Bink’s Coca Cola Bottling Donates Cooler to Amvets-Thank You!

Our cooler recently stopped working, and we needed a new way to keep the drinks cold. A slow decline and months of nursing. Everyone knows that a nice, cold beverage goes a long way toward quenching your thirst. We know that our veteran and veteran family patrons just need a frosty one from time to time.

Amvets began searching for a replacement cooler. We search high and low for affordable options. When hope was lost and we had to seek alternatives one company came to the rescue. Thankfully, Coca-Cola Bottling Company stepped in and provided a new cooler at no cost.

We are extremely grateful for their support of Amvets and the veterans who frequent our establishment. We encourage the community to support businesses like theirs that give back to the men and women to served. The links below will help you find their website. 

Amvets Post #123 is open 4-6 everyday and hosts bands on weekends starting at 7 pm. Come on down and say high. Veterans, family members, and even the adult grandchildren of veterans can join. Membership is less than a cost to dinner for two. 

Bink’s Coca Cola Bottling

Bottled & canned Soft Drinks, Water, Powerade, Tea, Juice, Energy Drinks, Coffee, and Body Armor
906-786-4144
https://binksbeverages.com/
nick@binksbeverages.com

When You are Stuck in a Rut

By Alyssa Knoll

Community VA Engagement and Partnership Coordinator

As we endure frigid winter temperatures and the onset of the long days of winter, a sense of wandering in a snowstorm without direction can settle in, or being stuck in a rut. Maybe you want to get on a snowmobile and just gun it, going as fast as you can to feel some excitement because life feels so routine.

Now is the time to mix things up a bit, rekindle your curiosity about things that interest you or plan what is next. Think about the activities that bring you joy and a sense of accomplishment.

A few more things you might consider would be to take a class, learn a new language, or do some puzzles. When something aligns with your values, passions, or excites you, your on the right path. Self-care and aligning with your passions lead to a fulfilling life.

While generally temporary, intense cases of melancholy can lead to a sense of loneliness or isolation, feeling cut off from family and loved ones. Maybe it is the cold, or the three feet of snow. We all have different social meters, but everyone can get low with too much distance. One way to connect is to volunteer at an animal shelter, or to help others.

Sometimes the gas in our own tank feels too low to help others. This video shares the stories of multiple Veterans as they answer The Question, “have I asked for help?”

Sometimes reigniting your spark just means that you simply spend some time in connection – laughter and time with friends, other times it might be for support with struggles. Either way it is good to check in with yourself and those around you from time to time.

Here are some different options for all the different levels of social interaction from in-person, to online, or straight to your phone with Early Alert.

To help you get out of a rut or identify new wellness goals, the VA has the Whole Health program. To reach them, call 1-906-774-3300, ext. 33111.

Mental Health has Veteran peer groups that provide support. To join one of these groups, call 1-906-774-3300, ext. 32541.

If you or anyone else needs support, remember that reaching out is a positive step. Whether it's through friends, family, or professional resources, you're not alone in your journey. Don’t wait. Reach Out.

If you’d like to get involved with a weekly coffee social, the Vet Center in Escanaba hosts Coffee & Donuts every Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at 301 N. 30 th Street in Escanaba.

Another weekly coffee event is Campfire Coffee in Negaunee every Monday with free coffee social and resources from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 320 Iron St. in Negaunee.

Let them know you are a Vet.

Early Alert is a weekly check in through text messaging. To sign up, call 1-833-634-0770.

For emergent emotional crisis go to your local emergency room or call 988 press 1 for Veterans. You may use the Link for Early Alert.

Amvets Meeting 6:00 PM 02/26/26

 

The Habits of Fitness for Veterans, Sports Players, and The Average Person

(Illustrative)

Fitness is food and movement.

People often think that extreme workouts and drastic calorie cuts will make them lose weight — and they’re right. But they also lose muscle, miss essential nutrients, and usually can’t keep it up. Long-term fitness and health matter more than quick results.

For those who served in the military, sports players, and others it doesn't take long after you don't have a required routine to start gaining weight and getting out of shape. Just because your home or not on a sports team doesn't mean you don't have responsibilities and a need to keep your body fit. 

Good habits start with knowing your current patterns and making small changes. If you don’t exercise now, begin with three days a week for half an hour. Build up slowly to an hour, or more if you’re already active. Jumping into an intense routine without discipline or knowledge usually leads to quitting.

Food habits work the same way. Highly processed foods are easy and tempting, so it takes time to learn healthier eating. Fiber, vegetables, and clean protein help your body recover and stay strong while you work out. Fitness and nutrition are two parts of the same process.

This is why I don’t push weight-loss drugs or fad diets unless someone is truly at risk based on a physicians recommendation. They can cause fast weight loss, but most people gain it back because their habits never changed. Often weaker and less able then before. 

The study below highlights the importance of thinking long-term. Instead of focusing on extreme workouts or pushing yourself to the point of injury, focus on building steady habits, eating well, and living healthier day by day. Consistency is what makes the real difference.

Below is a summary of Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity

• long-term weight loss is much harder to keep off than initial loss, and most people regain weight over time

• biological, behavioral, and environmental factors all contribute to weight regain

• modern food and lifestyle environments promote increased eating and less activity

• the body responds to weight loss by increasing appetite and lowering energy expenditure, resisting further loss

• many diets produce similar long-term results, with individual variation

• maintaining weight requires persistent effort, often more than initial weight loss effort

• frequent self-monitoring, consistent habits, and behavioral strategies help with maintenance

• long-term professional support improves outcomes compared with short programs

• realistic goals and intrinsic motivation improve long-term success

• advanced treatment options (e.g., pharmacotherapy, surgery) may be needed for some people

VA Research Findings on Agent Orange, Parkinson’s Disease and Opioid Use

 

(Illustrative Only)

Research plays a crucial role in improving lives, and new discoveries can benefit people well beyond the Veteran community. For Veterans, ongoing research helps support healthier, happier lives, especially for those who return from service with physical or psychological injuries that can lead to additional challenges. Continued support and funding for research strengthens the scientific community and helps multiple populations. Below are some of the recent findings from the VA Office of Research and Development, which you can explore further in the article.

Summary below of the article VA Research Wrap Up: New findings on Agent Orange, Parkinson’s disease and opioid use

• a VA Boston study found a possible link between exposure to Agent Orange and a rare form of skin cancer called acral melanoma, showing that Veterans with documented exposure had about 30 % higher odds of developing this type of melanoma compared with both healthy controls and Veterans with more common melanoma forms, marking the first time this association has been reported.

• Researchers led by a team at a New Mexico VA site investigated the gut bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris, finding it much more common in people with Parkinson’s disease and showing that the bacteria can cause a build-up of alpha-synuclein protein and suppress an enzyme important for dopamine function, suggesting a possible role for gut microbes in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

• Iowa City VA investigators used a mouse model to study opioid withdrawal and found that prolonged withdrawal triggers changes in brain synapses related to an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase 4, and that giving the heart disease drug acetazolamide blocked that enzyme’s expression, prevented those synaptic changes, and reduced opioid-seeking behavior, indicating potential for repurposing this drug to treat substance use disorder.

At Amvets Good Cheers, Affordable Beers, Musical Ears, and Having a Cocktail With Peers (A Bartender's Perspective)

(Illustrative Only)

At Amvets bitters
are for Old Fashions. 😊
Bring your happy face
and hang with friends.

Some bars are better than Cheers a place for friends and peers. Other bars… well, they try.

The atmosphere at Amvets is lively and socially connected. The bartenders take the time to listen to customers and make them feel welcome. They help keep conversation going and the experience a positive one so that people come back.

Bartenders are there through it all. Some tell you their life stories, bring in their adult children (“This is my kid—he finally moved out!”), and show up for both their best days and their “I-need-a-double-right-now” moments. 

That’s the magic of a good watering hole—like Amvets—where the drinks are cheaper than your regrets, the smiles come free, and the kind of friendly energy that makes you stay “for just one more” somehow turns into three.

Weekends? That’s when the party wakes up. Music, dancing, karaoke that goes from surprisingly good to “wow, that took courage,” and bands that keep the place buzzing.

Weekdays bring out the pool sharks, dart throwers, and folks who swear they’re “not competitive” right before trying to sink an impossible shot.

And sure, some places have a scratch on the wall or a nick in a chair—but those are stories, not flaws. Little reminders of all the characters who came before.

When the place gets busy, no need to get frizzy. Your bartender will meet you with a smile—because they know your shoes have walked more than a mile, and everyone deserves a cold drink and a warm welcome.

Open most days 4 to 6 pm or longer. Weekend music around 7 pm.

You may want to read, 

Bartender Jokes that Make You Laugh

Amvets Entertainment: 02/20 Tom Edberg and 02/21 Moonlight Entertainment Karaoke

 Come on down for some entertainment this weekend.