Top Ten

Get on the Bus, Y’all: Michigan wants more zero-emission vehicles and public transport

A new poll by Coalition Helping America Rebuild and Go Electric (CHARGE) finds that voters in five key states — Michigan being one, naturally — support common sense policies to “electrify America’s transportation and public transit system, create jobs, provide training for workers, and support a strong economy.” In collaboration with Seven Letter Insight, CHARGE fielded the survey to measure reactions to several policies designed to strengthen and support public transportation, and foster investment in charging infrastructure.

The results? Maybe not surprising: Nearly two-thirds of Michigan voters (64%) support investment to strengthen public transportation access in their communities. A majority (55%) support public investment to transition public transportation vehicles (e.g., school and commuter buses, electric-powered vehicles). A majority of Michigan voters (51%) also support public investment to expand changing infrastructure for electric vehicles.

News of the survey came as the Michigan Climate & Clean Energy Summit (www. miclimatecleanenergy.org) was underway in Traverse City last week. Among the lineup of national and regional panelists: U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Jacqueline Patterson, senior director of Environmental and Climate Justice for the NAACP. Patterson’s talk explored how transitioning our nation’s power infrastructure could impact environmental justice and bring equity to people and communities throughout Michigan. Rep. Talib joined a panel of state Republican and Democratic legislators in a conversation about whether and where agreement actually exists when it comes to moving forward toward an equitable clean-energy future. The takeaway: Some agreement exists, but we’ve got to work harder, quickly. According to Traverse City’s Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, Michigan’s climate has warmed 33 percent more than other states in the Lower 48. To learn more about how you can support clean energy locally and in Michigan, check out www.groundworkcenter.org.

Bike Night at Boyne Mountain

Start your engines! Bike Night and Car Cruise-In returns to Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, 6pm–9pm June 1 and every Tuesday after through August. Bring your favorite roadster, hog, or coupe to The Clock Tower Lodge circle drive — aka your showplace filled with plenty of bike and car lovers that share your passion. There will also be food and drink specials, live music, a weekly raffle to benefit local charities, and giveaways. The Shifties will perform June 1. Check out Upcoming Events at www.boynemountain.com for more details. Want more chrome for your dome? Check out our list of upcoming car shows on p. 13.

Celebrate Food & Wine Wine Dinners PERFECTLY PAIRED Stuff we love Three Decades of Independent Local Journalism

We don’t normally like to toot our own horn, but we couldn’t let the month go by without a nod to the 30th anniversary of Northern Express. Launched in Traverse City in May 1991 by Bob Downes and George Foster, this local paper was modeled after the nation’s equally small but mighty alternative presses — among them New York City’s The Village Voice, Detroit’s Metro Times, and Minneapolis’ City Paper.

Remembers co-founder Bob Downes: “There were about 200 such papers across the country in the ’90s, and we all ran the same columns by Rob Brezsny [“Free Will Astrology], the “Advice Goddess” [Amy Alkon], cartoons by Tom Tomorrow, and other syndicated material.”

In keeping with the nature of northern Michigan, the founders included coverage of the region’s myriad opportunities for outdoor recreation, too; both were ardent runners, cyclists, and triathletes. (“We were also single,” adds Downes, “so that was helpful in covering local nightlife.”)

After more than 20 years manning this inky ship, the founders retired in 2014, passing the paper’s reins to current owner and publisher Luke Haase.

Although much has changed since Northern Express’ early days, the mission remains the same: to deliver on-the-ground stories about the people, communities, recreation, arts, culture, and businesses that call northwest Lower Michigan home.

Amy Alkon is still with us. Rob Brezsny is, too. So are several longtime staffers and freelancers, Nite Life, and (OK, a little horn tootin’ here) the North’s most popular and robust events calendar.

Today, we cover 13 counties and reach 90,000 readers each week. And (bear with us; another toot) unlike many local publications, even a pandemic couldn’t keep us from printing (though, truth be told, it did prevent us from planning a big party to celebrate this 30-year milestone).

Nevertheless, whether you’ve newly arrived on these pages or have been an Express reader from the start, we want to thank you for sticking with us. And since we can’t party with you in person this anniversary, we invite you instead to head out to your local bar, restaurant, or retailer — who very likely is an advertiser that’s helped make our three-decade commitment to independent journalism possible — and buy yourself a lil something to celebrate … and maybe, just maybe, keep this thing going another 30.

bottoms up Two K’s New World Slushee

About a decade back, we tasted our first wine slushee Up North. We liked it so much we bought a special freezer bag to make our own at home. We don’t remember much of that summer except our bathing suit size went up two elastic (but worthwhile) belt notches, and our kitchen countertop has a permanent purple tattoo. This summer promises a lot less dependency on Clorox Clean-up but likely a need for a new suit altogether. We’re not complaining. That’s because Two K Farms is doing us a delicious favor by magically converting their liquid New World cider — a balanced blend squeezed and fermented from their orchard-grown American sweet and bittersweet apples — into a whippy-smooth ice-cold slushee that’s absolute gold. Literally and figuratively.

The chill ice crystals melt a mellow and welcome sweetness over the tongue that, unlike some cider varieties, does not become tiresome to the tastebuds. Translation: One of these is not enough. Though, at 6% alcohol, two or three might be.

Cool your heels on a hot afternoon with a taste of this whole New World on Two K’s shaded porch or super-sunny hillside (seats under shady sails available there, too). Your countertops (and bathing suit manufacturers) will thank you. Find Two K Farms 10 minutes northwest of Traverse City at 3872 SW Bay Shore Dr./M-22. (231) 866-4265, www.twokfarms.com Northern Express Weekly • may 31, 2021 • 5