Robert M. Traxler, better known as “Army Bob” to Townbroadcast readers, has decided to end his weekly column after writing it for 13 years.
Traxler’s column was late a couple of weeks ago and since then no missives have been sent. Townsbroadcast then e-mailed him to ask if he was planning to call it quits.
Traxler simply replied “Yes.”
Townbroadcast then asked if would like to write a swan song column to say good-bye but hasn’t received an answer.
Both Army Bob and Ranger Rick were Townbroadcat’s earliest columnists because editor and proprietor David T. Young actively south conservative voices, knowing full well he himself was liberal-progressive. It was an effort to bring opinions balance to the on-line publication.
Army Bob was launched in the early summer of 2012 and Traxler faithfully had it published every week since. He put together more than 750 columns over the 13 years, not missing a beat until the last several weeks.
Some readers were fierce defenders of his opinions while others were very critical.
One huge irony was that he was an opponent of Dorr Township Trustee John Tuinstra in accusing him of eavesdropping with a tape recording of a Dorr Township Planning Commission meeting. Yet he struck up an alliance and friendship with Township Trustee Chandler Stanton, a remarkable Tuinstra ally on the Township Board.
So is it true that politics “makes strange bedfellows?”
Traxler served on the Zoning Board of Appeals and was vice chairman on the Planning Commission until he decided to resign because of a battle with prostate cancer.
He surprised friends and foes alike by getting through treatments and chemotherapy.
No reason was given for his decision to halt the Army Bob columns.
