January
Enjoy a self-guided lantern lit hike at the Brown Bridge Quiet Area! Grand Traverse Conservation District staff will greet you with hot cocoa before you explore this beautiful natural area! A limited amount of snowshoes, crampons, and hiking poles will be available To register, please click here.
Join us on the Piazza at The Village in Traverse City for a family-friendly afternoon of music and chili! Northern Michigan businesses will prepare their best chili for a chance at best overall chili and people’s choice Enjoy all your favorite rock music played by Q100's Finster in the morning, as well as beer & wine, bonfires and more!
January
A Rich History highlights the growing legacy of important African American artists from the Muskegon Museum of Art's permanent art collection. Featuring over 75 years of artistic excellence and tradition, the collection ranges from abstraction and cubism to narrative painting and portraiture Featured artists include Benny Andrews, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Joseph Grey II, Felrath Hines, Jon McDonald, Kadir Nelson, Senghor Reid, Aminah Robinson, George Thomas, James Van Der Zee, and Charles White.
January
Join us for a super fun off-trail run or walk with plenty of logs to jump over and branches to duck! With a fun run, a 5K and a 10K race to choose from, there's plenty of winter fun options for all. Gather pre-race in the cozy Timber Ridge Nordic Center and stick around post-race to enjoy a bowl of chili!
TJ Andrews was elected to the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners for her first term in November 2022. TJ is an attorney with over 20 years’ experience representing individuals and non-profit organizations in environmental, land use, and energy matters. After moving to Traverse City in 2004, she has served on numerous community and governmental committees and projects. She lives with her family on Webster Street; her two children attend TCAPS schools. In her free time, TJ enjoys traveling and swimming – particularly open water swimming (in the warmer months) in the outstanding waters of Grand Traverse Bay and nearby inland lakes.
TJ decided to serve on the county commission to bring a different perspective and set of skills to the commission She would like the commission to work effectively to address real community challenges, with the goal of improving quality of life for Grand Traverse County families, the local workforce, businesses, and everyone who calls this county home She hopes to help improve transparency and accountability at the county level, to seek opportunities for collaboration with community partners to address complex challenges, and to lead the board in advocating for state and federal policies and resources to address local service gaps TJ is appointed to the Building Codes Board of Appeals, Community Collaborate, Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, and Farmland Preservation committees
Many people have had an issue with the size of the font within the flipbook version of the County Communicator However, there are multiple ways to enlarge the format for better readability. Watch video below to learn how to maneuver within the flipbook Watch a video tutorial on how to use the flipbook version of the County Communicator.
Things you can do in myGTC: Just a few things we would like to highlight this month
Open a new 457(b) plan, such as Nationwide or Mission Square Update your Federal and State W-4 Tax Elections
Upload documents to your personal information such ascertifications, licenses, or anything required by your job description
Update your contact information, address, phone number or personal email address
Add or edit your Emergency Contacts
Power Island Campsite Reservations for the 2023 season are now available! We're ready for summer! Click here.
This year is going to be American Legion Baseball’s 75th year at the Civic Center Registration for the 2023 season opens February 1st Sign-up information will be available on their website. Click here.
Norte’s Spring Program Registration opens February 1 and Summer Bike Camp registration opens February 15th Click here
Registration for Nature Day Camp 2023 begins February 1st. Click here.
GIS has updated their Commissioner District Viewer application on the website to indicate the current districts, commissioners, and voter precincts The link has not changed from the original county commissioners district viewer so if you have a website referencing the link, you do not need to change it. Check out our updated viewer!” Click here to try!
*Last CC the link was broken, please try this new one
FEEL, THINK, LIVE, BE... WELL!
Congratulations! Grant Traverse County has qualified for the 2022 Bronze-Level Michigan Healthy Worksite Award!
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Michigan Healthy Worksite Award recognizes employers who are utilizing the Designing Healthy Environments at Work tools and actively investing in well-being programs designed to improve the health of their workforce. Your organization has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing the culture of health within your workplace by focusing on the work environment along with organizational practices and policies. Your efforts can pay off in improved employee well-being, more effective management of healthcare costs, and the ability to attract and retain top talent.
Awards are presented to worksites meeting defined criteria for Honorable Mention, Bronze, Silver (none for 2022), or Gold status.
Accenture
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Genesee Health System
2022 Michigan Healthy Worksite Awardees: Gold Bronze
Capital Area District Library Cherry Republic Grand Traverse County
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services – Washington Square Building
Your organization, and the others listed, should be commended for establishing evidencebased workplace well-being programs and should be distinguished as models for other Michigan businesses that seek to develop and enhance a culture of health.
MDHHS will be promoting the news of your award through a press release in mid-February. You can promote your award to employees, customers and the general public in a variety of ways, on printed material, company website and on social media, for example To access your award logo, simply login to your DHEW account and look for a new tab/menu item called Your DHEW Awards. Here you will find your award badge and instructions to download the image. Again, congratulations and best wishes as you continue your journey to improve the well-being of your organization and employees.
A new year and resolutions to improve health go hand-in-hand. For many, it might mean changing exercise routines, implementing strength training or making time to meal prep. While these are great goals, New Year’s resolutions are notorious for being broken, especially by midFebruary However, the good news is, making mistakes is part of the process, and even better these missteps can help you achieve your resolutions in the long run “There’s a lot that goes into making a change that actually sticks and works for you, ” says Bill Daniels, a certified personal trainer. “It’s important to let go of an all or nothing mentality and understand that reflecting on your journey can actually make a world of difference, even if things haven’t gone as you planned.”
Here, experts offer their best tips for better reflecting on resolutions that have gone off track. Click here for the 6 ways to keep your new year's resolutions alive.
1 pound whole wheat pizza dough , or flat bread or cauliflower crust
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic , minced ¼ cup pizza sauce ½ cup mushrooms , sliced ½ cup grape tomatoes , sliced ½ cup red bell pepper , chopped 1-2 cups shredded chicken 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ½ cup arugula Balsamic glaze for drizzling
Preheat oven to 450ºF Lightly brush oil onto a pizza stone or large baking sheet and place dough onto stone or pan. Brush olive oil on top of dough, then sprinkle garlic cloves all over Lightly spread pizza sauce on top with the back of a spoon
Top with sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, chicken and mozzarella. Bake until crust is golden brown and the center is cooked (about 12-15 minutes) Remove from oven and top with fresh arugula and balsamic glaze if preferred Slice and serve!
