The Guide-June 2015 by The Guide

Summer has sprung

By Scott Nunn partner The birds are back and filling the air with their melodies. The skyline is once again a lush green and the flowers and mushrooms are in a wild race to break free from the soils that held them. Excitement is beginning to fill the air in Northeast Michigan. Regulars and residents understand this excitement. When deer season ends, so does

economic prosperity for many here in Northeast Michigan. The tryptophan laden turkey of Thanksgiving puts us in a more comatose state than most. We hunker down, ﬁghting the snow and cold of winter waiting for the precious signs that it is time to wake once again for the hustle and bustle that summer brings to us all. June marks the start of this excitement and occasional exhaustion as we try to entertain the crowds and celebrate the prosperity that they bring. As you peruse the calendar of events this month and the months to follow you will notice it grow, ﬁlling with events large and small. The Guide goes to great efforts to compile a calendar inclusive of everything from 4th of July festivities, arts & crafts shows and local farm markets, to the 68th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon, Ogemaw Hills Bike Week and the 41st Annual Brown Trout Festival.

Some may ask, why 4th of July or local farm markets, but let’s be real here folks, this is up north, and we all know everything is better up north. That is, after all, why you and I are here. What does paddle splashing, the rumble of raw power and ﬂopping ﬁsh have in common? Celebration of years of dedication, attendance beyond the focus of said events and down-right fun for all involved. So rev up those engines and hit some car shows, or the Mackinaw Mustang Stampede, sure to remind you of the good ole days of Michigan Muscle. Celebrate the days of yore at Hartwick Pines in Grayling, or Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City, or the Rendezvous at 40 Mile Point Lighthouse in Presque Isle, and reminisce of a simpler time. One requiring work and dedication that few these days could even begin to understand. Arts and crafts? We got you

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Carving a niche The Big Wild Free ﬁshing and ORV weekend Fifteen minutes with a forester Vernal Pool Patrol Our trails take you farther NE Michigan water monitoring North Country History: Railroad logging in NE Michigan Marianne’s hamburger challenge: Paul’s Pub

This issue’s cover was taken by Lewiston resident, Gary Gee. An avid outdoorsman, Gee opted to set down his guns and hunt through a cameras lens. Gee is a board member of the Gaylord Area Council for the Arts where his work is displayed. You can contact him through his website at www.PhotographyUpNorth.com

covered there: Mackinaw, Tawas, Rogers City, Alpena, West Branch and Cheboygan just to name a few. Feeling excited yet? We haven’t even made it out of July with events and August brings another slug just as plentiful, brimming with all new levels of excitement. So folks, by all means, grab The Guide, gas up the ride, and get out to explore what Northeast Michigan has to offer. I swear, if I hear one complaint of boredom, I can do what my ole pappy would do and introduce you to his buddy, Manuel Labor; for behind every event, organization and committee there are countless hours of blood, sweat and tears dumped in to bring you the beauty, excitement and entertainment that is Northeast Michigan.

June 2015 Volume VI, Issue 3 Published by: Info Northeast Editor: Jerry Nunn, editor Mark Meyers, assistant editor

Advertising manager and design: Scott Nunn (989) 245-7140 snunn@infonortheast.com

Contributing writers: Rob Burg, Denise Cline, Tracey D’Augustino, Leighton King, Marianne Kuzimski, Jerry Nunn, Brandon Schroeder, Deanna Staton Contributing photographers: Gary Gee, Marianne Kuzimski, Michelle Marcouiller, Jerry Nunn

The Guide is published 8 times annually. Distributed through all M-DOT Welcome Centers, Chambers of Commerce and over 300 ﬁne businesses across Northeast Michigan. Covering the counties of Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Cheboygan, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon and the City of St. Ignace

The Guide • June 2015

JUNE

Alpena Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. behind City Hall in Alpena, running every Wednesday and Saturday through October 31, fresh produce, baked goods, plants, maple syrup, honey, flowers, grass fed beef, homemade sausage and arts and crafts. Info: (989) 354-4181 or www.AlpenaCVB.com Law Enforcement Shootout at Tree Tops Resort in Gaylord, 4 person golf scramble with 18 holes of golf with cart, door prizes, a tee gift and meal, all past and present law enforcement personnel and their guests who sign up will receive special lodging and golf rates all week long; cost is $360 per team. Info: (877) 625-0838 or www.TreeTops.com Governor’s Summer Residence Tours, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Mackinac Island, continuing every Wednesday, short 15 minute tours will be given throughout the first floor of the vacation residence; free. Info: (231) 4364100 or www.MackinacParks.com Alpena City Band Concert, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Bay View Park Band shell in Alpena, running everything Thursday in June, bring a blanket or chair and enjoy some great music, in event of rain concert will be cancelled; free. Info: (989) 354-4181 or www.AlpenaCVB. com The Stand Ins, 9 p.m. to Midnight, at Tree Tops Resort in Gaylord, a four piece energetic and interactive Northern Michigan Alternative and Indie Rock band; free. Info: (877) 625-0838 or www.TreeTops.com Open Mic Night, 10 p.m. at Mary’s Tavern in Gaylord, every Thursday Mary’s Tavern will host open mic night for the public.

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Info: (989) 732-6333 or www.GaylordChamber. com Five 4 Friends Celebration Event, 6 to 10 p.m. in Alpena, a community celebration to celebrate our friends and their families who have won the battle against cancer, those who have lost the battle and those still on their journey, live music, food vendors, beer tent, kids activities and more; free. Info: (989) 356-3231 or www.AlpenaCVB.com City Wide Yard Sale in Standish, times vary with sale location, register your sale with the Depot to be part of this fun community event. Info: (989) 718-3021 or www.Standishdepot.org 17th Annual Garage Sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, block after block of sales through the villages. Info: (989) 739-4915 or www.Oscoda.com 66th Annual Lilac Festival on Mackinac Island, features days of activities including coronation of Lilac Festival queen and court, Lilac Festival 10K, Grand Hotel history lecture, horse drawn carriage tours, numerous concerts, sailing tours of the harbor, boat cruises under the Mackinac Bridge, wine tastings and much more. Info: (800) 454-5227 or www.MackinacIsland.org Kirtland’s Warbler Festival, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Roscommon, Kirtland’s Warbler tours, educational workshops, AuSable South Branch float trip and kids’ tent and activities, volunteers needed. Info: (989) 448-2293 or www.HuronPines.org Tawas Farmers’ Market 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gateway Park in Tawas City, continuing Saturdays, fresh fruits, vegetables, and baked goods available. Info: (989) 362-

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8643 or www.Tawas.com Annual Kiwanis Spring Fest Arts and Crafts Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Westminster Park in downtown Rogers City, music will fill the air and many talented artists and crafters will be displaying their work, bounce house and other kid’s activities planned, Kiwanis Club will be serving their famous whitefish sandwiches and fries. Info: (989) 7344587 or www.AlpenaCVB.com Garden Tractor Pulls, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wellington Farm in Grayling, 60 acre farm providing visitors the chance to live during the Great Depression; cost is $8 for adults and $6 for service people and seniors over 60, $5 students through high school. Info: (989) 3485187 or www.wellingtonfarmpark.org True North Radio Network Summer Concert Series, 6 to 9 p.m. at Bayview Park Fine Arts Bandshell in Alpena, featuring The Persuassion Band, a nine piece band appearing for the fifth time at the concert series, bring lawn chairs or a blanket, give-a-ways and fun for the entire family; free. Info: (989) 354-4611 or www. TrueNorthRadioNetwork.com Ladies Night Out-EcoTrek, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Tree Tops in Gaylord, enjoy an evening out with friends while trying new activities and learning new things, childcare provided, mothers welcome to bring daughters ages 13 and up but alcohol will be provided at some events, outdoor workout for all fitness levels; cost is $30 per person. Info: (877) 6250838 or www.TreeTops.com The Sleeping Gypsies, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Tree Tops in Gaylord, a musical outfit consisting of four young men from northern Michigan performing a blend of rock, swing,

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While all attempts at accuracy have been made, it is always best to call ahead and confirm before making the drive.

soul and blues; free cover charge, food and drinks available at an additional cost. Info: (877) 625-0838 or www.TreeTops.com The Cookies, 9 p.m. to midnight at Tree Tops Resort in Gaylord, also performing on June 18 and 25, dance the night away with The Cookies; free cover charge, food and drinks available at an additional cost. Info: (877) 625-0838 or www.TreeTops.com Charlie Reager, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Tree Tops Resort in Gaylord, also performing on June 19 and 26, live music and dancing in Hunter’s Grille; free cover charge, food and drinks available at an additional cost. Info: (877) 625-0838 or www.TreeTops.com 2015 Summer Arts and Crafts Show, Friday 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Washington Park in Cheboygan, enjoy and shop variety of arts and crafts. Info: (231) 627-7183 or www.Cheboygan.com City Wide Garage Sales in Rogers City, spring city wide garage sales taking place all weekend, contact Chamber of Commerce for maps. Info: (989) 734-2535 or www. RogersCityAreaChamber.com Lincoln Lion’s 33rd Annual Salmon and Lake Trout Fishing Tournaments, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Harrisville Harbor, three-day largest fish tournament runs concurrently each day, also Shotmakers Ladies’ Tournament on Friday and the Budweiser Ken Beloskur Memorial Super

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Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, boat leaving from Harrisville Harbor with weigh-ins at 1 p.m. at Shotmakers Sports Bar and Grille. Info: (989) 724-9900 or www.AlconaReview. com Nor-East’r Music and Art Festival at the Oscoda County Fairgrounds, family friendly event loved for its depth and diversity in musical talent and its workshops to learn directly from talented performers, join in the world of music, art, fun and community for a real weekend away; cost is $60 at the gate weekend pass, $20 at the gate Friday and Sunday pass, $35 at the gate Saturday pass. Info: (810) 845-7344 or www.NorEastr.net

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While all attempts at accuracy have been made, it is always best to call ahead and confirm before making the drive.

Michigan Lighthouse 12-14: Festival 10 a.m. in St. Ignace, daily activities including vendors

at Little Bear East Arena, guest speakers, lighthouse cruises and more. Info: (800) 9708717 or www.SaintIgnace.org Antiques and Collectibles, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Gaylord, more than twenty dealers of quality antiques and collectibles of all kinds. Info: (989) 732-5392 or www.Gaylord Chamber.com St. Ignace Downtown Yard Sale, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown St. Ignace, rent a space, sell your stuff and buy more stuff, will be held rain or shine; cost to rent space is $10. Info: (906) 643-8717 or www. SaintIgnace.org Flag Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lakeside Park in Rogers City, parade starts at 11 with flag raising ceremony to follow, arcade of flags opened by torch, with food and activities throughout the day. Info: (989) 7342535 or www.RogersCityAreaChamber.com 10th Annual Brownlee Lake Association Best Ball Golf Outing at Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Glennie, four player teams of men and women, shotgun start, 18 holes with cart, registration is required by June 8; cost is $45 per player. Info: (989) 7368346 or www.AlconaReview.com Art Stroll of Tawas Bay, 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown East Tawas, local artists will be set up at local merchants in the Tawas Bay Area to display their work, check in at Tawas

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Bay Art Gallery or Village Chocolatier to get a map of the artists’ locations. Info: (989) 3628643 or www.Tawas.com Rockin’ at the River, 6 to 9 p.m. at Riverwalk Place in Gladwin, welcoming home Andrew Kruske performing his own special vocal twist and easy going guitar playing, reservations suggested. Info: (989) 246-9123 Evening of Music, 7 to 9 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Gaylord, featuring music by Handel, Scarletti, Delibes, Debussy and more, donations welcome; free. Info: (989) 217-0880 or www. GaylordCommunityProductions.org 5-Course Beer Pairing Dinner with Rochester Hills, 6:30 p.m. at Tree Tops Resort Wilderness Cabin in Gaylord, dinner includes give course meal with dessert, shuttle departs the Sports Bar at 6:30 p.m.; cost is $60 per person, overnight packages start at $120. Info: (877) 625-0838 or www.TreeTops.com The Off Beat, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Tree Tops Resort in Gaylord, four piece Northern Michigan performing class and 90s Alternative Rock; free cover charge, food and drinks available at an additional cost. Info: (877) 625-0838 or www.TreeTrops.com “Big Mac” Shoreline Spring Scenic Bike Tour, 7 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Mackinaw City, one-of-a-kind bike tour, on Saturday over 400 participants celebrate a 25, 50, 75 or 100 mile bike tour along the shores of Lake Michigan, routes are clearly marked with a number of rest areas along the course, SAG Safety Wagons also circle the route to ensure safety for riders, must ride in tour in order to ride over bridge; cost is $25 and an additional

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Open 7 days a week Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Specials Drive ru Free WiFi! (989) 389-3731 1965 N. St. Helen Rd. St. Helen, MI www.

eHenHouseRestaurant.com The Guide • June 2015

$20 to ride over the bridge. Info: (231) 4365574 or www.MackinawCity.com Celebration Days, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Tawas Point State Park in East Tawas, family-oriented weekend includes historical and educational displays, period encampments, traditional music and old time children’s activities, spinning, weaving and blacksmithing demonstrations, and much more; activities are free of cost but a recreation passport is required to enter park. Info: (989) 362-5041 or www.Michigan.gov/DNR Art Show and Sale, Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., original works presented by some members of the Gladwin Area Artist Guild, artists will display work inside the Depot including watercolor, oil, acrylic, mixed media and quilted wall hangings; free. Info: (989) 718-3021 or www.StandishDepot. org Summertime, 4:30 p.m. at Alpena High School Beck Auditorium in Alpena, conducted by Julie Green. Info: (989) 356-6678 or www.ThunderBayArts.org Tawas Community Concert Band, 7:30 p.m. at the Gazebo in East Tawas City Park, continuing every Monday through August, bring blanket or lawn chair. Info: (989) 362-8643 or www.Tawas.com Community Health Walk, 6 p.m. at Alpena Yacht Club in Alpena, participants can enjoy a one or two mile walk, Alpena Regional Medical Center will offer giveaways and a healthy snack, open to all; free. Info: (989) 356-8106 or www.AlpenaCVB.com Wildlife Safari, 1:30 p.m. at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona

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County Library, featuring live animals, fun for all ages; free. Info: (989) 724-6796 or www. AlconaReview.com Representative Bruce Rendon Local Office Hours, 9 to 10 a.m. at West Branch Area Chamber of Commerce, Representative Rendon is available the third Friday of every month to meet with public and hear any questions, comments or concerns. Info: (989) 345-2821 or www.WBACC.com All You Can Eat Spaghetti Dinner and Bake Sale, 4 to 7 p.m. at American Legion Post 65 in Alpena, menu includes spaghetti, salad, homemade bread, garlic toast, dessert and beverage; cost is $7 per person, $16 per family and children under 5 free. Info: (989) 727-3271 or www.AlpenaCVB. com Oh Brother Big Sister, 7 to 9 p.m. at Pavilion on Court Street in Gaylord, Oh Brother Big Sister is an eclectic sensation covering the music spectrum with entrancing harmonies and ingenious music arrangements; free. Info: (989) 732-6333 or www.GaylordChamber.com Graffiti Night and Parade, 7 p.m. at Yeck’s Family Drive-In in Cheboygan, part of the 32nd Annual Cheboygan Custom and Classic Car Show, music from 7 to 10 p.m. Info: (231) 420-0494 or www.Cheboygan.com 19th Annual Antiques on the Bay Auto Show, Friday at 4:30 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday in St. Ignace, show features original, restored classic and antique vehicles on display, period clothing, entertainment and Mackinac Bridge Rally; free. Info: (906) 643-8707 or www.SaintIgnace.org Walk and Remember, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Starlight Beach Pavilion in

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Alpena, celebrate life in strides for the second year, offering family and friends a fun way to commemorate and celebrate the lives of loved ones lost, participants in this pet-friendly event will embark on a one or two mile course along the beautiful shores of Lake Huron tying a special ribbon on the memory tree, all funds raised will stay in Northeast Michigan, family friendly event; no registration fee but $50 minimum donations encouraged. Info: (989) 358-4291 or www.Hom.Convio.net/ WALKALP2015 3rd Annual Hooked for Life Kids’ Fishing Clinic and Derby, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at LaFarge Paxton Quarry in Alpena, event offering fishing clinic and kids’ fishing tournament, fishing charter captains, DNR, Smokey the Bear, and coast guard all on hand to meet families, lots of prizes, free snacks, beverages and lunch; free. Info: (989) 354-3101 or www.AlpenaCVB.com Garden Tractor Pulls, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wellington Farm in Grayling, 60 acre farm providing visitors the chance to life during the Great Depression; cost is $8 for adults and $6 for service people and seniors over 60, $5 students through high school. Info: (989) 348-5187 or www.wellingtonfarmpark.org 32nd Annual Cheboygan Custom and Classic Car Show 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Cheboygan, first and second place trophies and dash plaques giveaways, vendors welcome. Info: (231) 4200494 or www.Cheboygan.com Perennial Garden Club Plant Sale, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Washington Park in Cheboygan, shop for lovely perennials to spruce up flower beds and gardens. Info: (231) 627-7183 or www.Cheboygan.com

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23rd Annual Presque Isle 20: Harbor Wooden Boat Show, 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Presque Isle Harbor

on Lake Huron, arts and crafts, Corvette and motorcycle display, model boat display and more. Info: (989) 354-4181 or www. PresqueIsleHarborWoodenBoatShow.com 12th Annual Alpena Blues Festival, noon at Alpena Fairgrounds, line-up includes Big Smooth and the Hellraisers, The Steve Hilger Band, Pett Crow, Kelly Richey Band, Thornetta Davis and special local guests Chris Crown and friends, camping available; cost is $15 per person and an additional $20 to camp. Info: (989) 356-4181 or www. AlpenaBlues.com Bark in the Park, 1 to 4 p.m. at American Legion Park in St. Ignace, participants will receive t-shirt for themselves and bandana for dog, join in the fun to celebrate all things dog, contests include shiniest coat, best smile, best tail wag, best trick, most look-a-like and more, all proceeds to benefit homeless pets in Mackinac County. Info: (906) 643-8933 or www.SaintIgnace.org Cruise Night and Dance, 4 to 11 p.m. in Lewiston, cruise starts at 7 p.m. sharp, 50/50 raffles and cruise plaques. Info: (989) 732-6206 or www. LewistonChamber.com Rockin’ at the River, 6 to 9 p.m. at Riverwalk Place in Gladwin, featuring Wil and Kat rocking the night away performing classic cover hits, reservations are suggested. Info: (989) 246-9123 or www.RiverWalkPlace. net Wings Over Gaylord at Gaylord Regional Airport in Gaylord, featuring planes, hanger parties

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and much more. Info: (989) 732-6333 or www. GaylordRegional.com

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25th Anniversary Lewiston Auto 21: Show, 8 a.m. in Lewiston, dash plaques, raffle baskets, arts and craft show and

coloring contest; cost is $10. Info: (989) 7326206 or www.LewistonChamber.com Father Son/Daughter Classic at Tree Tops Resort in Gaylord, third annual event, variations can be made to compete with multiple children, 45 holes of tournament including a Shootout on the famed Threetops Course, two night lodging in the Inn or Chalets, Golf Clinic and Skills Contests, two breakfasts for each player, one lunch for each player and prizes; cost is $559 per team and an additional $159 per child sharing room. (877) 625-0838 or www.TreeTops.com Tuesday Night Live Street Dance, 7 to 9 p.m. on Newman Street in East Tawas, continuing Tuesdays through midAugust, enjoy an old fashioned block party, bring lawn chairs and set up right on Newman Street to listen to the music and even dance a bit, performances, kids activities, face painting, balloons, chalk art, and surprises galore. Info: (989) 362-8643 or www.Tawas.com Jolly Hammers and Strings, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Standish Depot Station, folk music performed by Jolly Hammer and Strings will be performed in the bandstand, bring lawn chair, light refreshments will be available, 50/50 raffles. Info: (989) 718-3021 or www.StandishDepot.org Big Ticket Country, 3 p.m. at Otsego County Fair

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Northeast Michigan

Optimist Clubs Join one

Start one

Alpena • Rogers City St. Helen • West Branch

Chuck Snyder

Lieutenant Governor, Zone 1

(989) 942-6608

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While all attempts at accuracy have been made, it is always best to call ahead and confirm before making the drive.

Grounds in Gaylord, for the second consecutive year The White Stone Project and Jay’s Sporting Goods are pleased to announce Big Ticket Country, fun, worship, entertainment, speakers and activities, headlining this year will be Josh Turner, fun for the whole family; cost is $20 per person, $40 for premier general admission, $99 for big ticket country VIP, $120 for family pass with $15 parking fee. Info: (989) 731-2808 or www.BigTicketCountry.com The Cookies, 7 to 9 p.m. at Pavilion on Court Street in Gaylord, featuring The Cookies, the hottest new Motown and dance group around, fun for all ages, bring blanket or lawn chair; free. Info: (989) 732-6333 or www.GaylordChamber.com Youth Learn to Paddle Class, 4 to 5 p.m. at Camp Grayling, five week class on Thursdays through July 24, teaching children ages 7 to 15 basic strokes, water safety and fundamentals all while having fun, all you need is sunscreen; cost is $40 per person. Info: (989) 348-9266 or www.HansonHills.org Youth Competitive Paddle, 5:15 to 6:15 at Camp Grayling, five week class on Thursdays through July 24, helping to improve paddling techniques for children ages 10-18, including speed, technique and fitness, must be serious about advancing to the next level of paddling; cost is $60 per person. Info: (989) 348-9266 or www.HansonHills.org Annie, 7 p.m. at Oscoda Area High School in Oscoda, enjoy the famously known musical presented

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by Michigan Sinfonietta; cost is $16 per person. Info: (989) 739-0900 or www.Oscoda.com Ausable Valley Engine and Tractor Show, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Oscoda County Fairgrounds, featuring tractor and machine exhibits, gas engines and related machinery, garden tractors, grain threshing, baker fan, farm implements, buzz saw, corn sheller, tractor and kids’ games, flea market, swap meet, tractor pulling and daily demonstrations along with tractor parade; cost is $3 per person and children under 12 years old are free. Info: (989) 370-5471 or www. Michigan.org Wolverine Wildcat 5K Run/ Walk and 1 Mile Fun Run, 7 a.m. registrations at Children’s Park in Wolverine, race courses are on the recreational trail and Trowbridge Rd, men’s and women’s five year age groups, awards to top three in each five year age group 5K, special awards to overall, masters, senior masters and one mile, dri-fit shirts for all who pre-register and others on a first-come basis up to 50 shirts; cost is $20 until June 20, $25 day of, $10 for 18 and under, $65 for family of four, $10 one mile with shirt and one mile without shirt free. Info: (231) 238-8930 or www.IndianRiverStriders.com 6th Annual Long Lake Lights Festival, 9 a.m. at Long Lake County Park in Alpena, day begins with South Beach Triathlon, followed by beach volleyball and horseshoe tournaments, arts and crafts show, petting zoo, inflatable park, live music and more; admission is $1 per person. Info: (989) 595-3540 or www.LongLakeLightsFestival.com Art in the Garden Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Conservation Gardens in Gaylord, featuring art, songs and dance and a bake sale; free. Info: (989) 217-0880 or www.

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GaylordChamber.com Habitat for Humanity Junk in the Trunk Sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Village Square Plaza in Houghton Lake, clean out your closet and bring your goodies to sell, craft vendors are welcome or just come to shop; cost is $25 for 10x10 space. Info: (989) 3871396 or www.HLRCC.com 8th Annual Lincoln Lions Golf Scramble at Springport Hills Golf Course in Harrisville, four person teams, 18 holes of golf and dinner, all proceeds go to scholarships awarded to Alcona High School graduates; cost is $60 per person. Info: (989) 724-9900 or www.AlconaReview.com 36th Annual Besser Museum Log Cabin Day, noon to 4 p.m. at Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan, fun for the whole family; admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children and seniors, under 5 and museum members are free. Info: (989) 356-2202 or www.BesserMuseum.org St. Ignace Mud Run, 4 p.m. at Little Bear East Arena, featuring mega trucks, 200’ straight track, truck classes include DOT, open, DOT stock, women’s open, women’s tire and modified, $2000 purse with 100% payback per class, concessions on-site; cost is $7 for adults and kids over 13 years old, kids under 12 are free. Info: (800) 338-6660 or www. SaintIgnace.org True North Radio Network Summer Concert Series, 6 to 9 p.m. at Bay View Park Fine Arts Bandshell in Alpena, featuring 7 Million Jigawatts performing a variety of great party favorites and pop tunes, bring lawn chairs or a blanket; free. Info: (989) 354-4611 or www.TrueNorthRadioNetwork. com

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32nd Annual Art on the 27-28: Beach, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oscoda Beach Park in downtown Oscoda,

over 150 artisans display and sell handmade arts, crafts and hobbies, juried art show, no kit work or buy and sell items allowed. Info: (989) 739-0900 or www.Oscoda.com e O Dairy Days, 9 a.m. to 4 m p.m. at Wellington Farm in Grayling, longest running special event in h history of Wellington Farm, watch as cream is ( churned into butter and milk, eggs are turned into custards and ice cream, and skim milk is turned into cottage cheese, guided tours T starting at the visitors center will be from 10 v a.m. until 4 p.m.; cost is $8 for adults and $6 I for service people and seniors over 60 and $5 students through high school. Info: (989) 3485187 or www.wellingtonfarmpark.org t 2015 Wolverine b Lumberjack Festival, at w 5490 Cedar St. in Wolverine, activities include 3 live entertainment, various vendors, varieties of activities including homemade raft race, pony pulls, tug of war, wood carving and much more; cost is $3 per person. Info: (231) 525-8124 or s f www.WolverineLumberJackingFestival.org 6 2015 MTB Jamboree, Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hanson Hills T Recreational Area in Grayling, 24 target 3-D course, 25 hand painted silhouette target course, canoe float shoot, long distance and aerial targets, kids shooting area and much more; cost for members is $25 individual and $40 family, non-members is $35 individual and $50 family, children under 16 are free. Info: (989) 348-9266 or www.HansonHills.org Mackinaw City Arts and Craft Show, 10 a.m. in Conkling Heritage Park in Mackinaw City, juried show featuring many artists from around the country, exhibits to include paintings, woodwork, hand-crafted jewelry, handdesigned clothing, self-published books, nature photography, gourmet dips and salsa, seasonal décor and much more. Info: (800) 750-0160 or www.MackinawCity.com Tour the Bailey School, noon to 4 p.m. at Sturgeon Point Lighthouse north of Harrisville, tour the school and enjoy homemade strawberry pie, runs consecutively with Log Cabin Day. Info: (989) 736-3151 or www.AlconaReview.com Couples Jamboree at Tree Tops Resort in Gaylord, includes 45 holes of tournament golf, two nights lodging in the Lodge, Sunday Welcome Reception with Big Break style contests, two breakfasts and lunches, one dinner and prizes; $718 per couple. Info: (877) 625-0838 or www.

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TreeTops.com

JULY

Alpena Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to 1 1: p.m. behind City Hall in Alpena, running every Wednesday and Saturday through

October 31, fresh produce, baked goods, plants, maple syrup, honey, flowers, grass fed beef, homemade sausage and arts and crafts. Info: (989) 354-4181 or www.AlpenaCVB.com Bayside Farmer’s Market, 4 to 7 p.m. at St. Ignace Public Marina, continuing Thursdays through September, fruits, vegetables, baked goods and hand-made items. Info: (906) 643-8717 or www.SaintIgnace.org Sunshine String Band, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Standish Depot Station, oldtime country music will be performed in the bandstand, bring lawn chair, light refreshments will be available, 50/50 raffles. Info: (989) 7183021 or www.StandishDepot.org Bayside Live, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Ignace Public Marina Pavilion, weekly waterfront series continuing through August, each week features a different performer; free. Info: (906) 643-8717 or www.SaintIgnace.org Open Mic Night, 10 p.m. at Mary’s Tavern in Gaylord, every Thursday Mary’s Tavern will host open mic night for the public.

Info: (989) 732-6333 or www.GaylordChamber. com Children’s Bouncy Playground, 2 to 9 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday at Harbor Park in East Tawas, children are guaranteed to enjoy this bouncy playground; cost is $10 for weekend. Info: (989) 362-8643 or www.Tawas.com Sidewalk Sales at Tanger Outlets in West Branch. Info: (989) 345-2594 or www.WBACC.com

2-5: 3-6:

4: Independence Day

4th of July Celebration in downtown 4: St. Ignace, combining the nostalgic sentiment of a small-town celebration with

the picturesque backdrop of Lake Huron and Mackinac Island, starting with parade followed by children’s games, community picnic and more. Info: (906) 643-8717 or www. SaintIgnace.org 29th Annual Sugar Springs Art and Craft Show, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 5477 Worthington Court in Gladwin, local area’s finest art and crafts will be on display and available for purchase along with food and baked goods. Info: (989) 426-4111 or www.SugarSprings.net All American 4th of July Celebration, 1 p.m. in Mackinaw City, enjoy games on the Marina Lawn until 3 p.m., Straits Area Concert Band to perform from 9 p.m. until dusk at Conkling Heritage Park. Info: (231) 436-5574 or www.MackinawCity.com 4th of July Celebration, 2 p.m. in Glennie, featuring Birds of Prey exhibit, food, vendors, book sale and more. Info: (989) 370-8855 or www. AlconaCountyChamberOfCommerce.com True North Radio Summer Concert Series, 7 to 10 p.m. at Bay View Park Fine Arts Bandshell in Alpena, featuring Little Queen a Heart tribute band and the only tribute band approved by Heart to perform their material,

bring lawn chair or a blanket; free. Info: (989) 354-4611 or www.TrueNorthRadioNetwork. com 45th Annual Dancing Hippopotamus Arts and Crafts Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the lawn at the Onaway Courthouse, vendor applications are available at Rogers City Area Chamber of Commerce. Info: (989) 733-0383 or www. RogersCityAreaChamber.com

4-5:

39th Annual Children’s Parade, 1 p.m. 4: 4: in Harrisville, decorate bike, stroller or yourself and parade down Main Street, at 4 p.m. watch the annual duck race at the Harrisville Harbor. Info: (989) 724-6384 or www. AlconaReview.com Star Spangled Fourth of July, 2 to 7 p.m. at Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, the historic island for is decked out in patriotic finery with banners, flags, and bunting, it’s an 1880’s Independence Day with 38-gun salutes honoring states of the period, performances, patriotic music, and Victorian children’s games; cost is included with regular fort admission. Info: www.mackinacparks.com

4: 4:

SOME SECRETS WERE MEANT TO BE SHARED Stay & Play on Tawas Bay in 2014! www.TawasBay.com • 877-TO-TAWAS 23rd Annual Shoreline Arts & Craft Show May 23-24

Annual Breeze on the Bay May 30

Annual Tawas Point Celebration Days June 14 - 15

Enjoy mixed mediums such as paint, pottery, sculpting, jewelry including seaglass jewelry on silver, photographers, authors. Children’s make and take tent, sandcastle building contest, demonstrations, food vendors, live music in the gazebo and more.

A family event on the shore of Tawas Bay, featuring free kite making for kids, candy drop, giveaways, kite demonstrations and a Nite Kite Flight, and more.

Annual celebration of American heritage. Weekend includes historical and educational displays, period encampments, traditional music and a fishing derby for kids. Crafters demonstrate blacksmithing and weaving, and sell their wares. Try your own hand at traditional crafts, too, including basket weaving, lace making and soap carving.

www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

Tour the Sunrise Side Gateway to NE Michigan Tawas Bay serves as a great central location for touring Northeast Michigan and the Au Sable River Valley. From here you can enjoy boating, canoeing, birding, hiking and biking, as well as wining and dining tours and more. 7

Carving a Niche

By JERRY NUNN editor

Cheboygan, Michigan

summer

Arts & Crafts Show

124 N. Main, “Washington Park”

June 12 & 13, 2015 Info: (231) 627-7183 or www.Cheboygan.com

By following his dream a Northeast Michigan craftsman spreads his inﬂuence far beyond our state’s borders. GLADWIN – Long before he ground his first blade or carved his first exotic wood handle, John Doyle had an edge up on his crafty competitors in the custom knife making industry. For starters, the Beaverton native grew up in Northern Michigan, raised in the hunting and angling culture, and knew by first-hand experience the importance of a good blade with a keen edge. The son of local cabinet maker Thomas Doyle, John inherited the concepts of precision and an eye for the excellence. And John was a mere youngster when he decided he could build a better blade. “I knew when I was 12-years-old I wanted to make a knife,” Doyle says. “I didn’t know it would turn into a career.” Doyle’s introduction to the custom knife industry came by way of a Tom McGinnis-taught class in custom knife making, held at Ozark Knifemakers in Missouri, in 2009. When he was laid off from his construction job later that year, Doyle says he “saw that as his cue to opportunity.” “That’s what kicked off the whole thing,” Doyle says. “I made my first knife on my own in 2009 and I went full time on my own in 2011. “Every piece I make is different. I don’t do mass production; every piece is The Guide • June 2015

c k t b a t

c w l t p a s d

made to order. s “From my earliest knives until now, they do a not leave my shop unless m they are perfect,” Doyle h a said. t With undeniable attention to fine details, A and by demonstrating e c breathtaking H craftsmanship, Doyle came quickly out of the gate, and his m knives made a large measure of fame 1 among collectors of custom knives. p Between 2010, prior to going full m time, and 2012, Doyle won a slew of p awards including Best New Maker, Best of Show, Best Hand Forged and t Best Utility/Hunter at the nation’s most s prestigious annual knife shows in Boise, Idaho and Missoula, Montana. Three t years running, John Doyle hand-crafted s Bowie knives captured the show’s top awards. Barely six years into his a career and Doyle has been recognized t for his skill and artistry by Knife World s and Blade magazines, the nation’s largest and most respected industry k

publications. Doyle said he designs for “bold contrast and subtle design,” and his knives are top of the line, in an industry that is highly exclusive. “When someone buys my knife, I want them to be looking at it three days later and still be finding those subtle details,” he said. Doyle says in nearly all circumstances the knives he makes will remain in a display case their entire lives. Nonetheless, once completed they go through a harrowing test process that includes hacking at elk antler and pine knots to prove their strength or sawing through sisal rope to demonstrate an ability to hold an edge. Talking about his craft, Doyle speaks in terms of steel hardness and metallurgical make-up that is meaningless to the untrained ear, yet in his talented hands the blades become an object of beauty when paired to the exotic wood he uses for handles. And his heat treating and hardening equipment are all homemade – as customized as the knives they forge. Heating of the blades takes place in molten salt, electronically controlled to 1,900 degrees. While grinders, sanders and other power tools line Doyle’s shop, he is much more apt to pick up a file and perform some intricate work as he is to kick on a power tool to muscle away some metal. “Machines are a really good way to make a big mistake very fast,” Doyle said. “I trust my hands and my eyes. “In the world of custom knives it’s all about hand work – hand work is the make or break if you’re going to succeed.” The finer details of a Doyle custom knife may include German silver,

stainless steel, bronze and other exotic metals, usually hand-embellished with tiny vines or other designs. Grain pattern of the wood handle – nearly always of an imported, rare and exotic wood – often dictates the entire design of a knife according to Doyle and the wood handle alone may cost upwards of $100 per knife. But cost is nothing in the custom collectible knife industry. A basic knife “very nice but unembellished” will run $500 Doyle said, and with the exotic materials he works with $2,500 or more is not at all out of line. Given that it may take weeks to manufacture a knife it’s not extravagant. Sales take place predominantly though knife shows, custom collectors and by word of mouth. As it stands Doyle figures he has a year’s worth of work lined up. “It is a lot bigger than I imagined it was. I was quite surprised,” Doyle said, of the custom knife industry. “But I’ve got a good following. I actually have people come to knife shows just to see me. “I’m tailored to a very small market. I’ve sold knives in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, to guys in Canada, in Australia, in Brazil. “A lot of guys make knives but they’re just sharpening a lawn mower blade and pinning it to a deer antler. That’s fine, because there is an important place for that too, but I wanted to take it to a whole other level. The knives I make now compared to the first ones I made are worlds apart.” To contact John Doyle email him at jdoyleknives@gmail.com and asked to be added to his mailing list.

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The

BIG

By Leighton King Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member

WILD PIGEON RIVER–Although the Pigeon River Country State Forest (PRC) is the smallest state forest management unit being managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), it is known as the “Big Wild” due to its remote, wild state and endless opportunities for recreation. The PRC is 106,500 acres in size, making it the largest contiguous block of public land in the Lower Peninsula. Spanning Otsego, Montmorency and Cheboygan counties, the PRC is an extremely important area for outdoor lovers and wildlife. Three pristine rivers meander through the forest—the Pigeon, Black and Sturgeon—and there are ample opportunities for camping, hiking and sightseeing in all seasons. In the spring, looking for delectable morel mushrooms hidden throughout the rolling landscape is a treasure-hunter’s dream. In the summer, soaking up the sun while gazing at the striking emerald waters of its unique glacial sinkhole lakes is an unforgettable thrill. In the fall, the clash of antlers from competing bull

The Guide • June 2015

elk is an awe-inspiring encounter. In the winter, snowshoeing long, peaceful trails through the frozen landscape helps to soothe a restless mind. Because of its ecological and recreational importance, the PRC has its own special Concept of Management to guide how the MDNR will manage the PRC to protect and maintain the natural beauty of its forests and waters, and to sustain healthy wildlife populations. By the late 1800s, the northern Lower Peninsula was being heavily logged and the forests were being clear-cut. Railroads, towns and farms began to dot the landscape in order to support the growing population. To protect the sparkling streams, clear lakes, wild forests, swamps, and rolling hills, the PRC was officially designated as a “special management unit” in 1919 and has been recovering ever since. The PRC staff works closely with advisory groups and conservation partners to manage the forest in a way that protects it from overdevelopment and benefits recreationists and wildlife. There are

ample opportunities to view and enjoy the creatures— large and small— that are at home among the twotracks and forest stands of the PRC. This area is the central range of Michigan’s elk herd, so visitors should keep their eyes peeled for the elk which can be sighted bugling and grappling during the fall mating season, or traveling in groups of 30 or more. Elk viewing stations are located to give beginners a place to start their search. Besides elk, many other animals also roam the forest. Grouse, black bear, bobcat, woodcock, deer, beaver, and a plethora of other birds and animals are found here. The PRC’s icy-cold, crystal-clear streams support healthy populations of trout, including the native brook trout—Michigan’s state fish. One species of wildlife that can be spotted in the PRC is the elusive pine marten (Martes americana). The pine marten is a member of the weasel family, related to otters, badgers, wolverines, skunks and ferrets. Pine marten have a small triangular shaped head with large, round ears, short limbs and a bushy tail that is one third of the pine marten’s entire body length! Their silky fur ranges in color from blond to dark brown with lighter fur on their head and darker fur on their legs and tail, and a bright orange patch on their chests. Their small size— weighing only two to three pounds— does not stop them from being a fierce predator throughout northern forests. As omnivores, they feed on a

combination of fruits, nuts, berries and meat from their prey (which often includes squirrels and other small mammals). They are solitary creatures that spend a lot of their time in trees. Surprisingly, the pine marten is often found in large stands of hardwood trees rather than pine trees, which their name suggests. The original population of pine marten in northern Michigan had been decimated by trappers, who targeted them for their valuable pelts, and lumberjacks, who logged the mature forest that they depended upon for habitat. Extirpated from the area after 1911, the pine marten returned once again to the PRC forest in 1985 with help from nowretired MDNR Habitat Biologist Doug Whitcomb who led the release of 49 pine martens into the forest. Doug’s son, Scott Whitcomb, is carrying on his conservation legacy as the current Unit Manager of the PRC. In this role he protects the best interests of the land and works to manage the health of the forest and all wildlife, including the pine marten. So, next time you feel the urge to get outside and explore, stop by the Pigeon River Country headquarters to meet Scott and begin your own adventure in the Big Wild. www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

For a Day or a Lifetime www.OscodaChamber.com

Got plans this June? Start summer off right with these FREE events!

ummer weather is finally here! Enjoy some of Michigan’s most popular outdoor activities June 13 and 14! Fees are waived on those dates for fishing and ORV riding in Michigan. Call your friends and family, pack the cooler, and get ready to make some memories. is Summer Free Fishing Weekend, when all fishing license fees are waived for two days. Residents and out-of-state visitors can fish both inland and Great Lakes waters for all species. All other fishing regulations still apply. Michigan has been celebrating the Summer Free Fishing Weekend annually since 1986 as a way to highlight the state’s vast water resources. With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline;, 11,000 inland lakes, and tens of thousands of miles and rivers and streams, fishing and Michigan go hand in hand. To encourage involvement in the Summer Free Fishing Weekend, organized activities are being scheduled in communities across the state. To find one near you, visit michigan.gov/freefishing. is also Free ORV Weekend, when license and permit fees are waived for off-road vehicles. Anyone, resident or nonresident, can hit the trails for free all weekend long. All ORV laws still apply. Michigan offers many trail riding opportunities with the ORV trail/route system covering 3,700 miles with 73% on state forests. Find maps to a trail near you at www.michigan.gov/orvtrails or www.UpNorthTrails.org. For more info on UpNorthTrails check out the spread on page 20 by Denise Cline from NEMCOG.

June 13-14

FREE! How COOL is THAT!?!

The Guide • June 2015

Upcoming Events in

Mackinaw City

June 13-14

Spring Big Mac Shoreline Scenic Bike Tour & Ride across the Bridge June 19 – 20

19th Antiques on the Bay St. Ignace Car Show Sh June 25 – 27

40th St. Ignace Car Show & Down Memory Lane Parade at 7 pm on the 26th June 27 – 28

Mackinaw City Premier Arts Craft Show &C

(800) 750-0160

Fourth of July Independence Day Waterfront Events & Fireworks July 10 – 12

2nd Annual Mustang Car Show Celebration & Music Fest (in Mackinaw City) Ma July 31 – Aug. 1

Mackinaw Area Historical Festival July 31 – Aug. 2

Rendezvous in Mackinaw & 18th Century Market Fair

Mustang Stampede July 10th thru 12th, 2015

The 2nd Annual Celebration of the Ford Mustang! Event will include some top music acts playing music from the era of the 60's and 70's. Family fun, food, drink and children’s activities and will be topped off with a parade of Mustangs across the Mackinac Bridge

For more info visit: www.MackinawCity.com www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

Recommends

The Quilt Trails Northeast Michigan

s a tourism driver quilt trails, often gracing our most scenic countryside, A offer travelers an unique way to take in our majestic vistas. Lucky for us, Northeast Michigan is home to ďŹ ve fantastic quilt trails:

Alcona County, the ďŹ rst in the state of Michigan, is home to 28 quilt squares. Cheboygan County, the newest quilt trail in the state, offers a unique twist with their 70 quilt squares, placing many in store windows in a walkable downtown. Ogemaw County quilt trail features 16 quilt boards with more to come shortly. Oscoda County, known as the Timberland Quilt Trail, is at 26 blocks and counting with an end goal of 60 blocks total. Roscommon County, currently at 19 squares, roams you around the towns of St. Helen, Roscommon, Prudenville and Houghton Lake. If you are looking for something new to get you out and about this year, contact one of the organizations below, grab a map, and enjoy. Alcona County - www.AlconaQuiltTrail.com Cheboygan County - www.Cheboygan.com Ogemaw County - www.WBACC.com Oscoda County - www.TimberlandQuiltTrail.org Roscommon County - www.VisitHoughtonLake.com

Alcona County photos by Michelle Marcouiller mickimarc@yahoo.com Roscommon County photos by Marianne Kuzimski and courtesy photos Cheboygan, Ogemaw and Oscoda County photos also courtesy photos.

Recommends

The Quilt Trails Northeast Michigan

Alcona County photos by Michelle Marcouiller mickimarc@yahoo.com Roscommon County photos by Marianne Kuzimski and courtesy photos Cheboygan, Ogemaw and Oscoda County photos also courtesy photos.

Fifteen Minutes with a Forester

At Huron Pines, we work to restore and protect Northeast Michigan’s wild places and water quality. That means cleaner water for fishing, boating, swimming—and drinking! Local businesses are using the cool, clear waters of our world-famous lakes and rivers to produce a variety of good things like new coffee blends, locally brewed beer and wine. Each of these companies is celebrating our water resources by giving a portion of the profits off a conservation-named product back to Huron Pines to continue our mission. You can help by supporting these local businesses and ensuring clean water for the future.

7% of sales of Houghton Creek Red goes to improving water quality and fish movement in Houghton Creek, a high-quality tributary to the Rifle River, from Rose Valley Winery in Rose City.

$1 of every pint sold of Wobbly Warbler ale and Huron Pines Java Porter, from Paddle Hard Brewing in Grayling.

$1 of every pound sold of Conservation Coffee blend. 1 tree planted for every batch sold, from Red Pine Roasters at Isabella’s Copper Pot in Gaylord. If you or your business would like to support clean water, contact Huron Pines at www.huronpines.org or (989) 448-2293 today!

Huron Pines

Huron Pines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an equal opportunity provider

By DEANNA STATON Huron Pines Americorps Member When thinking of the term forester, what comes to mind? Could you explain in detail what these individuals do? Many different thoughts may come to mind: Are they loggers? Are they conservationists? Do they protect trees, or do they clear-cut them? What exactly does a forester do? Lora Freer is a public agency forester at the Oscoda and Ogemaw Conservation Districts who uses a simple, straightforward analogy to explain this highly diverse work that spans over different classes and target groups. “As a farmer is to crops, a forester is to timber.” Not chainsaw crazy, not idyllic tree-hugger, to be a forester is to meet in the middle of both the economic and conservation mindsets. Freer describes the science of forestry as a technique to conserve and protect forest health while knowing how to manage it for a sustainable future. “A forester is an individual who understands how and where trees grow and uses this knowledge to maintain them.” Freer works as a public agency forester in Northeast Michigan to assist the public with a forestry vision for their private land. When she receives a call, a one-on-one site visit will tackle important questions such as: What are the client’s management goals for the property? What resources are available? What are the key steps to accomplishing these goals? Though coming with checklist

The Guide • June 2015

in hand, Freer admits her job isn’t as straightforward as it seems. “People come to me for many reasons, however, surprisingly most people don’t call me to do forest management. A common goal people come to me with is how they can improve wildlife habitat on their property. Deer hunters want to learn how to manage their trees so they will

see more deer. As a forester I figure out how to help them reach their goal of seeing more deer. For instance, if forests are old or overgrown, they may not see any deer. Many timber management techniques actually benefit wildlife.” And the benefits reaped on the land also travel back to the provider. Freer enjoys her job simply because she gets to interact with “do-gooders” of Northern Michigan communities who reach out to her for help. “I really enjoy talking to people who want to do the right thing and take care of their resource. My job is a very rewarding experience.” If you are interested in the services that a public agency forester has to offer, conservation districts are a great way to start. More than information bases, they also provide unique events such as workshops and bi-annual tree sales open to the public. “I’ve had some great jobs in the

past; I’ve been a park ranger on Isle Royale, and even still I’d say this is the best job I’ve ever had.” Huron Pines is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve the forests, lakes and streams of Northeast Michigan. Often working with foresters, Huron Pines offers free site visits and can provide technical and often financial assistance to help you manage your land for water quality and wildlife habitat. To schedule your free site visit, call (989) 448-2293 or visit www. huronpines.org. Learn more about the Rifle River Prosperity Network, as well as our projects and the ways we are helping make Northeast Michigan a better place to live, work and enjoy, visit www.huronpines.org. or call (989) 448-2293 ext. 21.

To learn more about Huron Pines AmeriCorps program visit www. HuronPinesAmeriCorps.org. Organizations can apply to host a member for a oneyear or six-month term. People looking to increase their conservation skills and networks can apply to become a member.

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Vernal Pool

l o r t Pa

By MEAGHAN GASS NEMI GLSI and BRANDON SCHROEDER Michigan Sea Grant A spring walk in the woods may lead you to one of Michigan’s more common but lesser known wetlands – a vernal pool. These seasonal or temporary wetlands are often small in nature yet significant in ecological value. Wet in the spring, vernal pools characteristically dry up as summer progresses. In fact, those exploring woodlands late in the summer may trek through a vernal pool without realizing they passed through this important wetland ecosystem. As the snow of winter melts giving way to spring, these wetlands fill with water and explode with life. Scientists of Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) and Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) study the ecology of these vernal pools during this small window of time each spring. Yet this can be a challenge to visit large numbers of vernal pools each spring, when life is most active, but before these seasonal wetlands dry up. Launching a new Vernal Pool Patrol Project aimed at schools and youth, these researchers are calling on our youngest citizen scientists to help collect and report data in these vernal pools across Northern Michigan. Contributing as part of a statewide vernal pool mapping and monitoring project with MNFI, teachers from 10 Northern Michigan schools gathered this past April to learn how to involve their

vernal pool (n.): a seasonal body of standing water that typically forms in the spring from melting snow and other runoff, dries out completely in the summer, often refills in the autumn, provides an important breeding habitat to critters

–photo courtesy of Jeff

students as Vernal Pool Patrol partners. This place-based stewardship education training connected teachers with MNFI scientists to learn about vernal pool ecology, exploring firsthand the biodiversity of plants and animals living within vernal pools. A great professional learning opportunity for educators supported by the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative and Grand Traverse Stewardship Initiative networks, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Huron Pines, 4-H Youth Programs, Michigan Sea Grant, among

Kalember

other partners. Little is known about vernal pools in Michigan. They are widely recognized among scientists for their important ecological value. Rich in biodiversity, vernal pools have been called the ‘coral reefs’ of our forests, home to some species that only exist in vernal pools. For example, fairy shrimp (tiny, bright orange crustaceans) only occur in vernal pools since their eggs have to dry and freeze before they can hatch each spring. Other species, such as the wood frog, spotted salamander and blue spotted salamander, excel in vernal pools because these habitats

The Guide • June 2015

lack predatory fish that would eat their eggs and larvae. In addition, many plants grow within and around vernal pools and can provide clues that these pools were once full of water even during their dry phase. In the northeast U.S., vernal pools are home to some 550-700 species of plants and animals, including many rare species. These ecologically rich wetlands also function to improve water quality, help recharge ground water, store water and provide ﬂood control, and serve as nutrient sinks (where organic matter collects and decomposes).

Funded by Great Lakes Fisheries Trust, the MNFI will work with schools from 2015-2017 where students will gather valuable data to help MNFI monitor these unique wetland ecosystems. With this project, students apply science and technology, math, reading, writing and more to complete their investigations. They discover the importance of teamwork, organization, and observation needed to accomplish these types of field studies. In service of science and their communities, students will collect, analyze and report data to the MNFI to populate a statewide vernal pool monitoring database. Overall, this project allows students to learn more about their local environment while raising awareness and appreciation toward these small, seasonal, yet ecologically important vernal pools in their local communities. Already this spring, several schools across Northern Michigan helped pilot

this new citizen science project. Students from Roscommon Schools ventured into the woods with their teachers, Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Zucher, alongside MNFI scientists and MSUE educators to explore and gather data from their local vernal pools. Kelli Polleys introduced her Harbor Springs’ 8th grade students to the concept of vernal pools, working with Little Traverse Conservancy to discover and assess wildlife in their local pools. Chemistry students from Gaylord High School, led by teacher Jeff Kalember, researched vernal pool ecology as part of their class, and they are mapping and visiting several potential vernal pool habitats in their school’s local nature area. Outside of school, the Alcona 4-H Environmental Stewards Club took to the field to identify vernal pools in the coastal Negwegon State Park, even finding the ‘fairy shrimp’ – a signature species of vernal pools. Spring is the time when vernal pools come to life, and also a time when students grow excited to get out of the classroom and outside to explore. The Vernal Pool Project offers these young scientists an amazing hands-on learning experience exploring their local wetlands. In partnership with MNFI, these youth are helping scientists and their communities to better understand and care for vernal pools across Northern Michigan. For more information visit www.NEMIGLSI.org

Support

community-based education in Northeast Michigan. Visit www.NEMIGLSI.org today.

NORTHEAST MICHIGAN Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative

Expanding Classrooms. Strengthening Communities.

Protecting the Great Lakes and the Natural Resources of Northeast Michigan through hands-on, place-based education in and with the community.

www.nemiglsi.org www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

Our Trail’s Take You Farther By DENISE CLINE NEMCOG Chief Planner & Deputy Director NORTHERN MICHIGAN–It all started one day when some ORV riders and friends of Cheboygan County Community Development Director, Steve Schnell, visited Northern Michigan to try out some trails. After riding, they asked Steve “Do you have any idea what you have here? Why don’t you promote these trails?” Well, the truth is, we take for granted the outstanding trail system we have in Northern Michigan. So, that was all it took to get the ball rolling and form a Trails Collaborative with the goal of telling the world about Northern Michigan’s trail systems for all users! Joining forces with Steve were the Top of Michigan Trails Council, Land Information Access Association, Michigan DNR, Northeast Michigan Council of Governments, Networks Northwest, and TART Trails. These agencies then brought together over 100 members of trail stakeholder groups to ask them what information they would want available in a trails promotional effort. One of the most requested items was a website providing all trail information for all trail users. So, then we were off ! The next year brought in funding from sources such as the MEDC (Michigan Economic Development Corporation), USDA, Rotary Charities, Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, and 20

in Northern Michigan

several communities and private companies. www.UpNorthTrails.org Work began on the creation of a website that served as a trail trip planning tool for all users. As trails were mapped and added to the database, it became more and more apparent that Northern Michigan is truly a worldclass trails destination. Never before had a trails database this comprehensive been developed for Northern Michigan. When we were done, we had amassed data for over 5,300 miles of federal, state and local trails over 21 counties from Tawas Bay across to Manistee and north to the Mackinac Bridge! It’s a staggering number that takes into account the incredibly interconnected network of biking, hiking, skiing, horse, ORV, motorcycle and snowmobile trails. The one-stop-shop trail website, www.UpNorthTrails.org, launched last summer and has been a great success! It provides trail users an interactive trail map which they can click on to view all trail lines in

a certain area or to choose trail uses to display only those types of trails across the region. Once a user finds a trail they are interested in, they click on that trail and are treated to detailed information that includes the trail name, uses allowed, trail system length, grooming status, website link, surface type, and organization responsible for the trail. A trail map is also displayed where users can “light up” nearby trail systems and points of interest around the trail. In addition, clicking on individual trail segments allows the trail user to see detailed information about that segment including loop name, uses allowed and surface type. A description of the trail is also

The Guide • June 2015

h c I M D C i s a c T C M available as well as photos and local t weather for the trail’s location. t The site also offers maps to print r or directs users to where they can f obtain a ready-made map to take t with them on the trail. a The website is designed so that s tablet and mobile users can enjoy p the full functionality of the site. In n addition, mobile trail users have the o ability to locate themselves on the trail map while in the field! t Trail Towns M The next leg of the project T sets in place a process by which communities can better capitalize a e on the economic benefit of trail tourism. In 2013, five pilot communities were chosen to undergo a Trail Town Planning process. The Land Information Access Association evaluated and met with Alpena, Atlanta, Grayling, Mackinaw City, and Topinabee which resulted in the creation of individualized Trail Town Plans to

trail-related event calendar and user-added content with helmet help guide the communities in the cam videos. Trail signage is going up capturing of trail-based tourism. and more trails are being added to In 2014, NEMCOG, the Top of the website. Even more trails will be Michigan Trails Council and the popping up in the near future as DNR embarked on a project with segments of the Iron Belle Trail Corbin Design which resulted (from Belle Isle to Ironwood) begin in the design of trailhead kiosk to be built in Northeast Michigan. signs, trail guides, trailblazer signs, The Collaborative will continue to and community gateway signs blaze a trail to secure Michigan’s containing the brand “Up North Trails: Our Trails Take You Farther”. place as the Trails State! Go to www. UpNorthTrails.org and get out on Communities across Northern those trails! Our Trails Take You Michigan will be able to utilize these new sign designs on their local Farther! trail systems to tie the Up North region together. In fact, funding was procured from Trail Mileage the USDA to construct in the Up North and install an array of these Trails region: signs in the region as a pilot project. So, look for our Hike: 1,767 miles new signs to start appearing Ski: 1,179 miles on trails shortly! The Future Bike: 839 miles The future is bright for Horse: 428 miles trails tourism in Northern ORV Trail: 978 miles Michigan! The Up North ORV Route: 370 miles Trails Collaborative is Snowmobile 1,990 miles already planning website Motorcycle: 1,917 miles enhancements including a

For info on Up North Trails visit: www.UpNorthTrails.org For info on the US-23 Heritage Route visit: www.US23HeritageRoute.org For info on Northeast Michigan Council of Governments www.NEMCOG.org www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

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Educational Excellence

NE Michigan Water Monitoring By TRACY D’AUGUSTINO MSU Extension Science Educator and MARK MEYER staff editor Students across Northeast Michigan have been spending time outside the classroom this spring while participating in place-based education projects, and collecting water quality data to be shared across the region through National Geographic’s Great Lakes FieldScope website (www. GreatLakes. FieldScope.org). The students are collecting both biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) data incorporating inquiry and experiential learning through partnerships developed within the Northeast Michigan Great AuGres Sims students from Michael Fields’ Lakes Stewardship 4th grade classroom participating in Initiative (NEMIGLSI). streamside biosurveys. The LaMotte Pond Water Tour, a testing kit geared for grades 4-8, is the tool of determine the possible sources of choice for testing abiotic parameters the four abiotic physical parameters, and ask them to make careful including ammonia, nitrates, observations of land uses around the dissolved oxygen and pH levels. water as well as upstream. NEMIGLSI partner’s help students The Guide • June 2015

After making a variety of observations, the students engage in a discussion answering these three key questions: 1. How are the abiotic factors important to the ecosystem? 2. How do these physical parameters get into the water? 3. What level of each parameter do you think we will ﬁnd today (high, moderate, or low)? To test biotic parameters, a modiﬁed version of the MiCorps Streamside Biosurvey is used to record data, concentrating mostly on aquatic macroinvertebrates. One question posed during a water quality monitoring discussion was, “What are aquatic macroinvertebrates?” Using their own frame of reference, students determined aquatic macroinvertebrates are small

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organisms without backbones that live in the water. Macroinvertebrates are collected by the students using dip nets and sorted into ice cube trays for easy counting and identifying. While engaged in their exploration of aquatic macroinvertebrates students are learning about the life cycle of dragonﬂies, complete and incomplete metamorphoses, and predator-prey relationships involving macroinvertebrates. While fascinated with this inquiry and experiential education, students in Northeast Michigan are gaining a deeper understanding of their community and are playing a vital role in helping to monitor one of our precious resources, the Great Lakes. Visit www.NEMIGLSI.org for more info. www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

North Country History

with Rob Burg

Railroad Logging

in Northeast Michigan

Summer is a time to take to power faster than a piston driven the trails in Northern Michigan. locomotive. This allowed the trains Many of these trails are a remnant to go up steeper grades and its of Michigan’s hinged design allowed it to take lumber history. The Lower Peninsula was once crisscrossed by hundreds of miles of railroads, most built for hauling logs. Northern Michigan was the cradle of the national Loading logs onto railroad cars. Logging trains lumber boom in the were commonly loaded by the means of a “cross second half of the 19th haul” using horses to pull logs up a ramp onto century. This was largely the rail cars by means of a chain with the men due to the many small maneuvering the logs into place with cant hooks. rivers that reached the Great Lakes; but we also need to give credit to the railroad tighter turns. Like other narrowconstruction at the time of great gauge trains, it was lighter for use demand for lumber. on temporary railroads. By 1884 Logging had strictly been a Michigan would have 72 logging railroads totaling 574 miles reaching winter activity as the iced roads into the forests. were the best way to move logs on Before the Civil War, the horse-drawn sleds to the rivers for demand for lumber was not great the spring river drive. Railroads enough to look at new means of log would allow for a year-round transportation. However the end of industry. Michigan is credited with the Civil War, a rise in the value of the start of railroad logging first lumber, and the completion of the with the Glencoe, Pinconning, transcontinental railroad causing a and Lake Shore Railroad in greater need on the prairies, would Bay County in 1874 and Scott lead to the greatest lumber boom Gerrish’s successful Lake George in American history. All of these and Muskegon Railroad in the taxed the supply of lumber that was winter of 1876-77. Shortly after reachable by the rivers and lead to this, Cadillac native Ephraim Shay invented a revolutionary gear-driven increasingly fluctuating prices of the lumber. locomotive, the Shay locomotive. Generally at the end of the spring This engine could build up steam The Guide • June 2015

l Library ereaux Memoria ev D e th of sy te — photos cour

Logging train locomotive at a Northern Michigan logging camp. Many of the logging companies started their own small logging railroads to transport their logs to the sawmills.

river drives, prices were at their lowest. As the year progressed and the supply of lumber dwindled, the price would rise. Couple this with a winter with a light snowfall, a midwinter thaw, or a dry spring, which might lead to a bad spring river drive, and the lumber industry would be threatened with recession. A solution was to provide a steady supply of lumber year-round. Railroad transportation was the answer. Working in tandem with the logging wheels, railroads allowed lumber to be hauled year round, no longer being dependent on the snow and ice of winter. Additionally the railroad could be built nearly anywhere; forests previously inaccessible by water were now open to the lumbermen. The drawback to railroad logging was the cost. In 1883 lumber trade journals stated that moving logs by rail was 60 percent higher than driving them on the rivers, but it was believed that the benefits outweighed the costs. Besides reaching distant forests and opening the industry to year-round logging, the railroad allowed for the harvest of hardwoods, such as maple and oak that did not float well on

the rivers. To meet the higher cost, lumberman began clear cutting where all of the trees were cut, instead of just the “cork pine”—the highest grade of white pine. Trees of all sizes were harvested now, not just the largest trees of four to six feet diameters. In 1896 the Salling, Hanson and Company of Grayling filled an order of eight inch diameter logs for a shipbuilding company from Hamburg, Germany. A hike to the northwest corner of Hartwick Pines State Park will find stumps which might have been cut to fill this order. By the end of the first decade of the 20th century, the pine lumber industry was at an end. The hardwood followed in the 1930s. As the lumber was cut, the miles of rails were torn up. Some, such as the Twin Lakes Branch of the Michigan Central Railroad, connecting Grayling to Lewiston, were converted to dirt roads while others became recreational trails. Many are faint tracks through the woods that serve as a ghostly memory to Michigan’s greatest industry of the 19th century.

11th Anniversary

Show

Learn more - www.NorthCountryHistory.com www.facebook.com/michigan.guide

Photos & story

By MARIANNE KUZIMSKI

special to The Guide

M arianne’s hamburger challenge

A burger lover’s search for the best burger in Northeast Michigan JOHANNESBURG –The first bite the rule. of this build–your-own Pub Burger not Cruising through dreary raindrops only burst into my mouth with layers of along M-32 east of Gaylord, we delectable ﬂavor, but exploded in my slowed down to enter the city limits of hands as if a hamburger bomb went off Johannesburg. It is probably one of the and it was up to me to smallest little cities you will contain it. The gooey drippings coated every finger, and like a child, I licked every digit clean - unconcerned if anyone witnessed my atrocious manners. It was completely by accident that we wound up at Paul’s Pub in downtown Johannesburg. Having been sent on another hamburger quest in Northeast Michigan, it wasn’t With 1/3 pound of fresh locally sourced until an hour into the trip that I finally beef and thick slices of Portobello, bacon, turned on the GPS and it confirmed and Swiss it’s sure to please any palette. we had set out in the wrong direction. Oops! Some people get extremely cranky ever see in Northeast Michigan. As a when this happens, but this hamburger matter of fact, the U.S. 2014 Census lover knows from experience that some reports that Johannesburg has a mere of the best discoveries happen when 12 residents per square mile. you’ve gone the wrong way. What were the chances of finding a Call it “Luck of the Irish,” or more great hamburger in Johannesburg? specifically, a positive look at a bad Suddenly, Paul’s Pub appeared situation. This day was no exception to like a beacon of hamburger hope on a The Guide • June 2015

day most would describe as bleak and lacking any hope for a miracle. A quick 13 miles southeast of downtown Gaylord, Paul’s Pub sits boldly along the main drag of M-32, one of the first business establishments you will see when arriving in downtown Johannesburg. The ultimate question was, would this place offer a contender for the hamburger challenge, or would I be spending another day on the road searching? We got off to a great start upon

Paul’s Pub 10757 E. M-72 Johannesburg, MI (989) 732-5005 learning that Paul’s Pub satisfies their customer’s hamburger cravings with FRESH ground beef from Dowker’s Meat Market in Gaylord. Imagine your very own 1/3 lb. beef patty sizzling on the grill, readying itself for the perfect toppings you have chosen off the menu list in order to make a most delicious hamburger combination. Are you with me? Now about the toppings… For just $5.49, the basic Pub Burger includes fresh onion slices and pickles, but a whole slew of toppings can be added for a small fee including lettuce and tomato for a traditional

deluxe hamburger; your choice of six cheeses; jalapeños, pepper rings, green olives, grilled mushrooms and onions, grilled Portobello strips, or everybody’s favorite… bacon! Which items, if any, would you add? This day felt like a grilled Portobello strip, bacon and Swiss kind of day, and as luck seemed to be shining its golden rays upon us, it was a most scrumptious combination that begged to be engraved on a plaque and bolted above the cute little wooden booth where we sat. Pair your burger with waitress recommended, light and crispy onion rings, and you’ll wish Paul’s Pub had an all-you-can-eat hamburger and onion ring buffet. Delicious! This Michigan landmark has been in business for over 40 years, and remains a favorite stop for locals and visitors alike. It was 1970 when Paul and Fran Kuntz moved up to this small, Northeast Michigan town from Flint with their seven children in tow, and bought

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Andy’s Bar. They soon renamed it Paul’s Pub, and they have been a family owned business ever since. All seven children have worked in the pub at one time or another including their daughter, Holly, who took over its management in 1990, and daughter, Ann, their main cook. Ann started cooking the Friday Night Fish Fry when she was only 16 years old! Paul’s Pub is located at 10757 E M-32 in Johannesburg. Their hours are Sunday 9 a.m.– 10 p.m., Monday -Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., and the bar is open till midnight Sunday - Thursday and till 2 a.m. Friday & Saturday. Have a Pub Burger your own special way at Paul’s Pub and see if you don’t feel lucky you stopped! — Marianne Kuzimski lives in Houghton Lake with her husband Kurt. Besides a passion for photography, Marianne is a self-proclaimed foodie who enjoys a good glass of wine and great food of all kinds, not just burgers.