Clinton Township Newsletter

3 n o v e m b e r 2 0 2 4 from Carol Beder's The question in this month's "Ask Officer Raff" column could have been written by me. I'm embarrassed to say that I got myself into not one, but two accidents this way.(!) The officers in both cases gave me a ticket for "failure to yield", I think it was termed. My fault, both times. The first happened when I was 21 and meeting some friends for at a restaurant, and just rushing without thinking. The second ocurred when I was pregnant with my daughter and the other woman in the accident had just had heart surgery a week or so prior. Bless the officer who had to deal with us both. He told me, compassionately, "Cars don't matter, people do." Luckily everyone was okay in both accidents and I realized it's best to just wait it out. I really don't need to get to my destination four minutes earlier, and an accident will make me arrive much later, at best. Lesson learned. As of this writing, in early October, our country has faced not one but two major hurricanes, Helene and Milton. Many people I know have loved ones who were affected and I'm no exception, with family in western NC, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. I'm hoping that the rest of the month is much calmer, weather-wise. At the same time, we're on the cusp of a major election. I keep telling myself that I can't control any of it, except to vote, and I encourage all of you to exercise your civic duty on November 5 and make sure to vote, if you haven't already done so by mail. Were it not for social media, I have many friends whose personal politics would be a mystery to me – and I try to stay neutral publicly as well. I try (try!) to put people before ideology, and remember that our personal relationships are more important than government and laws being enacted in Washington, DC, or not. By the time you read this issue, politics might have come to a boil, and I urge you to try and cool all of this down, if possible. Most importantly, November is a month of gratitude. The older I get, the more I appreciate the big things in life like good health, warmth, shelter, food to eat, a roof over my head, and a comfortable bed in which to sleep. I've had car trouble and computer problems many times, so I now recognize when all systems are running smoothly and I'm grateful for that. Of course, most of all I value the people in my life – my family, friends and aquaintances. Sadly, the list of people whom I've known who have passed away over the years has grown quite a bit; I'm grateful for the time that I we had together, and I especially appreciate the time that I have left with those who are still with us. I'm thankful for our advertisers, without whom this publication would not be able to continue. And, last but not least, I'm filled with gratitude for YOU, dear reader! I hope you and your loved ones have a blessed November. –Julie Flynn DAYS TO KEEP IN MIND Fri Nov 1 All Saints' Day Fri Nov 1 Diwali Thurs Nov 2 National Men Make Dinner Day(!) Sat Nov 2 All Souls' Day Sun Nov 3 Daylight Saving Time Ends Sun Nov 3 New York City Marathon Fri Nov 8 National STEM/STEAM Day Sun Nov 10 Marine Corps Birthday Mon Nov 11 Veterans Day Wed Nov 13 World Kindness Day Wed Nov 13 Sadie Hawkins Day Tues Nov 19 National Entrepreneurs Day Thurs Nov 21 Great American Smokeout Mon Nov 25 National Play Day With Dad Thurs Nov 28 Thanksgiving Day Fri Nov 29 Black Friday Fri Nov 29 American Indian Heritage Day Sat Nov 30 Small Business Saturday Sat Nov 30 National Personal-Space Day

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