The Guide September 2011 by The Guide

INDeX

6 ............These walls do talk 8 ............Second chance ranch 10..........Woven Art Work 14..........Centenarian 15-18 ....Conservation corner 19..........Bulking Up 20..........From Tim's kitchen 21..........Alcona fall color tour 22..........Graveside Civil War ceremony 23 ..........A little bit of elbow grease

The

Guide

covering the counties of Alcona, Arenac, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Roscommon

SEPTEMBER 2011 Volume II, Issue 6

Winner of the 2010 O.B. Eustis Environmental Awareness Award

Published by: Info Northeast Jerry Nunn, editor (989) 780-0900 jnunn@infonortheast.com Contributing writers: Jakub Bednarek, Jerry Nunn, Scott Nunn, Casey Ressl, Tim Reed Contributing photographers: Jack Guy Advertising sales and design: Scott Nunn (989) 245-7140 snunn@infonortheast.com Layout and design: Kathy Neff (989) 848-0787 kneffphotographics@mac.com

The By JERRY NUNN

Guide

editor

Doubling as our exploration headquarters, the huge yard was neatly bordered to the south by a fence and a quiet country road, with a towering barn and a grand old farmhouse standing guard along the sides. At the back edge stood a garage, a work shed and a well stocked chicken coop; to the north beyond that the unpopulated and desolate frontier stretched farther than our imaginations. Our complicated mission: After searching the premises for foreign troops, consulting a couple of docile Jersey milk cows and determining the position of the spying farm cats, was to lead the prisoners, (in this case

Windows to the Past

a dozen barred rock laying hens,) from the coop to an empty corn crib that was to serve as their new jail. As enticement to the birds, we shucked corn from the cob until our young hands were raw and laid it in trails, kernel by kernel, from the This window at Edward Jones Investments in downtown coop, through the orchard and to the Gladwin shows the former Halls Drug Store’s historic progress over the years. crib. The plot sounded with scenes and articles from much better than it worked but their historic past. the scheme remains one of my All summer the windows favorite childhood memories. acted as memory prompts for The farm is still there, just those old enough to recall west of Gladwin on Willford and served as an education in Road. Back then it belonged to local history for those who are my grandfather, Lester Kiggins. younger. Now it has passed from the Best of all, while the windows family and a recent drive by the were put on exhibit in store fronts old homestead revealed the house for the season, the memories will to be much smaller than memory continue to be preserved when tells, the barn less formidable the windows go on permanent and the unexplored territory out display at the Gladwin County back stretching only as far as District Library sometime after Clendening Road, less than one Labor Day. mile north. There is much to be said for So much for memories. memories. They enrich our lives, Fortunately for folks in provide an escape to the past and Gladwin County, where they’re remind us of where it is we come celebrating their sesquicentennial from. year, memories have been on But sometimes memories fade. display in shop windows all We applaud those folks from summer long. the Gladwin Arts Council for Called Windows to the Past, helping to keep our memories and sponsored by the Gladwin alive. Arts Council, the project found 40 business owners and citizens from across the county decorating windows in an old-time fashion

THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

Northeast Michigan Calendar of Events September 2011 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.

September 2

Fabulous Fridays in Victorian West Branch, the final week featuring Big Boys and Their Toys. Info: (989) 345-2821

Ants and Friends Picnic, 10:15 a.m. at the Alcona County Library. Info: (989) 724-6796

Open Mic Night, 8 to 10 p.m. first Friday of every month at Thanks a Latte and Flowers by Josie in downtown Grayling. Info: (989) 348-4006

September 2-5

Labor Day Weekend Sidewalk Sales at Tanger Outlet Center, West Branch. Info: (989) 345-2594

September 3-4

Harmony Weekend, Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Craftmaker’s Cabin in Harrisville, featuring more than 400 exhibitors, music, food, parade and a Barbershop and Sweet Adeline concert at Harrisville Harbor pavilion. Info: (989) 724-7197 or www.HarrisvilleArtsCouncil.com

18th Annual Labor Day Arts and Crafts Show at the Houghton Lake Middle School, Sat. 9 a.m.

September 9-11

Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Newman Street in East Tawas. Info: (800) 558-2927

to 5 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. sponsored by the Houghton Lake Arts & Crafts Association. Info: (989) 366-8511

September 3-5

26th Annual Barton City Baseball Tournament with proceeds to MDA. Info: (989) 736-3401

at the Grayling Mini Mall parking lot. Info: (989) 348-9419

Hartwick Pines State Park, with the Swampers against the Northville Eclipse. Info: (989) 348-2537

on state highway M-33. Info: (989) 826-3331

Hartwick Pines Vintage Base Ball, 1 p.m. at

AuGres Knights of Columbus Breakfast, 8 a.m.

9th Annual Gun Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Steiner Museum north of Fairview. Info: (989) 826-6952

to 11:30 p.m. at the KC Hall in AuGres, All-you-caneat includes coffee and juice’ adults $6, seniors over-60 $5.75, kids 5-12 $3, under 5 are free. Info: (989) 876-7717

Run for River House, at Hanson Hills Recreation

September 4-5

Area, Grayling, featuring a 5k run/walk and a one mile fun run; registration 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. with races following. Info: (989) 370-3636

State Championship Demo Derby, 2 p.m. at the

Gladwin Fair Grounds, with bump and run, truck class demo derby, followed by fireworks. Info: (231) 4256990 or www.ToddSorensenPromotions.yolasite.com

Our Community and the New Economy, 7 to 9

21st Annual Labor Day Arts and Crafts Show,

September 4

Mio Mud Bogs, 1 p.m. at the mud bog south of Mio

September 8

p.m. at Alcona High School in Lincoln, a presentation by Dave Ivan, extension specialist, who highlights the five pillars of renewed prosperity; a free public prelude to the Leadership Program that starts Sept. 29. Info: (989) 724-6478

September 3

8th Annual Junque in the Trunk, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Labor of Logging Program, 2 p.m. at Hartwick Pines State Park, a 90 minute program with historian Rob Burg. Info: (989) 348-2537

Iosco Sportsmen’s Club Wobble Trap Tournament, noon to 3 p.m. at the Wurtsmith Range in Oscoda. Info: (989) 295-5712

September 5

Wounded Veterans Benefit, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Steiner Museum, north of Fairview. Info: (989) 826-6952

THE GUIDE • InfoNortheast.com

13th Annual Hospice of Helping Hands Annual Yard Sale, with thousands of items ranging from electronics, house wares, furniture, antiques and more. No clothes. Info: (800) 992-6592

September 10-11

Free Hunters Safety Class, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at the Eastern Arenac Sportsmen’s Club in Twining. Registration and info: (989) 873-3530

September 10

Pigeon River Large Woody Debris, a Huron Pines volunteer event in Cheboygan County. Be prepared to get wet while installing habitat structure in the Pigeon River; a physically-demanding project to improve habitat for fish and aquatic organisms, diversify stream flow and protect the riverbank. To participate call Huron Pines: (989) 344-0753 ext. 21 or email to jill@huronpines.org

Northern Michigan Folk Arts Festival, 10 a.m. at Wellington Farm Park, a barn dance-style event featuring artists, musicians and storytellers from across Northern Michigan; adults $7.50, seniors and students $5.50. Info: (989) 348-5187 or www.WellingtonFarmPark.org Made in Roscommon Show and Sale, noon to 6 p.m. at the AuSable River Center, featuring books, dairy goat products, woodcrafts, wool and more. Info: (989) 275-5826

Ogemaw County Humane Society Mutt March,

at Iron's Park, West Branch. Info: (989) 343-7387

Gardening Workshops, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the

Tawas City Library, with Butterfly and Hummingbird Gardens at 10 a.m. and Worm Composting at 1 p.m., classes are free but pre-registration is required. Info: (989) 362-6557

September 10-11

Thunder on the Strip, 1/8 mile street legal drag

racing at Gladwin County Fairgrounds and Zettle Airport, with live entertainment, kid’s events, car show and more. Race registration costs $25 and begins at 11 a.m., racing starts at 1 p.m. and $5 to watch the fun. Info: (989) 246-4386 or www.ThunderOnTheStrip.net

September 11

Country Breakfast, 8 a.m. to noon at VFW Post

4159 in Roscommon, an all you can eat breakfast with pancakes, sausage, eggs made to order, hash browns, biscuits and sausage gravy, coffee and juice; $5.50 adults, $2.50 under-10 and toddlers eat for free. Info: (989) 275-4136

2nd Annual Bridal Show, at the Chapel in the Park

in AuGres; a free event. Info: (989) 240-4615

September 12

Tee Off for Tolfree - Annual Golf Outing, to

benefit the purchase of new equipment and provide new services for the West Branch Regional Medical Center. Info: (989) 343-3690

September 15-16

Punkin’ Chunkin’ at Wellington Farm Park,

Grayling; a depression-era working farm, complete with costumed interpreters, a working steam tractor,

shingle and grain mills and more. Admission costs $7.50 adults, students and seniors $5.50, with a $27.50 family maximum. Info: (989) 348-5187 or www.WellingtonFarmPark.org

September 15-18

31st Annual Firemen's Memorial Festival, at the

Memorial grounds in Roscommon, featuring a weekend of fun and a tribute to the fallen firefighters with youth activities, contests for firefighters and a light parade. Info: (989) 275-5880 or www.FiremensMemorial.org

September 16-18

Fall Plow Days with AuSable Valley Engine and Tractor Club. Info and location: (989) 826-5920 Civil War Encampment at the Michigan Magazine Museum in Comins, featuring the Third

Battery 1st Michigan Light Artillery. Info: (989) 848-5688

September 17

2nd Annual Riverbend 5k Run/Walk for multiple sclerosis, at the West Branch Senior Center, 130 Page Street, with registration at 10 a.m. and run starting at 11:30. Info: (989) 225-9213

Evening at a Logging Camp, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at

Hartwick Pines State Park. Journey back to 1896, to Salling-Hanson and Company’s Section 9 Camp and learn about life of lumberjacks as they prepare for the winter’s logging season. Info: (989) 348-2537

The Osmonds, an American Tradition, 7 p.m. at

the Kirtland Center for Performing Arts, tickets cost $32 and $36. Info: (989) 275-6777 or www.KirtlandCenter.com

The Wellington Country Music Show, 7:30 p.m.

at Wellington Farm Park, Grayling; tickets cost $12.50. Info: 348-5187 or www.WellingtonFarmPark.org

September 17-18

15th Annual Paul Bunyan Festival, at Fertaw Field in Oscoda, with the Great lakes Chainsaw Carving Championships, lumberjack show, arts & crafts fair, classic car show, pony rides, kid’s games, Bunyan Games, live bands, beer tent and more. Info: (989) 739-7322 12 & 24 Hours of Hanson Hills mountain bike races, a Michigan Cup endurance race, with

registration 8 to 9:30 a.m.; racing starts at 10 a.m. Spectators welcomed and encouraged. Info: (989) 3489266 or www.FunPromotions.com

September 18

Timber Trail Trot and Timber Trail XT run/ walk races at Mid Michigan Community College; run/walk starts at 10 a.m., the XT at 9 a.m. Info: (989) 386-6651 or www.MidMich.edu

19th Annual Mid Michigan Community College Fall Festival and Barbeque, noon to 4 p.m. at the Harrison Campus, with a classic car show, kid’s games, rock climbing and family entertainment. Tickets cost $5 in advance, $7 at the door, three-and-under free. Info: (989) 386-6629 or www.MidMich.edu

September 19

St. Joseph Christmas Shopping Spectacular, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic School, West Branch; featuring more than 30 local vendors with raffles, pictures with Santa and lunch available. Info: (989) 345-0220

September 20

Free Walleye Fishing Seminar, by exert Mark Martin, 6:30 p.m. at the AuGres Library. Info: (989) 876-8818 Iosco County Project Connect, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Plainfield Township Hall, a free day of services for those in need offering dental, eye and medical exams, legal assistance, food, clothing and much more. Info: (989) 728-4082 or online at www.HaleYes.org THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

September 22

Eric Jylha talks about “What Michigan did to support World War II,” 7 p.m. at the AuGres Historical Museum. Info: (989) 876-7029 or 876-8818

September 23-24

Alcona Humane Society Annual Garage Sale at the ARA site in

Lincoln. Info: (989) 736-7387

September 23-25

Hale Yes Hot Air Balloon Festival, centered at the Iosco County

Fairgrounds, with hot air balloons all three days and a huge roster of Saturday events. Info: www.HaleYes.org

September 24

Curran Black Bear Festival, featuring a car show, horse pull, cake walk, concessions, craft show, kid’s games, parade and more. Info: (989) 335-3947

14th Annual Pumpkin Run Car & Motorcycle Show and Cruise,

centered at the Kmart parking lot in Houghton Lake with a cruise, show, oldies entertainment, car hops, contests and more. Info: (989) 366-5644

St. Joseph Parish Fall Festival,

noon to 5 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic School West Branch, with local bands, lunch, as well as games and prizes for everyone. Info: (989) 345-0220

September 24-25

Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival, featuring all Things

fiber, with sheep and pasture seminars, vendors and fiber supplies, classes on shearing, spinning, yarn, knitting and more. Info: (989) 345-2434

wealth of other presenters and activities focused on conservation and nature; $2 admission includes lunch. Info: (989) 724-5053

11th Annual Oscoda Lions Club Fall Festival Arts and Crafts Show,

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oscoda School Complex. Info: (989) 739-3911

Grayling Rotary Fall Flinger Fundraiser Disc Gulf Tournament,

registration at 8 a.m. and tee off at 9 a.m. at Hanson Hills Recreation Area, with three divisions, raffles, side games and prizes. Info: (989) 348-9266

Earleen Fox Memorial 5K Walk/ Run Promoting Breast Cancer Awareness. All Proceeds go to OHHS

Scholar ship fund. Info: www.EarleenFoxMemorial5kWalkRun. com or (989) 685-2552

State Bump and Run Derby Championship at Ogemaw County

Fairgrounds. Info: (989) 345-7266

October 5

safeTALK Suicide Alertness Training, 9 a.m. to noon at the CRAF

Center in Roscommon, a three hour workshop teaching practical skills to recognize persons considering suicide and connect them with the help they need; cost is $5 and register by Sept. 28. Info: (989) 366-1105

October 6-8

27th Annual Quilt Show and Raffle, at the 4th Street Gallery, West

October 8

Ogemaw Trails: Railroading Ogemaw County – East Edition,

a self-guided driving tour introduces you to the people and places that made railroad history in Ogemaw County. Info: (989) 873-5673

Branch, and the West Branch Library, with more than 100 quilts on display, admission costs $5, quilt raffle tickets cost $2 each or three for $5. Info: (800) 992-6592

September 28

Customer is King, a free business

seminar 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the AuGres Library, with Chemical Bank, Delta College and the City of AuGres. Preregistration is required at (989) 686-9597

October 1

Annual Nature Fest, by

the Friends of Sprinkler Lake Education Center, featuring PaleoJoe, Smoke Bear and a

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MIO – For eight decades the Tunison family has been building memories on their AuSable River vacation property just downstream from this Oscoda County town. Now, five generations worth of memoirs can be found scrawled in pen and pencil on their modest cabin’s unfinished walls. For the most part, the writings are a mundane chronicle of weekends at the cabin marking holidays, recording weather and documenting time spent together in the company of grandparents, cousins and family friends. But the inscriptions also include the family’s hallmark moments, highlighted in the March 2006 scrawl of Jennifer Tunison, proclaiming that “James popped the question” and “I said, ‘Oh my God, YES!” Now those recorded family times are through. The 35-acre parcel that the cabin sits on is public land, part of the Huron-Manistee National Forest, leased to the family of the late George Tunison Sr. since 1931. Officials with the U.S. Federal Forest Service have terminated the lease, as is their legal right according to the written agreement, and they want the property vacated

THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

by the end of this year. For the Tunison’s, termination of the lease created some rueful and introspective moments. “I really wish there was something we could do, but I know that there’s not,” says James Tunison. “We have to tear the cabin down and return the property to its natural state by January. “All my favorite family memories are there. That’s were I proposed to my wife,” he said. “The only thing we’re left with now is deciding which wall panels we want to cut out and save. That’s our family history written there.” The Tunisons are not alone. Across the state are nearly 30 other parcels whose lease-holders face a common fate. When the original lease was signed, the property was part of the vast, private, riverside land holdings of Consumers Power. The company transfered the land to the public as part of a remediation agreement over fishkills at a Lake Michigan powerplant. While the lease holders had the opportunity to purchase the land when it was transferred, few took the opportunity. As for the Tunison’s, 1,500 feet of frontage along the AuSable River would have cost more money than they were willing to spend. Now, some have hired lawyers

and vow to have the decision the dams because of the danger of reversed. flooding,” Tunison said. Thus the Yet, to fight the ruling would original lease description had the be a waste of time and money, the property located miles upstream, Tunison’s say. In the end they would above Mio Dam. After the deal was still lose the property, their fond Up made, the land agent claimed there North memories sullied by anger had been a mistake and they went and resentment. back and changed it, according “When it first came up, an to Dexter’s admittedly vague attorney met with a group of us and recollection. he said, ‘I’d be a crook if I took “I wish I knew all the stories your money,’” said Dexter Tunison, about that place,” Dexter says. father to James and grandson to the “It’s the only dwelling along that vacationland’s founder George. “It’s stretch of the river. It really is a local not complicated. It says right in landmark.” the lease that they can terminate it A landmark that will soon be anytime they want to.” torn down but will remain a piece As it stands now, the family can of the Tunison family’s heritage still look back on the good times they spent there. And while those ancestoral writings will make some great souvenirs when they are cut from the walls, they do not tell the whole story according to Dexter Tunison. And the original lease that George Tunsion signed was good for his lifetime only. Shortly after he signed it, his sons sought a way to lengthen Friends and family of James Tunison used the remaining time at the Tunison's Mio cottage to build lasting the lease terms. memories and celebrate the good times they've been “I don’t know all the experiencing there since 1931. ins and outs, but I think my dad went down to Jackson,” to the headquarters of forever. Consumers Power. “I think he “It’s was one of those places argued that they had the wrong name where we went every weekend,” on the lease,” Tunison said. Dexter said. “My sons James and Apparently the ruse worked, Dave learned to swim there, we because the lease was transferred to spent a lot of time camping and Dexter’s late father James, and his canoeing there. It gave us a lot of uncle George. great memories. “My dad built the cabin in 1936,” “Am I bitter? No. It is sad to see Dexter said. “He went to Bay City it go but the way I look at it is this: and made a deal on the lumber. He That piece of property belongs to bought all the lumber it took to build the public but our family has had it for $323; the $23 was the delivery exclusive rights to it for the past charge to have it hauled clear from 80 years. I’d say we’ve been very Bay City all the way to Mio.” fortunate. Yet, according to family lore, the “It is a beautiful piece of land cabin should never have been built that we can still return to and visit. there to begin with. We know that we’ve been very, very “Apparently, they weren’t lucky.” supposed to lease anything below

THE GUIDE • InfoNortheast.com

By JERRY NUNN editor

ROSCOMMON – Gazing over the pasture, Carrie Miracle runs down the litany of complaints the grazing horses once suffered and the lasting effects of the past illtreatment some of them received. “That’s Ebony over there,” Miracle says, pointing to a stately Percheron-quarter horse cross. “She was starving so bad when we brought her in that we put a horse blanket on her and she fell right down. She could not stand up under the weight. “That one over there is blind. That brown one there was skin and bones. “And that’s Queen. She was going off for meat when we took her in. She’s one of our best people horses.” One by one, Miracle tells the history of 17 horses that now call Second Chance Ranch their home. As she climbs through the fence, nearly all the horses amble over to offer a greeting. All are friendly, obviously wellfed and apparently well cared for. “They weren’t always that way, at least not when we got them,” Miracle says. “That one is blind and had her nose broken when we got her; they’d beaten her with a 2-by4.” For a little more than a decade, the Miracle family has been caring for cast-off and run down horses on a 10-acre spread they call Second 8

Second Chance Ranch

Chance Ranch. Recently, the farm acquired an additional 10-acres and they are currently in the process of outfitting a newly-built barn. It all began when the Miracles acquired a skinny, poorly-fed horse. By the time they’d nursed it back to good health, Carrie’s mother Jeri Miracle says all her grandkids had learned ride it. Up until now the costs for the care, upkeep and medical treatment of the farm’s equine residents have been covered out of the Miracle’s own pockets and from a few precious donations. But rising expenses have forced Jeri Miracle into forming a nonprofit corporation. With paperwork filed, she hopes the approval process can be completed by the end of this year. “This is the first year we’ve asked for donations and we’ll probably call on volunteers for help around her cleaning it up and taking care of things,” said Carrie. Don’t expect that new purchased 10-acre parcel to fill up with horses. “We’ve had as many as 19 horses before, but I don’t like to have that many because you can’t spend time with them,” says Jeri. “It takes an amazing amount of time. “A lot of the horses, when we get them in, won’t come up to you. We go out everyday and take care of them, feed them, talk to them and give them time.” Time spent building the trust of a mistreated horse can be

considerable, according to Sam Sanchez. “You have to bond with the horse,” Sanchez said. “Most like the attention but we have some shy ones. The big thing is we don’t push them. We let them come to us and

let them get used to us.” Cost for feed and maintenance runs a “couple hundred dollars a week,” according to Jeri. Tack is often donated and to save money, general maintenance is performed by the Miracles themselves. Carrie even does the hoof trimming, a heavy chore that takes hours and is done every six to eight weeks on horses with healthy hoofs, more frequently on those that have foundered. Nonetheless, veterinarian bills often run into the thousands of dollars. Worse off among the horses currently at Second Chance Ranch is Trooper, a noticeably thin miniature with bad teeth. If $4,000 for oral

Carrie Miracle and Sam Sanchez visit with a miniature mare named Spice as the author’s grandson Conner, 5, looks on. Second Chance Ranch currently houses five of the little breed, including 2-month-old Little Man Miracle.

THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

surgery cannot be found, the horse may have to be put down. “We’ve had some horses die here,” Carrie Miracle says. “It’s sad to have to put a horse down but sometimes you have no choice. “Some we try to find new homes for but the older ones we keep because it we figure it’s not fair to them. We’ve taken some with the

Horses at Second Chance Ranch are well-fed and cared for and the facility is in good repair. The Miracles hope to keep it that way by forming a nonprofit corporation and accepting tax-deductable donations.

understanding that we would keep them but most, if we have a good home, we let them go. “We’d like to get some of them out of here now,” Carrie said. “Normally, they stay with us for a few years.” Horses arrive here through a number of routes. Most are referrals. Some have been purchased if that’s what it takes to find them a better home. One time, a large drug bust in Gladwin County resulted in the discovery of improperly cared for animals and the horses were brought to Second Chance Ranch. “We’ve had animal control call us and ask if we’d take them,” said Carrie, noting the county agency inspects Second Chance’s

newly acquired horses to give an assessment of what the horse may need. “Lately, we’ve told them we couldn’t do it but we have taken them in the past.” Perhaps, once their non-profit status is approved and good homes can be found for the recovered horses at Second Chance Ranch, the Miracles will be more apt to say yes

and better able to do what they’ve sought to all along. That’s to give an animal a second chance. “People think we’re crazy but this is what we like to do,” Jeri Miracle says. “Working around here and spending time with these horses is our relaxation time. Besides that, we love these horses.”

For more information about

Second Chance Ranch Call Jeri Miracle at

(989) 389-0407 THE GUIDE • InfoNortheast.com

WOVEN ART WORK By JERRY NUNN editor

STANDISH – Laid flat out in bed by a back injury, with looming doubt cast upon his truck driving future, Glenn Lyons Glenn Lyons works the loom at the Rug studied weaving as a way to Maker’s Cabin everyday from open to close recuperate. at the Ogemaw County Fair. While he now Now, miles of hand-woven works alone, at one time he had three emfloor rugs and 32 years later, ployees operating 11 looms. the 79-year-old Lyons still exhibits an unstoppable drive steel.” as he handcrafts floor coverings While Lyons still keeps busy worthy of hanging on a wall. weaving rugs, his is not the business “I was flat on my back and got to that it used to be, when he had three fooling around with a loom,” Lyons people working under him, operating recalls. “That’s what led me to here. a total of 11 looms. I did craft shows on crutches when I “When I had people working could barely put one foot in front of for me, I was selling to people who the other.” were selling woven rugs full time. These days Lyons is most often They were doing craft shows, selling found working from his Arenac rugs, and they’d never made a rug of County home. During the week of their own,” Lyons said. “When I was August’s annual Ogemaw County weaving this other lady’s material I Fair, Lyons works from open to was making over $15,000 a year just close, a well-known fixture in the from that.” rug maker’s cabin located in the Not bad for a weaver these days, fairground’s popular antique village. Lyons says. One spring, on a threeThere Lyons works a traditional weekend-circuit of antique and craft Newcomb Floor Loom identical to shows, Lyons sold $3,200 worth of one he has at home. rugs. “I could have bought the rights “Then, November through March to build these looms a few years ago I never made a sale,” he says. along with all their parts inventory A good weaver could “spend a but I couldn’t afford it,” Lyons says. “Besides, any part on here that breaks lifetime developing patterns,” Lyons says. While customer wishes play I can make myself and I’ll make into account to some degree, Lyons it better because I’ll use hardened THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

has his favorite patterns and material. For making rugs he prefers using white cotton cord as a weft, or filler, but is fast to admit “not everyone can put a white rug on their floor.” So Lyons most often uses men’s pants and slacks in a variety of colors, cut into one inch strips – each winter he uses around 300 pairs of men’s pants, purchased from the Fish Resale Store in Hale. In that, he prefers corduroy and buys every pair he can get his hands on. The lighterweight warp of the loom is threaded with cotton string – 24 strands, each 120 yards long – a painstaking task that takes “a good long day.” While Lyons will explain his craft A sample of Glenn Lyons to anyone who asks, he is also good handcrafted rugs for a few words of wisdom as well as some lore of days gone by. Lyons and his wife Leona claim Even though he takes life easy and tries to keep it simple, Lyons’ name to live a simple life. On their threeacre plot between Standish and Omer has gotten around. In a tree trimming incident that sounds worse than it they maintain a “huge garden, a was, Lyons had a tree fall on him. few chickens and a couple of pigs,” Well wishes started coming in before Leona says. word of the near-tragedy was even “We both grew up on farms,” she released. says, noting that garden produce is “A lady I know at Three Oaks canned and aside from eggs which Mall, down by Detroit, called and are sold, all they produce is shared among friends and family. “We know asked if I was alright,” Lyons said. “My neighbors didn’t even know about chickens and cows. I used to what had happened yet.” milk cows Such is the price of and I’d go in Custom Rug Weaving fame, one might say, yet the barn and by Glenn Lyons Lyons’ rugs and weavings throw hay bales 1426 Wyatt Road, Standish can be found all over the around.” east of US-23, just past the world. Fittingly, the railroad tracks “I made a rug that couple adheres (989) 653-2588 was shipped to New to a philosophy Hampshire that was made that fits their of random strips of bleached white lifestyle. cotton,” Lyons said, noting the area “We live pretty simply. We go rug destined for a bedroom measured in a grocery store and walk around. a little larger than 12-foot-square. We don’t buy anything unless it is “I had another lady tell me, ‘This on sale,” Glenn said. “It’s like that rug is going to Florence, Italy.’ saying, ‘It’s not what you make, it’s “I asked, ‘Do you know someone what you save.’ Or as my wife likes over there?’ to say, ‘Get all you can, can all you “She said, ‘No, that’s where I am get and sit on the lid.’” from,” Lyons said. “I thought that “We grew up in hard times. We was pretty cool." know what it is like,” he said.

THE GUIDE • InfoNortheast.com

St. Joseph Health System & Hale YES!

Hot Air Balloon Festival September 23, 24, & 25 Centered at the Iosco County Fairgrounds with events taking place all around town Hot Air Balloon flights held at dawn and dusk beginning Friday evening and ending Sunday morning and a balloon glow Saturday at dusk All day Saturday activities include: • Antique and Classic Car Show • Antique Snowmobiles • Society for Creative Anachronism • Medieval reenactment Plus you’ll find: • Apple Cook-Off • $5 for a sampler’s mug 1 to 4 p.m. • Art Battle and Auction 4 to 7 p.m., with auction to follow • Arts & Crafts Show, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Balloon Glow at dusk • Fun Run, register at 8 a.m., race starts at 9 a.m. • Gift Basket Competition, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Hale Garden Club perennial plant exchange, 9 a.m. • Sunrise Harmony Choir • Sweet Adelines Dinner Show, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is $15 adults, $10 for 10-and-under • Wine Tasting & A Taste of Hale, Cost is $25 Begins at 7:30 p.m.

Plus lots more for youngsters and families. For more information go online to www.HaleYes.org

St. Joseph Health System & Hale YES!

Plus lots more for youngsters and families. For more information go online to www.HaleYes.org

Considering A Century

After visiting folks at Grayling Nursing and Rehabilitation Center last month, and meeting four residents who are aged 100 years or more, we knew we had to return to speak to one of them. So it is that we met and visited with Amelia Krenz, 100, of Grayling. Born in 1911, the fifth in a line of eight children, Krenz was the daughter of a Czechoslovakian coal miner. Her early years were spent in St. Charles and when Krenz was in seventh grade the family moved to Saginaw. In 1934 Amelia married Manuel Krenz and the couple resided in Saginaw, eventually retiring to Higgins Lake. It is not that she is surprised to have reached 100-years-old, it’s just that Amelia Krenz has given the notion very little thought. “It’s not something you have to plan for, it comes to you,” says Krenz. “How are you supposed to feel when you’re 100-years-old? I feel fine.” Quick with an anecdote and willing to share a memory, Krenz recalls what life was like in the early days of the past century. “We were brought up different,” Krenz said. “I never talked back to my parents. We never sassed. And my mother did not yell at us. She just gave us something to do and we did it.” Krenz learned early that bad decisions have lasting consequences. When she was only 3-years-old, Krenz snuck from the house to visit her father who was fishing behind the house on the bank of the river. 14

By JERRY NUNN editor

Amelia Krenz, of Grayling

“He thought he got a bite but he was snagged up on something,” Krenz said. “I was right close to him but he didn’t even know I was there.” When her father pulled the line to dislodge the hook, it flew right at the toddling Krenz. “The hook hit me in the eye, went right into my pupil. I’ve been blind in my left eye ever since.” Krenz lost her father at a young age, in a tragedy that would be hard to imagine these days. When the family’s garage caught fire, her father broke a window out to assess the situation. A flash of flames flew into his face and he inhaled the fire. Unbeknownst to the family and obviously in distress, her father wandered across the road and collapsed. “The police found him there and threw him in jail because they thought he’d been drinking. When they found out that’s what happened to him, it was too late. That’s what killed him.” Looking back, Krenz recalls the feelings she had for her parents and the strong work ethic they instilled in her. “I guess we had respect. Our parents told us never to lie. And you know that feeling you get when you tell a lie? That didn’t happen to me but a few times and I learned my lesson,” she said. “My mother would go out and work in the field every day, right along with the men. She had a baby and three days later she was

back in the field at work.” Like many youngsters back then, Krenz gave up school to get a job at Henning Sausage in Saginaw and pitch in toward family expenses. Like most her age, Krenz has clear memories of the Great Depression. “It was a time where you couldn’t find work and when you did it didn’t pay much,” Krenz says, noting that her job at Lufkin Rule paid 18-cents-per-hour. “When you got a raise, it was a penny. What little bit you had, you had to live on. I gave most of my money to my mom.” Of course prices were cheaper. A blouse back in the mid-1930s might cost “$3, $4, $5, but by then I was making a little more. We had a few nice clothes, a few but not many,” she said. Quality of merchandise was not always as good as we remember either, Krenz says. “They were getting away with a lot of stuff but you had to buy what was available. Over the years we bought the things they made. Even as adults if we outgrew something it was set aside and we’d wear it later,” she said. Eventually she married and due to Henning’s rule against employing married women, Krenz left there. “I didn’t marry young. I was 23-years-old and my husband was

THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

three years younger than I was but I think he was more mature.” The day before she was to be married, at the height of the Great Depression, Manuel lost his factory job. He thought perhaps the couple ought to wait to be married but with all the plans in place Amelia felt otherwise. After the wedding, she went to work at Lufkin Rule where she worked on and off for 20 years. Eventually, the couple retired to their Higgins Lake vacation home. “It was a dumpy little thing when we bought it. Then my husband made it over and it was pretty nice. He added two bedrooms and fixed it up.” Trips to the cabin were far from weekly affairs, due to the time involved in drive, Krenz says. “When we used to first come to Higgins Lake it took so long to get there because the roads were all so narrow,” she said. “There were a lot of smaller cabins at Higgins Lake back then, but I think it is a lot nicer now than it used to be.” Nonetheless, time spent at Higgins Lake is fondly remembered. “I caught a lot of fish out of there,” she said. “I used to love to catch perch. My husband, he always went for the big fish, and then he’d give them away to someone in the neighborhood. Those big fish weren’t much to eat. That’s why I loved to catch perch. I love fishing on Higgins Lake.”

Little known projects in a well known place By Casey Ressl

coming years. Huron Pines is also updating the road/stream crossing NORTHERN MICHIGAN – To inventory that will help identify most northern Michiganders, the Au and prioritize resource concerns Sable River is a familiar place. They throughout the Watershed. might have walked across the East These road/stream crossing Branch on a hike through Hartwick projects alone will keep hundreds Pines State Forest. They might have of tons (yes, tons!) of sand from wished canoe marathoners good entering the river every year. Sand luck in Grayling as they raced off smothers gravel which is necessary on their 120-mile journey through for fish reproduction and changes the night. They might have eagerly the shape of the stream channel or awaited the next hatch and their stream morphology. chance to catch this big one on We’ll also be actively placing the high quality trout fishery. Or tree material in the North Branch perhaps, they crossed the mouth of and South Branch this year. These the Au Sable in Oscoda on a scenic trees will create high quality fish tour of Lake Huron. habitat and habitat for other aquatic At Huron Pines, life while protecting the Au Sable is a Learn more about purple streambanks and watershed with a reducing sand from loosestrife at whole lot going entering the river. www.huronpines.org. on. From road/ Furthermore, stream crossing our restoration crew improvement projects to purple is nearing completion of a small loosestrife removal, there’s never a dams inventory throughout the dull moment. Watershed. Like the road/stream In 2011, Huron Pines and crossing inventory, the small dams partners will complete seven road/ information will tell us where to stream crossing improvement focus restoration efforts, making projects—four on the North Branch sure we spend our time and funding and three in the Pine River-Van wisely. Most dams have a 50 year Etten Lake sub-watershed, located lifespan and by 2020, 80-percent in the lower Au Sable. In addition, of the dams in Michigan will be three crossings were completed last older than their intended lifespan. If year and four are in the works for they are not strategically managed Huron Pines staff

and dams begin to fail, it could wreak havoc on the natural resources of Michigan. Last, but definitely not least, Huron Pines recently inventoried Purple loosestrife is showing up more and more in the North Branch the region and is a main target for removal efforts for invasive in the Au Sable River Watershed. Forming dense species. Building on the efforts of the monocultures, it crowds out native vegetation Lovells Hook and and significantly disrupts wetland and riparian Trigger Club and ecosystems. the North Branch River Keepers to eradicate purple crossing inventories, monitoring loosestrife from the area, Huron and removing purple loosestrife, Pines floated the North Branch mapping key river stretches, and searching for populations of purple taking the first steps to erosion loosestrife, reed canary grass, and control projects. phragmites. Those populations We know what a special place will soon be treated by our crew of Northeast Michigan is and we certified pesticide applicators. want to make sure it stays that way The critical undercurrents of all for future generations. If you’ve these projects are the dedication experienced the splendor of the and perseverance of our outstanding Au Sable River, you probably do, partners and volunteers. We’ve too. You can make a difference by been very lucky to partner with supporting Huron Pines. Support the Au Sable River Watershed us by lending a hand at a volunteer Restoration Committee in placing project. Help us build a solid an AmeriCorps member in the foundation by making a donation. area. Huron Pines AmeriCorps Contact us today to learn more member Lisa Tobin is spending about making a difference. her summer organizing volunteer Contact Huron Pines at (989) projects, conducting road/stream 344-0753 or info@huronpines.org.

THE GUIDE • InfoNortheast.com

Teaching conservation values through fly fishing

Youngsters who attended Trout Camp, sponsored by Trout Unlimited, work on a restoration project along the upper Manistee River. By JAKUB BEDNAREK Huron Pines AmeriCorp

HIGGINS LAKE – On the first day of Trout Unlimited’s Youth Trout Camp, 20 anxious youngsters settled into The Straits classroom at Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center. Only a few knew each other. Most traveled a ways to be here. One boy, Will Zera, came all the way from Illinois, an over six hour drive. None of them knew what to expect. Yet they bonded quickly over educational activities, fishing and evening games of euchre and it wasn’t long before they all had nicknames. The first afternoon of camp quickly unraveled with hands on instruction. With fly rod in hand, each camper practiced their fly casting skills. Other crafts on the days agenda included knot tying, spinner making, fly tying and making THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

lanyards. Afterwards, the details of proper catch and release techniques, to minimize hook mortality, were discussed. Within a few hours, 20 campers – many of whom had never casted a fly – were rigging their rods and gracefully casting flies. With luck they might be able to gently handle and release their catch back into the wild. Now all they needed was a chance and having honed these skills, the camp took off to Grayling Fish Hatchery. As a generous initiation ritual, each camper reeled one in. It seemed like every camper had caught a fish except one, Will. Discouraged and fed up with trying, our schedule catching up with us and the bus soon to arrive, Will shouted “Just three more casts” in protest. But we couldn’t even squeeze one more cast in for Will. That’s why they call it fishing and not catching, I guess. But Will’s

consolation prize was yet to come. The activities that followed tied fishing in with related ideas of river ecology, biology and conservation. Campers learned about the hydrology of a stream with the scaled down river model of the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited. This hands-on model demonstrates the processes of erosion and sedimentation in a time scale of minutes, rather than the months it takes to happen in nature. Watching the effects as they placed rocks and wood chips in to

reinforce the model’s river banks, the kid’s learned how putting large woody debris into a river helps restore eroding stream banks and channelized stream sections, while providing improved habitat for fish. Another sensation with the campers was the electrofishing process of DNR Research Biologist Todd Willis. He showed kids how electrofishing is used to capture fish while explaining how a study using this method helps biologists assess fish populations. The presentation prompted many questions and discussion from both campers and counselors alike. Many kids were curious to know whether shocking the fish hurts them (it can if done improperly.) That’s why only Willis swept through the stream while our campers watched from the banks. With the elevating chatter about

where Willis captured the biggest fish, the campers headed off to fish one of America’s great trout fisheries, the Mason Tract on the South Branch of the Au Sable River. I believe it was there that Will, the young camper from Illinois, caught his initiation trophy. It may not have been a trophysized fish but thanks to the lessons he received in the value of conservation and proper catch and release, his catch may grow to trophy size. While the Youth Trout Camp aimed to impart kids with a sense of respect and wonder about riverine systems and the fish that live there, the education was carefully balanced with the very recreational activities that make these natural areas worth enjoying. Fly fishing is the perfect activity to hook a kid’s interest, and teach them the importance of conservation and the pleasure of our environment. Because fly fishing blends aspects of sports, art, science and culture, a young angler might become involved with canoeing, or hiking through the forest to a secret fishing hole. She may become involved in the craft of fly-tying while sharing her creations with fellow anglers. Maybe a former camper will pick up one of Hemingway’s stories about fly fishing in the Two-Hearted River. Or one may end up studying ecology in college. And, hopefully, they will all share the value of conservation, which they learned at the fly fishing camp with their friends, families and neighbors.

Country Cedar Crafts, L.L.C. RUSTIC LOG FURNITURE

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“Check Our Prices Before Buying Elsewhere!” Melvin Jr. & Barbara Gingerich ~ Owners

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Heading up HeadWaters By JERRY NUNN editor

GAYLORD – With vast tracts of forest, miles of rivers and an abundance of lakes, Northeast Michigan has more to offer outdoor enthusiasts than anyplace in the state, short of the Upper Peninsula. As Headwaters Land Conservancy’s new director, Laura Justin, 43, of Boyne City, has vowed to do all she can to protect those resources. “The eastern side of the state is so unique,” Justin says. “There is nowhere else in Michigan that has the contiguous tracts of land that you find here.” While providing an amazing resource, “there is also a huge responsibility to protect that,” she said. As leader of Northeast Michigan’s largest land conservancy, an organization that covers 11 counties, administering conservation easements to protect a property’s natural features in perpetuity, Justin is in a unique position to help fulfill that responsibility. Justin comes to Headwaters from Grand Traverse Resort, where she served as membership and recreational activities director. She lives in Boyne City, where her husband Curtis owns and operates Coach’s Choice, an endeavor to assist schools with sports team fundraising. Justin has a 18

HeadWaters Land Conservancy 110 South Elm Avenue, Gaylord (989) 731-0573 www.HeadWatersConservancy.org

bachelor’s degree in organizational Conservancy as “two fold.” and relationships, both of which communications from Central “There is the conservation she says are required by the Michigan University and a teaching easement piece that land organization’s mission. degree from Spring Arbor. conservancies are known for. That’s But Justin brings some personal Those skills and experience to the job as that experience will well. help the organization Her mother and father achieve its goals. have been working “What makes a for two years with land conservancy Grand Traverse Land successful is Conservancy to establish the face-to-face a conservation easement communication with on their Emmet County families,” Justin says. property. It’s a place that “It’s not a six week Justin calls home, where process. Building she spent her formative those personal years and a place she is relationships takes a proud to see set aside for lot of time.” conservation. Prior to any “Being able to walk property being across my backyard to considered for the Maple River, which is a fantastic trout fishery a conservation and remains for the most easement numerous Laura Justin, who took over as director of Headwaters part undeveloped, was a site visits are needed, Land Conservancy last month, with husband Curtis and the great experience,” Justin conservation and couple’s boxer, Zeta. says, noting that time monetary values spent there taught her the must be assessed, importance of resource protection. and equitable legal papers must our mission,” Justin said. “Then, be drawn. Even beyond that, there needs to be a huge push for us “It was very beautiful. I was very lucky.” Justin says, concerns of all parties to be out there in our communities. And she looks forward to a interested in the property must be Really, we need to be a selfcareer in conservation. addressed and that usually includes sustaining organization if we are to “The passion of the people who siblings and offspring. Before an fulfill our goal of stewardship.” work here and their concentration agreement is reached, a year or more As far as needed changes to on the preservation of our natural may be spent educating the land Headwaters’ operation, Justin has resources is fascinating,” Justin owner and building relationships. not recognized any yet. She does says. “It excites me to get up and That personal interaction is one see it as her obligation to operate come to work everyday. I hope to be aspect of her new job that Justin “in a way that is business-minded,” here for many years.” looks forward to the most as she reiterating the idea that she plans sees her role at Headwaters Land to focus in long-term commitments THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

Country Corner Bulk Foods 445 East Cedar Avenue, Gladwin (989) 426-2201 Country Corners Bulk Food 1284 West Kittle Road, Mio (989) 826-6063 Moores Bulk Foods 303 South James Street, Grayling (989) 344-5141 The King’s Pantry 3285 M-65, Hale (989) 728-2882

NORTHEAST MICHIGAN – With harvest season upon us, folks will soon be stocking up for winter. That often means large purchases of canning supplies, spices and baking supplies, Shoppers may do well to consider buying in bulk. In Northeast Michigan, those seeking larger quantities of nobrand and name brand goods have four choices of bulk food outlets to choose from. Spread evenly across the area, most folks will find at least one of the stores a short drives distance. While all offer similar products, presented in varying ways, all are unique enough to warrant visit. Buying in bulk is nothing new. Our ancestors purchased everything from saltine crackers and cookies to flour and baking supplies by the pound, served from wooden barrels or stoneware crocks. These days, a few places still sell groceries that way. Country Corner Bulk Foods in Gladwin has been in operation for 24 years. The store is outfitted in an old-time decour that plays up on that nostalgia, according to owner Barry

Country Corner Bulk Foods, Gladwin Carlson. “Here you can still get what you want,” Carlson said. “Most places that call themselves bulk food stores buy in bulk, but then they repackage it before they sell it. “Not here. Here you can stil buy a pinch or a pound,” he said. Popular among the store’s items are baking supplies, whole nuts, pet foods, cereal and snack items. “People come from miles around to buy our spices. And penny candy is popular. We still carry Squirrel Nut Chews and Black Jacks. People remember them. You used to be able to buy them all over,” Carlson said. The unrelated, Amish-owned Country Corners Bulk Food in Mio has been around even longer though not in the same location on Kittle Road that you find it now. “It started small, in the mid1970s,” says Vernon Bontranger, who owns the store with Owen Beachy. “We’ve been around long enough that we’re widely known,

to the point that we don’t do any advertising.” Word of mouth is enough, when you carry the offerings found at Country Corners. Along with the seasonal bigselling baked goods and canning supplies, including canning lids and rings by bulk, Bontranger said the store’s “bent and dent” grocery section gets a lot of traffic. There you may find a little or a lot of anything with freshness and quality still intact, but with a damaged package. “We get all kinds of merchandise and canned goods,” Bontranger said. “All we can do is put out what comes forth. It’s a challenge to keep it organized. An abundance of something one day may be replaced the next.” Whether it’s a sign of resurgence, an indicator of increased awareness, or just coincidence, those two long-established stores were joined last February by two new bulk

THE GUIDE • InfoNortheast.com

food establishments. In Grayling, Moore’s Bulk Food offers bulk items and The King’s Pantry in Hale began peddling health care and food. At Moore’s, where folks can find four kinds of dried mushrooms, five different popping corns, 10 fresh-ground nut butters (including the popular kicking-hot peanut butter,) and 20 varieites each of rice and pasta, variety is the rule. Also found here are un-homogenized milk, farm fresh eggs, goat cheese and an entire section of salt-, sugar- and glutenfree organic products. Folks who shop bulk food stores are a diverse lot, according to owner Sheila Moore. “With our huge selection of candies we get a lot of kids but we get grandparents too,” Moore says. “We see a lot of people in who are looking for just about everything in bulk.” In Hale, The King’s Pantry sells “good health in bulk,” according to owner Sharon Morgan. Offering natural health and cosmetic items, teas and infusions, as well as foods and drinks, you may find just about anything here. One thing you will not find are artificial sweetners, flavors or colors – Morgan has declared her store free of these of these. Big on the list of items King’s Pantry carries are hypo-allergenic goods (the store is peanut productfree.) And along with food that she says will supply her shoppers with better nutrition as well as good health, Morgan also holds classes to help maintain your health such as the Sept. 10 class titled Cold, Flu and You. Future classes will cover canning, stress, diabetes and more. “We are different than a bulk food store and we’re different than a health food store,” Morgan says. “I guess you could say we are natural bulk.” 19

Stuffed

Acorn

Squash

From Tim’s Kitchen By TIM REED Fresh acorn squash is a real autumn crowd pleaser and it’s a dish that allows you to really be creative! We frequently stuff our cooked squash with a combination of wild rice, sausage, dried cranberries, raisins, and pecans. But we also make them with ground turkey and we make a vegetarian version too. The point is to be creative. Try couscous, apricots, garbanzo beans, shredded carrots, golden raisins, and ground lamb with some cumin for a Moroccan flavor. If Italian is your thing, try them with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, Italian sausage, and basil and orzo pasta. The sky really is the limit; you could even think Mexican with chorizo, peppers, rice and beans. Then top it all with Jack cheese. THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

To prepare the acorn squash:

Halve and seed the squash. Then brush with butter, season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast in a 350° F oven until tender (30-45 minutes depending on the size of the squash). While the squash is roasting prepare your stuffing. When the squash is tender, fill the warm halves with the stuffing mixture and serve with a tossed salad, crusty bread and butter. For two squash halved, allow approximately 1 cup of uncooked rice, couscous or orzo. Measure approximately 1/2 cup each of the other ingredients then season to taste. – 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.

Northstar

Storage Barns, LLC

Where is the Alcona Fall Color Tour Going This Year?

We also do cabin, garage and polebarns

SIZES FROM 8’x8’ to 16’x32’

– photo by Jack Guy

Last year’s participants of the Alcona Fall Color Tour were met with this gorgeous view overlooking Alcona Pond, just west of Glennie. The increasingly popular bus tours help participants discover the untold treasures of Alcona County. While the theme of the MSUE George Byelich Memorial Fall Color Tour remains a big secret every year, organizers promise that 2011 tour participants will again experience some amazing sights and opportunities as they explore Alcona County. The tour, as the name implies, is in memory of the late George Byelich, former Alcona County MSU Extension director. Byelich organized the bus tour years ago to help citizens explore and learn about the many facets of life in Alcona County. And while it remains the Fall Color Tour, participants found themselves introduced to far more than red and gold autumn foliage and the tour became a sold-out, waiting-list-only, annual event. Some things never change. Participants still find themselves introduced to more than autumn colors, an early morning line-up for ticket sales and a waiting list. Highlights from recent years include a close-up view of Glenview Acres P & G Farms and their Clydesdale horses. In 2008, the “energy” theme included a tour of the High Mount Midwest Energy

hoice Your C fing or Roo l ta e M tional Conven r the s fo Shingle Price Same

plant, Viking Energy and the Cedarbrook Trout Farm. The next year participants were transported back in time, with some reported seeing ghosts in Springport Cemetery. Reflecting on the county’s past, they explored ancient history while touring the Harrisville Cultural Center. Last year left

right under their nose. The tour leaves Alcona County High School promptly at 8:30 a.m., where a school bus will be waiting to take participants on an unknown journey. As with last year, the estimated time of return is 4:15 p.m. Don’t miss the 2011 bus tour on October 6 or 7. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 2011 George Byelich Fall Color Tour Sept. 6 at 8:30 a.m. at the MSU Where: Alcona County, to secret locations Extension office, 320 S. U.S. 23, When: Oct. 6 and 7, leaves Alcona High School at Harrisville. 8:30 a.m and returns at 4:15 p.m. Consider What you’ll find: Tour the autumn draped fields arriving early and forests of Alcona County while discovering as tickets have highlights of the community. been known to Cost: $16, tickets go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Sept 6. sell out quickly. The price is $16 Info: (989) 724- 6478 per ticket, is limited to two participants in awe as they viewed tickets apiece and includes the tour, the unique Peyerk Tree Farm and informational materials and lunch. other Glennie area gems. Since travel is by school bus, In keeping with the spirit and participants must be ambulatory. tradition of the original tours, If assistance is needed please organizers have arranged yet another contact the MSU Extension office road trip that will give participants at (989) 724- 6478 before Oct. 1 so an opportunity to discover the cool reasonable accommodations may be stuff about Alcona County that is made. THE GUIDE • InfoNortheast.com

Storage Barn Prices 8x8................. $995.00 8x10............ $1,185.00 8x12............ $1,206.00 10x12.......... $1,525.00 12x16.......... $2,350.00 Call for other prices and available options

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3 miles north of Mio on M-33 398 N. Mt. Tom Road, Mio, MI, 48647 LaVerne Miller and Daryl Miller Licensed Builder

In memory of Pvt. Donaldson, Civil War veteran Join the graveside commemoration of Civil War veteran Pvt. Josiah M. Donaldson. When: Sept. 10, 11 a.m. Where: Twin Lakes Cemetery in Lincoln, with a reception to follow at Alcona Recreation Site. What you’ll find there: Civil War re-enactors with period firearms offering a rifle salute, setting of a new gravestone at the grave site, with historical documents, letters and Civil War artifacts at the reception. Info by email at: lakehse96@peoplepc.com

Civil War re-enactors posthumously commemorate the service of Michigan’s last Civil War veteran, Orlando LeValley, at a graveside ceremony last month. On Sept. 10 civic and veterans groups will join family members in honoring Alcona County Civil War veteran Josiah Donaldson. LINCOLN – Marching off to the Civil War, Pvt. Josiah M. Donaldson had his father Joel at his side. The pair was together when they returned from battle as well. Donaldson was Alcona County’s oldest surviving Civil War veteran when he died nearly 70 years ago. He lies alongside his mother and father. On Sept. 10, Donaldson’s ancestors will pay fitting respects to family when they are joined by the public, veteran’s groups and the Alcona County Historical Society to commemorate Pvt. Donaldson. The ceremony will include Civil War re-enactors as a new headstone is dedicated. And Jacob Donaldson, of the U.S. Marine Corps, will place an American flag and a Grand Army of the Republic Flag holder on Josiah’s grave. THE GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2011

Following the graveside ceremony, the group will reassemble at the Alcona Recreation Site for a lunch provided by the Alcona Historical Society. There will be Civil War artifacts on display along with educational displays highlighting different aspects of a Civil War soldier’s life. The main program presented will be excerpts of letters written by Civil War soldier or family members. Most of the letters to be will be from unpublished letters from a private collection. All who attend are encouraged to bring their own artifacts or documents to display or discuss and encouraged to wear clothing of the design of that era. Everyone interested in Civil War history is invited to this patriotic, historical celebration of community.

by SCOTT NUNN

retail price while helping to fund the organization’s better known home Info Northeast staff building and renovation division. Habitat is not a gift organization. A bit of elbow grease goes a long Those who qualify for Habitat’s help way. repay the organization through lowBob Alward of Alward’s Market or zero-interest loans and contribute in Hale found that out recently when hundreds of hours of sweat equity he picked up a paint brush and a toward their project. few gallons of paint and brightened It’s an organization worth the appearance of his store. With a supporting, where every dollar few hundred dollars and a couple collected stays within the county to hours time Alward made noticable benefit local residents. improvements to his Iosco County We’ll come back and visit Habitat grocery and meat market. for Humanity in feature stories And by sprucing up his place, throughout the year, Alward brightened visiting each county, Habitat for Humanity the appearance of the with stories such as entire town of Hale. is always on the lookOgemaw County’s Brush That’s a lesson we out for good reclaimed with Kindness program, all should learn – that items. With each Oscoda County’s unique half of the gift is in the donation you earn a bird hunting fundraiser as wrap. well as that county’s high tax deduction. As we court school supported Habitatcustomers into our built homes. establishments and visitors to our Bob Alward sets an excellent towns, sometimes the smallest efforts example of the small things we can can have the greatest impact. do that result in big outcomes, for our Taking Bob Alward’s lead, we own establishments as well as our should consider what we want our community. visitors to see and what we don’t. Habitat for Humanity takes Some updates cost a great deal of that example one step further, by time and money but often the ones combining many small efforts to that matter most cost little to nothing. realize a much greater result. Here’s an idea that will make those projects cost even less and go a long way to helping those who live in our communities as well. When the time comes to stock up on improvement supplies, stop into your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Habitat’s ReStore offers paint, building supplies, hardware and house wares at deep discounts to the

For more information on Habitat for Humanity ReStore, visit the organization online at www.Habitat.org/ReStores

THE GUIDE • InfoNortheast.com