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2 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

ER No Alternative to Insurance At a recent Bergman town hall meeting, an attendee said that repeal of the ACA could kill her because she depends on it for coverage of necessary medical care. Someone responded in a local paper [and again in Northern Express] by advising her to do what people without insurance have always done: Show up at an emergency room.

ERs provide emergency care, not monitoring or chronic care. Suppose you’re over 50, and both your parents died from colon cancer. If you’ve never had a colonoscopy, you’re overdue for one. But you’re not getting it at the ER. So let’s say you’re eventually diagnosed with colon cancer. Now you need surgery, then radiation and chemo — again, not happening in the ER. Suppose the cancer advances, and now you’re in serious distress. You’re taken to the ER, where they run up an enormous tab trying to save your life. Say you survive and are able to go home. You’ll receive a hefty ER bill, which you may be unable to pay. If you’re lucky, the hospital might cut you a break, so you’ll be able to continue paying your rent and won’t be homeless.

Meanwhile, the ER raises prices on everyone else to make ends meet, and taxpayers likely have to foot the bill for various social safety net programs that are utilized due to you being unable to work.

The ACA keeps lots of “critical access” hospitals alive because it enables more patients to pay their bills. These hospitals — there are 11 in the Upper Peninsula — are often the biggest employers in their communities. If the ACA is repealed, some will fail, hurting everyone who works in them or relies on them for care. This is not how health care in America should work.

Tom Gutowski, Elmwood Township

Pro-life for Whom?

I read with sadness the account of Wyoming, Michigan’s Carrie DeKlyen’s death from brain cancer on Sept. 9. Carrie made a courageous decision to forgo cancer treatments that could have, at the very least, extended her life, in order to save the life of her unborn daughter. Tragically on Sept.

20, 14 days after her birth, Carrie’s daughter Lynn has also died.

Carrie’s husband, Nick, said that he and his wife reached their decision because they are pro-life. I totally agree with that label, but only if we can also apply it to their other choice, in which the mother’s life could have been saved and the pregnancy terminated by the necessary chemotherapy.

When there is a legal but terribly difficult and intensely personal choice like this one, outside observers like us should not elevate the appropriateness of one choice over the other with the unilateral label prolife, especially when both of the available life-saving choices in the DeKlyen family’s case could correctly be labeled pro-life — unless, of course, you consider prenatal and postnatal life to be of unequal value.

Bob Ross, Pellston Consider the Source Concerning the Northern Express’ Nov. 13 article “Bear Down,” it should be stated that the ultimate goal of the The Humane Society of the United States is to end all hunting, so any of its “input” on traditional Michigan bear hunting methods, such baiting or the use of dogs, is laughable.

Matt Therrien, Lake Ann Question Mainstream Media Reading Stephen Tuttle’s Nov. 13 opinion column, “Hunting Witches,” I was sure that the article had to be six months old since he insisted multiple times the standard mainstream media (MSM) narrative of

how Hillary Clinton lost the election: by Donald Trump receiving assistance from Russia. He asserted as true and selfevident several conclusions that are steadily being debunked. The truth is, since this investigation commenced, the following has been discovered and reported by the noncorporate, alternative press. To wit: All governments from the beginning of time, including ours, have interfered in elections.

Forensic evidence shows that there was no “hack,” but rather, that the information was offloaded and leaked from within. Julian Assange has all but admitted Seth Rich was the leaker, offering a reward for information about his killer. Rich was murdered shortly after the “leak” occurred.

There were, at best, a few hundredthousand dollars possibly spent by Russia in Facebook ads, most actually benefiting Clinton. Clinton spent nearly $2 billion on her campaign and had the full support of the MSM the whole way.

Like the MSM, Mr. Tuttle admits no evidence on “collusion” has been found. He then brings up Manafort and Gates, both of whom have been indicted on charges stemming from years before the election, having nothing to do with President Trump.

Papadopoulos had minimal impact and no authority in the campaign — it appears more and more likely he was a plant by the opponent intended for sabotage.

He then impugns various people in the Trump camp with innuendo of misdeeds through what would otherwise be normal business dealings with Russia. Nothing to see here. In the meantime, clear ties past and present between Clinton and the Russians, and especially the Ukrainians, go completely ignored. I predict that there will be several more indictments from the Mueller investigation to come. And they will not be in the Trump camp.

CONTENTS

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

Silver Muzzle.....................................................9 Mentees Wanted...........................................10 A Little Local Love.........................................12 Rockin’ Eats at the Torch Lake Cafe................13 Get on Santa’s Nice List.................................14 International Good.........................................16 Northern Seen...................................................18

dates...............................................19-22 music FourScore.......................................................23 Nightlife.........................................................26

columns & stuff Guest Opinion...................................................4 Top Five...........................................................5 Spectator/Stephen Tuttle....................................6 Weird...............................................................8 Modern Rock/Kristi Kates................................24 The Reel...........................................................25 Advice Goddess.............................................27 Crossword...................................................28 Freewill Astrology.........................................29 Classifieds....................................................30

Dan Galbraith, Northport 16 Years and Counting It is my hope that every Northern Express reader took the time to read the full-page ad paid for by Northern Michigan’s Veterans for Peace, Chapter 50. It is also my hope that all of you readers are shocked into the reality of war. The ad begs the question “How Many More Have To Die?” And I ask all of you: How many?

War is costly! The resident has proposed a $1.15 trillion discretionary spending budget. And the taxpayers in our country and in Traverse City will help pay for this.

But here’s what else you’re paying for: You’re helping to fund the deaths of American troops. You’re helping to fund the deaths of innocent civilians in these war-torn countries. Your funds are contributing to the trauma of 80 percent of children in those countries.

Look at the statistics in the ad closely.

You’re also paying for contractors to be killed or wounded. Traumatic brain injuries.

Hearing loss. Genital wounds. Amputations.

Post-traumatic stress. Loss of sight. Every day, 22 veterans take their own lives. And let’s not forget the suffering that the families of our troops and veterans endure.

Is this really worth it? What the hell is it that we’re fighting for? Let our government spend this war money on fighting hunger, homelessness, education for our children.

Let’s use it to take better care of our men and women when they return home and are suffering the physical and mental atrocities of war. Please contact your senators and representatives to put an end to these senseless acts of aggression.

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase 129 E Front Traverse City, MI Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Katy McCain, 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 Proofreader: Daniel Harrigan Reporter: Patrick Sullivan Contributors: Amy Alkon, Ross Boissoneau, Rob Brezsny, Jennifer Hodges, Daniel Harrigan, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle 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.

Tom Emmott, Traverse City

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 3

CARRUTHERS’ ELECTION: WHAT IT MEANS

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The recent city election may look like a split decision to some, but the objective result is clear as a bell. The reelection of Mayor Jim Carruthers will likely define the city’s future character.

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This city has been mired in a long-running debate over the city’s future. The election gave voters the opportunity to decide the issue: Do we want tall buildings, or do we want to preserve our small-town character?

The voters’ decision was, “We want small-town character.” Carruthers, a leading proponent of small-town character and a leading opponent of tax subsidies for tall buildings, was the top vote-getter.

At first glance, the city commission votes appear almost evenly balanced. Incumbent Michele P. Howard got 2,662; newcomer Brian McGillivary got 1,857; incumbent Tim Werner got 1,797; incumbent Gary Howe trailed at 1,769; and newcomer Leonhardt came close at 1,738. There was a whisker-thin difference of 28 votes between incumbent Werner winning and incumbent Howe losing. (I contributed to McGillivary and Jeff Leonhardt, and supported Howard.)

Carruthers, however, was the hands-down vote-getter, with 2,802 votes in the mayoral race. His candidacy was unopposed, so some will question the value of his win. If so, they’re missing the obvious. First, a highly-motivated, well-funded coalition opposed him — the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, local media, the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority, and many civic leaders — but they could not even find a candidate willing to run against Carruthers. That is what we call preemptive strength. Second, every single voter who pulled the lever for Carruthers knew his vote was nondeterminative, yet more voters took the time to cast a vote for Carruthers than voted for any other candidate.

Each voter who pulled the Carruthers lever did so as a statement of principle; Carruthers’ stand on the issue of small-town character was the principle.

For years, in city government, he’s backed projects like the parking decks and the Munson Medical Center expansion, but he’s been a vocal proponent of small-town character. He steadfastly opposed tax subsidies for large-scale developers, opposed unpaid infrastructure costs, opposed rubber-stamped development permits, and opposed environmental trade-offs.

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In other words, he was a lightning-rod candidate. Thus, his win — and his vote tally — are a clear marker of city sentiment.

Carruthers has been an opinion leader before.

He’s won four successful referendum elections and four office elections: the 2000 referendum drive to make the mayor an elected office, the 2006 drive to defeat the Federated Properties’ parking deck bond, the 2011 nondiscrimination ordinance, the 2016 Prop 3 referendum, the 2007 and 2011 city commission races, and the 2015 and 2017 mayoral races.

As Carruthers goes, so goes the city.

More importantly, he’s won by publicly articulating his ideas under pressure. During a highly charged commission meeting on the Pine Street tall-building proposal, Carruthers took the microphone late in the evening and

recited chapter and verse of city development standards, carefully explaining why the proposal was substandard.

Temporarily, he lost that debate when commissioners voted to approve the permit; later he was vindicated. In a legal challenge (in which I was deeply involved as an attorney) Circuit Court Judge Phil Rodgers Jr. invalidated the development permit. Rodgers’ prosaic opinion was affirmed by a unanimous Michigan Court of Appeals.

In the recent election, Carruthers’ principle of small-town character was derided by prodevelopment forces. The TC Chamber, DDA, and civic leaders belittled the notion of smalltown character by campaigning on the snarky theme, “Time to grow up, TC!” If money and power controlled this city, tall buildings would have won by a landslide. The fact they didn’t win is evidence of the public view of what they represent: tax subsidies and zoning sleight of hand. Tall building projects — always pitched to the public as some form of “affordable housing” — don’t pay their fair share of infrastructure costs and threaten the character and functionality of their surroundings. For reasons that evade logic, local planners and administrators act as accomplices with rule-bending, rubberstamp approvals.

Voters delivered some stark news: They live in Traverse City for a reason, and tall buildings are not the reason.

Opponents of tall-building developments have won every issue-related election since 1986, and Carruthers’ win is the icing because the forces arrayed against him were better organized than ever before. The TC Chamber is now a full-fledged political organization; the DDA has morphed from a booster to a carny barker for any and every tall-building scheme.

Carruthers beat an extremely well-connected, well-organized coalition of civic business interests, and he beat them on their own ground.

This is what the reelection of Jim Carruthers means: Clarity of community intent. His scaled plan for economic growth in the city is specific and predictable; it’s an approach developers, planners, administrators, boosters, and preservationists can rely on. It won’t divide the community, and it won’t require developers to wait years for an appeals court decision.

Carruthers’ win is like a billboard at the city limits: “Incorporate our small-town character into your development plan. Tax subsidies, go home. If you build here, your investment will be preserved.”

During the election run-up, Carruthers pitched tax fairness, neighborhood protection, payas-you-build infrastructure cost sharing, good government. One person alone cannot accomplish a community’s vision, but one person can articulate a community’s vision.

Carruthers did that.

Now it’s time for the power players in Traverse City to grasp the obvious meaning of the election — and act accordingly.

Grant Parsons is a trial attorney, a native of Traverse City, with a keen interest in local politics, especially land use.

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Alliance Dish Tops Top Chef’s List Two-time Top Chef finalist and host of ABC’s The Chew, Carla Hall, recently shared with bon appetit magazine her top five meals ever — and a dish from Traverse City’s Alliance made the top spot.

Hall said that she was on her first vacation in nine years last summer, visiting Mario Batalli in northern Michigan, when he took her to the respected Warehouse District eatery.

“My favorite meal there was at Alliance,” Hall wrote. “It was a beautiful night out, and everything we shared for the table was spectacular.”

She said her favorite dish was dessert, a mix of cereal made up of granola, nuts, and seeds topped with a sweetcorn-infused milk served with blueberries. That particular summer dish is not on the menu right now, but never mind — Hall said her entire meal at Alliance was delicious.

bottoms up Alpine Chocolat Haus’ Signature Hot Bruce Brown — aka “Der Chocolatmeister” — not only owns the Alpine Chocolat Haus company but also has developed its chocolate recipes. One of the best: his Alpine Chocolat Haus Signature Hot Cocoa.

“We make it with the highest-grade chocolate — no paraffin,” Brown said.

“We use a bittersweet chocolate to make our dark hot cocoa, and milk chocolate to make the lighter-milk hot cocoa.”

While he said the milk-chocolate hot cocoa is more popular, the dark has its fans as well, thanks to a slight sharpness and bite. Both are made with heavy whipping cream, slightly thinned for drinkable consistency, and topped with your choice of whipped cream or marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles.

Between November and March — just in the Gaylord Chocolat Haus store alone — an average 3,500–4,000 cups of the sweet stuff are sold.

Brown admits more than a few of those are consumed by Der Chocolatmeister himself.

“In the beginning of the winter season I drink my share,” Brown said. “You have to make sure it tastes right — at least that’s my excuse! But when you work in the chocolate business, you learn to graze.”

The flagship Alpine Chocolat Haus is located at 208 W. Main St. in Gaylord, (989) 732-1077 or alpine-chocolat-haus.com.

See draft horses pulling a 30-foot Christmas tree down River St. during the 29th Annual Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend in Manistee that runs from Nov. 30 - Dec. 3. The parade takes place on Sat., Dec. 2 at 5:30pm, followed by community caroling & lighting of the tree. Other highlights of the weekend include the Sleighbell Bash, Christmas Cookie & Wine Pairing, Jingle Bell Jog 5K Run/Walk, Festival of Trees, “A Tuneful Christmas Carol,” & much more. manisteesleighbellparade.com

Final Voyage for Long-time Captain This season’s last sail for the Emerald Isle, the ferry that ports folks between Charlevoix and Beaver Island, is almost here, and so is the end of the final season for a captain who’s spent 47 years with the Beaver Island Boat Company.

Senior Captain Kevin McDonough started working for the ferry service in 1970.

He’s seen a lot of changes over the years. He was there when the Emerald Isle was launched in 1997, and in the 20 years since, he’s made sure it’s sailed safely and remained in excellent condition.

Margo Marks, the boat company president, said, “Kevin, we hope the best is yet to come for you in this next chapter of your life. Enjoy your retirement fishing, gardening, hiking the island, and most important of all, spending time with your family.”

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Public opinion, which essentially ignored most such claims since public opinion existed, has turned dramatically the other way.

The boys-will-be-boys attitudes of the past are gone or nearly so; women victims have found their voice and are using it. Men in power using and abusing mostly young women who have none are an ugly anachronism whose time is just about up.

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Even those acknowledging their behavior offer lukewarm or faux apologies complete with rationalizations and excuses, usually followed by a settlement offer. Former Fox broadcaster Bill O’Reilly paid one woman a staggering $32 million settlement all the while claiming he never did a thing and acquiesced only to spare his family the media storm sure to accompany any civil trial — a trial at which his family would presumably suffer the embarrassment of learning he was completely innocent, or so he said.

Only President Trump, with a dozen accusers (all of whom he has called liars) and incriminating audio tapes, has escaped our new assumption of guilt; his supporters simply do not care what he does, including alleged criminal behavior.

Thank goodness women now feel sufficiently empowered to expose some of this aberrant behavior even if it happened decades ago. It’s the first step in getting around a corner that should have been turned long ago. The next step is to start reporting the miscreants immediately.

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The rogue’s gallery of accused sexual harassers, abusers, and assaulters now includes actors, directors, producers, record moguls, politicians including two former presidents and the current president, television broadcasters both behind and in front of the camera, and various business executives.

What happened that so dramatically reshaped the landscape? We started believing the women, partly because so many were making similar accusations against the same men.

Safety in numbers then opened the floodgates completely.

Unfortunately, some of the most serious sexual assault allegations are now too old to prosecute, the statute of limitations having expired. Most of those now being accused will never face any kind of criminal prosecution but careers, justifiably so, are over.

More than 300 women have accused movie director/producer James Tobak of behavior ranging from inappropriate harassment to full-blown sexual assault. Several dozen have similarly accused Harvey Weinstein, and dozens more director Brett Ratner and music mogul Russell Simmons.

(Sexual harassment itself, by the way, is not criminal unless it involves other crimes, like unwanted touching or coercion, but it’s unacceptable and plenty actionable as a civil matter. Not to mention the attendant careerending publicity.)

Accusations have been made that former president George H.W. Bush inappropriately touched young women (he apologized), we know Bill Clinton’s history, and President Donald Trump has been accused by a dozen women and was twice recorded saying what sounded a lot like an admission of sexual assault.

Clinton’s case is instructive because the initial reaction to accusations against him used a template that is still popular today: First, strongly deny anything ever happened at all and demonize the accuser by claiming she’s attention-seeking or money-grubbing, or of dubious repute in some way. When that doesn’t work, claim the sexual contact you previously denied was actually consensual. And, of course, demonize the accuser by at least implying she’s a slut. When that doesn’t work, quietly pay a large settlement with a confidentiality clause so nobody can talk about it. “I didn’t do it, she’s a liar, she wanted me to do it, here’s a bunch of money to be quiet.”

The Clinton camp called Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, and Monica Lewinsky liars and worse. The president even lied under oath about it and was impeached, though not convicted, as a result. But Flowers recorded phone calls with the president, Lewinsky kept that blue dress, and Jones received an $850,00 settlement. Clinton’s defenders are mostly quiet these days.

Thank goodness women now feel sufficiently empowered to expose some of this aberrant behavior even if it happened decades ago. It’s the first step in getting around a corner that should have been turned long ago. The next step is to start reporting the miscreants immediately. It’s surprising there isn’t some sort of nonprofit that helps women report harassment and abuse and protects them during the process.

The porcine predators are already on notice that there can be career-ending consequences for their behavior, and it would be good to add legal consequences to the mix. If a bigger weapon is required to make this stop, then women should have it.

There should be a cautionary note here. The assumption of guilt is a dangerous road antithetical to our legal traditions. It’s inevitable some accusations, likely a relative handful, will not be true. We have to be willing to reject those while affording the wrongly accused a chance to defend themselves even in the current atmosphere; accusations alone are not proof of guilt.

That women have found a strong voice and the public is finally offering a listening ear are benchmarks in a too-long journey. The silence has been shattered, and the first steps in ending the outrages have been taken. Now, let’s keep walking.

Crime & Rescue DEER CAUSES TEEN TO ROLL HER CAR A 16-year-old Suttons Bay girl escaped injury when she rolled her Dodge Durango after a deer ran into her path.

Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies responded Nov. 17 at 7:25am to South Center Highway near East Eckerle Road in Suttons Bay Township where the girl’s vehicle was on its side and blocking northbound traffic.

Deputies determined the girl had swerved when a deer sprung out in front of her, causing her to crash and roll her car. She was uninjured, but the road was closed for an hour.

COAST GUARD RESCUES SAILOR A U.S. Coast Guard aircrew from Traverse City responded to a medical emergency aboard a merchant vessel in Lake Superior.

The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew worked with Canadian rescuers to evacuate a 53-year-old man from the merchant vessel James R. Barker after 4am Nov. 16. The crew delivered the victim to shore in Marathon, Ontario, where he was taken by EMS to a medical facility in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

MAN ACCUSED OF MOLESTING A 25-year-old Traverse City man faces life in prison on a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge after investigators determined he molested a three-year-old girl.

The girl’s mother took her to Munson Medical Center the evening of Nov. 17 where doctors found the girl had been assaulted, said Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Capt. Randy Fewless.

Detectives went to speak with the suspect, Victor Scott Brigham, who was staying with the girl’s family in Blair Township, and arrested him for sexual assault. Detectives determined that Brigham had been briefly left alone with the girl earlier in the day, and he digitally penetrated her.

LEELANAU OVERDOSES REVERSED Two men were revived by Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies, the first revivals deputies have performed since being equipped with opiate overdose reversal drugs.

Deputies were called at 11:36pm Nov. 18 to an address on East Ki-Dah-Keh Mi-Kun on Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians tribal land, where two men were unconscious due to suspected heroin overdoses.

A deputy administered the reversal drug with help from a tribal police officer; the men started to regain consciousness and were taken to Munson Medical Center.

DRUNK DRIVER INTERRUPTS STOP A Michigan State Police trooper who pulled over a car on M-72 in Whitewater Township changed course when another car came speeding down the highway in the wrong lane.

The trooper abandoned the traffic stop at 2am Nov. 17 to pursue the other vehicle, which had just nearly crashed head-on into another car.

The trooper stopped the suspect and arrested the 22-year-old driver for operating while intoxicated.

ELK RAPIDS MAN KILLED IN CRASH An 89-year-old Elk Rapids man died after crashing his vehicle head-on into a wrecker on US-31 North in Acme.

John Ashton Berst was pronounced dead at the scene at 7pm Nov. 17 near Five Mile Road.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Capt. Randy Fewless said investigators were attempting to determine whether Berst or the wrecker driver had crossed the centerline and caused the crash.

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

ICY ROADS CAUSE CRASHES Several inches of morning snow caused crashes across Cheboygan County.

Two of the crashes were rollovers that caused injuries. In the first, two people suffered nonlife threatening injuries after a rollover crash at 8:30am Nov. 19 on southbound I-75.

The second occurred two hours later in the northbound lanes when a driver lost control, entered the ditch, and rolled over. The driver suffered minor injuries.

Both crashes were caused by drivers who failed to slow down in snowy and icy conditions, Sheriff Dale Clarmont said.

Early snow also caused problems in Leelanau County. Deputies there responded to several traffic crashes over the weekend that involved drivers losing control on slippery roads.

DRUNK MAN CARRIED BRASS KNUCKLES Witnesses called police when they spotted an extremely intoxicated person get into the driver’s seat of a car.

Traverse City Police responded to an area near Union Street Station at 12:25am Nov. 19 and confronted the 37-year-old Traverse City man.

Once officers determined the suspect was out on bond and was not supposed to consume alcohol, they searched and found brass knuckles, said Capt. Keith Gillis.

The man was arrested for the bond violation, and officers sent a request to prosecutors for a possession of brass knuckles charge.

They found the passenger, 36-year-old Traverse City resident Jesse David Probert, had a warrant out for his arrest. Following a search, they found grams of cocaine and marijuana on him, as well as a container of baggies that could be used to package the drugs for sale, Capt.

Randy Fewless said.

Probert was charged with possession of cocaine as a habitual offender.

The driver, a 30-year-old Interlochen man, also consented to a search of his vehicle, where deputies found more cocaine, Fewless said. He is expected to be charged with possession of cocaine.

RESTROOM GROPER ID’D Tips led police to a parolee who is now suspected of groping a teenage girl in a Garfield Township bookstore restroom.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s detectives arrested 25-year-old Traverse City resident Daniel Arthur Malm-Kukulski on parole detainer after tipsters identified him from surveillance footage released after the Nov. 7 incident at the BAM bookstore at Grand Traverse Crossing.

On Nov. 20, detectives submitted a report to prosecutors requesting criminal sexual conduct charges against Mulm-Kukulski. In 2016, he was convicted of aggravated indecent exposure in Grand Traverse County.

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TWO DRUG SUSPECTS ARRESTED A Blair Township traffic stop netted two drug suspects.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle that had crossed into opposing lane and was travelling 10mph over the speed limit on US-31 South; deputies approached the car after it pulled into a gas station at 10pm Nov. 16 at Chum’s Corners.

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roscommon

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 7

Family Values Members of the Spann family of Comanche County, Oklahoma, keep running afoul of that state’s incest law, with the latest dust-up over the marriage of 26-year-old Misty Spann and her 43-year-old mother, Patricia, in March 2016. The two had been separated after Patricia lost custody of her young kids, but when they resumed contact a few years ago, Patricia told investigators, “they hit it off.” KFOR reported that Patricia also married one of her sons in 2008, but two years later that marriage was annulled.

Another son reported to KSWO-TV that Patricia tried to start an inappropriate relationship with him, but he shut her down.

In early November, Misty received a 10-year deferred sentence and will serve two years’ probation. Her mother/ex-wife (their union was annulled in October) will be sentenced in January.

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Nerd Alerts -- Since Twitter announced that it would allow 280-character messages rather than its original 140, a whole new world has opened up for the game-addicted among us. Gizmodo reports that tweeters are using the expanded tweetspace to play board games such as chess, Connect Four, Shogi and Go. Games are even being customized; one tweet enthuses about “Marine biology twitter-chess. With a new marine biology fact every time a piece is moved, and a scientifically accurate death scene when a piece is taken.” Uh, ok.

-- A sharp-eyed Google Earth user from Leeds, England, searching for Longcross Studios in Surrey, came across a “Star Wars” fan’s dream: the Millennium Falcon, nestled inside a ring of stacked shipping containers and covered with a tarp. Andi Durrant tweeted about his find on Nov. 8.

The spaceship was used in filming “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” at Longcross; that movie is set for release Dec. 15.

Sweet!

Becky Reilly of Omaha, Nebraska, was forced to call in a roofing company after discovering thousands of honeybees had invaded her home’s attic, producing so much honey that it was dripping down the side of the house. “We heard a loud and rhythmic buzzing, and it was somewhat terrifying because we knew what it meant,” Reilly told KETV. Jason Starkey of Takoda Green Roofing said he removed about 40 pounds of honey on Oct. 26 before moving the bees and tackling the damage, which he called “horrible.” Local beekeeper John Gebuhr moved the bees to his garage, but he is pessimistic about their survival through the winter. But Reilly’s friends and neighbors are thrilled: They’re getting honey for Christmas!

Inappropriate An Indonesian museum, De Mata Trick Eye Museum in Yogyakarta, has been forced to remove an exhibit that encouraged visitors to take a selfie with a waxwork of Adolf Hitler. The figure, which stood in front of a giant image of the entrance to Auschwitz concentration camp, had been on display since 2014, and the museum said it was one of the most popular displays. Metro News reported that the museum originally defended the exhibit as “fun,” but when the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Los Angeles demanded its removal, the museum complied, taking it down on Nov. 10.

8 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

Ewwww!

Sean A. Sykes Jr., 24, of Kansas City, Missouri, has discovered one way to avoid the justice system. Sykes was detained in a Sept. 1 traffic stop, but he denied any knowledge of the drugs and handguns found in the car, The Kansas City Star reported. As he was being questioned at the police station, the detective wrote in his report, Sykes was asked his address. In response, he “leaned to one side of his chair and released a loud fart before answering with the address. Mr. Sykes continued to be flatulent and I ended the interview,” the detective wrote. Charges were not filed at that time, but Sykes was pulled over again on Nov. 5 and was in possession of marijuana, crack cocaine and a stolen pistol. He was in custody awaiting a bond hearing.

Least Competent Criminals -- A loss prevention officer at a Vero Beach, Florida, Walmart happened to catch 25-year-old Cheyenne Amber West and another woman as they carried out some complicated maneuvers in the electronics aisle on Nov. 6. The officer told the Indian River County Sheriff ’s Office that West and her friend chose a computer, video game controllers and other items worth a total of almost $2,000, then covered the bar codes with stickers taken from less-expensive clearance items. They then moved to the self-checkout lane, where their loot totaled just $3.70. “I am just trying to get gifts for my son that I cannot afford,” West told officers. “The computer is for my husband. Since he just got me a Coach purse, I figured he deserved something nice as well.” Treasure Coast Newspapers reports that West was charged with felony grand theft and felony shoplifting and was released on $3,000 bail. The other woman was not charged.

-- Rondell Tony Chinuhuk, 32, of Anchorage, Alaska, had the pedal to the metal on Nov. 7 when he nicked a motorized shopping cart from a Safeway store in Fairbanks. But the battery-operated Mart Cart tops out at 1.9 miles per hour, so even after a 10-minute joyride, he had barely left the parking lot. The Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner reported that Chinuhuk was charged with felony second-degree theft.

A New Twist on Yard Work Council officers for the village of Blubberhouses in North Yorkshire, England, stumbled upon seven trash bags full of cannabis plants at the side of a road on Nov. 12, according to the BBC. They contacted the North Yorkshire Police, whereupon Constable Amanda Hanusch-Moore tweeted a photo of the bags and invited the owners to “come and speak to us at Harrogate Police Station, we’re more than happy to discuss!”

Voting Woes -- Douglas Aaron Shuttlesworth, 34, was simply trying to exercise his civic duty when he reported to an elementary school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to vote -- on Monday, Nov. 6, the day before Election Day. Susquehanna Township police arrested Shuttlesworth for DUI after he appeared at the school intoxicated and admitted he had driven there to vote. The Associated Press reported that Shuttlesworth’s mother elucidated: Her son thought it was Tuesday.

Home Sweet

senior home

By Lynn Geiger First there was Dusty, an 11-year-old Lab mix picked up as a stray downstate and taken to an animal shelter. His owners were located, but they no longer wanted him.

They had a new puppy.

Since that day in early 2015, there have been 106 other dogs that have found their way to Silver Muzzle Cottage (silvermuzzlecottage.com), a rescue and hospice for homeless senior dogs. There was Dozer, who came in as a hospice case after being rescued from an abandoned home and not expected to live a week. Two years later, he’s alive and well with his new family. There was Willow, Kilo, Jersey Girl, Phoenix and most recently Bromley – who spent the end of their lives surrounded by love.

Some dogs that land at Silver Muzzle are given up by choice, others by circumstance.

But founder Kim Skarritt doesn’t focus on the why, or their past lives. Instead, she focuses on giving them their best life for as long as that may be – a day, a week, a few months, for most of them.

These are homeless dogs that because of their age (10+), health issues or terminal diagnosis most often end up euthanized.

Skarritt and Cottage volunteers see it differently – these dogs deserve the best days

they can possibly give them. Some are able to be adopted out, while others live out their lives at the Cottage. The singular mission: that each dog spends this last stage of life with love and dignity.

“These dogs are so appreciative,” Skarritt said. “Take Captain (a new dog at the rescue) … he’s too old to be excited, but he’s happy.”

Founded in Elk Rapids, the organization that works with shelters and pet owners throughout Michigan just relocated to a house on 15 acres in Rapid City. It is zoned agricultural so Skarritt now has the ability to build a kennel.

“Before we had 800 square feet … and it seemed like I was saying ‘no’ constantly,” to requests to take in a new dog, said Skarritt.

“This space allows me to help more dogs at one time.”

As of a week ago, Silver Muzzle had six dogs available for adoption. As dogs are adopted out, new ones quickly take their places.

It was through Skarritt’s work in the industry with her boarding and training business, Bowsers By The Bay, that she became acutely aware that no rescues were accepting senior dogs -- either unable or unwilling to take on dogs that were unlikely to ever be adopted and could require expensive care.

“These dogs are not prime candidates for

How Can You Help?

Volunteers are always needed at the Cottage to take dogs out for walks or other adventures, or to simply hang out with them and assist with daily care. Individuals are also needed for the increasingly popular Seniors For Seniors program, in which people take some of the dogs out for visits to area assisted-living facilities. Those interested in getting involved can contact Skarritt via email: silvermuzzlecottage@gmail.com.

Ways to financially support the organization include donating to the Silver Muzzle Cottage fund at Elk Rapids Animal Hospital, the PayPal Giving Fund and AmazonSmile on the website.

In addition to volunteer and financial support, Silver Muzzle has a few other things on its wish list for 2018: • In-kind landscaping services for creation of a memorial garden • Two garage doors and basement flooring for a lower-level expansion for the dogs • Someone who would love to spend two hours mowing the lawn on a regular basis (mower provided!)

anybody,” she said, so the rescue was born.

To her knowledge, it is the only such rescue with a designated facility in Michigan, and one of 50 or so across the country. At the Cottage, the dogs live cage-free, lounging on dog beds, furniture and frequently in the lap of a volunteer.

“It’s their home, and they allow me to live here,” she added, of the small space she occupies in the house.

Thanks to social media and an article earlier this year in the Detroit Free Press, word about Silver Muzzle is spreading far and wide. Skarritt has heard from admirers

from across the globe, in some cases people hoping to follow in her footsteps and start similar types of rescues.

“We get a lot of people from out of town stopping by to visit the dogs,” Skarritt said.

“It’s become a kind of tourist spot.”

So much so, that she’s looking to start offering Silver Muzzle “volunteer vacations” come spring, in which people can come volunteer and stay on site.

“People are really excited about it,” she said.

And one can assume the dogs are pretty happy about it, too.

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 9

you around and tell you what you should and shouldn’t eat,” she said.

Similar challenges surround finding 18-year-olds who have aged out of foster care, an extremely vulnerable population.

“There are about 1,000 children each year that age out of foster care in Michigan alone. I don’t know how many of them are in Traverse City, but about 25 percent of them will end up in homelessness,” Fulkerson said.

Originally, the program was going to be modelled after the veterans mentoring program, but finding qualified and willing mentors who were once in foster care themselves proved challenging. Fulkerson said perhaps in a few years some of the foster care kids who are mentees today will become mentors themselves.

It is similarly hard to find people to participate in family-to-family mentorships.

Part of mentorship is getting people to think differently about their lives, helping people believe in themselves, said Fulkerson.

People who grow up in poverty often don’t see education as a means to get out of poverty; they tend to look to close-knit relationships as bulwarks against hunger, so they might insulate themselves from the wider world.

That’s why, she said, a strong relationship with someone outside the circle of people they know can break a person out of the mindset that keeps them impoverished.

“One of the things we’re dipping our toe in — and we haven’t really found out how yet — is how can we help those parents of kids in the Big Brother/Big Sisters programs?” she said. “We’re trying to build a level of trust.”

MENTEES WANTED People in need are everywhere.

Finding them is the hard part.

Karen Fulkerson, executive director of Family Partnership in Traverse City.

By Patrick Sullivan If you or someone you know struggles with poverty, there are coaches available to help develop long-term plans to find a way out.

Karen Fulkerson, executive director of Family Partnership in Traverse City, said one of her organization’s biggest challenges is finding people in need who want to be paired with mentors.

“Some of the stories, you just can’t believe the situations that people have found themselves in,” Fulkerson said. “One of the things at our core, we’re linking people with resources to help stabilize their situation. … It’s difficult getting people to step up. Getting them to admit that they need help is very difficult.”

HELP WITH THE BASICS Jim Rowlett and his wife Barbara have been family-to-family mentors since Family Partnership sprung out of the Poverty Reduction Initiative, a regional task force created to address poverty in 2004.

“The thought was, if one family is in need of some coaching or mentoring, another family might nicely provide it,” Rowlett said.

The challenge, over the years, hasn’t been finding people willing to commit to mentoring others; it been getting people in need to sign up for mentoring.

“It’s hard to get people in poverty to raise their hand and say, ‘I need a mentor,’” Rowlett said.

The Rowletts spent years mentoring — and later just keeping up with — one family.

“It’s now grown beyond the formality of the mentoring relationship, now we’re friends,” Rowlett said. “That family has made enough progress; they don’t need us as a formal mentor anymore.”

The mentorship began when the family — a mother, father, and three daughters — struggled after the economy fell apart in 2007. The father worked seasonally at Elmer’s, but it wasn’t enough.

“They would scrape through the winter just barely making it,” Rowlett said. “We got together and looked at his skills, the family’s interests.”

Rowlett learned his mentee had good mechanical skills. They got him enrolled in the automotive technology program at Northwestern Michigan College and soon he had a certificate and a job at an auto garage.

“He was my automotive coach, and I was

in the role of trying to help him get a fulltime job,” Rowlett said. “He was already quite knowledgeable about the whole field, so he was just getting the credential.”

Two of the couple’s three daughters are now adults themselves and, after that downsizing, the couple moved from Interlochen to White Cloud, where Rowlett helped the man get a good job. Now he’s got a full-time, year-round, well-paying position.

Rowlett came to focus on solutions to poverty in a roundabout way. He spent 40 years at Dow Chemical before he retired to Traverse City in the early 1990s. He joined Traverse City’s Economic Club for something to do, and that got him to thinking it would be interesting to look at the economy at its low end, which led him to joining up with the group that organized the Poverty Reduction Initiative.

Now poverty is a focus of his life, which is a stark contrast to his working life.

“I can honestly tell you that I had little to no interest in poverty at all, mainly because I had no connection to it,” he said.

FINDING THE PEOPLE IN NEED Fulkerson said Rowlett’s work with that family was transformative. The parents went from struggling to pay bills or keep food in the refrigerator to becoming stable, self-sufficient people. The father’s job now includes healthcare, sick days, and vacation time, benefits that would have been foreign to the family not long ago.

“It took a number of years to get them to that point, but they learned a great deal about being self-sufficient,” Fulkerson said. “This was a family that comes from generational poverty, and they made their way out.”

Fulkerson took over at the poverty-fighting group of nonprofits as executive director in 2014. Today, the organization is considering a rebranding and a name change so that its family of organizations are easier to understand.

The nonprofits are comprised of Helplink, a service to connect people with “navigators” who can help them find services; Agape Financial, which makes micro-loans that are designed to get people out of poverty; and Family Partnership, which seeks to connect mentors with mentees in three categories. They help families in need, typically ones living under 150 percent of the poverty level; veterans in need who would best be served by mentors who are also veterans; and foster children who are ejected from foster care when they turn 18 years old.

10 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

While the nonprofit is working to rethink its name, its members are also attempting to discover how to expand the long-term mentorships. There are far more people in need than are getting it, Fulkerson said.

Over 100 people have been through the mentoring programs over the years but right now there are only a handful taking part.

“Over 1,000 people a year come through the doors at Helplink, and most of these people are what I would term the invisible population.

They come here as a last resort,” she said.

And yet many of those people, who literally walk through the doors at Helplink’s drop-in center at Front Street and Garfield Avenue in Traverse City, are not connected with mentorships. Fulkerson said they are working to change that.

They are also hoping to expand where they serve.

The nonprofit group technically serves the five-county area around Traverse City, but as a practical matter, someone in Mancelona or Thompsonville who needs help can’t afford the trips to Traverse City.

“We would really very much like to begin to have some satellite offices in some of those areas, particularly in the Antrim County direction,” she said.

MAKING IT FIT NATURALLY Each of the three mentoring groups faces unique challenges that have limited the number of placements that have been able to take place.

In the case of veterans, Fulkerson said it’s not as simple as finding a veteran in need and then assigning him or her a mentor. Instead, the group looks for ways to identify veterans who might be in trouble and find a way to get other veterans involved in their lives.

There are plenty of vets who need help: about 7,000 in the region, roughly 500 of whom are estimated to be living in poverty; 39 stayed at Safe Harbor last winter.

“Perhaps we identify a veteran who needs some work done on his house,” she said. “We’ll send a team of veteran mentors to the house.

What ends up happening is this really natural comradery that builds out of working toward a goal bigger than themselves.”

Fulkerson said the approach is designed to get around the awkwardness of asking a person if they need help.

“It’s like asking someone to go on a diet and, here, we’re going to have somebody follow

“I WATCHED HIS LIFE CHANGE” Staton Lorenz got into mentoring through his church, Central United Methodist. A fellow parishioner suggested to Lorenz that he’d be good at it.

His first mentoring experience began around 2009.

“The first person I was paired with — the only thing we had in common was that we both played hockey,” recalled Lorenz, who spent his professional life as an entreprenuer.

Despite differences in socioeconomics and in experience, Lorenz and his mentee clicked.

The man was an unemployed HVAC installer. Through his life, he’d usually had job, but they never lasted long. He’d have a job for five years, the company would go out of business, and he’d be out of work. He’d get another job, and that would last for a number of years, and he’d be out of work again. He was always able to find work again, until he found he couldn’t anymore.

“When he became about 50-some-yearsold, nobody wanted to hire someone that age, and then the housing crisis hit,” Lorenz said.

Lorenz helped the man set goals. He worked with him to settle on a career change. He helped him get turf management training. He found someone to teach him how to set a budget and manage money.

He watched him go from lost to thriving in a few years.

“I watched his life change,” Lorenz said.

“He did everything. He was just terrific. He really wanted to improve his life, and he did.”

It felt good for Lorenz.

About a year ago, the man passed away unexpectedly. The loss hit Lorenz hard, but he takes comfort in the fact that he had the opportunity to help the man turn his life around in his last years.

“We were friends,” he said. “I watched his kids grow up and go to college.”

He said it is hard to find mentors and mentees who match up, but he said they are working on finding better ways through the Family Partnership programs. They are trying to find ways to make it comfortable for people who need guidance to ask for it.

“Let’s put it this way — you don’t become acquainted with somebody and say to yourself, ‘Hmm. That guy could use a mentor,’” he said. “Someone in their life has to lead them to the program. It’s family members or friends who are acquainted with somebody who’s struggling.”

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Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 11

A LITTLE LOCAL LOVE Proving great things happen when a series of small things are brought together.

By Kristi Kates

Food. Water. Shelter. For good reason, the big three tend to gain the most attention and efforts in the charity world. But that’s not to say the little things — things like creature comforts, pride in working, and the means to play — don’t mean a lot too. Here, we profile three local organizations working hard to bring those other essentials into the lives of their neighbors.

Jennie Dunaway (L) and Janet Hessler put together a local organization to supply beds to needy kids.

Rod Call’s nonprofit, Milk Crate Basketball, has helped more than 50 area kids get on the basketball court. Says Call (pictured here with daughter Savannah): “I just want to leave a dent in the universe in some small way.”

MILK CRATE BASKETBALL Rod Call remembers his childhood well.

Living with his mother and younger sister in a trailer park just north of Flint in the wake of his parents’ divorce, all he wanted to do was play basketball.

“But we didn’t have two dimes to rub together,” Call said. “So I made a basketball hoop out of a piece of plywood and an old milk crate with the bottom cut out. Doing this is still really common in urban areas; you’ll even hear a lot of NBA players talk about how they used to play ‘milk crate basketball.’”

As Call’s mother worked to get her bearings, he transitioned through three high schools in four years.

“All I knew was being transient,” he said. “I’d meet new friends, then leave new friends. But I could at least always rely on being able to go outside and shoot hoops.”

Eventually, Call’s mother remarried, and his stepdad put in an actual basketball net for him. But even now, as a successful father of two, Call’s memories of his mom’s struggle to keep the family afloat — and his solace in playing basketball, whether with a milk crate or proper hoop, were never far from his mind.

“We live in such a beautiful area that gets all these accolades, but there’s another part of our community here that doesn’t care about all that. They’re just trying to get along in life. And the entry fee to play sports, coupled with the cost of clothing and basketballs, can be well over $100,” he said. “Basketball was so important to me growing up, so this is how I can give back.”

“This” is Call’s nonprofit, Milk Crate Basketball, in which he raises money to

purchase, for kids in need who want to play basketball: shorts, shirts, basketballs, coveted basketball shoes by makers like Nike, and entry fees to their schools’ sport programs.

Families fill out an application so Call can determine their need. Some just need the school fees, some just request shoes, some need everything. Milk Crate Basketball is in its second school season, and has already helped between 50–60 kids.

“When I meet the families to give them their gear, you can see that some of them are really humbled and don’t talk much about it, and I may never hear from them again, and that’s okay,” Call said. “Some send emails and photos showing what their kids are accomplishing. But sometimes I meet parents who’ve brought the kids along, and the kids give me a handmade thank-you card, and it’s just the coolest thing ever.”

Even as Call gives back to these kids, they turn right around and give back to him.

“Sometimes I feel like this organization is just as much therapy for me as it is for them,” he added. “Those thank-you cards are just as powerful.”

More information: milkcratebasketball.org BENZIE BEDS Two years ago, Jennie Dunaway and her aunt, Betsie Bay Furniture owner Janet Hessler, were chatting about a comment Dunaway’s sister-in-law had made about the kids in their county. “[She] used to work for the Benzie County Health Department, and she’d mentioned that there are so many kids right in our own back yard who don’t have beds,” Dunaway said.

So the two decided that providing beds for children in need would be a good way to give back to their community.

12 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

The After 26 Cafe.

“When someone comes in to Betsie Bay Furniture and buys any bed set, we gift a brand new twin-bed set to a kid in Benzie County,” Dunaway explained.

Customers aren’t told prior to making their purchase, so that they don’t feel any pressure to buy.

“The program has really grown since 2015,” she said. “We now work with local charities and the local health department. At first, the health department didn’t even keep a list of kids who needed beds, because they didn’t have beds to give.”

Another friend of the organization, Sara Workman, a teacher at Benzie Central, helped arrange for the kids to also get bedding sets when Dunaway mentioned that she felt bad seeing the kids get beds but no bedding.

“Sara told us about how it’s so important for children and students to get a good night’s sleep, so she arranged for the kids to get bed sets all tied up with a big bow,” Dunaway said.

Workman and another teacher formed a new non-profit called The Dune Grass Society that raises money to provide all the bed linens along with the beds: sheets, a pillow, mattress pad, and coverlet.

Benzie Beds has gifted over 60 beds since the program started.

Dunaway said that it may be a simple program, but its impact is huge.

“Who knew there were so many kids in this situation?” she said. “Children who have never had beds their entire lives sleep on beds now.”

More information: facebook.com/benziebeds AFTER 26 DEPOT CAFE Inspired by a similar cafe project in Chesaning, Michigan, called the Junction of Hope, the After 26 Project took the

old downtown Cadillac train depot and converted it into a restaurant and gift shop that provides jobs to adults with developmental disabilities and cognitive impairment.

The cafe opened in the summer of 2013, but the idea for the project started back in 2009, said Ben Hicok, president of the After 26 board of directors. It was created to help local people with special needs, who are often left at loose ends as adults.

“Special education students qualify for benefits and education until they’re 26 years old in Michigan; then they ‘age out’ of the system and are on their own,” Hicok said.

Hence the name of the cafe — After 26 — which offers these people the opportunity to get work experience at a variety of levels.

“Our project workers bus tables, do clearing and dishwashing, set tables, pour water, interact with the public,” Hicok said.

“We also make our own butter and jelly here, and they help with that. One of our goals is to bring more project workers back into the kitchen, to take on actual prepcook roles.”

Through these jobs, the challenged individuals learn skills like showing up on time, being at work consistently, and being able to follow multi-step directions.

“We operate a real restaurant, open six days a week, so it’s a real-world setting,” Hicok said.

The main goal is to prepare the employees for other jobs, which some people are able to move on to after their time at After 26, opening space for new employees.

“But some will always be working with us,” said Hicok. “And we have such a good staff here that makes good food — so you can do your civic duty and get a good meal at the same time.”

More information: after26project.org

Rockin’ Eats at the Torch Lake Cafe

The building that houses the Torch Lake Cafe has a long history. According to owner Leanna Collins, it was a church back in the 1800s. When she and her husband, Jim Hettinger, bought the building, they decided to restore it to its former glory.

“We put a porch on it and put the steeple and a bell back on,” Collins said. “When I first saw it, it was just a funky old bar. And it’s always been a roadhouse bar of some kind or other.”

Collins has an intriguing history of her own. She’s not just the owner of the restaurant; she’s also the house musician.

and checked out the place, Rod and his whole entourage came in.

“They asked to have some food cooked for them, and they ended up staying really late,” Collins said. “I ended up playing probably every song I knew! I didn’t even stop for a break. I was really star-struck, and Rod was so sweet. He and his band sang along with every single song, and later in the night they brought in a trumpet and some percussion instruments.”

At the end of that night, Stewart took off his captains hat and passed it around the bar, collecting $240 in tips for Collins.

“I couldn’t believe he did that for me,” she said. “They were all such adorable men.”

FOOD AND FOLK “We moved north from to Torch Lake back in 1972, when my parents split up,” Collins said. “I was 15 years old. My mom got a job as a bartender, and I got a job flipping burgers.”

At 15, Collins was also already a guitar player and singer; her favorite music was by folk artists like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Crosby Stills and Nash.

“Everybody back then had a folk guitar, so you were always sitting around playing music with your friends,” she said.

By the time she was 21, she’d started playing professionally. She joined a ’70-style folk-rock band and worked at the resorts, eventually finding her way onto the stage.

“I was a Honeybee at Brownwood!”

Collins said. “They were kind of like a Young Americans-style performing show group. I got to sing with a lot of really cool people.”

SUSTENANCE AND SOUND Collins returned to Key West, where she met and married Jim. They briefly moved to North Carolina for Hettinger’s computer software company; and then, when their daughter got into Interlochen in 2000, they moved north for good — right back to Collins’ old stomping grounds: Torch Lake.

In 2013, the couple decided to get into the restaurant business. They leased the former Sonny’s Market on US-31 and set about opening the first version of Torch Lake Cafe. They lost the lease for that building, but kept the name, transferring it to their current location.

Her vision for the cafe was simple: sustenance and sound.

“Well — to be honest, my husband was the one looking after the food,” Collins said. “Mine was all about the music! We wanted to provide breakfast, lunch, dinner — and music!”

MEETING ROD Collins eventually moved to Key West, Florida, where she went for a gig and ended up staying. She worked as a singer/player for hire and traveled around with her music, opening for the likes of Rory Block and ’80s band The Thompson Twins, often winding up her tours by heading back to Michigan.

Which is where Collins’ most “famous” photo comes in.

“I happened to be back in Torch Lake for the summer, and I was playing a gig at a bar here called Molly Malone’s,” Collins said.

Rod Stewart and his band had just played a show at Castle Farms and were driving by when they saw Molly Malone’s “Guinness on Tap” sign. After one of the bandmates went in

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE They chose Americana as their cuisine of choice, aiming to use as many local ingredients as possible. “And all that can be homemade, is homemade,” Collins said. “We’ve got good, consistent comfort food, soups, wonderful salads, great vegetarian dishes, everyone loves our ribs. And we always have fresh fish year-round.

Everyone can find something on our menu.”

Breakfasts include their French toast, made with Stone House cherry walnut bread and vanilla cinnamon sauce; homemade biscuits with Plath’s sausage gravy; and eggwhite omelets with onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

For lunch, share-worthy plates abound: naked chicken wings with your choice of sauce;

By Kristi Kates

the John Cross Fisheries smoked-fish trio, featuring salmon, whitefish, and trout dips with toasted baguette; meatballs alla potenza on a bed of San Marzano marinara; or roasted vegetable flatbreads with creamy garlic sauce, plus wraps and sandwiches.

At dinner, diners can choose from hearty fare like Ebel’s smoked half-chicken with homemade BBQ sauce and two sides; lightly seasoned and grilled Norwegian salmon; or linguini and farm-fresh vegetables tossed with garlic, butter, and white wine.

ROCK AND SOUL And of course, you can’t forget the music.

Collins’ own band, Torch Lake Rock and Soul, performs on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (Thursdays are also open mic night.) Collins also brings in other bands and musicians for special occasions.

“Even for just busy weekends, or if I happen to run across someone who’s really good,” she said.

The cafe features solo players on Mondays,

Tuesdays, and Wednesdays; in the summer, it features more singles, duos, and trios on the outside porch.

“And this year, starting Dec. 19, we’re going to have the Pine River Jazz Band here for one Sunday a month in the afternoons, from 2 to 5 pm,” Collins said.

While Collins said the food is great, she believes it’s the music that truly draws people in to the Torch Lake Cafe.

“There’s no live music like what we’re doing for 50 miles around,” she said. “We have excellent players, and we’re here every night. I grew up in a time when there was music everywhere around here, all the time — Eastport, Central Lake, Bellaire — people used to go out and dance and socialize, but it’s just not happening so much anymore. So I’m trying to provide that.”

The Torch Lake Café, open daily, is located at 4990 US-31 N. in Central Lake (corner of US-31 N. and M-88). (231) 599-1111 or torchlakecafe.com.

Photo by Alan Newton

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 13

Get on Santa’s Nice List!

One good deed a day for December

By Kristi Kates Want to get in good with the man in red?

(And help your community while you’re at it?) Here’s 25 ways you can make this holiday season a little better for someone in need.

Dec. 1. Make sure a foster child, homeless teen, or kid in a struggling family gets some Christmas gifts too: Team up with friends, family, or officemates to “adopt” him or her through Child and Family Services’ Paper Angel campaign. You’ll get the child’s wish list and can spend up to $100 ($125 for kids 12+) fulfilling it, then drop off the un-wrapped gifts at a celebration with CFS staff and volunteers Dec. 9, in Petoskey and Traverse City. Learn more: cfsnwmi.org.

Dec. 2. Donate to The Father Fred Foundation and help your neighbors be more com-fortable this winter, whether you contribute food, clothing, household items, personal care items, or funds. The foundation in Traverse City accepts donations Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10am to 2pm, and Wednesdays from 10am to 7pm. fatherfred.org Dec. 3. Locations abound throughout northern Michigan for Toys for Tots dropoffs, where you can donate new, unwrapped toys for needy children Up North, who will re-ceive the toys as holiday gifts. Want to help Santa out even more? Hosting a Toys for Tots event at your home or office, or volunteer at the local warehouse. toysfortots. org (click “Find Your Campaign”).

Dec. 4. “Register to ring” and sign up for a shift or two as a Salvation Army kettle bell ringer in your local community; those red kettles will be out gathering charitable contributions until Christmas Eve, when they’re packed away until next year. A well-staffed kettle with a friendly bell ringer can make up to $30 an hour, which goes to needy individuals and families. salvationarmynorth.org Dec. 5. If you’ve got a day to spare, gift it to Habitat for Humanity. Called the “heart and backbone” of Habitat, volunteers are how houses get built. Northern Michigan’s branch serves families in need in Emmet and Charlevoix counties and also assists additional families around the world with their tithe program. northwestmihabitat.org Dec. 6. Animals need holiday love too.

Donate $10 or more, and get a light lit on the Cherryland Humane Society Christmas tree in honor of a pet or a loved one this holi-day season. In the neighborhood? Drop pet food or pet supplies in the organization’s Christmas Pet Food Drive donation barrel. cherrylandhumane.org

Dec. 7. Lend a hand to our fellow Americans in the Caribbean by donating to one of the many funds set up to assist Puerto Ricans still dealing with the devastating after-math of not one, but two major hurricanes that hit the island well over two months ago, with normality still far from sight. redcross.org, unicefusa.org, savethechildren.org, and the Puerto Rico Recovery Fund at fcpr.org are good places to start.

Dec. 8. Choose a party with a purpose this New Year’s Eve by planning to attend the CherryT Ball Drop in downtown Traverse City. You’ll enjoy music spun by a live DJ, dancing in the streets, and the opportunity to donate, at the event, to local food banks, the Goodwill Food Pantry, and other local charities. cherrytballdrop.com Dec. 9. Original quilts, Native American art, jewelry, and more — Petoskey’s Ward and Eis Gallery not only offers a heap of options for your Christmas gift list but also gives 20 percent of all sales made today and Dec. 16 to the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan. Add this to the 20 percent giveback the gallery also does each Thanksgiving weekend, plus the 2 percent of annual sales it donates every year, and it’s easy to see how this wee gallery has managed to donate more than $400K — and counting — to local charities over the last 34 years. Find it at 315 East Lake St. in Petoskey. (231) 347-2750.

Dec. 10. Got a lot of books around that you’ve finished reading? You can donate your gently used books to most local northern Michigan libraries, as long as they’re clean and in good condition; books that aren’t sold outright during regular library hours are often kept for summer book-sale fundraisers.

Dec. 11. Check out the Hometown Giving website to buy gift certificates from local merchants — shops, restaurants, and service organizations — in more than a dozen towns Up North this holiday season.

Certificate recipients can use their gift or pass some or all of it on to support a participating local charity or nonprofit. hometown-giving.com Dec. 12. Share your slope skills and sign up to volunteer at Challenge Mountain this winter, where you can help people of all skill levels enjoy the great outdoors, whether you’re teaching special needs kids who want to learn how to ski, or volunteering at the Special Olympics. Prefer the great indoors?

Apply for an open volunteering position at Challenge Mountain’s Resale Store. challengemtn.org Dec. 13. Pop into the holiday season by purchasing festive specially wrapped Coca-

14 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

Cola bottles at a retailer near you, and Coke will donate $1 to the Children’s Miracle Network hospitals; then go online to the Coca-Cola website and enter Coke product codes to donate to your favorite local northern Michigan school. us. coca-cola. com/give Dec. 14. It costs approximately $800 per week to accommodate a kid attending Boyne City’s Camp Quality, where young cancer patients can enjoy invigorating and restorative outdoor activities and “smile therapy” to help them get through their most difficult challenges. Sponsor a week for a child, or chip in as much as you can; it all makes a difference. campqualityusa.org/MI Dec. 15. Support both dancin’ feet and local charities by voting for your favorite dancers at the SwingShift and the Stars event, for which the grand finale happens tonight, December 15. All voting dollars from the SwingShift events are added together and donated to charity, in a fun musical initiative that brings together community charity awareness and area celebrity dancers. highimpactnow.com Dec. 16. Buy a gift from local-via-Cambodia online shop Red Dirt Road, a Charlevoix company that sells silk scarves, shawls, evening bags, and wallets handcrafted by skilled women in a remote Cambodian village. Buying these fashionable designs enables these ladies to feed and educate their children while living at home, as all profits are returned to the women who create the products. red-dirt-road.org Dec. 17. Send ’em in, coach! Make it your new year’s resolution to apply to be a volunteer coach at any of the three Grand Traverse Bay YMCA locations. Whether you pre-fer flag football, soccer, or basketball, you’ll help kids gain sporting skills and self-esteem, and have a lot of fun while you’re at it. gtbayymca. org/coach Dec. 18. Pick up a can of Soul Squeeze Cellars’ Big Juniper Cider, a dry, crisp apple cider from the Old Mission Peninsula wine and cider house that’s infused with juniper berries, offering a lil hint of holiday balsam and forest flavors. Soul Squeeze gives a portion of its profits to charitable children’s organizations each year, a part of their mis-sion to “aid souls in need.” soulsqueezecellars.com Dec. 19. Got a car you rarely or never drive? Put a family back on the road this winter with Goodwill’s Workers on Wheels program, which utilizes generous vehicle donors to help empower those in need back toward self-sufficiency via safe, reliable

transpor-tation. The program will even take your titled or registered old boat, RV, or motorcycle. goodwillnmi.org Dec. 20. Ready to replace that car you just gave away? Until Jan. 2, any new Suburu you buy will guarantee a $250 donation is made to a local charity linked with your local Subie dealer. Check out the “Share the Love” campaigns at Subaru By the Bay in Traverse City or Serra Subaru in Cadillac and Traverse City and consider being one of those rare people who can actually wrap up a car for a Christmas gift.

Dec. 21. The elderly are often forgotten during the busy holiday season. There are several ways you can cheer up an elder, from sharing your time and talents at your lo-cal nursing home, visiting with the residents or accompanying them on outings, to volunteering for organizations like the Otsego County Commission on Aging, which seeks to add meaning to the lives of older adults. otsegocountycoa.org Dec. 22. The Food 4 Kids Backpack Program, the brainchild of Northern Michigan’s Manna Food Project, sends home a backpack full of nutritious food to get in-need schoolchildren through the weekend in Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet counties. Whether you have a few hours once or every single week, the program needs help rescuing, stocking, repacking, and delivering usable food. Prefer to donate toward those 2,200 hungry kids? You can do it now at www.mannafoodproject.org/donate.htm.

Dec. 23. Hey, last-minute shoppers: Select Power Book Bags as your charity of choice on Amazon, and .5 percent of every eligible sale goes to this local literacy nonprofit, which gives area kids books, a puppet, writing supplies, and a handmade book bag of their very own. Out and about? Donate new and like-new books, ribbon, fabric, cray-ons, and white or colored paper at donation bins in Suttons Bay, Traverse City.

See Powerbookbags.com for locations and other volunteer opportunities.

Dec. 24. Give the gift of life this holiday season; donate blood to Michigan Blood’s donor center in Traverse City, open 7am–2pm today. The holidays are a particularly highdemand, low-supply time for blood. Your donation will help bolster Michigan Blood’s inventory of blood and blood products, which serve 60 hospitals across Michi-gan.

Too busy today? Commit to organizing a blood drive at your business, local school, or church in the new year. miblood.org.

Dec. 25. Today, the only thing you need to give is thanks. Happy holidays to you, from all of us at Northern Express.

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Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 15

INTERNATIONAL GOOD

By Kristi Kates Northern Michigan’s charitable folk often extend their reach well beyond our own borders. Here’s how some of our local people are making a major difference in far-flung parts of the world.

Mancelona Vet Dale Ackler Helping Animals in India & Borneo “There’s a need to help animals everywhere you go,” said veterinarian Dale Ackler of the Mancelona Veterinary Hospital.

That’s why Ackler stepped up to fulfill part of that need when he traveled to India recently.

He traveled to Dharamsala, a hillside city in northern India on the edge of the Himalayas, with his wife. They brought their four oldest kids along (they have eight), booking their travels through Discover Corps, a company that offers all-inclusive “volunteer vacations,” immersive and educational service trips for families, couples, and individuals.

“My wife is a nurse, so she went to help at the school, and my kids were each given a classroom so they could teach the Indian kids English and math,” Ackler said. “I was initially there to teach too, but once they found out I was a vet, they thought I’d like the animal rescue center better.”

He did exactly that, spending two weeks assisting at the animal clinic.

“We did a lot with dogs — there are so many homeless dogs there — and stray cows,” Ackler said. “Lots of vaccinations, spays and neuters.”

And yes, you read that correctly: stray cows.

“Cows are quite sacred in India,” Ackler said. “People have them basically as pets, and often when they get old or can’t make milk any more, people just let them go. They can’t be harmed, as they’re protected, but they’re everywhere. People throw food in the streets for them.”

He also worked with some horses and mules while in India, although he didn’t have the opportunity to work with any wild animals.

That might change soon, though. He recently took a trip to Malaysian Borneo, where he saw orangutans up in the trees and spent several days visiting at a dedicated orangutan rescue center.

“The oil palm industry is huge there, and the deforestation because of that industry is displacing the orangutans,” he said. “At the rescue center, I got to visit them, observe them, see them, and their little ones. Many there were rescued from bad situation. Some villagers keep them as pets, or sell them to make money.”

So next on Ackler’s charity radar is

returning there to volunteer his services.

“That will probably be a few years down the road, most likely when I retire,” he said. “The orangutans are an endangered species, and I’d like to see them continue on into the future, so my grandchildren can see them too. I’ve always had a heart for helping animals like that.”

Traverse City Nurse Aimee Albright & Team Caring for 1,000 in one day in Philippines Aimee Albright is taking her charity efforts back to her home country. The Munson Medical Center registered nurse was born in Cebu City in the Philippines, where she graduated from nursing school in 2005, and where medicine has always been part of her family life.

“Both of my parents are doctors and have always been nice about helping people who couldn’t afford healthcare,” Albright said. “The Philippines are still a third-world country and not a lot of people have access to health care, especially in rural areas. There are really, really small community health centers, if anything, and there’s no prenatal care, no surgery.

Sometimes the facilities themselves are in really bad condition.”

A family friend, Dr. Henry Chua, had been doing medical missions for years; Albright took her cue from him.

“I’ve always wanted to do what he’s doing,” she said. “Plus I thought it would help if I invited my friends from over here to go, to see how everything is so different in Asia.”

Albright went back to the Philippines last spring, meeting with Dr. Chua to discuss the idea.

“He asked, ‘Well, what do you want to do?’” she said. “And I said I wanted to keep it simple — offer wound care, some minor surgeries, some internal medicine, health education. Then I asked him if he could estimate the number of patients we’d see in one day, and he said 1,000.”

So planning for the trip began.

“The concept of the mission is that it’s kind of like a medical assembly line,” Albright explained. “We’ll arrive, take a four-hour bus ride from Cebu, then a one-hour boat ride just to get to the clinic, which is basically a big, open covered port out in the wilds of Bantayan Island.”

Albright will oversee two medical teams: one already based in Cebu, and the team she’s bringing from Munson.

“My husband, Douglas Albright, is an occupational therapist, and he’ll be going.

We’ll also have two respiratory therapists, four ICU nurses, one nurse’s aide, three cardiac nurses, an epidemiologist (disease specialist), a cardiac thoracic surgeon, and one infectious

16 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

diseases doctor.”

The clinic services will take place all in that one day, for, yes, an estimated 1,000 patients. Bandages, gauzes, surgical tools, and other supplies are being shipped over months ahead. Munson is also assisting by donating supplies that are nearing their expiration date.

No medicines can be brought across due to customs restrictions.

“We’ll run the clinic from 7am to 2 or 3am in order to see everyone,” she said. “And hopefully that will be good. I don’t yet have a clear picture of how bad it really is there.”

A fundraiser to help with the medical mission trip will take place from 7–11pm on January 19 at the Workshop Brewing Co. in Traverse City; Albright’s husband’s band, K. Jones and the Benzie Playboys, will rock their Cajun and zydeco music to assist with Albright’s and the medical team’s goal. And there will be more goals to come.

“When medical teams travel there more frequently, the increased visits will help us establish a primary starting point with the local governments,” Albright said. “Those communications will hopefully, eventually help the local people get easier access to health care.

This is definitely going to be an ongoing project.”

Petoskey’s South Africa Medical Expeditions Keeping families together and healthy in South Africa Local Petoskey area artist Sue Bleyaert was at a crossroads several years ago.

“Both my parents had passed away, my kids were out of college and on their own, and a friend suggested I should go help with a medical expedition to Africa — even though I’m an artist,” she explained. “I thought, you know what, it will be good to get out of my comfort zone.”

So she headed over to South Africa, where it had been determined there was a great need for medical assistance.

“The first time I went was in 2007,” Bleyaert said. “The people in the rural areas there not only had TB and HIV, but also were dealing with parasites in their water, and weren’t really getting much help from the local government.

As an artist, I spent time with the children who were in line waiting to be seen by the medical professionals, just keeping them busy.”

Fast-forward 10 years, and Bleyaert is a member of SAME (South Africa Medical Expeditions), a local aid agency that both puts together traveling teams and raises funds to assist orphans, children, and women in impoverished communities in rural

northeastern South Africa. SAME works in these communities to bring in local medical workers and caregivers.

“Back in 2007, you’d meet the people through an interpreter, and ask why they wanted to see a doctor,” Bleyaert said, “then you’d put their medical symptoms on a card. The cards would go to the medical team that was brought over from Michigan. Those doctors would evaluate the patients, and then send them to a South African dispensing nurse.”

Today, SAME has its own director, ShirleyAnne Beretta, who’s in South Africa full-time; there’s also a nurse who’s right on-site. Both oversee Sigagula, a village of around 3,000 people.

“Shirley-Anne and her husband, Frank, are well known in the local community there — they speak the language and understand the culture, so they’re a natural fit,” Bleyaert said.

Families in this region are also often fractured; with diseases running so high, many times children are orphaned, left in the care of their “grannies” (grandparents) when their parents die. So the other goal of SAME is to help keep families together.

“We thought that instead of building an orphanage, having the families and grannies all stay together and making sure they get medical care and in-home care is a better solution to the problem,” said Bleyaert. “We’ve certainly evolved in the past decade,” she said.

In addition to the reward of knowing that she’s helping people, Bleyaert has also learned a lot from her experiences working there.

“The best thing is the sense you get of how the people in this village are so happy, even though they live with so little,” she said. “We’re so fortunate. As a U.S. citizen I come back and realize, we just have so much stuff! So we really can’t complain about anything.”

Traverse Bay Sunrise Rotary Building Schools in South Africa Traverse Bay Sunrise Rotary, one of several rotary charities in northern Michigan, was looking for a cause to help back in 2016, when a couple club members went to Malawi, Africa to observe the progress of a school that was being built by the Warm Hearts Foundation out of Grand Rapids.

“They came back and said that building schools in Malawi was absolutely the right project for us,” said Kathleen Guy, a past chair of Sunrise Rotary’s international service committee.

“We took a two-week trip there earlier this year to build a school in Namakango Village, in the rural Mangochi district,” Guy said.

Sunrise Rotary worked with the Warm Hearts Foundation to arrange the group of 26 people — most from the Sunrise Rotary, plus two teenagers from Texas and a family from Boston. The team built a secondary school in Malawi in two weeks, an accomplishment that Guy said was quite a challenge.

“When we got there, there was a crew of Malawians who had the foundation already built and the latrines dug,” she said. “But that was it.”

The team had to make cement blocks one by one, by hand, mixing powdered cement mix with sand and water.

“Each block weighed 20 pounds,” said Guy. “There was a lot of shoveling and wheelbarrow hauling.”

But that school was completed and, approved for building by the local government, allotted a teacher — but not much else, Guy said.

“The schools are basically plain cinder block buildings, with desks hand-built out of wood,” she said. “And between 90 students, there’s just one book per subject. So there’s a lot of writing on chalkboards, recitation, and repeating.”

But the willingness of the Malawi people, she added, made all the effort more than worthwhile.

“They are such a joyful people, and such enthusiastic learners,” she said. “It’s quite a thing to watch, which is why we feel compelled to continue our work there. We will likely develop an ongoing relationship with Malawi; we’d like for it to become our signature international service project.”

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NORTHERN SEEN 1. Peg Jonkhoff, Deb Jackson, Derek Woodruff and Mike Mahn were representing proudly at the Zonta Festival of Trees fundraiser held at Golden Fowler in TC. 2. Haley and Maureen McLeod at Bowers Harbor Vineyards during Hooper’s Farms Wreaths & Wine workshop.

3. Hunter and Chris enjoy some hot cocoa while waiting for lunch at Harwood Gold in Charlevoix.

4. Susan Sweet browses treats at Jill Grenchik’s booth, Great Lakes Treats, at the TC Shop and Sip.

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18 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

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HOLLYPOP: 10am-4pm, Old Art Building, Leland.

Hosted by the Leelanau Community Cultural Center.

Featuring artisanal products & celebrating the holiday season. 231-256-2131. oldartbuilding.com/introducing-holly-pop

-------------------PETOSKEY MERRY MAKERS MARKETPLACE: 10am-4pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center galleries & Carnegie Library Building, Petoskey. Featuring 40 artist booths, Christmas trees, live music & more. crookedtree.org

-------------------SHOP SMALL EVENT: On Small Business Saturday. East Jordan. The Shop Small Mini Kick-Off Breakfast will be held at the East Jordan Chamber Office from 8-10am.

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TOY TROT 5K: 9am, Toy Town of Cadillac. $30. Benefits Toys for Tots. toytowncadillac.com

-------------------ANNUAL HOLLY BERRY ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR: 10am-4pm, FrankfortElberta High School, Frankfort. Featuring 100+ artists.

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CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE ARTISAN SHOW: 10am-4pm, Village Arts Building, Northport. Fine crafts, painting & photography.

See artists at work. northportartsforall.com

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EMPIRE ARTISAN MARKETPLACE: 10am-4pm, Township Hall, Empire. Featuring gifts, art, housewares, & more, all handmade by local artisans. Free. facebook.com/ shoplocalcrafts

-------------------FESTIVAL OF TREES: 10am-6pm, Benzie Area Historical Museum, Benzonia. Habitat for Humanity benefits from the money paid for over 100 Christmas trees, seasonal wreaths, & table decorations decorated by volunteers, on sale at this event each year.

Donation. benziemuseum.org

-------------------GREAT MACARONI & CHEESE BAKEOFF: 10am-5pm, Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula. Area restaurants partner with one WOMP winery each to create a mac & cheese & wine pairing. Participants get to vote for the best pairing, cheesiest, & people’s choice. Tickets: $40 advance (typically sells out). $35 for designated drivers. wineriesofomp.com

-------------------HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE: 10am-4pm, Glen Arbor Township Hall. Featuring 25+ artisans, a meet & greet with Santa & more. visitglenarbor.com/event/2017-holidaymarket

-------------------STAFFORD’S DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY HOLIDAY PARADE: 10am. Winds through Downtown Petoskey & ends at Stafford’s Perry Hotel where children can see Santa & his reindeer.

-------------------WINTER FANTASY ART SHOW: 10am4pm, Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall, Elk Rapids. Featuring mixed-media art, fine craft & local specialty goods. Free. pillywigginsgarden.com/winter-fantasy-2017.html

-------------------“PETE THE CAT”: City Opera House, TC. This new musical is based on the “Pete the Cat” series of books by Kimberly & James Dean. Presented by Theatreworks USA. Performances at 11am & 1:30pm. $9. cityoperahouse.org/pete-the-cat

-------------------FRANKFORT HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES: 12-2pm: Santa & Mrs. Claus will hand out candy canes at The Hotel Frankfort & the Frankfort-Elberta Chamber will provide free horse-drawn carriages rides. 7pm: Annual Community Tree Lighting in Rotary Park.

AUTHOR SIGNING: 2-4pm, Horizon Books, TC. Bonnie Louise Newhouse will sign her book “Carved on the Palm of His Hand.” horizonbooks.com

NOV/dec

25-03

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MERCHANTS DAY & TREE LIGHTING: Northport. 4-7pm: Free horse-drawn carriage rides. Sing holiday songs with the Village Voices around the tree at 5:45pm.

There will be a special appearance by the Star Lord of Holiday Cheer. The tree lighting takes place at 6pm.

-------------------FIRST LIGHT CELEBRATION: 5pm, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Enjoy singing holiday carols & lighting the Christmas tree. crystalmountain.com/events/first-light-celebration

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

-------------------HOLIDAY ILLUMINATION: 5-8pm, Downtown Alden. Tree lighting, caroling & refreshments.

-------------------MOUNT MANCELONA KICK-OFF EVENT: 5-11pm, Mount Mancelona. Celebrate Mount Mancelona being purchased by Sam & Abby Porter. Featuring live bluegrass music by Billy Strings. $30 door. mynorthtickets.com

-------------------“SILENTS WITH A SIDE OF CHRISTMAS WITH DAVE CALENDINE”: 5:30pm, Music House Museum, Williamsburg. Shown at 5:30pm & 7:30pm. Accompaniment by Red Wings organist Dave Calendine on the Wurlitzer. Tickets: $15 adults, $13 seniors & $5 students. musichouse.org

-------------------102ND HARBOR SPRINGS TREE LIGHTING: 6:30pm, Downtown Harbor Springs.

231-526-7999.

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

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE MUSICAL: 7pm, Willliamsburg Banquet Center. Presented by The HAP. A musical dessert theatre based on the 1946 film where George Bailey discovers whether his life mattered after all. $18. thehap.net

-------------------“ANNIE”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Enjoy this classic family musical. $28 adults, $15 under 18. oldtownplayhouse.com

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

FRESHWATER CONCERT SERIES: 8pm, Freshwater Art Gallery & Concert Venue, Boyne City. Featuring Diamonds in the Rust.

Enjoy upbeat energy & midwestern swag.

Call for ticket price: 231-582-2588. freshwaterartgallery.com

-------------------HUNKS THE SHOW: 8pm, Streeters, Ground Zero, TC. Advance tickets: $20 + $3.50 handling. groundzeroonline.com/ events

nov 26

sunday

MUSEUM STORE SUNDAY: 1-5pm, Dennos Museum Store, NMC, TC. Free gifts, specials throughout the store & more. Proceeds support exhibitions & programs in the museum. dennosmuseum.org

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

FESTIVAL OF TREES: 11am-4pm, Benzie Area Historical Museum, Benzonia. Habitat for Humanity benefits from the money paid for over 100 Christmas trees, seasonal wreaths, and table decorations decorated by volunteers, on sale at this event each year.

Donation. benziemuseum.org

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

“ANNIE”: 2pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Enjoy this classic family musical. $28 adults, $15 under 18. oldtownplayhouse.com

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

AUTHOR SIGNING: 2-4pm, Horizon Books, TC. Michelle Davis will sign her book “Finding Hope on Vegas.” horizonbooks.com

-------------------JAZZY CHRISTMAS: 3pm, Central United

Catch a ride on Train Wonderland, Dec. 2-3 from 10am-3pm at Castle Farms, Charlevoix. Featuring model & interactive train displays, riding trains, holiday games, a craft, snacks, tram rides, the Little Traverse Youth Choir singing carols & more. While you’re at Castle Farms, don’t miss Story Time with Santa! Also held on Sat. & Sun., choose 11am or 2pm & enjoy a story read by Santa, craft activity, cocoa & cookies, plus a special gift & photo with Santa. castlefarms. com/santas-train-wonderland/

Methodist Church, TC. Featuring the instrumental Central Christmas Combo, soloist Amy Cork, Trillium Singers and Sashay.

There will be a free will offering taken for the Homeless Outreach meals.

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

CHRISTMAS SONGS & STORIES WITH JOHN BERRY: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. Country singer John Berry began doing a Christmas tour in 1996 after his performance of the 1995 CD “Oh Holy Night.” This year marks his 21st consecutive Christmas concert series. Tickets start at $28.50. cityoperahouse.org/john-berry

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

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE MUSICAL: (See Sat., Nov. 25)

nov 27

monday

LIBRARY DECORATING PARTY: 10am, Interlochen Public Library. Also help set up the Holiday Mitten Tree & the tables & books for the Holiday Book Sale. Sign up: 231-276-6767.

-------------------4TH ANNUAL BOOTS FOR BEERS: The Little Fleet, Rare Bird, The Filling Station & Right Brain Brewery have partnered with Goodwill Northern Michigan for this boot drive from Nov. 27 - Dec. 1. Visit any of these locations throughout the week & drop off a pair of gently used or new boots to receive a pint of beer! This event benefits the men, women, & children in the community experiencing homelessness to help them cope with the cold winter months. goodwillnmi.org

-------------------HOLIDAY BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5:30-7:30pm, Blue Smoke, East Jordan.

Little Fleet, TC. Featuring a presentation from Becky Rogan of Conflict Resolution Services.

The Little Fleet will donate 10% of all drink sales to Conflict Resolution Services. Please bring a brunch dish to pass. Email bcoffia@ gmail.com with questions. Free.

-------------------FRIENDS @ THE CARNEGIE: 7pm, Carnegie Building, Petoskey. “The Edmund Fitzgerald: The Stories, The Song.” Presented by author & storyteller Mike Fornes.

Free. petoskeylibrary.org

nov 28

tuesday

LET’S PLAY!: 10am, Petoskey District Library, Children’s Program Room.

Featuring Petoskey District Library Children’s Librarian Megan Goedge. For ages 0-5. petoskeylibrary.org

-------------------4TH ANNUAL BOOTS FOR BEERS: (See Mon., Nov. 27)

-------------------OVERDOSE CLINIC: 6pm, Traverse Area District Library, Thirby Room, TC. Harm Reduction Michigan presents a demo on reversing opioid overdose with the immediate antidote Naloxone. Take home a rescue kit. Free. harmreductionmi.org

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

BUNKO & BEERS FOR BABIES: 6:30pm, Right Brain Brewery, TC. Ladies Night Out. All ticket proceeds to benefit children & babies staying at the Women’s Resource Shelter. Up-to-date details can be found on the Facebook page. Tickets are $10/person or 2 for $15 with coupon code BUNKOSAVE5.

-------------------GT DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S PROGRESSIVE POTLUCK BRUNCH: 6-8:30pm, The

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 19

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nov 29

wednesday

4TH ANNUAL BOOTS FOR BEERS: (See Mon., Nov. 27)

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

PROTECT OUR VOTE FORUM: 12pm, Leelanau County Government Center, lower level community meeting room, Suttons Bay. Presented by the League of Women Voters Leelanau County. Featuring a presentation by LWV Michigan President Judy Karandjeff & Advocacy Vice President Joan Hunault. 231-271-5600. Free. LWVLeelanau.org

-------------------MUNSON HOSPICE GLIMMERS OF HOPE, KINGSLEY: 12:30pm, The Rock, Kingsley. Join the Munson Hospice Bereavement team this holiday season to learn ways to cope with loss & find your way. 800-2522065 or hospicebereavement@mhc.net.

Free. munsonhomehealth.org

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

MEN’S CIRCLE - THE SACRED MASCULINE: 7pm, Higher Self Bookstore, TC. This is an open circle for men to share, learn, & discuss everyday issues that they face in today’s world. Free. higherselfbookstore.com

-------------------SETH BERNARD TRIO: 7pm, Old Art Building, Leland. Presented by the Leelanau Community Cultural Center. The founder of Earthwork Music, Seth Bernard brings Max Lockwood & Dan Rickabus & together their sound blends genre, while also sticking to their folk roots. Advance tickets: $13 members; $15 non-members.

Door: $20. mynorthtickets.com/events/sethbernard-trio

nov 30

thursday

29TH ANNUAL VICTORIAN SLEIGHBELL PARADE & OLD CHRISTMAS WEEKEND: Manistee.

Today includes Christmas at the Lyman Building, Business After Hours at the Ramsdell Theatre Ballroom, Manistee Choral Society’s Victorian Dessert Concert, “A Tuneful Christmas Carol,” & much more. manisteesleighbellparade.com/eventschedule

-------------------4TH ANNUAL BOOTS FOR BEERS: (See Mon., Nov. 27)

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

Book by Thomas Meehan Lyrics by Martin Charnin | Music by Charles Strouse

231.947.2210

oldtownplayhouse.com

november 24, 25, 26*, 30 December 1, 2, 3* 7, 8, 9 10* 14, 15, 16

20 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

MUNSON HOSPICE GLIMMERS OF HOPE, INTERLOCHEN: 12:30pm, Golden Fellowship Hall, Interlochen. Coping with Grief Through the Holidays. Join the Munson Hospice Bereavement team at this community presentation this holiday season to learn ways to cope with loss & find your way. 800252-2065 or hospicebereavement@mhc.net.

Free. munsonhomehealth.org

-------------------MAKER AFTERNOONS: CHRISTMAS CARDS & CRAFTS: 3:30pm, Leland Township Library. Each Thursday from 3:304:30pm, kids ages 9+ are invited to drop by & explore a different S.T.E.A.M.-based activity. This week’s program is co-sponsored by the Leelanau Historical Society.

A healthy snack will be provided. Free. lelandlibrary.org

-------------------FREE WORKSHOP: BUILDING YOUR BRAND: 5pm, NCMC, Room 27, Administration Building, Petoskey. This course will enhance the way you think about your farming & food businesses. Register: 231348-6613.

-------------------UM CLUB OF GRAND TRAVERSE HOLIDAY HAPPY HOUR: 5-7:30pm, Mammoth Distilling, TC. Enjoy appetizers & give a gift from the list for a family or two in need. This year the club is partnering with Goodwill to help fulfill their holiday needs wish lists &

collecting books for those in need. Books for all reading levels are appreciated. Gifts should NOT be wrapped. RSVP: grandtraverse@umich.edu or 231.633.3885. clubs. alumni.umich.edu/grandtraverse

-------------------THE ART OF: CRAIG TANDY - LINES OF LIGHT: 6:30-8pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Tandy will install his “Lines of Light” in the Zimmerman Sculpture Court, transforming the space into a massive 3-dimensional study of pattern & structure. dennosmuseum.org

-------------------FREE WORKSHOP: MARKETING ON THE WEB: 6:35pm, NCMC, Room 27, Administration Building, Petoskey. Help your business optimize online marketing strategies. Register: 231-348-6613.

-------------------PUERTO RICO RELIEF FUNDRAISER: 7-9:30pm, West Bay Beach Holiday Inn Resort, TC. Featuring the Jeff Haas Trio & Laurie Sears along with Miriam Pico & the Younce Guitar Duo.

-------------------“ANNIE”: (See Sat., Nov. 25) -------------------DINNER, BLUES & BREWS WITH LARRY MCCRAY: 8pm, Streeters, Ground Zero, TC. $10. groundzeroonline.com/event/larrymccray

dec 01

friday

29TH ANNUAL VICTORIAN SLEIGHBELL PARADE & OLD CHRISTMAS WEEKEND: Manistee.

Today includes Christmas Cookie & Wine Pairing, Cookie Fun for Everyone, Festival of Trees, Downtown Soup Cook-Off, Invogue Brass Ensemble, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” & much more. manisteesleighbellparade.com/eventschedule

-------------------4TH ANNUAL BOOTS FOR BEERS: (See Mon., Nov. 27)

-------------------FIRST FRIDAYS FOR FOODIES COOKING DEMONSTRATION: 11am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Kitchen, Petoskey.

Featuring farmer & chef Mike Everts who has operated Real Food Dream Kitchen & Blackbird Gardens for the past 29 years.

Free. crookedtree.org

-------------------LUNCHEON LECTURE: 11:30am, NCMC, Library conference room, Petoskey. “The Stories behind the Music.” Kate Botello, Interlochen Public Radio classical program host, will guide you through centuries of stories woven into classical compositions.

Reserve your spot: luncheonlectures@ ncmich.edu $12; includes lunch.

-------------------STORYTIME AT LELAND TOWNSHIP LIBRARY: 10:30am, Leland Township Library.

Stories and play designed to promote joy & growth in literacy. Children ages 0-6 & their caregivers welcomed. Free. lelandlibrary.org

-------------------5TH ANNUAL INTERLOCHEN AREA CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY: 5pm: Tree Lighting at Tom’s Food Markets, Interlochen; 5:25pm: Follow Santa to Interlochen’s Golden Fellowship Hall; 5:30-8pm: Visit with Santa, enjoy music & caroling, hear a holiday story & make holiday crafts. newinterlochenlibrary.org

-------------------“THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY”: 5:308:30pm, New Hope Community Church, Williamsburg. A 45 minute guided tour outdoors through fire lit woods with 150 actors & 30 live animals that features a story from the Bible. Tours every 10 minutes. Free. newhope.cc/christmasjourney

-------------------HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 6-9pm, Downtown Petoskey. Santa will fly into town to

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light the Christmas tree in Pennsylvania Park. There will also be entertainment by carolers, the Petoskey Steel Drum Band, & more.

-------------------SANTA’S ARRIVAL, TREE LIGHTING & HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-9pm, Downtown TC. A Light Parade will run along E. Front Street from Boardman Ave. to Union St. Performances by Dance Arts Academy, Company Dance Traverse, the Central High School Drum line & more.

Santa will ride in the parade on an antique fire engine. A community tree lighting ceremony will be held at the end of the parade.

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

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE MUSICAL: (See Sat., Nov. 25)

-------------------KIM CASEY’S FOREVER YOURS PATSY CLINE TRIBUTE SHOW: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. Featuring documentary style film footage & live music that will take you back to the 1950’s. A fundraiser for the Cherryland Humane Society. Tickets: $30, $25. $5 discount for military. cityoperahouse.org/patsy-cline-tribute-show

-------------------“ANNIE”: (See Sat., Nov. 25) -------------------“THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER” & COMMUNITY SING-A-LONG: 7:30pm, Manistee High School Auditorium.

Presented by the Manistee Civic Players. A couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids - probably the most inventively awful kids in history. $5- $12. mynorthtickets.com

-------------------“TUCK EVERLASTING” SOLD OUT: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Harvey Theatre. Presented by Arts Academy Theatre Co. $18 full, $16 senior, $11 youth. tickets.interlochen.org

dec 02

saturday

29TH ANNUAL VICTORIAN SLEIGHBELL PARADE & OLD CHRISTMAS WEEKEND: Manistee. Today includes the Jingle Bell Jog 5K Run/Walk, Sleighbell Bazaar & Craft Show, Vogue Theatre tours & free movies, Parents & Paint, Scandinavian Christmas, Sleighbell Bash, Meet The Grinch, Victorian Sleighbell Parade, & much more. manisteesleighbellparade.com/event-schedule

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

HOLIDAY HOBBY CRAFT SHOW: 9am3pm, Boyne City High School. Featuring 150 arts & crafts vendors. $2 adults; free for students.

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

17TH HOLIDAY HOME TOUR: 10am, Cadillac. Tour four homes. Experience sights, sounds & tastes of Christmas. Cadillac Garden Club supplements the homeowner’s own decorations. Purchase tickets at Brinks Art & Framing in Cadillac, UpNorthTickets, or by calling 231-510-9047. $15 advance, $20 day of.

-------------------BREAKFAST WITH SANTA: 10am-noon, GT Resort & Spa, Michigan Ballroom, Acme. Enjoy a buffet, visiting with Santa, face painting, balloon artists & more. Adults: $19.95; 11-14: $14.95; 6-10: $9.95; 5 & under: free. 231-534-NOEL.

-------------------HOLIDAY ART SHOW: 10am-4pm, Almira Twp. Hall, Lake Ann. Featuring 14 local artists; lunch & bake sale available; & a youth holiday card class by donation. Free.

-------------------HOLIDAY IN THE VILLAGE: 10am-8pm, Suttons Bay. Saturday: Family movie day at the Bay Theatre ($1 admission), Santa’s arrival by firetruck & caroling. Sunday: Antlers & Elves & Enerdyne, a cookie extravaganza

Mon -

& a community choral concert. suttonsbayarea.com

Ladies Night - $1 off drinks & $5 martinis

-------------------MERRY MARKETPLACE: 10am-4pm, Old Art Building, Leland. Artists share their artwork for holiday gifts & holiday decor.

Featuring 19 local artisans. Sponsored by the Leelanau Community Cultural Center. oldartbuilding.com

-------------------TRAIN WONDERLAND: 10am-3pm, Castle Farms, Charlevoix. Includes model & interactive train displays, riding trains, holiday games, a craft, snacks, tram rides, the Little Traverse Youth Choir singing carols & more. $5. castlefarms.com/santas-trainwonderland

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

JINGLE & ART: 11am-5pm, Twisted Fish Gallery, Elk Rapids. Featuring holidaythemed poetry readings & songs from the Elk Rapids High School Choir. Mingle with artists & browse art. Free. twistedfishgallery. com/blog

with Jukebox

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

Wed - Get it in the can for $1 w/ DJ Fasel Thurs - $1 off all drinks w/DJ PRIM

Fri Dec 1 - Happy Hour: Jazz North

then: One Hot Robot

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

Sat Dec 2 : One Hot Robot Sun Dec 3 : KARAOKE (10PM-2AM)

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

-------------------STORY TIME WITH SANTA: Castle Farms, Charlevoix. Enjoy a story read by Santa, craft activity, cocoa & cookies, plus a special gift & photo with Santa. 11am or 2pm. $20; each ticket includes 2 adults to accompany child. castlefarms.com/santastrain-wonderland

-------------------FARMLAND 5K & FREE FOR ALL BIKE RACE: Noon, Lew Rasho Farm, TC. TC’s winter weather running & biking event held in the spirit of European style cross country, taking place on a dedicated cross-country course on private farmland. Featuring knee high barriers including straw bales, fallen logs, wood fence & stone fence. Supports Norte & Groundworks’ Taste the Local Difference program. Find out more: www. farmlandtc.com $35.

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

HORIZON BOOKS, TC EVENTS: 12-2pm: Jeffery Schatzer will sign his book “The Elves in Santa’s Workshop: Together at the North Pole.” 2-4pm: Reading & talk with Michael Perry, author of “Montaigne in Barn Boots.” 4-6pm: Laura Lee will sign her book “Oscar’s Ghost: The Battle for Oscar Wilde.” horizonbooks.com

oct 31

-------------------LIGHT UP THE NIGHT & SOUP COOKOFF: 12-7pm, Downtown Bellaire. Today includes a free kids movie, ornament making, Soup Cook-Off, Parade of Lights, a visit with Santa, tree lighting, caroling & more. bellairechamber.com

-------------------“TUCK EVERLASTING” SOLD OUT: 2pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Harvey Theatre. Presented by Arts Academy Theatre Co. $18 full, $16 senior, $11 youth. tickets. interlochen.org

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

HOLIDAY MERCHANT OPEN HOUSE: All Day, Downtown Charlevoix. 2pm: Free movie at Charlevoix Cinema III. Bring a canned good to benefit the Charlevoix Food Pantry.

Noon-5pm: Hot Cocoa Contest. Area restaurants invite you to sample & vote on your favorite hot cocoa. Cocoa stations will be set up at participating downtown stores & restaurants. visitcharlevoix.com/CharlevoixMerchant-Open-House

-------------------ENCORE WINDS PRESENTS “THE GIFT OF MUSIC”: 3pm, First Congregational Church, TC. 2pm: Tuba Christmas. $15 adults; $10 seniors & students; free for 12 & under. encorewinds.org

-------------------GROOVIN’ FOR GIFTS, A TOYS FOR TOTS EVENT: 5pm, Platte River Inn, Honor. See Santa & Mrs. Claus. Live music

by The Rare Beats, Tyler Hewitt, The BCHS Chamber Choir, Alfredo and Barefoot. Bring a new, unwrapped toy. 231-227-1200.

-------------------“THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY”: (See Fri., Dec. 1)

Puerto Rico

Claudia Schmidt & NMC Jazz Quintet

fundraiser

Miriam Pico & Younce Guitar Duo

December 7th

November 30th

Every Thursday 7-9:30pm

Jim Cooper

December 14th

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 21

BIGGEST LITTLE HOLIDAY PARTY: GT Resort & Spa, Acme. Pre-party reception: 5:30pm. Dinner buffet: 7pm. Includes entertainment by Sound Productions with comedians Ben Wilke & Mike Armstrong. $32. grandtraverseresort.com/biggestlittle

the Chicken Dinner, wreaths, the Christmas quilt, & Christmas basket raffles. Adults, $12; children, $6.

the Women’s Resource Center of Northern MI offices in Cheboygan, Gaylord & Mancelona. wrcnm.org

“GIVE THE GIFT OF ART HOLIDAY EXHIBIT”: Higher Art Gallery, TC. Runs through Jan. 2. higherartgallery.com

STORY TIME WITH SANTA: (See Sat., Dec. 2)

HARBOR SPRINGS MERCHANTS OPEN HOUSE: 6-9pm, Harbor Springs. Enjoy food, music & fun.

THE DOWNTOWN COCOA CRAWL: 11am3pm, Downtown TC. Hot chocolate competition. downtowntc.com

NMC FOOD PANTRY: Available to all active students. This operates out of the basement of the Osterlin Building, NMC, TC, but students don’t have to physically access the shelves. Instead, they’ll fill out an online form stating their household size & needs. nmc.edu

“INSPIRED: ARTISTIC IMPRESSIONS OF THE GRAND TRAVERSE COMMONS”: The Village at GT Commons, Sanctuary, TC. Runs through Jan. 20. thevillagetc.com

--------------------------------------15TH ANNUAL JINGLE BELL JAM: 7-11pm, American Legion Post #10, Manistee. Presented by Holiday Hope Team.

Benefits Toys for Tots/Gifts for Teens for Manistee County children. Bring a new unwrapped toy, cash or check to: Toys for Tots/Gifts for Teens. Featuring live music by Cheryl Wolfram & Friends, Junk Monkey & Sufferin Succotash.

-------------------KIM CASEY’S FOREVER YOURS PATSY CLINE TRIBUTE SHOW: (See Fri., Dec. 1)

-------------------“ANNIE”: (See Sat., Nov. 25) -------------------“MERRILY WE SING NOEL”: 7:30pm, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Leland. Enjoy a holiday season concert presented by the Leelanau Community Choir. 231-271-6091.

Free.

-------------------“THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER” & COMMUNITY SING-A-LONG: (See Fri., Dec. 1)

-------------------“TUCK EVERLASTING” SOLD OUT: (See Fri., Dec. 1)

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

BLISSFEST SATURDAY NIGHT COMMUNITY DANCE: 7:30pm, Red Sky Stage, Petoskey. Featuring caller Larry Dyer & band Harbor Hoedown. All dances taught, no partner necessary. $3/person, $5/couple, $7/family. redskystage.com

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

DON WHITE: 7:30pm, Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall. Enjoy this storyteller-comedianauthor-troubadour-folk singer-songwriter.

Benefits the Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall. $20 advance; $25 door. brownpapertickets.com

-------------------WINTER JAZZ ENSEMBLE SHOWCASE: 7:30pm, Milliken Auditorium, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Presented by NMC Jazz Bands & Vocal Jazz Ensemble. $12 adults; $7 students & seniors. mynorthtickets.com

-------------------WINTER SONGS & CAROLS: 7:30pm, Grace Episcopal Church, TC. Presented by Manitou Winds. Featuring guest vocalists Christy Burich & Emily Curtin Culler. Free. manitouwinds.com

dec 03

sunday

29TH ANNUAL VICTORIAN SLEIGHBELL PARADE & OLD CHRISTMAS WEEKEND: Manistee. Today includes the Festival of Trees, Tour of the James Dempsey Mansion, “A Tuneful Christmas Carol,” & much more. manisteesleighbellparade.com/ event-schedule

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

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

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY TEA: 1-3pm, Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey. Enjoy tea service with principal performers of Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”; two tickets to “The Nutcracker” performance of your choice; a picture with the Sugar Plum Fairy; a strings quintet performance & a take-home treat. Tea for two: $75. crookedtree.org

-------------------“ANNIE”: (See Sun., Nov. 26) --------------------

“THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER” & COMMUNITY SING-A-LONG: 2pm, Manistee High School Auditorium. Presented by the Manistee Civic Players. A couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids - probably the most inventively awful kids in history. $5-$12. mynorthtickets.com

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

“MERRILY WE SING NOEL”: 3pm, Suttons Bay Congregational Church. Enjoy a holiday season concert presented by the Leelanau Community Choir. 231-271-6091.

-------------------“MUSIC FOR THE SEASON”: 4pm, Bellaire High School Auditorium. Presented by the Antrim County Community Choir. Featuring a visit by members of the “Peanuts Gang.” 231-331-6587. Freewill offering.

-------------------NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE CIRCLE: 4:45-6pm, Higher Self Bookstore, TC. Free. higherselfbookstore.com/monthly-calendar

-------------------“THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY”: (See Fri., Dec. 1)

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

MADRIGALS DINNER & PERFORMANCE: 6pm, Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey.

Enjoy a four course dinner & Petoskey High School’s Madrigals Show. 231-347-4000. $45.

-------------------“MERRILY WE SING NOEL”: 7pm, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Glen Arbor. Enjoy a holiday season concert presented by the Leelanau Community Choir. 231-271-6091.

PETOSKEY IMPROV TROUPE COMEDY SHOW: 7pm, Red Sky Stage, Petoskey.

Tickets: $10 advance; $15 door. $8 students, $5 12 & under. redskystage.com

helping hands

LEELANAU CHRISTIAN NEIGHBORS FOOD PANTRY KICK-OFF: Nov. 25 - Dec. 10. Drop off non-perishable food at any Leland shop.

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

NW MI MARINE TOYS FOR TOTS: Fox Motors, TC. Incredible Mo’s certificates will be given for toys that are brought into the dealership. For various drop off locations & info, visit toysfortots.org. Runs through Dec. 22.

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

THE CHRISTMAS SHOP VENDOR & CRAFT SHOW: 10am-3pm, Ellison Place (formerly Jay’s Sporting Goods), Gaylord.

Visit with Santa from noon-2pm. Free.

SOCKS FOR TROOPS: Petoskey Shoe Sensation, 910 Spring St., Petoskey is collecting socks for active duty military or local veterans around the community. Customers receive a 20% off coupon to use on the socks donated. You can also bring in new socks to be donated. Runs through Dec. 24.

ST. FRANCIS CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL & CHICKEN DINNER: 10:30am-2:30pm, St. Francis High School, gymnasium, TC. Purchase tickets for the $10,000 grand prize,

SAFE HOME HARVEST FOOD & SUPPLY DRIVE: Help support survivors of domestic abuse & their children utilizing Safe Home services by bringing non-perishable foods, household supplies, paper products, personal care items & financial contributions to

HOLIDAY IN THE VILLAGE: (See Sat., Dec. 2)

--------------------------------------TRAIN WONDERLAND: (See Sat., Dec. 2) --------------------

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

22 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

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

ongoing

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS: The National Writers Series is inviting all area fourth & fifth graders to sign up for Battle of the Books, a free reading contest for kids living in the Grand Traverse County area. For more info & to sign up, visit: www.battleofthebooksgt.com

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

GERALD’S TALKING DOG STORY CONTEST: Celebrate the annual release of Gerald’s Talking Dog, a Belgian Rye Dubbel fermented with MI-grown cherries. In 500 words or less tell why Gerald’s Talking Dog loves cherries. Email submissions to: charla@stormcloudbrewing.com or drop off at Stormcloud Brewing Co. by Dec. 4. Prizes awarded for top three entries. Top three stories will be presented at a public reading at Stormcloud on Dec. 16 at 7:30pm. stormcloudbrewing.com

-------------------ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: OPEN SPEAKER MEETING: Saturdays, 8pm, Munson Medical Center (basement), TC. district11-aa.org

-------------------ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: YOUNG PEOPLE’S MEETING: Fridays, 8pm, Grace Episcopal Church (basement), TC. district11-aa.org

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

COMMUNITY MEDITATION & SATSANG: Tuesdays, 7pm through Nov. 28. Higher Self Bookstore, TC. higherselfbookstore.com

-------------------FARR FRIENDS IN ONEKAMA: Thursdays, 2:30-4:30pm, Farr Center, Onekama. Get together with friends & neighbors for an afternoon of fun, games & lectures. Onekama.info

-------------------FREE COMMUNITY CLASS: Wednesdays, 7:30pm, Bikram Yoga, TC. Find on Facebook.

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

KNITTING GROUP: Tuesdays, 1-3pm, Benzonia Public Library, Benzonia. Knit simple, fun projects or work on your own projects. benzonialibrary.org

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

Main lobby area of the new City Facilities Building, Boyne City. 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

“BUSTED”: Michigan Artists Gallery, TC. Artist Leanne Schnepp has created a series of busts of women from famous paintings. Runs through the fall. michiganartistsgallery.com

--------------------------------------“JUST GREAT ART”: City Opera House, TC. Eight artists from the Plein Air Painters of Northwest Michigan exhibit their oil, pastel, watercolor & acrylic paintings. Runs through Jan. 2. cityoperahouse.org

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

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11TH ANNUAL “ART OF RECOVERY: THE HUMAN JOURNEY”: Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Sponsored by Northern Lakes Community Mental Health, this show celebrates the resiliency & healing power of people. Runs through Nov. 29.

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CIRCLE MARKET: Charlevoix Circle of Arts, Charlevoix. Over 40 artists represented.

Runs through Dec. 23. 231-547-3554.

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JORDAN RIVER ARTS COUNCIL GIFT MARKET: Jordan River Arts Council, East Jordan. Featuring paintings, collages, jewelry, scarves, baskets, cards & many Christmas decorations. Will run every Tues. through Sun. from 1-4pm through Dec. 22.

It will also be open on Dec. 7 from 5-8pm for Community Night. jordanriverarts.com

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2017 WINTER MEMBER EXHIBITION: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. An opening reception will be held on Fri., Dec. 1 from 5-7pm. Runs through Jan. 5. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org

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DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: Mon. - Sat., 10am-5pm. Sun., 1-5pm.: - “LINES OF LIGHT: CRAIG TANDY MONOFILAMENT SCULPTURE”: Dec. 3 - April 29, 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.

- 2017 CAPE DORSET PRINT COLLECTION: Consists of 30 images by 15 artists.

Runs through Nov. 26.

- CORY TRÉPANIER’S “INTO THE ARCTIC”: The Canadian North on Canvas and Film. Runs through Dec. - WILLIAM ADOLPHE BOUGEUREAU AND EDOUARD MANET: Visitors to the Sea - Masterpieces from the Detroit Institute of Arts. Runs through Dec. - “MYTHS, LEGENDS AND STORIES: SCULPTURE BY ABRAHAM ANGHIK RUBEN”: Through Dec. dennosmuseum.org

-------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - 2017 JURIED FINE ARTS & FRESH AIR EXHIBITIONS: Runs through Jan. 6. crookedtree.org

-------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC: ART OVER EASY: TWO TOWNS, TWO DECADES, TWENTY-TWO ARTISTS: Two distinct groups of artists that meet for breakfast in the communities of Ann Arbor & Empire come together for this exhibition.

Runs through Dec. 2. crookedtree.org

FOURSCORE by kristi kates

Pentatonix – A Pentatonix Christmas Deluxe – RCA

You can’t really go wrong with Pentatonix for vocal harmonies, and with nearly every Christmas carol featuring harmonies en masse, the pop ensemble is a great pick for a holiday album. On this set they spend half the tracks sticking to the classics: “Away in a Manger,” “Deck the Halls,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” — and the other half putting their own twist on more modern faves like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Let It Snow.”

Various Artists – Holidays Rule Vol. 2 – Capitol

In a nice switch from the usual lineup of pop mainstream artists that generally surface on holiday compilations, this collection is a little more left field, with big names like Paul McCartney, Jimmy Fallon, and The Roots (who team up for a new take on “Wonderful Christmastime”). You’ll also find festive tunes by Grace Potter (“Christmas Moon”), Vera Blue (“A Winter Romance,”) Andrew McMahon, and The Decemberists.

This short set from Casting Crowns combines holiday compositions old and new, opening with a beautiful medley rendition of “Gloria” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” They Christian rock band performs its versions of “What Child is This” and the always stirring “O Holy Night.” New Christmas songs include “Somewhere in Your Silent Night,” the nostalgic-yet-modern “It’s Finally Christmas,” and “Make Room,” featuring Matt Maher.

Written by Kim Casey, Produced by John Parsons

Casting Crowns – It’s Finally Christmas – Reunion

Cherryland Humane Society Fundraiser

98 Degrees – Let It Snow

The boy band — now really more of a man band — is back with a brand new Christmas album. The men stick tight to the mix-it-up formula, combining familiar refrains like the title track, “What Child is This,” and “The First Noel” with pop holiday hits like “Little Saint Nick” and “Run Rudolph Run.” Their takes on “Mary Did You Know” and “River” are standouts.

Friday, Dec. 1 - Saturday Dec. 2 at 7pm

City Opera House - Downtown Traverse City

CityOperaHouse.org

Sponsored by:

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 23

MODERN

GWEN STEFANI IS READY FOR CHRISTMAS

ROCK

BY KRISTI KATES

No Doubt singer-turned-solo artist Gwen Stefani has just released her first holiday album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas, a set that includes a blend of covers of holiday standard tunes and original festive songs of Stefani’s own. Of course boyfriend and fellow The Voice coach Blake Shelton appears on the set, most notably on the title track, on which the pair duet. You’ll also find Stefani’s takes on classics like “Jingle Bells,” “Let it Snow,” and Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” and those original holiday tunes, which include “When I Was a Little Girl” and the witty “Under the Christmas Lights,” which sings in part about running out of wrapping paper.

The album was written by Stefani along with frequent songwriting collaborator Justin Tranter, busbee (who previously worked on P!nk’s “Try”), and Shelton …

The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach is gathering a short roster of artists signed to his Nashville record label, Easy Eye Sound, for a 20-date tour that will kick off Feb. 10, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada, and wrap up in April in Denver, Colorado. Going along with Auerbach on the trek will be Robert Finley, Shannon Shaw, and Shannon and the Clams. The Easy Eye Sound house band, a lineup of acclaimed sessions players including Dave Roe, Bobby Wood, Russ

Paul, and Gene Chrisman, will back all of the artists. Tickets for the tour are on sale now at easyeyesound.com …

Grand Rapids, Michigan, will host a special exhibit from Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and D.C.’s Newseum that will take visitors through a chronological mix of the history of rock and our presidential administrations. The exhibition, which includes video, photos, memorabilia, and musical artifacts like guitars and costumes, will feature a wide range of legendary rockers, including Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, The Clash, Bruce Springsteen, and U2. You’ll be able to see the exhibit from now through Feb. 11 at Grand Rapids’ Ford Museum …

Former Gaslight Anthem singer Brian Fallon has released a new single called “Forget Me Not,” which will appear in a few months on Sleepwalkers, Fallon’s new solo album that will hit stores on Feb. 9. To support the set, Fallon is planning a lengthy tour of both North America and Europe; stateside dates on that trek will include the kickoff show on March 28 in New Orleans, and additional stops in Los Angeles (April 6), Minneapolis (April 17), Chicago (April 19), Columbus (April 20), Cleveland (April 21), Detroit (April 22 at St. Andrew’s Hall), and Toronto (April 24) …

LINK OF THE WEEK Wrestler/actor/TV personality John Cena plays piano? Who knew? Check out his pretty impressive, low-key piano cover of The Pixies’ classic 1988 tune “Where is My Mind,” complete with Cena dressed in a tuxedo: http://youtu.be/fvTidBjh-KE …

THE BUZZ Don’t don’t don’t let’s start! They Might Be Giants will start up the crowd at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit on Feb. 10 …

The 2018 Fretboard Festival is now set for March 2–3 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in downtown K-zoo, with several stages and a host of Michigan performers …

Detroiter Smokey Robinson has just released his first solo Christmas album, Christmas Everyday, available only as an Amazon exclusive …

Grand Rapids’ Revolve Records is getting a new location on South Division Avenue in Heartside …

In other GR news, singer-songwriter Brant Satala is working on his next studio album, which is expected early next year … 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.

ANY TRAIL. ANY SEASON. CHOOSE FROM MORE THAN 200 KEEN STYLES FOR MEN, WOMEN, AND KIDS.

144 E Front Street, Traverse City 49684 - HOURS M-F 9-8, SA 9-5:30, SU 12-4 - plamondons.com 24 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

The reel

by meg weichman

Justice league a BAD MOMS XMAS

W

I’m getting pretty tired of writing about superhero movies. And while I did really enjoy Thor: Ragnarok only a couple of weeks ago, when it comes to Justice League, it’s not just that I’m growing weary of the material, it’s that I’m also starting to resent that these movies take up so much of our cultural capital.

Like in the Justice League’s case, even though I’m pretty sure it won’t be very good, I still feel obligated to see it in order to be part of the conversation.

But then I remind myself of the promise of Wonder Woman, the last film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which was a genuinely powerful experience, and I had to see for myself whether that film was just an aberration or a sign of things to come. So here we are.

And after seeing Justice League, it’s clear the DCEU is responding to the criticism it’s received that the films are too dour. And with an influx of levity, they’re trying hard to steal some of that Marvel magic. They even brought in Joss Whedon of The Avengers to screen write.

But then Zack Snyder (director of perhaps the most dour film in the DCEU, Batman v Superman) had to step away from directing duties for personal reasons, and Whedon came in to finish the job. The resulting film not only proves Wonder Woman was an anomaly but also shows Justice League to be a wholly disjointed effort that is neither Whedon nor Snyder. It’s passable entertainment, but just kind of blah, lacking either of their distinct flavors. As bad as Batman v Superman was, at least it offered something distinctive. This film, on the other hand, has no point of view.

We begin things by remembering that Superman is dead, and the world is still in mourning. There’s a brief attempt to add some timeliness to the goings on by equating the post-Superman world to Trump’s America, but this is soon abandoned. Instead what you get is a slightly less wooden Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman (still halfheartedly trying to convince us he’s right for the role), attempting to put together a team to fight the evil he senses is coming.

While the getting-the-band-back-together trope is one of my favorites, I find it doesn’t work as well when you don’t care about that many of the band members. The one most worth your time is, fortunately, the first to come aboard, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman.

And actor Gal Gadot is so incredibly warm and graceful and strong, she almost makes it all worthwhile, but then we have to spend time with her moody and angsty cohorts.

Least sullen of the bunch is Barry Allen/ The Flash (Ezra Miller), a socially awkward teen designed to be the comedic relief. And while he does lighten the mood, it’s never enough. Then there’s Victor Stone, a former

football star whose father turns him into Cyborg in a desperate attempt to save his life.

And let’s just say his body is not the only thing robotic about him. Newcomer Ray Fisher leaves no impression. Finally we’ve got Jason Momoa’s (Game of Thrones) Aquaman, who I just can’t even with. An excruciatingly bro-y bore, he’s there to say things like “Dayum!” and not wear a shirt.

The Justice Leaguers have no personalities, and you only get the barest understanding of who they are or what powers they have. They have no story to tell. They join together and then have a big battle … that’s a complete snooze.

So what are they coming together to fight?

The mythical creature Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hind), who is attempting to find all three Mother Boxes (a laughable MacGuffin name, I know). When the boxes unite, they will release an apocalyptic power that will turn the world into a hellscape.

Steppenwolf is an entirely forgettable, overly-CGI-ed horned villain, and when he talks about the mother boxes it comes across like a bad Norman Bates parody. And then he’s joined by these winged henchmen that could be described as flying-monkeys-meetsteampunk-fairies.

The film over-explains this oncoming threat to such a degree that in trying so hard to make you invest, you can’t. Superhero movie end-of-the-world contrivances rarely ever make a lick of sense.

Breezier than its predecessors, the film seems to pause for laughter, but the jokes rarely hit. And again, while I’m told Joss Whedon wrote the script, he must’ve been hungover — that’s how painful some of the one-liners are, and how tedious the dialogue is. There are a few genuinely funny moments (a bit with the lasso of truth stands out), but most of the wisecracks are completely corny (and that doesn’t even cover the film’s romantic scene in a cornfield).

Snyder’s palette is all gloomy and grim, impressive only in the fact it manages to make something that cost so much look so cheap.

There’s no superhero dazzle or spectacle.

Yet all of these missteps (the sexed up Amazonians who no longer bring stirring emotion, but rather ickiness, included) pale to the fact that I’m just not buying this alliance.

The film’s tagline is “You Can’t Save the World Alone,” but after watching this, the film (no spoilers) kind of shows that you can. Give me another Wonder Woman movie, or another Superman movie, but don’t give me something as pedestrian as this, because sometimes the band just doesn’t play well together.

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

hereas Bad Moms struck such a chord with its deft satire of the mommy wars, A Bad Moms Christmas settles for a more commonplace and formulaic holiday film and standard mother-daughter drama. Yet even though A Bad Moms Christmas proves no where near as sharp as the original (nor as raunchy, I guess, ’cause the Baby Jesus is now tangentially involved?), sometimes a simplistic formula works better than it should — especially with the introduction of some additional talent to make it worthwhile. We pick up with the moms shortly after the previous film’s conclusion.

Christmas is right around the corner, and with their new outlook on the whole momming thing, the characters played

by Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn decide they are fed up with the pressure to make Christmas perfect. They decide to take the holiday back. But their Christmas plans are thrown into tumult when each of their mothers (Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines, and Susan Sarandon) unexpectedly show up to celebrate the holidays. More crass than clever, the actors manage to find their own hilarious moments in a lackluster script. That combined with the chemistry between the moms and the grandmoms, as well as the refreshingly frank way it treats the holiday season, is more than enough to keep you amused. A little bit naughty, a little bit nice, this is an easy, prewrapped gift to moviegoers.

thor: ragnarok

N

No matter how much you can count on a Marvel movie being entertaining and well done, 17 films into the Marvel Cinematic Universe we can all agree that the formula is starting to wear a little thin. That is, until they go and hire a Kiwi — New Zealander Taika Waititi — to direct and give us a whole new reason to get genuinely excited about superhero movies. See, Waititi comes from an eccentric and off-beat corner of the indie film world, but it’s clear that the world of blockbusters was waiting for him, taking the dullard Thor movies and infusing them with his quirky sensibilities, making not only the best of this particular series but also one of the best films of the entire franchise. So as the title suggests, a thing called Ragnarok is on the agenda, and it’s some sort of apocalyptic prophecy that Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the God of Thunder, is trying to prevent. But then his long-lost evil older sister, Hela (a glorious Cate Blanchett), the Goddess of Death, returns and stages a coup in his home of Asgard, and things go from bad to worse. So even though there’s a big baddie to face — and the world, you know, to save for the umpteenth time — the film is clever enough to place the heart of the story in a gonzo detour Thor takes to a hedonistic planet, where he’s joined by a truly epic Jeff Goldblum; Mark Ruffalo’s The Hulk; and his narcissistic trickster brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Pure of heart, kooky, and lively, joy runs throughout Thor: Ragnarok. And it’s a film so inviting and exhilarating, I hopefully don’t need to hit you over the head with Thor’s hammer to convince you to see it.

suburbicon

S

uburbicon is a mess, and a lazy, meandering mess at that. Directed by the increasingly scattershot George Clooney from a script written and rightly abandoned in the 1980s by Joel and Ethan Coen, it’s an insipid film that refuses to fully commit to either of its main stories, and the result is a confusing malaise. Is it a black comedy about suburban crime? Or is it an awkward morality fable intended to play on the current national mood? An animated brochure introduces us to Suburbicon, the eponymous suburb outside an unnamed American metropolis in the immediate post-war era. We meet Gardner Lodge (a wooden Matt Damon), who lives with his young son, Nicky (newcomer Noah Jupe); his wheelchair-bound wife, Rose; and her twin sister, Margaret (both played by Julianne Moore) in one of Suburbicon’s neat little houses. But after a break-in leaves Rose dead, we come to find not everything is so neat in Suburbicon and something very fishy is afloat. Clooney was foolhardy to think he could polish such a clearly half-finished idea. And if the response and box office for this are any indication, Hollywood would be wise to set George Clooney’s directing duties aside too.

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 25

nitelife

nov 25-DEC 3

edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

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

RARE BIRD BREWPUB, TC 11/29 -- Jack Pine - No Shave Nov. Benefit, 8:30-11:30

GT DISTILLERY, TC 12/1 -- Younce Guitar Duo, 7-9:30

ROVE ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY, TC 11/26 -- Dennis Palmer, 2-4

HAYLOFT INN, TC Thu -- Open mic night by Roundup Radio Show, 8

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

KILKENNY'S, TC 11/25 -- One Hot Robot, 9:30 12/1-2 -- Risqué, 9:30 Tue -- Levi Britton, 8 Wed -- The Pocket, 8 Thu -- 2 Bays DJs, 9:30 Sun -- Geeks Who Drink Trivia , 7-9

STREETERS, GROUND ZERO, TC 11/25 -- HUNKS The Show, 8 11/30 -- Larry McCray, 8 12/3 -- Red Sun Rising, 7 TAPROOT CIDER HOUSE, TC 11/25 -- The Lofteez, 7-9

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC 11/27 -- Open Mic Night w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9

THE DISH CAFE, TC 12/1 -- E Minor, 7-9 Thurs. – Nick Foresman, 6-8 Sat -- Matt Smith, 5-7

LITTLE BOHEMIA, TC Tue -- TC Celtic, 7-9 Thu -- Robert Abate, 6:30-9

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 11/30 -- Breathe Owl Breathe Performs to Moving Pictures, 6

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

THE PARLOR, TC 11/25 -- Jim Hawley & Co., 8 12/2 -- The True Falsettos, Blair Miller & Jimmy Olson, 7

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 11/25 -- Scott Pellegrom Trio, 8 11/27 -- Rotten Cherries Comedy Open Mic, 8 Wed -- The Workshop Live Jazz Jam, 6-10 12/2 -- The Charlie Millard Band, 8 UNION STREET STATION, TC 11/25 -- DJ Prim, 10 11/26 -- Head for the Hills Live Show, then Karaoke, 10 11/27 -- Jukebox, 10 11/28 -- Open Mic w/ Host Chris Sterr, 10 11/29 -- DJ Fasel, 10 11/30 -- DJ PRIM, 10 12/1 -- Happy Hour w/ Jazz North, then One Hot Robot, 5 12/2 -- One Hot Robot, 10 12/3 -- Karaoke, 10 WEST BAY BEACH HOLIDAY INN RESORT, TC 11/25,12/2 -- DJ Motaz, 9 11/30 -- Puerto Rico Relief Fundraiser w/ Jeff Haas Trio & Laurie Sears, Miriam Pico & Younce Guitar Duo, 7-9:30 12/1 -- DJ Shawny D, 10

Jack Pine will jam at the No Shave November Beer’d Benefit on Weds., Nov. 29 at Rare Bird Brewpub, TC at 7:30pm. Make a donation to enter the Best Beard Contest, which will benefit the Cowell Family Cancer Center.

Antrim & Charlevoix CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 11/25 -- Elizabeth Sexton Rivers & Al Jankowski, 7:30-9:30 12/1 -- Jeff Brown, 6:30-9:30 ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 11/25 -- brotha James, 8

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

LEO’S NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN, PETOSKEY Thurs — Karaoke w/ DJ Micheal Williford, 10 12/1 – DJ Clark Pellegrom – Clark After Dark Sun — DJ Johnnie Walker, 9

SHORT'S BREWING CO., BELLAIRE 11/25 -- Brewski Bash w/ Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, 9

TORCH LAKE CAFE, EASTPORT Mon — Bob Webb, 6-9 Tues — Kenny Thompson, 7:30 Wed -- Lee Malone, 8 Thu -- Open Mic w/ Leanna Collins, 8 Fri,Sat -- Torch Lake Rock & Soul feat. Leanna Collins, 8:30 TOWNLINE CIDERWORKS, WILLIAMSBURG 11/25 -- Jeff Brown, 5-7

Emmet & Cheboygan CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 11/25 -- The Marsupials, 10 12/1 -- Annex Karaoke, 10

RED MESA GRILL, BOYNE CITY 11/28 -- Blake Elliott & The Robinson Affair, 6-9

Leelanau & Benzie THE GRILLE, BAY HARBOR Wed -- Chris Calleja, 6-9 Sun -- Plumville Project, 6-9 UPSTAIRS LOUNGE, PETOSKEY 11/25 — Galactic Sherpas 12/2 – The Change

NORTHERN LIGHTS RECREATION, THE SASSY LOON, HARBOR SPRINGS 11/25 -- Scarkazm, 9:30 12/1 -- Scarkazm, 9:30 12/2 -- Strobelite Honey, 9:30

DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. — Karaoke, 10-2 LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 11/28 -- Mike Moran & Pauly: The Traveling Busboys, 6:30-9:30 LUMBERJACK'S BAR & GRILL, HONOR Fri & Sat -- Phattrax DJs & Karaoke, 9

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 11/25 -- The Chosen 2, 6-9 12/1 -- Adam Hoppe, 7-10 12/2 -- Mike Ridley, 7-10 SPICE WORLD CAFÉ, NORTHPORT Sat -- The Jeff Haas Trio plus Laurie Sears & Anthony Stanco, 7-10

STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 11/25 -- Melissa Lee, 8-10 12/1 -- Keith Scott, 8-10 12/2 -- Chris & Patrick, 8-10 VILLA MARINE BAR, FRANKFORT Fri,Sat -- DJ & Dance Party, 9

Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD 11/25 – Mike Ridley, 7-10 12/1 – Adam Hoppe, 7-10 12/2 – Mike Ridley, 7-10

26 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

SNOWBELT BREWING CO., GAYLORD Tue -- Open Jam Night, 6-9 11/29 -- Adam Hoppe, 6-9

TREETOPS RESORT, GAYLORD Hunter's Grille: Thurs. - Sat. -- Live music, 9

the ADViCE GOddESS A Good Man Is Hard To Fund

Q

: I’m a 35-year-old woman. I’m living with my boyfriend, who’s a freelance artist (talented but just getting started).

We’ve been together for three years, and I am paying for pretty much everything. I don’t feel resentful. I feel like we’re a team and eventually his career will take off. However, my parents keep saying it’s a bad dynamic: I’m coddling him, and he’s taking advantage of me.

— Worried

A

: Ideally, when one partner is the sole breadwinner, the other is the stayat-home parent to more than two rambunctious goldfish.

There’s a term in risk researcher and former derivatives trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s books — “skin in the game.” That’s what’s missing when, say, a hedge fund honcho advises you to make some big-bucks investment. If he’s guessed right, he’ll share in your profits.

However, any losses are all yours — as in, you’ll find him up in his penthouse, not two cardboard boxes down from your new “home” on the corner.

“Skin in the game” is also what’s missing from your boyfriend’s end of the relationship. You’re doing all of the work to keep the roof over the relationship. Your boyfriend’s doing none of the work but reaping 100 percent of the benefits.

This isn’t to say relationships have to be exactly 50-50. But such a gross asymmetry in effort may be creating a breeding ground for laziness — setting your boyfriend up to go all Leisure Larry in both his work and the relationship.

In fact, by making things so easy for him, you may be making it harder for him to succeed.

Consider that you put in more effort when it’s a necessity -- when you don’t have inherited wealth (or a 9-to-5-toiling girlfriend who allows you to live as if you do).

Also, the fact that you’re a woman who’s paying for everything may make this more of a problem.

Women evolved to seek “providers,” and men coevolved to expect that — and to expect the best women to hold out for investment. Men’s self-worth is also driven by their ability to provide. So though many couples think they “should” be okay with a woman as the sole or primary moneymaker (because…equality!), it often leads to resentment in the woman and emasculation in the man. (Great if you like your sex without those boring erections.)

Finally, consider whether you really aren’t okay

adviceamy@aol.com advicegoddess.com

with this Vincent van No Job arrangement but are going along with it because you think it’s the good-girlfriend thing to do. It’s okay — and probably good for your relationship — to ask your boyfriend to put “skin in the game,” like by driving a bunch of runs on Uber to fork over for the electric bill. People value and feel more a part of something they have to work for —and not just by opening all the bills (with an artistic flourish!) before handing them over for the wage slave girlfriend to pay.

Weed Better Break Up Now

Q

: I’m a 28-year-old gay guy. I like to travel and go out and do stuff on the weekends.

My boyfriend prefers to smoke pot and uhh…time travel on the couch. He’s a good person, and I love him, but he’s unwilling to cut back on his pot smoking. Friends tell me to dump him, but we’ve been together for three years, and bailing now would mean throwing that time away.

— Frustrated

TOY HARBOR

SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS OPEN NITES TIL 9 • SUN 11-5

DOWNTOWN TRAVERSE CITY • 231-946-1131 CREATIVE & QUALITY TOYS SINCE 1984 •

A

: The guy isn’t without ambition. He tries really hard every day to give the cat a contact high.

There’s a point when love seems like “the answer” — when you’re 14 and practicing your make-out skills on your pillow. But then you grow up and get into a relationship with a man you love, and you find yourself packing for Bali while he’s packing his bong.

Presumably, you’ve tried to come to some compromise. It helps to be specific about what would work for you — like by proposing he come down from Weed Mountain to spend Saturday afternoon and evening out on the town with you. If he’s unwilling to be enough of a boyfriend to make you happy, well, you have a decision to make.

In making it, don’t let yourself get tripped up by “the sunk cost effect.” This is decision researcher Hal Arkes’ term for our (irrational) “tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment in money, effort, or time has been made.” But that initial investment — for example, the three years you’ve already put into your relationship with James Bong — is gone. What makes sense is looking at whether the “endeavor” will pay off in the future, say, in a willingness by your boyfriend to combine his favorite hobby and yours. As travel writer Rick Steves put it, “I have used cannabis all over the world.” (Hmm…then again, so have other people, and they’re still in jail in Turkey.)

Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 27

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Back-Billed"--all the smaller examples. by Matt Jones

28 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

ACROSS

DOWN

1 Sedate 6 Any of the Bee Gees brothers 10 Chicago-based clown 14 Hashtag inspired by the Harvey Weinstein allegations 15 “The Joy of Cooking” author Rombauer 16 Mess up completely 17 “No further detail is needed” 19 Statesman von Bismarck 20 “Man of a Thousand Faces” Chaney 21 Play backgrounds 22 Forms morning moisture 24 Green Day drummer ___ Cool 25 That dude’s 26 Krypton, e.g.

27 Three, on some clocks 30 “Help!” at sea 31 Sold out, in a way 33 Statement after reporting something pleasant, maybe 35 Genesis brother 37 Ab ___ (from the beginning) 38 Italian carmaker that partnered with Chrysler 39 Water-based tourist attraction in Rome 44 Emulated 45 Do a marathon 46 Go off ___ tangent 47 Banner team?

48 Stashed away 49 Loudly lament 52 Overdue 54 Tom Hiddleston’s role in “Thor” 55 Suit accessory 56 Cereal with a rabbit mascot 58 Implements first used in the Paleolithic age 61 Abundant 62 Word before bay, day, or pay 63 Little night flyer 64 Quits hedging 65 “Benevolent” fraternal order 66 Oboist’s supply

1 Put through a refinery 2 “Danny Boy” voice, usually 3 Make reparations 4 Letters before a monetary amount 5 Where to see corgis compete 6 Core concepts 7 Bank offerings, for short 8 Songwriter’s publishing gp.

9 Statistician’s numbers problem, sometimes 10 Furrowed body part 11 Reversed, like some shirts or jackets 12 Acne spot 13 “Be My Yoko ___” (Barenaked Ladies single) 18 Bank robbery 23 Abbr. before a cornerstone date 26 Cameroon’s neighbor 28 Birth state of Elijah Wood 29 Part of MIT, for short 30 Do what you’re doing right now 31 Broadway musical without a storyline 32 In conclusion, in Paris 33 Question for the stranded 34 Coatroom hangers, maybe 35 Prefix for sphere 36 Fiber source in cereals 40 “Can ___ you in on a little secret?”

41 Savoir-faire 42 Kid’s wheels 43 IRS employee 48 Drivers’ warnings 49 Took illegally 50 De-squeaked 51 Conquers 53 Forest hackers 54 Place for tumblers 56 “The ___ La La Song” (theme from “The Banana Splits”) 57 Ocasek once of the Cars 59 ___ Tuesday (Aimee Mann’s old band) 60 Be behind

aSTRO

lOGY

NOV 27- DEC 03

BY ROB BREZSNY

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “What is love?” asks

philosopher Richard Smoley. “It’s come to have a greetingcard quality,” he mourns. “Half the time ‘loving’ someone is taken to mean nurturing a warmish feeling in the heart for them, which mysteriously evaporates the moment the person has some concrete need or irritates us.” One of your key assignments in the next ten months will be to purge any aspects of this shrunken and shriveled kind of love that may still be lurking in your beautiful soul. You are primed to cultivate an unprecedented new embodiment of mature, robust love.

PIScES (Feb. 19-March 20):

A snail can slowly crawl over the edge of a razor blade without hurting itself. A few highly trained experts, specialists in the art of mind over matter, are able to walk barefoot over beds of hot coals without getting burned. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Pisces, you now have the metaphorical equivalent of powers like these. To ensure they’ll operate at peak efficiency, you must believe in yourself more than you ever have before.

Luckily, life is now conspiring to help you do just that.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hope that

everything doesn’t come too easily for you in the coming weeks. I’m worried you will meet with no obstructions and face no challenges. And that wouldn’t be good. It might weaken your willpower and cause your puzzle-solving skills to atrophy.

Let me add a small caveat, however. It’s also true that right about now you deserve a whoosh of slack. I’d love for you to be able to relax and enjoy your well-deserved rewards. But on the other hand, I know you will soon receive an opportunity to boost yourself up to an even higher level of excellence and accomplishment. I want to be sure that when it comes, you are at peak strength and alertness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): ): You were born

with the potential to give the world specific gifts -- benefits and blessings that are unique to you.

One of those gifts has been slow in developing.

You’ve never been ready to confidently offer it in its fullness. In fact, if you have tried to bestow it in the past, it may have caused problems. But the good news is that in the coming months, this gift will finally be ripe. You’ll know how to deal crisply with the interesting responsibilities it asks you to take on. Here’s your homework: Get clear about what this gift is and what you will have to do to offer it in its fullness.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Happy Unbirthday,

Gemini! You’re halfway between your last birthday and your next. That means you’re free to experiment with being different from who you have imagined yourself to be and who other people expect you to be. Here are inspirational quotes to help you celebrate. 1. “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” - George Bernard Shaw. 2. “Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one’s mind.” - W. Somerset Maugham. 3. “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson. 4. “The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.” - Friedrich Nietzsche.

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

you take a piece of paper and write down a list of your biggest fears. Then call on the magical force within you that is bigger and smarter than your fears. Ask your deep sources of wisdom for the poised courage you need to keep those scary fantasies in their proper place. And what is their proper place? Not as the masters of your destiny, not as controlling agents that prevent you from living lustily, but rather as helpful guides that keep you from taking foolish risks.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In his book Life: The Odds,

Gregory Baer says that the odds you will marry a millionaire are not good: 215-to-1. They’re 60,000-to-1 that you’ll wed royalty and 88,000to-1 that you’ll date a model. After analyzing your astrological omens for the coming months, I suspect your chances of achieving these feats will be even lower than usual.

That’s because you’re far more likely to cultivate synergetic and symbiotic relationships with people who enrich your soul and stimulate your imagination, but don’t necessarily pump up your ego. Instead of models and millionaires, you’re likely to connect with practical idealists, energetic creators, and emotionally intelligent people who’ve done work to transmute their own darkness.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): What might

you do to take better care of yourself in 2018, Virgo? According to my reading of the astrological omens, this will be a fertile meditation for you to keep revisiting. Here’s a good place to start: Consider the possibility that you have a lot to learn about what makes your body operate at peak efficiency and what keeps your soul humming along with the sense that your life is interesting. Here’s another crucial task: Intensify your love for yourself. With that as a driving force, you’ll be led to discover the actions necessary to supercharge your health. P.S. Now is an ideal time to get this project underway.

A FREE OUTDOOR PARTICIPATORY SOUND SCULPTURE

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 6PM Sound sculpture and walk around The Commons followed by live music by Jeff Brown. All ages welcome!

Call 231-995-0500 for more details and to reserve your spot. @ The Village at Grand Traverse Commons 806 Red Dr, Traverse City

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here are themes

I suggest you specialize in during the coming weeks. 1. How to gossip in ways that don’t diminish and damage your social network, but rather foster and enhance it. 2. How to be in three places at once without committing the mistake of being nowhere at all. 3. How to express precisely what you mean without losing your attractive mysteriousness. 4. How to be nosy and brash for fun and profit. 5. How to unite and harmonize the parts of yourself and your life that have been at odds with each other.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I predict that in

the coming months you won’t feel compulsions to set your adversaries’ hair on fire. You won’t fantasize about robbing banks to raise the funds you need, nor will you be tempted to worship the devil. And the news just gets better.

I expect that the amount of self-sabotage you commit will be close to zero. The monsters under your bed will go on a long sabbatical. Any lame excuses you have used in the past to justify bad behavior will melt away. And you’ll mostly avoid indulging in bouts of irrational and unwarranted anger.

In conclusion, Scorpio, your life should be pretty evil-free for quite some time. What will you do with this prolonged outburst of grace? Use it wisely!

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

that unfinished task you have half-avoided, allowing it to stagnate? Soon you’ll be able to summon the gritty determination required to complete it. I suspect you’ll also be able to carry out the glorious rebirth you’ve been shy about climaxing.

To gather the energy you need, reframe your perspective so that you can feel gratitude for the failure or demise that has made your glorious rebirth necessary and inevitable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In an ideal

world, your work and your character would speak for themselves. You’d receive exactly the amount of recognition and appreciation you deserve. You wouldn’t have to devote as much intelligence to selling yourself as you did to developing your skills in the first place. But now forget everything I just said. During the next ten months, I predict that packaging and promoting yourself won’t be so #$@&%*! important. Your work and character WILL speak for themselves with more vigor and clarity than they have before.

BlueBird gift certificates are a gift for everyone this holiday season!

An Ethnic feast, pizza or maybe just a burger and beer.

The Bluebird has something for everyone.

THE BLUEBIRD RESTAURANT IN LELAND

(231) 256-9081

www.bluebirdleland.com Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 29

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE 140 ACRES, 1/2 MILE RIVER FRONTAGE & LODGE Manistique River Lodge with 4 bdrms, 2 Baths in the eastern U.P. 1 mile from Germfask & minutes to Seney Wildlife Refuge. The perfect gentlemen’s retreat/hunting lodge. Hunting blinds, outbuildings, riverfront boardwalk, and more. One hour drive from the Mackinac Bridge.

Call John Yaroch, Assoc. Broker, vBerkshire Hathaway Michigan, 231-675-2555.

YOGA CLASSES - It’s not your daughter’s yoga Join us at Talk of the Town Yoga for a Svaroopa yoga class. This less active, compassionate style of yoga is adaptable to your body; we customize the pose to adapt to where your body is at. Check our website for days and times of classes www.TalkoftheTownYoga.com or call us at 231-633-6033. Located at Traverse Wellness Center on Garfield Rd. in Traverse City ROBERT ABATE VIRTUAL BAND Robert Abate Virtual Band performs @ Little Bohemia Thurdays 6:30-9pm

FOR RENT: Furnished & Spacious Studio Condo, near Cedar, $895/Month (Weekly Rates also available) Very Clean ground level unit, nice location,incl. util. cable,Wi-Fi 231-256-2117

HIGH-TECH HOLISTIC DENTISTRY Lk Leelanau office with IAOMT approved Hg removal. Lisa Siddall DDS This ends next year 2nd week OCT

FOR SALE: DEPOT NEIGHBORHOOD, Traverse City, Large 3 Bedroom townhouse, Great Location!! Come to an Open house: 524 Depot Court, 12/2/17, 12:00 - 2:00 PM For more info & pictures, visit www.homestretchhousing. org or call 231.590.5091

VINTAGE ART Vintage Art, all mediums.

70s-now. 100’s of pieces priced to sell.

Offers considered. For details and directions, 231.348.5906

OTHER

MANITOU WINDS PRESENTS Winter Songs & Carols Explore winter as a gateway to healing and renewal. Music and spoken word combine in this eclectic program creating a peaceful glimpse of the holiday season. Free admission. https://manitouwinds.com/performances/ DAN’S AFFORDABLE HAULING Best rates in town! Hauling junk, debris, yard, misc. Anything goes! For a free estimate, call (231)620-1370 GALLYS - NOW OPEN - New Women’s Consignment Shop In Traverse City.

Hours 11-7 Tues-Fri & 11-5 Sat. Centre St Just Off Woodmere. Call 855-STYLE-85.

THE BOARDMAN REVIEW presents The International Ocean Film Tour Adventure Sports & Environmental Films, 12/6, 7PM, Tickets at cityoperahouse.org

BEAUTIFUL THERAPY ROOM or Office for rent Join us at Traverse Wellness Center. We offer yoga & other healing/wellness services.

This office space is 237 sq ft. (21’ x 11’6”)& has 3 windows. Rent includes:free parking, utilities, wifi, shared community room & reception room, trash & snow removal. Rent is $925/ month. Other offices are available. “Supporting Healthly Living Choices”- Chris Lautz,owner traversewellnesscenter@gmail.com

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30 • november 27, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

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Northern Express Weekly • november 27, 2017 • 31

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Free New Year’s Eve party featuring The Rhythm Kings in Ovation Hall at 10:30PM.