Northern Express - March 16, 2020

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NORTHERN

Annual Spirituality & Mindfulness Issue

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It’s time for some zen.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • march 16 - march 22, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 11

AS LUCK

WOULD HAVE IT...

Cheers to another March at the Mountain fun Saturday! March 21st, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Pot of Gold challenge, Green Beer in the Vista Lounge, Kayak on the Snow race, Celtic dancing, Slush Cup and free slopeside concert featuring TYPO. Visit crystalmountain.com/events for details.

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Choice of Weapons Life is a continuous struggle for existence, and how we survive depends on the physical things we learn to use, and the community we share that contributes to our individual success. In a well-educated nation with unlimited resources, our choice of tools or weapons relies more on individual philosophy than what is available. “If the only tool you have is a hammer…” but we have many tools and choices.

The power of democracy gives “We the People” the ability to consider any idea or weapon. So why should we close our eyes and let the wealthy limit our choices by labeling anything progressive as a “socialist” weapon, because they fear it may hurt their profits?

Most economists expect the upward trend of the stock markets will soon suffer the eventual downturn that always follows capitalist expansion. The question is never a matter of “if ” but “when,” and how low the over-inflated price of stocks will fall. The remedies are always new socialist programs or more wars. But which do you prefer?

In the 1800s in defense of his wealth, railroad magnate Jay Gould stated: “I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half,” and although he was a capitalist, Joe Kennedy demonstrated a socialist leaning when he stated: “… he would give up half his wealth in order to be assured his family could enjoy the other half in peace and safety.”

Either way, Republican or Democrat, the wealthy expect to come out on top.

Who do you believe will save your 401 retirement? A capitalist that is willing to go to war just to profit a few elites, or a socialist that thinks everyone deserves a decent future?

My weapon of choice is my vote, and I vote for peace.

David Petrove, Interlochen Taxes Not the Problem There have been several letters recently criticizing the Trump payroll tax rate cuts, most recently by Mr. Grudzien. His information is inaccurate. For 2019 federal tax revenues rose by 4 percent despite the cut in individual and corporate tax rates to a record $3.46 trillion. The economic activity spurred by the tax cuts have lowered unemployment almost to the level that economists define as “full employment” and it is all of these new tax paying workers that is increasing the revenues.

It is true that the federal deficit has grown, but it is not due to a loss of revenues, but rather to an increasing rate of spending.

While the payroll tax revenues grew at a 4.7 percent rate, spending grew at a seven percent rate, led by $115 billion increase in Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid, largely due to the Affordable Care Act, which has thus far not exhibited any of the its promised economies. Defense spending increased by $33 billion, after nearly a decade of no growth in that account.

Michael Class, Suttons Bay

Come On, People The last two issues have been packed full of left-wing drivel almost beyond belief.

Is there no one in northern Michigan who does not hate America and President Trump?

Groundless and unproven accusations, one after another, an unending stream. The plight of the poor, oh dear, when a lot of people in this world would love to be poor in America.

The poor who are kept poor by government assistance programs which keep them on the dole and afraid to strike out on their own for fear of losing the guaranteed check, no matter how small. I believe that is the effect of assistance, intended or not.

Obama did a lot of things wrong, starting with grossly misrepresenting the ACA and how it would affect people, but neither I nor anyone on my side that I know of ever subjected him to the nonstop personal attacks.

Come on, people. Name me another country founded on the idea that we have God-given rights, and government is supposed to protect those rights and provide an environment for improving our material situation, not just hold us down and rob us blind if we happen to succeed somehow.

Stop concentrating on negatives; that way lies ruin. Quit complaining about lack of what you imagine to be perfection; perfection is unattainable. As the man said, if men were angels, we wouldn’t need government. But the one we have is, in my opinion, a lot better than any other.

Charles Knapp, Maple City Democracy Wins First, kudos to the Antrim County Commissioners for their handling of the gun sanctuary resolution, and for their disposition of the resolution. The board understood that they could not be forced to simply accept or reject the resolution as written. Sometimes the way to win the game of “let’s you and him fight” is by refusing to play. They also understood that regulating gun ownership and use is a public — i.e., legislative and judicial — responsibility, not one exclusively reserved for gun rights advocates.

Why did this resolution issue even occur?

My guess is that someone decided it would be a win-win for gun rights advocates. If boards and other officeholders approved it, those backing the resolution could say, “see, they’re on our side!” If a board turned it down, then, “see, we’re under threat; these officials won’t protect our constitutional rights! Vote them out of office!” Heads I win, tails you lose.

Plus, a fracas like this distracts from more pressing issues.

But the resolution is part of a larger pattern.

It advocates disregarding the decisions of a majority and subverting the regular practices and principles of our democracy. Other parts of the pattern? Majority rule is subverted by gerrymandering and voter suppression in various forms. Corporate influence and dark money dominate our politics because the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision says money is speech. Foreign interference in our elections is encouraged by the president.

Each of these attacks the legitimacy of our government.

Democracy is difficult and sometimes messy. But nobody should be trashing its fundamentals. Citizens and public officials need to step up and defend those basic principles.

Ron Tschudy, Central Lake On Confusion and Compassion David Frederick’s column seemed to jump the tracks halfway through when it

demonstrated the partisanship that he was criticizing. After reading it several times, I might have a better understanding of what he was trying to do, but I suspect I’m not the only one who was confused.

If his ultimate goal was to demonstrate, by mimicking their actions, how Republicans successfully demonized the Democratic position on abortion, then he was certainly effective.

Senator Jones never said the sensational things Frederick attributed to him. As best I can tell, the “baby emerges blue and flailing from the womb” phrase first appeared in a 2017 New York Times opinion piece by Ross Douthat.

The Democratic Party (including Jones) supports a woman’s unfettered right to abortion as defined by the Supreme Court including existing guidelines regarding lateterm procedures.

The inflammatory language that Frederick chose is part of the partisan playbook that Frederick criticizes. His twist is that Democrats are somehow responsible for allowing themselves to be branded as baby killers. As a result, he holds Democrats to blame for Bush II and Trump because of the single-issue pro-life support that helped elect them.

The truth is that public opinion on abortion hasn’t changed much since the Roe decision (1973).

What has changed are politicians, media, technology, and foreign governments. They have all figured out that dividing us is easier and more profitable than promoting the common ground that most of us occupy.

When we succumb to their outrage machines, we all lose. Legal late term abortions, for example, are not infanticide.

They are family tragedies where a grim diagnosis overcomes a hopeful pregnancy. No one volunteers for that.

Rejecting hate and regarding each other with compassion is a better plan, because we really are all in this together.

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

What Would Jesus Do?.....................................10 Get Your Zen On..............................................12 Old Building New Brewery in Beulah............15 Hockey Kids......................................................16

dates................................................17-19 music Nightlife.........................................................20 columns & stuff Top Ten...........................................................5

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle....................................6 Opinion..............................................................8 Weird................................................................9 Modern Rock/Kristi Kates................................22 Film................................................................23 Advice..........................................................24 Crossword...................................................25 Freewill Astrology..........................................25 Classifieds..................................................26

Jeff Beamsley, Elmwood Township

Kudos for Common Sense Thank you, Grand Traverse County Commissioners Wheelock and Hundley, who had the common sense to vote against the very dangerous Gun Sanctuary Resolution.

It defies logic how the four lost boys deny the common sense of “red flag laws,” laws that prevent shootings that occur every day in the United States, shootings related to domestic violence or mental instability, etc. Even the president implores us to take guns away from those mentally unstable.

I suggest you talk to leaders at the National Alliance on Mental Illness Grand Traverse. See how many families with loved ones battling mental illness want their family member in possession of a firearm? How about domestic violence victims? Why should their abusers still be entitled to carry a gun? Our children and grandchildren are traumatized by active shooter drills, while guns brandished in public by oftentimes insensitive owners only add to that trauma.

Our law enforcement agencies should not be stymied by angry, mentally unstable gun owners seeking refuge in our county, demanding to keep their firearms. That is wrong. Why are you doing this?

Our family owns guns. My husband and son hunt. However, there is a place for common sense in this picture, and you clearly don’t have it. We need commissioners who do.

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase 135 W. State St. Traverse City, MI 49684 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris, Jill Hayes For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Dave Anderson, Dave Courtad Kimberly Sills, Randy Sills, Roger Racine Matt Ritter, Gary Twardowski Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Reporter: Patrick Sullivan Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny, Ross Boissoneau, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Kristi Kates, Meg Weichman, Craig Manning, Copyright 2020, 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.

Kate Dahlstrom, Traverse City

Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 3

this week’s

top ten New Natural Area for Suttons Bay

A new natural area and system of hiking trails are coming to Suttons Bay. Leelanau County residents Ray and Jan Pezzi donated to the Leelanau Conservancy 50 acres within walking distance of the village.

Conservancy staff plan to mark trailheads and trails as soon as the snow melts; the park — to be called the Stites Natural Area — is expected to open to hikers and their (leashed) dogs this summer.

Once targeted by developers, the Pezzis acquired the tract through numerous transactions and worked with the conservancy to ensure the protection of the rolling hills with views over West Grand Traverse Bay.

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spuds boyne In a world that seems full of cancellations and closings, we’re thrilled to report an Up North opening on the horizon: the Old Spud Warehouse in Gaylord — home to eclectic and awesome housewares, furniture, and decor — is opening a new sister store in downtown Boyne City, inside the former location of the old Sportsman’s Bar. Though Gaylord staffers weren’t able to confirm a specific date for the Boyne store, recent photos of wall installations and product deliveries suggest the new location is on target for its projected opening later this month or early April. Follow the progress at the “SPUDSboyne” Facebook page.

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Feed your power with The Power Lunch at Petoskey’s Grain Train Market Cafe. An enticing mix of flavorful vegetables, this $10.99 dish starts with cauliflower, the superstar cruciferous vegetable. Inflammation-fighting flavor comes courtesy of curry, which complements the roasted sweet potato; black beans add protein; and cilantro provides some bite, as well as vitamins A, C, and K. Then there’s what might be the star of the show, that heart-healthy, nutrient-dense superfood: avocado. Sodium-, sugar- and cholesterol-free, it contributes nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, plus increases the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, K and E. Chewy seasoned brown rice is tasty and good for you, and here it’s topped with Greek yogurt and lime. (For the vegans out there, dairy-free coconut yogurt is available.) For you carnivores, feel free to up the protein quotient with chicken (add $4) or uncured bacon (add $2). So, yes, it’s good for you. But how does it taste? Well, it is the cafe’s No. 1 seller. Taste it for yourself at 316 E. Mitchell St. (231) 753-2950, www.graintraincafe.com

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THE TRIALS OF GABRIEL FERNANDEZ

For as heartbreaking, harrowing, and hard of a watch Netflix’s new six-part true crime documentary series is, it is also essential viewing.

Giving viewers an in-depth look into the Los Angeles case of young boy tortured and murdered at the hands of his mother and stepfather, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez not only compellingly exposes the failures of a system designed to protect children but also powerfully demonstrates the indispensable functions of the local press.

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tastemaker The Power Lunch

Hey, watch this!

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Sober Pop-up Planned

The Dry Dock Social Club is offering an evening of dancing, luau-themed fun and a chance to make an alcohol-free toast to spring.

The event is meant to be a “substance-free” alternative to Traverse City’s social scene. It’s for people in recovery or for anyone who wants a sober night of fun.

“Our goal is to provide pop-up sober experiences designed to promote social connections, health, wellness, and good times ... that you remember the next day,” says Matt Zerilli, Dry Dock Social Club founding member and person in long-term recovery.

The Spring Fling takes place from 8pm to midnight on Friday, April 10, at the Cathedral Barns at the Historic Barns Park in Traverse City. Tickets, $20, include refreshments, appetizers, and entertainment by DJ Finster.

Stuff we love A Free Four-hour Friday Night Concert (for Health!)

It’s one part class assignment, one part healthy living promotion, one part concert.

The audio tech students at Northwestern Michigan College will present the second Concert for Community Awareness Friday, March 20, at the Dennos Museum Center’s Milliken Auditorium. Instructor David Chown said when local musician/ activist Seth Bernard visited the class last year, “He had the idea of a call to action.”

Chown and co-teacher Patrick Niemisto embraced the idea, and this year they’re taking a step back so the students can learn the ins and outs of putting on a show: booking the acts; raising funds; setting the stage, lights and sound; and publicizing the event. “There are a lot of moving parts,” Chown said. The show will run 6pm–10pm. The students are working with NMC Student Life, and performers include multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Olson; revered Grand Rapids bluesman Mark Lavengood; funky rock band the Pocket, and the jazzy, blues, roots-rockin’ Charlie Millard band. The show is free, but donations will be taken at the door.

BACH, BEETHOVEN, AND — BOOZE? You read that right. Chicago’s Bach and Beethoven Experience is performing at Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee on March 21. But don’t get the idea this is some stodgy, highbrow classical event for elitists (classical music really isn’t anyway, but that’s a different discussion). The BBE brings artists together to take classical music into the community, and there may be no better way to do so than with this collection of 17th- and 18th-century drinking songs and dance tunes. This is the kind of music that would have been played, sung, and danced to at pubs in Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales: songs celebrating booze, women, and more booze (the BBE’s words, not ours). The Bach and Beethoven Experience has performed a variety of shows across the country, always with an eye and ear toward entertainment. Tickets for the 7:30pm show start at $15 for adults. Go to www.ramsdelltheatre.org.

8 Bottoms up Light of Day Chakra Tea Sampler Angela Macke, owner of the biodynamic tea farm Light of Day, west of Traverse City, created a collection of seven different teas and tisanes — one for each of the seven chakras (aka energy centers) of the body. The collection includes Red Raspberry Green, Happy Spleen Green, Lemony Ginger Sunshine, All Heart, Cherry Mint, Leelanau Licorice, and Enlightened White, as well as a mesh infuser ball, tea scoop, instructions and literature, for $125. Can’t afford to fire up all seven chakras? You can get a large tin of your favorite for $29. One we love? Leelanau Licorice. It’s smooth, anise-y without being overpowering, and it’s the very first tea Macke developed. “I’d been diagnosed with Crohn’s, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, all within an eight-month period. I read in a medical journal about the positive effects of licorice root on the adrenals and how it helps balance out cortisol levels.

I was exhausted, sick of being sick, and willing to try anything,” she said. Try she did, and healthy she is. The peppermint and licorice root are grown organically on Macke’s farm, as are most of the ingredients in her various teas. Order online at www.lightofdayorganics.com or purchase at Light of Day farm’s retail shop (open Fridays and Saturdays 11am–5pm) at 3502 E. Traverse Highway.

Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 5

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spectator

by Stephen Tuttle Democrats seem to be settling in on Joe Biden, though they’ve found plenty about which to be exercised. They are especially good at finding coal in a pile of diamonds.

Their lament now comes from different quarters — the Bernie Sanders camp wondering what happened to the youth vote while other Democrats of the pessimistic sort bemoan perceived sexism and racism in this year’s presidential primaries.

What happened to voters in the 18–29 age group is the same thing that happens in nearly every election: They don’t vote. The Sanders camp has been deluded by the zealous enthusiasm of their young supporters, but they don’t represent the majority of that age group.

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It’s a little tricky arguing there is racism and misogyny afoot when we look at the numbers and recent history of the Democrats.

Democrats also seem to have extraordinarily short memories. In the last three presidential cycles, they’ve twice nominated and then saw elected an African American named Barack Hussein Obama, and then nominated Hillary Clinton.

In the 2018 midterm elections, there was a fairly dramatic surge in young voters, especially compared to the 2014 mid-terms. Even then, barely more than 35 percent of 18–29-yearold voters went to the polls, the lowest turnout of any demographic group according to the U.S. Census. By comparison, the biggest voting block was comprised of those 65 and older who turned out at 66 percent.

In the recently held California primary, according to a report on NPR, people under 30 represent 19 percent of the electorate but made up only 11 percent of those who voted. Young voters did not exceed 20 percent of the voters in any of the 14 Super Tuesday primaries.

This has been true for decades, a fact that should not have been lost on the Sanders campaign. Voting by citizens under 30 peaked in 1966, spiked slightly in 1972, again in 2008 during Barack Obama’s historic presidential race, and again two years ago. Aside from those anomalies, the trend line for young voters has been downward for a long time.

Inspiring young people to vote, and then getting them to request a ballot or to head to the polls requires organizational persistence — not just an appealing platform. The Sanders campaign was unable to do that, and the demographic on which they most relied mostly stayed home.

While Sanders wonders what happened, other Democrats sense misogyny and racism at play in the Democratic presidential primary environment.

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It’s true enough that women candidates — Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Marianne Williamson — didn’t survive. (Tulsi Gabbard is still running.) And it’s also true some portion of that can be attributed to an unwillingness of some to vote for a woman for presidential office. Same with minorities who run — Cory Booker, Deval Patrick, Juan Castro, Andrew Yang, Harris — and face racial backlash.

Maybe they were doomed by gender and race, or maybe they just didn’t raise enough money, create enough enthusiasm, or harvest enough votes.

To be sure, the race came down to a 77-yearold white man battling a 78-year-old white man both trying to replace a 74-year-old white man. Beyond that, it’s hard to argue Democrats have not at least tried to be diverse and have somewhat succeeded on multiple levels.

There are currently 26 women in the U.S. Senate, and 17 are Democrats. Of the 101 women in the U.S. House, 88 are Democrats. Of the 116 members of Congress self-identifying as non-white, 104 are Democrats. Only three African Americans serve in the Senate, two of whom are Democrats.

You can look at those numbers and bemoan the fact that women make up more than 50 percent of the overall population but about 24 percent of Congress. Or that minorities make up slightly more than 35 percent of the population but only about 22 percent of Congress.

Or, you can recognize there has been progress. Those numbers, while not representative of the population, are dramatic improvements from just two decades ago, and both women and minority representation is at record levels. Not great but better.

Democrats also seem to have extraordinarily short memories. In the last three presidential cycles, they’ve twice nominated and then saw elected an African American named Barack Hussein Obama, and then nominated Hillary Clinton. That doesn’t feel like overt racism or misogyny, though Clinton supporters will argue the latter helped defeat her.

We know three truths regarding politics: First, various negative-isms and phobia will always be with us and working against various candidates. Second, young people don’t vote in the numbers they should. Third, progress on racial and gender issues is being made, but slowly. Democrats have been at the forefront of that progress, and many rightly continue to push for more.

If diversity is their objective, they should take heart; this is the first time in 12 years they will nominate an old white guy for president.

Complaining about it won’t much help at the polls in November.

Crime & Rescue ARREST FOLLOWS BOMB THREAT Staff at a television station newsroom called police after they received a call from a man who proclaimed that a Traverse City bank branch would soon be robbed.

Staff at the offices of 9&10 News received the call the morning of March 6. The caller claimed a robbery involving explosives would happen at a Fifth Third Bank in Traverse City at 11:30am. The caller didn’t specify which of the several branches would be robbed.

Traverse City Police and Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputies staked out each branch while detectives tracked down the suspect, who had left a telephone number on a caller ID. Investigators pinged the phone and determined it belonged to a Cadillac woman who turned out to be the girlfriend of the caller.

When Cadillac Police arrested the suspect, 39-year-old Michael John Wirkutis, he was in possession of the phone, according to the charges.

He faces a charge of making a false bomb threat, a four-year felony.

Grand Traverse County prosecutors filed a motion to set a higher bond after Wirkutis was released on personal recognizance after his arrest.

Prosecutors argued that Wirkutis has seven past felony convictions — four in the last five year — and that his girlfriend said he had once threatened to kill her probation officer in order to release her from probation.

PRINT MATCH YIELDS BURGLARY SUSPECT A Traverse City man faces charges after he was matched to latent prints found at the scene of a burglary last April.

Michigan State Police were called to a home on Townline Road in Garfield Township after the homeowner noticed scuff marks near a kitchen window and several items missing, including a pair of Air Jordan shoes, a Sony PS4 and a safe.

Troopers collected fingerprints from the scene and sent them to the state police crime lab in Grayling where they were determined to match a 22-year-old suspect.

Police arrested Tristen Grant Kalbfleisch on March 5; he faces a charge of second-degree home invasion and being a three-time habitual offender.

POLICE: MAN CONFESSED OVER SNAPCHAT State police arrested a 22-year-old East Jordan man who allegedly admitted over Snapchat that he had molested a child.

Christian John Edmonds faces six counts in Otsego County of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and six counts of child sexually abusive material.

A person filed a complaint with state police after Edmonds made disturbing comments on Snapchat about a sexual encounter with someone under age 13, according to a press release.

Edmonds was arrested March 10.

HOME INVASION SUSPECT WANTED Cadillac Police responded to the 400 block of E. Nelson Street after 911 received a call that a man wearing a white hoodie with black sleeves and a backpack appeared to be breaking into a house.

Officers soon determined that the suspect had struck two other houses on that block and had left the area.

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

One resident captured the suspect on surveillance video, which was provided to investigators.

Anyone with information about the suspect should call police at (231) 775-3491.

TWO SERIOUS CRASHES IN ONE DAY Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies were kept busy March 7 as they responded to two snowmobile crashes resulting in serious injuries.

A 3pm, deputies and Cedar Area Fire and Rescue responded to Kasson Township, where a 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl were injured after the younger girl lost control of their snowmobile and struck a tree. Both girls were taken to Munson Medical Center for treatment; the older girl was later airlifted to DeVos in Grand Rapids.

Two hours later, deputies and Leland Fire and Rescue responded to Lake Leelanau, where a 34-year-old man crashed after he struck an uneven section of ice at a high speed. The snowmobile went airborne, and the man was thrown from the sled.

SERCH PARTY FINDS MAN AND DOG Department of Natural Resources officers searched for and rescued a 58-year-old man and his dog who had spent two days lost in the woods.

The search for the White Cloud man in Missaukee County began March 8, when friends grew concerned after the man didn’t return from rabbit hunting.

The man, who has a history of cardiac problems, had been last seen at the Stittsville & Cherryland Beagle Club in Springfield Township before he went hunting near Oil Well Road in Norwich Township.

A DNR conservation officer used the last known coordinates from the man’s cell phone, and volunteers and first responders searched the woods into the evening. The next day, the search continued, and two Kalkaska County Sheriff’s deputies located the man and his dog in his truck, 10 miles from where the search started. The man’s truck had gotten stuck, and his battery died.

The man and his dog were determined to be in good health.

GUN COMPLAINT LEADS TO RAID Complaints about drugs and firearms at a home in Grawn led police to get a search warrant and arrest a 38-year-old resident.

State police said they learned that there might be stolen firearms in the home and that the man who lives there often “open carries” inside the house.

Troopers, along with an emergency support team, raided the house and found the suspect in the basement. Brian Penfield faces charge of possession of methamphetamine and felony firearm.

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Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 7

IS IT TIME FOR A 2nd OPINION?

DO YOU WANT THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CITY? opinion

Offering review, advice, and strategy by the hour.

bY Gary Howe The City of Traverse City and the Boardman River Implementation Team deserve praise for the planned reconstruction of the Union Street Dam. It is the last dam on the docket of a decades-long transformation of the Boardman River. A project dubbed “A River Reborn.”

And, once replaced, the jewel running through downtown will also be reborn.

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To date, the success along the Boardman River has been upstream, with the removal of three barriers: The Brown Bridge, Boardman, and Sabin dams no longer hinder the natural flow of the river, also known as the Ottaway by many. If you haven’t had a chance to paddle the now-open river, put it on your to-do list for 2020.

Unlike the other dams, the Union Street Dam

In the following years, the partners involved, which locally include Traverse City, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, engaged in public planning meetings and the necessary research to prove feasibility. It was a collaborative effort, including multiple interests, a plethora of public meetings, and an optimistic approach focused on finding solutions rather than putting up obstacles — well, putting up at least one obstacle: a new, improved, smarter Union Street Dam barrier.

Not only was the Boardman an ideal match, but the dam already needed replacing, local partners were supportive, and there was a single owner of the property, the City of Traverse City. isn’t a removal project, because the dam serves a critical role in regulating water flows and blocking invasive species from making their way upstream. Chief among the invaders on the list are sea lampreys. The aged barrier needs a replacement; merely replacing what’s there is inadequate to future needs.

It would be a missed opportunity if the City didn’t leverage the project to create something more. The dam’s reconstruction is a chance not only to improve the quality of the river and the ecological system but also to create better access and enjoyment of the river in its downtown setting — a distinct advantage for any small town.

Many years ago, there was an investigation to possibly mimic what Petoskey had accomplished along its Bear River, creating whitewater-like conditions, a more natural feel for the river, and a park to be enjoyed by locals and visitors. Traverse City abandoned that idea after concluding the cost-benefit ratio didn’t add up and, most importantly, that the technology didn’t exist to maintain an effective barrier for invasive species while allowing a free-flowing river.

The management of regulating access by different fish species on rivers is a concern shared globally. Solutions have been mostly an all-or-nothing proposition. The use of dams to block invasive species certainly keeps them out (mostly), but it also results in a reduction of ecological health and functioning while increasing costs to assist native species upstream. Finding a solution that can reestablish naturally connected systems while providing protections against unwanted species is worthy of the effort.

8 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

an ideal match, but the dam already needed replacing, local partners were supportive, and there was a single owner of the property, the City of Traverse City.

In 2016, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission identified the lower Boardman as a potential location to introduce new technology to select and block invasive species while allowing native species to pass through — a project the community now knows as FishPass. After a summer of analysis and comparing 17 sites across the Great Lakes, Traverse City’s location and context won out as the perfect fit. Not only was the Boardman

The international team, brought together by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, is providing the roughly $20 million required for the project — a welcome budget solution to fixing the aging city dam. This investment will not only protect the newly restored river system but also revitalize the surrounding parkland. Once complete, there will be more parkland and trees, improved access for fishing and paddling, a pedestrian bridge over the water, educational opportunities, and a small amphitheater. The new dam will also functionally replace what is in place today, adding the capacity to deploy new technologies for native fish passage as systems are tested and proven. The dam is not an experiment. It will always be able to function like the one in place today.

Additionally, the new dam and surrounding area will become a celebration of a river we’ve historically turned our back on. The park will be a destination to enjoy and reflect on the natural beauty of northern Michigan. It will also be a place to applaud collaborative efforts rooted in science and creativity. Future generations will no longer wonder why past leaders treated the river so poorly but thank them for their foresight.

Recently, many Traverse City residents received a postcard with a conceptual illustration of the new dam and park. It asks, “Do you want this in the middle of our town?”

I read the question, looked at the image, and, even though I was alone with my beagle, said out loud, “Yes, it looks fantastic. It looks exactly like what we asked for.”

I encourage all of us to get behind the new Union Street Dam and FishPass. When it’s finished, let’s celebrate a job well done. As City of Traverse City’s Director of Public Works, Frank Dituri, summed the project up in this newspaper last December, “It’s a gift. It’s an amazing opportunity.”

Gary Howe is a writer and photographer, community advocate, and educator. He served as City of Traverse City commissioner from 2013-2017.

WE BUY

Unclear on the Concept For two whole years, Caelie Wilkes nurtured a lovely green succulent in her kitchen window. She watered it, wiped dust off its leaves, and forbade anyone else from caring for it. “It was full, beautiful coloring, just an overall perfect plant,” Wilkes wrote in a Facebook post from Feb. 28. Recently, Upworthy reported, she decided it was time to transplant it into a pretty new pot. So imagine her dismay when she pulled up the succulent and realized it was plastic, rooted in Styrofoam with sand glued to the top. “How did I not know this?” she wondered. “I feel like these last two years have been a lie.” Wilkes suffered some ridicule on social media, but her local Home Depot reached out with some real, living succulents that Wilkes can shower with love and attention.

Bright Idea An innovative jewel thief in Melbourne, Australia, was caught on camera using a fishing rod to burgle a Versace necklace from a store window on Feb. 24. ABC News reports the thief carefully broke a hole in the window to avoid setting off the alarm, then spent almost three hours trying to hook the costume jewelry necklace, worth about $800. He worked with two different-sized rods before finally snagging the necklace. Store owner Steven Adigrati called the heist “outrageous and courageous,” although he suspected the thief was unaware that the piece was relatively inexpensive. “This particular necklace looks a lot more expensive than what it is ... gold, bright, iconic Medusa head,” he explained. Police are still searching for the fisherman.

The Litigious Society Chuck E. Cheese may be “where a kid can be a kid,” but for one Portland, Oregon, patron, it’s where a woman can get her long hair caught in a ticket machine. Ashreana Scott is suing Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company for $1,000 after alleging her hair was tangled for 20 minutes in a machine that counts tickets for prize redemption, The Oregonian reported.

In the lawsuit, Scott said the Dec. 8 incident caused injuries, discomfort and headaches, and she wants a jury trial and a sign posted near the machine to warn others. A manager at the restaurant declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said the machines already have warning signs.

The Foreign Press The ancient legend about St. Patrick driving Ireland’s snakes into the sea could only be salt in the wound of a 22-year-old man from Dublin, who appears to be the first person in Ireland to suffer a venomous snake bite, The Irish Post reported on Feb. 29. The man’s pet puff adder bit him, prompting a visit to Connolly Hospital, where doctors consulted with experts from the National Reptile Zoo. James Hennessy, zoo director, explained that “puff adder venom is pretty nasty. It’s going to start digesting and disintegrating all around the area of the bite, and that will continue up the limb as well. It will then cause massive internal issues as well, if not treated.” (FYI, scientists say it was probably the Ice Age that kept snakes out of Ireland.)

A Dream Come True Residents of Settecani, a small village in Italy, were startled on March 4 when their kitchen and bathroom taps began dispensing

red wine rather than water, United Press International reported. Locals quickly identified the wine as Lambrusco Grasparossa, which is produced at a nearby winery, and officials there found a leak that sent wine from a silo into water pipes. Some quick-thinking residents said they bottled as much of the tap wine as they could before the problem was resolved.

Awesome!

-- Ohio college student Mendl Weinstock, 21, kidded his sister, Riva, five years ago that when she gets married, he will bring a llama to the wedding as his plus-one. So when Riva tied the knot on March 1, Mendl made good on his promise, showing up with a rented llama named Shockey, wearing a custom-made tuxedo. Riva was unamused, but conceded to CNN: “When my brother puts his mind to something, he gets it done.” Mendl spent $400 to rent the llama but said it was worth every penny. Shockey spent about 30 minutes taking photos with amused guests outside the venue, but friends who were in on the joke seated two inflatable llamas at one of the tables inside. Riva said she’ll get her revenge: “He should sleep with one eye open.”

-- Keith Redl of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, was more than a little annoyed when the prize his 8-year-old grandson won in a raffle turned out to be $200 worth of cannabis products and accessories: chocolate edibles, vanilla chai and other products, along with a pipe and lighter. At a fundraiser for youth hockey in early March, Redl told CTV, the boy’s father had given him $10 worth of tickets to bid on whichever prizes he liked. The little boy thought he was bidding on chocolate. “My grandson thought he had won a great prize,” Redl said, but when he was told he couldn’t have any of it, “He was mad ... How do you explain that to a kid?”

EW EW EW! A mother in Saint-Malo, France, filed a complaint with police on Feb. 25 against Danone, the manufacturer of powdered baby formula. Police told AFP the woman’s 3-month-old daughter became ill in November with a high temperature, and the mother took her to the emergency room. “Several days later,” authorities said, “[the baby] vomited a worm about 6 to 7 centimeters long” -- about the length of an adult index finger. In the report, the mother said the worm had been examined at a hospital and was determined to be of a parasitic type. She decided to take action after learning of two other cases, one in central France where living larvae were found in a container of the same brand of formula. A spokesperson from Danone told a news conference that without the containers, “several hypotheses could explain the presence of an insect,” but the formula is never exposed to air in its production chain.

Latest Religious Messages Self-described Christian prophet Cindy Jacobs declared the coronavirus against the law on March 4: “We say, in the name of Jesus, ‘Virus, you are illegal. This is God’s Earth.’”

Dead State reported that Jacobs went on to tell an enthusiastic group of supporters, “I don’t know if everybody will get healed,” but “We’re going to decree that the coronavirus will cease worldwide.”

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Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 9

What Would Jesus Do?

By Craig Manning

Despite the decision of the larger United Methodist Church to continue barring LGBTQ people from full inclusion in its church, one of Traverse City’s oldest churches — Central United Methodist — voted to actively welcome members of the LGBTQ community and join a growing group of progressive churches within the denomination. That choice has changed the face of Central Methodist’s local congregation, and this May, the church might be part of an unprecedented split within the denomination — one likely to threaten ruptures in organized religion as a whole.

Last year, the congregation at Traverse City’s 150-year-old Central United Methodist Church in downtown Traverse City made a revolutionary vote: to become a registered Reconciling Congregation with the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN).

RMN is an international organization of congregations within the worldwide denomination of the United Methodist Church (UMC) that has actively decided to welcome members of the LGBTQ community.

Of more than 800 UMCs in the state of Michigan, fewer than 20 have registered with RMN; Central United Methodist is the first UMC member church north of Grand Rapids to take the step.

The Way Forward Nan Horstman of Central United Methodist is leading the church’s “Central’s Way Forward Task Force,” which is dedicated to helping the congregation navigate the shifting landscape of the UMC denomination. The task force formed last year after the UMC voted to retain and enforce language in the church’s legislative rules — known collectively as “the Book of Discipline” — which bars LGBTQ individuals from full inclusion in the church.

Specifically, the Book of Discipline states that homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching,” prevents “self-avowed

10 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

practicing homosexuals” from being ordained as members of the UMC clergy, and prohibits same-sex marriage ceremonies from taking place within UMC buildings, or with UMC ministers as officiants.

The Book of Discipline is not set in stone.

It is a document of law and doctrine originally published in 1784 and can be updated or changed every four years by the General Conference, a gathering of delegates from across the UMC denomination. In February 2019, the General Conference held a special meeting for the specific purpose of addressing how the Book of Discipline handles homosexuality and LGBTQ issues — matters that had become increasingly contentious in the church in recent years.

Horstman said the Conference vote was close, but that the “traditionalist” model of the church ultimately won. A majority of delegates voted not only to retain the existing language in the Book of Discipline but also to add new sanctions for violations of the rules.

“For some of us, that was heartbreaking,” Horstman said. “At Central United Methodist, our congregation decided that we wanted to affirm that we were a welcoming congregation, despite what our denomination had said.”

On July 7, 2019, a membership vote at Central United Methodist resulted in an 87 percent majority in favor of becoming a Reconciling Congregation. It’s a decision that has led to considerable upheaval within the

local church, on both sides.

FALLOUT & UPSHOT “There are people in our congregation who have pulled back or even left because they have felt we were not moving forward fast enough, as a denomination,” Horstman said. “There are other people who have said, ‘This is not where I want to be; I want to be in a place that embraces a more traditional model.’ And then we’ve also had a lot of people come because of this. People have said ‘This is where I want to be; this church is saying what I want to say; they’re supporting what I want to support; I want to be a part of that.’”

According to Dale Ostema, one of Central United Methodist’s pastors, the decision to become a Reconciling Congregation has certainly helped bring more LGBTQ members to the church — and back to organized religion in general.

“In this day and age, LGBTQ individuals in many churches wonder if they are really welcome,” Ostema said. “They are uncertain about that, and so they often don’t bother with congregations at all. So it’s important for us to say ‘You are welcome here.’”

Still, even churches that decide to join the RMN network don’t have full freedom in welcoming and embracing LGBTQ members. Because of the sanctions, the General Conference added last year any UMC ministers who perform wedding

ceremonies for same-sex couples could face “church trials,” with consequences as extreme as being stripped of their clergy credentials.

Also, homosexuals still have no path toward ordination as members of the UMC clergy.

(Transgender Methodists, meanwhile, can and have served as UMC ministers.)

A fight to break these restrictive policies once and for all is underway. Since last year’s General Conference vote, Horstman says a group “representing many of the factions within the church” has been working with a mediator to come up with proposals that could put an end to the impasse between the progressive and traditionalist sides.

The proposal that has gained the most traction is called “the Protocol for Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation and Restructuring.” If affirmed, it would effectively split the UMC into two different branches: a traditionalist branch, which would maintain the current stance on LGBTQ issues; and a more progressive branch, which would revise the Book of Discipline to remove the restrictive language.

SPRINGTIME SPLIT? Whether the UMC breaks in half will likely be decided in May, when the General Conference holds a regular meeting in Minneapolis. Horstman says the Protocol for Reconciliation missed the initial deadline for consideration at the General Conference.

However, UMC rules dictate that an “annual conference” — essentially a gathering of church delegates from across a specific state or territory — can vote to send legislation to the General Conference on a shorter deadline.

On Saturday, March 7, the Michigan Annual Conference convened a special meeting in Albion — at which Horstman was one of the delegates — to vote on the issue.

The result: 91 percent of the 1,000+ delegates in attendance voted to send the separation

proposal to the General Conference. The majority of delegates at annual conferences in Sierra Leone and the Philippines voted for the same. Now, churches across the UMC denomination — and organized religion as a whole — are watching to see what happens in Minneapolis this spring.

“Either way, there’s a long road ahead,” Ostema said. “If the protocol does pass, and separation happens, then UMC churches will need to make a choice of how they will align themselves. You might say that’s when the real work begins.”

“There’s a sense of sadness in the church that it’s come to this,” added Horstman, who will be in attendance at the General Conference, albeit as a volunteer rather than a delegate. “Many of us had hoped that we could stay together as a denomination, but that does not appear to be the case anymore. My father, who was a Methodist pastor, is deceased now, but he would be heartbroken at what’s going on in the church. Not surprised, but heartbroken.

He was very aware of these issues, and I was raised to be very open and accepting. So I guess I’m sort of living out my dad’s wishes.”

For Carolyn Waters, the battle raging at the heart of the UMC has deep personal resonance. Today, Waters lives locally and is heavily active in Traverse City Elks Lodge #323. She was the lodge’s “Exalted Ruler” during the 2018–19 term and was recently elected for a five-year stint as a member of the board of trustees. For 37 years, though, Waters was a member of the UMC clergy. When she began ministry in the mid-1970s, Waters says she “didn’t have any idea” who she was. Then, in 1986, while serving at a UMC church in Nebraska, she realized she was homosexual.

Ever since, she has been involved in the RMN and pushing to turn the denomination into a more open and welcoming place. Despite UMC’s policies, she says she’s performed numerous marriage ceremonies for same-

sex couples and has seen openly gay pastors ordained in many churches nationwide. She even served as part of the delegation that, in 2016, elected a San Francisco pastor named Karen Oliveto as the first openly gay bishop in UMC history.

Knowing that there are now reconciling congregations all over the country makes a huge difference for Waters. “It means everything in the world to know you can go into that church and not be shamed,” she said. Still, as the UMC nears a vote that could fundamentally reshape its structure and future, she is more than ready to see that bigger change take root.

“It’s been a long struggle,” Waters said of fighting for LGBTQ equality across the UMC

JA

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denomination. “It will continue to be a struggle in certain parts of the country, no matter which direction the congregations go. But it’s time for this division to happen.

The church will move on. It’s happened before: It happened during the Civil Rights movement, and it happened in the Civil War when the church was divided, North and South. It’s just part of the journey of being a church and ministering to the people that are in the world. My stance on the issue all along has been that a church in Denver — which is where I was when I retired — and a church in south Alabama shouldn’t be required to follow the same guidelines.

I believe you serve the people who are in your church.”

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Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 11

Solitude Float, TC

Get Your Zen On

By Ross Boissoneau It’s a hurry-up, super-stressful world out there. Pick your poison: politics, Coronavirus, the opioid epidemic. Rapidly shifting technology, a sputtering economy, security, pollution, even the sorry state of Michigan’s professional sports teams. What to do?

Relax. And breathe. Across the region a number of different methodologies are available to help you put your mind and body in a better, less frantic and stressed place. Which to choose? Don’t worry — just pick one, and trust that trying something is always better than trying nothing.

Regenerate from the Inside Out Petoskey Dr. Lisa Fortin’s ReYouvenate isn’t your usual Western medical practice. The MD has an extensive background in what she calls medical “detective work,” piecing together warning signs of accelerated aging and working to help patients heal and slow the aging and degeneration process through advanced regenerative medicine approaches — facial rejuvenation, anti-aging treatments, stem cell therapy, and more.

“I focus on the cellular level,” she said.

Makes sense, because after earning her bachelor’s degree in biotechnology, she spent a year working in neurosurgery research at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit before entering medical school.

She believes it is vitally important to

listen to the body and then treat the cause of whatever malady someone is suffering from, rather than simply the symptoms. “If you have knee pain, it’s not a Tylenol deficiency,” she said.

Healing is programmed into our cells, she argues. Outside factors, such as an unhealthy diet or environment, can cause the cells to work harder than they have to. Everything from arthritis to anxiety can cause people’s biological age to be far different than their chronological age. As an example, she points to herself.

During her residency she was married and had three children, then during a fellowship at Harvard, was pregnant again.

By the time she entered practice she was suffering from chronic fatigue, stress, had a rash on her face, and discovered she was suffering from numerous food allergies, from turmeric to meat to green grapes. “My defenses had broken down. I had sciatica, brain fog,” she said. She was 38, but after looking at various markers, found her biological age was 59. “That was a huge red flag for me. I had to change.”

She decided to start her own practice where she could offer her knowledge to others. That includes making changes like decreasing the use of sugar, which she calls “Public Enemy No. 1”; meditating, and ingesting anti-inflammatories like cinnamon and turmeric. “It’s very good for most people; just not me,” she explained.

She said initial consults last about an hour, while follow-up sessions can last from 20 minutes to two hours.

12 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Walk the Labyrinth Traverse City Marty and Debi Kermeen offer another route to wellness. The owners of the Chicagobased Labyrinths in Stone installed the new labyrinth at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons last fall. “Walking a labyrinth is spiritual,” said Debi.

Labyrinth walking is an ancient practice used by many different faiths for spiritual centering, contemplation, and prayer.

Labyrinths are not mazes; they do no have blind alleys or dead-ends. A labyrinth twists and turns but eventually leads through its one path to the center. Those entering the serpentine path of a labyrinth walk slowly to its terminus while quieting the mind, often focusing on a spiritual question or prayer.

The labyrinths the Kermeens make, including the one in Traverse City, in which they hand-laid about 13,000 pieces of colored stone, are intended to be both an artistic marvel and a path toward spiritual enlightenment, or at least quietude. “It’s embraced by different cultures,” said Marty.

He noted that during construction, several people had written poems or personal messages on the bottoms of the bricks used to construct it. “It’s already having an impact.”

The official dedication for the stone labyrinth won’t happen until May 3, but you can walk or roll the finished, wheelchair ready labyrinth now. Find it at the northern end of the Botanic Gardens property, located at 1490 Red Dr. in the Grand Traverse Commons.

Deprive Your Senses with a Saltwater Float Traverse City For total relaxation, there may be nothing better than a float session. At Solitude Float Spa in downtown Traverse City, adherents spend an hour weightlessly floating inside a large pod of magnesiumrich, detoxifying saltwater, while soft lights and gentle music (or complete silence and darkness; your choice), allow your muscles, mind, and nervous system an opportunity you simply can’t find anywhere else (except maybe outer space?).

Owner Matt Davis said he experienced it for the first time last April. He was so impressed that within a year he opened the area’s first such facility.

“I felt it was a good business and matched the demographic in Traverse City,” he said, pointing to the region’s emphasis on health and wellness, culture, and the increasing trend toward technology. Float spas embrace all three.

“It’s about stress relief and mindfulness.

When you’re floating, you get a heightened sense of your body without distractions,” he said. Numerous college and professional sports teams, as well as the Navy Seals, use flotation therapy to reduce inflammation and recover from injury.

It’s also touted as a means toward improving learning. “The military uses float therapy,” said Davis, noting it’s been reported that the time for learning a language can be reduced from six months to six weeks for people following a float therapy regimen.Another group finding success with the lack of stimulation are veterans struggling with PTSD.

Labyrinth, TC

Angela Macke, Light of Day

Open Heart Meditation Group, Petoskey

Megan Ward said she started using float therapy after a friend recommended it. “A friend had done it and talked about the benefits,” she said. For her, those benefits have been both mental and physical. “It helps me relax. I also lift weights, and it’s been beneficial for my body, helps me recover faster,” she said. Ward said she’s been floating nearly weekly since the facility opened.

Meditation, Part One Petoskey Roger Gietzen of Petoskey said meditation has been an important self-care practice of his for over a decade. It was when he attended a group meditation event in Casper, Wyoming, that he began to consider offering such a program in his hometown. “I could see it was really valuable, especially for beginners or those who need a little push to keep up the practice,” he said.

A neurologist at McLaren Northern Michigan, he saw some fellow staffers had an interest in learning about meditation, both for themselves and for their patients. So he started the Open Heart Meditation Group, which meets Sundays from 1pm to 2pm at the Carnegie building (the old Petoskey public library). He encourages those interested in it to check the Facebook page beforehand in case there is a schedule change.

“We have a diverse group of men and women of different ages. About half are repeat visitors and half are newcomers,” he said. Many attendees are doing it for the first time, while others are have been meditating for years.

Instructions are provided for beginners.

“The goal is for everyone to feel as equals.

If you are a little nervous … then this is the best time to join.”

Meditation, Part Two Meditation and kombucha? Why not?

Beginning April 7, Cultured Kombucha Co. in Traverse City is hosting a free Community Meditation Meet Up the first Tuesday of each month. Kombucha is a fizzy, fermented sweetened tea that is created by live cultures of bacteria and yeast and is touted for its nutritional aspects, providing and promoting probiotics, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, and antioxidants.

Owner and founder Courtney Lorenz is a meditation facilitator and will partner with other local experts throughout the year. “Meditation is a personal passion that I’m excited to share with the community.

Meditation is free, easy and accessible to everyone,” she said.

Each class will highlight a different method of meditation and its mental and physical benefits. Both novices and meditation veterans are invited to learn more about the diverse styles and their unique advantages.

Each month features a new method, such as Mindfulness, Active Movement Meditation, Kundalini, Reiki and more.

There’s no need to be experienced; the basics will be touched on at each class. Each will run from 6pm to 7pm. The taproom is located at 3842 Jupiter Crescent Dr., in Traverse City.

Pre-registration is recommended, though not required. Go to www.drinkcultured.com and click on events.

Drain Pain, Steep in Wellness If you’re more into tea than its fizzy relative, you’re in luck. At Light of Day on M-72 west of Traverse City, owner and RN Angela Macke offers Tea Wellness Classes. “The classes are for people who are sick of being sick and who are ready to take full responsibility for their own health,” said Macke.

She teaches a modification of the Healing Touch modality’s “pain drain,” which originated from ancient Shamanic techniques. Participants learn to identify energy leaks in their bodies caused by traumas, which can contribute to illness.

The wellness workshop runs from 9am to 11:30am or 2pm to 4:30pm and also includes a tea tasting in one of the farm’s yurt classrooms and a guided tour of the farm by Macke, with demonstrations of tea harvesting, tea processing, and blending methods in the hoop houses.

“I used to do so many private consultations to teach holistic health, but in the interest of time and driven by the intention to help satisfy the growing waiting list for appointments, I began offering the content as a class,” she said. The classes are offered in the two yurts on property which were built to create sacred space for ceremony. “The round, womb-like space is so warm and welcoming,” she said. Cost is $100 per person. (231) 228-7234, or click on Events at lightofdayorganics.com Bonus: Light of Day Organic Tea Farm is opening a retail store in downtown Traverse City this fall. That will allow Macke and crew to concentrate on the agricultural activities at the farm on M-72, including rebuilding two large fallen hoop houses to re-plant over 3,000 more tea seedlings, building fences

and barns, and growing produce for the local businesses it supplies, such as Press on Juice, Right Brain Brewery, Mawby sparkling wines, Grocer’s Daughter chocolates, and Short’s Brewing Company.

Release Your Meridians Traverse City Janeen Wenglikowski offers a number of treatments at Soul Expression, including massage, myofascial release, emotion code, craniosacral therapy and reiki. While all are useful on their own, she said combining them offers greater results.

“Trapped emotions show up in different ways: emotional distress, physical distress, spiritually,” she said of emotion code. She utilizes a magnet running along the body’s meridians to release them. Wenglikowski said she can work with clients in her Traverse City studio or even over the phone.

The myofascial release uses very slow, gentle and sustained pressure to offer relief to the fascia, or connective tissue to the body. As opposed to the emotion code, it is a hands-on therapy. She said physical trauma, emotional trauma, inflammation, or scarring can negatively impact the body, restricting motion and causing tension. This can result in symptoms including pain, headaches or restricted range of motion. Applying gentle, sustained pressure can eliminate pain and restore range of motion.

Craniosacral therapy is a healing technique that relies on gentle touch to diagnose and/or treat maladies. Practitioners lightly holding of the skull and sacrum and use gentle manipulations. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also reduces pain and promotes healing. It has been around for thousands of years, and involves placing the hands lightly on or over specific areas of the head, limbs, and torso using different hand shapes to enable energy to flow between the client and the practitioner. “An hour massage followed up with reiki takes it to the next level,” said Wenglikowski.

Healing Designed for Your Dosha Harbor Springs/Petoskey Ashley Valot offers yoga, reiki, and Ayurveda at various locations in Harbor Springs and Petoskey. Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems, developed more than 3,000 years ago in India. Three life forces or energies, called doshas, control how your body works: Vata dosha (space and air), Pitta dosha (fire and

water) and Kapha dosha (water and earth).

Ayurvedic practitioners create a treatment plan specifically designed for you, taking into account your unique physical and emotional makeup, your primary life force, and the balance between all three of these elements. The goal of treatment is to cleanse your body of undigested food, which can stay in your body and lead to illness.

PHAT Dad Yoga Manistee The Yoga Fitness Center in Manistee not only offers a men-only yoga class but also what it calls PHAT Dad yoga — and what we consider the best idea for incentivizing yoga-shy guys (parents of kids or dogs; they’re not picky) to step up and sweat. The men-only class is a 45-minute bit built to help guys gain flexibility, relieve pain, and grunt, groan and moan without fear of offending their (typically more flexible) female counterparts. Camaraderie and bonding are encouraged and easy in this laidback space. For those dudes who want to go deeper, there’s PHAT Dad, a 75-minute basic yoga class in which PHAT stands for “Pretty Hot and Tempting.” We heard the class is especially so if instructor Tom Stavrou brings a cooler full of beer for post-class refreshment, something in no way encouraged or endorsed by the yoga studio, of course. 358 River St. Suite B, Manistee. (231) 398-9620 Weave Your Way to Peace Tustin At the Kettunen Center in Tustin, fiber fanatics can connect with fiber, nature, others and themselves at the Spirit Spin in October. It’s a weekend of unique natural fiber workshops, creativity and mindfulness sessions, and outdoor experiences. It offers weaving, dyeing, yoga, eco-printing and more. Go to SpiritSpin.net.

Practice Practicing Traverse City The Health and Wellness Suite Meditation Room at the Cowell Family Cancer Center at Munson Medical Center offers multiple options for promoting emotional and spiritual health and it provides space for quiet or active meditation — for cancer patients, caregivers, and the community.

Free walk-in classes are available weekly, including Meditation and Music, Art and Meditation, and Mindfulness Practice. 217 S. Madison St. (231) 392-8400.

Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 13

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Odawa March Northern Express Ad 3-16 APPROVED.indd 1 1451224 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

3/11/20 5:30 PM

Old building now new brewery in Beulah

By Ross Boissoneau It takes a while for a friendship to blossom. Creating a viable business idea is also time-consuming work.

Not for Oliver Roberts and Matt Demorest. “We met at a Michigan-Michigan State tailgate in 2017,” said Roberts. “My brother-in-law was his best friend. Two weeks later we had a company.”

Demorest remembers it taking less time than that. “Within a week of meeting we had an LLC formed,” he said.

That was just over two years ago, and the result is Five Shores Brewing in downtown Beulah. The brewpub opened in January and, with its menu of several brews, cider, wine and a host of beverage-friendly foodstuffs, it’s been an immediate hit.

Both men were homebrewing enthusiasts.

Roberts had taken it a step further as the brewmaster at Wolverine State Brewing Company in Ann Arbor. Unbeknownst to both, Demorest had been drinking beers Roberts had created for years.

While the two immediately became fast friends and partners, actually bringing their business idea to life took a little longer.

Though both lived in Ann Arbor, they agreed their business — their brewery — would be located Up North. Demorest and Roberts loved this region, and Roberts’s daughter had moved to the area with her mom and stepdad. Sharing custody, Roberts said he too was committed to moving north, though he wasn’t sure how he would make a living. As the partners fine-tuned their business plan, it became clear that Roberts’s move north would coincide with launching that plan.

Identifying exactly where to locate their brewery took a while, as they looked first at Leelanau County. Then they saw the old Quonset hut building in the middle of downtown Beulah, and were drawn to the community, eventually purchasing the longvacant property.

“We were under contract in summer 2018 and started construction April 1, 2019,” said Roberts. Originally hoping for a Labor Day weekend opening, they soon realized that plan was simply too ambitious. The

doors opened in late January 2020 which they say will give them a chance to work out any kinks before the summer crush.

Five Shores Brewing is named in honor of the nearby waters. “It’s an homage to the Great Lakes and water. Water is a big part of beer. Where we’re situated we have a view of Crystal Lake and Cold Creek,” said Demorest.

Roberts said they want to make the brewery a destination, so the focus is on the beer, with lighter fare designed to accommodate those who want something to eat while they quaff.

So what about the beer, you ask? Roberts is on top of things there, as you’d expect from someone who’s won three Great American Beer Festival medals. He said the brews reflect his commitment to modern contemporary styles: American lagers, IPAs (including fruited IPAs), brown and brut ales, and the occasional stout.

It’s all brewed on the premises. In fact, Roberts and Demorest are brewing with equipment originally used by another Benzie County brewery. “We met Rick at Stormcloud (co-owner Rick Schmitt). Two weeks later we bought Stormcloud’s old equipment. This entire project has been so serendipitous,” said Roberts.

While it’s a brewery, the duo is not overlooking other beverages. They offer a bushel of ciders, courtesy of a collaboration with Tandem Ciders; wines, including a sparkling wine made with L. Mawby; even a blackberry mead. Coming soon will be draft cocktails, premixed and stored in kegs for ready access. “We’ll focus on one or two high-quality cocktails,” said Demorest, noting that such an approach will enable bartenders to more quickly service customers. “In the summer when it’s busy, people aren’t that patient.”

For those looking for non-alcoholic beverages, Five Shores offers Northwood sodas and draft ginger kombucha from Cultured Kombucha of Traverse City.

While the focus is on the beer, Five Shores offers a number of comestibles, from starters to sandwiches, all of which are meant to complement, not overwhelm, the beer.

“Shareables” include guacamole, blue cheese and French onion dips with various chips,

Matt Demorest (left) and Oliver Roberts

avocado hoagie toast, and what may be the world’s largest pretzel.

Panini press sandwiches are the staple, including a tuna melt with Swiss and tomato, turkey Reuben, Bavarian ham & cheese, Cuban-ish (Swiss, ham, pulled pork, pickles and mustard) and green apple and gruyere, among others. Cactus beef chili, Thai carrot ginger and a soup of the day, mac and cheese, and a flourless chocolate torte round things out.

“We developed the menu with our food reps. Matt and I have worked on everything together,” said Roberts.

Roberts has moved to the area, but Demorest still calls Ann Arbor home as he owns a mortgage company based there. He and his wife and their five kids frequently make the trek north, where they share a duplex with Roberts and his daughter.

Despite coming from downstate, Demorest immediately felt welcomed. “The biggest surprise has been the community support and how much ownership people in the community see in our building. We’re lucky to bring back to life a building that was vacant for 30 years in a village that’s been overlooked about that long,” said Demorest.

Photos courtesy of Cathy Boissoneau and Five Shores Brewing.

The two say the response from other restaurants and businesses has been nothing but positive.

Five Shores lifetime memberships are evidence of the community’s commitment.

More than 300 people signed up before it was even open, and membership is now approaching 500. In keeping with the brewery’s commitment to its community, one tap will be designated as the “Better for Benzie tap.” A portion of all its sales will go to a local non-profit.

They have big plans for summer. A large garage door in the main room will provide easy access to the north side, so long as the breeze off Crystal Lake isn’t too intense.

They own much of the property surrounding the brewery, and have plans for outdoor activities, a beer garden, music and more.

The two see fellow brewers not as competition but as fellow drawing cards for their individual communities. “There’s a ton of good beer in Benzie County: St. Ambrose, Lake Ann Brewing, Stormcloud, but not right here in Beulah,” said Roberts. Seems that’s changed.

Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 15

Hockey kids One of the North’s oldest sports has honed its approach to getting more kids on the ice and in the game.

By the looks of the state’s amateur hockey association’s recent Mite Jamboree, it’s working.

By Al Parker After poking the puck past the opposing goalie, the energetic young hockey player got high-fives from teammates, then briskly skated to the bench for a 90-second shift change.

“That was SOOOO cool,” she squealed, with all the enthusiasm that an 8-year-old girl can muster.

The youngster was one of almost 700 7- and 8-year-old hockey players to play in the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association’s (MAHA) Mite Jamboree in mid-February at Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City.

“Youth hockey is alive and well,” said MAHA President George Atkinson. “Like all sports, we face challenges, but hockey is growing, while many other youth sports are down.”

Seventy-four teams from across the Lower Peninsula gathered for the three-day event.

They came from Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Gaylord, Kalkaska, Lapeer, Rockford, Petoskey, Flint, Saginaw, Plymouth, Big Rapids, and the metro Detroit area. The Centre Ice parking lots were jammed with vehicles during the three-day event, with some spilling out to nearby roads.

The Centre Ice lobby area and concession stands were abuzz with activity with teams coming and going from the 7 am start to the final game each day. It’s all hockey, all the time.

“It’s certainly a big weekend for us,” said Kurt Schrank, the arena’s ice scheduler.

“We had a couple of hundred kids the first year, and this year we had a little over 100 from GTHA [Grand Traverse Hockey

Association] and 550 or so from the rest of the state.”

While there is no specific data on the economic impact of the event to Traverse City, most of the visiting teams stay in local hotels and eat at nearby restaurants, according to Schrank. “It has to be good for the area,” he said.

Each team was composed of six to nine players and played at least four and up to six games. Four skaters and a goalie are on the ice at any one time. Each game lasts 21 minutes. Every 90 seconds there’s a buzzer to signal a shift change, giving each player plenty of ice time. There’s no body checking allowed.

In addition to the Centre Ice event, MAHA sponsors three other jamborees — in Chelsea in November, Burton in December, and East Lansing in January. The TC event is the largest of the four annual gatherings. (The MAHA State Championships, featuring 90 teams, just happened March 6–8 in Dearborn.)

Adam Schmidt, of Petoskey, coaches his son Cooper’s team. “This event gives us a pretty diverse group of teams,” he said. “We usually play the same teams in Petoskey, but you come here, and you can get to play a good group from across the state.”

Cooper got into hockey last year, as a 7-year-old. “He wanted to learn to skate,” said Schmidt. “And that just snowballed into hockey. He likes the skating and doing things out there on the ice.”

Schmidt’s team lost their first two games of the Jamboree, but that didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. “Some could care less,” he said. “They just enjoy the playing. Some take it to heart, but they all have fun.”

The Petoskey Area Hockey Association

16 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

(PAHA) hosedt its own Mites Tournament on March 14–15 at the Petoskey Ice Arena in Harbor Springs.

Traverse City resident Tim White grew up in Chicago and is an avid Blackhawks fan.

He coaches his son’s 8-under team. White played intramural hockey in college and still plays on a GTHA men’s team. His 12-yearold son is on a PeeWee team, his 10-year-old daughter plays on a 10-under squad, and his 7-year-old plays, too.

“The kids wanted to play, so I began coaching,” he said with a laugh. “We’re here [at Centre Ice] a lot from September to March.

I enjoy sharing the experience with my kids.

We’re really a hockey family.”

Getting into youth hockey doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition, Schrank said. “For some of the mites, if they get their own skates and helmets, we can provide everything else,” he said. “If they want to buy all of their own equipment, you could outfit them for $200 to $300.”

The GTHA conducts an equipment swap each August, before the season starts in September.

One of the factors in the growing popularity of youth hockey is an innovative training program called American Development Model, or ADM. It’s a national program from USA Hockey and stresses age-appropriate, age-specific competition and training for boys and girls. It emphasizes skill development and long-term athletic training principles.

Launched in New York City in 1937, USA Hockey is now in all 50 states and includes more than a million players, coaches, officials, parents and volunteers. Its primary emphasis is on the support and development of

grassroots hockey programs, such as GTHA. ADM stresses small-area games, so games of 7- and 8-year-olds are half the size of the full rink; removable boards halve the ice so two games are held at once. For even younger players, their playing surfaces are cross-ice, using the width of the normal rink as the length.

“It used to be that on a full-length rink the younger players would get bored when the action was at the other end,” said one veteran coach. “Now they play on half a rink, and everyone stays involved.”

Practices are designed to include a lot of activity. Players don’t spend time waiting in line to participate in drills or games. Coaches are urged to make sure each player is active for 40 minutes in a 60-minute practice.

Players are taught skating skills, puck control, passing and receiving passes, shooting, body contact and goaltending. They are also introduced to nutritional importance, including proper hydration and good eating habits. “I like it,” said White. “It enables the kids to build skills in a short time. It’s age appropriate and helps the kids while they’re still learning.”

WANNA PLAY? Grand Traverse Hockey Association at 231 933-4842 or www.tchockey.com.

Petoskey Area Hockey Association at www.petoskeyhockey.com.

Otsego County Hockey Association at www.gaylordhockey.com.

Cadillac Area Hockey Association at www.cadillachockey.com.

IMPORTANT: Many events are canceled, so please contact event organizers before attending.

mar 14

saturday

DOODLE DAY: Held every second Sat. of the month at Twisted Fish Art Gallery, Elk Rapids from 1-3pm. Express your creativity. Anyone is welcome. Supplies are available, but guests can bring their own if they prefer. Free. twistedfishgallery.com

---------------------KIDS’ FESTIVAL WEEKEND: Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls. Games, stories, ziplining, movies & more. boynemountain.com/upcoming-events/kids-festival-weekend-new

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10TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: THIS IS NOW A “VIRTUAL RACE” more information at runsignup.com/ Race/MI/TraverseCity/LeapinLeprechaun5K

---------------------CRAFT FAIR & BAKE SALE: 9am-3pm, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Interlochen.

---------------------SPRING CARNIVAL: Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville, March 13-14. Today includes the Cardboard Classic Creative Sled Contest, Cardboard Classic Race, DJ Dance Party & BBQ, Slush Cup, live music by Scarkazm & more. crystalmountain.com/event/spring-carnival

---------------------ANNUAL TC BOAT SHOW: 10am-8pm, GT Civic Center, TC. Featuring pontoons, ski boats, cruisers, personal watercraft, docks, boat lifts, paddle boards & more. $7 adult, $2 6-15, free 5 & under.

---------------------MAKE-A-GIFT SERIES: PAPER WEAVING CLASS: 10am-noon, Interlochen Public Library, Community Room. For adults. Sign up: 231-276-6767. Free.

---------------------TC LOCAL WINTER MARKET: 10am-2pm, 801 E. Front St., TC. This once-a-month market features local vendors offering food items & crafts.

There is also a raffle drawing for a basket of goodies. Trade a non-perishable food item for donation to charity in exchange for five raffle tickets.

---------------------THE OPARK SLOPE STYLE EVENT: 10am, Otsego Resort, Winter Sports Center, Gaylord. $5 entry fee per competition. otsegoclub.com/ event/the-opark-slope-style-event-2020-03-14

ter, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. An original ballet based on an old Irish legend about Lusmore, a poor hunchback from the Knockgrafton region. Tickets can be purchased through mynorthtickets.com. $20 adults, $12 students & seniors. ballet-etc.com/northwest-michiganballet-theatre

JUGGLER’S WORLD CUP VII: With special guests The Passing Zone, as seen on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ Other featured acts are Tuey Wilson, Clark Lewis, Da Fly’n Zambonis & Tommy Tropic. Jugglers hit the slopes at 2pm behind the Otsego Resort Lodge, Gaylord. Free. otsegoclub.com/event/jugglers-world-cup-ski-race OF GREEN GABLES: 2pm & 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Phoenix Theatre. Presented by Parallel 45 Theatre. A contemporary twist on L.M. Montgomery’s novel, “Anne of Green Gables.” Featuring Interlochen Arts Academy theatre students. Free. interlochen.org

---------------------SPLASH DOWN: 2-5pm, Otsego Resort, River Cabin, Gaylord. otsegoclub.com/event/splashdown

---------------------EXPLORING WATERCOLOR: 2:30pm, Arts for All of NMI Studio, 1129 Woodmere Ave., Suite A, TC. Join artist Karen Vande Kieft to experiment with a variety of watercolor painting techniques & create your own piece to take home. Try tube, pan & liquid watercolors & explore mixing & masking colors, creating layers & texture for your own artwork. Adults & adults with children 10+ of all abilities are welcome. $5. artsforallnmi.org/programs/access

---------------------STUFFED ANIMAL SLEEPOVER: 3:30pm, Petoskey District Library, Children’s Area. Bring a stuffed animal or doll you are willing to leave over the weekend for their own library adventure—after hours! Drop off your stuffed animal, read them a good night story, & tuck them in for their weekend visit. Pick up your stuffed animal on Mon., March 16 after 2pm. petoskeylibrary.org

---------------------PENNING TALES OF TERROR: 5-10pm, Higher Grounds Trading Co., TC. Write 3,000-8,000 words of your scariest story - to be shared at a later date if you wish. This must be a new piece started & finished that night. Participants who finish will receive small door prizes. $10 reserves the space & goes toward a free drink & unlimited drip coffee. Presented by the local NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) group (TC WriMos). eventbrite.com

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FREE COOKING DEMONSTRATION: 124pm, American Spoon, TC. This week’s recipe is Spicy Pimento Cheese Dip featuring American Spoon Chili Jam. Accompanied by free samples. spoon.com

BAYSIDE TRAVELLERS CONTRA DANCE: Elk Rapids Township Hall. Basic Skills Workshop, 7pm; dance, 7:30-10:30pm. Featuring the band Harbor Hoedown. $11 adult, $7 student, $9 member. dancetc.com

---------------------GREAT LAKES SCALE MODELERS: 1-4pm, Traverse Area District Library, Thirlby Room, TC. For those who enjoy the hobby of building Plastic Model kits. Members share tips & ideas to improve their modeling skills. Contact fjunruh@charter.net for more info.

---------------------SILLY SLALOM: 1-5pm, Otsego Resort, Gaylord. Get creative & wear your best costume. otsegoclub.com/event/silly-slalom

---------------------42ND ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: 1:30-3pm, Downtown TC. Starts at Kilkenny’s on West Front St. & makes a loop through downtown, finishing back at Kilkenny’s where a post-parade party will feature music & more. Presented by the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

“THE LEGEND OF KNOCKGRAFTON” BALLET: 2pm & 7pm, Dennos Museum Cen-

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

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AUTHORS SIGNINGS: Horizon Books, TC. 12-2pm: Brian Ursu will sign his first book, “Now What?”, a practical guide to figuring out your financial future. 3-5pm: Leslie Lee will sign her latest book, “Leslie’s Field Guide to Ireland.” horizonbooks.com/event

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14-22

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“PETER & THE STARCATCHER”: 7pm, TC West Senior High School Auditorium, TC. A prequel to “Peter Pan,” based on the children’s book by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson & freely adapted for stage by Rick Elice.

Presented by TC West Senior High School Theatre Department. $12 adult, $8 student. mynorthtickets.com

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march

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“ANNIE GET YOUR GUN”: 7:30pm, Cheboygan Opera House. Presented by Cheboygan Area High School. Annie Oakley once performed live on the Cheboygan Opera House stage! $13 advance, $16 door. Find on Facebook.

---------------------“SILENT SKY”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. A century ago women who worked in astronomy weren’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. But that didn’t stop one woman from making a groundbreaking discovery. $18 adults; $15 (plus fees) youth under 18. tickets.oldtownplayhouse.com/TheatreManager/1/online

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FRESHWATER CONCERT: THORNETTA DAVIS: 8pm, Freshwater Art Gallery & Concert Venue, Boyne City. Thornetta’s song “Cry” was featured on the HBO series “The Sopranos.”

Do “The Twist” with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chubby Checker at Little River Casino Resort, Manistee on Sat., March 21 at 8pm. Checker’s other Top Ten hits include Pony Time, Limbo Rock, Slow Twistin’, The Fly, Let’s Twist Again and Popeye (The Hitchhiker). Tickets: $30, $40, $45. lrcr.com/event-calendar/concerts/chubby-checker She has opened & shared the stage with Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, B.B. King & many others. $35 advance. facebook.com/ FRESHWATERARTGALLERY

mar 15

sunday

KIDS’ FESTIVAL WEEKEND: (See Sat., March 14)

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ANNUAL TC BOAT SHOW: 10am-4pm, GT Civic Center, TC. Featuring pontoons, ski boats, cruisers, personal watercraft, docks, boat lifts, paddle boards & more. $7 adult, $2 6-15, free 5 & under.

---------------------DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FOR TEENS: 1-3pm, Traverse Area District Library, Teen Services, TC. Play using fifth edition rules & a few adaptations. Dice, rule books & snacks will be provided. New & experienced players welcome. Free. tadl.org/event/dungeons-dragonsfor-teens-2/2020-03-15

---------------------“ANNIE GET YOUR GUN”: 2pm, Cheboygan Opera House. Presented by Cheboygan Area High School. Annie Oakley once performed live on the Cheboygan Opera House stage! $13 advance, $16 door. Find on Facebook.

---------------------“SILENT SKY”: 2pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. A century ago women who worked in astronomy weren’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. But that didn’t stop one woman from making a groundbreaking discovery. $18 adults; $15 (plus fees) youth under 18. tickets.oldtownplayhouse.com/TheatreManager/1/online

---------------------AUDITIONS FOR “MAMMA MIA”: 3:30-7pm, Cadillac High School Auditorium. cadillacfootliters.com

---------------------KENNEDY’S KITCHEN: 4pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. “Irish Kitchen Music from the home, the hearth, and the heart.” $25. thebaytheatre.com

THE BEST BOOKSTORE SUNDAY NIGHT POETRY SLAM WITH LARRY MAWBY: 5pm, Bay Books, Suttons Bay. baybooksmi.com/events

---------------------BLISSFEST CONCERT SERIES: 15TH ANNUAL IRISH HOOLIE: 6pm, Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey. The Hoolie is an annual fundraiser to benefit the Robert Emmet Society Scholarship fund. Enjoy an evening of Celtic music featuring the band AnDro. Also appearing will be local Irish artists including The Hooligans and Simple Gifts.

Stafford’s will provide their Irish themed menu. $20 advance; $25 door; RES & Blissfest members, $15; students, $10. blissfest.org

mar 16

monday

COFFEE HOURS WITH SEN. CURT VANDERWALL: For residents of the 35th Senate District to express their opinions or concerns about state government or to request assistance with a state issue. 8-9am: Kalkaska County Administration Building, Kalkaska. 11am-noon: Crawford County Building, Grayling. 1-855-347-8035.

---------------------KIDS’ FESTIVAL WEEKEND: (See Sat., March 14)

---------------------COFFEE HOURS W/ STATE SEN. WAYNE SCHMIDT, R-TRAVERSE CITY: 10-11am, Petoskey City Hall. Constituents throughout the 37th Senate District. senatorwayneschmidt.com

---------------------BOOK CLUB: 4pm, Benzonia Public Library.

Held the 3rd Monday of each month. Book discussion for ages 10-13. Free. benzonialibrary.org

---------------------DARK & STORMCLOUDY FILM & BEER SERIES: 4:30pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. The film is “Bingo: The King of the Mornings” & the beer is Cream Ale Noir.

Tickets are $10 per person, plus each movie ticket purchaser receives a $5 Stormcloud Brewing Co. token. The March Beer Dinner will be held tonight at 6:30pm at Stormcloud Brewing Co. frankfortgardentheater.com/ dark-stormcloudy-film-series

Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 17

IMPORTANT: Many events are canceled, so please contact event organizers before attending.

IRISH HISTORY, FOLKLORE, AND LEGENDS: 6pm, Elk Rapids District Library. Author & storyteller David McDonnell will share a wee bit of Irish history, culture & legends. Free. elkrapidslibrary. org/news-events/irish-history-folklore-legends

---------------------AUDITIONS FOR “MAMMA MIA”: 6:158:30pm, Cadillac High School Auditorium. cadillacfootliters.com

---------------------WELL TAUGHT: 6:30pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Join author Karen Rieser as she talks about her latest book, “The History of Education on Old Mission Peninsula.” peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

---------------------HERE:SAY PRESENTS: VENTRILOQUIST: 7pm, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. Scheduled performers tell true, THIRD-person stories about people in their lives who had a story to tell. Free; donations at door. Find on Facebook.

mar 17

tuesday

COFFEE @ TEN, TC: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Carnegie Rotunda, TC. Featuring Craig Hadley, the new executive director of the Dennos Museum Center at NMC, TC. Free. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traversecity/coffee-ten-talk-march-2020

---------------------PEEPERS PROGRAM: AMAZING ANTS!: 10am, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. For ages 3-5. All children must be accompanied by an adult. This 90-minute nature program includes stories, crafts, music & discovery activities. Ends with an outside portion. Pre-register. $5. natureiscalling.org/event/peepers-program-amazing-ants

---------------------GET CRAFTY: Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Create a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow on St. Patrick’s Day. Held from 11amnoon & 2-3pm. greatlakeskids.org

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ART WALK CENTRAL MEET & GREET: 11:30am-1:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Carnegie Rotunda, TC. Director Amy Powell will explain everything you need to know about the Art Walk Central 2020 competition. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-traverse-city/art-walk-centralmeet-greet

---------------------ST. PATRICK’S DAY PUB WALK: 1-10pm, Downtown TC. Also enjoy live music by the Grand Traverse Pipes & Drums. tcaoh.com

---------------------MUNSON HEALTHCARE HOSPICE GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP: 2pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Join a friendly environment where grief & loss are understood. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

---------------------CINEMA ARTS: “ROAD TO BALI” (1952): 6pm, Oliver Art Center, Fisher Classroom, Frankfort. Free; donations welcome. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org

---------------------GTHC PROGRAM: ICELANDIC ADVENTURES: 7pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Join Sara Cockrell for her slideshow presentation on her adventures in Iceland in July, 2017.

Upon arrival, she spent a week hiking 48 miles hut-to-hut with Icelandic mtn. guides from Landmannalaugar to Dorsmork & Skogar, one of the most popular treks in Iceland. Free. facebook. com/GTHikers

---------------------RED SKY STAGE POETRY NIGHT: 7-10pm, Red Sky Stage, Bay Harbor. Held the third Tues. of every month. Hosted by local poet & playwright Bob Vance. $5 donation suggested. redskystage.com

mar 18

wednesday

GROWING UP IN KINGSLEY: 10:30am, 115 E. Blair St., Kingsley. Bring photos, documents & stories & be a part of preserving Kingsley’s history. Kingsley High School seniors will conduct the interviews of participants. Optional lunch available at noon with a $3 suggested donation for 60+ & $5 for all others. Must register in advance: 922-4911.

---------------------2020 BUSINESS EXPO & TASTE OF CHARLEVOIX: 4-7pm, Castle Farms, Charlevoix.

Featuring vendor booths in a wide range of categories, including restaurants offering a sampling of their culinary specialties. $5.

---------------------NORTHERN MI WEDDING EXPO: 4-7pm, Kirkbride Hall, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Win thousands of dollars towards your wedding services & give back to local animals. Half of the registration proceeds will go to Cherryland Humane Society. Presented by the Traverse City Record-Eagle. $5/person to pre-register & $10/person at the door. nmiweddingexpo.com

---------------------FOOD & FARMING NETWORK SUMMIT: 4:30-7:30pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Building NW MI’s agricultural future.

RSVP: 231-348-1770.

---------------------SCALE UP NORTH AWARDS 2020: 4:30pm, City Opera House, TC. The Scale Up North Finals will feature a pitch competition for the three finalists for the Emerging Business Award followed by a moderated panel discussion with the three finalists for the Hagerty Scaling Business Award. Attendees will have two opportunities for networking during the evening: preceding the program & following, while the judges deliberate backstage. The evening will conclude with a celebration following the live announcement of the winners that evening. $25. cityoperahouse.org/sun-awards

---------------------PLANTING WORKSHOP: 6:308:30pm, Leelanau County Government Center, Community Room, Suttons Bay. Presented by the Leelanau Conservation District. Join retired soil scientist Tim Overdier of the Biochar Guys to learn about soil amendments for maximum planting success. Next learn about new species to plant through the Assisted Range Expansion Project, ATREP, with Maddy Baroli, project manager. Lastly, gain understanding on matching the right tree to the right site for the right reason with Resource Specialist Tom Adams & District Forester Kama Ross. Register: 231-256-9783. Free. leelanaucd.org

SPRING

mar 19

thursday

GAYLORD HIGH SCHOOL CAREER FAIR: CAREER & TECHNICAL INDUSTRY: 8am-2:30pm, 90 Livingston Blvd., Gaylord.

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GALLERY EXHIBIT #2: 10am-1pm, Northport Arts Association. Art exhibit featuring the works of Kat Dakota, Marjorie Farrell, Barbara Reich & Esther Send. Free. northportartsassociation. org/all-happenings/2020/2/14/gallery-exhibitscsgj-k8yfe

---------------------AARP DRIVER SAFETY COURSE: 10:30am5pm, Petoskey District Library Classroom. For drivers 50 years of age & older. Registration required. 231-758-3100. Free. petoskeylibrary.org

---------------------INTERACTIVE STORYTIME: 11am, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “The Little Blue Truck” by Alice Schertie, followed by a craft or activity. greatlakeskids.org

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SPRING INTO HOME OWNERSHIP: TBA Credit Union, 630 E. Front St., TC. Learn the essentials of homeownership at this workshop.

Held at noon & 6pm. Register. Free. tbacu.com

18 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

EAST JORDAN BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-7pm, Jordan River Arts Council, East Jordan.

The Malleable Metals II exhibit will be on display. No charge to chamber members; $10 for not-yet-members.

---------------------NORTHLAND WEAVERS & FIBER ARTS GUILD MONTHLY MEETING: 5:30pm, TC Senior Center. The topic will be “Great Lakes Variations” on the Coral Reef Project. Bring yarn & crochet hooks. Free. northlandweaversguild.com

---------------------CASTING CALL FOR PRODUCTION OF “VAGINA MONOLOGUES”: 6-8pm, Red Sky Stage, Bay Harbor. Learn about the production of this play, which will be held on May 1, & be eligible to become a member of the cast. redskystage.com/event-schedule-4/#sect-142

---------------------CITIZENS’ CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING: 6pm, Central United Methodist Church, third floor, TC. If you’re new to CCL, please arrive at 5:30pm to learn about advocacy for national policies to address climate change. citizensclimatelobby.org

---------------------INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FORUM: BREXIT: 6pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Analysis from the front lines of Europe’s breaking point. Featuring Frank Langfitt, international correspondent, London, NPR. tciaf.com

----------------------

SPRING INTO HOME OWNERSHIP: TBA Credit Union, 630 E. Front St., TC. Learn the essentials of homeownership at this workshop.

Held at noon & 6pm. Register. Free. tbacu.com

---------------------FILM SCREENING: “THE NEED TO GROW”: 6:30pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Presented by the Grand Traverse Conservation District. 941-0960, ext. 23. Donations appreciated. natureiscalling.org

---------------------“WILD UTAH: AMERICA’S RED ROCK WILDERNESS”: 7pm, Emmet County EMS Station, Petoskey. The speaker will be Clayton Daughenbaugh, conservation organizer with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

Includes a short film, “Wild Utah.” Hosted by Petoskey Regional Audubon Society & South of the Straits Sierra Club. Free.

---------------------TRAVERSE AREA CAMERA CLUB MARCH MEETING: 7pm, The Presbyterian Church, TC. Featuring speaker Phill Staff, a renowned waterfall photographer from Cadillac.

---------------------“SILENT SKY”: (See Sat., March 14) ---------------------DARK & STORMCLOUDY FILM & BEER SERIES: 7:30pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort.

The film is “Bingo: The King of the Mornings” & the beer is Cream Ale Noir. Tickets are $10 per person, plus each movie ticket purchaser receives a $5 Stormcloud Brewing Co. token. frankfortgardentheater.com/dark-stormcloudy-film-series

---------------------NPR’S FROM THE TOP: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. This youth classical music program returns for a live recording session. Join Academy soloists & ensembles as they share songs & stories. $34 full, $14 student. tickets.interlochen.org/events/ nprs-top/march-19-2020-730pm

mar 20

friday

HEALTH FORUM: IMPLICATIONS OF MARIJUANA IN HEALTH CARE: 7:309:30am, Hagerty Center, NMC, TC. Speakers will bring varying perspectives from their fields of expertise to educate you regarding current Marijuana laws & regulations & to discuss what the recent changes mean to the health care professionals, educators, law enforcement, & the community at large. Free. gvsu.edu

---------------------FARMING FOR THE FUTURE - IN ANTRIM COUNTY: Banks Township Hall, Ellsworth.

Presented by Antrim Conservation District, re-

gional staff & partners. Registration, 8:30am; workshop, 9am-3pm. Register. $10; includes breakfast, snack & lunch. antrimcd.com/farming-for-the-future-workshop.html

---------------------CARNIVAL WEEKEND: Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, March 20-22. Featuring the On-Hill Party, Spring-a-licious Snow Beach, Village Party, Apres Ski Party, 90’s Party, Last Man Standing Brunch & Bloody Mary Bar, Slush Cup, live music & more. boynemountain. com/upcoming-events/carnival-weekend

---------------------DISCOVER WITH ME: 10am-noon, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Have fun with indoor soft gym equipment. Jump! Roll! Slide! greatlakeskids.org

---------------------WINTER LUNCHEON LECTURE: TALKING TRASH: NCMC, Library Conference Center, Petoskey. Chris Gee got his start in the trash business at age 9. Today he runs the landfill in Onaway owned by GFL Environmental Inc. based in Toronto, Canada that takes all of the trash collected in Emmet County. Lunch begins at 11:30am & the program at noon. $12. ncmich.edu

---------------------THE HOUSEWIVES OF BELLAIRE: BLING, SWEATS & HEELS: 4-8pm, Downtown Bellaire. Get your Grand Prize passport from any of the participating Downtown Bellaire merchants.

Dress up & get a Golden Ticket. Visit each location to have your passport stamped & then return it to be entered into the Grand Prize Drawing featuring items donated from local merchants.

---------------------CANDLELIT SINGING BOWLS: 6pm, New Moon Yoga, TC. This collection of antique bowls handmade by Tibetan monks was used for centuries for healing & meditation. Eva creates an improvised, vibrational soundscape that is heard, as well as felt. Suggested donation: $12. newmoonyogastudio.com

---------------------CONCERT FOR COMMUNITY AWARENESS: 6-10pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Jimmy Olson, Mark Lavengood, The Pocket & Charlie Millard will be the featured performers, with production support

by NMC Audio Tech students. This event will be a gathering to bring more awareness to the important topics around Healthy Mind, Body & Environmental Relationships. Free.

---------------------AFTER HOURS ADULT LASER TAG: 6:30pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Held after the library has closed. Teams will be named after iconic women, & the field will be the Adult Services section of the library – the entire second floor. Laser tag equipment provided. Bring your best team. Registration is live. Free. tadl.org/event/after-hours-laser-tag

---------------------“MAMMA MIA!”: 7pm, Charlevoix Middle/High School Auditorium. Presented by Charlevoix Performing Arts. A jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the

CALLING ALL RACE HOSTS & PROMOTERS: Do you want your upcoming running/ swimming/biking/tri/canoe/paddleboard race to be included in Northern Express’ biannual roundup of races happening between May and Oct. in northwest Lower Michigan? By March 30, please send an email with the following details to events@traverseticker.com race name, race date, race location, website address for race information, and the website address for online registration. The comprehensive race roundup will be featured in our April 20 issue.

IMPORTANT: Many events are canceled, so please contact event organizers before attending. songs of ABBA composed by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band.

Tickets at door: $10 adults; $5 senior citizens & students. Sun. offers a family admission special of $20 for 2 adults & 2+ children/students.

---------------------PETER PAN JR., THE MUSICAL: 7pm, Peterman Auditorium, Elk Rapids High School.

Cherryland Middle School Drama Department presents this story of Peter Pan, the boy who didn’t want to grow up. Children/students: $5; adults: $1. mynorthtickets.com

---------------------“SILENT SKY”: (See Sat., March 14)

mar 21

saturday

KRAZY DAZE: Boyne Highlands Resort, Harbor Springs.

Featuring Slush Cup/Ski Over the Pond, Jumping Contest, Nastar Race, Silly Slalom, Get Crazy After Party & more. boynehighlands.com

---------------------CARNIVAL WEEKEND: (See Fri., March 20) ---------------------CELTS & KAYAKS: Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Dress up in your St. Patrick’s Day attire & receive $10 off your Open-to-Close window lift ticket. Featuring the Pot of Gold Challenge, Look for the Leprechaun, Kayak on the Snow Race, Slush Cup, DJ Dance Party & BBQ, Celtic Dance & free Slopeside Concert featuring TYPO. crystalmountain.com/event/celts-kayaks

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BENZIE COUNTY DEMOCRATS MONTHLY MEETING: Benzie County Democratic Party Headquarters, 9930 Honor Hwy., Honor. Meetings on third Sat. of the month, with 9:30am coffee klatch, 10am community announcements, followed byva speaker. Free. benziedemocrats.com

---------------------CHILDREN’S VISION DAY: 10am-3pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Presented by the Michigan Optometric Association Children’s Vision Committee. Children & their parents will learn about eye safety, eye anatomy, what to expect at an eye exam, & how to locate a doctor in their area. greatlakeskids.org

---------------------FREE SPRING LANDSCAPE PLANNING WORKSHOP: 10am-noon, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Presented by the GT Conservation District. Register. natureiscalling.org MARDI GRAS SPRING FLING: 10am, Nub’s Nob, Harbor Springs. Featuring the Soaker Cup, a costume contest, Dorie Sarns Challenge, live music with the Jelly Roll Blues Band & much more. nubsnob.com/calendar

---------------------AUTHOR SIGNING: 11am-1pm, Horizon Books, TC. Heather Shumaker returns with books that aren’t just for adults anymore. Her first youth title, “The Griffins of Castle Cary,” is being released in paperback, so she will sign copies & meet fans. horizonbooks.com/event

---------------------COOKING DEMONSTRATION: Stop by American Spoon, 230 E. Front St., TC every Sat. from 12-4pm for a free cooking demonstration accompanied by samples of featured recipe.

This week: Jam Buttercream Frosted Cupcakes with assorted preserves. Free. spoon.com

MODEL RAILROAD MEETING: 1-4pm, Peninsula Township Hall, TC. National Model Railroad Association North Central Region Division 2 Monthly Meeting. Will include a presentation on model railroading & show & tell. Free. info@ ncrdivision2.groups.io

---------------------CHILI COOK OFF: 3pm, American Legion Post 531 & Auxiliary, Copemish. Enjoy chili & vote for your favorite. $5/person includes chili, coffee or punch & dessert. Live music by The Feathers & Fur Band at 7pm. 231-884-1780. $5 per person. Find on Facebook.

---------------------PETER PAN JR., THE MUSICAL: 3pm & 7pm, Peterman Auditorium, Elk Rapids High School.

Cherryland Middle School Drama Department presents this story of Peter Pan, the boy who didn’t want to grow up. Children/students: $5; adults: $1. mynorthtickets.com

---------------------“MAMMA MIA!”: (See Fri., March 20) ---------------------“SILENT SKY”: (See Sat., March 14) ---------------------LYNN MILES: 7:30pm, Leelanau Community Cultural Center, Leland. This singer/songwriter from Canada has 10 albums to her credit & is the winner of multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards & a 2003 Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Solo Album of the Year. $20 advance; $25 door.

---------------------THE BACH & BEETHOVEN EXPERIENCE: 7:30pm, Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee. A Chicago-based ensemble that brings artists together to make classical music into community & transform the classical concert experience. $10-$30. ci.ovationtix.com

---------------------CHUBBY CHECKER: 8pm, Little River Casino Resort, Manistee. Do “The Twist” with this rock & roll legend! $30, $40, $45. lrcr.com/eventcalendar/concerts/chubby-checker

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JABO BIHLMAN WSG MEDICINAL GROOVE: 8-11pm, Kirkbride Hall, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Enjoy Emmy award winning guitarist, singer & songwriter Jabo Bihlman with special guest Medicinal Groove. Soft drinks, beer, wine & cocktails will be available for purchase with proceeds benefiting Spark in the Dark TC. $20 advance; $25 door. thevillagetc.com/jabo-bihlman-with-special-guestmedicinal-grove

---------------------SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX: 8pm, City Opera House, TC. Welcome to the Twenties 2.0 Tour. $49.50, $65, $75. cityoperahouse.org/postmodern-jukebox-2020

mar 22

sunday

CARNIVAL WEEKEND: (See Fri., March 20)

-------------

“MAMMA MIA!”: 2pm, Charlevoix Middle/High School Auditorium. Presented

by Charlevoix Performing Arts. A jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA composed by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Tickets at door: $10 adults; $5 senior citizens & students. Sun. offers a family admission special of $20 for 2 adults & 2+ children/students.

----------------------

----------------------

BOOKS & CUPCAKES: 2pm, Bay Books, Suttons Bay. Enjoy story time & cupcakes & cookies. baybooksmi.com

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DARK & STORMCLOUDY FILM & BEER SERIES: 2pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. The film is “Bingo: The King of the Mornings” & the beer is Cream Ale Noir. Tickets are $10 per person, plus each movie ticket purchaser receives a $5 Stormcloud Brewing Co. token. frankfortgardentheater.com/dark-stormcloudy-film-series

SPRING BREAK ESCAPE - NATIONAL PARKS FILM FESTIVAL: 12:30pm, Phillip A. Hart Visitor Center Auditorium, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire. Seating is limited to the first 100. Free.

KIDS FUN DAY CARNIVAL: 1-3pm, Benzonia Public Library, Mills Community House, upper level. Reading time with Benzie Central student-athletes, carnival games, face painting, photo booth, make & take craft workshops & more. Free. benzonialibrary.org

----------------------

---------------------SECOND ANNUAL SEED SWAP: 2pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Poesis Commu-

nity Farm will share seeds & talk about seed saving & processing seeds. You are welcome to bring seeds with you to swap, whether they are processed or not. Free. tadl.org/event/second-annual-seed-swap

DOWNTOWN

TRAVERSE CITY

---------------------PETER PAN JR., THE MUSICAL: 3pm, Peterman Auditorium, Elk Rapids High School.

Cherryland Middle School Drama Department presents this story of Peter Pan, the boy who didn’t want to grow up. Children/students: $5; adults: $1. mynorthtickets.com

----------------------

GREAT LAKES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA SUNDAY SERIES: BRASS QUINTET & DRUMHEADS: 4pm, First Congregational Church, Charlevoix. Free. glcorchestra.org

---------------------ON THE PORCH: PETER MULVEY: 5pm, Sleder’s Family Tavern, TC. Beginning his career on the streets of Dublin as a busker, Peter moved on to make 17 records spanning rock, folk, jazz & more. $20 advance; $25 door. sleders.com/concert-series

ongoing

Anya Taylor-Joy

SUN, TUE & WED 1:30 • 4:15 • 7 PM MON & THU 12:30 • 3:15 • 6 • 8:30 PM •••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••

LIBELED LADYNR

WED 10:30 AM - The Brides of March 25¢ Classic Matinee

CLUELESSPG-13

FRIDAY NIGHT FLICKS - $3 or 2 for $5 - BFF Night!

WONDERPG

SATURDAY 10 AM - 25¢ Kids Matinee IN CLINCH PARK

DOWNTOWN

ACORN ADVENTURERS: Fridays, 10am through March 27. Boardman River Nature Center, TC. For ages 0-4. A mix of guided & self-guided outdoor activities that allow young explorers & their grown-ups to explore, engage with, & experience the outdoors. Register. natureiscalling.org/acorn-adventurers

---------------------BOYNE CITY’S INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 9am-noon through May 9.

City Hall, Boyne City. boynecitymainstreet. com/farmers-market-welcome

---------------------CHILL - PEACE OF MIND MONDAYS FOR TEENS: Mondays, 4pm through March 16.

Traverse Area District Library, TC. Take an hour to relax. Enjoy coloring, crafts, classical music, snacks, hot cocoa & tea. tadl.org/event/chillpeace-of-mind-mondays-for-teens/2020-03-09

SUNDAY 2 • 4:30 • 6:45 PM MONDAY 2 • 4:30 • 7 PM TUE & WED 1:15 • 4 • 6:30 PM THURSDAY 2 • 4:30 PM A QUIET PLACE PART IIPG-13 THURSDAY 7 PM

231-947-4800

---------------------COMMUNITY YOGA FOR EVERY BODY: Saturdays, 9am, 206 S. Oak St., TC. Love your body through gentle breath/body movement. Some mats & props are available. Find on Facebook.

---------------------CORNHOLE LIVE!: Tuesdays through March, State Street Market, TC. Cornhole tournament with live commentary by ref Chwaz. Registration starts at 6:45pm; games begin at 7:05pm. The first 12 teams will be registered for places in the double elimination bracket. Find on Facebook.

----------------------

KIDS ON SKIS IN THE WOODS EVERY SUNDAY: Sundays, 11:45am, Timber Ridge Resort, TC. Presented by Norte & Vasa Ski Club. A group ski for families. The use of Timber Ridge Resort will be free for the entire Winter Vasa Domingos Ski Season. elgruponorte.org

---------------------LIFELONG LEARNING: SCIENCE FICTION: Wednesdays, 5:30pm, Petoskey District Library, lower level classroom. Join Diane Cookinham to discover & discuss major themes in science fiction, their evolution over time, & their impact on societal norms. Registration is not required. petoskeylibrary.org NEW SNOWSHOE HIKES: Saturdays, 1pm.

Choose from two ranger-led snowshoe hikes to explore the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore park. “Snowshoe Saunter” is for beginners & “Snowshoe Trek” is for more experienced snowshoe hikers. Meet for an introduction at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, Empire.

These hikes are free, but participants do need a park entrance pass or have an annual pass to participate. Reservations are required whether participants borrow snowshoes from the National Lakeshore or have their own. facebook. com/sbdnl

TRAVERSE CITY

231-929-3200 • 4952 Skyview Ct.

CHARLEVOIX

231-237-0955 • 106 E. Garfield Ave.

---------------------SNOWSHOE WEEKENDS: Rove Estate Vineyard & Tasting Room, TC. Held every Sat. & Sun. through March at 11am. Bring your snowshoes or cross-country skis. These are not guided tours.

www.schulzortho.com

Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 19

nitelife

mar 14-mar 22 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE, TC TASTING ROOM: 3/18 -- Wine Down Wednesdays: BINGO Edition, 6

3/20 -- Luke Woltanski, 6-8 PARK PLACE HOTEL, TC BEACON LOUNGE: Thurs,Fri,Sat -- Tom Kaufmann, 8:30

GT DISTILLERY, TC 3/14 -- Radel Rosin, 7 3/20 -- Nicholas James Thomasma, 7

SAIL INN BAR & GRILL, TC Thurs. & Sat. -- Phattrax DJs & Karaoke, 9

HOTEL INDIGO, TC 3/14 -- Greg Evans, 7-10 3/20 -- Elizabeth Landry, 7-10 3/21 -- Zeke Clemons, 7-10

STATE STREET MARKET, TC Thu -- Open Mic Night, 6-9 TAPROOT CIDER HOUSE, TC 3/15 -- Kids Open Mic, 1

KILKENNY'S, TC 3/14 – Soul Tight, 9:30 3/17 -- St. Patrick's Day Celebration w/ Blue Footed Booby, Frya, Wild Sullys & Stone Folk, 5 3/18 -- The Pocket, 8 3/19 -- 2Bays DJs, 9:30 3/20 -- Soul Patch, 9:30 3/21 -- One Hot Robot, 9:30

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC THE YURT: 3/21 -- Political Lizard, 6:30-9:30 THE PARLOR, TC 3/14, 16, & 20 -- Mitch McKolay, 8 3/17 -- St. Patty's Day Celebration w/ Derailed Celtic, Stephen MacNeil & Blue Footed Booby, 2 3/18 -- Rob Coonrod, 8 3/19 -- Chris Smith, 8

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC 3/14 -- Celebrate St. Patrick's Day w/ Ruby, Kate & Dane, 6-8 3/16 -- Open Mic Night w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 3/16 -- Here:Say Presents: Ventriloquist, 7 Tue -- TC Celtic, 6:30 Wed -- Jazz Jam, 6-10 3/20 -- Botala, 8 3/21 -- Brandino Proch, 8 UNION STREET STATION, TC 3/14 -- The Key Makers, 10 3/15, 3/22 -- Karaoke, 10 3/17 -- The Pocket, 4-8; Kung Fu Rodeo, 9-1 3/18 -- DJ JR, 10 3/19 -- DJ Ricky T, 10 3/20 -- Happy Hour w/ The Chris Michels Band; then The Isaac Ryder Band 3/21 -- The Isaac Ryder Band, 10 WEST BAY BEACH, A DELAMAR RESORT, TC 3/19 -- Jeff Haas Trio, 6-8:30

Emmet & Cheboygan BEARDS BREWERY, PETOSKEY 3/14 -- The River Dogs, 8-11 3/15 -- Charlie Millard, 6-9 3/21 -- Adam Hoppe, 8-11 3/22 -- Eliza Thorp, 6-9 CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 3/14 -- The Marsupials & Scott Pellegrom Duo, 10 3/21 -- Genius Brain wsg Mark Seymour, 9:30

LAKE STREET PUB, BOYNE CITY Weds. -- Mastermind's Trivia, 7-9

CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 3/14 -- Jazz Cabbage, 7

SHANTY CREEK RESORT, BELLARE IVAN'S: 3/14 -- Cosmic Groove, 9 3/21 -- Collision Six, 9

ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 3/14 -- Crosscut Kings, 8-11 3/21 -- The Pistil Whips, 8-11 HELLO VINO, BELLAIRE 3/17-18 -- Doc Woodward, 7

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BELLAIRE 3/14 – Clint Weaner, 7:30-10:30

SHORT'S BREWING CO., BELLAIRE 3/14 -- Olivia Mainville & The Aquatic Troupe, 8:30-11

Mon March 16- $5 martinis, $5 domestic beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher.

Tues - 4-8pm: The Pocket 9pm-1am: Kung Fu Rodeo

LEO’S NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN, PETOSKEY Thurs — Karaoke w/ DJ Michael Willford, 10

BIG CAT BREWING CO., CEDAR 3/18 -- Patrick Niemisto & Chris Skellenger, 6:30-8:30 CICCONE VINEYARD & WINERY, SUTTONS BAY TASTING ROOM: 3/14 -- North Bay Celtic Band, 2-4 CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE VISTA LOUNGE: 3/13-14 -- Scarkazm, 7-11 DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. — Karaoke, 10-2 IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 3/14 -- Liz Landry, 7-10

3/20 -- Tim Krause, 7-9:30 3/21 -- Saldaje, 7-9:30 LAURENTIDE WINERY, LAKE LEELANAU 3/15 -- North Bay Celtic Sounds, 1-3 LEELANAU SANDS CASINO, PESHAWBESTOWN BIRCH ROOM: 3/21 -- Broom Closet Boys, 8 SHOWROOM: 3/14 -- Wakefire, 8 LUMBERJACK'S BAR & GRILL, HONOR Fri & Sat -- Phattrax DJs & Karaoke, 9

THE SIDE DOOR SALOON, PETOSKEY Sat. – Karaoke, 8

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 3/19 -- Open Mic w/ Jim & Wanda Curtis, 6 3/20 -- Lena Wilson, 6-9 3/21 – Jazz Cabbage, 6-9 STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 3/14 -- Jake Frysinger, 8-10 3/20 -- Lynn Callihan, 8-10 3/21 -- Lena Maude, 8-10 THE 231 BAR & GRILL, THOMPSONVILLE 3/21 -- Tim Thayer, 7 TUCKER'S OF NORTHPORT 3/17 -- Dolce and Friends, 5:30

Otsego, Crawford & Central 3/19 -- Remnose, 8:30-11 3/20 -- William Matheny, 8:30-11 3/21 -- Younce Guitar Duo, 8:30-11

ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD Sat -- Live Music, 6-9

BENNETHUM'S NORTHERN INN, GAYLORD 3/17 -- Owen James, 5-8

OTSEGO RESORT, GAYLORD THE SITZMARK: 3/14 -- The Pistil Whips, 5-8

STIGGS BREWERY & KITCHEN, BOYNE CITY 3/14 – Something Great, 8 3/20 -- Under the Moon, 7 3/21 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7

BELLE IRON GRILLE, GAYLORD 3/14 -- BIG Green Party w/ Exit 282, 8 3/21 -- Sixx Gunn, 9

IRON PIG SMOKEHOUSE, GAYLORD Wed -- Karaoke, 7

THE SUGAR BOWL RESTAURANT, GAYLORD 3/13-14 -- David Collini, 6-9

TORCH LAKE CAFÉ, CENTRAL LAKE 1st & 3rd Mon. – Trivia, 7 Weds. -- Lee Malone Thurs. -- Open mic Fri. & Sat. – Ivan Greilick & Leanna Collins

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee LITTLE RIVER CASINO RESORT, MANISTEE 3/21 -- Chubby Checker, 8

BAGELS HAND-CRAFTED O N LY A T Y O U R N E I G H B O R H O O D B I G A P P L E B A G E L S ®

THURSDAY

Wed - Get it in the can night - $1 domestic,

Trivia nite • 7-9pm

Thurs -$2 off all drinks and $2 Labatt drafts w/DJ Ricky T

FRIDAY FISH FRY

$3 craft- w/DJ JR

All you can eat perch

Fri March 20 - Buckets of Beer starting at $8 (2-8pm)

Sat March 21 - The Isaac Ryder Band (No Covers) Sunday March 22

1133 S. Airport Rd. W., Traverse City • (231) 929-9866

941-1930 downtown TC check us out at unionstreetstationtc.net

20 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

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231-922-7742 121 S. Union St. • TC. www.dillingerspubtc.com

FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS

Happy Hour: The Chris Michels Band Then: The Isaac Ryder Band

KARAOKE ( 10pm-2am)

NUB'S NOB, HARBOR SPRINGS NUB'S PUB: 3/14 -- Mike Ridley, 3-6 3/21 -- Pete Kehoe, 3-6

Leelanau & Benzie

Antrim & Charlevoix BOYNE MOUNTAIN RESORT, BOYNE FALLS SNOWFLAKE LOUNGE: 3/20 -- Tim Sato, 8 3/21 -- Chris Calleja, 4-7; DJ Mike Williford, 8

KNOT JUST A BAR, BAY HARBOR Mon,Tues,Thurs — Live music

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DR. TONY ABOUDIB, DC • 231-421-5213 • 3337 W SOUTH AIRPORT RD Across from the Grand Traverse Mall in Traverse City Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 21

Spears Gets Her Very Own “Zone” Heading to Los Angeles? Britney Spears fan? Then you won’t want to miss L.A.’s new Britney Spears pop-up experience. Called “The Zone,” the destination is actually an old Kmart store that was transformed into an immersive Britney Spears extravaganza.

The 30,000-square-foot zone is loaded with Instagram-worthy photo-op installations that take fans through a plethora of Spears’ music video sets you can enter and pose in for staged and paparazzi-style shots.

There’s also a Britney gift shop (of course), where you can buy exclusive merchandise and collectibles — although weirdly, no albums are for sale here. You can hop on the “Toxic” plane or into the “Baby One More Time” classroom, though …

Popsters 5 Seconds of Summer are hopping on the tour bus this summer for a 21-city North American tour that will kick off on Aug. 19 at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium. Bonus: Each concert ticket purchased through www.livenation.com also gets you a physical copy of the band’s upcoming album, which includes latest singles “Teeth” and “Easier.”

Additional stops on 5SOS’s trek will include nearby Indianapolis on Aug. 21, Toronto on Aug. 23, Minneapolis on Aug. 25, and Chicago on Aug. 26. Local fans won’t

MODERN

ROCK

BY KRISTI KATES

have to go that far: The band’s one Michigan performance will hit the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights on Aug. 22 …

With their last release being a whopping six years ago, Duck Sauce — the discoinspired duo project of house-music legend DJ Armand Van Helden and Canadian DJ and record producer A-Trak — has finally returned with a new single. (You might remember the duo from their viral hit, “Barbra Streisand.” The song’s who video featured a stack of musical cameos from the likes of Pharrell Williams, Questlove, Chromeo, Andre 3000, Diplo, and more.)

Their new tune, “Smiley Face,” doesn’t disappoint. It’s a bright, enthusiastic track aimed squarely at the dance floor — just in time for summer. Duck Sauce had signed on to perform one live show this spring, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, but since its postponement to October because of Coronavirus concerns, there’s been no word on where or when they’ll next apprea.

On the retro track, legendary singersongwriter James Taylor has just released his available-only-in-audio memoir, Break Shot, during which he traces 21 years of his early (and chaotic) life story, from his youth in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, through the release of his debut album in 1968.

The memoir was recorded at Taylor’s own home studio in western Massachusetts; the interviews, conducted by music journalist and Taylor pal Bill Flanagan, includes many of the ups and downs Taylor — the first American artist to be signed on The Beatles’ Apple Records label — went through while pursuing his music career …

LINK OF THE WEEK Taylor Swift’s insightful Lana Wilsondirected new documentary, Miss Americana, is playing now on Netflix, and along with it comes a brand new song from Swift, a politically-themed track called “Only the Young.” Swift also released a special lyric video for the track, which you can check out now at youtu.be/GJU-S1t2r1M …

THE BUZZ Detroit’s Fillmore will host Silversun Pickups on March 17 ...

Little Caesars Arena in Detroit also has two notable shows coming: Blake Shelton takes the stage March 21, and Billie Eilish will perform on March 23 …

Holland, Michigan, folk-rockers Brother Adams are out promoting their brand new studio album, Chatter …

Over in Grand Rapids, another brother — Brother Ali — will performing at The Intersection on March 24 … 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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22 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

The reel

by meg weichman

WENDY the call of the wild

C

an you hear that? It’s the call of a dubiously CGI-ed dog beckoning you to a mediocre film that still manages to get the job done — thanks mostly to the greatness of a gruff, grizzled, and oh-so-lovable Harrison Ford. Jack London’s classic, and frequently adapted, 1903 novel, “The Call of the Wild” gets a sunnier, Disnified treatment (peep the PG rating) that’s low on the original story’s inherent violence and racism and high on the sentimentality. The film follows a St. BernardScotch Collie named Buck and his journey from an exceedingly comfortable life as a house pet in California to a working dog in 1890s Alaskan Yukon. Yes, the CGI pup does take a while to get used to; but about halfway through, you grow to accept the dog for what it is and let him into your heart. The film delivers all the classic adventure feels you want, with impressive visuals and vistas, tapping into the style of Disney’s live-action family adventure films of yore. And while that may make it a little sappy (with a villainous subplot that feels like tacked-on drama), it also makes it very enjoyable. This is an exceedingly accessible film that goes down very easy.

A very loose adaptation/reimagining of J.M. Barrie’s classic “Peter Pan” from Wendy’s perspective, Wendy marks the long-awaited return (eight years!) to the screen of Beasts of the Southern Wild director Behn Zeitlin.

A landmark of indie film that went on to be nominated for four Oscars, Beasts, for me, was a lot of overrated hype, and seeing Zeitlin’s follow-up has only solidified those feelings.

A passionate project that was co-written with Behn Zeitlin’s sister, Eliza Zeitlin, Wendy follows a very similar style and focus to Beasts, with magical realism, child’s perspective, and nonprofessional cast. But, here, there are cracks in his approach, showing that, despite all the years, his filmmaking has not really evolved.

Incredibly earnest and sincere in a way that at first softens your guard, Zeitlin updates the story to something more modern but also timeless. And despite a very strong first act, Wendy fizzles as the melancholy and sentimentality grows. Because it doesn’t have much by the way of plot structures, the film starts becoming undone by an overcomplicated mythos that makes for one very aimless adventure.

In this swampy fantasy of vivid imagery, Wendy (Devin France) is no longer an Edwardian motherly figure of perfection but a free-spirited young girl who is tough, rugged, and real. And instead of living in a lux townhouse in London, she and her twin brothers (Gage and Gavin Naquin) reside in the Deep South in a cramped second floor apartment above the greasy spoon diner where their mother works.

The film opens when Wendy is only a baby, and a young boy flees to follow the train running by the restaurant because he’s just realized he will likely grow up to spend his life as a “broom and mop man.”

Wendy, who sees her mom give up her rodeo dreams to literally and figuratively put food on the table, senses a similar fate is not out of the question for her. And so, one night, when a mysterious figure appears at her window, she and her brothers duck out and hop a train like vagabonds, heading out into the night.

They follow the boy (Yashua Mack) to a mysterious island — lush and beautiful, with sunken ships, a volcanic mountain, and a giant squid-esque sea monster known as “The Mother.” Like a mix of Where the Wild Things

Are and The Florida Project, the kids enjoy a wild rumpus in the woods, and you’re privy to some of the most naturalistic displays of childhood play and exuberance.

But unless your kids are big Terrence Malick fans, this film is not for children. Formalism is the focus here, and it is something to behold.

Shot on 16mm film with a very poetic gaze, the visuals are energetic and chaotic, filled with hyperactive camera movements, close-ups, and gorgeous natural light. And the soaring and sublime score from Zeitlin and Dan Romer is undeniably moving, and perhaps the film’s biggest highlight.

But that’s the rub, because while there are these stunning montages that swell with wonder and awe, there isn’t much else. The frolicking of these giddy children running wild and free grows increasingly repetitive. It’s only really broken up with the appearances of the “pirates,” aka the kids who stopped believing and grew up, along with a very grim twist that doesn’t make much sense.

Putting aside my issues with Peter being portrayed by a young black boy — making him a literal “magical black man” among a cast that is nearly completely white — Peter and Wendy lack any chemistry, or even a real bond. There is nothing tying them together in any sort of emotionally compelling way. Aside from France, who largely carries the film with her eyes alone, the rest of the cast doesn’t hold our attention or stand out the way they need to.

This is a decidedly un-Disney approach to the source material, one that frees the story from a lot of the classic iconography yet also tries to hammer some in a way that’ll make you groan. It doesn’t shy away from the actual trauma of growing up, and for all the whimsy and innocence, there are also many dark realizations — like, kids don’t always treat each other so well. But at the same time, with the Peter Pan myth being one so thematically complex and ripe for psychoanalysis, the film is all too messy and unclear about what it’s trying to say about childhood and growing up.

(It even adds in a climate change subtext.)

This film is an example of a freshly minted auteur given the freedom to run amok, making a case that perhaps Zeitlin’s filmmaking really could stand to grow up.

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

Brahms: the boy II

N

o one asked for this sequel: The first film pretty conclusively wrapped things up (with a stellar twist at that). But that didn’t stop Hollywood from granting The Boy, a very minor horror film, a follow up in Brahms: The Boy II. The first film, The Boy, while not a good film by any means, followed a nanny hired to care for a creepy doll named Brahms as though he was a real boy. It proved to be a campy delight. And with a change in the title that puts the enduring charms of Brahms at the forefront, it seemed as though the sequel was going to really lean in to the ridiculousness of all that is Brahms. But the film actually does the exact opposite, taking a more serious approach and suffers as a result. So, while there are still mysteriously flipped tables and impaled bullies, there was a serious shortage of Brahms antics (give me more shifting gazes, outfit changes, and childrearing pantomime please!) This more austere approach focuses on a family recovering from a home invasion that left mother Liza (Katie Holmes, heads above the rest of the cast) in the hospital and son Jude (Christopher Convery) selectively mute. As part of the family’s ongoing recovery, dad Sean (Owian Yeoman) suggests they pack up and move to an old English estate. This isn’t any old estate, though: It’s where the events of The Boy took place. Young Jude finds Brahms on the grounds and becomes possessed by his new little friend. We all know where this is headed … but the film tries to duplicate the effect of the first film’s satisfying twist by essentially retconning the entire mythos of Brahms to a completely underwhelming effect.

sonic the hedgehog

S

o they actually did it. Those animators who slaved over a rushed redesign (following the Twitter outcry over the film’s trailer release) successfully transformed a very creepy, and very human looking Sonic into something far more cuddly. Yet all that work was seemingly for naught, because while they might have fixed the CGI animation, it was too much to ask that a similar amount of attention be put on the actual story: We have a more palatable Sonic, sure, but we’re still left with a video game adaptation that is nearly unwatchable.

It is unremarkably bad and bland, from its lame Uber jokes to its painful product placement (Olive Garden! Zillow!). The plot, if you can call it that, reveals that Sonic is an alien on earth who is hiding out from those after his speedy powers.

But when his cover is blown and crazed genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) comes after him, through a series of ridiculous plot happenstance, the film becomes a boring road trip buddy comedy in which Sonic convinces a small-town cop (James Marsden) to drive him to San Francisco. ’Cause, yeah, for a film supposedly about a super fast and inherently dynamic creature who could get to San Francisco in an instant, it seems natural that the story is instead focused on two guys in a truck — one a babbling unlikeable alien hedgehog, the other a lame white guy — making strained conversation in a truck.

Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 23

the ADViCE GOddESS Callous In Wonderland

Q Bowling Axe Throwing Escape Room Virtual Reality Arcade Bar

: At family gatherings, my sister-in-law makes critical remarks about my appearance, like my shirt’s very low-cut or I might want to lose weight before wearing the dress I have on.

She only does this in front of others, and she says she just tells me because she cares about me. It doesn’t feel that way. I’d really like her to stop.

— Feeling Attacked

A

: When you’re female, junior high never ends. The Hello Kitty knife in your back just gets upgraded to one by Cuisinart.

Women are said to be the “gentler sex,” because we rarely see one drag another out of the bar by her ponytail for a parking lot beatdown. But women aren’t better people than men. Femaleon-female aggression just plays out differently — less visibly, less identifiably —than the male-on-male kind.

Psychologist Anne Campbell explains that women evolved to avoid direct confrontation — physical fights or calling somebody out to their face — and instead compete with other women through sneaky “indirect aggression.”

This is aggression that doesn’t quite read as aggression, like the public shaming that wears the plastic nose and glasses of concern.

Another popular form of woman-on-woman sneaky sabotage is spreading mean gossip to knock another woman down the social ladder and maybe even get her ostracized. There’s also “constructive criticism” — supposedly wellintentioned remarks meant to stress a woman out, make her feel bad about herself, and get her to dim her shine.

Campbell believes women’s tendency to use indirect aggression is “a result of their higher parental investment” — the fact that they’re the home and ground transportation for the developing fetus and are children’s primary caretakers. A physical fight (or more malestyle fighting words that led to a punchoutfest) could damage a woman’s reproductive parts or kill her, and an ancestral woman’s survival was key to her children’s survival and to her passing on her genes.

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24 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

People like you, who are repeatedly victimized by another person, often don’t realize they never set any boundaries, never told the abuser to stop. This effectively sends their tormentor a message: “OPEN SEASON ON ME FOREVER! Keep doin’ what you’re doin’!”

Whenever your sister-in-law turns a family gathering into a forum on your weight or outfit, calmly assert yourself, saying only these words: “No more comments on my appearance, please.” Be prepared for her to insist you’re

BY Amy Alkon

crazy, oversensitive, and unfairly accusing her.

This is bait. Do not take it. Getting into any sort of debate allows her to cast you as neurotic and mean and cast herself as the victim.

Be prepared for her to “forget” and attack you again. Simply reiterate your mantra, in a cool, calm voice: “No more comments on my appearance, please.” You’ll shut her up without looking like the bad guy, but you’ll both know what you really mean: “Inside me, there’s a skinny person longing to get out, shove a Tide Pod and load of socks in your mouth, and put your head on spin.”

Waking The Dad

Q

: My boyfriend and I recently discussed having children. I want them, but he’s a little on the fence. He says he needs to be in a better financial place before thinking about kids. I wonder whether that’s just an excuse to put off the topic indefinitely.

— Worried

A

: Children bring their parents a lot of joy — and it helps to remember that as you’re jazzwalking to the office so you can put your gas money toward your kid’s fourth round of dental work.

Children are seriously expensive, so maybe your boyfriend just feels a serious sense of responsibility to support the little buggers while being unsure of exactly how many million bajillions that could take. Economist Daniel Ellsberg observed that we humans are deeply disturbed by ambiguity — a lack of information about how things could turn out. Some people are so ambiguity-averse (aka uncertaintyaverse) they’ll opt for an immediate sure loss over the possibility of a future gain. It’s why people sometimes sabotage a new relationship: They can’t stand not knowing whether the thing’ll tank, so they blow it up themselves.

To figure out where your boyfriend really stands, replace the ambiguity with information.

Together, add up the costs of having kids (factoring in health care, emergencies, grad school, rehab, etc.). From that, project the date of his financial readiness. You might also ask him about any fears he has about having kids. Discussing them might shrink them -or make it clear that he isn’t daddy material and that you should start looking for a man who is. Though retailers allow you to return many items, even if they’re slightly used, maternity wards don’t work like that: “Excuse me, Nurse...these three kids turned out to be unexpectedly loud, sticky, and expensive, but I don’t see your return policy on the receipts.”

“Sir, those are birth certificates.”

aSTRO

lOGY

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22

BY ROB BREZSNY

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Artist Pierre Bonnard had his

live-in girlfriend and future wife Marthe de Méligny pose for him when he painted Blue Nude in 1899. Thirty-two years later, she served as his model for his painting Nude at Her Bath. In fact, she was his inspiration for 384 paintings, many of them while wearing no clothes. I admire their continuity, persistence, and loyalty in collaborating on this work together. I also appreciate the fact that they were able to steadily reinvent a familiar task so as to keep it interesting.

These will be great virtues for you to cultivate in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Sagittarius

genius William Blake (1757–1827) was unsung in his own era. But modern critics treat him as a superstar, an adept of both visionary poetry and the visual arts. London’s Tate Museum just finished a major exhibition of his paintings, prints, and watercolors. I’m happy to inform you that this darling of the intellectual class behaved in ways that the modern intellectual class would regard as bizarre. For example, he believed that the spirits of dead heroes visited him while he was awake. And he insisted that he once saw God gazing at him through a window. I offer these thoughts in the hope that you’ll be inspired to express both your rational brilliance and your crazy brilliance in the coming weeks. Both modes should be working quite well for you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Movable

type” is a term that refers to the technology used to print symbols or letters on paper. In 1450, German inventor Johannes Gutenberg created a movable-type machine called the printing press that led to the mass production of books. He is rightfully regarded as an influential innovator. To be thorough in our historical understanding, though, we must note that Chinese inventor Bi Sheng printed paper books with comparable machinery beginning in 1040. I bring this to your attention as an example of how to correct old stories that are only partially true.

This can be a rewarding activity as you reconfigure your own past in the coming weeks.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’m guessing that the imminent future will have a paradoxical quality. On the one hand, it will be a favorable phase to separate and even cut asunder influences that are joined but should no longer be joined. On the other hand, the coming weeks will be a good time to blend influences that aren’t blended but should be blended. What belongs together for the good of everyone concerned? What doesn’t belong together for the good of everyone concerned? Put those questions at the forefront of your awareness. Your discriminatory powers should be working at peak efficiency—preferably with a high degree of kindness and creative imagination.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Lyric poet and Catholic friar Luis de León taught theology at Spain’s University of Salamanca from 1561 to 1571. Sadly, he offended the Inquisition when he translated the Bible’s erotic poem Song of Songs into Spanish. As a result, he was whisked away to jail.

Four years later, in a dramatic turnaround, he was freed from confinement and allowed to return to his teaching post, with a warning to be more careful in the future. To begin his first lecture, he told his students, “As we were saying yesterday . . .”

I invite you to show similar grace and poise and amusement as you return to the groove after your break in the action.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Popular poet

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861) was a big fan of popular author George Sand (1804– 1876). During their first meeting, Browning got down on her knees and reverentially kissed Sand’s hand. A similar exchange had occurred decades earlier, when composer Ludwig van Beethoven knelt and kissed the hand of his hero, composer Joseph Haydn. In the coming weeks, Taurus, you can enhance your spiritual health by summoning feelings akin to those of Browning and Beethoven.

You’ll provide yourself with mysteriously practical blessings if you overflow with admiration, appreciation, even adoration.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You Geminis

can be scintillating friends and helpful allies.

People who are lucky enough to be linked to you are often inspired to outgrow their narrow attitudes and think more imaginatively. If there is

a downside to your tribe’s social value, however, it may come through inconsistency or lack of loyalty. In accordance with astrological omens, I will ask you to inquire whether you might sometimes be guilty of those shortcomings. If you are, please work on remedying them. Now is a favorable time to bolster the consistency and loyalty you bring to your friendships and collegial relationships.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I believe that

Cancerians like you and me require more slack and silence and spaciousness than most people.

It may be inconvenient to regularly give ourselves an abundance of relaxing downtime, but that’s the way we function best. Maybe other tribes can thrive on five hours of sleep per night, but most of us Crabs can’t. And then there’s our fundamental need to be gradual and unhurried: We need to assert our right to be that way. Having said all this cautionary advice, I now want to tell you that you may be able to do without your full quota of those necessary luxuries in the coming weeks. It’s action time! (But don’t overdo it.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In March 2019, a

small town in Belgium hosted the first annual European Gull Screeching Championship.

Humans competed to utter cries that resemble the caws of seagulls. Some of them dressed up to resembled gulls, and flapped their wings to provide even greater realism. The next contest is coming up this March 22 in De Panne, Belgium. Do you have any interest in trying out? You Leos now have an extra strong connection with your own animal intelligence. You’re especially capable of calling on your instinctual powers and fostering a resonance with the natural world. I bet one of your tribe will be this year’s winner.

(More info: tinyurl.com/GullScreech)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do Virgo people

have demons? Of course! Everyone has demons.

Dealing with hard-to-manage pests running around inside our heads is a natural part of being human. I suspect they may even be essential to our well-being. And why do I make that outlandish statement? Because the demons keep us off-balance in ways that motivate us to keep trying to improve ourselves. They challenge us to continually become smarter and more resilient and resourceful.

I bring these thoughts to your attention, my dear Virgo, because I expect that in the coming weeks you’ll be able to have some especially interesting and fruitful conversations with your demons.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Try this experiment: Invite everyone in your world to offer you blessings similar to the best blessings you’re capable of dispensing. Have fun as you playfully teach your allies and cohorts how to imitate a sensitive, attentive Libra who listens well, expresses sincere curiosity, and provides helpful mirroring. Demonstrate to them the secrets of how to create harmonious outcomes, and dare them to honor you with the same kind of magic. Show them your techniques for seeking out and fostering beauty, and ask them to collaborate with you as you pursue that holy quest together.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio poet

Marianne Moore aspired to do “potent and accomplished work.” She sought the joy that comes from being a skilled craftsperson who offered unique understandings of the world’s bounty. In her words, “There is no pleasure subtler than the sensation” of being a good worker. You Scorpios now have a ripe opportunity to experience that joy and pleasure. Cosmic rhythms are nudging you to do your work with a heightened commitment to excellence and integrity and love.

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Dangerous Curves"

--every capital letter in the theme has curves. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1 School that won 10 NCAA basketball championships in 12 years 5 Planetarium projections 10 Section of music that’s repeated 14 Thing on stage 15 Banned practice?

16 Earth Day subj.

17 *Bowlful on the specials list 19 “Trapped in the Drive-___” (Weird Al song) 20 Beaker’s spot 21 Goose formations 23 Nursery schooler 24 “Grown-up” cereal ingredient 27 *Italian veal dish 29 “Deep Space Nine” constable 30 Tap takeover unit 33 Hypnotic state 34 Mess up 36 Aragon-born artist 39 “So help me!”

40 *”I Am the Walrus” refrain 43 Even so 45 24-karat, gold-wise 46 Tabby tooth 49 Believer of sorts 51 It takes night deposits 53 Arthur of “Maude” and “The Golden Girls” 54 *Department of Labor training program 57 Seemingly bottomless pit 59 Gold, to Cortez 60 Christmastime 61 Addr. on a business card 62 Accumulation 64 *Bands like AKB48 and Babymetal (but not BTS-that’s a different letter) 69 Cop on a bust 70 “... to fetch ___ of water” 71 1952 Winter Olympics city 72 Laundromat lather 73 Mary Poppins, for example 74 Late infomercial pitchman Billy

DOWN 1 “What can Brown do for you?” company 2 ___-Magnon man 3 Actor Diamond Phillips 4 iPad Pro maker 5 Ticket souvenir 6 Blues guitarist ___ Mahal 7 From the beginning, in Latin 8 Rakish sorts 9 Most in need of a massage 10 Terrier treater 11 1991 U2 album featuring the song “One” 12 Fez’s country 13 Demoted (like a former planet) 18 Nightfall 22 Kevin who played Hercules on TV 24 Driving visibility problem 25 “___ believe ...”

26 Wave rider’s accessory 28 ___ Pigs Invasion (1961 event) 31 Quail ___ omelet 32 Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand 35 B vitamin acid 37 TTYL part 38 “Slumdog Millionaire” city 41 Kaitlin of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” 42 Hot tub nozzle 43 Capital of Newfoundland and Labrador 44 “Walden” writer 47 “Duck Hunt” platform 48 Oxygen, for one 50 One fooled by a wooden horse 52 Ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny 55 Pig blamed for causing American kids to affect British accents 56 Alfred P. ___ Foundation (NPR benefactor) 58 Result in flowers 61 Unpleasant, as a situation 63 Laptops or desktops, e.g.

65 Alley figure 66 Home of Rome and Moscow 67 What the P in TP doesn’t stand for 68 Oceanic distress signal

Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 25

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MASSAGE THERAPIST POSITION-PART Time-Traverse City Massage therapist wanted for part time, year round position.

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Northern Express Weekly • march 16, 2020 • 27

SAFETY FIRST Valued Guest, With the recent concern regarding the COVID-19/Coronavirus situation, we want to reach out directly and share what steps we are taking here at all Odawa Casino properties to ensure a clean and healthy environment for the safety of our guests and staff.

Our staff is continuing to monitor any advisement from the CDC, as well as Indian Health Services (IHS) and local health officials to ensure that we are pursuing the most effective actions in all of our facilities. Currently, there have been no reported cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our local areas.

Here is what we are doing to help keep you safe: • Hand sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the property, including entrances, near restrooms, and at all table games.

• Employees are required to wash their hands frequently and we encourage all guests to do so as well.

• Our team is working diligently to provide the cleanest environment by frequently disinfecting slot machines, table games chips, tables, shuttles, and other frequently touched surfaces.

• If guests would like their individual machine disinfected, they are encouraged to request assistance from any team member.

• The Odawa Casino team is working with an outside party to review the chemicals that are used to ensure our staff is using the most effective disinfectants for COVID-19, and has the most up to date training for those team members who will be handling cleaning chemicals.

• All deep cleaning schedules have been accelerated, including the carpet on the casino floor.

• Our air filtration system cycle has been increased to completely replace all air every five minutes. This system utilizes 100% fresh, outside air.

• Floor-by-floor deep cleaning will take place at the Odawa Hotel.

• We have authorized scheduling team members additional hours to accommodate all necessary cleaning.

• As suggested by the CDC, all team members have been advised to stay home when sick and recommend guests to do the same if they are feeling unwell.

Here is what you can do to help keep yourself and others safe: • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.

• Use an alcohol based hand sanitizer that contains a minimum of 60% alcohol when soap and water are not available. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, phones, etc.

• If you are sick, please stay home with the exception of seeking medical care.

It is also important to us that we assure you that you can plan your visit with confidence and it is our top priority to ensure that your visit is both a pleasant and safe one. We will continue to provide more information as it becomes available. We appreciate you for being a loyal Odawa Casino guest.

Ron Olson General Manager Odawa Casino

28 • march 16, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly 51359 Odawa Coronavirus (COVID-19) Ads - Northern Express.indd 1

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