The Paw Paw River Journal

Shot through the heart!

 OK, Dear Readers here’s fair warning!  Next week comes along St. Valentine’s Day. All you guys get some sort of a valentine for your significant other. I’ve been thinking about it, and I just don’t know what to do about a greeting for my Chief Accountant.  We’ve been together so many years and have celebrated many of these days together… all of them landmarks.  She doesn’t need perfume… bottles are already lined up waiting for her to sample them.  She has plenty of blouses…

I could buy her a bottle of brandy, but she would only say, “All right, you know I’ll never drink it.  I’ll just have to give it to you.”  I am absolutely out of ideas, so guess I’ll write a column about our life together and tell her it is for her!  Hope you won’t find it boring!

We attended church in Watervliet as long as Marion’s Mom was with us, because that was their family church. Marion was baptized there as a baby, as I was when I came home from WWII and we were planning on getting married. I finished my course of instructions, got baptized, confirmed… and then we were married… all at St. Joseph’s. Our four children were all baptized there and confirmed. As far as Hartford is concerned, when plans were afoot to build the new church out across from Maple Hill Cemetery, I was on the committee for the fund drive. So we are at home either place.

We have always tried to go to church together… and take the kids. I think it is so important to have an underlying religious awareness. So, maybe they will not continue in your choice of a house of worship.  But they will always have that foundation of beliefs to which they were exposed.

After church on a Saturday we always went out for dinner somewhere.  One of our favorites was a Chinese restaurant on the east side of Kalamazoo. We got to know the owners and received special treatment there. I can remember one night I looked at my fortune cookie… it said, “You will take a chance on something in the near future!”

Now, this was most propitious, so I showed it to Marion, and we both laughed. Then I leaned over and whispered to her, “How would you like to take a chance on something?”

She just smiled sweetly and replied, “Not right now!”  And I’m sure she was thinking (as I was) back to our days in Ann Arbor. We always read our horoscopes in The Ann Arbor Daily News… One day she came in with the newspaper, trying to keep a straight face and said, “Would you like to see my horoscope for today?”

So I took the paper… for Gemini (the Twins) it read, “Someone near and dear to you is going to give you a small present.  Remember it’s not the size of the gift that counts, but the thought behind it!” And we both laughed… I had to admit it was funny.

Yes, she is a Gemini… always has been and always will be.  I tell people that she was born under the sign of the Twins, and when we go to bed at night, I never know which twin it is going to be! Perhaps that has helped to make our life together an adventure.

Anyway, on Saturday nights after dinner, we would usually go to someone’s house and play dominoes… now this was not your average game of dominoes… it could get to be pretty serious. At a friend’s house, this one guy really cut some capers. It seems he could not make a wrong move. And it really flummoxed his wife. I could see her finally starting to steam, because she could get nowhere in the game.

Finally I decided to give him a word of warning.  I said, “You know there was this couple who had been out on a Saturday night.  When they got home, the husband got ready and crawled into bed.  His wife was still sitting out in the living room with a magazine.  Finally he said, ‘Aren’t you ever coming to bed?’ She answered, ‘Just a minute… I’m reading Glamour magazine.’  He grumbled a minute, then said, ‘Well, if you come on in here, you can read The Saturday Evening Post!’”

Then I said to my friend who had such winning ways, “If you don’t take it a little easier on your wife, there won’t be any Saturday Evening Post!”

And his wife chimed right in, “He won’t even get The Reader’s Digest!”

I never realized how important my Chief Accountant’s medical background would be in helping us through the difficulties in life.  She has always been there with good advice.  She knew what to do when our little ones got sick.  She accompanied me into surgery twice as an RN.  She also did the same for other friends and family members.  When one of our daughters broke her wrist, Marion worked on it to relieve the pain, then took her to Dr. Carl Boothby’s office.  He X-rayed it and said, “Well, you have it aligned perfectly… all I have to do is put a cast on it!”

All of our years together have been an adventure.  No regrets, and would I do it all over again?  In a heartbeat!  But there is no going back. All we have is what we have.  And, as Jimmy Stewart said in the film, “It’s a wonderful life!” So, all you guys out there… it is up to us to do something to thank the most important person or persons who have made possible whatever happiness has come our way!

It is the people who are so close to us… they have helped to weave golden threads into the marvelous tapestry of our lives in these storybook towns along the Paw Paw River.

Coloma Library News

Book Club

The Coloma Library Book Club is meeting for a book discussion on Thursday, February 16 at 5:30 p.m. The title to read before the discussion is “The Shack” by William P. Young.  Generally, depending on demand there are titles available for check-out at the front desk.

The book club regularly meets every other Thursday and is always looking for new members. If you are interested in more information please stop in the library or call 468-3431.

Story Hour

 Story Hour will resume meeting on Wednesday, February 22 at 10:30 a.m. Join Miss Amy for a story, craft and song time. Story Hour is a free weekly program for toddlers and preschool aged children, it does not require sign-up.

St. Patrick’s Book Sale

and Story Hour

 The library will have a book sale from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 11. The library has an expansive collection of used books, DVDs, magazines, puzzles and more all at unbelievably low prices. You don’t want to miss this sale! The library will remain open during the sale. Please call 468-3431 with any questions.

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the library will have a special Story Time at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 11. Join in on the fun! Listen to a story, make a craft and have a snack in the Community Room. All children are welcome, there is no sign-up or fee for this event. Call the library at (269) 468-3431 with any questions.

Hartford Public Library news

 Come to the Hartford Public Library and make a valentine for our wall. Children may make a valentine for our wall and earn candy from now until Feb. 14. On Monday, Feb. 13, children will be able to decorate large valentine cookies for their family from 4 – 6 p.m.

On Wednesday, Feb. 15 it is Family Lego Night from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Make a Lego creation and enter the drawing for Lego prizes. No registration is required.

The Children’s Room is always open for play dates. Bring your children for stories and constructive playtime. Our Children’s Room has a doll house, Lego blocks, a train table and lots of fun things to do.

The Hartford Public Library is offering a 2-day course on the Excel program. The dates are Monday, Feb. 20 and Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 5 – 7 p.m. Registration is required due to space limitations. There is no cost for this class. Call 461-3408 for more information or to register.

Watervliet District Library News

 Buy a brick from the Watervliet District Library as a legacy gift to honor the cherished people in your life.  Help create a new Garden Park for our community.

Story Hour:

Wed. 10:30 – 11:30 &

Thurs. 1:30 – 2:30

This class is offered for ages 3 – 5 years and includes stories, crafts, show-and-tell and snacks every week until the end of April.

Adult Reading Program – “Exercise Your Mind”:

Jan. 16 thru Feb. 25, 2017

Anyone 18 years and older is invited to warm up those brain cells with winter reading. Great prizes await. 1st prize — water bottle (+ flavorings) after reading the first two books. 2nd prize – adult coloring book & pencils after books three & four. 3rd prize — Subway gift card after reading books five & six. Grand Prize drawing includes everyone who has read six or more books – Garmin VivoFit Fitness Band, keeping you in shape 24/7. Amaze your cranium and celebrate winter with a good book.

Yoga:

Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m.

In Stitches, Knitting Group:

Friday, Feb. 10, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Who wants to sit and knit all by themselves? Bring your latest project to the library’s community room, for an always entertaining “group knit-together.”

Words of Wisdom Book Club:

Monday, Feb. 20, 7 – 8 p.m.

Read something great – or something awful – and can’t wait to talk about it? Here’s your chance! Bring something you’re dying to share. Together the club will come up with March’s riveting title.

Adult Coloring Class:

Monday, Feb. 27, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Thank goodness we can finally admit that coloring is fun! Join us in a relaxing evening of creativity with colored pencils and paper. Background tunes and snacks will help set the mood. Come prepared to sit back and unwind! All supplies are provided; give us a call to register. Already caught the coloring bug? Feel free to bring your own!

For more information or to register for any of these programs, please call the library at 463-6382 or stop in.

COLOMA

100 years ago – 1917

 Mesdames W.H. Ball, Wm. Becht, and Martha Brant attended a county suffrage luncheon held at the Hotel Whitcomb. Mrs. W.H. Ball was honored by being re-elected treasurer.

Coloma will have a school of agriculture instruction for the men and domestic instruction for the ladies.  Progressive Farmers, Clover Leaf and Self Culture clubs are making this possible.

Leave your film for developing pictures at Scott’s Drugstore. They will receive prompt attention.

60 years ago – 1957

 Total school enrollment is 1551. This is inclusive of Coloma, Gray, Clymer, Bundy, Pier, Ingraham, Curtis, Brick, Cribbs, Boyer, Millburg, and Washington.

The city commission voted to purchase a new fire truck at the cost of $10,815. Commissioner Raymond Emhoff reported that West Street has more traffic passing over it than Church Street. A traffic light at the corner of West Street and U.S.12 is recommended. City Clerk Mrs. Davis is back to work after a vacation in Honolulu, Hawaii. She and her husband were away four weeks.

A silver anniversary was celebrated for Mr. and Mrs. Albert Freier, well-known area farmers. A buffet luncheon was served.

30 years ago – 1987

 Blossomtime’s Miss Coloma will be selected at the Coloma High School auditorium this Sunday. Twenty young women will be competing. Ticket prices are $4.50.

We Asked You… What would you like from your Valentine? Flora Morris would like a call from her son in Alaska. Marilyn Yirchott wants to be taken out to dinner.

Community Hospital will be selecting their Community Leadership Award. Coloma nominees are: Wayne Kreitner, David Moser, John Yelding and Norma Sommers.

Win a trip to Hawaii. Come in and test a Somma mattress and your name will be entered into the sweepstakes at Nancy’s Furniture & Waterbeds.

HARTFORD

100 years ago – 1917

 With a high wind whipping the snow into immense drifts, the three days of continuous blizzard which ended Monday left this section of Michigan all but snow bound. Traffic was blocked on railroads and highways. All trains crept into Hartford hours late, after snow plows had been kept in continuous operation battling snow drifts that ranged from 4 to 8 feet.

The home of Dell Neff and family in the southwest part of the village was completely destroyed by fire last Thursday afternoon. Mr. Neff has a large family and the loss of their home in mid-winter has proven to be a serious hardship.

75 years ago – 1942

 Senior high school men, 17 to 19 years old inclusive, may enlist in the United States Navy now, and complete their high school education before being called to active duty.

Mr. and Mrs. Deane Richmond will observe their 50th wedding anniversary at an open house Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Federated church. Their son and his family will be hosts. Mr. and Mrs. Richmond have been honored as 4-H club leaders. In the spring, they will complete 34 years as leaders of the Irish 4-H Club. Richmond is a former Hartford Township supervisor and served as chairman of the Van Buren Board of Supervisors. He is secretary of the Hartford Co-Op Elevator, Inc. and president of the Hartford Gleaners.

Mrs. Richmond is county chairman of the home economics extension groups, president of the Southwest Thursday Club and chaplain of the Gleaners. She teaches the Loyal Daughters Sunday School class at the Federated church.

50 years ago – 1967

 A go-cart track will become the site of a major fruit processing plant, according to an announcement last week by Cherry Growers, Inc. The new plant is scheduled for completion by mid-June. Initially it will process red tart cherries and apples, and will be expanded to handle other fruits produced in the Hartford area.

A crew of 25 shovelers cleared the roof of the Van Buren Fruit Exchange building at Hartford, Saturday. Snow was 24 to 30 inches deep on the roof.

WATERLIET

90 years ago – 1927

 Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Pockett were pleasantly surprised on Feb. 16, 1027, when Mr. and Mrs. Allen Stark and daughters walked in upon them, bringing their supper.  It was Mrs. Puckett’s 67th birthday and their 48th wedding anniversary.  Mrs. Stark brought them a cake decorated on one side with 67 for the birthday and on the other with 48 for the wedding anniversary.

Keith Elliot, Watervliet, who received his A. B. degree at Western State Normal, Kalamazoo, has been hired as superintendent of the schools at Union City, Branch County.  He will succeed G.S. Goster, superintendent of schools there for the past seven years.  Mr. Elliot taught one year in the Cribbs School, one year at Millburg and for several months filled a temporary vacancy as principal of the Lawton School.

60 years ago – 1957

 Milton Krugman, E.F.S.A. arrived here Feb. 14, 1957 en route to Norman, Oklahoma, where he will attend a school of Basic Aviation preparing for Aviation Electronics Technician.  After eight weeks of basic he will spend 33 weeks in Aviation Electrics School.

Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Van Loon are the parents of a baby girl born Feb. 8, 1957 weighing five pounds.  She has been named Lauri Ann.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hupp are the parents of eight pounds, 3-1/2 ounce baby girl, Jeanette Kay, born Feb. 9, 1957.

30 years ago – 1987

 The contributions made by Margaret “Pegi” Farac at Watervliet Schools represent the ideals of the “Employee of the Month” program and justify its continuation.  Her work with the Watervliet Youth Outreach since the first of the school year may have touched the lives of not only the young people but adults in our community as well.  She is to be given the majority of the credit for two in-school assemblies and one community seminar inspired by the “Generation at Risk” initiatives to confront the challenges of drug abuse, alcoholism, school dropouts, teen-age suicides and teen-age pregnancy.  Her work as a special education teacher in the Watervliet District has been outstanding.  She has advised two very successful Junior High variety shows, shown leadership within the kindergarten through senior high special education staff and worked with the Junior/Senior High staff on many different projects. Her greatest contribution however, is her effort during the 1985-86 and 1986-87 school years to combat drug and alcohol abuse.