Northern Express

NORTHERN

express northernexpress.com

Story on page 17

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • february 26 - march 4, 2018 • Vol. 28 No. 09

MARDI GRAS ON THE MOUNTAIN SATURDAY, MARCH 3

Celebrate Mardi Gras at Crystal with a full day of events, including a bead scavenger hunt, DJ dance party, face painting, BBQ and Seafood Boil, drink specials, and live evening entertainment at the Vista Lounge. Compete in our slopeside costume contest for the chance to win a 2018/19 Season Pass.

More details at crystalmountain.com/events.

C R Y S TA L M O U N TA I N . C O M | 8 0 0 .YO U R . M T N Northern Express Gras.indd 1 2 •41546 february 26,Mardi 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

2/15/18 2:59 PM

cites a shady right-wing video of someone interviewing random people on the street to support the conservative meme that college students are politically brainwashed. He cites academic studies that he likes, while at the same time suggesting that academia is intolerant of dissent.

I really wish Kachadurian was sincere about shining “the bright light of truth” on all political discussions; we need it. But he’d rather just blame liberals and condone his party’s systematic demonization of opposition. His president called the free press an “enemy of the people” and elected Democrats “traitors.” His party is piling up debt and dismantling services. His president blames everyone but the Russians.

Conservatives supported an accused pedophile to get another senate vote.

Conservatives elected an admitted adulterer, a sexual predator, and a habitual liar. Yet somehow it’s liberals that are lazy, cynical, and corrupt? Now that’s a talented troll!

Jeff Beamsley, Traverse City

White House Asylum

Trump will do everything in his power to stop immigration into our country and to deport immigrants and dreamers because they might be potential terrorists.

But he will do absolutely nothing when one of our own commits mass murder. Keeping mentally ill individuals from possessing guns? We can’t even keep the mentally ill out of the White House. with his cat and talk gibberish. Fourth Amendment rights should be respected to the letter. But all in all, I think that LSD and alcohol MUST be kept separate.

HIT SEND!

Our simple rules: Keep your letter to 300 words or less, send no more than one per month, include your name/address/phone number, and agree to allow us to edit.

That’s it.

Email info@northernexpress.com and hit send!

LSD, Alcohol, and Mr. Cheeks

The cautionary “Bad Trip” tale [Feb. 5 issue] was one of the funniest stories I’ve read in years. I think that the great attorney Craig Elhart and Jones’ house cat, Mr. Cheeks, were probably the only two winners in this. I found myself really wrapped up in the action, the forensics of possibility in this mess. Did Mutter at least tell Jones that police and paramedics were on the way? Or was he totally surprised?

The whole question of whether Peterson’s back-up 9mm was fired or not is baffling.

Peterson didn’t feel a 9mm round enter his boot at point-blank range? Or did he fire the gun into his own boot later, to justify the brutal beating given to Jones?

I think the main factor here is LSD mixed with far too much alcohol. LSD does have a spiritual value, but wasn’t Jones also indulging heavily in the power of positive drinking? It sounds like at least one pistol was drawn and pointed at Jones, and in his state of mind, he went berserk. Why was West getting ready to use fatal force on an unarmed man? It would be great if police could just disengage from certain situations instead of escalating them into a fight that they have to win. Let the man drink beer

Duck Token, Cedar

Hearts Full of Hate

Today, I drove by the gas station at Meijer. I stopped and let a gray-bearded, older gentlemen who had parked across the lot proceed. After he had gone by, I noticed in my rearview mirror that he was giving me the finger. I circled the lot and told him he had too much hate in his heart.

Well, there WAS too much hate in his heart!

I don’t know whether it was my disabled veteran license plate or my “deplorable” bumper sticker, or possibly the “Smile, God loves you” sticker. The real problem with our culture today is the increasing division, hatred, and a lack of being able to disagree with someone else’s views without violence or judgment. We are so divided and resolute over gender, racial, political, economic, and religious lines that we are doomed to repeat the same horrific acts of violence we see occurring daily.

Gun crime is not due to the lack of gun laws — if so, DC, Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, and other big cities would be the safest places to live. It is due to a lack of morals and the feeling of self-entitlement led by the media and political leadership in both local and national fronts. Guns are a small part of our many problems — we reap what we sow!!

Darrell Potter, Traverse City

Pot Calling Kettle

Thomas Kachadurian is an amazing conservative troll. I don’t know if he worked at it or perhaps was just born a savant, but his talent is undeniable. His basic theme is that everyone would share his conservative view if they took the time to think about it. He

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

A Death in the Jail...........................................10 Chris Lemanski, Taking A Stroll.......................12 Eight Great First Dates..................................14 A Trio of Tunes.................................................15 On Trend: House Concerts............................16 The Art of Suggestion.......................................17 Pangea’s Movin’ On Up....................................18 Northern Seen...................................................19

dates...............................................20-23 music FourScore......................................................26 Nightlife.........................................................28

columns & stuff Top Ten...........................................................4

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle....................................6 Opinion............................................................8 Weird...............................................................9 Modern Rock/Kristi Kates................................25 The Reel...........................................................27 Clint Chambers, Traverse City Crossword...................................................29 Advice Goddess............................................29 Freewill Astrology.........................................30 Searching for Gun Control’s Gray Area I’m still reeling from the school shooting Classifieds....................................................31 on Valentine’s Day. I keep trying to think of an appropriate response. I do believe we need to treat each other with love and respect, but I am afraid that is not enough.

Sadly, the gun culture and culture of violence is well entrenched in the U.S. Can that ever change? Maybe some sort of reasonable gun control, but will that address the culture of violence in this country? Plus, will the political divisiveness now even allow any kind of positive change? How much money does the NRA pay to political campaigns to keep the sale of munitions unchecked in this country at the expense and the safety of our kids and fellow citizens?

I am tired of Second Amendment people Northern Express Weekly is published by violating my First Amendment right to Eyes Only Media, LLC. peacefully assemble — in a church, movie Publisher: Luke Haase theater, concert, school, or nightclub. I am 129 E Front Traverse City, MI not anti-gun, by the way — just anti assault Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 weapons, unless you are in the military. email: info@northernexpress.com There has to be some sort of rational www.northernexpress.com response that is some place between handExecutive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley wringing and chest-thumping, and until Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch that happens, the killings will continue.

Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Katy McCain, Roxanne Rowley, Manistee

Trump Rocks

Let’s see how good the Democrats really are. Clinton called his secret service protectors “trained monkeys.” He treated military personal like dogs. He gave Iran millions of dollars on the promise they wouldn’t build nuclear weapons — only nuclear power plants. That money now supplies Iran’s rocket program. He cut military funding. Obama bowed and kissed the backside of every Muslim leader and gave us Obamacare, which has hurt our seniors but gives free government assistance to all illegals bringing in drugs. Hillary signed over control of our uranium to the

Mike Bright, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948

Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Matt Ritter, Randy Sills, Kathy Twardowski, Austin Lowe Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Contributing Editor: Kristi Kates Reporter: Patrick Sullivan Contributors: Amy Alkon, Janice Binkert, Ross Boissoneau Rob Brezsny, Craig Manning, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Meg Weichman Copyright 2017, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly. Northern Express Weekly is free of charge, but no person may take more than one copy of each weekly issue without written permission of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 3

this week’s

top ten Board Advocates Testify in Lansing Larry Bordine and Alex Thayer stormed Lansing with a message: Electric skateboards should be legal in Michigan.

The Frankfort surf shop owner and his employee lobbied before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Feb. 21. Bordine said that while several members had questions about safety concerns, the lawmakers were receptive to their message.

Bordine and his wife, Nancy, have been at odds with City of Frankfort officials over the Bordines’ use of electric skateboards to deliver rental paddle boards from their business, Beach Nut Surf Shop, to customers on the beach.

After one of their employees was in a minor crash on his skateboard, the couple was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2016. Though the case was later dropped, city official moved to ban electric skateboards from city streets.

“Committee members thought we were joking when we told them about our arrests for allowing employees to operate our electric skateboards,” Nancy Bordine said.

Now the Bordines hope House Bill 5391, to amend the Michigan motor vehicle code, will make its way through the corridors of power and become law.

2 tastemakers

Bear Creek Organic Farm’s Whiskey BarrelAged Honey

Whether you enjoy honey on biscuits, in your tea, or drizzled over fruit, this very unusual take on the sweet stuff is made right here in northern Michigan — with a bit of southwestern spirit.

Bear Creek Organic Farm might hail from the rural hills of Petoskey, but for their special Limited Edition 2018 Whiskey Barrel-Aged Honey, they brought in freshly-soaked whiskey barrels from the Lone Star State of Texas.

Handcrafted and made of charred American oak, the barrels were freshly dumped of single malt and filled with Bear Creek honey — courtesy of their year-round hive of northern Michigan bees. The honey was aged to infuse it with just a hint of whiskey, a dusky, smoky flavor that nicely contrasts the sweetness.

Note: The honey does not contain alcohol and is unfiltered, so bits of wax or charred oak barrel might appear in the jar, which Bear Creek said is no cause for concern, but rather, a sign of the aged honey’s authenticity.

Only 300 jars of this rare honey are available, so if this is a treat you’d like in your hive, order quickly — it’s available for $13.50 per jar, while supplies last, at Bear Creek Organic Farm, 4012 Atkins Rd., in Petoskey. bearcreekorganicfarm.com, (231) 340-0104

4 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

3

12th annual suds and snow

The 12th Annual Suds and Snow will be held on Sat., March 3 from 1-6pm at Timber Ridge Resort, TC. Start with a half mile hike through the backwoods of Timber Ridge, where there will be two live music stages featuring Soul Patch, Stylee, Botala and 2Bays DJs, 20+ craft breweries and food vendors. Tickets: $30; includes two drink tokens. An after-party will be held at Rare Bird Brewpub, TC. sudsandsnowtc.com

4

Hey, watch it!

Netflix’s Queer Eye

When Queer Eye debuted in 2003, it was about bringing much-needed visibility to the gay community. Now, 15 years later, Netflix’s new reboot of the landmark reality show, as one cast member put it, is no longer about tolerance, but acceptance.

And boy, does it feel more relevant than ever. The premise is largely the same: Five gay men offer their services to rough-around-the-edges gentlemen in the areas of food, fashion, grooming, culture, and design. But with the setting moved to the South, their efforts on cops, firefighters, and self-confessed “rednecks” will move you in ways you won’t expect — just try to make it through an episode without crying. Because they’re not just doing makeovers, they’re a joyous force of empathy and kindness. It’s a beautiful thing. Streaming on Netflix.

5

raising spirits.

That’s a number you can toast to.

That ’s the Power of Michigan Co-ops.™

6

Algae a Concern in Cadillac

Lake Cadillac is unusual for a northern Michigan lake — it lies entirely within the borders of a city and is, essentially, an urban lake, said Marcus Peccia, Cadillac city manager.

A scientist with Restorative Lake Sciences presented the results of a survey of the health of the lake earlier this month and reported that while invasive species like Eurasian Watermilfoil and Curly-leaf Pondweed are declining, concern over excessive blue-green algae growth remains.

RLS issued a list of recommendations for the city to pursue in the coming year, including educating and encouraging lakefront property owners to let lakeside vegetation grow taller and to limit fertilizer use, to reduce the Canada geese population and to monitor storm water runoff.

Peccia said the lake is a priority for residents because people use it for recreation all year round.

“There are seasonal algae blooms, not unlike ones you see on other lakes,” Peccia said. “It is certainly something that the city wants to do what it can to mitigate this as best as possible.”

Free Turbo Pup & Oh Brother Big Sister Show On March 9, Habitat for HumanityGrand Traverse Region will say a big fat thank you to its staff and volunteers for completing the final 10 homes in Traverse City’s Depot Neighborhood: It’s bringing in two of the area’s most recognized acts, Turbo Pup and Oh Brother Big Sister, for a free concert inside the acoustically awesome sanctuary at Central United Methodist Church. And even if you’ve never wielded a paintbrush or hammer to help the 100 families Habitat-GT has, you — and your grandparents and kids are invited for free, too. The all-ages event, Songs for Shelter, runs 7pm–9pm. More information at www.habitatgtr.org.

8

things we love Richard Fiddler’s “Of Things Ignored and Unloved” Oh, how we marvel at the grace of a deer, the power of an eagle, the beauty of a lily. But what about those weird green blobs you find hanging on sticks and pondweed? Thanks to Traverse City naturalist, historian, and former school teacher Richard Fiddler, we learn that they’re hardly the goo they appear to be, but rather, Spongilla lacustris, a freshwater sponge that is a vibrant symbol of good; they inhabit only the cleanest, purest water available. Fiddler’s book “Of Things Ignored and Unloved” is a fascinating ode to those creatures and phenomena of the North’s natural world that are too often overlooked, unappreciated, or unknown. Tying his observations to places we know well — Pellston’s Michigan Biological Station, Traverse City’s High Lake, and Beaver Island among them — we’re given an up-close exposé on everything from the nuptial escapades of flying ants to the magic of fairy ring mushrooms. Consider it a welcome excuse for an adventure into your own backyard. $15.95, available at local bookstores around Michigan.

bottoms up Mundos’ Affogato The crew at Mundos — Dan, Sarah, Jack, and John — do more than just brew regular coffee. They focus on specialty coffee, aka any coffee that scores above 80 points on the 100 point scale of certified coffee tasters that are licensed Q coffee graders. Mundos only purchases and roasts coffees that have a cupping points score of 86 or higher, so you know you’re really getting the good stuff.

The crew also work hard to plan out what they call “epic adventures” for their customers, including game nights, calligraphy and drawing sessions, and live music featuring a wide range of acoustic performers.

Add in house-made cupcakes and other baked goods, crepes, and additional artisan coffee offerings like siphon, pour-over, and nitro cold brew, and this place is a coffee lovers’ dream.

One highlight in particular is Mundos’ Affogato, an Italian coffee-based dessert of vanilla ice cream doused in a shot of freshly-brewed espresso. Sweet, rich, and the ideal balance of sugar coma and caffeine jolt, we recommend it for any time of day or night.

Get it at Mundos Roasting Co., 708 Boon St. in Traverse City, mundosroastingco.com or (231) 252-9500.

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 5

letters Continued from page 3 page previous

Russians and received more $2 million for her so-called charity. She, with Obama’s help, created false reports to spy on President Trump’s campaign. Thank you, Democrats.

Trump has brought back American jobs, told our enemies in plain language “Don’t mess with us,” strengthens the military, and has all but eliminated ISIS. William Deniston, Grawn

When Will it Be Our Town?

Someday one of you reading this, or someone you know, will bear witness to or be affected by a mass shooting. It is just a matter of time before it’s our town, or our kid’s school.

Why should the hobby of gun consumers, able to purchase guns designed for war, take precedence over the safety and security of our loved ones? To think that gun and ammunition sales surge after one of these atrocities, for fear of a ban, is sickening.

I was a sophomore in high school when Columbine happened. I am now in my thirties. Nothing has changed. Apathy has taken the place of common sense. Finger pointing has taken the place of compromise.

Surely responsible gun owners of assault rifles have children whom they love dearly and send off to school every day. What can you tell your children you did to help protect them, or their teachers, or their friends? Can you look them in the eye and say that you cherish your right to own an assault rifle, designed to kill humans, over their right to feel safe, to be carefree, to not have to go through active shooter drills before they lose all of their baby teeth?

David Weidner, Traverse City

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

Say goodbye to an icon of American violence — Chicago’s St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the execution of seven gangsters machine-gunned by Al Capone assassins.

How can a mere handful of adult-criminal corpses compare to the 17 innocent teens and teachers slain by a former classmate on Valentine’s Day 2018?

History informs us of one positive outcome of the former — the predilection of mobsters for the Thompson submachine gun inspired Congress to pass the National Firearms Act of 1934. However, if there’s anything that today’s gun-lobbyfunded “conservatism” teaches us, it’s this: Commonsense gun control can no longer be discussed.

How long before this insanity visits our own children, in one of our vulnerable area schools? Two area legislators, Sen. Wayne Schmidt and Rep. Lee Chatfield, have sponsored laws that would allow 18- to 20-year-olds to carry concealed weapons, and to eliminate existing mandates requiring pistols to be registered. What are they thinking? If you, too, think that this national insanity has to stop now, please contact your elected officials today.

Frank & Dottie Hawthorne, Petoskey

Speak for Carbon Fee & Dividend

In his Feb. 9 opinion piece, Chris Struble pulled no punches in assessing the damage we are doing to the environment. And his

MORE MADNESS assessment was spot on. It’s quite basic: Our life depends on clean air, clean water, and nutrient-rich food. These needs link us with all other living things, in an intricate web of connections. Struble drew a vivid picture of how humankind’s disproportionate demands on this system have brought it to peril, and us along with it.

To survive, we must bring balance to our life systems and our economic systems — by placing value on that which sustains life and placing cost on that which does harm. Such a massive task requires that we join together and exercise our political will. The evidence for climate change has been growing for decades, yet Congress has failed to act. It falls on us to speak for the future. Demand your members of Congress enact legislation that will put a cost on that which does harm, and levy that cost on those who profit from the harm: fossil fuel companies. By making the policy revenue neutral, with dividends being returned equally to all American people, we can create a fair, stable and sustainable energy market, increase prosperity, and significantly lower carbon emissions. To learn more about Carbon Fee and Dividend visit www.citizensclimatelobby.org.

spectator by stephen tuttle We aren’t going to do anything. At least not anything of real substance.

Politicians will yammer away, one side demanding more gun restrictions and the other saying this is not the time to discuss it.

Florida might pass some ineffective law, or laws, but Congress will do nothing but talk.

President Trump says he’s in favor of tighter FBI background checks, which will do little other than create more work for the FBI. Mental illness is the villain du jour in these mass shootings. But according to the National Center for Health Statistics, between 1999 and 2015 there were nearly 200,000 firearm homicides in the United States and less than one percent were committed by a person with a diagnosed mental illness.

Pointing the finger at an already stigmatized population will do little.

Japan, in a wave of post World War II pacifism, outlawed guns altogether in 1946. They have since relaxed those rules marginally, but only shotguns and air guns are now allowed, and receiving a gun permit is not so easy.

Applicants must complete oral and written exams, complete a full-day training sessions, and score at least 95 percent accuracy on a shooting test. Friends, family, and co-workers of the applicant are also interviewed.

Japan, with nearly 127 million people, had 27 incidents of violence involving guns in 2016, resulting in 12 deaths. Let’s repeat that: Japan had 12 gun-related deaths in all of 2016. The United States has about 90 every day.

What’s the advantage other democracies enjoy that enables them to react to and reduce gun violence? Those countries have no constitutional right to bear arms. And they have

Cathye Williams, Thompsonville

Co-op Owners Pay More than Customers?

Cherryland Electric Cooperative, along with four other northern Michigan electric cooperatives, jointly own Wolverine Power, a non-profit power supplier to nonprofit cooperative electric distributors. In 2006, they established Spartan Renewable Power as a for-profit supplier of renewable energy including solar power. This chain of investments was basically paid for by members like me.

Cherryland has many members who want environmentally friendly electricity coming through our wires. While Cherryland historically resisted wind and solar power, it now boasts of having about 18 percent renewable energy, with a promise of more solar to come from Spartan.

As an environmentally concerned Cherryland member, I have been pushing for more green power and less fossil fuel for years. Imagine where we could be, had just half of the capital-credit rebates from the past few years been spent on solar panels. A few million dollars invested in solar would provide many years of free electricity to the co-op.

Now, Traverse City Light and Power is looking to buy electricity from the Spartan solar installation near Cadillac, at a remarkably cheap price: around $.04 cents per kilowatt. Most co-op members pay almost $.12 for the same electricity? Why should the city be getting electricity for onethird of what we, the owners, must pay?

I support the City’s “100 percent Green Power” initiative, but if Spartan can make a profit selling electricity to TCLP at onethird what I pay, why can’t I buy some at the same rate? I helped pay for the CherrylandWolverine-Spartan investment. Traverse City has invested nothing.

Traverse City might proclaim innocence in this case, but should they decide to buy cheap electricity from Spartan, it will be equivalent to buying stolen goods from a thief. That electricity is being stolen from me and the other electric co-op members.

6 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

David Petrove, Interlochen

The NRA, meanwhile, continues its influence on the American electorate. In 2016 it spent $11 million supporting Donald Trump and more than $19 million criticizing Hillary Clinton.

Remember the Las Vegas massacre? Was that two or three or four massacres ago?

That shooter used something called a bumpstock, a device that turns the natural recoil of a semi-automatic long gun into a nearly fully automatic killing machine.

Legislation introduced in Congress languishes in committees where it will likely die a lonely death. The president, to his credit, now says he wants to close any bump-stock loopholes. Fewer than 20 states have taken, or are taking, any action. Bumpstocks are still readily available online and at gun shows, including one that took place in Florida just two days after and 50 miles north of the latest high school slaughter. At least it was the latest slaughter as this is being written.

There are countries that have figured this out; they simply banned certain types of weapons. None are true analogs of the United States, and all have a distinct advantage we’ll get to in a bit.

Australia responded to a 1996 assaultweapon massacre in Tasmania that killed 35 people by banning assault weapons and all other semi-automatic and rapidly loading guns. Had its parliament not acted, a national plebiscite would have done the job for them. A mandatory buy-back program, for which the government paid $500 million, collected nearly 700,000 outlawed guns.

Fears of rising crime rates went unrealized.

Crime in Australia has declined, the continuation of a 25-year trend. Gun violence has decreased by more than 50 percent since the 1996 ban was imposed, and suicides-by-gun have decreased by nearly 70 percent. And the country has had no mass shootings since the ban was implemented.

no National Rifle Association-type groups frightening cowardly legislators.

Nor do they have a Supreme Court that rules “ ... a well-regulated militia … ” includes individual gun owners, regardless of how regulated they might be.

The Court did leave open the possibility of some restrictions and just recently allowed a longer waiting period and tighter background checks in California to stand. We once even had a national assault-weapon ban the courts tolerated, from 1994 to 2004, when President Bush and Congress let it expire. Many states, including Michigan, have only made it easier to own, carry, or conceal weapons.

The NRA, meanwhile, continues its influence on the American electorate. In 2016 it spent $11 million supporting Donald Trump and more than $19 million criticizing Hillary Clinton. Its effective zealotry and the sycophants it helps elect stand in the way of most legislative fixes.

The solution, repealing the Second Amendment, is a political impossibility. There is nowhere near two-thirds of the House or Senate willing to even whisper such a thing, Even if they did, three-fourths of the states would not approve it, as is required. The Second Amendment has always been, and continues to be, sacrosanct.

We’re stuck with a gun culture the Founding Fathers could never have anticipated. We have more gun violence with more efficient weapons than any other Western-style democracy and more guns per capita than any other country in the world.

We’re awash in gun violence and unable, or unwilling, to do anything about it. While we watch yet another candlelight memorial service, the madness rolls on.

Crime & Rescue TEEN ACCUSED OF TERRORISM Police arrested a 17-year-old and seized an AR-15 rifle from his home after the youth allegedly threatened a school massacre.

Manistee County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Wellston resident Cullen Shafer on a charge of making a threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony.

Students alerted authorities to threats at Brethren High School Feb. 19.

Cullen admitted he threatened to shoot up the school but claimed he had been joking, deputies said. Deputies searched Cullen’s home and confiscated the rifle and his cell phone.

ICY ROADS CAUSE CRASH Icy roads took a 59-year-old Glen Arbor woman by surprise, causing her to lose control of her vehicle, strike a snowbank and roll over.

The woman suffered minor injuries in the crash on West Cheney Road near South Wheeler Road in Glen Arbor Township Feb. 10 at 10:30am, Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies said. They said the current thaw-freeze weather cycle should prompt people to watch out for ice on roads, especially in more remote areas.

The woman complained of neck and wrist pain, but she didn’t want to be taken to the hospital.

ALLEGED DEALERS DRIVE INTO TRAP Police who got a tip about two men believed to be dealing drugs set up surveillance and arrested the suspects.

Traverse Narcotics Team officers said they learned that two men were headed back to an area in Kalkaska County’s Oliver Township, so got into position and waited for them.

When the suspect vehicle approached, police made a traffic stop. Police said a passenger in the vehicle tried to throw an object into a snowbank and resisted arrest, causing an officer to suffer minor injuries.

The officers arrested two Kalkaska men, ages 34 and 35, and a 23-year-old Kalkaska woman.

Police recovered the object, which they said is suspected to be drugs. They recovered four grams of what appeared to be cocaine and five grams of suspected heroin.

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

BENZIE TEENS FOUND Two 14-year-olds from Benzie County who apparently ran away together in a stolen vehicle were found in Iowa.

Benzie County Sheriff’s deputies issued an alert for the pair on Feb. 20 after determining that, two days earlier, the youth had stolen a car in Beulah and fled the area. The vehicle was later recovered in Osceola County, but there was no sign of the missing male or female.

The following day, deputies called off the alert; the runaways had been located and taken into custody in Iowa.

SNOWMOBILE RESCUE CALLED OFF Emergency responders who descended upon Spider Lake in East Bay Township after a snowmobile was reported to have crashed through the ice determined the call was a false alarm.

Someone called 911 at 7pm Feb. 21 to report that they had seen a snowmobile traveling across the lake, heard a bang, and believed the sled disappeared somewhere between the islands and the shore.

Grand Travers County Sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, East Bay Township EMTs, and a Coast Guard rescue helicopter responded and searched the lake.

Later the rescuers determined that the lake’s ice was intact, and there were no fresh snowmobile tracks anywhere to be found, prompting them to call off the search.

Deputies investigated the car at 2:18am Feb. 16; the driver had left the scene, but they interviewed a witness who had followed the Buick westbound on M-72 as it travelled at 35mph and weaved around the roadway. At the intersection of South Cedar Road in Solon Township, the car crashed into a snowbank.

Another motorist stopped to help the driver of the Buick and took her away, the witness told deputies.

Police tracked down the driver the following day. The 57-year-old Maple City woman said she had been extremely tired and ran off the roadway after she fell asleep; she said a stranger offered her a ride home. Deputies said they would file a report to the prosecutor’s office, requesting a charge of leaving the scene of an accident.

emmet cheboygan

WOMAN ABANDONS BUICK Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies were called to investigate an abandoned 2017 Buick that had crashed on M-72, suffering serious front-end damage.

charlevoix

antrim

TWO YOOPERS ARRESTED IN BUST A man and woman from the Upper Peninsula were arrested by drug squad

police.

Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement officers made arrangements to meet in Cheboygan to purchase cocaine from a 25-year-old Sault Ste. Marie man and a 19-year-old Trout Lake woman.

Police stopped the suspects’ vehicle shortly after the purchase and searched it, finding more cocaine, as well as ecstasy, marijuana, prescription drugs, and cash.

The man was arrested on a drug delivery charge, and the woman was arrested on an unrelated warrant.

DRUGS SUSPECTED IN CRASH Police believe a Cadillac woman was high on drugs when she veered off of a city street, then crashed through a fence and into a pole at the Lincoln Elementary School softball fields.

Cadillac Police responded to the scene at 9:21pm Feb. 20, where a “drug recognition expert” determined that the 24-year-old woman was under the influence of a controlled substance.

The woman was arrested and charged with operating under the influence.

otsego

Leelanau

benzie

manistee

grand traverse

wexford

kalkaska

missaukee

crawfor D

roscommon

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 7

Now Accepting New Patients

ENLIGHTMENT OR SOCIETAL REGRESSION?

opinion

bY Isiah Smith, Jr. I seldom attend church — unless I’m in Miami, where I spend a part of each winter.

Specializing in:

Specializing in:

Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Ayurvedic Medicine and Yoga Therapy

PRACTITIONERS: Jon Robertson, D.O. Beth Dharmini Robertson, Ayurvedic Practitioner, CIAYT, ERYT-500 Adam C. DeVaney, MSW Located in Beautiful Traverse City 1203 E. 8th St. Traverse City, Michigan 49686 Phone: 231-943-1515 M-F 10am-4pm www.traversebayintegrativemedicine.com and www.coldwaterhaven.com

My relationship with religion is tenuous at best.

However, I am capable of holding two opposed ideas in my mind at the same time while still maintaining the ability to function (apologies to F. Scott Fitzgerald).

I don’t think that going to church makes you a Christian any more than going to a repair shop makes you a car.

Dr. King noted, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” Not so at the Coral Gables Congregational Church in Miami. Senior Pastor Dr. Laurinda Hafner says the church is open to all, including misfits, rejects, and others looking for a place to belong. CGCC is housed in a Spanish colonial revival-styled building that’s included in the U.S. National Registry of Historic places.

The parishioners are gay and lesbian couples sitting with their children, next to Cubans, African-Americans, old, young, of varying hues and colors and origins.

Messages are delivered by free and open minds: Two years ago Gretta Vosper, the atheist minister and author of “With or Without God: Why the way we live is more important than what we believe” served as guest pastor.

CARPET STARTING at $1.44 sq ft.

VINYL PLANK STARTING at $1.99 sq ft.

The church band rocks, and the choir has world-class singers. For this year’s MLK day, the choir performed a rousing rendition of “Glory” from the soundtrack of Selma. A young lady with blue eyes and blond hair stood in for the rapper Common.

INSTALLATION IN 10 BUSINESS DAYS!

On our last Sunday at CGCC, before heading back to frigid northern Michigan, Assistant Pastor Rev. Aaron Lauer focused on societal regression, as that concept applies to our present national moment. He urged us to not lose heart when we wake up each morning to new unhinged tweets and other bad news.

QUALITY FLOORING

• CARPET • VINYL • COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

SMALL, LOCAL, FAMILY-OWNED!

2827 Cass Road, Traverse City • gallagherscarpeting.com

8 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

One Sunday CGCC celebrates Marti Gras, and the next raises money for Haiti.

The pastors are more likely to talk about Goethe and Bach than God and the Bible. Community service and environmental issues take the place of Jesus and eternal life.

to hold tightly to our fundamental values, develop and maintain our sense of community, meditate on the goodness in the world, be forward-looking, embrace change. Refuse to scapegoat others we view as being outside our tribe. Resist promises of quick fixes, and open our hearts to others instead of building walls.

Clearly we are undergoing a societal regression. But that doesn’t mean the world is falling apart. In his new book, “Enlightenment Now,” Steven Pinker marshals an impressive array of data purporting to demonstrate that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness, are all on the rise, in America and in the world.

All of the positive factors are due to the Enlightenment, Pinker argues, and the belief that reason and science enhances human life.

After yet another mass shooting in another public school, we might be tempted to conclude that we are living in a time more violent than any in human history. Again, Pinker demurs.

In an earlier book, “The Better Angels of our Nature,” Pinker again used data purporting to establish that we are living in the most peaceful moment in human history.

Some thinkers, such as Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of “The Black Swan” and “Fooled by Randomness” believe Pinker errs in drawing scientific conclusions from descriptive statistics.

Other opined that he labors too hard to prove that things in America have gotten better on all fronts. Using data, graphs, and charts, he presents a compelling, if not altogether convincing picture.

Of course, things have gotten better across the millennia. But, really, go far enough back into the distant past, and today looks perfect in comparison. We no longer live in caves. Most people have indoor plumbing; many diseases that used to shorten our lives have been eliminated. I no longer work in cotton fields gratis.

It would however, be folly to conclude that all is perfect. We must remain diligent or risk getting stuck in the next societal regression.

“Human societies always undergo confusing periods of regression and progression in their history. In a regression, people act to relieve the anxiety of the moment rather than act on principle and a long-term shared view,” he said.

Lisa Halliday, in her new novel, “ASYMMETRY,” sums the matter up nicely: “You come to see a mostly peaceful and democratic society as being in a state of incredibly delicate suspension, suspension that requires equilibrium down to the smallest molecule, such that even the finest jolt, just one person neglecting its fragility with complacency or self-absorption, could cause the whole … thing to collapse. You think about how we all belong to this species capable of such horrifying evil, and you wonder what [our] responsibility to humanity is while [we’re] here … .”

“The society thus becomes chronically anxious and reactive. They fall prey to irrational arguments sustained by emotional appeal, and tribal herding.

It is also characterized by scapegoating, or blame displacement, and a quick-fix mentality.”

The humanistic philosophy, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives, might be the key that unlocks the door to a peaceful and harmonious future.

“In this present moment,” he continued, “society seems to be regressing because of the dizzying rate of social and technological changes in society.

People have become frightened and uneasy as the world changes rapidly around them. It is then that we as a society fall prey to despots, strongmen, and radical, self-interested ideologues.”

Isiah Smith Jr. is a former newspaper columnist for the Miami Times. He worked as a psychotherapist before attending the University of Miami Law School, where he also received a master’s degree in psychology.

In December 2013, he retired from the Department of Energy’s Office of General Counsel, where he served as a deputy assistant general counsel for administrative litigation and information law. Isiah lives in Traverse City with his wife, Marlene.

Pastor Lauer did not say that the solution to societal regression is to pray and give it over to God. Rather, he said that now is the time

Irony A North Little Rock, Arkansas, law firm celebrated Valentine’s Day in an unconventional way: Wilson & Haubert, PLLC hosted a contest to win a free divorce (a $985 value). “Are you ready to call it quits?” the firm’s Facebook post asked.

“Do you know someone that is?” Firm cofounder Brandon Haubert told WIS-TV that the firm had received more than 40 entries in the first day it was offered.

Ewwwww!

About a week after an 11-year-old boy scraped his elbow while playing in a tidal pool on a California beach, pediatricians treating him for the resulting abscess removed a small, hard object and were surprised to discover a live checkered periwinkle marine snail, according to United Press International. Dr. Albert Khait and his colleagues at Loma Linda University wrote in BMJ Case Reports that a snail’s egg had apparently become embedded in the boy’s skin when he scraped it. The mollusk later hatched inside the abscess. Dr. Khait said the boy took the snail home as a pet, but it did not survive living outside its former home.

Blimey!

Michelle Myers of Buckeye, Arizona, suffers from blinding headaches, but it’s what happens afterward that until recently had doctors stumped. Myers, who has never been out of the United States, has awakened from her headaches three times in the last seven years with a different foreign accent. The first time it was Irish; the second was Australian, and both lasted only about a week. But Myers’ most recent event, which was two years ago, left her with a British accent that she still has.

Doctors have diagnosed her with Foreign Accent Syndrome, a rare condition that usually accompanies a neurological event such as a stroke. Myers told ABC-15 that the loss of her normal accent makes her sad: “I feel like a different person. Everybody only sees or hears Mary Poppins.”

New World Order A new golf course at The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca, Oregon, will take “the golf experience ... to a new level” in 2018, owner Scott Campbell announced in early February to the website Golf WRX. This summer, golfers will be offered goat caddies to carry clubs, drinks, balls and tees on the resort’s short sevenhole challenge course, McVeigh’s Gauntlet.

“We’ve been developing an unprecedented caddie training program with our head caddie, Bruce LeGoat,” Campbell went on, adding that the professionally trained American Range goats will “work for peanuts.” (Rim shot.)

Update News of the Weird reported in September on the giant “fatberg” lodged in the sewer system beneath the streets of London. The huge glob of oil, fat, diapers and baby wipes was finally blasted out after nine weeks of work. On Feb. 8, the Museum of London put on display a shoebox-sized chunk of the fatberg, the consistency of which is described by curator Vyki Sparkes as being something like Parmesan cheese crossed with moon rock. “It’s disgusting and

fascinating,” she told the Associated Press.

The mini-fatberg is enclosed within three nested transparent boxes to protect visitors from potentially deadly bacteria, the terrible smell -- and the tiny flies that swarm around it. The museum is also selling fatberg fudge and T-shirts in conjunction with the exhibit, which continues until July 1.

Mail Call The Federal Agency for Environmental Protection in Mexico is investigating a Feb. 7 attempt to express-mail a Bengal tiger cub from Jalisco to Queretaro, reported WDBJTV. The cub had been sedated and packed into a plastic container; a dog sniffing for contraband detected it. Wildlife agents said the cub was underweight and dehydrated but otherwise healthy, and its papers were in order. However, because mailing it was considered mistreatment, it was relocated to a wildlife protection center.

Why Not? Terran Woolley of Hutchinson, Kansas, got a bright idea after he read the bylaws and requirements to become the state’s governor.

“I was reading some stories about the young teenagers that were entering the governor’s race ... and I thought, ‘I wonder if ... Angus could run,’” Woolley explained to KWCHTV. Angus is Woolley’s wirehaired vizsla, a four-legged, furry friend of the people who Woolley said would promise soft couches and a “completely anti-squirrel agenda” if elected. Alas, on Feb. 12, the Kansas secretary of state’s office dashed Angus’ dreams when it declared that despite the fact that there are no specific restrictions against a dog being governor, Angus would be unable to carry out the responsibilities of the office.

Least Competent Criminals -- Kenneth R. Shutes Jr. of New Richmond, Wisconsin, bolted from a midnight traffic stop on Feb. 6, but he didn’t make it far before having to call 911 for help. The Twin Cities Pioneer Press reported that Shutes got stuck in a frozen swamp in rural Star Prairie and, after about an hour, became unable to walk as temperatures dipped to minus 8 degrees. Fire and rescue workers removed Shutes from the wooded area, and he was later charged in St. Croix County Circuit Court for failing to obey an officer, marijuana possession and obstructing an officer. Shutes told a deputy he “needed an incident like this because he was making poor decisions in his life.”

-- Marion County (Florida) sheriff ’s officials were surprised to get a text from David W. Romig, 52, on Jan. 30 about a murder scene at his home in Dunnellon.

The Ocala Star Banner reported that detectives were called to the home after Romig reported an intruder had killed his girlfriend, 64-year-old Sally KaufmannRuff. Some of the evidence they found didn’t match Romig’s story, and their suspicions were confirmed later in the day when Romig texted a detective, saying, “I think they are going to arrest me” -- a text he meant to send to his wife. On Feb. 12, Romig admitted he may have killed Kaufmann-Ruff. He was charged with homicide, making a false report and tampering with evidence.

Congratulations to our patient of the month, Tia Spence from East Jordan, for excellent oral hygiene and good cooperation throughout treatment.

www.schulzortho.com TRAVERSE CITY

231-929-3200 • 4952 Skyview Ct.

CHARLEVOIX

231-237-0955 • 106 E. Garfield Ave.

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 9

A DEATH

IN THE

JAIL Legal action following the death of Alan Halloway highlights some structural problems at the Grand Traverse County Jail just as county officials are mulling over whether to spend $30 or $50 million to build a new one.

By Patrick Sullivan Attorneys for the family of a man who took his own life in the Grand Traverse County Jail want answers. They’re asking how it’s possible that an inmate — one who’d just been taken off suicide watch — could be left alone for hours with the means to accomplish the lethal act.

The attorneys of Alan Halloway’s parents have filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the county. They claim that the sheriff ’s department failed to turn over details about the 41-year-old’s death, and they’re seeking records that would deliver some — namely, surveillance video footage from Halloway’s cell, emails sent between Sheriff Thomas Bensley and other officials following the discovery of Halloway’s body, and the names of other inmates who were bunked nearby.

So far, attorney Jesse Williams’ FOIA demands have been stonewalled. Bensley and attorneys for the county have maintained that those records are exempt from disclosure under FOIA because releasing that information would disclose security features of the jail, expose heat-of-the-moment discourse between officials, and intrude on the privacy of prisoners.

The lawsuit is scheduled for trial in June, and its filing suggests a prelude to a bigger lawsuit, likely that of wrongful death or similar case.

Meanwhile, Eric VanDussen, office manager for Williams’ law firm, also filed a lawsuit against Grand Traverse County. After Williams filed the FOIA lawsuit against the sheriff ’s department, county officials held a closed session earlier this month to discuss it. VanDussen alleges the county violated the Open Meetings Act by going into closed session because it is not named as a defendant in the FOIA lawsuit.

At the same time, county commissioners are readying for another jail-related fight.

They’re preparing a second push to generate

public support and develop a plan for the construction of all-new jail facility — one estimated to cost between $30 and $50-million — that would replace the 54-year-old jail on Washington Street in Traverse City.

THE OPPOSITE OF SUICIDE RESISTANT Eric VanDussen, manager of Williams’ law office, said sheriff ’s officials have known for years that the jail is unsafe and is an environment rife for suicide, and yet they have not taken steps to mitigate those conditions.

“They were absolutely put on notice, there was a Power Point, it was reiterated in the final report,” VanDussen said.

VanDussen refers to a 2014 study of the jail that determined the facility offered too many chances for inmates to kill themselves

measures taken by the courts to manage the jail population through community corrections and specialty courts like sobriety court, mental illness court, and domestic violence court.

“You would definitely need a lot more beds if you didn’t have the specialty courts and community corrections,” Goldman told officials at a meeting that June.

On the other hand, they also noted that the jail was an inhospitable place for people with mental illness.

Goldman recommended a series of measures that, in order to enact, would likely require a new facility. He noted that mentally ill inmates need direct supervision, natural light and colors, and access to an actual outdoor, secure area.

“Yes, it’s not a Holiday Inn, but we need to treat people humanely, or they can get worse in

“It’s good that you have all the cameras, and you’ve had relatively few suicides, but there’s many, many opportunities in virtually all parts of the housing units for inmates, if they want to hang themselves, to do that.” and that its conditions darkened the state of mentally ill inmates.

That report was generated after Bensley requested a jail assessment from the National Institute of Corrections, a lead-up to asking county taxpayers to approve a new jail amid concerns of jail overcrowding.

The 2014 assessment of the jail was not entirely critical of the existing facility.

The consultants, nationally recognized corrections experts Mark Goldman and Jim Robertson, praised the management of the jail, its cleanliness, and how well maintained the facility appeared. They also praised

10 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

a place like this,” Goldman said.

Another red flag Goldman noted in his talk were features in the jail that he called “the opposite of suicide resistant.”

“It’s good that you have all the cameras, and you’ve had relatively few suicides, but there’s many, many opportunities in virtually all parts of the housing units for inmates if they want to hang themselves to do that,” Goldman said.

The experts also said jail staff rely too heavily on surveillance cameras rather than direct observation, and that corrections staff monitoring the cameras were called upon to perform other responsibilities, like answering

telephones, that took their eyes away from the camera feeds.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA Halloway’s death was captured on surveillance camera, but it went unnoticed at the time.

Surveillance video shows Halloway methodically create a noose of jail-issued socks, tie that around a bar through the food slot in his cell door, secure the noose around his neck, and hang himself, according to descriptions of the video in police reports.

Halloway had been in jail since July 18, the day he shot a 46-year-old man in what investigators determined was an attempted murder.

When Halloway arrived in jail on that Tuesday, he was no stranger to the place — he’d been there on numerous occasions over the years, having been charged in the past with drunk driving, impaired driving, driving without insurance, and assault of a police officer.

Initially, he was placed on suicide watch because of comments he made while being booked, according to the Michigan Sheriff ’s Association investigation report. Halloway had threatened to harm himself and was taken to Munson Medical Center before jail because he had taken a dangerous dose of Valium.

The next morning, Halloway was placed on “officer caution” status due to the nature of his crime and his “individual demeanor,” meaning that corrections officers would limit direct contact with him.

Later that morning, Halloway met with a Northern Lakes Community Mental Health employee who cleared him to be taken off suicide watch.

That afternoon, Halloway was taken from his observation cell and led to cell No. 109, where he was left alone near the end of a deadend hallway.

The next day, July 20, Halloway was video-

arraigned on charges of attempted murder, felony firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon. He was ordered held on $1 million bond. When his attorney, James Hunt, visited Halloway later that morning, the two spoke through the cell door’s food slot.

The investigators described in detail what Halloway could be seen doing in his cell in the evening of July 21 as he prepared to take his life. He was interrupted at 9:11pm by a nurse who watched him as he ingested medicine.

Minutes later, after the nurse left and Halloway had re-attached the socks to the bar outside his cell, he could be seen convulsing, then his body went still. Halloway, who in life was known as a talented tattoo artist, lay dead in his cell and wasn’t discovered until a guard checked on him at 12:07am.

Two corrections officers lost their job following Halloway’s death. One was fired; the other quit.

While the investigators found that protocol was followed with regard to Halloway’s intake and classification as a prisoner, there were lapses in cell checks and record keeping, according to the report.

They wrote: “… Investigators determine there to be no clear consensus by jail staff on departmental policies for both jail operations and cell checks as required by department policies and directives.”

The report was turned over to a special prosecutor to consider whether to bring any charges.

LEFT FOR DEAD David Barber, the man whom Halloway attacked, believes that lost in the discussion of Halloway’s suicide is the horrible nature of the crime he committed that sent him to jail.

Barber said Halloway — who had been Barber’s close friend for years — was deranged on the day of his crime because he wanted to date Barber’s girlfriend, a woman whom he had met a handful of times but who had not reciprocated interest. Barber said he had arrived at his girlfriend’s sister’s apartment to find Halloway there, drunk and high on drugs, and Halloway insisted they go outside.

Halloway took Barber behind the apartment building.

“I went back there, and he just started screaming and hollering and spitting,” Barber said.

He said he attempted to talk Halloway down so that they could settle things when Halloway was sober, but Halloway insisted they were going to have it out. Barber said Halloway physically attacked him, so he put Halloway in a headlock.

That’s when the gun came out. Holloway shot Barber in the shoulder and then fired another bullet, which grazed Barber’s cheek.

Halloway was attempting to shoot him again when Barber punched the gun and forced Halloway to miss.

Barber said he believes that caused the .22 Ruger to jam.

“The gun jammed. I wouldn’t be talking to you today if the gun didn’t jam,” he said.

They struggled some more, and Halloway pulled a knife, Barber said, intent on slitting his throat. Barber received defensive knife wounds on his arm as he fended off the knife. Barber said he believes that when Halloway slashed his arm that Halloway mistakenly assumed that Barber’s throat was cut and left Barber to bleed to death.

Halloway fled the scene and was arrested after a standoff at his home in Grawn.

Barber spent a week in the hospital and didn’t learn that Halloway had taken his own life until after release from the hospital.

He said he is sorry that Halloway died, but only because he wanted a chance to confront Halloway about what he’d done.

Today, Barber said he still has not recovered and will require more surgeries. He said his injuries prevent him from going back to work as an auto mechanic.

“I’m without work, trying to get disability, and struggling,” he said.

He said that while Halloway’s family might be able to recover damages in his death, he

is frustrated that he has no recourse to be compensated for his injuries.

TALK OF A NEW JAIL Today, as jail deficiencies are raised in the case of Halloway’s death, county officials have returned to the topic of new jail construction.

In 2014, there was some momentum to build a new jail. The consultants who performed the study set out a series of steps for officials to follow that would lay the groundwork for determining if a new jail was needed, and if so, its size and structure. The plan also included strategies for fostering public support.

The first step officials were urged to take was to conduct a “needs assessment.”

That didn’t happen.

VanDussen said he is unaware of any changes made at the jail as a result of the findings in the report.

“I know of none, and I’ve seen no evidence that anything was done to change their practices or policies to curtail those glaring issues that were brought to their attention in 2014,” he said.

He said the county board in 2014 passed a resolution to create a criminal justice committee to look at jail issues, but they only began to follow up on it in 2017, a month before Halloway’s death.

Bensley said he was advised not to comment about anything but the criminal justice committee, which he said was in the hands of county commissioners and stalled in 2014. He said he attempted to get it going again last year, but that effort also fell away.

“Apparently everything again is on hold because, well, we don’t have an administrator,” Bensley said. “You’re starting on this road, you’ve got to put one foot in front of another, and, well, that has stopped.”

Officials may have been distracted away from taking action at the jail because of other things happening in the county.

Months after the needs assessment was supposed to be set in motion, in April 2015, county commissioners voted 5-2 to oust county administrator Dave Benda in a surprise move.

Five months after that, Tom Menzel was tapped as the new county administrator, ushering in a contentious period when officials bucked

heads over a perceived financial crisis in the county that Menzel vowed to fix. Discussion about what to do about the jail dropped away.

Today, the jail has returned to meeting agendas.

At a December board of commissioners meeting, Bensley said he would like to see the sheriff ’s department and the jail under the same roof (today, the jail is located in the downtown courthouse complex, while the sheriff ’s department is housed in a former bank building on Woodmere Avenue), a measure that would almost certainly require the construction of a new facility on county-owned property on Lafranier Road in Garfield Township. $30 MILLION OR $50 MILLION? What everyone seemed to agree upon at the meeting was that current jail conditions are dire.

Commissioner Addison “Sonny” Wheelock, who was part of the group that looked at the jail study in 2014, said conditions are almost “deplorable” in the jail, and there is heavy staff turnover.

“It’s not just the type of people they have to work with,” Wheelock said at the meeting.

“Because if this is your profession, you’re understanding that this is the kind of people you’re going to work with. But the conditions that [corrections officers] are asked to work in every day are, you know, on the verge of being deplorable.”

Commissioners debated how to proceed with the development of a jail proposal. Cheryl Gore Follette proposed skipping what she estimated would be a $50,000 consultant fee this time and instead visiting Wexford County, where officials just opened a new jail, to see what could be learned from that experience.

Dan Lathrop cautioned against that, saying that he’d been through the 2014 process and learned that hiring an expert is critical to laying the groundwork for a new jail.

“They showed us several instances where people, not people but boards, went in on their own, thinking they knew what to do, and they ended up with nightmares,” Lathrop said. “We need a pro, that’s my opinion, right from the beginning.”

Follette and Lathrop also disagreed on what they projected the cost of a new jail might be.

“You can really mess this up,” Lathrop said.

“It’s a $50 million building, minimum.”

Follette replied: “Well, that’s a much bigger number than what I was told — $33 or 35 [million] is what I was told.”

GOING ABOUT THIS WRONG Gerald Morris, board president of Project Unity, a Traverse City-based nonprofit that helps to ease people from jail and addiction back into society, said he still works at jails in Benzie and Leelanau counties, but for two years he hasn’t been able to help inmates in Grand Traverse because he’s been told the jail lacks enough staff to enable visits from volunteer service providers.

Morris said he believes that before county commissioners set out to build a new jail, they should spend some time looking for ways to reduce the jail population.

“My position is, why don’t you try to figure out ways to keep people out of jail?” he said.

Jail Chaplain Tom Bousamra said the biggest priority at the jail should be to improve inmates’ access to mental health care.

Bousamra, a deacon ordained by the Catholic Bishop of Gaylord, realized a couple years ago that people who are apt to become inmates need a particular kind of help. He helped form a group called Before During and After Incarceration, a Traverse City-based nonprofit. The group seeks to reduce recidivism by working with offenders and their families.

Bousamra said one of the biggest problems at the Grand Traverse County Jail is the lack of services for the mentally ill. Well-intentioned corrections staff are too busy to help, and there is no full-time counsellor on staff.

He said the jail contracts with Northern Lakes Community Mental Health for a counselor to come in once a week and for two hours of psychiatric care per week for the entire jail population. That’s not enough, he said.

“They need full access to inmates to know who’s struggling and who needs assistance,” Bousamra said. “They need someone who can be in there full-time and who can prescribe psychotropic medications. … You need someone there, more than just a drive-by — that’s what I call it. It’s like drive-by mental health service.”

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 11

Chris Lemanski’s 6,000 Mile Walk

Around The World

By Kristi Kates To experience a different kind of life.

That’s the reason Chris Lemanski moved to South America after growing up in Santa Rosa, California; he wanted to try something new. So he found a translation company to work for, pulled up his roots, and went for it.

That willingness to try new things led him to his next excursion, which he undertook after moving with his parents to Traverse City.

Lemanski ended up traveling overseas to spend 18 months walking through 14 different countries. It was a trip that started on impulse, and wound up becoming a lifechanging inspirational journey.

ISTANBUL ARRIVAL The idea for Lemanski’s adventure first came to mind when he read about the E3 trail (also called the European LongDistance Path), a 4,320 mile-long in-progress footpath that takes walkers from Bulgaria to Portugal. Lemanski had been in something of a personal slump, and when someone suggested he “go take a walk” to clear his head, he took it to incredible lengths.

“I first had the idea in October of 2015, and got really excited about it. By December of that same year I’d found a one-way ticket

to Istanbul,” Lemanski said. “I left the next spring (from the Chicago airport), and started my walk on May 5, 2016, also in Istanbul; the entire trip lasted until October 15, 2017.”

Upon arriving in Istanbul, however, things weren’t as simple as he’d expected.

“I got there and realized that there really wasn’t a trail at all at the start of it,” Lemanski said. “There was no signage, and no one in Istanbul had even heard of the E3. Let’s just say there was a lot of misinformation online.”

He spent three days getting over his jetlag and exploring Istanbul, and eventually decided to move on.

The next morning, he headed for the eastern part of Serbia, and then walked hundreds of miles along the highways to Romania. Though the areas are often in political turmoil, Lemanski said he felt remarkably safe and looked after.

“I’d contacted a local hiking organization there, and everyone was really helpful,” he said. “I was taken care of very well in Serbia.

I was surprised to find that I was able to sleep at someone’s house every day. Sometimes I’d meet someone, and their first comment would be something like, Hey, you bombed us’; but mostly, people were just interested to meet an American.”

MEETING AN AMERICAN Finally departing Istanbul, he walked along the Black Sea to Bulgaria … where he was “hijacked” by Bulgarian woodsmen.

“They’re a society of outdoorspeople who clean and clear the trail,” he recalled.

“It was damp and rainy that day, and when they saw me, they got all excited and invited me to come in for some food. I thought a meal and conversation would be nice, and figured I’d stay for an hour or so and then continue walking. But they kept giving me Bulgarian moonshine, and I ended up staying all night with them, learning traditional Bulgarian dances!”

SCENIC ROUTE After Serbia, Lemanski decided to trek across the Apuseni Mountain plateau until he got to Hungary. “120 miles across flat land,” he said.

Slovakia was next, with the tall, mountainous landscapes of the Prešov region accompanying him to the Polish border.

“That’s gorgeous country, such a beautiful land,” Lemanski said. “I could’ve spent years there. Of course, I didn’t have that leeway, but I did travel a little slower when I could.”

At one point in Poland, Lemanski met a young couple who were also walking the trail;

12 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

they’d walked nearly 250 miles in two weeks.

“We talked, and I told them I had almost 2,500 miles left to do, which seemed to inspire them to keep going,” he said. “I gave them my email and we all moved on. A month later, one of them emailed to ask if he could join me on my walk for a few days; turned out the trail ran right by his parents’ house. So it was nice to have company for a while.”

He looped through Poland, then back into Slovakia and on to the Czech Republic, heading toward Germany, extending his fantastic journey through yet more countries.

“I tried to stick to the trail as much as possible, but the trail signs aren’t so great until you hit Hungary,” he said. “I got lost in the woods quite a lot before that!”

The mountains of Slovakia and Poland also proved challenging.

“You’re at 2,600 elevation, and there’s a lot of switchback walking and going up and down, up and down. It’s a lot for a walker. The trail is called a ‘scenic route,’ but sometimes I think they just wanted to torture us,” he laughed.

TRAIL RELATIONS Step after step, he continued onward to the Black Forest until he reached the town of Hof, Germany, when yet another puzzle

benefitting women and FAMILIES at the goodwill inn

You hold the power to change lives . presented itself. He realized he’d overstayed his visa by several months, so would have to figure out how to leave the Schengen Area (the region of Europe that has eliminated passport control at the borders) for the amount of time required to get a new visa.

“I especially had to leave Germany, because I heard if you get caught with an expired visa there, you’re prosecuted and get an ‘illegal alien’ stamp in your passport,” he said. “Plus I was camping in the forest in Germany, which I’d found out was highly illegal.”

But the “best” way to leave the Schengen Area was going to be tricky.

“Obviously, flying and at highway border crossings, they were going to check my papers and see how expired everything was,” he noted. “So I took night buses, then hitchhiked to Spain and found a boat to Morocco, which is out of the Schengen Area but only eight miles from the European coast.”

He cooled his heels in Morocco for three months, the duration he had to wait for the new visa, passing the time by doing freelance work and volunteering in hostels.

“Once the three months were up, I took a flight and then a bus right back to the exact spot I’d left in Hof, Germany,” he said. “I’d become obsessed. I’d built a strange relationship with the trail and couldn’t leave her, and I was determined to hit every step of it.”

AMBITIOUS ATTRACTIONS And that’s exactly what he did. From Germany, he went to Luxembourg, walking most of the perimeter of the tiny country; Belgium was next, and he crossed that country in five days.

Then he decided to spend the next three months in France, where he walked more 1,000 miles in that country alone, visiting Paris and hiking around virtually the entire French countryside.

“That was one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever been in,” he said. “Even the farms and fields are just gorgeous. I was also amazed by how many French people would offer me food and water, and even invite me in to use their shower — I must have smelled terrible at that point! But I don’t think I spent a dime in France.”

After his third month in France, he knew it was time for his trip to wind down. He walked The Way of Saint James (the Camino

de Santiago), a pilgrimage walk that goes to Spain; from Spain, he walked straight south to Portugal, doing the last 375 miles of his trek in 11 days.

“I accidentally overstayed my visa the second time as well, but I was determined to just stay on. I wanted to finish the trail before I turned 26 years old, and I was also scheduled to meet my parents in Lisbon,” Lemanski said.

“We spent a couple of days there, then they joined me for the last two days of the walk: 26 miles west to Cabo da Roca, which is as far west as you can go in Portugal.”

Lemanski tried to indulge his parents by seeing some of the sights — museums and other attractions — but soon found that he wasn’t in the right mindset.

“It was hard to be just a tourist strolling around after the walk that I did,” he said. “So we celebrated my birthday on October 16 and my dad’s on October 19, then flew back to Traverse City.”

HOPEFUL HUMANITY In the end, Lemanski had walked some 6,000 miles. His epic memories were innumerable, from standing alone in awe of the Balkan Mountains to playing traditional fado music with a huge group of Portuguese college students.

But beyond memories, he’s taken away a whole lot more from the trip that simply started on a whim.

“I’m still working on exactly what I’ve learned from this whole thing,” Lemanski said. “But I can tell I’ll be taking lessons from the trip for the rest of my life. I was a pretty lazy person — a procrastinator, really – but I look back and realize, hey, I walked across a continent.”

He got used to a quieter world, as well.

“You’re definitely not sitting there staring at a screen, so that’s very different,” he said.

Lemanski is thinking through his next plan now. He might attend college in Germany, join the Peace Corps, or head to China to teach English. But no matter what he chooses to do, he wants it to have value far below the surface.

“I also really fell in love with humanity for a while,” he said. “I was a really cynical person; I still am, to some degree. But even if they don’t know you at all, people do care, and they do want to help. So I hope to do something like that trip again someday.”

TIC K ETS AT GOODWILLNMI.ORG/ POWER

March 10 9 :3 0 a m — 1 2 p m city opera house S I L E N T A UC T I ON G OURM E T B RUN C H Thank you to our major sponsors

GOODWILL

Northern Michigan

CTAC’S PERFORMING ARTS SERIES presents

SIX APPEAL

Saturday, MARCH 10 • 7:30

pm

CTAC–PETOSKEY

$25 Members/$35 Non-Members/$10 Students

World-class a cappella vocal group with rock-band energy and impeccable comedic timing

www.crookedtree.org or 231.347.4337

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 13

6

2

1

EIGHT GREAT DATES

By Kristi Kates Thanks to the recent warmup, springtime — and its usual counterpart, love — is in the air. Like all species coming out of hibernation, you might be in the mood for a little romance. But what to do to help love bloom at this melty, slushy, weird in-between time of year? Here’s our suggestions: 1 – BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE Doesn’t matter what the weather is outside your door, on the hills of Crystal Mountain, snow sports ride well into March. Grab a couple lift tickets, and spend the afternoon cuddling close on the chairlift and cruising together down the greens, blues, and blacks.

Weather permitting, you’ve got heaps of other options for fun frolicking: ice skating, fat tire snow bike rentals, snowmobile tours, and snowshoe rentals. Too messy out there?

Perhaps a couples massage at the Crystal Spa? At least an hour before sunset, drive north to Glen Arbor’s bayside Blu (glenarborblu. com; Blu’s winter hours are Thursday– Sunday) restaurant, where you can enjoy cocktails and dinner together as you enjoy the panorama of colors shift across the icy lake’s sky. The menu at Blu changes daily, so expect to be treated by truly fresh and fabulous ingredients.

2 – SING IT AGAIN, SAM Show off your talent on karaoke night, when you can throw a few words of romance by picking songs that get your “I really like you” message across in a more subtle way (or a daring way, if you’re so inclined)… or even try a duet (Elton John and Kiki Dee’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” perhaps?)

Frank’s Bayview Inn in Traverse City offers karaoke on Thursdays at 9:30pm (franksbayviewinn.com); and there’s more karaoke in TC Thursday and Saturday nights at the Sail Inn (find them on Facebook.)

In Gaylord try karaoke at Bowl Gaylord (bowlgaylord.com), and in Manistee, your karaoke destination is the HiWay Inn (facebook.com/hiwayinn2.) Want to really impress? Snag some drinks and snacks, rent out Traverse City’s “karaoke taxi” at cartrektc. com, and let them drive you around for a few hours ($60-75 per hour depending on day/ time) while you sing your hearts out.

3 – A DOG’S LIFE Does your date have a beloved pup?

Win their dog over, and you’ll win more than one heart. Arrive with a small gift for your date, and a big chewy treat for his or her pal (try something fun from the DOG Bakery in Traverse City, 1420 Airport Road or dogbakeryonline.com), and watch your sweetie’s heart melt on the spot. Then invite them both out (after you’ve pre-stocked your car with snacks for people and dogs), where you’ll all enjoy a game of catch and some time in the great outdoors at a place like Boyne City’s picturesque Ridge Run Dog Park (234 Ridge Street, Boyne City, www.facebook.com/ ridgerundogpark), Traverse City’s off-leash Wags West (at the corner of Bay and Division Streets, traversecitymi.gov/tc_dog_park.asp) or the Cadillac Area Dog Park (1606 6th Avenue, cadillacmichigan.com).

Bonus: if you’ve got a dog of your own, bring him or her along and make it a double date.

4 – MAKE THEM LAUGH! Laughter isn’t only the best medicine — it’s also a fantastic bonding component. So give your date the giggles, and your night will be a memorable one. Studio Anatomy in Traverse City hosts big comedy nights (from Falling Down Stairs Productions) with multiple comedians, so that’s a great place to start for you and your chuckling companion (studioanatomy.com).

Downtown Petoskey’s Red Sky Stage (redskystage.com) hosts monthly performances by the PIT (Petoskey Improv Troupe.

And other regional venues that frequently offer comedy (check online for schedules) include the Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey, The Parlor in Traverse City, Gaylord’s Blacklite Lounge, and 7 Monks Taproom in Boyne City.

5 – BIG SCREEN ROMANCE Going out to the movies is a typical date activity. But you can amp it up a notch by trying something a little more unconventional.

Northern Michigan has a quartet of lovingly maintained small theaters, any of which would be a perfectly romantic destination.

In Harbor Springs, there’s the new

14 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

Lyric Theater, where you can view current big-screen epics, classics, and specialty movies/documentaries on one of their three screens, surrounded by carefullyinstalled murals and inlaid miniature lights twinkling overhead (lyricharborsprings. org).

Frankfort’s Garden Theater features a perfectly retro ’50s-style marquee and their Dark and Stormcloudy Film and Beer Series (through March 2018), which pairs a beer with a movie for $10 per person (frankfortgardentheater.com).

Suttons Bay’s renovated Bay Theater features select first-run and foreign films in a vintage setting of hardwood floors and refurbished turquoise seats (thebaytheatre. com). And with its original neon sign still bright, Manistee’s Vogue Theater, which harkens back to the late 1930s, offers regular screenings plus $2 vintage classics every Wednesday (voguetheatremanistee.org).

6 – CHOCOHOLIC FROLIC Does your date have a sweet tooth?

Indulge that sugary side by taking them to see where the sweets are made.

Kilwin’s in Petoskey offers intriguing and detailed tours of their “Chocolate Kitchen” Mondays through Fridays from 10am to 4:30pm on the half hour; you and your date will get to see how the company makes their popular chocolates — and yes, you’ll get free samples at the end of your jaunt.

If your date is more daring and you want to take a longer road trip, take the two-and-a-half hour drive to Grand Haven for a tour of the big Chocolates by Grimaldi factory (chocolatesbygrimaldi. com, tours $4 per person), where you’ll get to snag fresh samples right off of the production line, and check out their vintage ’50s chocolate enrober just like the one used in that famous episode of the classic sitcom I Love Lucy.

Follow that fun excursion up with the unexpected — not dinner, but a selection of coffee and desserts from your favorite coffee bar or bakery — and you might just become her or his sweetheart sooner than you expect.

7 – APPEALING ARCADE Playing games isn’t a good thing in a relationship -- unless those games are in a video arcade. If you and your crush are on the geeky side (or don’t mind acquiring some nerd cred), head out to the arcade for a fun afternoon of gaming.

Traverse City’s The Coin Slot (thecoinslottc.com) is a great place to start; the owners are devoted to bringing back the golden age of gaming with their collection of vintage upright arcade games like Centipede and Donkey Kong, plus a lineup of classic TV gaming consoles set up in front of comfortable couches. The games at The Coin Slot are unlimited play at $8 per hour (pinball machines only take quarters).

The arcade at The Incredible Mo’s in Grawn (incrediblemos.com) offers arcade and prize point games — the kind you might find at a carnival — so you and your date can snag some prizes together. Over at Premonitions Pizza and Arcade in Suttons Bay (premonitionspizza.com), you can check out their retro ’80s arcade, with 16 upright machines ($5 per hour) and a separate Nintendo Room with more than 500 games to choose from.

8 – PROGRESSIVE PURSUITS And finally, if you want to do even better than a nice dinner on the town, take him or her out to not just a meal, but several different courses in different locations in the form of a progressive dinner. In Traverse City, start with a couple of winter warmer Mexican coffees at Brew (brewtc.com) to get the conversation going.

Stroll together down Front Street for small appetizer plates at Red Ginger (eatatginger. com), where selections like grilled tandoori naan with Indian spiced roasted red pepper hummus are perfect for sharing.

For the main event, head to a place like Poppycock’s (poppycockstc.com), which offers a date night special every Wednesday of $45 for two entrees plus a bottle of wine; or add a picturesque winter drive to your evening by heading out to La Becasse in Maple City (restaurantlabecasse.com), where the warm, French country inn surroundings are complemented by such romantically rich dishes as seared salmon or beef burgundy. Split a perfect crème brulée afterwards for just $8.

A Trio of Tunes!

Three Great Shows You Won’t Want to Miss

By Kristi Kates

A dose of terrific live music is a certain antidote to these long, dark northern Michigan winter days. Check out these three subtly spectacular shows coming up in Petoskey and Traverse City:

Six Appeal

Manhattan Transfer

Jonatha Brooke

They’ve sworn off instruments for the benefit of their standout a cappella shows, during which this six-piece outfit cranks out a remarkable trek through decades of music with no instrument accompaniment other than their own voices. Whether you enjoy ’50s and ’60s tunes, current pop hits, or even a little original music, Six Appeal is sure to impress.

The group started as a collegiate hobby — some guys who simply wanted to perform music and make an impact on the ladies — back in 2006 at Concordia College in Minnesota. Twelve years later, and now hailing from Minneapolis, they’re a full-fledged professional music ensemble, with the current roster including singers Andrew Berkowitz, Reuben Hushagen, Trey Jones, Jonathan Thalmann, Jordan Roll, and Michael Brookens.

Whether they’re crooning pop-rockers like “Breakeven” (originally by The Script) and “Little Black Dress” (Sara Barielles), or slower numbers like Luke Bryan’s “Do I” and Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes,” the arrangements here fit the singers’ voices together like puzzle pieces, so smoothly that you’ll be hard-pressed to tell who’s singing which part.

It’s both an impressive show and a fun one, with plenty of energy and groove.

Founded in 1972, Manhattan Transfer celebrated its 45th anniversary last year, and for most vocal music fans, the four-part harmony group stands strong as one of the biggest and most innovative vocal groups out there, with millions of records sold and 10 Grammy Awards to its credit.

Today’s lineup — soprano Cheryl Bentyne, alto Janis Siegel, tenor Alan Paul, and bass Trist Cureless (who replaced the group’s founder, Tim Hauser, when Hauser passed away in 2014) — showcase a remarkable musical synergy at each performance.

While the set list isn’t yet confirmed for the group’s Traverse City performance, its set lists are traditionally full of vintage material — past shows have found them playing such hits as “Route 66,” complete with horn vocalizations; Ella Fitzgerald’s “A Tisket A Tasket”; and Count Basie’s “Until I Met You (Corner Pocket),” on which each member bounces back and forth between unison vocals and harmonies like billiards balls.

And don’t be surprised if the group does pull out one current(ish) tune — Manhattan Transfer does a surprisingly hip take on Us3’s 1993 jazzy/funky hit “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)” that’ll knock your socks off.

Anyone who listened to pop radio in the ’90s is likely familiar with singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke via The Story, her duo collaboration with fellow Boston musician Jennifer Kimball. After that venture, Brooke struck out on her own, collaborating with the likes of Patty Larkin, Chris Botti, and Lisa Loeb on various projects.

Now a solo artist, her musical work blends folk, rock, and pop into easy tunes that have been included in such TV shows and movies as Indie Kindred, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and ABC’s Once and Again. She’s twelve albums into her own career now, too, which means she has plenty of music to pull from for her current shows.

Brooke’s most recent album, Midnight. Hallelujah., was recorded in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and features a more experimental feel and a wider range of instrumentation than her first two albums, especially on tunes like “Hashtag Lullaby,” “Alice,” and “I’ve Got Nothing.”

And her voice, reminiscent of Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, and the aforementioned Lisa Loeb, remains the distinctive tone it always was. If you like solidly confident folk-pop music, you’ll definitely like this one.

Six Appeal will perform at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey at 7:30pm on Saturday, March 10. Tickets are $25 for members, $35 for non-members, $10 for students. crookedtree.org,(231) 347-4337

Six Appeal will perform at the Traverse City Opera House at 8pm March 16. Tickets: $45.50+ (student tickets $15). cityoperahouse.org, (231) 941-8082

March 10

March 16

March 17

Jonatha Brooke will perform at the Dennos Museum Center’s Milliken Auditorium at 8pm March 17. Tickets are $27 advance, $30 at the door, $24 for museum members. dennosmuseum.org, (231) 995-1055

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 15

The Crane Wives

Joe Wilson and Roger Brown

ON TREND: HOUSE CONCERTS Why artists — and audiences — love ’em

By Ross Boissoneau For many musicians, gathering together in a friend’s house to strum their guitars is how their career started. But what if that was their career? Or at least a large part of it?

House concerts are a fact of life for many artists, both newcomers and established performers. They help fill in empty dates and allow them to meet new friends and create new fans.

“What’s wonderful is the type of intimacy you don’t get anywhere else,” said Nick Horner. Horner is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who lives in New York but is currently traveling around the East and Midwest with his musical partner Luke Chohany. He’ll perform March 17 at Acoustic Tap in Traverse City and then the next night in Petoskey at a house concert.

The differences between a “real” concert and a house concert are obvious.

Large rock, country, and pop shows draw thousands to an arena with an enormous stage. The musicians might be dwarfed by the production, with blazing lights, pyrotechnics, and fog. An army of workers unloads instruments, amplifiers, stacks of speakers, and all the other equipment from trucks and tour buses to set up the show, then does the same in reverse to tear it down.

At a house concert, you have an audience of 20 to 25 people in a living room. There’s no light show (unless you count lamps with three-way bulbs), and often no amplification equipment at all. One or two people with acoustic guitars strum and sing, sometimes literally, for their supper. The artists, who double as the roadies, can fit all the equipment into a VW bug.

James Walker hosts shows from October through May as the WNMC House Concert Series. “It’s an enjoyable experience for all,” he said. “It’s a chance to do something different. There’s a certain vulnerability for the musicians playing in a room for 40 people who are very interested in what they’re playing.”

For their show at the Moon Tower (his

name for his house/venue), the quartet the Crane Wives eschewed electricity altogether: two acoustic guitars, acoustic bass, no mics, and the drummer played a high hat and cajon.

Walker started holding concerts at his home in Traverse City in the fall of 2013, when folk duo Seth and May posted online that they were looking for homes to perform in across the state. May Erlewine said she still performs house concerts. “It’s the folk legacy, people playing songs in their home. It’s more participatory and more intimate,” said the Traverse City-based singer/songwriter.

House concerts offer a greater connection between performer and audience. After all, they’re no more than a few feet from each other. The setting also allows for greater flexibility for the artist, who might choose to switch songs at a moment’s notice. “There’s no amp. They have to listen if you’re talking.

And [people] are more likely to sing along or ask a question,” said Erlewine.

A few years ago, when one of the bands who had appeared at Blissfest asked Caroline Barlow, the organization’s volunteer and events manager, if she could arrange for an offseason show in the area, she found the group a gig at a backyard party. It went so well she looked into booking small-scale semi-regular concerts.

That’s when the Tiny Room Shows series began, with Blissfest board member Susan Scott volunteering her home as the site. That’s the auspices under which Horner will perform in the Petoskey area, the second time he will have played a house concert there.

The financial models for house concerts differ from artist to artist and house to house.

Erlewine’s are typically ticketed events run through Earthwork Music, the collective encompassing many of the state’s folk and roots performers. WNMC House Concerts are ticketed through the station or ticketing agency PurplePass.com. Others simply pass a hat at shows. While the income from house concerts won’t rival that of larger-scale shows, all the profit goes to the musician.

For the audience, the appeal is multifold: Not only are the seats closer, the parking is easier, the drinks are cheaper, and the

16 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

Luke Chohany and Nick Horner

bathroom lines are smaller. Best of all is the vibe: The show is warmer and more personal, offering the artists a chance to really connect with fans. They don’t have to struggle to be heard over the sound of clinking glasses or worry about the sound system blowing up mid-show. They help touring artists fill open dates. Often the host also provides food and lodging. Erlewine said that’s always a welcome bonus and helps to keep her costs down.

Horner said the entire vibe is more casual. “It’s not a bar. People aren’t feeling pressured to spend money,” he said. “You can bring your own drinks, it’s a comfy environment, it’s often a potluck.” He sees that as a potential monetary bonus: Without costs for parking, drinks and food, attendees might be more inclined to support the artist by purchasing CDs or merchandise.

The casual atmosphere even extends to booking the shows. Horner said he and Chohany have about half their dates booked ahead of time. The rest are filled in with phone calls to friends or recommendations from audience members while they’re on the road. For the onetime Interlochen staffer, who performed with the NMC jazz bands and vocal jazz ensemble while he lived here, returning to Michigan means seeing old friends and making new ones. “We love coming back to Michigan,” he said.

Even for those as established as Erlewine, performing house concerts is still appealing.

She’s doing a short tour later this month, performing in Grand Rapids, Cadillac, Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor. “It’s a wonderful way to share music. I just love it,” she said.

THE ART OF SUGGESTION Duck Lake authors’ book reveals true mission of mid-century America’s vinyl

By Craig Manning You might be surprised to read those words if you’re old enough to have ditched your record collection when CDs came along, or young enough that you’ve never dropped a needle on a record before. The vinyl resurgence is real, though. In 2017, vinyl album sales hit 14.32 million units — the highest number on record since Nielsen Music began tracking sales data in 1991.

As streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have redefined music listening for the modern age, listeners have decided that they want something tangible. So why are many music fans — particularly die-hard collectors — choosing vinyl over cheaper and more readily available CDs? “Designed for Hi-Fi Living: The Vinyl LP in Midcentury America,” a new book with northern Michigan ties, shines a light on the answer.

“The artwork and the liner notes tell interesting stories,” said “Designed for Hi-Fi Living” co-author Jonathan Schroeder. “That’s really what we wanted to focus on with this book. The music is obviously a big part of it, but we’re finding a lot of young people who will buy vinyl and just use the download codes [included with the purchase]. They never even really play the vinyl. They’ll have it as art, and then they’ll listen to the music through their iPhone or iPod.” Schroeder and his co-author and romantic partner Janet Borgerson grew up in an era where vinyl reigned supreme.

Schroeder even held out after the format was deemed obsolete, not buying his first CD player until 1990. (The CD format was first introduced in 1982.) When Schroeder and Borgerson did make the jump to compact disc, it was because record labels had virtually stopped releasing new music on the vinyl format.

To this day, both Schroeder and Borgerson are vinyl fanatics. Together, they share a record collection that includes some 5,000 pieces of vinyl. While that collection does include traditional albums from some of the “usual suspects” of the classic rock era — like Led Zeppelin and Elton John — Schroeder and Borgerson tend to be more idiosyncratic with their collecting.

“We started realizing [records] were fun to look at all the time,” said Borgerson of the couple’s early vinyl collecting habits. “So we started putting them up as décor on a picture rail that we had. And I remember thinking, ‘Oh my god!

Look at the colors!

Look at the images!

Look at the ocean and the palm trees!’ And then all the sudden, we thought: ‘We love these covers, but for some reason they all seem to be Hawaiian music.’”

That lightbulb moment proved to be the epiphany that would eventually lead to “Designed for Hi-Fi Living,” a book that Schroeder describes as “the story of post-war America told through record album covers.”

Instead of just thinking about vinyl records as a music format, Schroeder and Borgerson started seeing them through the prism of different categories and themes. The Hawaii records, as it turned out, were meant largely as promotional tools. They were sponsored by airlines or travel companies, and the backs of the sleeves even featured maps of airline routes between LAX and the

Hawaiian islands. The purpose of the records was to entice contiguous U.S. citizens to get on a plane and experience Hawaii firsthand.

“Designed for Hi-Fi Living” provides an eye-opening look at a time when record album covers were meant to sell trips, lifestyles, and experiences, in addition to the music itself. The couple’s 8x8 book features full-color reproductions of nearly 150 album covers, split into two parts: “Home” and “Away.” The “Home” section features records themed around dinner parties, cocktail parties, dance parties, barbecues, painting, and DIY projects.

The “Away” section, meanwhile, features records themed around trips, airlines, and farflung destinations.

With themes like Hawaii, Alaska, New York City, China, India, and even the Moon, this section of the book illustrates how vinyl records played a role in getting listeners ready for both the jet age and the space race.

Along the way, Schroeder and Borgerson break each section into smaller chapters and categories, the better to frame the broader story they are trying to tell. One chapter of the “Home” section, for instance, is “Music for Hi-Fi Living,” which takes its title from an RCA Custom LP series. The series includes records like I Could Have Danced All Night and I Married an Angel, loosely charting a journey from teenage romance to marriage to domestic bliss. The series — and most of the records discussed in the book — did double duty: carving out an arc for the

idyllic post-war lifestyle, and providing the soundtrack to it.

“Designed for Hi-Fi Living” has both a nationwide focus and a global mindset, but the project also has northern Michigan roots. Schroeder and Borgerson both grew up in Flint, but their families summered at Duck Lake and occasionally took sojourns away from the water to visit Traverse City.

Many of the records featured in the book, they say, were purchased in TC, either at the no-longer-in-business Full Moon Records or at the Goodwill on South Airport.

The book itself, meanwhile, had its release party at Brilliant Books in December.

Even now, Schroeder and Borgerson find their way back to Traverse City at least once a year. Those visits typically include a stop

by RPM Records, a big orange building on Hannah Road that stocks tens of thousands of new and used records.

For her part, Borgerson wonders if the return of vinyl might inspire the new generation of record fanatics to take a journey similar to the one she and Schroder took with “Designed for Hi-Fi Living.” After all, while the purpose of vinyl has shifted away from advertising and lifestyle commentary and toward the artists and the music, the factors that make records uniquely appealing haven’t changed.

“When we started buying these old records, what really compelled us were the pictures and the liner notes,” Borgerson said.

“We learned a lot about history that was not in our textbooks. We learned a lot about travel and post-World War II culture from the liner notes. So it’s interesting to think, as vinyl comes back, that you can learn something from this material object — between the notes, the writing, and the art. I think there’s a compelling continuity between what happened to us and what motivated us to write the book, and maybe what’s motivating the return of vinyl in general.”

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 17

Pangea’s deluxe pizza.

The loaded potato pizza.

PANGEA’S: Movin’ On Up The new owner of a popular downtown TC pizza restaurant takes its food — and drink — to new heights.

By Janice Binkert Take a good look around the narrow, cozy, eclectically adorned interior of Pangea’s Pizza Pub in Traverse City next time you stop in for one of their award-winning artisan pizzas. Because by this summer, you might not recognize it.

A major renovation, expansion and branding project now in progress will change the look, size, and configuration of the restaurant inside and out, and even the name and logo.

The latter change, which drops the word “Pub,” seems on the surface to be a bit incongruous, because although the outdoor rear deck and bar are history (that former space is currently a huge hole in the ground), Pangea’s 2.0 will, when completed, accommodate two full bars — one inside, and one on a new rooftop dining deck, both stocked with a greatly increased selection of beers, wines, and spirits, as well as specialty cocktails.

There is, however, a major reason for that minor name tweak, as Traverse City native Chris Mohrhardt, owner of Pangea’s since September 2016, explained: “We want to keep the emphasis on the main event. Our hand-tossed artisan pizzas are, and always have been, the heart and soul of this restaurant, and we’ve made conscious decisions to ensure we never deviate from that.”

KEEPING IT FRESH As any pizza lover would agree, the crust is crucial. Pangea’s signature crust is baked in a stone deck pizza oven, which produces the ideal crispy exterior and tender interior. Or are you a Chicago deep-dish fan? The kitchen will do any style of pizza on that type of crust as well.

“We’re all about choices,” said Mohrhardt. “A pizza is kind of like a canvas for a lot of different flavors, and for us, true to our name — that means incorporating global flavors.” The menu is sprinkled with a host of pizzas that take you on a culinary world tour, including Greek (sundried tomatoes, feta, spinach, banana peppers and Kalamata olives), Indian Raja veggie (turmeric and coriander, curried chickpeas, ricotta and spinach), or Caribbean jerk (chicken, pineapple, red onion, red and green peppers, and jerk seasoning), while other varieties keep you happily at home in the USA, such as the addictive BBQ chicken pizza (barbecue sauce topped with diced chicken, green and red onions, mozzarella and cheddar cheese) or the ridiculously indulgent cheeseburger and fries pizza (sesame seed crust, ground beef, cheese, tomato, pickle, lettuce and special sauce — and yes, it’s topped with fries!).

And as if all that and about a dozen other

specialty pizzas weren’t enough, guests are welcome to get creative and customize their own pie from a wide variety of sauces, cheeses, meats, veggies, fruits, herbs and flavored crusts (including gluten-free). No matter what the choice, fresh ingredients are a forgone conclusion.

“We make four or five big batches of dough a day — about 40 pounds each,” said Mohrhardt. “We also make our own sauce and bring in blocks of mozzarella and shred it ourselves. The same goes for the toppings. If you went into the kitchen, you would see the cooks slicing tomatoes and red onions and peppers and other fresh vegetables daily. All of that means a much better product.”

A PERFECT FIT Father and son team Ed and Chris Girrbach founded Pangea’s in 2006 and ran it successfully for 10 years before deciding to turn their full attention to their other enterprise, the Great Lakes Potato Chip Company.

“I had been looking a while for something downtown that would complement my first business [Incredible Mo’s, a 35,000 square-food family entertainment center and restaurant in Grawn], and when this place came up for sale, I thought, ‘This is just so perfect,’” said Mohrhardt.

“It was funny — two years before this opportunity arose, I had sent a note to a friend and said, ‘I wonder if Pangea’s would ever sell,’ and he said, ‘Oh, I doubt it.’ But it all worked out in the end.

The Girrbachs are such an awesome family. We’ve become great friends with them — and of course, we carry their chips!”

Besides adding the rooftop deck — certain to be a prime drawing card, with unmatched views of Front Street, the Boardman River, West Bay, and the adjacent walkway and park area — Pangea’s current construction and renovation project will double seating capacity in the main-level dining room and feature a newly expanded and more efficiently designed kitchen, with two new — and larger — stone deck pizza ovens, which Mohrhardt expects will greatly improve ticket times. He’s also happy that he’ll be able to comfortably accommodate larger groups of friends or family who want to dine together.

What about staffing, which — especially in summer — has been a major challenge for area restaurants as the market grows? Mohrhardt said Incredible Mo’s provides great synergy.

“Our busy season out there is October to April, and here it’s May to September, so we can offer our cooks, servers and bartenders gainful fulltime employment year round. We also have part of our crew coming back from college in the spring. And we were very fortunate back

18 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

Head line cook Bakoroba Mariko tosses dough.

The warm Italian sub.

in 2016 that the whole Pangea’s staff stayed with the transition. We’ve got great people who have been here several years already, and they execute really well in the kitchen.”

CALCULATING SUCCESS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY While he doesn’t have a culinary background, Mohrhardt is a serious food lover and has solid professional cred: a business degree from the University of Michigan; seven years with James Hardie Building Products in Connecticut and California, specializing in marketing and sales; and the past five years running Incredible Mo’s. He met his wife in California, and after their first son was born, they decided to move back to his hometown.

“That’s when I started Incredible Mo’s, and my corporate background was really helpful in starting a small business and working for myself, which was where my heart really was.”

A self-described “numbers person,” he said that when he looks at the food business, it all comes down to percentages and cost. “I love math, so that’s been a natural for me. Having the food cost as well as other business costs under control is a big part of being successful.”

Mohrhardt said he can imagine that the renovation and expansion of the restaurant — especially the rooftop deck — will open up the possibility of hosting charitable events from time to time. Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Child and Family Services are two organizations that are particularly close to his heart.

“I also want to look for ways to do something to feed hungry people. We already donate food, but we are also working on incorporating something into our website where we involve customers to help fund projects that fight hunger — whether it’s for homeless people or families in need. We have a certain social responsibility that comes with being in business – either you go toward it and see how you can help, or you stand on the sidelines. And we’re not about to stand on the sidelines.”

So when the twinkling lights are strung up on Pangea’s new deck this summer, creating a magical atmosphere, the magic may spread far beyond the camaraderie of enjoying great food and drink with friends and family, illuminating the way to sharing the goodwill and bounty.

Pangea’s is located at 135 East Front St. in Traverse City. Winter hours: 11am–9pm Monday through Thursday, 11am-10pm Friday and Saturday, and 12pm-9pm Sunday. Take out and delivery available. (231) 946-9800, www.pangeaspizza.com, or check them out on Facebook (PangeasTC).

The TC special salad.

NO PIZZA? NO PROBLEM!

Maybe you don’t like pizza (really?), or maybe you’re just in the mood for something else.

Well, Pangea’s offers a whole menu page of choices for you, too. A few teasers: • Parmesan garlic fries (with artichoke truffle dip) • Irish egg rolls (corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing) • Antipasto salad (prosciutto, salami, romaine, tomatoes, green peppers, pepperoncini, mozzarella, black olives, housemade Italian dressing) • Traditional or boneless wings (BBQ, dry rub, buffalo, teriyaki or Parmesan garlic) • Handcrafted burger (cooked to order, toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and choice of add-ons)

WHERE’S PANGEA? HINT: NOWHERE

Well, that’s not quite right. Actually, it’s all over the pl ace. Confusing? Not really.

According to certain scientific evidence (published by, among others, the United States Geological Survey), about 300 million years ago there was a supercontinent named Pangea. It eventually broke up into several landmasses that make up many of the continents we know today.

2

1

3

6

5

4

7

NORTHERN SEEN 1. Three Interlochen students joined Donna Hogard (right) for a first: walking on the frozen Grand Traverse Bay. 2. Chef Forrest Moline leads a vegetarian cooking class on behalf of Oryana Natural Foods Market.

3. Jennifer Nickerson and Cassie Champagne enjoying the sun and the ice in Leland.

4. Mash Up Rock n’ Roll Musical at Picnic at City Opera House 5. Mitchel Mckolay crooning some tunes at TC Whiskey Company.

6. Miriam Pico and Ashlea Walter enjoying the Grand Traverse Democratic Party Winter Rally.

7. Beloved Indigo bartender Kent Noller (in fanny pack) was abducted by the Easter Bunny and an unidentified banana for his surprise birthday party at Traverse City’s Bootleggers.

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 19

feb 24

SATURDAY

WRC FINE ART SHOW: 10am-5pm, Thrift Shop, 3030 US 31 S., TC. This show features local artists & curated pieces from years of collecting. Call 946-4180 to donate art or for more info. Free.

Elks Lodge, TC. Featuring the Celtic Fire Highland Dancers. $15 advance; $20 door; $10 under 10; & free 3 & under. grandtraversepipesanddrums.org

feb/MAR

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

24-04

“ROMANCE GUARANTEED”: 7:30pm, OTP Studio Theatre @ the Depot, TC. A romantic comedy in the age of the Internet. $17. oldtownplayhouse.com

---------------------- ---------------------ANTRIM COUNTY’S WINTER CARNIVAL: 10:30am-12:30pm, YMCA Hayo-Went-HaCamps, Central Lake. Activities for children ages 0-5. 231-587-9021. Free.

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

COMMUNITY CPR TRAINING: 10:30am, Leland Township Library, Munnecke Room.

Kyle Dunklow, firefighter/paramedic with Leland Fire & Rescue, will offer infant, child & adult CPR training & certification. Call 231-256-9152 to register. lelandlibrary.org

---------------------“THE BOARDMAN TODAY”: 11am-1pm, Horizon Books, TC. Featuring author Michael Delp & local experts. Learn about current & proposed events on the Boardman River. horizonbooks.com

---------------------WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND: 11am-3pm, Crooked Vine Vineyard & Winery, Alanson. A benefit for Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. Enjoy snowshoeing on 38 acres, wine tasting, soup & chili & live music. $25 adults, $15 children. watershedcouncil.org

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

BIRD NEST-BOX BUILDING WORKSHOP: Noon-4pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Presented by the Grand Traverse Audubon Club. 231-409-9203. Free. grandtraverseaudubon.org

MICHAEL CLEVELAND & FLAMEKEEPER: 8pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Premier bluegrass fiddler Cleveland performs with his band Flamekeeper. Tickets: $27 advanced; $30 door; $24 museum members. dennosmuseum.org

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

---------------------THE CRANE WIVES: 8-10pm, Charlevoix Cinema III. These winners of the 2017 JBL Best American Band Contest will perform indie folk & more. 231-622-3238. $25.

FEB 25

SUNDAY

ARCTIC TRIPLE TEAM RELAY & ICEBERG TRIATHLON: 9am, Timber Ridge Resort, TC. XC ski, fat bike & snowshoe. Relay for teams of three or triathlon for individuals. Free. racetc.com

---------------------TC RESTAURANT WEEK: Feb. 25 - March 3. Featuring three course meals for $25 or $35/person. See list of participating restaurants at: downtowntc.com

---------------------WRC FINE ART SHOW: (See Sat., Feb. 24, except today’s hours are 11am-5pm.)

---------------------- ---------------------SNOW ANGEL 50K & 25K: Noon, Timber Ridge Resort, TC. Part of Short’s Brewing Fat Bike Series. Presented by Bearclaw Bicycle Co. sbfbs.com/bbco

---------------------SIPS, SOUPS & SHOES ~ A FIRE RELIEF FUNDRAISER FOR BARC: 1-4pm, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Starts at Left Foot Charley and Earthen Ales. $45 for beer & wine & soup pairing; $30 for beer OR wine & soup pairing; $20 for root beer & soup pairing. Kids 10 & under are free. A limited number of snowshoes will be available to rent for a $5 suggested donation. thevillagetc.com/sips-soups-shoes-a-firerelief-fundraiser-for-barc

---------------------AUTHOR SIGNING: 2-4pm, Horizon Books, TC. With Eagle Bennett, author of “Changers.” horizonbooks.com

---------------------NATIONAL SKATING MONTH: SKATE WITH TCFSC: 2-3pm, Howe Arena, TC. Join the Traverse City Figure Skating Club for free ice skating, skate rentals, games & group lessons. gofiguretc.org

---------------------PALATE TO PALETTE COOKBOOK EVENT: 2-4pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. A celebration of CTAC’s new cookbook, “Palate to Palette: Art and Appetite.”

Free. crookedtree.org

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

FOFA PRESENTS: THE NORTH CAROLINES: 7pm, Suttons Bay High School Auditorium. Presented by Friends of the Fine Arts at Suttons Bay Schools. Caroline Barlow (guitar, vocals) & Kurt Westie (mandolin, guitar & vocals) play American roots styles with southern influence. They are joined by a mutual love of songwriting, ballads, storytelling & instrumental tunes. $16 adult, $12 student. brownpapertickets.com

---------------------FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: 7pm, The Rock, Kingsley. Free entry & popcorn. Call 231263-7000 for more info. Find on Facebook.

---------------------LIVE MUSIC FUNDRAISER FOR GRAND TRAVERSE PIPES & DRUMS: 7-10:30pm,

10TH ANNUAL GREAT INDOOR FOLK FESTIVAL 2018: Noon-5:30pm, The Village at GT Commons, The Mercado, TC. More than 100 musicians from northern MI’s folk, bluegrass & acoustic music scene will perform on seven stages, including those dedicated to “New Folk” & “Kids Music.”

Hosted by Northern Michigan Songwriters in the Round. Featuring Carter Creek, Wild Sullys, Cabin Fever, Kirby, Song of The Lakes, E-Minor Band, The Nephews & many others. Free. Find on Facebook.

---------------------NMC CHILDREN’S CHOIR, NMC CHAMBER SINGERS, AND CANTICUM NOVUM: 3pm, Lars Hockstad Auditorium, TC. 933-5600. $10 - $15. mynorthtickets.com/ events/nmc-choirs

---------------------NORTHERN MICHIGAN BRASS BAND CONCERT: 3-5pm, First Congregational Church, Charlevoix. $10; students & seniors over 70, free. northernmichiganbrassband.org

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

Mardi Gras on the Mountain at Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville runs on Fri. and Sat., March 2-3. Fri. features Mask Making with the Snow Monsters at 6pm, and Sat. includes N’awlins Namaste, DJ Dance Party, BBQ and Seafood Boil, Stylin’ on the Slopes Costume Contest, Mardi Gras Open Jam and more. crystalmountain.com/events/mardi-gras-onthe-mountain

three women & four men plus a large ensemble with each member playing multiple roles. oldtownplayhouse.com VANCE GILBERT: 7pm, Sleder’s Family Tavern, TC. This singer/songwriter has been a part of the national folk scene, toured with Shawn Colvin, opened for Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, George Carlin & others, & has a tune on a Grammy Nominated children’s album. 947-9213. $20 advance; $25 door.

FEB 27

TUESDAY

TC RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sun., Feb. 25)

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

THE BIRDLAND ALL-STARS FEATURING TOMMY IGOE: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. “The Art of Jazz” will feature surprises old & new, Ellington to Steely Dan, Monk to The Beatles. Smithsonian recognized visual artist, Jeremy Sutton, will be live painting, followed by a silent auction. $42.50, $32.50. cityoperahouse.org/the-birdland-all-stars

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

Le Grande Traverse Society of the Children of the American Revolution Annual Meeting: 2-4pm. Wear colonial costumes.

For more info/location, contact Ginger at legrandetraversesociety@gmail.com.

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

FEB 26

MONDAY

TC RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sun., Feb. 25)

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

OTP AUDITIONS: 7pm, ld Town Playhouse, Schmuckal Theatre, TC. For “Young Frankenstein” by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan. This musical comedy has roles for

20 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

OVERDOSE TRAINING: 6pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Presented by Harm Reduction MI. Learn to recognize & respond to an overdose. Free. harmreductionmi.org

DEBTORS ANONYMOUS MEETING: 6:30pm, Cowell Family Cancer Center, Rm. 3002, TC. Help for those with money problems. More info: 973-476-7384. Free. debtorsanonymous.org

MOVIE NIGHT: 6:30pm, Bellaire Public Library. Featuring “Victoria and Abdul.” bellairelibrary.org

FEB 28

WEDNESDAY

PARKINSON’S NETWORK NORTH DAYTIME SUPPORT GROUP: 10am, TC Senior Center. Featuring Jodie Stinnet, MSW. 947-7389.

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

11TH ANNUAL PROJECT CONNECT: 11am-5pm, Odawa Casino, Petoskey.

This event will connect those in need in Charlevoix & Emmet counties with a range of free health & human services provided by over 65 local non-profit agencies & other businesses. projectconnect231.com

---------------------TC RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sun., Feb. 25)

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

PICNIC AT THE OPERA: Noon, City Opera House, TC. This live TV variety show runs every Weds. in Feb. Join hosts Miriam Pico & David Chown, along with The Swan Brothers, Anne-Marie Oomen, AuSable Dance Center, Kyle Skarshaug, Here:Say Storytelling’s Daniel Stewart, The Dance Center & brotha James. Experience behind-the-scenes action of camera booms, live audience shots, cue cards, set changes & more. Free. cityoperahouse.org

---------------------FUN ACTIVITIES FOR BETTER BRAINS: 6-8pm, Otsego County Sportsplex, Gaylord. Presented by Up North Parents of Kids that Struggle. 989-350-3388. Free.

---------------------- ---------------------COMMUNITY MEDITATION & SATSANG: 7pm, Higher Self Bookstore, TC. higherselfbookstore.com

---------------------OTP AUDITIONS: (See Mon., Feb. 26)

LIFETREE CAFÉ: 8pm, The Rock, Kingsley. Featuring the film “Finding the Family I Never Knew” & a discussion. Free. Find on Facebook.

MAR 01

THURSDAY

TC RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sun., Feb. 25)

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

NMC 12TH ANNUAL CAREER & EMPLOYMENT FAIR: 4pm, Hagerty Conference Center, NMC, TC. Featuring more than 80 employers looking to fill over 200 positions. Free. nmc.edu/ careerfair

---------------------CHEBOYGAN DUCKS UNLIMITED BUCK NIGHT & CHILI COOK OFF: 6pm, Knights of Columbus Hall, Cheboygan. Info: 231627-4519. $20; 16 & under, free w/ adult.

---------------------OLD MISSION PENINSULA HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING: 7pm, Peninsula Township Hall, TC. Featuring “The Cultural Interaction Between the Reverend Peter Dougherty & the Ottawa & Chippewa Indians of Old Mission Peninsula: 1839-1852” presented by Professor Kerri Finlayson of NCMC. omphistoricalsociety.org

---------------------BACK POCKET DUO - PIANO & PERCUSSION: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Dendrinos Chapel & Recital Hall.

Free. tickets.interlochen.org

---------------------LARRY MCCRAY WSG ERIN COBURN: 7:30-11:30pm, Streeters, Louie Louie, TC. Enjoy award-winning blues/rock singer & guitarist Larry McCray & special guest Erin Coburn. $15. groundzeroonline.com

MAR 02

FRIDAY

HARBOR SPRINGS RESTAURANT WEEK: March 2-11. Area restaurants are offering breakfast, lunch & dinner specials for $15, $25 &/or $35.

Stage, Petoskey. Enjoy MI singer-songwriters Dan Hazlett & Kirby. $5-$10. redskystage.com

---------------------LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL: 7pm, TC West Senior High School. The story of Delta Nu Sorority Sister Elle Woods as she tries to win back Warner by any means possible. March 2, 3, 9, & 10 at 7PM & March 4 & 11 at 2PM. 1-800-836-0717. $12-$23. mynorthtickets.com

---------------------THE GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS: 8pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Coming from Hebei, China, the Golden Dragon Acrobats bring their artistry, beautiful costumes & props. Tickets: $27 advanced; $30 door; $24 museum members. dennosmuseum.org

MAR 03

SATURDAY

HARBOR SPRINGS RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Fri., March 2)

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

MARDI GRAS ON THEMOUNTAIN: Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Today features N’awlins Namaste, DJ Dance Party, BBQ & Seafood Boil, Stylin’ on the Slopes Costume Contest, Mardi Gras Open Jam & more. crystalmountain.com/events/mardigras-on-the-mountain

---------------------SELF-DEFENSE SEMINAR FOR SENIORS: 9am, The Rock of Kingsley.

Women 55+ must pre-register by calling 231-263-7000. Sponsored by the Zonta Club. Free. Find on Facebook.

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

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

THE SLUSH CUP: 9am, Shanty Creek Resorts, Bellaire. Skiers & riders attempt to cross an icy 60′ pond. Other events include a frozen fish toss, snow shovel racing & a seal slide. Register: 866.695.5010. shantycreek.com/event/slush-cup

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

HATS OFF TO READING - THE CAT IN THE HAT PARTY: 10am-noon, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey. Enjoy cookie decorating, games, story time & more. mcleanandeakin.com

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

TC RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sun., Feb. 25)

STORYTIME AT LELAND TOWNSHIP LIBRARY: 10:30am. Enjoy stories & play designed to promote joy & growth in literacy. Children ages 0-6 & their caregivers welcome. Free. lelandlibrary.org

TC RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sun., Feb. 25)

ART IN ICE, SWEET & NICE: 4-7pm, Downtown Bellaire. Enjoy watching regional culinary artists create ice sculptures, & then sample treats prepared by local pastry chefs, along with voting for your favorites. Free; Sweet Treat tickets, $5.

---------------------UNDER THE SEA MEMBER’S NIGHT: 5:30-7pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Enjoy games, contests & crafts.

Free for members & their families. greatlakeskids.org

---------------------FLY FISHING FILM TOUR: 6pm, City Opera House, TC. Presented by The Northern Angler. This film tour will take you from Michigan to Honduras, from Wyoming to Greenland. Arrive at 6pm for fishing stories. Films begin at 7pm. Tickets: $20; $25 at door. Ages 5-12: $10. Students: $15. cityoperahouse.org/fly-fishing-filmtour-2018

---------------------MARDI GRAS ON THE MOUNTAIN: 6pm, Crystal Mountain, Crystal Center, Thompsonville. Tonight features mask making with the Snow Monsters. crystalmountain. com/events/mardi-gras-on-the-mountain

---------------------RIVERTOWN FOLLIES MURDER MYSTERY DINNER: 6pm, Great Lakes Grill, Cheboygan. Featuring “Trailer Park Tragedy.” 231-627-8161. $25.

---------------------BLISSFEST FOLK AND ROOTS MINICONCERT SERIES: 7-10pm, Red Sky

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

FRESH HORSES GARTH BROOKS TRIBUTE: 8pm, Streeters, Ground Zero, TC. With Les Smith. $15. groundzeroonline. com/event/fresh-horses

------------------------------------------SIPS N’ GIGGLES COMEDY SHOW FEATURING KEVIN BOZEMAN: 8pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. This event pairs nationally touring comedians with Leelanau Peninsula wine. Cocktail hour starts at 6pm. Guest comedians opening the show include Uncorrect Comedy producer Christopher O’Non & local comedian Marti Johnson. $20 advance; $25 door. mynorthtickets.com

MAR 04

SUNDAY

---------------------RIVERTOWN FOLLIES MURDER MYSTERY DINNER: (See Fri., March 2)

---------------------LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL: (See Fri., March 2)

---------------------BLISSFEST COMMUNITY DANCE: 7:30pm, Red Sky Stage, Petoskey. Featuring live music by Harbor Hoedown. All dances are taught & include squares, contras, lines, circles & waltzes. $3/person, $5/couple, $7/family. blissfest.org

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

•••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••

12 YEARS A SLAVENR

PARALLEL 45 THEATRE PRESENTS “GO, DOG. GO!”: 1:30pm, City Opera House, TC. Dogs - Red, Blue, Yellow & Green - come to life in this theatrical experience inspired

by P.D. Eastman’s classic children’s book. $15. cityoperahouse.org/go-dog-go

Day of the Dude Celebration with Workshop Brewing in the House!

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

THE Big LEBOWSkiR

FRIDAY 11 PM - Friday Night Flicks $3 or 2 for $5

DOWNTOWN

IN CLINCH PARK

---------------------LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL: (See Fri., March 2)

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

PURE A CAPPELLA: 4pm, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Enjoy hearing TC Sings, Cherry Capital Men’s Chorus, NMC Chamber Singers, Judy Harrison Trio, Sashay Quartet (featuring Quad Pro Quo) & Canticum Novum, all performing without instruments. $14-$17. mynorthtickets.com

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

SUN & WED 12n • 3 • 6 • 9 PM MONDAY 1 • 4 • 7 PM TUE & THU 12n • 3 • 6:15 • 9:15 PM 231-947-4800

“SAVING SNOW”: 5pm, Crystal Mountain Resort, Crystal Center, Thompsonville.

Citizens Climate Lobby presents a free screening of this documentary about winter rec towns across the US dealing with shorter & warmer winters. Free. Find on Facebook.

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

TC RALLY FOR GUN REFORM: Start at The Workshop Brewing Co., TC at 1pm.

Proceed peacefully through downtown TC & then line the Parkway. Afterwards head back to The Workshop Brewing Co. to hear speeches & network. Bring your signs & voices. 231-325-6812.

SUN 1:30 PM MON & WED 4:30 PM TUE 12:30 PM THU 6 PM

WED 10:30 AM - Black History, Black Voices - 25¢ Matinee

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

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

SUN 4:30 • 7:30 PM MON & WED 1:30 • 7:30 PM TUE 3:15 • 6 • 8:45 PM THU 12:30 • 3:15 • 8:45 PM

HARBOR SPRINGS RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Fri., March 2)

ONGOING

12TH ANNUAL SUDS & SNOW: 1-6pm, Timber Ridge Resort, TC. Start with a half mile hike through the backwoods of Timber Ridge Resort where there will be two live music stages, 20+ craft breweries & food vendors. Tickets: $30; includes two drink tokens. An after party will be held at Rare Bird Brewpub, TC. sudsandsnowtc.com

TRAVERSE CITY

LOVERBOY: 8pm, Little River Casino Resort, Manistee. Enjoy this multi-platinum selling rock band. $35-$50. lrcr.com

---------------------BEARD OF ZEUS FAT BIKE RACE: Noon, Timber Ridge RV Resort, TC. Featuring 90 & 45 minute races. $50. events.bytepro. net/SBFBS-BeardofZeus

DOWNTOWN

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: OPEN SPEAKER MEETING: Saturdays, 8pm, Munson Medical Center (basement), TC. district11-aa.org BAY HARBOR MUSIC ON MAIN: Thursdays. Enjoy live music in The Village at Bay Harbor. Weekly themes & genre will vary & may compliment the Sat. event or Great Lakes Center for the Arts performance schedule. bayharbor.com

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

C3: CHARLEVOIX CREATIVES COLLABORATIVE WEEKLY BREAKFAST GATHERING: Fridays, 10:30am, Smoke on the Water Cafe, Charlevoix. Info: alexis @ 503.550.8889. Find on Facebook.

---------------------C3: CHARLEVOIX CREATIVES COLLABORATIVE WRITE ALONG GROUP: Sundays, 2:30-4pm, Charlevoix Public Library, 2nd floor Trustees Rm. Info: alexis @ 503.550.8889. Find on Facebook.

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

COMPULSIVE EATERS ANONYMOUS: Thursdays, 5:30pm, 5th & Oak St., TC. Compulsive Eaters Anonymous-HOW is a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength & hope are recovering from compulsive eating & food addiction. traversecityceahow.org

Traverse CiTy

231-929-3200 • 4952 Skyview Ct.

Charlevoix

231-237-0955 • 106 E. Garfield Ave.

www.schulzortho.com

---------------------OLD MISSION SNOWSHOE, WINE & BREW: Sundays, 11am through March 4.

Starts at Jolly Pumpkin, TC & then shuttles

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 21

JOIN THE TICKER FOR

to Brys Estate, followed by snowshoeing to Bowers Harbor Vineyards & Jolly Pumpkin. tcbrewbus.com/events

---------------------HORIZON BOOKS OF CADILLAC STORYTIME: Wednesdays, 4pm. Listen to a story & create a take-home craft. facebook.com/ horizonbookscadillac

---------------------RANGER-LED SNOWSHOE HIKES: Saturdays & Sundays, 1pm, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire. Meet at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center. Reservations required: 231-326-4700, ext. 5010.

Free, but park entrance pass or annual pass required. nps.gov/slbe/index.htm

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

at IT

CH

EN & B A

R

K

SNOWSHOES, VINES & WINES: Saturdays, 12-5pm through Feb. 24. Black Star Farms, Suttons Bay. Explore easy to moderate trails & then warm up with drinks & food. Hearth & Vine Café will provide beef & bean chili, white chicken chili & a grilled sandwich. Last snowshoe rental ($15) is at 4pm. blackstarfarms.com/snowshoesvines-wines

---------------------WINTER WALK WEDNESDAYS AT THE CLUBHOUSE: Wednesdays, 9am, TC. Enjoy a stroll on the Civic Center path. Free Higher Grounds coffee to follow. Presented

by Norté.

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

STREETERS CENTER 2.0 (1669 S. Garfield Ave.Traverse City)

presenting with

BOYNE CITY INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 9am-noon through April.

Main lobby area of the new City Facilities Building, Boyne City. On Feb. 24 Bruce Smith will perform live music. boynecitymainstreet.com/farmers-market-welcome

---------------------CTAC ARTISANS & FARMERS MARKET, PETOSKEY: Fridays, 10am-1pm, upper level Carnegie, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. This market has moved back inside. When weather permits, vendors will sell their goods out on the Bidwell Plaza, too. crookedtree.org

---------------------INDOOR FARMERS MARKET, THE MERCATO, THE VILLAGE AT GT COMMONS, TC: Saturdays, 10am-2pm through April.

941-1961.

ART

WEDNESDAY MARCH 7 • 5-7PM $10 ENTRY INCLUDES: Beverages and gourmet appetizers PRIZES INCLUDE: • Five $100 gift cards • Private event valued at $5,000 for more information visit us on facebook

22 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

ARNTSON, SEMAN VOYTENKO: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. Featuring the paintings of bodies of water by Amy Arntson, the photography of Greg Seman, & the abstract encaustics of Marissa Voytenko. Runs through March 23. Hours: Mon.-Fri., 10am4:30pm; Sat., 10am-4pm; & Sun., 12-4pm. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org

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

“CAMERA EYE WITNESS”: Higher Art Gallery, TC. Runs through March 17. Regular hours: Weds. - Sat.: 11am-6pm; Sun.: 11am-4pm. higherartgallery.com

from around northern MI gives artists an opportunity to showcase their talents with minimal cost. A Closing Reception will be held on Sat., April 7. gt-artbomb.wixsite. com/2018

---------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - CROOKED TREE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY EXHIBITION: Runs through March 24. Includes 90 photographs by local & regional photographers. Juried by photographer & founder of the annual Photostock Festival, Bill Schwab.

- “HAND IN HAND: CRAFT AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES”: Runs through March 24. This exhibition explores the relationship between tradition & innovation when applied to diverse concepts, materials, methods & processes. crookedtree.org

---------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC: PALATE TO PALETTE ART SHOW: A multimedia exhibition on cooking, food & drink.

Runs through March 3. crookedtree.org Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC: Mon. Sat., 10am-5pm; Thurs., 10am-8pm; Sun., 1-5pm.:

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

DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER , NMC, TC - “VISITORS TO THE SEA: MASTERPIECES FROM THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ART”: These masterpieces feature human figures, a beach, the shore & the water.

Runs through March 8.

- “LINES OF LIGHT: CRAIG TANDY MONOFILAMENT SCULPTURE”: Runs through April 29 at Zimmerman Sculpture Court. Canadian artist Craig Tandy constructs complex sculptures with monofilament nylon that illustrate the properties of projected light, with an interest in creating a space through which the viewer can move.

- TUTANKHAMUN: “WONDERFUL THINGS” FROM THE PHARAOH’S TOMB: Runs through May. 6. From the artisans of the Pharaonic Village in Egypt & the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this exhibit features about 100 replicas of the pharaoh’s possessions & artifacts from the period surrounding Tutankhamun’s reign.

It reconstructs the discovery of the tomb

by Howard Carter & the life of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. dennosmuseum.org

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

GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER: - CELEBRATING YOUNG ARTISTS AT GAAC: March 1-23. Featuring the work of young creatives with an exhibition by Glen Lake Elementary School sixth graders & the GAAC’s After School Art kids. Gallery hours: 9am-2pm, Mon.-Fri., & 12-4pm, Sun. - MOLLY PHINNY: WORKS IN CLOTH 2015-2017: A small survey of fiber constructions by Leelanau County artist Molly Phinny. Runs through April 8. 231-3346112. glenarborart.org

---------------------“THE LYRICS OF BOB DYLAN”: Nobel Laureate 2016. Three Pines Studio, Cross Village. This all media exhibition runs through March. threepinesstudio.com

---------------------BLACK & WHITE WITH A LITTLE RED EXHIBIT: Runs through March 3 at Gaylord Area Council for the Arts, Gaylord. Hours: Tues.-Fri.: 11am-3pm; Sat.: 11am-1pm. gacaevents.weebly.com

---------------------CHASING THE RUNNING STITCH: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. This exhibit runs through March 3. charlevoixcircle.com

---------------------DRINK & DRAW: Tuesdays, 7pm, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. traversecityworkshop.com

---------------------GRAND TRAVERSE ART BOMB: Runs through Apr. 7 at Right Brain Brewery, TC. This collaborative art show featuring talent

Deadline for Dates information is Tuesday for the following week.

Happy EVERY Day! Join us for Happy Hour every day of the week from 4 - 7pm.

Food specials, 50% off house wines, draft beer and our Signature Cocktails.

Live music Friday & Saturday evenings.

Hotel Indigo Traverse City 263 W. Grandview Parkway Traverse City, MI 49684 t: 231.932.0500 Reservations: 877.8.INDIGO (846.3446) hotelindigo.com/TraverseCityMI

facebook.com/hotelindigo @hotelindigo

Justin Walter Laurie Sears & Blair Miller

Claudia Schmidt & NMC Jazz Lab Band Laurie Sears, director

March 1st

March 15th

NMC Jazz Big Band Laurie Sears, director

Don Julin

March 8th

Every Thursday 7-9:30pm

March 22nd

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 23

Beltone has authorized FREE Hearing Screenings for your community. There is no obligation. This is simply a fast and convenient way to confirm whether you are hearing as well as you could be.  Do you have difficulty understanding words in conversations?

Q. My hearing seems fine. Why do I need to get it checked?

A. Hearing loss affects about 11% of the population. If people seem to mumble more frequently, you have ringing in your ears or you often ask people to repeat themselves, it’s probably time for a check-up.

Q. What will my hearing screening include?

A. Your Beltone Hearing Care Professional is experienced at pinpointing the potential cause of hearing loss, this is done by asking about your lifestyle and hearing needs. You will be given a comprehensive hearing screening, a video ear exam and a word discrimination test.

These help determine whether or not you have hearing loss.

 Does it seem like people mumble?  Do you find it difficult to have phone conversations?  Do you have ringing in your ears?  Have others remarked you have the TV volume too loud?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to take advantage of our FREE Hearing Screenings. Call today, only a limited number of

appointments are available.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. What happens if you detect some hearing loss?

A. Your Beltone Hearing Care Professional can outline what options are available to you. We will provide you with the best solution that is based on your lifestyle, hearing loss, and budget.

6 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU! CADILLAC

(231) 225-0376

GAYLORD

(989) 607-4576

Skoric Hearing Aid Center

GRAYLING

www.

(989) 607-4576

MT PLEASANT (989) 607-4576

PETOSKEY

(231) 225-0376

TRAVERSE CITY (231) 225-0376

FREE In-Office Hearing Aid Repair We will repair any and all brands of Hearings aids for FREE! Limit one aid per person. May not be combined with any other promotion. Offer expires 3/9/18

24 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

BeltoneSkoricHearing.com

$1,200 Trade-In Allowance Receive $1,200 toward new Beltone Premium Digital Hearing Aids when you trade in your old hearing aids.

May not be combined with any other offers. Does not apply to previous purchases. $1,200 toward the purchase of two premium series hearing aids.

Offer expires 3/9/18

SMASHING PUMPKINS MAKE A BRIGHT RETURN For months, there’s been rapid-fire talk of the the “will they or won’t they” variety in reference to the Smashing Pumpkins.

The verdict is finally in, and the answer is yes: The Pumpkins are reuniting, with most of their original lineup (and most of their early hits; the band has said it intends to play songs only from albums they released before the year 2000). Joining Chicago frontman Billy Corgan for the Shiny and Oh So Bright tour will be original members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, along with recent new band addition, guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

Due to rumors of friction, it’s said bass player D’Arcy Wretkzy was not invited to join the tour. Dates on the tour will include stops in Austin, Texas (July 16); Miami (July 24); Detroit (Aug. 5); Toronto (Aug. 8); and Columbus, Ohio (Aug. 11) …

One of the most popular new overseas music fests is the TRNSMT Festival (pronounced “transmit”), which attracted a wide host of visitors, Americans included, to its inaugural event last year. Building on that success, TRNSMT 2018 is now set to take place across two full weekends (June 29–July 1 and July 6–8) on the Glasgow Green in Glasgow, Scotland, and is amping up the performance roster even more with this year’s headliners: Stereophonics will kick off the festival’s first

MODERN

Smashing Pumpkins

ROCK

BY KRISTI KATES

night (June 29), and will be accompanied at the event by fellow headliners Liam Gallagher, The Script, Jessie J, and James Bay. Additional acts will be added as the date gets closer, and tickets are on sale now at trnsmtfest.com …

Classic ’70s band Fleetwood Mac — who has seen a recent increase in the interest in its music thanks to placement of its songs in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 — are set to reissue their 1975 self-titled album, the first to feature the best known lineup of the band, which included Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. The reissue will arrive in three formats — a deluxe three-CD box set with additional DVD and vinyl; an expanded two-CD set; and a regular (remastered) single CD. The special editions will include live recordings as well as some behind-thescenes studio cuts …

Lana Del Rey plans to team up with her sister, Caroline Grant, aka Chuck, a visual artist, to direct the music video for her latest single, “Cherry.” Del Rey explained that she’d met with several directors and “nobody liked any of her video ideas,” so she decided to just take matters into her own hands and camera lens. No exact script or plan has been revealed yet, but Del Rey mentioned in a recent interview that she’s thinking about going old-school for the video, possibly taking a hand-held camera into a vintage building

and putting some gritty visuals to the song, which should enter the video sphere a little later this year…

LINK OF THE WEEK A nearby major music festival? Early in the summer? With some of your favorite big rock names? Yes, please. Check out the 2018 Bunbury Festival coming up June 1–3 at Sawyer Point Park and Yeatman’s Cove in Cincinnati, Ohio. The festival will feature performances from The Chainsmokers, Post Malone, Manchester Orchestra, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Detroit/Nashville singer Jack White. Get more details and tickets at bunburyfestival.com…

THE BUZZ Vintage soft-rocker Steve Winwood will

be taking the stage Feb. 26 at The Fox Theater in Detroit …

The Weaves will be rocking The El Club, the all-ages arts venue in southwest Detroit, on Greensky Bluegrass March 1…

Marine City, Michigan, native Jeff Gutt will appear in his new role as lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots on the band’s latest album, simply called Stone Temple Pilots, which will hit outlets on March 13 …

Detroit rapper Eminem is heading to Europe for a brief tour this summer, passing through several festivals and ending with a two-night stint in London July 14–15 … 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.

There is so much we can do.

“This is the golden age of oncology. With some of the new medications, we’re making a lot of progress. It’s exciting.

We can help almost everyone in some way.”

– Zachary Hector-Word, MD | Medical Oncologist Our regional team of cancer experts work together to detect, diagnose and fight cancer. No matter where you live in northern Michigan, you have access to Munson Healthcare’s system of coordinated cancer care.

Together, we’ll make a plan. Together, we’ll get through this.

231-392-8400 | munsonhealthcare.org/cancer Cadillac | Charlevoix | Gaylord | Grayling | Manistee | Traverse City

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 25

FOURSCORE by kristi kates

Bardo Pond – Volume 8 – Fire America

Philadelphia’s drone-jammers take another one of their Pink Floydian treks through sound on their latest set, 40 minutes of soundscapes that morph from track to track with nary a change in audio atmosphere. Was it the band’s intention to craft what’s essentially one long new-age tune?

Regardless, that’s how this album comes across as it shifts from the flute-bedecked “Kailash” through the haunting “Power Children” to the album closer, “And I Will.” Consider this one a very long psychedelic jam session that never quite reaches its destination.

Ride – Tomorrow’s Shore – Wichita Recordings

This might only be a four-song EP from the English shoe-gazing indie pop outfit, but as a hint of things to come — it collects a few leftover studio tunes from the band’s recent reunion album, Weather Diaries — it indicates Ride has a lot more sharp songwriting on deck. The tracks here perfectly encapsulate what makes Ride so appealing to listen to; it has a skill for taking simple scenarios (love song “Catch You Dreaming,” space travel ode “Pulsar”) and transporting them audio-wise into something beautifully extra.

DRINK

NATIVE.

Sun Kil Moon – Ghosts of the Great Highway – Rough Trade

The tunes of Sun Kil Moon, aka Mark Kozelek, aren’t necessarily for everybody: They aren’t always immediately accessible and often lean toward a dark point of view. Like its predecessors, this isn’t an album you’ll be cranking out of your car speakers on a sunny day. That said, Kozelek is a talented guitarist and is not shy about communicating his thoughts via lyric and his internal strife via his emotive vocals. Tracks like “Carry Me Ohio,” “Duk Koo Kim,” and “Si, Paloma” alternate between Nick Drake and Neil Young in audio ambiance, if you can handle the heavy.

Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows – Fueled by Ramen

distributed by

TRAVERSE CITY BORN RED 8 SILVER RUM steamdevilspirits.com

26 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

Leaning more toward the pop side of things than the emo side (the latter being where DC has been firmly rooted for the past umpteen years), this set is quite a switch production-wise from previous efforts. It’s also an interesting if not wholly effective way for the band to return after not releasing an album since 2009. If you’re new to the band, you’ll probably be just fine with catchy tracks like the energetic “We Fight,” the amiable “Heart Beat Here,” and the contemplative “Open My Eyes.” If you’re an old-school fan, the polish might take some getting used to.

The reel

by meg weichman

black panther 50 shades freed

5

Another superhero movie. Another critically acclaimed superhero movie. Another superhero movie claiming to be the best one yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah — I know you’ve heard it all before. And I certainly get the superheromovie fatigue. I also get that for a lot of people there’s nothing I could write to convince you to see such a movie, but if you were …THIS SHOULD BE IT. ’Cause if all blockbuster filmmaking could be this intelligent, resonant, original, well-acted, and so stunning, well, it would be a miracle, just like this film is.

And for a so-called superhero movie, the traditional “superhero” aspects are far from the storytelling’s focus. It’s a Shakespearean epic with some Bond thrown in the mix, a touch of the Lord of the Rings, and a beautiful infusion of Black culture and heritage.

Director Ryan Coogler (only 31!) already elevated a Rocky movie to the level art with Creed, so it should come as no surprise that he has done the same thing here. Black Panther is the first superhero movie with a nearly all black leading cast, something that’s been a long time coming, too long coming, and Coogler knows the weight of this moment, and boy, he does not waste it.

But Black Panther is not just revolutionary for its cast and crew or Afrocentric storyline, but because of what it has to say and how it delivers it in such joyously entertaining fashion — disrupting the very idea of what mainstream Hollywood entertainment can be.

What we have here is an origin story, but one that skips all the boring origin story-ness.

After the untimely death of his father, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), aka Black Panther, is about to become the King of Wakanda. Now, to the rest of the world, Wakanda is the kind of Third-World African country that our President might refer to as a “sh*%hole,” but it’s a gloriously advanced society that’s been hiding in plain sight.

T’Challa’s first mission as king is finding the recently resurfaced arms dealer (a strangely beefy Andy Serkis) who is the only person to have successfully stolen Wakandan tech. This starts a chain of events that forces T’Challa to rethink Wakanda’s place in the world when a challenger for the throne appears, the vengeful Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan).

See there are essentially two camps, those who believe Wakanda should remain isolationist (not helping refugees and keeping their advances to themselves), or use their technology to help others (or, as some see it, to start a revolution).

Tackling themes of colonization, slavery, and Afrofuturism, the social and political commentary cannot be denied. And the way these weighty subjects are incorporated is never

0 Shades Freed is not unwatchable but more of a ridiculous but-not-ridiculous-enough yawn. And if one thing comes through on this final entry of the popular trilogy, it’s just that its moment has passed. We’ve moved on as a culture, and there might not be a place for this series in a post #metoo era.

If only it had been campier, had a little more awareness, and embraced its awfulness. But it played a far too serious card.

The film kicks off with the innocent Ana Steele (Dakota Johnson) marrying her dark and twisty billionaire boyfriend, Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). But their wedded bliss is interrupted when it’s revealed that Ana’s former boss (a book editor) is now some kind of hacking mastermind trying to destroy Christian and Ana’s lives.

This is where we get to the film’s joke of a “thriller” subplot. But the film’s main focus is supposed to be on the couple’s sexy, BDSM relationship, yet between their nonexistent chemistry and conservative underpinnings, it’s not nearly as hot as it thinks it is. The romantic fantasy is incredibly simplistic and traditional (girl meets boy, gets ring, gets married, shops for house, gets pregnant, how cute that the man can’t cook) just infused with some light erotica. These underlying basic storytelling devices only succeed in reminding you, Oh yeah, this is — and always will be — just poorly written Twilight fanfiction.

clunky but completely organic.

But don’t worry, there’s also plenty of action, it’s just kept in check. Instead of bigger bombastic set pieces, you get more intimate and thrilling combat, and it’s only really at the end of the film that the overly CGI nonsense comes out.

The real focus is on the great characters.

T’Challa is a “good man, with a good heart,” and Boseman is the perfect choice to drive this quiet confidence and innate goodness home.

Boseman doesn’t have to play a famous black icon (see 42, Get on Up, Marshall), he becomes one, in powerful and compelling fashion.

Yet to no fault of his own, T’Challa is totally upstaged by the film’s amazing, stereotypedefying women. They are never just a token love interest; they completely drive the story.

There’s Shuri (Letitia Wright), T’Challa’s wiz kid of a sister, who runs Wakanda’s tech ops.

Undeniably charming, funny, and brilliant, the STEM-loving Shuri is a scene-stealing inspiration. Then there’s the fierce and fiercely loyal General Okoyo (The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira), who leads Wakanda’s all-female military. And OK, there is a love interest: Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o plays T’Challa’s ex, who pushes and challenges T’Challa in big ways. She’s so awesome, I don’t even begrudge the romance plot, ’cause honestly, why wouldn’t he want to be with her?

They say superhero movies are only as good as their villains, and Jordan serves up one for the ages. As the American operative with a mysterious past, Erik Killmonger, we have an antagonist that could not be more complex, one you truly feel for, and who delivers a haunting line toward the film’s conclusion that will cut you to the core. It snaps you out of the film’s entertaining comfort, and makes you realize this was never gonna be just another superhero movie.

Wakanda is a character in and of itself. The richness of the rhythms, colors, styles, and textures will floor you. This is some firstrate world building, and nothing in Marvel has ever felt so unfamiliar yet so authentic.

Deeply personal and exhilarating, it also brings welcomed real-world gravity to the Marvelverse. I stopped counting all the times I said to myself, Wow, I haven’t seen that in a movie before, followed by, Wow, why haven’t I seen that in a movie before?

There are sure to be thousands of pieces written about why this film and moment are so important, but it all comes down to the feeling.

And when you exit Black Panther, you’ll not only leave completely dazzled by what you saw, but when you think about the wideeyed kids with you in the theater, you’ll walk away with a profound sense of just how much representation matters.

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

winchester

W

inchester is a haunted house story, and what a house! It’s a maze-like, Victorian behemoth with dozens of rooms that’s under construction 24 hours a day. Hallways lead to dead ends, staircases rise to meet ceilings, doors open to brick walls or out into thin air. The home belongs to the grieving Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren. What are you doing, Helen?!), widow of American gun magnate William Winchester, and she has the entire Winchester Repeating Arms fortune at her disposal to build her giant house. Naturally her mental state is being called into question by the board of trustees, and a doctor, Eric Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty’s Jason Clarke), is dispatched to conduct an evaluation. During their first dinner together, Mrs. Winchester explains to the good doctor that she built her house the way she did in order to contain the ghosts of people killed by her husband’s invention that are out for revenge. And thus we are subsequently treated to run-of-the-mill ghastly visions that allow the film to fill its quota of jump scares to qualify as a horror film. You won’t find a more dull or inconsequential moviegoing experience than sitting through this film. And since this haunted house doesn’t have any of those handy signs you normally see nailed to the front gate, consider this your final warning: KEEP OUT, GO AWAY, and I’D TURN BACK IF I WERE YOU.

hostiles

A

s a people and a culture, shouldn’t we be done with the Western? With the wisdom we have now, it seems in poor taste to continue to mine the stories and tropes of that era without coming up with something genuinely new or revealing to say about it. And Hostiles certainly does not meet that challenge. Set in New Mexico Territory in 1892, the story centers on U.S. Cavalry Captain Joseph Blocker (Christian Bale), a hardened veteran of the American Indian Wars on the eve of his retirement. Before he can leave the service, Blocker must complete one final mission; escort the terminally ill Cheyenne war chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi), and his family, to their ancestral home in Montana so that he may die in the rightful land of his people. Instead of allowing two deeply wounded characters to heal in ways that eschew what we can all see coming, we get a predictable arc of White Man Redemption as Block comes to reluctantly trust and eventually respect and revere his sworn enemy. And hitch that to a film that is just too long and drawn out (all the gorgeous vistas of the West don’t a compelling story make), and you get a moviegoing experience that you’ll instantly forget the moment you walk out of the theater.

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 27

nitelife

FEB 24- mar 03 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska ACOUSTIC BREWING CO., TC 2/26 -- Poets Meet Musicians , 7

LITTLE BOHEMIA, TC Tue -- TC Celtic, 7-9

ACOUSTIC TAP ROOM, TC 2/24 -- Les Dalgliesh, 7-9 2/26 -- Poets Meet Musicians, 7 Tue -- Songwriters Open Mic, 7-9

PARK PLACE HOTEL, BEACON LOUNGE, TC Thurs,Fri,Sat — Tom Kaufmann, 8:30

FANTASY'S, TC Mon. - Sat. -- Adult entertainment w/ DJ, 7-close

RARE BIRD BREWPUB, TC 2/28 -- Chris Michels, 8:30-11

GT RESORT & SPA, GRAND LOBBY BAR, ACME 2/24,3/2 -- Blake Elliott, 7-11 3/3 -- Levi Britton, 7-11 GAIJIN, TC Wed -- Karaoke, 8 GRAND TRAVERSE DISTILLERY, TC Fri -- Younce Guitar Duo, 7-9:30 HAYLOFT INN, TC Thu -- Open mic night by Roundup Radio Show, 8 HOTEL INDIGO, BAY BAR, TC 2/24 -- Clinton Lake , 7 3/2 -- The Bohemians, 7-10 3/3 -- Chris Sterr, 7-10 KILKENNY'S, TC 2/23-24 – Sweet Jay 3/2-3 – Strobelight Honey Tue -- Levi Britton, 8 Wed -- The Pocket, 8 Sun -- Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 7-9 LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC 2/26 -- Open Mic Night w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9 3/2 -- Jim Moore, 6-8

UNION STREET STATION, TC 2/24,2/28 -- DJ DomiNate, 10 2/25 -- Head for the Hills Live Show, then Karaoke, 5 2/26 -- Jukebox, 5 2/27 – Jukebox, 10 3/1 -- Time Fugitives w/ Stu Ford, 10 3/2 -- Happy Hour w/ Harvey Wallbangers, then Electric Red, 5 3/3 -- Electric Red, 10 3/4 -- Karaoke, 10

SLEDER'S FAMILY TAVERN, TC 2/26 -- Vance Gilbert, 7 STREETERS, TC GROUND ZERO: 3/2 -- Red & Lacey Sturm of Flyleaf wsg Righteous Vendetta, 7 3/3 -- Fresh Horses Garth Brooks Tribute, 7

WEST BAY BEACH HOLIDAY INN RESORT, TC THE BISTRO: Mon -- Levi Britton, 5 2/27 -- David Chown, 5-6 VIEW: 2/24,3/3 -- DJ Motaz, 10 3/1 -- Jeff Haas Trio, 7-9:30 3/2 -- Jon Archambault Band, 7-9:30; DJ Shawny D, 10-2

LOUIE LOUIE: 3/1 -- Larry McCray wsg Erin Coburn, 7:30 TAPROOT CIDER HOUSE, TC 2/24 -- Ron Getz, 7-9 THE DISH CAFE, TC Tues,Sat -- Matt Smith, 5-7 Thu -- Open Mic, 7:30-9

CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 2/24 -- Paul Livingston, 7:309:30 3/2 -- Jeff Brown, 7:30-10:30 Fri -- Live Music, 7:30 ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 3/3 -- James Dake, 8-11

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 2/24 -- Runaway Mule, 8-11 2/26 -- Rotten Cherries Comedy Open Mic, 8-9:30 Wed -- The Workshop Live Jazz Jam, 6-10 3/1 -- Gregory Stovetop/Seth Bernard/Mark Lavengood SXSW Sendoff Show, 8-11 3/3 -- DJ Clark, 8-11

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

Antrim & Charlevoix

THE PARLOR, TC 2/24 -- David Martin, 8-11 2/27 -- Clint, 8-11 2/28 -- Rob or Wink, 8-11 3/3 -- Dave Crater wsg John Sanger, 8-11 & Comedy Night, 8:30-11

RED MESA GRILL, BOYNE CITY 2/27 -- Brett Mitchell, 6-10

3/3 -- The Mother Brothers, 8:3011 3/4 -- Battle of the Bands Week Four, 5:30-7:30

SHORT'S BREWING CO., BELLAIRE 2/24 -- The Go Rounds, 9 2/25 -- Battle of the Bands Week Three, 5:30-7:30 3/2 -- The Ol' Microtones, 8:3011

TORCH LAKE CAFE, EASTPORT Wed -- Dueling Pianos, 8:30 Thu -- Open Mic w/ Tim Hosper, 8:30

Leelanau & Benzie DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. — Karaoke, 10-2 LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 2/27 -- Andre Villoch & special guest, 6:30-9:30 2/28 -- Morgan Arrowood, Karoline Gifford & Luke Woltanski, 6:30-9:30

STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 2/24 -- Barbarossa Brothers, 8-10 3/2 -- Jake Frysinger, 8-10 3/3 -- Barefoot, 8-10

LUMBERJACK'S BAR & GRILL, HONOR Fri & Sat -- Phattrax DJs & Karaoke, 9 PLATTE RIVER INN, HONOR Tue -- Open Mic Night, 7:30 Sat -- DJ/Karaoke, 8

VILLA MARINE BAR, FRANKFORT Sat -- DJ & Dance Party, 9

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 2/24 -- Lena Maude, 6-9 3/1 -- Open Mic, 6

Emmet & Cheboygan CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 2/24 – Charlie Don’t Surf, 10 2/26 -- Sean & Adam, 9 2/27 -- Sean Bielby, 9 3/2 -- Triple Duo, 10 3/3 -- The Marsupials, 10 KNOT JUST A BAR, BAY HARBOR Mon,Tues,Thurs — Live music

LEO’S NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN, PETOSKEY Thurs — Karaoke w/ DJ Micheal Williford, 10 Fri – TRANSMIT, Techno-Funk-Electro DJs, 10 Sun — DJ Johnnie Walker, 9 NORTHERN LIGHTS RECREATION, HARBOR SPRINGS THE SASSY LOON: 2/24 -- The Easy Picks, 9:30 3/2 -- The Blitz, 9:30

3/3 -- Legacy, 9:30 ODAWA CASINO, O ZONE, PETOSKEY Sat -- Funny Business Comedy Show, 9 THE GRILLE AT BAY HARBOR Nightly Music

Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD Fri,Sat -- Live Music, 6-9

SNOWBELT BREWING CO., GAYLORD Tue -- Open Jam Night, 6-9

TREETOPS RESORT, GAYLORD Hunter's Grille: Thurs. - Sat. -- Live music, 8-11

Mon -

Ladies Night - $1 off drinks & $5 martinis

with Jukebox - Closing at 9pm

Tues - $2 well drinks & shots with Jukebox

Traditional Chinese Massage

Wed - Get it in the can for $1 w/DJ DomiNate

• Numb Fingers • Neck/Shoulders, • Knees Back & Body Pain • Sprained Ankle • Relax Sore Muscles • Noninvasive • Increase Circulation • Effective & 100% Safe • Sciatica/Lower Back $25 / 40 minutes - foot massage $45 / hour full body relaxation massage $55 / hour full body repair massage

Thurs - $1 off all drinks w/Time Fugitives w/ Stu Ford

An ancient practice that can help relieve:

Happy Feet

Susan Zhou Andersen 620 2nd St. TC • 231-360-4626 www.chinesemassagetc.com

Fri March 2 - Happy Hour: Harvey Wallbangers

then: Electric Red

Buckets of Beer starting at $7 from 2-8pm

Sat March 3 : Electric Red Sun March 4: KARAOKE (10PM-2AM)

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

28 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

Two convenient Traverse City locations!

1779 S. Garfield Avenue 231-941-4335

$8 OFF FULL SERVICE OIL CHANGE SPECIAL

No Appointment Necessary (Reg. $37.99. Includes 5 qts) – FREE CAR WASH INCLUDED –

13638 S. West Bay Shore Dr. 231-642-5665 HOURS: M-F 8-6 • SAT 8-4

Must present coupon.

Not valid with any other offers.

Expires 3/26/18 CODE: NE

the ADViCE GOddESS Waity Issues

as a human flaw rather than a sign that a particular human doesn’t love her wife.

Q “Jonesin” Crosswords "It's All Downhill" --make a run for it.

ACROSS

1 Bread that may or may not have seeds 4 Unit of heat energy 9 Copier problems 13 Mall entrance features 15 Cartoon dad who’s had over 100 jobs 16 Musk of SpaceX 17 Poet who excels at short comedy scenes?

19 Queen abandoned by Aeneas, in myth 20 “Wabbit” hunter Fudd 21 Red or Yalu, e.g.

22 “Ad astra per ___” (Kansas’s motto) 25 Furor 27 Crisis responder, for short 28 Radar reading 29 1950s nostalgia group with a TV show in the 1970s 33 “That’s right!”

34 Just briefly reads the rules to a classic arcade game?

38 Early photo color 40 Reed or Rawls 41 Slovenia neighbor 42 Someone who’s an expert at sliding out?

45 $, for short (well, not really, being three characters) 46 Disregards 47 “There Will Be Blood” actor Paul 48 Many corp. logos 51 A, in Berlin 52 Hockey players, slangily 54 Trail follower 56 Not significant 58 Julia of “Addams Family Values” 59 Request to a supervisor to avoid something?

64 Prefix for present or potent 65 “___ Burr, Sir” (song from “Hamilton”) 66 Days of long ago 67 Ten-speed, e.g.

68 Air freshener brand 69 Predicament

DOWN

by Matt Jones

1 Apt. ad count 2 Hairy Himalayan beast 3 Prefix for dermis 4 Jim Carrey movie with the catchphrase “Smokin’!”

5 Dig this!

6 Ruler in Abu Dhabi 7 “Can’t Fight This Feeling” band ___ Speedwagon 8 “The A-Team” regular 9 “Star Wars: The Last ___” 10 Still in the game 11 Wi-fi device 12 Derisive sound 14 High-priced 18 35mm camera option 21 Repair, as a loose board 22 Bottomless depth 23 Streamlined 24 Longstocking of kiddie lit 25 Provide coverage for 26 Grammy category division 30 Hotelier Conrad, or his great-granddaughter Paris 31 Love, in Le Havre 32 Take the stage 34 Reproductive rights pioneer Margaret 35 Palindromic formality 36 On one’s own 37 Stocking stuff 39 Ugandan dictator Amin 43 Indie rocker DiFranco 44 Foolhardy 47 Word after roller or Kentucky 48 Pulsate 49 Home of the Heat 50 Mammal with a defensive spray 53 Hotel room extra 55 Peace Nobelist Wiesel 56 Actress Sorvino in 2016’s “Exposed” 57 Device with the Nano discontinued in 2017 59 Hang down 60 Actor Penn 61 “That’s gotta hurt” 62 ___ Lanka

: I’m a married gay woman. Whenever I ask my wife to discuss some problem in our relationship, she’ll say, “Can we talk about this tomorrow” (or “later”)? Of course, there’s never a “tomorrow.” I end up feeling resentful, and this makes even a minor issue turn into a big deal. Help.

— Postponed

A

: Putting things off is a relief in the moment but usually costs you big-time in the long run — like when you procrastinate in going to the dermatologist until the mole on your neck has a girlfriend and a dog.

Procrastination — the “See ya later, alligator!” approach to problem-solving — is defined by psychologists as voluntarily delaying some action we need to take, despite our knowing that doing this will probably make the ultimate outcome much worse. Procrastinating seems seriously dumb, right? But consider the sort of tasks we put off. Chances are, nobody needs to nag you 45 times to eat cake or have what you’re pretty sure will be mind-blowing sex.

Research by social scientists Fuschia Sirois and Timothy Pychyl suggests that procrastination is a form of mood management — a knee-jerk emotional reaction to emotional stress that involves putting “short-term mood repair over long-term goal pursuit.”

I know — not exactly the stuff Valentine’s Day cards are made of. But focus on the “knee-jerk” aspect of the mood management response.

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains that our brain has two systems — an instinctive, fast-responding emotional system that jumps right in and a slower rational system that we have to force to do its job.

That’s because reasoning — applying judgment to some dreaded problem — takes what Kahneman calls “mental work.” We have to make ourselves focus on the problem and then put cognitive energy into figuring things out. That’s a grim chore — the antithesis of a mood booster. And that’s probably why there’s a term “pay attention!” but there’s no “pay emotion!” Emotion is automatic. It just busts out, all “An issue to discuss? Oh, wouldja look at the time?! I believe I’m five minutes late for moving to Florida!“ Because personality traits tend to be consistent over time and across situations, chances are, your wife has a habit of ducking all sorts of emotionally uncomfortable stuff.

Understanding this — as well as why we procrastinate — can help you see her ducking

To keep resentment from poisoning your relationship, when she says “tomorrow…” say, “Awesome, babe. What time works for you?”

Maybe even have a regular weekly wine ’n’ chat. Ideally, the conversations should mostly be lovey-dovey, not the sort she prefers to have on the third Tuesday in never: “Okay, I could have my toenails pulled out with rusty pliers or have this conversation. This isn’t to say I’m dreading it; I just want to give some thought to how attached I am to wearing open-toe shoes.”

Crime Of Compassion

Q

: I’m a 33-year-old guy on the dating scene, looking for a relationship. I’m pretty picky, so most of my dating isn’t going past the three-week mark. My problem is that it seems mean to call a woman and tell her why I’m not interested, but it also seems mean to just ghost -- disappear on her without telling her why.

What’s a good and kind way to end things?

— Nice Dude

A

: It’s disappointing when a prospective relationship isn’t working, but it’s much worse when it just disappears. Can you imagine coming home one day and your stove is just…gone?

“Ghosting” somebody you’ve been dating — vanishing forever, sans explanation -- cues what psychologists call the “Zeigarnik effect,” which describes the mind’s habit of annoying us (over and over and over) to get “closure” when we have unfinished business.

Some people “ghost” because they have all the conscience of a deer tick; others believe (or tell themselves) that it’s kinder than laying out exactly why they’re done. But consider that when moving on, you only need to communicate one essential thing: There will be no more of you in their future.

Should a woman press you for further info, stick to vague explanations — “spark just wasn’t there” — instead of going into detail about, say, how her breath reminds you of a decomposing gerbil. Also to be avoided are explanations that give a woman hope that your vamoosage is temporary — for example, telling her you have to end it with her because you still aren’t over your ex. That can lead to a closure of sorts — of the zipper on the tent she’s pitched on the grassy area in the middle of your cul-de-sac. (Stalker?

Um, she prefers “watchful urban camper.”)

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 29

benefitting women and FAMILIES at the goodwill inn

You hold the power to change lives .

aSTRO

lOGY

March 10 9 :3 0 a m — 1 2 p m city opera house SI LE NT AU C T IO N G O U R M E T B R U N CH Thank you to our major sponsors

GOODWILL

Northern Michigan

the coming months, you could re-use calendars from 2007 and 2001. During those years, all the dates fell on the same days of the week as they do in 2018. On the other hand, Pisces, please don’t try to learn the same lessons you learned in 2007 and 2001.

Don’t get snagged in identical traps or sucked into similar riddles or obsessed with comparable illusions. On the other other hand, it might help for you to recall the detours you had to take back then, since you may thereby figure out how to avoid having to repeat boring old experiences that you don’t need to repeat.

Productive Paradox Phase of your cycle. You can generate good luck and unexpected help by romancing the contradictions. For example: 1. You’ll enhance your freedom by risking deeper commitment. 2. You’ll gain greater control over wild influences by loosening your grip and providing more spaciousness. 3. If you are willing to appear naive, empty, or foolish, you’ll set the stage for getting smarter. 4. A blessing you didn’t realize you needed will come your way after you relinquish a burdensome “asset.” 5. Greater power will flow your way if you expand your capacity for receptivity.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): On September 1,

1666, a London baker named Thomas Farriner didn’t take proper precautions to douse the fire in his oven before he went to sleep.

Consequences were serious. The conflagration that ignited in his little shop burned down large parts of the city. Three hundred twenty years later, a group of bakers gathered at the original site to offer a ritual atonement. “It’s never too late to apologize,” said one official, acknowledging the tardiness of the gesture. In that spirit, Aries, I invite you to finally dissolve a clump of guilt you’ve been carrying . . . or express gratitude that you should have delivered long ago . . . or resolve a messy ending that still bothers you . . . or transform your relationship with an old wound . . . or all of the above.

STARTS MONDAY 1/29 TAURUS (April 20-May 20): ): The Committee

Carolina BBQ Tacos

spicy smoked pork on warm corn tortillas with Carolina BBQ sauce, crunchy slaw, jalapeño relish, cilantro sour cream and jalapeño cheddar tortilla chips 16

Southwest Egg Rolls

with hickory-smoked pulled pork, black beans, sweet corn, roasted peppers, jack cheese and chipotle apricot dripping sauce 11

Hawaiian Hoagie

pulled pork, grilled pineapple salsa, housemade sweet chili sauce and fresh cilantro on a bakery roll with house fried pork rinds 15

Southern Smothered Chops

three Cajun fried pork cutlets topped with buttermilk gravy and served with braised greens and red beans & rice 18

to Fanatically Promote Taurus’s Success is pleased to see that you’re not waiting politely for your next turn. You have come to the brilliant realization that what used to be your fair share is no longer sufficient. You intuitively sense that you have a cosmic mandate to skip a few steps -- to ask for more and better and faster results. As a reward for this outbreak of shrewd and well-deserved self-love, and in recognition of the blessings that are currently showering down on your astrological House of Noble Greed, you are hereby granted three weeks’ worth of extra service, free bonuses, special treatment, and abundant slack.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): No one can be

somewhat pregnant. You either are or you’re not. But from a metaphorical perspective, your current state is a close approximation to that impossible condition. Are you or are you not going to commit yourself to birthing a new creation? Decide soon, please. Opt for one or the other resolution; don’t remain in the gray area. And there’s more to consider. You are indulging in excessive in-betweenness in other areas of your life, as well.

You’re almost brave and sort of free and semi-faithful. My advice about these halfway states is the same: Either go all the way or else stop pretending you might.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Appalachian

423 S. Union, Traverse City • (231) 922-9515 • www.BlueTractorCookshop.com

30 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly

BY ROB BREZSNY

PIScES (Feb. 19-March 20): As you make appointments in

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s the

TIC KE T S AT G O O D W I L L N MI . O R G /P O W E R

FEB 26- MARCH 04

Trail is a 2,200-mile path that runs through the eastern United States. Hikers can wind their way through forests and wilderness areas from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia. Along the way they may encounter black bears, bobcats, porcupines, and wild boars. These natural wonders may seem to be at a remote distance from civilization, but they are in fact conveniently accessible from America’s biggest metropolis. For $8.75, you can take a train from Grand Central Station in New York City to an entry point of the Appalachian Trail. This scenario is an apt metaphor for you right now, Cancerian. With relative ease, you can escape from your routines and habits. I hope you take advantage!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is 2018 turning out to

be as I expected it would be for you? Have you become more accepting of yourself and further at peace with your mysterious destiny? Are you benefiting from greater stability and security? Do you feel more at home in the world and better nurtured by your close allies? If for some reason these developments are not yet in bloom, withdraw from every lesser concern and turn your focus to them. Make sure you make full use of the gifts that life is conspiring to provide for you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “You can’t

find intimacy -- you can’t find home -- when you’re always hiding behind masks,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Junot Díaz.

“Intimacy requires a certain level of vulnerability.

It requires a certain level of you exposing your fragmented, contradictory self to someone else. You running the risk of having your core self rejected and hurt and misunderstood.”

I can’t imagine any better advice to offer you as you navigate your way through the next seven weeks, Virgo. You will have a wildly fertile opportunity to find and create more intimacy.

But in order to take full advantage, you’ll have to be brave and candid and unshielded.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the coming

weeks, you could reach several odd personal bests. For instance, your ability to distinguish between flowery bullshit and inventive truthtelling will be at a peak. Your “imperfections” will be more interesting and forgivable than usual, and might even work to your advantage, as well. I suspect you’ll also have an adorable inclination to accomplish the half-right thing when it’s impossible to do the perfectly right thing. Finally, all the astrological omens suggest that you will have a tricky power to capitalize on lucky lapses.

ScORPIO

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): French philosopher Blaise Pascal said, “If you do not love too much, you do not love enough.”

American author Henry David Thoreau declared, “There is no remedy for love but to love more.” I would hesitate to offer these two formulations in the horoscope of any other sign but yours, Scorpio. And I would even hesitate to offer them to you at any other time besides right now. But I feel that you currently have the strength of character and fertile willpower necessary to make righteous use of such stringently medicinal magic. So please proceed with my agenda for you, which is to become the Smartest, Feistiest, Most Resourceful Lover Who Has Ever Lived.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The

state of Kansas has over 6,000 ghost towns -- places where people once lived, but then abandoned. Daniel C. Fitzgerald has written six books documenting these places. He’s an expert on researching what remains of the past and drawing conclusions based on the old evidence. In accordance with current astrological omens, I suggest you consider doing comparable research into your own lost and halfforgotten history. You can generate vigorous psychic energy by communing with origins and memories. Remembering who you used to be will clarify your future.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It’s not

quite a revolution that’s in the works. But it is a sprightly evolution. Accelerating developments may test your ability to adjust gracefully.

Quickly-shifting story lines will ask you to be resilient and flexible. But the unruly flow won’t throw you into a stressful tizzy as long as you treat it as an interesting challenge instead of an inconvenient imposition.

My advice is not to stiffen your mood or narrow your range of expression, but rather to be like an actor in an improvisation class. Fluidity is your word of power.

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT MARKETING MANAGER Shoreline Fruit, an innovative grower owned processor and marketer of dried fruit, concentrate and nutraceuticals is looking for a Marketing Manager to join our growing company. Please visit our website at www.shorelinefruit.com for more information about this position, our company and products. Shoreline Fruit is an equal opportunity employer. https://www.shorelinefruit.com/19/ careers/apply-now

GALLYS - NOW OPEN - New Womens Consignment Shop In Traverse City Located In The Work Center Building Hours 11-7 Tues-Fri & 11-5 Sat 710 Centre St Just Off Woodmere Call 855-STYLE-85

OTHER

CHAKRADANCE in Traverse City!

CHAKRADANCE™ is a well-being movement practice; a dynamic moving meditation. It uses spontaneous dance, to specific chakra-resonant music, for the purpose of healing and retuning your whole energy system. For classes near you check out: www.chakradance.com or my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ ChakradanceJessicaMerwin.

20% off vintage & valentines items

TEACHER FOR NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE I am looking for a teacher to teach me how to play the Native American Flute. I have a Butch Hall Flute. Contact me at tcdragonfly0347@ gmail.com

BEAT THE WINTER BLUES with red-hot Burlesque class! Bodies In Motion: 10660 E Carter RD, TC AmiraHamzar@gmail.com 231.313.5577

LOLA’S ANTIQUES & OLDE BOOKS 402 S Union St. Winter Hours Feb-March Thurs-Sat 10-4. 20% off Glassware & China GLOBAL REACH WRITING Commercial projects & performing arts; define project: backhandlob@gmail.com HIGH-TECH HOLISTIC DENTISTRY Lk Leelanau office with IAOMT approved Hg removal. Lisa Siddall DDS

GUIDED BACKPACKING ISLE ROYALE Now booking Aug 25-Sept 1. Guided Backpacking adventure to ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK. Experience the wilderness and solitude. Photograph Moose. For details call Jack 231.564.1631 2 more week 50% OFF DETOX PACKAGE INFRARED SAUNA & ION CLEANSE FOOT DETOX BATH Northern Michigan’s Only Himalayan Salt Spa Support the body’s natural ability to process and eliminate toxins Urban Oasis Salt Spa 1545 S Division Traverse City MI 231 935-8011

HALF OFF MONDAY’S 14000 LBS HIMALAYAN SALT ROOM Urban Oasis Salt Spa 1545 S Division Traverse City MI 231 938-6020 STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions!

SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-844-358-9925 Promo Code CDC201725 SAWMILLS from only $4397.00- MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship!

FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 800 567-0404 Ext.300N WANTED TO BUY OR TRADE FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans. (312) 2919169; www.refrigerantfinders.com WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE 1900-1979 Vintage Motorcycles Top Cash Paid Call 920371-0494 CHAKRADANCE - 9 WEEK SERIES! The Awakening cycle is designed for both beginners and regular Chakradance participants. It begins with an introductory overview, and goes on to explore a different major chakra each week, before concluding with an integration class. Register at jessicamerwin@live.com, Cost:$180.

Or pay as you go $20.00 per class. www. facebook.com/ChakradanceJessicaMerwin/

Log on to submit your classified!

northernexpress.com/classifieds Easy. Accessible. All Online.

Northern Express Weekly • february 26, 2018 • 31

Petoskey, MI 877.442.6464 |

| odawacasino.com

32 • february 26, 2018 • Northern Express Weekly