Letter to the Editor: Postal Service warns about impact from HR 672, HR 3095

Dear editor,   The United States Postal Service proudly provides mail delivery for local businesses and residents.   As a 250-year-old self-funded institution, we remain committed to this mission.  Unfortunately, proposed legislation in Congress – H.R. 672 and H.R.

"Rudeness running rampant irritates me to no end" by: Jessica Shepard

   Every now and then, someone will ask me what I dislike about this job and I struggle to pinpoint something worth saying.  I mean, I’m looking for a consistent annoyance that lingers and crops up more often than not.  The ones I can recall readily actually happen to be branches of the same tree.

"Are U.S. investors willing to take a risk at the top?" by: John Sample

   It goes without saying that yet more record highs were achieved last week.  Most attributed last week’s move to the Street’s certainty of a Fed rate cut this week.  There was much discussion the cut could be up to 50 basis points.  Much support for this was the unimpressive jobs reports.

PSA: Look at your financial situation holistically

   To achieve all your financial goals, you need to take a “holistic” approach, bringing in all the elements of yourself.  Think about your family.  How much can you save for your children’s college education or help with a down payment on their first home?

"Reel Reviews: Initial ‘Infinity Castle’ anime movie shines on big screen" by: Jessica Shepard

   Sometimes, I get a little depressed when our local theater doesn’t get a movie I’ve been eagerly waiting to see.  But, that was not the case last week!  I’ve been waiting for “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle” to make its way stateside from Japan since July.

‘All the Broken Parts of Me Part 2’

From @Brandencollinsworth (Instagram)Note: Branden continues as the narrator sitting around the table with all the broken parts of his personality:   The addict slouches in their chair, arms crossed, tapping their fingers.“You hated me,” they say. “You still do.” I shake my head. “I never hated you.

"Remembering Simon DeSoto keeps me on track to write" by: Mike Reddell

   I’ve been thinking about my old friend Simon DeSoto who died earlier this year.  I met Simon not long after I arrived in Bay City in 1997.  He was someone who was easy to talk with, especially when I was still new in town.

"Peddling gossip, rumors for entertainment purposes isn’t true journalism" by: Jessica Shepard

   Growing up, I was always just someone who paid attention to things that happened around me.  Or, at least I tried to as long as my nose wasn’t buried in a book.

"We are at that point in time of the year where it is put up or shut up" by: John Sample

   We have made four higher closes for the S&P 500 over the last five weeks and along with that came record high levels.    You would think it would be time to celebrate, but no.    We had a much weaker than expected jobs report with only 22,000 new jobs added in August.

PSA: Planning your business exit: Start with the end in mind

   If you own a business, you probably spend countless hours managing it.  But have you thought about how you’ll eventually step away?  Start by listing your personal goals for the transaction and your life afterward, including how much money you’ll need to fund your desired retirement lifestyle.