477-6925 donmar@lighthouse.net

The weather has been wonderful, with warm days and cool nights, and the leaves are starting to turn some beautiful colors. The back side of this is what comes "after" the leaves fall. It's that time of year again, which seems to come around so much faster than spring and summer.

There are still fundraisers going on for those affected by Hurricane Katrina and the other storms that have ravaged the southern states.

The Manistique Moose Lodge is having a fundraiser Saturday, October 8, with a live auction, games, pie social, and bake sale. At 7 p.m. there will be an adult karaoke and singing contest. The event is hosted by Wild Bill Karaoke. Thirty-five percent of the proceeds from the Lodge will be donated to the hurricane relief fund, with 100 percent of all monies collected to be donated to our local Chapter of Habitat for Humanity to rebuild homes in the hurricane-stricken area. For more information, call Al Grimm at (906) 341-6405, Ron Patten at (906) 342-2846, or Eugene Hannas at (906) 644-3532.

The craft show, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 1, at the Little Bear Arena in Manistique, has been rescheduled for Saturday, December 3, at the Manistique V.F.W. Hall.

The Garden Historical Society is holding a dinner Tuesday, October 18, at 6:30 p.m. at Mac's Bar for members and all those who wish to become members. Social hour is at 6 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Menu includes a two-meat buffet and full salad bar. Cost is $8. For reservations, call Connie Wilson at (906) 644-2398 or Brenda Tibbetts at (906) 644-7609.

There will be many harvest dinners coming up in the next few months. The Divine Infant of Prague Church, on US-2 in Gulliver, is holding a dinner Sunday, October 9, serving roast beef, mashed potatoes, vegetables, coleslaw, rolls, and homemade pies. Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children younger than 12, and free for children younger than 5.

There will be a benefit dinner for Cathy Monteith Sunday, October 16, at the Farmhouse Restaurant on US-2 in Gould City to help with medical expenses. For more information, call (906) 477-6287.

Jim and Eirnella O'Neil of Gould City had a busy summer visiting with and entertaining friends at home. Old friends Walt and Stacy Schwarz of Gila, New Mexico, came in late August. The couple are formerly from Clare, where they became friends of the O'Neils while doing art shows together. Stacy is an artist with pottery and, of course, Jim O'Neil is an artist with a camera in taking pictures of wildlife and the outdoors.

Over the Labor Day weekend, the O'Neils’ guests were George and Sharon Bloch of Madera, California. They’re cousins of the O'Neil family and spent six days visiting friends and relatives, including Evelyn O'Neil at the Mackinac Straits Hospital Long Term Care facility in St. Ignace. George and Sharon were especially happy to have had a chance to visit George's brother, Ronald, while they were here, as Ronald later passed away Saturday, September 17. Jim's uncle, Lawrence O’Neil, of Tucson, Arizona, was also a guest. While staying on Brotherton Road with his son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Marle O'Neil, Lawrence also visited many old friends and relatives during his two-week stay, including his sister, Alice Greenly, and his brother, Pete O'Neil, both of Sault Ste. Marie.

We don't go down to the Newton Township Cemetery very often, not as much as we probably should, but in driving through there a couple of weeks ago, we noticed how neatly trimmed and clean the grounds looked. Sheila Drenten, who is responsible for keeping the grounds up, is to be commended for the excellent job she is doing. Visiting the cemetery is always a painful job and it certainly makes the visit much more pleasant to see everything so neatly trimmed and everything in place. This is the best the cemetery has looked in a long time.

I was not able to attend the September Newton Township meeting, but I have the minutes for the August meeting to report: Vivian Blanchard is still trying to obtain information on the beginning and closing of the Gould City School. They know that the property was donated by Edward Hall, and those who attended the school think it was opened in 1929 and also believe that it closed in 1955, but are not sure when it actually closed. If someone has information on the opening and closing of the old Gould City School, which was on the South Gould City Road, please contact Vivian at (906) 477-6446 or call me at the above phone number and/or send information to the above e-mail address.

Richard McNeil complained to the board that some people are hiring persons to do carpenter work for them who are not licensed carpenters. He noted that the persons owning the property are signing the permits as well as doing the work themselves. They’re investigating to find out who is doing the hiring.

Supervisor Bob Brotherton is still working on the possibility of the Newton Township residents being able to use the transfer station on US-2 as a recycling facility. There will be a meeting in the future to view the progress.

The Board is working on the possibility of the Township having a blight ordinance to control trash and junk cars piling up on private property.

Clerk Zdebski has already put on the rental agreement for the Township Hall that a person, or party, who will be serving alcohol in the Newton Township Hall, will need to purchase insurance before renting the hall, to remove any liability from the Township. The next Newton Township meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12, at the Township Hall.

Columbus Day is Monday, October 10.

Happy birthday to Mollie Bigger October 11.

Happy anniversary to Charlie and Sheila Fosdick October 8 and Randy and Lesa Baker October 12. Hope you all have a great celebration.

Stay safe and stay well. See you next week.