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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • january 27 - February 02, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 04

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2 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

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Conspiracy Politics What a pathetic time for American politics. Politicians are openly admitting their reaction is based on how it affects their reelection status. Right from wrong? Pffft.

What’s that got to do with anything? Best interests of the U.S. and its future? Give me a break. It doesn’t matter if you’re conservative or liberal. Denial and self-interest is the unwritten law of the land. Worse yet, if a government agency concludes something that goes against one group’s side, that group accuses the government agency of being part of ‘the deep state’ or some other such nonsense, and then their crowd goes wild!

So far, the list of American agencies and people that can no longer be trusted are the Supreme Court; our domestic and foreign intelligence agencies, including those within the State Department; various Circuit Courts; the Office of Management and Budget; the Government Accountability Office; White House staff; all news agencies; the Environmental Protection Agency; prosecutors most everywhere; any watchdog group; the military; and of course, all of science. They’re all in on it!

This is the very short-term result of electing a pathological liar to run the show.

Somehow, he’s gotten millions to accept a horrid flaw that no one, right or left, would put up with from their own children. Thanks to that acceptance, it’s become accepted behavior for others.

I don’t mean this as a hit piece on Trump.

There are liars on the left, too. Shame on you — both sides —for giving even one ounce of helium to the wild lies and distortions bandied about.

Shame on you for not asking, at the very least, the next question when something absurd gets thrown around. Deep state?

Who are they and who would they be trying to benefit? If there were such a thing (spoiler alert: there isn’t), they sure as hell aren’t working on behalf of the poor. If a deep state did exist, Trump is precisely the guy it’d be raising up. Can you not ask a further question before you become a parrot for absurd accusations? Read, think, vote. A withering country depends on it.

Jack Lane, Traverse City A BURNING ISSUE Columnist Stephen Tuttle espouses the global warming hoax. In his Jan. 20 opinion column, “Still Searching,” Tuttle claims: “The most significant and consistent temperature increases in the last 2,000 years have occurred in just the last century.” To the contrary, the best evidence from paleoclimatology is that both the Roman [Climate] Optimum of 2,000

years ago [a time between 200 BC to AD 150, when the climate across much of the territory the Romans had conquered was warm and wet, prompting massive agricultural growth and expansion] and the Medieval Optimum of 1,000 years ago were warmer than now.

Tuttle further claims that “[t]he 10 hottest years globally have all occurred since 2005, and the five hottest were the last five.” Not so.

The 1930s, the decade of the Dust Bowl and widespread global draughts, was the hottest decade of the 20th century and much hotter than any decade since. Global temperatures have been flat since 1998 (“the pause”).

Tuttle believes that CO2-induced draughts are the cause of recent wildfires. In 2019, California suffered over 250,000 acres burned. But far worse was 1937, when nearly 22 million acres burned in California. The previous year, 1936, was worse still; nearly twice as many acres burned. Those were lowCO2 years.

Over the last century, annual burn acreage is down 80 percent in the U.S. — as CO2 levels increased. There has been a global decline in burn acreage as well.

Which brings us to Australia. Tuttle says: “We might never have seen wildfires quite like those now burning in Australia.” Au contraire. So far in the 2019/20 Australian summer, more than 30,000 square miles have burned. Far worse, in 1974/75 (during the “global cooling” scare), more than 450,000 square miles burned.

The warming of about 2° F since the end of the Little Ice Age (circa 1850) has coincided with far greater improvements in life-span, prosperity, and freedom than the preceding 2,000 years of civilization. The Green New Deal would reverse that progress.

Neal Stout, Charlevoix Imagine … Less Runaway Capitalism I’ve always enjoyed Mr. Isiah Smith’s guest columns, so it was with some disappointment that I read his Jan. 20 opinion piece, “Imagine Equality.” In fairness, I should say that I didn’t disagree with all of it. What bothers me is the way he fails to mention the effects of corruption on governments and economic systems. Radical Socialist systems, such as the USSR and Maoist China, were corrupted to the point of being brutal kleptocratic dictatorships.

Here in the U.S., we have runaway capitalism, “trickle-down” Reaganomics, tax breaks for the rich (talk about your wealth redistribution; a lot of it was offshored and not responsibly invested), starvation of our education system, out-sourcing of whole industries’ worth of jobs, Big Pharma, and the giant leech on our backs called “the military- industrial complex,” and that most insulting action by the Supreme Court: Citizens United, which decided corporations are the same as individual people when it comes to the “free speech” that is the financing of political campaigns.

I’ll believe corporations are people when one of them is executed in Texas. Not one of the above-mentioned items squares with the objectives stated in the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America.

Eleven short lines in my little ACLU booklet.

People should memorize it.

Mr. Smith, I agree 100 percent with your last paragraph and final sentence about revamping the tax code, closing loopholes, and bringing about a scene where “Real Americans pay their share.” I don’t advocate total socialism, but it might be useful to study some of the social democracies of Western

Europe and see how they do it. By the way, there are at least 58 socialist programs already in existence in the U.S.A. Whoops, I forgot the Space Force. That makes 59.

John Tschudy, Elk Rapids If Not Us, Who? The realization that our world’s climate is rapidly changing is finally happening for the majority of Western Hemisphere residents.

Emerging nations continue to struggle with the opposing actions of “getting ahead” and increasing their use of polluting fossil fuels.

Therefore, is it up to us in the Western Hemisphere to initiate meaningful action to slow the climate crisis?

I believe it is because we have many more educated people, resources, and, frankly, the wealth to do this. It is difficult to think or care past tomorrow when it’s a struggle to find food or clean water every day.

Citizens Climate Lobby has made great progress with our federal legislators to move forward with a carbon fee on the major polluters, and a dividend to citizens. Please contact them soon to push for ongoing progress with such legislation, i.e., HR 763.

CONTENTS features Crime and Rescue Map......................................7 A Punishment to Fit the Crime..........................10 A Patriot Returns.............................................12 Drop the Needle...........................................14 Man Up...........................................................16 Cadillac’s Clam Lake Beer Co..........................18 Seen...............................................................20

dates................................................21-23 music Four Score.....................................................26

Nightlife.........................................................27

columns & stuff Top Ten...........................................................5

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle....................................6 Modern Rock/Kristi Kates................................24 Film................................................................25 Kathleen Birdsall RN, Traverse City Advice..........................................................28 Crossword...................................................29 Freewill Astrology..........................................29 Extra Smithian Tidbits In response to Isiah Smith’s Jan. 20 Classifieds..................................................30 opinion piece, “Imagine Equality,” I, too, have read Professor Muller’s “The NeoSocialist Delusion.” And it is delusional to imagine equality outside of the absolutely necessary equality of political rights. I am also reading professor Muller’s superbly written “The Mind and the Market: Capitalism in Western Thought .”

I wish to add an Adam Smithian tidbit or two to deepen Isiah Smith Jr.’s enlightening Jan. 20 column, “Imagine Equality.” The first Adam Smith quote addresses the ideological claptrap espoused by looters like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernard Sanders: “The statesman who should attempt to direct private people in what manner they ought to employ their capitals, would ... assume an Northern Express Weekly is published by authority which could safely trusted … to no Eyes Only Media, LLC. council or senate whatever, and which would Publisher: Luke Haase nowhere be so dangerous as in the hands of a 135 W. State St. Traverse City, MI 49684 man who had folly and presumption enough Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 to fancy himself fit to exercise it.” email: info@northernexpress.com Nevertheless, Muller explains Adam www.northernexpress.com Smith’s ardent belief in the instrumentality of Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley the state in protecting and facilitating private Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch economic activity.

Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, The second set of quotes: “The state was Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris the most important institution on which For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 commercial society depended; the authority and security of civil government,” Adam Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Smith wrote, “is a necessary condition for the Distribution: Dave Anderson, Dave Courtad flourishing of liberty, reason, and the happiness Kimberly Sills, Randy Sills, Roger Racine of mankind ... .” It was to the security of Matt Ritter, Gary Twardowski Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold property provided and enforced by law that Reporter: Patrick Sullivan Adam Smith attributed much of the nation’s Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny, Ross Boissoneau, increasing wealth, since that security made it Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Alex Tank worthwhile for every individual to make “the Kristi Kates, Meg Weichman, Janice Binkert natural effort … to better his own condition.”

Al Parker, Craig Manning Adam Smith’s messianic contribution to humanity was to rationalize an economic and Copyright 2020, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 moral paradigm that, over time, displaced the at 600+ locations weekly. Northern Express Weekly mercantile and class systems that suffocated copies is free of charge, but no person may take more than domestic and foreign trade and the dynamic one copy of each weekly issue without written permission division of labor job creation machine. Any of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content further corruption by the political class of without permission of the publisher is prohibited. our economic system will ultimately lead to its destruction and untold human suffering.

Steve Redder, Petoskey

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 3

this week’s

top ten

wine pine stampede

A Limo Sure to Get Some Double Takes

This Subaru is a bit of a stretch.

Nick’s Motor Sales of Kalkaska has for sale a truly unique vehicle, one that seems particularly fitted for Subaru-loving northern Michigan — a 2010 Subaru Tribeca limousine, customized by Executive Motor Coach.

Sales manager Scott Provost said he understands the car was created for the grandson of the owner of Subaru. It ended up in Kalkaska after staff heard about it and bought it at an auction in Pennsylvania, thinking it would be an appealing vehicle in Michigan.

“It is all-wheel drive, and it is the coolest thing,” Provost said. “You can drive it 80, 85, and you don’t even know it. It is professionally done.”

The car comes with everything a high-end Tribeca would have, plus a cozy lounge that includes wood trim, a television, and a bar. It’s listed at $34,987.

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Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen Fried Chicken Po’

Michigan’s longest and oldest point-to-point cross-country ski race, the White Pine Stampede takes place 8am-5pm, Sat., Feb. 1 beginning at Mancelona High School. The 50K race starts at 9:30am; the 20K at 10:30am; and the 10K at 11:30am. Benefits Children’s Hospital of Michigan and the Jack McKaig Social Justice Scholarship for a Mancelona High School graduate. Info: whitepinestampede.org

4

Hey, read it!

Long Bright River

This month, cold and cold-blooded commingle in Liz Moore’s newest novel, “Long Bright River.”

Michaela “Mickey” Fitzpatrick is no stranger to solitude. A quiet kid-turned-powerhouse police detective, Mickey’s sole companion these days is her four-year-old son. So, when Kensington, the deflated Philadelphia district she and her estranged sister, Kacey, roamed as kids is added to her bent, the line between ‘sleuth’ and ‘sister’ becomes increasingly scarce. But when Kacey disappears amid several unsolved murders, Mickey’s usual rounds become a race against time: to find Kacey — and the killer — before it’s too late. Gripping and gut-wrenching, this family drama cum true crime is so well crafted, it’s almost, well... criminal.

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Fresh warm bread. Honey jalapeno mayonnaise. (And then lettuce, onion, and tomato, because vegetables are supposed to be important.) This is the Fried Chicken Po’ Boy at Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen in Elk Rapids. For those who haven’t been, Pearl’s has all the Cajun and Creole comfort food you’ve ever dreamed of — for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.

The po’ boys are not to be missed, especially since they’re only $5.99 on Wednesdays until Memorial Day. Grab a cozy booth, sample half a dozen hot sauces, and choose any of the five po’ boys on the menu. The fried chicken gets our vote for a winter warm-up, especially when paired with a cup of their famous gumbo and complimentary jalapeno cornbread. And if you still have room after all that, need we say more than hot fudge sundae beignet? Let the good times roll. Find Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen at 617 Ames St. in Elk Rapids. (231) 264-0530, www.magnumhospitality.com/pearls

A hArd look At AmericA Why are millions of kids failing to graduate from high school each year? How come so many unions have gone by the wayside?

What’s behind America’s worsening opioid and alcohol addictions? How can you get ahead when college puts you into debt the rest of your life?

In Tightrope, authors and journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn write that America’s working class is faltering. The social safety net of community has faded, sure, but so have many unions, income equality and decent paying jobs for the working class. Kristof and WuDunn will take the stage at the City Opera House Jan. 31 with guest host Nate Payne, editor of the Traverse City Record-Eagle to not only talk about problems, but also hope and solutions. Don’t miss the author reception beforehand, beginning at 6 p.m. at Brew, next door to the City Opera House.

Presented by the National Writers Series, a year-round book festival that uses net proceeds to help fund youth reading and writing programs.

For tickets go to NationalWritersSeries.org

4 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

6

Artists Wanted

Calling all artists who live in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, or Leelanau counties: Here’s your chance to mount a public art installation in downtown Traverse City.

The Traverse City Arts Commission is looking for two-dimensional or threedimensional proposals for a public art project. They’ll take applications through Feb. 18, and then select five artists to take part at Pitch Night, March 5 at the Workshop Brewing Company.

Each artist will have five minutes and up to five slides to pitch their idea; a panel and the live audience can ask questions. The audience will vote to determine a winner, who will receive $1,000 and the chance to have his or her work on public display for at least one month. Installation is slated for April. To enter, visit tcpublicart.org.

Stuff we love Zakopane, Poland, in Manistee Once upon a time in Poland, under the towering peaks of the Tatra Mountains during the final weeks of World War I, a one-of-akind republic emerged: Zakopane, a haven for artists, writers, and intellectuals drawn from all four corners of the beleaguered country.

Though its time as a republic was brief, this diverse community of thinkers and creators flourishes still today. And from Feb. 10 to March 27, you can see its story for yourself — via “100 Years of Polish Independence: Zakopane 1918,” an exhibition of photographs from the archives of Zakopane’s own Tatra Museum — at the Ramsdell Theatre, in Manistee.

Want to delve deeper? Attend the opening reception, with Polish-inspired food, music, and a lecture from University of Michigan history department’s Dr. Kate Wroblewski 1pm–5pm Saturday, Feb. 15. The exhibit and lecture are free, but reservations are required for the latter. See www.ramsdelltheatre.org for more information.

Let’s Ale Save the Planet How is climate change impacting your favorite beer? The Citizens’ Climate Lobby will seek to answer that question on Thursday, Jan. 30, during an event at Traverse City’s Workshop Brewing Company (221 Garland Street). The event, titled “Beer & Climate: How Climate Change Impacts the Building Blocks of Beer,” will feature a presentation from Workshop Head Brewer Michael Wooster. Says Wooster: “It’s difficult to recognize the vast implications of climate change in their entirety. When it comes to mind, sometimes we only consider a handful of issues, when the reality is climate change will affect many aspects of human existence. The night of the 30th will give us the opportunity to look at the beer industry as producers and consumers, offering insight on how climate change will affect both.” The event starts at 6pm and is free for all who wish to attend.

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Bottoms up Bee Well’s Beaver Island Cider If you can’t escape the depths of winter, try time travelling with a pint of Bee Well’s Beaver Island Cider. Tart and tannic, it’s the taste of bright fall sunshine and harvest-time winds off Lake Michigan. This year’s batch of Beaver Island cider was fermented with wild apples collected on the island. The foraging team was led by mead and cider-maker and Bee Well co-owner, Jeremy VanSice: “The back roads are little apple forests. It’s amazing!” Trees first planted by early immigrants in the mid-1800s bear fruit of several antique varieties, so the cider is never the same twice. This third annual iteration has a pleasantly funky aroma (due to its wild yeast fermentation) and brings a refreshing, green apple flavor mid-palate, then a dry finish. Jeremy and the VanSice family have been fermenting mead and cider at their Bellaire production facility since 2014. In May 2018, they opened a cozy tasting room in the heart of downtown Bellaire. There’s a simultaneous après ski and Cheers vibe inside the comfortable space. More often than not, thirsty guests are greeted by name. On our visit, a classic Violent Femmes record spun on the turntable as the freshly tapped Beaver Island cider flowed. The mead — a traditional honey wine — is a bit stronger than the cider and well worth sampling, too. Find Bee Well Mead and Cider at 116 N. Bridge St. in Bellaire. (231) 350-7174, www. beewellmeadery.com

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 5

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On the evening of Monday, Feb. 3, after a full day’s work and despite what might be horrible weather, Iowa Democrats will trudge to schoolhouses, fire stations, and other public buildings for their caucuses. It isn’t a night for the timid.

They won’t show their identification, or pick up a ballot, or retreat to a little booth to privately and secretly make their choice among the dozen Democratic candidates still in the race.

For the caucus-attending Democrat, the Iowa caucuses are a most public exercise in voting.

The intrepid voters will show up at one of the 1,681 caucus sites and be shepherded into groups with other like-minded citizens. All the Bernie supporters over there, the Warren supporters in another corner, and the same with the Bidenites and all the rest.

12 candidates, it’s likely the winner will have been opposed by more than 75 percent of caucus attendees.

Every candidate wants to improve healthcare, increase taxes on the rich, make college free (or at least more affordable), and move the country away from fossil fuels. So the policy fight is over the degree to which a candidate wants to accomplish those things, and how quickly.

The most progressive and strident caucusgoers will be supporters of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. They want “Medicare for All,” free tuition at community colleges and public universities, forgiveness of current tuition debt, universal day care and paid parental leave, an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15/hour, and an endorsement of the Green New Deal in its entirety.

Despite the quirky nature of Iowa’s caucus system, no Democrat has ever finished lower than third and gone on to win the nomination. This year will be especially peculiar; with 12 candidates, it’s likely the winner will have been opposed by more than 75 percent of caucus attendees.

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There will be speeches and plenty of lobbying.

Gentle and occasionally loud arm-twisting and other forms of persuasion are normal and acceptable; moving a voter or two from one camp to another can make a difference. Those supporting the strongest candidates will encourage those less fortunate to join their team in the name of unity.

Eventually, after hours of debate, posturing, and influencing, a final vote will be taken.

Artwork ©2019 Northport Performing Arts Center

A camera-shy celebrity chef tries to launch a TV show, but threats from her agent and spells cast by her gypsy neighbor are no help. Add her husband’s attempts at hypnotism, and the taping turns into a comic nightmare that threatens to end the show as well as her sanity.

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6 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

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This year, with 12 candidates still in the race (another 13 have officially dropped out or suspended their campaigns) unity is likely to be in short supply. Even the most progressive wing of the party has recently split over comments Bernie Sanders might or might not have made regarding a woman’s chances of being elected president. Sanders denies he ever said any such thing, but the already - chilly relations between his supporters and those of Elizabeth Warren have dropped another few degrees.

It might portend a difficult primary season.

In 2016, with just two serious presidential candidates vying for the Democratic party’s nomination, more than 171,000 Iowa Democrats showed up to caucus. Hillary Clinton beat Bernie Sanders by a fraction of a percentage point, starting a long and destructive twoperson primary war.

This year, Democrats are split between the Sanders/Warren progressives and the rest, whom they dismissively refer to as “corporate Democrats,” including Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg. Someone from that quartet is likely to emerge as the Iowa victor. The foolish internecine squabbling at which Democrats excel won’t help the winner.

Despite the quirky nature of Iowa’s caucus system, no Democrat has ever finished lower than third and gone on to win the nomination. This year will be especially peculiar; with

The price tag for all of that is staggering: $34 trillion for the first decade of “Medicare for All” and hundreds of billions of dollars more for everything else. They would pay for it with a blizzard of new taxes on the rich, including a 70 percent marginal tax rate on top incomes and a wealth tax of 3 percent (Sanders’ proposes an even more severe 4.6 percent) on individuals with a net worth of at least $50 million.

The rest of the field, particularly Biden and Buttigieg, espouse lesser versions of all of it since it’s unlikely Congress would pass any of it. After all, much of Congress is a wholly owned subsidiary of big-money interests unlikely to be interested in tax increases for themselves.

But Iowa often turns out to be a contest of organizational strength rather than a battle of ideology or policy. Identifying supporters and making damned sure they get to the caucus site is more important than ideological purity. Advertising has been ubiquitous, but a solid ground game often trumps a massive media buy.

Pundits like to refer to the political dance ending in the caucuses as retail politics. Candidates have to be on the ground, face to face with voters in hundreds of coffee shops, diners, fairs, and whatever local festival happens to be going on in whatever little town is next on their itinerary.

They will have given roughly the same speech and answered the same questions hundreds, maybe even thousands, of times. The true believers will believe truly, and the undecideds won’t decide.

The best speeches or ideas won’t be enough.

In the end, the candidate who identifies hardcore supporters, reinforces them, and makes sure they show up on a cold February night will win.

Crime & Rescue MAN ARRESTED IN SHOOTING State police arrested a homeowner after receiving a report that someone had fired gunshots at his Roscommon Township home.

After an investigation into the Jan. 11 incident, troopers determined that the homeowner, 33-yearold Drew Phillip Sorenson, was in the wrong.

A man that Sorenson had been arguing with about items stored on his property visited Sorenson’s home that night and allegedly broke a window. Sorenson responded by firing two shots, one of which struck the window of the other man’s car as he fled the area, according to a press release.

Sorenson was arrested Jan. 18 on charges including possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, false report of a felony, and assault with intent to do great bodily harm.

HUSBAND STABS WIFE, FLEES Police arrested a man accused of stabbing his wife and then fleeing.

Tuscarora Township Police received a report Jan. 18 that a woman had allegedly been stabbed by her husband. The incident took place near Indian River. The woman told police she managed to escape from a vehicle but was then assaulted again after her husband caught up to her. The husband then fled the scene in the vehicle.

The woman was taken to McLaren Northern Michigan where she underwent surgery and was expected to recover.

State police responded to the scene, and a trooper spotted the suspect’s vehicle shortly before midnight on Straits Highway near Topinabee Mall Route Road. The suspect would not pull over, however.

Mackinaw City Police attempted to deploy stop sticks, but the suspect was able to drive around them; a short while later a trooper was able to perform a maneuver that forced the suspect’s vehicle into a ditch.

The man was arrested and charged with fleeing and eluding, as well as third-offense drunk driving. He also was expected to face charges in connection with the assault.

BOYFRIEND ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man after his girlfriend said she was pushed to the floor and strangled.

Deputies were called at 5:30pm Jan. 17 to a home on East Fort Road in Bingham Township, where they interviewed a 32-year-old woman about an alleged assault that took place at a residence on East Woodside Court.

The woman said an argument with her 45-year-old boyfriend became violent. She said he pushed her down, straddled her, and put his hands on her throat, strangling her briefly before she was able to escape.

Deputies tracked down the suspect at the residence on East Woodside and arrested him on suspicion of aggravated domestic assault with strangulation. The woman was treated by Suttons Bay Fire and Rescue personnel for injuries to her face and neck.

POLICE: EMPLOYEE STOLE FROM CUSTOMERS An Emmet County woman faces charges after investigators determined she stole tens of thousands of dollars from the insurance company where she worked.

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

Staff at Farm Bureau Insurance called police about the former employee in June 2018, leading to a 15-month audit and investigation. Detectives sifted through three years of business records and interviewed 60 potential victims.

Acting alone, the woman allegedly stole over $115,000 from checking accounts and through fraudulent credit card charges, according to a press release from the Petoskey Department of Public Safety.

The woman was charged with embezzlement of $50,000 or more but less than $100,000, plus nine other felonies related to identity theft, using a computer to commit a crime, and stealing a financial transaction device.

The woman turned herself in June 8 and was released on bond.

PLOW DRIVER ARRESTED FOR OWI State police arrested a Cadillac man for drunk driving after he struck a power pole while plowing snow.

Authorities closed down part of M-115 near 46 Road in Clam Lake Township on the evening of Jan. 19 after a power line sagged low enough that it damaged two vehicles. When state police investigated, they determined that a nearby resident, 67-year-old James Daniel Thomas, had hit the power pole while plowing snow, causing the line to hang low.

Thomas declined sobriety tests but showed signs of intoxication, so he was arrested for drunk driving, police said. He was charged with third-offense drunk driving.

MAN HITS DAUGHTER, STABS MAN A man who intervened in a fight between a father and daughter was stabbed by the father.

Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies were called at 5:43pm June 22 to a home on Lucille Street in Elmwood Township, where they interviewed a 20-year-old woman who said she had been punched by her father, a 53-year-old who had left the area on foot.

Deputies learned that a 23-year-old man from Traverse City had stopped by to visit the woman and that her father got angry and punched her three times. When the younger man intervened, the father stabbed him with a knife.

The man was taken to Munson Medical Center by a friend; deputies found the older man hiding nearby and took him to jail on charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and domestic violence.

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Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 7

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bY Jack Segal What is U.S. policy toward Iran? Since the Jan. 3 killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), we’ve seen a war of words between President Trump and Ayatollah Khamenei, missile strikes by both sides, and the murder of 176 innocent passengers on a Ukrainian airliner. In the 40 years since the overthrow of the Shah and the takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran, we had been in a state of “conflict short of war” with Iran. Are we now at war?

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The Trump Administration’s “maximum pressure” policy has hit Iran’s economy hard: Prices have risen sharply — particularly since 2017, when new restrictions on Iranian oil exports kicked in. Since then, Iran’s oil exports have dropped by 75 percent, to less than 500,000 barrels per day. Unemployment is increasing, and people’s savings and buying power have plummeted.

Last year, ordinary Iranians began staging mass protests over their declining living standard and the rampant corruption and misplaced priorities of a regime that pursues nuclear research over food production. A midNovember increase in gasoline prices triggered nationwide protests. At least 180 people (some reports say 450) were killed by regime forces in four days of violence, with over 2,000 wounded and 7,000 detained.

No less a source than the regime’s own interior minister admitted that protests had erupted in 29 out of 31 provinces. Fifty military bases were attacked. Internet service was halted.

When it resumed, opposition leaders bravely attacked the regime’s handling of the crisis — even denouncing the heretofore sacrosanct Ayatollah himself. A former presidential candidate compared the regime’s violence to a 1978 massacre by government forces that ultimately led to the downfall of the Shah.

That history might be leading the Trump Administration to believe that, with another push from Washington, the Ayatollahs could be overthrown just as the Shah was in ’78.

We should be careful what we wish for. A violent upheaval against Iran’s three centers of power — the religious elite, the IRGC, and the Iranian parliment — could lead to civil war.

Surely, Washington has learned by now that encouraging a revolt anywhere in the Middle East could produce wildly unpredictable results.

Where do we go from the current brinksmanship? Back in May 2018, after President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, his administration publicized a list of 12 U.S. demands. One of them said we would not renegotiate until Iran stopped destabilizing the Middle East through its proxy forces in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza. These proxies had been directed for decades by Gen. Soleimani. While Soleimani is quite dead, the IRGC is still very much alive, and acquiescence to our demands seems farfetched.

Under U.S. pressure, the IRGC has morphed into a commercial enterprise, running factories that churn out local replacement goods for items blocked by sanctions. Most importantly, the IRGC also has taken control of all of Iran’s customs offices — precisely where smugglers must bring their illicit sanctions-busting trade. The flow of bribes has made the IRGC a profit center that helps

8 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

finance proxy militias across the Middle East.

The rest goes to the IRGC’s top generals, senior clerics, and friends of the regime.

Before Gen. Soleimani’s killing, Iran’s demonstrators were focused on protesting against their own rulers. With his killing, we temporarily redirected Iranians’ ire toward us, but that was abruptly reversed when the IRGC admitted to shooting down that Ukrainian airliner. That catastrophe underscored the ineptitude of Iranian civil aviation authorities, the IRGC, and the regime, again bringing out thousands of demonstrators demanding wholesale changes in how Iran is ruled. This discontent with the theocratic rule of the past 40 years should represent an opportunity for U.S. and allied diplomacy (if any diplomats are still working).

Is the Trump team capable of seizing this opportunity? “Maximum pressure” has now forced the regime to address the unrest, but neither can any dictatorship be expected to simply fold up their (luxury) tents and go away.

Any further actions by the Trump administration to challenge the alreadyweakened state structures is dangerous. We could end up shifting the blame for Iran’s woes right back on ourselves — exactly what the regime wants. The leaders of Iran’s three power centers need to be convinced that they could somehow survive regime change and retire to their luxury villas in Dubai.

President Trump seems even more conflicted than usual. If he continues his tendency to allow “his” generals to maintain large “counterterrorism” forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf, he corners himself into precisely the indeterminate and undefined commitments he claims he wants to end. He also hands what should be a diplomatic task to a military that is poorly suited to the task.

I am reminded of Henry Kissinger’s 1964 observation on the nature of peace — and his warning against relying on military leaders to achieve it: “A man who has grown accustomed to command finds it almost impossible to negotiate. Because negotiation is an admission of finite power.” In other words, a military leader is conditioned to seek total victory, not compromise; anything less is tantamount to failure.

Certainly, a negotiated settlement with Iran (or the Taliban, for that matter) would amount to an admission that our “world’s greatest military” is not in possession of infinite power, that there are limits to our power on their turf.

That bitter pill is one which our president has so far been unable to swallow.

Unless we admit to such limits, the consequence will be a continuation of our endless wars. The stars are aligned for making a deal with Iran that could transform the Middle East — if we can simply open our eyes to the opportunity.

Jack Segal is a former Army officer, a retired senior foreign service officer and a former consul general who served in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Russia. He teaches aspiring diplomats in Norwich University’s Graduate program and lectures at NMC, Ferris State University, and Rhein-Waal University in Germany.

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Extreme Measures David Ostrom, 40, and his ex-wife, Bridgette Ostrom, 38, have been tussling over custody and visitation issues and property taxes for some time, but a frustrated David, of Paola, Kansas, has come up with a unique way of settling their differences. He has challenged his ex, of Harlan, Iowa, and her attorney, Matthew Hudson, to a trial by combat and asked the Iowa District Court in Shelby County to let them “resolve our disputes on the field of battle, legally,” the Des Moines Register reported. In court documents, Ostrom claims such a trial “has never been explicitly banned or restricted as a right in these United States.” Ostrom also asked for 12 weeks to secure some Japanese samurai swords. Hudson, for his part, argued that the fight could end in a death, and “such ramifications likely outweigh those of property tax and custody issues.” At press time, the court had not ruled on the motions.

The Continuing Crisis In Mexico City, Mexico, on any given day, 22 of the 467 escalators at subway stations are broken down, reports the Associated Press, and on Jan. 14 Metro authorities published a list of causes, including “corrosion due to urine” among the top five. Fermin Ramirez, assistant manager for rails and facilities, said he’s concluded that riders urinate on the escalators in off-peak hours or at lightly used stations -“even though it seems hard to believe.” “When we open up escalators for maintenance, there is always urine,” Ramirez noted. Twitter users pushed back, noting that there are no restroom facilities in most Metro stations. The Mexico City subway provides 1.6 billion rides per year -- the eighth largest in the world by some measures.

Least Competent Criminals -- Bibb County (Georgia) jail inmate Mary Beth Odum, 40, asked for and received a special Christmas card from a friend this year: a greeting filled with methamphetamine and Suboxone from Timothy Lee Snow, 40, according to authorities. The Associated Press reports deputies intercepted the card and began investigating Snow, detaining him on Jan. 9.

On his person they found meth, Xanax and a revolver. In his home, deputies found more meth, Suboxone, marijuana, steroids, packing materials, a shotgun and a rifle. He was charged with possession and intent to distribute the drugs, along with giving an inmate drugs.

Odom also faces charges of attempt to commit offenses pertaining to the possession of drugs.

-- Storm Corral, 40, and a possible accomplice went to a lot of trouble to enter the Cigarettes Cheaper store in Sonora, California, on Dec. 22, according to police. They bored a hole in the ceiling, gaining access from a vacant building above the business, which probably took a couple of hours, Sonora Police Chief Turu VanderWiel told Fox40. When Corral tripped an alarm inside the store, he tried to escape back up through the hole but ended up falling through the ceiling into a storage room, all of which was caught on surveillance video. For all his effort, Corral came away with just a bag of rolling tobacco and two energy drinks, said an employee of the business, but he caused thousands of dollars worth of damage. Corral, who was already on probation, was charged with burglary and conspiracy to commit a crime. Police are still looking for his suspected accomplice.

Can You Blame Her? Shawna Joseph, 28, of Jersey City, New Jersey, lost her cool on Jan. 7 at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in Bayonne. Asked to leave around 2 p.m. after becoming angry

over the length of the lines, authorities said she returned later that afternoon and unleashed her wrath, smashing computers, assaulting workers and kicking the police officers called to arrest her. The Associated Press reported that Joseph eventually was responsible for about $23,000 in damages, according to authorities, and after she was arrested, she was found to have a PCP-laced marijuana cigarette in her possession; she was charged with criminal mischief, drug possession, aggravated assault and hindering apprehension.

The Passing Parade KTVX reported a man in Sandy, Utah, mistakenly assumed his local 24 Hour Fitness was open ... 24 hours. Dan Hill went to the gym late on Jan. 11 and finished his session with laps in the pool after midnight. When he emerged, he realized everyone was gone and the doors were locked. “Doesn’t the name suggest that they stay open 24 hours?” Hill complained on Facebook.

He called his wife, who suggested he “find a comfortable place to sleep.” Instead, he called police dispatch “and the guy pauses for like 10 seconds and says, ‘You’re where?’” Hill said. He explained that he didn’t want to risk tripping the alarm system and “get busted for breaking and entering,” so police responded and freed Hill from his unexpected prison. A manager from the gym apologized in a statement and said, “We made the decision recently to close select clubs in the overnight hours. ... We clearly did not do a good job of our closing procedures for this club on Saturday night.”

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During the Tokyo Olympics this summer, athletes will sleep on beds made of cardboard, a nod toward sustainability in keeping with Tokyo’s commitment to a “green” Olympics.

Which all sounded admirable until Australian basketball player Andrew Bogut pointed out a potential problem: “Great gesture ... until the athletes finish their events and the 1,000s of condoms handed out all over the village are put to use.” In response, Airweave, the manufacturer of the beds, told AFP the beds will hold up to 440 pounds and have been through rigorous stress tests. “As long as they stick to just two people in the bed, they should be strong enough to support the load,” the company said.

Fetishes On Christmas Eve, a man in Bradenton, Florida, woke up to find an intruder in his room.

It wasn’t Santa Claus; the victim was awakened by a man sucking on his toes. According to the Manatee County Sheriff ’s Office, the victim demanded to know what the man was doing and the suspect simply responded he “was there to suck toes.” In the ensuing fight, deputies said the suspect claimed to have a gun, but the victim managed to force him out of the home, where the thwarted toe-sucker smashed a window in the home and destroyed the windshield of the victim’s car before leaving.

The Bradenton Herald reported officers were unable to locate the suspect using a K9, so they took DNA samples from the man’s toes, and the incident is still under investigation.

Irony The Daily Hive reported on Jan. 15 that an event scheduled for that day at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver was postponed because of snow. Why is this weird? The event was a campus-wide snowball fight set to take place at 12:30 p.m. The university reasoned that traffic problems and canceled classes would make it more difficult for students to participate. The school rescheduled the snowball fight for the next day.

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Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 9

A PUNISHMENT TO FIT THE CRIME For the fourth time, a judge will sentence Robert Jensen Schwander for the 2011 murder of Carly Lewis in Traverse City.

Will the critical question — how much time should Schwander be sentenced to prison — finally be settled?

By Patrick Sullivan The trial of Robert Jensen Schwander for the brutal murder of Carly Lewis in June 2011 was not about whether or not Schwander killed Lewis — he confessed to killing her early in the investigation. Rather, the trial was supposed to determine what kind of killing had occurred.

In the 2012 trial, Schwander’s attorney, Craig Elhart, would argue that Schwander acted in self-defense, that he was provoked, and that the slaying was, at most, a case of manslaughter. Prosecutors read the facts quite differently: Schwander, Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg would argue, lured Lewis to an abandoned building in Traverse City with the promise of marijuana and then stabbed the 16-year-old to death in cold blood, perhaps out of rage that Lewis’ family, who had recently taken in the homeless youth, had turned him back out onto the street.

The trial never really settled that question, however.

The jury returned what was perhaps a compromise verdict of second-degree murder — less than what prosecutors sought, more than the defense argued was warranted.

In the years since that verdict, the state’s criminal justice system has been unable to determine what punishment fits Schwander’s crime.

So far, judges in Traverse City have tried repeatedly to sentence Schwander to at least

40 years in prison, nearly twice the time state guidelines recommend. Judges in Lansing have repeatedly struck down those sentences and called for fewer years or a better explanation of why Schwander deserves such a stiff punishment.

BACK AND FORTH, AND BACK AND FORTH Next week, nearly nine years after Lewis’s death and after repeated Michigan Court of Appeals decisions that struck down previous sentences, Schwander is scheduled to be sentenced for the fourth time.

take into account the severity of the crime. He sentenced Schwander to 40 to 70 year in prison.

When the Court of Appeals found that Power hadn’t properly justified his departure from the guideline recommendations, Power resentenced Schwander — to 38 to 70 years in prison.

Shaving two years off of the sentence wasn’t enough for the appellate court judges, however; they ordered that another judge take the case.

At Schwander’s third sentencing hearing, Judge Philip Rodgers restored Power’s original sentence, ordering Schwander to serve 40 to 70 years in prison. Rodgers reasoning? That

He should never be allowed in society if, after all this time, he is still confrontational. I want Justice to prevail and the Judge to reaffirm his prior sentence. I hope I never live to see him on the streets of Traverse City again.”

This time around, a third judge will have to either sentence Schwander to a prison term within the guidelines, which would cap Schwander’s minimum sentence at 22 ½ years or come up with a rationale that can satisfy the higher court that a tougher sentence is warranted.

The original trial judge, Judge Thomas Power, explained his reason for exceeding the guidelines; he found they didn’t properly

10 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

despite what the jury said, there was evidence that the crime Schwander had committed was indeed first-degree, premeditated murder.

Rodgers’ sentence, handed down in 2014, has been under appeal ever since. The appellate court, in a 2–1 decision in May 2018, called both judges’ sentences “unreasonable and disproportionate” and sent the case back to the 13th Circuit for yet another resentencing,

one that would take place following Rodgers’ retirement, to be determined by Judge Kevin Elsenheimer.

Elhart said he hopes that when his client is resentenced, he receives a sentence within the guidelines. He said Power and Rodgers attempted to undo the work of the jury with the punishment they attempted to hand down.

“What I think has happened is, they took the decision of the jury out of the mix,” he said. “The jury clearly decided he was guilty of second-degree murder.”

PUNISHMENT, STANDARDIZED The difference between the maximum under state sentencing guidelines and the sentence sought by Power and Rodgers is significant, nearly double what the guidelines call for. Practically, the difference between the two sentence lengths is gaping. Assuming that Schwander is released upon becoming eligible for parole, under state guidelines he would be 39 years old when he is released; under the departure sentence, he would be 57.

Sentencing guidelines were first enacted in Michigan in 1998 as a means to ensure some uniformity in sentencing, so that a person who committed a crime in northern Michigan would receive a similar sentence to a person who committed the same crime in Metro Detroit.

The guidelines use a grid to take into account the circumstances of the crime — was a weapon used? Did a psychological injury

occur? — and the prior record of the defendant in order to determine the minimum sentence.

For a judge to exceed the guidelines, they have to have good reason and base their departure on factors that are not already considered within the guidelines.

In the first Court of Appeals decision, the judges ruled (2–1) that while Power listed some “objective and compelling” reasons for a departure from the guidelines, he offered no justification for nearly doubling the years Schwander would spend in prison.

Power based his departure on the facts that the evidence showed Lewis might have been alive, suffering for up to an hour, before dying of her injuries, and Schwander never sought help. He also noted the fact that Schwander had been taken in off the street by Lewis’s family and then had betrayed their trust.

When the court sent the case back to Power, demanding a better rationale for such a severe sentence, Power didn’t provide one. Instead, he cut two years from the minimum and wrote`: “The undersigned is hopeful that this substantial reduction in the Defendant’s sentence will prove satisfactory to the Court of Appeals.”

UNYEILDING DECISIONS Perhaps unsurprisingly, Power’s note did not satisfy the Court of Appeals, which sent the case to Rodgers’ court. Rodgers then reinstated Power’s original sentence but went to some length to justify doing so.

Rodgers found that Schwander could have saved Lewis’ life but didn’t, that he betrayed the trust of the family, that he showed no remorse for the crime, and that he showed “complete and utter disrespect” for Lewis’s body following the murder, burying the body in a shallow grave and then hastily moving her remains to another location — all points that the higher court decision said were valid.

Nonetheless, they found that those reasons still didn’t justify a 40-year sentence.

Their rationale: “While Judge Rodgers identified several appropriate grounds for a departure, he failed to adequately explain why those grounds defined a sentence that was more proportionate to the offense and the offender than a guidelines sentence would have been,” the judges wrote.

There were other reasons Rodgers gave to justify the stiff sentence, but they were rejected by the court. A look at the transcript of the sentencing hearing shows that Rodgers found the circumstances of the crime more disturbing than what the guidelines reflect.

For example, at trial, Schwander took the stand and testified that he had choked Lewis to death in an act of self-defense. (Prosecutors noted that the autopsy showed Lewis was stabbed to death.) And Schwander’s claim that he had acted in self-defense didn’t hold up, Rodgers noted, because Schwander, who is 6 feet tall, clearly had a tremendous size advantage over Lewis, who stood 5-feet-two.

Rodgers also noted that when Schwander testified at his trial, his apparent hatred for Lewis simmered just below the surface.

Rodgers told Schwander at the sentencing: “You told the jury, if they only knew her, they would understand. Understand what?

Understand why you wanted her dead?”

The dissenting Court of Appeals judge also noted that Schwander’s crime was not a typical case of second-degree murder.

“So which is more depraved, stabbing a victim multiple times and watching her slowly bleed to death, or choking her to the point where she became unconscious and could no longer fight or resist, continuing to do so for two additional minutes, then dropping the body, going for a walk, and returning finally to allegedly do some chest compressions?” the judge wrote. “That’s the trial record. In either case, the level of depravity is stunning. “ A DESCENT INTO HELL Indeed, as the trial unfolded, it painted a disturbing portrait of a 17-year-old whose life was steadily falling apart and whose behavior was becoming more and more reckless.

It was almost a fluke that Schwander

wound up at the Lewis house in the first place.

Schwander testified how he was thrown out of his family home in December 2010 for sneaking out of the house. He and his father had a screaming match, and then he was out on the street. The first night, he said, he went to a friend’s house, and then he couch-surfed for a while. He stayed one night at Pete’s Place, a shelter for homeless youth, but he hated it and left. They called his parents, he said, but he didn’t want them knowing where he was or thinking he needed help. He moved on.

He stayed at a friend’s house in Grawn for close to three months, even though his friend’s dad did not want him there. Somehow he made it through the worst of the winter, he said, even though his hosts wouldn’t feed him, and he stayed in a basement without heat.

The next house he wound up in was nicer and he was fed and made to feel welcome, but he said he got kicked out of that one when he mistakenly left out his bong, betraying his secret marijuana habit.

That’s when he ran into Carly Lewis’ brother, Mitchell Lewis, at school. Schwander said Mitchell Lewis was a student everyone, including himself, looked up to. When Mitchell heard about Schwander’s hard times, he offered the homeless youth a place to stay at his family’s home. Schwander had never met Carly Lewis until he moved into her house that spring.

Carly Lewis and Schwander did not get along well at first. But after he was there for a couple weeks, they started to get along better, according to testimony. They would go for walks, and, Schwander testified, smoked pot together in a backyard shed.

Schwander was eventually kicked out of the Lewis home, not because he didn’t get along with Carly, but because Susie Lewis, Carly’s mom, finally had enough. She testified during the trial that at first Schwander was amiable and willing to help out around the house, but as time wore on, he become obstinate and would lock himself in his room. The final straw was when she asked Schwander to help rake leaves, and Schwander ignored the request.

He found a note on his door the next day, telling him to clear out within a week.

Schwander did clear out, Susie Lewis testified. Within days, he’d removed not only all his possessions but also the things the family had given him so that he would be comfortable in their home, such as an older television set.

It might have been an argument over these second-hand items that caused Schwander to snap and to take Carly Lewis’s life.

That’s how Schwander explained it when he was on the stand. He said that television actually had been given to him by someone else, and a scooter and blanket in question were items that had been given to him to keep, not loaned. He said that, nonetheless, Carly Lewis pestered him about the items.

According to Schwander’s recount of the ensuing argument, he and Carly exchanged some raw, dark, and bitter words after arguing about the items.

“I told her that her mom knew about that.

And she said, ‘You know, Jensen, my mom doesn’t even like you. She said you’re way too much to handle. She said if it wasn’t for knowing your dad back in high school, you would have never been welcome in our home,’” he testified.

He continued: “I said, ‘That’s funny because that’s exactly what your mom used to say about you, too. Too much to handle. Your mom probably liked having me around more that you.’”

Of the physical encounter soon after that led to Carly’s death, Schwander said this: “And she’s pushing me. She goes, huh? She’s pushing me. Just constantly pushing me. Pushing me. At that point, I couldn’t control myself. I pushed her right back. I pushed her. And she flew back into the wall.”

TWELVE DAYS WITHOUT KNOWING The 12 days Carly was missing were devastating for her family and friends.

At the trial, Susie Lewis described her daughter as a good-natured, fun-loving teenager who sometimes got into trouble, but never very seriously.

“Had Carly stayed out overnight before?

Yeah, she had. But I always heard from her, you know, by the morning,” she testified. “She would either need a ride or, you know, money.

Something. And someone, either Todd [Carly’s father, Susie Lewis’ ex-husband] or I or my friend or grandma would always hear from her the next day.”

The day Susie Lewis last saw her daughter was a Wednesday, early. As Thursday progressed, she became increasingly worried.

Susie called Todd Lewis. He hadn’t heard from Carly either. Because Carly didn’t have a phone of her own, her parents had no way to reach her. So they called her friends and

whoever they could think of. They called the pizza place she worked; she was supposed to pick up her paycheck that Saturday. The day passed; she never arrived to pick it up.

Susie Lewis tried to keep herself and the family calm, however; her son was graduating from high school that day. She said she managed to get through the day, but underneath, she was panicking. There had been no Facebook posts from Carly, and none of her friends had news.

Her daughter had simply vanished — and that was simply not like her.

At Schwander’s 2014 sentencing, Todd Lewis, Carly’s dad, spoke in court about Schwander’s deception and duplicity following the murder.

“The Monday following her disappearance, our son, Mitchell, Carly’s aunt Cathy, and a family friend and I visited Jensen’s workplace and spoke with him. He said he had no knowledge of her whereabouts … that she would be back and that she was probably out partying somewhere,” Todd Lewis said in court. “He also said she ‘sure had a mouth on her.’ I thought that was very odd. And now, I look back, and this was his justification.”

He said he believes his daughter was murdered because she recognized Schwander’s true character.

“I believe she saw him as a user, and this is why they had problems living in the same house,” he said at the hearing. “This act is so dark and evil. How can we ever trust someone like this again?”

“NEVER ON THE STREETS AGAIN” Todd Lewis said recently that he didn’t want to be interviewed for this article, but he agreed to comment in an email.

Todd Lewis doesn’t believe Schwander should ever be allowed out of prison.

“At a previous resentencing, I sat in the courtroom, and Jensen was sitting in the side room. As I looked at him, he stared at me, unflinching. What I saw in his eyes was not remorse but, instead, justification. It was as if he said, Yes I killed your daughter. So what, what are you going to do about it?” Lewis wrote. “I want people to understand that this person is Evil. He should never be allowed in society if, after all this time, he is still confrontational. I want Justice to prevail and the Judge to reaffirm his prior sentence. I hope I never live to see him on the streets of Traverse City again.”

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 11

A Patriot Returns Babe was reported MIA while fighting Chinese Communist troops at the Chosin Reservoir on Dec. 2, 1950.

Nearly 70 years ago, a young soldier from Glen Lake went missing in action in the Korean War. In July 2018, 65 years after the fighting stopped, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un allowed the first release of American remains held since. Army Sergeant Walter “Babe” Tobin was found to be one of them. Northern Express takes a personal look at a northern Michigan soldier, the infamous battle he was a part of, and the homecoming his family never thought they’d see.

By Al Parker Growing up in northern Michigan in the 1930s, Walter “Babe” Tobin was a typical outdoors-loving guy who loved mechanical work and cherished his time hunting and fishing.

And following a family tradition, when Babe was old enough, he signed up for a three-year hitch in the U.S. Army. There was no military draft and no war raging when he enlisted on Sept. 14, 1948, but that didn’t matter. The Tobins were a patriotic family, and Babe felt the need to do his part for the nation.

“His dad was in the Marines, and he had brothers in the Navy,” recalled Babe’s cousin, Dan Tobin. “So it was natural for him to go into the military.”

A BRIEF PEACE Babe breezed through basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington, then was shipped to Japan on June 7, 1950.

A little over two weeks later, on June 25, North Korean troops, aided by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea. Within two days, the United Nations responded to the breach of peace by authorizing the dispatch of U.N. forces to repel the invasion. Although 21 nations would eventually send troops, about 90 percent of the military personnel in support of South Korea came from the United States — among them Sgt. Babe Tobin.

He arrived in South Korea on Sept. 7.

Three months later, he was reported missing in action.

For the last 69 years, the fate of Babe Tobin was unknown. Then, in July 2018, North Korea turned over the remains of what was thought to be 55 American servicemen, the first of an estimated 200+ soldiers the country has held on to since fighting ceased nearly 60 years prior. (The Defense POW/

MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) estimates that more than 7,800 Americans who served in the Korean War remain unaccounted for today.)

Using DNA testing and tissue donations from family members, the DPAA was able to identify some of those remains as belonging to Sgt. Tobin. In November, surviving members of the Tobin family gathered at Cherry Capital Airport to welcome Babe home.

HOMECOMING “My reaction was happiness,” Mary Jane Morehouse told a TV reporter at the time.

“Just the fact that he was going to be coming home ... that’s what our family wanted was for him to be back home.”

The family’s happiness was dampened by the fact that three of the people who’d most yearned for this day didn’t live to see it: both of Babe’s parents and his brother.

“I’m a tender-spirited person,” whispered Gene Tobin, a 73-year-old cousin of Babe. “But the news of his death never left my mind. He was the youngest and his parents nicknamed him ‘Babe.’ Maybe he was a little bit favored.”

Gene, who lives in Greenville northeast of Grand Rapids, recalls visiting Babe’s parents, Walt Sr. and Helen, in Leelanau County several times in the years following his cousin’s disappearance.

“It was really hard on his dad, Walt Sr.,” said Gene. “He was just engulfed in grief. He would weep right in front of us — tremendous grief, 24/7. Babe may be gone, but he is not forgotten.”

Cindy Wright, a former oncology nurse at Munson Medical Center, is Babe’s niece. Her mother was Babe’s sister.

Though Wright never met her uncle, she knew him through letters that he wrote home to her mother and grandmother.

Wright lives in the Tobin family home in Leelanau County. “It’s incredibly comforting” to live in the home were Babe grew up, she said.

12 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Through Babe’s letters, Wright learned about the terrible conditions he and the troops faced in Korea. “It was gruesome over there,” she said. “Things were horrendous.”

“It was really quite a journey that he went through,” she added. “Near the end, he was not the same man who had enlisted.”

SO WHAT HAPPENED? Babe was a member of the 31st Regimental Combat Team, better known as Task Force MacLean and later known as Task Force Faith. His unit was ordered to move north along the east side of the Chosin Reservoir.

Details of the infamous battle come from a 2015 article published by the Historical Army Foundation.

Task Force MacLean, under the command of Col. Allan “Mac” MacLean, had been formed in mid-November of 1950 to relieve the 1st Marine Division east of the Chosin Reservoir. A 1930 graduate of West Point, MacLean had served as a staff officer in Europe during World War II. After the war, he commanded the 32nd Infantry in Japan.

In early November 1950, MacLean eagerly took command of the 31st Infantry, a unit that numbered about 3,200 men, including Sgt. Tobin and 700 Republic of Korea (ROK) soldiers.

Task Force MacLean arrived on the east shore of the Chosin Reservoir on Nov. 27, 1950. MacLean immediately met with Lt. Col. Don Faith, one of the most promising young leaders in the Army.

The son of a brigadier general, Faith had been handpicked from the officer candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, by Major General Matthew Ridgway to serve as his aide during World War II. Faith served with Ridgway throughout Europe and jumped with the 82nd Airborne Division on D-Day in 1944. In battle, Faith was considered

a virtual clone of Ridgway — intense, fearless, aggressive, and unforgiving of caution or errors.

MacLean laid out the battle plan to Faith, explaining that the task force would attack north the following day with whatever forces were on hand and that Faith’s unit, including Sgt. Tobin, would spearhead the assault.

ISOLATED, AND BITTERLY COLD MacLean and Faith remained confident, even though the unit faced problems.

Communications within the scattered units were poor. There was no time to lay landlines, and radio communications were virtually non-existent. And the entire task force was not in radio contact with its headquarters or nearby Marine units.

Task Force MacLean was dangerously isolated, not only from the rest of the 7th Infantry Division and Marine units, but also from each other.

Meanwhile Chinese Communist troops were massing to attack. One whole division, more than 20,000 fighters, prepared to attack the 3,200 troops of Task Force MacLean.

November saw a cold front blanket the Korean peninsula. On Nov. 14, temperatures plummeted to -35 Fahrenheit. The cold impacted life on the battlefield. Medics warmed frozen morphine packets in their mouth before they could be used. Frozen blood plasma became useless. Lubricants used on guns turned to gel, clogging the men’s weapons. Springs on firing pins would not strike hard enough, and soldiers risked frostbite if they dared remove any clothing to better handle their equipment for even a brief time.

Those were the conditions when, at about 10pm Nov. 27, the Chinese troops attacked out of the darkness. Soldiers blew bugles and screamed wildly as the troops swarmed toward Task Force MacLean, which repelled the assault.

situation facing his own task force.

At midnight on Nov. 29, the Chinese division attacked Task Force MacLean again. The fighting was savage, often hand to hand. About 2am, MacLean ordered his battalion to withdraw south. The move was to be temporary, to consolidate forces before attacking, as ordered by Almond, the next day.

About 5am, after loading wounded troops on to trucks and disabling and abandoning several vehicles, MacLean, Faith, and the task force headed south.

The next day, unaware of the crisis at hand, Major General Edward Almond announced that Task Force MacLean would press on with its attack, claiming that the Chinese facing them were only the remnants of retreating Communist units.

“We’re going all the way to the Yalu (the river that separates Korea from China),” said Almond. “Don’t let a bunch of Chinese … stop you.”

MacLean reportedly remained silent, not objecting to Almond’s plan to attack. Later both men would be criticized for their failure of command. Almond never fully appreciated the enemy’s strength, while MacLean failed to give Almond a clear picture of the dire

A FATAL MISTAKE By dawn, the battalion encountered a Chinese roadblock at a bridge on the road.

MacLean came forward in his jeep, seeing a column of troops he believed were under his command. But American troops began firing at the column, much to the dismay of MacLean, who initially thought they were under friendly fire.

The column was actually Chinese Communist battle-hardened troops. MacLean, believing they were Americans, ran toward them shouting, “Those are my boys.”

Suddenly Chinese troops fired on MacLean, hitting him several times. Task Force MacLean watched in horror as an enemy soldier grabbed their commander and dragged him into the brush. There was no time to rescue MacLean.

With MacLean gone, Faith assumed command and surveyed the carnage. Hundreds of American and Chinese dead littered the ground. Faith later sent out search parties to look for their commander, with no luck; MacLean was declared missing. Later, an American prisoner of war said MacLean died of his wounds on his fourth day of captivity and was buried by his fellow POWs. He would be the final regimental commander to die in Korea.

On Nov. 29, Faith received orders to withdraw. Still burdened with wounded, the

withdrawal was difficult. And at 8pm, Chinese troops launched another attack, causing Task Force Faith another 100 casualties.

ANOTHER LEADER LOST Faith concluded that his force could not survive another major attack and summoned his remaining officers and ordered them to move out at midnight. After destroying its artillery, mortars and other gear, it began moving south, carrying 600 wounded troops in 30 trucks.

At 1am Nov. 30, the column came under fire. Marine air support came to help, but the lead plane’s napalm canister hit the front of the Army column, engulfing several soldiers and creating panic throughout the task force.

Roadblocks held up the task force while Chinese troops kept up their heavy fire.

At a hairpin turn, the task force ran into another roadblock. Faith led an assault to clear the Chinese from the site, but he was struck by enemy grenade fragments and fell, mortally wounded.

“When Faith was hit, the task force ceased to exist,” one soldier later said.

Nevertheless, the Chinese again brought heavy fire onto the column, lobbing grenades and firing into the trucks, killing masses of wounded.

MARINES TO THE RESCUE During the nights of Dec. 1 and 2, the remaining survivors inched their way across the frozen reservoir toward a Marine unit. The Marines led a rescue mission across the ice by jeep, picking up over 300 survivors, most suffering from wounds, frostbite, and shock. In all, more than 1,000 survivors reached the Marine lines; only 385 were considered able-bodied.

For many years afterward, the saga of Task Force MacLean/Faith had been largely ignored. Many believed that the collapse

and panic that engulfed the task force had brought shame to the Army.

Upon closer examination, the task force’s role in the Chosin battle proved to be more noteworthy. Historians now agree that Task Force MacLean blocked the Chinese drive along the eastern side of Chosin for five days, allowing Marines along the west side to withdraw to safety. Furthermore, the task force destroyed the Chinese Communists 80th Division.

Faith was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. And in recognition of their bravery, Task Force MacLean/Faith was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation in 1999. As for Sgt. Tobin, although his remains have been identified and returned, many questions remain.

Babe’s official date of death is Dec. 2, 1950, so it’s possible he was one of the those who made it across the icy reservoir to the Marine unit.

Some in the Tobin family wonder if Babe survived but was taken prisoner. “Could he have been a POW?” asked Gene Tobin. “We don’t know. There’s something in the way certain bodies were identified.”

Nevertheless, understanding the impact he and his unit had on the Korean War and knowing where he now rests — back home in northern Michigan — has offered the family some sense of peace.

Shortly following the return of Tobin’s remains, the family held a public memorial service for their long-lost patriot at the Life Story Funeral Home in Garfield Township.

Family, friends, and many strangers gathered for the ceremony.

Babe’s family wasn’t surprised by the turnout. “Babe’s is a story that touched hearts,” said Dan Tobin, who drove up from his home in Hudsonville, near Grand Rapids.

“A mother and her daughter sang at the service,” he added. “The song was ‘I’m Coming Home.’ It was really a wonderful homecoming.”

A gorgeous view and wonderful setting WEDDING RECEPTIONS AND GATHERINGS

noverrfarms.com

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 13

Drop the Needle Wax is back, and northern Michigan’s audiophiles are here to get you spinning again.

By Craig Manning Vinyl is alive and well in northern Michigan.

Not so long ago, vinyl records were considered a dead format. When the compact disc made its debut in the early 1980s, many viewed it as the vinyl killer. Here was a new format of music distribution that improved upon its predecessor in virtually every way, from convenience and portability to sound quality. For a while, those predictions proved accurate: Vinyl sales plummeted throughout the latter half of the 1980s and were on life support during the 1990s. In 2006, in the heart of the iTunes era, they hit a record low, dipping below 1 million units sold in the United States for the whole year. (For

comparison’s sake, that year’s top-selling album — the soundtrack to the Disney Channel movie High School Musical — tallied 3.7 million units all by itself.)

But the tables have turned. In September, Rolling Stone reported that revenues from vinyl were coming close to outstripping CDs for the first time since 1986. Vinyl record sales tracked 12.9 percent growth throughout the first half of the year, moving 8.6 million units and accounting for $224.1 million in revenue. In comparison, CD sales were static, moving 18.6 million units for $247.9 million in revenue.

“If those trends hold,” Rolling Stone wrote, “records will soon be generating more money than CDs.” “I was reading that it’s the 13th year of

14 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

growth [for vinyl], which is pretty amazing,” said Greg Walton, who owns RPM Records in Traverse City. “For a format that’s been around for 100 years, that’s pretty good. At this point, I don’t see it going away. I mean, it really never did go away for a lot of people — it was just tougher to find stores.”

WAXING POETIC RPM Records has been the spot for records in northern Michigan for years.

Traverse City used to be home to several others — New Moon Records and Sound It Out Records both had homes downtown — but New Moon closed in 2004 and Sound It Out shut its doors in 2014.

The secret for Walton and RPM? Good timing. Walton has been an area

businessman since 1989, when he established a home theater equipment shop called The Sound Room on South Airport. When the recession hit, Walton started stocking vinyl records — then just starting to tick back upward in terms of sales and popularity — out of necessity.

Eventually, vinyl sales grew enough at The Sound Room that Walton split the store in half and spun off record sales into its own business, called RPM Records. In 2016, RPM relocated to a new home on Hannah Avenue, effectively doubling its space. It’s a big record store — as spacious as the shops you’d find in most big cities. But Walton says that, given how much vinyl has grown, and how much his inventory has expanded with the trend, the shop still feels too small.

Eugene’s Record Co-op

Luckily for vinyl collectors, RPM is no longer the only record store in northern Michigan. Late last year, a shop called Eugene’s Record Co-op joined the fray.

The store is part of Studio Anatomy, which occupies the entire lower floor of the old “Arcade” building in downtown Traverse City. For years, Studio Anatomy has been a hub of music in the downtown area, both as a recording studio and as a performance venue for concerts and other live events.

For owner Brian Chamberlain, launching a record shop in the space was both a nod to his love for vinyl — something he’s embraced since his teenage years — and a way to promote Studio Anatomy to a broader array of people.

“I was interested in having something that would get people down here shopping during the day and give them an opportunity to check out the space,” Chamberlain said.

“Our main businesses were the recording studio and the venue, which were generally only operating in the evening. During the day, the building is open, and the shops are open upstairs, but this space has been closed up. I wanted a way to get people down here for exposure.”

Chamberlain had an idea: Rather than spend a few thousand dollars on an advertising campaign to promote Studio Anatomy’s recording services and upcoming performance slate, he’d buy a vinyl collection and set up a record store.

On Dec. 2, Eugene’s held its grand opening, starting with a collection of 3,000 used records. Chamberlain says he’s gotten positive feedback so far, even though he acknowledges that his inventory is just a fraction of what’s available at RPM. “I’ve been buying batches of new vinyl and working to fill in some of the gaps [in the collection],” Chamberlain said. “But RPM is amazing. It might be the best record shop in the state of Michigan. The selection is really impressive.”

Rather than competing with RPM, Chamberlain sees Eugene’s Record Co-op as a different piece of the same scene and mission. For his part, Walton has focused on making RPM as comprehensive as possible.

He regularly researches new music releases,

reading up on the latest artists and sampling new albums on Apple Music. The result is that shoppers can rely on RPM to stock both the iconic vinyl staples (Walton says classic rock remains the biggest segment of the vinyl market, with artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Fleetwood Mac constantly moving units) and the newer favorites (big sellers in 2019 included recent releases from the likes of Harry Styles and Bon Iver).

Eugene’s Record Co-op, meanwhile is primarily a treasure trove of used vinyl, stocked with classics from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Elton John — many of them selling for bargain prices. While Chamberlain does want to expand the collection, he’s more invested in cultivating the atmosphere and ambiance of a classic record shop.

“There was a gap where we didn’t have any record shops downtown, and it was a bummer, because having a record store downtown is something that just fits,” Chamberlain said. “New Moon Records used to be kind of a hangout space for a lot of people, and I wanted that. I wanted the space to be a place where people just come to hang out and listen to music or talk about music.”

For Chamberlain, much of the appeal of vinyl is around the shared or communal experience of it: the ritual of selecting an album, putting it on the turntable, dropping the needle, and letting the music drive conversation. That factor defines the vibe at Eugene’s, a moodily-lit basement space with couches, free Wi-Fi, pool tables, a few racks of vinyl, and a turntable that keeps records spinning.

ANATOMY OF A WAX STACKER Chamberlain and Walton aren’t alone in their passion for vinyl, or the ritual behind listening to it. Both say their stores see steady traffic, with a solid mix of first-time walk-ins and regulars. There’s also a mix of ages. Some record collectors are boomers or Gen Xers who grew up with vinyl and never really stopped collecting it, but Chamberlain says many are millennials who grew up in the age of CDs and iTunes and have since adopted a preference for the older format.

The trends beg the question: What

exactly is driving the vinyl resurgence? In the age of digital streaming, when albums and songs are more readily accessible than ever before, why are more and more people jumping on the record-collecting train?

“I think part of it is that attraction of the package,” said Johnathan Schroeder, a vinyl enthusiast with local roots who has penned several books on the subject with his partner, Janet Borgerson. “It’s got a nice 12inch by 12-inch cover; you’ve got liner notes; you’ve got the disc itself. And I think some of the things that drew us to vinyl when we were young — that whole experience of discovering music and discovering bands — I think you see those same things in younger people who are getting into vinyl today.”

Schroeder and Borgerson live in New York now, but grew up in Michigan and spent a lot of time in Traverse City and Interlochen. Many pieces of their thousandsstrong record collection were purchased at New Moon Records before it closed, or at the Goodwill on South Airport. Some of those titles helped inspire “Designed for Hi-Fi Living: The Vinyl LP of Midcentury America,” a coffee table book the couple wrote and published in 2018. They’ve recently submitted another book about vinyl to their publishers, this one titled “Designed for Dancing: How Midcentury Records Taught America to Dance.”

For Schroeder and Borgerson, the appeal of record collecting is in digging through used crates and finding forgotten, out-ofprint diamonds in the rough. But Schroeder believes that one of the things driving the vinyl comeback is the fact that each collector can approach it in a completely different way. He and Borgerson enjoy building minicollections around themes like dancing or dinner parties. Other collectors might focus on jazz, or country, or classical music, or classic rock. And there’s so much new vinyl on the market now that someone could easily build a sizable collection of records consisting only of music made in the past 10 years. In particular, Schroeder thinks the way current artists have embraced vinyl has done wonders to resuscitate both the format and the independent shops that sell it.

“I think what’s really surprising to us is

how many new records are on vinyl now,” Schroeder said. “Our favorite record shops — I’d say maybe 25 or 30 percent of their stock now is new vinyl.”

WANT IN? With so many new and old albums available on vinyl, there’s enough out there for anyone to build a collection to suit their tastes. If you’re looking to get started, though, the first step isn’t finding your favorite album on vinyl; it’s getting the proper equipment to actually play vinyl records.

If there’s one barrier to record collecting, it’s the cost of a quality stereo setup. Most vinyl setups consist of a turntable, an amp or stereo receiver, and a set of speakers. These components are necessary to convert the vibrations of a needle on a record into audio signals loud enough to hear and enjoy.

The bad news is that each component of a record-playing setup can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The good news is that both Walton and Chamberlain say there is no need for beginning collectors to shell out for high-end luxury equipment.

Walton’s recommendation for new collectors is the Crossley C62, a Bluetoothenabled turntable with a built-in amplifier and an included set of speakers. The $230 system, he says, gives customers everything they need to start playing records with strong sound quality.

Chamberlain’s recommendation is the Audio Technica LP60X, a $100 turntable that can be hooked up directly to a set of powered speakers (sold separately).

While there are cheaper turntables out there, both Walton and Chamberlain advise steering clear. “If you’re spending $20 to $60 on a new turntable, you need to watch out,” Chamberlain said. “The build quality on those players is pretty bad, and they’re using poor quality needles or styluses that can actually damage your records.”

“You’re buying vinyl to hear the quality difference,” Walton added, citing the warm, in-the-recording-studio sound that vinyl fans prize above CDs or digital formats.

“You don’t want to then put your records on a cheap, all-in-one turntable that doesn’t provide you with that sound.”

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 15

Man Up

7 items to instantly elevate your winter style

By Kristin Fehrman and Lynda Wheatley Jeans, fleece, and flannel might be the uniform of necessity for northern Michigan men, but that doesn’t mean their style can’t rise above standard issue. We poked around the region for a few under-the-radar boutiques lumberjack-style-lovin’ dudes can go to upgrade their look — without compromising their rugged aesthetic.

Coastal

Robert Frost *Quality

M.E. Men’s Emporium

From the owners of Crystal River Outfitters comes Coastal, a vibrant clothing store that brings beach and woods style home year-round. Our favorite item among the racks of casual, cool attire: this sustainably made tentree sweatshirt. Using a manufacturing process and materials that require less water and generate less waste and carbon emissions, tentree also contributes a portion of sales to reforestation efforts around the world. Shown here: The M Valemount Hoodie — designed in Canada; ethically made in China — which is made of sustainable hemp and organic cotton, giving you a soft, super durable, and warm winter hoodie — plus a clean conscience. $89, 6324 W. Western Ave., Glen Arbor. (231) 835-2120, www.crystalriveroutfitters.com/coastal

Guys, Robert Frost isn’t only a shoe store; it also offers high-quality and cool men’s accessories and outerwear. If you’re ready to splurge, get in and outfit yourself head to toe. But if you prefer to take baby steps, dip your toes in a pair of Prentiss shoes. These versatile Johnston and Murphy beauts are the seller of the season and for good reason.

Waterproof, breathable, ultra-cushioned, and adaptable to dressing up or down, they strut as easily on slushy downtown sidewalks as they do between boardroom and bar. Available in a trendy white and brown, grey and black, or black and white. $169, 217 E. Front St., Traverse City (231) 929-7463, www.frostshoes.com

Mike Curths was searching for a place to find quality products for his handlebar mustache but was sadly disappointed when he couldn’t find what he needed anywhere in Traverse City. His solution? He opened his own store: M.E. Men’s Emporium, a totally tapped-in store for the well-groomed — and well-appointed — man. Treat yourself to a luxe shaving kit your grandfather could only have dreamed of, and while you’re there, check out Curths’ cool assemblage of vintage clothing, vinyl records, antique items, and more. $69 (kit), 544 E. Eighth St., Traverse City. (231) 421-1778

16 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

The Clothing Company Men who prefer an understated yet updated style should avoid big fashion trends and flashy outfits at all costs; they’ll feel like costumes. Instead, start small — with just a peek of color, pattern, or personality in a single accessory. Think: a patterned canvas belt, a hemmed flannel handkerchief square in a breast (or better yet, back) pocket, or for the truly subtle seeker, a pair of fun socks. The Clothing Company in downtown Charlevoix wowed us with a bold, colorful collection that is neither thin nor for dress shoes only; they’re made by a northern Michigan-foot favorite, Smartwool.

339 Bridge St. Charlevoix. (231) 5476361, www.myclothingco.com

Our January Patient of the Month is Jake Witczak for good Oral Hygiene and great cooperation throughout treatment.

Congratulations on your new smile!

Apogee If you’re not already a fan of My Secret Stash, trust us — your gal is. And so at least one of you will be excited to know it not only has a new-ish sister store but also one that sports equally fashionable and functional accessories for men. Our picks: Their leather goods, such as the briefcasesleek yet well-loved-looking messenger bag shown here. Not shown but equally lovely: leather-bound beer journals you can use to document your adventures in sampling. $225, 219 E. Front St., Traverse City.

(231) 421-3199

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Clothes Post Much like your lady’s little black dress, a versatile sport coat is essential in your closet — an item you can dress up or down with minimal fuss and for maximum value.

Enter the Q by Flynt sport coat. Famous for its flattering fit and wardrobe flexibility, the Q is an ideal investment piece. Add a dress shirt and pocket square for a night on the town, or a light sweater or collared buttondown for brunch with her parents. $385, 326 E. Mitchell St., Petoskey. (231) 347-4562, www.theclothespost.com/

Quirky HQ Settled in downtown Kalkaska is Quirky HQ, a cute and colorful shop for gifts, stationary, enamel pins, and much more.

Started by Rochelle Nevedal, the brains behind the monthly subscription box Quirky Crate, HQ is a local showcase of the fun and whimsical style that made her scrip box service so beloved. Don’t let Nevedal’s penchant for color and whimsy scare you, guys; she has an equally adept eye for cool and clever too. Case in point: These Foster and Rye Bottle Opener sunglasses, a slick way to shield your eyes from the sun … and, of course, flying bottle caps. $10, 350 S Cedar St., Kalkaska, (231) 564-3336, www.quirkycrate.com

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Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 17

Cadillac’s Clam Lake Beer Co. Primo craft beer and hearty fare for hard-working locals and day-trippers alike.

By Craig Manning It’s 3:00 on a Thursday afternoon, but Clam Lake Beer Co. is already bustling with regulars. The taphouse and brewery, located right on the main drag of S. Mitchell Street in downtown Cadillac, is a popular local hangout spot no matter the time or day. In the winter, it’s a go-to stop for skiers and snowmobilers. In the summer, vacationers flock in to sample brews from the establishment’s 40-tap beer list. As long as there’s sun or snow, Clam Lake Beer Co. is hopping.

According to Dawn Casey, who came to manage the restaurant for former owner (and significant other) Dan Minor, Clam Lake’s persistent popularity as a local haunt matches the vision that drove the brewery’s inception back in 2013.

Coming into the restaurant, Minor had no prior experience in beer, food service, or hospitality industries. His background, in fact, is manufacturing. He’s the CEO of Cadillac Casting, Inc., a local company that manufactures ductile iron (a type of cast iron made with graphite) for clients in the automotive, commercial vehicle, and railroad industries, among others. When Minor decided to open Clam Lake Beer Co., Casey says he did it because he wanted there to be “a cool place where people wanted to go and hang out” in downtown Cadillac.

Minor had two aces up his sleeve, in the form of Casey, and Minor’s son-in-law, Adam Harden. Casey, an interior designer by trade, helped sketch out the “industrial chic” aesthetic of the space, which pays tribute to Cadillac’s history as a blue-collar industrial town. Harden, meanwhile, was a seasoned home brewer with a bevy of beer recipes ready. Together, with the help of a cadre of chefs who were encouraged to put their own twists on familiar American bar fare, the team set to work building Clam Lake Beer Co.

TRANSFORMATION TIME The first step was turning the building, a former coffee shop, into a true-blue local watering hole. That process required a near gutting of the space, building a new kitchen, and installing a new bar. Cadillac Casting helped by fabricating both the bar and back bar in-house. Casey’s idea for design, meanwhile, came thanks to a prompt from Minor.

“Dan is a long-time Cadillac resident,” Casey said. “He grew up here. He went to school here. He loves the industry here.

Cadillac is a blue-collar town, and the industry history here is incredible. ChrisCraft Boats were built here, Acme Trucks we built here. So he said ‘I don’t care what you do [with the design], but I want you to focus on the industry of Cadillac.’”

Casey ended up digging through historic photos at the local museum and pulling out shots that told the story of industry in the town. Several photos even highlighted The Foundry, the hub of Cadillac Casting, and the spot in town where the company manufactures its ductile iron products.

Casey had each photo blown up and printed on metal, making for a brick-andmetal aesthetic that sets the tone for the whole restaurant.

And while Casey started out in a design role, she became so attached to Clam Lake Beer Co., she ultimately left interior design behind to manage the restaurant full-time.

THE BEER As the name of the establishment suggests, beer is the core calling card of Clam Lake Beer Co. Where as the Traverse City area is loaded with breweries and beer bars, there weren’t many craft beer spots in Cadillac when Clam Lake set up shop. Harden took the challenge of crafting the town’s first craft brewing brand, striking a purposeful balance between traditional-style recipes and highly artistic, adventurous brews.

18 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Chicken Dill Pizza

On the traditional end of the spectrum is Clam Lake’s signature beer: The 106, so named because the brewery’s address is at 106 S. Mitchell Street. A 4.2 percent ABV blonde ale, The 106 is the beer on the menu that Casey says most appeals to light beer drinkers, including fans of domestic standbys like Bud Light or Miller Light.

Elsewhere, though, Harden’s brewing recipes skew unique and flavorful. One example is Cinnamon Toast Crunch, a brown ale brewed using the General Mills cereal of the same name. Another is the Somoa Stout, a boozy 10-percent imperial stout loaded with the chocolate, caramel, and coconut flavors of its namesake Girl Scout cookie.

In total, Casey says Harden probably has a portfolio of over 200 recipes, dating back to his college days when he “wasn’t old enough to buy beer so started brewing beer instead.” And while a few recipes stay on tap more or less consistently — The 106 and the Iron City IPA are the two most regular staples — Harden frequently cycles beers in and out of rotation. If there’s a limitation to what he can do, it’s only the small size of the brewing setup in Clam Lake’s basement.

“We’ve had people who want Adam to brew more and then distribute, but it’s not

Buffalo Chicken Dip and Tortillas

really something that’s possible right now,” Casey said of the configuration.

The limited size of the brewing operation also means that only about a quarter of Clam Lake’s 40 taps are taken up by in-house beers. The rest of the beers on tap are sourced mostly from Michigan craft breweries, ranging from giants like Bell’s (Kalamazoo) and Founders (Grand Rapids) to Up North favorites like Right Brain.

THE BITES Just as Harden has been given carteblanche to get creative in the brewery, Casey says Minor has always encouraged the chefs at Clam Lake Beer Co. to follow their inspiration in crafting dishes. Those flights of creative fancy have led to some of the restaurant’s top-sellers, including the house favorite soup, New England Clam Chowder, and a few avant-garde pizzas from the brickfired pizza oven.

The pizzas, in particular, are famous among Cadillac locals for being a bit “out there.” Case in point: the bestselling Chicken Dill Pizza. It not only includes grilled chicken, tomato, garlic aioli, and a multi-cheese blend but also adds one a hefty dose of dill pickles. The first time customers try the pizza, Casey says it’s

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Jalapeño Firecrackers Blackened Catfish Maque Choux Creole Po’ Boy Chicken Gumbo

usually out of sheer curiosity — but most love it so much that they proceed to order it on every subsequent visit.

Nearly as popular is the Sausage Goat Cheese Pizza, a staple that has been on the menu since day one. Starting with a sauce base of wild mushroom pesto, the pizza comes piled with sausage, portabella mushrooms, roasted garlic, provolone, mozzarella, and goat cheese. “If we took it off the menu, people would boycott us,” Casey said of the pie.

THE FUTURE In October 2018, Minor, emboldened by the success of Clam Lake Beer Co., bought the beloved Alden Bar and Grille in Torch Lake, rebranding it Torch Lake Beer Co. The idea was to follow a similar rubric to that of Clam Lake, one focused on developing strong relationships with local customers.

Ultimately, though, the distance between Cadillac and Torch Lake — approximately 60 miles, more than an hour of driving — made managing both properties difficult.

Minor soon sought a buyer for the newly rebranded Torch Lake Beer Co. When he found one, however, there was a catch: They wanted Clam Lake Beer Co., too.

After some thought, Minor decided to sell both restaurants, closing on the deal in late June of last year. Now, both Clam Lake Beer Co. and Torch Lake Beer Co. are owned by Magnum Hospitality, the investment group that also owns northern Michigan restaurants like Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen, in Elk Rapids; Cafe Santé, in Boyne City; and two locations of Red Mesa Grill, in Traverse City and Boyne City.

Despite the shift in ownership, Casey says there hasn’t been much upheaval at Clam Lake. She’s still managing the day-today operations, Harden is still free to brew whatever he wants, and the staff has mostly stayed the same.

“They’ve been amazing,” Casey said of Magnum. “They support us and say: ‘Keep doing your thing.’ And now it’s

cool because we have a bigger group to pull from for ideas and resources. Their background is restaurants, so it’s a nice fit to have that expertise.”

Some of those resources might be put toward a renovation of the Clam Lake location later this year. The front half of the upstairs space saw renovations a few years ago and has been a popular spot for private events ever since, from rehearsal dinners to retirement parties.

But another second-story space that Casey says is only partially used at the moment could be renovated in one of two ways: either to expand overall dining capacity or to establish a private “members only” space for regulars. The thinking behind the latter option? Casey explains that locals tend to come into the restaurant and bar less frequently in the summertime, simply because there are so many tourists in the area; wait times for tables balloon to an hour or more. A “members only” space would allow Clam Lake to cater to its yearround clientele while still welcoming outof-town visitors downstairs.

Casey is proud of all the summertime traffic, and not just because it means more business for the brewery. Downtown Cadillac, she says, is clearly growing as a place where people want to spend time. Several boutique stores have popped up in the years since Clam Lake opened its doors, and a year and a half ago, the ultimate compliment: A second brewery, Raven Brewing & BBQ, moved into the downtown stretch, just across the street from Clam Lake Beer Co. Word is, there’s another brewery under construction a ways down the road, said Casey. And while more taps in town means more competition for Clam Lake, she believes the growth will ultimately be good for everyone.

“It’s just really nice to see new businesses popping up that cater to tourism,” she said.

“Traverse City is amazing in what they’ve done with tourism, and Cadillac is going there I think.”

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Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 19

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LIVE IN THE YURT AT THE LITTLE FLEET

s e i r e S t r e c n o C r e t n i W Valentiger | Jan 26

May Erlewine | Jan 30 (2 shows) After Ours | Feb 7

More info and tickets available at

Michael Beauchamp-Cohen & Samantha Cooper | Feb 9 thelittlefleet.com/events

20 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Olivia Millerschin | Feb 15

NORTHERN SEEN 1. Alison Young having her own tasting moment at American Spoon in Traverse City.

2. Snowshoe hikes at Legacy Art Park don’t have to happen in daylight only.

3. Katy McCain, Jillian Manning, and Margaret Morse at the Traverse Connects Distinguished Service Award Luncheon.

4. George Kaynor, Maddie Jonas, Viola Jonas, and Lucy Kaynor take in some music inside The Little Fleet yurt.

5. The Downtown Chili Cook Off in Traverse City draws hundreds of hungry tastetesters.

6. Charlie Millard Band featuring Charlie Millard, Jerry Millard, and Michael Binienda played at The Little Fleet’s recent Live in the Yurt show.

jan 25

saturday

BIGFOOT 5K & 10K SNOWSHOE RACE: 9am, Timber Ridge RV Resort, TC. The course is a hilly off trail run with logs to jump over & branches to duck under. You can rent a pair of snowshoes if you don’t have your own. If there’s no snow, bring your trail shoes. $25 before 1/23; $30 day of race. runsnow.com/registration

---------------------FAMILY YOGA: 10am, The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, TC. Today’s theme is Superheroes. Must register in advance. thebotanicgarden.org/events

---------------------PETOSKEY FILM SERIES: 7:30pm, Petoskey District Library, Carnegie Building. Featuring “Pain & Glory.” Donations appreciated. facebook.com/petoskeyfilm

---------------------BOYNE HIGHLANDS HOMECOMING WEEKEND: Boyne Highlands Resort, Harbor Springs. Today features the Cardboard Classic, The Sno-Go Hot Cocoa Hustle Relay Race, Snowglobe Ski & Snowshoe, fireworks & much more. boynehighlands.com/ events/homecoming/2020

---------------------COMMUNITY YOGA FOR EVERY BODY: 9am, 206 S. Oak St., TC. Love your body through gentle breath/body movement. Donation based class. eventbrite.com

---------------------GREENWOOD FOUNDATION WINTER ADVENTURE: 10am, Greenwood Foundation, four miles east of Wolverine. Includes a groomed trail for skiers. A shorter route is available for snowshoeing. Please provide your own skis or snowshoes; snowshoes are available for 12 & under if needed. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Pre-registration is requested by calling 231.347.0991. Free. landtrust.org

---------------------WINTER TRACKING: 10am-noon, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. Join a naturalist to learn the art of tracking wildlife in winter. The workshop will start indoors, where you’ll learn the track shapes & gait patterns of a variety of northern MI wildlife species, & then you’ll head outside on the trails to search for tracks & practice new skills. $5. grassriver.org

---------------------YETIFEST: 10:30am, Suttons Bay. Featuring a scavenger hunt, movie, Turkey Bowling, Norseman Cardboard Classic, Chili Cook Off & more. Free; $10 for Chili Cookoff. suttonsbayarea.com/yetifest

---------------------3RD ANNUAL ICE WINE FESTIVAL: 11am-5pm, Chateau Chantal, TC. Sample various ice wines, dessert wines & food pairings while enjoying outdoor fire pits with s’mores & wine activities. There will be an Ice Wine Vineyard Tour at 2pm & Ice Wine Production Show & Tour at 3pm. Free. Find on Facebook.

---------------------SPORTS IMPACT LUNCHEON: 11am1pm, Bear River Health at Walloon Lake, Boyne Falls. A discussion with NFL legend Herman Moore on how addiction affects us all. bearriverhealth.com

---------------------2020 ONE-ACT FESTIVAL: 2pm & 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Harvey Theatre. From selecting the scripts to casting & directing, Interlochen Arts Academy theatre students will manage every aspect of the production of the 2020 One-Act Festival.

The professionally published plays encompass comedy, drama & experimental theatre. Free. interlochen.org

SNOWSHOE WALK, CHILI DINNER: Cherry Public House, Glen Arbor. Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Donations are encouraged to benefit the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Ten percent of Cherry Public House sales from the day will also benefit the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Meet at Cherry Public House at 2pm for a guided snowshoe walk. Chili will be available at Cherry Public House from 2-5pm. 231-3344420. cherryrepublic.com

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jan/feb

25-02 send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

BEARCUB OUTFITTERS TORCHLIGHT SNOWSHOE OUTING: 5-9pm, Camp Daggett, Walloon Lake, Petoskey. Enjoy snow-covered trails illuminated by torchlight. Snowshoes available. Hot chocolate & cookies at the lodge. Free; donations encouraged. campdaggett.org

---------------------“BOEING BOEING”: 7pm, Cadillac High School Auditorium. This comedy is presented by the Cadillac Footliters. $11. cadillacfootliters.com/calendar

---------------------“INDECENT”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. This play with music tells the moving story of the production of a controversial Yiddish play. Adults: $28; youth: $15 (plus fees). mynorthtickets.com

jan 26

sunday

BOYNE HIGHLANDS HOMECOMING WEEKEND: 10am-3pm, Boyne Highlands Resort, Harbor Springs. Today features the Harbor Springs Area Chili Cook-Off. Taste your favorite chilis at the bottom of Challenger while watching the HEAD Downhill race. Cast your vote for the best chili. Chili Cook-Off: $12 adults, 12 & under free (fundraiser for Manna Food Project). boynehighlands.com

---------------------“INDECENT”: 2pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. This play with music tells the moving story of the production of a controversial Yiddish play. Adults: $28; youth: $15 (plus fees). mynorthtickets.com

---------------------SIPS AND SNOWSHOES: 2:30-5pm, Shady Lane Cellars, Suttons Bay. This 1.5 mile snowshoe hike through the vineyard includes a stop for mulled wine & a warm campfire. It ends with s’mores at the winery & a tasting of Shady Lane Cellars’ wines. $30; snowshoe rentals included. Find on Facebook.

---------------------BIG SING BENEFIT CONCERT: 3pm, Central United Methodist Church, TC. TC Sings!

Community Choir will perform a cappella favorites from around the world. Admission is free; donations benefit Meals on Wheels of Northwest Michigan. tcsings.org

---------------------THE INTIMATE BEETHOVEN: 3pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Kevin Rhodes, small ensembles featuring Traverse Symphony Orchestra musicians, along with special guests, present an afternoon of world-class chamber music. $25.50-$61.50. traversesymphony. org/concert/the-intimate-beethoven

---------------------WHISPERS OF OM KIRTAN CONCERT: 6:30pm, Yoga for Health Education, TC. Steve Sander, jazz musician, will lead the kirtan band from Song of the Morning Ranch. $15 door; $12 prior to Jan. 20; $10 youth. yogaforhealthtc.com

Get pictures with the groundhog and meet TV 7&4’s weatherman Joe Charlevoix, who is also the master of ceremonies at the Groundhog Shadow Fest in downtown Charlevoix, Sat., Feb. 1. Activities include a free movie at Charlevoix Cinema III, the Shadow Fest Soup Contest, East Park Tube Shoot, Shadow Fest Cocktail Contest, live music by Sleeping Gypsies, Groundhog History and Scavenger Hunt and much more. charlevoixshadowfest.com

jan 27

monday

COFFEE HOURS WITH SEN. CURT VANDERWALL, R-LUDINGTON: Open to residents of the 35th Senate District. 1011am: Manistee County Government Center; 12:30-1:30pm: Benzie County Government Center; 3-4pm: Leelanau County Government Center. 1-855-347-8035.

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

---------------------JANUARY SERIES OF CALVIN UNIVERSITY - KAREN GONZALEZ: 12:30pm, Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee. “The God Who Sees: Immigrants, The Bible, and the Journey to Belong.” Free. calvin.edu/january-series/2020-speakers

---------------------MONEY SERIES: SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING: 3pm, Leland Township Library, Munnecke Room. Learn about the ins-and-outs, opportunities & challenges of socially responsible investing. Money Series is a Traverse City, MI based 501(c) (3) nonprofit founded on the commitment to provide open-access to financial education, for all. Free. lelandlibrary.org

PBLTC POTLUCK: 6-8pm, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse, TC. Plant-based potluck. $5 donation. plantedcuisine.com/pbltc

---------------------FRIENDS @ THE CARNEGIE: SHIGA, JAPAN: 7pm, Petoskey District Library, Carnegie Building. Featuring Petoskey District Library Director Val Meyerson, who represented Petoskey last Aug. on the Shiga Sister State Goodwill Mission trip to Japan.

Free. petoskeylibrary.org

jan 28

tuesday

PEEPERS PROGRAM: SNOW IS FALLING!: 1011:30am, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Featuring experiments & crafts with snow & a short hike. For ages 3-5. $5. natureiscalling.org

---------------------GET CRAFTY: GROUNDHOG WEATHER WHEEL: Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Make a weather chart to use & track sunny or cloudy weather all year long.

Held from 11am-noon & 2-3pm. greatlakeskids.org

---------------------DETOX YOGA FLOW: 6:45pm, Press On Juice Cafe, TC. This one hour class involves twists & poses that are focused to help eliminate toxins from the body through

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 21

movement & breath. Bring your own mat.

Register. eventbrite.com

---------------------JANUARY SERIES OF CALVIN UNIVERSITY - NAJLA KASSAB: 12:30pm, Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee.

“The Reformed Church in the Middle East: Hopes and Challenges.” Free. calvin.edu/ january-series/2020-speakers

---------------------MOVIE NIGHT: 6:30pm, Bellaire Public Library. Featuring “Hearts Beat Loud,” a 2018 TC Film Festival movie. Free. bellairelibrary.org

---------------------ARTISTS WORKSHOP—REACHING THE AUDIENCE: 7pm. Join Interlochen Center for the Arts at Horizon Books, TC for a free workshop for TC area artists & art educators on helping artists connect with audiences.

Led by international arts leader Eric Booth & featuring Interlochen Arts Academy student performers & Interlochen Public Radio Executive Director Peter Payette. Free. bit. ly/TCartsworkshop

jan 29

wednesday

A CO-WORKING FOCUS GROUP: More remote workers, freelancers & home-based entrepreneurs are living in Gaylord & the surrounding area & are looking for a community. 5:30-6:30pm: University Center, Gaylord. 6:30pm: Snowbelt Brewery, Gaylord. meetup.com/NMiRemote

---------------------WEDNESDAY NIGHT CONNECTION ADULT ED: CARING FOR GOD’S CREATION--A FAITH-BASED APPROACH TO CLIMATE ACTION: 6:15pm, The Presbyterian Church, TC. Family buffet meal from 5:30-6:15pm. Free.

jan 30

thursday

INTERACTIVE STORYTIME: 11am, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “Who Will See Their Shadows This Year?”

by Jerry Pollotta, followed by a craft or activity. greatlakeskids.org

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ANTRIM AREA WOMEN DEMS MEETING: Noon, Short’s Brewing Co., Bellaire. The cost for the luncheon is $15. Presenters will be Erica Pressman, MDP Voter Protection director, & David Peterson, Helena Township clerk, who will provide updates & absentee ballot info for the upcoming primaries. RSVP to: chrisandglennh@gmail.com

---------------------BEER & CLIMATE: 6pm, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. Join Workshop Head Brewer Michael Wooster & Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteers for a conversation about climate change impacts on brewing & solutions that will help ensure you can continue enjoying a pint. Free. Find on Facebook.

---------------------HOMELESS IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN: 6pm, Elk Rapids Library, Meeting Room.

Deb Lake, director of marketing & communications for Goodwill, will show what is currently being done to help the homeless & what you can continue to do to help. Donation to benefit Goodwill Northern Michigan appreciated. elkrapidslibrary.org/newsevents/homeless-in-northern-michigan

---------------------“INDECENT”: (See Sat., Jan. 25)

jan 31

friday

COFFEE HOURS WITH SEN. CURT VANDERWALL, R-LUDINGTON: Open to residents of the 35th Senate District.

9-10am: Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce; 11am-noon: McBain Fire Barn. 1-855-347-8035.

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

---------------------DISCOVER WITH ME: 10am-noon, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Listen to Me: Focus on your child’s social & emotional development. Today’s activity stations include mirrors, pizza, balls & puppets. greatlakeskids.org

---------------------“COOKIN’ WITH GUS”: 6:30pm, Northport Performing Arts Center. A camera-shy celebrity chef tries to launch a TV show, but threats from her agent & spells cast by her gypsy neighbor are no help. Dinner & show.

Choose an entrée including salad & dessert: baked chicken puttanesca, beef stroganoff or Thai salmon. $60. northportperformingarts.org

---------------------ELK RAPIDS HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS “CLUE: ON STAGE”: 7pm, Elk Rapids High School, Peterman Auditorium. Presented by Elk Rapids Drama. Based on the film & board game. $5.

---------------------NICHOLAS KRISTOF & SHERYL WUDUNN: Present their book about America’s disappearing middle class: “Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope.” Guest host will be Nate Payne, editor of the Traverse City Record-Eagle. 7pm, City Opera House, TC. GA: $41 plus fees includes one ticket & a hardcover copy of the book. $61 includes 2 tickets & a hardcover copy of the book. cityoperahouse.org/nws-kristof-wudunn

---------------------“INDECENT”: (See Sat., Jan. 25) ---------------------ARTS ACADEMY CHOIR PERFORMS WITH ELK RAPIDS & KINGSLEY MIDDLE SCHOOLS: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. $12 adult, $11 senior, $9 student. tickets.interlochen.org

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LIVE MUSIC WITH JIM CROCKETT: 7:309:30pm, Horizon Books, TC. This folk musician is known for his “Manistee River” song. horizonbooks.com/event/live-music-w-jimcrocket

feb 01

saturday 1

15TH ANNUAL ADGATE TROPHY GIANT SLALOM COMPETITION: 8am, North Boyne, Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls. Hosted by Boyne’s Ambassador of skiing, former Olympian, US National Champion, & 2009 US Ski Hall of Fame inductee Cary Adgate. For more info email Cary Adgate: caryadgate@ mac.com boynemountain.com

---------------------WHITE PINE STAMPEDE: 8am-5pm, Mancelona High School. Michigan’s longest & oldest point-to-point cross-country ski race. Benefits Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The 50K race starts at 9:30am; the 20K at 10:30am; & the 10K at 11:30am. whitepinestampede.org

22 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

FESTIVAL OF FOODS: 10am-3pm, Hagery Center, Great Lakes Campus, NMC, TC. Try new foods from area chefs & gourmet food artisans, & select 4 from 16 tasty sessions. $99; $90 with Life Discount. nmc. edu/resources/extended-education/events/ festival-foods/index.html

---------------------CHARLEVOIX’S GROUND HOG SHADOW FEST: Featuring a free movie at Charlevoix Cinema III, Super Soup Contest at Main Tent, story time, games & puppet craft at library, winter activities at East Park, an exhibit of Children’s Illustrations & Photos w/the Groundhog at Circle of Arts, Groundhog History & Scavenger Hunt at Historical Society, Sleeping Gypsies at Main Tent & much more. charlevoixshadowfest.com

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GLCO YOUNG CHILDREN’S LIBRARY SERIES “BUILDING BLOCKS OF MUSIC” #5: 1pm, Boyne District Library, Boyne City.

For ages 4-10 & caregivers. Featuring interactive activities with GLCO musicians including story-telling, directed listening, sing-a-longs, chant, movement & dance, imitation & rhythm games. Free. glcorchestra.org

---------------------9TH ANNUAL MICHIGAN BEER & WINE FEST: 6-10pm, Treetops Resort Convention Center, Gaylord. Enjoy mingling & tasting an array of Michigan Craft Beer & Michigan Wine. Learn about beer & wine making, tasting notes, & the operations of local beer & wine makers. Enjoy food stations from Treetops’ culinary team. $25 or $45. treetops.com/events/michigan-beerwine-festival

---------------------MAGIC SHOW: 6pm, Crystal Mountain, Crystal Center, Thompsonville. With a father & son duo. Free. crystalmountain.com/ event/magic-show

---------------------“COOKIN’ WITH GUS”: (See Fri., Jan. 31) ---------------------ELK RAPIDS HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS “CLUE: ON STAGE”: (See Fri., Jan. 31)

---------------------“INDECENT”: (See Sat., Jan. 25) ---------------------BLISSFEST COMMUNITY DANCE: 7:30pm, First Presbyterian Church, Petoskey. Featuring squares & contras.

Live music & caller. All dances taught. No partner necessary. Use Division St. entrance. $5/person, $7/couple, $10/family.

---------------------CABIN FEVER WITH THE EASY PICKS, NATHAN TOWNE & THE CTAC GARAGE BAND: 7:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center Theater, Petoskey. $25 CTAC members; $35 non-members; $10 students. crookedtree.org

---------------------SECOND CITY: 8pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. “Laughing For all the Wrong Reasons.” Before the show, ticket holders can visit the museum.

Afterwards, meet the artists & enjoy light refreshments. $25-$32. mynorthtickets.com/ events/Second-City-2--1-2020

feb 02

sunday

SUPER BOWL PARTY BENEFITS MAKE-A-WISH MICHIGAN: 5:30pm, XGolf Traverse City. 231252-2606. Free food, raffles & the Super Bowl playing on 11 large flat screens TV’s. $5.

ongoing

LEARN TO SKI & SNOWBOARD MONTH: Offered at Nub’s Nob, Harbor Springs & Boyne Highlands Resort, Harbor Springs, Jan. 2-31. Cost: $20 to learn to cross-country ski & $35 for downhill & snowboarding lessons. Includes rentals & lift ticket or cross-country pass.

---------------------COMMUNITY YOGA FOR EVERY BODY: Saturdays, 206 S. Oak St., TC. eventbrite. com/e/community-yoga-for-every-bodytickets-87381786275

---------------------GENTLE YOGA FOR ADULTS: Tues. & Fri., 10am, Jan. 21-28, Interlochen Public Library. Free weekly yoga classes. Focus on breathing, gentle repeated movements & stretches. Bring your own mats, water & towels. tadl.org/interlochen

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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. The use of Timber Ridge Resort will be free for the entire Winter Vasa Domingos Ski Season. elgruonorte.org

---------------------MONDAY SOUL FLOW YOGA: Mon., 8:30am, Jan. 20 - Feb. 3, Bodies In Motion, TC. A 60-minute Vinyasa Flow class. All levels welcomed. eventbrite.com/e/mondaysoul-flow-yoga-tickets-87622207381

---------------------NEW SNOWSHOE HIKES: Saturdays, 1pm, Jan. 4 - Mar. 14. Choose from two ranger-led snowshoe hikes to explore the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore park. “Snowshoe Saunter” is for beginners & “Snowshoe Trek” is for more experienced snowshoe hikers. Meet for an introduction at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, Empire.

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

---------------------SNOWSHOE WEEKENDS: Rove Estate Vineyard & Tasting Room, TC. Held every Sat. & Sun. through March at 11am. Bring your snowshoes or cross-country skis.

These are not guided tours.

---------------------STORYTIME: Fridays, 10:30am, Jan. 24 Mar. 20, Leland Township Library. Stories & more designed to promote joy & growth in literacy. Children ages 0-6 & their caregivers welcome. lelandlibrary.org

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THE VINE TO WINE SNOWSHOE TOUR: Saturdays, 11am, Jan. 18 - Feb. 1, Big Little Wines, Suttons Bay. Led by a guide, you will enjoy a casual snowshoe hike starting & stopping at three wineries along the way.

The private vineyard trail connects Suttons Bay Ciders, Ciccone Vineyards & Big Little Wines. This tour starts at Big Little Wines.

It includes your snowshoe & pole rental, a catered warm lunch of chili & soups, & a wine purchase pick up service. grandtraversebiketours.com/vine-to-wine-snowshoe-tour.html

---------------------TRAIL TUESDAY: Held Tuesdays through winter at noon. Antrim Conservation District Office, 4820 Stover Rd., Bellaire. Enjoy a hike through the Cedar River Natural Area.

231-533-8363.

---------------------YOGA + BEER: Sundays, 11am, Silver Spruce Brewing Co., TC. A one hour flow class. Register. eventbrite.com

art

VISUAL ARTS STUDENT EXHIBITION: Jan. 25 - Feb. 15, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Herbert H. & Barbara C. Dow Center for Visual Arts. Browse artwork by Interlochen Arts Academy students at the Juried Student Exhibition, which represents the various forms of media that Interlochen’s Visual Arts Department encompasses, including ceramics, sculpture, painting, drawing, metals, digital arts, photography, printmaking, & fibers. academy.interlochen.org

---------------------BEST OF THE CHARLEVOIX PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB: Charlevoix Circle of Arts.

This show highlights the collection of photographs featured in the 2020 CPC calendar including additional photos by CPC members. Runs through March 7. Open Mon. Fri., 11am-5pm & Sat., 11am-3pm. charlevoixcircle.org/exhibits-2020

---------------------CALL FOR ENTRIES--INSPIRED BY THE MASTERS: Gaylord Area Council for the Arts, Gaylord. Inspired by the Masters Exhibit will run March 4 - April 11, 2020. All Michigan artists 16 years old or older (including part-time residents) may enter this exhibit. Entries can be of any medium but must be in good condition & of the artist’s own creation. Art work will be accepted from Feb. 5-29 during normal business hours (11am-3pm, Tues.-Fri. & 12-2pm, Sat).

Maximum entries: 4 pieces due to space limitations. gaylordarts.org

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FURNITURE, FIBER, PHOTOGRAPHY & SCULPTURE EXHIBITION: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. Featuring a multi-media Pop-Up Exhibition from the Benzie Area Historical Society. Runs through Feb. 7.

Also includes the 5th Annual Cabin Fever Artist Talk Series on Fri., Jan. 31 with Susan Tusa (photography) & Bill Perkins (furniture) at 5:30pm. oliverartcenterfrankfort. org/welcome

---------------------THE IRON FISH WINTER BLIZZARD ART INVITATIONAL: Iron Fish Gallery, Thompsonville. Featuring artwork from Benzie Central & Frankfort High School students.

Runs through Jan. 30. ironfishdistillery.com

---------------------WINTER PAINTINGS AT BLK\MRKT: BLK/ MRKT, TC. Claud Mills presents Traverse City area winter scenes in oil on canvas.

Runs through Jan 31. blkmrkt.coffee

---------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC: - YOUTH ARTS EXHIBIT: Celebrating the work of area K-12 art students & educators.

On display Feb. 2 - March 14. An opening reception will be held on Sun., Feb. 2 from 1-3pm. crookedtree.org/event/ctactraverse-city/2020-youth-art - CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jan. 2127: Photographers are invited to apply for Crooked Tree’s annual juried photography exhibition. crookedtree.org/call-for-artists/ photo2020 - CALL FOR ARTISTS: ART FAIR: Jan. 20 – Feb. 15: Artists & artisans are invited to apply for the 60th annual Crooked Tree Art Fair. crookedtree.org/call-for-artists/ crooked-tree-art-fair

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DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - 40 CHANCES: FINDING HOPE IN A HUNGRY WORLD: Featuring the photography of Howard G. Buffett. Forty photographs document the world hunger crisis as part of a global awareness campaign. Runs Jan. 19 - April 26.

- ERGO SUM: A CROW A DAY: On Aug. 1, 2014 artist Karen Bondarchuk set out to mark the passing time that her mother – diagnosed with dementia in 2010 – no longer could. For 365 days, she produced a crow a day on a hand-cut, hand-gessoed panel, remembering her mother as she once was & grieving her loss. Runs Jan. 19 – May 24.

- PULPED UNDER PRESSURE: THE ART OF HANDMADE PAPER: With traditional hand papermaking at its core, this exhibit underscores important contemporary issues steeped in history & craft. Runs Jan. 19 - May 24. Hours are 10am-5pm daily & 1-5pm on Sundays. dennosmuseum.org

---------------------HIGHER ART GALLERY, TC: - “LOVE LOCALLY” - CALL FOR ARTISANS: Higher Art Gallery is looking for artisans of handmade goods for their Valentine’s Day Pop Up Shop. The deadline to apply to Love Locally is Jan. 25. Searching for jewelers, candle makers, handbags/ clutches, cards, journals & small art objects. higherartgallery.com/calls-for-art - OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “CITIZEN’S COPING” - ARTISTS RESPOND TO 4 YEARS OF AN ADMINISTRATION: Higher Art Gallery is the incubator to new Non-Profit Art Organization: Project Civilization which is having its first Open Call to All Artists for its Annual Juried show. Deadline to apply & enter submission is: 9/1/2020.

Show Opens: 10/9/2020. higherartgallery. com/calls-for-art NORTHPORT ARTS ASSOCIATION, NORTHPORT: - NORTHPORT PHOTO EXHIBITION: CALL TO ARTISTS: Now through April 30: Photographers of all skill levels are invited to submit their work to the Northport Photo Exhibition, which will take place

from May 22-31. $30/ member; $40/nonmember. northportartsassociation.org/ all-happenings/2020/5/22/northport-photoexhibit-2020 - DARK SKIES: CALL FOR ARTISTS: Jan. 18 - Feb. 28: Submit up to three pieces in the medium/media of your choosing that celebrate the night sky. northportartsassociation.org/all-happenings/2020/4/16/callfor-artists-dark-skies - PLEIN AIR: CALL TO ARTISTS: Jan. 18 - Feb. 29. Northport’s 2020 Plein Air event takes place from Sat., July 25 at 7am through Sun., July 26 at 8:30pm.

Sat. & Sun. Paint Out: $30/member; $40/ non-member. Dark Skies Paint Out: $15/ member; $20/non-member. northportartsassociation.org/all-happenings/2020/7/25/ northport-2020-plein-air-paint-out - ARTS! FOR KIDS WINTER SATURDAYS: Saturdays, 1pm, Feb. 1 - Mar. 21, Village Arts Building, Northport. Experience different media at three different art stations. Kids make creative art choices, interspersed with teacher directed lessons. northportartsassociation.org

Deadline for Dates information is Tuesday for the following week.

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Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 23

MODERN

Tame Impala is Bringing You a Valentine

Tame Impala

ROCK

BY KRISTI KATES

WEDNESDAY FEB 5 • 5PM-7PM

MAMMOTH DISTILLING & WORKSHOP BREWING CO. IN THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

$10 cover for assorted beverages and appetizers

ENTER TO WIN: $250 Mammoth Distilling gift basket Moscow Mule gift and Downtown TC gift card Recess is brought to you by

24 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ’em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.at modernrocker@ gmail.com.

S! S E UR

THE BUZZ Michigan modern jazz band Blushing Monk, fresh from the recent International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival in Grand Rapids, are prepping a full-length album for release later this year…

Umphrey’s McGee and the New Deal are set to perform live at The Fillmore in Detroit on Feb. 1 …

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony will rock

Sound Board at the Motor City Casino on Feb. 6 …

Fashionable Ferndale folk-roots-rock outfit Remnose is playing gigs around the state to promote their 2019 album, Waiting on the Wind, which was recorded at Stone House Recording in Grand Rapids … and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

O

LINK OF THE WEEK The Weeknd recently stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for two nights, and on one, performed his newest single, “Blinding Lights,” with an ambitious mirrored cameras effect that was fascinating

to watch. See for yourself at https://youtu.be/ sveiX_mA9A4 …

REC

Tame Impala has just announced the upcoming release date for its newest album, Slow Rush. The set will hit outlets on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, and include the band’s previously released singles “Borderline” and “It Might Be Time.” The set itself was recorded in two locations, frontman Kevin Parker’s hometown of Fremantle, Australia, and Los Angeles. A heavy ’70s influence can be heard on the album’s tracks, which also feature more of Parker’s introspective lyrics …

The National’s Matt Berninger, and his wife, songwriter Carin Besser, collaborated on a song for the new offBroadway play Cyrano, which just played at the Daryl Roth Theater in Manhattan.

The National had previously composed the rest of the soundtrack for Cyrano, but with while the show was still in previews, Berninger and Besser were able to add in the new song, “Write Me a Love Song,” just in time to be featured in the play — featuring Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage in the title role — that retells the classic story of Cyrano de Bergerac …

Indie singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis appears as a comic version of herself in the latest issue of the comic book series “Jughead’s Time Police” (Archie Comics), in

which the musician walks up to the Jughead/ Archie gang and compliments their work as they’re practicing for a Battle of the Bands show. Lewis was chosen for the comic book inclusion because of her indie rock work and her fashion sense, which the scriptwriter (Sina Grace) and artist (Derek Charm) reportedly thought would fit in well with the Jughead/Archie aesthetic …

A group of West Michigan musicians have revived a set of long-forgotten Michigan folk songs, releasing them on the album Michigan-I-O, a project partially inspired by music historian and song collector Alan Lomax. The musicians — who include banjoist/guitarist Andy Bast, guitarist/singer Noah McLaren, mandolin player Jonathan Gabhart, and harmonium player Bruce Benedict — trekked to the Upper Peninsula to arrange and recorde the tunes, all of which were written prior to 1939. Tracks on the album include “Traverse City,” “Johnnie Carleses’ Lumber Camp,” “The Lumberjack’s Alphabet,” and “Red Iron Ore”…

Y HAPP

H

The reel

by meg weichman

JUST MERCY 1917

O

ne of the top directors working today, Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Skyfall), pays tribute to his WWI veteran grandfather with a story that is intensely epic and almost impossibly intimate. It’s a simple enough of a concept: Two ordinary men (neither of them anyone’s idea of statuesque “war heroes”) are sent on an extraordinary, high-stakes mission in which the lives of 1,600 men hang in the balance. But there is nothing simple about 1917’s execution. To further immerse you in the don’t-you-dare-lookaway action that unfolds in near-realtime, is how Mendes has constructed the film to play like one long take. And while he fakes the single take through seamless, flawless editing, don’t underestimate the technical or artistic achievement at play here. In fact, not only do I urge you to see this extraordinary film, but after seeing it, you must immediately Google behindthe-scenes videos of how they pulled it off. I guarantee it will make you want to watch the whole thing again.

A familiar legal drama, the filmmaking of Just Mercy is predictable and formulaic, but the real-life story of the man, at its center, who defends death row inmates is nothing less than extraordinary.

In his appeal, roadblocks are put up at every turn, from the openly racist police chief to the hapless district attorney who doesn’t really care whether Walter did it, only that he gets the conviction.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton adapts the memoir of world-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson into a moving film that focuses on the early days of his landmark career. And while the film may not offer viewers anything new when it comes to the narrative or artistry, it is a heartfelt and genuine work that features strong performance, high production values, and a powerful message we cannot ignore.

Helping navigate things is local legal advocate and ally, Eva Ansley, played by Brie Larson. After the defense team is denied rental space due to the controversial nature of their work, Eva opens up her home as their office space, and continues to work on the case even after her family receives death threats. And while Oscar-winner Larson brings some spirit to the part, it is a mostly thankless role that feels like a favor to the director. (Cretton directed her breakout film, Short Term 12.)

Stepping into Bryan Stevenson’s heroic shoes is Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Black Panther). Fresh from graduating at the top of his class at Harvard Law and with the world at his feet, Bryan rejects the route of high-powered, high-paying corporate law in order to move to Monroe County, Alabama, where he starts the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit that takes on cases of death row inmates.

There Bryan is introduced to Jamie Foxx’s Walter McMillian, a man whose case just doesn’t add up. There is no DNA evidence or motive, and he has an alibi, yet he’s convicted of brutally murdering a white teenage girl. His conviction is based on the testimony of a felon (Tim Blake Nelson), who it seems was pressured to testify against Walter.

This is a conviction case Bryan sees as a strong candidate for getting overturned, but Walter is not so keen on his pro bono help; he’s been bitterly disappointed by previous lawyers and experienced firsthand a legal system that doesn’t give a damn about him or his family. As Walter says, in Monroe County, “You’re guilty from the moment you’re born.”

Though hesitant to have hope, Walter reluctantly signs on, and his walls start to come down when he discovers Bryan is spending time with his family.

His imprisonment, of course, has had devastating effects on his children and his community. And while Walter’s family admits he was no saint, they are resolute that the facts are the facts, and Walter did not commit this crime.

Other characters — like the older death row inmate and Vietnam vet whose fate is sealed despite having suffered from PTSD when he committed his crime — are similarly thinly-drawn and teeter toward cliché.

Jamie Foxx, however, gives some of his strongest and most nuanced work in years.

And you can’t help but root for Michael B. Jordan. On the strength of their work alone, we move toward a rousing conclusion, but we do move rather slowly. At 2 hours and 15 minutes, the film would have benefited from some editing to up the film’s sense of urgency.

Considering the material it covers, my main takeaway is that the Just Mercy is not near as angry as it needs to be; it underplays the scope of the systemic racism at play and the deep-seated injustices that are a real part of our legal system. What anger there is, is presented through a tempered lens, never delivering the outrage it should, and taking instead a more sentimental and, I suppose, more satisfying approach to its social messaging.

But what does come through strongly and clearly is what an incredible human Bryan Stevenson is. Successfully freeing 125 men from death row over the course of his career, his name should be right up there with our comic book crime fighters, and this film is an eye-opening step in that direction.

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

little women

G

reta Gerwig’s take on Little Women isn’t just the very best adaptation of the novel in a long line of adaptations, it’s also one of the very best movies of the year, a masterful directorial achievement by any gender. Big, little, for men, for women — the only modifier that really needs to be applied here is wonderful! Gerwig takes this familiar story of the four March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) growing up in a middle-class family in Concord, Massachusetts, during the Civil War and gives us a faithful retelling that is as fresh as it is timeless, as nostalgic as it is modern. The lighting is gorgeous, the costumes are stunning, and the cinematography is full of life. Exhilarating, imaginative, and beguiling, you can feel the love in every frame. A profoundly effecting work, you’ll be overtaken by the sheer joy of this film’s gentle spirit and generous filmmaking, as well the feeling of being truly seen by a filmmaker who deeply understands and values the rhythms girlhood, of sisters, of family.

cats

S

o the deal with “Cats,” other than it has mindbogglingly grossed over $3 billion during the course of its thousands of stage runs, is that there is basically no story, and the film adaptation certainly doesn’t go very far toward offering any more narrative. The songs are loosely tied together by the idea that a tribe of cats, known as the Jellicles, gather annually to see what cat will be the “Jellicle Choice” and ascend to the Heavenside Layer, where they will be given a new life. Other than a few standouts, “Mr. Mistoffelees” and “Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat” (mostly for the tap dancing), the songs in this film feel boring, tedious, and forgettable. There are glaring technical issues aplenty, from the cats’ human hands to the distracting and inconsistent use of scale. The way it renders the human performers into cats with fur is so artificial looking that it’s a struggle to appreciate the dancing and artistry. In trying to make the cat/humans look as realistic as possible, it ends up achieving the exact opposite effect. Everyone knew this film would be bad, but I don’t think they realized it would be so irredeemable.

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 25

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE A BURRITO

DOWNTOWN

TRAVERSE CITY

FOURSCORE by kristi kates

Best Picture & Director

Ten Oscar Nominations!

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

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DOWNTOWN

Miles Davis – The Lost Quintet – SNR

Davis’ “lost quintet” was quite a quintet: Davis, along with Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, and Wayne Shorter. While the five musicians never got into an actual recording studio together, two recordings from their late ’60s European tour were captured via a radio performance in Rotterdam (read: bootleg), and this is one of them, recently discovered and remastered after being lost for years. On it, the quintet performs alternate versions of several of Davis’ own tunes, in an energetic and prescient jazz performance Davis (or Corea, DeJohnette, Holland, or Wayne Shorter) fans won’t want to miss.

IN CLINCH PARK

Goodnight, Texas – A Long Life of Living – Tallest Man Records

Six Oscar Nominations!

Adam Driver

Named after a small town halfway between the hometowns of bandmates Patrick Dyer Wolf and Avi Vinocur, this collection of tunes evokes rural America, the vast spaces that require long drives in pickup trucks and the musical magic that arises along the way.

Blending vintage blues with more modern, hooky folk á la Mumford and Sons, the pair zips easily through storytelling tracks like “Meet Me at the Smokestack” and even folkier numbers like “Car Parts and Linens” and “Plan of Attack.”

Scarlett Johansson

SUN & MON 1:30 • 4 :30 • 7:30 PM TUE - THU 1 • 4 • 7 PM

231-947-4800

Ole Børud – Outside the Limit

Norwegian musician Børud has managed to tap into the authentic feel of American Yacht Rock with his latest effort, which is anchored in ’70s sounds and recollects everything from Chicago to Donald Fagan. Opener “Put My Money” digs right into those Corvette vibes with its soulful feel, while the title track adds in grooving horns. In the balladry department, Børud offers up the mid-tempo “Can’t Pretend,” with hints of Toto, and the more radioready R&B of “Blaming Game.” If you like a good throwback, you’ll enjoy this.

Joaquin Sabina – Vinagre Y Rosas – AG

The translated title is what you’re probably guessing — “vinegar and roses” — and that’s also an apt description for the diverse tunes in this set from Sabina. On the sharper side of the album are tracks like the aggressive “Crisis,” an unexpected rocker and “Tiramisu de Limon,” which also features an intense dose of electric guitar. In the set’s quieter moments, Sabina’s backing band backs off to allow room for the basement jazz of “Nombres Impropios” and the slight twists of “Blues del Alambique.”

26 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

nitelife

jan 25- feb 02 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

7 MONKS TAPROOM, TC 1/30 -- Mike Moran, 7:3010:30

MT. HOLIDAY, TC 1/31 -- Shawn Butzin, 7

THE YURT: 1/26 -- Valentiger, 4 1/30 -- Kids in the Yurt: May Erlewine, 4:30-6; May Erlewine, 7-9

PANGEA'S PIZZA, TC Tue -- Trivia Tuesday, 6

ACOUSTIC TAP ROOM, TC 1/25 -- Dolce, 8 1/31 -- Nick & Rokko, 8-10 2/1 -- Rob Coonrod, 8 FANTASY'S, TC Mon. - Sat. -- Adult entertainment w/ DJ, 7-close GT DISTILLERY, TC 1/25 -- Dags und Timmah!, 7 HOTEL INDIGO, TC 1/25 -- Elizabeth Landry, 7-10 1/31 -- Blake Elliott, 7-10 KILKENNY'S, TC 1/25 -- Brett Mitchell, 9:30 1/28 -- Levi Britton, 8 1/29 -- The Pocket, 8 1/30 -- 2Bays DJs, 9:30 1/31-2/1 -- Skin Tight, 9:30

PARK PLACE HOTEL, TC BEACON LOUNGE: Thurs,Fri,Sat -- Tom Kaufmann, 8:30 ROVE ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY, TC 1/31 -- Levi Britton, 5-8 SAIL INN BAR & GRILL, TC Thurs. & Sat. -- Phattrax DJs & Karaoke, 9 STUDIO ANATOMY, TC 1/25 -- Comedy Night, 9 TAPROOT CIDER HOUSE, TC 1/28 -- Cheers to 4 Years! w/ Wink, 6-8 1/31 -- Jazz Cabbage, 7-9

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC 1/27 -- Open Mic Night w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9 1/31 -- Rhett & John, 6-8

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

THE PARLOR, TC 1/25 -- Dave Crater & Stu Ford, 8 1/28 -- Jimmy Olson, 4 1/29 -- Wink Solo, 8 1/30-31 -- Chris Smith, 8 2/1 -- Jim Hawley & Co., 8 THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 1/25 -- Patty PerShayla, 8 1/27 -- Big Fun Jam Band, 6-8:30 Tue -- TC Celtic, 6:30 Wed -- Jazz Jam, 6-10 1/31 -- Botala, 8 2/1 -- Radel Rosin, 8 UNION STREET STATION, TC 1/25 -- DJ DomiNate, 10 1/26 -- Head for the Hills Live Show, 10am-noon; then Karaoke, 10pm-2am 1/28 -- TC Comedy Collective, 8-9:30

Antrim & Charlevoix CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 1/25 -- Jazz Cabbage, 7 ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 1/25 -- Flower Isle, 8-11 2/1 -- Conrad Shock + The Noise, 8-11 HELLO VINO, BELLAIRE 1/28-29 -- Doc Woodward, 7-9 1/30 -- The Winery Comedy Tour, 7 1/31 -- Karaoke, 7-11

SHANTY CREEK RESORT, BELLARE IVAN'S: 1/25 -- Steve Armstrong & The 25 Cent Beer Band, 9 1/31-2/1 -- SpaceCat, 9 SHORT'S BREWING CO., BELLAIRE 1/25 -- Valentiger, 8:30-11 1/31 -- Joshua Davis, 8-10:30 2/1 -- Los Elk, 8:30-11

FIT MY LIFE Ready for a change?

Emmet & Cheboygan BEARDS BREWERY, PETOSKEY 1/25 -- Two Track Mind, 8-11 1/26 -- BB Celtic & Traditional Irish Session Players, 6-9 1/30 -- Open Mic Nite w/ Host Charlie Millard, 6-10 2/1 -- 1000 Watt Prophets Duo, 8-11 CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 1/25 -- Straits Shooters, 10 1/31 -- Annex Karaoke, 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

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

BIG CAT BREWING CO., CEDAR 1/29 -- Treetops, 6-8:30 CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE VISTA LOUNGE: 1/24-25 -- TC Knuckleheads, 7-11 1/31-2/1 -- The Offbeat Band, 7-11 DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. — Karaoke, 10-2

IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 1/25 -- Samuel Harness, 7-9 1/31 -- Blair Miller, 7

LUMBERJACK'S BAR & GRILL, HONOR Fri & Sat -- Phattrax DJs & Karaoke, 9

LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 1/28 -- Mike Moran, 6:30

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 1/25 -- Sean Miller, 6-9 1/30 -- Open Mic w/ Jim & Wanda Curtis, 6 1/31 -- The Lofteez, 6-9 2/1 -- The Real Ingredients, 6-9

LEELANAU SANDS CASINO, PESHAWBESTOWN SHOWROOM: 1/25 -- Alan Turner, 8 LELAND LODGE 1/29 – Chris Smith, 6

STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 1/25 -- Nate Dill, 8-10 1/31 -- Drew Hale, 8-10

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

Bonham, 8:30 BENNETHUM'S NORTHERN INN, GAYLORD 1/28 -- Nelson Olstrom, 5-8

NORTH CHANNEL BREWING CO., MANISTEE 1/31 -- Nate Dill, 7

Send us your free live music listings to

events@traverseticker.com

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TINKER'S JUNCTION, GRAYLING 1/25 -- Limelight, 9

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee

Mon Jan 27- $5 martinis, $5 domestic

beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher.

Making Positive Lifestyle Changes

EW UNDER NHIP! S R E N W O

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

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

Leelanau & Benzie

BELLE IRON GRILLE, GAYLORD 1/25 -- Biomassive w/ Joseph

STIGGS BREWERY & KITCHEN, BOYNE CITY 1/25 – Under the Moon, 7 1/31 – Nelson Olstrom, 7 2/1 – Sydni K., 7

NUB'S NOB, HARBOR SPRINGS NUB'S PUB: 1/25 -- The Pistil Whips, 3-6 2/1 -- Pete Kehoe, 3-6

2/1 -- Lavender Lions, 10

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

Wed -

Get it in the can night - $1 domestic, $3 craft

w/DJ Coven

Thurs -$2 off all drinks and $2 Labatt drafts with Chris Michels Band

Fri Jan 31 - Buckets of Beer starting at $8 (2-8pm) Happy Hour: Jazz North Then: One Hot Robot

Sat Feb 1 - Broom Closet Boys Sunday Feb 2

KARAOKE ( 10pm-2am) 941-1930 downtown TC check us out at unionstreetstationtc.net

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 27

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28 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

M-SA 9-8 SU 12-5

Q

: My roommate has this need to tell me all about his day when he gets home.

Making matters worse, his main form of communication is complaining. I need quiet time when I come home, not a second job as an unlicensed therapist. I’ve hinted at this, but he isn’t catching on.

— Weary

A

: Your hopes and dreams change as you go through life — like when you get a roommate who won’t shut up and you regularly fantasize that masked violent orthodontists are holding him down in an alley while they wire his jaws together.

The thing is, you can live this dream — minus the gangland orthodontists. Retiring from your nightly gig as your roommate’s emotional garbage can just takes asserting yourself — asking for what you want instead of merely hinting at it. Assertiveness is the healthy alternative to being passive -- silently sucking up another person’s upsetting and/or unfair behavior — or going aggressive: eventually blowing up at them after you repeatedly say nothing and they, in turn, change nothing.

The foundation of assertiveness is self-respect — believing you’ve got a right to have and express desires and preferences that conflict with others’ desires and preferences. Sure, you might sometimes put somebody else’s needs first -- but if you’re assertive, you’re generous by choice, not because you just automatically go all Wimpy McWimpleton.

In contrast, clinical psychologist Randy J. Paterson explains, “When you behave passively, control of your life is in the hands of people around you.” He also notes that not asserting yourself leads to stress, the “bodily reaction to the perception that we are under threat.” When that stress is chronic — happening on the regular — it’s poisonous and damaging. It’s associated with, for example, decreased immune function and an increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other fun ways to get to the morgue ahead of schedule.

Assertiveness is best exercised as soon as you realize you want somebody to change their behavior. When you don’t let your annoyance fester, you’re more likely to have the composure to open with a little positivity, like saying to your roommate, “Hey, I really admire your openness about your life...” Yes, that’s the sound of the truth being sacrificed on the altar out back, but it’s for a good cause — making him feel appreciated rather than attacked.

This sets him up to be more amenable to your

BY Amy Alkon

request that follows: “When I come home, I need an hour or so without conversation so I can decompress.” For best results, keep the next part of that silent: “Also so I can refrain from the temptation to bludgeon you with a potato and cut your vocal cords out with a butter knife.”

Bald Eager Are there any psychological hacks for Q:getting people to like you?

— Self-Improvement Junkie

A

: In social interaction, there’s a balance between keeping it real and keeping it strategic. Going mad-enthusiastic over somebody you’ve just met is cute — if you’re a labradoodle. (That also makes it more forgivable when, in your excitement, you pee on the person’s shoe.)

There are two essential pieces of advice for getting people to like you: 1. Cool pursuit instead of hot pursuit. 2. Shut up and listen.

1. Cool pursuit: A popularity contest is the one competition where it pays not to try — or, rather, to seem like you aren’t trying. You do this, for example, by making some A-lister wait to talk with you — “Gimme a sec while I nab that appetizer...” — even though it’s probably killing you inside.

Erring on the side of seeming undereager is important, per psychologist Robert Cialdini’s “scarcity principle”: The less available something appears to be, the more valuable it seems and the more we want it. Accordingly, my rule: Try to seem more hard to get than hard to get rid of.

2. Shut up and listen: People think they can talk somebody into liking them, but really, you’re most likely to listen somebody into doing that. Listening doesn’t just mean hearing. It takes effort. It means paying close attention to what somebody’s saying and drawing on your emotions to connect with it. That sort of listening is a form of emotional generosity. It ultimately sends the message “I’m talking to you because I’m interested in you and what you’re saying,” not “...because I haven’t had sex since there were dinosaurs grazing where the 7-Eleven now stands.”

Listening is also important because it helps you see whether the person you’re interested in is actually worthy of your interest. Ideally, you aren’t chasing somebody simply because you’ve been chasing them, and, clever you, you’ve seen through the liberties they’ve taken in staging their own death. You, shoving aside a medical examiner and yanking open a bit of the zipper: “Pro tip...the actual coroner does not offer body bags by Louis Vuitton!”

aSTRO

lOGY

JAN 27 - FEB 02

BY ROB BREZSNY

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Please don’t imitate or

repeat yourself in the coming weeks. Refrain from relying on formulas that have worked for you before. Resolve to either ignore or rebel against your past as you dream up fresh gambits and adventures. Treat your whole life like an improvisatory game that has just one purpose: to attract and stir up useful novelty. If you do these things, Aquarius, I can practically guarantee that you will win the game.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

You Sagittarians have a talent for burning bridges that really do need to be burned. Your intuition often guides you to assess when the time is ripe to withdraw from connections that no longer benefit you. On the other hand, you sometimes burn bridges prematurely. You decide that they are in such disrepair that they’re of no use to you, even though it might serve your ultimate interests to fix them. I offer these thoughts as a preface for my advice: 1. Refurbish rather than burn a certain bridge you’re a bit disenchanted with. 2. Build at least one new bridge that will be valuable in the future.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The shape

of the planets’ orbits around the sun is elliptical, not circular. Capricorn astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) was the first person to figure this out. He didn’t like it. He really wanted the orbits to be circular. That would have been more satisfying to his aesthetic and spiritual sensibilities. Explaining the arduous labor he did to arrive at his conclusion, he wrote, “Take pity on me, for I have repeated these calculations seventy times.” In the big picture of our understanding of the universe, of course, his discovery was felicitous. It’s not a problem that the orbits are elliptical, merely the truth. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, I foresee you engaging in a process that’s metaphorically comparable to Kepler’s. Hard work will yield useful, if unexpected results.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Poet Robert Bly

believes that each of us has a special genius, and the key to understanding and fully activating that genius is in our core wound. In other words, the part of us that got hurt the worst is potentially the generative source of the best gifts we have to give. Do you know where that is in yourself: the wound that could be the source of your blessing? Now is a great time to investigate this tantalizing mystery.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): My favorite ancient

Greek philosopher was the rascal Diogenes. As a joke, he carried around a lantern during the daytime, proclaiming, “I am just looking for an honest man.” When Alexander the Great, the most powerful man in the world, came to meet Diogenes while he was relaxing outside and asked him if he needed any favors done, he replied, “Yeah, stop blocking my sunlight.” As for Plato, Diogenes complained that the famous philosopher talked too damn much and misinterpreted the teachings of Socrates. I encourage you to borrow some of Diogenes’ attitude in the coming weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it’ll be healing for you to experiment with being brassy, saucy, and sassy. Emphasize what makes you most unique, independent, and self-expressive.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus author

Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) published his first novel at age 30. During the next 37 years, he completed 48 additional novels and 18 works of nonfiction. Critics liked his work well enough, but were suspicious of his prodigious productivity. When they discovered that one of Trollope’s motivations for writing was to make money, they disapproved. Then they found out that Trollope kept a watch nearby as he worked, determined to generate 250 words every 15 minutes. The critics hated that even worse.

Creative artists are supposed to court inspiration, not adhere to a schedule—at least according to the critics. But I approve of and recommend Trollope-like behavior for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. Cosmic forces will be on your side if you do.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In accordance

with the astrological indicators, I invite you to rise and soar and glide during the coming weeks. I encourage you to expand and enlarge and amplify. Don’t wait around hoping to be

asked to explore and experiment and improvise—just do those things. It’s high time for you to enjoy stirring quests and research projects and missions dedicated to discovery.

Be a fun-loving pioneer. Sample the joys of being a maverick

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I love living in

the material world. Its crazy-making demands and exhilarating rewards are endlessly entertaining.

Despite having been born as a fantasy-prone, overly sensitive Cancerian, I’ve become fairly earthy and well-grounded. I have a good job, a nice house, a smart wife, and an interesting daughter. On the other hand, I also love living in the soul’s realm. I have remembered and recorded an average of three dreams per night for many years. Although I don’t take drugs, I cultivate alternate states of consciousness through meditation, prayer, and ritual. I’ve long been a student of depth psychology, which has trained me to be as focused on my soul as my ego. In accordance with current astrological omens, my fellow Cancerian, I urge you to hang out more than usual in the soul’s realm during the coming weeks.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Can I talk you into

being more tender and open-hearted toward the people who care for you? I don’t mean to imply that you are currently too hard and closed.

But all of us can benefit from enhancing our receptivity, and the coming weeks will be prime time for you Leos to do just that. I think you’ll find it easier than usual to deepen your listening skills and intensify your sensitivity.

You’ll have an acute intuitive grasp of the fact that you can earn yourself huge blessings by expressing love and compassion in very practical ways.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): All of us are in service to someone or something—to certain people or ideas or situations. We provide them with help or energy or mirroring or love. We are dutiful in attending to their needs and wants.

For some of us, our service feels like a burden. It’s grating or humbling or inconvenient, or all of the above. For others of us, being of service is fulfilling, even joyful. We find a rich sense of purpose in our devotion to a higher cause or deeper calling beyond our selfish concerns. Among the 12 signs of the zodiac, you Virgos are more likely than most to carry out the latter kind of service. I bring these thoughts to your attention because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to re-evaluate, reconfigure, and reinvigorate your own service.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author David Markson

imagined what it would be like to write a novel that lacked conflicts or confrontations—in other words, a novel unlike any ever created. Libran author Ursula Le Guin also fantasized about stories with plots that weren’t driven by strife and struggle.

Since many of us are addicted to entertainment that depends on discord to be interesting, we might find it hard to believe Markson’s and Le Guin’s dream would ever happen. But I’m pleased to inform you, Libra, that your life in the coming weeks may be exactly like that: a fascinating adventure with few hassles and wrangles.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): According to

Scorpio painter Georgia O’Keeffe, success is irrelevant. The most crucial life-long effort that anyone can be devoted to is “making your unknown known.” Did she mean making your unknown known to yourself? Or making your unknown known to other people? Or both? According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to do both. So I hope you will tease out your best and biggest mysteries from their hiding places. Give them expression.

“Jonesin” Crosswords

"Decade in Review, Part 2"--fun stuff from 2012 & 2013. by Matt Jones ACROSS 1 It’s produced in a Van de Graaff generator 7 Glass with a radio cadence 10 Base times height 14 “Garfield” cat 15 “As much as you want” 17 Type of music video with a world record set in 2012 by 9,300 participants in Lindsay, Ontario 18 Book-based movie series that ended in 2012 with “Breaking Dawn - Part 2” 19 Q&A feature, on Reddit 20 Like Dali’s art 22 Spear-shaped fish 23 Need an ice bag 25 8-Down’s need 26 Home of the Nevada Museum of Art 27 Opera highlight 28 Actress Claire of “The Crown” 29 Becomes dim 30 2012 song that was YouTube’s most-viewed video until “See You Again” surpassed it in 2017 34 Yoko born in Tokyo 35 “___ Nub” (common name of the 1983 song called “Ewok Celebration”) 36 House vote 37 ___ Lipa (“New Rules” singer) 40 What China became the third country to achieve with the Chang’e 3 mission in 2013 43 ___ dab in the middle 46 Suffix with puppet or racket 47 Key West, e.g.

48 Minnow’s home 49 Sign of sorrow 51 Fascinated with 52 Go bad 53 Role for Smith, Cartwright, Kavner, or Castellaneta 55 Athlete’s knee injury site, often 57 Swedish duo with a breakup song that hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart in 2013 59 Game that “The Price Is Right” devoted all six pricing game segments to in a 2013 episode 61 Gillian Flynn thriller published in 2012 62 Bygone Toyota model 63 Drink from a flask 64 Red Sox rival, on scoreboards 65 Jousters’ horses

DOWN 1 Parlor, in La Paz 2 Boat with three hulls 3 2020 Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee 4 Talking bear film of 2012 5 Occupied, as a lavatory 6 “From Peru to ___ hear the power of Babylon” (Philippine island name-dropped in Enya’s “Orinoco Flow”) 7 They receive paper assignments 8 Crew member 9 What a celebrity might use at a hotel 10 “Who ___?” (“Les Miz” song) 11 Fixed illegally 12 Gas in fuel mixtures 13 Team in a sign-stealing scandal 16 Taking a sick day 21 Floor-cleaning robot 24 Sea ___ (Popeye villain) 26 Peabody Award-winning Issa 27 In bygone times 28 “Prelude to the Afternoon of a ___” (Debussy work) 29 Dessert also known as crËme caramel 31 Stooge’s laugh syllable 32 First Family of the 1840s 33 2012 or 2013, e.g.

37 Itinerary measure 38 Insecure, in a way 39 Mature 40 “Daft Punk is Playing at my House” band ___ Soundsystem 41 Freshen up, as lipstick 42 Annoying racket 43 Rosemary bits 44 Milk source, to a kid 45 “Queer Eye” food and wine expert Porowski 49 Easy basket 50 Atlanta research university 51 Arm of the sea 53 2012 AFTRA merger partner 54 Chooses 56 Online outbursts 58 Pos. opposite 60 Incensed feeling

Northern Express Weekly • january 27, 2020 • 29

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT

PAID JOB TRAINING for Individuals 55 and over POSITIONS ARE WAITING TO BE FILLED. Paid Job Training for Seniors Age 55 and over. Must be unemployed, seeking work and meet program income eligibility guideline. Earn while you learn on the job. To prescreen by phone call AARP Foundation SCSEP Program at 231-252-4544. Serving the Grand Traverse Region, Benzie, Manistee & Wexford Counties.

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ORCHARD MANAGER Cherry Bay Orchards, headquartered in Suttons Bay, Michigan, is a family owned growing operation with over 3,000 acres of cherry & apple trees. We are seeking an experienced Orchard Manager. This full-time position will be primarily responsible for overseeing and managing our crop protection program including cultivating, irrigation, spraying and fertilization of the various orchards. For a complete job description, compensation and benefit package, please email confidential resume and cover letter. linda.polinko@gmail.com

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DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is seeking a full-time Director of Development.

For more information, visit our website: www.gtrlc.org.

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SARA LEE FROZEN BAKERY IS HIRING Sara Lee Frozen Bakery has a need to hire hard-working individuals capable of working any shift for a number of positions. Some positions that are available with their starting hourly rate: Dough Maker I- $19.90 Cook Helper- $19.47 Dough Maker II- $19.47 Forklift Operator- $19.62 Palleter- $19.42

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by January 27,2020.

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30 • january 27, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

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1/20/20 3:03 PM