Northern Express - May 11, 2020

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Spring RestauranTour Issue KEEPING THE TASTE ALIVE

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • may 11 - may 17, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 19 Photo courtesy of Providence Organic Farm & CSA in Central Lake

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economy responsibly, slowly, based on facts and science. I don’t believe in political antics and time-wasting grandstanding while we don’t have enough testing to see what portion of our population is infected. People are still dying from this pandemic. Remember: Michigan has the third most confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the country. We don’t even really know the number of COVID-19 related deaths; that number could be much higher.

My rights are as important as your rights.

Neither takes precedence over the other. If you show up in Lansing with an AR-15, your rights are still the same as mine. My safety is as important as your safety. My family is as important as your family. I’m not willing to “take one for the team” and sacrifice my life because you want a haircut or think COVID-19 is just another flu.

This virus is still spreading and killing people, and our governor is doing what she can to protect everyone. Let’s all get along and get through this together.

V.M. Gutowski Traverse City

Politics in the time of Corona At the time of this writing, and even after six weeks of shutdown and shelterat-home orders, Michigan has reported over 41,000 cases of the virus, with nearly 4,000 deaths. Clearly, we are all one in our exposure — and joint response — to this disease. But somehow in recent weeks, an old poison has infected our land.

One party — the Democrats — continues to rely on the lessons of science and medicine, applying epidemiologist-approved protocols for addressing the worst global pandemic in 100 years. While it’s true that Gov. Whitmer has demonstrated an abundance of caution in how she has approached this public-health crisis, polling shows that a clear majority of the state’s residents still stand with her.

Michiganders simply don’t buy the unsafe behaviors, “Fascist!” signs, Confederate flags, and threatening guns of angry, fearmongering protesters. It is particularly sad when some of our legislators feel compelled to wear bulletproof vests to the Capitol.

The other major player — the Republican Party — which once could style itself “Grand,” without irony — is in thrall to the failed presidency of Donald “It’s a Democrat hoax” Trump, who himself has never taken seriously the real threats posed by COVID-19. In advance of adequate testing and a vaccine, he shares with our Michigan demonstrators a rush to “open up” the economy.

What should concern voters is the seeming endorsement of these bad behaviors by the GOP. By the silence of its elected leaders and the active participation of some of its members, we’re seeing both callous disregard for the public health and tacit approval of scenes — neither of which belong in a functioning, safe, and sane democracy of caring citizens.

Frank W. Hawthorne, Petoskey Moderation; Not Emotion I’m all for reopening our economy, and I understand the frustrations we’re all feeling.

I also believe it’s important to open the

Dishonor and Disrespect To the four Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners, Rob Hentschel, Brad Jewett, Ron Clous, Gordie LaPointe: You disrespect and dishonor our frontline, essential workers, and our community when you attempt to undermine our governor’s plan for a careful and safe reopening of our Michigan economy.

To adopt an uninformed, knee-jerk resolution opposing the well-thought-out plan drafted by our governor, who has been consulting 24/7 with both medical experts and business leaders, is a disservice to Grand Traverse County residents. Your resolution comes at a time when Gov. Whitmer is already well into the process of safely reopening businesses and other activities using a regional plan.

We are still in need of tests and treatment.

We must be patient. We must care about each other. Every life matters.

Kate Dahlstrom, Traverse City Gunpoint Petition The Second Amendment-based idiocy, which was recently paraded around Lansing to protest Gov. Whitmer’s stayat-home orders, is being promoted by the National Rifle Association and political action committees run by the Mercer-KochDeVoss-Adelson families. The MurdochSinclair-Newsmax universe of right-wing media lends a big hand in this as well.

Earlier this year, Republican-dominated county boards across northern Michigan held hearings and hosted a conservative talk radio personality, Larry Bishop, from Antrim County, who promoted creating gun sanctuaries in the region. It was nothing but rhetorical nonsense, though it burnished the Republican bona fides of county board politicians. Some of the notable outside participants at Grand Traverse County’s February board hearing were an outside group called Proud Boys. They weren’t visibly packing weapons in Grand Traverse, but they sure were in Lansing. You have seen them before at various venues. They are usually among President Trump’s so-called “good people” who always seem to be on the

CONTENTS

wrong side of current issues.

It is a sad day when conservative Republicans advance the notion of petitioning state legislators at gunpoint.

They are driving our country ever closer to the armed tribalism of Somalia, Afghanistan, Crime and Rescue Map....................................7 or the gang-infused politics of El Salvador. Keeping the Taste Alive...................................10 Restaurant Roundup......................................13 John M. Gerty, Jr., Williamsburg Spend an Evening with Scott Turow..................14 Boom or Bust..........................................................16 The Empire Village Inn.....................................19 Consider What You Support Some observations from the past months.

This was a bumper sticker displayed in a public place: “Trump 2020/F**k Your Feelings” (edited for publishing purposes).

A friend of mine who considers Top Ten..........................................................5 herself an independent, politically, went to Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...................................6 experience a Trump rally. She said she felt Opinion.............................................................8 intimidated to clap and cheer for Trump, Weird................................................................9 who taunted the “fake media” at the event. Advice.......................................................20 She said she feared they were not safe from Crossword..................................................21 the rally-goers.

Freewill Astrology.........................................22 There is a group that has held a sign display on the same street corner for Classifieds.................................................22 three years. They hold banners and sometimes cheer “Dump Trump!” or “Protect democracy!” They are mostly female retirees.

This spring, young white male Trump supporters came to the same corner, with flags and bullhorns. They get close and taunt, hoping for confrontation.

Then, Proud Boys, a violent group, also came. The sign holders quit their action, fearing for their safety. Now we have the demonstrators in Lansing, carrying Trump flags and automatic weapons into the capital.

Is this combative behavior good for our country? Trump stokes this behavior. His weapons of choice are fear and hate, You v. Us. You might be reading these observations and saying, “I am a Trump supporter but nothing like the people you describe above.” I’m sure there are supporters who are appalled by this behavior and would not participate in it. But are you still supportive of his re-election? Please consider that voting for Trump enables the hateful behavior he provokes.

Northern Express Weekly is published by With our image in the world already Eyes Only Media, LLC. destroyed, are we also going to destroy Publisher: Luke Haase ourselves from within? Can’t we agree that a 135 W. State St. Traverse City, MI 49684 new, positive leader is needed for the good Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 of our country? We need to heal. Joe Biden email: info@northernexpress.com is not perfect, but he could unite us. www.northernexpress.com

features

columns & stuff

Carol Medland, Alcona Township Pandemic & Planet As we are all hunkered down in our homes, wearing masks and gloves and trying to avoid this virus, scientists are making the best decisions possible to minimize sicknesses and deaths. We are putting our faith in them and in the leaders who are making policies for all to follow.

The effects of this pandemic will be many: PTSD, sleep loss, depression, anger, stress, and anxiety are already plaguing many people. No one is sure when it will end or what we could face next. We will get through this — and then what, we ask. I can only hope that by us pulling together, thinking of not only ourselves and those near us but also of the population at large, that we will come out stronger and more resilient than we ever

Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris, Jill Hayes For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Dave Anderson, Dave Courtad Kimberly Sills, Randy Sills, Roger Racine Matt Ritter, Gary Twardowski Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Reporter: Patrick Sullivan Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny, Ross Boissoneau, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Craig Manning, Emily Tyra Copyright 2020, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly. Northern Express Weekly is free of charge, but no person may take more than one copy of each weekly issue without written permission of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

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Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 3

this week’s

top ten Good News: You might actually find a morel mushroom this year.

So the world is facing a cataclysmic health and economic emergency. But you know what else? The conditions for finding morel mushrooms have never been better. 1) Spring temperatures are rising. (We think. We’ve been wrong 19 times since March began.) 2) For the first time in decades, you probably don’t have much on your May agenda more pressing than “wander around the woods for several hours.” 3) The Michigan DNR has a map, latitude and longitude coordinates included, that shows all the state land that underwent a prescribed burn in 2019, and it just so happens those funky little famous mushrooms love areas where sizeable fires (10+ acres) occurred the previous year — preferably those that had been covered by a pre-fire forest of jack, red, or white pines. Search “Wildfire and prescribed burn locations 2019” at midnr.maps.arcgis.com. You’re welcome.

Breathtaking Views, Preserved Nearly 300 acres high above Lake Michigan, near Harbor Springs, have been preserved thanks to a charitable gift and the Little Traverse Conservancy.

The Offield Family Viewlands — formerly known as the Little Traverse Bay Golf Club — has breathtaking views of the bay and the Inland Waterway and should be open for hiking and exploring this summer.

After the golf course closed, the property was purchased by a real estate investor.

The conservancy, recognizing a unique opportunity, inquired about a sale that would allow it to be protected permanently. A tight timeline for the resale made the purchase uncertain until the Offield Family Foundation pledge a gift.

“We cannot overstate the impact that the Offield family and its foundation has had on the protection of our region’s lands,” said Kieran Fleming, executive director.

Now, the conservancy is busy raising funds to ensure the purchase can be completed: they’ve raised over $1.6 million from the foundation and donors, and they need to reach a goal of $2 million.

For more information, contact tyratliff@landtrust.org or call (231) 347-0991.

2 tastemaker

HARRINGTON’S

We won’t lie to you — it feels a little like stealing when you take advantage of the buy-one-get-one deal at Harrington’s by the Bay in Traverse City. Especially when you get back home, roughly 30 minutes after placing your order, bearing four pretty-dang gourmet dishes and a stellar squash soup for less than $35. Total. We tried — and were utterly delighted by — every one: lettuce wraps ready to stuff with marinated chicken breast, a sweet and slow-growing-hot Thai ginger peanut sauce, and crispy rice noodles; a bacon and white cheddar burger made of their hand-cut filet mignon, NY strip, and ribeye steaks, then pillowed between halves of a soft bakery roll and topped with fresh fixins; one of the finest whitefish sandwiches (served with coleslaw and truffle fries) we’ve known; and a West Bay Club, made fancy with seared chicken (not deli slices), marinated tomatoes, bourbon bacon, and a rustic sourdough that’s snappily dressed in sweet chili aioli. Harrington’s offers these and much more from its extensive curbside menu 11am–8pm every single day. We don’t know how, but it does. Our advice: Take advantage but assuage your guilt with the best tip you can manage. It’ll be worth every penny. See the menu at www.harringtonsbythebay.com and place your order with a call to (231) 421-9393.

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Hey, watch it!

DEVS

Alex Garland, the brilliance behind such thoughtful and compelling mindbenders as 28 Days Later, Never Let Me Go, Ex Machina, and Annihilation, makes his TV debut in Hulu’s ambitious miniseries Devs. And with Garland writing and directing every installment, each of the eight episodes is like a cinematic gift ripe for discussion and dissection. Blending scifi with murder mystery, it’s set against the backdrop of a Silicon Valley tech company called Amaya, with Nick Offerman playing its founder and genius-in-chief. But driving the action forward is Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno), a young computer engineer whose boyfriend goes missing after his first day working in the company’s mysterious and top-secret DEVS division. Serving up strong conspiracy thriller vibes, the show slowly reveals what Devs is actually up to, pulling you into its many mysteries and twists and where the payoff is very real.

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New Book Takes You to Sleeping Bear

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore — and at a time when the park is closed indefinitely because too many people violated social distancing rules on the trails — the nonprofit Friends of Sleeping Bear has released a book that could serve as a virtual tour.

“The Life of the Sleeping Bear” is a photographic tour of the park that tells the park’s history and also teaches about its natural history.

The book is packed with photos, maps, and infographics and filled with tales about the history of the park, but don’t take our word for it. According to Bob Sutherland, president of Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor: “I’ve been living in the grasp of the Sleeping Bear Dunes all my life and I didn’t know half the information packed in this guidebook.

Did I find this book valuable? Yes Engrossing? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. Full of history and fact? Yes!”

Q-Tip: Put Up Your Cukes

Stuff we love Tails to Trails is Going Virtual!

Courtesy of Michigan State University Extension

Michigan’s garden centers have been allowed to reopen, and here in northwest lower Michigan — that’s Zone 5, for all you green gardeners out there — planting season starts now.

If you’re giving a food garden a go this year, considering going big (or just bigger) to help fight COVID-19. You’ll increase your intake of healthy veggies, bolster your immune system (studies show that playing in dirt relieves stress and supports your gut’s microbiome), and reduce your usual number of grocery store visits through summer and fall. And if you want to go really big, you can keep eating what you’ve reaped right on into winter, too. How? The good people at Michigan State University Extension will show you. They’re offering a selfpaced food preservation course, available online for just $10, that’ll teach you the basics of preservation, with focuses on jams and jellies, pickling, techniques for preserving high- and low-acid foods, blanching and freezing, and dehydrating. Interested in joining this pioneering movement? Search “Online Food Preservation” at www.canr.msu.edu.

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Much like a dog who spies an unmanned steak at eye level, TART Trails’ annual Tails to Trails fundraiser cannot be stopped. Instead of gathering hundreds of humans and pups for a single morning’s romp in the woods, this year TART is inviting folks (and their fourlegged sidekicks, of course) to romp wherever they like in a Virtual 5K Fun Run/Walk week.

How to participate: Register at www.traversetrails.org, complete the “race” wherever you like between May 15–25 (TART says living room circles count, but for the sake of Fido’s sanity, seriously, get outside), and rest easy knowing you both have supported personal and community health by helping provide transportation and recreation opportunities accessible to all. Registration is $20 per person, $40 for the entire family, and there are prizes for social media posters. Bow WOW.

bottoms up Sunlight in a Can Leelanau’s MAWBY winery is doing its part to keep moods effervescent and sunny right now. If you’re a bit burned out from the news or haven’t felt much like celebrating, know it’s nearly impossible NOT to bask in a fizzy glow when you pop the top on Sunlight, a new summer seasonal dry white bubbly. Sunlight (along with Tropic, a bubbly rosé) debuted in cans at MAWBY last Friday. As Mike Laing, partner at MAWBY, explained: “We wanted canned products with our MAWBY spin. But a 375-ml can of 12 percent wine is too much alcohol for one serving, in our opinion. Our infused bubblies are 12 ounces and 6 percent alcohol. They are wine-based but include organic tea ingredients and natural fruit juices with low sugar.” Sunlight, which contains 40 different botanicals from Leelanau County’s Light of Day Organics tea farm, is refreshing and elegantly balanced. And though the label says “be casual,” we felt downright classy when sipping from the can — it’s simply luminous and lovely. Sunlight and Tropic bubbly tea-infusions are $22 each for a 4-pack, with shipping and pick-up available. MAWBY’s current curbside pickup program is Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday between noon and 4pm. https://mawby.wine/

Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 5

letters Continued from page 3

have been. This virus does not know political boundaries and neither should we. We are all in this together, and each must act for the greater good.

Many have heard that during the shutdown there have been drastic declines in air pollution from vehicles, industrial plants, etc. While this isn’t the way we want to reduce pollution, it does show us the impact our activity has. This could inspire us to develop cleaner ways of meeting our needs while keeping a strong economy.

This pandemic has shown what happens when science and experts are ignored.

When it’s over, we must pick up the pieces and continue to work for climate justice and sound environmental policy. Let this be our next agenda: Stop wastefulness, save our forests, reduce carbon emissions, and protect our air, water, and land. Learn about the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, HR763, and how it will help.

Let science and expert minds lead us to leave a healthy planet for future generations.

Berta Meserve, Lake Ann In Defense of Unemployment Normally I relate to Stephen Tuttle’s opinion columns, however, I have this response to his most recent — “(Almost) Nothing Is Immune,” in the May 5 issue: Thank goodness for the Democrats and unemployment benefits! At least someone is looking out for the lower-income people!

I’m going out on a limb here and guess, you, Stephen, are not on unemployment. I have spent literally 30–35 hours attempting to get unemployment benefits since COVID-19 made it impossible to continue working.

I have entered my tax returns, and calculated and entered (four times electronically, then faxing and then mailing) my weekly income numbers for the past 1.5 years into an outdated automatic system.

I have filled out three forms. I have been hung up on by the unemployment office’s phone system to unemployment four times while attempting to get through. I finally, with persistence, received my first check … five weeks later. It does not cover my bills like working.

How well will you do without five weeks of income?

The idea that I make more money on unemployment is insulting and simply ridiculous. Like most of us, I enjoy my job and can’t wait to get back to it. Keep in mind that taking unemployment benefits

STRETCHING THE THREADS has a certain stigma attached to it. It does not feel good or boost one’s self esteem.

Couple that with worrying about whether my business or job will still be there when it’s safe to reopen, and the answer is this: Unemployment benefits are just that — earned benefits necessary for economic survival, not “an unprecedented giveaway of federal dollars”.

Amelia Hasenohrl, Traverse City Plea to VanderWall & O’Malley Dear Michigan Sen. Curt VanderWall and Rep. Jack O’Malley, I write to express dismay at the recent events in the Michigan State Capitol where armed protesters assaulted the legislature. You should be incensed by these actions.

Despite Second Amendment rights and the existence of state law allowing weapons in our capitol, I most sincerely hope you do not condone or in any manner encourage such disrespectful and totally unnecessary behavior on the part of Michigan citizens.

I am a gun owner, but never in my wildest imagination would I think that petition of our government for redress of grievances would necessitate the display of weapons, especially automatic rifles, to make a point or seek response from elected officials.

What occurred in Lansing was blatant intimidation and despicable behavior by individuals demonstrating little respect for you, your colleagues, and the institutions that govern our state. The presence of flags and symbols of rebellion and hate only further illustrated a lack of respect for social order and the degradation of Michigan citizens suffering from disease and death.

The image of our great state projected to national and world media by the antiWhitmer protestors was truly shameful.

This is not a state under siege nor a time to encourage or condone scenes reminiscent of the French Revolution.

Our state has already experienced thousands of virus-related deaths. There is no doubt the public health threat is real, and deaths will increase. It is disheartening that while medical personnel and first responders are sacrificing themselves, others are demonstrating total disregard for the virus and the many lives being lost.

It is my plea that you not shrink before the gun-totters and strongly disavow rhetoric or actions that threatens a civil and respectful society.

spectator

by Stephen Tuttle Our national togetherness apparently only went so far and lasted so long. Now the inevitable partisanship and ugly parochialism have invaded our best intentions.

When states hit hardest by COVID-19 asked a thus-far very generous Congress for some financial help, it didn’t seem like an illogical request. Their resources and budgets have been stretched the thinnest, requiring significant expenditures while revenues shrank.

But no. President Trump said they were all “badly managed” states and run by Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested, right out loud, that those states should consider declaring bankruptcy. How destroying a state’s credit rating, devaluing or destroying the return on its bonds, making huge budget cuts (including to essential services), undertaking massive layoffs, and gutting pensions would help revive the economy is somewhat mysterious.

Florida, the state that “takes care” of its own, gets back $1.12 for every dollar spent. But those numbers don’t always include disaster relief, and Florida gets plenty of that. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) pegs the annual cost of hurricane damage from wind and flooding — including lost wages, lost jobs, and lost businesses, in addition to structural damage — at $54 billion; about 55 percent of that goes to Florida alone.

(The big winner of federal largesse shouldn’t be a surprise. McConnell’s home state of Kentucky gets a whopping $2.41 for every dollar spent.

Poor Connecticut does the worst, returning only 84 cents on the dollar. New York gets 91 cents. Michigan does well, receiving $1.24.)

The reason we help in dire circumstances is because it is the right thing to do, and even though we live in semi-autonomous states, we function as a single collective when we have to.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida wondered why his taxpayers should have to support other states when, after all, Floridians “take care of our own.” Texas Governor Greg Abbot had similar notions.

There is no evidence that any governor struggling to contain this bug in their state has done any mismanaging. These governors sounded the alarm first when COVID-19 started spreading and then, again first, regarding the lack of medical equipment and supplies. They were weeks ahead of the federal government in issuing social distancing orders and closing nonessential businesses.

They’ve been forced to conduct their own testing, competing with each other for basic equipment like swabs and reagents. Given the remarkably inept federal response, the governors dealing with the most serious outbreaks have done admirable jobs.

So, asking for help in a national emergency — when most everybody and everything else is being bailed out — isn’t so outrageous.

Especially when the resistance is coming from states that are often the recipients of such help in their own emergencies — and happily accept federal money, i.e., tax dollars from all of us in general.

Every year, the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, produces a report comparing how much money states pay to the federal government and how much they get back. The institute uses a simple enough formula: add up all the federal taxes and fees paid and compare that with all the federal dollars the state receives in the form of projects, programs, services, and grants. Then they just do the arithmetic to figure out how much a state gets back for every dollar it paid.

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The vast majority of states — 42, in fact; — receive more than a dollar for their dollar spent. Only Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Utah are so-called donor states, paying more than they receive.

If we want to play the why-should-we-payfor-them game, then let’s start with Florida. After all, their decades and decades of poor decisions have dramatically exacerbated the impact of hurricanes. They drained the wetlands that absorbed storm surges and put crops and houses there.

They destroyed the natural dune barriers and replaced them with hotels and resorts.

So why should we pay billions every time a hurricane comes calling?

Same thing with the interminable flooding in Houston, where we’ve spent billions more. Isn’t that their problem and not ours? Why should the rest of us pay for tornadoes that rip through the Plains or the Southeast? Why should we help with the drought ravaging the West when we have plenty of water? For that matter, why should the rest of the country pay for the damage being done by surging Great Lakes levels?

We could stretch this until the threads that hold us together are completely broken.

The reason we help in dire circumstances is because it is the right thing to do, and even though we live in semi-autonomous states, we function as a single collective when we have to.

We see this shared responsibility all the time among individuals and in communities large and small, just as we are seeing it now — people helping each other because it is the right and decent thing to do.

It’s a shame too many of our national politicians don’t seem to share that instinct to help. Nor understand their obligations to all of us in a national emergency.

Crime & Rescue WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT A woman faces charges after she allegedly attacked and threatened to kill her husband.

Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies were called at 9:39pm April 29 to a Cleveland Township home on South Maple City Road after a 911 caller said the 55-year-old woman had threatened to kill her 59-year-old husband.

When deputies arrived, the husband was holding the woman down on the ground. The deputies interviewed each of them and learned that an argument had turned violent.

They determined that the woman had broken a bedroom door and attacked her husband, breaking his glasses and striking him several times before the man took her down to the ground to restrain her until police arrived.

The woman was treated for a head injury at Munson Medical Center and then taken to jail on domestic violence charges. The man didn’t require medical treatment.

MAN KILLED IN CRASH A Harbor Springs man died in a single-vehicle car crash.

Emmet County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a crash at 11:30am May 1 on Levering Road.

Investigators determined that the sole person in involved in the crash, a 46-year-old man, had lost control of his vehicle, drove off of the road and down an embankment, and crashed his vehicle into a tree. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

That means the case is on hold until those exams are completed.

Investigator have not determined a motive for the slaying.

Manol is accused of shooting into the home of his neighbor, 56-year-old Alexander Sarantos, on April 12. A friend who hadn’t heard from Sarantos and went to check on him discovered bullet holes in a window in the front of Sarantos’ house and called police.

woods in Garfield Township near Keystone and Hammond roads, Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputies said.

Cenci hadn’t been seen in almost a month.

On April 8, he was seen getting into a vehicle with four other people and, according to deputies, had told a friend, “I have a tent and a bag I’m going to TC.” It was believed that he planned to walk along the Boardman River.

An autopsy was scheduled after his body was found May 4.

INTOXICATED DRIVER ARRESTED Leelanau County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a woman for driving through a construction zone.

Deputies found the 18-year-old Leland woman still inside her vehicle at 2am April 30, after she had crashed into a pile of sand while driving through a construction zone on St. Joseph Street in the Village of Suttons Bay. The front end of her small SUV was damaged, but the woman was not injured.

Investigators determined the woman had not only ignored signs that announced the road was close but also was intoxicated; they arrested her for drunk driving.

MISSING MAN FOUND DEAD A 35-year-old Kalkaska was found dead days after authorities put out an alert that he was missing.

The body of Samuel Robert-David Cenci was discovered in the

MURDER SUSPECT TO BE EXAMINED A Beulah man accused of shooting into a neighbor’s home and killing a 56-year-old man will undergo an examination to determine whether he is component to stand trial.

Taylor Manol, 23, will undergo a competency and criminal responsibility exam at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry to determine if he is capable of assisting in his own defense, said Benzie County Prosecutor Sara Swanson.

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Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 7

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8 • may 11, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

PANDEMIC LIBERTARIANS

opinion

BY Donna Gundle-Krieg We have all been stretched and forced to change our ways during the quarantine, and over this time I’ve noticed that more people are suddenly appreciating and practicing my own libertarian beliefs and values.

Many aspects of the Libertarian Party’s platform have been tested during this crisis, especially our core beliefs of self-responsibility and limited government. In addition, financial conservatism, property rights, and the freedoms to move, assemble, and worship have all come into play these past months.

Self-responsibility and limited government are central to the Libertarian Party platform, which states that “Individuals have the freedom and responsibility to decide what risks they accept to their own health, finances, safety, or life.” Our Non-Aggression Policy (NAP) states that “No individual, group, or government may rightly initiate force against any other individual, group, or government.”

We understand the contagious nature of the new coronavirus and trust the experts, who caution that it takes a community effort to protect the vulnerable. Being self-responsible includes voluntarily following guidelines the medical professionals recommend.

Of course, not everyone will be selfresponsible. We have all seen the pictures of people congregating and violating the orders.

These pictures are used when trying to prove the necessity of restrictive laws. However, what the snapshots really prove is that “mandatory orders” don’t work. There will always be a certain part of the population that rebels and acts in unhealthy ways, regardless of the law.

By taking away our self-responsibility, the governor’s order took away important freedoms, such as freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of movement. While some might argue that public safety is more important than our freedoms, the Constitution does not allow for such exceptions.

Restricting people from attending church and meetings is clearly against the First Amendment to the Constitution, and freedom of movement has been recognized as a constitutional right since the landmark 1823 case, Corfield v. Coryell, upheld a New Jersey regulation forbidding non-residents from gathering oysters and clams.

Both freedom of movement and property rights are impacted by Gov. Whitmer’s “Shelter-at-Home” order forbidding people to travel to (and take care of) their second homes. The Libertarian Party addresses property rights in its platform: “The freedom to contract to obtain, retain, profit from, manage, or dispose of one’s property must also be upheld. Libertarians would free property owners from government restrictions on their rights to control and enjoy their property, as long as their choices do not harm or infringe on the rights of others.”

Our most serious concerns about freedom were predicted by economist Ludwig von Mises, in the aftermath of Prohibition: “Once the principle is admitted that it is the duty of government to protect the individual against his own foolishness, no serious objections can be advanced against further encroachments.”

The government also took away our right to make a living by arbitrarily deciding who and what is essential. While the virus is a concern, the decision to shut down the economy has a huge and negative long-term impact on mental and physical health.

According to a report about economic suicides in Europe and North America between 2008 and 2010, the Great Recession, researchers from Oxford University and the U.K. Department of Public Health and Policy found that suicide rates rose 1 percent for every 1 percent increase in unemployment.

Domestic violence is also affected. Katie RayJones of the National Domestic Violence Hotline has stated that “Trapped at home with their abusers, some domestic violence victims are already experiencing more frequent and extreme violence.”

The economic impact has been made worse by the fact that most Americans are not selfresponsible when it comes to saving money. In fact, 50 percent of Americans have less than one month of their income saved for emergencies, according to Dave Ramsey, a financial guru who specializes in getting people out of debt.

“The decision to go into debt alters the course and condition of your life. You no longer own it. You are owned,” said Ramsey.

The government does not set the example for living within its means, nor does it save money.

Before the $2 trillion Coronavirus Stimulus Package, the U.S. debt was already $23 trillion, which amounts to roughly $68,400 per citizen and $183,000 per taxpayer. The Libertarian Party’s platform states that “Government should not incur debt, which burdens future generations without their consent. We support the passage of a ‘Balanced Budget Amendment’ to the U.S. Constitution, provided that the budget is balanced exclusively by cutting expenditures, and not by raising taxes.”

Since we believe in saving and getting rid of debt, it should not surprise anyone that Libertarians do not agree with the $32 billion in grants received by the airline industry, or the $25 million to support the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In fact, the Libertarian platform states that “We oppose all forms of government subsidies and bailouts to business, labor, or any other special interest. Government should not compete with private enterprise.”

After watching our leaders bicker, waste trillions of dollars, and take away our freedoms, many voters are anxious for another option beyond the two parties. The coronavirus crisis has shown Republicans how many of our freedoms we continue to lose, while Democrats should now be disturbed and awakened by the lack of security that comes from trusting our leaders with so much power and money.

The Libertarian Party’s time has come! Please consider joining us for a local meeting. See www.nwmichiganlibertarian.org for more information.

Donna Gundle-Krieg is a real estate broker in Mancelona. She is the political director of the Northwest Michigan Libertarians and can be reached at dokrieg@gmail.com

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Not What It Looks Like On April 22, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Mayor Bruce Wilkerson was hard at work at a house he has been renovating when he smelled cigarette smoke and “heard a ruckus” outside, so he went to investigate. The former police officer found blood on the cellar door and a bag containing women’s clothing inside, but after determining there were no reports of missing women in the area, he told the Bowling Green Daily News, he went back to his work. Later, the electricity suddenly went out, so he returned to the cellar and this time found a young woman.

“She said, ‘I’m hiding from someone,’” Wilkerson told police, then she ran away. Police haven’t identified her, but Wilkerson wanted to set the record straight before “a story would come out that I had a lady locked up in my cellar.”

Quick Thinking Eliza Ruth Watson, 37, raises chickens in Gray, Maine, so she’s used to seeing foxes nosing around, but as she worked in her garden on April 23, the fox she spotted didn’t run when she tried to scare it off by hollering and waving her arms. Instead, the animal lunged toward her, ready to attack. “Thinking back on it now, the fox was a mangy, stanky fox,” Watson told the Sun Journal. She responded by kicking it, but “it kept coming back, and I kept kicking it.” Finally Watson grabbed the fox around the neck, and as it fought back, she shoved it into a large pot used for scalding chickens, sealed the lid and called 911 and her husband. At the hospital, she received five rabies vaccine injections. “People kept asking, ‘Are you the one who wrestled the fox?’” she said. “It’s certainly not how I expected to spend my day.”

Zoom Fatigue -- A videoconference meeting of the Vallejo, California, planning commission got a little weird on April 20 when commissioner Chris Platzer announced, “I’d like to introduce my cat,” then was seen throwing the cat offscreen. Later Platzer was seen drinking a beer, and after the meeting ended, city staff could still hear him making derogatory remarks about the commission, the Vallejo Times-Herald reported. In an April 25 email to the newspaper, Platzer apologized for his actions and said he has resigned from the commission. “We are all living in uncertain times, and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy,” he wrote.

Mayor Bob Sampayan said he was bothered by Platzer’s “whole demeanor during the entire meeting.” The commission had scheduled a vote to remove Platzer on April 28.

-- ABC News reporter Will Reeve made an internet meme come to life on April 28 when he appeared on “Good Morning America” to report on pharmacies using drones to deliver prescriptions. Looking dapper in a sport coat and open-collared shirt, Reeve no doubt thought his home setup would camouflage the fact that he wasn’t wearing pants, CNN reported. Twitter had a field day, and Reeve himself tweeted back, “I have ARRIVED ... in the most hilariously mortifying way possible.”

Irony The National Weather Service issued a dust advisory on April 27 in eastern Washington after wind gusts of more than 40 mph kicked up a wall of sediment. “We have had reports of blowing dust near Dusty (seriously, near the town of Dusty) on SR 26 and SR 127,” the NWS tweeted. According to Fox News, the Washington State Patrol reported that SR 26

was “fully blocked” about 3 miles outside of Dusty after a car and a semi-truck crashed. The highway remained closed for about six hours.

Least Competent Criminal North Carolina State Highway Patrol officers stopped Lance Gordon, 32, on April 24, for speeding in a car belonging to Angela Lee, 47, of Holly Springs, whom Gordon said was an acquaintance. WRAL reported authorities grew suspicious after Holly Springs police were unable to contact Lee to confirm the story, and in a subsequent search of her house and car, investigators found Lee’s body in the car’s trunk. Gordon was charged with Lee’s murder, along with stealing her car.

Desperate Times In Logrono, Spain, an unidentified man pushed the envelope on Spain’s stringent lockdown rules, which make an exception for pet owners, who are allowed to go outside briefly with their pets, according to Gray News. The National Police tweeted a photo on April 24 of the man being arrested for sitting on a city bench holding his pet fish a fish bowl.

Entrepreneurial Spirit Brian Wood, owner of All American Gator Products in Dania Beach, Florida, is taking face masks to a whole new level by fashioning coverings made with the skin of Burmese pythons. “Some people want to make a fashion statement even during this pandemic, so I want to give them options,” Wood told the Miami Herald on April 19. The snakeskin itself doesn’t offer any added protection, but the masks would allow for a filter or lining to be inserted and removed. Wood hopes to add alligator and crocodile skin masks to his offerings, although alligator, “the diamond of leathers,” would be more expensive. Wood said he will be buying animals from local hunters to meet the demand.

Name in the News Police in Gwinnett County, Georgia, finally caught up with 35-year-old Speedy Gonzalez, of Buford, on April 25. Gonzalez had been wanted in connection with a theft in January, when multiple checks were reported stolen from a mailbox in Suwanee, the Associated Press reported. Gonzalez allegedly cashed the checks, used the money to buy more than $3,000 worth of merchandise at Home Depot, then returned the goods for cash. He was charged with forgery, identity theft and theft by deception.

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Recurring Theme In the Sydney, Australia, suburb of Marrickville, a family has resorted to erecting a fence and a warning sign to scare away a “mystery human poo-er” who has allegedly been defecating next to their garage, United Press International reported. “We have installed this fence and a camera to hand over to police,” the sign reads. “We understand that COVID-19 is tough on everyone but please stop Ewwwww!

Three roommates at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon, Iowa, were charged on April 20 with assault in response to an event that took place on March 13.

According to nwestiowa.com, Lindsey Ann Cundiff, 20; Kyiah Elaine Kastner, 19; and Ellie Thompson, 20, allegedly removed dry skin from the bottom of one of their feet and added it into a fourth roommate’s shredded cheese, then watched her eat it. No word on what else was in the dish.

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Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 9

Keeping the Taste Alive

By Lynda Wheatley They don’t call northern Michigan the foodie capital for nothin’. Restaurant seats might remain turned over atop their respective tables for a little longer, but much like our native wildflowers, some of the region’s restaurants are emerging from the freeze — some newly open for takeout options, others with gift card and online bonuses that promise brighter days, better meals, and a whiff of wonderful stuff coming again within our reach.

While you anxiously await the industry’s full reopening, satiate your longing for the unparalleled flavors of your favorite Up North eatery with some (er … formerly) secret recipes shared by their generous chefs.

Warning: We can’t promise any recipe you tackle will taste as good as it does from the chef ’s own hand, but hey, emergency times call for emergency measures. Give it a whirl and get back for the real thing as soon as you can. These days, our world-famous restaurant industry is feeling as hungry as you.

Stafford’s Oak-Planked Whitefish

Jolly Pumpkin’s Bulgogi Braised Short Rib with Natural Jus and Asian Slaw

Courtesy of Chef DJ Flynn, Stafford’s Hospitality, Petoskey

Courtesy of Chef Adam Raupp, Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant & Brewery, Old Mission Peninsula Chef Adam used to craft this sandwich for Jolly Pumpkin’s back-of-the-house guys, and it became such a repeat request, he decided to put it on the menu — to rave reviews from regulars. “This dish is a fan favorite at Jolly Pumpkin as well as one of my own,” he told Northern Express. “The best part is the impressive results with just a bit of preparation. Braising is a slow and low-temperature cooking method that transforms tough cuts of meat into tender delicious bits with Jus to smother.”

SHORT RIB AND JUS INGREDIENTS Beef: • Four 12-ounce cuts boneless beef short rib • 1 tablespoon cooking oil • 1 tablespoon sesame oil Marinade: • 1 cup pineapple juice • 1/4 cup soy sauce • 2 tablespoons brown sugar • 1 juiced lime • 1 tablespoon minced garlic • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger Braise: • 1 yellow onion, medium dice • 4 celery ribs, medium dice • 5 garlic cloves • 2 cups chicken stock

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Sear: In a large skillet or non-stick pan, blend and heat oil over medium– medium high heat. Pat dry short ribs with paper towel on all sides. Once oil is hot, season short rib with salt and pepper and gently place in the pan to sear on all sides.

Look to get a nice even browning on all sides. Once evenly brown, set aside to rest at least 10 minutes.

2. Marinate: While our short ribs rest, gather all marinade ingredients and whisk together in a mixing bowl. Place rested short ribs and marinade together in a large Ziplock bag, or in the mixing bowl covered with film wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours — preferably overnight.

3. Braise: Preheat oven to 275 F. Place all the braising ingredients in an 8x12inch-casserole pan, then place short ribs and marinade in the pan. (The veggies act as a bed for the short rib to rest on so they’re not in direct contact with the bottom of the pan; the liquid should not submerge the short rib but reach at least halfway up the short rib.) Cover dish completely with film wrap, then again with tinfoil to ensure a tight seal.

Place in the oven for 2.5–3 hours until fork tender or 190 F on an instant-read thermometer. (Warning: Peel back cover slowly and carefully, and keep face and hands protected; steam will come out quickly!) If, on first check, the meat is not fall-apart tender or at correct temperature, tightly reseal the cover and put back in oven. Once the meat is ready, remove to

10 • may 11, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

a serving plate and allow to rest up to 20 minutes.

4. For natural jus, place all the remaining liquid and veggies into blender with the lid cracked and a towel (both are critical to prevent a rapid expansion of the hot liquid). Blend on lowest setting, gradually increasing speed until smooth. Serve short rib on fried or white rice, smother with braising jus, and top with slaw.

ASIAN SLAW INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups Napa or green cabbage, shredded • 1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded • 1/2 cup carrot, shredded • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar • 1 tablespoons sesame oil • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced or

grated • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped) • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (black, white, or both)

Stafford’s hotels and restaurants have been a backbone of the northern Michigan experience for tourists and locals alike since 1961. Perhaps not coincidentally, that was the same year this simple but utterly elevating whitefish preparation first appeared on its menu. Although it’s starred in many different dishes, its singular preparation has appeared on all of Stafford’s menus — uninterrupted for nearly 60 years — until this spring, when Stafford’s properties closed this as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. While the Stafford’s executive team is surveying guest expectations and contemplating plans for reopening, Corporate Executive Chef DJ Flynn graciously offered to share the group’s most enduring recipe, a taste of Up North to reassure us all that some of summer’s sweetest traditions might be temporarily out of sight but never out of reach.

INGREDIENTS • 12 ounces whitefish • As needed spice mixture (We use salt, pepper and paprika.)

• 1 hardwood plank per fish (We get ours from Great Lakes Grilling Co.) • As needed drawn butter (with lemon zest, if desired)

METHOD Mix ingredients together by hand in a large bowl. Enjoy immediately or allow flavors to blend overnight.

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Place fish on lightly oiled plank and season with salt, pepper and paprika 2. Broil in a 400 F oven to desired doneness 3.Brush with drawn butter 4. Serve immediately with remoulade, tartar sauce, fresh lemon, and desired starch and vegetable

Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant & Brewery, at 13512 Peninsula Dr., is closed, but you can help them reopen when the time comes by buying a Jolly Pumpkin gift card now. A $50 gift card purchase gets you an extra $10 gift card for free. Spend $100, and they’ll throw in a $25 gift card. Get yours at www. jollypumpkin.com/traversecity.

Stafford’s properties — Stafford’s Perry Hotel in Petoskey, Bay View Inn, Crooked Rover Lodge, Noggin Room Pub in Petoskey, Pier Restaurant in Harbor Springs, and Weathervane Restaurant in Charlevoix — remain temporarily closed, but you can find updates (and many more Stafford’s recipes, including the latest: Chef DJ’s insanely good cronuts!) by clicking on the Covid-19 update at www.Staffords.com.

Amical’s Ramp Vinaigrette & Pickled Ramps

The Riverside Inn’s Morel and Ramp Risotto Courtesy of Chef Christine Boerma, The Riverside Inn, Leland When COVID-19 hit Italy this winter, The Riverside Inn’s longtime sous chef, Christine Boerma, was there — instructing students at her Alma Mater, the Italian Culinary Institute. As the severity of the new coronavirus overwhelmed the country, Christine was forced to cut her teaching short and return home to northern Michigan in March, where our shutdown was about to begin. Nevertheless, a silver lining: Shortly after her return, Boerma was promoted to executive chef. In celebration of her return and promotion — as well as The Riv’s (remodeled and re-opened last summer following a devastating fire) — she shared a dish we think perfect for the times, a delicious balance of spring renewal and comfort: “I selected this one because I wanted to showcase two local and seasonal foods — and what better way to do that than risotto,” she said. Bonus: It includes a little trick with frozen butter she learned in Italy.

Courtesy of Chef Ben Hoxie, Amical, Traverse City “Since we’re ready for spring, wild leeks are on our mind,” said Dave Denison, owner of Amical. And with just a little bit of digging, these verdant gems reaching out from the forest floor can easily be on your plate. Do like Amical Chef Ben Hoxie does, and blanch and puree them with Fustini’s white balsamic to craft a bright and beautiful vinaigrette to drizzle atop leafy salads or — as Denison says Amical will do the moment the local crop is ready — an asparagus salad. Next, use the bulbs and stems that didn’t make it into the vinaigrette to create pickled ramps, a perfect accompaniment or garnish to perk up any spring dish you serve. (Note: To ensure future harvests, dig up only a few ramps per cluster of ramps you find growing.)

RAMP VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS • 2 pounds wild leeks (aka ramps) • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • 2 teaspoons honey • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped • ½ cup Fustini’s White Balsamic Vinegar • 1 cup vegetable oil • ½ cup olive oil • 2 teaspoon kosher salt • ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper 1. Thoroughly clean ramps to remove all dirt and roots.

Separate the greens from the bulbs and set bulbs aside for another use.

2. Blanch the green tops for 10 seconds in salted, boiling water and immediately shock in ice bath. Dry thoroughly.

3. Place blanched greens in a stand-up blender with all ingredients except the oils.

4. Puree until completely smooth, then add oils slowly, allowing to fully emulsify. Add a little water if it seems to thick.

5. Check seasoning.

PICKLED RAMPS INGREDIENTS • Ramp bulbs and stems reserved from vinaigrette • 2 cups water • 1 cup sugar • 2 cup rice vinegar • 3 tablespoons kosher salt • 2 bay leaves • 2 black peppercorns • 2 teaspoons fennel seed INSTRUCTIONS 1. Place clean ramp bulbs in a 2-quart container or in canning jars, leaving at least an inch of space at the top.

2. Bring all other ingredients to a boil and stir to dissolve.

3. Pour hot liquid over ramps and weigh them down in the container.

4. Allow to fully cool, then refrigerate overnight. Pickled ramps will keep for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

“These are uncertain times for many industries but particularly for hospitality,” said Denison. “We are all navigating the same stormy seas but most of us have different boats. This summer and the rest of 2020 will be challenging and changing.

My team here is intact, and I feel fortunate to have them. They keep the hospitality fire burning with the desire to help others. We are ready to serve the community we love.” On May 6, Amical, 229 E. Front St. in Traverse City, returned to serving its takeout menu. Pickup hours will run 3pm–8pm Wednesdays through Sundays. Find the menus online at www.amical.com

INGREDIENTS • Extra-virgin olive oil • 10 ounces dried morels • 20 ramps (or leeks) • 4 cups Caranoli (also called Carnaroli) rice • ¼ cup cubed frozen butter • 1 cup grated parmesan • 3 sprigs fresh thyme • 1 bay leaf • 8 cups vegetable stock • ¼ cup white wine INSTRUCTIONS 1. Bring stock to a boil; add morels, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, sauté sliced ramps in EVOO until soft (about 3 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. After 45 minutes, remove morels, bay leaf, and thyme from stock. Chop morels. Discard bay leaf and thyme. (Keep your stock on simmer, with a ladle nearby, and your chopped morels, sautéed ramps, white wine, and grated parmesan within reach.)

4. Over medium-high heat, add your dry rice to a sauté pan and sauté until lightly toasted. Add white wine but do not immediately stir; let the alcohol dissipate, and then stir, adding a ladle or two of warm stock. As the rice absorbs the stock, continue adding stock and stirring.

5. After about 20 minutes, when your rice is al dente, add your morels and ramps, saving some ramps for garnish. Your rice should be slightly “soupy” by now.

6. Remove from heat and add frozen butter cubes. Toss the risotto or simply stir until incorporated. Sprinkle in grated parmesan and stir. (If your risotto tightens up, stir in more stock for creaminess.) Plate and garnish with remaining ramps.

On Thursday, April 30, The Riverside Inn, 302 E River St., in Leland, began offering carryout and curbside service; it runs 5pm–7:30pm Thursday–Saturdays until further notice. New weekly menus — regional, farm-to-table, and with a nod to Italian cuisine in honor of Christine’s time abroad — will be posted at each Tuesday at theriverside-inn.com/Restaurant. Place your order by calling (231) 256-9971.

Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 11

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Please be seated for these abbreviated versions of the restaurant profiles we’ve featured since our last RestauranTour issue. Bon Appetit!

CEDAR SOL TACO STAND & HYDRO FARM The Cedar Sol Taco Stand & Hydro Farm is in its tenth season, which historically ran Memorial Day through Labor Day. Of their early opening, this year, Nikki McHugh, who owns the eatery with her husband, Michael McHugh, said: “We are here to support our neighbors and provide access to good food. Because the business is on our homestead, we are here already — so we are cooking for our neighbors and locals from our commercial kitchen. It feels good to be able to offer this, and it’s what we know how to do.”

And social distancing? The taco stand is built for it. “We have always been unique that we assist people through windows. Only now we ask for call-in orders only and payment over the phone,” she said.

On the Menu: The flour- or corn-shell tacos ($4 each) brim with a choice of seasoned ground beef, marinated grilled chicken, slow-roasted pork, or spicy grilled chorizo. They’re showered generously with chopped cilantro and onions.

Fresh lime and Cedar Sol’s homemade red or green hot sauce add just the right brightness.

For 50 cents each, you can go wild with cheese, pico de gallo, wild rice, black beans, and sour cream. And all of the above can be crafted into a taco salad.

Nikki said they learned secrets to authentic Mexican cooking from their friend Carlos Carrera, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. He lived with them and helped them on their farm in the early days of the taco stand. (Cedar Sol got its start as a hydroponic farm; today the McHughs grow cilantro, onions, greens, tomatillos, and more for their recipes.)

The McHughs use Michigan-raised pork and beef in their tacos, and the chorizo is sourced from a company in Holland. “The chorizo has kind of a cult following,” said Michael.

And that amazing green hot sauce?

“Tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeños, and salt. That’s it,” said Michael.

The McHughs sell containers of their hot sauce to-go, as well as their freshly prepared pico de gallo and tortilla chips, which Michael said they source from El Milagro in Chicago.

Cedar Sol is also providing essential local foods for pickup at the taco stand — staples such as Grazing Fields eggs, Mooville Creamery whole milk, Carlson Arbogast Farms dry beans, Dekam Organics ground beef, Naturally Nutty peanut butter, and Food For Thought strawberry preserves. (Email cedarsolhydrofarm@gmail. com for the complete list; order by Tuesday 3pm for pickup on Friday.)

Find the Cedar Sol Taco Stand, open 3pm to 8pm Tuesday through Sunday, at 9452 South Cedar Rd., in Cedar. (231) 883-8080, https:// cedarsolhydrofarm.com THE FILLING STATION MICROBREWERY Between the classic architecture of the 1927 train depot building it occupies and its large outdoor patio space — which sits right on the train station’s old railway platform, overlooking the local library,

children’s gardens and Boardman Lake — The Filling Station isn’t quite like any other beer-making establishment in northern Michigan. Beer flights are served on decorative locomotive trays, and the brewery’s 20 beer taps are classified as “tracks,” with depleted kegs labeled as “derailed” until new beers can take their place.

On the Menu: GM Todd Klepper says the goal from the beginning — both for food and beer — was “to keep it simple and do it well.” The beer menu, crafted by brewers Andy Largent and Tom Hodges, delivers classic brew styles with a local bent. Examples include the Walla Walla IPA, brewed in the “Pacific Northwest” style but utilizing only ingredients harvested within a 10-mile radius; or the Iron Junction Bourbon Stout, an imperial stout aged in American oak barrels from Iron Fish Distillery in Thompsonville.

In terms of food, The Filling Station is ostensibly a pizza place but hardly your average joint. All of the microbrewery’s pizza pies utilize house-made flatbread doughs and made-from-scratch Sicilian-style red sauce, which Klepper says replaces with more natural garlic and herbal flavors the high sugar content found in most marinara-style pizza sauces.

The pizzas themselves are innovative and unusual, mashing up ingredients not typically found on a pizza together: See the Wolverine, which pairs spicy flavors (pepperoni and jalapeno pepper) with sweet ones (pineapple); or the Burlington Northern, a pie with red onions, pears, prosciutto, brie, parmesan, and a balsamic reduction drizzle. There’s even a vegan pizza called the “Silver Fern,” which skips the cheese entirely. Klepper notes that guests can also build their own pizzas, if they’re more in the mood for, say, a classic pepperoni-and-cheese pie.

The Filling Station Microbrewery, 642 Railroad Place in Traverse City, is open 11am to 10pm seven days a week for curbside service, as well as delivery within a 5-mile radius of the microbrewery. Find its up-to-date menu at www. thefillingstationmicrobrewery.com or by searching “Filling Station Microbrewery” on Facebook. Call (231) 946-8168 or (231) 633-7274 to order.

FIVE SHORES BREWING Five Shores Brewing in downtown Beulah opened in January, and with its menu of several brews, cider, wine and a host of beveragefriendly foodstuffs, it became an immediate hit. Credit owners Oliver Roberts and Matt Demorest, two home-brewing enthusiasts who met at a Michigan-Michigan State tailgate in 2017 and within weeks became fast friends and business partners with a shared dream: their own brewery, preferably Up North.

Identifying exactly which town to locate their brewery in took a while, as they focused first in Leelanau County. Then they saw the old Quonset hut building, which had long sat vacant, in the middle of downtown Beulah.

Drawn not only to the oddly-shaped building but also to the community, they bought it, and brought it back to life as Five Shores Brewing in honor of the nearby waters — Crystal Lake, Cold Creek, and of course, Lake Michigan.

On the Menu: As expected for a brewery, the focus is first on the beer, and the beer here reflects Roberts’ commitment to modern contemporary styles — American lagers, IPAs (including fruited IPAs), brown and brut ales, and the occasional stout. (It’s easy to trust that commitment when its held by a brewer who’s won three Great American Beer Festival medals.)

Five Shores comestibles, from starters to sandwiches, are meant to complement, not overwhelm, the beer. “Shareables” include guacamole, blue cheese and French onion dips with various chips, avocado hoagie toast, and what may be the world’s largest pretzel.

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

While Five Shores has temporarily closed its curbside pickup, the partners have good reason for optimism that it’ll will reopen to a hungry and thirsty public: In an end-of-April beer selloff of three new brews, they sold more than 900 cans in a matter of hours, selling out their entire supply.

Find Five Shores Brewing at 63 S Benzie Blvd., in Beulah, and www.fiveshoresbrewing. com. Keep up with news of their reopening or reinstated curbside delivery service by searching “Five Shores Brewing” on Facebook.

THE DISH CAFE For 14 years, husband and wife duo Randy Waclawski and Patty Hickman have owned The Dish Cafe, located steps from the busy corner of Front and Union streets in downtown Traverse City. But like so many other restaurants, when COVID-19 put a halt to foot traffic, Waclawski and Hickman were forced to significantly reduce operations.

Waclawski said take-out orders have kept them going, enabled them to pay a few bills, and — happily, for devoted customers — given them some time to work on some new menu items for summer, such as an Ahi Tuna Bowl, Lamb Skewer Mediterranean Plate, and a pastrami Rueben with a smoky dressing and sauerkraut.

On the Menu: The menu is full of options your nutritionist would approve of, like the Buddha Bowl (quinoa, almonds, kalamata olive tapenade, hummus, onion, tomato, cucumber, feta, lemon parsley vinaigrette) and the Sesame Wrap (broccoli, cucumber, carrot, chow mein, green curry sesame dressing), as well as classic recipes made better, like the Avocado Grilled Cheese or Go Green Quesadilla with pesto, broccoli, tomato, spinach, and cheddar.

While vegetarian and vegan dishes abound, carnivores will find plenty to love in the signature Cuban sandwich, Western Club, or San Diego Salad. And when their doors are open, The Dish features a rotating medley of soups, including their beloved tomato basil and spicy black bean.

For the time being, The Dish Cafe is open 11am–4pm Monday through Friday for takeout

lunch, heat-at-home dinners, and beer and wine to go. Find it at 108 S. Union St., Traverse City.

(231) 932-2233, www.thedishcafetc.com TASTE OF INDIA Golan and Jina Rabbani came a long way to start their new life in Traverse City — namely, more than 8,000 miles from their home in Bangladesh. Having decided that it was no longer safe to remain in their native country due to egregious human rights violations, they emigrated to New York with their young son and daughter in January 2015.

After a friend of a cousin in Port Huron, Michigan, showed the Rabbanis lots of beautiful photos and told of “many wonderful things” about northwest Michigan, the family put down roots here, and in January 2019, began developing plans to open their own restaurant. When a vacant food court space opened up at the Grand Traverse Mall in September 2019, the Rabbani family jumped on it. On Jan. 2, 2020, Taste of India opened for business.

On the Menu: The food at Taste of India is as authentic as it can get. Everything is made in house (including the spice combinations and the naan bread) from recipes that the Rabbanis and their relatives used to cook daily in Bangladesh. And each step of the process is very time- and labor-intensive.

Butter Chicken (chicken with butter, onion, garlic, cashews, tomatoes, cream, and spices) is currently a top seller, said Rabbani, as is Aloo Gobi (a vegetarian potato and cauliflower curry). Other selections on the menu currently include Tikka Masala (chicken with red chilis, ginger, garlic, tomato sauce and spices), Vegetable Biryani (mixed vegetables with rice and spices), Chana Masala (chickpea curry with rice), and Bangaleer Dal Vat (a very traditional lentil curry with rice and a bit of smashed potato that is, as the name suggests, actually a Bangladeshi specialty).

Samosas (savory fried pastries with a filling of potato and peas), a classic Indian appetizer, are also offered. Each “combo” box includes one curry dish as well as three or four other items, including such things as vegetables, rice, fresh naan, or chicken pakora (dusted and deep-fried chicken fritters).

Rabbani welcomes feedback from Taste of India’s customers, and the question he hears most is how “spicy” or “hot” the food is. “And I tell them, we do use a lot of spices — that is inherent to Indian cooking — but our food is more about complex flavors than heat. And for those who are concerned that the spice levels might be more than they can handle, we are happy to give them a small sample before they order. And by the way, we have a lot of mild items, too.”

Taste of India, which is located inside the Grand Traverse Mall Food Court, 3200 South Airport Rd. West, in Traverse City, is temporarily closed but anticipates reopening as soon as the stay-at-home order is lifted. Keep up on the latest by following them at tasteofindiatc. us, searching “Taste of India Traverse City” on Facebook, or calling (929) 346-2200.

Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 13

Turow, whose latest novel, “The Last Trial,” comes out May 12 (with a 20% discount if you order and pickup at Traverse City’s Horizon Books), will make his NWS appearance via Zoom May 20.

Spend an Evening with Scott Turow

By Clark Miller Novelist and former federal prosecutor Scott Turow turns otherwise dry court proceedings into page-turning drama. A bestselling author many times over, Turow appears (virtually) as part of the National Writers Series at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, to unveil his new novel, “The Last Trial.”

This time out, Turow puts seasoned — and at times, tottery — defense attorney Alejandro “Sandy” Stern front and center. Stern is about to retire. He surprises everyone by taking on the case of Dr. Kiril Pafko, the Nobel Prizewinning doctor and medical researcher who saved his life and who now stands accused of insider trading, fraud and murder.

Northern Express interviewed Turow about “The Last Trial,” Sandy Stern, courtroom theatricality, aging, and his thoughts about the current health crisis.

Express: Please introduce Sandy Stern.

Turow: He’s 85 years old, a celebrated criminal defense lawyer. He was first seen in Presumed Innocent (1987). Since then, he’s become sort of the first citizen of Kindle County [the make-believe setting of 10 of Turow’s novels].

Express: His health is lousy. He doesn’t need the money.

So why does he take on this complex case? Professional pride? Going out with a bang? Because he owes Kiril for saving his life?

Turow: Sandy wonders himself. Some of it is vanity. He’s spent his most productive years in the limelight. It’s an opportunity to be on central stage again. Certainly, ego is driving him. It’s inevitable also that he’s measuring his life against Kiril’s, and that becomes important in the story.

Express: So much of the book is about courtroom stagecraft — the gestures, dramatic timing and seemingly offhanded remarks that can help sway a jury. How important is all of that? It seems like evidence and the law should be 99 percent of a trial.

Turow: It’s not 99 percent. Law is about principles. The reality is it’s also a human institution with all the frailties of human beings. But that’s the great thing about the courtroom.

Express: Why?

14 • may 11, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Turow: Because there’s a lot more going on than principles, and that’s how it should be. Stern says toward the end of the book that a [jury] trial is one of the few places in our government where power is wielded by average people of the street who decide whether someone ought to be punished or not. I think of that as a good thing.

Express: Did you draw Sandy Stern’s character from real life?

Turow: Yes. My parents had a friend, a Cuban Jew, but not a lawyer. He was so elegant in his bearing. That really impressed me.

Express: What is Sandy’s main strength?

Turow: As a lawyer, it’s his mensch-y-ness. He manages to broadcast that in the courtroom.

Express: Given the current health situation globally, it seems prescient that you chose to write about drug development and people who fudge results.

Turow: I chose pharma because everyone is affected by it, but not everyone understands it. I was curious myself.

The system makes as much sense as letting everyone give themselves their own driving test.

Express: Another important thread in “The Last Trial” is how Sandy deals with aging. You just turned 71. Describe your own attitude toward getting older.

Turow: I wanted to write about aging. I’m definitely more positive about it than Sandy Stern. So far, it’s great to be older. We have wonderful grandchildren. The big problem is that you know it’s not going to last much longer. You’re dancing along the edge of the cliff.

Express: Are you in Illinois — Evansville — or in Florida right now?

Turow: We’re in Naples, Florida.

Express: That’s funny, since in the book, you have Sandy describe Florida as a “giant penal colony for America’s elderly.”

Turow: [laughs] I find it amusing when my characters are essentially criticizing me!

Express: So do you think of Florida as Heaven’s Waiting Room, or as Hell’s Front Door?

Turow: I’ve learned in Naples that I’m a weather slut. If we have clear skies, 80 degrees, I’m too shallow to care about lots

of other things. [In a more serious tone] But I’m also effective in writing down here.

Express: For those of us who don’t quite know what to make of the snowbird lifestyle, what do you like about Florida?

Turow: Before we started coming here, I didn’t understand retirement communities either. Now I get it.

You don’t have the same irrelevance here as in a community where there are lots of younger people. They don’t discount older people here.

Express: With so many fans worldwide, does it become harder to write strictly what you want? In other words, are there dangers that come with success?

Turow: Huge dangers. You need to resist people who want a “Presumed Innocent” I, II, III. I’ll never do that. I didn’t struggle to get published just to clone myself. On the other hand, my fascination with the law is the center of my personality — it’s never ending.

Express: A question about the legal side of the COVID-19 response. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has warned of a constitutional crisis on the horizon because of Trump’s calls to resist governors’ sheltering policies. What do you think?

Turow: I don’t think it will become a constitutional crisis.

[Trump] won’t have the temerity to try to shut down what [Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer’s doing in Michigan, for example.

That would be demagoguery of the highest order. I don’t know anyone who thinks she’s doing this for any reason other than keeping people alive.

Express: And what about the political side of the situation?

Turow: The message to disobey, to get out there with your pitchfork and firearms, might energize [Trump’s] base.

But what does that say to African-Americans in Wayne County? I don’t understand this whole presidency. It seems aimed at 40 percent [of the electorate] and laying waste to political opponents.

The May 20 National Writers Series event will take place remotely via Zoom. Registration is free. See www.nationalwritersseries.org for details on registering — and getting Turrow’s book and Morsels delivered to your door.

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Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 15

Boom or

Bust Time?

A typical CSA share from Providence Organic CSA in Central Lake.

With local farmers markets on hold and area restaurants closed or limited to takeout, the North’s small-scale agriculture industry is facing a frightening spring and summer. Creative selling approaches and an unexpected spike in demand from individual buyers are lifting spirits some — but will it be enough to buoy their ledgers?

By Craig Manning What do you do if your favorite restaurant is closed, and you’re wary about wandering into a grocery store? For many local households, the answer has been to rely more heavily on northern Michigan farms.

While the North’s agriculture industry is facing its own challenges and uncertainties right now — restaurant demand has shrunk significantly, and farmers markets are unlikely to return in their usual in-person format any time soon — many small farms have seen huge growth in their direct-to-consumer sales since COVID-19 impacted the United States. The Northern Express reached out to a dozen local farmers to find out how they’re weathering the pandemic, what they’ve done to pivot their selling strategies — and if the changes will be enough to keep them profitable.

INITIAL IMPACT Although it’s early in the pandemic and the planting season, COVID-19 is already making an impact at local farms — some more than others. One example is Leelanau Peninsula’s Loma Farm, which grows vegetables, herbs, and small fruits. According to owner Nicholas Tyson, 80 percent of Loma’s revenues come from wholesale accounts, including grocery stores and especially restaurants. The farm’s local produce helps form the backbone of many farm-to-table menus in the area, from Alliance in Downtown Traverse City to The Tribune in Northport to The Boathouse on Old Mission Peninsula. Since COVID-19 has forced restaurants to shut down their dining rooms and pivot to takeout (if not close entirely), that substantial segment of Loma’s business is in doubt.

“It’s hard to say right now [how hard COVID-19 will hit us], because it’s still early

in the year for a vegetable farm,” Tyson told Express. “Nothing is growing outside yet. Our season is really May through December or January. So, it’s hard to know where we stand.

If all the restaurants that are closed right now are still closed in June, we’re going to feel it. It’s really going to hit us hard.”

Even for farmers who don’t rely on the local restaurant scene to make the lion’s share of their profits, the pandemic has created unforeseen roadblocks. Outside of wholesale accounts like restaurants and grocery stores, a huge source of revenue for area farms is the local farmers market scene. Each Wednesday from June through October, dozens of farmers from throughout the region flock to Parking Lot B in Downtown Traverse City for the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market.

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons also hosts a weekly farmers market throughout the year, including an indoor market at The Mercato that runs from November through April. But The Village indoor market closed down early this season due to COVID-19, and Traverse City’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) — which operates the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market — has postponed all inperson events until at least June.

REDIRECTING MARKET TRAFFIC The TC DDA is attempting to ease the blow of a month’s worth of missed farmers markets by taking the Sara Hardy market virtual. The online marketplace can be found at sarahardyfarmersmarket. localfoodmarketplace.com and allows customers to purchase much of the same produce, dairy, eggs, meat, and honey that they would find at the in-person market. Ordering for each week closes at 10am on Thursdays,

16 • may 11, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

and product pickups are scheduled for each Saturday at Parking Lot B. For various reasons, some local farmers are frustrated about the DDA’s decision to postpone the start of in-person farmers market events. One example is Reid Johnston, who owns the Cedar-based Second Spring Farm. Johnston, whose farm relies on farmers market events to make the majority of its direct-to-consumer sales, believes that canceling the Sara Hardy market doesn’t make any more sense than closing down local grocery stores would.

“We feel that the market should be treated as any other grocery store,” Johnston said.

“Being open-air, we feel it is potentially an even safer environment to shop in.”

Chelsea Huddleston, meanwhile, takes issue with the virtual farmers market for a different reason. Huddleston and her partner, Traverse City native Nick Olson, moved to northern Michigan from Pittsburgh in December and established Huddleson Farm in Kewadin. The two were counting on the Downtown Traverse City farmers market as a way to engage with customers face-toface and introduce their brand to a wider audience. Huddleston says that an online market, while better than nothing, does not provide the same opportunities for growing a customer base.

“It’s a tough situation for a first-year farmer,” Huddleston said. “We don’t have the name recognition where people are going to go to our website or go to the Farmers Market website and feel loyalty to the Huddleson Farm brand. So we don’t really anticipate a lot of success there.”

Throughout the shutdown, the Boyne City farmers market has maintained a list of its winter market vendors, along with contact and

ordering information for each able to fulfill orders on its Facebook page. Starting May 16, 8am–noon, it will open its usual spring market, but with some significant changes: Only one single masked shopper per family is allowed to enter, make their selection and exit, and everyone is highly encouraged to place their orders in advance.

Leelanau Farmers Markets — hosted in Empire, Suttons Bay, Glen Arbor, Northport, and Leland — has not yet announced how the markets will open but indicate they will; the group has been accepting vendor applications and all but Suttons Bay have pegged opening days in June. The organization is requesting shoppers consider donating $25 to become a Friend of the Market to help adapt and open in a safe and timely manner. The Downtown Gaylord Farm Market is sticking to its traditional Memorial Day weekend opening, May 23 this year, but like with many farmers market around the region, details aren’t yet available.

UNEXPECTED BOON One area where most local farms are seeing a surprising amount of success is with their community supported agriculture (CSA) programs. A CSA program allows a customer to make an upfront lump-sum investment in a local farm at the outset of the season.

These programs are good for farms because they provide a stimulus of funds during the beginning of the growing season — a time when farmers’ costs are high and income is low. In return, customers who buy a CSA membership (or “share,” as it’s referred to in the industry) receive weekly shipments of produce from the farm they elected to support, usually at a discounted rate.

Many local farms have offered CSA

Second Spring Farm in Cedar focuses its CSA shares on staple vegetables shoppers purchase most in grocery stores.

programs for years, but most have never seen as much demand for those programs as they have this spring. Adam Brown, who co-owns UnderToe Farms in Kewadin, says his farm has been selling out of its last winter storage crops and has nearly doubled its number of summer CSA memberships compared to last year. Kelly Doyle of Daybreak Dreamfarm in East Jordan says her farm expanded its CSA program by 10 slots this year and still sold out quickly.

Huddleson Farm and Loma Farm have both sold out their 2020 CSAs as well.

“We decided that we would expand the CSA program from 50 slots to 75 this year, which has not been difficult,” Tyson said.

“There has been demand that we have never seen, especially so early. Generally, we have about half of our CSA shares sold by the end of April, and people trickle in after that. Our CSA starts the first week of June, and we’re usually sold out by that first pickup. But this year, April has seen just a ton of CSA sales, and a lot of them are coming from people we don’t know.

It’s not just people who have been members in the past, or who shop with us at the farmers market. We’ve had a lot of inquiries and a lot of purchasing from new people, and it’s pretty unsolicited. The only place that we really put the word out about the CSA is on our website.”

When asked why she thinks CSA sales have skyrocketed the way they have this spring, Doyle points directly to COVID-19.

By closing restaurants, the pandemic has forced more people to stay in and get creative with their own food prep. By devastating the economy, it’s encouraged a groundswell of pride and support for local businesses. By creating fear of heavy-traffic public spaces, it’s left people eager to minimize their trips to the grocery store. All these factors (and others) make a program that delivers weekly fresh produce that much more attractive.

“We’re seeing a great trend toward local food right now, and I’m optimistic that the trend will continue,” Doyle said. “The sentiment that we’ve been echoing for years, about the importance of local food and local economy, is now really starting to settle into people’s psyches, now that there’s some more question about long-term food security and more hesitation about walking into a grocery store. We’ve been really grateful — and a little overwhelmed — by the amount of demand we’re seeing so early in the growing season, and it’s really given us a lot of hope moving forward.”

NO STANDARD SHARE Every CSA is a little bit different. Price points, delivery options, included produce, length of season, and overall program flexibility vary from one program to the next.

The “Cream of the Crop” CSA program at 9 Bean Rows in Suttons Bay, for instance, is one of the most extensive available in the area,

incorporating fresh fruits, veggies, herbs, salad greens, eggs, and fresh-baked bread. UnderToe Farm this year added a “support a family in need” program to its CSA, allowing customers to send fresh produce boxes to households in need. Huddleson Farm has differentiated itself by offering a flexible “gift card” CSA model — one that allows members to select the types and quantities of produce they want each week, skip shipments without penalty, and customize their investment more fluidly. (However, those for 2020 have already sold out.)

While many other local CSA programs have already sold out for the 2020 season, numerous other farms still have shares available. Second Spring Farm, Providence Organic & CSA (located in Central Lake), and the Traverse City-based O’k CSA Cooperative are all still open to new members, as is Petoskey’s Bear Creek Organic Farm, which offers an annual membership program that is similar to a CSA. Other currently sold-out CSAs could potentially expand as the season moves forward, depending on how quickly the economy opens up again post-coronavirus.

Tyson, for instance, says he initially planned to double his CSA program to 100 shares this year — and still could, if restaurant business remains slow into the summer.

“I kind of got cold feet about doubling the CSA, because I really don’t want a scenario where restaurants open — those long-term partnerships that we’ve had — and we don’t have the supply to serve them,” Tyson said.

“And so I’m willing to take a bit of a risk by keeping CSA numbers a little lower for now.

However, I don’t think we’ll have any problems selling shares come June if restaurants still aren’t open.”

BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH? Despite the major growth of interest for CSA programs, farms aren’t immune to the economic blow that COVID-19 has dealt.

Restaurant sales and farmers markets remain two huge pillars of business for the smallag industry, and without them, the coming months could be rocky for some local farms — even if direct-to-consumer sales remain on the rise.

“The minor increase in CSA sales that we’ve seen won’t come close to the loss in revenue we will experience if the farmers markets don’t open back up,” Johnston said, of Second Spring Farm. “Even then, the social distancing measures that will likely be enacted [at markets] will not be conducive to the volume of sales that we are used to doing in the past. We stand to lose a lot of revenue.

And unfortunately, due to the seasonal nature of farming, we already incurred the majority of our costs for the growing season — in the way of inputs like seed and fertilizer — before COVID was a reality. The future of Second Spring Farm is definitely in peril.”

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THE EMPIRE VILLAGE INN An agile inn — part restaurant, part grocery store — that’s proven itself essential in good times and bad.

The Porkie’s Radwich: House-smoked BBQ pork and house slaw piled on an onion bun.

By Ross Boissoneau The Empire Village Inn has been a fixture in the tiny tourist village on Lake Michigan for 60 years. Over that time, the VI, as it’s known around town, has transitioned from a bar to a restaurant/tavern to — a grocery store?

That’s right. While still known for its pizza and burgers (more on those in a minute), it’s added grocery staples to its menu. Fresh fruits and vegetables, rice and pasta, canned goods, beer and wine, cleaning supplies, dairy products, even sanitizer and gloves can now be found in the pop-up store in the north end of the building.

Which is great news for area residents.

With the closing two years ago of Deering’s, the town’s longtime grocery store, and the brief run by Blue Heron Mercantile, which closed in February, the only place to get any groceries in town was the EZ Mart. Other than that, it meant a trip to Glen Arbor, Benzonia, or Traverse City.

“It started as an idea from Frank,” said Joe Evans, referring to owner Frank Lerchen; Evans and Brandon Levay are mangers. The north end of the building had formerly been home to Gemma’s Coffee Shop. When Lerchen closed the coffee shop, it left space for something different.

But how different, they didn’t know at first.

Levay and Evans had crafted their vision of a takeout area complemented by retail. “Then this happened,” Evans said, referring to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting stayhome order from the governor.

So rather than simply showcasing some T-shirts and hats, the space now houses sugar and flour, milk, soup, chips, and other staples. Lerchen and crew even repack their

bulk flour into two-pound bags. In addition, Lerchen is using the flour himself, making cinnamon rolls, cookies and other pastries.

The store will soon also be stocking meat from Noon & Sons.

This isn’t the first makeover the place has gone through over the years. When the Village Inn opened in 1959, it was a bar.

Period. Beer, wine, drinks, some simple bar food. After a succession of owners, Mike Wiesen bought it in 1987. He added more windows and a full kitchen, and changed the name back to the original Village Inn from its previous iteration as the Hard Times Saloon and Good Times Kitchen.

Frank Lerchen purchased it and its sister operation, Joe’s Friendly Tavern, from Wiesen in 2006. He further expanded the menu and on the north portion of the building installed Gemma’s Coffee Shop.

Now it’s serving takeout only (the Friendly is closed until the crisis is over).

But it’s still a haven for pizzas and burgers.

The former includes options like roasted red peppers, pickled red onions, even a spinach pie with an Asiago cheese base. “We’re known for our pizza,” said Evans. “We have a really great cheese blend, and the sauce is made in-house.” He said the crust is similar to a hand-tossed New York style and is both crunchy and chewy.

The burgers aren’t offered in as many options as at the Friendly, but the meat is the same, ground in-house at its sister operation. Not into beef? Other options are veggie and salmon. “People say it is the best salmon burger they’ve ever had,” said Evans.

Among the other sandwiches are a wrap with crispy Portobello fries, spinach, onions, Swiss cheese and more; a grilled cheese with Havarti, Swiss, sliced apple and pickled

The Major Tom: BBQ sauce, chicken, house-pickled red onion, and bacon.

The V.I.’s Michigan Grilled Cheese: Havarti, swiss, thin-sliced apple, and pickled red onion on grilled honey oat bread.

onions; plus salads, starters like fried pickles, pork snackers and flash-friend Brussels sprouts – with bacon, of course.

Evans touts two appetizers in particular: the Portobello fries — French-fried Portobello mushrooms drizzled with a honey-garlic sauce and served with ranch dressing — and chicken drumsticks similarly tossed in a honey-garlic sauce.

“The drumsticks are killer. It’s our best app,” said Evans.

Takeout options include not only food but growlers of draft beer. It’s long

championed Michigan craft beers from the likes of Founder’s, Stormcloud, Keweenaw Brewing, Right Brain and more.

Thus the “shot and a beer” bar has morphed into something more, surprising even those who work there. While at heart a restaurant and tavern, its newfound status as the village grocery has brought the Empire Village Inn new business. It’s always been a community gathering place, and in this time when gathering is a nono, this latest version is still giving back to the community.

Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 19

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: I’ve been married for two years to a woman whose sister is extremely manipulative. She finds reasons to touch me inappropriately — for example, “Your hair is so pretty. I have to pet it.” She puts an arm around my shoulders or comes toward me and puts both hands around my neck. This past weekend, I was seated on the couch, and she came up behind me, grabbed me, kissed me as far down my neck as she could, and swiftly left. All of this creeps me out, but because she always does this when other relatives are around, and I’m new to the family, I don’t feel I can snap at her or push her away. My wife alternates between being intimidated by her sister and feeling she has to protect her, and she refuses to say anything to her. She now seems to blame me for being offended! Do I keep trying to get through to my wife? Demand my sister-in-law explain her actions? Talk to her husband? Threaten to go to the police?

— Repulsed

Family gatherings should A:indistinguishable from foreplay.

not

be

It sounds like you’re being visited by the Dark Triad, which, sadly, is not an after-school club for young Batman and his friends.

It’s a set of three separate but overlapping malevolent personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, which make for social and personal relationships that would more accurately be called “manipulationships.”

Narcissism is reflected by egotism, a lack of empathy, and “grandiosity” (essentially a superiority complex — certainty of one’s greatness compared with the rest of us human worms slithering around).

Machiavellianism was named for the 16thcentury Italian philosopher/political advisor Niccolo Machiavelli, who was basically “the tyrant whisperer” — if you take his book, “The Prince,” seriously (and not, as some have suggested, as a work of satire). It pretty much advises, “Hey, Royals, do what you need to do, no matter how rotten, to stay in power!” The personality trait named for him is characterized by manipulativeness, callousness, self-interest, and what Dark Triad researcher Monica Koehn describes as “a ruthless lack of morality.”

20 • may 11, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Finally, there’s psychopathy, which shows itself in antisocial behavior, selfishness, impulsivity, and a lack of remorse. And not surprisingly, there’s a fourth trait some researchers have

BY Amy Alkon

suggested adding to the Triad: “everyday sadism,” reflected in getting pleasure out of harming others.

Dark Triad traits lead to an aggressive, exploitative way of interacting with others, like that of your toxic, sexually abusive sisterin-law. Koehn observes, “All three traits are associated with the propensity to engage in repeated sexual advances also known as ‘sexual harassment’ and may have played a role in some of the noteworthy, alleged cases of sexual harassment discussed in the media.”

Your sister-in-law is a skilled psychological puppetmaster who weaponizes others’ emotions to get away with controlling and abusing them. In this case, your wife’s fears of displeasing her sister, and her companion desire to protect her, as well as your unsteadiness about your place in the family allow your sister-in-law to turn any family gathering into the Wild Touchyfeely West.

Unfortunately, personality doesn’t come in a cartridge we can pull out and replace with another like in a gaming console. Chances are the only way to change Peppermint SocioPatty’s behavior is to change your own -- while being mindful of what sneaky, realitydistorting saboteurs Dark Triad types can be.

In short, you need to change your boundaries from silent to spoken — but without ever going the slightest bit angry or ugly. Also vitally important is talking only about your feelings and avoiding anything that sounds even the tiniest bit accusatory. (Go angry, ugly, and/or accusatory and she will run with it — transforming herself into the poor, persecuted waif-in-law abused by the scary, unstable, brute brother-in-law.)

The next time she touches you, tell her this: “Just a little thing: I don’t feel comfortable being touched in caressing ways by anyone who is not my wife.” In saying it this way — talking about your feelings — you are not accusing her of anything; you’re simply voicing an observation about the inner you.

If she starts to squawk, if she tries to bait you into anger, or if she just tries to engage in a discussion, don’t bite. It’s not up for discussion (and you will lose to her every time, anyway).

Calmly repeat your feelings line and walk away. You’ll show that you make a poor choice of victim, and family gatherings should stop doubling as a sexual grazing ground for the free-range sociopath-in-law. “Hospitality” is supposed to mean making your guests feel at home, not letting them feel you up at home.

(Welcome to “Brady Bunch: SVU”!)

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“Jonesin” Crosswords "Fresh Air" --for your sunshine days, or not. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1 It’s built for accessibility 5 Rainless 9 Graceful fowl 13 The Beehive State 14 Curiosity rover launcher 15 Fern’s seed 16 Start of a path, which traces the opening lyric from a “Brady Bunch” song 18 Film director Pier ___ Pasolini 19 “A Woman Speaks” writer Anais 20 “M*A*S*H” actor Alan 21 Sonic Youth bassist/singer Kim 22 Winter warmers 24 Vientiane’s country 25 Cartoon tavern that’s very susceptible to prank calls 26 Hat removers, quaintly 29 Filtered communication 31 College teachers, familiarly 32 Neighbor of Liech.

34 “The BFG” author Roald 35 Pilot light, e.g.

36 Watch sound 37 Container for coffee 38 Chain that merged with AMC Theatres 39 It’s not the same as assertive 40 Language of Andorra and Barcelona 42 New Facebook reaction emoji 43 Tire mark 44 One of Universal’s classic movie monsters 47 “___ & Juliet” (2011 animated film) 50 Hat stat 51 Lyric verse 52 Parts partner 53 End of the path 55 Signs 56 Perceive 57 Singer Rexha 58 Bonus item 59 Grand Ole ___ (venue broadcasting live streams) 60 “Nailed It” host Nicole

DOWN 1 Archaeological attractions 2 Place to store antiques 3 Classic “Muppet Show” song with that “do dooo do do-do” refrain 4 Golden ratio symbol 5 Where some bracelets are worn 6 Steals from, as a fridge 7 Actress Fisher of “The Great Gatsby” 8 East Indian lentil stew 9 Hardly dense 10 Lumber material 11 “Alice’s Restaurant” chronicler Guthrie 12 “Open” sign element 15 Parodies 17 Belly button 21 Blunder 23 Churn 24 Appears menacingly 26 Sketched 27 Ask for support, in a way 28 “___ fun!” (catchphrase from the BBC’s “Miranda”) 29 Ivy extension?

30 Antony who eulogized Caesar 31 Answer, in court 33 Something to look up to 35 Shakespearean compilation 36 Lawn layer 38 Shaq’s former team 39 ___ in comparison 41 Jazz bandleader/drummer and son of Thelonious 42 In a snug manner 44 Less naive 45 Photoshop company 46 More recent 47 Disgusting goo 48 Handle 49 Above, in Augsburg 50 Part of a recipe 53 Craft in videos recently released by the Pentagon 54 Lessen gradually

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NORTHERN EXPRESS

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SEWING, ALTERATIONS, Mending & Repairs. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248 NOW HIRING FULL-TIME MECHANICS, Drivers & Laborers The Benzie County Road Commission is seeking qualified applicants for the following positions: Fulltime Mechanic, Full-time Truck Drivers, and Temporary Summer Seasonal Workers.

Position information and applications are on our website at www.benziecrc. org. Applications may also be picked up at our office located at: 11318 Main Street, Honor, MI 49640

BUYING OLD WOODEN DUCK DECOYS BUYING old wooden Duck, Goose and Fish Decoys, call or text 248 877-0210.

SILVERWOOD’S TOYS: We Buy & Sell Vintage Toys We buy:old toys, comic books, used instruments, stereos, and sports.231-357-3411

GARAGE WANTED TO RENT Private single garage to rent in Slabtown neighborhood. Call Rob at 231-642-5228 LOCAL INVESTOR OPPORTUNITY! Private investor looking to invest in business opportunities in Grand Traverse or Leelanau counties. Serious candidates with a business plan can call Tim at: 248-761-6680.

lOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Of all the signs, Tauruses are among the least likely to be egomaniacs. Most of you aren’t inclined to indulge in fits of braggadocio or outbreaks of narcissism. (I just heard one of my favorite virtuoso Taurus singers say she wasn’t a very good singer!) That’s why one of my secret agendas is to tell you how gorgeous you are, to nudge you to cultivate the confidence and pride you deserve to have.

Are you ready to leap to a higher octave of self-love? I think so. In the coming weeks, please use Taurus artist Salvador Dali’s boast as your motto: “There comes a moment in every person’s life when they realize they adore me.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “No one

ever found wisdom without also being a fool,” writes novelist Erica Jong. “Until you’re ready to look foolish, you’ll never have the possibility of being great,” says singer Cher. “He dares to be a fool, and that is the first step in the direction of wisdom,” declared art critic James Huneker. “Almost all new ideas have a certain aspect of foolishness when they are first produced,” observed philosopher Alfred North Whitehead.

According to my analysis of astrological omens, you’re primed to prove these theories, Sagittarius. Congratulations!

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Few people have a treasure,” writes Nobel Prizewinning author Alice Munro. She’s speaking metaphorically, of course—not referring to a strongbox full of gold and jewels. But I’m happy to inform you that if you don’t have a treasure, the coming months will be a favorable time to find or create it. So I’m putting you on a High Alert for Treasure. I urge you to be receptive to and hungry for it. And if you are one of those rare lucky ones who already has a treasure, I’m happy to say that you now have the power and motivation to appreciate it even more and learn how to make even better use of it. Whether you do or don’t yet have the treasure, heed these further words from Alice Munro: “You must hang onto it. You must not let yourself be waylaid, and have it taken from you.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): At this moment,

there are 50 trillion cells in your body, and each of them is a sentient being in its own right. They act together as a community, consecrating you with their astonishing collaboration. It’s like magic!

Here’s an amazing fact: Just as you communicate with dogs and cats and other animals, you can engage in dialogs with your cells. The coming weeks will be a ripe time to explore this phenomenon. Is there anything you’d like to say to the tiny creatures living in your stomach or lungs? Any information you’d love to receive from your heart or your sex organs? If you have trouble believing this is a real possibility, imagine and pretend.

And have fun!

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): “A myriad of modest delights constitute happiness,” wrote poet Charles Baudelaire. I think that definition will serve you well in the coming weeks, Pisces.

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, there won’t be spectacular breakthroughs barging into your life; I expect no sublime epiphanies or radiant transformations. On the other hand, there’ll be a steady stream of small marvels if you’re receptive to such a possibility. Here’s key advice: Don’t miss the small wonders because you’re expecting and wishing for bigger splashes.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): During a pandemic,

is it possible to spread the news about your talents and offerings? Yes! That’s why I suggest you make sure that everyone who should know about you does indeed know about you. To mobilize your efforts and stimulate your imagination, I came up with colorful titles for you to use to describe yourself on your résumé or in promotional materials or during conversations with potential helpers. 1. Fire-Maker 2. Seed-Sower 3. Brisk Instigator 4. Hope Fiend 5. Gap Leaper 6. Fertility Aficionado 7. Gleam Finder 8.

Launch Catalyst 9. Chief Improviser 10. Change Artist

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When I was

young, I had a fun-filled fling with a smart Gemini woman who years later became a highly praised author and the authorized biographer of a Nobel Prize-winning writer. Do I regret our

22 • may 11, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

MAY 11 - MAY 17

break-up? Am I sorry I never got to enjoy her remarkable success up close? No. As amazing as she was and is, we wouldn’t have been right for each other long-term. I am content with the brief magic we created together, and have always kept her in my fond thoughts with gratitude and the wish for her to thrive. Now I invite you to do something comparable to what I just did, Gemini: Make peace with your past. Send blessings to the people who helped make you who you are. Celebrate what has actually happened in your life, and graduate forever from what might have happened but didn’t.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “You have two

ways to live your life, from memory or from inspiration,” writes teacher Joe Vitale. Many of you Cancerians favor memory over inspiration to provide their primary motivation. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, although it can be a problem if you become so obsessed with memory that you distract yourself from creating new developments in your life story. But in accordance with astrological potentials and the exigencies of our Global Healing Crisis, I urge you, in the coming weeks, to mobilize yourself through a balance of memory and inspiration.

I suspect you’ll be getting rich opportunities to both rework the past and dream up a future full of interesting novelty. In fact, those two imperatives will serve each other well.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Anne Lamott has

some crucial advice for you to heed in the coming weeks. “Even when we’re most sure that love can’t conquer all,” she says, “it seems to anyway. It goes down into the rat hole with us, in the guise of our friends, and there it swells and comforts. It gives us second winds, third winds, hundredth winds.” I hope you’ll wield this truth as your secret magic in the coming weeks, Leo. Regard love not just as a sweet emotion that makes you feel good, but as a superpower that can accomplish practical miracles.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Theologian St.

Catherine of Siena observed, “To a brave person, good and bad luck are like her left and right hand. She uses both.” The funny thing is, Virgo, that in the past you have sometimes been more adept and proactive in using your bad luck, and less skillful at capitalizing on your good luck. But from what I can tell, this curious problem has been diminishing for you in 2020—and will continue to do so. I expect that in the coming weeks, you will welcome and harness your good luck with brisk artistry.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “I’m curious about

everything, except what people have to say about me,” says actor Sarah Jessica Parker. I think that’s an excellent strategy for you to adopt in the coming weeks. On the one hand, the whole world will be exceptionally interesting, and your ability to learn valuable lessons and acquire useful information will be at peak. On the other hand, one of the keys to getting the most out of the wealth of catalytic influences will be to cultivate nonchalance about people’s opinions of you.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): On the kids’ TV

show Sesame Street, there’s a muppet character named Count von Count. He’s a friendly vampire who loves to count things. He is 6,523,730 years old and his favorite number is 34,969—the square root of 187. The Count was “born” on November 13, 1972, when he made his first appearance on the show, which means he’s a Scorpio. I propose we make him your patron saint for the next four weeks. It’s an excellent time to transform any threatening qualities you might seem to have into harmless and cordial forms of expression. It’s also a favorable phase for you to count your blessings and make plans that will contribute to your longevity.

Mike Annelin

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Northern Express Weekly • may 11, 2020 • 23

LET’S SHOUT OUT

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY HEROES From the essential workers that are stepping up. To the doctors and nurses that are standing tall. We can’t say thank you enough. So, we are going to need some help. If you have a friend or family member working every day keeping us safe, tune into Salute at Six at our partner stations below and tell our community heroes how much we appreciate them. That’s the Salute at Six every day at Six o’clock brought to you by Odawa Casino.

GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY HEROES! FOR INFO TUNE INTO THESE STATIONS OR VISIT THEM ONLINE.

STAY SAFE AND STAY STRONG. WE MISS YOU AND CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU SOON.

PETOSKEY AREA DRIVE-THRU PANTRY FOR HOSPITALITY & SERVICE WORKERS

WHEN: Fridays, May 1–May 22 | Noon to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Odawa Casino Thanks to the generosity of KorthaseFlinn and Auto-Owners Insurance, Manna Food Project will be offering food assistance to Petoskey area workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Call Manna at 231.347.8852 if you have any questions or concerns.

24 • may 11, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly