LANSING, MICH.—Maj. Gen. Thomas G. Cutler, who served as adjutant general and director of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs during one of Michigan’s most active mobilization periods in history, retired Jan. 29, 2011.
“It has been an honor to serve as Michigan’s Adjutant General over the past eight years,” Cutler said. “We have been at war for this entire period and I have been incredibly impressed with the dedication of the young men and women who serve in our National Guard. They have made huge sacrifices as they’ve answered our nation’s call and I am deeply appreciative of their service. I’m also very thankful for the great support of our fellow citizens here in Michigan. They too have sacrificed to support our soldiers, airmen, and their families.”
Cutler began his military career by attending basic military training in 1970. He attended officer training school and received a commission in July 1971. Following undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., he received his wings in September 1972. He held a variety of leadership positions at the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base between 1972 and 1987. In August 1987, he took command of the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Mich. Eight years later, Cutler moved to southeast Michigan to command Selfridge Air National Guard Base from 1995 to 2002. In 2003 he assumed the helm as Adjutant General of the Michigan National Guard where he led until his retirement.
During Cutler’s tenure, deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) have been extremely demanding. More than 17,000 Soldiers and Airmen from Michigan National Guard units have been deployed since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.  The Michigan National Guard and the National Guard as a whole has transformed in the past eight years, becoming an operational force for the nation’s armed forces rather than a strategic reserve force.  As adjutant general, Cutler took every opportunity to visit deployed troops, thanking each and every one for their service.
Gen. Cutler and his wife Chris are looking forward to increased family time and opportunities to travel and pursue some neglected hobbies in the months and years ahead.
Michigan’s newly elected Governor Rick Snyder offered these words during the change of command ceremony held Jan. 8, 2011 at the Guard Joint Forces Headquarters in Lansing, “For the past eight years, Major General Tom Cutler has served with distinction as the adjutant general for Michigan. He has a phenomenal record of accomplishment in the Air National Guard with 40 years of service, 40 years of progressively greater rank and responsibility. Tom was always selected for the tough jobs, always picked for the positions where we needed our very best, and he was always known for his leadership, his integrity, and his passion for people. I am truly grateful for the high performance bar you set and I wish you the very best of luck in your years ahead.”

McDonald’s is still open!

If you’ve driven past McDonald’s on 17 Mile recently, you may have noticed there is some construction going on—and wondered if they were open. According to store manager Brian Miller, they are renovating their entire dining area with a whole new interior design. There will be new tables, chairs, and a new playland area.
“It’s a new wave in design for McDonald’s that started about two years ago,” said Miller.  “It’s similar to the store in Jenison.”
He noted that it wouldn’t look like what people are used to seeing. “If you’ve been coming here 10-15 years, and you walked in after it’s done, you wouldn’t know it’s a McDonald’s,” explained Miller.
While the lobby is currently closed, they have the double drive-through lanes to help with the customer load. Miller said they would keep both drive through lanes, even after the lobby reopens.
Some people have wondered how they know which car is picking up which order if there are two lanes.  “The machine snaps a picture of the car to match with the order,” he explained.
They hope to reopen February 4.

Lions Club helps Santa Claus girls

The Cedar Springs Lion’s Club, who has a long history of helping those in need in the community, assisted the Santa Claus girls last month by delivering gifts to 94 area families, for about 250 children. The Cedar Springs Lions Club is part of Lions Club International, founded in 1917. The Lions Club is known for helping members of the community with free eyeglasses, eye exams and hearing aids. But they also volunteer for many different kinds of community projects—including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry and aiding seniors and the disabled.

Local attorney to retire

After practicing law for 50 years in Cedar Springs, Thomas D. Anderson, Attorney at Law, says he will soon retire.
Originally from the Rockford area, he decided to set up his law practice here in 1961. “My father had a law practice in Rockford, so I branched out into Cedar Springs,” explained Anderson. He considered himself a general practictioner. “I didn’t specialize,” he said.
He said he doesn’t have any concrete plans for the future, but hopes to maybe travel and do some things he didn’t have time to do when he was working full time.
Anderson said that he is still finishing up some existing work, but is not taking on any new clients, and will not be keeping regular business hours.  He won’t disappear from town, however. Anderson is a member of Rotary and still plans to go to those meetings and other things. “For people in the Cedar Springs area and others with whom I have dealt, I have enjoyed working here, and I thank you for your support,” he said.