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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • december 16 - december 22, 2019 • Vol. 29 No. 48

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231- 947-4274 located on the tart trail at 736 East 8th St., Traverse City 2 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

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Gutowski and Me Northern Express columnists get half a page; letter writers 300 words, but I’ll try.

Upon starting Tom Gutowski’s Nov. 23 column, “Fear and Loathing in America,” I thought that at last a liberal had written something thoughtful and balanced. Alas, upon proceeding I found it to be salted with liberal tropes like “tax cuts for the rich,” when that’s who pays the taxes. Besides, tax cuts increase tax revenues — happens every time.

The deficit, run up for decades, is the cause of the debt; it finances “popular” social programs that politicians love because it gets them reelected. It could be eliminated within about 15 years by spending less than we take in, just a little spending reduction each year, with real budgets, not omnibus spending bills every fiscal year. (By the way, the GOP is not even considering cutting Social Security and Medicare. That is false, and there is a stronger word for it.

Trickle-down, aka the Trump economy, has raised wages and employment, especially minority employment, more than any administration in at least the last 60 years. He keeps his promises as best he can. The paragraph insulting him is virtually 100 percent inaccurate, or worse. How has Trump enriched his family through the presidency or done anything else listed in the attack paragraph? These are just Democrat lies told once again. No proof is ever offered. The next paragraph, about what is to be done, is the same old stuff: Raise the minimum wage so more people lose their jobs, infrastructure that we hear about every election and seems to never get fixed, “find a way” to get health insurance for all (when Obamacare cost 8 million people theirs), more tax hikes on other people. McConnell holding up bills? Pelosi has stopped everything for impeachment. And Trump and the GOP are the cause of it all? Get serious.

Charles Knapp, Maple City

Listen to the People The “will of the people” is a fundamental principle of our democracy. This principle hangs in the balance in a case before the Michigan Court of Appeals in a dispute over the petitions to recall Larry Inman.

Elected officials serve at the will of the people. When the will of the people is not being served by their legislator, a recall initiative is the voters’ constitutional right for holding the official accountable during their term of office.

Recall campaigns are not easy to pull off. In fact, only two Michigan legislators have been recalled in the past 36 years. Yet, in the 2 a.m. final lame duck session of 2012, Michigan legislators passed self-serving legislation further restricting the voter’s ability to recall an elected official. Many people told us a recall could not be done.

With the help of 150 volunteers, the Recall Inman Campaign overcame every obstacle imposed by the restrictive legislation, as well as freezing temperatures, snow, rain, long hours, and fatigue.

The volunteers passionately believe in government “by the people, for the people, and of the people.” The campaign collected nearly 14,000 signatures from Mr. Inman’s constituents. Then, election officials rejected the petitions on a minor technicality.

As this case will impact a cornerstone of democracy, the court’s decision should be of concern to all Michigan voters, regardless of party affiliation. By signing the Inman recall petitions, the people have spoken.

CONTENTS

started by Vladimir Putin and is referred to as “Putin’s Child?” Oh wait, that wasn’t Trump; it was John Podesta. Remember when Donald Trump told Mitt Romney that the ’80s called and wanted its Russian policy back. The Cold War is over? Oh Crime and Rescue Map......................................7 wait, that was President Obama. Man, Committed in 2012. Solved in 2019..................10 Trump’s ties to Russia are really disgusting!

Get Out There................................................12 Paul J. Patchen II, Kewadin Art Prize in Kaleva..........................................14 Seen............................................................15 Must-See Made-for-TV Holiday Movies..............16 Winter Festival Madness...................................19 River Reversal to Blame?

I enjoyed the recent article [“We’ve Been Here Before,” Nov. 16 issue] on the terrible erosion of beaches and bluffs, with some homes poised to fall into [Lake ................................................21-24 Michigan]. As the author says, the problem is the extraordinarily high level of Lake Michigan, which is due in turn to higher than normal rainfall.

Four Score.....................................................26 But there is something else. Did you Nightlife.........................................................28 know two Canadian rivers, the Long Lac and the Ogaki, which used to flow to Hudson Bay, were turned around in the 1940s and now are adding 2.7 million Top Ten...........................................................5 gallons a minute of additional water into Spectator/Stephen Tuttle....................................6 Lake Superior. It was done to give more water to Ontario hydropower plants. But it Modern Rock/Kristi Kates................................25 increases the flow from Lake Superior into Film................................................................27 Lake Michigan by 8 percent. According Crossword...................................................29 to a report by the International Joint Advice..........................................................29 Commission (IJC), that raised the level of Freewill Astrology..........................................30 Lake Michigan by 4.7 inches.

Classifieds..................................................31 It isn’t much, but turning the rivers back to their natural channels when levels are so high would be a welcome step in the right direction.

features

dates music

columns & stuff

Michael Earl, Traverse City

Roger Smithe, Manistee

Remember When Remember when Donald Trump received $500,000 for a speech in Moscow, paid for by Renaissance Capital, a company tied to Russian Intelligence Agencies? Oh wait, that was Bill Clinton. Remember when Donald Trump approved the sale of 20 percent of U.S. uranium to the Russians while he was Secretary of State, which gave control of it to Rosatom, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation? Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton.

Remember when Donald Trump lied about that and said he wasn’t a part of approving the deal that gave the Russians one-fifth of our uranium, but then his emails were leaked showing he lied about it?

Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton and John Podesta. Remember when Donald Trump got $145 million from shareholders of the uranium company sold to the Russians?

Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.

Remember when Donald Trump accepted millions in donations from Russian oligarchs like the chairman of a company that’s part of the Russian Nuclear Research Cluster, the wife of the mayor of Moscow, and a close pal of Putin’s? Oh wait, that was the Clinton Foundation.

Remember when Donald Trump failed to disclose all those donations before becoming the Secretary of State, and it was only found out when a journalist went through Canadian tax records? Oh wait, that was Hillary Clinton.

Remember when Donald Trump was business partners with the Russian government and his company got $53 million from the Russian government investment fund called Rusnano that was

Watch, Listen, Think To some of my conservative friends, neighbors, and countrymen: Stop doing Putin’s work for him. His intention is to divide us so as to weaken us and discredit our example to the rest of the world. I don’t know where President Trump falls on the continuum between useful idiot and willing agent, but it’ clear that the thrust of his policy and statements is pro-Putin.

Some conservative media might have been unwittingly duped into spreading Russian misinformation.

I’m old enough to remember the Cold War and the bipartisan effort to resist Communist aggression. Don’t we need a bipartisan effort to resist Russian efforts to reestablish control over parts of the former Soviet Union? It seems, at least rhetorically, that some on the right hate and fear liberal, secular atheists, who are their countrymen and women, more than foreign enemies.

I know how hard it is to admit to being conned. There’s always some little prize at the beginning and offers of more to come, plus the mentality of “in for a nickel, in for a dime” that makes it so difficult to realize you’ve been had.

I ask you to look and listen to the man, to the way he snarls and gestures, the way he smears people needlessly the way his arguments are at the level of a not-very-bright fifth grader. Do you really think something good can come of this man? Look where his associates land.

Look at the phone call he made the day the White House learned of the whistleblower complaint: “No quid pro quo! Tell him I want nothing!” This is Tony Soprano behavior. I appeal to your patriotism.

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase 135 W. State St. Traverse City, MI 49684 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Dave Anderson, Dave Courtad Kimberly Sills, Randy Sills, Roger Racine Matt Ritter, Gary Twardowski Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Reporter: Patrick Sullivan Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny, Ross Boissoneau, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Kristi Kates, Al Parker, Meg Weichman, Todd VanSickle Copyright 2019, 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.

David Green, Honor

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 3

this week’s

top ten

the bergamot

TC Author Wins Prestigious Honor

Traverse City-based writer Doug Stanton has won the prestigious Stephen E. Ambrose Oral History Award from Rutgers Living History Society.

The prize recognizes Stanton’s entire body of work, including his three books — “In Harm’s Way” (the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during WWII in the Pacific), “Horse Soldiers” (the early days of the war in Afghanistan) and “The Odyssey of Echo Company” (a personal account of a frontline U.S. soldier during the Vietnam War).

Stanton told Northern Express’ sister publication, the Traverse City Ticker, that he might attempt fiction next, perhaps a gritty northern Michigan tale.

“I’d like to write a crime novel about Traverse City since we seem to develop our own whacky kind of criminals,” Stanton said. “I could take on some of the hotbutton issues in town. I’m also really interested in writing nonfiction about crime and the rule of law in a democracy, including what’s going on at the FBI and other intelligence agencies.”

Indie folk duo Nathaniel and Jillian, the founding members of The Bergamot, will weave their tale and holidayinspired music into The Bergamot Holiday Concert at City Opera House, TC on Thurs., Dec. 19 at 7:30pm.

The band has performed in all 50 states plus two tours in Europe. Tickets: $22, $15. cityoperahouse.org/ the-bergamot-holiday-concert

4

Hey, watch this ! wrap battle

You’re busy this time of the year. You’ve got presents to buy and gifts to wrap. You need something to watch that doesn’t require a lot of brainpower while you cross things off your to-do list. Enter the impeccably named Wrap Battle, a lighthearted, pun-tastic, holiday gift-wrapping competition show that embraces a kooky yuletide spirit.

Host Cheryl Underwood and judges, including Carson Kressley, lead contestants from varied backgrounds (paper artists, insurance agent, etc.) through a series of challenges that test their wrapping know-how. You might even be inspired to up your wrapping game this season as you enjoy this forgettable but merry diversion. Airing on Freeform and streaming on Hulu.

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explore THE SNOW

2 tastemaker

INE ENJOY W AT M22 TASTING

Cajun Chicken Mac and Cheese

Just outside of Wolverine, the Thirsty Sturgeon Bar and Grille sits on the bank of the Sturgeon River.

Depending on the season, the restaurant is popular among kayakers or snowmobilers. Although there are many reasons to stop at this restaurant, the homemade macaroni and cheese might be No. 1. Head chef Kelly Bailey starts by rendering the bacon down with fresh garlic and peppers. “Then we put a unique twist into it with some secret ingredients,” Bailey said. “And all kinds of cheese.”

Chedder, pepper jack and mozzarella are just a few of the cheeses that make this dish a gooey delight, but there’s also an option to add chicken, which is coated with the restaurant’s in-house Cajun seasoning.

“This is a staple on our menu, but it is also the mac and cheese that goes on our Mac Daddy Burger,” the chef said. “Today is comfort food Sunday, and this is a great comfort food.” Find the Thirsty Sturgeon at 11900 Scott Rd. in Wolverine. Open 11am to 8pm Sundays through Thursdays, 11am to 9pm Fridays and Saturdays. (231) 525-9151.

4 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

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Rotary Spreads the Wealth

Rotary Charities of Traverse City awarded grants totaling $933,944 to more than a dozen area causes. Some highlights include: - Justice for Our Neighbors Michigan: awarded $58,944 for up to three years to help fund a full-time attorney to provide legal services to the immigrant community, which has seen mounting need over the last couple years.

- Autism Alliance of Michigan: awarded $60,000 over two years to provide job placement for highly skilled job seekers on the autism spectrum and coaching for employers on how to support those employees.

- TART Trails: awarded $65,000 over two years to construct a 1.8-mile segment of the Traverse City to Charlevoix trail system in Acme Township. (That project also just won a $300,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant.)

- El Grupo Norte: in partnership with area schools and the City of Traverse City, was awarded $130,000 over three years for Safe Routes to School infrastructure.

- Community Resource Development, Inc.: awarded $30,000 over one year for homerehabilitation projects in Mancelona.

Get Smart(er) this January

Stuff we love Searching for Grandfamilies The Great Lakes Children’s Museum is on a mission to find grandparents raising their grandchildren — or other relatives raising their young family members. “We think there may be an underserved subset of families — grandparents or kin raising their related children — who might be interested in attending a regular networking/ informational/socializationfocused playgroup at the museum,” said Mike Long, executive director of GLCM. Know some? Please drop a line or encourage them to share their contact info and interest at info@glcm.org.

The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee will be one of 60 locations across the country showing the January Series, the afternoon lecture series broadcast from Calvin University in Grand Rapids. The January Series, running Jan. 8 to Jan. 28, is meant to cultivate deep thought and conversations about important issues of the day. The 15 speakers will provide insight on issues like poverty and hunger, the global water crisis, immigration, mass incarceration, religious freedom, and big data’s inequality and threat to democracy. The series director says its goal is to encourage thought and conversations about important issues and the shaping of better global citizens in God’s world. Speakers include longtime White House correspondent Ann Compton, musical family the 5 Browns, and mathematician and author Cathy O’Neil (pictured). Each lecture will be video-streamed live at the Ramsdell from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. The lectures are free and open to the public. For a complete schedule, go to calvin.edu/january-series.

8 BAVARIAN TO THE CORE.

231-946-8810 • 890 Munson Avenue • Traverse City • DonOrrSkiHaus.com

Bottoms up Christmas cocktail Once the cold moves in and the fireplace begins its winter-long roar, we usually move our clear spirits to the back of the liquor cabinet. We make way for bottles of deeply textured bourbons, some smoky scotch, a brandy or two. Those cheek-heaters suit the season, sure, but a visit to The Parlor this week has us rethinking our strategy. We went to the shadowy, lamp-lit bar as we often do on a snowy eve, seeking its famed Smoke Stack, a blend of aged bourbon and Michigan maple syrup infused before your very eyes by the sweet smoke of apple and cherry woods chips set afire atop your glass. Delicious and theatrical as ever, the Smoke Stack did not disappoint. But then our bartender offered up a holiday surprise: a festive long-stem marrying two of our summer go-to’s — Hendrick’s gin and La Marca Prosecco — doused with a splash of cranberry syrup and festooned with a garden-fresh sprig of rosemary. Pink, bubbly, bright and uplifting, with a wildly woody evergreen aroma nosing higher with each sip, the as-yet-unnamed cocktail proved to be an unexpectedly perfect accompaniment to the blizzard brewing outside. Along with several other new cocktails, this rosy beaut will appear on the forthcoming winter cocktail menu in the next week or two. We recommend making a pre-Christmas cocktail date with one as soon as it does. Find The Parlor at 205 Lake Ave., in Traverse City. (231) 753-3131, www.theparlortc.com.

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 5

HUMAN ERROR spectator

by Stephen Tuttle Despite the advances made over the millennia, we humans continue to insist on maiming and killing ourselves, or others, in ever more inventive ways and with ever more poor decision-making.

Our cell phones are the latest culprit.

The National Safety Council reports more than 3,000 traffic deaths last year were directly related to cell phone use. Surprisingly, texting while driving accounted for only about nine percent of the total. The rest resulted from simply not paying attention while talking on the phone and driving (it made no difference if the device was handheld or hands-free) or looking at something on our beloved phones.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are accidentally hurting and killing ourselves from all manner of causes at a record pace. Last year, we made 39.5 million visits to doctor’s offices and 29.2 million visits to emergency rooms as the result of accidents. Most required little treatment and no hospitalization but not all.

Nearly 170,000 of us will die accidentally this year, another increase in a decadeslong escalation.

Falls alone account for some 36,000 deaths.

Nearly 40,000 died from automobile accidents. And 65,000 died from what is categorized as “poisoning” but is almost entirely

As the old bromide goes, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye, which, incidentally, happened more than 100 times last year, directly related to cell phone use.

December 31st Downtown Charlevoix

Car accidents, though more deadly, are far from the only cell phone-related injuries.

More than 14,000 non-traffic injuries are also linked to our attention to our phones and inattention to everything else. We’ve all seen the online videos of people staring down at their phones as they fall into fountains or slam into doors, light posts, or traffic signs.

But people are suffering head and neck injuries, facial lacerations, and broken noses from walking into objects, and others are reporting ankle and knee injuries from stepping off or onto something. Such injuries, mostly in the 19–35 age group, have increased 200 percent in the last decade.

As the old bromide goes, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye, which, incidentally, happened more than 100 times last year, directly related to cell phone use. Not to mention the 10 people who died while taking selfies where selfies shouldn’t be taken.

Fireworks . Food&Drink . Family Fun

Too many of us are now addicted to those little screens. According to Deloitte’s 2018 Global Mobile Consumer Survey, the average cell phone user looks at their phone 52 times a day. Other surveys have put the frequency at more than 100 times a day.

Activities: Snowman making, S'mores & Hot Cocoa, Horse Wagon rides, Movie, Restaurant Specials, Fireworks, Bridge Drop, Fireworks

The number of people who must be so attentive to their phones is pretty small: those awaiting an organ transplant, those with a partner due to give birth, doctors on call, members of volunteer fire departments, and few others.

BridgeDrop.com

Still, we see them everywhere, their heads downcast as they amble toward us on sidewalks, in grocery stores, or in the gym (and, no, texting while sitting on a piece of exercise equipment does not count as working out) while in a cell phone trance. It’s become a little bizarre — a world of people oblivious to the pillar with which they will soon collide.

Regrettably, cell phone accidents are just the tiniest tip of the accident iceberg.

6 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

drug-overdose-related. (For those interested, accidental or undetermined firearm discharge accounted for fewer than 800 deaths last year.)

Maybe we should be paying attention.

There’s a different, completely preventable human error currently ongoing. It involves unvaccinated people — mostly children — and the measles. This year saw measles outbreaks in Washington, Oregon, New York, Georgia, and in some of the tonier areas in California. Nearly every case involved those who had not been vaccinated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there have been 140,000 deaths caused by measles this year, most in sub-Saharan Africa among largely unvaccinated populations. In addition to the deaths, some survivors will suffer long-term health issues. Due to large outbreaks, four countries, including England and Greece, were removed from the list of places where measles have been eradicated.

There is currently a measles epidemic on Samoa, where only 30 percent of the population had been vaccinated, that has already taken 70 lives, 62 of whom were children under 5. The island was recently closed to all outsiders for two days, and those who have yet to receive their now mandatory vaccination have been forced to quarantine in their homes as the government tries to stem the spread of one of the world’s most contagious diseases. If the same rate of infection occurred in the U.S., we would have seven million cases of measles.

Adults accidentally maiming and killing themselves is sad enough. Adults failing to protect children from a disease than can be debilitating, and even deadly, is tragic. More than 140,000 children died needlessly this year because their government or their parents, adults all, were unable or unwilling to protect them.

That’s just wrong.

Crime & Rescue BODY FOUND IN LEELANAU A woman who was reported missing by her husband in Traverse City was found dead in the woods of Leelanau County the same day.

A passerby discovered the body at 11:30am Dec. 11 in a wooded area off of Kasson Center Road near Maple City. Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies and state police crime lab technicians spent the day processing the crime scene.

At 5pm that day a Traverse City man reported that his 62-year-old wife was missing. According to Traverse City Police, the husband had last seen his wife after the couple had an argument Dec. 10, and when he returned to their apartment the next day, the woman was gone.

The woman was originally from Chicago and had been living in Traverse City for a few months.

Police said a “person of interest” in the case was arrested on unrelated charges and that the person who is in jail is not the woman’s husband.

The woman’s body was sent to Munson Medical Center and then transported to the Western Michigan University School of Medicine for an autopsy.

SCREAMS LEAD POLICE TO SCENE A woman was able to call 911 and leave the line open as she was attacked by her boyfriend, police said.

Dispatchers who answered the 911 call could hear a woman scream and a man threaten to kill her in the background; they sent Cheboygan County Sheriff’s deputies to the residence in Benton Township.

The first deputy to arrive at 4:45pm Dec. 2 was able to get into the home and arrest the suspect, 33-year-old Joshua Adam Hendrix. The Cheboygan man faces up to 10 years in prison on charges that he strangled the woman, whom he’d been dating for 2 ½ years.

MAN ARRESTED FOR CALIPER ASSAULT State police were called to a home in Cadillac after a man allegedly attacked a woman with a brake caliper.

Police arrived at the home on Fourth Avenue at 6:45pm Dec. 7 to find a suspect, 33-year-old Dylan McQueen, barricaded inside a garage and the woman at a nearby friend’s house; the woman told police that she’d been assaulted when a brake caliper was thrown at her and that her phone ran out of power as she tried to call 911.

McQueen was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

TWO ARRESTED IN METH STING Undercover officers arrested two people in a methamphetamine investigation, including a woman accused of bringing a small child with her to a drug deal.

Traverse Narcotics Team officers received a tip about a man selling meth from his Benzonia home in November; undercover officers made several purchases from the suspect over several weeks, according to a press release.

On Dec. 5, detectives stopped a female motorist as she drove away from the residence; they determined that the woman had purchased meth and smoked it while there was a small child in her vehicle.

The woman, 26-year-old Nicole Lynn Ballard, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and fourth-degree child abuse. Her 10-month-old child was turned over to family members, and

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

Child Protective Services was notified.

Later that day, officers raided the house and arrested 45-year-old Micah Steven Carnes for delivery of methamphetamine, maintaining a drug house, and possession with intent to deliver.

MAN ARRESTED IN GROCERY STORE A man who struggled with Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputies as they tried to arrest him inside a grocery store faces charges of resisting and obstructing police.

The suspect, Benjamin John Dahlstrom, a 31-year-old Traverse City man, was acting strangely and approaching other customers at the Tom’s store in Interlochen. Staff called police to ask that he be removed.

When deputies arrived, they recognized Dahlstrom and knew that he had a warrant out for his arrest; when they went to arrest him inside the store, he ran, and the deputies caught him. There was a struggle, and the three fell into a rack of merchandise, said Capt. Randy Fewless.

Dahlstrom was tasered, taken to Munson Medical Center to be checked out as a precaution, and was taken to jail. The incident happened at 4:35pm Dec. 6.

SUSPECT ARRESTED AT SHELTER A 36-year-old Kingsley man was arrested on assault charges after witnesses said he attacked a man outside Safe Harbor in Traverse City.

A man and a woman were dropping off the suspect at 6pm Dec. 7 so that he could spend the evening at the homeless shelter when the suspect became upset with the man, who was a passenger in the vehicle.

The suspect tackled the 51-year-old and punched him several times, knocking him out, Traverse City Police Capt. Keith Gillis said. The victim was taken to Munson Medical Center and was expected to recover. Officers found the suspect nearby and arrested him.

Authorities said they were investigating to determine whether Clark’s death was self-inflicted.

Clark, the former pastor of Traverse City’s West Side Community Church in Leelanau County, was under investigation in that county after an audit of church finances this summer found some irregularities. Clark was suspected of misusing $500,000 in church funds over several years.

PASTOR’S DEATH UNDER INVESTIGATION A Traverse City church pastor’s gunshot death was under investigation in Benzie County.

John Clark was found Dec. 9 in the woods near his Benzie County home, dead of a single gunshot wound to the head.

EX-BOYFRIEND CHARGED In Grayling, an argument between exes over a cell phone escalated and ended with the arrest of the boyfriend on strangulation charges.

A woman told state police that her ex came to her house Dec. 4 at 8:30am to pick up a cell phone and that she told him she would put it in his mailbox after she removed her personal information from the device.

When she asked him to leave and began to close the door, he lunged inside, knocked the phone from her hand, breaking it, and then attacked her, the woman told police. The man then kicked the phone outside and left.

Troopers also interviewed the suspect, 27-year-old Joseph Henry Somero. He was later charged with a 10-year strangulation charge, home invasion, and domestic violence.

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Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 7

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

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WIFI

NEED A LOCAL ATTORNEY? Find one in our Attorney Directory at www.GTLABA.org

Are you an attorney but not a GTLA Bar member?

Join Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim Bar Association to be in the Attorney Directory and for other benefits.

RANDY’S DINER IS THE PLACE FOR OUTSTANDING BURGERS! Open 6am-9pm Monday-Saturday

David McCullough’s 2001 biography of the second president of the United States, “John Adams,” provides a masterful description of the political processes leading up to and running throughout the Revolutionary War period. His work provides readers with an appreciation of the challenges faced by the colonial leaders as their focus transitioned from surviving the war to building a nation.

Americans tended to be patriotic. World War II was won, the economy was expanding, and the future seemed bright.

John Adams, one of the political architects working to define the form that government would take, expressed concern regarding an issue that is once again relevant today: the existence of competing political parties. He was concerned that at some point in the future, one or more of the political parties would place the welfare of the party above that of the nation.

The cabal’s master plan for creating the necessary social unrest was then, and today remains, based upon two historical precedents: The first, the Russian Revolution demonstrated the importance of disciplined cadres, relentless efforts, and uncompromising policies for successfully implementing social change.

Adams was at least correct in part. Extreme partisanship has been a contributing factor in creating the existing divisiveness. However, it is neither the core issue nor direct cause.

Today’s extreme partisanship is more likely a subset of a deeply committed, coordinated effort to surreptitiously transform our constitutional-based democratic republic governed by majority rule into an autocratic oligarchy governed by an elite minority.

It’s understandable if such an assertion is considered absurd. That such a thing could happen is almost inconceivable. Nevertheless, a cabal, with the goal of redefining the governance of the United States, does exist. One of its core beliefs is that it is illogical, as well as economically and politically unjust, that the top-tiered wealthiest citizens — by definition, a minority of voters, should be governed by majority rule. That is to say, by democracy.

A detailed and superbly documented book titled “Democracy in Chains,” authored by Dr. Nancy MacLean, a professor of history and public policy at Duke University, provides a path to identifying the existence of this domestically based threat to democracy.

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Much of Professor MacLean’s research for “Democracy in Chains” was conducted at George Mason University’s main campus in Virginia. She, likely unwittingly, was given access to original archival records spanning back more than 60 years.

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I encourage you to read “Democracy in Chains” to judge its content and significance for yourself. (No spoiler alert is forthcoming; this column provides only the smallest of windows through which to view the book’s content.)

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The motivation for undermining and replacing a democratic republic with an autocratic oligarchy is difficult to understand. For starters, middle- and working-class families would lose constitutional protections as well as the right to vote in meaningful elections. And there is no apparent legitimate reason why those who have prospered the most from the existing economic and political systems would want them dismantled and replaced. Irrespective of the cabal’s motivation, the methods being used to obtain their goals are disconcerting.

Beginning in the mid 1950s, nevertheless, when the transformational concept of dismantling democracy began to take root, its proponents faced a serious impediment:

Such positive sentiments were of course an obstacle for those committed to overturning the American system of governance. Achieving that objective would require the development of a large measure of public discord and discontent.

Strategies adopted from the Nazi takeover of Germany proved to be similarly useful. This is particularly true for a propaganda technique that illogically remains effective today. In the words of Joseph Goebbels, “If you tell a great lie and repeat it often enough, the people will eventually come to believe it.”

The cabal adopted the discredited philosophy that attaining an important objective justifies the use of any means necessary to obtain that end. This leaves truth irrelevant, deception a favored tool, and voter repression desirable.

“Democracy in Chains” describes in painful detail how effectively these techniques have been implemented. Since the mid 1970s, a coordinated process has chipped away at discrediting the United States’ government.

Today millions of Americans derisively refer to the Capitol as The Swamp. They have lost faith in public education, found contempt for labor unions, been bankrupted by health care expenses, and are convinced that federal rules and regulations create problems rather than resolving them. The requisite public discord now exists.

Verified and verifiable testimonies submitted in an ongoing impeachment hearing are undermined by repetitive propaganda that would make Joseph Goebbels proud. A sitting president has demonstrated his contempt for democracy by making thinly veiled threats that his base — collectively composed of perhaps a third of all Americans — will wage civil war if he is impeached or not reelected.

If an oligarchy — ruled by an autocratic dictator and legitimized by the wealth and power of selfselected oligarchs — replaces our democratic republic, we will have not betrayed only the sacrifices of all those who came before us but also ourselves and those who will follow in our steps.

Consider reading “Democracy in Chains.” It is not an easy read; it covers a lot of ground in complicated detail — but it is nevertheless informative beyond measure. It provides a context for interpreting current events. It additionally assists readers in developing an informed opinion of whether or not the United States has been targeted for a fifth-column assault.

David Frederick, a centrist-based Independent, regards extremist political partisanship as a dangerous threat to the well-being and security of middle-class Americans. He further believes reestablishing coordinated grassroots truth-topower messaging is a prerequisite for diminishing that threat. dcf13343@gmail.com

Unclear on the Concept Kentarias Gowans, 20, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, came up with a novel way of celebrating Thanksgiving. He was scheduled to work at the Steak ‘n’ Shake in Oakwood that day, but called in “intoxicated” and said he wouldn’t be in. But around 10 p.m. that evening, Gowans arrived at the restaurant with a handgun, which he held to another employee’s head while demanding money, the Gainesville Times reported. Multiple employees and customers called 911, and police arrived to see Gowans exiting the restaurant with his gun. He briefly raised the weapon, officers reported, but then dropped it, and he was taken into custody after a brief struggle.

Not Santa As Stephanie Leguia of Milton, Massachusetts, and her neighbor, Wenhan Huang, chatted in Huang’s yard on Dec. 1, an unusual object slammed to the ground just feet from where they stood. Their backs were turned when what looked like a “giant silver tarp” crashed down, reported the Boston Herald. On its way, it lopped off four tree branches: “If it had hit us, we would have been dead,” Leguia said. Turns out the object was an uninflated silver evacuation slide from a Delta flight arriving in Boston from Paris. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the pilot had heard a loud noise as the Boeing airliner approached Logan International Airport, but the flight landed without incident.

Delta and the FAA are investigating.

Least Competent Criminals Callie Elizabeth Carswell of Morganton, North Carolina, and her fiance, Clarence Moore III, allegedly staged an elaborate crime, all in the name of love, just before Thanksgiving. Around 10 p.m. on Nov. 25, while Carswell worked at the Big Daddy convenience store, Moore entered the store carrying an ornamental sword and wearing a hat and bandanna to disguise his identity. He “demanded” money from Carswell, leaving with $2,960, the Morganton Department of Public Safety told The News Herald. When the “robber” left the store, she called 911.

Police went on to work the case overnight, while Carswell and Moore made an early morning stop at Walmart to buy a ring and get engaged on the spot, documenting the big event on Facebook. But details of Carswell’s story didn’t add up, and investigators found evidence in her car and at their home that led them to arrest the couple. Moore confessed to the crime, but Carswell shouted at reporters as she entered the courthouse: “I will assault you!

I didn’t do it. ... Watch the (expletive) video and you’ll see that I was (expletive) terrified. I wasn’t involved.” The couple were charged with armed robbery, misuse of 911 and filing a false police report.

Fine Points of the Law After a decade of wrangling through the court system, Bela Kosoian has been awarded $20,000 (Canadian) by the Supreme Court of Canada. It all started in the Laval, Quebec, Montmorency Metro station in 2009, when Kosoian was riding an escalator while looking through her purse and, pointedly, not holding the handrail. According to CBC News, a police officer told her to respect a sign asking riders to hold the rail, but Kosoian declined and then would not identify herself to the officer, who slapped her with two tickets: one for disobeying the sign and another for obstructing the work of an inspector. Kosoian sued, and the highest court agreed with her, saying: “A reasonable

police officer should have known that people didn’t have to hold the handrails.” They called the sign a “warning” and not a law. “I knew that I didn’t do anything wrong,” Kosoian said.

“It was the principle of it.”

Questionable Judgment In The Hague, Netherlands, management at supermarket chain Albert Heijn is walking back a request that employees send in a photo of themselves in their underwear, in order to work out sizes for new uniforms. Workers were asked to use an “innovative mobile app” to submit the photos, AFP reported, but the company backed down after the complaints started rolling in. “The manager told us that if we don’t do it, we can’t be in the store anymore because we don’t have the right corporate clothing,” said one 17-year-old employee who works at the Nijmegen branch. But Albert Heijn said participating was voluntary and “although ... pictures were not visible to management, this should never have happened. We apologize to all involved.”

Irony Ronald Cyr, 65, of Van Buren, Maine, became the victim of his own trap on Nov. 28 when he was shot by a handgun that he had rigged to fire whenever someone opened the front door. Cyr was able to call 911 and say that he had been shot, WAGM reported, but he later died. When officers of the Van Buren Police Department arrived, they found that along with the home’s front-door booby trap, other devices were set up, prompting them to call the Maine State Police bomb squad.

Homemade security devices that use weapons are illegal in the United States.

The Continuing Crisis Veronica Alvarez-Rodriguez stopped at a Valparaiso, Florida, Goodwill store on Dec. 1 to pick up a gift for a baby shower she and her husband were attending. She was excited to find a Baby Einstein bouncer seat for just $9.99 -- unopened and appearing to be new, The Palm Beach Post reported. Later, at the shower in Crestview, the father-to-be opened the box and found ... a Mossberg 715T semi-automatic rifle. “You guys got me a gun!” he shouted excitedly. The gun had live ammo loaded in it, so the Crestview Police Department was summoned. Initially, officers let the future dad keep the weapon, but later asked to hold it as they investigated the incident. “Goodwill has the best treasures for $9.99,” AlvarezRodriguez gushed.

Bright Ideas -- At her early December murder trial at Kingston Crown Court in Kingston, England, 35-year-old Asta Juskauskiene of Dartford was accused of setting up a “latter-day medieval duel” between her estranged husband, Giedruis Juskaukus, 42, and her lover, 25-year-old Mantas Kvedaras. As the story goes, according to the Telegraph, the woman had left her husband and become acquainted with Kvedaras, who was serving time in a Lithuanian prison. He was released in May, and after his arrival in England, both men claimed Juskauskiene as their own. So, logically, she decided they should fight to the death in an alleyway on June 17 -- a duel which Juskaukus did not survive. He was found with 35 stab wounds to his body and neck, and Kvedaras confessed to the attack. The prosecutor, Hugh Davies, contends that Juskauskiene manipulated the two men, harbored Kvedaras after the incident, and repeatedly lied to police.

She denies conspiring to murder.

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 9

COMMITTED IN 2012.

SOLVED IN 2019.

A seven-year-old Grand Traverse County robbery case solved this year demonstrates the promise — and the limitations — of forensic science.

By Patrick Sullivan When a man passed a note through a Walgreens drive-thru saying that he’d rigged the store with a bomb and needed all the morphine and Ritalin the Grand Traverse store had, an alert pharmacy clerk and quick action by detectives soon led to all the evidence needed to identify a suspect and connect him to the crime.

The clerk handed over one bottle of each of the drugs, saying that was all they had, and she jotted down the license plate as the Pontiac Grand Prix sped away. Her effort helped police quickly discover that the vehicle had been stolen. Soon after, they found it abandoned on a nearby side street.

Fingerprints lifted from inside the car would later connect the crime to a suspect with a criminal history — Jason David Cook, now 42, a man who was on probation in Grand Traverse County for felony theft charges when he held up the Walgreens.

Open-and-shut case, right?

Not exactly.

All of that evidence was put together soon after the May 2012 robbery, but Cook was not tied to the crime until seven years later, when a scientist at the Michigan State Police Grayling Crime Lab matched the latent crime scene fingerprints to Cook.

Thomas Holcomb, lead fingerprint examiner.

10 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

‘GETTING HITS LEFTS AND RIGHT’ How did it take so long to match the Grand Prix fingerprints to Cook’s fingerprints, which, in 2012, would have been already included in a database of anyone who had been arrested.

The reason for the delay was not because of a backlog at state police forensic science crime labs, said Connie Swander, director of the Grayling crime lab, which is one of only eight crime labs in the state and serves police departments in 26 northern Michigan counties.

The seven-year pause was due to a far more frustrating reason, one anyone who relies on computers to do their job can understand: The software was faulty. It often missed matches, Swander said.

State police fingerprint analysts across the state, all of whom used the same program, recognized the issue, and the state switched to another software vendor in late 2018. After the switch, the analysts began to re-run latent prints from cold cases. They got lots of hits.

“Over the years they have found out that, like any technology, if somebody doesn’t keep it up, for whatever reason, it starts not being as good. It’s missing a lot of things,” she said.

“Now that we’ve got the new system, and we fed all of our old samples that have been in there for years over to the new system, and we’re getting hits right and left.”

That doesn’t mean that old cases are being solved left and right. In many instances, investigators had solved the cases through other means. But the new fingerprint analysis system is solving some cold cases, like the Walgreens holdup and, possibly, a cold-case homicide that Swander said she could not discuss because the case is still open.

A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING FIELD Fingerprints have been used in criminal investigations since the 1890s. Forensic DNA dates back only to the 1990s, but it’s nonetheless overtaken fingerprints by a wide margin: Today, cells can be sequenced in a way that a DNA result can become something like a barcode, an exact mathematical expression of a person’s identity. Meanwhile, fingerprints remain a swirling maze of lines that are much more complicated to express scientifically.

The Walgreens case shows just how far forensic science has come in a short span of time. It is an ever-evolving science, prone to unpredictable developments and unfortunate setbacks.

Swander worked as a medical technologist in a hospital before she joined the state police crime lab in 1985. She started in a department that was then, in the preDNA days, called the serology department (serology is the diagnostic examination of blood serum), and is today called the biology/ DNA department. She was promoted to lab director in 2003.

Over those years, Swander has watched the capabilities of forensic science expand exponentially.

In the early days, latent fingerprints couldn’t be run through a database of people who had been arrested for crimes because there was no database; instead, there were binders and stacks of fingerprint cards.

“When I first started here, we didn’t even have a computer,” Swander said. “Now we’re completely electronic. All our reports are done electronically. You know, your computer is like, attached to your side. I’ve seen a ton of changes.”

Early in her career, the crime lab tested blood to determine whether or not it was human and then ran an ABO blood-type analysis so that suspects could be either ruled out or ruled in — but not positively identified.

Similarly, fingerprint analysis was more art than science. Fingerprints had to be matched by a trained eye concentrating on two patterns under a magnifying glass.

That final aspect of fingerprint matching remains true today; fingerprint matches are still made by a trained professional who optically compares two fingerprints.

Nowadays, however, a computer program tips off the analysts about which fingerprints in the database should be compared to which, making more matches possible than would have been imaginable when Swander started in 1985.

“Back when I came in, you had your question print, and you actually have to have a print card from everybody that you wanted to compare,” Swander said. “Now, they can have a question print and can search it against hundreds of thousands of knowns that are in there.”

Developments in biology have been even more mindboggling during Swander’s career.

She was there for the introduction of DNA into forensic science, and she has watched it become more precise with each passing year.

When DNA was first used in criminal prosecutions in northern Michigan in the

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late 1990s, there were a lot of limits on what the evidence could do.

“You needed a blood stain about the size of a nickel to be able to get a sufficient amount of nuclear DNA to get a result on your sample. Nowadays we can take a spot the size of a pinhead, and we are able to get a DNA pattern,” Swander said. “At first, DNA was maybe a step up from [blood-typing].

It could give you some statistics. But as that technology has evolved and gotten more and more finetuned, we’ve gotten down to where you can get numbers as high as one in six quadrillion, the chance of someone else having that same DNA pattern, which is greater than the population of the world, which is therefore a pretty good indicator that you’ve got the right suspect.”

BACKLOGS AND NAGGING PROSECUTORS Staff at the Grayling lab attempt to get results turned around as quickly as possible, but there are a lot of forces that work against them. For instance, when a crime scene needs to be studied, the techs have to leave their workplace and travel somewhere, often over great distances, to collect evidence.

For most of the forensic disciplines, turnaround time runs up to 30 days. Forty days is considered late.

But DNA is different. Advances have made it so much more useful and commonplace that there is much greater demand across the state for DNA test results, and those results can take much longer, partly due to the fact that the scientific tests themselves can take weeks.

It is delayed in another way because DNA testing is only conducted at three locations in the state — at DNA labs in Grand Rapids, Northville, and Lansing. There are eight other crime labs across the state similar to the Grayling lab, which each include four departments: a drug identification unit, latent prints, firearms ballistics, and biology.

What sets Grayling apart from the other labs, perhaps, is that it serves 26 counties in northern lower Michigan and two counties in the eastern U.P. There are so many police agencies in that vast area that there is always pressure to process evidence quickly.

“We constantly have this pull,” Swander said. “Prosecutors are just like doctors.

I worked in a hospital for 18 years, and every doctor wants their lab work done first, before all the other ones. And I have found prosecutors are the same way. They want their cases done first before any other prosecutors in the state. So, we have that to deal with, too.”

What’s more, now that DNA can be extracted from invisible cells left behind on anything a person touches, demand for DNA tests from police departments has gone up, and backlogs for DNA tests have increased.

While the outlying crime labs don’t conduct the actual DNA tests, they are critical to making sure that DNA can be used as evidence because they are trained in collecting the samples needed from crime scenes and maintaining “chain of custody” that assures the integrity of the evidence doesn’t come into question.

“That’s the most important part of it,” Swander said. “The case is only as good as the evidence that you get on it, and the evidence is only as good as the chain that you can maintain on it.”

Across all of the disciplines, submitted evidence at forensic labs is first-come, firstserve, unless there is good reason to make something a priority, like a test needed to identify a murder suspect or if something is urgently needed for an upcoming court date.

Swander said crime labs have had to become more discriminating about what DNA evidence they will accept. That means violent crime always takes priority over property crime.

Swander said the rate at which forensic science has developed over her career is astonishing, and she can’t imagine what the future holds.

“I’ve been in 34 years. I can’t even imagine — I won’t be around, but I can’t imagine — what it’s going to look like in another 34 years,” she said.

DETAILS FADE AWAY The technological glitch that delayed justice in the Walgreens robbery case for seven years also presented some obstacles that

had to be overcome by the team responsible for prosecuting Cook, the suspect.

Memories had grown distant in the seven years since the note had been handed over at the drive through.

“Obviously, when we got the latent fingerprint hit fairly recently, we were wondering as to why it didn’t hit years prior, because it’s not like Mr. Cook has a clean record, by any means,” said Grand Traverse County Sheriff ’s Capt. Randy Fewless, who oversaw the investigation. “I guess better late than never.”

Fewless said the biggest challenge posed by such a delay is the fragility of witness’ memories.

Ultimately, Cook pled guilty to larceny in a building, and he was sentenced to nine months in jail.

Kyle Attwood, the assistant prosecutor who handled the case, said he couldn’t say if the case would have turned out differently had it been prosecuted in 2012, but he said the lag definitely presented challenges.

“Witnesses’ memories fade, and the ability to conduct any necessary follow-up is impaired,” he said in an email. “I can’t say for certain what would have happened if we’d been able to charge the case immediately; however, I’m confident we would have had an easier time meeting our burden.”

When Thomas Holcomb, the lead fingerprint examiner at the Grayling lab, testified at the preliminary hearing, he had to overcome questioning from Cook’s defense attorney, Janet Mistele, which suggested that, when he confirmed the fingerprint match in 2019, he was coming to a conclusion that differed from the one reached by an examiner in 2012. In fact, he testified, the latent prints were never compared to the known Cook prints until 2019.

At the hearing, Holcomb explained how, in recent years, fingerprint examiners had come to realize that the computer matching system was no longer working properly, prompting the switch to the new system in November 2018.

“We knew there were problems, and that’s why we ended up going to a new vendor,” he said.

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get out there

Area slopes invested big last summer — time to hit the pow and reap the benefits.

Boyne Mountain

By Ross Boissoneau Area ski slopes are doubling down on improvements to not only the slopes — but also what’s inside. From new paint to new equipment to new places to plug in your crockpot, it’s all about making things more accommodating for skiers and snowboarders. After all, winter is coming.

Ready to ride?

Nub’s Nob Harbor Springs Upgrades inside and outside are expected to make Nub’s even more appealing. First, more snow, courtesy of an additional well, and a new PistenBully Winch Cat to provide better grooming on the steep front side slopes. Nub’s has added a dedicated snowshoe and uphill ski trail: The Upper Orange Loop takes a trek through the trees in natural conditions and is open to uphill skiers for skinning up the snowshoe trail and descending through the surrounding glades.

The lodge’s back deck has been redone and expanded, offering more room adjacent to the pub. The expansion also means better access to the Winter Garden, its large outdoor seating area. The resort’s flagship Green Lift has gotten a facelift, with a new paint job in a brighter shade of green. All the seats have gotten new cushions.

Inside, the lodge’s basement was completely renovated. Known affectionately as the Brown Bagger, it was historically used as excess space during peak season, but also as a dedicated area for customers to keep

coolers and prepare their own food. It now boasts a changing room, new bathrooms, more seating and tons of free storage space.

The resort has also run power to new counter spaces to accommodate guests using things like Crock-Pots to prepare food for large groups and teams.

Technology hasn’t been ignored, as Nub’s Nob has overhauled its network as well.

Guests will find that the Wi-Fi coverage is complete and much faster than in the past.

Treetops Resort Gaylord One-stop shopping on the slopes? Why not? The Gaylord resort has moved the check-in for nearly everything to the skier services building. It now services downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, fat tire biking and sleigh rides at the base of the hill, in lieu of several different locations for these activities in years past.

As it opens additional terrain, Treetops will be introducing a new glades area on the backside slopes. The resort has also completely revamped its Skiable Feast route, a popular cross country/snowshoe excursion with stops for food and drink along the way. The resort will again host multiple USASA freestyle ski and snowboard competitions this winter.

Shanty Creek Bellaire With new rental equipment from Rossignol, Shanty Creek will offer nearly 500 pairs of Rossignol adult skis. Rossignol’s lineup provides the latest design technology

12 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

to create buttery-smooth turns and carving.

But wait, there’s more: In addition, there will be a new selection of Rossignol high performance demo skis and boots.

Shanty Creek’s kiosks for lift ticket redemption and fulfillment have been so well received that it’s adding more. It’s just the ticket for those who would rather be on the hill than standing in line to redeem a voucher for a lift ticket. Just grab your lift ticket and go.

More: The resort has added additional seasonal rental lockers, plus a new NASTAR timing facility for race enthusiasts.

Mt. Holiday Traverse City “The most exciting thing is new management, new food, and ongoing infrastructure improvements,” said Nate Pupel, the director of operations. Chef Keil Moshier has upgraded the menu at the T-Bar Lounge, which now includes a raft of sandwiches, burgers and entrees such as New York strip and chicken pot pie.

Pupel said Mt. Holiday is beginning upgrades on its snowmaking with a new waterline and new pedestals, but the improvements won’t fully come to fruition for another couple years.

“Within two or three years we’ll be getting the hill totally updated to the point we can open within 100 hours” of proper temperatures, he said.

Crystal Mountain Thompsonville More snow and more grooming means

more racing, which means more prize money. Crystal Mountain added another snowmaking machine to its arsenal and a new PistenBully 400 groomer to the fleet.

When the Liberty Mutual Insurance NASTAR Midwest Championships visit the resort Feb. 29-March 1, the winners will be awarded prize money for the first time in the event’s history.

The two-day event uses a handicap system, allowing racers in each age, gender and ability group to compete head-to-head. The top four competitors will share a $5,000 purse.

Those not so much into racing will still have plenty to look forward to with tweaks to the terrain, providing more room and visibility for skiers and riders. As part of an ongoing project to remove the retired Cheers lift, the lower terminal is history, creating better traffic flow to the Buck quad chairlift. Even the Crystal Spa is getting into the act, with seven new services exclusively for the winter season.

Caberfae Peaks Cadillac Caberfae started the season with a new 12-inch snowmaking pipeline out of the pumphouse, which replaced 1,000 feet of old eight-inch pipe. Then they added another water line and electricity to feed three more snow machines and four new SMI Super PoleCat snow guns. With an addition five upgraded snow machines, it translates into more snow. Plus a new Prinoth BR350 groomer, and three additional first floor guest rooms at the slope-side Mackenzie Lodge, allowing for ski-in/ski-out lodging without any stairs.

Crystal Mountain

The Homestead Glen Arbor At the Homestead, you must not miss Whiskers. The taproom located in Mountain Village. Unveiled last summer, Whiskers is expected to be the centerpiece of winter gatherings, with its expanded menu, locally sourced beers and ciders, and communal table, all anchored by an outdoor fireplace.

“People can gather at by the fire, with the outdoor bar and celebration table,” said Tom Bartholomew, the resort’s senior manager of outdoor recreation.

The resort will also be showing off its new skating rink. Previously it used the frozen ponds for skating, but Bartholomew said excavation of a dedicated area will provide resort guests with a new, expanded ice rink. He said the Bay View trail has also been re-marked, providing better visibility for cross-country skiers and snowshoers on the National Lakeshore-owned tail, which is maintained by the Friends of Sleeping Bear.

Boyne Mountain Boyne Falls More snow (always a good thing) and innovative technology are on tap at Boyne Mountain. It’s testing two new HKD KLiK snowmaking hydrants as a step toward snowmaking automation. Two snowmaking pumps have been rebuilt for increased snowmaking capability; the resort has also replaced 400 feet of snowmaking mainline pipe and added valves on Meadows for increased flexibility. To get to the top, six lifts will feature scanning for tickets and season passes, which will streamline access to lifts.

On the slopes, glade skiing has been expanded on Hemlock and Victor, and lift and race houses on Superbowl, Ramshead, and Alpine have received makeovers. If you’d rather bike than schuss, Boyne Mountain is renting out Sno-Go bikes, with additional bikes for sale through its Boyne Country Sports store.

Boyne Mountain is also hosting the only Ski for MS Vertical Challenge in the Midwest.

The five-hour fundraising challenge on Feb. 29, 2020 benefits families living with multiple sclerosis and Challenge Mountain, a Boyne Falls-based organization that offers adaptive recreation to people living with disabilities.

Boyne Highlands Harbor Springs The Highlands’ main lodge is being renovated, offering 85 upgraded rooms and suites. The renovation will also include a multilevel European-style spa facility, reimagined restaurants, modernized conference facilities, swimming complex, and more.

Like its sister operation, Boyne Highlands will begin using scanning technology on

four lifts this season. On the slopes, a skier/ boarder cross has also been added to the line-up during the Bacon & Bourbon Bash on Jan. 19. A new family relay race, the Homecoming Hot Cocoa Hustle, is taking place on Jan. 25 during Homecoming Weekend, along with the return of the Highlands Downhill the following day.

Hickory Hills Traverse City This will be the first winter patrons will be able to take advantage of all the benefits of $4 million in improvements. Those include the new lodge, alpine slopes and Nordic ski trails, as well as a lighted loop. Night skiing is available on most of the runs, and cross-country skiers will find more than 5 kilometers of trails with a 1K trail lighted for night skiing.

Beginner slope Fast Tammy now features a magic carpet lift; there is a new sledding hill and a new retail operation.

“For the terrain park we’ve purchased four new rail features that are being custom made for Hickory Hills,” said Derek Melville, the parks and recreation superintendent for the city.

As a result of the improvements, Hickory Hills will host the high school state championships for Nordic skiing in February.

“It’s really exciting for us to host the state championships,” said Laura Ness, president of the citizen group Preserve Hickory, which worked with the city on the improvements.

All that activity can work up an appetite.

Inside the new lodge, kitchen upgrades improved food service options, made possible by a collaborative effort between the City of Traverse City and Child and Family Services.

Otsego Resort Gaylord Otsego Resort is now in its second year of being fully open to the public. It will also celebrate its 80th birthday this year and is opening Dec. 13. To celebrate, it will offer free ski packages with lodging.

What’s new? Lights, camera, action — or at least lights leading to action. Lifts 4 and 5 will be lighted for more evening skiing options. On the tubing side, the resort has opened another tubing lane, bringing the total to three. And hey, who doesn’t want to go Disco Tubing? Lights and pulsating music can only make the slide down the hill more fun.

Sales director Michelle Norton said Otsego Club will also be offering specials of one sort or another every weekend, which she said will be announced on its Facebook page.

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14 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

Artist Patricia Boucha donates sparkling, 30-foot glass and crystal mosaic to Kaleva to honor its Finnish heritage.

By Al Parker One of Kaleva’s newest residents is making a 30-foot creative gift to honor her adopted Manistee County home.

Mosaic artist Patricia Boucha is donating a large six panel glass display that will illustrate Kaleva’s Finnish legacy.

“I moved here in August and took a walk in the Sculpture Park and went through the Kaleva Art Gallery,” said Boucha. “I decided then that I wanted to donate something to this community.”

Boucha, who previously owned and operated an art gallery in Ann Arbor, won’t be taking a fee for the project.

Financial support for materials is from the Kaleva Historical Society and from grants, which are still being pursued. Boucha estimates the total cost to be $10,000 to $15,000. Fundraising is now underway and Boucha has been working to generate donations. One company that she has dealt with for years has agreed to donate Swarovski crystals to the mosaic project.

Each mosaic panel would measure 5 feet by 3 feet and be on 1/2-inch tempered glass. The colorful design calls for them to rotate – similar to a carousel – and be lighted for viewing.

The plan is for this project to be a spectacular, eye-catching creation.

“We want people to come from around the world to see this,” said Boucha.

Work on the first panel is expected to start after Christmas, according to Boucha, who created a 15-foot marigold glass mosaic sculpture that stands outside the Pittsfield Township Hall near Ann Arbor in 2013.

The project will be built at Boucha’s home studio where she will create the first panel, then oversee construction of the other five. She’s hoping to have members of the community stop in and take part in the mosaic work.

Target date to complete the first panel is May or June of 2020, she said. Other panels will be completed when funding is secured.

The initial panel features Väinämöinen, a hero and central character in Finnish folklore.

He’s the star of the national epic, Kalevala, from which the village takes its name. Some experts identify him as the inspiration for Gandalf, the wizard in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel “The Lord of the Rings.”

Despite its tiny size of fewer than 500 residents, Kaleva has a rich legacy of art and history.

The town became known as Kaleva when the Michigan Land Society secured a Finnish land agent by the name of Jacob Saari from Brooklyn, New York, to sell land in the area

and lure Finns to settle there. In 1900, Saari and others moved to the village. It was Saari who named the town.

“In 1969, the Kaleva Historical Society (KHS) was formed by members of the community who wanted to preserve the heritage and history of Kaleva,” said KHS President Cindy Asiala.

Thirty-two years later, the Art Gallery – a co-operative that features jewelry, weaving and other artworks – was founded. It has about 125 members and supports many local artists and crafters, Asiala said.

The Sculpture Walkway, which extends from Nine Mile Road, north to Wuoski Street, was created by students of Brethren High School in 1999 to celebrate Kaleva’s centennial year.

Its unique sculptures include: • A giant grasshopper designed and crafted by students under the direction of Wellston welder and metal artist Andy Priest. The students heard about the legend of St. Urho chasing the grasshoppers out of Finland and saving the grape crop. They decided to build a 500-pound, 18-foot grasshopper out of discarded metal parts. They named it “Farmer’s Nightmare” when it was dedicated in March 2000. Signage at the sight explains this one got away and landed in Kaleva but will cause no damage to local crops.

• A sculpture to honor Kalevea’s longtime mayor Robert Rengo was also designed by Priest, who crafted it in the shape of the airplane that Rengo flew during World War II when he soared over the China Hump. A grant from the Finlandia Foundation helped make sculpture possible.

• Kaleva artist Robert Ramirez used 2,660 wire coat hangers to create Väinämöinen’s ship.

The legend says that the Finnish hero’s powerful singing voice created a metal ship to carry him away; this sculpture honors that tale.

• Three 4-foot by 4-foot panels painted with Finnish-inspired patterns and symbols was created by local artist Melvin Fennell. Two panels depict Finnish designs, while the third features a crowned lion, Finland’s coat of arms.

The display also features a Finnish poem.

• The walkway’s newest addition is a 13foot tall sculpture tree featuring 130 silvery metal leaves. Priest meticulously welded each of the leaves in place to honor Kaleva’s past business owners and community contributors. It was dedicated in 2014.

To support the mosaic project or learn more about it, call Asiala at (231) 299-4484 or write to the Kaleva Historical Society at Box 252, Kaleva, MI 49645.

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NORTHERN SEEN 1. Jack Senff and his wife Em Randall at the Boardman Review Issue 10 Release Party at The Little Fleet in TC. 2. Jenny Brower, Marcie Wolf, and Kathy Bardins looking sharp at the Petoskey Chamber’s annual breakfast, held at Odawa Casino.

3. Stafford Smith and Jennifer Shorter were celebrating at the Petoskey Regional Chamber’s Breakfast of Champions.

4. Jack Senff onstage inside the yurt during the Boardman Review event at The Little Fleet.

5. Kelli Duranczyk and family complete the annual turkey trot in TC.

RING IN THE NEW YEAR featuring One Hot Robot music from 9pm to 1am.

BOWLING AND DINNER packages $25 per person plus tax and gratuity TWO SEATINGS: 7-9pm & 9:30-11:30pm Seating is limited Call 231.386.1061 to reserve your space 116 WAUKAZOO STREET - NORTHPORT - TUCKERSNP.COM

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 15

Must–See Made-for-TV Holiday Movies: 2019

Old flames, widowed fathers, failing family businesses, and yuletide romance aplenty — minus Hallmark staple-turned-lawbreaker Lori Loughlin, ’tis the season to tune into TV’s most reliable holiday traditions

By Meg Weichman Living in northern Michigan, we have some pretty magical holiday traditions. Like getting your Christmas tree at a picturesque local farm, a street that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, or attending small-town light parades and tree lightings. Heck, Traverse City’s towering two-story Christmas tree is planted smack dab in the middle of a downtown street (its stump is set inside a manhole), and traffic just drives around it like it’s no big deal.

But as much as we love to celebrate the season here, the North still has nothing on the wonder and magic of made-for-TV Christmas movies, where everyone seems to not only have the small-town (or big city) Christmas experience of their dreams but also finds love and discovers the true meaning of Christmas.

And just when you think there’s not possibly a Christmas-related story left to tackle, the networks are stepping up their game, and some new trends are emerging in the 2019 slate — including Hanukkah finally getting more representation, a major influx of country music stars and plots, and a steady lean into anthology film collections and sequels (see Hallmark’s Christmas in Evergreen, Christmas at Graceland, and A Godwink Christmas films; or Netflix’s Christmas Prince franchise), as well as the notable absence of Hallmark staple Lori Loughlin (ahem, college admissions scandal).

With over 90 new original films dropping this holiday season on a variety of platforms — including Netflix, Lifetime, Disney+, and the gold standard, Hallmark Channel, and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries (40 movies alone come from Hallmark!) — there’s certainly a lot of holiday concerts, cookie baking, single dads, snowstorms, magical happenstance, quaint inns, family businesses in need of saving, old flames to reconnect with, and unexpected detours with which to keep up.

This list is to help you cut through the clutter of a memorable Christmas movie season that brings us not one, but two, movies about Christmas light factories, more train travel than you thought was possible in 2019, as well as dueling Tia (A Very Vintage Christmas, Lifetime) and Tamera (A Christmas Miracle, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) Mowry movies (not to mention a movie about rival dueling pianists, The Road Home for Christmas, Lifetime).

So if you are someone who does not want to commit to spending the bulk of your December contemplating ordering Little Passports, Balsam Hill trees, or Ninja appliances during commercial breaks as you binge on this year’s barrage of unrealistic holiday cheer and predictable yuletide romance, here are some can’t miss highlights:

16 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

HOLIDAY IN THE WILD Come for Rob Lowe as a hunky pilot, stay for the adorable baby elephants.

After her marriage ends abruptly, former veterinarian Kate (Kristin Davis) heads off alone on her “second honeymoon” trip to Africa. There, she and said hunky pilot rescue an orphaned baby elephant, and Kate finds her calling volunteering at the local elephant sanctuary as romantic sparks fly. Streaming on Netflix CHRISTMAS AT GRACELAND: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Come for the Sound of Musicesque plot, stay for an appearance

by Priscilla Presley herself. Harper (Kaitlin Doubleday) returns home to Memphis while she awaits an interview for a prestigious art curator position (a Hallmark career first!), and with her extra free time at the holidays she not only returns to her tour guide roots at Graceland but also becomes a nanny for a very strict widower (Adrien Grenier — yes, this is what it has come to for the Entourage star) who doesn’t approve of his children’s singing.

Airing on Hallmark December 21, 25, 29, 31 CHRISTMAS AT DOLLYWOOD Come for Dolly Parton, STAY FOR DOLLY PARTON! Dolly couldn’t let Graceland be the only music icon tourist destination represented on Hallmark, and

so we get to go on location with the star literally everyone can agree on (though I think not titling this Holly Dolly Christmas was a real missed opportunity). The film itself revolves around Hallmark favorite Danica McKellar as a New York City event planner who returns home to held plan the big celebration for the Dollywood Smokey Mountain Christmas Festival … only to butt heads with the theme park’s entertainment director. Will their creative differences lead to love?

Airing on Hallmark Dec. 19, 21, 25, 29, and Jan. 1, 4 A CHRISTMAS LOVE STORY Come for Kristen Chenoweth’s singing, stay for all the unexpected heartwarming feels. No Christmas movie roundup would be complete without shining a light on this year’s prestige production, the annual Hallmark Hall of Fame movie — a timehonored tradition that precedes the current Christmas crazy movie trends.

With a bigger budget and better cast, Tony and Emmy-winner Chenoweth (2009’s 12 Men of Christmas, one of the all-time great TV Christmas movies) stars as youth choir director who gets distracted writing the big show’s annual original tune by the widowed father (Scott Wolf) of a promising new student.

Airing on Hallmark Dec. 18, 22, 25, and Jan. 3

CHRISTMAS RESERVATIONS Come for Melissa Joan Hart, stay for a bonus romance plot with the dad from Family Ties. The Queen of the “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” movies, Hart is always a fixture of the network’s best Christmas fare. In her latest she stars as an event coordinator for her family’s lodge, one who gets a shock at the check-in desk when the one who got away (Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Carlos from Desperate Housewives), a nowwidowed dad of two (are you seeing a theme here?) comes to stay at her hotel, and the reservations about the path she took in life come to the surface. Written by a real-life couple, this takes on more emotional realism than most.

Airing on Lifetime DOUBLE HOLIDAY Come for the spotlight on Hanukkah, stay for the all-to-real fact the lead doesn’t get to take off work to celebrate.

As part of being considered for an upcoming promotion, the Jewish Rebecca (Carly Pope) must work with her gentile rival coworker (Kristoffer Polaha) to throw the company holiday party. As the two share their family customs, they find they might like each other more than they thought, and we get to experience some new traditions as the standard Christmas movie is filtered through a refreshingly different lens.

Airing on Hallmark Dec. 21, 22, 23, 26, 30 OUR CHRISTMAS LOVE SONG Come for the bad singing but poignant acting of Hallmark queen Alicia Witt, stay for the revelation that her character’s “smash hit single” is actually kind of good. In a role I would not have thought would’ve worked for the subtle and subdued Witt, she plays a country music star accused of plagiarism who returns home in search of proof that she wrote the song years ago with her deceased father. And along the way she finds so much more than the music she was looking for, including a new chance with her old flame/singing partner. Not

only will you believe she could be a country singer; you’ll also believe in the magic of Christmas.

Airing on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Dec. 24, 27, and Jan. 1, 4 CHRISTMAS Á LA MODE Come for the heartfelt story of a family farm struggling to survive, stay for all the incredible ice cream flavor ideas. Sick of cookies getting all the Christmas treats glory? This film set on a family dairy farm uses an ice cream flavor contest as a way to save their deceased father’s legacy. And the determined daughter leading the charge finds an unexpected connection with the man trying to sell the farm out from under them after he offers her some ace marketing advice.

Airing on Lifetime THE KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Come for the time travel, stay for all the medieval chivalry. This one is basically a Christmas-set version of Kate & Leopold, in which a 14th century knight finds himself transported to modern-day Ohio. Figuring his strangeness is a product of a head injury of some sort, Brooke (Vanessa Hudgens, of last year’s sensational The Princess Switch) takes him under her wing. After baking homemade bread and experiencing a daring water rescue, it seems he might just be the knight in shining armor she had all but given up on finding.

Available on Netflix CHRISTMAS UNLEASHED Come for the dog, stay for the fact you know the dog will be OK — this is a Christmas movie, after all. Make no bones about it, this story of a dog who goes missing on Christmas Eve is totally playing right into your canineloving hands. But it’s also a charming story of two old flames (Vanessa Lachey and Christopher Russell) coming back together and revisiting memorable Christmas moments of their past while in search of their four-legged friend.

Airing on Lifetime

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WTF BONUSES! If you’d rather experience some of the most ridiculous, silly, and just plain bad Christmas movies out there, then these are the ones for you: A CHEERFUL CHRISTMAS Come for the fact that “Christmas Coach” is apparently a career, stay for the fact their client is a member of the royal family. Yes, in this film, a professional Christmas Coach helps a royal family embrace the Christmas spirit, while falling in love with the business-oriented prince. Will it be the best Christmas ever?

Airing on Hallmark Dec. 19, 21, 25, 28, 31 STAGING CHRISTMAS Come for a grown-up Punky Brewster, stay for a hard-hitting look at the world of home stagings! Yes, that’s a right, a professional home stager finds romantic chemistry with a rich widowed man who is not selling a house but would just like to have his home temporarily staged for the holidays to light up his darling daughter’s holiday season.

Airing on Lifetime

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Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 17

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18 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

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Winter Festival Madness!

By Kristi Kates The best way to prevent cabin fever in the coming months? Plan to hit up some of the North’s weird, wild, or just plain wonderful winter fests. We’ve assembled a few of our favorites — and a singular must-see event at each. All you’ve got to do is pencil in the dates, bundle up, and be ready to make some only-Up-North memories.

WINTERFEST Mackinaw City, Jan. 17–19 Embrace the great outdoors at Mackinaw City’s winter extravaganza. Stroll the city chasing the odds as part of the fest’s Poker Walk; sign up for the ice fishing contest at quaint Paradise Lake; check out the surprisingly colorful snow sculptures (food coloring for the win!), and then pop inside to warm up in the best wintery way we know — by trying out the various sweet, spicy, and even savory concoctions at the annual Chili Cookoff.

You’ve Gotta: Catch (or participate in!) the Outhouse Races — yup, that kind of outhouse. Each “mobile outhouse” has to be outfitted with the necessities (including TP), and you can watch hilarity ensue as they’re pushed across the ice in a funny and fasterthan-you-might-expect competition.

More Info: www.mackinawcity.net SHADOWFEST Charlevoix, Feb. 1 Charlevoix is tackling the darkness of winter head-on with its very own Groundhog

Day celebration. Get your fill of soup at the Soup Contest, chase that down with a brew or cocktail after you take a turn at Giant Jenga and a horse-drawn carriage ride through downotow, and then head either inside (for a free family-friendly movie at the Charlevoix Cinema III) or outdoors to take part in the Mt. McSauba sledding setup in East Park. In the early evening, put your dancing shoes on for some live music from Sleeping Gypsies, a four-piece local band set to deliver what’s billed as a “rollicking yet classy” live performance (4pm–6pm in the main event tent.)

You’ve Gotta: Get a photo with the official Charlevoix groundhog! Photo ops will be happening with both the groundhog and “Northern Michigan’s favorite weatherman,” Joe Charlevoix, at noon, also in the main event tent.

More Info: www.charlevoixshadowfest.com WINTER CARNIVAL Petoskey, Feb. 14–15 Now in its 92nd year, Petoskey’s Winter Carnival is unveiling frozen fun for every age and temperature preference. Coldweather fans can check out the display of ice sculptures on downtown sidewalks and throughout Pennsylvania Park, a fun cardboard sled challenge, a ghost walk through some of Petoskey’s historical locations (for shivers both temperature and story-related; local historian Chris Struble has the facts on everything from mobster dealings to prohibition plots), and ice skating. For those who want a warmup here and there, there’s a progressive dinner and

lots of great sales throughout the city.

You’ve Gotta: Watch a competition among experts in the city’s own winter sport — “bump jumping” — where locals and visitors ride the most unconventional of … sleds? Skis? You decide! ... down the Winter Sports Park’s sledding slope.

More Info: www.petoskeydowntown.com CHOCOLATE COVERED BOYNE Boyne City, Feb. 14–15 Two full days of all things chocolate?

Count us in. That’s the idea behind Chocolate Covered Boyne, a festival perfectly timed to coincide with Valentine’s Weekend. Deals abound throughout downtown Boyne City, with loads of coupons offered alongside chocolate treats. The Boyne City Library will be offering “Snowy Day Storytime” with snow exploration stations for kids. A chili cookoff to benefit the Boyne Area Free Clinic will be happening at Boyne Hardware (where there will also be great deals on sleds!). Coldwell Banker will be offering up free hot chocolate. And Stiggs Kitchen will be hosting a dessert contest on Saturday.

What’s not to love?

You’ve Gotta: Eat a lot of chocolate. Sweet!

More information: www.visitboynecitymichigan.com ALPENFROST Gaylord, Feb. 15 Celebrating “the heart of the winter season” in the snowbelt city of Gaylord, the ninth annual Alpenfrost kicks off with the Frosty 5K, an outdoor run for the most

hearty of exercise enthusiasts. The full schedule of events will be announced as the fest gets closer, but you’ll most likely see the return of popular features like ice skating, the soup cookoff, carnival rides, a bonfire with hot cocoa, and S’Mores on the lawn of Gaylord’s landmark courthouse.

You’ve Gotta: Wrap up the fest in the most tranquil way possible — by participating in the moonlit snowshoe hike through the picturesque grounds of Otsego Resort.

More Info: www.gaylordalpenfrost.com SNO-BLAST East Jordan, Feb. 21–22 Presided over by the “Belle of the Blizzard” and the “Winter Knight” — SnoBlast’s versions of a festival queen and king — this event would do Anna and Elsa of Arendelle proud. Live like your favorite Frozen princesses and amble amid ornate Sno-Sculptures — or channel Kristof ’s sleigh-driving skills and attend the Blessing of the Sleds before zipping off on your own snowmobile (or rented sled — google “Snowmobile rental East Jordan” for shops) to see some breathtaking scenery on the local trails, then head on back into town for some hearty Mexican fare at the community taco dinner.

You’ve Gotta: Take a step back in time at the Antique Snowmobile Show, where you can check out quirky vintage sleds and imagine what it would’ve been like traversing northern Michigan’s icy byways back in the day.

More Info: www.ejchamber.org

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 19

20 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

dec 14

saturday

2ND ANNUAL CHRISTKINDLMARKT IN THE VILLAGE OF BAY HARBOR: 10am-8pm.

Comparable to an old time German holiday market full of handmade gifts from area artisans, German food & spirits.

---------------------HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: Tour the Perry Hannah House, now the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, TC decorated for the holiday season from 4-7pm. Please bring non-perishable food items for the Father Fred Food Pantry or unwrapped Toys for Tots toys to place under the main floor Christmas tree. See 31 Christmas trees of all themes, enjoy live music by TC Celtic, a holiday centerpiece floral design program by Derek Woodruff, & Christmas carols with Rick Harkert.

---------------------GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH COOKIE WALK: 8am-noon, Grace Episcopal Church, TC. Cookies are sold by the pound.

---------------------MFD CLASSIC MOTORS ANNUAL TOYS FOR TOTS CARS & COFFEE: 8-11am, MFD Classic Motors, TC. Race Car Santa will collect toys & gifts for children & teens. Slot car races, candy, hot chocolate & coffee. Please bring a gift unwrapped. If you cannot make the event, please drop off gift any time.

---------------------CHRISTMAS MAGIC IN DOWNTOWN BEULAH: Today includes breakfast with Santa & Frosty at Cold Creek Inn, the Darcy Library Cookie Sale, Benzonia Public Library Holiday Party, free family activities, horse-drawn wagon rides, Christmas carolers, Christmas Magic Lighted Parade & more. clcba.org

---------------------CRAFT FAIR & COOKIE WALK: 9am-4pm, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Interlochen. Featuring a wide variety of crafts from over 20 craft artists. Homemade Christmas cookies will be sold by the pound. Have lunch while you shop with 8 varieties of soup, bread & your choice of cookie.

Proceeds will be donated to local community & international charities.

---------------------HOLIDAY SELF-CARE WITH YIN AND TONIC YOGA: 9am, 812 S. Garfield Ave., Suite K, TC. Join Wendy in a 75 minute Yin practice as Samantha, a licensed massage therapist, soothes your tired muscles as you stretch. eventbrite.com

---------------------TRINITY LUTHERAN ANNUAL CHRISTMAS COOKIE SALE: 9am, Trinity Lutheran Church, TC. Featuring over 20,000 cookies. For special orders contact Diane Ford at 941-3487 or dford1050@gmail.com OR contact the church at 946-2720. tctrinity.org

---------------------CHRISTMAS STROLL: 9:30am, Downtown Gaylord. Participating businesses will feature Santa, & offer discounts, refreshments & activities.

---------------------FREE KIDS COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS MOVIE: 9:30am, Gaylord Cinema West. Children

ages 3 to 13 will enjoy a festive morning of holiday entertainment. This chaperoned event provides your choice of three movies (Annabelle’s Wish, The Polar Express, or Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Christmas), hot cocoa & candy canes.

Children will meet Mrs. Claus as she teaches Christmas songs using handbells from the North Pole. Free. Find on Facebook.

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---------------------“SHOP, DROP & JINGLE” HOLIDAY SOIREE & MARKETPLACE: 10am-5pm, Twisted Fish Gallery, Elk Rapids. Free. twistedfishgallery. com/event/shop-drop-jingle-holiday-soiree

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send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

25 CENTS KIDS MATINEES: 10am, State Theatre, TC. “The Grinch.” stateandbijou.org/ calendar

---------------------CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE: 10am-7pm, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Meet Santa, enjoy cookie decorating, music in the halls, carriage rides, a Christmas coloring station & more. thevillagetc.com/christmas-in-the-village-2018-2-2

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EMPTY THE SHELTERS: 10am-5pm. Hosted by the BISSELL Pet Foundation at over 100 participating organizations, including Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, Harbor Springs. Adopt a pet for $25 (excluding puppies) & BISSELL Pet Foundation will sponsor the remaining cost.

All adult cats are free today. No adoptions past 4:30pm. ltbhs.com

---------------------GIFTS TWICE GIVEN BENEFIT: Ward and Eis Gallery, Petoskey. This gallery will donate 20% of purchases on Sat., Dec. 14 & 21 to Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan to support essential services for women, children & families.

231-347-2750.

---------------------HOLIDAY MRKT SHARE: 10am-3pm, Warehouse MRKT, TC. Shop among the wares of local artists & craftspeople.

---------------------MAKE-A-GIFT SERIES: HOLIDAY “MOCKTAILS” CLASS: 10am-noon, Interlochen Public Library. For adults. Sign up: 231-276-6767. Free.

---------------------25 CENTS KIDS MATINEES: 10:30am, Bijou By the Bay Theatre, TC. “The Grinch.” stateandbijou.org/calendar

Don your festive holiday wear in the Jingle Bell Run on Sun., Dec. 22 starting on Garland St., just outside The Workshop Brewing Co., TC at 5pm. Presented by the TC Track Club, this non-timed 5K run/walk tours TC neighborhood streets bordering downtown that are decked out in holiday lights and decorations. Enjoy holiday cookies and hot chocolate afterwards. $25. tctrackclub.com/jingle-bell-run MILK & COOKIES WITH SANTA: 11am, Bellaire Public Library. For K-5 students & their families. Santa will read a story by the fireplace. Free. bellairelibrary.org

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MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION: 11am, New Peninsula Community Library, TC. Wendy Weckstein, physical therapist, wellness consultant & mindfulness-based stress reduction teacher, talks about how paying attention in a purposeful way, especially around the holidays, can benefit you both physically & mentally.

Free. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

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SHARE THE LOVE: 11am-1pm, Subaru by the Bay, Petoskey. There will be adoptable animals, holiday photos with your pet, & anyone who stops by will receive a free dog toy. ltbhs.com

---------------------CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY: 11am2pm, VFW Auxilary #2780 Cherryland Post, TC. Enjoy free children’s activities, horse drawn wagon rides & a visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus. Free.

HOLIDAY CRAFTS FOR KIDS: 11am-2pm, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. Featuring a variety of supervised nature-inspired craft projects suitable for ages 3 – 16. $5. grassriver.org

HOLIDAY PARTY & CRAFT WORKSHOP: Benzonia Public Library. 11-11:15am: Holiday Carols. 11:15-11:45am: Hilarious Puppet Show & Stories with audience participation. 11:45am1pm: Ornament & Craft Workshop plus Festive Photo Booth. Free. benzonialibrary.org

------------------------------------------SIT-N-SIGN W/ CHILDREN’S AUTHOR: 11:30am-1:15pm, Saturn Booksellers, Gaylord. Denise Brennan-Nelson will sign her book “Leopold The Lion.” Story times will be at noon & 12:30pm. saturnbooksellers.com

AUTHOR SIGNING: Noon, Horizon Books, TC. TC resident Molly Greeley will sign her new book, “The Clergyman’s Wife.” The novel is based on Jane Austen’s “Pride & Prejudice.” Free. horizonbooks.com

---------------------FAMILY HOLIDAY MEMORIES: 12-2pm, Benzonia Public Library. Video recordings will become part of the Remembering Benzie Oral History project. The Remembering Benzie interns will host a holiday memory video workshop. Free. benzonialibrary.org

---------------------HOLIDAY WORKSHOP FOR KIDS: Gaylord Area Council for the Arts, Gaylord. Make tin Christmas ornaments, fingerprint holiday cards & more. For all school aged children. Drop in anytime between 12-3pm. Free. gacaevents. weebly.com

---------------------CHRISTMAS IN KINGSLEY: 1pm, Village of Kingsley. Enjoy a reindeer trail, chili cook-off, tree lighting, visit with Santa, & Lights of Love segment honoring loved ones & military personnel who have passed away. 231-263-7778. Free.

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Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 21

Curling at the Pubdecember this Winter

14-2

“ELF THE MUSICAL”: 2pm & 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Adults: $28; youth: $15 (plus fees). mynorthtickets.com

---------------------“FROST”: 2pm & 7pm, TC Central High School Auditorium, TC. By Design Dance Company.

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Come and

Watch

“HOW GRINCHY MET THE WHO”: 2pm & 7:30pm, Grand Traverse Circuit, TC. Presented

by Mash-Up Rock & Roll Musical. “How Grinchy Met the Who” is a reimagined parody of both the beloved Christmas classic & the psychedelic rock opera “Tommy,” with a little extra of The Who sprinkled in. $20-$25; student price of $15 on 12/14. mashuprockandrollmusical.com

---------------------“THE NUTCRACKER”: 2pm & 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s holiday ballet. The Interlochen Arts Academy Ballet Company presents the timeless story of Clara, her enchanted Nutcracker, & their journey through the Land of Sweets. $32 full, $14 student. tickets.interlochen.org

Curling Leagues

Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday

Saturday

Private Group Curling 303 MAIN STREET | FRANKFORT, MI | 231.352.0118

---------------------BENZIE COUNTY COMMUNITY CHORUS CHRISTMAS CONCERT SERIES: 3pm, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Beulah. “Carols and Lullabyes,” a choral concert for the Christmas season. Freewill offering. benziechorus.org BOYNE MOUNTAIN HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 5-9pm, Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls. Enjoy horse drawn sleigh rides, a bonfire & s’mores, arts & crafts, a family holiday movie, holiday treats & more.

---------------------THE CHRISTMAS MAGIC PARADE: 5:15pm, Downtown Beulah.

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JEWELERS

• Northern Michigan’s largest dealer of estate jewelry • Engagement, bracelets, earrings & colored diamonds • On-site repair & appraisal Set your stones & size rings while you wait • Gold & Silver bullion & coins • Remount your diamond for the holidays WHILE YOU WAIT!

Come Pick One

Emerald .78 I - VS 2 Oval 1.04 F -SI 1 Princess Cut 1.20 K - VS 1 1.23 K - VS 1 Asscher Cut 1.14 G VS 1 .90 F - SI 1 Cushion Cut 1.01 G - VSI 1 Marquise Cut 1.50 H - SI 1 Pear Shape Cut 1.20 I - SI 2

231-929-1936 www.vincesjewelers.com 2024 South Airport Rd at Logan’s Landing • Traverse City 22 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

FREE CHRISTMAS BUFFET: Blue Pelican Inn, Central Lake. Held at 11:30am, 1pm & 2:30pm.

Donations to the Central Lake Community Food Pantry appreciated. Reservation recommended: 231-544-2583.

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“MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET”: 2pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Presented by the Little Traverse Civic Theatre. $15 adults; $12 student (18 & under). ltct.org/seasonevents/2019/12/12/miracle-on-34th-street

THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: 5:30-8:30pm, New Hope Community Church, Williamsburg.

A 45 minute outdoor walking tour through fire lit woods with live sets, animals & a story. Free.

Martini Diamond Studs $99 & up

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“THE NUTCRACKER”: 3pm & 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Performing Arts, Harbor Springs. Featuring the ballet dancers of CTAC’s School of Ballet. $30 adults, $5 students. crookedtree.org/events/petoskey

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Vince’s

SHOP & SWEETS SUNDAY: 11am-3pm, Glen Arbor. Children are invited to “find a sweet treat” at each participating business location, plus enjoy cookie decorating, gingerbread houses, hot cocoa stations & more.

SANTA CLAUS IN ELK RAPIDS: 2-4pm, Bayfront Beach & Bike, 130 River St., Elk Rapids.

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Stormcloudbrewing.com/curling

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2ND ANNUAL TC HOLIDAY BOOKS & MUSIC FESTIVAL: 12-4pm, The Village at GT Commons, The Mercato, TC. Held in conjunction with Christmas in the Village. More than 30 local authors from throughout northern MI will sell & sign copies of their books. There will also be performances by six local musical acts, offering signed copies of their CDs.

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Curling Lessons

CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE: 11am-4pm, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Meet Santa, enjoy music in the halls, face painting, cookie decorating & more. thevillagetc.com/christmasin-the-village-2018-2-2

BAYSIDE TRAVELLERS CONTRA DANCE: Solon Township Hall, Cedar. Family friendly dance event. 6pm holiday potluck; 7-7:30pm basic skills workshop; 7:30-10:30pm contra & square dance. $11 adult, $7 student, $9 member. dancetc.com

---------------------“HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS”: 7pm, The Market at Cadillac Commons. Presented by the Cadillac Footliters. $14 online; $15 door (if still available). cadillacfootliters.com/tickets

---------------------“MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET”: 7:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Presented by the Little Traverse Civic Theatre. $15 adults; $12 student (18 & under). ltct.org/seasonevents/2019/12/12/miracle-on-34th-street

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LITTLE TRAVERSE CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: “BRIGHTEST AND BEST OF THE SEASON”: 7:30pm, Petoskey United Methodist Church. Adults $15; students $5; children under 12 free. littletraversechoralsociety.org

---------------------MAY ERLEWINE & THE MOTIVATIONS HOLIDAY DANCE PARTY: SOLD OUT: 8pm, Leelanau Community Cultural Center, Old Art Building, Leland. mynorthtickets.com

dec 15

sunday

RECOVERY YOGA: 9:30am, Running Fit, downtown TC. A 50 minute, all-levels class designed to enhance recovery for your athletic performance.

Classes will build strength, flexibility, focusing on lengthening tight hamstrings, calves, quadriceps & hip flexors. Must register.

Donation based class. eventbrite.com

------------------------------------------“THE NUTCRACKER”: 3pm, Great Lakes Center for the Performing Arts, Harbor Springs.

Featuring the ballet dancers of CTAC’s School of Ballet. $30 adults, $5 students. crookedtree.org/ events/petoskey

---------------------CHRISTMAS UP IN NORTHPORT: 3pm, Northport Performing Arts Center. Featuring The Village Voices & Northport Community Band. Includes the traditional sing-along that finishes the concert. $15 adults; $5 students. northportperformingarts.org/events/christmas-up-in-northport

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LITTLE TRAVERSE CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: “BRIGHTEST AND BEST OF THE SEASON”: 3pm, First Presbyterian Church, Harbor Springs. Adults $15; students $5; children under 12 free. littletraversechoralsociety.org

---------------------WINTER SOUNDS: 5pm, Michigan Legacy Art Park, Thompsonville. Enjoy an outdoor holiday performance from Benzie Central Chamber Choir. Arrive early to allow for a 1/4 mile hike to the amphitheater. $10 suggested donation. crystalmountain.com/event/winter-sounds

---------------------THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: (See Sat., Dec. 14)

---------------------BENZIE COUNTY COMMUNITY CHORUS CHRISTMAS CONCERT SERIES: 7:30pm, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Beulah. “Carols and Lullabyes,” a choral concert for the Christmas season. Freewill offering. benziechorus.org

dec 16

monday

MI WORKS LEARNING LAB: 10am-2pm, Interlochen Public Library. Computer support & education. 922-3761.

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READING DOG SESSIONS: 3:30pm, New Peninsula Community Library, TC. PCL’s Reading Therapy Dogs, Coco & Lani, love to listen to kids read. Available on the 1st & 3rd Mondays from 3:30-4:30pm. Bring your favorite book or select one from the shelves to read. Appointments are in 15 minute increments. Please t reserve your time slot: 231-223-7700. Free. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

---------------------HOLIDAY MAGIC AT THE BAY: 6pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. “A Christmas Story”. Free admission & popcorn. thebaytheatre.com

---------------------TC SOCIAL SINGLES 50 PLUS: 6pm, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. Meet & greet for the over 50 year old single adults in the area.

HERE:SAY PRESENTS: THE ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS: 7pm, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. Scheduled performers take the stage to tell true, first-person stories that show we’re all misfits! Come early for eats & a seat. Free; donations at door. Find on Facebook.

dec 17

tuesday

DETOX YOGA FLOW: 6:45pm, Press On Juice Cafe, TC. This class involves a lot of twists & poses that are focused to help eliminate toxins from the body through movement & breath. Bring your own mat. eventbrite.com

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HOLIDAY SPECIAL: SLOW FLOW YOGA WITH TINA METROPOULOS: 6:45am, Table Health, GT Commons, TC. A vinyasa class. Donation based. tablehealthtc.com/movement

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YOGA FOR EVERY BODY TUESDAY TUNEUP: 8am, 812 S. Garfield Ave., Suite K, TC. Class is suitable for every body & class size is limited to 8 (please sign up on Eventbrite prior to class). Bring your mat. Donation based class. eventbrite.com

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GET CRAFTY: Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Craft Stick Snowflake: Decorate a popsicle stick to hang on your tree at home. Held from 11am-noon & 2-3pm. greatlakeskids.org

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CARDIAC SUPPORT GROUP: 2pm, MCHC, Meeting Room A, TC. Free. munsonhealthcare. org/cardiac-rehab

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GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP: New Peninsula Community Library, TC. Munson Healthcare Held the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month at 2pm. Share your story & learn from others. Free. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

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CITIZENS’ CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING: 6-8:30pm, Central United Methodist Church, third floor, TC. If you’re new to CCL, please arrive at 5:45pm to learn about advocacy for national policies to address climate change. citizensclimatelobby.org

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HOLIDAY MAGIC AT THE BAY: 6pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. “Elf” will be shown for $5 admission. Includes free popcorn. thebaytheatre.com

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SOUNDS OF THE SEASON: ARTS ACADEMY WIND SYMPHONY & CHOIR: SOLD OUT: 7pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. This showcase features seasonal selections by both ensembles, classic stories, & a sing-along led by Santa himself. Stay after the show for milk & cookies. $27 full, $14 student. tickets.interlochen.org

dec 18

wednesday

ISEA CAFE - CHANGES IN THE LAKE MI FOOD WEB: 1pm, Capt. Thomas M. Kelly Biological Station, Suttons Bay. Presentation & discussion led

by Steve Pothoven, research fish biologist, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. Free. schoolship.org/newsevents/isea-cafe

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HOLIDAY MAGIC AT THE BAY: 6pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be shown for $5 admission. Includes free popcorn. thebaytheatre.com

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TC RIDES TO SEE THE LIGHTS: Join Norte for a short & slow wintery community bicycle ride through TC neighborhoods to see the Christmas lights. Also be a food drive to benefit The Father Fred Foundation. Meet at Rare Bird Brew Pub, TC at 6pm. Will ride about 4 miles. elgruponorte.org

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MADRIGAL SINGERS - PETOSKEY HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS: 7pm, East Jordan Middle/ High School, Community Auditorium. Free.

dec 19

thursday

INTERACTIVE STORYTIME: 11am, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “The Very Hungry Reindeer” by Katie Yeh, followed by a craft or activity. greatlakeskids.org

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FREE BEGINNING COOKING CLASS: 4-5pm, Interlochen Public Library, Commercial Kitchen. Reader Chef, Junior Sides! Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Dipping Sauce. For children ages 10-15. Register: 231-276-6767.

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BENZIE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-7pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. Give back to the community by donating non-perishable items to the local food bank/pantry. $5 donation with nonperishable food item or $10 without.

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ELK RAPIDS LADIES NIGHT: 5pm, Downtown Elk Rapids. Sip, nibble & enter to win gifts. Free.

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MEN’S SHOPPING NIGHT: 5-9pm, Downtown TC. downtowntc.com/mens-shopping-night

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NORTHLAND WEAVERS & FIBER ARTS GUILD MEETING: 5:30pm, TC Senior Center.

There will be a holiday gift exchange for those who wish to participate. Please bring an appetizer or finger food to share. Free. northlandweaversguild.com

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GLCO PRESENTS HANDEL’S MESSIAH: 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Libor Ondras leads the orchestra & chorus in this performance. $25-$50; 18 & under, free. glcorchestra.org/concerts

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“MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET”: (See Sat., Dec. 14)

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THE BERGAMOT HOLIDAY CONCERT: 7:30pm, City Opera House, TC. Founding members Nathaniel & Jillian bring their songs & stories of inspiration & hope. Enjoy holiday favorites & Bergamot originals, like “Mayflies.” $22, $15. cityoperahouse.org/the-bergamot-holiday-concert

dec 20

friday

STORY STEW: New Peninsula Community Library, TC. Held the 1st & 3rd Fridays at 10am.

Free. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

Our December patient of the month is Tristin Griffin for good oral hygiene and great cooperation throughout treatment.

Congratulations on your new smile!

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HORIZON BOOKS, TC EVENTS: 5-7pm: Tracy Mikowski will sign her book “Buzzy the Eagle.”

7:30-9:30pm: Live music with Oh Joy. horizonbooks.com/event

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MOVIE NIGHT AT BONOBO WINERY: Bonobo Winery, TC. Holiday movie double feature. “A Christmas Story” will start at 6pm & “Elf” will follow at 8pm. Food & drinks available. Free. bonobowinery.com/upcoming-events#html

---------------------GLCO PRESENTS HANDEL’S MESSIAH: (See Thurs., Dec. 19)

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“HOW GRINCHY MET THE WHO”: 7:30pm, Grand Traverse Circuit, TC. Presented by MashUp Rock & Roll Musical. “How Grinchy Met the Who” is a reimagined parody of both the beloved Christmas classic & the psychedelic rock opera “Tommy,” with a little extra of The Who sprinkled in. $20-$25; student price of $15 on 12/14. mashuprockandrollmusical.com

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“MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET”: (See Sat., Dec. 14)

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CELTIC WOMAN: THE BEST OF CHRISTMAS: SOLD OUT: 9pm, Little River Casino Resort, Manistee. Representing Irish music & culture all over the world, this group’s albums & DVD releases have been multi-platinum best-sellers. $55, $65, $70. lrcr.com/event-calendar/concerts/ celtic-woman-the-best-of-christmas

www.schulzortho.com TRAVERSE CITY 231-929-3200 • 4952 Skyview Ct.

CHARLEVOIX

231-237-0955 • 106 E. Garfield Ave.

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 23

dec 21

Dr. Laurel Leithauser &

saturday

HOLIDAY SELF-CARE WITH YIN AND TONIC YOGA: (See Sat., Dec. 14)

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BENZIE COUNTY DEMOCRATS MONTHLY MEETING: Benzie County Democratic Party Headquarters, 9930 Honor Hwy., Honor. 9:30am: coffee klatch; 10am: community announcements, followed by featured speaker.

Free. benziedemocrats.com

Dr. Anthony Van Vreede MEDICAL DERMATOLOGY

DISCOVER WITH ME: 10am-noon, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Frost a cookie or two. greatlakeskids.org

GIFTS TWICE GIVEN BENEFIT: (See Sat., Dec. 14)

helping hands

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SURGICAL DERMATOLOGY

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COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY Prompt appointments available

NOW INTRODUCING

PURE NORTH COSMETIC CENTER

HORIZON BOOKS, TC EVENTS: 10am-noon: Veterans for Peace Meeting. 12-2pm: Heather Shumaker will sign her books “The Griffins of Castle Cary” & “Saving Arcadia.” 2-4pm: Richard Alan Hall will sign his book “They Call Me Machete.” horizonbooks.com/event

---------------------CHRISTMAS MIRACLE MILE/UGLY SWEATER DASH: 11am, Cherry Public House, Glen Arbor.

The mile-long race includes a half-mile run to & from the Cherry Public House, followed by a stop for either a pint of beer or mug of hot cherry cocoa, & finishing with another half-mile run ending at the Public House. $20 adults, $10 ages 7-12 & free for under 6. Find on Facebook.

Jaylynn

Rachel

Natalie

Medical Aesthetician

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse

PURE NORTH HOLIDAY SPECIAL FOR EVERY $50 GIFTCARD PURCHASED, YOU'LL RECEIVE A $10 BONUS! Call 231-486-0230 for more information

231-486-0230

1225 W FRONT STREET ST. C TRAVERSE CITY, MI. 49684

tcskinsurgery.com

---------------------FRENCH LANGUAGE GROUP: 11am, New Peninsula Community Library, Community Room, TC. Held on the third Sat. of the month. This group invites all language Francophiles, fluent & beginner, to converse in a friendly & social environment.

Free. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

---------------------TANNENBAUM BLITZEN: 6-9pm, Shanty Creek Resort, Bellaire. Enjoy a torchlight parade down the face of Schuss Mountain, Christmas carols around the tree, Christmas cookie decorating & a visit from Santa. Fireworks follow at Schuss Mountain. $13 adults, $8 ages 5-12, & free for 4 & under. shantycreek.com

---------------------BLISSFEST’S 14TH ANNUAL SOLSTICE CELEBRATION: 7pm, Red Sky Stage, Bay Harbor. Enjoy live music by Boundarywater Trio, Dr. Goodhart & the Solstice Singers, Kirby, Robin Berry, Mary Stuart Adams & others. Bring a snack to pass. $10 Blissfest members; $12 general admission. redskystage.com

---------------------“HOW GRINCHY MET THE WHO”: (See Fri., Dec. 20)

---------------------“MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET”: (See Sat., Dec. 14)

---------------------NATURALLY 7: 7:30pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. A band without a band, these seven guys play soul, rap, rock & folk. Using only their voices, they play trumpets, electric guitars, bass cello, harmonica, a full drum kit & more. $45, $40, $35, $30. greatlakescfa.org/ event-detail/naturally-7

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Happy EVERY Day! Join us at the LOBBY BAR for Happy Hour every day of the week from 3 - 6pm, seven days a week.

Food specials. $3.50 bottled beer. $4.00 well cocktails or $6.00 house wines.

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

24 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

WINTER SOLSTICE RECITAL: 7:30pm, Old Art Building, Leland. Featuring Dr. Mezraq Ramli, oboe & Dr. Dorothy Vogel, piano with special guests Lynn Hansen, oboe & The Prevailing Winds Quintet. $30. mynorthtickets.com/events/ winter-solstice-concert-12-21-2019

dec 22

Live music Friday & Saturday evenings.

facebook.com/hotelindigo @hotelindigo

---------------------JINGLE BELL RUN: 5pm, Warehouse District, TC. This 5K run/walk tours TC neighborhood streets bordering downtown that are decked out in holiday lights & decorations. Join or watch runners of all ages donned in festive holiday costumes in this non-timed three mile run, which will be followed by holiday cookies & hot chocolate. Race starts at Garland St., just outside The Workshop Brewing Co. $25. tctrackclub.com/jingle-bell-run

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MOHS SURGERY

Evan Archambo, Gabrielle Wells, Kevin Wells, Dennis Despain, Victoria West, Eden Lavender, Thomas Tafoya, Santa & others. For a donation: Enter to win an original painting: “Santa of the Opera” by Tim Cook Courtesy of Art Vision Cheboygan. $20 families of all sizes; $10 adults. theoperahouse.org

sunday

AUTHORS SIGNINGS: Horizon Books, TC. 12-2pm: Lynne Rae Perkins will sign her book “Wintercake.” 1-3pm: Valerie Penz will sign “Deliciously Holistic.” horizonbooks.com/event

---------------------A CHEBOYGAN CHRISTMAS: 3pm, Cheboygan Opera House. Featuring Nathan Towne,

THE GIVING TREE: Held at McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, bookstore staff members decorate The Giving Tree with ornaments representing ages of children at the Safe Home, the domestic abuse shelter serving families in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet & Otsego counties. Shoppers may select an ornament on the tree which will guide them in their purchase of an age-appropriate book or gift to donate & place under the tree. Through Dec. 15. 231-347-1180.

---------------------FRIENDS ANNUAL HOLIDAY MITTEN TREE: Donate new mittens, scarves & hats to the Friends of Interlochen Public Library through Dec. 30. Bring to Interlochen Public Library to benefit those in need within the Interlochen area. tadl.org/interlochen

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PLAY FOR PAWS: Runs through Dec. 16 & benefits the Cherryland Humane Society. Please bring toys, food, treats, beds, bowls, old towels & blankets to Premonitions Pizza & Arcade, 100 A Cedar St., Suttons Bay. Each person with a donation gets a 30-minute arcade pass to Premonition’s Arcade. premonitionspizza.com

---------------------WINTER GEAR DRIVE: Collecting mittens, gloves, hats, coats & boots for local kids & teens in need. Proceeds benefit EJ kids. Collection locations: South Arm Café, East Jordan Public Schools (Elementary front door), East Jordan True Value, Valley Graphics Printing, Inc. & The East Jordan Laundromat. 231-350-0781.

ongoing

HOLIDAY BOOK SALE: Interlochen Public Library, Dec. 9-30. Held during regular library hours. tadl.org/interlochen

---------------------FESTIVAL OF TRAINS: Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC, Dec. 14-31. Open Mon. – Sat., 10am6pm & Sun., 10am-4pm. Special hours on Dec. 31: 10am-4pm. A Swap Meet takes place Dec. 14-15 & Santa will visit on Dec. 21. Closed on Dec. 25. $5 for 4 & under; $30 Festival Pass. greatlakeskids.org/festival-of-trains-2

---------------------CTAC ARTISANS & FARMERS MARKET: Fridays, 10am-1pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Carnegie Building, Petoskey. Featuring a wide variety of locally grown & handmade goods. crookedtree.org/petoskey/market

---------------------FLY TYING SERIES WITH ERIC CRISSMAN: TROUT FLIES: Elk Rapids District Library. Classes will take place on three consecutive Tuesdays (Dec. 3, 10 & 17) from 5:30-7pm. Participants will get familiar with the tools & equipment used in fly tying & learn how to properly proportion a fly. Call 231-264-9979 to register. elkrapidslibrary.org

---------------------HARBOR SPRINGS INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 9am-noon through Dec. 21. Harbor Springs Middle School.

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KIDS ON SKIS IN THE WOODS EVERY SUNDAY: Sundays, 11:45am, Timber Ridge Resort, TC. Presented by Norte & Vasa Ski Club. A group ski for families. On Dec. 15 ski equipment will be free. Also, the use of Timber Ridge Resort will be free for the entire Winter Vasa Domingos Ski Season. elgruponorte.org

Merlefest Brings Back the Folk and More Enjoy Americana, bluegrass, folk, roots, and country music? Then get yourself ready for a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina next spring, when the 28th annual Merlefest rolls around April 23–26. Founded in 1988 by guitarist Doc Watson, the must-visit music fest for folk fans is returning for four full days of performances and more in 2020, including live sets from our own Billy Strings, Alison Krauss, The Jerry Douglas Band, Donna the Buffalo, Peter Rowan and the Free Mexican Airforce, Jim Lauderdale, and more. Newly added this year is the “Patio at Merlefest,” a special ticket addition that will offer a covered seating area with special amenities and great views of the Cabin and Watson stages. Get tickets and more info at www.merlefest.org …

Boomers, rejoice: The Monkees are heading back on the road for a three- week tour next spring. Called An Evening with The Monkees, the trek will start April 3 in Vancouver, Canada, and wrap up in Nashville on April 26. Only two of the original Monkees (Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith) remain; singer Davy Jones passed away in 2012, and Peter Tork earlier this year. But Dolenz and Nesmith will be backed up by additional musicians

MODERN

Peter Rowan Merlefest

ROCK

BY KRISTI KATES

to present a greatest-hits set of Monkees tunes, from “I’m a Believer” and “Daydream Believer” to more obscure album tracks like “As We Go Along” and “Me and Magdalena.”

Their closest stop to Michigan will be that aforementioned Nashville date …

Kristian Bush has formed a new trio with his brother, multi-instrumentalist Brandon Bush, and friend/guitarist Benji Shanks. The band, called Dark Water, has a heavy jam-band focus mixed with altrock, inspired in part by Brandon Bush’s work with Train, and Shanks’ work as a touring member of Blackberry Smoke.

Dark Water’s self-titled debut album was recorded in Atlanta, George, is in stores this week, and features 11 tracks …

In other collaborative news, Detroiter Iggy Pop and The Pixies’ Frank Black teamed up to mark what would’ve been jazz-blues performer Mose Allison’s 92nd birthday with their own versions of a couple of Allison’s tunes. Pop and Black remade “Numbers on Paper” and “If You’re Going to the City” in their unique combination of styles. The former is turned into a ’90s pop-rock number with harmonica and clangy guitars; the latter gets a groovy pop-style, with a galloping bass track and brass accents. Both tunes can be found on the Allison tribute album that’s out this week on Fat Possum Records, If You’re Going to the City …

LINK OF THE WEEK Interest in catching a listen of those aforementioned Pop/Frank Allison remake tracks? Check out “If You’re Going to the City,” just uploaded to YouTube: https:// youtu.be/d8_i3btL22c THE BUZZ All-grown-up teen brothers trio Hanson will be in concert at the Royal Oak Music Theater on Dec. 17, with Paul McDonald as opening act …

Sara Evans will perform at the MGM Grand in Detroit on Dec. 20 …

Scottish electronica musician Grum will be live at The Grasshopper Underground, also in Metro Detroit, on Dec. 20…

Celtic Woman will make a stop at Detroit’s Fox Theater next spring as part of their North American tour celebrating 15 years as a group; catch them at the Fox Theatre on April 5 … 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.at modernrocker@gmail.com.

this is their jam.

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 25

DOWNTOWN

TRAVERSE CITY

MARk RUFFAlO

by kristi kates

SUNDAY 7 PM MONDAY MON 12:30 • 6 PM 3:15 • 8:30 PM TUE 3:15 • 8:45 PM TUESDAY 12:30 PM WED 1 • 3:30 PM THURSDAY THU 3:15 • 8:30 PM 12:30 • 6 PM

•••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••• NR

THE BISHOP'S WIFE

WED 10:30 AM - 25¢ It's a Wonderful Holiday Matinee!

TOY HARBOR

Merry Movies at the State!

Holiday Specials and Events!

CREATIVE & QUALITY TOYS SINCE 1984

SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS

OPEN NITES ‘TIL 8 SUNDAYS 11-5 221 E FRONT ST • DOWNTOWN TRAVERSE CITY 231-946-1131 •

See the full schedule at:

DOWNTOWN

FOURSCORE Rufus du Sol – Solace Remixed – Warner Bros.

Revisiting tracks from its hit 2018 set, Solace, Rufus du Sol does a great job of bringing in its peers to shuffle the emotional tones of these tunes, taking advantage of different audio approaches without losing the appeal — or impact — of the tracks’ divergent sounds from the first time around. It’s the first time the band has put out a full remix album, and perhaps that’s why it leans more on the lyrics than the beats (a good thing). The title track gets a thicker, heavier mix, while VIP Edit brings movie-like depth to “Eyes,” and Audiofly adds a little buzz to “New Sky.”

IN CLINCH PARK

Caravan Palace – Chronologic – Le Plan Recordings

TOM HANKS MATTHEW RHyS

Caravan Palace has most recently become buzzy due to its inclusion in the equally hot Beat Saber virtual reality game, and the buzz is well deserved. The band’s hooky tracks and elevated sonics blend electronica, psychedelia, and hints of jazz and art pop. The strummy “Miracle,” with its upbeat rhythms, is one standout, while the patterns of “Plume” seem to dig even farther back into tunes worthy of the Lindy hop, and “Fargo” — all too short at under two minutes — somehow fuses Europop and the blues at the same time. Quirky and interesting.

SUNDAY 2 • 4:30 • 7:30 PM MONDAY 1:30 • 4 • 7 PM TUESDAY 1 • 3:30 • 6 • 8:30 PM WED 1:15 • 3:45 • 6:15 • 8:45 PM THURSDAY 1:30 • 4 PM

231-947-4800

Songhoy Blues – Meet Me in the City – Fat Possum

Utilizing some interesting outside talents — most notably Grammy-nominated producer Blake Mills (John Legend/Perfume Genius) and engineer David Ferguson (Johnny Cash/Jack Clement) — Songhoy Blues smoothly pulls modern rock into its Malian music, simultaneously recalling the deepest of nomadic desert sounds and the more accessible side of world music-inspired pop. The band also offers up its first English language song (the affecting “Time to Go Home.) Another bonus: You can snag this one on some cool special-edition yellow vinyl.

Garcia Peoples – One Step Behind – BBI

Not a person, but a sextet — one hailing from Brooklyn, New York — Garcia Peoples is fronted by a pair of singer-songwriterguitarists (Danny Arakaki and Tom Malach), who keep things psychedelic and unrestrained. That doesn’t mean this set is for everyone, however. If you don’t enjoy the meandering style of bands like Traffic or Procol Harum, you might not dig tunes like the endlessly wavering title track, “Heart and Soul,” or “Tomorrow Never Knows.” If jam bands are your thing, however, this should be right in your wheelhouse.

26 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

The reel

by meg weichman

dark waters knives out

A

Dark Waters is a fact-based legal thriller and melodrama that urgently brings to light a story that quite literally affects us all.

This is the kind of film that has passion project written all over it, and that passion comes across strongly from star and producer Mark Ruffalo. An dedicated environmental activist when he’s not appearing in Marvel’s latest as The Hulk, here he’s not smashing comic book villains but the true villains of our times: corporations.

No one does obsessive crusading characters better than Ruffalo, and here he steps into the shoes of Ohio attorney Robert Bilott. A lawyer working at a Cincinnati law firm that specializes in defending chemical corporations, Rob has worked his way up to partner, despite having attended a lower-tier law school and lacking the necessary schmoozing gene.

His is a pretty reliable and cushy gig — that is, until Wilbur Tennant, a farmer from West Virginia, comes knocking. See, Wilbur knows Rob’s grandmother, and while it’s a tenuous connection at best, Wilbur desperately needs a lawyer and tries to convince Rob to take his case.

Wilbur’s intense approach doesn’t go so well, but he does leave Rob with tapes of the devastation of his farm. They pique Rob’s curiosity enough to investigate, and when he arrives at Wilbur’s once thriving dairy farm, he’s sees how it’s been destroyed, with hundreds of cows dying gruesome deaths. He also sees that Wilbur’s daughters’ teeth are black and how Wilbur himself is clearly ill. The believed culprit? The DuPont Chemical Company dumping grounds located upstream.

And so Rob starts making inquiries with his chemical friends, and what he finds shocks him. As many roadblocks and devious tactics as they put in his way, Rob manages to go through thousands of boxes of evidence and discovers DuPont has knowingly been poisoning untold millions.

But that’s just where the film get started. His wife (Anne Hathaway), initially hesitant for him to take on this case just as they start their family, comes to realize just how important his work is. And while this is pretty much your standard thankless supportive wife role, in the end, Hathaway’s part becomes slightly less supportive and slightly more dimensional.

Pursuing this case puts Rob’s career and even his family at risk. He’s basically suing the people he’s supposed to defend. Thankfully, he has a supportive fellow partner at the firm (Tim Robbins), but even he has his limits. Other allies are few and far between; even Wilbur’s

caffeinated jolt to a sleepy genre, Knives Out is a gloriously old-fashioned whodunit that very much belongs in the here and now. Think of an ensemble cast and a manor-set murder mystery, like the recent remake of Murder on the Orient Express, but actually really good and exceptionally fresh. It’s rare to see something so sublimely enjoyable across so many demographics. It’s one big delightful romp that tells a suspenseful story of biting class conflict with crackling wit. Subversive and smart, absolutely nothing is predictable. But it all begins traditionally enough. A wealthy old patriarch, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead the morning after his 85th birthday party, seemingly a victim of an unexpected suicide. The police are brought in to look further into his suspicious death at Thrombey’s lavish estate and interview the family members, all of whom seem to have a reason to want Thrombey dead. Everyone in this stellar all-star cast (Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, to name only a few) is working at full capacity and clearly having a blast. Satisfying beyond measure, not only in the way it so deviously comes together but also in what it has to say, Knives Out is truly a cut above.

community — the people Rob is trying to help — turn against him, seeing his efforts as a threat to the region’s biggest employer. But Rob is committed to seeing this through.

I still haven’t gotten over that this film was directed by Todd Haynes. Arthouse favorite Haynes (Carol, I’m Not There) is know for his auteur eye and commitment to artistry, and this film could not be more straightforward and mainstream. At first viewing, the only stylistic touches that seemed to hint at his directorial hand were his muted, desaturated palette and the beautiful and hazy cinematography of frequent collaborator Ed Lachman.

So while Dark Waters is disappointing for a Todd Haynes film, as a legal docudrama, it’s better than expected. And if you really think about it, Haynes does kind of apply his notable style in an unexpected way — through his commitment to just how Midwest-boring and basic it is. He trades his trademark lushness for all things drab and dreary. I mean, only Haynes could’ve paid as much attention to how pitch perfect Hathaway’s early 2000s-era “mom sweaters” are.

And yes, with such a bleak approach, the film is a bit of a downer. With the most depressing scene ever set at a hibachi restaurant, it is certainly not a crowd-pleaser of the Erin Brockovich variety.

But the desolate vibe is also in service of the story. Haynes and screenwriters Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan don’t take an easy approach, and in doing so, they reiterate just how hard Rob’s fight is. How, after time and time again of thinking something good is finally going to happen regarding the case, you really understand their point of just how rigged the system is. Nothing will happen overnight, and it is the patience and endurance of quiet fighters like Rob Bilott that is truly heroic.

Nevertheless, the film ultimately feels as unremarkable as its generic title — watching is kind of like having to eat your vegetables: Intellectually, I know how important this story and the film is, but I would much rather have dessert. Because we should all be concerned about the horrifying scope of DuPont’s heinous poisoning of our waters and ourselves via a synthetic chemical that will never leave our bodies, as well as the way government and laws work to protect the company from being held responsible for its wrongdoing. There is palpable outrage, but ultimately, the feeling is fleeting.

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

frozen II

2

013’s Frozen was more than a movie, it was a phenomenon. It was the song that you couldn’t get out of your head. The dress your daughter wouldn’t take off.

It brought the world the gift that was John Travolta’s “Adele Dazeem” meme and even a new queer icon. It was also the movie that for some parents may have felt like an eternal winter of its own reigning over their homes. A sequel was inevitable. And while sequels are rarely as good as the original, this enchanting tale does have quite a lot to offer.

It’s a darker story, but more insightful and mature. It grows with its fans a bit, confronting change and personal growth in a touching fashion as Anna and Elsa venture north to an enchanted forest and toward a voice that is calling Elsa. But try as they might, the songs this time around just felt like pale imitations, i.e., “Let it Go” wannabe “Into the Unknown” is fine but forgettable. It’s the stunning landscapes – dusted in a golden fall palette of beautiful jewel tones – and pivotal action sequences that leave the lasting impression here. With its mix of pluses and minuses, this likeable sequel certainly won’t disappoint its legions of fans or any families looking for quality entertainment.

charlie’s angels

W

hile I don’t think this was a reboot anyone was clamoring for, Charlie’s Angels is a property that could use some modern redemption. And this film really does make you think about how far we’ve come since 1976 — if not in terms of actual sexism experienced by women, at least in some attempts at better representation in the media. Cheeky and fun, Charlie’s Angels makes some modern updates but never patronizingly so. In this freely feminist and empowering piece of escapist entertainment, you’ll feel the sisterhood stronger than ever before. We have the basic starting point of three gorgeous women working for a private crime-fighting organization.

There’s the two pros: bad girl Sabina (Kristen Stewart) and the tightly-wound Jane (newcomer Ella Balinska). And serving as the audience surrogate into this world of international intrigue is Elena (Aladdin’s Naomi Scott). She’s an engineer working on a green energy source that will change the world. But after discovering a bug in the system that can be used to weaponize the device and kill humans, Elena finds her life threatened and is on the run with the Angels to stop the device from getting in the wrong hands. Even if it’s nothing groundbreaking, the film is certainly better than its connection to Charlie’s Angels movies of yore would have you believe.

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 27

nitelife

dec 14 - dec 22 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

ACOUSTIC TAP ROOM, TC 12/14 -- TC Celtic’s Dane & Rick, 8 12/20 -- Sean Miller, 8 12/21 -- Corbin Manikas, 8

ORYANA COMMUNITY CO-OP, TC 12/19 -- Blair Miller, 4

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 12/14 -- Scott Pellegrom Duo, 8 12/16 -- Here:Say Storytelling, 7 Tue -- TC Celtic, 6:30 Wed -- Jazz Jam, 6-10 12/20 -- Botala, 8 12/21 -- Snacks & Five Trio, 8

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

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

RIGHT BRAIN BREWERY, TC 12/15 -- Carols & Beers, 6-8

GT DISTILLERY, TC 12/14 -- BLT, 7-9 12/20 -- Dags Und Timmah, 7-9 12/21 -- Crystal Bindi Performers, 7-9

UNION STREET STATION, TC 12/14 -- TC Guitar Guys, 10 12/15 -- Karaoke, 10 12/16 -- Chris Sterr, 10 12/17 -- TC Comedy Collective, 8-9:30; then Open Mic/Jam Session w/ Jimmy Olson 12/18 -- DJ DomiNate, 10 12/19 -- DJ Prim, 10 12/20 -- Happy Hour w/ Blue Footed Booby; then DJ Coven 12/21 -- DJ Coven, 10 12/22 -- Kenny Olsen & Friends, 8

ROVE ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY, TC 12/20 -- Miriam Pico, 5-8 SAIL INN BAR & GRILL, TC Thurs. & Sat. -- Phattrax DJs & Karaoke, 9

HOTEL INDIGO, TC 12/14 -- Ron Getz, 7 12/20 -- Elizabeth Landry Trio, 7 12/21 -- Zeke Clemons, 7

THE DISH CAFE, TC Tues, Sat -- Matt Smith, 5-7

KILKENNY'S, TC 12/13-14 -- Strobelight Honey, 9:30 12/19 -- 2Bays DJs, 9:30 12/20-21 -- Lucas Paul, 9:30

THE PARLOR, TC 12/14 -- Jim Hawley & Co., 8 12/17 -- Jimmy Olson, 8 12/18 -- Wink Solo, 8 12/19 -- Chris Smith, 8 12/20 -- Matt Mansfield, 8 12/21 -- Blair Miller, 8

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC 12/16 -- Open Mic Night w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9 12/20 -- Reese Keelor, 6-8

WEST BAY BEACH, A DELAMAR RESORT, TC 12/14 – Good on Paper Improv Show, 8

Emmet & Cheboygan BEARDS BREWERY, PETOSKEY 12/14 -- Chris Sterr, 8-11 12/15 -- Charlie Millard Solo, 6-9 12/20 -- Sydni Kahn, 8-9:30 12/21 -- Adam Hoppe, 8-11 12/22 -- Pete Kehoe, 6-9

ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 12/14 -- Ugly Sweater Party w/ Abigail Stauffer, 8-11 12/21 -- The Pistil Whips, 8-11 LAKE STREET PUB, BOYNE CITY Wed – Mastermind’s Trivia, 7-9

SHORT'S BREWING CO., BELLAIRE 12/14 -- The Marsupials, 8:3011 12/20 -- Biomassive, 9 12/21 -- Seth Bernard, 8:30-11 STIGGS BREWERY & KITCHEN, BOYNE CITY 12/14 -- Something Great, 7 12/18 -- Open Mic Night, 7 12/20 -- Chris Koury, 7 12/21 -- Crosscut Kings, 7

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

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

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

Leelanau & Benzie BIG CAT BREWING CO., CEDAR 12/18 -- Miriam Pico & Chris Skellenger, 6:30-8:30 DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. — Karaoke, 10-2 IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 12/14 -- Steve Leaf, 7-9:30 12/15 -- Blake Elliott & Elizabeth Landry Holiday Show, 4-6 12/20 -- Keith Scott, 7-9:30 12/21 -- Wink (Solo), 7-9 12/22 -- Seth Bernard, 4-6 LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 12/17 -- LABC Christmas Pageant w/ Niemisto, Skellenger &

Friends, 6:30 12/18 -- Brain Busting Trivia, 7 LEELANAU SANDS CASINO, PESHAWBESTOWN BIRCH ROOM: 12/14 -- TC Guitar Guys, 8 12/21 -- Flat Broke, 8 SHOWROOM: 12/17 -- 45th Parallel Polka Band, noon LUMBERJACK'S BAR & GRILL, HONOR Fri & Sat -- Phattrax DJs & Karaoke, 9

12/19 -- Open Mic w/ Jim & Wanda Curtis, 6 12/20 -- Blake Elliott, 6-9 12/21 -- Jen Sygit, 6-9 STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 12/14 -- Serita's Black Rose, 8-10 12/20 -- Barefoot, 8-10 12/21 -- Abigail Stauffer, 8-10 12/22 -- Barrels & Carols Holiday Sing-Along, 6:30-8:30 THE CABBAGE SHED, ELBERTA Thu -- Open Mic, 8

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 12/14 -- Daniel Farrow, 6-9

Otsego, Crawford & Central

Antrim & Charlevoix CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 12/20 -- Jeff Brown, 7-10

CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 12/20 -- Annex Karaoke, 10 12/21 -- Rock the Bells w/ DJs Franck & Dayv, 10

TORCH LAKE CAFÉ, CENTRAL LAKE 1st & 3rd Mon. – Trivia, 7 Weds. -- Lee Malone Thurs. -- Open mic Fri. & Sat. -- Leanna’s Deep Blue Boys 2nd Sun. -- Pine River Jazz

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

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee LITTLE RIVER CASINO RESORT, MANISTEE 12/20 -- Celtic Woman: The Best of Christmas: SOLD OUT, 9

Mon Dec 16- $5 martinis, $5 domestic

beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher.

with Chris Sterr

Tues - $2 well drinks & shots 8-9:30 TC Comedy Collective

“Where Friends Gather” Featuring Super Greek Food in a Relaxed Atmosphere

TUESDAY NIGHT

TRIVIA

2012

starts at 8pm WIN GIFT CERTIFICATES!

214 E Front St • Downtown Traverse City

231-946-8932

then: open mic/jam session w/ Jimmy Olson

Wed - Get it in the can night - $1 domestic, $3 craft w/DJ DomiNate

Thurs - $2 off all drinks & $2 Coors Lt. pints W/DJ PRIM

Fri Dec 20- Buckets of Beer starting at $8 (2-8pm) Happy Hour: Blue Footed Booby Then: DJ Coven

Sat Dec 21- DJ Coven Sunday Dec 22 - 8pm-1am

KENNY OLSEN & FRIENDS 941-1930 downtown TC check us out at unionstreetstationtc.net

28 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

THURSDAY

Trivia nite • 7-9pm

FRIDAY FISH FRY

All you can eat perch

HAPPY HOUR:

FOR ALL Sporting Events!

Daily 4-7 Friday 4-9 Sunday All Day

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FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS

the ADViCE GOddESS

BY Amy Alkon

Ghoul, Interrupted

Keepin’ It Revealed

Q

Q

A

A

: A good friend’s mom just died. Out of nowhere, he told me that his mom never liked me very much. Frankly, the feeling was mutual, but I of course never said anything.

While I don’t want to start a fight or anything, I’m bothered that he told me this. How should I let him know?

— Irritated : When somebody talks trash about you, it’s natural to want to respond. Unfortunately, sending this woman a “we need to talk” text will require a mediator with a Ouija board.

It does seem pretty rotten that your friend suddenly let his mom’s opinions of you offleash. However, consider that keeping a secret — having information of interest to another person that you need to keep barricaded in a closet in your head -- is mentally and even physically stressful. Research increasingly finds that the body and mind are co-workers. (Action leads to emotion and emotion to action.) In secret-keeping, holding back information causes psychological tension, which brings on physical tension — which can make keeping the secret both figuratively and literally a pain in the neck.

Research on secrecy by psychologist Michael Slepian suggests that it isn’t concealing information but having a goal of concealing information that stresses us out. Unlike many other goals — the kind you can complete and check off on your to-do list — the goal to keep a secret has no endpoint. This turns keeping a secret into a sort of zombie goal, a goal that won’t die -- or, in researcher terms, “an outstanding intention.” This makes it more accessible in memory — to the point where the mind tends to wander to it. And this mental reflux has some psychological costs: “The frequency of mind-wandering to secrets predicts lower well-being,” explains the Slepian team. “Thus, what seems to be harmful about secrecy is not having to conceal a secret but having to live with it and having it return to one’s thoughts.”

Other research, exploring willpower, finds that stress and “aversive” (feelbad) emotions like sadness diminish our ability for self-control.

So, your friend, under the emotional stress of grieving his mom, maybe lacked the energy he normally had to keep his mom’s feelings stowed in the, uh, overhead compartment.

Obviously, you’d prefer to unknow this info.

However, if this guy generally isn’t unkind or insensitive, you might want to let this go — especially considering the advantage you have over a lady who’s now living on somebody’s mantel: “I will come find you and reduce you to ash! Oh. Wait.”

: I’m a 32-year-old woman, dating again after a five-year relationship. I’ve got some issues I’m working on. (I can get a little needy.) I’m getting all kinds of advice, from “be you!” to “play hard to get!” I guess acting unavailable works, but shouldn’t somebody like me for me, not because I’m out of reach?

— Sincere : At fancy supermarkets, they try to sell you smoked salmon with a tiny sample on a cracker; they don’t slap you across the face with a giant fish: “LOVE MEEEEEE!” In dating, there’s being a bit scarce, and there’s being somebody else. Scarce is good when you’re getting to know a person, leaving them wanting more as opposed to less. Somebody else? Not so good.

What does it mean to “be yourself ”? It basically means not being emotionally manicured, being “authentic.” Clinical psychologist Lawrence Josephs and his colleagues explain romantic “authenticity” as a willingness to risk being emotionally vulnerable and a companion unwillingness to “act deceitfully” even when being honest comes with some costs. They, not surprisingly, find that being authentic in these ways leads to “better relational outcomes.”

If you aren’t yourself, somebody might be attracted to your fake front and then be bummed out and not really into you when it eventually falls off. Additionally, the researchers’ findings “suggest that individuals engaging in ‘being yourself ’ dating behavior are generally preferred as dating partners over more game-playing individuals.” In fact, they find that men who are authentic seem to have a “special antipathy” toward “more gameplaying” women.

But let’s say there are some things about you that are authentically not so great. Like, say you’re “a little needy.” You can tell somebody you tend to be needy. That’s kind of brave and may lead somebody to admire your honesty.

Of course, you should also get cracking on becoming more secure. (You might also tell a potential partner that you’re working on it, which emotionally healthy partners are likely to respect and admire.) The important thing is doing what it takes to not act all needypants, like by using diversionary tactics — say, by repeatedly texting your BFF when you’re dying to text some new guy. Her phone goes off in a meeting. Her boss: “Why does some woman keep sending you pix of her boobs?”

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Color Changers"--hue new? by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1 “The Italian Job” actor ___ Def 4 “Birdman” actress Watts 9 Callow 14 Money used just before the euro was introduced 15 Daily Planet reporter Jimmy 16 Bassoon relatives 17 Decorations that may change colors 19 Couldn’t avoid it 20 “What We Do in the Shadows” nourishment 21 Parisian waters 23 Place a wager 24 Affirmative responses 25 Tourist draw with seasonally changing colors 28 “Cosi fan ___” (Mozart opera) 30 Purpose 31 Like early-in-the-year forecasts, maybe 32 Words after “easy” 35 Channel where you could clearly watch “Doctor Who”?

37 Mammals that completely change color depending on the time of year 40 New York county near Pennsylvania 41 At a bargain 42 Insurance co. rep.

43 Pai ___ poker (casino game) 45 Marketer of Nutrilite vitamins 48 Lizards notable for changing colors 52 Bed frame piece 54 Prefix with pod or cycle 55 Bowed, to a violist 56 Designer cologne since 1994 57 Other song on a 45 59 Color-changing jewelry popular in the ‘70s 61 Peanut butter cup inventor H.B. 62 “Take it back!”

63 Note after fa 64 “The defense ___” 65 Quizzes 66 ___ scale of one to ten

DOWN 1 Toast eponym 2 Cougar’s cousin 3 It starts with a few digits filled in already 4 Domino’s ad character, once 5 “Solve for x” subj.

6 “Straight Outta Compton” costar ___ Jackson Jr. 7 Something forged 8 Winterizes, in a way 9 Classic Japanese drama 10 Addis ___, Ethiopia 11 Flash drive or mouse, e.g.

12 Assistants for pet projects?

13 That, in Lima 18 Reward poster subject, perhaps 22 Super Bowl played at Dolphin Stadium 25 Professionals’ charges 26 Prepare, as a mummy 27 Barrett once of Pink Floyd 29 Hauler’s charge 33 Non-slip bathroom surface 34 Hydroxide, e.g.

36 Cold beer, in dated slang 37 Do touristy stuff 38 Document certifiers 39 “Witness” actor Lukas 40 Tic-___-toe 44 Suffix with pay or Cray 46 King in “The Tempest” 47 Capital of Myanmar until 2006 (formerly known as Rangoon) 49 In the ___ of (amongst) 50 “___, all ye faithful ...”

51 “High” times?

53 Company behind the Cybertruck 56 Bulky old PC screens 57 “It’s cold!”

58 Suffix after employ 60 Part of e.g.?

Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 29

I am Grateful this Holiday Season!

I welcome future opportunities to assist you with

your Real Estate!

I Wish You and Yours Good Health and Spirits in 2015.

2019.

Thank You!

SAM ABOOD

231-218-5130

www.samabood.com sam@samabood.com

Saamm

402 E. Front Street Traverse City, MI 49686

lOGY

aSTRO

Happy Holidays!

In 1933, Sagittarian artist Diego Rivera was commissioned to paint a huge mural in one of the famous Rockefeller buildings in New York City. His patrons didn’t realize he was planning to include a controversial portrait of former Soviet Communist leader Vladimir Lenin. When the deed was done, they ordered him to remove it. When he refused, they ushered him out and destroyed the whole mural. As a result, Rivera also lost another commission to create art at the Chicago World’s Fair. In any other year, Sagittarius, I might encourage you to be as idealistic as Rivera. I’d invite you to place artistic integrity over financial considerations. But I’m less inclined to advise that in 2020. I think it may serve you to be unusually pragmatic. At least consider leaving Lenin out of your murals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “People

mistake their limitations for high standards,” wrote Capricorn author Jean Toomer. In my astrological opinion, it’s crucial that you avoid doing that in 2020. Why? First, I’m quite sure that you will have considerable power to shed and transcend at least some of your limitations. For best results, you can’t afford to deceive yourself into thinking that those limitations are high standards. Secondly, Capricorn, you will have good reasons and a substantial ability to raise your standards higher than they’ve ever been. So you definitely don’t want to confuse high standards with limitations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Historians once thought that 14th-century Englishmen were the first humans to track the rhythms of the planet Jupiter using the complicated mathematics known as calculus. But in 2015, researchers discovered that Babylonians had done it 1400 years before the Englishmen. Why was Jupiter’s behavior so important to those ancient people? They were astrologers!

They believed the planet’s movements were correlated with practical events on earth, like the weather, river levels, and grain harvests. I think that this correction in the origin story of tracking Jupiter’s rhythms will be a useful metaphor for you in 2020. It’s likely you will come to understand your past in ways that are different from what you’ve believed up until now. Your old tales will change.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The English word

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30 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the English

language, the prefix “re” comes at the beginning of many words with potent transformational meaning: reinvent; redeem; rediscover; release; relieve; redesign; resurrect; rearrange; reconstruct; reform; reanimate; reawaken; regain. I hope you’ll put words like those at the top of your priority list in 2020. If you hope to take maximum advantage of the cosmic currents, it’ll be a year of revival, realignment, and restoration.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I won’t be

the most apples in the world. The United States is second. That wasn’t always true. When Europeans first reached the shores of the New World, crab apple was the only apple species that grew natively. But the invaders planted other varieties that they brought with them. They also imported the key to all future proliferation: honeybees, champion pollinators, which were previously absent from the land that many indigenous people called Turtle Island. I see 2020 as a time for you to accomplish the equivalent, in your own sphere, of getting the pollination you need. What are the fertilizing influences that will help you accomplish your goals?

• Outdoor pool • Community lodge • Community activities • Pets welcome • City water and sewer • Snow removal, lawn & home maintenance services available • New, pre-owned & custom homes from the $70’s to the $100’s

BY ROB BREZSNY

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): China produces

COMMUNITY FEATURES

DEC 16 - DEC -22

“hubris” means prideful, exaggerated selfassurance. In the HBO TV series Rome, the ancient Roman politician and general Mark Antony says to his boss Julius Caesar, “I’m glad you’re so confident. Some would call it hubris.” Caesar has a snappy comeback: “It’s only hubris if I fail.” I’m tempted to dare you to use you that as one of your mottoes in 2020, Aries.

I have a rather expansive vision of your capacity to accomplish great things during the coming months. And I also think that one key to your triumphs and breakthroughs will be your determination to cultivate a well-honed aplomb, even audacity.

surprised if you’re enamored and amorous more than usual in 2020. I suspect you will experience delight and enchantment at an elevated rate. The intensity and depth of the feelings that flow through you may break all your previous records. Is that going to be a problem? I suppose it could be if you worry that the profuse flows of tenderness and affection will render you weak and vulnerable. But if you’re willing and eager to interpret your extra sensitivity as a superpower, that’s probably what it will be.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Does the word “spirit”

mean anything to you? Or are you numb to it?

Has it come to seem virtually meaningless—a foggy abstraction used carelessly by millions of people to express sentimental beliefs and avoid clear thinking? In accordance with astrological omens, I’ll ask you to create a sturdier and more vigorous definition of “spirit” for your practical use in 2020. For instance, you might decide that “spirit” refers to the life force that launches you out of bed each morning and motivates you to keep transforming yourself into the ever-more beautiful soul you want to become.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back,” wrote author Charles de Lint. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, your heart will encounter far more of the former than the latter types of people in 2020.

There may be one wrangler who tries to take the heart out of you, but there will be an array of nurturers who will strive to keep the heart in you—as well as boosters and builders who will add even more heart.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Composer Igor

Stravinsky was born a Russian citizen, but later in life became a French citizen, and still later took on American citizenship. If you have had any similar predilections, Libra, I’m guessing they won’t be in play during 2020. My prediction is that you will develop a more robust sense of where you belong than ever before. Any uncertainties you’d had about where your true power spot lies will dissipate.

Questions you’ve harbored about the nature of home will be answered. With flair and satisfaction, you’ll resolve longrunning riddles about home and community.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For years I’ve lived in a house bordering a wetland, and I’ve come to love that ecosystem more than any other. While communing with reeds and herons and muddy water, my favorite poet has been Taurus-born Lorine Niedecker, who wrote about marshes with supreme artistry. Until the age of 60, her poetic output was less than abundant because she had to earn a meager living by cleaning hospital floors. Then, due to a fortuitous shift in circumstances, she was able to leave that job and devote more time to what she loved most and did best.

With Niedecker’s breakthrough as our inspiration, I propose that we do all we can, you and I, as we conspire to make 2020 the year you devote more time to the activity that you love most and do best.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Friendship is a very taxing and arduous form of leisure activity,” wrote philosopher and educator Mortimer Adler. He was exaggerating a bit for comic effect, but he was basically correct.

W e all must mobilize a great deal of intelligence and hard work to initiate new friendships and maintain existing friendships. But I have some very good news about how these activities will play out for you in 2020, Scorpio. I expect that your knack for practicing the art of friendship will be at an all-time high. I also believe that your close alliances will be especially gratifying and useful for you. You’ll be wellrewarded for your skill and care at cultivating rapport.

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS OTHER THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Bodies in Motion West Bay TC Winter Massage $59 hr.

Denise 941-232-2265 for appt _______________________________________ WANTED BUYING OLDER MOTORCYCLES Road Or Dirt Bikes Used ATV’s Snowmobiles Newer & Antique Boats & Motors Running Or Non (810) 429-6823 _______________________________________ COTTAGE FOR RENT TC Cottage for Rent, Beautiful 1 BR, Nice Setting, Fully Furnished, All Utilities Included, Wired for Cable & Internet, Washer/Dryer, Move-In Ready, $1,200 Per Month; 231-631-7512. _______________________________________ RESERVATIONS MANAGER ON CRYSTAL LAKE! Small Frankfort family resort seeking professional, friendly, detail-oriented candidate with good computer skills. Must be flexible, a team-player, and able to handle a variety of tasks. Full-time summer, part-time winter. Send resumé to fun@ chimneycornersresort.com. 231-352-7522. _______________________________________

NORTHPORT ROOM FOR RENT: Private room in Family home in Northport, newly furnished, cable and WI Fi, shared bath, laundry and kitchen, off street parking, non smoking house, single occupant preferred. $450. Plus security , Lindell250@aol.com, 810-348-6396. _______________________________________ ESTATE SALE: 50 year collection of contemporary art. Regional artists from USA. No reasonable offer refused. Quality items glass, clay. 2 & 3 dimensional. Charlevoix 231-348-5906 anytime _______________________________________ STEEL BUILDINGS PIONEER POLE BUILDINGSFree Estimates-Licensed and insured-2x6 Trusses-45 Year Warranty Galvalume Steel-19 Colors-Since 1976-#1 in Michigan-Call Today 1-800-292-0679. _______________________________________ WANTED TO BUY OR TRADE WANTED FREON R12: We pay CA$H. R12 R500 R11 Convenient, Certified Professionals (312) 291-9169 RefrigerantFinders.com/ads

3 BR W SHORE ELK LAKE HOME $1150 $1150 Modern 3 bdr 2 bath 2 car attached garage, Elk Lake pier. Part furn, mid Dec thru June 1 - 30 your choice of ending. Brian TEXT 847-502-0190 9877 Elk Lake Trail, Williamsburg _______________________________________

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CARIN TERRIER PUPPY’S Pure Michigan Carin Terrier puppy’s born 11/24/19 and ready for their loving forever homes around 1/11/2020 3 boys and 1 girl (all looking Wheaton and red) dewormed. $800.00 (231) 633-7008

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Northern Express Weekly • december 16, 2019 • 31

$

PETOSKEY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25 | 2PM–9PM ADULTS • $23.95 | CHILDREN 6–12 • $12.95 Discounts for Pure Rewards Members.

Holiday Buffet

MACKINAW CITY

2-9

Christmas

& SEAFOOD

BUFFET Friday, December 27 4PM–9PM

SKEY

DEC.

25

PRIME RIB 13.95

CRAB LEG

PETO

PM PM

$

24.95

Special

In observance of the Holidays and to give everyone time with their families, Odawa Casino Petoskey and Mackinaw City will close at 8PM on Christmas Eve and reopen Christmas Day at 2PM.

Happy Holidays From Your Friends at Odawa Casino

STANDARD PROMOTIONAL RULES APPLY. SEE PLAYERS CLUB FOR DETAILS. PETOSKEY AND MACINAW CITY LOCATIONS. 2019.

Odawa Northern Express Ad APPROVED.indd 1 3250646 • december 16, 2019 • Northern Express Weekly

12/12/19 6:30 PM