Northern Express - November 15, 2021

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The mental health crisis that’s gripping northern Michigan NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • nov 15 - nov 21, 2021 • Vol. 31 No. 46 Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 1

Our local suppliers are keeping us stocked with turkeys and produce for your holiday table.

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letters A Few Rules: • Keep your letters civil and 300 words or fewer, one per month • All letters will be edited for clarity • Some letters or portions will be omitted due to space or issues with questionable facts/citations, privacy, publication in other media, etc.

• Include your full name, address, and phone or email.

Email info@northernexpress.com and hit send!

Us v. COVID COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have now reached almost 750,000. Is this a war? Donald Trump considered it “a war against an invisible enemy.” COVID-19 has now killed more Americans than WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and the Korean War combined: 616,698.

A military draft was utilized during all our major military conflicts to provide the necessary number of military personnel.

It was that military draft back in the ’50s that incentivized me to enlist and serve two years of active duty in the military.

My sacrifice was tiny compared to the hundreds of thousands who suffered death and long-term injury during our major wars.

But now let’s compare the sacrifice of those many hundreds of thousands of wartime heroes with the minor inconvenience of a safe 30-second vaccination sometimes followed by a temporary sore shoulder. And yet, that tiny sacrificial shot in the arm may have already saved more American lives than the lives saved by our military in all our nation’s wars.

We continue to hear cries of individual freedom as an excuse for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. But what if these cries of individual freedom had been used to greatly diminish our wartime draft efforts? Would the price of that temporary individual freedom have been the loss of our national freedom?

Bob Ross, Pellston Dear Jack Bergman Enbridge has a questionable safety record. Witness the Kalamazoo River oil spill.

Should the 65+ year old pipeline break and create a spill in February, please let me know how they will successfully break through 24 inches of ice in the Mackinac Straits to contain the oil?

Studies have shown that, at worst, our propane prices might go up by a nickel a gallon.

One report says that Enbridge only supplies 7 percent of its cargo to Michigan.

They say 55 percent. Let’s do a metered analysis over a 30-day period in the Upper Peninsula and the Port Huron area. Can you ask for that, Jack, or are you too busy looking for election irregularities?

If Enbridge is a Canadian company, why does it not use Canadian soil for this “much needed pipeline”?

Is our future built around non-renewable resources? I think not.

This pipeline was built for than 65 years ago. Many of the structural supports have disappeared, and Enbridge did not report them or effect repair.

An anchor hit the pipeline recently; Enbridge dodged a bullet. They promised to do better.

Mussels lodged on the pipeline increase the lateral force on the line by providing more surface area to the currents.

The pipeline was built under 1954 standards. Tall radio and television towers were built during the same year. There were no Federal standard for towers at the time. The first standard for towers was established in 1959. It has since undergone many different iterations over the years as we know much more about soil, wind currents, structural steel, external loading (ice for towers; mussels for pipelines), and amplified wind bursts. Has the standards for this 65-year-old pipeline been similarly updated? Is it permissible to use less vertical support structures today?

It is with interest that I note that 12 of your top 100 campaign contributors were members of the energy industry. To me, the Savoy was a favorite restaurant in downtown Saginaw. To you, Savoy has a different meaning: major contributor.

Do you want your legacy to include the destruction on Mackinac Island, which is in your district? Answers would be appreciated.

Greg Surma, Interlochen Warning: Code Red for the Planet Why do people tolerate that which will eventually destroy all life on earth?

I am, of course, referring to the climate crisis, which is now at “Code Red” according to the IPCC. Here in Michigan, we are already seeing changes in our weather, with lakes warming and algae-bloom problems in Lake Superior and inland lakes, some of it highly toxic.

Farmers are experiencing erratic weather and a change in the zone for planting. More and more insects and diseases are moving north, and our forests are stressed. So are our children.

Decisions we make today will determine if the children and grandchildren of all species survive. That makes this a children’s rights issue according to the United Nations.

So, what are you doing to prepare and mitigate for the future? What are local public officials in our cities and counties doing? Do you ever hear it mentioned at meetings? It should be a top priority.

Every community needs a climate action plan. Assessing what we have and what we need, how we can cut emissions in half by 2030, changing ordinances to allow more solar and wind, and changing building codes to insist on more insulation, green

roofs, protection of fresh water, and less dependence on irrigation. We also need to protect pollinators by banning bird-killing nionicatinoid poisons from our lawns and gardens. Finally, we need to set aside more green spaces and plant more trees.

We cannot survive without the Earth, but the Earth can survive very nicely without us.

What is your action plan? Will you be the adult in the room who joins the children in calling for action?

Ann Rogers, Traverse City Crash Course The picture on the front of the Nov. 8 Northern Express was shocking as was the headline [“The Worst Year on Two Wheels — and Foot”].

There is nothing wrong with our roads; it’s the people driving on them. The lack of civility in our culture is evident everywhere.

Just listen to the news, look at your cell phone, etc.

On the roads, there is disregard for speed limits, few speed-limit signs, no law enforcement presence, and on it goes. I am not aware that bicycle riders use technology such as ear buds but assume they do as they are seen in all other instances.

Driving a car or truck or a bicycle requires full attention to the road ahead or the road to the side at an intersection.

Attention to constant distraction bodes poorly for safety in a high-powered vehicle or a bicycle with no protection for the rider.

Civility, common sense, and personal responsibility has taken a backseat to a society that has become selfish and inconsiderate. Law enforcement cannot be everywhere nor should they be. If individuals do not shape up, there is no hope and our society will be lost.

CONTENTS features Troubled........................................................10

Dancer.Builder.Architect.Poet.........................13 Randy’s Diner...............................................15 Vital Fish & Game Tracking?..........................16 Omar El Akkad...............................................18

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

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................6 High Notes....................................................7 Opinion.........................................................8 Weird............................................................9 Dates.......................................................19 Film..........................................................23 Nitelife..........................................................24 Advice......................................................25 Crossword.................................................25 Astrology...................................................26 Classifieds...............................................26

Laurel E. Mason Arcadia Well Done Kudos to Mark Cannon, MD, PhD and John Hunter, both of Traverse City; Dan Bielski of West Bloomfield; and Gary Muller of Bellaire for their contributions to the Nov. 8 issue’s Letters page. Those four gents really know how to express themselves.

What better venue? Thanks, guys. You do tell it like it is.

Colin Bohash, Honor Glimmer of Hope Are we finally seeing some light at the end of tunnel? Or at least fixing the tunnel so it won’t collapse as we drive through it?

That’s a glass-half-full way of looking at the $1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure and Jobs Act just passed by Congress, including 13 Republicans who put the health and welfare of their constituents ahead of partisan politics. (NOT including Jack Bergman, who voted no.)

This massive bill will benefit citizens throughout the U.S. with better and safer roads and bridges; universal access to high-speed internet; expansion of public transportation and installation of a network of electric-vehicle charging stations;

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris, Jill Hayes For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Dave Anderson, Linda Szarkowski, Sarah Rodery, Randy Sills, Roger Racine Matt Ritter, Gary Twardowski Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny, Ross Boissoneau, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Anna Faller, Craig Manning, Victor Skinner 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.

Continues on page 6

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 3

this week’s

top ten Is Biden Leaning Toward a Tunnel for Line 5?

Hot on the heels of the Climate Summit in Glasgow, many Michiganders’ high hopes for global cooperation in combatting climate change took a hit at home last week.

President Joe Biden, who has so far styled himself a leader in environmental concerns, is looking less so after two Politico stories last week reported Biden intends to “confer” with Enbridge over a 1977 Transit Pipelines Treaty, which Canada has, in an effort to keep Line 5 flowing, invoked several times in the ongoing State of Michigan v. Enbridge case.

(Gov. Gretchen Whitmer revoked the state’s easement with Enbridge in November 2020; the company has so far resisted that order.)

The day after the second Politico story ran, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press briefing that the Biden administration hasn’t made a decision on Line 5 but confirmed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is studying the impacts of a tunnel-enclosed pipeline.

That the study undertaken is focused on the impact of the proposed tunnel rather than the impact of shutting down Line 5 has sent shockwaves across Michigan’s many environmental groups and the 12 federally recognized tribes that oppose the continued operation of the 78-year-old pipeline.

The Biden administration prevented the crucial permit needed to build the Keystone XL pipeline and Biden himself promised world leaders in Glasgow that the United States would lead the fight against climate change.

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tastemaker Amical’s Faroe Island Salmon

Had you, like us, been lucky enough to eat at Amical last week, when it served up nearly a dozen dishes and cocktails from “Chiltern Firehouse: The Cookbook,” we’d not hesitate to steer you to its Asparagus appetizer, tender green and white stalks bathed in brown butter mayonnaise, with tarragon, pea shoots, and shaved parmesan; its citrus-swept and candiedpecan-dotted Tender Leaves & Beets; or its OMG-to-die-for Lobster XO Noodles or Herb Gnocchi entrees.

But, sadly, Amical ends that particular Cookbook Dinner Series week Nov. 14, so we instead point you to the book itself — pages 128, 118, 124, and 130, if you dare attempt your own re-creation — and a nonseries dish staff promised us will remain at least a week more: Amical’s own Faroe Island Salmon ($34), a mild, moist, and generous cut with a just-right thin-crisp top, perched upon a soup-spoon-worthy fennel puree.

Truly, the two could have stood alone, but the addition of meaty but tender cannellini beans, house bacon, pickled vegetables, and toasted pepitas took the dish over the top in both flavor and texture. We over-over ate, then shamelessly went full belly balloon and ordered dessert too. We highly recommend you do the same before this special fish dish swims away.

(P.S. Don’t count on luck; plan to make a date during the eatery’s next Cookbook Dinner Series, whose special menu will come from recipes in Gabriel Kruether’s “The Spirit of Alsace,” Dec. 6–14.) Find Amical at 229 E. Front St., TC. www.amical.com

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Let the Festivities Begin!

Downtown TC is the place to be on Saturday, Nov. 20! This night of joy begins at 5:30pm with carolers singing around the giant tree located on the corner of Cass and Front streets. See Santa Claus and Traverse City Mayor Richard Lewis light up the tree and kick off the holidays around 6pm. The Light Parade follows about 6:30pm. downtowntc.com

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Hey, watch it Colin in Black & White

Oscar-nominee Ava DuVernay (Selma) partners with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to bring his life story to the screen in the new Netflix limited series Colin in Black & White. Tracing Kaepernick’s journey from a young athlete coming into his own to the man who famously chose to kneel during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality, this limited docuseries gives the audience a compelling portrait behind the polarizing headlines. As indebted to the family sitcom as much as weighty documentaries, the show offers a unique mix of storytelling and documentary devices including animation, news footage, confessionals, and scripted dramedy.

Kaepernick’s direct addresses to the audience give way to reenactments of the challenges he faced growing up as a bi-racial adoptee (played by Jaden Michael) of white parents (played by Mary-Louise Parker and Nick Offerman) doing their best to understand him. Humorous, educational, and insightful, this is a deeply personal work of universal necessity.

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How Can We Keep from Singing?

We can’t. And we shouldn’t. Which is why the 1982-founded Northern Michigan Chorale is determined to get audiences in the vocal groove as they sing patriotic songs of gratitude; uplifting Broadway selections; inspiring music from Burt Bacharach, Simon & Garfunkel, and Lerner & Lowe; and all kinds of holiday favorites. How Can We Keep From Singing will showcase three performances — each including soloists, smaller ensembles, and all-in ensemble sings — between Nov. 20 and 21 in the plush and lovely Great Lakes Center for the Arts in Bay Harbor. Tickets are $12 for seniors and students ages 11–18, free for kids under 10, and $15 for adults. Get yours at www.greatlakescfa.org

Stuff We Love: Knowing Where to Hunt vs. Hike Nov. 15-30 Nov. 15 marks opening day of firearm deer season in Michigan, and with it comes the annual question all hiking northerners ask perennially: Where is it safe to roam? Little Traverse Conservancy has done all of us — and our leaping, bounding cinnamon-colored canine pets especially — a solid. It’s compiled a list of recommended preserves (and assist projects) across its five-county service area that are closed to hunting.

In Charlevoix County, that’s Nathan “Barry” Driggers, The Hill, Charles A. Ransom, Raven Ridge, Rogers Family Seven Springs Nature Preserve. Photo Homestead, portions of St. Clair Lake/Six Mile Lake Natural by Margie Reh. Area, Wisser-Saworski, or the Naas, Mauger, Raunecker, & Leslie preserves. In Emmet County, choose from Philip J. Braun North, Bubbling Springs, Sally and Jack Clark, Sally & Art Hailand, Jr./Helstrom Family, Ray Johnston, Allan and Virginia McCune, Oden Island, Round Lake, and Sally Stebbins preserves. You can find directions to those and other closed-to-hunting Conservancy locations in Cheboygan, Mackinac, and Chippewa Counties at www.landtrust.org. And hunters, they didn’t forget about you either: A list of preserves where hunting is permitted, plus a downloadable permission slip (required to hunt on those lands), is available there too. Note to non-hunting dog owners; your pets must be leashed.

Go South This Weekend The fun never stops and the gin never sloes on Randa’s veranda in Savannah, Georgia.

Traverse City audiences can get a taste of those high spirits and Southern charm at Old Town Playhouse’s upcoming performances of The Savannah Sipping Society. The play follows four women of a certain age who find fun and friendship as they reclaim the enthusiasm for the lives they thought they’d lost — all thanks to the magic of their impromptu happy hours. Dot is mourning the loss of her husband and their planned retirement. Marlafaye also lost her husband — to a 23-year-old dental hygienist. Fireball Jinx is a life coach for the others (though she fails to see her own need for same). Verandaowner Randa is a perfectionist and workaholic — until she faces a career change not of her choice. They bond over cocktails, shared misadventures, and lots of laughs and tears.

Check it out Nov. 18–21, 26–28, and Dec. 2–4. Visit oldtownplayhouse.com for tickets and more information.

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At Brewery Terra Firma, down-to-earth drinks are the name of the game. The brainchild of master brewer John Niedermaier, Terra Firma has been pumping out unprocessed pints since its tasting room door opened on a farm just south of downtown Traverse City in 2013.

And, as the state’s first agricultural brewery — complete with an artisan aquifer — Terra Firma grows almost every one of its ingredients on-site. Consider its Fire-Roasted Sweet Corn Cream Ale the cream of Terra Firma’s neighboring crops. Developed more than two decades ago, this eccentric ale has a not-so-secret to its long-term success: lots (and lots!) of local sweet corn. Hundreds upon hundreds of ears sourced from Stonyfield Acres in Empire are hand-shucked and grilled to form the base of the brew. After that, well … those details are top secret, but the subtly sweet and singular nose will keep your mind from wondering.

“Close your eyes,” says Niedermaier. “It’ll take you back to summer picnic tables, friends, and potato salad with all the trimmings.” $5 per pint. Find it at 2959 Hartman Rd. (231) 9291600, www.breweryterrafirma.com

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 5

letters

THE DISTANCE WE MUST STILL TRAVEL

Continued from page 3

elimination of lead pipes for safe drinking water; upgrades to our nation’s airports and shipping ports to strengthen our supply chains; and — interwoven through all these major improvements — key provisions that will mitigate against climate change, improve U.S. economic competitiveness, create thousands of jobs, and make us more resilient against cyber-attacks.

Yes, it’s true, six Democrats voted against this comprehensive bill because it was decoupled from the Build Back Better Act, which is still being negotiated. Nevertheless, let’s applaud this big win that will make life better, safer, and more sustainable for Americans.

Greta Bolger, Benzonia Who Does Bergman Represent?

“Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful.” This motto of the U.S. Marine Corp carries the promise of the eternal and collective commitment to the progress of our nation and a steadfast loyalty to fellow Marines.

We hold a deep respect for those willing to sacrifice their lives for our freedom and in defense of our Constitution. As Colonel Jessup, the fictional character in the film A Few Good Men, said about the service men and women who stand at the world’s walls to protect us: “You want [them] on that wall. You need [them] on that wall.” But just as Colonel Jessup betrayed his oath to the Marines and the

Constitution, Jack Bergman has betrayed his oath and his country in allegiance to a demagogue.

Former Lt. General Bergman used our loyalty to patriotism as a tool to gain access to office. Since then he has shut out his constituency by failing to hold even one public town hall since 2017. He joined a failed lawsuit to throw out the votes of four states. On the very night our Capitol was so violently attacked, Bergman joined 146 other sedition-caucus members to overturn the election by attempting to stop the electoral certification. He voted against the bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 coup attempt, even when Capitol police requested it. He voted against the House Select Committee investigation.

He voted against holding Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas.

Even as concerns are expressed about congressmen coordinating with rioters prior to the attack on Jan. 6, Mr. Bergman won’t answer questions about his actions. What is he hiding? Who does he truly represent?

This fight is to preserve our democracy for our children and grandchildren.

We must hold Jack Bergman to account for perpetuating the Big Lie and for his attempts to overturn a free and fair election. Contact Rep. Bergman and demand answers, then share your voice at Defundbergman.com.

Eric Lampinen, Manistee

spectator

by Stephen Tuttle There was certainly more than one reason Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost his gubernatorial race in Virginia. But many think the tipping point in that campaign occurred when McAuliffe had the temerity to say this: “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach ... .”

But some parents, boosted by politicians looking for a vote-getting edge, have conflated any history classes that include discussion of race and our racial history with CRT. They want to tell schools they can only teach a sanitized version. Or no version at all.

It turned out quite a few Virginia parents believed they should be telling schools what to teach. Some even suggested panels of parents should decide entire K-12 public school curricula.

After all, they like to argue, we had the Civil War to end slavery, passed a constitutional amendment to abolish it, passed the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act, and the progress we’ve made is what’s important.

That would be folly. Modern public education is fertile ground for all manner of complaints, but those complaining are in no way qualified to make things better. Schools have expanded somewhat beyond readin’, writin’ and arithmetic. Do we really think people, most without any training or background in education at all, are capable of preparing a curriculum that meets whatever elaborate state standards apply, plus the arts, career and college ready skills, computer science, English language arts, English language development standards, health, math, world history, American history, physical education, science, social studies, technology, world languages ... ?

Of course, that’s not what the complaining parents actually want. What they want is veto power over the curriculum and anything they see as contrary to their own worldview. It’s not the first time parents have risen up in anger over something they perceive as a subject that should be out of bounds for the classroom.

Decades ago we saw similar outrage when biology classes began teaching students about human reproduction. This is territory reserved for parents, they said, and it will result in promiscuity, disease, and unwanted pregnancies. It turned out to be somewhat ironic that ignorance, not information, was shown to be more likely to increase the least desirable outcomes for our teenagers.

Then we had howls of parental protest when some high schools began including literature and lessons that included nontraditional family units, complaints that continue today.

The latest surrounds race and an academic exercise called critical race theory (CRT) that is sometimes taught at universities and colleges. It posits that the U.S. Constitution and subsequent statutes were created specifically to create and perpetuate a white power elite at the expense of minorities. A rumor, proven false, that CRT was being taught in Virginia public schools circulated on social media and made its way into the campaign. In fact, CRT is not being taught at any K-12 public school in Virginia or Michigan, or anywhere else.

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(A cynic might point out that the Civil War cost us 700,000 lives; the Ku Klux Klan was founded the same year the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery was passed; the ensuing Jim Crow laws prevented Black Americans in the South from voting or owning property or marrying whom they wanted; public schools were legally segregated until 1954; the banks and mortgage companies prevented Black families from homeownership in all but well-defined Black neighborhoods; and, even now, there is growing membership and affiliation in organizations espousing white supremacy ideologies.)

No doubt the progress is important, but if we don’t teach and understand our history of racism, we can’t expect to acknowledge and understand why it still exists. There is an unbroken continuum — from Christopher Columbus bringing the first African slaves to the Americas in the late 1490s to today’s local high school students creating fantasy slave auctions of minority students. Some call that progress; still others don’t want us to discuss it at all.

While we have to agree a pretend slave auction is better than an actual slave auction, it is also symptomatic of how far we still have to go.

According to the FBI, as reported by local law enforcement agencies, there were more than 8,000 incidents of bias involving more than 11,000 victims in 2020, 61 percent of which were based on race, ethnicity, or national origin. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 2020 was the third worst year for antisemitic attacks on people and property in the last 45 years. And AAPI.com reported nearrecord attacks on the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders it represents.

Despite parental complaining, the facts of how we began, where we’ve been, and where we are now should be part of every curriculum. That should absolutely include the real and important progress we’ve made along the way but acknowledge the distance we must still travel before we live the self-evident truth that every person is created equal and should be treated equally.

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The Persian poet and philosopher Rumi began one of his most insightful and timeless thoughts with this: “Yesterday, I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.”

At one point or another in each of our lives, we all desire a change for the better around us. In our family owned business, we believe our individual efforts deliver exponentially greater results when we work together.

That’s why, no matter which town each Dunegrass store calls home, we strive to not only talk about our values for community progress but also show those values. Each spring and summer, the staff at every store heads out to pick up litter at our area beaches. We do the same, year-round, throughout our towns, ensuring the same measure of cleanliness extends to our downtown streets and parks.

Helping to maintain a beautiful, safe atmosphere is just the beginning; we also work to spread and maintain a beautiful attitude. The grand opening of our latest location, Beulah, set a new standard for that warm sense of community connection we seek.

While that new store smell is nice, we know being welcomed with open arms by the residents and other local business owners is a far better sensation. Getting involved with Michigan Releaf’s tree planting at Academy Park in Beulah gave us a way to give back before we’d even opened — and it gave our new community’s families a beautiful way to enjoy shade in the warmer months for decades to come.

Most recently, we had coffee with Senator Curt VanderWall, where we had an open conversation about issues important to all of us: How we can provide a safer environment for any person, active or inactive, within the steadily growing in-yourface cannabis market.

For us, being part of the community means both doing and listening. We want to be a part of making every community better, whether by planting trees, picking up litter, or incorporating guidelines on safe and respectful cannabis use. We believe that each of us has the power to achieve better. Or as Rumi concluded his thought at top: “Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

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Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 7

A FINE LESSON IN DO-GOODERY guest opinion by mary keyes rogers Those gathered at the recent memorial service for American statesman Colin Powell were reminded of his commitment to kindness in both his leadership and daily life. “Don’t just show kindness in passing or to be courteous,” Powell once said. “Show it in depth, show it with passion and expect nothing in return. Kindness is not just about being nice: it’s about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.”

We’ve become ridiculously unruly for a civilized population. In turn, our childish and selfish priorities have made us blind to those in our midst. Somehow, in our supposedly evolved state, we seem to be headed in the wrong direction when it comes to common courtesy in considering the needs and feelings of our neighbors.

This is especially true with strangers. Fellow

the drive-thru line of fast-food restaurants or the toll when crossing the Mackinac Bridge. It’s an easy way to reassure a stranger that the world is still a cool place to be, and I get a nice rush of dopamine. I will freely admit to some self-serving mental health practice going on here.

Last week, my adult daughter and I were in the drive-thru at Starbucks preparing to order our Pumpkin Spice Lattes which were cliché-perfecto for our fall color tour through the Tunnel of Trees when I suggested that we pay for the car behind us.

The kindness-correct thing to do would have been for us to squeal like a couple of giddy girls and be tickled about putting a smile on a stranger’s face. But instead, and much to our shame, we morphed into a couple of Seinfeld characters (awful but

From punching airline employees to cursing at cashiers or ignoring someone in need of a hand with a bag of groceries, we’ve simply lost all sense of how to behave. humans, whose acquaintance we have not made, are given no thought at all.

We’re screaming and punching, demanding that everything be exactly the way we want it to be — for ourselves. From punching airline employees to cursing at cashiers or ignoring someone in need of a hand with a bag of groceries, we’ve simply lost all sense of how to behave.

As I am scheduled to be in four airports and on four flights this week, I find myself wondering if my travel insurance covers airline passenger battle wounds.

Corporations are now offering kindness training programs for both customer service workers, managers, and executives.

Several books and podcasts on the topic will be released in the coming months, all promoting kindness. I think this is great. who doesn’t want more kindness in the world? But do we need training? At the very least, let’s all agree we need to get back into practice.

I’m going to suggest that you become a tad more aware of opportunities to flex your kindness muscle. Watch your decisionmaking process to learn a bit about yourself.

I’ll share a story of a recent kindness failure of my own that taught me a fine lesson in the art of do-goodery. My advice: When you see that opportunity to sprinkle some magical kindness dust on another person’s moment, just do it and move on. Do not overthink it.

Over the last several years, I have frequently paid for the purchase of the car behind me in

8 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

very likable people) when we preemptively looked in our side-view mirrors to size up the lucky recipients of our kindness.

This was a mistake, and all I will tell you is that we quickly and undeniably became conversationally awful people.

We do know better, catching ourselves as we watched our good intentions circle the drain.

The key to kindness is to give it freely and without judgment of how deserving the recipient may or may not be. To be kind is to be kind, regardless. It is in that splitsecond moment of deciding precisely how you are going to treat a specific individual that we will flourish or fail as human beings. Do they look like they need my kindness, would they do the same for me, are they worthy of my gesture? Circle the drain, circle the drain.

Nov. 13 is World Kindness Day, and the entire month is National Kindness Month, conveniently making this an excellent time to test your generosity with kindness.

I hope that you will practice random acts or intentionally planned expressions of kindness into your month. Seek out situations where somebody needs a helping hand, a door opened, send a thank you note, tell a friend why you appreciate them, and be creative in your giving.

Don’t overthink it. Be generous and kind and move on.

Mary Keyes Rogers is an independent podcaster, blogger, and freelance writer living in Traverse City. mary@experience50.com

Who Knew?

When David Saunders, 98, died of COVID-19 in late August, his family donated his body to Med Ed Labs for medical and science research. But KINGTV in Portland, Oregon, reports that Med Ed sold the cadaver to Jeremy Ciliberto, the organizer of the Oddities and Curiosities Expo, which travels around the country and charges spectators $500 to observe in person the autopsy and dissection of a human body. When investigators alerted Mike Clark, the funeral director in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who had prepared Saunders’ body for donation, he was mortified: “I was totally horrified ... he and his family thought that his body was going for the advancement of medical students.”

Instead, it went to a Marriott ballroom, where participants were invited to examine and touch the body -- which might still have been infectious. Ciliberto says he can “guarantee” that the departed and his family knew what his body would be used for, but a Med Ed spokesman says the event organizer was “beyond dishonest.”

Least Competent Criminals In Winnipeg, Manitoba, a heist went wrong on Oct. 31 when thieves broke into a vacant house to steal a furnace. The Winnipeg Police Service told the CBC that neighbors reported smelling natural gas, and when officers responded, they saw two unconscious people inside the home.

The thieves, who had been “overcome by the noxious gas fumes” after the gas line became dislodged, regained consciousness outside and were questioned, but, because this is Canada, were later released without charges.

Bright Idea Islamic police in Karo, Nigeria, arrested 26-year-old Aliyu Na Idris on Oct. 26 because he was trying to sell himself for 20 million nara, or about $49,000, Oddity Central reported. He works as a tailor, but said, “The decision to sell myself was due to poverty. I plan to give my parents 10 million nara when I eventually get a buyer.” Police said what he did was “forbidden in Islam,” but he was released the day after his arrest and said the police only gave him advice.

Great Art The New York Earth Room was created in 1977 by artist Walter De Maria and consists of a second-floor apartment at 141 Wooster Street that is filled with ... dirt.

The room’s caretaker, Bill Dilworth, waters and rakes the dirt regularly, Oddity Central reported, and welcomes up to 100 visitors a day. “The artist never attached any meaning to it,” Dilworth said. Admission is free to view the 250 cubic yards of soil, but people are not allowed to take photographs or touch the dirt.

Weapons of Choice Tahonee Fickes, 20, chose the closest weapon at hand to assault Kimberly Pittman, 52, inside a Walmart in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 7. A criminal complaint filed on Oct. 27 charges that Fickes “threw a cold chicken” at Pittman, striking her on the back of the head, according to The Smoking Gun.

Fickes and Pittman are not related, and police have not determined a motive for the chicken hit. Fickes is facing an unrelated child endangerment charge as well.

As Braiden Lankford, 20, and her mother, 50, argued about the “cleanliness of the house” on Oct. 23 in their home near Tampa Bay, Lankford struck her mother in the head with two tacos, The Smoking Gun reported. When police arrived, “the victim had food debris all around her on the couch and on the back of her shirt,” police reported. The mother was not injured, but Lankford was charged with domestic battery.

Did Not See That Coming The U.S. Navy revealed that its $3 billion nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Connecticut managed to run into an undersea mountain on Oct. 2 in the South China Sea, CNN reported. The Connecticut was able to make it to Guam under its own power, and the Navy said its nuclear reactor was unharmed, but 11 seamen suffered minor injuries. In response to the incident, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas determined that “sound judgment, prudent decisionmaking and adherence to required procedures in navigation planning, watch team execution and risk management could have prevented the accident,” and released the sub’s top officers from their posts. But David Sandwell, a professor of geophysics, said less than half the sea floor is mapped in that area. “It’s not surprising that you could run into something.”

Local News In International Falls, Minnesota, the city council voted in late October to stop dressing up the 26-foot-tall statue of Smokey Bear that stands in the center of (where else?) Smokey Bear Park, Minnesota Public Radio reported. The residents of the city have adorned Smokey for decades with seasonal attire, such as fishing gear during the summer or earmuffs, mittens and a 25-foot-long scarf during winter months. But when Mayor Harley Droba talked with other Minnesota towns with giant statues (Paul Bunyan in Bemidji, the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth), he learned that they “thought it was kind of crazy” that Smokey was getting dressed up. Council member Mike Holden said he would miss decorating Smokey, but “they don’t want the importance of Smokey the Bear to be degraded.”

But Why? Around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, surveillance cameras at the WJHG-TV property in Panama City Beach, Florida, captured a man cutting and removing cables attached to satellite dishes, taking the company’s eight stations off the air.

An employee saw that the feeds were interrupted and went outside to check, where the man said he was with Tyndall Air Force Base and was told to cut the wires because of a power issue, WJHG reported. Then he ran away. “This is not just a random act of vandalism,” said general manager Ulysses Carlini. “This person knew what he was doing.” The stations were back on air by Nov. 2, but police are still looking for the culprit.

For Traverse City area news and events, visit TraverseTicker.com

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TROUBLED The region’s youth mental health situation is in crisis mode

By Craig Manning If you’ve tried finding a therapist for yourself or your child lately, you’ve probably had a hard time. That’s because northern Michigan doesn’t have the capacity to handle the huge spike in demand for mental health care services that COVID-19 triggered, local mental health professionals say.

Even before the pandemic, the region was bound for trouble. National statistics show that demand and need for mental health care among kids and teens have been on a steady rise for years — a precarious powder keg growing more dangerous year after year.

COVID-19 lit that powder keg on fire, and now northwest Lower Michigan’s youth mental health situation is in crisis mode. What happens next will depend on a variety of factors: political will, the ability for local players to build bridges and collaborate with one another, and how much empathy parents, teachers, coaches, and other local residents can muster to help destigmatize mental health struggles among youths.

THE NUMBERS In March 2020, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examined how “mental health problems for which adolescents received care and the service settings where they received care” changed from 2005 to 2018. Across the survey years, more than 230,000 adolescents were surveyed, and 47,090 of them (19.7 percent) received some form of mental health care.

First, the good news: The JAMA study actually concluded that “the overall prevalence of mental health care did not change appreciably” from the start of the survey window to the end of it. The bad news is that, even before the pandemic, adolescents were already seeking care for more severe mental health situations than they did back in 2005.

At the start of the research window, for instance, struggles with “suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms” made up less than half (48.3 percent) of the visits that youths were making to inpatient or outpatient mental health care settings. By 2017–18, that percentage was up to 57.8 percent.

10 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Mental health struggles are especially common among girls, the JAMA study found. Female adolescents accounted for 57.5 percent of mental health care visits across the survey period, with incidence rates rising steadily between 2005 and 2018.

Researchers ultimately concluded that the increasing severity of mental health problems among adolescents ¬— combined with an uptick in “use of outpatient mental health services” over time — were “placing new demands on specialty adolescent mental health treatment resources.”

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic — which was only just picking up steam when the JAMA study was published — has only made matters worse. According to the CDC, the summer of 2020 saw “a 22.3 percent spike in ER trips for potential suicides by children aged 12–18,” compared to the previous summer. The numbers looked even worse during the winter of 2020–21, when ER visits for potential suicides increased a whopping 39.1 percent year over year.

Again, the data suggests that girls are particularly at risk. Between Feb. 21 and March 20 of this year, ER visits for potential suicides were up 50.6 percent for girls aged

12–17, compared to the same one-month stretch in 2019.

LOCAL FOCUS These national trends are borne out by local data, too. For instance, North Country Community Mental Health (NCCMH) — which serves the six-county region of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Kalkaska, and Otsego counties — tracked a 24.6 percent increase in “crisis assessments” at its region’s five hospital emergency departments over the course of its 2021 fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021. (That number reflects mental health crises for both children and adults.)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) defines a mental health crisis as “any situation in which a person’s behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others and/or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or function effectively in the community.”

“The stats [regarding youth mental health needs] are troubling, even pre-pandemic,” says Gina Aranki, executive director of Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan (CFS). “One stat I heard recently is

that the number of children meeting criteria for Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) has been rising steadily in the past few years.

In all of 2018 there were 34 children within the region of Crawford, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Missaukee, Roscommon, and Wexford Counties that were admitted to an inpatient psychiatric children’s unit.

In 2021, only three years later, 39 children were admitted in one quarter— between the months of June and September 2021.”

THE CAUSES The pandemic is the easy scapegoat to blame for local and national spikes in the need for youth mental health.

Certainly, Aranki feels that “the isolation and uncertainty children and adults have felt since the pandemic have exposed the areas in which our current system is lacking, including access for many and not enough professionals in relevant fields to staff needed increases in services.” From health insurance policies that don’t cover mental health services, to insufficient numbers of therapists able to take on new patients, the system was never set up to respond to the sea change that COVID-19 brought.

But local experts also say that blaming the pandemic for the problem is too easy — and doesn’t account for the full scope of the crisis.

“I think social media has driven a lot of it,” says Kate Dahlstrom, a Traverse City woman who embraced youth mental health advocacy after her son went through a series of mental health struggles in college. “I think the pressure that kids put on themselves

when they’re sharing on social media — or that kids put on each other — is really significant. I can’t even imagine if I was a young person now with social media, and with all the criticism that comes with that, or with the pressure that comes from looking at others who pretend to be so perfect. It’s hard, especially for girls.”

Social media, texting, cyberbullying, even video games: These outlets are commonplace among today’s kids and

different place than it was 30, 20, or even 10 years ago.

“It’s funny,” Aranki says. “In my experience, the mindset is like a pendulum that swings back and forth between ‘Everyone gets a medal for participating’ to ‘Grow a backbone’ — both of which are simplistic and miss the mark. The elephant in the room is the internet, and the way children and youth are plugged in 24/7.

There’s no way to get a break from the

“So, if you’re on a waitlist for a month, and then you have a crisis, and you’re really in trouble, but you can’t even get your 45-minutesevery-two weeks meeting [with a therapist], how do you expect to really improve it all?” teens that their parents either didn’t have to deal with growing up or experienced in fundamentally different ways. As a result, Aranki says parents and adults don’t always understand the need for youth mental health.

A common narrative Aranki sees among many grown-ups is that, since they didn’t need mental health services to get through their school days, surely their kids can muddle through the stressors and emotions of growing up, too. What adults with this mindset miss is that the world is a very

bullies; no way to escape the images of others either looking a certain way or living a fabulous life. Kids — and all of us who participate — end up wondering why our own lives and selves don’t look like those others. There are pressures on youth today that are different than previous generations, and the way they seem to be manifesting is in mental health struggles.

“As adults, we’re all trying to navigate those challenges alongside our kids. It requires space to have good conversations with them about what they’re experiencing,

and good outlets for their minds, hearts, and bodies [that are] unplugged from the pressures of social media.”

THE NEEDS So, what does northern Michigan need to respond to the growing youth mental health crisis — and to resolve its existing insufficiencies in serving kids and teens who are struggling?

“NAMI — of which there is an active and growing chapter here in northwest Michigan — says that a good menu of mental health programming in any community needs to include three things: 24/7 local hotline access, or ‘someone to talk to’; a mobile response team, or ‘someone to respond’; and a crisis stabilization center, or ‘somewhere to go,’” says Aranki.

Currently, Aranki says northern Michigan is lagging behind in two of those three categories. The community does have a strong mobile response team, she notes, provided in partnership between CFS and local CMH offices. While Aranki would like to see those teams “expanded and publicized more widely,” they are mobilized around the region to respond to situations where children are “experiencing behavioral or mental health crises.”

But there are gaps elsewhere. On the subject of 24/7 local hotline access, Aranki mentions the Third Level Crisis Intervention Center — a fixture in northern Michigan since 1971, and now part of CFS thanks to a 2014 merger. The merger was intended to consolidate the resources of the two entities and streamline their shared missions of

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 11

“supporting children and families during moments of crisis.” While Third Level is still a component of CFS, though, Aranki says that “funding [for the hotline] went to a West Coast provider that I presume was less costly.”

Translation: CFS still has a 24/7 hotline that kids, teens, or families can call for help — it just isn’t staffed locally. “So ideally, we’d bring back that local component,” she says.

As for northern Michigan’s single biggest youth mental health care, most local experts seem to be united in the belief that the region needs significantly more inpatient mental health services.

PROGRESS Last December, NCCMH and Northern Lakes Community Mental Health (NLCMH, which serves Crawford, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Missaukee, Roscommon, and Wexford counties) contracted with a consulting firm called TBD Solutions “to assess the behavioral health crisis system in their shared 12-county region in northern lower Michigan.” That process, which ran from December to June, involved Munson Healthcare and McLaren Health Care as “active and collaborative partners.”

The resulting “Northern Michigan Crisis System Assessment” provided four key recommendations. At the top of the list?

“Develop and/or expand crisis services to include a crisis stabilization unit, psychiatric urgent care, adult crisis residential, and additional child and adult psychiatric inpatient beds.”

According to Christine Gebhard, CEO of North Country Community Mental Health, there is currently “no inpatient facility in northern Michigan or in the Upper Peninsula” that offers long-term beds for youths experiencing mental health crises.

One of the problems, in Dahlstrom’s opinion, is that many people don’t think of mental health care as something that even needs to happen in a long-term inpatient facility. The image of mental health services that most people have in their heads is of the outpatient 45-minute therapy appointment.

Even if there were enough therapists and counselors in the region to respond to the area’s mental health needs, though, outpatient therapy wouldn’t always be the ideal mechanism to help a youth in crisis.

“There are waitlists [with local therapists], and a lot of providers aren’t even taking new patients,” Dahlstrom explains. “So, if you’re on a waitlist for a month, and then you have a crisis, and you’re really in trouble, but you can’t even get your 45-minutes-every-two weeks meeting [with a therapist], how do you expect to really improve it all?”

By Dahlstrom’s count, Munson Medical Center in Traverse City currently has just 17 inpatient mental health care beds, and those are intended only “for very severe adult mental health crises, with stays often between 3–8 days.” It’s something, but it’s too narrow to respond effectively to the growing numbers of patients in need.

“The range of services in Traverse City should be broad enough to meet the diverse needs of persons struggling with varying

forms of mental illness,” Dahlstrom says.

“Inpatient stays should range from 23 hours to 90 days. Obviously, if a person needs 60 days to stabilize and get immersed into a lifelong treatment plan, but only receives three days, the result is a continuous revolving door, as we see now.”

These types of longer-term inpatient facilities do exist in Michigan, but Dahlstrom says most of them are downstate. She recalls a time several years ago when a friend’s daughter needed to seek treatment for an eating disorder.

Local health care providers referred the patient and her family to a long-term inpatient facility at the University of Michigan.

Dahlstrom sees that kind of solution — sending patients to other parts of the state to receive the care they need — as a mixed bag.

On the one hand, patients are at least able to get the care they need. On the other hand, non-local facilities add other challenges to the equation. Many youth mental health treatment programs, for instance, require or strongly encourage the engagement of parents and family members for at least part of the treatment timeline — a challenge for parents trying to hold down jobs in Traverse City while their child receives treatment in Ann Arbor.

Distance between home and treatment facility can also cause challenges once patients have concluded their stint in inpatient care.

“If [the patient] is downstate, and they’ve been doing this one thing and doing it really well, but then they come up here … then there’s a total detachment from what they

were doing [in inpatient care],” Dahlstrom said. “It makes it extremely difficult to continue on with a good plan.”

Fortunately, there are signs of progress.

Aranki says that “a number of individuals and organizations are currently working together on the inception of a crisis stabilization center.”

Those efforts hit a setback when the region was turned down for a federal grant that would have helped finance the project. Still, local stakeholders are aware of the need and are actively working on ways to address it.

Just this week, the Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Region (NMCHIR) hosted a behavioral health summit, with the idea of bringing together community mental health stakeholders and drafting an aligned set of goals and a comprehensive roadmap for providing and improving behavioral health services in the region.

“Youth inpatient will be a part of [that roadmap],” Gebhard says.

Whatever the roadmap ends up looking like, the stakes could hardly be higher.

“If we don’t help our kids now, they will be less able to function successfully as adults, meaning more pressure on the adult mental health system, jails, and prisons — and increased medical health problems, as mental health and physical health are so intertwined and connected,” she says. “There will be increases in suicidal ideation and suicide. This scenario also bodes badly for a labor force that is already shrinking across nearly every field and profession, including human services. Pay now, as the old saying goes, or pay later.”

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DANCER. BUILDER. ARCHITECT. POET. Meet Jennifer Sperry Steinorth, Jane of all trades

By Anna Faller For Jennifer Sperry Steinorth, art is as much instinct as skill. “Emily Dickinson talks about how she knows a poem when the ‘top of her head comes off,’” says Steinorth, “and I also feel art’s physical effects in my body.”

Art, of course, can take many forms — and Steinorth’s diverse career is no exception. From her early endeavors in dance and design to her more recent ventures in visual poetry, Steinorth’s own story is a tapestry of expertise. But, she insists, none come out ahead; instead, the multiple disciplines form a woven fabric.

“They all feel integral to my person.”

FIRST STEPS Steinorth’s passion for the arts began with ballet — one live performance in particular.

“My mother took me to see Sleeping Beauty when I was a little girl,” says Steinorth, “and I fell wholly in love.” But it wasn’t the flouncy costumes or satiny slippers that ensnared her; it was the movement. “I think that my cognitive process is very spatial and kinetic,” she says. “Even in poetry, I often feel that I’m translating things from spatial relationships. That’s just the way my mind works.”

It wasn’t until a serious injury forced her off the stage that she began to consider a more slow-motion pursuit. Writing was an easy sell. “I had always loved language and literature,” she says. “But there is a creative writing program at Interlochen, and that’s where I first realized that writers and poets aren’t just the dead guys; that [language] is a living thing.”

While attending Michigan State University, Steinorth studied closely with the illustrious Diane Wakowski, earning an English degree before deciding to dive headlong into arts education. “I taught visual art at [what was then] East Junior High School,” she says, “and I also had a long-term substitute position.”

BUILDING THE ARTIST Teaching others art was gratifying, but Steinorth couldn’t resist her own pull to create. “I’m married into a family

construction business, and I always had ideas about the houses my husband and his father were building.” So, when a client couldn’t find plans that they liked, Steinorth offered to draw something up. Spoiler alert: They loved her vision. From there, she began a deeper foray into home design and eventually became a licensed builder.

“I was president of the [construction] company for over a decade,” she says. “It completely consumed my life.”

Her initial love of playing with language, however, never waned. Steinorth continued to write on the side for years, but it wasn’t until the 2018 Sewanee Writer’s Conference that she entertained thoughts of publishing her poetry. “My first book, [“A Wake with Nine Shades”], hadn’t come out yet, and I didn’t have a publisher,” she says. That is, until she sent the manuscript to J. Bruce Fuller, a fellow conference attendee and recently appointed acquisitions editor at the Texas Review Press. He loved the book.

Even better, he signed her on for a second book, too.

ERASURE & TRANSFORMATION As a poet, Steinorth still thinks in architectural terms. The difference is in materials used; in place of wood planks and blocks, she thinks in terms of lines, stanzas, and blank space. Her most recent release, however, might feel like the opposite.

Published in April, “Her Read: A Graphic Poem,” is built on a foundation of an existing text, parts of which she strategically erases to become something altogether new.

“I take a physical copy of a book,” Steinorth says — in this case, “The Meaning of Art” by Herbert Read — “and I cover all but a few words with whiteout to create a new text.”

The result is a first-person, female voice excavated from that of a male art critic. “The source text,” says Steinorth, “is a survey of visual art from pre-history to the modern era.” The kicker? The original author includes zero women artists. “The only women in the book are the ones who appear in the paintings,” she says. “So, I was working through my own frustrations as a female artist, trying to free my voice from

many efforts to silence, and the way I was able to do that was to physically muffle the voice of the male art critic.”

For Steinorth, freeing one’s own voice is where writing falls away from other fields.

“For dance, you’re studying your material in order to manifest it,” she says, “and in architecture, very often you’re working with a client; so, it’s a matter of looking at the intersection of their needs and preferences.”

But poetry isn’t quite so clear-cut. “Very often there’s a sublime moment,” says Steinorth.

“It feels like something is shimmering somewhere — something is stirred, or there’s a problem to be solved.”

In the case of “Her Read,” that something was the 2016 presidential election. “What was happening in the sociopolitical sphere was resonating in deeply personal ways with things I was experiencing at that time and had experienced over course of my life as an artist,” says Steinorth, “I was so enraged — for a time, poetic erasure was the only way I was able to write.”

So instead of trying to forge the right

language, Steinorth simply got to work finding it. “[I had this] idea of voices scrambling through the rubble, trying to reclaim an art that had been denied,” she says. “I felt like as I was learning how to work with the text, the speaker was learning to find her voice. “By the last page of the poem, she’s broken every ‘rule’ in the book; but her speaker has emerged, uncut.

“The book is also talking about a human erasure,” says Steinorth. “The erasure happens when women are not permitted to be artists, or when [their] story is being told, but not by [them]. I hope that [the poem] creates space for more [that] conversation.”

As for the ‘art’ of introspection?

Sometimes all you need is a quiet space, Steinorth says: “It’s really hard to listen to the quiet voices that are telling you that you have any business doing this. And by ‘this,’ I mean art. Make a poem, call yourself a poet, or a filmmaker, or whatever. Really listen to the quietest voices in yourself and work to amplify what that voice is.

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 13

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Randy’s Diner

The spirit — and flavor — of the classic American diner is alive, well, and ready to fill your belly and soul at this longtime Carver Street classic.

By Brighid Driscoll Here in Michigan, we’re fond of our boundless coney islands and old-school diners. These culinary relics of Americana embody a sense of coziness and nostalgia that feel almost as familiar as home. The spirit of the American diner lies in its unpretentious yet excellent, affordable dishes and an inherent promise that you won’t ever leave hungry. Whether rising for an early shift or making one last stop after a long day, the warm glow of a diner welcomes with open arms. Randy’s Diner in Traverse City is no exception.

Randy and Norma Vyverberg are hospitality pros and the proud owners of Randy’s. The couple met while working at the Grand Traverse Resort in the ‘80s.

“I made him pursue me,” Norma says with a laugh. “He was persistent!”

Since first meeting, the couple got married and have worked various other local hospitality jobs. Between the two of them, they have experience working every role in the house. However, with each passing job, Norma and Randy grew closer to achieving their shared dream of owning their own restaurant and working for themselves.

JUMPING THE LINE Initially, the plan was to start something from scratch. But when an opportunity to purchase a restaurant named The Diner appeared in spring of 1997, they saw it as destiny and bought it.

“It was funny how [The Diner] owner Marty [Clement], and I decided if it would be a good fit or not,” Randy says. “Marty said he would bring me in, and I could work as a cook. He said that I could work here a couple of weeks and decide if I wanted to buy it.”

After two weeks, Randy bought the place. The news that the new line cook had purchased the diner was a shock to staff. “It was funny,” he says. “They all stayed on.”

In years past, the little blue and yellow building on Carver Street had not only been home to The Diner, but before that, it had also been Marty’s Diner, Magee’s Fish Shed, King’s Burger, Mr. Doolies, and The Pigs Tie.

In May 1997, however, it became Randy’s Diner, and for almost 25 years now, it’s been a locally loved favorite.

As with any new adventure, there was a learning curve in the early years. Marty had only stayed open for breakfast and lunch; Norma and Randy introduced dinner hours, which took a while to get popular. There have been other challenges, too, but they couple says they’ve always been able to count on steady business, even in the tough times — some of the toughest of which have been in the last year.

“We’ve been short-staffed, like everyone else, so we’re here every day,” Norma says, nodding toward Randy. “Sometimes I get burned out, but it has been better lately.

We’ve hired some great help who have stayed.”

ALL THE GOOD THINGS On any given Saturday morning, Randy’s is filled with customers — most are regulars: Early Bird Special seekers and those in need of a hearty hangover cure. Over the years, the crowd and the menu haven’t changed much.

“That’s our biggest problem — we keep adding stuff to the menu and never take anything off,” says Norma.

Customers don’t seem to mind. Most have their tried-and-true diner favorites. This reporter doesn’t stray from your standard eggs, toast, and perfectly crisp bacon for breakfast, and Randy’s does this simple meal exceptionally well. You’ll find two pages of breakfast classics — French toast, short and tall stacks of pancakes, biscuits with gravy and eggs — alongside nearly a dozen threeegg omelettes (the Jalapeno Popper with Bacon Omelette, featuring Jalapeno bacon cream cheese, “more bacon,” and pepperjack cheese is a must-try), pork chops and eggs with potatoes, and a Stuffed Hash Brown dish that might just keep you full for a week.

But be warned: You must leave room for their grilled cinnamon roll. It’s a wallflower on their menu, hiding out on the sides list, but it deserves a category of its own — to be exalted, set apart, canonized even. Sliced in

half, grilled, and served drenched in warm, melty icing, it’s a lovely add-on to a salty breakfast if you can manage it, and enough to eat alone with black coffee. The cinnamon caramelizes on the near-blackened top while salty butter bits create a lacy crunch around the bun’s edges.

“I think that’s how they taste good, so that’s how we make them!” Norma says.

“They’ve sent us different brands over the years, but the ones we have now have been the best.”

Randy’s favorite item on the menu is the Cod Dinner. He’s proud of the quality of fish the diner uses. Both he and Norma have always prioritized the customer experience when crafting their dishes. Norma, who eats a gluten-free diet herself, makes sure Randy’s offers several gluten-free menu items for customers.

WELCOME HOME But as proud as they are of the food they serve, the pair are downright joyful when talking about their staff. Norma’s sister Cindy Blair came to work at the restaurant with them when it first opened and has been an integral part of the diner’s atmosphere since.

Blair handles the floor at Randy’s with the practiced ease of a ballroom dancer.

She weaves around the tables with steaming hot plates of breakfast and an ever-present coffee pot. Her glowy disposition makes new customers feel familiar; her knack for remembering regulars’ orders keeps old customers returning.

“Customers love her. She’s like their family,” Norma says. “They won’t eat here for months, and when Cindy sees them, she’ll ask, ‘The usual?’ And that’s it right there. They come in, and they feel appreciated and loved.”

The two say Cindy is a big reason why the restaurant has been going strong for so long: 2022 will be Randy’s 25th year in business.

“She’s been here this whole time, so some of these customers have been right along with her,” says Randy.

When asked if there will be another 25 years for the diner, they’re quick and proud to say that their daughter Rebecca plans to take

What happens when Randy takes a vacation.

over. She’s a server right now and in the next few years, she’ll take over for Mom and Dad. As staff builds back up, Randy’s Diner will return to its regular hours. (With shortages, they had cut some dinner hours.)

Right now, the restaurant is open 6:30am– 8pm Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. If you make it to dinner, make it one where their steak soup is served. Trust us.)

On Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, the diner closes at 4 pm — Sundays are closed — but you’ll find the place open until 4:00 pm on Christmas Eve, until 8 pm on New Year’s Eve, and 3pm on New Year’s Day. They typically aren’t open on New Year’s Day, but this year the holiday falls on a Saturday, which changes things; their customers expect Saturday breakfast at Randy’s Diner.

“We’ve always got a line going out the door Saturday mornings, so I can only imagine,” Randy says. Customers won’t have to. The doors will be open, and the cinnamon rolls, coffee, and, we’re betting, Cindy will be ready and waiting.

Find Randy’s Diner at 1120 Carver St. Coupons, breakfast and lunch/dinner menus, and links for delivery services are at www. randysdiner.com. (231) 946-0789

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 15

Photo by Jarret Mill, Unsplash.

Bear guide Darren Kamphouse — shown here with his 10-year-old son, Camren; 14-year-old daughter, Aubrie; and the 280-pound bear he helped her harvest in the Baldwin Bear Management Unit this year — believes the new legislation isn’t necessary. He says bad actors in the bear hunting world” kind of weed themselves out.”

VITAL FISH & GAME TRACKING — OR SENSELESS RED TAPE? After years of being shot down, a three-bill package requiring fish and game guides to register with the state is finally making progress. But is it necessary?

By Victor Skinner Michigan lawmakers are taking another crack at legislation to register and regulate commercial hunting and fishing guides on public lands after several failed attempts in recent legislative sessions.

The House Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Committee held a hearing on the three-bill package — HB 5358, 5359, and 5360 — in late October, marking the first progress on the legislation since the coronavirus derailed momentum last year.

The bi-partisan bills are backed by the state’s largest hunting, fishing, and conservation groups, though the move to impose requirements on those who shepherd novice hunters and anglers isn’t without its critics.

Chief among them is former state Rep. Triston Cole, a lifelong hunting guide based in Antrim County, who opposed the effort as floor leader for the Michigan House until term limits forced him from office last year.

“They are hoping it will go because I’m not there,” Cole says. “I was the most vocally opposed.”

Cole contends the effort is “entirely unnecessary” and argues it will ultimately result in disengaging folks from the outdoors, further fueling an overall decline in hunter and angler numbers the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has struggled to address. Cole points out the loss in participation translates into

less money to manage the state’s natural resources and argues the legislation will only make matters worse.

“It is another layer of bureaucracy on hunting and fishing in Michigan. It’s a solution in search of a problem,” he says. “It’s just more hoops for people to hunt and fish.”

Others believe it’s a lot more than that.

Mike Thorman, legislative liaison for several hound hunting groups, testified in favor of the legislation last month after

“There are people who are selling our fish and game, and the [DNR] should at least know who they are,” Thorman says.

THE GIST HB 5358 spells out registration requirements for hunting guides: first aid certification, no record of felonies or major wildlife violations, and eligibility for a license for the species targeted. The bill also requires guides carry a first aid kit with

“They are hoping it will go because I’m not there,” Cole says. “I was the most vocally opposed.” years of working with lawmakers and other conservation groups to refine the bills.

“The important thing is, this was and is a sportsmen’s generated legislation,” Thorman says. “It started out being an expensive license, expensive insurance — a lot of conditions that had to be met — and we pared it down … because we didn’t realize how many small operators were out there, and we didn’t want to price anyone out of the system.”

The main purpose of the legislation, however, remains the same: keeping track of who’s hunting and fishing, where.

16 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

specific items and would outlaw any work on commercial forest lands.

The bill requires each guide to submit an annual report that includes the counties in which they hunted, the species pursued, the number of clients, and the number of animals taken, as well as “any additional information the [Department of Natural Resources] requires regarding the biological characteristics of the game animals harvested.”

HB 5359 outlines the same provisions for inland fishing guides, though it requires monthly reports rather than an annual

report. Those reports would include the fish species targeted, the number of clients and hours fished for each outing, the number of fish caught, whether the fish were harvested or released, and the bodies of water utilized by guides.

The bills are not without teeth, either: The legislation would enable the state to fine guides for providing false information or using commercial forest land. Failing to file a report will cost them, too — from $100 to $500.

Add to that a $150 application fee (which would cover each registered guide for three years). That fee would be waived for licensed charter boat captains, but under HB 5359, fishing guides who use a boat would need a $300 “boating access entry pass” for public access.

HB 5360 tasks the Michigan Natural Resources Commission with “regulating the use of commercial hunting guides or sport fishing guides in taking game and fish.”

Costly? Or overdue? Amy Trotter, executive director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs, the state’s largest conservation organization, leans to the latter.

She says MUCC has supported efforts to regulate guides since the 1990s and believes the legislation requirements aren’t onerous.

“Overall, in the big picture, we’re setting a low bar to get guides registered, so we know how many there are and in what parts of the state,” she says.

MUCC believes it’s important to put something in place both for better

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understanding the total impact of guiding in Michigan, but also to ensure the safety of novice hunters and anglers who utilize guides,” she says. “It’s also an important tool to collect data on fish and wildlife to help manage them.”

Michigan Trout Unlimited executive director Bryan Burroughs echoes the same sentiments when he testified at the committee hearing last month.

“We have a chance to know how many guides and a little bit about how they are doing business … where they’re going,” Burroughs says. “You ask people to manage these things, so you got to let them know what’s going on.”

Trotter and Burroughs both pointed to the lack of data on Michigan’s inland waterways as an example of how the reports could improve the DNR’s ability to manage inland fisheries.

“It’s really common sense, being able to ask for reports,” Burroughs says, adding that some guides spend 150 days a year on the water. “That’s a lot of information on what’s going on. That’s a powerful thing.”

REACTION ON THE GROUND Professional hunting and fishing guides offered mixed reactions to the legislation.

Michael Pedigo, an elk guide and founder of the Michigan Guides and Outfitters Association, said he believes “the outdoor industry is changing” to rely more on guide services, and he believes it’s critical that those representing hunters and anglers leave a good impression.

“People don’t have the time to do their own baits and run their own dogs,” he says.

“I believe guides are becoming the face of conservation.”

In many cases, “guides might be [a new hunter’s] first exposure,” to the hunting world, and Pedigo believes they “need to be held to a little higher standard.”

“I think this is a step in the right direction,” he says.

Norvel Derickson, owner of TC Bass Destination Charters in Traverse City, agrees.

Derickson operates on both inland waters and the Great Lakes, and he says many of the requirements outlined in the bill are already required for charter captains.

“I feel like anyone doing it for hire, whether it’s inland or Great Lakes, should have to do the

same thing, to give the public some assurance the guide is responsible,” he says.

Darren Kamphouse, a popular bear guide near Cadillac, sees things differently.

Kamphouse says bad actors in the bear hunting world “kind of weed themselves out” and he doesn’t believe the public needs the DNR’s help to decide which ones are worthwhile.

“With social media, you get a good idea of who’s doing well and who’s not,” he says.

Kamphouse also pointed out that he already complies with many of the bill’s requirements for a license to guide on federal property — which also requires liability insurance — and all bears harvested in Michigan must be brought in to a DNR check station for an assessment, where biologists collect data and information about the hunt.

“I think it’s a whole lot of extras to not get what they’re wanting to get,” he says.

“Bear numbers — they already know all the numbers; it doesn’t really matter if a guy gets a bear with a guide or by himself.”

Cole echoes the same points.

“It just goes back to why do we need it, and I fail to recognize why we need it,” he says. “When they check in the animals, they can ask the questions.”

In October, lawmakers heard testimony in support from MUCC, the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation, the Department of Natural Resources, the U.P. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Michigan Trout Unlimited, the Michigan Guides and Outfitters Association, and other groups. There was no opposing testimony.

Thorman says those working on the legislation addressed the majority of concerns about the bills from most hunting and fishing groups in recent years and he’s hopeful the broad support will put the package over the top during the current legislative session.

“Basically, we’ve covered the bases with all the sportsmen’s groups,” he says. “We’re not trying to create bureaucracy … it’s just the basics — how many people are guiding and the impact they’re having on the resource.”

Regardless, Cole contends the bills will still need the approval of most lawmakers in both houses, and there are several he expects to vote against the measure.

“My conservative colleagues in the House and Senate are probably opposed, as well,” Cole says.

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December 10 - 23

Beautifully crafted handmade gifts & goods. pottery • jewelry • art knits • home goods ceramics • ornaments

crookedtree.org Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 17

WHAT STRANGE PARADISE War correspondent Omar El Akkad’s latest fiction tackles the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child

By Anna Faller When asked where he’s from, author and journalist Omar El Akkad doesn’t have a clear-cut answer. Born in Egypt, El Akkad grew up in Qatar before moving to Canada at age 16.

Though he is now a United States citizen, he describes himself as “anchorless.”

“I was born in one place, but my cultural education is from the other side of the planet,” he says. “When I’m looking for ‘home,’ I can’t really point to an actual location.”

He has, however, found home in something: writing. “For me, fiction was a much safer place, because you could alter the contours of your made-up world to fit whatever your experience happened to be,” says El Akkad. “That’s been the case since I was a kid, and it’s also the case today.”

He says he’s been honing his skill for “making stuff up” since he was about five or six years old. “I wrote my very first short-story for the school’s anti-littering newsletter,” he says. “I was hooked.”

That passion didn’t abate by time El Akkad reached college, so when he found an opportunity to write for the student-run newspaper at Queen’s College in Kinston, Ontario, he went for it. “It was called the Queen’s Journal,” he says. “It was this rundown, dinky little place, but I could be part of something. That idea really appealed to me.”

More than merely a chance to see his words in print, writing also offered El Akkad a place to belong — even if it meant rebelling against what everyone else expected of him.

“I come from a particular background

and grew up in a particular culture where becoming some kind of artist for a living was not really something that anyone did,” El Akkad says. What was expected was a more stable career — law, engineering, medicine, or the like.

Initially, El Akkad pursued a sensible career path: computer science. But he quickly discovered it wasn’t for him. “I found out from pretty well the first day that I was useless at it,” he says.

So in lieu of actually attending class, El Akkad quietly pursued his passion and threw his efforts into building a portfolio that ultimately clinched the writing position of his dreams. “The national newspaper in Canada is called The Globe and Mail,” he says, “and it’s where I spent the next 10 years of my life.”

It’s also where El Akkad received the kind of writing education that university classes alone couldn’t provide.

“I got a firsthand view of a lot of history,” he says, “and that was my formal writing education.” As a reporter for The Globe and Mail, El Akkad covered major moments in world and U.S. history, including the NATO invasion in Afghanistan and the Guantanamo Bay military trials. “I was [even] in Ferguson, Missouri, the night they decided not to indict the guy who killed Michael Brown,” he says.

El Akkad’s unique, up-close view and reporting on such events made the “news” and public response he witnessed on social media somewhat jarring to the young but passionate reporter. “So many of these stories showed up on my social media feed wrapped in a veneer of outrage,” says El

18 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Akkad, “but only for about 24 hours. Then everybody moved on to the next thing.”

It’s a phenomenon El Akkad calls “instantaneous forgetting” — and it’s one his foray into fiction writing takes aim against.

“I wanted to write a book that dwelled,” he says. “One that took a made-up instance of this suffering and just stayed there for the duration of the novel.”

The result is his second book, “What Strange Paradise.” Inspired by the aftermath of the 2012 Arab Spring, the book takes as fuel the sense of outrage El Akkad himself felt himself when he saw that during the migrant crisis that followed the uprisings and chaos, Syrian refugees were paying three times what local Egyptians were for the same goods.

“I feel like in every society, there is a communal understanding of who it is OK to exploit without any real repercussions,” he says, “and I was struck by just how casual that exploitation and that victimization was.”

Rather than firing off tweets, however, El Akkad sat with that anger and built a story around it.

Influenced largely by the migrant crisis, “What Strange Paradise” traces the bond between nine-year-old Amir, the only survivor of his migrant ship’s wreckage, and Vanna, the teenage native who saves him. It’s the simplicity of this relationship, that sets much of El Akkad’s writing apart.

“To me, childhood is the time where every interaction with the world isn’t [necessarily] positive or negative,” he says, “but there’s a fundamental honesty to it.”

And if he’s being honest, El Akkad is still angry — both at the systemic

injustice we’ve come to endure, and at the fraudulent structures that keep it in place.

“I write about the things that feel necessary to me,” he says, “so I end up colliding the fundamental honesty of childhood with the fundamental fraudulence of the systems that grown-ups have invented to run the world.”

LEARN MORE The award-winning author and journalist Omar El Akkad will join the National Writers Series for a virtual event on 7pm Thursday, Nov. 18 beginning at 7 p.m. to discuss his bestselling second novel, “What Strange Paradise.” Guest host for the event is celebrated Bangladeshi-American writer and journalist Nargis Hakim Rahman. Born and raised in MetroDetroit, she is a reporter and producer for WDET 101.9 FM. For information, ticket sales, and registration, please visit nationalwritersseries.org.

AND MORE If you’re interested in delving deeper into issues about migration and refuges, don’t miss the free International Affairs Program virtual event Tuesday, Nov. 16 at the City Opera House with Anthony Wayne, who served as ambassador to Mexico between 2011 and 2015. Wayne will discuss Mexico, the Northern Triangle, and migration issues.

nov 13

saturday

ANNUAL UNITED METHODIST WOMEN HOLIDAY BAZAAR: 9am-3pm, United Methodist Church, Harbor Springs. Featuring a Cookie Walk, Soup Luncheon from 11am-2pm, decorated trees, wreaths, swags, ornaments & much more. Admission is $1 & includes a ticket for three different prize drawings. 231-526-2414.

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COMMUNITY CRAFTERS HOLIDAY SHOW: 9am-3pm, Suttons Bay/Bingham Fire Hall, Suttons Bay. A holiday art & craft show featuring quilts, holiday & fall home decor, photography, pottery, floral, origami, baby items, jewelry, ornaments, & more. 947-2157.

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JACOB’S A-MAZE-ING 5K: 9-11am, Jacob’s Farm, TC. This fun run will include an off road adventure throughout the farm & a portion of the ten-acre corn maze near the finish line. In addition, this year will offer a two lap 10k run on the same course. Tickets will include free entry to Flapjack & Flannel Festival following the race. Early registration: $20 for 5K & $30 for 10K. Day of: $30, $40. Mini Maze Course (ages 3-10): $5. eventbrite.com/e/jacobs-amaze-ing-5k-tickets-194743371667

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OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS BAZAAR: 9am-4pm, Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church, TC. Enjoy treasures from Santa’s attic & a big bake sale. Free.

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2021 FESTIVAL OF TREES: 10am-6pm, Golden Fowler Home Furnishings, TC. Nov. 12-14. Presented by Zonta Club of Traverse City. Enjoy seeing beautifully decorated trees, visit the Yuletide Emporium with holiday treasures, & more. Your purchase directly supports Zonta & this year’s nonprofit community partners: Child and Family Services, Norte & the Women’s Resource Center. Today is Golden Z Shopping Spree Saturday. zontacluboftraversecity.org/fot

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2021 SHOP YOUR COMMUNITY DAY: Downtown TC. For every purchase you make at participating stores today, 15% of the sale will be donated to one of the 30 nonprofit organizations of your choice.

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HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 10am-4pm, The Red Dresser Marketplace, TC. Featuring holiday decor, gifts, vintage wares, & handcrafted & artisan goods. facebook.com/even ts/1228223774269978/?acontext=%7B%22 event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surf ace%22%3A%22page%22%7D]%7D

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LADIES’ WEEKEND OUT: Harbor Springs, Nov. 11-14. Over 50 businesses are expected to participate & will offer special pricing.

Shoppers can pick up a passport at any participating business, make purchases, & get them initialed. To be entered in the prize drawings, bring your passport to Pierson’s Grille & Spirits by 7pm on Sat., Nov. 13, when the drawings will be held. Participants must be in attendance to win.

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LONG LAKE CRAFT FAIR: 10am-4pm, Long Lake Elementary School, TC. Help support local artists & craftspeople & the students of Long Lake School. Free.

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LITTLE WAVES YOUNG CHILDREN’S LIBRARY SERIES: 10:30am, Petoskey District Library. This program provides a variety of opportunities for children ages 4-10 to discover their own unique gifts & interests through interactive activities with GLCO musicians. This year’s theme is “My Favorite Musical Instrument,” with today featuring percussion. Free.

BEAD & WIRE BRACELET CRAFT CLASS: 11am, Interlochen Public Library.

For adults & teens. Materials provided. Free. interlochenpubliclibrary.org

november

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MT. HOLIDAY CX: Mt. Holiday, TC. Presented

by Up North CX. CX is cyclocross, a bike racing format in which riders complete laps of a shorter course within a given time frame. 11am: Green Circle Race - 30 minutes - Beginner Men, Beginner Women, Juniors (under age 14). 11:50am: Blue Square Race - 45 minutes - Sport Men, Women’s Open, Single Speed.

1pm: Black Diamond Race - 60 minutes Men’s Open, Masters (40+). Kids 10 & under, Junior Men, & Women under 14 races are free.

All other races are $25. upnorthcx.com

13-21

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

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TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: Nov. 1219. A self-guided tour featuring northern MI breweries & restaurants. Track your tour in a passport & enter to win prizes. traversecity. com/tcbw/beer-week-ale-trail/#venues

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WILD TURKEY TROT 5K: Grass River Natural Area trails, Bellaire. The official start time is 11am on Nov. 13, but the course will be set up all weekend & participants can run or walk the course at any time over the weekend. To register, purchase the Wild Turkey Trot t-shirt or sweatshirt at: bonfire.com/ wild-turkey-trot-5k/. The shirt will be mailed directly to you. $25-$39.

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DEER WIDOWS WEEKEND: 12-4pm, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Join for Deer Widows Weekend on Nov. 13-14 with fun events including a two-day indoor craft & vendor show in Kirkbride Hall, complimentary swag bag for the first 200 attendees, shopping specials, tunnel tours, a photo booth, giveaways & more.

Free. thevillagetc.com/events

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FLAPJACK & FLANNEL FESTIVAL: 1-6pm, Jacob’s Farm, TC. Wear your flannel while eating pancakes from Jacob’s Farm & Willie’s Ridge Farm, paired with fall-focused beverages from Mammoth Distillery, Blackrocks Brewery, Silver Spruce Brewery, Right Brain Brewery, Stone Hound Brewing, Cheboygan Brewing, Earthen Ales, Left Foot Charley & Blake’s Hard Cider. There will be live music by the Drew Hale Band, Jack Pine & Stonefolk. GA tickets include two drink tokens, with additional tokens available for purchase. $15-$30; VIP, $75. eventbrite.com/e/flapjack-flannel-festival-tickets170466176924?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

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HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET & OPEN HOUSE: 1-5pm, Tinker Studio, TC. Shop the new collection of festive ornaments, cards, decor & artisan-made gift ideas. Free. tinkerstudiotc.com/featured-artists

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IN STORE BOOK SIGNING: 1pm-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Charles Kraus will sign his book “Thompsonville in Time.” horizonbooks.com/event/store-book-signingcharles-kraus-thompsonville-time

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LITTLE WAVES YOUNG CHILDREN’S LIBRARY SERIES: 1pm, Charlevoix Public Library. This program provides a variety of opportunities for children ages 4-10 to discover their own unique gifts & interests through interactive activities with GLCO musicians. This year’s theme is “My Favorite Musical Instrument,” with today featuring percussion. Free.

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“STRING”: 2pm & 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Phoenix Theatre. Join the IAA Theatre Division for Sarah Hammond & Adam Gwon’s original musical about fate, love & the imperfections that make us human. Email: boxoffice@interlochen.org to reserve free tickets.

Robbie Schaefer and Gopherwood Concerts bring two shows to the Cadillac Elks Lodge on Sat., Nov. 20. The guitarist and songwriter for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio, Schaefer has also released several solo albums, including his most recent, 2017’s Sounds Like Home: Songs from the Musical, Light Years. As a solo performer, he has shared the stage with Sara Bareilles, Jason Mraz, Josh Groban, Michael McDonald, Keb’ Mo, Emmylou Harris, and others. A kids show takes place at 2pm. Admission for families is a new child’s hat or pair of mittens/gloves which will be donated to those in need. Tickets for the 7:30pm performance are $7-$15. mynorthtickets.com/ events/robbie-schaefer-11-20-2021-93397

GREAT GATSBY GALA: 5pm, TC Golf & Country Club. TACS’ 27th Annual Fundraiser (Traverse Area Community Sailing). Tickets include dinner, champagne, prizes, live auction & silent auction. $100. tacsailing.org

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BAYSIDE TRAVELERS WALTZ WORKSHOP: 7pm, Empire Township Hall. Bayside Travellers Traditional Dance Society presents a Waltz workshop instructed by Mykl Werth. This will be followed with a concert

by Woodland Celtic featuring Sue Wood & Ruby John from 7:30-9:30pm. Masks required. Bring your Oleson’s & Family Fare receipts. Memberships will be accepted at the door. $11 adults, $7 students w/ID, $9 members. dancetc.com

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COMEDY WITH MARY SANTORA: 7pm, TC Comedy Club, TC. Enjoy Santora’s “slightly dark, incredibly quick, observational style” of comedy. Her debut album, “Hillbilly Boujee,” hit #1 on both iTunes & Amazon, #5 on Billboard, & can be heard regularly on Siriusxm. $15-$25. etix.com/ticket/e/1021948/ mary-santora-traverse-city-traverse-citycomedy-club-at-grand-traverse-event-center

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“ALL TOGETHER NOW”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, MainStage, TC. In collaboration with Music Theatre International, this is a worldwide event celebrating the return of live theatre. See some of your favorite Playhouse & Young Company entertainers as they perform songs from MTI’s catalogue of musicals including “Annie,” “Come From Away,” “Guys and Dolls,” & many more. $50 ($20 of which is tax deductible). tickets. oldtownplayhouse.com/TheatreManager/1/ login&event=369

TSO MAESTRO SERIES FEATURING WILL HAGEN: 7:30pm, Historic Barns Park, Cathedral Barn, TC. World caliber soloist Will Hagen on violin joins TSO Maestro Kevin Rhodes at the piano for a fun & intimate performance. $49. traversesymphony.org/ concert/maestro-series-will-hagen

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TRIBUTE TO JOHN PRINE: 7:30pm, Leelanau Community Cultural Center, Old Art Building, Leland. Rachael Davis, Seth Bernard & The Mark Lavengood Band celebrate their shared admiration for the many musical works of John Prine, the American country folk singer-songwriter. He was known for his original music which includes elements of protest & social commentary & can be by turns humorous & heart-breaking. $30-$35. oldartbuilding.com/events/tribute-to-johnprine-featuring-davis-bernard-and-lavengood

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27TH ANNUAL LAMB’S RETREAT SONGWRITER CONCERT (WEEK 2): 8pm, Birchwood Inn, Fireside Room, Harbor Springs.

Hosted by John D. Lamb. Open to folks who are fully vaccinated or who’ve tested negative to Covid-19 within 48 hrs. of arrival.

Lamb’s guests are Michael McNevin, Louise Mosrie, John Latini, Jacinta Clusellas, Kirby, & Jim Bizer. $20. springfed.org/songwriters

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BASS BY THE BAY: 8:30pm, Studio Anatomy, TC. Presented by HomeGrown Promotions. The lineup of musical acts includes Fendz from Kalamazoo, PuMbA from Muskegon, Gage Baggs from Kalkaska & more to be announced. 231-409-7946. $15 advance; $20 door.

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 19

nov 14

sunday

DEER WIDOWS WEEKEND: 10am-2pm, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Join for Deer Widows Weekend on Nov. 13-14 with fun events including a two-day indoor craft & vendor show in Kirkbride Hall, complimentary swag bag for the first 200 attendees, shopping specials, tunnel tours, a photo booth, giveaways & more. Free. thevillagetc.com/events

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BOOK DISCUSSION: 6:30-8pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Join in on a discussion of “An American Sunrise” by Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo. Free. tadl.org/event/ nea-big-read-book-discussion-an-americansunrise

nov 16

tuesday

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 11am-6pm, Whistling Frog Tile’s Art Gallery, Alden. Local art, wine & cheese. whistlingfrog.net

LADIES’ WEEKEND OUT: (See Sat., Nov. 13)

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HUNTERS’ WIVES DRAG BRUNCH: , Castle Farms, Charlevoix. Spend a morning with your doe camp, enjoy brunch by 1918 Cellars, laugh with Michigan-made drag queens, & support a great cause - the Paper Angels Project. Tickets: $40, includes brunch & a mimosa. VIP tickets: $50, includes brunch & a bottle of wine. castlefarms.com/events/ hunters-wives-drag-brunch

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TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 13)

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2021 FESTIVAL OF TREES: 12-4pm, Golden Fowler Home Furnishings, TC. Nov. 12-14. Presented by Zonta Club of Traverse City. Enjoy seeing beautifully decorated trees, visit the Yuletide Emporium with holiday treasures, & more. Your purchase directly supports Zonta & this year’s nonprofit community partners: Child and Family Services, Norte & the Women’s Resource Center. Today is Holly Jolly Sunday. zontacluboftraversecity.org/fot

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HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET & OPEN HOUSE: 12-4pm, Tinker Studio, TC. Shop the new collection of festive ornaments, cards, decor & artisan-made gift ideas. Free. tinkerstudiotc.com/featured-artists

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HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 12-4pm, The Red Dresser Marketplace, TC. Featuring holiday decor, gifts, vintage wares, & handcrafted & artisan goods. facebook.com/even ts/1228223774269978/?acontext=%7B%22 event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surf ace%22%3A%22page%22%7D]%7D

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LIVE CLASSICAL MUSIC AT THE LIBRARY: 1pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Free. tadl.org

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TSO MAESTRO SERIES FEATURING WILL HAGEN: 3pm, Historic Barns Park, Cathedral Barn, TC. World caliber soloist Will Hagen on violin joins TSO Maestro Kevin Rhodes at the piano for a fun & intimate performance. $49. traversesymphony.org/ concert/maestro-series-will-hagen

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FALL FOR BACH: 6-8pm, Harbor Springs Performing Arts Center. Enjoy a performance by the CTAC School of Ballet, under the direction of renowned dancer/choreographer, video artist, & U-M professor emeritus Peter Sparling. $10-$30. crookedtree.app. neoncrm.com/np/clients/crookedtree/event. jsp?event=3328

nov 15

monday

TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 13)

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KID’S CRAFT LAB: CORN HUSK DOOR DÉCOR: 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 13) INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FORUM PRESENTS MEXICO: MIGRATION, TRAFFICKING & TRADE: City Opera House, TC. Held in partnership with National Writers Series, this IAF features Ambassador Anthony Wayne, former Ambassador to Mexico & Argentina, & Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan. 5pm cash bar, 6pm presentation.

Livestream also available. Guest speaker will connect virtually. Masks are required indoors at the City Opera House. $15 general public, $10 livestream suggested donation, free to current students & educators. tciaf. com/nov-16-2021

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FRIENDS MOVIE NIGHT: 6:30pm, Bellaire Public Library. The Friends of Bellaire Public Library will be showing the documentary, “Tea with the Dames.” Popcorn will be served. Free.

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SWEETWATER EVENING GARDEN CLUB NOVEMBER MEETING & SPEAKER: 7pm, Acme Township Hall, Williamsburg. The guest speaker will be Angi Bauma from the Grand Traverse Nature Conservancy. She will speak on native plants & the new Nature Building on Three Mile Road. RSVP: 938-9611. Free.

nov 17

wednesday

STORYTIME ADVENTURES: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “Turkeys at the Lighthouse” by Anne Drake. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

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TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 13)

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DENNOS FILM SERIES: 1pm & 3pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Featuring “America in Color - Coming to America.” Reserve your spot. Free. dennosmuseum.org/ events/films.html

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PETOSKEY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-7pm, Odawa Casino Resort, Victories, Petoskey. This networking event will have food, door prizes, a cash bar & more. $10 members; $15 not-yet-members. petoskeychamber.com

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NMC CHILDREN’S DOLCE CHOIR: 5:30pm, Dennos Museum Center, Sculpture Court, NMC, TC. The choir will showcase their music for the first time this year with an “Informance” in Fine Arts #115. Free. nmcchildrenschoir.com/performances.html

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DIGITAL SLIDE TALK: 6:30pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. “First Contact: When the Indians and Europeans First Met” will be presented by local author Bob

20 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Downes. Bob is the author of “Windigo Moon” & “The Wolf and The Willow.” Free.

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FUN RUN: 6:30-8:30pm, Silver Spruce Brewing Co., TC. Presented by the TC Track Club. Choose from a 3 mile or 5 mile route. Stick around for beer or root beer after the race. Free. silversprucebrewing. com/#events

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AN EVENING WITH JOSH MALERMAN: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, The Writing House. Enjoy an evening of suspense & horror as the Interlochen Arts Academy Creative Writing Division hosts novelist Josh Malerman. Best known as the author of “Bird Box” — recently adapted into the hit Netflix film of the same name — Malerman has published nine novels & dozens of short stories. Free. interlochen.org/events/ evening-josh-malerman-2021-11-17

nov 18

thursday

COFFEE @ TEN WITH FRANK ETTAWAGESHIK: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. “Traditional Anishinaabe Arts & the Environment.” Free. crookedtree.org/event/ ctac-petoskey-ctac-online/coffee-10-frankettawageshik-traditional-anishinaabe-arts

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MYRTLE & MAUDE’S CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM: 10am-5pm, 10937 Elk Lake Rd., Williamsburg. Featuring holiday decor items, Michigan made gifts, a hot cocoa bar, winter farms tours on a wagon ride, & much more. facebook.com/Myrtleandmaudes

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KID’S CRAFT LAB: CORN HUSK DOOR DÉCOR: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

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TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 13)

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YOUTH PEER ADVOCACY GROUP: 4pm, Manistee Armory Youth Project Building.

Presented by the Disability Network. Youth with disabilities will learn the skills they need to advocate for their needs & to empower them to support those with disabilities in their community. Register.

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KNOW YOUR VOTING RIGHTS: 5:15pm, Petoskey District Library Classroom. Are Michigan elections secure? What are my voting rights? The League of Women Voters of Northern Lower Michigan presents an informational session on Michigan’s secure voting process in light of a ballot proposal that would make voting harder for many Michigan citizens. Knowing our voting rights as they are now will help communities understand what will be lost under the proposed measures. Free. lwvnlm.org

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GRAND TRAVERSE AUDUBON CLUB MEETING: 7pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. “Changes in Great Lakes Ecology Over 25 Years.” Juliana Lisuk & Jillian Votava from Inland Seas Education Assoc. will discuss how Lake Michigan has changed ecologically over the last 25 years. Using data collected by Schoolship students, they’ll show how fish communities & water quality have responded to invasive species & warmer temperatures. grandtraverseaudubon.org

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NWS PRESENTS: OMAR EL AKKAD, AUTHOR OF “WHAT STRANGE PARADISE”: 7pm. Virtual event. Omar El Akkad’s new novel looks at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. Guest host

is Nargis Hakim Rahman, an award-winning Bangladeshi American Muslim writer. $10.50. nationalwritersseries.org/product/ omar-el-akkad

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“THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Filled with laughter & misadventures, middle-aged women successfully bond & find the confidence to jumpstart their new lives. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from Nov. 18 - Dec. 4, starting at 2pm on Sundays & 7:30pm on all other days.

(No performance on Thanksgiving.) Adults: $28; youth under 18: $15 (plus fees). tickets. oldtownplayhouse.com/TheatreManager/1/ login&event=357

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WOODWIND CHAMBER MUSIC HONORS RECITAL: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Dendrinos Chapel & Recital Hall.

The recital will feature classical & contemporary works arranged for a variety of woodwind combinations. Free. interlochen.org/ events/woodwind-chamber-music-honorsrecital-2021-11-18

nov 19 publiclibrary.org

friday

ADULT & TEEN MAKE & TAKE ROCK PAINTING KIT: Interlochen Public Library. Drop in between 10am-noon. interlochen-

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SUTTONS BAY FRIENDS & FAMILY WEEKEND: Nov. 19-21. Storewide sales & specials will be offered & vary by store. Stroll Christmas Tree Lane & visit over 50 decorated trees all decked out by a variety of community & school groups. Support extended local families with donations for Leelanau Christian Neighbors. Designated boxes will be available at participating stores. LCN is in urgent need of personal care products, nonperishable food items, honey, maple syrup & spices. Letters to Santa kits will also be available for the kids.

se 29

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STORYTIME ADVENTURES: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “Turkeys at the Lighthouse” by Anne Drake. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

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TRAVERSE CITY BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 13)

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LUNCHEON LECTURE: “THE NEXT GENERATION TELESCOPE”: 11:30am, NCMC Library Conference Center, Petoskey. Dr. Bryan Shumaker, adjunct professor of astronomy at Oakland University & NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, will explain the new James Webb Space Telescope. Registration & pre-payment are required. $15; includes a buffet lunch. ncmclifelonglearning. com/event-4465739

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MYRTLE & MAUDE’S CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM: 12-7pm, 10937 Elk Lake Rd., Williamsburg. Featuring holiday decor items, Michigan made gifts, a hot cocoa bar, winter farms tours on a wagon ride, & much more. facebook.com/Myrtleandmaudes

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LADIES OPENING NIGHT: 4-8pm, downtown Petoskey. Many stores will be open until 8pm for shopping. There will also be games, prizes & more. petoskeydowntown. com/downtown-events/ladies-opening-night

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SWINGSHIFT AND THE STARS: 7pm, Nonprofits AC Paw, COGNiTiON & Love Thy Neighbor are participating this year for your

s 0

donation. New this year… the virtual experience “Beyond the Competition” will allow you to watch, vote & donate to your favorite nonprofit from the comfort of your very own screen. Airing November 19-20 at 7pm & a 3pm matinee on Nov. 21. Free; viewing donation requested. swingshiftandthestars.org

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“PIPPIN”: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Enjoy Stephen Schwartz & Roger Hirson’s Tony-nominated musical, “Pippin.” Loosely based on real-life medieval king Charlemagne & his son Pippin, the play-within-a-musical follows the titular character as he embarks on a fanciful journey to find fulfillment. As his path leads him through twists, turns, & do-overs, Pippin discovers that true happiness is often found where we least expect it. $30 full price; $14 student. interlochen.org/events/ pippin-2021-11-19

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“THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY”: (See Thurs., Nov. 18)

nov 20

saturday

BOOK SALE: 9am-3pm, Alden District Library. Held in the Library during the TAAG Craft Show. There will be books, DVDs, CDs & puzzles. 231-331-4318 --------------------.

HANDMADE HOLIDAY CRAFT SHOW: 9am-4pm, Emmet County Fairgrounds, Petoskey. Benefits Brother Dan’s Food Pantry. The Community Building will host local vendors featuring handmade items for sale.

Brother Dan’s will be collecting admission & concession sales to benefit feeding local families. Admission: $2 or a nonperishable food item.

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HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW: 9am3pm, Helena Township Community Center, Alden. Sponsored by Torch Area Artisans Guild (TAAG). Free door prizes, bake sale. Free.

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MAPLE CITY SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE LOSS DAY: 9am-1pm, Glen Lake Community Schools, Maple City. International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is an event in which survivors of suicide loss come together to find connection, understanding, & hope through their shared experience. This event is for Survivors of Suicide Loss only.

Free. isosld.afsp.org/maple-city-michigan

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TOY TOWN TROT 5K: 9am, starts behind Toy Town at Lake St., between the pavilion & water fountain, Cadillac. It will raise money for Toys for Tots of Wexford & Missaukee counties. $35 for 18+; $25 for under 18. toytowncadillac.com/events

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SUTTONS BAY FRIENDS & FAMILY: (See Fri., Nov. 19)

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12TH ANNUAL TC WEST SENIOR HIGH ART & CRAFT SHOW: 10am-4pm, TC West Senior High, TC. Over 50 vendors selling goods in paper, knit, woodwork, food, jewelry & more. For more info, email: ivesterde@tcaps.net.

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COME & CREATE!: 10am-noon, Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. Drop-In Saturday Mornings. Designed for two age groups: 8 & up & 7 & under. Nov. 20th’s theme is Architecture.

Free. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org

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HIGH SCHOOL PORTFOLIO PREP - PORTFOLIO REVIEW: 10am-2pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Visual Arts Classroom, TC. For kids in 9th-12th grades. Get feedback on your creative work in a one-onone session with CTAC faculty. Complete

the free registration. CTAC will contact you to schedule your 20 minute one-on-one session. Free. crookedtree.org/class/ctactraverse-city/high-school-portfolio-prep-portfolio-review

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HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 10am-10pm, Downtown Bellaire. Shop, eat & be merry.

Participating merchants are ready to kick off the holiday season.

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MYRTLE & MAUDE’S CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM: (See Thurs., Nov. 18)

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SUTTONS BAY FRIENDS & FAMILY WEEKEND: (See Fri., Nov. 19)

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SANTA’S WORKSHOP CRAFT & VENDOR EXPO: 11am-4pm, The Ellison Place, Gaylord. First 50 people through the door will receive a free goodie bag. RSVP on the event page as “going” to be entered into the $50 VISA giveaway. Must RSVP

by Nov. 15 to be entered, & must be present to win. Drawing at 3pm. facebook.com/ events/295102298647114

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CRANKSGIVING: Noon, Norte Wheelhouse, GT Civic Center, TC. Part bicycle ride, part food drive. Riders will be provided a list of food items & tasked with purchasing them. The groceries will be donated to local food pantries. In addition to shopping, participants will be challenged to commit at least one act of random kindness on the route. Expect to ride 2-5 miles. Individual bicyclists as well as teams are invited to participate. No entry fee; plan on spending $25 on products. elgruponorte.org/outreach/cranksgiving

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IN STORE BOOK SIGNING: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Mae Keller, Kay Bond & Andrew White present “The Farrants of Glen Haven and Empire.” horizonbooks.com

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“PIPPIN”: 2pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Enjoy Stephen Schwartz & Roger Hirson’s Tony-nominated musical, “Pippin.” Loosely based on real-life medieval king Charlemagne & his son Pippin, the play-withina-musical follows the titular character as he embarks on a fanciful journey to find fulfillment.

As his path leads him through twists, turns, & do-overs, Pippin discovers that true happiness is often found where we least expect it. $30 full price; $14 student. interlochen.org/events/pippin-2021-11-19

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“THE NUTCRACKER”: Elk Rapids High School. Presented by the Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre at 2pm & 7pm. $12-$20. mynorthtickets.com/events/the-nutcracker-11-20-2021

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KIDS SHOW WITH ROBBIE SCHAEFER: 2pm, Cadillac Elks Lodge. Enjoy this musician, songwriter & playwright devoted to service through the arts. He is the guitarist & songwriter for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio & has released several solo albums, including his most recent, 2017′s “Sounds Like Home: Songs From the Musical, Light Years.” Admission for families is a new child’s hat or pair of mittens/gloves which will be donated to those in need. mynorthtickets.com/ events/robbie-schaefer-11-20-2021-93397

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HOW CAN WE KEEP FROM SINGING?: 3pm & 7:30pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Presented by the Northern Michigan Chorale. Enjoy patriotic songs of gratitude, Broadway selections, & music from Burt Bacharach, Simon & Garfunkel, and Lerner & Lowe. Tickets: $15 adults, $12 seniors 65+, $12 students 11-18, free for 10 & under. greatlakescfa.secure.force.com/ ticket/#/events/a0S4R00000c5COqUAM

DOWNTOWN TC LIGHT PARADE, SANTA’S ARRIVAL & TREE LIGHTING: Downtown TC. Enjoy Santa Claus, carolers, thousands of lights, & a merry celebration. Music begins around the tree located at the corner of Cass & Front streets at 5:30pm. Santa & the mayor will light the tree around 6pm. The Light Parade will kick off at about 6:30pm.

Free. downtowntc.com

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10TH ANNUAL MICHIGAN BEER & WINE FESTIVAL: 6-10pm, Treetops Convention Center, Gaylord. Taste an array of Michigan craft beer, cider & wine. Learn about beer & wine making, tasting notes, & the operations of local beer & wine makers. Enjoy food stations from Treetops’ culinary team. $40 per person; includes 15 tasting tickets, access to the event, & souvenir glass/mug. Designated drivers: Admission is free & you receive a souvenir glass/ mug for non-alcoholic beverages. treetops. com/events/michigan-beer-wine-festival

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BOYNE CITY’S EARLIER THAN THE BIRD HOLIDAY SHOPPING EVENT: 7-11am, Downtown Boyne City. Come dressed in your pajamas to receive an Earlier Than the Bird mug & qualify for most retail specials. petoskeyarea.com/event-detail/boyne-citysearlier-than-the-bird-holiday-shopping-event

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GOPHERWOOD CONCERTS: ROBBIE SCHAEFER: 7-9pm, Cadillac Elks Lodge.

Enjoy this musician, songwriter & playwright devoted to service through the arts.

He is the guitarist & songwriter for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio & has released several solo albums, including his most recent, 2017′s “Sounds Like Home: Songs From the Musical, Light Years.” $7 - $15. mynorthtickets.com/events/robbie-schaefer-11-20-2021-93397

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SWINGSHIFT AND THE STARS: (See Fri., Nov. 19) “PIPPIN”: (See Fri., Nov. 19)

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“THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY”: (See Thurs., Nov. 18)

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CHRIS JANSON: 8-10pm, Little River Casino Resort, Manistee. This country music star took home the trophy for ACM Video of the Year for his Gold-certified hit song “Drunk Girl.” It was named one of the “Ten Songs I Wish I’d Written” by NSAI. His chart-topping, double-Platinum smash “Buy Me A Boat” earned the same NSAI honor, making him one in a handful of the industry’s most elite artists to earn the title multiple times. $60, $70, $75. lrcr.com/event-calendar/concerts/ chris-janson

nov 21

sunday

MYRTLE & MAUDE’S CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM: (See Thurs., Nov. 18)

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SUTTONS BAY FRIENDS & FAMILY WEEKEND: (See Fri., Nov. 19)

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SUGAR PLUM FAIRY TEA: 1-3pm, Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey. Enjoy an afternoon of festive activities with principal performers of the Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” including: Clara, Nutcracker, Snow Queen, Dew Drop Fairy, & the Sugar Plum Fairy. Each reservation includes tea or lemonade, treats, tea sandwiches, a reading of “The Nutcracker” story, & a ticket to a performance of “The Nutcracker.” Performances of “The Nutcracker” are Dec. 11 at 3pm & 7pm, & Dec. 12 at 3pm at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Adults, $35; up to age 18: $30. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ sugar-plum-fairy-tea-0

“THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY”: (See Thurs., Nov. 18)

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HOW CAN WE KEEP FROM SINGING?: 3pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Presented by the Northern Michigan Chorale. Enjoy patriotic songs of gratitude, Broadway selections, & music from Burt Bacharach, Simon & Garfunkel, and Lerner & Lowe. Tickets: $15 adults, $12 seniors 65+, $12 students 11-18, free for 10 & under. greatlakescfa.secure.force.com/ticket/#/ events/a0S4R00000c5COqUAM

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NMC CHILDREN’S CHOIRS HOLIDAY CONCERT: 3pm, Lars Hockstad Auditorium, TC. Enjoy holiday songs from around the world. $7 - $12. mynorthtickets.com/ events/nmc-childrens-choirs-holiday-concert-11-21-2021

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SWINGSHIFT AND THE STARS: (See Fri., Nov. 19)

ongoing

INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 10am-2pm. Nov. 13 - Apr. 30. The Village at GT Commons, The Mercato corridor in Building 50, TC. thevillagetc.com

art

HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET: Nov. 14 - Dec. 19, Jordan River Arts Center, East Jordan.

Check out many handmade items created by local artisans. jordanriverarts.com CHARLEVOIX CIRCLE MARKET: Charlevoix Circle of Arts, Nov. 19 - Dec. 30.

Featuring local handmade items, original art, & locally produced specialty treats. An opening reception will be held on Fri., Nov. 19 from 5-7pm with complimentary food, drinks & entertainment. Closed on Sundays. charlevoixcircle.org

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BIRDS FLY IN: A HUMAN REFUGE: Runs through Jan. 2 at Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. A cross-cultural art collaboration focusing on themes related to Migration & Intuition. Artist Ellie Harold was surprised by birds who “flew” onto her canvas after the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. As intuitive messengers, they brought not only an entirely new way of painting, but comfort during confusing times. Later, as migration issues came to the fore, she felt birds were a metaphor for the universal human desire to move toward greater freedom & love. Following her intuition, Ellie met Mexican composer David Mendoza, creator of the soundtrack music, & German architect Wilfried Schley who designed the Refuge Space. dennosmuseum.org

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CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - KINDRED: TRADITIONAL ARTS OF THE LITTLE TRAVERSE BAY BANDS OF ODAWA INDIANS: Held in Gilbert & Bonfield galleries. Historic & contemporary examples of Odawa arts & crafts will be on display, including quill boxes, beadwork, regalia, basketry, & ceramics. Through these finely crafted objects, thematic threads are woven together to explore the economic drivers, environmental factors, & challenges inherent in sustaining tradition, creative practice, & identity. Runs through Nov. 27.

There will be a free educational program connected with the exhibition every Thurs. at 10am. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ kindred-traditional-arts-little-traverse-baybands-odawa-indians

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 21

- THROUGH OUR EYES: CROOKED TREE PAINTERS’ STUDIO EXHIBITION: The Crooked Tree Painters’ Studio meets weekly at CTAC in Atrium Gallery to share their love of painting. This year’s exhibition features original paintings by 18 artists. Runs through Dec. 18. crookedtree.org/event/ ctac-petoskey/through-our-eyes-crookedtree-painters-studio-exhibition

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NOW HIRING

SKI COACHES If you enjoy being on skis and helping young athletes, come join the team at GTSC! We are looking for fun, positive and community driven individuals to help foster a lifelong love to skiing in the youth in TC!

CONTACT OUR DIRECTOR OF COACHING AND PROGRAMMING AT coachnicolegtsc@gmail.com

22 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC: - FOREWORD: SOLO EXHIBITION BY PATRICK EARL HAMMIE: Held in the Gallery. Through portraits & allegories, Hammie explores the complexities of identity, emotion, & family. Hours: Tues. - Fri.: 11am-5pm; Sat.: 10am-4pm. Closed Sundays & Mondays. Runs through Nov. 13. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-traverse-city/foreword-soloexhibition-patrick-earl-hammie - LUSTRON STORIES: AMERICANS AT HOME: Held in the Gallery. The subject of the “Great American Dream” is explored through photographer Charles Mintz’s series, “Lustron Stories.” Lustron Corporation manufactured porcelain-baked, enamelcoated, all-steel houses between 1948-1950 in Columbus, Ohio. The kit homes were shipped-to-site & assembled by local contractors. Many of the homes are still in use today. This project set out to discover who lives in these homes now. Runs through Nov. 13. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city/ lustron-stories-americans-home

GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER, GLEN ARBOR: - PAPER CONSTRUCTIONS: DENISE SAMUELS: Held in the Lobby Gallery. Samuels exhibits sculptural, geometric constructions with recycled papers – cereal boxes, common cardboard & other heavier fibers she sometimes paints & alters – & stitches each hand-cut piece together with wire.

Runs through Dec. 17. glenarborart.org/ events/exhibit-denise-samuels - SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY EXHIBITION: Annual showcase of 2D + 3D work that offers small, original art at affordable prices, $150 or less. Runs through Dec. 16, & features the work of 19 artists working in mixed media, collage, paper, painting, glass, wood, pastel, clay, charcoal, watercolor, & digital imagery. A Holiday Open House, with music & refreshments, takes place Dec. 9, 5-7 pm at the GAAC. Exhibition visitors can also enjoy the GAAC’s holiday forest, a group of decorated trees that line the driveway & GAAC front yard. glenarborart.org/ events/2021-small-works-holiday-exhibition

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HIGHER ART GALLERY, TC: - ANNUAL ART TREE & SMALL GIFT SHOW: Featuring over 20 artists, all which will have small objects of art displayed on the tree. Other small functional items will be available as well. Runs every day during regular open gallery hours from Nov. 17 - Jan. 1. higherartgallery.com - WOMEN OF THE NIGHT: Nocturnes by Heidi Amenda Marshall - pastels; Mara Manning - oil & cold wax; Cynthia Marks ceramic. The exhibit runs through Nov. 15. higherartgallery.com

BAGELS HAND-CRAFTED

They say nothing gold can stay. And alas, so is the case with Eternals, what is without a doubt the worst Marvel movie of the MCU era (i.e. it’s not as bad as Fantastic Four). This is a film so lifeless and flat, it truly makes me wonder if we’ve hit the bottom of the barrel when it comes to mining new Marvel source material.

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

Following an opening scroll of utter nonsense, as the film pathetically tries to set the stage for what is to come, it is painfully clear within only a few minutes just how dumb this movie is. And worst of all, you still have 2.5 more hours to go. This is an almost a surreal, out-of-body viewing experience.

1133 S. Airport Rd. W., Traverse City • (231) 929-9866 www.bigapplebagels.com

Eternals looks like a Marvel movie, it sounds like a Marvel movie, but something is profoundly off. It’s like watching an echo from a different timeline, or a Marvel movie as interpreted by an alien being.

But then the Deviants return, and Sersi has to get the group back together, first reuniting with her ex-husband, Ikaris (Richard Madden), who can fly and shoot lasers with his eyes and to whom she was married for about 5,000 years, until he up and left her for unknown reasons.

There may be 10 superheroes, but I would’ve traded them all for just one that has any kind of depth or interest or emotion or personality. I do, however, love the diversity and representation the group brings to the screen. Yet with a gay hero, a deaf hero (not to mention Marvel’s first sex scene and first gay kiss), it feels like the movie is trying to fill a quota or check off boxes; there is no meaning driving the diversity.

Eternals is essentially a getting-the-bandback-together movie for, like, the first hour and a half, but you don’t like anyone in the band. Then there’s a big reveal that makes the narrative coherence they’ve worked so hard to build totally fall apart, just as you’re starting to finally accept the film’s reality. And for a movie where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, there’s no real conflict pushing anything forward. It’s all tell and no show.

This is a shame, because moving over the course of 7,000 years, the scope is as epic as it comes. The film takes us to these very unique and fascinating cultures including ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, and Tenochtitlan, but it’s all dull, boring CGI sameness that does nothing to enrich the story. The idea that this unseen group guided our myths and advances is so inherently compelling — as is the metaphysical exploration of the characters’ immortality and their search for purpose. But there is nothing remotely compelling about what we see.

Heck, when they find Druig, he’s running what appears to be a cultish kibbutz deep in the Amazon, but hey, the film instead chooses to focus on Cersi’s burgeoning relationship with her new human boyfriend (Kit Harrington), who incidentally seems completely unfazed that his girlfriend is an immortal space being.

These were choices!

Marvel’s attempt to bring new voices and filmmakers into the fold has seen some success, but director Chloe Zhao cannot be counted among them. This follow-up to her Oscar-winning Nomadland, which made her the second woman to win best director, is a stunning disappointment. I don’t think Zhao, known for her lyrical indie spirit, was the most natural fit for the Marvel mold, but Eternals’ faults don’t really stem from Zhao’s spirit. It is clear Zhao understood the assignment; she just did a terrible job.

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Together they track down Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo, who can shoot fire with his hands and has been passing himself off as a one-man Bollywood movie-star dynasty. Najiani, who famously got ripped for this role, never really shows off the fruits of those labors. Instead, we get a sub-par Bollywood dance number that goes on for an awkward amount of time.

They also gather up the superfast Makkari (Lauren Ridloff); Druig (Barry Keoghan), who can control minds and emotions; Athena (Angelina Jolie), a super warrior; Gilgamesh (Don Lee), whose power I honestly can’t remember; and Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), an inventor/engineer type who blames himself for Hiroshima. Yes, this movie is that ridiculous.

Rounding out the group is their leader, Ajack (Salma Hayek), only seen in flashbacks.

As lovely of a presence as Gemma Chan is, she cannot carry the weight of being the film’s emotional center. Angelina Jolie is laughable as a hero struggling with a memory disorder, so much so that this lifelong Angelina hater felt bad for her. Is it a serious mental condition or is it hilarious comic relief? The film seems to take the stance it can be both! And speaking of comic relief, Najiani tries his best with that trademark Marvel levity, to no avail. The film has such a terrible sense of humor that even when the rare joke does land, you won’t be moved to any kind of laughter.

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So they’ve been on Earth since pretty much the beginning of mankind, and sometime around 5,000 years ago, the Prime Celestials eradicated the Deviants but haven’t yet been called back to their home planet. So the group has scattered throughout the globe, moving about to hide the fact they never age. This then brings us to present day, where we focus in on Gemma Chan’s Sersi, who is gifted with the power of turning objects into other objects and lives in London with her fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh), a preadolescent who creates powerful illusions.

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Eternals takes us into the well-worn territory of introducing us to a group of superbeings, but this time there are TEN — count them, TEN superbeings. These immortal demigods have been sent by the “Prime Celestial,” Arishem, to protect us human earthlings from the “Deviants.” And no, I am not going to waste your or my time trying to explain what a “Prime Celestial” or “Deviant” is.

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Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 23

HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS

Mon March 16- $5 martinis, $5 domestic beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher.

FROM Tues OPEN-6PM - 4-8pm: The Pocket

Hours MondayKung 2pm-9pm 9pm-1am: Fu Rodeo Tues-Thurs 2pm-2am • Fri-Sun noon-2am

the can night - $1 domestic, WedMonday - Get it inNov 15th - Jukebox $3 craft- w/DJ JR

Tues NovThurs 16th--$2 OpenoffMic from 8-9:30 allComedy drinks and then 10pm-2am Electric Open $2 Labatt drafts w/DJ RickyMic T Wed Nov 17th- DJ Ricky T

Fri March 20 - Buckets $8 (2-8pm) $2 domestic drafts & of $3 Beer craft starting drafts fromat9pm-close.

Happy Hour: The Chris Michels Band Then: The Isaac Ryder Band

Thurs Nov 18th - Q100 Live

Sat March Fri 21 -&The Ryder Band (No Covers) SatIsaac Nov 19th & 20th

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Sun Nov 21st - Karaoke

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Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

BAHIA, TC 11/13 – Chuk Light wsg Michael Markley & Megan Anderson, 10 11/20 -- Tall Grass, 10 FRESH COAST BEER WORKS, TC 11/19 -- Allie Jade, 6-10 LIL BO, TC Thurs. – Blues/Jazz w/ Ron Getz & Ted Alan, 9-11 Sun. -- Karaoke - Shooting Star Entertainment, 8 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, TC 11/15 & 11/20 -- Chris Smith, 6-9 11/17 -- Eric Clemons, 7:30-10:30 STUDIO ANATOMY, TC 11/20 -- Comedy Night w/ Jake Ford, Trevor Tress & Johnny Mocny, 8 TC COMEDY CLUB, TC 11/13 -- Comedy with Mary Santora, 7 THE PARLOR, TC 7-10: 11/13 – Blue Footed Booby 11/17 -- Wink Solo 11/18 -- Jimmy Olson 11/19 -- Miriam Pico 11/20 -- David Martin

OFF-SEASON

nov 13 - nov 21

Mike Struwin brings you an original style, incorporating alt-country/blues, bluegrass/roots/folk/ soul, and reggae. You’ll find him at Stormcloud Brewing Co., Frankfort on Sat., Nov. 20 from 7-9pm.

Leelanau & Benzie DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. -- Karaoke, 10-1

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 11/13 -- Ben Davila and the Powers That Be, 7-9 11/15 -- Big Fun, 6-8:30 Tues. -- TC Celtic, 6:30-9 Weds. -- Live Jazz, 6-8:30

Emmet & Cheboygan

THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC PATIO, 6:30-9:30: 11/13 -- The Pocket 11/19 -- 1000 Watt Trio 11/20 -- TC Guitar Guys

BEARDS BREWERY, PETOSKEY 6-9: 11/13 -- Owen James Trio 11/14 -- Owen James 11/21 -- Charlie Millard

UNION STREET STATION, TC 11/12-13 -- Snacks & Five, 10 11/14 & 11/21 -- Karaoke, 10 11/15 -- Jukebox, 10 11/16 -- Open Mic Comedy, 8-9:30; Electric Open Mic, 10-2 11/17 -- DJ Ricky T, 10 11/18 -- Q100 Live, 10 11/19-20 -- Scarkazm, 10

BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY 2-6: 11/13 -- Pete Kehoe 11/20 -- Tyler Parkin

Otsego, Crawford & Central BENNETHUM’S NORTHERN INN, GAYLORD 11/16 -- Jeff Greif, 5-8 BIG BUCK BREWERY, GAYLORD 6-9: 11/13 -- Nelson Olstrom 11/19 -- Bill Oeming

24 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 7-9: 11/13 – Elizabeth Landry 11/18 -- Tim Jones 11/20 -- Mike Struwin

CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 11/19 – Annex Karaoke, 10 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BAY HARBOR 7-10: 11/13 – Jessica Dominic 11/19 -- Eric Jacqua 11/20 -- Bill Oeming

ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY MUKWA BAR & GRILL, 9: 11/13 -- Sean Bielby 11/20 -- Pete Kehoe VICTORIES, 9: 11/13 -- Vertigo Band 11/19-20 -- Piano Wars

Antrim & Charlevoix ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 11/13 -- John Paul Solo, 8-11 11/20 -- Blair Miller, 8 HELLO VINO, BELLAIRE 11/19 -- Rick Woods, 6-9 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BELLAIRE 11/13 -- Clint Weaner, 7:3010:30

SHORT’S BREW PUB, BELLAIRE 8:30-11:30: 11/13 – The Distant Stars 11/19 -- Randy Reszka 11/20 -- Flylite Gemini TORCH LAKE CAFÉ, EASTPORT (US 31/M-88) 11/14 -- Slim Pickins, noon-4 Weds. -- Karaoke, 8:30

Thurs. – Nick Vasquez, 7 Fri. & Sat. – Leanna Collins & Ivan Greilick, 8 11/21 -- Bluz-A-Palooza with Craig & Jamie, noon-4

the ADViCE GOddESS Fossil Fool?

Q

:My husband died of a heart attack at age 75. On his phone, I saw several unsettling texts from younger women, alluding to improper liaisons and asking for money. We often helped needy families, but I’m suspecting these women tempted and took advantage of a kind, caring old man, or maybe he turned dirty old man (looking for something more exciting than his wife). Before his death, he started viewing pornography online and seemed not quite himself. Could this apparent change in personality point to dementia? Finding these texts has turned my grieving upside down. I’m often angry with him for possibly cheating on me. I’m not sure how to put this to rest in my mind.

--Perplexed Widow

A

: Sadly, elderly men are often easy prey for young scamstresses. These women sexually tempt or even just flatter an old man out of his money — all, “You remind me of that dude from ‘Star Wars’!” -- making him think of himself as a young, hot Harrison Ford (when the “dude” he actually resembles is Yoda).

I’m so sorry — both about the death of your husband and the apparent death of what you believed about him and your marriage. But I’m hoping my frank exploration of what you do and don’t know will help you make your way to peace of mind.

First, it is possible your husband’s apparent behavioral changes were due to dementia.

Dementia is not technically a disease but an umbrella term for “a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life” (per the Alzheimer’s Association). Symptoms include personality changes, memory issues, and impaired reasoning. “Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80% of dementia cases.”

My friend Stef Willen wrote movingly in her McSweeney’s column about the tragic thief of self that is dementia, explaining, “For most of my life, my days with my grandmother had been spent hiking, identifying birds and having beers in a small-town Colorado bars. ... I’d always thought she’d die of a swift heart attack, but death snuck in the back door and did a real hit and miss job. None of us even noticed until the essential parts of her began to go missing.”

Her grandma’s doctor explained to Stef that her grandma’s neurons weren’t communicating. Some were dead, and some weren’t firing in the correct pattern.

As Stef put it: “Apparently, who we are

BY Amy Alkon is an electrochemical reaction, and my grandmother had blown her circuits.”

Dementia messes with the functioning of the brain’s “prefrontal cortex” (PFC), the section just behind your forehead. If you think of your body as a factory and your behavior as the workers, the PFC is the executive boardroom of you: in charge of planning, prioritizing, remembering, reasoning, and “inhibitory control” (professor-ese for resisting temptation). That last one, when the PFC’s cells are in healthy working order, keeps us from just giving in to whatever impulse — sexual, gluttonous, violent, or just rude -- flies into our head.

But let’s back up a sec. You don’t know whether your husband had dementia, as he was never diagnosed. Sure, you’ve pulled together disturbing fragments of information, and they’re pointing you toward a conclusion. But you can’t know whether your conclusion is correct — though I’m guessing you strongly suspect it is, because that’s how our minds evolved to work.

Uncertainty — ambiguous situations, partially answered questions, and other forms of mental untidiness — fill us with anxiety and dread. This makes evolutionary sense — survival sense — because wanting these uncomfortable feelings gone motivates us to try to get answers and information.

Knowledge we acquire (of possible lurking harms) really is power: power to take meaningful steps to protect ourselves.

However, our brain has a feature (that’s also a bug!): a psychological mechanism in the left hemisphere — named “the interpreter” by cognitive neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga — that works like mental grout. When we’re wading through ambiguities or spot inconsistencies in our behavior (or others’), the interpreter creates stories to fill in the blanks: stories that make us feel comforted, consistent, and smart. Conveniently, no sooner does our mind spin some explanatory yarn than it turns right around and believes it, as if it were cold, hard fact.

Since you can never know the full story, it’s pointless to torment yourself by rerunning painful bits of information and guessing.

However, you could find comfort by using that crafty bugger, the interpreter, to your advantage. Shift over to the story you do know — the happy, loving times you two shared for decades — and focus on that.

If you’re gonna go in for torment, make it a healthier class of it — like hot yoga (aka the commercialization of hot flashes paired with stretches easily accomplished by anyone who finds a wizard to turn them into a wire twist-tie).

“Jonesin” Crosswords "On a One-Name Basis" --five for five. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1 Light snack 5 Hoppy beverage, briefly 8 Library nook 14 “If ___ be so bold” 15 Snare 16 App where you’d better know your left from your right?

17 Comic-strip magician 19 Lunar module 20 Kool-Aid Man’s catchphrase 21 Mini golf goal 22 Former Shanghai Sharks athlete Ming 23 Non-dairy dessert 26 More than a peck 30 Moral source of authority, in a way 32 “(Everything ___) ___ It For You” (Bryan Adams power ballad) 34 The end of school?

35 Chain that merged with AMC Theatres 36 Got progressively more confusing 40 When National Deaf History Month ends (it’s actually a 34-day period) 41 Post ___ (afterward, in Latin) 42 Flight board fig.

43 Office drudge 47 Something ___ entirely 48 Exit the tub (but not literally, cause that’s dangerous) 49 Wrestlemania location 52 Birthday candle material 53 “The Daily Show” or “Late Night Mash”, e.g.

55 Some Netflix offerings 59 Battle site of 1066 61 Japanese crime syndicate 62 December 24 or 31 63 Yokel 64 Dodge 65 William Gaines’s magazine 66 “The Book of Mormon” co-writer Parker

DOWN 1 “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” director 2 Nebraska city associated with steaks 3 Japanese electronics giant 4 Jekyll’s bad half 5 Where travelers often stay 6 Three-time Women’s PGA Championship winner 7 Teddy’s Mount Rushmore neighbor 8 Repetitive-sounding spear-throwing tool 9 One whose spinning might be out of control?

10 Jake Tapper’s employer 11 Perplexing 12 Two-finger gesture 13 Go off course 18 Tabula ___ (blank slate) 21 Casserole veggie 24 Boorish 25 Renew a skill 26 Danish cheese?

27 “That is,” in Latin 28 Repaired rips 29 They’re almost out of H.S. 30 “Forget it” 31 World Cup cheer 32 Drive forward 33 Fixes a sock 37 Roth of “Inglourious Basterds” 38 2.5 out of 5, say 39 Skied downhill 40 “The Great Grape ___ Show” 44 Some long-haired dogs, for short 45 “A ___ on thee!”

46 State, overseas 49 Like some matters 50 Present, as a case 51 Irascible 52 Navigation app that offers celebrity voices 54 Pinball no-no 55 OmbrÈ need 56 Toyota ___4 (SUV model) 57 “Wanted” initials 58 Dirty rain (or rainy dirt)?

59 Dress line 60 “Colin in Black and White” co-creator DuVernay

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 25

lOGY

NOV 15 - NOV 21

BY ROB BREZSNY

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Some people become so

expert at reading between the lines they don’t read the lines,” wrote author Margaret Millar. That’s not a common problem for you Scorpios. You are an expert at reading between the lines, but that doesn’t cause you to miss the simple facts. Better than any other sign of the zodiac, you are skilled at seeing both secret and obvious things. Given the astrological omens that will be active for you during the rest of 2021, I suspect this skill of yours will be a virtual superpower. And even more than usual, the people in your life will benefit from your skill at naming the truth.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran educator and anthropologist Johnnetta Cole wrote, “The first sign of an educated person is that she asks more questions than she delivers answers.” I agree and would also say this: A prime attribute of an intelligent, eager-to-learn person is that she asks more questions than she delivers answers. I encourage you to be like that during the coming weeks, Libra. According to my astrological estimation, you are scheduled to boost your intelligence and raise your curiosity. An excellent way to meet your appointments with destiny will be to have fun dreaming up interesting questions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Storyteller and mythologist Michael Meade believes that each of us has an inner indigenous person—a part of our psyche that can love and learn from nature, that’s inclined to revere and commune with the ancestors, that seeks holiness in the familiar delights of the earth. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to cultivate your relationship with your inner indigenous person.

What other experiences might be available to you as you align your personal rhythms with the rhythms of the earth? What joys might emerge as you strive to connect on deeper levels with animals and plants and natural forces?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn

novelist Haruki Murakami writes, “I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it—to be fed so much love I couldn’t take any more. Just once.” Most of us feel that longing, although few of us admit it. But I will urge you to place this desire in the front of your awareness during the next two weeks. I’ll encourage you to treat your yearning for maximum love as a sacred strength, a virtue to nurture and be proud of. I’ll even suggest you let people know that’s what you want. Doing so may not result in a total satisfaction of the longing, but who knows? Maybe it will. If there will ever be a time when such fulfillment could occur, it will be soon.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): An article

published in the journal Scientific American declared, “Most people don’t know when to stop talking.” Conversations between strangers and between friends typically go on too long. A mere two percent of all dialogs finish when both parties want them to. That’s the bad news, Aquarius. The good news is that in the coming weeks, your sensitivity about this issue will be more acute than usual. As a result, your talk will be extra concise and effective—more persuasive, more interesting, and more influential. Take advantage of this subtle superpower!

(Further info: tinyurl.com/WhenToStop)

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Since 1996, Ira

Glass has produced the renowned radio series This American Life. In 2013, as a reward for his excellence, he was offered a raise in his annual salary from $170,000 to $278,000. He accepted it for one year, but then asked that it be lowered to $146,000.

He described the large increase in pay as “unseemly.” What?! I appreciate his modesty, but I disapprove. I’m always rooting for Pisceans like Ira Glass to embrace the fullness of their worth and to be aggressive about gathering all the rewards they’re offered. So I’m inclined, especially right now, to urge you NOT to be like Glass. Please swoop up all the kudos, benefits, and blessings you deserve.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries poet and

philosopher Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843) had many ups and downs. He was one of Germany’s greatest poets and philosophers, but he also endured more emotional distress than

most people. His biographer wrote, “Sometimes this genius goes dark and sinks down into the bitter well of his heart, but mostly his apocalyptic star glitters wondrously.” You may have been flirting with a milder version of a “bitter well of the heart,” Aries. But I foresee that you will soon return to a phase when your star glitters wondrously—and without the “apocalyptic” tinge that Hölderlin harbored.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author David

Foster Wallace felt sad about how little of our mind’s intense activity can be shared with others. So much of what goes on inside us seems impossible to express. Or if it is possible to express, few of our listeners are receptive to it or able to fully understand it. That’s the bad news, Taurus. But here’s the good news: In the coming weeks, I believe you will experience much less of this sad problem than usual. I’m guessing you’ll be especially skilled at articulating your lush truth and will have an extra receptive audience for it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I never resist

temptation,” declared playwright George Bernard Shaw. Why did he dare to utter such an outlandish statement? “Because I have found that things that are bad for me do not tempt me,” he said. I propose that you aspire to embody his attitude during the next eight weeks, Gemini. Make it your aspiration to cultivate a state of mind wherein you will only be tempted to engage with influences that are healthy and educational and inspiring. You can do it! I know you can!

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): While still a teenager, Cancerian cowboy Slim Pickens (1919–1983) competed in the rodeo, a sporting event in which brave athletes tangle with aggressive broncos and bulls. When America entered World War II, Pickens went to a recruiting office to sign up for the military. When asked about his profession, Pickens said “rodeo.” The clerk misheard and instead wrote “radio.” Pickens was assigned to work at an armed forces radio station in the American Midwest, where he spent the entire war. It was a safe and secure place for him to be. I foresee a lucky mistake like that in your near future, Cancerian. Maybe more than one lucky mistake. Be alert.

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLAS SIFIE DS

OTHER

SEWING, ALTERATIONS, Mending & Repairs. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248 _______________________________________ BUYING OLD WOODEN DUCK and FISH SPEARING DECOYS call text 248 877-0210 _______________________________________ DAN’S AFFORDABLE HAULING Hauling junk, misc, yard debris, estate sales, foreclosures. Free estimates. (231)620-1370 _______________________________________ HANDYMAN WORK I am a dependable and honest handyman that can complete any of the following tasks: Mounting or hanging, minor plumbing tasks, property and patio work, minor electrical repairs or installations, Indoor / outdoor furniture assembly, and hardware help. I service - Alanson, Brutus, Harbor Springs, Pellston, Petoskey, Charlevoix, and Indian River. (847) 331-2307 _______________________________________ STRINGSBYMAIL.COM Free Local Curbside Pickup in TC Thousands of string options for your instruments ready for pickup on Veterans Drive. Expert advice by phone, text or email. Visit stringsbymail.com today & checkout with curbside! _______________________________________ COTTAGE FOR RENT Traverse City, 1 BR, Fully Furnished, Includes All Utilities, Washer/ Dryer, Internet, Cable, Very Comfortable, Quiet, Month-to-Month to One Year, $1,400 per month; (231) 631-7512. _______________________________________ CAR INSURANCE Looking for PL/PD insurance for your car? or full? txt info to 231 463 5866! _______________________________________

RESORT IN TRAVERSE CITY looking to add staff at Front Desk, Maintenance, & Housekeeping. Call 947-4010. _______________________________________ CABINETRY SHOP in Williamsburg is hiring in all departments, Experience isn’t necessary, We will train responsible individuals. Valid Driver’s License required, Fulltime with Benefits. Please contact by email or phone (231) 267-9680 daves@aciwork.net _______________________________________ NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE SEEKING ASSISTANT CONTROLLER The Business Office at NMC is seeking an Assistant Controller to assist with accounting of the College’s financial transactions & statements. $68,215 starting salary plus benefits including 4 weeks paid vacation, paid sick time, and health benefits. EOE nmc.edu/non-discrimination _______________________________________ NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE SEEKING ELECTRICAL ADJUNCT FACULTY NMC is seeking a part-time Adjunct Faculty member to join our team to teach electrical courses. Minimum of 4 years related professional experience & Journeyman’s Electrical License required.

Classes begin in January. EOE nmc.edu/ non-discrimination https://jobs.silkroad. com/NMC/Careers/jobs/1414 _______________________________________ SANTA’S WORKSHOP CRAFT & VENDOR EXPO! Nov 20-11am-4pm-The Ellison Place, Gaylord. Over 80 Vendors to shop from!

Food & drinks also available. SANTA WILL BE ONSITE from 9am-11am for pictures.

And again from noon-3pm reading stories, singing songs, and more. See the link here for details and tickets>>> www.facebook. com/events/295102298647114/.

HAIR AND MAKE UP ARTIST WANTED Local Photographer looking for hair and make up artist.231-642-1453

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): To create your horoscope, I’ve borrowed ideas from four famous Leos. They all address your current astrological needs. First, here’s Leo author P. L. Travers: “More and more I’ve become convinced that the great treasure to possess is the unknown.” Second, here’s Leo author Sue Monk Kidd: “There is no place so awake and alive as the edge of becoming.” Third, Leo poet Philip Larkin: “Originality is being different from oneself, not others.” Finally, Leo author Susan Cheever: “There is no such thing as expecting too much.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I encourage you

to adopt the perspective expressed by spiritual author Ann Voskamp. She wrote, “I want to see beauty. In the ugly, in the sink, in the suffering, in the daily, the moments before I sleep.” I understand that taking this assignment seriously could be a challenging exercise. Most of us are quick to spot flaws and awfulness, but few have been trained to be alert for elegance and splendor and wondrousness. Are you willing to try out this approach? Experiment with it. Treat it as an opportunity to reprogram your perceptual faculties. Three weeks from now, your eyes and ears could be attuned to marvels they had previously missed.

26 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

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0.75 acre lot for a new build, near Kingsley Open lot, nice countryside views $27,500 MLS# 1891371

Northern Express Weekly • november 15, 2021 • 27

28 • november 15, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly