Cliffs Riffs - Stuph n Nonsense

 Originally Published in the Lowell Ledger 10.4.23 HR. 4756 - A Bill To Provide Tax Incentives That Support Local Media In July of this year Republican Representative Claudia Tenney (NY 22) introduced a bill to provide tax incentives that will support local newspapers with a great one-two punch. The bill was co-sponsored by Democrat Suzan DelBene (WA 1). HR 4756 goes by the name Community News and Small Business Support Act. Since that time the bill is gaining some traction with support from eight more Representatives, four from each party. The bill is designed to support all kinds of local media including local papers, digital media outlets, radio stations and even TV stations. For the purpose of this article, we will only be considering the importance and impact of small town newspapers. HR 4756 would be a great help to small media outlets and small business at the same time. Before we look into the great possibilities of HR 4756, it is imperative to examine the current situation w

Originally published in the Lowell Ledger 10.4.23  Loretta Visser is a MYTHical Hiker and a True Adventurer With Lowell having the National Headquarters of the North Country Trail ensconced on Main Street, one almost feels guilty writing about the Appalachian Trail (AT). Our focus today is not to compare and contrast these two trails, but to celebrate the fact that Loretta Visser has recently completed hiking the entire length of the AT. Loretta Visser celebrates on a mountain top in Maine. We should start off with some fun facts about the AT. The most current listing of the mileage from the genesis of the trail at Springer Mountain in Georgia to the end of the trail at Mount Katahdin in Maine is 2,1987.4 miles according to Appalachian Trail Conservancy website. The AT winds its way through fourteen states and has a low point of just 124 feet above sea level to an impressive elevation of 6,643 feet at its highest point. Thankfully encounters with bears are very uncommon, but you need t

Originally published in the Lowell Ledger September 27th, 2023  Lowell Area Schools Library Media Director Honored by Kent District Library Christine Beachler has been a staff member of Lowell Area Schools for 35 years. She graduated from Central Michigan University with a teaching degree in Business. For her first 13 years Christine taught accounting and computer classes. She became a school librarian in 2001. Since then she earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and then earned a Master of Library Information Systems certification, both from Grand Valley. To be a school librarian, a person must have a teaching certificate plus a master’s degree or its equivalent in library science as well as the specific certification required by the State of Michigan. Christine works in and oversees the libraries in all six schools. Christine Beachler was recognized by the Kent District Library as a Literacy Champion. A nyone who spends any amount of time with Christine will come aw