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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • march 20 - march 26, 2017 • Vol. 27 No. 12 Great Wolf Lodge - Traverse City

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2 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

its borders to essential labor will eventually pay the price. Be careful what you wish for, America.

Karla Black, Interlochen A Free Press Is Critical The free press has been present and vigilant on behalf of our citizens since the country’s inception. It has served its purpose to inform, no matter the president or the country’s situation.

Attempts to discredit and weaken this institution displays another troubling side of the Trump train and his minions. I urge the press to not back off any situation they find newsworthy. Please keep up your work so we can decide. In my lifetime, this has never been more important. I love all of our constitution’s amendments; especially the first.

Bradley Price, Northport

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Slaves’ Dreams HUD Secretary Ben Carson aptly described immigrants as persons seeking “new opportunities in a land of dreams.”

The problem with his characterization of the immigrant experience was its inclusion of the slaves arriving in the bottom of slave ships, because he believed that “they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons, and great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”

Let’s look at the hard realities faced by these quasi-immigrants. If their slave trader embraced the “dense-packed slave ship strategy,” then only 50 percent of the “dreamers” would survive the dehydration and disease they would suffer in their horrific voyage away from their family, culture, and even their own humanity. They dreamed (according to Ben Carson) that their descendants would have the opportunity to

pursue prosperity and happiness. These descendants, unfortunately, would be largely unknown to them as a result of the common and permanent break-up of families through slave sales. I would further suggest that the only dream the early victims of our country’s slave trade possessed was an impossible return to their homeland.

That a black man and cabinet member could have so little sympathy for and understanding of the victims of our nation’s 400-year-long slave trade is appalling.

Bob Ross, Pellston Who’s Picking Your Food Farms that grow America’s food have relied heavily upon low-wage migrant labor for over a hundred years. Seventyfive percent of the agricultural workers in the U.S. were born in Mexico; 53 percent are undocumented immigrants. Half of all dairy farms use immigrant labor, and 62 percent of America’s milk supply comes from farms using immigrant labor. More than one-third of meatpacking jobs are done by immigrants. All that cheap labor has helped to keep U.S. food prices down, particularly for labor-intensive fruits and vegetables. If what you’re eating is handpicked and seasonal, it was likely picked by migrant hands.

Michigan farms have relied heavily upon seasonal workers from Mexico to harvest cherries, apples, peaches, grapes and berries, asparagus and tomatoes for decades. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what happens to the cost of food after 70 percent of all farm workers are deported, and H2A visa holders are reluctant to make the journey because of rampant anti-immigrant sentiment, racial profiling and targeting of Hispanics.

If you’re wealthy, you probably don’t care much. A president who thinks nothing of shelling out $36 for a hamburger likely won’t take notice. The rest of us, who also need to eat? That’s another kettle of fish altogether.

Trump’s deportation actions are about to bring the reality of “affordable food” to the forefront pretty quickly. The wealthy, however, will always have the means to fill their bellies. Will you? A nation that closes

We Are Immigrants When the ship capsized he was rescued from the ocean by fishermen. His parents had hired a smuggler to get him out of the country where they are persecuted for their religion. The risk of freedom, the possibility of safety. The boat capsized after being refused entry to other nations.

Eventually he was taken to a UN containment center from which he became my foster grandson. I cannot imagine risking my child’s life for a chance to keep him safe and free. Can you?

Refugees and immigrants are the backbone of our country’s history. We are a nation of immigrants and we have derived strength from diversity. If you are white, your ancestors were immigrants or refugees. Tell your congressman to vote American values of inclusion and fair immigration policies.

CONTENTS

features Crime and Rescue Map........................................7

Solar in Michigan.............................................10 Day Trips for the Whole Family..........................13 Downstate Destinations..................................14 Great Escapes (Literally!)..................................17 Seen..................................................................19

dates...............................................20-23 music Local Music: Drew Hale....................................15 Fast Friends, Stong Sounds............................18 FourScore.......................................................24 Nightlife............................................................26

columns & stuff Top Five............................................................5

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle....................................4 Weird................................................................8 Style..................................................................9 Modern Rock/Kristi Kates.................................25 The Reel.......................................................27 Advice Goddess..............................................28 Crossword.....................................................29 Freewill Astrology...........................................30 Classifieds......................................................31

Lou Ann McKimmy, Rapid City Give Lakes, Trump A Chance Our Great Lakes are still threatened after almost a decade of being ignored by the Dems. Trump has been in for about a minute, but is our president. Give him a chance and give it a rest.

James Dustin, Traverse City Accountable Representatives If we are to embrace the concept of the ‘indivisible’ manual, we must concentrate on those directly accountable to us — the people we put in office. That leaves us with three elected national officials. As constituents, the assumption is that they are obligated to listen to us. We have two senators and one representative to contact by mail, faxes, telephone calls, or visits. Our purpose is to place pressure on them to act. Let’s start locally with Representative Bergman.

An ‘indivisible’ group meets at Bergman’s office Tuesday mornings. The first gathering resulted in a large, vocal town hall meeting. This was uncomfortable for them. So a new system was put in place; no office entry. The protocol: Deliver concerns through glass with an awkwardly placed “speak hole,” a sign-up sheet, and disinterested people to record constituent concerns. We were at Bergman’s that Tuesday when he was in-district to talk to constituents and he did not bother to utilize this format to meet with us one-on-

Cover photo provided by Great Wolf Lodge - Traverse City

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase 129 E Front Traverse City, MI Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Peg Muzzall, Katy McCain, Mike Bright, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 881-5943 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Matt Ritter, Randy Sills, Kathy Twardowski, Austin Lowe Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Contributing Editor: Kristi Kates Reporter: Patrick Sullivan Contributors: Amy Alkon, Janice Binkert, Ross Boissoneau, Rob Brezsny, Jennifer Hodges, Candra Kolodziej, Clark Miller, Al Parker, Michael Phillips, Chuck Shepherd, Steve Tuttle, Tyler Parr Photography: Michael Poehlman, Peg Muzzall Copyright 2016, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly. Northern Express Weekly is free of charge, but no person may take more than one copy of each weekly issue without written permission of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 3

letters

DOING IT RIGHT

Continued from previous page

one. Instead he chose the new Republican communication tool -- a telephone town hall — controlled, screened questions, no confrontations, and the freedom to not answer questions without challenge. This is offensive.

He and his DC and TC staffs follow the drill -- no explanations or confrontation.

They civilly take your calls, promising to relay your concerns. This is designed to discourage, but don’t give up. Resist and insist on contacting him (202-225-4735). Do it until he notices or listens, demand answers and town halls. Be sure he understands: We will remember and we will vote. This works.

He was elected to represent us! Don’t make him comfortable; be a bother!

Jeremy Connolly, Northport Where is Congressman Bergman?

Again in April our congressional representatives will be in recess from Washington to allow them time to listen to constituents.

Congressman Jack Bergman has chosen along with two hundred other representatives not to hold any live town hall meetings with his constituents and seems to be in hiding. I’ve sent several emails to his office with no response and made phone calls, two of which went to voice

Open Every Day

•

mail and were not returned, asking where I might attend a live town hall. When I finally managed to connect to a person I was informed there would be no live town hall meetings during the recess and that a dialin meeting will be held in March. His office would provide no details about the meeting or how I may participate and ask questions of Mr. Bergman.

Since the election, Republican congressmen have been barraged by angry constituents with concerns regarding important issues including proposed cuts to Social Security, moving Medicare to a voucher system, scaling back Medicaid expansion, and repealing the Affordable Care Act without a viable alternative, even after eight years of opportunities to come up with a plan. Many including Mr. Bergman have ditched the arrogance and bluster displayed during the campaigns and retreated to secret bunkers to wait out the storm and avoid those they’re terrified to face.

Mr. Bergman, the storm will only intensify until you and other Republicans who have gone MIA return to face those whose lives stand to be significantly affected by the policy changes Republicans propose, and listen to the needs and concerns of those you were elected to represent. Mr. Bergman, do your job!

Eric Lampinen, Manistee

321 E. Lake St., Petoskey

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4 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

opinion

BY Thomas Kachadurian Disclaimer: I am the treasurer of the Traverse Area District Library Board and have served on the board for 12 years. And perhaps more importantly, I have a thing for libraries. You can have your brewpubs, tony restaurants, and coffee shops. If I’m going to hang out, I’ll be at the library. The library is where the smart people are. People who want to read things. People who do not take things at face value. People who want to hear the whole range of music out there, and see all the movies. Even librarians are cool. With the right tattoos and piercings, anyone can be a barista, but you’ve got to know stuff to be a librarian. Forget yoga pants and abs; knowing things is what’s hot. End of disclaimer!

sions. It would have been easy for PCL boards to take advantage of the beneficial rental rate paid to TCAPS and overspend on everything else. Instead, because they knew they did not fully control their own space and the relationship with TCAPS had inconsistencies, PCL boards have maintained a sound fund balance, and have been prepared for a rainy day. It’s a good thing, because PCL has been hit with a tsunami.

The board was ready. In 1990, anticipating the possible end of the TCAPS relationship, the PCL board purchased a piece of land at the corner of Center Road and Island View, about a half mile from their

In an environment when the road commission doesn’t fix roads without a special millage and TCAPS can’t repair a roof without a bond, the Peninsula Community Library board is committed to building and running the new library without a penny of additional tax money.

If you want to see how to do a municipal organization right, look at Peninsula Community Library (PCL). PCL has been the core of the Old Mission Peninsula since 1957, and that is no small feat if you consider the geography of Old Mission. It’s a skinny finger of land 18 miles to the tip. People at the first knuckle have an entirely different sort of lifestyle than those at the fingernail.

It is also the home to some of the wealthiest people in our region – and also some of the poorest. Director Vicki Shurly and her staff seem to know everyone.

PCL served our migrant guests well before it was the cause célèbre. They have been offering English as a second language programs out there since 2009.

Therapy dogs are everywhere now, but kids have been reading books to Bear at Peninsula Community Library since 2006, before anyone knew dogs liked a good story. For a small, community library, they always seems to have exactly the materials you want, which only comes from careful collection management. At PCL they know how to library.

The PCL staff won’t tell you, but it hasn’t always been easy. PCL is located inside Old Mission Elementary school.

Because their building has been owned and controlled by a third party, PCL has had to ask permission for many things that other libraries do routinely. Because it is in a school and shares its community room with the elementary music teacher, PCL has not been able to offer significant adult programming until the evening. Not offering daytime programming is a significant limitation in a community where the average age is 57 and retirees out number children 10:1. Snow days are among the busiest for libraries, but PCL must close on snow days, because the building is closed.

In 2005, when the Traverse City Area Public Schools closed Old Mission Elementary for renovations, Peninsula Community Library stayed open by running out of the nearby Mapleton Market. They never complain, but everyone knew that someday things would have to change.

Over the years, the various members of the Peninsula Community Library board have planned well and made solid deci-

current location. Although it would be much too expensive to acquire in today’s real estate market, it is the perfect location for a public library, on a road everyone uses, in the near the demographic center of the peninsula. They have the land, and the abrupt closing of Old Mission Elementary has made it time for PCL to build a home of their own.

In an environment when the road commission doesn’t fix roads without a special millage and TCAPS can’t repair a roof without a bond, the Peninsula Community Library board is committed to building and running the new library without a penny of additional tax money. The accountability and fiscal conservancy cannot be overstated. It’s not hard to pass a tax increase on Old Mission; a review of mileage election records for the last 15 years shows the citizens of Old Mission would pass a mileage to protect a stump. Still, the PCL board is going to build the new library with 100 percent private contributions.

Last month the PCL board held a forum to kick-off fundraising for the new building. Their plans are modest. The facility will match the rural landscape of Old Mission; it’s going to look more like a farmhouse than a municipal building. They are a planning a building under 5,000 square feet -- big enough for all of the activity at PCL, including a community room that will hold 150 people, but small enough to manage, heat, and cool within their current operating budget. They want one luxury: a fireplace.

It’s never easy to raise $2 million, the price to build PCL their own permanent home. But based on the room full of people who turned out for the community forum, they will do it. Donors should be comfortable that their donations to help build the new PCL are well placed; the organization has demonstrated it will always respond to the community; now is the time for the community to support PCL. Thomas Kachadurian is a photographer, designer and author. He lives on Old Mission with his wife and 2 children. He is a member and past president of the Traverse Area District Library Board of Trustees.

this week’s

top five

golden dragon acrobats

Late-night Charlevoix Detour Begins March 27 If you’ve got any late-night road trips planned through Charlevoix, prepare to take a detour.

Repairs of Charlevoix’s bascule bridge will cause 12 overnight closures of US-31 beginning March 27.

The bridge will be locked in the up -- or open -- position during the closures, preventing traffic from using it. The closures are scheduled for 11pm to 5am from March 27 to April 7.

Traffic will follow a 67-mile detour around Lake Charlevoix via M-66, M-32, and US-131 through East Jordan, Boyne Falls, and Petoskey.

The work is part of a $1.9 million investment to repair the bridge substructure and steel, as well as upgrade the electrical and mechanical components. The project also includes replacing the traffic warning gates and the electrical switches needed to ensure the bridge operates properly, reconstructing the bridge approaches, and painting the steel superstructure.

Work is expected to be complete by May 25.

The Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC presents The Golden Dragon Acrobats, recognized as the premier Chinese acrobatic touring company of today, on Tuesday, March 21 at 7pm in Milliken Auditorium. The Golden Dragon Acrobats combine award-winning acrobatics, theatrical techniques & traditional dance with spectacular costumes. Tickets: $27 advance, $30 door, & $24 for Museum members plus a $2 processing fee. dennosmuseum.org

Oil-Slicked Petoskey Man Protests Line 5 A U.S. Navy veteran and Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians member found a way to make a splash at a meeting about the future of the Straits of Mackinac’s Enbridge Line 5 pipeline.

Petoskey resident Fred Harrington and his grandson Riley Sargent removed their shirts and covered themselves in wet cake batter to make themselves look like they’d just swam through an oil slick.

The theatrics nearly brought the March 13 meeting of the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board in Lansing to a screeching halt and got the attention of downstate newspapers and television stations.

“It was effective” as a means to draw attention, Harrington told the Express after the meeting.

“We wanted show you what the birds will look like, what the fish will look like, what the shoreline will look like if that pipeline breaks,” Harrington said at the meeting, according to MLive. “If we continue to let it run and run and run year after year, it will break.”

bottoms up Kahvi Volcano Latte So, tough guy, you think you’re a big deal ordering four shots of espresso in your coffee? That’s so passé. If you really want a coffee drink with a heck of a kick, try the Volcano Latte from Kahvi Coffee and Tea in Cadillac.

It might look like a typical sweet latte, and the base is solid with Kahvi’s house espresso, steamed milk and a dash of caramel sauce, but it stings like an angry bee with the addition of Torani’s Sweet Heat Syrup, an unexpected and fiery mix of cane sugar and ghost peppers.

Try one now while you’re still in need of a little extra winter warming at Kahvi Coffee and Tea, 120 S. Mitchell Street in Cadillac. For more information, call (231) 468-3581.

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 5

UNIONS AND POT FARMS AND BEERS, OH MY spectator by stephen tuttle Northern Michigan continues to move in unexpected and mysterious ways.

There is talk, and that’s all it is at this point, of Munson Medical Center (MMC) nurses unionizing. They’ve taken no formal steps to do so and have started no real organizing efforts.

But the nurses are talking. The primary grievance seems to be mandatory, unscheduled double shifts requiring 16 straight work hours. If you’ve ever spent any time in a hospital you know the secret – doctors might do the fancy stuff, but once they’re done it’s the nurses keeping you alive. Most of us would prefer our duty nurse not be exhausted while administering meds or regu-

seems to know what the current administration might do and the Kingsley operation, because of its size, would be a good example-maker.

It leaves village officials with difficult choices. The proposal comes from real business people with a legitimate plan and careful compliance with state laws and local ordinances and regulations. They aren’t scam artists or the Mexican cartels.

TheraCann will provide local jobs, more than double Kingsley business property valuations and provide big tax revenues, including about $200,000 annually to Kingsley public schools. In fact, they would pay more taxes to the public schools than any

There is a certain irony here. The rest of Michigan has moved away from organized labor rapidly. There were more than 900,000 Michigan union members just 15 years ago and there are barely 600,000 now. lating gadgetry on which we’re depending.

Munson felt the talk was sufficiently serious that they immediately claimed a nurses’ union could mean lower wages and fewer benefits, making it one of the very few unions ever to agree to such things.

There is a certain irony here. The rest of Michigan has moved away from organized labor rapidly. There were more than 900,000 Michigan union members just 15 years ago and there are barely 600,000 now.

But Traverse City might be heading the other way. The faculty at Northwestern Michigan College unionized just a couple years ago, claiming they were being systematically excluded from administrative decisions directly impacting them. It’s too soon to tell if their efforts will bear fruit over the long haul.

Now MMC nurses are talking. Maybe they’ll be the second local group to buck statewide trends welcome being a part of organized labor.

Kingsley has a conundrum of an entirely different sort. An interesting prospective new business wants to move into the village, bringing jobs and considerable tax revenues. They’ll build a 100,000 square foot building in which medical marijuana will be grown for provider licensees. TheraCann, an international corporation, will not be a dispensary selling directly to patients.

It’s a novel business concept apparently completely adhering to Michigan law (it also gives them a strong foothold should recreational marijuana ever be legalized in the state).

Unfortunately, such an operation does not adhere to federal law, which recognizes no state’s medical or recreational marijuana laws. Marijuana is still listed as a Schedule 1 drug right next to heroin, cocaine, meth and other genuinely dangerous substances.

The previous administration chose not to pursue cases involving medicinal or small amounts of marijuana. No one

6 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

other business or taxpayer. The Kingsley Downtown Development Authority has voted to support the proposal, though their input is advisory only.

The feds could solve this predicament by removing marijuana from the Schedule 1 drug list and allowing states to decriminalize without fear of federal intervention.

(And someone should develop a scientifically-based impairment standard for driving under the influence of marijuana. The current standard, in which any amount found in your system is proof of impairment, defies common sense. Marijuana metabolizes slowly and can be detected days or even weeks after use. A law that can turn someone into a felon on the way to prison because they smoked a joint a week ago is absurd.)

Then comes news – this should surprise no one – that beer has become a community saving endeavor in northern Michigan.

Bellaire and others have been revitalized by the microbrewery explosion. In the case of Bellaire, Short’s Brewing is beyond the microbrewery production level and keeps expanding, bringing more jobs and more tax revenue. Smaller versions of their success are almost ubiquitous.

It is probably fair to ask how many microbreweries and craft brewers the region can sustain. Traverse City has a craft beer tour that already includes 16 microbreweries and brewpubs. It’s a good bet another will announce itself between the time this is written and when you read it.

Michigan has the fifth most breweries in the country but we don’t even make the top 10 in annual per capita beer consumption.

We might not drink enough to support a microbrewery or brewpub on every corner.

The obvious punchline here is that if we smoke more pot and drink more beer we’re going to need more nurses. That’s not necessarily true, but if it is, we’d prefer those not on the end of a 16-hour double shift.

Crime & Rescue THERMAL IMAGING SAVES MAN Troopers used a handheld thermal imager to locate an elderly Mesick man who wandered away from home in the bitter cold.

State police received a call March 14 about a man who was believed to have left his home in a disoriented state while wind-chill temperatures were well below zero degrees.

Police fanned out across an area to search for the man; one of the officers had a thermal imager and located the lost man, who was cold but alert and taken to a hospital for treatment of exposure.

MAN KILLED IN CRASH A 30-year-old Kingsley man died in a head-on crash south of Traverse City.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a two-car crash on Garfield Road near Voice Road in Paradise Township at 8am March 16.

Investigators closed the road for a couple hours as they sorted out what happened. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the other driver, a 17-year-old Traverse City girl, was taken to Munson Medical Center.

BOARDMAN BODY ID’D The body of a deceased male recovered on the bank of the Boardman River has been identified and authorities have ruled out foul play.

The victim was positively identified as 33-yearold Traverse City resident Joseph Max Sherwood.

Sherwood’s body – dressed in winter clothing – was spotted by a canoer near the east bank of the river March 8 near the South Y YMCA facility off South Airport Road in Garfield Township.

An autopsy at Western Michigan University determined foul play was not involved. An exact cause of death, however, has yet to be determined pending further testing and toxicology results.

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

bought the pot in Benzonia.

TNT collected enough evidence to get several search warrants which led to the discovery of 122 marijuana plants worth $3,000 in a building in Benzonia and the arrest of a 54-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman, both Benzie County residents. The woman faces charges of conspiracy to deliver of marijuana; the man faces charges of delivery of marijuana and felony firearm; they both faces charges of using a computer to commit a crime and maintaining a drug house.

MAN PASSED OUT BEHIND WHEEL Police found a man passed out in the driver’s seat and a pint of whiskey in the passenger seat when they were called to a Leelanau County gas station to check on an unconscious man in a running vehicle.

Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Speedway Gas Station in Elmwood Township March 14 at 9:09pm where they found a 28-year-old Maple City man strapped into the driver’s seat of the running car. Deputies smelled alcohol and noticed the open pint of whiskey and transported the man to Munson Medical Center to be checked out.

Deputies sent a report to the prosecutor’s office requesting felony drunk driving charges; the man had previous drunk driving convictions in 2004 and 2009.

DRUG FUGITIVE ARRESTED A 25-year-old man who fled during a Leelanau County drug raid was arrested days later in Benzie County.

Jeremy Allan Bower faces numerous charges in Leelanau County, including delivery and manufacture of a controlled substance under 50 grams, receiving a stolen firearm and maintaining a drug house.

State police arrested Bower March 14 in Lake Ann. Bower fled as Traverse Narcotics Team officers raided a home on South Center Highway in Elmwood Township March 10.

Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies said Bower left his 2-year-old daughter behind in the house; in the raid police found a 31-year-old man, a27year-old woman and two children in the house, ages 2 and 3. They also found 50 grams of cocaine, marijuana, a loaded stolen handgun, and several hundred dollars in suspected drug proceeds.

The 31-year-old Elmwood Township man was also arrested in the case. He faces charges of possession of cocaine less than 25 grams and maintaining a drug house.

PICKUP REAR-ENDS PICKUP US-31 near Charlevoix closed briefly when the driver of a pickup couldn’t stop for another pickup stopped to make a left turn.

Deputies responded to the Charlevoix Township crash March 14 at 6:15pm, Sheriff Chuck Vondra said.

A 26-year-old Charlevoix man was attempting to turn onto Martin Road when a 20-year-old Cheboygan woman failed to stop. The woman was taken to Charlevoix Area Hospital for treatment.

emmet cheboygan

MAN FACES FELONY DRIVING CHARGES Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man for felony drunk driving in Solon Township.

A deputy conducted a traffic stop after a silver Ford was clocked at 72mph on South Good Harbor Trail north of Cedar at 11:36pm March 11.

The 42-year-old Wyoming man was found to be intoxicated and a record check showed he’d been convicted of drunk driving in 1999, 2002 and 2011. The man was jailed for felony drunk driving and driving on suspended license.

TWO INJURED IN TWO-CAR CRASH One vehicle failed to yield to another and two cars crashed head-on, Cadillac Police said.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Hector and S. 41 roads at 8:49pm March 10 after a vehicle on S. 41 failed to stop for a car travelling south on Hector.

Two people in the southbound car were taken to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. Two occupants of the other vehicle refused treatment, Sgt. Jeff Izzard said.

OHIO DRUGS TRACED TO BENZIE A 25-pount shipment of marijuana discovered by police in an Ohio traffic stop was linked to two Benzonia residents.

Traverse Narcotics Team officers were notified of the bust March 10; the load of marijuana was allegedly headed to Twinsburg, Ohio, where the 52-year-old driver lives. The Ohio State Highway Patrol and Drug Enforcement Agency investigated and determined the man

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Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 7

Handz on Art

paint your own pottery

Entrepreneurial Spirit Perhaps there are parents who (according to the Cinepolis movie chain) long to watch movies in theaters while their children (aged 3 and up) frolic in front in a “jungle-gym” playground inside the same auditorium. If so, the company’s two “junior” movie houses (opening this very week in San Diego and Los Angeles) may bring a new dimension to “family entertainment.”

Another view, though, is that the noise (often “screaming”), plus the overhead lighting required for parents to monitor their tykes’ equipment-usage, plus the planned $3-perticket surcharge, will soon create (according to the Guardian critic) a moviegoing “apocalypse.”

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Can’t Possibly Be True (1) The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in January granted IBM’s 2010 application for a patent on “out-of-office” email message software (even though such messages have, of course, been ubiquitous for two decades) after the company finally convinced examiners that its patent had enough software tweaks on it to qualify. (Critics, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, laughed at the uselessness of the tweaks.) (2) Also in January, the office granted Daniel Dopps a patent for “adhesive vaginal lipstick,” which his Mensez Technologies claims can cause the labia minora to tighten so strongly as to retain menstrual fluid until the woman can deal with buildup in privacy.

News of the Pretentious -- Why live with a cat if one cannot take it out for some wine together? The Apollo Peak in Denver and the Pet Winery in Fort Myers, Florida, serve a variety of the real grape to humans and nonalcoholic proprietary drinks for the kitties to enjoy tableside (or underneath).

“Pinot Meow” ($12) in Denver and “Meow and Chandon” ($15) in Fort Myers, are specialties -- basically watered catnip, according to a February New York Times report (so the felines can also get buzzed). The wine outing is the human’s preference, of course, with a loftier cachet than the “happy hour” most cats might prefer (say, a “sardine bar”).

-- “I tried the $5,000 hamburger, and it was absolutely worth it,” wrote the apparently straight-faced CNBC reviewer Robert Frank in February, describing his meal at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay restaurant Fleur. (The burger included Waygu beef, foie gras and truffles, and was served with a similarly inexplicably priced wine.) Other recent consumer challenges: an $18 cup of coffee at Brooklyn’s Extraction Lab; a $100 bottle of Norwegian iceberg water (Svalbardi.com); a $2,000 pizza at New York City’s Industry Kitchen (caviar, truffles, gold flakes); and a $25,000 taco at the Grand Velas Los Cabos resort in Mexico (caviar, brie, Kobe beef, langoustine lobster, rare tequila -- and once again with the gold flakes).

Wait, What?

Anglers fighting to preserve choice spots on the fishing pier on Sebastian Inlet, north of Vero Beach, Florida, have taken to tossing lead weights and other items at “competitors,” especially those who approach the pier to fish directly from their boats. Such territory marking by the “piersters” includes, according to a February report in Florida Today, perhaps a version of classic mammal behavior, like strategic urination and hurling their feces at the waterborne invaders.

Government in Action -- Illinois has problems: a $130 billion unfunded pension crisis, 19 months without

3/8/17 10:48 AM

a budget, the lowest credit rating and highest property taxes in the country, and the murder rate in Chicago. However, at least the state house of representatives is not standing by idly. In February, it moved to designate October 2017 as Zombie Preparedness Month (basically, adding “zombie invasion” to the list of mobilizations for any natural disaster and urging residents to stockpile food and supplies for up to 72 hours).

-- Lawyers for former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. have convinced federal officials that his bipolar disorder was “caused” by the stress of being a congressman and thus that he is entitled to “total disability” worker compensation for an “on-the-job” injury -and thus to about $100,000 a year, tax-free, according to a February Chicago Tribune report. (Jackson, 51, also receives Social Security disability payments.) Lawyers said his disorder (often attributed to genetic factors) surfaced during an investigation into Jackson’s looting of his campaign treasury for luxury goods and vacations (charges eventually settled with a guilty plea). Jackson dated his onset to June 2012, meaning that his last 72 House votes came while “totally” disabled.

Bright Ideas -- A councilman in Overtornea, Sweden, introduced a bill (a “motion”) that workers be given paid “sex breaks” during the business day in order to improve well-being and, thus, job performance. The primary beneficiaries would be married, fertile couples, but all workers would receive the benefit. And employers, said Councillor Per-Erik Muskos, would have to “trust” their employees because some surely would “cheat” (by not having sex!).

-Not Clever Enough: Daniel Crowninshield, 54, pleaded guilty in federal court in Sacramento in 2016 to illegally manufacturing assault weapons that had no serial numbers -- despite efforts to circumvent the law by claiming that his customers actually “made” their own weapons using his equipment. Crowninshield (known as “DrDeath” online), an expert machinist, would take a “blank” metal casting and, using special equipment and computer programs, create the firing mechanism for a numberless AR15 -- provided the customer presses a button to start the process. “Pressing the button,” Crowninshield figured, made the customer the creator, not a buyer or transferee of the gun, and thus exempt from federal law. In February, Judge Troy Nunley, unimpressed, sentenced Crowninshield to three years and five months in prison.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time “Life’s full of peaks and valleys, man,” Californian Georgiy Karpekin told a reporter, but Jan. 18 seemed all valley. Karpekin has both a pickup truck and a car, and as he was leaving Sacramento City College that day during violent storms, a falling tree crushed the truck. When he got home, he learned that the same storm had taken down another tree -- on top of his car. (Karpekin, insured and uninjured, called himself “the luckiest guy.”)

Readers’ Choice Miami defense lawyer Stephen Gutierrez caused quite a spectacle on March 8 when, representing a man accused of arson, he rose to address jurors, and his pants appeared to catch fire. He insisted afterward that a malfunctioning e-cigarette caused smoke to billow from his pocket, but observers had a field day with metaphors and “stunt” theories.

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WHAT’S A KILOWATT OF SOLAR WORTH?

Tim Johnson at his “net-zero” Leelanau County home.

By Patrick Sullivan Concerned about the future of solar in Michigan? A new state law passed late in 2016 could significantly change the terms under which solar panel owners connect to the grid.

NEW TERMS, NEW ARGUMENTS The law, which consists of Senate Bills 437 and 438, was celebrated by some environmentalists because it increases Michigan’s renewable energy standard from 10 percent to 15 percent while preserving net metering, the mechanism through which utilities pay solar owners for excess energy they produce and put back on the grid.

But critics worry the language of the bill could cause the net metering rate paid to solar producers to be slashed from the retail rate customers pay per kilowatt of electricity by about half, to the wholesale rate.

Utilities argue that solar panel owners have gotten a free ride and have been taking advantage of the grid without paying their share of the cost to develop and maintain it.

On the other hand, solar advocates note a growing number of studies that show the benefits solar generators offer utilities are worth more than even the retail rate. Even setting aside carbon and clean air benefits, solar represents electricity production that strengthens the energy grid by spreading out generation and making the grid less susceptible to disruption, in part because solar is produced at peak times when energy demand is at its highest. On top of that, solar

reduces demand for traditionally–produced electricity, so as solar grows, it lowers everyone’s energy costs.

Utility operators don’t agree. Increasingly, utilities view home–based solar systems as a threat because as solar takes up a larger percentage of their customer base, utilities have fewer paying customers. They say that unless solar producers are required to pay some kind of fee to access the grid, other ratepayers are subsidizing them.

This debate in Michigan officially begins Mar. 22, when the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) holds its first meeting among stakeholders to talk about how to implement the new law. How it all shakes out will affect how much new renewable energy is installed in the state.

PRICE OF A SOLAR KILOWATT One person who makes the case that a greater value needs to be put on solar energy is Skip Pruss, Northport resident, former Granholm administration official and senior fellow at 5 Lakes Energy, a clean energy consultancy.

Pruss says we need to decide whether kilowatts of solar are worth the wholesale rate for the cheapest electricity derived from fossil fuels or if solar’s value should be much higher and take into account its practical and environmental value.

Around the country, solar is looked at in wildly different ways. The public utility commission in Nevada, for example, determined solar’s worth to be 3.5 cents per kW

10 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

in 2013; in Maine in 2015, solar was valued at 33 cents per kW. Michigan’s utilities have been pushing for a low valuation of solar. Pruss said the decision by the MPSC on what the solar tariff should be for small–scale solar generators will determine what message Michigan wants to send on solar.

“The leading states are going full bore on this, so we are definitely not leaders in Michigan, definitely not,” he said. “We are more like the proverbial caboose on the train.”

Pruss said rather than debating a retail versus wholesale rate, the state should try to determine how much more than the retail rate solar is worth.

“If they accurately do the analysis and take into account all the benefits and grid services solar energy provides, then it’s conceivable the Michigan Public Service Commission or the municipal utilities could come out with a tariff for solar energy that’s even greater than the rate for electricity today,” Pruss said.

There are 41 municipal utilities in Michigan. They are independent from the MPSC, so they can make their own policies. For this reason, they might represent the best chance for setting a priority for solar in the state, Pruss said. Traverse City Light & Power, for example, still offers true net metering.

As things stands, Pruss explained, consumers in Michigan are getting mixed signals about solar just as the technology is making it an increasingly attractive investment. “Because we don’t know where the

MPSC is going to come out on all this, that’s the uncertainty – the tariff could actually be very good for consumers or it could be really quite bad,” he said. “That uncertainty is certainly a disincentive to establish a robust solar market, and that’s unfortunate.”

LEGISLATED UNCERTAINTY Tom Gallery, an installer and owner of Leelanau Solar, said the legislation includes ambiguous and contradictory language to describe how small solar producers should be treated by the utilities. While the bills say owners of under 20–kW systems are eligible for true net metering, the bills also say those owners should only be credited for the power they produce. Gallery believes that means the utilities will argue that solar customers should only get a fraction of the retail rate because the portion of the rate that pays for distribution and transmission must be subtracted.

The language is similar to the old law under which the MPSC prescribed retail–rate compensation for excess solar energy, but that doesn’t make Gallery optimistic.

“My contention is, there’s a lot more money at stake now, a lot more money, and they might not be so content to let this go through,” Gallery said.

Julie Baldwin, manager of the MPSC’s Renewable Energy Section, said the commission will come up with a policy by April of 2018. In the meantime, MPSC will conduct a study to determine what kind of rate to recommend.

Northport Creek Golf Course

“We are planning to conduct a study where we look at the cost to serve a customer with a solar project, and in order to effectively do that, we will have to consider the benefits also,” Baldwin said. “I know that there will be people on all sides of the issue offering input, so I feel that the study should be very useful.”

MEANWHILE, AT OTHER UTILITIES… The MPSC decision won’t affect electric cooperatives or municipal utilities, which have taken varied approaches to solar producers in recent years.

Rachel Johnson, spokeswoman for Cherryland Electric Cooperative, said Cherryland offers consumers three choices regarding solar power. The cooperative still offers the net metering program, though it pays roughly half what it used to for excess power; it’s expanded its community solar project, enabling customers to buy into a remote solar farm; and it’s created the 10–cent “buy– all, sell–all” program.

“Right now, the feedback we’re getting from our members is that they love how we’re offering three different options, depending on their needs,” Johnson said.

Johnson said solar installers complained about the net metering tariff reduction instituted last year until Cherryland introduced the 10–cent program, which offers people a good deal to install solar on their own properties.

Gallery, a one–time critic of Cherryland’s efforts to cut its net metering program, said the 10–cent incentive is something he can work with. He explained that it’s a pretty good program, especially for larger users, who can afford to build a system to produce excess energy to sell back to Cherryland.

Unlike traditional net metering programs, Cherryland’s new program pays cash for excess electricity. Participants buy all their electricity from the grid at the retail

rate, which is between 11 and 12 cents currently. Cherryland pays 10 cents for every kW produced for 20 years.

Traverse City Light & Power Executive Director Timothy Arends said his utility still has plenty of space left in its true retail–rate net metering program, which pays solar owners the retail rate for excess electricity.

Arends believes solar customers do benefit the utility by producing excess electric during times of peak demand, but he said these customers also take advantage of the grid, so he believes the retail rate is a “a bit of a subsidy.”

THE DILEMMA OF THE GRID Under net metering, solar owners, especially in a place like Michigan, use the credits they receive in the summer when they produce 75 percent of their annual electricity to pay their utility bills in the winter, when the hours of sunshine are short.

Tim Johnson built an off–the–grid home in Leelanau County in 1988. As he got older and his life changed, the advantages of the grid proved irresistible. He connected in 2002 but continues to live “net zero,” meaning his home produces as much energy as it uses.

Now, that balance might be in jeopardy.

Johnson moved to Leelanau County’s Centerville Township near Cedar from downstate in 1985 with his first wife because the couple wanted to live in northern Michigan. They bought 20 acres on a hill with a clearing, land that was good for solar and wind energy. In 1988, Johnson cut down trees and built a house. At the time, there was no electricity near his property, and it would have cost a fortune to bring it in.

Those first couple of years, the couple used an icebox – a box cooled by an actual block of ice – instead of a refrigerator. They did have plumbing, hot and cold running water and enough electricity for lights and television.

As the house was nearing completion, Johnson bought a 12–volt Sun Frost refrigerator–freezer, an ultra–efficient appliance he still uses today.

He divorced in 1990 and lived off the grid for a dozen more years until he met his second wife. When she moved in, the couple built a garage and added laundry, and it suddenly made sense to connect to the grid.

Johnson said, “People had built past me, and wire was right there at the road. It was free, so I thought, ‘What the heck?’”

Although Johnson started out determined to be off the grid entirely, he now realizes he

RENEWABLE CITIES AND VILLAGES At a time when uncertainty surrounds renewable energy policy at the state level and the head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t believe climate change is caused by human activity, initiatives are underway on a local level to increase renewable energy.

Traverse City officials want the city to become the first in the state to run city operations on 100 percent renewable energy by 2020. The city council passed a resolution to do that late last year, and they’ve set the even loftier goal of making the entire city 100 percent green by 2050.

Kate Madigan, energy policy specialist with the Michigan Environmental Council, said the program is off to a good start. Traverse City’s “Green Team” had its first meeting in February.

“I think it’s going well so far; it was a good meeting with a good group of people,” she said.

The group will first assess the city’s energy usage in order to figure out where energy can be conserved and what needs to be offset, City Manager Marty Colburn said.

The “Green Team” is also tasked with coming

needs the grid in order to be “net zero” and not have to run a generator in the winter.

Over the years, since hooking into the grid, Thompson has used the utility (he’s a Consumers Energy customer) like a battery, and the utility has used him like a free energy producer, since it doesn’t have to concern itself with investment or maintenance costs for his electricity production.

“It didn’t cost them anything to put this system in, and any time I have excess, they sell it to my neighbors for [the] retail rate.

That seems like a good deal for everyone,” he said. “They never have to pay me anything.”

up with two ideas for projects each year that can nudge the city toward its 2050 goal.

Doug McInnis of the nonprofit Northport Energy said the village of Northport and Leelanau Township have taken a different approach to decreasing their carbon footprint.

There is no resolution in place or formal policy. Instead, the nonprofit pursues renewable energy projects, and the township and village officials are receptive to them.

To date, nearly 500 kW in solar projects have been installed, including at the Northport Creek Golf Course, the first solar–powered golf course in the country.

The Northport wind turbine produces roughly two percent of the total township energy consumption, which is a long way from its goal of 100 percent, but a number of large Cherryland Electric solar projects in the works could double the amount of renewable energy produced by next year.

Steve Smiley, owner of Smiley Energy Services, LLC, said with advances in technology, he sees the village and township able to double their renewable energy production every year, which would make their goal of 100 percent renewable energy attainable in as little as five or six years.

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 11

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The Fantastic Four: Day Trips for the Whole Family!

1. Interactive Fun

Museum staff at our first pick stress that you’re never too young or too old to use your imagination, and that’s what you’ll be doing in spades at this high–activity destination, the Ann Arbor Hands–On Museum.

There’s a long list of visitor favorites at this facility, from the DTE Energy Foundation Light and Optics exhibits to the Legacy Gallery where you can learn how machines work to the MediaWorks Center that gets you up close and personal with the sciences of television and telecommunications.

The Michigan Nature exhibit ensures spring comes early thanks to its soundscape, native lake fish and geology samples, while the World Around You gets you (literally!) climbing walls and experimenting with magnets. Whisper dishes, water experiments, miniature tornados and more round out this full–day excursion that was fun for celebrity visitor Bill Nye the Science Guy, so it’ll surely be fun for your family, too.

Location: 220 E. Ann Street, Ann Arbor Information: aahom.org or (734) 995-5439 Open: Hours vary, so check before you go Cost: $12 for adults and children, $5 Thursdays after 5pm

2. Happening History

Where can you visit Thomas Edison’s lab, the workshop of the Wright Brothers and Abraham Lincoln’s courthouse all in one day – and all in Michigan?

Right in Dearborn, for that’s where you’ll find The Henry Ford and Historic Greenfield Village, a place that makes history so much fun that your kids (and probably you) won’t realize how much you’re learning.

Authenticity is one of the hallmarks of this downstate destination, from demonstrations of glassblowing and historic farming methods to a peek inside the car industry (if cars are your thing, you can take a bus to the Ford Rouge Factory for an extra special tour) right down to your lunch options – one of the menus features foods that were popular in the 1830s.

You can also see what kind of bus Rosa Parks rode to take a seat for equality, check out a real 1909 Model T and see what schools and trains were like back in their early days.

Round out your experience with a stop at the associated Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and then head over to view tales of America’s past, present and future in the Giant Screen Experience theater via Greenfield’s 4K digital and 3D presentations.

Location: 20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn Information: thehenryford.org/village or (313) 982-6001 Open: Starting Apr. 15, 9:30am–5pm daily Cost: $24.25 adults/$18.25 youth (plus parking)

By Kristi Kates Figuring out where to take your family for spring break can be easier than you think, especially if you stick close to home and take advantage of all our state has to offer. Here are four picks right in Michigan sure to make fantastic memories for everyone.

3. Kid Stuff

If you plan to stick to the western side of the state, a great destination for your little ones is the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum (GRCM), which aims to “build minds with play” through a wide range of eclectic, dare we say educational, activities.

Amazing Dinosaurs is the newest display running wild at the GRCM, with everyone invited to view dinosaur exhibits, dig up fossils, put on a dinosaur puppet show and experiment with making the sounds T. rex used to make. It’s a dino-riffic time that teaches kids about prehistoric times, so it’s a win–win all the way around.

A long list of build–a–fort supplies will keep your ambitious tots occupied in the Just Fort Fun room, or if they prefer Legos and Lincoln Logs, they can build with those in the classics section of the museum. They can also make a giant bubble appear around them in the Bubble Tower or experience “Little Grand Rapids” via a miniature reproduction of the city featuring banks, groceries, dentists and even a car dealership.

Location: 11 Sheldon Ave. NE in Grand Rapids Information: grcm.org or (616) 235-4726 Open: 9:30am–5pm Tues.–Sat., 12pm–5pm Sun., closed Mondays Cost: Ages 1–64 $8.50/seniors $7.50/under 1 free

4. Tulip Time

Finally, if your vacation time falls a little later in the season, Holland, Michigan’s, Tulip Time Festival is a colorful and cultural jaunt unlike anything else in the state.

You’ll find unique trolley tours and festive parades, traditional Dutch dance performances in classic costumes, an arts and crafts fair, a vintage baseball game and a carnival, all placed in a setting of bright blooming tulips, Holland’s signature flower.

A range of local, regional and national performers round out the week’s schedule of events, including shows from FiddleFire, Walt Matzke’s Four Pianos, SUDS: The Rocking ‘60s Musical Soap Opera, the Petoskey Steel Drum Band and headlining country artist Vince Gill plus a presentation of the popular play Steel Magnolias by the Holland Civic Theater.

If the Tulip Fest has overloaded your family with culture, add a night or two of some old–fashioned fun at the BAM! Entertainment Center, also in Holland (open noon to midnight), and enjoy a laughter–filled evening of videogames, bowling and two levels of laser tag.

Location: Throughout the city of Holland Information: tuliptime.com or (616) 3964221 Open: Festival events run May 6–14 only, times/hours vary Cost: varies

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 13

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By Kristi Kates Step right up for this year’s Motor City Comic Con in Detroit, which is poised to be one of the biggest comic cons yet. Over 50,000 geeks, nerds, comic book readers and fans of sci–fi and fantasy movies and TV shows are expected to converge en masse in D–Town for this annual event that’s about a four–hour drive from Traverse City; here’s what you can look forward to at the con’s 2017 happening.

(Get your tickets now, before they sell out!)

POP EXTRAVAGANZA! One of the best things to do at any comic con – whether it’s your first experience or you’re a con veteran – is simply look around. You’ll be surrounded by an amazing and diverse roster of talent, costumed and otherwise, and sometimes the best way to get your bearings on the first day is just to find a spot, sit down and let the parade pass in front of you as you figure out what activities, events and talks you’re going to choose from the con’s daily schedule. If you’re a pop culture fan, this is probably one of the most concentrated places you’ll find a large number of like–minded geeks, so don’t be surprised if you make some new friends.

If you’re looking to add to your own collection of collectibles, you’ll find over a million comic books for sale (no joke) at the Motor City con, plus piles of toys, gadgets, gaming gear, pop culture crafts, anime accessories and more. This year, you’ll find steampunk goods from Scared Crow Steamworks, hand–crafted monster puppets

by Ruppits, glass gear from the Gypsy Dogs Emporium, nerdy illustrations from Geo the Bio, pop culture stickers from 734 Designs and plenty of licensed merch. In other words, no matter what your fandom, chances are you’ll find something to take home with you. If you want to get a photo with your favorite talent, make sure to sign up early. Opportunities are usually limited to a certain time frame, as are autograph and signing sessions.

COOL CREATORS Over 250 writers, illustrators, showrunners and special effects artists will appear at the Detroit con, too, as mega–fans are often as interested in how the shows are created as they are in following the actors who star in the shows. Of special interest to comic fans this year will be DC comics colorist–writer Dave Gibbons, whose Watchmen collaboration with Alan Moore is the best–selling graphic novel published to date (it also became a major motion picture), along with tough guy Marvel Comics artist Allen Bellman, whom you can thank for iconic characters like Captain America and

Human Torch.

Feel like being creative yourself? Go for it – cosplay is always encouraged. Show up in guise as one of your favorite characters from any genre, and if your costume, makeup and presence are impressive enough, you might quickly become a celebrity yourself. (In fact, if your getup’s any good, you’ll likely be asked for photos all day long!) Special cosplay contests at the Detroit con up the ante and give you the chance to win even more Motor City fame and fortune for your creative efforts.

MEET AND GREET One of the major highlights of any con is the opportunity to get up close and personal with many favorite actors and artists, and this year’s Motor City con has another eclectic lineup. Characters from AMC’s red–hot series The Walking Dead are on the schedule, so keep your eyes peeled (not literally; since they’re zombies, that might be dangerous) for the actors playing Eugene, Merle and King Ezekiel.

Fans of The Flash, Torchwood, CW’s show Arrow or the movie Zero Dark Thirty will be thrilled to see actor John Barrowman.

Those who prefer the filmmaking escapades of Ron Perlman (Blade II, Pacific Rim, Sons of Anarchy), take note; he’ll be there, too, as will Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Amy Jo Johnson (previewing her new movie The Space Between), her fellow Power Ranger Jason David Frank, the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer Kristy Swanson and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Sean Gunn and Michael Rooker.

This year’s Motor City con also features a special reunion event: Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell–Smith, the two leads of the cult 1985 teen movie Weird Science, will meet back up in Detroit to hang out with fans and revisit their early moviemaking days. Mitchell–Smith is also a huge tabletop gamer and Dungeons and Dragons advocate, so who knows where those talks will lead?

Speaking of which, did we mention that the con will have a full experience available for gamers as well, with those details yet to be announced? Keep an eye on the website closer to the con’s date in May for additions to all schedules. In the meantime, exult in the knowledge that no matter what your geekdom, the Motor City Comic Con is the place to be this May. The 2017 Motor City Comic Con will take place May 19–21 at the Suburban Collection Showplace exposition and conference center in Novi. Tickets start at $25 for a single day pass or $75 for an adult weekend pass good for all three days. VIP tickets also available.

For tickets and more information, visit motorcitycomiccon.com.

By Kristi Kates

LOCAL MUSIC: DREW HALE

MEET THE MUSICIAN Perhaps it’s appropriate that country singer Drew Hale hails from the “old Texas town of El Paso,” as the iconic Marty Robbins song says. The city hosts a half dozen music festivals each year, has had songs penned about it by Steve Miller, Tori Amos and Taking Back Sunday and has spawned musicians like singer Khalid, Americana artist Tom Russell and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz in addition to Hale himself.

El Paso was also where a great many of Hale’s influences – his own family members – lived. “I have an incredible musical family,” he said. “My mom and aunts and uncles all played in bands and sang at their local churches, so I grew up around music.

My mom was even a background vocalist on a few Juan Gabriel [Mexican pop singer] records, so it was in my blood. I don’t remember a time in my early life when I didn’t sing.”

Hale moved to northern Michigan directly from El Paso almost nine years ago to take a job as music director at a church in Traverse City. “Even though I don’t work there anymore, my wife and I stayed here,” he said. “We fell in love with the place – we couldn’t leave.” Since then, Hale’s own music career has exploded.

YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD HIM About three years ago, Hale’s wife convinced him to compete in a country music competition called the Country Showdown (thecountryshowdown.com).

In January of 2016, he went on to win the national finals of the Showdown and the title of Best New Act in Country Music.

“I’ve been playing my own brand of country music ever since,” Hale said, “and I’ve had the opportunity to play a few bigger shows over the past year.”

That might be something of an understatement. Hale’s already taken the stage opening for, and sometimes performing with, a long list of country stars whose names you’ll likely recognize: Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley, Canaan Smith, Lo Cash, Scotty McCreery and RaeLynn among them.

HIS INSPIRATION Hale’s early musical inspirations weren’t from the country genre – yet. “I picked up a guitar in the eighth grade and found myself listening to bands like Soundgarden and Our Lady Peace,” he said. “As I grew up, my tastes evolved to Jack Johnson and John Mayer and I began to take up songwriting.”

By the early 2000s, Hale had discovered bluegrass and the band Nickel Creek. “At that point, everything shifted for me,” said Hale. “I began to dive into roots music and Americana, pulling inspiration from artists like Alison Krauss, Chris Thile and Punch Brothers.”

From there, Hale’s original songs became stories about real–life events. His latest album, Roots and Wings (released in September of 2016), deals with the concepts of journeys and struggles, his own included. He explained, “The title is from one of my songs, ‘El Paso Skyline,’ where it says, ‘I left my hometown roots so I could learn to find my wings.’ It’s really about my journey moving 1,800 miles away from the town where I was born and raised to pursue a dream. It’s about the understanding that, sometimes, the words ‘hometown’ and ‘home’ don’t mean the same thing and that it’s okay to have both roots and wings.”

He’s also inspired by the three boys he and his wife have adopted. Hale said his sons’ stories and becoming a dad shifted his

Taking Country from Texas to Traverse

worldview. “They changed my life, so my writing reflects that,” he said.

HEY, VINCE! Anyone picking up a copy of Roots and Wings will notice that Hale’s song “Pieces” features none other than country superstar Vince Gill. “Where do I even begin about Vince?” Hale asked incredulously. “It was honestly a moment of sheer providence.”

Hale explained that before he won Country Showdown, he came in third place in a local round of the show in Big Rapids that almost discouraged him entirely. “At that moment, all seemed lost,” he said, “but one of the guys from the winning act encouraged me, telling me he thought I had major potential.” Hale and his fellow performer built a friendship, and before long, Hale found that one of his new friend’s connections was, as he put it, “Vince freaking Gill!”

Once Hale had recorded the tracks for Roots and Wings, Hale’s pal called up Gill’s management team and got one of Hale’s songs over to Gill. “Vince listened and agreed to sing on it,” Hale said. “A few months later, we got the track back from Vince and it was incredible – we added it into the mix and it was magic. We are so grateful he agreed to that!”

CURRENT PROJECTS Hale is currently on tour in support of Roots and Wings, which is a mix of all the styles he says make him who he is: Americana, country, rock and blues. “I am

extremely proud of this record and of the work we put in as a band to make it,” said Hale. “We grew a ton recording it and even more as we tour in support of it.”

“We are basically always on tour,” he laughed. “That’s life these days!” Hale’s current schedule includes hometown shows a couple times each month with the rest of his time spent touring the Midwest; upcoming dates nearby include stops at Alpenfest (Gaylord) and the Leland Food and Wine Fest as well as return performances at Common Ground in Lansing (with Toby Keith and Lo Cash), the BOB in Grand Rapids and the Dixie Moon Saloon in Royal Oak. FUTURE DREW While Roots and Wings is currently taking up the majority of Hale’s time as he continues to promote it along with his live shows, he also hopes to record again this year. With that in mind, he’s been road testing some new songs for his fans. “We do hope to record this year, and we have some big ideas for a new record,” Hale said. “We hope to record at least another EP, since we write constantly and have so much new material that we want to get out. But I’ll keep those ideas under wraps for the moment and just say that we are ridiculously excited about the new material.” He added, “We’ll be trying songs out live this summer, so if you want a sneak peek, come on out and hear us play and let us know your favorite!”

Find out more about Drew Hale and his music at his official website, drewhalemusic.com.

Up North in a Song If northern Michigan were a country song, which song would it be? Drew Hale has the answer – well, five answers, to be exact.

1. “Life in a Northern Town (Live)” by Sugarland, Jake Owen and Little Big Town “This song has always reminded me of life up here, and I blare it regularly with the windows down.”

2. “I Love This Life” by Lo Cash “This is one of my favorites to play driving down the parkway by West Bay. It just feels like the north.”

3. “Colder Weather” by Zac Brown Band “This song is just such a great story, and even though it talks about Colorado, I still picture a truck driver headed through Wexford County.”

4. “Long Night Moon” by Reckless Kelly “I listen to this one when I’m on the road home from long travel gigs. It feels like driving down 131, heading home, and it calms me down.”

5. “Great Lake Summer Night” by Drew Hale “I’m a little biased, but I actually wrote that song about my love for summertime Up North!”

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 15

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16 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

Great Escapes (LITERALLY!) Northern Michigan’s New Gaming Experiences

By Kristi Kates You find yourself trapped inside an unfamiliar space, with only an hour to escape. There are clues everywhere to help you get out – you just have to decipher them. Is it the scrap of paper with cryptic lettering on the table? That ornate padlocked chest in the corner? You try the lock, but it’s fastened tight. Your heart beats fast while your roommates scour everything in the room. Maybe it’s that set of test tubes with

different colored fluids in each one. What about the map on the wall? Wait – the lights just flashed – does that mean something?

This is an escape room. It’s a real–life version of a videogame, a means by which you “survive” and escape using only your wits and those of your teammates. You’re not literally trapped, of course (many escape rooms don’t actually lock you in, and there are always safety procedures in place should you decide you’ve had enough) – but the fun is in the playacting, in fully exploring

the theme of the room and what is required to solve its puzzles. Whether you’re taking on the role of a spy, a prisoner, a pirate, a burglar or any other number of characters, your job is to utilize the clues hidden within the room to escape within the time allowed.

The first escape rooms were developed in Japan. The idea spread quickly throughout Asia, eventually surfacing in San Francisco and then continuing across the Americas, Australia, Europe and Russia, where the wildly popular Claustrophobia Escape

Rooms offer several dozen different scenarios.

Competition isn’t a big deal with this kind of business, as every escape room facility is unique and offers a whole new set of puzzles to solve; so far, there are more than 3,000 escape room facilities worldwide.

Northern Michigan has two of its own: Petoskey’s Know Way Out and Traverse City’s Escape Routes. But don’t expect them to share photos of their rooms – that, after all, would spoil the fun.

Claustrophobia Escape Rooms facility in Moscow, Russia, (moscow.claustrophobia.com/ ru) showcase the different type of scenarios you might find in an escape room.

Know Way Out in Petoskey Mad, Medieval and Savage…

Cindi Dalian–Myers went through several different careers, including computer programmer, bed and breakfast owner and mortgage broker, before realizing she still hadn’t found the right niche. Growing up, her family had traveled to Disney World in Florida every spring. As she was trying to figure out what to do with her career, those memories sprang back to life. “I was always awestruck by the décor and architecture and Disney’s ability to transport you to another time and place,” Dalian–Myers said.

In April of 2016, while on spring break as an adult with her own family, Dalian–Myers tried her first escape room. The setting was Al Capone’s apartment, and while she and her family didn’t manage to escape, they had a great time. “We had multi–aged participants, and I was amazed by how we were all able to contribute in some way,” she said. “I had found a business where I could use my love of decorating and architecture, our family’s love of games, my education in technology and my previous business experience. I decided to work on opening an escape room in Petoskey.”

She and her family added a few days to their vacation, experiencing as many escape rooms as they could find on their drive back to northern Michigan. Dalian–Myers soon found a Petoskey location for Know Way

Out and then hired one of the international companies that designs escape rooms. “I conveyed to them my ideas for each room, and they created the game plays based on my ideas,” she explained. “We then worked together to customize and edit the games to fit my vision. We were very pleased with the custom games as a result of this partnership.”

Know Way Out currently offers two scenarios: Medieval Mayhem, set in a medieval castle, and Savage Safari, which takes place in Kenya, Africa. A third room, the Mad Hatter’s Asylum, is set to open this spring. “We’ve worked hard to make our experiences as immersive as possible, with meticulously decorated rooms and sound and lighting authentic to the time period and setting of each scenario,” explained Dalian–Myers. “Our goal is to send people on a quest to another place and time. The games are specifically designed to draw from many different mind types, and therefore they bring people together to reach a common goal, which I feel is sorely needed in our current political environment.”

Know Way Out is located at 622 Howard Street in downtown Petoskey. Each escape room can be played by two to eight people (the recommended age is 13 and up.) The base cost is $25 per person. Reserve online at knowwayout. com or call (231) 881-9688.

Escape Routes in Traverse City Games and Cherries at the Warehouse…

Julie Berle and her mother Kim Berle teamed up to launch Traverse City’s escape room facility, dubbed Escape Routes. The Berles were big fans of escape room apps, the virtual escape room games you play on your smartphone or tablet.

“After playing many of these games, a relative told us there were live versions of the escape rooms,” Julie Berle said. “After hearing this, we immediately booked a room and took the family downstate. We were instantly hooked and thought that northern Michigan could really use a fun experience like this.”

Berle, a registered nurse at Munson Medical Center, enlisted her mother’s help, and they spent several months planning their escape room facility. “After many conversations, we finally had our main ideas for the room themes,” Berle said. “At the time we opened up, there were no other escape rooms north of Grand Rapids.

Traverse City continues to grow, and in the winter months, we knew people would want a new experience [to beat] the winter blues.”

The rooms they ended up with took several months to construct. “My dad, Frank Berle, and my sister Angie Berle, who is also the lead singer of One Hot Robot, helped us out a lot,” Berle said. “Once we completed each puzzle, we had to brainstorm how to tie them

all together to lead to the end puzzle. When the end puzzle is finally figured out, you can ‘escape’ the room.” When Escape Routes first opened, the Berles had a group of friends go through the rooms to figure out any trouble spots, so now it’s smooth puzzle solving for all their clients and guests.

Two rooms are available at Escape Routes: The Cherry Pit, overseen by Kim, and The Game Room, overseen by Julie. “The Cherry Pit uses Traverse City’s cherry theme and incorporates much of the Traverse City area,” Berle explained.

She added, “The Game Room comes from my love of games. I was a dealer at Turtle Creek Casino for many years and enjoyed learning new games, plus our family grew up always playing games together, so everything in that room has something to do with a game.”

Each of Escape Routes’ rooms has three free clues that can be used at any time with no minute penalty. The Berles stay in the escape room with each team in order to share the experience and help the teams along if needed.

“We enjoy seeing how everyone’s mind works differently and watching how much fun people have in our rooms with our puzzles,” Berle said.

Escape Routes is located at 221 Garland Street, Suite 1, in Traverse City. Each escape room can be played by up to 10 people. The base cost is $28 per person. Reserve and pay online at tcescaperoutesllc.com (no funds are accepted at the facility) or call (231) 421-9279.

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 17

be presenting a series of carefully selected co-written songs for a special show at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey.

SPECIAL SOUNDS The trio was put together in something of an impromptu fashion, literally thrown together in August of 2014 at the request of Hoxeyville Music Festival “queen” Kristin Robinson, or so the legend goes. “She asked if we would play a set together and we obliged, with only a very short rehearsal,” explained Erlewine. “It was so fun, we decided to keep playing.”

These days, the trio gets a little more prep time. The threesome gets together about once a month to plan their shows.

“The response has been amazing,” Lou said, and Davis agreed. “Halfway through the first song of our performance, we knew we had something special.”

Fast Friends, Strong Sounds:

The Sweet Water Warblers

By Kristi Kates

Take three frontwomen from prominent Michigan bands who happen to be solo artists in their own right, put them together with instruments in hand, and what do you get?

The Sweet Water Warblers, the impressively

harmonizing trio of May Erlewine (Seth and May/The Moonlighters), Lindsay Lou (Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys/Time and Luck) and Rachael Davis (Shout Sister Shout.) The voices are familiar to many but not in this particular format, rich with a new audio dynamic. The Warblers will

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ADMIRABLE EFFORTS Coordinating three very busy schedules was another thing entirely, but these three performers say the results justify the effort.

“It’s a totally different experience to be in a band of all women, and especially these women in particular,” Lou said. “The energy, the music, the harmonies and the support are unique. Our solo careers are very fulfilling, but it’s nice to have this precious reprieve from what we’re used to, to feel the sacredness of woman power.” Davis called the three women who make up the trio “the mutual admiration society.” She said, “It recharges us when we get to make music together.”

MAXIMUM RESULTS With such a large back history of songs and material, putting together a set list for their collaborative project is another challenge. “We try a lot of things out and gravitate to what feels the most natural and

cohesive,” Erlewine said. “We play some of our individual originals, some covers and some Sweet Water Warblers co-writes. It’s an exciting group to write for, and there’s more in store.”

Combining their voices, the ladies say, is one of the best parts of the collaboration. “Each of us individually is a lead singer who fantasizes about being a backup singer,” Davis laughed.

“With the Warblers, we all get to be both all the time. We all have an affinity for harmony, and when you’re singing with other singers who are your equal in every way, it’s maximum results with just the right amount of effort.”

CRYSTAL FUTURE Most recently, the Sweet Water Warblers’ efforts have gone into completing their first EP as a group, which they’ve dubbed With You; more recordings are surely in the works, as is coordinating what looks to be a complicated summer schedule. “We’re excited at the idea of a full length album, and my crystal ball says it’s in the future!” Erlewine said.

In the meantime, fans can soak in the sounds of the group’s new EP and check out the Warblers as the group embarks on its latest round of tour dates, including its first trek through the UK. “We’ll be performing as the Sweet Water Warblers this summer at festivals across the Midwest as well as with our regular solo acts,” Davis said. “It’s worth navigating the logistics to make room for something that feeds our souls.”

Get the Sweet Water Warblers’ full show schedule at earthworkmusic.com. The group will be in concert at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey Sat., Mar. 25, as part of the Blissfest concert series. For tickets and more information, visit crookedtree.org or blissfest. org. For more information on the artists, visit sweetwaterwarblers.com, mayerlewine.com, lindsayloumusic.com and rachaeldavis.com.

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NORTHERN SEEN 1. These ladies were certainly in the spirit for the National Cherry Festival’s Leaping Leprechaun 5k.

2. Yep, that was Matthew McConaughey, who stopped in with friends for a pint at Rare Bird in Traverse City.

3. Heather Jackman of Simply Said shows off her designs at Staffords Weathervane in Charlevoix during the Girls Night Shopping Extravaganza.

4. Nancy, Dan, Tom, and Jaclyn enjoy an afternoon out at Taproot Cider House in TC. 5. Liz & Art pause during the Project Connect Expo at Odawa Casino.

6. It’s Harbor Springs Restaurant Week and Cara’s birthday dinner at Vernales.

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 19

mar 18

saturday

ST. FATTY’S DAY WEEKEND: The Summit Grill @ The Ridge, Gaylord. Sat. group ride, Sat. night entertainment w/ Jo Nathan Burke & Jamie Andress, awesomagic, race on Sun., & Sun. group ride. Find on Facebook.

CARNIVAL WEEKEND: Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls. March 17-19. Includes a Village Party, live music, twin zip rides, St. Pedro’s Day Buffet, skiing & snowboarding, the Slush Cup, & much more. Info: boyne.com/ boynemountain/events/carnival-weekend HUNTING & FISHING EXPO: 9am-7pm, TC Civic Center. Meet G.O. Heath, host of “Rugged Nation TV” on “The Sportsman Channel”. tchuntfishexpo.com KRAZY DAZE: Boyne Highlands, Harbor Springs. March 17-19. Includes live music, Ski Over the Pond on Camelot, “Get Krazy Party,” Jump Competition on Camelot, Nastar Race on Leprechaun, Silly Slalom on Camelot, & more. boyne.com/boynehighlands/events/ krazy-daze “GETTING TO THE HEART OF PARENTING”: 9am-12:15pm, New Hope Community Church - Auditorium, Williamsburg. Two-day conference. $15/person. Info & register: www. newhope.cc/parenting LOWER BACK PAIN & SCIATICA WORKSHOP: 10-11:30am, Superior Physical Therapy, TC. Registration required: 231-944-6541 or www.thesuperiortherapy.com/workshop. Free.

JOB WINSLOW CHAPTER, DAR MEETING: 11am, TC Elks Lodge. “Understanding the DAR” presented by Mary Ellen Byrne and Lin Meeker. Lunch will follow. Reservations required: 946-6337. jobwinslow.michdar.net SELF DEFENSE SEMINAR: White Tiger Martial Arts, TC is hosting a FREE Self Defense Seminar, 11am-1pm. Please RSVP, space is limited: 231.313.6900. Class is taught by Master James R. Adkins, 9th Degree Black Belt. Please note: there is adult content, age appropriate participants only. FREE. AUTHOR SIGNINGS: 12-4pm, Horizon Books, TC. Jonathan Burke & Barbara Counsil will sign their book “Made” from noon-2pm; & Michael Dow will sign his book “Dark Matters Betrayal” from 2-4pm. horizonbooks.com SIPS, CHIPS & DIPS: 12-5pm, 19 participating Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail wineries. Tickets are $10 per person and include a souvenir wine glass, a snack-and-wine pairing at each of 19 participating Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail wineries and a $5 donation to help save the Leland Harbor. lpwines.com/events/sips-chips-dips

“DISNEY & DESSERTS”: 2pm, TC Central High School Auditorium. Student entertainers from TC Central High School’s Chorale & Choral-Aires will perform favorites from Disney movies, stage & TV shows. A dessert reception will follow. $12 adults, $6 children & students. 933-3571.

FIREHOUSE CHILI COOK-OFF: 4-6pm, Township Community Building, Kewadin. Fire and EMS departments compete for the best chili. 231.632.2412.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY DINNER/DANCE: 4pm, Summit City Grange Hall, Kingsley. Featuring the Kingsley Village Market Band. Dinner, 4-6pm; dance, 6-10pm. 16 & up, $15; 5-15, $7; 5 & under, free.

march

18-26 send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

“THE MOUSETRAP”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Tickets start at $15. mynorthtickets.com TRADITIONAL HIGHLAND DANCE & CELTIC MUSIC PERFORMANCE: 7:30pm, Red Sky Stage, Petoskey. Featuring Highland Dance Harbor & Weaving the Wind. Free. redskystage.com HEATHER MALONEY: 8pm, Freshwater Art Gallery, Boyne City. Tickets: $25 advance. freshwatergallery.com THE STORMCLOUD GONG SHOW: 8pm, Stormcloud Brewing Co., Frankfort. This amateur talent contest invites contestants to perform for prizes from Stormcloud & Frankfort’s Garden Theater. 20 percent of pub sales go to Grow Benzie. stormcloudbrewing.com LAUGH FOR A GOOD CAUSE! COMEDY SHOW: 9pm, Studio Anatomy, TC. Falling Down Stairs Productions has offered to donate proceeds from their shows in March and April to help Polestar LGBT + Community Center launch itself as a new non-profit. tcpolestar.org

mar 19

sunday

ST. FATTY’S DAY WEEKEND: (See Sat., March 18) CARNIVAL WEEKEND: (See Sat., March 18)

KRAZY DAZE: (See Sat., March 18) HUNTING & FISHING EXPO: 10am-4pm, TC Civic Center. Meet G.O. Heath, host of “Rugged Nation TV” on “The Sportsman Channel”. tchuntfishexpo.com CELEBRATE WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY: 11am-9pm, Moomers Ice Cream, Long Lake Rd., TC. Join the Down Syndrome Association of NW MI (DSANM) to celebrate individuals with Down Syndrome for World Down Syndrome Day. 10% of all sales will be donated to DSANM.

20 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

“PROTEST! Photographs from the Women’s March on Washington” features images from two local photographers; Kathy Silbernagel of Suttons Bay & Babs Young of Easport, who captured the river of faces that filled the streets of Washington on Jan. 21. The exhibit runs through March 28 in the Corridor Gallery of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse, TC with a meeting of the photographers on Weds., March 22 at 7pm in the sanctuary. uucgt.org

NWS PRESENTS BATTLE OF THE BOOKS & GORDAN KORMAN: City Opera House, TC. 1pm: 2nd Annual Battle of the Books with area fourth & fifth graders. 5:30pm: Book signing with New York Times bestselling children’s author Gordan Korman. nationalwritersseries.org/programs/battlebooks-gordon-korman THE HISTORY OF POWER ISLAND: 1pm, McGuire Room, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Presented by Kathleen Firestone & the Traverse Area Historical Society. traversehistory.wordpress.com WINE FOR WHISKERS: 1-5pm, Williamsburg Event Center. An afternoon of wine, appetizers

by Catering By Kelly’s, and a live auction to help animals. Benefits AC PAW Animal Res-

cue. $20 & one decorated bottle of wine for the live auction. wineforwhiskers.com “THE MOUSETRAP”: 2pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Tickets start at $15. mynorthtickets.com/events/the-mousetrap-matinee LOCAL AUTHOR SHENANDOAH CHEFALO: Presents “Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Memoir,” the story of one woman’s journey to overcome her desolate childhood, that also presents grass-root solutions on how to revamp the broken foster care system. 2pm, Alden District Library. 231-331-4318.

TC FAMILY EXPO: 2-5pm, Hagerty Center, TC. A community event to bring awareness, education and support to expecting, new and growing families in Northern Michigan. Featuring community resources, kids activities, door prizes,

chair massage, face painting, super heroes and more. Free. tcbirthexpo.com THE HARMELING’S : 2pm, Charlevoix Circle of Arts. A concert with local talent: Anna, Katie and Megan Harmeling. charlevoixcircle.com RACH 2 + BRUCKNER 6: 3pm, Corson Auditorium, Interlochen Center for the Arts. Presented by the Traverse Symphony Orchestra. Tickets: www.traversesymphony.org

mar 20

monday

ST. FATTY’S DAY WEEKEND: (See Sat., March 18)

INNER CIRCLE GALLERY TALK: 10am, Charlevoix Circle of Arts. Presented by Jenn Earls, social media consultant for Facets of Charlevoix. Earls’ presentation will cover the benefits of using social media platforms and inexpensive marketing techniques to turn your artistic hobby into a sales generating business. charlevoixcircle.com LOOK GOOD FEEL BETTER: 3-5pm, The Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Northern Michigan, Petoskey. Helping Women with Cancer. Participants will learn about skin care, makeup application, wig selection, wig care, dry skin, discolored nails, style, and unique scarf tying, turbans, and hats. Attendees will also receive a free $300 makeup kit. Register: (800) 248-6777.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO PRESENTATION: 7pm, Peninsula Community Library in the Old Mission Peninsula School, TC. Joseph Conger from the Sons of the American Revolution presents a program on a little known Revolutionary War hero. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

mar 21

tuesday

COFFEE @ TEN: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Artist Brian Schorn will discuss art making as a contemplative practice. crookedtree.org

COFFEE @ TEN: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. With artist & art educator Adam VanHouten. crookedtree.org GET CRAFTY: Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Create a high flying kite. Held at 11am & 2pm. greatlakeskids.org LIVING ON: LOSS OF SPOUSE: 12pm, Hospice of Michigan office, 10850 E. Traverse Hwy., Ste. 1155, TC. 929-1557.

JOBS FOR VETS CAREER FAIR: 2-6pm, Hagerty Center, TC. Presented by Networks Northwest. networksnorthwest.org

FIRST DAY OF SPRING PARTY: 4-7pm, The Little Fleet, TC. Featuring special spring cocktails, free flower bouquets, kids crafts, and a special spring beer from Roak Brewery along with free seedling pots. thelittlefleet.com

GOLDEN CONVERSATION WORKSHOP: 5:307:30pm, Red Door Coffee House, Lake Ann. Golden Intentions, Inc. will host a workshop titled, “The Golden Conversation: Changing the way we think and talk about issues relating to the end of life,” where participants will learn about making advance planning decisions. Free. Register: http:// www.goldenintentions.org/calendar. For more information call 231-714-4475 or email info@ goldenintentions.org.

“HEAD GAMES: THE GLOBAL CONCUSSION CRISIS”: 6-8pm, The State Theatre, TC. Rainbow Rehabilitation Centers and the Brain Injury Association of Michigan present this screening to commemorate Brain Injury Awareness Month. Immediately following the screening there will be a panel discussion on concussion featuring Owen Perlman, MD; Darren Keyton, NFL Free Agent, “Safe Football”; & more. Free. stateandbijou.org

“THEORY OF MIND” MEETING FOR PARTNERS & FAMILY OF ADULTS W/ ASPERGER’S: 6:30pm. The NW Michigan NT Support group will discuss Theory of Mind and how it relates to intimate relationships between neurotypicals and adults with Asperger’s. Free to members who have joined the private Meetup group. For more information and meeting location, go to www.meetup.com/NW-MichiganNT-Support/. 231-313-8744.

AUDITIONS FOR “VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE”: 7pm, Schmuckal Theatre on the lower level of Old Town Playhouse, TC. Enjoy this funny play about gloomy people. It has roles for four women, two of whom must be able to play women in their 50s & one a woman in her early 20s, & two men, one of whom must be able to play a man in his 50s and the other a man in his late 20s. (The fourth woman may be an adult of any age.) oldtownplayhouse.com

AUDITIONS FOR “VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE”: (See Mon., March 20) GT HIKING CLUB MEETING: 7-9pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Celebrate with local #Hike100NCT Challenge finishers & enjoy centennial birthday cake. northcountrytrail.org/gtr THE GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS: 7pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Representing the best of a time honored Chinese tradition that began more than two thousand years ago. Tickets: $27 in advance, $24 for

Dennos members, and $30 at the door, with additional fees. mynorthtickets.com/events/ the-golden-dragon-acrobats

mar 22

wednesday

printed cars are designed by local students & plastic gutters are used as the race track.

3dprinting.tbaisd.org/2017-gutter-car-derby

mar 23

thursday

IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRETOURNAMENT CAMP: Centre Ice Arena, TC. The International Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Team will participate in a pre-tournament camp, March 22-28. Includes an exhibition game against Finland on March 25 at 3pm.

Free. centreice.org

IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRETOURNAMENT CAMP: Centre Ice Arena, TC. The International Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Team will participate in a pre-tournament camp, March 22-28. Includes an exhibition game against Finland on March 25 at 3pm.

Free. centreice.org

PARKINSON’S NETWORK NORTH DAY SUPPORT GROUP: 10am, TC Senior Center.

Resources to Ease Your Daily Living. Questions: 231-947-7389/231-947-1946. gtaparkinsonsgroup.org

INTERACTIVE STORY TIME: 11am, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “Moon Bear’s Shadow” by Frank Asch. greatlakeskids.org

GOLDEN CONVERSATION WORKSHOP: 1-3pm, Leelanau Studios Grand Traverse Regional Art Campus, TC. Golden Intentions, Inc. will host a workshop titled, “The Golden Conversation: Changing the way we think and talk about issues relating to the end of life,” where participants will learn about making advance planning decisions. Free. To register: www.goldenintentions.org/upcoming-eventsr.

For more information call 231-714-4475 or email info@goldenintentions.org.

DOCENT ENRICHMENT LECTURE SERIES: 2pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Gilbert Gallery, Petoskey. Design Elements, Principles & Techniques of 3-Dimensional Work. The Docent Enrichment Lecture Series is geared toward adults who are currently docents, interested in becoming a docent or just want to learn more about the arts. Free. crookedtree.org PLASTICS - YESTERDAY’S CONVENIENCE, TODAY’S CONTAMINATION IN OUR WATERS: 4pm, Stormcloud Brewing Co., Frankfort. Featuring Jeanie Williams, lead scientist and education coordinator from the Inland Seas Education Association; & Aimé Merizon, outreach coordinator at the Benzie Conservation District. lwvgta.org 2ND ANNUAL ENERGIZE, ENGAGE, ENHANCE EAST JORDAN (E-CUBED) COMMUNITY: 5:30-8pm, East Jordan Community Auditorium. Featuring a free community picnic; NCMC Associate Dean of Business, Manufacturing & Technology & Principal of Leadership Dr. Gretchen Carroll will speak; & an expo featuring area organizations. 231-536-7351.

INTERLOCHEN BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5:30pm, Maddy’s, Interlochen. $5. interlochenchamber.org NEWTON’S ROAD GUTTER CAR DERBY: 6pm, The Pathfinder School, TC. 3D

ICE BREAKERS WINTER SPEAKER SERIES: 12-1:30pm, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Petoskey. Paddle Antrim protects water resources by using paddle sports to connect people to our waterways. Executive Director Deana Jerdee will share their plans for 2017. Pre-register: 231-347-1181. Free. watershedcouncil.org/attend-an-event.html LIFELONG LEARNING: HISTORY OF YOGA WITH REBECCA STEVENSON: 3:30pm, Petoskey District Library. Register. 231-7583100. $10 advance/$12 door. petoskeylibrary.org MARCH SWIRL: 5:30-7pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center galleries, Petoskey. Enjoy live music

by Kellerville, & sample wine & appetizers by Lake Street Market. $15 advance, $20 day of. crookedtree.org EARLY DAYS: HISTORY OF THE AUSABLE RIVER VALLEY: 5:45pm, Crawford County Commission on Aging & Senior Center, Grayling. Presented by Stuart Fowler. Free.

GRAND TRAVERSE AUDUBON CLUB EVENT: 7pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Birds of the Eastern Upper Peninsula: Paul Rossi, naturalist and photographer, will share his tales of tracking and photographing eastern UP birds. 231-499-1318.

NEWS MEDIA TODAY – CHALLENGES & CONSEQUENCES: 7pm, Leelanau County Government Center, lower level Community Room, Suttons Bay. Presented by the Leelanau County Democratic Party. Featuring Bob Giles, retired editor and publisher of The Detroit News; Peter Payette, executive director of Interlochen Public Radio; and Jacob Wheeler, founding editor of the Glen Arbor Sun and communications manager for the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities.

This program will be preceded by a brief LCDP business meeting. 231-271-6091.

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 21

UP NORTH GREEN PARTY MEETING: 7pm, Red Sky Stage, Petoskey. For people in Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Emmet counties who are interested in the Green Party of Michigan. Free. migreenparty.org “THE MOUSETRAP”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Tickets start at $15. mynorthtickets.com

mar 24

friday

IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRE-TOURNAMENT CAMP: Centre Ice Arena, TC. The International Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Team will participate in a pre-tournament camp, March 22-28.

Includes an exhibition game against Finland on March 25 at 3pm. Free. centreice.org 25TH ANNUAL NORTHWEST MI CAMPER & RV SHOW: 11am-9pm, GT County Civic Center, TC. All types of new 2017 recreation vehicles—more than 30 units including folding campers, travel trailers, truck campers and fifth wheel travel trailers. Admission: $6 adults; $5 seniors; & free for children 12 and under. michiganrvandcampgrounds.org BILLY MCLAUGHLIN: 7pm, Red Sky Stage, Petoskey. Recognized internationally as a world-class guitarist and Emmy Award winning composer who has appeared on Billboard’s Top-Ten Chart. Tickets: $10 advance, $15 door. Students, $8; children 12 & under, $5. redskystage.com

TITANIC DINNER - A FIRST CLASS DINING EVENT P H SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 2017 � 6 PM ERRY

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“THE MOUSETRAP”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Tickets start at $15. mynorthtickets.com BILL STAINES: 7:30pm, Grow Benzie Event Center, Benzonia. Enjoy this New Englander folk & country singer/songwriter. Tickets: $15 advance, $20 door. 231-882-9510. growbenzie.org

mar 25

EASTFIELD PARTY STORE MISSES YOU! Come see our new location, our vast inventory, our craft beers, our many wines Great parking!

231-946-7747

831 GARFIELD - TRAVERSE CITY 22 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

saturday

ALDEN MEN’S CLUB’S BUSINESS/BREAKFAST MEETING: 8am, Alden United Methodist Church. See what one of Antrim County’s Six Best “Making a Difference” is all about. Call for info: 231-322-6216.

BIRDING SERIES: EARLY SPRING BIRDS: 9am, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. Look and listen for the first birds of spring on this walk. grassriver.org IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRE-TOURNAMENT CAMP: Centre Ice Arena, TC. The International Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Team will participate in a pre-tournament camp, March 22-28. Includes an exhibition game against Finland on March 25 at 3pm. Free. centreice.org CHILDREN’S VISION DAY: 10am-1pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Hosted by Children’s Vision Care and InfantSEE® Committee. Children and their parents will learn about eye safety, ocular anatomy, what to expect at an eye exam, and how to locate a doctor in their area. greatlakeskids.org MAPLE SUGARING OPEN HOUSE: 10am2pm, Martha Wagbo Farm & Education Center, East Jordan. Featuring syrup tastings, Maple treats, Sugar Shack tours, farm animals, kids activities, nature hikes, music, mini-workshops and a Spring Scavenger Hunt. Call/text 231536-0333 or send a message on Facebook to RSVP or for more information. Free.

“SATURDAY MORNING WITH ERNIE & NICK”: 10:30am, Petoskey District Library’s lower level classroom. A program just for tweens & teens to discuss the life of young Ernest Hemingway in the local region, 1899 – 1919. Make reservations: 231-758-3100. petoskeylibrary.org FRIENDS & FAMILY RACE: 10:30am, Boyne Highlands, Harbor Springs. There will be a “Friends” division and a “Family” division with teams comprised of up to four ski racers. Open to ski racers & snowboarders of all ages. $70 per team if pre-registered online by 4pm Thursday, March 23; $80 per team on site entry. boyne.com/boynehighlands 25TH ANNUAL NORTHWEST MI CAMPER & RV SHOW: 11am-8pm, GT County Civic Center, TC. All types of new 2017 recreation vehicles—more than 30 units including folding campers, travel trailers, truck campers and fifth wheel travel trailers. Admission: $6 adults; $5 seniors; & free for children 12 and under. michiganrvandcampgrounds.org MAGIC ON THE VINE: 7pm, Chateau Grand Traverse, TC. Magician Ben Whiting performs world-class magic and mind-reading. $30 ticket includes the show, appetizers, and a glass of wine. magiconthevine.com “THE MOUSETRAP”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Tickets start at $15. mynorthtickets.com THE SWEET WATER WARBLERS: 8pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Featuring Racheal Davis, Lindsay Lou & May Erlewine.

Members: $15 adults, $7 students. Nonmembers: $20, $10. Presented by Blissfest. blissfest.org/concerts

mar 26

sunday

IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRETOURNAMENT CAMP: Centre Ice Arena, TC. The International Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Team will participate in a pre-tournament camp, March 22-28. Includes an exhibition game against Finland on March 25 at 3pm. Free. centreice.org SHAMROCKERS RUN FOR THE GOLD: 9:30am, East Jordan Snowmobile Club. 5K. active.com 25TH ANNUAL NORTHWEST MI CAMPER & RV SHOW: 11am-5pm, GT County Civic Center, TC. All types of new 2017 recreation vehicles—more than 30 units including folding campers, travel trailers, truck campers and fifth wheel travel trailers. Admission: $6 adults; $5 seniors; & free for children 12 and under. michiganrvandcampgrounds.org TANGO WITH GREAT LAKES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA SUNDAY SERIES RECITAL: 4pm, First Presbyterian Church of Harbor Springs. A tribute to spring, dance & romance.

Featuring Libor Ondras, Robert Pattengale, Brian Morris & Maxwell Ondras. Freewill donation. glcorchestra.org/sunday%20series.html DELTA COLLEGE CHAMBER CHOIR CONCERT: 6pm, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Petoskey. Performing a wide variety of choral literature written expressly for small, a cappella vocal ensembles. Free.

MOSTLY MUSIC: TRIO JAZZ VOLUME 2: 7-8:30pm, Leelanau School, Glen Arbor.

Presented by the Glen Arbor Art Association. Featuring vibraphonist Jim Cooper, Traverse City bassist Jack Dryden, and Bob Foskett playing jazz standards and originals.

Each will also discuss their individual styles of playing and why they chose to play jazz music. $12. glenarborart.org/events/mostlymusic-trio-jazz-volume-2

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ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS (ACA): Thursdays, 5:30-7pm, basement of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, TC. For those who seek to address the residual effects of having been raised in dysfunctional household. adultchildren.org BREATH & BALANCE - A ZERO IMPACT AIKIDO: The GT Circuit, TC. A no-impact, safe class for adults/seniors, focusing on maintaining and regaining balance, breathing exercises, and training with a partner. Held on Tuesdays at 10am. innerpathdojo.com CTAC ARTISANS & FARMERS MARKET: Upper Level Carnegie, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Fridays, 10am-1pm through June 9. crookedtree.org DEBTORS ANONYMOUS (NEW LOCATION, NEW TIME): Cowell Cancer Center (Munson), room B031, Sixth & Madison streets, TC. 6:307:30pm on Tuesdays. 12-Step Recovery Meeting for those with money issues. More info, call John P at (973) 476-7384.

FREE COMMUNITY CLASS: Bikram Yoga, 845 S. Garfield Ave., TC. Every Weds. at 7:30pm. bikramyogatcgr.com SECULAR A.A.: Thursdays, 5:30pm, The Porch, TC; Fridays, 7pm, By the Bay Alano Club, TC. secularaainmichigan.org

tuna, Janelle Songer and Jessica Kovan. The exhibit runs through April 7. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org PROTEST! PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE WOMEN’S MARCH ON WASHINGTON : Corridor Gallery, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse, TC. By Kathy Silbernagel and Babs Young Exhibit: March 2-28. Panel Discussion/Meeting with Photographers: March 22, 7pm. uucgt.org SPRING EXHIBIT: SACRED SPACES: Higher Art Gallery, TC. Exploring ideas such as ancestry, time, nostalgia & individual views on what is sacred. Runs March 24 - April 22. An opening reception will be held on Fri., March 24 from 6-9pm. Open Weds. through Sun. higherartgallery.com THROUGH THE WINDOW, ALL MEDIA: Three Pines Studio, Cross Village.

Through March. www.threepinesstudio.com TINKER, TAILOR, WELDER, WEAVER: THE ART OF ASSEMBLAGE: Crooked Tree Arts Center, Bonfield Gallery, Petoskey. Runs through March 23. crookedtree.org YOUTH ART SHOW: March 18-25. Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. Exhibition featuring artwork from 30 area schools, by student artists in grades K-12. Free. crookedtree.org

art

2017 JURIED PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION: Crooked Tree Arts Center, Gilbert Gallery, Petoskey. Runs through March 23. Juried by renowned photographer Howard Bond.

Includes works selected from 140 submissions. crookedtree.org 6TH ANNUAL GRAND TRAVERSE ART BOMB: Right Brain Brewery, TC. Through March 25. Artists of all media in & from the GT region will display & sell their work commission-free. Closing Reception on March 25. Featuring live music & performance art. facebook.com/GrandTraverseArtBomb ARTFUL AFTERNOONS: Gaylord Area Council for the Arts, Gaylord. Every Weds. through April 26 at 1pm. Free. gacaevents.weebly.com ARTWORK OF NCMC STUDENTS: Through Apr. 27. Crooked Tree Arts Center, Atrium Gallery, Petoskey. Showcasing the best art and design work of North Central Michigan College students. crookedtree.org CALL FOR ART!: Higher Art Gallery, TC is having a Functional Fiber and Functional Ceramics pop up Market. Event is May 6 and geared towards Mothers Day gift giving. If you would like more info, and to apply, visit: higherartgallery. com or call: 231-252-4616. Deadline to apply is April 5. higherartgallery.com CALL FOR STUDENT ARTISTS: Higher Art Gallery, TC. Now accepting submissions for “Emerging Artist, Under 24 Exhibit”. All local artists ages 17-24 are encouraged to apply to be in this juried exhibit, & have the opportunity to show & sell in a gallery. To apply visit: www. higherartgallery.com. Deadline to apply is March 20. higherartgallery.com CALL FOR STUDENT ARTISTS: HIGHER ART GALLERY, TC: If you are between the ages of 16-24 and would like to show your artwork, please email images of your most recent body of work to: higherartgallery@gmail.com.

Accepting up to 3 young artists at a time. Will change artists 4 times a year. The first exhibit begins April 22. higherartgallery.com OAC SPRING EXHIBITION: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. An exhibit of artwork by Mary For-

SATURDAY

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN BESTSELLERS For the week ending 3/12/17

MARCH 25 8:00 PM

HARDCOVER FICTION A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Viking $27.00 Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman W. W. Norton & Co. $25.95 Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Random House $28.00 PAPERBACK FICTION Dog’s Purpose by W Bruce Cameron Forge Books $9.99 At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier Penguin Books $16.00 Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly Ballantine Books $17.00 HARDCOVER NON-FICTION Really Big Lunch by Jim Harrison Grove Press $26.00 Book of Joy by Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu Avery $26.00 Squirt the Otter by Tracy Mikowski Talking Crow Publishing $16.95 PAPERBACK NON-FICTION Blood on the Mitten by Tom Carr Mission Point Press $14.95 How Thin the Veil by Jack Kerhoff Mission Point Press $16.95 Constitution of the United States & the Declaration of Independence by Delegates of the Constitutional Convention Racehorse Publishing $1.99 Compiled by Horizon Books: Traverse City, Petoskey, Cadillac

THE SWEET WATER WARBLERS at Crooked Tree Arts Center

Three front women and song- birds of the Earthwork Music Collective.

Powerful singers and songwriters in their own bands, Rachael Davis, Lindsay Lou and May Erlewine arereuniting to perform co-written and hand selected songs for an intimate show.

ADMISSION: $20 Adults / $15 Adult Members / $10 Student / $7 Student Member Tickets Available at Blissfest.org

37TH ANNUAL BLISSFEST FOLK

& ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL July 7, 8, 9 - 2017 • Wristbands On Sale Now Blissfest.org or 231-348-7047 No Ticket Outlets - No Gate Sales Day Tickets Are Now On Sale

GET THEM BEFORE THEY ARE GONE!

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 23

Mon -

Ladies Night - $1 off drinks & $5 martinis closing at 9pm

DOWNTOWN

TRAVERSE CITY

Tues - $2 well drinks & shots open mic w/ host Chris Sterr

Wed - Get it in the can for $1 w/ 2 Bays DJs

FOURSCORE by kristi kates

Thurs - MI beer night $1 off all MI beer

DJ DANTE

Fri March 24: Happy Hour: strobelite

Then: kung fu rodeo

Sat March 25: KUNG FU RODEO Sun March 26:

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AT THE STATE MARCH 24- 31

Khalid – “American Teen” – RCA

The Texan singer arrived on the scene last year with his first track, “Location,” and immediately found himself the subject of a long list of accolades. Can he live up to it all? Looks like it so far. The classically–trained vocalist soon revealed that “Location” was merely part of a full–length album he recorded before he’d even graduated from high school. The rest of the debut album is just as impressive, from the revealing lyrics of the title track to the love–lite ode “Saved” and the amusement–park soul of “Coaster.”

SPRING BREAK Full Schedule at

DOWNTOWN

Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”

– Glassnote

IN CLINCH PARK

Stepping away from the foundations of rap was a good decision for Donald Glover, aka Gambino. While he’s already proved himself a man of many interests, including acting and hosting festival shows, his past two rap albums just never seemed to “stick” like they should have, perhaps because this current musical approach, a blend of funk, soul and complex synth– psychedelia, is what Gambino is meant to rock. From the subtle details on “Terrified” to the thoughtful “Baby Boy,” there’s more to impress here than ever before, proving that Gambino might have finally found his niche.

SUNDAY 1 • 4 • 7 PM MONDAY 1:15 • 3:45 • 7:30 PM TUESDAY & THURSDAY 3:30 • 6:30 • 9 PM WEDNESDAY 3:30 • 6:15 • 9 PM 231-947-4800

Big Sean – “I Decided ” – G.O.O.D. Music

2017/18 CRYSTAL PREMIER PASS SALE Now is the time to get the best deal on the next season of skiing and snowboarding! From now until April 4th, our Premier Season Pass is only $309 for adults, and only $189 for juniors (7-17 years old) and seniors (60-79 years old). Enjoy unlimited access to your mountain all season!

NF – “Therapy Session” – GBA Records

Digging deep into personal experiences and disappointments to construct his tracks, NF’s spiritual sound has caught on with a wide range of audiences that have discovered his emotive, quick–paced rap through such unlikely sources as VH1, ESPN, Monday Night Football and NBC’s Chicago P.D. NF is a master at fitting the rhymes to the mood of each song’s storyline, most notably on the social smackdown “Statement,” the introspective “Intro 2” and the small– streets feel of “Breathe.”

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Four albums into Sean’s career, we find him slowly gaining in confidence within today’s giant swell of standout rappers as he works to carve out a space in that lineup for himself. Fortunately, he’s moved pretty far from the trendiness of his earlier releases, which leaned too much on cliché; unfortunately, he still needs to finesse his skills, as he’s often eclipsed by guest collaborators like Migos (“Sacrifices”) or Eminem. But highlights like “Bigger Than Me,” with its outstanding refrain, remind us of Sean’s big potential.

3/14/17 2:05 PM

SOUNDGARDEN’S ULTRAMEGA IS FINALLY OK Soundgarden has remixed and deluxe– ified its debut album, 1988’s Ultramega OK, a move that marks the end of the band’s longstanding dissatisfaction with how the original version of the album was produced.

Soundgarden acquired the album’s original multi–track tapes last year and brought in Nirvana/Mudhoney engineer Jack Endino to clean up the set’s sound; in the process, the band also dug up six early eight–track versions of songs from the same album that were recorded in 1987. You can now order all of the above in the new reissue version of Ultramega OK, which will arrive as a CD, double vinyl, cassette and download via Soundgarden’s official website (soundgardenworld.com) and Sub Pop Records; select independent retailers will also offer up a “Loser Version” of the album on maroon and blue vinyl.

Swedish singer Jens Lekman has just released a new album called Life Will See You Now, the fourth album of his career and a mashup of the styles of his previous singer–songwriter approach plus some new elements including bossa nova rhythms and disco beats. On Life…, you’ll find tracks such as “Hotwire the Ferris Wheel,” “Our First Fight” and “Wedding in Finistère.” Lekman is currently in the midst of a North American

MODERN

ROCK

BY KRISTI KATES

tour that will take him across the U.S., with a full listing of U.K. and Scandinavian concert dates to follow later this spring.

Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) reportedly has a new album on the way, if Troy Sanders (also of Mastodon) knows anything about it. In a recent interview, Sanders mentioned that all band members want to continue QOTSA. In addition to working on other projects, he said they put some time into QOTSA at the beginning of this year. Late last year, the band’s frontman Josh Homme mentioned that a new album from QOTSA was a priority on his schedule, so this likely means we’ll hear new music from the band soon, although no release dates have been announced yet. If so, this will be the band’s first album since 2013.

Garbage is prepping a new autobiographical coffee table book that will hit stores this July on Akashic Books.

The tome, written by former Rolling Stone contributor Jason Cohen, will include peeks at memorabilia from all four members of the band – Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker – plus a pile of previously unseen photos and special editions of the book that include vinyl records. While you’re waiting for the book to arrive on July 4, you can catch Garbage on its North American tour this summer co– headlining with Blondie.

Modern Rock Link of the Week: Detroit band Flint Eastwood has just released a music video for its new track “Queen,” an impressive piece of moviemaking that looks a lot like a movie trailer; check out the vid (filmed in Detroit) on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/z8fkpu3.

The Buzz: Speaking of Soundgarden, it’s just announced a concert in Detroit May 17 at the Fox Theater with opening act The Pretty Reckless.

Grammy Award–winning hip hop artist Lil Wayne will be at The Fox this spring, too, with his show happening May 11.

The lineup has been announced for this year’s Buses by the Beach Benefit concert May

26–29 in West Olive, Mich.; it will include Melophobix, The Barbarossa Brothers, Fauxgrass and Roosevelt Diggs.

There’s a good chance you can keep an eye out for Paramore passing through Detroit this summer, complete with drummer Zac Farro, who’s just rejoined his bandmates after quitting the band back in 2010.

The ever–elusive band Ween has just booked a show at the Royal Oak Music Theater for June 2, with regular sale tickets available for that concert now…And that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.

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Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 25

nitelife

march 18 - March 26 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee 522 - MANISTEE Tues. -- Karaoke Thurs., Fri., Sat. -- DJ BUCKLEY BAR - BUCKLEY Fri. -- DJ Karaoke/Sounds - Duane & Janet

CADILLAC SANDS RESORT Porthole Pub & Eatery: Thurs. -- Live music SandBar Niteclub: Fri -- Karaoke/line dancing, Phattrax DJs, 8:30 Sat -- Dance videos, Phattrax DJs, 8:30

DOUGLAS VALLEY WINERY, MANISTEE Sun. -- Live Music, 1:30-4:30pm HI-WAY INN - MANISTEE Wild Weds. -- Karaoke LITTLE RIVER CASINO RESORT, MANISTEE 3/18 -- Dennis DeYoung: The Music of Styx, 8 (SOLD OUT)

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska ACOUSTIC TAP ROOM, TC 3/18 -- Zeke, 7-9 3/21 -- Open & un-mic'd w/ Ben Johnson, 7-9 Fri -- Andre Villoch, 7-9 3/25 -- Dennis Palmer, 7-9 BUD'S - INTERLOCHEN Thurs. -- Jim Hawley, 5-8 FANTASY'S - GRAWN Adult Entertainment w/ DJ GT RESORT & SPA, GRAND LOBBY, ACME 3/24 -- John Pomeroy, 7-11 HAYLOFT INN, TC Thurs. -- Open mic night by Roundup Radio Show, 8 Fri. - Sat. thru March -- The Cow Puppies HORIZON BOOKS, TC 3/24 -- Sons of Brothers, 8:3010:30 HOTEL INDIGO, TC 3/18 -- Elizabeth Rivers and David Chow, 7:30-10:30 3/24 -- Chris Sterr, 7:30-10:30 3/25 -- Clint Weaner, 7:30-10:30 LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC Mon -- Open mic w/ Blake Elliott, 6-9 3/24 -- Ruby John & Dane Hyde, 6-8 LITTLE BOHEMIA, TC Tue -- TC Celtic, 7-9 NORTH PEAK, TC - KILKENNY'S: 3/18 -- Afrodytee and Tighty Whiteys, 9:30 3/24-25 -- Lucas Paul, 9:30

Tue -- Levi Britton, 8 Wed -- The Pocket, 8 Thu -- 2 Bays DJs, 9:30 Sun -- Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 7-9 PARK PLACE HOTEL, TC BEACON LOUNGE: Sat -- Tom Kaufmann, 8:30 RARE BIRD BREWPUB, TC 3/18 -- Vox Vidorra, 9 3/22 -- Botala, 8:30 SIDE TRAXX - TC Weds. -- Impaired Karaoke, 10 Fri.-Sat. -- DJ/VJ Mike King SLEDER'S FAMILY TAVERN, TC 3/19 -- The Outside Track, 4 3/26 -- Bill Staines, 4 STATE STREET GRILLE, TC 3/18 -- Amanda Igra Band, 8 STREETERS, TC 3/24 -- Waka Flocka Flame wsg djWHOOkid, 9 GROUND ZERO: 3/18 -- The Bihlman Bros. & Grinder Blues, 8 3/25 -- Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace & Stain Asonia, 8 3/26 -- The Marcus King Band wsg Rhett Betty & The Freshwater Collective, 7 STUDIO ANATOMY, TC 3/18 -- Underground Comedy Night, 9 3/24 -- The Good Die Young, Parsec, Goats of Death, 8 TAPROOT CIDER HOUSE, TC Tues. -- Turbo Pup, 7-9 1st Weds. of month -- E-Minor

open mic, 7-10 Thurs. -- G-Snacks, 7-9 Fri. -- Rob Coonrod, 7-9 Sun. -- Kids Open Mic, 3 TC WHISKEY CO. 3/22 -- Mitchell McKolay, 6-8 3/26 -- Drew Hale, 3-5

Award-winning, Metro-Detroit based musician Maggie McCabe specializes in acoustic blues, Celtic, soul, gospel & rock, & plays the guitar, mandolin & Bodhran. You can find her at St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah on Friday, March 24 at 6pm.

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 3/18 -- Brites, 9-11 3/20 -- First Day of Spring Party, 4-7 THE PARLOR, TC 3/21 -- Clint Weaner, 7:30-10:30 THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 3/18 -- E-Minor, 8-11 3/19 -- Rock Stop Student Winter Show, 5-6:30 Weds. -- The Workshop Live Jazz Jam, 6-10 3/24 -- Featured Local DJ: John Corey, 8-11 3/25 -- Matthew Gabriel, 8-11 UNION STREET STATION, TC 3/18 -- Nashon Holloway Band, 10 3/19 -- Karaoke, 10 3/21 -- Open Mic w/ Host Chris Sterr, 5-9 3/22 -- 2 Bays DJs, 10 3/23 -- DJ Dante, 10 3/24 -- Happy Hour w/ Strobelite, then Kung Fu Rodeo 3/25 -- Kung Fu Rodeo, 10 3/26 -- Head for the Hills Live Show, 10am-noon; Karaoke, 10pm-2am WEST BAY BEACH RESORT, TC Thurs. -- Jazz w/ Jeff Haas Trio & Laurie Sears, 7-9:30

Antrim & Charlevoix BOYNE CITY TAP ROOM 3/18 -- Sean Bielby , 8-11 3/24 -- Friday Night Reggae w/ DJ Franck, 8 3/25 -- Eric Jaqua, 7-10

CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 3/18 -- Blair Miller, 7:30-9:30 3/19 -- Irish Storytelling w/ David McDonnell, 3-5 3/24 -- Jeff Brown, 7:30-9:30

BRIDGE STREET TAP ROOM, CHARLEVOIX 3/19 -- Chris Calleja, 6-9 3/21 -- Sean Bielby, 7-10 3/24 -- Kellerville, 8-11 3/25 -- Jabo Bihlman, 8-11 3/26 -- Pete Kehoe, 6-9

CENTRAL LAKE TAVERN 3/25 -- Shady Hill w/ Connor Dawson, 9 RED MESA GRILL, BOYNE CITY 3/21 -- Buddha Sweet, 6-9

SHORT'S BREWING CO., BELLAIRE 3/18 -- Fancy Bread, 8:30-11 3/24 -- Breathe Owl Breathe, 9-11:30 3/25 -- Oh Brother Big Sister, 8:30-11 3/26 -- Battle of the Bands Semi Final Week Two, 4-6:45 TORCH LAKE CAFE, EASTPORT Wed -- Dueling Pianos, 8:30 Thu -- Open Mic w/ Tim Hosper, 8:30 Sat,Fri -- Leanna Collins Trio, 8:30

Emmet & Cheboygan BEARDS BREWERY - PETOSKEY Weds. -- "Beards on Wax" (vinyl only night spun by DJ J2xtrubl), 8-11

LEO'S TAVERN - PETOSKEY Weds. -- Karaoke Night, 10-1 Sun. -- S.I.N. w/ DJ Johnnie Walker, 9-1

CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 3/18 -- The Bad NASA, 10 3/21 -- Lee Dyer, 9 3/25 -- The Marsupials, 10

MUSTANG WENDY'S, HARBOR SPRINGS 3/24 -- LGBTQ Night - Lion or Lamb; Michelle Chenard & Johnnie Walker, 7

STAFFORD'S PERRY HOTEL, PETOSKEY NOGGIN ROOM: 3/18 -- The Pistil Whips, 8:30 3/24 -- Kellerville, 8 3/25 -- Chris Koury, 8 UPSTAIRS LOUNGE, PETOSKEY 3/18 -- 3 Hearted, 10 3/24 -- Botala, 10 3/25 -- Ian Burke wsg Duplo, 10

Leelanau & Benzie LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 3/21 -- The North Carolines, 6:30 LEELANAU SANDS CASINO, PESHAWBESTOWN Tues. -- Polka Party, noon-4pm

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 3/18 -- Sla'inte Saldaje, 6-9 3/23 -- Open Mic Night, 6-8 3/24 -- Maggie McCabe, 6-9 3/25 -- Melonie Steffes, 6-9

26 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 3/18 -- The Stormcloud Gong Show, 8-10 3/24 -- Chris & Patrick, 8-10 3/25 -- Drew Hale, 8-10

Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN, GAYLORD 3/18 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7-10 3/24 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7-10 3/25 -- Mike Ridley, 7-10

MAIN STREET MARKET & BISTRO, GAYLORD 3/18 -- Joshua Rupp, 7-9:30 3/24 -- Dave Menzo, 7-9:30

3/25 -- Holly Keller Thompson, 7-9:30

The reel

by meg weichman

KONG: SKULL ISLAND logan

F

Yes, “Kong: Skull Island” is blockbuster rebooting of a classic film franchise (an 84 year old one that’s most recent version was Peter Jackson’s forgettable three-hour folly from 2005). And sure, no one was clamoring for another take on the giant ape (he hasn’t exactly stayed at the forefront of the zeitgeist). And yeah, these are all reasons to give you pause. But you know what? It doesn’t mean “Kong: Skull Island” has to suck.

Unlike other recent attempts at resurrecting ancient Hollywood properties (I’m looking at you, “The Legend of Tarzan”), “Skull Island” is actually pretty wonderful.

Cause I get it, a franchise property is a much easier sell for a studio in terms of risk vs. expenditure for this kind of effects heavy film, so don’t outright reject its existence. And since the creative team made some very smart choices – from the retro b-movie vibe and the vivid 1970s setting to the kooky touches and the eclectic cast – “Skull Island” gives you plenty of reasons to enjoy it.

The year is 1973. Nixon has just delivered his “peace with honor” speech and troops are pulling out of Vietnam. And things are crazy in our capital, or as John Goodman says, “Mark my words. There’ll never be a more screwed-up time in Washington.” This gets a good laugh and helps cement the playful and entertaining tone that follows.

Goodman is Bill Randa, a researcher who convinces a senator to fund an expedition of scientific inquiry to map a newly discovered island (thanks, satellites!) in the middle of the Pacific. But what you don’t know is that Randa has a hidden agenda – he’s seeking “massive unidentified terrestrial organisms.”

So in addition to the military escort – led by Samuel L. Jackson who sees this mission as his last chance to give meaning to his Vietnam experience – Randa employs a private tracker, Tom Hiddleston’s former British Special Ops agent Conrad. Also along for the ride is Brie Larson as an “anti-war” photographer documenting the trip.

These are just a few of the many characters you’ll be introduced to, and while there are perhaps too many, they all leave an impression. There’s no one star of the film per se (on paper perhaps it’s Hiddleston); it’s much more of an ensemble effort, and the film is all the stronger for it – relieving the pressure on stale leading man heroics, forced romances, and instead letting quirky character beats shine through.

So this ragtag crew gets to the island and the scientific “surveying” quickly goes all to hell as Kong appears and makes mincemeat of

their choppers. Cut off from communications, it’s up to the surviving members to make their way to the rendezvous point in order to be rescued.

And their trek through the jungle is filled with memorable moments. Not only is Kong out there, there are also lots of other mega fauna that make for some spectacular set pieces. And when it comes to Kong himself, what this ape loses in realism, he makes up for in soulfulness.

The tableaus are truly striking, paying equal amount of attention to epic napalm ‘splosions as to the Nixon-bobble-head-onthe-dashboard details. And there’s a great (though on the nose) Vietnam-era soundtrack that provides the background to some music video style montages that really propel things along. You might even forget you’re watching a “Kong” movie.

This is largely because the film is more like “Apocalypse Now” by way of “Jurassic Park.” And by mixing up the well-trodden tropes of Vietnam films, monster movies, and swashbuckling adventures, you get something interesting. Plus the gratuitous allusions to Coppola’s imagery and journey into the “heart of darkness” (characters are name Marlow and Conrad!) work in the film’s favor, reinforcing the theme that humans are the true monsters.

Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (whose previous credit is the sweet little indie “The Kings of Summer”) may not be experienced in “big” movies, but he’s clearly someone embracing every moment directing one. He gives the film space to breathe. It’s a fresh take on the mythology without straying too far from the roots. He drops the whole iconic scaling the Empire State Building bit, and while there is still the requisite shot of a blonde woman in Kong’s palm, the circumstances are different, and Larson gives it a slightly feminist twist.

I only wish it could’ve been funnier. I won’t ruin the reveal, but suffice it to say that the brilliant addition of John C. Reilly’s character mid-film adds an incredible buoyancy that will leave you wanting more.

It’s also Reilly’s character that exemplifies what I loved about this movie. “Skull Island” leaves the tiresome grittiness at the door and keeps its ambitions in check. There’s a sincerity to it just wanting us to have fun.

Brisk, entertaining, and funny, it almost feels like a standalone film — until that postcredits scene….

Meg Weichman is a perma-intern at the Traverse City Film Festival and a trained film archivist.

rom its first brutal moments that find Logan (Hugh Jackman) aka Wolverine horrifically slaughtering a gang of would be carjackers, “Logan” lets you know that it will be wearing its R rating on its sleeve, not only in terms of the extreme violence, but also its extreme seriousness. This is a movie that wants you know it’s somber, difficult, and important – a superhero movie with the soul of an indie western that aspires to be a great stand-alone drama, and not just another X-Men movie (even though it’s the tenth, you’ll note there’s no X-Men branding in the title). The year is 2029 and mutants are on the way out. Gone are the days of X-Men heroics and Wolverine is now a haunted and haggard-looking chauffeur driving around bachelor parties in El Paso, earning money to take care of an ailing Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and buy a boat so they can take to the seas and maybe find a little peace. His plan goes all to hell, however, when Logan’s path crosses with Laura (exciting newcomer Dafne Keen), a young girl VERY much like him and in need of a ride to North Dakota, where an “Eden” for mutant children awaits. “Logan” tests the range of the superhero genre, feels fresh and different for Marvel movies, and has some great performances along with some powerful emotional beats. But in eschewing fun to such a grim degree in what is typically an escapist genre, it overreaches, painting a dark picture of our national mood.

get out

T

he less you know about “Get Out” going in, the better.

You could call it a melding of the satirical dread of “The Stepford Wives” with the uneasiness of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, but it’s more than just a smashing of those two genres. It touches on current events and comments on long-standing, unfortunate truths but never in a glib or unsavory way. And it’s one of those rare thrillers that leave you breadcrumbs you won’t even realize you’ve noticed until they’re all lined up at the end – everything comes together with such a satisfying and mind-blowing brilliance. It’s smart, clever, incredibly thoughtful, funny, and even though it draws heavily from classic horror influences, manages to feel wholly original. The setup is amazingly simple: Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), a young black man is introduced to his white girlfriend’s family and things take a very strange term. And to explain more would ruin the payoff of this truly remarkable film. You should know going in that this is a horror movie that chills not with blood and gore (there is some of that) but with the weight of social awkwardness and underlying racial tension. That writer/director Jordan Peele (he of Key & Peele) has wrapped such a meaningful conversation and packaged it as a horror-comedy goes to show how both necessary and accessible this conversation is. And in our particularly strained times, a horror movie has never felt more vital.

THE GREAT WALL

“T

he Great Wall” puts forth the legend that the 5,500 miles long, 1,700 years-to-build, Great Wall of China was constructed to keep out monsters. It’s a ridiculous notion, though not necessarily a bad idea for an entertaining flick. But “The Great Wall” is monster movie where the monsters are an afterthought. It’s a war epic with no reverence. And it’s an action fantasy that fails to transport. A painfully anemic Matt Damon plays William, a 12th century mercenary whose search for the explosive black powder lands him in prison at The Great Wall. He’s a prisoner of the Nameless Order, Chinese warriors who defend the country from alien monsters known as Tao Tei. When the Tao Tei attack, the film comes alive. From the drums, cannons, catapults, and lizard-shearing blades to the battle-trained aerialists, it’s cool to see The Wall not just as an ancient wonder, but as a living, breathing fortress. But these moments of wacky wonder don’t last and we have to return to the drudgery of its West meets East propaganda.

Yet thanks to its brevity and these gonzo set pieces, “The Great Wall” was not the expected complete disaster. It almost bluffed its way to becoming another forgettable but enjoyable action blockbuster. But what separates it, and what it can’t hide from, is the utter disinterest from the cast, as well as the disinterest of a U.S. audience that could see the contrived reasons behind its Chinese market driven conception all the way from space.

Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 27

Fresh flavors in The Village

Trattoria Stella

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SHOP A quaint retail area of locallyowned stores with unique products and excellent service.

TASTE

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EXPLORE Beautiful parks and hiking trails, and guided historic tours of Traverse City’s largest historic property: click to www.thevillagetc.com/tours!

Music at Left Foot Charley Live Music Mondays & Fridays 6-9pm

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28 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

the ADViCE GOddESS A World Of Blurt

Q

: I’m in love with my married female coworker. I’m married and have no intention of leaving my wife, and I doubt she’d leave her husband, even if she shared my feelings. I love how caring and kind my co-worker is — how she understands that you show love through action. I do this by often giving my wife romantic cards and by cleaning the house and doing the dishes every night after I get home from work and school. Feeling my wife wasn’t reciprocating, I started fantasizing about being in a relationship with my coworker, who also feels unappreciated by her spouse. My feelings for her have become overwhelming, and I feel a pressing need to tell her.

I understand that this could make work very awkward. Best-case scenario, she’s flattered. Is it selfish to want to unburden myself?

— Boiling Point

A

: Confessing your crush to your married co-worker is like arranging a transfer to her — of your 26-pound tumor: “His name is Fred. He enjoys fine wine, banned preservatives, and cigarette smoke. I hope you’re very happy together!”

Your desire to tell isn’t noble or wonderful. In fact, it’s pretty much the psychological cousin of an intense need to pee. To get why that is, it helps to understand, as evolutionary psychologists John Tooby and Leda Cosmides explain, that the emotions driving our behavior today motivate us to behave in ways that would have given our ancestors the best shot at surviving, mating, and passing on their genes. Unfortunately, solutions for recurring challenges in the ancestral environment aren’t always a perfect fit for the modern office environment.

Consider our basic biological needs — like for food, water, and sex. When we feel the urge to satisfy these — like when we’re hungry or hungry for a co-worker — our emotions kick into gear, pushing us into a motivated state, a state of tension. That’s an uncomfortable state to be in, so we look for the quickest, easiest way out — like “To hell with my job and my marriage!” — which conflates a powerful evolved urge with a wise modern course of action.

Understanding this need to reduce emotional tension should help you realize that what’s driving your obsession is more mechanical than magical. But there’s another problem. Our motivational system comes up a little short in the brakes department.

adviceamy@aol.com advicegoddess.com

We have a “GO!” system to push us to do things, but we lack a comparable “STOP, YOU IDIOT!” system.

This makes inhibiting a feeling (and whatever course of action it’s pushing you toward) terribly hard and uncomfortable work. And as social psychologists Daniel Wegner and James J. Gross have independently pointed out, doing this on a continuing basis can have damaging effects on your physical health. Trying to quash some recurring thought also tends to backfire, making you think the unwanted thought more than if you hadn’t tried to stop.

For example, in Wegner’s research, subjects told, “Try not to think of a white bear,” failed every time. Wegner suspects the mind sweeps around to see that we aren’t thinking of the thing — which means we’re thinking of the thing in the process. (Argh, huh?)

Considering all of this, when you’re looking to keep yourself from doing something, it helps to take the approach Aikido practitioners use. When a powerful blow is coming at them, instead of meeting it head on and taking the full force of it, they divert it — push it off in another direction. Following this principle, your goal shouldn’t be stopping yourself from telling your co-worker but redirecting the energy you’ve been putting into your crush into your marriage.

Tell your wife you love her and discuss what might be missing in your marriage — for each of you. However, don’t do this by accusing her of failing to appreciate you (which will lead to defensiveness, not inspiration to change). Instead, lead by example: Explain the ways you show your love for her (helping her connect the clean living room to the loving motivation behind it), and then tell her what would make you feel loved.

In case loving feelings have given way to hard feelings, there’s good news from a relatively new area of psychology called “embodied cognition” — the finding that taking action leads to corresponding feelings. So, it’s possible that acting loving can resuscitate the love you once felt.

Getting back to your co-worker, it doesn’t take much to lose yourself in fantasies about how great it would be with somebody new.

However, marriage — to any person — is hard. Still, it has its perks, such as that wonderful ease that comes out of being with your spouse for a while — allowing you to finally feel comfortable talking about what you really need in bed: “Are you there yet? Hurry! I gotta wake up early!”

“Jonesin” Crosswords

"Change of Key"--you'll have to pick another one. by Matt Jones ACROSS 1 Actor John of the “Harold and Kumar” movies 4 Boxer’s blows 8 Equipped for 14 Kurosawa’s adaptation of “King Lear” 15 Math class calculation 16 Situated 17 Protestant denom. founded in Philadelphia 18 Genre for bands like Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, in the wrong key?

20 Chess side 22 Bluish duck 23 Places for MDs and RNs 24 “Get Shorty” sequel 26 Hall of Famer Carew 28 “___ Boot” (1981 war film) 29 “You too?” a la Caesar 30 Villainous 33 “Why am ___? What does it all mean?”

35 Screw-shaped pasta 37 MTV cartoon with the show-within-a-show “Sick, Sad World” 38 Metallica hit, in the wrong key?

42 Looks at lewdly 43 Relate a story about 44 Go no further 45 Cookie with a Peeps-flavored 2017 variety 46 Brats 50 “The Star-Spangled Banner” lyricist 51 “Neither snow, ___ rain ...”

53 Catch cunningly 55 “___ for Alibi” (Sue Grafton mystery) 56 Unwell 59 “The Jetsons” pet 60 “Runaway” singer, in the wrong key?

64 Meal starter?

65 “That makes sense” 66 “Eso ___” (Paul Anka hit) 67 Fuss 68 City where Canada’s parliament meets 69 2.0 grades 70 Man cave, really

DOWN 1 Hotel needs 1 Early Tarzan actor Buster 2 “To be or not to be” soliloquist 3 Way shorter than 2-Down, say 4 The King of Pop, in tabloids 5 Aesthetic pursuit 6 “Doin’ the Pigeon” singer 7 Toyotathon, e.g.

8 Olympic speed skater ___ Anton Ohno 9 “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” singer Cantrell 10 Office PC hookup 11 Outer skin layer 12 Homes for some lizards 13 Like an epic voyage 19 “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” singer Belinda 21 College catalog listings 25 “Dallas Buyers Club” actor Jared 27 “I ___ such thing!”

31 Melbourne is its capital 32 Comic book line artist 34 Got cranky 36 Jimmy who works with Lois Lane 38 Mixed-breed dog that sounds like a bird 39 Upper limit for a jungle gym, maybe 40 Lingerie item similar to a romper 41 Antiseptic gel source 47 Character in “The Wind in the Willows” 48 Victory celebration 49 Exactly correct 52 Ice Cube’s real first name 54 Small iPods 57 “Closing Bell” network 58 ACL’s location 61 Free ad, briefly 62 Fasten fabric 63 Verb suffix?

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Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 29

aSTRO

lOGY

(March 21-April 19): Of course you want to get the best of everything. But that doesn’t mean you should disdain cheap thrills that are more interesting and gratifying than the expensive kind. And of course you enjoy taking risks. But there’s a big difference between gambling that’s spurred by superstitious hunches and gambling rooted in smart research.

And of course you’re galvanized by competition. But why fritter away your competitive fire on efforts to impress people? A better use of that fire is to use it to hone your talents and integrity.

more about what you don’t have and can’t do than what you do have and can do? If so, please raise the “do have” and “can do” up to at least 51 percent. (Eighty percent would be better.) Have you been harshly critiquing yourself more than you have been gently taking care of yourself? If so, get your self-care level up to at least 51 percent. (Eight-five percent is better.) Are you flirting with a backward type of courage that makes you nervous about what everyone thinks of you and expects from you? If so, I invite you to cultivate a different kind of courage at least 51 percent of the time: courage to do what’s right for you no matter what anyone thinks or expects. (Ninety percent is better.)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): ): If you own an

untamable animal like a bull, the best way to manage it is to provide a fenced but spacious meadow where it can roam freely. So said famous Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki, using a metaphor to address how we might deal with the unruly beasts in our own psyches. This is excellent advice for you right now, Taurus. I’d hate to see you try to quash or punish your inner wild thing. You need its boisterous power! It will be a fine ally if you can both keep it happy and make it work for you.

Nature is Your Neighbor

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If I were to

provide a strict interpretation of the astrological omens, I’d advise you to PARTY HARDY AND ROWDY AND STRONG AND OFTEN! I’d suggest that you attend a raging bash or convivial festivity once every day. And if that were logistically impossible, I’d advise you to stage your own daily celebrations, hopefully stocked with the most vivacious and stimulating people you can find. But I recognize that this counsel may be too extreme for you to honor. So I will simply invite you to PARTY HARDY AND ROWDY AND STRONG at least twice a week for the next four weeks. It’s the medicine you need.

Stop by… you will never want to leave!

CANCER June 21-July 22): You are on the verge

of achieving a sly victory over the part of you that is unduly meek and passive. I believe that in the coming weeks you will rise up like a resourceful hero and at least half-conquer a chronic fear. A rumbling streak of warrior luck will flow through you, enabling you to kill off any temptation you might have to take the easy way out. Congratulations in advance, my fellow Cancerian! I have rarely seen our tribe have so much power to triumph over our unconscious attraction to the victim role.

LEO

Community Features: • Outdoor pool • Tennis court • Community lodge • Community activities • Pets welcome

• Snow removal, lawn & home maintenance services available • City water and sewer • New, pre-owned & custom homes from the $70’s to the $100’s

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL CHARLEEN AT 231-933-4800 OR CINDY AT 231-421-9500. www.woodcreekliving.com Conveniently located on South Airport Rd, a quarter mile west of Three Mile in Traverse City

30 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES

PIScES (Feb. 19-March 20): Are you fantasizing

An award winning community where

MARCH 20 - MARCH 26

(July 23-Aug. 22): Leo journal entry, Thursday: Am too settled and stale and entrenched. Feeling urges to get cheeky and tousled. Friday: So what if I slept a little longer and arrived late? Who cares if the dishes are piling up in the sink? I hereby refuse law and order. Saturday: I’m fantasizing about doing dirty deeds. I’m thinking about breaking the taboos. Sunday: Found the strangest freshness in a place I didn’t expect to. Sometimes chaos is kind of cute and friendly.

Monday: The nagging voice of the taskmaster in my head is gone. Ding-dong. Let freedom ring!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): William Boyd

writes novels, which require him to do copious research about the real-world milieus he wants his fictional characters to inhabit. For example, to ensure the authenticity of his book Waiting for Sunrise, he found out what it was like to live in Vienna in 1913.

He compares his process of searching for juicy facts to the feeding habits of a blue whale: engorging huge amounts of seawater to strain out the plankton that are good to eat. Ninety percent of the information he wades through is irrelevant, but

the rest is tasty and nourishing. I suspect you’ll thrive on a similar approach in the coming weeks, Virgo. Be patient as you search for what’s useful.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here’s a new word

for you: enantiodromia. It’s what happens when something turns into its opposite. It’s nature’s attempt to create equilibrium where there has been imbalance. Too much NO becomes YES, for example. A superabundance of yin mutates into yang, or an overemphasis on control generates chaos. Flip-flops like these tend to be messy if we resist them, but interesting if we cooperate. I figure that’s your choice right now. Which will it be? The latter, I hope. P.S.: The reversals that you consciously co-create may not be perfect. But even if they are baffling, I bet they will also be amusing and magnificent.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When I was

24, I lived in rural North Carolina and had a job washing dishes in a city four miles away.

I was too poor to own a bicycle, let alone a car.

To get to work I had to trudge down backroads where hostile dogs and drunk men in pick-up trucks roamed freely. Luckily, I discovered the art of psychic protection. At first I simply envisioned a golden force field surrounding me.

Later I added visualizations of guardian animals to accompany me: two friendly lions and two sheltering wolves. Maybe it was just the placebo effect, but the experiment worked. My allies made me brave and kept me safe. You’re welcome to borrow them, Scorpio, or conjure up your own version of spirit protectors. You’re not in physical danger, but I suspect you need an extra layer of protection against other people’s bad moods, manipulative ploys, and unconscious agendas.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m not

suggesting you should listen to your heart with rapt attention every waking minute for the next four weeks. I don’t expect you to neglect the insights your mind has to offer. But I would love to see you boost your attunement to the intelligent organ at the center of your chest. You’re going to need its specific type of guidance more than ever in the coming months. And at this particular moment, it is beginning to overflow with wisdom that’s so rich and raw that it could unleash a series of spiritual orgasms.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The empty

space at the end of this sentence has intentionally been left blank. The serene hiatus you just glided through comes to you courtesy of Healing Silence, an ancient form of do-it-yourself therapy. Healing Silence is based on the underappreciated truth that now and then it’s restorative to just SHUT UP and abstain from activity for a while.

(As you know, the world is crammed with so much noise and frenzy that it can be hard to hear yourself think -- or even feel.) With Healing Silence, you bask in a sanctuary of sweet nothingness for as long as you need to. Please try it sometime soon. Wrap yourself in the luxurious void of Healing Silence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) I hope you

won’t feel the need to say any of these things: 1. “I’m sorry I gave you everything I had without making sure you wanted it.” 2. “Will you please just stop asking me to be so real.” 3. “I long for the part of you that you’ll never give me.” Now here are things I hope you will say sometime soon: 1. “I thrived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.” (This declaration is lifted from novelist Joshua Graham.) 2. “I’m having fun, even though it’s not the same kind of fun everyone else is having.”

(Borrowed from author C.S. Lewis.) 3. “I’m not searching for who I am. I’m searching for the person I aspire to be.” (Stolen from author Robert Brault.)

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT COMEDIANS FOR HIRE! Need laughs at an upcoming party or event? Falling Down Stairs Productions offers live comedy to fit your entertainment needs and budget. fallingdownstairsprod@gmail for details.

CAREER OPPORTUNITY United Association Local 85 Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVAC Technicians, have set an Apprentice Application deadline of March 31, 2017. Qualifications and requirements can be found at this web address (http://ualocal85.org/ Apprenticeships.aspx). Applications are available at UA Local 85 Training Center, 6705 Weiss St, Saginaw, MI 48603 or www.ualocal85.org.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Looking for established hairdresser to rent a chair in a share space suite. Great location/West side, good parking. $555/ mo Call Marianne 231-645-2080 OFFICE ASSISTANT Seeking ambitious Administrative Assistant to join Northland Vacation Rentals, a Glen Arbor based company. This person will manage day-to-day office responsibilities including answering phones, greeting the public, scheduling reservations, advertising, and general office duties.

This role requires a strong work ethic, self-starter, and good communication skills. The ideal candidate should be comfortable working independently, alongside others, and interacting with the public. Please send resume to conniekroll@c21northland.com.

TRAVEL PROGRAM COORDINATOR Join our TC Incentive Travel Company, Part Time or Full Time openings.

M-F, small, congenial office environment. Must be highly organized, a quick learner, efficient and a wiz with Excel and Word. A friendly, mature & professional demeanor is required. Bachelors’ degree and travel industry experience preferred. Email resume including earnings history. swalter@xingboundaries.com FULL & PART TIME TASTING Room Staff Looking for candidates with a passion for wine and outstanding customer service for seasonal work in our tasting room. Visit marivineyards.com for more information.

DERMATOLOGY OFFICE POSITIONS AVAILABLE Expanding dermatology practice is seeking motivated and positive individuals who work well in a team environment.

3 Positions: CLINICAL MEDICAL ASSISTANTexperience prefer- will train the right person. RECEPTIONIST- experience prefer- will train the right person.

ASSISTANT TO THE MANAGER resourceful individual strong computer skills. Medical office experience is helpful with Meaningful Use exper., will train the right person. Send Resume and cover letter to mbrooks. associatesinderm@gmail.com Please put position desired RAYMOND JAMES - CLIENT SERVICE Associate Full time position in a professional office environ-

ment providing administrative assistance to Financial Advisors and high quality service to their clients. Must have strong communication skills, proficient with MS Office, professional and friendly phone skills, detail oriented, work well on a team. Email resume and cover letter to Jeffrey.

Pasche@raymondjames.com. Also must apply online at: https://raymondjames.taleo.net/careersection/ rj_extcareersection052308/jobdetail.ftl?job=1700655&lang=en&sns_ id=mailto DIRECTOR OF RETAIL Goodwill Industries Northern MI is looking for a Director of Retail. This position will be part of the GINMI Executive Team and is responsible for the effective and profitable operation of our retail program through new and donated goods, as well as online auction (eCommerce) sales in a manner consistent with Goodwill goals and purpose. The position works in our Traverse city offices, but travel to various sites in the community is required.

Full time w/benefits. Email resume to hr@goodwillnmi.org or click the title to apply online.

HEALTH SERVICES IF YOU HAD HIP OR KNEE replacement surgery and suffered an infection between 2010 - present, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles H. Johnson 1-800-535-5727.

STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-800-259-4150 Promo Code CDC201625

BUY/SELL/TRADE “MR. Bill’S SERVICES” I operate a 2 person small business in the Grand Travers area providing numerous services for your home, yard or business including landscaping, painting, widow washing, power washing, etc. We also specialize in garage clean-ups, hauling & disposal of unwanted items.

“Let’s have some fun & get your work done!!!!” Call/text (231) 313-2676 SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $4397.00MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension.

In stock ready to ship! FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800578-1363 Ext. 300N

OTHER KALKASKA GUN & KNIFE SHOW Kaliseum on M72 March 25&26 Sat9-5 Sun9-3 22 Rifle Door Prize 800-968-5016 ELMBROOK 2017 GOLF LEAGUES NOW FORMING Group and individual. Men’s, women’s and mixed league openings available. Golf at one of Traverses City’s award winning courses with sweeping views. Elmbrook, closest to the heart of Traverse City. Call 231-946-9180 for more information. http://www.elmbrook.com SEWING, ALTERATIONS, mending & repairs. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231-228-6248 IS YOUR IRRIGATION READY FOR SPRING? Ground Level Landscaping & Irrigation has 20+ years irrigation experience in Northern Michigan.

Schedule an appointment for your sprinkler system today! (231) 6206530 : http://groundleveltc.com

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Northern Express Weekly • march 20, 2017 • 31

32 • march 20, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly