January 3, 2022 Northern Express

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New Year • New You We’re all aiming for better in 2022, the Year of the Tiger.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • jan 03 - jan 09, 2022 • Vol. 32 No. 01 Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 1

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Jeff Haas Trio

& Laurie Sears Château Chantal wine

Sunday, Jan. 9th 3pm Doors open @ 2:30

Mama Lu’s Tacos

Proof of vaccination & masks required 225 W Fourteenth Traverse City Across from the State Police Post

GT Circuit $20 donation

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2 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

letters Our simple rules: Keep your letter to 300 words or less, send no more than one per month, include your name/address/ phone number, and agree to allow us to edit. That’s it.

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explanation of a “well-regulated militia and “security of a free state” was something all should pay attention to. His piece was a better view of the amendment than many originalists’ views or, for that matter Justice Antonin Scalia’s.

The second amendment was drafted just after our war to gain independence, thus Tuttle was right to note that the right of individuals to keep and bear arms has to be set in the context of the beginning two phrases.

They are set off by commas that should make one pause and reflect before moving on to the next thing. I applaud you printing such valuable insights into our county’s founding and how it should be viewed today.

Stewart MacLeod, Traverse City

Keep Tax Dollars in Public Schools I, like many of you, was educated in the public school system. My family was far from wealthy, and neither of my parents had attended college. Yet all of my siblings and I completed college, had successful careers, and started businesses. Public education is an essential means of leveling the playing field for students of all backgrounds. So why are Michigan Republicans working so hard to shift taxpayer dollars intended for public schools to pay for private schools?

In mid-December, the Michigan GOP launched a ballot drive — deceptively called Let MI Kids Learn — to create a voucher-style system that would use public tax dollars to fund private education. This move is overwhelmingly opposed by voters, educational leaders, and Democrats who care about equal opportunities for all students.

Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart said, “Michigan voters have resoundingly opposed attempts by mega-donors like Betsy DeVos to enact voucher schemes in our state. We value our neighborhood public schools and know that funneling money to private schools does nothing to provide equal opportunity for Michigan students.”

That is why it is so important to decline to sign this misleading GOP petition. If the group collects 340,000 signatures, Michigan’s GOP-controlled legislature can choose to approve the ballot question rather than put it on the ballot for voters to decide.

Either way, Whitmer is unable to veto — and public school students and our communities will be the ones to suffer. Certainly, those who have the desire and means to send their children to private or parochial schools have every right to do so — but not with taxpayer dollars so necessary to continue to improve educational environments and achievement for public school students.

Greta Bolger, Benzonia A Well-Regulated Column Stephen Tuttle’s piece on our Second Amendment was the best explanation of that amendment I have ever read. His

Freedom is Based on Voting Congressional Representative Jack Bergman’s recent sins against representative government, such as fighting the certification of Michigan’s votes in the 2020 election and opposing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, reminded me of a saying we had in the military: “We are here to defend democracy, not practice it.”

Jack, take off your uniform. We are civilians now, and we defend democracy by practicing democracy.

Our Constitution constructs some patterns that maintain our free society. We openly discuss issues, we explain, argue, and criticize ideas, and even do some heated name-calling. Then we all vote. We understand that some of our fellow citizens may be wrongheaded. But they are our fellow Americans, and to be an American is to have good intentions. So, everyone gets to vote. Jack, remember the principles that we served so many years to protect. Show some faith in the basic goodness of our fellow Americans; help them vote.

Kevin Bishop, retired navy officer, Traverse City Lower the Speed Limits Given the fact that we are now in a fuel crisis of supply and demand, it seems obvious that we could immediately return to the reduction in speed limits that were put into place in the 1970s in response to the Arab oil embargo. We needed to reduce demand as quickly as possible, and the speed limit reductions, while unpopular, worked. The speed limits were reduced from 75 mph to 55 mph in 1974 and were maintained until the mid-’90s.

It is estimated that due to the lower limit, hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil were saved each day, gas prices declined, and we saw other dramatic effects as well. Trafficrelated deaths decreased by thousands during that time period as well. Today we would probably see an even greater decrease in our oil consumption given the greater number of vehicles and a decrease in fuel prices. And we also could potentially see the same plummet in traffic-related deaths.

Reducing the speed limits would initially be unpopular, of course, but there seems to be no reason that we wouldn’t see the same benefits as we saw in the 1970s. Reduce the speed limits now.

George Robson, Petoskey

Manchin’s Betrayal Very disappointing news that Joe Manchin betrayed his party and the poor folks of West Virginia. He is exactly who I thought he was: a cunning, greedy, selfish politician, with a lack of compassion.

Manchin didn’t bother to let the president know of his betrayal plans; he announced them of Fox News. That tells us all we need to know about Joe Manchin.

He made it clear that he will put a stop to President Biden’s “Build Back Better plan” and also plans to vote against any reform to the filibuster, which will also kill the Voting Rights Act. That could end democracy.

Apparently, Manchin is OK with suppressing voting rights, the high cost of prescription drugs, the lack of affordable daycare, and the child tax credit. He seems to oppose all the things that could pull millions of children out of poverty while he lives in luxury.

This needs to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote very soon. Let all those who vote no explain to their constituents why they voted to kill all the things that would benefit the people of their states.

Everyone, regardless of which party you belong to, please, let’s get enough people elected who actually care about saving our democracy, so politicians like Manchin, Sinema, and others will be irrelevant.

CONTENTS

feature Josh Burnham’s Big Week ..............................9

Grayling: The Little City that Could.................10 Smoke & Porter Public House........................12 Happiness In A Box.......................................15 Love, Magic, and Leland’s Old Art Building....16

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

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................6 High Notes....................................................7 Opinion.........................................................8 Weird............................................................8 Dates........................................................18 Film..........................................................19 Nitelife..........................................................20 Advice......................................................20 Crossword.................................................21 Astrology...................................................21 Classifieds................................................22

S Kay Rose, Empire Common Sense or Coincidence Michigan’s rate rise in COVID-19 infections rocketed from under 4 percent to over 70 percent in two weeks in early December. Is anyone surprised? In late November, 107,000 fans packed the University of Michigan’s stadium, watching Michigan beat Ohio State. Mouths were continuously open for over three hours.

After the game, fans flooded the field, hugged, and spewed forth germs over each other. COVID-19 aside, someone could have been trampled. Was it common sense or a coincidence that a viral disease spread so quickly through Michigan during the following two weeks.

As a Michigan State fan, I cheered as loudly from my rocking chair at home.

Any team taking out Ohio State has my admiration. However, more than just a sports rating took a hit that day. How many subsequent deaths can be attributed to that game? How many subsequent deaths will be attributed to the playoff games on Dec. 29 and Jan. 10? Everyone will blast me for the audacity to criticize the hallowed grounds of college sports. But am I the only one concerned — or just the only one dumb enough to ask the questions publicly?

Our country seems to have conflicting views regarding the value of life. Life is so precious, we force women to give birth to children, but we are willing to sacrifice lives to watch a sports event in person rather than on a screen in the safety of our home. Does it all come down to the selfishness of those who make the decisions? Have we gone down the “rabbit hole” so far that normal means “as long as I am not affected or fall victim, I don’t care”?

Thelma Rider, Frankfort Continues on page 6

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, 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 Bridhid Driscoll, Al Parker Copyright 2020, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly.

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Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 3

this week’s

top ten Happy New Year to Wage Workers

Jazzy Wine & Taco Brunch in TC

Michigan’s labor force is in short supply compared to its demand, but 2022 has brought only a small bump in the state’s minimum wages. As of Jan. 1, the state’s minimum wage has been increased from $9.65 to $9.87.

In line with that wee bump, the 85 percent wage rate for minors aged 16 and 17 is now $8.39 an hour and rates of pay for tipped employees is now $3.75 an hour. The training wage for newly hired employees Photo by Sharon McCutcheon, Unsplash ages 16 to 19 for their first 90 days of employment remains unchanged at $4.25.

Michigan is just one of 29 states across the nation that opted to increase its minimum wage in 2022. (California is the only state in the nation that has reached the $15 hourly minimum labor activists push for, but that rate is reserved exclusively for California employers with 26+ employees; employers with 25 or fewer employees pay $14 per hour.) Nevertheless, the rate in Michigan — unlike in Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and several others — beats the federal minimum: $7.25 hour for non-tipped employees and $2.13 for tipped employees.

2

tastemaker Tropical’s Thai Chicken Wrap

There used to be a time that we dreamed of a fast-food restaurant, complete with efficient drive-thru, that sold real, healthy, and tasty food; no pink slime. Our dream came true several years ago when two Tropical Smoothie Cafes came to Traverse City. And you know what? For years, we passed by with our noses turned upward. We’d make our own real, healthy, tasty food at home, we thought. Then we had kids, gained many pounds, lost even more free time, and finally — some random night between school and work and swim lessons — we squealed our minivan tires into a Tropical drive-thru. And you know what? Our dinner by dome light was good. Not French fry good. Not chocolate milkshake good. But real, healthy, and tasty enough to satisfy an exhausted parent and two picky kids. Our favorite is the Thai chicken wrap, with carrots, wontons, sesame seeds and romaine, grilled chicken, and a zingy Thai peanut dressing. If you’re making 2022 the year you eat better, consider making this place your go-to. Find a location near you at www. tropicalsmoothiecafe.com

4 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

Giving all-new meaning to (at least half of the upcoming) Sunday Fundays of 2022: The bi-weekly Sunday Jazz Late Brunch series. Featuring music from the Jeff Haas Trio and saxophonist Laurie Sears, wine from Chateau Chantal, and tacos and treats from Mama Lu’s, the brunches will happen every other Sunday at the godly hour of 2:30pm inside the church-turned-GT Circuit building on 14th Street in Traverse City. The first one of the year will be Sunday, Jan. 9. A donation of $20 is suggested; proof of vaccination and masks are required.

4

Hey, watch it STATION ELEVEN

“Station Eleven,” Emily St. John Mandel’s award-winning novel about life in a destroyed post-pandemic world, was a brilliant work of literature long before COVID-19 made its timeless themes bracingly relevant. That its long-awaited adaptation arrives as we enter year three of our own neverending pandemic makes it all the more of a necessary, profound, and hopeful viewing experience — even if it sounds like just about the last thing you want to watch right now. Following a group of survivors known as the Traveling Symphony who loop around Michigan and the Great Lakes performing Shakespeare to the few remaining pockets of “civilization,” the miniseries’ portrait of our essential need for art, culture, and community offers viewers an unexpected healing power through its masterful storytelling. Fans of HBO’s “The Leftovers” will not want to miss this spiritual companion piece. Streaming on HBO Max.

5

Flavor 203 S. Cedar - Kalkaska

6

Stuff We Love: Knowing 6,000 NoMi Kids in Need Had a Good Christmas

Catch Reno on the Road in Cadillac

Touring comedian Billy Reno is making a stop at Clam Lake Beer Company in Cadillac on Friday, Jan. 7. A finalist at the Detroit to L.A. Comedy Competition and The Border City Comedy Festival in Windsor Ontario, Reno’s quick wit has taken him to the world-famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles. Expect high energy, offbeat humor with witty one-liners, storytelling, and a personal touch: If the show sells out, you can email Reno about a possible second show. How’s that for service? Doors open at 6:30pm, and the show starts at 7pm.

Search “Comedy Night at Clam Lake Beer Company” on Eventbrite.com; email reno at renoontheroad@gmail.com.

As good as it feels to give, we have to admit that it feels even better to know just how good the giving was. In the five-county area covered by Toys for Tots of Northwest Michigan — Grand Traverse, Antrim, Benzie, Leelanau, and Kalkaska — that turns out to be about 6,000 kids who received more than 35,000 toys through 14 human service agencies in the region, says Toys for Tots coordinator, Maggie Kent.

“We think we met the needs in the region and are confident thousands of kids [had] bright smiles on Christmas morning,” says Kent of the region’s campaign, which this year was augmented with over 230 bikes donated by Bikes for Tikes and 11-year-old Piper Shumar’s This Girl Can fundraiser. The national Toys for Tots Foundation also pumped thousands of toys into the region. The toy drive is part of a national campaign the Marine Corps Reserves started 74 years ago and is the largest toy collection program in the country, with 800 campaigns across 50 states.

Cycling through the Snow The Fat and Flurrious bike race is back! It’s happening Jan. 15 at Boyne City’s Avalanche Mountain, and there’s still time to register. Worry not about your post-holiday softness or lack of stamina because this race doesn’t have to be a race. As the first of five snowy cycling rides that are part of the flurry of fat tire events that make up Short’s Independent Brewing Fat Bike Series — Fat Chance, Jan. 29; North American VASA, Feb 12; the Dogman Challenge, 19; Huma Loopa Licious is Feb. 26 — Fat and Flurrious need Living Your Feb Way be nothing but a fun training ride to see how you and your fat tire (bike; not belly) roll the one worries of can be a race against yourself, with, of course, a cold pint in without winter. Each afterward reward waiting at the finish, maintaining your home.no matter how you do. Learn more and register for one or all at www.fatandflurrioud.com, www.sbfbs.com.

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With the end of yet another season, it’s tough not to feel that New Year, new you pressure.

But before you swallow that self-help pill, why not treat your tastebuds to something familiar?

At Iron Fish Distillery in Thompsonville, cocktails are the cream of their crop. Founded in 2016 as Michigan’s first farm distillery, Iron Fish grows, mashes, and ages every one of its spirits on its sprawling estate in Thompsonville. One of our favorites: Iron Fish’s Salted Maple Old Fashioned. Featuring its flagship Maple-finished Bourbon, this funky twist on an oldschool favorite begins with two ounces of house-made maple syrup, which has been aged for four months in Bourbon barrels. From here, the bartender layers in a few flakes of sea salt, followed by two ounces of Iron Fish’s woodsy-sweet whiskey. An interstitial stir combines the base, before the drink’s finished with a few dashes of aromatic bitters. Served in a rocks glass and garnished with an orange peel, this is one resolution you won’t regret. $12 at Iron Fish Distillery. 14234 Dzuibanek Rd., Thompsonville. (231) 378-3474. Ironfishdistillery.com

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Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 5

letters

A DANGER TO THEMSELVES AND OTHERS

Continued from page 3

COVID Isn’t an “Illegal” Problem I would like to answer the question posed by the letter writer from Traverse City who obviously is fearful of “those people.” He mentions “reports” of thousands of illegal immigrants approaching our border and asks, proving no research on his part, “How many illegals do we have in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, and have they been tested, vaccinated?”

The answer: Not only are there thousands of “illegals” in Grand Traverse and Leenalau counties, not only have they not been tested or vaccinated, they have COVID-19. They are your neighbors, your co-workers; they sit next to you in the theater, prepare and serve your restaurant meals, and — here’s the topper — it’s all part of a plot to infect and eliminate Grand Traverse County and Leelanau County residents! Just thought you should know.

Lee Astrauckas, Mancelona Prevent a Coup Divisions in America have brought us to a tipping point, and we must decide what kind of nation we want to be. Are we willing to sit back and let the violet extremist demolish our already fragile democracy?

The FBI has been warning us for years that right-winged extremists are a serious national security threat. These people are hateful and are extremely dangerous. They are intolerant, disagree with racial diversity, and diversity of mind and thought.

If you don’t think as they do, you are their enemy and not real Americans; therefore, you have no place in their society. We are coming upon the anniversary of Jan. 6 insurrection. The people responsible for the insurgency were determined to overthrow the will of the people through violence and destruction. They wanted to prevent the peaceful transfer of power in support of the Big Lie that falsely claims the presidential election was illegitimate. They were from many parts of America and with many backgrounds, some with law enforcement and military experience.

It is legal to be a member of a hate group while serving in the military. However, military members cannot be actively engaged in group activities, rallies, or protests. Active participation will result in disciplinary actions.

The Jan. 6 commission needs to identify everyone involved in the insurrection and refer them to the Department of Justice to be held accountable. The former president is solely responsible for creating the situation by pushing the “Big Lie” as are the complicit Republican lawmakers responsible for promoting it. The DOJ should convene a grand jury to assess the evidence and charge them accordingly. Prosecuting those encouraging the insurrectionists to attack the Capitol may be the best deterrent to save the 2024 national election from another coup attempt.

Willie Jones Jr., MSgt, USAF retired,

y a w A Get It’s time to

spectator

by Stephen Tuttle When will this pandemic end? If by “end,” you mean disappear, the answer is never.

Most medical experts now agree the COVID-19 coronavirus is likely to be with us in some form forever.

The vaccine resisters persist, their refusal based on mountains of misinformation and disinformation promulgated online by politicians, one major television network, and a couple of quite minor networks. Facts are their worst enemy.

As this is being written, the United States has recorded more than 52 million cases of the bug and is approaching 820,000 deaths. It was the third leading cause of death, behind only heart disease and cancer, in 2020 and will retain that position for 2021. Though we have developed effective therapeutics, and fewer of those infected are dying, we are still losing 1,200 of our citizens every day.

We now have a fairly reliable sample size — 8.8 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide, including 500 million here in the U.S. The incidence of contraindications and adverse reactions have been limited to a few thousand worldwide.

Nobody has been turned into a magnet or had microchips implanted so Bill Gates can keep track of them or become impotent or sterile.

Here in Michigan, we’ve recorded at least 1.64 million cases and 28,300 deaths.

The most common “adverse reaction” was soreness at the point of injection. Some people also experienced chills, fever, or

We have been delivering vaccines, with great success, for decades without much protest. They have saved millions of lives and extended lifespans.

These days, most of the serious illnesses and COVID-19 deaths are preventable, and the data showing that is overwhelming. We know, for example, a person who has tested positive and either asymptomatic or mildly ill, and then received the full vaccines and booster has the best immunity. Next in line, and not far behind, are those who received both Pfizer or Moderna shots and then the booster.

At the other end of the spectrum, we know those who are unvaccinated are most likely to become infected, become seriously ill, require hospitalization, spend time in an ICU, be placed on a ventilator, and die.

According to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association (MHA), 76 percent of COVID-19 patients in Michigan (as of the first week in December) were unvaccinated, 87 percent requiring ICU treatment were unvaccinated, and nearly 90 percent of those on ventilators were unvaccinated.

Even more stark data came from the Duke Health system in North Carolina in a midDecember report. They reported 96 percent of their COVID-19 patients in ICUs were unvaccinated, and 100 percent of those on ventilators had not been vaccinated.

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6 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

fatigue the day following the shot. That’s all.

Of all the doses now delivered, there are five known cases of a fatality directly linked to receipt of the vaccine. So, we have to assume opposition to the vaccine is based on something excluding reality.

When former President Donald Trump and his pal Bill O’Reilly told a recent audience they had received their vaccinations and booster shots and recommended others do the same, some booed. As if suggesting people protect themselves from a deadly virus is a bad thing.

It got even weirder when Trump was interviewed by The Daily Wire’s Candace Owens, a Trump supporter and anti-vaxxer.

The former president, in moments that might save the lives of some of his supporters, had to continually debunk Ms. Owens’ misinformation as she proved herself to be one of the dimmest of the talk show bulbs.

We have been delivering vaccines, with great success, for decades without much protest.

They have saved millions of lives and extended lifespans.

Despite fairly obvious data on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, only 62 percent of Americans age 5 and older are fully vaccinated, and only a third have received their booster shot. Michigan residents are doing even worse; less than 57 percent of us are fully vaccinated, and only 25 percent have received a booster shot.

For example, children attending public schools in Michigan must show proof they have been vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, varicella (chickenpox) and, eventually, meningococcal conjugate (which can lead to meningitis). We accept those mandates because we know those are communicable diseases that can spread quickly and destructively among our schoolchildren, pretty much the way COVID-19 has been spreading through our adult population.

We know, at least so far, those who are fully vaccinated and boosted and do contract a breakthrough case of COVID-19 are experiencing very mild symptoms, especially with the now dominant Omicron variant accounting for 53 percent of all new cases.

We are still in the midst of a deadly pandemic.

We know how to control it and have the means to do so. We just can’t control the misinformation and disinformation that has left tens of millions unvaccinated, and a danger to themselves and others.

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HIGH NOTES CANNABIS

It’s a new year, and instead of aiming sky high, we say reel it in and have some fun along the way. Most importantly, stay mindful and in the moment.

Allow yourself to not reside too much into the past, nor fixate too much on what’s yet to come. Balance those reflections for observance in the now.

Afterall, you are currently making your past memories right now, why not enjoy making them? Easier said than done, huh? So how to keep the drive to keep pushing forward if our new goal isn’t panning out already?

Firstly, let’s examine your goal. Are there simple, achievable steps you can take to reach the end result you’re looking for? My neighbor set a goal to write a book last year. Occasionally, I’d check in with him to see how it was going.

Alas, there isn’t a book by my neighbor on your local bookstore shelf. He hit the realities of time and life. Try setting goals you know are achievable. If you’re writing a book, try scheduling time for yourself weekly to write in a quiet space.

Or just tackle one chapter. Then another.

Secondly, think about the bigger picture: not the aspirational and unobtainable new you, but the realistic and evolving you. We live in an acronym world these days, so try to remember S.M.A.R.T. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, & Timely. This acronym incorporates your efforts to focus and increase the chances you achieve your goal. If we collapse after each setback, our goals will never be obtained.

Lastly, wanting to learn a new language, weight loss, or writing a book can be great goals. But what if we try something different this year? Attempt to set more mental health-friendly goals. Maybe clarity will help drive us all to keep persevering in other ways. Be consistent in speaking nicely to yourself and treat yourself with respect. Great things begin from within, and a positive outlook on ourselves may attract more positivity into our lives. Take this a step further if you dare, and compliment a stranger in passing. Maybe your remark could help them jumpstart some positive thinking for themselves.

Although there are no fresh starts in real life, you can surely reflect on the slow improvements that keep you on the road to success. Enjoy the ride that life is, rather than focusing on the bumps in the road.

Resolutions don’t have to break the bank.

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A Walk on the Wild Side A couple in Sherbrooke, Quebec, were each fined $1,500 on Jan. 9, when police spotted the pair walking outside about an hour after the city’s 8 p.m. curfew, with the husband wearing a leash, CTV News reported.

The city’s COVID-19 curfew allows for dogwalking after 8 p.m., but police rejected the couple’s claim they were following the rules.

It was the first weekend under new provincewide restrictions imposed by Premier Francois Legault, and officers throughout Quebec handed out more than 750 tickets.

Awwwwww Russell Jones of London couldn’t figure out why his dog, Billy, was favoring one of his front paws while walking. He took the pet to the veterinarian to have X-rays, United Press International reported, but the vet found nothing wrong. Jones, however, had recently broken his own ankle and was wearing a cast and limping. At the $400 vet visit, the doctor suggested that Billy was simply imitating his owner. Man’s best friend, indeed.

Weird Science Researchers have solved the mystery of how bare-nosed wombats, native to southeastern Australia, produce poop in cubes, reports the International Business Times. Wildlife ecologist Scott Carver of the University of Tasmania is lead author on a study, published Jan. 28 in the journal Soft Matter, that details the particular inner workings of the wombat’s digestive tract that produce the square-shaped dung. “This ability ... is unique in the animal kingdom,” Carver said. “Our research found that ... you really can fit a square peg through a round hole.”

Angie Yen, 27, of Brisbane, Australia, had her tonsils removed on April 19, a simple surgery that went smoothly, News.com reported. But on April 28, as she got ready for work, she started singing in the shower and noticed something unusual about her voice.

“I was singing in a different sound and also talking words in a funny accent,” Yen said. She called a friend, who agreed that her accent suddenly sounded Irish and told her about FAS, foreign accent syndrome. Yen went to the hospital, but doctors told her to go home and see if the new accent would disappear in a few days. Nearly two weeks later, the brogue remains, and Yen is scheduled for an MRI and a visit with a neurologist. “I’m very lucky to have very supportive friends and family,” she said. “If they find something hopefully there is a cure or treatment for it.”

The Aristocrats Rapper Lil Uzi Vert, whose real name is Symere Woods, revealed on Instagram in early February that he has had a $24 million 10-carat pink diamond implanted in his forehead, reported Rolling Stone. According to Simon Babaev, spokesman for the New York-based jeweler Eliantte & Co. that implanted the stone, Uzi fell in love with the marquise-shaped diamond when he saw it in 2017 and has been making payments on it as he determined what he wanted to do with it.

“We didn’t think he was serious about it,” said Babaev, but as it became clear that he was, “we engineered a specific mounting that clips and locks in place. There’s a whole mechanism involved.”

Weird History In an auction in Chesapeake City, Maryland, that closed on Feb. 8, a white wooden toilet seat pilfered from Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the Bavarian Alps sold for about $18,750, The Sun reported. Ragnvald C. Borch, a U.S. soldier who spoke German and French, was one of the first to arrive at the Berghof at the end of World War II. His senior officers told him to “get what you want” from the damaged property, so Borch grabbed a toilet seat and shipped it home to New Jersey, where he displayed it in his basement. Bill Panagopulos of Alexander Auctions said, “This was as close to a ‘throne’ as the dictator would ever get.” Borch’s son put the “trophy” up for auction; the buyer was not identified.

Awesome!

In 1961, when she was 10 years old, Gwen Goldman sent a letter to New York Yankees general manager Roy Hamey, offering her services as a bat girl. Hamey responded, “In a game dominated by men a young lady such as yourself would feel out of place in a dugout.” Goldman kept the letter from Hamey on her bulletin board for the next 60 years, and her daughter recently forwarded it to current general manager Brian Cashman.

On June 28, United Press International reported, Goldman was invited to Yankee Stadium to fulfill her dream. Her visit included a tour of the clubhouse, meet-andgreet with players and coaches, and photos with umpires -- plus she got to throw out the first pitch wearing a full pinstripe Yankees uniform. “Sixty years thinking about this and here it is,” Goldman said.

Creme de la Weird An arrest warrant was issued July 8 in Little Rock, Arkansas, for Brian Dale Reams, 32, in connection with several incidents where he allegedly approached women and asked if he could touch their feet -- with a curious twist, KATV reported. In Conway, Arkansas, a woman said a man with no arms followed her into a Walmart last September, telling her she had pretty feet and asking if she liked having people touch them. Later he began harassing her on Facebook. In June, a second woman said a man matching the same description (but wearing a face mask with “Brian” written on it) followed her around the same Walmart and wondered if she’d let him give her a foot massage. He apparently didn’t explain how that might work. A third woman identified Reams after viewing screenshots of his Facebook account; he approached her in a Kroger store.

Say What?

The Guardian reported on July 19 about a phenomenon among American preschoolers called the Peppa Effect. The hypothesis is that children who watched a lot of “Peppa Pig” during the pandemic lockdown have developed British accents and started using British terms like “mummy” (mommy), “give it a go” (try it) and “satnav” (GPS). Wall Street Journal reporter Preetika Rana tweeted that her niece “had an American accent before the pandemic. Now she has a posh English accent.” One responder agreed: “And for Christmas I had to put out a freaking mince pie for Father Christmas, or, as we call him here in the States, Santa Claus.”

8 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

ALL VOTES, ALL VOICES guest opinion

by Nancy Flanagan

I am a retired teacher. The last year I taught, the fourth graders in my school held a mock presidential election the day before the real election. I have a photograph of myself presenting my personal voter registration card, beat up from being carried in my wallet for decades, to a cluster of nine-year-olds from different classes.

They looked at the card as if it were the Rosetta Stone, the key to understanding democracy in America — or maybe they were just trying to figure out how old I was.

Their teacher took a photo of us, and because the next class wasn’t yet waiting in line to vote, I gave her class, all of whom had been assigned engaged-citizen roles in managing the election, a little pep talk about the power of a vote.

I told them how I’d voted in every presidential election and every midterm election since I was eligible — and most primaries and local elections, too. I talked about how elections had consequences, even for kids, and how voting is both a duty and a gift, one that many people had marched or died to achieve. Free and fair elections, open to all, are the cornerstone of our way of government, I told them. And when all voices are heard, we’re stronger.

Civics 101. Isn’t that what everybody learned in school?

Apparently not, because Michigan lawmakers have proposed a series of bills limiting and setting barriers to the vote. They’re not alone in this. Statehouses across the nation are full of hand-wringing legislators trying to make sure they stay in office by making it difficult for some people — generally those who support the other party — to vote.

These legislators employ a long list of strategies, from carving out favorable districts to limiting mail-in voting, availability of drop boxes, and allowable time frames. And there’s corporate money involved, as these lawmakers and their wealthy donors hope to maintain power by rigging the rules in favor of themselves. Luckily, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said she will veto any bills here in Michigan that would restrict access to the polls.

In the 2018 midterm, two pro-democracy initiatives passed by big margins in Michigan.

We overwhelmingly voted for Proposal 2, to get rid of gerrymandering. We also supported Proposal 3, approving mail-in voting for everyone and same-day voter registration, among other pro-voter reforms. It’s clear by the number of votes cast in those proposals that a majority of folks in Michigan want

voting to be convenient and accessible —and the voting rights reforms we passed in 2018 helped bolster record turnout in the 2020 election.

But remember: The status of our democracy depends on the people who set the rules. Petitions for an anti-voter ballot initiative — deceptively called Secure MI Vote — would restrict our voting rights, and our Republican-controlled legislature could potentially pass the initiative themselves and circumvent both a vote by the public and the governor’s veto power.

It’s a last-ditch effort by Republicans to set their own rules so they can keep the legislature in control.

A few weeks ago at a street fair event in Leelanau, I saw a little card table set up with a “Secure MI Vote” sign. The guy collecting signatures was spewing out phrases perpetuating the “Big Lie” and aimed at confusing voters. Sadly, folks clustered around the table. It was discouraging to see people swayed into supporting antivoter schemes by false and manipulative talking points. The 2020 election was the most secure and successful in our state’s history, and the proposal that the Secure Mi Vote initiative promises would only serve to disenfranchise voters. The last thing we need is anti-voter laws that cut into the very democracy we need to solve problems.

Now, here’s what I’d tell these folks: Decline to sign that petition.

I think about the kids in that photo. They’re in their 20s now, and hopefully voting.

On the day the photo was taken, as I was talking to the students, one of them asked whom I’d voted for. Quickly, their teacher reminded them that an individual’s vote is private, and the moment passed.

I know, because I lived in that county, that my choice in that mock election would not have been the majority choice. But my vote still counted, and that’s why we must work to make sure that all voters have their say.

If I could talk to those kids one more time, this is what I would say: Get engaged in your community. Choose your information sources wisely. Vote — but respect everyone else’s right to vote, too. We’re stronger when we all have a say.

Nancy Flanagan is a retired teacher who is passionate about ensuring democracy survives for the next generation. She writes from Cedar.

Josh Burnham’s Big Week In the first week of 2022, while the rest of us are just hoping to get to the gym twice, Traverse City football phenom will start at Notre Dame and play in the All-American Bowl.

By Al Parker Being born on St. Patrick’s Day, you could almost predict that Josh Burnham would be Irish – Fighting Irish, that is.

The Traverse City native, who turns 18 in March, is starting classes at the University of Notre Dame this week, after a stellar football career at the high school level. He and his TC Trojan teammates made it all the way to the state championship game in Detroit, where they lost 41-14 to Warren De La Salle.

“It was a great experience,” he says.

“Being able to put TC on the map and getting down to Ford Field was really something.

I’m really proud of all of the guys.”

Despite the loss, the season was a huge success. The Trojans went 12-2 with Burnham calling signals on offense and making key plays at linebacker on defense.

His athletic skills; 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame; and stalwart defensive play caught the eye of college coaches at the highest levels. He received scholarship offers from 16 Division 1 football schools from across the country.

“Overall, he went into this entire recruiting process open-minded and made sure that every box was checked, and ultimately Notre Dame just checked them all,” says his dad, Sean Burnham.

“The student body and class sizes played a big part in the decision, having between 8,000-9,000 enrolled while still being able to compete at the highest levels in college football.

Academically, he couldn’t go wrong with most any of the schools, but a Notre Dame degree and the alumni network that’s worldwide will help him later in life after football.”

The Maxwell Football Club named Josh one of 16 semifinalists for its prestigious

high school Defensive Player of the Year Award. He’s also in the running for the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in the country, and has earned an invitation to the upcoming Jan. 8 All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, a prestigious event that, since 2000, has featured 13 future Heisman Trophy finalists, 496 draft picks, 174 Pro Bowl selections, and 74 Super Bowl champions.

In other words, it’s a big deal for high school football players.

“The attention that Josh is getting is still unreal to us and him,” says his mom, Katie Burnham. “He was a little uncomfortable in the beginning. He didn’t like the attention only being on him. It was weird for us as well. I still look at him as Josh, my son who I still need to get on to clean his room.”

Josh is projected as an inside linebacker in the Irish defense.

“Burnham is a great fit for both of Notre Dame’s linebacker positions,” according to an analysis by web site Fan Nation, which tracks and evaluates college football prospects. “He has tremendous length, his range is outstanding, and he’s physical. And he hasn’t come close to reaching his full potential.”

Fan Nation’s analysis is an in-depth look at Josh’s football skills.

“Burnham is an impressive athlete, showing off impressive foot quickness, easy change of direction skills and top-notch burst. Not only does Burnham have very good long speed, his short-area burst and closing speed is [also] outstanding.

“Right now he doesn’t know how to use that length as a weapon, but once he does, he’ll be even harder to block. Burnham is still a bit of a raw prospect from a technical

standpoint. He must improve his footwork at linebacker and also enhance his block destruction inside. At this point, he’s just getting by on tools and God-given ability ... once his technical game catches up to his physical tools, the Traverse City Central athlete will a truly dominant defensive player.”

Despite all of the limelight focused on him, Josh is a humble, quiet guy who’d rather not deal with a lot of fanfare. “He’s learned along the way how to handle the attention,” says Katie. “He still doesn’t want it to be about him, so he tries to let everyone know that he has had a lot of support along the way — family, coaches, teammates, and friends.”

“He’s a humble kid,” Trojan football Coach Eric Shugars said during a radio interview last month. “For Josh, it’s all about the team. He’s well-deserving of all these awards. He’s a tremendous athlete on the field, but an even better person off the field.”

Josh remembers first playing football in the second grade. “I was a running back, then,” he says with a laugh. “I was just bigger and faster than anyone else. I loved it, and my love of the game just grew from there.”

Though Josh had a passion for the sport, he was just one of dozens of other little guys with football dreams in their heads.

“He stood out a little among some of his teammates,” says Sean. “But not to say anyone would have thought, ‘Man, this kid is going to be special.’”

It wasn’t until Josh got into middle school that he showed some signs of his athletic potential.

“It’s easy to focus on your kid,” says Sean.

“But from my memory, at times, he seemed to be the kid that was called on to make the big play to help secure a first down, to keep marching down the field, or to stop

the opponent from getting a first down or touchdown to shut things down.”

Even at that age, Josh was energetic, but not very verbose. “Josh is a very quiet person, always taking everything in until he is comfortable,” says Katie. “Then, look out — he’s a great big goofball!”

Sean remembers his son the same way.

“Josh, at times, was quiet growing up, but once he made a connection with his teammates and made friends, he was a ball of energy waiting to explode, mostly around playing sports,” he says. “He grew up having an English Mastiff for a companion and would use her for his tackling dummy at a very young age.”

He also grew up rooting for his favorite team, the University of Michigan. “I like college football so much better than the NFL,” he says.

When football season ended, young Josh would play basketball, and when spring rolled around, he would play baseball, where he was a catcher and outfielder playing all across northern Michigan.

“The biggest thing that has always stood out to me was his heart,” says Sean. “We would find ourselves traveling quite a bit for baseball and basketball throughout the state over the years, and while he was in between games, it seems like one of his teammates younger brothers or even one of the opponent’s younger family members would always find their way to Josh to play a little catch or for Josh to lend him his basketball and shoot around a little with them.

“He always wanted to get the younger groups involved and grew a bond with them to hopefully carry them into their older years and grow up to be great young men and women.”

Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 9

Grayling: The Little City that Could Part 2 in Northern Express’ Small Towns on the Rise series

By Ross Boissoneau Grayling’s crossroads location has been a blessing and a curse. Located at the junction of I-75, M-72, US 127, and M-93, the small city at the center of northern Lower Michigan is a convenient stopping point on the way to many places. Yet it’s also that fact that has contributed to its transient nature.

“Historically it’s the gateway to the north, a great place to pull off and shop and eat,” says Jillian Tremonti, the interim director for Grayling Main Street.

Which is fine, but not enough to make Grayling a place to go, rather than just a place go through. The city’s storied history, natural resources, and the famed AuSable River Canoe Marathon have kept Grayling on the map since its logging and new-highway heydays, but in recent years, a spate of new and improved businesses, a slowly revitalizing downtown, a commitment to developing art and culture, and a growing effort to capitalize on the area’s outdoor recreation opportunities are giving passersby reason to stop and stay awhile.

GAINING TRACTION Tremonti says the city is on the rebound.

What’s happened? A few things. Erich Podjaske, the city’s economic development director, says embracing Michigan’s Main

Street program has helped spur growth.

“It was really the catalyst,” he says of the program developed by the Michigan.

Economic Development Corporation.

While the population of both Crawford County and Grayling has dropped slightly in the last decade, Podjaske says a housing study done through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) showed Grayling is in need of hundreds of housing units.

Two large housing projects are on the horizon, one a 42-unit development and the other a 108-unit project which was just approved. Both are scheduled to break ground this spring and be completed within 12 to 18 months.

Podjaske also points to the ARAUCO particleboard facility outside town, which opened in 2019, as a sign of the town’s renewed economic vitality. He says other smaller companies have since opened as offshoots. In the city itself, he says three new small retail shops and a restaurant have opened, and Ray’s BBQ, Blues, and Brews recently opened on the river as well.

He admits Grayling isn’t “there” yet. A former hotel/restaurant downtown remains vacant, but he says the 10,000 square foot building is attracting interest. “It’s a big lift,” he says, but he’s hopeful the continued growth

10 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

of the city will spur someone to take on the challenge of resuscitating the property.

There’s also been renewed emphasis on arts and culture and one, two, three new brewpubs in the last decade.

The first was helped by AuSable Artisan Village. It combines a retail gallery with more than 40 artists, arts workshops for all ages and skill levels, and a stage and concert venue. Established in 2010 in the longvacant Ben Franklin building, the AuSable Artisan Village is in large part the vision of local artist Terry Dickinson, who is also the incoming president of the nonprofit. The Village’s mission: to initiate and support art and creative activities that enrich lives and fuel cultural and economic development of the Grayling community and region.

Add to that the affiliated Main Branch Gallery, which Tremonti describes as a highend art and sculpture gallery. It features nature-inspired works of original art, limited edition Giclee reproductions, jewelry, pottery and sculptures in wood and bronze.

Another element has been the emergence of those three breweries: Paddle Hard Brewing, Dead Bear Brewing Company, and Rolling Oak Brewing Company have added to the area’s appeal singly, and together have provided a huge boost.

So how does a small community like

Grayling support three breweries? Tremonti says they each have their individual personality and entertainment offerings, live music, comedians, and more. Paddle Hard and Dead Bear are full restaurants; Rolling Oak has its own proprietary food truck.

As the breweries give the town a shot in the arm, the town is responding in kind.

In July, Grayling launched its Brew Avenue social district. A social district is a designated area where patrons can carry their open alcoholic beverages in public spaces. The rationale behind such a district stems in part from the social distancing prevalent during the pandemic, as it provides a means for spacing among patrons, who can also enjoy their beverages while walking between stops.

PAST & PRESENT Of course, a town can’t live by art and beer alone. So while Grayling has worked to offer more, Tremonti says the city continues to showcase its history. Its Crawford County Historical Museum, which is located in the downtown’s restored railroad depot, looks back at the area’s lumbering history. It offers guests the opportunity to explore an old caboose, a military building dedicated to Camp Grayling and local ex-military personnel, a trapper’s cabin, and an oldfashioned fire station.

Nearby is Wellington Farm Park, a 60-acre living history museum dedicated to interpretation of farm life during the Great Depression. It has many historical buildings, including a blacksmith shop, farm market, gristmill, pavilion, sawmill, and summer kitchen.

More modern businesses add to the appeal. Among them is Northbound Outfitters, which is heavily invested in the area’s outdoor activities in every season.

It offers (deep breath) bikes, skis, apparel including shoes, kayaks, canoes, and accessories for outdoor activities, both summer and winter. Store Manager Mikaela Ashton says the store rents cross-country skis and snowshoes, useful at the many nearby trails, including Hanson Hills Recreation area, Forbush Corner (which boasts a manmade snow loop for conditions such as what we’re currently experiencing), Hartwick Pines, the Mason Tract, and Wakeley Lake.

Don’t forget the Northbound Outfitters food truck. Wait, what? Yes, this store even has its own food truck, offering a variety of tacos, burritos and sandwiches. It even smokes its own meats. “We decided to open that a few years ago just to bring traffic to the area, and specifically, to our store, and it has created a presence we never dreamed it would,” says Ashton. (Note to hungry readers: The truck operates only in summer, generally from some time in May to Labor Day.

NO WINTER HIBERNATION Although Grayling’s waterways and forests might seem to make it more of an ideal summer destination, it does winter proud. The first downhill ski area in Michigan was … that’s right, Hanson Hills, which opened in 1929. Today, it’s home to a 1,000-acre sports park, with downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowshoe trails, and over 35 km of Nordic Ski Trails. Ashton says the park is expanding its tubing hill this year due to increased demand the last few years. (In the summer Hanson Hills remains open; it offers disc golf, 3D archery, mountain bike, and hiking trails.)

Winter guests can usually find an iceskating rink at Tinker’s Junction, another popular eatery, when temperatures allow.

And as the temperature drops, Paddle Hard has igloos and ice shanties you can rent and dine outdoors in style with a small group.

Of course, Grayling is best known for one particular outdoor sport: the annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon. Each summer hundreds of racers from around the world descend on the town to sprint 120 miles on the water.

The hope now is that this premier race is just one of the things Grayling is known for. And with everything else springing up around the crossroads of northern Michigan, that may just be the case.

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By Janice Binkert Whether you’re a camper or not, if you are from northern Michigan, you probably have fond memories of sitting around a campfire on a beach or in your own backyard around a cozy wood fire — either roaring or glistening with dying embers — captivating your senses with its intoxicating aromas of smoke and its elemental beauty. Henry Bisson fell under the spell of wood + fire at a young age and now recreates that memory every day in his kitchen, to the delight of his guests at Smoke & Porter.

When Smoke & Porter first opened in July 2015, the last thing chef-owner Henry Bisson wanted was for people to assume it was a barbecue place. But that’s just what happened, due to the word “smoke” in its name. “It wasn’t smoke as in barbecue, though, it was smoke as in cooking with wood,” Bisson explains. “Actually, I was cooking chicken legs over a makeshift woodfired grill in my backyard one night when the inspiration for this place came to me. It was the smoke that triggered the concept, and it came down to the simplicity of the thing. That simple chicken was delicious.

It’s that campfire flavor. And I’m thinking, ‘Well, this is it. I want to bring that flavor to an elevated dining out experience.’ Doing barbecue wasn’t our intent. In the beginning, we didn’t have a ‘From the Pit’ section on the menu. We didn’t do brisket and pulled pork every day. But the people spoke, so we had to adapt and shift part of our concept. And

I actually kind of grew to appreciate it more over time.”

With the “smoke” component of the name in place, Bisson says the “porter” component was a natural. “As it happens, darker beers, like stouts and porters, pair very well with smoked meats, or any smoked foods. It made sense, especially since we have so many good local beers, including porters. Also, a porter is that person who is carrying things for others, so we also consider the word porter to represent our service staff. They’re bringing the experience of our food and drink to you.”

Although the menu does now include some barbecue, the wide array of food choices it offers couldn’t be more diverse. Bisson says that part of the reason for adding the subtext “Public House” to the Smoke & Porter name and logo from the start was that they didn’t want to call themselves a restaurant. And they didn’t want to be known as a barbecue place.

“We wanted to have the flexibility to just explore whatever we wanted to explore, food-wise. We didn’t want to be locked into something that we felt we weren’t or something that wouldn’t allow us to go in different directions or expand on our concept. And then, of course, there’s the whole history of British and Irish public houses (pubs), which through the centuries have been a kind of social hub for the community, and we definitely did want that welcoming aspect to come through.”

SMOKED FUSION Besides being utilized in the smoking

12 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

process in the kitchen, wood also plays a significant role in the dining room: Tables, floors, chairs, and trim, as well as the 20-footlong bar, all made from local hemlock, are polished to a warm patina, providing a rustic counterpart to the otherwise industrial feel of the space. And the finished menu items that the “porters” bring out to guests have their own yin and yang.

“My food isn’t quite fusion cooking,” says Bisson, “but I have no shame in pulling in any flavors from other types of cuisines.

If they work together, fit together, and can make a good dish, by all means, why not American barbecue with Indian curry, for example? Or Korean flavors, as in our pork lettuce wraps (hoisin BBQ pulled pork, gem lettuce and apple kimchi). I mean, people are cooking with fire all over the world. So why should I limit myself? Our smoked chicken has a chermoula rub on it that is common in Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. That’s not your typical barbecue rub. And our fish and chips — a nod to our ‘public house’ identity, with a twist — is Cajun seasoned, beerbattered whitefish (with waffle fries, malt vinegar and watercress slaw, and remoulade).”

More menu variety comes in the form of roasted beets (with shaved Brussels sprouts, red quinoa, dried apricots, goat cheese, Marcona almonds, and black garlic lemon vinaigrette) or a recent special feature of Swiss raclette (served with Texas smoked sausage, confit fingerling potatoes, cornichons, baguette, and whole grain mustard).

Smoke & Porter’s house-made desserts are always fun and creative, and like the main menus, they change regularly and seasonally.

A recent list included chocolate cake (with coconut-pecan icing and raspberry coulis), eggnog crème brûlée (with molasses gingersnap cookie), and the always-available “float flight” for kids (Northwoods Soda root beer, ginger ale, and orange cream soda with vanilla ice cream).

LUNCH IS BACK! Bisson just reinstated lunch service recently, having had to drop it for a time due to staffing and supply issues. “But with help from the landlord, the bank system, the government, and our loyal team, we were able to make it through and continue to operate at the same level we were previously,” he says. “There’s a desire for lunches, even here outside of Traverse City’s main downtown business district, and right now, we have the staff to do it.”

This time around, however, the menu is a bit simpler. “The one we had previously was more difficult to produce than our customers’ timeframe for lunch allowed.

It was geared toward more of a dine-in situation, and it just didn’t work for enough people,” says Bisson. “Now we have more grab-and-go type items like sandwiches that are an attractive alternative for people who otherwise would have to resort to going to a fast-food drive-through and getting stuck in long lines. They can easily call us ahead of time, be here in 15 minutes, and the food

MAKING NEW

Smiles is ready. And the main thing is, they’re not getting typical fast food. They’re getting really good food, quickly and conveniently.”

A new section on the lunch menu is playfully labeled Grilled Cheesish. “We say ‘ish’ because you’ve of course got all that gooey cheese melted in there and the crispy bread,” says Bisson, but we’re adding more interest.” Variations include the Cubano (mojo BBQ pulled pork, house-smoked ham, Swiss, Cubano pickle and ale-creamed mustard, on pullman bread), brisket (with smoked Gouda and BBQ onions, on pullman bread), and goat cheese (with olive tapenade and tomato, on semolina-fennel seed bread).

Keeping with the hand-held theme, Smoke & Porter still has burgers on the lunch menu, including the Truffle Huffer (with mushroom, brie, arugula, truffle vinaigrette and ale-creamed mustard, on brioche) and other sandwiches like house-smoked beef pastrami (with Swiss, horseradish-applearugula slaw and golden raisins, on caraway rye). Oh, and by the way, that caraway rye, pullman loaf, semolina fennel seed bread, and brioche are all made in-house.

PAYING IT FORWARD Bisson is originally from downstate, and he worked at a local family restaurant as a teenager, where he “kind of got hooked on the [kitchen] environment.” He started out as a dishwasher and was quickly moved up to the line. “I loved the teamwork and the camaraderie that was formed there,” he says. “I really enjoyed being in the kitchen and I had a group of people around me that I was finally connecting with.” When it was time to think about college, he came north and enrolled in culinary program at NMC in Traverse City (now the Great Lakes Culinary Institute).

Apprenticeships and restaurant stints in fine dining establishments in Oregon, Nantucket and Traverse City followed. “I’ve had some great mentors,” says Bisson. “Their guidance and those experiences provided me with incredible learning opportunities and really shaped me. One of the most important things I learned along the way was that good food is really all about mastering the proper

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techniques and having the best ingredients.”

And since the best ingredients are the freshest ingredients, sourcing locally is high on Bisson’s list of priorities.

Before launching Smoke & Porter, Bisson spent 12 years at Michael Peterson’s highly rated Lulu’s Bistro in Bellaire (now closed).

“For the first five years, Mike was still there to mentor me, and the last seven years it was kind of my kitchen,” he says. “And that was a gift. I had the opportunity to try new things, figure things out.”

And now that he has his own place, Bisson is paying it forward: “I’ve got individuals on staff who have been cooking for a while, but now I’m trying to put them in situations where they can think their processes through,” he says. “I want to give them more opportunity for growth, just like I had. Instead of ‘Okay, this is the recipe, and this is how I want you to do it,’ it’s more ‘Okay, figure something out, try this, see how you would like to have it look and taste.’ That way, they can start exercising their creativity more. Because those are the kind of things that enabled me to move forward.”

Smoke & Porter is located at 1752 U.S. 31 North in Traverse City. Open Tuesday through Saturday 11:30am–9pm. Happy hour 3pm7pm daily (and all day on Thursdays). Closed Sunday and Monday. For more information, including a wide range of catering and carry-out services, call (231) 642–5020, visit smokeandporter.com, or check them out on Facebook and Instagram.

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HAPPINESS IN A BOX In a world turned upside down, a few life-affirming documentaries can steady us for the new year

By Meg Weichmann

New year, new you. That’s the old adage, right? Well, how about this year it’s new year, new world — or new circumstances, or new human condition? Maybe after going through nearly two years of “unprecedented times” it’s not you that needs to change, it’s everything else.

Nevertheless, the start of a new year does still give us reason to pause and look to the future. And in a time when it can be difficult to face another year with a hopeful mindset, it’s easy to simply escape into the fictitious worlds of superheroes and musicals and fantasy. Yet documentary film, which is perhaps unfairly maligned as a depressing reminder of all that is wrong with the world, also offers a powerful balm for our malaise.

Because for every film that documents another terrible injustice or crisis or systemic issue we feel powerless to address, there is also a documentary that reminds us of the beauty, wonder, passion, and joy that the world holds, offering stark evidence that maybe things aren’t quite as bad as we thought. Here are some films that strive to do just that.

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD

Death. It doesn’t get much worse than that. But in Dick Johnson Is Dead, director Kirsten Johnson (who has filmed more than her share of deadly serious and distressing docs) turns the camera on herself and her beloved father as she tries to make sense of the impending inevitability of his death, and the result is delightfully life-affirming. Told with surreal and goofy humor to exuberant and heartfelt effect, the film’s very existence is a profound act of love that reminds us to appreciate those close to us while they are around. Streaming on Netflix.

MAN ON WIRE

Any movie can tell an inspiring story. Any movie can offer death-defying thrills from the safety of special effects. But Man on Wire is something else. A real-life heist movie that chronicles one of the most audacious acts of the 20th century, the story of Philippe Petit’s daring (and illegal) tightrope walk is poetry in motion. It’s the magic of seeing a dream realized and the power of witnessing nothing less than an actual human miracle. Streaming on Amazon Prime.

MARWENCOL

A hobby can be an important way to cope (especially if you resist the urge to try and monetize it), and in no movie is that more affectingly portrayed than in Marwencol. Following a brutal attack that left Mark Hogancamp with brain damage and without the resources to seek professional help, Mark found his own source of therapy in his backyard building a miniature WWII era-town and capturing the scenes he created with his camera.

Tender and moving, this intimate character study is an exhilarating story at how art can help us survive. Streaming on Kanopy.

(Access it through TADL.org.)

BEST WORST THING THAT EVER COULD HAVE HAPPENED

Still reeling from the loss of the master of musical theater, Stephen Sondheim? Then consider this doc a nifty double-hander that not only celebrates his genius but also buoys broken spirits.

Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened revisits one of Sondheim’s most notorious flops, 1981’s Merrily We Roll Along. But out of the ruins of the show’s ashes emerges a surprising story that is genuinely gladdening, finding beauty in disappointment and failure.

Streaming on Netflix.

FACES PLACES

What do you get when a French filmmaking legend in her 80s (Agnes Varda) and an enigmatic graffiti artist in his 30s team up to drive around France and encourage villager to make art? Pure joy.

That’s what you get: pure joy. Uncovering the humanity and enchantment in everyone and everything they encounter, this Oscar nominee for Best Documentary is a heartwarming look at friendship, community, and creation. Streaming on Kanopy and Tubi.

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

While the easy just “Be Kind’ rhetoric

is often more harmful than helpful in this day and age (kindness is no longer enough), that cynicism doesn’t apply when it comes to the quiet heroism and sincere goodness of Fred Rogers. Tracing the life, work, and incalculable legacy of the man behind Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? isn’t just a documentary, it’s a chance to be washed clean of the anguish of modern adult life, and an invitation to become the person Mister Rogers thought you could be. It’s such a good feeling.

Streaming on HBO Max.

OUR PLANET

Showing us the beauty of the world in a very literal sense, Our Planet’s spectacularly awe-inspiring vision of the place we call home, also offers metaphorical insight into the human experience. Narrated by David Attenborough, the docuseries doesn’t shy away from the ongoing threats to the natural world, which makes the extraordinary wonders it explores all the more deeply felt and vital. More things than you think can be fixed by simply stepping outside and taking a walk.

Streaming on Netflix.

HAPPY

Seeking a more literal approach finding happiness in the new year? The documentary Happy is just the ticket.

Director Roko Belic travels the world, meeting people from all walks of life and across over 14 different countries, from a rickshaw driver in Kolkatta to a Cajun

fisherman in the US, who share their stories of contentment. Your mileage may vary as to what you get out of its lessons on the science of positive psychology, but meeting and hearing from so many happy people, may perhaps offer a fleeting contact high.

Streaming on Kanopy and Tubi.

TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU

Still thinking you’re part of the problem and that you do in fact need to change?

Well, Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru gives you an all-access pass to the self-help superstar’s annual “Date with Destiny” seminar. At it’s best, this is compelling portrait of event logistics that can affirm doubters of charismatic motivational speakers they don’t need this kind of introspective help (therapy is always a great option!)). And even for those who are interested in giving themselves over to this kind of experience, it can save you from spending the substantial amount of money that is required to attend such meetings.

Streaming on Netflix.

STOP MAKING SENSE

And if all else fails, and nothing seems to be able to lift your spirits, you can always put on Jonathan Demme’s Talking Heads concert documentary and be transported to a state of bliss, if only for 88 minutes. Nothing can top the unstoppable, tireless joy of David Byrne and company singing and dancing their hearts out. Stop Making Sense makes everything better. It just does. Streaming on Amazon Prime.

Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 15

By Brighid Driscoll What happened to all the magic?

There are still practicing magicians in this day and age, of course, but entertaining audiences with magic is not nearly as popular as it was 100 years ago.

In the early 1900s — aka the “Golden Age of Magic” — magicians toured extensively and sold out shows easily. They didn’t skip the out-of-the-way outpost of northwest Lower Michigan either. In fact, one woman changed Leland forever by bringing a magic everlasting to Fishtown — and to one building in particular: the Old Art Building.

Turning 100 years old this year, the community space is doing what it’s always done: providing locals with arts, entertainment, and education opportunities.

“Right now we’re hosting our Snow Show Exhibition, and it’s wonderful because it gives our members a chance to display their artwork,” says Executive Director Becky Ross. Not only does the gallery event give members a place to show their work, it’s also an opportunity to sell it and support the OAB. A full 80 percent of proceeds goes back to the artists, and the other 20 goes toward supporting the OAB. Events like these are commonplace at the OAB, but none of it would exist if it weren’t for a woman by the name of Allie Mae Best.

100 YEARS UNDER ITS SPELL

16 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

POOF … REWIND IN TIME In the late 1890s, when she met a magic man by the name of Walter T. Best, Allie Mae was a sweet, small-town girl living in St. Charles, Illinois. With a name like that and charm like his, Allie Mae was quickly smitten. Walter was an up and comer on the touring magician circuit, and the first magician to be signed to a Chautauqua show.

Chautauqua was an adult education and social-cultural movement that was born in the lake resort community of Chautauqua County, New York, and spread across the country in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by educators, explorers, preachers, scientists, artists, and musicians. Their mission: to educate, entertain, and inspire the masses.

Walter’s magic act wasn’t typical Chautauqua fare, but his charisma and talent earned him a spot on the Chautauqua touring circuit. “There would have been other types of entertainment, but not a magic show. So, he was the first to achieve that,” says Mary Stewart, a former OAB board member.

Walter and Allie married in 1899. “It was a big deal. It was kind of like having Jack Benny marry a local girl,” Stewart says.

She doesn’t exaggerate. By 1906, Walter T. Best — also known by his stage name, Maro Prince of Magic — was the highest-earning magician in the U.S. and his fame was on par with Houdini’s.

However, the good times would not last.

In 1908, while touring the East Coast, Walter caught Typhoid, which he died from in three weeks’ time. Allie was back at their summer home in Leland when he fell ill and was heartbroken by his death. In 1909, she began a women’s club, lovingly named after her husband. The Walter T. Best Women’s Club was part of a larger movement of clubs that sprang up around the United States between the 1870s and 1920s and gave women an outlet outside of the home to use and hone their skills.

“These kinds of women’s clubs were all over the country,” says Board President Dan Lisuk. “They gave women an opportunity to take an active role in their communities.”

The typical meeting provided some kind of entertainment, whether it was reciting poetry, playing instruments, or singing. They also worked on craft projects. The women of the Walter T. Best Women’s Club came

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from all kinds of backgrounds. There were college-educated women as well as farmers’ wives, united by their hunger for knowledge, arts, and culture. Meetings were held in the afternoon and discussion often revolved around how the club would fundraise for a space where they could host Chatauqua events and bring outside culture to the Leland community.

With years of fundraising behind it, what we now know as the Old Art Building was completed in 1922 and for 17 years the building hosted artists, musicians, and orators of all sorts. “There was a lot of folk art, folk music, folklore being spoken,” says Ross. “And people who lived here got to experience it, some for the first time.”

A DREAM DEFERRED Those happy, early years came to a halt when the Great Depression settled in, and by 1939, Allie Mae decided it best to donate the building to Michigan State University. MSU used the building for summer students to take art classes. The program operated until the late ’80s, when it closed due to dwindling enrollment.

Interest in the building came to the forefront again when it was being considered for development a few years later. “There were rumors that it was going to be sold,” says Sally Biggs, who in 1994 teamed up with a woman named Amy Chattfield; a local couple, Bobbie and Ed Collins; and a few others founded a nonprofit called the Leelanau Cultural Community Center to save the building.

“The LC3 we called it,” Biggs recalls.

Several LCCC members, along with Lisuk, struck a deal with MSU to rent the building at the hefty price of $1 every 10 years. A board was formed, staff was hired, and arts and educational programming returned to the Old Art Building under the care of the LCCC. Though the rent was cheap, the love, care, and raised funds that were poured into the Old Art Building drove desire for the LCCC to purchase it. MSU was reluctant,

but hope and a little perseverance go a long way, says Ross.

“Our last big fundraiser was in 2020.

With what we raised, we were able to buy the building,” Ross says. The building doesn’t look too different from its original self.

ABRACADABRA Upon entering the auditorium, art is displayed on the wooded walls, and a stage with heavy, red velvet curtains stands at the back.

In the back office, a box of wooden ornaments sits unpainted. “This is an upcoming art project for the kids,” administrative assistant Abby Chattfield says. The ornaments go on the Christmas trees outside of the OAB, and for one weekend will be accompanied by s’mores and visiting reindeer.

Public events like these are abundant at the OAB. There are endless opportunities to get involved, whether it be an art workshop, craft class, concert, or friend’s wedding.

“I know people who have gotten married here, had birthday parties and college graduations here. I think that ties into that community feeling. People each have their own memories here,” says Chattfield.

There are only more memories to be made. To celebrate 100 years, the OAB will be adding a little extra to all of their planned fundraisers and events for 2022. “We don’t want people to get sick of us talking about it,” Ross says. “100 years!”

If we look hard enough, we can find magic in the corners of our own lives — when the snow floats instead of falls, finding that missing thing that’s been given up on, a wink between lovers.

Ellie Mae found it throughout her life and had the good sense to encourage that wonder in others.

“Ellie Mae actually returned to Leland in 1947,” Stewart says. “She came to attend the sixth annual summer school exhibition.

There were 284 registered attendees, her name among them. She signed the registry — Mrs. A. Maro.”

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Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 17

jan 01

saturday

FROZEN RABBIT 5K RUN & WALK: Starts at the Norte Wheelhouse at 11am & goes through neighborhoods of TC. If you wear a costume, you can win a prize. Register. Suggested $15 minimum donation. elgruponorte.org/theme_event/ frozen-rabbit/?mc_cid=8205887e42&mc_ eid=df24b9efb4

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SNOWSHOE HIKE: 11am, Michigan Legacy Art Park, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Executive Director Angie Quinn will lead a snowshoe tour over about two miles of hilly wooded trails to view the sculptures in the Art Park. Free with $5 admission to park; youth are free. crystalmountain.com/event/ snowshoe-tours

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WINTER WINE WALK: 12-3pm, Otsego Resort, Gaylord. Walk from the River Cabin to the bonfire at the Beaver Dam. Along the trail, visit three wine tasting stations that are paired with light food. $38. otsegoclub.com/ event/winter-wine-walk-11

jan 03

monday

VINYL LOVERS! BUY, SELL, SWAP, APPRECIATE!: 7pm, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. Every other Monday, Eugene’s Record Co-op will be hosting a Vinyl Lovers evening at The Workshop. They will bring crates of vinyls to sell & play. Bring your own vinyls to share, swap, sell, & appreciate. traversecityworkshop.com/events

jan 04

tuesday

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 10:30am, Suttons Bay Bingham District Library. Stories, songs & crafts. Free. sbbdl.org

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TCNEWTECH PITCH EVENT - ONLINE: 6pm. Innovators, inventors, & other out-of-thebox thinkers pitch their health-tech ideas & connect with the resources needed to launch.

Held via YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn from your own device OR on the big screen at Middle Coast Brewing at State Street Marketplace. eventbrite.com/e/tcnewtech-pitch-eventjanuary-4-2022-tickets-224693463197?mc_ cid=087fa2263c&mc_eid=36a666ea46

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GRAND TRAVERSE KENNEL CLUB MEETING: Harrington’s By The Bay, TC. 6pm dinner & social; 7pm meeting. Grandtraversekennelclub.com

jan 05

wednesday

STATE REP. JOHN DAMOOSE OFFICE HOURS: 12-1pm, Cheboygan Area Public Library, lower-level large room. Damoose will meet with constituents individually to hear their concerns & discuss his work in the Legislature. No appointment is necessary to attend.

517-373-2629.

jan 06

thursday

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR DEMOCRACY: 5:30pm. Gather for a nonpartisan Candlelight Vigil at the Old Courthouse in TC

on Washington St. & Boardman Ave. Commemorate the anniversary of the attack on the Capitol & our Democracy on Jan. 6.

Please bring flashlights. Join to pledge support for Voting Rights Acts & our representative Democracy. Free. fb.me/e/1nilgYa0Q.

january

01-09

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COMEDY WITH DWAYNE GILL: 7:30pm, TC Comedy Club, TC. Dwayne’s topics range from current events, men & women relationships to the crazy situations he’s encountered as a police officer. As an actor, Dwayne has appeared in the ABC crime drama “Detroit 1-8-7,” & the movie “Crave.” He recently shot a pilot for a new sitcom starring him called “Joe vs Joe.” $20-$25. traversecitycomedyclub.com

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

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WORLD PREMIERE OF “PROTECT AND SERVE”: 7:30pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. Filming took place in Northport with additional footage in Clare, Reed City & Grand Rapids with the support of local talent & sponsors. The film was produced by Lydia Woodruff, a 2015 graduate of Northport High School & the daughter of artist Thomas Woodruff. Visit web site for tickets. thebaytheatre.com

jan 07

friday

STATE REP. JOHN DAMOOSE OFFICE HOURS: 10:30-11:30am, Petoskey District Library, lower-level classroom.

Damoose will meet with constituents individually to hear their concerns & discuss his work in the Legislature. No appointment is necessary to attend. 517-373-2629.

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COMEDY WITH CHRISTOPHER TITUS: TC Comedy Club, TC. This stand-up comedian, writer, actor & producer’s multi-cam half hour “Titus” earned an Emmy nomination. Most recently, Chris wrote, produced, directed & starred in the feature “Special Unit,” about a team of special needs people who form an undercover police unit. Shows at 7:30pm & 10pm. $30-$40. traversecitycomedyclub.com

jan 08

saturday

12TH ANNUAL WINTER TRAILS DAY - TIMBER RIDGE: 10:30am-2pm, Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort, TC. Free trail access, introductory ski lessons, fatbike demos, guided snowshoe hikes, & use of equipment rentals for those new to winter trail sports.

Limited equipment available. Free cookies & cocoa will be served in the lodge. Register. traversetrails.org/event/wintertrailsday

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LITTLE WAVES YOUNG CHILDREN’S LIBRARY SERIES: 10:30am, Petoskey District Library, & 1pm, Charlevoix Public Library. For ages 4-10. Interactive activities with Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra musicians. This year’s theme is “My Favorite Musical Instrument,” with this month featuring woodwinds.

Free. petoskeylibrary.org charlevoixlibrary.org

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SNOWSHOES, VINES & WINES: 12-5pm, Black Star Farms, Suttons Bay. Explore easy to moderate trails, & then warm up with a beverage on the Terrace Patio. Snowshoe rentals will be available. blackstarfarms. com/snowshoes-vines-wines

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WINTER TRAILS DAY - CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN: 1pm, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Try cross-country skiing for free. A free one-hour clinic includes a lesson & rental equipment. Only 16 spaces available. Advanced reservations required: 888-9687686, ext. 4000. crystalmountain.com/event/ winter-trails-day

18 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

Don’t miss Winter Trails Day at places like Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville (1pm) and Timber Ridge RV and Recreation Resort, TC (10:30am-2pm) where you can try cross-country skiing for free on Sat., Jan. 8! Included are a lesson and rentals. Timber Ridge will also offer fatbike demos and guided snowshoe hikes. Register in advance. Limited space and equipment available. traversetrails.org/event/wintertrailsday crystalmountain.com/ event/winter-trails-day

FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC - VESPERS CONCERT: 4pm, Zion Lutheran Church of Petoskey. Featuring music of the Seasons of Christmas and Epiphany by Dr. John Boonenberg with Bill Wilson, Owen James, Ted Pall, Amy Joy Cross, & Brian Horning. Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/for-the-love-of-music-vespers-concert-series-tickets-227990705337 Free-will donation. zionlutheranpetoskey.org

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COMEDY WITH DWAYNE GILL: 7pm, TC Comedy Club, TC. Dwayne’s topics range from current events, men & women relationships to the crazy situations he’s encountered as a police officer. As an actor, Dwayne has appeared in the ABC crime drama “Detroit 1-8-7,” & the movie “Crave.” He recently shot a pilot for a new sitcom starring him called “Joe vs Joe.” $20-$25. traversecitycomedyclub.com

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THIRD COAST SWING: 7:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. Influenced by the music of guitarist & composer Django Reinhardt & his band, The Hot Club of Paris, Third Coast Swing specializes in gypsy swing, gypsy bossa, bolero, French musette & more. $25 members, $35 non-members, $10 students. crookedtree.org/event/ctacpetoskey/third-coast-swing

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AGUANKÓ: 8pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. This ensemble, led by percussionist & composer Alberto Nacíf, is a talented group of Michigan based musicians who are steeped in the tradition of jazz infused Son-Salsa. $20 members, $25 advanced, $28 door. dennosmuseum.org/events/milliken/index.html

jan 09 --------

sunday

LIVE CLASSICAL MUSIC AT THE LIBRARY: 1pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Held the second Sun. of every month. Free. tadl.org

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON JAZZ - JEFF HAAS TRIO & LAURIE SEARS: 3pm, GT

Circuit, TC. Featuring Chateau Chantal wine & Mama Lu’s tacos. Proof of vaccination & masks required. $20 donation. gtcircuit.org

ongoing

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

art

“WOODLAND STUDIES”: Glen Arbor Arts Center. A small exhibition of black & white photographs by Grand Rapids photographer Rodney Martin. The exhibition runs Jan. 7 – April 13 in the GAAC Lobby Gallery. Martin focuses his lens on the landscape. For the images in “Woodland Studies,” he zeros in on rivers, woods & orchards in Benzie, Grand Traverse & Leelanau counties. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org/events/ exhibit-woodland-studies

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ANNUAL ART TREE & SMALL GIFT SHOW: Higher Art Gallery, TC. 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 through Jan. 1. higherartgallery.com

--------------------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 featuring artist Ellie Harold. dennosmuseum.org

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WINTER MEMBER EXHIBITION: Runs through Jan. 14 at Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. Check web site for hours & being closed on holidays. oliverartcenter.org

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WOOD CARVINGS BY BOB AYALA: Alden District Library. Runs Jan. 3-29. Closed on Sundays. 231-331-4318. aldenlib.info

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If you’re not closely paying attention, it can be difficult to keep up with where we are in any given Spider-Man movie cycle.

The latest movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home, marks the conclusion of the Jon Watts-directed Spider-Man movies, with this franchise within a franchise’s biggest distinguishing features being Tom Holland as Peter Parker (duh), its place within the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe (and the corresponding parent company crossover), as well as its commitment to a tone akin to a John Hughes high school movie.

And whether this turns out to be Holland’s swan song in the suit or not, it is an absolutely perfect capper — an incredibly satisfying send-off that combines charming humor with serious heft. It’s also a film that also makes you appreciate everything that came before it (like the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire films and Andrew Garfield’s short foray) in new and unexpected ways.

Throughout its history, Spider-Man has had its various ups and downs, but there is a reason the character has remained so beloved. It’s that Peter Parker is perhaps our most relatable superhero, a dorky teenager without a lot of money working his way through some pretty immense loss. And it is this endearing quality that this trilogy, and this film in particular, so beautifully taps into.

Picking up immediately after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, villain Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), in a final act of vengeance, revealed the identity of SpiderMan to the world. And this big revelation is spun by a conspiracy-driven web show that makes Peter Parker the most hated man in the country, painting him as both a menace and murderer. This is obviously not the best thing to happen to Peter in his senior year, and the controversy makes him so radioactive that not only does MIT reject him but also his sarcastic girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya, fantastic as always), and nerdy BFF, Ned (Jacob Batalon), for their mere association.

Now, what’s a kid to do when faced with such crushing disappointment and guilt other than go visit his friendly neighbor wizard, Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, having one heck of an interesting year), and convince him to use his powers to make everyone but his loved ones forget he’s Spider-Man. But, of course, the spell goes wrong and has unexpected consequences — namely, creating multidimensional chaos and causing SpiderMan franchises to collide.

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Summoned to Spider-Man’s new reality are villains from franchise past, including Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), and one of the all-time greatest villains of any comic book movie, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. But when given the chance, Peter doesn’t condemn these men to their previous fates; he wants to fix them and save them.

If this sounds a little bit like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it kind of is, but it also kind of isn’t. If it sounds like the epitome of postmodernism, it 1,000 percent is. This is meta meta meta, and the film has a lot of fun winking at the audience until it culminates in a nifty little twist that will leave you with a big silly grin.

Yet between all the winks, there are also some scenes that will leave you an emotional wreck. The iconic line “With great power comes great responsibility” hits with a poignancy like never before.

Tom Holland is just as great of a SpiderMan as there can be, and he brings some true gravitas in an arc that takes him from Spider-Boy to Spider-Man. Sure, a lot of this film might be seen as simple fan service, and to be clear, a lot of it is, but if it makes viewers this gleefully happy, is that such a bad thing? Even the haters will have to admit No Way Home at least mixes up the superhero formula a bit.

I do understand the urge to criticize. The media theory side of me can’t help but want to denounce the film as some kind of synergistic harbinger, signaling that we are essentially now doomed to repeat the same stories over and over again, stories that offer no real meaning other than self-referential nostalgia.

But gosh darn it, I just can’t. Exactly a week before seeing this, I sat in the very same IMAX theater at approximately the same time, with only four other people, seeing West Side Story on its highly promoted opening weekend. For Spider-Man: No Way Home, however, the screening was packed to the brim (the theater’s biggest house sold out!), and I got to enjoy the movie with an audience that was laughing, clapping, cheering, and gasping along.

Flexible, feel-good work at $20/hour.

• Flexible hours and positions • Make a difference working behind the scenes or directly with patients • On-the-job training provided (no degree needed) To apply, scan the QR code – or talk to a recruiter at 231-384-2429.

Check out all our opportunities at munsonhealthcare.org/careers.

Now, there will be many a think piece about what this all means, but for me, it simply comes down to this: Whomever or whatever Spider-Man saved in the film cannot compare to the fact that he just might have saved the movie theater.

Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 19

nitelife

jan 01 - jan 09 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

the ADViCE GOddESS Rust Issues

Q May your heart be light this week at Traverse City Comedy Club! Dwayne Gill will have you laughing about topics such as current events, men and women relationships, and crazy situations he’s encountered as a police officer. Catch him on Thurs., Jan. 6 at 7:30pm or Sat., Jan. 8 at 7pm. Tickets: $20-$25. Stand-up comedian, writer, actor and producer Christopher Titus performs on Fri., Jan. 7 at both 7:30pm and 10pm. His multi-cam half hour “Titus” earned him an Emmy nomination. Most recently, he wrote, produced, directed and starred in the feature “Special Unit.” Tickets: $30-$40. traversecitycomedyclub.com

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska GT CIRCUIT, TC 1/9 -- Jazz w/ Jeff Haas Trio & Laurie Sears, 3

1/7 -- Comedy with Christopher Titus, 7:30 & 10 1/8 – Comedy with Dwayne Gill, 7

LIL BO, TC Thurs. – Jazz w/ Larz Cabot, 6-9 Fri. – Live music Sun. -- Karaoke - Shooting Star Entertainment, 8

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 1/1 -- DJ Ras Marco D, 12-2pm; Botala, 7 Tues. – Open Mic, 7-9 1/7 -- Blair Miller, 7 1/8 -- The Marsupials, 7-9

TC COMEDY CLUB, TC 1/6 -- Comedy with Dwayne Gill, 7:30

UNION STREET STATION, TC Sun. -- Karaoke, 10 1/3 -- Jukebox, 10 1/4 -- Open Mic Comedy, 8-9:30; Electric Open Mic, 10-2 1/5 -- DJ Franck, 10 1/6 -- Comedy Show, 8 1/7-8 -- Skin & Marshall Dance Party, 10

THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC 1/4 -- Trivia, 7-9

Antrim & Charlevoix BIG BUCK BREWERY, GAYLORD 1/7 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

Otsego, Crawford & Central BREWERY, GAYLORD 1/7 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

Leelanau & Benzie BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY 1/1 -- Michelle Chenard, 4-7:30

THE NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY 1/1 -- Moon Howlers, 7-10

Emmet & Cheboygan BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY 1/1 -- Michelle Chenard, 4-7:30

THE NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY 1/1 -- Moon Howlers, 7-10

20 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

: My husband and I are in our 50s, married 25 years. I married for life, but I didn’t expect our initially happy marriage to turn into a dull housemates situation.

With our children away at college, there’s no distraction from my husband’s lack of interest in having a fun, interesting life or even trying to be interesting to me. Most disturbingly, he isn’t interested in sex — at least with me — though I’m fit and still get called “beautiful.” I can pleasure myself, but I’m despondent at the prospect of spending the last decades of my life no longer being desired or even seen as a sexual person. I’m envious of my 50-something friend, now shacked up with her new partner. They are so effusively fulfilled together — domestically and sexually, I’m told — it makes me want to vomit whenever we meet for dinner. I can only imagine the fun and sex they’re having.

Do you think I should follow their lead?

— Sex-Starved Bored Wife

A

: There’s “Marriage, The Fantasy” — the gauzy gloriousness you see in wedding dress commercials — and then there’s “Marriage, The Unadvertised Reality”: Eventually, your spouse could die at the breakfast table, and you might not notice till dinner.

Couples whose spousalship erodes to this point tend to feel guilty (yet mystified at where they went wrong). They’re unaware they’ve been set up to fail thanks to impossible-to-meet modern expectations for marriage. “For thousands of years the theme song for most weddings could have been ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It?’” observes historian Stephanie Coontz.

Until about 200 years ago, marriage was a vital system for powerful moneybags families to forge political alliances, merge fortunes, and even make peace treaties (lest Europe play host to the, um, Hapsburgs and the McCoys). We of the stinking masses did this on a smaller scale, like by marrying off our daughter to the son of the farmer with the enviable potato fields butting up to ours.

In other words, the common modern expectation that a spouse be one’s lifetime romantic and sexual excitement provider gives marriage a job it was never set up to do — and really can’t do — just when medical advances have us taking longer than ever to go facedown in the Cream of Wheat.

BY Amy Alkon Marriage modern-style has its pluses: among them, an on-site best friend, a stable environment for raising kids, two-fer tax benefits, and higher living standards. And let’s be frank: It’s ideal to live with someone who’ll do more than lick his paw while you thrash around on the living room floor from a seizure.

Unfortunately, there’s no stopping the “hedonic adaptation,” the inevitable dulling of marital excitement. “Hedonic,” from the ancient Greek word for pleasure, with “adaptation” describes how we quickly habituate to changes in our lives, positive or negative. That boob job or the bummer diagnosis stops giving us the lift or gut punch it first did, and we swing back to our baseline level of happiness or gloom. In a marriage, assuming things don’t go ugly, the early lusty romance gives way to “companionate love,” the comfy dog-chewed old slippers of longterm partnership.

There is a defibrillator of sorts for flatlining marital excitement: an ongoing variety of surprising experiences — big and small, daily and weekly. Neuroscientist Wolfram Schultz finds that “unpredictable rewards” — aka surprises — can be three or four times as exciting to us as those we’re used to. To take advantage of this, spouses might alternate weeks bringing each other on a mystery date — taking into account personal preferences and medical issues, lest the surprise take a surprise turn: “Betcha didn’t guess we’d be drinking Benadryl nightcaps in the ER!” Admittedly, this is rather weak tea to throw at the problem disturbing you most: being sexually abandoned by your husband. It’s probably impossible to solve and likely would be even if he wanted to want you again. We’re sexually excited by the new and out of reach, and you can’t become a sexy stranger for him to pursue — or even fake it plausibly.

You went into marriage with the best of intentions -- marrying “for life” -- but you’re now left with two options: 1. Part company with having any sort of sensual relationship that doesn’t require vow breakage. 2. Part company with your husband. If you’re inclined toward the latter, some inner voice might rise up to scold you, “Whatever happened to ‘Till death do us part’?!” Sure, that’s the deal you signed up for, but consider whether you think living the next 30 years like you’re sexually embalmed should count.

Personally, as a never-married, seize-theday type, I’m planning to be the hussy of the senior care facility — the subject of endless gossip by resentful elderly busybodies.

lOGY

JAN 03 - JAN 09

BY ROB BREZSNY

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

Muhammad Ali was far more than a superb professional boxer. He was an activist, entertainer, and philanthropist who gathered much wisdom in his 74 years. I’ve chosen one of his quotes to be your guide in the coming months. I hope it will motivate you to rigorously manage the sometimes pesky and demanding details that will ultimately enable you to score a big victory. “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you down,” Ali said. “It’s the pebble in your shoe.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Everything good

I’ve ever gotten in my life, I only got because I gave something else up,” wrote author Elizabeth Gilbert. That has often been true for me. For example, if I hadn’t given up my beloved music career, I wouldn’t have had the time and energy to become a skillful astrology writer with a big audience. What about you, Libra? In my reckoning, Gilbert’s observation should be a major theme for you in 2022.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author C. S. Lewis wrote that we don’t simply want to behold beauty. We “want to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.” If there were ever a time when you could get abundant tastes of that extravagant pleasure, Scorpio, it would be in the coming months. If you make it a goal, if you set an intention, you may enjoy more deep mergers and delightful interactions with beauty than you have had since 2010.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian singer-songwriter Tom Waits began his career in 1969. He achieved modest success during the next 11 years. But his career headed in an even more successful direction after he met Kathleen Brennan, who became his wife and collaborator. In a 1988 interview, Waits said, “She’s got the whole dark forest living inside of her. She pushes me into areas I would not go, and I’d say that a lot of the things I’m trying to do now, she’s encouraged.”

In 2022, Sagittarius, I’ll invite you to go looking for the deep dark forest within yourself. I’m sure it’s in there somewhere. If you explore it with luxuriant curiosity, it will ultimately inspire you to generate unprecedented breakthroughs. Yes, it might sometimes be spooky—but in ways that ultimately prove lucky.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): At a pivotal

moment in his evolution, Aquarian playwright Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) swore an oath to himself. I’ll tell you about it here because I hope it will inspire you to make a comparable vow to yourself about how you’ll live your life in 2022. Author Robert Greene is the source of the quote. He says that Chekhov promised himself he would engage in “no more bowing and apologizing to people; no more complaining and blaming; no more disorderly living and wasting time. The answer to everything was work and love, work and love. He had to spread this message to his family and save them. He had to share it with humanity through his stories and plays.”

there’s no place like home.” I suspect, Aries, that there’ll be a different ending to your epic tale in 2022. At some point, you will decide you prefer to stay in your new world. Maybe you’ll even click your ruby slippers together and say, “There’s no place like Oz, there’s no place like Oz.” (Thanks to author David Lazar for that last line.)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Fifty-five percent

of the people who live in Toronto speak primarily English or French. But for the other 45 percent, their mother tongue is a different language, including Portuguese, Tagalog, Italian, Tamil, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin. I wish you could spend some time there in the coming months. In my astrological opinion, you would benefit from being exposed to maximum cultural diversity. You would thrive by being around a broad spectrum of influences from multiple backgrounds. If you can’t manage a trip to Toronto or another richly diverse place, do your best to approximate the same experience. Give yourself the gift of splendorous variety.

"Time to Start Over"--only a few days left. by Matt Jones

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): One of your

primary meditations throughout 2022 should be the following advice from The Laws of Human Nature, a book by motivational author Robert Greene. He writes, “In ancient times, many great leaders felt that they were descended from gods and part divine. Such self-belief would translate into high levels of confidence that others would feed off and recognize. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. You do not need to indulge in such grandiose thoughts, but feeling that you are destined for something great or important will give you a degree of resilience when people oppose or resist you. You will not internalize the doubts that come from such moments. You will have an enterprising spirit. You will continually try new things, even taking risks, confident in your ability to bounce back from failures and feeling destined to succeed.”

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): I would love to unabashedly encourage you to travel widely and explore wildly in 2022. I would rejoice if I could brazenly authorize you to escape your comfort zone and wander in the frontiers. It’s not often the planetary omens offer us Cancerians such an unambiguous mandate to engage in exhilarating adventures and intelligent risks. There’s only one problem: that annoying inconvenience known as the pandemic. We really do have to exercise caution in our pursuit of expansive encounters. Luckily, you now have extra ingenuity about the project of staying safe as you enlarge your world.

LEO

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Here’s what

(July 23-Aug. 22): What reversals and turnabouts would you like to experience in 2022, Virgo? Which situations would you like to transform dramatically? Are there imbalances of power you would like to rectify? Contradictions you’d love to dissolve? Misplaced priorities you could correct?

All these things are possible in the coming months if you are creative and resourceful enough. With your dynamic efforts, the last could be first, the low could be high, and the weak could become strong.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the fantasy

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

Piscean author Anais Nin wrote in one of her diaries: “When I first faced pain, I was shattered.

When I first met failure, defeat, denial, loss, death, I died. Not today. I believe in my power, in my magic, and I do not die. I survive, I love, live, continue.”

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Pisces, you could claim her triumphant declaration as your own in 2022, with special emphasis on this: “I believe in my power, in my magic. I survive, I love, live, continue.” This will be a golden age, a time when you harvest the fruits of many years of labor.

tale “The Wizard of Oz,” a tornado lifts the hero Dorothy from her modest home in rural Kansas to a magical realm called Oz. There she experiences many provocative and entertaining adventures. Nonetheless, she longs to return to where she started from. A friendly witch helps her find the way back to Kansas, which requires her to click her ruby slippers together three times and say, “There’s no place like home,

“Jonesin” Crosswords

and turnabouts would you like to experience in 2022, Virgo? Which situations would you like to transform dramatically? Are there imbalances of power you would like to rectify? Contradictions you’d love to dissolve? Misplaced priorities you could correct?

All these things are possible in the coming months if you are creative and resourceful enough. With your dynamic efforts, the last could be first, the low could be high, and the weak could become strong.

ACROSS 1 George Eliot’s “___ Marner” 6 Intellect 9 Window framework 13 Opposite of obtuse 14 Turn towards 15 Nickname for the president of Mexico (based on his monogram) 16 Get gone, colloquially 19 Fiji-to-Samoa dir.

20 Voicemail noise 21 Capital of French Flanders (and birthplace of de Gaulle) 22 Burger King offering on the smaller side 26 Laundry challenges 28 First-string athletic groups 29 “The Christmas Song” composer Mel 30 “Gently worn,” really 33 30-Down, e.g.

34 Onetime seller of onesies 37 Electric guitar hookup 40 Jay who hosts a new revival of “You Bet Your Life” 41 Very slow tempo 43 ‘40s pinup Betty 48 Clan of hip-hop notoriety 49 Fast asleep 53 Forename in fragrances 54 Remove with absorbent material 55 “Game of Thrones” airer 58 Right about now (and a hint to the closing word of each theme answer) 62 Poker holding 63 Part of a whole 64 ‘50s White House name 65 Airport postings, for short 66 Red No. 5, e.g.

67 Tiffs DOWN 1 Fill up 2 Confident affirmation

3 Tepid 4 Chewed on some cheese 5 Black or Red 6 Batman, really 7 More inhospitable 8 “Dancing With the Stars” perfection 9 Contacts wearer’s solution 10 Earhart who shows up in the latter half of “American Horror Story: Double Feature” 11 Ski race with gates 12 Optimistic types 14 Producer’s nightmare 17 Uploads or downloads, in obsolete internet usage 18 Oversupply 23 She & ___ (Zooey Deschanel’s band) 24 Ground floor apartment number, perhaps 25 Actress Pinkett Smith 26 Place for a snort nap?

27 “Ode ___ Nightingale” 30 Purple base of some Filipino desserts 31 Roget’s entry (abbr.)

32 One of a Freudian trio 35 “Madonna: Truth or Dare” director Keshishian 36 Bathtub stopper 37 Object of loathing 38 ___ Dew 39 Fad disc from the ‘90s 42 It’s E. of S. Sudan 43 “Faust” dramatist 44 Charge towards 45 Show up to 46 Runs over the edge, as ink 47 Lender’s attachment 48 “Dances ___ Wolves” 50 Sister magazine of Jet 51 ‘60s role for Michael Caine 52 Former Senate majority leader Trent 56 Fishing supply 57 Mineral museum displays 59 Bomb of a bomb 60 Dashes longer than hyphens 61 Talk nonstop

Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 21

NORTHERN EXPRESS

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, $1,325 per month; (231) 631-7512. ___________________________________ PART-TIME CUSTODIAN: Central United Methodist Church, a busy downtown church in Traverse City is looking for a friendly, self starter to fill this position. General cleaning, building security, hosting evening groups.

Evenings and some weekends. Send resume to darcy@tccentralumc.org or stop by the church at 222 Cass to fill out an application. ___________________________________ HOME COMPUTERS AND NETWORK FIXES REQUIRED: My home computing devices (Windows desktop, laptop; Android tablet, phone) and network need a variety of fixes.Start with fixing black screen.I have HughesNet with fairly regular interruptions.

Multiple visits may be necessary.Will pay prevailing hourly rate.References required.Call 231-326-2355 with phone number,email,address,hourly rate, any certifications. ___________________________________ ARROWHEADS AND ARTIFACTS WANTED: Sell Your Entire Arrowhead Collection Today!!! 630-824-8902

CLAS SIFIE DS

SEWING, ALTERATIONS, Mending & Repairs. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248 ___________________________________

BUYING OLD WOODEN DUCK and FISH DECOYS, call text 248 877-0210 ___________________________________ HAMLET’S AUTO LOOKING FOR FULL TIME MECHANIC Full time mechanic needed in Both our Traverse City and Kalkaska Shop. Experience preferred but will train right candidate.231-946-7591 hamletsauto@gmail.com ___________________________________ HAIR AND MAKE UP ARTIST WANTED Local Photographer looking for hair and make up artist.231-642-1453 ___________________________________ CLERICAL BOOKKEEPING Great Lakes Int’l is Seeking a person to perform a range of general clerical, accounting and bookkeeping support functions within our organization. Full time, excellent benefits. http://ruth@glit.com ___________________________________ HOME COMPUTERS AND NETWORK FIXES REQUIRED My home computing devices (Windows desktop, laptop; Android tablet, phone) and network need a variety of fixes.Start with fixing black screen.I have HughesNet with fairly regular interruptions.

Multiple visits may be necessary.Will pay prevailing hourly rate.References required.Call 231-326-2355 with phone number,email,address,hourly rate, any certifications. ___________________________________

COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH SPECIALIST The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is seeking a full-time Communications and Outreach Specialist.

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

EXPERIENCED PLUMBER/HOME MAINTENANCE 100-cottage private community in No. Leelanau Cty has a yearround opportunity for responsible, motivated, mechanical minded individual. Min 2 yrs plumbing & home maintenance. Plumbing license beneficial-not required. Perfect for independent worker who is career-minded, manages time efficiently & excellent customer service skills. Pay-Commensurate with experience. Benefits-Health Insurance, 401k/match, PTO. Email resume & cover Letter by 1/10/22. resumesnpp@gmail.com _____________________________ PRODUCE DEPARTMENT MANAGER - ORYANA WEST We are seeking exceptional candidates with retail leadership & produce management experience. See our website for a full job description, explore other open positions & to apply! https:// www.oryana.coop/careers/

S! S E

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easy. accessible. all online.

HAPP

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 5 • 5-7PM AT CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT!

Prizes include:

• $500 AIRLINE GIFT CERTIFICATES FROM AMERICAN AIRLINES

Chili bar provided by Cherry Country Cafe Admission is $10 with appetizers & beverages included NOTE: In accordance with the CDC guidelines, attendees are required to wear masks at this event. Masks will be available at check-in if needed.

Parking validation will be provided to event attendees.

22 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

Mike Annelin

Enthusiastic & Experienced

Call Mike 231-499-4249 or 231-929-7900

15,000 sq. ft. office space in Copper Ridge business development. Well-maintained, versatile office space $2,495,000 MLS# 1883032

0.72 acres, corner of Carver & Hastings Zoned industrial, empty lot. $850,000 MLS#1882613

Nice condo next to Spruce Run golf course Short-term and long-term rentals allowed $175,000 MLS# 1895564

Two adjacent parcels with 190’ shared waterfront access Charming 4 bed, 3 bath, 2,336 sq. ft. farmhouse $1,250,000 MLS# 1895102

Charming 4 bed, 3 bath, 2,336 sq. ft. farmhouse 190’ shared waterfront access, West Bay views $750,000 MLS# 1895103

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

Northern Express Weekly • january 03, 2022 • 23

24 • january 03, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly