Excuse Me, Are You Listening?

 

Dear Readers,

 

This year has been  a really good year.  The newspaper is about to go in another direction.  I have gone in another direction as well.  Resigning from my position as the President of Walnut Neighborhood Organization after 3 years was one of the best decisions that I could have made.

Dear Readers,

 

Over the past year, I have learned about several experiences with people I care about having house fires.  Please be very careful.  When you read this letter, please make yourself a note to change the batteries in your fire detectors.   Now is the time for us all to check and make sure that we inspect our homes for fire hazards before winter arrives.  You may even need to hire someone to help you especially if your house is older. 

Amir and Anissa Risper, 6th and 7th grade, in their cross country uniforms at Bath High School.  They are running for Windemere Park Charter Academy.  TNCP photo

 

Dear Readers,

 

I can not remember my mother ever signing me up for sports.  Indeed she drove a station wagon but I think it was to cart the planting and gardening supplies she needed.  I learned plenty of things from her but sports was not on the top of the list. 

 Rina Risper will return in the next edition with “Excuse me are you listening?”.  Her son, Gianni Risper has been writing for the paper for almost 5 years.  He is a 21-year-old student at Lansing Community College.

“Apocalypse Lifestyle”

 

Dear Readers,

 

I got an envelope in the mail. It was from the person who usually sends me loving messages about God or quotes from the Bible.     It is always anonymous.  They never sent anything that was discriminatory in nature.   The handwriting was familiar on the envelope and I was excited to see what was sent. 

Dear Readers,

 

Politics is like marriage, if you do not want the other side to look positive, win, be better than or look positive, then you must do everything in your power to make the other side look bad so that you can look good.  

Tragedy Strikes:  Fireworks, Murder, Depression and Suicide

 

Dear Readers,

 

The Fourth of July is always going to be bittersweet for me.  I love the celebrations, barbecues and picnics.  I love marching in the Lansing Fourth of July parade with The New Citizens Press Community Action Network’s (TNCP CAN’s) Stop the Violence group. This year we had almost 80 people marching with us this year.  

Dear Readers,

 

Where does the time go?  Twelve years later, The New Citizens Press is still here.  We are different and providing the opportunity to get information out to the community and that is so important to us.  We still need to hear from you though.  We get the most interesting inquiries, telephone calls and visitors.  We appreciate any communication that we have with the public.  Every single day, I wish that I was perfect and did not make one mistake but that is a long shot for any business or individual.

 

It is always my ultimate goal to find things, meetings and resources that help people.  The one thing I know to be true is that most people are trying to better themselves.  It is of utmost importance. 

Dear Readers,

 

I have been really happy this week. We get so wrapped up in our issues that we do not realize that being happy is important.  I recognize that when I complain about some issues that I do not really have, I am only hurting myself.  Putting  it out into the universe does not make it any easier to deal with.  I am still learning that with good friends who make me laugh when I do not have the ability to separate work from play but everything is a learning lesson in love.