Out and About Blog by Norm Stutesman

Stress is not a good thing. Too much stress can be fatal, so we must continue to find ways to relieve it. One way that I’ve found to do just that is to get away from my daily routine for a day or two. We decided to take three days in the middle of the week and go camping. Yankee …

Public restrooms are everywhere, except when you really need one. The best example that I can think of are those rest areas that appear on the major highways. The sign says, “Rest Area ahead one mile.” If you are traveling with your family, this is when you ask if there’s anyone who needs to use the bathroom. The answer, of …

I have no way of knowing how many people subscribe to or buy the Three Rivers Commercial-News on a daily basis. If you’re reading this column, either you purchase a hard copy of the paper, or you’re reading it via the internet. No matter which, format you prefer, I thank you for taking the time to make this a part of …

Here we are already into the month of August. If you think July had some warm weather, just wait until you see what August has to offer. August has a reputation for being about the hottest month of the year. Lake Michigan is now comfortable for swimming. A few things to remember during this warm season would include keeping your …

Norweigian Cruise Lines operates The Pride of America out of Honolulu, Hawaii, and if you’re planning a cruise of the Hawaiian Islands, this, in my mind, is the way to go. With a crew of around 950, their only purpose is to see that you are properly fed and pampered. Their cruise departs Honolulu every Saturday evening, arriving at the …

The last time I checked, the price of 89-octane gasoline in Chicago was $3.69 a gallon. The same gallon of gasoline in Honolulu sells for $3.39 per gallon. It goes without saying that you’re better off driving a Toyota Prius than a Corvette in both places. You see a lot of motor scooters in Honolulu, and quite a few tourists …

I was hired by United Airlines in June of 1969 and worked for them until 1985. Back then, the one-way coach fare from Chicago to the west coast was $129.00. You could check two bags, plus carry on a couple of bags, as long as they could fit in the overhead bin and underneath the seat in front of you. …

If you are considering opening a business here in Three Rivers, you really might want to give this some serious thought. This is strictly my opinion based on what I’ve seen and heard from local business owners. Growing up here in Three Rivers, I am fully aware that things are different now than they were fifty years ago. We can …

A couple of weeks ago, I accompanied my wife to a brief reunion of her classmates from grade school and high school. The purpose of the get together was to take a tour of her grade school in Kalamazoo, which is scheduled for demolition. The school was built in the 1920s, so many children have passed through the doors of …

Lately, I’ve been giving some serious thought to manhole covers. They are round so that they won’t fall into the hole they cover, but that’s just about all I know about them. What’s under those cast iron objects that appear at least once on every city block? If I were to open one up and crawl inside, would I discover …