Northern Express - December 14, 2020

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • december 14 - december 20, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 49 Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 1

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WEEKDAYS 5:25-10AM

letters But What About John James?

I believe President-elect Joe Biden sincerely wants to reach across the aisle to Republicans for the sake of our country’s unity and children’s future.

Of the many campaigns that fell into mudslinging here in Michigan, one that did not: John James for U.S. Senate.

Of the ad nauseam repetition of political ads, I really don’t remember John James embracing Donald Trump’s divisiveness.

As a West Pont graduate and proponent of diversity in business, I believe myself, coming from the center-left, that Joe Biden should include John James as part of his transition to heal our country.

George Golubovskis, Traverse City Coping with Loss Each human deals with loss in their own way. Some will deny, others accept. Truth moves neither way. Acceptance frees the mind to reset and them move forward in a, hopefully, positive manner.

Denial is resisting the inevitable, possibly by holding one’s breath until getting one’s way. The denial exhibited by Trump nation is of course troubling. This seems rooted in the belief that if they held the hugest rallies, waved the biggest flags‚ showed off success and wealth with boat and car parades, and cried victimhood while being scared, how could they possibly lose?

It seems, going forward, that a portion of Trump’s base will age out and die, some will grow tired of losing and gravitate elsewhere, some will figure out they’ve been used, and some will double-down in support so deep they would die for him. They will be a dangerous but shrinking strand of past Americana.

Bradley Price, Northport Keep Their Water Running Can you imagine going a day without water? That’s right. Imagine for just one day not being able to shower, flush your toilet, wash your hands, wash your dishes, or drink a glass of cold water.

I am asking you to voice your support for new legislation, Senate Bill 241, that would ensure that all Michigan households have access to water during the pandemic.

Today 317,000 households that include 800,000 individuals are behind in payments on their water bills and at risk for shut-off.

These families live in rural areas like ours, in suburbs, and in cities across the state, from southern Michigan to the Upper Peninsula. In the U.P. alone, 24 water systems have reported a combined 4,581 households at risk for shut-off.

It will not matter if there are elders in the home, children, nursing moms, or people who are ill.

I’ve been personally involved in this issue for a number of years. Please join me in making sure everyone in our state is able to have the dignity of having access to running water in their homes for drinking, cooking, and sanitation. Please ask Representative Lee Chatfield (LeeChatfield@house.mi.gov) and Senator Wayne Schmidt (SenWSchmidt@ senate.michigan.gov) to support SB 241.

Everyone needs water to live.

Rev. Deb Hansen, Levering Big Orange Bad, Big Blue Good I’ve always appreciated Jack Segal’s insights on international affairs. The combination of his training and experience make him an excellent source on matters about which most of us lack knowledge. His recent column

[“Rethinking the World Come January,” Dec. 7 issue] left me a bit disappointed.

Big Orange bad, New Blue good: Pretty consistent with what many in the U.S. Department of State would offer us. Specific to his comments regarding the Israel/Middle East, I’d be curious to hear from Segal on how the current state of affairs have improved or degraded over the last four years.

A region of deep divisions, ancient rivalries, etc., but in my 65 years on this planet, the current Middle East situation is probably the calmest I’ve ever observed.

New formal diplomatic relationships between Israel and Arab governments. Semiformal discussions taking place with Saudi Arabia. Fewer and less severe terrorist activities in the region, reduced levels of military engagement. And for Americans, far fewer American boots engaged in combat. Who would have predicted this level of positive change four years ago?

We’d all agree that the Middle East is not likely to be a Disney theme park experience anytime soon. Are there serious inequities and problems there? Of course.

I think Segal’s being a bit too harsh in his criticism of some positive progress on one the longest running and thorniest global issues in human history. Given a choice between progress and perfection, I’ll take progress, especially in the Middle East. Let’s not get overly concerned with who gets the credit — or the blame.

“I work harder here than I ever did there.

I work with less resources and less staff, but I am valued in many ways by the people I work with and the patients I take care of and I am compensated financially. I am learning so much.

Resources are very limited here … I am learning how to give quality care without all the bells and whistles that were available at Munson. I am so glad that I’m doing this …”

I am pleased her new job is going so well, as Munson has a history of treating workers poorly. I asked if it would be ok to include her words in a letter to the paper.

“Absolutely. Share. My only regret now is that I didn’t leave sooner.

“I just spoke to a friend of mine at Munson last night who worked in the same department with me and I listen to her cry for all the reasons you just said in that article. And where other people get a choice and if they’re willing to work with the Covid positive patients the pool nurses, which is what I was, don’t have a choice they are mandated. Here at this hospital when it first came about they were the third-hardest hit hospital in the US with the third highest mortality rate and the government stepped in and helped, now they treat every single patient that comes through as if they are Covid positive until proven otherwise. So they are now in the top 10 for the least positive in mortality.”

Of course, the millionaires that run Munson really don’t care about the lives of the workers and the nurses that save so many lives.

John Murray, Traverse City

David Petrove, Interlochen

Nicht So Gut The Washington Post recently asked all 249 Republicans in the House and Senate, “Who won the 2020 presidential election?” Only 27 acknowledged Biden as the winner.

If this level of cowardice had been displayed by our incredibly brave World War II veterans, we would all now be speaking German.

Reckless In reference to Antrim County’s Friske Farm Market holiday open house, on Dec. 5, we hope that Northern Express readers join us in condemning this super-spreader-eventwaiting-to-happen. We also watched (in disbelief, coupled with horror) the Facebook video on the orchard’s business site, showing some of the hundreds of mostly unmasked, not-socially-distanced folks who came from miles around to celebrate the season.

It’s hard to grasp the magnitude of highly politicized Friske family arrogance coupled with evident magical thinking of hundreds of their unsafe customers. In wishing to spread the joys of Christmas, did it not occur to more than the few who displayed masks that they instead could be giving birth to another “spreader” event? Was a desire for “normalcy” worth that? All of which begs the question: Which reality have these people experienced over the last ten months of our time dealing with a global pandemic??

We hope that all such Friske “freedom lovers” (especially the many with unmasked children, who may soon be visiting older, vulnerable relatives) noticed concurrent news from the health department of Northwest Michigan that “164 new COVID19 cases were reported over three days.”

Yes, neighbors — it’s no hoax that our once-imagined “refuge” is now officially a Coronavirus hotspot.

To repeat what should be obvious to any who still think that — by thumbing their uncovered noses at guidelines from the CDC (and our own regional health providers) — they’re making some sort of populist statement, this highly contagious virus cares not for petty politics or reckless showboating.

This year, the U.S. has lost nearly 300,000 of its citizens to COVID-19, with recent daily deaths exceeding 3,000. Since vaccines will not likely be available for most Americans till spring or summer of 2021, it’s therefore critically important for all persons, and businesses, to behave responsibly and safely.

Bob Ross, Pellston Big Picture Logic Three axioms of logic are this: That the simplest argument that accounts for the facts is the best, that all measurements have a degree of accuracy that will never be 100 percent, and that we, as humans, are fallible. The last two account for all the “evidence” that Trump claims proves he was cheated. The process of 150 million people voting is an awesome task.

In their wisdom, the Founding Fathers spread the process over many localities instead of centralizing it. This acts as a check on any plan to steal an election.

Our great poll workers did a good job, but they are human and make mistakes, and there are mechanical issues, like the once-hanging chads. Mistakes over such a large field, however, tend to even out. If the Biden team was so inclined, they could find “evidence” similar to that which Trump asserts.

Some Trump supporters will accept his nonevidence and construct elaborate schemes of fraud. These are like the clumsy constructions people once made to prove that the earth was the center of the universe.

Perhaps there is a simpler explanation. Trump lost! It was close in swing states but not in the popular vote or Electoral College.

Remember all the evidence that Trump said he’d found proving that Obama was born in Kenya? Whatever happened to that evidence? Trump is the only fraud.

David Green, Honor Respect Nurses or Lose Them A few weeks ago, a former Munson nurse texted me about her new job that read:

Frank & Dottie Hawthorne, Petoskey

CONTENTS features A Stitch In Time...........................................10

The Ultimate Up North Winter Bucket List......12 Ski On, Bro.................................................15 Lost Village Pierogi......................................16

columns & stuff Top Ten.......................................................5

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................6 High Notes (sponsored)..................................7 Opinion..........................................................8 Weird............................................................9 Dates........................................................18 Advice.....................................................20 Crossword.................................................21 Astrology.....................................................22 Classifieds...............................................23

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris, Jill Hayes For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Dave Anderson, Dave Courtad Kimberly Sills, Randy Sills, Roger Racine Matt Ritter, Gary Twardowski Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Reporter: Patrick Sullivan Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny Ross Boissoneau, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Anna Faller, Todd VanSickle, Craig Manning Copyright 2020, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly. Northern Express Weekly is free of charge, but no person may take more than one copy of each weekly issue without written permission of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content without permission of the publisher is prohibited.

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Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 3

this week’s

top ten LeeLanau underwater

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Intrepid diver and underwater photographer Chris Roxburgh has turned his exploration around the shores of Leelanau County into a book.

Roxburgh’s “Leelanau Underwater” looks at shipwrecks scattered around the Exploring Shipwrecks in Leelanau County and the Manitou Passage peninsula and in the Manitou Passage.

Chris Roxburgh Many of the wrecks are littleknown; Roxburgh researched each of the maritime disasters to include a history of each wreck with his haunting photographs.

“I grew up in Leelanau County, so this is special to me,” Roxburgh said. “We’ve got a treasure trove of shipwrecks in Leelanau, and I’m glad to be able to share it with others.”

Roxburgh said he expects the book will appear in local bookstores beginning in early 2021. Until then, you can get the book directly from him by contacting him through Facebook.

Some of Roxburgh’s favorite shipwreck dives were featured in “Otherworldly Beauty,” in the July 6, 2019, edition of Northern Express. $35.00 Canada

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Consumer’s Energy Doubles Down on Downtown Gift Certificates The energy giant is brightening the season in a big way for many a small-town business. It just unleashed $500,000 in a hyper-generous “Our Towns” program that matches, dollar for dollar, gift certificates holiday shoppers buy from local Chambers of Commerce and downtown organizations in 55 communities across the Lower Peninsula, including the Boyne City, Cheboygan, East Jordan, Elk Rapids, Gaylord, Mancelona, and Manistee chambers, and Cadillac and Traverse City DDAs. Move quickly to take advantage; the buy-one-get-one deals launched 8am Dec. 11 and lasts only as long as each organization’s allotment of matched gift cards do.

4

Hey, read it!

Mexican Gothic

In lieu of actual escape this holiday season, might we suggest escapism instead? Set in 1950’s Mexico City, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “Mexican Gothic” follows Noemi Taboada, a stylish young socialite who, much to her parents’ dismay, is more focused on her master’s degree than marriage. So her father strikes her a deal: Noemi must check on her estranged cousin Catalina, who’s living in a remote mountain village with the mysterious Englishman she married the previous year. If Noemi agrees to go, her father will consider her college path. But what she uncovers is pure Gothic gold: a house sick with exploitation and a secret so sinister it threatens to consume them all. A healthy combination of glamour and gore, readers will down this story in a single sitting.

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2

tastemaker Tillie’s Tafel’s Cinnamon Roll

At Petoskey’s newest downtown bakery, Tillie’s Tafel, 437 E. Mitchell St., they like to keep things simple. They have a simple storefront. Inside are basic chairs and tables. The menu is simpler yet, containing just two items. Wait … what? Yep. At Tillie’s Tafel (“tafel” means table in German), diners can have a cinnamon roll or coffee, or both. There’s nothing else. Now, some might think that’s a bad thing. But, rest assured, each cinnamon roll ($5), satisfyingly weighty and slathered in a decadent cream-cheese frosting, is fresh-baked that day, using a decades-old recipe, of which neither the ingredients nor the process have ever changed. Let’s face it: If a restaurant or bakery has only a single, solitary item on their food menu, it’s safe to assume that dish will be spectacular. Tillie’s Tafel’s cinnamon roll definitely hits the mark, with a dough containing local farm-fresh eggs and treated with a three-rise process. One batch takes four hours to produce, meaning Tillie’s can currently only produce one batch of cinnamon rolls daily. So far, those have been selling out by noon daily. So, it’s unclear why you’re still sitting here reading this when you could be waiting for your authentic cinnamon roll at Tillie’s Tafel. Find out more by visiting www.tilliestafel.com.

4 • dec 14, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

www.hullsoffrankfort.com 231-352-4642 419 Main St, Frankfort www.hullsoffrankfort.com

6

PARK PROJECTS PLANNED ACROSS REGION

Many of the proposed Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants are slated for projects in northern Lower Michigan, including: Discovery Pier development – Discovery Center Great Lakes in Leelanau County’s Elmwood Township is slated to receive a $300,000 grant to make improvements to its centerpiece pier on West Grand Traverse Bay, including work to mitigate pier flooding, installation of a universally accessible kayak launch, and construction of a 12-foot-wide promenade around the pier.

Bass Lake camp acquisition – A $569,200 grant to Green Lake Township, near Traverse City, will help purchase the 515-acre property that formerly housed Camp Sakakawea, a.k.a. Camp Saki. The township plans to use the site as a public park for passive recreation.

Union Street Dam Park/FishPass improvements – a $300,000 grant to the City of Traverse City will help pay for improvements to the downtown park, including kayak launches, ADA-compliant boat landings, step-stone access to the river, and a boardwalk.

Stuff we love

Free Skiing, Free Christmas Trees Think nothing’s better than being a kid at Christmas?

Try being a fourth or fifth grader in Michigan this winter.

Not only could you ski free at 28 different resorts (up to three times!) across the state (check out the Michigan Snowsports Industries Association’s “Cold is Cool” program), you also could nab a free Christmas tree to cut and take home from the Huron-Manistee National Forest this year.

Step 1: Visit everykidoutdoors.gov, click on “Get Your Pass,” and fill out the diary to receive a voucher that gets you and your family free access to all federal lands and waters (good until August 31, 2021!) that charge an entry fee.

Step 2: Call the good folks at the Huron-Manistee National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Cadillac (231-775-2421) to arrange pickup of your free Christmas tree tag — you’ll need one to transport your tree without trouble from the law — a map, and some basic rules.

Step 3: Gear up and head into the woods with your family to find the (under 20-foot) tree of your dreams.

Have an At-Home Kid’s Art Party, Courtesy of OAC No surprise here: After putting a COVID-aware kibosh on its annual holiday party, the creative minds at Oliver Art Center found another way to celebrate art with its community. Buoyed by the support of MI Pest of Beulah, OAC is giving out arts and crafts supply bags — free! — to area families. The bags — for kids age 7 and under or age 8 and up — contain all the supplies needed for a couple seasonal craft projects. They’re first-come, first-serve, but if you’re too late or too far away, no problem. OAC has also re-released eight online classes — also free! — each featuring instructional videos, storytime with Kaitlin from Benzie Shores District Library, and several different projects. Topics range from abstract art to pop art to cave paintings to Impressionism and can be done at any pace, in any order, at any time. Bonus for those nearby: OAC offers $10 supply kits that contain everything needed for all eight classes (but most of the projects require only basic art supplies that can be found at home or inexpensively at area stores).

8 bottoms up Paper Station Bistro’s Bees Knees Like the Sidecar, the Gin Rickey, and the French 75, the Bees Knees cocktail is a Prohibition Era compote that, in the proper hands, could be very dangerous. At Harbor Springs’ Paper Station Bistro (145 E. Main St.) three simple ingredients make their Bees Knees ($12) a prime example of this deliciously sweet and delightfully potent vintage drink. Theirs starts with uberclean and crisp Hendrick’s Gin, which is a kind of masterpiece in and of itself. That crystalclear liquor is then mixed with lots of ice, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and a dollop of floral honey. Shaken then poured, the sting of this Bees Knees is warming and relaxing, the rich honey and lemon offering a magic carpet of sweetness that ushers in the bracing perfection of their partnership with Hendrick’s small-batch gin. We highly recommend trying one but use caution: The Bistro’s Bees Knees go down with exceptional ease. Holiday shopping in Harbor Springs? Buzz on into Paper Station Bistro … or take one on the wing. Find out more at www. paperstationbistro.com.

Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 5

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

THE BEST CHRISTMAS

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by Stephen Tuttle

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Op

Some people believe this will be the worst Christmas ever.

December 25. He called it the Feast of the Nativity.

There's no doubt this year will finish with significant challenges. But the worst Christmas ever? Probably not worse than the multiple Christmases during the Civil War. And then there was the 1918 pandemic, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II ... we have a long history of challenging Christmases.

That's why we now celebrate Christmas, and symbolically, the birth of Christianity, on December 25. Most Biblical scholars say it is more likely Jesus was born in the spring, but since there is no specific time noted in the Bible or historical writings of the time, we don't know for sure and never will. (To Christians for whom this is a special religious holiday, specific dates don't really matter.)

We're lucky to have one at all. Boston once outlawed Christmas altogether. Having found no evidence of Christmas celebrations in the Bible, the Puritans running Boston banned all Christmas-related celebrations or references from 1659 to 1681. Violators could be shunned and fined five shillings.

Not even the Grinch levied fines. Let's back up even further.

Most Biblical scholars say it is more likely Jesus was born in the spring, but since there is no specific time noted in the Bible or historical writings of the time, we don't know for sure and never will.

Christmas is one winter celebration in a very long line dating back a very long time. The date on which we now celebrate was dictated not by history but by a papal decree; we'll get to that in a bit.

There is evidence the winter solstice has generated celebratory activity as far back as 10,200 BCE among Neolithic people. The return of longer days was reason enough to have a party. We also know evergreen trees and boughs were used in winter celebrations by pagans, Druids, and early Egyptians. There is even some evidence of what we might call Christmas decorations, except they existed hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of years before there was a Christmas.

We now celebrate both the secular and religious aspects of Christmas on December 25 as a response to something else altogether.

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We have, through the ages, continued the decorating, and gift giving started long ago.

The Germans, get credit for what we would call our modern Christmas trees — cut down, brought into the house, and decorated — in the mid-1600s. The ornamentation then was most likely to be fresh fruit, dried fruit, and candles.

In about 133 BCE, give or take, there began a quite extraordinary week-long Roman festival called Saturnalia that took place the third week of December. Part worship of their god Saturn, part celebration of the end of their fall harvest, it included gift-giving, feasting, sacrifices including the human kind, and an odd role reversal in which the lower classes and upper classes switched places. One additional twist was the temporary suspension of all laws — literally nothing was illegal. It's easy to see how that became an annual debauched free-for-all.

By around 335 CE, Saturnalia had tamed some but was still plenty offensive to what, by then, could have been more than a million Christians. In 336 CE (some texts put it at 350 CE), Pope Julian I had seen enough. He decided he would counter-program the last day of Saturnalia with his own festival on

German immigrants brought the tradition to the United States in the 18th Century, though it was still frowned on by religious conservatives as a form of paganism. But the trees and garland became a slowly spreading tradition we continue today. The ornaments are now fancier, but the idea is very, very old, indeed.

It did take a while before the secular and commercial Christmas we know today gained traction. By the 1830s, retailers were already holding pre-Christmas sales, and Santa Claus images of various sorts began popping up in advertising by 1840.

Christmas on December 25, started by a pope to compete with a Roman bacchanal, is now a commercialized, secular extravaganza of gathering, feasting, and sharing for most of us. This year, much of that commerce will take place online and, hopefully, in small gatherings.

For many Americans — 65 percent of whom identify as Christians — Christmas Day will continue to be a day of extraordinary importance to their faith, regardless of whether Jesus was born on the 25th or not.

For most of the world, nearly 70 percent of whom are not Christians, it is purely a secular holiday, or no holiday at all.

Regardless of the traditions we follow or avoid on Christmas, or why, there is an overriding message that has drifted down through the ages that would be especially useful this year.

Even the earliest records of winter celebrations long before Christmas included some form of a message of goodwill.

We could use some goodwill about now. It would be an invaluable gift from all of us to all of us, costing us nothing and making this the best possible Christmas.

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As cannabis continues to shed its public stigma, its use outside the home has increased. Much like some do with alcohol, many have taken instead to using cannabis to up the enjoyment of their favorite winter activities, such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or even snowman-building with the kids.

Cannabis is often described as an enhancer, offering a fresh lens to nostalgic winter activities.

You’ve been tubing before, but have you ever been tubing with a cannabis buzz? One of our favorite winter traditions is getting the crew together on a snowy hill (using a designated driver, of course; don’t be dumb and drive there or back impaired) to recapture some childhood fun — worry-free, mellowed out, and laughing and playing all day. For long outings like this, we recommend a transdermal patch. They’re simple, discrete, and long-lasting (not to mention easy to cut into smaller doses).

Once your day is complete, we highly recommend a hot cocoa, heavy on the marshmallows, and a THC topical to alleviate your grown-up aches and pains.

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www.dunegrass.co 28 Arthur St, Manistee Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 7

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THE YEAR OF POSSIBILITY

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If 2020 were a movie, the trailer alone would have most of us heading for the exits. The pandemic brought death, isolation, and financial hardship.

The murder of George Floyd et al, brought a reckoning: that our ideals of freedom and justice are only that — and not a lived reality for many. The climate crisis is at critical mass — so many storms, we ran out of names; loss of millions of forest acres, species, habitat, and biodiversity; a constant assault on infrastructure from rising oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Of course, we must take time to acknowledge and mourn what we have lost this year, and all we still have to overcome. But shouldn’t we also acknowledge the resiliency, creativity, and decency that has pulled us through and left us standing together on the edge of great possibility?

Individuals, businesses, and even local governments have shown in countless small ways what is possible. We’ve sacrificed and worked together to reduce pollution, fight inequality, and protect public health. But without broad sweeping public policy to drive systems change, these efforts and sacrifices alone won’t get us a stable climate, health, safety, or a fair shot for all.

For the past four years, we have been impeded by a chief executive determined to roll back decades of progress in environmental protection, civil rights, and social justice.

We will soon have an administration that understands the severity of these interconnected crises and has proposed a robust climate platform to begin solving them.

Still, many are discouraged by what this platform doesn’t include. Many worry about a majority Republican Congress under a Democratic administration and grim prospects for getting anything done, let alone solving problems.

As Mark Reynolds, executive director of the Citizens Climate Lobby, says, “We can no longer operate in terms of what people think can be done but must operate in terms of what must be done.” Most of the great social changes of this century would never have made the odds in Vegas. It was only through the vision and work of courageous leaders and citizens, acting out of the necessity of their own conditions, that landmark legislation for civil rights and clean air and water protections ever came to be.

Dr. Hahrie Han of Johns Hopkins University makes the point that politicians don’t bring about great change. Whatever their dreams are, politicians are stuck with daily tasks of governing, seeing to constituents’ needs, and staying in office. Not much big-picture stuff there.

8 • dec 14, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

They need us, the people, to make them act — and to provide political cover and hold them accountable. So how do we make possible the changes we want? Dr. Han, with her associates Elizabeth McKenna and Michelle Oyakawa, studied several social movement groups and found the most successful were not those with the most money or even the most people. The most successful had strategic, creative leaders who built relationships among their members

and in the community where they sought change. They acted not out of ideology but in way that held them “accountable to members who needed to solve concrete problems in their lives.”

If you want to solve the concrete problem that touches all our lives — climate change — check out Citizens Climate Lobby, which is focused on a national, legislative solution that will reduce America’s emissions, fast.

It builds relationships based on respect and appreciation with each other, with members’ communities, and with elected leaders. CCL believes that for meaningful change to happen, a proposal that is popular, effective, and quick is critical.

The bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (aka HR 763) is all that. It would place a fee on fossil fuels at the source and return 100 percent of the net revenue to households as a dividend.

It’s popular: The bill currently has 80 cosponsors, with an aim to increase that substantially when introduced in the new Congress. Carbon pricing as a way to reduce emissions is also supported by a broad range of Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, former Federal Reserve chairs and Nobel Laureate economists, national and local faith organizations, and local governments. Carbon pricing is clearly growing in popularity in Congress, too; the EICDA is one of 12 carbonpricing bills introduced this session, four of which were bipartisan.

It's effective: The EICDA will result in 40 percent less carbon emission in the next 12 years and save nearly 300,000 lives because of better air quality. The dividends paid to people will protect 84 percent of lowerand middle-income families from rising energy costs expected at the beginning of the transition to more affordable clean energy. The dividend will also stimulate the economy and create 21 million local jobs across America.

It'll also work fast: Because HR763 is simple and straightforward, it could be quickly implemented using existing mechanisms in the treasury to collect fees and distribute household dividends, thus requiring no new government agencies. Studies show the bill’s positive impacts will occur within the next 10–12 years.

Is HR763 the be-all, end-all? Heck no. There are other pricing schemes and promising policies being developed or introduced in agricultural practices, battery storage, transmission infrastructure, carbon capture, and more. Businesses, states, and local governments are already acting or preparing to adapt and innovate as well. With all these factored in, the impacts could be greater and occur even more quickly than anticipated from any one solution alone.

Want to get more wonky? Read up on the EICDA at www.citizensclimatelobby.org.

Cathye Williams serves as a volunteer and media liaison for the Grand Traverse area chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby, www. citizensclimatelobby.com. She writes from Benzie County.

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The Continuing Crisis James Dixon, 29, of Chicago was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after a Thanksgiving get-together ended in the death of Vincell Jackson, 52, the host's boyfriend, police said. In the early hours of Nov. 27, prosecutors said, an argument broke out after Dixon used his bare hands to help himself to holiday meal leftovers, and Jackson "forcefully escorted him to the home's front door," the Chicago Tribune reported. Assistant State's Attorney Susie Bucaro said the altercation moved out to the front porch, where a witness found Jackson stabbed nine times. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, and Dixon was arrested eight hours later, Bucaro said, with a blood-covered knife in his possession.

for hikers and tourists, even appearing on Google Maps as a "cultural monument." But over the weekend, someone chopped it down, leaving only a pile of sawdust. Police in the town of Kempten are investigating.

Names in the News After more than 1,000 years, the Austrian town of F--king is getting a new name, The Local reported. English-speaking tourists have had a field day snapping selfies with city signs, even stealing them, and the 100 residents of modern-day F--king have had enough.

According to the minutes of a municipal council meeting published on Nov. 16, the town will change its name to Fugging as of Jan. 1. "I can confirm that the village is being renamed," said Andrea Holzner, mayor of the surrounding municipality. "I really don't want to say anything more."

A newly elected local councilman in Ompundja, Namibia, is assuring constituents that he has no plans for world domination, despite his unfortunate name: Uunona Adolf Hitler. The 54-year-old, who prefers to be called Mr. Uunona, told a German news website that his father named him without an understanding of the Nazi leader, Sky News reported. Namibia is a former German colony, so many streets, places and people have German names. "It was a perfectly normal name for me when I was a kid," Uunona said.

News That Sounds Like a Fairy Tale Police in Kansas City, Kansas, responded to a call on Nov. 27 from a man who said he returned home around 4 p.m. that day to find a stranger in his house. The unnamed suspect was wearing the victim's clothing, had made a sandwich and cooked and ate ramen noodles, and when police arrived, was fast asleep in the victim's bed, Fox4 reported. The man was arrested and booked into the Wyandotte County Jail, where the beds surely were too hard.

Cliches Come to Life After a heated argument with his wife in late November, a 48-year-old unnamed man from Como, Italy, stepped outside to walk it off and kept on walking until he was stopped a week later by police officers patrolling after curfew in Gimarra, more than 260 miles away, Oddity Central reported. The man said he had walked the entire way, without using any other modes of transportation and relied on the kindness of strangers for food and drink. "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired," he said. His wife, who had reported him missing, picked him up the next day, but had to pay a fine of almost $500 for his violation of the curfew.

Awesome!

An unnamed North Korean man in his late 20s told officials his training as a gymnast enabled him to jump almost 10 feet high over a fence on Nov. 3 to escape into South Korea, National Public Radio reported. After crossing the fence, the man evaded capture for about 14 hours before being detained by South Korean soldiers, whom he told he wanted to defect.

Skeptical officials made him jump the same height again twice to help prove his story.

Amazingly, he successfully avoided land mines and sensors around the border.

Speaking of ...

The recent unexplained appearance of a silver monolith in the deserts of Utah has made headlines all around the world. It also seems to have attracted imitators, including one in Romania's mountainous Neamt region.

The 9-foot-tall metal structure mysteriously appeared on Nov. 27 and vanished on Dec. 1, leaving "just a small hole covered by rocky soil," a local reporter told Reuters. "An unidentified person, apparently a bad local welder, made it." Georgiana Mosu, a spokeswoman for the local police, said officers are investigating the incident because the monolith was placed in a protected archaeological area.

Germany has also experienced a recent monolith mystery, according to the Associated Press. Local media in southern Germany reported the disappearance on Nov. 30 of a wooden phallus sculpture about 7 feet tall that inexplicably appeared on Gruenten Mountain several years ago and had became a destination

Turnabout Is Fair Play An unnamed hunter near the Czech Republic village of Horni Plana contacted police in late November after a deer startled by the man's dogs charged him, snagging his .22-caliber rifle on its antlers before running into the woods, United Press International reported. The gun was unloaded, and police said another hunter saw the stag more than a half-mile away with the rifle still hanging from its antlers.

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Least Competent Criminal Daniel M. Rizza, 20, of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, driving a gray Audi SUV, ran out of gas on Nov. 27 and called state police to ask for help, but when he was told a trooper would be responding, he abruptly said he'd changed his mind and hung up, according to court documents. WTAJ reported the trooper responding to the call learned en route that a gray Audi had been reported stolen nearby earlier in the day, and after a check of the SUV's make, model, identification number and registration, he arrested Rizza, who was charged with a felony count of receiving stolen property.

Tis the Season An animal rescue worker in Adelaide, Australia, thought she was being pranked when Amanda McCormick called on Dec. 2 to report she had discovered a koala in her Christmas tree.

The little marsupial didn't come with the tree; it wandered in the house and found a cozy new home among the ornaments, 9News reported.

The female koala was safely removed to its more natural habitat. "Koalas are very curious creatures, and if the opportunity presents itself, they will investigate," the rescue team said.

Socially distanced visitors to Tokyo's Sunshine Aquarium were delighted to see Santa Claus, complete with a mask and flippers and holding a Christmas wreath, gliding among banana fish and a stingray in a huge tank on Dec. 4, according to Reuters. The swimming Santa, who also used a bazooka-like feeder to shoot treats to the fish, is a 20-year tradition at the aquarium. "I know it's difficult to hold events like these because of the coronavirus situation," said visitor Ayami Kobayashi, 35, "but I'm grateful they still held the event."

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Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 9

One of Gattle's former locations on the corner of Howard and Lake streets in Petoskey.

By Pat Sullivan When Glenna Gattle’s family store reopened last year in Harbor Springs, it was as if a family tradition had come back to life. It was also an historic homecoming with a connection to the very early days of Petoskey.

The first Gattle’s store opened in 1919, in Petoskey, and closed in 2016, following the death Glenna’s father, Tom Gattle.

So, bringing the linen store back to northern Michigan was as much about following tradition as it was a business decision, Glenna said. She recalls that while working at the store last summer, she met customers whose relationships with Gattle’s go back as long as her own — four generations.

“Gattle’s is like an institution. It’s almost like a member of your family. People would come in, customers would come and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I still have my mom’s sheets.

I still have my grandmother’s tablecloth,’” she said. “It’s an institution. And that’s why it was so hard to close it. We’re all over the place, we children, but it’s good to have a Gattle’s in existence.”

Gattle’s was founded in Cincinnati in 1904 by Glenna Gattle’s great-grandmother Henrietta and Henrietta’s son Otto. At the time, she went to people’s homes to sell, by appointment only, one coveted item: lace window coverings.

Henrietta and Otto opened the Petoskey store after their wealthy Cincinnati customers convinced the family to follow

in their vacation cottages that they had back home in Cincinnati. Wise to the demand and opportunity, Henrietta Gattle came up to Petoskey to open a store, but in line with her customers’ northern presence each summer, she kept it open only four months of the year.

As the popularity and population of Petoskey grew, so, too, did Gattle’s notoriety

“The other thing about Gattle’s is we have to stay at a high quality because we don't want to compete with other businesses. We can't compete with Bed, Bath and Beyond or JC Penney’s. We can't compete with them.” them to northern Michigan, where so many retreated each summer and had — or were building — second homes.

“Her customers encouraged her to come north because they were building these beautiful big cottages,” Glenna said.

Those folks wanted the kind of highquality lace coverings — and eventually linens, housewares, and other luxe goods —

10 • dec 14, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

in the region. Its reputation and reach took a bigger leap after World War II, when the shop hired returning soldiers to become traveling salesmen. The veterans went around the country with Gattle’s fine linens, setting up shows in fancy hotels and conference centers.

Glenna’s father, Tom, took over the business in the 1950s. He, too, set his sights

on an expansion outside the Midwest.

However, he went for something more fixed than salesmen with mobile linen displays; he opened a third Gattle’s store — this one in Fort Lauderdale.

The Petoskey store was hardly left in the dust. Like his grandmother Henrietta before, Tom Gattle moved his family north each summer to tend to customers there. Glenna said she’s spent every summer of her life in Petoskey except one, and though she’s never lived there year-round, you could rightly consider her and two of her three siblings natives: Each was born during the family’s summer stays in Petoskey.

Over the years, the Petoskey outlet changed locations several times. For a time, it was located where Cutler’s stands today, on the downtown corner of Howard and Lake streets. That storefront’s large windows served as ideal showcases for beds made up with Gattle’s fancy sheets and duvets, but after the Gattles weren’t able to purchase the building from its owner, they opted to move their shop a short distance away.

The store remained in Petoskey for decades. But, despite the entire family’s dedication to it, none of the children fully

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took on the business, pursuing instead their own careers outside of retail.

Upon the passing of Glenna’s father, Tom, four years ago, that changed; the part-owner and family friend who was running the Petoskey location at the time, John Cheney, decided he wanted to retire, and the Petoskey shop was closed while the estate got sorted.

Once settled, the business was turned over to the four Gattle’s children, who, though involved in the running of the family business, rely on managers for the day-to-day operations of their stores. In the spirit of their ancestors, they made one big change — in 2019, they decided to reopen their northern Michigan Gattle’s in Harbor Springs, a switch Glenna said made sense because the shop remains in basically the same area but is closer to many of the people who are their best customers.

It is those customers, after all, who have ensured Gattle’s longevity. The stores — now in Harbor Springs; Naples, Florida; and online — have done well over the years and were able to remain largely immune to the economic crashes that have occurred through the decades, said Glenna, because of the customers the stores have cultivated: buyers who have money no matter what the economy looks like.

“I was told that we survived the Depression and all of that because people with money always had money,” Glenna said. “I just really feel like the wealthy can and always would be wealthy. If they’re wise about it, I guess.”

Family lore (and numerous previously published articles) has it that the stores have even supplied bed linen for a Pope’s visit to the

United States, to Queen Elizabeth II, and to other notable people such as Susan Hayward, Rose Kennedy, and Richard Nixon.

Glenna said the store served those kinds of customers because Gattle’s had cultivated a reputation and relationships with the best European suppliers; when a queen or a pope visited and wanted what was familiar, those people’s handlers, as it were, turned to them.

The store survives because it is associated with that kind of quality, she said.

“The other thing about Gattle’s is we have to stay at a high quality because we don't want to compete with other businesses,” she said. “We can't compete with Bed, Bath and Beyond or JC Penney’s. We can't compete with them.”

Abby Rogers, who started as manager of the Harbor Springs location this year, said she’s been a customer of Gattle’s for many of the 20 years she’s lived in the Petoskey area.

“I’m a local designer, so I used to take my clients in the Gattle’s in downtown Petoskey for years,” Rogers said.

Rogers said that the store endures because its products are of a higher quality than what can be found in ordinary stores and are actually healthier and more comfortable for the skin. When people buy cheap sheets, she said, they are cheating themselves out of good sleep because the synthetic materials like polyester that they are made of aren’t healthy or comfortable.

“Higher-end bed linen is kind of like a lost trade; we’ve turned into a disposable nation. … Even most flannel sheets are made of polyester. … People don’t know the difference, and they buy it because it’s a cheap $30 sheet set,” she said. “It’s a lost art.

It’s a lost trade.”

Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 11

The Ultimate Up North Winter Bucket List Winter up here is what you make of it. So why not make something stupendous of this one?

Tubing at Timberlee

By Ross Boissoneau

Snowshoe and Sip in Boyne

At Boyne Valley Vineyards, you can enjoy a glass of wine and then snowshoe through the winery’s property to the trails at the Postle Nature Preserve – or snowshoe first and then enjoy your wine. Heck, maybe wine both before and after. However you choose to do it, co-owner Mary Ann Lippe said the recent purchase of the connecting property (and 30 pairs of snowshoes) gives people a way to enjoy winter and wine.

Igloos and firepits are sure to keep you toasty for your toasting.

Party like it’s 1226

Every 20 years, Jupiter and Saturn get buddy-buddy in the sky, and this year’s Great Conjunction is especially rare: The planets haven't been seen this close to one another since medieval times, 1226 to be exact.

The Conjunction will take place Dec. 21, coincidentally the Winter Solstice. Star lore historian Mary Stewart Adams of northern Michigan, host of the weekly public radio program and podcast “The Storyteller’s Night Sky,” will share stories of the event and how it fits into history on Dec. 19. Go to her site at www.StorytellersNightSky.com under Upcoming Events to brush up, then grab a sleeping bag, a lawn chair, and spend some time looking up at our wondrous night sky.

Zip, Zam, Zowie and Swoosh

At Boyne Mountain, it’s not all about hitting the slopes. In fact, you can fly down the hills without ever touching them. The

all-thrills, no-skills ziplining adventure begins at the top of the mountain and routes you through trees and across the slopes of Boyne Mountain at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour on lines some 50 feet in the air and 780 feet in length. All told, the Boyne Mountain Zipline Adventure encompasses almost 4,300 feet of lines and drops over 50 stories. Go to www.BoyneMountain.com/ winter-activities.

Run for the Hills Trees

Get ready, get set — get happy! The Michigan State Parks’ Happy Little 5K/ Run for the Trees Virtual 5K is officially on for 2021, and though the race itself doesn’t happen until the week between Earth Day and Arbor Day (April 22–30), you’ll want to register now. Why? Because every participant will receive (in addition to a commemorative bib number and finisher’s medal) a muchcoveted Happy Little T-shirt featuring the face of much-beloved PBS painter of happy little trees Bob Ross. The race, in which you can walk, run, or hike anywhere outdoors, is part of the Department of Natural Resources’ Happy Little Trees program.

Your $34 registration will help trees in state park campgrounds recover from invasive forest pests and diseases, as well as support tree-planting and preservation efforts. Go to tinyurl.com/sr6an4s.

Snowshoe & Sip in Leelanau

When the snow flies, Snowshoes, Vines and Wines will once again return to the Leelanau’s Black Star Farm’s HQ, where guests will enjoy hiking through miles of

12 • dec 14, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Zipline Boyne Mountain

trails through the orchard, vineyard and surrounding forest. Following snowshoeing, a hot lunch, mulled wine and cider await on the facility’s outdoor heated terrace.

The event runs Saturdays 12pm–4pm, weather permitting, through February.

Masks required except for when eating and drinking. Due to the mandates restricting entrance to its tasting rooms, Black Star Farms is also offering discounted wines with curbside pickup and free shipping for purchases of at least six bottles.

behind us — happen in summer 2021. And what better way to get those quads in shape than to pick up a fat bike — or a Wahoo Kickr Smart Bike Trainer, which you can use indoors with your own trusty steed — at Grayling’s own Northbound Outfitters.

Whether you’re readying yourself for the Gran’s 100-mile, 62-mile or 45-mile loop, summer will be here before you know it.

Right after winter and spring. Go to www.

NorthboundOutfittersMI.com and look under Events for updates.

Bike Outside — or Inside (No Become a Citizen Scientist Pricey Pelaton Needed!)

Birdwatcher

There’s no time like now to begin training for Grayling’s famous bike race, the (19th!) annual Black Bear Gran Fondo in Grayling, which should — provided this pandemic is

If you think you’re seeing fewer feathered friends than you used to, you are correct. Bird populations have been in decline since the ’60s, with estimates that we

have lost 3,000,000 birds over the last 50 years.

Winter bird counts help scientists track bird movements, assess bird population health, and guide meaningful conservation action. It’s also a neat way to spend a wintry afternoon. You can join a local bird count, which take place at numerous locations throughout the region, by signing up at tinyurl.com/y2m39suq. Want to stick closer to home? You can also participate in a winter feeder survey just by watching the birds at your feeder. Go to www.feederwatch. org for more information.

Throw Something

Clay Maas and his partner, Phil Wilson, are offering two two-hour ceramics workshops, Wheel Throwing and Adult Hand Building, starting in January, in Traverse City. The studio offers small class sizes (six students max to one instructor), with masking, social distancing, and thorough cleaning. Classes include clay, instruction, glazing, and firing.

Each workshop is offered twice each month.

Go to www.ClaySpaceTC.com for pricing and more information.

Go Ghost Hunting

It’s the time of the year for presents, eggnog, and — ghosts? Well, maybe. Learn about the darker side of Traverse City’s history on a Haunted Traverse Ghostwalking Tour (small private groups only, with social distancing), which weaves history, ghost stories, and the paranormal into a jampacked hour and a half. Stops include the Perry Hannah House, Carnegie Library, WTCM Building, City Opera House and State Theater, even a short ghost hunt using EMF and Thermal Temperature Readers at Traverse City’s first official cemetery. Skeptics welcome! Go to www.HauntedTraverse.com.

Battle it Out … Softly

What’s better than paintball or laser tag?

Well, really good cheesecake is right up there, but how about combining the two activities into Battleball? At the WarZone Traverse City, you can play this exciting game, pitting two teams of four against one another, both armed with a variety of Nerf ball guns. It’s located at 1407 Woodmere Ave. in Traverse City, and yes, all COVID-19 restrictions are complied with. Go to www.TheWarZoneTC.com.

Scha-wing!

By all accounts, it was an amazing summer for golf courses, particularly since the late spring/early summer season didn’t even exist. But with snowflakes in the air, golf season is over — or is it? At XGolf in Traverse City, you can crush those monster drives or

work on your slice year-round. Located next to Buffalo Wild Wings and Grand Traverse Mall, the facility’s state-of-the-art golf simulators are the next-best thing to actually hitting the links. Of course, the pandemic means things are always subject to change.

Go to www.XgolfTraverseCity.com or visit its Facebook page for the latest.

Skate Away

When the lakes freeze, slip on those skates and try your hand at figure eights. Or you can head to the rink in the park in the quaint village of Walloon Lake and rent skates for free at Tommy’s Walloon. (Though if they’re free, is it really renting?) The rink is open during Tommy’s business hours, currently 12pm– 8pm daily, weather permitting, of course.

Tommy’s also offers cross-country ski rental for use on the nearby trails. If you’re unsure on the blades, you can get free ice-skating lessons Saturdays from 10 to noon at the Harbor Springs SK8 Park; call (231) 526-0610.

Light Up the Night on Sled, Snowshoes, or Skis

Charlevoix’s Mount McSauba has been greeting winter lovers since 1956. You can ski (downhill and cross-country) or skate, or … wait for it … go sledding at night! That’s right, the city-owned winter sports park offers free lighted sledding on the hill (toboggans not recommended). As if that wasn’t enough, you can try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on candle-lit trails every Friday from 5pm to 8pm, Dec. 18 through February (excluding Christmas). Mount McSauba is located at the corner of Pleasant Street and McSauba Road; call (231) 547-3267.

Light Up Your Kid Crew

Get outside with the kids on an illuminating nighttime snowshoe hike this season! Snowglow snowshoes from Tubbs are sure to keep the little ones having fun on the trail. Recommended for ages 4–8, the flashing LED lights are activated with every stride. Available at Bearcub Outfitters in Petoskey, both for sale and as part of the store’s rental program. Great fun for the little ones, and for the big ones to watch.

Start XC Skiing — or Improve Your Skills

Cross-country skiing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and get a workout.

Whatever your ability level, it’s always helpful to get a few pointers. That’s where the good folks at Nub’s Nob and The Outfitter of Harbor Springs come in. Wednesdays at 7pm, Nub’s Nordic Nights feature a skills clinic, plus

Snowmobiling with K&R Outfitters of Cadillac

a group or individual ski. Open to all ages and abilities, from beginners to advanced.

Nordic Nights are free with a nordic ski pass or season pass. (Insider tip: Get a discount by mentioning you’re part of Nordic Nights.)

Travel Afar Without Leaving the Farm

Feed your inner artist and travel the globe in this four-week Crooked Tree workshop series. You’ll visit a different exotic location each week (yes, online) and learn to visually translate that experience from photos to drawing, watercolors or mixed media. It kicks off with a visit to Paris Jan. 14, followed

by Greece, Argentina, and that totally exotic land, California. There’ll even be time following class for a happy hour and to share your progress with other students. Go to www.CrookedTree.org, click Get Involved, and scroll down to Untravel the World.

Ride a Giant Donut

Of course, it depends on cooperation from Mother Nature, but tubing the hill at Timberlee is always a great time for the whole family. No special skills or experience needed to have fun, fun, fun. While the restrictions imposed by the pandemic may restrict use of the lodge, it’s all about sliding down the hill, hooking up to the tow rope to easily ride back up, and then doing it all over again.

The hope is for some more cold weather and fluffy snow to get the hills ready to go. Check Facebook or go to www.TimberleeHills.com for the latest updates.

Become an Instant Ice Angler

Tiny Bubbles Charters offers a complete ice-fishing experience — or will, as soon as some of Benzie’s lakes freeze over. The

Light-up snowshoes from Bearcub Outfitters

Frankfort-based company offers the easiest way to ice fish, whether on Crystal Lake (lake trout, perch, and smelt, within walking distance of shore) or on Betsie Bay, which gives up some huge pike throughout the winter. Their Shanty Deluxe Special sets you up with a shelter, heat, all equipment (rods, reels, spears, etc.), bait and tackle, a bit of professional guidance, and — worth far more than the $350+ package — fish cleaning. The package accommodates up to three people, available seven days a week. Call (231) 383-1500 or go to www.

TinyBubblesCharters.com.

Say “Braaaap!” Like You Know What You’re Talking About

Want to experience fun on the trails while you’re sitting down? K&R Outfitters of Cadillac offers guided snowmobile tours through Wexford, Osceola, Lake, Benzie, and Manistee Counties. Enjoy a relaxed pace on fully groomed snowmobile trail systems, all on snowmobiles the company provides. In deference to the pandemic, this year, a trail lunch will also be provided. You can get all the details and book your time on the company’s Facebook page, or call (785) 221-9679.

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By Ross Boissoneau It’s beginning to look a lot like winter — but it’s going to be a different winter, that’s for sure. Whether the local ski hill or the four-season resorts that dot the area, the overriding factor this year won’t be the weather, or new hills, or new terrain. It will be the pandemic.

From paying for virtually all services, well … virtually, to using your vehicle as your base camp, the story is pretty much the same everywhere: Book online, pick up your equipment curbside or get it via contactless delivery, and only ride lifts with members of your party.

“For ski or snowboard rental, go online.

We’ll get all the information and have your equipment pre-set,” said Chris Hale, vice president for sales and marketing at Shanty Creek Resort. He said those opting to overnight at the Mancelona resort can pick up their equipment the night before they hit the slopes, or it can be delivered to their room prior to check-in.

That kind of service is more the rule than the exception this year. At Boyne Mountain, curbside check-in will find front desk staff coming to the car to facilitate check-in, while at Crystal Mountain, RFID gates will be installed at chairlifts. This will allow for touchless, cashier-less lift ticket transactions, as well as get guests on the slopes efficiently.

Given the restrictions and precautions people are taking because of the pandemic, will this be a down year for the industry?

Ben Doornbos, general manager at Nub’s Nob in Harbor Springs, doesn’t think so.

“We have so many people calling. I think we’re going to be OK. The demand is certainly there,” he said.

That’s echoed by his counterpart at Caberfae Peaks, Pete Meyer. “I’m encouraged by the pre-season,” said Meyer.

Tommy Hess, Guest Services Manager

at Mt. Holiday, said the family ski area is hoping to be open Dec. 18. “We’re trying to figure out what we can and can’t do.” That includes such things as only allowing one person at a time on the two-person lifts and reducing lessons. “We’re trying to be optimistic,” he said.

Resorts such as Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, Crystal Mountain, and Shanty Creek were able to weather the pandemic and resulting restrictions throughout the year, giving them a leg up on how to safely operate.

“What we’ve all learned in hospitality through spring, summer and fall is that the outdoors is where lots of people find solace and let off steam,” Hale said, pointing to summer activities like golf, biking, hiking, boating and swimming. In the winter, that means downhill skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing, fat tire biking, tubing, snowshoeing and the like.

He said the fact that people are enjoying themselves outside is a point in favor of safety. Another is the fact they are already bundled up for warmth. Virtually all the resorts will be mandating that guests mask up when indoors, on the lifts, or around others. “I think (that) can take us into winter safely,” he said.

Sammy Lukaskiewicz, vice president of marketing and communications at Crystal Mountain, said the first part of the year served as a dress rehearsal for winter. “In many ways, we have been working toward winter since March,” she said.

Erin Ernst, director of communications for Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain, likewise said that operating through the summer and fall laid the groundwork for safely servicing their customers. “We’ve operated successfully through summer and fall. Now, how can we do it safely for our guests and team?” she asked.

The answer lies in the collaborative

spirit of the industry. Boyne has resorts outside Michigan, and Ernst said between those properties and the Michigan Snowsports Industries Association, they’ve been able to come up with a solid plan for safely enjoying the season.

Hale said the early season closure and changes forced by safety considerations actually led to a silver lining. “We’ve been able to ask questions, like, ‘Why have we always done that?’ It made us evaluate and re-evaluate. Things that have always been the case may not be the case,” he said.

At Crystal Mountain, Lukaskiewicz said owner Jim MacInnes utilized his engineering background to design air filtration systems.

“Jim developed a multi-pronged approach for clean air. He nerds out on this,” she said with a laugh.

The goal is to keep guests outdoors as much as possible, while spreading out any indoor activities. At the Homestead in Glen Arbor, they also installed new air-filtering equipment and are offering non-contact delivery of rental equipment (are you sensing a theme here?).

“We’ll use any space we have,” said Tony Farragh, senior manager and director of sales. “At Whiskers (the resort’s casual eatery) we’ve set up for outdoor dining with an outdoor bar and grill.” Firepits and outdoor seating are common. “It’s team safety and guest safety.”

Another popular solution: Having guests who aren’t staying overnight use their vehicles as their basecamp. “We’re bringing it back to the basics,” said Meyer.

Derek Melville, the Parks and Recreation superintendent for Traverse City, said safety precautions at Hickory Hills include prohibiting using the refurbished lodge this year to prevent indoor crowds. “Since we're not currently allowed to use the lodge for gathering, we're in the process of building two outdoor fire pits for warming stations

outside of the lodge. We've also brought our Clinch Park furniture to Hickory to provide additional outdoor seating areas for people taking a break in between runs,” he said.

Many of the facilities likewise have expanded their outdoor operations. Keeping people apart as much as possible is key.

“We’ve added 25 picnic tables. Our winter garden patio space has a firepit and is an outdoor food venue,” said Doornbos of Nub’s Nob. It includes soups, sandwiches, grab-and-go prepared food and snacks, even six beer taps. Boyne Mountain has added five new dining igloos.

Given the constantly changing conditions around the pandemic and resulting backand-forth restrictions, maybe the catchword is really flexibility. “We all have to be flexible.

Planning for contingencies becomes key,” said Lukaskiewicz.

While plans are in place most everywhere, the resorts are all awaiting the arrival of cold temperatures and snowfall.

“We're waiting until the current MDHHS order is either ended or extended to make a few additional decisions, but we're ready for the temperatures to drop so we can fire up our snow guns,” said Melville.

While the pandemic has necessitated changes, like every year, there are some other new features at the ski hills: New snowguns, new lighting (including 1.7 miles of snowshoe trails at Boyne Highlands), new equipment (Sno-Go bikes at Boyne Mountain), and more outdoor facilities (check out the deck at Caberfae). Ultimately, it’s all about enjoying the best the region has to offer while staying safe.

Say what you will about the difficulties the pandemic has caused in so many areas of our lives — work, school, dining out, happy hour with friends, holiday shopping in stores, and so much more — but not all is lost, said Lukaskiewicz: “Outdoor recreation is having a really nice moment.

Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 15

Mike and Holly Kotz

Lost Village Pierogi are $15 per dozen but they are packaged by the half-dozen, so you can mix-n-match, which, with more than a dozen savory combos (from Kielbasa Kraut to Philly cheesesteak to Cuban Pork Tamale) and four dessert varieties (think: Cinnamon Apple French Toast, Pineapple Upside Down Cake), trust us, you’ll want to mix and match. Luckily, they offer a three-dozen special for $40; save $5 and mix 'n match up to six varieties.

LOST VILLAGE PIEROGI With a northern Michigan location only three weeks old but a legion of fans already, this Petoskey-based purveyor of traditional handmade pierogi is honoring the dead by feeding the living — lots of living.

By Craig Manning Up until a few years ago, husband-andwife team Mike and Holly Kotz weren’t working jobs even tangential to the culinary scene. Mike was a screen printer making T-shirts; Holly was a high school English teacher. Now, they’re on a mission to preserve and share some of the most beloved traditions of Polish cuisine — a pursuit they both say feels like their calling. Their store, called Lost Village Pierogi, was established in Grand Rapids about a half-decade ago, but they recently relocated to Downtown Petoskey. It is now open for business — and perhaps traveling to a town near you.

The Spark of Creation The seeds for Lost Village Pierogi were planted several years ago at Christmastime, as Mike and Holly tried to craft an authentic Polish feast for the holidays. A key part of that equation was pierogi, the Polish dumplings that look a bit like ravioli and can be made with a variety of sweet or savory fillings. Some of Mike’s fondest childhood memories involved his grandmother and his aunts gathered in the kitchen together, making fresh pierogi, especially around the holidays. On this particular Christmas, though, the Kotzes couldn’t find pierogi to add to their holiday dinner — at least not any that lived up to Mike’s lofty expectations.

“First, we tried to find a source [of pierogi] locally, because there are a bunch of Polish halls and whatnot [in Grand Rapids],” Mike recalled. “The harder we tried, the more disappointing experiences we had.

So finally, it boiled down to ‘OK, let's make them ourselves.’ We got my grandmother’s dough recipe, and we started there.”

Grandma’s recipe made all the difference.

Not only were the pierogis the Kotzes made

together that fateful Christmas a taste of childhood for Mike but they were also good enough that they got an idea forming in Mike’s head. Before long, he’d moved from making pierogi for friends and family to selling them out of the home kitchen.

“I was teaching high school at the time,” Holly said, chuckling at the memory. “And he called me one day at lunch and said ‘You know those extra pierogi we have in

took a two-year sabbatical to focus on Lost Village (and then, not long after, submitted her resignation). The two have been filling their days with pierogi-making ever since — a work-intensive process that Mike calls “a labor of love.”

“The way life has progressed, time is so much more valuable,” Mike said. “It’s demanded in so many other places. And so, over the years, things that take as much

“If people don't carry these traditions on and pass them along to the next generation, then it becomes some corporate boardroom’s idea of what a pierogi is, not the authentic real deal.” the freezer? I put an ad on Facebook; we're going to sell them.” By the next day, when I came home from school, he had oversold what we had frozen by three or four times the amount.”

The business snowballed from there.

The Facebook sales led to a stall at a farmer’s market in Rockford, a small burg just outside Grand Rapids. That venture led to a shared space in a small cookie shop, which led to a significantly larger store location in Grand Rapids. Fast-forward to the present day, and Lost Village Pierogi is making 500 dozen — yes, 500 dozen — pierogis on its busiest days. If you’d rather not do the math, that’s about 6,000 dumplings hand-pressed dumplings a day, A Tradition to Preserve Of course, to get to the 500-dozen production mark, the Kotzes had to commit to making pierogi as a full-time enterprise. Mike sold off his screen-printing equipment. Holly, after 20 years of teaching,

16 • dec 14, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

time as pierogi-making take a backseat and eventually get lost. When my grandmother passed, we had a really hard time finding good pierogi, so in the process of learning how to make pierogis, the importance of tradition was impressed upon us. If people don't carry these traditions on and pass them along to the next generation, then it becomes some corporate boardroom’s idea of what a pierogi is, not the authentic real deal. So the whole tradition aspect really has taken a center place in what we do. One of our missions is to pass that torch along.”

“Traditions get lost, and that’s why we’re called ‘Lost Village,’” Holly added. “Our motto is ‘Honor the dead, feed the living.’”

The Kotzes are bringing authenticstyle pierogis back to the dinner table, in part, by making them easier for the end consumer to prepare. Prepping pierogi from scratch typically involves making the dough, planning and preparing the fillings, handcrafting each individual dumpling, boiling the pierogis in water, and then pan-

frying them to finish. Mike and Holly make and freeze batches of pierogi and sell them by the bag, which takes a complex hourplus food-prep process and streamlines it down, for the customer anyway, to just the final steps. “[The cooking process] can be intense, especially for people who don’t have time or aren’t cooks at all,” Mike said. “What we were able to do is really simplify that process for them. Our pierogi goes right from frozen to sauté. It’s pretty much just five minutes on each side in the pan, in your oil of choice.

We say ‘From freezer to dinner plate in under 10 minutes.’”

A Warm Reception So far, the response for the Lost Village product has been pretty close to rapturous.

When the business was based in Grand Rapids, Lost Village had three channels for sales: selling frozen pierogi (and other Polish staples, such as potato pancakes) out of its store location; supplying other retail locations throughout the state with packaged pierogi; and serving hot food — including ready-to-eat pierogi — at festivals and events.

While most of those events have come to a screeching halt in 2020, due to COVID-19, it was getting to see people experience pierogi in those settings that assured the Kotzes they were doing something right.

“It's not like popping a pizza roll in your mouth,” Holly explained. “Often, when people eat Polish food and pierogi, it's the memories, it’s the tradition, it's the heart, it's the love. You can see it on their face when they take a bite. They're just in love. It's like remembering Grandma in the kitchen. It doesn’t just fill your belly; it fills your soul.”

Not all of Lost Village’s customers are people raised on Polish food, either. In many other cases, the Kotzes have been able to

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introduce new folks to the charms of their beloved pierogi.

“I'd say half of the people that we will come across in event or market settings had no idea what pierogi was,” Mike said. “And it's been really cool to connect with those people and to bring something new into their lives. Some of our best customers are exactly those people who never had had a pierogi before. And there's a level of gratitude there, because we were able to introduce that to their lives.”

Part of the appeal of pierogi is how versatile the form can be. Lost Village has a regular rotation of more than 20 different pierogi varieties, ranging from what Mike calls “the traditional stuff,” fillings like potato and cheddar, or kielbasa and sauerkraut, to more experimental approaches, like an “overwhelmingly popular” Lobster Rangoon recipe, or a pierogi called “Hog Slop” that’s filled with pulled pork, mashed potatoes, and corn) The Kotzes are even willing to do custom orders; Holly says one customer in Grand Rapids asked them to make a batch of pierogi stuffed with cream cheese, raisins, and chives — a customer’s family tradition from youth.

A New Chapter Now, Lost Village Pierogi has officially made its way north. After falling in love with northern Michigan on a summer vacation a few years ago, the Kotzes nourished the dream of potentially one day relocating and setting up shop closer to the tip of the Mitten. When they found a space for rent in downtown Petoskey, it felt like fate. The shop, located at 307 Petoskey St., is now open for curbside sales as Mike and Holly work through remaining renovations. Holly says the vision is, by springtime, to offer hot food carryout — street food that locals or visitors can eat as they wander around the downtown area.

While the Kotzes acknowledge that opening a new business of any kind — let alone one in the food service industry — is a risk in the middle of a pandemic, they say it’s been so far so good for the northern Michigan launch of Lost Village Pierogi. While festivals and fairs have been off the table, Lost Village has been able to coordinate a few pop-up events throughout northern Michigan this fall, including one in Gaylord and one in Traverse City. Those events encouraged customers to place preorders for pierogi and pick them up at the designated locations on specific days and times. Demand for those events has been massive, and response has been positive — leading the Kotzes to believe that they’ve hit upon an unserved (but much desired) niche in the northern Michigan food scene. “[For the event in Traverse City], we had to shut down sales two days early because the response was just that big,” Mike said.

“And beyond that, people have come to us. We’ve done a little bit of advertising on Facebook, but the rest has just been wordof-mouth and people sharing our posts.

We really haven’t had time to explore more advertising or anything like that. We only just passed our three-week anniversary of actually being here, and of moving our home and business. So I think a lot of this still isn’t real for us. Every day, we wake up and think, ‘We’re here. It’s happening. It’s awesome.’

This is our passion, and we feel blessed and happy to be here.”

Lost Village Pierogi’s Petoskey location is open for curbside service and local delivery. Can’t get there? They’ll be in Gaylord on Saturday, Dec. 19; Alpena/Posen on Wednesday, Dec. 23; and Traverse City on Saturday, Jan. 9.

Check out the current menu and the online order form at www.lostvillagepierogi.com and follow them on Facebook to receive future event alerts in real time.

IN HOME CARE

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Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 17

dec 12

saturday

SANTA’S VILLAGE ADVENTURE: 2-6pm, The Village at GT Commons, on the piazza, in front of Left Foot Charley, TC. Reserve your private time slot to take a carriage ride through the Village Campus, a socially distanced visit with Santa, & a walk through the 1885 Steam Tunnels. Cost is $200; reservations are for members of the same household, up to 8 people. Ages 3 & under are free. $25 of the ticket price will be donated to a local food pantry. Find ‘Santa’s Village Adventure’ on Facebook.

---------------------OUTDOOR CAROLING PERFORMANCE: Featuring The Sashay Quartet, female a cappella singers who harmonize in barbershop style. 6pm, Old Art Building, front lawn, Leland.

Free. 231-256-2131.

---------------------WARD AND EIS GALLERY SUPPORTS WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER: Ward and Eis Gallery in downtown Petoskey continues a tradition of giving back to the community by donating 20% of purchases on Sat., Dec. 12 & 19, to Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan. The benefit is known as “Gifts Twice Given” because part of the proceeds of gifts purchased on these two Saturdays also supports life-saving & life-changing services for adult & child survivors of abuse & assault.

231-347-2750.

---------------------CHRISTMAS MAGIC IN BEULAH: 9am-6pm, Downtown Beulah. Featuring a parade, cookies, Santa, kids activities & more. Stores will be open late for holiday shopping. Parade begins at 5:15pm. clcba.org/event/christmas-magic

---------------------DRIVE THROUGH SANTA VISITS & CHRISTMAS BRUNCH TO-GO: 9am-noon, The Inn at Black Star Farms, Suttons Bay. From the safety of open car windows, children can share their wish lists with Santa, who will be seated on his front porch wearing a face shield. While secret lists are being shared with Santa, guests can pop their trunk for Santa’s elves to load brunch into the car to enjoy safely at home. $75 serves 4 people. blackstarfarms.com/brunch_santa

---------------------LEAP CONVERGENCE: 10am. Join LEAP (Local Education & Action Partnerships), a studentorganized online convergence via Zoom. The Vision of the LEAP Convergence is to Cocreate a Community Culture of Joy, Celebrating & Fostering Local Diversity, Resilience, & Regeneration.

Free. facebook.com/LEAPConvergence2020

---------------------LEELANAU GIVES BACK: The Homestead, Glen Arbor. The Homestead will be running a drive from Dec. 1-17 for non-perishable foods, clothing & supplies for all ages, & monetary donations. All proceeds will go to Leelanau Christian Neighbors. Any monetary donations will be matched by The Homestead, up to $5,000. Donating anything will put your name in for a chance to win a $150 gift card to be used anywhere at The Homestead. Please call/text Jillian Rockafellow at (734) 787-4362 with any questions.

---------------------DOWNTOWN STROLLING LIGHT PARADE: 5-9pm, Downtown TC. Twelve non-profit organizations will be scattered throughout downtown TC, each displaying their own rendition of the popular holiday song “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Vote for your favorite entry on-site & online. Proceeds will benefit the Downtown Relief Fund & participating non-profits. Each vote will cost $1 with the option of a larger donation. The winning entry will be the Honorary Grand Marshall of the 2021 Downtown Traverse City Light Parade. downtowntc.com/ downtown-light-parade

---------------------CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: 5:30pm, New Hope Community Church, Williamsburg. Dec 4-6 & 11-13. The Christmas Journey is a 45 minute outdoor walking tour through fire lit woods encountering costumed actors, live animals & a story from the Bible. Free. newhope.cc

LIVESTREAM: INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY DANCE COMPANY’S ‘THE NUTCRACKER’: 7:30pm. Join the Interlochen Arts Academy Ballet Company as they bring the story of Clara & her enchanted Nutcracker to life, with mesmerizing visual effects, stunning costumes, & charming characters who will amuse children & grown-ups. “The Nutcracker” will be livestreamed via multi-camera webcast at live.interlochen.org & on Facebook. Free. tickets.interlochen.org/events/arts-academydance-company-presents-nutcracker/december-12-2020-730pm

dec 13

december

12-20

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

sunday

SANTA’S VILLAGE ADVENTURE: 11am-3pm, The Village at GT Commons, on the piazza, in front of Left Foot Charley, TC. Reserve your private time slot to take a carriage ride through the Village Campus, a socially distanced visit with Santa, & a walk through the 1885 Steam Tunnels. Cost is $200; reservations are for members of the same household, up to 8 people. Ages 3 & under are free. $25 of the ticket price will be donated to a local food pantry. Find ‘Santa’s Village Adventure’ on Facebook.

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

THE BLUE PELICAN INN’S 4TH ANNUAL FREE COMMUNITY DINNER: Curbside pickup only. 11:30am-1:30pm, The Blue Pelican Inn, Central Lake. Accepting cash donations or non-perishable food items for The Central Lake Food Bank. Call for pre-orders: 231-544-2583.

---------------------LEELANAU GIVES BACK: (See Sat., Dec. 12) ---------------------VIRTUAL SUGAR PLUM FAIRY TEA: 1-3pm.

Enjoy a festive virtual experience with principal performers of the Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.” Each reservation includes a custom Sugar Plum Fairy Tea kit created by the CTAC School of Ballet dancers & a personal link to the virtual tea. Kits will include a Nutcracker photo book, china teacup, tea, pink lemonade, treats, & decorated pointe shoes made by the dancers. Kits may be picked up at CTAC Dec. 7-12 at the front desk during business hours. $40-$75. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey-ctac-online/virtualsugar-plum-fairy-tea

---------------------LAURA INGALLS WILDER’S CHRISTMAS MEMORIES (ZOOM): 2pm. Join Laura as she reminisces about her childhood Christmases & looks forward to making memories with her new family, husband Almanzo & daughter Rose. Registration is required. Once you register you will receive further instructions. Free. tadl.org/event/laura-ingalls-wilders-christmasmemories-zoom

---------------------CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: (See Sat., Dec. 12)

dec 14

monday

LEELANAU GIVES BACK: (See Sat., Dec. 12)

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

LEAD BY LOCAL - BUILDING RESILIENCE IN TIME OF UNCERTAINTY: 12-1pm.

This virtual presentation by Kathy Grinsteiner, provider engagement manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, will provide tips & techniques on how to develop & strengthen resilience, enabling you to weather the storm of uncertainty. Register. business.charlevoix.org/ events/details/lead-by-local-building-resiliency-13111

---------------------HISTORY OF ODAWA LEADERSHIP: 7pm.

Online via Zoom. Presented by Director of Repatriation, Archives and Records for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Eric Hemenway. Register. Free. ncmclifelonglearning.com/event-4071663

18 • dec 14, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Stay safe with Santa’s Village Adventure! Reserve your private time slot to take a carriage ride through The Village at Grand Traverse Commons Campus, enjoy a socially distanced visit with Santa, and walk through the 1885 Steam Tunnels. The cost is $200 and reservations are for members of the same household up to eight people. Ages three and under are free. $25 of the ticket price will be donated to a local food pantry. Held on Saturdays, Dec. 12 and 19 from 2-6pm and Sundays, Dec. 13 and 20 from 11am-3pm. Meet on the piazza in front of Left Foot Charley. https://www.thevillagetc.com/santas-village-adventure/

dec 15

tuesday

dec 17

thursday

2019 DETROIT RED WINGS TRAINING CAMP MERCHANDISE & SIGNED SPORTS MEMORABILIA SALE: 10am-3pm, Centre Ice Arena, upstairs community room, TC. Remaining merchandise from the 2019 Detroit Red Wings Training Camp & select pieces of signed memorabilia featuring the Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Magic Johnson as a Michigan State National Basketball Champion, and Muhammad Ali will be available for sale. Proceeds of the sale will benefit I.C.E. (Involved Citizens Enterprises), the nonprofit organization of Centre Ice & Howe Arena.

VIRTUAL PRESENTATION & PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITY: Zoom webinar at 5:30pm. Topic: Nakwema Trailway – Fisherman’s Island Proposed Trail Routing. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85787374316?pwd =ejJ5UVFmYXNoaDhMbmJMMGtTVUppQT0 9#success. Passcode: 377618. To access the recorded presentation & survey following the event, visit nakwematrailway.org/event/fisp/.

LIVESTREAM: INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY ‘SOUNDS OF THE SEASON’: (See Sat., Dec. 12)

ISEA CAFE - GOBIES, QUAGGAS, & THE NEARSHORE FOOD WEB: 1-2:30pm. Presented by Inland Seas Education Association.

Held online with Graceanne Tarsa from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Register. us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tc--urTwuHtL5K-u6jGVSXNgWSq1ulYsR

---------------------LEELANAU GIVES BACK: (See Sat., Dec. 12) ----------------------

dec 16

wednesday

2021 ECONOMIC FORECAST: 12-1pm. Petoskey Strong Virtual Information Series. Discover key indicators that guide the path forward for the markets & economy, & their potential to impact investors. Free. http://www.petoskeychamber.com/events/details/2021-economic-forecast-23542

---------------------2019 DETROIT RED WINGS TRAINING CAMP MERCHANDISE & SIGNED SPORTS MEMORABILIA SALE: (See Tues., Dec. 15)

---------------------LEELANAU GIVES BACK: (See Sat., Dec. 12)

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

2019 DETROIT RED WINGS TRAINING CAMP MERCHANDISE & SIGNED SPORTS MEMORABILIA SALE: (See Tues., Dec. 15)

---------------------LEELANAU GIVES BACK: (See Sat., Dec. 12) ----------------------

---------------------VIRTUAL HOLIDAY DANCE PARTY: 6:30pm. Presented by Arts for All of Northern Michigan. Featuring Mr. Music DJ. Held on Zoom. RSVP. $5 suggested donation. form.jotform.com/203135523554146?mc_ cid=07748145a8&mc_eid=31c0d0fd7e

dec 18

friday

CHRISTMAS ART EASEL KIT GIVE AWAY: 3-5pm. For Families Impacted by COVID-19. Hosted by ArtBright.

Each Art Easel Kit contains

supplies to make one art easel, an art caddy & a sampler pack of Crayola art materials.

Families are asked to read the Art Easel Kit Give Away event details that are posted on ArtBright’s Facebook page. Qualified & interested families can send a private message to ArtBright Admin through the Facebook page. facebook.com/artbrightlight

dec 19

saturday

A CELTIC FAMILY CHRISTMAS AT HOME: 7pm. Natalie MacMaster, together with husband Donnell Leahy & their seven children, will celebrate Christmas virtually this year, playing music for you, dancing, singing, baking, talking about Christmas memories past, & more. $20. cityoperahouse.org/ natalie_macmaster_donnell_leahy_%20Family_Christmas_%20celtic%20_music_buy_tickets

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

NUTCRACKER 2020: REIMAGINED UP NORTH: 11am. Purchase a virtual ticket on Anywhere Seat to stream directly to your home devices. You can stream the performance for $25 for the whole family. crookedtreeartscenter.anywhereseat.com/channel.php

---------------------WARD AND EIS GALLERY SUPPORTS WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER: (See Sat., Dec. 12)

---------------------FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION: 10:30am-1pm, Otsego County Food Pantry, United Way Building, rear, Gaylord. A drive thru distribution.

---------------------SANTA’S VILLAGE ADVENTURE: (See Sat., Dec. 12)

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

BENZIE COUNTY DEMOCRATS MONTHLY MEETING: 9:30am via Zoom. Meetings on third Saturday of the month, with 9:30am coffee klatch, 10am community announcements, followed by featured speaker. Free. benziedemocrats.com

dec 20

sunday

SANTA’S VILLAGE ADVENTURE: (See Sun., Dec. 13)

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

NUTCRACKER 2020: REIMAGINED UP NORTH: (See Sat., Dec. 19)

helping hands

KOSCH RESTAURANTS MATCH DONATIONS: Four northern Michigan restaurants will match donations made by their diners to Toys for Tots. Alpine Tavern and Eatery, CRAVE Pasta, Pizza and Pub in Gaylord, along with Moose and Stella’s Café and Trout Town Tavern and Eatery in Kalkaska are selling Toys for Tots trains for a $5 donation & will match that donation up to $1,000 at each location. The restaurants will also accept toy donations. Runs through Dec. 18.

---------------------PET ASSISTANCE: If you need assistance with meeting your pet’s needs, Hoop’s Pet Food Pantry can help. They will be at the Square Deal Country Store on Woodmere Ave., TC every Weds., 2:30-5:30pm & Sat., 12-3pm, offering pet supplies donated by your friends, neighbors & community businesses. If you’d like to make a donation, food & supplies can be dropped at the store during business hours. facebook.com/Squaredealcs

---------------------FRIENDS MITTEN TREE: Interlochen Public Library. Please drop off your mitten donations in the box provided by the main doors of IPL. The donations go to local schools. interlochenpubliclibrary.org

ongoing

SANTA WILL REPLY TO NORTH POLE EXPRESS MAIL: From now until Dec. 17, drop your letter to Santa at the dedicated mailbox located at the Lyric Theater, Harbor Springs.

Kids, remember to include your name & ad-

dress so that Santa will know exactly where to send his reply.

---------------------LIGHT UP THE NIGHT: Bellaire, Dec. 1-29. Both businesses & residents: Spread holiday cheer through your lighting displays. bellairechamber. org/event/light-up-the-night-soup-cook-off-2

---------------------BUDDY IN WINDOW DECORATING CONTEST: This year’s theme is Buddy from the movie “Elf.” Harbor Springs: Decorate your windows, storefronts, yards, & city. Prizes for first, second & third place in five categories: Retail Gifts, Retail Clothing, Restaurants, Service, & Residential. Fill out entry form & email to: info@harborspringschamber.com. Entry deadline has been extended to Dec. 17. files. constantcontact.com/3655fd4c201/266416012462-453c-bced-52daf4202cd2.pdf

---------------------DISABILITY NETWORK MEN’S GROUP: Zoom meetings: Mondays, Dec. 7-28, 1011am. This group is for men in the community seeking support, an opportunity to learn new skills & a chance to connect with other men with disabilities. Visit web site for registration details. disabilitynetwork.org/events

---------------------DISABILITY NETWORK WOMEN’S GROUP, SHARING HERSTORY: Zoom meetings: Mondays, Dec. 7-28, 11am-noon. For women with disabilities living in an unprecedented time of social distancing & sheltering in place. disabilitynetwork.org/events

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

worker of the past. You are invited to pedal the stationary bikes surrounding the sculpture to generate light. “The Lamplighter” symbolizes a collective connection to spread that light. The exhibition will run from Dec. 4 - Jan. 4. Presented by Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts.

---------------------JRAC GIFT MARKET: Jordan River Arts Council, East Jordan, Nov. 21 - Dec. 19. Open daily, 1-4pm.

---------------------“JUST GREAT ART”: Presented by Plein Air Painters of Northwest Michigan. An online exhibit & sale of over 50 works by regional artists.

20% of the proceeds benefit City Opera House.

Runs through Jan. crookedtree.smugmug.com/ Traverse-City/Exhibitions-TC/Just-Great-ART/ Just-Great-ART/i-fNDV67s

---------------------VIRTUAL GLEN ARBOR HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE: Shop artisans online this year, Nov. 7 - Dec. 18. facebook.com/glenarborholidaymarketplace

---------------------NORTHPORT ARTS ASSOCIATION HOLIDAY ARTS MARKET - ONLINE: Runs through Dec. 13. northportartsassociation.org

---------------------“DON’T MISS THE BOAT”: Harbor Springs History Museum. Presented by the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society. This exhibit highlights the historic ferries of Little Traverse Bay & features original watercolors & giclees by local artist William Talmadge Hall. Runs through the summer of 2021. Hours: Tues.Sat., 11am-3pm. harborspringshistory.org/history-museum-exhibits

NORTE’S RUN SABADOS: GT Civic Center, TC. A weekly walk or run held on Saturdays.

Meet outside the Wheelhouse at 10am, & then split up & hit the track.

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

WEEKLY ZOOM STORY HOUR: Wednesdays, 11am, with Miss Ann. Presented by Interlochen Public Library. Meeting ID 876 3279 3456. Pass Code 364283.

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

------------------------------------------BELLAIRE WINTER FARMERS MARKET: Held on Fridays from 10am-2pm. Located at both Bee Well & Terrain in downtown Bellaire.

---------------------BOYNE CITY INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: Saturdays, 9am-noon through May 15. City Hall Lobby, Boyne City. petoskeyarea.com/eventdetail/boyne-city-indoor-farmers-market-1

---------------------INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: The Village at GT Commons, The Mercato, TC. Saturdays through April, 10am-2pm. thevillagetc.com/ indoor-farmers-market-7-2-2-2-2-2

art

THE COVID 19 WREATH COLLECTION: Dec. 5 - Feb. 21. Presented by Art Rapids.

Bring an old or new wreath to the Walk of Art Park, Elk Rapids & attach it to the fence on S. Bayshore Dr. Give some festive bling to a “Pandemic” fence that goes on & on. Take a photo & tag on Instagram or Facebook: #artrapids.

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HOLLYPOP REIMAGINED: A FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: Old Art Building, Leland. Over two dozen trees were added to the front lawn & half were selected to represent a “12 Days of Christmas” display. Each tree was given a color, designated by the ornaments & the individual artists were assigned a tree & a line from the “12 Days of Christmas.” They were free to interpret/express their theme as they wished.

Runs through Jan. 1, 2021. oldartbuilding.com/ events/holly-pop

---------------------HOLIDAY ART MARKET SHOW & SALE: Gaylord Area Council for the Arts, Gaylord.

Jewelry, photography, pottery & much more. Inperson or online. Runs through Dec. 23. Hours: Weds. - Fri., 1-4pm; Sat., 12-2pm. gaylordarts. org/events--exhibits.html

---------------------“THE LAMPLIGHTER”: Downtown Manistee, next to Christmas tree. This sculpture created by artists Tyler & Ashley Voorhees was constructed with dozens of antiquated tools & manmade artifacts in a grand gesture to this humble

OPEN CALL FOR “THOSE WHO TEACH”: Deadline to apply is 1/15/21. Exhibit featuring the artwork of Michigan’s Visual Art Educators. higherartgallery.com/calls-for-art

CHARLEVOIX CIRCLE OF THE ARTS, CHARLEVOIX - FREE “MAKE & TAKE” CRAFT KITS: Through Dec. 31, while supplies last, drop by & pick up a free ornament craft kit to take home & enjoy.

- ALL MEDIA OPEN CALL TO MICHIGAN ARTISTS: Submit to: re | ART: reject, reflect, refine, remark, a juried fine arts exhibit. Artists are invited to comment visually on the many shifts taking place in our current experience, as change opens a path to rethink, revisit, reunite, recharge, reevaluate, redefine, etc. Juror will award cash prizes. Deadline for entry is Jan. 10 at noon. charlevoixcircle.org/juried-exhibit CHARLEVOIX CIRCLE MARKET: Charlevoix Circle of Arts hosts its annual Circle mARkeT, Nov. 19 - Jan. 2, featuring over 40 local artists’ & makers’ handmade items, original art & locally produced specialty treats. Open: Mon.-Fri., 11am-4pm; Sat., 11am-3pm; *Wed. & Thurs. mornings from 10-11am are reserved for vulnerable patrons. CharlevoixCircle.org

media will be on display. Runs through Dec. 18. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-online-ctacpetoskey/call-and-response

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DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: DENNOS MUSEUM MINI HOLIDAY ARTIST MARKET: Shop online, Dec. 1-23. Featuring the work of over 20 Michigan artists. Please visit the museum website for up to date hours of operation. shop.dennosmuseum.org - MATHIAS J. ALTEN: AN AMERICAN ARTIST AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY: The German-born American Impressionist Mathias Joseph Alten, often referred to as the Dean of Michigan painters, is regarded as one of the most celebrated regionalist artists to have worked in the United States. Runs through Jan. 31. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/index.html - MICHIGAN MODERN: AN ARCHITECTURAL LEGACY: This exhibit celebrates Michigan’s modern architectural design history from 1928-2012. It is comprised of over 50 photographs by James Haefner primarily for the State Historic Preservation Office as part of their Michigan Modern Project, & featured in the book by State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway, titled “Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy.” Runs through Jan. 31. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/ index.html GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER, GLEN ARBOR: - GAAC OUTDOOR GALLERY: CALL FOR ENTRIES: The Glen Arbor Arts Center is accepting submissions for its 2021 Outdoor Gallery. The exhibition space is the south & west exterior walls of the GAAC’s building at 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor. Original work by a single artist will be selected by a jury, & exhibited from May 2021 to April 2022. Deadline for submissions is February 25, 2021. Open to all media, the selected work will be eye-catching, compelling, colorful & communicate the spirit of the Glen Arbor Arts Center with fresh originality. The selected exhibitor’s original work will be enlarged & reproduced on five, separate, 5 foot x 5 foot square outdoor panels for one year. A $500 prize will be awarded to the selected artist. Submissions are online only. To apply visit GlenArborArt.org & click on ARTIST/Calls For Entry. glenarborart.org/exhibits/current-exhibits - SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY EXHIBITION: An exhibition of original art – painting, photography, fiber, mixed media, jewelry & more. Featuring art work 12” x 12” & smaller, all priced at $150 or less. Runs Nov. 13 - Dec. 17. The GAAC is open daily, 11am – 2pm. glenarborart.org

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CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - THE COLLECTIVE IMPULSE: NEW WORK

BY RUTH BARDENSTEIN, JEAN BUESCHER BARTLETT & SUSAN MORAN: Runs through Dec. 18, Gilbert Gallery. These three artists met in Ann Arbor &, over time, have nurtured both personal & creative connections.

They regularly share & critique one another’s work & together visit gallery & museum exhibitions. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ collective-impulse-new-work-ruth-bardensteinjean-buescher-bartlett-and-susan - “KIDS ON COMMUNITY”: Youth artists were invited to submit artwork in response to the theme of “Community.” Fun, thoughtful & creative interpretations by Michigan youth (grades 3 - 12) are included in this online image gallery. Runs Dec. 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey-ctac-online/kids-community-online-exhibit - CALL & RESPONSE: Held in Bonfield Gallery. This exhibit recognizes the many ways works of art can spark conversation, action & aid in the processing of ideas, feelings, experiences & events. Original work in a variety of

Deadline for Dates information is Tuesday for the following week.

Northern Express Weekly • dec 14, 2020 • 19

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the ADViCE GOddESS Adoptee Strainer

Q

: My boyfriend, who was adopted as an infant, just heard from his birth mom for the first time ever. She contacted him out of the blue, sending a perfectly nice message, not expecting anything from him. Instead of responding to it, he’s just sort of shutting down. Times are tough enough, and I don’t think it’s healthy to bottle up his feelings.

However, whenever I point that out or ask him how he feels, he says he doesn’t want to talk about it. How can I help motivate him to process his feelings?

— Caring Girlfriend

A

: We all have to deal with rejection, but most of us get our first taste of it at 6 — years old, that is, not six minutes after a nurse cuts our umbilical cord.

Emotions are basically the helper elves of humanity. They evolved to motivate behavior to help ancestral humans survive, mate, and pass on their genes. We tend to see “negative” emotions like sadness and anger as damaging, but evolutionary researcher Randolph Nesse, M.D., explains they are just as functional as “positive” emotions.

Negative emotions are the brakes for behavior that isn’t working for us. Though, these days, minor bad choices usually aren’t fatal, our psychology is calibrated as if they could be.

The psychological operating system driving our behavior today is adapted for a harsh ancestral hunter-gatherer environment. Say some Neanderbro had the brilliant idea that he’d catch wild game for dinner by asking it nicely to throw itself onto his spear. But say, after collecting only windblown dust on his spearhead, the emotions he felt were happiness and excitement. He’d stick with his hunting approach and end up dining on treebark rib-eyes, the culinary choice of people who slowly starve to death.

Though men get depressed just like women do, another evolutionary researcher, psychologist Joyce Benenson, notes that men tend to be less emotionally sensitive than women, showing less fear and sadness from infancy on. Men are also less emotionally fluent, meaning they have trouble understanding exactly what they’re feeling, which, in turn, keeps them from being able to put names to their emotions. Though these seem like shortcomings, they serve men’s evolved role as the “warriors” of our species.

In combat, men would put themselves and their fellow warriors at risk if they jabber on about how terrified they are and plop down on the battlefield for a good cry.

BY Amy Alkon How does your boyfriend feel? Best guess: Emotionally overwhelmed. If so, his “shutting down” makes sense. It’s basically the human version of overloaded electrical wiring triggering a circuit breaker in your house — as opposed to keeping the juice flowing and triggering an electrical fire, turning your home into a two-bedroom, two-bath pile of smoking ash.

Sigmund Freud, who saw having actual evidence to support his claims an unnecessary bother, drove the widespread assumption that “repression” — avoiding upsetting thoughts to prevent or minimize anxiety -is emotionally and physically destructive. In fact, clinical psychologist Karin Coifman and her colleagues observe that there’s “a small and relatively inconsistent body of evidence” that associates “repressive coping” with health costs.

Research increasingly suggests it can be “adaptive” — beneficial — for a person to direct their attention away from experiences that cause negative feelings (especially negative feelings about themself...say, like being “given up” for adoption). And the Coifman team’s own study finds that the “emotional dissociation” of repressive coping can actually lead to better adjustment, fewer health complaints, and “a less significant medical history.”

Consider, too, that men often “speak” through action rather than words. Your boyfriend is probably flooded with uncertainty about what he should do: contact his birth mom, meet with her, do nothing. You can help him — by being loving and supportive as he goes about this his way. If he still seems to be suffering a month from now, you might Google adoptee discussion boards and ask him whether you could give him the links. Reading about others’ feelings and experiences could help him understand his own feelings and decide how he’ll proceed.

Ultimately, the emotional expressiveness that comes naturally to many women is unnatural for many men. Benenson explains that women tend to bond through “sharing vulnerabilities” and soothe themselves by talking about their feelings, behavior that would leave most men feeling exposed and threatened. This provides helpful perspective on men’s seemingly counterproductive reactions to bad stuff that happens. True story from one of my male friends: “A few years ago, I mentioned to my wife that there was a guy at work who was a real pain in the ass. She said, ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ I said, ‘I just did.’”

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ACROSS 1 "Breaking Bad" sidekick 6 Written test format 11 Some mainframe computers 15 Follow, as an impulse 16 Pleas 18 QUESTION, PART 1 20 Cry bitterly 21 Blows away 22 ___ St. Soul (U.K. R&B/soul group) 23 Controversial ride-sharing app 25 Fall back, as a tide 26 ASPCA part 29 QUESTION, PART 2 34 "Forrest Gump" actor Gary 35 "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for ___" (1985 best-seller) 36 "Laugh-In" comedian Johnson 37 Like many indie films 38 "Buon giorno," in Brisbane 39 Go over the limit 40 Green Day, e.g.

41 "Sorry if ___ you down" 42 NBA team formerly from Minneapolis 43 QUESTION, PART 3 46 Charlemagne's realm, for short 47 Device program 48 Cranberry sources 49 Greek letter after zeta 50 "Battlefield Earth" author Hubbard 52 Director Van Sant 55 ANSWER TO THE QUESTION 61 Closest to the ground, stature-wise 62 Otherworldly 63 Mgr.'s helper 64 Creator of Yertle the Turtle 65 Laundry cycle DOWN 1 Movie score with a famous two-note motif 2 Bounce back 3 Aimless attempt 4 Imbiber

5 Grind to a halt 6 Milne's mopey donkey 7 Flaky precipitation 8 Comedians Gilliam and Goldsmith, for two 9 Rainbow shape 10 "While that might be true ..."

11 "___ be here soon" 12 Took the bait 13 "I really don't care" 14 157.5 degrees from N 17 It's a likely story 19 "You ___ one" 23 Sleep aid brand 24 Like a shopping mall on Black Friday, ordinarily 25 Online selling site 26 Wall, for one 27 Playful aquatic animals 28 Dated term for college students 29 Site for reflection?

30 Prompt 31 Corvair investigator Ralph 32 "They went ___-way" 33 Actress Lauren of 2020's "The Wrong Missy" 34 Louis Armstrong's nickname 38 Unidentifiable cafeteria food 39 Did some karaoke 41 Repercussions 42 "Ghost Town" actress Tea 44 Irritate 45 Fastening bars shaped like letters 49 Louisiana, to Louis 50 In ___ of (replacing) 51 Monica Geller's brother 52 Jack-o'-lantern look 53 College team from Salt Lake City 54 "Auld Lang ___" 55 "Don't text and drive" ad, for short 56 Acuity measures that don't really matter 57 Questionable, in "Among Us," slangily 58 Hustle, quaintly 59 High-jump hurdle 60 Peyton's sibling

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lOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) According to researcher

Nick Watts and his documentary film The Human Footprint, the average person speaks more than 13 million words in a lifetime, or about 4,300 per day. But I suspect and hope that your output will increase in 2021. I think you'll have more to say than usual—more truths to articulate, more observations to express, more experiences to describe. So please raise your daily quota of self-expression to account for your expanded capacity to share your intelligence with the world.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author Herman

Hesse observed, “Whoever wants music instead of noise, joy instead of pleasure, soul instead of gold, creative work instead of business, passion instead of foolery, finds no home in this trivial world.” I hope you will prove him wrong in 2021, Scorpio.

According to my reading of astrological omens, the rhythms of life will be in alignment with yours if you do indeed make bold attempts to favor music over noise, joy over pleasure, soul over gold, creative work over business, passion over foolery. Moreover, I think this will be your perfect formula for success—a strategy that will guarantee you'll feel at home in the world more than ever before.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "Our thinking should have a vigorous fragrance, like a wheat field on a summer's night," wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. I encourage you to adopt that joyful mandate as your own. It's a perfect time to throw out stale opinions and moldy ideas as you make room for an aromatic array of fresh, spicy notions. To add to your bliss, get rid of musty old feelings and decaying dreams and stinky judgments. That brave cleansing will make room for the arrival of crisp insights that smell really good.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Have you

heard the term "catastrophize"? It refers to when people experience a small setback or minor problem but interpret it as being a major misfortune. It's very important that you not engage in catastrophizing during the coming weeks. I urge you to prevent your imagination from jumping to awful conclusions that aren't warranted. Use deep breathing and logical thinking to coax yourself into responding calmly.

Bonus tip: In my view, the small "setback" you experience could lead to an unexpected opportunity—especially if you resist the temptation to catastrophize.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): My Buddhist

friend Marcia says the ultimate goal of her meditation practice is to know that the material world is an illusion and that there is no such thing "I" or "you," no past or future. There is only the quality-less ground of being. My Sufi friend Roanne, on the other hand, is a devotee of the poet Rumi.

The ultimate goal of her meditation practice is to be in intimate contact, in tender loving communion, with the Divine Friend, the personal face of the Cosmic Intelligence. Given your astrological omens, Pisces, I'd say you're in a prime position to experience the raw truth of both Marcia's and Roanne's ideals. The coming days could bring you amazing spiritual breakthroughs!

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Temporary gods

are deities who come alive and become available for particular functions, and are not otherwise necessary or called upon. For instance, in ancient Greece, the god Myiagros showed up when humans made sacrifices to the goddess Athena. His task was to shoo away flies. I encourage you to invent or invoke such a spirit for the work you have ahead of you. And what's that work? 1. To translate your recent discoveries into practical plans. 2. To channel your newfound freedom into strategies that will ensure freedom will last.

3. To infuse the details of daily life with the big visions you've harvested recently. What will you name your temporary god?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Virginia

Woolf said that we don't wholly experience the unique feelings that arise in any particular moment. They take a while to completely settle in, unfold, and expand. From her perspective, then, we rarely "have complete emotions about the

22 • dec 14, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

DEC 14 - DEC 20

present, only about the past.” With that as your starting point, Taurus, I invite you to take a journey through the last 11 months and thoroughly evolve all the emotions that weren't entirely ripe when they originally appeared. Now is an excellent time to deepen your experience of what has already happened; to fully bloom the seeds that have been planted.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "Wonder is a

bulky emotion," writes author Diane Ackerman.

"When you let it fill your heart and mind, there isn't room for anxiety, distress, or anything else." I'd love for you to use her observation as a prescription in 2021, Gemini. According to my understanding of the coming year's astrological portents, you will have more natural access to wonder and amazement and awe than you've had in a long time. And it would make me happy to see you rouse those primal emotions with vigor— so much so that you drive away at least some of the flabby emotions like anxiety, which are often more neurotic than real.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I'll use the words of Cancerian painter Frida Kahlo to tell you the kind of intimate ally you deserve. If for some inexplicable reason you have not enjoyed a relationship like this before now, I urge you to make 2021 the year that you finally do. And if you HAVE indeed been lucky in this regard, I bet you'll be even luckier in 2021. Here's Frida: "You deserve a lover who wants you disheveled . . . who makes you feel safe . . . who wants to dance with you . . . who never gets tired of studying your expressions . . . who listens when you sing, who supports you when you feel shame and respects your freedom . . . who takes away the lies and brings you hope."

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 2019, singer Ariana

Grande got Japanese characters tattooed on her palm. She believed them to be a translation of the English phrase "7 Rings," which was the title of a song she had released. But knowledgeable observers later informed her that the tattoo's real meaning was "small charcoal grill." She arranged to have alterations made, but the new version was worse: "Japanese barbecue grill finger." I offer you this story for two reasons, Leo. First, I applaud the creativity and innovative spirit that have been flowing through you. Second, I want to make sure that you keep them on the right track—that they continue to express what you want them to express. With proper planning and discernment, they will.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): While sleeping,

most of us have over a thousand dreams every year. Many are hard to remember and not worth remembering. But a beloved few can be life-changers. They have the potential to trigger epiphanies that transform our destinies for the better. In my astrological opinion, you are now in a phase when such dreams are more likely than usual. That's why I invite you to keep a recorder or a pen and notebook by your bed so as to capture them. For inspiration, read this testimony from Jasper Johns, whom some call America's "foremost living artist": "One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought the materials to begin it." Painting flags ultimately became one of Johns' specialties.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I composed a prayer

that's in alignment with your current astrological omens. If it feels right, say it daily for the next ten days. Here it is: "Dear Higher Self, Guardian Angel, and Future Me: Please show me how to find or create the key to the part of my own heart that's locked up. Reveal the secret to dissolving any inhibitions that interfere with my ability to feel all I need to feel. Make it possible for me to get brilliant insights into truths that will enable me to lift my intimate alliances to the next level."

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24 • dec 14, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly