Up North Voice - November 2022

IN THIS ISSUE:

Flannel and Flapjacks A-4

Eagle Voice A – 6-7

Grayling’s ‘Hidden Nook’ A-8 CHA Volleyball A-19

After Hours A-21

Honoring Our Vets B-2 What Veterans Day means B-11

New staff members B-13

Living faith and silent communication

By Donna Thoma

HIGGINS LAKE - For most of us, communication begins with our infant coos and cries. Our parents, siblings and others, hear those sounds and, most times, are able to anticipate our wants or needs. How though, would one communicate between the verbal and non-verbal? Imagine as a youngster, needing to learn and understand not only verbal communication but, how to share thoughts, ideas and family jokes with one or more siblings who are deaf.

Born August 1934 in Flint to Nelson and Katherine Tyler, Bernard

Tyler was the fourth child and third son of eight children. The eldest son lost his hearing at about age two due to illness and the second son was born deaf. Communicating with his brothers was somewhat of a challenge for Bernard.

His dad was a mechanic, and his brothers also began careers in the auto industry. Bernard assumed that one day, he too would work in that industry. It was through a work friendship that one brother began learning American Sign Language (ASL.) His brothers also attended the

Goodale’s trains return

GRAYLING - Like Christmas? Like trains? Loren Goodale of Goodale’s Bakery and Deli, has combined the two into one large Christmas Train Open House. Visit him at 1629 Industrial Dr, Grayling, on Nov. 20, from noon to 4 p.m. There’s no admission fee, but you can support Boy Scout Troop 979 with a donation.

Father Bernie Tyler, pastor/administrator of St. James the Greater, Houghton Lake and St. Hubert, Higgins Lake parishes (Note: this photo has been graphically altered.)

Joe Brinn leans on the front of the chopper he fought from in Vietnam in 1968. Read more, including a feature on Purple Heart recipient Gary Handrich, as well as a list and photos of area veterans, starting on B-1.

CRAWFORD COUNTY: Grayling, Frederic, Lovells

November

1- Chair Raffle to Benefit the Artisan Village- 10 a.m., 219 Michigan Ave, Grayling

4-7 – God of Carnage, Friday and Saturday shows at 7 p.m., Sunday show 4 p.m., Ausable Artisan Village, 219 Michigan Ave, Grayling

11- Festival of Trees, Grayling Mini Mall 2384S I-17 Business Loop, Grayling

19- Chair Raffle to Benefit the Artisan Village- 5 p.m., 219 Michigan Ave, Grayling

19- Christmas Walk- Downtown

Out & About - November 2022

Grayling 8-5 p.m.

19- Breakfast with Santa- 9 a.m. -12 p.m. Gray Rock Pub n Grub 2123 Industrial Drive, Grayling Crawford County Extras

Wed - Bike Night, at 7 p.m., Gallagher's Sports Bar & Grill, 3997 E. M-72

Fri. - Trivia, at 7:30 p.m., MI Brew

1st Sun. - American Legion Breakfast Buffet, at 9 a.m., American Legion Post 106

2nd Mon. - Post meeting, at 7 p.m., American Legion Post 106 2nd Tues - Grayling American Legion Aux Post meeting, at 5:30

p.m., Grayling

2nd Thurs- Veterans Coffee hour, at 10 a.m., Grayling American Legion

2nd Thurs - Families against Narcotics, at 6:30 p.m., St. Francis Episcopal Church

2nd Sat. - Euchre Tournament, at 6 p.m., American Legion

ROSCOMMON COUNTY: Roscommon, Higgins Lake, Prudenville, Houghton Lake, St. Helen November

5 and 6-Orienteering 101-Learn to Use a Compass- 10-12pm Ralph A. MacMullen Conference Center 104 Conservation Drive, Roscommon Roscommon County Extras: Mon - Reserve tech Help, Houghton Lake Public Library

Thurs - Sit & Get Fit, at 2:30 p.m., Roscommon Area District Library

Fri - Story-time Fridays, at 10:30 a.m., Houghton Lake Public Library

2nd Sun. – VFW Country Breakfast, at 8 a.m., VFW Post 4159

2nd Thurs. – B2B Breakfast, at 8 a.m., Village of Roscommon 3rd Wed. – Michigan Fireman’s Memorial Festival Meet, at 6:30 p.m.

IOSCO COUNTY: Hale, Whittemore, Tawas November

3- Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Tawas Bay Beach Resort 300 East Bay Street, Tawas, Guest Speaker Jim Brandstatter

5- Woman's Expo, 9 a.m. -3 p.m., Eagle Point Plaza, Hale Iosco County Extras: Mon - BINGO, at 6:30 p.m., Whittemore Chamber of Commerce

3rd Tues. - Whittemore Chamber Meeting, at 7 p.m., 405 E. Sherman Street

2nd Sat. - Vintage Market, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Brugger Plaza, 324 W. Lake Street, Tawas City

OGEMAW COUNTY: West Branch, Rose City, Lupton November

10-12 – Dear Hunters Weekend, Fourth Street Artists Gallery, West Branch

19- Turkey Trot, 8 a.m.

Registration, Ogemaw Heights High School

30- Kids Craft Class, West Branch District Library 4pm

Ogemaw County Extras: Tues. – Kiwanis Club of West Branch, at Noon, Buccilli’s of West Branch

Weds. – BINGO, Early Birds at 6:30 p.m., Regular at 7:45 p.m., Knights of Columbus off M-30 Weds. – AL-ANON meeting, at 8 p.m., 12 Step-Up Club, 236 First Street

Weds. – Culvers Cruise In, at 68 p.m., Culvers West Branch Thurs. – Optimist Club, at 7 a.m., Loggers Depot, 314 Houghton Avenue

1st Sun. – Adult Children of Alcoholics, at 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 2490 State Road

1st & 2nd Mon. – City Council meeting, at 6 p.m., West Branch City Hall, 121 N. Fourth Street

1st & 3rd Tues. – Rose City

Up North Voice

A Division of AuSable Media, LLC

A veteran-owned business located at 709 Lake Street, PO Box 113, Roscommon MI 48653

“Friend, guide and companion of all good people”

Up North Voice is published monthly and distributed in Roscommon, St. Helen, Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, Grayling, Lovells, Waters, Gaylord, Johannesburg, Lewiston, Comins, Atlanta, Mio, Fairview, McKinley, Rose City, Luzerne, Lupton, West Branch, Skidway Lake, Hale, Glennie, Curran, Tawas City, East Tawas, National City, Whittemore, Prescott, AuSable and Oscoda.

It is available at newsstands or annually for $40.

Stories, advertisements and photos are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher.

UpNorthVoice.com is updated daily with breaking news and photos.

989-275-1170

Out & About

Council meeting, at 6 p.m., Council Chambers, 310 N. Williams Street

1st Tues. – West Branch Retail Merchants meeting, at 6 p.m., City Police Station, 130 Page Street

1st Wed. – Let’s Discuss Juniors Book Club, at 4 p.m., West Branch District Library, 119 N. Fourth Street

1st & 3rd Thurs. - Newborn Parent Support Group, at 6 p.m., MyMichigan Health West Branch in the Executive Dining Room

1st Thurs. – Ogemaw County Fair Board meeting, at 7 p.m., meets in main building

2nd Mon. - Kiwanis Young Professional Club, at 6 p.m., Highway Brewing Company

2nd Tues – Parkinson's Disease Support Group, 3:30 p.m., MyMichigan Medical Center West Branch Executive Dining Room

2nd Wed. – Aktion Club, at 9:30 a.m., United Methodist Church

2nd Wed. - Business Professional Women’s group, at 5 p.m.

2nd Wed. - Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Support Group, at 2- 3:30 p.m. MyMichigan Medical Center West Branch Executive Dining Room

2nd & 4th Thurs. - Healing Together – Compasus Hospice, at 10 a.m., Ogemaw Commission on Aging, 1508 M-33

3rd Mon. - Disabled American Veterans & Auxiliary meeting, at 5 p.m., VFW Post 3775

3rd Tues.- OCGHS General Membership Board meeting, at 2:30 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 100 E. Houghton Avenue

3rd Thurs. – Vet2Vet Peer Support Group at 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church corner of Fairview and State Road, For more info call 989-873-6088

3rd Thurs. - Ogemaw Area Swim

Boosters at 6 p.m., Ogemaw Heights High School Room 210

2nd Sat. - Ogemaw Hills Snowmobile club meeting, at 9 a.m., Club House

REGION:

All Other November November

5- Wine Tasting and Silent Auction- sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce

7- Traverse Connect Annual Economic Outlook SummitRegistration starts at 8:30am, 9-1:30pm, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa-Governor's Ballroom

15- Coffee Connection- 84510 am, 202 Grandview Parkway, Traverse City

17- Art and Appetizers Workshop- Gladwin Area Artists Guild, preregistration required, for more info call 989-246-1030

25-27- Habitat for Humanity of Benzie County Festival of TreesFriday 4-6 p.m., Saturday 12-6 p.m., and Sunday 12-3 p.m., Benzie Area Historical Museum and Outdoor Pavilion

26- Holiday Light Parade and Tree Lighting, Downtown Mio Region Extras:

Every Thursday- Bingo- 6 p.m., Luzerne American Legion

1st Friday- Fish Fry Dinner, Luzerne American Legion, 4:30-7 p.m.

2nd & 4th Sundays – Live Music Open Mic Productions, 2-4 p.m., Seymore Avenue at First Street, Comins. For more info call 989-3906977

Don't forget that the Christmas Parades are right around the corner. Most communities have prizes for best Family and Organization entries! Why not try your hand at building a float and competing this year?

Editor Alicia@ UpNorthVoice.com

thegiftwellnesscommunity @gmail.com

Flannel, flapjacks, and a train depot

By Theresa Ekdom

WEST BRANCH – The West Branch Train Depot is the oldest standing building in the city of West Branch. It is also the home to the West Branch Area Chamber

of Commerce and the West Branch Visitors Bureau who are hoping to restore the 150-year-old building. In order to raise funds for the next phase of preserving the building, the “All Aboard Project”, the WBACC held a Flannel and Flapjacks event.

While it was a frosty morning, it wasn’t raining – the first dry morning in several days. Volunteers made plain, pecan, and blueberry pancakes with a choice of bacon or sausage. There were drawings, and Amazon held a ‘flapjack toss’ game.

There was a pancake eating contest with Karen Souza eating seven pancakes for first place.

Second place winner was Mason Leach, and Julie Leach won third.

For more information on the “All Aboard Project” visit the chamber’s website: wbacc.com/all-aboardproject

Letter to the editor policy:

AuSable Media encourages all readers with a connection to the community to submit letters to the editor for possible publication.

Please limit letters to 300 words. Author must include a daytime contact number.

Letters are the individual opinion of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the staff, advertisers or contributors to the Voice.

The Voice reserves the right to accept or reject any letter.

To submit a letter email it to: info@UpNorthVoice.com, mail to P.O. Box 113, Roscommon, MI 48653, or stop by the office at 709 Lake Street in Roscommon.

Tracy Constance Tracy@UpNorthVoice.com

Alesia Willobee Marketing Alesia@ UpNorthVoice.com

Alicia Noragon

Nicole Mygrants

Axel Jacobs Roscommon Distribution

Matthew Barnes Grayling Distribution Cody Jackson Mio Distribution

Warren Stutesman Reporter wstutesman@gmail.com

Donna Thoma Writer donnathoma0@ gmail.com

West Branch Chamber Executive Director Heather Neuhaus (center) stands with board member Emil Rousseau (left) and volunteer Dave Clouse as they make pancakes for the Flannel and Flapjacks event.

Amazon representatives (l-r) Amy Culver, Mason Leach, Heather Little, Karen Soyza and Julie Leach held a drawing and flap-jack toss game to entertain participants.

~ Photos by Theresa Ekdom

Chamber ambassadors (l-r) Linda Decolumna and Lois Bergquist were selling tickets to breakfast.

Wayne Clemens and Jennifer Thompson, both of West Branch, braved the frosty morning to eat their pancake breakfasts.

Living

Michigan School for the Deaf.

The three young men would join other youths in neighborhood games. Once during those games, Bernard’s brothers attempted to communicate that they wanted to do something else. At that time, he had no understanding of what they were signing to him. It was then, that he asked his brothers teach him their sign language.

Bernard Tyler grew up in St. Matthew Parish and attend St. Matthew School in Flint. While he was in eighth grade, Sister Ann David, IHM (Immaculate Heart of Mary) order, took him aside and asked if he'd ever thought about the priesthood.

He responded, “No, I want to play football and go to college.”

She and family members encouraged him to speak to the priest.

He began his studies at St. Augustine Seminary in Saugatuck, continuing on to earn a bachelor's degree in philosophy at Villanova

University, studied theology at Augustinian College in Washington, D.C. and received his Master's Degree in Pastoral Studies at Loyola University in New Orleans. Father Bernard Tyler was ordained into the Order of St. Augustine in Chicago on June 7, 1961.

Father Tyler had returned to Flint, and at one point, he received a letter from the Archdiocese of Chicago asking him to come there and sign masses for a parish. He spoke with his Provincial, and was encouraged to go, as that too was “church work.”

While serving the Archdiocese of Chicago, he also worked as Director and Chaplain with the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Deaf and Hearing Impaired.

Fr. Tyler met a family in Chicago whose son wanted to play hockey. Sadly, the youngster had a neuroblastoma, and passed away. It was through that child's dad that Fr. Tyler learned about a hockey school for deaf children, founded by Chicago businessman Irv Tiahnybik, whose own son was deaf, and Chicago Black Hawks Hockey Hall of Famer, Stan Mikita. Father Tyler coached with Mikita, signing Mikita's instructions to the children, helping them improve their skills. Mikita was amazed at how quickly signing to them had increased and sped up their understanding and knowledge of the sport. The youngsters were a bit stunned that a priest could skate!

Almost 50 years later, the school still carries the hockey legend's name, and has become a direct feed for the U.S. Deflympic Hockey Team. It has been noted that Father Bernie still has a love of hockey and perhaps may have a Detroit Red Wings memorabilia collection.

Fr. Tyler spent seven years working for the Archdiocese of Chicago before returning to Michigan

and the Lansing Diocese. Over time, he served several parishes in that diocese, entering retirement status in June 2001.

In addition to ASL, Fr. Tyler, though he understates it, is an accomplished organist and pianist, with a love for all types of music from classical to contemporary.

Fr. Bernie and his family always enjoyed visiting northern Michigan and he and his brother purchased a home that just happened to be in the Diocese of Gaylord. His plans were to “live there year-round, learn

to fish, do some traveling, reading, writing, gardening, and remodel the home.” Fr. Tyler had lived there three years when he received a letter from the diocese... “Dear Father Tyler, Welcome to the diocese of Gaylord, we need help! Bishop Cooney”

Fr. Tyler has been serving the Gaylord Diocese for 18 years, currently as pastor/administrator of St. James the Greater and St. Hubert parishes. He continues to use his skills in ASL during mass at St. James, as he has a parishioner there who is non-verbal.

NEW BUSINESS - The Hidden Nook Book Sellers in Grayling is now open and ready to read. Rae and Liam Gosling would like to see you in the near future at their new store. They will feature a little something for everyone, with family story hour on Saturday mornings and those books you just can't stop reading. Hours will start out Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are located at 207 E Michigan Avenue, Grayling and call with your book emergencies 989-745-6464.

Insurance

Reminder

Rotary spruces up soccer field

ROSCOMMON - Roscommon Rotarians gave the Snack Shack and the storage shed at the Rotary Soccer Field in Roscommon a much needed “facelift” during the month of Sept. The club service project included replacing some trim boards, scraping and repainting both of the buildings. The soccer fields were constructed

by the Roscommon Rotary Club in 1988, and have continued to provide area youth a place to learn the basics of soccer and teamwork over the past 34 years!

Rotary Club of Roscommon meets every Thursday, noon, at Fred’s Restaurant.

Free Counseling Helps You Enroll In Medicare and Marketplace Health Insurance Plans

MidMichigan Community Health Services provides Certified Application Counselors to help patients and community members enroll for insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace, and MMAP Counselors are available for assistance with Medicare Enrollments.

Medicare Open Enrollment Dates for 2023 are: October 15 – December 7, 2022

Open Enrollment for the 2023 Health Insurance Marketplace is: November 1 – January 15, 2023 (enroll by December 15, 2022 for coverage to start January 1, 2023)

To schedule a free on-site appointment with an Outreach enrollment counselor, call (989)

Copyright

Kevin Stone

Pictured painting the Snack Shack (l - r) Tom O’Brien, Jackie Bertsch, Jim Fisher and Rick Bertsch. Other members working on the project include Fred Walsh, Don Gardy, Allison Nester, Tracie Bova, Barb Costello and Club President Nathen Wight.

The dog show

as Duckworth, for some reason Dud seemed to want to keep to himself.

Home Country

By Slim Randles

“I took Duckworth to the dog show up in the city last weekend,” Dud said.

The other members of the Mule Barn truck stop’s world dilemma think tank and philosophy counter just looked at him.

Doc put it gently. “Dud, was this so he could get some inspiration on looking good?”

Duckworth was a medium-sized dog that found Dud while Dud was walking and thinking about the novel he’s writing. No one answered the ad he put in the Valley Weekly Miracle, so he was henceforth known

To be honest, Duckworth looked like he fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

“No, I was going to enter him in the dog show,” Dud said. “Took him right up to the registration table and tried to get him in a class. The lady there looked at ol’ Duck and asked to see his papers.”

Dud grinned. “I told her they were back home on the floor of the laundry room. She didn’t think it was funny.”

Now Duckworth had been introduced to the other dogs in the group at the sale barn, as is the custom, and Dud’s pals had been hesitant to ask much about him. Duckworth looked like something put together by a committee with a sense of humor. Oh, he was a dog … no doubt about that. But what kind of dog was he? It made for interesting coffee speculation, that’s for sure.

“You know,” Dud said, “Anita was against me getting any kind of dog until Duckworth came along. When I explained to her that Duckworth was a bird dog … a duck dog, actually, and that he’d help me bring more birds home, she finally gave in.”

“He’s a bird dog?” Steve said. “What kind?”

“Now that’s what that dog show lady asked me, you know? I had to explain to her about canardly terriers, because she wasn’t familiar with them.”

“Canar…”

“Canardly terriers, you betcha,” Dud said, grinning, “why, I’ll bet you

Zonta commemorates International Day of the Girl

On 8 November, the Zonta Club of Roscommon County Area and Zonta International commemorate the International Day of the Girl.

In the last decade, opportunities have increased for girls to have their voices heard on the global stage and there has been more attention on issues that matter to girls among governments, policymakers and the general public. However, investments in girls’ rights remain limited and girls continue to face countless challenges on the way to fulfilling their potential.

The Zonta Club of Roscommon has spent 38 years providing opportunities for women and girls.

Zonta Club President Anna Sylvester, Former Governor of Zonta District 15 noted, “Zontians are active in the community by offering scholarships for girls to attend camp in the summer and scholarships for high school seniors. This allows the girls in the community to have opportunities that they may not otherwise have. Zonta offers fellowship with other like-minded individuals who have the same goals to build a better world for women and girls.”

“In the face of incredible challenges, girls around the world have proven that with the necessary skills and opportunities, they can lead the way to progress and building a better world,” said Zonta

International President Ute Scholz. “Zonta and its members will continue to support and empower women and girls and promote gender equity until our vision has been fulfilled.”

Zonta International has spent more than 100 years providing opportunities for women and girls and invested more than US$50.1 million in its international service projects and scholarships, fellowships and awards. From 2022-2024, Zonta is responding to the health needs of adolescent girls in Peru, empowering girls in Madagascar to act on climate change while learning in a safe and inclusive environment, and protecting the rights of millions of girls to delay early marriage in 12 countries in Africa and Asia.

“Every day, girls are breaking boundaries and barriers, tackling issues like child marriage, education inequality, violence, climate justice, and inequitable access to healthcare. Girls are proving they are unstoppable,” the United Nations said when describing its publication, A New Era for Girls.

On the International Day of the Girl, the Zonta Club of Roscommon County Area calls on the community to join us as we stand with and for girls. Follow them on Facebook to learn more about what they do in the community.

Anna Sylvester, Zonta of Roscommon club President

Crawford County library news

By Connie Meyer

Our New Website! crawfordcolibrary.org It’s still a work in progress, things will be updated regularly!

Check out our Passive Programs! October’s Guessing Jar is Candy Corn. The person who guesses the closest wins a prize. Keep looking forward for what the Guessing Jar will hold in the upcoming fall months…

October’s Book Club read will be “The Ladies’ Man” by Elinor Lipman. This book is available on our e-readers. Ask clerks at circulation desk for more details. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. If you have any questions, call 989-3489214.

Local guest Author Sherry Graziano will be available on Nov. 9 at 3:30 p.m. for a book signing and to share the process of how to publish a book.

Our shelves have been

rearranged! If you are having trouble finding what you’re looking for, ask a circulation clerk and we can point you in the right direction.

Utilizing our conference rooms? Stop at the desk and check-in using our Sign-in Notebooks. You can also find a link to our Conference Room Request Form on our library website under Services; if you are in need of a meeting space or study area.

Do you shop on Amazon? The library has its very own Wish-list. Items will be labeled with the name of the purchaser/donator. Inquire within for more details.

We are now FINE FREE! If you return one of our books/dvds late, no worries! There are exceptions; hotspots, e-readers, board games, & interlibrary loans; these items will still have late fees, or if items are returned damaged, as these items are more expensive and harder to replace.

Connie Meyer is the Director of the Crawford County Library.

LIBRARIAN AWARDED - Amy Knepp, Oscoda County librarian, was honored last week with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Michigan Librarian Association

Grayling holds Harvest Festival

GRAYLING – Grayling Main Street and Tip’n the Mitten hosted the annual Grayling Harvest Fest Oct. 1.

Downtown Grayling was set up with an antique tractor show, Farmers Market booths, and kids’ events.

Bounce houses were added this year to keep the kids entertained. There was a wagon ride to the Grayling Elementary School for the Grayling Promotional Association (GPA) craft show. ~ Photos by Tracy Constance

Brian True enjoys a seat on one of the tractors at the show.

Linda Shultz, Sharon Klinger, and Patty Hawkins, GPA members with a basket they gave away at the craft show.

Jillian picks a perfect pumpkin while at the Harvest Festival

News

By Suzanne Barker

Hello November! Happy Fall! Happy Thanksgiving! I mentioned last month about checking on your furnace or heat source to make sure they are working properly and safely along with making sure your windows are in decent shape to keep the heat in.

The other thing I want to mention is to keep emergency items on hand in case power is lost or the weather becomes severe and getting out or someone getting in is not possible. Things to keep on hand are water, shelf food (things that can be eaten without being refrigerated or cooked), a flashlight and batteries. If possible, keep some extra blankets in a handy spot. Having these things on hand will make those bad weather times easier on us if we are prepared.

The Together We Can Food Drops happening this month are on Nov. 3 and 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Keep in mind, if they run out of food to give out, they may be gone early. The CSFP (senior cheese box) will be on Nov. 8 from 10 to 11 a.m., this is also at the fairgrounds. TEFAP (every 3-month box) will be

happening at the Senior Center also Nov. 8 from 8 to 11 a.m.

The Council on Aging’s (COA) monthly Board Meeting will be Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend the meetings.

There will be no exercise class Nov. 8 due to TEFAP food pick-up going on, or Nov. 15 due to the Center being closed for opening day. Happy hunting to all the hunters out there!

For those that signed up for the Matter of Balance class here at the Center that began Oct. 17, I hope you found the class informative and helpful. It is so important to learn ways to keep ourselves from falls, and to learn ways to keep our balance the best it can be as we age. I am so thankful that NEMCSA and MSU collaborated to hold the free class here for Oscoda County residents. I am hopeful that we will be able to do it again in the future.

The Full Moon for November will be shining for us on the eighth. There is always at least one thing to be grateful for daily. Have a thankful month and keep smiling! When we smile at others it can cause them to smile too. The world sure needs more smiles, positivity, and kindness right now. A small kind gesture goes along way.

Suzanne Barker is the Director of the Oscoda County Council on Aging. To contact her please call 989 826-3025

MARGUERITE GAHAGAN HONORED – Marguerite Gahagan, who founded The North Woods Call in 1953, and whose residence has become the Marguerite Gahagan Nature Preserve, was inducted into the Journalism Hall of Fame earlier this year. Marguerite was honored for being a “trailblazing Detroit journalist who opened doors for many women.” Oct. 9, during the Gahagan Open House, her plaque was presented to Tom Dale, Gahagan board chairman, by Anne Gahagan, Marguerite’s niece.

VILLAGE CELEBRATES

150 YEARS – Roscommon Rotary assisted at Roscommon’s 150-year celebration held Oct. 8. Club members shown include (l-r) Tom O’Brien, Jackie Bertsch, Jim Fisher, Club President Nate Wight, and Rick Bertsch. ~ Courtesy photo

Crawford County COA news

Crawford County Commission on Aging & Senior Center (CCCOA) news for November. For more information on any of the following, please call 989-348-7123. The Senior Center is located at 308 Lawndale Street in Grayling.

Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period runs through Dec. 7 and is the time of year when you can make certain changes to your Medicare coverage. For help exploring plans, please call Tammy Findlay, Advocacy and Resource Coordinator at the CCCOA.

A friendly Euchre Group meets every Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center. Easy to learn and fun to play, Euchre offers both beginners and experienced players the opportunity to develop valuable card playing strategy and techniques.

Meet and walk together with the COA Indoor Walking Group every Thursday starting Nov. 3 from 10:3011:30 a.m. at Kirtland’s gym on 4-Mile Road. There is a $2 walk fee to use the indoor walking path.

The CCCOA in partnership with ProMedica, invites the public to join them for a special Veterans Day program honoring all Veterans on Thursday, Nov. 10 at noon. All Veterans are invited to join us for a free lunch and then stay for this special program which will include music, readings and a poem. ProMedica will be on hand to pin all

Veterans present. No reservations necessary.

The community is invited to the CCCOA Curbside Thanksgiving Luncheon Nov. 17 from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. On the menu will be turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing, harvest vegetables, fruit cup and pumpkin pie for dessert. RSVP before the luncheon by calling the office. The suggested donation of the luncheon is $6.00 for those under 60 and $3.50 for those 60 or older.

The public is welcome to join Pauline Hardacre to learn and practice sound healing. This healing and meditation session will be Nov. 18 from 10-11 a.m. at the Senior Center. We will begin with a discussion and taking a moment to get into a comfortable seated position (feel free to bring a blanket). This is followed by a guided meditation that leads into listening to the sounds of a variety of instruments being played throughout the room.

A Foot Care Clinic is offered the fourth Monday of every month from 12-4 p.m. at the COA building. Call the office for an appointment which are provided by Comfort Keepers. A nurse will soak the feet, trim and file toenails, lotion feet, provide foot care tips, and inspect feet for injury and circulation. The cost of the service is $25. Please bring your own towels

CHA VOLLEYBALL – Charleton Heston Academy’s volleyball team include members (in no particular order) Nevaeh Butson, Khloe Goff, Makayla McNealy, Karissa Hawkins, Zuri Bryzelak, Kortni Hawthorne, Ashlyn Willet, Hayle Perez, Zoey Wolfston and unknown.

Crawford COA news

Continued from page 18

(2) and a foot basin to soak feet.

The CCCOA, in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Michigan Chapter, offers a support group for friends and caregivers of people who have Alzheimer or other related dementias. This support group is designed to

provide an outlet for caregivers to talk, share, get support, learn coping skills, and get education about these dementias. Conducted by trained facilitator, Sherry Haag, meetings are the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Brook of Grayling, 503 Rose St. at 11 a.m. There is no charge to attend. If you are unable to leave your loved one alone, Respite Care services are available by contacting the COA.

The Senior Center has a supply of free N95 and cloth masks available to those in need. Also, Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, now have access to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, authorized, or cleared over-the-counter COVID19 tests at no cost. People with Medicare can get up to eight tests per calendar month from participating pharmacies and health care providers for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Based on policy and preferred pharmacy, get them at the following locations: Medicine Shoppe, Family Fare and Walgreens.

Martha 'Marty' Elen Amidon

Martha 'Marty' Elen Amidon, 92, Houghton Lake, passed September 22, 2022

Beverly Ann (Dibble) Bragg

Beverly Ann (Dibble) Bragg, 84, passed September 16, 2022

James Andrew Armour

James Andrew Armour, 92, AuGres, passed September 18, 2022

Gary Cooke

Gary Cooke, 66, AuGres, passed September 17, 2022

William Jay Turner

William Jay Turner, 83, Gladwin, formerly of Owosso, passed September 21, 2022

Thomas R. 'Mr. C' Cummins

Thomas R. 'Mr. C' Cummins, 80, Gladwin, passed September 21, 2022

William Young Sr.

William Young Sr., 83, Beaverton, passed September 23, 2022.

James L. Hillier

James L. Hillier, 78, Gladwin, passed September 22, 2022

Helen Beverly Graf

Helen Beverly Graf, 82, Grayling, passed September 20, 2022

Nancy Ida Pamerleau (Alford)

Nancy Ida Pamerleau (Alford), Grayling, passed September 12, 2022.

Rhonda Marie Taylor (Adams)

Rhonda Marie Taylor (Adams), 58, Mio, passed September 16, 2022

Pamela “Pam” Kay (Williams) Kott

Pamela “Pam” Kay (Williams) Kott, 66, Lewiston, passed September 1, 2022

Nancy C. Wise

Nancy C. Wise, 68, Saint Helen, passed October 7, 2022

Shirley Ann Ryan

Shirley Ann Ryan, 88, Saint Helen, passed October 5, 2022

Lucille Marie Miller

Lucille Marie Miller, 90, West Branch, passed October 5, 2022

Nancy C. Wise

Nancy C. Wise, age 68, passed away on Friday, October 7, 2022 at her home in St. Helen, MI with her girls by her side. She was born on December 30, 1953 in Pontiac, MI to Walter and Shirley (Byrne) Niedowicz.

Nancy returned to St. Helen in 2006, formerly of Armada. On October 21, 1978, she married the love of her life and her main squeeze, Dennis Wise, in West Branch, MI.

Nancy graduated from Roscommon High School in 1972. She worked for Armada Public Schools for 15 years as a head cook. She enjoyed spending time at her home in St. Helen and her home in Florida. She also enjoyed bowling, softball, cooking, boating, fishing, bingo, and dancing. She was a music lover and cherished spending time with her family. Her greatest joy in life was being a “Mammer,

Darrell Wesley 'Wes' Buck

Darrell Wesley 'Wes' Buck, 64, Hale, passed October 6, 2022.

Leonard W. (Len) Sarki

Leonard W. (Len) Sarki, 96, Alabaster, passed October 5, 2022

Leland (Ed) E. Lewis Jr.

Leland (Ed) E. Lewis Jr. 72, Au Gres, passed October 5, 2022

Roy James Stagray

Roy James Stagray, 63, Sterling, passed October 7, 2022

Margaret Ann Sparks

Margaret Ann Sparks, 83, Rhodes, passed October 6, 2022

Clarence 'Clem' M. Lorence

Clarence 'Clem' M. Lorence, 71, Standish, passed October 6, 2022

Dallas Arthur Appelgren

Dallas Arthur Appelgren, 90, Hillman passed October 3, 2022 Arthur M. Clay

Arthur M. Clay, 89, Lewiston, passed September 30, 2022

James Robert Baer

James Robert Baer, 79, Prudenville passed October 1, 2022

Robert Eugene Lenz

Robert Eugene Lenz, 89, Prudenville, passed October 3, 2022

Larry Gene Briggs

Larry Gene Briggs, 74, Saint Helen, passed October 3,2022

Doris M. Smith

Doris M. Smith, 90, West Branch, passed October 2, 2022

Barbara Ann Banfield

Barbara Ann Banfield, 79, Saint Helen, passed October 9, 2022

Crystal LilyAnn Beaston

Crystal LilyAnn Beaston, 24, Saint Helen, passed October 10, 2022

Alan David Galloner

Alan David Galloner, 77, Rose City, passed October 9, 2022

Rita Irma Meta (Roehn)

O’Grady

Rita Irma Meta (Roehn) O’Grady, 73, West Branch, passed October 11, 2022

Richard 'Dick' Sidney Downing

Richard 'Dick' Sidney Downing, 87, West Branch, passed October 14, 2022

Joann Sylvia Clayton

Joann Sylvia Clayton, 87, Prescott, passed October 13, 2022.

LaVern F. Peterson

LaVern F. Peterson, 94, Au Gres, passed October 12, 2022

Connie Bell

Connie Bell, 61, Gladwin, passed October 13, 2022

Roy E. Wilson

Roy E. Wilson, 58, Gladwin, passed October 18, 2022

Matthew B. Williams

Matthew B. Williams, 62, Beaverton, passed October 15, 2022.

Thomas R. Ficek

Thomas R. Ficek, 50, Beaverton, passed October 12, 2022

Jeffrey Lee Goins Sr.

Jeffrey Lee Goins Sr., 72, Gladwin, passed October 4, 2022

Sara Ann Weston

Michael J. 'Blondie' Drake

Michael J. 'Blondie' Drake, 71, Mio, passed October 4, 2022

William John Bonkowski III

William John Bonkowski III, 60, Grayling, passed October 1, 2022

Joseph F. Brown

Joseph F. Brown, 73, Grayling, passed October 1, 2022

Mammy, Nana”

Nancy is survived by her daughters, Casey (Lynn) Perryman of St. Helen and Megan (Drew) Roberts of Lapeer; grandchildren, Denny Perryman, Jane Roberts, Briggs Roberts and Levi Roberts; sister, JoAnn Wojtylko of St. Helen; and nieces and nephews, Wally (Kristi) Sidelko, Jamie (Rob) Mulkey, Katie (Rick) Rutledge, and Tony Wojtylko; and bonus granddaughter, Maddie.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Dennis in 2021, and sister Linda Leopard.

Funeral services were held Oct. 11 at Steuernol & McLaren Funeral Home in St. Helen. Burial was at Fairview Cemetery in St. Helen. Pastor Ken Peterson officiated.

Memorial contributions can be made to Compassus Hospice.

Online condolences can be shared at www.steuernolmclaren.com

Henry Florence (Hank) Smith, III

Henry Florence (Hank) Smith, III, 79, Comins, passed October 3, 2022 Evelyn JoAn Govitz

Evelyn JoAn Govitz, 69, Gladwin, passed September 25, 2022

Ronald E. Shell

Ronald E. Shell, 73, Gladwin, passed September 29, 2022

Kyle E. Barnett

Kyle E. Barnett, 33, Beaverton, passed September 30, 2022

Robert Dean Snedeker

Robert Dean Snedeker, 93, Gladwin, passed September 25, 2022 James Frederick Foran

James Frederick Foran, 85, Hale, passed September 29, 2022

Clara Bancroft

Clara Bancroft, 90, Roscommon, passed October 8, 2022

Gerald Neil McCormick

Gerald Neil McCormick, 84, Roscommon, passed October 14, 2022

Barbara Jean Friesen

Barbara Jean Friesen, 88, Prudenville, passed October 5, 2022

George Junior Wyatt

George Junior Wyatt, 86, Prudenville, passed October 6, 2022

Robert A. Jacoby Jr.

Robert A. Jacoby Jr., 61, Houghton Lake, passed October 7, 2022

Sara Ann Weston, 30, Beaverton, passed October 5, 2022

Katie C. Troyer

Katie C. Troyer, 90, of Goshen, formerly of Fairview, passed October 14, 2022

Phyllis Louise Hoy (Lease)

Phyllis Louise Hoy (Lease), 97, Oscoda, passed October 11, 2022

Stanley Stopczynski

Stanley Stopczynski, 88, Mio, passed October 11, 2022

Edward Veselsky, Jr.

Edward Veselsky, Jr., 73, Grayling, passed October 14, 2022

Todd Nye

Todd Nye, 60, Grayling passed October 13th, 2022

Joan Marie Goyette (nee Culpert & Barnes)

Joan Marie Goyette (nee Culpert & Barnes), 85, formerly of Grayling, passed October 5, 2022

Ann Marie McCleary

Ann Marie McCleary, 83, Grayling, passed October 9, 2022

Timothy H. Scott

Timothy H. Scott, 67, Atlanta, passed October 14, 2022

Eleanor Gennick Creary, Eleanor Gennick Creary, 89, Lewiston, passed October 6, 2022

CLEAR LAKE BAR SETS BUCK POLE - A group of volunteers led by Rick Wilsey helped the Clear Lake Bar erect a buck pole recently. Clear Lake Bar is planning a Big Buck contest for rifle season with first, second and third place prizes based on # of points, with weight as the tie breaker. If a hunter displays their buck for a minimum of an hour, he or she will receive a free burger and a beer. Follow the Clear Lake Bar Facebook page for more information.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS – A ‘Business After Hours’ sponsored by North Central Area Credit Union (NCACU) was held in conjunction of three Chambers of Commerce – Grayling; Higgins Lake Roscommon; and Houghton Lake. Members of the three chambers met at Cut River Grille to network. Pictured are (l-r) Tracy Wilson, Director of Marketing, NCACU; Mark Richter, President/CEO NCACU; Hayley Strohpaul, Executive Director, Grayling Chamber; Tracy Pardue Smith, Executive Director, Higgins Lake Roscommon Chamber; and Jay Jacobs, Executive Director, Houghton Lake Chamber.

Q: What did the duck say when he bought lipstick?

A: "Put it on my bill."

Q: Which is faster, hot or cold?

A: Hot, because you can catch cold.

How did the pig get to the hogspital?

In a hambulance.

How much money does a pirate pay for corn?

A buccaneer.

Where do young trees go to learn?

Elementree school.

Why do bees have sticky hair?

Because they use a honeycomb.

An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.

The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again."

The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"

What did one plate say to the other plate?

Dinner's on me.

In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts, the Montana Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field.

"We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear. It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear poop. Black bear poop is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear poop has little bells in it and smells like pepper."

What do you get when you mix a cocker spaniel, a poodle, and a ghost?

A cocker-poodle boo.

West Branch snow policy set

The City of West Branch has posted their city snow policy to help people get around safely this winter:

• Keep sidewalks free of snow and ice. City crews will clean sidewalks occasionally when large quantities fall (5” and more), but property owners remain responsible until city crews clear them

• Keep snow away from fire hydrants so they remain visible from all sides at all times.

• Do not pile snow on corners – this blocks views and causes accidents!

• Do not plow snow onto

sidewalks, across or into City streets.

• Do not use a motor vehicle or ORV to plow snow on any City sidewalks.

Your help is greatly appreciated. Snow can create problems for all of us, but if we all cooperate, we can at least deal with the problem in a safe manner.

If City crews are used to correct problems, property owners will be billed for time and materials. In some cases, deliberate actions may constitute illegal activity – please report severe infractions to the City Police.

Montana Grizzly Bear Notice...

DISTRICT CHAMPS –

Roscommon boys varsity soccer team beat Tawas 3 – 2 in the district championship game. They will play in the regional game Oct. 26 in Big Rapids. Pictured are (l-r) back, Ben Denlinger, Jacob Gee, Alex Thiel, Owen Steinbrink, Corbin Tyler, Ben Collins, Jacob Ziebell, Andre Janisse, Malakai Huckins, Owen Barnes, and Nicholas Jadan. Front (l-r) Logan Roth, Ben Hamina, Mason Green, Josh Karoub, Josh Mayes, Rielly Cherven, Henry Stoyak, Steven Alyas, and Coach John Sinnaeve.

History of the phone, ring! Ring!

View From the Comfy Chair

By Joel Vernier

I sat down to relax in my "Comfy Chair" and was just drifting off when I heard my cell phone begin to ring in the background. I have selected a friendly tone; it sounds a bit like "Angel Wings" to me. I thought about answering it, but I was so close to REM sleep I wasn't sure I could reach it in time. If it's essential, they will leave a message.

I began to relax, and the phone went to voicemail. As sleep washed over me, I began to think of all of the phones I knew about and many I have personally used.

For younger readers, the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. When activated with electric current, a bell on the apparatus people used to talk on, began to ring. There was just one ringtone back then.

The original phone had a hand crank on it; you would pick up the hearing piece attached to a wire, hold it to your ear and crank the handle that would send a signal to the operator. The operator would then plug into the phone bank and greet you, asking who you wanted to talk with. You spoke into a horn-shaped attachment. You asked the operator to connect you to the person or extension you wanted. The original phones had no numbers, and you could not dial them, imagine that.

Phones for many years were called a "party line." There was no party, just many people "networking online," so to speak. Sometimes there would be arguments when one person or "party" would not relinquish the phone line, except in case of an emergency. There were a lot of emergencies in those days.

From there, many types of phones were developed, but all of them were connected to wires and were attached to a wall. There were many advances,

a phone that sat on a table instead of the wall; imagine that.

The first phone I remember in my home was black and attached to the wall. It had a rotary dial on it. If you dialed really fast, you could catch your finger in it, and it would pinch. We had that phone for decades if I remember correctly.

Then one day, mom added a phone line in her bedroom and a new wall phone. No more rotary; you just pushed the buttons!

If you did not answer the phone when the loud bell rang, you never knew who called. There was no caller ID back in those days and no voicemail either. We lived with party lines for quite a long time, it cost too much for a private line. But eventually my Dad gave in, and we enjoyed our private connection.

It was a long time before an analog wireless phone hit the market. The phone had a large grey or black bag attached to the cigarette lighter in your car, or you could plug it into the electric wall socket at home. Next came the battery phone. They were so large that you needed two hands to hold them; you occasionally see them in old movies. These models were large!

Compare that to today, and the phones with more technology than the computers we used to land the first man on the moon. Today there are many choices of phones. Each year new models are launched with a lot of hoopla and fanfare!

And all of the apps we have. There are weather apps, music apps, calculators, and so on! We now have voice calling, texting, emailing, and more rams than a herd of mountain goats. The wonders of all technological advancements: Many people run their entire companies off their cell phones!

The good news is that you can electronically order a "Large double pepperoni pizza" without any humanto-human communication. Is that a good thing?

"Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others. – © Joel M. Vernier 10/9/2022 Author of: "The Guinea Pig In The Freezer." joel

FALL HARVEST - Tammy Dinkens of West Branch with a doe she took with her bow. Send your photos, announcements and club events to: info@UpNorthVoice. com

Spi-Rolls (Chicken

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Our new “Blue Ribbon” creation! Creamy White Sauce smothered with a blend of five Cheeses, topped with crispy breaded Chicken Breast and succulent Ham.

10.99

Southwest Steak & Portabella Sliced Top Round complimented with sliced Portabella Mushrooms, accented with Sweet Red and Green Bell Peppers, Red Onion and Cheddar atop 100% pure Wisconsin Mozzarella & our special Southwest Sauce.

13.99 18.75 21.99

/

Greek-'Za Mediterranean

Fresh Spinach leaves, premium Hard Salami, fresh sliced vine-ripened Tomatoes, tasty Greek Kalamata Olives, zesty sliced Pepperoncini on an Olive Oil base with Wisconsin's best Mozzarella, fresh shredded Parmesan, Romano, Asiago and chunks of fresh Feta.

Chicken Parmazeti

Tasty Chunks of Chicken, Tender

& 3

Mozzarella, Cheddar

Parmesan. Made with our Special

10.99 13.99

/

Garden Salad

Lettuce,

Corn

Greek

Fresh

Patrolman’s Deluxe

Pepperoni, Ham, Mushrooms, Green Pepper, Onions, Ground Beef, Italian Sausage, Bacon & Black Olives.

10.99 13.99 18.75 21.99

/ 253 / 290 / 300 cal

/

/

Patrolman’s Special

Pepperoni, Ham, Mushrooms, Green Pepper & Onions.

12.49 16.95 20.49

/ 216 / 256 / 260 cal

Carnivore’s Feast

All Meat: Pepperoni, Ham, Ground Beef, Italian Sausage & Bacon. 10.99 13.99 18.75 21.99 234 / 248 / 287 / 296 cal

Taco Pizza

Seasoned Ground Beef, Taco Sauce, Cheddar & Mozzarella Cheeses, Lettuce, Tomato & Black Olives.

13.99 18.75 21.99

/ 252 / 286 / 299 cal

10.99 13.99 18.75 21.99 227 / 249 / 282 / 292 cal

Pizza Margherita

Fresh sliced red ripe Roma Tomatoes and

/

Chicken Bacon Ranch

Chunks of Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese.

leaf

atop a bed of melted Mozzarella- on our famous Classic pizza crust

Red Sauce. Add Feta for additional charge.

13.99 18.75 21.99 188 / 206 / 234 / 242 cal

Bacon Double Cheeseburger Ground Beef, Bacon, Onions, Cheddar & Mozzarella Cheeses.

9.99 12.49 16.95 20.49 233 / 241 / 268 / 278 cal

10.99 13.99 18.75 21.99 244 / 265 / 293 / 307 cal

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Tasty Chunks of BBQ Chicken & Mozzarella Cheese. Made with our Zesty BBQ Sauce. 8.99 11.49 15.75 18.75 206 / 221 / 249 / 259 cal

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Chunks of Spicy Chicken, Mozzarella & Feta. Made with our Southwest Sauce. 10.99 13.99 18.75 21.99 226 / 247 / 278 / 286 cal

Chicken Wings & Boneless Wings

Super Italian Sub

Salami, Pepperoni, Ham, Mozzarella, topped with Lettuce, Tomato & Italian Dressing $7.99 1141 cal

The Club

Sliced Top Round, Turkey, Ham, Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato & Mayo $7.99 1038 cal

Barbeque Sub

Your choice of Italian Meatballs, Sliced Top Round or Chicken with BBQ Sauce & Mozzarella $7.99 1056-1553 cal

Crispy Chicken Club

Crispy White Meat Chicken, Ham, Lettuce, Tomato & Cheddar Cheese-served with Ranch $7.99 1174 cal

Veggie Sub

Mushrooms, Green Peppers, Onions, Black Olives, Mozzarella, Lettuce, Tomato & Italian Dressing $7.99 989 cal

Chicken Sub

Tasty chunks of Chicken & Broccoli covered with Mozzarella, Oven-baked, then topped with Lettuce & Tomato- served with Ranch $7.99 1112 cal

Steak & Portabella

Sliced Top Round & Portabellas with Sweet Red & Green Bell Peppers, Red Onion, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Lettuce, Tomato & Southwest Sauce $7.99 1220 cal

Pizza Sub

Up to 5 items, Pizza Sauce & Mozzarella $7.99 950-1200 cal

Meatball Sub

Italian Meatballs, Pizza Sauce & Mozzarella $7.99 1402 cal

The B.L.T. Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato & Cheddar Cheese $7.99 1236 cal

Taco Sub

Seasoned Ground Beef, Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato & Taco Sauce

Cheese Steak Hoagie

1118

Sliced Top Round, Cheddar Cheese, Mushrooms, Green Peppers, Onions, Tomato, Lettuce & Mayo $7.99 1134

Turkey Sub

98% Fat-Free Sliced Turkey Breast, Mozzarella, Lettuce, Tomato & Mayo $7.99 1011

616-988-6868

231-582-2288

231-582-6050

231-779-1337

231-547-9999

231-627-4254

616-681-6000

EAST JORDAN 101 N. LAKE ST. 231-536-5555 EVART 401 WEST 7TH ST 231-734-3922

GAYLORD 1525 W MAIN ST. 989-731-1555

GRAND RAPIDS 2034 LAKE MICHIGAN DR 616-301-8061

GRAYLING 307 SOUTH JAMES ST 989-344-2222

GREENVILLE 703 SOUTH GREENVILLE WEST DR 616-754-1122

HARBOR SPRINGS 930 STATE ST 231-526-2424

HART 2327 N. COMFORT DR 231-873-5555

HOWARD CITY 841 W. SHAW RD 231-937-9000

INDIAN RIVER 3695 S. STRAITS HWY 231-238-0055

KALAMAZOO 1710 W. MAIN ST. 269-532-1688

KALKASKA 104 N. CEDAR ST 231-258-8100

KAWKAWLIN 2338 S. HURON RD 989-671-2288

LAKE CITY 45 N. MOREY RD 231-839-1177

LAKEVIEW 9710 N. GREENVILLE RD 989-352-4002 LOWELL 1335 W. MAIN ST 616-897-9776

MACKINAW CITY 209 E. CENTRAL AVE 231-436-5500 PETOSKEY 910 SPRING ST (BAY MALL) 231-347-1212

PLAINWELL-OTSEGO 396 OAKS CROSSING 269-204-6612

ROSCOMMON 800 LAKE ST 989-275-1500

SPARTA 466 EAST DIVISION 616-887-1144

STANTON 620

HONORING OUR VETERANS

Three bullets on the nightstand

By Kirk Rogers

According to the US Department of Defense, the week of May 5 to May 12, 1968, was the deadliest week for the US armed forces in the entire Vietnam War. Within that week 562 service members were killed. Thousands more were wounded. That same month was also the deadliest month of the conflict.

Likewise, 1968 was the deadliest year.

If a bullseye had been placed upon the American presence in Vietnam, it might well have hovered over that same week of that month of that year.

On May 5, 1968, at the beginning of that costliest of seven days, Garry Handrich, then twenty two years old and a farmer's son from Fairview, Michigan, was less than a year in uniform, and but six months on Vietnamese soil.

Garry drove a truck for A Company's 124th Transportation Battalion. On this day he was to drive in a convoy leaving Pleiku and deliver supplies to Kon Tum and Dak To. As usual, Garry would haul

artillery shells to be fired by the big guns farther inland and at higher elevation. It was a day-long round trip that he had made a number of times over the winding roads. Never had he been ambushed.

On this day that would change. And it would occur twice.

Boot camp

A year earlier, in 1967, Garry knew if he waited to be drafted into the military, he would not get the job he desired. Aspiring to be an Army driver, on May 23, 1967, he enlisted in the Army and was taken to Fort Knox, Kentucky for eight weeks of basic training.

“It was more for getting us in shape,” Gary said. “There was a lot of marching and hiking. We spent a lot of time on the rifle range.

“You learned to eat fast. A whole group of men would walk into the mess hall and in fifteen minutes the next group would arrive. When the next group came in you left the hall whether you were finished or not.”

After boot camp Garry entered another lengthy training course at

Fort Dix, New Jersey, for Truck Driving School. Then on Nov. 4, Garry boarded a commercial flight in Seattle and headed to war. He enjoyed a brief moment of relief when he saw his assignment was

listed as Okinawa. That was shortlived, however, when a few hours later a final flight lifted him out of Japan and deposited the young

Gary Handrich holds the purple heart he received.

Three bullets

soldier at Cam Ranh Bay in South Vietnam.

After a few days of orientation in that port city, Garry hopped on an inland convoy toward what would become his primary base in Pleiku.

“I knew going in that Vietnam was a serious place. But on that first trip to Pleiku I heard machine gun fire. That’s when I knew it was real.”

Pleiku was a major supply hub deep inland, some eighty miles from the Pacific and only thirty short of the Cambodian border. Convoys entered and exited Pleiku on an almost daily basis.

It would be some weeks before Garry drove a semi within a convoy. Initially Garry drove gun trucks.

The first US convoys in Vietnam quickly learned it was dangerous work. Ambushes flared along the winding roads and then quickly melted back into the forest. Convoys made easy targets.

Inventive soldiers began modifying trucks to accompany the convoys and return fire if attacked. While these first gun trucks were rather crude and reinforced with such items as tires and sandbags, later iterations were better armed and better fortified. Garry’s Battalion had two of these later trucks, fondly named Smoke I and Smoke II, which he regularly drove. These gun trucks were surrounded by boxes of ¼” steel that housed four men; a machine gunner with an M-60, two loaders, and one manning a Quad 50.

Garry soon graduated from gun

trucks to semis.

Incoming supplies reached Pleiku from Qui Nhon by way of “Ambush Alley.” Many of these supplies stayed on the base, but many were staged there to be moved farther inland along roads perhaps not as notorious as Ambush Alley, but roads just as dangerous.

Garry had hauled many cargoes both to and from Pleiku, but most recently his loads were artillery shells from Pleiku, taken north through Kon Tum, and then farther north and west to Dak To, where three 8” guns were stationed. Dak To was less than 20 miles from where the borders of South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos met.

An uneventful trip from Pleiku to Dak To would take half a day. A driver could eat a quick lunch in the mess hall before making the return trip.

Meals in the mess at Dak To were not enjoyed in a relaxing environment.

“It happened every time I was there. I’d get a bite up to my mouth and one of those guns would fire off a shot. I’d nearly bite my fork off.”

Ambush

This trip would not be uneventful.

On the road toward Kon Tum from Pleiku, enemy fire erupted from the tree line and the convoy drivers did as they had been trained. Each truck veered off the road at an angle to the trees, first one to the right, the next to the left, and so on, positioning

Pictured are American soldiers in Vietnam on what appears to be a repurposed turret holding four, Browning "MA Duece", .50 caliber firearms.

Three bullets

their trucks for cover while keeping enough distance that well placed ordnance could not inflict multiple casualties.

Once stopped, drivers jumped out of their vehicles to take up positions behind sand berms. A fuel tanker veered off a short distance behind Garry. The driver exited the vehicle and was blown off his feet when an RPG slammed into the truck.

After the ambush ended the convoy regrouped, with the inoperable trucks left behind and the drivers of those trucks, now with no vehicles of their own, doubling up in vehicles that could resume the trip. The driver of the destroyed tanker, thankfully uninjured, ended up with Garry.

A few miles down the road, not yet to Kon Tum, the convoy was again ambushed.

As before, the trucks angled off the road. Garry stopped his truck, opened his door, and felt a burning in his left side.

“It really didn’t hurt that bad. It felt like a bee sting. I yelled out ‘I’m hit! I’m hit!’”

“I pulled the door shut but my leg was numb.”

Garry half pushed and was half dragged backwards by the second occupant, out of the passenger door, shoulders first, and away from direct gunfire.

Then on the ground with one leg useless and unfeeling, he was further pulled behind a berm to protect him from continuing gunfire. He still lay a quarter mile from any area where a medivac helicopter might safely land.

Garry ripped off his shirt and did his best to stem the bleeding by pressing it to his left side just beneath the rib cage. It was surprising and scary. He knew he had been hit, but it wasn’t until he was on the ground and trying to administer his own first aid that he discovered the extent of his wounds.

Then he waited, gunfire overhead, bleeding, and no medics on the ground.

Finally, the firing stopped and an Armored Personnel Carrier from a nearby engineering team arrived. Garry was placed inside the vehicle and taken to where the medivac chopper had landed. Unable to walk, Garry was carried to and roughly deposited among the others injured on the hard floor.

“I ended up laying between the front seats of the chopper.”

Shortly thereafter, aloft and headed to the Army hospital some fifteen minutes away, he lost consciousness.

He awoke again when the chopper landed.

“I was on a stretcher and being wheeled inside. They asked me if

Three bullets

Continued from page 1B

I was getting sleepy. I woke up a couple of days later.”

“I spoke with the doctor after I was awake. He told me he left three bullets on the nightstand. They were gone by the time I woke up. I have no idea what happened to them.”

Recovery

After a few days in Pleiku, Garry spent a week recovering in Cam Ranh Bay. Shortly thereafter he was on a C-130 to the states and finally landed in Minot, North Dakota, for a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation.

It wasn’t until he reached Minot that he was finally able to talk to his father by telephone. The family had been informed of Garry’s wounds but little else.

“Dad told me that he was afraid he’d never see me again.”

Having almost fully recovered but for wearing a leg brace that helped him with mobility for several months, Garry served out the rest of his three years in the army, being finally discharged on May 22, 1970. The remainder of those years was spent primarily along the east coast, testing equipment for the army.

Garry still has three distinct scars on his left abdomen, marking an almost perfect equilateral triangle. The wounds, long healed, became painless much sooner than the memories of Vietnam.

Read the full article at UpNorthVoice.com

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Honoring our local heroes

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Mark Constance

Michael L. Crittenden

Donald Faust

Larry Foster

Joseph Brinn

Honoring our local heroes

• Headland, Ron, Army, 1983

• Hicks, Robert, 379th bombardment

• Hughes, Lillian, US Navy, 1993

• Goodman, Gene N, United States Air Force, 1962

• Gordert-Jones, Tina, U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, 1984

• Harmon, Tom, USAF, Jet Fighter Crew Chief, 1962-68

• Hunt, Alan, U.S. Army, 1969, 11th CAV, Vietnam,

• Ingle, Barbara Ann, US Navy, 1966- 1969

• Irwin, Bradley, US Army, Vietnam

• Johnson, Darryl, U.S. Navy Seebees, ret.

• Johnson, Josh, Active duty, U.S. Navy

• Johnson, Matthew, US Marine Corp

• Johnston, Alan, U.S. Air Force, 576th FLTS/30th MXS, 1992 –

Dennis Frank

Robert Hicks

Michael Holland,

Bradley Irwin

Darryl Johnson

Honoring our local heroes

• Jones, Kenny, 1976-1980, USAF, 754th Radar Sq, Port Austin AFS, MI; 19831985, 1438th Engineer Det., Camp Grayling; 1985-1993, 127th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance, Weapons Branch, Selfridge ANG Base, MI; 20002017, Ammunition Supply Point, Camp Grayling MI, 2019 to current, Vol. Driver DAV for Crawford County

• Kirkendall, Cecil

• Luck, David, Missile Technician second class(E5), MT2/SS, discharge 1/20/94 was stationed at Groton, CT.

• Mathews, Gerald, Army, 1967

• McIsaac, Stacy, 2010-2012, Army 14E patriot missile operator and maintainer, Fort Bliss, El Paso, TX

• Melvin, Ken, U.S. Air Force

Basic Training

• Nieman, Marilyn, US Army Journalist, 1973

• Plohg, James, U.S. Army, Honorable discharge

• Raymond, Daniel, US Air Force, 1975

Robinson III, Steven, USMC

James C., United States Army, 101st Airborne,

Continued

Josh Johnson

Matthew Johnson

Jennifer Austin Romancky

Cecil Kirkendall

David Luck

Honoring our local heroes

Drum, NY, Afghanistan

Stanaway, Logan, Active-duty U.S. Army, Fort Sill, Oklahoma

Stutesman, Warren, U.S.

Corp,

Sutter, John, 1974, Vietnam,

Austin Romancky, Jennifer, US

Navy,

Continued from page 7B

Ken Melvin

James Plohg

Steven Robinson III.jpg

Calvin Witherspoon

Jon Shurtz

Logan Stanaway

~ Veteran get togethers ~

OTSEGO COUNTY

1st Wed– Otsego Co. Veterans Coffee hour Gaylord Regional Airport, located at 1100 Aero Drive, Gaylord, MI 49735. 9 a.m.

ROSCOMMON COUNTY

1st Thursday - Roscommon County Veterans Coffee hour at Blodgett Airport, located at 5218 E Houghton Lake Drive. 989-366-7660, 9 a.m.

ALCONA COUNTY

1st & 3rd ThursdayAlcona County Veterans Coffee & Donuts, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 201 N Second Street in Harrisville, 9 a.m.

OTSEGO COUNTY

2nd Monday- Northern Michigan Veterans Coalition board meeting at 9:30 a.m. at Chemical Bank, located at 521 W Main St. Gaylord

2nd Wednesday – Otsego County Veterans lunch room 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gaylord Bowling Center (LZ-282), located at 1200 Gornick Avenue in Gaylord.

3rd Wednesday- Gaylord Elks Veterans Lunch at 116 Grandview Blvd. in Gaylord, Noon.

CRAWFORD COUNTY

2nd Thursday - Crawford County Veterans Coffee, 9 a.m. at American Legion Post 106 in Grayling, located at 106 S James Street in Grayling.

OSCODA COUNTY

3rd Monday – Oscoda County Veterans Coffee “get together” at Luzerne American Legion located at 202 Legion Street, 2 p.m.

CHEBOYGAN COUNTY

4th Wednesday - Veterans Coffee, McDonald’s located at 1020 South Main Street in Cheboygan. 9 a.m.

ALPENA COUNTY

4th Thursday — Alpena County. Veterans Coffee Hour, Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary located at 500 West Fletcher Street in Alpena, 9-10 a.m.

IOSCO COUNTY

3rd Thursday —Iosco County Veterans Coffee Hour through April, 9 a.m. American Legion Post, 211 located 900 E. Lincoln St, East Tawas; Change locations in May to Wurtsmith Air Force Museum, located at 4071 East Van Ett

Vets suicide numbers may be higher than expected

The rate of suicide among veterans may be more than double what federal officials report annually because of undercounting related to drug overdose deaths and service record errors, according to a new analysis released Saturday.

Officials from America’s Warrior Partnership, in a joint study with University of Alabama and Duke University, reviewed census death data from 2014 to 2018 for eight states and found thousands of cases of suspected or confirmed suicides not included in federal calculations.

If those figures were to be repeated across the other states, it would push the veterans suicide rate from about 17 individuals a day (the official estimate released by the Department of Veterans Affairs last year) to 44 veterans a day.

Jim Lorraine, president of AWP and an Air Force veteran who works in health care, said the goal of the report is not to attack state and federal officials for the shortcomings but to point out areas where death records are incomplete or being overlooked, in an effort to find more solutions to the suicide problem.

Lorraine said that in the states his researchers reviewed, many drug deaths were classified as accidents or unknown intent even though indications were that the fatalities should be grouped alongside suicides.

“Whether it’s an accident or a suicide doesn’t really matter. The point is these are preventable,” he said. “So that means we can address them.”

Researchers also found numerous cases where deceased individuals’ military history was incorrectly reported, either by coroners or family members. More often, those mistakes lead to undercounting the number of veteran deaths.

Veteran's Crisis Line, Dial 988 and press 1

To solve that issue, the group is pushing for more federal tools to access Defense Department records in an effort to confirm an individual’s veterans status.

Addressing the overdose deaths will require new public health efforts from state and local officials, Lorraine said.

“These are all preventable deaths,” he said. “The number is less important than the methodology of tracking them and making sure we have an accurate count … that can lead us to prevention steps.”

The largest category of overlooked deaths — about 60% of the uncounted cases, by the report’s estimate — concern drug overdoses.

“We can build prevention strategies with the data that is currently available,” he said. “It just needs to be merged and analyzed and then used.

“In one state, overdoses may be a higher concern than firearms. In another it might be firearms first. They need to look at the right mechanism for the problems they are facing.”

AWP hopes to expand the

What Veteran’s Day means to me

By Mark Constance

With another Veteran’s Day approaching, I am reminded of a man I knew while serving in the U.S. Army.

I was trying to hustle a few extra bucks to supplement my Spec. 4 pay, so I took a part-time job baling hay in the evenings and weekends near Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri (or ‘Fort Lost in the Woods’ for the initiated).

The man I worked for was a grizzled old farmer in worn bib overalls who lived a few miles down an overgrown two-track. Four of us bounced to his home in the back of an open Chevy pickup down the trail, which led to several hundred acres of the greenest fields I had ever seen.

We agreed on a rate of three cents a bale, shook hands and went to work.

The owner lived a simple life. His water was drawn from an outside well. To get a drink, you pulled a rope over a pulley, lifting a 4-inch stovepipe filled with water so cold you thought it came from Higgins Lake in February. You dipped your drink from a galvanized bucket using a white porcelain ladle.

His home had one large room and was heated with a wood stove. He had electricity, but didn’t use it for lights, preferring gas lamps. He told us he had the power turned on a few years earlier to operate a hay elevator because his knees bothered him “a bit.” His only other modern convenience was a small, black and white TV with aluminum foil on the antennae.

He had good friends and a solid reputation that preceded him. He would give you the shirt off his back without asking if he thought you needed it.

He was the kind of man who didn’t talk much. But when he did, everyone paused … And listened. Everything he said, he seemed to say with a purpose.

After the first cutting was finished, I sat at a wood picnic table in a buddy’s yard with him and a few other guys. It was a stifling, muggy day. The air smelled like a thunderstorm was coming.

We grilled burgers and had a few beers. The group of us talked about our experiences in the service – Where we had been. What we had done. It was a fairly typical conversation in those days.

He went on to talk about his sergeant in basic training and we all laughed. Every vet has a story about “that bastard.”

But he also went on to say the only thing he ever regretted about being in the service was that he never had a family, and he would have liked to have children. He didn’t explain why, and no one else offered at the time.

After he left, one of the older men explained that the farmer had been in the “Bataan Death March” during WWII.

After American troops were surrendered by Major General Edward P. King in the Philippines, Japanese troops marched 76,0000 prisoners of war from Mariveles, on the southern tip of the Bataan Peninsula, to San Fernando, 55 miles away, and ultimately to “Camp O’Donnel” in Mukden.

If they couldn’t make the trek and fell down, they were dragged to the side of the road and shot, bayonetted or beheaded. Others were made to dig their own graves and buried alive.

Just 54,000 men reached O’Donnel, and thousands more died afterward from malnutrition and disease before the camp was liberated in August 1945.

The farmer survived the march itself. But while in captivity at O’Donnel, Japanese guards cut off his testicles. Thus, the comment about not being able to have a family.

To this day, I am still humbled and honored by the experience of having met and worked for this guy, on his terms. He asked for nothing in return from any man or from his government for his injuries. And he wouldn’t accept pity from anyone.

So, whenever I hear “Taps” being played, I remember him and what he gave for his county.

And the many veterans who were just glad to make it back home –alive.

Vets and suicide

research to more states and records in the next few years as part of its Operation Deep Dive initiative. Lorraine said he also hopes to push state officials to provide better recording and public access to the death data, to improve public discussion on the issue of veteran suicide prevention.

Veterans in need of emergency

counseling can reach the Veterans Crisis line by dialing 988 or 1-800273-8255 and selecting option 1 after connecting to reach a VA staffer. In addition, veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.

Story courtesy of Military Times, Leo Shane III

Second Front

Girls night out!

ROSCOMMON

~ Photos by Tracy Constance

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Below:

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Bottom-Left:

Noragon to join Up North Voice staff

ROSCOMMON – Alicia Noragon of Houghton Lake has been named copy editor of Up North Voice and UpNorthVoice.com effective Oct. 21

Noragon, who is originally from Harbor Springs, moved to Roscommon County with her significant other and two sons about 2.5 years ago.

Her immediate role will be to edit copy and photos from Roscommon, Crawford, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Iosco counties. With the assistance of several writers from across the region, including the new Crawford County Writer Nicole Mygrants, she will oversee story and video development. Noragon will also manage the social media component of the organization.

Separately, Noragon works part time as a probation officer in Crawford County.

“I love what I do in the criminal justice field,” Alicia said. “But I’ve always had a passion for writing. I’m excited about this new position and looking forward to getting to know the people in our coverage communities.”

Noragon can be reached at alicia@upnorthvoice.com.

Mygrants is a homeschool mom, entrepreneur and holistic health advocate. She owns and manages The

Gift A Wellness Community, partners with her husband at Northstar Autowash, leads an international dōTERRA team, Coordinates for Gaylord MOPS, and spends most of her time with her two rambunctious children.

When she isn’t teaching, Nicole is always a studentcurrently immersed in yoga teacher training certification as well as completing her bachelor degree with specialization in ayurveda wellness and Integrative Health.

Nicole is most often found talking to someone- everywhere she goes- and is truly a lover of people and sharing good conversation.

Nicole enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, acoustic music, building others strengths, snuggling her pet bobcat and dancing in the kitchen. A Michigan native, her heart is rooted to our northern waters, forests, people and stories.

“I believe words have power to bring joy and awareness,” she said. “I try to be real with folks and authentically share this journey we are all on together.”

Nicole can be reached at thegiftwellnesscommunity@gmail. com

Alicia Noragon

Nicole Mygrants

Left: Cynde Paveglio

Operation Freedom ride held

By Hope Laney

ROSCOMMON - Amvets Post13 and the Twisted UTV group hosted their 2nd annual "Operation Freedom" ride to honor Michigan veterans and active military members. The event, held Sept. 9 and 10, included breakfast, lunch and dinner along with raffles, a scavenger hunt, poker run and prizes for the

best "Show and shine".

Amvets commander, Jeff Pierce noted that this year’s event brought over 150 participants with volunteers giving rides to active members from Camp Grayling. Also present for the event was Fire Chief Sgt. First Class Justin Wethington of Camp Grayling, displaying various fire vehicles throughout the weekend.

Fire Chief Sgt. First Class Justin Wethington

Harry and Marge Walbridge Scholarship established

ROSCOMMON - The Roscommon County Community Foundation (RCCF) established the Harry and Marjorie Walbridge Scholarship Fund to assist in higher education for a Roscommon County student.

Harry moved to the Roscommon area in 1973 and was a devoted member of many organizations including the Masonic Lodge, Roscommon Higgins Lake Lions Club, and Rotary Club of Roscommon. He also served

as the counselor for the GerrishHiggins Schools from 1973 to 1987.

Marge was a very active member of the Zonta Club of Roscommon. They were devout members of First Congregational Church. Sadly, Harry passed away in November 2016, and Marge in March 2020.

Harry and Marge were passionate about continuing education and wished to give back to the community that they loved so much. The RCCF wished to recognize their generosity over the years by establishing the Harry and Marjorie Walbridge Scholarship Fund. This fund is an open scholarship that is awarded to a student from Roscommon Area Public Schools, Houghton Lake Community Schools, and Charlton Heston Academy who wishes to continue their education. The student must have a minimum grade point average of 2.25 and attend an accredited college, university, community college, or trade/ technical/vocational school.

Want to get involved? Support our scholarship program by sending your donation to RCCF at P.O. Box 824, Roscommon, MI 48653 or by visiting our website www.myrccf.org/give/ online to donate.

ANIMAL SHELTER HOSTS EVENT – The Ogemaw County Animal Shelter held a Halloween Trunk or Treat with games Oct. 16. Setting up are (l-r) Crystal Ostrolencki, Autumn Matzke and Alaina Keenan. They had a great turnout for the event.

Marge Walbridge