Northern Express Feb 07

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • feb 07 - feb 13, 2022 • Vol. 32 No. 06

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www.missiontable.net 2 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

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Major Fumble What would happen if we made the NFL play the upcoming Super Bowl with rigged rules, akin to the voter suppression tactics like the ones Republicans are trying with their bogus Secure MI Vote petition drive? In football, the officials are impartial, managing the game according to the agreedupon rules. Elections, like football, are contests between candidates; non-partisan election officials make sure the election is fair and votes are counted accurately.

That means, if we were treating football like Republicans are trying to treat our elections, we could have a regular goal post for our team and a much smaller one for our opponents. This sounds just like how Republicans mastered the art of removing ballot boxes, banning or restricting vote by mail, and making it difficult to obtain IDs needed to vote, making it much harder to win an election.

We would install our own umpires, linesmen, and scorekeepers to manage the game, just like Republicans are trying to insert partisan actors into an election to decide the outcome in their favor.

Let’s demand that all TV and social media coverage be handled by FOX News and Facebook so only our team gets favorable coverage while those media platforms make millions from advertising.

Republicans and right-wing groups already spread disinformation and misinformation through FOX News and Facebook, manipulating the media atmosphere.

We could ban good players of the opposing team from the game, like the way that Republicans are purging the voter rolls in some states.

Changing the rules and having your own umpires is wrong in football. If you don’t accept cheating in football, why should voter suppression and partisan election officials be tolerated in any of our elections?

Michael Hertz, MD, Benzie

Make Peace, Not War We have heard this tune many times before. It begins with “those people are not good, God-fearing Christian people like us,” followed by the refrain “They have a terrible dictator who is a threat to our interests, then the loud drums beating “War.” It does not matter what Putin does to defend Russia, because once we started beating the war drums there will be no stopping until we destroy their whole country. We have been rehearsing for war with Russia for over 100 years now. We even invaded Russia in 1918 in a failed attempt to re-install the country’s tsarist regime.

Gorbachev mistakenly believed he could change our tune by conceding to the United States, and it bought the country a little time, but we have continued to play the same nuclear-war song against both Russia and China since the early 1950s.

When we ignore the legitimate concerns of Russia as we have, continuously moving our war machine closer to their borders, we should understand that every nation that is not subservient to us must realize we have plans to destroy them also. The song we are playing is a death march for all of them, and if anyone believes death is imminent, they logically will go down fighting.

We have a choice to either pull back and remove our threats to Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere, and make peace — or understand we are one foolish mistake from a sad ending to our existence.

Stop the U.S. war machine. Play a song for peace.

David Petrove, Interlochen Puh-lease In answer to Charles Knapp’s letter in the Jan. 24 issue: You must not have been living on Earth at the beginning of the COVID-19 virus. Taped calls revealed Trump wasn’t honest about the virus. Because only foreign nationals were subject to the ban and didn’t include 40,000+ U.S. travelers who flew to and from China without being checked, Trump was indeed being xenophobic. That’s the definition of xenophobia.

No, it’s not a lie that 800,000+ have died from the virus. People with heart conditions, lung deficiencies, or whatever ailment, died because of COVID. If not for contracting the virus, they would have lived. A person can have heart disease and die in a car accident, but the accident caused the death. You mention Dr. Birx, the doctor who visibly cringed when Trump said he had seen how disinfectant “cleared [COVID-19] out in a minute, one minute.”

Trump told his supporters to peacefully protest the vote count? If he would have just told them the truth — that he lost the election — instead of acting like a petulant child, that would have been peaceful. The courts, including the Supreme Court, dismissed or refused to hear cases because his legal team had no evidence of voter fraud. His own attorney general, Barr, declared no widespread voter fraud took place. The person Trump had appointed to review elections called the 2020 election “the most secure election ever.” Republican and Democratic governors and Secretaries

of State, after recounts, declared the election results were accurate; Biden won.

Claiming BLM and Antifa were to blame for Jan. 6 is proven nonsense.

Tom Kilpatrick, Alanson Thanks, Guvnah!

Throughout her tenure, Michigan’s Gov. Whitmer has demonstrated her commitment to work across the aisle to get things done for Michiganders. She has signed legislation of a bipartisan nature to repair or replace decaying roads and bridges, help small businesses retain jobs, increase funding to education, invest in water infrastructure, as well as sign economic development bills, which allow Michigan to compete for huge manufacturing projects like the one GM has recently announced: a $7 billion investment in electric vehicle manufacturing in Michigan that will create more than 4,000 new jobs.

Looking to the future, Gov. Whitmer has made a number of legislative proposals, the most important of which is the restoration of Michigan’s Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) to 2011 levels for our low-income working families. This could pull tens of thousands of Michiganders out of poverty and send 730,000 families an average of almost $3,000 a year that they can use for everyday expenses immediate expenses like utility bills, groceries, clothing, and school supplies for kids, car repairs, and more. (See HB 4986).

Specific to two area counties, the benefit to working families in Grand Traverse County, if restored to 20 percent of the federal EITC, would raise the current level of $122 a month per family to $407 per family. In Benzie County, the average boost to a low-income working family’s income would increase from $130 to $433 per month.

We all owe a debt of thanks to Gov. Whitmer for working diligently with her colleagues across the aisle to better the lives of ordinary people in Michigan.

Sylvia McCullough, Interlochen Is This our Last Chance?

Are we paying attention to the slow change in our climate? The Greenland ice cap has lost enough water in the past 20 years to cover the entire United States.

Melting ice from Greenland is now the main factor in the rise in the Earth’s oceans.

The climate is warming faster in the Arctic than anywhere else on the planet.

In the short-term, sea rise is projected to rise by at least half a foot by 2030 and nearly two feet by 2060. A global temperature rise means more moisture in our atmosphere, resulting in increased rainfall and higher seas, dramatically increasing flooding, and producing more severe hurricanes.

Without dramatically keeping fossil fuels in the ground, our coastal cities are facing a frightening future. Let’s make the polluters cover the cost of polluting our atmosphere by putting a price on their carbon emissions.

Ronald Marshall, Petoskey

CONTENTS

feature I Propose.......................................................10

It’s A Date.....................................................12 A “Prince” And His Castle.............................14

columns & stuff

Top Ten........................................................4 Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................6 Opinion.........................................................7 Weird............................................................8 Film..........................................................16 Dates........................................................17 Nitelife..........................................................19 Advice......................................................20 Crossword.................................................21 Astrology...................................................21 Classifieds................................................22

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 Graphic Design: Kristen Rivard Distribution: Joe Evancho, Sarah Rodery Roger Racine, Gary Twardowski Charlie Brookfield, Randy Sills Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny, Ross Boissoneau, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Anna Faller Jillian Manning, Al Parker Copyright 2020, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly.

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Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 3

this week’s

top ten Winterlochen: Hours of Free Family Fun Following last year’s virtual version, the renowned arts facility’s annual celebration of winter is rewinding to its traditonal in-person approach on Saturday, Feb. 12, with fun, kid-friendly events planned for both indoors and out.

Bring the fam to make s’mores, study animation, go sledding, or get your whippersnappers’ faces painted throughout the day. Kids can also take part in specially scheduled events — conducting an orchestra, attending an acting workshop, or contributing to cool art projects like “Mural Madness,” “Super Sustainable Sculpting,” “Frankenprint” or even “Old Time Photography.” Refuel the whole family at the Food Court, where local establishments Bradley’s Pub & Grille, Bud’s, and Hofbrau Steakhouse & American Grille will have their eats on offer. At day’s end, the whole family can sit down together to take in the Arts Academy Dance Division’s ballet performance of Romeo & Juliet. Interlochen Director of Dance Joseph Morrissey calls this production the arts academy’s largest-scale dance production ever, and dance faculty will perform several of the roles. (You can read more about the show and other chances to catch it on p. 13.) Other than the food court, all activities are free of charge. For more information see page 13 of this issue and visit www.interlochen.org.

She’s a Brainiac … Brainiac …

Traverse City Central High School (CHS) has earned an impressive award for achieving high female representation in an Advanced Placement Computer Science class: the College Board Advanced Placement Computer Science Female Diversity Award.

Translation? 50 percent or more female students were part of Central’s AP Computer Science A class (one of two levels of the course) in the 20/21 school year — a success only 198 other schools in the country, and only six other schools in Michigan, can claim.

According to a Google study, 54 percent of female computer science majors took AP CSA in high school. Providing female students with access to computer science courses is considered critical to ensuring gender parity in the tech industry’s high-paying jobs.

The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $91,250 in May 2020.

2

tastemaker Oryana’s Two-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding

Two-minute microwaved coffee-mug cakes used to save us in sweet-tooth emergencies.

Rubbery though they are, those quick oooey-gooey cakes sated the cravings. Then we found Oryana’s recipe for Two-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding.

By combining one (5.46 ounce) can of coconut milk and ½ cup of bittersweet chocolate chips in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat and stirring until the chips are melted, you’ll have your own ultra-rich, utterly decadent, near-instant chocolate pudding. The rubber cake in the coffee mug cooks faster, yes, but it also requires far more ingredients — and several more minutes to search the cupboards and drawers for them. Here, two easy-to-find ingredients are enough. Though if you want to make this pudding taste even sweeter and richer — and you know we did — Oryana suggests stirring in a pinch of sea salt and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla after you remove the melted mix from heat. Of course, the Traverse City co-op also recommends pouring the pudding into two serving bowls and letting them cool completely. You know we didn’t. Find the ingredients at either Oryana location in Traverse City to treat your valentine — or your sweet self. www.oryana.coop

4 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

4

Hey, read it

In Nigerian, wahala means trouble. And for the AngloNigerian trio of Simi, Ronke, and Boo, trouble looks a lot like life — at first: Simi’s not ready to try for a baby (though her husband thinks she is); Boo resents her mommy role; and Ronke’s boyfriend won’t commit. But all that changes when Isobel arrives. An enchanting childhood friend of Simi’s, Isobel embodies what each woman wants while finding — and exploiting — their deepest flaws. Will their bond survive her wily barrage? There’s only one way to find out. From debut author Nikki May comes “Wahala: A Novel.” Written with enough juicy drama to rival the likes of “Big Little Lies,” this modern and hilarious take on femme friendship is one you’ll gulp down in one sitting.

5

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All You Mead is Love — and Cheese

Excepting those who are allergic to dairy, St. Ambrose’s upcoming Cheese & Love event is a surefire way to woo most any woman in northern Michigan. Whether in an intimate igloo or the magical interior of the meadery itself, you two can sample a flight of St. Ambrose-style aphrodisiacs — Razzputin, Royal Reserve, Rhythm and Blues, and Black Madonna — alongside a flight of paired cheeses curated by Tina the Cheese Lady, aka Tina Zinn, owner of The Cheese Lady shop in Traverse City. The pairing costs just $15 and no reservations or advanced tickets are necessary for the Feb. 13 event. Just show up at St. Ambrose (841 Pioneer Rd. in Beulah) between noon and 4pm. However, if you want an igloo ($15 for 1 hour and 15 minutes), you’ll want to make a reservation on the website: www.stambrose-mead-wine.com

Stuff We Love: Snow Tubing for a Cause — and Chili We can’t say for sure whether eating copious amounts of chili accelerates or delays one’s snow tubing experience, but we’re certain that doing so at Timberlee Hills on Feb. 12 will benefit a good cause: the Kids on the Go program in Traverse City, which provides free physical, occupational, and speech therapy to children with special needs. Kids on the Go partnered with several local restaurants — Blue Tractor, Fried, and Taproot Cider House among them — to host a chili cook-off fundraiser, complete with raffle prizes, live music, snow tubing, wine samples, fire pits, and more. The party starts at 1pm at Timberlee Hills; proceeds support the local Kids On The Go summer camp. Purchase tickets, donate, and learn more by searching “Kids on the Go Traverse City” on Facebook.

bottoms up hive north’s the mix Chill and Chase (for) the Dragon in Harbor Springs On Feb. 11 and 12, the Harbor Springs Ice Fest will welcome residents and visitors downtown, where more than 30 ice sculptures are on display and a host of activities await: An interactive ice sculpture park in Zorn Park, ice carving demonstrations and competitions, Independent ice corn hole, a ring toss and — one Harbor Springs Downtown Development Authority director Margo Damoose is excited about — “Free the Fire Dragon.” Created and sponsored Living Your Way by without the Petoskey room theescape worries of Know Way Out, the game invites players to follow and figure out clues scattered throughout downtown businesses so they can help the fire dragon escape. maintaining yourHistorical home. Museum will also offer young patrons the opportunity — The Harbor Springs and supplies — to make their own valentines. For older loves, participating Harbor Springs restaurants will offer various specials. For more information, see downtownharborsprings. com.

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Imagine Christine King’s surprise when, on a family trip to Savannah, Georgia, she discovered a mead made in her own backyard. “We couldn’t believe it was from northern Michigan,” she says. “I thought, people need to know about this product!”

That revelation, in part, prompted Cheboygan’s own Hive North. Open since Labor Day 2020, this family-owned cider and mead collective is a haven for all things Mitten-made, from handicrafts to local honey to, of course, mead. The real hive-mind lives at the bar. Featuring such local cider-slingers as Shorts Brewing and Farmhaus Cider Co. — not to mention the scratch-made weekend cocktails — Hive North’s 14 seasonal taps boast pours to satisfy every palette. But their buzziest bev is simply The Mix. “Everyone knows what ‘The Mix’ is,” says King.

Serendipitously concocted by a guest, the mix is a 50/50 split of St. Ambrose Cellars X.R. Cyser mead and Blake’s Hard Cider Co.’s semi-sweet Caramel Apple. The resultant maplegolden pour packs just enough residual sugar to complement the stone-fruit finish. How’s that for something to buzz about? $6.50 for a 12-oz pour. Find Hive North at 100 S. Main Street, Cheboygan. (231) 445-7084. www.cheboyganhivenorth.com

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Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 5

Don’t Forget Your Special Someone

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We can’t stop there. We need smaller houses on smaller lots to avoid a dystopian future of actual elbow room. Those yards where kids could throw a ball or climb a tree with maybe enough room for a vegetable garden? A terrible waste of potentially valuable urban land on which multiple dwellings could be constructed; four or five houses per acre seems about right, and if we really planned it just right we could get six or even more little houses per acre.

Green space is wasted space and old trees are just in the way of the development we need. More impervious surfaces, more roofs, and more run-off is preferable when we worship the almighty God of Density.

What we don’t need are places to park or even cars because everybody will be taking the bus or riding a bike or walking in our tall, dense, soulless downtown. And we obviously don’t need families because we prefer a downtown where there is no place for kids to be kids. Our modern downtown will be a new kind of upscale ghetto of expensive condos, short-term rentals, and high-income individuals.

Increased pressure on the infrastructure?

We’ll cross that newly reconstructed bridge when we come to it.

It is not at all clear the people constantly chanting the density mantra have found a real answer. There is no reason to believe taller buildings will include any more affordable housing than currently exists because the market, not the fantasies of wannabe social engineers, will determine price points on new housing. Unless, of course, taxpayers would like to subsidize the land acquisition, construction, and rents so a relative handful of people can live in a neighborhood those paying the taxes can’t afford themselves.

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Neither is it clear the density merchants represent the views of the rest of the city or the region. It seems more likely there is a small group constantly reinforcing each others’ ideas providing a false sense of support. We know, for example, Traverse City residents do not want tall buildings downtown because they have clearly so stated twice at the ballot box. Yet the idea persists, pushed by those who keep supporting each other in an ideological bubble the majority would prefer to burst.

The developers can’t be blamed for wanting to create something that pencils out better for their bottom line. They are not altruists or charitable organizations and they will never build affordable housing downtown, regardless of height, unless we’re all willing

to pay for it. The re-imagining of Traverse City’s downtown into something it has never been and has no desire to become is the responsibility of the new urbanists whose vision is not shared by most of us.

Meanwhile, Grand Traverse County has received another report on the Great Bypass, an attempt to find a way around east-west traffic congestion. After a sixfigure study, the consultants have decided some version of the infamous HartmanHammond route is preferable. Sigh. We’ve seen this movie before.

This option, which includes a 2,200-footlong “causeway” up to 75 feet high across the Boardman River and its riparian wetlands, has an $81.4 million price tag as of now. We’re told this configuration would be more sensitive to the ecosystem it would pass over; environmentalists will vociferously beg to differ. And it would be years if not decades before such a bypass could be constructed so the actual price tag would increase significantly.

To be fair, this study isn’t folly by the county but a federal requirement if they ever want to actually try to construct a bypass and qualify for some federal permits and dollars.

The real problem is not the cost or even the environmental concerns though those could well be sufficient to prevent the project from ever being started in the Hartman/Hammond configuration. The real problem is, despite the consultants’ projection of significant reduction of traffic congestion on South Airport Road by 2045, it’s just as likely the opposite will happen.

Back in the 1980s and ‘90s there was a road construction boom in the US, especially in the rapid growth states like Arizona, California, and Texas. The idea in every instance was to reduce traffic congestion and commute times. There were dozens of subsequent studies that discovered, much to the surprise of most, traffic congestion actually became worse when new roads were built.

It is due to a phenomenon called Induced Traffic Demand (ITD). New roads encourage more people to drive and encourage development that increases traffic. If a bypass in any configuration is ever built, both it and South Airport Road will likely end up congested.

That’s a shame because plenty of us will be happy to bypass the high density downtown now being promoted.

That’s a shame because plenty of us will be happy to bypass the high density downtown now being promoted.

A NON-CONTENTIOUS POLICY ISSUE WORTH CHEWING ON guest opinion

By Nathan Medina I recently had the pleasure of presenting to the 2022 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference about 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids & Farms. 10 Cents a Meal is the groundbreaking state program that provides schools and early childhood education centers with match incentive funding — up to 10 cents per meal — to purchase and serve Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

The audience for this conference primarily included small farmers from northern Michigan, but attendees were present from across the state. I was joined for the presentation by friends from MSU Extension, Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s ValleyHub food hub, and a farmer with farm-to-school experience who talked about the ins and outs of serving local food, navigating sales/procurement, food safety, and resources available to foodservice and local farms wishing to participate in farmto-school efforts.

For a second year, 10 Cents a Meal is available to grant recipients statewide and is an embedded part of Michigan’s educational and agricultural identity. Just last year, Gov. Whitmer and State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice proclaimed the program to be a key component of the state’s Top 10 strategic education plan.

This year’s current 228 grant recipients serve a total enrollment of more than half a million children, in 55 of Michigan’s 83 counties. This is an increase from 144 enrollees the previous year. Our grantees currently hail from communities stretching from the Motor City to the Keweenaw Peninsula. The grant application window was also recently reopened to allow for more school districts and early childhood education centers to apply for the current 2021-22 school year, so we’re hoping to see even more kids receive Michigan-grown food thanks to 10 Cents a Meal.

Expansion of the program has been a 360° win for Michigan farmers, distributors, and food service programs — and of course, the children who get to enjoy fresh, local, delicious, nutrient-dense produce.

The economic ripple effect of the $5 million line item, more than double the funding from $2 million in the 2020-21 school year, enhances and strengthens our local food system economy at every step of the process, from planting, to harvesting, distributing, cooking, and finally ending up on a child’s plate.

Recently, I and my colleagues from Groundwork, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems, and the Michigan Department of Education have been going on a speaking tour of sorts — via zoom or otherwise — hitting pockets of interest in the early childcare community across

Michigan. All of these sessions have served the same purpose: ensure that awareness of the program is promoted and that it remains accessible to folks in every pocket of the state.

Particularly during this time of supply chain disruptions, knowing where your food is coming from and having a direct connection to the people who grow it can pay dividends in peace of mind; this ready-made customer base of schools and early childcare centers can allow farmers to plan ahead and have a steady stream of predictable business throughout the year, which can help them plan ahead effectively for future growing seasons.

Despite a growing statewide footprint, the 10 Cents a Meal movement retains a distinct northwest and west Michigan patina as a result of its foundational years as a pilot program in these regions. That’s a wonderful tribute to the early-adopting school districts, food service directors and farms that initially took part in the salad days — pardon the pun — of the program and it’s even more reflective of the leadership of Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City), a long-time champion who has fought to fund 10 Cents a Meal for several budget cycles and continues to do so even in his final term in the legislature.

Now more than ever, the importance of engagement with our current and future crop of state legislators cannot be overstated. With Sen. Schmidt being termed out of office and with the current redistricting for both legislative chambers (in addition to our U.S. congressional seats), it is essential that supporters of 10 Cents a Meal share the positive stories and voice their support in this busy election year.

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Thankfully, the program is recognized as one of those unique policy areas that is non-contentious and can garner support from members of both parties, regardless of who is in power. That is a testament to the work of supporters and people on the front lines feeding kids and supporting the local food supply chain in these most challenging of times. And above all, the program’s legislative success is a testament to the truth and legitimacy of what it provides: healthy food for children and essential business for family farms.

There’s still time for your child’s school to tap into these important funds and serve local food in the cafeteria. Let your school know today that they can apply through Feb. 11. (And if your school is already using 10 Cents a Meal, write them a big ole thank-you note!)

Nathan Medina is Groundwork’s Lansingbased policy specialist.

Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 7

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Wait, What?

Clive Jones, 66, a retired teacher in Derby, England, calls himself the “world’s most prolific sperm donor,” having fathered 129 children, with nine currently on the way. Jones has been donating his semen for nine years through Facebook, he told DerbyshireLive, because of the “happiness it brings” to donee families.

But his wife of more than 40 years isn’t so pleased; they now live apart. Jones explained that he drives to a park near the donee’s home and collects the sample in the back of his van (complete with window curtains), then texts them to say he’ll “be round in three minutes.” England’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has issued a medical warning about Jones, saying, “If arrangements are made outside of the clinic environment, there can be medical and legal risks.”

Inappropriate Tourists and locals in Venice, Italy, got all judgy on Jan. 21 when a 30-year-old Czech woman stripped off her top and went for a swim near the Monument to the Partisan Woman, a bronze sculpture of a reclining woman that rests partly in and partly out of the water. After her dip, the unnamed woman climbed onto the monument and posed for pictures, CNN reported. “It’s like going to Rome, leaping in the Trevi Fountain and then saying, ‘What do you mean, you can’t do this?’” said Mario Nason, who was walking by with his son at the time.

“Why do people do these things in Venice that they wouldn’t do elsewhere? They probably didn’t know that the statue of the woman lying there was a dead partisan. But it’s treating Venice like a beach.” Police banned the woman from Venice for 48 hours and fined her $513.

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Bright Ideas Zachary Taylor Blood, 33, of Galveston, Texas, pleaded guilty on Jan. 25 to trying to smuggle two men into the United States in a flag-draped coffin, The New York Times reported. Blood showed up at a border patrol checkpoint near Encino, Texas, on Oct. 26, where he told the agent he was hauling a “Dead guy, Navy guy” when asked about his cargo. But the agent, who was a military veteran, noticed the “rusty and dented coffin” and saw that the flag had been “crudely taped” to it. Agents explored further and found two live men, cousins, inside the coffin. One man told agents that it had been hot and hard to breathe in the box, and he had agreed to pay $6,000 to be smuggled to San Antonio. Blood will be sentenced on May 11 and could receive up to five years in federal prison.

The Irish Times reported that on Jan. 21, two men carried Peader Doyle, 66, into a post office in Carlow, Ireland, and inquired about collecting his pension. Staff and other customers became concerned about Doyle, as he seemed unresponsive, and made efforts to resuscitate him, but he was already deceased.

While an investigation showed there was no foul play in his death, the two men were detained by police on Jan. 26. One of the men had gone to the post office earlier that day to try to collect Doyle’s pension, but he was told the person had to be there. Both insisted that Doyle was alive but unwell when they left his home and that they helped him as he walked to the post office. They believe he died there.

Sounds Like a Song Danville, Pennsylvania, residents were

8 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

warned to look out for three small monkeys run amok after a crash between two trucks on Jan. 21, The Daily Item reported. State Trooper Andrea Pelachick said a truck with 100 African monkeys on board was on its way to a laboratory when it collided with a dump truck.

She tweeted that “a small number of monkeys may have fled the scene” after escaping from their carriers. The three escapees were later located and humanely euthanized.

Teacher of the Year Robin Hughes teaches special education students at SouthShore Academy in Tampa, Florida, where most of her kindergarten kids had never seen snow, United Press International reported. So Hughes got in touch with her sister, Amber Estes, who lives in Danville, Kentucky. “I said I want you to make me a snowman, and I want you to overnight him to me and see if he can make it to the school,” Hughes said. “I want these children in Florida to see snow.” Estes said she wrapped Lucky the snowman in foil and packed him with ice in Styrofoam, and “off he went to the local UPS Store.” Hughes said her students had looks of “pure joy” on their faces when Lucky was unwrapped on Jan. 20.

The Way the World Works With a snowstorm bearing down on New England, residents of five homes on Hampshire Street in Metheun, Massachusetts, have a real problem: The city will no longer remove snow from their street. Mayor Neil Perry sent a letter to homeowners alerting them to the change, which he attributed to the street being private property. He told NBC10 Boston that he received an anonymous tip about the property ownership. But neighbors are not having it: “There is a storm coming this weekend. Like, God forbid 911 needs to be called in,” said Collette Maksou. Cornelia Illmann hoped the city would reconsider: “We pay taxes, just as any other resident of Methuen does.” However, the assistant city solicitor is holding their ground.

Oops Diners eating on the deck at Flip Flops Dockside Eatery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were plunged into the Intracoastal Waterway when the deck partially collapsed on Jan. 21. NBC6 South Florida reported that three people swam to a nearby boat, where they were pulled out of the water, and two of them went to the hospital with minor injuries. Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan said the dock had apparent signs of decay and areas that had visibly been recently repaired.

New World Order In an elementary school classroom in Berlin, one student is a little ... different from the others. Joshua Martinangeli, 7, is too ill to attend school in person, so a robot avatar sits at his desk and relays lessons to him at home. “The children talk to him, laugh with him and sometimes even chitchat with him during the lesson,” the school’s headmistress, Ute Winterberg, told Reuters. The avatar displays a blinking signal when Joshua wants to say something. The school district bought four of the avatars for use in the classrooms during COVID-19, but officials believe they’ll be used beyond the pandemic. When asked whether he’ll be happy for Joshua to return to school, his classmate Noah Kuessner said he likes it “either way because I like the avatar.”

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Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 9

Clay Cliffs

I Propose

6 sweet engagement ideas for lovebirds looking to lock it down in 2022

By Craig Manning

Contrary to popular belief, Valentine’s Day is actually not the biggest day for proposals and engagements. According to wedding planning website The Knot, the most popular day of the year to ask someone to spend their life with you is actually Christmas Day, followed closely by Christmas Eve.

Nevertheless, love is definitely in the air at this time of year, and whether you’re plotting a proposal for Feb. 14 or thinking about putting the gears in motion for an engagement sometime later this year, the big question is this: How are you going to ask the BIG question?

A proposal, when executed correctly, should be like your own personal version of a fairytale. When you think about how, when, and where to pop the question, the “perfect” plan should depend a lot on you, your partner, and the love story you’ve shared together so far. Indoors or outdoors? Fancy or no-frills? Summer or winter? Privately or with an audience?

The answers to these questions and others will vary for every couple.

So while we can’t tell you what proposal idea is the perfect fit for you and your significant other, we can give you a few cool, unique proposal ideas that we think are worthy of consideration. Fun, romantic, quirky, and northern Michigan through and through, these six ideas will get you thinking outside the box as you plot your own big romantic moment.

Take a Hike If the person you’re proposing to is the outdoorsy type, then a hike on a beautiful day, culminating in the moment you pop the question, might be the perfect way to go. Choosing the right hiking spot takes the proposal — often just a few minutes at most — and turns it into a whole memorable experience.

Plus, if you plot your destination right, you can give yourself an unbeatable backdrop for this big life milestone.

We recommend Clay Cliffs Natural Area, a Leelanau Conservancy nature preserve near Leland whose trails lead to overlooks with truly breathtaking views of both Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau. Just take a look at that picture and tell us you wouldn’t want to have that view in the background while you’re asking the love of your life to marry you. You might even consider hiring a photographer on the sly to document the big moment — though that option requires a bit more sleight of hand (and surreptitious paparazzi hiding in trees) to avoid blowing the surprise!

10 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

Afterward, stop by one of Leelanau County’s many wineries for celebratory cheers. Spots like Dune Bird Winery, Aurora Cellars, Green Bird Organic Cellars, 45 North Vineyard, Blustone Vineyards, Tandem Ciders, Two K Cidery, Silver Leaf Vineyard, and MAWBY Vineyards are all within a 25-minute drive of Clay Cliffs.

Book a Cruise If we had to hazard a guess, we’d say that the vast majority of marriage proposals in northern Michigan take place within view of water. After all, so much of the area’s natural beauty is tied to the deep gorgeous blues of Lake Michigan, Grand Traverse Bay, Torch Lake, and all the other lovely water bodies that are within driving distance.

We love a good beach proposal, but if you’re looking for something a bit more unique, why not try the anchors-aweigh approach and propose on a romantic boat ride?

Discovery Cruises, which offers scenic voyages on West Grand Traverse

Bay, is the perfect way to execute a nautical proposal even if you don’t have a boat at your disposal.

On a budget? Book a few spots for you and your partner on an evening happy hour cruise, a 1.5-hour experience complete with light snacks, a full-service bar, and plenty of indoor or outdoor spots to sit, talk, and get down on one knee.

Alternatively, if you want to go bigger but more intimate, you can book a private cruise for just you and your significant other, plus or minus a celebration-ready (or support-ready, if the answer is no) contingent of friends and family.

Go Back in Time One of the reasons that Mackinac Island is such a popular tourist destination is that it affords a unique opportunity to step back to a time when the pace of life was a bit more leisurely and everything felt simpler — hence the lack of automobiles.

Those same qualities can make the island a beguiling place for a proposal —

Grand Hotel

specifically, a proposal on the porch of one of Michigan’s most iconic buildings.

Built in 1887, the Grand Hotel has hosted everyone from Thomas Edison to Mark Twain to five different United States presidents. The porch — the longest one in the world, at 660 feet — is the hotel’s most famous feature, overlooking a massive garden and the deep blue waters of Lake Huron.

Our advice? Book a room at the Grand Hotel (it opens May 6 this year), spend a day exploring the island, get a romantic carriage ride back to the hotel, head down to the porch for cocktail hour, pop the question, and then spend the evening celebrating inside the Grand’s exceptionally grand Main Dining Room or Cupola Bar. Don’t forget to pack your dancing shoes: The Grand Hotel’s Terrace Room features cocktails and live music most nights of the season.

Rise to the Top of the World Northern Michigan isn’t exactly known for its skyscrapers, but the area’s tallest buildings are still some of its top (pun intended) destinations for couples

Aerie

about to get engaged.

For example, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa touts its Aerie Restaurant & Lodge as a hyper-popular spot for proposals among locals and out-of-town guests alike. “Many couples have made a forever memory at Aerie, riding the elevator up as boyfriend and girlfriend and riding back down as an engaged couple,” the hotel romanticizes on its website. Certainly, if you’re looking for a romantic spot to share a meal and a bottle of wine with your significant other before popping the question, it’s tough to beat Aerie and its glorious 360-degree views, 16 floors up above Grand Traverse County.

Note: The Beacon Lounge at the top of Traverse City’s Park Place Hotel has also been a popular local proposal spot, but it is closed until further notice.

Catch a Movie “Dinner and a movie” is the classic date night setup, which means that, if you’re trying to catch your partner off guard with a true “surprise proposal,” a good way to do it might be to sneak the proposal into what at first seems

like a perfectly normal date. And while proposals at the dinner table are an ageold tradition, it might be just as fun to build the big romantic moment into the other part of the date.

Our pitch: Rent out a private theater, either for just the two of you or for a group of your closest friends and family, but don’t let on to your partner that your trip to the movies is anything out of the ordinary. Then, when it’s time for the surprise reveal, pull out the ring and make your big romantic speech.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made movie theaters more amenable to renting out private auditoriums for affordable rates. In most cases, you’ll have a lot of flexibility with the movie you decide to watch —ranging from new releases to old favorites — plus access to concessions and other typical theater amenities.

For rates, fees, scheduling availability, and other specific rules or guidelines, you’ll want to check with the theater where you’re thinking about popping the question. In northern Michigan, AMC Theatres in Traverse City, The Bay in Suttons Bay, and The Garden Theater

in Frankfort all offer rentals for private events and screenings.

Plan an Elegant Picnic If you’re marrying a childhood best friend or high school sweetheart, there’s a good chance your first date looked more like an impromptu picnic than a fancy dinner at an upscale restaurant. If that’s the case, then why not go back to the beginning with your proposal by planning a picnic in a spot that means something to both you and your partner?

With the help of TC Picnic Company, you can make a picnic every bit as romantic, as meticulously planned, and as photo-op ready as any restaurant reservation. TC Picnic Company specializes in “premium pop-up picnic experiences,” providing rugs, blankets, pillows, tables, and lovely tablescape designs, and setting it all up in the location of your choosing. Add-ons — like bamboo backdrops, light-up teepees, floral arrangements, and hanging lights — can add an extra romantic flare to a picnic. You’ll need to bring your own food and drinks, but leave everything else to the experts. Learn more at www.tcpicnicco.com.

Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 11

It’s a Date

Three Fresh Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

By Jillian Manning With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Northern Express set out to find some creative new ways to observe the holiday. Say so long to flowers and dinner — from breaking glass to getting sweaty with your partner to catching the performance of the season, here are our top three recommendations for Valentine’s 2022.

GALENTINE’S DAY AT SMASH CLUB Planning to spend the holiday with your besties? Rage rooms have been popping up around the country, offering patrons the opportunity to take out their frustration in a controlled environment … or just laugh and break stuff. Smash Club in Alanson offers everything you could ever want to break, bust, or shatter, from champagne towers to dishware to old office equipment. They even let you bring in your own smash-able goods from home — a great choice if you want to say farewell to a gift from an ex.

According to Smash Club manager Victoria Van Hooser, the experience is both energizing and cathartic. “We can really see the change in people [from] before they go into their session [and] after they come out,” she says. “It really is a great tool … and you don’t have to do the cleanup.”

The first rule of Smash Club: proper gear, which means long sleeves, pants, and closed-

toed shoes. The space includes two smash rooms and a party room for groups of up to six, where customers can bring in snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. A 20-minute BYOB (Bring Your Own Breakables) session starts at $20, and you can even get a recording of your session to watch later with your friends.

Or send to your ex, mwah hah hah.

Pro Tip What does Van Hooser recommend to make the experience extra fun? First: great music. “You can set up your own music,” she says. “If you want to listen to the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift, or Metallica, we’ve heard it all.”

Second: a little bit of screaming.

“Honestly, I’ve started just yelling things,” she says with a laugh. “Screaming is encouraged.”

Make a Day of It While alcohol isn’t allowed at Smash Club (for obvious reasons), after your session, head over to Mammoth Brewing in Petoskey for a celebratory cocktail followed by dinner at Pour Kitchen & Bar. (Just don’t break anything while you’re there!)

A RED HOT WINTER ADVENTURE AT MI SAUNA If you’ve driven along Traverse City’s US 31 on East Bay this winter, you’ve probably seen MI Sauna camped out in the Keith J. Charters State Park parking lot on Saturday

12 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

afternoons. Stop by this weekend, and you and your special someone can take a cozy steam in the 200-degree sauna followed by a dip in East Bay, where a hole in the ice, called an avanto, is precut. (For those not

looking for a polar plunge, just step outside for a few minutes to cool down throughout the session.)

“People love it. They’re embracing it,” says owner Daniel Sarya. “You get in touch

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Bring your bathing suit and a spirit of adventure for this traditional Finnish experience, which is said to have health benefits ranging from improved skin to relaxed muscles and increased immunity.

Sarya, himself a Finn, has been back to the motherland twice to ensure he’s keeping his northern Michigan business authentic and in line with Finland’s sauna culture.

While Valentine’s Day weekend slots are filling up fast, the sauna typically has openings on Saturdays from 11am to 5:30pm.

be performing Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous work, and Dance Director Joseph Morrisey says this is one show you can’t miss.

It’s the largest-scale dance production Interlochen has ever presented, and according to Morrisey, the costumes and set design make it feel “like you’re being transported to Verona, Italy.”

Although the story is a familiar one, Morrisey adds that the tale of the starcrossed lovers remains relevant today.

“With its universal messages of love—and overcoming social, cultural, and ideological obstacles —‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a ballet to which everyone can relate.”

Pro Tip Sarya has some advice to optimize your visit: • Eat a well-balanced meal prior to your reservation.

• Have water on hand to stay hydrated before, during, and after.

• Wear your bathing suit under your clothes so you can hop right inside the sauna (a changing room is available) without wasting time.

He also says to come ready to turn off your phone and lean into the relaxing, meditative atmosphere of the sauna.

“Everybody just needs time for themselves,” Sarya says, “a time when you can sit back and reset for your week.”

Pro Tip Star-crossed lovers who can’t make the Interlochen dates, do not despair.

Interlochen’s Academy Dance Division will again present their show for audiences two weekends hence (aka Feb. 25) at Great Lakes Center for the Arts in Bay Harbor.

Make a Day (or Night) of It Snag a great deal on a room at one of the many hotels along Traverse City’s East Grand Traverse Bay to turn your sauna afternoon into a mini stay-cation. Restaurant options abound — complete with takeout and delivery — so you can hole up and enjoy an evening of rest and relaxation before or after your day dip.

THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD AT INTERLOCHEN — AND GLCFA Romeo and Juliet are headed to the stage at Interlochen over Valentine’s Day weekend with showtimes available Feb. 11 through 13. The Arts Academy Dance Division will

Make a Day (or Night) of It What’s a show without dinner? If you elect to take in one of the performances at Interlochen, you’ll find great food and casual atmospheres at nearby favorites like Hofbrau Steak House or Boone’s Long Lake Inn, overlooking nearby Long Lake. For a more romantic vibe, catch a matinee (see the Top 10 for a family friendly free one) and book an evening wine dinner at one of the Leelanau wineries offering Valentine’s Day specials: Brengman Brothers, Shady Lane Cellars, or Black Star Farms.

Doing Bay Harbor Feb. 25? Might we suggest surprising your sweetheart by escorting them from the Friday night performance at GLCFA to The Inn at Bay Harbor for some overnight delights. A short arm-in-arm stroll away, The Inn has a few surprises of its own to offer this winter: a new ice-skating rink, complete with café lights and bonfires; Saturday morning Barre and Yoga fitness classes; a new menu of winter cocktails — plus, free use of snowshoes to tromp around the lakeside grounds.

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Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 13

“Prince,” A

his Castle, and the Many Ladies he Loved

An ill-fated northern Michigan love story

By Al Parker and Lynda Wheatley Known as the “Holy Waters” to trout anglers, the Au Sable River meanders some 140 miles from Frederic in Crawford County to Lake Huron.

For decades the river has been a mecca for canoeists, kayakers, and anglers alike.

Its green forested shores are dotted by cabins and homes of all sizes and shapes, but perhaps none are more impressive than the sprawling 54-room lodge-like castle built almost a century ago by Russell “Cliff ” Durant, the millionaire sportsman son of William C. Durant, co-founder of General Motors.

Born in Flint in 1890, Cliff lived and attended grammar schools there before taking up his college studies at the University of Detroit. His parents divorced in 1908, the same year his father formally launched General Motors Holding company with business partner Samuel McLaughlin.

Cliff, then 18 years old, was already head over heels for cars — not only as a business tycoon like his father but also as a risk-taking, speed-loving motorhead whose imagination was rightfully captured with the performance potential of each new and improved machine.

Racecourses were the laboratory of the automobile industry; their bricked tracks were where the best-engineered machines — and men like Cliff — showed what they were made of.

In the 1924 article “Multimillionaire Makes Sixth Bid for Speed Honors,” the Indianapolis Star profiled the dashing young racer ahead of the already legendary Indianapolis 500.

“President of a dozen million-dollar corporations, and owner of yachts, racehorses, country estates, rare paintings, mining properties, stock ranches and one of the world’s most precious of violins, airplanes and two hotels, Cliff Durant has for his real hobby the sport of automobile racing,” the paper said. “The hard grind of the racing game, the greasy tools, the hours of testing and training, the dangers of this ‘he-man’ pastime have been the choice of this young millionaire.”

By his early 30s, Cliff had driven in the Indy 500 six times himself. Although he never won, his cars, with other drivers at the wheel, finished second at Indy three times.

By Land, By Air, By … Love?

When Cliff wasn’t racing cars, he could be found piloting one of his own planes.

In 1919, he operated his own flight school, Durant Field, in Oakland, California, and held contracts to deliver airmail for the federal government.

In addition to being a race car driver and owner, aviator, and wealthy businessman, Cliff was also a talented violinist. With money, talent, business acumen, and a reputation for derring-do, Cliff was considered something of a catch — at least, until he caught them.

Cliff married four times in the course of his

14 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

47 years; each of the first three accused him of extramarital affairs and physical abuse.

Lena Pearl McFarland of Oregon was his first wife. They met and then married in September 1909 in California, where the Durant family had many business interests, but their honeymoon was short-lived.

The millionaire playboy was soon smitten with Adelaide Pearl Frost, a talented teenage singer from Grand Rapids who found fame performing in clubs around Detroit. Cliff divorced McFarland, married Frost in September 1911, and moved her to the Durant family estate in California.

They separated in 1918, and though their relationship wasn’t said to be a happy one, one can surmise that her relationship with her father-in-law, William Durant, was somewhat better.

The elder Durant gifted his daughter-inlaw a sizeable trust fund upon the dissolution of her marriage to his son in 1921. And when his company — Durant Motors, which he launched after being ousted as CEO of GM — failed during the Great Depression, she dipped into that trust fund to help keep the elder Durant afloat until his death in 1947.

Though much would be written about Frost’s beauty, “volcanic personality,” and later lifelong love story — within three years she would marry another race car driver, famed World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker; Amelia Earhart reportedly introduced them — it was Cliff ’s brief marriage to his third wife who captured northern Michigan’s imagination.

International Woman of Mystery Lea Gapsky was a beautiful, leggy blond dancer said to have been born to a poor Russian family in Sunshine, Pennsylvania, in 1897. There is, however, no record of her birth; she claimed it was swept away in the great Johnstown Flood. Likewise, there is no official record of her marriage to Cliff Durant, though several sources say the two married in or around 1924.

At the time, Cliff was splitting his time between GM’s operations in California and Michigan. Although no doubt busy with his various business interests, racetracks, and racing itself, the jet-setting Cliff wasn’t immune to the lure of northern Michigan.

He kept a small fishing cabin on the south branch of the AuSable River, in Roscommon, and was a frequent summer visitor to the area, eventually acquiring about 10 miles of river frontage. Whether he came to unwind or get wild in the woods is up for debate.

Carol Garlo, who lived in Roscommon for 48 years, recorded oral history interviews with area residents, including at least one who remembered the playboy millionaire coming to town.

“She did not think a lot of him, in some ways,” recalled Garlo of one interviewee.

“She said he would come to town unshaven and disheveled ... but Roscommon has always been a friendly welcoming community. They knew who he was and were impressed with him.”

Tongues, no doubt, wagged when Cliff started showing up in his private plane with

a beautiful blonde companion in tow in the late ’20s. It’s easy to imagine the awe when, one year after the Great Crash of 1929 that bankrupted his father, Cliff began erecting a home the size and likes of which Depressionera Roscommon had never seen.

With 54 rooms, several fireplaces, a central tower, and an impressive combination of fine wood, brick, and stone, the “home” Cliff was ostensibly building for his queen was more akin to a castle.

Boasting 2,600 acres and a private airstrip, the immense structure was completed — by carpenters, stonemasons, and general contractors brought in from both Roscommon and Crawford counties — in less than a year. However, just before the couple moved in, on the night of Feb. 6, 1931, the castle burned to the ground.

Rumor had it that the home’s painters, charged with painting a grapevine on an interior wall, left to buy more paint in town, accidentally leaving turpentine-soaked rags to combust. Another theory: The burning was an act of arson, allegedly part of a plot orchestrated by the UAW, an organization Cliff had refused to recognize.

Whatever the true source of the blaze, more unanswered questions sizzled in its embers. Rather than rebuild the home, Cliff and Gapsky simply parted ways, divorcing — if, in fact, they were truly married — in 1932. Two years later, Gapsky reportedly left for New York City and was never heard from again. No record of her death — or her life after leaving northern Michigan — has yet been found.

It might not be surprising that shortly after Gapsky disappeared, Cliff remarried.

His fourth wife, Charlotte T. Phillips, seems to be the only one of his wives who

didn’t accuse the wealthy racer/playboy of extramarital affairs or abuse. Theirs was also the only marriage of Cliff ’s that didn’t end in divorce.

That might be because less than three months shy of their two-year anniversary, Russell “Cliff ” Durant suffered a heart attack.

According to the book “Indianapolis Motor Speedway — the Eddie Rickenbacker Era,” Phillips called for medical assistance, but Cliff was dead before a physician arrived at their Beverly Hills, California, apartment.

After her husband’s death, Phillips sold the Roscommon property to another auto magnate, George Mason, of American Motors, who bequeathed it to the State of Michigan for use as a nature preserve upon his death.

Although nothing remains at the site of the Durant Castle but a few remnants of the stone foundation and a small sign that shares its tale, the property remains a popular landing and picnicking site for canoeists and anglers.

Perhaps ironically, in his directive to the state, Mason requested that no development take place on what would come to be known as the Mason Tract, save one: a simple log chapel, which was constructed on the property in 1960.

Given the history of the man, couple, and castle that preceded the Chapel, we don’t recommend proposing — or marrying — there. But for those looking to see the rocky foundation remains of Durant’s Castle after the snow melts, a 3-mile marked hike from Chase Bridge Landing on Chase Bridge Rd. (aka County Road 519), south of M-72 in Roscommon, makes for a pretty trek that wends across the bluffs along the west bank of the Au Sable River. Find a trail map and detailed directions by searching Mason Tract Pathway at www.michigantrailmaps.com.

Image Courtesy of Paul Sheedy Collection

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HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS

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

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

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

in the can night - $1 domestic, Wed - Get itFebruary Monday 7th - Jukebox

BOWL SUPER WITH Y A D N SU UND SURRO TVS SOUND

$2 domestic drafts & $3 craft drafts from 9pm-close.

(kitchen open noon-9pm) closed Wednesdays

DRINK SPECIALS (3-6 Monday-Friday): $2 well drinks, $2 domestic drafts, $2.50 domestic bottles, $5 Hornitos margarita SUNDAY - $6 Ketel One Bloody Mary & $4 Mimosas

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

Friday 21 & Saturday February 11th &(No12th Covers) Sat March - The Isaac Ryder Band

Marsupials Cream Sunday March 22 Pie KARAOKE ( 10pm-2am) Sun FEb 13th - karaoke

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Sun-Thurs Noon-9pm Fri/Sat Noon-10pm

$3 craft- w/DJ JR

Tues FebThurs 8th- -$2 OpenoffMicallComedy drinks from and 8-9:30 then 10pm-2am Electric Open $2 Labatt drafts w/DJ RickyMic T Wed Feb 9th DJ Two Straws Fri March 20 - Buckets of Beer starting at $8 (2-8pm)

TO-GO OR DERS AVAILABL E 231-2524157

DAILY FOOD SPECIALS (3-6pm):

Monday - $1 chips and salsa • Tuesday - $1 enchiladas Thursday - $5 fried veggies (cauliflower or mushrooms) Friday - $5 hot pretzels w/ beer cheese

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It’s a sad state of affairs that when an unspecified “school tragedy” shows up in a plot description, it’s basically shorthand for a school shooting. And it’s not a spoiler to tell you that The Fallout, the winner of the top narrative prize at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival, is about life in the wake of such an unfortunately all too commonplace event.

While tackling some of the bigger and more significant issues plaguing this country, The Fallout does so without telling a bigger story. It’s more of a lowkey and intimate hangout movie, set against the backdrop of trauma recovery.

Following two teen girls who survived a school shooting, it’s a particular approach that really resonates with the nihilism of Gen Z — a prevailing sense of resignation that this is their (unfair) reality and a reminder of how much they have been failed. Because while The Fallout is about trauma, it isn’t really about healing from it, it’s about how to get by.

Yet it all starts out like any other teen flick, with a smart and average high schooler, Veda (Jenna Ortega, Scream), texting her best friend on the way to school. While on a bathroom break during class, shots ring out, and Veda and another student in the bathroom, popular girl Mia (Maddie Ziegler), hide in a stall and cling to one another as a third student enters, covered in blood, bonding them together forever in that moment.

Kristen Rivard

It’s an unimaginable trauma yet one whose traumatic impact you’ll have no trouble imagining. Despite the support of her loving and concerned parents (Julie Bowen and John Ortiz), Veda struggles with nightmares and anxiety after the shooting and is unable to find her footing or return to school. Her best friend, however, has channeled the experience into advocacy.

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16 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

And so Veda is drawn to the formerly unapproachable Mia, the school’s ultimate cool girl who has suddenly become Instafamous. Though they hardly ran in the same circles before they both became members of a club no one ever wants to

be a part of, the two fumble their way through a burgeoning friendship, finding refuge in one another.

They never discuss what happened, and they don’t need to. It’s enough to simply be together and not have to feel anything other than what they are feeling. And with Mia home alone while her parents are traveling abroad, seemingly too selfabsorbed to even care what their daughter is doing, Veda begins sneaking out and dabbling in drugs and alcohol.

In one of the many ways the film eschews played-out tropes, it doesn’t bear judgment on Veda’s choices. This is a work of startling confidence and depth from firsttime feature director Megan Park and a far cry from the work that Park is otherwise most identified with — as an actor in the teen drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager and, later, as a noted music video director.

While there is an affecting cameo by Park’s former Secret Life castmate, Shailene Woodley, adults are only used sparingly. Park brings out moving and layered performances from her young stars. Ziegler, best known for dancing and as Sia’s stand-in, is quietly knowing and fascinating while Ortega carries the audience’s heart with tender care.

Casting actual age-appropriate teens in the parts, employing naturalistic dialogue, and with an atmospheric score by Finneas O’Connell (Billie Eilish’s producer/ brother), it captures the texture and energy of Gen Z in a way that is neither trendy nor condescending. And in its frank handling of mental health struggles, the film can’t help but also call to mind the trauma so many teens are currently dealing with in the wake of the pandemic.

Almost veering into mood-piece territory, this is a film that presents its characters as they are, not as part of a narrative where certain milestones must be crossed.

There is no real defined arc or goals, no neatly tied-up resolution. It is a film that powerfully embodies the idea that it is OK not to be OK.

feb 05

saturday

HIKE AT GREEN POINT DUNES: 10am-noon, Green Point Dunes Nature Preserve, Frankfort. Join a Land Conservancy volunteer for this moderately strenuous hike. The terrain will be steep at times. Bring your own winter gear, snowshoes, water & snack. You must pre-register. Free. gtrlc.org/recreationevents/events

---------------------WHITE PINE STAMPEDE: Mancelona High School. This point-to-point cross-country race is skied on professional groomed trails.

End at Shanty Creek Resort. 30K: 10am; 20K: 10:30am; 10K: 11:30am. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation & the Jack McKaig Social Justice Scholarship. A Short’s Cool Down Party will take place at 1pm at the Lakeview Hotel, Grand Ballroom. Register. whitepinestampede.org/index.php/register

--------------------

SOUP & SKI: 11am-5pm, Shady Lane Cellars, Suttons Bay. The Cross Country Trail is open & groomed regularly. Enjoy a stroll through the vineyard, or link up with the Leelanau Trail for an extended journey. Afterwards, head to the Tasting Room to enjoy locally made soups for $5 a bowl & Shady Lane Cellars wine. facebook.com/ShadyLaneCellars

feb 07

---------------------LANTERN-LIT SKI & SNOWSHOE: 6-9pm, Grass River Natural Area trails, Bellaire.

Enjoy an evening ski on GRNA’s groomed ski trails, or snowshoe the boardwalk to the river. There will be a campfire at the Center pavilion & the heated building will be open.

Come any time during the three-hour, selfguided, open-house style ski or snowshoe.

Bring a flashlight or headlamp. Skis & snowshoes are available for rent at the Grass River Center for an additional $5 rental fee during the program, or bring your own. $5/ person. grassriver.org

feb 06

sunday

GAYLORD ALL OUTDOORS TRI-45 WINTER TRIATHLON: 10am, Treetops Resort, Gaylord. Featuring a 5K cross-country ski, 10K fat tire bike, & 5K run. Individual, $60; team, $80. gaylordalloutdoorswintertriathlon.com

---------------------SOUP & SKI: (See Sat., Feb. 5) ---------------------JIGSAW PUZZLE TOURNAMENT TEAMS ONLY: 1pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Grab a couple of friends & sign up for this TEAM puzzle tournament. Your team of 2-4 players will have two hours to assemble a puzzle. The team who is the closest to finish at the end of two hours wins. Register your team before the event. Masks required.

Free. tadl.org/event/puzzle-tournamentteams-only

---------------------SIP & STROLL AT WAGBO FARM: 1pm, Wagbo Farm and Education Center, East Jordan. Enjoy the winter wonderland of the Wagbo fields & forests. Interpretive & interactive activities are installed along the trail.

Also featuring a live choir. Free. m.facebook. com/pg/marthawagbofarm/events

---------------------JAZZ (LATE) BRUNCH: 3pm, GT Circuit, TC. Jeff Haas Trio wsg Nancy Stagnitta.

Chateau Chantal wine & food from the Good Bowl. Proof of vaccination & masks required. $20 donation. gtcircuit.org

february

KID’S CRAFT LAB: HEART ART: 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Make a handmade heart to give to someone you love. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

---------------------MEAL PLANNING WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO COOK: 2pm, Interlochen Public Library. Chef Laura will discuss ways to make meal planning easier & less stressful.

Try to think ahead of time about what your favorite meals are. 231-276-6767. Free.

05-13

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

---------------------DROP-IN RÉSUMÉ WORKSHOP: 3-4pm, Elk Rapids District Library. Drop in for oneon-one tips & pointers. Brush up your résumé with Michigan Works career adviser Mary Dorman. Free. elkrapidslibrary.org/ drop-in-resume-workshop

feb 08

Tuesday

feb 09

wednesday

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

MONDAY

STORYTIME ADVENTURES: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “Who Will Be My Valentine This Year?” by Jerry Pallotta. greatlakeskids.org

COFFEE @ TEN, PETOSKEY: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey.

Join artist Benjamin Duke for a talk about his work. In-person & online.

Free. crookedtree.org/ events/petoskey

---------------------GAYLORD BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5pm, Bill Marsh Ford of Gaylord. Appetizers catered by Pine Squirrel. Register. $5 members; $10 non-members. gaylordchamber. com/business-after-hours

feb 10

thursday

WRITING NATURE INTO YOUR STORY: 1-3:30pm, Offield Family Viewlands, Harbor Springs. Little Traverse Conservancy welcomes Colorado writer & poet Michele Battiste on a winter hike followed by a writing workshop.

Bring paper & something to write with. Register: landtrust.org/events/writing-natureinto-your-story/.

---------------------KID’S CRAFT LAB: HEART ART: (See Mon., Feb. 7, except today’s times are 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm)

--------------------

HISTORY OF HARBOR SPRINGS PART 1: 5:30-6:30pm, Harbor Springs History Museum. Learn the story of Harbor Springs with the Historical Society’s own Beth Wemigwase. She will take you on a journey beginning with the settlement of the Odawa near Middle Village in 1742 & stopping just before World War I. Part II of this lecture will take place two weeks later. $10. harborspringshistory.org/events/?action=evrpluseg ister&event_id=41

--------------------

PARALLEL 45 THEATRE READING SERIES:

6-8:30pm, Historic Barns Park, Cathedral Barn, TC. A selection of readings from “The Inheritance,” winner of the 2020 Tony award for Best Play. It’s the story of three generations of gay men in New York City who attempt to forge a future for themselves amid a turbulent & changing America. For ages 17+. $5-$50 donation suggested. mynorthtickets. com/events/the-inheritance-selections-aplay-reading-presented-by-parallel-45-theatre-2-10-2022

--------------------

VALENTINE’S DAY DANCE PARTY: 6-8pm,

The Harbor Springs Ice Fest is back, Feb. 11-12! See over 30 ice sculptures throughout downtown Harbor Springs.

There will also be an interactive ice park in Zorn Park with live interactive sculptures, ice carving demos, and ice games. Additionally, Petoskey’s Know Way Out will sponsor Free the Fire Dragon, Virtual Clue Hunt, downtown.

Pre-register to play for free. downtownharborsprings.com

Arts for All of Northern Michigan, TC. Arts for All of Northern Michigan will be honoring Emily Scott at this dance. As her friend, create something to honor her. Bring it to the dance or drop it off at the studio the week of the dance. artsforallnmi.org

--------------------

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG - IN ONE ACT: 7pm, Peterman Auditorium, Elk Rapids

High School. Presented by Elk Rapids High School Drama. Welcome to The Murder at Haversham Manor where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. An unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, & actors who trip over everything (including their lines). $5 at door.

feb 11

friday

16TH COAST GUARD GREAT WHITE CUP 3V3 ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: 8am-5pm,

1600 Chartwell Dr a, TC. For all skill levels. The event will be followed by the Veterans Cup High School Hockey game.

RSVP. uscghockey.com/eventinfo/16th-coast-guard-great-white-cup-3v3ice-hockey-tournament

--------------------

COFFEE & BUSINESS CONNECTIONS: 9am, Lume Cannabis Co., Mackinaw City. Learn about the cannabis industry, network with other members, enjoy a cup of coffee & morning treat, & bring business cards. Must be 21 with valid ID. RSVP: amy@mackinawchamber.com. Free for Chamber members; $5 for not-yet-members.

--------------------

COFFEE @ TEN, TC: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. Join in a conversation with artist guild member Connie Jason. Free. crookedtree.org/events/traverse-city

--------------------

STORYTIME ADVENTURES: 10:30am, 1pm

& 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “Who Will Be My Valentine This

Year?” by Jerry Pallotta. greatlakeskids.org

--------------------

HARBOR SPRINGS ICE FEST: 12-6pm. Live

ice carvings & an extravaganza of ice sculptures throughout downtown Harbor Springs.

There will also be a Know Way Out Downtown Clue Hunt. Free.

--------------------

2022 SPORTSMAN’S FELLOWSHIP BANQUET:

East Bay Calvary Church, TC, Feb. 11-12.

Seminar begins at 5pm on Fri. & 4pm on Sat. Speakers include Jim VanSteenhouse & Bruce Borkovich. For more info & tickets, visit web site. traverseoutdoors.com

--------------------

“SKIN DEEP” BY JON LONOFF: 7pm, AuS-

able Artisan Village Art Center, Grayling.

Presented by Community Theatre. In this comedy, the lonely, lovable but large Maureen Mulligan gives romance one last chance by agreeing to go on a blind-date with the awkward, but sweet John Spinelli.

989.745.6096. $20/person. ticketstripe.com/ AAVSkinDeep22

--------------------

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG - IN ONE ACT:

(See Thurs., Feb. 10)

-----------------“ROMEO AND JULIET” BY SERGEI PROKOFIEV: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the

Arts, Corson Auditorium. Witness William Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers as the Arts Academy Dance Division presents the ballet adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Featuring Sergei Prokofiev’s famous score, original choreography by Director of Dance Joseph Morrissey, & stunning scenic design. $19 full price; $14 student. interlochen.org/events/romeo-juliet-sergei-prokofiev-2022-02-11

------------------INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY PIANO RECITAL: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the

Arts, Dendrinos Chapel & Recital Hall. Enjoy solo piano performances by IAA students including pieces from baroque, classical, romantic & contemporary periods. Free; no

Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 17

tickets required. interlochen.org/events/piano-recital-2022-02-11

--------------------

REENA CALM: 7:30pm, TC Comedy Club,

TC. This nationally touring headliner pulls her material from a lifetime of questionable choices. She has opened for Arsenio Hall, Laurie Kilmartin, Eddie Pepitone, & others. $20-$25. traversecitycomedyclub.com/reena-calm

feb 12

saturday

HARBOR SPRINGS ICE FEST:

9am-7pm. Live ice carvings & an extravaganza of ice sculptures throughout downtown Harbor Springs. There will also be a Know Way Out Downtown Clue Hunt. Free.

-------------------

NORTH AMERICAN VASA: 9am, Timber Ridge, TC. Includes a variety of XC, fat tire & snowshoe races. Today includes the Okerstrom Freestyle 15K, George Kuhn Half Marathon Freestyle 27K, Short’s Grand Fat 35K, Short’s-N-Fat 17K, JR Vasa & Adaptive Skiers. vasa.org/race-info-new

--------------------

RETURNED PEACE CORPS OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN - SNOWSHOE MEET UP: 10am-

noon, Sand Lakes Quiet Area, Williamsburg.

Enjoy lots of loops for all fitness levels, paces, & time available. Communicate whether you need to borrow a pair of snowshoes or have a pair to loan someone else. Layer, bring water & a snack lunch to tailgate in the parking lot afterwards. Meet at the 2nd parking lot on Sands Lakes Rd. For more info contact Kama: rpcv.nm@gmail.com. Free. rpcv-nm.peacecorpsconnect.org

--------------------

SUPER SATURDAY: DRIVE THRU EVENT:

10am-noon, Michigan Works!, 1209 S. Garfield Ave., TC. Presented by Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency. Free tax drop off, lunch, diapers, COVID home tests & masks, & a chance to win prizes.

--------------------

VALENTINE’S DAY TEA & CRAFTS: 10am-

2pm, Harbor Springs History Museum.

Baked goods, hot tea, & Valentine’s Day crafts for all ages. Free. harborspringshistory.org/events/?action=evrplusegister&eve nt_id=48

--------------------

WINTERFEST: Downtown Beulah. Featur-

ing a Cookie Sale, No Fee Snowmobile Poker Run, Frozen Turkey Bowling, Chili Cookoff, horse drawn wagon rides, Snowball Target Competition, Frozen Fish Toss, Rubber Duck Race, Winterfest Parade, Outhouse Sprint, fireworks on Crystal Lake & more. 231-383-1120. clcba.org/event/ winterfest/#prettyPhoto/0

--------------------

LITTLE WAVES YOUNG CHILDREN’S LIBRARY SERIES: 10:30am at Petoskey District Li-

brary, & 1pm at Charlevoix Public Library.

The program provides a variety of opportunities for children to discover their gifts & interests through interactive activities with GLCO musicians. This year’s theme is “My Favorite Musical Instrument.” This month features voice & keyboard. Free.

-------------------SOUP & SKI: (See Sat., Feb. 5) --------------------

WINTERLOCHEN: 11am, Interlochen Center for the Arts Campus. Live-Only Experience.

Celebrate all things winter with a day of family-friendly activities. Conduct an orchestra, perform in an acting workshop, paint a mural, & so much more. End the day with a free performance of Romeo & Juliet, performed by the Arts Academy Dance Division. Free. interlochen.org/events/winterlochen-2022-02-12

--------------------

SLEDDING & S’MORES: 12-2pm, Kiwanis

Park, Harbor Springs. Sledding, fire pits, s’mores, hot chocolate, music, food, rides back up the hill on the Harbor Springs Fire Department’s rescue sled, & more.

--------------------

SNOWSHOES, VINES & WINES: (See Sat.,

Feb. 5)

--------------------

sort, Gaylord. Walk from the River Cabin to the bonfire at the Beaver Dam. Along the trail, visit three wine tasting stations that are paired with light food. $38. otsegoclub.com/ event/winter-wine-walk-11

--------------------

CHILI LOVE: A FUNDRAISER FOR KIDS ON THE GO: 1pm, Timberlee Hills, TC. Enjoy a

chili cook-off featuring local restaurants & chefs, raffle prizes, live music, snow tubing, fire pits & more. Event proceeds go to the Kids On The Go camp program in TC, which provides free physical therapy, occupational therapy & speech therapy to children with special needs. Tickets online. secure.givelively.org/event/kids-on-the-go/chili-love

--------------------

“ROMEO AND JULIET” BY SERGEI PROKOFIEV: 2pm & 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for

the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Witness William Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers as the Arts Academy Dance Division presents the ballet adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Featuring Sergei Prokofiev’s famous score, original choreography by Director of Dance Joseph Morrissey, & stunning scenic design. Free. interlochen.org/events/romeoand-juliet-sergei-prokofiev-2022-02-12

--------------------

2022 SPORTSMAN’S FELLOWSHIP BANQUET:

(See Fri., Feb. 11)

--------------------

APRES SKI PARTY WITH LEFT FOOT CHARLEY AT MT. HOLIDAY: 4-9pm, Mt. Holiday,

TC. Enjoy snow, BBQ chicken sandwiches & street tacos from Chef Kiel Moser, warm cider, chilled wines & cider from Left Foot Charley, fire pits, & music from DJ Aaron of Avatar Media Productions. Kids’ tickets will include hot cocoa & kid-friendly cuisine prepared by Mt. Holiday. Proceeds support Mt. Holiday. $15-$45. mynorthtickets.com/ events/apres-ski-party-with-left-foot-charleyat-mt-holiday-2-12-2022

--------------------

WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?: 6-9pm, The Little

Fleet, TC. A Mingling Event Under the Stars.

Join Up North Pride for themed cocktails & witches offering unique & guided views into your astrological chart. Free. upnorthpride. com/events/2022/1/21/whats-your-sign

--------------------

LEELANAU CURLING CLUB OPEN HOUSE & WATCH PARTY: 6:30pm, Broomstack Kitchen

& Taphouse, Maple City. Watch Team USA take on the world’s best in Beijing. Throw a few stones on the curling ice & try to win prizes. 10% off food & drink at Broomstack. $10. eatdrinkcurl.com

--------------------

“SKIN DEEP” BY JON LONOFF: 7pm, AuS-

able Artisan Village Art Center, Grayling.

Presented by Community Theatre. In this comedy, the lonely, lovable but large Maureen Mulligan gives romance one last chance by agreeing to go on a blind-date with the awkward, but sweet John Spinelli.

989.745.6096. $20/person. ticketstripe.com/ AAVSkinDeep22

--------------------

A TIME TO SHINE: 7pm, Great Lakes Center

for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Presented by the Great Lakes Youth Choirs of Voices Without Borders. Featuring An Evening of Harmony with The Great Lakes Men’s Chorus, MonTAJJ, & CHONK performing an array of Barbershop Quartet music in a variety of music styles including doo-wop, swing, gospel, patriotic, Disney & even country. $25 VIP; $10 GA. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/a-timeto-shine

--------------------

MOONLIGHT SKI/FAT BIKE NIGHT: 7-9pm,

Big M Cross Country Ski Area, Wellston. Ski or bike in the moonlight & enjoy desserts & hot chocolate afterwards. Bring your own gear. There is a $5 vehicle day pass fee to the U.S. Forest Service. Free. skibigm.org/ fun-events.html

--------------------

REENA CALM: 7pm, TC Comedy Club, TC.

This nationally touring headliner pulls her material from a lifetime of questionable choices. She has opened for Arsenio Hall, Laurie Kilmartin, Eddie Pepitone, & others. $20-$25. traversecitycomedyclub.com/reena-calm

-------------------18 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

WINTER WINE WALK: 12-3pm, Otsego Re-

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG - IN ONE ACT:

(See Thurs., Feb. 10)

--------------------

WESTERN BRASS QUINTET: 7:30pm, Crooked

Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. A resident faculty ensemble in the School of Music at Western Michigan University, the Western Brass Quintet has been performing for over four decades, including in concert tours in Russia, Thailand, China, Sweden, Germany, as well as at concerts in prestigious American venues such as the Kennedy Center & Carnegie Hall. $25 members, $35 non-members, $10 students. crookedtree.org/event/ ctac-petoskey/western-brass-quintet

--------------------

LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - 6TH ANNUAL CITY OPERA HOUSE GALA: 8pm, City

Opera House, TC. A love fest featuring Broadway talent, drinks, food, friends & love songs. Visit web site for ticket info. cityoperahouse.org/node/424

--------------------

TORONZO CANNON: 8pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. This Chicago bluesman is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter & former city bus driver. He “fuses his muscular, rock-inspired blues guitar playing with his original, keenly detailed slice-oflife songs, blazing his own blues trail.” $25 member, $30 advanced, $33 door. simpletix. com/e/toronzo-cannon-tickets-79511

feb 13

sunday NORTH

AMERICAN

VASA:

9am, Timber Ridge, TC. Includes a variety of XC, fat tire & snowshoe races.

Today includes the High School 6K, Lombard Loppet Classic 15K, Race Awards & Crowning of King & Queen Vasa, Vasa Fun Tour 6K, & Vasasaurus Stomp 6K. vasa. org/race-info-new

--------------------

THE OUTFITTER’S 35TH ANNUAL NORDIC SKI LOPPET: 9:30am-3pm, The Outfitter

of Harbor Springs. A point-to-point crosscountry ski tour on 16 miles of groomed trail from Harbor Springs to Cross Village. Skiers set their own pace & choose their mileage from multiple trailheads. Trail’s end is at the Crow’s Nest restaurant with a celebration of food & drinks. Ski rentals available.

Pre-registration & pre-payment required: 231.526.2621. petoskeyarea.com/event/theoutfitters-nordic-ski-loppet

--------------------

SKI TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW: Held at The Highlands at Harbor Springs.

For $15, skiers & snowboarders can gain allday access to the slopes, with all proceeds from sales benefiting the Little Traverse Conservancy & Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. Additional discounts are offered on equipment rentals, dining, ziplining, Sno-Go bikes & horseback trail rides. highlandsharborsprings.com

-------------------SOUP & SKI: (See Sat., Feb. 5) --------------------

AIRSOFT BIATHLON: Crystal Mountain, Ten-

nis Court Trailhead, Thompsonville. Airsoft & cross-country skiing combined. The ski trail will be a one-mile long loop with three target stations. Must be 8 years or older. Medals will be awarded for best overall, best ski time, & most targets hit for both men & women. $25/person; includes cross-country ski equipment rental & airsoft equipment. Start times will be staggered & available between 1-3pm in groups of up to four people. crystalmountain.com/event/biathlon

--------------------

“ROMEO AND JULIET” BY SERGEI PROKOFIEV: 2pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts,

Corson Auditorium. Witness William Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers as the Arts Academy Dance Division presents the ballet adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

Featuring Sergei Prokofiev’s famous score, original choreography by Director of Dance Joseph Morrissey, & stunning scenic design. $19 Full Price; $14 Student. interlochen. org/events/romeo-and-juliet-sergei-prokofiev-2022-02-13

--------------------

“SKIN DEEP” BY JON LONOFF: (See Sat., Feb. 12, except today’s time is 4:30pm) ORGAN: BACH, MENDELSSOHN, & FRIENDS:

7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Dendrinos Chapel & Recital Hall. Enjoy a varied program of organ works performed by Interlochen Arts Academy organ students.

Free. interlochen.org/events/organ-bachmendelssohn-and-friends-2022-02-13

ongoing

FATHER FRED’S ANNUAL FROSTBITE FOOD DRIVE: Runs Jan. 29 - Feb. 6 with the main

drop-off location at Team Bob’s on the corner of Park & S. Airport, TC. Other locations include: Tom’s West Bay, Tom’s East Bay, Tom’s 14th St., Tom’s Interlochen, as well as Oleson’s on 3 Mile & Oleson’s on Long Lake. Best items to donate that are healthy, flexible & hearty: 5 oz. canned tuna, soups, dried beans 1lb. bags, rice, pasta sauce, 5 oz. canned chicken, oatmeal, peanut butter, spaghetti or pasta, & canned fruits, packed in juice. fatherfred.org BELLAIRE WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Fridays, 9am-1pm, Downtown Bellaire. Held at two locations: Bee Well & Terrain. Produce, eggs, meats, honey, maple syrup, baked goods, local artists, crafts, & more.

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

art

FEBRUARY VISUAL ART EXHIBIT: AFFECTED

BY COLOR: City Opera House, TC. Featuring

the work of Mitch Truemner & Jacquie Auch.

Can be viewed during box office hours, M-F, 10am-5pm, or before an event. Works include oil & acrylic paintings that incorporate splashes of warm color & cool hues, & a series of graphite portraits on paper. On Feb. 10 from 6-8pm, an artists’ reception will be held with an opportunity to meet the painters in person. cityoperahouse.org

LOVE LANGUAGE - GROUP SHOW OPENING & ARTISAN MARKET DAY: Higher Art Gallery,

TC. Enjoy a one day, one stop market event on Feb. 5 which not only marks the Opening Day of the Group show “Love Language,” but will offer several local makers to browse from. Exhibit runs through March 14. higherartgallery.com WOOD + METAL: Charlevoix Circle of Arts.

Runs through Feb. 26. Contemporary fine art meets functionality with Michigan artists: Laura Earle, Dawson Moore, Paul Rytlewski & Richard Small. charlevoixcircle.org/exhibits-2022 CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY:

- PUNK DREAMSCAPE: GARCIA + MARTIN + NEMEC: Runs through Feb. 19 in Atrium Gallery. Through a combination of symbolic, illustrative & figurative imagery, midwest artists Esteban Garcia, Nick Martin & Aaron Nemec create abstract narratives that verge on the surreal. Mixed media paintings, drawings & sculptures will be on display. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ punk-dreamscape-garcia-martin-nemec - OPEN DOORS: A JURIED EXHIBITION: Runs through March 5 in Gilbert Gallery. This juried exhibition invites artists across the nation to consider themes related to openness & accessibility. crookedtree.org/event/ctacpetoskey/open-doors-juried-exhibition - THIS IS HOME: A REGIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION: Runs through March 5 in Bonfield

Gallery. This juried exhibition invites artists working throughout the Great Lakes region to consider themes related to the concept of home. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ home-juried-exhibition

CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC:

- 2022 GUILD MEMBER SALON SHOW: Runs through Feb. 26, held in Gallery. A diverse assortment of work in a variety of media will be on display. crookedtree.org/event/ ctac-traverse-city/2022-guild-member-salon-show - TRAVERSE AREA CAMERA CLUB COMPETITION SHOW: Runs through Feb. 26 in Carn-

egie Rotunda. This recurring exhibition highlights award-winning photographs produced

by members of the Traverse Area Camera Club (TACC). crookedtree.org/event/ctactraverse-city/traverse-area-camera-clubcompetition-show

DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: COLOR & SHAPE: BLACK ARTISTS FROM THE DENNOS COLLECTION: This exhibit of works

by Black American artists highlights the growing legacy of this collection. Comprising 70 years of artistic prowess, the collection ranges from abstract painting to figurative drawing & digital photography. Artists include Charles McGee, Carole Harris, Felrath Hines & Dex Jones. On view through April 3, Tues. - Sun. from 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/temporary-exhibits/ color-shape.html NWMI JURIED EXHIBITION: The 2022 NWMI Regional Juried Exhibition submissions comprised 388 artworks from 217 artists throughout the 37-county region. The final juried show features 94 artworks from 83 artists, with media ranging from charcoal, watercolor, & acrylics to aluminum, wood, fiber, & more. Held regularly at the Museum for 30 years, the exhibition features art made by regional artists over the last year & juried by an arts professional outside of the region.

On view through May 29, every Tues. - Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-onview/temporary-exhibits/nwmi-juried-exhibition.html NATHALIE MIEBACH EXHIBITION: Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Miebach’s exhibition, “Stay Healthy and Strong,” features new installations & sculptures that she completed during a 2021 residency at the Ucross Foundation in Sheridan, Wyoming. It explores climate data & Covid trends through art. Runs through May 29. Open Tues. through Sun. from 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/?utm_ source=cision&utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=DMC-Nathalie-Miebach THE ART OF: DEL MICHEL: Michel has participated in competitive & invitational exhibitions throughout the U.S. & has won many prizes. He has been selected for seven international exhibitions & is represented in numerous private, corporate, & university & museum collections throughout the U.S., Europe & Mexico. On view through April 3, Tues. - Sun, from 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/temporary-exhibits/ del-michel.html

nitelife

edited by jamie kauffold Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

HISTORIC BARNS PARK, CATHEDRAL BARN, TC 2/12 -- Elixir Mixer Dance Party, 5:30

DELAMAR, TC ARTISAN WATERFRONT RESTAURANT & TAVERN: 2/6 -- Big Rand, 6-9 LOWER LOBBY: 2/5 -- Drew Hale, 7-10

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC THE BARREL ROOM: 2/7 -- Barrels & Beats w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9

FANTASY’S, TC DJ

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

FRESH COAST BEER WORKS, TC 2/11 -- Those Guys, 6-9 GT CIRCUIT, TC 2/6 -- Jazz (Late) Brunch w/ Jeff Haas Trio wsg Nancy Stagnitta, 3

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, TC 7:30-10:30:

2/9 -- Eric Clemons 2/10 – Clint Weaner TC COMEDY CLUB, TC 2/11 – Reena Calm, 7:30 2/12 – Reena Calm, 7 THE PARLOR, TC, 8-11: 2/5 -- Blair Miller 2/8 – Jesse Jefferson 2/9 – Wink Solo 2/10 – Jimmy Olson 2/11 – Blue Footed Booby 2/12 – David Martin THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 2/5 -- Charlie Millard Band, 7 2/7 -- Big Fun Jam Band, 6 2/8 -- Open Mic, 7

2/9 -- Jazz Show, 6 2/11 -- Distant Stars, 7 2/12 -- DJ Ras Marco D, noon-2pm; Cold Leather Seats, 7 THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC Tues. -- Trivia, 7-9 UNION STREET STATION, TC 2/4-5 -- Soul Patch & Bob Marley Birthday Bash, 10 2/6 & 2/13 -- Karaoke, 10 2/7 – Jukebox, 10 2/8 – Open Mic Comedy, 8-9:30; Electric Open Mic, 10-2 2/9 – DJ Two Straws, 10 2/11-12 – Marsupials Cream Pie, 10

Antrim & Charlevoix HELLO VINO, BELLAIRE 2/5 & 2/12 -- Doc Woodward, 7-9

SHORT’S BREW PUB, BELLAIRE 8-10:30:

2/5 -- Randy Reszka 2/11 – The Pocket

2/12 – Brett Mitchell & The Mitchfits

Leelanau & Benzie CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE SLOPESIDE TENT, NEAR CRYSTAL CLIPPER CHAIRLIFT: 3-5: 2/5 -- Brady Corcoran 2/12 -- Meg Gunia VISTA LOUNGE: 2/5 -- Jim Hawley, 2-5; Scarkazm, 8-11

2/11 -- Rootball, 8-11 2/12 -- Rhett & John, 2-5; Headwind, 8-11 DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. -- Karaoke, 10-1 FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR

GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER: - “PAPERWORK”: Runs through March 24.

This exhibition focuses on works on paper, & works made of paper. It features the work of 21 artists from throughout Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, & the nation of Chile.

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

february 05-13

2/10 -- Live Music, 4-6:30 LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 6:30-9:30: 2/5 -- Birds of Prey 2/11 – Jake Pine Band 2/12 – The Bourdains ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 6-9:

2/5 -- Luke Woltanski 2/11 – Kyle Brown 2/12 – Bekah Brudi STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 7-9: 2/5 -- i.am.james.

2/12 – Rhett & John

Otsego, Crawford & Central BIG BUCK BREWERY, GAYLORD 6-9:

OTSEGO RESORT, GAYLORD SITZMARK ROOM:

2/5 -- Pete Kehoe 2/11 – Jeff Greif 2/12 – Lou Thumser

1/12 – 80’s Ski Party w/ Scarkazm, 8-11

Emmet & Cheboygan BEARDS BREWERY, PETOSKEY 2/5 -- Elizabeth Landry, 6 2/6 -- Drawbridge Uke Band, 5 2/12 – Two Track Mind, 6 BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY, 2-6: 2/5 -- Lou Thumser

2/12 -- Chris Calleja

2/5 & 2/12 -- Eric Jaqua, 7-10

CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 2/11 -- Annex Karaoke, 10 2/12 -- CIRCUIT Electronic Muzik Night // House, Techno, Electro, 10

NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY 7-10: 2/5 -- Dogwood Rhythm 2/11 – Todd Aldrich 2/12 – Holly Keller

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BAY HARBOR

ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY VICTORIES, 10: 2/5 -- Jon Archambault 2/12 -- Derailed THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN, 7-9: 2/5 -- Sam Schneider 2/11 – Lori Cleland 2/12 – Jimmy Olson & Tai Drury

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the ADViCE GOddESS Silence Of The Ma’ams

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

:My girlfriends and I were out for drinks. One was talking about her bad day at work and how she found herself apologizing to her boss (though she wasn’t at fault). The conversation turned to how women are constantly saying “I’m sorry” to everyone: boyfriends, parents, strangers at the supermarket. I even apologized to the bartender at one point! Why do women seem to sheepishly apologize, often for no reason?

— Not Sorry

A

: The value of “I’m sorry” gets seriously watered down when it covers everything from plowing your SUV into somebody’s living room to yoohooing the waitress: “Sorry, but could I get a fork?”

Because an apology is an admission that we’ve wronged somebody, the “pre-crime” weenieism above seems to make no sense. It’s not like the waitress was hired to read gripping crime novels, and how dare you tear her away from finding out who the real killer is when you could just eat your polenta with your hands?

However, “sorry” isn’t always an acknowledgment of “I did something awful to you.” Sometimes it’s a preemptive measure: “Don’t do anything awful to me.” Psychologist Joyce Benenson explains that women, across cultures, are prone to take this precautionary approach — basically the verbal version of walking on eggshells — in hopes of averting social and physical conflict and avoiding retaliation.

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Girls and women use more tentative, hedgywedgy language, frontloading even the most innocuous requests with meekspeak like “I normally wouldn’t ask” and “I hate to bother you.” “Numerous studies have shown that girls and women use polite speech much more than boys and men,” notes Benenson. Women also use more speech “softeners”: weasel phrases like “In my opinion” and “To be honest” and apologies taken to absurd extremes: “I’m sorry, but would you mind not standing on my foot?”

Because boys and men tend to be direct, women’s mealymouthing is — unfairly — stigmatized as a defect. Benenson explains that men and women evolved to have different roles and motivations (in line with their differing physiologies) in order “to ensure the survival of their children to adulthood.” For example, males, from boyhood on, specialize in defense: fighting the enemy and protecting the babymakers of the species.

Now, maybe you’re thinking, “Hello? It’s 2022, and dudes are trotting off to Techbroland with

BY Amy Alkon an iPad, not a spear.” Well, yeah. Unfortunately, they — and all of us — are stuck with an outdated psychological operating system. As evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides and John Tooby put it: “Our modern skulls house a Stone Age mind” with “Stone Age priorities” — meaning perfect, right now in 2022, for solving our hunter-gatherer ancestors’ mating and survival problems and often a mismatch with the realities of our lives today.

Accordingly, women’s duck-‘n’-cower deferential politeness, including promiscuous apologizing, seems to be a survival tactic — one that, from ancestral times on, shaped female emotions (which drive behavior).

“Politeness, as ... subordinate apes know well,” reduces interpersonal conflicts and “diminishes the chances” of being injured or killed, observes Benenson. “It is no accident ... that women have greater levels of nonverbal and verbal politeness than men.”

Benenson is alluding to psychologist Anne Campbell’s “staying alive” theory. Campbell, researching sex differences in assertiveness, explains that ancestral women, vastly more than ancestral men, were critical to children’s survival. Women seem to have evolved to fear physical harm from “risky confrontations,” which could jeopardize their ability to have children or feed and care for the ones already dropping their Legos all over the floor of the cave.

Ancestral women who survived to pass on their genes (and the psychology built into them) to women living today were likely those who opted for low-risk ways of going for what they want: using hints, hedges, and manipulation instead of assertive direct “asks.” Whether a woman is a mother or plans to be is immaterial: “Even if a woman never has a child, she still sees the world through a different lens than a man,” observes Benenson.

That said, a propensity to behave a certain way is not a mandate. Knowing you’ve got the female emotions software package, you might pre-plan to be more direct: Practice asking for what you want plainly, without apologetic airbags, and then do it: both in conversation and by pruning the “Excuse me for existing”speak from your texts and emails before you send them. Be prepared to backslide, and by “be prepared,” I mean maybe choose to laugh.

To be human is to be fallible, and habits — especially those going back bajillions of years in human evolution — have deep roots.

Eventually, however, asserting yourself should become more of a norm for you. Chances are this will amp up your self-respect as well as others’ respect for you — probably because being around you no longer feels like being beaten to death with an olive branch.

lOGY

FEB 07 - FEB 13

BY ROB BREZSNY

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Actor Leelee Sobieski was

mourning her romantic adventures—or rather the lack of romantic adventures. She said, “If only I could find a guy who wasn’t in his 70s to talk to me about white cranes, I’d be madly in love.” The good news is that Sobieski knows precisely what she wants, and it’s not all that complicated. The bad news is that there are few men near her own age (38) who enjoy discussing the fine points of the endangered bird species known as the white crane. I bring her predicament to your attention, Aquarius, in the hope that you’ll be inspired to be as exact and lucid as she is in identifying what you want—even as you cheat just a bit in the direction of wanting what is actually available.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In Michael Chabon’s

novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, the character named Arthur says to the character named Cleveland, “Love is like falconry. Don’t you think that’s true?” Cleveland replies, “Never say love is like anything. It isn’t.” I propose we make that your meditation during this Valentine season, Libra. In accordance with astrological omens, you will be wise to purge all your preconceptions about love. Use your ingenuity to revive your innocence about the subject. Cultivate a sense of wonder as you let your imagination run wild and free in its fantasies about love and sex and intimacy.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I’ll love it if sometime soon you create a situation in which you tell an ally words similar to what author Jamaica Kincaid spoke to her lover: “To behold the startling truths of your naked body frees me to remember the song I was born from.” Do you think you can make that happen, Scorpio? The astrological indicators at play in your life suggest that it would be right and sacred for you to do so. And if there is no such ally, then I hope you will deliver the same message to your naked self. And by the way, what is the song you were born from? (PS: There has never been a better time than now to learn treasured truths about yourself through your connections with others.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m afraid

I must be downright practical and mundane in my oracle for you. Don’t hate me! I’m only reporting what the planetary omens are telling me. They say that now is a favorable time for you to practice, practice, and practice some more the fine arts hinted at by author Ivan Goncharov: “A close, daily intimacy between two people has to be paid for: It requires a great deal of experience of life, logic, and warmth of heart on both sides to enjoy each other’s good qualities without being irritated by each other’s shortcomings and blaming each other for them.” Be diligently positive, Sagittarius, as you work through the demanding daily trials of togetherness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’ll offer

you a radical idea about love from author Hélène Cixous. Although it’s not always true for everyone, it will have special meaning for you in the coming months. She wrote, “It is easy to love and sing one’s love. That is something I am extremely good at doing. But to be loved, that is true greatness.

Being loved, letting oneself be loved, entering the magic and dreadful circle of generosity, receiving gifts, finding the right thank-you’s, that is love’s real work.” How about it, Capricorn?

Are you up for the challenge? Are you willing to expand your capacity to welcome the care and benevolence and inspiration coming your way from others?

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): I’ve never

offered you the wisdom of actor Natalie Portman, but her idealistic attitude about relationships is exactly what I think you should aspire to in the coming months. She said, “I always ask myself, would I want someone to do something that wasn’t comfortable for them to do just to please me? And the answer is no.” What do you think, Pisces? Do you suspect it might be interesting to apply that principle to your closest alliances? I hope so. If you do, the planetary energies will conspire to deepen your intimate bonds.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Real love is a

pilgrimage,” declared author Anita Brookner. “It happens when there is no strategy, but it is very rare because most people are strategists.” That’s the bad news, Aries. The good news is that you

have more potential than ever before to free your love of strategic maneuvering and manipulation. For the foreseeable future, I invite you to drop all romantic agendas and simply make yourself extra receptive to love’s teachings. Are you ready to learn what you don’t even realize you need to know?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the near future,

I’ll be pleased if you dole out lavish praise to allies who enchant you. I will celebrate if you deliver loving inspirations and lush invitations to those who help you fulfill your reasons for being here on the planet. To get you in the mood, here are some suggested provocations. 1. “Your body makes mine into a shrine; holy, divine, godtouched.” —Ramona Meisel. 2. “Your luster opens glories on my glowing face.” —Federico García Lorca. 3. “All night long if you want. We’ll tell our secrets to the dark.” —Gayle Forman. 4. “I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours.” —Bob Dylan. 5. “We are each other’s harvest. We are each other’s business. We are each other’s magnitude and bond.” —Gwendolyn Brooks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Gemini author

Orhan Pamuk’s novel Snow, the main character Ka asks a woman named Ipek, “What is the thing you want most from me? What can I do to make you love me?” Ipek’s answer: “Be yourself.” In the coming days, Gemini, I would love you to engage in similar exchanges with those you care for.

According to my understanding of the astrological omens, now is a favorable time for you and your best allies to shed all fakery and pretense so that you may be soulfully authentic with each other—and encourage each other to express what’s most raw and genuine.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): Are you in the mood to make extravagant gestures in behalf of love? Are you feeling an urge to move beyond your habitual approaches to intimate togetherness as you dare to engage in fun experiments? Now is a good time for such behavior with allies you trust. To spur your imagination, immerse yourself in the spirit of this poem by Nizar Qabbani: “I abandon my dictionaries to the flames, / And ordain you my language. / I fling my passport beneath the waves, / And christen you my country.”

Your homework: Dream up and carry out a playful and audacious venture that will energize one of your close relationships.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): I’ve created a list of splashy titles for stories or poems or songs or artworks or dances that you could compose for beloved allies or people you want to be beloved allies. I hope my list inspires you to get gushy and lyrical. I hope you’ll be creative and marvelous as you express your passionate appreciation. Here are the titles: 1.

Glistening Passion. 2. Incandescent Rapture. 3. Succulent Dazzle.

4. Molten Luminosity. 5. Splashy Fire Bliss. 6. Shimmering Joy Beams. 7. Opulent Delirium. 8. Wild Soul Synergy. 9. Sublime Friction. 10. Fluidic Gleam Blessings. 11. Throbbing Reverence.

12. Sacred Heart Salvation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Author Eve

Ensler tells us, “You have to give to the world the thing that you want the most, in order to fix the broken parts inside you.” This is perfect counsel for you to carry out in the coming weeks, Virgo.

Life will conspire to help you heal yourself, in dramatic and even semi-miraculous ways, as you offer the people and animals you care for the same blessings that you crave to receive. I foresee an influx of restorative karma flowing in your direction. I predict the fixing of at least some of your broken parts.

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Fenders" -failing to see the significance here. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1. Air marshal’s org.

4. Hilarity, on the Interwebs 8. West ___ (Long Island locale) 13. “Believe” singer 14. Opera showstopper 15. See 22-Across 16. Flag position in remembrance 18. Go inside 19. Holiday visitor, maybe 20. “Along with all the rest” abbr.

22. With 15-Across, “A Change Is Gonna Come” singer 23. Robbie who was Cousin Oliver on “The Brady Bunch” 26. “Famous Potatoes” state 28. Meat and mushroom dish originally made with a mustard and sour cream sauce 33. Notable time division 34. Appear 35. Column style simpler than ionic 37. Bits of work 39. Prepares, as kiwifruit 42. Prefix before “plasmosis” 43. Ancient artifact 45. First-timer, slangily 47. Yes, in France 48. German-born NBA player who appeared multiple times on “Parks & Recreation” 52. “You ___ not pass!”

53. Gang leader?

54. Mo. for most of Sagittarius 56. Promotional bit 58. Skewered dish 62. Knock for ___ 64. 1986 Fabulous Thunderbirds song (or the album it was on) 67. Neutral brownish color 68. Singer Fitzgerald 69. Low quartet?

70. Adjust to fit 71. Archetype for one of “The Odd Couple” 72. Miss Piggy, for one

DOWN 1. “Easier said ___ done” 2. Put on the marketplace 3. Pound sound 4. Back muscle, in the gym 5. “Kia ___” (Maori greeting) 6. Subject of many toasts 7. Rubenesque 8. Country with fjords 9. “Sanford and ___” 10. What uncramped areas have 11. Furniture store with meatballs 12. Salon do 13. Sox home, on scoreboards 17. Reuben ingredient 21. Org. recommending regular checkups 24. Instruction part 25. Word after family or phone 27. Owl sound 28. Pub pour 29. Miscalculated 30. Earner of 21 merit badges 31. “Good ___” (Gaiman/Pratchett novel) 32. Repair 36. Salon do 38. “Revenge of the ___” (“Star Wars” subtitle) 40. Key’s partner 41. “Last Night in ___” (2021 film) 44. Sound-activated infomercial gadget 46. Out of money 49. Joint with a 90-degree bend 50. Grade school orchestra section 51. Justice Kagan and forward Delle Donne, for two 54. Numbers to be crunched 55. Airline with Hebrew letters in the logo 57. Beach bird 59. Osso ___ (Italian dish) 60. Not too many 61. Some partners, for short 63. Unlock, in poetry 65. “Low” rapper ___ Rida 66. Beatles adjective

Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 21

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

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

Northern Express Weekly • february 07, 2022 • 23

24 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly