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NMEAC: Keep Construction Away from the River
New building construction in Traverse City has been allowed to creep too close to the Boardman River, according to the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council.
The environmental group is calling for a one-year moratorium on all Boardman River developments.
“The events that triggered this recommendation come from the recent collapse of the Honor Bank building and the complete lack of any river setbacks at the Uptown development,” according to the statement. “With Honor Bank, there were no observed setbacks, and the property is far too small to house a sidewalk to shoreline development of this size and scope. Rising water levels and water tables are also a major concern.”
They say that environmental studies have shown that development close to the riverbanks should have at least a 25-foot setback.
“Continuing to do nothing will, eventually, result in a concrete channel leading through the downtown area,” the group said.
Stuff we love Manistee’s Commitment to a Better World
Amid a pandemic that has become as much a political crisis as it is a health crisis, only 19 days before the murder of George Floyd, and nearly four weeks before national Pride Month, which we’re heralding in these pages, the forward-thinking City of Manistee has given us hope for humankind.
Without fanfare — but with a dignified nod to its own existence within the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe people — the city passed a formal Resolution for Racial Justice, Inclusion and Diversity. It declared, among many other ideals, that the City of Manistee “will not support attacks on, harassment of, or intimidation of individuals based on race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, immigration or refugee status, sexual orientation or identity, special physical or mental needs, familial or economic status, or other social identities status.”
Our collective hats are off to the Citizens for Racial Justice, Inclusion and Diversity; Mayor Roger Zielinski; and everyone in Manistee and elsewhere Up North who will make the values expressed in the resolution an indelible part of the Northern Michigan landscape.
It just doesn’t feel like summer without Blissfest, the annual outdoor music festival held just outside Cross Village and Harbor Springs, does it? Then thank your lucky field clovers that despite the festival’s 2020 cancellation, its devoted 40-year line of musicians are taking turns playing live every Tuesday night at 8pm EST on the organization’s Facebook page, YouTube, and at Blissfest.org. This week, June 23, is one that seems especially appropriate: Armchair Boogie, a bluegrass, up-tempo, jammin-funkgrass outfit out of Wisconsin. On deck for next Tuesday, June 30, is Mike + Ruthy of The Mammals, which play topical and timeless story-esque songs with a message of hope and empowerment, and a modern string band sound. Also appropriate, wouldn’t you say?
Higher Art Gallery Contemporary Art Artist Run Space Curated Monthly Exhibits
126 S. Union St. Downtown Traverse City 231-252-4616 www.higherartgallery.com/shop
bottoms up House Wines’ Rosé Bubbles
House Wines, maker of approachable and unpretentious wines sourced from around the world — house motto: “Don’t overthink it, just drink it” — has launched a limited-edition rainbow can of its Rosé Bubbles to “support LGBTQ+ equality and love in all its forms.” We found ours at Fishtown’s Village Cheese Shanty (199 W. River St., in Leland) about one minute before the recent seiche rolled in, and the high water did little to dampen our enthusiasm for this berries-and-cream bubbly. It’s bright, slightly citrus-y, and sweet but with a crisp finish that well suits a summertime thirst (and the Shanty’s famed North Shore sandwich: turkey, bacon, swiss, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and herb-mayo on pretzel bread). If you, like us, enjoy the single can so much, maybe consider investing in a case this month. For every case of House Wines’ rainbow rosé sold, the company will donate $2 to the Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest civil rights organization working for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer equity. Find House Wines at various local retailers including the Village Cheese Shanty, which is open daily for takeout 8am–5pm and recommends calling ahead to order, (231) 256-9141. Menu available at www.villagecheeseshanty.com. Northern Express Weekly • june 22, 2020 • 5
