Out and About Blog by Norm Stutesman

Three Rivers has always been my hometown. I was raised here, then ventured out into the real world soon after graduation from high school. For the next thirty-three years, I lived in the Chicago area, Denver, and Las Vegas. I always thought of Three Rivers as my hometown because of the people and the sense of tranquility that made up …

We still have two months left before school starts, so if you’re undecided as where to go for that summer vacation, I strongly suggest that you stay right here in Michigan. There is so much to see and do, and you don’t need to spend a lot of money. If you’re interested in camping, there are plenty of state parks …

Probably one of the most popular words used today is “change”. “Change” is inevitable. We can’t move forward without “change”. I’ve never been a big fan of change, especially when it’s big. One of the obstacles that members of a civic organization must face is when a new member joins the group and comes up with an idea that involves …

One thing I’ve learned from doing this column is that my personal opinion on anything is better left unsaid. This pertains to topics on religion and politics most of the time. There are times that I find myself standing on that soapbox and expressing my feelings quite openly. After I prepare a column, I go back and review what I’ve …

I spent nine years working for a Japanese freight forwarder in Chicago. During those nine years, I was able to become familiar with the Japanese language, but not enough to follow the dialogue in foreign movies featuring Japanese actors. Thank God for movies like MIDWAY, where most of the script was in English. I am also a little familiar with …

Monday was Memorial Day, a day to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. There were several parades in St. Joseph County, which, hopefully, many of you attended. The parades, by tradition, or respect, were silent, which means that you shouldn’t have heard any sirens. In Three Rivers and Mendon, there was an honor guard …

This Friday is our tenth anniversary. This will not make the front page of a newspaper, because being married for ten years is nothing compared to someone being married fifty or more. I mention this because we’ve both been married before, so we realize what can happen if you don’t consistently work together to make the marriage a success. I …

I wish that I were more of a reader. I read about two books a year, which is something that I’m not proud of. I receive several magazines monthly and I usually end up adding them to a stack of other magazines, with intentions of reading them later when I have more time. What I should do is set aside …

I recently attended a Saturday morning meeting in Lansing. The trip usually takes a little less than two hours, so I planned to stop for a quick breakfast at a diner near the intersection of M-60 and I-69. I usually allow myself a few extra minutes for breakfast, because you never know how busy the place is going to be, …

I’m sure it was more than a couple of years ago that I mentioned the fact that Bowman Park, on North Main Street, doesn’t contain a single bench. Lafayette Park, which is also located on North Main Street, across from Hoppin School, has at least two benches. I mention this only because a reader asked me why this was the …