Northern Express - September 06, 2021

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • sept 06 - SEPT 12, 2021 • Vol. 31 No. 36 Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 1

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2 • september 06, 2021 • 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.

Email info@northernexpress.com and hit send!

Kudos Thanks for publishing weekly. Always look forward to the entire magazine! Last week’s issue on the very interesting article on TB and people’s reactions to trying to prevent it sounds so much like people’s reactions today to COVID-19 prevention.

It goes on and on. Really hope that people not doing what is recommended for all of our good health see the resemblance. All the vaccines and preventive meds we get from birth through most of adulthood are for our good. And they mostly work without bad results. Interesting that Northern Express staffers chose to print this now. Thanks so very much.

Judy Drinan, Traverse City COVID Thoughts First, thanks to Kathleen Stocking’s forum of speaking truth to power! In response to some recent letters: No one is demanding vaccination or mask-wearing — Encouraging maybe. No one has come to my front door saying I’m under arrest for not wearing a mask or that I have no vaccination proof.

Requesting that employees or customers are vaccinated is an organization’s right.

Has my freedom been infringed upon?

No, but somehow it is a choice to infect and maybe kill others! Southern border crossers are not even close to being COVID-19 spreaders. Yet for the second year, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota is a super-spreader. It is expected the delta variant will spike even more from riders returning to their home states. It might be their right to get horribly sick but not to infect others.

As to Hentschel’s statement that “he heard of two people who were vaccinated and died” — died of what? COVID? All data shows that when expected breakthrough cases happen that illness is less severe and morbidity is very low. Dying is often due to underlying issues like other illnesses or age.

Jef Mahrt, Traverse City Thank You, Strangers I was jogging on the trails in the Grand Traverse Commons when I inhaled a yellowjacket and was stung in the throat.

As my throat swelled, I began having difficulty breathing. I made it down the trail and came out of the woods by the Historic Barns where I saw people in the garden. I wasn’t very coherent as I

struggled to ask for a ride to the ER. What I remember is one couple — a blond woman and a dark-haired man with a black pickup truck — immediately taking action, helping me into their vehicle, and racing me to the ER. I never got their names, but I have no doubt their actions were essential in my positive outcome.

Somewhere in our community are whom I own a debt of gratitude. They took instant action, without hesitation, to help a complete stranger who stumbled out of the woods in distress. I never even got their names, but I don’t want their actions to go unnoticed or their kindness unappreciated.

I also want to express my gratitude to the nurses and doctors at the Munson Medical Center ER. They are miracle workers in moments of crisis. I am in awe of their skill, professionalism, and compassion. I simply wanted to thank everyone who helped.

Jeff Rundio, Traverse City War of Words It is being called, by the Biden administration and the media, a withdrawal from Afghanistan. It is not a withdrawal; it is a retreat. Defeated armies do not withdraw; they retreat. The retreat was because of the American “unconditional surrender.” This is President Biden’s second unconditional surrender; the first was his surrender of the Southern border.

By refusing to enforce immigration laws, he surrendered the border.

In Afghanistan, there will be Americans left behind. That is what happens when a defeated nation retreats.

The administration says the Americans left behind are stranded. They are not stranded; they are being abandoned The president said he would not hand off the 20-year war to the next president. As both a senator and vice president, he was a powerful player in the war for more than 16 years of the war. He did not campaign during those years to stop the war. He could have taken a stand but did not. Suddenly, after more than16 years of active participation in carrying on the war, it is a priority to end it.

Listen for the spin when the retreat is complete. It will be the greatest airlift ever executed. There will be more than 100,000 evacuees transported (with maybe 10 percent being Americans). Of those evacuees, 30,000 may have been men who could have taken up arms to fight the Taliban. Those men are the intellectual class of Afghanistan.

They have been “westernized,” leaving their country instead of defending it. The Afghan government left the country in concert with the American military, abandoning American citizens and leaving the Taliban with the most powerful weaponry in the Middle East, a blunder for which the administration needs to be held accountable.

Thirteen service members were killed.

The president gave a heartfelt speech. He said he knew how it felt to lose a child, as he had lost a son to cancer — a comparison in which he compares an act of God to his malfeasance. The actions of the president, his administration, and the Pentagon have dealt a blow to the country from which it may never recover.

Luigi Degiorgio, Lake City

Typhoid Mary & Tyranny Having read another letter that claims testing, vaccine, and mask mandates are infringements on constitutional rights or the acts of a tyrannical government drives me to respond. Let’s keep it simple.

Remember the story of Typhoid Mary?

Typhoid Mary was asymptomatic. She went around killing people while denying that there was anything wrong with her.

Then remember the saying that “your right to swing your arms ends at the tip of my nose.” Now let’s put those together.

Your right to be an asymptomatic spreader of COVID-19 ends at the tip of your own nose.

Typhoid Mary rejected the science, and she rejected her moral responsibility to others. How do you know if the person you talked to yesterday was infected or if the person you walk by tomorrow is high risk?

Whether it was my Christian upbringing or my 20 years in the Navy, the ethos of ‘others before self ’ has never been confused with infringement upon my rights or some kind of tyrannical dictate. It was simply the smart and moral way to live an upright life.

Kevin Bishop, Traverse City Thank You I am a Marylander who visits the West Coast and northern Michigan yearly. We have family in the Boyne Area. I picked up the Aug. 2 “Lighthouse Getaways” issue.

I am impressed. As a graphic designer, it’s appealing. As a reader of print, I love it. Very interesting articles and columns.

From the Letters to Stephen Tuttle’s opinion column and News of the Weird, I loved it all. Well done!

CONTENTS features

Free College?..................................................7 Dropping the Gloves.....................................12 Education, Faith & New Frontiers...................14 Tabletop Underground....................................15 Making Migizi Happen....................................16

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

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................6 High Notes (sponsored content)......................7 Opinion.........................................................8 Weird............................................................9 Dates.......................................................20 Film.........................................................23 Nitelife.........................................................24 Advice......................................................25 Crossword.................................................25 Classifieds...............................................26 Astrology....................................................26

Dave Ryner, Maryland Financial Strategy The Taliban has a rough road ahead in Afghanistan. Remember, Afghanistan is a poor country, with a GDP of only $20 billion. We hold 22 tons of their gold in the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. They also have some international reserves. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the U.S. will deny the Taliban access to any of it. So the Taliban has more than ISIS to worry about.

We have spent $70 billion tax dollars on assisting Afghanistan in fighting the Taliban. Even with our military personnel assisting, the Afghans couldn’t beat the Taliban. How many more years do we do this? Another 20? Another $50 or $100 billion? It just doesn’t make sense.

The way to fight terrorism is not by employing huge military operations, even though much of the public demands this, as we perceive ourselves as the invincible good guys all the time, like in a Clint Eastwood film. The way to cut the jugular of terrorism is to cut off the source of their funding. It’s more a clandestine operation than a huge, military, boots-onthe-ground affair.

Bret Albright, Traverse City

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris, Jill Hayes For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Dave Anderson, Linda Szarkowski, Sarah Rodery, Randy Sills, Roger Racine Matt Ritter, Gary Twardowski Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Copy Editor: Krista Weaver Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny Ross Boissoneau, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Meg Weichman, Anna Faller, Al Parker, Eric Cox, Todd VanSicle Copyright 2020, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly. Northern Express Weekly is free of charge, but no person may take more than one copy of each weekly issue without written permission of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 3

this week’s

top ten Local Baller to Receive Hall of Fame Honors

Liz Shimek Moeggenberg — a standout basketball player from Leelanau County — will be inducted into the Michigan State University (MSU) Athletics Hall of Fame later this month. She is one of seven athletes being added to the Big Ten school’s 2021 hall of fame class, itself part of an elite club of only 154 only inductees in its history.

We can’t say the honor is an absolute surprise. When Moeggenberg (then Shimek) was just a freshman at Glen Lake High school, she made the varsity team and went on to earn the coveted honor of being named Michigan’s Miss Basketball.

In the third of Moeggenberg’s four years at MSU, the powerhouse center lead her team to the Final Four and a spot in the championship game. After graduating in 2006, she went on to play for the WNBA — selected 18th overall and ultimately playing two seasons for the Chicago Sky — before moving overseas to play for two European teams in France. Moeggenberg’s since returned to her northern roots, living with her husband and four children not far from the farm where she grew up (where the Shimek family’s rusty basketball hoop still hangs on the side of the barn) and coaching the Glen Lake girls junior varsity basketball team, the Lakers.

Muscle Beach Comes to Frankfort Ready your beach chairs, fans of extreme feats of strength and endurance. IRONMAN 70.3 Michigan will be held in Frankfort on Sun., Sept. 12. It will kick off with a 1.2-mile swim through Frankfort Harbor. Once out of the water, athletes will transition to their bikes for a 56-mile ride on sections of the M-22 scenic highway. Concluding their IRONMAN 70.3 journey, athletes will run 13.1 miles back to Frankfort and surrounding areas. Get the dirt on where and when to watch the action (or which roads to avoid) at www.ironman.com/im703-michigan

4

There’s just something about the impending onset of fall that makes a show about academia feel right.

Part workplace comedy, part scathing satire of higher education, Sandra Oh stars as Jin-Yoon, the first female — and first POC — chair of the beleaguered English department at a prestigious college in the Northeast.

Also featuring stellar supporting players including Bob Balaban, Jay Duplass, and a scene-stealing Holland Taylor (but then again, when isn’t she a scene-stealer?).

As students clash with faculty, we follow Jin-Yoon’s struggles on campus and at home as she tries to keep it all together. Breezing through its all-too-short six episodes, The Chair is a heartfelt and wry delight that is well worth enrolling in. Streaming on Netflix.

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2

tastemaker Rock’s Landing Pork Belly & Watermelon Salad

Nestled snugly along Crystal Lake’s picturesque shoreline, Rock’s Landing in Frankfort will continueto serve that summertime state of mind until October, and you should not miss the experience. A nod to the infamous Jim Rockwell “Rock” Rogers Sr., who constructed the space in the 1950s, the structure housed Chimney Corners Resort’s historic Beach Dining Room until industry dream-team Steve and Kristin Tebo, along with partners Julie Tebo and Paul Danes, took over in 2018. The result? A definingly intimate dining experience that appeals to townies and travelers alike. But, while you’ll come for the mood — Rock’s features a cozy indoor dining room and multiple open-air seating options — it’s the menu that’ll make you stay … specifically, the crispy Pork Belly and Watermelon Salad. A hallmark of the eatery’s Mediterranean-inspired offerings, this “salad” pairs rich and smoky pork belly with the sweetness of juicy, summer melon. Topped off with Kalamata olives, bitter arugula, and olive oil, and finished with house-made ras al hanout — that’s a traditional Moroccan spice blend — this little beauty might just beat the view. $17. Find Rock’s Landing, 1577 Crystal Drive, Frankfort. (231) 399-0158. land@rocksoncrystal.com

4 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Hey, watch it The Chair

6

Escape to Narnia

Calling deep thinkers and literature lovers of all ages: The Little Traverse Region hosts the 19th annual C.S. Lewis Festival Sept.

10–13, a celebration of the British scholar, lay theologian, and author of the beloved children’s series “The Chronicles of Narnia” and many other works. The weekend promises an essay contest, read-aloud event with area 1st and second-grade students, and a Narnia Improv show. But superfans will want to catch one of several events featuring renowned author, speaker, and journalist Philip Yancey: an intimate Sept. 10 reception, keynote address, then Q&A segment at Great Lakes Center for the Arts; a Saturday, Sept. 11 seminar delving into favorite C.S. Lewis topics — friendship, faith, and community — at North Central Michigan College; and a Yancey-led sermon Sunday, Sept. 12 at the First Presbyterian Church in Harbor Springs. Get the details at www.cslewisfestival.org.

Pam Houston is our Weakness

Stuff We Love: LEGO my Art Center!

Roldan Grace wanted to give back to the facility that has meant so much to him.

So he’s going to build a replica of it using LEGO blocks. Grace, a 16-year-old student at Concord Academy in Petoskey, has participated in numerous programs at Crooked Tree Arts Center, including plays, orchestra, visual arts, and pottery. Using software from the LEGO-owned site BrickLink, he designed a model of the arts center. He then sought donations on GoFundMe to pay for the cost of the 6,000+ pieces needed to build it. The funding was successful, and Grace estimates it will take him around 20 hours to build the replica once he receives the Lego pieces — roughly a tenth of the time he says it took him to design the digital version on his computer. He hopes to have his Lego creation and a display case finished in time to present them to the arts center later this month.

Photo by Mike Blakeman

The wait is finally over. Following an original event date of April 2020 — you can guess why it was canceled — the National Writers Series welcomes author Pam Huston to the stage 7pm Thursday, Sept. 9 to discuss her memoir and 2020 Colorado Book Award winner, “Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country.” A celebrated author and advocate, Houston’s many credits include two short-story collections, “Waltzing the Cat” and New York Times Notable Book recipient “Cowboys Are My Weakness,” as well as novels “Contents May Have Shifted” and “Sight Hound.”

You can attend the ticketed event live at the outdoor amphitheater in the Grand Traverse County Civic Center (or watch online).

Northern Michigan media personality Christal Frost will host. See nationalwritersseries.org for more information and tickets.

8 bottoms up Iron Fish Distillery’s Mad Angler To celebrate its fifth year, Iron Fish Distillery has just released its highly anticipated Estate Series line of spirits. The Estate Series spirits — 100 percent distilled and aged at Iron Fish Distillery, many using at least 51 percent grain grown its 120-acre farm in Thompsonville — are available now at the distillery and online, but you might want to hurry. Fewer than 1,000 cases are available. If you have to pick just one, we suggest the Mad Angler Whiskey. Inspired by the writings of northern Michigan poet and fanatical fly fisherman Michael Delp (pictured in river), Mad Angler Whiskey contains a mash bill of 51 percent Iron Fish farm Jupiter winter wheat, 26 percent Whispering Meadows Ranch organic yellow corn, 14 percent Great Lakes Malting Co. malt barley, and 9 percent Iron Fish farm rye. Those homegrown ingredients might not mean much to you on the page but trust us: a whiff of this whiskey’s aromas of fresh bread, honey, and clove, combined with a taste of its woody, warm caramel and vanilla flavors (plus a bright bit of citrus for good measure) will mean infinitely more with each belly-warming and beautifully smooth sip. Hook yourself one as soon as possible at store. ironfishdistillery.com or at the distillery’s home, 14234 Dzuibanek Rd. (231) 378-3474

Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 5

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It has been two full decades since we were attacked by crazed murderers hijacking planes and using them as weapons. Calling them “terrorists” affords them more credit than they deserve, a kind of cachet that somehow elevates them beyond what they actually were. We will once again mark the day by showing all the videos of airplanes impacting buildings and the hole smoldering in the ground in Pennsylvania.

To be sure, not all of those escapes can be attributed to the efforts of first responders.

But at the very least, those brave folks escorted out thousands from the second tower after the first fell, and it is a testament to their dedication they were willing to go into those buildings at all.

The heroes are what most of us should remember about 9/11; the military planners and politicians can dissect the two decades since and promise to “never forget.”

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attacks did not discriminate; residents of 90 countries practicing a half-dozen different religions were victims and more than 20,000 from all walks of life were injured seriously enough to require medical attention.

It didn’t end on 9/11. Those who worked on the rescue and recovery efforts on the rubble were exposed to toxic dust comprising everything and everyone who was in those towers when they came down; glass, plastic, metal, and concrete nearly vaporized to particles difficult to see but easy to inhale. An additional 156 law enforcement personnel and nearly 200 firefighters have succumbed to disease directly related to their work on “the pile.” Thousands more people, including those in the surrounding neighborhoods, have also suffered health issues that can be traced to that dust.

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(At least as bad, it led to the longest and most ill-advised wars in our country’s history. After a quick and successful effort to drive the Taliban from Afghanistan, we decided to “save” the country from itself in an effort that was always doomed to fail.

That combined with the fabricated folly of the war in Iraq cost us more than 7,000 more deaths and nearly 53,000 wounded to add to the 9/11 toll.)

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With all those miles traveled and stops made, accidents are incredibly rare and fatalities of school bus riders even rarer. The 1,500 or so recorded annual accidents nationwide include, on average, about 10 fatalities. And 85 percent of those accidents are the fault of someone other than the bus driver, ample evidence of the skills and dedication of the drivers who get our children safely from home to school and back on every school day.

We can make this even safer if we’ll just follow the most commonsense rules, which, conveniently, are also the law.

When a bus is stopping or stopped with red lights flashing, other drivers must stop whether they’re behind the bus or approaching it from the front. This isn’t a suggestion or optional. Even those people who don’t like the government telling them what to do must stop. The bus is loading or = Center black The =World Tradecolor pantone 556ctowers and unloading children whose street-crossing buildings 6 and 7 in the Trade Center etiquette is always unpredictable. Buses complex came down,=and many others were have excellent external cameras that will pantone color = Contour path outline (will556c not record print)those who don’t stop, and they will be severely damaged and at/ risk of failure or partial failure. No one knows for sure but ticketed. If you hit a child, you will go to jail. best estimates are that 25,000 = approximately Contour path / outline (will not print) people were in those four buildings. That Respect those giant yellow buses, the people means 22,000 or so got out. driving them, and our children riding them.

What won’t get much discussed on this sad anniversary is the fact 9/11 might have also been the single greatest rescue of civilians in our history and was surely the most heroic effort=byblack any fire service anywhere.

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The numbers alone are pretty staggering.

According to the National School Bus Council, nearly 26 million children, almost 56 percent of those attending school, ride 480,000 school buses daily. Those buses make a whopping 10 billion stops annually.

According to TCAPS, about 70 percent of local students are bus riders on a system whose buses travel about 7,000 miles and make roughly 3,000 stops every school day.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), school buses are by far the safest way for children to get to school — statistically, about 70 times safer than all other methods.

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Regardless of the type of activity — golfing, biking, hiking, yoga, etc. — cannabis has helped athletes of all types protect against and recover from various injuries. How? Cannabis contains compounds called “phytocannabinoids,” which are very similar to compounds the human body produces, called “endocannabinoids.” In order to establish and maintain homeostasis, or balance, cannabis cannabinoids interact with receptors in our bodies, stimulating them in a way that alleviates a multitude of injuries and ailments.

The most common medicinal benefits of cannabis: reduced inflammation, pain relief, neuroprotection, wound and bone healing, anxiety reduction, rehabilitation, and recovery.

In light of cannabis’ ability to relieve pain and lessen anxiety and the proven dangers of opioids — see the world’s rocketing rates of addiction, overdoses, and deaths — some professional sports leagues are considering cannabis an effective and far safer choice in managing their players’ pain and long-term well-being.

Former players like Ricky Williams and Rob Gronkowski have openly discussed the benefits they’ve realized from marijuana, as well as cannabidiol — aka CBD — a non-intoxicating compound found in the marijuana plant. But it wasn’t until 2016 that the first active player — Eugene Monroe, an offensive lineman with the Baltimore Ravens — urged the league to stop testing players for marijuana so that he and others could use it to treat their chronic pain.

Not all entities in sports are as ready to recognize cannabis as a safe and worthy tool for athletes, however. (Remember Sha’carri Richardson, who was publicly shamed and expelled from competing in the Olympics last month because she had used marijuana?) Hesitation might be due, in part, to the fact that there has been significantly less research funding for and studies about the risks and benefits of actual cannabis than there has been for synthetic versions. Perhaps not surprisingly then, the FDA has approved synthetic cannabinoids for medical use but hasn’t approved use of the very plant those synthetics were developed to mimic.

Our hope for all athletes — and anyone coping with pain or anxiety: that the longtime stigma surrounding cannabis gives way to actual research and data, so it can be seen for what it is: a medicinal alternative, not a performance enhancer.

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RETHINK YOUR REVERENCE OF “SCIENCE”

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Our institutions are only as good as the minds and temperaments that orchestrate them, and as such, science is subject to all the fallibility of its practitioners. Public discourse in the era of COVID-19 makes manifestly evident our contemporary predisposition to logical fallacies. I attribute this in equal parts to a) an erosion of critical thinking that is reflected in and perpetuated by a dumbing down of culture and media, and b) a growing problem with scientific illiteracy — as evidenced by the fact that among the world’s 40 most advanced countries, the U.S. ranks No. 38 when it comes to graduating science majors.

8 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Science is fashionable these days, sexy. We might feel a little rush when we can invoke it in a debate and sound smart. We embrace

Other than its practical, tangible use to us, I’d venture so far as to say that our reverence for science is, more or less, cosmetic. We have more of an affected appreciation for science in the abstract than a genuine understanding and respect for its rigorous principles.

Most would agree that tantamount to any meaningful public discourse is a mutually agreed-upon baseline of facts. To that end, the scientific method is our most rigorous means of establishing that baseline of fact.

What does that mean though, science? For a noun that we use so liberally, ubiquitously, and oftentimes viciously, it behooves us to ask ourselves if we have a genuine comprehension of its meaning.

The scientific method is based on the principle of empiricism — that is, the epistemological doctrine proposing that knowledge derives exclusively from direct observation or sensory experience. The institutional function of science is to distinguish facts from falsehoods. In some circles — amongst religious apologists for instance — there’s a common tendency to erroneously equate scientific doctrine with religious dogma. But while the former legitimately acknowledges absolutes, it’s only insofar as the scientific method will demonstrably establish. Unlike religion, the scientific method doesn’t play the role of being an arbiter of moral-ethical truths, hence it doesn’t proscribe what “ought” to be, making it non-dogmatic from a philosophical standpoint.

Nevertheless, there’s no deterring some. Ours is a sociopolitical climate in which “science” in the abstract is routinely weaponized by a culture in which the collective grasp on the scientific discipline is shaky at best. Nowadays, and especially evident in our biomedically preoccupied age, there exists a growing tendency to use its authoritative appeal in the service of promoting dogmatic social agendas.

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In a climate of deference to experts and bureaucracy run amok, something of which we can be certain is this: to accompany the wayward expanse of scientific and technical expertise, we should expect a corresponding exploitation of said authority, one in which science is claimed as an ally by well-intentioned bullies looking to beat the rest of us softly into submission with whatever protectionist policies their “ministry of truth” deems to fall in line with science.

Coinciding with modern encroachments on freedom of choice and individual autonomy is a burgeoning “expertocracy” that has allowed authorities abundant leeway in putting authoritarian policies into practice.

By promoting oppressive policies in the interest of “science” or “public health,” they garner substantially more support from a civil libertarian demographic than they otherwise would.

it as a notion, regurgitate a lot of flowery rhetoric about it, but without thinking much beyond the abstract; the thinking is left to the “experts,” the “scientists.” Other than its practical, tangible use to us, I’d venture so far as to say that our reverence for science is more or less cosmetic. We have more of an affected appreciation for science in the abstract than a genuine understanding and respect for its rigorous principles.

How routinely do we hear someone proclaim to “believe in science,” as if it’s really so simple as to be a matter of “believing” or “not believing” in science?

Such phraseology is all too prevalent and reductive to be legitimately used by anyone wanting to be taken seriously. Quite frankly, I think it’s time that such rhetoric faces the skepticism it deserves.

How often, also, have we heard a politician defending a position tell us “I’m simply going with science,” as if science can be said to have an “opinion” on the moral-ethical merits of compulsory masking or inoculation. Science doesn’t interpret its own data. It doesn’t have a philosophical position, nor does it side with anyone politically.

The mechanics of what we know to be real are too elegant to be weaponized or to be used as a dogmatic political device. Science is too nuanced and poly dimensional to be properly articulated with reductive twodimensional vernacular.

Historically, science has served to enrich and enlighten. It is an invaluable asset in establishing a factual common ground from which we debate all points of contention.

Nevertheless, when we reduce it to populist rhetoric, or invoke it as a political ally, we compromise the intellectual integrity of that factual common ground.

Derek Meyer is a Traverse City native with an interest in science and current affairs.

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Creme de la Weird It’s back-to-school time all across the country, and in Kentucky, one district has an unexpected challenge in one of its high schools. WLKY-TV reported that high school students in the Meade County school district are attending school dressed as and acting like ... cats. One grandmother is upset because her two grandchildren don’t want to go to school anymore. “Apparently, from what I understand, they’re called ‘furries,’” she said. “They identify with animals. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they don’t like something you’re doing. The students are told they can’t wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. It doesn’t make sense.” Superintendent Mark Martin says the problem is being handled on an individual basis, which he can’t discuss.

Awesome!

The Vatican in Rome is full of the spoils taken by or given to popes over the centuries, but Pope Francis has a new toy that’s delighting him: a foosball table. The Associated Press reported that a Tuscany-based table football association, Sport Toscana Calcio Balilla, presented the pope with the game on Aug. 18, and he immediately struck up a match with Natale Tonini, president of the club. Pope Francis is a big fan of soccer and of his home club, San Lorenzo, in Argentina.

Bright Ideas Two Polish companies are joining forces to make construction workers’ lives more pleasant, Reuters reported on Aug. 23. Budimex and Lotos have created a floral-scented asphalt with a mixture of natural and synthetic oils that neutralize the typical smell of asphalt. “At times one could smell the scent of flowers, which made working more pleasant,” said Slawomir Szpak, a foreman for Budimex. The company is planning to introduce the new compound on a wider scale.

In Canberra, Australia, farmer Ben Jackson recently lost his beloved aunt.

He couldn’t attend her funeral because of COVID-19 restrictions, so he did the next best thing: He dropped his sheep’s food from a truck in the shape of a giant heart, then shot video from a drone as the ewes gathered to eat. “It took me a few goes to get it right ... and the final result is what you see,” Jackson told the Associated Press. “That was as close to a heart as I could get it.”

Crime Report Kristin Levine of Bristol, Connecticut, was the victim of a porch pirate on Aug. 23, but the thief was a little unusual: It was a black bear who walked across her driveway with an Amazon package in its mouth, NBC Connecticut reported. Fortunately, the bear wasn’t much interested in the contents (toilet paper) and dropped the item in her neighbor’s yard. “I knew nothing in there was going to be irreplaceable, so it was a fun afternoon for sure,” Levine said.

Compelling Explanation Erick Minto, 49, walked into a convenience store in Wawa, Florida, on Aug. 17, and asked for free food, The Smoking Gun reported.

When the clerk refused, Minto allegedly pulled out a knife and pointed it at the worker, uttering a quotable line: “Don’t make me do something stupid for a Snickers bar.” The clerk handed over the candy bar, but Minto left the store without it and later told Pinellas County

Sheriff ’s officer that he was “attempting to trade the knife for a Snickers bar.” He was charged with armed robbery.

Animal Attraction The Antwerp Zoo in Belgium has banned Adie Timmermans from visiting Chita, a 38-year-old male chimpanzee, after their “relationship” has caused him to be ostracized by the other chimps, the Daily Mail reported.

Timmermans has come to see Chita every week for the past four years, and the two blow kisses and wave to each other. “I love that animal and he loves me,” Timmermans argued. “I haven’t got anything else. Why do they want to take that away?” Chita started his life as a pet, but came to the zoo 30 years ago and is known to be interactive with humans.

However, when Timmermans isn’t there with him, he spends most of his time alone. “An animal that is too focused on people is less respected by its peers, and we want Chita to be a chimpanzee as much as possible,” explained zoo curator Sarah Lafaut.

Creative Criminal Firearms are hard to come by in Japan, so criminals often resort to makeshift weapons to threaten their victims, including nose hair clippers and kitchen knives. On Aug. 21, Tomoharu Nakamura, 41, of Sapporo, was arrested after trying to rob a convenience store using a lighter, SoraNews24 reported. “Out with the money or I’ll light you up!” Nakamura allegedly said to the store manager, who instead ran to the back room and called police. When officers arrived, Nakamura tried to turn his fierce weapon on them, but they quickly overwhelmed him and charged him with robbery and assault, along with other offenses.

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Government in Action The city of Naples, Florida, has spent more than $340,000 over the last three years suing the owners of seawalls that officials say are in disrepair and pose a danger to citizens, Wink News reported. The city and property owners have gone around and around about who owns the seawalls, and the lawsuits continued even after an engineer hired by Naples determined that only one of the seawalls was actually failing. Finally, in May, an arbitrator declared that the seawalls are owned by the city of Naples. “Procrastination and wasting money of the taxpayers is complete,” announced the new mayor, Teresa Heitmann.

Irony At Harvard University, the president of the organization of chaplains coordinates the campus’s assorted religious communities.

The New York Times reported that the new president, 44-year-old Greg Epstein, is a bit of a trailblazer in the job: He’s an atheist. Harvard chaplains unanimously felt Epstein, who previously served as the university’s humanist chaplain, could relate to a growing group of young people who no longer identify with any religious tradition.

Epstein grew up in a Jewish family and recognizes the “real need for conversation and support around what it means to be a good human and live an ethical life,” he said.

“We don’t look to a god for answers. We are each other’s answers.” The chairperson of the nominating committee, the Rev. Kathleen Reed, explained: “We’re presenting to the university a vision of how the world could work when diverse traditions focus on how to be good humans and neighbors.”

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Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 9

Jim and Wendy Rowe are attending North Central Michigan College for an associate degree to become paramedics. The couple was able to afford college thanks to the Futures for Frontliners tuition assistance program. (Photo: North Central Michigan College)

FREE COLLEGE? READ BETWEEN THE LINES

By Todd VanSickle Jim and Wendy Rowe are basic EMTs with the Frederic Township Fire Department.

They love their job and caring for people.

They see a significant part of the healthcare industry moving toward paramedicine, where paramedics make house calls to deliver care to the elderly and sick — and both want to be at the top of their game as it does.

“When I put a patient back in my ambulance they are family,” Jim says. “I mean, that’s the way I treat them. I just want to be able to give them the best care that I can. And as a paramedic, I can do way more, and that’s what I want to do: give them the best care.”

However, Jim and Wendy need more education and training to become paramedics.

Wendy received her basic EMT license, which takes about six months to complete the course, through North Central Michigan College in Emmett County in 2007, while her husband received his in 2013.

But becoming a paramedic costs a lot more and takes about three years.

“We couldn’t afford it for both of us, let alone one,” Jim says.

Then, they heard about the Futures for Frontliners program, a state scholarship program for Michiganders without college degrees who worked in essential industries during the height of the pandemic. Part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, Future Frontliners launched in Sept. 2020 and accepted applications until this summer, quickly giving thousands of essential workers the green light to pursue higher education free or at a significantly discounted rate.

“It was easier than applying for federal grants,” Wendy says. “I think it took me a halfhour to fill in all the information, and within a matter of weeks we both got our approval.”

The road wasn’t all sunshine and roses, of course. Despite living within one mile of NCMC’s off-campus location in Gaylord, the EMT couple still had to pay out-ofdistrict tuition for the Emmett County community college. However, they weren’t complaining; the discounted rate Futures for Frontliners finally put the cost of more advanced schooling cost within reach.

All told, to become paramedics, the Rowes estimate that they will pay $2,000 total, as opposed to the more than $10,000 each it would have cost without the state program. On average, they are paying about $200 to $500 per semester. The couple is in their third semester of getting their associate

program launched this February and, according to most recent numbers, about 80,000 have been accepted. The Futures for Frontliners program has accepted 85,000 applicants, with more than 15,000 currently enrolled.

Since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Sixty by 30 goal, the percentage of working-age adults with a certificate, associate degree, or higher has increased from 45 to 49 percent.

However, the programs are hardly perfect. The primary complaints: They exclude some residents from receiving full financial assistance, and they frustrate college admissions directors with their

“It’s a great program, I appreciate it,” Claerhout says.

“And I feel that it benefits those that want to take advantage of it. But I do feel like it’s a little bit of a bait and switch with the state saying it’s free tuition.” degree and will graduate in 2022.

“If it hadn’t been for the state of Michigan, it would still be a dream,” Jim says.

IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE During the past year, programs like Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect received bipartisan legislative support to provide support to former students to finish their degrees and get other residents additional training and education so they can fill high-demand jobs. The programs are an effort to reach the state’s Sixty by 30 goal of ensuring 60 percent of the state’s residents will have a post-secondary degree by 2030.

The $30 million Michigan Reconnect

10 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

claims of free tuition.

On the Futures for Frontliners website, “free tuition” is promoted on nearly every page.

That claim is a bit of an overreach. “We encourage the state not to call it free tuition or free community college, because it’s not free for everyone,” says Northwestern Michigan College Director of Admissions Cathryn Claerhout. “It’s a discount in pricing.”

Each year when August rolls around, the NMC admissions director is busy helping students enroll at the community college.

This year is even busier than last.

Despite — or perhaps because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — enrollment is up 2.4 percent compared to last year, says Claerhout. She added that the number of

registered students is up 5.7 percent as well.

“We’ve really adapted our offerings to be not only in seats, but we have the online, and we have hybrid, and then we have what’s called livestream,” Claerhout says.

Last January, Futures for Frontliners got underway at NMC. A total of 464 students applied for the fall semester, and 339 qualified and are receiving some sort of financial assistance.

In the spring semester, 713 applied for the program and 426 qualified.

In Petoskey, NCMC has 192 students who are eligible for the Futures for Frontliners program, with 136 enrolled.

The Michigan Reconnect program has 168 eligible students, and 117 have enrolled.

Corey Lansing, North Central Michigan College director of admissions, says he is happy with the number of students enrolled and receiving assistance through the programs.

“That’s been a major push on my end to get those students enrolled because they’re eligible,” Lansing says. “We have seen a lot of students who were already enrolled taking advantage of the programs.”

During the spring semester, however, the NMC director of admissions says at least 30 students who were enrolled dropped all their classes before the start of the semester.

The issue: They still had some costs to pay and couldn’t.

She described the programs as a “last dollar in scholarship,” which picks up what is left after a student applies for grants, scholarships, and, sometimes, loans.

POORER COUNTIES, HIGHER TUITION COSTS Students who reside in a county that has a community college are considered indistrict and qualify for fully paid tuition. For example, a student living in Kalkaska County would not qualify to have their tuition fully paid if they were attending NMC, a community college in Grand Traverse

MICHIGAN RECONNECT

County. A student living in Kingsley, which is part of Grand Traverse County, would.

There are 31 community colleges in Michigan that participate in the tuition programs. According to the Michigan Reconnect website, about 80 percent of Michigan students live in a community college district.

Lansing says northern Michigan is unique because so many students live in districts that don’t have a community college.

However, he pointed to downstate and says the majority of the students there do live in counties with a community college.

The problem: “The programs are both billed as free tuition,” Lansing says. “If you go in a little deeper, and especially when you’re in communities like ours, where we have a lot of out-of-district students, these programs are only paying free tuition for in-district students. That’s been the biggest frustration or challenge. Everything else has been manageable.”

Although the tuition programs have good intentions, some students could use the assistance more than others. Students who are considered out of district tend to reside in counties with less resources (such as a community college), lower median income per household, and are typically less educated overall.

According to Networks Northwest, Kalkaska ranks last among 10 northern Michigan counties in median household income, while Grand Traverse, whose residents can receive free tuition, is second highest.

Kalkaska also ranks last in Bachelor degrees per household at 7.5 percent, while Grand Traverse has the second most behind Leelanau at 22.6 percent. Emmett County, which is home to NCMC, is third at 20.2 percent.

“It’s a great program, I appreciate it,” Claerhout says. “And I feel that it benefits those that want to take advantage of it. But I do feel like it’s a little bit of a bait and switch with the state saying it’s free tuition. Well, tuition is one cost, but then we have added general fees. So there can be additional costs that add up for the student that are not covered.”

For a Grand Traverse resident, tuition for a general full-time semester would be $1,344.

Additional fees on top of the tuition include a general fee of $366 and a health service fee of $40 for a combined total of $1,750. Outof-district students would pay $3,214. Costs vary depending on the program that the

student is enrolled in.

NCMC’s in-district tuition cost $1,920, while out of district is $2,964 per semester.

“I wish the state would have thought this out in a little bit a different way, in order to service students who could really take advantage of this,” says the NCMC admission director. “But even if you are an out-of-district student, you are still getting a pretty good discount on your education.”

The NMC admissions director says her college and other community colleges around the state have looked at ways to be more inclusive to offer in-district tuition to students in surrounding counties, but they have failed.

“You’ll always have your Grand Traverse County residents who will say, ‘I paid a millage to get a lower rate. Why should someone outside of Grand Traverse, who’s not paid, get a lower rate?’” Claerhout says.

“We tried it — I think it was 10 to 12 years ago — with the surrounding counties, and they all voted it down. It’s only important to you when it affects you.”

TUITION — AND STUDENT AGE — KEEPS CLIMBING Claerhout has been working with college admissions since the 1990s. She says in the 1980s, 70 to 80 percent of colleges’ budgets came from the state. Over the years and through various governors, cuts to the budget have left colleges no choice but to raise tuition costs. Today, the 15 public universities in the state receive 11 percent while most community colleges receive under 21 percent.

Fifty-four percent of NMC’s revenue is from tuition, says Claerhout.

The college does offer more than 650 scholarships, which benefit many Futures for Frontliners applicants, but that, too, is sometimes not enough.

“It still doesn’t work for everybody, because they still can’t afford it,” Claerhout says. “It’s one of those things that we look closely at, and we’re trying to work with everyone that we can, but when the state says free tuition, it doesn’t help us.”

One silver lining is that the tuition programs are ushering in older students at the right time.

In 2020, Michigan saw 166,000 less high school graduating seniors compared to the year before. This is bad news for colleges throughout the state that depend on healthy enrollments to balance budgets. However,

Michigan Reconnect is literally changing the face of enrollment with new students that are older. Applicants must be 25 years or older.

“Our adult population who have some college, but don’t have a degree within our six county area is close to 19,000 people,” says Claerhout.

Currently, NMC is strategically planning for the next 10 years. On the table, is the college’s older student population, who may have families and busier schedules to contend with.

“They are much different to recruit,” Claerhout says. “And how we talk with them, and the services that they need, and the modality of how we offer classes.”

Jim, 59, and Wendy, 53, both enjoy being back in school.

“The college and its instructors have been awesome,” Jim says. “They work with us. They’ve got our backs.”

The couple is carrying a 3.8 or higher grade point average. They had just finished their final exam and were going on vacation to Georgia, where Jim was raised. Aside from Futures for Frontliners, they have received assistance in the form of Pell Grants and NCMC scholarships.

“They look at these two old people going back to school to become paramedics and are like, ‘Yeah, let’s give them some money,” Wendy says. “We haven’t been in a school since the ’80s.”

The two programs — Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners — are similar, but do have their differences, especially when previous student loans are in play.

“When it comes to students who are in default of their student loans, which we have a lot of students who are in that category, they can still get assistance,” Claerhout says.

Futures for Frontliners requires applicants to apply for financial aid and if a student is in default, then they will not qualify for aid, making them ineligible for the program. However, students can be in default and still qualify for the Michigan Reconnect program.

“That’s a huge benefit, and that’s really smart by the state,” Claerhout says, “because if someone can’t pay their student loan bills, and they can’t get a better job because they can’t go back to school, you’re never going to be able to get with the state initiative, or their goals for that student, unless you ease off on something.”

Michigan Reconnect is a scholarship program that pays for in-district students’ college tuition and discounts tuition for out-ofdistrict students. Its Skills Scholarship component provides one-time grants for Michiganders to enroll in an approved training program.

The scholarship can be used to complete an associate degree or a skill certificate program.

To be eligible, one must: • Be at least 25 years old when applying • Have lived in Michigan for a year or more • Have a high school diploma or equivalent • Have not yet completed a college degree (associate or bachelor’s)

FUTURES FOR FRONTLINERS

Futures for Frontliners is a state scholarship program for Michiganders who haven’t earned college degrees and worked in essential industries during the state’s COVID-19 shutdown in spring 2020 (April 1–June 30). The program provides frontline workers with tuition-free access to their local community college to pursue an associate degree or a skills certificate, either full-time or part-time while working.

To be eligible, one must: • Be a Michigan resident • Have worked in an essential industry at least part-time for 11 of the 13 weeks between April 1– June 30, 2020 • Have been required by their job to work outside the home at least some of the time between April 1 – June 30, 2020 • Have not obtained an associate or bachelor’s degree • Not be in default on a federal student loan

Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 11

DROPPING THE GLOVES What happens when an NHL enforcer moves to Traverse City and picks up a mic — and the world’s luckiest hockey fanatic as co-host? One of the world’s most popular hockey podcasts, of course.

By Craig Manning What’s northern Michigan’s biggest claim to fame when it comes to hockey?

Ask most hockey fans in the area – die-hards and casuals alike – and you’ll probably a hear a couple common answers: the fact that NHL legend Gordie Howe once called Traverse City home, for instance, or that Traverse City’s Centre Ice Arena has often hosted the Detroit Red Wings for a pre-season training camp and prospects tournament.

But did you know that one of the most popular hockey podcasts in the world is recorded right here in northern Michigan, by a pair of Traverse City residents?

The podcast in question, called “Dropping the Gloves,” is the passion project of two local hockey buffs.

The first is John Scott, a retired NHL All Star who played as a defenseman for the Minnesota Wild, the Chicago Blackhawks, the New York Rangers, the San Jose Sharks, the Buffalo Sabres, the Arizona Coyotes, and the Montreal Canadiens.

The second is Tim Wirzburger, a local marketing and communications professional with a love of hockey that dates back to his youth. Together, the two have built Dropping the Gloves into one of hockey’s most reliable podcasts, recording 3–4 episodes per week, hashing out the latest developments in the hockey world, and even bringing on bigname guests for exclusive interviews.

Initially, Dropping the Gloves was

just something that Scott took up to stay connected to hockey after he retired from professional play. It was a well-timed entry into the podcast world: When Scott closed out his career in 2016, he was riding high off the most substantial streak of exposure he’d gotten in his entire career.

An All-Time Unforgettable All-Star Season In January of 2016, Scott won the NHL All-Star Game fan vote, earning a spot in the annual All-Star Game — and also the role of Pacific Division captain for the game.

That high vote tally happened despite Scott’s limited play time with his team, the Arizona Coyotes, during the 2015–16 season, and despite the fact that he’d only netted five goals and six assists in his 280-game NHL career.

In fact, Scott’s real claim to fame in the NHL was as an “enforcer.” Also known as a “fighter, “tough guy,” or “goon,” an enforcer in hockey is an unofficial role, usually filled by a large and imposing figure. That player’s job? To respond to violent and aggressive play against their teammates — often by getting in fights with players from the other team. An effective enforcer, in essence, is supposed to make players on the other team think twice about playing dirty on the ice.

While the prevalence of enforcers in the NHL has declined over the years, Scott was widely considered to be one, and he certainly looked the part. The Canadian native is 6-foot-8 and weighed in at 260 pounds during his NHL days. He also had the stats of an enforcer. Reporting in December 2015

12 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

on Scott’s strong performance in the AllStar Game fan vote, Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail noted that Scott’s 535 penalty minutes gave him “the third-highest PIM-to-points ratio in the league the past decade,” and quipped that he had “more fights than points.”

Fittingly, given his status now as one of hockey podcasting’s biggest names, Scott’s NHL All-Star campaign actually originated thanks to a podcast. In November 2015, the hosts of the now-defunct hockey pod Marek vs. Wyshynski joked that Scott would be an entertaining player to see in the AllStar Game, especially given the game’s thenbrand-new three-on-three format. Twitter, Reddit, and the internet at large latched onto the idea, ultimately propelling Scott to get more votes than any other player – including superstars like the NHL’s eventual 2015-16 season MVP, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.

What followed was a behind-the-scenes scuffle where both the Arizona Coyotes and the NHL as a whole tried to persuade Scott to take himself out of the running for the All-Star Game. In the midst of the whole ordeal, the Coyotes even traded Scott to the Montreal Canadiens, which in turn sent him down to their AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps. Those maneuvers called into question Scott’s eligibility to even play in the NHL All-Star Game, since he was no longer playing for a Pacific Division team or even working as a member of an NHL team at all.

Nevertheless, Scott ultimately did play

in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, and even scored a pair of goals in the semifinal game to send his Pacific Division team to the finals, which they won. And though Scott wasn’t initially included by the NHL in the voting for the All-Star Game’s MVP title, he won it anyway, thanks to strong support from fans and fellow players.

Scott did get called back up by the Canadiens after his performance in the All-Star Game, playing a single game for the team. Then he cut his season short to go home to his wife and four daughters in Traverse City, whom he hadn’t seen in two months. He announced his retirement that December and has since made Traverse City his permanent home. He and his wife have had two more daughters since.

GETTING THE BAND TOGETHER Back to Dropping the Gloves. Scott says his desire to do the podcast sprouted directly from his whirlwind final professional season, as well as from the fact that, after years of being away from home, he just wanted to stop running for a while.

“I started the podcast because I wanted to stay in the game somehow and I knew I wanted to live in Traverse City,” Scott says.

“I was getting offers to do some TV work with the big networks, but that would have meant I would have had to move to Canada or Connecticut. Podcasting was getting popular and my neighbor at the time, John Aikin, owned a digital marketing company called Web Canopy Studio. He told me to

Tim Wirzburger, John Scott and Hawks player Bryan Bickell at the 2019 Blackhawks Convention.

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come into his office, and we just started messing around recording things.”

Scott notes that the podcast was “nothing serious for a year or two while I worked out the kinks, but it evolved into something pretty great.” The most crucial moment of that evolution? The arrival of Wirzburger as Scott’s co-host.

In fall 2018, Wirzburger took a job with Web Canopy Studio. At the time, Scott was already working with the company to get Dropping the Gloves off the ground, after having officially launched the podcast in July of that year. Before long, Wirzburger was drawn into Scott’s orbit and the two struck up a rapport — thanks in large part to Wirzburger’s own hockey background.

Though he wasn’t ever a pro like Scott was, Wirzburger had played hockey growing up, competed as part of a club hockey team in college, and had even joined a men’s league after moving to Traverse City in 2018.

He describes himself as someone who was “always a die-hard fan, player, and consumer of the game” — factors that made him an easy foil for Scott in the podcast studio. “[Scott] was already recording the show [when I started at Web Canopy],” Wirzburger says. “He would have different people around the office come on with him as sort of a bouncing board, but they didn’t know hockey. And I did. So one time John invited me, and then he started having me on more regularly. Then, all of a sudden, he’s referring to me as his co-host.”

That co-host format gave Dropping the Gloves what it had been missing. Two people who know their stuff, bantering away and bouncing ideas off one another, was already the bread and butter of most other sports commentary shows — whether in the world of podcasts or on TV. Scott and Wirzburger had the right chemistry to tap into that vein.

STAYING PROLIFIC It’s that chemistry — along with a constant flow of content — that Wirzburger thinks has allowed Dropping the Gloves to grow into one of the most popular and buzzed-about podcasts in the hockey world.

“We record three episodes a week, and that frequency allows us to cover stuff in almost real time,” Wirzburger says. “A lot of other shows will do one episode a week, but then the stuff they’re talking about might have happened five days ago. That’s not the case for us. We’re covering stuff around the league — news, trades, injuries, free agency signings, all the big stuff — as it happens.”

Beyond just commentary, Dropping the Gloves also features regular interviews with both active and retired NHL players. So far, the list of guests on the pod has included the aforementioned Patrick Kane; current Chicago Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews; Patrick Marleau, who in April surpassed Gordie Howe’s record for most games played in the NHL; Ray Bourque, the longest-running captain in Boston Bruins history; and legendary NHL enforcer Georges Laraque.

“Honestly, we’ve probably had close to 100 NHL players on the show at this point,” Wirzburger says.

THE TC FACTOR For both Scott and Wirzburger, the cherry on top of all the success of Dropping the Gloves is that the podcast format can be done from anywhere — even from the town they both love to call home.

“I love that I get to have a nationally recognized podcast and compete with all the top sports podcasts, and I still get to live in Traverse City,” Scott said. “It’s been such a blessing — and most of the guys in the NHL know about Traverse City, so it’s almost a positive I’m here.”

“A lot of guys we’ve talked to have actually been to Traverse City, either as part of the Red Wings organization or from playing in the prospect tournament,” Wirzburger concurred. “We had a player on a few weeks ago, and he was like, ‘Yeah, I went there four or five summers in a row, playing in that tournament.’ So that’s pretty cool to have, when guys know Traverse City — especially since John was so intentional about living here when he retired.”

Want to check it out for yourself? Find Dropping the Gloves at @dropping_gloves on both Instagram and Twitter, or listen to the latest episodes on your favorite podcast platform.

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AM Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 8/5/21 20219:08• 13

An all-male class of students at Benzonia Academy, circa 1907, one year after George Catton was named headmaster.

Mills Cottage, named after Rev. Harlow S. Mils, who raised the money to rebuild after the 1909 fire that destroyed East Hall, the girls’ dormitory of Benzonia Academy, still stands today (as Mills Community House) at 891 Michigan Ave. in Benzonia.

EDUCATION, FAITH & NEW FRONTIERS What the North’s pioneering college of a century ago can teach us today

By Ross Boissoneau Who knew there was a college hidden away in the wilds of western Grand Traverse County back in the 1800s? Students of history do, though even some of them might not realize that the Mills House in Benzonia — the only building still standing from that long-ago social and educational experiment — represents the first effort at college education in Grand Traverse County.

That’s because when this experimental effort to deliver higher education was opened, what is now Benzie County was still part of an expansive Grand Traverse County.

Benzie County was, in fact, six years away from being recognized as a separate county when Grand Traverse College was founded in 1863.

“What were they thinking?” asks historian and photo collector Don Harrison rhetorically. “You wouldn’t expect an academy out here.”

“Why here? God knows,” echoes Jerry Heiman. Thing is, in the minds of those visionary founders, God likely did know. They were inspired in large part by the religious ardor permeating their Congregational community. “They were so smitten by zealous focus they came to this wilderness to start a college.”

Plus, there was the very practical fact that here, they could: “There was a lot of homestead land available,” says Heiman.

Just in time for what might be yet another school year of unknowns and uncertainty, Heiman will present a talk about the pioneering Benzonia Academy at 7pm Sept.

9, virtually and in-person at one of the last vestiges of its vision, the Mills Community House. Northern Express reached out to Heiman to learn more about the institution and its unique history.

ON A MISSION FROM GOD Perhaps not surprisingly, Heiman says, the church, college, and town “were all joined at the hip.” The driving force: Charles Baily. The Congregational pastor led four families north from his parish in Oberlin, Ohio, to settle in the beautiful but largely wild west coast of northern Lower Michigan in 1858. The group’s intention was to create a Utopian society, according to Heiman, one where “everyone was welcome.”

The journey wasn’t easy, but they believed what awaited them was a world worth working for. “They heard rumors in Ohio and took a steamer around Honor to Glen Arbor, a functioning port at the time,” says Heiman. There, they built a schooner and traveled south to Point Betsie and then portaged a low spot to Crystal Lake, which at the time was 20 feet higher and subsequently much larger in area. What is today the village of Beulah was nothing more than a swamp. “That’s how they got to Benzie.”

Their optimism fueled far more than their journey; it was their motivating factor in their belief they could build both a community and a college that — in an exceptional departure from pre-Civil War thinking, even for the nation’s northern states — would welcome all people, not just those of a certain color or gender. “[That thinking] was based on the Oberlin model,” says Jane Purkis, a retired Benzie Central teacher and, like Heiman and Harrison, a member of the Benzie Area Historical Society. “The Congregationalists were extremely liberal,” and included abolitionists and members of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

Purkis corrects herself: “They were way beyond liberal. When you signed a deed [for land], you said you would not serve intoxicants or tobacco in your home. They were politically liberal but enlightened philosophy-wise.” That was encapsulated in the school’s motto: “To afford to both sexes without distinction of color the opportunity of acquiring a liberal education.”

some definitive changes. It was renamed Benzonia College in 1891, in recognition of the county’s separation from Grand Traverse County. In 1900, it changed its focus from a post-secondary school to a college preparatory institution, likewise changing its name to Benzonia Academy.

Six years later, George Catton became headmaster of Benzonia Academy, and his family lived on the main floor of the women’s dormitory. His son Bruce, who became a Pulitzer-Prize winning historian, later wrote “Waiting for the Morning Train,” a memoir of his life in Benzonia.

A FLICKER, THEN FLAMES The college’s first building was constructed in 1863, though classes had begun in private homes three years earlier.

But as with so many historical buildings, fire proved devastating. That first building was dedicated in 1869, and five years later it was gone. In 1909, a fire burned East Hall to the ground. It had served as the girls’ dormitory and the home of the headmaster.

Later that year, it was replaced by the Mills Cottage. It was named for the Rev. Harlow S. Mills, who led the local Congregational congregation from 1896 to 1916. “He raised the money to rebuild,” says Heiman.

By then, the institution had undergone

WAR & REMEMBRANCE Over the years, the population and popularity of the college/academy waxed and waned. Enrollment rose from 13 in the first graduating class to a peak of 150 in 1875.

Eventually, it withered away.

Advances in transportation — roads were finally built in the area, a major change from the days of the institution’s founding — and in education (newly available free to the public) spelled Benzonia Academy’s end.

Not helping: a new public high school had been erected barely 200 yards away.

The academy’s final blow coincided with the start of World War I: Its last class graduated in 1918.

14 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

A rare early 1900’s photograph of the boys dormitory of Benzie Academy, which provided a college education deep in music and arts for about $2.75 per week including room & board.

Though the staying power of the academy itself didn’t withstand the test of time, the Mills Community House certainly did. In 1925, the building was deeded to the Benzonia Congregational Church.

Renovations included an auditorium on the upper level and a meeting space in the lower level.

It’s not a far stretch to say that some of the academy’s founders’ ideals — to open minds, welcome all, and further learning — live on there even today. The middle floor, after all, is home to the Benzonia Public Library, which has continuously operated at the site for nearly 100 years.

DELVE DEEPER

Want to learn more about the people and philosophies behind Benzonia Academy? Local history enthusiast Jerry Heiman will present his lecture at 7pm Sept. 9 inside the Mills Community House. You can attend in person or watch online. For details on the Zoom presentation, go to https:// tinyurl.com/zf7s7fn6. Can’t make either? The talk will be posted on YouTube, which you can access via the url noted above.

Kyle Delgado

DO NOT PASS TABLETOP UNDERGROUND A hidden gem for old and new school gamers

By Rachel Pasche What do you get when you combine a speakeasy and a game store? It probably looks a little like Tabletop Underground, a Prohibition-themed basement in downtown Traverse City where anyone can gather to play (or buy) board games. The board game has long been a favorite way to pass the time and have a little fun with those around you, but it can be difficult to get enough players to participate in a game night, particularly so on a regular basis.

The solution? A place where board game enthusiasts and those who simply want to play can meet, compete, and cheat (just kidding — no cheating) together and enjoy a host of unique, interesting, and entertaining games.

THE SPOT Innocuously tucked away down a nondescript staircase beneath the new Gemini Sandwich Co., Tabletop Underground seems, at first, like a passage to a secret underworld — albeit a VIP, behind-the-velvet ropes one.

Black and gold signs lend a swank “Great Gatsby” feel to the entrance; hanging lights add to the aesthetic. Enter, and discover the wealth of entertainment within.

With over 400 board games, card games, and role-play games lining the walls of this unexpectedly big but cozy space, there’s no shortage of diversions. On top of classic boxes like Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Risk sit all sorts of wondrous options, like Galaxy Trucker, a game where each player is a trucker building a spaceship that’s going to fall apart turn by turn, or Parfum, where players compete to build the best perfumes and sell them to clients. To say there is no shortage of options would be a huge understatement.

MASTERMIND The concept started 10 years ago; a few friends who called themselves the Traverse City Board Gamers met weekly to play board games in various bars and breweries, moving around from space to space so as not to irk any owners of the establishments.

“It started off with only two or three people,” Tabletop Underground co-owner Kyle Delgado says, “and as we started to do more social media and marketing through that, we started getting more and more people coming in.”

Eventually, someone reached out to Delgado, offering to give the growing group a more permanent home — inside a space for rent near the Coin Slot and Gemini Sandwich Co. Tabletop Underground opened in 2019, a space where anyone could come and play all sorts of engrossing games. The Board Gamers group has not disbanded; in fact, it still meets on Sundays inside Tabletop Underground — which Delgado says is the best day for single players to come, because the group is always open to anyone who wants to hop in.

Rates for entry are $7 for a full day or $5 for an hour. Customers also have the option to purchase board games, card decks, and other items (such as die), or you can rent a game for a week for $7. Players can purchase snacks or beverages in Tabletop Underground, or they’re welcome to bring their own, provided the drinks are non-alcoholic. The day pass makes it possible to run out and grab a bite to eat between games, too.

IN THE LEAD Among the hundreds of games available, you might think the classics would appeal most — Monopoly, Clue, Connect Four, and the like. Turns out, fans of cards and board games aren’t in it for nostalgia. Fittingly, they’re out for innovation and fun. And in that department, board games evolved greatly in recent years, with all sorts of fun and obscure concepts being explored.

Case in point: Delgado pulls down one of the more popular picks of late, a game called Wingspan, with a colorful bird shown on the box. He explains that the objective is to build an aviary, though some of the appeal of the game can likely be attributed to the beautifully drawn cards featuring various North American birds and vibrant tokens.

Delgado’s favorite game is Viticulture,

where players inherit a large vineyard and spend the game growing grapes, making wine, and completing other viticulture tasks.

There are also games where players make quilts, games where they build empires, and games based around classic books and films.

The beauty of board games, says Delgado, is that each different round is a different experience, and it makes for a great buffer for interacting with new people.

“It gets people away from their phones and other digital devices and gets you face to face with other people,” says Delgado.

He says what has surprised him most since opening Tabletop Underground was his shift in mindset around who typically plays board games, describing how the Board Gamers Group used to consist of people who were very interested in board games and how the demographic has shifted now.

“Ever since we opened up this [space], I’m starting to notice that we’re getting a lot of different people coming in,” he says.

“There’s something for everybody, and it excites me to see someone who maybe isn’t

usually a board game person get as excited about this as I am.”

Find Tabletop Underground at 346 East Front St. Ste. 6. in Traverse City. Open 5pm to 10pm Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm to 10pm Sundays.

(231) 392-4205, tabletopundergroundtc.com, Game On: League play and Trivia Tabletop Underground plans to open up league play in October, including a Ticket to Ride tournament. They also host trivia nights that are based around trivia board games, with the theme varying each time. Event participants should pre-register for the event via email or through their Facebook page, and then arrive at the designated start time with the fee to enter the event.

Check the event calendar in their shop or call them for information on upcoming events, or you can check out their Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/Tabletopundergroundtc.

Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 15

“Rebecca is very passionate in the rehabilitation of bald eagles and other raptors,” Craven says. “She helped encourage us to pursue this project. I think it was good for everyone to see that she’s been so successful with Wings of Wonder, and that she has lots of very specific qualifications for this kind of project.

She helped motivate us to take this on. We of course don’t want to overshadow the biological significance of raptors. But, from cultural standpoint, there is a lot of concern and interest in eagles. Those people support Rebecca’s enthusiasm, and we want to build on that and continue her legacy.”

MAKING MIGIZI HAPPEN

Championing the Midwest’s first tribal raptor rehabilitation center

By Eric Cox America’s first tribal eagle aviary and rehabilitation center east of the Mississippi is perched on the edge of success.

And Traverse City’s Higher Art Gallery (see sidebar) is determined to help the fledgling operation, which announced its intention to establish a facility on tribal land in March but has a long way to go — despite having two major players in northern Michigan wildlife preservation in its corner: locally renowned wildlife rehabilitator and educator Rebecca Lessard and the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians (LTBBOI).

Lessard and the LTBBOI have partnered to build the raptor sanctuary on tribal land located west of Vanderbilt, near the tip of the mitt. While a raptor aviary and rehabilitation center isn’t unique, it’s certainly special for northern Michigan.

There are only about eight such tribally owned facilities in the western United States. This one — the Migizi Aviary and Wings of Wonder Rehabilitation Center — will be the first in the Midwest and East.

JOINING FORCES FOR GOOD The connection between the work of Lessard, a biologist with 30 years of raptor rehabilitation work under her belt, and local Native American tribes goes back many years. Members of the LTBBOI and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians — both of the Anishinaabe people — have consistently lead ceremonies honoring Lessard’s release of rehabilitated raptors back into the wild.

The word migizi, in fact, is Anishinaabemowin for eagle. And the bald eagle, in particular, is of special relevance to Native Americans. Migizi, who flies so high and sees so well and is so near the Creator, is considered by the Anishinaabe as a messenger to the Great Spirit, reporting the progress of the Anishinaabe and their adherence or denial of the divine guidance given them.

Lessard’s reverence for eagles relects that of the local Native American communities.

Now, with barely a few months of retirement under her belt, 67-year-old Lessard is about to embark on a massive project whose foundations were laid long ago in her animal-loving heart.

Like many people, Lessard grew up loving her pets, a dog and a cat. But things changed when she was 8 or 9. Out of the blue, her parents surprised her by allowing her to get a small pet turtle at a local pet shop. That little reptile stimulated her young mind.

Lessard began devouring library books about animals, which in turn led to hamster and gerbil adoptions and subsequent mazetraining experiments.

Horses, too, piqued her interest. She began riding regularly, savoring her time with animals and competing in Western shows.

In high school she was on to volunteer work at dog kennels, again soaking up knowledge before engaging in obedience trials and dog shows.

It seemed young Rebecca was into all mammals … but not really birds?

Nope.

“We didn’t even have a bird feeder,” she says, laughing.

16 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

By college, deciding what major to choose was pretty easy: biology. Away at school in Northern Minnesota, Lessard fell in love with the woods and, subsequently, insects. That led to her minor in entomology.

Birds still weren’t on her radar.

A TURNING POINT Years after college, still working with mammals and other creatures, Lessard was persistently pushed by a veterinarian friend to help rehabilitate a red tail hawk. She declined again and again, but the vet friend insisted.

“I knew it was a tremendous opportunity,” she tells Northern Express. “But, my kids were really young at the time, and we were homeschooling. I knew the commitment it would take, and I thought to myself, ‘I know nothing about raptors!’ and, frankly, I was rather afraid of these birds.”

Yet, she reluctantly agreed. In 1990, Lessard held the injured hawk for the first time. Like her pet turtle moment, this experience had an equally dramatic effect.

“I was absolutely mesmerized by its eyes and its strength,” she said, her voice belying a sincere reverence. “That sense of strength and power — it totally changed my life in that moment. It was absolutely life-changing.”

From that moment on, Lessard was hooked. She learned everything she could, earning all the state and federal certifications necessary to handle and care for raptors.

“I did training at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, which made me even more curious.

I spent time at the Minnesota Raptor Center.

They took me under their wing. I was there from sunup to sundown, and they eventually gave me the combination to the back door.

They let me do everything.”

After settling in northern Michigan, Lessard convinced her husband to let her construct a large flight pen on their property.

He agreed, and they obtained the necessary permits. It would be their service back to the world, the couple reasoned, rehabilitating raptors. They could serve a maximum of five birds annually, they speculated.

She founded the nonprofit Wings of Wonder and went to work taking in and caring for injured, sick, and orphaned hawks, eagles, and owls.

“Ignorance is bliss,” says Lessard, recalling how naive she’d been to assume she’d limit her annual care to five. “The first year we ended up with 12 birds. Naturally, we built another flight pen.”

But, after 10 years, the operation had taken more than it had given. On call for injured birds practically 24/7, the Lessards’ threads were getting a tad bare.

“It was draining us pretty substantially financially and really impacting our lives,” she says. “We had birds everywhere. I still can’t believe we did that volume — 30, 50, 80 birds a year.

“Life was crazy. It was just insane. After 10 years, I started realizing that this was not how I wanted to live my life.”

LEAVING THE NEST Aside from the ceaseless rehabilitation projects and administrative work associated with founding Wings of Wonder, Lessard was still regularly traveled the state educating people on raptors and raptors’ roles in the world. While the education component was a critical part of her mission, it only compounded her work-life imbalance.

“My job started being in the office more and more,” she says. “But, I’m an outdoor person. I wanted to work with birds and rehabilitate birds. So we downsized the operation. I got out of the office, and the last 15 years have been amazing.”

She had pretty much retired from fulltime rehab work when a persistent idea cropped up again and again in her mind: a tribally-owned aviary aimed at rescue and rehabilitation. About 10 years ago Lessard had begun networking with a tribal aviary in Oklahoma and wondered why Northern Michigan couldn’t have a similar facility.

At that time, according to Lessard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had a grant program that helped fund tribal aviaries.

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB), then a proponent of the aviary project, endorsed a grant application. Unfortunately, that same year the federal government reduced that particular grant funding by 66 percent, and the GTB grant was denied.

“But I was still trying to plant the seed of the idea and push it,” she said. “And I kept notes of everything that transpired.”

AN IDEA WITH WINGS Her diligence paid off. Longtime eagle advocates and friends of her Wings of Wonder nonprofit, the LTBBOI became increasingly interested — even after the federal grant program was permanently nixed. Lessard’s productive and professional 20-year relationship with Doug Craven, LTBBOI’s Director of Natural Resources, was something worth pursuing, she thought.

After all, Lessard reminded LTBBOI volunteers about the aviary’s potential each and every time they delivered an injured bird to her Empire home or released a rehabilitated bird in memorable Anishinaabe fashion.

“It reached the top of [the LTBBOI’s priority] list a few years ago, and we entered into some serious conversations — conversations that were more committed and determined,” she says. “Last year we really started the ball rolling. [Craven] found money to hire a native-owned architectural firm in Kalamazoo, which created some great conceptual drawings of The Migizi

Aviary.”

For this group, COVID-19 was merely a minor speed bump on the road to completion. They convened Zoom meetings and kept making progress. With blueprints in hand and site surveying already underway, Lessard and LTBBOI are now actively pursuing the necessary construction funds.

REALIZING THE DREAM But, what will that money — approximately $700,000 — purchase?

According to the Wings of Wonder organization, The Migizi Aviary & Rehabilitation Center will be equipped to care for injured, sick, or orphaned birds of prey. An emergency surgery facility and critical care unit are also part of the plan.

Outdoor enclosures that allow for rehabilitation and conditioning will also be included, as well as a 100-foot curved aviary for raptors that can’t be released back into the wild. Made of locally harvested timber, this structure will provide a home for birds that are permanently mentally or physically disabled.

The project will be divided into three phases: construction of the containment areas, construction of a medical facility and related spaces, and finally, the sprawling, curved aviary for resident birds.

To some, such a facility might seem a good place to visit — to see majestic creatures we rarely spot, and when we’re lucky enough to, are often perceived only as moving dots in the sky. While a limited number of visitors will be allowed inside the aviary, Craven told Northern Express the installation will be more of a closed facility and less of a tourist attraction, not open to the public.

Disappointing? Sure. But keep in mind the mission: serving and saving raptors — not people. Both Craven and Lessard emphasize that bald eagles, hawks, and other raptors require privacy to feel comfortable, a condition critical to any creature’s ability to recuperate. The prospect of noisy, gawking visitors further stressing already struggling birds simply isn’t a viable scenario.

Yet, according to Craven, The Migizi Aviary & Rehabilitation Center will also provide an expanded educational component, above and beyond what the

LTBBOI already provides nearby Pellston schools.

Craven said the tribe has a popular sturgeon program in place, one that gives individual classrooms a tank with a juvenile sturgeon that students must care for and study before releasing the fish back into local waterways. A similar program, he said, could be done with bald eagles.

The LTBBOI has done extensive monitoring and management of bald eagles, tracking them with miniature cell phone backpacks, charting their nesting habits, and logging mortality rates.

Craven said when the tribe started its bald eagle preservation efforts back in 2005, there were about 13 nests on tribal lands, and the bird was on the endangered species list. Fast-forward 16 years, and there are now roughly 30 nests on its lands, and America’s national bird is no longer endangered, thanks in large part to widespread Native American preservation efforts underwritten by a mix of tribal funds, federal grants, and private donations.

Such endeavors are precisely where the paths of Lessard and Craven and the LTBBOI crossed – Lessard with her immense love and care for the animals, and Craven and his people’s reverence for all living creatures, but especially Migizi, the vigilant, white-headed overseer of the Anishinaabe.

Craven and others from LTBBOI delivered dozens of sick, injured or orphaned raptors into Lessard’s care, each gaining the other’s respect through years of consistent, like-minded actions that benefit an animal they all love and respect.

Since the land was provided by LTBBOI, all that remains are the construction costs and related expenses. So far, they have about $100,000, but they’re chasing a variety of funding, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife grants, funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and, of course, private donations.

“There are a lot of moving parts, but we’re moving in the right direction,” Craven said, his enthusiasm evident. “In terms of funding, we’re certainly looking for all interested parties.”

The work of Linda Infante Lyons, who resides in Alaska and is part of the Alutiiq Tribe. She is also the recipient of the very prestigious Joan Mitchell Grant.

Michigan artist Kate Manley created this cast of a Kestral, which has been beaded by hand.

A watercolor and mixed media by local artist Mark Mehaffey, a well-known local artist who teaches and is an exhibitor in The Paint Grand Traverse En Plein air competition.

HELP MIGIZI HAPPEN Want to help make Migizi a reality?

You can support it by attending the opening of the Artists for Wings of Wonder fundraising exhibit, which will take place 6pm–8pm Friday, Sept. 10.

The work of more than 30 artists will be showcased at the event — the theme: raptors, of course — and attendees will be treated to two complimentary glasses of wine, hors d’ oeuvres catered by Chow Bella Catering, and live music provided by local singer, cellist, and banjo player Arianna Wasserman. Also featured at the event: a dance performance by Eagle Spirit Dancers founder Roberta Shalifoe. Can’t make it that night? All of the artwork for the exhibit will go live in Higher Art Gallery’s online shop on Sept.

11, and you can continue to see the pieces in person at the gallery through Sept. 30.

Find Higher Art Gallery at 219 E. Front St., in Traverse City. For ticket information, visit www.higherartgallery. com. To learn more about The Migizi Aviary & Rehabilitation Center, visit www. wingsofwonder.org.

Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 17

One of the most popular dinners, the Stuffed Chicken Breast is served with mashed potatoes and gravy, along with a veggie.

Hofbrau Steak House & Grille Interlochen’s go-to sports bar, date-night spot, and gathering place makes some major changes

By Al Parker A traveling musician for much of his adult life, Brian McAllister never expected to settle in Northern Michigan.

“Back in 1997, my wife Laurie and I were planning to go to St. Martin but took a trip up here,” explains the guitar picker with a smile. “We just never left.”

The Caribbean’s loss was Interlochen’s gain.

For the past 24-plus years, the McAllisters have owned and operated the Hofbrau Steak House & Grille. Sitting along the village’s main drag, some two miles north of the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Hofbrau has been serving up tasty food and beverages for almost 100 years.

“The building was a gas station and grocery when it was built,” says McAllister.

“In 1928, the camp started, and they served the campers lunches. In 1945, it became Peterson’s Tavern, and we bought it from the Petersons in 1997.”

With its rustic wood-styled interior, the Hofbrau welcomes guests with a relaxing vibe.

Booths and tables provide seating, while a wellstocked bar promises to ease the most intense thirst. Overall, it’s a friendly place with intimate corners for a twosome, a long bar — topped with multiple TVs — that’s an ideal perch for sports fans, and plenty of room — inside and out — for families and large groups.

“When my wife Laurie and I bought the place, we wanted it to be the kind of place that we’d want to go to,” says McAllister.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money here to have a really good time.”

DOING MORE WITH LESS When McAllister took over, there were 12 tables and only five employees. Now they can seat 250 diners inside, plus another 250 on the newly expanded outdoor deck. And the staff — when they can find enough workers — grows to a peak of 32. Normally, notes McAllister, the Hofbrau has 16 servers, but five is routine these days.

Change has been a recent theme for the Hofbrau; even the longtime multi-page menu has been pared down — from more than four dozen choices to about 20 meals, seven appetizers, a single (and totally worthwhile) dessert, and two or three specials each day.

COVID and a desire for quality inspired the

smaller lineup, Brian McAllister says.

“One night the special might be fresh tuna or fresh snapper, depending on what’s available,” says Brian’s son Max, who grew up in the business and is now the Hofbrau manager. “Perch is our best-selling fish, but it’s really hard to get right now. There are market shortages.”

The careful winnowing down doesn’t leave guests with a bunch of B-team offerings, however. On the contrary, it’s the kind of wise strategy you’d expect from a restaurant that’s been navigating changing economies and food markets for decades.

And the revised menu is something the McAllisters are rightfully proud of.

“We want to put 20 or so of the best products in front of you every single day,” he says. “For example, our Reuben, with Bavarian kraut, knocks it out of the park.”

EAT UP One of the most popular dinners on the menu today is a Stuffed Chicken Breast ($23.99), which is marinated and filled with garlic herb cheese. It’s hand-breaded with Japanese bread crumbs, pan-fried, and oven roasted, then topped with a red wine garlic butter. The flavors explode with each bite.

Along for the culinary ride are a helping of fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes bathed in gravy Another local favorite is the Northwoods Pasta ($21.99), featuring grilled chicken, dried Michigan cherries, mushrooms, Alfredo sauce, and shredded fresh Parmesan cheese.

One drawback to the menu reduction is that it’s tough for the Hofbrau to retain its steakhouse status with only a single steak remaining on the menu.

But what a quality piece of beef it is.

The Mile High Ribeye ($39.99) is a very satisfying 12-ounce center cut, chargrilled and topped with haystack onions.

It’s brought to the table atop a pile of housemade mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy with a side of fresh vegetables.

For the more casual diners, there are six different pizzas available and a couple of popular Mexican choices, a Chicken Quesadilla ($15.99) and Chicken Fajita ($19.99).

Hofbrau handhelds include a Baked Stuffed Italian Sandwich ($14.99), the

18 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Burger Burger ($12.99) and, quite possibly the best Reuben Sandwich ($14.99) you’ve ever had — lean corned beef piled high on grilled deli rye from Bay Bread, topped with Bavarian Sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese accented with a homemade version of Thousand Island dressing.

No matter which entree you choose, the meal should be topped off by the Hofbrau’s only dessert offering: Peanut Butter Pie ($14.99). It’s an eye-popping stack of peanutbutter mousse bathed in a chocolate ganache atop a chocolate oreo crust. Hefty in size and scrumptiousness, it’s definitely begging to be shared by more than one guest.

IF THE SPIRITS MOVE YOU Another change the Hofbrau’s legion of loyal diners will notice is the beverage selections. In the past, the Hofbrau offered one of the widest varieties of beers on tap Up North. In keeping with the momentum of the craft distilling scene, the restaurant decided to open up some of those taps to meet the ever-increasing demand.

“We had a huge selection of beer, with 52 on draft,” says McAllister. “Now we have 26 beers — all from Michigan — and 26 craft draft cocktails. We think it’s the largest number of craft cocktails available anywhere in the U.S.” The cocktails are blended in five-gallon batches and dispensed through a gun. The Hofbrau team had considered craft cocktails for over a year before making the move. The drink recipes were all carefully developed, then perfected through trial and error.

“This way, there is consistency,” says McAllister. “The mixed drinks come out nice and chilled. You don’t have to wonder about who the bartender is and what the pour is like. It was expensive, but the results are pretty awesome.”

Two of the most popular mixed drinks are the Cherry Old Fashioned, featuring Traverse City Whiskey, and a Rhubarb Gin and Tonic. More progressive yet: All of the cocktails are available to- go, in sizes up to 64 ounces, a popular choice for customers headed to the beach for the afternoon or a nearby campground.

Beer lovers need not dismay; they’ll still find a nice array of stouts, porters and ales from breweries across the state, including

Brian and Max McAllister are the father/son team running the Hofbrau Steak House & American Grille.

Cheboygan Brewing, New Holland, Right Brain, Shorts, Blackrocks, Bell’s, and others.

SUPER STAFF Although smart changes and strategic improvements have been the Hofbrau’s go-to approach in navigating the toughest 18 months in its history, there are some obstacles the McAllisters are finding more difficult to overcome. Like almost every restaurant operation, getting and keeping good workers is an ongoing challenge. “I can’t remember the last time I got more than a half day off,” says McAllister, who is a self-described self-taught chef.

“At one point, from 2020 into the spring, we worked 180 days straight,” adds Max. Find the Hofbrau Steak House and Grille at 2784 M-137 in Interlochen. It’s open for dine-in or takeout 4pm to 10pm Monday–Thursday, 4pm to 2am Friday, noon to 2am Saturday, and 11am to 10pm Sunday. For more information or takeout orders, call (231) 276-6979 or go to www.hofbrausteakhouse.com.

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September 9-25 Curtain Time 7:30pm Matinees 2:00pm For Tickets: 231.947.2210 tickets.oldtownplayhouse.com Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 19

sept saturday 04

TORCH LAKE LABOR DAY ART & CRAFT SHOW: 10am-5pm, Sept. 4-6, Depot Park, Alden.

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2021 GRAND TRAVERSE SALMON CLASSIC: Sept.

3-5. Today includes: 6:30am-12:30pm: GTSP Pro-Am Tourney. 12:30-2:30pm: GTSC WeighIn, PRO Calcutta, AM Calcutta. Held in both East & West Grand Traverse Bays with the tournament weigh-in & awards at Clinch Park (east lot). Presented by T.C. Charters. gtsalmonclassic.com

---------------------BOYNE CITY KIWANIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND CAR SHOW: 8am-4pm, Veteran’s Memorial Park, Boyne City. Main Car Show. facebook.com/events/2818299708387695

---------------------CADILLAC FESTIVAL OF RACES: 9am, Cadillac Rotary Pavilion. Featuring a 5K, 10K & Kids under 7 free “fun” race at 10:30am. $50. cadillacareaymca.org/cadillac-festival-of-races

---------------------MANISTEE LABORFEST: 9am-11pm. Hosted by the Salt City Rock & Blues, non-profit organization, for the express benefit of constructing a public amphitheater between First Street Beach & Douglas Park. A celebration of the region’s rich industrial history & the laborers who support the Salt, Lumber & Sand industries.

This year’s event will kick-off with a car show & parade from the Armory Center to First Street Beach, where family events will be taking place from 1-11pm. Live music all day, including Seth Bernard & Airborne or Aquatic?, craft beer, food trucks & more. Events are free until 5pm. manisteelaborfest.com

---------------------DOWNTOWN CHEBOYGAN SIDEWALK SALES: 10am-5pm. cheboyganmainstreet. org/event/labor-day-state-street-bridge-walk

---------------------ELK RAPIDS ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW: 10am-4pm. Over 50 vendors on River St. in downtown Elk Rapids. Free. elkrapidschamber. org/arts-crafts-show

---------------------HOUDEK DUNES NATURAL AREA HIKE “NATURE’S CIRCULAR WASTE-FREE ECONOMY”: 10am, Houdek Dunes Natural Area, Leland. Go on a leisurely, labor-free, guided hike at Houdek to learn from nature how it has managed a sustainable, wastefree, biological economy for billions of years.

Join Conservancy docents Ann McInnis & Bert Thomas as they share some of Houdek’s diverse, self-sustaining, yet always evolving, biological economic, & ecological systems. leelanauconservancy.org/naturalarea/houdekdunes-natural-area

---------------------MINNEHAHA BREWHAHA MUSIC FESTIVAL: Arcadia Marine, Arcadia. Today swings with live music by Crosscut Kings, 11am; Delilah DeWylde, 1pm; New Reformation Band,

3pm; Melophobix, 5pm; Steppin In It with Joshua Davis, 7pm; & Cousin Curtiss, 9pm. Enjoy over 70 Michigan craft beers & spirits & 7 food trucks, along with kids crafts & games. Saturday music only tickets are $15; music & tasting, $30 presale; $35 at the gate. Sponsored by Music Moves Me, Inc. which benefits local school districts’ music programs. Tickets: mynorthtickets.com/events/minnehaha-brewhaha-musicfestival-2021-9-4-2021 music-moves-me.org/ minnehaha-festival

---------------------WATER IS LIFE FESTIVAL: 12-8pm, Conkling Heritage Park, Mackinaw City. Honor the water & celebrate those who work to protect it, & engage your imaginations to envision a post-Line 5 Michigan. Featuring live music with Seth Bernard & Dan Rickabus. RSVP. oilandwaterdontmix.org/water_is_life_festival_2021

septEMBER

04-12

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

---------------------JELLY ROLL BLUES BAND: 6:30-8pm. Performs in Cross Village outside under the cross.

Bring a chair.

---------------------K. JONES & THE BENZIE PLAYBOYS: 7pm, Old Art Building, Leland. Enjoy the sound of Louisiana’s Creole, Cajun & Zydeco scene.

The magic of this band is the driving force of their music with Jonah Powell on fiddle, Jamie Bernard on drums, Doug Albright on bass & Mark Stoltz on the scrubboard. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. $10; free for under 12. oldartbuilding.com

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LIVE MUSIC IN THE VILLAGE WITH IZZY WALLACE: 7-9pm, Crystal Mountain, Barr Park, Thompsonville. crystalmountain.com/ event/live-music-saturdays/1

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HORTON CREEK BLUEGRASS: 7:30-9pm, Lavender Hill Farm, Boyne City. Enjoy this band who incorporates traditional/progressive bluegrass, country western, a little bit of rock n’ roll, all while keeping the core around the roots music. $30 barn; $10 lawn. lavenderhillfarm. com/series-lineup

---------------------PYGMALION: The Glen Arbor Players will be staging George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion” on Sept. 2-4 at 7:30pm at the Glen Lake Church, Glen Arbor. This is a comedy that became the base story for “My Fair Lady.” Free admission, donations accepted. glenarborplayers.org

---------------------THE INSIDERS: 8-11pm, Coyote Crossing Resort, Cadillac. Presenting the premier Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers experience. With 6 veteran musicians & decades of combined stage & touring experience, The Insiders are genuinely running down the dream. $25/person adv. eventbrite.com/e/the-insiders-live-showtickets-151845827959

sept sunday 05

TORCH LAKE LABOR DAY ART & CRAFT SHOW: (See Sat., Sept. 4)

Fine European Traditions Boyne City 231.582.8800

Northern Michigan honors 9/11 this year on Sept. 11 with a 20th Anniversary Ceremony at 9/11 Memorial Park, 897 Parsons Rd., TC at 8:30am. The heroic acts of first responders will be honored, and the dead will be mourned.

Over 3,000 Americans lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, including 343 firefighters. gtmetrofire.org/gt911. There will also be a Virtual 9/11 Honor Run 5K presented by the Rotary Club of TC, to honor the lost lives and support Local First Responders. Proceeds will go to the Grand Traverse Region Public Safety Alliance. $30. runsignup.com/Race/ MI/TraverseCity/911HonorRun. Gaylord will hold their Standing Tall 5K at 225 W. Main St. at 10am. Run/walk, patriotically dressed, preferably toting an American flag. runsignup.com/Race/MI/Gaylord/911Standingtall5k?aflt_to ken=vkmwDmweQ4iCYn8otSOOnKQ3vCO8buOw 2021 GRAND TRAVERSE SALMON CLASSIC: Sept. 3-5. Today includes: 6:30am12:30pm: GTSP Pro-Am Tourney. 12:302:30pm: GTSC Weigh-In. 3-4pm: GTSC Awards Ceremony. Held in both East & West Grand Traverse Bays with the tournament weigh-in & awards at Clinch Park (east lot). Presented by

LATIN AMERICAN FOOD & FUN Boyne City - 231.582.0049 Traverse City - 231.938.2773

T.C. Charters. gtsalmonclassic.com

---------------------4TH ANNUAL B3 FESTIVAL: Treetops Resort, Gaylord. A day of beer, blues & barbecue with blues guitarist Albert Castiglia headlining the lineup that also includes “The Queen of the Blues Rock Guitar” Joanna Connor wsg Jon Ar-

New Orlean’s Kitchen Elk Rapids 231.264.0530

Please aPPly in Person at any location or online at magnumhosPitality.com

20 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

chambault Band & Cold Shot: A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Michigan breweries include Altes, Tripleroot, Shorts, Big Buck & many others. The culinary team at Treetops will have a selection of food with the annual barbecue roasted pig. Gates open at 3pm, with music starting at 4pm. $25 in advance; $30 at gate. b3north.com

---------------------4TH ANNUAL SAROS-145 FESTIVAL WITH GALACTIC SHERPAS: 5-8pm, Rudbeckia Winery/Burnt Marshmallow Brewstillery, Petoskey. Enjoy funk, rock & reggae with the Galactic Sherpas. $15. exploretock.com/rudbeckiawinery/event/273492/4th-annual-saros145-festival-with-the-gala

---------------------FIRE AT NIGHT AT MICHILIMACKINAC: 7:30-9pm, Colonial Michilimackinac, Mackinaw City. Experience the power of the Michilimackinac cannon at night. Gates open at 7:30pm.

Cannon firing will be after dark. This is a free event; donations welcome. mackinacparks. com/event/fire-at-night-at-michilimackinac-2

---------------------TANYA TUCKER: 8pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. This country music icon’s reign includes 23 Top 40 albums & a string of 56 Top 40 singles, 10 of which reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. She has provided some of the biggest country music songs of each decade, including the hit “Delta Dawn.” $97, $77, $67, $47. greatlakescfa.org/ events/detail/tanya-tucker

sept monday 06

ANNUAL BRIDGE WALK: 7am. The walk begins in St. Ignace at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge in the Upper Peninsula, & in Mackinaw City at the south end of the bridge in the Lower Peninsula. Free. mackinacbridge. org/events/walk

---------------------COLD CREEK BRIDGE WALK: 10am-2pm, Downtown Beulah. Join the annual Labor Day walk across the Cold Creek Bridge in Beulah.

Afterwards will be prizes & kids’ games, as well as the re-telling of the saga of Archibald Jones, an engineer whose ill-fated plan in 1873 to lower the level of Crystal Lake in order to facilitate the digging of a canal between it & Lake Michigan resulted in a flood which nearly washed the nearby city of Frankfort into the big lake. 231-383-1120.

---------------------STATE STREET BRIDGE WALK: 11:45am2pm, Cheboygan. Line up by 11:45am along “A” Street & walk to Washington Park for free hot dogs, chips & live music by Billy & Kate. cheboyganmainstreet.org/event/labor-daystate-street-bridge-walk

---------------------33RD ANNUAL CHARLEVOIX’S LITTLE BUT MIGHTY BRIDGE WALK: 12:30-1:30pm.

Gather in front of TownHouse Bar at 12:30pm to walk to the north side of the bridge. Walk bridge at 1pm after bridge is raised for boats.

For more info call 231-675-5993. Donation for the Charlevoix Food Pantry.

---------------------TORCH LAKE LABOR DAY ART & CRAFT SHOW: (See Sat., Sept. 4)

sept tuesday o7

SEED SAVING: 6:30pm.

Gardeners interested in Seed Saving can learn more at the Master Gardener Association of Northwest Michigan meeting. Nancy Poppa will present info about the collection & germination of native perennial plants. The info can be applied to fruits & vegetables too. To register go to MGANM.org by Sept. 3. All those who register will receive a link to the Zoom meeting via email. MGANM members free; $5 donation for non-members. MGANM.org

sept 08

wednesday

10TH ANNUAL BOOMERS & SENIORS EXPO: 1-4pm, The Ellison Place, Gaylord. This event showcases all of the products, services & education available in the community. ocsportsplex.com/senior-expo

---------------------RECESS: 5-7pm, Cherry Capital Airport, TC. After work fun for grown-ups! Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beverages & prizes. $10. traverseticker.com/recess

---------------------GLEN ARBOR PLAYERS’ AUDITIONS: 7pm, Glen Lake Church, Glen Arbor. For the upcoming Sherlock Holmes play, “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” The play will require a cast of 7 men & 4 women. glenarborplayers.org

---------------------SEA SHANTY SESSION: 7pm, Maritime Heritage Alliance, 13268 S. West Bayshore Dr., TC. Join in with your instrument or voice, or just relax & enjoy the music. Meet on the pier in front of the schooner Madeline. Bring a chair or blanket. Free. maritimeheritagealliance.org/ shanty-sessions

himself from the wrong end of the family record book. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays from Sept. 9-25 starting at 2pm on Sundays & 7:30pm on all other days.

Adults: $28; youth under 18: $15 (plus fees). tickets.oldtownplayhouse.com/TheatreManager/1/login&event=355

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AUTHOR BOB DOWNES HOSTS BOOK RELEASE PARTY: For his new historical novel “The Wolf and The Willow” from 7-9pm at the Barrel Room at Left Foot Charley, GT Commons, TC. The book is the prequel to “Windigo Moon,” his novel of the Ojibwe Indians. robertdownes.com

sept friday 10

SUZANNE WILSON ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM PRESENTATIONS: Noon, Glen Arbor Arts Center.

Janet Dunbar will discuss how her residency was focused on the Leelanau flora & fauna for inspiration. This Michigan potter hand builds pots & fires them in the tradition of Japanese raku. Free. glenarborart.org/events/air-presentation-janet-dunbar

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SUMMER YOGA SERIES - LEELANAU CONSERVANCY: 7pm, Van’s Beach, Leland.

Led by Katherine Palms. Bring a towel or yoga mat & some water. Donation based. leelanauconservancy.org

TINY FEST: 7pm, behind Traverse Area District Library, near children’s garden, TC. Join the Sight & Sound Dept. with live music. Celebrate the fleeting days of summertime 2021 with special guests Failed Pilot & Breathe Owl Breathe. Bring a blanket or chair. Free. tadl.org/ event/tiny-fest

sept thursday 09

CONCERT: ELIZABETH RIVERS & FRIENDS: 1pm, First Congregational Church Chapel, TC. Grand Traverse Musicale presents Elizabeth Rivers & Friends in a musical program: “Unusual Standards.” Davyd Kotok & Sisters, Musicale Scholarship winners, will perform as well. Free, donations encouraged. grandtraversemusicale.org

---------------------GT COUNTY DRUG FREE COALITION: This group’s mission is to create a community-wide culture of awareness & action in the prevention, treatment & recovery of substance use disorders. They meet on the second Thurs. of each month from 4-5pm. This month’s meeting will be held on Zoom. Email gtcdrugfreecoalition@ gmail.com for event details. Free. gtcdfc.com

---------------------LUMBERJACK JAMBOREE: 4-9pm, Jack Pine Lumberjack Show Venue, 10510 US-23, Mackinaw City. Join the Cheboygan County Community Foundation friends to celebrate fun times & the rich & prosperous lumbering history. cheboyganfoundation.org

---------------------NATIONAL WRITERS SERIES: AN EVENING WITH PAM HOUSTON: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. In “Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country,” Pam Houston shows us what it means to care for a piece of land, the creatures on it, & our own souls. Join Pam & guest host Christal Frost for a discussion on how nature heals even our deepest wounds.

This event will also be livestreamed for virtual ticket holders. $25, $20 or $15. cityoperahouse. org/node/398

---------------------“ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT”: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. When a family reunites for opening day at their U.P. deer camp, one member brings along his infamous reputation of being the oldest member in the history of the family to never bag a buck. Enjoy this tale of humor, horror & heart as he strives to remove

C.S. LEWIS FESTIVAL: BOOK SIGNING WITH PHILIP YANCEY: 2-4pm, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey. Meet this bestselling author & get signed copies of his titles. cslewisfestival.org/festival-schedule BARN MARKET: A VINTAGE & MAKERS MARKET: 4-8pm, Northwestern Michigan Fairgrounds, TC. Presented by The Red Dresser Marketplace. Fri., Sept. 10 is the First Picks Event from 4-8pm. $10 for a 2 day pass. Sat., Sept. 11 runs from 9am-4pm. $5 cash at the gate; 10 & under free.

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“ARTISTS FOR WINGS OF WONDER”: 6pm, Higher Art Gallery, TC. Help raise funds for Wings of Wonder’s new Tribal Raptor Rehabilitation Center. $36. mynorthtickets.com/ events/92169

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C.S. LEWIS FESTIVAL: Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. 6pm: VIP Reception with Philip Yancey, author, speaker & journalist. Strolling hors d’oeuvres & cash bar. $50/ person. Held in Community Room. 7:30pm: Philip Yancey - Keynote Address: “Lessons from a Master Tutor.” David Crouse, festival cofounder, will interview Yancey. Tickets required. cslewisfestival.org/festival-schedule

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VISUAL ARTS: FACULTY & STAFF EXHIBITION: 6pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Dow Center for Visual Arts. interlochen.org/events/ visual-arts-faculty-and-staff-exhibition-2021-09-10

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DRUMMING CIRCLE: 7pm, 4242 Co. Rd. 633, Grawn. No experience necessary. No drum needed, but feel free to bring an acoustic item of your own making. Free; donation for land care accepted. meetup.com/traverse-city-sacred-drum-circle-meetup-group

aug ---------------------30

“ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT”: (See Thurs., Sept. 9)

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FOODIE FILM FEST: 7:30pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. Sept. 10-16. Featuring “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.” Documentary: A personal look into the life of Anthony Bourdain charting his journey from chef to writer to acclaimed TV host, as told by his closest friends, the people he worked with, & his family.

A panel discussion with industry professionals will follow the movie on Mon., Sept. 13. Tickets range from $10 to $5. thebaytheatre.com

saturday sept sept 11 03

HARBOR SPRINGS CYCLING CLASSIC: 7:30am, Birchwood Inn, Harbor

Springs. All routes include the Tunnel of Trees or Little Traverse Wheelway. With the addition of a paved trail route that utilizes the Little Traverse Wheelway, you can choose from 14-30 miles to ride. You have a choice of 20, 45, or 60 miles to cycle. After your ride, enjoy an included sack lunch. To register in advance for the ride only: Adults $30, children 6-12 $20, age 5 & under free. Cyclists must start between 7:30-9:30am. birchwoodinn.com/hscyclingclassic.html

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9/11 CEREMONY - 20TH ANNIVERSARY: 8:30am, 9/11 Memorial Park, 897 Parsons Rd., TC. The heroic acts of first responders will be honored, & the dead will be mourned. Over 3,000 Americans lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, including 343 firefighters. gtmetrofire. org/gt911

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VIRTUAL 9/11 HONOR RUN 5K - ROTARY CLUB OF TC: This run will honor those who lost their lives in the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks, & support Local First Responders.

Proceeds will go to the Grand Traverse Region Public Safety Alliance. $30. runsignup.com/ Race/MI/TraverseCity/911HonorRun

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MAPLE RIVER ART & CRAFT SHOW: 10am5pm, Sept. 11-12, Veteran’s Park, Pellston.

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BARN MARKET: A VINTAGE & MAKERS MARKET: 9am-4pm, Northwestern Michigan Fairgrounds, TC. Presented by The Red Dresser Marketplace. Fri., Sept. 10 is the First Picks Event from 4-8pm. $10 for a 2 day pass. Sat., Sept. 11 runs from 9am-4pm. $5 cash at the gate; 10 & under free.

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NO POWER TO POWER (ISLAND): 9am. A “funraiser” for the Maritime Heritage Alliance.

The challenge is to take your own vessel from Discovery Pier to Green 7 off of Power Island & back. No engines. The total course is 9 nautical miles. You may sail, paddle, pedal, row or do all four. There is no limit to size of vessel or crew.

There are three categories: racers, cruisers, & human powered. The community is encouraged to view the race & cheer on participants from Discovery Pier, 13240 S. West Bayshore Dr., TC. This takes place during the Sail, Paddle, & Row Show where you can admire classic vessels, play music & nautical games, & more. $60 per team. nopowertopower.eventbrite.com

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GT CONSERVATION DISTRICT MICHIGAN WILDERNESS WALK: 10am, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Talk a walk on the Natural Education Reserve with education specialist Rachel Straughen while learning about the natural world in northern MI. Registration required. natureiscalling.org/events

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STANDING TALL 5K: 10am, 225 W. Main St., Gaylord. Held in honor of those who died on Sept.

11, 2001. Run/walk, patriotically dressed, preferably toting an American flag. runsignup.com/Race/ MI/Gaylord/911Standingtall5k?aflt_token=vkmwD mweQ4iCYn8otSOOnKQ3vCO8buOw

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USED BOOK SALE: Peninsula Community Library, TC. Runs Sept. 11-18. Find books, DVDs, CDs, puzzles & games. Visit the website or call 231-223-7700 for hours. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

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2021 LAKE LEELANAU STREET FAIR: 11am-6pm. Featuring musical artists Miriam Pico, Protea, & the Broom Closet Boys. Food vendors, artisans & activities for kids. No charge for entry. lakeleelanaustreetfair.org

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ARTIST POP-UP + DEMOS AT THE GAAC: 11am-3pm, Glen Arbor Arts Center, front yard & parking area. Participating studio artists will demonstrate what they do, talk about their work, & exhibit. The Pop-Up exhibitors are: Lauren Everett Finn, painting; Tracie Herkner, hand spinner; Colleen Kole, improve quilt maker; Mark Mehaffey, watercolor & acrylic painting; Jessica Kovan, mixed media; Sue Nichols, needle felting; John Huston, raku pottery firing.

There will also be live music from acoustical string players Glenn Wolff & Windy Ridge from

Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 21

12:30-2pm. Free. glenarborart.org/events/6ftapart-art-artist-pop-up-demos-2

---------------------20TH ANNUAL ICE CREAM SOCIAL: 1-3pm.

Join your friends at the East Bay Branch Library, TC to celebrate the community with an afternoon of fun. All ages are invited to enjoy free ice cream, live music with Jesse Jefferson, face painting by The Painted Lady, a used book sale & more. This is a free event. tadl.org/ event/annual-ice-cream-social

---------------------29TH ANNUAL CROOKED RIVER FIREFIGHTERS OPEN CAR & TRUCK SHOW: 5:30pm, Downtown Alanson. Sat., Sept. 11 is Cruise Night with line-up at 5:30pm, followed by a poker run & corn roast. On Sun., Sept. 12 the Crooked River Firefighters will host their Open Car & Truck Show from 7am-2:15pm.

---------------------“ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT”: (See Thurs., Sept. 9)

---------------------FOODIE FILM FEST: (See Fri., Sept. 10) ---------------------LELAND MUSICAL ARTS CELEBRATION: 7:30pm, Old Art Building, Leland. ‘Masterpieces’ is the theme of this year’s Leland Musical Arts Celebration which will feature music by Handel, Pergolesi, Nash, Garnier & Previn being performed by Dr. Mezraq Ramli, oboist; Andrea Ridilla, internationally acclaimed oboist & soloist; Dorothy Vogel, pianist; Lindabeth Binkley, oboist; & Liz Bert, cellist. $35. oldartbuilding.com/events/leland-musical-arts-celebration

sept sunday 12

IRONMAN 70.3 MICHIGAN: 6am, Frankfort. Features a 1.2-mile swim in the water of the Frankfort Harbor. Once out of the water, athletes will transition to the bike for a 56mile ride on sections of the M-22 scenic highway. Concluding their IRONMAN 70.3 journey, athletes will run 13.1 miles in Frankfort & surrounding areas. ironman.com/im703-michigan

---------------------USED BOOK SALE: (See Sat., Sept. 11) ---------------------DENYCE GRAVES & LAURA WARD IN RECITAL: 4pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Denyce Graves has become particularly well-known to operatic audiences for her portrayals of the title roles in Carmen and Samson et Dalila. In 1996 Graves was the subject of an Emmy-award winning profile on CBS’s 60 Minutes. Laura Ward is an excellent accompanist & a genuine equal in music-making. As a distinguished collaborative pianist, she is known for her technical ability & vast knowledge of repertoire & styles. $67, $62, $47, $37. greatlakescfa.org/ events/detail/denyce-graves

FLOW’S FILM EVENT: “WHEN WATER MOVES”: 5pm. Join FLOW for a live-streamed premiere of the film “When Water Moves,” a new spoken-word & dance collaboration by AnneMarie Oomen & Ari Mokdad. This story describes how an ancient water creature faces what happens when we ignore water rights & fail to respect this ultimately life-giving resource. The livestream premiere will include an artists’ talk-back & audience Q&A. Free. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6BRkIPCPT2WvivQblzzddQ

---------------------29TH ANNUAL CROOKED RIVER FIREFIGHTERS OPEN CAR & TRUCK SHOW: (See Sat., Sept. 11)

ongoing

HARVEST DAYS: Sept. 1-30. Presented by the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. Experience what it’s like to be a wine club member at each of the participating wineries (over 25) & be able to take advantage of exclusive benefits, premiere wine tastings, & product discounts. Each ticket is good for one visit to each winery, & each ticket holder will have access to all of the benefits offered throughout Sept. (Sun. through Fri.). $35. mynorthtickets. com/events/harvest-days-9-1-2021

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GUIDED WALKING HISTORY TOUR OF TRAVERSE CITY: Perry Hannah Plaza, TC. A two mile, 2 1/2 hour walking tour through the historic neighborhoods & waterfront of TC. Every Sat. & Sun. at 2pm. walktchistory.com

---------------------NORTE SUNDAY TRAIL RIDES: Sundays, 11:45am, Timber Ridge, TC. Open to mountain bikers of all ages & abilities, with three different levels & distances (5K, 10K & 25K) to choose from. elgruponorte.org/sundays/?mc_ cid=95b5b3048c&mc_eid=df24b9efb4

---------------------DOWNTOWN THURSDAY NIGHTS LIVE: Downtown Cheboygan. Live music, yard games, vendors, extended business hours & more. Held every Thurs., 3-8pm through Sept.

16. cheboyganmainstreet.org

---------------------BELLAIRE FARMERS MARKET: Fridays, 8am-noon, ASI Community Center, front parking lot, Bellaire. facebook.com/BellaireFarmersMarket

---------------------DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY FARMERS MARKET: Fridays, 8:30am-1pm, Howard St., between Mitchell & Michigan streets, Petoskey.

---------------------ELK RAPIDS FARMERS MARKET: Fridays, 8am-noon, Elk Rapids Area Chamber, Elk Rapids. elkrapidschamber.org/farmers-market

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GAYLORD FARMERS MARKET: Held under the Pavilion, 100 South Court St., Gaylord on Wednesdays & Saturdays, July through Oct. from 8am-1pm.

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GLEN ARBOR FARMERS MARKET: 9am-1pm, Tuesdays behind the Glen Arbor Town Hall.

MAPLE RIVER ART & CRAFT SHOW: (See Sat., Sept. 11)

“ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT”: 2pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. When a family reunites for opening day at their U.P. deer camp, one member brings along his infamous reputation of being the oldest member in the history of the family to never bag a buck. Enjoy this tale of humor, horror & heart as he strives to remove himself from the wrong end of the family record book. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays from Sept. 9-25 starting at 2pm on Sundays & 7:30pm on all other days. tickets.oldtownplayhouse.com/ TheatreManager/1/login&event=355

---------------------FOODIE FILM FEST: 4:30pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. Sept. 10-16. Featuring “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.” Documentary: A personal look into the life of Anthony Bourdain charting his journey from chef to writer to acclaimed TV host, as told by his closest friends, the people he worked with, & his family.

A panel discussion with industry professionals will follow the movie on Mon., Sept. 13. Tickets range from $10 to $5. thebaytheatre.com

------------------------------------------OUTDOOR FARMERS MARKET: Mondays, 2-6pm, The Village at GT Commons, on the piazza, in front of Left Foot Charley, TC. thevillagetc.com

---------------------SARA HARDY DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 7:30am-noon; Wednesdays, 8am-noon. Held in parking lot “B” at the southwest corner of Cass & Grandview Parkway in Downtown TC. dda.downtowntc.com/ farmers-market

ART

LABOR DAYS - A HISTORY OF WORK: Raven Hill Discovery Center, East Jordan. This exhibit reflects the strong history & culture of work around Lake Charlevoix & connections to work in northern Michigan, the nation & around the world. Raven Hill Discovery Center is one of ten sites in the United States selected to participate in a Smithsonian pilot project to develop a unique humanities-based exhibition about local work his-

22 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

tory. miravenhill.org

---------------------CELEBRATING THE ART OF KEN COOPER: Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee. This artist has had numerous one-man shows of his paintings both here in the U.S. & in the U.K. He spent over a decade working with Britain’s National Trust, English foundations, museums, & historic sites where his watercolor paintings were exhibited & he often lectured & also conducted his “Art and Architecture” workshops. Runs through Sept. 15. See web site for hours, dates. ci.ovationtix.com/35295/producti on/1062482?performanceId=10761109

---------------------DELBERT MICHEL: “SIXTY YEARS OF MAKING ART”: Grand Traverse Art Campus - Gateway Center, TC. Celebrating six decades of creative expression, artist & retired art professor Delbert Michel hosts a retrospective of his collection. The exhibition runs through Oct. 20 at both Delbert’s Studio #5 & the GT Art Campus - Gateway Center. Partial proceeds of art sales will be donated to Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse. 231-486-6900.

---------------------FLY FISHING ART: By Stacy McKellip. On display at Alden District Library through Sept.

Closed on Sundays. 231-331-4318. aldenlib.info

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SEPTEMBER ART SHOW AT CITY OPERA HOUSE, TC: Klaus Lehrer & Linda Frank will show their oil paintings, watercolor paintings & collages during Sept. cityoperahouse.org

---------------------SUMMER SALON: Charlevoix Circle of Arts.

2nd annual salon-style exhibit showcasing regionally inspired work by local & area artists. charlevoixcircle.org

---------------------NORTHPORT PHOTO EXHIBITION: Northport Arts Association, Northport. See photos from established & emerging photographers. Nature, landscape, waterscape & more. Photographs are available at the exhibit & online. They can be printed on different substrates such as paper, canvas or metal in various sizes. The exhibition is held Sept. 4-19 in both the gallery & online. The gallery is open Weds. through Sun., 12-4pm. northportartsassociation.org

---------------------FEATURED ARTISTS GALLERY EXHIBITION: Runs through Sept. 11 at Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. View & shop plein air & studio works by the Paint Grand Traverse featured artists. paintgrandtraverse.com/events

---------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - CTAC PAINT OUT & WET PAINT SALE: Sept. 10-18. The Paint Out is open to artists of all skill levels, ages 18 & up, working in all media. Artists can register & get their canvases & various substrates stamped at CTACPetoskey during regular business hours, Sept.

10-17. Artists are invited to submit up to three works for the “wet paint sale” & jury. Completed works depicting outdoor scenes in the Little Traverse Bay area must be turned in at Lavender Hill Farm, Boyne City between 10am-noon on Sat., Sept. 18. The Wet Paint Sale will be held on Sat., Sept. 18 from 1-7pm at Lavender Hill Farm. The Wet Paint Sale will conclude prior to the evening’s benefit concert, Play it Forward in the Lavender Hill Farm event barn. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/paint-out - RUSTIC ROMANTIC: WORK BY TRISH MORGAN: Held in Atrium Gallery. Trish Morgan’s paintings take common subjects & render them memorable. Runs through Sept. 11. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/rusticromantic-work-trish-morgan - BENEATH THE MOON AND UNDER THE SUN: LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS BY HEIDI A. MARSHALL: Heidi’s pastel paintings capture the grace, power, & emotion of the land that inspires her. Runs through Sept. 4. Open Tues. through Sat., 10am-5pm. crookedtree.org - PAST IS PRESENT: A DART FEATURED ARTIST RETROSPECTIVE: This exhibit will recognize the talent, skills, creativity & generosity of past Dart for Art featured artists. Runs through Sept. 4. Open Tues. through Sat.,

10am-5pm. crookedtree.org

---------------------DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - AWAY FROM HOME: AMERICAN INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL STORIES: This exhibition explores off-reservation boarding schools in its kaleidoscope of voices. Visitors will explore photographs, artwork, interviews, interactive timelines, & immersive environments, including classroom & dormitory settings. Objects such as a period barber chair & a young Seminole girl’s skirt, as well as reproduction elements poignantly illuminate firstperson accounts. Runs Sept. 1 – Oct. 20. dennosmuseum.org - BIRDS FLY IN: A HUMAN REFUGE: Runs Sept. 1 – Jan. 2. A cross-cultural art collaboration focusing on themes related to Migration & Intuition. Artist Ellie Harold was surprised by birds who “flew” onto her canvas after the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. As intuitive messengers, they brought not only an entirely new way of painting, but comfort during confusing times. Later, as migration issues came to the fore, she felt birds were a metaphor for the universal human desire to move toward greater freedom & love. Following her intuition, Ellie met Mexican composer David Mendoza, creator of the soundtrack music, & German architect Wilfried Schley who designed the Refuge Space. dennosmuseum.org - CLOSE TO HOME: CONTEMPORARY ANISHINAABEK ARTISTS: Runs Sept. 1 – Oct. An exhibit of works from Anishinaabek artists in the region, supplemented by objects in the Dennos Museum Center’s collection. Artists include Kelly Church, Reneé Dillard, Jamie John, Yvonne Walker Keshick, & Jenna Wood.

Represents current trends & connections to traditional practice by contemporary, working artists. dennosmuseum.org - THE CLYDE AND PATRICIA RISDON COLLECTION: TOK, ALASKA: A family visit in the early 1970’s to view a dog sled race in Florence, Wisconsin soon became a lifetime career for Clyde & Patricia Risdon. Clyde had seven sled dogs & was racing in his spare time just two years later. After learning about what other mushers liked & disliked about their sleds, he began making his own in 1979. In 1995, he was asked to donate a sled to Tok, Alaska for their annual auction, & in 1999 the people of Tok began sending them gifts of mostly beaded work made by Athabascans. View this collection of beadwork by the people of Tok in the Milliken cases. Exhibit runs through Sept. 5.

- TOM PARISH: AN AMERICAN IN VENICE: Runs through Sept. 26. Open Weds. - Sun., 11am-4pm. Tom Parish (American, 1933 2018) committed his life to painting the essence of Venice. Inspired by shimmering canals & architectural beauty of Italy’s Serenissima (the old serene one), his stylized realist paintings are constructed from blocks of sturdy modernist color. dennosmuseum.org

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

Opens Sept. 4 & runs through Dec. 17. glenarborart.org/events/exhibit-denise-samuels - “EVERYDAY OBJECTS”: Everyday Objects, a juried exhibition, asks exhibitors to reexamine & explore new & unexpected aesthetic possibilities in mundane objects. Runs through Oct. 28. Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 9am-3pm. Sat. & Sun.: 12-4pm. GlenArborArt.org/EXHIBITS

---------------------HIGHER ART GALLERY, TC: - “HEROINES - REAL & IMAGINED”: A 2 woman show featuring sculptor Michelle Tock York & the paintings of Shanny Brooke. Runs through Sept. 5. higherartgallery.com - ARTISTS FOR WINGS OF WONDER EXHIBIT: The 3rd annual community fundraiser exhibit, which features over 30 artists, with Raptor themed artwork, all in an effort to raise funds to help Wings of Wonder transition into The Migizi Eagle rehabilitation. The show is open for viewing & purchase from Sept. 11-30. higherartgallery.com

CODA

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NEW YORK - LAGUARDIA

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DALLAS / FORT WORTH • PHOENIX

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NEWARK

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PUNTA GORDA

17 NON-STOPS

MINNEAPOLIS / SAINT PAUL

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An honest to goodness joy, you might not see a more beautiful film this year. It’s so good that if it’s not playing in a theater near you, and you haven’t already gotten AppleTV+ to watch Ted Lasso, you had better sign up for the streaming service, if only to watch this.

ATLANTA

•

Yet at the same time, while it hits all the high notes to achieve the maximum heartwarming effect, it is some of the smaller scenes that will most stir your soul, like a meeting between father and daughter when he asks her to sing so he can touch her vocal cords and feel the sounds she is producing.

17 NON-STOPS

PHILADELPHIA

And while it may head toward an ending that you can’t help but see coming, that fact won’t make you sob any less. And it’s not emotional manipulation — your response is every bit earned, by filmmakers and performers who bring us something so tender and true. It is a catharsis of the highest order, truly get-onyour-feet-and-cheer good.

DENVER

•

But Ruby, often the odd man out within the family home, wants something for herself alone. After signing up for choir, she finds her passion and confidence in singing.

Recognizing her natural talent, her teacher, Bernardo (Eugenio Derbez), encourages her to audition for a scholarship at the

Dad Frank (Troy Kotsur) blasts rap music in the car so he can feel the beat. They all make crass and just plain bad jokes, gather around the table to go through her older brother’s Tinder profile, and there is a running gag about the parents’ active sex life.

•

CHARLOTTE

A high schooler, Ruby serves as the intermediary between her family, which owns a struggling fishing business in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the hearing world. She accompanies them to doctor’s appointments, negotiates the price of their catches with the wholesaler, and handles the visiting government inspector — all before her school day begins. It is not an understatement to say their lives and livelihood very much depend on Ruby.

But the film isn’t just about the representation of deaf characters, just like there is so much more to the characters than them being deaf. They’re funny and warm and real and relatable. It truly is one of the most natural and involving depictions of a family unit on screen.

NEW JERSEY

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The title, CODA, stands for Child of Deaf Adults, and the film’s lead, Ruby (sparkling newcomer Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of her family. Ruby plays an indispensable role in her family’s life, setting up a conflict that is so distinct and unfamiliar for most, but one of undeniably compelling tension.

Because deaf actors play CODA’s deaf characters, the film is not only a landmark for representation but also an expressive wonder. Non-deaf actors Jones and Heder learned ASL for the film, and subtitles are burned into the print, making the film accessible without special Access Glasses, no matter when and where you watch it.

CHICAGO

Written and directed by relative newcomer Sian Heder, it is more than just a festival indie with broad crossover appeal; it’s a true discovery that begs to be seen by families everywhere. Yet, at first look, if you break it down to its elements, it is perhaps not the most original thing you’ve ever seen. A bythe-numbers coming-of-age story, CODA comes complete with an inspiring teacher, a sweetly hunky crush, an annoying older brother, embarrassing parents, and a big audition. But it’s where the film zigs instead of zags that it truly breaks new ground, melding a story of such incredible specificity with something truly universal.

Yet the familial demands on her time don’t ease up. In fact, the family needs her more than ever as they work to establish a fishing co-op. And they don’t understand why she would pursue something they can’t experience. “If I was blind, would you paint?” asks her mother, played exquisitely

by Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin.

•

The big winner at this past year’s Sundance Film Festival, CODA is everything you could want from a movie. Taking home not only awards but also a record-breaking sale, it is a crowd-pleaser with a capital C, a film so vivid and vital that it will stay with you long after the credits roll.

prestigious Berklee College of Music and offers to tutor her.

BOSTON

You know how sometimes in the movies, a song, no matter how iconic or well-known, melds so perfectly with the story and visuals that you’ll never hear it the same way again.

Well, there’s a moment in CODA that does just that for Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” and it’s only one of the many reasons that the film is such a radiant triumph.

Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 23

nitelife

sept 04- sept 12 edited by jamie kauffold

Indie-jazz-pop artist Bekah Brudi plays Bonobo Winery in TC with Nate Veldhoff on Fri., Sept. 10 from 6-8pm.

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

BONOBO WINERY, TC 9/10 – Bekah Brudi, 6

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 9/5 -- Michigan House Labor Day Block Party w/ The Go Rounds, Brother Elsey, Ohly, & Phabies, 4-10 9/8 -- Craig Jolly, 6:30-8:30

CHEBOYGAN BREWING CO. 9/4 -- Happy Little Accidents, 6-9 ROVE ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY, TC 9/10 -- Miriam Pico, 5-8 TC WHISKEY CO. 9/9 -- Craig Jolly, 6-8

9/10 -- Stonehengz 9/11 -- The 4 Horsemen UNION STREET STATION, TC 9/4 -- Giving Moon & The Funk Factory, 10 9/5 -- Desmond Jones Band, 10 9/7 -- Open Mic Comedy, 8-9:30; Electric Open Mic, 10-2 9/8 -- Skin & Marshall, 10 9/9 -- DJ Coven, 10 9/10 -- Comedy Show, 7:30-9; then Skarcasm 9/11 -- Skarcasm, 10 9/12 -- Karaoke, 10

THE PARLOR, TC 9/4 -- John Pomeroy, 6:30-9:30 9/5 -- Mitch McKolay, 7-10 9/10 -- Blue Footed Booby, 7-10 9/11 -- Chris Sterr, 6:30-9:30 THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC PATIO: 6:30-9:30: 9/4 -- The Blue Pines 9/9 -- The GTOs

Emmet & Cheboygan BIERE DE MAC, MACKINAW CITY 9/4 -- The Great Lakes Brass Band, 8 BOYNE HIGHLANDS RESORT, HARBOR SPRINGS SLOPESIDE PATIO: 9/9 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

Antrim & Charlevoix CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS

SHORT’S BREW PUB, BELLAIRE

9/10 -- Blair Miller, 6-8

9/4 -- The Sleeping Gypsies, 8:3011:30 9/7 -- Open Mic Night, 7:30-11 9/10 -- Matt Mansfield, 8:30-11:30 9/11 -- The Bootstrap Boys, 8:3011:30

ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 8-11: 9/4 -- Charlie Millard Band 9/10 -- Stone Folk 9/11 -- Crosscut Kings

LAVENDER HILL FARM, BOYNE CITY 9/4 -- Horton Creek, 7:30

SHORT’S BREWING PULL BARN TAPROOM, ELK RAPIDS

TORCH LAKE CAFÉ, EASTPORT (US 31/M-88)

Weds. – Lee Malone & Sandy Metiva, 7-9 Thurs. – Nick Vazquez, 7-10 Fri. -- Leanna Collins & Ivan Greilick, 9-12 Sun. – Pine River Jazz, 2-5

9/11 -- Blair Miller, 6:30

Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD 9/4 & 9/10 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7-10

BENNETHUM’S NORTHERN INN, GAYLORD 9/7 -- Randy Reszka, 5-8

BIG BUCK BREWERY, GAYLORD 9/11 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee COYOTE CROSSING RESORT, CADILLAC 9/4 -- The Insiders, 8-11

RIVIA TUES T M 7-9P

KET NFL TICUNDAY S EVERY S - WITH 14 TV ND ON! SOU

NORTHERN NATURAL CIDER HOUSE & WINERY, KALEVA 9/3-5 -- Scott Pellegrom Presents Heavyweight Head Weekend w/ Nocturnal Lights, DJ Sarah G, Remedy, Sarena Rae, Joe Sturgill, Kevin Kozel, & more!

9/10 -- Blake Elliott, 6-9

TO-GO OR DERS AVAILABL E 231-2524157

MON - CLOSED FOR LABOR DAY

Sun-Wed Noon-10pm Fri/Sat Noon-11pm

Thurs 4pm-10pm (kitchen open noon-9pm) closed Wednesdays

DRINK SPECIALS (3-6 Tuesday-Friday):

$2 well drinks, $2 domestic drafts, $2.50 domestic bottles, $5 Hornitos margarita SUNDAY - $6 Ketel One Bloody Mary & $4 Mimosas DAILY FOOD SPECIALS (3-6pm): Tuesday - $1 enchiladas Thursday - $5 fried veggies (cauliflower or mushrooms) Friday - $5 hot pretzels w/ beer cheese

PORTAGE POINT RESORT, ONEKAMA LAHEY’S PUB: 9/10 -- John Merchant, 7-11

BEL LAGO VINEYARD, WINERY & CIDERY, CEDAR 9/3-4 -- Keith Scott, 4-7 Tue -- Live Music, 5-8 BOATHOUSE VINEYARDS, LAKE LEELANAU TASTING ROOM, LAWN: 9/5 -- Jim Hawley, 4:30-7 9/8 -- Chris Smith, 5:30-8 9/12 -- An Afternoon of Frank Sinatra & Friends by David Chown & Doc Probes, 4:30-7:30 CICCONE VINEYARD & WINERY, SUTTONS BAY 9/5 -- Elizabeth Landry wsg I.am. james., 2-4:30 9/9 -- The Duges, 5-7:30 9/12 -- Luke Woltanski, 2-4:30 CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE LEVEL FOUR ROOFTOP BAR: 9/4 -- Bill Frary, 9-11 9/5 & 9/9 -- Meg Gunia, 7-9 9/11 -- K Dragon, 7-9 9/12 -- Drew Hale, 7-9

HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS

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

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

the can night - $1 domestic, WedMonday - Get it -inclosed for labor day $3 craft- w/DJ JR

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

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

Thurs Sept 9th -DJ Coven

Thurs Sept 9th- Thirsty Thursday Blues Featuring the GTOs PATIO ENT TAINM0) Fri Sept 10th - Stonehengz R E T EN -9:3 Sat Sept 11th- The 4 Horsemen (6:30

Sat MarchFri21Sept- The Ryder 10thIsaac - Comedy ShowBand 7:30-9 (No Covers) Then: Skarcasm March 22 SatSunday Sept 11thSkarcasm KARAOKE ( 10pm-2am)

221 E State St. downtown TC

941-1930 downtown TC check us out at unionstreetstationtc.net

Sun Sept 12th - Karaoke

24 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

CHEBOYGAN BREWING CO. 9/5 -- Delilah DeWylde, 6-9

HIVE NORTH, CHEBOYGAN 9/4 -- Lara Fullford, 7:30-9 9/10 -- Donovan Dougherty, 7:30-9 9/12 -- Mead and Make, 5:30-8 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BAY HARBOR 9/9 -- The Real Ingredients, 7:3010:30

Leelanau & Benzie

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

Tues Sept 7 - -$2 OpenoffMicallComedy Thurs drinksfrom and 8-9:30 then 10pm-2am Electric Open $2 Labatt drafts w/DJ RickyMic T Wed Sept 8th- Skin & Marshall

BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY PATIO: 9/4 -- Chris Calleja, 2-6 9/10 -- Pete Kehoe, 4-7:30 9/11 -- Michelle Chenard, 2-6

Extend your summer with our all-inclusive sunset sail departing daily at 5:30 p.m.

Book now at winddancertc.com 231-492-0059

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

SHADY LANE CELLARS, SUTTONS BAY PATIO: 9/4 -- The Duges, 2-5

FIVE SHORES BREWING, BEULAH 9/4 -- Jake Frysinger, 6:30-8:30 9/10 -- James Jerome, 6:30-8:30

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 9/4 -- Ted Alan, 2:30-5; Soul Patch, 4-7 9/5 -- Jabo Bihlman, 4-7 9/6 -- Rootball, 3-6 9/9 -- Wink, 5:30-8:30 9/10 -- Jake Frysinger, 5-8 9/11 -- Chelsea Marsh, 5-8

FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARDS, CEDAR 9/3-4 -- Keith Scott, 5-8 9/8 -- John Rutherford & Friends, 2-4 9/9 -- Mark Hansen, 5-8 IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 9/4 -- The Bootstrap Boys, 6:30-8:30 9/5 -- Blake Elliott, 3:30-5:30; Broom Closet Boys, 6:30-8:30 9/10 -- Wink, 6:30-8:30 9/11 -- Blake Elliott, 6:30-8:30 LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 9/4 -- A Brighter Bloom, 7-10 9/7 -- Pat Niemisto & Chris Skellenger, 6:30-9:30 9/9 -- The Jim Crockett Band, 6:309:30 9/10 -- Jack Pine Band, 7-10 9/11 -- Jim Hawley, 3-6; Looking Forward - CSN&Y Tribute, 7-10

STORMCLOUD PARKVIEW TAPROOM, FRANKFORT 9/6 -- Cousin Curtiss & the Band, 4-7 THE CABBAGE SHED, ELBERTA 9/10 – Seth and Sara, 6-9 THE HOMESTEAD RESORT, GLEN ARBOR 9/10 -- Craig Jolly, 7-10 THE UNION, NORTHPORT Wed -- Jazz w/ Jeff Haas Trio & Laurie Sears, 7-9:30 VILLAGE INN GRILLE, SUTTONS BAY 9/5 -- Craig Jolly, 6-9

the ADViCE GOddESS The Camera Sutra

Q

: I really like the girl I’m dating, except for one thing. On every date, she asks me to take photos of her for Instagram.

Afterward, she consults me repeatedly on which will “get the most likes.” I’m starting to get really annoyed, and I find it cuts into my enjoyment of our time together. She even did this on my birthday!

— Irritated

A

: Psychologist Erich Fromm wrote, “Mature love says: ‘I need you because I love you.’”

He died in 1980, 30-some years before Instagram-infused love: “I need you, love, because my telescoping selfie stick won’t fit in my cute purse.”

This girl’s far from alone in turning every occasion short of stints on the toilet into a photo op. Social media (and Instagram especially) transformed fishing for compliments into a business model. #admirationvampires Some young women — especially 20-somethings with a still-murky sense of identity — might feel they don’t exist in any meaningful way if they don’t post pix and videos of themselves to score likes and gain followers. #KeepingUpWithTheInstadashians There’s also the lure of easy money for those who can rack up an audience: potentially making big “influencer” bucks just by showing up to events in some pop-up shop’s dress and striking a bunch of poses they copied off Beyonce.

Chances are you went on Tinder or Hinge or whatever in hopes of landing a girlfriend, not unpaid work as a photographer. Saying yes to taking this girl’s pic the first time— before you realized it would be an every-date thing — probably seemed like a one-off request and thus not a big deal. But now you’re annoyed that you’re constantly being pressed into photo slavehood. Even your birthday got coopted into a #MeMeMeMe #takemypicture celebration of her personal “brand.”

The problem is not that she’s asking but that you keep going along with photographing her.

There’s a way out of this -- and a way to get women to respect you instead of seeing you as a chump they can use and eventually lose — and it’s assertiveness.

Social psychologist Daniel Ames and his colleagues define assertiveness as “the degree to which someone stands up” for their own

BY Amy Alkon needs and interests “when they are faced with someone else who does not want the same outcomes.”

Assertiveness allows you to be in charge of your life instead of becoming the tool of anyone who wants to use you: basically living like an insect that gets batted around by a cat.

People who default to a passive approach — just doing whatever’s asked of them, no matter how they dread it — often have a deep fear of rejection. They act on the mistaken belief that “the way to be accepted and appreciated by others is to give and give,” explains clinical psychologist Randy Paterson.

This isn’t to say you should live like an accountant, calculating to the penny or the calorie whether the give and take between you and another person is exactly 50/50 at all times. What matters is your motivation: giving to a woman because it feels good to make her happy or, say, safer (like if you install burglarfrustrating thingies on her windows).

That’s healthy giving — in contrast with emotionally indentured Boy Scout-hood: fulfilling the terms of a contract that exists only in your head, in which you re-sod a woman’s lawn, rotate her tires, and/or become her pro bono “palace photographer” so she won’t kick you to the curb.

This “chore-bribe your way to love ’n’ sex” model tends to work about as well as my attempt, as a lonely, picked-on little kid, to geek my way into having friends. In second grade, two girls approached me, worksheets in hand, and said they’d be my friend if I did their math homework during recess. I got to work with my thick No. 2 pencil. Maybe 10 minutes later, I finished — and they immediately succumbed to childhood amnesia. Neither girl even spoke to me again — all the way through the end of 12th grade.

The willingness to assert yourself is a reflection of self-respect: the belief that you have value and have a right to be treated as if you and your needs matter. But say your current level of selfrespect is on the low side. You can still act like a person with strong self-respect: Explain what you want — in this case, to retire from fashion photography and post-date photo selection.

Be prepared. It’s possible she’ll ditch you for expressing the inconvenient need to quit as her Instagram documentarian. But if your needs and feelings are of little interest to her, maybe you can view getting yourself dumped by her not as a tragedy but as a point of pride: the first day of the rest of your living with self-respect.

Carpe diem! (By way of carpe scrotum!)

“Jonesin” Crosswords "It's Symbolic"--a trip around the keyboard. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1 Joan who sang “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” 5 Shaq’s former college team 8 “Family Guy” dog 13 Laguna contents 14 Street through the middle of town 15 Casual eatery, in Canadian slang 16 Underground illegal activity that may be busted by the Feds 18 Passing notices 19 “Butter” group 20 Alla ___ (cut time, in music) 21 Adorable pet 22 Some negatively persuasive strategies 24 Goes by 27 Some med. insurance groups 28 Time magazine co-founder Henry 29 Intuitive ability 30 Sports drink ender 33 Unrealistic comparisons for real-life couples (since problems don’t often get resolved in 30 minutes) 38 Obnoxious person 39 Willful participant?

40 Fit one within the other 41 “Bye Bye Bye” group ‘N ___ 42 Former spelling of “Westworld” actress Newton’s name (she restored the W in 2021) 45 Turned up on the beach 49 Otherwise named 50 Moby-Dick, for one 51 URL ending, sometimes 54 Dwarves’ representative in the Fellowship of the Ring 55 Searchlight used in Gotham City 57 “___ Holmes” (Netflix movie) 58 Release, as energy 59 MC ___ (“Keep On, Keepin’ On” rapper) 60 Jorts material 61 ___ ipsa loquitur 62 Yoked animals

DOWN 1 Door frame component 2 Multi-award-winning accomplishment 3 Margarine containers 4 Paving material 5 Shaq’s former pro team 6 Pasta-draining device 7 Release from a leash 8 Food that comes in florets 9 Counterargues 10 Question about Biblical betrayal 11 High point of a house 12 They get counted or turned up 14 Jazz vocalist Carmen 17 Basics 22 Built to ___ 23 AFL-CIO part 24 “Frozen” princess 25 “Sesame Street” human character for 25 years 26 Does something 29 To an advanced degree 30 Like some bourbons 31 Lucie Arnaz’s dad 32 90 degrees from norte 34 Strident agreement 35 Heal up 36 Optimistic “David Copperfield” character 37 2nd or 4th of VIII? 41 “Okay to proceed?”

42 “In other words ...”

43 “The Planets” composer Gustav 44 “Whose woods these ___ think ...”: Frost 45 Carried on, as a battle 46 Flaring dress style 47 Judge seated near Sofia 48 Ignominy 51 Stone used for chess sets 52 Give out some stars 53 Watkins ___, NY 56 Day-___ (fluorescent paint)

Northern Express Weekly • september 06, 2021 • 25

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLAS SIFIE DS

OTHER

SEWING, ALTERATIONS, Mending & Repairs.

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lOGY

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Between 37 and 41 BCE, Virgoborn Caligula served as third Emperor of Rome. To do so, he had to disprove the prophecy of a renowned astrologer, Thrasyllus of Mendes. Years earlier, Thrasyllus had predicted that Caligula, despite being well-connected, “had no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding a horse across the Bay of Baiae”—a distance of two miles. Once in power, Caligula arranged to have a series of pontoon boats arrayed across the bay, enabling him to ride his favorite horse Incitatus from one shore to the other across the Bay of Baiae. I foresee the possibility of a comparable turn of events for you, Virgo. Is there a curse you want to undo? A false prophecy you’d like to cancel? Someone’s low expectation you would love to debunk? The coming weeks will be a favorable time.

and over. Call for info or to prescreen over the phone. AARP Foundation SCSEP Program, 231-252-4544. ____________________________________

JOIN OUR TEAM! Cherry Republic is looking for Service Ambassadors to work at our downtown Traverse City location assisting customers with online and phone ordering of our delicious cherry products. 32-40 hours per week during the upcoming busy season. $15 / hour. Please email talent@cherryrepublic.com or contact HR direct at 231-276-3003. http:// www.cherryrepublic.com/discover/employment ____________________________________ ACCOUNTING MANAGER Join a team of people working towards living out a mission!

To serve our community and build trusted relationships. Our Accounting Manager is responsible for leading and coaching our accounting team and overseeing all functions of the department. Leadership and accounting experience needed. A great team and benefits package awaits you! abbys@tbacu.com ____________________________________ KITCHEN DESIGNER Wolverine Cabinet Company is now hiring designers for our Traverse City and Petoskey locations.

Experience preferred, but will train the right person. Apply via email. boconnor@ wolverinecabinet.com

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Born on one of the Galapagos Islands, Diego is a giant tortoise who has lived for over 100 years. He’s a member of the Hood Island species, which had dwindled to a population of 15 by 1977. That’s when he and his tortoise colleague, whose name is E5, became part of a breeding program with 12 female tortoises. E5 was reserved in his behavior, but Diego was a showboat who vocalized loudly as he enjoyed public mating rituals. Together the two males saved their species—producing over 2,000 offspring in subsequent years. According to my astrological analysis, you could be as metaphorically fertile as Diego and E5 in the coming months—even if you prefer to adopt an approach more akin to E5’s.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “The meaning of my existence is that life has addressed a question to me,” wrote psychologist Carl Jung. “Or, conversely, I myself am a question that is addressed to the world, and I must communicate my answer, for otherwise, I am dependent upon the world’s answer.” These are superb meditations for you Sagittarians during the coming weeks.

Between now and October 1, I invite you to keep a journal where you write about two subjects: 1. What is the main question that life asks you? 2. What is the main question that your life asks the world?

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

Korea’s Capricorn leader Kim Jong-un has an amazing résumé. Official reports say he learned to drive at age three and was an accomplished sailor at nine. As an adult, he developed the power to control the weather. He’s a skilled musician and artist, as well as a scientist who developed a miracle drug to cure AIDs, Ebola, cancer, heart disease, and the common cold. Most impressively, Kim is an archaeologist who discovered a lair where magical unicorns live. Is it possible you have unexpressed powers like these, Capricorn? If so, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to identify them and start tapping into their potential. It’s time to develop your dormant talents.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian

author Toni Morrison testified, “I think of beauty as an absolute necessity. I don’t think it’s a privilege or an indulgence. It’s almost like knowledge, which is to say, it’s what we were born for.” I urge you to adopt her perspective during the next four weeks, Aquarius. In my astrological opinion, a devoted quest for beauty will heal exactly what most needs to be healed in you. It will teach you everything you most need to know.

PISCES

(Feb 19-March 20): Poet and translator Anne Carson periodically joins with her husband Robert Currie to teach a workshop called “EgoCircus.” It’s an ironic title, because the subject they teach is the art of collaboration. To develop skills as a collaborator, of course, people must lay aside at least some of their egos’ needs and demands. In accordance with current astrological potentials, I encourage you to stage your own version of EgoCircus in the coming weeks. The time is ripe for you to hone your creative togetherness and synergistic intimacy.

Easy. Accessible. All Online. northernexpress.com/classifieds 26 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

SEPT 06 - SEPT 12

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “We need to become

more unreasonable but in an intelligent way,” says Aries politician Jerry Brown. Yes! I agree!

And that’s especially true for you right now, Aries.

To Brown’s advice, I will add this message from Aries fashion designer Vivienne Westwood: “Intelligence is composed mostly of imagination, insight—things that have

nothing to do with reason.” Here’s one further suggestion to help you take maximum advantage of cosmic rhythms, courtesy of Aries historian Arnold J. Toynbee: “The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I have become

whole and complete, like a thundering cloudburst in summer,” wrote Taurus poet Miklós Radnóti. I love that metaphor for fullness: not an immaculate icon of shiny, sterile perfection, but rather a primal, vigorous force of nature in all of its rumbling glory. I hope you like this symbol as much as I do, and I hope you use it to fuel your creative spirit in the coming weeks. PS: Keep in mind that many indigenous people welcome rainstorms as a source of fertility and growth.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Pandiculation” is

a word that refers to when you stretch and yawn at the same time. According to my understanding of the astrological omens, you will benefit from doing a lot of pandiculations in the coming days. I also recommend gazing lazily out the window and looking at the sky a lot. Keep your shoes off as much as possible, get a massage or three, and let yourself sleep more than you customarily do. Did you know that sighing deeply is good for your lungs’ health?

Here’s your homework: Dream up all the things you can do to relax and renew yourself. It’s prime time to indulge in generous acts of self-healing.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): The ancient Roman author Pliny’s ten-volume Natural History, written in the first century, was a monumental encyclopedia of the natural world, unprecedented in its own time and for centuries afterward. It offered compilations of facts about astronomy, geography, zoology, botany, mineralogy, and many other subjects. There was one big problem with it, however. It contained a great deal of erroneous information. For example, Pliny described in detail many non-existent animals, including dragons, flying horses, and giant serpents that swallowed bulls and snatched birds out of the sky. My reason for telling you this is to inspire you to be extra discerning in the coming weeks. Be especially skeptical of authorities, experts, and other know-it-alls who are very confident despite being inaccurate or erroneous. It’s time for you to increase your trust in your

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): “There are those fortunate hours when the world consents to be made into a poem,” writes Leo poet Mark Doty.

That’s great for a poet. But what about for everyone else? My variation on Doty’s comment is this: There are fortunate hours when the world consents to be made into a holy revelation or a lyrical breakthrough or a marvelous feeling that changes our lives forever. I expect events like those to come your way at least twice in the immediate future.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): College student

Amelia Hamrick studied the right panel of Hieronymus Bosch’s 15th-century painting The Garden of Earthly Delights. It depicts a hellish scene. Cities are on fire. Weird beasts devour sinful humans. There are demons and torture chambers.

Hamrick did what no one in the history of art had ever done: She transcribed the musical score that the artist had written on a man’s naked hindquarters. Her work inspired a composer to create a recording entitled “500-Year-Old Butt Song from Hell.”

In the coming weeks, I invite you to perform feats comparable to Hamrick: 1. Explore the past for useful, overlooked clues. 2. Find or create redemptive transformations out of stressful situations.

3. Have fun telling stories about your past misadventures.

Mike Annelin

Enthusiastic & Experienced

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

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28 • september 06, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly