Northern Express - January 27, 2025 by Northern Express

HISTORIES, MYSTERIES, & MYTHS

• Did the yellow bricks of the Traverse City State Hospital inspire a certain road in Oz?

• Which terrifying creature stalked Traverse City in the Michigan Chillers novel by Johnathan Rand?

• How do you know if that plant in your backyard is tasty or toxic?

Peltier’s Sentence Commuted

In a letter in the Jan. 20 Express, a writer criticized Isiah Smith’s column (Jan. 6) asking President Biden to pardon Leonard Peltier. Peltier, a Native American, was convicted of killing two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, in a shootout at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975

Over the years, much information has come out calling into question the fairness of Peltier’s trial and the version of events given by the letter writer. Potentially exculpatory evidence was suppressed, witnesses were allegedly intimidated, and there are even serious allegations of outright fraud on the part of the FBI.

In a 2021 letter to President Biden asking for clemency for Peltier, the U.S. Attorney whose office oversaw Peltier’s prosecution, James H. Reynolds, wrote, “We were not able to prove that Mr. Peltier personally committed any offense on the Pine Ridge Reservation.” According to Reynolds, after multiple changes in the “theories of guilt” the government stopped alleging that Peltier had killed Coler and Williams but argued rather that he’d aided and abetted others, “not withstanding the fact his co-defendants were found to have acted in self-defense.”

Those who’ve called for Peltier’s release include Mother Theresa, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, the Dali Lama, the European Parliament, the Belgian Parliament, the Italian Parliament, the National Lawyers Guild, the Committee of Concerned Scientists, the United Nations Commissioner on Human Rights, Amnesty International, and numerous tribal leaders.

As I write this, I have just learned that Biden has commuted Peltier’s sentence to home confinement. Biden was right to do so, and Smith’s column was spot on. Peltier served more than four decades in prison, he’s old and seriously ill, and he was convicted under questionable circumstances. Letting him go home was the right thing to do.

Tom Gutowski | Elmwood Township

Constitutional Convention

In response to Karen Mulvahill’s guest opinion article in the Jan. 13 edition, I am compelled to counter her contention that President Trump is a fascist in waiting, but that is an argument for another day and a dish best left served cold.

What was actually most troubling about Ms. Mulvahill’s piece was her admonishment: “those who love democracy must be vigilant to work together and protect our Constitution and our democratic government.” That ending surprised me based upon the following statement earlier in her article: “Republicans and their allies are currently angling for a constitutional convention that would allow a total rewrite of the Constitution.”

The movement to call for a convention of states has no affiliation with any political party.* It is based upon a provision in Article V of our Constitution. Our founders were concerned about tyranny and any portion of the federal government gaining too much power—hence the separation of powers. Nevertheless, they were concerned that the federal government might still grow too big and powerful. As a result, they created a provision for the state legislatures to call for

a convention that is restricted to proposing amendments to the Constitution (hardly a “total rewrite of the Constitution”).

The current application calls for an Article V Convention of States to make proposals that “limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, impose fiscal restraints, and place term limits on federal officials.” This resolution has now been passed by the legislatures of 19 states. In order for a convention to be held, 34 state legislatures (68 percent) must vote to approve the recommended amendments. In order for the amendments to be ratified, 38 state legislatures (76 percent) must vote to approve them. A very tall bar and hardly radical, as far too many are claiming.

Jim Kletzien | Lake Leelanau

*Editor’s Note: The movement for this particular constitutional convention is led by a conservative nonprofit political organization called Citizens for SelfGovernance through their campaign called Convention of States Action, which launched in 2013. The leadership team includes Rick Santorum (a former Republican presidential candidate and Pennsylvania senator), Jim DeMint (a former Republican senator for South Carolina and former president of the Heritage Foundation, which authored Project 2025), Mark Meckler (president of Citizens for Self-Governance), and Eric O’Keefe (a Libertarian political activist). Endorsements on their website come from Republican personalities like Pete Hegseth, Ben Shapiro, Marco Rubio, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Gov. Greg Abbott, Sean Hannity, and Vivek Ramaswamy, among others.

CORRECTION: “The Shoulder Season Slump” (Jan. 20 issue) stated that the DDA was no longer directly involved in putting on Traverse City Restaurant Week. That was incorrect: The DDA does work with the Downtown Traverse City Association (DTCA) to put on the annual foodie event.

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Every town needs a little friendly competition…with delicious spoils for all involved. So here’s to the inaugural Petoskey Banana Bread Festival which takes place on Feb. 1 at Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts in downtown Petoskey. The premise is simple: Competitors will bring their very best loaf (with a list of ingredients) to Grandpa Shorter’s to be judged by a three-person panel. The bake-off has four categories: professional baker, amateur baker, child baker (ages 14 and younger), and gluten-free baker. All participants are guaranteed a little something sweet—a $25 Grandpa Shorter’s gift certificate and a pair of banana bread socks—while the winner of each category goes home with $250 in gift cards for local businesses. And other spots around downtown will be getting in on the banana fun with specials and deals. Get all the details at grandpashorters.com.

Fans of The Good Place, listen up! Three characters arrive in a windowless room, one by one, realizing they are in hell in No Exit. This one-act play by existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre takes place at Traverse City’s Old Town Playhouse Jan. 31 – Feb. 1 and Feb. 7-8 at 7:30pm and Feb. 2 at 2pm. Expecting physical torture, the characters realize their torment instead is through psychological anguish inflicted by one another’s presence. (Best for adult audiences.) Tickets, $23. oldtownplayhouse.com

Hey, watch It! Laid 4

What if all your exes started kicking the bucket…in the order you dated them? That’s what’s happening to Ruby Yao (played by Stephanie Hsu of Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel fame) in Laid, the American reboot of an Australian show of the same name.

Once the 33-year-old and her best friend, AJ (Zosia Mamet, who you’ll recognize from Girls, The Flight Attendant, and The Decameron), discover this troubling trend, they decide to warn everyone Ruby has ever crushed on, slept with, or loved about their imminent doom. Though there is a murder board, the show trends more comedy than thriller, with plenty of introspection along the way for Ruby as she tries to figure out where her heart truly lies. (And who is offing her exes—that’s important, too.) Catch the full series streaming now on Peacock.

Sugar meets a touch of spice at Birch Tree Bakery and Café in Harbor Springs. Opened in 2022, this from-scratch bakeshop offers everything from custom cakes to artisan breads and beyond, and their cheeky Naughty and Nice Sugar Cookies are back on the menu in time for Valentine’s Day. Modeled after the love season’s heart-shaped candies, these sweet treats up the indulgence ante with their buttery bite, delicate almond flavor, and holiday-hued royal icing. It’s the hand-piped “conversation” script, though—which ranges from quintessential phrases, like “love” and “be mine,” to adults-only jokes and profanities—that’ll have you back for seconds. Be sure to dunk a few crumbly corners in a raspberry mocha for a match Cupid himself would be proud of! Fall in pastry love at Birch Tree Bakery and Café in Harbor Springs at 181 E. Main St. (231) 242-4402

Tastebud Takeover

If you thought one culinary competition wasn’t enough for this week, you were right. The Toastmakers of Torch Lake, described as “a collaboration of craft beverage makers in the Torch Lake area,” are coming together on Saturday, Feb. 1, for a Sandwich Showdown. From 1-6pm, participating businesses will offer a small-bite sandwich paired with a local beverage for attendees to enjoy and then vote on. Choose from five stops—Townline Ciderworks, Ethanology, WaterFire Vineyards, Torch Lake Cellars, and Cellar 1914—for $12 per visit. This is the first of four planned “Tastebud Takeovers” throughout the winter and spring. March 1 has a theme of “Culinary Kaleidoscope” (aka colorful eats!), April 5 is “Little Bites” Bonanza, and May 3 is “Holy Guacamole” for an early Cinco de Mayo celebration. See more at facebook.com/ToastmakersofTorchLake.

M-72 Closure Coming Soon

One of Traverse City’s major highways, M-72, is planned to be shut down for four weeks near Tom’s West Bay to allow utility companies to bury their lines/utilities underground. The work was originally planned to start Jan. 13, though permit applications were not submitted until Dec. 20, causing the start date to be pushed back. The project is now slated to begin on Feb. 3. The closure will require significant detours— details on the closures and reroutes can be found at michigan.gov/mdot/news-outreach/ pressreleases/2024/12/26/m-72-closure-anddetour-required-for-utility-relocation-westof-traverse-city. This project is being done in preparation for the next phase of the Grandview Parkway reconstruction, a 2.2-mile rebuild of M-72 from Division Street in Traverse City and M-22 to Cherry Bend Road in Elmwood Township, including a new roundabout at M-72/M-22.

Stuff We Love: Pet Calendar Contest Returns

Last year, Amanda Lewis Photography helped raise $17,000 for the Cherryland Humane Society (CHS) in Traverse City. Lewis partnered with CHS for their annual pet calendar contest, in which pet owners can submit photos of their furry friends for a chance to win one of 13 photography sessions with Lewis and be featured in the calendar. Back again this year, the fundraiser aims to raise $20,000. Entries are now open; you can submit a photo of your companion along with a $5 entry fee, and folks can vote on the top pets for $1 per vote. (The pet that gets the most votes will grace the 2026 cover!) There’s also a “reserve a grid space” option that allows you to guarantee your pet on a day-of-the-week square for $10. Voting ends March 2. Learn more at gogophotocontest.com/cherryland2026.

For anyone playing along at home, it’s the final week of Dry January! Let’s celebrate with one more standout local mocktail: the Cherry Switchel ($6) from Mammoth Distilling. The distillery—which has locations in Central Lake, Bellaire, Traverse City, and Bay Harbor— knows how to make a great cocktail, and they bring that same expertise to their zero-proof offerings. (There are five of them on Mammoth’s winter drinks menu!) The Cherry Switchel is our top pick and is full of immune-boosting ingredients like tart cherry juice, apple cider vinegar, and a honey ginger syrup, making it the perfect sip for cold and flu season. We’re not saying this drink is medicinal, but it doesn’t hurt to throw one back! Drink up at the Mammoth location near you. mammothdistilling.com

Free Tuition* Awaits

Reconnect is Still Here

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spectator By steven Tuttle

It would seem our Constitution is somewhat at risk as our new president, and at least some of his supporters, don’t care for parts they find inconvenient. The president has actually said he believes he can find ways to circumvent some sections through Executive Orders and other parts he might simply ignore.

He is not alone in his disappointment with a document intentionally created to impede the totalitarian instincts of politicians always searching for more power. And it’s not just conservatives; some on the left have their own wish list of desired constitutional changes. But our Founders, in their wisdom and foresight, made it hard to change the document they created, which is why it has only been amended 27 times in our history.

But

The president says he intends to end socalled birthright citizenship guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amendment, and he thinks our freedom of speech goes too far and it should be easier to sue for libel or defamation.

(They don’t commit much crime, either, though when they do it is certainly publicized. According to the FBI, illegal immigrants are the cohort least likely to commit acts of violence against legal citizens; they are much more likely to offend against each other.)

Maybe hacking away at the First Amendment would be a little easier since federal courts, including SCOTUS, seem to be backing away from the notion our freedom of speech is mostly absolute. It says clearly Congress should “... make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...” But the president thinks it should be easier to sue individuals and/or the media for comments or commentary about him he doesn’t like.

But the Fourteenth Amendment is crystal clear on citizenship. Section 1 says, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” If you’re born here, you’re an American citizen. Our Supreme Court (SCOTUS) first upheld this U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark, and has reaffirmed it multiple times since.

The notion there are millions of pregnant women wandering into the country, or coming here intending to become pregnant, cts. According to data collected by Pew Research, the number one reason people enter the country illegally is to find work. In some cases, American employers have made that easy by actually recruiting south of the border. Many companies recruit legal immigrants through various work visa programs, but at least two, Atrium Companies and Advanced Containment Systems, Inc, have admitted recruiting and hiring illegal immigrants. They are likely

Immigrants also come here because conditions in their home country are so dangerous their family is at risk, or they already have family here so they take the chance to make the crossing. Having an American baby does not

send these folks packing, we might also consider what they do once here. Do we want the fruits and vegetables they harvest, the poultry and beef they process, the houses they frame, roof and paint, the

The bar is high for defamation, libel, and slander. Authors/speakers have to know what they were saying or writing is untrue and that there is malicious intent. This threshold becomes even more difficult to cross when the subject is a public figure.

Fortunately, we do have a good recent example of defamation. When Donald J. Trump was found civilly responsible for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll, he continued saying she was lying, among other insults. But a court had found her comments to be truthful, so Trump’s insults were dishonest and defamatory.

Some Trump fans think they have already found a way around the Twenty-Second Amendment that is also crystal clear. Section 1 starts, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice...” The end.

Not to be outdone, those on the left would like to take a Quixotic whack at the Second Amendment, though repealing or altering it would seem a bridge way too far, especially since SCOTUS must believe we’re all part of a well-regulated militia. Those efforts might well end up in the Futility Hall of Fame, if one exists. Both sides have issues with the Electoral College, but neither is likely to actually do something. Interestingly, the Constitution mentions “electors” in both Article II and the Twelfth Amendment, but never the words “electoral college.”

The good news is there will be no constitutional amendments any time soon or, maybe, any time at all. It would require the support of two-thirds of both the House and Senate and then approval by threefourths of the states. Agreement from 67 senators, 291 house members, and 38 states at roughly the same time? Nope.

IT’S TIME TO REIN IN CORPORATE POWER AND FOCUS ON THE WORKING CLASS

Guest opinion

by Sam Inglot

The 2024 election results reveal that the major divide in Michigan and across the country is not Republicans versus Democrats—it’s the working class versus billionaires and wealthy corporations—and the time to get serious and act is now.

The money and influence of billionaires and corporations causes too many of our elected officials to discount the needs of the working class. In 2025, we need to be prepared to fight for dignity and fairness as the wealthy and well-connected consolidate even greater power. With a new administration in Washington and a Republican House

wealthy few. Instead of wasting taxpayer money on corporate giveaways and halfbaked, environmentally-questionable business projects, elected officials should put our money to good use funding schools, affordable housing, and accessible healthcare. We also need the Michigan Legislature to take up important bills to make corporations pay what they owe. Our lawmakers can start by reintroducing Polluter Pay laws to ensure our air and water aren’t exploited and polluted for the benefit of the wealthy and repealing the Death Star law to ensure employers can’t skirt local labor and workforce standards.

The money and influence of billionaires and corporations causes too many of our elected officials to discount the needs of the working class.

majority in Lansing, it’s long past time to truly examine the role that money has in politics and work to fix this problem.

Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington have consistently shown they are more interested in elevating billionaire tech bros like Elon Musk than paying any mind to working class concerns. And just this month, news broke here in Michigan that outgoing Republican Rep. Graham Filler accepted a lobbying position almost immediately after his term ended—a perfect encapsulation of the revolving door in government that places outsized influence on corporate lobbyists and their backers.

To start, let’s consider the fact that most of us agree that our leaders should deliver on protecting freedoms and prosperity for the working class. Progress Michigan’s Lake Effect poll from December shows three-quarters of Michiganders want an economy that works for everyone and not just the wealthy few, action to protect workers’ rights, and a future which protects our air, water, and environment by holding corporate polluters accountable and pursuing clean energy initiatives.

People are fed up with the role of money in politics and the revolving door of lawmakers turned lobbyists in both Lansing and Washington. The lack of ethics and transparency is bipartisan—shown by the fact that Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform once again failed to pass last session despite Democrats having a government trifecta. More than 90 percent of Michiganders want to extend FOIA laws to the Governor’s office and state legislators, so there is no excuse for Republicans to avoid working with Governor Whitmer. Let’s get the job done.

Working Michiganders are up against powerful mouthpieces like the Republicanaligned Michigan Chamber of Commerce, who push for policies that benefit the

Let’s also not forget the fact that workers are protected and recognized most when they’re able to be part of a union, and there is no exception. Unions have long been the driving force to level the playing field between workers and employers. The basic idea of unionization is that when workers band together, their voices become a powerful symphony that cannot be ignored. Over the past year, workers and their unions have exercised their power by going on strike, from nurses employed at MyMichigan Medical Center in Sault Ste. Marie to home care workers who fought to be able to organize with a union.

It’s always best to lead by example, and encouraging this kind of action when needed is one of the best ways to make real gains for the working class.

For too long, the struggles of working class folks have been overlooked at the federal and state levels. We must remember that the most powerful tool we have for real change is standing together, united in our fight against the wealthy corporate lobbyists who are buying off our lawmakers, polluting our environment, and exploiting workers for their own greed.

Our elected officials, and especially the Democratic Party, must come to their senses and honor the power that the working class holds, which means no longer taking these voters for granted.

These are essential steps toward a more inclusive democracy. Our leaders must rise to the occasion and prove that they are willing to buck the status quo, tackle the systemic problems that are too often ignored, and build a future that works for everyday folks.

Sam Inglot is the executive director of Progress Michigan, a nonprofit communications advocacy and government watchdog group.

Music Midweek

A monthly community-based event celebrating the intersection of faith and artistry.

This inspiring new series brings together talented musicians and storytellers from Traverse City and beyond to share their gifts and unique journeys.

Scan this QR code to get all the details

CHILLERMAINA! MICHIGAN CHILLERS TURNS 25

Author Johnathan Rand takes us back to the beginning of the spooky series

By Ross Boissoneau

For Johnathan Rand, March 2, 2025, is a landmark date. It’s his 25th birthday, after a fashion.

It was on that date in 2000 that Mayhem on Mackinac Island was published, marking the debut of the “Michigan Chillers” series of scary stories—and the first appearance of Johnathan Rand.

Rand is the nom de plume of Christopher Tod Wright. The writer behind the series of scary stories for kids had by then already been on the planet for more than three decades, but he felt this new career mandated a new name.

That was old hat for Wright, who was already familiar to radio listeners under the name Christopher Knight. He had begun writing and working in radio in 1983 at WQON in Grayling, and when he went on the air, there was another DJ on the airwaves with the name of Wright. So Christopher Wright became Christopher Knight to avoid any confusion.

He came to his calling gradually. Though a lifelong reader, “Growing up I never had any aspiration to be a writer,” he says. He wasn’t sure of a career path, and after high school he went to college to study natural resources, but decided that wasn’t for him. “I didn’t do so well in school. I didn’t apply myself,” Wright says.

“WQON was looking for somebody to be a DJ. I applied and kept calling,” he says. He eventually was hired to write commercials, and it turned out that Wright enjoyed tapping into his creative side writing to fit the format. Eventually he found himself on the air. He’d found his niche, or at least one of them, eventually landing gigs at radio stations KHQ and WGFM.

In 1995 he left the airwaves to concentrate on writing for commercials and doing voice work from his own studio. In 1998 he wrote and recorded the audiobook St. Helena,

under his radio name of Christopher Knight. That was followed by another that same year, entitled Ferocity. Both were thrillers, a genre he’d loved as a youngster.

He set the latter, a story about a killer muskellunge invading Mullet Lake, in the fictional town of Courville. In so doing, he wanted to populate the town with all things northern Michigan, down to a local favorite beverage. “I wanted to take all of northern Michigan and put it in a bottle,” he says. The name that came to him was Courville Cooler.

But he’d considered another. While Michigan Chiller didn’t fit the story as well as Courville Cooler, “That stuck with me,” Wright says.

Scary-Good Inspiration

When he came across some boxes of books he’d read growing up, most of them scary stories, it struck him that maybe he should try writing such books for younger people. So he decided to write a story geared toward third- to sixth-graders.

As a resident of northern Michigan, Wright knew Mackinac Island was a popular tourist destination. So he decided to set his story there, and out came Mayhem on Mackinac Island. “I had a blast with it. I felt like I was in the book, like as a kid,” he says.

Wright believed he had stumbled on an original concept that could lead to other books set in various Michigan cities. Spoiler alert: He was right. “I wanted a hook, and thought I could do other cities if it takes off,” he says.

So right behind Mackinac’s mayhem came Terror Strikes Traverse City. By October, he’d written four Michigan Chillers. All stood alone, but he also connected them by having the last chapter in each book lead into the next.

In fact, the stories eventually led to the rest of the country. Soon he was off to American Chillers, with Michigan Mega Monsters, Ogres of Ohio, Florida Fog Phantoms—today

there are 45 American Chillers, with only five states to go. There are 21 Michigan Chillers, plus several other series.

Frightening Changes

When he first started writing the books, publishers weren’t interested in them, believing there wasn’t an audience. So Wright hawked them to grocery stores, gas stations, motels, anywhere he thought people, especially tourists, might find them and be intrigued.

The Chillers books led him to two career tangents he had never considered. One is his own retail outlet: Chillermania in Indian River, where Rand, ahem, Wright, his wife, and a small staff hold forth. There you can find his books, along with Chiller-themed paraphernalia such as hats, trading cards, posters, bookmarks, and, as it says on the website, items not available anywhere else in the world!

The second finds him back in school. A teacher friend in Cheboygan asked him to come in to talk to her students, as they were reading the books. Then a friend of hers called, asking him to visit her school. Now Wright travels around the state and the

country to schools and libraries, talking with kids and extolling the virtues of reading, writing, and using your imagination.

He even founded a camp/workshop, Johnathan Rand’s Author Quest, in 2007. The four-day, three-night camp grew to three such events yearly, with 60 kids each. While that ended with the onset of the pandemic, he continues to do a shorter version with students. He even leads them to create their own version of a Chillers story. “It’s become another part of my career,” he says.

It’s obvious from the enthusiasm in his voice that he’s still having a ball. Asked whether his career is a dream come true, he says it is, though he has a different perspective on that dream nowadays. “When I started, I wanted to write adult fiction. With Michigan Chillers, the dream has changed,” Wright says.

Collectively, he’s written over 120 books with nearly 7 million copies in print, with more to come. “I’m still writing Michigan and American Chillers. I'll finish up the American with all 50 states, but I think I’ll just keep on writing the Michigan Chillers as long as the ideas keep coming,” Wright says. “Hopefully there’s no end in sight.”

Rand teaching a young writers workshop.

Wait, What?

In early November, Emily James, 27, of Kansas City, Missouri, underwent a most unusual and expensive ($17,000) body-altering surgery, the New York Post reported. The trans woman had six ribs removed from her ribcage in order to achieve a smaller waist. The recovery gave her plenty of time to think about what she wanted to do with those extra ribs -- yes, the hospital gave them to her -- and her options seemed limitless: Make them into dog toys, boil them down for broth, have an "Emily barbecue." But eschewing all the cannibalistic notions, James has come up with the perfect project: "I plan on having someone make a crown and, like, incorporate my bone pieces in there," she said. "Getting my ribs removed doesn't change the fact that I'm a kind, loving trans girl. It's my money, my body and I'm going to do what I want with it." Yas queen.

Precocious

A 12-year-old boy from Grand Traverse County in Michigan was charged with joy riding, operating a motor vehicle without a license, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of marijuana on Jan. 12, MLive. com reported. The boy's parents contacted the county sheriff when they realized their 2000 Chevy Blazer was missing, saying their son had taken it. They had tracked his progress south into Clare County, where deputies were alerted to be on the lookout. By the time he was stopped, he had driven more than 90 miles; officers found a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and ammunition, along with a little weed, but said there was no indication that he planned to use the gun. He did tell deputies he was unhappy at home. He was released to his parents.

Compelling Explanation

San Mateo, California, police arrested a Kentucky man early on the morning of Jan. 12 for a suspected hit-and-run incident, CBS News reported. Frank Falcone, 62, told officers that he was driving northbound on Pacific Boulevard when a southbound car came toward him with its high beams on. The lights disturbed Falcone "because of the brightness and potential radiation," he said, so he rammed the other car. When it stopped, he allegedly rammed it two more times. Falcone fled the scene and told officers he evaded them because people impersonate cops. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Um ...

Nigerian gospel singer Timileyin Ajayi, 30, was arrested on Jan. 12 as he carried a bag that contained the severed head of his reported girlfriend, the BBC reported. The bag drew the attention of other people, who held him until police arrived. "The suspect was found with a fresh human head," Nasarawa police said, "and when we got to the scene, we rescued him from being mobbed." Other parts of the deceased's body were found later at his home. Abby Simon, a friend of the 24-year-old victim, said Ajayi was not her boyfriend. "Even if she was his girlfriend, she didn't deserve to die this way," Simon said.

You Had One Job Brigantine (New Jersey) police were called to a home on the Jersey Shore on Jan. 13 after a neighbor found a toddler wandering around outdoors, NBC Philadelphia reported. The neighbor recognized the child and returned them to their home, where

she found babysitter Jena Davidson, 35, passed out on the floor. First responders took Davidson to the hospital, where it turned out she had "consumed a significant amount of the homeowner's alcohol to the point that she became unconscious and unresponsive," police reported. She was charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Bright Idea

Toilet paper shoppers in Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan have a new option, GoodNewsNetwork.org reported on Jan. 14: rolls made from used diapers and other hygiene products. The cities of Shibushi and Osaki worked together to recycle disposable diapers starting in April 2024. The used items are sanitized, bleached and shredded into a pulp to be mixed with recycled paper, to the tune of 30,000 rolls in the first two months of production. They're sold at $2.70 for a dozen rolls. "Please support this eco-friendly product, which aims to promote a sustainable society by reusing local resources," said Takumi Obo, spokesperson for the Osaki Municipal Government's SDGs Promotion Council.

Irony

On Dec. 18 at the Family Dollar store in Mulberry, Florida, two shoplifters worked together to pull off a cleaning products heist, the Miami Herald reported on Jan. 10. The Polk County Sheriff's Office, referring to the couple as Mr. Clean and Ms. Dookie until an arrest is made, hatched a plan to distract employees. "The man walked around the store gathering nearly $500 worth of merchandise (like lots of Gain, Tide and Clorox products)," officers said, "whilst the woman ... (used) the restroom, without going to the restroom." While employees cleaned up the mess, Mr. Clean walked past the registers and out to a Ford van, where Ms. Dookie joined him, and they drove away. The odd couple are still at large.

Unclear on the Concept

Hampton, Virginia, police officer J'ron Harry lost his job after a less-than-satisfying encounter with a prostitute on Dec. 30, WAVYTV reported. Harry met 20-year-old Alexus "Dream" Copeland on an app and arranged to meet her that day at an apartment in Virginia Beach, police say. They agreed to shower together, but Copeland never came into the bathroom, instead lifting Harry's phone, keys, wallet and car (with police credentials). Police were able to track down the car in Norfolk; Copeland told them Harry had given her permission to borrow his car, but she was charged with grand larceny, credit card fraud and prostitution. Harry was not charged but was terminated on Jan. 7.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

A coyote "made a mistake" on Jan. 13 and ended up in the refrigerated case of the produce section at an Aldi store in Chicago, WLS-TV reported. It was sequestered behind a selection of fine cheeses after roaming around the parking lot just minutes earlier. "It picked an odd location," said Stan Gehrt with the Cook County Coyote Project. "They do this sometimes. They're trying to hide from us." Gehrt said many of the animals who end up in a sketchy situation are those who haven't found a mate yet. The coyote will be evaluated by the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation group, which will determine whether it can be released back into the wild.

Historic Estate Sale

JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 2

1116 Wayne St in Traverse City

CURATORS OF COLLECTIONS. MERCHANTS OF MEMORIES. moxieestates.com 231-944-0789

Histories and Mysteries at the Grand Traverse Commons

Are these commonly-told tales about the former asylum myths, facts, or something in between?

By Greg Tasker

It’s no surprise that a complex of distinctive aging buildings constructed to house and treat the mentally ill more than a century ago continues to pique the interest and imagination of visitors and locals alike. Old or new, true or false, the former Traverse City State Hospital is a treasure trove of stories.

Shut down as a state mental health institution nearly 40 years ago, the complex today is the home of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, a repurposed campus of restaurants, stores, coffee shops, offices, and craft beverage establishments.

Catherine Allen-Goodwin, a Traverse City native who lives near the former hospital and has served as a long-time tour guide, walked us through some of the myths and shared interesting tidbits of history from the property.

Myth: The hospital tunnels connect to downtown Traverse City.

Nope, you can’t get there from here. At least not by tunnel. Probably thousands of feet of tunnels were constructed at the former state hospital, but none of them ever connected to downtown Traverse City. The

tunnels were primarily used for utilities, transporting heat, electricity, and hot water between buildings. Some tunnels were also used by staff to move from one building to another.

“We hear that every now and then from someone who has heard the tunnels connected from the asylum to downtown,” Allen-Goodwin says. “There was no tunnel connection to downtown. They wouldn’t have wanted patients getting into the tunnels and getting into trouble. It would have been a great way for patients to escape.”

The tunnels did, however, connect to the Munson Medical Center, which was once part of the state hospital complex. Most of the tunnels are blocked or have caved in and are full of hazardous materials. Visitors can experience a cleaned out stretch—a 400-footlong steam tunnel—during public tours. “It’s the crown jewel of the tour,” Allen-Goodwin says. “It’s located under the parking lot area behind Building 50.”

History: Perry Hannah helped bring the hospital to TC.

Lumber baron and legislator Perry Hannah is one of the folks responsible for the state hospital being built in far-flung

Traverse City in the late 19th century. Aware that Michigan needed another asylum—the two in southern parts of the state were full— he lobbied for Traverse City. He formed and headed a search committee to find a site, and although other more centrally located spots were considered, Traverse City won out. One of its key selling points was the abundance of water, artesian springs, in the hills above the property.

Hannah knew that the lumbering industry in the region was waning and that another source of work was needed or people would begin leaving Traverse City, a place he loved.

The Traverse City State Hospital became the city’s biggest employer for 75 years.

“Traverse City as we know it would not be here without this asylum in our backyard,” Allen-Goodwin says. “That generation of the Gilded Age was always contributing to their communities. They knew they couldn’t take their wealth with them. Hannah helped bring the library here too.”

Myth: The walkways of the property were the inspiration for the Yellow Brick Road.

The Yellow Brick Road did not begin or end at the former asylum. While the bricks

are, indeed, yellow, they have nothing to do with the children’s classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Still, every once in a while, a story surfaces about how the distinctive yellow bricks inspired author L. Frank Baum. The story goes that Baum vacationed with his family in Traverse City while the asylum was under construction. The sight of a long line of flatbed rail cars stacked with yellow bricks was a vision for the famed Yellow Brick Road.

“In reality, there is no connection between Traverse City, northern Michigan, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but it sure does make a great story,” Allen-Goodwin says. Baum did spend time in Michigan, but much farther south in Holland. The inspiration for the Yellow Brick Road may have been a real stretch of yellow brick road outside the Peekskill Military Academy, a military school he attended.

(By the way, the bricks used to build the former asylum came from a brick yard in Greilickville, which is now the site of the Pathfinder School.)

History: The asylum housed a famous cow. With a name like Colantha—wait, that’s

Pictured is a 1920-era photo of the original Building 50 at the State Hospital.

Traverse Colantha Walker—how could a Holstein-Friesian possibly lead an ordinary life as a dairy cow? Named by the patients at Traverse City State Hospital, Colantha was born on the grounds in 1916. Until recently, Colantha held the Guinness Book of World Records for producing the most pounds of milk in a single year: 22,918 pounds of milk in 1926.

Colantha was part of the farm’s successful Holstein herd. In a 16-year period, she produced more than 200,000 pounds of milk (not to mention 7,500 pounds of butter).

More than one dairy farmer has noted that Holsteins must be happy to produce milk. “She must have been ecstatic then,” Allen-Goodwin jokes.

Colantha died in 1932. Her tombstone can be found between two pine trees on the property of the Botanic Gardens at Historic Barns Park. There’s also a life-sized bronze statue of Colantha nearby in the Children’s Sensory Garden.

Her legacy is about more than being a record-earning dairy cow; she was an example of the hospital’s successful efforts in running a self-sustaining farm with the help of patients and staff.

Myth: Nearby houses were built from stolen bricks.

The identical yellow brick houses opposite each other at the corner of Division and Seventh streets were not built from bricks stolen during the three-year construction of the asylum.

Although made of the same bricks, the owners of the homes—both masons— purchased the bricks from the supplier and retrieved some that had fallen off rail cars as the train rounded sharp curves on route from Greilickville.

Bonus fun fact: The state had to build a railroad to transport the bricks from Greilickville to the hospital. Nine million bricks were used in the construction of Building 50 alone.

“They were making bricks like crazy,” Allen-Goodwin says. “People had to ride on the flat bed to keep an eye on the bricks. They knew they were going to lose some, but

once they hit the ground, they couldn’t use the bricks. They were considered inferior.”

Many masons were tapped to help build the campus. “The masons involved in doing this were set for life as far as jobs,” she adds.

History: Drug therapy got its start at the Traverse City State Hospital.

Traverse City State Hospital was not unlike other mental asylums. Many practices were standard procedures, including lobotomies and electric shock. These procedures were part of efforts to rehabilitate patients instead of just warehousing them.

During the mid-20th century, Dr. John (Jack) Ferguson, known for his speed in conducting lobotomies, arrived in Traverse City. What also made Dr. Ferguson stand out, however, was that he could relate to the patient’s predicaments. He had been a barbiturate addict and had spent time in mental institutions as well. Dr. Ferguson came to believe lobotomies and other procedures were not cures for mental illness.

His experimentations led him to drug therapy. He learned how to properly measure and administer doses of drugs, including combinations, to help patients. He has been noted as the first doctor in the country to treat his nursing staff like colleagues, allowing them to administer drug therapies as well.

“The results were phenomenal,” AllenGoodwin says. “Patients were able to go home. They could now calm down and get a job. The state was so impressed they began sending the most disturbed patients to Traverse City.”

Myth and History: Division Street divided the city.

The street’s name, “Division,” might suggest the route divided one section of Traverse City from another. But that’s not the case.

“Growing up here in Traverse City, I could not figure out what the street was dividing,” recalls Allen-Goodwin. “It wasn’t until I became a tour guide that I learned how the street got its name.”

The route that would eventually become Division Street or U.S. Route 31 separated

the expansive hospital grounds from other properties. “It makes more sense,” she says. “It was not dividing the city of Traverse City but dividing other property from the state grounds.”

The asylum encompassed 1,000 acres and was home to a working farm with animals, crops, orchards, and vineyards. It stood on its own at what is now the city’s western end.

The property stretched from Front Street to the north to beyond Meijer to the south and west beyond the hills behind the campus. “It was all farmland,” Allen-Goodwin says. “That’s hard to imagine now.”

History: The Administration Building, also known as Building 50A, is new (ish).

Building 50A stands out among the cluster of yellow brick, spired structures of the former hospital for a good reason. It’s not the original building.

The state demolished and replaced the original five-story, spired building in the 1960s because the structure could not meet fire codes. Among other things, the original building was known for its beautiful grand mahogany stairs.

“The stairs were gorgeous, and people always ask what happened to them,” AllenGoodwin says. “They ended up in a burn pile.”

Designed in a Victorian-Italianate style, the 19th-century version of Building 50 was the first structure constructed and served as the original asylum. Some staff were also housed there.

“If you’re going to work with them, you should live among them, [medical superintendent Dr. Munson] believed,” Allen-Goodwin says. “It made sense for the staff to keep an eye on what was going on, what triggered their behaviors. It also kept [patients] safe.”

The repurposed two-story building doesn’t match the architecture of the wings on either side. There are hopes to one day restore Building 50A to its original design— blueprints still exist—somewhere down the (not yellow brick) road.

Myth: The Hippie Tree is haunted.

The Hippie Tree exists on the grounds,

but it’s not the original Hippie tree. And none of the paranormal stories associated with either tree are true.

The original Hippie Tree, a Copper beech tree, stood along a sidewalk in front of Building 50. It became a gathering spot for students to hang out and smoke until it was chopped down. In later decades after the state hospital closed, students began congregating around a tree in the hills behind the buildings. That tree, a huge cottonwood, stills stands, noticeable because it’s been spray painted over the years.

“That tree was hidden, and students went up there to smoke and started spraying peace signs and other stuff on the tree,” Allen-Goodwin says. About some of those paranormal claims, she points out that “being a state hospital often brings on that sort of mystique. People want to know about ghosts and other things. That’s just the nature of what it is.”

History: Staff and tradesmen signed bricks.

Back in the day, the hospital did not have lounges for staff to rest and relax. Most of the staff worked 16 hours a day, six days a week. They escaped to the attic for breaks and a cigarette. They also would write their names on bricks.

The oldest known signed brick was found in the attic of one of the cottages, with the name of an assistant chef who came to Traverse City from Florida. Patients also were known to scratch things on bricks, including poems. Throughout the campus, patients were encouraged to be creative, paint, write, or draw. Some of them were also non-verbal, and this was a method of communication.

Allowing patients to paint murals was a precursor to art therapy, and there were once murals of cartoon and Disney characters all over the complex. A replica of one has been painted on a wall near Cuppa Joe in Building 50A.

To learn more about the myths and histories of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, visit thevillagetc.com.

Colantha's statue resides in the Children's Sensory Garden at the Botanic Gardens at Historic Barns Park.

An aerial view of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons grounds today.

Greg Biskakone Johnson

“The Land Can Take Care of You”

By Anna Faller

For most of us, the answer to an empty fridge or pantry is to hop in the car and head to the grocery store. Here in northern Michigan, though, our forests, streams, and even backyards are chock full of edible plants and herbs…we just have to know where to look.

However, for many members of the Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, that connection to the land was compromised by years of forced assimilation.

Enter: The tribe’s newest undertaking, a book entitled Naajimiijimedaa! (Let’s Find Food!). Authored by band historian Kathy Kae, it comprises a comprehensive introduction to the practice of foraging alongside curated recipes and stories to ensure that knowledge remains intact for future generations.

“Reclaiming those pieces of culture for ourselves individually and as a band is something we’re all hungry for,” says Burt Lake Band Historian Deborah Richmond. “Projects like these [have helped us] reclaim what we have lost.”

History of Foraging

Per Greg Biskakone Johnson, an Anishinaabe cultural practitioner and member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the culture of foraging—in particular, as it relates to Anishinaabe tribes of the northern Midwest—can be traced back more than 10,000 years, when Paleo-Indian populations are thought to have first started living on the North American continent.

Back then, he explains, these peoples would have survived largely on big game.

The Burt Lake Band explores foraging, recipes, and tradition

Subsequent extinction events, though, coupled with an ever-changing climate, meant communities were forced to adapt their food systems in order to survive. Receding glaciers formed pools, for example, which introduced scores of freshwater fish, and prehistoric mammals were eventually replaced by smaller game, like rabbits and deer.

Fast-forward to the 21st century, and Johnson still names venison and walleye, now supplemented by wild rice, as the “big three” categories for many indigenous peoples. Secondary foods have also since entered the circle, which, per Kae, include leafy greens like wild leeks, mushrooms, and seasonal berries.

Other components of these modern food systems include the development of community agriculture (the specifics of which depend on location and season, though Johnson notes that corn is nearly universal), as well as a variety of preparation and storage methods—including traditional practices like maple sugar curing, dehydration, and the use of woven birch bark baskets—in addition to contemporary tools and materials, which were largely introduced after the 19th century.

A key takeaway here, according to Johnson, is the inextricable relationship between native communities and the land they inhabit.

“These lineages of families had the opportunity to educate their children on the gifts of the forest,” Johnson notes. “You learned how to survive directly from the older people in your family; so, as these children grew up, they could apply that knowledge.”

Reclaiming Tradition

By the mid-1800s, though, the United

States government had set its sights on huge swaths of indigenous land for expansion. To secure that property—and in so doing, assimilate native communities to Western culture—it promised them infrastructure (medical care, schools, and the like) as well as access to treaty rights, which were supposed to enshrine those tribes’ claim within certain land boundaries, wherein they could hunt and forage.

Many of those promises, as we now know, never came to fruition. Consequently, relocation efforts seriously disrupted native food systems, often forcing tribal members to rely on government-provided rations (which not only weakened their connection to nature, but also incited an unhealthy diet shift).

This, when coupled with governmentled conformity tactics, like the repression of indigenous languages and implementation of Indian Boarding Schools, resulted in a cultural rift that prevented much of this foraging know-how from surviving through the years.

It’s this disconnect that initiatives like the Burt Lake Band’s Traditional Foods Project and the resultant book, Naajimiijimedaa! (Let’s Find Food!) aim to remedy.

Helmed by historian Kathy Kae, an adopted member of the Burt Lake Band and expert in Great Lakes and Anishinaabe history, the Traditional Foods Project involves teaching tribal citizens about foods and medicinal herbs that can be foraged locally, how to find and process those items, and how to build them into a modern diet.

Per Kae, the project’s genesis began as a grant received through the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) whose purpose was to reestablish connection between the Burt Lake Band and their ancestral land.

(If you’re unfamiliar, the BLB was virtually landless for more than a century after the “burnout” of 1900 robbed them of their homes and federal recognition.)

Since then, the band has amassed a tribal reserve of about 20 acres of land through which they’re slowly reinvesting in previously lost or at-risk practices from traditional food systems to the restoration of native art and language.

“We are very much interested in projects that help us regain our cultural knowledge,” notes Richmond. “All of these activities help us understand our ancestors, and working together on these projects brings us all together as a band.”

Finding Food

The Traditional Foods Project launched in 2021 with 16 teachings over a two-year span, each led by a band elder or other expert with a focus on a different food source, ranging from proteins to plants and beyond. During each session, the group explored how and when to harvest that food while also honing more complex skills, like birchbark smoking and spear-fishing, before bringing their spoils back inside for handson cooking and preservation practice.

All told, the book contains instructions for foraging 40 foods, all organized by category and annotated with expert tips like nutrition details, preparation methods, and how to tell tasty plants from the toxic.

To go with each ingredient, the team also compiled a cache of authentic, though contemporary, recipes. Highlights here include berry scones with strawberry freezer jam and yellow wood sorrel, soups topped with leek pesto, and venison with leeks and fiddleheads. And whenever possible,

Kae paired the recipes with the foraging experiences and knowledge of the Burt Lake Band’s elders. One gentleman even remembers preparing meals with muskrat and raccoon!

“There are stories of what those citizens harvest now, and what they did when they were younger. It’s really interesting,” Kae adds. “You get that part of a tribal history with it, and also memories.”

The Future of Foraging

As for the future of that foraging practice?

Kae and Johnson agree that the land is the answer, if it isn’t destroyed by humans first. Phenomena like climate change and

the use of pesticides are a growing concern, and Johnson has already noted changes in the patterns of wild deer and fish, as well as the availability of various flora. He also highlights that those patterns fluctuate and vary based on location. In other words, what’s typical for one part of Michigan might not be so for another.

Respect for the land and other living things, on the other hand, he notes, is ubiquitous.

“We’re always thinking ahead seven generations,” Johnson says. “If I go out and I kill that deer, my grandchildren [six generations from now] won’t have anything. We have to be stewards of making sure

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that there’s enough for our children, our grandchildren, and so forth.”

Per Kae, upholding this principle can be as simple as harvesting only what you need, but also extends to larger issues like reducing pollution and improving forestry.

To further these goals, the Burt Lake Band has already introduced several new food-centric initiatives, including a recentlyplanted Three Sisters Garden at the tribal office in Brutus—that’s a trio of crops that thrive on each other—whose previous season yielded a staggering 263 pounds of squash, as well as an upcoming grant application to expand the band’s gardening

programs and help feed the community by assembling food boxes for elders.

“Whether you’re indigenous or not, it’s important [to understand] that the land can take care of you,” Kae adds. “There are gifts out there for us, but you have to show your appreciation, or sometimes those gifts can disappear.”

To purchase Naajimiijimedaa! (Let’s Find Food!), or for more information on the Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, visit burtlakeband.org. The book can also be purchased through McLean and Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey.

Two Brothers, Two Worlds

William and George Johnston and their impact on 19th-century Michigan

By Ren Brabenec

American history books are filled with the names of people who won battles, invented things, advanced society (or impeded it), and otherwise did something notable to earn their place in the historical record. Unfortunately, less attention is paid to the everyday folks of decades and centuries past, regular men and women who were deeply involved in the business of making the world go round.

William and George Johnston, sons of an Irish-born Sault Ste Marie fur trader and an Ojibwe matriarch, are two such individuals.

Meet the Brothers

Eliot Singer, former MSU professor and an avid historian and folklorist, has dedicated much of his retirement to transcribing and publishing 19th-century letters and records from Michigan’s “everyday” folks, people who Singer says had a profound impact on the Great Lakes State but whom history has barely made a footnote record of.

Singer first introduces us to William Johnston (1811-1863) as someone who took over the Sault-based family fur trading business at the age of 13. William later went on to collect and translate countless descriptions of Indigenous cultures and customs across the Great Lakes region, descriptions that his brother-in-law, the

famous geologist and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft, edited for the book Algic Researches in 1839.

William Johnston’s documentation of Ojibwe culture, language, and living also became the basis for the “Song of Hiawatha” Longfellow poem. William Johnston also authored what might have been the first ethnography of the region, titled “Manners and Customs of the Leech Lake Indians,” as well as the 1833 work “Letters on the Fur Trade,” which his sister Jane Schoolcraft later edited and published.

George Johnston (1796-1861) pioneered the practice of obtaining geological specimens, artifacts, pictograph interpretations, trinkets, tools, ecological substances, and recorded traditions and tales. This Johnston brother spent decades traveling across Michigan in pursuit of various odd jobs, always collecting important items and sending them to big names like Henry Schoolcraft, then-Michigan Territory Governor Lewis Cass, and thenSuperintendent of Indian Affairs Thomas McKenney.

Some of George Johnston’s most notable intellectual contributions included a carefully documented list of Indigenous names for Michigan rivers from Mackinac to Chicago. Many items George Johnston collected were later preserved and displayed in museums and historical societies across the state.

Far-Reaching Contributions

“So one of them was good at writing things down and the other liked to collect trinkets,” Singer jokes, imitating what a critic might say if all they knew about the Johnston brothers was the brief descriptions outlined above. Singer pauses for dramatic effect. “But here’s where the history gets really interesting,” he says.

In the manner of a Boy Scout troop leader casting an epic yarn over a smoldering campfire, Singer launches into a game of connect-the-dots storytelling, something that can only be described as the retired professor’s magnum opus.

“William and George were both fur traders, so they spent a lot of time traveling across Michigan trying to secure furs, a business that had numerous ups and downs throughout the 1800s,” Singer explains. “These were just good-natured men who often fell on hard times, but they were also highly self-educated and they performed a phenomenal service by documenting what it was like to live and work in 1800s Michigan. Due to the economic hardships that affected not only them but most everyone they knew, the Johnston brothers often sought employment connections with higher ups in both the territory’s government and with federal officials.”

Singer describes how the two brothers inadvertently shaped entire aspects

of Michigan’s history. Through his documentation and avid letter-writing, William informed people as high up as Governor Lewis Cass on relatively unknown aspects of the north country. George’s knack for collecting and preserving items of value also played a major role. His presentation of mineral samples to Cass, Schoolcraft, and McKenny piqued the interest in what would soon become Michigan’s booming mining industry.

Forming Cultural Bridges

Many of William and George’s contributions were aided by the brothers being part Euro-American and part Ojibwe. As multilingual individuals who had grown up in a household that embodied both Anglo and Ojibwe traditions, the brothers could walk in Michigan’s nascent urban centers as easily as they could in the north country’s Indigenous tribal villages.

To Singer, this fact was essential in making the brothers’ contributions possible. Case in point, in the 1810s, thenGovernor Lewis Cass returned from serving in the War of 1812. The controversial figure set his eyes on the Upper Peninsula, intending to entrench American power in the region and show once and for all that the British and the Ojibwe tribes would not control the necessary transit lines between Michigan and Ontario.

A Bentley Historical Library image of George Johnston, estimated to be in the late 1850s (he was born in 1796).

A drawing of the pictographs at Agawa Rock (Lake Superior Provincial Park) obtained by George Johnston, January 21, 1848, with interpretation from Chief Shingwaukonse (Zhingwakoons, "Little Pine").

In 1820, Cass took a small military contingent and marched to the Sault, demanding control of the region. Some of the Ojibwe leaders planned to stand their ground, and, given their superior numbers, effectively massacre Cass’s troops. George Johnston, encouraged by his Ojibwe mother, Ozhaguscodaywayquay (Green Meadow Woman), stopped the conflict before it began. In a feat of diplomacy, the 24-yearold George negotiated a temporary truce, all without a single shot being fired.

“Because William and George were partwhite, part-native, and because they were not members of the upper classes and ‘high society’ of the time, they rarely got credit for their contributions,” Singer laments. “They were just 19th-century working-class Michiganders who were trying to make a living for themselves and their families. For example, George was once paid to organize and lead an expedition to find the headwaters of the Mississippi River that he didn’t get any credit for, because the expedition was financed and ‘planned’ by Henry Schoolcraft, who took all the credit.”

Singer makes similar observations of William.

“William was a true historian during a time when no one would ever associate a scruffy, poor fur trader with a title like that,” Singer says. “We have him to thank for the historical information that went into the famous ‘Song of Hiawatha’ poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a powerful piece of writing that informed millions of Americans on Native American culture, yet one which

William Johnston got zero credit for. And we also have William to thank for the widelyread works of Jane Schoolcraft, as Schoolcraft relied heavily on William’s research and documentation to produce her works.”

CRYSTAL FUNDAY

The Last Showgirl

by JOSEPH BEYER

at age 57. And it’s quite an unexpected and exceptional one.

In her hands, Shelly is anything but simple— and I was mesmerized.

You might be forgiven if, like me, you were suspicious about another independent film directed by yet another director with the last name Coppola. Of course there’s the patriarch Francis Ford (The Godfather), then his daughter Sofia (Lost in Translation), then his son producer Roman (The French Dispatch), and now most recently his granddaughter Gia.

Gia Coppola is the revelatory director behind The Last Showgirl, a new film starring an almost unrecognizable Pamela Anderson as the lead. It’s an intimate portrait-slashmetaphor of the American dream. And far from being the nepotistic indulgence you might expect, The Last Showgirl is accomplished, original, and displays true talent in the hands of the mid-career Coppola. At age 38, this is her third feature film.

Taking the audience on this journey and not looking back is actress Pamela Anderson as Shelly, the last of the fading Las Vegas showgirls once revered for their glamour, costumes, and dancing.

Shelly is the sweetest of souls, a mentor to the young dancers, and the keeper of the historical flame at Le Razzle Dazzle club where she has worked most of her life. This is the place where (for a few brief minutes each night) she still gets to experience the glow of show business and the relief of escaping her reality.

When the vintage club suddenly announces it’s closing, it’s not only the end of an era—it’s the end of the line for Shelly’s once glittering career. But like previous challenges she faced in her life, Shelly is not static. Instead she pours her soul into one last try to know, redefine, and find the best version of herself. And it’s exactly that wild vulnerability that will pull you in.

Anderson (a celebrity famous first as a Playboy model, then a global Baywatch star, and then for “breaking the internet” in a sex tape scandal with rocker Tommy Lee) has never been taken too seriously in pop culture. After fading from public view, The Last Showgirl is Anderson’s comeback

Most notable is the tenderness and fierce love you’ll watch unfolding as Shelly the single mom as she tries to reconcile with her daughter Hannah, played by actress Billie Lourd. Both of them bring depth and sympathy to what might be dismissed as familiar, and their chemistry will pull your heartstrings in the best ways.

Backing up Anderson is actress Jamie Lee Curtis as Shelly’s dysfunctional but loved best friend, Annette. Just one of several stellar costarring performances from an ensemble including Dave Bautista, Jason Schwartzman, and Kiernan Shipka, among others.

The palpable life-energy that seems to emanate from the screen comes in large part from the refreshing original script by writer Kate Gersten, whose credits include television’s The Good Place. The words and deeds Gersten gives her characters are rich and full and tragic.

The film is like Las Vegas itself, the nostalgic background for director Coppola and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw to play with as so many have before them. Their blue-collar vision of Sin City is raw and routine (think a tone poem about minimum wage life). It feels like it could be everywhere and anywhere people are struggling with themselves.

The Last Showgirl does this all (and does it well) in just 1 hour and 29 minutes. Then it ends the metaphor in the perfect way, leaving you hoping the show won’t end and wanting more.

Rated R and now playing in select theaters, The Last Showgirl is expected to be available on-demand in February. The documentary Pamela, a Love Story is now streaming on Netflix, and a possible double-feature suggestion for those wanting to know more about Anderson’s personal life.

Saturday

BIGFOOT SNOWSHOE

RACE: 9am, Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort, TC. Take a snowy jaunt through the woods with plenty of logs to jump & branches to duck! Gather pre-race in the Timber Ridge Nordic Center & stick around after the race to warm up around a roaring fire with a bowl of chili. $20-$45. runsnow.com

COFFEE @ 10, TC: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Carnegie Rotunda, TC. Local ceramicist, Brianne Munch, speaks on her two months spent at the international ceramic school, La Meridiana, in Tuscany. Free. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traversecity/coffee-10-brianne-munch-ceramics-italy

LEELANAU STATE PARK SNOWSHOE

HIKE: 10am, Leelanau State Park/Grand Traverse Lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula. Join the State Park & Lighthouse staff for a 1.3-mile snowshoe hike through the Leelanau State Park campground wooded area & around the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. A limited number of snowshoes will be available at no charge; to reserve them or for more info, call 231-386-7195. A Michigan State Park Recreation Passport is required for your car. grandtraverselighthouse.com/events

STUFFED ANIMAL OVERNIGHT: Drop off your stuffed animals at the Bellaire Public Library by 4pm on Fri., Jan. 24. You can drop off as early as Jan. 21. Then come to the library in your pajamas on Sat., Jan. 25 at 10:30am to pick up your stuffed animals & enjoy a pancake breakfast. You will also read a couple of stories & watch a slideshow to see all the fun things your stuffed animals did overnight in the library. bellairelibrary.org ----------------------

FRIENDS OF IPL SOUPER SATURDAY SOUP DAY FUNDRAISER: 11am-2pm, Interlochen Public Library. Enjoy soup, bread & dessert. Several soup choices available. Suggested donation: $5/person or $20/ family. Proceeds support library programs. 231-276-6767.

POLAR POKER & PUB RUN: Downtown Elk Rapids. Collect cards: Visit participating downtown locations from 1-5pm to build your best poker hand. Finish at the pubs: Turn in your hand at the participating bars & restaurants, where the best hands win prizes! Find ‘Polar Poker & Pub Run’ on Facebook. Free event.

YOUTH ICE FISHING PROGRAM: 1pm, Dune Center building, 6748 S Dune Hwy., Glen Arbor. Join park rangers to learn essential ice fishing skills, safety measures, & fishing regulations, culminating in a “Junior Angler” certification & a fishing pole to take home (while supplies last). If ice conditions permit, attendees will have the opportunity to ice fish at North Bar Lake. No registration is required. Organized groups may register at 231-326-4700, ext. 5005. All programs are free with a valid park entrance pass. Passes may be purchased at the Phillip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire & cost $25 (per vehicle) for seven days, or other options are available. nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

“THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE”: 2pm & 7pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Performed by the Young Company, this is C.S. Lewis’ classic work of magic & the mystery of Aslan, the great lion, & the adventures of four children who inadvertently wander from a wardrobe into the exciting, never-to-be-forgotten Narnia. $12-$21 + service charge. oldtownplayhouse.com/young-company/performances/ the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe.html

TORCHLIT SNOWSHOE: 5-8pm, Camp Daggett, 03001 Church Rd., Petoskey. Enjoy Camp Daggett’s snow-covered trails, illuminated by torchlight as you snowshoe through campus. Afterwards, warm up in the lodge with hot cocoa & cookies. Bearcub Outfitters will also be on hand to provide snowshoes & sizing assistance for anyone who needs them. Free. campdaggett.org/events

FAMILY NIGHT HIKES: 6pm, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. For families with elementary & middle schoolaged children. Rangers will guide families through nocturnal landscapes, educating them about animal adaptations & the wonders of the night sky. Reservations required: 231-326-4700, ext. 5005. Dress in layers & wear waterproof boots to be most comfortable. All programs are free with a valid park entrance pass. Passes may be purchased at the Phillip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, & cost is $25 (per vehicle) for seven days, or there are other options. nps. gov/slbe/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

FIGURE DRAWING: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Phoenix Theatre. Human-generated choreography, music, visuals, & a challenge to Artificial Intelligence. Free. interlochen.org/events/figure-drawing-2025-01-25

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FRIARS WINTERPALOOZA: 8pm, City Opera House, TC. The Friars, the a cappella subset of the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club, will perform. For more than 60 years, The Friars have been entertaining audiences with questionable choreography, bad dad jokes, & boy-band hits. GA: $20; students: $10; seniors 62+: $15. cityoperahouse.org/node/533

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY WINTERFEST: Noon-3pm, GT County Civic Center, TC. Featuring a snowball slingshot, snowshoeing, snow castle building, balance bike and more. Exhibitors include GT County Parks and Recreation, GT County Sheriff, Norte Youth Cycling, TC Roller Derby, Aloft Disc Golf and others. Free.

Sunday

BEECH NUTS JR. NORDIC RACE: 10am, Nub’s Nob, Harbor Springs. A youth cross-country race featuring the Beech Nuts 1/2K, Nut Hatcher 1K, Jack Rabbit 2K, & Sasquatch 3K. Check the web site for various start times & to register. $10. nubsnob.com/jnr

LANTERN HIKE AT BOTANIC GARDEN: Botanic Garden, Visitor Center, TC. Presented by Botanic Garden, Grand Traverse Conservation District, & Powerbook Bags. A family-friendly story time with author Bill Smith of “A Chickadee Year” will be held at 5pm at the Botanic Garden Visitor Center, followed by sunset viewing & a lantern-lit walk through the gardens. Free. thebotanicgarden.org/events

monday

STORYTIME AT THE LIBRARY: 11am, Petoskey District Library, Children’s Program Room. For ages 0-5 years old & their grownups. Enjoy stories, songs & rhymes. petoskey.librarycalendar.com/ event/storytime-1758

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MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS: 6:30pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Mary Lee Pakieser talks about issues

Free tubing and hot cocoa! Grayling Youth Booster Club presents Blizzardfest at Hanson Hills Recreation Area in Grayling, Sat., Feb. 1 at 10am. You can also try your hand in the Euchre tournament and warm up with chili. At 11am the 2nd Annual Snowshoe Poker Run starts on the 2.5 mile trail. Choose from one, two or three hands. https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/MI/Grayling/SnowshoePokerRun Find ‘BLIZZARD FEST!!’ on Facebook.

& services in the Grand Traverse Region. 231-223-7700.

tuesday

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 10:30am, Suttons Bay-Bingham District Library, lower level Community Meeting Room. Preschool children of all ages & their caregivers are invited to join each Tues. for stories, songs & more. Free. sbbdl.org

CONNECTING WOMEN IN BUSINESS LUNCHEON: NCMC, Library Conference Center, Petoskey. Housing discussion with Emily Boehm of Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity, Heidi Shearer of Pine Pond Homes, & Sarah Ford of Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. Registration & networking, 11:30am-noon. Buffet lunch, 11:45am. Program, noon. Register. $35 CWIB members; $45 all others. petoskeychamber.com/events/details/cwibluncheon-january-28-2025-36314

TALKS WITH TIM: 2pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Local History chat with OMP resident Tim Carroll. 231-223-7700.

PWR! MOVES: MICHIGAN PARKINSON FOUNDATION EXERCISE CLASS: 4pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. An exercise class based on the PWR! moves for people with or suspected Parkinson’s Disease & their caregivers. It will be run by a PWR! certified physical therapist. Free. tadl.org/event/pwrmoves-michigan-parkinson-foundation-exercise-class-16567

STUMP THE LIBRARIAN!: 5pm, Petoskey District Library. A new twist on trivia night. Bring your craziest, most challenging questions regarding books, history, or pop culture to stump the librarian! petoskey.librarycalendar.com/event/stump-librarian-1644

“LAKE LEELANAU, SPIRIT OF THE LAKE”: 7pm, The Alluvion, TC. This documentary dives into the history & nostalgia of Lake Leelanau. It is produced by the Leelanau Historical Society & directed by Keith Patterson of Manitou Films. $12 in advance; $15 at door. leelanauhistory.org/events

wednesday

INDIE LENS POP-UP: “FREE FOR ALL: THE PUBLIC LIBRARY”: 4pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. The story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea happen. RSVP in advance. Free. simpletix.com/e/free-for-allthe-public-library-an-indie-l-tickets-197093 ----------------------

THIRD ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES BASKETBALL DOUBLEHEADER: 5:30pm, Petoskey Plastics Arena. The NCMC Timberwolves will take on the Alpena Community College Lumberjacks. Gain entry by bringing a nonperishable food item or making a monetary donation, which will support NCMC’s Campus Cupboard, a year-round, on-campus food pantry available to any North Central student. ncmich.edu/student-life/resources-for-success/campus-cupboard.html

HARLEM QUARTET: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. Currently quartet-in-residence at the John J. Cali School of Music & the Royal College of Music in London, New York-based Harlem Quartet has been praised for bringing a new attitude to classical music. $10-$89. cityoperahouse.org/ node/620

thursday

COFFEE @ 10, PETOSKEY: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Gilbert Gallery, Petoskey. Behind the Canvas: A Preview of Paint Grand Traverse 2025 with CTAC Vice President Kristi Wodek. CTAC’s signature plein air event features 32 nationally recognized artists. Free. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey/coffee-10-behindcanvas-preview-paint-grand-traverse2025-ctac-vice-president

FREE PLAY: FREE OPEN-STUDIO FOR ADULTS: 5:30-7pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Visual Arts Room, Petoskey. Engage in creative activity through playful explorations of artistic media & ideas in a relaxed, supportive, & social environment. crookedtree.org/class/ ctac-petoskey/free-play-130

INTRODUCTION TO 3D PRINTING: 6:30pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Learn the basics, watch a demo, & receive a $10 voucher to use the library’s 3D printing service. Free. tadl.org/3Dprinting

THE NIGHT LIBRARY: 8pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Families can join after hours for bedtime stories, a night craft, cookies & cocoa. Come in your jammies! If the night is clear, take a look at the sky through the telescope. 231-223-7700.

friday

NO EXIT: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. JeanPaul Sartre’s famous existentialist play follows three people to a room in hell, where their torture is revealed to be each other’s company. This is an exploration of human nature & relationships. Includes adult themes intended for adult audiences. $23. oldtownplayhouse.com/performances/studio-theatre/no-exit.html

COMEDIAN PAUL ELIA: 8pm, City Opera House, TC. Enjoy this LA-based comedian, actor, & content creator from Detroit. He released the first Iraqi-Assyrian/American standup special, “Detroit Player,” on YouTube. Elia has appeared in dozens of films & television shows including “Ramy” & “Lady Dynamite.” $20-$35. cityoperahouse.org/node/627

saturday

BLIZZARDFEST: 10am, Hanson Hills Recreation Area, Grayling. Presented by Grayling Youth Booster Club. Free tubing & hot cocoa. There will also be a Euchre tournament & chili. Find ‘BLIZZARD FEST!!’ on Facebook.

THE 2ND ANNUAL SNOWSHOE POKER RUN will also take place here at 11am. Enjoy snowshoeing the 2.5 mile trail. Choose from one, two or three hands. $10-$30. runsignup.com/Race/Events/MI/Grayling/ SnowshoePokerRun

GO BANANAS! PETOSKEY’S BANANA BREAD SHOWDOWN: Bring your homemade banana bread to Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts in Petoskey between 9-11am. The four categories are Amateur Baker, Professional Baker, Child Baker (14 & under) & Gluten-Free Banana Bread. Breads will be evaluated based on Appearance, Texture, Flavor, Creativity (optional), & Overall Impression, with each category scored on a scale of 1-10. Winners in each category will be announced at Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts at 3pm, both in-store & via Facebook Live. Each category winner will receive $250 in gift certificates to a variety of downtown Petoskey businesses. grandpashorters.com

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WHITE PINE STAMPEDE: Mancelona High School. Michigan’s longest & oldest point-to-point cross country ski race. The annual WPS stretches over the hills & through the woods of Antrim County while raising funds for the Children’s Hospital of Michigan & a scholarship for a graduating Mancelona senior. Featuring the 40K at 9:30am, 20K at 10:30am, & 10.5K at 11:30am. $30-$80. whitepinestampede.org

2ND ANNUAL BEAT THE WINTER BLUES CRAFT/VENDOR SHOW: 10am3pm, Gaylord E-Free Church, gymnasium. Entry is a donation to a local charity/cause. 989-884-4335. facebook.com/ events/3859616687647520 ----------------------

NCT GROUP HIKE - PELLSTON: 10am,

Division & Dzedzie Intersection, 2922 Division Rd., Pellston. Join the Harbor Springs Chapter North Country Scenic Trail for a group hike. Hike section 5A south towards Beckon Rd. – four miles out & back. Snowshoes recommended. northcountrytrail.org/ trail/michigan/hrb

NEEDLE FELTING FOR BEGINNERS: 10:30am, Suttons Bay-Bingham District Library. Learn the basics of needle felting & explore creating shapes & designs with provided wool roving, felting needles, & cookie cutters. Participants will create their own 2D designs to take home. Geared towards adults & adult/child duos. Registration is required. Email: information@sbbdl. org to reserve your spot. Free. sbbdl.org

YOUTH ICE FISHING PROGRAM: (See Sat., Jan. 25)

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FAMILY NIGHT HIKES: (See Sat., Jan. 25)

BLISSFEST TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY DANCE: 7:30pm, Littlefield/Alanson Community Building, Alanson. Music provided by Peacemeal, with Larry Dyer calling. All dances taught (circles, contras, squares & more). No need to bring a partner. Perfect for families. Potluck at 6:30pm. Bring table service & dish to pass. $10, $5 student, 12 & under free. blissfest.org ----------------------

NO EXIT: (See Fri., Jan. 31)

sunday

NO EXIT: (See Fri., Jan. 31, except today’s time is 2pm.)

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HOLLYWOOD REVISITED: 4pm, City Opera House, TC. This musical revue showcases a dazzling lineup of costumes actually worn by stars in original Hollywood films. It is set to music that defined the times. $20-$40. cityoperahouse.org

ongoing

INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: The Village at GT Commons, The Mercato corridor, TC. Saturday mornings, 10am-2pm. thevillagetc.com

SNOWSHOES, VINES, & WINES: Black Star Farms, Suttons Bay. Snowshoe Black Star Farms’ scenic trails on Saturdays through winter, weather permitting. Then warm up with a glass of wine or cocktail on the heated Terrace Patio or in the tasting room. Snowshoe rentals available from noon-4pm; must be returned by 5pm. blackstarfarms.com/snowshoes-vines-wines

art

THE OTHER TRAVERSE CITY 2025: WHERE ARE THEY NOW: City Opera House, TC. Alan Newton’s The Other Traverse City: Photographs and Interviews with the Homeless gave us a view into the unique personalities & stories of the homeless in 2012. In The Other Traverse City 2025: Where Are They Now, Alan revisits some of the people he interviewed 12 years ago & looks at what we, as a community, have done to support solving the issue of homelessness in TC. The exhibit runs through Jan. 31. cityoperahouse.org

SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION: CELEBRATING YOUNG CREATORS: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. This annual regional high school student exhibit features artwork from 11th & 12th graders at Boyne City, Boyne Concord Academy, Charlevoix, & East Jordan High Schools. The exhibit runs through Feb. 22. Hours are Mon. through Fri., 11am-4pm, & Sat., 11am-3pm. charlevoixcircle.org

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TACTILITY: exhibition texture show by four rary multi-media fiber Jessica (repurposed blage). a variety ticipating hours noon-4pm.

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REVIS-

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The Vilcor10am-2pm.

Black Black Saturdays Then cocktail tastfrom blackstarfarms.com/snowshoes-vines-wines

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“DRAWN HERE”: An exhibit at Higher Art Gallery, TC featuring the student visual artists of Interlochen Arts Academy. Thirty-one student artists practicing a variety of mediums: clay, metalwork, painting, & print making. The show runs for in-person viewing through Feb. 8. Check web site for gallery hours. higherartgallery.com

TACTILITY: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. This exhibition highlighting the design principle of texture in art will run through Feb. 14. The show will feature 2D & 3D artwork provided by four headlining artists: Detroit contemporary multi-media artist Robert Mirek, Bay City fiber artist Susan Pack, & two local artists, Jessica Kovan (mixed media) & Austin Garno (repurposed metal sculpture & mixed assemblage). It will also have on display work from a variety of other regional artists who are participating through a curated open call. OAC’s hours are Tues.-Sat., 10am-4pm & Sun., noon-4pm. oliverart.org

FREE OPEN STUDIO TUESDAYS: Noon4pm, Boyne Arts Center, Boyne City. Bring your paints, fiber arts, written arts, sculpting, jewelry, cards, drawing, or other portable mediums. Create & share.

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CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY:

- GUILD MEMBER SALON SHOW 2025: Runs through Feb. 22 in the Galleries. Invitational exhibit featuring the work of CTAC Artist Guild Members. Painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, new media, & more will be on display. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey/guild-member-salon-show-2025

- OPEN STUDIO, PETOSKEY: Saturdays, 10am-1pm in Visual Arts Room. Free dropin art studio for the whole family. New projects are offered weekly. crookedtree.org

CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC: - BITTER & BEAUTY: WINTER’S TRUTH IN THE MIDWEST: Runs through - Feb. 22 in the Carnegie Galleries. This exhibit delves into the many facets of winter, showcasing how Michigan artists across all mediums interpret the season & its impact. Juried by local gallerist Shanny Brooke, the collection portrays the unique relationship northern Michigan has with winter. A conversation with some of the featured artists will be held on Sat., Feb. 1 at 11am, & then on Thurs., Feb. 13 at 5:30pm will be an ekphrastic reading based on this & the other exhibits. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-cit y/ bitter-beauty-winters-truth-midwest - TRAVERSE AREA CAMERA CLUB: 2024 AWARD WINNERS: Runs through Feb. 22 in Carnegie Rotunda. Explore the works of local photographers in this exhibit featuring award-winning images from the Traverse Area Camera Club’s 2024 competitions. Celebrating technical excellence & creative vision, these photographs capture diverse subjects. A conversation with some of the featured artists will be held on Sat., Feb. 15 at 11am. crookedtree.org/ event/ctac-traverse-city/traverse-areacamera-club-2024-award-winners

- WINTER WIT... THE FUNNIER SIDE OF ART: Runs through Feb. 22 in Cornwell Gallery. Explore the role of humor in visual arts, encouraging you to reflect on what you find funny & how it can be expressed through different mediums. Juried by local artist Mary Fortuna. A conversation with some of the featured artists will take place on Sat., Feb. 8 at 11am; an ekphrastic reading based on this & the other exhibits will be held on Thurs., Feb. 13 at 5:30pm; plus a comedy night in the spirit of the exhibit on Thurs., Jan. 23 at 5:30pm. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city/ winter-wit-funnier-side-art

DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - “SMALL EXPRESSIONS”: The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.’s “Small

Expressions” exhibit is an annual juried exhibition showcasing contemporary smallscale works using fiber techniques in any media. Works do not exceed 15 inches in any direction, were completed within the last two years, & were not previously published. Runs through May 25. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/ small-expressions.html

- “NORTHWEST MICHIGAN REGIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION”: Held regularly at the Museum for over 30 years, the exhibition features artwork made by regional artists over the last year & juried by an arts professional outside of the region. This year’s juror is Teresa Dunn. It runs through May 25. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/ upcoming-exhibitions/northwest-michiganjuried-show-and-call.html

- “ART OF REGENERATION”: This exhibition was inspired by the regenerative powers of axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, an aquatic salamander, also known as the Mexican walking fish. They can regenerate multiple body parts throughout their adulthood. Bright-field microscopic images highlighting axolotl limb regeneration process were used as design elements. The exhibit runs through March 30. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum. org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/art-of-regeneration.html

- A STYLE ALL OUR OWN: CANADIAN WOODLAND ARTISTS: Runs through May 25. In the early 1960s, young Indigenous artists from the Great Lakes region created a unique style of painting known as the Woodland School of Art. Early members of this prolific art community included Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray, Roy Thomas, Sam Ash, Jackson Beardy, & Daphne Odjig. Perhaps the best-known of the group is Norval Morrisseau, who is often referred to as the Father of the Woodland School. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/canadian-woodland-artists.html

- CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE CERAMICS FROM THE HORVITZ COLLECTION: Runs through Sept. 28, 2025. An array of works by contemporary Japanese ceramic artists, this is a sampler of the great diver sity of styles, forms, glazes, & ages. These artworks are drawn from the curated collec tion of Carol & Jeffrey Horvitz, some of the leading collectors of Japanese contempo rary outside of Japan. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/ upcoming-exhibitions/index.html

GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER:

- OUTDOOR GALLERY EXHIBIT: MAR

GO BURIAN + ORDINARY MAGIC: Lee lanau County artist Margo Burian’s collages have been chosen for display in the Glen Ar bor Arts Center’s 2024-25 Outdoor Gallery exhibition, an annual, invitational exhibit. Bu rian’s collages are rooted in the idea of Ordi nary Magic, or delight. They were reproduced on five, 5-foot-square, weather-resistant alu minum panels created by Image 360 of TC. Runs through April 20, 2025. Check web site for hours. glenaborart.org

- “REFLECTIONS IN WATER”: Held in Lobby Gallery. A small exhibit of colored pencil drawings depicting a vital life force by Judith Shepelak. Runs through April 24. Shepelak captures the dynamic, changing, & diverse faces of water as she has encoun tered it during travels locally & throughout the United States & Canada. The GAAC is open Mon. through Fri., 9am-3pm, & noon4pm on Sat. glenaborart.org

- “THE SKY IS ALWAYS THERE”: This exhibition moves beyond direct representa tion, beyond portraits of puffy clouds. Applicants were asked to consider the sky from its atmospheric characteristic to its mythic history. Runs through March 20. The GAAC is open during the week, 9am-3pm, & on Sat., noon-4pm. glenaborart.org

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

ENCORE 201, TC

1/25 -- DJ Ricky T

1/31-2/1 -- DJ Fade's Debut

HOTEL INDIGO, TC

1/25 -- Rhett & John, 6-9

1/29 -- Dominic Fortuna, 6-8

1/31 -- Jesse Jefferson, 6-9

2/1 -- Zeke Clemons, 6-9

KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC

9:30: 1/24-25 -- Life Theory

1/31 -- Scarkazm

2/1 -- Boardman River Band

KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING

1/28 – Open Mic Night w/ LaRose Duo, 6-8

1/30 – Trivia Night w/ Marcus Anderson, 6:30-8:30

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC

BARREL ROOM:

1/27 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9

TASTING ROOM:

1/31 -- Ol' Pal Shayne, 5-7

LIL BO, TC Tues. – Trivia, 8-10 Sun. – Karaoke, 8

MARI VINEYARDS, TC

1/31 -- Dennis Palmer, 4-6

MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC

1/31 -- Rebekah Jon, 6-9

NORTH BAR, TC 7-10: 1/25 – Jonathan Stoye 1/29 – Jesse Jefferson

OLD MISSION DISTILLING, TC SEVEN HILLS:

1/25 – Jesse Jefferson, 6

1/30 – Comedy Night w/ Headliner Timothy Locke; hosted by TC’s Funny Lady Marti Johnson, 7 1/31 – Reminisce: Jim & Dave, 6:30

2/1 – Bauer Jones, 7:30

RIGHT BRAIN BREWERY, TC 2/1 -- Kamikaze Comedy Night w/ Zach Martina & Joshua Paul, 8

SORELLINA'S, TC SLATE RESTAURANT: Thurs. -- Tom Kaufmann on Piano, 5-8

Fri. & Sat. – Tom Kaufmann on Piano, 6-9

THE ALLUVION, TC 1/25 -- Alluvion World Music Series: Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet w/ Elden Kelly, 7:30-9

1/26 -- The Alluvion Big Band, 3-5

1/27 -- Big Fun - Funky Fun Mondays, 6-8:30

1/30 -- The Jeff Haas Trio feat. Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, 6-8:30

1/31 -- Mark Lavengood & Friends wsg Joe Rood, 7:30-9

2/1 -- The Bill Sears Quintet, 7:30-9:30

THE HAYLOFT INN, TC 1/25 -- Timebombs, 7:30-11

Antrim & Charlevoix

1/30 -- Open Mic Night, 6 1/31-2/1 -- Grand Crew, 7:30-11

THE LITTLE FLEET, TC

1/25 -- Psychedelic Lunar New Year w/ Super Nuclear, Sosohifi, & DJ Dusty Staircase, 7 1/29 -- Endless Summer w/ DJ Dusty Staircase, 3-11

THE PARLOR, TC

1/25 – Empire Highway, 9-12

1/28 – Jesse Jefferson, 8-11

1/29 – Rob Coonrod, 8-11

1/30 – SkyeLea, 8-11

1/31 – Rhett & John, 9-12

THE PUB, TC

1/25 – Hannah Rose Graves Trio, 9-12

1/27 – Karaoke Monday, 8-11

1/29 – Zeke Clemons, 8-11

1/30 -- David Martón, 8-11

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC

1/25 -- Red Thyme, 7

1/26 -- Full Tilt Comedy Presents Comedy Mixtape #20, 7 1/28 -- Open Mic w/ Zak Bunce, 6:30

1/30 -- DJ Trivia, 7 1/31 -- Lighting Matches, 7 2/1 -- The Fridays, 7

UNION STREET STATION, TC

1/24-25 -- The Boardman River Band, 10 1/30 -- DJ 1Wave, 9 1/31-2/1 -- DJ Prim, 10

BOYNE CITY TAP ROOM

1/30 -- Adam & The Cabana Boys, 7 CAFE SANTÉ, BOYNE CITY

1/25 -- Brian T. McCosky, 7-10

1/27 -- The Shifties, 6-9

1/31 -- Brett Mitchell, 7-10

ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS

1/25 -- Jerome Forde, 7-10

2/1 -- Kyle Brown, 7-10

2/2 -- Vinyl Record Crate Dig w/ DJ

Franck & DJ Yokob, 1-5

FIRESIDE LOUNGE, BELLAIRE

6:30-9:30: 1/25 -- Clint Weaner

2/1 -- Nick Vasquez

JAX NORTHSIDE, CHARLEVOIX

1/29 -- Trivia Night, 7-9

JUNCTION BAR & GRILL & EVENT CENTER, WALLOON LAKE

1/25 -- Jelly Roll Blues Band, 8

MUSKRAT DISTILLING, BOYNE CITY

1/31 -- Pete Fetters, 8-11

SHORT'S PUB, BELLAIRE

1/30 -- Trivia w/ DJ Trivia, 6:30

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee

NORTHERN NATURAL CIDER HOUSE & WINERY, KALEVA

1/25 -- Sierra Skye Baker

1/30 -- Chief Jams - Open Mic with Bee Jay & Nate from Barefoot Music

1/31 -- SkyeLea 2/1 -- Ben Traverse

THE GREENHOUSE - WILLOW/ PRIMOS, CADILLAC

1/25 -- Saturday Night Dance Party w/ Hot Traxx Silent Disco, 8 1/27 -- Rachael Davis & R.O. Shapiro, 6

BLACK STAR FARMS, SUTTONS BAY

BISTRO POLARIS: 1/25 -- Bob Roberts, 6-8

BOATHOUSE VINEYARDS, LAKE LEELANAU

TASTING ROOM: 1/31 -- Ben Traverse, 5:30-8

CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE

SLOPESIDE TENT NEAR CRYSTAL CLIPPER CHAIRLIFT, 3-5: 1/25 -- Sydni K 2/1 -- Weston Buchan VISTA LOUNGE:

1/25 -- Two Feet, 2-5; Scarkazm, 8-11

1/26 -- Jesse Jefferson, 2-5

1/29 -- Trivia Night, 7-9

1/31 -- Nick Veine, 2-5; Somebody's Sister & the Goodfellas, 8-11

2/1 -- Luke Woltanski, 2-5; Somebody's Sister & the Goodfellas, 8-11

2/2 -- Jim Hawley, 2-5

Leelanau & Benzie

FIVE SHORES BREWING, BEULAH

1/25 -- Brad Price & Duane Redick, noon-1; Corinna Snow, 1-2; Jimmy Heidecker, 2-3; Frankfort Bossa Nova Project, 3-4; Andrew Littlefield, 4-5; Stonefolk, 6-9

1/30 -- Trivia Night w/ Mark, 6-9 1/31 -- Open Mic w/ Andy Littlefield, 6-9

FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR 1/30 -- Jesse Jefferson, 4

IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE

5:30-7:30: 1/25 -- Zie

1/31 – Brian Curran 2/1 – Blair Miller

LAKE ANN BREWING CO.

1/25 -- Tim Jones & Aaron Dye, 6:30-9:30

1/30 -- Trivia Night, 7-9

LITTLE TRAVERSE INN, MAPLE CITY

1/31 -- Chris & Pat, 6-9

SHADY LANE CELLARS, SUTTONS BAY 4-7: 1/25 -- Blair Miller 1/31 -- Friday Night Live w/ Fred Drachus 2/1 -- Nick Veine

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 1/25 -- Truckin' in the Taproom: A Grateful Dead Theme Night w/ Jam Session, 5-9

1/30 -- Open Mic Night, 6-9 1/31 -- Dags und Timmah!, 5-8

SWEET’S BAR & GRILL, HONOR Mon. – Music Bingo, 7 Fri. – Music Bingo, 8; Karaoke, 10 Sat. – Karaoke, 8

BOB'S PLACE, ALANSON

1/29 -- Mike Ridley, 6-9

BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY

1/25 -- Chris Calleja, 2-6

CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY

1/28 -- Trivia Night, 7-9

1/31 -- Annex Karaoke, 9:30

GYPSY DISTILLERY, PETOSKEY

2/1 -- Matt Gabriel, 2-5

HIGH FIVE SPIRITS, PETOSKEY 1/25 & 2/1 -- DJ Parker Marshall, 9

NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY

1/25 -- Adam Hoppe, 7-10

1/29 -- Singo Bingo, 6:30

1/31 -- Shouting Bones, 7-10 2/1 -- Paul Bedour, 7-10

ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY

VICTORIES: 1/24-25 & 1/31-2/1 -- Live DJ, 9

• january 27, 2025 • Northern Express

POND HILL FARM, HARBOR SPRINGS

5-8: 1/25 -- David Lawston 2/1 -- Ty Parkin & The Old Souls

THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN 8-11: 1/25 -- Chris Neumann 2/1 -- Sam Schneider

THE WIGWAM, INDIAN RIVER 1/30 -- Dominic Fortuna, 7:309:30

1/31 -- Andre Villoch & Andy Six, 6:30-9:30 2/1 -- WSKF, 6:30-9:30

HOMESTEAD RESORT, GLEN ARBOR

1/25 -- Bill McCrory, 6-9

Otsego, Crawford & Central

One-third of Trillium Groove, singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and performer SkyeLea takes her show solo to The Parlor, TC on Thurs., Jan. 30 from 8-11pm, and then to Northern Natural Cider House & Winery in Kaleva on Fri., Jan. 31 at 6pm.

BUCK BREWERY, GAYLORD

lOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): As I envision your life in the coming weeks, I am moved to compare you to certain birds. First, there will be similarities between you and the many species that can literally perceive Earth's magnetic fields, seeing them as patterns of shadow and light overlaid on their regular vision. You, too, will have an uncanny multi-dimensional awareness that helps guide your travels. Secondly, Aquarius, you will be like the migrating songbirds that recalibrate their internal compass every day when the sun sets. In other words, you will make steady efforts to ensure that your magical ways of knowing are grounded in earthy rhythms.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Crown shyness” is a phenomenon seen among some trees like lodgepole pines. In forests, they grow big and strong and tall, yet avoid touching each other at their tops. This creates canopies full of pronounced gaps. What causes this curious phenomenon? First, if branches don’t brush up against each other, harmful insects find it harder to spread from tree to tree. Second, when winds blow, branches are less likely to collide with each other and cause damage. There’s a third benefit: More sunlight penetrates to the forest floor, nourishing animals and other plants. I propose that you adopt crown shyness as a metaphor for your use, Leo. Express your beauty to the max— be bold and vivid and radiant—but also provide plenty of space for your allies to shine. Be your authentically amazing self, but create boundaries that allow others to be their amazing selves.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some astrologers assert that you Virgos suffer from an ambition deficit. They authoritatively assert that a fiery aspiration to achieve greatness never burns hot within you. But in the coming months, will work to show you a different perspective. Let’s start now: Many of you Virgos are highly skilled at being self-sufficient. But sometimes this natural strength warps into a hesitancy to ask for help and support. And that can diminish your ability to fulfill your ambitions. My goal will be to celebrate and nurture your self-sufficiency even as I coach you to be dynamic about gathering all the assistance you can.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Life is not fair. In the coming days, you will be odd proof of this fact. That’s because you are likely to be the beneficiary of uncommon luck. The only kind of karma that will be operating in your vicinity will be good karma. X-factors and wild cards will be more available to you than usual. Your timing will be impeccable, and your intuition will be extra incisive. You may even be tempted to theorize that life is conspiring to bring you an extra supply of meaningful experiences. Here’s the clincher: If anyone in your sphere is prone to feeling envy because you’re flourishing, your charm will defuse it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here are three questions to ruminate on: 1. What resources are you afraid you will run out of or squander? 2. What if your fear of running out or squandering these resources obstructs your ability to understand what you need to know and do so that you won’t run out or squander them? 3. How can you dissolve the fear and feel confident that the necessary resources will keep steadily flowing in, and you will use them well?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Most stars have at least one companion star, sometimes two. Our sun, which is all alone, is in the minority. Astronomers have found evidence that our home star once had a companion but lost it. Is there any chance of this situation changing in the future? Might our sun eventually link up with a new compatriot? It’s not likely. But in contrast to our sun’s fate, suspect that 2025 will offer you a significant diminishment in your personal loneliness quotient. If you crave more camaraderie and togetherness, the coming months will be a favorable time to seek them out. Your meditation question: What’s the opposite of loneliness?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In the coming weeks, your authenticity will be your greatest strength. The more genuine and honest you are, the more life will reward you. Be alert for situations that may seem to

demand camouflage when in fact they will ultimately reward your complete transparency. You will be most powerful and attractive as you allow yourself to be fully seen. You can even use your vulnerability to your advantage. Be openly, clearly, unabashedly yourself.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): In some Polynesian cultures, there is a belief that one’s mistakes, including excessive anger, can cause physical sickness. Hawaiians traditionally have employed a ritual remedy for such ills called ho'oponopono. It includes acts of atonement, forgiveness, and correction. It may even involve a prayer conference where all the people involved talk about their mutual problems with respect and compassion, seeking solutions and restitution. The coming weeks will be a fantastically favorable time for you to carry out your own version of ho'oponopono, Pisces.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In medieval Europe, beekeepers made formal reports to their hives of significant events in the human world, like births, deaths, marriages, and departures. They believed the bees needed to be continually informed so as to ensure robust honey production. The practice was called “telling the bees.” Let’s make this an inspiring story for you in the coming weeks, Aries. I invite you to keep your community fully apprised of what’s happening in your life. Proceed on the assumption that sharing your plans and changes with others will generate harmony and support. Like the beekeepers, you may discover that keeping your community in the loop will strengthen your bonds and sweeten your endeavors.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A regular guy named Jesse Ronnebaum bought an old painting at a yard sale for 50 cents. For the next ten years, it hung on the wall in his living room. Then he noticed a dim inscription on the painting that suggested maybe it was more valuable than he realized. Consulting an art dealer, he discovered it was an unusual composition that featured the work of seven prominent artists—and was worth a lot of money. Ronnebaum said, "Years of struggling, barely making bills, and the whole time there's $50,000 hanging over my head, literally." I am predicting metaphorically comparable events unfolding in your life during the coming months, Taurus. Hidden value will no longer be hidden. You will potentize neglected sources of wealth and finally recognize subtle treasures.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Namibia’s arid grasslands, fairy circles periodically emerge. They are highly regular rings of bare land encompassed by vegetation. What causes them? Supernatural entities, as believed by the local people? Sand termites or hydrogen-loving microbes, according to a few scientists? As yet, no definitive explanation has emerged. love that! I cherish mysteries that thwart attempts at rational explanation. In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to specialize in tantalizing and unsolvable enigmas in the coming weeks. Your soul needs rich doses of provocative riddles, mysterious truths, and fun puzzles. Exult in the liberating declaration, “I don’t know!”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Wherever you wander, be alert for signals that remind you of who you used to be. This will stimulate your creative speculation about who you want to evolve into during the next few years. As you ruminate about your history, you will get inspirations about who you want to become. The past will speak vividly, in ways that hint at your best possible future. So welcome clues from people who are no longer alive. Be receptive to old allies and influences that are no longer a central part of your world.

“Jonesin” Crosswords

"Zero Stars!" --that's my rating. by Matt Jones

ACROSS

1. "Le Freak" disco group

5. "No ___!" ("I've had enough," in Spanish)

8. New Testament king/villain

13. Kind of exhaust

14. Japanese sashes

16. South American masa dish that's doughy when undercooked

17. "Mad Men" award

18. Taverna liqueur that tastes like anise

19. Utensil with small holes

20. Words chosen to be ignored, maybe

23. Manufacturer of bar code scanners and ATMs

24. Large blob

25. Negative decisions

28. Reminder of a debt

30. Monarch in Spain, but not the U.S.

31. Scummy pair?

34. Latin Grammy-nominated Mexican musician ___ Paz

37. Mango ___ bowl

38. Like those who don't get called back

42. 2006-07 NBA MVP Nowitzki

43. Cross

44. Mo. for National Moldy Cheese Day

45. Vainglorious one

48. "___ with caution"

49. Agcy. created by Bush

50. "Toxic" singer Britney

53. Acquired

55. "Thanks for being thoughtful"

60. "Love Boat" guest who once said "Many people think I am an idiot. I think I am a genius"

61. He'll feed you a line

62. "___ of Confusion" (Genesis hit)

64. "Charade" director Stanley

65. Tabloid nickname of the "Y'all Ain't Ready" rapper

once married to 50-Across

66. Birth state of seven presidents

67. Mudville's "mighty" failure at the plate

68. Radio bands with more music than talk

69. Totally insane, like some choices or opinions

DOWN

1. Agency founded to help fight malaria, for short

2. Streaming service with "This Fool" and "Tell Me Lies"

3. Comedian and "Love Island" narrator Stirling

4. Bozo, e.g.

5. Clear choice for car enthusiasts?

6. Lie alongside

7. Word with bite or king

8. Barely at all

9. "Wicked" star Cynthia

10. Instructions in a box in the kitchen

11. Libya and Kuwait's oil org.

12. Truth alternative

15. Island home of Thomas the Tank Engine

21. Allowing no returns, in tennis

22. Pumpkin ___ (fall beverage)

25. Fresh hairstyle

26. Corrupt, sycophantic courtier in "Hamlet"

27. Makeup of questionable attendance records, maybe

29. Aduba who played Shirley Chisholm in "Mrs. America"

32. Low-lying wetland

33. Building plots

35. Expensive printer fluid

36. Sometimes it's a bust

37. "Damned dirty" creature of film

39. "Adam Ruins Everything" network ___TV

40. Argues (with)

41. "___ Destruction" (1991 film)

45. More than a misdemeanor

46. Wine barrel wood

47. Puncture from a thorn

51. Gravylike soup

52. Extinguish, with "out"

54. Windbreaker material

55. "Jailbreak" and "Highway to Hell" band

56. "Stop doing that!"

57. Judge

58. The only U.S. location that will ever have a royal palace

59. Minute, hand, or rod, e.g.

63. El jefe's #2

NORTHERN EXPRESS CLASSIFIEDS

SEWING, ALTERATIONS, MENDING & REPAIRS. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248.

GREAT LAKES INCUBATOR FARM

-TRAINING STUDENTS: The Great Lakes Incubator Farm is recruiting students for their Experiential Farm Training Program. Learn to manage a regenerative farm. Apply @ https://natureiscalling.org/glif

CHAKRA BALANCE CLASS AT NMC: Each session of this 7-week course will focus on the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual duties of a chakra. These energy points in your body affect your physical and emotional well-being and are the key to healing. | Tuesdays 7-7:45pm 3/11-4/29 | gtreiki.com/services#classes

BECOME UNSTOPPABLE: Learn to meditate anywhere, anytime | Class offered at NMC Tuesdays 6-6:45pm Feb 11th-March 4th | signup at gtreiki.com/services#classes

SINGLE MATURE FEMALE: I am 65 wise, healthy, fit and looking for the same, but funnier. Someone who enjoys nature, travel, food, reading, engagement and being active. Respond to PO box 403, Empire 49630

TRAVERSE CITY COTTAGE FOR RENT: TC 1 BR Cottage, Very Nice, Utilities Included, Well Furnished, All New Appliances Including W/D, Patio, BBQ, No Pets, Month to Month to 1 Year; $1,600 per month, (231) 631-7512.

PAID PART-TIME POSITIONS FOR SENIORS AGE 55+: PAID POSITIONS

WAITING TO BE FILLED FOR Seniors Aged 55 and Over. Receptionist, Cashier, Retail, Customer Service and more. You must be age 55 and over, unemployed, seeking work and meet program eligibility. We serve the Grand Traverse region and other northern Michigan counties. Call to learn more. Contact the AARP Foundation SCSEP Program at 231-252-4544.

COMPUTER PROBLEMS?: I'll fix your new or aging TV, phone, tablet or computer. I'll come to your home or office and show you how to use it. Call James Downer, Advent Tech. Your HIGH TECH HANDYMAN. 231-492-2087. CALL NOW! End the frustration of programming that new TV!

MEMBER SERVICE

REPRESENTATIVE- FULL TIME BANKING POSITION

Northwest Consumers FCU is looking for a Full-Time Teller to serve our Grand Traverse Community! If you have banking experience and would like to inquire about this opportunity, please call, email, or stop in with your resume as we would love to meet with you. We are a small credit union with a big heart for our members! tinas@nwconsumers.org