Northern Express - February 12, 2024

NORTHERN

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Histories & Mysteries Why is NoMi at the center of two disturbing documentaries?

Where can you find Bon Jovi’s name carved into a rock?

Who has Ernest Hemingway’s first marriage license?

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • february 12 - february 18, 2024 • Vol. 34 No. 06 Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 1

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letters CONTENTS House Bill 4907 Suggestion: Have filmmakers coordinate with Michigan’s nature reserves for backdrops to be used with the actors’ scenes use a green screen. Preview them ahead on Google maps!

One or two camera persons could actually make background shots, taking films and leaving only footprints.

Ronald Stetson | Traverse City

feature

Meet Maud Miller Hoffmaster..............................9 Cults, Survivors, and Red Flags.......................10 The Wedding of Ernest and Hadley.................12 Cows and Artists and Bon Jovi, Oh My!.............14

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

FEBRUARY 10-24 FEBRUARY 1 - 14

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle..................................6 Guest Opinion...................................................7 Weird.............................................................8 Dates...........................................................16 Film.............................................................19 Nitelife.........................................................20 Crossword...................................................21 Astro..............................................................21 Classifieds.................................................22

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Editor: Jillian Manning Finance Manager: Libby Shutler

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

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Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 3

this week’s

top ten Three Chances for Winter Fun We hope you’re ready to celebrate all things winter on Saturday, Feb. 17. (We hope the snow is coming back, too!)

Over at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Winterlochen offers free art activities for the family from 11am-1:30pm, including acting workshops, dancing, and a special kids’ show performed by Interlochen students.

Visit interlochen.org/ winterlochen. Meanwhile, Yeti Fest in Suttons Bay runs from 10:30am-5:30pm with a hockey tournament, scavenger hunts, a chili cook-off, live music, and a free screening on Abominable. (Yeti costumes, shirts, and vibes are obviously encouraged.) Visit suttonsbayarea.com/ yetifest. And last but not least, the 7th annual Walloon Lake Winterfest boasts ice carvings, an antique snowmobile show, and lots of opportunities for delicious food and drink from 12pm-4pm. Visit facebook.com/walloonlakemi.

Snowsuit Soiree

Picture this patio, but with snow!

Get cozy by the fire while enjoying fondue, melting raclette, charcuterie, and unlimited crepes during the Snowsuit Soiree at J.bird Provisions patio (109 Bridge Park Dr.) in Charlevoix on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 5:30pm-9pm. Get in on the games and live music at this event presented by That French Place, J.bird Provisions, and Bridge Street Tap Room. Tickets ($45) are available at all three venues, or visit mynorthtickets.com.

4 Hey, Watch It!

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

No, this isn’t the infamous Brad and Angelina movie, but instead a modern take on espionage, marriage, and worklife balance. Jane (Maya Erskine) and John (Donald Glover) Smith are a bit like the couples on Love Is Blind in that they’ve never actually met until just before the (fake) wedding bells ring. But they’re also international spies, so this eight-episode series definitely has more explosions, car chases, and folks being held at gunpoint than reality TV. Follow the sometimes happy, often bickering, and always badass couple on their missions around the globe as they work through their new roles and their new relationship. The biggest mystery of all: When the sparks actually start to fly between them, will their cover be blown? Now streaming on Amazon Prime.

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2 tastemaker

Babcia’s Corner’s Chocolate and Raspberry Pierogi

For Valentine’s Day, our love language is chocolate, and Babcia’s Corner knows just how to speak it with their seasonal Chocolate and Raspberry Pierogi. Inspired by a traditional family recipe dating back generations, this not-too-sweet treat begins with dough made extra flavorful with butter, egg, and rich cocoa powder. Inside, each pasta packet is stuffed with a blend of local raspberry jam and their signature scratch-made Farmer’s Cheese (a mild and crumbly ricotta) with a melty Hershey’s Kiss at the center.

Take home a six-pack ($15), or snack on a few in-store, which are griddled in butter and dusted with confectioner’s sugar. We’d take one of these over flowers any day! Choose from a selection of sweet and savory pierogi at Babcia’s Corner (110 E. Hammond Rd., Ste. 4) in Traverse City. bapgoodness.com

4 • february 12, 2024 • Northern Express Weekly

Don Julin on tenor banjo & tenor mandolin, Joe Wilson on dobro, Jack Dryden on double bass, Will Harris on Cajun & percussion & bandleader Jeff Haas at the Alluvion grand.

6-8:30 PM

MONDAY. FEB. 12TH dinner 5 PM thealluvion.org 2nd floor Commongrounds 414 E Eighth, Traverse City

6 Friendly Venues Brooklyn guitarist/vocalist Hugh Pool is performing three dates locally this week and next. Half of the popular blues duo Mulebone, he’s playing Common Good Bakery in Traverse City Feb. 17, Peninsula Township Library Feb. 19, and at the home of James Walker in Suttons Bay Feb. 20. Unlikely venues? Not for Pool, as he’s performed in all those places previously. “We’ve become friends,” he says of both Walker and Common Good owner Jason Gollan. His set will be divided among his solo songs, Mulebone favorites, and bluegrass music, and will feature “a lot of flatpicking.” The bakery/ restaurant performance is a 7pm dinner show, while the 6pm library date will include a bowl of chili. Tickets for the 7pm Feb. 20 show are $20 in advance at purplepass.com/ hughpool, $25 at the door.

Stuff We Love: The Cutest Calendar Traverse City photographer Amanda Lewis is embarking on an important quest: Finding the area’s most adorable pets. She’s sponsoring the 2025 Calendar Contest to raise funds for the Cherryland Humane Society. Here’s how it works: Local pet owners can enter their pets by submitting a photo along with a $5 entry fee, and then folks can vote for the cutest pets for $1 per vote. You can also celebrate a pet’s gotcha-day or birthday by reserving an empty grid space ($10) on the calendar for their photo.

Photo by Amanda Lewis Photography The contest closes March 17, 2024, and the top 13 winners (12 months plus the cover) will be professionally photographed by Lewis. The fundraising goal is $5,000, and copies of the calendar will be available for purchase in late 2024. Learn more and submit your furry friend at gogophotocontest.com/cherryland2025.

Good Garbage The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) recently announced 17 projects that will receive business support and potential funding opportunities through the NextCycle Michigan business accelerator. On the list: the Emmet County Department of Public Works and Recycling of Petoskey. They’re gearing up to “create a comprehensive and scalable business plan for organics operation, focusing on screening and grinding activities, shared equipment contracts, expansion of marketing materials, and development of an operational calendar.” The Emmet County DPW project will be part of NextCycle’s FLOWS track, which focuses on foods, liquids, and organic waste systems. At the end of the six-month program, they’ll pitch their project to an audience and panel of judges to generate publicity and attract potential investors. Learn more about NextCycle Michigan (and their upcoming application period!) at nextcyclemichigan.com.

8 Bottoms Up North Peak Brewing’s Scout Hazy IPAs have been the in-vogue beer style for so long that it’s sometimes hard for any one beer to stand out from the crowd. Enter North Peak’s Scout, which, unlike many hazy IPAs, offers a perfectly balanced drinking experience. It’s less bitter and piney than your traditional IPA, but still offers some of that refreshing hop flavor you want. And there are plenty of fruit notes in there, too—North Peak says you’ll catch mango, peach, strawberry, and pineapple, at minimum—but the beer never feels too sweet. Brewed in tribute to Michigan lighthouses that have “guided many ships to safe waters and saved many sailors from a terrible collision with a rocky shore,” the Scout is the perfect IPA for a northern Michigan winter. Grab a pint at 400 W Front St. in Traverse City. northpeak.net

Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 5

DOWNTOWN, DAMS, BUSINESSES, AND BUSES spectator By steven Tuttle Let’s see what’s up locally.

Where The Mediterranean Meets Michigan

Traverse City’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is in search of a new executive director, Jean Derenzy having submitted her resignation. Derenzy was a strong steward of the DDA and a powerful advocate for downtown Traverse City, though not everything she and her organization proposed was supported by all.

Which brings us to the extension of TIF 97 and the ever-evolving third parking deck.

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We’re told promises were made in 1997 that TIF 97 would be a temporary situation, even calling it a “loan.” Now, the tune has been changed, and we’re told extending TIF 97 is critical for various projects the DDA has planned downtown. They’ve even changed the name to the Moving Downtown Forward TIF, though we all know it’s the same old TIF 97 district and taxes being captured.

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Front and center in this change of heart, aside from the bureaucratic instinct of selfpreservation and perpetual expansion, is a third parking deck, which has long been planned for downtown. There are some questions about its necessity since the already existing Old Town deck is often no more than 20 percent full.

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A tax increment financing (TIF) district establishes a property tax baseline and then “captures” the tax above that baseline as the property value and taxable value increases. The city’s general fund continues receiving that baseline tax, but the DDA captures everything above that.

(It should be noted the county, the area district library, BATA, NMC, and veteran’s programs also have money “captured” from those property taxes.)

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So, the third parking deck evolved to become a parking deck that could be “repurposed” if it was underutilized, which evolved to become a “mixed-use” project including housing and retail, which evolved into a deck including housing and retail and the DDA would give back some of the tax money to the entities from which it had been captured.

We don’t yet have a budget for the new, multi-purpose deck, but it was already around $20 million in 2019 when it was going to serve a single purpose, so one assumes it will be at least that much in any new permutation. And one does wonder if the DDA is prepared to be landlords of a residential building. Would that mean additional staff and budget? Will they decide who qualifies to live in their affordable or attainable or workforce housing? Will the DDA be the enforcer of rules? Will they be responsible for maintenance and repairs and the budget that accompanies such things? Will they undertake evictions when necessary?

Not everybody is excited about more decades of tax captures going to the DDA. Petitions to put such an extension to a public vote have been, or will be, circulated. NMC and Grand Traverse County have already declared they’d like all their money back and oppose any extension of TIF 97, regardless of what it’s called.

The DDA did tremendous work in revitalizing downtown Traverse City when it was struggling. But you might have noticed the blight is gone, downtown is thriving, and the DDA’s wish list has more wants than needs. Traverse City voters will ultimately decide whether extending TIF 97 is justifiable or not.

Meanwhile, remember back in 2021 when the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Dam Safety Unit rated the Union Street dam “fair/poor” and we were told it needed to be fixed or replaced immediately? It was a convenient adjunct to the controversy surrounding the FishPass at the same location.

FishPass, an experimental creation to prevent unwanted fish species from heading up the Boardman/Ottaway River and supported and funded by half a dozen government and non-government entities, was temporarily halted by a circuit court ruling which was subsequently overturned by an appellate court.

So what happened? The dam, so critical not that long ago, has likely not selfrepaired, yet we’ve heard little or nothing about fixing it. We were told the delays would add significant costs to the $20 million project, but we’ve not yet been informed about a new budget or construction timeline.

Alas, downtown Traverse City businesses continue changing hands with alarming frequency. Long time stalwart Diversions is gone, and Brew, a favorite place to grab some coffee and have a meeting or just meet friends, is also gone. New owners of those buildings have every right to install their vision on their property, but it was a shame to lose two businesses most everyone enjoyed.

We’d be remiss if we failed to mention the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners’ ongoing shin-kicking contest with the board of the Bay Area Transit Authority (BATA). The County board decided they would fill the “citizen” appointee position to the BATA board by selecting a county commissioner, though they already have one on the board. The board’s attempts to control everything entirely misses the point of appointing citizen volunteers to local boards.

WHERE’S THE PARTY?

OPINION COLUMNIST

by Mary Keyes Rogers I thought I knew myself. I like my sandwiches cut on the diagonal. I am uncomfortable being jostled in a crowd.

And, when given the option, I opt for blue cheese dressing on my iceberg wedge. This is who I am. I’m also a Democrat. Maybe.

I’m a Democrat who votes for a lot of Republicans, who is very uncomfortable with the goings-on of the Democratic National Party, who believes its leadership is out of touch with members, and, well, I could go on and on. I am being very generous to the blue party when calling myself a Democrat.

Pew Research reports, “Nearly a third of Americans report holding negative views of both the Republican and Democratic parties… higher than at any other point in our nearly 30 years of polling. Sizable minorities see flaws in their party: 48% of Republicans and 35% of Democrats say their party ‘too often makes excuses for members with hateful views.’”

The political parties are now convenient for tidying primaries, fundraising, and encouraging groupthink. Voters don’t need to think too hard. No need to explore the issues too deeply, taking a step back for five

What happens when the fundamental values and policy positions of the tribe you’ve embraced, perhaps for a lifetime, change so dramatically from what you recall that you can’t wear the label?

While I cannot see myself diverting from my position on the diagonal sandwich cut, I can easily see a future where I no longer identify as a Democrat. Perhaps that day is here. I long for the days of Sen. John McCain. I am concerned by the departure of Sen. Mitt Romney’s moral compass. Can you imagine?

So, I ask, “How committed are you to your party affiliation?” These parties have significantly changed positions over the years. This is not Ronald Reagan’s Republican party or John F. Kennedy’s Democratic party. Put another way: What happens when the fundamental values and policy positions of the tribe you’ve embraced, perhaps for a lifetime, change so dramatically from what you recall that you can’t wear the label?

This reminds me of that point in high school when some of your lifelong friends started partying, and you had to decide if you would follow them in hopes of becoming a popular kid instead of being seen as a nerd at the risk of losing your friend group. Do you stay or do you go?

Both Democrats and Republicans can be heard saying or whispering, “The party doesn’t represent me anymore” or “I’m embarrassed by my political party.” This is not because another party is so very attractive.

Here’s what I think: Our party system isn’t going away anytime soon, so call yourself whatever you want, the Party of Peter or Patty, skip the primary election if you wish, and in the general election, support candidates with positions on policies that address problems, not voter attraction. You might inform your local, state, or national party in writing or a phone call of what matters to you rather than writing “none of the above” on your ballot.

minutes or five days while some facts roll in.

We look to the loudest members of our tribe to tell us what is true, and what we think, and then accept the Fox or CNN version.

We have stopped expecting ourselves and our political leaders to tackle the significant external threats to our daily lives. Where is my guru to tell me what I think? Am I being heard and seen?

While we’ve ignored the warning signs, urgent problems still exist facing our people and planet. We have hearings. Nothing happens. Twenty-seven bills in 12 months.

There is serious work to be done, and we need serious people to solve those challenges. I mean, come on, while Congress was fighting over Hunter Biden’s laptop, who uses which bathroom, favored pronouns, George Santos, etc., they only managed to pass 27 bills into legislation, a new low.

Unfortunately, I can imagine 2024’s slew of campaign strategists will have candidates distracting the electorate from what is essential in order to viscerally connect with specific tribes via wedge issues. I predict the mean-spirited tension between the two parties may drive Americans to tune out of political conversation altogether, which I imagine is good for our collective mental health.

Honestly, while I find my new lack of political identity as uncomfortable as being jostled by strangers for days on end, I yearn to be part of a club, but maybe I just need a support group.

Mary Keyes Rogers is a resident of Traverse City, providing consulting services to small business owners. Her career has included her radio show Mary in the Morning, Marigold Women in Business, executive director of the National Association of Women Business Owners, and Michigan Small Business Development Center.

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Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 7

No Longer Weird It's that time of year again, and the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in South Jersey is stepping up in a feline sort of way. NBC4-TV reported on Jan. 26 that as part of a Valentine's Day promotion, in return for a $50 donation, the shelter will name a feral cat after your ex, then spay or neuter it before releasing it back into the wild. Sporting the motto "Because some things shouldn't breed," the program is aimed at reducing the feral cat population and satisfying disgruntled former lovers, who are asked to supply only a first name or nickname. Love is in the air!

Saturday • Feb. 17 | 11 a.m.

Celebrate all things winter with a day of free, family-friendly activities!

ARTS ACADEMY

interlochen.org/winterlochen

It's Come to This Looking for a cuddle in this season of love? Pop on over to Tokyo and the Mipig Cafe, where you can snuggle up with a petite porcine pal. The Associated Press reported that customers pay $15 for 30 minutes with the micro pigs, who are clean and odor-free. "Each pig is unique. Each one has his or her own personality," said Shiho Kitagawa, an executive at Mipig. People enjoy the interaction so much that they often don't bother with getting a drink. But Sachiko Azuma, head of an animal cruelty organization, isn't a fan. "The animals have become tools for a money-making business," she said.

Unconventional Weaponry Celia Barrett, 35, entered a gas station in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Jan. 28 wearing no clothing and wielding a vegetable peeler, with which she threatened to kill staff members, Fox35-TV reported. She told police she had consumed six shots of liquor before waving the peeler at workers and knocking over a display of Red Bull drinks. Deputies responded to the scene, and Barrett was taken into custody, where she remains.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time David Richardson of Humpty Doo, Australia, was exonerated by Judge Therese Austin in late January after pleading guilty to exposing himself to a teenager worker in the drive-thru line at Hungry Jack's, the Daily Mail reported. The incident from last September took place a day after Richardson had consumed "Pit Bull Super," which combines Viagra with Cialis, and was suffering from an "extremely painful" result. "I wasn't trying to flash myself at anyone," Richardson said. "I just wanted to grab a feed and go home. (I) honestly didn't think the workers would see me." However, the towel he had placed over his lap didn't conceal his situation, and the female worker said she was "reduced to tears."

Judge Austin told Richardson he should have gone to the hospital rather than to Hungry Jack's, but she agreed that there was no sexual intent and let him off the hook.

Crime Report Bertha Yalter, 71, allegedly became enraged on Jan. 28 after her husband of 52 years received a postcard from a woman he dated 60 years ago, WPLG-TV reported. The couple from North Miami Beach, Florida, were at their home when Yalter attacked, trying to "smother him with a pillow, bit and physically battered him," police said.

Remarkably, someone was taking video with a cellphone, which will be admitted into

8 • february 12, 2024 • Northern Express Weekly

evidence. Yalter faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery and tampering with a victim and was held without bond.

Wait, What?

A dried 285-year-old lemon fetched $1,780 at auction in Shropshire, England, United Press International reported on Jan. 31.

The lemon was discovered in a 19th-century cabinet that was being prepared for auction.

But here's the weird part: It was inscribed: "Given by Mr. P. La Franchini Nov. 4, 1739, to Miss E. Baxter." The cabinet sold for $40.

Bright Ideas In Stevenage, England, police detained a man running with a small refrigerator strapped to his back, the BBC reported on Jan. 29. "One police officer wound down his window and said, 'You understand we've got to stop you. Is that a fridge on your back?'" the runner said. As it turns out, Daniel Fairbrother wasn't stealing the appliance but training for the London Marathon.

Fairbrother told the officers he has named the fridge Tallulah after the bobsled in "Cool Runnings." He hopes to raise 10,000 pounds for Diabetes UK in honor of his friend Sam, who has Type 1 diabetes. A police spokesperson said they "wish Daniel all the best with training for the marathon."

HOP Shop convenience stores in northern Kentucky have discovered a way to draw customers into the bathrooms (or maybe just to distract from the conditions within), WDKY-TV reported. The stores have installed a button on the wall that says "Do Not Push This Button." When it's inevitably pushed, users experience a disco party: regular lights off, mirror balls with colored spotlights on, and accompanying disco music such as "I've Had the Time of My Life." Ann Gilbert, manager of human resources for Valor Oil, which owns HOP Shops, said they were trying to "figure out something that would make us a destination," and now six stores feature the disco bathrooms. Boogie down!

Overachievers Graffiti artists have tagged more than 25 stories of an abandoned Los Angeles skyscraper, KTLA-TV reported on Feb. 1.

Renovations on Oceanwide Plaza stalled in 2019, and the building has been sitting empty.

Daron Burgundy, a street photographer, said he had noticed taggers for the previous three nights. "I could see people up on the balcony," he said, adding that he heard people were coming from out of state for the chance to tag the building. "It's been wild to watch. It's not so luxury around here anymore." LAPD has made two arrests and is working with district officials to secure the building.

The Continuing Crisis Canoe.com reported on Jan. 26 that the rental real estate market in Toronto is rough, with high prices inspiring landlords to become extra-creative. One listing for a "room for rent" in Brampton actually features a twin bed wedged into a space in the kitchen between the counter and a support column.

As we know, it's all about location, location, location, and the listing claims the "sharing space" is near colleges and universities, banks, grocery stores and other conveniences. One commenter posted, "Now you can literally wake up and smell the coffee."

Maud posing in front of easel for a 1952 Chicago Sunday Tribune article.

Maud, Villah, and their dog Muffetti, near their iconic home on Ahgosa Trail.

Meet Maud Miller Hoffmaster This painter was one of Traverse City’s most prolific women of the 20th century

By Ross Boissoneau A celebrated painter. An illustrator. A teacher. A building designer. A nomenclator.

Wait, what? Yes, Maud Miller Hoffmaster is credited with creating a wellknown name, the term “litterbug.” And she was all those other things as well, yet the former Traverse City resident is less wellknown than one might presume.

Painting Picture-Poems Let’s rewind. Born in Manistee on Dec. 29, 1883, Maud Miller was forced to give up her first love, music, to care for her family.

The eldest of five children, she ended up caring for her siblings, her ill grandmother, and eventually her father when he became bedridden. With little time to devote to music, she turned to visual art, sketching scenes of and around her home.

Her talent soon shone through, and she used the funds from selling some paintings to attend the Chicago Art School for six weeks—that was the extent of her formal training. It must have been enough, since she eventually became celebrated for her landscapes and other paintings.

Maud married Havillah Hoffmaster in 1904. Havillah was a clerk and managerbuyer for the home furnishings department at Hannah Lay Mercantile on the northeast corner of Front and Union Streets from 1904 to 1929, but he is better known for the construction of one of the area’s first golf courses. Ahgosa Golf Course was located near their home, at the intersection of today’s Munson Avenue and Airport Access Road. It operated from 1931 to 1952; the site is now home to Munson Foster Family Health Center.

While Havillah worked at the golf course, Maud continued to paint. Over the course of her life, Hoffmaster created more than 400 paintings, and her work showed in galleries and museums around the world. She was hailed as one of the country’s best landscape artists, and was cited in Who’s Who of American Women and Who’s Who in the Midwest.

Her most famous work may well be “The Country Doctor,” which she painted in 1922.

Prints of it still hang in doctors’ offices across the country, though today it’s impossible to know how many survive. (Unfortunately— and perhaps ironically—it’s not displayed at Foster Family Health Center.)

The French art critics of the day were certainly enamored of her. Georges Bal, considered “the dean of all European art critics” per the Chicago Sunday Tribune, wrote of her, “The author can be placed among the greatest landscape painters of the day.”

Maud exhibited in Paris in 1928, where Bal called her works “picture-poems” of Michigan. She traveled to the show for the opening—no mean feat for the late 1920s.

The next year, another prominent exhibition of her paintings took place in New York City at the Helen Hackett Gallery.

Expanding Her Craft According to a 2017 piece in the Grand Traverse Journal, “The brother of Mrs. Henry Ford is said to have bought [Maud’s] first painting for one dollar. It was a small watercolor of a pine tree along Grand Traverse Bay.” From there, Maud’s paintings went on to be worth upward of $10,000.

Artists from across the world traveled to Traverse City to study with her, receiving instruction on how to paint landscapes, trees, and especially snowstorm and blizzard scenes.

(There used to be more of those, we suppose!)

While she specialized in oil paintings of landscapes, Maud also created block prints, pastels, and etchings. She reproduced many of her artworks on postcards and stationery.

Pieces in the Traverse Area District Library collection demonstrate a style and use not dissimilar to that of Gwen Frostic.

While her painting remained the bedrock of her career, she was an adept illustrator as well. Chicago Tribune art critic Eleanor Jewett wrote a series of poems for the paper and enlisted Hoffmaster to provide illustrations.

That continued in their book Make Believe, a collection of Jewett’s poems each accompanied by a Hoffmaster illustration.

Hoffmaster also wrote, including NeeNa: The Wild Flower's Good Fairy, a 1949 children’s book that she illustrated herself,

and a 1952 novel The Path of Gold. The latter sold out its first printing.

Building a Quiet Legacy But she didn’t stop there. The Mark Twain Society gave her an honorary membership in 1952. She was involved in multiple civic groups, including the Friendly Garden Club and the Traverse City Woman’s Club.

Hoffmaster’s love of the environment extended beyond her art. She is credited with helping start campaigns against throwing trash along the roads and waterways, and as the legend goes, she came up with the term “litterbug.” She even enlisted several neighbor boys to participate in her antilitterbug crusade, getting them into an early iteration of what we’d now think of as Adopta-Beach or Adopt-a-Highway.

Maud also became friends with Joseph Maddy, the founder of Interlochen Center for the Arts, and organized the Fine Arts department at the National Music Camp, as it was then known. If by “organize” you mean build, well, she did that too. Maud

designed the building, and even hauled some of the fieldstones used in its construction.

She ended up serving as the supervisor of the department for 14 years.

So why isn’t Maud Hoffmaster better known today, at least among Traverse Citians? One reason could be recency bias.

She died in 1969, and the bulk of her work was done in the 20s through the 50s. (Maud died Oct. 2, 1969, following a fall at her home earlier that year. Her husband had preceded her in death when struck by a car in 1964.)

Another reason? “She was a middle-aged woman,” says Melissa McKenna, the head of adult services and supervisor of the local history collection at Traverse Area District Library.

Indeed, Traverse City’s history is replete with stories about Perry Hannah, Conrad Foster, Albert Tracy Lay, Dr. David Goodale, Dr. James Munson, Governor William Milliken, and many others. While occasionally women—such as Helen Goodale, Elnora Milliken, and Helen Milliken—get mentioned, the number of influential women cited as historical figures in the area pales beside that of the men.

Nevertheless, her works have stood the test of time, and are still valued and desired today.

Her paintings occasionally come up at auctions, and at the time of this writing, a first edition of Nee-Na: The Wild Flower’s Good Fairy was listed for sale at Ed’s Editions online for $100.

Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 9

CULTS, SURVIVORS, AND RED FLAGS How northern Michigan has wound up at the center of two troubling documentaries

By Art Bukowski America has long held a deep fascination with cults and out-there religious sects. We wonder how these groups manage to conjure up such power and influence. We watch as people (sometimes those we know and love) fall victim to a potent mix of control and their own deep desire to belong. We binge the TV series that probe into the inner workings of these groups.

And while the majority of these groups seem far, far away for residents of northern Michigan, two local groups accused of having cult-like patterns have made national headlines in recent months, in part thanks to documentaries putting them in the spotlight.

Northern Express takes a look at these groups and their impact on the community at large.

The Twin Flames Universe (the subject of Escaping Twin Flames)

By November of last year, it seemed that all anyone in Traverse City or Leelanau County wanted to discuss was Escaping Twin Flames, the show that had rocketed to the top of Netflix’s offerings. The threepart documentary focused on what several people interviewed for the show described as the cult-like behavior of the “Twin Flames Universe.”

The Twin Flames Universe is an online community that promises to find true love for members in the form of unique soul connections. It was founded by Jeff and Shaleia Ayan (often calling themselves Divine instead of Ayan; Shaleia’s birth name is Megan Plante), who now have a home in a subdivision along M-22 in Leelanau County.

The series details how the Ayans claim

to have a direct line to God and say they’re able to discern whether others have found their “twin flame.” Former members allege the Ayans amassed millions from supporters to fund a lavish lifestyle at the emotional expense of many current and former members.

The Ayans, who could not be reached for comment for this story, have on multiple occasions taken to social media to defend themselves.

“The allegations levied against Twin Flames Universe not only distort our true aims, methods and curriculums, but also misrepresent the autonomy of our community members, who are free to engage with our resources as they see fit,” they wrote in a Facebook post as the Netflix show surged in popularity.

Despite intense media attention on the couple’s alleged misdeeds, they don’t show any signs of riding off into the sunset. They are promoting a Twin Flames Universe “Spiritual Life Summit” to be held in June in Traverse City, setting off another social media firestorm.

Indeed, the local conversation keeps getting hotter. Traverse City’s own National Writers Series is bringing an event to the City Opera House on Thursday, Feb. 22, titled “Twin Flames: Burned! A Survivor and Cult Expert Speak Out.” The event features Keely Griffin, a survivor of the Twin Flames Universe, and Dr. Janja Lalich, a cult expert, who were both featured in the Netflix documentary.

Grace Baptist Church (the subject of Let Us Prey) Insidious is perhaps the best word to describe the former goings-on at Grace Baptist Church and school in Gaylord (the school has since closed), with several

10 • february 12, 2024 • Northern Express Weekly

former members alleging rampant sexual abuse and attempted cover-ups within that organization.

As with Twin Flames, the situation in Gaylord came into sharp focus and high notoriety last fall following its own popular documentary series. Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals aired on Investigation Discovery (part of Warner Bros) and HBO’s Max. The same company, Good Caper Content, produced both Let Us Prey and Escaping Twin Flames.

The series examines several independent fundamental Baptist (IFB) churches and schools, including those in Gaylord. IFB doctrine strictly adheres to the King James Version of the Bible, generally opposes the “worldliness” of other churches, and supports anti-LGBTQ+ teachings. In 2018, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram published a report identifying 412 abuse allegations in 187 IFB churches and institutions across 40 states and Canada, with some cases reaching as far back as the 1970s.

A similar tragedy played out locally.

After several women came forward, spurring a police investigation, multiple Grace Baptist Church staff members faced criminal charges for sexually abusing young women. Aaron Willand, who worked for the school from 2001-2003, is now in prison for abusing girls who were 12 and 14 at the time.

David Beckner, another former teacher, is also in prison for abusing a student. Clark Martin, a former congregation member and volunteer bus driver, also was convicted of criminal sexual conduct against a former Grace Baptist student.

An investigation by the Petoskey NewsReview uncovered several additional former Grace staffers who went on to face

allegations and/or criminal charges tied to sexual assaults in other jurisdictions after leaving Grace Baptist.

In addition to the abuse itself, victims and others connected with the situation claim church leadership ignored or attempted to cover up the abuse over a period of many years. Current Pastor Derek Hagland served as an assistant pastor for about two decades before assuming the top leadership role in 2020. Former pastor Jon Jenkins resigned in 2019 and moved away after the sexual abuse issues first entered the public eye.

Hagland did not return an email or phone call seeking comment for this story.

Moving On and Keeping Watch Brianna Monroe was one of Becker’s

victims at Grace. She and other victims have come together to form the Blind Eye Movement, a group dedicated to being a “safe haven for those affected by abuse within a religious environment.”

“We want people to know that they are worth fighting for, that it’s worth telling their story,” Monroe says. “We want to spread the opposite message that we were told as kids, which was that we need to be quiet, or feel ashamed and guilty about everything.”

Though Grace Baptist was not a cult in the traditional sense, Monroe says many who survived their experiences there are dealing with the same roadblocks as those who escaped cults, including painful isolation and lack of direction about what to do next.

The Blind Eye Movement (named for the leadership that allegedly ignored ongoing abuse) strives daily to welcome these people in so that healing can begin.

“A lot of people coming out of a cultish place, they have no idea where to go for help,” Monroe says. “We always thought we were alone.”

Michigan State Police, which investigated the Grace Baptist incidents, says there are no active investigations into the church, though they encourage anyone impacted by incidents there or elsewhere to reach out. But that does not bring total comfort to members of the Blind Eye Movement, who after 20 years of documented abuse plan to keep the church in the public eye to help deter future transgressions.

“We feel scared that things could still be happening,” Monroe says. “I honestly feel like they do need a spotlight to make sure that nothing else happens, to keep them on their toes…because who’s to say they’ve changed?”

In the case of Twin Flames, the Leelanau County Sheriff 's Office is very aware of their presence. But despite the negative attention the group has garnered, authorities have yet been given a reason to launch a criminal investigation.

“I’ve had at least 100 phone calls, emails, and verbal complaints regarding Twin Flames, and I’ve asked [those people] what is going on that they think is illegal?

And they say that everything is wrong, and we need to investigate it, but not one person can come up with an actual crime,” Sheriff Mike Borkovich says. “We need facts and evidence, and if people have that, we would love to look at that seriously and investigate it.”

“All of Us Could Be That Person” When it comes to groups like Twin Flames in particular, some of us might wonder how people get ensnared in the trap and can’t seem to get out. But Lisa Blackford will strongly urge you to realize that it can happen to anyone, perhaps more easily than you would expect.

“We tend to think of ‘those people’ that are vulnerable to cults and ideas of this sort, but in reality, we are all susceptible to something that can be promised to us,” says Blackford, a longtime psychology professor at Northwestern Michigan College. “We feel that people who succumb must be easily brainwashed, but depending on the situation in our lives, we could all fit into that. All of us could be that person.”

The seeds are easy to sow, Blackford says. People naturally look for belonging and a sense of connection (even more so if they’re lonely), which cult-like groups offer.

And once you’re in the door, it’s easy to get dragged deeper in.

“It always starts off as a good thing. It’s sort of like domestic violence relationships—I can’t think of a relationship that starts off violently,” Blackford says. “It’s very slow, and usually it starts off filling those needs of feeling wanted, feeling appreciated, feeling respected.”

The warning signs, of course, are ample.

“If someone is isolating you from your community or your loved ones or friends, or telling you not to contact other people except those in our group, that’s a dangerous thing,” Blackford says. “And demanding unquestioning authority, when there’s little freedom of thought or no ability to question or discuss ideas, those are all big red flags.”

The best thing you can do if a loved one appears down the bath path with one of these groups is to stay connected with them as much as possible and “keep the door open,” Blackford says.

Leelanau’s Borkovich says that anyone asked to spend money on or for any group needs to have a heightened sense of awareness of a potential scam. He hopes that those looking for a sense of belonging can find it in one or more of the many civic and social groups active in our region instead of questionable organizations.

“There are lots and lots of good organizations like the Elks Club and Lions Club, Rotary and Masons, and there’s school organizations and sports, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts,” he says. “There’s lots of social things to do.”

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Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 11

Ernest Hemingway and Hadley Richardson on their wedding day, Sept. 3, 1921.

The marriage license for Hadley and Ernest still hangs in the Charlevoix Historical Society Museum.

The Wedding of Ernest and Hadley A northern Michigan romance (while it lasted)

By Al Parker It was the summer of 1920 when young Ernest Hemingway met up with some of his buddies in Boyne City. They set off on a gambling adventure that would determine the fate of the ambitious young writer.

“They were going to a Petoskey casino,” explains Charlevoix Historical Society Museum Curator David Miles. “He had $6 to his name and played roulette until the place closed, probably 2am or so. He won $59.” (That’s $926 in 2024 cash).

“If he had lost, he planned to work at the cement plant—that’s what he later wrote to Grace Quinlan, a Petoskey girl,” adds Miles.

“The whole arc of his life would have been different.”

Meanwhile, in Missouri, Elizabeth Hadley Richardson was planning a trip to Chicago.

The Meet Cute A St. Louis native, Hadley was born in 1891 as the youngest of five children. She was a toddler when she toppled from a second-story window and was bedridden for a year. After the accident, her parents were very protective of their youngest, not allowing her to be involved in most physical activities.

As a teen she was painfully shy, almost reclusive. After a short stint at Bryn Mawr, Hadley returned to St. Louis to live with her mother and sister. In August 1920, her mother

died, and soon thereafter Hadley traveled north to Chicago to visit a college friend.

The Illinois trip would change her life.

Hemingway had used his Petoskey roulette winnings to return to Chicago, where a few months later, in October, he met Hadley at a party. Hadley was 28, seven years older than Ernie.

“Hadley noticed a young man with ‘a pair of very red cheeks and very brown eyes straddling the piano bench,’” wrote Hemingway biographer Mary V. Dearborn.

“She later told Ernest, ‘You surprised me I remember by seeming to appreciate me without my succeeding, from excitement, in doing anything to be appreciated.’ All evening she was aware of a ‘hulky, bulky, masculine’ presence by her side. Ernest later said he knew that night that he wanted to marry her.”

Hadley remained in Chicago for three weeks. During that time Hadley and Ernie got to know each other.

“Ernest often burst into the room where she was staying, reading aloud from something he had just written,” wrote Dearborn in her 2018 book Ernest Hemingway: A Biography.

“Though Hadley didn’t much like Hemingway’s writing at this juncture, it was impossible not to believe in his future as a writer, given that he was so confident of it and so clearly could succeed at anything he put his hand to. ‘Ernest sort of knocked people over – rightfully so,’ Hadley later said. ‘His potential was right out in the open.’”

12 • february 12, 2024 • Northern Express Weekly

After less than a year of courtship, a wedding was being planned for September 1921. Hadley didn’t want the wedding to be held in her hometown of St. Louis, and Ernest didn’t want the affair in Chicago.

Naturally, they settled on northern Michigan.

Mixed Reactions “He came up early, and got the marriage license on Sept. 1, 1921, ” says Miles. “Two copies were made, one for the couple and one for the county building.”

The county copy now is a prized display with its own place of honor on the lower level of the Charlevoix Historical Society Museum, though how it got there is a twist of fate in itself.

Years ago, way before digital records, the state of Michigan decreed that counties destroy old volumes of aged documents.

According to Miles, some women working in the county seat came across the HemingwayRichardson marriage license and put it aside, saving it from destruction.

Miles was eventually let in on the secret when one of the women who had saved the document shared that it hadn't been destroyed. “We can’t get rid of this,” she told Miles, recognizing the historical importance of the license.

“When I first saw it, my jaw just dropped,” says Miles.

The marriage license, neatly framed and displayed with a marriage application and

wedding photo, has sparked other emotional responses from museum visitors.

“One time a woman came in and was looking at it,” recalls Miles. “‘I’m a professor of English in Illinois,’ she explained. And then she started shaking. She was so overwhelmed, she burst into tears.”

Another woman had a different reaction.

“That old goat,” she told Miles. “I don’t care if he won the Nobel Prize. My dad was in the Coast Guard in Key West, and I would play in the streets as a young girl.

I remember [Hemingway] in filthy boxer shorts that hadn’t been washed in days. We could smell his BO and liquor on his breath.

That’s my memory of Ernest Hemingway.”

A Magical Day Former Charlevoix resident and noted local historian William “Bill” Ohle was a boy when he attended the nuptials of Hadley and Ernest.

“A few small boys, Kenny and Stub VanHoesen, Bucky Harris and his brother Chuck, Howard Crouterfield, and I, waited outside the building until just before the wedding party entered, then we slipped in to sit beside our respective parents,” he wrote in his 1989 book How It Was in Horton Bay. “In spite of all the complications, the wedding went off in fine style. It was a gracious event, a simple ceremony in rustic surroundings.”

In her 1973 book, Hadley: The First Mrs. Hemingway, author Alice Hunt Sokoloff had the full cooperation of her subject

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The couple in Switzerland in 1922.

and friend, who not only made available her unpublished letters to Hemingway but also devoted long hours to recording her recollections on tape.

“The day of the wedding was perfect,” wrote Sokoloff. “The little church was decorated with wildflowers which Ruth and Kate had arranged. Ernest went for a swim before dressing for the ceremony and so did Hadley, but it took longer for her thick hair to dry and she was late at the church. Her creamy lace dress was as becoming as she hoped it would be, and she radiated happiness as she came down the aisle on George Breaker’s arm to the strains of the wedding march played by an organist imported from Petoskey.”

Ernest’s parents—Dr. and Mrs. Hemingway—were there along with two of their daughters, Ursula and Carol, and their six-year-old son Leicester. After the ceremony, the groom turned sullen.

“He was irritated at all the picture taking afterward, but they all had a good chicken dinner later at Liz Dilworth’s Pinehurst Cottage,” wrote Sokoloff. “It was dark before Hadley and Ernest managed to get away. A friend of Ernest’s drove them over to Walloon Lake where they climbed into a rowboat and rowed across to Windemere Cottage.”

Ohle knew even more about those last hours of the wedding day. “Following the meal, John Kotensky appeared and drove the newlyweds to the Walloon Lake end of Sumner Road, four miles away, in his Model T touring car. It carried a small ‘Just Married’ sign in back and a few tin cans and old shoes dragged behind until the string broke. These had probably been placed by Vollie Fox, a strong believer in tradition.”

A Doomed Romance Unfortunately for the newlyweds, those old shoes didn’t bring them much luck.

Hadley found it difficult to keep house in the Hemingway cottage. She couldn’t find the things she needed—pots, pans, kettles, salt or pepper. As the fall wore on, both the bride and groom struggled with colds. The weather turned cool, and Ernest took Hadley into Petoskey and introduced her to several girls he had known in the past. (Real smart move there, Ernie.)

Hadley Richardson in 1918, two years before meeting Ernest Hemingway.

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Charlevoix Historical Society Museum Curator David Miles with the Hemingway display.

Hadley was not impressed at all and thought it was her new husband’s form of braggadocio. He tried to appease her, saying that he thought it would raise him in her estimation to show her these girls “who cannot live without me.” Unsurprisingly, Hadley found Ernie’s explanation less than satisfactory.

After the two-week honeymoon, the newlyweds went back to Chicago, moving into a third floor apartment that Ernest had rented at 1219 North Dearborn Street.

From there, the couple moved to Paris and later welcomed their son in 1923. But their marriage crumbled in 1926 as Hemingway was writing and rewriting The Sun Also Rises and started an affair with one of Hadley’s closest friends, Pauline Pfeiffer, an independently wealthy writer for the Paris edition of Vogue. Pfeiffer eventually became Hemingway’s second wife.

That wasn’t just the end of Ernest and Hadley, but also of Hemingway’s travels Up North.

According to Ohle, “Ernest never again visited Horton Bay, but it is remarkable how many people ranging from Lost Generation types to professors of English, come here to see for themselves how northern Michigan magic influenced Hemingway, hoping it will rub off on them too.”

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Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 13

A cow auction at Loeb Farms.

Cows and Artists and Bon Jovi, Oh My! The 106-year history of Castle Farms

By Greg Tasker For more than a century, the fieldstone towers of the Renaissance-style castle outside Charlevoix have loomed over the handsome countryside, stoking the imagination of the curious and the aspirations of dreamers.

Count me among the curious. Why is a European-style castle tucked here among the expansive farms, orchards, lakes, and small towns of this inviting patch of northern Michigan? Its existence has perplexed me for years. Until a recent visit, I knew nothing about Castle Farms except that it was a wedding venue.

Linda Mueller is among the dreamers.

She has transformed this historic farm into far more than an exclusive wedding venue.

To visit Castle Farms today is to walk through eras of history, from the early decades of the last century to the present. Stories from its past incarnations are as plentiful as the maple and oak trees in nearby forests.

“If something was happening in history, we usually had someone involved in it,” says Mueller, who purchased the abandoned property with her late husband, Richard, in 2001. The grounds and buildings have been restored—some had to be replicated—and Castle Farms reopened to the public for guided tours in 2005. Since then, gardens have been replanted or added, along with other amenities, including a miniature railroad and wine bistro.

Mueller has also added historical touches with memorabilia and curios from decades past, much of them related, in some way, to the people and stories of the castle.

“I love the program Roots. I am interested in where other people’s families came from too,” she says. “Often there are surprises [in the castle] that make the person take a new look at people and places and their identity.”

Dreams of a Modern Dairy Farm The man behind the castle was Albert Loeb, acting president of Sears, Roebuck and Company. He had an affinity for the architecture of Renaissance castles and the stone farms of Normandy, France. The castle was built in 1918 not as a home but as a working model dairy farm, a place to showcase the latest advances in farm equipment, all available through the Sears catalog, the Amazon of its day. (And hey, cows deserve beautiful places to live, too!)

This was a big dairy farm, part of an 1,800-acre tract that included a private home for the Loeb family (the home still exists and sits nearby but separate from the farm). Loeb Farms boasted the most modern milking machinery and was home to 200 head of Holstein-Friesian cows. The star producer was Marion, who was milked six times a day. She consistently set records in milk production and in one banner year—1922—produced 35,000 pounds of milk (well above the average 25,000 pounds) and made headlines.

The cows lived a good life. They were housed in two wings—now known as the East and West Garden rooms, replicated

by Mueller. They grazed in a courtyard between the wings and elsewhere on the farm. Instead of the normal whitewash, the barn walls were covered in tile lining and the floor was paved. The barns were hosed down regularly.

“The milking barns were so clean you could eat off the floor,” says Jessica Anderson, who is director of guest services at Castle Farms and made the time to walk me through the property one January afternoon and share stories of its past.

At its peak, Loeb Farms was the largest employer in the Charlevoix region, with

14 • february 12, 2024 • Northern Express Weekly

more than 90 people among its daily workforce. The farm also boasted a semiprofessional baseball team, the Sodbusters, who played on a field north of the barn complex.

“In the evening, during wedding rehearsal dinners, our staff regularly hear the crack of a baseball and bat from the ball diamond,” Anderson says, adding a haunted tour planned for the fall will share more ghost stories from Castle Farms.

Maybe a glimpse of the farm’s future as a romantic venue was unveiled all those years ago when the blacksmith fell in love with the farm cook. They were married and lived in a little house next to the blacksmith shop (now the 1918 Museum).

Unfortunately, the farm closed in 1927, a few years after Loeb’s death and a family scandal. One of Loeb’s sons, Richard Loeb, was convicted in 1924 of the kidnapping and murder of a 14-year-old boy in Chicago. The murder garnered national headlines. Lawyer Clarence Darrow represented the young Loeb and his crime partner in court just before the famed Scopes “Monkey” Trial.

An Artful Renaissance Decades later, the empty stone walls caught the artistic eye of John VanHaver, a Muskegon businessman. He was also an artist and sculptor with a background in metallurgy and metal casting.

His dream? An artists’ mecca with a Renaissance theme. He purchased 100 acres of the original Loeb property in 1962, including the barns, office, blacksmith shop, and manager’s house, and renamed the site Castle VanHaver.

In 1966, VanHaver opened the grounds to the public. Visitors could browse the art but also have a cup of coffee and snacks in the Queen’s Courtyard. On Sundays,

VanHaver treated guests to his “magnificent tenor voice of Mario Lanza crooning the ‘Our Father’ and other spiritual hymns in radio broadcasts,” recalls Mueller in the book, For the Love of a Castle II - The Romance Continues, which she co-authored with Kathleen Irene Paterka.

But this dream didn’t last long either.

Financial difficulties forced VanHaven to sell the property in 1969.

“The community supported him,” Anderson says. “They bought his metal shields and displayed them downtown to support him. The town loved him.”

A Rock and Roll Venue Another owner, another dream. After making the purchase of the property in 1969, Arthur and Erwina Reibel initially envisioned the farm as a riding academy.

Their plans, however, evolved to include an outdoor concert venue. A 50-foot wide, covered concrete steel stage was constructed.

Eventually, the two wings of The Castle (where the cows once lived) were removed to accommodate larger crowds and reserved seating.

Just about everyone who was a major recording star in the late 1970s through the early 1990s rocked the stage at Castle Farms.

That roster includes Bob Seger, The Doobie Brothers, Heart, Def Leppard, KISS, Iron Maiden, Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, and so many more. Reibel added a loft and balcony to the second floor to Knight’s Castle, originally a horse barn, so he could watch the concerts from his own private box and retire there afterward, avoiding traffic congestion and the hassles of leaving.

The music is long gone, but stories linger.

Aerosmith reportedly had a water fight in the artesian well in the Queen’s Courtyard.

An aerial view of the Castle Farms grounds during a 1983 concert.

Bon Jovi carved his name in a stone in what was then the Green Room and now serves as a changing room for wedding couples.

Willie Nelson’s bodyguard pulled a gun on the owner, with the singer demanding pay immediately. Ozzy Osbourne is remembered as a Dracula figurine in one of Mueller’s miniature collections.

Despite the stellar lineup, the venue faced its own challenges. With all the noise and traffic came community troubles. Castle Farms received a host of citations for health complaints, noise, litter, and other violations.

“From what I’ve heard, most of the community was not happy with the concerts.

The town was already busy in the summer with tourists,” says Trevor Dotson, manager of operations at the Charlevoix Historical Society. “The concerts caused so much more gridlock and traffic. People didn’t like the way [concertgoers] treated the area. It was a mess.”

Following Riebel’s death in 1999, the music came to an end and the property went up for sale—again.

A Romantic Destination By 2000, Castle Farms, with its crumbling fieldstone walls and broken windows, stood as a mere shadow of its former, grander self.

The farm had dwindled to just 37 acres, and the barns and silos were roofless. To put it plainly, the property had become an eyesore.

“When I bought the castle in 2001, my original purpose was to restore a national landmark back to usable condition. My plan was to do it in stages and take 10 years,”

Mueller recalls. “My husband, Richard, decided to speed things up, and the buildings were ready to use in 2005.”

That was all well and good, but Mueller admits, “I had no idea what I was going to do with the buildings. Eventually I figured out weddings and receptions were the most profitable. After that I continued to add indoor space for new purposes, like adding heat, air conditioning, and French doors to the East and West Wings for wedding receptions.

I added a gift shop by the entrance, and a catering room in the back,” she says.

The extensive renovation was completed thanks to a team of local and state construction companies, architects, carpenters, and artisans. Mueller’s vision in maintaining the architectural integrity of the great Renaissance towers and original building techniques resulted in a world-class property of historical significance. The Loeb family even shared the original blueprints for the wings, enabling Mueller to replicate them.

It’s a treat to walk through the castle, to hear interesting stories here and there, and to muse over the vast collection Mueller has amassed. The 1918 Museum, for instance, honors not only World War I but includes a collection of products Sears sold, complete with the original advertising. There’s a barrel-shaped washing machine for $7.95. A 1918 bicycle with wooden wheels—a luxury then—priced at $28.95. Her collection includes wedding cake toppers, not common in 1918 but something Sears eventually mass produced and helped popularize.

The wall of fame of performers who visited the Charlevoix rock venue.

The King's Courtyard today.

Today, the venue hosts about 150 weddings per year, plus other gatherings and special events.

The updates and expansions have continued. Castle Farms celebrated its centennial in 2018 and opened a winery, 1918 Cellars. More recently, Mueller revamped a cluster of barns into Hungry Ducks Farm, a petting farm for children and families.

“I love watching generations connecting

and having fun together,” Mueller says. “I remember a father showing his daughter the castle and items from the country his family came from. Family history is important. It is good to know you didn’t just appear in time and place randomly.”

Visit Castle Farms at 5052 M-66 in Charlevoix.

Admission is $10 and includes a self-guided historical tour.

Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 15

feb 10

saturday

BEULAH WINTERFEST: 8am-8pm, Downtown Beulah.

Try your hand at frozen turkey bowling or the frozen fish toss. With activities beginning at 10am, you can also hit the cookie & bake sale, no fee Snowmobile Poker Run, chili cookoff, free horse drawn wagon rides, Snowball Target Competition, Winterfest Parade, Outhouse Sprint, the new Walking Valentine Contest, & more.

Fireworks will also be held on Crystal Lake at 7:15pm. Register. clcba.org/event/winterfest

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

48TH ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN VASA FESTIVAL OF RACES: CANCELLED.

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WINTER GUIDED HIKE ON THE NATURAL EDUCATION RESERVE: FULL: 9:30am-noon, Boardman River Nature Center, Oleson Pavilion, TC. Join Grand Traverse Conservation District staff on a guided hike along the trails of the Natural Education Reserve to explore the beauty of the Boardman-Ottaway River Valley.

Learn more about new & upcoming projects as you walk through time & observe the magnitude of restoration that has occurred following the removal of Sabin Dam in 2018. A limited amount of snowshoes are available. Register.

Free. natureiscalling.org

---------------------HARBOR SPRINGS ICE FEST: The Ice Fest kicks off on Fri., Feb. 9 at 6pm with trivia night at Stafford’s Pier Restaurant, followed by Hex your Ex Night at Pierson’s Grille. Featuring about 50 ice sculptures throughout Downtown Harbor Springs, along with the Dueling Chainsaws Show. Other attractions include an interactive ice park in Zorn Park with large sculptures that are perfect for photo ops & play, ice carving demonstrations, a scavenger hunt, & ice games. downtownharborsprings.com/ice-fest

---------------------HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID SURVEY & TREATMENT TRAINING: 10am, Wagoner Community Center, Manistee. Join ISN to learn about how to protect & manage your ecologically important hemlock trees on your own property. Learn how to survey your hemlocks for hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), & how to conduct your own treatments, should you find HWA on your property. Register. Free. HabitatMatters.org/Events

---------------------OPEN STUDIO, PETOSKEY: 10am-1pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Visual Arts Room, Petoskey. Drop-in for free arts & crafts for the whole family. New projects are offered each week. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ open-studio-february-10

---------------------PARCHEESI ANYONE?: 10am-1pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Play one of the library’s or bring your own to share. There will also be kits so your family can design their own game. RSVP. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

---------------------WINTER HIKE AT ARCADIA DUNES:

10am, Arcadia Dunes. Join volunteer Sally Manke & embark on a two-mile hike through a Beech-Maple forest, featuring awe-inspiring views of Lake Michigan from the top of Old Baldy, an iconic perched dune. Register. Free. gtrlc.org/recreation-events/events

---------------------LITTLE WAVES: A musical children’s program series hosted by the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra. Each session includes a multimedia musical storybook time as well as a chance to see one or more of the many instruments of the orchestra up close. Held at Petoskey District Library at 10:30am & Charlevoix Public Library at 1pm.

Free. glcorchestra.org/education/little-waves

---------------------MINDFUL & MUSICAL POP UP STORYTIME WITH MIRIAM PICO: 11:30am, Identity Brewing Co., TC. For all ages. Free. identitybrewing. com/live-music-%26-events

---------------------POETRY READING WITH C. SCOTT MILLS: Noon, Leland Township Library, Leland. Enjoy

this local writer, teacher & artist. In his poetry & prose, he explores land & the imagination, pattern & recurrence, myth, & a spirited human participation in this much-more-than-human world. He will be reading from his new book “Drift Gestures.” Free. lelandlibrary.org/events

february

10-18

---------------------TASTE THE PASSION: Noon-5pm, participating locations on Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail, Feb. 9-11. Receive one selected wine tasting paired with a cuisine option at each of the participating wineries. Additionally, each ticket comes with $10 in “Cork Cash,” redeemable on purchases of bottles, merchandise, tastings & more. Reservations are highly recommended. $25-$45. mynorthtickets.com/events/taste-thepassion-2-9-2024

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

---------------------THE FROSTBITE TRAIL: Beginning at noon, this is a Charlevoix & Antrim counties small bite & drink tasting experience with 12 participating locations. $12 per person at each location. facebook.com/frostbitetrail

---------------------“THE SLEEPING BEAUTY”: 2pm & 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. The Interlochen Arts Academy Dance Division & the Traverse Symphony Orchestra stage this ballet adaptation of the fairy tale, “The Sleeping Beauty.” $34 adults; $19 children through college. There are also Prince & Princess Pajama Parties with crafts, singalongs, story time & more in the Music Center next to Corson today at noon & 5:30pm.

Tickets: $15. interlochen.org/events/sleepingbeauty-2024-02-10

---------------------MOVIE PREMIERE: “THE DJ ON WALLAKER HILL”: 2pm & 7pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. See the first public screenings of Rich Brauer’s new movie. Afterwards stay for a Q & A with Rich & some cast & crew. $10. tickets.oldtownplayhouse.com/TheatreManager/1/ online?bestavail=1998&qty=0

---------------------THE CHILLY CHILI COOK-OFF: 2-5pm, The Village at GT Commons, The Piazza, TC. Northern Michigan businesses will prepare their best chili for a chance at People’s Choice favorite Chili. DJ Finster will MC & DJ starting at 2pm. Visit the Bay Area Recycling for Charities drink tent to grab your Earthen Ales beer or Left Foot Charley wine & cider. Tickets: $25 for 21 & over; includes chili tastes & voting ticket & 1 drink ticket. $15 for 12-20; includes chili tastes & voting ticket. $5 for 11 & under; includes chili tastes & voting ticket. thevillagetc.com/36359-2

---------------------COCKTAILS, CANAPES & COMEDY: 4pm, Willowbrook Mill, Northport. Presented by Northport Performing Arts Center in collaboration with Old Town Playhouse’s Aged to Perfection Reader’s Theatre. “5 for 1,” An Evening of Short Comedies. $45 per person. northportperformingarts.org/tickets-and-events

---------------------22ND ANNUAL VALENTINE CHILI COOKOFF: 6pm, Eagles Hall, Gaylord. For more info call 989-619-5586. $20/person; all you can eat; $5 discount if you bring a chili.

---------------------CANDLELIGHT HIKE: Explore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore at night on a candlelit winter hike at the Dune Climb, Empire.

Arrive anytime between 6-7:30pm to enjoy the full experience. If there is adequate snow, this will be a snowshoe hike. Bring your own, or snowshoes will also be loaned on a firstcome, first-served basis. Free with a valid park entrance pass. nps.gov/planyourvisit/eventdetails.htm?id=2DFDB85C-AD2D-6B7D-1EE0A2C6927D91CB

---------------------BAYSIDE TRAVELLERS CONTRA DANCE: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, TC. Beginner Dance Workshop, 7pm; dances from 7:3010:30pm. Music provided by Dag Nabbit with workshop & dances led by Pat Reeser. Donations only. dancetc.com

---------------------GOPHERWOOD CONCERTS PRESENTS MICHAEL WAITE: 7-9pm, Cadillac Elks Lodge. Singer, songwriter & guitarist Michael

16 • february 12, 2024 • Northern Express Weekly

Choose from 100+ whiskeys and bourbons at the 2nd Annual Traverse City Bourbon Fest, Sat., Feb. 17 at Visions Weddings & Banquets, TC. There will be store picks, classic cocktails and high-end bottle section.

Includes a few non-bourbon options such as beer, wine & non-alcoholic beverages. Also enjoy food trucks, live music, vendors and more. Featuring two sessions: 4-6:30pm and 7:30-10pm. GA tickets are $50 until Feb. 10 and $60 week of. Designated driver tickets are $10. For more info visit traversecitybourbonfest.com.

Waite weaves together folk, jazz, Americana, & blues with themes of the wonders of the natural world, the mysteries of the spiritual, & the joys of kith & kin. In 2015 he formed the acoustic band Adam Sawfox. $9-$18. mynorthtickets. com/events/michael-waite-2-10-2024

feb 11

sunday

48TH ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN VASA FESTIVAL OF RACES: CANCELLED.

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

AUTHOR EVENT: 11am, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey. New York Times bestselling author Terry Hayes will sign his thriller, “The Year of the Locust.” RSVP: 231-347-1180.

---------------------TASTE THE PASSION: (See Fri., Feb. 9) ---------------------SECOND SUNDAY ART PROJECT: EMBRACE THE DREAM: 12:30-3pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Get inspired by the watercolor work of Caldecott honor recipient E.B. Lewis who illustrates narratives of the African American experience for children’s books, & create your own watercolor work. Before the art project begins, enjoy a Caldecott story time with friends from the Traverse Area District Library. Free with the price of admission. dennosmuseum.org/events/community-programs.html

---------------------AIRSOFT BIATHLON: 1-3pm, Crystal Mountain, Cross Country Center, Thompsonville.

Combine airsoft & cross-country skiing. The ski trail will be a one-mile long loop with two target stations. Must be 8 years or older to participate.

Medals will be awarded for best overall, best ski time, & most targets hit for both men & women. $25. crystalmountain.com/event/biathlon

---------------------RELATIVE SANITY - POEMS: 2pm, Helena

Township Community Center, Alden. Local author Ellen Lord will discuss her latest book & the various styles of poetry. 231-331-4318. Free.

---------------------“THE SLEEPING BEAUTY”: (See Sat., Feb. 10, except today’s time is 3pm.)

---------------------COCKTAILS, CANAPES & COMEDY: COCKTAILS, CANAPES & COMEDY: (See Sat., Feb. 10)

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GREAT LAKES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA SUNDAY SERIES: “CELEBRATING SONGS OF LOVE”: 4pm, First Presbyterian Church of Petoskey. Amy Cross, soprano & André Strydom, accompanist will perform songs of love in honor of Valentine’s Day. Free. glcorchestra.org

feb 12

monday

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

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FOR MY VALENTINE!: 3:30-6:30pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. All ages can join for DIY cupcake decorating. Bring 12 UNFROSTED cupcakes. The library will provide frosting, toppings & ideas. RSVP. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org

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G.T. HUMANISTS MEETING: MODERN MONETARY THEORY: 5:30pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Join the Grand Traverse Humanists for a viewing of a new documentary film about modern monetary theory. “Finding the Money” is about the paradigm shift in our understanding of federal spending, the national debt, & the nature of money itself. Following the film will be a Q & A with director Maren Poitras, who will Zoom in to speak. Free. gthumanists.org

MACKINAW AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2024 LECTURE SERIES: 7pm, Mackinaw Area Public Library, Mackinaw City. Presented by Sister Chris. Discuss the history of St. Anthony’s.

feb 13

tuesday

KID’S CRAFT LAB: HEART STRING ART: 10am, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Create beautiful hearts with string & paint. Sign up at the front desk when you arrive. Reserve your spot on web site. greatlakeskids.org

---------------------POP-UP PEEPERS: WINTER SURVIVAL: 10am, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Learn how you can prepare to be outside in the winter. This is an adult-accompanied program for early learners ages 3-5 years old of all experience levels with the natural world. Includes music, discovery hikes, stories & crafts. Registration: $5/child per session. natureiscalling.org

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LEARN ABOUT BATA: Noon, Glen Lake Community Library, Empire. Learn about the Bay Area Transportation Authority, the regional public transit system. Brian Clark, mobility & outreach coordinator for BATA, will give a quick tour. His presentation will include a demonstration of the BATA apps that can help you make the most of this great system, so bring your smartphone or other mobile device along.

There will also be a drawing for a complimentary ZOOM card, providing a free trial of BATA services. glenlakelibrary.net

---------------------PARKINSON’S NETWORK NORTH: 1pm, The Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. “How to live well with PD.” Updates, Q&A. Intro: New team member. Split session.

947-7389. Free. pnntc.org

---------------------STORYTIME ADVENTURES: (See Mon., Feb. 12)

feb 14

wednesday

SINGING VALENTINES CHERRY CAPITAL MEN’S CHORUS: 9am-7:30pm, anywhere in 20-mile radius of TC. A quartet travels to your sweetheart’s location, performs two love songs in four-part harmony, presents a long-stemmed red rose & a personalized love note from you. Order online; e-mail valentines@cherrycapitalchorus.org; or call 231.486.5287. $50. mynorthtickets.com

feb 15

thursday

COFFEE @ 10, PETOSKEY: 10-11am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Gilbert Gallery, Petoskey. Featuring Mercedes L. Bowyer. Mercedes will discuss her creative practice as a “rogue needlepointer.” Mercedes’ work is included in CTAC’s annual juried fine art show, “Fields of Vision.” Free. crookedtree.org/event/ ctac-petoskey/coffee-10-mercedes-l-bowyer

---------------------LANTERN LIT HIKE AT THE GARDEN: 5:307:30pm, The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, TC. Hike will start at The Botanic Garden Visitors Center & will move through the gardens & surrounding forest. Free. facebook.com/events/s/ lantern-hike-at-the-garden/1401451577406186

---------------------TRAVERSE INDIVISIBLE: 6pm, Raduno, 545 E. 8th St., TC. Behavioral Health leaders discuss their collaborations to expedite service delivery.

Hear from NAMI, BDAI, Munson, CFS, We Fight, & others. Arrive a few minutes early to order your dinner. For questions email: traverseindivisible@ gmail.com. traverseindivisible.org/events

---------------------INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FORUM - CHINA: EMERGING TRENDS: Dennos Museum

Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Featuring Lucy Hornby, award-winning journalist & China expert, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, former fellow at the Harvard Nieman Foundation for Journalism. Event presented in partnership with the Economic Club of Traverse City. 7pm program; 6pm reception. $15 in-person ticket; $10 online livestream; free for current students & educators. tciaf.com/event-feb-2024

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

feb 16

friday

WINTER WONDERLAND WEEKEND: Downtown Petoskey Social District, Feb. 16-19. Featuring ice carving demonstrations, Downtown shopping & restaurant specials, a scavenger hunt through the Downtown shops, & a Downtown Dollars shopping contest. petoskeydowntown.com/ events/winter-wonderland

---------------------INDOOR SIDEWALK SALES: Downtown Charlevoix, Feb. 16-19.

---------------------$2 FRIDAY CLASSICS: 11am, Lyric Theatre, Theater 1, Harbor Springs. Featuring “The Outof-Towners.” Recommend purchasing tickets in advance. lyricharborsprings.org

---------------------OUR SUPREME COURT: SHOULD WE BE WORRIED?: 1-3pm, Traverse Area District Library, Thirlby Room, TC. Public trust & confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court & its legitimacy has been seriously eroded in the last ten to twenty years. Is there any basis for that loss of confidence? When you register for this session, you are expected to attend both weeks of discussion. The sessions will be held on two consecutive Fridays from 1-3pm on Feb. 9 & 16.

Once you have registered, a copy of the articles for the first week’s discussion will be emailed to you. Free. tadl.org/supremecourt

MON 2•12 B O T H S H O W S @ 6 P M C O M E A S Y O U A R E ; P AY W H AT Y O U C A N

THU 2•15

WSG VIBROPHONIST JIM COOPER

ARTIST LISA FLAHIVE

FRI march 1 Addison Agen Duo wsg Ben & Jane SAT march 2 Rachael Kilgour WED march 6 Michigan Made Songwriters Night Spencer LaJoye Sammie Hershock Nicholas James Thomasma Kyle Rasche SUN march 10 • Moss Manor wsg Eliza Thorp SUN march 17 • Caley Conway + Cathedral Becomes Tomb

TICKETS FOR ALL SHOWS HERE

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

---------------------WINTER TRAILS DAY: 2pm, Palmer Woods, Maple City. Join the staff of the Leelanau Conservancy, along with docents, board & LC Collective members for winter fun on the trails.

Skis, snowshoes & warm winter gear are recommended. If winter snow levels aren’t ideal for snowshoeing & skiing, you will hike & should bring yak-tracks or ice cleats with hiking poles.

Free. leelanauconservancy.org/events

---------------------COCKTAILS, CANAPES & COMEDY: (See Sat., Feb. 10, except tonight’s time is 7pm.)

---------------------INTERLOCHEN IN TOWN: KARA HUBER: 7:30-9:30pm, The Alluvion, TC. Instructor of Piano Kara Huber, D.M.A. presents “The Complete Solo Piano Works of Joan Tower.” $28. thealluvion.org/tickets/interlochen-in-town-atthe-alluvion-kara-huber

feb 17

saturday

ALPENFROST: Gaylord.

Featuring the Frosty 5K, OCCWA Arts & Craft Fair, Cocoa Crawl, snowman building, build a pizza, GACA-Pets & Wild Life Exhibit, Frosty Dip, & much more. alpenfrost.com

---------------------WINTER WONDERLAND WEEKEND: (See Fri., Feb. 16)

---------------------PETOSKEY CHILI TRAIL: 2-4pm, Downtown Petoskey. Join several downtown businesses during the Winter Wonderland Weekend. Businesses will be serving their very own chili recipe, which is free for you to eat. grandpashorters.com/event/petoskey-chili-trail

FEB 12 – FEB 19 MON-SAT 10-6 • SUN 11-4 DOWNTOWN TC • 231-946-1131 • CREATIVE & QUALITY TOYS SINCE 1984

Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 17

INDOOR SIDEWALK SALES: Downtown Charlevoix, Feb. 16-19.

---------------------OPEN STUDIO, PETOSKEY: (See Sat., Feb. 10) ---------------------THE BEST YETI FEST THIS SIDE OF THE HIMALAYAS: 10:30am-5:30pm, Downtown Suttons Bay. Sponsored by the Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce. Chili Cook-off, live music, free movie at The Bay Theatre, adult & kids scavenger hunts, Yeti Cup Hockey Tournament, SB Library Yeti Exploration, face painting, hot cocoa, sledding & more. Tickets for Chili Cook-off are $10/person; advanced tickets available at mynorthtickets.com. Scavenger Hunt is $20/team. suttonsbayarea.com

---------------------WINTERLOCHEN: 11am, Interlochen Arts Academy, Main Campus. Join the students, faculty & staff of Interlochen Arts Academy for this annual winter festival. Sledding & s’mores, arts exploration activities, musical instruments, acting, dancing & much more. Free. interlochen. org/winterlochen

---------------------PHANTASMA GORIA 2024 RECEPTION: 1pm, Right Brain Brewery, TC. The pub at Right Brain Brewery is filled with nearly 40 local artists’ work, ranging from drawing & painting, mixed media, photography, wood & much more. A reception will be held today including over 10 art vendors with pop up booths, selling pottery, jewelry, wall hangings & more. The brewhouse will be open for an all day concert with bands, Robert Rolfe Feddersen at 1pm, Radel Rosin from Oh Brother Big Sister going solo at 4:30pm, & Rob Coonrod with Jazz Cabbage from 7-9pm. rightbrainbrewery. com/75/phantasmagoria-art-show

---------------------2ND ANNUAL TRAVERSE CITY BOURBON FEST: Visions Weddings & Banquets, TC. Featuring 100+ whiskeys & bourbons, store picks, classic cocktails & high-end bottle section. There will also be food trucks, live music by Jesse Ray

and the Carolina Catfish, vendors & more. GA tickets are $50 until Feb. 10 & $60 week of event.

VIP tickets are $100. Designated Driver tickets are $10. Choose from Session 1 that runs from 4-6:30pm or Session 2 that runs from 7:30-10pm.

Proceeds benefit Friends of The River. traversecitybourbonfest.com

---------------------COCKTAILS, CANAPES & COMEDY: (See Sat., Feb. 10)

---------------------SLEDDING & S’MORES: 4-6pm, Kiwanis Park, Harbor Springs. Sledding, food, hot cocoa & s’mores around a bonfire. Rides up the hill from the fire department. 231-526-2104. Free.

---------------------CANDLELIGHT HIKE: (See Sat., Feb. 10) ---------------------2ND ANNUAL SNOWBALL GALA: 6:30pm, The Barn Hall, Manton. An evening of elegance, dancing, raffle prizes, drinks & more. All proceeds from this event help Healing Private Wounds Center continue providing free services to survivors of sexual abuse & other traumas. 1 for $35; 2 for $60. healingprivatewounds.org

---------------------STARS, STRIPES & SWING: 7pm, VFW Cherryland Post 2780, TC. Jump & jive in style with a 40s, 50s & 60s Victory Party. Enjoy an evening of heavy hor d’oeuvres, DJ & dancing, & a cash bar. Tickets are $30/person or stop into the VFW for 2 for $50. eventbrite.com/e/ stars-stripes-and-swing-tickets-791438362447

---------------------BROADWAY ON FRONT: SHINE LIKE STARS: 8pm, City Opera House, TC. Hosted

by Paul Canaan & featuring stellar performers from Broadway, singing iconic songs from the stars of stage & screen. This year’s gala includes live music, a live auction, & fun opportunities to support City Opera House. Balcony GA: $50. cityoperahouse.org

---------------------FUEL: 8pm, Odawa Casino, Ovation Hall, Petoskey. This American rock band is known

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

for their hit songs “Shimmer,” “Bad Day,” “Falls on Me” & many more. $40. odawacasino.com/ entertainment

---------------------THE LIGHTEN UP COMEDY SHOW: 8pm, Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge, Peshawbestown. Featuring headlining stand-up comedians Ron Rigby & Steve Hansen. Host & emcee will be Leah Gray. $20. events.humanitix. com/the-lighten-up-comedy-show-at-leelanausands-casino-02-17-2024

feb 18

sunday

WINTER WONDERLAND WEEKEND: (See Fri., Feb. 16)

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

INDOOR SALES: Charlevoix, Feb. 16-19.

SIDEWALK Downtown

---------------------COCKTAILS, CANAPES & COMEDY: (See Sat., Feb. 10)

ongoing

SNOWSHOES, VINES, & WINES: Explore the trails at Black Star Farms Suttons Bay & then warm up with mulled wine, soup or wood-fired pizza. Held on Saturdays through the winter with the exception of Feb. 10. Onsite snowshoe rentals are available from noon-4pm. Additional date includes Sun., Feb. 18. blackstarfarms. com/snowshoes-vines-wines

---------------------PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Tuesdays, 10:30am, Suttons Bay-Bingham District Library, lower-level Community Room. Preschoolers of all ages are invited to join for stories, songs & active fun. sbbdl.org

---------------------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/market-at-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

“SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION”: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. This annual regional high school student exhibit is a vibrant showcase of student artwork. Featuring the talents of local 11th & 12th grade students, this artwork will be on display through Feb. 24. charlevoixcircle.org

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

It pays to invest in a

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Manton Metal Sales

7812 E 14 Road, Manton • 231-824-9002 (if line is busy, keep trying) 18 • february 12, 2024 • Northern Express Weekly

FORM + FUNCTION: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. This exhibition is an exploration of sculptural forms & functional fiber. It runs through Feb. 16. Includes artists from around Michigan presenting 3D sculptural works & assemblages in wood, ceramic, metal & other materials in the Beck & Borwell galleries. A range of fiber & related functional work will be displayed in the Fisher Room & North & South Exhibit Halls.

Additionally, the galleries will include work created by artists in the community selected via an open call. The Oliver Art Center is open Tues.

- Sat. from 10am-4pm & Sun. from noon-4pm.

Closed on Monday. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org

---------------------“RISE, SERVE, LEAD! AMERICA’S WOMEN PHYSICIANS” EXHIBITION: Runs through Feb. 15 in the NCMC Library, Petoskey. A traveling exhibition celebrating the contributions & legacy of our nation’s women physicians, this is a display of six roll-up graphic banners.

It highlights the lives & achievements of U.S. women physicians who have made a difference

through their medical practice & research, their work as activists, their service as administrators, & their mentorship to the next generation of doctors. ncmich.edu

---------------------ART EXHIBIT: KATI ROSENBAUGH & LYNN STEPHENSON: City Opera House, TC. Enjoy contrasting visual arts mediums & styles - each taking inspiration from the beauty of northern Michigan. The exhibit runs through Feb. 29. cityoperahouse.org

---------------------GUILD MEMBER SALON SHOW 2024: Runs through Feb. 16 at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Carnegie Galleries, TC. Featuring more than 100 artists, this recurring exhibition opportunity rotates between CTAC’s Petoskey & TC locations each year, & features work by Crooked Tree Arts Center’s Artist Guild Members. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city/guildmember-salon-show-2024

---------------------“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

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CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - CULTIVATED: RELATIONSHIPS WITH NATURE: Runs through Feb. 24 in Bonfield Gallery. Contemporary photographs, fiber works, & installations explore the concept of cultivation. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/cultivated-relationships-nature - FIELDS OF VISION: JURIED FINE ART EXHIBITION: Runs through Feb. 24 in Gilbert Gallery. Annual juried all-media exhibition featuring works by Michigan artists. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey/fields-vision-juriedfine-art-exhibition

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DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - NORTHLAND WEAVERS & FIBER ARTS GUILD’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION: The exhibition runs through March 3 & includes the work of 27 current & past members. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org - HEMINGWAY IN COMICS: This exhibition presents a new, more complicated way to look at Hemingway: a man, an artist, & a character that has taken on a life of its own & allows visitors to consider why Hemingway’s image, in particular, is so enduring. It’s not only for the dedicated Hemingway fan, but for all those with an appreciation for comics, pop culture, & the absurd.

Runs through May 26. Hours are Tues. - Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcomingexhibitions/hemingway-in-comics.html?utm_ source=cision&utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=DMC-winter-2024 - YOUNG AT ART: A SELECTION OF CALDECOTT ILLUSTRATIONS: This exhibition includes original illustrations from Caldecott Medal recipients & from “runnerup” Honor books, as well as other illustrations by award-winning artists. It is an exhibition of works from Wichita Falls Museum of Art’s permanent collection. It runs through April 28. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/ upcoming-exhibitions/young-at-art.html?utm_ source=cision&utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=DMC-winter-2024

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GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER: - “HAPPY”: Held in Main Gallery. “Happy” features the work of 26 artists who explore & interpret the many facets & meanings of happiness: literal to metaphorical, in 2D + 3D. Runs through March 21. Open Mon. through Fri., 9am-3pm; Sat., noon-4pm. Free. glenarborart. org/events/exhibit-happy - TREE OF LIFE -- AN EXHIBIT: TC artist Mary Fortuna explores the Tree Of Life - Connecting The World in this mixed media installation. This small show runs through April 25. The Tree Of Life that will grow in the GAAC’s Lobby Gallery is populated with animals, birds & insects.

Each one is a hand-sewn soft sculpture. Hours: Mon. through Fri., 9am-3pm; Sat., noon-4pm. glenarborart.org/events/exhibit-tree-of-life-con-

by JOSEPH BEYER

American Fiction

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Reading society like a book and reflecting our collective discrimination back at us, American Fiction is a remarkable first-time feature that is simultaneously one of the softest and loudest films of the year. (It has been nominated for Best Picture, among other Oscars honors.)

Soft as in the absolutely heart wrenching lead performance by actor Jeffrey Wright portraying Thelonious “Monk” Ellison: a tortured novelist with impostor syndrome desperate to make his mark on the world while fighting to earn his family’s respect.

Loud as in the multitude of themes and stereotypes the film explores and the ultimately giant nature of its commentary and heart.

Directed with a remarkably confident hand by newcomer Cord Jefferson, American Fiction is an adaptation of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, a scathing portrait of the publishing world that becomes even more so in this post-woke cinematic retelling.

We follow Monk the Writer through the familiar early territory of disgruntled service in academia, publishing rejections, and the soft shoulder of his literary agent Arthur (played beautifully by actor John Ortiz).

But when Monk’s professional jealousy of a bestselling author gets the best of him, Arthur becomes his co-conspirator in a contemporary comedy of deceit.

Together, they deliver the book world exactly what they think it wants when Monk pretends to become Stagg R. Leigh, a convict and outsider artist who takes the publishing industry by storm with his raw and racial “authenticity.”

Dan Stiebel, CCIM 231.633.0432 dan@realestatetc.com

Far from alienating readers and the literary world, Leigh becomes a star, and Monk must decide how far to take the stunt…and how much he really desires this success.

Ya’ Can’t Eat Roses

If American Fiction were just a highconcept satire, I doubt it would be affecting audiences so powerfully. What makes the film so unforgettable are the manylayered personal and family struggles that take place in the background, struggles of common humanity that are powerful enough to get under your skin and into your psyche.

Kudos to casting director Jennifer Euston who has put together one of the best ensembles this year, starring actors Erika Alexander, Tracee Ellis Ross, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Leslie Uggams, and comedienne Issa Rae in a turn to serious you won’t see coming. Sterling K. Brown’s Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance as Monk’s brother is well deserved.

So too is praise for the distinct soundtrack by composer Laura Karpman, who uses the subtle blue notes of jazz to accentuate Monk’s literal and figurative loneliness.

While it’s perfectly understandable that MGM Studios (now owned by Amazon) would pump up the comedic elements of American Fiction for marketing and trailers, I think you’ll be genuinely surprised by the sophistication and nuance of a story you may think you already understand. The film has so much more to say about life than just a playful and subversive commentary on race relations.

American Fiction is that rare blend of talents coming together perfectly and existing only and uniquely within this one story world— our world, that familiar and imperfect one.

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Grand Traverse & Kalkaska ENCORE 201, TC 2/10 -- Tower of Bauer, 7:3010:30; DJ Ricky T, 10:30 2/16 -- DJ Ricky T, 9 2/17 -- Jon Archambault, 7:3010:30; DJ Ricky T, 10:30

MARI VINEYARDS, TC 2/16 -- Levi Britton, 4-6 MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC 2/14 -- Speed Trivia, 7-9 2/16 -- Rebekah Jon, 6-9

IDENTITY BREWING CO., TC DINING ROOM: 2/16 -- Chris Sterr, 6-9 KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC 2/9-10 -- The Ampersands, 9:30 Mon -- Team Trivia, 7-9 Tue -- The Will Harris Trio, 8 Wed -- The Pocket, 8 Thu -- DJ Leo, 9:30 2/16-17 -- The Equality Show Band, 9:30 KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING 2/10 -- KDJ, 7-9 2/12 -- Trivia, 6-8 2/13 -- Open Mic, 6-8 LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC BARREL ROOM: 2/12 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9 TASTING ROOM: 2/16 -- Jim Moore, 5-7 LIL BO, TC Tues. – Trivia, 8-10 Sun. – Karaoke, 8 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, TC 2/16 -- Clint Weaner, 8

NORTH BAR, TC 7-10: 2/10 -- Mal & Mike 2/14 -- Jesse Jefferson 2/15 -- Drew Hale PARK PLACE HOTEL, TC BEACON LOUNGE: 2/9-10 & 2/16-17 -- Jim Hawley, 7-10 SORELLINA'S, TC SLATE RESTAURANT: Thurs. -- Tom Kaufmann on Piano, 5-8 Fri. & Sat. – Tom Kaufmann on Piano, 6-9 STONE HOUND BREWING CO., WILLIAMSBURG 2/15 -- Clint Weaner, 7-9 THE ALLUVION, TC 2/10 -- Molly, 7:30-9:30 2/12 -- Big Fun - Funky Fun Mondays, 6-8 2/14 -- Blue Note Records' 85th Anniversary Celebration w/ The Blue Note Quintet: SOLD OUT, 7:30-9:30 2/15 -- The Jeff Haas Trio feat.

Laurie Sears & Lisa Flahive, w/ Jim Cooper, 6-8 2/16 -- Interlochen in Town: Kara

Huber, 7:30-9:30 2/17 -- Max Lockwood Band & Elisabeth Pixley-Fink, 7:30-10 THE HAYLOFT INN, TC 2/9-10 -- Sandy & The Bandits, 7:30-11 Thu -- Trent Breithaupt's Open Mic, 6 2/16-17 -- Tyler Gitchel's Traditional Country Show, 7:30-11

BRIDGE STREET TAP ROOM, CHARLEVOIX 2/13 -- Patrick Ryan, 7

ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 7-10: 2/10 -- The Marsupials 2/17 -- Slim Pickins String Band FIRESIDE LOUNGE, BELLAIRE 2/17 -- The Marsupials - Tai Drury, 6:30-9:30 JAX NORTHSIDE, CHARLEVOIX 2/14 -- Trivia Night, 7-9

THE PARLOR, TC 8-11: 2/10 -- Chris Sterr 2/13 -- Jesse Jefferson 2/14 -- Wink Solo 2/15 -- Luke Woltanski & John Piatek THE PUB, TC 2/10 -- Rolling Dirty, 8-11 2/11 & 2/18 -- Rob Coonrod, 6-9 2/14 -- Tyler Roy, 7-10 THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 2/10 -- Aaron Dye, 8-10 2/11 -- TiltThink Improv Comedy Mixtape, 7-9 Tue -- Open Mic Night, 7-9 Wed -- Jazz Show & Jam, 6-8 Thu -- Trivia Night, 7-8 2/16 -- Jonah Leatherman, 8-10 2/17 -- Ted Alan & the Underprivileged, 8-10 2/18 -- Comedy Open Mic, 7-9

PROVISIONS WINE LOUNGE, BOYNE CITY 2/13 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6-8 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

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee NORTHERN NATURAL CIDER HOUSE & WINERY, KALEVA 6-8: 2/16 -- Open Mic - Hosted by Andy Amstutz 2/17 -- Cheryl Wolfram

THE GREENHOUSE - WILLOW/ PRIMOS, CADILLAC 2/14 -- Trivia Night & Music Bingo w/ Shawny-D, 6-10 2/15 -- Karaoke Night w/ DJ Shawny-D, 7-10

C.R.A.V.E., GAYLORD 6-9: 2/10 -- Rick Woods 2/16 -- Clinton Herigstad 2/17 -- Dan White

20 • february 12, 2024 • Northern Express Weekly

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Known for hits “Shimmer,” “Hemorrhage (In My Hands), “Bad Day,” “Falls on Me,” and many other songs, Fuel plays Ovation Hall at Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey on Sat., Feb. 17 at 8pm. This GRAMMY®-nominated multi-platinum rock band was reborn in 2021. Tickets, $40. odawacasino.com/entertainment

Leelanau & Benzie BOATHOUSE VINEYARDS, LAKE LEELANAU TASTING ROOM: 2/16 -- Dominic Fortuna, 5:30-8 CICCONE VINEYARD & WINERY, SUTTONS BAY 2-4:30: 2/10 -- Charlie Arnett 2/18 -- The North Bay Celtic Band CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE SLOPESIDE TENT, NEAR CRYSTAL CLIPPER CHAIRLIFT, 3-5: 2/10 -- Luke Woltanski 2/17 -- Tim Krause 2/18 -- Jesse Jefferson VISTA LOUNGE: 2/10 -- Jim Hawley, 2-5; Soul Patch, 8-11 2/16 -- Boone Doggies, 8-11 2/17 -- Nick Vasquez, 2-5; Broom Closet Boys, 8-11 2/18 -- Levi Britton, 2-5; Jim Hawley, 8-11 DICK'S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. -- Karaoke, 10-1 FIVE SHORES BREWING, BEULAH 6-9: 2/15 -- Trivia Night

2/16 -- Open Mic FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR 2/15 -- Rhett & John, 4-7 GLEN ARBOR WINES 2/10 -- Saturday Night Live Music, 7-9 2/13 -- Luke Woltanski, 5:30-8 IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 6-8: 2/10 -- Brett Mitchell 2/16 -- John Piatek & Luke Woltanski 2/17 -- Wink LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 2/10 -- Luke Woltanski & Andre Villoch, 6:30-9:30 2/15 -- Trivia Night, 7-9 2/16 -- 1000 Watt Prophets, 6:309:30 2/17 -- Silver Creek Revival, 6:309:30 LEELANAU SANDS CASINO & LODGE, PESHAWBESTOWN 2/17 -- The Lighten Up Comedy Show w/ Ron Rigby & Steven Hansen, & Host Leah Gray, 8-9:30

NORTHERN LATITUDES DISTILLERY, LAKE LEELANAU 2/10 -- Chris Smith, 4:45-6:45 ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 2/10 -- Barefoot, 5-8 2/15 -- Open Mic Thursdays, 6-8:30 2/16 -- Blake Elliott, 5-8 2/17 -- Jesse Jefferson, 5-8 SHADY LANE CELLARS, SUTTONS BAY 2/16 -- Friday Night Live feat. Love Songs w/ Kevin Paul, 5-8 STORMCLOUD BREWING FRANKFORT 7-9: 2/10 -- Blake Elliott 2/14 -- Trivia 2/17 -- Aaron Dye

CO.,

THE HOMESTEAD RESORT, GLEN ARBOR WHISKERS BAR & GRILL, 6-9: 2/10 – Bryan Poirier 2/17 -- Billy & The Kid THE RIVERSIDE INN, LELAND 2/16 -- Grace Mouch, 5-7

2/17 -- Sam Cronkhite, 7-10

Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD 6-9: 2/10 -- Mike Ridley 2/16 -- Keith Menzies 2/17 -- Rick Woods

edited by jamie kauffold

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 2/17 -- Biggie Moll's Dance Party, 8-11

Antrim & Charlevoix BOYNE CITY TAP ROOM 7-9: 2/10 & 2/17 -- Adam Engelman & Patrick Ryan 2/15 -- Adam & The Cabana Boys Fri -- Patrick Ryan & Josh Raber

nitelife

FEb 10- FEb 18

Emmet & Cheboygan BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY 2-6: 2/10 -- Chris Calleja 2/17 -- Michelle Chenard

NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY 2/10 -- Holly Keller, 7-10 2/14 -- PubStumper's Trivia, 6:30 2/16 -- Lee Fayssoux, 7-10 2/17 -- Michelle Chenard, 7-10

CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY Tue -- Trivia Night, 7-9 2/16 -- Annex Karaoke, 9:30 2/17 -- CIRCUIT Electronic Dance Party w/ DJs ClarkAfterDark & Franck, 9

ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY OVATION HALL: 2/17 -- Fuel, 8 VICTORIES: 2/16 -- Detour, 9

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BAY HARBOR 2/15 -- Thursday Trivia, 7-9 2/16 -- Jessica Dominic, 7:3010:30

POND HILL FARM, HARBOR SPRINGS 5-8: 2/10 -- Rhett & John 2/16 -- Jelly Roll Blues Band 2/17 -- Underleaf Band

THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN 2/10 -- Happy Little Accidents, 8 2/15 -- Musicians Playground ‘Open Mic,’ 7 2/17 -- Dale Rieger & The Iconics, 8 THE HIGHLANDS AT HARBOR SPRINGS AONACH MOR: 2/14-15 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6 SLOPESIDE LOUNGE: 2/16 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6 ZOO BAR CANTINA: 2/17 -- Jelly Roll Blues Band, 4:30

lOGY

FEB 12 - FEB 18

BY ROB BREZSNY

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Poet Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) lived till age 76, but her destiny was a rough ride. Her native country, the authoritarian Soviet Union, censored her work and imprisoned her friends and family. In one of her poems, she wrote, "If I can't have love, if I can't find peace, give me a bitter glory." She got the latter wish. She came close to winning a Nobel Prize and is now renowned as a great poet and heroic symbol of principled resistance to tyranny. Dear Aquarius, I predict that your life in the coming months will be very different from Akhmatova’s. I expect you will enjoy more peace and love than you've had in a long time. Glory will stream your way, too, but it will be graceful, never bitter. The effects will be heightened if you express principled resistance to tyranny.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Actor and travel

writer Andrew McCarthy hiked across Spain along the famous pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago. On the way, he felt so brave and strong that at one point he paradoxically had a sobbing breakdown. He realized how fear had always dominated his life. With this chronic agitation absent for the first time ever, he felt free to be his genuine self. "I started to feel more comfortable in the world and consequently in my own skin," he testified, concluding, "I think travel obliterates fear." I recommend applying his prescription to yourself in the coming months, Virgo—in whatever ways your intuition tells you are right. Cosmic forces will be aligned with you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the natural world,

there are four partnership styles. In the parasitic variety, one living thing damages another while exploiting it. In the commensal mode, there is exploitation by one partner, but no harm occurs. In the epizoic model, one creature serves as a vehicle for the other but gets nothing in return. The fourth kind of partnership is symbiotic. It’s beneficial to both parties. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Libra, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to take an inventory of your alliances and affiliations—and begin to de-emphasize, even phase out, all but the symbiotic ones.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author

Dan Savage says, "I wish I could let myself eat and eat and eat." He imagines what it would be like if he didn't "have to monitor the foods I put in my mouth or go to the gym anymore." He feels envious of those who have no inhibitions about being gluttonous. In alignment with astrological aspects, I authorize Savage and all Scorpios to temporarily set aside such inhibitions. Take a brief break. Experiment with what it feels like to free yourself to ingest big helpings of food and drink—as well as metaphorical kinds of nourishment like love and sex and sensations and entertainment. Just for now, allow yourself to play around with voraciousness. You may be surprised at the deeper liberations it triggers.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Dear

Wise Gambler: You rank high in your spacious intelligence, intuitive logic, and robust fantasy life. There’s only one factor that may diminish your ability to discern the difference between wise and unwise gambles. That’s your tendency to get so excited by big, expansive ideas that you neglect to account for messy, inconvenient details. And it’s especially important not to dismiss or underplay those details in the coming weeks. If you include them in your assessments, you will indeed be the shrewdest of wise gamblers.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn golfer Tiger Woods is one of the all-time greats. He holds numerous records and has won scores of tournaments. On 20 occasions, he has accomplished the most difficult feat: hitting a hole-in-one. But the weird fact is that there were two decades (1998–2018) between his 19th and 20th holes-in-one. I suspect your own fallow time came in 2023, Capricorn. By now, you should be back in the hole-inone groove, metaphorically speaking. And the coming months may bring a series of such crowning strokes.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Piscean perfumer

Sophia Grojsman says, "Our lives are quiet. We like to be disturbed by delight." To that end, she has created over 30 best-selling fragrances, including Eternity Purple Orchid, Désir Coulant (Flowing Desire), Spellbound, Volupté (Pleasure), and Jelisaveta ("God is abundance"). I bring this up, Pisces, because I believe it's now essential for you to be disturbed by delight—as well as to disturb others with delight. Please do what's necessary to become a potent magnet for marvelous interruptions, sublime interventions, and blissful intrusions. And make yourself into a provider of those healing subversions, too.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Some stories don’t

have a distinct and orderly beginning, middle, and end. At any one point, it may be hard to know where you are. Other tales have a clear beginning, middle, and end, but the parts occur out of order; maybe the middle happens first, then the end, followed by the beginning. Every other variation is possible, too. And then there's the fact that the beginning of a new story is implied at the end of many stories, even stories with fuzzy plots and ambiguous endings. Keep these ruminations in mind during the coming weeks, Aries. You will be in a phase when it's essential to know what story you are living in and where you are located in the plot’s unfoldment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As I meditate on your destiny in the near future, I sense you will summon extra courage, perhaps even fearless and heroic energy. I wonder if you will save a drowning person, or rescue a child from a burning building, or administer successful CPR to a stranger who has collapsed on the street. Although I suspect your adventures will be less dramatic than those, they may still be epic. Maybe you will audaciously expose corruption and deceit, or persuade a friend to not commit self-harm, or speak bold thoughts you haven’t had the daring to utter before.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Lately, you have been learning more than you thought possible.

You have surpassed and transcended previous limits in your understanding of how the world works. Congratulations! I believe the numerous awakenings stem from your willingness to wander freely into the edgy frontier—and then stay there to gather in all the surprising discoveries and revelations flowing your way. I will love it if you continue your pilgrimage out there beyond the borders for a while longer.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): As I study the astrological omens for the coming weeks, I suspect you will feel more at home in a situation that has previously felt unnerving or alien.

Or you will expedite the arrival of the future by connecting more deeply with your roots. Or you will cultivate more peace and serenity by exploring exotic places.

To be honest, though, the planetary configurations are halfmystifying me; I’m offering my best guesses. You may assemble a strong foundation for an experimental fantasy. Or perhaps you will engage in imaginary travel, enabling you to wander widely without leaving your sanctuary. Or all of the above.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Of your hundreds of wishes and yearnings, Leo, which is the highest on your priority list? And which are the next two?

What are the sweet, rich, inspiring experiences you want more than anything else in life? I invite you to compile a tally of your top three longings.

Write them on a piece of paper. Draw or paste an evocative symbol next to each one. Then place this holy document in a prominent spot that you will see regularly. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you are in a phase when focusing and intensifying your intentions will bring big rewards.

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Strong Suits"--dealing with another puzzle. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1. As of yet 6. Judge's seat, in law 10. "Ray Donovan" actor Schreiber 14. Jumper cable terminal 15. As well 16. Give the creepy eye to 17. Remove all the dirt and grime from 19. Server operating system 20. Release 21. Three-part vacuum tube in old TVs 23. "___ Little Tenderness" 24. Becomes enraged 25. Double sextet 28. Borrower 29. 2001 high-tech debut 30. Apt answer for this clue 32. It had a hub at JFK 35. Keanu's "Matrix" role 36. What you may need to do to understand the four sets of circled letters 37. Talking computer in "2001: A Space Odyssey" 38. Slippery tree 39. Inquisition target 40. Clock feature 41. Kicks out 43. Injection also used to treat migraines 44. Gangsters' headwear, in old movies 46. Tiger sound 48. Cider fodder 49. England-Scandinavia separator 53. Golden State sch.

54. They're unbiased and accepting, and not shortsighted 56. Wine bouquet 57. Expert pilots 58. Rice-___ ("The San Francisco Treat") 59. Lawyer, for short 60. Put a stop to 61. "The Walking Dead" villain

DOWN 1. Rude response 2. "Falling Slowly" musical 3. Ticonderoga, e.g.

4. Took on grown-up errands, so to speak 5. Like a phoenix 6. Lightweight modeling wood 7. Out of the breeze, to a sailor 8. Hush-hush govt. group 9. In a satisfied way 10. Thelma's cohort, in film 11. "Disregard what you just saw ..."

12. Avoid some syllables 13. Bewildered 18. Slyly shy 22. Change color again 24. Peasants of yore 25. Feast 26. European car manufacturer 27. Went by quickly 28. "One of ___ great mysteries ..."

30. Locale in a Clash title 31. "Everybody ___" (REM song) 33. Home of Baylor University 34. James Patterson detective Cross 36. Hobbits' homeland 40. Available to rent 42. Tennis shot 43. Role for Keaton and Kilmer 44. Animals, collectively 45. Disney World acronym 46. "I Only ___ the Ones I Love" (Jeffrey Ross book) 47. Airport code for O'Hare 49. "Great British Bake-Off" co-host Fielding 50. Make out in Manchester 51. ___ Mode of "The Incredibles" 52. "O ___ Oscar" 55. "His Master's Voice" company

Northern Express Weekly • february 12, 2024 • 21

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