June 2008 Press & Charter

Times, they are a changing. As everyone is aware, the cost of shipping has increased tremendously over the past year. Fuel prices have soared to new heights and haven’t reached the top yet. Preston Feather is getting hit with increased expenses from both sides of the distribution highway. Our distributors and manufacturers are increasing their shipping and processing charges to us and our fuel costs for our delivery trucks have gone up over 24%. We can no longer absorb these increases.

We will continue to offer free delivery to our customers for products on our trucks. This is a service feature that we feel is important and we want our customers to know that we will do everything we can to get you the products you need to your jobsite when you want them.

For any Special Order products (items not stocked at any of our locations) we will be passing along any freight, shipping and or handling charges that our vendors are billing us. These charges are a part of processing the order and our intent is to simply pass those charges along with no markup involved. These charges by themselves are quite small in comparison to the value. If you have any questions or concerns, your salesperson will be happy to explain in detail how these charges are computed.

Thank you for your understanding and we hope that the summer season begins a change for the better in Northern Michigan.

— By Julian Marcus, Read Entire Article @ AskMen.com

A good father makes all the difference in a child’s life. He’s a pillar of strength, support and discipline. His work is endless and, oftentimes, thankless. But in the end, it shows in the sound, well-adjusted children he raises. This Father’s Day, thank your father for demonstrating the following traits:

1- Thank you for being a good disciplinarian. A good father loves his children, but he doesn’t let them get away with murder. He strongly disapproves of his children’s misdeeds, using tough love to prove a point. He does this through the power of his words, not his fists.

2- Thank you for allowing me to make some mistakes. A good father realizes that his children are human, and that making mistakes is part of growing up. However, he makes it clear that repeated irresponsibility won’t be tolerated.

3- Thank you for being open-minded. A good father understands that times, people and tastes change over the years, and doesn’t try to maintain some gold standard of his own time. In other words, he allows his children to be citizens of their day and age.

4- Thank you for teaching me to appreciate things. A good father never lets his children take what they have for granted. From the food on the table to the good education he’s paying for, a good father will make his children see the value in everything they have. He’ll ask his child to get a job to help pay for a part of his first car, and take the time to illustrate how important a good education is. He doesn’t let his kids treat him like an ATM.

5- Thank you for accepting me as I am. Everyone is different and a father knows this well. He won’t expect his kids to live the same kind of life he does, and do the same kind of work. He also respects their values and opinions, as long as they don’t harm the family or anyone else.

6- Thank you for spending time with me. A dad knows how to have fun with his kids too, taking them out to games, movies, and supporting their sports teams by attending their matches. He takes the time to listen to his kids and have a good, easy chat with them. He also makes time to help them with their homework, every night if necessary.

7- Thank you for leading by example. A good father is above the old "do as I say, not as I do" credo. He will not smoke if he doesn’t want his kids to do it, and definitely won’t drink heavily. A good father also illustrates the importance of affection by professing his love for their mother in front of them. And he won’t fight with her in their presence. In all, he adheres to the values he’d like his children to follow.

8- Thank you for your support and loyalty. Although he may be a football fanatic, if his son doesn’t share his love for the game, he accepts it. A good father is also his children’s public defender, standing up for them when needed. He waits for privacy to administer discipline. A safety net, a good father is also the person his kids turn to when things go wrong.

9- Thank you for challenging me to do my best. A father wants his children to be the best they can be, and gives them challenges that help them grow as human beings. This means giving them some liberty to face setbacks and resolve conflicts on their own. Or it could be a task, such as building something for the house.

10- Thank you for the many lessons you’ve taught me. A father figure is the prime source of knowledge in the ways of men, and teaches his kids accordingly. From shaving to being courageous, a father molds his kids into well-rounded members of society. He especially instructs them in proper etiquette, on being honest and keeping their word, and on being thankful.

11- Thank you for protecting me and our family. As the main provider of security and necessities, a father will do whatever he can for his family. He’ll take a second job to provide for them, and he’ll put his own safety on the line to keep them out of harm’s way. This is how a father instills in his children the importance of personal sacrifice.

12- Thank you for your unconditional love. This is the greatest quality of a good father. Even though he gets upset at his children’s faults and may lament that they did not attain what he hoped for them, a father loves his children no less for it.

In these days of polarized sexual politics, the value of a great father is often overlooked. But there are few things as valuable as a father who will do everything he can, and provide all the tools he has so that his children can become better than him.

Happy Father’s Day!