Northern Express - March 08, 2021

Page 1

NORTHERN

express northernexpress.com

20 FASCINATING PEOPLE 2021 Abra Berens > Jamie Chapman Deanne Bennett Criswell Brad Dohm Liam Dryer Matthew Elliiott Fred Falting Mark Fisher Ean Guenthardt Sheryl Guy Ian Murphy Jon Sangeorzan Gus Schmidt Ben Scripps Shiloh Slomsky Heather Spooner Carolyn Taylor Ken Taylor Richard Rossman Courtney Wiggins

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • march 08 - march 14, 2021 • Vol. 31 No. 10 Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 1


IT WAS YOUR FAVORITE JACKET… IN HIGH SCHOOL

Time to Let It Go?

DONATE FOR GOOD

Your donations support our food and housing programs for Northern Michigan neighbors in need. goodwillnmi.org

2 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly


letters

HIT SEND! Love what we’re doing here? Disagree with something on these pages? Share your views by emailing a quick letter to the editor: info@northernexpress.com A Few Rules: • Keep your letters civil and 300 words or fewer, one per month • All letters will be edited for clarity • Some letters or portions will be omitted due to space or issues with questionable facts/citations, privacy, publication in other media, etc. • Include your full name, address, and phone or email • Note: Only your first name, first initial of last name, and city will be published. We are temporarily suspending publication of letter authors’ full names.

Choose a New Leader, GOP Republicans are hitching their wagon to a three-time loser. Trump lost the electoral vote, he lost the popular vote by 7 million votes, and he lost dozens of court challenges, including the Supreme Court. If the GOP is going to have a seat at the table and a conservative voice, then they must pick someone else to represent them. The last election was fair and free from fraud, certified by 50 states, the Electoral College, and Congress. Everyone saw Jan. 6, and the insurrection encouraged by Trump and his supporters, such as the Proud Boys. Republicans need to pick an individual that will represent their agenda, lead, and restore the integrity of the Republican Party. The GOP needs to get past Trump and his lies. Ron D., Beulah Do Your Job, Damoose State Rep. John Damoose, District 107, recently stated that he is totally opposed to Gov. Whitmer’s ability to extend emergency orders without legislative approval. I would suggest that she has done well for the citizens of Michigan in part because she has not had to work with the legislature when making these decisions. She has worked with scientists and medical professionals to make informed proclamations without political interference. This is not authoritarianism; it’s called doing her job. I suggest that Rep. Damoose do his and follow her guidelines, work with her, and keep politics out of these decisions. The health and safety of the citizens and the economy demand it. George R., Petoskey

Reconsider Republican Direction For generations, the Republican Party proudly stood for stability and security. Unfortunately, today’s GOP has moved away from these values. In everyday life, stability and security mean getting paid enough so you can keep a roof over your head, knowing you’ll have access to medical care whatever your income or employment status, knowing you won’t be the target of harassment or violence because you’re a member of a minority, and living in a democracy that isn’t under threat of political violence. It means sending your kids to school in the morning, confident they won’t be texting you “goodbye, I love you” while hiding under a desk as a shooter roams the halls, murdering children and teachers. It means knowing your kids will get a decent education and have a shot at what we used to call the American Dream. It means knowing your government is keeping the air breathable and the water drinkable and is modernizing and properly regulating the infrastructure so bridges don’t collapse and the power doesn’t go out when you need it most. It means knowing that if a pandemic breaks out, your government will work hard to protect you and your family — not just sit on its hands and dodge responsibility. And it means addressing climate change. In short, it means having a functioning government that makes a genuine effort, imperfect though it may be, to “promote the general welfare.” Instead, current GOP leadership goes about cutting taxes for their rich donors, promoting chaos and fear, spreading lies, capitulating to conspiracy theorists and domestic terrorists, suppressing the vote, and pedaling an ersatz version of “freedom” that amounts to little more than selfishness. For the sake of their party and the country, it’s time for every Republican to reconsider the direction their leadership is taking. Tom G., Elmwood Township Take Responsibility & Act As a lover of our human family and the nature we enjoy and depend on, I am frightened of what we are facing in the next 10 to 20 years I fear what life will be like for my little grandchild, as her world becomes warmer and warmer — and for my children as well. We’ve already had extreme weather events such as the wildfires in California, where she lives. In other areas on the coast, waters are rising and claiming the land that people have lived on. In the near future, there will be massive movements of people inland, as well as people moving north, seeking more bearable temperatures. Our health is also vulnerable, with air and water pollution increasing out risk of heart and lung disease, cancer, and stroke. The United States bears responsibility for a disproportionate share of all these impacts. For these reasons, I support Carbon Fee and Dividend (CFD) legislation. Carbon-pricing is a commonsense solution supported by many businesses, faith groups, and economic experts across the political spectrum. CFD would place a fee on fossil fuel producers and return the money collected back to American households, stimulating the economy and creating jobs. Most importantly, it will equitably bring down the carbon pollution that is destroying our planet and every living thing on it — if

we act quickly. Please sign up for the Citizens Climate Lobby monthly calling campaign at cclcalls.org, and ask Jack Bergman, Debbie Stabenow, and Gary Peters to support the CFD legislation. To learn more, visit citizensclimatelobby.org. Carolyn T., Traverse City Hypocritical Dems During President Biden’s inauguration speech, he called for the unity of Trump supporters. Is he kidding? How can Republicans forgive the way President Trump was treated by Democrats? They started by boycotting his inaugural speech. Then immediately after Trump took office, they tried to impeach him using false documents and statements claiming the Russians had helped Donald Trump win the election. However, the gold medal goes to the leader of the Democratic Party, Sen. Nancy Pelosi when she ripped up President Trump’s State of the Union address on national television, an event being viewed by millions and millions of people around the world. Do the Democrats really think they are a kind, “let’s have unity” group of people?

CONTENTS features 20 Fascinating People...........................10-16 columns & stuff Top Ten.......................................................5

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................6 Opinion..........................................................8 Weird............................................................9 Dates........................................................17 Advice......................................................21 Crossword..................................................21 Astrology.....................................................22 Classifieds...............................................22

Ken S., Harbor Springs Remember Broken Promises The opinion piece in the March 1 issue by Tribal Council Chairman Arroyo should be viewed as yet another episode in the continuing 500-year saga of exploitation of Native Americans by white settlers who have broken almost every treaty, every legal agreement, and every promise ever made to such noble people. Although not every white man is guilty of the land theft, ecological destruction, and genocide committed here, every white man here has benefited from the native losses. Sadly, the only way to truly restore the waters and ecosystem would be to remove all the buildings, roads, and people who continue to exploit this land. The promises being made about FishPass are already tainted with deceitful proposals, which require blind faith to accept. The process has been overwhelmed by a few groups with vested economic interests in expanding recreation, tourism, and development, while the majority of citizens who spoke up to ask questions or raise objections to this technological experiment have been ignored and shut out. One brave man challenged the deception, but he has only delayed the project. The Grand Traverse Band must be familiar with broken promises, so it is surprising to learn of their support to help break another government promise to protect parkland. Meanwhile, no one has promised to pay the perpetual costs of operating a FishPass if the experiment succeeds, and no one will promise to pay to fix things in the likelihood the experiment fails. Of course, this way there will be no promises to break. That is the best part of being on the side for “economic development.” For them, when it comes to gambling with tax dollars, it always comes out: “Heads they win, and tails we lose.” That promises to be a good bet for somebody. David P., Interlochen

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, Linda Szarkowski, Sarah Rodery, 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, Meg Weichman, 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.

SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Keep your letter to 300 words or less, send no more than one per month, include your name/address/phone number, understand it may be further edited. That’s it. Email info@northernexpress.com and hit send!

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 3


this week’s

top ten Shape the Future of State Parks in Leelanau and TC The DNR wants your opinion on the first draft of their future plans for two of the most popular state parks and campgrounds Up North — Leelanau State Park and the Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park. Guided in part by the input of 1,200 people who responded to an online survey about the parks in fall 2019, the plans will ultimately be used to guide the long-range strategy for managing each park in a way that protects their individual resources while addressing the recreation and education needs of parkgoers. Want to know what each draft entails and chime in? The meeting about Leelanau State Park (pictured above; photo courtesy of Tyler Leipprand) happens 6pm–7pm Wednesday, March 10. Visit www.Michigan.gov/Leelanau to view a copy of its draft plan and register for the virtual meeting. The meeting about Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park happens 6pm–7pm Thursday, March 19. Visit www.michgan.gov/traversecity to view a copy of its draft plan and register for the virtual meeting.

2

tastemaker Nittolo’s Napoli

Dive into the Wreck of the Mesquite Calling all shipwreck lore lovers: At 6:30pm March 10 — without leaving your armchair — you can dive into the history of the wreck of the U.S. Coast Guard Mesquite, which ran aground off the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in late 1989. Ravaged by storms and ice, the Coast Guard sought to remove Mesquite’s remains in 1990, but local divers had a different idea: to preserve this vital artifact of Great Lakes marine history. You can hear from those divers, Eric Smith and Dan Fountain, and watch their 40-minute film, Superior Destiny, which chronicles Mesquite’s life as she moved from active duty to become the centerpiece of the Keweenaw Underwater Preserve. The live online presentation will include time for questions and costs $5 (which supports the Marquette Regional History Center). Register on the Events page at marquettehistory.org/ things-to-do.

4

Don’t let the subtitles keep you away from this puzzle box of a French series that is as addictive as any Parisian pastries. Lupin follows wily gentleman thief Assane Diop (Omar Sy, The Intouchables) as he plots an epic heist where priceless jewels are not the only object of desire; he’s also chasing justice for his father. Inspired by the exploits of famed master of disguise Arsène Lupin, Assane brilliantly uses his considerable charms, as well as people’s assumptions about him as a Senegalese immigrant, to his advantage. A breathless caper at the Louvre is just the jumping-off point as the show’s many mysteries and incredible sleights of hand steadily unfold across five captivating episodes. So, yes, you will need to put down your second screen or delay other background tasks. But you’ll be rewarded with a stylish crime drama full of suspense, plot twists, comic delights, and genuine emotion. Streaming on Netflix.

5

You want a medium round with extra mozz, pepperoni, and canned olives? Go somewhere else for your pizza. “This ain’t Build-a-Bear workshop,” says Chef Eric Nittolo. “No choosing toppings.” But if you want a 14-inch hot-from-a-wood-fire flavor revelation, made with the best quality ingredients Nittolo can source from the Motherland (i.e., Bel Paese; i.e., beautiful country; i.e., Italy), and assembled in a way that suggests Nittolo’s chemistry degree might not be second fiddle to his culinary background, go to Nittolo’s in Lake Leelanau. You’ll find pizzas whose precisely orchestrated combo of ingredients — while admittedly intimidating to those of us whose pizza vocabulary hasn’t matured since Hungry Howie’s introduced sesame crusts — needs no translation. Just pick one and put it in your mouth. We went with the Napoli, a melt-in-your-mouth marriage of taleggio, sopressata, toscano, calabrese, pomodoro, Nittolo’s own four-cheese mix, and provolone ($16.95). It was, in a word, a wonder. One of us ordered a Meatball Parmesean pizza to go. Also wonderous. We’re going back for the Spanish (serrano ham, fig jam, manchego cheese, saffron honey, and marcona brittle) this week. Come April, we’re going back again; Nittolo’s is opening its fine dining menu — think: salmon, seabass, bluefin tuna, lamb, waygu — and, for the month of April only, offering threecourse meals for $39. Rest assured, pizza will still be served, to go or in the elegant whitetableclothed dining room from 11am to 3:30pm (or anytime at the outdoor patio bar this summer). And 3:30pm–5pm brings its own joy: ½ off food and 1/3 off drinks. But the dinner session starts promptly at 5:30pm. If the pizza is any indication, we recommend you be there for it. Find Nittolo’s Pizza at 104 Main St., Lake Leelanau. (231) 994-2400, www.nittolospizza.com

4 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Hey, watch it! Lupin


6

Benzie Sophomore Fastest in the Nation

You might recall the name Hunter Jones, the Benzie Central High School sophomore who’s the fastest cross-country runner in the school’s history? We profiled him in our Nov. 9 issue, two months after he’d shattered his school’s record for the 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) at the season opener and just days before he won his division at the state finals — for his second year in a row. A big deal? Well, Jones’ list of fleet-feet feats just got even bigger. Last week the runner headed down to the national championship in Virginia Beach, where he once again won the 5,000 meters, this time in 14 minutes, 49.76 seconds — which happens to be the fastest time in the nation of any high schooler, ever. While you pick up your jaw from the floor, we’d like to remind you that, as a sophomore, Jones has two years left to go even faster. Catch him if you can.

Let’s Go Tree Hunting Should warming temps, golden sunshine, and the promise of a returning spring not be a big enough reason to get you outside, ReLeaf Michigan is offering a ginormous one: Prizes to people who can find the biggest trees in Michigan. Called the Michigan Big Tree Hunt contest, the 1993-founded competition is open to all ages and awards certificates and prizes for the largest tree submitted from each county, for the overall largest tree in different age groups, and for potential state champion trees — of which Michigan had 23 registered in 2012, but only one today. (Champion Trees are the biggest tree of their species reported to American Forests, keeper of the National Register of Big Trees.) Since there are hundreds of tree species that don’t yet have registered champions, the Big Tree Hunt is a great opportunity to get outside and help Michigan’s mighty trees get their due. Two hints for competitors: The largest trees in the state can be found anywhere: backyards, local parks, or hiking trails. And even if the tree submitted is not as large as the currently listed state champion of that species, submit anyway; the current or last champion may have died or since been removed. The hunt goes til August 19, 2022. Find details and enter at bigtreehunt.com.

8 BOOK CATERING SERVICES EARLY ! Dates are filling quickly for rescheduled pandemic weddings 767 Duell Rd. Traverse City 1833-WB-CATER (922-2837) westbaycatering@gmail.com westbaycatering.com

Stuff we love

Mighty Miss Maya’s Latest Adventures

Maybe you caught the 2018 viral video of four-year-old Maya Tisdale exclaiming, “I’m walking! ... I’m walking! Yes! ... I even took a big step!” while taking her first-ever steps just seven weeks after a surgery to reduce the spasticity in her leg muscles. Or perhaps you saw the young superhero standing tall on the cover of our 2018 Fascinating People issue. But if you can’t get enough of this Traverse City kid’s feisty can-do attitude — one she’s demonstrated daily since being born at only 25 weeks and receiving a diagnosis of cerebral palsy at age 2 — you’ll want to read the book she stars in, “Mighty Miss Maya: See It, Then Be It.” Written by her mom, Ann Tisdale, and illustrated by Polish artist Daniel Wlodarski, the book chronicles the fantastic adventures — and obstacles — Maya and her real-life threelegged dog, Abby, encounter. Sometimes they get stuck, but only until Maya reminds herself to see it, then be it, learning new skills to get where she wants to go. A super fun and inspiring tale, “Mighty Miss Maya” has proven a worthwhile guidebook for anyone, big or small, who needs be reminded just how mighty they are. Find it at Horizon Books in Traverse City or order online ($16.95) at mightymissmaya.squarespace.com/shop.

bottoms up Folgarelli’s Piccini Memoro d’Italia Because Nittolo’s pizza reminded us just how outstanding Italian food can be, we capped off the afternoon with a run to Folgarelli’s for a bottle of Italian wine, of which the Traverse City gourmet market has many, many bottles — often so many, they’ll stack a few boxes near the register up front and offer a sizeable discount on them. We selected this bottle for two humble reasons: It was marked $14.99, and well, it’s fun to say “Piccini.” Turns out, it’s also fun to drink. Considered an everyday red, this 2019 edition blends four different Italian grapes from four different regions — Primotivo from Puglia, Montepulcino from Abruzzo, Nero d’ Avolo from Sicily, and Merlot from Veneto. (All, also fun to say.) The result: A dark ruby gem with a beefy alcohol content (14% ABV) but velvety mouthfeel and the deep flavors and aromas of cherries, with just a touch of oak and spice. Find it at Folgarelli’s Market & Wine Shop, 424 W. Front St. (231) 941-7651, www.folgarellis.net

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 5


CANCEL THIS

spectator by Stephen Tuttle It seems we are either part of what’s being called “cancel culture” or we’re claiming we must cancel cancel culture while merrily doing our own canceling. To be sure, we are quicker than ever to demand someone be fired, recalled, or impeached, or some company be boycotted for some offense, real or imagined, usually involving accusations of racism, sexism or, lately, political disloyalty. The offending party is quickly excoriated on social media and the calls for swift justice soon follow; accusation equals conviction.

BAGELS HAND-CRAFTED

Hyatt Hotels is the latest target. Their offense? They hosted the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gathering in Florida. Those on the left, greatly offended that Hyatt would conduct business with such people, called for an immediate boycott. Never mind that Hyatt would also be happy to host a large group from the left since, well, hosting gatherings is part of its business.

O N LY A T Y O U R N E I G H B O R H O O D B I G A P P L E B A G E L S ®

WIFI

New Grand Traverse Commons Condos: Village Amenities Meet Wooded Creek Lofts at

Asylum Creek

It seems there is now very little that doesn’t offend someone who is quick to share their experience and demand retribution. It need not be a recent offense, either. If you wrote or shared something offensive years ago, there are algorithms capable of digging up those posts no matter how many times you think you deleted them. There is a near permanence to anything ever shared on social media. We’ve become quick to judge and equally quick to condemn the judgment. It’s as if every action and interaction is completely absent nuance, a good or evil equation easily solved. Sometimes, the offense seems clear. Matt Lauer, Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes, Charlie Rose, and Louis CK were “canceled,” to one degree or another, because there was evidence of their aberrant behavior toward women, in some instances egregiously so. Harvey Weinstein was accused by dozens, tried and convicted of third-degree rape and other offenses, and sentenced to 23 years in prison.

• 12 units with all new construction • 1 & 2 bedrooms, 850 to 1900 sf • 6 units with private garages, more indoor parking & storage nearby • Ceilings up to 12 feet high

Yet there were those who wanted Tom Brokaw canceled after he was accused of inappropriate behavior that allegedly occurred 40 years ago. That’s not so clear at all.

Best of both worlds: Village neighborhood with trails, woods & creek! CALL FOR MORE INFO:

Marsha Minervini 500 S. Union Street, Traverse City, MI 49684

Then things got really silly. Republicans also wanted to cancel Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Their great offense was abiding by their oaths of office, following their state constitutions and laws, and refusing to illegally overturn the presidential election results in their states. Not be outdone, Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota, thinks the Senate parliamentarian (i.e., the official charged with making sure the Senate abides by its own complex rules and procedures) should be fired for refusing to allow the $15/hour minimum wage to be

The offending party is quickly excoriated on social media and the calls for swift justice soon follow; accusation equals conviction.

1133 S. Airport Rd. W., Traverse City • (231) 929-9866 www.bigapplebagels.com

Donald Trump, plus the seven GOP senators who voted to convict, have all been censured by local or statewide party organizations and threatened with recalls and impeachment. In Arizona, the state party even censured Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain, both of whom are private citizens.

231-883-4500 marsha@marshaminervini.com

6 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

This is all driven by politicians eager to score points with beloved bases. Many progressives believe even the slightest slip of the tongue or even marginally inappropriate word is sufficient cause for strict and immediate punishment. Many conservatives believe the entire idea of canceling anybody or any business is just part of a left-wing, socialist plot of political correctness run amok. But conservatives have their own cancel culture in full bloom. The 10 Republican members of the House who voted to impeach

included in the massive, $1.9 trillion COVIDrelief reconciliation legislation. (These days, most legislation requires 60 votes in the Senate to avoid a threatened filibuster by either party. “Reconciliation” is a process that can bypass that if the legislation directly impacts the budget or finances of the country. There can be no filibuster with reconciliation, so it requires only a simple majority for passage.) But the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, ruled the minimum-wage component did not meet the financial impact requirement and could not be included in the reconciliation legislation. Her rulings are advisory and can be overruled by Vice President Kamala Harris but that seems unlikely. It should be noted MacDonough was appointed by Barack Obama in 2012, is well respected, and somehow survived the Trump Administration. Since the minimum wage increase is a pet issue for progressives, Omar’s solution wasn’t to introduce and work to pass a separate minimum wage bill; it was to cancel the messenger and find someone more willing to relax parliamentary rules. Other times it just gets bizarre. Senator Bernie Sanders was targeted by a high school teacher in California who claimed Sanders was an offensive example of “white privilege” because he wore a puffy jacket and mittens to the Biden inauguration. The logic, if you can call it that, was that no minority person would have been able to dress so casually. Cancel culture is alive in an environment ever more aware of and sensitive to offensive words and behavior. But our opinion of it depends almost entirely on who’s being canceled and who’s doing the canceling.


SPECTRUM INTERNET® & TV

44

FROM

99

$

/mo each for 12 mos when bundled*

NO CONTRACTS

Spring into Internet and TV savings 

Fastest Internet starting speeds for the price at 100 Mbps (wireless speeds may vary)

FREE Spectrum TV® App to watch live TV and On Demand anywhere

FREE modem and no data caps

Over 200 HD channels available†

FREE antivirus software

Switch to Spectrum Mobile and save up to 40%^^ on your wireless bill. Nationwide 5G is included with every plan with no added taxes and fees. Visit SpectrumMobile.com/CalculateMySavings to see how much you could save. Spectrum Internet® required.

NATIONWIDE

CALL 1-855-558-6791 Visit Spectrum.com • Respond by 05/31/21

General: Offer good through 05/31/2021; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Spectrum Internet and TV: *Bundle price for Internet and TV Select is $89.98/mo. for yr. 1; standard rates apply after yr. 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges (bdcst surcharge up to $16.45/mo.) extra and subject to change during and after the term; installation, equipment and additional services are extra. General Terms: INTERNET: Speed based on wired connection. Available Internet speeds may vary by address. TV: TV equipment required, charges may apply. †Channel and HD programming availability based on level of service. Account credentials may be required to stream some TV content online. Spectrum Mobile: Spectrum Internet required. Auto-pay required. Taxes and fees included. ˆˆSavings based on comparison of single line comparable unlimited plans amongst major national carriers as of 01/27/2021. Data usage limits vary by carrier. To access 5G service, 5G compatible phone and 5G service required. Not all 5G capable phones compatible with 5G service. If 5G phone not compatible with 5G service or if 5G service is not available in your area, phone will automatically revert to the 4G service. 5G coverage will continue to expand. Speeds may vary. Visit https://www.spectrum.com/policies/mobile-terms for full terms and conditions. ©2021 Charter Communications.

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 7


HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS Tues - 4-8pm: The Pocket Mon March 16- $5 martinis, $5 domestic beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher.

FROM 9pm-1am:OPEN-6PM Kung Fu Rodeo

REMEMBERING THE DOUBLE A

Hours Monday-Thursday 2pm-10pm Friday-Sunday noon-10pm $3 craft- w/DJ JR Thurs -$2 off all drinks and Tues March 9th -drafts USS Open MicT Comedy $2 Labatt w/DJ Ricky Fri March 20Wed - Buckets of Beer at $8 (2-8pm) March 10thstarting - DJ Fasel Happy Hour: The Chris Michels Band Then: The Isaac Ryder Band Fri March 12thIsaac - Broom Closet (No Covers) Sat March 21 - The Ryder BandBoys Sunday 13th March- Don 22 Swan Sat March KARAOKE 10pm-2am) & the 4 (Horse Men Wed - Get it in the can night - $1 domestic,

opinion Grant Parsons

941-1930 downtown TC check us out at unionstreetstationtc.net

Y TUESDA TRIVIA TIO PA ON THE PM 7-9

PATIO AND INDOOR - Sunday-Saturday Noon-10pm (kitchen open noon-9pm)

DRINK SPECIALS (3-6 Monday-Friday): $2 well drinks, $2 domestic drafts, $2.50 domestic bottles, $5 Hornitos margarita DAILY FOOD SPECIALS (3-6pm): Monday - $1 chips/salsa Tuesday - $1 enchiladas Wednesday - $5 potato basket (fries or tots) Thursday - $5 hot pretzels w/ beer cheese Friday - $5 fried veggies (cauliflower or mushrooms) TO-GO ORDERS AVAILABLE - 231-252-4157

Noon - 10pm - 221 E State St. downtown TC

An affectionate look back... Featuring 150 color photos, maps, postcards. Available at The Bookstore, Frankfort; and Horizon Books, Traverse City and Cadillac. rollingdreamspress@gmail.com For signed copies direct from author, send $30 check or M/O (priority shipping included) to: D. C. J. Burkhardt, P.O. Box 61, Wishram, Wash., 98673

Mike Cummings Broker Owner/Realtor

®

SRS - Sellers Representative Specialist SFR - Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource Certified RSPS - Resort & Second Home Property Specialist Webmaster, US Army Veteran, Licensed Builder Serving 6 + Northern Michigan Counties since 2002.

Mike@TCarea.com

Anytime (231)

570-1111

If you need A Rockstar Real Estate Agent to help with your Real Estate Next Home Listing Goes Here! Adventures & challenges. Contact me - I want to be

YOUR Guy!

Dedicated Advocate to you

FISHPASS: A FOUL-HOOKED PROJECT

Be a Land Baron! I have several 18 to 100 acre vacant parcels available. Starting $1,790/ac

Such a busy market! All my current house listings are under contract or recently sold!

Ideal Market Conditions for Sellers & Rising Values for Buyers

Need a home or property evaluated? Contact me anytime and I will fully assess the situation. Need some friendly advice & guidance given by a highly experienced & detail oriented Rockstar Agent? Call, email or text me anytime at 231-570-1111.

TCarea.com 620 Second St, Suite B, Traverse City, MI 49684

, LLC

Diligent - Honest - Informed - Full-time - Powerful Marketing

8 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

There’s proper fishing, and then there’s illegal “snagging,” or “foul-hooking.” The latter’s a good metaphor for the way the FishPass project was landed by Traverse City.

Research Station is a significant re-purposing of the park, and the city charter probably requires a public vote. He issued an injunction stopping FishPass at least until the May trial.

Union Street Dam Park is a gem of a park. From the Union Street bridge on any given day, you can look down at the park, its historic willows, a fisherman or two, and the sky reflecting off the surface of the Boardman River.

Now, bright orange “X’s on trees and yellow police tape across the sidewalks mark the spot where FishPass was planned. City officials complain the delay is costing $9,000 a day. The obvious response: If the city wanted to avoid delay, why didn’t they do the right thing and allow a vote back in 2019, when residents asked for a vote?

City, state, and federal bureaucrats want to turn that postcard park into a $20 million research station called FishPass — a 400-foot-long concrete fish tank with an overhead crane-and-gantry system, commercial lighting, truck entrance, 6-foothigh chain-link fence, and a sorting barrier for lamprey eels.

The city has required votes on numerous other projects that have affected city parks — a handicap ramp in Jay Smith Walkway, a 10-foot strip of Sunset Park, the remodel of the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, the widening of Division Street, the thwarted Bayview Mall. If a vote

For years, the city budgeted maintenance money but did nothing. The dam doesn’t need removal; it needs maintenance. One week before construction was to start, was required for a handicap ramp, isn’t it the FishPass project was stopped by Rick obvious a vote is required to build the $20 Buckhalter, a little guy who filed his own “pro million FishPass project? se” lawsuit — no lawyer, no money, nothing but sincerity. His suit has exposed three This FishPass dispute highlights the strained Mike Cummings Broker Owner/Realtor fundamental FishPass falsehoods. relationship between the city commission and® SRScity - Sellers Representative Specialist residents. Since late 2018, when details of SFR FishPass - Short Salestarted and Foreclosure Resource Certified to emerge, residents voiced - Resort & Second Home Property Specialist No. 1 “The Dam is Failing” Falsehood: RSPS serious objections: Doesn’t the city charter Webmaster, US Army Veteran, Licensed Builder The city says Union Street Dam is failing, Serving require a vote? Isn’t there a better place to 6 + Northern Michigan Counties since 2002. and the city needs free federal FishPass experiment with fish, rather than in the bluemoney to replace it. In fact, a 2018 DEQ Mike@TCarea.com ribbon Boardman? How much will FishPass Inspection Report says this: “The dam is in cost city taxpayers in the long run? Will the satisfactory condition overall with several Anytime excavation of(231) 10,000+ cubic yards of old recommendations and observations listed industrial sediment affect the downstream in the report.” For years, the city budgeted river ecology? Will the dam removal increase maintenance money but did nothing. The dam the risk of flooding? Why did all prior attempts doesn’t need removal; it needs maintenance. to screen lampreys fail? Will steelhead and salmon be passed upriver? If lampreys get No. 2 “No Right to Vote” Falsehood: upriver, and lampricide is used, will it poison Traverse City’s city charter says the sale, lease, other organisms? Will steelhead and salmon or re-purposing of parkland is prohibited impact brook trout? Next Home unless residents approve by a 60 percent Listing Goes Here! & majority vote. The city has claimed FishPass City officials issued a multi-page “answer” won’t change the park, but Judge Tom Power sheet that was long on deflection and short rejected that argument in a pretrial hearing, on answers. City commissioners were foula busy saying “ … it is a laboratory and is not a park hooked by city staff ’s bad Such advice: “the dam market! All my purpose.”Contact me - I want to is failing, no vote is necessary, it’s free federal Be a” Land money. PublicBaron! be damned, city staff decided current house I have several 18 No. 3 “FishPass better. listings are under be Won’t Hurt the Boardman it knew to 100 acre vacant River” Falsehood: FishPass planners want to contract or pass “desirable” fish upstream while blocking officials made the wrong choice parcels available. Dedicated Advocate to you City recently sold! once lamprey eels and other “undesirable fish.” again to support outside interests against city Starting $1,790/ac But they cannot or will not say which fish are residents’ interests. City supporters trotted “desirable”Ideal and cannot or will Conditions not disclose how out the same old tactics — fancy computer Market for Sellers & Rising Values for Buyers FishPass will screen lamprey eels. Engineers animations and fanciful promises — and Need isa experimental; home or property evaluated? Contact me of admit this: FishPass other threatened Rick Buckhalter, the conscience attempts have tried and failed to pass fish the community, with court costs and “damages. ” anytime and I will fully assess the situation. while blockingNeed lampreys; if FishPass fails, the some friendly advice & guidance given by a state will have to poison the Boardman with A vote on FishPass is not only good for FishPass experienced & detail oriented Rockstar Agent? TFM to killhighly the eels. Fish biologists say if lakeopponents; it is a reset for everyone. Planners run fish (steelhead Call, and salmon) do get getanytime a chance to come up with a better proposal, email orupriver, text me at 231-570-1111. they will out-compete the native brook trout and city voters get a chance to listen, learn, and population. Some fishermen want salmon and decide — exactly as the city charter intends. steelhead upriver; others say it will radically , LLC ™ change the fishing culture. Grant Parsons is a Traverse City trial attorney 620 Second St, Suite B,with Traverse MI 49684 an City, interest in land-use policy. He has Diligent - Honest - Informed Full-time Powerful Judge Power saw past the falsehoods and - provided free -legal advice toMarketing Rick Buckhalter stated the obvious: The $20 million FishPass and others for many years.

570-1111

If you need A Rockstar Real Estate Agent to help with your Real Estate Adventures challenges. YOUR Guy!

TCarea.com


Recent Alarming Headlines Shannon Stevens, along with her brother Erik and his girlfriend, snowmobiled to Erik’s yurt in the backcountry near Haines, Alaska, on Feb. 13 and got the scare of a lifetime when she was attacked from below by a bear in an outhouse, the Associated Press reported. Erik heard his sister’s screams and went out to investigate, opening the toilet seat to find “a bear face ... just looking right back up through the hole, right at me,” he said. He shut the lid and ran back to the yurt, where they treated Shannon’s wound with a first aid kit and determined is wasn’t serious. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Management biologist Carl Koch said the bear probably swiped at her with its paw, rather than biting her. “She could be the only person on Earth that this has ever happened to,” Koch speculated. Awwwwww Reuters reported on Feb. 24 that a wayward sheep found in a forest in Australia, has been shorn of the more than 77 pounds of fleece he was carrying and is now recovering at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary near Lancefield, Victoria. Named Baarack by his rescuers, the sheep was “in a bit of a bad way,” said the sanctuary’s Kyle Behrend. “Sheep need to be shorn at least annually, otherwise the fleece continues to grow and grow ... He was underweight and due to all the wool around his face he could barely see.” Family Values On Feb. 10, prosecutors in Indianapolis charged Jeremy Farmer, 36, with murdering his father, Fred Farmer, 58, who disappeared in November of 2019. Without a body, a weapon or a murder scene, detectives based their case instead on evidence that Jeremy cleaned out his dad’s bank account, used his truck and credit cards, and likely sent fake texts full of emojis that Fred never used from his father’s cellphone to family and friends for two months after the disappearance, WXIN-TV reported. Police hope someone will come forward with information about the fate of Fred Farmer. Government in Action Leslie Pilgrim of Huntington Beach, California, waited more than two hours at the DMV in Laguna Hills in early February to get a REAL ID, an upgraded driver’s license that will be required for airline travel starting in October. Staying compliant with COVID-19 safety rules, Pilgrim left her mask on throughout the process and was startled when officials took her photo while still wearing her mask, she told Fox 11. The clerk realized the error and took another photo, but when the new ID arrived in the mail, Pilgrim’s masked-up face was on the license. The DMV advised her the license is valid, even with the mask, but Pilgrim is not taking any chances: She’s getting a new one made. “(A)t the end of the day, this is funny,” she said. “With all the things happening in the world right now, this is an incredibly minor inconvenience,” she said. Lost and Found Phoenix police were called to a home on Feb. 21 by homeowners who unearthed a duffel bag filled with rusted handguns and assault rifles while digging hole in their

backyard to plant a tree, Fox News reported. Officers said the guns will be examined to determine if they were used in any crimes. The residents have lived in the house for four years; before that, it was a rental property. Police Report Brandon Soules, 19, was arrested by police in Coolidge, Arizona, on Feb. 17, for falsely reporting to police that he had been kidnapped in an apparent scheme to get out of work. On Feb. 10, police found Soules lying near a water tower with his hands bound behind his back and a bandana in his mouth, the Associated Press reported. Soules told officers two men had kidnapped him from his home, knocked him unconscious and driven him around in his car looking for money his father had hidden around town, but detectives could find no evidence of a kidnapping or assault, and when pressed, Soules confessed he made the story up to avoid work at The Tire Factory, which subsequently fired him. The Passing Parade Mr. Friendly Auto Service in Warren, Michigan, is one of two auto repair businesses in the area targeted by a serial pooper, police say. The man, seen on surveillance video, entered parked, unlocked vehicles to do his business, leaving his deposit behind for workers to find the next day, Fox 2 reported. The man first struck in November and returned in January, said Chris Phillips, manager of Mr. Friendly. In February, police said, the man struck at nearby Twin Tire, going from car to car until he found one left unlocked because of an electrical problem. “Now we’ve got double padlocks on the gate,” said Phillips. “The guy needs to be caught. There is something wrong with him.” Smooth Reaction Vidam Perevertilov, 52, chief engineer on a supply ship sailing in the South Pacific from New Zealand to Pitcairn Island, fell overboard after finishing his shift at 4 a.m. on Feb. 16. Alone in the dark and without a life jacket, Perevertilov nevertheless started swimming toward a spot that appeared on the horizon at dawn, The Guardian reported. The spot turned out to be an abandoned fishing buoy and Perevertilov spent the next 14 hours clinging to it before being rescued by his crew, who noticed his absence six hours after he fell and were able to determine where he left the ship. Perevertilov’s son, Marat, said his father was unhurt, but exhausted, and he left the buoy in the ocean “so it could save another person’s life.” Bright Idea The famed Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn, New York, is celebrating the easing of local COVID-19 restrictions with a hand from Madame Tussauds wax museum, whose celebrity wax figures will be mingling with restaurant patrons. On Feb. 26 and through the weekend following, “Mad Men’s” suave Don Draper could be seen relaxing at the bar with a cocktail, joined by others, including Jimmy Fallon, Al Roker and Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly, the Associated Press reported. Restaurant vice president Daniel Turtel said it was a “fun, safe way to fill some of the seats that need to remain empty as we continue to fight the pandemic.”

PATIENT OF THE MONTH Congratulations to Chloe Taylor from Williamsburg, our patient of the month! We love your new smile! www.schulzortho.com

CHARLEVOIX

TRAVERSE CITY

231-237-0955 • 106 E. Garfield Ave.

231-929-3200 • 4952 Skyview Ct.

KEEP LOCAL ALIVE! Yep, we’re still here, thanks to you. Famous Burgers. Local Brews and Craft Cocktails. Freshwater Fish. Soups and Sandwiches.

DON’T FORGET THE TOTS! ( We know you’ve missed them. )

Authenti

cal y Art

’s since 193

4!

DINE-IN or TAKE-OUT artsglenarbor.com 231.334.3754 Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 9


20 FASCINATING

PEOPLE Every year, Northern Express reporters scour the North to find 20 average folks dedicating themselves to a not-so-average existence — people who parlay their passions into something bigger than themselves. Here, our picks for the unsung but undoubtedly fascinating people that writers Ross Boissoneau, Craig Manning and Lynda Wheatley found for 2021:

Ean Guenthardt

The Dragster

Most 13-year-olds dream of someday driving their own car. Ean Guenthardt has no need for such dreams — he’s already going 85 miles per hour in his. Fortunately, that’s not on public roads; it’s on the racetrack. The Manistee teen has been interested in racing for years, but it really came to the fore when he won a raffle sponsored by the Discovery TV show Street Outlaws. “I got paired with Barry Nicholson in Oklahoma,” said Guenthardt. He and his dad, Tim — a former sprint car racer himself — got to work, and then Ean Guenthardt got into serious drag racing. So serious that they started, along with dad’s firefighting and shrink-wrapping jobs, a furniture refinishing and construction business to help pay for his racing. (“Ean works, too,” said Tim.) The two travel across the Midwest, though the pandemic scuttled much of last year’s planned racing season. Fans can follow along on the Guenthardt Racing Facebook page.

Fred Falting The Eagle Eye Mark Fisher The Rethinker Realtor Mark Fisher has lived on Lime Lake for 45 years. “When Betsy and I moved here, there were two ski boats on the lake. Over the years that’s changed,” he said. So has he. He spent years trying to get approval from the DEQ so he could build on seven acres of shoreline before scrapping the plans and working with other lakeshore owners to preserve it. “Just because you’re in real estate doesn’t mean you aren’t a good person,” he said. “We’re here to make a living but … as you get older, you get a little more sensible.” A member of the Lime Lake Association and the Good Harbor Bay Watershed planning committee, he worked with the Leelanau Conservancy and neighboring landowners to create Lime Lake Preserve, which protected over 1,000 feet of natural shoreline. What happens now? “Nothing. There’s loons, eagles nesting, lots of undisturbed wildlife,” he said. “It’s the best thing.”

10 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Fred Falting never set out to be famous — at least not for collecting roadkill. For that, you can blame his mom. “My purpose in life is not moving dead animals,” the Charlevoix resident said by way of emphatic explanation. In fact, though he makes a living through design and sales, he’s gained notoriety for providing feasts for eagles — this at his mother’s behest. She’s the one who originally asked family members hunting on the family’s 80-acre property to leave the guts of any felled deer in the field so eagles soaring overhead would be compelled to descend on the property. The ask has been fruitful; as many as 20 to 30 eagles will gather at a time, much to the delight of Falting’s mom and, anymore, to Falting himself. With the seasons and opportunities for hunting limited, Falting spends a lot of free time on the road, keeping his eyes peeled for wildlife that’s fallen victim to vehicles, all for the benefit of the majestic birds. He’s well aware of what it looks like — and how it smells. “I make it look like I’m a crazy person,” he said of his efforts. “I wear a respirator.” The DNR approves of the enterprise, as does the local photography club, whose members have shot numerous photos of the birds feeding.


20 FASCINATING PEOPLE

Shiloh Slomsky The Native Incubator

Jon Sangeorzan, MD The Specialist Before the advent of the novel coronavirus, most people had never heard of Dr. Anthony Fauci. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Jon Sangeorzan, M.D., an infectious diseases physician at McLaren Northern Michigan, isn’t well known to the public. That may change. He has always been interested in pharmacology and therapeutics, and when it came time to determine treatments for the novel coronavirus, that fell to the committee Sangeorzan heads. “We focus on the best use of anti-microbials,” he said. And because of that focus, McLaren Northern Michigan became the first in the region to offer COVID-19 treatments us-

ing two new antibody infusions. Both are synthesized from naturally occurring antibodies found in patients recovering from COVID-19, but the difference here is that these antibodies aren’t directly taken from human plasma, something that improves safety and expands options for those who decline human blood product. Sangeorzan said these two are utilized to keep people from having to be hospitalized. “The NIH [National Institutes of Health] recommended an outpatient monoclonal antibody by Lilley.” Recommend is a really strong word for the NIH, he added. Sangeorzan anticipates more treatments to come as he and other specialists investigate the disease. “Every time there is a public health emergency, there are lessons learned.”

Ken Taylor The Rocket Booster Ken Taylor wants you to understand something: He isn’t wealthy. He and his wife are former teachers. They worked all their lives and were, as he terms it, “somewhat frugal.” And with their years — both turn 81 in 2021 — have come some revelations: First, the power of compounding interest is not to be underestimated. And second, as he says, “I heard that you can’t take it with you in the great beyond.” That’s why, a few years ago, when the longtime Beaver Islander heard a few good folks from his beloved community could use a boost — help with nursing school loan debts, college tuition payments, a few overdue bills for fuel oil and groceries — he sent some checks to relieve the pressure. He saw the good it did, so he decided to do more. He posted a note on Facebook and the Beaver Island forum

For Shiloh Slomsky, helping people succeed and thrive is more than just a mission; it’s a way of life. Several years ago, Slomsky sat on the board of directors for Odawa Economic Development Management Incorporated, the non-gaming economic development arm for the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians. She was leading a five-year grant process called SEEDS (Sustainable Employment & Economic Development Strategies), which brought high-level STEM education into more than 10 northern Michigan schools. She saw firsthand how giving people valuable skills and education could create a host of changes in their lives. “I saw that there was a need, especially in the Native American communities, for business ideation,” Slomsky explained. “I was feeling this deep need of wanting to do more.” Slomsky ultimately teamed up with Kyle Anderson, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and Thomas Wilbur, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, to launch Arrowhead Incubator, a nonprofit whose mission is “to empower Native American industry, employment, and small businesses for the social and economic advancement of present and future tribal generations and communities.” Launched in 2019, as an “incubator within an incubator” at Traverse City’s 20Fathoms, Arrowhead has already been able to support 25 new entrepreneurs. The incubator’s services are open to any indigenous entrepreneur, regardless of tribal affiliation or blood quantum. “Whether you’re Mayan, whether you’re Hawaiian, whether you’re Navajo, whether you’re Anishinaabe, whether you’re Shoshone, whether you’re Cherokee, we just wanted to help you,” Slomsky said. She added: “Even though there’s economic development within tribes, it’s really kind of missing at the ground level, with small startup businesses. And those small businesses have a huge impact on communities, whether it’s tribal or non-tribal. Upwards of 60 percent of new job growth is from small businesses.”

that he’d pay off the school debt of any nurse or teacher following their profession— even if they no longer lived on Beaver Island. Nearly a dozen reached out. He did the same for a few college students who needed tuition help. When the high school AP English class’ trip to England ran short of its funding, he paid the off the balance. For the few years Beaver Island was without a dentist, through no fault of their own, he bought and provided free tickets from Island Airways for those in need, so islanders could fly back and forth to see one on the mainland. He did the same for people that needed cancer treatments and other recurring visits. He’s also made contributions to the Beaver Island Community Center, of which the Taylors are also a founding family; the Beaver Island Historical Society; the robotics program of the Beaver Island Community School; waitresses who were furloughed due to COVID restaurant restrictions, and the local food pantry. Last year, he went bigger, gifting

member’s of Beaver Islands graduating class tuition, although there were only four graduates, something to help them in their schooling. He plans to do the same for any member of this year’s graduating class who asks. All recipients are “either Beaver Island people or closely connected to families that lived on Beaver,” he says. The Taylors no longer live on the island themselves — “We had to move off Beaver Island to be near our son because of my wife’s Alzheimer’s” — and he isn’t interested in tallying up the total number of people he’s helped or dollars he’s spent. “Who’s counting,” he says. Don’t expect him to provide a photo either: “Probably keep my picture out of the article as I am 80 and have not seen a barber for over a year.” But know this: “I do this because I follow the old adage that we are one big family, and we need to help others. My reward has been the box of thank you notes I keep near my computer — not the money I have in the bank.”

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 11


20 FASCINATING PEOPLE Courtney Wiggins The Changemaker Entrepreneur; vibrational sound healer; herbalist; practicing pagan; badass BIPOC changemaker. These are just a few of the ways that one could describe Courtney Wiggins. Wiggins owns Joyful Noise Sound Therapy, an alternative healing business that uses Himalayan singing bowls for therapeutic purposes. The bowls, which Wiggins says are “specifically made for enhancing vibration” can help patients reach highly relaxed or meditative states when a certified practitioner (such as herself) places the bowls on the body and uses the combination of sound and vibration to bring about sonic healing. She also owns a second business: Blessed Be Tea and Apothecary, a partnership with her friend Allie Robinson dedicated to crafting unique and “witchy” herbal teas. Last June, feeling distraught about the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police, Wiggins says she “needed an outlet for the hurt and the anger and the frustration.” Those emotions formed the basis for Northern Michigan E3 (“Educate, Elevate, and Engage”) which organized a Black Lives Matter protest in June that drew more than 2,000 people to the Open Space in Traverse City. At the event, it was Wiggins who read off the organization’s demands, which included everything from ending racial profiling in northern Michigan to requiring anti-bias training for local law enforcement. The better part of a year later, Wiggins says E3 is still “plugging away” at making those demands happen, with signs of progress in sight. The Grand Traverse County Sheriff ’s Department, for instance, is in the process of implementing body cams for all officers — a step the Traverse City Police Department has already taken. As for the wider community, Wiggins feels confident that locals are moving in the right direction in terms of antiracism and equality. “I think there is an open-mindedness within this community,” Wiggins said. “There are a lot of people that have signed up for ‘Understanding Racial Justice’ training [with local organization Title Track]. That leads me to believe that people really want to understand and to improve on racial tensions that that do exist. I know it’s difficult for many people to see that there is diversity here in Grand Traverse County. But there is: We have a lot of people of color here, and we should acknowledge that.”

Gus Schmidt Among the Last of the Greatest He’s one of an estimated 300,000 WWII veterans still alive, and Bronze Star recipient Gus Schmidt celebrated his 97th birthday last week at a small gathering in Charlevoix hosted by his son Chuck. Schmidt served in the U.S. Army in Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge, and received a proclamation acknowledging his service signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Gov. Carlin Gilchrist, Sen. Wayne Schmidt and Rep. Ken Borton. Son Steve, who lives in California, and daughter Claudia, the well-known singer who now lives in Connecticut, were unable to attend, though Claudia had visited him the week before. She said the lifelong Michigan resident didn’t speak much about his time in the service until he attended a gathering where he reconnected with his fellow soldiers from the Lightning Brigade and the stories began to flow. She’s always admired his open-mindedness, calmness and caring; he volunteered at a homeless shelter and delivered for Meals on Wheels well into his ’90s. “He’s very inspiring,” she said. Asked what his rank was, Claudia responded, “He’s my dad. That’s the most important thing.”

12 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly


20 FASCINATING PEOPLE

Heather Spooner The Open Book If you’ve taken a photo with the wing mural in downtown Traverse City, found at the corner of Boardman Avenue and Front Street, then you’ve engaged with Heather Spooner’s work. Spooner, a local artist, painted the wings in front of an audience as part of a Friday Night Live event in the summer of 2018. She’s the owner of Ampersand Lettering Lab, a one-woman studio that has also crafted menus for numerous downtown TC businesses, painted A-frame signs for the Sara Hardy Farmers Market, and made custom pieces for many local weddings. Since the start of the pandemic, which wiped out much of Spooner’s wedding business, the artist has pivoted by offering online script lettering courses and launching “the Letter League,” a pen pal league with 450 people involved worldwide. In another life, Spooner was a fifth-grade teacher in Georgia. As she describes it, she was following the path she thought she was supposed to follow: She was at the top of her class in both high school and college. She had a good job, a boyfriend she was engaged to marry. But that path began to change when, on her way home to her native Michigan for the summertime, Spooner met a new friend: a fellow Georgia teacher and Michigan native. Today, that “airplane friend” is Spooner’s wife, Christy. Several years ago, feeling disenchanted with public education in Georgia, they both quit their jobs and jetted off for a year in New Zealand. Then they moved to Traverse City, where Spooner started Ampersand Lettering Lab. The name, she says, has a profoundly personal meaning — one that serves as her daily reminder to be nobody but herself. “When Christy and I were first together, the ampersand was our little secret ‘I love you’ to each other,” she said. “Because we both could have still lost our jobs if we had been found out. It’s a normal keystroke on a keyboard, so no one would question it if they saw it in an email. But we knew what it meant. I thought taking the thing that I hid behind for so long, and making it the face of my business, would make it so I would never hide anymore.” Photo credit Allen Kent Photography

Abra Berens The Bestseller Abra Berens grew up on a farm south of Holland and began cooking at Zingerman’s Deli while attending the University of Michigan. Then it was off to cooking school in Ireland; back in the states, she spent eight years at Bare Knuckle Farm in Northport. She credits those two stops with helping her focus on cooking from the land. Berens turned to cooking at Local Foods in Chicago before taking on a similar role at Granor Farm in Three Oaks, where she remains, though this past summer she helped out cooking at Farm Club in Leelanau County. Oh, and she wrote a best-selling cookbook, “Ruffage, A Practical Guide To Vegetables,” which garnered accolades from the New York Times and Bon Appetit and a James Beard Award nomination. Berens just finished curating an online cooking course through the Leelanau County libraries, and has two new cookbooks coming, one this fall on grains and legumes. She and her husband are eyeing a return to the northland. “Getting back is our goal, finding a house or land,” Berens said.

Carolynn Taylor The Emergency Midwife During her 20-plus years working at the Beacon & Bridge gas station on M-115 southeast of Cadillac, Carolynn Taylor had some noteworthy experiences. But nothing comes close to what happened Sept. 30. A pregnant customer, Jessyca Griswold, had stopped in to use the restroom when she suddenly began screaming in pain. “I knew when I heard her it was labor pains,” said Taylor. The staff at the station sprang into action. While she helped Griswold, another employee dialed 911. What was it like? “Awesome. And messy,” said Taylor, who became the designated assistant as she’d had kids herself. “It was nothing like in the movies.” Taylor said she’d previously called ambulances for truckers and for fellow employees, “but this one was the most out there.” Griswold and new baby Trip are doing well, as is Taylor, who has no plans for an encore. “Hopefully it will be a nice relaxing year,” Taylor said with a laugh.

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 13


20 FASCINATING PEOPLE

Matthew Elliott The Gamer When Matthew Elliott describes his new business as “kind of like every kid’s dream,” he’s not exaggerating. Elliott is a co-founder and co-owner of The War Zone, a Traverse City-based battleground for Nerf wars. To make their toy-gun-battle arena different from any other, he and his business partner, David Batdorf, not only combined what they love about airsoft and paintball fights with aspects of their favorite video games — Halo, Call of Duty, Fortnite — but also developed their own technology that tracks the moment a player gets hit by a Nerf dart, replacing the more common old school honor system with more accurate automatic scoring. Making the battle even better, the two opted not to focus on free-for-all death-match-style play; instead their The War Zone borrows a variety of objective-based game modes from

their video game inspiration, like “diffuse the bomb” and “king of the hill.” Listening to their inner kids seems to be working. Despite launching right before the pandemic hit, Elliott says The War Zone has been able to gain “a substantial amount of traction” with customers — initially, private events for families and, as restrictions have lifted, so many popular public events that The War Zone is already reaching capacity at its current 3,000-square-foot facility on Woodmere. Relocating to a larger space is on the to-do list for 2021, as is attracting investors who can help take the War Zone model and grow it into a national or even global franchise. The business got a small boost toward that goal recently, winning the February pitch night at TC NewTech. “We’re looking to secure our first round of professional funding through our seed round, and we won the pitch contest, which got us in contact with many different investors,” Elliott said. “So that’s kind of where we’re sitting right now.”

Deanne Bennett Criswell The Hopeful Ascendant When President Joe Biden announced his choice to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, ears in Manistee perked up at his choice. Deanne Bennett Criswell grew up in the area, attending schools in Freesoil and Manistee. Her proud mother, Geri Morong, is among the family members still living in Manistee. “She went to kindergarten in Brooklyn, then we moved to Freesoil. She graduated from Manistee Catholic Central,” said Morong, but noted those academic roots were just the beginning. Among the degrees Criswell has earned since is an MA in homeland security from the Naval Postgraduate School. She worked at FEMA during the Obama administration before being handpicked to serve as commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Department — a pattern she continues to follow, noted her mom. “New York called her, and she went to work for the mayor,” she said. “She didn’t even apply … . Then Biden’s people called her and asked if she’d like to speak to the president-elect,” said Morong. If confirmed, Criswell will become the first woman to lead the agency.

14 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Liam Dreyer The Voice For a year and a half, Liam Dreyer has been serving on the Charlevoix Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The difference between him and the other members? Dreyer is only 15 years old. Dreyer is technically a “non-voting student member” on the DDA, which means he can participate in discussions and share opinions or insights, but doesn’t get to vote on final decisions. He’s the second student member in the Charlevoix DDA’s history, and the youngest. While Dreyer might only be 15, he’s not exactly new to the arena of local government. His mother was involved in Charlevoix’s city administration when he was growing up, and he first began attending city council meetings around the age of 10. At first, he was just tagging along with his mom; before long, he started getting up during public comment to voice his opinions. “I think that might have caught some people’s attention,” Dreyer said. “Because when the student position opened up on the Charlevoix DDA, the mayor asked me if I wanted to apply.” Dreyer calls the DDA experience so far “deeply rewarding” — so much so that he’s doing his part to create similar opportunities for other students in Michigan. He’s the founder and CEO of Government for Tomorrow, an organization that has already helped create non-voting student board positions in communities like East Jordan and Boyne City, and which is in talks with “about 10 more cities” — including Traverse City — to generate similar opportunities. While Dreyer acknowledges that serving on a local government board is terrific experience for any public-service-minded student, he also sees the Government for Tomorrow mission as being beneficial to local governments. “More opinions mean better decisions,” Dreyer said. “If you have that youth opinion on your board, you’re going to be more confident that the decision you’re making affecting your community appeals to all demographics, which is an incredibly valuable thing.”


20 FASCINATING PEOPLE Ian Murphy The Defiant Survivor Ian Murphy never sought to be the face of his own business, let alone a lightning rod in a Michigan controversy. But when a second round of state-mandated closures forced restaurants to shut their doors last fall, Murphy — owner of The Iron Pig, a “fast casual” barbeque restaurant, in Gaylord — said he saw it as an ultimatum: Comply with the orders and watch his restaurant fail, or defy them and give himself and his employees a fighting chance. He chose the latter. Since refusing to comply with a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order that banned in-person indoor dining at restaurants from Nov. 18 through Feb. 1, The Iron Pig has seen both its food license and liquor license revoked, been fined by the state, and won both eager support and vitriolic ire from members of the general public. Though he’s been painted as a “COVID denier” and a “right-wing Trump-ite,” Murphy insists that he is neither, and that keeping his business open was not a political statement. He does, however, believe the state overreached — first by leaning on a law that typically applies to health code violations (safe food storage, not serving raw meat, etc.) to shutter restaurants over perceived COVID risks; second by failing to follow due process of law in formally notifying restaurants that they were ordered to close. Mostly, though, Murphy saw his act of defiance as an act of survival. “I just made the decision that if they do take everything away — whether it’s bankruptcy because we can’t make it, or they take away our liquor license and food license — we go out of business either way,” Murphy said. “And ultimately, I’m the type of person that would rather fight for everything that I can, in every way I can, because I would hate to be two or three months down the road saying, ‘Man, I wish I would have done this, I wish I would have done that.’” The Iron Pig is currently operating in compliance with Michigan capacity requirements, curfews, and other safety protocols, with its food license reinstated. The restaurant’s liquor license suspension runs through March 15.

Jamie Chapman The Exchanger A 2008 graduate of Traverse City Central High School, Jamie Chapman jokes that she’s already on her second career. The first one brought her within a stone’s throw of Olympic glory; the second has her working for a pair of famous entrepreneurs at the epicenter of the red-hot cryptocurrency trend. After high school, Chapman headed to the Ivy League, majoring in environmental studies at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and captaining the school’s rowing team. After graduating in 2012, she spent four years as a professional rower, first training with a developmental team in Vermont, then moving to Princeton, New Jersey, to train with the United States National Rowing Team. A two-time Elite National Champion, Chapman raced in the 2016 Olympic Trials and came in fourth, just missing the cut for the Olympic team. A week later, she quit the National Rowing Team and officially retired from the sport — though she still stays active by training for and racing in triathlons. Chapman’s second career came when she moved to New York and started working for Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2014 by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. (If those names sound familiar, it’s because — in addition to being Olympic rowers themselves — they famously sued Mark Zuckerberg, claiming he had stolen their idea to create Facebook.) When Chapman joined the company, it was a 35-person startup; now, it boasts 400 employers and is known as one of the most secure cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Chapman is a product manager for Gemini, which means she works on the key functions and features that allow account holders to buy, sell, and manage cryptocurrency. It’s big work — particularly given a recent boom in cryptocurrency that has caused a spike of interest for companies like Gemini. What strikes Chapman most about the job is how different it is from being a full-time elite athlete. In her rowing days, Chapman spent four days a week practicing almost nonstop, from early morning to late afternoon. Working a “normal job” requires a different timetable and a different level of focus and emotional investment — particularly now that Chapman is (for now at least) working remotely from northern Michigan. Still, she’s enjoying the journey and, especially the contrast.

Brad Dohm The Wayfinder An unassuming hero? Brad Dohm would concur with the first part, though not necessarily the second. But there can be no denying the role the Michigan DNR conservation officer and experienced tracker played in finding a missing three-year-old who had wandered away from her home this past summer. Dohm was able to use his skills to find her light- and tiny-footed trail through the nearby woods, eventually spotting her in a field. To hear him explain how he used his knowledge of the area, the likelihood of where she had gone, and his ability to see signs of toddler passage makes his work sound logical. But those skills have been hard-won through years of hunting and trapping, serving in the Armed Forces, and both taking classes in tracking and teaching them. He said he typically uses his skills for enforcement, not for rescue, but was glad he could help. “The only issues I saw were she was dehydrated, and her legs were all red. She had about 10,000 mosquito bites,” Dohm said. “She said she was hungry and wanted her mom.”

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 15


20 FASCINATING PEOPLE Sheryl Guy The Eye (of a National Hurricane) It was only a good-faith error, the kind that anyone could make in the course of their job. In October, in the lead-up to the November election, Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy and her team had to make a late-in-the-game change to add a new trustee candidate to the ballot in the Village of Mancelona. As part of that process, the team updated the election software for their Mancelona voting precinct, so that it could properly tally votes for the new candidate. But because the county clerk’s office didn’t realize they also had to update the software for the county’s other 15 precincts, the tweak caused communication problems between some of the county’s vote tabulating machines and its central election management system. The result? Thousands of Antrim votes cast for then-presidential incumbent Donald Trump were tabulated as votes for his challenger, Joe Biden. And because Antrim elections tend to go strongly red, Biden’s projected victory there raised suspicion. Then it caused national pandemonium. For the past four months, Guy — herself a Republican who won reelection in November — has been one of the key figures in a national debate about election legitimacy, fraud, party politics, and conspiracy. In her words, she has found herself “in the middle of a storm that has no end.” Biden didn’t keep the improperly tabulated Antrim votes. Trump ultimately won the county by over 3,700 votes, but it didn’t matter either way; Trump lost Michigan by more than 154,000 votes. Still, the Antrim incident has been used by Trump supporters to poke holes in the legitimacy of the 2020 election results. Guy and her team have borne some of the brunt of that debate. “It’s been horrifying,” Guy told Northern Express. “It was such a small issue, that we resolved, that just blew up beyond our control. We’ve had people saying we should be shot; we’ve had people who told us we were frauds, that we’re stupid, that we’re not American, that we don’t believe in democracy.” The debate is still ongoing: A lawsuit filed against Antrim County by the Trump legal team is moving forward, and Guy remains in the public eye. Despite the uproar, she says she’s committed to serving out her four-year term — her last, as she eyes retirement after two previous terms and nearly 40 years in the clerk’s office.

Ben Scripps The Returning Champion Last spring, Cadillac resident Ben Scripps achieved a lifelong dream: He appeared on the game show Jeopardy! Not only that, he beat the other contestants — twice. During the first show, which was taped in March and ran in mid-May, Scripps got off to a quick start, beating the buzzer on the first three questions, answering them correctly, and jumping out to an early lead. Then — gasp! — he fell behind, ending the first round in third place. But Scripps eventually bounced back, winning the game in Final Jeopardy. When he returned the next day, host Alex Trebek said of the champ: “He was up and down more often than a yo-yo.” Scripps went on to win that game, too. Unfortunately, his third appearance wasn’t a charm; Scripps made a big bet on what would turn out to be an incorrect answer to a Daily Double, ultimately losing to competitor Nathan Berger, of Portland, Maine. Nevertheless, you can’t say the guy wasn’t lucky. Scripps had been trying to get on the show for a dozen years, diligently taking the qualifying tests as often as allowed, in hopes of one day being selected for an audition. In August 2020, he finally was. Following a series of inperson tests in Chicago — 50 questions, a mock game, and a “personality” interview — he learned he had made it, nabbing one of 400 slots among 2,500 interviewees, themselves whittled down from the 80,000 who take the qualifying tests each year. After all that, winning or losing Jeopardy understandably didn’t matter so much to the superfan. “Being on Jeopardy! was literally a life-long dream,” he told Northern Express. “When I was a kid in the Grand Rapids area, the whole family would be in front of the TV at 7:30 to watch, and I knew right from the start I wanted to be on the show, even if I was only 11 at the time. The whole thing is still a little surreal to me, but it was also the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”

Richard Rossman The Legal Force The National Association of Former United States Attorneys (NAFUSA) is a collective of more than 300 former U.S. attorneys — and it’s led by a northern Michigan resident. Richard Rossman’s resume is an impressive one. He’s been a public defender and a state prosecutor. He’s worked in private practice and as part of large lawsuits. Decades ago, he served as a U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Most rewarding” of all, he says, was being appointed by the Clinton Administration in the ’90s to serve as the chief of staff for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. For the past 10 years, Rossman has

16 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

been executive director of NAFUSA, whose active members include everyone from Chris Wray, current director of the FBI; to Robert Mueller, who led the special counsel investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Rossman fell in love with northern Michigan years ago when providing legal representation for a local bank. Though he and his wife just retired to Leland three years ago, Rossman has deep ties to the area: He and his law firm incorporated the Fishtown Preservation Society, and he served as the organization’s first president, long before he lived here permanently. When asked what recent years have looked like for NAFUSA, given increasingly polarized partisanship in the political arena, Rossman notes that the

organization is committed to welcoming members from any party. As such, NAFUSA itself never takes stances on political matters — though several members serve as frequent “talking heads” on networks like MSNBC and CNN. Still, fraught national debates over issues like executive power, election legitimacy, immigration, and the reach of first and second amendment rights have stirred the pot for NAFUSA. “Those issues have put stress on our organization,” Rossman said. “We’re geared to be nonpartisan and above the political fray, but the fact that these issues are so complex, and so difficult, and so partisan the last few years, I think has made it difficult. We’ve had a lot of people wanting us to dive into these issues and take sides.”


express

NORTHERN

20 FASCINATING PEOPLE

20 FASCINATING PEOPLE 2019

Shane Bagwell Zander Cabinaw Dave Caroffino Rick Clark George Colburn Brian Confer Rod Cortright Karl Crawford Kim Diment Anabel Dwyer B Kareem Bill Koucky Karin Reid Offield Stan Otto Mitch Roman Jerome Rand Nate Rook Sarah Shoemaker  Maya Tisdale Nancy Vogl

Ruth Adamus Al Anderson Lindsey Anderson Seth Beaudry Scot Little Bihlman Mica Scotti Cole Daniel Côté Norm Fred Bernie Friedrich Inanna Hauger Jason Kasdorf Nadia Daniels-Moehle Rebecca Russell Mary Scholl Kennith Scott Lori Spielman  Eric Stanfield Paul Stebleton Garth Ward Tabatha Watkins

< Brittany Adams George Armstrong Goldie Beebe Andrew Farron Cindy Hull Piper Shumar Jennifer Drake Jessica Dennis Harry Goldson Gene Lagerquist Chayse LaJoie Kevin LaRose Mike Long Karl Manke Hiro Miura Bill Siegmund Dick Smith Travis Snyder Francisca Stig-Nielsen Wayne Wissner

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • may 25 - may 31, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 21

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • AUG 05 - Aug 11, 2019 • Vol. 29 No. 31

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • august 20 - august 26, 2018 • Vol. 28 No. 34

Photo by Amanda Adams Michael Poehlman Photography

2020

2019

2018

Brittany Adams George Armstrong Goldie Beebe Andrew Farron Cindy Hull Piper Shumar Jennifer Drake Jessica Dennis Harry Goldson Gene Lagerquist Chayse LaJoie Kevin LaRose Mike Long Karl Manke Hiro Miura Bill Siegmund Dick Smith Travis Snyder Francisca Stig-Nielson Wayne Wissner

Ruth Adamus Al Anderson Lindsay Anderson Seth Beaudry Nadia Daniels-Moehle Scott Little Bihlman Daniel Cote Norm Fred Bernie Friedrich Inanna Hauger Mica Scotti Kole Jason Kasdorf Rebecca Russell Mary Scholl Kenneth Scott Lori Spielman Eric Stanfield Paul Stebleton Garth Ward Tabitha Watkins

Shane Bagwell Zander Cabinaw Rich Clark George Colburn Brian Confer Dave Caroffinno Rod Cortright Karen Crawford Kim Diment Anabel Dwyer B Kareem Bill Koucky Karen Reid Offield Stan Otto Jerome Rand Nate Rook Mitch Roman Sarah Shoemaker Maya Tisdale Nancy Vogl

express

express

NORTHERN

NORTHERN

express

northernexpress.com

www.northernexpress.com

Jada Johnson Bill Bustance

20 FASCINATING PEOPLE

Al Bakker

Brittany Brubaker

Rebecca Childs Don Cunkle John Curtis

Matt Cassidy

Lou Mettler

Owen Chesnut

James McDivitt

JB Collings

Bob Downes

Matt Myers

Jane Fortune

Brian Edwards

Samantha Harris

Dr. Lynn L.M. Evans

Erika Hayden

Lisa Flahive

Elise Hayes

Joshua Jordan

David Johnson

Zoe Rashid-Marshall Dennis Wiggins Maureen Abood Nick Carman

Marty Lagina

Harold Kranick

Cheri Leach

Stephen MacNeil

Brad Bensinger

Elnora Milliken

Shannon McWaters

Therese Renis

Anthony Mikula

Tom Renkes

Tom Moran

Jake Slater

Rick Neumann

Billy Strings

Bernie Rink Mardi Link Christopher Morey Rebecca Lessard

Tommy Tropic

Gregg Schumaker

Craig Webb

Laurie Sears

Sally Van Vleck

Tanya Whitley

Patty Steele

Vicky Long

Mike Winters

2015

Xavier Verna

20 Fascinating

people

Larry Warbasse Ben Whiting

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • AUG 21 - aug 27, 2017 • Vol. 27 No. 34

Sue Kurta George Golubovskis

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • aug 24 - aug 30, 2015 Vol. 25 No. 34

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • aug 22 - aug 28, 2016 Vol. 26 No. 34 Michael Poehlman Photography

express N O R T H E R N

northernexpress.com

northernexpress.com

20 FASCINATING PEOPLE

northernexpress.com

northernexpress.com

NORTHERN

A brief look at the roster of Northerners who have made our annual Fascinating People list since we began it in 2014.

NORTHERN

northernexpress.com

20 FASCINATING PEOPLE 2020

express

express

NORTHERN

20 FASCINATING PEOPLE

Michael Poehlman Photography

Leo Gillis

20 FASCINATING PEOPLE • 2014

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • August 25 - August 31, 2014 Vol. 24 No. 34

2017

2016

2015

2014

Rebecca Childs Don Cunkle John Curtis Bob Downes Brian (& Piper) Edwards Dr. Lynn Evans Lisa Flahive Joshua Jordan Harold Kranick Stephan MacNeil Shannon McWaters Anthony Mikula Tom Moran Rick Neumann Gregg Schumaker Laurie Sears Patty Steele Xavier Verna Larry Warbasse Ben Whiting

Brittany Brubaker Matt Cassidy Owen Chesnut JB Collings Jane Fortune Samantha Harris Erika Hayden Elise Hayes David Johnson Marty Lagina Cheri Leach Elnora Milliken Therese Renis Tom Renkes Jake Slater Billy Strings Tommy Tropic Craig Webb Tanya Whitley Mike Winters

Maureen Abood Al Bakker Brad Bensinger Bill Bustance Nik Carman Leo Gillis George Golubovskis Zoe Marshall-Rashid James McDivitt Lou Mettler Christopher Morey Matt Myers Jada Johnson Sue Kurta Rebecca Lessard Mardi Jo Link Vicky Long Bernie Rink Sally Van Vleck Eddy Walda

Erik Afton Chave Bahle Stephen Brede Charles Eisendrath Kerri Finlayson Bill “Bear” Fowler Kim Gillespie Jackie Kaschel Lou Kasischke Kevin McDonough John Mull Chuck Pfarrer Jan Price Jessica Pociask Kevin Rhodes Carter Schmidt Melissa Saleh Terrie Taylor Gustav Uhlich Christopher Wright

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 17


mar 06

saturday

11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: Register now & run/walk anytime between March 13-31. Get a swag bag, complete with a pair of lucky socks. Starts at $30 plus sign-up fee; increases after Feb. 28. leapinleprechauntc.com

---------------------TEAM BATTLE DAY - BATTLE OF THE BOOKS GRAND TRAVERSE “PANDEMIC EDITION”: A book-based quiz competition for local fourth & fifth graders offered online. 60+ teams will face off on book trivia to see who has read - & retained - the most info. battleofthebooksgt.com

---------------------LORD OF THE RINGS SCAVENGER HUNT: 11am. Hosted by the Downtown Elk Rapids Association. Inspired by the showing of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy at the Elk Rapids Theater. First, pick up a map for $5 at participating locations. In addition, you can purchase discounted movie tickets for $5 each for any showing of The Lord of The Rings during the March event. Then, start your journey to the Shire, pass through the Misty Mountains, take a dip in the Brandywine River, go through Fangorn’s Forest & do not forget to explore both Gondor & Mordor in search of artifacts. facebook.com/ downtownelkrapids

---------------------2021 TC RESTAURANT WEEK: Downtown TC, Feb. 21 - March 6. Restaurants will offer three-course meals for dine-in or to-go for $25 or $35. downtowntc.com

---------------------DOG SLED RIDES: Shanty Creek Resort, Schuss Mountain, Nordic Center, Bellaire. Second Hand Mushers Rescue will give dog sled rides. They are offered every 30 minutes from 11am - 1:30pm. Face masks required. Reserve your spot: 866-695-5010. $65 per ride. secondchancemushersrescue.com/dog-sled-rides.html

---------------------HARBOR SPRINGS AREA SPRING RESTAURANT WEEK: Feb. 26 - March 7. Enjoy special menus at participating restaurants.

---------------------OUTDOOR FAMILY FUN DAY: Helena Township Tennis Court Park, Alden. Held 11am12:30pm OR 1-2:30pm. Interactive story walk, DIY snow sculptures, snow volcanoes, naturalist activity by Grass River staff, bonfire, hot cocoa, & kids bag of books sale. Registration required: 231-331-4318. Free.

---------------------BOYNE COUNTRY SPORTS HIGHLANDER FRIENDS & FAMILY RACE: 11:30am, Boyne Highlands Resort, Harbor Springs. This race is open to ski racers & snowboarders of all ages. There will be a “Friends” division & a “Family” division with teams comprised of up to four ski racers. shop.boynehighlands.com/s/events/racingevents/p/the-2021-highlander-friends-family-race

---------------------MARDI GRAS ON THE MOUNTAIN: 12-4pm, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Featuring music by DJ CDX, find the court jester skiing on the mountain, on-slope scavenger hunt, trivia, candy jar challenge & annual costume contest. Find ‘Mardi Gras on the Mountain’ on Facebook.

---------------------OTSEGO RESORT’S ANNUAL WINTER WINE WALK: Otsego Resort, Gaylord. Check in at noon outside the River Cabin. A winter walk on the snowshoe path from the River Cabin to the Beaver Dam where a bonfire awaits. Enjoy three wine tasting stations paired with light food fare. Walk or snowshoe. Rentals available, but must be reserved ahead of time: 989-732-5181. $35. otsegoclub.com

mar 07

sunday

HIKE, SKI OR SNOWSHOE IN WAGBO WINTER WONDERLAND: 1-5pm, Martha Wagbo Farm & Education

Center, East Jordan. Head to the Sugar Bush through forests & fields. Stop along the way to enjoy some moments by a fire, along with treats & hot drinks. Suggested donation: $5$10/person or $20-$30/family.

march

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

06-14

11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: (See Sat., March 6)

---------------------SEMI-FINALS - BATTLE OF THE BOOKS GRAND TRAVERSE “PANDEMIC EDITION”: 1pm. A book-based quiz competition for local fourth & fifth graders offered online. battleofthebooksgt.com

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

---------------------DOG SLED RIDES: (See Sat., March 6) ---------------------HARBOR SPRINGS AREA SPRING RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., March 6)

mar 08

monday

MONDAY NIGHT SOCIAL HOUR: Presented by Arts for All of Northern Michigan. Held via Zoom. Wear sunglasses! Remember to email pictures of your finished Art Kit projects to: info@artsforallnmi.org. Art Kits can be picked up at: 1129 Woodmere Ave., Suite A, TC on Fri., March 5 from 9am-1pm & Mon., March 8 from 9am-2pm. RSVP. artsforallnmi.org

---------------------11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: (See Sat., March 6)

---------------------COFFEE BREAK - NETWORKING EVENT: 8:30am. Held via Remo. Make new connections & said hi to friends in the chamber community. Register. Free. gaylordchamber.com/events/ details/coffee-break-networking-event-4843

---------------------BEGINNING BEEKEEPING: 7pm. Held online. Featuring instructors Barry Fitzpatrick & Jim Anglewicz, master beekeepers & members of Little Traverse Beekeepers Guild. Today features bee health issues & testing & treating for Varroa Destructor, the main problem honey bees have today. Free. ncmclifelonglearning. com/event-4158067

---------------------DINNER WITH FRIENDS: 7pm. A New Virtual Series with Chef Abra Berens. Abra will be chatting with author & illustrator Lindsay Gardner about Lindsay’s brand new book “Why We Cook: Women on Food, Identity and Connection” over dinner. To register, please contact Laura Touhey at programs@lelandtownshiplibrary.org. Free. glenlakelibrary.net/events

mar 09

tuesday

THE HISTORY OF HARBOR SPRINGS: 7pm. Featuring Beth Wemigwase, program & collections coordinator for the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society. Held online. Register. ncmclifelonglearning.com/event-4176872

---------------------11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: (See Sat., March 6)

mar 10

wednesday

TRUE CRIME WITH LOCAL AUTHOR TOM CARR VIA ZOOM: 6:30pm. Carr brings his third book in the Blood on the Mitten series. In “Dark Side of the Mitten: Crimes of the Powerful and Powerful Criminals in Michigan’s Past and Present,” Carr presents 42 illustrated stories about Michigan’s gritty & gruesome past, all told with his signature humor & irreverence. Free. tadl.org/event/true-crimewith-local-author-tom-carr-via-zoom

18 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Influenced by his Caribbean heritage and Pan-African studies, photographer Dexter R. Jones eliminates the preconceived sense of beauty and reveals beauty not often seen. Mixing texture, hues, flesh, and heavy contrast, Jones’ expertise is justly capturing women of vast shades, which is indicative from his strong matriarchal upbringing. Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC is currently hosting Dex R. Jones: Storied Portraits Exhibition through March 28. Info: dennosmuseum.org DEEP THREATS TO OUR SIXTH GREAT LAKE: Spotlighting & Solving Michigan’s Groundwater Emergency. Noon. This Zoom webinar hosted by FLOW will provide insight & commentary on the state of Michigan’s groundwater & what can be done to better protect the source of drinking water for 45% of Michigan’s population. In addition, panelists will present on other critical issues related to groundwater quality & quantity. Register. https://us02web. zoom.us/webinar/register/4016142664371/ WN_MZk0l7YaR1SlONldpvRWww

---------------------BEGINNING BEEKEEPING: 7pm. Held online. Featuring instructors Barry Fitzpatrick & Jim Anglewicz, master beekeepers & members of Little Traverse Beekeepers Guild. Today features wintering honey bees & dealing with honey, beeswax & reproducing your bees to grow your apiary. Free. ncmclifelonglearning.com/event-4158067

---------------------11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: (See Sat., March 6)

mar 11

thursday

mar 12

friday

11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: (See Sat., March 6)

VIRTUAL COFFEE @ TEN: 10am. Preserving Tradition through Arts & Crafts. A panel discussion exploring the complexities of cultural preservation. Register. Free. crookedtree.org/event/

ctac-petoskey-ctac-traverse-city-ctac-online/ virtual-coffeeten-preserving-tradition-through

---------------------FREE YOUTH ART LAB CLASS: 2-4pm, Charlevoix Circle of Arts. Watercolor Texture Painting. For ages 10 & up. Pre-registration required. charlevoixcircle.org/classes-workshops

---------------------11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: (See Sat., March 6)

mar 13

saturday

ST. PATRICKS CELEBRATION: Otsego Resort, Gaylord. All day at the River Cabin: Irish food & music. All day Resort wide: Bead Hunt. Noon at River Cabin: Craft Brew Cruise & Winter Wine Walk. 2pm at Slopeside Bar: Costume Contest. 4pm at The Sitzmark: Bead Hunt judging. otsegoclub.com

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

CRAFT BREW CRUISE: 12-3pm, Otsego Resort, Gaylord. Enjoy a scenic winter walk from the historic River Cabin to the Beaver Dam where a roaring fire will be waiting. Featuring four beer stations paired with light apps. $35. otsegoclub.com/event/the-craft-brew-cruise

---------------------SPRING CARNIVAL: Noon, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Featuring tunes by Slopeside DJ, an on-slope scavenger hunt, trivia, Candy Jar Challenge, & a costume contest - wear your best aloha gear. crystalmountain.com/event/ spring-carnival

---------------------11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: (See Sat., March 6)

---------------------DOG SLED RIDES: (See Sat., March 6)


mar 14

sunday

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS: 2pm. Battle of the Books is a book-based quiz competition for fourth & fifth graders in the Grand Traverse community. Kids read stories together & then compete. The winning team is rewarded with the Championship VIP Prize. Teams also have a chance to win prizes for sportsmanship, team spirit, most creative team name & more. The Mock Battles are held on Feb. 20 on Zoom; Team Battle Day on March 6 on Zoom; Semifinals on March 7 on Zoom; & Championship & All-Team Finale & Author Presentation with Shelley Pearsall on March 14. battleofthebooksgt.com

---------------------11TH ANNUAL FIFTH THIRD BANK (VIRTUAL) LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: (See Sat., March 6)

---------------------DOG SLED RIDES: (See Sat., March 6) ---------------------MASHUP ROCK & ROLL MUSICAL ZOOMATHON: 11am. Join the Mashup Troupe in an old school telethon style fundraiser. Twelve hours of special performances, celebrity guests, games, music, & plenty of weird, all delivered to your computer screen. Mashup Rock & Roll Musical is 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre troupe which has been producing original musicals in TC since 2013. Free. mashuprockandrollmusical.com

ongoing

ICEMAN COMETH VIRTUAL TRAINING CHALLENGE: Ride 500, 1,000, or 3,000 miles to prepare for the 2021 Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge presented by Trek. Each distance will have its own exclusive Strava Club for tips & support, with all entrants eligible for prizes each month. Runs March 5 - Oct. 30. Registration ends Sept. 30. $25. registericeman.com/ Race/Events/MI/TraverseCity/IcemanCometh Challenge#eventGroup-7424

---------------------VIRTUAL 2021 BAYSHORE MARATHON REGISTRATION: Featuring a marathon, half marathon & 10K. Register. Event held on May 29. bayshoremarathon.org

---------------------GRAND TRAVERSE CONSERVATION DISTRICT’S ANNUAL NATIVE SEEDLING SALE: Held online through March 31. Featuring 32 bare-root tree & shrub species available for purchase. natureiscalling.org/native-seedling-sale

---------------------SNOW SCULPTURE STROLL: Presented by 5 To One & Norte. Sign up with Great Start to be a sculptor, stroller, or both. Sculptors will receive a free Talking is Teaching resource bag, book & yard sign... plus some Norte swag. Runs through March 15. greatstartkids.com/snow-sculpturestroll/?mc_cid=89f4a634c7&mc_eid=df24b9efb4

---------------------MARCH 2021 CYBER LEARN-A-THON: Newton’s Road is partnering with 20Fathoms to offer a free Cyber Learn-a-thon to Northwest Michigan high school students & their parents from Feb. 26 - March 26. The course teaches how to protect personal data & privacy online & in social media & explores cyber trends, threats & staying safe in cyberspace. In addition to the self-paced course, which takes approximately 15 hours to complete, student participants can attend a panel of local educators & professionals teaching & using cybersecurity skills. netacad.com/portal/ web/self-enroll/m/course-298485

---------------------GT MUSICALE SCHOLARSHIP: Young musicians in grades 7-12 interested in auditioning for a music scholarship with Grand Traverse Musicale have until March 19 to begin the process. gtmusicale.org

---------------------SENIOR CENTER NETWORK HELPS!: People in the 60-plus age group have become increasingly isolated during the COVID-19 “stayat-home” order & are challenged by an even greater reliance on technology. The Senior

Center, TC offers puzzles, exercise equipment, & books available to be checked out. Call 9224911 to make arrangements to pick up. The “Little Free Library” located outside the main entrance is open at all times. There are also “boredom buster” packets with puzzles, fun facts & jokes available. Make an appointment to pick up or have them mailed to you. Their Telephone Assurance Program provides staff & volunteers available to chat. grandtraverse.org/712/Senior-Centers

---------------------NEW WINTER TRAIL: Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, TC. Snowshoe, cross-country ski, or hike Brys Estate’s 111 acres. Choose from two winter trail options. Open daily from 11am-5pm. Keep warm with an insulated mug of Spiked Hot Apple Cider or a glass of wine while you enjoy the trail, or enjoy it post exercise at one of the fire pits in the snowy open space. Winter trails are not groomed & equipment is not provided. brysestate.com/Visit-Us/wintertrail

---------------------DISABILITY NETWORK MEN’S GROUP: ZOOM MEETINGS: Mondays, 10am through March. disabilitynetwork.org/events

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

DISABILITY NETWORK PEER ADVOCACY GROUP: ZOOM MEETINGS: Thursdays, 2pm through March. disabilitynetwork.org/events

---------------------DISABILITY NETWORK WOMEN’S GROUP, SHARING HERSTORY: ZOOM MEETINGS: Mondays, 11am through March. disabilitynetwork.org/events

---------------------FREE YOGA IN MARCH: Yoga-45, Gaylord. Free yoga classes for restaurant & essential workers on Mondays in March, 8am. Register via Mindbody app or text: 989-350-4660. yoga-45.com

---------------------MISS ANN’S ZOOM STORY HOUR: Interlochen Public Library’s preschool story hour held on Wednesdays at 11am through March via Zoom. Weekly themes, craft supplies are provided for pick up. Meeting ID: 876 3279 3456. Pass code: storyhour. interlochenpubliclibrary.org

---------------------OLD MISSION SNOWSHOE, WINE & BREW: Sundays, 10:50am-3pm through March 7. Grab your showshoes - or book online & rent a pair for the day - & enjoy wine & beer from the Old Mission Peninsula. Park at Jolly Pumpkin, TC to board the TC Brew Bus & start your trek. The TC Brew Bus will transport you to Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery. From there, you will follow a flagged snowshoe trail across the Old Mission Peninsula to Bowers Harbor Vineyards, & then snowshoe back to where you parked at Jolly Pumpkin. Tickets, $28. tcbrewbus.com/events

---------------------SENIOR WOW (WITH OUT WALLS) TIME: Tuesdays, 9am through March 9. A virtual meeting that offers something for everyone - from museum tours to tips for smart money management, & much more. Register. 922-4911. grandtraverse.org/2276/Virtual-Programming

---------------------THE ENCHANTED TRAIL: Open Saturdays, Sundays & holidays from 5:30-8:30pm through winter at Boyne Highlands Resort, Harbor Springs. The trail totals two miles roundtrip & features the twinkling of hundreds of lights strewn throughout the path. Guests can walk or snowshoe the trail with snowshoes available for rent. Tickets are $15 per person. Hot chocolate & s’mores are included. A cash bar is available & beverage tickets can be purchased in advance. Reserve your spot. boynehighlands.com

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

SOUL SISTERS EXHIBIT: Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee. An all women art show. Runs March 12 – April 16. ci.ovationtix. com/35295/production/1039657

---------------------“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

---------------------100 DAYS OF CREATIVE EMPOWERMENT: Held every Mon. through May 3 from 5:30-7pm. A live online class. Register. Each week a local artist will share their skills to ignite your creativity. Engage in painting, iPhone photography, comic book creation & more. gaylordarts.org

---------------------CALL FOR ART: Sanctuary Handcrafted Goods is looking for new work to grace the halls of the Mercato, The Village at GT Commons, TC. A cohesive collection is preferred, & they will be prioritizing emerging artists with a good range of sizes & affordable pricing. Please email a bio with 3-5 photos to: fineart@ sanctuarytc.com.

---------------------CALL TO ARTISTS: JORDAN ART WALK: Submit a sculpture for placement in a new sculpture walk exhibit in East Jordan. The exhibit theme is our relationship to our abundant natural resource of water. This may include but is not limited to water activities, cycles, quality, wildlife, cultural concepts. Submit up to 3 entries digitally by March 31: info@ejchamber.org.

---------------------MINI QUILT CHALLENGE: InterQuilten, 1425 S. Airport Rd. West, Suite G, TC. InterQuilten’s First Annual Mini Quilt Challenge entries are on display! See the creativity of local quilters & vote for your favorite. Voting continues through March 13. interquilten.com

---------------------“MAGIC OF MARCH”: This online exhibits runs March 1-31. It emphasizes the excitement of spring & the changes we see in nature as well as body, mind & spirit. northportartsassociation.org

---------------------WALKING THROUGH: STEVE CATTIN, STEWART ALLISON MCFERRAN, NICK WALSH: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. This exhibition features over 60 works of art including bright, graphic, abstract acrylic paintings & several large scale wood sculptures. Runs through April 9. Closed on Sundays. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org

---------------------EXHIBIT: SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. The annual regional high school student art exhibit. See unique works from 11th & 12th grade budding artists from Charlevoix County & surrounding area. Featuring scholarship awards from Kendall College & CCA. Pick up kid’s ‘Take & Make’ art kit with each exhibit. charlevoixcircle.org/exhibits-2021

Runs through June 30, 2021. crookedtree.org/ event/ctac-petoskey-ctac-online/kids-community-online-exhibit

---------------------- CTAC’S 19TH ANNUAL YOUNG WRITERS EXPOSITION: CALL FOR YOUNG WRITERS: Elementary, middle & high school students who attend schools served by the CharEm ISD (or home school students in Charlevoix or Emmet counties) may submit one work of poetry, prose, or one of each. Winning writers of all age groups receive a medal, journal, & McLean & Eakin Booksellers gift card, while also having their work published in the digital Petoskey News-Review. Middle & high school winning writers receive monetary prizes as well. All first place writers get their work printed in the upcoming edition of the Walloon Writers Review. The Little Traverse Literary Guild will give two $500 “Best in Show” awards – the Hanna-Renkes/Jan Smith Literary Award – to high school students for poetry & prose. Work must be submitted online by a parent or teacher between April 6-19 at 5 pm. The submission page is located under Teacher Resources on the Petoskey portion of CTAC’s website. Winning writers will be announced May 7 via CTAC’s social media pages.

---------------------DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - DEX R. JONES: STORIED PORTRAITS: Runs through March 28. Influenced by the cultural richness of his Caribbean heritage & PanAfrican studies, Dexter R. Jones removes the veil of self-conscious inhibition by eliminating the preconceived sense of beauty & reveals its true splendor in its vulnerable state. Encompassing a mixture of texture, hues, flesh, & heavy contrast in his editorial photography, his expertise in justly capturing women of vast shades is indicative from his strong matriarchal upbringing. Regular admission rates apply. dennosmuseum.org

---------------------- BLOW UP II: INFLATABLE CONTEMPORARY ART: Runs through May 16. This exhibit explores the imaginative ways that air is used as a tool to create large-scale sculptures. The artists translate everyday materials and imagery into larger-than-life, yet nearly lighter-thanair art. Curated by Carrie Lederer & organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA. dennosmuseum.org

---------------------GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER, GLEN ARBOR: - EXHIBIT: JOAN RICHMOND | PAPER + SCISSORS + GLUE = NEW COLLAGES: Held in Lobby Gallery. An exhibition of 12 new works is on display through April 22. Richmond is more widely known for her distinctive, spare gouache paintings depicting land- & waterscapes. This exhibit includes more than 60 pieces she created during COVID-19 isolation. The GAAC is open Mon. through Sat., 11am– 2pm. GlenArborArt.org - YOU ARE T/HERE: An exhibition that asks exhibitors to visually explore & describe what their own, personal “here” or “there” looks like. Runs through March 25. In addition, an online version of the exhibition may be viewed at GlenArborArt.org.

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

GUILD MEMBER SALON SHOW 2021 - ONLINE EXHIBITION: Crooked Tree Arts Center, Gallery, TC. Runs through March 6. This show invites all participating artist members to include work in a salon style exhibition. The resulting display offers a range & depth of stylistic approaches, experience, media, & content. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey-ctactraverse-city-ctac-online/guild-member-salonshow-2021-online-exhibition

---------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - “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.

Deadline for Dates information is Tuesday for the following week.

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 19


lOGY

MAR 8 - MAR 14 BY ROB BREZSNY

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): The bad news is that the

narrow buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea is laced with landmines. Anyone who walks there is at risk for getting blown up. The good news is that because people avoid the place, it has become an unprecedented nature preserve—a wildlife refuge where endangered species like the red-crowned crane and Korean fox can thrive. In the coming weeks and months, I’d love to see you engage in a comparable project, Pisces: finding a benevolent use for a previously taboo or wasted part of your life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Famous and

influential science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick relied on amphetamines to fuel his first 43 novels. Beginning with A Scanner Darkly, his 44th, he did without his favorite drug. It wasn’t his best book, but it was far from his worst. It sold well and was made into a movie featuring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., and two other celebrity actors. Inspired by Dick’s success without relying on his dependency—and in accordance with current astrological omens—I’m inviting you to try doing without one of your addictions or compulsions or obsessions as you work on your labor of love.

“Jonesin” Crosswords "All Over the Place" --it's another themeless mess of words! by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1 Online request to “pay your respects” when your playable character dies 12 Internet acronym with origins on Usenet 15 Lead singer on the “Pinkerton” album 16 Hawaiian delicacy 17 One way to get up from the ground floor 18 Extreme degree, for short 19 Actor Hawke 20 B’way purchase 21 Washington Irving’s Bones 22 Scott of “30 Rock” and “Big Hero 6” 25 Location of a theater, in clichÈd ads 27 Soviet WWII force 29 Bandleader for Leno 30 Really silly 31 H.S. units 32 “Time to head out” 33 Japanese naval architect of WWII, Baron Yuzuru ___ 38 Shaker ___, OH 40 “Funky Cold Medina” rapper 41 It involves pinning and throwing 45 Like some chances 46 Begins with, in a screenplay 47 Bearded “South Park” puppet 48 Fitzgerald of jazz 49 Cobra’s warning 51 Pandemic-era romantic meetup 54 ___ Harbour (Miami Beach resort area) 55 Instant ramen brand name, originally (before ditching the middle letter) 58 Prefix with scope 59 Statistician with a speciality 60 Wanna-___ (copycats) 61 Opportunity to get a computer program early

DOWN 1 Untied 2 Sedimentary material in a delta 3 Exasperated outburst 4 Paradise residents 5 Subject of a historic June 2020 Supreme Court ruling 6 Pres. from Missouri 7 Friendly prefix? 8 Short 9 Pop poolside painter 10 Event to test out an act, perhaps 11 High rock pile 12 Former Fugees member Hill 13 “Check this out!” 14 Chemical indicator 21 Item with underwire 23 “Ehhh, really?” 24 Actor Sheridan of “X-Men: Apocalypse” 26 “Essential” product of wormwood 27 “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-___” (Irish classic) 28 Canine suffix for Bern or Peking 34 Get ready to ride again 35 Carrier to Leonardo da Vinci Airport 36 Pantheon figure 37 High card 39 Site of intense magnetic activity 40 “___ Goes to the Mayor” 41 Briggs who hosts “The Last Drive-in” 42 Watching just one more episode, maybe 43 Some potluck desserts 44 ___ bind 50 Buckwheat bowlful 52 Jamie Lee’s “Freaky Friday” character 53 Direction from Madrid to Barcelona 55 Non-profit that started NPR in 1970 56 GRF’s vice president 57 2021 U.K. award for “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” actor Toby Jones

20 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Ninety percent of all apples in the world are descended from a forest of apple trees in southeast Kazakhstan. Most of us have tasted just a few types of apples, but there’s a much wider assortment of flavors in that natural wonderland. You know how wine is described as having taste notes and aromas? The apple flavor of Kazakhstan’s apples may be tinged with hints of roses, strawberries, anise, pineapples, coconuts, lemon peels, pears, potatoes, or popcorn. Can you imagine traveling to that forest and exploring a far more complex and nuanced relationship with a commonplace food? During the coming weeks, I invite you to experiment with arousing metaphorically similar experiences. In what old familiar persons, places, or things could you find a surprising wealth of previously unexplored depth and variety?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Author

Andrew Tilin testified that he sometimes had the feeling that his life was in pieces—but then realized that most of the pieces were good and interesting. So his sense of being a mess of unassembled puzzle parts gave way to a deeper contentment—an understanding that the jumble was just fine the way it was. I recommend you cultivate and enjoy an experience like that in the coming weeks, Capricorn.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Indian poet

Meena Alexander (1951–2018) was bon under the sign of Aquarius. She became famous after she moved to the US at age 29, but was raised in India and the Sudan. In her poem “Where Do You Come From?,” she wrote, “Mama beat me when I was a child for stealing honey from a honey pot.” I’m sorry to hear she was treated so badly for enjoying herself. She wasn’t committing a crime! The honey belonged to her family, and her family had plenty of money to buy more honey. This vignette is my way of advising you, in accordance with astrological omens, to carry out your personal version of “stealing the honey from the honeypot,” dear Aquarius. Take what’s rightfully yours.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Artist Richard Kehl

tells this traditional Jewish story: God said to Abraham, “But for me, you would not be here.” Abraham answered, “I know that Lord, but were I not here there would be no one to think about you.” I’m bringing this tale to your attention, dear Aries, because I think the coming weeks will be a favorable time to summon a comparable cheekiness with authorities, including even the Divine Wow Herself. So I invite you to consider the possibility of being sassy, saucy, and bold. Risk being an articulate maverick with a point of view that the honchos and experts should entertain.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Spiritual author

Ernest Holmes wrote, “True imagination is not fanciful daydreaming. it is fire from heaven.” Unfortunately, however, many people do indeed regard imagination as mostly just a source

of fanciful daydreaming. And it is also true that when our imaginations are lazy and out of control, when they conjure delusional fears and worries, they can be debilitating. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I believe the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to harness the highest powers of your imagination—to channel the fire from heaven—as you visualize all the wonderful and interesting things you want to do with your life in the next nine months.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I’m always waiting

for a door to open in a wall without doors,” wrote Gemini author Fernando Pessoa. Huh? Pessoa was consistently eccentric in his many writings, and I find this particular statement especially odd. I’m going to alter it so it makes more sense and fits your current needs. Here’s your motto for the coming weeks: “I’m always ready to figure out how to make a new door in a wall without doors, and call on all necessary help to make it.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You can’t drive to

the Kamchatka Peninsula. It’s a 104,000-squaremile area with a sub-Arctic climate in the far east of Russia. No roads connect it to the rest of the world. Its major city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is surrounded by volcanoes. If you want to travel there, you must arrive by plane or ship. And yet Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has long had a thriving tourist industry. More so before the pandemic, but even now, outsiders have come to paraglide, hunt for bears, and marvel at the scenery. In this horoscope, I am making an outlandish metaphorical comparison of you to the Kamchatka Peninsula. Like that land, people sometimes find it a challenge to reach you. And yet when they do, you can be quite welcoming. Is this a problem? Maybe, maybe not. What do you think? Now is a good time to re-evaluate.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Biting midges, also

known as no-see-ums, are blood-sucking flies that spread various diseases. Yuck, right? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we used science to kill off all biting midges everywhere? Well, there would be a disappointing trade-off if we did. The creepy bugs are the primary pollinators for several crops grown in the topics, including cacao. So if we got rid of the nosee-ums, there’d probably be no more chocolate. I’m guessing that you may be dealing with a comparable dilemma, Leo: an influence that has both a downside and an upside. The central question is: Can you be all you want to be without it in your life? Or not? Now is a good time to ponder the best way to shape your future relationship.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to my

analysis of your imminent astrological potentials, you already are or will soon be floating and whirling and churning along on an ocean of emotion. In other words, you will be experiencing more feelings and stronger feelings than you have in quite some time. This doesn’t have to be a problem as long as you do the following: 1. Be proud and appreciative about being able to feel so much. 2. Since only a small percentage of your feelings need to be translated into practical actions, don’t take them too seriously. 3. Enjoy the ride!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Poet Wendell Berry

says “it’s the immemorial feelings” he likes best: “hunger and thirst and their satisfaction; workweariness and earned rest; the falling again from loneliness to love.” Notice that he doesn’t merely love the gratification that comes from quenching his hunger and thirst. The hunger and thirst are themselves essential components of his joy. Work-weariness and loneliness are not simply inconvenient discomforts that he’d rather live without. He celebrates them, as well. I think his way of thinking is especially worthy of your imitation in the next three weeks.


Old Town Psychological Services is pleased to announce our new substance abuse treatment programing:

the ADViCE GOddESS

BY Amy Alkon

Smear Pressure

Ancestry Dot Bomb

: I’m a college sophomore, and my boyfriend is a senior. He’s a football player, and other girls have crushes on him. Recently, he was with his guy friends at a party. A girl came over and said I’d slapped her across the face. I’ve never even met her! Why would she do this? — Mystified

Q

Q

A

A

: Women are seen as the kinder, gentler sex because they tend not to leave a trail of bloody noses and broken barstools. But women go plenty aggressive on other women, just in ways they can’t patch up at urgent care — like when some mean girl dislocates your reputation and fractures your psyche in 36 places. In short, while men have Fight Club, women have Underhanded Snipe Club. Researchers find that women almost always use “indirect aggression” against other women — nasty gossip, ostracism, and “just trying to help!” shaming remarks — to vie for mates and jobs. Psychologist Kaj Bjorkqvist explains that this covert “social manipulation” maximizes the harm to the victim while minimizing the risk of counterattack on the perpetrator, who often remains anonymous — leaving the victim unable to trace how her social status ended up in the morgue. Women’s mate competition can be a beauty contest — hotting up one’s appearance to yank male eyeballs away from female rivals — or an ugly contest: using “competitor derogation” (disparaging the competition to decrease others’ mate value relative to one’s own). A woman trashing another woman to men typically sneers that she’s ugly or slutty (in line with men’s evolved priorities for physical attractiveness and fidelity). However, evolutionary psychologist Maryanne Fisher observes that if the woman casting the shade is not all that hot herself, her remarks about another woman’s looks are likely to be dismissed. This might lead her to rely on “alternative tactics” — like inventing a story about how a hot woman is actually the lady bar brawler of the sophomore class. Unfortunately for the cuckoo case trying to destroy your reputation, her efforts may backfire. Most undergrad guys aren’t dating to wife up, so some (or many!) would be way into a high scorer on the hot/crazy scale: Hello, aggro babe hate sex! As for the eventual “auto detailing” that so often comes with, guys try to focus on the upside, like their car being easier to spot in a crowded campus parking lot. (Just look for the hot-pink spray paint, “GET YOUR HERPES HERE!”)

: You wrote about a 58-year-old woman dating a 23-year-old guy. What’s the big deal with that? My daughter moved in with a 58-year-old creep when she was 18. He gave his own daughter heroin when she was 18. Bad guy. He and my daughter just had a baby, and now she’s pregnant again. — Distraught Dad

Medically assisted treatMent intervention services education and Prevention services intensive outPatient services

Any questions please call 231-941-6550 (Traverse City office) or 989-448-8344 (Gaylord/St. Ignace office).

Information regarding the clinics can be found on our website: oldtownpsych.com.

: First-time parents live in terror that they’re getting it wrong (like that they aren’t spending enough time reading “Hooked on Phonics” to their kid in the womb), when they could really just leave their kid in the woods and say, “Come back when you’re 20.” Okay, so the woods thing is a bit of an exaggeration. However, psychologist and twins researcher Nancy Segal explains that while “most parents believe they significantly shape their children’s behaviors ... we now know that genetic effects are pervasive.” In fact, “Most behaviors have a 50% genetic influence.” The power of genes in shaping our personality and choices is especially apparent in identical twins who were separated at birth and raised apart. Segal studied two of these identical twins: Oskar, who grew up Catholic in Nazi Germany and was an enthusiastic member of the Hitler Youth, and his brother, Jack, who was raised as a Jew in the Caribbean and spent time on an Israeli kibbutz. When Segal and her colleagues brought them together as adults, each showed up at the Minneapolis airport in a white sports jacket over a twopocket blue shirt with epaulets and had wire-rimmed glasses and a mustache. Among their many shared quirks, each read magazines from back to front, wrapped tape around pens for a better grip, kept rubber bands around their wrists, and -- because each is germophobic — flushed toilets before use as well as after. As Segal emphasizes, a child’s “environment,” including parenting, “contributes only modestly” to the sort of person they become. Focusing on this might help. Perhaps if you remove any “shoulda, coulda” blame you place on yourself, you can set aside some of your anger, show compassion for your daughter, and be loving and supportive despite your dismay at her choices. It’s possible your grandkids have a chance. If you come at this more lovingly than adversarially, they just might end up spending more time with Grandpa than the bad dad you probably suspect is a few infant crying jags away from putting grain alcohol in the sippy cup.

STAY SAFE. STAY CONNECTED. 9AM • JOIN US ONLINE • 11AM tccentralumc.org/sermons | facebook.com/cumctc

Flavor 203 S. Cedar - Kalkaska

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 21


NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLAS SIFIE DS

OTHER

INCUBATOR-STYLE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN Availability: Small commercial kitchen on east side of TC may have room for 2-3 others to rent it 1 time a week each/ separately. For details/application, email kitchenrentaltc@gmail.com. _______________________________________ PAID JOB TRAINING FOR INDIVIDUALS 55 +: Paid Job Training For Qualifying Seniors Age 55+. Part-time positions are waiting to be filled. Applicants must be unemployed and meet program requirements. Get paid while you obtain job skills and work experience. Call the AARP Foundation SCSEP office at 231-2524544. We service the Grand Traverse Region and surrounding counties. Call to learn more. _______________________________________ BUSY CONTRACTOR NEEDS ASSISTANCE: Busy Gen. Contractor needs older/retired woman to assist part time with clients. Interior finish experience necessary. Good pay to qualified person. Email traversehomes@gmail.com _______________________________________ LANDLORDS-HOW ARE YOU PROTECTED?: If you rent a residence-house, mobile home and/or manufactured home to tenants-Let’s talk! Be sure you are covered like you think you are! Call Pat for an appointment 231 943 4342 _______________________________________

JOIN THE CANNABIS TEXT ALERT CLUB!

SIGN ON BONUS MASSAGE THERAPIST WANTED TC SALT SPA: Full Time - Part Time - Pick Your Own Hours 20 to 40 hr Plus Tips and Sign On Bonus. Shifts are Morning, Afternoon or Night. Very Relaxing Atmosphere. urbanoasissaltspa@gmail.com

BUYING PROPERTY AND HOUSES - CASH PAID: Local guy will evaluate your situation. Unused acreage or homes/cabins in any condition. Estates/Challenges/Etc in the 5 county area around TC. Call or text Mike 231570-1111. _______________________________________ BECOME A PART OF THE ORYANA TEAM! Currently seeking candidates for several positions at both stores! Oryana offers eligible staff a comprehensive benefits package, store discount & PTO. Visit our website to apply! https://www.oryana.coop/careers/ _______________________________________ LAKEVIEW COUNSELING, PC Lakeview Counseling is seeking a full time, licensed Master Level Social Worker/Counselor, to join our team. Candidate will have individual counseling experience working with ages 12 and older. The position offers flexibility to set own hours, and the ability to work in person and using tele-health. Private office, referrals and billing services included. Darcy@ lakeviewtc.com _______________________________________ NOW HIRING - COOKS, DISHWASHERS, HOUSEKEEPERS & MECHANICS Crystal Mountain is hiring cooks, dishwashers, housekeepers, and mechanics at competitive wages based on experience. Enjoy great recreation benefits all year round! Please visit www.crystalmountain.com to view more details and to apply today! http://www. crystalmountain.com _______________________________________ NMC IS HIRING NMC is seeking to fill a salaried Enrollment Services Specialist position, as well as an 8-month full-time accounting position. Find out more at nmc.edu/jobs.

Easy. Accessible. All Online. northernexpress.com/classifieds 22 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly


Mike Annelin

Enthusiastic & Experienced

Call Mike 231-499-4249 or 231-929-7900 SO

15,000 sq. ft. office space in Copper Ridge business development Well-maintained, versatile office space $2,495,000 MLS# 1883032

200 inspiring feet of frontage on East Bay 4 bed, 2.5 bed ranch on 1.05 acres $2,000,000 MLS# 1880314

EP

L SA

0.72 acres, corner of Carver & Hastings Zoned industrial, empty lot $850,000 MLS#1882613

EP

L SA

Exquisitely updated 3 bed, 2 bath home Great location, minutes from downtown TC $275,000 917 Walnut Street

EP

L SA

W

NE

5 bed, 2 bath, 2,117 sq. ft. home 1.23 acres, spacious deck and yard $325,000 MLS# 1884117

ICE

PR

0.84 acre lot for a new build, near Kingsley Partially wooded with countryside views $28,500 MLS# 1882064

ING

D EN

4 bed, 3 bath, 2,193 sq. ft. log cabin-style gem 160 ft. private frontage, 1.29 beautiful acres $765,000 MLS# 1883024

ING

D EN

7 Modern Live/Work Units near Boardman Lake Very unique investment opportunity $1,100,000 MLS#1854942

ING

D EN

LD

W

NE

ICE

PR

0.75 acre lot for a new build, near Kingsley Open lot, nice countryside views $28,500 MLS# 1882065

Northern Express Weekly • march 08, 2021 • 23


24 • march 08, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.