Northern Express - December 18, 2023

NORTHERN

express northernexpress.com

When life gives you

45° weather, make

SNOW. Ski resorts share the ups and downs of navigating warmer winters

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • december 18 - december 24, 2023 • Vol. 33 No. 50 Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 1

Weeknight Happenings MONDAY - FRIDAY

Social Hour | 4 PM - 6 PM $5 off signature cocktails, $5 off wines by the glass, and $5 draft beers

TUESDAY

Burger and Brew Artisan cheeseburger and draft beer | $12

ub i n fr a p r

visi t

ort kf

ic hi gan

ou

find

o

n u PUB & BREWERY IN BEAUTIFUL FRANKFORT ON TAP AND IN CANS ACROSS MICHIGAN

r

ca n

s acr

m s os

WEDNESDAY

Wine on the Waterfront half off bottles of wine under $100

THURSDAY

Locals Night Two courses and a glass of wine | $35 per person

artisantc.com

*Specials not valid with other offers.

303 main street • frankfort, mi • stormcloudbrewing.com

2 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

letters CONTENTS

More Emissions Can’t resist adding my two cents to the emissions “debate.”

The following is an exact quote: “Animal agriculture produces 65% of the world’s nitrous oxide emissions which has a global warning impact 296 times greater than carbon dioxide.

Raising livestock for human consumption generates 15% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, which is greater than all the transportation systems combined.” (Karlie Conzachi, “It May Be Uncomfortable, But We Need to Talk About It: The Animal Agriculture Industry and Zero Waste”; University of Colorado Boulder) Broccoli burger, anyone?

Dale W Priester | Manistee

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

feature

The Cost of Ski Season....................................10 A History of the Homestead..............................14 A Chef-Worthy Shareable Feast......................16 U.P. Winter Adventures Await............................18

ANNUAL

columns & stuff

Top Ten..........................................................4 Spectator/Stephen Tuttle..................................6 Guest Opinion...................................................8 Weird..........................................................12 13 Questions...............................................13 Dates..........................................................20 Film............................................................23 Nitelife.........................................................24 Crossword...................................................25 Astro..............................................................25 Classifieds.................................................26

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 Editor: Jillian Manning Finance Manager: Libby Shutler

TOY HARBOR

OPEN NITES ‘TIL 8PM

10-4 ON CHRISTMAS EVE

Pajama Party

Tuesday, December 26 8:00 am – 5:30 pm 8am-5:30pm

Join us & early and for Join usbright for coffee coffee and refreshments refreshments and treat yourself and to… treat yourself to...

Storewide Discounts

30% 70% off!

40% off -STOREWIDE! Shoppers inintheir will Early-risers theirPJ’S PJ’s are entitled to extra savings receive 50% off their purchase

FREE GIFT WRAPPING

Ongoing discounts Ongoing discounts into the New Year

CREATIVE & QUALITY TOYS SINCE 1984 • DOWNTOWN TC 231-946-1131 •

downtown Suttons Bay

into the New Year

231-271-5462

OUTDOOR GEAR FOR CHRISTMAS!

Distribution Manager: Roger Racine Sales: Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Todd Norris, Abby Walton Porter, Caroline Bloemer For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Cross Poehlman Distribution: Joe Evancho, Sarah Rodery Roger Racine, Gary Twardowski Charlie Brookfield, Rachel Cara Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold

ction e l e s t s e The b at available

Contributors: Joseph Beyer, Ren Brabenec, Art Bukowski, Geri Dietze, Anna Faller, Craig Manning, Stephen Tuttle

Copyright 2023, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly.

Northern Express Weekly is free of charge, but no person may take more than one copy of each weekly issue without written permission of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

231-946-8810

890 Munson Ave, Traverse City DONORRSKIHAUS.COM Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 3

this week’s

top ten Painting in a Winter Wonderland

It’s time to take a second to yourself during this busy holiday season. Slow down, relax, and let the creative juices—and maybe a little booze—flow. Jax Northside in Charlevoix is hosting a paint and sip class on Thursday, Dec. 21, with artist Nicole Bryant. The theme of the class is “winter wonderland,” inviting you to bring the magic of the December outdoors onto your canvas. Artists of all experience levels are welcome—Bryant will use her expertise to help all participants create a piece to hang in your home or give as a gift. Pre-registration is required; the class is $31.80 per person and includes a Jax signature cocktail, art supplies, and painting instruction. (Tickets are available at mynorthtickets.com) Painting starts at 6pm and the fun will continue until your masterpiece is done…or when the clock strikes nine. For more information, call (231)-437-6400.

2 tastemaker

Birch & Maple’s BBQ Hot Fried Chicken

Oh, What Fun It Is to Run! The Fleet Feet runners and walkers invite you to sprint into the holiday spirit—and help pets in need—on Thursday, Dec. 21, with their Holiday Lights FUNdraiser. Meet at Fleet Feet TC Downtown at 5:30pm and enjoy a 2 to 4-mile run or walk through the twinkling lights of downtown Traverse City. Costumes and festive lights are highly encouraged! The entry fee is a suggested $10 or pet supply donation to benefit the Cherryland Humane Society, and there will be raffle prizes for in-person guests. Call (231) 932-5401 for more information.

4 Hey, read It!

Starter Villain

When we first meet Charlie Fitzer—protagonist of bestselling author John Scalzi’s cheeky newest novel, Starter Villain—he’s struggling to stay afloat in the aftermath of a messy divorce and the loss of his reporting job. Now a part-time substitute teacher, Charlie’s stuck at his childhood home with his cats, while his older half-siblings try to muscle him out of his share of the property their father left them. That is, until someone blows it up. Turns out, Charlie’s late uncle Jake—who he thought owned a chain of parking garages—was actually a billionaire and the head of a large-scale evil empire (complete with a pack of sentient dolphins and headquarters on a volcanic island). As Jake’s only surviving relative, Charlie’s the automatic heir. Suddenly thrust into a world of secret societies, designer suits, and snipers lurking around every corner, Charlie has a decision to make: Is the grass really greener on the dark side?

You’ll have to read for yourself to find out!

5 ST. AMBROSE CELLARS

COUNTDOWN 2 NEW YEAR’S DECEMBER 26-31

LIVE MUSIC EVERY NIGHT This isn’t the first time we’ve waxed poetic about a fried chicken dish at Birch & Maple.

(The Crispy Chicken Sandwich on their brunch/lunch menu is worth the drive out to Frankfort every single time.) But this is the first time we’re talking about dinner, and that means we’re having the BBQ Hot Fried Chicken ($29). This meal is big enough to feed two, though you probably won’t want to share. Two pieces of juicy, crispy chicken are drizzled with in-house barbeque sauce—ask for an extra side of sauce and thank us later—and served atop creamy whipped potatoes. Pickles and pickled veggies finish off the dish, making this feel like the perfect combination of deconstructed sandwich and laid-back homestyle dinner. Pair it with a Caesar Wedge or a seasonal cup of soup and eat up at their cozy restaurant at 727 Main Street in Frankfort. birchandmaplefrankfort.com

4 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

841 S PIONEER RD • BEULAH, MI•STAMBROSECELLARS.COM • 231.383.4262

6 Have a Green Christmas

Need to keep those kiddos occupied while they (impatiently) wait for Santa to arrive? Head to Great Lakes Center for the Arts in Bay Harbor for their Home for the Holidays Double Feature. First up, at 2pm on Saturday, Dec. 23, is The Grinch (aka the 2018 Benedict Cumberbatch version of the grouchy green tale). Then, at 7pm Macaulay Culkin will be giving the Wet Bandits a run for their money in Home Alone. Holidaythemed attire is encouraged, whether you’re rocking the Christmas PJs, coming in your best Whoville costume, or breaking out your favorite nineties’ sweater à la Kevin McCallister. Prior to the first showing, kids can take photos in a selfie station or make a free Grinchy craft. New this year, you can pre-purchase movie snacks; $6 gets you a 12oz bottle of water or soft drink, popcorn, and your choice of candy. Tickets are $8 if you’d like to see both movies, or $5 for just one. Littles three years and under are free. greatlakescfa.org

Stuff We Love: The Perfect Winter Flannel Flannel season has come to stay, which means we’re stocking up on our favorite version of the cozy shirt: M22’s Up North Flannel. Why do we love it so much? First, even though it’s soft, it’s also a heavy-duty garment that helps keep back the December chill. Second, you have four colors to choose from: black, gray, olive, and red. Third, it comes in unisex sizes XS to XXL and runs long, hitting below the hips so there’s no chance of that aforementioned chill sneaking up on you. (This is technically marketed in M22’s men’s section, but this writer has stolen her husband’s shirt from the closet a time or two and can attest it also works great as an oversized top with some fleece-lined leggings.)

And fourth, these bad boys last. The $74 price tag isn’t cheap, but you’ll get many falls and winters of use before the flannel starts to fade. Find one at M22 stores in Traverse City and Glen Arbor or order online at m22.com.

Protecting 56 Acres in Charlevoix County

December marked a milestone for the Little Traverse Conservancy (LTC): the land trust’s largest ever financial investment in land. It was a dream a year in the making to raise the funds to purchase 56 acres—including a quarter-mile of Lake Michigan Shoreline—in the small Charlevoix County community of Bay Shore. Jennifer Adderley, an LTC member, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, Inc., and an anonymous donor led the charge (along with nearly 150 other donors and groups) to protect this wooded sanctuary, which will be called Enji-minozhiiyaamigak, the Anishinaabemowin word for “The Place of Peacefulness.” All signs in the natural area will be in Anishinaabemowin first and English following. Enji-minozhiiyaamigak will also be home to LTC’s first owned and cared-for universally accessible trail; the goal is for the trail to open in 2024. For more information on the property, visit landtrust.org.

8

One card. Four restaurants.

SPEND $100 GET $120 NORTHSI DE FOOD & SPIRITS

WINEGUYSGROUP.com

OFFER VALID THRU 12/24

Bottoms Up Hill Top Soda Shoppe’s Naughty Elf Latte We know Santa’s keeping tabs, but sometimes, it just feels good to be bad. The Naughty Elf Latte at Hill Top Soda Shoppe in Benzonia is so good, it ought to break some rules! Inspired by a house-favorite flavor combo—the cafe is a sugary mecca of donuts, ice cream, and hand-crafted sweets—this decadent coffee begins with a double-shot of Higher Ground’s ethically sourced espresso and is mixed with coconut and caramel syrups (courtesy of Northwoods Soda). To finish, the whole shebang is topped with a pour of velvety frothed milk, toasted coconut shavings, and caramel sauce. Grab one to go or enjoy a sip as part of their seasonal latte flights…and let the sugar buzz commence! (We’ll try for the nice list again next year.) Treat yourself at Hill Top Soda Shoppe (7117 South St., Benzonia), and don’t forget to check out their annual Men of Benzie calendar fundraiser! Find them online at hilltopsodashoppe.com.

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 5

Long Lake Artisans The perfect place to shop for unique, handmade gifts by over 30 local artists.

A SWIFT CONSPIRACY

spectator By steven Tuttle Time magazine says they base their Person of the Year award on “…who they believed had a stronger influence on history and who represented either the year or the century the most…” For 2023, they believe that person is Taylor Swift.

Plants Are Growing and Your Money Can Too! Visit tcfedcu.org for Certificate Specials!

OPEN

10 AM – 5 PM every Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Financial Services for the Community!

Est. 1950

-- --

-- --

231.946.6655 • tcfedcu.org

9947 North Long Lake Road, TC LongLakeArtGallery.com • 231-642-5353

This was followed immediately by the expected firestorm of whining and complaining from those who believe every award for every second, minute, hour, day, week, month, and year should go to Donald Trump. But there is no award for clinging pathetically to the lie they’ve won something they did not, nor is there an award for most charged felonies of an ex-president.

Perhaps her occasional public political posturing is why Time’s announcement unleashed a torrent of nonsensical, conspiratorial nonsense from the far right.

After all, if Donald Trump didn’t win, it must be a conspiracy of some sort perpetrated by evil actors residing somewhere in the deep state of the swamp. So Taylor Swift as Time’s Person of the Year now joins their list of imaginary conspiracies.

Let’s see…there are all the rigged election conspiracies—you know those that

Taylor Swift is a positive role model, an uber-successful businesswoman, a pop icon, and sensation the likes of which we have not witnessed since Elvis or the Beatles.

Time has never selected who they believed was the most popular or even who they thought could spur subscriptions. They chose Adolph Hitler in 1938, Joseph Stalin in 1939, and Nikita Khrushchev in 1957. Vladimir Putin has been so named as has Rudy Giuliani, and it’s now hard to say which of those two would be more controversial today.

Taylor Swift is reasonably easy to criticize— it’s said she’s not the best singer and that her music is cloying and simplistic. She’s been accused of using and over-using auto-tune, using her music and social media platforms to exact revenge on old boyfriends, and so on. It is, however, impossible to overlook her level of success.

If her voice and music are not everyone’s cup of tea, both must appeal to someone, because she’s won more than 100 awards from pretty much every organization that presents such music-related accolades and has set more than 100 Guinness World Records. She has sold a whopping 114 million album units and is in the process of completing the most attended and successful concert tour in history.

The Common Sense Institute says the American leg of her tour has generated a stunning $4.6 billion in new consumer spending, and the Wall Street Journal pegs the total economic impact of the U.S. tour at $5.7 billion. They also reported local economies surged immediately before, during, and after her concerts. One southern California restaurant owner said the Swift concerts were bigger and more valuable than the Super Bowl. It will be the first tour to gross more than $1 billion in ticket sales alone.

6 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

shouts it from the rooftops, always mindful her audience spans all political ideologies.

She has not been selfish with her money, either, having contributed heavily but mostly quietly to food banks, organizations supporting victims of sexual assault, and cancer victims. She certainly leans left politically and has made that clear, but never

somehow managed to give Joe Biden an extra seven million votes and an extra 74 electoral votes. There was the pizzagate conspiracy that was part of the QAnon conspiracies claiming high ranking Democrats and Hollywood celebrities were kidnapping, drugging, torturing, sexually abusing, murdering, and then cannibalizing children. There is the so-called great replacement theory, the notion that the radical left wants to flood the country with minority immigrants who will presumably become Democrats, though some patience will be required since immigrants have to wait years to become citizens.

There are the Trump indictment conspiracies, all 91 charges of them in four different locations brought by two federal and two state prosecutors and four separate grand juries. There are the flood of Alex Jones’ heinous conspiracy theories that include 9/11 being an inside job of our government, the Sandy Hook massacre of elementary school children being a fraud, and all the rest. (And isn’t it nice Elon Musk has now allowed Jones back on the hateful sewer that X has become?)

George Soros, always busy conspiring, has been accused of being behind all of it, and now he and his son Alex are the supposed masterminds of Swift’s Person of the Year award conspiracy.

Taylor Swift is a positive role model, an uber-successful businesswoman, a pop icon, and sensation the likes of which we have not witnessed since Elvis or the Beatles. She has been an upside to a year with too many downsides.

Those now so exercised because of Swift’s Time award should consider this—it isn’t her first. In 2017 she was on the cover as part of the Silence Breakers, that year’s Person of the Year. She is the first woman to be so honored and on the cover twice. And that’s twice as often as the 45th president.

Smile w ith

e c n e d fi n Co Experience the Schulz Ortho Difference 231-929-3200 | SCHULZORTHO.COM Invisalign and custom esthetic braces treatment Call for free consultation

SMALL CLASS SIZES AMAZING TEACHERS INDOOR/OUTDOOR LEARNING BATA BUS TRANSPORTATION

AND YOU!

NOW ENROLLING Pre-K, Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5

for 2023/24!

Come see how OMPS can make a difference in your child's life!

Pop in or shop online for the coziest, coolest beer gear.

SHORTSBREWING.COM

www.OMPSchool.org info@ompschool.org 231.252.0225

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 7

NEW AND USED VINYL, CDS, TAPES, June 12th21, & July 17th TURNTABLES, APRIL 2018 OPEN ATSTEREO 8AM SPEAKERS, EQUIPMENT AND WITH SPECIAL RELEASES RECORDSTOREDAY.COM ACCESSORIES

COMMUNITIES STEP UP FOR MORE HOUSING Greyscale: K 100% / K 75%

Guest Opinion

by Yarrow Brown Buying Collections & Equipment

Hannah 10151015 Hannah Ave.Ave. Traverse City Traverse City 231-947-3169 • RPMRecords.net 231-947-3169

Fonts: Gotham Black / Century Expanded

It’s been an emotional, exciting, and impressive few months for housing in our region. Many thanks to those who showed up, spoke up, and learned more about our region’s housing needs.

Driving to my office the other day, I heard a quote on public radio from Jenny Scheutz, author of Fixer Upper and Brookings Institute researcher: “To keep people from being priced out—now’s the time for the local government to buy property and invest in affordable housing—before it becomes not affordable anymore.”

A Northern Michigan Tradition since 1964

Choose from a variety of holiday gift boxes

Downtown Traverse City • 231-947-4841 murdicksfudge.com • 1-800-238-3432

This rang true to me. In our region, many are resistant to government involvement in housing—I get it. But we need to involve all sectors to build more affordable units for those who live and work here year-round.

Schuetz states: “Tight housing supply and rising housing costs are not just a problem for individual families; regional economies function better when workers across a range of incomes can afford housing within a reasonable commute of their jobs. Employers have trouble hiring and retaining workers in high-cost regions.”

I encourage our units of government to consider these opportunities and commend the ones diving in and making important community decisions. Our region has been waiting for these opportunities, and projects are “shovel ready” to test the new legislation.

We’ve seen huge housing wins in our region where municipalities are a key partner.

Frankfort created a Housing Commission and partnered with the Frankfort Area Community Land Trust, a nonprofit developer, to identify opportunities for housing now being built.

It’s making important zoning changes and developing new districts to encourage housing for year-round residents.

Traverse City identified underutilized properties or parking areas to repurpose for housing. It put out a request for proposals, and now its public Lot O is approved for up to 60 units in partnership with nonprofit developer HomeStretch.

8 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

The City of Manistee recently received Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to support residents with home improvements. This, combined with some of the new housing tools, is going to help individuals and smaller-scale developers invest in the city.

Bellaire, along with the township and Antrim County, approved a Brownfield Plan for a housing project using the new Housing Tax Incremental Financing tool, or HTIF. At a full-house public hearing, the discussion

In our region, many are resistant to government involvement in housing—I get it. But we need to involve all sectors to build more affordable units for those that live and work here year-round.

How can the local government support housing without being an owner? One way is through new housing tools that provide tax incentives or abatements. They can create housing commissions and provide more public housing.

RESTAURANT & BAKERY

area median income (AMI). The expanded PILOT tool provides counties options to consider workforce housing projects. Grand Traverse County decided to develop its own policy, giving the two Traverse City projects the ability to move ahead.

Traverse City also created an updated Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) ordinance for two workforce housing projects downtown ensuring rents for those making 120 percent or less of the

and comments inspired me. Commissioners did their homework: They met with and listened to their partners who brought this tool to them for the final approval, and they understood how important a new yearround housing development is for Bellaire.

Northwest Michigan is making huge strides in housing. While there’s a lot to celebrate, there’s a long road ahead as well. HTIF is a new concept and uncomfortable for some, but is a major opportunity to help with one of the hardest roadblocks to affordable and attainable housing in our high-cost region: finding enough capital to build units that will be sold under market value.

We are talking about future tax revenue, which is paid in full by the property owner. Once all the essential services are made whole, money is reimbursed back to the owner to help offset the costs of the project. In this case, this tool will ensure rents will be for those making less than 120 percent of the AMI for up to 30 years.

While 30 years seems like a long time, it’s important to ensure these types of projects can be built in northwest Michigan. It’s not a developer handout and isn’t taking away taxpayer dollars. It’s a tool that’s been effectively utilized for many years for other types of economic development.

Before you react, do your homework. Think about your neighbors, your co-workers, and your essential workers. Think about the community you want to live in and what we can all do to make it better. Housing is just one part of a healthy community, but it is an essential part.

Yarrow Brown is the executive director of Housing North, a 10-county housing agency serving northwest Michigan.

Buy direct form manufacturer Quick turn around We cut to length - no cut charge 40 year warranty Custom trim available Locally owned and operated

It pays to invest in a

METAL ROOF IT’S FAT BIKE SEASON! Now available at

STOP IN TODAY!

7812 E 14 Road, Manton • 231-824-9002 (if line is busy, keep trying)

231-947-4274 - Located on the TART Trail at 736 E. 8th St., Traverse City

s s e r p x e north

NORTHE

RN

Manton Metal Sales

press

.com

s s e r p x e express r e restau p r u Fred ranTours me m e u d i s u Ea g Food

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

nort

WWW.NORTHERNEXPRESS.COM/SUBSCRIPTIONS/ORDER/

F oo K n o w s d aughli iEs

Fred L

You In

side N

MC ’s

n Tak

Culin

es

ary

NORTH

t!

He

Whe re DIne Should I Ton IghT ?

Yourre’s W ha Che Favor i te t At H F eats om e

el Poeh

lman

Photog

raph

NORT

y ograph

an Phot

l Poehlm

Michae

Micha

northe

rnexpr

ess.co

m

NORTH

ERN

NORTHER

N

DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR.

ernex

H IG A N E R N M IC

’S W E E K

LY • ju n

e 13

hern

expr

ess.c

om

9, 201 - ju n e 1

6 Vol.

26 No.

24

Road

tripp i

n

For ’

20

ur treprene Serial En GE 18 y PA Troy Dail

PLUS

& Fall Summer dar PAGE 30 n le a C Race

Music Outdoor er Lon m All Sum

JU n e 1 1 Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 9EE K LY • • •17 Northern Express Weekly • oct 19, W2023 A N ’S2020 N M IC H IG

EatE VisitriEs ed

N O R TH ER

ju n e 1 7 ,

2018

THE COST OF SKI SEASON Northern Michigan ski resorts share their financial impact and future plans in the face of uncertain winters

Photo courtesy of Crystal Mountain

By Art Bukowski When’s the last time you hit the slopes?

Each season, hundreds of thousands of people visit the dozen northern Michigan ski hills that stretch from Cadillac up to Harbor Springs, and the majority of those skiers come from downstate or farther still. This big rush of folks eager to carve their way downhill makes for a powerful economic impact.

There’s the revenue for the resorts themselves, of course, which employ thousands of people. (Crystal Mountain, Shanty Creek, and Boyne USA are the largest employers in Benzie, Antrim, and Charlevoix counties, respectively.) Then there’s the money that trickles into local restaurants, bars and shops, along with the ample amount of work sent to local contractors to support skiing operations.

But while they have no plans of slowing down, local resorts have an eye on changing climate, increased costs, and other concerns that might lead to a change in the way they do business.

Downhill Dollars Shanty Creek’s Schuss Mountain, along with its other properties, are a stone’s throw from Bellaire, Antrim County’s largest community. Leaders at Shanty make an

active effort to direct folks into Bellaire, which they feel only adds to the fun of an up north ski trip.

“We feel really strongly that Bellaire is part of the Shanty Creek experience, so much so that we actually do shuttle stops into Bellaire every day,” says Lindsey Southwell, Shanty’s director of marketing. “Because we’re not so bold to think that someone comes to a resort and they only want to stay here, right? Part of the experience is checking out the area, and obviously there are a lot of cool things to do in town.”

Southwell is also president of Bellaire’s chamber of commerce, and she can attest to the value those Shanty Creek visitors bring.

They have roughly 100,000 skier visits a year, which translates to a lot of Bellaire business.

As much as 90 percent of these visitors in an average year are from out of town, Southwell says.

Over at Treetops Resort, general manager Barry Owens points out that nearly everyone who arrives at his slopes will pass through Gaylord, which sits along I-75 just a few miles west. He estimates that at least 75 percent of his skiers are from out of town. “[We have] what I would call a significant impact with skiers that are coming to our region and contributing to the overall economy in the area, whether it’s a dinner, or shopping, or a tank of gas, or whatever

10 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

it may be,” he says. “And then even another level is the skiers that don’t stay with us and instead stay in Airbnbs or Vrbos or hotels in the area, too.”

It’s more than just the skiers themselves that provide a boost to the local economy.

Thousands of people are employed in the ski industry throughout northern Michigan, the vast majority of them local. Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville is not only the biggest employer in Benzie County, but one of the largest private employers in the entire region.

“We’re over 700 people during winter operations and about 550 in summer operations. So we do well over 1,000 W-2s on an annual basis,” says CEO John Melcher.

“We’ve got quite a few people that depend on this business to provide for their families, and I think that’s a huge component [of our impact]. From my seat, I think about all our staff and the families that depend on us being successful.”

Mechler was quick to point out the large amount of money that also flows from Crystal to dozens of local businesses.

“We’re a capital-intensive business, laborintensive business. We certainly support a lot of other businesses, whether it’s our HVAC partners or the whole fleet of vehicles that we’re purchasing and maintaining,” he says.

“There’s a lot of economic impact as far as

what we’re spending to keep our operations going and keep everything powered up.”

The ski resorts also serve as a gateway of sorts to all sorts of northern Michigan activities, spreading the economic love far and wide.

“We’re a destination that folks can use as a home base; they can stay in our lodging and explore the region. We’re an hour and change from the bridge, so we’re not too far from the Upper Peninsula or Mackinaw City,” says Jason Perl, general manager of Boyne Mountain. “So you can come up here and ski or golf or do the water park and still have all these other amazing places within a couple hours to visit. It’s a great home base for day trips.”

Making Snow to Make Ends Meet Ski season may be a boon to our towns and residents, but the ups and downs of the last few years—including the pandemic, recent inflation, and tricky snow conditions—have caused a ripple effect.

For example, lift ticket and season pass prices have risen considerably over the past 15 years, now topping $100 (with taxes and fees) at some local resorts for a single Saturday on the slopes. But the costs of doing business have shot up too; expenses tied to labor, energy, maintenance, and more continue to put the pinch on area resorts.

gift guide

Photo courtesy of Treetops Resort.

And while uneven weather patterns have yet to cause significant problems for northern Michigan resorts, the industry as a whole is bracing for the long-term effects of climate change. Making snow is far from cheap—the guns themselves cost tens of thousands of dollars—and warmer weather is likely to upset the careful balance of manmade and natural snow that ski resorts need to stay in the black.

“Snowmaking is the most expensive part of ski operations. There’s a ton of energy costs with pumping the millions of gallons of water that we do,” Shanty Creek’s Southwell says.

“We really try to capitalize on snowmaking at the appropriate time. There is a certain time, just in general, where it’s no longer profitable to make snow. You can make snow all winter long if you want to, but there’s a point where it’s just not profitable anymore because you’re never going to recoup those costs.”

Warmer temperatures and less natural snow are not ideal, managers say, but they can be mitigated somewhat by diligent snowmaking and grooming. Plus, having the ability to make snow artificially via their network of snow guns might even be a draw to the slopes.

“A lot of times, we might be the only option to get out on the snow when there’s not snowmobiling in the area or crosscountry skiing out in the woods,” Treetops’ Owens says.

All the resorts can do is hope for the best while preparing for the worst. Part of that preparation includes investing in the latest snow gun technology, which has improved significantly in recent decades.

“Every year we’re continuing to invest in our snowmaking infrastructure. We’ve got a robust plan, but it can always be better,” Crystal Mountain’s Melcher says. “We want to be able to turn it on and go full force even if we’ve got just a few hours in which to get it done.”

Boyne Mountain’s Perl says his resort hopes to soon have the “most comprehensive, efficient and powerful snowmaking system in Michigan.”

“A lot of ski resorts are upgrading their snowmaking efficiency and capabilities, and we’re in the midst of a multi-year

snowmaking master plan to bring our system into the future,” he says. “How much snow can we make in the shortest amount of time?

If we only got seven days the whole season, could we open all the trails?”

Maintaining Focus, Building Resiliency One of the most unusual problems with warmer winters is getting people to still come skiing, Melcher says. Ski resorts are capable of producing and maintaining snow long after it’s vanished elsewhere, but by the time that happens, many hearts and minds have moved past skiing. “[Last year] we made snow well into March, just to keep the slopes open, and we actually had really good ski conditions.

But the challenge was that even though we had great conditions on our slopes, people are looking out their back window and can see grass,” he says. “We and all the other ski resorts were trying to message people, particularly downstate, that hey, even if it looks like spring at your door, winter is here and well.”

Another prong of resiliency plans for local resorts includes beefing up all the other revenue generators that aren’t tied to the slopes.

“Over the last 30 years, we’ve been building out a very robust spring, summer, and fall business with the two golf courses.

And we’ve got a conference center and outdoor water park, we’ve got a great spa that’s always busy. The idea there is to have some things to make us more resilient for difficult weather in the wintertime,” Melcher says. “We’re also finding weird weather patterns in the summer, so having this yearround flow of things for people to do with outdoor recreation really kind of inoculates us from weather problems in any season.”

“I think we all continue to look at different things that can supplement or replace,” Treetops’ Owens says. “There’s places messing around with indoor skiing on carpets, but are we contemplating that in our forward capital plan at this time? We are not. We still feel that the foreseeable future is good in regards to the ability to do what we do here for the winter season.

But it’s something we and the industry continue to monitor.”

1. Chamois Lined-Flannel by Relwen 2. Herringbone Wool Coat by Harley of Scotland 3. NO WASTE 18x18 Pillow by Henriette Steffensen 4. Baby Puita Pocket Mittens by Patagonia 5. Barbour Reindeer Dog Toy

CRYSTAL HURRY SAVE MONEY: BUY ONLINE. Get your lift tickets, rentals and lessons for the 2023-24 winter season online now at crystalmountain.com/ski

THOMPSONVILLE, MI

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 11

Awkward Arnaldo Chamorro, chief of staff for Paraguay's Agriculture Ministry, lost his position on Nov. 29 after an embarrassing episode in which he signed a "proclamation" in October with the United States of Kailasa, Fox News reported. Trouble is, the USK doesn't exist; the fictional country is the brainchild of a fugitive guru, Nithyananda, who is wanted in India on several charges including sexual assault. Chamorro admitted during a radio interview that he was not familiar with Kailasa but said he signed the agreement because the country offered to help Paraguay with a variety of issues, including irrigation. News of the Weird has reported before (March 2023) about the posers, who have also fooled the United Nations and Newark City Hall in New Jersey, which signed a sister city agreement with the country.

The Way the World Works Can't a grandma send her grandson home with an early Christmas gift without raising suspicions among the TSA? No, she can't. Actor Brett Gaffney headed back to Los Angeles on Nov. 25 after spending Thanksgiving in his native Kansas, People reported. At Kansas City International Airport, he said, "I got stopped at the airport security, and ... it was because of this briefcase my grandma gave me as an early Christmas gift, and she said don't open it until you get to California." Gaffney followed her directions, but TSA wasn't having it. "They asked me what was inside, and I said, 'I don't know, I don't know.' They said, 'What do you mean?

You're bringing a briefcase and you don't know what's inside?'" Turns out, Gaffney's nana had gifted him a vintage Smith-Corona typewriter. "Who am I, Tom Hanks?" Gaffney joked. He continued his story on TikTok: "I didn't think I'd use this, but here we are. It's so calming. All I want to do is stay home and type on my typewriter." Thanks, Grandma.

DINING & FUN Don’t you wish you were eating for

HALF-OFF tonight?

$1000s

IN SAVINGS

2-for-1 Dining & Fun!

JUST

30!

$

90 + Opportunities to Save!

Restaurants • Golf •

TwoOnTheTown.com • 231-944-3910 12 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

anyone from outside as we are always aware of any suspicious movements," said deputy mayor Remo Scocchera. "It's a positive thing that the perpetrator wasn't a person in the village." Still, Billy's owner will probably have to pony up for the damaged tires -- not to mention dental work.

The Passing Parade Rosemary Hayne, 39, lost her temper (and rice, and sauce, and everything else) when she berated a Chipotle manager in Parma, Ohio, and then threw a bowl of food at her in September, Food & Wine reported.

Hayne tried to run out of the restaurant, but other diners captured her license plate number and contacted police, who arrested her on Sept. 5. On Nov. 28, Judge Timothy Gilligan offered Hayne one of two sentences for her "not acceptable" behavior: the standard sentence of a fine and 180 days in jail, or 60 days in jail and working 20 hours a week at a fast-food restaurant for two months.

Hayne apologized to the court and the victim and accepted the custom sentence. "She could have punched me in my face or pulled a gun out," said the victim. "I'm lucky that I only got a bowl thrown in my face." She has found a job at another restaurant.

The Golden Age of Air Travel Yeah, yeah, another flight diverted because of unruly passengers. This story gets bonus points: On Dec. 5, just before a Breeze Airways flight took off from Orlando, headed to Providence, Rhode Island, a couple on board got into a heated argument, News4Jax-TV reported. It seems the man was unhappy because he wanted to get off the plane -- which wouldn't have been such a big deal, but during the discussion, the word "bomb" came up. Passenger Rachael Corrigan said, "The people were talking about or claiming the other person had a bomb ... The people around them ... reported it to the airline, and they're obligated to land the plane." The pilot diverted to Jacksonville, Florida, where the man and woman were IN SAVINGS met by FBI agents and arrested. Breeze Airways canceled the flight.

DINING & FU 90 + Opportunities to Sa

Crime Report After getting a Waffle House logo tattooed on his calf on Dec. 2 in St. Petersburg, Florida, 33-year-old Max Alexander Krejckant of Clearwater "refused all options to satisfy his debts," police said -- which amounted to $250. As a result, The Smoking Gun reported, he was arrested at the Ink Godz shop; police found only $6 and a driver's license on his person when he was frisked (although they noted he was under the influence of something).

Krejckant bonded out and pleaded not guilty (huge Waffle House tattoo evidence notwithstanding). Wonder what the charge is for bad inking decisions?

Animal Antics The mystery of who has been slashing tires in the southern Italian city of Vastogirardi has been solved, The Guardian reported. The wave of damaged tires began in July and ramped up again in October in the town of about 600 residents, forcing police to place undercover cops on patrol.

Finally, they mounted surveillance cameras, and in late November, they collared their suspect: a dog named Billy, who was suffering from a painful case of gingivitis. "It is a peaceful village -- we knew it couldn't be

$1000s

News You Can Use In Stenlille, Denmark, a vehicle fire also damaged a nearby house on Dec. 2, InShort reported. Police issued a warning to the community after the fire, cautioning people against using toasters under the front of cars to keep EV batteries warm. While there were no injuries, the car was heavily damaged, and the owner likely will have to pay a fine.

Least Competent Criminal A 62-year-old woman from Haslett, Michigan, picked a poor time to dash through the self-checkout at Walmart with $700 worth of merchandise in her cart, WJRT-TV reported. On Dec. 2, as the store participated in a Shop With a Cop event in Genoa Township, a clerk notified one of about 75 police officers on hand about the shoplifter. "I do have to say it surprised me," said Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez. "When you see 75 cops in the store, I mean, I don't know if maybe they thought we were too busy." The alleged thief was detained in the parking lot and taken to jail.

SPONSORED CONTENT

{ 13 Questions }

Flying High With Cherry Capital Airport's Kevin Klein

Cherry Capital Airport CEO Kevin Klein has a lot to be proud of for 2023 and even more to look forward to in 2024, as Michigan’s third largest airport posted its biggest year ever and eyes expansion in future years. We caught up to hear more.

1 > As we talk here near the end of 2023, your year has been quite a whirlwind!

Yes, 2023 has been crazy. We’re still waiting for final November numbers, but we already set a new full year [passenger] record in October, and if things keep going as they are, we could finish the year with around 680,000 passengers.

2 > And where will that put TVC statewide versus all the other airports?

We’ll be solidly third. We’re over 100,000 more than Flint right now, so we will easily be Michigan’s third largest.

3 > And are December and January fairly busy months around TVC or no?

The holidays themselves are busy, but it’s a time of year when we slow down a bit. We have that bell-shaped curve, using July as our peak, and we’ll begin building toward that peak in February.

4 > What’s Spring Break 2024 looking like?

We’re seeing a very competitive market. Allegiant has brought in more [flight] frequencies on their popular Florida routes, and we’re seeing a lot of things selling out quickly there. But prices are still good across the board/ I’m still seeing fares in the $600-$700 range, and you can save even more by avoiding that end of March through early April peak timeframe.

5 > That’s certainly not the $239 fares we got used to during COVID! No, but you can get those fares or maybe less if you can flex your travel to February into March or go later in April. We’re also seeing some other sale specials to big cities throughout the first quarter, like as low as $158 to Chicago for a weekend with United.

6 > Boy, spring break is so much bigger for you now than 5-10 years ago when you just had the major airlines here.

It’s very different. It’s a growing time of year. Having Allegiant here gives us so many more opportunities for sun and fun and has added a new dynamic and capacity. And then we’re adding Fort Lauderdale in May, which will be a year-round route. And Allegiant just continues to grow, with more aircraft and crew. I see more expansions coming for them, which is great for northern Michigan.

7 > Speaking of northern Michigan, are you seeing fewer travelers leave and drive down to fly out of other airports?

Yes, we’re leaking less than we used to. In 2010 we retained 45 percent of all northern Michigan travelers.

Today we retain almost 53 percent. Twenty-four percent leave and fly from Grand Rapids, and 15 percent to Detroit. But when we look more closely at people in individual communities, 74 percent of Traverse City travelers are using TVC, which is wonderful.

8 > Are all Michigan airports booming like TVC? Grand Rapids is. Detroit is coming back, with Delta adding more flights. But U.P. airports, for instance, are really struggling. Kalamazoo and Flint and Saginaw are all seeing major decreases. Across the country, airlines are still not taking risks on new communities. They’re flying where there’s a return on investment, picking the winners, and that’s us.

9 > You’ve really talked about how important using our local airport can be, and a source of pride for the community, but also an economic driver.

Yes, absolutely. One of our goals in 2024 is to really get the community to understand how important it is to fly from nearby, and not just for the convenience, but from an economic standpoint. When someone flies from here, it’s not just supporting an airline, but that’s how all of our grant formulas are made. So flying from TVC just channels money back home, investing in your own community.

10 > What else is happening at TVC? We’re excited about our new Instrument Landing System for Runway 10, which went active on November 30. We’ve been fighting for this for almost 16 years, and it’s going make a huge impact for the traveler. It goes back to the community investment we talked about. It was a $4.5 million project paid for using that $4.50 fee on every ticket that comes back to the airport. This will solve our major problem of having to cancel or delay more than 100 flights a year due to weather and wind. So important for reliability and passenger satisfaction. That for us is very exciting.

11 > What’s the latest with your airline partners?

American announced they will increase the aircraft size for daily flights for Dallas, and they have expanded the Charlotte route from weekends only to daily for next summer. We’ll meet with United in January to talk about Houston in 2024 or 2025. Delta has been slow and steady coming back from COVID, but they’re slowly adding more frequencies and seats. Sun Country did great last year, with close to 80 percent [full] for a brand new route, which is great. They’re scheduled for mid-June through Labor Day, but they will likely expand that this year.

12 > Your expansion is coming fast, but is the terminal ok to handle all the growth until then?

Yes. We’ll make some adjustments with seating to reduce crowding. As for the expansion, we had a great meeting in October, and all our plans are approved by the FAA for expansion, so we’re proceeding with environmental work and financial planning; that will be 2024. That puts us a little ahead of schedule to hopefully have shovels in the ground in late 2025. So that would be 2026 for the next concourse, initially with 4 gates and up to a total of 8 jet bridges. And more space, restaurants, bars, and retailers.

13 > Any major predictions for 2024?

That’s always so tough. I think we’ll see continued passenger growth, but not at the rate of this year. Maybe three percent, like what we saw prior to the pandemic.

And we’re seeing a lot of interest in TVC because of our growth, so it will be interesting to see if 2024 results in another carrier or additional flights or new cities from existing carriers. We’re getting a lot of interest!

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 13

A winter aerial view of the Homestead property today.

Everything to Everyone THE HISTORY OF THE HOMESTEAD

The original inn building of the Homestead.

By Craig Manning Today, it’s Leelanau County’s biggest resort hotel—a destination for weddings, ski trips, family vacations, and more. Before all the condos, restaurants, swimming pools, and ski lifts, though, the Homestead was just a bare-bones camp for boys, and before that, a tranquil piece of land that caught the eyes of a married couple who’d scoured the midwestern United States for a place to put down roots.

One hundred years on (give or take) from when that couple first acquired the Homestead land, Northern Express takes a look back at the storied saga of the property and its dramatic evolution.

Searching for the Perfect Place “[Homestead founders] William and Cora Beals were educators from St. Louis, Missouri, and they looked all over the Midwest to find a site,” says Bob Kuras, longtime owner and developer of the Homestead.

As the story goes, the couple were looking for “the most beautiful beach” that the Great Lakes had to offer. “I think all or most of the spots they found eventually became national parks,” Kuras adds. That includes the Homestead, which sits inside the boundaries of what eventually became the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

But the 1970 authorization of Sleeping Bear Dunes as a national park was still nearly half a century away when the Beals arrived at the spot where the Crystal River flows into Lake Michigan. The couple knew right away that they’d found their perfect place.

“They bought this property and started it out as a camp for boys of the Christian faith,” Kuras says. Campers spent time in the woods, explored the waters in canoes and sailboats, grew vegetables and raised animals, and partook in other outdoor activities.

Accounts differ on when exactly the Beals purchased the Glen Arbor property. Kuras

guesses the acquisition happened around 1923 or 1924. Historians of Camp Leelanau, the name of the boys camp the Beals started, suggest it was 1921. (Camp Leelanau is still around as a summer camp for kids and teens from Christian Science families.) Per the Camp Leelanau website, the boys camp dates back to 1921, while a Camp Leelanau for Girls—now called Camp Kohahna—was added at the Homestead site in 1971. In 1980, the camps vacated the Homestead space and moved north, first to a spot on Northport Bay, then to their current location near Pyramid Point.

From Camp to Boarding School Kuras says parents were so satisfied with the first few years of Camp Leelanau that they were soon asking the Beals to add a year-round boarding school. “I believe that’s what led to the construction of what we now call ‘the inn,’” he says.

That construction would play out against the backdrop of the Great Depression. The project kicked off in August of 1929, and the stock market crashed in October. “I’m told that, during the Depression, there were times that the Beals traded work on the building [from parents or families] for teaching their children,” Kuras notes.

The inn building was completed in 1932.

That same year, the boarding school—called Leelanau for Boys and focused on the same Christian Science demographic as Camp Leelanau—graduated its first high school class. In 1940, a second school, Pinebrook for Girls, was added, though the two schools eventually consolidated as simply “the Leelanau Schools.” The Leelanau School, like Camp Leelanau, still exists today.

As the schools and the camps grew, the Homestead developed into a summertime resort getaway for families. According to the Homestead website, though, a time eventually came when “the Beals’ successors decided to relocate the camps, contract the school, and sell the Homestead.”

14 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

The Modern Era Begins So it was then, in the mid-1970s, that a new family took ownership of the Homestead.

Kuras says he first “became involved” with the resort in 1974, adding that the property was “really struggling” at the time. Kuras and his colleagues took on the mission of giving the Homestead a “fresh start.”

“We decided to take a full year and take a look at the industry and try to understand what people were looking for, what the trends were, and what was coming,” Kuras says. That period of soul-searching and market research ultimately led Kuras and his team to a burgeoning resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina, called Sea Pines.

Per Kuras, the founder of Sea Pines was a Yale alumnus named Charles Frazier, who’d inherited the land from his wealthy family.

“He was a real pioneer,” Kuras says of Frazier.

“His concept, which I think was written as a thesis at Yale, was that resorts were doing

things the wrong way.”

Kuras continues: “It used to be that most resorts were oriented to a single recreational activity—which usually meant they were oriented toward Dad. At that point, only 25 percent of the American workforce was women, so it was the dad who was working, and so if Dad liked to fish, Mom and Dad and the kids all went to a fishing camp for their vacation.”

Other resorts of the time hewed to similarly single-minded approaches: all golf, all skiing, all beach. Frazier broke that precedent. “He came up with the idea of a resort having everything: golf and tennis and spa and beach, and lots of pools and restaurants, and all that stuff,” Kuras says.

“So, if Mom loved tennis and Dad loved golf, they could both have a wonderful day and everybody was happy. We thought that made a lot of sense and really tried to do everything we could do to emulate it.”

Embracing Frazier’s “everything to

Before there was pickleball, there was badminton.

An early ad for winter vacationers.

Here's what used to pass as the Homestead's ski lift.

A couple dines at the inn in the 1960s.

Today, the Homestead offers everything from skiing to a day at the beach on its 500-acre property.

Now ski lifts run more smoothly to get you to the Homestead’s 15 runs.

everyone” concept helped the Homestead find success, but it wasn’t the only key.

In Kuras’s mind, the resort’s decision to prioritize its forest setting was just as important. Rather than clear-cut the trees to make way for more development, Kuras says the Homestead committed to the township early on “that it would not build above 70 percent of the allowable density.” Resort leaders also had an early survey done of the property that not only looked at topography, but also at the trees themselves.

“We had surveyors going around and saying, ‘Ok, this is an 18-inch pine; this is a 12-inch oak,’ and they would map the exact

location of the trees and these species and size specifications,” Kuras recalls. “That meant we could plan for new buildings while also avoiding the best trees. Even today, you can drive the south end of the property and look at some of the townhome buildings there, and it’s amazing to see how close the trees are to the buildings. The topography and the forest really look like they weren’t disturbed.”

Out of Reach?

While parts of the Homestead still look untouched by time, though, Kuras admits there’s been plenty of change over the years.

“There’s restaurants and spas and salons and fitness centers. There’s tennis and golf and skiing and pools. There are three different wedding venues. And there are a little more than 1,000 families that live on this property.

That’s a long way from the 30 or so that were here when I started. There’s about 250 people who work here at peak.”

Also changing? The average Homestead customer. In the early days, Kuras says the median age of a Homestead guest was mid50s and “not necessarily affluent.” Today, the median age is 30-something and the median income is about $200,000, which Kuras says “puts our typical customer in what’s called

the ‘affluent traveler segment.’”

Kuras worries that the shift toward wealthier guests is pushing the Homestead away from the very “cater to all” rule that allowed the resort to take flight in the 1970s.

This ski season, he’s on a mission to change the trend.

“We really want to look at pricing,” Kuras concludes. “It strikes me that, in many ways, ski resorts are pricing themselves out of reach of most of America. So, we’re going to do some changes to our pricing that I hope will address that. Because [skiing] is a great family outing, and I want it to be accessible to the typical family again.”

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 15

A Chef-Worthy, Shareable Feast ENTERTAINING WITH WINTER RECIPES FROM TRATTORIA STELLA’S KITCHEN

By Geri Dietze We all know that when winter arrives, it’s here for the long haul. Some of us love it; some, not so much. But the shared experience of breaking bread, especially in the chilly season, is a beloved tradition that helps the short days and long nights pass that much faster.

Indeed, seasonal comfort food—be it simple or elaborate—is the foundation of winter entertaining. To get a professional take on the season, we went to Myles Anton, executive chef and partner at Traverse City’s Trattoria Stella, and asked him to share his thoughts (and some recipes!) to inspire our own version of a winter repast.

Dinner at the Antons’...When Your Host Is a Real Chef If anyone can inspire us, it’s Chef Myles, who has created the dishes at the venerable Trattoria Stella since its beginning in 2004.

Before that, starting age 15, he cooked in a family restaurant downstate, earned his culinary degree, and then practiced his craft in a variety of ways: from sous chef to personal chef to executive chef, ranging from southeast Michigan to Georgia to Maine.

Over his long tenure at Trattoria Stella, Chef Myles has helped the restaurant accumulate a boatload of awards and accolades, both for himself (multiple-time James Beard award nominee) and for Stella, with simply too many to list here. Watch for the January 2024 formal announcement of

the latest honor: Stella has been recognized as a Distinguished Restaurant of North America (DiRōNA), of which there are fewer than 800 in the United States. Readers, this is a big, big deal.

Chef Myles’ food ethos should not surprise anyone, given Stella’s reputation for being 95 percent house-made, as well as its successful two-decade run. “I believe in hyper fresh and local [sourcing] when possible,” he explains. “Things need to be simple, letting the ingredients shine.”

For cooking at home in the winter months, he shops the local farmers markets, Oryana, and Maxbauer, as well as some of the farms who also supply the restaurant.

(Trattoria Stella has relationships with “around 30” farmers, some of whom have been supplying Stella for most of its run.)

“Winter embraces all the warm, comforting foods I can think of,” Anton says. He likes osso buco, lamb or pork shank, braised beef short ribs (see his recipe for this one), or slow-cooked whole duck.

For vegetables, he turns to “a celebration of storage roots.” Think of roasted beets and carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash with a variety of pairings: toasted seeds or nuts, whipped cheeses, or cheese sauces (warm Gorgonzola cream!), or bean purées.

Chef Myles admits that his schedule makes home entertaining “fairly limited,” so he likes to “pull out all the stops,” to present something special. “As far as whipping up for guests at home, I always go to a beef roast,

16 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

whether it be a whole roasted tenderloin with herbs, garlic, and lots of black pepper, or Wellington-style, wrapped in puff pastry with mushroom duxelles,” he adds. “The classics are classics for a reason—they rock.”

For sides, Anton serves mashed potatoes with whipped parsnips and sweet potatoes for the adults, (served plain for his kids). Add a shaved kale salad with apples, sundried fruit, and Gorgonzola, and roasted Brussels sprouts flavored with Dijon, honey, vinegar, and oil.

Winter Vintages from the Sommelier Great food deserves some equally fabulous cocktails and wines. Trattoria Stella has a long list of meticulously handcrafted cocktails, and while we can’t guarantee restaurant-quality results at home, it’s worth a try.

A favorite winter cocktail includes the Perfect Negroni, made with Detroit’s Two James Old Cockney barrel-aged gin, plus Zucca, Campari, and Contratto Bianco and Rosso vermouths, with orange and lemon twists. Or try your home version of the Stellar Old Fashioned, with Maker’s 46, Dolin Rouge French vermouth, plus brown sugar and Angostura.

Amanda Danielson, Trattoria Stella’s owner/partner and advanced sommelier, has graciously shared some of her vast knowledge of winter wines. For this expert, the season indicates a “shift into richer expressions” such as southern Italian whites.

“The Catarratto of Mt. Etna (Sicily) and

Chef Myles Anton

Greco di Tufo (Campania) are favorites for whites without oak,” Danielson says.

“I love the yeasty, toasty character of aged Champagne. [It] warms you up even if the wine is chilled.”

Danielson appreciates the complexity in European winter reds, but she also recognizes some local wines that are “Old World in spirit,” including Mari Vineyard’s Bestiary Ramato. She adds, “Blaufränkisch from Left Foot Charley and Shady Lane Cellars top my list as well.”

THE RECIPES

Hungry yet? Let’s get cooking. Chef Myles shared these two recipes to make your winter table the talk of the town…and a spot where there are sure to be no leftovers.

FOR THE MEAT LOVERS Braised Short Ribs with roasted butternut squash, rutabaga, and beets - Serves 4 Ingredients • Four 12-14 oz. short ribs, from local butcher • Salt and pepper • Flour • Olive oil • 4 stalks fresh rosemary • 6 cloves garlic • 2 cups veal stock • 1/4 cup tomato paste • 3 tbsp whole butter • One large butternut squash • 1/4 lb. butter, cut into chips • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1/4 cup honey • Water • Salt and pepper • One rutabaga • 3 small beets • Olive oil • Salt and pepper

live stand-up

nnett Darius Be

Friday, Dec. 22 - 7:15 PM Saturday, Dec. 23 - 7:00 PM

Instructions for Ribs Generously salt and pepper short ribs and dust all sides in flour. In a sauté pan, sear all sides of ribs in olive oil until golden brown.

Wrap rosemary and garlic in cheesecloth to form a sachet. Place the sachet in the bottom of a deep roasting or baking pan, placing browned ribs on top of the sachet.

Whisk tomato paste into veal stock and pour over ribs until three-quarters of the way up the ribs. Do not cover totally in stock.

Bake, covered with foil, at 325 degrees until very tender and falling off the bones.

Let rest for 5 minutes. Strain stock into a bowl, whisking in 3 tbsp whole butter to thicken. (This is your yummy sauce.)

Instructions for Squash Cut squash in quarters and scoop out seeds. (Separate the seeds from the meat and toast with salt and pepper for an interesting garnish.) Put the squash in a roasting pan, top with brown sugar, honey, and butter chips. Add a little water to 1/3 the way up the squash. Bake for 2 hours, covered with foil, until soft and buttery.

Instructions for Rutabaga and Beets Peel rutabaga, cube into small dice. (Be careful; it’s really tough!) Cook in boiling salted water for 10 minutes until tender, strain.

Peel beets, cube into small dice, less carefully as they are not as tough. Cook in boiling salted water for 5 minutes until tender, strain.

Sautee each vegetable, separately, in olive oil until slightly crispy. Toss together with salt and pepper.

Instructions for Plating Place a chunk of butternut squash on a plate. Carefully stack short ribs on squash.

(It will really want to fall apart.) Pour sauce over the two. Garnish with sautéed rutabaga and beets on top of that. (Top with roasted seeds too if you prepared them.)

FOR THE VEGETARIANS Braised Cauliflower - Serves 2 (or can be served as a side) Ingredients • 2 heads cauliflower • 2 tablespoons oil • 12 cippolini or 1 large onion peeled and rough chopped • 6 shallots peeled and halved • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 3 whole carrots peeled • 8 fingerling potatoes • 1 teaspoon nutmeg • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 2 cups vegetable stock or water • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • Pinch cracked black pepper • Fresh basil Instructions Dust the cauliflower heads with kosher salt. Hard-sear both heads top down in a dutch oven with oil—you’re looking for nice browning on top. Flip over. Add cippolini, shallots, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and nutmeg. Hard sear all for 3-4 minutes.

Add tomato paste, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable stock, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Give it a little stir to incorporate. Cover and cook in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour.

Let sit for 10 minutes uncovered. Gently take cauliflower and veggies out to portion. (It will be falling apart.) Spoon braising liquid over. Serve with fresh basil leaves and a little EVOO to finish.

Mary San

tora

Friday, Dec. 29 - 7:15 PM saturday, Dec. 30 - 7:00 PM

new year’s eve dinner!

A Celebration and a Commitment to the Next 20 Years Next summer, Stella will officially turn 20, and there are big plans in the works to celebrate the milestone.

“Our 20th anniversary is all about old friends,” Amanda Danielson explains, adding that the celebration has played out over many months. Recently, Danielson went to Italy to formalize plans for some special events starting this spring, including a celebration dinner with Italian winemaker Giorgio Rivetti of La Spinetta and Contratto vineyards. (Rivetti’s relationship with Trattoria Stella began in 2005, when he was the first winemaker welcomed for a dinner at Trattoria Stella.)

The official anniversary date, July 6, 2024, is set for the return of Stella’s Big Slow Picnic, this year in honor and support of organizations close to the Stella family. And, it’s fitting that the restaurant will launch its own wine label, with a sparkling wine that has been in en tirage, aka French methode champenoise, since 2017.

(For information, visit Stella at 830 Cottageview Drive in Traverse City or online at stellatc.com.)

Lynne Koplitz

Saturday, Dec. 31 Dinner starts at 6:30 pm show at 7:30 PM

get tickets! traversecitycomedyclub.com or call 231.421.1880

Host your next event here! holiday parties weddings corporate events 738 S. Garfield Avenue, Traverse City

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 17

Now that's what we call a root beer float! Photo courtesy of Tahquamenon Falls State Park.

U.P. WINTER ADVENTURES AWAIT Three ways to embrace the outdoors above the bridge

By Ren Brabenec

How do we know that a significant part of our state is an undiscovered gem?

A running joke (and statement of pride amongst Yoopers) is that, occasionally, a cable news segment, weather forecast, textbook, or even the History Channel will display a map of the United States…without the Upper Peninsula.

The U.P. contains 29 percent of the land area of Michigan but only 3 percent of its total population. While snowy roads make the trip feel a bit longer, we northern Lower Peninsula trolls may just be surprised at how easy it is to take a winter weekend, cross the mighty Mackinac Bridge, and immediately immerse ourselves in the hushed, snowblanketed paradise of the U.P. Here are our three must-try winter adventures in the eastern part of the upper Mitten.

OUT House Consortium and the New Ashmun Creek Trail Up in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada is only a snowball’s throw away, giving you the benefit of exploring two unique cities of the same name set against the rugged backdrop of the Michigan-Canada border.

When you live in a part of the world covered in snow (at least) five months out of the year, you learn to communicate through a hearty sense of humor. That sense of joviality met in the middle with a mission to create accessible, multi-use trails when Sault Ste. Marie business owners Wilda and Ken Hopper formed OUT House Consortium in 2018. Outdoor Use of Trails (OUT) House Consortium was created to support trails in and around Sault Ste. Marie.

“We wanted the nonprofit to focus on trail development, maintenance, and promotion,

18 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

whether it be hiking, biking, or water trails,” says Wilda. “We work with government agencies, nonprofits, private citizens, and business owners to establish a network of trails for non-motorized recreational transit in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.”

Currently, one of the group’s big projects has been the designing trails in Ashmun Creek, an area of over 400 acres of land between Three Mile Road and the Sault Ste. Marie Municipal Airport. So far, volunteers (in partnership with local donors, the Little Traverse Conservancy, and a trail contracting group called Rock Solid) have formed a trailhead and blazed approximately one mile of hiking trails. The trails can be accessed via the Kevin and Pam Cooper Bridge, which was also funded and built by volunteers.

With the trailhead (conveniently located behind Buffalo Wild Wings), the bridge, and the first mile of trail done, the group envisions

a rapid expansion of trails in the nature area.

“We already have another 15 miles of hiking and biking trails conceptualized and in the works with the help of Rock Solid,” says Wilda. “One-and-a-half to two years from now, these trails will be available for use.”

While they’re happy to serve the hikers and bikers, OUT House Consortium sees its mission as serving a purpose beyond recreation. “The Ashmun Creek Area is now a permanently protected nature area, and it will connect the community as an alternative transit hub,” says Ken. “People will use this trail system not just for recreation but for transit too, to get from one area of town to another without having to walk or bike on the road.”

To raise awareness for the nonprofit’s campaign to expand the existing system trails, Wilda, Ken, and other OUT House volunteers frequently host free lanternlit night treks at Ashmun Creek and

Kevin and Pam Cooper Bridge, located at Ashmun Creek Trailhead, Sault Ste. Marie.

Photo courtesy of OUT House Consortium

other eastern U.P. nature sites at or near Hessel, Cedarville, the Sault Tribe, Kinross, McNearney Lake, and the North Country Trail. (Should visitors prefer solitude and a lone hike or snowshoe, the trail at Ashmun Creek is conveniently located within the city limits of Sault Ste. Marie and is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.)

For local events and the group's hiking and snowshoeing schedule, visitors to Sault Ste. Marie can check out OUT House Consortium’s calendar online at outhouseconsortium.org/calendar.

Camping at the U.P.’s Only Year-Round State Park Campground Just under two hours from the Mackinac Bridge, Tahquamenon Falls State Park is not only open year-round, but it also maintains 20 campsites throughout the winter season, making it the only state park in the U.P. that does not close its campground during winter.

Currently considered “semi-modern,” the campsites temporarily do not have shower buildings or flush toilets, but there is electricity to each site, vault toilets nearby, and a water source for campers to fill up jugs. Park rangers frequently clear the campground of snow, and if campers reserve their sites in advance, rangers will roll out the welcome mat by plowing reserved sites before campers arrive.

“Winter camping will look a little different this year, as we’re currently building a new shower building and bathroom,” says Tahquamenon Falls State Park Manager Kevin Dennis. “Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan, we’ve been able to implement numerous improvements and new construction projects in the park. The new shower building and bathroom at the campground is just the latest of these projects, and it will be completed in early- to mid-summer 2024.”

Camping in the middle of winter in one of the coldest, snowiest places in Michigan may sound extreme, but being able to say, “I pitched a tent at Tahquamenon Falls in February,” is sure

to earn any Michigander some bragging rights and perhaps even a title as Honorary Yooper.

We were surprised how many Michiganders and out-of-state adventures do just this.

“Winter camping is becoming increasingly popular,” says Dennis. “Sure, most campers still use trailers or RVs, but it’s only a bare majority these days. You’d be surprised how many folks show up, don a few extra layers, pitch a tent, and roll out the insulated pads and sub-zero sleeping bags.”

As for what to do while camping at the falls, park rangers thought of that, too. “Skiing and snowshoeing are very popular,” says Dennis.

“We groom the Giant Pines four-mile loop trail for cross-country skiers, and snowshoers can use it too. We just ask that they walk alongside the trail.” Dennis mentions several shorter loop trails reserved just for snowshoeing at the Lower and Upper Falls. These are marked with fiberglass posts and, due to frequent use, are often quite easy to traverse.

Then, of course, there are the falls themselves. “Viewing the falls during winter is an entirely different experience,” says Dennis. “You have to see it to believe it. Pictures don’t do justice to the scale and dimensions of the ice formations and snowpack. Especially in late January and February, the falls are just sublime.”

Importantly, Tahquamenon Falls State Park is known for its commitment to accessibility.

The new pedestrian bridge to the Lower Falls Island (completed in 2021), the new bathrooms at the Lower Falls (completed in 2023), and the current bathroom rebuild project at the Lower Falls Modern Campground are all a part of the Lower Falls Island & Visitor Services Improvements Project, a series of construction and maintenance tasks to upgrade scenic viewing platforms, improve accessibility to difficult-to-reach sections of the park, and replace bathrooms and gift shops.

“Accessibility is key,” says Dennis in closing. “No matter the time of year, no matter one’s limitations, we want everyone to be able to enjoy the park.”

A shot from the 2022 I-500 snowmobile race. Photo by SpeedShot Photography.

When asked what folks should bring or how they should prepare when traveling to the park during winter, Dennis says to bring snowshoes, dress in layers, wear ice cleats (especially on plowed surfaces that may be slippery), and visit during midday when rangers have had a chance to clear the previous evening’s snowfall.

Visitors planning a trip to Tahquamenon can check out the park’s website at michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details. aspx?id=428&type=SPRK to make a campsite reservation or call the park headquarters at 906492-3415 for information and weather updates.

Snowmobiling and the I-500 Race Held in 2024 between Sunday, Jan. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 3, Sault Ste. Marie’s annual International 500 Snowmobile Endurance Race is the biggest tourist attraction in the Sault, the largest winter sporting event in the Upper Peninsula, and the world’s “oldest, longest, fastest, and toughest snowmobile endurance race.”

In fact, according to race board director Ric Federau, in no uncertain terms, the I-500 is the snowmobile race in the country. “It’s the granddaddy of all snowmobile races,” says Federau when telling the story of the I-500’s 55-year history. “It’s the one that

every snowmobile enthusiast wants to win.”

Given that the I-500 is a weeklong event that attracts thousands of snowmobile savants to the Sault (say that five times fast), it has become quite common for folks below the bridge to pack up their sleds, head north, and make a week of it to enjoy the festivities in town or ride the miles of snowpack and groomed trails the U.P. offers. For years, the state has developed its snowmobileaccessible trail infrastructure, currently boasting 360 miles of state-funded and 100 miles of locally-funded snowmobile trails just in Chippewa County alone.

Trail monitors at the Department of Natural Resources expect interest in the trails to continue growing. Last year, DNR Supervisor Eugene Hagy spoke about the spike in trail use during the I-500. “Overall, activity on the trails in Chippewa County was way up from past years,” Hagy stated in a February 2023 DNR press release. “The lack of snow in the Lower Peninsula compared to the recent cold spell with ample snowfall in the Upper Peninsula likely contributed to the large number of snowmobilers in the area.”

Information on the I-500 can be found at the event’s website, i-500.com. Maps and trail conditions for the region are available at upsnowmobiling.com.

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 19

dec 16

Saturday

LIGHTING OF THE BRIDGES: Drop-in between 6-8pm, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. Enjoy seeing the bridges of Grass River Natural Area’s boardwalk light up with colorful lights & lanterns. Enjoy a ¼ mile winter stroll along the newest section of boardwalk & then warm up with a campfire & hot cocoa at the pavilion. Inside the Center will be a variety of holiday crafts to make. Snowshoes available to rent. Register: grassriver.org.

----------------------------HOLIDAY COOKIE WALK: Grace Episcopal Church, TC. Featuring homemade cookies & other baked goods. 8am-noon or until sold out. gracetraversecity.org ----------------------------MARKET AT THE MUSEUM: 9am-1pm, Harbor Springs History Museum. Stock up on local foods & artisan goods at this Indoor Harbor Springs Farmers Market.

----------------------------REDEEMER LUTHERAN COOKIE WALK & CRAFT FAIR: 9am-2pm, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Interlochen. Hosted by Redeemer Women in Mission. Lots of homemade cookies, a soup lunch, & more than 35 crafters. All proceeds support community & world missions.

----------------------------CANDY HOUSES AT TADL: Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Must pre-register. Enjoy festive holiday crafting. The Library will supply everything, from frosting, candy for decorating, graham crackers, & cartons to build your candy house. Register online for one of the four time slots: 10am, 10:30am, 11am or 11:30am. Each time slot is limited to 75 people. Please arrive for your time slot at least 5 minutes early. Free. tadl.org/events ----------------------------OPEN STUDIO, PETOSKEY: 10am-1pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Visual Arts Room, Petoskey. Drop-in free arts & crafts for the whole family. crookedtree.org/event/ctacpetoskey/open-studio-december-16 ----------------------------HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls. Noon-2pm: Lunch with Santa. 3-5pm: Photos with Santa in Mountain Grand Lodge & Spa lobby. 5-8pm: Meet The Grinch. 3-9pm: Lights In The Sky at SkyBridge Michigan. boynemountain.com/x22594.xml ----------------------------BOOK SIGNING: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Steve Reddicliffe will sign his book “NYT Essential Book of Cocktails.” horizonbooks. com/event/nyt-essential-book-cocktailssteve-reddicliffe-book-signing ----------------------------“A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS” - CLASSIC TALE TOLD THROUGH DANCE: 2pm & 6:30pm, Cadillac High School Auditorium. Presented by the Northern Lights Irish Dancers & Cadillac Classical Arts Company. Based on the classic tale “Papa Panov’s Special Christmas” by Leo Tolstoy told through dance. Tickets available in advance at the NLDA or day of at the door. $10 ages 12-adult; $5 children. vbs20.com/Irish/ performances/a-special-christmas ----------------------------“HOLIDAY CABARET”: 2pm & 7pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Get in the spirit with the Young Company! This yuletide take on the Broadway Showstoppers will feature songs from the season in a dance-filled, musical revue. Featuring advanced students. Adults: $21; youth under 18: $12. oldtownplayhouse.com/young-company/performances/holiday-cabaret.html ----------------------------PICTURES WITH THE GRINCH AT THE KATYDID: 2pm, The Katydid, Petoskey. Get your pictures with the one & only Grinch! Free.

WINE WONDERLAND: 2-5pm, Shady Lane Cellars, Suttons Bay. Enjoy live holiday music, art projects & more. Participate in the Toys for Tots toy drive. Bring an unwrapped gift & receive a waived-fee tasting. shadylanecellars.com ----------------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER SCHOOL OF BALLET PRESENTS: THE NUTCRACKER: SOLD OUT: 3pm & 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Enjoy this dynamic & beautiful show with original choreography. $35 adults, $10 students. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/the-nutcracker-2023 ----------------------------WINTER SOLACE HARP & VIOLA CONCERT W/ JOAN & DAVID HOLLAND: 3pm, Interlochen Public Library. Free.

----------------------------ELF ON THE TOP SHELF: 4pm, TC. A caroling-bar crawl. Elf attire encouraged. Starts at Lil Bo & carols down to Kilkenny’s, then up Wadsworth to 7th, make another stop at Brady’s Bar, then down Cass to Bootlegger’s & Dillinger’s, then back to Lil Bo. Sheet music for caroling will be provided to participants.

231-421-3100.

----------------------------TANNENBAUM BLITZEN: 6-8pm, Shanty Creek Resorts, Ivan’s Mountainside Grill, Bellaire. Enjoy a torchlight parade down the face of Schuss Mountain, followed by a visit from Santa, & fireworks over Schuss Mountain. facebook.com/events/1431426594457537 ----------------------------LIVE NATIVITY: Walloon Lake Community Church. Join at 6:30pm, 7pm or 7:30pm.

Look for the star & campfire that lights the way to the manger. The Live Nativity includes live animals. There will be cookies & hot chocolate in the gymnasium following each performance. walloonchurch.com ----------------------------SOUNDS OF THE SEASON: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Enjoy a wintry mix of seasonal songs

by Interlochen Arts Academy’s musical, theatre & interdisciplinary arts students. Movies come to life with a medley from Disney’s “Frozen” & “March of the Toys” from “Babes in Toyland,” a performance of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” a holiday sing-along & much more. $36 adult; $19 child through college. interlochen.org/events/sounds-season-2023-12-16 ----------------------------THE SPIRIT OF DETROIT: AN EVENING OF POETRY & LIVE MUSIC: 7:30-10pm, The Alluvion, TC. Featuring live poetry by Joel Fluent Greene, live music by Evening Star Trio, & an opening performance by poet Peace Bell. $25 advance. thealluvion.org/ tickets/spirit-of-detroit ----------------------------TERRY FATOR: A VERY TERRY CHRISTMAS: SOLD OUT: 8-10:30pm, Little River Casino Resort, Manistee. “America’s Got Talent” winner Terry Fator combines ventriloquism, singing, comedy, & celebrity impressions. $60-$75. lrcr.com/event/terry-fator

dec 17

Sunday

SANTA SUNDAY: Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls. Dress as Santa, Mrs. Claus or The Grinch & you’ll receive a $25 lift ticket. Plus you’ll also receive an extra day of skiing for free, valid from Dec. 18-25. All proceeds benefit Brother Dan’s Food Pantry. boynemountain.com/x22594.xml ----------------------------HOLIDAY CONCERT WITH PETER BERGIN: 1pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Local pianist/ vocalist Peter Bergin will share his musical

20 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

december

16-24

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

Be one with winter, solstice and Yule as dancer, singer and musician Nic Gareiss presents “Wintersong,” combining traditional tunes and dance from Ireland, Canada and Appalachia with seasonal songs, ballads and fiddle tunes. Tickets for this Dec. 20 event at The Alluvion, TC at 7:30pm are $15 in advance and $20 at door. thealluvion.org/tickets/ wintersong-at-the-alluvion-w-nic-gareiss

talents for the holiday season. Free. tadl.org/ event/holiday-concert-peter-bergin ----------------------------“A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS” - CLASSIC TALE TOLD THROUGH DANCE: (See Sat., Dec. 16, except today’s only time is 2pm.)

----------------------------“HOLIDAY CABARET”: (See Sat., Dec. 16, except today’s only time is 2pm.)

----------------------------PICTURES WITH THE GRINCH AT THE KATYDID: (See Sat., Dec. 16) ----------------------------SOUNDS OF THE SEASON: (See Sat., Dec. 16, except today’s time is 2pm.)

----------------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER SCHOOL OF BALLET PRESENTS: THE NUTCRACKER: SOLD OUT: (See Sat., Dec. 16, except today’s only time is 3pm.)

----------------------------HOLIDAY CONCERT, TLC HANDBELL CHOIR: 3pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Free. tadl. org/handbellchoir ----------------------------THE HAUNTING OF EBENEZER: 5pm, Willowbrook Mill, Northport. An acoustic concert retelling of Dickens’ classic tale. $15. hauntingofebenezer.com ----------------------------“A QUEST FOR INNER PEACE”: 5:308pm, First Congregational Church, TC. A Soul Stirring Sound Experience Vol V. An immersion of strings, voice, art, sacred sounds & soul food. Featuring musical artists Ruby Bardenhagen, Christian Turner, Aaron Rossan, Tracey Hankins, & Crystal WoodwardTurner. Includes refreshments & soul food small plates. For more info & tickets visit web site. $30 GA; $15 students w/ ID. karasifitnessandhealingarts.com ----------------------------JINGLE BELL RUN: 5:30pm, Park Place Hotel, TC. A non-timed 5K run/walk that

tours favorite neighborhood streets bordering downtown TC that are adorned in holiday lights & decorations. Wear your festive holiday costume. Enjoy free cookies & hot cocoa afterwards. $20; free for Traverse City Track Club members. May donate during registration. runsignup.com/Race/MI/TraverseCity/ JingleBellRun?aflt_token=vkmwDmweQ4iC Yn8otSOOnKQ3vCO8buOw ----------------------------HA HA HA HOLIDAY COMEDY MIXTAPE!: 7-9pm, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. Wear your ugly sweater & enjoy this holiday variety show with improv, sketch, storytelling, songs & more. Presented by Tilt Think. For ages 16+. $10. facebook.com/events/11518 19789124693/?ref=newsfeed ----------------------------MAY ERLEWINE & THE MOTIVATIONS DANCE PARTY: SOLD OUT: 7:30-9:30pm, The Alluvion, TC. On a few dates each year, singer-songwriter May Erlewine breaks from her Americana & folk roots to front The Motivations: a seven-piece dance-party funk band. thealluvion.org/tickets/alluvion-presents-may-erlewine-the-motivations

dec 18

monday

STRANGER IN THE WOODS MOVIE/SNOWMAN DAY: 10am, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Enjoy the winter classic, “Stranger in the Woods,” based on the children’s book by Carl Sams & Jean Stoick. After the movie head outside to build snowmen on the front lawn; bring your boots & snowpants. Limited chair & blanket options will be available for the movie. Free. tadl.org/events ----------------------------KID’S CRAFT LAB: 3D TREE: 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Make a forest of wintertime holiday trees

with colorful papers, aluminum foil, paint & yarn. Sign up at the front desk when you arrive. Make your reservation online. greatlakeskids.org ----------------------------SONGS OF THE SEASON: 6:30pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. PCL’s neighbor Johnny Keyes joins for a holiday sing-along. Enjoy mulled wine, cider & cookies. 231-223-7700.

----------------------------POETRY OUT LOUD: 7-9pm, Poetess and Stranger, 445 E. Mitchell Street, Unit A, downtown Petoskey. Participants are invited to bring original poetry or prose to read; 3 minutes max per turn. $5 cover or a haiku about money. poetessandstranger.com

dec 19

tuesday

STORYTIME ADVENTURES: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “The Gingerbread Man”

by Eric A. Kimmel. Sign up at the front desk when you arrive. Make your reservation on the web site. greatlakeskids.org ----------------------------A CHRISTMAS CAROL: 5pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Enjoy a two man adaptation of a holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Free. tadl.org/event/christmas-carol-10968 ----------------------------ADRIANNE EVANS W/ THE ANDY EVANS TRIO: 7-9pm, The Alluvion, TC. Rising talent Adrianne Evans will be accompanied by her dad Andy Evans, pianist Steve Stargardt, & drummer Jon Lindeneau. Adrianne is a senior at MSU majoring in double bass performance & minoring in jazz studies. She is studying with internationally renowned bassist Rodney Whitaker for jazz bass, & principal bassist for the Detroit Symphony orchestra, Kevin Brown, for classical bass performance. $15 advance. thealluvion.org/tickets/alluvion-presents-adrianne-evans ----------------------------GREAT LAKES UNTAMED: 7pm, Glen Lake Community Library, Empire. Experience the beauty, power & wonder of the Great Lakes ecosystem in “Marvels & Mysteries,” the final episode of this documentary film series.

Free. glenlakelibrary.net/events ----------------------------QUEER TALES BOOK CLUB: 7pm, Traverse Area District Library, Nelson Room, TC. This club chats about books that are by &/or about LGBTQIA+ people. Reading is not required & everyone is welcome. This month’s book is: “Amor Actually: A Holiday Romance Anthology.” Free. tadl.org/event/ queer-tales-book-club-amor-actually-11947

dec 20

wednesday

ALL ABOARD THE POLAR EXPRESS EVENT: 9:30am, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Create your own holiday box car to sit in prior to the 10am showing of “The Polar Express.” Bring a box for your child if you have one. A pillow for your child is also recommended for sitting & viewing the movie. Free. tadl.org/events ----------------------------WINTERSONG W/ NIC GAREISS: 7:30pm, The Alluvion, TC. Dancer, singer & musician Nic Gareiss presents Wintersong, an hour of music & movement centering winter, solstice & Yule. This event combines traditional tunes & step dance from Ireland, Canada & Appalachia with seasonal songs, ballads & fiddle tunes. $15 advance; $20 door. thealluvion.org/tickets/ wintersong-at-the-alluvion-w-nic-gareiss

dec 21

thursday

NMCAA’S LAUNDRY PROJECT: 8:30-11:30am, TC Laundry, Garfield Plaza, TC. Free laundry service for those in need. Call 947-3780 with questions.

----------------------------SANTA COMES TO TOT TIME: 10am, Interlochen Public Library. Families & toddlers can enjoy a Holiday Party that includes a visit from Santa. 231-276-6767.

----------------------------KID’S CRAFT LAB: 3D TREE: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Make a forest of wintertime holiday trees with colorful papers, aluminum foil, paint & yarn.

Sign up at the front desk when you arrive. Make your reservation online. greatlakeskids.org ----------------------------HOLIDAY LIGHTS FUN RUN/WALK: 5:30pm, Fleet Feet TC Downtown. Run to get in the holiday spirit & to help pets in need.

Enjoy a 2-4 mile run or walk through the holiday lights of TC. The entry fee is a suggested $10 or pet supply donation to benefit the Cherryland Humane Society. Costumes & festive lights are highly encouraged. There will be raffle prizes for in person guests.

----------------------------SEEDS WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION: 6:30-10:30pm, Cathedral Barn at Historic Barns Park, TC. Enjoy a night of live music by the KnockAuffs, bar, charcuterie & light food, photo booth, & more on the longest night of the year. Please RSVP online.

Donations at the door & cash bar. ecoseeds. org/winter-solstice-celebration ----------------------------TRAVERSE AREA CAMERA CLUB MEETING: First Presbyterian Church, TC. Meets the third Thurs. of the month. Social hour at 6pm; meeting at 7pm. tacameraclub.org ----------------------------BLISSFEST PRESENTS: WINTER SOLSTICE: 7:30-9pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. Hosted by Courtney Kaiser & Tim Jones, featuring Luke Winslow-King & 1000 Watt Prophets. Luke brings his mix that combines Mississippi Delta blues, folk, traditional jazz, & roots rock & roll. 1000 Watt Prophets fuses soul, Americana, blues, R&B, rock, jazz, & Gospel elements. $30-$35. showclix.com/tickets/annual-winter-solstice

dec 22

friday

dec 23

saturday

STORYTIME: 10:30am, Leland Township Library, Leland. Stories & more for patrons aged 0-6 & their caregivers. Free. lelandlibrary.org/programs-events ----------------------------THE CHARLIE MILLARD BAND: 7:3010pm, The Alluvion, TC. Enjoy this band made up of Charlie, Will & Jercat Millard. $20 advance; $25 door. thealluvion.org/tickets/ alluvion-presents-charlie-millard-band

A LIBRARY VISIT WITH SANTA & JENNY THE STORYTELLING ELF: 10am, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Local storyteller Jennifer Strauss will lead you through interactive holiday stories. After the stories, Santa will join for photos, fun, & a free holiday book for each family. There will also be crafts & holiday music. No sign-up needed. Free. tadl.org/events ----------------------------HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS DOUBLE FEATURE: Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay

Harbor. This year’s event will include “The - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Grinch” at 2pm & “Home Alone” at 7pm. Holi- JUST GREAT ART EXHIBIT & SALE: Runs day attire encouraged. $8 double feature; $5 through Dec. 30 at City Opera 12/18House, TC. single film; 3 & under, free. greatlakescfa.org/ Artists Sue Bowerman, Kurt Bullock, Lori events/detail/2023-holiday-double-feature Feldpausch, Rita Harrington, Michelle Jah- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - raus, Ruth Kitchen, Dorothy Mudget, Joyce BOB JAMES + FAMILY HOLIDAY CON- Petrakovitz, Marilyn Rebant, Laura Swire, CERT “FA-LA-LA-LLUVION”: SOLD OUT: Linda Tyson, & Wendy McWhorter are show7:30-9:30pm, The Alluvion, TC. Featuring ing over 100 original works of art in oil, waBob James, his daughter/vocalist Hilary tercolor, acrylic & pastel. Enjoy holiday shopJames, his granddaughter/vocalist Ava DiS- ping during the City Opera House hours, imone, & his son-in-law/pianist Kevin DiSimdaily 10am-2pm & during and their many evening TUE Traverse City’s own rising star jazz bassist vocalist one.DEC $30 advance; $35 door. thealluvion.org/ events. cityoperahouse.org tickets/bob-james-fa-la-la-lluvion ----------------------------“ESCAPING THE FRAME”: Commongrounds, 414 E. 8th St., TC. Etching prints 7:00 feat. Andy Evans, Jon Lindenau & Steve Stargardt $15

by Dorothy Anderson Grow. Runs through FRIENDS OF IPL HOLIDAY MITTEN TREE: Jan. 7.

WED Public Library. Donate new or - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Interlochen DEC mittens, scarves, socks & hats “BARBARA REICH EXHIBIT: ART IN THE hand-made to the Friends Holiday Mitten Tree through LIBRARY”: Bonobo Winery, library, TC. This Jan. 3, 2024. Items will be donated to local exhibit features a select collection of Barbara’s 7:30& baby pantries. 231-276-6767. schools original paintings that focus on still life & snow.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Runs through Feb. 26. barbarareich.com SAFE HOME HARVEST FOOD & SUPPLY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DRIVE: Asking for grocery or supermarket 5TH ANNUAL SMALL WORKS & ART gift card donations & financial contributions TREE SHOW: Higher Art Gallery, TC. Visit a to benefit the Safe Home that is operated tree of artisan made ornaments, along with a 24/7 by Women’s Resource Center of North- wall of small works. Show runs during open ern Michigan. wrcnm.org/event/harvest-food- hours through Dec. 23. higherartgallery.com and-supply-drive-4-copy/ ----------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Runs through Dec. 20 LIGHTS OVER LEELANAU: The Leelanau in the galleries at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Peninsula Wine Trail is partnering with Lee- Petoskey. Featuring handmade gifts & artlanau Christian Neighbors for a canned food work. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ Traditional tunes & step drive for the month of Dec. Bring a donation holiday-bazaar-petoskey-0 dance from Ireland, of 2 canned goods per person to any & all - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - participating wineries & receive a win- DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: Canada,local & Appalachia ery-choice promotional benefit. lpwines.com/ - “A SEPARATE SHINING: SELECTIONS meet seasonal songs, lights-over-leelanau FROM THE TUSEN TAKK FOUNDATION ballads, & fiddle tunes, COLLECTION”: The Tusen Takk Foundation & the Dennos Museum present this exhibition centering the winter representing artists who have participated in solstice & Yule. OF TRAINS: Creekside its artist-in-residence program to date. Taking NMRRC FESTIVAL $15 Community Church Hall, TC. The Northern its title from the poem “Joy” by Hilda ConkMichigan Railroad Club Festival of Trains at- ling, the exhibition surveys the artist’s explotracts 6,000+ visitors each year & is one of the ration of the intangible, the unseen qualities largest fundraisers for TC charities. It is cur- of joy, beauty, & hope. Runs through Jan. 7.

THU rently partnering with Great Lakes Children’s Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. denDEC Museum & First Christian Church of Traverse nosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/index.html City. The show runs Dec. 16-31 from 10am- - “PASSAGES: THE ART OF RON GIANO6pm6:00 on Mon. through Sat., & 1-4pm on Sun. A LA”: Gianola’s paintings are the result of a swap meet will be held on Dec. 16-17. nomirrc. fifty-plus year long experience with the Art wordpress.com/about/festival-of-trains Spirit, pursuing the possibilities of a personal - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - transformative vision, engaging emotion, exFRI WINTER FARMERS MARKET: pression, & the poetry of visual music. Runs BELLAIRE BeeDEC Well Mead & Cider; Short’s Brewing through Jan. 7. Open Tues. through Sun., Co. Southside event space; & Terrain. Held 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-onon Fridays through the middle of May from view/index.html 7:30 9am-noon.

- “STEPHEN DUREN: A LIFE OF PAINT- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ING”: This exhibit brings together works by BOYNE CITY MARKET AT THE PAVILION: artist Stephen Duren that cover his sixtyVeterans Park Pavilion, Boyne City. Held year career & bring greater definition to his $20 every Sat. through May from 9am-12:30pm. artistic contributions. Runs through Jan. 7.

Shop local artists, food makers & farmers. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. denboynecityfarmersmarket.org/series/market- nosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/index.html at-the-pavilion-2 - NORTHLAND WEAVERS & FIBER ARTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - GUILD’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIINDOOR FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, TION: Runs through March 3 & includes the 10am-2pm, The Village at GT Commons, work of 27 current & past members. Open The Mercato, TC. More than 35 vendors of- Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosfer a variety of items from farm fresh eggs, museum.org meats & cheeses, to fruits, veggies, home- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - made breads & more. thevillagetc.com OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT: - WINTER MARKET: Runs through Dec. 30.

Featuring the work of more than 30 area artists & craftspeople. Includes ornaments, wearHOLIDAY GIFT MARKET: Jordan River Arts able art, home decor, jewelry, cards, photograCouncil, East Jordan. Runs through Dec. 19 phy, prints, paintings & more. Open Tuesdays from 1-4pm. Featuring gifts made by local through Saturdays from 10am-4pm & on Sunartists. jordanriverarts.com days from noon-4pm. The OAC will be closed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - on Dec. 24-26. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org CHARLEVOIX CIRCLE MARKET: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Charlevoix Circle of Arts. More than 30 local - ANNUAL WINTER MEMBER EXHIBIartists, crafters & makers create & sell their TION: Runs through Jan. 12. The Oliver Art items. Runs through Dec. 30. Open Mon. Center is open Tues. - Sat., 10am-4pm & through Fri., 11am-4pm & Sat., 11am-3pm. Sun., noon-4pm. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org charlevoixcircle.org/circle-market

19th

helping hands 20th

NIC GA R EISS

ongoing 21st

22nd

art

All Tickets Here!

W W W. T H E A L L U V I O N . O R G

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 21

with colorful papers, aluminum foil, paint & yarn. Sign up at the front desk when you arrive. Make your reservation online. greatNMCAA’S LAUNDRY lakeskids.org PROJECT: 8:30-11:30am, ----------------------------TC Laundry, Garfield Plaza, SONGS OF THE SEASON: 6:30pm, Peninsula TC. Free laundry service for Community Library, TC. PCL’s neighbor Johnthose in need. Call 947-3780 ny Keyes joins for a holiday sing-along. Enjoy with questions. mulled wine, cider & cookies. 231-223-7700.

----------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SANTA COMES TO TOT TIME: 10am, InPOETRY OUT LOUD: 7-9pm, Poetess and terlochen Public Library. Families & toddlers Stranger, 445 E. Mitchell Street, Unit A, can enjoy a Holiday Party that includes a visit downtown Petoskey. Participants are invited from Santa. 231-276-6767. to bring original poetry or prose to read; 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - minutes max per turn. $5 cover or a haiku KID’S CRAFT LAB: 3D TREE: 10:30am, 1pm about money. poetessandstranger.com & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Make a forest wintertime holiday trees COLDofLASER CHIROPRACTIC NUTRITION with colorful papers, aluminum foil, paint & yarn.

Sign up at the front desk when you arrive. Make your reservation online. greatlakeskids.org STORYTIME ADVEN- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TURES: 10:30am, 1pm & HOLIDAY LIGHTS FUN RUN/WALK: 3:30pm, Great Lakes Chil- 5:30pm, Fleet Feet TC Downtown. Run to get dren’s Museum, TC. Featur- in the holiday spirit & to help pets in need. ing “The Gingerbread Man” Enjoy a 2-4 mile run or walk through the

by Eric A. Kimmel. Sign up at the front desk holiday lights of TC. The entry fee is a sugwhen you arrive. Make your reservation on gested $10 or pet supply donation to benefit the web site.

Humane Ourgreatlakeskids.org mission at Authentic Health isthe to Cherryland facilitate healing bySociety. servingCostumes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - & festive lights are highly encouraged. There the wholeCAROL: person nutritionally, structurally, andprizes energetically, using A CHRISTMAS 5pm, Traverse will be raffle for in person guests.

Area District Library, McGuire Community - - - -care, - - - -and - - -cold - - - laser.

--------------nutritional therapy, chiropractic Room, TC. Enjoy a two man adaptation of SEEDS WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRAa holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Free. TION: 6:30-10:30pm, Cathedral Barn at Histadl.org/event/christmas-carol-10968 toric Barns Park, TC. Enjoy a night of live - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - music by the KnockAuffs, bar, charcuterie & ADRIANNE EVANS W/ THE ANDY EVANS light food, photo booth, & more on the lonDR.TC. JILL BALLA, TRIO: 7-9pm, The Alluvion, Rising talentD.C.gest night of the year. Please RSVP online.

Adrianne Evans will be AuthenticHealthLLC.com accompanied by her Donations at the door & cash bar. ecoseeds. dad Andy Evans, pianist231-633-9393 Steve Stargardt, & org/winter-solstice-celebration drummer Jon Lindeneau. Adrianne is a se- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - nior at MSU majoring Dr. in Jill double bass per-qualified Balla is a highly chiropractor TRAVERSE AREA CAMERA CLUB MEETformance & minoring inwith jazza passion studies.forShe is ING: First Presbyterian Church, TC. Meets therapeutic nutrition. studying with internationally renowned bass- the third Thurs. of the month. Social hour at ist Rodney Whitaker for jazz bass, & principal 6pm; meeting at 7pm. tacameraclub.org bassist for the Detroit Symphony orchestra, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kevin Brown, for classical bass performance. BLISSFEST PRESENTS: WINTER SOL$15 advance. thealluvion.org/tickets/alluvi- STICE: 7:30-9pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, on-presents-adrianne-evans Theater, Petoskey. Hosted by Courtney Kaiser - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - & Tim Jones, featuring Luke Winslow-King & GREAT LAKES UNTAMED: 7pm, Glen Lake 1000 Watt Prophets. Luke brings his mix that Community Library, Empire. Experience the combines Mississippi Delta blues, folk, trabeauty, power & wonder of the Great Lakes ditional jazz, & roots rock & roll. 1000 Watt ecosystem in “Marvels & Mysteries,” the fi- Prophets fuses soul, Americana, blues, R&B, nal episode of this documentary film series. rock, jazz, & Gospel elements. $30-$35. showFree. glenlakelibrary.net/events clix.com/tickets/annual-winter-solstice ----------------------------QUEER TALES BOOK CLUB: 7pm, Traverse Area District Library, Nelson Room, TC. This club chats about books that are by &/or about LGBTQIA+ people. Reading is STORYTIME: 10:30am, not required & everyone is welcome. This Leland Township Library, month’s book is: “Amor Actually: A Holiday Leland. Stories & more for Romance Anthology.” Free. tadl.org/event/ patrons aged 0-6 & their queer-tales-book-club-amor-actually-11947 caregivers. Free. lelandlibrary.org/programs-events ----------------------------THE CHARLIE MILLARD BAND: 7:3010pm, The Alluvion, TC. Enjoy this band ALL ABOARD THE POLAR made up of Charlie, Will & Jercat Millard. $20 EXPRESS EVENT: 9:30am, advance; $25 door. thealluvion.org/tickets/ Traverse Area District Library, alluvion-presents-charlie-millard-band TC. Create your own holiday ght to you b box car to sit in prior to the ou y Br 10am showing of “The Polar Express.” a NOVEMBER 24th TICKETS ON Bring SALE box for your child if you have one. A pillow for @ your child is also recommended for sitting & A LIBRARY VISIT WITH viewing the movie. Free. tadl.org/events SANTA & JENNY THE STO----------------------------RYTELLING ELF: 10am, WINTERSONG NIC than GAREISS: 7:30pm,from across theTraverse Areacountry District Library, FeaturingW/ more 80 artists state and The Alluvion, TC. Dancer, singer & musician TC. Local storyteller Jennifer Nic Gareiss presents Wintersong, an performances hour of at Strauss lead you through interactive holiFeaturing these finewill venues music & movement centering winter, solstice & day stories. After the stories, Santa will join for Encore Traverse City City Opera The Workshop Old Town Hotel Yule.201 This event combines & photos,Brewing fun, & a free book for each famComedy Club traditional Housetunes Alluvion Co. holiday Playhouse Indigo step dance from Ireland, Canada & Appalachia ily. There will also be crafts & holiday music. No with seasonal songs, ballads & fiddleProudly tunes.sponsored sign-up by needed. Free. tadl.org/events $15 advance; $20 door. thealluvion.org/tickets/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - wintersong-at-the-alluvion-w-nic-gareiss HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS DOUBLE FEATURE: Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay

dec 21

thursday

dec tuesday 19 Welcoming New Patients for

In-person & Telehealth Visits

dec 22

friday

dec wednesday 20JAN UARY 31 - FEBRUARY 3, 2024 saturday

22 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

:

dec 23

TCCOMEDYFEST.COM

Harbor. This year’s event will include “The Grinch” at 2pm & “Home Alone” at 7pm. Holiday attire encouraged. $8 double feature; $5 single film; 3 & under, free. greatlakescfa.org/ events/detail/2023-holiday-double-feature ----------------------------BOB JAMES + FAMILY HOLIDAY CONCERT “FA-LA-LA-LLUVION”: SOLD OUT: 7:30-9:30pm, The Alluvion, TC. Featuring Bob James, his daughter/vocalist Hilary James, his granddaughter/vocalist Ava DiSimone, & his son-in-law/pianist Kevin DiSimone. $30 advance; $35 door. thealluvion.org/ tickets/bob-james-fa-la-la-lluvion

helping hands

FRIENDS OF IPL HOLIDAY MITTEN TREE: Interlochen Public Library. Donate new or hand-made mittens, scarves, socks & hats to the Friends Holiday Mitten Tree through Jan. 3, 2024. Items will be donated to local schools & baby pantries. 231-276-6767.

----------------------------SAFE HOME HARVEST FOOD & SUPPLY DRIVE: Asking for grocery or supermarket gift card donations & financial contributions to benefit the Safe Home that is operated 24/7 by Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan. wrcnm.org/event/harvest-foodand-supply-drive-4-copy/ ----------------------------LIGHTS OVER LEELANAU: The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail is partnering with Leelanau Christian Neighbors for a canned food drive for the month of Dec. Bring a donation of 2 canned goods per person to any & all participating local wineries & receive a winery-choice promotional benefit. lpwines.com/ lights-over-leelanau

ongoing

NMRRC FESTIVAL OF TRAINS: Creekside Community Church Hall, TC. The Northern Michigan Railroad Club Festival of Trains attracts 6,000+ visitors each year & is one of the largest fundraisers for TC charities. It is currently partnering with Great Lakes Children’s Museum & First Christian Church of Traverse City. The show runs Dec. 16-31 from 10am6pm on Mon. through Sat., & 1-4pm on Sun. A swap meet will be held on Dec. 16-17. nomirrc. wordpress.com/about/festival-of-trains ----------------------------BELLAIRE WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Bee Well Mead & Cider; Short’s Brewing Co. Southside event space; & Terrain. Held on Fridays through the middle of May from 9am-noon.

----------------------------BOYNE CITY MARKET AT THE PAVILION: Veterans Park Pavilion, Boyne City. Held every Sat. through May from 9am-12:30pm.

Shop local artists, food makers & farmers. boynecityfarmersmarket.org/series/marketat-the-pavilion-2 ----------------------------INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 10am-2pm, The Village at GT Commons, The Mercato, TC. More than 35 vendors offer a variety of items from farm fresh eggs, meats & cheeses, to fruits, veggies, homemade breads & more. thevillagetc.com

art

HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET: Jordan River Arts Council, East Jordan. Runs through Dec. 19 from 1-4pm. Featuring gifts made by local artists. jordanriverarts.com ----------------------------CHARLEVOIX CIRCLE MARKET: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. More than 30 local artists, crafters & makers create & sell their items. Runs through Dec. 30. Open Mon. through Fri., 11am-4pm & Sat., 11am-3pm. charlevoixcircle.org/circle-market

----------------------------JUST GREAT ART EXHIBIT & SALE: Runs through Dec. 30 at City Opera House, TC. Artists Sue Bowerman, Kurt Bullock, Lori Feldpausch, Rita Harrington, Michelle Jahraus, Ruth Kitchen, Dorothy Mudget, Joyce Petrakovitz, Marilyn Rebant, Laura Swire, Linda Tyson, & Wendy McWhorter are showing over 100 original works of art in oil, watercolor, acrylic & pastel. Enjoy holiday shopping during the City Opera House hours, daily 10am-2pm & during their many evening events. cityoperahouse.org ----------------------------“ESCAPING THE FRAME”: Commongrounds, 414 E. 8th St., TC. Etching prints

by Dorothy Anderson Grow. Runs through Jan. 7.

----------------------------“BARBARA REICH EXHIBIT: ART IN THE LIBRARY”: Bonobo Winery, library, TC. This exhibit features a select collection of Barbara’s original paintings that focus on still life & snow.

Runs through Feb. 26. barbarareich.com ----------------------------5TH ANNUAL SMALL WORKS & ART TREE SHOW: Higher Art Gallery, TC. Visit a tree of artisan made ornaments, along with a wall of small works. Show runs during open hours through Dec. 23. higherartgallery.com ----------------------------HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Runs through Dec. 20 in the galleries at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Featuring handmade gifts & artwork. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ holiday-bazaar-petoskey-0 ----------------------------DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - “A SEPARATE SHINING: SELECTIONS FROM THE TUSEN TAKK FOUNDATION COLLECTION”: The Tusen Takk Foundation & the Dennos Museum present this exhibition representing artists who have participated in its artist-in-residence program to date. Taking its title from the poem “Joy” by Hilda Conkling, the exhibition surveys the artist’s exploration of the intangible, the unseen qualities of joy, beauty, & hope. Runs through Jan. 7.

Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/index.html - “PASSAGES: THE ART OF RON GIANOLA”: Gianola’s paintings are the result of a fifty-plus year long experience with the Art Spirit, pursuing the possibilities of a personal transformative vision, engaging emotion, expression, & the poetry of visual music. Runs through Jan. 7. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-onview/index.html - “STEPHEN DUREN: A LIFE OF PAINTING”: This exhibit brings together works by artist Stephen Duren that cover his sixtyyear career & bring greater definition to his artistic contributions. Runs through Jan. 7.

Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/index.html - NORTHLAND WEAVERS & FIBER ARTS GUILD’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION: Runs through March 3 & includes the work of 27 current & past members. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org ----------------------------OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT: - WINTER MARKET: Runs through Dec. 30.

Featuring the work of more than 30 area artists & craftspeople. Includes ornaments, wearable art, home decor, jewelry, cards, photography, prints, paintings & more. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am-4pm & on Sundays from noon-4pm. The OAC will be closed on Dec. 24-26. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org ----------------------------- ANNUAL WINTER MEMBER EXHIBITION: Runs through Jan. 12. The Oliver Art Center is open Tues. - Sat., 10am-4pm & Sun., noon-4pm. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org

by JOSEPH BEYER

The Holdovers

Every voice is welcome here.

Filmmaker Alexander Payne has already delivered audiences one of the more fascinating repertoires in American cinematic satire, with stories from Election to About Schmidt to Citizen Ruth. All of Payne’s works have an almost uncomfortable intimacy that eventually pulls you deeply into the lives of the characters.

Such is the sometimes-brilliant case in his latest project The Holdovers, a showpiece for actor Paul Giamatti that reunites him with the Sideways director for the first time in 20 years. (Both have weathered time well.) Here, they deliver a bittersweet story of generations struggling to understand each other, the possible beginning of the toppling of the ivory towers of academia, and the enduring fallible nature of being human.

As a centerpiece performance, Giamatti plays Professor Paul Hunham, a stalwart of the Barton preparatory school where he does daily battle with the entitled teenage boys he teaches. When a ragtag group of “holdovers” need a chaperone over the holidays while they are stuck on campus, Professor Hunham is given the assignment…much to the dismay of his adolescent strays.

Though it starts out feeling a bit like a Dead Poets Society plot (eccentric teacher vs. impressionable boys), The Holdovers explores new territory and themes in a narrative where “the holdovers” find their exits one by one until a trio of characters is left alone on campus, forced to become a kind of family celebrating the holiday together.

Much of the film works precisely thanks to a perfect chemistry of performances, including newcomer Dominic Sessa as Agnes Tully, the anxious last student left

behind by a family that forgot him, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the campus cook Mary Lamb, a grieving mother celebrating the first holiday without her son. Both actors are remarkably talented, and together with Giamatti, the trifecta will win you over.

Find us: tccentralumc.org

They deal with their aches of individual loneliness with the help of booze, engaging in the pursuit of love, and taking small acts of revenge upon those who’ve grieved them.

These characters smoke, drink, and lie from discomfort and shame, and yet somehow emerge as almost heroic as each tries to find in the other a familial love or bond absent from their own lives.

Written by David Hemingson after Payne commissioned him to explore themes inspired by the 1935 film Merlusse, the film is not an adaptation but something very original, woven together by creative adults into a sophisticated story that feels like a great paperback novel. More than an homage to a certain cinematic style, the film seems quite intentionally contemporary—foreshadowing the cultural crises yet to come in a country reckoning with war and violence, social injustices, and a profound loneliness (if any of that sounds familiar).

With a period soundtrack curated masterfully by music supervisor Matt Aberle in collaboration with music editor Richard Ford and composer Mark Orton, The Holdovers is accompanied by music that fills its moments with the feelings of listening to your first LP record with the headphones on.

Running 2 hours and 13 minutes and rated R, The Holdovers is the opposite of a summer blockbuster that arrives just in time for the more contemplative pace of winter.

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 23

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska ENCORE 201, TC 12/16 -- The Heat Above, 7-10; DJ Ricky T, 10 12/22 -- DJ Ricky T, 9 12/23 -- The Drew Hale Band, 8-10; DJ Ricky T, 9-2 KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC 12/15-16 -- Life Theory, 9:30 12/18 -- Team Trivia, 7 Thu -- DJ Leo, 9:30 12/22-23 -- Scarkazm, 9:30 KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING 12/18 -- Trivia, 6-9 12/19 -- Open Mic, 6-8 LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC BARREL ROOM: 12/18 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9 TASTING ROOM: 12/22 -- Chris Smith, 5-7 LIL BO, TC Tues. – Trivia, 8-10 Weds. – Open Mic Night w/ Aldrich, 9-11 Sun. – Karaoke, 8 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, TC 12/22 -- Clint Weaner, 7-10 MARI VINEYARDS, TC 12/22 -- Jim Hawley, 3-5 MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC 12/22 -- Rhett & John, 6-9 NORTH BAR, TC 7-10: 12/16 -- Trillium Groove

12/21 -- Drew Hale 12/22 -- Mal & Mike 12/23 -- Old Mission Fiddle Vine PARK PLACE HOTEL, TC BEACON LOUNGE: 12/15-16 & 12/22-23 -- Jim Hawley, 7-10 ROVE WINERY AT THE GALLAGHER ESTATE, TC 12/22 -- Luke Woltanski, 5-8 SORELLINA'S, TC SLATE RESTAURANT: Thurs. -- Tom Kaufmann on Piano, 5-8 Fri. & Sat. – Tom Kaufmann on Piano, 6-9 TC WHISKEY CO. 6-8: 12/16 & 12/23 -- Ben Richey 12/20 -- John Piatek THE ALLUVION, TC 12/16 -- The Spirit of Detroit: An Evening of Poetry & Live Music, 7:30-10 12/17 -- May Erlewine & The Motivations Dance Party: SOLD OUT, 7:30-9:30 12/18 -- Big Fun - Funky Mondays, 6-7 12/19 -- Adrianne Evans w/ the Andy Evans Trio, 7-9 12/20 -- Wintersong w/ Nic Gareiss, 7:30-8:30 12/21 -- Jeff Haas Trio Feat. Laurie Sears & Lisa Flahive, 6-8 12/22 -- The Charlie Millard Band, 7:30-10 12/23 -- Bob James + Family Holiday Concert "Fa-La-La-lluvion": SOLD OUT, 7:30-9:30

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 8-11: 12/16 -- Themed DJ Night: Hotter than July w/ DJ Greg V 12/23 -- Themed DJ Night: Warm Beats w/ DJ Marco THE PARLOR, TC 8-11: 12/16 -- Jazz Cabbage 12/19 -- Jesse Jefferson 12/20 -- Wink Solo 12/21 -- Jimmy Olson 12/22 -- Slim Pickins 12/23 -- Levi Britton THE PUB, TC 8-11: 12/16 -- Slim Pickins 12/22 -- Blake Elliott 12/23 -- Rolling Dirty THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 12/16 -- The Goofy Foot Band, 7-9 12/17 -- Ha Ha Ha Holiday Mixtape: Comedy Variety Show, 7 Tue -- Open Mic Night, 7-9 Wed -- Jazz Show & Jam, 6-8 Thu -- Trivia Night, 7-8 12/22 -- Johnathon North, 7-9 12/23 -- Pulse of the Atom, 8-10 TRAVERSE CITY COMEDY CLUB, TC 12/15 -- Comedy w/ Brad Wenzel, 7:15-8:45 12/16 -- Comedy w/ Brad Wenzel, 7-8:45 12/22 -- Comedy w/ Darrius Bennett, 7:15-9 12/22 -- Comedy w/ Darrius Bennett, 7-8:45 UNION STREET STATION, TC 12/21 -- Dance Party w/ 1Wave DJs, 10

Antrim & Charlevoix BARREL BACK RESTAURANT, WALLOON LAKE 12/21 -- Peter Allen Jensen, 6

BRIDGE STREET TAP ROOM, CHARLEVOIX 12/19 -- Patrick Ryan, 7

SHORT'S BREW PUB, BELLAIRE 12/23 -- Ugly Sweater Party w/ The Marsupials, 8

BOYNE CITY TAP ROOM 7: 12/16 & 12/23 -- Patrick Ryan & Adam Engelman 12/20 -- Patrick Ryan 12/21 -- Adam and The Cabana Boys Fri -- Patrick Ryan & Josh Raber

ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 7-10: 12/16 -- Ugly Sweater Party w/ DJ Franck 12/23 -- Slim Pickins String Band

THE EARL, CHARLEVOIX LOBBY LO BAR, 7-10: 12/16 -- Jesse Jefferson 12/23 -- Sean Miller

JAX NORTHSIDE, CHARLEVOIX Wed -- Trivia Night, 7-9

TORCH LAKE CAFÉ, CENTRAL LAKE Thu -- Open Mic & Nick Vasquez, 7 Fri - Sat -- Leanna Collins & Ivan Greilick, 7:30 Sun -- Trivia, 5:30; Dominic Fortuna, 6:30

BOYNE MOUNTAIN RESORT, BOYNE FALLS STEIN ERIKSEN'S: 12/24 -- Nelson Olstrom, 5

E HAV WE NDAY 0 SU IG 1 L F N T&B E RK TIC K ETWO N

PROVISIONS WINE LOUNGE, BOYNE CITY 6: 12/19 -- Nelson Olstrom 12/23 -- Peter Allen Jensen

TUE TO-GO ORDERS AVAILALBLE 231-252-4157

S 7–9 TRIVI PM A

Sun-Tues: 12-9pm, Thurs: 4-9pm Fri-Sat: 12-10pm

Kitchen open ’til 8:30pm Sun-Tues & Thurs, 9pm Fri & Sat

WATERFIRE VINEYARDS, KEWADIN 12/17 -- James Dake, 1-5

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

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

DAILY FOOD SPECIALS (3-6pm):

Mon- $1 chips and salsa Tues- $1 enchiladas Thurs - $5 fried veggies Fri - $5 hot pretzels w/ beer cheese

221 E State St. - downtown TC

24 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

nitelife

dec 16-dec 24 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Otsego, Crawford & Central

ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD 6: 12/16 -- Lou Thumser

12/22 -- Mike Ridley 12/23 -- Rick Woods C.R.A.V.E., GAYLORD

12/22 -- Dan White, 6-9 KARMA TAPROOM, GAYLORD 12/20 -- Logan Moore Solo, 6:30

Emmet & Cheboygan BEARDS BREWERY, PETOSKEY ROOT CELLAR: 12/18 -- Trivia: Holiday, 7-9 12/23 -- Christmas Playlist, 6:30 BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY 12/16 -- Michelle Chenard, 2-6

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BAY HARBOR 12/21 -- Trivia, 7-9 12/22 -- Jeff Greif, 7:30-10:30 12/23 -- Sean Bielby, 7:30-10:30

CHERRY REPUBLIC, GLEN ARBOR 12/22 – Luke Woltanski, 2

NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY 12/16 -- Holly Keller, 7-10 12/20 -- PubStumper's Trivia, 6:30 12/22 -- Lee Fayssoux, 7-10 12/23 -- Shouting Bones, 7-10

CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY Tue -- Trivia Night, 7-9 12/22 -- Annex Karaoke, 9:30

ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY VICTORIES:

12/22 -- Vertigo Band, 9 POND HILL FARM, HARBOR SPRINGS 5-8: 12/16 – Serita’s Black Rose Duo 12/23 – Two Track Minds THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN 12/16 -- Spencer Opperman, 8-11 12/21 -- Musicians Playground ‘Open Mic,’ 6-8 12/22 -- Lara Fulford, 8-11

Leelanau & Benzie CICCONE VINEYARD & WINERY, SUTTONS BAY 12/17 -- Luke Woltanski, 2-4:30

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

LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 12/16 -- Red Barn Brass Quintet Christmas Show, 4:30; Manitou Blues, 6:30 12/21 -- Trivia Night, 7-9 12/22 -- Christmas at LABC - With HoHoHo Niemisto & Kris Kringle Skellenger, 6:30-9:30 12/23 -- Luke Woltanski Duo Christmas Show, 6:30-9:30

GLEN ARBOR WINES, GLEN ARBOR 12/16 – Luke Wolstanski, 7 12/19 – Luke Wolstanski, 5:30

LEELANAU SANDS CASINO, PESHAWBESTOWN 12/16 -- Johnny Lyons & The Pride, 8

IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 6-8: 12/16 -- Wink 12/22 -- Nick Veine 12/23 -- Blake Elliott

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 12/16 -- Bekah Brudi, 5-8 12/17 -- Red Barn Brass Quintet, 3-5 12/21 -- Open Mic Thursdays, 6-8:30

BROOMSTACK KITCHEN & TAPHOUSE, MAPLE CITY 12/17 – Luke Woltanski, 5

12/22 -- Dede Alder, 5-8 12/23 -- Keith Scott, 5-8 SHADY LANE CELLARS, SUTTONS BAY 12/22 -- Friday Night Live w/ Brett Mitchell, 5-8 STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 12/16 -- Jake Frysinger, 3-5; Blake Elliott, 6-8 12/17 -- Nuclassica Electro-Pop Violin Performance, 4-5:30 12/19 -- Open Mic Night w/ Andrew Littlefield, 7 12/21 -- Holiday Hoopla Party w/ Luke Woltanski, 7-10 12/23 -- Barefoot, 7-9 UPRIVER PIZZA, BENZONIA 6: 12/16 -- Open Mic Night

lOGY

DEC 18 - DEC 24

BY ROB BREZSNY

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In my fairy tale about your year ahead, I see you searching for treasure. It’s not a wild and wandering exploration, but a diligent, disciplined quest. You are well-organized about it, carefully gathering research and asking incisive questions.

You ruminate on the possibilities with both your logical and intuitive faculties. You meditate on how you might make adjustments in yourself so as to become fully available for the riches you seek. Your gradual, incremental approach gives you strength. You draw inspiration from your sheer persistence and relentless inquiry. And it all pays off by the second half of 2024.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In 1916, most

women in the world could not vote. Many men considered women to be inferior—lacking in courage and initiative. It was the Dark Ages!

That summer, two sisters named Augusta and Adeline Van Buren rebelled against the stereotypes by riding their motorcycles across America. Roads were poor, rains were frequent, and police arrested them frequently for wearing men’s clothes. Male-dominated media derided them, with one newspaper criticizing their escape from “their proper roles as housewives.” I nominate them to be your role models in 2024, no matter what gender you are. It will be a favorable time to transcend conventional wisdom, override decaying traditions, and be a cheerful rebel.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): For hundreds of

years, European nations stole land and resources from Indigenous people all over the world.

Among the thefts were art, ritual objects, cultural treasures, and human skeletons. Museums in the West are still full of such plunder. But in recent years, some museums have begun to return the loot. Germany sent back hundreds of artifacts to Nigerian museums. France restored many objects to the African country of Benin. Let’s apply this scenario as a useful metaphor for you in 2024, Libra. Is there a part of your past that was hijacked? Your memories appropriated or denied? Your rightful belongings poached, or your authentic feelings infringed upon? It’s time for corrections and healing.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I suggest we choose the brilliant Scorpio physicist and chemist Marie Curie (1867–1934) as your role model in 2024. She is the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different fields. She managed to pursue a rigorous scientific career while raising two children and having a fulfilling marriage. Being of service to humanity was a central life goal. She grew up in poverty and sometimes suffered from depression, but worked hard to become the genius she aspired to be. May the spirit of Marie Curie inspire you, dear Scorpio, as you make dramatic progress in expressing your unique soul’s code.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "All the

things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening," quipped Capricorn author Alexander Woollcott (1887–1943).

Since he was never arrested, I conclude he didn't get to enjoy some of the activities he relished. Was he immoral? Not exactly, though he could be caustic. Offering his opinion about a famous pianist, he said, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with Oscar Levant that a miracle couldn't fix." The good news for you, Capricorn, is that 2024 will be mostly free of the problems Woollcott experienced. You will be offered an abundance of perfectly legal and moral enjoyments. They may sometimes be fattening, but so what?

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

Augusten Burroughs is a devoted urban dweller. He says, "When I get a craving for nature, I turn on TV's Discovery Channel and watch bear-attack survivors recount their horror." Martial arts master Morihei Ueshiba had a different perspective. "Mountains, rivers, plants, and trees should be your teachers," he advised. "Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks." I recommend Ueshiba's approach to you in 2024, Aquarius— not Burroughs’. Here are my predictions: 1. You will have no dangerous encounters with nature. 2. You will learn more than ever from the wild world. 3. To the degree that you wander in the outdoors, your spiritual life will thrive.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): A study done at Union College in New York found that being fraternity members raised students’ future income by 36 percent, but lowered

their grade point average by 0.25 points. Would you make a similar trade-off, Pisces? Would you pursue a path that made you more successful in one way but less successful in another? I suspect you will encounter unusual decisions like this in 2024. My job is not to advise you what to do, but to make you alert for the provocative riddles.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries educator

Booker T. Washington advised us, "Do the common thing in an uncommon way." That's a useful motto for you in the coming months. If you carry out ordinary activities with flair, you will generate good fortune and attract excellent help. As you attend to details with conscientious enthusiasm, you will access your finest inner resources and exert constructive influences on the world around you. Be thorough and unique, persistent and imaginative, attentive and innovative. Adore your chores in 2024!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) was among the smartest people who ever lived. As is often the case with geniuses, he believed in the supreme value of liberty for all. He was a feminist long before that word existed. Like another genius, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, he thought that "individuality realized is the supreme attainment of the human soul, the master-master’s work of art. Individuality is sacred."

I nominate Mill to be a role model for you in 2024, Taurus.

This could be a time when you reach unprecedented new heights and depths of unique self-expression and liberation.

PS: Here’s a quote from Mill: “Eccentricity has always abounded where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage which it contained.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Emotionally and spiritually, you will ripen at a robust rate in 2024. Your intelligence will mature into wisdom in surprising and gratifying ways. Harvesting rich lessons from long-smoldering confusions and long-simmering mysteries will be your specialty. PS: Some of you Geminis joke around and say you never want to grow up. But I hope you minimize that attitude in the coming months.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Indigenous people study the intelligence of animals and incorporate it into their own lives. If you’re game to do that in 2024, I suggest you choose elephants as a source of teaching and inspiration. Have fun studying and meditating on their ways! Here are a few facts to get you started. Problem-solving is one of their stengths. They are experts at learning how to get what they need and passing that knowledge on to their offspring. They seldom suffer from sickness, but if they do, they often selfmedicate with plants in their environment. Elder females are the knowledge keepers, retaining inner maps of where food, drink, and other resources are located.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Writer Janet Champ speaks about the joy of locating “the big wow, the big yesyesyes.” It happens when you find something or someone you regard as “better, greater, cuter, wiser, more wonderful than anything you have ever known." I’ll be lavish and predict you will encounter a big wow and yesyesyes like this in 2024. Will you know what to do with it? Will you be able to keep it? Those possibilities are less certain, but I have high hopes for you. For best results, cultivate a vivid vision of how the big wow and big yesyesyes will benefit others as well as you.

“Jonesin” Crosswords "A Charitable Puzzle"-that's my impression. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1. "Mamma Mia" features their catalog 5. Item no longer mailed out by Netflix 9. Flower fragment 14. Fruity dessert 15. Ibiza o Mallorca 16. Project, as charm 17. Lunar eclipse sight, sometimes 19. Yorba Linda presidential library subject 20. Alternative to Dollar or Budget 21. Prods into action 23. The ___-Bol man (classic TV ad character) 24. Remote feature that breaks?

30. Admit guilt, with "up" 31. Ctrl-Alt-___ 32. Nutritional guideline letters 33. ___ parmigiana 36. "Pinafore" designation 38. Bolt on a track 40. Writer who gets asked a lot of judgment questions 44. Give a false story 45. Oversized 46. "A Bug's Life" beat it in the 1998 box office 47. Abbr. at an airport terminal 48. "Dude, Where's My ___?"

51. Three Stooges blow 53. Doubly polite acknowledgment?

56. Talk or rally preceder 59. Practice piece 60. Brand of vegetable chips 62. Hummus brand 65. Phrase about vibes, or what precedes the first words of the long answers?

68. "Three Coins in the Fountain" fountain 69. Taverna liqueur 70. Actress McClurg of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" 71. Metal for an 11th wedding anniversary 72. Mini-feud 73. ___-do-well (idler) DOWN 1. Baseball scoreboard words

2. Notable name in pinball machines 3. Comprehensive 4. One of three in a water molecule 5. Badly lit 6. "Equal" start 7. Walks through muck 8. Paddled at camp 9. Part of some old clocks 10. Be 11. Rental for a formal 12. Fuss 13. "Dancing With the Stars" judge Goodman 18. "Sweet!"

22. "Good Burger" actor Vigoda 25. "Days of Grace" author Arthur 26. "Semper Fi" org.

27. Practice seriously 28. Keats or Wordsworth 29. Football and golf announcer Jim 30. Dart (about) 33. Lot attendant 34. Singer Piaf 35. Spa brand with a Sanskrit name 37. Weep loudly 39. Round fastener 41. Screwdriver, e.g.

42. "The Simpsons" sister 43. Fruit with a wrinkly rind 49. Sun Devils' inst.

50. Dashboard features, still 52. Protesting 54. "The ___!" (cry of outrage) 55. Awaken 56. June celebration 57. Muppet who shares a domicile 58. On-call attachment, once 61. Like 100 62. GPS lines 63. Gallery stuff 64. Quilting gathering 66. "Kill Bill" artist 67. "Asia's ___ Talent" (international TV show)

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 25

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLA SSI FIE DS

PERSONAL DRIVER AVAILABLE FOR EVENTS/TOURS ETC.: Experienced, Clean Driving Record, non-smoker. You provide vehicle. 231-357-0362 ___________________________________

PRESCHOOL TEACHER AND ASSISTANT TEACHER: Needed for our NMCAA Preschool Blair. Great benefits with summers off. $20.62-$21.81 teachers, $14.78-$16.63 ass teachers. EOE. visit www.nmcaa.net for details and to apply. ___________________________________ FLORIDA RENTAL IN PUNTA GORDA FL.: Our fully furnished attached villa in Burnt Store Marina is available for the month of January @ $4,000. This is a beautiful gated community with restaurants, tennis, fitness center, golf, pickleball and large marina. Google 3181 Matecumbe Key Rd, #12 for additional pics. Our unit is managed by Thomas Ryan management. Contact our Realtor Sanjeev 941-286-8120

DRIVER FOR OMISH: Amish driver, 85 cents plus gas per mile long distance driving 15 passenger van. Call (989) 964-9461.

Other: Sewing, Alterations, Mending & Repairs. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248 ___________________________________

PAID WORK TRAINING FOR SENIORS 55 AND OVER: Paid part-time positions are waiting to be filled in and around the Grand Traverse region for seniors age 55 and over.

Must be 55+, unemployed, seeking work and meet program eligibility. Positions in retail, cashier, clerical support and more.

For information or to qualify, call the AARP Foundation SCSEP office in Traverse City at 231-252-4544. ___________________________________ DOWNTOWN ROOMS FOR RENT: THE WHITING. Downtown rooms for rent on a month to month basis. Rents starting at $500/ mo includes all utilities. Single occupancy, no pets. 231-947-6360. www.thewhitinghotel.com

easy. accessible. all online.

DO

NA TE

THANK YOU for your gift of giving

goodwillnmi.org/donate

26 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly

DONATE For Good

Mike Annelin Enthusiastic & Experienced

231-499-4249 | 231-929-7900

DELIVERING RESULTS – MOST RECENTLY SOLD D L O S

8589 Underwood Ridge

D

SOL

3257 North Manitou Trail

D

SOL

353 Paradise Point Trail

D

SOL

810 Cottageview Drive

D

SOL

128 Spring Hill

29 Acres, M-113, Kingsley

D

SOL

SOL

SOL

5742 Village Drive

D

D

18499 Dougherty Lane

D

SOL

4225 Bay View Point

D

SOL

2257 Tyler Hills Drive

D

SOL

1560 Strasbourg

D

SOL

910 Coyote Lane

Northern Express Weekly • december 18, 2023 • 27

28 • december 18, 2023 • Northern Express Weekly