Lewiston Morel Mushroom Festival C-10
Kirtland Warbler Festival C-6
Fishing with Sunshine C-3
Knight at the Faire C-7
What's in this issue:
Gates Lodge A-2
May 2019
Strengthening the communities of Northeast Michigan Vol. 11, Issue 11
Voice
Free Up North
Gates Lodge and the holy water History in the making
By Jim Smith GRAYLING - The AuSable River, fly fishing and river conservation have been a part of Crawford County history for over a century. About the same time as the lumber industry was transforming from big timber into pulp wood harvesting, Americans returned from the wars in Europe with knowledge that a fluff of fur or yarn wrapped around some feathers and a hook can entice a sophisticated trout to mistake it for dinner. The sport of fly fishing took off
Josh Greenberg oversees continuing the Gates Legacy of preservation of the AuSable River in its pristine condition.
and the streams that once floated millions of feet of pine to the sawmills, became hosts to sportsmen intent on stalking the silvery ghosts of the cool, crystal pools and rapids of the north country’s rivers. One of the causalities of the lumbering era was the Grayling, a beautiful, iridescent member of the Char Family of fish, whose firm flesh carried a hint of thyme. Habitat changes and greed doomed the Grayling in the AuSable river system and the Brook Trout, introduced by Rube Babbitt in 1885, took its place. It’s impossible to understand the history of fly fishing on the AuSable without examining the history of Gates Fishing Lodge and the Gates family. It has been their passionate influence on the river and its tributaries over nearly half a century that has elevated the upper reaches of the AuSable River to its status as one of the premier trout streams in the United States. In the early 1970’s, Calvin and Mary Gates retired as music teachers in Oscoda, moved to Grayling and purchased a riverside bar and restaurant on Stephan Bridge Road called “The Canoe Inn”. The original lodge was purchased from the Borcher Family. It was a local spot that offered drink, food and a few overnight cottages with a view of the river. It was also a favorite watering hole and rest stop for folks canoeing the river for either fun or fishing.
Believe it or not, this beautiful Brown Trout lived right under the Stephan Bridge until it was caught by a lucky angler.
Renamed “Gates Lodge”, Cal and Mary expanded the operation with more rooms and a small fly shop that consisted of a single show case of flys. Cal was an avid fly fisherman when fly fishing was first becoming popular in the United States. He recognized the AuSable River watershed and the potential it held for a premier trout stream. Born in 1955 and a teenager when they moved to Grayling, Cal’s son Rusty, was as thrilled with fly fishing as his father and soon became an excellent fly fisherman and expert river guide. Rusty started tying his own flies at an early age and developed several patterns specifically imitating the AuSable River hatch’s and giving them names like the “Rusty Spinner” and the “SRB” (Secret Rubber Bug). Rusty and his wife, Julie, pur-
chased the Lodge from Rusty’s mother, Mary, after Cal passed on. They had been running the lodge since Cal retired in the early 1980’s. Gates Lodge is located on a stretch of the river known as the “Holy Water”. It was so named by Cal out of respect for the perfect habitat it contains for reproduction of trout with its swift, cool waters, deep pools, undercut banks and gravel bottom. Rusty and Julie built the Lodge into a fourteen unit, four seasons fly fishing destination. They offered professional guide service, a fully equipped fly shop and a full restaurant offering three meals a day. Fishermen setting out on a float trip may even order box lunches to take out. However, the real history of Gates See GATES LODGE on page 3
Out & About Lake Homes Are Different CALL
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PROPERTY EXPERTS Marion Brake (989) 915-3200
mbrake@LakeHomes.com
(866) 525-3466
Send your photos, announcements and club events to: info@UpNorthVoice.com
EDITOR’S NOTE: To submit a calendar item for Out and About please email info@upnorthvoice. com. APRIL 26- Comedy Show Starring Charlie Wiener at The Houghton lake Playhouse 27 – Trout Opener across Michigan. 28- The 2nd Annual Battle of the Bands hosted by The Houghton Lake Performing Arts Association MAY 1- Business Expo 2019 At the Houghton Lake High School, we will be giving away a 58”4K HD TV 3-4 – Second Annual Women’s Conference at Resurrection Life Center – Mosaic Women’s Fellowship, located at 2640 W. M-72 in Grayling. For information call 989348-1000 4- Poker Run Walk or Trot is Saturday May 4th beginning at noon. McKinley Trail Camp east of Mio Pledge sheets and info at 989745-5102 ask for Libby Landris 4 – ORV Safety training class at St. Helen Power Sports. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Info: 989-389-4961. 8- RADL Color Your Cares Away @4:30-6:00pm 9- RADL Tween Crafting with Brenda @4:30pm 11- Crawford County Relay Life "Families Against Cancer" are sponsoring a Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser at the Grayling American Legion Lanes from 1pm to 5 pm. 9 Pin No Tap Prizes for more information, please Contact Wayne Nelson 989-348-2985 or Jack Campbell 989348-7075. 15 – West Branch Chamber gold outing 9 a.m. at West Branch Country Club.
16- Business After Hours Co-Sponsored by Huron Pines, Northbound Outfitters & Paddle Hard Microbrewery at 5:30pm at Paddle Hard Microbrewery 16 – C.O.O.R. Intermediate awards ceremony. 1 p.m. The cere-
Up North Voice
A Division of AuSable Media Group, 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
mony is to be held at the G.I. Stewart Auditorium Kirtland Community College Roscommon Campus. 21- Tween Candle Making @5:00pm: Come and join Erica as
she teaches tweens how to make easy DIY candles. Sign up is required. At the RADL 22- RADL Color Your Cares Away @4:30-6:00pm JUNE 21 -22 - Friends of RADL Used Books & Bake Sale at Roscommon Area District Library at 105 Lake Street in Roscommon. Info: 989-2811305. 28-and 29- AuSable Valley Engine & Tractor Show 9 am to 4 pm Oscoda County Fairgrounds-Mio MI Info 989 370-5471 or 989 3874332 Recurring at the Roscommon Area District Library Tech Hour: Every Friday at 2:00 pm: Come in if you have any computer questions, or need assistance with technology, we can sit with you and help. Story Time: Every Thursday at 10:30 am: Join Miss Julie in a wonderful morning program. Children learn how to socialize, explore their creative side, and grow their love of reading. It is a great way to start the day! Sit and Get Fit: Every Thursday at 2:30 pm: Come and do light exercises. It is a great way to stay mobile and keep those joints moving. Adult Trivia: The third Wednesday of every month at 4:30 pm: Answer questions, meet new people, and see if you are smarter than a librarian. Genealogy Interest Group: The last Wednesday of every month at 1:00 pm: Come and join the discussion. Joining in on the discussion gives patrons the opportunity to ask questions and get answers.
ON COVER: Rebecca Sunshine guides a client on the AuSable; INSET - Rusty Gates
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Page 2 May 2019
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Stepping back to the future Across County Lines
By Mark Constance It’s been a bit since I wrote a column for Up North Voice. Heck. It’s been a while since I wrote a column at all. Normally it seems as if I write notes to myself or to other people in a short format. But going forward
with the May issue, we are going to mix things up a bit. I’m not going to limit myself to just promotions of local events, but there will be some of that. Northeast Michigan is a great place to live and there are tons of events happening every weekend it seems. Aside from Across County Lines, we’ve added a new column by John Rosczyk of Roscommon called “Just the Facts.” This month he wrote about the upcoming Kirtland Warbler’s Festival scheduled for June 4. Other items of interest in this
issue include features on Gates Lodge in Grayling, The Roscommon Quiz Bowl Team finishing third in the state, Biddy Ballers in Rose City, the Steiner Museum in Fairview, The Rose Valley Wines opening of its new tasting room in West Branch, and much more. With the change in weather this week (we apparently went from Winter to Summer in four days) we can expect Morel Mushrooms to start popping up on the edges of marshes, rotting logs and pine trees. Be careful when seeking Morels or any other
kind of mushrooms as there are several species which can be hazardous. For information on the festival visit lewistonchamber.com. (I put this together the day of the snow storm on April 14. I promise not to write about snow till the next storm in September). IT’S MESSY OUTSIDE, so I assume everyone is home and safe by now. If not, all I can tell you is that the roads are not a place to be. I had planned to start a fire in See STEPPING BACK on page 7
Gates Lodge Continued from page 1
Lodge lies with the legacy of river preservation. Rusty was considered by many as the guardian angel of the river. In 1987 Rusty formed a group called “The Anglers of the AuSable” which has grown to a membership of over 900 members from all over the world. Many of the members are from the “legal community” and when a threat to the quality of the waters is recognized they spring into action. The Anglers operate a continuous water quality sampling effort to provide early warning of potential contamination. When oil companies wanted to drill on the South Branch, the Anglers efforts stopped them from polluting the river. They are constantly raising money for stream improvement projects. The annual river clean-up attracts hundreds of volunteers that wade the Holy Water from Burtons Landing to Wakeley Bridge and along most of the AuSable watershed basin, picking up trash every fall; something they have been doing for almost thirty years. In an interview granted by Rusty the year before his passing he commented, on the variety of objects and materials that were typically col-
Stephans Bridge View 1890 picture is looking up river from the bridge showing the results of logging.
lected from the river during the river clean-up. The first two or three years they collected over ten cubic yards of trash including beer cans, sandals, rubber tires, canoe paddles and even most of the parts of a “Model A Ford”. Since that time the quantity of trash has been reduced to the point where the teams only need spend a couple of hours covering their assigned areas. Rusty Gates passed away in December of 2009. The legacy, the history of stewardship, that Rusty brought to the river through Gates Lodge and the Anglers of the AuSable endures.
Rusty’s longtime friend and general manager, Josh Greenberg, continues to run Gates Lodge and propagate the conservation philosophy established by the Gates family. A few years after Rusty’s passing, Josh purchased the Lodge from Cal’s wife Mary. Josh and his wife Katy, continue as hosts, members and supporters of the “Anglers of the AuSable”. When asked about the relationship between the AuSable River and Gates Lodge, Josh was quick to respond that it “is the river that made the lodge, not the other way around. For those familiar with the AuSable, be it
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through a love of the fly fishing purist or as a canoe paddler just enjoying a float through unspoiled nature, Gates Lodge has played a large role in making the river what it is today. A pleasant evening sitting on their porch or enjoying a meal at their convenient restaurant overlooking the water, is all it takes to begin to feel the wonder of the AuSable river. A special thanks, on behalf of the Crawford County Museum, to Josh Greenberg for providing his time to share the information that allowed for this story to be brought to you, our readers.
May 2019 Page 3
Voice Staff Mark Constance Editor
mconstance@ UpNorthVoice.com
Joyce Clark Marketing
joyce@upnorthvoice.com
Tracy Constance Marketing
tracy@UpNorthVoice.com
Lindy Peterson Reporter
lindythemermaid@yahoo. com
Jim Smith Reporter
jackpinetech@i2k.net
Letter to the Editor
Community group seeks input on Grayling River Project To the editor: One of the most celebrated trout streams in the midwest is the AuSable River. At the Michigan History Center in Lansing, it is called the “River that changed the World”. The river once held a beautiful, glittery, and iridescent fish. This fish is called the Graying and is the namesake of our city. A group of community members are exploring a remembrance of the Grayling with an endeavor called the Grayling River Project. We would like to celebrate the history of the fish that was once plentiful and dominate, but no longer exists in any of our Michigan streams and
wstutesman@gmail.com
Theresa Ekdom Copy Editor
theresa@UpNorthVoice. com
William Broadnax Distribution Manager williambroadnax2015@ gmail.com
Jeannie Pratt Natalie VanGuilder
M-55 to be lined with flowers HOUGHTON LAKE – A group of Houghton Lake citizens expressed concerns about the appearance of the town. In response, Robert Pollard created a Facebook group called Houghton Lake, M 55 Beautification Committee which generated a great interest to address the issue. Creative and interesting ideas to improve the area emerged and volunteers began to sign up for the project.
Letter to the editor policy:
Warren Stutesman Reporter
waters. We are pursuing the possibility of an artistic structure to enhance the City of Grayling; one that will represent the history and significance of the river for our community. We invite you to participate with your suggestions and ideas. Please send your comments to graylingriverproject@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
AuSable Media Group 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 necessarily 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
The group’s first project is to plant flowers along the sidewalks from Townline Road all the way to M-18. The flowers will provide beauty, promote community pride, and display a cohesive look along M-55. The group also encourages local clubs and businesses to donate to fund the project or to help with the initial planting. The beautification group is working with the Roscommon County
Economic Development Corporation and hope to secure grants for future improvement projects. These may include remediating blight, light pole holiday decorations, art installations and more. If you are interested in assisting please join the Houghton Lake M 55 Beautification Committee on Facebook, or contact Mary Dicker at mtchbx1@comst.net.
Waterfront improvement meeting planned HOUGHTON LAKE - Come and find out what you, as a lakefront homeowner, can do to help improve the quality of our lakes and lakefront management. Speakers include Greg Goudy, Environmental Quality Analyst, Water Resources Division, from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ); and PATRICIA OSBURN, District Manager, Native Plant Nursery Manager, Soil Erosion and Shore Land Officer, from the Otsego Conservation District, will share information on: • the effects every day activities have on our lakes
• what homeowners can do • lakefront landscaping suggestions • the use of native plants The meeting is schedule for May 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Houghton Lake Library, located at 4431 W. Houghton Lake Drive. There is no cost, but seating is limited. Please register by May 10, 2019 online at https://bit.ly/2UcLSHU or contact Mike/Patti Gruber: ljpoa.lakejames@gmail.com or call 989.387.0457.
Chamber News Higgins Lake-Roscommon Chamber:
St. Helen Chamber of Commerce Renewing members: For information on joining the BS Liquor Higgins Lake-Roscommon Chamber MVW and Associates of Commerce call 989-275-8760 or visit hlrcc.com
Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce:
For information on joining the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce call 989-366-5644 or visit houghtonlakechamber.net.
Grayling Chamber of Commerce
For information on joining the Grayling Chamber call 989-3482921 or visit www.graylingchamber. com.
For advertising information call: 989-275-1170 Page 4 May 2019
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For information on joining the St. Helen Chamber call 989-3893725 St Helen Renewing members: Ogemaw County Voice M&I Graphic Primary Care Ed Bergeron Sheffield Automotive
SHOP LOCAL TODAY!
MEMORIAL DAY
In Honor of
those who have selflessly given and valiantly served our nation –
We Thank You and Remember
Thank You For Your Service.
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May 2019 Page 5
BIDDY BALL – Biddy Ball was held in Ogemaw County recently as part of a class organized by JJKN Hoops. Director Jason Newsham which allows implementation into classes, clinics, camps, leagues and webinars. “Biddy Ball is a Parent/Child class which begins as the basic introduction to basketball. This is the basic foundation for program success.”
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Boater’s safety course May 19 HOUGHTON LAKE – The Roscommon County Sheriff Department is sponsoring a boater’s safety class on Sunday, May 19 at Spicer’s Boat City in Houghton Lake from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This course is required for children between the ages of 12 and 16. Certificates will be issued upon completion of the course. Individuals must attend all day to receive this certificate. This class is also recommended for adults who wish to learn boating safety. Please contact Spicer’s Boat City at 989-366-8400 to register for the Boater’s Safety Class. This class is limited to the first 50 individuals. There is no charge for this class. A hot dog lunch is provided. If you are born after Dec. 31, 1978 you need a Boater Safety Certificate in order to drive a personal watercraft.
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Corporate officials from ARAUCO participating in a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of its new plant, located on 4 Mile Road in Grayling.
ARAUCO hosts ribbon cutting
GRAYLING - ARAUCO, a global producer of renewable forestry solutions, wood products and pulp, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week at its state-of-the-art particleboard and lamination facility in Grayling, Michigan. Executives from ARAUCO, ARAUCO North America, as well as key customers and public officials from Chile and the state of Michigan attended the official dedication ceremony, which also included a plant tour. The Grayling mill, which represents a $450 million investment in supporting ARAUCO’s North American customer base, increases the company’s ability to meet the
Stepping back Continued from page 3 the wood burner tonight to keep the garage from getting damp. But I didn't get around to it. I figured we're in for a bit of sky water all night, whether it comes in the form of snow, rain or anything in between. I could have shoveled the four inches of heavy, wet snow and inch of slush off the steps and deck, but I've already put the shovels away. In protest, I'm not taking them out. Mother Nature dropped this here; She can take it away. But as I stood outside on the deck just after dark, I pulled my dark hoodie up. I picked up some slush, packed it into a snowball and flung it into the darkness. Then I listened. No wind. Just the soft sound of snow smacking the snow. However, I've had enough of Winter.
burgeoning furniture manufacturing industry in the United States’ Midwest market area and beyond. Considered a “modern manufacturing marvel,” the 820,000-square-foot, technologically advanced particleboard and lamination operation in Grayling is the company’s first greenfield facility in the United States, its 11th North American manufacturing site and the largest of its kind globally. The plant currently staffs more than 200 full-time employees. “This is a historic day and milestone for our company,” said Matías Domeyko, Chief Executive Officer, ARAUCO. “The official start of
production at Grayling exemplifies the outstanding innovation and sustained growth ARAUCO is known for globally, and what has been central to propelling our positive business results. The Grayling mill achievement also is the culmination of unwavering commitment from our valued investors who shared our vision for capturing significant market opportunity in North America. “We offer heartfelt thanks for their dedication and support in making this remarkable, new manufacturing plant possible.”
I need to be sitting outside near a campfire in shorts and sandals, listening to a Tigers game and swatting bugs. I need my windows rolled down and the music turned up. I need the warmth and healing power of a July afternoon. I need my hat pulled down low, to keep the high noon sun out of my eyes. It will happen. But as I stood on the porch tonight, I realized that this sound and day are unique. And it was only happening today. It had its own cool beauty. A wet piece of Spring we have been blessed with. And I will embrace it for what it is. Quote of the month: “Everyone has a right to be happy. Don’t shortchange yourself.”
If you have any questions or comments about Across County Lines or Up North Voice email Mark at mconstance@ upnorthvoice.com.
ROAD BIRD – Karrie Kleinert shot a picture of this Bald Eagle from her vehicle on M-76 between Roscommon and Saint Helen. “He was on the side of the road, he let us pull right next to him,” she said.
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May 2019 Page 7
Touring D.C.
Several youths from Grayling High School took a field trip to Washington D.C. with Chaperone Mike Shearer.
Bill Tran, Shearer, and Nicolo Bersellini are pictured at the Lincoln memorial.
Page 8 May 2019
Pictured (l-r) are Giuseppe Rapisarda (Italy), Bill Tran (Vietnam), Nicolo Bersellini (Italy) Ben Whitaker (Grayling) and Mike Shearer.
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The boys are seated in front of the Washington Memorial.
BIG PIKE – Ryan Johnston of Grayling caught this 38-inch, 13-pound Northern Pike in Houghton Lake on Feb. 23. ROTARY DONATION – The Roscommon Rotary Club donated to the Higgins Lake Foundation on April 18. Pictured (l-r) are Rick Meeks, Ann Bolzman and Dr. Mark Luttenton. ~ Photo by Tracy Constance
Send your photos, announcements and club events to: info@UpNorthVoice.com
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May 2019 Page 9
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Bring more birds to your own backyard NORTHEAST MICHIGAN - Spring migration is a special time, particularly in the Great Lakes State. Michigan lies at the intersection of the Atlantic and Mississippi migratory flyways – avian super-highways that bring more than 340 bird species to our state every year. Just like many of us, these birds love a great garden, especially one that is brimming with native plants. Native plants produce four times the amount of “insect biomass” – the total amount of living insects in a given area – as non-native plants do. “That’s a big reason why native Michigan plants are an excellent food source for our feathered friends and their hatchlings,” said Erin Rowan, MI Birds program associate. “Growing bird-friendly, native plants will
attract and protect the birds you love while making your space beautiful and easy to care for.” Rowan said that upcoming workshops will offer great opportunities for people to learn more about creating a backyard habitat that will attract birds, deer, pheasants, pollinators and other wildlife. Register for one of the following: Want to learn more about starting your own birdfriendly garden, but not sure where to start? Check out Audubon’s Plants for Birds Resources or contact Erin Rowan at 313-820-0809.
(Right) Ruby-throated Hummingbird visiting Cardinal Flower, courtesy Kristen Cart/Audubon Photography Awards.
Golf season kicks off The Roscommon High School boys golf team participating in the Chippewa Hills 6th Annual Warrior 2-Man Scramble tournament held at The Royal Golf Club at Canadian Lakes April 13. There were a total of 18 teams and Roscommon finished third overall. The pairing of Jory Gailitis/Riley McNamara finished tied for first as a pairing with an even par score of 73. Team members include: (l-r) Chad Bohl, Jasme Herrick, Jory Gailitis, Guillermo Camacho, Riley McNamara, Jackson Strickler and Coach McGinnis. ~Photo courtesy of Dan McGinnis
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May 2019 Page 11
HEAR THEM ROAR - The Lion’s Den in Roscommon held its annual spaghetti fundraiser at Fred’s of Roscommon earlier this month. More than 100 people turned out for the event, which raises money to help offset costs of the substance abuse treatment center. The Lion’s Den MBTC can be found on Facebook or by calling 989-989-275-0929
~ Photos by Mark Constance
Support our local businesses Page 12 May 2019
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Kids Fun Day at Iron’s Park WEST BRANCH - Bikers 4 Kids is having their Annual Kid’s Fun Day on Saturday, June 29 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Pavilion at Irons Park in West Branch. All kids, from little tykes to age 12 are welcome! There will be games and prizes, two slides: One for the little ones and one for the bigger kids. Home Depot will be there to help kids build projects, and of course, there will be hot dogs and drinks. They will be giving away 12 bicycles this year! This event is free to all youths The event is rain or shine so dress appropriately. . Dawn Woughter, the chairperson for the event said, “We put this free event on every year to celebrate the children of our local communities. It’s a lot of hard work and planning, but it’s worth it! It’s just one of our ways to give back.” Bikers 4 Kids started in 1996 and acquired their 501© (3) status in 2004. As a non-profit organization, they sell raffle tickets and hold events throughout the year to raise money to help children all year. Its big event is the first Saturday in November every year, currently held at the K of C Hall in West Branch. The cost to get in is $10 which includes dinner. It includes a
live auction, luck of the draw, gun raffles, 50/50’s and more. Bikers 4 Kids assist with medical needs and / or transportation, help with families that fall victim to fire, and so much more. They also donate to Christmas for Kids or Toys for Tots programs in Arenac, Ogemaw and Gladwin counties and other like-minded organizations. You may see them out in the community selling raffle tickets or participating in Trunk or Treat or a parade and various other things. Stop by and say “Hi”! Thank them for their hard work and dedication! President, Terry Turner said “We are always looking for good people to join our organization and help out. We need all kinds of people with different talents, different ideas. You don’t have to ride a motorcycle to be a member. Anyone can come to a meeting or one of our events and check us out. Questions are always welcome.” For questions about Kids Fun Day, call Dawn at 989-387-5138. For questions on becoming a member, or anything else, call Terry at 989-329-5011 or Carla at 989329-1322. Visit their Facebook page, Bikers 4 Kids for updates and event info.
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Obituaries & Death Notices David Edward Hutko
Steven Ray Antcliff
David Edward Hutko, age 76, of Roscommon passed away on Monday April 1, 2019 at The Lighthouse of Roscommon. Memorial contributions in memory of David are asked to be directed to St. Jude Children Hospital at www.stjude.org or 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN. 38105.
Steven Ray Antcliff, age 66 of Roscommon, died Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in his home in the comfort of his family. Steve’s family has chosen to remember him privately at this time. Donations in his memory may be made to his family for future designation.
Doris Elaine Brotherton
Elmer William Balow
Doris Elaine Brotherton, 85, of Higgins Lake passed away on Monday April 1, 2019 at home with her loving family. Memorial contributions in memory of Doris are asked to be directed to Markey Church.
Charlotte Mary Koshorek
Elmer William Balow, 82, of Houghton Lake passed away on Friday March 29, 2019 at McLaren Bay Regional Hospital in Bay City. Memorial contributions in memory of Elmer are asked to be directed to the Roscommon County Animal Shelter.
Charlotte Mary Koshorek, 68, of Houghton Lake passed away on Wednesday March 27, 2019 at home with her loving family by her side. Memorial contributions in memory of Charlotte are asked to be directed to the family for Charlotte's final expenses or the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 8201 Corporate Drive Suite 1000, Landover, MD 20785.
‘Bob’ Williams
Robert "Bob" M. Williams, age 87, of Houghton Lake passed away on Sunday April 7, 2019 Bob was born on February 16, 1932 in Lansing, Michigan to Vern and Isla (Miller) Williams. In lieu of contributions, please pass along a random act of kindness in Bob's memory.
Troy George Nieman
Troy George Nieman, 56, of Prudenville passed away on Wednesday April 10, 2019 at home with loving family by his side. Memorial contributions in memory of Troy are asked to be directed to the family or United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan, 1325 S. Washington Ave., Lansing, MI 48910
Spring tea on tap ROSCOMMON - A Spring Tea will be held on Sunday, May 19 from 2-4 p.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. The tea is open to everyone in our community. Please buy your ticket early-we are selling 100 tickets only. For more information, or, to buy tickets, please contact: Rosie Gallagher, 989-275-8056 or Julie Peters, 989-275-4992.
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George W. Matthews
George W. Matthews, Sr., age 87, of Lupton, MI, passed away Friday, April 5, 2019, at Horizon Senior Living, in St. Helen.
Gladys Peal Stolte
Gladys Pearl (Scott) Stolte, age 68 of Rogers City, formerly of Comins, MI, passed away at home March 19, 2019.
James Hicks
James Hicks, formerly of Mio, Michigan, passed away at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Friday, March 8, 2019 with his wife and children by his side.
Art O’Dell
Art O’Dell began celebrating in heaven on March 15, 2019 while his immediate family was gathered near him. He was born October 4, 1941 to B. Isabelle (Hendrick) and Mark O’Dell in Cass City, Michigan. He was named Dennis Arthur but was known to everyone as simply “Art”.
Grandchildren: One of life’s great pleasure By Daniel J. Paul Many of us have or are experiencing the following pleasure: The minute the car door slams shut, you can hear the laughing and excited talking of children reverberating into the house. Then comes the footsteps clambering onto the porch, and the calls of “Grandpa and Grandma, we're here!” echoing throughout the house. These children are our grandchildren. Some of us may have the cherished opportunity of seeing the grandchildren on a regular basis, while others not as often. What we all have in common, though, is the desire to make the best of whatever time we do have with them. When they are visiting, my wife and I will go into our basement and gather toys, games, and books from their father, uncles, and aunt when they were young. Grandpa will also gather some of the toys and games of his youth. He quickly dusts them off and hauls them all upstairs. Some of Grandpa's toys that he resurrected are the Uncle Wiggly game, Cartoono-Scope, and Draw-and-Tell (I bet some of you can recall these!). Once gathered, we would gingerly sit on the floor and commence to enter their imaginative world of play with them.
This can last for hours until both sets of people (grandchildren and grandparents) are tired. To enter their imaginative world of play is precious. Through this experience, we (grandparents) have the time to observe and appreciate their creativity and imagination at a much more personal level. By that, I mean we are not encumbered by daily problems, stress, time, and providing for the family as their parents have. For us, time is short; every minute with them is cherished. They come to us unblemished
by the world around them; they see good in all and have an unwavering trust. Sadly, this will change as they mature. But, the love, the values, and the family ties that were created when they were young will enable them to endure and successfully circumnavigate the storms they will encounter in their lives. Oops! I must go. I hear children echoing up the porch steps! So, until next month...
This article is dedicated to my high school classmates of West Iron County's Class of 1970, my family, and friends
who have been an inspiration to me.
Use common sense when dealing with fire
NORTHEAST MICHIGAN – Dry, windy spring weather has put much of the Lower Peninsula at high risk for wildfires, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Areas of highest concern are southwest Michigan to the top of the northern Lower Peninsula. Some precipitation set to move in this evening is expected to help with the dry conditions. The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for the northern Lower Peninsula said Paul Rogers, DNR fire prevention specialist. The warnings are in effect until 8
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p.m. today. Everyone in the affected area should take extra precautions to prevent accidental fires. Wait to burn yard debris and wait to use all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers or other outdoor machinery until later in the evening. In very dry conditions, heat from even a lawn mower or the exhaust pipe of an ATV can ignite dry grass. A trailer chain dragging on pavement also can create sparks. To find out if it’s safe to burn, get a free burn permit online at Michigan.gov/BurnPermit or contact your local municipality.
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May 2019 Page 15
Robovikes compete at Saginaw SAGINAW – The Grayling Vikings STEM team traveled to the state finals to compete in the Robotics competition at the Ryder Center at Saginaw Valley State University April 10-13. The competition of student-built and remote-control operated robots is helping spur interest in and pursuit of future high-demand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers at the FIRST in Michigan robotics state championships, sponsored by Consumers Energy. The Consumers Energy Foundation along with Dow, Ford Motor Company and DTE all contribute financially to support STEM programs, including FIRST teams at elementary, middle and high school levels across the state. FIRST in
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Michigan now boasts more than 500 high school teams, more school robotics teams than any other state. FIRST Robotics has grown rapidly at all levels, according to Gail Alpert, president of FIRST in Michigan (2018). “As we like to say, FIRST is the only varsity sport where every kid can go pro, and Consumers Energy helps nourish that K-12 pipeline that leads right into their company,” she FIRST has engaged millions of people in a global movement to build problem solvers who transform our world. Each year the FIRST community celebrates young innovators through high-quality, inspiring, life-changing experiences, the culmination of which is the FIRST Championship.
Members of the Robovikes include: (l-r) Connor Emes, Mrs. McBride, Paul Snyder, Coy Andrews, Quinton Sandardier, Tyler Brant, Mr. Snyder, Ben Snyder, Nick Fredric, Daniel Snyder, Madison Hier, and Natalie Do and Mr. McBride
Pictured (l-r) are Tyler Brant, Quinton and Madison Hier.
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Up North Voice
B section
Columns, Puzzles, and Schools
May 2019
organization is Joe Hemming. Anglers has 25 board members, approximately 1,300 general members and is a 100 percent volunteer organization. Hemming said in a statement that, “We are a diverse board comprised of people from all walks of life.” Ne noted the club works on behalf of the river. “The club works to make the Au Sable the most pro-
the hopes of connecting them to the outdoors and river stewardship. For information on becoming a member of Anglers of the AuSable email membership@ausableanglers.org. To participate in the river cleanup in September contact Josh@GatesLodge.com. For general info about the organization visit their website at ausableanglers.org.
Anglers’ named to Grayling Chamber Spotlight
GRAYLING – The name, “Anglers of the AuSable,” brings to mind days on the great river that traverses our area. Founded in 1987 by Calvin “Rusty” Gates, Anglers ‘and is behind some of the biggest conservation victories in Michigan. The club has defeated a proposed gas well on the South Branch of the Au Sable, headed off leases
destined for fracking, prevented Merit energy from discharging polluted water into the headwaters of the Au Sable, and has removed a fish farm from the East Branch. The club cleans the Au Sable every year the weekend after Labor Day, sponsors youth fishing events, and completes numerous habitat projects on the river. Current president of the
ductive wild trout river that it can be,” Hemming said in a statement. “We have plenty of volunteer opportunities, most notably our annual River Cleanup.” The cleanup is held Saturday Sept. 7 and the organization removes about six yards of trash. Anglers also hosts an outing that includes rod/ reel/line, shirts and hats for Grayling-area children who have run afoul of the law in
The Steiner Museum of Oscoda County By Cody Rossen FAIRVIEW - Some may know, and others may not, but Oscoda County has a little hidden gem known as the Steiner Pioneer and Logging Museum just North of Fairview. The museum originally was the brainchild of Earl Steiner and his interest in collecting. Earl came to Oscoda County in 1907 when he was just a small boy. They were part of a group of Mennonites that made the journey north to settle and start a new life. Early in his life Earl became a collector of logging, railroad and items of early pioneering days. His collection grew and locals would come to his home to see him and his collections of various artifacts. Earl’s knowledge of his collection was very great and when he would give tours of his collection, he could in detail explain what each item was and what it was used for. Over time the collections continued to grow, and with it, a need to expand the space to hold it. With the help of some local business men, a building was erected to house his
Mr. Steiner
growing collections. Then in 1968, the Steiner Museum was officially opened. After the opening of the museum, the old log North Fairview schoolhouse was moved to the museum. The schoolhouse was originally built in 1885 and for many years was abandoned until it found a new permanent home at the museum. In February of 1979, Earl Steiner passed away at the age of 77 years. The museum was under private ownership after his passing but was still open to the public from time to time. Then in the early 1990’s, the museum came into some legal troubles. The museum and all of the contents inside were almost going to be auctioned off to the public. Many local concerned citizens came together and asked the county and the six townships within to purchase the museum. And since then, the museum has belonged to the citizens of Oscoda County. Over the years, the museum has added on a few additions and outbuildings to house the continued growing collection of artifacts the museum receives. See MUSEUM on page 2B
Help needed to curb Sturgeon poaching
NORTHERN MICHIGAN - The Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow (Cheboygan County) is seeking volunteers to join in its effort, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, to help protect lake sturgeon from illegal harvest during the annual spawning run. Every spring, mature lake sturgeon – a fish species that is threatened in Michigan and rare throughout the United States – become vulnerable to poaching as they briefly leave Black Lake for spawning sites upstream in the Black River. Hundreds of volunteers are needed to stand guard along the Black River during the spawning season (mid-April through early June) to report suspicious activity and deter the unlawful take of this iconic fish. “The annual Sturgeon Guarding Program has proven that people serving as sturgeon guards watching over the river have virtually eliminated poaching, while helping to ensure the protection and reproductive success of the species,” said May Paulson, the program’s new volunteer coordinator.
When spawning begins, sturgeon guards are assigned in shifts to sites along the river. The volunteers stand watch and, if suspicious activity occurs, use cellular phones provided by Sturgeon for Tomorrow to contact DNR conservation officers who are actively patrolling the area in support of the guarding effort. Aerial surveillance also is deployed to help secure the area. Many opportunities over the approximately six-week spawning season are available for those who want to help. Sturgeon ambassadors will be on-site at the river to assist and answer questions. In addition to guarding the sturgeon, volunteers also can play a key role by recording the number and activity of fish they see. This has become a popular activity for families, Scouting and church groups, as well as students interested in natural resources management. Artists, especially photographers, often participate, too. Individuals or groups interested in volunteering should contact Mary Paulson at 989-763-7568. Volunteers also can register online atSturgeonForTomorrow.org/Guarding-Program.php.
Steiner Museum
Museum
continued from page 1B Currently there are many newly acquired artifacts housed in off-site locations due to a shortage of space in the museum. This year, a large addition to
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the south end of the building is being planned for construction this summer. The opening season for the museum starts the Saturday before Memorial Day with a pancake breakfast at the museum. The breakfast starts at 8 a.m. and lasts to 11 a.m. The Steiner Museum is open on Saturday and
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Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. and is located at 1980 Reber Rd., just two miles north of Fairview in Oscoda County. The museum is non-profit and operated by volunteers on the board of the Oscoda County Historical Commission and the Friends of Steiner Museum.
Take a tour: Ogemaw agriculture and ag products OGEMAW COUNTY - Michigan State University Extension invites you to participate in a tour to visit with farmers, producers and sellers of agricultural products in Ogemaw County. The First Friday Farm and Ag Product Tour schedule is now finalized and it includes a diverse group of local businesses representing many aspects of agricultural production and products. These free tours take place the first Friday of each month, May through September. All the tours leave from the MSU Extension office in West Branch with everyone travelling together on a bus. Travelling together enables participants to get to know one-another and to discuss what they have seen and heard. Each tour also includes a free lunch. Therefore, preregistration is required to participate.
May
The 2019 schedule begins May 3 with a visit to Family Fare Markets of West Branch and Rose City Greenhouse. At Family Fare, we will visit in the meat and produce departments and talk with Mary Jo Marciniak, store director, about the steps to ensure quality, product supply chains and the constraints with which they must respond, in order to sell food. At Rose City Greenhouse, we will see, and smell, what is blooming in this business as they propagate plants for sale to homeowners all over the
area. Terri Allen, owner will tell us about their business which is open year-round with events, activities and special celebrations to bring customers in.
June
The June 7 tour, begins at Rose Valley Winery. Steve Ziolkowski, owner and winemaker will help tour participants understand what it takes to make quality, even award-winning, wine from locally sourced, cold-hardy grapes and a variety of other fruits. Learn about the intricacies that distinguish one product from another. Then we will stop at the new site of the Rose City Farmers’ Market and learn about the plans for that new facility. The June tour continues with a visit to Matthews Beef farm, owned by George and Lisa Matthews. They have a herd of more than 80 brood cows. You will gain an understanding of the raising and marketing of the calves and the care provided for them.
July
In July 5, we will visit two businesses owned by Tony Rosebrugh. The dairy, managed by Roy Smith, employs more than 20 individuals and milks more than 600 cows. The
size and management result in efficiencies, even while providing great cow care. Then we will visit a cut site of TR Timber and learn about safety and conservation in the process of harvesting wood for a variety of mills and users within a 40-mile radius.
August
On Friday, August 2, Sara Griffith, manager of her parents’ farm, Brindley Dairy, will introduce us to their small dairy herd. Sara says that all cows have names and each has its own personality. We’ll travel from the farm pastures to a hill covered in blueberry bushes, heavy laden with ripe berries. Blueberry Hill is a 5-acre blueberry patch, tucked away on a hill, with approximately 2000 bushes. Rhonda Dillon, owner, will tell us what it takes to produce a delicious and highly nutritious crop.
September
The final tour on September 6 and will first visit Levi’s Training & Boarding Center. Levi Beechy and his fiancée Jennifer board 25 horses and train another 7 horses. Training
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horses is a passion and involves not just training the horse, but also their owners. Learn about horse care and the business of horses. From horses to orchards, we’ll visit Zettel Farms & Orchard. Dan Zettel now has more than 10,000 trees producing 10 different varieties of apples. This local business has also expanded into ag-tourism with an annual corn maze, cider and donut making and horse-drawn wagon tours. They also produce and market pasture-raised beef. All tours are free and are open to all. They begin at 8:45 AM at the MSU Extension office, 205 S. Eighth Street, West Branch and we will finish around 1:00 PM. Because we anticipate high interest, we ask that you select one tour to attend. One week prior to tours, we will open up registration to those who have previously been on a tour. Reserve your space early. For more information, or to reserve your space, contact MSU Extension at 989-345-0692 and speak to, or leave a message for Ian. You may also email Phil Durst at durstp@msu.edu or Ian Sawyer at sawyeria@msu.edu. MSU Extension is an outreach of Michigan State University in the community. These tours are sponsored by MSU Extension with help from Michigan Farm Bureau Insurance. MSU is an equal-opportunity institution.
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Suduko
Confucius Say ...
Q: Why did the chewing gum cross the road? A: He was stuck to the chicken’s foot. Q: How do you catch a unique rabbit? A: Unique up on it. Q: How do you catch a tame rabbit? A: Tame way. Q: What is Forrest Gump’s email password? A: 1forrest1 Q: What do you call a fake noodle? A: An impasta. Q: What do you call an alligator in a vest? A: An in-vest-igator.
Man who walk in front of car gets tired, man who walk behind car get exhausted. Man who not poop for many days must deal with backlog. Man who cut self while shaving lose face. Man who leap off cliff, jump to conclusion. Man who laugh last, not get joke. Man who live in glass house should get changed in basement. Constipated man not give a crap. Man who sleep on bed of nails is holy. War not determine who right, war determine who left. Man who throw dirt losing ground. Man who shoot off mouth, must expect to lose face. Wise man not keep sledge hammer and slow computer in same room. Man who drives like hell bound to get there.
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Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Kids (Family Features) Eating well for kids goes a long way toward maintaining a healthy weight, increasing energy levels and improving moods while also reducing risk of obesity and other chronic issues such as heart disease and diabetes later in life. Foster independence. Allowing your children to help with shopping and meal prep can aid in them taking ownership of what they’re eating. These Rainbow Fruit Parfaits are simple for kids to assemble. Offer balanced options. Children require balanced diets made up of all three major food groups, including fruits and vegetables, for proper development. Looking for the Produce for Kids logo next to nutritional items at the grocery store is an easy way to identify healthy food choices while also supporting local organizations that help children and families in need. Be a role model. Typically, your children will follow your behaviors, which includes the types of foods they select at mealtimes. Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables can help ensure your family is getting a complete range of nutrients. For example, a recipe like this Rainbow Buddha Bowl provides a combination of fresh and roasted vegetables that can be customized to meet your
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family’s tastes. Thinking about how many colors you eat in a day may inspire your kids to do the same, which can foster a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Rainbow Fruit Parfaits
Recipe courtesy of Produce for Kids Prep time: 10 minutes Servings: 3
1/2 cup sliced strawberries 2 mandarins, peeled and segmented 1/2 cup chopped pineapple 2 kiwis, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup blueberries 1/2 cup red seedless grapes 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt In parfait glasses, layer strawberries, mandarins, pineapple, kiwis, blueberries and grapes. Top each fruit parfait with yogurt.
Rainbow Buddha Bowl
Recipe courtesy of Jodi of Create Kids Club on behalf of Produce for Kids Prep time: 30 minutes Servings: 4
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced 1 cup broccoli florets 1/2 small purple cabbage, sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil salt, to taste pepper, to taste 2 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions 1 cup red cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/2 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 avocado, sliced 4 tablespoons yogurt ranch dressing Heat oven to 425 F. Place sweet potatoes, broccoli and cabbage on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Divide cooked quinoa into four bowls. Top with roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes and avocado. Drizzle with dressing. To find more healthy meal inspiration, including more than 500 registered dietitian- and family-tested recipes, visit produceforkids.com.
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Get to The Point - Tawas Point! t Park Centennial Celebration includes free public cornhole tournament By Vicki Seltz Barnes EAST TAWAS - Many visitors have fond memories of playing lawn games with family and friends in Michigan state parks. We invite you to help celebrate 100 years of Michigan State Parks at Tawas Point State Park by competing in, or watching, this free family-friendly cornhole tournament on Saturday, June 15 at 10 a.m. This tournament is open to all visitors and campers, and all you need is a twoperson team. The number of teams will be limited, so be sure to register early to get in on all the activities. This is planned as a single elimination event using the American Cornhole Association rules, depending on the number of teams playing. Register your team ahead of time by calling park headquarters between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 989-3625041, or if the minimum team amount is not met, your team can register no later than 9 a.m. on the day of the tournament by meeting at the Tawas Point Lighthouse Museum Gift Shop area where bean bags and boards will be provided. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams! Bring your family along to enjoy the day at this special Michigan State Park, where you can also enjoy the beaches, historical Tawas Point Lighthouse tours, bicycling, kite boarding, kayaking, picnicking, hiking, bird watching, stand up paddle boarding, and so much more. Mark your calendars now for another free Michigan State Parks Centennial Celebration event at the Tawas
Did you know... Facts from https://www. factretriever.com/spring-facts
If Pope Gregory XIII would not have established the Gregorian calendar, which most of the world now observes, in 1582, then
Point Lighthouse on National Lighthouse Day, Wednesday, Aug. 7 Free lighthouse tours will run from Noon to 4 p.m. – Take a self-guided tour, including a trip up the tower to the lantern room, where you can view the entire breathtaking area! To round out the Celebration at 4 p.m.: 1 -Take this opportunity to Meet and Greet Tawas native and award-winning watercolor artist, Mary Lou Peters, on the Lighthouse lawn. Mary Lou designed and painted art prints of Tawas Point Lighthouse which she then donated to the Friends group for use as note cards and holiday cards for a unique fundraiser to help with projects and events at the lighthouse and state park. 2 - Did someone say FREE Ice Cream Floats??? Back by popular demand, these delicious treats will be available on the Lighthouse lawn, while supplies last. Hope to see you there! Participate this entire year in the Michigan State Parks Centennial Celebrations. Learn more at Michigan.gov/stateparks100, where you can share your Tawas Point Lighthouse and State Park stories and memories throughout the year, and learn about other State Park events going on around Michigan in 2019, including at Tawas Point Lighthouse and State Park. A Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into Michigan state parks. To make a camping reservation, visit www.midnrreservations.com or call 1-800-447-2757. every 128 years the vernal equinox would have come a full calendar day earlier, eventually putting Easter in midwinter.
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Marijuana laws in the workplace
EAST TAWAS - An educational program entitled, “Dehazing Marijuana in the Michigan Workplace educational program will be held in the East Tawas Community Center Council Chambers located at 760 Newman Street, East Tawas on Tuesday, May 7 at 9 a.m., The Lappan Agency and the Wallace Firm, P.C. will answer questions circulating in the business community about the new law and its effect on business operations. As a business owner, are you wondering: Can I still have a drugfree workplace? What should my company drug policy include? How can I test for marijuana? Or, if you have other concerns related to the change in Michigan law, this program can help clarify the basics so you can plan your best approach. The event is sponsored by the Iosco-Arenac District Library, Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Works Region 7B, and Develop Iosco. The program is free and open to the public. Registration is required due to limited seating. To register email ladkins@ michworks4u.org or call 989-3626407.
Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. In the Southern
Hemisphere, springtime lasts from August until November. The word “season” is from the Latin sationem meaning “sowing” or “seed time.”
May 2019
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Babysitter training to be held in Rose City
Golf season kicks off
The Roscommon High School boys golf team participating in the Chippewa Hills 6th Annual Warrior 2-Man Scramble tournament held at The Royal Golf Club at Canadian Lakes April 13. There were a total of 18 teams and Roscommon finished third overall. The pairing of Jory Gailitis/Riley McNamara finished tied for first as a pairing with an even par score of 73. Team members include: (l-r) Chad Bohl, Jasme Herrick, Jory Gailitis, Guillermo Camacho, Riley McNamara, Jackson Strickler and Coach McGinnis. Photo courtesy of Dan McGinnis
Keep hoping for Spring GPA News By Betty Bennett April Fool – that’s what Nature pulls on us by giving us a few warm days – melting a lot of snow – and even bringing out some of the birds that have been hiding (I don’t know where) and there’s action around the feeders. And then – we wake up to a cold morning with snow on the ground. You would think that after living up here since the ‘70’s I would learn NOT to believe it when we get those one or two warm days. But – I just keep hoping. I know it will happen – I haven’t missed spring in 92 years! Just how hard a winter it was is proved by the fact that GPA and Grayling lost over half the banners that were on the poles on the business loop. We couldn’t even find most of them. Those winds must have taken them far, far from home. We are already talking with our supplier and hope to have them back up as soon as we can. Another loss that GPA suffered is the loss of about 10+ of the Snowmen that brighten up our sidewalks during the winter. When we took them down, we found that they were missing. Currently, they are still missing, but we’re working on it and hope to solve the problem. April is a busy month. A group of us went to the Artisan Gallery on the 11th to hear Jake Allan - our resident celebrity – on guitar. The place
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was packed, and it appeared that everyone enjoyed the evening. We had planned to attend the Marathon Dinner on Friday, but unfortunately it was cancelled. We’re working hard to make this years Fashion Show on May 18th the best. Tickets are $25 – its at the same place – Kirtland Community College. We have lots of Vendors and our Silent Auction. We have some old artists plus some new ones that will tempt you. There will be time to spend perusing these wonderful offerings both before the show and during the lunch break. Our Shop Grayling First cards are a little later than usual this year – but even better. They’ll be ready June 1st and still the same $25. They will be available at the Chamber of Commerce, Tip n’ Mitten, the Hallmark Store – and any GPA member. We’ve got it figured that if you really use it its worth over $1,000 in discounts!!! You’ll see some new places this year that you will be happy about. Alice Snyder and Lynn White are already working hard getting new vendors for the GPA Fall Arts and Crafts Show. As usual this will be the same weekend as the fall festival – October 5, 2019 – so mark your calendars now. It won’t be long before talk of flowers takes up a big part of the conversation at GPA meetings. The Committee is already meeting and will be deciding what and where the flowers will be put. First the pots must go out and for that we need the City – BUT – for all of this we need the weather to cooperate and so far, – we’re not quite sure when the time will be right. There is a lot of wonderful news
ROSE CITY - Ogemaw County 4-H and Oscoda County 4-H are hosting a babysitter training at Rose City City Hall on May 17 4:30-8 p.m. 4 p.m. and May 18 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This training is open to all youth ages 11-19 as of January 1, 2019. Participants will learn what it takes to be a responsible, caring babysitter. They will gain child care skills for infants, toddlers, and young children as well as emergency skills, basic kitchen skills, and business and scheduling training. Space is limited so register soon! Registration forms are available in the Ogemaw MSU Extension office
or via email by request. If new to 4-H, please visit mi.4honline.com and sign up for 4-H. Special thanks to the Ogemaw Child Protection Council for paying the participation fee for each participant! Remaining cost for participants is $10 for training supplies, payable to Ogemaw 4-H Council. For more information, please contact Peggy Zettle, Ogemaw County 4-H Program Coordinator at 989-345-0692 or zettlep@msu.edu or Laurie Miller, Oscoda County 4-H Program Coordinator at 989-8262427/989-848-7048 or mill2727@ msu.edu
Call your multi-media representative for all your advertising needs. 989-275-1170
See SPRING on page 8 B
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Use your head wisely
By Ken Elmore “Heads up” is a phrase we’ve all heard time and again throughout our lives, so much so that many times we don’t really give it a second thought as to its potential significance. Well, we’ve been asked by folks in the medical community to give some reminders on the subject as we move into the next season. It won’t be but a few short weeks before the roads, trails, fields and byways will be teaming with all manner of transportation known to man. This also marks the time when emergency rooms begin to see an influx of traumatic head and brain injuries associated with accidents or misuse of these implements. Hence, the heads up we’re giving you. The concern in the medical community stem from the knowledge that these types of injuries can be some of the most difficult and debilitating in terms of treatment and outcome. Our brains are arguably the most complex of all of natures structures and the most important organ of our bodies. We all seem to know instinctively to protect our heads for our own good, yet we are also easily distracted and sometimes act despite our best interest or that of a loved one. So, with that in mind, all of us in emergency services encourage you to wear your helmets. Encourage your loved ones to wear their helmets too, and don’t take “no” for an answer. Safe practices sometimes start with a change of habits and keeping your brain in the right place is an ideal beginning. If you own or are going to purchase a bicycle, motorcycle, ATV, etc. be sure you have the proper headgear to go along with it. Any vendor will be more than happy to point you in the right direction to keep you safe. One of the questions many people ask is if the use of a helmet is required by law. For this I spoke with some very helpful folks at the Roscommon County Sheriff’s office. They were not only knowledgeable, but also referred us to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Transportation where one could research for more precise information on helmet use on both public and private roads and land. Another great piece of advice to pass on is the fact that just because helmet use may not be “required” under certain circumstances, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them anyway. A good example of this is the ordinary bicycle. Who wouldn’t want to protect the noggin of those little ones while they ride? For that matter, what better example to set for them than wearing one yourself. It’s not required by law, but it sure goes a long way in keeping us and our loved ones safer and on the right track to safety. Maybe that’s why dad used to tell me “hey numbskull, use your head for more than a hat rack”. Think with your brain and do the right thing. Remember, it doesn’t take much to damage the most important substance in the world. So as part of you getting ready for the spring and summer routine, check the headgear for the right size, type and condition and then ride to your hearts content. Ken Elmore, Markey Township firefighter
Talking turkey
Turkey’s were out in force since the weather broke recently. This Tom was putting on a show for more than a dozen hens just off a two-track in Oscoda County. Photo by Mark Constance
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Spring - GPA News cont. from page 6B about downtown Grayling. The Duck Pond condominiums are almost finished and ready for sale. Soon they will be ready for the shrubs and sidewalks that will be a finishing touch. Then the hotel! While I know it will be an eyesore for a while – it already is - so it looks to me like it will be a wonderful addition to Block One of Michigan Avenue. The Grayling Hotel – I could get used to that! I’m looking forward to watching the process!! And – we have a new Superintendent of Schools. GPA welcomes Justin Gluesing to our community. If we’re lucky we can get him to come and speak to GPA about his thoughts regarding Grayling Community Schools. We’re already very proud of our educational system and we want him to know that and to know that we are here to help where we can. Plus – a new event out at Hanson Hills. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about what that entails – plus the renovation of the ski lodge. All our winter sports enthusiasts will be happy when the word gets out. And of course, those that use our trails in the spring, summer and fall. We have a reputation as having some of the best maintained trails in Michigan. And – I couldn’t finish up my article without mentioning that we are losing one of our finest County employees at the end of April. It will be Joe Wakeley’s Retirement Day. I’m a little prejudiced because I worked for him at the county for 17 years and think he deserves all the accolades he will receive. I wish him good health and good times. Time to enjoy his life, his family and especially his beautiful granddaughter! That’s all for now. Hope I didn’t forget anything important. If I did – I’ll get it next time!
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the
of Fairview Area Schools
Pinwheels for Prevention
Weather Delays Competition for Spring Sports
Fairview’s track teams have been running since March...mostly in the halls! The cold, wet, and snowy weather once again delayed competition until late April. The teams are again cooperative efforts with Atlanta Community Schools at both the high school and the middle school levels.
Middle School Students Explore Robotics A new exploratory class gives MS students an opportunity to build and control robots to run via remote controls. They navigate courses and pick up items as directed.
Fairview Elementary students listened to a presentation and planted pinwheels in front of the school on April 18 to bring awareness to child abuse prevention.
Freshmen Visit Kirtland Campuses
On April 5, Fairview’s freshmen toured Kirtland Community College’s Gaylord, Grayling, and Roscommon campuses to learn about the various programs offered at each location. A wide variety of KCC instructors and administration shared information about the multitude of options available in post-secondary education both at Kirtland and elsewhere, in addition to getting program specifics and a close-up look at some technology used for teaching and learning at KCC.
Consumers awards grant to Huron Pines for education NORTHEAST MICHIGAN - Northern Michigan (April 10, 2019) – Gaylord based nonprofit Huron Pines is pleased to announce it has received a $20,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation to support place-based environmental stewardship programs for K-12 students. Place-based stewardship education involves learning through hands-on experiences that support the environment and community where a student lives. These efforts provide students with the knowledge and skills to become active stewards who can engage in natural resource protection and restoration. The funding provided by the Consumers Energy Foundation will allow Huron Pines to work with four schools across the region and host two teacher trainings to support school efforts to implement placebased stewardship initiatives in the classroom. Examples of potential
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place-based stewardship education projects include school forest management, river monitoring and rain garden installation. Huron Pines Environmental Education Coordinator Emily Vogelgesang explained, “The purpose of this project is to address the challenges and opportunities facing natural resources in our region by developing environmental stewards. It also connects students to education and career opportunities available in their own communities.” “Consumers Energy is committed to ensuring Michigan has world-class natural resources, and protecting our land, water and air for future generations to continue to enjoy,” said Carolyn Bloodworth, secretary/treasurer of the Consumers Energy Foundation. “We are pleased to support Huron Pines in its efforts to preserve Northern Michigan's natural beauty, but also to provide an invaluable handson educational experience to students and teachers in our public schools." Huron Pines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1973 to protect, restore and conserve Michigan’s natural resources. To learn more, visit huronpines.org.
Consumers Energy Community Affairs Managers Rich Castle (left) and Timothy Petrosky (right) present a check for $20,000 to Huron Pines Executive Director Brad Jensen to support environmental stewardship programs for K-12 students in the region.
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$7500 DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE
Looking to purchase a home but need a little help with a down payment? Contact us at mortgages@mercbank.com or 1.800.453.8700 to talk to a local Mercantile Lender about Down Payment Assistance programs.
* Program options vary and some funds based on availability. Only available with Mercantile Bank Mortgage, other restrictions apply. Programs subject to change. Please consult a Mercantile Mortgage Loan Officer for complete details. Loans subject to approval.
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Fishing with Sunshine
GRAYLING - The last 100 years has seen a steady migration of women into fields that were traditionally male dominated. This probably started during World War II when women moved into the factory’s and started milking the cows on the farms because all the men, (and a lot of women too), were in Europe and Asia defending our country. It’s also not unexpected that there has been a steady involvement of women in most areas of avocation that were male dominated including the great outdoors. Almost everyone that lives in or visits Crawford County is at least familiar with the sport of fly fishing. With the AuSable River right outside your back door, how can you not be? The local restaurants fly shops and even our museum commemorate the legions of hardy woodsmen that have held themselves out as river guides, eager to accommodate visitors in showing them the hiding holes of the Brook, Brown and Rainbow trout. Meet Rebecca Sunshine, the only currently licensed female fishing guide in Michigan. Rebecca also holds an Inland Pilots License issued by the Department of Natural Resources. To say that Rebecca is immersed in the fly-fishing world is an understatement. She recently purchased her own river boat. It was manufactured by the AuSable River Boat Company and recently completely refurbished by Bob Smock Jr., a well-known name in AuSable River boat building. Rebecca grew up in southeastern Michigan, lived in Los Angeles for six years and became a “real city
girl”, (her words). She came back to Michigan, to Traverse City, and went into the insurance business. About ten years ago she moved to Grayling. One of her first customers, Louis Goss, asked her if she was a fly fisherman. She said no and he invited her to go fishing. She did and from then on, she was “hooked”. Since then Rebecca has been tying her own fly’s, her favorite is a “Pink Royal Wolf” because her favorite color is pink and it really catch’s fish. She joined “Fly Girls of Michigan” and has become a strong advocate for women in the out-of-doors. At a certain point she realized that she had really found herself on the river and this was where she wanted to spend her time. Rebecca has partnered with another local guide, Tom Quail for guide service. She is in the process of purchasing a second river boat and recently bought five new Temple Fork Outfitters rods. Rebecca is available through most of the fly-fishing outfitters, Ron’s Fly Shop, Gates Lodge and the AuSable River Outfitters for float trips. Over the past 10 years she has become well acquainted with most of the outfitters and guides on the AuSable including a lot of the “old timers”. The future of almost any outdoor sport is getting the girls and the young people involved. Rebecca is certainly on the right track as far as fly fishing is concerned. When asked what it is that drew her to the river, her answer was the “satisfaction of doing things on your own is its own reward. Being in the river takes away the stress of life. You’re self sufficient”. She also prefers to fish upstream.
Rebecca Sunshine is just as colorful as the fly’s she ties, and they both catch trout.
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Camp Kitty will house cats until they can be adopted
Shelter opens Camp Kitty CRAWFORD COUNTY - The AuSable Valley Animal Shelter recently hosted the Grand Opening of Camp Kitty, the newly remodeled Cat Room. The room was designed to honor Volunteer Mary Wright. Pictured are Chris and Boots Wright, and Clare Spaulding and Ken Wright. Mary was a loved and highly valued shelter employee and volunteer for several years. She was a tireless admirer and spoiler of cats and always made sure that each shelter cat and kitten got some special attention every day. She went so far as to bring favorite treats and foods and toys for each of her furry pals.
The cats always wanted to be near her or on her while she was cleaning at the shelter and Mary, being ever so patient, just worked around them and enjoyed the company. Her dedication and care were remarkable; she is missed. The shelter is located at 5786 Fairground Lane in the county sports complex, open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. For information call 989-3484117 or visit them on Facebook at AuSable Valley Animal Shelter. Donations are critical to keep the shelter operating.
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Kirtland Garden Club headed to ‘Canopy Walk’ ROSCOMMON - The Kirtland Garden Club will be heading to Dow Gardens in Midland on Monday, May 20. The group will begin the day with a guided tour on their new Canopy Walk, the longest in the nation, which opened in October 2018. The walkway is 1,400 feet long and up to 40 feet above the ground in some places. It was designed to be fun, accessible to guests of all ages and abilities, and for all to feel immersed in the forest. The Canopy Walk has three arms, each end has a unique viewing platform of the Whiting Forest. After the tour and lunch locally, the group will return to another area of Dow Gardens to see spring flowers in bloom. Call Nancy at 989-422-6017 for questions and a reservation, no later than Thursday, May 16. This carpool outing is open to members, guests and prospective members. The Kirtland Garden Club meets monthly throughout the year on third Mondays to hear speakers on gardening topics, work on community beautification projects and take planned trips.
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Pictured are members of the Iosco County Quotarians
Quota presents 26th Annual Gourmet Delights EAST TAWAS - Quota International of Iosco County will host the Twenty Fifth Annual Gourmet Delights Food Tasting Event Sunday, May 5, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the East Tawas Community Center, Newman Street, East Tawas. The event features restaurants, caterers, chocolatiers, candy makers and others from Iosco County and surrounding communities providing samples of their fine cuisines to participants. In addition, there will be
several baskets for raffle. As a special treat to participants, Arpeggio will perform featuring Mary Henry and John Thomas. Tickets are available at Alley Cuts in East Tawas, Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce or from any Quota member, and at the door. All proceeds support Quota’s local programs: Hearing & Speech, Community Service and Disadvantaged Families.
MEETING WITH THE COACH - Easton Huntley, 8 of St. Helen (left) and Sophia Huntley, 9, of Coldwater (right) are pictured with University of Michigan Football Coach Jim Harbaugh at the U of M 5K in Ann Arbor recently. ~ Photo courtesy of Merritt Huntley
Grayling girl wins Warbler Young Artists Contest MIO - The 2019 Kirtland’s Warbler Young Artists Contest’s Winners and Honorable Mentions have been selected. The judging committee included staff and volunteers from the Huron-Manistee National Forest, the Bahamas National Trust, Huron Pines, Gahagan Nature Preserve, the Kirtland’s Warbler Festival committee, Au Sable Valley Audubon, Kirtland’s Warbler Audubon, and the American Bird Conservancy. This year’s first place winner is Tierney Hartman, a 5th grader at Grayling Elementary in Mr. Baker’s class. Tierney’s artwork depicting a Kirtland’s warbler will be featured on the Kirtland’s Warbler festival buttons. Second place winner is Elivea Ackerman, a 4th grader at Ella White Elementary School in Mrs. Schmanski’s class. Third place winner is Violet Snider, a 7th grade homeschooler from Frankfort, Michigan. Also, 21 additional winners and 78 honorable mentions were selected from both Michigan and Bahamian schools. In 2019, over 1,800 school children from both Michigan and the Bahamas participated in classroom presentations on Kirtland’s warbler and the jack pine forest. The classroom presentation program was a partnership effort between the US Forest Service, Huron Pines, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, and the Bahamas National Trust. This year, approximately 730 schoolchildren in kindergarten through 8th grade from 21 different Michigan schools and 8 Bahamian schools participated in the contest. In addition, artwork from COOR Adult Transition Center in Roscommon was included. The students with winning and honorable mention entries will receive recognition certificates and have their artwork showcased at the Kirtland’s Warbler Festival in downtown Roscommon on June 1, 2019. Festival information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/kirtlandwarblerfestival/.
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Kirtland’s Warbler Dog Food Gyrations! View Festival kicks off From the Did You Know? By John Rosczyk
How many out there know that a festival exists to celebrate the tiny, rare bird known as Setophaga Kirtlandii? Often referred to as the “firebird,” the population of Kirtland’s Warbler had almost become extinct by the early 1970’s. When I moved to northern Michigan in the late 70’s, only a couple hundred nesting pairs remained. Efforts were underway to save this endangered bird from extinction. It wasn’t until many years later while attending the festival held in 2017 that I saw the tiny bird. Now, over 2,500 pair migrate each year from the Bahamas, and the efforts to save this wonderful bird have probably exceeded the expectations of the 70’s and 80’s when the population was most recently threatened. Like everything else that develops a following, often the enthusiasm morphs into a festival, and that is what happened with this small, firebird. Originally beginning in 1976 (on May 15), it was known as Kirtland’s Warbler Day and was held on the campus of Kirtland Community College. It soon grew into a fullfledged festival, hosted first by Mio, then returning to the KCC campus in
1994. By 2011, it had run its course, and the festival ended. With the tutelage of Huron Pines, some of the members of the previous festival committees, and the support of the Kirtland’s Warbler Alliance (a nonprofit dedicated to saving the bird), the festival started up again in 2015 in the Village of Roscommon. Like the previous affairs, this event is dedicated to celebrating the well documented story of the firebird, its fight for survival, and the great unknown of the bird’s “future.” The festival provides tours to see the bird in its habitat, as well as an enlightening assortment of exhibits, music, and nature presentations. It is a one-day adventure in Roscommon on the grounds of the CRAF Center. There is a mystique about Kirtland’s Warbler. Maybe it stems from the name (firebird) given it because of living in young jack pine forests, which develop following forest fires in the habitat. Or—it could be the size of the bird and the two trips it makes each year, migrating back and forth from the Bahamas to northern Michigan. Of course, its near extinction and the challenges and efforts made to bring it back from the edge are also part of this story. This year, the festival will be held on June 1 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the grounds of the CRAF Center at 606 Lake St., Roscommon. For more information, check out kirtlandwarblerfestival on Facebook.
Comfy Chair By Joel Vernier It was mid-morning, and I was just about to settle into my "Comfy Chair" for a much-deserved nap, and my daughter bounces thru the door for a quick visit with her computer in hand. "Dad, you need to step up your game and feed your dog’s better food. I have been doing some analysis, and I have narrowed down the list of dog food to just a couple of choices.” I asked. “Wait a minute, what is wrong with the food they have been eating for years?” She replied, “Dad, really? It has cornmeal in it and animal by-products.” I love summer corn on the cobb, but I have to admit I do not know what animal by-products are. I needed a little mental time out. Kind of like the unique words & phrases people use to buy time: “And things of that nature.” “Let me be more specific.” “That is very interesting, give me a moment to process my emotions.” Or even the basic “Ahhh, Ummm, but, and so on.” Verbal crutches that buy us time to respond. Ok, I think I can respond now after my timeout. “Before I agree to spend more money on dog food, let me share some things I have observed. In the last couple of months, I have caught my dogs eating garbage after they knocked over the trashcan. On walks, they consume anything that they happen to find along the way; twigs, grasses, crumbs, rabbit or deer pellets, and yes on occasion, even a gift left by another dog. Of course, they smell it first. If it smells horrible and is a dark green, they just love to rub in it and get the scent all over. At the horse barn, they are joyously overwhelmed with the field of Milk bones ® that we call horse manure. With all of that consumption going on, cornmeal just does not sound that bad to me. “Our dogs are at the perfect
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weight, they are healthy, happy. Their eyes are clear, coats are shiny, and tails are a wagging. I don’t see any reason to change!” I was immediately enveloped in a tsunami of Generation X logic. She took a nutrition class in college, so she knew what she is talking about. I was informed that I should not feed my dogs any grain, they are predators, not prey animals. They like meat such as duck, salmon, pheasant, and buffalo with slow-cooked vegetables with added vitamins, natural flavorings, and preservatives. (Wow, I should eat this good!) Their food should have the proper balance of calories, protein, fiber, and fat. You may include Chondroitin and Glucosamine, and natural probiotics. Each dog should have custom food if they are senior, adult, puppy, low active high active or inactive. Is inactive dead? There are supplements for joints, bad breath, smelly coat and natural approaches to anything you can think of. “Ok Dad, I like this natural product its grain-free. It has slow-cooked vegetables, and the protein is duck and pheasant. And it’s only sixty dollars a bag!” I quickly responded; “Great! We pay you fifty dollars on your birthday, I will stop that, and we can use that money to buy the gourmet dog food, alright?” I then was the recipient of the “look.” You know the look of disbelief, disdain, discouragement, and disgust. She responded; “Dad, you know I love my birthday money just think about changing their food, ok?” I agreed to think about it and to look at the multipage glossy literature she brought home from the “Happy, Holistic, Gourmet Dog Food Company” that recently opened. Duck & pheasant, no wonder it costs so much, why don’t they have a “Hamburger Helper” ® for dog food. Love my daughter, she’s welcome for a visit anytime! “Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others. – © Joel M. Vernier 3/9/2019 Author of: “The Guinea Pig In The Freezer.” joelmvernier@aol.com
Eagle Spirit members (l-r) include Holly Tompkins, Anne Tompkins, Angie Sheffer, Rebecca Kalbfleisch, Julie Stewart, Stephanie Cleeves and Sarah Smith.
Knight at the Faire
FAIRVIEW – Eagle Spirit / Eagle Pride held its annual fundraiser entitled, “Knight at the Faire Auction” on April 13 in the Fairview High School Cafeteria. The event featured dinner, both live and silent auctions, and performances by the Fairview High School Choirs. The auction raised funds to provide materials, equipment and technology the school’s general fund can’t afford. Auction services were provided by Let’s Talk Auction.
Fairview Area Schools Superintendent John Sattler and his wife, Julie, volunteered to sign people in for the auction.
~ Photos by Mark Constance
Pictured (l-r) are kitchen volunteers Libby, Tristan, Jon Barnes, Vickie Cleeves, Kip Hoover, Carol Ellis, Stephanie Bishop and Sydney.
Eating at the reserved table were (l-r) Melinda Neff, Eddie Henig, Dale Henig and Al Raymond.
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Michigan Maple As the weather turned from Winter to Spring, the Maple Syrup began to flow, and hundreds of people turned out to visit three Oscoda County Maple Syrup operations participating in Michigan Maple Syrup Weekend at the end of March. Participating production facilities included: • Sweet Success Sugarbush, located at 1442 North Galbraith Line Road in Mio; • Miller Brothers Maple Products, located at 707 N. Gerber Road in Mio; and • Ed’s Maple Syrup, located at 781 North Abbe Road in Fairview.
~ Photos by Mark Constance
Families from across Northeast Michigan came out for the event.
The wooden Maple Syrup bucket dates to the 1800s. The gallon can on the right is significantly younger.
Pictured (front, l-r) are Jenna Bowers, Beth Gambee, Kim Bowers, Autumn Bowers and Beyanka Bowers, (back) Martin Troyer, Jayliah Bowers, Ed Troyer and Kayla Bowers.
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Maple sap can be made into a variety of products including pepper, powdered in combination with other spices, aside from Maple Syrup itself.
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Syrup Weekend
Autumn Bowers cooked pancakes for the visiting customers.
d syrup, and
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Morels should be 2019 Lewiston popping up shortly Morel Mushroom Festival Toad's Stool
By Warren Stutesman NORTHERN MICHIGAN Every spring just as soon as the snow starts disappearing and the grass starts waving back at us there is a question asked by many: When will the Morels start growing? Doing some research, I have tried to narrow the times down, but as you will see the information is ambiguous to say the least. Morels start growing when the ground temperature reaches the lower temperature and stops when reaching the upper. These are some examples from sources I found online. 45-62, 50-65 or 45-60. This does leave the question as to whether Morels will start growing once again if the temperatures once above the upper temps cool back down. Morels tend to grow in a moist, though not wet, loamy soil. They like Poplars, Ash, Beech, Fruit Trees and seem to like living along dead trees that have fallen. I personally agree with one source that said, “Morels grow where they grow.” There is more wisdom than not in that statement. One thing about Morels that everyone can agree upon is that they sure are tasty. Every year I tell other mushroomers to quit using local names such as beef steak and pigs ears to describe “False Morels.” There are other
mushrooms that use those names and it makes for mistaken identities at times. With mushrooms you NEVER want to be mistaken with an identification or it could be your last mistake. Please find and use good reference for the identification of mushrooms. I have and use at least six different books. They will help give you the proper classification and Morchella is the scientific name for Morels. Gyromitra is the scientific name for false morels. Verpa is the name of another mushroom very easily mistaken for Morels. Neither Verpa nor Gyromitra should ever be eaten, yet each year I talk to others that do eat these. These mushrooms are known to be poisonous and just because you have been lucky so far does not mean you will continue to be so. Another word of caution concerning wild mushrooms is to never eat much of a variety that you have not eaten before. I eat mushrooms other than Morels and would never serve them to you until we both know how your body handles these other fungi. When it comes to wild mushrooms please identify fully and from at least two separate sources. And never serve to very young children. Please be careful because no food is worth dying for. I am looking forward to an epic mushroom year this year. So, let’s get some exercise and find some of nature’s bounty. Have a comment or story suggestion for Warren, please email wstateman@gmail.com.
Saturday, May 11, 2019 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Farmers Market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Olympics Hot Dog event at Family Fare 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other events include: Guided Morel Hunts, Mushroom tasting, craft show downtown in the park, vendors, mushroom hunter encampment and much more. Cost for hunts including tasting is $30; Hunts only ($20) and tasting only ($10). For more information contact the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce at 989-786-2293 or visit Lewistonchamber.com
Spring mushroom hunt on tap TAWAS CITY - The Alcona and Iosco Conservation Districts are hosting a spring mushroom hunt on Saturday, May 25 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a forest on Bischoff Road in Iosco County near Tawas City. Using GPS, Anderson Road is the cross street or use GPS addresses 1561 through 1799. Watch for the signs. Sister Marie Kopin, a mush-
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room specialist from the Michigan Mushroom Hunter’s Club, will be on hand to educate and identify collected mushrooms. Dress for the weather! Port-aJons on site. No charge, open to the public. For more details, visit www. alconaconservation.org or call 989724-5272.
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NEW TASTING SPACE – Rose Valley Winery held its inaugural tasting at the Outlets in West Branch recently. The Outlets are located at 2900 Cook Road in West Branch, just East of I-75. ~ Photo by Erin McIsaac
BUSTED SIGN – High winds ripped through Northeast Michigan last week, stripping the facia from the front of the Chase Bank sign in Roscommon. ~Photo by Lindy Peterson.
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Up North
Voice ATLANTA Roy & Sons Gun and Ammo The Baklava Shop and More Freddie’s IGA
Grayling Eagles Mich. Works Grayling Chamb. Of Comm. The Brook Crawford County Library Grayling High School COMMINS The Woodworkers Shoppe Grayling Elementary 7-Eleven Commins Market Blarney Castle-EZ-Mart Skyline Event Center Forward Shell EAST TAWAS Medicine Shop Big Boy AuSable Dance Center Tawas Bay Beach Resort Goodale’s Bakery Village Chocolatier Arauco Brew Krew North Country Clothing Klenow’s Market AuSable Gifts Razor’s Edge Grayling Visitors Bureau Nordic Sports Old Dam Party Store Grayling Greenhouse FAIRVIEW Camp Grayling Mio Church of God Munson Medical Center IGA (Bill’s) Fairview Family Restau- Crawford Co. Coun. Aging State Savings Bank rant Josies Flowers Fairview Apartments Grayling Rest Habitat for Humanity The Hair Station Fairview Hardware Skip’s Sporting Good Fairview Eagles Sylvesters Trophies The Family Bookshelf Tip’n the Mitten Fairview Area Schools LaFontaine Dealership BP/Deli
FREDERIC Beacon & Bridge Frederic Inn The Swamp GAYLORD Gobblers of Gaylord Salvation Army Ash Tobacco Shop Comp Subway Otsego County Building/ City Bigby Coffee Bob Evans Hampton Inn Family Fare B J’S Restaurant Otsego County Sports Complex Ace Hardware GLENNIE Gordon’s Bait/Tackle-Loud Dam Chat N Chew Restaurant Glennie Party Store Ace Hardware Roger’s Food Pride Alcona Park GRAYLING Admiral Gas Station Fick & Sons Family Fare Feeney Ford QTA Walgreens Page 12 C
Where to Find Us!
Fred’s of Roscommon Rite Aid Family Fare PRUDENVILLE Pioneer Pharmacy St. Vincent DePaul MidMichigan TransmisNorthern Floor & Blind sion Design Shell Duke’s Kens Tire Korbinski Marina Marathon Bart’s AuSable Bakery Georges Barber Shop LEWISTON BP Station Comfort Center Family Fare Hull Building Center Kronner Pharmacy Marathon ( S&K Foods) Tim’s Collision Plus Kiss Me Coffee Sunrise Convenience Store County Car Wash Lady of the Lakes School Iron Kettle B C Pizza Basil & Mike Auto Lewiston Ace Hardware Fifth Street Market Gold Rush Jewlery Midlakes Market-- Sunoco Gardiner’s Jewelry Marathon (Parmalee L.M./ Edward Jones Office Bloomers Flowers & Gift Dr. Boggs Optomitrist Trading) Bob’s Butcher Shop Dollar Daze Rosco. Comm. Senior LUPTON Macon Marine The Brook Retirement Parkview Acres Sunoco Curves of Prudenville Center Sunrise Cafe’ Express Rental Lighthouse Nursing Lowell’s Corner Store H.L. Chamb. Of Commerce Competion Auto Walmart W & W Auto LUZERNE Top Tire Luzerne Hardware Rosco’s Restaurant Salvation Army Store Luzerne Express Ankle & Foot Ma Deters Restaurant Dewey’s Auto ROSCOMMON Roscommon Sheriff Dept Higgins Chiro MIO Dave Smith Barber Shop Highland Lumber Yard Higgins Lake Greenhouse Dan Decker Acct Woodlawn Dental Pioneer General Store Brabant & Coltrane Atty. Coldwell Bank Realty Oscoda Co Council on HALE Northern Family Dental Markey Tire & Auto Aging J & M County Fair Store Mid Mich Medical State Park Store Ray’s Mug and Jug Forward’s (Shell) Walsh Funeral Home Country Corner Party Blair’s Sonoco Forward’s (Marathon) Roscommon Vet Clinic Store Paddle Inn Big Bob’s Restaurant & Hart Ford AuSable Valley Motel/Inn West Higgins Hardware Pizzeria Roscommon Library Agility Physical Therapy AuSable River Restaurant Landmark Restaurant Munson Med Building Westside Grocery Store Family Fare Kocher’s Food Pride Lear Corp. Salon Cut & Ms. Gage Rental and Retail Bear Store Pioneer Family Pharmacy Evergreen Party Store ROSE CITY Century 21 HOUGHTON LAKE Shell Ogemaw Vet Clinic E. Higgins Lake Hardware EZ-Mart Marathon Family Fare Markets Town&Country SuperJavacology O’Brien’s Restaurant Ace Hardware market Shell Gas Mio Pizza Rose City Cafe’ Mel’s Pine Pantry Berkshire Hathaway Century 21 Rose City Greenhouse The Bird & the Bear Family Fare Oscoda County CourtAgility Physical Therapy Sports Barn Joe’s Coney Island house Faull Inn Houghton Lake Library Oscoda Co. Chamber Com Cornerstone Construction Rose City Library Pioneer Hills Marina Houghton Lake High AuSable River Tobacco (Ogemaw District Library) Dinges School Ace Hardware Rose Valley Winery COOR Collins Elementary School Mio AuSable Schools ROOC Pop-A-Top SAND LAKE Maplewood / Stone Roscommon Elementary Cashaway Supply Marathon Manor School KilKare Rest Lake Breeze Moose Lodge Roscommon Middle Hackers Deez Pizza School SOUTH BRANCH Midge & Co. Realtors Jose Lake Store & Resort Roscommon High School OSCODA Nails Two Robert J Parks Library Valero Book Worm ST. HELEN Top 5 Pizza Tee Pee R.C. Coun. On Aging Mr. B’s Wiltse’s Restaurant Jim’s Collision Lyman’s Store Agility/Dr. Kumar Office Family FareShell-Louie’s Roofs of the North Senior Center St. Helen Hardware Fresh Market IGA Roscommon Auto Recy. Wilds True Value Pioneer Pharmacy Marathon Nester of Roscommon Back Door Saloon Senior Center Roger’s Family Food St. Helen - Roscommon Houghton Lake Insurance Horizon Senior Center AuSable Inn Monument Citgo Mercantile Bank Mama’s Kitchen N. Mich. Metal Roofing
May 2019
Nesters of Houghton Lake Great Lakes Accounting Tourism Bureau M.Mich. Med. Health Park Best Choice H.L. Lakeside Resort Northshore Hardware Country Peddler Northshore Lounge
Wellman’s Party & Bait Rest All Inn
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Shell Station St. Helen Power Sports Hen House Restaurant Patrick’s Pro Hardware Marathon Old Michigan Tobacco Stephanies Studio Suds Laundry Chucks Tire Fultz Insurance Chamber of Commerce Township Building Library(Richfiled Township) Charleton Heston Academy Sheffiels Automotive Louie’s Fresh Market Fire House Sarahs Family Hair Care BS Liquors Dougs Auto St. Helen Dentistry/Dr. Tozer Office
TAWAS CITY Nieman’s Family Market Sav Mor Drugs Romeo’s Market Augies on the Bay Iosco Co. Chamber of Commerce Shell Vienna Crossing Big Bear Trading Post Waters Gobblers WEST BRANCH MidMichigan Medical Hart Buick Dean Arbour Original Computer Genie Compassionate Care Vet Clinic Mac’s Place West Branch Collision Hospice of Helping Hands Ink & Thread Adapt Physical Therapy Steuernol/McLaren Fun. Home Team Hodges Auto Brian’s Fruit & Meat Market Family Fare Sears Store Timmy Tire Tanger Outlet (Main Office) Java Junction (Tanger) WHITTEMORE M-65 Bait Shop
The Roscommon Quiz Bowl team finished third in the state during a recent competition
Jackson Thiel earned all-state honors.
EAST LANSING – Students from across the state were successful in the Michigan High School Quiz Bowl State Championship held at Michigan State University (MSU) over the weekend. Roscommon’s Jackson Thiel earned all-state honors.
The competition was double-elimination and open to quiz teams that have won either a league championship or major tournament at some point this season.
Roscommon takes third in state quiz bowl finals The annual tournament is sponsored by the MSU Honors College. Former State Senator Dan L. DeGrow created the tournament as an annual event 32 years ago. Approximately 500 students from 60 high schools across Michigan competed in this year’s champion-
ship. State Quiz Bowl consists of three simultaneously run tournaments: Class A, Class B and Class C/D. Class C/D finalists were: 1. Manistee Catholic Central High School; 2. Whitmore Lake High School; 3. Roscommon High School
PLAY BALL! – The Roscommon Center held a get-together for opening day of the Detroit Tigers. Some of the participants included (l-r) Harold and LaDonna Kram, Audrey Williams, Clara Gibbs, Sue Hartman, and Leona and Cliff Rogers. ~Photo courtesy of Johnna Ancel
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GRAND OPENING – Warm Quilts, Warm Hugs of Roscommon recently held its grand opening at its new location at 709 Lake Street in Roscommon. Pictured are Anne Taylor and Laura Bohns, who came up with the group they met as new moms in Livonia MI. They’re called “The 89ers” and have met regularly for 30 years. Last weekend they put together a quilt top in eight hours! It’s a wedding gift for Anne’s daughter. Also pictured are owners Dan and Cecilia Scow.
Support our local businesses
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Oscoda County Senior News
By Merianne Tappan MIO - Spring has sprung. It threw out a bit of junk while it was at it – but that’s ok. We live in Michigan – we are used to it. Bring it on! Here’s what’s going on in May: 9 - The Council on Aging is hosting another Tea Party. Bring your grandkids – it’s a fun time. We will have tea and finger foods. For more information call Rich at 826-3025. 12 - Mother’s Day! To all the mothers out there – Thank you. Yours is a never-ending thankless job. We appreciate all the sacrifices you make every day. I hope you feel appreciated today! 13 – Monthly Board Meeting of the council. It starts at 9 a.m. and usually runs about an hour. As usual, anyone with an interest is welcome to attend. 15 - Older Michiganians day in Lansing. This is a good day to let your voice be heard! The representatives take time out of their busy day to come down and talk with local seniors about the issues and concerns they have. They are the ones to help us – they need to hear from you. If anyone is interested in going, please give me a call and I can register you and get you a lunch voucher. 21 - CSFP (senior cheese box) distribution from 10-11 a.m. 22 - From 8-11 a.m. is the quarterly food drop (TEFAP) at the Center. 23 - Together We Can Food Pantry at the fairgrounds from 1-4 p.m. I think I am going to go on vacation that week. That’s a lot of food! I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls about the project FRESH coupons. As of this writing have not received them yet – but I usually have them in time for the May TEFAP distribution. If I have them, I will be handing those out that day. Diabetes is a real problem in this country. As you know there are two types: Type 1 – which is a condition people are born with and must deal with their whole life and Type 2 which can be prevented. A lot of research is still being done on Diabetes, but it is common knowledge that diet and especially exercise is a good way to prevent and reverse diabetes. If left untreated this disease can cause many life threatening conditions such as blindness and even amputation of limbs due to sores that will not heal. It is basically the body shutting down. Most people with diabetes know they have it – or will get it soon – but catching it early is key to prevention. Talk to your doctor immediately if you think you may be at risk. I will see you in June! Merianne Tappan is the Director/Medicare Counselor of the Oscoda County Council on Aging. To contact her please call 989-826-3025.
Self-Defense Seminar Creates Awareness GRAYLING - In honor of Crime Victim's awareness week, River House Inc., along with the Grayling Police Department and The AuSable Martial Arts Academy provided a self-defense seminar and class. Topics included, safety awareness and how to keep yourself safer in the community. The group learned and practiced several self-defense techniques. The group raised $250 for River House. Crime awareness week was April 7-13. (Right) Amanda Clough, Grayling police chief spoke about personal safety. (Below) Matt Morgan and his students demonstrated self-defense moves.
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Roscommon performs in Standish, St. Louis
REGION - The East Shore Wind Symphony held at Spring concert at Standish Sterling high school April 7. In addition to the wind symphony concert, was the inaugural performance of the East Shore Youth Wind Orchestra. Players were nominated by their band directors and the representatives for Roscommon Area Public Schools were Cami LeRay and Karlee Erickson. The youth wind orchestra performed four selections under the direction of Mr. John Hawkins, retired band director from Ogemaw Heights. After the intermission, the East Shore Wind Symphony took the stage under the direction of Mr. Doug Burch. Mr. Seth Kilbourn, Director of Bands for Roscommon Area Public Schools, has been a member of this professional organization for four seasons. The St. Louis Festival of Steel
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May 2019
took place April 6 in St. Louis Michigan. It was hosted by steel band director Steve Lawhorne. Groups ranged from middle school up to professional. Roscommon Area Public Schools was represented by the 3 o’clock RMS Steel, 4 o’clock RMS Steel, and Steel Syndicate. Each group performed in clinic format in the morning and then took part in a mass steel band rehearsal. That evening each band got to showcase two of their selections. The evening was highlighted by members of the Pan Rocks group that included Mr. Kilborn and other members from the Pan Rocks Rush sessions that took place out in LA this past November and December. The evening was capped off with 150-member mass steel band of which the RAPS steel bands were a part of.
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