11/11 - Veterans got lots of honor and respect in Stephenson on their day. There was food, speakers, music, flowers and more food throughout the day. The High School had an assembly in their honor, preceded by coffee and doughnuts for the 72 veterans and auxiliary members who attended. Robert Dean, Social Studies Teacher, read the names of each of the veterans, commenting that all those involved in serving our country went through periods of fear and had to fight and overcome it. He told the students and visitors that Veterans' Day was not about honoring war, but for paying tribute to those who served in the military for the benefit of all of us. Dean introduced Circuit Court Judge John Payant who spoke briefly about the uniqueness of the American constitution and the rights and freedom it guarantees. Several students presented patriotic readings and the high school band offered appropriate music, ending with the Star Spangled Banner and Taps. After the ceremony student members of the National Honor Society presented each of the veterans with a red caranation.

The American Legion Club provided a free soup and sandwich lunch for all veterans and their guests and the Senior Center offered all veterans over 60 a free chicken dinner.

11/10 - He and his wife walked by as I pulled into the parking lot at Blesch auditorium in Menominee Wednesday. I smiled to myself...remembering.

In the 'olden days' of the '40s our parents, the Mellingers and the Chatloshs were good friends, visiting back and forth on Sunday afternoons. We were quiet, well-behaved children, taught not to interfere when the grownups were talking about their 'olden days' experiences.

They talked about growing up in Hungary and how they were given bananas on the boat trip to America but didn't know if you were supposed to eat the peelings or not because they hadn't seen bananas before. Finding work presented other problems. My dad's cousin got mad at him when he started laughing while on a bus in New Jersey. Dad thought it was funny that they didn't know where they were or where they were going, couldn't speak the language and yet they expected to get a job.

Usually Francis and his brother and me and my sister played cards. They knew lots of card games and we could have fun while listening to our parents' stories.

There were older boys in the Mellinger family and their weddings were the highlight of our childhood. The women made big pots of stuffed cabbage and good poppyseed and nut rolls. The men cleaned out the garage and set up a bar and room for the musicians and dancing.

One of the bedrooms in the house was strictly for coats and jackets. Another was for sleeping babies. Kids old enough and brave enough headed for a nearby cornfield to play hide and seek, which was scary even in daylight and worse after dark.

I hadn't talked to Francis since those days so I couldn't resist checking with him to see what he thought his reaction would have been if someone had told us in the '40s that the next time we talked would be in the '90s at the ballet!

The 'Taylor 2' group out of New York put on a wonderful show, the second offering of the Tri-Couty Community Concert Series . Had someone told me in the '40s that I would someday watch ballet interpretations of Rum and Coca-Cola, Pennsylvania Polka, and other Andrew Sisters numbers I probably would have said, "Sure, and I suppose I'll run into Francis Mellinger there!"

11/8 - Novembe l4th is Operating Room Nurses' Day. I'm not sure how, or if, the average person is expected to celebrate that one.

11/8 - A group of students from North Central High School in Powers were at the County library in Stephenson Monday. They were l0th graders doing research for a once-a-year project requiring them to prepare a term paper, complete with footnotes, etc. of the type required of college students. They had 135 subjects to choose from and took advantage of the wide variety of magazines and books available, as well as the newly acquired computer equipment with Internet access. Kyle Kressin, a student from Wilson, said he's been working with computers since he was in sixth grade. It's nice to have someone like that around when you are fairly new to the computer world...and do dumb things like type a comma instead of a period and wonder why nothing works.

11/8 - The Stephenson School Board met for 13 minutes Monday night. During the Public Participation portion of the meeting they heard from a bus driver who felt the board should look into installing cameras on the school buses to help with "lots of problems" with students "who are rude and have no respect for adults." In other business they approved a motion to purchase two new school buses on the recommendation of the Buildings and Grounds and Transportation Committees.

11/6 - A "controversial call" may have been a deciding factor in the Stephenson Eagles' 4-point loss of their football game with East Jordan on Saturday. Jerry Root, who broadcast the game ove WYKX Escanaba, said the Stephenson coaching staff and team handled themselves well and "held their heads high in defeat....many of the players will be back next year and that is a reason for optimism." In other words, they managed to keep an 'upbeat' attitude in spite of the disappointment. Way to go!

11/6 - The annual Holiday Festival activities brought lots of people to Stephenson Saturday to shop the bazaars and craft shops and sales. About 400 attended the luncheon at the Catholic church. They also had 121 donations for their rafffle, including nearly $2,000 in cash prizes. The winner of the l2lst prize, a night at The Island Casino in Bark River, was Jayne Marciniak Lobner, a Stephenson native now living in Appleton.

11/5 - The North Central girls' basketball team beat the Eagles at Stephenson Friday night 67-52. Morgan Kuntze led the Eagles with l2 points, followed by Sarah Nicklaus with 10 and Rachel Turcotte with 9.

11/5 - A popular flyer circulating around town is setting the mood for hunting season. It reads: Attention Deer. This is not a bait pile. This is a compost pile. Pursuant to Michigan Wildlife Conservation Order 3.100 W.A.C.O. you are prohibited from eating from this pile. Violators will be shot on sight.

11/5 -The City of Stephenson has received four applications for the Law Enforcement job opening. The personnel and safety committees will meet on Monday, Nov. 8 to review the applications and schedule interviews so a decision can be made on who to hire before the December 2nd council meeting.

There was considerable discussion at the Thursday night city council meeting on the water project update and the street improvement work. Work crews and contractors are taking advantage of recent warm weather to get as much of the work as possible completed by the November 20 deadline. The main streets involved are River Road, South Drive and Center, Section, Bluff and Homestead streets.

Geri Zajac who, with the help of Don Brown, has been working on updating the city's platting maps received input on corrections and changes to the preliminary samples she presented to council members at their October meeting. The updated maps will make it much easier to locate and identify property by adding extra information in an easy-to-use format.