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LINGERING DOUBTS Years after a Kalkaska man went to prison for life for his role in a murder conspiracy, his supporters still have many questions.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • march 27 - april 2, 2017 • Vol. 27 No. 13

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CONTENTS

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

Mackinaw Meltdown..........................................9 Lingering Doubts..............................................10 One of the reasons our healthcare system Sweets Made in TC.......................................13 is so expensive and the debates about it Freshwater Grill.................................................15 so partisan and often unproductive is that Seen..................................................................16 we have divorced the economic forces of supply and demand from setting prices for medical services and drugs. That’s largely because our system is so narrowly focused ...............................................17-19 on insurance. Insurance is neither the supply of healthcare nor the demand for healthcare. It’s simply the means of payment, a middleman, that does not respond to Don Julin.........................................................12 either of those economic forces.

As a family physician and a Democrat, I Local Music: Roger Brown................................14 am most interested in expanding access to FourScore.......................................................22 healthcare. But that does not mean I oppose Nightlife............................................................21 market-based methods of setting prices.

One smart proposal that remarries supply and demand to setting prices is “transparent pricing” by healthcare providers. This Top Five............................................................5 requires doctors, clinics, and hospitals to Spectator/Stephen Tuttle....................................4 post all pricing or range of pricing for all of Weird................................................................8 their services. This can then be coupled with Style..................................................................8 restricting secret price negotiations between Modern Rock/Kristi Kates.................................23 providers and insurers. This means that The Reel.......................................................24 consumers can conveniently and accurately compare prices on services they need, which Advice Goddess..............................................25 clearly would stimulate competition among Crossword....................................................26 Freewill Astrology...........................................26 providers in most cases.

Transparent pricing is a simple, free- Classifieds......................................................27 market proposal that is already being used with success by many free-standing surgical centers, and is bringing prices down.

Candidate Trump said he supported this, but it is conspicuously absent from the Republican Trumpcare bill. Why? Transparent pricing is a commonsense idea. Both sides of the aisle can support it, and we should demand that our representatives enact it as part of any healthcare insurance reform.

Yes To Transparent Pricing

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Better Healthcare

We the taxpayers pay for the healthcare for our elected officials in Washington D.C., so the citizens of this great country should be offered the same coverage in healthcare as available to them. Maybe we should repeal and replace the politicians with something better.

Kay Miller, Manistee

No Chance For Great Lakes Funding

In response to James Dustin’s letter in the March 20 edition about Great Lakes funding and the Democrats doing nothing in the past decade, it is very easy to research the history of it. In 2010 the Obama administration proposed and implemented the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Since then over $1.3

Edward George, Kalkaska

Save Our Nonprofits

What do the American Red Cross of Northwest Michigan, SEEDS, Benzie Area Christian Neighbors, National Park Service at Sleeping Bear, Benzie Commission on Aging, Leelanau Conservancy, Leelanau Children’s Center, Department of Natural Resources-Traverse City, Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, Inland Seas Education Association, Michigan State University Extension FoodCorps, Inc., Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency, Northwest Michigan Supportive Housing, United Way of Northwest Michigan, Senior Companion Program of Northern Michigan, Foster Grandparent Program, and the Acme Christian Thrift Store have in common? They all function due to the service of AmeriCorps, Vista, SeniorCorps and FoodCorps members who help these non-profit organizations provide necessary services to people in northwest Michigan.

All of these are in danger with the budget proposed by the current presidential administration. The budget suggests entirely slashing the budgets of AmeriCorps, Vista, SeniorCorps, and FoodCorps. Such cuts will be catastrophic for our communities here in northern Michigan. Our local non-profits operate on a shoestring and having the assistance of these federal programs is one way our non-profits survive and flourish.

Last year, the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees these volunteer organizations, accounted for just .03 percent of the national budget. These programs cost each American taxpayer $3.37 per year. Research performed by Columbia University suggests that every $1 spent on

John Chahbazi, Honor

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billion has been appropriated to protect this water system that 40 million people rely on. President Trump proposes to cut almost all the funding for this, including massive cuts to the EPA. Is this the chance we should give him?

northernexpress.com

Get Rid Of Your Clutter!

Northern Michigan’s Grandest Gardens Hear What The Local Experts Say Even You Can Grow

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • May 16 - may 22, 2016 Vol. 26 No. 20

available april 10, 2017

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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 27, 2017 • 3

DANGEROUS GAMES ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA opinion

BY Jack Segal

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Earlier this month, 300,000 South Korean and 17,000 American troops participated in exercises the Pentagon called “the largest ever.”

An aircraft carrier, two guided missile destroyers, a cruiser, F-35 stealth fighters and drones converged on South Korea in an unprecedented show of force. North Korea responded with sharp warnings that “If (the U.S.) infringes on (North Korea’s) sovereignty and dignity even a bit, it will launch merciless ultra-precision strikes from ground, air, sea, and underwater…” Thus, while the Trump Administration no doubt hoped Secretary of State Tillerson’s first overseas trip could focus on advancing the president’s new “America First” message and convincing our allies to do more, Tillerson was compelled to spend much of his trip seeking cooperation on North Korea.

U.S. options for responding to the future threat of North Korea’s nuclear-armed missiles range from hoping for resolution through dialogue to all-out war. After Tillerson’s very tough warnings early in his trip, China advised calm and negotiations, and Tillerson seemed to agree. However, history warns of the risks of deal-making with Pyongyang. After the Clinton administration reached agreement on halting North Korea’s nuclear program in 1994, Pyongyang secretly continued to develop nuclear weapons. So any agreement without an unprecedented degree of intrusive on-site verification is not likely to reassure anyone. Recognizing this, Tillerson stated, “We had 20 years of failed approaches…a new approach is needed.”

The chances of North Korea voluntarily abandoning its nuclear and missile programs are practically zero. Having already tested five nuclear weapons and, in early March, launching four missiles into the waters off Japan while publicly announcing the move as a “dry run for an attack on U.S. bases,” Pyongyang shows zero interest in talks.

The U.S. could seek still more sanctions against North Korea. In February, alarmed by the flurry of missile tests, Beijing announced it was halting purchases of North Korean coal for the rest of 2017, a decision that cut North Korean exports in half. Perhaps more economic pressure might affect the Kim regime, but from Beijing’s perspective, sanctions run the risk of so weakening the North Korean economy that the North Korea-China border is overrun by economic refugees.

Continuing on the spectrum of options, there are covert actions that are likely already in play. Mirroring the game plan used against Iran, the U.S. has reportedly been conducting cyber-attacks against Pyongyang’s programs, and has covertly sabotaged raw materials and equipment destined for North Korean nuclear and missile efforts. Clandestine espionage and infiltration efforts also seem to be ongoing. But as the Iran experience shows, such efforts can only slow Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programs, not stop them.

Regime change is a more extreme option.

Arguably China and the U.S., as well as South Korea and Japan, would welcome Kim Jongun being replaced with a more malleable figure. But how to do this without Kim taking the region down in flames with him? Regime change through clandestine or military ops could be even more dangerous than the current situation.

This brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum -- pre-emptive military action,

something that Secretary Tillerson has confirmed is “on the table.” What could this option look like?

If the U.S. determines that North Korea is close to threatening us with a nuclear strike, the president would feel compelled to use whatever means necessary to prevent such an attack. There are several non-nuclear options (developed as contingencies for Iran) that would use our massive ground-penetrating bombs to target North Korea’s underground facilities while preemptive attacks would seek to cripple North Korea’s fixed facilities and simultaneously destroy its relatively primitive submarines. But if conventional warheads were assessed as not adequate to the task, pre-emptive military action might also have to involve “small” nuclear weapons that could dive deep underground. This “nuclear option” would cross a threshold that no nation has dared to breach since 1945.

And there are obvious huge downsides to military action. First, it’s not clear that military strikes would succeed. We would have to destroy North Korea’s entire offensive capabilities before Kim could detonate a single nuclear warhead. Over 25 million South Koreans live less than 20 miles from the DMZ, easily within range of the thousands of North Korean artillery pieces along the border. At the first hint of an allout attack, North Korea could fire 500,000 rounds of artillery on northern Seoul within the first hour.

So clearly, any action to either remove the Kim regime or decapitate its nuclear capability must be virtually instantaneous and its outcome a certainty – a tough order. The last thing we want is a Syria-like conflict that overturns the North Korean dictator but not before he demolishes the decades of progress achieved in the south.

Also, a surprise attack on a sovereign country smacks of Pearl Harbor – it’s not how civilized nations deal with threats. Military strikes would have enormous ramifications throughout the region: How would the North Korean military and population react?

If Kim Jong-un were replaced, what would come next? Military action without China’s acquiescence could also end up reigniting the 65-year-old Korean conflict, this time pitting U.S. and South Korean forces against two nuclear-armed adversaries.

Bottom line: This is an issue that tests the administration’s ability to balance its “America First” slogan with the diplomacy needed to gain the cooperation of key players, particularly China. We need to move quickly to create an international consensus behind what few non-military options remain. To do this, the U.S. needs an empowered national security team that is meeting regularly, trusts and respects the other players, and isn’t worried about being blind-sided by unexpected random public signals. What should be obvious is that a U.S. decision to use military force could make an already dangerous crisis into one that might trigger even more dangerous moves by China or Russia. Preventing a worst-case scenario out of North Korea requires a global solution.

Jack Segal was NSC Director for Non-Proliferation from 1998-2000. He and his wife Karen Puschel serve as co-chairs of the International Affairs Forum (tciaf.com) in Traverse City.

this week’s

top five Homeless Newspaper War There’s a quiet homeless newspaper war unfolding in Traverse City.

George Golubovski has published his one-page, double-sided newsletter Traverse Street for more than two years.

Now he complains that a new homeless publication is now trading on his name.

“There is Another New Homeless Newspaper in Traverse City literally leveraging off the Traverse Street name,” Golubovski wrote in the March edition of his newsletter.

The new publication is called TC Street Voices and is published by Peggy Byland, who didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

Among the complaints Golubovski leveled at the new publication was some editorial criticism – he questioned how the newspaper could allow an anonymous writer to criticize the meals provided by Safe Harbor, a Traverse City nonprofit dedicated to taking care of the homeless. He quoted from TC Street Voices: “’It’s pasta again/ …

People who fix food in church kitchens/ Aware of the steaks/ In their freezers at home.’”

Golubovskis responded: “Whoa! A little fact check here! I know that many of the Safe Harbor volunteers who buy, prepare, serve meals, and then do clean-up, do not have steak in their freezers at home. … Anyway, what’s wrong with pasta?”

Snow Challenge Transforming the late season slopes into side-by-side uphill truck racing, the Snow Challenge returns to Schuss Mountain, Shanty Creek Resorts, Bellaire on Saturday & Sunday, April 1-2. Watch as modified trucks, jeeps and more step on the gas and race to the top. A portion of the proceeds is donated to Michigan’s Disabled American Veterans. griztekusa.com/SnowChallenge.html

Book Looks at the Struggle for Arcadia You might not think a book about the struggle to wrest six thousand acres of Lake Michigan dunes from development and preserve it as a public place would be suspenseful adventure story, but Traverse City author Heather Schumaker promises just that – a riveting story that spans decades about a small community of people who preserve a beloved tract against all odds.

Saving Arcadia: A Story of Conservation and Community in the Great Lakes, published in paperback by Wayne State University Press, will be available in April.

Noted environmentalist Bill McKibben praised the book: “Having visited these remarkable dunes, I’m all the more taken by the exciting story of their conservation. On a troubled planet, it is stories like this that provide deep abiding hope.”

Tastemakers 7 Monks Friday Night Fish The second of two 7 Monks Taproom locations resides in Boyne City (its brother locale is in Traverse City), and both restaurants share many of the same qualities in their microbrew and food offerings and welcoming, woodsy atmospheres.

But if it’s a Friday night fish fry you’re after, heading to the Boyne City location is a can’t–miss choice, especially if you appreciate fish with a twist.

7 Monks’ Boyne City Friday night fish specials change every so often and include offerings like the baked mushroom–crusted whitefish with smoked russet mashed potatoes and fried Brussel sprouts topped with sundried tomato beurre blanc (left) and the Alaskan amber beer–battered fish and French fries served with horseradish remoulade.

Whatever the offering, you’ll be treated to unusual depths of flavor well beyond the typical fish n’ chips; team up either choice with something from 7 Monks’ 37 rotating taps of craft beer, and you’ve got a Friday dinner sure to please.

Call (231) 459-4215 to confirm the Friday fish specials at 7 Monks Taproom, 202 S. Lake Street, Suite A, in Boyne City; visit online at 7monkstap.com.

Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 5

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spectator by stephen tuttle President Trump and his Republican allies are in a nasty two week slump. Perhaps we should check in.

That American Health Care Act the Republicans rolled out, initially and enthusiastically supported by the president, wasn’t received warmly. At all. They’re now stuck with it.

They made the classic mistake of overpromising and under-delivering. Everyone will have health insurance, Trump said.

You’ll get more options and more coverage for less, they claimed.

Instead, the first phase of their rollout offered us less coverage for, in too many cases, way more money.

The analysis of Trumpcare (if the Affordable Care Act is Obamacare then the American Health Care Act is surely Trumpcare) by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was eye-popping. The non-partisan CBO is responsible for analyzing the true cost and repercussions of major legislation.

They have a reputation for ignoring the politics and focusing on the numbers.

compared to Obamacare. Most of that will come from dumping additional Medicaid responsibilities on the states and replacing subsidies with much less costly tax rebates.

Perhaps the House will have passed some version of Trumpcare by the time you read this, but they should have slowed down. Their rush to eviscerate anything with Obama’s name attached has led them into a dark alley. There was never any question Obamacare needed changes; even Obama acknowledged there was room for improvement. Instead, Republicans have created a plan that further disadvantages the already disadvantaged and further advantages the already advantaged.

The Trumpcare cost-cutting was of a piece with the first Trump budget. He proposes a $54 billion increase in defense spending all paid for by cuts to other programs.

Gone would be most of the money for studying the climate (Trump’s budget director said climate science is a “waste of time”), Meals on Wheels, PBS and NPR, Restoring the Great Lakes Initiative, free breakfasts

Their rush to eviscerate anything with Obama’s name attached has led them into a dark alley. There was never any question Obamacare needed changes; even Obama acknowledged there was room for improvement.

The CBO says Trumpcare will result in 24 million Americans losing healthcare coverage in the next decade, including 14 million next year. Medicaid will be severely cut back, leaving states to deal with uninsured low income households.

Premiums under Trumpcare will be age-based instead of income based.

Younger people will pay less, older people not yet on Medicare will pay more regardless of income. Subsidies will be replaced by tax rebates.

Changing the formula to age-based will devastate fixed income people not yet eligible for Medicare, as well as all middleaged low income families. The proposed tax breaks are swell but don’t help make the monthly or quarterly premium payments as the previous subsidies did. Plus, low income people might not even owe federal income tax, so a tax break becomes meaningless.

In the most egregious example cited, a 60-year-old man making a bit more than $25,000 per year now pays about $1,700 annually for a baseline policy under Obamacare. That same man’s premiums will skyrocket to a budget-shattering $14,000 annually under Trumpcare. At the same time, Trumpcare includes significant tax breaks for some of the wealthiest Americans.

Trumpcare advocates tell us this is only the first phase and they’re already making necessary changes and the Senate can make more. Plus, they say, Trumpcare will save the federal government a bundle and allow people to decide for themselves if they want health insurance.

The CBO says Trumpcare will save about $337 billion over the next decade

for low income children (“no evidence they improve academic achievement”), National Endowment for the Arts, Community Block Grants, programs to help business start-ups, programs to help seniors, nearly a third of the EPA budget...it’s a long list.

It’s no wonder Republican members of Congress are afraid to face their constituents in town hall meetings. They can’t reasonably defend Trumpcare nor the proposed budget cuts.

Then, of course, there’s the surreal sideshow of Trump accusing Obama of wiretapping him. Even most Republicans backed away from this lunacy quickly.

Trump started this in one of his late night Twitter storms on March 4. Here’s what he tweeted: “Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”

Naturally he wasn’t quite done. Here’s his next tweet, peculiar spelling and all: “How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate.

Bad (sick) guy.”

It simply wasn’t true. We’ve had enough former and current officials testify under oath to know nobody wiretapped Donald Trump; not Obama, not the FBI, not our intelligence community or that of the British.

The fake news, as usual, came from Trump himself.

Republicans are now stuck. Proposals that will hurt lots of people aren’t very popular, and a president living in a paranoid parallel universe is difficult to support or defend. They can improve the first problem but the second is a lot stickier.

Crime & Rescue DRUG SHIPMENT INTERCEPTED Someone tipped police about a Traverse City man headed to Kalamazoo for a large purchase of narcotics.

Traverse Narcotics Team officers and state police set up surveillance along US-131 and late in evening of March 22 spotted a vehicle that matched the description provided by the tipster.

Police pulled over the car and in addition to four occupants they found cash, 13 grams of cocaine, 16 grams of heroin and two ounces of crystal meth. Police arrested two Traverse City men, ages 41 and 42, and a 21-year-old Grand Rapids woman.

IMMATE BITES GUARD A Grand Traverse County jail inmate is accused of biting a guard twice during a struggle.

Christopher Reyes Harper, 21, was charged with felony assault of a prison employee March 20 after an incident at the jail the previous day.

A corrections officer entered Harper’s cell at 4am and woke him, causing Harper to punch the guard, leading to a struggle during which Harper and the guarded went to the ground and struggled on the floor, said Chief Jeffrey O’Brien. Harper allegedly bit the guard twice on his left arm.

Harper had been wanted on a warrant for driving with a suspended license since December, according to 86th District Court records. Harper was convicted last year of operating under the age of 21 with a blood alcohol content of between .02 and .07 percent.

POLICE: WOMAN ENDANGERED CHILDREN A deputy pulled over a car that was weaving all over the road on M-22 near Empire and discovered a woman was driving with two children.

The 32-year-old Traverse City woman was driving drunk with two minor passengers, ages 7 and 13, Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies said.

She was arrested March 22 at 3pm.

The woman told the officer she’d had a rough night and had argued with her mother and was taking her children to the beach. The deputy smelled alcohol and arrested the woman, who had a blood alcohol level of three times the limit to drive.

The children were turned over to a friend of the woman.

TWO EVACUATED FROM ISLAND Two people who were injured in a car crash were evacuated from Beaver Island

by U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.

An aircrew from Traverse City transported the two people from the island March 18. Officials requested help the day before but the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was unable to reach the island that evening because of poor visibility and ice.

The victims, who were not identified, were taken to Air Station Traverse City, where ambulances were waiting to take them to Munson Medical Center.

COUPLE BUSTED IN TRAFFIC STOP A couple from Virginia was arrested after state police turned up several bags of marijuana during a traffic stop.

Troopers stopped a car for speeding on I-75 in Roscommon County March 19 and they discovered the 25-year-old driver’s license was suspended.

Officers found marijuana and marijuana products stashed throughout the vehicle.

The 26-year-old female passenger admitted she was delivering drugs to Petoskey where she planned to sell marijuana to co-workers, Sgt. David Johnson said.

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

TWO ARRESTED IN METH CASE Police got a tip about a house in Cadillac where people were making methamphetamine; two arrests were made Traverse Narcotics Team officers first stopped and arrested a 23-year-old Cadillac man who was walking on River Street carrying two duffle bags that turned out to contain chemicals and components used to make meth. Police then got a search warrant for a home in Cadillac where they discovered more evidence.

The investigation then led detectives to make a traffic stop in Missaukee County in which they arrested a 36-year-old Cadillac woman in possession of meth and who had recently suffered burns, allegedly while making meth. The woman was taken to the hospital in Cadillac and then to jail.

BLACK ICE FLIPS CARS Slippery roads took at least two drivers by surprise in Leelanau County when black ice was blamed for two rollover crashes.

Deputies responded to the crashes an hour apart the morning of March 20. In the first, at 7:18am, a 17-year-old driver on East Fouch Road lost control and rolled over in a ditch. He wasn’t injured.

On South French Road, a 35-year-old Cedar woman also slid off the road and rolled her car. She was also uninjured.

Deputies blamed both crashes on black ice, or stretches of roadway that are covered in ice that’s extremely hard to see.

EMBEZZLEMENT SUSPECT ARRESTED A woman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the company where she worked.

Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies began an investigation last July after an employee at Leelanau Redi-Mix fell under suspicion.

Investigators determined the 52-year-old Empire woman allegedly siphoned money from the company beginning in 2008. She was arrested on a felony embezzlement charge that carries up to 20 years in prison.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY ROUNDUP A suspected drunk driver who crashed into Oryana Natural Foods Market on Tenth Street in Traverse City was one of several people arrested for alcohol-related crimes over St. Patrick’s Day. The 29-year-old Traverse City woman was arrested after the 3am crash March 18 and a 24-year-old female passenger was taken to Munson Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries. The crash caused minor damage to the store but it did not disrupt business.

There were three other arrests over that night for drunk driving in Traverse City, a 22-year-old was arrested for disorderly conduct and a 25-year-old woman was arrested for domestic assault. Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputies reported they had a similarly quiet night considering it was a St. Patrick’s Day that fell on a Friday.

BROTHERS ACCUSED OF METH POSSESSION A deputy stopped two men walking along Barlow Street in Garfield Township who appeared uneasy on their feet.

When the deputy questioned the men, who turned out to be brothers, the suspects were twitching and appeared to be under the influence of drugs, Capt. Christopher Clark said.

The younger one, age 29, turned over some syringes in his pocket that were filled with an unknown substance and the older one, age 30, turned over empty syringes. They were both arrested for probation violations.

At the jail, deputies discovered the older brother left behind a bundle of something that field-tested positive for methamphetamine in the patrol car.

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Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 7

Harbingers of Spring

by candra kolodziej

STREET STYLE Location, Location, Location A highlight of the recent upmarket surge in Brooklyn, N.Y., as a residential and retail favorite, was the asking price for an ordinary parking space in the garage at 845 Union Street in the Park Slope neighborhood: $300,000 (also carrying a $240-a-month condominium fee and $50 monthly taxes). That’s similar to the price of actual one-bedroom apartments in less ritzy Brooklyn neighborhoods like Gravesend (a few miles away).

Compelling Explanations Saginaw, Michigan, defense lawyer Ed Czuprynski had beaten a felony DUI arrest in December, but was sentenced to probation on a lesser charge in the incident, and among his restrictions was a prohibition on drinking alcohol -- which Czuprynski acknowledged in March that he has since violated at least twice.

However, at that hearing (which could have meant jail time for the violations), Czuprynski used the opportunity to beg the judge to remove the restriction altogether, arguing that he can’t be “effective” as a lawyer unless he is able to have a drink now and then. (At press time, the judge was still undecided.)

Fine Points of the Law Residents in southern Humboldt County, California, will vote in May on a proposed property tax increase to fund a community hospital in Garberville to serve a web of small towns in the scenic, sparsely populated region, and thanks to a county judge’s March ruling, the issue will be explained more colorfully.

Opponent Scotty McClure was initially rebuffed by the registrar when he tried to distribute, as taxpayer-funded “special elections material,” contempt for “Measure W” by including the phrase “(insert fart smell here)” in the description. The registrar decried the damage to election “integrity” by such “vulgarity,” but Judge Timothy Cissna said state law gives him jurisdiction only over “false” or “misleading” electioneering language.

Can’t Possibly Be True -- News of the Weird has written several times (as technology progressed) about Matt McMullen’s “RealDoll” franchise -- the San Marcos, California, engineer’s richly detailed flexible silicone mannequins that currently sell for $5,500 and up (more with premium custom features). Even before the recent success of the very humanish, artificially intelligent (AI) android “hosts” on TV’s “Westworld,” McMullen revealed that his first AI doll, “Harmony,” will soon be available with a choice of 12 “personalities,” including “intellectualism” and “wit,” to mimic an emotional bond to add to the sexual. A recent University of London conference previewed a near future when fake women routinely provide uncomplicated relationships for lonely (or disturbed) men. (Recently, in Barcelona, Spain, a brothel opened offering four “realdolls” “disinfected after each customer” -though still recommending condoms.)

-- Scientists at Columbia University and the New York Genome Center announced that they have digitally stored (and retrieved) a movie, an entire computer operating system and a $50 gift card on a single drop of DNA. In theory, wrote the researchers in the journal Science, they might store, on one gram of DNA, 215 “petabytes” (i.e., 215 million gigabytes -enough to run, say, 10 million HD movies) and could reduce all the data housed in the Library of Congress to a small cube of crystals.

-- An office in the New York City

government, suspicious of a $5,000 payment to two men in the 2008 City Council election of Staten Island’s Debi Rose, opened an investigation, which at $300 an hour for the “special prosecutor,” has now cost the city $520,000, with his final bill still to come.

Despite scant “evidence” and multiple opportunities to back off, the prosecutor relentlessly conducted months-long grand jury proceedings, fought several court appeals, had one 23-count indictment almost immediately crushed by judges, and enticed state and federal investigators to (fruitlessly) take on the Staten Island case. In March, the city’s Office of Court Administration finally shrugged and closed the case.

ALEXA DRUDI Traverse City

LIBBY STRUIK Traverse City

Ironies A chain reaction of fireworks in Tultepec, Mexico, in December had made the San Pablito pyro marketplace a scorched ruin, with more than three dozen dead and scores injured, leaving the town to grieve and, in March, to solemnly honor the victims -- with even more fireworks. Tultepec is the center of Mexico’s fireworks industry, with 30,000 people dependent on explosives for a living. Wrote The Guardian, “Gunpowder” is in “their blood.”

Miscellaneous Economic Indicators (1) “Bentley” the cat went missing in Marina Del Rey, California, on Feb. 26 and as of press time had not been located -- despite a posted reward of $20,000. (A “wanted” photo is online, if you’re interested.) (2) British snack food manufacturer Walkers advertised in February for a part-time professional chip taster, at the equivalent of $10.55 an hour. (3) An Australian state administrative tribunal awarded a $90,000 settlement after a cold-calling telemarketer sold a farm couple 2,000 ink cartridges (for their one printer) by repeated pitches.

Perspective American chef Dan Barber staged a temporary “pop-up” restaurant in London in March at which he and other renowned chefs prepared the fanciest meals they could imagine using only food scraps donated from local eateries. A primary purpose was to chastise First World eaters (especially Americans) for wasting food, not only in the kitchen and on the plate, but to satisfy our craving for meat (for example, requiring diversion of 80 percent of the world’s corn and soy just to feed edible animals). Among Barber’s March “WastED” dishes were a char-grilled meatless beetburger and pork braised in leftover fruit solids.

Undignified Deaths (1) Smoking Kills: A 78-year-old man in Easton, Pennsylvania, died in February from injuries caused when he lit his cigarette but accidentally set afire his hooded sweatshirt.

(2) Pornography Kills: A Mexico City man fell to his death recently in the city’s San Antonio neighborhood when he climbed up to turn off a highway video sign on the Periferico Sur highway that was showing a pornographic clip apparently placed by a hacker.

Least Competent Criminals Oops! An officer in Harrington, Delaware, approaching an illegally parked driver at Liberty Plaza Shopping Center in March, had suspicions aroused when she gave him a name other than “Keyonna Waters” (which was the name on the employee name tag she was wearing).

Properly ID’ed, she was arrested for driving with a suspended license.

8 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

In Northern Michigan, we aren’t shy about our enthusiasm for warm weather. After six JOULES WELLIES, $74.95 months of snow and ice, 40 degrees feels downright tropical, so when the ladies start Plamondon, Traverse City

wearing bright colors, short sleeves, cute flats, and mini skirts, we know spring is officially here. Floral prints are a perennially popular way to beckon forth the new season.

ALLIE SMITH Traverse City

AMANDA WAKEMAN Traverse City

AIMS TO HEAT UP TOURISM

By Kristi Kates Brendon Koshoshek, director of sales and marketing for the Mackinaw City Chamber of Tourism, doesn’t have exact numbers, but he’s observant, he’s an advocate of the region, and he knows how to follow his gut regarding what the locals need. These are the tools he’s using to put together and promote a new event in Mackinaw City with the goal of getting the quiet little town up and running ever earlier each year.

MAKING A CHANGE “Here’s the thing,” Koshoshek said. “From July 4 through Labor Day weekend, the hotels in Mackinaw City are generally 100 percent sold out. So that’s great. But 10 years ago, Mackinaw City almost literally closed down once the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day bridge walk was over. At least now, we’ve extended the season a little, closer to November, but hardly anything opens back up until May or June. We want to change that.”

Koshoshek is referring to the simple fact that Mackinaw City is a seasonal destination.

Tourists flock there in the summer, but with few businesses open in the late fall and winter, virtually everything goes dormant until spring.

“A lot of the community doesn’t work all winter for that very reason,” Koshoshek explained, “so we’ve put together the Mackinaw Meltdown as a five–year plan to

encourage businesses to start opening on April 1 [so we can] get the city to ‘open’ more than a month earlier than usual.”

GETTING A START This will be the inaugural year for the Mackinaw Meltdown, which Koshoshek hopes will literally thaw the city, getting people back to work and giving tourists a reason to visit Mackinaw City earlier in the year.

“There’s actually a lot we can do in April,” he said. “Some of it will be weather dependent, but now we’ve got the Star Line Ferry starting to go over to Mackinac Island on April 1 for the first time in history – there isn’t a lot open there yet, but there are a few things, so that’s definitely a big start.”

The Meltdown event links several independent celebrations that Koshoshek hopes will prove to be a draw to the area, which would allow the chamber to plan more events that will occur earlier each season.

BREWS TO BRIDES A few of the biggest happenings are the first Taste of Mackinaw Food Experience and the new Bridal Expo.

The Taste of Mackinaw (Apr. 1–9) is exactly what it sounds like – a food–tasting event that will bring the best of Mackinaw City dining to the Mackinaw Bay Trading Company, a 24,000–square–foot shopping extravaganza that offers food, fudge, fashions and more.

“We’re looking at having 15–20 restaurants participate in the first outing,

which is a really good number,” Koshoshek said. “And the Bière de Mac Brew Works will be in the Mackinac Island Brewhouse [also located in the Trading Company] and launching a special Mackinaw Meltdown microbrew for the event, a maple sap beer, so that’s exciting.”

For those looking for wedding ideas, the 1st Annual Mackinac International Bridal Expo (Apr. 1 at Mackinaw Beach and Bay) is set to be a great resource, with regional, national and international vendors presenting all kinds of ideas for the big day.

EVEN MORE POPULAR PURSUITS Those looking to cheer on some rough and tumble teams won’t want to miss the 1st Annual Midwest Roller Derby Tournament (Apr. 1–2), which will pit several popular teams against each other. You can expect to see competition from Traverse City’s Toxic Cherries, the River City Renegades and Team Michigan, among others, all at the Mackinaw City Recreation Center and Skating Arena.

Live music and DJ sets will also take place all weekend at the Dixie Saloon in downtown Mackinaw City, but if quieter pursuits are your thing, the Mackinaw Meltdown has something in store for you, too.

“Traditionally, none of the Mackinaw parks are open in April,” Koshoshek explained, “but this year, the Old Mackinac Pointe Lighthouse and Straits of Mackinac

Shipwreck Museum will open Apr. 1–Apr. 2 for the first time in over a hundred years.”

You’ll also be able to enjoy a discounted historic trolley tour of Mackinaw City, the Mackinac Bridge and various historical landmarks, “all narrated with a sense of humor,” Koshoshek said. As a promotion, the tour will cost $3.95 per person; it normally retails for $9.95 in the summer.

SPRING TOURISTS Those who stick around for the weekend after the Mackinaw Meltdown will see that the sky is literally the limit.

“That’s when the big raptor event will take place,” Koshoshek explained. The Mackinaw Raptor Fest (Apr. 7–9), another annual gathering, presents spectacular views of migrating raptors as well as indoor exhibits, lectures, live raptor presentations and a big dinner event for all Raptor Fest attendees.

“As you can see, we’re really starting to get things moving up here,” Koshoshek said. “Early in the spring, so many people have cabin fever, but once the weather breaks, they still have nowhere to go and nothing to do. Our goal is to solicit tourism with these great new events.

Mackinaw City has around 1,900 hotel rooms,” Koshoshek concluded. “I’d like to think, this time of year, that we could fill at least half of them.”

For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit mackinawmeltdown.com.

Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 9

Years after a Kalkaska man was sent to prison for life for his role in a murder conspiracy, his unwavering supporters still have many questions.

By Patrick Sullivan Ivan Lee Bechtol was mostly a good kid, by all accounts, who’d drifted into the dangerous world of cocaine and alcohol by the time he was 19. That’s when things fell apart.

Bechtol partied at a friend’s house into the morning of Sept. 3, 2001. He got a ride from someone he said he didn’t know well but who lived close to his home near Manistee Lake, near M–72 between Kalkaska and Grayling.

The two guys made a stop along the way and barged into a house looking for the other man’s estranged girlfriend.

The events of that early morning and the following day would land Bechtol in prison for life. Kalkaska County’s prosecutor insisted Bechtol helped his companion, then–29– year–old William Cron, plan and execute the tragic murder of Jamie Moran.

Now, 16 years later, with Bechtol’s appeals seemingly exhausted, a cadre of supporters still insist Bechtol was wrongfully convicted, and they are fighting against the odds for justice.

MASTERMIND OR SAP? The story is complicated. Let’s start with the day Bechtol last walked free: Oct. 6, 2001.

That day, police arrested Bechtol, out on bond on home invasion charges, for drunk driving.

He’s been behind bars ever since.

Once in jail, one of two things happened.

Bechtol either confided to a fellow inmate that he’d participated in a murder, or that inmate lied and said Bechtol had made such a confession, even though Bechtol never said anything. That’s the essence of Bechtol’s case.

Ivan Bechtol might be a bloodthirsty criminal who helped plan the horrible murder of a cute, vivacious 20–year–old, or he might be a hapless sap who got swept into a case in which a prosecutor’s desire for a conviction was more important than the truth.

Either way, Bechtol is serving life in prison for conspiring to murder Moran. She was found on Sept. 4, 2001, drowned in a car parked in three feet of water where Torch Lake and Torch River meet.

There is no question about who actually kidnapped and murdered Moran: William Cron, a degenerate drug dealer and sex criminal who was convicted in an Antrim

County courtroom and is serving life without the possibility of parole.

Months after Cron’s conviction, Bechtol, whose name was barely mentioned during Cron’s trial, was tried for Moran’s death and convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and attempted kidnapping in Kalkaska County.

Today, Bechtol’s supporters say his case is reminiscent of the one against Jamie Lee Peterson, a Kalkaska man who was tried

by Prosecutor Brian Donnelly on the basis of a false confession and later exonerated.

Donnelly died in 2012 of heart failure while cross country skiing.

Bechtol’s mother, Linda Barrett, said she fights every day for a sliver of hope that the injustice she believes befell her son will someday be undone.

HOME INVASION AT FIRST LIGHT For a moment, let’s set aside the plight of Bechtol and look at the horrible fate of Jamie Moran.

Moran met Cron at a vulnerable time in her life. Under his influence, she became hooked on cocaine, according to testimony in Cron’s trial.

She lived with Cron in a trailer in South Boardman in the summer of 2001. Drugs and the living arrangement gave Cron control over Moran, and he proposed to her that summer from the stage at Streeter’s in Traverse City.

Put on the spot in front of a crowd, Moran said yes. Cron continued to exert control, even when Moran decided to break up with him because he’d been accused of child sexual assault.

Even after Moran left Cron, she returned to him for cocaine. She was partying with friend Ira Henke at a campsite on the evening of Sept. 2, 2001, when she left for a couple of hours to meet Cron; she returned with three grams of cocaine she said Cron “fronted” her, meaning she was supposed to sell some of it to pay him back.

According to testimony, Moran decided that since Cron owed her money, she wasn’t going to pay him back.

As night turned to morning, Cron, who was drinking and doing cocaine, decided he needed to see Moran. He searched for her at the campsite and found her at Ira Henke’s

10 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

Bechtol

house in the woods three miles from the Village of Kalkaska. Bechtol was a passenger in Cron’s car when Cron arrived at the two– bedroom trailer at 6:30am.

At that point, Moran and Henke were asleep. Henke heard a dog bark at 6:30am, less than an hour after he fell asleep, and got up to check out the disturbance.

He found someone in the trailer and at first hoped it was a roommate but quickly discovered Cron, who demanded to know where Moran was.

That led to a fight. Cron cut two phone cords to thwart calls to 911, Henke at one point got Cron in a headlock and Bechtol entered the trailer after the commotion ensued and interrupted the fight, causing Henke to release Cron. Cron and Bechtol fled before police arrived.

A HORRIFIC MURDER What’s more critical is what happened the next day, Tues., Sept. 4. Bechtol had been arrested for the prior day’s home invasion that morning and spent most of the day in jail, but Cron avoided capture and remained free to menace Moran, who spent the day at her job at a salon on South Airport Road in Traverse City. She changed her cell phone number that morning, but somehow Cron obtained the new number.

Cron’s calls scared Moran and the staff at the salon where she worked. They called the police, who searched the area but found no sign of Cron. Moran and a friend made a plan to call Cron, arrange a meeting and then call the police to arrest him.

Cron

According to testimony at Cron’s trial, he might have been waiting for Moran in her trunk, dressed in a disguise purchased that afternoon. When Moran left for home that evening, a friend followed her to the intersection of Hammond and Three Mile to make sure she wasn’t followed. Then Moran headed home, seemingly alone.

The last anyone heard from Moran was when that friend called her 10 minutes later and heard yelling and screaming.

A passerby found Moran dead in Torch Lake at 7am the next day. Among the evidence recovered by police were two letters written in Moran’s handwriting clearing Cron of involvement in the sex assault and home invasion cases he faced. It was a horrible, dramatic murder that dominated headlines and newscasts for several days, until it was chased from the front pages a few days later, on Sept. 11.

LINGERING QUESTIONS Bechtol’s mother recently received a rare piece of good news. Originally, it was believed Bechtol had been sentenced to life without parole, but that was an error. Bechtol will be eligible for parole in 2029, when he is 47 years old. In prison, Bechtol is a model inmate who tutors other prisoners in building trades.

Barrett has been intimate with her son’s case from the day she posted bail for him in the home invasion case, hours before Moran disappeared. Many things about the case don’t make sense to Barrett, but the biggest thing is the jail house snitch who testified that Bechtol admitted to him that he (Bechtol) was part of a plot to murder Moran. That was the only

evidence connecting Bechtol to the murder, adding information to his original account of and it never made sense to Barrett. what happened or if he’d changed the character Not long after the trial, the snitch, Danny of what happened to suit Donnelly’s needs.

Davis, recanted his testimony and claimed One point Henke made in Bechtol’s trial he’d been threatened by Donnelly to testify seems to prove that Bechtol at least made against Bechtol or face more charges in a Moran’s murder possible, if unwittingly – had criminal sexual conduct case.

Bechtol not appeared, Henke testified that he Courts are typically unswayed by claims would have been able to hold down Cron until of recanted testimony; judges consider such police arrived. Had Cron been arrested, he claims unreliable, and in this case, Davis had wouldn’t have been free to stalk, kidnap and passed a polygraph before he’d testified. murder Moron the following day. Whether Nonetheless, other details don’t add up for that adds up to conspiracy to commit murder Barrett. She believes her son’s role in the home is another question. invasion was exaggerated at his trial, and she doesn’t understand how the motive for the UNRELIABLE WITNESS murder could be different in her son’s trial (in Gerald Chefalo, who defended Cron in his which Moran was murdered because she was murder trial, doesn’t believe Bechtol took part going to turn the two of them in for drugs) in a plan to kill Moran. from the motive in Cron’s trial (in which she “He really wasn’t an important player in my was murdered in a crime of passion). case at all, so I was really surprised that he was Investigators said Davis brought prosecuted as a conspirator,” Chefalo said. information to them that they didn’t previously Koop, who died unexpectedly in 2013, know and that they were able to corroborate, thoroughly prosecuted Cron, and Bechtol’s but it’s never been clear what, if anything, Davis name barely came up. knew about the case that he couldn’t have read “Charlie Koop was one of the best in a newspaper or learned from inmates in the prosecutors I’ve ever seen, just an amazing jail. The lead investigator in the case, Michigan prosecutor who really, really put a case State Police Det./Sgt. Richard together against Bill Cron Simpson, didn’t return a that was very challenging “There’s no testimony to handle,” Chefalo said. message seeking comment.

Barrett believes Donnelly in that court case “Do I think there were became angry when it was other people that knew determined that the murder whatsoever that what was going on? Sure, happened in Antrim County says Ivan Bechtol sure. Do I think it was and the case would be this Bechtol kid? Probably prosecuted there; she believes was there. There’s not. He wouldn’t be the he desperately wanted to one that Cron would charge someone for the death only the jail snitch’s necessarily confide of Moran. She also believes word,” she said. “I’ve in. There were other he resolved to charge her son individuals that I think with conspiracy and then set asked questions. knew exactly what was out to find a way to do it. going on.”

There’s nothing that “On Sept. 30 of 2001, Chefalo agrees with Brian Donnelly made up a I’ve read. I’ve read Bechtol’s defenders that list of charges against my son the whole case. the evidence against him that included conspiracy to for murder conspiracy commit murder,” she said. There’s nothing doesn’t add up, but he “Now, this was way before that says Ivan was parts with them on how he Danny Davis came forward. believes the miscarriage It’s just kind of weird that he anywhere near it.” of justice occurred. already had all these charges Chefalo doesn’t in mind. He just needed believe Donnelly and someone to make it happen, and that was the investigators could have or would have Danny Davis.” coerced Davis into giving false testimony.

Chefalo believes Davis saw an opportunity SAME STORY; DIFFERENT LIGHT to help himself in his own case and hatched Bechtol’s role in the Sept. 3 home invasion the plot to frame Bechtol on his own. What’s is also described differently over the course more, Bechtol gave Davis an opening, Chefalo of the two trials, another fact Bechtol’s said, because Bechtol lied to police about little supporters point to as proof that Donnelly things when questioned about drugs, making was at best attempting to mold the evidence them suspicious. to fit his case.

Chefalo also happened to run across Davis For instance, in his written statement to in an unrelated case and got to know him a police given the morning of the break–in, bit. His conclusion was that Davis would have Henke wrote that he’d grappled with Cron and been a completely unreliable witness. gotten him into a hold after Cron destroyed While Chefalo said he cannot believe one telephone.

Donnelly would have set Bechtol up, he also “After rolling around for a minute, I subdued cannot believe Donnelly based a prosecution him,” Henke wrote. “His friend [Bechtol] came on the word of Davis. in and told me to let him go. After I did, Bill “Boy, oh boy, I wouldn’t want to rest my ran back to my room, grabbed the phone from case on him,” Chefalo said.

Jamie and ripped it out of the wall. He then ran John Bornschein, an on–again, off–again out of the house and left.” paralegal who helps people who are getting Bechtol’s supporters note that as time out of prison, was asked to help Davis when went on, Henke added detail after detail to he got out of prison in 2008. that account.

Bornschein said Davis was strange from At Cron’s April 2002 trial, Henke the beginning. He sensed that Davis, with downplayed Bechtol’s role in the home whom he became friends, was delusional invasion under questioning from Antrim and slow when they met at a nondescript County Prosecutor Charles Koop: “I believe restaurant in Kalkaska for coffee just after he he was outside my door, but I’m not really was released. sure. I wasn’t really so worried about him.”

“He came in [wearing] a tuxedo shirt Later, at Bechtol’s trial, Henke gave a because he thought it was a formal meeting,” different account of the same encounter. Henke Bornschein recalled. said he was surprised by Bechtol and that Eventually, Bornschein got to know Davis Bechtol’s presence made him question whether quite well, and Davis even lived with him for he could handle the situation. He said Bechtol a while. told him, “You better let him [Cron] go.”

Bornschein said Davis had low self-esteem Henke added, “He [Bechtol] was trying to be and would say things to please other people or intimidating. It was in a threatening manner.” to make himself look good. For instance, he It’s hard to say whether Henke was merely exaggerated his military record.

Ann Kirtley in her Kalkaska home.

“If you ask him about his past, he was a Navy Seal,” Bornschein said. “The fact was, he was a cook on an aircraft carrier.”

Bornschein said that while he believes Davis lied in his testimony against Bechtol, he doesn’t believe Davis was smart enough to invent the story that Donnelly got him out of jail late at night and threatened him to testify against Bechtol.

Davis moved away from Michigan a couple years ago. He could not be reached for comment.

A JUROR’S DOUBT Juror Diane Waclawski said she had doubts about the case during the trial but felt pressured to convict. She said she doubted Davis’ testimony from the beginning, and now that she knows Davis has recanted, she believes Bechtol was wrongfully convicted.

Davis appeared to be lying from the minute he took the stand, she said.

“When I went into the courtroom, I definitely felt that he was lying, and I also felt that it was a trumped–up charge,” she said.

But she questioned her gut instinct because she didn’t understand why a witness would lie in a murder trial. On top of that, when the jury went into deliberations and she expressed her concern, another juror berated her and told her she had to find Bechtol guilty.

“He was really nasty about it, you know?

[He said,] ‘We’ve got to go ahead and vote,’ and I was really upset about it,” she said. “I let him know that I didn’t feel it was right, that he was pressuring us into making a decision.”

Waclawski said the man was apologetic the next day.

Linda Barrett later learned that juror might not have been impartial – Bechtol’s uncle, Fred Bechtol, signed an affidavit claiming he’d been in a dispute with the man years earlier over a fishing spot. Fred Bechtol said he’d spit on the future juror, who then promised to one day get revenge.

Finally, Waclawski decided to vote to convict based on Davis’ testimony.

“It was totally Davis’s testimony; that was the only reason,” she said.

STALWART SUPPORTERS Ann Kirtley retired as a Kalkaska Public Schools counselor in 2000, the same year Bechtol graduated from high school.

She didn’t know Bechtol well back then, but she does now. She’s devoted years to advocating for Bechtol and Peterson, who today lives quietly in a small cabin in Kalkaska.

“I’ve wasted my whole retirement years on these two cases, and if I don’t get Ivan out I don’t know what [I’ll do],” she said. “I’ve spent

my children’s inheritance at the copy shop in the last few years.”

Kirtley said Bechtol never got in trouble at school, so she only saw him when it was time to make schedules. She heard about the murder case and was surprised but didn’t follow it closely. Later, she ran into Barrett and agreed to take a look at the case. She’s been obsessed ever since.

“There’s no testimony in that court case whatsoever that says Ivan Bechtol was there.

There’s only the jail snitch’s word,” she said.

“I’ve asked questions. There’s nothing that I’ve read. I’ve read the whole case. There’s nothing that says Ivan was anywhere near it.”

Kalkaska criminal defense attorney Robert Carey tangled with Donnelly all 18 years that Donnelly served as Kalkaska County prosecutor. Carey is a harsh critic of Donnelly, and he believes Donnelly recklessly prosecuted Bechtol the same way he said Donnelly recklessly prosecuted Peterson, who was Carey’s client.

“He was looking for a way to get another murder trial in Kalkaska,” Carey said. “He kept reading the police report and came up with a conspiracy case, and then he got Danny Davis to make it work. Guilt or innocence had nothing to do with it.”

Carey admits that he doesn’t know that much about the facts of the Bechtol case. He said he just knows how Donnelly prosecuted cases.

Carey said he believes Donnelly was “evil.” He also said he and Donnelly considered each other enemies and hated each other.

A FATHER’S CERTAINTY For Jamie Moran’s father, there is no doubt about Bechtol’s guilt in the death of his daughter.

“I was there,” Moran said of Bechtol’s trial.

“I just know our case and I know it well, and I know his involvement more than most people.”

Moran said the jury heard the evidence and decided Bechtol was guilty, and that should be the end of it.

“They heard all the evidence, and they agreed with all the evidence that he was guilty,” Moran said. “No one was pressured; it would have been a hung jury if that was the case.”

Moran doesn’t agree that Bechtol was put away solely on the word of a jailhouse snitch. Moran believes the evidence shows that Bechtel knew what was going on, that he could have prevented his daughter’s murder and that he did nothing to help her.

“There was a lot of evidence there; there were a lot of other people,” Moran said. “He knew all about it from the beginning to the end. He was involved, and the evidence showed that.”

Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 11

By Kristi Kates

Don Julin’s “Aha” Moment at Mandolins Heal the World

With over 30 years of musical experience, Traverse City’s Don Julin is most definitely an integral part of the old guard of northern Michigan’s music scene. So when it came to kicking off a brand new project – well, for Julin, it really wasn’t all that new. It was just more of what he does best.

MELODIC JOURNEY “Performing, teaching, recording and writing are all hats that I have worn as a working musician,” said Julin. “One of the most satisfying things about [having that expertise] is the moment when you share a nugget of wisdom with someone at the beginning of their musical journey. The look on their faces when they have a breakthrough is priceless. I remember that feeling and love it when I can help someone else reach that ‘aha’ moment.”

One of the ways Julin has helped lead other musicians to those breakthroughs is by offering music instruction locally on his primary instrument. “I started giving mandolin lessons at Good News Music in Traverse City about 15 years ago,” he said. “Even though I had a steady stream of students coming down those blue shag– carpeted stairs with mandolin in tow, it did not take me long to realize there was limited growth potential due to a finite number of possible mandolin students [who lived] within driving distance of the music store.”

ROCKIN’ ROYALTIES The “worldwide web” as it was called back in the day would soon become the answer to Julin’s problem. “As the internet became part of our daily lives, it became clear that you could connect with like–minded folks,” he explained. “It was at that point that I had my own ‘aha’ moment – I realized I needed to be teaching mandolin on the internet.”

Julin started by uploading free instructional mandolin videos on YouTube with a caption stating that he was available for lessons via Skype or Facetime. He’s notched 1.3 million views so far. “[I had] mandolin students from around the country and beyond scheduled mandolin lessons,” Julin related. “And I kept producing free videos.”

In 2011, Julin received an email from an editor with Wiley Publishing; Wiley produces the best selling For Dummies book series featuring non–intimidating guides for readers on a wide range of activities and topics. Wiley was in the process of seeking an author for “Mandolin For Dummies” and soon offered Julin a contract. “‘Mandolin For Dummies’ came out in 2012 and has sold over 30,000 copies to date,” Julin said. “The editors were great and helped sharpen my teaching, communicating and organizing skills.” He added, “The other important lesson I learned from this experience was about royalties and the concept of doing the work once and getting paid many times.” The standard musician pay model, he pointed out, is based on performance; whether it’s a live show or a lesson, many musicians only get paid when they work. “Even though I love performing live, you only get paid when you play,” Julin said.

VIRTUAL SOUNDS Enter Mandolins Heal the World (MHTW), Julin’s brand new website that allows him to virtually teach students all over the world and even get paid for it since the students buy what are essentially subscriptions. “MHTW is the result of my love of teaching mandolin and modern technology,” Julin said. He explained, “Members enjoy unlimited access to this library of mandolin educational material,

and the membership model allows me to offer it at a low cost. As a working musician, if all goes well, I get another income stream, making it possible to avoid the dreaded daytime job.”

The MHTW website launched on October 1, 2016. A few free videos give visitors a feel for the site, but access to the vast majority of the video lessons and courses requires a paid membership that can be purchased as a monthly or yearly plan.

The title of the site is a catch phrase Julin has been using for years – “I should be clear, I’m not a doctor and don’t even play one on YouTube,” Julin quipped – but he does personally believe that playing the mandolin offers health benefits. “It is entirely possible that we are a bunch of old optimistic hippie musicians who think music can make a difference,” Julin laughed.

He added, “It can’t hurt.”

LIVING LESSONS Interested parties can try Julin’s theory for themselves. MHTW currently offers about 200 video lessons with more being added every week. They range from a beginner mandolin lesson to advanced concepts, techniques and practice tracks.

12 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

Students can study and rehearse when it fits their schedule and can watch the videos as many times as they like.

“Consider the power of repetiti on when learning something new,” Julin pointed out.

“This is much more effective than seeing your instructor play it a few times at a lesson and then sending you off with a sheet of paper.” Julin still offers Skype and Facetime lessons, too, but said the website fulfills most musicians’ needs.

“Most students can get enough from the website so that we only need to meet once per month or even less,” Julin said. In addition, the website’s embedded Soundslice Living Sheet Music software is a great tool for beginners or for those learning complex pieces because it syncs the video with the sheet music or tablature so that students can watch the instructor’s hands play while a cursor follows the sheet music.

MUSICAL EXPERTS In addition to Julin himself, a number of other musicians contribute lessons and information to the MHTW website. “Most of them have an area of expertise and are very comfortable teaching on–camera,” Julin said. From Nashville, Chris Henry offers insight into the traditional bluegrass style of

Bill Monroe. David Benedict is one of the new breed of music school–educated mandolin players. Jordan Ramsey is the 2016 National Mandolin Champion and a leading authority on McReynolds Style Cross–Picking. Tim Connell is a fixture on the Pacific Northwest mandolin scene. And Alan Epstein, who has more than 40 years of mandolin experience, offers a set of mini lessons called Mandolin Vitamins. “These are some of the most talented mandolin players and teachers on the scene today,” Julin said.

At this point, Mandolins Heal the World already has over 100 paying members, with new musicians joining weekly. Julin, who plans to expand his musical staff over time with up to 20 teachers, said he’s also considering a mandolin camp in northern Michigan as well as some additional projects.

But overall, his biggest long–term goal is simply to help more people experience the joys of playing the mandolin. “The most rewarding part of this endeavor is being able to help people learn to play the prince of all stringed instruments, the mandolin,” he said. “Oh, and a little mailbox money is nice, too.”

Find out more at mandolinshealtheworld.com.

Sweets Made in TC

By Kristi Kates

“Everything’s better with chocolate.”

“There’s always room for sugar.”

“A balanced diet is a cupcake in each hand.”

“Life is short; eat dessert first.”

Quotes abound about the place of sweets in our lives. While they’re obviously not the most important component of a diet, they’re certainly one of the most fun (in moderation, of course). With that in mind, here’s a sampling of sweet treats from a trio of local locations – sweets all made right in downtown Traverse City.

Sweet Tartlette

Peace, Love and Little Donuts

Morsels

Sweet Tartlette is the realization of owner Sarah Steele’s long–held dream. The idea was born when she attended culinary school at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in Hyde Park, New York.

Opened: December 2015 Sweet Idea: “We call it a pastry shop as opposed to a bakery,” Steele explained, “because we do so many different things. Everything’s made in–house, with no artificial flavors and as many local ingredients as we can find. I can scare up things like strawberries in winter if you really need them, but for the most part, if it’s not in season, I won’t have it. Things just taste better that way.”

What You’ll Find: Steele isn’t kidding when she says that Sweet Tartlette does a lot of different things. You’ll find cakes, cheesecakes, tarts, cookies, cupcakes and even freshly made chocolates.

What’s Different: Many of the ingredients are different from what you’ll find at other local sweet shops, such as the 58 percent Couverture baking chocolate, which adds richness plus extra bonuses like the chocolate striations you’ll see in Sweet Tartlette’s malted chocolate chip cookies. That recipe, says Steele, took several years to develop.

Must–Try Sweet: Sweet Tartlette’s own macarons, those French–baked confections that start with meringue and offer a wealth of flavors to choose from. “The thing about macarons is that, unlike cookies and cupcakes, you can’t really make them at home,” Steele said. Sweet Tartlette’s macaron flavors are generally seasonal, so look for chai, coffee and tropical flavors as spring approaches; summer takes full advantage of stone fruits; fall offers spice and nut varieties, and in winter, you’ll find warmer flavors like Tahitian vanilla and caramel.

Coming Up: Steele is currently developing a special new brown sugar mascarpone cake, a genoise sponge cake soaked in a light simple syrup with vanilla and berries for spring; also keep an eye out for her “hand pies,” small turnovers stuffed with fruit and other fillings.

Former landscaper Steve Lord opened the TC location of this small Pittsburgh franchise at the suggestion of his sister and brother–in–law; co–manager Jeremiah Johnson oversees the “feeding of your inner hippie” at this ‘70s– inspired donut shop during the evening shifts.

Opened: December 2016 Sweet Idea: “Steve’s sister and her husband live in Ohio, and they used to go to their local Peace, Love and Little Donuts all the time,” Johnson explained. “They really liked the place, so they suggested it to Steve as an investment opportunity. He was looking for something different to do and thought this would be a great fit.”

What You’ll Find: Miniature donuts two and a half inches small in three categories: Groovy, Far Out, and Funkadelic (the Funkadelic donuts are the craziest, with the most unusual flavor combinations). Highlights include birthday cake, S’mores, donuts with breakfast cereal toppings, the (spicy) Saigon cinnamon and sugar and the Samoa, which is based on the Girl Scout cookie by the same name. The Elvis even teams up banana and peanut butter flavors with bacon.

What’s Different: “One of our key things is that we make donuts all day long,” Johnson said. Peace, Love and Little Donuts has a special machine that makes the smaller–sized donuts (hence the “Little” in the shop’s name), and the donuts are made right in front of customers so everyone can see the process. “People really like that part,” added Johnson.

Must–Try Sweet: “It’s got to be the salted caramel macchiato,” Johnson said. “It’s a coffee–based donut that’s our number one bestseller.”

Coming Up: As Peace, Love and Little Donuts gets used to its new TC location, it’s also integrating some local culture into its donut menu. You guessed it – this means you’ll see some sort of cherry–themed donut around Cherry Festival time. “We might have only been here for three months so far, but we’re staying on top of things, for sure!” said Johnson.

445 E. Front Street, sweettartlette.com, (231) 642-5333

441 E. Front Street #1, facebook.com/PLLDofTraverseCity, (231) 421-5255

Misha Neidorfler and her husband Jeff changed their life several years ago, moving to northern Michigan from Milwaukee and changing their careers from architecture and design to running a sweets and coffee shop, all to be closer to their family. “We both love to bake, and I love coffee, so we said ‘Let’s dream up a new idea.’ Morsels is what we came up with,” Misha said.

Opened: 2008 Sweet Idea: While brainstorming different possibilities, the Neidorflers came up with bite–sized sweets, and they immediately knew they’d found their niche. “The morsels are all the same shape, all made from scratch and all about the size of half a golf ball,” Misha explained. “The best thing is that you’re not stuck with a full–sized dessert – you can get several of these, and then you’ve got a bite of cake, a bite of brownie, a bite of cookie and a bite of shortbread. Plus they’re easy to share.”

What You’ll Find: A menu that takes a lot of perusal, because every morsel is so interesting – one highlight, the Ninja Turtle, is a brownie base with dark chocolate ganache, salted caramel and pecans; the Tall on Taste is a buttery shortbread treat with jam and an almond glaze. And if you like seven–layer bars, try the Seventh Heaven morsel, which includes chocolate, butterscotch, coconut, pecans, graham crackers, butter and sweetened condensed milk.

What’s Different: Each morsel is bestowed with an entertaining name that makes ample use of puns and current cultural references. “We like the names to be silly,” Neidorfler laughed.

Must–Try Sweet: The Something to Wine About morsel, a flourless dark chocolate cake infused with red wine; in the spring, it morphs into a brighter version called the Double Dutch with lime and raspberry swirled frosting.

Coming Up: Morsels is partnering with a different local nonprofit each month this year, with 25 cents of each purchased morsel going to that charity; in April, contributions will go to FLOW (For Love of Water), with a special morsel being created to commemorate each charity.

In addition, a special morsel called Digging in the Dirt (dirt cake with gummi worms) will be available for Earth Day. 321 E. Front Street, morselsbakery.com, (231) 421-1353

Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 13

Local Music: Roger Brown A ‘70s Start and a New Revival

By Kristi Kates He’s collaborated with a surprisingly diverse range of big–name classic rockers and worked with a short list of Michigan bands that are undoubtedly familiar to anyone who’s spent time Up North. He’s also an experienced singer–songwriter and guitar player in his own right, fresh from his last band project (the northern Michigan vintage country outfit The Wilenes) and back pursuing solo music with a slate of tour dates on the way this summer. Let’s find out more about Roger Brown.

MEET THE MUSICIAN Brown found music in a very simple fashion, or was it the other way around?

“My dad played guitar, so there was one lying around the house,” Brown recollected. “I picked it up one day when I was about 12, and that was it! I don’t think you choose to be a musician – it chooses you.”

After that, Brown said, it was “the typical story – practice, practice, practice, high school band, college band, struggling singer–songwriter doing open mics.”

His big break came when he traveled to London to audition for a folk–pop duo called The Humblebums that was looking for a touring guitar player; he got the job.

“The first gig I did with them was a beautiful big concert hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall,” Brown said. “I thought, ‘Hmm, I kinda like it here!’”

The Humblebums consisted of Scottish singer–songwriter Gerry Rafferty (“Baker Street”/“Stuck in the Middle with You”) and musician/ comedian Billy Connolly; Brown’s gig with them led to playing on both of their first solo records, after which the trio joined up in a ‘70s A&M Records band called Stealers Wheel. “One thing just led to another, the way it does,” Brown said.

YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD HIM If you were a music fan in the ‘70s, you might have caught Brown performing with Stealers Wheel or performing as the guitar player in Freddy Fender’s (the American Tejano country and rock musician) band.

More recently, Brown was a big part of the northern Michigan bands Drive South and the aforementioned Wilenes (formerly Sister Wilene).

“Some of the places people might have seen us play include the Gopherwood concert series, the Spirit of the Woods Festival, Wheatland and the Manitou Music Festival, to name a few,” Brown said.

He’s long had a special musical connection with his Wilenes bandmate Mary Sue Wilkinson as well. “[Working with Mary Sue] feels like one of those things that’s always been there, and you’re just lucky enough to stumble across it,” he said.

HIS INSPIRATION Brown’s songwriting definitely appeals to his fellow musicians as well as his fans; over a dozen of his original songs have been recorded by other

14 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

artists, including the late English blues singer/guitarist Jo Ann Kelly (“Wide Open Road”) and European musician Paul Mac Bonvin, who covered Brown’s Cajun–seasoned track “I’m Losing You.” Brown can’t tell you exactly what the appeal of his songs is, but he’s sure grateful for it. “To tell you the truth, I don’t have any idea where my songwriting inspiration comes from,” Brown laughed.

“It seems to come out of thin air. As to the kind of music it is, I’d call it Americana or American roots music. It’s a combination of blues, traditional country and folk music – all my musical history sort of rolled up into one thing.”

CURRENT PROJECTS At the moment, Brown is writing music for a brand new solo album he hopes to start recording in the next couple of months.

“I’m also putting together a collection of songs for a separate CD project by a songwriter from Kentucky named Dave Hardin,” Brown said. “I love Dave’s songs. We’re both from the Southeast – I’m originally from North Carolina – and Dave writes a lot about the people I grew up around. I’ve also been talking to [banjoist] Jens Kruger of the Kruger Brothers about possibly producing one of their CDs.” ROCKING WITH RINGO Another of Brown’s musical gigs in the ‘70s involved one of the world’s most famous drummers. Brown worked with none other than The Beatles’ Ringo Starr on the 1977 kids’ album Scouse the Mouse, the story of a mouse from Starr’s hometown of Liverpool, England, who wanted to be a star. Starr played the mouse and Brown wrote the music; he also coached Ringo in learning the songs.

“After I’d written the songs, I’d take my guitar over to the Ritz where Ringo was staying to play for him and get the keys he would sing in,” Brown said. He added, “It’s quite an experience to knock on a door, it opens, and there’s a Beatle!”

Brown and the other musicians recorded the backing tracks in London and then headed to Paris to record Starr’s vocals.

“He was very easy to work with, except one night he went out partying with Eric Clapton and didn’t show up the next day,” Brown chuckled.

FUTURE BROWN With neither of his northern Michigan bands active any more, Brown took a little time off from playing live and refocused on songwriting with the aim of reviving his own solo work and getting started on his new album. He’s also returning to the road, a place that’s long welcomed this seasoned performer with open arms and friendly stages.

“I’m just now getting back into live performance,” he said. “I’ve got a new agent who’s starting to book dates for me even as we speak.”

For Roger Brown’s latest live show dates, booking information and more on his music, visit rogerbrownmusic.com.

Freshwater Grill Fresh Fish Served Up Fast!

Grab a basket of fish and chips at a reasonable price.

By Kristi Kates The name Freshwater Grill says it all. If you’re into fresh local whitefish from our regional waters and/or delectable flat–top grilled burgers, this is one place you won’t want to miss.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS Co–owners and longtime couple Kelsey Maxwell and Scott MacLean met in 2006 while working side by side at a local restaurant. Once they realized how well the whole dating thing was working out, their next step was a combined business venture spurred by an unexpected opportunity. “A good friend in real estate approached us about a foreclosed restaurant,” Maxwell explained. “After checking the place out, we decided to take the plunge! We fell in love with the northern Michigan decor and the simplistic set–up.”

Maxwell and MacLean’s collective years in the hospitality business also supplied them with the knowledge that whitefish is one of the most in–demand restaurant items in northern Michigan, so whitefish became Freshwater Grill’s focus when its doors opened in July of 2011. Much of the existing restaurant’s interior and kitchen complemented the ambitious duo’s ideas for their own restaurant, so all they had to do was settle on the menu and add a few personal touches to the décor. “It was easy to figure out a menu and a layout,” said Maxwell. “We knew whitefish was going to be the main focus, but we also knew we wanted to expand the menu to add burgers, sandwiches and salads.”

NAUTICAL EXPANSION The fresh–fish theme is emphasized even more by the restaurant’s interior, which is reminiscent of a fishing boat with its wooden walls and tables and nautical blue trim. The lights (“My favorite!” Maxwell

enthused) are antique minnow buckets turned upside down and wired for bulbs, while the décor includes sketches of fish (some on the tables), antique fishing gear, buoys, anchors, fishing nets and augers. The restaurant’s ambiance is friendly and fast–paced with casual counter service and an emphasis on quality. “We provide service in a quick, timely fashion,” Maxwell affirmed, “but we don’t use heat lamps or microwaves – everything is cooked to order with the freshest ingredients, locally caught whitefish, freshly ground beef from ToskiSands meat market and artisan bread from the bakery [Breadworks] next door.”

As you might have already guessed, whitefish is the most popular item on the menu at the Freshwater Grill. “We offer it in a basket and as a sandwich,” MaxKelsey Maxwell and Scott MacLean are the owners of Freshwater Grill’s interior features a fishing boat theme perfect for northern well said. “Our whitefish basket the fish–focused Freshwater Grill in Petoskey.

Michigan’s local environment. is lightly beer–battered whitefish, fried to a golden brown, served with some lemon and our signaa Midwesterner’s favorite burger, the famous restaurant’s signature Southwestern ranch ture tartar sauce. It’s loaded with dill weed, olive burger – a Swiss cheeseburger topped dressing plus cilantro. Additional sandwichdill pickle relish and capers. We love dill! with a green olive and mayo spread that we es plus sides like onion rings, hush puppies The basket also includes crispy French fries, also make in–house.” and hand–dipped fried pickles round out delicious hushpuppies and our house–made The fish taco Tuesday special has also the menu. coleslaw that isn’t your average slaw. We add proven to be a big hit. “We knew before we “We want to change the way people view a little ground mustard for some bite.” even opened that we wanted to bring the fast food,” Maxwell explained. “You can get a West Coast to the best coast,” Maxwell said. quality menu in a clean, casual setting without BATTER TO BURGERS “Fish tacos were nonexistent in northern Mich- breaking the bank and in a timely fashion.”

But don’t discount the burgers – one– igan and something needed to be done about it. third pounders cooked to order on the flat– Tuesday is now one of our busiest days!”

Freshwater Grill is located at 2264 Harbor– top grill. “People assume we only know fish, The Grill’s taco special, accompanied Petoskey Road #3. Lunch or dinner $10–15. but burgers are one of Scott’s and my favor- by tortilla chips, consists of crispy fried cod For more information and hours, visit freshite things to order out,” Maxwell said. “After served in flour tortillas and topped with watergrill.com or call (231) 487-1655. toasting the brioche bun, you have a choice house made lime–jalapeño slaw and the of the classic burger toppings. We also have

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NORTHERN SEEN 1. Hannah and Amanda of the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance interview Petoskey Schools Superintendent John Scholten in front of the new Petoskey Northmen stadium.

2. National Cherry Queen Abbey Kaufman delivers cherry pie to Michigan Gov. Snyder celebrating Ag Day at the Capitol.

3. Store Manager Jim Mick (right) with members of his staff at the VIP grand opening of the new Lucky’s Market in Traverse City.

4. Bo and Trish (to his right) Sharon, founder of Lucky’s Markets nationwide, welcome the crowd at the grand opening of the new TC market.

5. Sam & Tino introduce The Cantina, a new Mexican restaurant headed to downtown Charlevoix in May. 6. Tori & the Fox pose in their finest beachwear while Tracy enjoys the summer breeze at the Charlevoix Business Expo.

16 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

mar 25

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 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: 10am-2pm, 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 231-536-0333 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. Non-members: $20, $10. Presented by Blissfest. blissfest.org/concerts

mar 26

sunday SHAMROCKERS RUN

mar/apr

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

25-02 send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

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 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

mar 27

monday SIDEWALKS, TRAILS &

PATHWAYS: 7pm, Carnegie Building, Petoskey.

All the places you can go using the city’s non-motorized facilities. What is a Walkscore™ and how is it used? This talk will discuss the importance of non-motorized facilities to different demographic groups & how the City of Petoskey is enhancing its walkability to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. Free. 231-758-3100.

mar 28

tuesday CARDIAC REHAB SUP-

PORT GROUP: 2pm, Munson Community Health Center, Classrooms A & B, TC. All current and former cardiac rehabilitation patients from any program, their caregivers, and family members are welcome. 935-8560.

GT DEMOCRATIC PARTY PROGRESSIVE POTLUCK: 6-8:30pm, The Little Fleet, TC. This potluck partners with UpNorth Pride for a short presentation about the Northern Michigan LGBT community.

The Little Fleet will donate 10 percent of all drink sales to the GT Democratic Party.

Free. Please bring a dish to pass. For info, email: bcoffia@gmail.com.

Called “One of the best jazz bands in NYC today” by Forbes Magazine, The Hot Sardines return to the City Opera House, TC on Wednesday, March 29 at 7:30pm with a new album, “French Fries & Champagne!”. Tickets start at $25. cityoperahouse.org/hot-sardines

HARM REDUCTION MICHIGAN’S OVERDOSE PREVENTION & RESPONSE TRAINING: 6-7:30pm, Thirlby Room, Traverse Area District Library, TC. This free training also includes a free overdose rescue kit including naloxone.

Register. eventbrite.com FREE WORKSHOP: “ESSENTIAL OILS & MEDITATION”: 6:30-8pm, Notably Natural, GT Commons, TC. Learn about Essential Oils for Meditation, participate in a Guided Meditation and learn how to create a Vision Board to realize your dreams.

Bring magazines for inspiration. Suggested donation, $10. RSVP required: 929-1100.

mar 29

wednesday THE HOT SARDINES:

7:30pm, City Opera House, TC. Called “One of the best jazz bands in NYC today,” The Hot Sardines return with a new album, “French Fries & Champagne!”. Tickets start at $25. cityoperahouse.org/hot-sardines

mar 30

thursday MOAA QUARTERLY DINNER MEETING :

6pm, Cambria Suites, TC. The Northwest Michigan Chapter of Military Officers Association of America will host their meeting with guest speaker Vice Admiral John P. Currier, USCG (Ret). $25 per guest.

Reservations: (231) 421-5322 or email NWMChpt@gmail.com.

BUSINESS ETHICS IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY: 7pm, Christ the King Catholic Church, Williamsburg. Featuring Chair of Business Ethics and Professor of Management at the University of Detroit Mercy Jerry Cavanagh, SJ. Free.

mar 31

friday LIFE LUNCHEON: 12pm,

University Center Rm. 215/217, NMC, TC. Cross Country - 2,700+ Pedaled Miles. Join Bob Downes, author & world traveler, on the bicycle trip he completed last summer from Seattle to TC. $19 with buffet, Code: 4205; $10 without lunch (bring your own), Code: 4206. nmc.edu MISSION POINT LIGHTHOUSE LABEL RECEPTION PARTY: 5pm, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, TC. Be an art label judge. $10 for two drinks & appetizers. Benefits the Mission Point Lighthouse. $10. missionpointlighthouse.com

Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 17

mar/apr

DOWNTOWN

TRAVERSE CITY

25-02

Free Movies.

All Day. All Week.

apr 01

SPRING BREAK AT THE STATE MARCH 24-31 35 Great Films A Theater Full of Great Company Great Concessions at Rock Bottom Prices Get Your Free Tickets at StateandBijou.org

Traverse CiTy

DOWNTOWN

IN CLINCH PARK

231-929-3200 • 4952 Skyview Ct.

Charlevoix

231-237-0955 • 106 E. Garfield Ave.

www.schulzortho.com

SUNDAY 12n • 3 • 6 • 9 PM MONDAY 12n • 3 • 6:15 • 9 PM TUESDAY 12:30 • 3:30 • 6:15 • 9:15 PM WEDNESDAY 12n • 3 • 6 • 8:45 PM THURSDAY 12n • 3 • 6 • 9 PM

MOANA SING ALONG!

PG

SUNDAY - THURSDAY 9:30 AM

231-947-4800

JOB FAIR

Friday, March 31, 2017 * 10am-noon & 3pm-5pm SEEKING TALENTED, ENTHUSIASTIC INDIVIDUALS TO JOIN OUR PROFESSIONAL HOSPITALITY TEAM! Line Cook • Prep Cook • Dishwasher • Busser • Pool Attendant Food Runner/Expeditor • Host/Hostess • Barista • Bar Back AM Food Server • PM Food Server • Front Desk Clerk Bartender • Housekeeper • Lobby Attendant • Banquet Food Server Bellman/Shuttle Driver • Maintenance Technician Banquet Set-up • Banquet Bartender Applications are available on-site and online at westbaybeachresorttraversecity.com/now-hiring.

Bring your resume and list of references.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU! West Bay Beach, a Holiday Inn Resort • 615 E. Front Street, Traverse City (231)421-2137 • westbaybeachresorttraversecity.com

18 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

“COLLECTED STORIES”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, Schmuckal Theatre, TC. An intimate character study of what happens when the student becomes the master. Tickets: $17. oldtownplayhouse.com

saturday SCHUSS MOUNTAIN

SNOW CHALLENGE: Schuss Mountain, Shanty Creek Resorts, Bellaire.

The Snow Challenge transforms the late season slopes into side-by-side uphill truck racing. Watch as modified trucks, jeeps and more step on the gas and race to the top. A portion of the proceeds is donated to Michigan’s Disabled American Veterans. griztekusa.com/SnowChallenge.html 2ND ANNUAL “FOOD 4 KIDS” BACKPACK CHALLENGE : 10am, Manna Food Project, 8791 McBride Park Court, Harbor Springs. Facing off will be AmeriCorps, Kiwanis/Key Club of Harbor, Pepsi Co, and the Potter extended family. This event will help feed thousands of children.

AUTHOR PRESENTATION: 2pm, Horizon Books, TC. By Judith St. King, author of “Incomplete Diary of Good & Evil.” horizonbooks.com DISNEY’S ALADDIN, KIDS: 2pm & 7pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Based on the iconic animated film with its Academy Award-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Presented

by OTP Young Company. $15 adults; $6 youth under 18. oldtownplayhouse.com “MURDER AT THE SPEAKEASY”: 5-8pm, GT Resort & Spa, Acme. This Murder Mystery Dinner begins in the Resort’s Michigan Ballroom with an opening reception from 5-6pm featuring prohibition-era cocktails. Dinner and the murder mystery show will begin at 6pm, featuring a four-course dinner. 1920s attire is encouraged. Tickets: $50/person or $90/ couple. mynorthtickets.com SOLD OUT “COLLECTED STORIES”: (See Fri., March 31) LAUGH FOR A GOOD CAUSE! COMEDY SHOW: 8:30pm, The Parlor, TC. Suggested donation, $10. 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 1ST ANNUAL TASTE OF MACKINAC: April 1-9, 2-10pm, Mackinac Bay Trading Company. Mackinac Island Brewhouse offers over 300 selections of MI microbrews & craft beer, & Mackinac Island Winery offers 400+ MI wines. mackinawchamber. com

apr 02

sunday SCHUSS MOUNTAIN

SNOW CHALLENGE: Schuss Mountain, Shanty Creek Resorts, Bellaire.

The Snow Challenge transforms the late

season slopes into side-by-side uphill truck racing. Watch as modified trucks, jeeps and more step on the gas and race to the top. A portion of the proceeds is donated to Michigan’s Disabled American Veterans. griztekusa.com/ SnowChallenge.html BEER YOGA: 1-3pm, Jolly Pumpkin, Peninsula Room, TC. Led by Jennifer Haase of Yen Yoga & Fitness. $10. Reserve your spot: megan@nubco.net. Find ‘Beer Yoga at Jolly Pumpkin’ on Facebook.

“COLLECTED STORIES”: 2pm, Old Town Playhouse, Schmuckal Theatre, TC. An intimate character study of what happens when the student becomes the master. Tickets: $17. oldtownplayhouse.com WRITING WORKSHOP: CRAFTING THE SHORT STORY: 4pm, Horizon Books, lower level, TC. Writers can improve their skills and be shortlisted for a local publishing opportunity with a new literary journal, “Northern Wildes,” for writers and artists exploring gender and sexuality. horizonbooks.com LAUGHS FOR SHANE: 7pm, The Blacklite Lounge, Gaylord. A comedy show to benefit Shane Carpenter. Hosted by Brad Hall.

Featuring Craig Golden, Dick Norman, John Hall, David Graves & Chad Schwan. $5.

1ST ANNUAL TASTE OF MACKINAC: April 1-9, 2-10pm, Mackinac Bay Trading Company. Mackinac Island Brewhouse offers over 300 selections of MI microbrews & craft beer, & Mackinac Island Winery offers 400+ MI wines. mackinawchamber.com

ongoing 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: Tuesdays, 10-11am, 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. innerpathdojo.com CTAC ARTISANS & FARMERS MARKET: Fridays through June 9, 10am-1pm, Upper Level Carnegie, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. crookedtree.org DEBTORS ANONYMOUS (NEW LOCATION, NEW TIME): Cowell Cancer Center (Munson), room B031, Sixth & Madison streets, TC. 6:30-7:30pm on Tuesdays. 12-Step Recovery Meeting for those with money issues. More info, call John P at (973) 476-7384.

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

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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

ARTWORK OF NCMC STUDENTS: Through April 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. Higher Art Gallery 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: 231-2524616. Deadline to apply is April 5.

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CHARLEVOIX CIRCLE OF ARTS, JURIED FINE ARTS EXHIBITION: Runs March 31 - April 28. An opening reception will be held on Fri., March 31 from 5-7pm. Open to MI artists age 18 & older. Gallery is closed on Sundays. charlevoixcircle.com

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OAC SPRING EXHIBITION: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. An exhibit of artwork by Mary Fortuna, Janelle Songer and Jessica Kovan. The exhibit runs through April 7. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org PROTEST! PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE WOMEN’S MARCH ON WASHINGTON: By Kathy Silbernagel and Babs Young Exhibit. Through March 28.

Corridor Gallery, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse, TC. uucgt.org

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SPRING EXHIBIT: SACRED SPACES: Higher Art Gallery, TC. Exploring ideas such as ancestry, time, nostalgia & individual views on what is sacred. Runs through April 22. Open Weds. through Sun. higherartgallery.com

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THROUGH THE WINDOW, ALL MEDIA: Three Pines Studio, Cross Village. Through March. www.threepinesstudio.com

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For the week ending 3/19/17

YOUTH ART SHOW: Through March 25.

Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. Exhibition featuring artwork from 30 area schools, by student artists in grades K-12. Free. crookedtree.org

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

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

Wed - Get it in the can for $1 w/ DJ Fasel Thurs - MI beer night $1 off all MI beer

DJ DomiNate

Fri March 31: Happy Hour: Jazz North

ARTFUL AFTERNOONS: Wednesdays through April 26. 1pm, Gaylord Area Council for the Arts, Gaylord. Free. gacaevents.weebly.com

CALL FOR STUDENT ARTISTS: HIGHER ART GALLERY, TC: Through April 17. 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

MThe ass

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nitelife

march 25 - april 2 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee ESCAPE BAR, CADILLAC Thu -- Open Mic Night Hosted by Lynn Callihan, 8 Fri -- Karaoke, 9 4/1 -- Becki & Joe Wagner from Acoustic Chaos, 10

CADILLAC SANDS RESORT SANDBAR NITECLUB: Fri -- Karaoke/line dancing, Phattrax DJs, 8:30 Sat -- Dance videos, Phattrax DJs, 8:30

FAMOUS FLYNN'S RESTAURANT, MANISTEE 3/31 -- Cheryl Wolfram, 7-9

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska 7 MONKS TAPROOM, TC 3/30 -- Mike Moran, 7:30-10:30 ACOUSTIC TAP ROOM, TC 3/25 -- Dennis Palmer, 7-9 3/28 -- Open & un-mic'd w/ Ben Johnson, 7-9 Fri -- Andre Villoch, 7-9 BUD'S, INTERLOCHEN Thu -- Jim Hawley, 5-8 HAYLOFT INN, TC Thu -- Open mic night by Roundup Radio Show, 8

Wed -- The Pocket, 8 Thu -- 2 Bays DJs, 9:30 Sun -- Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 7-9 OLIVES & WINE, TC 3/30 -- Dawn Campbell & The Bohemians, 7-10 PARK PLACE HOTEL, TC BEACON LOUNGE: Sat -- Tom Kaufmann, 8:30 RARE BIRD BREWPUB, TC 3/29 -- Turbo Pup, 8:30

HORIZON BOOKS, TC 3/31 -- Chris Michaels, 8:3010:30

SIDE TRAXX, TC Wed -- Impaired Karaoke, 10 Fri. - Sat. -- DJ/VJ Mike King, 9-9

HOTEL INDIGO, TC 3/25 -- Clint Weaner, 7:30-10:30 3/31 -- Benjamin James, 7-10 4/1 -- Robin Lee Berry & Glenn Wolff, 8-11

SLEDER'S FAMILY TAVERN, TC 3/26 -- 'On the Porch' Concert Series w/ Bill Staines, 4

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC Mon -- Open mic w/ Blake Elliott, 6-9 3/31 -- Jim Moore, 6-8 LITTLE BOHEMIA, TC Tue -- TC Celtic, 7-9 NORTH PEAK, TC KILKENNY'S: 3/31 -- Brett Mitchell, 9:30 4/1 -- Brett Mitchell & The Giant Ghost, 9:30 Tue -- Levi Britton, 8

STREETERS, GROUND ZERO, TC 3/25 -- Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace & Stain Asonia, 8 3/26 -- The Marcus King Band wsg Rhett Betty & The Freshwater Collective, 7 4/1 -- Red Sun Rising w/ Kaleido, No Resolve, & Graves Crossing, 8 TC WHISKEY CO. 3/26 -- Drew Hale, 3-5 3/30 -- Paul Livingston, 6-8

TAPROOT CIDER HOUSE, TC Tue -- Turbo Pup, 7-9 Thu -- G-Snacks, 7-9 Fri -- Rob Coonrod, 7-9 Sun. -- Kids Open Mic, 3 THE PARLOR, TC 3/28 -- Clint Weaner, 7:3010:30 THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 3/25 -- Matthew Gabriel, 8-11 3/27 -- Rotten Cherries Comedy Open Mic, 8-9:30 Wed -- The Workshop Live Jazz Jam, 6-10 3/31 -- Featured Local DJ: Ras Marco D., 8-11 4/1 -- Bigfoot Buffalo, 8-11 UNION STREET STATION, TC 3/25 -- Kung Fu Rodeo, 10 3/26 -- Head for the Hills Live Show, 10-12 3/28 -- Open Mic w/ Host Chris Sterr, 5 3/29 -- DJ Fasel, 10 3/30 -- DJ DomiNate, 10 3/31 -- Happy Hour w/ Jazz North, then Biomassive, 5 4/1 -- Biomassive, 10 Sun. -- Karaoke, 10 WEST BAY BEACH RESORT, TC 3/30 -- New Orleans Tunes w/ Jeff Haas Trio w/ Laurie Sears & Mike Hunter, 7-9:30 3/31 -- The Funkamatics, 9-12 4/1 -- DJ Motaz, 9-12

Leelanau & Benzie LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 3/28 -- Nick Vasquez, 6:30 LEELANAU SANDS CASINO, PESHAWBESTOWN Tue -- Polka Party, 12-4

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 3/25 -- Melonie Steffes, 6-9 3/30 -- Open Mic Night, 6-8 3/31 -- Rough & Tumble, 6-9

STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 3/25 -- Drew Hale, 8-10 4/1 -- Melissa Lee, 8-10

Grand Rapids' Bigfoot Buffalo plays The Workshop Brewing Co., TC on Saturday, April 1 from 8-11pm. They are a psychedelic roots rock band who fuses folk, rock, Americana, jam, funk, bluegrass, blues & country to create their own sound.

Antrim & Charlevoix BOYNE CITY TAP ROOM 3/25 -- Eric Jaqua, 7-10 3/31 -- Melissa Lee, 8-11 BRIDGE STREET TAP ROOM, CHARLEVOIX 3/25 -- Jabo Bihlman, 8-11 3/26 -- Pete Kehoe, 6-9 3/28 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7-10 3/31 -- Nathan Bates, 8-11 4/2 -- Chris Calleja, 6-9 CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 3/31 -- Clint Weaner, 7:30-9:30

CENTRAL LAKE TAVERN 3/25 -- Shady Hill w/ Connor Dawson, 9 4/1 -- Karaoke w/ Phattrax DJ, 8

3/31 -- Seth Bernard, 8:30-11 4/1 -- The Crane Wives, 8:30-11 4/2 -- Final: Battle of the Bands, 4

RED MESA GRILL, BOYNE CITY 3/28 -- Soul Patch, 6-9

TORCH LAKE CAFE, EASTPORT Wed -- Dueling Pianos, 8:30 Thu -- Open Mic w/ Tim Hosper, 8:30 Sat,Fri -- Leanna Collins Trio, 8:30

SHORT'S BREWING CO., BELLAIRE 3/25 -- Oh Brother Big Sister, 8:30-11 3/26 -- Battle of the Bands Semi Final Week Two, 4-6:45

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

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

CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 3/25 -- The Marsupials, 10 3/28 -- Sean Bielby, 9 4/1 -- April Fool's Day Celebration w/ DJs Franck, Jofus & Dayv & Oonst Oonst Oonst, 10

STAFFORD'S PERRY HOTEL, PETOSKEY NOGGIN ROOM: 3/25 -- Chris Koury, 8 3/31 -- Mike Ridley, 8-11 4/1 -- Chris Koury, 8

UPSTAIRS LOUNGE, PETOSKEY 3/25 -- Ian Burke wsg Duplo, 10 3/30 -- DJ Tim Nixon's Throwback Dance Night, 8-11 3/31 -- The Honorable Spirits , 10 4/1 -- Tell Yo Mama April Fool Party, 10

Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN, GAYLORD 3/25 -- Mike Ridley, 7-10 3/31 -- Adam Hoppe, 7-10 4/1 -- Mike Ridley, 7-10

MAIN ST. MARKET & BISTRO, GAYLORD 3/25 -- Holly Keller Thompson, 7-9:30 3/31 -- Randy Reszka, 7-9:30 4/1 -- Sweet Tooth, 7-9:30

THE BLACKLITE LOUNGE, GAYLORD BOWING CENTER 4/1 -- Exit 282, 9 4/2 -- Laughs for Shane: A Comedy Show to Benefit Shane Carpenter, 7

Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 21

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Japandroids – “Near to the Wild Heart of Life” – Anti

It’s tough to decide if the uber–polished production on Japandroids’ latest is a good thing or an “eh” thing. On the one hand, the sharp “No Known Drink or Drug (Could Ever Hold a Candle to Your Love)” seems all the better for its pristine arrangement, which allows the sentiment to glimmer through; a similar effect is achieved on the brightly observational “North South East West.” But heavier tunes like “True Love and a Free Life of Free Will” just end up sounding like Foo Fighters–lite.

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Real Estate – “In Mind” – Domino

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Have a median income above $86,500 an incredible 92 percent of express readers have purchased food, wine, or products based on an ad they saw on our pages For advertising information contact: info@northernexpress.com

On its first album without founding guitarist Matt Mondanile, Real Estate has settled into a more focused if subdued role, sticking to its temperate tempos and calm melodies as if nothing’s really changed. “Serve the Song” is one of the album’s openers, and perhaps that’s the approach it took as its lineup was shifting; the song’s swirling ‘70s guitars and matter–of–fact lyrics contrast nicely, while “Time” sprinkles in some prettily hovering piano lines. There’s a little too much distracted jamming on a song or two (“Two Arrows”), but for the most part this is a welcome if leisurely listen.

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FREE

Easter Egg Hunt April 15 at 10am

Murs – “Captain California” – Strange Music

Exceptional production work from DJ Fresh fastens this whole thing down. That’s a relief, because the rest of the album swings as wildly as an angry tetherball in a hurricane. It’s only Murs’ second solo album, so perhaps that’s why there’s so much flailing around in the subject matter. Some of Murs’ lyrics are so graphic that they shock as opposed to getting an actual point across. Tracks like “Shakespeare on the Low” and “Summer” show off his solid potential, but the more thoughtless writing slows the project down.

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3/15/17 3:43 PM

Dirty Projectors – “Dirty Projectors” – Domino

As always, Dirty Projectors brings in a long list of collaborators to add more diversity and punch to its tracks, with this outing including odds and ends from Tyondai Braxton (Battles), Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Mauro Refosco and more, although there are fewer female singers this time around than usual. The result is an untamed trek through electronic alienation and introspection on songs like the dour “Little Bubble” and the equally stern “Keep Your Name.” Lighter numbers like “Cool Your Heart” with harmonies from Solange offer a break.

CHICAGO CRANKS UP SUMMER FESTIVAL LINEUPS While it’s always exciting to look forward to, Lollapalooza isn’t the only game in town as far as big Chicago summer festivals go. Two more fests are returning for 2017, and both have already announced part of their lineup of performers. June 24–25 will bring you the Mamby on the Beach Festival, which takes full advantage of the shores of Lake Michigan and adds music from headliners MGMT, Miike Snow, Flying Lotus, Cut Copy, Local Natives and more; this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, now set for July 14–16 in Chi–Town, is welcoming big names A Tribe Called Quest, LCD Soundsystem, Solange Knowles (Beyonce’s sister) and more. Get tickets and all the info at mambyonthebeach.com and pitchfork.com/festival/Chicago.

In other festival news, North Carolina’s Moogfest (moogfest.com) is returning this year as a major fun fest for electronic music fans and EDM performers, too. This year’s Moog will run May 18–21 with a long lineup of performances, workshops, lectures and equipment demos, including a master class with Detroit techno pioneer Derrick May. As far as those performances go, you’ll be able to catch the music of Animal Collective Flying Lotus, Jessy Lanza, 808 State and the always entertaining Simian Mobile Disco.

Michigan artists made a big showing

MODERN

ROCK

BY KRISTI KATES

at the 2017 SXSW (South by Southwest) Festival last week, with the major music conference’s stages playing host to a plethora of home-state musicians. Not only was one of the roundtable discussions dedicated to a conversation between Michigan musicians and those from Austin, Texas (SXSW’s host state), as hosted by Billboard music writer Gary Graff, but there was also a lengthy evening showcase at the Stay Gold nightclub of live performances featuring sets from The Go Rounds, ONEFREQ, Michigander, Flint Eastwood and more. Fellow Michigan singer–songwriter Seth Bernard played at SXSW, too, at a different venue.

Actor Dolph Lundgren teamed up with indie rockers Imagine Dragons (ID) for a new music video for ID’s latest single, “Believer” – the video was directed by Matt Eastin, who previously helmed the band’s “Roots” and “On Top of the World” clips. In the “Believer” vid, Lundgren preps to fight ID lead singer Dan Reynolds in a boxing match, with the idea being a look into “how a man faces his inner self, which is the toughest critic of all.”

Modern Rock Link of the Week If you’ve missed the mashups, you’re missing out – Jimmy Kimmel’s new live performance mixes bring together two songs by bands with little in common but names that work well together, like Joss Stone Temple

Pilots and Lady AnteBell Biv Devoe (see how that works?). Kimmel’s latest Mash Up Monday featured two iconic bands of pop music: check out the video of OK Go–Go’s “Here It Goes Again”/“Our Lips Are Sealed” at http://tinyurl. com/haq87bw and watch more on Mondays on Kimmel’s late–night ABC talk show.

The Buzz Time for local musicians to get those demos and press kits ready – a new Detroit– based record conglomerate has just been launched by Nate Harasim and Sandy McGraw, whose M–1 Music plans to release everything from hip–hop and R&B to pop.

West Michigan country singer Brian Lorente has announced he’s leaving his band, The Usual Suspects, in order to devote more

time to his own songwriting.

Ann Arbor blues–pop musician Angela Predhomme has had several of her tunes snagged for advertisements and TV productions; her track “Let It Fall” was just featured on Lifetime TV’s series Dance Moms.

Lil Wayne will be passing through Detroit this spring – he’s kicking off his Kloser 2 U tour in about a month, with that trek wrapping up in the Motor City May 11.

The Feelies is heading for Detroit, too, with a dedicated show of its own scheduled for Detroit’s El Club Sun., July 16…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 27, 2017 • 23

The reel

by meg weichman

kong: skull island

U

nlike other recent attempts at resurrecting ancient Hollywood properties (I’m looking at you “The Legend of Tarzan”), the smart choices the creative team behind this rebooting of King Kong makes it actually pretty wonderful. 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. You might even forget you’re watching a “Kong” movie because the film is more like “Apocalypse Now” by way of “Jurassic Park.” And by mixing up the welltrodden tropes of Vietnam War films, monster movies, and swashbuckling adventures, you get something truly interesting.

Set in 1973, Nixon has just delivered his “peace with honor” speech and troops are pulling out of Vietnam. A researcher, Bill Randa (John Goodman) has convinced a senator to fund a scientific expedition to map a newly discovered island in the middle of the Pacific, but what he’s really in search of are “massive unidentified terrestrial organisms.” And boy do he and the ragtag crew he’s assembled (including Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and John C. Reilly) ever find them.

Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts may not be experienced in “big” movies, but he’s clearly someone embracing every moment directing one. He gives the film space to breathe, leaves the tiresome grittiness at the door, and keeps its ambitions in check. There’s a sincerity to “Skull Island” just wanting us to have fun. Brisk, entertaining, and funny, this almost feels like a standalone film — until that post-credits scene…

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The latest live-action update from Disney doesn’t take on one of their more flawed or dated classics, but rather their Oscar Best Picture nominee from 1991. No other film in the Disney canon may be as beloved or hallowed, making this remake a risky proposition – one that for fans of the original has really only two possible outcomes: big disappointment or big hit.

In the interest of disclosure, I am one of those said fans, and I didn’t think I should review this title. There is likely no way for me to be objective because this is a production that preys on every ounce of my nostalgia, on everything I hold dear about the movies, on all of my easy-to-market-to basicness.

And though I am completely aware of what Disney is doing here, I absolutely gave into it all, willingly, and gloriously letting it cast its synergous corporate spell.

Stepping out of myself, I can be impartial enough to tell you that “Beauty and the Beast” is not perfect (it’s a little overly CGI-ed, and some of the new additions work less well than others, especially the enchantress), but these flaws are mostly immaterial to one’s enjoyment.

If you have any interest in this film, you should see it and see it on the big screen because, while not perfect, it does do a great many things very well. There are fantastic performances from an impeccably cast cast, lavish no-expensespared spectacle, show-stopping production numbers, unapologetically romantic tableaus, go-for-broke grandeur, and that music, well, it remains as resplendent as ever.

In its execution, this “Beauty and the Beast” is both a modern update and delightful throwback. An operatic, old-fashioned musical extravaganza (allusions to films like “The Sound of Music” abound) that makes use of dazzling technology Busby Berkeley couldn’t dream of.

Though the story, practically a xerox of the 1991 original, feels “ever just the same,” it does have moments that come as “ever a surprise.” And in the end, this inclusive take on acceptance and true beauty proves worth revisiting with its richer and wittier version that comes from differentiating itself through added backstories, as well as filling in the gaps in some the original’s more notable plot holes.

Otherwise, it’s the story you know: A young woman is imprisoned by a monstrous looking beast, but get this: He’s really a prince under a magic spell that can only be broken by love.

That young woman is Belle (Emma Watson), adventurous, caring, and highly literate, who longs to escape the provincial life of her French village. In the role, Watson is a storybook dream come to life. A more perfect Belle I cannot imagine. She’s so genuine and

assured and radiates such kindness and pluck, it’s simply too much. Her characterization never feels like it’s built on token “empowering” traits, but felt in every sense of her being. And as things get increasingly fantastical, she keeps everything grounded and our connection to her never wanes.

Belle is relentlessly pursued by the horrible but incredibly portrayed Gaston (Luke Evans). Evans is truly the perfect narcissistic, egotistical villain for our times, and Josh Gad is brilliant as his headline-grabbing comic relief sidekick LeFou. Belle gets the adventure she was craving when she takes her father’s (Kevin Kline) place after he’s been imprisoned in the enchanted castle of the Beast (Dan Stevens), who may have a softer heart than his hideous exterior would suggest. Although the CGI can get wonky, they really nailed the Beast’s face. The soulfulness pours out of Stevens, contributing to a realism and attractiveness that might just stir up some uncomfortable feelings.

Belle is more active this time around; she tries to escape and rescues the Beast several times and in many ways, never the other way around. Their relationship develops in a more natural way (they do things like discuss literature, like in an actual human courtship).

And her beautiful and authentic relationship with her father is one of the film’s true joys.

The castle-staff-turned-enchanted-objects enjoy an expanded presence. Ewan McGregor’s talking candelabra Lumière and Ian McKellen talking clock Cogsworth share a truly delightful repartee. Emma Thompson has the unenviable position of taking on Angela Lansbury’s iconic Mrs. Potts, and she does so with grace and aplomb. They make their loss of humanity truly so believable, the only thing I questioned was why it takes so many Brits to play French people.

The production is a marvel. The costumes and sets are truly something else. You can feel the sumptuous fabrics of the costumes, taste the delectable confections, and smell the crisp winter air – it’s an assault on the senses in the most grandiose of ways.

While I tried to remain detached in this evaluation, the personal and emotional elements surrounding seeing this film will make it such a special and joyous outing for so many. I watched the movie in a packed house where the audience roared and cheered, and found myself unwittingly wearing a big silly grin and tearing up for most of the movie.

And it was that experience – not a man transforming into a beast – that was the most magical part at all.

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

24 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

logan

F

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 ADViCE GOddESS Loot Conquers All

Q

: Nobody expects a free meal from a restaurant. So what’s with wedding guests who think it’s acceptable to give no gift or just $100 from two people? My understanding is that you are supposed to “cover your plate” — the cost of your meal (at least $100 per person).

If you can’t, you shouldn’t attend. I’m planning my wedding and considering not inviting four couples who gave no gift at my two siblings’ weddings. Upsettingly, most are family members (and aren’t poor). I’d hate to cut out family, but if they won’t contribute, what else can I do?

— Angry Bride

A

: If gift price is tied to meal price, it seems there should be a sliding scale.

Uncle Bob, who’ll singlehandedly suck down 16 trays of canapes and drain the open bar, should pony up for that Hermès toaster oven. But then there’s Leslie, that raw vegan who only drinks by licking dew off leaves.

Whaddya think…can she get by with a garlic press and a handmade hemp card?

The truth is, this “cover your plate” thing is not a rule. It’s just an ugly idea that’s gained traction in parts of the country -- those where bridezillas have transformed getting married into a fierce social deathmatch, the wedding spendathalon. What gets lost in this struggle to out-lavish the competition is the point of the wedding — publicly joining two people in marriage, not separating their friends and relatives from as much cash as possible. And though it’s customary for guests to give gifts, The Oxford English Dictionary defines “gift” as “a thing given willingly” — as opposed to “a mandatory cover charge to help fund the rented chocolate waterfall, complete with white mocha rapids and four-story slide manned by Mick Jagger and Jon Bon Jovi.”

But because you — incorrectly — believe that guests owe you (more than their company), you’ve awakened your ancient inner accountant, the human cheater-detection system.

Evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides and John Tooby describe this as a specialized module the human brain evolved for detecting cheaters -- “people who have intentionally taken the benefit specified in a social exchange rule without satisfying the requirement.”

Identifying and punishing freeloading slackers was especially vital in an ancestral environment, where there weren’t always enough grubs to go around. These days, however, maybe you have the luxury to do as I advise in “Good Manners for Nice People Who

adviceamy@aol.com advicegoddess.com

Sometimes Say F*ck”: refuse to let a few (apparent) Stingy McMingies shape “who you are — which is created through … how you behave.” Instead of grinding down into tit for tat, you can decide to be generous. It’s a thematically nice way to start a marriage — in which 50/50 can sometimes be 95/“Hey, don’t I at least get your 5 percent?” It also makes for a far less cluttered invitation than “RSVP…with the price of the gift you’re getting us — so we know whether to serve you the Cornish game hen at the table or the bowl of water on the floor. Thanks!”

Hello Hath No Fury

Q

: Though my boyfriend is loving and attentive, he’s bad at responding to my texts.

He’s especially bad while traveling, which he does often for his work. Granted, half my texts are silly memes. I know these things aren’t important, so why do I feel so hurt when he doesn’t reply?

— Waiting

A

: You’d just like your boyfriend to be more responsive than a gigantic hole. (Yell into the Grand Canyon and you’ll get a reply.

And it isn’t even having sex with you.)

What’s getting lost here is the purpose of the GIF of parakeets re-enacting the Ali/Frazier fight or the cat flying through space on the burrito. Consider that, in the chase phase, some men text like crazy, hoping to banter a woman into bed. But once there’s a relationship, men (disproportionately) use texting as a logistical tool — “b there in 5” — while women continue using it as a tool for emotional connection. That’s probably why you feel so bad. Feeling ignored is also not ideal for a relationship. In research psychologist John Gottman did on newly married couples, the newlyweds who were still together six years down the line were those who were responsive toward their partner’s “bids for connection” — consistently meeting them with love, encouragement, support, or just attention.

Explain this “bids for connection” thing to your boyfriend. (That mongoose in a dress is just meme-ese for “Yoo-hoo! You still there?”) However, especially when he’s traveling, a little reasonableness from you in what counts as a reply should go a long way. Maybe tell him you’d be happy with “Ha!”, “LOL,” or an emoji. You’d just like to see more than your own blinking cursor — looking like Morse code for “If he loved you, he’d at least text you that smiling swirl of poo.”

www.schulzortho.com

TRAVERSE CITY

231-929-3200 • 4952 Skyview Ct.

CHARLEVOIX

231-237-0955 • 106 E. Garfield Ave. Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 25

aSTRO

lOGY

MARCH 27 - APRIL 2

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES

(March 21-April 19): The dragon that stole your treasure will return it. Tulips and snapdragons will blossom in a field you thought was a wasteland. Gargoyles from the abyss will crawl into view, but then meekly lick your hand and reveal secrets you can really use. The dour troll that guards the bridge to the Next Big Thing will let you pass even though you don’t have the password. APRIL FOOL! Everything I just described is only metaphorically true, not literally.

PIScES (Feb. 19-March 20): You now have an

elevated chance of finding a crumpled one-dollar bill on a sidewalk. There’s also an increased likelihood you’ll get a coupon for a five-percent discount from a carpet shampoo company, or win enough money in the lottery to buy a new sweatshirt. To enhance these possibilities, all you have to do is sit on your ass and wish really hard that good economic luck will come your way.

APRIL FOOL! What I just said was kind of true, but also useless.

Here’s more interesting news: The odds are better than average that you’ll score tips on how to improve your finances. You may also be invited to collaborate on a potentially lucrative project, or receive an offer of practical help for a bread-and-butter dilemma.

To encourage these outcomes, all you have to do is develop a long-term plan for improved money management.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): ): According to

legend, Buddha had to face daunting tests to achieve enlightenment. A diabolical adversary tempted him with sensual excesses and assailed him with vortexes of blistering mud, flaming ice, and howling rocks. Happily, Buddha glided into a state of wise calm and triumphed over the mayhem. He converted his nemesis’s vortexes into bouquets of flowers and celestial ointments. What does this have to do with you? In accordance with current astrological omens, I hope you will emulate Buddha as you deal with your own initiatory tests. APRIL FOOL! I wasn’t completely honest. It’s true you’ll face initiatory tests that could prod you to a higher level of wisdom. But they’ll most likely come from allies and inner prompts rather than a diabolical adversary.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Since I expect

you’ll soon be tempted to indulge in too much debauched fun and riotous release, I’ll offer you a good hangover remedy. Throw these ingredients into a blender, then drink up: a thousand-year-old quail egg from China, seaweed from Antarctica, milk from an Iraqi donkey, lemon juice imported from Kazakhstan, and a dab of Argentinian toothpaste on which the moon has shone for an hour. APRIL FOOL! I deceived you. You won’t have to get crazy drunk or stoned to enjoy extreme pleasure and cathartic abandon. It will come to you quite naturally -- especially if you expand your mind through travel, big ideas, or healthy experiments.

CANCER June 21-July 22): Hire a promoter to

create gold plaques listing your accomplishments and hang them up in public places. Or pay someone to make a thousand bobble-head dolls in your likeness, each wearing a royal crown, and give them away to everyone you know. Or enlist a pilot to fly a small plane over a sporting event while trailing a banner that reads, “[Your name] is a gorgeous genius worthy of worshipful reverence.”

APRIL FOOL! What I just advised was a distorted interpretation of the cosmic omens. Here’s the truth: The best way to celebrate your surging power is not by reveling in frivolous displays of pride, but rather by making a bold move that will render a fantastic dream ten percent more possible for you to accomplish.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Endangered species:

black rhino, Bornean orangutan, hawksbill turtle, South China tiger, Sumatran elephant, and the Leo messiah complex. You may not be able to do much to preserve the first five on that list, but PLEASE get to work on saving the last. It’s time for a massive eruption of your megalomania. APRIL FOOL! I was exaggerating for effect. There’s no need to go overboard in reclaiming your messiah complex. But please do take strong action to stoke your self-respect, self-esteem, and confidence.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Race through your

yoga routine so you have more time to surf the Internet. Inhale doughnuts and vodka in the car as you race to the health food store. Get into a screaming fight with a loved one about how you desperately need more peace and tenderness. APRIL FOOL! A little bit of self-contradiction would be cute, but not THAT much.

And yet I do worry that you are close to expressing THAT much.

The problem may be that you haven’t been giving your inner rebel any high-quality mischief to attend to. As a result, it’s bogged down in trivial insurrections. So please give your inner rebel more important work to do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Research shows

that a typical working couple devotes an average of four minutes per day in meaningful conversations. I suggest you boost that output by at least ten percent. Try to engage your best companion in four minutes and 24 seconds of intimate talk per day. APRIL FOOL! I lied. A ten-percent increase isn’t nearly enough. Given the current astrological indicators, you must seek out longer and deeper exchanges with the people you love.

Can you manage 20 minutes per day?

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In a way, it’s

too bad you’re about to lose your mind. The chaos that ensues will be a big chore to clean up. But in another sense, losing your mind may be a lucky development. The process of reassembling it will be entertaining and informative. And as a result, your problems will become more fascinating than usual, and your sins will be especially original. APRIL FOOL! I lied, sort of. You won’t really lose your mind. But this much *is* true: Your problems will be more fascinating than usual, and your sins will be especially original. That’s a good thing! It may even help you recover a rogue part of your mind that you lost a while back.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You say that

some of the healthiest foods don’t taste good? And that some of your pleasurable diversions seem to bother people you care about? You say it’s too much hassle to arrange for a certain adventure that you know would be exciting and meaningful? Here’s what I have to say about all that: Stop whining. APRIL FOOL! I lied.

The truth is, there will soon be far fewer reasons for you to whine.

The discrepancies between what you have to do and what you want to do will at least partially dissolve. So will the gaps between what’s good for you and what feels good, and between what pleases others and what pleases you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You should

begin work on a book with one of the following titles, and you should finish writing it no later than April 28: “The Totally Intense Four Weeks of My Life When I Came All the Way Home” . . . “The Wildly Productive Four Weeks of My Life when I Discovered the Ultimate Secrets of Domestic Bliss” . . . “The Crazily Meaningful Four Weeks When I Permanently Anchored Myself in the Nourishing Depths.”

APRIL FOOL! I lied. There’s no need to actually write a book like that. But I do hope you seek out and generate experiences that would enable you to write books with those titles.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) If you were a

passenger on a plane full of your favorite celebrities, and the pilot had to make an emergency landing on a remote snowbound mountain, and you had to eat one of the celebrities in order to stay alive until rescuers found you, which celebrity would you want to eat first?

APRIL FOOL! That was a really stupid and pointless question. I can’t believe I asked it. I hope you didn’t waste a nanosecond thinking about what your reply might be. Here’s the truth, Aquarius: You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when the single most important thing you can do is ask and answer really good questions.

26 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Ego Trips"--state your name. by Matt Jones ACROSS 1 2009 film set in 2154 7 Backs of boats 11 A.D.A. member’s degree 14 “Everybody Loves Raymond” star 15 Grade 16 Down Under hopper 17 “Mean ___” (recurring Jimmy Kimmel segment) 18 Frozen kids?

20 ID for a taxpayer 21 Aptly named card game 23 Witty criticism 24 “Entourage” actress Mazar 25 Like some weekend “sales events” 27 Leader of a Russian Doors tribute band?

32 “Look!” to Dora the Explorer 33 It’s a question of time 34 Plucks unwanted plants 38 Took those plums from the icebox (that you were probably saving for breakfast) 39 Lindsay of “Mean Girls” 41 Bank acct. transaction 42 Go down without power 45 Actor Spall of “Life of Pi” 46 One’s in a lifetime?

47 Mineral-fortified red wine?

50 Head shop patron, presumably 53 Fargo’s st.

54 Cyrano’s protrusion 55 Like Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve specials 58 “Foucault’s Pendulum” author 61 CEO painter?

63 Often-spiked drink 65 Frozen food bag bit 66 Met highlight 67 Christian who plays the titular “Mr. Robot” 68 Blow it 69 Atmospheric 1990s CD-ROM puzzle game 70 “Chappelle’s Show” character who’s always scratching

DOWN 1 Cultural interests 2 They’re often exchanged for rituals 3 “Absolutely!”

4 ___ Bo (workout system that turns 25 in 2017) 5 Spain’s has no official lyrics 6 Big game on January 1 7 “The Kite Runner” protagonist 8 The 100% truth (accept no imitations!)

9 Clandestine meetings 10 If it’s blue, it doesn’t mean you’re pregnant 11 Priest of Stonehenge days 12 Disco diva Summer 13 How some people like their cereal 19 O3 22 Loud sound effect for rappers and morning radio shows 24 “It’s in my ___” 26 “Where do I even begin ...”

27 Computer since 1998 28 Corleone patriarch in “The Godfather” 29 8, for a two-by-four?

30 It’s supposed to be a sobering experience 31 Low 35 Hagman’s “I Dream of Jeannie” costar 36 Beyond reinflation 37 Full of life 40 Most likely to squee over a Pi Day pie 43 Bone-to-muscle connection 44 Cool with Green Day 46 Sound of a belly laugh 48 Planetarium model 49 Clumsily tall 50 Long-billed marsh bird 51 Cartridge stuff 52 His first line was “Don’t bang on my can!”

56 Milo’s canine pal 57 Socialize in cyberspace 58 Prefix with parasite 59 Either “Barton Fink” director 60 Grimm guy 62 Sweet potato lookalike 64 Long-jawed freshwater fish

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS

EMPLOYMENT

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 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.

ORYANA KITCHEN HIRING Oryana has year-round positions open for FT & PT Kitchen Staff. Candidates must be able to work in a fast-paced environment, have excellent attention to detail and be a dedicated and hardworking team player. Must have open and flexible availability. Competitive compensation (at least $12.66/hr by 6 months); advancement potential for experienced people; FT & PT employees receive a great benefits package, including store discount, paid time off and insurance. See our website for details and an application or apply within the store.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR POSITION Leland Township Library; FLEXIBLE 20 hrs/week $14.00/hour.

Program development & marketing skills sought. Visit website for description and application procedures.

PENINSULA PAVERS IS EXPANDING! Peninsula Pavers, Inc. is growing, growing! We are looking for hardworking, dependable hardscape technicians. Long hours, determined hard work is expected but great pay and bonuses based on performance will be rewarded! CDL and/or clean license a bonus but not required. Experience not necessary and we are willing to train, company growth achievable.

Join our team to expand your future!

Kristapeninsulapavers@gmail.com BATA IS HIRING! Positions: Transportation Services Assistant Manager, Transportation Services Supervisor and Bus Operators. To join the BATA team visit BATA.net. BATA is an EEO Employer EXPERIENCED ACCOUNTANT/ BOOKKEEPER An exceptional, fast paced, growing Northern Michigan Winery & Hospitality destination is looking for an experienced Accountant/Bookkeeper. The qualified candidate will possess the skills to maintain the day-to-day bookkeeping functions, payables, daily sales entries, deposits, bank reconciliations, monthly sales tax filings, end of month Balance Sheet & P/L financials, have a working knowledge of QuickBooks, & must understand multifaceted business models. If interest-

ed, please send resume and cover letter to: kari@blackstarfarms.com DRIVERS CDL-A: It’s About YOU! Sign-On & Referral Bonuses! Weekly Pay, Family Health & Life, No-Touch Freight or Upper East Coast! 855411-3404 x124

HEALTH SERVICES STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-800259-4150 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 PAHL’S NATURAL BEEF Now taking orders for our “Naturally Grown Beef”, sold by the 1/4, 1/2 and whole at $3.45/lb hanging weight, plus processing fee. No hormones or drugs used. Call 231-269-4400 LOLA’’S ANTIQUES AND OLDE BOOKS Visit Lola’s Antiques and Olde Books, An eclectic genre of Northern Michigan

GUITAR WANTED! Local musician will pay up to $12,500 for pre-1975 Gibson, Fender, Martin and Gretsch guitars. Fender amplifiers also. Call toll free! 1-800-995-1217.

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 1-800-578-1363 Ext. 300N

REAL ESATATE BAY VIEW LOT FOR SALE BY OWNER $49,900 Large (.42 acre) Bay View lot. Suttons Bay. Septic, gas, electric, & cable in. Building requirements, 1650 sq. ft. minimum.

Association dues only $150 a year.

Cul-de-sac, maximum 13 homes.

Walking distance to 3 wineries/vineyards, boat launch & mini plaza.

Chateau Bayside. 5167 S. Shore View Circle 989-329-0485.

OTHER SEWING, ALTERATIONS, mending & repairs. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231-228-6248.

FREE BELLYDANCE AND BURLESQUE class! FREE Burlesque class: 4-10, FREE Burlesque class 4-11, 6pm.

1128 8th Street Traverse City All sizes, levels welcome. 18+ for Burlesque.

Call/text to reserve your spot: 231.313.5577

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Northern Express Weekly • march 27, 2017 • 27

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28 • march 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly