Out and About – Week of August 30th

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” ~ Sir Winston Churchill

A brief word to the Automotive Engineers. Thanks for all the new advances you’ve made when it comes to designing the automobiles of today. The cars and trucks are much safer than they were twenty years ago. You see more SUVs than sedans and I’m pretty sure there are more pickups on the road than there were fifty years ago. However, there was a time when I could tell the year and make of a car by just giving it a quick glance. Now, it’s difficult to tell the difference between a Chevrolet and a Ford. It’s also harder to tell the difference between a Toyota and a Buick. Does General Motors still make a Cadillac sedan or are they concentrating on just the Escalade? Even police departments are using SUVs. With all the improvements, it would be nice if they would make all cars with the fuel port on the same side. Larger turn signals on the front of the car would be safer also. Car prices continue to increase, which is understandable, due to the amount of computerized equipment on-board. I long for the days when a person could do much of the maintenance on their own car. I’d like to know how many car owners change their own oil, or even check the dipstick anymore. What’s a dipstick?

This next weekend is Labor Day weekend, the final weekend of summer. The last chance most families will have the opportunity to get away for a day or two. If you and the family are planning to hit the highway, please drive responsibly.

To the mothers and stay-at-home dads, the children will soon be back in the classroom, so you’ll have the house to yourself for a few hours. If you home-school, put your teacher-hat on and share your wisdom. All drivers should be extra careful around school zones. Also, please pay attention to the school buses loading and unloading on all rural highways.

HarmonyFest returns to the Three Rivers downtown business district next Sunday, September 5. The entire downtown area will be a huge amphitheater complete with food vendors and activities for the entire family. Main Street Commons will open at 11 AM and will remain open until 11 PM. Kids Zone will run from 2 until 6PM, and there will be live music beginning at 1:30 PM. Entertainment includes Zion Lion, Tumbleweed Jumpers, Here nor There, Lana and the Tonics, and Riverside Band. The headliner is none other than Thornetta Davis. HarmonyFest is always the main Out and About event of the Labor Day weekend. The best thing about it is that it’s all FREE.

I’m not a big fan of bridges. I have, on occasion, crossed the Mackinac Bridge, but I was blindfolded and cowered in the back seat. Three Rivers has its share of bridges and the Three Rivers Woman’s Club cordially invite you to get out and do a bit of bridge walking right here in TR. The Bridge Walk runs from 9 AM until noon on Labor Day, September 6. This adventure begins at Scidmore Park at the Farmers Market pavilion. There will be plenty of homemade baked goods for purchase, and of course, plenty of hot dogs. If you’ve never walked the bridges, you have no idea what you’re missing.

“Lather was used by Daniel Boone. He lived a hundred years too soon.” ~ BURMA SHAVE

See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman