Info Northeast's The Guide to Northeast Michigan Fall 2010 Issue

2

INDEX 8 10 12 13 16 18 21 22 24 26

What’s bugging you?

Help for homeowners Kayak Krab salad Recipes from Sandie’s Galley News shorts Cathedral in the corn A time for rest Update on Camp Grayling Firewise

The Guide

to Northeast Michigan covering the counties of Alcona, Arenac, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Roscommon October/November/December 2010 Volume I, Issue III Published by: Info Northeast Jerry Nunn, editor Tanger Outlet Center Office: (989) 345-0356 • Cell: (989) 780-0900 jnunn@infonortheast.com Contributing writers: Jerry Nunn, Jim Smith, Sandie Parker, John Frye and Abby Ertel Advertising sales and design: Scott Nunn (989) 245-7140 Layout and design: K. Neff Photographics kneffphotographics@mac.com Corrections: In the last issue of the Guide it was incorrectly stated that North and South Higgins Lake State parks were located in Crawford County. Both are located in Roscommon County.

Rural education matters

By JERRY NUNN, editor

OPINION

Name one thing more essential to the strength of a community, the prospects for its future and the autonomy of its citizens than the presence of a local school.

Chances are you won’t come up with too many.

Folks in St. Helen did not even try.

As soon as the board of the Roscommon Area Public Schools voted to close St. Helen Elementary School, effective at the beginning of this school year, parents in this lakeside community set out to find a way to keep the classroom doors open. Forming the group they call REM – Rural Education Matters – parents, business owners and municipal leaders are hoping to form a charter school to serve St. Helen’s K-8 students.

A $160,000 grant from the State of Michigan helped fund REM. Already the group has hired Commerce Township-based MidWest Management to provide business and human resource services, as well as Essayon Consulting Services of Lansing. REM has also procured an attorney.

REM’s inquisitions have uncovered numerous options such as modular classrooms on vacant land as well as the renovation the now-closed lumber retailer, Erb Lumber.

But a better option does exist in the now-shuttered St. Helen Elementary. Though the building now lies dormant, if all goes as REM organizers hope students will again use the building to attend daily classes.

For this school year, elementaryaged students from St. Helen are riding the bus to Roscommon, 12 miles away, to attend Roscommon Elementary School. But an aggressive effort is being made to open the doors of the proposed Charlton Heston Academy before school begins next year.

REM’s efforts to attain a charter school authorization were affirmed when Grand Valley State University accepted the group’s application and elevated the request to Phase II Status, the second level of a three tier acceptance process. Giving further hope, REM’s application was one of eight, out of 57 submitted, to make the most recent cut and undergo further scrutiny.

While district approval is not required to form the charter school, problems do exist. It would be in everyone’s best interest if those were hammered out.

For starters, Roscommon Area Public School officials seem dead set against the academy because the effort could remove around 200 students from their attendance roster and $1.7 million in state aid from the district’s budget.

But district officials find themselves in a public relations nightmare.

When they last sought a millage, marketing endeavors included a long list of physical repairs required at St. Helen Elementary School. After that millage was approved by voters school officials announced they would close the school in St. Helen and bus those students clear to Roscommon.

Worsening the public’s perception of school board dishonesty was the money allocated to repairs and renovations of Roscommon Elementary School so it could accommodate the increased number of students from St. Helen. As if that was not enough, the district spent even more of its hard-tocome-by budget on remodeling projects elsewhere.

Still, district officials could make it easier for everyone if they

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

found incentive to transfer ownership of the school to REM for their use as a charter school. Cooperative agreements for management and delivery of special educational services between the entities could result in a gain for the larger district, or at least act as a mitigator of the district’s loss.

As if to further complicate the issue, the 60 acre property that St. Helen Elementary School sits on belongs to the state, deeded to the school system when the school was built in 1972. According to the deed, if the Roscommon Area Public School District fails to maintain an educational presence there, the property reverts to state ownership and the building must be removed.

Therefore a lease or sale of the building to REM would discharge the district from these and possibly other unforeseen obligations.

As St. Helen residents are quick to point out, in this era of dwindling state aid, the last thing the Roscommon Area Public School District needs now is a lack of support from the large block of tax-paying voters in St. Helen. Yet that is the likely outcome should officials from the Roscommon Area School District continue to buck St. Helen’s local efforts to save their elementary school.

Governance of Michigan’s public schools is supposed to remain in the hands of the parents whose children attend them. But regulations set forth as far away as Lansing and Washington, D.C. continue to erode that ideal.

It would be a shame if school administrators located one town over and just down the road, contribute to that loss of local parent’s control.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

October Calendar

1-2: Octoberfest, at Tawas City Park, across from the courthouse in Tawas City, offering family fun with many games and contests for the youngsters, a beer tent with entertainment, vendors, air boat rides, chainsaw demonstrations and best costume contest. $5 entry fee, 10-and-under free. Info: (989) 362-8643.

1-2: 2nd Annual Oktoberfest Celebration in downtown Gaylord, with authentic German food, music and dancing, with live bands each night from 7 to 11 p.m. Info: (989) 732-4060.

1-3: Depot Days at the Standish Depot, live entertainment, Schmidt Amusements carnival, Timberliner passenger train traveling to Gray-

ling, vendors, crafts, antique tractors, pie baking contest and more.

Info: (989) 846-6560.

2: Oscoda Lions Club Fall Festival Arts & Crafts Show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oscoda Area High School, River Road in Oscoda. Info: (800) 235-4625.

2: Hartwick Pines Challenge, 7.2 and 3.1 mile run, at Hartwick Pines State Park, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Grayling. Info: (989) 390-5530.

2: Earleen Fox Memorial 5k Run/Walk, West Branch, promoting breast cancer awareness. Info: (989) 685-2552 or (989) 345-0200.

2: Bump and Run Derby, at the Ogemaw County Fairgrounds.

Info: (989) 345-3033.

2-3: 3rd Annual Grayling Harvest Festival. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring antique passenger train cars pulled by a diesel engine and the Detroit Historical Museum’s Glancy Train Display will be showing at the Grayling Middle School with an antique tractor show and parades, farmer’s market, model train show, arts and crafts, 5 and 10k Races and much more. Info: (989) 348-4461.

2-3: Timberliner Color Tour passenger steam train excursion leaves Standish each day, bound for Grayling, with side trips beginning and returning to Grayling. Info and tickets: (989) 348-4461 or (989) 718-3021.

3: Pork BBQ Dinner, noon to 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hale. Adults $8, children 6- to 12-years-old $4, 5 and under free.

Info: (989) 728-4082.

7-9: 25th Annual Quilt Show and Raffle, in downtown West Branch, hosted by Hospice of Helping Hands. Info: (800) 992-6592.

7-10: Mind, Body and Sew with Dawn, hosted by Ice House Quilt Shop, at the Days Inn in Grayling.

Learn to make a Kaleidoscope quilt and pamper yourself all weekend long. Cost is $75 plus hotel accommodations. Info: (989) 348-4821.

7-10: Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival, at Tawas Point, Sturgeon Point, and other Lake Huron Lighthouses. Events at East Tawas, including lighthouse tours daily,

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

P H O T O G R A P H I C S

®

Senior Portraits Wedding Photography Casual and Formal Sittings Photo Restoration DVD Photo Albums Graphic Design Computer Presentations Brochures, Programs Calendars, Flyers Coffee Table Books and more

K.Neff 989.848.5732

email: kneffphotographics@mac.com http://web.mac.com/kneffphotographics

To have the next copy of the Guide delivered to your door send a $2 check to:

Info Northeast, LLC 3247 E. Sage Lake Rd. Lupton, MI 48635 Be sure to include: name, address and phone number

3

Every attempt at accuracy has been made while producing this calendar of events. Nonetheless, events can change or mistakes can be made.

Thus, it is never a bad idea to call ahead, before heading out on that three hour drive north.

4

sponsored by Friends of Tawas Point, $2 admission. Info: (989) 362-5041 or (989) 362-5658.

8-9: 4th Annual Eagle Festival athletic program fundraiser at Fairview School, starting with a pancake breakfast and including a parade, float competition, vintage vehicles, tailgate party, BBQ chicken dinners, business expo, blooper ball, 5K run, kids carnival and more. Info: (989) 848-7054.

8-11: Columbus Day Weekend Sidewalk Sales, at Tanger Outlet Center. Info (989) 345-2594.

8-10: Oktoberfest & German Beer Fest at Forest Dunes Golf Club, with German Beer Hall food and beverages all weekend long.

Info: (989) 275-0700, ext. 119.

9: Bulb and Bulb Container Garden Workshop, 11:30 a.m. at Tawas City Library. Workshop is free, pre-registration required. Info: (989) 362-6557.

9: Farm Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. behind the historical village in downtown Gladwin, featuring produce, craft items. Info: (989) 339-1780.

9-10: Color Tour, non-competitive trail riding event for all ages starting in Rose City. Bikes and Quads welcome. Info: (248) 682-6540 or www. bentwheels.com.

9: Lion’s Harvest Bazaar, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Standish, with tables still available.

Info: (989) 846-9880.

10: Garden Tractor Pulls at Wellington Farm USA, Grayling. Visit a Depression-era historic farm and see the little guys behave just like the big tractors. Info: (989) 348-5187.

10: Men’s Breakfast Club, at Gladwin Eagles #3292, 8 a.m. to noon, open to everyone, featuring eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, French toast, sausage, ham, fruit cocktail, coffee and juice, $5 all you can eat. Info: (989) 426-9348.

11-17: Golfers Appreciation Week in Gaylord, with a free round of golf and a cart with a paid night’s lodging. Book a room in a participating

hotel and mention Customer Appreciation Week. Info: (800) 345-8621 or online at freegolfgaylord.com.

14: Senior Health Fair, 1 to 5 p.m. at the Alcona Senior Center, featuring flu shots, cholesterol test, blood pressure and glaucoma tests, dinner and more. Info: (989) 736-8879.

15-16: Haunted Lighthouse, at the Tawas Point Lighthouse in East Tawas, featuring all day games, evening tours, hayrides followed by Monster Dance. Info: (989) 3625041, 362-5658.

16: Critters in the Moonlight, a Halloween Program at Hartwick Pines State Park. The program is free but a State Park vehicle pass is required. Info: (989) 348-2537.

16-17: Punkin’ Chunkin at Wellington Farm USA, check out life on a Depression-era farm and try your hand at tossing a pumpkin a hundred yards or more using a Medieval trebuchet. Info: (989) 348-5187.

tion, just in time for Halloween. Info: (989) 348-5187.

22-23, 28-31: Fright High, 6:30 p.m. at the former Oscoda Elementary School behind Ace Hardware; featuring three floors of spooky adventures with indoor admission lineup and concessions. $5 general Watch Jim Smith and the Wellington Farm trebuchet admission or $10 advance hall pass in a pumpkin flinging video for unlimited one day entry. Not recat www.youtube.com/user/ ommended for kids under 12. Info: (989) 739- 2041. infonortheast.

22-23: Dinner Theater at Forest Dunes Golf Course, featuring 16-17: Fall Harvest Festival at Gar- Kirtland Community Theater in the land Resort, with pumpkin picking, theatrical performance. “Rehearsal carving, hayrides, a harvest-themed for Murder.” Tickets cost $35, doors menu, live music and more. Call for open at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 and show special room rates. Info: (877) 4starts at 7 p.m. Info: (989) 275-0700 GARLAND. ext. 119.

17: Rodney Beyers and his Polka 23: Rich Little, impersonator, with Pals at the Houghton Lake Playhouse a look at the life of Jimmy Stewart, Dance, 3-7 p.m. Tickets cost $10.

7 p.m. at the Kirtland Center for PerInfo: (989) 422-6393 or (989) 329forming Arts, at Kirtland Community 4493.

College. Info: (989) 275-6777 or 21: Uncorked in Grayling, Kiwanis www.kirtlandcenter.com.

Club wine tasting at the Grayling 23: Haunted Woods Hay Ride, Country Club, with live music, hors Beaverton. Info: 435- 3879. d’oeuvres, and the chance to buy 23: Lion’s Club Poker Tournament, some fine wine; $15 entry. Info: 6:30 p.m. at Beaverton Community (989) 348-5618.

Center, Texas Hold’em fundraiser for 22-23, 28-30: The Haunting of Christmas Basket program, featuring Wellington, the Depression-era hisa $23 buy-in with one-half payout, toric farm undergoes a transformacash bar, free snacks. Info: (989) 435-8435.

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

30: Lincoln Chili Cook-off, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Trick or Trunk noon to 2 p.m. Info:(989) 7245107.

30: Trunk or Treat, at the Richfield Township Park in St. Helen.

Info: (989) 389-3725.

Check out St. Helen’s Trunk or Treat video at www.youtube.com/user/ infonortheast 30: Trunk or Treat at the AuSable River Center in Roscommon. Info: (989) 275-8760.

30: Pumpkin Painting at Gladwin City Park, 10 a.m. Info: (989) 4293272.

November Calendar

1: Winter Registration begins at Mid Michigan Community College and runs periodically through Jan. 7. Info: (989) 386-6661.

1: Winter registration begins at Alpena Community College and runs through Dec. 31. Info: (989) 356-9021 or www.alpenacc.edu.

4, 9 & 11: Death of a Salesman, matinee at Mid Michigan Community College, show time is 2 p.m. with an optional traditional Thanksgiving luncheon at 12:30.

Price is $8 for the performance or $18 including lunch. Info and reservations: (989) 386-6640.

6: “Rehearsal for Murder,” a Rotary Club dinner theater fundraiser at the Houghton Lake Playhouse; cost is $25, doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 and show time at 7 p.m. Info and tickets: (989) 3665551.

6: Annual Auction and wine tasting dinner, hosted by Woodland Sanctuary in Mio and sponsored by the Oscoda County Chamber of Commerce; tickets cost $15 each or two for $26. Info and tickets.

(989) 826-3331.

8-19: Early Winter Registration at Kirtland Community College.

Info: (989) 275-5000 ext. 284 or look online at www.kirtland.edu.

12-13: Death of a Salesman, 7 p.m. at Mid Michigan Community College, tickets cost $8 adults and $5 under 12. Info: (989) 386-6640.

13-14: Tawas Area Art Tour, visit 10 to 12 artists in their home studios and galleries. Info: 989362-2523 .

13: 34th Annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Show, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Houghton Lake Middle School. Info: (989) 366-8511.

13-20: Festival of Trees, Christmas Tree auction, sponsored by the Graying Professional Association and held at the Mini Mall in Grayling. Info: (800) 937-8837.

See the center fold in this issue of the Guide to Northeast Michigan.

14: Men’s Breakfast Club, at Gladwin Eagles #3292, 8 a.m. to noon, open to all, featuring eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, French toast, sausage, ham, fruit cocktail, coffee and juice, $5 all you can eat. Info: (989) 426-9348.

15: Deer Hunter’s Swiss Steak Dinner, 5-8 p.m. at the Barton City VFW Post. Info: (989) 736-6168.

20: Christmas Walk, 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Grayling, with a shuttle to the Festival of Lights. live reindeer, nativity, Santa Claus, and other special events. Info: (800) 937-8837.

20: Step Afrika, celebrate the rich African dance tradition at Kirtland Center for the Performing Arts.

Tickets cost $20 and $22. Info and reservations: (989) 275-6777.

26: Christmas Parade and Tree lighting, downtown St. Helen. Info: (989) 389-3725.

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

5

6

lighthouse tours and hayrides.

Store open with treats followed by Christmas caroling and tree lighting outside the lighthouse. Info: (989) 362-5041.

4: Harrisville’s Christmas in the Village, a day-long celebration with in-store specials at participating businesses, bazaars, a visit from Santa, hayrides, cookie walk and more; 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Ann’s Catholic Church. Info: (989)724-5107.

4: Festival of Lights Parade, in December Calendar downtown Gladwin. Info: (989) 426-6565.

3: Jazz singer Sunny Wilkin4: Jim Witter, in a heartwarming son and the Alpena Community holiday concert at Kirtland Center College Jazz Band, 7:30 p.m. at ACC’s Granum Theater, $10 adult, for Performing Arts. Tickets cost $24 and $26. Info and reserva$7 youngsters, $30 family. Info: tions: (989) 275-6777.

(989) 358-7271.

5: 3rd Annual Northern Lights 4: Pinecone Ball at Hartwick Pines, a Friends of Hartwick Pines Parade, beginning with kid’s events at 5 p.m. at Oscoda Town event with details to come. Info: Hall, caroling at 5:30 p.m. and the (989) 348-2537. parade at 6 p.m. followed by mov4: Northern Light’s Christmas ies at the Lake Theater at 7 p.m.

Parade and Community Gathering, 5 p.m. in downtown Oscoda, Info: (800) 235-4625.

6: Lion’s Club Wild Game Dinparade starts at 6 p.m. preceded by caroling, hot cocoa, clowning and ner, Beaverton Community Center.

Info: (989) 435-7715. followed by a free kid’s movie.

10-11: Farm by Lantern Light, at Info: (800) 235-4625.

Wellington Farm Park, Northeast 4: Christmas Walk at Tawas Michigan’s depression-era living Point Lighthouse, decorated 27: Blizzard Trail opens at Cross Country Ski Headquarters, Roscommon, weather permitting.

Info: (800) 832-2663.

27: Light Up the North begins at Garland Resort, featuring more than 100,000 LED lights in 12 themed displays, including the Snowflake Lights Ballet set to music. Horse-drawn sleighs and wagons available. Info: (877) 4-GARLAND.

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

history museum. Info: (989) 3485187.

11: Children’s Christmas Party at the Mio Moose Lodge in Mio. Info: (989) 848-2692.

11-12: Snowshoe Lacing Workshop at Hartwick Pines State Park, the first of several planned throughout the winter. For schedule, prices and info: (989) 3482537.

12: Men’s Breakfast Club, at Gladwin Eagles #3292, 8 a.m. to noon, open to everyone, featuring eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, French toast, sausage, ham, fruit cocktail, coffee and juice, $5 all you can eat. Info: (989) 4269348.

21: A 1932 Christmas Church Service, presented by Wellington Farm Park at the refurbished and historic Stittsville Church. A traditional Depression-era Christmas Church service that is nondenominational and open to the public. Info: (989) 348-5187 or visit www.WellingtonFarmPark. com.

21-23 & 28-29: 61st Annual Tip-Up-Town USA, on the shore of Houghton Lake, with carnival rides, snowmobile racing, family and beverage tent, vendors, games, fishing contests, a polar bear swim and more. Info: (989) 366-5644.

28: Gabriel Bolkosky, violinist, at Kirtland Center for the Performing Arts. Info and reservations: (989) 275-6777.

February Calendar

3-6: 61st Annual Perchville USA, at the State Harbor in East Tawas, with entertainment, games, a chili cook-off, beverage tent, polar bear swim and more. Info: (989) 362-8643.

5-6: St. Helen Winterfest, with games, prizes, a medallion hunt, food, beverages, fishing tournament, sled contests, and more.

Info: (989) 389-3725.

January Calendar

8: Guided Snowshoe Hikes, 1 p.m. at Hartwick Pines Visitor’s Center, with snowshoes to loan, held every two weeks while conditions allow. Info: (989) 348-2537.

9: Garland Resort’s Gourmet Glide season kick-off, a day of featuring Nordic skiing and gourmet delights at Garland Resort in Lewiston. Info: (877) 4-GARLAND. 9-Feb. 27: Hanson Hoppers Learn to Ski Program, Sundays, 11 a.m. at Hanson Hills Recreation Area; a four to eight week program designed especially for youngsters 4- to 7-years-old. Cost is four weeks for $89 or eight weeks for $119. DEADLINE to register is Jan. 9. Info: (989) 3489266.

15: Cross Country Ski by Lantern Light, 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hartwick Pines Forest Visitor’s Center and held every other week while snow conditions allow. Info: (989) 348-2537.

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

7

8

ti-

Forester Lora Freer changes the attractant on a funnel trap as Donita Charron, director of the Oscoda County Conservation District, stands ready to collect the used sample. As part of a statewide exotic insect survey, the pair trek 300 miles across Alcona, Oscoda and Crawford Counties every three weeks checking traps and sending their findings to entomologists at Michigan State University. Both say that early detection will be key in controlling the potential damage of the stateʼs next foreign insect invader.

What’s bugging you?

By JERRY NUNN, editor MIO – When the emerald ash borer arrived on our shores the metallic green insect quickly taught our state foresters and entomologists how little they knew about the destructive potential of foreign-bred insect invaders.

Count that a lesson learned.

In order to thwart a repeat of the disaster wrought by the destructive bug, teams from across the state prowl our oak and pine forests, setting insect traps in 110 locations and searching for nonnative insects that do not belong.

Every insect caught in the study is shipped off to Michigan State University where a team of four entomologists will determine exactly what those insects are.

Failure to find the exotic bugs the survey seeks will be the ulINFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

mate measure of the program’s success.

“Even though we are hunting for specific insects that do not belong here, we are really hoping that we do not find any,” said Lora Freer, a part-time forester with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the home horticulturist for Ogemaw County. “We don’t want to get caught like we did with the ash borer. When the emerald ash borer showed up here we had no idea that they even existed. No one had ever heard of that bug, much less studied them.”

Freer and her associate Donita Charron, director of the Oscoda County Conservation District, are one of 13 teams serving as foot soldiers in the 21-week war on exotic pests. Every three weeks the

are mailed back by the teams in the field.

“We are talking about differences so small they are measured in microns,” Philip says, noting the differences are anatomical in nature – a greater distance between their eyes, a difference in the length of a spine.

While those differences may be small, the potential damage that alien insects can inflict to our forests can be huge, as was demonstrated by the emerald ash borer. First detected in Southeast Michigan 2002, authorities figure the insect may have been here for a decade or more before its discovery.

And while the team has an eye pair set two days aside and trek That gave the insect plenty of out for specific species they also 300 miles across three counties time to establish itself says John seek the unknown. checking traps.

Bedford, emerald ash borer pro“That is one of the biggest Oak sites have four rainproof gram manager for the Michigan traps known as delta traps, coated points in the process,” Philip said. Department of Agriculture. Now “How do you know, when you’re the destructive bug is found as inside with a sticky substance, and a much larger funnel trap that out in the field and looking into a far away as New York, Kentucky, insects think is the trunk of a tree. trap, that what you are seeing in Iowa and in every state in bePines sites receive similar traps as that trap is what you are looking tween. for?” these, plus a large intercept trap.

That makes the work that forFocus of the survey are those All are baited either with pheroesters Freer, Charron and their insects that come from somewhere in-field associates perform all that mones or a chemical compound released by stressed or dying trees, else and do not belong. more important.

“We don’t know what they are and some traps are baited with up “If the emerald ash borer had going to do when they get here,” to three different attractants. been caught real early, I think Philip said. “The trees where they there may have been something “Each one of the traps offers a came from have developed a natu- significant done in the managedifferent attraction,” Freer said, ral resistance. In addition, they noting the strong odor the comment of it,” Bedford said, noting have left behind the insects and pounds contain. “Let’s put it this that opportunity was lost with the predators that kept their populaway, they arrive in the mail and emerald ash borer. While efforts tions under control. they do not go into the house. aimed at managing the ash borer Freer and Charron carry a sheet progresses, no methods have been They go in a shed out back. If of photographs, showing some of found that can control the insect, I leave these in the back of my the insects that they are hunting truck overnight, in the morning he says. for. Some of those alien insects are But the failure to detect the my truck is full of moths.” decidedly different than MichiYet moths and their defoliatemerald ash borer early stands as gan’s native bug brood. But some a lesson for when the next foresting larvae are merely one of the appear so similar to insects that potentially destructive pests that destroying insect arrives. are native to Michigan that idenprogram directors are searching “Even if we do not know what for, according to Mike Philip, pest tification is possible only under the next invasive will be, the earstrict laboratory settings. survey program manager for the lier we find it the more successful Philip says his team in the lab Michigan Department of Agriculwe can be at managing it,” Bedwill use high powered microture. Also on the sought-after-inford says. sect list are bark beetles and wood scopes to identify the insects that borers.

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

9

HELP for homeowners

By JIM SMITH staff writer

See your Northeast Michigan event or your high resolution photograph on these pages. Send them by email, along with a phone number where you may be reached, to jnunn@infonortheast.com. Put “calendar of events” in the subject line.

10

While more homeowners than ever struggle to meet their mortgage obligation, help has arrived in Northeast Michigan thanks to a newly-formed partnership between River House Inc. and the Michigan State Housing and Development Agency.

GRAYLING – Times are tough, tougher perhaps than at any time since the Great Depression. Unemployment is at historically high rates through out the country and more families than ever before, in our country’s history are threatened with the loss of their largest investment, their homes. Without belaboring the conditions that got us to this point, there is help available.

There is also risk involved.

Foreclosure prevention counseling is the latest feeding grounds for predators and scam artists, those people and business that make promises, charge huge fees and then disappear. Are their victims any wiser? Chances are they are defiantly poorer and chances are they are even closer to foreclosure than before. How does the homeowner tell the difference between the bad guys and the good guys? Do they still wear black hats or white hats? Unfortunately, that only works in the grade “B” westerns.

Michigan is a non-judicial state, meaning that the foreclosure process can be conducted outside the court system until the very end of the process. Throughout the process there are steps that may be

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

taken to stop, delay and even reverse the foreclosure but the closer the homeowner gets to the end of the process, the fewer options there are available.

The “Bad Guys,” the predators and scam artists, will be very visible in advertising. They probably will call you when the first notice appears in the paper. They will make guarantees. They will want money up front and, after shuffling a few papers, they will disappear.

And the homeowner will probably lose their home.

The “Good Guys” don’t wear white hats. They don’t make promises and they don’t ask for money. They are sponsored by reputable agencies that care about people and are results oriented.

They are usually funded, trained and overseen by government agencies. The only guarantee they will make is to do their very best to help the homeowner understand the foreclosure process, deal with the paper work and understand their options at any given stage during the foreclosure.

Reputable foreclosure prevention counselors will be networked with other agencies in their area to refer clients to additional resources for emergency loans, energy assistance, food, emergency shelter and other services that may be available to people in need. Most importantly, a reputable counselor and agency will be an advocate to the homeowner, serving as a gobetween with the lender and loan servicer while educating, guiding, and negotiating where necessary.

Depending on the individual homeowner’s situation, the counselor may be able to help them negotiate a modified loan, refinance into a new mortgage and even obtain financial assistance to catch up on delinquent payments. Legitimate counseling services will assist the homeowner in developing a household budget, repairing poor credit and preparation of the documentation required to help avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. In the event that retention of the home is not desired or economically possible, the good counselor will help the homeowner in resolving the foreclosure with the least possible damage to their financial and emotional health and then help with relocation into a home that they can afford.

In Michigan the two most recognizable foreclosure prevention counseling services are avail-

able through the Federal Housing and Urban Development and the Michigan State Housing and Development Agency. Most of these services are concentrated in urban and suburban areas, however foreclosure prevention counseling may be obtained through many county offices. In Northern Michigan foreclosure prevention services are available in Cadillac, Boyne City, Alpena and now in Grayling.

The newest Northern Michigan foreclosure prevention services are available from River House Inc., through the organizations newly formed partnership with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Specializing in services for victims of domestic or sexual violence, as well as homelessness, River House is a provider of emergency social services in Crawford, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Roscommon Counties. River House also serves as representative for NEMSCA and MSHDA in other related social service fields.

To contact the River House Inc. foreclosure counseling services, call (989) 348-1649.

For contact information to a certified foreclosure prevention counselor in your area, contact MSHDA at (517) 373-8370 or online at www.michigan.gov/mshda.

Info Northeast staff writer Jim Smith is a freelance writer in Grayling, Michigan and a certified foreclosure counselor for River House, Inc.

CHECK US OUT! www.kirtland.edu

Or call 989-275-5000, ext. 284 for more information Check these reasons to choose Kirtland! t our new Check ou rograms nce p Fire Scie nd mpus) a a c in a m ( TechnolSurgical st ram ( We ogy prog h).

Branc

Affordability!

Just $81.50 per contact hour! (About 1/3 of the cost of the average state four-year institution.)

The same quality of instruction that you’d receive at most fouryear colleges.

Credits that transfer to other colleges and universities. Over 80 certificate and degree programs to choose from. Online classes let you learn at home. And much more!

KIRTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

11

12

Kayak

By JERRY NUNN

WEST BRANCH – By day dentist Chris Chrysler works with the precision tools of his trade, fine-tipped instruments that take a steady eye and require an even steadier hand. Come five o’clock, Chrysler slips downstairs in the West Branch dental office he owns with his dentist wife Mary, and gets out tools of a larger nature – the saws, drills, planers and sanders that carpenters and crafters use when working with wood.

But that change to a heftier implement does not mean Chrysler sets aside his painstaking accuracy.

The cedar-strip kayak that Chrysler recent crafted in the lower level of his office demonstrates the same attention to detail one expects from a drilled cavity or a filled tooth. While the narrow, pointed shape of the kayak’s hull is the same time-tested design defined by science and used for centuries, the decorative inlay that Chrysler applied to the watercraft was of his design.

“Whatever hits me when I’m working on it,” said Chrysler, of the artistry that goes into the kayak. Thus, the familiar orangered of cedar is set off by narrow bands of wood in contrasting colors. “I wanted to personalize it somehow.”

Not an easy endeavor when you see how the boat is made.

Starting with a plywood form that determines the kayak’s shape, the hull is built from center strip, working first towards the keel, then up each side by lying and gluing narrow strips of cedar edge to edge.

“Each strip has a bead on one side and a cove on the other, so they fit together,” Chrysler said.

The point of beginning, a single strip running the full length down both sides of the vessel, remains unglued. This “shear strip” enables the kayak to be separated into two halves – top and bottom.

“You have to have a way to get inside and finish it. It has to be sanded and finished on the inside, too,” Chrysler said, explaining that hatches fore and aft in the deck serve the same purpose during construction, and then serve as a place to stow items once the kayak is complete.

Once the strips are all laid down and the hatch cut in the top, the kayak is split and finished, first by planing the hull, then by sanding.

While the close-by workspace proved a convenient place to ply his woodworking hobby, Chrysler did reach a point when he began to work with strong smelling resins, and abandoned the basement

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

of his dentist office to move the works to a pole barn.

There the kayak was finished by coating it with graphite and fiberglass fibers and a finish coat of resin. Then the splash guard that surrounds the hatch, designed to deflect water, was installed and the two halves fastened as one.

Unlike the short and wide recreational model kayaks that have become so popular, Chrysler’s hand-crafted model is built in the long, narrow style known as a sea kayak.

“This is made for a lake,” Chrysler said. “You see how it’s long and narrow? It’s made more for open water.”

Approval of Chrysler’s attention to detail has been ratified. Work has begun on a second kayak, in the same style with the same personal touch. That is fitting, since Chris and Mary Chrysler discovered the sport of kayaking together.

“We first got into kayaks when we were in Copper Harbor,” Chrysler said. “We both just loved kayaks. Before we even got home we had bought two.”

Those two mass produced watercraft will be set aside, now that the couple have handcrafted luxury models at their disposal.

The Rolling Stone Steakhouse & Buffet Krab Salad

3 pkg. Krab, rough chop 1/2 bunch of celery, sliced thin 1/2 lb. red seedless grapes, halved 1 C. ranch salad dressing 2 C. mayonnaise 1 T. onion powder 1/2 T. pepper Mix all together and chill two hours before serving Presented by the Rolling Stone Steakhouse 3444 W. M-55, West Branch just off exit 215 therollingstonesteakhouse.com

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

13

5th Annual

Festival of Trees Nov. 13-20, 2010

10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

At the Grayling Mini Mall

located one-half mile off I-75

on the Grayling business loop

Members of the Grayling Promotional Association have found a unique and unselfish way to share their spirit of Christmas. For five years running the group has offered up Christmas trees free for the taking by local businesses and organizations, with the stipulation that those trees be returned fully decorated and ready to raffle off.

For one week, Nov. 13-20, more than 30 festive trees will be on display at the Grayling Mini Mall where folks can stroll at leisure, enjoying decorations ranging from the traditional to the non-conventional.

That’s where the sharing begins. Tickets can be purchased for a chance to win the tree of your choice at cost of $2 each for 6 for $10. On Nov. 20 at noon Santa’s elves will be on hand for the drawing of the winners.

And the sharing doesn’t end there. Money earned from the Festival of Trees allows the Grayling Promotional Association to dole out the holiday spirit year round, by supporting benevolent projects throughout the county.

For more information about the Festival of Trees call the Grayling Chamber of Commerce at (989) 348-2921.

16

By SANDIE PARKER, sandiesgalley.com

Culinary artist and recipe writer Sandie Parker, rated as a five-star cook by “Better Homes & Gardens,” writes a regular recipe column for Info Northeast and others from aboard her boat, “Nice N’ Nauti.” Look for more of Parker’s recipes at sandiesgalley. com.

Oh boy, it’s hunting season once again; that means the men (some women, too) take off, bound for the woods, and the women go shopping.

That seems to be the case anyway, with all the shopping malls advertising “Ladies Day” and offering lots of sales. Before sending your hunter off, include a batch of this hearty chili.

The recipe bursts with flavor, will satisfy their appetite and even help soak up some of the beer consumed around the campfire. (Ha, ha.) So to all the cooks packing up food, this should keep them very happy and full. If you like it hot, hot, hot, add more chili powder and or hot pepper sauce. To see more recipes, or to check out my two cookbooks, go online to www. sandiesgalley.com.

Hearty Hunters Mex Tex Chili 1 lb. lean ground beef

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

1 lb. ground pork sausage

or turkey sausage 3/4 c. chopped onion 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 1/2 tsp. prepared minced garlic 2 (15 oz.) cans dark red

chili beans 1 (29 oz.) can tomato sauce 1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes

(I blend them) 3 T. sugar 2 tsp. chili powder 1 T. bottled hot pepper sauce 1 tsp. dried basil 1 packet McCormick’s Mex Tex

chili mix 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked

and drained sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

In a large fry pan cook ground beef, sausage, onion, celery and garlic until meat has browned. Drain grease and pour into soup kettle. Stir in un-drained beans, tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes. Now add the rest of the ingredients except the macaroni and garnishes. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stir in macaroni and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Serve in bowl with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top. Makes 8 to 10 bowls.

With the holidays creeping up on us, here is an easy dessert recipe to keep on hand. We all know the stress of making sure everything is done and that includes menu planning. Well I am here to help. This pretty holiday ice cream cake can be made ahead, saving you time to fuss with other things.

Best part about it? Everyone from children to adults will love it.

Now, if you have the time by all means make your own Oreo crust.

I did. I want to wish all of you, from all of us here in Freeland, a very happy holiday season! For requests, chit chat and questions, please email me at Sandiesgalley@gmail.com and visit my website at www.sandiesgalley.com.

Chocolate Cherry Vanilla Bean Pie

1 Oreo Cookie pie crust 1 ( 7-1/4 oz.) bottle hard-shell

chocolate ice cream topping 1 ( 10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries,

drained 1 quart vanilla bean ice cream 3 ounces peanut butter cups,

chopped

Prepare the crust and drizzle half of the chocolate ice cream topping over the bottom and up the sides of the crust, following package directions to shake well. Freeze until firm. Set aside six or seven cherries, cut in half, for garnish; chop the rest. In a large bowl combine the cherries and the ice cream. Spread into prepared frozen crust. Sprinkle the top with chopped peanut butter cups, drizzle the remaining chocolate topping.

Garnish with the cherry halves and freeze at least 15 minutes before serving. I would make this up to two days in advance to get it done. Just cover it with foil until you are ready to serve and then sit down with a glass of wine and relax a bit!

Home-made Oreo Cookie Crust: 1 1/2 c. crushed Oreo Cookies 1/2 c. melted butter

Crush cookies by putting them in a gallon size freezer bag. Use a rolling pin to crush them. Place them in a bowl, add the melted butter, stir to combine. Spoon crumb mixture into a 9- to10-inch pie plate, or double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan. Pat down evenly on bottom and up the sides.

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

17

News shorts

WEST BRANCH – By the time this issue hits the news stand, inmates in the Ogemaw County Jail ought to be settled into their new quarters, according to Mark Surbrook, jail administrator.

Located in the former Dean Arbor Ford dealership on the corner of state highways M-30 and M-55, the facility was converted to a high tech jail at the cost of $6.1 million. While the old jail had a capacity rating of 26 inmates the

18

new Ogemaw County Correctional Facility can house 122. By keeping Ogemaw County’s 40 inmates, on average, within the community and renting space to neighboring counties, the new jail may well pay for itself, according to Surbrook.

STANDISH – Last year, when federal prison officials looked to the state’s Standish Maximum

from across Northeast Michigan

Correctional Facility as possible location to house prisoners of war from Guantanamo Bay, the idea created an uproar in this Arenac County town. Now federal corrections officials are looking at the Standish facility, along with others, once again. As the first step in possible federal acquisition, an environmental assessment is underway in Standish. And while one recent report suggests that the Standish prison will again be drop from consideration, Richard Cohn, an official with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, says Standish Max remains a viable option for federal purchase.

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

GLADWIN – While travelers approaching this town from the south will notice a change to the skyline thanks to the town’s new 500,000-gallon water tower, residents city-wide have noticed a 15pound increase in water pressure.

Underground and electrical work still continues, but it is hoped the project will be completed some-

time in November, according to Chuck Carman, foreman with the Gladwin Department of Public Works. Adorned on each side with “Gladwin,” as well as the American flag, the water tower project will cost about $1.6 million by the time it’s complete.

LEWISTON – Continuing to broaden its horizons beyond golf and fine dining, Garland Resort dedicated its new athletic fields earlier this year with the help of several downstate soccer teams, including several Detroit-area GRAYLING – The AuSable Artisan Village, a collaborative ef- youth leagues and the men’s socfort between Kirtland Community cer team from Oakland University. By the time promotion of the College and Northern Michigan crafters in all art media, is under- fields gets underway full swing way after a successful summer of next summer the resort hopes to host football, lacrosse, track and showings, classes and exhibits. more. Add that to the full service Dedicated to the promotion of spa that Garland’s owners plan to area artists and their works, the open in January and folks elsefledgling initiative has big plans where will have even more yearto combine artistic skills with round reasons to visit northernentrepreneurial spirit. If all goes as envisioned, the AuSable Artisan most Oscoda County.

Village will soon offer classrooms, studios and galleries to artists while serving as an economic driver and an attraction to wellhealed art lovers. While a website is still in the works, organizers have created a Facebook page appropriately named “AuSable Artisan Village.”

OSCODA – Visitors to Oscoda and locals alike found plenty of reason to utilize the township’s new River Bank Park, located on the AuSable River, an easy walk from downtown and Oscoda Beach Park. With a new paved and accessible quarter mile walking WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

19

loop, accessible fishing stations and observation platforms, as well as a canoe and kayak launch area, the park makes a perfect place for a day’s outing, while picnic tables and restrooms make the River Bank Park make it great place for a family picnic or to begin your tour along the nationally recognized River Road Scenic Byway.

plans and completed the entire project at once. Now anglers have easy access to the river, with an accessible boardwalk and fishing pier, while boaters have as easy route to the waters of the bay by use of a new boat launch. Best of all, families can still make use of the park – the popular cement play structures that have long populated the park still remain.

Husband and wife camping enthusiasts Eliot and Naomi Haycock set out on a three month HOUGHTON LAKE – Even the onset of autumn can’t put up a “Road to Recreation” promotional road block to antique auto enthu- tour Oct. 1, hawking Michigan’s new Recreation Passport. From siasts from Roscommon County and beyond. Vintage vehicle buffs now until the end of the year the pair will be making appearances continue to meet up every Monday at the Big Boy restaurant here at festivals and events across the state. Offered as a replacement almost until the snow flies. It’s nothing to see classic cars clear to to the annual of the Annual State Park Vehicle Pass, the Recreation deer season, if the weather holds Passport will provide access to out. Of course they bring along all state parks and boat launches their classic rides, making the restaurant’s parking lot appear as a and is available Oct. 1 at Michiscene from the movie “American gan Secretary of State Offices. If all goes as planned, according to Graffiti. Meetings are informal and all in fun. Best of all, gawkers State Park officials, the Passport will increase funding for the mainare most welcome and apprecitenance of state and local parks, ated. campgrounds, trails and historical sites. As part of their tour the Haycocks are offering several TAWAS CITY – Long term giveaways so if you see them strategy called for a two phase about their travels, be sure to say approach in the renovations to Gate Way Park at the Tawas River hello. mouth, with fishing facilities and lighting installed now and a new boat launch sometime in the future. City leaders scratched those

20

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

WEST BRANCH – The summer wedding of Cole Kartes and Lauren Shepardson fulfilled every hope and dream that newly weds hold dear as they begin their lives together.

Led by the Rev. Thomas Teall of Calvary Baptist Church, the ceremony honored the young couple’s faith while a lavish reception in the church gymnasium celebrated family and custom.

The wedding party of six attendants on each side paid respects to the couple, while a slow-moving, eight-mile procession into town announced to friends and community that Cole and Lauren were husband and wife.

Yet perhaps more than anything, the July 30 wedding paid tribute to family tradition.

Held in a corn field on the third-generation dairy farm that Cole and his brother Keith will one day inherit, the ceremony paid homage and honor to the agricultural lifestyle that will support the young couple as they forge their own way in life.

“It was her idea,” Cole says.

“At first I didn’t want to do it. I said. ‘Do you know how much work that’s going to take?’ But Lauren wanted to do something special so I said, ‘Well let’s do it then.’”

For the groom’s part, preparation took about six weeks, beginning after the corn was already planted.

“We went in, measured it up, squared it off and pulled the corn.

Then we planted grass,” said Cole, 26.

After that grass sprouted, Cole took on the meticulous chore of watering and mowing. By the time the couple’s big day arrived, the area had become a plush lawn surrounded by 10-foot-tall corn.

I don’t know why I thought of it, but I wanted something different,” said Lauren, 22. “People who came were like, ‘This is so cool.’ It definitely drew attention.”

That the wedding will serve as a lasting memory not only to Cole

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

and Lauren, but to all in attendance, can be no doubt.

Not that the couple haven’t already made a few memories.

The wedding follows six years of courtship and they met when Lauren worked at Dairy Queen in West Branch.

“He used to come in with his friends and they rode Harleys,” Lauren recalls. “I thought he was so cool. My mom didn’t like it too much at first but she came around once she got to know him.”

21

22

HeadWaters Land Conservancy

A Time for Rest John Frye, Director of Land Protection – HeadWaters Land Conservancy Abby Ertel, Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member - HeadWaters Land Conservancy

Unless you had the privilege to spend most of your summer in Alaska, you were likely one of the many Michigan residents that enjoyed a very long and warm summer season. Gaylord had its first 80 degree day at the beginning of April and its first 90 degree day long before June. Those warm days ate up what little snow we had well before the end of March, providing the opportunity to get outside early and enjoy more days in the yard and garden than usual.

After a long season of hard work and play under the sun most of us are ready to sit back and enjoy the cooler weather in front of a warm fire. Not so fast! Fall is the best time to wrap up many simple but important activities that will give your gardens, wildlife food plots, trees, and shrubs an important head start next spring. Before you hang up INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

the hand tools for the winter, here are a few ways to put a little more effort into your land now and be rewarded with great results next year.

Composting – This is a great way to produce rich, healthy soil.

Not only does it reduce costs associated with gardening, the amount of garbage you send to the landfill decreases too. Plan to completely mix and turn over your compost pile in the fall so that all of the organic matter is incorporated and can break down over the winter months. To add a boost to next year’s vegetables and flowers, add in compost that has been decomposing all summer to existing garden beds. You can continue to add to the top of your compost pile all winter long.

Pruning – Depending on where you live, you may be one of the lucky folks who can successfully grow fruit bearing trees and shrubs that are not subjected to mid-June frosts. In October, once the leaves have fallen off the trees and shrubs, plan to prune any damaged or undesirable branches

to prepare for next year’s growth.

A sharp saw or pruning loppers are essential. Make sure to clean the blade after each tree with a quick wipe of bleach to reduce the risk of transmitting disease between trees. Also, it is best to prune with another person. This way, one person supports the branch while the other cuts, alleviating the risk of tearing the bark.

The absence of the dense protective layer bark provides, leaves trees susceptible to insect infestation and the spread of disease.

Birds then further damage the tree by feeding on bugs or nesting in newly created cavities.

Flower Beds – The weeds are finally giving up and most of the blooms are gone, but the end of the growing season is the best time to prepare your garden beds for next year. A few simple steps include removing dead vegetation (put it in the compost pile,) planting or dividing bulbs and collecting seed bearing flowers into a giant wildlife bouquet to hang next to the bird feeder. You can also collect fallen leaves and grass clippings to spread around garden beds for further nutrient breakdown and soil protection.

Additional leaves can go into the compost pile!

Wildlife Food Plots – Wildlife food plots are an excellent way to enhance property because they are beneficial to native and migratory animals all year long and fall is the best time to prepare your food plot for planting the following spring. The first step to successfully enhancing a food plot is calling the local Conservation District or Natural Resources Conservation Service office and having a resource professional take a soil sample. This test will indicate what nutrients are missing from the soil, and what pH adjustments may be necessary, saving you both time and money. Once the

missing ingredients have been identified, work the necessary fertilizer and/or lime into the ground with a set of discs or a tiller. Over the winter bacteria will take the nutrients you added plus the tilled vegetation and create rich soil for next year’s planting. In the spring your site will be ready to plant – perfect for native, non-invasive plant species.

Indeed fall is a great time for rest and reflection, but it is also a time to think ahead. For more information on any of these suggestions please contact your local Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Services office, or local Land Trust.

These organizations can provide you with valuable information to guide you to a more beautiful and healthy property.

Gaylord-based Headwaters Land Conservancy land trust is dedicated to protecting and preserving the remaining undisturbed natural resources of northeast Michigan. To learn more visit Headwaters online at www.headwatersconservancy.org.

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

23

P H O T O G R A P H I C S

This building to the left represents a typical urban area that either military or civilian law enforcement personnel may be called upon to enter and fight in an urban warfare situation. below, on the site of Camp Graylingʼs old “Tent City,” new barracks grow to house thousands of future troops in training.

®

Senior Portraits Wedding Photography Casual and Formal Sittings Photo Restoration DVD Photo Albums Graphic Design Computer Presentations Brochures, Programs Calendars, Flyers Coffee Table Books and more

K.Neff 989.848.5732

email: kneffphotographics@mac.com http://web.mac.com/kneffphotographics

24

Update on C a mp Gr ay ling

groups of dissidents who infiltrate a community unnoticed, to suddenly wreak havoc and terror on an entire nation. Those enemies have learned to use the influence of fear as a powerful weapon.

By JIM SMITH Welcome to the world of terrorstaff writer ism.

CAMP GRAYLING – The Camp Grayling was formed in tragedy of September 11 caused 1913 when lumber baron Rasmus many change across our country, Hanson gifted 147,000 acres to including the recognition by the the State of Michigan to be used political and military leadership as a military training camp. The of our nation that the technology first troops arrived for training of war has changed. Thus it was in 1914 and the camp, which they announced the expansion of straddles Crawford, Kalkaska activities at the Michigan National and Otsego Counties, has been Guard Training Base in Grayling. in use ever since as the largest Recent warfare has taught us National Guard Training facilthat organized armies are far less ity in the United States and the likely to come marching across the largest domestic military facility landscape in challenge to the oceast of the Mississippi River. The cupants for the possession of gecamp trains not only Michigan ography. While the fear of nuclear National Guardsmen but soldiers weapons is still a possibility, the from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, as real threat now comes from small well as Canadian and other foreign Changes underway on Michigan’s National Guard Training Base better reflect the situation our troops encounter overseas.

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

troops, along with regular Army and Army Reserve Units.

With the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in the wake of 9/11, the federal government committed $70 million to upgrade Camp Grayling’s training facilities to better train troops heading into battle. Since the modern requirements of warfare are similar to the battle-fields of terrorism, training at Camp Grayling has been modified to reflect an urban environment. Special training programs have also been developed for civilian law enforcement agencies. Customarily, the training programs have been limited to the warm weather months but to better utilize the new, expanded facilities, winter maneuvers and exercises are being developed that will allow the facility to operate on a year round basis.

The total capacity for troop housing at Camp Grayling has been 725 officers and 3,144 enlisted personnel. An additional 6,780 personnel could be housed in what has been traditionally called “Tent City.” New construction underway and scheduled to be completed by early next year includes barracks capable of housing several brigades at a time, each with its own mess hall.

Of the more notorious additions to the camp are replicas of Middle Eastern villages. In these makebelieve environments, a variety of scenarios can be utilized to allow the troops to experience what they will be faced with prior to their deployment to those theatres of action. There is also an “Urban Assault” area complete with threedimensional mock ups of city buildings for use, not only by the military, but for training of civilian law enforcement agencies that may be faced with terrorists or insurgent invasions.

More and more, as the cost of maintaining a standing army

increases, Washington lawmakers and the military industry have been passing the responsibility for providing skilled and trained fighting men and women to the states and their National Guard groups.

As we have seen in recent years, volunteers that are well trained can be called up and deployed almost at a moments notice. As long as the troops are standing at the ready in their home states, the cost is minimal.

While the construction and development of Camp Grayling’s new facilities continue at a rapid pace, there is a lot more to come.

By the time all is said and done, Camp Grayling will be one of the most comprehensive ground battle field training facilities available anywhere.

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

25

26

The demonstration plot sets a prime example of what forest dwellers can and should do to protect their homes and cabins.

Enabled through a partnership between Michigan’s Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation, the $45,000 Firewise landscape project could not have been completed without a legion of volunteers. Three such plots were installed in Michigan highway rest areas; others are located in Cadillac and Seney.

Yet the Grayling location seems

By JERRY NUNN somehow most appropriate. editor Located on northbound I-75, just south of Grayling, this roadside rest GRAYLING – The burned out area was at the heart of the 2008 shell of a woodland home or cotFour Mile Road fire that burned tage is an all-too-common scene 1,350 acres and spread to the following a wild fire. Often, the southern edge of Grayling. It is also catastrophe is brought on by the situated a mere 12 miles from last property owners in an unwise atsummer’s Meridian Boundary Fire tempt to preserve or broaden the that devoured 8,500 acres of Crawwoodland ambiance that surrounds ford County forest and destroyed their dwelling.

12 homes.

Now an alternative fire-resistant “After the Meridian Fire last approach to a beautiful landscape is May, we drove around to check it on display at I-75’s Four Mile Road out and it was devastating,” said rest area. Using practices outlined Marilyn Stuart of Roscommon, a in the national Firewise program, Master Gardener and one of the the new landscaping that surrounds many volunteers who pitched in to the facility serves as a buffer make the Firewise demonstration should a wild fire threaten. plot a reality. While Stuart underUnder the direction of project coordinator Ada Takas, a cadre of volunteers recently completed a Firewise landscape demonstration plot at the Four Mile Road rest area. Located on north-bound I-75 just south of Grayling and north of the U.S. 27 interchange, the newly renovated landscape sets a safer example for woodland home owners.

P H O T O G R A P H I C S

®

Senior Portraits Wedding Photography Casual and Formal Sittings Photo Restoration DVD Photo Albums Graphic Design Computer Presentations Brochures, Programs Calendars, Flyers Coffee Table Books and more

K.Neff 989.848.5732

email: kneffphotographics@mac.com http://web.mac.com/kneffphotographics

Firewise

INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

stands the desire of folks with woodland homes to “maintain that natural beauty of the forest” she also said that “the people who live in the woods, if they come up and see what we’ve done here, will have a good idea of what they can do to help protect their homes.”

That’s the idea behind the highprofile location, according to Ada Takas, the DNRE’s volunteer coordinator and supervisor of the Firewise projects.

Using plants with a high-water content, lower in naturally combustible oils, as well as fire resistant mulch, the area directly surrounding the building now serves as a “defensible space,” Takas said. Meanwhile, groundcovers help preserve soil moisture while trees and large shrubs are cleared back from the dwelling.

Before the demonstration plot was even complete, it was fulfilling its educational goal.

“People stop and watch us work and they are not afraid to ask us about it,” Takas said. “Everywhere we’ve been, it has been like that. I think this is going to turn out to be a great educational opportunity.”

The landscaping will certainly gain its share of attention; Takas says 1.4 million visitors pass through the re-planted rest areas in a single year. Descriptive signs explain the planting and send folks elsewhere for more Firewise information.

With its inter-mixed flowers, shrubs, stones and descriptive signs, the more practical landscaping gives folks a reason to ponder,

Takas says, recalling the elderly woman gardener who found the same flowers planted here that she chose for her wedding long ago.

“You don’t really think about gardening and flowers as being related to landscaping, but when people make that kind of connection with what we are doing here, it resonates with them. They can draw that direct connection to their lives,” Takas said.

The list of companies involved reads like a local hardware and building supply guide.

Brinks Mid-Michigan Landscaping of Cadillac provided the excavation.

“When we took on the project we weren’t sure what we were in for, but I am glad we did,” said owner James Brinks, noting he was unfamiliar with the Firewise concept. “We never really thought about it before but how many fires have they had up here? We’ll definitely keep using these ideas.”

Menards supplied the fire resistant cocoa-hull mulch, while Home Depot of Gaylord will provide ongoing labor for upkeep.

“We’ll come out and weed it.

We’ll make it a family thing; come out have a cook-out, pull some weeds and make sure everything is looking good,” said Barb Reimer, captain of Home Depot’s employee volunteer organization, Team Depot.

“A lot of our associates live in Grayling,” Reimer said, recalling the worry that co-workers experienced during the recent Meridian Boundary fire. “I think a lot

of people watched that and said, ‘Hey, I am out in the woods, too.

What can I do keep this from happening to me?’ This is a way they can protect themselves and help educate and protect our communities, too.”

Not all who helped live nearby.

Jim Hunt and Vicki Carpenter, along with their kids Victoria, Taylor and Ted, drove clear from Eaton Rapids to help with the Crawford County project, not just once, but five times. To the family, who are members of Lansing Motorcycle Club and avid dirt bikers all, volunteering here was a way to give back to the state.

“We use a lot of resources, so we stay in touch with Ada, looking for ways that we can give back,” Hunt said.

Folks who adopt the Firewise approach and adapt it to their own landscaping will be surprised at the diversity of plants and materials that can be used, according to Paul Kollmeyer, DNRE fire prevention specialist. Perhaps best, for cabin owners especially, is that many of the plants and shrubs require low maintenance.

“We are hoping that people pick up on the idea and use it elsewhere,” Kollmeyer said, noting that the Firewise concept fits well with full time residences as well as seasonal homes. “In many cases, these are the types of homes that burn down. People don’t go to their cabins to mow the grass and prune the trees. They want to ride in their hammock with a cold beverage in their hand or whatever.

WWW.INFONORTHEAST.COM

The point is, they don’t go to work and with this they don’t have to.”

“Anything that someone can do will help,” Kollmeyer said, noting that the Firewise program has many facets that folks can adopt.

As far as the rest area projects, they make the Firewise program highly visible in an area that he figures will do the most good.

“This is a wonderful way to get the message out,” he added.

27

1 Northstar Storage Barns

8

2 Country Feed Supply 3 Maple Ridge Metal Supply 4 Pine Grove Woodworking 5 Country Cedar Crafts

8 Oak Hill Country Furniture 9 Bylers Custom Cabinets

E

72

4 7 Kittle Rd.

6

Kneeland Rd. Gerber Rd.

7 Shady Lane Footwear and Fabrics

S

Co Hwy 608 / W. Miller Rd.

Bills Rd.

6 Granny’s Jamery

9

N

N. Galbraith Rd.

Selected Amish Merchants From Oscoda County

W

3 33

5 2

1