Northern Express - September 21, 2020

NORTHERN

express northernexpress.com

FALL

RestauranTour Guide

Can DoorDash

save our

eateries? pg. 13

Forged

What’s a Flying Noodle? . 7

by fire

pg

pg. 16

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • sept 21 - sept 27, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 38

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Good Luck At School So, our new superintendent of [Traverse City] schools and the board have reached agreement that kids should go back to school.

Don’t worry, no social distancing required.

Got a mask? We’ve got PPE. Well, does TCAPS teach science? I guess we’ll find out how their little experiment works out. Let me quote directly from our new Superintendent from the Record Eagle: “TCAPS Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner says,“I believe that our staff and our community are doing all they can.” Oh, really? And how long have you been here, Mr. VanWagoner, that you were able to reach that opinion so quickly? That’s alright, the board has your back because they know best. Oh wait, let’s not take responsibility because, “VanWagoner says the Health Department would make the call, giving guidance on whether closing schools would be necessary if there are a high numbers of positive COVID cases.” So let’s turn a bunch of kids loose together with no requirement for social distancing and see what happens! Has anyone noticed the stories about universities around the country? Well, good luck with your experiment Mr. VanWagoner, I hope grandma isn’t looking forward to seeing their grandchild.

Tom Speers, Fife Lake A Dehumanizing System A recent letter quotes a common conservative mantra that “the greatest threat to Black lives is other Blacks,” adding, “Where is the outrage?” The writer apparently knows nothing about African-Americans or their communities, where people confront the problem of crime every day, and where they are abused doubly—profiled and victimized by cops, while their communities are left unprotected.

The racist trope of “Black on Black” violence is mere “whataboutism,” employed to blame the victims of police misconduct and to diminish the documented, harsh, wildly disproportionate, often mortal treatment of Black and Brown people by law enforcement.

It’s an evasion that two thirds of all Americans, outraged by wanton police and white vigilante violence against unarmed people, reject. It also evades the fact of the high number of police killings of citizens in the U.S. generally, much higher than any other developed country, which should matter greatly to all Americans.

Whites also kill every day (it’s a violent country flush with guns), and (surprise) most Whites are killed by Whites, but no one talks about “White on White crime.”

According to a Washington Post study, an unarmed Black man is four times as likely to be killed by police as an unarmed White man, taking population size into account.

People of color are also more stopped, more harassed, more brutalized, more arrested, more charged, more convicted, more fined, more incarcerated, and more executed than Whites by huge margins. That is a definition of barbarism.

When a civilian kills another civilian, it

is terrible and must be dealt with, but that has nothing to do with police conduct. The police are trained, sworn, and paid to protect the citizenry; they are public servants. They work for us—an understanding embedded in democratic traditions. When they treat communities as occupied military zones, and abuse and kill citizens, especially unarmed citizens in an egregious racial pattern, they and law enforcement must be held to a higher standard. The whole dehumanizing system must be changed, or we are nothing but barbarians.

Malachi McCaleb, Alanson About a Fair Vote Hope For USPS As one always reluctant to follow all the various theories of conspiracy, there is only my personal experience to relate about the United States Postal Service.

News magazines formerly delivered on Saturday or Monday now arrive on Thursday, if at all. Medications from the VA now take a week longer to arrive. Perhaps others have experienced similar delays.

I am a senior and a Vietnam war vet, and one who believes -- forget about late magazines and medications -- how is this slowdown intentionally skewed to affect the results, due to increased mail-in voting from people like me? Those of us never counted.

This is serious for me. From Vietnam (those days) mail took about two weeks each way.

My vote was never tallied because of slow mail from a war zone. Now we are faced with a similar predicament. Those of us, mostly older or disabled, will have an abbreviated window from our receipt of ballot voting, our return mail and the hope, through the processes of democracy, now suspect.

Addendum: While there is still plenty to appreciate about our postal carriers, constraints from above are evident. If it is within your where-with-all, drop your ballot in the box with your county clerk.

We must believe and hope so that humanity might proceed and survive.

CONTENTS features Flying Noodle................................................7

The Democracy Lottery................................10 Could Delivery Save NoMi Eateries...............13 Forged in Fire............................................16 Restaurant Roundup...................................18

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

BAGELS HAND-CRAFTED 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 ®

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................7 Opinion.........................................................8 Weird............................................................9 Dates........................................................23 Nitelife........................................................26 Advice....................................................28 Crossword..................................................29 Astrology....................................................29 Classifieds..............................................30

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WIFI

Land is calling where the river begins.

James I. Mason, Arcadia Quite A Herd During an appearance at a Pennsylvania Town Hall last Tuesday, Donald Trump, in an attempt to downplay Coronavirus concerns, used the phrase “herd mentality” when he meant to say herd immunity.

Ironically, it is the phrase “herd mentality” which may provide a perfect explanation for the unyielding support displayed by his hard core supplicants.

Bob Ross, Pellston Student Safety Should Prevail The Kingsley school district has adopted a policy allowing their children to decide when or if to wear masks. This is obvious pandering to the anti-science Trump mantra. Also is it mandatory or a choice to follow a school fire drill protocol? The district’s board and upper administration should be replaced yesterday.

Student and staff safety should prevail.

Bradley Price, Northport Appalling AG Attorney General Barr, How dare you state as fact your opinion of what is in the hearts of tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter supporters.

Your arrogance and ignorance are appalling.

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

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Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 3

this week’s

top ten GATEWAY HOTEL COMING TO MANISTEE

Little River Holdings hopes to transform Manistee’s downtown with a large-scale development called “Spirit of the Woods Manistee Gateway Project.”

The project is a partnership between Little River Holdings, part of the economic development arm of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and CL Real Estate Development. It consists of five parcels just west of the intersection of US-31 and River Street. The parcels include the Edward Jones building, House of Flavors (which has gone out of business), 289 River Street, the Cadillac Plumbing Building and the Memory Lane gas station.

Plans call for a 97,000-square foot upscale boutique hotel with 100 rooms and a rooftop bar, a Manistee Welcome Center with additional office space that will incorporate a historic facade and an event center that will hold 300 people.

“This unique partnership provides our community with the opportunity to build a better future with investments, jobs, infrastructure, and improvements to downtown,” said Eugene Magnuson, CEO of Little River Holdings. “We will be creating a destination and spaces that will encourage more visitors to turn onto River Street and invite residents to enjoy and utilize the redeveloped assets.”

cycling classic Celebrate the 30th Anniversary Harbor Springs Cycling Classic on Sat., Sept. 26, beginning at Birchwood Inn, Harbor Springs between 7:30am and 9:30am. All routes include the Tunnel of Trees or the Little Traverse Wheelway. On the Little Traverse Wheelway, choose from 14 to 30 miles to ride. All three of the road routes include the Tunnel of Trees, one of the most scenic roads in northern Michigan. You have a choice of 20, 45, or 60 miles to cycle. After your ride, enjoy a sack lunch. Register in advance: $30 adults, $20 ages 6-12, and free for 5 & under. birchwoodinn.com/ hscyclingclassic.html

4

Hey, read it!

Transcendent Kingdom

Yaa Gyasi’s debut novel, “Homegoing” was an emotional journey through Black history — sweeping across three centuries, seven generations and two continents. Her follow-up, “Transcendent Kingdom,” narrows its scope and focuses intimately on the story of one Ghanaian family in Alabama struggling with depression, addiction, grief and their relationship to science and faith. With her exquisite, emotional writing, Gyasi — the guest author for the September 23 online National Writers Series event — has established herself as a powerful voice in modern literature.

5 ADULTING IS HARD.

2

tastemaker The Dish Café’s Heat at Home Meals

The convenience of takeout and the comfort of a home-cooked meal meet at The Dish Café in Traverse City, now offering “Heat at Home” meals Monday through Friday. Intended for two — with the promise of yummy lunchtime leftovers — these hearty dishes include an entrée and your choice of a quart of tomato basil soup or a salad (Caesar or tossed veggie).

Weekday offerings include beef chimichurri burritos, lamb skewers with Mediterranean couscous salad, whole herb-roasted chicken, roasted veggie lasagna, and coconut curry chicken. Meals range from $23-26, and each kit comes with instructions for final cooking.

We tried Wednesday’s chicken dish, which required 40 minutes of oven time and came with redskin potatoes and a savory mustard cream sauce. By the time it was plated, the kitchen smelled like Thanksgiving, and with the tomato basil soup (one of the café’s top sellers) at hand, there was more than enough fall flavor for two. Order at thedishcafetc.com or by calling 231-932-2233.

4 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

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HIGH WATER COULD BE AS BAD OR WORSE

Stuff we love

Water levels on Lake Michigan are forecast to remain high as summer turns to fall and the year’s most severe storms approach.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said that despite some seasonal decline in water levels, the impacts of storms this fall are expected to be as severe or worse than fall 2019. “The Corps of Engineers urges anyone impacted by high water levels last fall to prepare for similar or worse impacts in the coming months,� said John Allis, chief of the Detroit District Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office.

The combination of severe storms and high water is expected to bring coastal flooding and erosion, Allis said.

Lake Michigan-Huron and Lake St. Clair set new monthly mean record high water levels in August. Lake Michigan-Huron’s previous August record was in 1986. Lake St. Clair surpassed last year’s record high. Since peaking in August, water levels have declined and are expected to continue to decline into winter.

The Future Of Menus

Touchless retail and food service are all the rage these pandemic days, so we’re toasting northern Michigan’s own Kevin Spagnuolo, who acted quickly this spring and started Menus Today, which lets diners safely and quickly scan a code and view realtime restaurant menus right on their smartphones — and lets restaurant operators save on printing and make instant updates to their menus.

Spagnuolo tells us the virtual menus increase draft beer and cocktail sales, and he has plenty of local clients to prove it, including The Cooks’ House, The Parlor, Rove Estate, and several national players like 91 Dave & Buster’s locations. More info at menus.today.

FALL DENNOS EXHIBITIONS: MICHIGAN ARTISTS & ARCHITECTURE The Dennos Museum Center’s fall exhibitions will open Tues., Sept. 22 and run through Jan. 31. “Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy� (photo 1) celebrates Michigan’s architectural design history from 1928 – 2012. It features more than 50 photographs by James Haefner. Pictured is the pottery studio at the Okerstrom Fine Arts Building, NMC. “Mathias J. Alten: An Artist at the Turn of the Century� (photo 2) portrays the life and career of German-born American artist Mathias Joseph Alten who immigrated to the United States in 1889 at the age of 17. Alten’s family settled in Grand Rapids, a premier furniture-manufacturing center and desired location for immigrants in the late-nineteenth century. Explore Alten’s works of art, historic photographs and personal artifacts drawn from the collection at Grand Valley State University. Pictured is Alten’s Self Portrait, Myself at 66.

8

a National

Live at the

bottoms up Burritt’s Spanish Wine Sale/Luzón Colección 8 Meses Stocking up on wine for the holidays, or just hunting for the best deal you can find? Don’t miss out on the fall Spanish wine sale at Traverse City’s Burritt’s Fresh Markets (509 W Front St). Burritt’s holds two wine sales each year, offering direct import pricing on a variety of wines. This fall’s sale spotlights eight different Spanish wines from the portfolio of Aviva Vino, one of the oldest and most well-known American distributors of Spanish wine. We tried the Luzón Colección 8 Meses, a red wine made from the Garnacha Tintorera grape and aged for eight months in French and American oak barrels. Midnight red in hue, relatively high in alcohol content, and featuring a lush character with flavor notes of chocolate, coffee, oak, and dark fruit, the 8 Meses is the type of full-bodied red that is built for cold weather and rich, wintry food pairings. It’s also a great deal: typically priced at $13.29 for a bottle, the 8 Meses is currently going for $108.75 for a 12-bottle case at Burritt’s. Do note that, for this year’s fall wine sale, Burritt’s is only offering case sales – no bottle sales. Learn more about the sale by calling 231-946-3300.

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 5

UNLOCKING TROUBLE

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

spectator

by Stephen Tuttle Unlock Michigan is likely to unlock trouble.

It’s awash with potential for unintended consequences.

The idea is that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has far exceeded what should be her authority, using a 1945 emergency powers law to unilaterally make decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Several attempts to stop the governor through the courts having failed, a petition drive was started to force a referendum that would repeal the 1945 statute. The governor would still have some emergency powers under a 1976 law but would need the approval of the legislature after 28 days.

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It appears the referendum drive will secure enough signatures to force a vote. But if the Republican-controlled legislature, anxious to find a way to hamstring Whitmer, passes the law themselves, the referendum would be

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A visit to Unlock Michigan’s web site, full of hyperbolic nonsense, tells the story. Whitmer’s executive orders – and she’s closing in on 200 – are unconstitutional, give her dictatorial powers, will destroy Michigan’s economy, offends our liberties, blah, blah, blah.

We’ve heard all this for months. What we still haven’t heard is what the anti-Whitmer faction would suggest as an alternative.

And they have short memories.

Less than six months ago, Michigan was one of the coronavirus epicenters. Washington state got it started, then New York and then here. When Whitmer essentially shut down the state on March 16, both cases and fatalities were soaring, especially in southeastern Michigan.

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Legislatures, by their design and nature, rarely make quick decisions. They are supposed to be deliberative bodies, not a place for rapid responses. In times of real crisis, they cannot, or should not, move with the speed required so authority to do that has been given to governors during a declared state of emergency.

Unlock Michigan would put that authority back into the hands of our legislature after 28 days. And then what? A nice, long, thoughtful debate? A month or so of partisan squabbling?

This is, after all, the same legislature that just got around to producing a budget weeks after public schools had been begging for it. It’s the

One could argue Gov. Whitmer’s orders, based on advice from actual medical experts rather than partisan politicians, have proven to be difficult, sometimes confusing, almost always annoying and mostly right. moot, no public vote would be held, the law would not require the governor’s signature nor could she veto it.

B r e a k f a s t, B r u n c h & L u n c h C l a s s i c s

to be difficult, sometimes confusing, almost always annoying and mostly right. None of us is especially enjoying this but the numbers are on the governor’s side.

Whitmer could have ignored the medical community and the infectious disease experts and done nothing. Plenty of states did that much to the applause of their freedom-loving citizenry. South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia all kept going. Governors in Florida and Arizona issued their own executive orders barring local municipalities from taking any action of their own, like requiring masks.

How did that work out for those states? All of them ended up with soaring surges and fatalities which could have been prevented.

Michigan, which at one point had the third worst infection and fatality rate, now has a per capita infection rate lower than that of 33 other states.

One could argue Gov. Whitmer’s orders, based on advice from actual medical experts rather than partisan politicians, have proven

same legislature a judge told months ago to fix what he described as oppressive amendments, vague rules and the unconstitutionality of Michigan’s sex offender registry to no avail. The 44,000 people on that list have been relieved of their responsibility to report their whereabouts until the changes have been made. And then there was the Flint water catastrophe.

(To be fair, the GOP leadership did act quickly in stripping Rep. Larry Inman of his committee assignments, office, and staff based on a phone call he made with a union representative for which he was subsequently indicted.

But Inman has not been, and is not likely to be, convicted of anything.)

If successful, Unlock Michigan will essentially give the governor 28 days of emergency powers and then the crack legislature will spring into action to authorize another 28 days. Or crawl into ponderous pontificating unlikely to bear any resemblance to action.

It’s not as if this pandemic will be our only emergency. Another dam break, a natural flood, wildfire, and tornadoes are all possibilities as is another pandemic. All of them could require swift responses, the ability to change directions quickly and extend beyond 28 days. Involving the glacially moving legislature won’t help resolve whatever problem we’re facing.

One does wonder if those now advocating restraints on Whitmer will feel the same should there come a time when a Republican governor is bedeviled by a Democratic legislature.

Those now crying the loudest about unconstitutional authority and dictatorial powers will likely be muted then, replaced by calls to unlock the governor.

Unlocking Michigan will unlock more trouble than it’s worth.

Flying Noodle

Launched in a pandemic and going strong, with gusto — affordable Italian in downtown Traverse City

By Jillian Manning Is it a bird? A plane? No — it’s a flying noodle! And it landed in downtown Traverse City this summer, at 136 E. Front St., the space formerly occupied by eateries like Gaijin and, before that, Harvest). The aptly titled “Italian Pasta House” offers a delightful array of carb-y dishes and vegetarian staples at equally delightful prices.

The Flying Noodle is the baby sister of beloved taco shop Mama Lu’s, which operates just across the street. According to managing partner Heather Dziedzic, a site for the new venture had been in the works for some time.

“As with Mama Lu’s, our team really wanted to bring Traverse City another casual and approachable concept,” she says.

“Somewhere where you can bring your family for dinner, or go on date night, or just pop in during lunch and grab a quick bite.”

THE BEST LAID PLANS Mama Lu’s owners John Larson and Adrienne Brunette partnered with Heather and Dallas Dziedzic to create the Flying Noodle, announcing the new restaurant plans in early February of this year. Their original grand opening was planned for April 2020, but COVID-19 got in the way.

“It was a lot of unknowns,” said Dziedzic.

“We sat idle for two months in the middle of construction because no one was allowed to work. It was constant juggling after construction was able to begin again, and then

we had to find staff and get food and plateware ordered with a broken supply chain. We are grateful to have come out on the other side with an open and operating business.”

The restaurant finally opened in July.

Despite the rocky start, the Flying Noodle launched with, well, flying colors. Dziedzic credited the closing of Front Street as “a huge part of our success,” noting that it “revitalized our ability to serve our community.”

And though it may seem strange to operate both a taco shop and a pasta house, for Dziedzic, the combination is a perfect fit.

“They both have a completely different vibe,” she said. “But while cuisine and décor differ, we try to maintain the same welcoming and fun way of service across the board.” She adds that diners have been happy to eat inside and outside, as well as enjoy the full menu for take-out services.

most popular, with a smoky tomato sauce and prosciutto.”

Though the pastas and pizzas are the headliners, there’s even more to explore: a Caesar salad with bright lemon notes; white beans with herbs, olive oil, and a side of scrumptious garlic bread; and heirloom tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella, aged balsamic, cucumbers, and pancetta. (And let’s not forget the strawberry-filled Italian donuts, complete with Nutella.)

“Across the board, the food is excellent, fresh, and thoughtful,” Dziedzic said.

When asked for a lower profile dish on the menu folks should try, she recommended the spicy pickled relish.

“It’s an ode to Chicago-style giardiniera, with the addition of fennel and Calabrian chilies,” she explained. “It goes with everything — perfectly seasoned and cooked.”

THE WHOLE CARB LOAD As for that menu, it is absolutely chock full of Italian goodness. The entire pasta portion —ranging from a classic marinara to a campanelle with peas, ricotta, and lemon — clocks in at just $10 a dish, making it all too easy to sample several. Dziedzic said a favorite is the bucatini, which features pancetta, garlic, a simple white wine sauce, and truffle oil.

Pizzas are the next biggest draw. “Our ‘roman style’ pizzas are crave-worthy,” Dziedzic said. “A thicker focaccia-style dough is cooked to melty perfection with this delightful, crispy crust. The Italian is the

RAISE A GLASS And because no Italian meal would be complete without wine, the Flying Noodle offers selections from Italy to Northern Michigan, with only two requirements from Dziedzic: “that they taste delicious and hit on that reasonable price point.” (Dziedzic pointed out to Rove Estate’s Unoaked Chardonnay as a perfect complement to most menu items.)

As a nod to Mama Lu’s, there is an Italian margarita available, made with amaretto and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Another local classic, Left Foot Charley’s Cinnamon Girl hard cider, is also on tap.

With Cinnamon Girl and fall flavors on the brain, Dziedzic is looking forward to including some seasonally rotating dishes. She said that because locals come back to dine often, she wants to keep the offerings “fresh and exciting.” She hinted at the promise of additional carryout options, similar to Mama Lu’s Taco Kits but with an Italian twist.

THINKING FORWARD Fall — and winter, because it’s coming — might also mean more unknowns with different regulations and rules due to COVID. But the restaurant was born in the pandemic; the staff has proved their mettle and their creativity a dozen times over.

“Each and every being on our team is vital to our success,” Dziedzic said, praising everyone from the kitchen crew to the front of house staff for their dedication and energy. “I want to give a major shout out to Lauren, longtime bartender, manager, and now the head of our catering department.

She worked through the pandemic and was right with us for every step.”

When it comes to working in these crazy times, Dziedzic said, “We are taking service day by day. It’s hard to tell what is to come in the following months, but we are grateful to have some space to welcome our friends new and old. We just want to say ‘thank you’ to our community — we need you now more than we ever have. We’ll keep cooking and smiling, and all we ask is you keep coming back to enjoy it.”

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 7

WHAT YOU ARE VOTING FOR?

Elevating the Human Spirit™

We’re Hiring!

opinion

BY Kate Dahlstrom After voting straight Republican for 36 years, from 1971 through 2007, I have been an Independent since 2008, studying and voting for each candidate and issue on their own merits.

The main idea of the Square Deal (circa 1902) introduced by Republican President Theodore Roosevelt was to reduce inequality. The three Cs of Roosevelt’s Square Deal were control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation of natural resources. Roosevelt is widely regarded as one of the five best presidents in U.S. history.

Another “best president” is his cousin, a Democrat, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who authored The New Deal of 1933. The New Deal took action to bring us out of the Great Depression with immediate economic relief and reforms in industry, agriculture, finance, waterpower, labor, and housing.

Cousins of different political parties, with so many similarities. One thing is certain,: the Republican Party of today no longer shares the principles of Teddy Roosevelt.

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After so many years, why do people like my husband and I leave the Republican Party? Did we change, or did the party?

Let’s consider. Around 2006, the gay community became much more open about their identity. Many Republicans refuse to grant equal human and civil rights to LGBTQ people. Why is it so hard to accept that people are created differently? Consider that as many as 1.7 percent of babies are born with ambiguous physical sexual traits. This discrimination against fellow human beings based on mental or physical differences is just plain wrong.

Next is the problem of income and tax inequality. As a CPA, I have seen tax loopholes for the wealthy for years. Republicans continue to provide big tax breaks for the very wealthy, while lower-income earners struggle to make ends meet.

The Republican tax bill should have reduced rates only for those corporations that invest in U.S. plant and equipment or offer skilled and semi-skilled job training programs.

But instead, it drastically reduces rates for all corporations … including drug/opioid middlemen, Wall Street, casino and luxury hotels, oil and gas, Big Pharma, and tobacco and alcohol, with reduced taxes on their wealthy (and often foreign) shareholders and executives as well. This is a Bad Deal for middle-/low-income U.S. taxpayers.

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Our economy was strong, and yet our debt rose by huge amounts, thanks to this disastrous tax bill. Furthermore, even though we had low unemployment and a record-high stock market, something like 40 percent of Americans still struggled to make ends meet.

And the income gap grows.

The other Republican-driven change that benefits corporate bottom lines is reduced regulations/protections. Permitting increased industrial, automotive, and other pollution via reduced regulations will cost us much more later, in higher healthcare costs, environmental clean-up, global warming, etc.

Our current Republican-led administration is attempting to reduce Social Security and Medicare to pay for the tax bill. These benefits are not only earned but also absolutely essential to many. Our government should not reduce or borrow from Social Security or Medicare!

Then there is the refusal to consider common sense gun reform. Many Republicans are financed by the NRA. A majority of Americans support legitimate measures that would not eliminate gun ownership but would provide for safer ownership and a safer public.

Republicans refuse to listen.

Corporate control of government must end. American Promise is a movement to get corporate money out of politics. The unfortunate thing is, few Republicans support ending corporate big-money donations. What does that tell you?

These days, we believe it is every voter’s responsibility to determine what really matters to them and then do the research to become well-informed before going to vote.

This means much more than listening to candidates’ promises.

Rather, review voting records if the candidate is an incumbent or has served in other offices.

Look to the organizations you trust for information about candidates, like Humane Society, Ocean/Nature Conservancy, AARP, Doctors w/o Borders, or Audubon Society.

They usually have a political arm that will provide information about candidates’ voting records and agendas.

As for our family, we care about human rights and healthcare for everyone; common sense gun reform; and hardworking immigrants who labor in our fields and hotels, and clean up after natural disasters. We are a family of hunters, hikers, and social justice advocates, and we are rooted in our deep Christian faith.

We have always treasured clean air and water, our national parks and open spaces, and do not believe they should be compromised by big business exploitation.

We want leaders who respect our democracy and who will work to unite our country and the world. No more “bully diplomacy” through trade wars. No more paranoid attacks on scientists, the media, and intelligence agencies.

It saddens us greatly to see the U.S. torn apart internally and lose respect worldwide.

Theodore Roosevelt would not have agreed to any of the current Republican mentality, and we don’t either.

I hope you will vote for these things to change, but whatever you do, please do not vote without being well informed and fully aware of what you are voting for. Future generations and the soul of America depends on you.

Kate Dahlstrom is a retired CPA, born and raised in rural Michigan, and a Traverse City resident since 1995. She is involved with promoting through public awareness and education issues like criminal justice reform, is a long-time supporter and occasional volunteer with Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and a loon ranger with Michigan Loon Preservation Association.

Wait, What?

Cynthia Lynn Teeple, 47, of Jacksboro, Tennessee, was charged with public intoxication after Campbell County Sheriff ’s deputies found her topless in a LaFollette backyard with two miniature horses on Aug. 30, according to authorities. WLAF reported the homeowner told deputies Teeple had been eating grass and dirt from the horse enclosure, and also chewed on one of the horses’ manes. Teeple then volunteered that “the horse’s hair is made of Laffy Taffy and Airhead candy,” according to the arrest report, and admitted she had taken methamphetamine the day before.

Bright Ideas In Botswana, cattle are left to graze and roam during the day, but that makes them vulnerable to attacks by lions, leopards and other carnivores, so two conservation biologists from the University of New South Wales in Australia have come up with an idea to allow both cattle and cats to co-exist, NPR reported. Because big cats hunt using the element of surprise, the biologists came up with a way to make the predators believe they’d been seen by their prey and then abandon the hunt. “We tested this by painting one-third of a cattle herd with artificial eye spots (on their backsides),” explained Cameron Radford, and over four years, “none of the cows that we painted with artificial eye spots were killed by ambush predators.” Village chiefs and native farmers “look forward to us coming back and painting more eyes on bums,” Radford said.

Conducting choir practice indoors was out of the question for Mark Potvin, instructor of music at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, given the school’s COVID-19 protocols, and finding a space outside posed a challenge until, “I was driving past the city pool,” Potvin told KCRG, and “noticed they were draining the pool.” Officials at Decorah Park and Rec gave their blessing, and now choir members rehearse while standing in the empty pool, socially distanced and masked. Luther College has five choirs and one of the nation’s largest collegiate music programs.

Least Competent Criminals John Travis Ross, 33, and Joshua Ray Corban, 18, were charged with conspiracy and attempting to smuggle contraband into the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl, Mississippi, after a drone they used as a delivery device became tangled in a net above the prison fence, according to a Department of Corrections statement. The Associated Press reported the drone was caught on Aug. 26 and carried 2 ounces of marijuana, a cellphone, cigarette lighters, phone chargers and headphones, corrections commissioner Burl Cain said. Investigators were able to trace the drone’s flight and discovered security video showing the men launching it. Cain said officials plan to reprogram the drone and use it at the state’s maximumsecurity prison in Parchman.

Three teenage girls in Clinton, Connecticut, have been arrested and charged with stealing a duck after photos of them surfaced on social media, according to police. WTNH reported the girls took a duck named Quackers out of a pen in mid-August

at the Grove Garden Center Nursery, where it was recovering from a raccoon attack, and posted photos of themselves with Quackers at the town beach and a house party. The girls were charged with larceny and trespassing.

Quackers is still missing.

Suspicions Confirmed Brittany Keech of Belding, Michigan, got an unexpected bit of news with her mail on Sept. 8. “Sitting right on top of the mail,” she told WXMI, was a postcard dated 100 years ago -- Oct. 29, 1920. “Yeah, that’s a little too slow,” Keech said. The Halloween greeting from young Flossie Burgess was addressed to her cousins: “I just finished my history lesson and am going to bed pretty soon.”

A USPS spokesperson said, “In most cases ... old letters and postcards -- sometimes purchased at flea markets, antique shops and even online -- are re-entered into our system ... (and) as long as there is a deliverable address and postage, the card or letter gets delivered.”

Ewwwww An unnamed 17-year-old girl in Bokaro, India underwent surgery on Aug. 31 to remove a 15-pound hairball from her stomach following years of obsessive hairchewing, Metro News reported. A team of doctors led by Dr. G.N. Sahu initially thought the mass was a tumor, but discovered the hairball during the six-hour surgery. The girl was reported to be in stable condition following the procedure.

Doctors at a hospital in Dagestan, Russia, were shocked to discover the source of a woman’s stomach distress was a 4-foot-long snake that had apparently slithered into her mouth as she slept outside her home in Levashi village. In a video of the procedure, a doctor is heard to say, “Let’s see what this is,” Yahoo News Australia reported, as a tube is inserted down the anesthetized woman’s throat. Local residents say such incidents are not unheard of in the mountainous area.

Obsessions Akiko Obata, who lives in Chiba Prefecture in Japan, holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Sampuru, the fake food restaurants use to promote their offerings. Sampuru is an important part of Japanese food culture, according to Oddity Central, and after 15 years of collecting, Obata now has more than 8,000 individual items filling an entire room in her house. “Replicas are not real food, but I truly respect how each of them are made to look so real,” Obata said.

Irony Bounty Cheramy, 22, smelling of alcohol and swaying back and forth, was arrested and charged with drunk driving on Aug. 30 after his Mazda allegedly struck an electronic traffic sign flashing the message, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” according to a police affidavit. Officers in Port Charlotte, Florida, said Cheramy told them he had been on his phone and “suddenly struck something” but was unsure what it was. His car sustained heavy front-end damage, and the nearby sign was wrecked, The Smoking Gun reported.

The affidavit also noted Cheramy recorded a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit in two breath tests.

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THE DEMOCRACY

LOTTERY

Thirteen Michigan voters won what was essentially a lottery this summer. Now they have to get to work: they must spend the next year or so working toward a more fair democracy in the state.

By Patrick Sullivan Mary Burget, a retired Northwest Michigan College math instructor, thought her math skills might be useful in redrawing Michigan’s gerrymandered electoral districts.

She was among the 9,000-plus Michigan residents who applied for a seat on the Michigan Redistricting Commission, the independent commission of citizens created as part of the passing of Ballot Proposal 18-2 (aka Voters Not Politicians).

The ballot, an effort to stop gerrymandering, was greenlighted by Michigan voters in 2018. It created a constitutional amendment empowering an independent citizen commission to draw district lines (for the Michigan Legislature and Michigan’s congressional representatives) for the 2022 election — and to redraw them every 10 years.

In June, she received an email informing her that she was among the 200 randomly selected to create a pool of finalists that represented the state’s diversity and geography.

Next, the two top elected officials from the Republican and the Democratic parties each got to remove up to five names from the list, leaving a pool of 180 finalists. Burget survived that round as well.

On Aug. 17, Burget watched the final drawing online as the Michigan Secretary of State randomly selected four republicans, four democrats, and five independents to serve on the commission. Burget, a Traverse City Democrat, was not among the finalists, but she wasn’t surprised or disappointed.

“I do understand odds, and I understand probability, so I knew it was a longshot,” she said.

“So, no, I was not disappointed.”

AN INDEPENDENT FROM INTERLOCHEN

As the Redistricting Commission meets virtually for the first time this week, it will include two members from northwest Lower Michigan: Interlochen resident Steven Lett and Reed City’s Rhonda Lange. (Lange, a 47-year-old Republican female, did not respond to Northern Express’ request for an interview.)

Already, he said, he’s been buried in materials he needs to study.

“There’s quite a bit of material out there that we’ve been provided with already to look at,” he said. “And the census data isn’t even out yet.

That’s when the really hard work will begin.”

Lett said some of the things the commission will consider as they work to draw reasonable voting districts are contiguous natural populations and existing borders, like city limits or county lines. The objective, he said, is to make the districts as simple as possible.

“In the past, and the reason why the amendment was passed, was that whatever party was in power, they drew it to protect their own people.”

Lett, a 73-year-old retired labor law attorney, was randomly selected to serve as one of the commission’s five independent members.

He told Northern Express that he applied for the commission because he’s been frustrated by gerrymandering.

“I think that the way that it’s been done in the past several decades by both sides, I didn’t think that’s the way it should be done,” Lett said.

He expects the job will entail a lot of work.

10 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

“In the past, and the reason why the amendment was passed, was that whatever party was in power, they drew it to protect their own people,” Lett said. “It doesn’t matter what party you’re in; if you’re the one that’s in power, that’s what you do.”

Perhaps most importantly, the commission’s work will be entirely transparent, he said.

“All meetings are open to the public and will be posted; the minutes will be posted online so

anybody can look at what we’re doing,” Lett said.

The commission is supposed to finish its work

by Nov. 1 of next year, so that the districts can be certified and ready before the 2022 elections, but the Nov. 1 deadline can be extended if there are pending legal challenges, which is likely. Also, the commission will likely get a late start because 2020 Census data is expected to be delayed.

Nonetheless, Lett said he is hopeful that ultimately the commission will succeed.

“I am very optimistic,” he said. “I think it will come together. Neither Democrats nor Republicans were able to pick the people they wanted. It was the luck of the draw. … Hopefully, the people who applied will be those who want to have reasonable districts drawn.”

A DIRE NEED FOR REFORM

Jan Warren, Traverse City resident and a past president of the League of Women Voters of Michigan, helped to circulate the “Voters Not Politicians” petitions that ultimately got the 2018 constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Across the state, LWV chapters sponsored town hall meetings in order to spread the word about what the amendment could mean for the state — an end, or a curtailing, of one party or another putting its thumb on the scale to rig elections in their favor.

So, Warren is not surprised that the Republican party, the party that’s in control of the state legislature today, is so fervently fighting against the measure, which passed with the support of over 61 percent of voters in the state.

Instead of accepting an independent redistricting commission, Republicans have so far filed lawsuits challenging the legality

of the constitutional amendment, and they’ve tried to get it thrown out. Warren said she was not surprised, because the party that’s in power always wants to stay in power. She said that so far, she is encouraged that none of the challenges have been successful.

“The League of Women Voters in Michigan have, in each of those lawsuits, been a party defending those lawsuits, and so far, [the Republicans bringing the suits] have lost,” Warren said. “Of course, they don’t want to see fair elections where every vote counts.”

Warren said that by 2018, when the amendment passed, voting districts in Michigan — redrawn on partisan lines following the 2010 census — had almost become absurd.

“Crazy? I’m not sure that’s even a strong enough word for it. It was ridiculous. [But it] has been just as convoluted when done by the Democrats,” Warren said.

The strategy parties in power use is this: They work to put voters for the opposition party into blocs so those votes are concentrated into fewer areas, all but guaranteeing a majority of districts can be kept reasonably safe for the representatives of the governing party.

That’s why if you look at the map as it is drawn today in northern Lower Michigan, where the majority of voters are Republican anyway, the districts look fairly straightforward. Downstate, where there are more densely populated and diverse areas, it’s another story; the districts snake all over the place.

In our region, perhaps the 107th is the only one that suggests a bit of funny business going on: It stretches from the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula, to down below the bridge, where it captures Emmet County, and also juts out into Cheboygan County in only two places, seemingly randomly.

Warren is hopeful that the new commission will succeed.

“I’m very excited that here in Michigan in the 2022 election, the way people vote will count,” she said.

COULD GET BETTER, CAN’T GET WORSE

John Zachman, instructor of political science and philosophy at Northwestern Michigan College, said he is “somewhat optimistic” that the commission will succeed in its mission to create fair districts in good faith.

“I was somewhat hopeful because it seemed like [the amendment] had structured it in a way that incentivized everyone to be fair,” Zachman said.

The amendment does come up with a complicated scheme for the commission to decide on a map that is designed so that no one — not the Republicans, not the Democrats, and not even the Independents — should get exactly what they want.

Zachman used an analogy from his childhood when siblings were tasked with sharing a coveted piece of fruit: One of them would get to cut it in two, and the next would get to pick the piece they wanted most.

Anyway, Zachman said, redistricting couldn’t get any worse than it is under today’s map.

And even under that map — engineered through complex data analysis to favor the party that drew it — there have been surprises.

Republicans lost a couple of districts in 2018 that seemingly should have gone their way, and several more races were extremely close in districts that should have been a lock for them.

“I am somewhat optimistic that they will have a more fair districting following this iteration,” Zachman said. “The other thing that the commission has going for it right now is that there’s a ton of uncertainties within the parties.”

Indeed, in 2020, the identity of each party seems to be rapidly shifting amid unprecedented political and social upheaval. In that environment, even someone armed with data and willingness to game the system might not even know where to start.

WHAT HAPPENED IN ARIZONA

Mike Van Beek, director of research at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, said that while the Mackinac Center, a conservative advocacy organization, doesn’t have an official position on the redistricting commission, he likes that the rules for redistricting are now spelled out in the state’s constitution and that the law requires transparency.

On the other hand, he is concerned that the commission could be gamed by one side or another.

Steven Lett

“The potential downside ... is that the language that is used to guide this commission is poorly defined in many places,” Van Beek said.

For example, the law says that the secretary of state needs to take into consideration “communities of interests,” a term Van Beek called “somewhat fuzzy.”

Those ambiguities will be interpreted by whoever happens to be secretary of state when the commission sits, so the party that person belongs to could have a tremendous impact.

Today, the secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, is a Democrat.

Another not-so-rosy scenario? Mark Brewer, former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party and an attorney who has worked on redistricting cases, said that elsewhere, redistricting amendments have not brought an end to the partisan fight over the rules.

Case in point: Arizona passed a redistricting constitutional amendment in 2000 and two decades later, the parties are still fighting over them. (The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission is composed of two Democrats, two Republicans and one Independent.)

“It has been a constant battle out in Arizona,” Brewer said. “Commissions can work and produce fair maps despite partisan obstructionism. Arizona is an example of that, but supporters of the commission need to be prepared to defend the commission against partisan obstruction.”

Up North Applicants By the numbers

From where did the Northern applicants for Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission hail? The origin and number of the region’s applicants who were processed as candidates for the eventual 13-member commission were:

Grand Traverse: 62 Emmet: 24 Benzie: 18 Manistee: 13 Wexford: 12 Cheboygan: 10 Leelanau: 10 Charlevoix: 9 Roscommon: 8 Crawford: 6 Kalkaska: 6 Missaukee: 3 Otsego: 3

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Could Delivery Save NoMi Eateries?

Some local restaurants undecided on the “Door Dash debate”

By Ross Boissoneau What was once the exclusive province of pizza and sandwich joints has become a means for some restaurants to thrive.

But even as outdoor seating — and with it, customer numbers and gross receipts — threatens to shrink with the cooling weather, not all restaurants are ready yet to board the delivery train.

Steve Morley, general manager at Bob Evans in Traverse City, is a believer. He said his restaurant uses Grubhub and Door Dash. Angie Homan, the senior marketing communications manager for Bob Evans corporate, said delivery has benefited the Traverse City restaurant and its customers.

“It provides a great option for our guests throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Our plan is to continue to offer it,” she said.

At least in Traverse City; the Bob Evans restaurants in Cadillac, Gaylord, and Petoskey offer online ordering for carryout and curbside — but no delivery.

Those stores, however, do offer another means for reducing interaction and reducing duration of time spent in or out of the restaurant waiting for food, said Homan: “Guests can order direct from BobEvans.com.”

THE FEAR OF FALL Even with reduced indoor capacity, the arrival of summer enabled many eateries to offer or expand outdoor dining and return their business to something approaching normal. But as the leaves turn color and winter looms, reduced capacity indoors is almost certainly going to hurt Northern restaurants’ bottom line. Several are looking to delivery as a means to counteract the limited in-restaurant service space.

Scott Joling is president of the Mission Restaurant Group, which includes a host of restaurants and brewpubs here and downstate: Jolly Pumpkin (Old Mission, Grand Rapids, Royal Oak, and Ann Arbor), Blue Tractor (Traverse City and Ann Arbor), North Peak (Traverse City) and others.

Locally, two of its restaurants have tried delivery, though Joling noted the use of that service diminished after the dining rooms were allowed to reopen.

“In Traverse City, we are partnered with Door Dash at North Peak and Blue Tractor. During the quarantine, when our dining rooms were closed, delivery was a huge part of our business — as much as 50 percent. Since we’ve been able to open for dine-in, it’s down to five to ten percent of our sales,” he said. “It’s still important, but not like before.”

That could change. “As far as this fall and winter are concerned, we are prepared for increased takeout and delivery sales if that materializes. The level of delivery business will just depend on what course the virus takes, and how people respond to it.”

On the other hand, Dave Denison, owner of Amical in Traverse City, said he has not used delivery, though he could change

course. “To deliver or not to deliver — a tough decision with our menu style, price point, and service culture. We haven’t chosen that path ... yet.”

Denison said the restaurant offered pickup at its alley entrance to keep the front — which faces downtown Traverse City’s main drag, Front Street, closed to vehicles and heavily foot-trafficked this summer — from getting too congested.

“It has worked reasonably well,” he said, though said that with Front Street reopening to vehicle traffic, the restaurant will switch back to carryout from its public front entrance.

“We may go back to more ‘travelfriendly’ to-go options as we move into the fall season. But we are still undecided on offering delivery or becoming involved with the delivery services currently knocking on our door,” he said, adding that he feels the restaurant loses some of its quality control when working with a third party.

Gary Kosch — owner of Traverse City’s Agave restaurants, Gaylord restaurants’ C.R.A.V.E. and Alpine Tavern and Eatery, and Kalkaska’s Trout Town Tavern & Eatery, and Moose & Stella’s Café —likewise said he has not yet turned to a delivery service, but he also hasn’t ruled it out. “We have not used delivery.

We’ve been so busy, haven’t had time to look at it,” said Kosch, who also has an interest in The Boathouse restaurant on Old Mission Peninsula with his brother Doug.

He also noted that the industry’s worst possible news — the shutdown — occurred at the best possible time. “We were so fortunate.

We shut down the third week of March when ski season was already over, then opened Friday of Memorial Day weekend.”

Having outdoor dining as an option helped considerably, he said, such as at Alpine Tavern, which boasts a deck.

“That makes a big difference,” Kosch said; diners are more comfortable eating outdoors.

Overall, Kosch said that business was better than he could have imagined. “I thought with 50 percent capacity, we’d be down, but we’re up at least 25 percent,” he said. Now, with winter on the way, Kosch said he will be speaking with his managers about the possibility of delivery. He is also enclosing the deck at Alpine Tavern to expand his overall capacity.

OUT OF TOWN? MAYBE NO CHOICE. More rural areas not serviced by the likes of Uber Eats or its brethren typically haven’t utilized delivery, and probably won’t. Grille 44 in Bear Lake said it has seen plenty of business this summer and hopes it continues, and the restaurant has no plans to try using delivery.

Even the pizzerias are split on the issue.

While the A. Papano’s locations in Interlochen and Kingsley offer delivery, those in Beulah, Thompsonville, and Frankfort do not. Andy Miller, owner of the Beulah location, said insurance costs are too onerous to make it worthwhile for him to offer it. While

he has been contacted by representatives from Grubhub and DoorDash, he said the percentage of sales they charge is simply too much to make it profitable.

Not that his business has been hurt by that lack. Miller said despite his dining room being closed since March, his takeout business has exploded.

“It’s been our best year ever,” he said wonderingly. He and his staff take all precautions, masking up before taking the orders outside to customers, who wait in their cars before walking to the tables set up outside the door.

Miller said he anticipates continuing to offer takeout only this winter. His point of sale system will enable patrons to contact the store when they arrive for their order, with staff then delivering it to their car.

Meanwhile, he’s put off planned remodeling to the interior while he awaits word on when — or if — restrictions on dining will be lifted. “[The interior has] become a big storeroom,” he said. “There were things we were running out of, such as salad bags and containers, so I ordered more of them.”

DOES DELIVERY SERVICE MAKE CENTS?

According to a Grubhub spokesperson, drivers average more than $20 per hour they’re on the road delivering orders, and many drivers make more than $30 per hour. “Additionally, 100 percent of tips have, and always will, go directly to our drivers. To date, we’ve provided more than $3 billion in tips to drivers.” Delivery boundaries vary depending on the restaurant and market.

The company’s most recent earnings report for the second quarter shows: • The company ended the quarter with 27.5 million active diners, up 35 percent year over year and up by 3.6 million sequentially from the first quarter.

• Grubhub sent 647,100 orders to restaurants on average each day, up 32 percent compared to the same time last year • Average order size was $39, up 20 percent from last year • April through June food sales for the company were $2.3 billion, an increase of 59 percent from the second quarter of 2019

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 13

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FORGED IN FIRE

Lahti took the helm of a Traverse City food company just as the pandemic was starting

By Craig Manning As the new managing director for Traverse City’s Tamarack Holdings, Michael Lahti is helping to lead a company that is one of the biggest players in northern Michigan’s food and agriculture industries. And it’s a job that, had things gone a little differently, he might not ever have taken.

“I can say that if I knew COVID was going to happen at the time that I was offered the position, I may not have taken the job,” Lahti told the Northern Express, before quickly adding a qualifier: “But that’s only because I didn’t realize the perfect opportunity to take the position during a difficult time like COVID. Because there’s fear of the unknown, right? Leaving a comfortable position and venturing into something new is always a little scary, and that’s even before you add a pandemic to it.”

Tamarack Holdings is a collective of businesses geared toward getting Michigangrown food from the farm to restaurants, retail stores, and institutions throughout the state and beyond. Lahti’s eclectic background seems to have prepared him well to lead the three-entity company. A year ago, the Grand Valley State University grad was working in the construction industry as the general manager for Old Mission Windows.

Before that, he’d spent nearly seven years at Black Star Farms, moving up the ranks from wine cellar employee to the winery’s CFO and director of operations. Even by then, his career had already jumped from commercial lending (his degree from Grand Valley is in finance) to manufacturing.

Lahti’s first few months in the Tamarack Holdings leadership role have certainly followed a “forged in fire” narrative. His first interview for the job was a phone screening conducted while he was in a hospital bed

with a ruptured spleen. His first in-person interviews took place in February, the last month that anyone could fairly describe as “normal.” The final interview – and the job offer – came in March, just before COVID-19 impacted the United States. Lahti started the job on April 7.

On paper, Lahti acknowledges his timing looks a bit nightmarish. He took the helm of a food-driven business just as Michigan descended into a lengthy stay-at-home order, as schools shut down, and as the restaurant industry cratered. For Tamarack Holdings as an organization, the pandemic could have easily spelled the start of troubled times.

As the parent company for three entities – Cherry Capital Foods, Food for Thought, and Earthy Delights – Tamarack Holdings plays roles ranging from food distributor to restaurant consultant to advocate for sustainable food. Cherry Capital Foods, for instance, works with farmers, growers, and other producers in Michigan to sell produce, protein, wild mushrooms, and other foods into three main channels: retail, restaurants, and institutions (including K-12 schools).

All of those channels have been impacted

by COVID-19, though the shifts have actually led Tamarack Holdings to one of its biggest years ever.

Wendy Becker, vice president of marketing and sales for Tamarack, said Cherry Capital Foods has sold more produce in 2020 than in any previous year on record.

While the company’s restaurant business has “decreased almost by half,” Becker said a huge boost in retail business – and even a slight growth trend in the category of institutions, thanks to funding that allowed many K-12 school districts to distribute free meal packages to students and families – has enabled Cherry Capital Foods to stay stable through COVID-19.

16 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Lahti credits the team at Tamarack Holdings for the unexpectedly strong 2020 numbers – and for making his first months on the job much more positive than he thought they might be.

“What I was able to realize is that this was actually the best time to jump into an organization like this,” Lahti said.

“Everybody on this team stepped up and was able to grab hold as the organization shifted.

We had to shift gears and I can’t name one person in this organization that shied away from that. It was, ‘Alright, we’ve got this challenge. These are the channels we have to ship to; these are the people we have to mobilize; these are the risks we have.’ From every corner of this organization, I was able to see the strengths [of this team].”

That’s not to say it’s been an easy first five months on the job for Lahti. The new managing director describes himself as “a very interpersonal person…driven by genuine relationships.” Building those relationships – with the rest of the Tamarack Holdings team, with farmers and suppliers, with restaurants and institutional clients – has been uniquely challenging in the age of Google Teams meetings and remote work. Despite the extra barriers, though, Lahti says building strong relationships has remained the core tenet of both his leadership style and the broader Tamarack Holdings approach. Those factors have proved to be the company’s secret weapon in an uncertain time.

“We’re a very relationship-driven company,” Lahti said. “If you were to ask what really sets us apart from a lot of our competitors, it’s that we take a vested interest in our agricultural partners – whether it’s a processor, whether it’s a value-added supplier, whether it’s a farmer – as well as our customers.

We really want to find out what their needs are and to help them grow. We get to know

them personally. We get to know what their challenges are. We help them mitigate those.

Our goal is to create a streamlined connection from supply to consumer.”

That focus – on understanding pain points and helping solve them – is part of what has enabled Tamarack Holdings to pivot successfully during the pandemic.

For instance, rather than leave growers and producers to shift gears on their own, Tamarack has worked to understand the changing trends in the retail environment and to advise farmers on how they might change their product offerings to serve new market needs. The business has also been working “consultatively” with restaurants to help them redefine menus, seize new opportunities in the takeout space, and more.

The good news for Tamarack Holdings – and for Lahti as he grows into his new leadership role – is that the pandemic hasn’t eliminated consumer interest in quality farmto-table food. While a spring of closures and a summer of 50-percent-capacity dining rooms have been difficult on the restaurant industry, Becker says it’s also led many consumers to take more ownership of the food they buy, prepare, and eat at home.

“More people are cooking at home and they’re cooking more complicated recipes at home,” Becker said. “So we think [COVID-19] has brought awareness to that fact that it’s more important than ever to know where food comes from. There’s been a dose of reality over some of the national shortages or some of the large processing plants that have been shut down. We think that’s going to affect the consumer mindset.

They are really looking for things that are produced, grown or made closer to home, and that falls right into our playbook. There was always this growing farm-to-table movement; the coronavirus has really just

expanded that and made it more mainstream and more top-of-mind for consumers.”

That extra level of interest from the average consumer is reflected in Tamarack Holdings’ revenue numbers for the year. In the past, Becker notes that retail channels and restaurants would have each comprised about 35 percent of sales for Cherry Capital Foods, with institutions making up the remaining 30 percent. In 2020, retail has accounted for almost 60 percent of sales, with restaurants falling to around 10 percent. The shift has changed the way Tamarack Holdings targets the market – at least for the time being.

“Every connection that we’re making going forward [with a producer or supplier], we are asking the question: ‘Can we retailpack our products?’” Lahti said. “[Those smaller packs or individual sizes] seem to be the trend right now, rather than bulk ordering. But we’re hoping restaurants come back on board. You figure if a vaccine is released and some of the smoke settles here, restaurants will come back. There’s going to be a lot of used restaurant equipment out there, and a lot of empty spaces, and there’s always an up-and-coming chef that’s going to want to get started. So long-term, restaurants will come back. But right now, I think we’re positioning more toward retail.”

Helping restaurants get back up to speed is certainly on Lahti’s goal sheet for his next six months at the helm – though he acknowledges that doing so will likely be a major hurdle. While restaurants throughout Michigan were limited to 50 percent capacity (or less) throughout the summer, many were saved by the ability to offer outdoor seating opportunities for their guests. As the days

get shorter and the weather turns colder, those opportunities are dwindling, which could mean a difficult fall and winter for restaurants still limited in their ability to offer indoor seating. Tamarack Holdings is working with its restaurant partners to develop creative solutions – particularly as all parties prepare for the normally-bustling holiday season.

“One of the trends that we’ve seen in really successful restaurants operating in this new environment is with new, innovative, creative family meals,” Becker said. “And that’s what we’ll be working with restaurants on, particularly from now through the holidays. You probably won’t be taking your aunt and uncle, your two kids, and your one grandkid out to a restaurant for Christmas Eve as you may have done in the past. Everything is going to be done at home, and people will have cooking exhaustion.

So they’ll want to pick up a beautifully premade cheese and charcuterie platter for Christmas Eve, or they’ll want a wonderful Christmas morning brunch takeout. Those are the kinds of ideas that we’ll be working with restaurants on, and sourcing great Michigan products to help them present.”

It’s these types of creative solutions – and the ability to work with likeminded individuals in creating and implementing them – that has Lahti excited as he continues down the pathway of his tumultuous new job.

“I mean it when I say that I am thankful I get to be a part of this organization, and I that look forward to what we’re going to accomplish in the future,” he said. “I don’t believe there’s a thing we can’t accomplish, and that’s because of the people that are on this team.”

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

What Earthy Delights offers for home chefs Earthy Delights touts itself as “America’s premier supplier of specialty foods to quality-conscious American chefs and retailers.” Specifically, Earthy Delights focuses on wild mushrooms, dried mushrooms, truffles, truffle oil, and other gourmet, artisanal food products. During the pandemic, Earthy Delights has shifted toward serving home cooks, via an intuitive ecommerce platform and a diverse selection of unusual or hard-to-find products. But what does Earthy Delights offer that might inspire your next brilliant home cooking adventure? We picked out a few must-order items that you’re unlikely to find on the average grocery store shelf.

• Dried Morel Mushrooms: Didn’t find any morels this spring? No problem: Earthy Delights has 4-ounce, 8-ounce, and 1-pound bags of dried morels in stock, with prices ranging from $65 to $220. If that sounds expensive, do note that rehydrating dried mushrooms will cause their weight to multiply by 6-8 times. Earthy Delights even offers a how-do guide on reconstituting dried mushrooms right on the product page, plus recipes for a few morel-driven dishes.

• Barrel Aged Fish Sauce: We’ve all heard about barrel-aged beers, but what about barrel-aged fish sauce?

Fish sauce is one of the key ingredients of most Asian cuisine, usually made from fermenting anchovies and salt for months at a time. You’ll find it in recipes for marinades, salad dressings, and old favorites like Pad Thai.

On Earthy Delights, you can find the BLiS Barrel Aged Fish Sauce, a varietal aged for seven months in bourbon barrels that carries a unique sweet and smoky character you won’t get from your average grocery store fish sauce.

A 200ml bottle goes for $24 on Earthy Delights.

• Earthy Delights Truffle Oil: Truffle oils are regularly used by award-winning restaurant chefs to add that last extra kick of fine-dining flavor to dishes as diverse as French fries, pizzas, eggs, and even popcorn. Earthy Delights makes it own proprietary truffle oil, with 250ml bottles of both white and black truffle oil available for $24.50.

Find out for yourself which ingredients Earthy Delights has to offer by visiting earthy.com.

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 17

Please be seated for these abbreviated versions of the restaurant profiles we’ve featured since our last RestauranTour issue. Bon Appetit!

HOPSCOTCH BRICK OVEN & TAPROOM Brothers Matt and Mark Davies, longtime northwest Michigan restaurateurs with four other establishments in the region, opened Hopscotch in 2017 on the east side of Traverse City, in the former location of Mr. Bill’s Shirt Co., next to the now-defunct Pebble Brook miniature golf park When Matt and Mark bought it, it was all linoleum floors and pegboard walls — just an open retail space. But it had something specific they wanted: enough room out back that would allow them to put in a beer garden.

Today, that garden is a major draw for Hopscotch guests. Pea gravel and flagstone walkways define the well laid out seating area, which is surrounded by a tall wooden fence that provides privacy and wind protection. Expansive sails overhead give shelter from the sun and the occasional brief shower. And two fire pits provide warmth and coziness on cooler summer and early fall evenings.

This winter, the brothers plan to put in three greenhouse-like polycarbonate structures — a little more structural than the popular igloos they’ve used previously, plus easier to heat and transparent, so guests will be able to see the snow falling and feel like they’re outside.

On the Menu: Brick oven pizzas are hands-down the most popular items on the Hopscotch menu, and several specialty versions are offered, including the East Bay (red sauce, pepperoni, and sliced sausage, with cremini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms) and the Gyro (shaved beef and lamb, red onion, garlic oil, tomato, and tzatziki sauce), as well as build-your-own options from a long list of possible ingredients.

Among meat lovers, the smoked brisket entrées rule. Purists love the slow-roasted version (smothered in bourbon BBQ sauce), and those who find it hard to choose just one type of meat opt for the Smoke House Plate (brisket, baby back ribs and pulled pork, with traditional or Carolina sauce). In the small plates category, the Summer Shrimp (chilled jumbo shrimp with lemon, garlic and red pepper flakes), Pulled Pork Nachos (with cilantro sour cream and poblano coulis), and Baked Raclette (Leelanau Cheese raclette with potatoes, gherkins and toast points) take top billing, while with the piadinas — Italian flatbreads served like quesadillas — it’s the Cubano (Chihuahua cheese, bacon, smoked pulled pork, dill pickle, and yellow mustard).

Tops picks in sandwiches — all served on toasted ciabatta — include the Lobster Roll (lobster meat, chives, and light mayo, with melted cheese and drawn butter), and the Smoked Turkey Breast (with bacon relish, avocado, tomato and mayo).

The bar features 12 rotating taps, the two mainstays of which are the iconic Motorboater, made exclusively for the Davies restaurant group by Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City, and Hopscotch Ale, from Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire but it also stocks an impressive selection of fine scotch whiskeys, and its bartenders are often rolling out new cocktails.

Find Hopscotch Brick Oven and Taproom at 2032 U.S. 31 North in Traverse City; it also has direct access from the TART (Traverse City Recreational Trail). (231) 252-4718, www.hopscotchbrickovenmi.com CROW’S NEST The Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Catering in Harbor Springs is a 60-year-old Northern Michigan mainstay that eschews the tourist-driven approach and embraces the wants and needs of its regulars, most of whom are area residents.

The result is an eclectic menu of highquality food that belies its rather humble surroundings. Though its food is more akin to haute cuisine, the restaurant itself has a traditional Northern Michigan lodge feel.

Lacquered knotty pine warms the Crow’s Nest’s interior, which is illuminated by large windows that provide views of the verdant grounds. Outside, a small, adjoining patio dining space overlooks a large vegetable and herb garden where owners Bob and Ann Vala cull some of their fare.

The Valas took over in 1997 as the restaurant’s fourth owners. “I put my own spin on things when we started,” the 58-yearold Vala said. “We had been doing about 1,200 meals a day at Stafford’s Pier, so the pace here was very different. But, I brought some ideas that I had there and we took [The Crow’s Nest] menu to the next level.”

On the Menu: The Mediterranean-style Pasta Putanesca ($22) offers great value with a colorful, hearty portion that is alive with fresh flavors. Tart artichoke hearts, tomatoes, capers, garlic, and Nicoise olives embrace tender linguine and succulent shrimp in a delightful quagmire.

Another hefty plate bears the Northern Fried Chicken ($17), half a chicken’s parts expertly deep-fried, juicy and packed with flavor. Loaded mashed potatoes and corn pudding — both tops in their field — offer sweet and savory bookends to the tastilybreaded yard bird.

The Yellow Lake Perch entree ($32) is this eatery’s signature dish. However, the menu contains some other classic entrees like Liver & Onions ($16), Steak Ann ($35), and Great Lakes Whitefish ($23) — and some not so traditional, like Bangkok Stir Fry ($23) and Walleye Morel ($28).

18 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

Because Crow’s Nest sources food locally as much as possible, Michigan’s prized and hunted fungi also appear on the eatery’s most sought-after appetizer, its Morel Bruschetta ($14). Other appetizers include Truffle Fries ($7.95), Calamari ($11), Fried Pickle Chips ($8), Escargot ($14), and BBQ Ribs ($14). The Crow’s Nest also sells a few sandwiches, as well as a variety of pizzas featuring homemade dough. The restaurant has an ample bar with regular beer, wine, and liquor offerings.

The Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Catering is a family dining establishment. Find it at 4601 N. State Rd. (231) 526-6011, www.crowsnestharborsprings.com LYLAH’S Cynthia Henderson might not have a knack for timing, but she more than makes up for it with her food. Conisder: She opened the first Lylah’s in Lake Leelanau in January 2019. Last winter, she moved the popular sandwich shop to Suttons Bay. The new Lylah’s was open for only two weeks — two very successful weeks at that — and then … ? The pandemic hit.

“We were so thrilled that we had made a change for the good because there was more foot traffic, more parking, and we were sure that this was going to be something big.

Little did we know, however, what was about to happen next.”

Henderson closed down right away and stayed closed for a month. “When we reopened, for takeout only, there was definitely an initial drop in sales,” she said, “but since then we have been getting a lot of support from the locals, and visitors are discovering us, too.”

On the Menu: Fresh and homemade are key words for Lylah’s. Tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce are sourced from TLC and other local farms, and most of what can’t be sourced nearby comes from other Michigan growers and producers. Vegetables and salads are prepped fresh daily, and all sauces, spreads and dressings are made in house, Henderson noted, calling herself the “condiment queen.”

And she demands the same quality in the meats she serves. “We make our own pulled pork, slow-roasting it for about 12 hours,” she said. “We also bake our own chicken breasts and roast our own turkey and top round beef. The only meat that we don’t cook here is ham.”

Henderson has always been intrigued by the “endless possibilities” that sandwiches offer, and her made-to-order creations, piled high with toppings and sauce, are definitely the main attraction at Lylah’s. Top sellers include the Gouda-nuff Turkey sandwich

(house-roasted and chopped turkey breast tossed with garlic-herb mayo and topped with smoked Gouda cheese, cucumber slices, lettuce and tomato on toasted sourdough bread), the Jalapeño Mouth (ham, bacon, cheddar, house-candied jalapeños, Dijon mustard and tomato on a toasted onion bun), Horsin’ Around (hand-sliced roast beef, house-pickled onions, horseradish cheese, lettuce, tomato and herb mayo on sourdough bread), and Oh What A Year Oh! (rotisserie lamb or chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese and house-made tzatziki on warm pita bread).

Three different soups are featured daily, with the Turkey Noodle making repeat appearances and selling out quickly every time. A newcomer among the three salads on the menu — all made fresh to order and served with dressing on the side — is the Clubbin’ (turkey, ham, bacon, provolone, pepperoncini, red onion, cucumber and tomato over mixed greens, with herb vinaigrette). And for your sweet tooth, Lylah’s offers an ever-changing selection of homemade cheesecakes, pies, brownies, cookies, and more.

Lylah’s is located at 99 W. 4th St bin Suttons Bay (in the same plaza as Hansen Foods.) (231) 866-4081, Lylahs.square.site

SMALL BATCH AT THE CUPOLA With a little nudge from a good friend, newly retired Lauretta Reiss — whose degree in design from Michigan State University led to a highpowered, international career as a footwear designer — opened a bakery, Small Batch Local, in downtown Harbor Springs in 2014.

Less than a year later, the owner of The Cupola, a well-known Harbor Springs dining destination for 30 years, approached Reiss about taking over that space to open a breakfast and lunch restaurant, and Small Batch at the Cupola was born.

The interior of Small Batch showcases Reiss’s extensive collection of art, cookbooks, and vintage furniture, making patrons feel as if they are dining in a private home. Soft, ’40s-style music plays in the background.

“I wanted to create a compelling, exciting, interesting dining experience,” she said. “You’re dining not only with art surrounding you but also with art on your plate. There’s an artistry in what we do.

On the Menu: Put it this way, said Reiss: “I won’t put anything on my menu unless I’ve done it 100 times — I perfect it and change it until it’s right. And we still tweak things all the time if we feel they can be better yet.”

That includes her version of eggs Benedict, Benedict’s Garden, which uses

Florentine sauce rather than Hollandaise sauce, and poached eggs served over grilled rosemary ham and mixed roasted vegetables. The Rise and Shine breakfast sandwich has caramelized onions, aged cheddar, tarragon-herbed eggs and sriracha aioli on grilled brioche.”

Other popular breakfast features include the Heavenly (lemon ricotta pancakes with fresh blueberries and lemon zest glaze), Cali Dreaming (avocado mash, pickled red onions, tomatoes, cheddar, and two sunny-side-up eggs on grilled ciabatta), and Gravy Train (a grilled golden biscuit topped with crispy fried chicken, sausage gravy and two fried eggs), as well as daily specials, often some version of a quiche.

The dinner menu is nothing if not diverse, with bold flavors and choices ranging from the Holy Smoke (St. Louis ribs slathered in house BBQ sauce) to the Winner Winner Chicken Dinner (crispy chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, slaw, and a biscuit), and the Don Chipotle (a porkbelly BLT with fried green tomato and chipotle aioli. From time to time, Reiss also offers Filipino classics like pancit (a noodle dish) or Mexican fare that she came to love while living in Los Angeles, as well as things like a recent seafood boil (with crawfish, mussels, crab, shrimp, andouille sausage corn and potatoes).

The Small Batch at the Cupola restaurant, also home to Small Batch Local bakery and catering, is located at 340 State St. in Harbor Springs. (231) 242-4686, www.smallbatchhs.com OPA! GRILL & TAPROOM Owner Paul Barbas and his family moved to Traverse City from the Detroit area in the early 2000s, only to discover Mediterranean fare wasn’t on the menu Up North.

For the 100-percent Greek Barbas, the culinary hole was a surprise … and an opportunity.

In 2007, Opa! was born, focusing on classic Greek recipes — with a few Polish dishes in homage to Barbas’ wife, whose family hails from Poland.

Now, 13 years later — and in a new standalone location at Grand Traverse Crossing, across from the Grand Traverse Mall — Opa! and the family’s Greek and Polish traditions are still going strong indoors and out. (Under a large tent in the parking lot, Opa! offers high-top tables, all properly distanced, giving guests the option of outdoor dining or eating in the restaurant.

Guests also can preorder online or via phone and get meals delivered to their assigned table in the tent.)

On the Menu: Whether you’re choosing take-out or an in-person dining experience, Opa’s menu won’t disappoint. With flavorful Mediterranean dishes alongside comfort foods, Coney dogs, and hearty salads, there’s something for nearly all palates. And with “Taproom” now part of the name, more than 50 beer selections stand ready to complement your meal.

“If you come in for the first time, get the gyro [a mix of lamb and beef, or marinated chicken breast] and the Greek side salad,” says Barbas. “If you’re craving a great gyro right off the rotisserie, you’ll find it at our place.”

For those looking to explore a bit more, Barbas recommends the Greek Moussaka (eggplant, potato, ground sirloin, tomato, red wine, and béchamel) and the Greek Kisses. Love Polish food? Barbas reports a lot of customers come in specifically seeking Opa! pierogi.

“I judge a restaurant by their appetizers,” he says of the latter, which are on the starter side of the menu. “We take a wonton and fill it with three different cheeses, flash fry it, and finish it off with a balsamic drizzle.”

Also a must: Opa! Saganaki, melted Greek cheese flamed tableside; The Duo, falafel; and tzatziki served with grilled pita triangles; and — surprise! — Chilean mussels, steamed in white wine, garlic, fennel, and butter.

Opa! Grill & Taproom is open 8am–9pm daily. Find it at 2658 Crossing Circle in Traverse City. (231) 947-6721, www.opagrill.com BENZONIA’S HILL TOP SODA SHOPPE I scream, you scream — most of it directed at the road construction on US-31 in Benzonia — but despite the difficulties posed by the orange barrels and plumes of dust outside, Hill Top Soda Shoppe is drawing lines of customers.

It turns out husband-wife owners Victoria and Chris Mekas had some foresight, both in terms of business choices and, in particular renovation project they took on at Hill Top, which Victoria opened in 2005. The couple remodeled two years ago, expanding from 140 square feet to 600 — “We needed more room to make ice cream,” said Chris — and fortuitiously, ] also installed a drive-thru.

When the pandemic hit, they leaned hard on that particular addition in to serve their popular ice cream, coffee, and fresh donuts to their loyal customers who couldn’t or chose not to come inside.

On the Menu: When the couple initially decided to open an ice cream shop, they decided to do it right; they started by enrolling in ice cream school in North Carolina.

They quickly learned that to make the best ice cream, to stand out among countless other ice cream shops in a summer tourism region, they needed to start with the best ingredients.

“Since day one we’ve used Country Dairy in New Era [Michigan]. It’s a high-end dairy,” Victoria said, noting that it’s not only rBST-free but also exceptionally creamy, thanks to a content of 16 percent butterfat.

Add to that cow-not-chemicallyengineered goodness: all of Hill Top’s ice cream is sweetened with real sugar, not corn syrup. Most flavors are gluten-free, and they use local ingredients whenever they can.

“There’s something about local strawberries.

We use Grossnickle strawberries only,” she said, referring to Grossnickle Farms in nearby Kaleva. “We have a freezer full of strawberries. We usually run out in spring,” just shy of the summer harvest. Also au natural: “Our sorbets are from fresh fruit, sugar, and lemon and lime juice, too.”

Among Hill Top’s unique ice cream flavors are Benzie Berry Blast (with those in-demand strawberries); Pear and Port Wine Sorbet; and special school flavors like Husky Puff Supreme, chock full of cherries and cheesecake; Buckley Bear, a coffee ice cream with sugar cookies and a chocolate swirl; and the Mekas’ twist on Neopolitan, in which mint chocolate chip replaces strawberry.

The reaction from customers is what keeps them — and, you might say, Victoria, coming back. “When people say … it’s the best ever,” she said, “that gives you a lot of pride.”

Find Hill Top Soda Shoppe, open 11am to 9pm daily at 7117 South St., in Benzonia. (231) 882-9697, www.Hill Topsodeshoppe.com

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 19

To God Be The Glory

Plath’s Meats

CHOICE NEW YORK STRIPS, RIBEYES, TOP SIRLOIN, FILET MIGNON & LONDON BROIL, FLANK & SKIRT STEAKS. (CUT FRESH TO ORDER)

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15 VARIETIES OF HOT DOGS & BRATS INCLUDING BLUE CHEESE & APPLE HABANERO MANGO, HABANERO CHEESE & MANGO BRATS BUFFALO BRATS

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SU 1-5

20 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

2200 East Mitchell Rd., Petoskey, MI p. 231-348-8100

JUST LIKE THAT,

since 1876

PUMPKIN is back

downtown suttons bay

Pumpkin Spice Shake

Your new fall-sidekick, the stylish Barbour Annandale Quilt

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Concrete Mixer®

REAL PUMPKIN & FRESH FROZEN CUSTARD Come on in to your local Culver’s restaurant:

Culver’s of Cadillac, Gaylord and Traverse City (Two Locations)

Ladies Barbour - Now In-stock Bahles.net | (231) 271-3841 Mon. – Sat. 10 am – 6 pm

LIMITED TIME ONLY ©2020 Culver Franchising System, LLC. Limited time offer. At participating Culver’s restaurants.

FRANKFORT

Exhibitions | Classes | Events | Gift Shop Open 7 Days | Free Admission | South End of 2nd Street

www.oliverart.org

F I N E D I N I N G · LO D G I N G · E V E N T S

Limited Dine in (no reservations) Curbside/Dockside pick up - Cocktails too!

Menus are on our website TheRiverside-Inn.com | 231 256 9971 | Thurs-Mon 4:30-9:00pm

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 21

22 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

sept 19

saturday

GOOD FIGHT 5K: Also known as the Remembrance Run, this year this run will go virtual. Presented by the TC Track Club. Benefits the Munson Healthcare Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Fund.

Registration runs through Oct. 4. Complete your virtual 5K any day/time/place between Oct. 4 through Oct. 16. $35. runsignup.com/ Race/MI/TraverseCity/RemembranceRun

---------------------MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: Run a 5K or 15K any time between Sept.1-30. runsignup.com/Race/ MI/TraverseCity/MichiganHarvestRun?mc_ cid=72816f6914&mc_eid=aabc289af4

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: Run or walk your race wherever or whenever you like. Or go to Mackinac Island to run the official course, which will be marked October 3, the “official” virtual race day. $40. runmackinac.com

---------------------VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: Hosted by Munson Medical Center’s Thomas Judd Care Center to raise awareness of their HIV care & prevention program in northern Michigan. Open all Sept. $20. runsignup.com/Race/MI/TraverseCity/ThomasJuddCareCenter5K

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

WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: A community-wide wellness challenge that runs Sept. 1-27 & aims to increase physical activity by challenging participants to walk, run, bike, skate, or roll to boost physical & mental health.

Register individually or as a group online. Walk & Roll in: your own neighborhood, some of the parks & trails in Grand Traverse County, or anywhere you please. Log your time, distance, & number of participants. Visit the LaFranier Loops (optional) & play bingo. docs.google.com/forms/ d/e/1FAIpQLScLq06XUxWgi_PgM7r34FEnw9hIcsaJwRpyd_ddBXEP9XAPw/viewform

---------------------VIRTUAL BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSTATE CANCER 5K: Run any time in Sept.

Benefits the Traverse City chapter of US Too, in their work with prostate cancer support, education & awareness. $25 adults; $20 students. blueribbonrun.com

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

BENZIE COUNTY DEMOCRATS MONTHLY MEETING: Benzie County Democratic Party Headquarters, 9930 Honor Hwy., Honor.

Meetings on third Saturday of the month, with 9:30am coffee klatch, 10am community announcements, followed by featured speaker.

Free. benziedemocrats.com

---------------------FALL OUT! AN ART EXPLOSION AT THE GAAC: 10am-2pm, Glen Arbor Arts Center.

This pop-up exhibition + artist demo is an opportunity to watch studio artists demonstrate how they work & create – part of the GAAC’s

6ft Apart Art series. Free. glenarborart.org

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

september

THE VILLAGE CRAFT & VENDOR SHOW: 10am. Visit the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, TC for a socially distanced outdoor craft & vendor show. Featuring more than 50 vendors on the Historic Front Lawn. Free. thevillagetc.com/outdoor-craft-vendor-show-2

19-27

---------------------5TH ANNUAL ADVENTURAMA: 11am, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. A game of strategy played atop bicycles on the neighborhood streets & trails of TC. Scavenger hunt, urban expedition, kids-on-bikes fundraiser, geocaching, costume contest. Presented by Norte. Rolling starts & 100% outside finishes at The Workshop Brewing Co. elgruponorte.org/adventurama/?mc_ cid=5d4d321f58&mc_eid=df24b9efb4

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

---------------------HARVEST DAYS: Enjoy wine club benefits all along the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail through Sept. $35/person. mynorthtickets. com/events/harvest-days-9-1-2020-76963

SADIE BASS: Live from the Lot, Manistee’s First Drive-In Concert. Held at the old K-mart lot in Manistee. Country music singer Sadie Bass’ first song she wrote is “Son He Never Had.” Jason Cross, a solo performing artist as well as guitarist & vocalist for Sadie Bass, will open the concert at 5pm. $50 per vehicle (limit of four people). Printed ticket must be presented at gate. Get your ticket by Sept. 17.

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

SWINGSHIFT AND THE STARS POP-UP CONCERT: Medalie Park, TC. A concert by ReBooted, country/classic rock band, to benefit TC Tritons Rowing. Doors open at 6pm; concert at 6:30pm. Bring a chair. $10/person. swingshiftandthestars.org

---------------------THE CHICAGO CABARET!: 7pm, Old Town Playhouse, Theatre Under the Tent, parking lot, TC. Enjoy the music of Chicago & other Broadway favorites. Masks & social distancing observed. tickets.oldtownplayhouse.com/ TheatreManager/1/login&event=265

---------------------FILMS ON THE FIELD: “THE LION KING (2019)”: 8pm, Turtle Creek Stadium, TC. Moviegoers will purchase a seating area for $50 in advance which will allow them up to a maximum of six people within a 12’ x 12’ area on the field. traverse-city-pit-spitters.nwltickets. com/SingleGame/Tickets

sept sunday 20

PORCHFEST 2020: 1-5pm.

The Central Neighborhood is hosting this free event showcasing local musicians & talent performances played out on front porches throughout the neighborhood. The lineup includes Analogue Sect, Ken Barnard, Salt, Brothers Thom & Bill, Nick & Rokko, & Jenny Thomas. Schedules available at Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. tccna1.wixsite.com/tcporchfest2020

Scarecrows take over the streets of Bellaire where local businesses compete to win the “Best Scarecrow” award at the 22nd Annual Harvest Festival & Scarecrow Extravaganza on Sat., Sept. 26 from 10am-6pm. Last year’s winner (pictured) was 45th Apparel with their “Captain Underpants” scarecrow. This year’s theme is “Bellaire is Fresh Air!” Also enjoy arts and crafts, food vendors, a pet parade, pumpkin painting, tunes, sidewalk sales and more. Find on Facebook.

GOOD FIGHT 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------DOMINGOS: FAMILY MOUNTAIN BIKE SHRED: 11:45am, Glacial Hills, Eckhardt Trail, Bellaire. Presented by Norte. Free. elgruponorte.org

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSTATE CANCER 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------HARVEST DAYS: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

sept monday 21

SCHMIDT TO HOST SEPT. COFFEE HOURS: 9-10am, Harbor View Cafe, Charlevoix.

11am-noon: Petoskey Pretzel Co., Petoskey. State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, will host coffee hours with constituents throughout the 37th Senate District. senatorwayneschmidt.com

---------------------GOOD FIGHT 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19) ---------------------MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: (See Sat., Sept. 19) VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

YOUR LOCAL DELTA PPO & BCBS DENTAL PROVIDERS

THREE LOCATIONS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE

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DR. DENNIS SPILLANE DR. SHAWN SPILLANE DR. THOMAS VARGA DR. LARRY WARECK

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 23

september

19-27

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VIRTUAL BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSTATE CANCER 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------HARVEST DAYS: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

sept tuesday 22

CONNECTING WOMEN IN BUSINESS: 11:30am12:30pm. Presented by the Petoskey Chamber. “Revving Your Resiliency” featuring Jackie Krawczak. Virtual Zoom. $20 members; $25 members; includes $10 Parkside Deli gift certificate. Register. petoskeychamber.com/events/details/cwibevent-september-22-2020-23203

---------------------GOOD FIGHT 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19) ---------------------ROADSIDE REFLECTIONS WITH JACKSON FAULKNER (VIA ZOOM): 6:30pm. Every image tells a story & Jackson Faulkner tells it through his photographs in Dramascapes.

Registration is required via Zoom. Once you register you will receive a confirmation email with directions on how to join the meeting.

Free. tadl.org/roadsidereflections

---------------------MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

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

MORE THAN A YOGA STUDIO,

NEW MOON IS A PLACE TO

REFRESH YOUR SPIRIT With a diversity of teachers, styles of yoga and methods of movement, there is a practice here for everyone.

Visit newmoonyogastudio.com for class offerings 10781 Cherry Bend Rd. Traverse City

CIVICS HAPPY HOUR: 4pm, Traverse Area District Library, front lawn, TC. Register to vote, get a library card & fill out your Census. Look for the white tents. In case of rain the event will move to an inside setup consistent with COVID/ distancing requirements. If you cannot attend this event, you can still complete your forms online. Free. tadl.org/event/civics-happy-hour

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-7pm, The Loft, Bay Harbor. $10 members; $15 not-yet members.

---------------------VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------PEEPERS: FUNKY FROGS: 10am, Boardman River Nature Center, outside, TC. For ages 3-5. This nature program includes stories, crafts, music & discovery activities. Featuring “Leaps and Bounce” by Susan Hood. $5. natureiscalling.org/learn/pre-k-programs/peepers

---------------------DOCKSIDE SPRING FLING MOVES TO FALL: Fifty percent of all sales from 5-9pm at the Dockside Restaurant on Torch Lake will be donated to Grass River Natural Area. 231-838-0269.

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

Week Days 7 am - 4 pm

Saturday - Sunday 9 am - 3 pm

Located in the Mercato in The Village of The Grand Traverse Commons Reservations Accepted 231.252.4648

RedSpireBrunchHouse.com

24 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------CONSTITUTIONAL CELEBRATION: 6pm, Harvest Barn Church, East Jordan. With Katherine Henry, P.C. Constitutional attorney with the Restore Freedom Initiative. 231-536-2870. Free.

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSTATE CANCER 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------HARVEST DAYS: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

sept thursday 24

DEJA ZOOM: THE VIRTUAL ALPHABET EXPERIENCE LIVE!: 7-8pm. Presented

by Parallel 45 Theatre. This year’s challenge: How to complete the entire alphabet in under an hour & stay socially distanced. $12-$100. mynorthtickets.com/events/deja-zoom-the-virtual-alphabet-experience-live-9-24-2020

---------------------GOOD FIGHT 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19) ---------------------MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

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

VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

VIRTUAL BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSTATE CANCER 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

Closed Tuesdays Feburary – April

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

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

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

c l a s s i c b r u n c h c o c k ta i ls

GTWOMAN LUNCH LIVE ONLINE: 11am1pm. Hosted by Candace Chapple & Kerry Winkler, publishers. Lighten Up & Lead featuring Tami Evans. Learn to overcome Zoom Gloom, increase self-confidence & activate a positive workplace. $35 each or 2 for $60. grandtraversewoman.com/events/sept-2020-gtw-luncheon

---------------------VIRTUAL PROGRAMS BY THE GREAT LAKES CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: GET CRAFTY @ HOME: 11am. Pine Cone Painting: Paint the pine cone, & then paint with the pine cone. Go to web site to see the materials list. greatlakeskids.org/get-crafty-at-home

Unquely prepared with elegant simplicity

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

VIRTUAL PROGRAMS BY THE GREAT LAKES CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: STORIES @ HOME: 11am. Stories in the Sky: Why Coyotes Howl. Visit web site for materials list. greatlakeskids.org/stories-at-home

WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

B r e a k f a s t, B r u n c h & L u n c h C l a s s i c s

GOOD FIGHT 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

HARVEST DAYS: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

sept wednesday 23

NATIONAL WRITERS SERIES: AN EVENING WITH YAA GYASI: 7pm. “Transcendent Kingdom” is Yaa Gyasi’s follow-up to her critically acclaimed national bestseller, “Homegoing.” It is a novel about a Ghanaian family in Alabama. Guest host is Rochelle Riley, executive director of Arts, Culture and Entertainment for the City of Detroit. Held on Zoom.

Register. Free. bit.ly/NWSFallSeason

------------------------------------------WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSTATE CANCER 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------HARVEST DAYS: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

sept friday 25

TC GERMANFEST 2020: This year, Trinity Lutheran in Traverse City has canceled its annual tented festival & will instead offer “take-out” German dinners. Get tickets now & pick up your curb-side German dinners on Sept. 25 between 4-8pm at Trinity Lutheran Church and School, 1003 S. Maple St., TC. https://mynorthtickets.com/events/tc-germanfest-2020-9-25-2020 Advance: adults $15/children $3; same day: $20 adults. tcgermanfest.org

---------------------GOOD FIGHT 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19) ---------------------LIVESTREAM: INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY “COLLAGE”: 7:30pm. Experience the best of Interlochen Arts Academy in this fast-paced interdisciplinary showcase. An annual tradition,

“Collage” features live performances by the Academy’s musicians, actors & dancers. Readings by creative writers, exhibits by visual artists, & shorts

by Academy filmmakers. “Collage” will be live streamed at live.interlochen.org & on Facebook.

Free. tickets.interlochen.org/events/arts-academy-collage/september-25-2020-730pm

---------------------MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL PROGRAMS BY THE GREAT LAKES CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: FIRST STEPS SCIENCE: 11am. Apple Lab. Stage an apple gravity race, build an apple from the ground up with playdoh, blow edible apple bubbles & more. Visit web site for materials list. greatlakeskids.org/first-steps-science

---------------------VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------FALL CHAIRLIFT RIDES: 5-7pm, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Enjoy panoramic views of three counties during the peak of the fall color season. Purchase tickets at the base of the Crystal Clipper. 8 & under free with paying adult. $5/person. Find on Facebook.

---------------------WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------VIRTUAL BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSTATE CANCER 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------HARVEST DAYS: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

12TH ANNUAL AUTUMN BREEZEWAY CRUISES: Held Sept. 26, Oct. 3 & Oct. 10. The “Breezeway,” a rural ride along C-48 from Atwood through Ellsworth & East Jordan, & ending in Boyne Falls, boasts scenic overlooks, great motorcycle & bicycle rides, recreational amenities galore, working farms & orchards, artist galleries & studios, resale shops, lodging facilities, retail & service businesses & a selection of dining choices along the route. ridethebreezeway.com

---------------------FRISKE HARVEST FEST: 8am-5pm, Friske’s Farm Market, Ellsworth. Pumpkins, pumpkin pancake breakfast, homemade donuts, fresh pressed cider, wagon rides, live music with Scott Hankins, kids activities & more. friske.com

---------------------COMEDIAN MIKE YOUNG: 8pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Returning to Center Stage after opening for Bob Saget last September, comedian Mike Young brings his rated R-ish act home for a night of laughs. A native Detroiter, Mike Young is a comedian, writer & director who got his start in stand-up comedy.

All seats $25. greatlakescfa.secure.force.com/ ticket/#/events/a0S4R00000bNZEJUA4

---------------------GOOD FIGHT 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19) ---------------------22ND ANNUAL HARVEST FESTIVAL & SCARECROW EXTRAVAGANZA: 10am-6pm, Broad St., Bellaire. Scarecrows take over the streets of Bellaire where local businesses compete to win the “Best Scarecrow” award. This year’s theme is “Bellaire is Fresh Air!” Also enjoy arts & crafts, food vendors, a pet parade, pumpkin painting, tunes, sidewalk sales & more.

---------------------MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

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

sept saturday 26

PAINT & PUMPKINS: 10am5pm, downtown East Jordan.

Coincides with the East Jordan Fall Festival. Local crafters & nationally acclaimed artists will be on hand to explain & demonstrate. Painters, glass blowers, yard art, holiday decor, jewelry, sculptures, pottery & metal artists plus more. daniellesblueribbonevents.com

---------------------30TH ANNIVERSARY HARBOR SPRINGS CYCLING CLASSIC: Birchwood Inn, Harbor Springs. All routes include the Tunnel of Trees or the Little Traverse Wheelway. On the Little Traverse Wheelway, choose from 14 to 30 miles to ride. All three of the road routes include the Tunnel of Trees, one of the most scenic roads in northern Michigan. You have a choice of 20, 45, or 60 miles to cycle. After your ride, enjoy a sack lunch. Register in advance: $30 adults, $20 ages 6-12, & free for 5 & under. Cyclists must start between 7:30am & 9:30am. birchwoodinn. com/hscyclingclassic.html

BEACH CLEANUP: 9am-noon, Sunset Park to F and M Park, TC. Register. docs.google.com/forms/d/ e/1FAIpQLSdSP0TRsfVbqAtTZVoGI2_M6T0KUAO5DLI2MqyGmQFkwJ3zxg/viewform

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------FALL KICK-OFF IN BOYNE CITY: Boyne City Main Street will hold a pumpkin giveaway for children beginning at 10am at Country Now & Then, 211 Water St. 300 pumpkins will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Friends of the Boyne District Library have provided painting kits for children to take home to paint their pumpkin.

The regular Boyne City Farmers Market will be held in Veteran’s Park from 8am-noon. These activities are held in place of the Harvest Festival, which is typically held the last Saturday of Sept.

---------------------VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------BEACH Randolph

CLEANUP: 1:30-3:30pm, St. to dog park, TC. Reg-

---------------------WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------LIVESTREAM: INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY SINGER SONGWRITERS & POPULAR MUSIC ENSEMBLES: 7:30pm.

Enjoy live performances by Interlochen Arts Academy singer songwriters & popular music ensembles at live.interlochen.org. Free. tickets.interlochen.org/events/arts-academysinger-songwriters-popular-music-ensembles/ september-26-2020-730pm

---------------------VIRTUAL BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSTATE CANCER 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------HARVEST DAYS: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

sept sunday 27

THE CUMMINGS QUARTET RECITAL: 4pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. The Cummings Quartet is the resident ensemble of the Dorothy Gerber Strings Program, an educational program of the Center. This socially-distanced recital includes powerful & moving pieces by Mozart & Smetana. Free; tickets required. greatlakescfa.org/ event-detail/the-cummings-quartet-recital

---------------------PAINT & PUMPKINS: (See Sat., Sept. 26) ---------------------GOOD FIGHT 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19) ---------------------MICHIGAN HARVEST VIRTUAL RUN SERIES: HOP TROT: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------FLOW HOSTS THE BEST PART OF US - VIRTUAL LAUNCH EVENT: 5pm. As part of its Art

4 Color: Meets Water series, FLOW (For Love of WaPMS 583 Green PMS Light Blue Exploring The Best Part Of Us ter)7459 presents: PMS 7462 Dark Blue Through Words and Water. A virtual conversaPMS 7413 Orange

tion with author Sally Cole-Misch & FLOW Senior Policy Advisor Dave Dempsey about the new novel, “The Best Part of Us,” writing about essential connections to nature & celebrating the Great Lakes. Free. zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvfuyrqDkvH9fkbNQYUMkcRcwf644pxthp

---------------------VIRTUAL MACKINAC ISLAND FORT 2 FORT FIVE MILE CHALLENGE: (See Sat., Sept. 19) VIRTUAL NORTHERN LIGHTS FUN RUN 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

---------------------WALK & ROLL GRAND TRAVERSE: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

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

2 VIRTUAL Color: BLUE RIBBON RUN FOR PROSPMS 7459 Light Blue TATE CANCER 5K: (See Sat., Sept. 19) PMS 7462 Dark Blue

ongoing

YOGA HIKE: Tuesdays, 9am, Sept. 22 - Oct. 13. Four-week series of brisk fall hikes interspersed with yoga, breath work & meditation.

Held at Veronica Valley County Park, 4243 S. Lake Leelanau Dr., Lake Leelanau. yogaonthebeachnmi.com/schedule

---------------------BASKETS OF BOUNTY HOLIDAY DONATION DRIVE FOR AREA SENIORS: The Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging is seeking: paper towels, Kleenex, toilet paper, flushable wipes, lip balm (Chapstick), Band-Aids, shampoo/ conditioner combo, body lotion, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, liquid hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent (smaller containers), assorted puzzle books (new), hand sanitizer & wipes, & cat & dog treats. Donations are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to: Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging. Cash donations are also accepted. All donations will be accepted through Weds., Nov. 25 at the Commission on Aging office located at 520 W. Front St., TC. Donations can be left in the front entrance area until the office opens to public. grandtraverse.org

---------------------EXPLORE EAST BAY: Runs through Nov. 1. This new, free, eight-week outdoor walking program invites you to explore eight featured parks in East Bay Township & improve your physical health.

Participants will record their daily steps & walking minutes. The program will feature one park in East Bay as part of a weekly photo contest. Sign up. http://eastbaytwp.org/exploreeastbay/

---------------------“LIGHT THE PATH TO A HAPPY KID”: A free virtual learning opportunity for parents presented by TCAPS. Featuring a keynote from Jessica Minahan, a nationally recognized speaker on child anxiety. Offering practical advice for parents looking to support their child’s social & emotional health & wellbeing. Runs for five Tuesdays, from Sept. 15 - Oct. 13. The time for Sept. 15 is 6:30-8:30pm. The other Tuesdays run from 7-7:45pm. This event is livestreamed.

Register to receive your link to the virtual workshop sessions. sites.google.com/tcapsstudent. net/light-the-way-to-a-happy-kid-e/home

---------------------LIVE STORYTIME WITH MISS DIANE ON FACEBOOK: Presented by the Bellaire Public Library on Wednesdays at 11am. bellairelibrary.org

---------------------LIVE FROM THE OPERA HOUSE: IT’S STORYTIME!: With Traverse Area Public Schools & Newton’s Road. Available to stream live via Facebook & available to watch anytime on demand on YouTube after the broadcast. Held every Weds. through Sept. at 9am. tcaps247.com

---------------------TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT: Bellaire Public Library. Bring your devices & questions each Tues. at 2pm. bellairelibrary.org

---------------------HARVEST DAYS: (See Sat., Sept. 19)

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Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 25

nitelife

sept 19 - sept 27 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Emmet & Cheboygan BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY PATIO: 9/19 -- Tyler Parkin, 2-6

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

ACOUSTIC TAP ROOM, TC 9/19 -- Corbin Manikas, 8 9/26 -- John Piatek, 8 BRENGMAN BROTHERS WINERY, TC 9/20 -- Brady, 4-6 CHATEAU CHANTAL, TC 9/24 -- Unplugged on the Terrace w/ Loren Ulrich, 5-7 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, TC 9/21 -- 2 BlondE's (Jenna & JJ

Elsenheimer), 7-9 9/24 -- Clint Weaner, 7:3010:30 9/25 -- Matthew Mansfield, 8-11 ROVE ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY, TC 9/25 -- Chris Smith, 6-9 THE PARLOR, TC PATIO: 9/19 -- Jim Hawley & Co., 6-9

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC PATIO: 9/19 -- Matthew Mansfield, 6-9 THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC PATIO: 9/19 -- Stonehengz, 5:30-9:30 9/22 -- USS Comedy Open Mic, 8-9:30 9/25 -- Isaac Ryder - One Man Band, 5:30-9:30 9/26 -- Chris Sterr, 5:30-9:30

Leelanau & Benzie BOATHOUSE VINEYARDS TASTING ROOM ON THE NARROWS, LAKE LEELANAU 9/20 -- Chris Smith, 3:30-6 CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE LEVEL FOUR ROOFTOP BAR: 9/19 & 9/25 -- Luke Woltanski, 7-9 9/26 -- Chris Smith, 7-9

Daydrinkers Series, 2-5; Blind Dog Hank, 7-10 9/22 -- Rhett & John, 6:30-9:30 9/23 -- Andre Villoch, 6:30-9:30 DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. – Karaoke, 10-1 LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 9/19 -- The Menchacas - The

9/24 -- Blake Elliott wsg Ted Alan,

Otsego, Crawford & Central

Antrim & Charlevoix CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 9/26 -- Jazz Cabbage, 7-10

9/25 -- Chase & Allie, 4-7:30 9/26 -- Chris Calleja, 2-6

9/25 -- Cocktails & Karaoke, 7-11

9/24 -- Jessica Dominic, 7-10

ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 9/19 -- The Pistil Whips, 8-11 9/26 -- Flower Isle, 8-11

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BELLAIRE 9/19 -- Clint Weaner, 7:30-10:30 9/25 -- Jessica Dominic, 7-10:30

HELLO VINO, BELLAIRE 9/21 -- Jessica Dominic, 5-8 9/23 -- Rick Woods, 6-9

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, CENTRAL LAKE 9/23 -- Clint Weaner, 7-10

STIGGS BREWERY & KITCHEN, BOYNE CITY 9/19 -- Chris Koury, 7-10 9/25 -- The Real Ingredients, 7-10 9/26 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7-10

BENNETHUM'S NORTHERN INN, GAYLORD 9/22 -- Sean Miller, 6-9

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This offer includes designer frames and prescription sunglasses. *some restrictions apply see store for details. Offer also valid at Midland and Mt Pleasant locations.

26 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

The reel

by meg weichman

I

f you’ve been paying attention to any movie news (you know, amidst all the political and pandemic news) these past six months since I last filed a review, you have no doubt heard of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and its delayed release. And while any new film from Nolan, the auteur behind such greats as Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, is always a cinematic event, there’s a lot more riding on this film’s release than just fan response and box office numbers – it’s nothing less than the very future of moviegoing.

So as we all grapple with what the future may hold, a film like Tenet, one designed so completely with the big screen in mind, begs the question whether the theatrical experience will become more of a niche thing of film purists, or whether we will return to our pre-pandemic habits. And after seeing it, Tenet becomes an even more interesting case study. Because truly, if you’re going to make a case for returning to movie theaters (which is a decision you must make while following ALL safety protocols), as far as pure craftsmanship and spectacle goes, this really is the film to do it.

From the breathtaking visuals, the feel-itin-your-bones score, and the majesty of the practical effects, this is an overwhelming sensory experience where you really can see every dollar spent on the screen. It plays out a bit like a spy action thriller, as the characters jet between glamorous international locales in impeccably tailored double-breasted suits.

But unlike a Bond film, this is something much more cerebral, which can be an audience deterrent.

Nolan continues his inventive and boundarypushing storytelling and takes it to a new level.

It could be the most Nolan film to ever Nolan, one as entertaining as it is confusing and one as slick as it is ludicrous. John David Washington (BlackKklansman) stars as a CIA operative without a name – he is literally credited as “The Protagonist – who is recruited into a mysterious organization called Tenet that is trying to prevent “World War III.” But we’re not talking nuclear holocaust; it’s something far less straightforward, and the protagonist is taken to a scientist who tries to explain what he is up against.

While I won’t tell you much, it won’t spoil the experience to say it’s something called time inversion, which is NOT time travel.

Essentially, inversion is objects traveling backward in time and these inverted objects (or weapons) can have an apocalyptic effect on the world. The best bit of explanation the scientist gives though is “don’t try to understand it, feel it,” and it would behoove you to do the same, and not fixate on every detail ( at least not on your first watch).

The source of these inverted weapons is Russian arms dealer Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh, really getting into the part). And in order to get close to Sator, the protagonist cozies up to his wife -- the sad, tragic, and sinewy Kat (Elizabeth Debicki, Widows). She’s an art dealer trapped in her unhappy marriage.

The protagonist also recruits an operative to assist him, Neil (Robert Pattinson), and together they embark on a Horocrux-style search for the film’s MacGuffin that takes us from one stunning set piece to the next as they travel between the likes of the Amalfi Coast, London, and Mumbai. In between, to keep things moving forward, there are plenty of explanation-heavy info dumps which continue right up until the very end.

But back to those set pieces! Bungeeing down skyscrapers, crashing a real 747 into a secure vault, an unforgettable car chase – they are the work of a master. Nolan employs only minimal

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tenet CGI special effects and you can truly feel the difference. There’s also a level of nuance and purpose to the action unlike so many other superhero bombardiers. Even when you are lost in the plot (which you will be), you’ll still be riveted by the action.

The characters, however, are not as riveting.

The film is purposely austere, and while there are humorous touches, they don’t always land. Tenet is pretty much devoid of character development. I mean, a major tip off is that the main character doesn’t even have a name, which does suggest this is definitely a choice. But it also means that Washington comes across a little flat, especially as compared to Pattinson, who so clearly out-charismas the lead.

And while it initially seems Nolan might come close to creating a fulfilling female character in Kat, all she ends up doing is yell about how much she loves her son (a son who is nothing more than a prop in the film), and you never really feel the pull of that love.

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There’s also unintelligible dialogue, which stems from a stylistic sound mixing choices, that adds to the confusion. But it’s convolutedness is near glorious, rising to a level of ridiculousness that even though the film plays deadly serious, it also does display a certain knowingness that while not a full on wink, might qualify as a squint?

My biggest complaint though, other than that I was led to believe there would be more Michael Caine, is that emotionally the film falls flat, failing to achieve the catharsis of what Nolan did so successfully in Interstellar.

See, I don’t believe you need to understand exactly what is going down beat by beat (that is a puzzle to be solved post-viewing on Reddit), but the fact that Nolan never really makes a strong case for what it all means, philosophically or metaphysically, leaves you feeling empty. Becuase as much as it draws you in with its spectacle and scientific musings, the short supply of humanity keeps you at arms’ length. And this is emblematic of essentially what Hollywood has to offer us: something beautiful, but empty.

Yet for as confounding of a watch it might prove to be, it is still an exhilarating cinematic journey. And is asking something of an audience really that bad of a thing? For all its indulgence and pretension, there’s also its ambition: This is a rare blockbuster based on an actual original story, not some pre-existing intellectual property, and it stars an untested Black man, which is all to say that this, along with Nolan’s many bonafides, engenders a great deal of goodwill.

In so many ways, its undeniable impressiveness embodies everything I want from going to the movies, but in its chilliness and esoteric underpinnings, it also reflected my fears as to where moviegoing might be headed.

Meg Weichman is a perma-intern at the Traverse City Film Festival and a trained film archivist.

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 27

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Meet Joe Backup

and trying to win her heart Cusack in “Say Anything”-style.

: The guy I’m seeing is super attentive and affectionate when we’re together, but then he always falls off the grid. He’ll wait weeks before texting me to make plans again, and sometimes I have to initiate. What’s his deal, and how do I proceed? It’s a new relationship, so I’d feel too needy to tell him I want more attention.

— Yearning

Q

In men, a long-term sexual strategy -- being commitment-driven rather than sexual smorgasbord-driven — can be triggered.

Recall that sexual strategies are “contextdependent.” Wanting a family is one such context. But men will also commit when that’s what it takes to land a woman with high “mate value,” who can “afford” to hold out: commitment or goodbye.

A

Your immediate focus, however, should be on what you potentially have in common with a coke-obsessed lab rat. Psychologists find that “intermittent reinforcement” — occasional, unpredictable “rewards,” like a guy who pops up unexpectedly from time to time — is the stuff obsessions are made of.

(Poor little lab rats that push a bar and only sporadically get a hit of cocaine will often push the thing till they’re lying paws up in the corner of their cage.)

: We have a term for a pleasant, attentive man who drops by from time to time and then isn’t seen for weeks, and no, it is not “boyfriend” but “UPS man.”

Some will say you should just ask for what you want: Hit the guy up for increased attention and presence like you’d hit up the Burgers R Us server for another thingie of mustard. However, we modern humans have an antique psychological operating system: psychology adapted for solving recurring mating problems for ancestral humans. So, responding to behavior without considering the underlying evolved motivation could get you in trouble, maybe even nuking your chances with a guy.

Evolutionary psychologists David Buss and David Schmitt find that humans opt for different “sexual strategies”: “short-term” (casual) or “long-term” (committed). Which strategy is activated depends on “context,” including factors like a person’s mate value (relative to their competition) and the stage of life they’re in.

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28 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

BY Amy Alkon

Many men eventually want to settle down with a long-term partner. However, because for men, having sex does not lead to ye olde bun in the oven (and the need for a committed partner to help feed and shelter the child that results), they evolved to prioritize sexual variety and commitment-free sex. (All the better to spread more of their genes into future generations!) So, a “short-term sexual strategy” is generally optimal for men in a way it just isn’t for women.

Women, just like men, engage in casual sex.

However, women’s emotions evolved to push them to seek commitment (and freak out and long for it when they perceive it isn’t there — sometimes even when a woman knows she wants nothing more than a one-nighter from a guy). So, a woman might be relieved some himbo she dragged home is sneaking down the tree outside her bedroom window after sex but then wake up in the morning all, “How dare you?!” that he isn’t back under it, holding up a speaker attached to his iPhone,

Contrast intermittent reinforcement with “regular reinforcement,” like a guy who’s always there for you. When rewards come reliably and predictably rather than randomly and unpredictably, the suspense is gone. The air goes out of the crazy, and you can relax and maybe even take Mr. Reliable for granted.

Becoming obsessed with a guy — even if you do your best to hide it — tends to send a message, and it isn’t, “I’m seriously high in mate value!” It also shifts your focus from learning who he is and what you might have together to the chase. All that matters is whether he’s called, when he might call, and how you might find a gig-economy sorcerer to cast a spell to make him call.

To avoid taking off on the crazy train, open your life up to other men. This doesn’t have to mean swiping a new guy into your bed every night. You could be exploring your prospects in Zoom conversations, taking advantage of how the pandemic has slowed the pace of dating. Adding men on your end changes your emotional context from needy and desperate to “hope you come around, but if you don’t, plenty more where you came from.”

He may sense he has competition and change his strategy: start calling and coming around on the regular. Of course, maybe with the attention and commitment famine no longer a factor, you’ll end up with another guy — one who makes the relationship you two have feel like a dream as opposed to the last desert mirage you see before you collapse in the sand and are eaten by buzzards.

lOGY

SEPT 21 - SEPT 27

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Seventy-nine-year-old Libran poet

Robert Pinsky has had a triumphant life. He has published 19 books, including his own poems and essays, as well as translations of Italian and Polish poetry. For four years he served as the United States Poet Laureate. To what factors does he attribute his success? Here’s one: “Whatever makes a child want to glue macaroni on a paper has always been strong in me,” he testifies. He’s referring to the primitive arts-and-crafts projects he enjoyed while growing up. In accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you, too, to get in touch and commune with the primal roots of the things you love to do.

Reconnect with the original expressions of your passion for life.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “It’s a

rare gift, to know where you need to be, before you’ve been to all the places you don’t need to be.” Author Ursula K. Le Guin wrote that.

I’m passing it on to you because I suspect you now possess the power to claim this rare gift. In the coming days, you don’t have to engage in endless evaluations of the numerous possibilities. You don’t have to risk falling victim to overthinking. Your clear, strong gut hunches will tell you exactly where you need to be and how to get there.

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

Henry Miller was in many ways a quintessential Capricorn. He described himself as being “in love with love, always in search of the absolute, always seeking the unattainable.” Feelings like those are why your astrological symbol is the mountain goat that’s always climbing higher, questing toward the next pinnacle. At your best, you’re determined to keep striving for the brightest, the strongest, the truest. Sometimes you overdo this admirable imperative, but mostly it’s a beautiful quality. You are hereby authorized to express it with maximum wisdom and eagerness in the coming weeks.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Go catch a

falling star,” wrote poet John Donne (1572– 1631) in his poem “Song.” “Tell me who cleft the Devil’s foot,” he went on to say. “Teach me to hear the mermaids singing.” He wasn’t being literal, but rather was indulging in poetic fancy to stretch his readers’ imaginations. I’m offering you the spirit of Donne’s poem, Aquarius, because you’re ripe to transcend your limited notions about what’s plausible and implausible. If you allow yourself to get extravagant and unruly in your fantasies, you may crack through shrunken expectations and break into a spacious realm of novel possibilities.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): I don’t suggest

you indulge daringly in sensual pleasures, cathartic exchanges of energy, and intoxicating pursuits of relief and release. The pandemic mandates us to be cautious about engaging in unmitigated bliss—even though the astrological omens suggest that if now were a normal time, such activities would be well worth focusing on. How can you resolve this dilemma? Possibilities: 1. Experiment zestfully with your live-in steady or spouse. 2. Get a COVID-19 test with a potential playmate, and if you both test negative, celebrate boisterously. 2. Round up a dazzler with whom you can generate rapture via Zoom. 3. Fantasize about delightfully gracious debauchery. 4. Go solo.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “It takes a lot of

courage to be the same person on the outside that you are on the inside.” Author Barbara De Angelis made that observation. I offer it up to you as a fun challenge. During the coming weeks, you may be strongly tempted to be different on the outside than you are on the inside. On the other hand, you’ll have the necessary insight and valor to remain unified. In fact, you may ultimately create more congruence between your inside and outside than you have in a long time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “People who deny

the existence of dragons are often eaten by dragons. From within.” Fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin made that observation, and now I’m conveying it to you just in time for the season when you’ll need it most. Please note that I am not predicting you’ll be devoured by dragons from within. In offering you this oracle, my hope is that you will: 1. acknowledge the

existence of metaphorical dragons; 2. locate where they hang out in your inner realms; 3. study them and get to know them better; 4. devise a strategy for dealing with them safely.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Don’t let them

tame you,” advised flamboyant Gemini dancer Isadora Duncan. Who did she mean by “them”?

The mainstream critics, who might have wished she cultivated a less maverick style? Her managers and handlers, who may have wanted her to tone herself down so she could earn maximum amounts of money? Her friends, who cringed when she did things like dancing on a table wearing an evening dress at a party? In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to take a survey of what influences might wish you were more docile, mild, or manageable. And then meditate on how you could consistently express the healthiest kind of wildness.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the Yoruba religion of Ifà, the English word “heart” has two different meanings and words. So says Yoruba priest Awó Falokun Fatunmbi. The first heart is the organ that pumps blood through our bodies. It’s called okàn. Within the okàn is the second heart: a power center that regulates the flow of emotions. It’s called ègbè. I believe your ègbè will be exceptionally strong and clear and generous in the coming weeks, Cancerian. Your capacity to feel deeply and truly will be a gift to all those with whom you share it. It will also have the potential to enhance your appreciation for your own mysterious life. Wield your ègbè with glee and panache!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Ancient Greek

philosopher Plato observed, “Do not train children to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” The same principle applies to all of us adults who are committed to the goal of life-long learning. And according to my astrological analysis, it will be especially useful for you Leos to keep in mind during the coming weeks. It’s time to energize your education!

And here’s the best way to gather the new teachings that are important for you to know: Follow what amuses your mind.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Christian author Frederick Buechner writes, “We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves, and I believe that to love ourselves means to extend to those various selves that we have been along the way the same degree of compassion and concern that we would extend to anyone else.” Let’s make his thought your keynote for the next two weeks. Now is an excellent time to take a journey through your past to visit all the other people you have been. As you do attend to this poignant work, be generous with each of your old selves. Forgive them for their errors and praise their beauty. Tell them how much you love them. Thank them for how they have made possible the life you’re living now.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “A single ego is

an absurdly narrow vantage point from which to view the world,” wrote occultist Aleister Crowley.

Author Gore Vidal agreed, saying, “Since no one can ever know for certain whether or not his own view of life is the correct one, it is absolutely impossible for him to know if someone else’s is the wrong one.”

All of us can perpetually benefit from this counsel. And it will be especially healthy for you to heed during the next four weeks.

Humility will be a superpower. Blessings will flow your way if you don’t need to be right all the time. As you refrain from regarding your own opinions as God’s holy decrees, you will generate good fortune for yourself.

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Battle of the Alternative Bands" predictions on who would win. [#464, Apr. 2010] --by Matt Jones ACROSS 1 Maggie Gyllenhaal’s brother 5 Tallahassee’s st.

8 Earthy yellow shade 13 Fix text 14 “___ Boot” 15 Weasel out (on) 16 “You’d think Band A would hold up, but it’s flimsy.

Band B wins” 19 Like some computer errors 20 Blood type for just over 6% of the U.S. pop.

21 They follow B 22 Unable to work, perhaps 24 CPR pro 26 Comp. storage sites 27 Forever, it seems 31 “Charter” tree 33 Diamond Head locale 35 “Band B wins, since Band A only has a tolerance for booze” 39 Wash against, as the shore 40 Cutesy-___ 41 Four Holy Roman Emperors 43 “Drop Band A on Band B? Band B wins, no contest” 46 1920s design style 47 Suffix for orange or lemon 48 Gaelic tongue 49 “Ben-___” (movie classic) 51 Shaker ___, OH 53 Furthest degree 55 Fertile Crescent locale 57 Golfer Aoki 59 Did some diamond inspecting?

64 “Band B wins, because it’s pointy and doesn’t digest well” 67 Early actress Langtry 68 Dir. opp. WNW 69 “Scientific American Frontiers” host Alan 70 Didn’t dine out 71 “Slippery When ___” (Bon Jovi album) 72 Spotted

DOWN 1 Constantly napping member of The Wiggles 2 Song from Sarah McLachlan’s “Surfacing” 3 Highland Games garb 4 “At Last” blues singer ___ James 5 Prez on the dime 6 Kitschy ‘70s plug-ins 7 Part of AARP 8 “___ the fields we go ...”

9 “Mad Money” network 10 Job search insider 11 Spurred (on) 12 Hull wreckers 15 Stringy cleaner 17 Footballer Manning 18 “Isn’t that something?”

23 ___ Lobos 25 California/Nevada attraction 27 The whole thing 28 Burrito add-on, for short 29 Fashionable sandal 30 Drive-thru drink with a plastic dome 32 Villainous surname in the Super Mario Bros. series 34 Request to the dealer 36 Manufacturer of electronics for kids 37 What automobile interiors may drown out 38 Geologic time periods 42 Sault ___ Marie Canals 44 Candle type 45 He might heal your hamster 49 “Se ___ espaÒol” 50 “___ wisely” 52 Reptilian warning 54 Clueless response 56 Obesity drug Orlistat, over the counter 58 Not too many 60 Business degs.

61 Stripper’s fixture 62 “The Neverending Story” author Michael 63 Jimmy of meat products 65 Half of an eternal balance 66 Movie studio filming site

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 29

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30 • sept 21, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly

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

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Mike Annelin

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MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS 2020 CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“We had our 100 year old property/farm and home on Old Mission for almost 50 years. It was an emotional process for us. We felt he genuinely understood that and the unique value of the property.

There are essential skills a realtor must have to do an excellent job. Never detected anything lacking there, but to bring the personal like ability and support we experienced is the something extra that is so invaluable.”

“Mike was highly recommended by local Traverse City residents who had previous real estate dealings with him and were very satisfied with the level of service received. Mike was definitely in our corner regarding negotiations on the property. Very impressed with his professionalism. A++++ in all aspects of our relationship. Mike definitely was the man!”

“Mike knows the market and was able to sell my property quickly as a result.

He knew what prospective buyers would want, and he tailored the price, the showings and the terms accordingly.

I got the result I wanted.”

“Our house sale had a lot of changes required due to COVID-19, our moving date, and some unexpected basement flooding right before closing.

Mike was patient and understanding through all of it. We had to move away from the state due to a job transfer, but we are so thankful we had him to ensure the successful closing of our house. We would recommend him to anyone. I have worked with many realtors during multiple moves - Mike is the best one out there.”

“Appreciated the prompt attention, especially in the very active market which can stretch one’ s efforts to stay on top of matters. In a word, Mike delivered!”

“A great experience. Everything went well. Made everything so easy. This was a difficult sale for me.

Losing my mom to COVID 19 was a life changing event. Mike was kind and sympathetic to my feelings. Selling her home was not emotionally easy.

Mike kept everything running smoothly.”

“Mike Annelin is a clear example of how a great Realtor can really make it happen. Mike Annelin is super proactive and has a 100% can do attitude. Mike knows how to, and is not afraid to ask the hard questions and make the hard calls to get a transaction over the finish line.”

“Mike provided great service, gave us timely feedback, and used market data to help us formulate our strategy for selling our home. Mike handled everything professionally throughout the process, from showcasing our property with spectacular photos to advertising in a variety of formats. As sellers, we felt we had a partner who represented our needs. Thanks Mike, for a job well done!”

“Mike was great! My wife Anne and I are moving from out of state. We were looking for a home with very specific requirements for over a year. We had even been at the start of escrow on another property but had to decline offer. Mike was great about starting the search over again. The house we ended up purchasing was much better than the first house for a number of reasons. Mike made several trips out to the property to answer any questions we had. We were so confident in Mike’s awareness of the market and his assessment of the house we purchased it sight unseen. Hopefully we won’t need to purchase another property for a few years but if we do Mike will be in our plan!”

Northern Express Weekly • sept 21, 2020 • 31

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