The Paw Paw River Journal

Looking ahead In England of the 1600s there lived a philosopher named John Locke. He had a theory that when we are born we are like a blank page… a tabula rasa he called it. Nothing written there! In other words whatever happens to us in life, he said, is what we become. We have come to believe that is not entirely true. Reminds me of a story… a lady brought her child in to be examined by a psychiatrist. The kid was absolutely horrible. He acted out all the time, and just would not mind. They had a conference in his office after the boy had been examined. The doctor said, “Madam, there’s nothing wrong with your child except heredity and environment!” Well, what else is there? So you see we have come to believe it is a combination of the two. For our purposes here I’d like to apply that idea to life… the tabula rasa… the blank page. Our new year has started, and it lies before us ready and available to write on it whatever we wish. For better or worse. What will it be? Some people think we are on the right track in this grand experiment of ours, the most successful democracy the world has ever seen. We are regaining our position of preeminence in the world. We have successfully negotiated, or should I say renegotiated trade agreements more balanced and to our advantage. Tony Blair, former prime minister of England said the measure of a country is whether people are trying to leave it, or trying to get into it. Other people feel we are on the road to ruin. Our country is being run by a businessman who knows how to make deals, but that’s all! And he may even be unbalanced. We should have open borders, free education for all, and universal medical care. Wow! Doesn’t that sound great? But wait a minute! It also sounds like socialism. One smart aleck defined socialism as a system in which the government gives you everything. And it works until they run out of other people’s money. But politics aside, I have a deeper concern than that. What has happened to people’s honesty? Around the holiday season TV news was filled with stories about dishonest people. Some followed the UPS trucks delivering packages. Places where people didn’t come out to get the packages, these leeches ran up, grabbed the loot, and ran off! Others ran scams that collected money for worthy causes (supposedly) and then lined their own pockets. Some time ago I heard a little story that stuck with me. It seems a young man, unmarried, was living at home with his widowed mother. He was an attorney working for the IRS. One day he approached Mom and said, “If you’ve got a minute, there’s something I’d like to run past you.” So she sat down, and he said, “I’ve got this friend, and he has an idea. You know how sometimes people pay more in taxes than they should. He says why don’t I hunt out some of them and let him know. Then he will go to them and offer to save them some money. He will do it for a fee. Then he will split the money with me.” The mom sat there and rocked in her chair for a moment. Then she said, “Son, you know how I come up in the morning to your room and have to wake you up, so you can go to work?” He nodded. “Well, I’d hate to come up there and find you lying awake and looking at the ceiling.” The young man thought for a moment, then said, “All right, Mom… I won’t do it!” I’m afraid in our modern society today not everyone would feel that way. What is the reason? Maybe I’m oversimplifying, but I believe it is because of the breakdown of the family unit. Who teaches our kids to be honest? And it’s not by someone sitting them down and giving a lecture. It is by example. We seem to be obsessed by a desire for political correctness. We have taken God out of so many things. Do we have any idea why it’s bad to lie, cheat, and steal? Where did that idea come from? Why is it bad? Well, I believe it came from God! There has to be something larger than ourselves! Consider the immensity of the universe. Do you think that just happened by chance? Consider the birth of the baby. Do you think all of the systems… checks and balances within us that keep us going… just happened by chance? I believe there is a grand design to the universe and to our lives. We are all related… part of a whole! I also believe part of that design years and years ago was carved on some stone tablets. They were guarded jealously by an old man who was leading his people out of slavery in Egypt. And I believe they are just as relative today as they were then! One final thought about looking ahead. It came to me on the Internet, and I can’t even remember from whence it came: At midnight on December 31, a new year began. This New Year has been given to us. What we do each day is important because we are exchanging a day of our lives for it. When tomorrow comes today will be gone forever, leaving in its place something we have traded for it. May our new year be for gain, not for loss; good, not evil; success, not failure.

Coloma Library News Read with Spirit Spirit, a certified therapy dog will be at the library on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Children may sign up for a 15-minute slot by stopping in at the front desk or calling the library at 468-3431. Reading to therapy dogs is a fun way for children to build reading confidence and fluency. Book Club The Coloma Library Book Club is meeting on Thursday, January 10 at 5:30 p.m. The title to read before the discussion is “A Fatal Grace” by Louise Penny. Generally, depending on demand there are titles available for check-out at the front desk. The book club is always looking for new members. Stop into the library or call 468-3431 for more information.

2019 Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days The Michigan Grape Society and Michigan State University Extension in partnership with Lake Michigan College will host the annual Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days conference Wednesday, February 6 and Thursday, February 7 at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center, 2755 E. Napier Ave., Benton Harbor, Michigan. Registration begins at 8 a.m. both days and all educational sessions begin at 9 a.m. Discussion of production issues will be led by MSU Extension agents, fruit growers, and university researchers. There will be educational sessions on tree fruits, vegetables, blueberries and grapes on both days. The event also features a trade show. Restricted use pesticide recertification credits have been requested.

Pre-registration cost is $45 per person and includes lunch for both days. Registrations postmarked after Monday, January 14, 2019 and at the door, will be $60 per person. Mail registration to: Michigan Grape Society, P.O. Box 151, Baroda, MI 49101, Attention: Allen Zelmer. Make checks payable to Michigan Grape Society.

For registration information only, please call Allen Zelmer at 269-870-5265. To view program details of specific presentations, go to canr.msu.edu/swmrec (look under Resources and Reports).

NEWS FROM THE COLOMA COURIER

100 years ago – 1919 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kreitner received letters from their oldest son, Arthur. He writes, “We are out of France, arriving in Luxemburg for a few days rest. We’ve had many long tiresome hikes, with many more to come. I hope to be home early this year.” Many family reunions were enjoyed this holiday. Mr. and Mrs. Lowell S. Guy, Mrs. Luella Howard, Mrs. C. Gerard, Mrs. John Ross and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Umphrey all hosted family and friends. 60 years ago – 1959 Coloma’s Chamber of Commerce will elect new officers at their next meeting. Nominations have come in. Many positions will be expiring. The Coloma Courier’s new owner, Marshall McGuineas will begin publishing next week. He has made his home on Wil-O-Paw Islands, having moved from Detroit. He succeeds Joe and Marjorie Wells. He expects to continue in his employ, Allen Stark and Michael Quigley. The Coloma Lions Club will salute the 1958 Coloma varsity football team. The banquet will be held in the Rose Inn at Paw Paw Lake. Ted Blahnik will be master of ceremonies. Coach Lyle Patterson will show movies of the past season. 30 years ago – 1989 Mayor Marvin Taylor commended the Joint Fire Board on a job well done. An agreement was accepted which ended the long-standing hot dispute. Special recognition went to Fire Board Chairman William Moser for “his outstanding work and extra effort.” Coloma Pompon Squad “did very well” in the Cotton Bowl competition. Coach Cathy Haley is very proud of the team. They also performed for CBS News and participated in the 1989 Cotton Bowl Parade. The North Berrien Historical Society received a $55,000 grant to renovate a historical barn. Senator Harry Gast presented the check. The barn is on the property owned by the society. Submitted by volunteer Sandi Musick Munchow at Coloma Public Library from the Coloma Courier newspapers donated by the Tri-City Record. Hours: Mon & Fri, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Tue, Wed & Thu, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Sat, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Phone: 269-468-3431

NEWS FROM THE HARTFORD DAY SPRING

100 years ago – 1919 Private Daniel Lightner of the 55th engineers arrived to spend Christmas with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Lightner. He is the first soldier to return to Hartford from France. Being with the engineering corps he was engaged in building railroads and other construction work. Arthur Abels and Frank Shafer have returned from Camp Custer where they have been employed as carpenters. Camp Custer is to be used as one of the demobilization camps. 75 years ago – 1944 Actress Ruth Terry, Hartford’s claim to film fame, will be seen in three pictures to be shown at the Heart Theatre within the next month. A granddaughter of Mrs. Susan Conklin, Miss Terry has been a frequent visitor in Hartford. Fires occurring Christmas night shortened holiday rejoicing for two families and interrupted the Christmas festivities of Hartford’s fire department volunteers. A trailer owned by Earl Shannon smoldered for nearly an hour and damage to the house trailer was slight. Fire of unknown origin completely destroyed the five-room frame home of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Ott about 6 p.m. Christmas night. Mr. Ott was at the barn doing chores and his wife and two small children were at a neighbor’s home across the road when the house was discovered in flames. 50 years ago – 1969 Hartford firemen had a fire they were happy about last week. They started it, and were glad paper goes up in smoke. The paper was the note that each firemen had signed to guarantee payment for the department’s new emergency truck. The truck is all paid for now, so the firemen burned the note at their annual Christmas party. The procedure of dividing up the assets between Hartford Township and the former village of Hartford finally may take place. The assets involved include the Town Hall and fire station, two cemeteries, the city township dump and some firefighting equipment. Submitted by Librarian Stephanie Daniels at Hartford Public Library from microfilm copies of the Hartford Day Spring. Hours: Mon, Tue & Wed, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thu & Fri, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Phone: 269-621-3408

NEWS FROM THE WATERVLIET RECORD

90 years ago – 1929 A little daughter arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bailey in South Watervliet on Jan. 12, 1929. Optimists and pessimists have each their uses. We know how often the minor difficulties of life may be defeated by mere cheerfulness. But when the difficult is big, a bigger effort is needed; you have to get down to causes and effects, and recognize who is wrong before starting to cure it. Nothing is more foolish than to shirk swallowing an unpleasant medicine, because two or three trifling and superficial symptoms seem for a moment to be your disease. Advertised on Jan. 18, 1929: Homemade pork sausage, 2 lbs. 25¢; Neck Bones per pound 8¢; Picnic Hams per pound 18¢; Pure Creamery Butter 49¢ 60 years ago – 1959 Miss Elizabeth (Betty) Moser, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Moser, has returned to Western Michigan University for her 1959 junior year. Bill Dienes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Dienes, who recently enlisted in the U.S. Army for three years, left for Detroit for induction. After Fort Wayne in Detroit, Bill went to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri for his basic training, after which he will have ten weeks schooling in operation of heavy equipment at Ft. Leonard Wood or Fort Belvoir, VA. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Danneffel are the proud parents of their baby boy, Timothy Joseph, born Nov. 15, 1928 and weighed 7 pound, 8 ounces. 30 years ago – 1989 Jordan Tatter was a recent graduate of Michigan State University at the end of the 1958 term. He took the four-year course in three and a half years. Jordan is now enrolled for the winter term where he will do graduate work at the university. A “new kid on the block” is Watervliet Auto Parts and RPM Automotive located on Main Street across the street from Belfy Drug Store. The business, owned by Richard Smith, not only sells auto parts but installs them! Congratulations David Morrical on being selected Watervliet’s ‘Student of the Week’. David is a hard-working eighth-grade student in school and athletics. He is the son of Rhonda Morrical of Watervliet. David’s favorite subject in school is math. He is very active in sports and is currently on the basketball team. Submitted by Sally Q. Gonzalez from files at Watervliet District Library of the Watervliet Record newspapers donated by the Tri-City Record. Hours: Mon & Wed, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Tue, Thu & Fri, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Phone: 269-463-6382