| Dateline Grand Rapids: The wedding of the century went off without a hitch on June 26. Many of the guest arrived on Friday and stayed at the posh Amway Grand Hotel. One slight hiccup happened when Jerry & Kathlene flew into Detroit from LA where they were to connect on to Grand Rapids. They were to be stranded in Detroit because the pilot never made it in. Fortunately, they arrived late Friday with a rental car from the airport. On the wedding day, the guests traveled to Cornerstone Methodist Church for the nuptials. It started with beautiful music from a 3-piece band. Just before the ceremony, the grandparents and parents were then escorted to their seats. The guests were treated to a video of Missy, Ryan, and their families. In this journalists mind, this video rivaled any LC Production that came out of Tennessee. A little money did exchange hands when Sam (the ring bearer) justified his many fans as he made a bee-line down the aisle successfully. It was a touching ceremony with many symbols of the bride & grooms love for one another. Once the "I Do's" were said, Missy & Ryan took time to greet all their friends & family before exiting back to the Grand for the reception. Back at the hall, a cocktail hour ensued, followed by a great dinner, and finishing off with a night of dancing. One of the best parts of the night was when Missy & Ryan joined with their grandma & grandpa Hasse for a dance. (The shortest and the longest married couples). Everyone had a great time, and thank you to the Stablers & the McCartys for being such good hosts.
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62 years difference in marriage
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The happy couple
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| After The Wedding: The Maryland McCartys joined some of the Grand Rapids McCartys on a vacation after the Ryan McCarty-Missy Stabler nuptials. Mike and Karen, and Andy, Ann and Sam spent a week at the Hasses' cottage in Arcadia, which is a little burg on M-22 in Manistee County. While still at the wedding, the McCartys firmed up the Arcadia itinery: -- Frequent the village's only business, the Big Apple Bar
-- Scrabble
-- Run and walk
-- Climb the bluffs
-- Run and/or roll down the bluffs
-- Jump in Lake Michigan
-- Go to the casino in Manistee
-- Hear Mike ask, "Don't you have any blackjack tables cheaper than $5.
-- Reminisce about Mike's brush with fame in Arcadia. Once, Mike ran a 5K race and jogged near the back of the pack with the brother of former Metallica bass player Jason Newstead. Oooooh!
-- Visit other northern Michigan communties: Traverse City (cherries), Frankfort (lighthouse), Cadillac (art fair), Kaleva (homemade pasties) |  The Bluff
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 The Sky
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| Dateline The Clinton Township McCartys carried on a long standing tradition by going to the zoo this past month. Although feeding the animals is still prohibited, many of the old familiar things are there, such as the "It's not weeds, it's nature" signs, beating the crap out of the kids around you in the train as you go through the tunnel, and Ivan Kalmikoff cleaning out the toilets. Making a comeback this year is the "Zoo Key". After many years of actually having to read the signs to see what is sleeping or not in the cages, a plastic key will tell you exactly what is not in the cage, or is sleeping. Also, to fulfill the tradition, the Mcs pose by the 2 naked bears who are playing in the water. | | . | | And Finally... Donald Duck Turns 70! The cantankerous and often unlucky Disney legend feted his birthday at Disneyland Paris on Wednesday by dancing on stage under a shower of confetti as hundreds of park revelers sang "Happy Birthday To You." A parade down the theme park's Main Street marked the occasion, with Mickey and Minnie Mouse leading the way. Daisy Duck and friends trailed behind carrying a giant pink cake bearing 70 candles. Donald made his acting debut on June 9, 1934, in a Silly Symphony movie titled "The Wise Little Hen." Since then, the lovable yet fussy fowl has appeared in hundreds of films, from the educational "Donald Duck in Mathematics Land" to the 1942 cartoon "Donald Duck Drafted." | 
| Following the daytime festivities for the children, Donald (seen in the lower right waving a dollar bill) stopped with Goofy for a little adult duck entertainment. |
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