Out and About – Week of July 27th

Back in the fifties there was a popcorn stand at the intersection of West Michigan Avenue and Main Street. With the traffic we have now, it would be difficult to have that popcorn stand at that location. For you popcorn lovers out there, here is some good news. That same popcorn stand is now located in Scidmore Park next to the petting zoo. It was open before, but was closed due to lack of interest and excessive vandalism. Fear not, for the stand is once again open for business. St. Joe County Community Mental Health, along with Adapt, have made it possible for everyone to once again enjoy fresh popcorn, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches and pop for three dollars or less.

The hours of operation are 2PM – 5:30PM, Thursdays and Fridays, 11AM – 5PM on Saturdays and on Sundays they are open from noon until 4PM. Having the popcorn stand open puts adults with disabilities to work and provides support as they learn work-related skills.

The Covid pandemic has changed our lives in many ways and will continue to change things that were at one time normal. Doctors’ offices no longer have magazines in their waiting rooms and games and other things to keep children entertained are not there anymore. If you have an appointment with a doctor, in most cases you cannot have someone go with you. If you’ve been traveling and spending your nights in a motel, you may have noticed that the complimentary breakfast in the lobby is also gone. Your motel room is also more sterile. Wearing a face mask is slowly but surely becoming a normal thing to do, much like fastening your seat belt prior to starting your car. Like everyone else, I’ll be glad when this pandemic subsides and we can return to some form of normalcy. I dread the day when we might say, “I remember when we used to hug each other.”

The Carnegie Center for the Arts always has something of interest for people of all ages. On display through September 3, the Carnegie is featuring artwork by many local artists including Pete Larouech, Richard Jordan, Randy Walker, Melody Allen and many more. During this summer and fall, the Carnegie will have adjusted hours. I suggest you give them a call at 269-273-8882 for their hours of operation and more information. You also might want to visit their website at www.trcarnegie.com. The Carnegie Center for the Arts is located in historic downtown Three Rivers at 107 North Main Street. Please remember that face masks must be worn and social distancing is enforced. Oh yes, admission is FREE at the Carnegie.

On July 1, I wrote about having a large tree removed from our front yard. Watching the climber was very entertaining. Last Thursday the climber returned to remove the stump. He didn’t have a crew to work with, but he did bring along a supervisor named Bentley Jackson. Under Bentley’s supervision, the stump was completely ground up in about three hours, leaving at least a truck load of mulch on the ground. For an additional fee, the mulch could have been hauled away. We opted to dispose of the mulch by burning it. The climber gave us some great suggestions on how to burn it and I’m sure this process would have worked out just fine. Once again, the yard was left as neat as possible by the time the climber and his supervisor left. During a meeting of the minds that evening, it was suggested that we post something on the Internet that just might catch someone’s eye. The posting read, “FREE mulch available. Come and help yourself to all you want.” By 3PM the following day, the mulch had been taken away by the first caller. It took two truckloads but this saved me more than several hours of being on “Fire Watch”. Does anyone need a bag of charcoal and two gallons of gasoline?

See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman