How can you trust Trump, who endorses

High Water gets m-22 in deep

In a sign of what’s likely to come this summer as water levels rise in the Great Lakes, a section of M-22 between Elberta and Frankfort was partially closed by the Michigan Department of Transportation after heavy rain raised the level of Betsie Lake and flooded part of the highway.

The road was reduced to one lane May 18 with traffic controlled by a temporary signal.

MDOT also announced that it is not known how long the partial closure might last and that if water rises further, the road could be closed entirely with traffic detoured.

In a press release, MDOT said, “In recent months, water levels on Betsie Lake have risen to the point where they have reached the M-22 roadway edge. With the latest rain event, they have risen to the point where the outer portion of each driving lane has been covered, leaving only the center of the road safe for traffic.”

Q-Tip: Don’t Screw it Up

After a swift and stern April closure in reaction to too many visitors congregating too closely on trails and in other areas, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is cracking open its sublime slice of the great outdoors once again. On Friday, May 22, the lakeshore, following guidance of federal, state and local authorities, opened all of its park hiking trails, the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, the Dune Climb, as well as its picnic and parking areas, boat launches, and, perhaps most importantly, vault toilets.

Assuming an influx of Memorial Day weekend visitors doesn’t send us back to square one by time you read this, we recommend A) slipping in on weekdays at low-traffic times, solo or with just a few friends or family members who are willing to follow the 6-foot social-distance guidelines and other safe practices the CDC recommends, and B) downloading the new, free app NPS Sleeping Bear Dunes, which puts in the palm of your (freshly washed) hand a visitors’ guide with a detailed offline map, the latest information on lakeshore access and events, and more.

Stuff we love A Winning Children’s Book Relevant to the

Heather Shumaker, northern Michigan mom and author of renegade rule-making parenting books “It’s OK Not to Share” and “It’s OK to Go Up the Slide” just won a 12-state award from the Chicago-based Society of Midland Authors for her debut novel, “The Griffins of Castle Cary.” Aimed at kids ages 8–12, the adventure-filled tale follows the three Griffin children as they set out, along with their Newfoundland dog, to solve a spooky mystery in the English countryside Mendip Manor — and save the youngest sister from a grieving ghost. Spookier yet, if you ask us, the 2019-published pages are a bit prescient with what Shumaker calls “some pandemic tie-ins” that seem particularly timely right now: fear of dying, conflicts between believers and non-believers, and how recognizing that we are all in this together is a critical step in keeping the vulnerable among us safe. Find “The Griffins of Castle Cary” at local bookstores or www.heathershumaker.com.

If you have a kitchen, get in here!

The Home of Pepper Mill Spices

The House of Good Taste!

Downtown Alden • Open 7 days 10am-5pm May thru Dec (231) 331-4711 • (800) 226-5481 Visit us all year long at www.aldenmillhouse.com

bottoms up Roast & Toast’s cold-brew whiskey sour

Northern Express Weekly • may 25, 2020 • 5

Sometimes it seems as if Roast & Toast Cafe started roasting and brewing mighty fine coffee inside its quirky concrete-and-coffee-mug-emblazoned walls well before coffee culture was even cool. In fact, May 19 marked 27 years for the venerable Petoskey shop. A lot has changed since Mary and Bob Keedy opened its door in 1993. They’ve taken on a third partner, Ben Walker; boast a pair of SCA-trainer roasters, Mariah Becker and Hillary Davis; and have wholly embraced and infused their extensive food and drink menu with the flavors of more than a dozen local farms and spice-, soda-, and beer-makers that have come on the scene since. Their dedication to great coffee, however, hasn’t budged a bean. Because coffee begins to lose flavor after two weeks, Mary Keedy says the shop never sells or brew coffee that’s more than two weeks old. And while that’s reason enough for us to celebrate, we feel 27 years of great coffee deserves a lil something more. Happily, so does Hillary Davis, who shared her recipe for an anniversary-appropriate R&T cold-brew whiskey sour: 1 ounce simple syrup (i.e., 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water, boiled and cooled), 2 ounces fresh cold brew coffee, the juice of half a lemon, and 2 ounces of whiskey poured into a shaker over ice and shook until the shaker is frosty. To serve, pour liquid over fresh ice in your favorite rocks glass and enjoy. Find food, drinks, and, of course, house-roasted whole-bean and ground coffee at Roast and Toast Cafe, 309 Lake St. Open 8am–4pm daily for pick-up, curbside delivery, and limited dine-in. (231) 347-7767, www.roastandtoast.com