understand it would require adjusting the delivery of services and so forth but if just one of the stations here in either Grant, Newaygo, Fremont or White Cloud offered the service it would be so deeply appreciated by those of us who struggle. Thank you. Donna Carpenter
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By Ken De Laat I’m admittedly more than a tad forgetful. With an impending membership in the septuagenarian segment of society looming it would not be unreasonable to pass this ingrained inattentiveness off to the erosion of certain skills that accompany aging. But as I’ve revealed before and am reminded of by any who have significant history with me, this has been more of a chronic condition. Apparently a lifetime of working crossword puzzles hasn’t honed this segment of my frontal lobe to any great extent whatsoever and despite a good grasp on trivia or long past events the ability to leave the house once (keys, wallet, phone, masks, etc.) continues to elude me. Over the years it has been necessary to rely on the kindness of others to help phones, credit cards, hats and the occasional wallet find their way back to me. Thus after taking copious (and barely legible to others) notes while covering the Fremont Basketball game Friday I got home and discovered the annoying sound coming from my phone on the way back to Newaygo was an incoming text from Doug (Voice of the Packers) Harmon who I sat next to at the scorers table. “You left your notepad” Ok. Well, I could take a stab at going back but it was late, I was tired and I figured I could make an attempt in the morning despite being previously committed to assist my LSC Lil with some planned projects around the house. Granted it should come as no surprise to her having coped with this aspect of my personality for close to half a century, yet it isn’t likely the most endearing of my attributes and after this past year of her having me underfoot close to 24/7 it behooves me to make attempts to minimize exposure to these less than desirable traits. “How was the game?” ‘Good. Home team won both.’ “Aren’t you going to write it up tonight?” ‘Uh, no I’ll just do if first thing tomorrow.’ (After I either see if someone is at the school or maybe try to cobble together something from what has already been described as a less than stellar memory). Enter Fremont Assistant Principal/Athletic Director David Walls. I awoke to an (e)mailbox stuffed with individual photos of my notes. Each page. Every scribble, side note, stat, and even the random non-basketball thoughts that sometimes appear when an idea hits. He took the time to send it all. My reply? “Owe you huge” Because of his kind action I was able to put together the stories, join in the pre-planned projects without interruption (or explanation) and generally experience a Saturday morning infinitely less stressful than the one that loomed ahead when I retired for the night. It was as if the episode never occurred. Then Lil asked, ”Did you pick up those items on the way to the game like we talked about?” And I departed for the store. "As you get older three things happen. First is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two."-Norman Wisdom  To the Editor: When asked by my grandkids how much each person would get if the 1.9 Trillion $$$ “CoVid Personal Relief Bill” went to every USA citizen, I admitted that I was not sure how many Zeros are in a Trillion $$$. Also, using the old math we were taught, I kinda recalled where the "Goes-Into" goes into the formula. Needed the help of Bill Gates & Excel. (Figured Gates is one of the few who probably relates to Trillion $$$ & where the “Goes-Into” goes) Turns out there’s 12 Zeros ($1,000,000,000,000) & the “Goes-Into” is the 330,000,000 USA citizens. $1 Trillion per person = $3,300 per person. The formula for the $1.9T “CoVid Personal Relief Bill” would be about $6,000 for every citizen. A family of 4 = about $24,000. Also, when asked how the formula that resulted in the $1,400 was determined, I again had to admit I did not understand how WDC (Washington D.C.) arrived at $1,400 instead of $6,000. One of the variables that complicates understanding the formula is that not all citizens qualify for this version of relief which means the amount should even be higher to the folks that qualify as “Needy” by the folks in WDC. Turns out that the WDC Swamp-o-nomic definition of “Needy” is needed to determine why the $1,400 is the appropriate amount for USA citizens that qualify. As the details of the “CoVid Personal Relief Bill” are being revealed, we’re finding out what goes into “Needy” includes Foreign Governments, Blue State & City deficit bailouts, Prisoners, Art Programs, 2022 election year spending, etc. Sure hope our grandkids with their new math can figure out how much a Trillion $$$ is & how to pay for the Porkulus debt we’re leaving. Perhaps more important is that they understand who, where, when & what of the “Goes-Into'' is needed for the “Needy”. Norman Knorr  To the Editor, The members of NorthPointe Gymnastics Competitive Team are holding a fundraiser to generate funds for the general operations of NorthPointe Gymnastics due to the COVID-19 related closures throughout 2020. These closures have resulted in devastating financial consequences which threatens the sustainability of NorthPointe Gymnastics. NorthPointe offers the children of our community so many priceless essentials like physical activity, social skills and friendships, coordination and agility, mental and physical strength and well-being, and so much more. NorthPointe provides this opportunity to boys and girls of all ages, offering classes from toddler/preschool, to Ninja classes, to competitive team, and everything in between. There is truly something for everyone! Please join us in participating in this fundraiser. The end goal is to provide direct funds to NorthPointe Gymnastics, while supporting other local businesses during this difficult time as well. How it works is very simple; we are asking for general donations in increments of $10. For every $10 donated, you will receive an entry into a prize drawing of your choice. There are 13 prize packages, each worth over $110. Packages include different combinations of gift cards from the sponsors, and/or products or services. To donate and see a full list of the prize packages, please reach out to a NorthPointe Gymnastics competitive gymnast or contact Roni Crisman @ 231.215.9398. We have such a strong, supportive community and the following businesses have demonstrated this through their gracious donations, making this fundraiser possible. We would like to extend our sincere thankfulness to them and hope that in return, you will support them in your everyday life: All Phase Welding, Brew Works, Fremont Lanes & Summer Breeze Golf, Happy Nails, Jimmy’s Roadhouse, Kilkare Armory, Koffee Kuppe, Maple Hill Beef & Dairy Farm, NCEA (Newaygo County Education Association), Rolar Manufacturing, Syrena May-Crisman – Arbonne Independent Consultant, The Freckled Fawn, The Print Shop, Theresa Voshel – Zyia Activewear, Van’s Car Wash & Quick Lube, We Love Nutrition, Wesco – Maple Island location Sincerely, Roni Crisman |
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December 2024
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