The Guide July 2012 by The Guide

Paul and Sue Claerhout’s

American Dream

GUIDEFEATURES 10 12 14 15 16 20 22 28 30 31 32 33 34 35

Sisters forever Fish sitters Resort on the lake Path to the past The road home Huron pines Twin tugs of Rogers City Carp Lake outlet Ogemaw Hill Bike Week Hillman Street Drag Crusin for coneys Roger City Nautical Festival AuSable River Canoe Marathon Tim’s kitchen

covering the counties of Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Cheboygan, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon July 2012 Volume III, Issue 4 Published by: Info Northeast Jerry Nunn, editor (989) 780-0900 jnunn@infonortheast.com Contributing writers: Kathryn Borowicz, Wayne Lusardi, Dennis Mansﬁeld, Jerry Nunn, Casey Ressl Contributing photographers: Jeff Caverly, Dennis Mansﬁeld, Jerry Nunn, Scott Nunn, Advertising manager and design: Scott Nunn (989) 245-7140 snunn@infonortheast.com Layout and design: Kathy Neff (989) 848-0787 kneffphotographics@mac.com www.web.me.com/kneffphotograhics

Cover photograph by Jerry Nunn

By JERRY NUNN editor

The American Dream. That’s the one thing that Paul and Sue Claerhout sought when they bought the Pink Store in 1999. And they came so close. Of course there were struggles. That’s to be expected when one throws caution to the wind and reaches for that little piece of Up North paradise that many long for and few attain. With entrepreneurial spirit one has to admire, and with shared sacriﬁce some can’t comprehend, Sue moved north to Rose City to operate the Pink Store while Paul remained Downstate, in his engineering job at Ford Motor Company.

In a few years, when the They grasped tightly onto their business was solid, Paul would piece of the dream even in 2007, follow. There would be time later, when the unthinkable happened; when the store was robbed and Sue after the dream was attained, to was stabbed 27 times in a brutal spend life as a couple. attack that she still recovers from. Stuck in the heart of cabin Pension and solid future be country, halfway between Rose damned, the lesson that tomorrow City and Mio, the Pink Store is is not promised was taught hard your typical Northeast Michigan business. Local traffic, which thins and fast to Paul and Sue Claerhout. considerably nine months out of the year, isn’t quite enough to make ends meet. To pay the mortgage, the Claerhout’s depend heavily on travelers and the busy highway that The Pink Store, the iconic convenience store located runs past their between Rose City and Mio, has grown increasingly door. dependant on ATV traffic. But bureaucratic decisions by the U.S. Forest Service threaten its survival. Oh, and profit you ask? Paul quit Ford Motor Company Well that comes from the and moved north to run the snowmobiles and ATVs that store and help with Sue’s long use the extensive U.S. Federal recuperation. Forest Service trail system. Those Back then Paul said he thought woodland off-roads literally begin he’d nearly lost it all. But family, right across the street from the friends and community pulled Pink Store and extend north as far together and kept the Claerhout’s as a rider wants to go. dream alive. The American Dream was in Shortly after that, changes in their grasp but the struggle grew state law and local ordinance had fierce. Gas prices rose, snowless those trail users free to use the winters came and went, and just local roads and for a bit it looked like others across the north the like the Pink Store might prosper. Claerhout’s extended their plan. Now Paul stands in front of the Paul stayed on with Ford. Sue store and points north to Valley worked longer hours with less Road, across the lot to Hughes help. Lake Road and south to Loon

The Guide • July 2012

Lake Loop. At the corner of Loon Lake Loop, the sign reads County Road 486. But the sign lies. Those three roads closest to the Pink Store belong to the federal government and for the first time in memory Uncle Sam is exerting ownership and closing the roads to ORVs. Forest service officials in Mio say they warned local commissioners to ascertain ownership before they opened the county’s local roads to ORVs. But local officials didn’t and after several years of research, forest officials have decided they own those roads. In fitting with forest service policy, they say they can’t allow dual use. To be fair, federal policy is not set in Mio. Forest officials there are merely following orders. Paul Claerhout says the Oscoda County politicians he spoke to are livid that a local decision allowed by state law and designed to boost the county’s economic prosperity could

be so easily overridden by folks in Washington. No doubt, there’ll be arguments, maybe even litigation, as local and federal bureaucracies battle it out over control. Let’s hope they do it fast, for other entrepreneurs who remain unknown but who are no doubt out there, left in the same predicament as Paul and Sue Claerhout. As for Paul Claerhout, he says it’s too late. “It’s a shame,” said Paul. “I own it free and clear, my little piece of the American Dream, I thought we ﬁnally had it, before the federal government pulled the rug out from under our feet.. “The American Dream. That ought to be the title for any letters I write to Washington.”

July

1, 5-7:

Cats, 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., at Thunder Bay Theatre, Alpena, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Tony-Award winning musical; $14.50 adults, $8.50 for 18 & under. Info: (989) 354-2267 or www.ThunderBayTheatre.com

1: 4:

Au Sable Valley Engine & Tractor Club Show, Info: (989) 826-5920

19th Century Independence Day, noon at Hartwick Pines State Park, with a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 1 p.m. Info: (989) 348-2537

Card Board Boat Race, set up at noon at Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary, with racing to start at 2 p.m. for sailors 10-years-old-and-up. Info: (989) 356-8805 or www.ThunderBay.noaa.gov

Biggest Little 4th in the North, in Barton City, with parade, kid’s races, beer tent, cook shack, and fireworks. Info: (989) 736-3401

department games and events at Windermere Point, ferry rides to watch the fireworks. Info: (906) 847-3702

Fundraiser Chicken BBQ, 10 a.m. at The Family Bookshelf in downtown Fairview. Info: (989) 848-5400

Grand Parade in Onaway, noon in downtown Onaway, featuring a new work of art by Tom Moran, of Moran Iron Works. Info: (989) 733-2874

Show your American Pride, bike parade and campsite decorating contest at Tawas Point State Park. Info: (989) 362-5041

12th Annual Thunder Bay Maritime Fest, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Thunder Bay Maritime Heritage Canter in Alpena, tour tall ships, research vessels and fishing boats, explore shipwreck exhibits, sample Great Lakes whitefish, with live music, small boat workshop, kid’s games and crafts and more. Info: (989) 356-8805 or www.ThunderBay.noaa.gov

Dork Brothers Race, 9 a.m. at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a 5k run/walk. Info: (989) 354-4181

Fishing Derby, 10 a.m. - noon at Houghton Creek Park, hosted by Rifle River Recreation Area. Info: 6985-2963

Northern Rods n’ Rides Car Show, 5-8 p.m. every Wednesday at Indian River Eagles Club, $2 registration per vehicle, free public admission, Info: (231) 420-2460

Mackinac Island’s Star Spangled Fourth, with a 38 gun salute, soldier demonstrations, dancing, cannon firing and more at Fort Mackinac, fire

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Tequila and You, a Kenny Chesney tribute band, 7-10 p.m. at the Bay View Park Band Shell, Alpena, a True North Radio Network Summer Concert Series performance; admission is free. Info: (989) 3544611

4-8:

Fourth of July Weekend Sidewalk Sales, at Tanger Outlet West Branch. Info: (989) 345-2594 or www.TangerOutlet.com/WestBranch

Oscoda Rotary Summer Concerts, 7-9 p.m. every Thursday in Oscoda Beach Park, bring a blanket or lawn chair. Info: (989) 739-7322 or www. OscodaChamber.com

City Band Concert, 7-8:30 p.m. at Lakeside Band Shell, Rogers City; every Thursday. Info: (989) 734-8446

Mill River Days Cruise In, 6-8:30 p.m. at Hi-Way Inn in Hillman, with best car, best truck, people’s choice, and a village cruise. Info: (989) 742-3651

While every attempt at accuracy has been made in producing this calendar it is always a good idea to call ahead before taking that drive north. Confirming in advance is always a great idea.

The Remedee Band, 7-9 p.m. under the Pavilion on Court in downtown Gaylord, with new concerts every Friday through Aug. 10. Info: (989) 732-4060

6-8:

Classy Chassis, a Fabulous Fridays presentation in downtown West Branch, street parties with a different theme each week, held every Friday through August. Info: (989) 345-2821

Open Mic Night, 6-8 p.m. at Thanks A Latte’ in Grayling, the first Friday of every month. Info: (989)348-4006

Tractor Pull, hosted by Tipp of the Mitt Association, 7 p.m. at Info: (989) 733-2874

Summer Fest 2012, in downtown East Tawas, with a bike parade, Paws in the Park, classic car show, street dance and more. Info: (989) 362-8643

Mill River Days, in Hillman, centered at the Brush Creek Mill, with a pet show, arts and crafts, entertainment, bridgewalk, fireworks and more. Info: (989) 742-3739 2nd Annual Frederic Home Fest, in downtown Frederic , with Junk in the Trunk, horseshoe tournament, entertainment, laser light show, kids games, fireman’s waterball and more. Info: (989) 390-4751

Vintage Base Ball, 10 a.m. at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, four games in elimination featuring the Bay City Independents, Regular BBC of Mount Clemens, Kent BBC and Saginaw Old Golds. Info: (800) 33-GRAND

7: 7: 7:

Garden Tractor Pull, 5 p.m. at the Alpena Cycle Club, Info: (989) 379-3067 or (989) 464-2355

36th Annual Harrisville Children’s Parade, 1 p.m. in downtown Harrisville, decorate your

Annual Duck Race, by the Harrisville Lions Club, on Mill Creek in Harrisville. Info: (989) 724-6967

Afton Community Club Annual Picnic, 11a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Club in Afton, with live music, kid’s games and lots of food. Info: (231) 238-4951

Tawas

Hardware & Lumber 108 Lake Street Tawas City (989) 362-3821 www.tawas.doitbest.com The Guide • July 2012

bike, wagon or just yourself, and gather at 12:30 p.m. by Richard’s Pharmacy. Info: (989) 724-5107

Mexican Dinner, 4-7 p.m. at St. Paul Hall , Onaway; cost is by free will offering. Info: (989) 733-2874

Mio Mud Bogs, at 33 Motosports Park, four miles north of Mio, Info: (989) 280-3534 or www. ConcernedRacersClub.com

Mark Mellon Memorial Triathlon, at Otsego Lake County Park, featuring a 5k run, triathlons and triathlon relays, with 13 age categories offering prizes to third place, raffle giveaways and more. Costs run $25$135. Info: (989) 858-5240 or www.MarkMellonTri.com

7: 7:

Hospice of Helping Hands annual Duck Race, noon in Grayling. Info: (800) 992-6592

Flying Aces Frisbee Dog Show, 2 p.m. at Harrisville Harbor, with founder Brian Hayes and the history of Frisbees, overview of dog training and tips, including amazing tricks, followed by a Frisbee contest. Info: (989) 724-5107

Annual Duck Race, for hospice of Helping Hands, noon in Irons Park, West Branch. Tickets cost three for $5. Info: (800) 992-6592 or www. HospiceOfHelpingHands.com

7: 7: 7: 7-8:

Pasties & Cole Slaw, 4-7 p.m. at Mio Masonic Lodge. Info: (989) 826-6419 Bump and Run, 4 p.m. at the Montmorency County Fairgrounds. Info: (989) 785-3400 Tractor Pull, 9 a.m. on state highway M-211 in Onaway. Info: (989) 733-2874 Craftmakers’ Cabin Annual Craft Show, at the Crafter’s Cabin in Harrisville,

Attend the AuSable River Marathon later this month and you’ll see gangs of race supporters sporting the colors of their team. Not only does it show support, it helps team member find each other in the large crowds and the dark of night. You see examples spread throughout this calendar.

with 60 crafters offering U.S.A. made items. Info: (989) 739-9059 or (231) 450-0901

7-8:

Alpena Cycle Club Motocross, registration 8-10 a.m. racing starts at 11:15 a.m. with 15 trophy classes and five cash classes. Info: (989) 379-3067 or www.AlpenaCycleClub.com

7-8:

Mommy to Mommy Sale, at Cheboygan Ice Rink, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat., noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; $2 admission, $1 students, under-6 are free. Info: (231) 627-3255

Iosco County Airport Fly-In, and pancake breakfast, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Iosco County Airport, with a shuttle from downtown East Tawas. Info: (989) 820-0296

Wurtsmith Air Museum Golf Classic, 9:30 a.m. at Blackshire Golf Course, Oscoda, a two man scramble, with rates for ladies, seniors, and armed forces. Info: (989) 747-0164

19th Annual Hillman Street Drags, noon to 4:30 in downtown Hillman, street legal cars against the clock on an 1/8th mile run, with trophies in three classes. Info: (989) 742-3651

10:

Shipbuilding in Bay City, 7 p.m. at the Arenac County Historical Museum, with presenter Don Comtoise. Info:

Amphitheater, with a cast of more than 50 and music by Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and others. Cost is $10. Info: (989) 426-5571 or www.GladwinAreaFriendsoftheTheater. org

10-13:

11-22:

11:

12:

Lumber Camp Day Camp, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hartwick Pines State Park, learn the life of shanty boys in Michigan’s lumber camps, for kids and their adult chaperones. Pre-registration and a recreational passport required. Info: (989) 348-2537 Gaylord Community Band, 8-9 p.m. under the Pavilion on Court in downtown Gaylord, with more than 50 local musicians and a variety of tunes. Every Wednesday through Aug. 8; admission is free. Info: (989) 732-4060 or www.ShopDowntownGaylord.com

11:

Four Man Fishin’ Tackle Choir, 7 p.m. at the Gazebo in Roscommon, a barbershop comedy quartet singing parodies of hunting and fishing, lawn chairs and blankets welcome. Info: (989) 275-4975

11:

Movies on the Lawn, with family friendly movies starting at dusk every Wednesday at Thunder Bay Resort, Hillman. Info: (800) 729-9375

11-14:

Footloose, live theater adaptation, 8 p.m. at the Gladwin City Park

Smokey Joe’s Café, the songs of Lieber and Stoller, 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at Thunder Bay Theatre, Alpena; cost is $14, $8 under 18. Info: (989) 354-2267 or www. ThunderBayTheatre.com Rifle River Watershed, management plan meeting, 6-8 p.m. at the Omer Public Library, hosted by Huron Pines to discuss conservation efforts , activities and planning on the Rifle River; RSVP appreciated. Info: (9989) 448-2293 ext. 21 or rsvp@ HuronPines.org

12-15:

St. Helen Bluegill Festival, with fishing tournaments, kids events, medallion hunt, craft show, parade, food, fun and more. Info: (989) 389-7030

12-15:

Waterways Festival, in Cheboygan, formerly called Riverfest, featuring Wanigan and Kayak Races on Saturday, with kids events, tournaments and a parade, flea market,

Christmas Train in July, noon to 4 p.m. at the home of Grayling’s Loren Goodale, featuring a giant private collection of model trains, donations to benefit the Christian Help Center. Info: (989) 348-8682

Tess Miller and Melissa Strauss, a 2012 Summer Music Series presentation, at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Mackinac Island. Info: (906) 847-3701

8-14:

Annual Ladies Golf Week, at Fox Run Country Club in Grayling, with free clinics, 1/2 price golf, special sales. Info: (989) 48-4343

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July 15 - 22, 2012

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13-14:

Bridging the Gap with Music, 1 to 10 p.m. at Mackinaw City’s Conkling Heritage Park, a festival of music with live bands and karaoke; $25 for two day pass. Info: (231) 436-5664 or (800) 750-0160

the Che-mazing Race, Friday fish fry, entertainment and more. Info: (231) 627-7183

12-22:

38th Annual Brown Trout Festival, in Alpena, with fishing tournaments, events and entertainment galore. Info: (989) 590-2480 or www.AlpenaMi-BrownTrout.com

13-22:

13:

Open Mic & Potluck, 6:30 p.m. at Comins Community Center, with music at 7 p.m. Info: (989) 848-2756

13-14:

Annual Fishing Tournament, at Mio Pond; presented by the Mio Lions Club. Info: (989) 390-0716 or (989) 826-3331

13-14:

Gladwin Fun Days, downtown Gladwin, family fun with kids, games, carshow, carnival, kids bike and pet parade. Info: 426-4516

13-14:

CAAC Arts Festival, 4-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Cheboygan Opera House; admission costs $2. Info: (231) 627-5841 or www.OperaHouse.org

cardboard and duct tape, registration due July 6. Info: (989) 246-9140

14:

4th Annual Car & Truck Show 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Black River Full Gospel, family fun for all ages, with military vehicles, door prizes, drawings, kids games and more. Info: (231) 268-9518 or www.BlackRiverFullGospel.com

“Let’s Play Crossroads!” 7 p.m. at Tawas Bay Playhouse, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees; by a twist of fate, three game show contestants find themselves playing Crossroads and racking up cash and prizes for the rest of their lives in this Michal Jacot comedy. Cost is $10, doors open at 6:15. Info: (989) 362-8373 or www.TawasBayPlayers.com

14:

43rd Annual Roscommon Art Festival, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Roscommon, on the street and lawn at the CRAF Center with artists and crafters from across the state. Info: (989) 275-8760

14:

Tee Off for Kids, 18 hole golf scramble at Thunder Bay Resort, Hillman, a benefit for Brush Creek Mill children’s events. Info: (989) 729-9375

14:

6th Annual Mio Car Show & Swap Meet, Court Street in Mio, with arts & crafts, baked good sale and more. Info: (989) 745-4828

14:

Music at the Mill, 4:30 p.m. at the Brush Creek Mill in Hillman, with the Civil War music of Alan Grund, followed by pizza; cost is $5. Info: (989) 742-2527

14:

“Flower Power Garden Party,” noon to 5 p.m. in West Branch. Tour five beautiful gardens while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, desserts, local artists and musicians, along with a pet themed silent auction. Cost is $20. Info: (989) 345-1231 or mkoliba@hotmail.com

14:

5th Annual Cedar River Cardboard Regatta, 10 a.m. at Riverwalk Place in Gladwin, non-profit organizations racing boats made of

The Guide • July 2012

Old fashioned Ice Cream Social, 1-3 p.m. at Roscommon’s Wallace Park, an Alzheimer’s Association benefit hosted by Seniors helping Seniors. Info: (989) 275-8760 Round Island Lighthouse Open House, transportation from Arnold Line coal dock on Mackinac Island starts at 10 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m., weather permitting, cost is $10, no one under 8 years old, difficult terrain for those with ambulatory issues. Info: (219) 878-3481 or contact@roundislandlightmichigan.com

14:

2012 En Plein Air Garden and Art Walk, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring five Crawford County gardens and local artists. Tickets cost $6, available at local merchants. Info: (989) 348-8519

14:

17-21:

19-22:

14:

18:

21:

18:

21:

19:

21:

Music at the Museum, 7 p.m. at Hartwick Pines State Park Logging Museum, featuring Neil Woodward with traditional and historical music of Michigan; state park passport required. (989) 348-2537

48th Annual Alpenfest, in Gaylord, featuring the Burning of the Boogg, parades, worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest coffee break, arts & crafts, carnival, entertainment and more. Info: (989) 732-6333 or www.GaylordAlpenfest.com

Rogers City Chamber Golf Scramble, at Stoney Links Golf Course, M-68, Onaway. Info: (989) 734-2535

Round the Island Yacht Race, the culminating event of the Port Huron and Chicago Yacht races, with boats departing racing around Mackinac Island, with a post party at Windermere point. Info: (231)

14-15:

Thunder Con 2012, sci-fi, fantasy and anime convention at Alpena Mall, with costume contests, trivia contest, gaming tournaments and fan film screening; free admission. Info: (989) 354-4354

14-15:

36th Art on the Bay, by the Thunder Bay Arts Council, at Bay View Park in Alpena, with fine arts including paintings, sculpture, jewelry, clothing, needle and fiber arts and more, with food vendors and more. Info: (989) 356-6678 or www.TBArts.org

14-15:

17th Annual Antiques & Collectibles Show, 9 a.m. 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Harrisville Harbor. Info: (989) 736-8265 or (989) 335-1645

Pulled Pork BBQ, and Ice Cream Social by the Harrisville Lions Club, at the Harrisville Harbor. Info: (989) 724-6967

different genre every week and building to a Labor Day grand finale; admission costs $5. Info: (989) 379-1037

16-22:

www.IRChamber.com

15-22:

17:

15:

17:

Battle of the Bands, 3-9 p.m. every Sunday through Labor Day, at Thunder Bay Resort, Hillman, featuring bands from across the state with a

Sunrise Side Wine & Food Festival, noon to 6 p.m. at Harrisville Harbor, featuring Michigan vintners, breweries area restaurants. Info: (989) 724-5107 AuSable River Center Show and Sell, outdoor market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at AuSable

Swim Lessons, offering three skill levels sponsored by the Higgins Lake Association. Info: (989) 275-9183

16-29:

Ogemaw Hills Bike Week, at Ogemaw County Fairgrounds, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest independent motorcycle rally, offering a full week of events including bike shows, races, entertainment, rides and tours, stage shows, camping and much more. Info: (989) 312-1312 or www.OgemawHillsBikeWeek.com

5th Annual Garden Tour, in Gladwin County, featuring gardens in the Beaverton area, with refreshments and a raffle; tickets cost $8 in advance, $10 day-of. Info: (989) 435-7143

16-19:

14-15:

Port Huron to Mackinac Yacht Race, with the winning boats expected to arrive Sunday evening. Info:

S.A.F.E. Series: Heat Exhaustion, 11 a.m. at Crawford County Commission on Aging, lunch to follow for a nominal cost. Info: (989) 348-7123

19th Annual Pioneer Power Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club, at the Pioneer Power Club grounds, West Branch, one mile west of M-33 on M-55, with demos, shows, entertainment, food, camping and more. Info: (989) 473-4702

32nd Annual Indian River Festival, Info: (231) 238-935 or

Swim Lessons, offering three skill levels sponsored by the Higgins Lake Association. Info: (989) 275-9183

Capture of Fort Mackinac, a commemorative reenactment of the capture of Fort Mackinac by the British during the war of 1812, with music, period interpretive speakers, cannon firings and more. Info: www.MackinacParks.com Walk Through Bereavement, 2:30 p.m. at Tawas City Hall, held every third Tuesday through September, event is free, pre-registration required. Info: (989) 362-6600

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River Center, Roscommon; spaces are free. Info and space reservations: (989) 275-4392

fashioned country music and corny comedy; admission costs $12. Info: www.WellingtonFarmPark.org

21:

Classic Cars Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Steiner Museum north of Fairview. Info: (989)

21-22:

Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary fame, 7:30 p.m. at Cheboygan Opera House, tickets cost $20. Info: (231) 627-5841 or www.OperaHouse.org

21-22:

848-7233

21:

Vintage Base Ball, 6:30 p.m. at Fort Mackinac, featuring the Fort Mackinac Never Sweats and the Bay City Independents on the oldest continually-used ball field in Michigan. Info: www.MackinacParks.com

21:

Country Music Show, 7:30 p.m. at Wellington Farm Park, Grayling, featuring old

Chicago to Mackinac Yacht Race, with the winning boats expected to arrive Sunday evening. Info: racecoordinator@chicagoyachtclub.org Wood Shaving Days, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hartwick Pines State Park, with carvers, woodworkers, traditional crafts and more; event is free, state park passport required. Info: (989) 348-2537

21-29:

AuSable River Festival, in Grayling, with tons of events leading up to the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, including river events and races, craft show, car show, entertainment, quilt show, kid’s day, fun run and more. Info: (989) 348-2921

22:

Mudd Boggs, at Wolverine Lions Club, Info: (989) 370-2270 or www.WolverineLionsClub.org

26:

22:

14th Annual Garden Party, at Stone Cottage gardens in Gladwin, a celebration of day lilies with hundreds of varieties on display, with local artists, musicians, door prizes and more. Info: (989) 4262919 or StoneCottageGardens.com

26-28:

24:

27:

BBQ and Ice Cream Social, 4-6 p.m. at Crawford County Commission on Aging, cost is $5.50 for under 60 years old, by donation 60-and-up. Info: (989) 348-7123

Rain Forest Animals, with Dynamic West, 6 p.m. at the Curtis Township Library, Glennie. Info: (989) 735-2601 Oscoda County Fair, at the Oscoda County Fairgrounds, rodeo, square dance, talent show, lumberjack show, horse pull, Heritage Craft Days on Thursday, 4-H animals and more. Info: (989) 848-2953 Jerry Sessions, opening at Artisan Village, Grayling, natural images using real plant material. Info: (989) 312-3660

27:

GAFT Golf Fundraiser, $55 each four man teams in an 18-hole scramble with lunch and prizes. Info: (989) 426-5571. Info: (989) 426-5571

27-29:

St. Anne’s Festival, at the St. Anne’s parish grounds, Linwood, with fish and magic show Friday, euchre tournament and rib dinner Thursday and polka on Sunday with chicken. Info: (989) 879-2816

27-28:

Cruise and Classic Car Show, 6:30 p.m. Friday at North Star Autowash in Grayling for the cruise, with a show to

25:

Ernest Entertainment, 7 p.m. on the lawn at the Gazebo in Roscommon, a family trio taking requests and playing a variety for all ages. Info: (989) 275-4975

26:

Women Can/Women Do Luncheon, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Boat House Restaurant Cheboygan, sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan to benefit Northern Michigan women, children and family programs. Info and reservations: (231) 347-0067

The Guide • July 2012

follow on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Michigan Avenue, show registration is $15, awards at 2 p.m. Info: (989) 348-2921

27-29:

Blazin’ Days Event, by ABATE Region 22, at the Roscommon County Fairgrounds, with a bike show, poker runs, entertainment, field games, blessing of the bikes and more; a charity benefit. Info: (989) 324-0292 or (989) 387-1317

28:

10k Run and 1 mile Fun Walk, hosted by the Grayling Recreation Authority at Grayling Middle School. Info and registration: (989) 348-9266 or www.HansonHills.org

traditions of the Christmas season, celebrated in the warmth of July. Info: (989) 362-5041

29:

10th Annual Black Bear Bicycle Tour, a professionally timed century tour starting in Grayling and timed to arrive in Oscoda the same time as the AuSable River Canoe Marathon. Info: (989) 348-6868 or www.BlackBearBicycleTour.com

28-29:

Au Sable River Canoe Marathon, leaving Grayling at 9 p.m. and arriving in Oscoda around 11 a.m. Sunday. Info: www.AusableCanoeMarathon.org

30:

Iosco County Fair, at Iosco County Fairgrounds in Hale, through Aug. 4; a traditional country fair with 4-H exhibits, animal auction, carnival rides and stage shows. Info: (989) 728-3566

28:

Kid’s Free Fun Day, at Lost Arrow Resort in Gladwin, with sponsored by National Wild Turkey Federation, this event is free to all children ages 6-16. Info: (989) 345-1955

28-29:

22nd Annual Civil War Cannon Competition, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

31-5: 28-29:

Au Gres Car Cruise & Show, in Au Gres, featuring a cruise and party on Saturday, with a car show on Sunday. Line-up at 3 p.m. Saturday, show registration is 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, awards at 3 p.m. Info: (989) 876-6688

28-29:

Nautical City Festival, in Rogers City, celebrating maritime history and 100 years of Calcite, with carnival, glass bottom boat tour, Calcite plant tours, airshow, family events, historical exhibits, kids events and much more. Info: www.NauticalFestival.org

Christmas in July, at Tawas Point State Park, all the heart-felt

27-29:

2nd Annual Thunderstruck Softball Tournament, at Alpena High School and the AHSLL Complex, hosting 22 teams from across the state. Info: (989) 354-4301

28:

Pirate Day, at Burton’s Last Resort, with water gun fights aboard boats, cardboard boat races, paddle boat races and live entertainment. Info: (989) 595-6300

Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon Sunday at Camp Grayling Range 35, with more than 20 cannons in 1,200 yard competition. Info: (989) 348-2921

28:

28-29:

724-6559

Sunrise Gardening Club Garden Walk, featuring gardens of Greenbush. Info: (989)

Downtown Cheboygan Music Festival, at Citizens National Bank, a two-day celebration of music, craft show, street carnival and more; admission is free, food and beverages available. Info: (231) 627-9931

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By JERRY NUNN editor

FREDERIC – Talk local history in this Crawford County town and you’ll want to call on Bess and Dora Feldhauser. A visit to the sister’s centennial family farm, with its stately trees, manicured lawn, expansive garden and 118-year-old farm house, is a virtual lesson on rural life in the early 1900’s. Here, beneath the tin ceiling of the tidy dining room, neighborly tradition remains an honored social skill, hot coffee and fresh baked goods welcome guests and formal greetings pass quickly to cordial conversation. Bess Feldhauser is 93 years old now and Dora is 87. These days, the ladies spend winter 12 miles south in Grayling. Spring through fall, they live here at the family farm, maintaining their large garden and looking after the place. The two never married and have lived here together, ﬁve miles from town, nearly all their lives. With both born around 1920, and coming of age during the World War II years of the 1940’s, the opportunity to wed never presented itself, according to Bess. Dora did try the metropolitan life for a bit and moved to Detroit to work as a hair dresser. When the war began she turned to factory work and 10

helped build airplanes. Returning to Frederic after the war ended, she operated Dora’s Beauty Shop until 1984. “There were a lot of sad people the I closed that shop,” says Dora. At one time Dora had ﬁve employees; the number dwindled to two before it closed. “I felt really guilty closing it down. The girls wanted to keep it going but we couldn’t.” Bess was a long time clerk at the local A & P grocery, where she tried to positively inﬂuence the youth she worked with. “I’d insist on good baggers,” Bess said. “They’d tell me all their troubles, and I’d try to give them good advice. They’d tell me who they were taking to the prom, as well as who they wished they were taking.” Bess and Dora still possess and practice that strong work ethic they learned growing up on a farm. Family members claim the pair have forgotten more about gardening and storing food – and more family recipes – than they will ever know. To understand just how rural Crawford County was back then, you have to hear the adventures these girls lived. It’s a life they’re happy to share. “I remember when Camp Grayling still had cavalry,” Bess said. “We used to go over there to look at the horses. “And we used to free range our cows. After the morning milking,

we’d run them out in the road. You had too. All the land around here was owned by the state.” While the cows were let go every day, they also had to be retrieved. “We used the car, with the dog running alongside,” said Dora, explaining that the cows wore bells to distinguish them from the neighbor’s herds. Use of a vehicle limited the cow-seeking pair to roads, where they had to pull off, stop the engine and listen for the bells. “One time we followed the bell through the woods and a man was carrying it. It had fallen off our best cow and he had picked it up.” Laughter interrupts the memories and conversation as Bess reﬁlls coffee and Dora serves rhubarb mufﬁns, fresh from the oven. After the sisters settle down, talk returns to their childhood, when the logging era had reached its end and farming was just getting underway in much of Northern Michigan. Property acquired by the state, much of it abandoned after the forests were cleared, as well as large parcels of

land owned by railroad companies, was being sold off in an attempt to attract settlers to a sparse land. When their father, Adolph “Edward” Feldhauser, moved to Frederic his brothers followed, forming a family community of sorts, just east of town. Some cousins and their offspring remain in the Frederic area. Bess and Dora’s mother, Delia, passed away in 1957; their dad in 1972. Sister Jean Reihl, 84, a retired teacher, lives in Beal City. Besides operating a dairy farm, which sent cream by train to Wisconsin, Edward Feldhauser transported downstate executives to ﬁshing camps on the AuSable River. He also operated one of the last portable saw mills in Crawford County and, under contract to Salling, Hanson and Company, Feldhauser worked on a section of old growth forest that eventually became part of Hartwick Pines State Park. “The year they were cutting it the weather broke up early, in March,”

Dora and Bess Feldhauser on the porch of their home, which has been in the family since 1903. The sisters strive for self-sufﬁciency and maintain their home, the yard and a large vegetable garden in Frederic.

The Guide • July 2012

Bess said. “They had to pull their equipment out before the spring thaw and there wasn’t enough lumber there for them to ever go back for.” The 85 acres stand of towering trees that remained was eventually acquired by Karen Michelson Hartwick as part of an 8,000 acre land deal. Hartwick, whose father had been a founding owner of Salling, Hanson and Company, passed the property and its towering trees on to the State of Michigan. While the pioneering life meant hard work and hard times, economic situations worsened during the Great Depression. As farmers, the sisters and their family were insulated from the hunger that many suffered. “We didn’t go hungry because the basement was always chock full of food,” Dora said. Nonetheless, they fell behind on property taxes and to make ends meet Edward Feldhauser took jobs as far as away as Kalamazoo, where he worked as a supervisor on a mint farm. When that job fell through, the family returned to Frederic to “start from scratch,” Bess said. That winter, the father took a logging job 10 miles away in Lovells, where he moved the family into a dilapidated, one-room shack – “a tent really,” Dora said. “Times were hard. You did what you had to, just to get along.” Of course, as Bess says, folks “neighbored more” in those days.

“Everybody helped everybody during those times. If someone needed something and you had it, well then you gave it to them.” Bess doubts that it would be much different these days in her small community. “People today don’t even know what hard times are,” she said. While today’s electronic gadgets “boggle the mind,” Dora says some conveniences were welcomed – like the electrical lines that were finally run to their property in 1947 by the Rural Electrical Administration. “That was another good thing that Roosevelt did,” Dora says.”Before that, Consumers Power was as far as Maple Township but we didn’t have it.” Times weren’t always difficult. Bess graduated in 1935 with a class of four fellow students, while Dora graduated in 1942 from Frederic Rural Agricultural School in a class of eight. The five mile walk to school was made easier when the sisters rode a horse. Better yet was when they took a buggy but that lasted only until the buggy broke down. At the school the horse was kept in a lean-to. “We had hay and oats there for the horse,” Bess said. “There was an old rabbit that used to come eat from her hay. After a year or so, we brought that rabbit home. By then we thought we owned it.”

Today the sisters remain involved in the school’s alumni association. In fact the two remain physically active, maintaining their lawn, growing their own large garden, putting by their produce to use for the large family gatherings they’re famous for hosting. Practicing skills they learned in the past has lent the sisters an oldfashioned manner that Bess and Dora proudly display. It has also given them a work-as-one-can and do-asone-must outlook that is exceedingly rare these days. It hasn’t kept the sisters from updating the way they work. “We had to quit horsing around, doing things the old fashioned way, or we’d never get anything done,” Dora said. “I’d say we’ve done pretty good for ourselves,” said Bess. “It’s been a good life. I wouldn’t trade it.”

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Story and photos By JERRY NUNN editor

OSCODA – As if rearing 20,000 steelhead ﬁngerlings wasn’t responsibility enough, folks in this lakeside town had even bigger ﬁsh to fry, so to speak. Who would babysit and care for the little guys?

It turns out that babysitters aren’t so hard to find in this Iosco County town. By the time the fingerlings arrived at the AuSable River weir, more than 40 fisheries-supporting volunteers had signed on to the venture to help provide round-the-clock care for the fish. For three weeks volunteers worked four hours shifts, night and day, feeding the fish, operating water pumps, monitoring and tracking water temperatures. There is no dispute that their efforts as temporary caregivers for the infant fish were a success. “Out of 20,000 fish we only lost 18,” said Gene Kirvan. “That’s huge. That’s almost unheard of, to lose so few in that amount of time.” The fish-sitting operation is a joint venture of Lake Huron Sportfishing Inc. and AuSable River Steelheaders. Leaders of those organizations credit the program’s success to the watchful eyes of all those fish sitters, Kirvan says. Those who babysit the fish are avid anglers who do it for a variety of reasons. “You ever see a eight to ten pound steelhead slicing through the air? That’s why,” says former charter captain Mike Kovach, treasurer of the AuSable River Steelheaders. “When you catch them out in the lake and the rod goes off, they’ll

Jim Johnson, DNR researcher and manager of the Alpena Research Station, nets a sample of steelhead that were raised for three weeks at the Oscoda weir. The sample proved the ﬁsh to be in the peak of health prior to their release into the river.

come four or five foot right out of the return and the two groups – those water.” that spent time in the raceway and Yet, the recreational value of those that came straight from the the fishery is inseparable from the hatchery – which will be compared economic side and those who watch to see if the two week’s time spent over the little fish understand that in the weir will increase the rate of too. return to the AuSable. But the study begins before the fish “This isn’t just about fishing,” are released, when a random sample says avid angler Lance Campbell of those fish held in the weir were of Oscoda. “It’s about motels and measured and dissected to check restaurants. It’s about community. size, fat content and other physical One thing about fisherman, they factors. aren’t cheap. If the fish are biting on Fishery technician Lon Brinkman, a purple whatchamacallit, they’re out who performs the dissection, also buying six purple whatchamacallits. checks to see if the fish has entered They need a place to stay, a place to its smolt stage – the stage in a young eat. This all comes around. It means a lot to this whole town.” The 20,000 fish reared here, along with another 20,000 other steelhead fresh from the hatchery, were released to the river on May 16. Hopefully they will return to the AuSable River in four or five years as mature and hard fighting 10-12 pound steelhead. Fish from both groups contain micro wire tags in their head, so they can be tracked and the results Mike Kovach and Gene Kirvan of Lake Huron studied. Of particular Sportsfishing examine a steelhead - one of 40,000 interest is the rate of steelhead planted in the AuSable River on May 16.

The Guide • July 2012

steelhead’s life cycle Super Boat Fishing when it would naturally Tournament & Ladies Classic leave the river and swim to the open waters of a August 10-12 in Oscoda lake or ocean. Signaled Friday: Ladies Classic by physical and color changes, most had entered $75 per team with 100 percent payout the smolt stage. based on entries. Brinkman determined Saturday-Sunday: Super Boat the fish to be at the peak $150 per three man team with 100 percent of health. Consisting of two payout, side tournaments available. raceways, divided into Fishing for information? sections to limit the fish’s Call (989) 739-1182 movements, the weir is fed from one end with a constant flow of water from the river, – and you’ve built a considerable delivered in two eight inch columns fishery, said Johnson. But he also of rushing water. The six to eight notes that the Lake Huron steelhead inch fish fight the current trying to fishery will always depend on put swim up those streams of water. and take programs such as these. “That’s how aggressive these “In these days of constant budget fish are,” says Jim Johnson, DNR cuts we couldn’t do it without that researcher and manager of the public-private partnership,” Johnson Alpena Research Station. “They’re said. “That’s what makes this trying to swim up that eight inch program so important. column of water. “They’ll hit that “You kind of have to give it to river like little daredevils.” these people. They really know what Those daredevil steelhead, along they are doing. They do a good job with lake trout and walleye, are with these fish while they are in their the future of Lake Huron’s sports care.” fishing, according to Kervin. The weir where these steelhead spent their formative weeks where once used to raise salmon. But changes to Lake Huron’s food chain, caused primarily by invasive species, have witnessed a depletion of near-shore bait fish that salmon depend on. That gives the deepwater adaptable steelhead a better chance of survival, Kervin says, and he and others hope to see a seven to eight percent rate of return on these pen-raised steelhead. With a return rate like that – given more success like they had this year www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

Hidden DNR gem provides for unique meeting, educational experience Story and photos By DENNIS MANSFIELD special to The Guide

HIGGINS LAKE –It might just be one of the true hidden gems of northern Michigan. Its location is both beautiful and tranquil, located along the shores of Higgins Lake, one of the prettiest fresh water lakes in the state. It’s also the hub for various conferences and training for state agencies, educational institutions and other groups, such as service and non-proﬁt organizations. After all, the major role of the Michigan Department of Natural Resource’s Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center, also known as the RAM Center, is to provide conference space for such governmental entities

and be the primary training site for DNR staff members. “Being centrally located in the state, that’s why this location was picked in the ﬁrst place,” said Mark Buchinger, manager of the RAM Center for the last 10 years. “There’s a lot here. “My ﬁrst exposure to the RAM Center was to attend the Waterways Division in-service training in February 1980,” he added. “I was most impressed with the rustic atmosphere and the feeling of being at the center of the rich tradition and history of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources.” The facility visited by an estimated 12,000 people annually is conveniently located at 104 Conservation Drive in Roscommon, less than two miles off of US27, between Houghton Lake and Grayling, and about 5 miles west of I-75. see Resort on page 24

The Guide • July 2012

Story and photos By DENNIS MANSFIELD special to The Guide

HIGGINS LAKE – While many are battling tough economic times now, Higgins Lake is home to a museum that echoes the ﬁnancial struggles of a bygone era. Just down the road away from North Higgins Lake State Park and across from the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center is the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, located less than 2 miles off of US27 between Grayling and Houghton Lake and west of I-75. The site helps mark the efforts and contributions of the CCC workers during the Great Depression. “The CCC Museum is located on the grounds of the Higgins Lake Nursery, the ﬁrst forestry nursery in Michigan,” said Robert Burg, a Department of Natural Resources historian and historical site manager. “This nursery started in 1903 and is considered the site where reforestation began in Michigan.” The Higgins Lake Nursery, over the span of 62 years of operation, grew to 48 acres and at one time was one of the largest evergreen tree nurseries in the world, according to Burg. From 1933-42, the CCC operated the nursery and it was one of the locations that provided tree seedlings to the CCC reforestation effort that planted more than 484 million trees in Michigan during that nine-year span. One local former CCC worker remembers his days working at the

Commemorating the young men who served in the CCC, this statue stands on the grounds of the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps Museum at Higgins Lake. nearby CCC Camp Higgins Lake fondly. “I learned a lot of things there,” said Bernard Feldhauser, a resident of Maple Forest Township in Crawford County. “I was quite happy there. “It was quite an experience.” see Path on page 26 www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

hat better place to spend a vacation W than in Northeast Michigan. Something about time spent along lakeshores, riverbanks and secluded forests that renews our souls and clears our heads. Nonetheless, that weekend retreat or month-long getaway must sooner or later come to an end. Rather than bring those good times to a close by racing back to the fray, The Guide suggests an alternate ending. Next time you head south veer a little to the east; plan some time, set a slower pace, wander the road less traveled and see a few sights along the way.

Here are some of our suggestions:

If you head south early, stop by Paula’s Cafe in Indian River for breakfast or lunch. If you’re a tea drinker you’ll be in for a special treat – hundreds of tea pots that decorate the walls. From there head a few blocks west to Old 27 for more scenery and a slower pace. If you have youngsters in tow, double back north a few miles on Old 27 to Jonathan Rand’s Chillermania!, located just south of the Topinabee exit. If you don’t know Rand, author of the wildly successful American Chiller series, chances are your kids do. Since your entertaining the tykes, hit the Gaylord Discovery Center, on the south leg of the business loop in this Otsego County town. Or stop by the iconic Call of the Wild just across the way. Round out your Kid’s Adventure Day with a stop by Lakeland Recreation in Houghton Lake. With go-karts, miniature golf and more, adults will have a great time too.

The Guide • July 2012

With long stretches of forested highway, this is a dream ride for nature lovers, bikers and anyone else looking to escape the rat race of divided highway. Near Atlanta, you’ll find Michigan’s Elk Country and once in town, several choices for casual dining. From there you’ll pass into mixed forest and farmland, before passing the Michigan Magazine Museum just south of Comins. Just south of there you’ll find the Steiner Museum. With a large collection of logging and pioneering artifacts, the museum is a must-see for anyone curious about the work-a-day lives of our ancestors. In Mio, you’ll cross the legendary AuSable River. For anglers, it might pay to stop and wet your line. South of the dam you’ll find the Big Water, known for its monster brown trout, while the pond above offers pan fish, pike, perch and more. When you reach Rose City stop for pizza at the iconic New Faull Inn. You’ll be glad you did.

Alward’s Market

Old Fashioned Home Cured Meats 118 S. Washington Hale, MI (989) 728-2315

—

Your Source for Quality Meats!

NUNN photos by SCOTT

Weekly Specials! Offering a mix of woods and agriculture, and dotted with small towns, M-65 makes for a pleasurable drive for anyone. Hikers especially, but anyone looking to stretch their legs really, will appreciate the Hoist Lakes and Reid Lake trail area north of Glennie. West of town you’ll find the Alcona Dam and 1,100 acre Alcona Park. You’ll also find Alcona Canoe Rental, offering the best way you’ll ever find to experience the AuSable River. Headed south of Glennie you’ll come to Hale, site of Iosco County Fair, which gets underway July 30 this year. Grab lunch at Victorian Café or Big Bob’s Restaurant and head south for Omer where you’ll find more chances to canoe, this time in the Rifle River. Further down the road, you’ll come to Standish, and the historic Standish Depot, a former stop on the Michigan Central Railroad. Here you’ll find a restored caboose and two English passenger cars, as well as a gift shop and depot artifacts.

Take this route home and you’ll quickly learn why folks get excited by Michigan’s Sunrise Side. They might as well call this the Lighthouse Trail for all the lighthouses you ﬁnd along this route. From Mackinaw to Bay County you’ll ﬁnd 16 of the historic structures, many of them refurbished and open to the public. But US-23 offers plenty more than just that. Lakeside towns all boast exemplary lakeside parks where travelers can stretch their legs and dip their feet (or more) in Lake Huron’s refreshing water. Most also offer art galleries and a variety of restaurants as well. In Alpena, a stop by the Great Lakes Heritage Center, is not only free, but full of Great Lakes maritime history. Further on Harrisville offers its harbor, Oscoda the AuSable River and East Tawas its downtown shopping district. While you’re in Tawas grab an ice cream at Marion’s Dairy Bar and saunter along the state dock. You’ll be glad you took the back road home.

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t e r c e S e Top r u t p l u c S

Well, Tom Moran has been up to his old tricks. The Onaway native and heavy metal welder is keeping secrets again. Nothing new there. Each year Moran, owner of Moran Iron Works, builds suspense by building one of the fine art sculptures he is known for and then delaying the statue’s premiere until the 4th of July parade in Onaway. Fortunately, it’s easy to forgive Moran his stealth-seeking transgression. For starters, after parading down Onaway’s main street on Independence Day, the sculptures normally go on public display for citizens and visitors across Northern Michigan to enjoy. Besides, keeping a secret in small town Northern Michigan, is no easy task and this year there is one bit of news that even Moran is not trying to hide. Tom Moran has been accepted to show this year’s sculpture at ArtPrize, the giant Grand Rapids art show that draws 320,000 admirers and gives away $560,000 in prizes to artists. His still-secret sculpture will appear at the B.O.B., a restaurant and entertainment complex also known as the Big Old Building in downtown Grand Rapids. Before that it will appear in Onaway’s 4th of July parade. We’ll have more on Tom Moran and his acceptance to ArtPrize in the August issue of The Guide. Until then, here are Tom Moran’s past sculptures that are on display in Northeast Michigan and where you can find them. photos courtesy of Moran Iron Works, The Guide staff and Black Lake Marina

t e r c e S e Top r u t p l u c S

Huron Pines Volunteer Events Summer 2012 July 15 to August 31: Purple Loosestrife Removal Find and Remove Plants Near You! This is the time to find those bright purple flowers and pull those plants! Volunteers are invited to attend our July 27 Invasive Species Seminar to learn more about identification and removal techniques. Then, monitor and remove plants near you! Moderate physical activity. July 20, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM: Thunder Bay Kick-off Event Thunder Bay River, Montmorency County Water quality monitoring provides valuable insight to the impact of conservation projects. Join Huron Pines staff to kick off a series of restoration projects in the Thunder Bay River Watershed by learning how to perform water quality monitoring. Participants will be trained in the field and asked to collect data at key sites. Waders are recommended but not required. Light physical activity. July 27, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM: Preventing Invasive Plants Hands on Seminar, $10, Oscoda, MI Invasive species are one of the primary threats to Northeast Michigan’s natural resources. We want to find patches of invasive plants and remove them before our special wetlands, forests and shorelines are permanently altered. Join us to learn the ins and outs of invasive species including plant identification, control techniques and how you can join the fight. August 4, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM: Huron Pines AmeriCorps Clean-up Thunder Bay River and Heritage Trail, Alpena, MI Huron Pines and our AmeriCorps members invite you to spend a day on the Alpena Heritage Trail cleaning up, promoting native vegetation and helping create a more accessible streambank. All ages welcome! Moderate physical activity.

Liz Banda, Michigan

Whitney Belaski,

Katherine Brown,

Trout Unlimited

Huron Pines

Little Traverse Conservancy

National service in your back yard

— Huron Pines AmeriCorps — Jocylen Fox, Antrim Conservation District

Philip Hartmeyer, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

August 18, 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM: Rifle River Streambank Restoration Rifle River, Ogemaw County Join us in partnership with Trout Unlimited for a high energy, handson stream restoration project. We will install a suite of erosion control practices in what promises to be a very busy day. Waders and work gloves recommended. High physical activity.

Kimberly Martin,

For more details and to join us, please RSVP at (989) 448-2293 x21 or rsvp@huronpines.org.

Huron Pines

Huron Pines | 4241 Old US 27 South, Suite 2 | Gaylord, Michigan 49735 Huron Pines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an equal opportunity provider.

www.huronpines.org The Guide • July 2012

By CASEY RESSL Huron Pines Staff

Northern Michigan is buzzing with the sound of busy AmeriCorps members. Huron Pines, a conservation nonprofit serving Northeast Michigan, doubled its AmeriCorps program in May, adding eight new AmeriCorps members to the existing crew of six. The program is designed to place well-qualified college graduates with conservation nonprofits in northern Michigan. Launched in 2007, the program has placed over 50 AmeriCorps members in a region that loses many graduates to other areas. “Not only do we offer the opportunity to stay up north and gain valuable training in the natural resource sector, many of these positions connect members to fullDaniel Moffatt, time employment Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative opportunities once the AmeriCorps members finish their term of service,” said AmeriCorps Coordinator Casey Ressl.

Justin Burchett, Otsego Conservation District

Wayne Cantwell, Environmental Ofﬁce-Camp Grayling National Guard Base

Emily Cook, HeadWaters Land Conservancy

Over half of the AmeriCorps members are able to secure employment in their ﬁeld after serving in the program and several others have used the education award to seek advanced degrees. During their term of service, AmeriCorps members participate in a variety of trainings, from grant writing and project management to invasive species removal. In addition, they implement critical Harriet Smith, conservation projects including connecting children Thunder Bay National Marine to nature through place-based education programs, Sanctuary coordinating outreach projects to communities about their native ecosystems and donning their waders to implement hands-on river restoration projects in our rivers and streams. Huron Pines is excited to have 14 energized and passionate AmeriCorps members strengthening conservation and serving our communities. The program also recently received news they will be growing the program again in 2013 – if you or Karie Whitman, someone you know is interested in serving in the Crawford-Roscommon program, please visit www.huronpinesamericorps. Conservation District org. Positions for 2013 will be posted in early September. Huron Pines AmeriCorps is a program of Huron Pines and is supported in part by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Michigan Community Garrett Noyes, Lisa Tobin, Au Sable Service Commission, Huron Pines River Watershed Committee Huron Pines and contributions from host sites. For more information, please contact Casey Ressl at casey@huronpines.org or (989) 448-2293 ext. 30.

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Duncan City & W.G. Mason Twin tugs of Rogers City Follow Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary Facebook: facebook.com/ ThunderBayShipwrecks Twitter: twitter.com/ ThunderBayWreck YouTube: youtube.com/TBNMS

The Duncan City and crew in 1917, before the tug was purchased by Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company. photo courtesy of Presque Isle County Historical Museum

By WAYNE LUSARDI special to The Guide

Rogers City has been an active port for well over 100 years and many small tugs serviced the larger ships loading at Calcite. The wooden harbor tug W.G. Mason, for example, was built for ice crushing and heavy towing. In 1914 it began service for the Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company of Rogers City. Ten years later the small tug was dismantled and its steering gear removed and installed on the new tug Rogers City. The Frederick T. Kellers, another Great Lakes Towing Company tug, was purchased by the

Michigan Limestone and Chemical Today both of the historic tugs Company in 1924 to replace the are located in shallow water and are Mason. The Mason’s enrollment was easily accessible to divers, boaters, finally surrendered as “Abandoned and visitors on board glass bottom and dismantled at Rogers City” on boats. The remains of the Mason December 21, 1926. are located in Swan Bay just down When built in 1883 the tug Duncan the shore from Carmeuse Quarry. City measured a mere 77 feet but the The tug’s lower bilge is covered ship was lengthened by 26 feet in in dropped fasteners, broken machinery, steel 1890. In 1918 grating, angle the Michigan To view more Rogers City iron, twisted Limestone shipwrecks up close and in-person reinforcement and Chemical attend the Rogers City Nautical bands, and Company Festival 2012, July 27-August 5. miscellaneous purchased the Included in a slew of festivities are debris and tug to operate narrated glass bottom boat tours to shows clear along with the evidence of W.G. Mason. the wreck M/V Lady Michigan. For burning. The Around 1923 more information see the story on hull and rudder the Duncan page 33. are sheathed City was semiin plate iron. retired and the A four bladed propeller, horn tug Central arrived in Rogers City timber, deadwood, and rudder are to take up its duties as harbor tug. In healed over to starboard. Portions May 1927 Duncan City’s enrollment of the stem and starboard side are was officially surrendered as intact. The upper works and most “Abandoned as unfit for service.”

The Guide • July 2012

everything above the water line are missing. The Duncan City is located just off Calcite very near the remains of an unidentiﬁed wooden schooner barge. The tug’s stern is largely intact with a metal skeg, four bladed propeller and shaft still in place. A square rudder is located astern of the propeller. The after deck with iron cleats and transom fashion pieces is disarticulated but somewhat intact. The stern deadwood heals over to starboard and the keel is broken just forward of the master coupling. Most of the hull is covered by large cut limestone blocks and rip rap possibly indicating service as a breakwater for the nearby Calcite quarry. The bow, upper works, and most of the sides are missing. — Wayne Lusardi is Michigan’s Maritime Archaeologist stationed at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena. Lusardi has dove many of the wrecks in and around the sanctuary and preserves them for future generations.

W.G. MASON Vessel Type: wooden harbor tug Dimensions: 84 by 21 by 11’, 99 gross tons Built: 1898 by Jenks Shipbuilding Company, Port Huron, Michigan Abandoned: December 21, 1926 Location: N45°24.639’ W83°44.833’ in 16 foot of water. DUNCAN CITY Vessel Type: wooden harbor tug Dimensions: 104 by 19 by 10’, 112 gross tons Built: 1883 by Rand and Burger, Manitowoc, Wisconsin Abandoned: May 27 1927 Location: N45°24.787’ W83°45.733’ in 15 foot of water.

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Largely intact, the Mason’s prop and rudder are located in Swan Bay just down the shore from Carmeuse Quarry

— photos courtesy of Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

to move people around if we didn’t have too.” Carrie DeVault, conference coordinator at the RAM Center, said meeting space that is also more technically interactive was also a need. But one of the primary issues was having enough space, or classroom space that could be divided, to help ease scheduling issues, even with small groups. “It was a hindrance, even with reservations,” DeVault said. “It’s difficult find that space. “The new meeting room can be turned into three different meeting rooms. And, there’s another small board room,” she added. “It will give us a lot more flexibility with breakout sessions.” And, the new space will be used right away. The first group slated to use the classroom was scheduled for June 20. “It’s year round,” Buchinger said of activity at the The dining hall at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference RAM Center. Center, where home-style food is served family style, is a “Our use, our popular place at the state-owned educational center. scheduling revolves around the organizations we serve.” With the future in mind, the RAM The RAM Center now has Center celebrated the opening of a classroom space for 275-plus people, new addition of some much needed as well as lodging for 135 and a classroom space to its Conservation full-service dining hall capable of Education Building, which was serving 165 people. And, it’s the originally opened in 1957, with a center’s reputation of great food and ribbon-cutting ceremony June 6. hospitality that make it such a draw “The rationale for adding the for groups. classroom is that we lacked “I love the place personally. The high-quality educational space,” meals are awesome, the dorms are Buchinger said. “Prior to this, we clean and warm, and the people who had an upper and a lower classroom. work there, and you have to mention But we lacked one big (classroom) with flexibility, where we didn’t have this, are absolutely wonderful,” said Resort on the lake from page 14

The RAM Center was built thanks to the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a federal program designed to put thousands of men back to work during the Great Depression, and funded by the Works Projects Administration. It opened in 1941. The conference center occupies 17 acres of wooded land, including 660 feet of Higgins Lake shoreline. An additional 40 acres, across North Higgins Lake Drive, are used for a shooting range and athletic ﬁelds, as well as ORV training. “The 1930s must have been a horrible time,” Buchinger said. “They used a lot of foresight. I hope that’s what we’re doing now – looking ahead.”

The Guide • July 2012

Al Fisk of Rochester during a recent stay. A member of Michigan’s 1997 State Champion Barbershop Quartet and a quartet judge who travels the nation, Fisk says he’s been coming to the MacMullan Conference Center for “15 or 20 years.” “The best part is its location, right there on the shore of Higgins Lake,” Fisk said. “It’s off the road, so there is no noise, it’s all wooded, there are wildlife running around and they have a great beach, with an area with chairs where you can sit around the campﬁre.” But Buchinger and others believe the RAM Center offers much more. Being off the beaten path and away from the “big city” hustle and bustle of other meeting options, Buchinger said he believes attendees of conferences here are able to focus more, as well as build better working relationships with their fellow guests, because of the center’s unique location. “We’ve all been to a conference hotel,” he said. “After 5 p.m., you don’t see some of the people till the next day. Here, they stay on site for most of that time.” Heidi Helgren, associate professor of management at Delta College, while attending a “Great Teachers Conference” for the college’s faculty members in June, seemed to agree. “For what we’re here for, it does. We bond more here, than at a big conference,” Helgren said. “It’s because of the atmosphere. It’s a beautiful location.” “I love to come up here,” she added. “I’m not the camping kind of girl. This is a good substitute for that.” DeVault said that personal, warm type of experience is exactly what the center’s staff strive to provide their customers. One way to do that is, after meetings, providing an outdoor movie theater area for attendees, where they can bring

in movies to watch. This includes an old fashioned popcorn machine being available. “It’s the sort of experience you don’t get everywhere else,” she said. “When they’re here, we want to feel like they’re at home.” But the RAM Center isn’t for everyone – literally. By state law, the facility is to be used for training and meetings by governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, service clubs and educational institutions, or for-profit groups, as long as the focus of the organization’s meeting is nature or the environment. And, again by state law, the center also has to be self-sustaining financially. “We don’t complete with the private sector and don’t intend too,” he said. “That’s not what we do.” Still, Buchinger said a recent study indicated the RAM Center helped bring in $1.4 million in revenue annually to local communities by drawing visitors to the area. “It all makes a difference,” he said. The RAM Center will also be the new home of another important addition – the Michigan Conservation Officer Memorial. The site for the future memorial was dedicated during a ceremony on May 15, with the event also honoring the service of 12 fallen conservation officers. Buchinger said the center is a great location for such a monument. “They looked for a location in the state that ties in with the conservation officers,” he said. “A lot of them have trained here over the years.” For more information on the RAM Center, people may visit online at www.Michigan.gov/ramcenter — Dennis Mansfield is a managing editor of the Graylingbased Mound’s Media, a professional freelance news service. Contact him by email at dennislmansfield@gmail.com www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

Path to the Past from page 15

Feldhauser graduated Frederic High School in 1938 and planned to find a factory job afterwards but “there just wasn’t such a thing,” he said. So, instead, he enrolled in the CCC earning $30 a month, $25 of which he had to send home to help his family. He worked first as a laborer in a drafting room making maps and eventually was promoted to leader, making $45 a month. “It was very interesting,” said Feldhauser, who celebrates his 91 birthday in July. “It was something I hadn’t done before.” After service in the Pacific during WW II, Feldhauser went on to make surveying his life’s work. As owner of Feldhauser Associates, a land survey company, he employed 38 people and had operations in Alpena,

Barn, the Ice house and the Packing House—that interpret the nursery’s history, two fire towers that interpret the history of fire prevention in Michigan, and recreated seedling planting beds. “The nursery site is arguably the most important 20th century historic site in northern Michigan,” Burg said. “The CCC Museum preserves and interprets the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Michigan during the years 1933-42 during the Great Depression. “The work these young men did in the CCC included planting trees and other reforestation work, fighting forest fires and other fire prevention work, working in fish hatcheries and planting fish in rivers and lakes, stream restoration, creating parks, campgrounds, and other outdoor recreational facilities, building roads and bridges, and a wide variety of

Displays and information boards tell what life was like in the Civilian Conservation Corp. A work relief program, and part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, the CCC operated from 1933 to 1942. Central Lake and Waterford. “That’s where it all started, right there,” he said. “From that work, I went to a mapping and surveying business.” Besides the CCC Museum and it’s exhibits on the Civilian Conservation Corps, there are three original Nursery Buildings—the Cone The Guide • July 2012

other outdoor work,” he added. “The work that the CCC did helped Michigan’s forests and rivers to recover from the devastation of the lumber industry of the 19th century. Their work has made northern Michigan the outdoor recreation paradise that it is today.”

Tools of the trade: This seed separator was used to tumble pine cones at the state nursery at Higgins Lake in the early part of the last century. At one time the nursery, now a museum, was the largest evergreen nursery in the world. The nursery closed in 1965 and the next year and became North Higgins Lake State Park. From 1983-2005, Burg said the park was the site of annual CCC Reunions. In 1985, the CCC Museum was constructed on the old nursery grounds and it opened during the CCC Reunion in 1986. “There aren’t many of us left,” Feldhauser said of those who lived and worked at CCC the camps. Feldhauser said he still likes to talk about the camps and museum with folks closer to his age. That’s partly because he said he’s unsure if the younger generation grasps the importance of such a site. “Young people don’t know what I’m talking about,” he said, referring to the CCC and what it accomplished. “They should. It’s interesting. “That’s history what we did.” The CCC Museum is open from annual from Memorial Day through Labor Day. No admissions fee is required, but those visiting must of a state recreational passport on their vehicle. Burg said the museum annual draws 2,000 to 3,000 visitors. There is one historical interpreter working

at the CCC Museum every summer to assist visitors. But even when the site isn’t staffed, the museum is still open for people to view the exhibits on their own. “The museum, like the rest of the sites of the Michigan Historical Museum system is mostly funded by the State of Michigan’s General Fund,” he added. “At this time we do not have a friends group, however, there is interest in creating a ‘Friends of the CCC Museum’ non-profit organization. If anyone is interested in getting involved, they should email Burg at burgr@michigan.gov or call 989348-2537. And, for more information on the site, visit online at www. michigan.gov/CCCmuseum — Dennis Mansfield is a former award-winning newspaper writer, photographer, editor and publisher, and now managing editor of the Grayling-based Mound’s Media, a professional freelance news service. Persons may contact him via email at dennislmansfield@gmail.com.

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A personal reflection

By KATHRYN BOROWICZ Great Lakes Science Center

research technician for the USGS-

CARP RIVER – “Batteries; check,” I say as we depart the Hammond Bay Biological station. “Repair kit, field notebook, pheromone for bait; check.” “Great, then we are set to go,” said Hayley O’ Meara, a fellow undergraduate student and research technician. Together for the day, our mission is to retrieve video of the lamprey trapping system in the Carp River Dam, part of an ongoing collaborative study of the river. The Carp River is 10-mile-long river flowing from Paradise Lake, on the Cheboygan and Emmet County lines, to its mouth just west of Mackinaw City. Formerly known as Carp Lake, Paradise Lake emits the crystal clear water that lampreys seek. The Carp River also serves as the perfect waterway for our day’s research. Since the federal study began, anywhere from 23 up to 1,397 lampreys have been trapped there annually. I back out of the parking lot and the wagon lumbers up the high The Guide • July 2012

bank of Lake Huron. Veering the car onto U.S. 23, the cruise is set and we are on course for Cheboygan and beyond. A number of scenic overlooks slide by but we keep going, my ninth day in a row doing this commute to the western border of Wilderness State Park. Someone called me a wheel lady. I prefer road warrior. Once at the Carp River, after a pit stop for gas in Mackinaw, Hayley opens up the Ford’s tailgate. I skillfully maneuver the car around and back the hatch as close to the dam trap as I can without skidding into the drink. In this magical place, we see license plates from New Mexico and Montana among others, people who’ve come to enjoy Michigan’s Up North. We pull the grates off the dam, allowing access to the integrated barrier trap, an important part of the dam designed to limit the upstream migration of lamprey. I check the funnels, the part of the trap that allows the lamprey’s entrance into the trap but restricts the predator’s exit. Two cameras placed in the stream near the funnels successfully

recorded last night’s lamprey activity. “It takes the hands of a surgeon,” The video will be analyzed later this I explain as she delicately moves the summer. While the video downloads, camera. I gaze downstream toward the Adjustment complete, we make an horizon and Lake Michigan. entry in the notebook, I add a new At the streamside, we suit up with emitter stick to be dropped in the our waders and I explain the project trap that night and we throw our wet to Hayley by the roar of the falling waders in the wagon. water. A full rainbow precedes us as we “Basically, we are testing is to see wander back down U.S. 23 on the if a trap baited with a new type of drive home. It is stunningly beautiful, pheromone emitter can attract more with all of its colorful hues. The lamprey than an unbaited trap. We rearview mirror is blinding, with the are also observing them through the full force of the waning sun at our night to see how they enter the trap.” backs. Lamprey are invasive to the Great It is a spectacular view, a sign Lakes region, where they feed on stretching over Lake Huron that larger fish and spawn in our rivers things are going to be unspeakably and streams. While invasive to the amazing. Great Lakes, they are protected in England. Europeans consider the predator a culinary To learn more about the lamprey delicacy and over there and other invaders of the they are used in a variety Great Lakes go online to www. of recipes, including the miseagrant.umich.edu/ais traditional Queen’s lamprey pie. Hayley nods in assent. “So what are the cameras for,” she asks. “The cameras are so we may begin to calculate lamprey and fish movement,” I reply, excited to be —A biology student at University sharing what I know. of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Kathryn Approaching the water, we gently hold on to the railing next to the Borowicz spends summers in ‘No Swimming or Wading’ sign, Northern Michigan working with consciously aware that the undertow lamprey research and outdoor on this section of the river is strong. education. She loves kayaking, “Roll up your sleeve and stick your baking and anything outdoors. The arm into the trap funnel,” I yell over views expressed in this memoir are the roar of the water. those of the author and not of any She bends over in about three feet government agency. of water, conscious that the water cascade could easily end up down her waders. We laugh as I move her hand down to adjust the camera on the funnels. www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

WEST BRANCH – For years now, organizers of the Ogemaw Hills Bike Week have added events to their rally to please the crowds and increase its attraction to owners of all brands of motorcycles. Recent additions such as

motocross, enduro-cross and an AMA sanctioned hill climb have truly made the week-long rally an all-brand event. Last year’s addition of a Supermoto event, a high speed race mixing dirt and asphalt, that was held right on main street in downtown West Branch, had folks wondering if organizers had Ogemaw Hills Bike reached the limit of excitement. Week July 15-22 Not by a long shot. Ogemaw County Fairgrounds This year a feature event of Michigan’s largest week-long Partial list of events: motorcycle rally will be the Ives • Musical entertainment: Brothers MX, with their Freestyle MX • Bench Road Bluegrass Boyz Show and Giant Ball of Steel. • Walleye & Uncle Groovy Since they were youngsters Kyle • Steel Wheels Band and Cody Ives have entertained • Jedi Mind Trip crowds with one of the best freestyle • BIG Gun, an AC/DC tribute band motocross shows in the country, • Geneva touring worldwide and performing with • The Kentucky Head Hunters the likes of Robbie Knievel, Spanky Motorcycle action: Spangler, Orange County Choppers • AMA Pro Hill Climb sanctioned by and more. This year they’ll be entertaining • AMA Pro Racing and hosted by crowds at Ogemaw Hills Bike Week the Professional Hillclimbers with jumps, somersaults and a giant Association steel ball. And while they’ll perform for • Enduro Cross Racing Bike Week attendants all week long, • Burt Cummings Memorial Flat on two special nights they’ll put on Track Race shows for the public. • 2012 SuperMoto in downtown “It will be a neat little thing, West Branch especially Tuesday and Wednesday, • Motocross for people who bring their kids,” says Tent camping is free. Other trailers Kerry Klug, event chairman. and campers are $50 for the week Those nights feature enduro cross and $35 for Thrusday through and motocross racing, at the Ogemaw Sunday. Price not included in the County Fairgrounds where Bike Week Bike Week ticket but a bike week is held. Attendance to those events ticket is required to camp during costs $10 – free for 12 and under - and the event. those who attend shows on both nights For more information go online to get the second night’s performance for www.OgemawHillsBikeWeek.com half price.

“The Ives Brothers will perform both nights after the show,” Klug said. “It will be very entertaining for kids, but everyone will have a great time.” The fun won’t stop there. Returning again is the popular SuperMoto, held on Houghton Avenue in downtown West Branch. Also making another appearance is the AMA Sanctioned Hill Climb at Bunting Sand and Gravel, just off I-75 exit 212, a national championship series event.

The Guide • July 2012

“That event is amazing,” said Klug. “These are national caliber racers coming from all over the United States. “The bikes are 350-horsepower, twowheeled rocket ships. They’re dragsters built to go up a hill.” A week-long biker fest, Ogemaw Hills Bike Week welcomes all brands of motorcycles with camping, entertainment, racing, riding, parades and more.

courtesy photo

By DENNIS MANSFIELD special to The Guide

HILLMAN – What started out as just a community event in a small town in Montmorency County to see who had the fastest car has grown into a fun-ﬁlled competition that draws drivers from around the state, and beyond. For 18 years and counting, the Wheels of Northeastern Michigan Car Club has helped host the Hillman Street Drags. This year’s race is set for Sunday, July 8, on Progress Street in downtown Hillman. Racing begins at noon, with driver registration held prior to that from 9-11 a.m. “Originally, the club wanted to give the local people an opportunity to see what their cars could do,” said Dennis Walker, a car club member and Hillman resident. “After getting permission from the Village to close the street, we were off and running with our ﬁrst race. “We now get people from all over Michigan and a few from other states,” he added. “The event has grown over the years and we now get 60-70 drivers each year. The event is held on a Sunday each year as that is the only day we can close this business street.” At the Hillman Street Drags, street legal vehicles power their way down

1/8-mile stretch of a closed road in downtown Hillman for the fastest time. A professional timing system is used and displays elapsed time and speed. “Last year’s fastest car ran 140 mph in 5.533 seconds,” Walker said. “But the whole idea of the street race is that you don’t have to be the fastest to have fun. We have vehicles that run from 65 mph up to 140 mph. In that span of times, we awarded 21 trophies last year.” For the 19th annual running of the street drags, organizers added a class speciﬁcally for nitrous or blown vehicles, so that they are in a separate class from the carbureted vehicles. There is also a separate class for motorcycles and trophies are given in quarter seconds in each class. To be eligible to participate, a driver must at least 18 years old, possess a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance and registration for the vehicle, wear a seat belt and helmet. The driver registration fee is $40 which includes a T-shirt. Spectator admission is $5 per person, while children under the age of 12 are free. “Money raised at this event is used to support other community groups and events,” Walker added. “Each year we donate money to a high school student in the form of a

scholarship. We donate money to the local fire department, ambulance and Boy Scouts. We also donate money each year for fireworks for 4th of July and V-J Day Weekend.” For more information on the Hillman Street Drags, call (989) 7423651 or visit online on Facebook under Wheels of Northeastern Michigan Car Club. There, they can view photos and videos from last year’s event, as well as download a flyer with rules for the event. “We are an organization that tries to promote an enjoyment and appreciation of cars,” Walker said of the car club, which currently has about 30 members. “Our membership is open to anyone with an appreciation of cars and wants to share that with fellow car enthusiasts.” Other upcoming events in Hillman include: • Friday, July 6 – Mill River Days Cruise-In, 6-8:30 p.m. at the village parking lots behind Hi-Way Inn;

• Saturday, Aug. 11 – V-J Day Cruise Night, 4-8 p.m., at the Thunder Bay Resort; and • Sunday, Aug. 12 – V-J Day Car Show and Swap Meet, 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in downtown Hillman. For more information on those events, visit the Hillman Area Chamber of Commerce website at www.HillmanChamber.org

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By JERRY NUNN editor

SAGE LAKE – In an effort to keep their clientele satisfied, Tim and Pat Alspach keep expanding their offerings at Crusins Cones, Coneys and Corner Cupboard. Not only do they sell ice cream, malts and shakes, offer a wide range of convenience store items and sell fresh produce, they now have the Hot Rod Hay Wagon and the “Motown Ho Down” every other weekend. Still, it’s the Coney Islands that keeps Crusins loyal customers happy. Available in both Flint and Detroit style – and using only the finest Koegel’s brand hot dogs – a Crusins Coney is Northeast Michigan’s culinary answer to Angelo’s and Lafeyette. Tim’s sauce is homemade but his support of Koegel’s is legendary, and a large banner hangs out back declaring that support. “You can’t have a coney without Koegel’s,” Tim says. “And I’m sorry, but a chili dog is not a coney island,” added Pat. “You ever order a coney and gotten a regular hot dog on a bun, soaked in chili? Now that’s disappointment.” You won’t find anything to disappoint here at Crusins. Aside from coneys, you can order the little hamburgers popularly known as “sliders.” Ice cream cones come in a huge choice of flavors, with shakes, malts, sundaes and splits rounding out the menu. Crusins Cones, Coneys and Corner Cupboard is located at the corner of Laird Lake Road and Sage Lake Road, just up the road from the DNR boat 32

photos by JEFF CAVERLY

launch on Sage Lake. Formerly called Sage Lake Corner Store, the Ogemaw County business was already closed when Tim and Pat took it over seven years ago. Rebuilt from the ground up, it is Up North rustic on the outside, clean and efﬁcient inside. Through a diligent effort to make customers feel at home, it is now the type of place where folks play checkers on the porch and stop by just for a visit. The small but tidy store offers a wide range of items reasonably priced. Pat calls it “convenience store items at super-market pricing.” If there is a secret to the Alspach’s success apart from their menu, you certainly won’t ﬁnd it in their business plan. Retired from the Coast Guard before spending a career at global engineering giant URS Corporation, Alspach has chucked business attire aside and now wears his hair in a long, grey braid. “Do I look like the kind of guy who has a business plan?” asks Tim. “We just wing it. This ain’t corporate America here. We’re just having fun. If you can’t

have a good time doing drove up from Crusins Cones, Coneys and Ohio and down something, why bother to Corner Cupboard by the Michigan do it?” border just to Hang out here for a bit Where: located at the corner of Sage lake and Laird Lake Roads, five miles north of check us out.” and you’ll soon discover state highway M-55 A that attitude is the root of When: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Saturday commitment Crusins’ popularity. and Sunday all summer long to personal It’s the informal What youʼll find there: Coney Island special service has atmosphere the couple with two coneys, a bag of chips and a pop benefits has cultivated at Crusins, for $5, sliders, as well as ice cream cones, shakes, malts, splits and more. flowing in both where treating customers The “Motown Ho Down” begins June 16 and directions, like family is more than a is held every other Saturday. according to marketing gimmick. While Info: (989) 473-9256 Pat. Tim is fast with a joke, Pat “That’s treats conversation and why we do all this stuff, as a pay back laughter as one in the same. to our customers,” she said. “We know But don’t think the Alspach’s aren’t everyone who comes through that door serious about their business. and we treat them like friends. On the They’re open Friday, Saturday and busiest weekend of the year, we’ll never Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. all summer long and you’ll never go there that either pick up a napkin.” Music has played a role here for some Pat or Tim aren’t there. Almost always time and Pat says you never know what it’s both. By the end of the day, with you might find. Spontaneous concerts clean up, inventory, prep for tomorrow have been known to take place when and other routines of business, the Alspach’s work 15-hour days on summer a music-loving visitor whips out an instrument and strums a tune. weekends. And new on Crusins’ formal agenda Food orders at Crusins take place this year is the fully-lit Hot Rod Hay through a window with food delivered to the counter, and seating is all family-style Wagon and the Motown Ho Down, with disc jockey Joel and Sound Solutions. – outdoors at picnic tables. That alone He’ll be spinning the vinyl, so to speak, attracts some crowds. every other Saturday starting June 16. “We get car clubs from all over the As always, the Alspach’s plan to have state,” Tim said. “We’ve had clubs that fun with the new gig. “Whenever we hear the hand jive song, doesn’t matter what we’re doing, we’re all going to stop and do the hand jive dance,” Pat explains. “Before this summer is through we want everyone on this corner doing the Hand Jive.” Perhaps that will form the basis for a formal business plan. “This isn’t work to us. We stop by here every weekend just like everybody else,” says Pat, with her ever present laugh. “We’ve had people stop by and ask ‘What the hell is going on?’ But we do this to have fun. The day that stops you’ll see a closed sign on the door ’cause we won’t be here.”

The Guide • July 2012

ROGERS CITY – When the Nautical Festival 2012 gets underway in this lakeside Presque Isle County town folks will have plenty more to celebrate than their historic maritime traditions. They will also celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Calcite, the world’s largest limestone quarry and the Great Lake’s shipping port that helped build the town’s fortune. Among the special attractions to this year’s Nautical Festival and Anniversary celebration are glass bottom boat tours of the wreck M/V Lady Michigan,

equipment displays and tours of the calcite plant, as well as airplane rides with the Tuskegee Airmen. That Rogers City celebrates both its maritime heritage and limestone mining past in the same festival is more than ﬁtting. The town and its economy are inextricably tied to Great Lakes shipping and the limestone quarry bordering the town’s southern edge. The Nautical Festival kicks off July 27 with the Queen’s Pageant, featuring Miss Michigan 2012. On July 31 the festival really gets underway with festivities ranging from clowns, craft shows and kids activities to bingo, dinners and arts and crafts. In addition you’ll ﬁnd softball

tournaments, beach volley ball tournaments, car shows and more. All week you’ll ﬁnd the Centennial Exhibit: 100 years of Stone & Boats from noon to 4 p.m. at the Presque Isle County Historical Museum, Hoffman Annex. You’ll also ﬁnd glass bottom boat tours of the shipwreck, M/V Lady Michigan and tours of Carmeuse Lime’s Calcite Plant. Starting August 1, Schmidt Amusements opens their amusement rides and midway.

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Other highlights of Rogers City Nautical Festival include: July 31 — Sailors Memorial and band concert, 6 p.m. at Lakeside Park August 2 — Steamer Calcite Pilothouse ReDedication, 1-3 p.m. at 40 Mile Lighthouse August 3 — Air Show Rehearsal, 2 p.m. viewable from Lake Side Park August 4 — Nautical City Festival Antique and Classic Car Show, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Westminster Park August 4 — Static Air Display, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rogers City Airport with 14 Team RV Stunt Planes, Tuskegee Airmen with a T-6 and three TG-7’s training planes, Wild Winds Skydivers, Helicopter Displays and more. August 4 — Air Show, 4:30 p.m. over the water August 5 — Air Show “Sunday Program”, 2:302:45 over the water from Lake Side Park to Calcite The festival ends with a ﬁreworks display on Sunday at dusk.

By DENNIS MANSFIELD special to the Guide GRAYLING – From Grayling to Oscoda, communities along the banks of the AuSable River will soon bristle with activity as they prepare for one of the most unique sporting events in North America, the 65th annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon, July 28-29. The 120-mile canoe race along the twists and turns of the AuSable River starts at 9 p.m., when hundreds of paddlers hoist canoes to shoulder and sprint from the start line in downtown Grayling to starting line at the river. The course of the race takes paddlers – and the throngs of spectators who follow the all-night event – through Luzerne, Mio, 34

Canada. They completed the 120 miles in 14 hours and 41 minutes. Last year’s race featured 90 teams, with 69 of those celebrating at least a moral victory as they crossed the ﬁnish line of the world’s most gruelling athletic event. The fastest time ever for the marathon was 13 hours, 58 From one end to the other, minutes and from Grayling to Oscoda, folks 8 seconds along the AuSable River are set by the Canadian getting ready for the AuSable duo of River Marathon. Billed as paddling North America’s toughest, legend richest canoe race and the Serge Corbin and world’s toughest spectator

McKinley, Curtisville, Glennie and Hale race, the race will try the mettle before the boats of onlookers, canoeists and arrive in Oscoda supporters alike. the following day, about 14 hours after the starting gun sounded. In between, besides battling the dark and their fellow competitors, paddlers portage over six dams. Those sites at Mio, Alcona, Loud, Five Channels, Cooke and Foote dams also present spectators with excellent opportunities to cheer on their favorite team. This year, a month prior to the start of the race, more than 50 teams have already signed up in hopes of unseating last year’s champs, Andrew Triebold of Grayling and Steve Lajoie of Mirabel, Quebec, The Guide • July 2012

his then partner, Solomon Carriere, in 1994. But, there’s more action and fun prior to and even after the marathon. There’s the Curley Memorial Race for both C-2 and C-1 competitors in Oscoda on July 14-15. Oscoda also hosts the Dash for Cash on July 24, with a limit of 64 teams all competing for a share of $5,000. Of course Grayling hosts its AuSable River Festival from July 21-29, with various events going on throughout the week. There’s the Spikes Challenge in Grayling on July 22, with sprints for the event held the previous day. On July 25 the H.U.P. Race has folks racing down the river in Grayling competing in homemade canoes. And, time trials to determine the start order for the marathon are held from 4-8 p.m. on July 25-26, and 2-6 p.m. on July 27. And that’s not to mention the C-1 Express Race that starts at 7:15 p.m. July 26 at Penrod’s and ends at Burton’s Landing. For more information on the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, visit online at www.AusableCanoeMarathon.org

Ingredients: • 6 lb. pork shoulder or pork butt Liberal portion of your favorite BBQ rub • 1 cup apple cider vinegar • 1 - 12 oz. bottle ginger ale • 2 tablespoons liquid smoke, depending on taste (we think too much of a good thing is marvelous) • A generous helping of your favorite spicy coleslaw

From Tim’s Kitchen

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Rub pork generously with rub, place in covered roasting pan add vinegar, ginger ale and liquid smoke.

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Cover and roast approximately four hours or until fork tender - that means when you insert a fork it falls apart! Allow pork to cool until you can handle it comfortably - if you have disposable food service gloves you can shred the pork by hand; if not place it on a cutting board and shred the pork with two forks pulling it apart. Discard fatty parts and refrigerate until use. When ready to serve, add a liberal amount of barbeque sauce (more is better) and heat the pork to a temperature of 165 degrees F. Place pork on grilled Kaiser roll then top with spicy coleslaw and serve. Your guests or family will think you are a hero! – Tim Reed and his wife Sandy own Reeds on the River in Tawas City, where this special menu item and other delectable recipes are served.

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