NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • november 10 - november 16, 2025 • Vol. 35 No. 43 see page 7 for details. Saturdays in november
A 15-Minute City
The 15-minute city: everything you need is available 15 minutes away. If your only means of locomotion is walking, you must live in a very small city. In 15 minutes, humans can only walk one kilometer, less than a mile.
You can build skyward—just a few blocks with tall buildings could supply all your needs—but I hate such crammed together 15-minute cities.
What about a 15-minute city that has at its disposal electric bikes? My electric bicycle allows me access to every single corner of my city, Traverse City. My town is spread out (8.66 square miles) and full of under four-story high buildings.
Electric bikes could meet all needs: public transportation, goods deliveries, even certain handicap travel. Electric bicycles are the future. The bicycle trails in my town are filling up fast, and I mean that literally. Whereas before I met only one or two bicyclists, now, every day, I see more and more riders—and the giveaway are the tires: fat tires are almost the “signature feature” of electric bikes. Fat tires are designed for stability, safety, not speed. Why would any sane person want a skinny tire that can easily slip and spill you?
For most of mankind’s history, biking had been limited to a few healthy active people. Now every single human can find a bike that will propel them electrically to everywhere they need to go.
Henry Morgenstein | Traverse City
Trouble in Antrim County Banks Township
I recently attended a Banks Township board meeting in Ellsworth. I had heard about the controversy regarding a proposed new gravel pit that, in its current plan, would be in violation of the township zoning laws. It appeared that at least one of the board members had a private interest in developing the gravel pit. This seemed, to me, to violate the “conflict of interest” standard.
Conflict of interest refers to a situation where an individual’s personal interests, particularly financial, could compromise their judgment or impartiality. When one is elected to a board position there is an expectation that they will put the interests of the organization they represent over their own personal interests. And when these conflicts occur it is appropriate for a board member to temporarily step aside, or recuse themselves, from their leadership position until the matter is resolved. This did not appear to be the case in the Banks Township meeting I attended. Members of the board were recommending elimination of the zoning laws to clear a path for at least one of them to pursue their personal interests. I was surprised that this was happening.
Steve Foley | Bellaire
comprehend credit card fees and their annoying, expensive nature. Nonetheless, passing on credit card fees to the consumer is rude and unpleasant.
USA is already known as the “land of the fee,” and this is not helping. The tide has shifted, and more consumers are using credit cards than ever. Ergo, you need to manage the masses, not the outliers. The solution is simple; raise your prices!
If you’d like to offer a cash discount to outliers, do that instead. The idea of not accepting credit cards at all is antiquated. The world is moving towards crypto currency and cashless payments. Change is the only thing constant in this life, and if you don’t pivot you will be left in the dust. Cash is the monetary unit that is legal tender of this nation. I don’t see how Boyne can be on a high horse refusing to accept it. I will refuse to patronize such an establishment, however.
There is no equity in a cashless nor a cash only policy. People have a myriad of reasons they need to pay one way or the other. I abhor small businesses passing on credit card fees in a blatant fashion. It is in poor taste. Please just get with the times and raise your prices accordingly. If cash sales are around 16 percent or less nationwide, then you are foolish to pretend this is not happening or that you’re serving your clientele ignoring this fact.
At the end of the day, money is an energetic exchange. And this energy does not feel good when I’m dictated how I need to pay or I see unnecessary fees attached.
Venessa Clark | Fife Lake
remember what it means and why you are celebrating. Take a moment to reflect on the service of veterans and give them a well-deserved “thank you.”
Willie Jones Jr. | Traverse City
The Death Penalty
A recent guest opinion by Greg Holmes talked about the absurdities of using the death penalty in any cases. One point that I would like to add to the entire discussion is that Michigan is the first English-speaking jurisdiction in the world to abolish the death penalty. The Michigan legislature acted in 1846 to ban the death penalty and it is still in effect today.* Michigan should be proud and should be looked on as a model to be followed throughout the world. We are a living example that it is absurd to be even considering the death penalty once again. Another example of being Michigan proud.
George Robson | Petoskey
*Editor’s Note: The 1846 ban made an exception for treason. The death penalty has been constitutionally banned in Michigan since 1964.
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Raise Your Prices
Regarding the “Cash or Card” article, I cannot abide without comment. I
Thank You, Veterans
I want to say thank you to our veterans for their oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Thank you for your service and dedication to our great nation to preserve the freedoms that we all enjoy.
I appreciate your personal sacrifice. Many of you walk around with invisible scars that only those who have served can see. Yet you carry on with your heads held high with pride and dignity.
Many veterans were not present at numerous birthdays, weddings, holidays, and special occasions with family and friends because they answered the call of duty. Veterans served to make these events possible for Americans. We enjoy freedoms that many nations only dream of because of our brave veterans.
Here is a little history concerning Veterans Day. Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11. This date was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I. The fighting stopped at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. It was initially called Armistice Day to honor World War I veterans. In 1954, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day to honor veterans of all American wars.
When we put out the flags and decorations to celebrate Veterans Day,
this week’s
top ten
Spend Some Bucks
While the hunters are away, the rest of us will play. In Gaylord, catch the Elks Ladies Night Out on Nov. 13 from 5-10pm, put on by the Gaylord Elks Lodge. The $20 ticket includes apps, dinner, and a “grand prize” entry. You’ll also be able to participate in auctions and raffles, with proceeds to go to nonprofit Christmas for Kids. (elks.org/ lodges/home.cfm?lodge=2544) Saturday, Nov. 15, Harbor Springs has their take on the shopping-centric evening, with a passport for local businesses and a celebration at The Pier Restaurant. (harborspringschamber.com) The following week, Downtown Petoskey hosts its annual Ladies Opening Night on Nov. 21 from 4-8pm, followed by the afterparty in the Rose Room at the Perry Hotel. Participating retailers will offer treats, specials, and gifts for shoppers. (petoskeydowntown.com/events/ladies-opening-night)
2 tastemaker American Spoon’s Holiday Jam
’Tis the season for nostalgic eats, and our latest jam is, well, jam! Specifically, American Spoon’s cult favorite Holiday Jam, which just dropped for the festive season. Brimming with plump pieces of whole fruit, this dazzling gem—made with farm-grown Michigan cherries, cranberries, figs, ruby port, brandy, orange zest, cinnamon, star anise, vanilla, and clove— preserves the magic (and juicy pucker) of summer sour cherries throughout the long winter months. Blended with warm baking spice notes and zesty citrus, it makes anything merry and bright. Enjoy a heaping spoonful with melted brie, on a leftover turkey sandwich, or straight from the jar—this spreadable gift just keeps on giving! Stock up on holiday joy and jam ($15.95) at spoon.com or at American Spoon’s Petoskey, Harbor Springs, and Traverse City shops!
Dinner in Petoskey
Petoskey’s Fall Restaurant Week is here! Visit your favorite restaurants and check out new ones in and around Petoskey, Nov. 7-16. Mix it up with unique menus and deals at spots like Barrel Back Restaurant, City Park Grill, Roast & Toast, Vintage Chophouse & Wine Bar, and more. Restaurant Week menus will be posted as they are available at petoskeychamber.com/petoskey-restaurant-week, or check each restaurant’s website/social media for more details.
Hey, Watch It! Boots 4
The Pentagon called it “woke garbage.” USA Today called it “the best new TV show of the fall.” And Rotten Tomatoes gives it an 89 percent on the Tomatometer. So you’d best believe we decided to tune in to the new Netflix hit, which follows a closested gay teen who’s enlisted, along with his best friend, in the Marine Corps. Based on the memoir
The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White and set at a boot camp in South Carolina in the ’90s (when it was illegal for openly gay people to enlist in the military), Boots explores family, friendships, trauma, and what it really means to love your country. Miles Heizer— who you’ll recognize from shows like Parenthood, 13 Reasons Why, and Love, Simon—stars, with Vera Farmiga playing his not-so-present (and notso-supportive) mother. Find all eight episodes now streaming on Netflix.
What if your college study group accidentally summoned a dragon— and it demanded a yearly sacrifice?
From #1 New York Times bestselling author JOE HILL (Stephen King’s son) comes King Sorrow—a dark, mesmerizing tale of friendship, obsession, and the horrors that follow when magic answers your call. In conversation with guest host Doug Stanton, #1 bestselling author and co-founder of NWS.
Join NWS on Saturday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m ., in-person at City Opera House or join our livestream with a virtual ticket.
Photo by EEBerger Photography
Pictured: City Park Grill
6 Hope for the Holidays Stuff We Love: Veterans Day Observations
This time of year isn’t always the easiest for many folks in our community, especially when they’re grieving the recent loss of a loved one. So Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home, Michael’s Place, and Heartland Hospice are coming together to put on “Hope for the Holidays,” an event on Thursday, Nov. 13, geared toward grief support—including speakers, resources, activities, and a special remembrance gift. The organizers describe the event as a “compassionate space to find comfort, connect with others, and discover hope for the future.” The event starts at 4:30pm and will run about 90 minutes at the Hagerty Center in Traverse City. Tickets are free, but registration is encouraged at eventbrite.com/e/hope-forthe-holidays-tickets-1708449481389.
Racing into Winter
Cold-weather race organizers, do you want to see your upcoming race included in Northern Express’ winter race calendar? If you’re putting on an event between Dec. 21 and March 20, 2026, for runners, bikers, skiers, snowshoers, or other outdoor enthusiasts, we want to share the news! Here’s how to get your race in the paper: Email events@traverseticker. com with the race name, date, location, and website. The race roundup will be featured in our annual Winter Fun Guide issue, so be sure to send everything in no later than Dec. 5. We accept submissions in any of the 13 counties in our coverage area: Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Antrim, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Kalkaska, Crawford, Otsego, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Cheboygan. Ready, set, go!
Veterans Day is Tuesday, Nov. 11, and Northwestern Michigan College will be marking the holiday with their 50th annual Mariners Memorial service at noon on Monday, Nov. 10. The event will be held in the courtyard of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy—715 E. Front Street, Traverse City, at the NMC Great Lakes Campus—and aims “to remember and honor mariners who have perished on the Great Lakes and oceans.” NMC will also host a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 from 9:30am-10:30am at the Tanis Building flagpoles. In Petoskey, Odawa Casino welcomes all veterans and active duty personnel to a free breakfast from 7-10am, plus specials at the casino. And in Cheboygan, the chamber of commerce is setting up a “Field of Flags” for Veterans Day and fundraising for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) nonprofit. Be sure to check with your local Veterans Affairs or VFW for more events.
FUNCTIONALITY & CALM
spaces to create • HOME SPACES • SMALL OFFICE SPACES • SWEDISH DEATH CLEANING
bottoms up Archie’s Social House’s Turtle Mocha
There is something so nostalgic about a mocha on a crisp, fall morning. It’s like bridging the gap between childhood hot cocoa and grown-up coffee—a warming, liminal space that lingers just as long as the steam in your cup. Go capture the moment at Archie’s Social House in Traverse City, where the Turtle Mocha ($7.25) graces their fall menu. Cozy, warming, and flavorful, the Archie’s take on the classic includes espresso from TC-based Panther Coffee, a housemade mocha sauce, and then drizzles of caramel and hazelnut alongside your choice of milk. It’s everything you want in a November sip, especially when paired with one of the restaurant’s famous burritos or omelettes. (Get the Lake Ave Burrito and thank us later.) Head to 237 Lake Ave #200 (see what they did there?) for yours. archiesfresh.com
Pictured: The 2022 Veterans Day event at NMC.
Beginner Olympic Fencing
By Stephen Tuttle
This is not how you win the Nobel Peace
Having apparently grown tired of unnecessarily deploying federal troops into American cities like Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland and threatening others, Donald Trump seems to have paused that nonsense. He seems done with Gaza, though bombing and killing continues intermittently, and gave up stopping Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (which he said he could stop in one day with a single phone call). Instead, President Trump has become more ambitious, now threatening Venezuela and Nigeria.
Venezuela has been a political mess since the days of Hugo Chavez, an incompetent Socialist first elected in 1999 and serving, with one short break, until 2013. His tenure was marked by economic instability and inflationary disasters not yet resolved. Inflation reached a staggering 337 percent in 2023 and was 175 percent in April of 2025, according to tradingeconomics.com.
Additionally, Venezuela has become involved in the illegal drug trafficking business, but they are not a primary
no proof other than “fishing boats don’t go that fast.” Congressional committees that are supposed to be informed of such activity have been ignored, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has clamped down on the release of any information about what could be extra-legal attacks on Venezuelan citizens.
Since Venezuela poses no real threat, there might be a different reason our fossil-fuel addicted president wants to attack them— Venezuela controls the largest oil reserves on earth, with more than either Saudi Arabia or Iran. They pose no real threat, but there’s all that oil to covet.
We’ve made up a different excuse altogether to threaten Nigeria. With 238 million people, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the sixth most populous in the world. Our president says he “has been told” Christians are being “slaughtered” in Nigeria and we’ll intervene if it isn’t stopped. While it’s a pretty good bet our president could not find Nigeria on a map, our military certainly could.
Firepower. (By comparison, the U.S. has 11 aircraft carriers, each of which is capable of carrying 75-80 aircraft.)
Our current administration has claimed Venezuela is some sort of existential threat to our national security and has started blowing up boats we claim are drugcarrying cartel craft, though we offered
Christians are being murdered, but the problem is so is everybody else. Nigeria is a remarkably violent place; their murder rate is five times that of the U.S. According to their own government National Bureau of Statistics, there were a stunning 615,000 murder cases investigated between April of 2023 and May of 2024. Of that number, about 7,000 were religion-specific, especially in northern areas controlled by radical Islamists.
However, according to the World Bank, Nigeria’s population is religiously divided with slightly more than 50 percent identifying as Muslim and about 46 percent, including many members of the government’s executive branch, as Christians. So this is not a case of a small group of persecuted Christians being “slaughtered” but collateral damage in violence caused by extremist groups, gangs, forced relocations, economic deprivation in many areas, government incompetence, police and military corruption, and old feuds between farmers and herders. The government’s continued efforts to quell the violence have been minimally successful.
Perhaps our sudden interest in the safety of the people of Nigeria is just a cover for something else. Nigeria, it turns out, is the largest oil producer in Africa and the 13th largest in the world, and they have substantial deposits of coal. What a coincidence.
Venezuela and Nigeria are no threat to us. But our threats against them serve to distract us from domestic problems like an incompetent Congress, unpopular president, and rising consumer prices.
FARMS & RENEWABLES
GUEST OPINION
by Lauren Teichner
Drive any back road in northern Michigan and you’ll pass rolling fields, barns, and pastures. Lately, you might also notice tall wind turbines or solar panels stretching across farmland. My husband, for one, finds them hard to look at—he misses the uninterrupted horizon and simple beauty of open fields. And he’s not alone. Some welcome these sights as signs of progress, while others worry they’re changing the character of Michigan’s rural landscape.
It’s an understandable concern. Agriculture is deeply tied to a sense of place and identity here. The thought of farmland giving way to energy infrastructure can feel like a loss, especially when that land has been in families for generations. Yet, across Michigan, more farmers are weighing those feelings against tough economics and deciding that renewable energy might not be a threat to agriculture, but a lifeline for it.
Farmers are shouldering an enormous burden right now. Commodity prices are unstable. Input costs for seed, fuel, and equipment remain high. Labor shortages strain operations. Climate change brings erratic weather. And farmers’ margins are razor thin. At the Michigan Climate Action Summit this fall, one farmer described it plainly: After years of losses, he and his brother decided to lease part of their land for solar to diversify income and keep the farm in their family.
For many farmers, a renewable-energy lease is the difference between holding onto land or selling it for development. Hosting solar or wind infrastructure provides reliable income that isn’t tied to global commodity prices. These projects also generate local tax revenue that supports schools, fire departments, and road maintenance, while buffering rural communities against sprawl. No wonder nonpartisan groups like Farm to Power—a coalition of farmers, ranchers, and rural leaders—are forming to advocate for such projects. Renewable energy keeps the land open, green, and productive.
One of the most promising paths forward is “agrivoltaics,” which is the co-location of agriculture and renewables. According to one MSU Extension bioenergy educator, agrivoltaics is the state’s “best kept secret.” He argues that no solar project should harvest sunlight alone; every installation can and should support agricultural or ecological productivity.
The most practical approaches are sheep grazing and native plantings. Sheep manage vegetation under panels, saving developers mowing costs while giving farmers new revenue and maintaining agricultural use. You can spot one of these projects on M-72 outside of Traverse City. Native-plant habitats support pollinators, regenerate soil, and leave the land healthier than before. Studies by Argonne National Laboratory found that pollinator-friendly solar farms can boost native bee numbers twentyfold, increasing yields on nearby crops. Research in Germany shows that solar parks provide habitats for endangered birds.
Renewables-farm partnerships create a rare win for everyone. For farmers, they offer stable income, preserve ownership, and keep operations viable for the next generation. For rural communities, they bring tax revenue, jobs during construction, and reliable power without pollution. And for the land itself, they can mean improved soil, stronger pollinator populations, and cleaner air and water. The clean energy transition doesn’t have to hollow out rural Michigan; it can reinvest in it.
From a legal standpoint, much depends on how renewable energy leases are written. Beyond per-acre payments and energy royalties, farmers can negotiate terms that keep agriculture at the heart of projects.
A lease can include a “right of first refusal,” allowing the farmer to manage sheep grazing or native-species plantings. It can specify soil protections, site access, and decommissioning standards so the land returns to agricultural use when a project ends. These straightforward clauses make the difference between a project that displaces agriculture and one that strengthens it. The key is early, transparent planning with developers.
Under Michigan’s 2023 energy legislation, regulated electric utilities must meet a renewable energy standard of 60 percent by 2035, and a clean energy standard of 100 percent by 2040. Meeting these targets will require thousands of new sites across the state.
Nationally, more than 80 percent of new solar projects by 2040 will be installed on farms and ranchland. As federal cleanenergy policy wavers, leadership is shifting back locally to counties, townships, and landowners. Now is the time to think creatively about how clean energy can proactively sustain our rural economies.
Beyond farms, clean energy brings the resilience and affordability Michigan badly needs. Local solar and wind projects help stabilize and modernize the grid. Built closer to where power is used, they reduce transmission losses, improve reliability, lower costs, and make the grid less dependent on distant fossil-fuel plants vulnerable to outages or fuel shortages.
This moment holds real promise for reimagining how Michigan supports its farmers and generates power. With thoughtful legal agreements and cooperative local planning, renewables can revitalize farmland and strengthen rural communities.
So when you see solar panels or wind turbines rising on a farm, don’t see loss. See a new way to sustain the land, the people who care for it, and a more resilient, affordable future for us all.
Lauren Teichner is the founder and principal attorney at Teichner Law, a public interest environmental law firm based in Traverse City.
Prank Gone Wrong
On Oct. 14, three masked individuals approached the front door of a home in Alexandria, Virginia, rang the video doorbell and began threatening the woman who answered, WJLA 7 News reported. The terrified resident called her brother, who arrived with a handgun less than two minutes after the trio left, and then the police, who began an investigation. News of the unsettling incident had the community on edge until Oct. 27, when Alexandria Chief of Police Tarrick McGuire announced during a press conference that the culprits had been found and that the whole thing was a prank -- the masked would-be intruders were actually the teenage sons and nephew of an adult related to the victim. "For me, my team and this community, it represents a moral failure," McGuire told a gathering of the press. "A moral failure where consequences could result in deadly consequences." After consulting with attorneys and the victim, the decision was made not to press charges.
Standing Room Only
Spanish police announced on Oct. 22 that they had arrested a group of criminals for stealing chairs -- more than 1,100 chairs, to be more precise. The New York Post reported that the thieves, six men and a woman who did the pilfering under cover of darkness, had stolen the chairs from the outdoor seating areas of 18 different restaurants and bars throughout Madrid and a nearby municipality during August and September. Police said the chairs were resold in Spain, Morocco and Romania, and estimated the impact at about 60,000 euros ($69,000). The gang will face charges of theft and belonging to a criminal organization.
Brief Thief
Tempted to return to the scene of the crime once too often, a suspect has been identified in a rash of women's underwear heists, The Pattaya News reported on Oct. 31. The crimes have all taken place in the same apartment complex in the district of Phan Thong (no pun intended), Chonburi, Thailand. The most recent victim, also the owner of the complex, installed cameras after complaints about the perp's previous capers, and sure enough, in the wee hours of Oct. 29 after she had hung her unmentionables out to dry, a man casually walked up and claimed another trophy. Police say they have collected additional evidence in the cases and expect to apprehend the thief in short order.
Unnatural
Researchers in Germany have, for the first time ever, captured video of brown rats (also known as Norway rats) actively hunting bats, Popular Science reported on Oct. 30. The freaky footage, made available to the public concurrently with a study recently published in the scientific journal Global Ecology and Conservation, shows the rats stationing themselves at the openings of hibernation sites in the towns of Segeburg and LunebergKalkberg, where the researchers had set up thermal and infrared cameras to monitor the bats' activities. The rats, which are effectively blind when hunting at night, pounced on bats climbing to the sanctuaries, and were even able to nab their prey in midair. The authors of the study issued a call for action: "Management of invasive rodents at important bat hibernation sites supports biodiversity conservation and reduces potential public health impacts."
Just Had to Know
Friends, acquaintances and other mourners at a funeral in Konchi, a village in Bihar, India, were stunned when Mohan Lal, the man whose funeral they were attending, rose and began taking part in the rituals of the Hindu service. Metro UK reported that the 74-year-old Lal, a retired Air Force veteran, is well-respected in Konchi for his work within the community -- which, oddly enough, includes helping to fund and build a crematorium for the rainy seasons -- but all of that goodwill didn't stop Lal from carrying through his plan. "I wanted to witness it myself and see how much respect and affection people give me," Lal said. Reactions varied from shock to confusion to relief, but Lal was able to calm things down by throwing a feast for the attendees.
Just Dropping By
As staff at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California, performed inspections in the early morning of Oct. 17, they were surprised by the presence of an unexpected visitor -- a wild American black bear, leaning on the gate to the park's bear habitat. In a Facebook post from the zoo, the wild bear was described as "a very polite visitor" that was observed interacting nonaggressively with resident bears Tule, Ishung and Kunabulilh. The zoo called in the Eureka Police Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the bear was escorted out of the park and back into the nearby woods. " We respond to bear calls within the city of Eureka quite often," state department spokesperson Peter Tira told the LA Times, "but having a wild bear get into the zoo is a first."
It's the Even Greater Pumpkin, Charlie Brown In a rare case of a pumpkin DOING the smashing, a Utah man used a 1-ton gourd to destroy his 1991 Geo Metro. Alan Gebert, a pumpkin farmer, had driven the car for nearly 35 years, KMPH reported on Oct. 29, but it had finally given out. Such a trusty vehicle deserved a memorable send-off, so Gebert devised one: death by prize-winning produce, dropped from a height of about 14 stories. Before sealing the Geo's fate, the pumpkin in question won first place at the Utah Giant Pumpkin Festival, weighing in at 1,917 pounds.
I Hope that Someone Gets My ...
After more than a century, letters from two World War I soldiers will soon be in the hands of their families, ABC Australia reported Oct. 27. Debra Brown and her family were cleaning up a beach near their hometown in Western Australia when they found an old bottle, which turned out to contain letters -- dated 1916 -- from Private Malcolm Alexander Neville and Private William Kirk Harley. The two were shipping out to serve their country, and jettisoned the bottle "somewhere in the (Great Australian) Bight," per one of the letters. Social media did its thing, and Brown was soon connected to relatives of both soldiers. Private Neville's records show that even though he was initially discharged due to his poor eyesight, he reenlisted in the service corps a week later. "I think that just shows you his character, how determined he was," said the private's greatnephew, Herbie Neville. Sadly, Private Neville was killed in action in France at the age of 28. His compatriot, Private Harley, did make it home; his granddaughter Ann Turner said finding the letters "feels like a miracle" for her family: "We are all absolutely stunned."
Falling Into Comfort Food Inside the Ingredients
By Nora Rae Pearl
The maple leaves are dropping and the warm days are behind us, but that means it’s cozy hibernation season. Nothing says comfort food like a warm dish of carbs and veggies or a spiced pumpkin roll cake. For these recipes, we got our inspiration from Harrand Hill Farm in Buckley with their selection of potatoes and onions and Omena Organic’s Canned Pumpkin, available at a co-op store near you, like Oryana in Traverse City or The Grain Train in Petoskey and Boyne City.
PUMPKIN ROLL
A sweet and spicy pumpkin cake filled with creamy cardamom frosting.
Cake Ingredients
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
Frosting Ingredients
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Seeds of five cardamom pods, coarsely ground
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet with parchment. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour through salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale, fluffy, and thick. It should be close to triple in size. Beat in the pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients, mix gently until combined. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, just until the top springs back when lightly touched in the center. Cool for exactly two minutes in the pan. Meanwhile, spray a large piece of parchment with non-stick spray. Flip the cake out onto the parchment sheet. Leaving both sheets of parchment on, roll up the cake from the short end. Allow to cool completely.
To make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the butter, mix until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until combined. Carefully unroll the cake, then remove the top layer of parchment. Don’t worry if it cracks—use the frosting to glue it back together. Spread the frosting to the edges and roll up. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least two hours. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
CARAMELIZED ONION & POTATO AU GRATIN
French onion soup meets creamy potatoes in this warming casserole.
• 1 cup grated Comté cheese, or sharp white cheddar
To make the onions: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have shrunk down significantly and are jammy and brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Remember to scrape the brown bits sticking to the bottom up as you go. Take off the heat, and deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Cool completely.
To make the au gratin: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut off a 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic. Place on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt. Wrap in the foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before unwrapping the garlic. Squeeze the cloves into the caramelized onions, stir gently to incorporate.
Lower the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a deep 9-inch pie dish. Spread the onion mixture along the bottom. Sprinkle on the thyme. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk in the half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a simmer. Take off the heat, stir in the parmesan. Set aside. Arrange the potato slices, starting from the outside, so the slices are standing upright. They will be very close together. Place on a baking sheet. Pour over the cream mixture. Cover with foil—try to keep it from touching the surface—and bake for 60 minutes.
Carefully take the dish out of the oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle on the Comté. Bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle on additional thyme. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crusty bread and butter.
SLOWING DOWN
How to Destress in a World Full of Demands
Up North therapists share how to disconnect, reconnect, and restore
By Lourin Sprenger
In our constantly connected, ever-moving lives, it’s all too easy to get swept up in the waves of work, news, schedules and obligations. We rarely carve space for ourselves—and that’s when stress, anxiety, and burnout creep in.
Northern Express spoke with three therapists from northern Michigan about how they help clients slow down, reconnect with themselves, others, and nature, and build routines that support mental wellness.
Nicole Ball: Owner & Therapist, Mental Wellness Counseling Ball leads a growing private practice with four locations across northern Michigan (two in Traverse City, one in Manistee, one in Cadillac). She says she provides a compassionate, confidential space where individuals and families can explore life’s challenges, build resilience, and move toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.
“Anxiety and stress are often about trying to balance work life, relationships, financial struggles, home management, kids, schedules, what is happening in the news,” Ball explains about the daily battles many of us face. “We rarely slow down enough to be intentional about creating space and time for ourselves.”
Top Tips
1. Be intentional. Set aside time, money, and space for yourself. You are responsible for creating this and being intentional about it—no one else will do it for you.
2. Say no. We often feel like we have to say yes to everything and everyone. Saying no is a way to set boundaries with ourselves and others.
3. Practice relaxation and mindfulness techniques. Methods such as deepbreathing exercises and meditation help calm your mind and activate your body’s relaxation response.
4. Ball encourages being kind and understanding with yourself. If you’re overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Favorite Practices
• Meditation: Regular mindfulness meditation (via many mobile apps).
• Movement: Move your body. It will help relax your body and mind.
• Activities to unwind: reading, spending time in nature, or pursuing a hobby.
Trina Paddock: Owner of Paddock Counseling Paddock Counseling began in 2010 as a parttime practice in Cadillac and has grown to a team of 10 counselors/social workers, interns, and support staff. Paddock’s expertise lies in alcohol and drug use disorders, problem gambling, mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, and working with professionals experiencing these issues, along with relationship-based concerns.
Top Tips
1. Don’t take things personally. Often it isn’t about you, even if it feels that way.
2. Boundaries are self-care. They aren’t an attempt to change someone else; they’re a way to protect your own lane.
3. Use the DBT skill “REST” (Relax – Evaluate – Set an intention – Take action). Keep the focus simple to address what’s in front of you rather than the whole life or situation.
Favorite Practices
• Reconnecting amid a busy schedule: Paddock emphasizes the importance of tuning into your body—noticing breathing, movement, and tension—and giving that awareness time. She also highlights nature’s power: by quieting ourselves we can notice the many facets of the natural world.
• Recommended routine: Let your body “talk” to you. In one example, Paddock worked with a woman who felt stomach “churning”—by tuning in, she realized she was hungry and calmed down after a snack.
• Personal mantra: “Take good care of yourself.” Striving for perfection adds pressure. “Being ‘good enough’ allows those around us to grow and thrive at their own pace.”
Lorton grew up in northern Michigan, attended Michigan State University, moved to Chicago for graduate school, and returned to the region in 2015. At her TC-based practice, she blends humanistic values with creative exploration and fearless conversations in her practice.
Her work is rooted in helping clients untangle wounds of attachment and the patterns that shape relationships, self-worth, and daily life. Lorton specialized in trauma and utilized EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and IFS (internal family systems).
Top Tips
1. Create a safe space to honor all emotions and identities—allowing healing to be complex, outside the box, and infused with radical self-compassion.
2. Encourage creative self-expression (e.g., blending humor, drawing or metaphor) to support the therapeutic process.
3. Foster connection with one’s narrative: “Which stories no longer serve you?” and build a path toward a “fuller, freer version of yourself.”
Favorite Practices
• Five senses check in: This can be done in any bathroom, coat closet, or car as needed. Hold out your hand, look at your five fingers, then close your eyes and take two to five deep breaths on all of your five senses.
• Ears: What are you hearing? What subtle sounds do you notice once you are breathing quietly?
• Eyes: What can you see filtering through the thin skin of your eyelids? How does the light shift and change, what colors are you seeing, do those change when you start to pay attention to them?
• Touch: Notice each of your fingertips—this is the highest concentration of nerve endings in our body. Do you feel them hum and tingle when you focus on them?
• Taste: What is lingering on your tongue or in your mouth?
• Smell: What can you smell? If nothing, bring your clothing or hand to your nose. What does that smell like?
• Butterfly Hug and Ear Pull: Cross your arms over your chest and put each hand on the opposite shoulder. Then close your eyes and slowly pat yourself, right, left, right, left, etc. while counting to 100. When you are done, grab each earlobe, gently pull down and out, alternating sides and count to 50.
• Ball Bounce: Close your eyes and envision the color that you most associate with joy. Then focus on the top of your head. Imagine a ball that is your chosen color is bouncing slowly from the very top of your head to the very bottom of your tailbone and back up. Count bounces anywhere between 50 and 100.
Isabel Lorton: Therapist, Head & Heart Therapeutic Solutions
Anxiety, Screens, and Self-Esteem
Northern Michigan therapists weigh in on youth mental health
By Kierstin Gunsberg
If adulting feels hard sometimes, let it be a reminder that growing up can be, too.
Data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows that one in six Michigan adolescents ages 12-17 experience a depressive episode each year, while the University of Michigan Medicine’s psychology department reports that before they’ve even hit their teen years, 70 percent of grade schoolers fret over grades, friendships, and fitting in.
But what happens when those worries or down-in-the-dumps days become chronic, and how can parents tell when it’s time to reach out for professional support?
Dr. Rebecca Swenson of Traverse City’s Birchwood Psychology says sudden changes like big dips in energy, trouble sleeping, eating less than usual, or recurring complaints about headaches and stomachaches can all be telltale signs that your child is struggling, especially if it’s happening “in the morning before school or Sunday night,” she says.
Of course, some withdrawal from parents and family is pretty normal as kids get older, Swenson adds. “Lots of teens like to hang out in their bedrooms.” But if they’re consistently turning down family outings or time with friends, that’s “a clue that they might not be feeling so great.”
Swenson, who opened her practice in 2020, specializes in eating disorders, OCD, and anxiety, the latter of which she’s seen increase among northern Michigan youth in recent years.
“Kids have a lot of social concerns, a lot of academic concerns, and I think that’s often what drives them into treatment, because they’re having difficulty going to school or having difficulty making friends or parents notice that they’re avoiding situations that they used to like to do,” she says.
Lingering Anxiety
Emily Knapp, who works with youth and families at her practice Leelanau Life Counseling, is noticing the same thing. “There’s a lot of anxiety still lingering from COVID,” she says.
Spending some of their most formative years in the forced isolation of the pandemic,
combined with the boon of crowd-avoidant tech (like being able to order, pay for, and pick up a coffee without ever saying a word to another human) has left Gen A and Gen Zers unrehearsed—and shying away from—first dates, school dances, and other social milestones.
“They are expected to be moving forward, yet a lot of teens don’t feel comfortable, which is causing anxiety,” Knapp says, later adding that “phones and texting have replaced the art of direct human interaction.”
Driving is another rite of passage (and expectation) more teens are hesitating on, she adds. According to Bridge Michigan, the number of licensed teenagers in 2021 was down 10 percent from 2000, a trend that’s continued since. But it’s hard to ignore that practical factors (like Michigan hailing as one of the country’s most expensive for insurance rates) could be contributing to those anxieties or even creating new ones for young people maneuvering a landscape that’s changed a lot from the one their parents grew up in.
Always Online
As the pandemic solidified phones and screens as a permanent fixture of everyone’s back pocket, it’s given kids—and, let’s be honest, the adults too—more exposure to violent news, says Swenson.
“Kids have anxiety about being in a public place like a school or the mall or, you know, Cherry Festival.” Part of her work is helping clients put those worries into perspective. “We don’t want kids to start limiting their lives, not going to school or sports events, because of this fear that something bad could happen.”
Another peace-disrupter she’s seeing more often is pornography exposure. Data from the American College of Pediatrics shows that 15 percent of kids view pornography before age 11, and over half by age 13, with some studies linking early exposure to antisocial behavior.
“It’s totally normal and natural that kids want to explore and learn about sexual development,” Swenson says, but unfettered screen time can lead them to disturbing content. She adds that open, age-appropriate
conversations about sexuality and firm screen boundaries, especially taking devices away at bedtime, are the best ways to help prevent it.
That same kind of parental engagement helps kids and teens get more out of therapy sessions.
“Most teens are open to having parents [join them] in therapy on occasion in order to help understand them better,” says Knapp, who encourages parents to let their kids bow out of extracurriculars if the pressure of participating in them is affecting their child’s mental well-being. “I like to remind parents that they were once teenagers, and that life today looks very different than it did when they were young.”
Still, even if every generation has faced its own set of challenges (and the angst that comes with them) professionals like Knapp and Swenson say it’s important for kids and teens to build coping skills that’ll expand their horizons instead of shrinking their world through avoidance, whatever that world looks like.
Knapp says one of the best ways parents and caregivers can help their kids achieve those skills is through confidence-building, because a confident kid is better equipped to handle life’s obstacles.
But “self-esteem is tricky,” Knapp admits, especially during adolescence. “Most teens already know what’s causing their selfesteem issues and are motivated to address them in proactive ways,” she says.
That starts with making sure that any negative self-talk is flipped around to “be more positive,” says Knapp. “We expect others to be kind to us, but we also have to be kind to ourselves.”
What Teens Are Saying
A group of 14 northern Michigan teens proved just how ready they are to take charge of their mental health in 2023’s Youth Wellness Initiative. The 29-page report, published by the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation and led by those teen researchers, surveyed 530 high school students across the region to better understand youth mental health Up North.
Forty percent of respondents reported experiencing moderate or severe anxiety, while nearly a quarter said they struggle with moderate or severe depression. Schoolwork and grades were listed as their top sources of stress, followed by being at school, being in crowds, and keeping up with the news.
To cope, students say connecting with friends and family helps most, along with scrolling social media (despite expert advice to the contrary). But for northern Michigan teens, the biggest stress relief comes from maybe the most accessible resource available around here: being out in nature made 55 percent of them feel “much less stressed.”
They recommend that to foster better mental health, schools should provide quiet “chill spaces” to decompress and incorporate the outdoors as much as possible—plus a field trip here and there—into the school day.
Someone get these kids a megaphone, because they’re onto something.
Decades of research link time in nature with better mental health outcomes, and the National Institutes of Health reports that while nearly 90 percent of youth want to spend more time outside, most actually spend less than previous generations thanks to packed schedules, heavy homework loads, and too much screen time.
Swenson
Knapp
Love in Action at Otsego County Food Pantry
Executive director Rebecca Brown calls the program “a community hug”
By Lourin Sprenger
On an early morning in Gaylord, it isn’t unusual to see Rebecca Brown already moving between volunteers, checking lists, and loading boxes into cars. To her, the work of the Otsego County Food Pantry isn’t about food—it’s love in action.
“My parents taught me from childhood that if you had extra, you shared,” Brown says, her voice catching with emotion. “I think of volunteering here as a way to honor them. Love is the answer, and action is an expression of love.”
Brown, now the pantry’s executive director, has been a daily presence at the food pantry for six years. Her roots go back even further, through her church’s involvement. What keeps her going are the stories—the little boy thrilled to cook mac and cheese for his sister, the senior nervously asking for help for the first time.
“Every day is a reminder of how important it is to extend our reach,” she says. “Almost like a community hug.”
Making Sure No One Goes Hungry
If Brown is the heart of the pantry, Frank Rock is its steady hand. Retired from the workforce, Rock decided to “give back” after his career and has been volunteering for 20 of the pantry’s 25-year history. He now
serves as treasurer and helps coordinate food rescue and distribution.
“We started in a church basement, broke all the time,” Brown says as he recalls the pantry’s humble beginnings. “If we got a little money, we spent it right away on food. Now we’re serving hundreds of families every week, with support from 13 churches and countless community partners.”
One story has stayed with him all these years: a young girl who was caught hiding cafeteria food in her coat to bring home to share with her family. That heartbreaking moment inspired the pantry’s school backpack program, which now sends 400 food bags home with students every weekend.
“That’s why we’re here,” Rock says. “To make sure no one goes hungry.”
Together, Brown and Rock help lead a pantry that has grown into a lifeline for northern Michigan families. The pantry’s growth has mirrored the challenges the community has faced—tornadoes, ice storms, COVID, and now rising grocery costs. Brown notes that more seniors and working families are seeking help than ever before.
“Almost anyone can find themselves in need,” she says. “A health crisis or unexpected expense can knock a family off balance. That’s why we’re here.”
On the Shelves
The pantry has grown well beyond handing out canned goods. Today, it runs four major programs: weekly drive-up distributions providing two weeks’ worth of groceries, largescale Saturday truck distributions unloading up to 22,000 pounds of food at a time, a school backpack program supplying children with weekend meals, and even a literacy initiative that sends books and handmade stuffed animals home with children.
The need, however, continues to outpace resources. Protein items such as peanut butter, tuna, and meat remain the most expensive and most requested. Fresh produce is replenished almost daily. Alongside food donations, the pantry distributes household essentials like soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper.
Despite their reach, the pantry operates with no paid staff. More than 350 volunteers pitch in each year, from students and service clubs to local businesses. “We’re 100 percent volunteer, and that does put a strain on us,” Rock admits. “But it’s also what makes this pantry special, people giving their time, energy, and heart.”
For those interested in getting involved, “there’s something for everyone,” Brown says. “Whether you can give one hour a month or five mornings a week, we’ll find a way to include you.”
Even when times are tough, Brown and
Rock remain hopeful because they’ve seen what their neighbors can do.
“No one escapes the need to be helped,” Brown reflects, “but everyone can choose to be part of the solution.”
For Rock, the satisfaction is simple. “A community is defined by how it takes care of the people with the least,” he says. “I get a warm feeling just being able to help.”
Learn more at otsegocountyfoodpantry.org.
Volunteers from local businesses and organizations are an enormous boon to the pantry, as their helping hands can ease the heavy workloads of other regular volunteers.
An elementary student picks up "backpack" food supplies from the pantry.
Feeling the Strain as SNAP Benefits ARE REDUCED
With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on first delayed and now reduced, food insecurity is growing for more than 1.4 million Michiganders, many of them children and older adults.
The Otsego County Food Pantry has seen a sharp increase in need, with usage up 30 percent the week of Halloween alone. Volunteers packed and distributed 179 orders, providing a two- to three-week food supply to 487 people across the region.
Brown tells us that community support is critical to sustaining these efforts. Donations of funds, food, or volunteer time directly help keep shelves stocked and families fed.
Financial contributions can be mailed to Otsego County Food Pantry, P.O. Box 1976, Gaylord, MI 49734, made online at otsegocountyfoodpantry.org, or dropped off at 116 E. Fifth Street in Gaylord.
Tree Lighting festivities: Santa lights the tree: Light Parade: Santa’s House: Post-parade till 5:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 9:00 pm
Fresh items, like milk and produce, are always in demand. The best way to help supply these items is by donating, as pantries can stretch dollars much farther than the average person at the grocery store.
By Todd VanSickle
“It feels good.” Those were the three words muttered after taking my second bite at Frank’s 231 located at 1779 Garfield Road in Traverse City.
The restaurant’s chef, Dan Compton, has mastered the art of texture and taste in his dishes that are made primarily, if not all, from local ingredients. Both vegetables and proteins are sourced from area farms that are only a short drive away.
Compton’s elegant and flavorful dishes leave the customer feeling guilt-free from gorging on healthy food, including the barbecued cauliflower sandwich with roasted cabbage and dill pickle remoulade on a soft homemade bun. The sandwich is vegetarian, but the taste and texture are more like a juicy top-sirloin pub burger.
The menu caters to all foodies with many options to choose from, including glutenfree, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan. Some of the menu items are inspired by southern cuisine, including cheddar grits or braised collared greens.
At the top of the ever-changing menu in late October, bratwurst accompanied by kohlrabi slaw and dijonnaise took the lead spot. The second option was smoked knockwurst with roasted cabbage and hot honey mustard.
What will be coming out of the kitchen when you visit?
A Quirky Spot
Frank’s 231 location makes the restaurant feel like it is under the radar, but the cuisine makes it stand out. Three bites in and a guest might imagine they are sitting at a restaurant overlooking a vineyard or taking in the view from a trendy downtown street.
In reality, the restaurant is located in a mini-strip mall sandwiched between a re-sale store and a drive-thru oil change business.
“Do guests have a hard time finding this place?” asks a patron sitting at the bar, who found the restaurant for the first time after shopping at Costco. Co-owner and Dan’s wife, Charlotte, says she gives directions to the restaurant by naming
nearby businesses, like Northwest Oil Express next door.
And yet the service and ambience of Frank’s 231 also has the air of fine dining in a casual setting. Guests can either dine in or out by placing an order at the cash register, which gives the restaurant a laid-back feel. However, the limited table service is still full of attention and gives the impression of a high-end experience with cutlery and ornate dishes laid out with precision and care.
The restaurant’s décor is simple, clean, and modern, with a large geometric art piece above the cash register and bar. The restaurant does not have a liquor license; instead, patrons can help themselves to drinks like Casamar Club—a botanical soda made in Detroit.
On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, Lou Reed’s “Pale Blue Eyes” plays as guests chatter softly in the quaint dining area with a high ceiling. Faux orchids and plants line the shelves throughout the restaurant, and a painting of the owner’s paternal grandfather and restaurant’s namesake, Frank, sits above a table near the entrance.
“I always have sausages on,” Compton says, which is another inspiration for the restaurant’s name “Frank,” along with northern Michigan’s area code: 231. “The name kind of just worked. He loved food and he loved cooking.”
The restaurant opened on July 4, and business has been growing with the restaurant starting to attract a regular crowd.
“We are starting to recognize people that come in multiple times. They are with us all the time,” Compton says as he pointed to a table where a couple sat working on a crossword puzzle waiting for their meal. “We really rely on word of mouth. We were a little nervous with this location. It is not tourist central, and it’s a little off the beaten path.”
A Locally-Inspired Menu
Compton and his wife moved to northern Michigan from Chicago about three years ago with the intention of starting a restaurant.
He first found himself working with Farm Club as a chef for a couple of years, where
he forged several working-relationships with area farms like Loma near Lake Leelanau, which is associated with Farm Club. Other farms he sources ingredients from include Second Spring Farm in Cedar and Lakeview Hill Farm also near Lake Leelanau. He gets his proteins from Anavery Fine Foods farm just south of Traverse City near Silver Lake
With that local touch in mind, Frank’s adopts the Midwestern “meat and three” approach. Customers can choose from one main dish (“meat” is versatile here, with many non-meat options) and add multiple side dishes that are similar to tapas plates, like double carrot salad with a yogurt hazelnut
dukkah or curry-roasted cauliflower, sweet peppers, chickpeas, and raisins.
The menu is updated frequently with the changing seasons and availability of ingredients. Relying on locally sourced foods year-round can have its challenges, especially in the cold months of winter when produce can be sparse. However, Compton says he likes it that way and has learned some tricks over the years to spice things up.
“I appreciate the challenge of it,” Compton said. “I feel like it would be overwhelming to me as a chef to come up with ideas if I had the entire world’s pantry available to me at any one moment. The strictures can breed creativity.”
He credits a mentor he worked for at a restaurant outside of Chicago for teaching him about pickling and preserving.
“I’ve always carried that on in my cooking,” Compton says. “During the summer’s bounty, you put up a lot of stuff. That way you’ve got some interesting things that you can use to accent your food in the winter, so you’re not just cooking potatoes in rutabaga for six months out of the year.”
Thanks to the pickled treats and other attention to detail, Frank’s 231’s food not only tastes good, but it looks good as well. However, the chef isn’t ready to call it art.
“I would hate to get too pretentious about it, but food brings me great joy, and
that’s why I like to do it,” Compton says. “I don’t know if I would go so far as to say it’s art. At the end of the day, it is sustenance. Food, to me, isn’t just fuel—it can make people’s lives better.”
At press time, Franks 231 is open five days a week for lunch 11:30am-4pm with a dinner service until 8pm on Fridays that includes an all-day special that Compton describes as a “little more elevated.” For the past couple of weeks, the special has included Hen of the Woods mushrooms foraged near Grayling.
Find Frank’s 231 at 1779 S Garfield Ave, Ste A, in Traverse City. (231) 252-2335; franks231.com
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The mouthwatering Barbecued Cauliflower Sandwich.
Pictured at left: Neurosurgeons Neil Klinger, MD; Emily Levin, MD; Ryan Urbonas, DO
Finding True North
Former military lawyer embraces community practice
By Ross Boissoneau
For most, the next step after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam is to join an established law firm. That’s not the script Josh Traeger followed. He instead entered the United States Air Force and for a decade served as a military prosecutor.
Traeger believes that military experience has stood him in good stead as a civilian attorney in a number of ways. “With a military background, [you] keep others in mind. I’m also very action-oriented,” he says.
He says the goal in military service is to find a way to get the commander to say yes. That’s exactly what he tries to do now at True North Legal Group in Traverse City. “We help our clients get to yes, despite issues, barriers—it’s very military-esque,” he says.
From Criminals to Community
Traeger describes his legal practice as community-centered. On his website, he says it is about delivering “world-class legal advocacy to the people of Northern Michigan and to help this community grow and develop.” Asked to explain the terminology, he says it means assisting those who might not have many resources or supporting organizations that serve others.
That includes helping small businesses launch and grow and working with nonprofits, that aim to make a difference. In practice, that could mean helping firms with trademark and intellectual property challenges or assisting nonprofits with ways to legally raise funding.
Traeger admits that focusing on a role assisting veterans, small businesses, nonprofits, and others wasn’t his original intent. “Fulltime criminal work made sense with my prior career,” he says. Then he realized two things. First, there wasn’t that much major crime in the area. “That’s a good thing,” he emphasizes.
Second was the fact that he wanted to serve the area in which he lives, but in ways he felt were more positive than in criminal law. “That was not how I wanted to show up for our community.”
Finding Home
Traeger’s military role required a great
deal of travel, as he was jetting around the world, from Korea, Guam, and Japan to Germany, England, Italy, and 27 American states. That kept him away from his family for more than 200 days per year. After 10 years of service, he felt he had lost any feeling of community and belonging and decided a change was necessary.
That change came about in ways he never expected. “We thought we’d travel,” he says. But soon after leaving the service on Dec. 31, 2019, the world shut down, scuttling those plans. The family wasn’t enamored with the sprawl taking over their then-home in Colorado, but really enjoyed the outdoors activities there.
While visiting downstate—his wife, Maggie, is originally from Battle Creek— they took a day trip to Traverse City. It reminded them in large part of what had originally attracted them to Colorado, and they fell in love with the city and the area.
“We walked around and thought this would be an amazing place to be,” Traeger says. So much so they contacted a realtor while in town, and put in an offer on a house, before even putting the home they were living in downstate up for sale.
A big change from Traeger’s days in the military is that he is able to make time for himself and his family. “Nearly every day had obligations,” he says of his time in the Air Force. “I value my time. I’m an early riser, around 4:30 or 5am. I can get some work done in the quiet morning hours … before my kids get up.”
Sometimes that early morning includes walks with his friend Keelan McNulty, who also is retired from the military. “We’ve been going on walks at five in the morning,” McNulty says, describing the time together as an opportunity to connect with one another and reflect.
Stronger Connections
The word community comes up often in conversation with Traeger, and occupies a prominent space throughout his website. On the True North Legal website, Traeger says “Arriving in Traverse City, Josh quickly found community.” His friend McNulty might argue with that, positing that Traeger created community.
“When he moved to town, he immediately made his mark within a couple months,” says McNulty. “He brought a bunch of dads and professionals together for a first Friday lunch. It’s such a valuable huddle.”
McNulty says the group meets at a different location each month, and Traeger introduces people and leads conversations with thoughtful questions. “You better yourself. It makes us better individuals.”
As part of his dedication to building community—there’s that word again—Traeger eschews civil litigation. “Litigation can be destructive,” he says. Typically such cases have a winner and a loser. Instead, he looks for ways in which he can help build, rather than tear down. “We want to be constructive. We want to be an organization that helps [clients] get stronger.”
Traeger says that mindset stemmed from engaging with locals about what kinds of services were needed in the area. “The conversations I engaged the most with were almost always about business or nonprofit leadership. That lit me up,” he says.
Breaking Down Barriers
Traeger is assisted by Heather Kunsman, his legal operations coordinator for True North Legal.
Like Traeger, she boasts extensive military experience, including 22 years as an Air Force paralegal. Both were awarded multiple military awards. Traeger received numerous Meritorious Service Medals for his dedication to justice and the rule of law,
while Kunsman earned commendations including the Meritorious Service Medal (with two bronze stars), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and other awards.
In addition to TrueNorth Legal Group, Traeger also heads The Military Defense Firm, geared toward assisting those in the military with legal challenges. He assists veterans with disability benefits and handling claims of post-traumatic stress disorder. He also works as an attorney with the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission. It’s all part of his need to give back, an attitude shared by his wife, Maggie. She is a nurse practitioner, currently working with the state overseeing school-based wellness programs.
Traeger says assisting those in the community includes everything from working in court to directing callers to where they would be best served. “There’s a mystique around the legal profession,” he says. People in need of legal assistance are often nervous or frightful about reaching out. “I help people see the path rather than all the things in their way.”
He tells of a recent call from an elderly woman who needed some advice. “We were her first call. She was scared to make the call. It felt good to me that she could call us. She’s not going to be a client of ours, but to spend a few minutes to answer her questions [means] we’re approachable. A barrier that existed for her … doesn’t exist anymore.”
Learn more at truenorthlegalgroup.com.
VIOLENCE
GUEST OPINION
by Quinn De Vecchi
What does it mean to have hope in the context of gun violence? Does it mean painting or writing poems about change; going to church and praying for victims; looking at the Time cover of five Parkland shooting survivors every morning?
Three panelists at the Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City said yes.
Just a month ago, my group of Students Demand Action—a gun violence prevention chapter under the larger Everytown organization—at Interlochen visited the church for a panel about that
for more gun safety. It was the first time she had ever witnessed a “true” school shooting, and it changed her life completely. She began joining protest after protest to demand for better protection from guns.
On hope, McMillan also believes in using art as a way to cope and make a change.
“[At IAA’s SDA] we focus on how to heal as a community,” she said. “Art is a way to express [how you feel] without words— because when our words fail us, what else do we turn to?”
The lead cause of death for children isn’t car accidents, poisoning, or even cancer—it’s guns.
initial question. And we wondered about it ourselves, too. What does it mean to have hope? Is it even possible to have that type of hope when thousands of people die from guns every year?
Former Traverse City mayor and Moms Demand Action (MDA) advocate, Jim Carruthers, says hope is possible. During his speech, he continually waved toward my group of friends, saying, “I have hope because you kids are here. You’re the next generation.”
Every morning when he goes to get coffee, or make breakfast, Carruthers comes across a Time magazine stand-up cover he’d put there years before: five Parkland shooting survivors staring at the camera, the words “ENOUGH” emblazoned across them. This reminder of the tragedy (but also of the activism from “the next generation”) helps Carruthers remember what he is fighting for: the survival of kids in high schools.
The lead cause of death for children isn’t car accidents, poisoning, or even cancer—it’s guns. In 2023, over 4,000 kids died from firearms from CDC data. That’s almost six kids per 100,000. And it’s only getting higher.
So far in 2025, there have been at least 141 gun incidents on school grounds alone, states Everystat (an organization under Everytown for gun violence statistics). Ten years ago, in 2015, there were only 66 gun incidents at schools. That’s a 113 percent increase in school shootings and gun violence.
To speak more on the “youth” side of things, Alisha McMillan was part of the panel. She’s a current creative writing major at Interlochen Arts Academy (IAA) and the leader alongside me for IAA’s SDA chapter.
She started with speaking about Oxford High School’s shooting—the reason she joined SDA and began advocating
Alisha’s main focus at IAA’s SDA chapter is focusing on better gun protection and stronger gun laws.
And better gun policies do make for safer, less gun violent states. For example, California is the leading state with strong gun laws, and has a “gun violence rating” of eight gun deaths per 100,000 residents. Massachusetts is the second strongest, but they used to be ranked fifth last year. After passing more gun safety laws, their gun violence rating is only 3.7 per 100,000 residents, one of the lowest counts.
Vice versa, Missipissi has the among the weakest gun safety legislature. They have about 29.4 deaths per 100,000 due to gun violence. That’s 15.7 deaths over the national average.
Reverend Dr. Craig Hexham, another MDA member, and the last panelist, demanded that we “end unfettered access to firearms.” His father, a war veteran, died 56 years ago from a gun. Hexham started his speech by saying he couldn’t believe that he’s outlived him.
He finds hope in praying and going to church (which led to a cry of “Amen!” in the crowd). At the same time, he finds it hard to believe in “hope in the context of gun violence.” To him, more people are dying each year, and it seems that no one is paying attention.
After leaving the panel, my friends and I congratulated Alisha and the other panelists. We all took a photo together. When walking out, the church had put up a sign that listed the deaths of people from gun violence in 2025. 10,564 adults and 982 children. Like Hexham, I wondered how many deaths it would take before the United States would actually take action.
Quinn De Vecchi is a creative writing senior at Interlochen Arts Academy.
Thanksgiving Dinner
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27 | 12–7 PM Join us this Thanksgiving for a prix fixe menu featuring timeless favorites alongside chef-inspired creations. artisantc.com
Gaming That’s Out of This World
Owner credits “contagious nostalgia” for growth at this Petoskey arcade
By Eric Cox
Anyone with an appreciation for the late 1970s and 1980s might enjoy the sound of vintage video games and their incredible light displays. When you walk through the front door of Out of This World Arcade and Game in Petoskey, that’s exactly what you’ll get.
Entering feels like you’ve passed through some kind of time portal and into another era, when the hair was big, the colors bright, and the entertainment was taking new forms.
From the vintage Atari home game consoles in the front, to the classic PacMan cabinet machine in back, everything about Out of This World Arcade and Game reverberates with the sights and sounds of the late 20th century. Even the arcade’s owner, Grant Munson, fits the part in his pleated slacks, wedgie shoes, knitted crew neck sweater, and hairstyle that calls to mind (and ear) ’80s New Wavers A Flock of Seagulls or Thomas Dolby.
Munson clearly feels right at home among his mountains of colorful, chirping ’70s and ’80s game systems, which he’s collected since he was a teenager.
At 30, he’s still not far from those years, but his collection of vintage arcade cabinets and classic home gaming systems grew to the point where there wasn’t much left to do but launch his arcade and game shop. The business has about 50 arcade games, dozens of vintage home gaming systems, tens of thousands of related game cartridges, comic books, and a smattering of other gamerelated accessories and merchandise, as well as vintage computers.
“I experienced the tail end of the arcade era,” Munson says, explaining the origins of his nine-year-old business. “As it started to fade away, I had an interest in trying to get some of the games and merchandise. I mean, what kid doesn’t want a vintage ’80s arcade cabinet? So, as I kept collecting, it became
apparent that I couldn’t just keep hoarding this stuff. A lot of people think this was some passion project of mine, but really I was just trying to justify my collecting.”
The Games
At about 1,200 square feet, most of Out of This World is crammed with lots of neat stuff on which gaming enthusiasts can totally geek-out.
The front of the store is dedicated to old home gaming systems like Atari and Nintendo, with a few really far throwbacks, like a classic Pong system—one of the very first TV interface games, which is fascinating in its sheer simplicity and narrow scope, especially by modern standards. You get to play Pong (rudimentary TV tennis) in black and white. That’s it!
A red velvet rope separates the retail area from the arcade in back, and for $10, Munson will let you play any or all of the 50 games. He owns about 80 different arcade games, switching them out periodically. But that $10 pass is good for the entire day, and he’ll even let you leave and come back.
From the arcade’s vivid galactic carpeting to the roar of the Sega Pole Position race car, one encounters a rogue’s gallery of other action-filled worlds chirping with interesting sounds and flashing loads of early computer gaming graphics.
There’s the obligatory Pac-Man wakkawakka-wakka-ing as he pursues and devours ghosts through a strange, fruit-filled maze.
Next door, a lone triangular space ship fires tiny dots at huge flying Asteroids, their straight white lines fracturing and fragmenting amid muffled colorless explosions.
In another corner, a Centipede winds its segmented body through a field of mushrooms, quickly descending toward the player—represented by a roller-ball controlled cannon that fires weird-sounding
darts. Destroy the Centipede or die!
Other games include Sega Pole Position (with cockpit), Super Mario Bros., Tetris, Dig Dug, Ms. Pac-Man, Street Fighter II, Aliens, Steel Gunner, Golden Axe, and dozens more.
The History
When multiple customers are playing the games, Out of This World Arcade and Game comes to life with a wave of sound and light that hearkens back to a decade when shopping malls were as popular as the arcades that called them home.
These games were lots of fun when they were new (and still are to some), but their graphics and story lines seem laughably basic by today’s standards. Today’s video games are light years ahead of their 1980s predecessors, especially when virtual reality video games are thrown into the mix.
By the end of the ’80s, home video game systems like Atari and Nintendo were already laser-blasting their way through the arcade industry, vaporizing the shopping mall staple like invaders from space.
One by one, arcades, like drive-in movie theaters, closed across the land. Both home gaming and home video systems laid waste to these once omnipresent popular culture entities, relegating them to the nostalgia bin. Game over.
But nostalgia bins are popular, too, and people are always interested, to some degree, in the pastimes of yesteryear. Like the resurgence of Hula Hoops, vinyl records, and film cameras, vintage video games also have a following, giving them a “bonus play,” if you will.
“It’s like a contagious nostalgia,” says Munson, referring to his shop’s continued popularity. “It’s actually kind of shocking. It’s almost always 13 to 16-year-old kids coming in here, saying, ‘I’ve always heard about this!’ And they like to mess around with it. They’re
just exploring things they don’t have much access to anymore. I think it’s half nostalgia and half mystique. Some of them are just intrigued by the function of some of these systems. Many of these arcade games were later made into different versions for home gaming systems. But a lot of enthusiasts want to experience the original versions that appeared in arcades.”
Munson says his younger customers often don’t care about this version or that. To them, it all represents the interesting origins of something they hold near and dear: video games. “The younger kids,” he says, “see it all as equally old and equally interesting.”
Growing a Following
With no background in entrepreneurship, Munson launched his business in 2016, using space in a downtown Petoskey coin shop, where he also worked. That proprietor let him display some of his vintage home game systems there. Later he expanded into the building’s basement, where he opened the first arcade and retail space.
Munson moved to his Emmet Street location in January 2025 and has noticed an uptick in business. In fact, he said this summer was his best ever.
“It helps that we’re on the corner of a four-way stop, and that we have windows people can see in. Accessibility is key.” he says. “People can now see that we’re an arcade and we have lots of fun and interesting stuff in here.”
Out of this World Arcade and Game is open to buying, selling, and trading video games in all their forms, particularly older ones. Munson does offer limited service on some of the older games, but it’s strictly on a case-by-case basis.
Find Out of This World Arcade and Game at 923 Emmet St. in Petoskey. (231) 252-0252; facebook.com/outofthisworldarcadeandgame
Saturday
THISTLE & THREAD
HOLIDAY SHOW: 8am4pm, Suttons Bay Fire Hall. Homemade arts & crafts from area artisans. Holiday, pottery, stained glass, quilts, baby items, soaps, ornaments, gifts & decor. Free admission. -
BELL’S ICEMAN COMETH CHALLENGE: 8:45am, Kalkaska Airport. The main event is SOLD OUT, but there are still openings for the Meijer Slush Cup, Meijer Sno Cone, Iceman Junior & more. See web site for various races & registration. A point-to-point mountain bike race. Over 5,000 riders from across the country & around the globe converge on TC for 30 miles of fast, fun racing capped off with a big party. iceman.com
LONG LAKE CRAFT SHOW: 9am-3pm, Long Lake Elementary, TC. This event features over 60 local vendors & helps raise money for the elementary students. There will be vendors in every classroom, the library & the gym, as well as a raffle, lunch & bake sale. Free admission.
TOY TOWN TOY TROT 5K: 9am. The race starts behind Toy Town at Lake St. between the pavilion & water fountain, Cadillac. Benefits Toys for Tots of Wexford & Missaukee counties. $30-$35. toytowncadillac.com/events
FESTIVAL OF TREES: Grand Traverse Mall, TC. Shop in the festive holiday Emporium, sample local bites on Foodie Friday, 10am-1pm & bring all the kids to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Sunday, noon3pm. Proceeds support the Zonta Club of Traverse City empowering women. zontacluboftraversecity.org/service
HOLIDAY ARTISTS MARKET: 10am-4pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. A festive, two-day indoor event celebrating the creativity of 30 talented Michigan artists. It is set within the museum’s Sculpture Court & Milliken Auditorium entryway. Free. dennosmuseum.org/ events/community-programs.html
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KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: 10am7pm, Northland Foods Plaza, Kalkaska. Nov. 7-15. Help raise funds to feed neighbors in need; benefits the food pantry at KAIR. Fifty Christmas trees up for raffle this year, along with many gift baskets, gift cards & experiences. Family Day from 1-3pm on Sat., Nov.
8 with Santa, real reindeer & sweet treats. facebook.com/groups/1757664154533490
SHOP YOUR COMMUNITY DAY: Front St., downtown TC. Today, 15% of every purchase at participating stores will be donated to one of 30 local nonprofit organizations. You choose which organization benefits from your purchase from a provided list. downtowntc.com/annual-event-calendar
SWEATER WEATHER ART & CRAFT SHOW: 10am-5pm, Pavilion, downtown Gaylord. Handmade art, crafts, jewelry, & seasonal treasures from local & regional artisans. There will also be an Ugly Sweater Contest, Sat. at 3pm. blueribbonevent.com/michigan-shows
TC CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL: 10am, City Opera House, TC. This annual event brings together Michigan & national publishers to showcase a wide variety of books for readers of all ages. Families can enjoy fun, kid-friendly activities & crafts hosted by local non-profits. Award-winning authors & illustrators—including Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards medalists—will share their inspiring work. Free. cityoperahouse.org
GLCO’S LITTLE WAVES CHILDREN’S MUSIC PROGRAM: A drop-in program for ages 3-10 & their families. Featuring a musical story, an opportunity to hear one or more GLCO musicians demonstrate & explain how their instruments work, & fun music-related activities for kids. Held at 10:30am at Petoskey District Library & 1pm at Charlevoix Public Library. Free. glcorchestra.org/education
APPLY WITH CONFIDENCE: GAAC ARTIST EXHIBIT APPLICATION TUTORIAL: 11am, Glen Arbor Arts Center. Free. glenarborart.org
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: Nov. 7-16. Participating restaurants in & around Petoskey will be setting their own menus & deals. petoskeychamber.com/ petoskey-restaurant-week
TC BEER WEEK: Nov. 7-15. Today is Lager Love: Enjoy the crisp, clean simplicity of lagers, from light pilsners to dark bocks. Discover the TC brew scene by taking a selfguided tour of local breweries & restaurants. Track your tour in the passport by checking in to the places you go & you’ll be eligible to win prizes. traversecity.com/tcbw
WILD TURKEY TROT 5K: 11am, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. Run or walk the designated course on race day with other participants, or run your own 5K at your own convenience & submit your time later. $35. grassriver.org
As we honor our Veterans on Tues., Nov. 11, Veterans For Peace Chapter 50 also gathers to celebrate the pursuit of peace at The Open Space, TC from 9am-1pm. VFW Cherryland Post 2780, TC will host a ceremony at 10:45am, followed by a celebration with free burgers, brats and hot dogs for all Veterans. The Fraternal Order of Eagles in Gaylord will host a free Veterans luncheon from noon-2:30pm. See the Dates section for more events and info.
MAP-MAKING WORKSHOP: 2pm, Glen Lake Community Library, Empire. Featuring artists Jerry Gretzinger & Meg Staley. Using the acclaimed Jerry’s Map as inspiration, participants will create map tiles, charting their own imaginary landscapes. Register in advance: 231-326-5361.
JAZZ CONCERT & BANQUET - HONORING VETERANS: Zion Lutheran Church of Petoskey. Featuring Foghorn Jazz Band. 4pm concert; 5:30pm banquet dinner. Please RSVP: 231-347-3438. Free-will donation. forms.gle/HSY2pWBhGGrvcN8y9
THE COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES PRESENTS “THE FOUR HORSEMEN”: amical, TC, Nov. 3-9. Chef Nick Curtola shares his philosophy of simplicity. The Michelinstarred NYC eatery is about more than just exceptional cuisine, with its emphasis on what inspired the restaurant: how to have fun. amical.com/four-horsemen
“TEN NOVEMBER”: SOLD OUT: 5:45pm, GT Yacht Club, TC. A dramatic play that recounts the true story of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a Great Lakes freighter that tragically sank during a fierce storm in Nov. 1975. $75; includes dinner buffet. oldtownplayhouse.com
BAYSIDE TRAVELLERS CONTRA
DANCE: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, TC. Beginner Workshop at 7pm; dances from 7:30-10:30pm. No partner or experience necessary. A snack to share is welcome. For info email: baysidetravellersdance@yahoo. com. $10/person suggested.
DAISY MAY & LITTLE DIPPER: 7pm, Old Art Building, Leland. These local favorites join together to bring you a night of country music to dance & sing along to. $25. oldartbuilding.com/events/daisy-may-little-dipper
THE CLAIRVOYANTS: 7pm, Odawa Casino Resort, Ovation Hall, Petoskey. Enjoy a night of world-class mindreading, magic, & mystery from the stars of America’s Got Talent. $40/person. etix.com/ticket/p/72537660/theclairvoyants-petoskey-ovation-hall
THE NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENT “THE SOUND OF MUSIC”: 7:30pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein. Set in 1938, as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria, the play follows the von Trapp family, who must make a moral decision. You’ll recognize songs like “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” & “Do-Re-Mi.” $15-$25; $5 discount for seniors on Sun.; students, $10. theoperahouse.org
Sunday
KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
SWEATER WEATHER ART & CRAFT SHOW: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
TC BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8; today is Blonde Moments)
9TH ANNUAL SOUP-OFF AT THE LEGION: Noon-8pm, Smith-Hoover American Legion Post 281, Harbor Springs. Bring your best soup to compete with fabulous local cooks - one topping allowed per soup. Or just come in to sample & vote on some of the best soups in town.
FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
GRAND WEDDING EXPO: Noon-3pm, Castle Farms, Charlevoix. Includes more than 45 of northern Michigan’s top wedding vendors, featuring everything from photographers & florists to stylists, caterers, & décor experts. Explore creative wedding vignettes in the King’s Great Hall, enjoy giveaways, & more. $5 advance; $10 door. castlefarms.com/ events/grand-wedding-expo-2024
SECOND SUNDAY ART PROJECT: 1pm,
Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Take part in a vibrant participatory artistic experience every second Sun. of the month. From printmaking to painting & weaving, each session offers a unique & creative activity. $0-$10. simpletix.com/e/second-sunday-artproject-tickets-227579
THE DAM RACE! 5K & THE DAM DASH! 1 MILE: 1pm or 1:30pm, The Dam Shop, Elk Rapids. All profits go towards Elk Rapids Class of 2026 Project Graduation. $15-$30. runsignup.com/Race/Events/MI/ElkRapids/ ElkRapidsJingleJog
THE NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENT “THE SOUND OF MUSIC”: (See Sat., Nov. 8, except today’s time is 2pm.)
GREAT LAKES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: SUNDAY SERIES: 4pm, Cross in the Woods Catholic Shrine, Indian River. Featuring the Noteable Chamber Choir. Sing For Joy! Music of William Byrd, Morton Lauridsen, Daniel Elder, & more. Free. glcorchestra.org
THE COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES PRESENTS “THE FOUR HORSEMEN”: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
“TEN NOVEMBER”: SOLD OUT: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
monday
KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
JACKIE & GARY: A FOLK-SONG TRIBUTE: 4-5:30pm, Kingsley Branch Library. Join for a tribute to the Edmund Fitzgerald, lost on Lake Superior 50 years ago, a story immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot. Folk duo Jackie & Gary perform songs that honor the ship & timeless era of music. Free. tadl.org/ event/jackie-gary-folk-song-tribute-50th-anniversary-edmund-fitzgerald-tragedy-27923
nov 11 nov 09 nov 10
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
TC BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8; today is Brown Sugar)
EDMUND FITZGERALD 50TH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIAL SERVICE: Noon, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, TC. There will be a bell ringing ceremony to remember the lives of those lost at sea. A reception with appetizers will follow the memorial. Free.
WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD: 6:30pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Shipwreck expert Ross Richardson helps honor those lost in a Lake Superior storm 50 years ago today. You will end the program with the famous ballad. Free. peninsulacommunitylibrary.org
2025 LECTURE SERIES: RAINBOW HOTEL: 7pm, Mackinaw Area Public Library, Mackinaw City. Family owned & operated, learn about how this Mackinaw staple has been serving as a welcome home base for travelers for over 40 years. Presented by the Mackinaw Area Historical Society. Free. mackinawhistory.org
tuesday
K-12 VETERANS DAY PROGRAM: 9am, Bellaire High School, gym. All Veterans, Armed Forces Active Duty Personnel, parents, families & all community members are invited to attend this assembly.
VETERANS FOR PEACE CHAPTER 50 GATHERS FOR ARMISTICE DAY: 9am1pm, The Open Space, TC. Celebrate the pursuit of peace & honor Veterans. vfp50.org
FALL PEEPERS: FEATHER FRENZY: 10am, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Learn about how feathers help birds fly, stay warm, & show off. For ages 3-5 with an adult. Stories, crafts, music, & discovery activities. Held completely outdoors. Register. $5/child; cash only. natureiscalling.org/preschool-peepers-program
KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
OMENA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS VETERANS DAY RECEPTION: 10am-2pm, Omena Historical Society Museum, 5045 North West Bay Shore Dr., Omena. Featuring presentations on Omena area Veterans; & the aerial photography of Charles “Bud” Van Pelt who was a WWII photographer & later farmed on Overlook Rd.
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
TC BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8; today is The Red Zone)
MESSAGE OF THANKS - FREE VETERANS LUNCHEON: Noon-2:30pm, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Gaylord. Presented by the Message of Thanks Committee & the Ralph Holewinski VFW Post 1518. Lunch is free for Veterans; $5 per guest (limit of one). Patriotic music, giveaways & much more. Register: 989-217-0399.
TECH TUESDAY: INTRO TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI): 2pm, Suttons Bay Bingham District Library, lower level Community Meeting Room. Learn what AI is, how it works at a basic level, & how it’s already shaping the world around us in ways both familiar & surprising. Free. sbbdl.org
LWVGTA/CCU MEETING & PREVIEW SCREENING OF “THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION”: 6-8pm, Kirtland Community Col-
lege, Community Rm. 4800, Grayling. A film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein & David Schmidt. Free. kirtland.edu/events/american-revolution-documentary-screening-anddiscussion/?occurrence=2025-11-11
“BIRDS, TRAVEL, NATURE & MORE”: 7pm, Northern Lights Recreation, conference room, Harbor Springs. Join Petoskey Audubon for a program where members share pictures & stories about birds, travel, nature & more. There will also be holiday treats. Free.
VETERANS DAY CEREMONY & CELEBRATION: VFW Cherryland Post 2780, TC. Ceremony at 10:45am, followed by a celebration with free burgers, brats and hot dogs for all Veterans.
VETERANS DAY CEREMONY AT NMC, TC: Gather at flagpoles west of Tanis Building at 9:30am. The guest speaker will be Jack Segal, U.S. Army Veteran & retired senior U.S. diplomat. nmc.edu/news/2025/11/ veterans-day-2025.html
wednesday
KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
TC BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8; today is Twist of Flavor)
GAYLORD BUSINESS AFTER HOURS:
5-7pm, Alpen Bluff Outdoor Resort, Gaylord. Wear your camo & hunters orange for a special prize entry. Networking, food & cocktails. $5 members; $10 not-yet members.
FAITH & FAMILY SPEAKER PROGRAM -
MR. PEACE: 6pm, St. Mary School, Lake Leelanau. Kevin “Mr. Peace” Szawala, a nationally recognized motivational speaker, will present Cyberbullying & Social Media: A Look at Mental & Emotional Health Among Youth. Explore how to support children in navigating the challenges of today’s world with faith & love. Free. stmarysll.org
IAF: FIGHTING FOR GIRLS’ EDUCATION: 7pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Creating a Future Where Girls are Free to Learn & Lead. Featuring Ziauddin Yousafzai, co-founder of The Malala Fund, educator & activist, father of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai; & Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, Global Lead, Grant Strategy at The Malala Fund, human rights activist. 6pm reception. $15 advance, $20 door; $10 online; free for students, educators & members. tciaf.com/event-november-12-2025
thursday
KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
TC BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8; today is Hop Harvest)
SPEAKER: A TOUR OF CUTTING EDGE
CLEAN ENERGY TOPICS: 11:40am, Leland Twp. Public Library, Munnecke Room. Leelanau Energy Meeting & Speaker: Mr. Ian Kelly is a clean energy specialist with a varied career including a stint at the prestigious nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute. Ian will be taking you on a tour of some of the
cutting edge clean energy technologies he has worked on. Free. LeelanauEnergy.org
MUSICAL MOMENTS: 2pm, Mission Hill Church, TC. Grand Traverse Musicale Program featuring the St. Francis Singers. Grand Traverse Musicale 2025 Scholarship winners, Wren Walter & Anna McIntyre will be singing. Free. gtmusicale.org/event-schedule
BENZONIA ACADEMY LECTURE: 4pm, Mills Community House, Benzonia. “100 Years of Serving the Community: Benzonia Public Library & Mills Community House” will be presented by the Benzie Area Historical Society wsg Jane Purkis & & Jimmy McLaren. Recommended donation: $5. benziemuseum.org
DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER CARE: 4-5:30pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Caring for people with memory issues is tough. Expert Kelly McCord shares an overview of the physical changes & the ways to navigate caring. Free.
HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS: 4:30pm, Hagerty Center, NMC, TC. Open to all who are grieving. This program strives to uplift & unite attendees by providing meaningful activities, a special remembrance gift & a sense of shared hope. The event features music, light refreshments, guest speakers, & a variety of grief resources. Free. HolidayHopeTC.eventbrite.com
EAST JORDAN AREA BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-6:30pm, The Depot Jordan Valley Teen Center, East Jordan. Networking, food, drawings & more. Free for EJ Chamber members; $10 not-yet members.
CLIMATE CHANGE FILM SERIES: 6pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Citizens Climate Lobby brings you this facilitated film series about various aspects of climate change & how it affects people & the region. Following will be an open discussion with local environmental enthusiasts & experts. Free. tadl.org/event/climate-changefilm-series-citizens-climate-lobby-25621
NIGHT AT THE NATURE CENTER: 6-7:30pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. An after-hours nature experience. Join Michigan author Allison Bartlette in celebrating her upcoming book “Walking on a Trail.” Enjoy songs, puzzles, a scavenger hunt, interactive book reading & more. Free; registration required. natureiscalling.org/events
ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT & VENISON CHILI COOK-OFF: 7pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. This film is free to the public; no tickets required. Chili will be available for free until it runs out. Doors will open at 6pm for chili & voting. Local restaurants & chefs will compete in the Venison Chili Cook-off. At 6:30pm filmmaker Rich Brauer, director of photography for Escanaba in da Moonlight, will take the stage to answer your questions about this film & other local favorites. gardentheater.org/comingsoon
friday
14
KALKASKA FESTIVAL OF TREES: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
TC BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8; today is Porterhouse Party)
“BELLAIRE LIVE!” IMPROV COMEDY SHOW: 6pm, Bellaire High School Perform-
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 8:00 PM • $15 ALL AGES SHOW
DON JULIN MANDOLIN
TOM KNIFIC BASS HAYES GRIFFIN GUITAR
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15
DOORS 7, SHOW 7:30 PM $25
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21 7:30 PM • $25
ing Arts Center. Presented by the Bellaire Middle High School Drama Club. 231-5338015. $5 adults; free for students.
GRATEFUL GATHERING: 6-8pm, Glen Arbor Arts Center. Enjoy holiday refreshments & morsels at GAAC’s Grateful Gathering, which opens the 2025 Small Works Holiday Exhibition, an annual showcase of 2D + 3D work that offers small, original art at affordable prices - $150 or less. The exhibition runs through Dec. 17. Free. glenarborart.org
MIRIAM PICO & DAVID CHOWN: 7pm, The Music House Museum, Williamsburg. Local singer/songwriter Miriam Pico has been known as the area’s “Best Solo Artist” & is the founder & owner of Little Bird School of Song. Chown is known locally & nationally for his piano playing. He is the owner of Lookout Music Productions Studio where he teaches & records. $25 advance; $30 door. mynorthtickets.com/events/the-musichouse-museum-is-proud-to-welcome-miriam-pico-and-david-chown-friday-november14-2025-at-700pm-11-14-2025
URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL: 7pm, TC Central High School. Presented by TC Central High School Music Department. A blend of outrageous humor with sharp political commentary. Set in a dystopian future where a severe water shortage has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets, citizens are forced to pay for the privilege of using public restrooms. $20 regular seating. tcaps.booktix.com
WARREN MILLER’S SNO-CIETY: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. Support Crystal Community Ski Club, a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit youth snowsports club that gets approximately 1,100 youth on the snow each season. CCSC offers programs in Alpine, Nordic, Teen Leadership, & Community Outreach. GA: $25. cityoperahouse.org
“9 TO 5”: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Pour yourself a cup of ambition; Dolly Parton’s iconic gripe against corporate culture becomes a lyrical comedy in 9 to 5: The Musical. Adapted from the 1980 film, the Tony Award-nominated musical tells the tale of three disgruntled employees who plot the demise of their lecherous & domineering boss. $19-$38. interlochen.org/concertsand-events/all-events?search=9+to+5
THE MINUTES: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, Schmuckal Theatre, TC. A city council meeting spirals into a dark exploration of American politics & the fragility of local gov-
ernment, revealing hidden truths & cracks in the surface of seemingly ordinary life in a small town. $25. oldtownplayhouse.com/performances/studio-theatre/the-minutes.html
THE NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENT “THE SOUND OF MUSIC”: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
WORKSHOPS & CONCERT: 7:30pm, The North Life Church, Gaylord. A workshop offered from 4-5:15pm on Richard Gilewitz fingerstyle guitar techniques & a second workshop on flatpicking guitar techniques by Tim May ($40 each for workshop). Concert will follow later in the evening at 7:30pm at same location. $15 for concert; proceeds donated to local food bank. 989-731-2842.
saturday
3RD ANNUAL HARBOR SPRINGS HOLIDAY CRAFT & VENDOR SHOW: 9am-3pm, Emmet County VFW Post 2051, Harbor Springs. Entry by donation to a local family/ charity. 989-884-4335.
CHRISTMAS ON THE PENINSULA: 9am, Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church, TC. An old fashioned Christmas Bazaar featuring a huge bake sale, handcrafted gifts, vintage items, & more. Lunch will be available. oldmissionpeninsulaumc.org
DOWNTOWN BELLAIRE HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 10am-9pm, Broad St., downtown Bellaire. Shops stay open late, offering holiday deals, giveaways, & gifts from local artisans & businesses. There will be carolers or live music, along with an apperance by Santa or Buddy the Elf, plus much more. bellairechamber.org/2025/11/15/289011/downtown-holidayopen-house
TC WEST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ART & CRAFT SHOW: 10am-3pm, TC West Senior High School. Featuring 100+ local vendors including students & student organizations. Find on Facebook. Free.
DEER WIDOW’S WEEKEND: 11am-3pm, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Featuring a 2-day indoor craft & vendor show in Kirkbride
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
TC BEER WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8; today is Stout Showdown)
BIG BEAUTIFUL BASH AGAINST HUNGER: Noon-9pm, Five Shores Brewing, Beulah. For every food item you donate, you get $1 off beers or $2 off cocktails (up to 5 drinks). Needed items include: nut butters, instant potatoes, pasta & rice, shelf stable milk & juice, canned beans, soup, chili & stew, applesauce, oils & spices, crackers, canned meat, meals in a box, & kid snacks like granola bars & fruit snacks. upnorthpride.com/event/2025/11/15/ big-beautiful-bash-against-hunger
FLAPJACK & FLANNEL FESTIVAL: Noon5pm, Timber Ridge Resort, TC. Featuring 10+ beverage vendors, flapjacks, BBQ, chili & more, tons of flannel, Jack Pine Lumberjack Show, live music by Drew Hale, Little Dipper, & Chris Sterr, dodgeball & more. VIP doors open at 11am. Tickets start at $47.75 (GA). Kids are $21.16. flapjackandflannelfestival.com
“BELLAIRE LIVE!” IMPROV COMEDY SHOW: (See Fri., Nov. 14, except today’s time is 4pm.)
LADIES NIGHT OUT 2025: Downtown Harbor Springs. 4-5pm: Pre-Party at The New York Restaurant. 4:30-7:30pm: Shop at participating businesses & get your passport initialed along the way (to qualify for raffle tickets). 8-9pm: After-Party at The Pier Restaurant. Turn in your passport & receive raffle tickets for the prize drawing. Then head to the dining room for a complimentary appetizer spread. harborspringschamber.com/events/details/ladies-night-out2025-18278?calendarMonth=2025-11-01
UNPOPULAR: A STORYTELLING BENEFIT FOR UP NORTH PRIDE: 6-8pm, Lively NeighborFood Market, Empire. Help eat through the ice pops left in stock while gathering to listen to five storytellers share intimate readings from their high school journals/ diaries. Proceeds benefit Up North Pride. upnorthpride.com/event/2025/11/15/unpopular-astorytelling-benefit-for-up-north-pride
JOE HILL - KING SORROW: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. The #1 New York Times bestselling author of “The Fireman,” “Heart-Shaped Box” & “Strange Weather,” Hill returns with
“King Sorrow,” a chilling tale of the consequences of revenge. There will also be a Q&A & author signing. Doors open at 6pm with live music & a cash bar. $16-$65. cityoperahouse.org
NORTHERN MICHIGAN CHORALE PRESENTS TINSEL AND TUNES CONCERT: 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. The fall & holiday concert features popular music as well as traditional music with creative choral arrangements. $15; $12 for seniors & students. nmchorale.org
URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL: (See Fri., Nov. 14)
“9 TO 5”: (See Fri., Nov. 14)
TC PHILHARMONIC PRESENTS: BACH & BEYOND: 7:30-9:30pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Worldrenowned trumpeter Caleb Hudson joins guest conductor Dr. Leslie Dunner in this program. Enjoy music from around the world by St. Georges (African-French), Piazzolla (Argentinian), George Walker (American), Frank (Peruvian/Lithuanian/Chinese/American), & ColeridgeTaylor (British). $27-$65. tcphil.org/concerts
THE MINUTES: (See Fri., Nov. 14)
THE NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENT “THE SOUND OF MUSIC”: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
WORKSHOPS & CONCERT: 7:30pm, Family of Christ Church, Petoskey. A workshop offered from 4-5:15pm on Richard Gilewitz fingerstyle guitar techniques & a second workshop on flatpicking guitar techniques by Tim May ($40 each for workshop). Concert will follow later in the evening at 7:30pm at same location. $15 for concert; proceeds donated to local food bank. 989-731-2842.
nov 16
sunday
WORLD MARKET: 9:30am, The Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. Featuring handcrafts from ACT Uganda, E Africa & silk goods from Red Dirt Road, Cambodia. Books & water bottles from Groundworks & handmade items to support MidEast: Just Peace. tcpresby.org
DEER WIDOW’S WEEKEND: (See Sat., Nov. 15, except today’s time is 10am-2pm.)
PETOSKEY’S FALL RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Nov. 8)
“9 TO 5”: (See Fri., Nov. 14, except today’s time is 2pm.)
BAD TREATIES & BROKEN PROMISES: 2pm, Helena Twp. Community Center, Alden. Presented by award-winning author Robert Downes, who brings his latest non-fiction book, “Raw Deal - The Indians of the Midwest and the Theft of Native Lands.” 231-331-4318. Free.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY DEPT. OF MUSIC PRESENTS: THE STRIATUS QUARTET: 2pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. Enjoy an afternoon of music by these up & coming CMU graduate students, performing classical works for string quartet. $10 adults; free for students 18 & under. To arrange for free student tickets, call 231-6275841. theoperahouse.org
FREE FAMILY FUN DAY - LEAF POUNDING PRINTS: 2-4pm, The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, TC. Use hammers to press fresh leaves & flowers onto paper releasing their natural pigments to create colorful, one-of-a-kind prints. Materials will be provided. thebotanicgarden.org/events
THE MINUTES: (See Fri., Nov. 14, except today’s time is 2pm.)
URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL: (See Fri., Nov. 14, except today’s time is 2pm.)
ORNAMENT MAKING: 2:30pm, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Beulah. Help create ornaments with Friends of Benzie Pride for a holiday tree that will be donated to Benzie Habitat for Humanity’s Festival of Trees. Supplies & snacks will be provided. benziepride.org
CADILLAC AREA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: 3pm, Cadillac High School, Community Auditorium. The theme of this performance is The Grand Tour. Following intermission the ensemble will perform music of the holidays. Come early -- there will be a silent auction before the concert. Santa will show off his musical talents! $15 adult admission; students with ID enter for free.
NORTHERN MICHIGAN CHORALE PRESENTS TINSEL AND TUNES CONCERT: (See Sat., Nov. 15, except today’s time is 3pm.)
TC PHILHARMONIC PRESENTS: BACH & BEYOND: (See Sat., Nov. 15, except today’s time is 3-5pm.)
NATHAN GRAHAM & NOAH GUTHRIE: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. These two Americana singer-songwriters bring an evening of soulful, authentic & powerful songs. Graham meshes South Side Blues with Nashville Americana. Guthrie’s sound has been described as possessing Chris Stapleton’s country/rock grit with the authenticity of Jason Isbell. $20-$80. cityoperahouse.org/guthriegraham
CROOKED
TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY:
- 2025 HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Held in Galleries. A showcase of original art available for purchase during the winter holiday shopping season. This juried exhibition includes knits, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, notecards, prints, ornaments, artwork & more. Runs Nov. 14 - Dec. 18. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/event/ctacpetoskey/2025-holiday-bazaar-petoskey - ART SPEAKS: CREATIVE ARTS STUDIO FOR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES: Held in Atrium Gallery, this exhibition features work created by students in Challenge Mountain & Crooked Tree Arts Center’s Creative Arts
Studio program. Runs through Nov. 22. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/event/ ctac-petoskey/art-speaks-creative-arts-studio-adults-disabilities-exhibition
CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC:
- MERRY MARKETPLACE 2025: HOLIDAY
ART MARKET: Runs Nov. 8 - Dec. 13 in Cornwell Gallery. Shop hundreds of unique handmade gifts & works of art from artists all over the state. See hours on web site. Pop-Up Holiday Art Market on Sat., Nov. 22 & Sat., Dec. 6. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city/ merry-marketplace-holiday-art-market
- DREAM & MEMORY - WILLIAM LINDEMANN RECENT WORK: Held in Cornwell Gallery. Lindemann’s work explores the shifting space between dreaming & waking. Working mostly in acrylic & mixed media, he combines color, paper, & found materials to translate invisible emotions & fleeting memories into visible form. Runs through Nov. 15. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/ event/ctac-traverse-city/dream-and-memorywilliam-lindemann-recent-work
- THE EKPHRASTIC 2: Held in Carnegie Galleries. This exhibit brings together the visual & the written word in a powerful celebration of creativity & connection. It features artwork by 16 artists, each paired with a writer who has created poetry, prose, or reflections inspired by the pieces on display. Runs through Nov. 15. Join the artists & writers in celebration at a reading Fri., Nov. 14 from 5:30-7:30pm. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/event/ctactraverse-city/ekphrastic-2-tc
DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC:
- DEWEY BLOCKSMA: ROUNDTABLE: Blocksma’s artwork is a gathering of figures & ideas, real & imagined, informed by medicine & art. Common themes include: puzzle heads, violin women, fake computers, Dutch cowboys, porcupines, & much more, all within a world assembled & reassembled, juggling toys buffeted by current events. Runs through Jan. 4. Check web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view
- ICE INTO OCEAN: ARCTIC TRACINGS: This exhibition is the result of a seven year collaboration between Cy Keener & Justine Holzman, exploring how ice shifts & reshapes the landscapes of the Arctic. Through large scale drawings, images, & installation, the exhibit investigates the nature & movement of ice & water across this remote environment. Runs through Jan. 4. Check web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view
GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER:
- SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT: MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS BY CAROL C SPAULDING: Held in Lobby Gallery. Enjoy this small group of new mixed media paintings that runs through Dec. 17. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org/exhibits
- 2025 SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY EXHIBITION: An annual showcase of 2D + 3D work that offers small, original art at affordable prices... $150 or less. The exhibition runs through Dec. 17 & features more than 100 works of art, 12 x 12 or smaller, by 19 artists. See web site for gallery hours. glenarborart. org/events/all-events
OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT
- OAC HOLIDAY ARTISAN BOUTIQUE: Find gifts from regional artists showcasing a variety of ready-to-gift handmade items, holiday cards, ornaments, accessories & more. Runs through Dec. 24. Tues. - Sat.: 10am-4pm; Sun.: noon4pm. Oliver Art Center is closed on Mondays & also Nov. 27-28. oliverart.org
- ELEMENTAL: EARTH, FIRE, AIR, WATER: Michigan artists explore the elements as inspiration for their work in a variety of media. Runs through Nov. 21. Open Tues. - Sat., 10am-4pm; Sun., noon-4pm. oliverart.org
Back by popular demand — Dominic Fortuna & Company revive their beloved holiday show for one unforgettable evening.
Two Shows Saturday, December 20: Early Show 4:00pm Late Show 7:30 pm
Enjoy a festive buffet dinner, a signature holiday drink, and a joy-filled
lOGY
NOV 10 - NOV 16
BY ROB BREZSNY
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your dreams speak in images, not ideas. They bypass your rational defenses and tell the truth slantwise because the truth straight-on may be too bright to bear. The source of dreams, your unconscious, is fluent in a language that your waking mind may not be entirely adept in understanding: symbol, metaphor, and emotional logic. It tries to tell you things your conscious self refuses to hear. Are you listening? Or are you too busy being reasonable? The coming weeks will be a crucial time to tune in to messages from deep within you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Tagalog language includes the word kilig. It refers to the butterfly-in-the-stomach flutter when something momentous, romantic, or cute happens. suspect kilig will be a featured experience for you in the coming weeks—if you make room for it. Please don’t fill up every minute with mundane tasks and relentless worrying. Meditate on the truth that you deserve an influx of such blessings and must expand your consciousness to welcome their full arrival.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your liver performs countless functions, including storing vitamins, synthesizing proteins, regulating blood sugar, filtering 1.5 quarts of blood per minute, and detoxifying metabolic wastes. It can regenerate itself from as little as 25 percent of its original tissue. It’s your internal resurrection machine: proof that some damage is reversible, and some second chances come built-in. Many cultures have regarded the liver not just as an organ, but as the seat of the soul and the source of passions. Some practice ritual purification ceremonies that honor the liver’s pivotal role. In accordance with astrological omens, Virgo, I invite you to celebrate this central repository of your life energy. Regard it as an inspiring symbol of your ability to revitalize yourself.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): ): The pupils of your eyes aren’t black. They are actually holes. Each pupil is an absence, a portal where light enters you and becomes sight. Do you understand how amazing this is? You have two voids in your face through which the world pours itself into your nervous system. These crucial features are literally made of nothing. The voidness is key to your love of life. Everything just said reframes emptiness not as loss or deficiency, but as a functioning joy. Without the pupils’ hollowness, there is no color, no shape, no sunrise, no art. Likewise in emotional life, our ability to be delighted depends on vulnerability. To feel wonder and curiosity is to let the world enter us, just as light enters the eye.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The tour guide at the museum was describing the leisure habits of ancient Romans. "Each day's work was often completed by noon," he said. "For the remainder of the day, they indulged in amusement and pleasure. Over half of the calendar consisted of holidays." As I heard this cheerful news, my attention gravitated to you, Sagittarius. You probably can’t permanently arrange your schedule to be like the Romans’. But you’ll be wise to do so during the coming days. Do you dare to give yourself such abundant comfort and delight? Might you be bold enough to rebel against the daily drudgery to honor your soul’s and body’s cravings for relief and release?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The Zulu greeting Sawubona means "I see you." Not just "hello," but "I acknowledge your existence, your dignity, and your humanity." The response is Ngikhona: "I am here." In this exchange, people receive a respectful appreciation of the fact that they contain deeper truths below the surface level of their personality. This is the opposite of the Western world's default state of mutual invisibility. What if you greeted everyone like this, Capricorn—with an intention to bestow honor and recognition? recommend that you try this experiment. It will spur others to treat you even better than they already do.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Bear with me while I propose an outlandish-sounding theory: that you have enough of everything. Not eventually, not after the next achievement, but right now: You have all you need. What if
enoughness is not a quantity but a quality of attention? What if enoughness isn’t a perk you have to earn but a treasure you simply claim? In this way of thinking, you consider the possibility that the finish line keeps moving because you keep moving it. And now you will decide to stop doing that. You resolve to believe that this breath, this moment, and this gloriously imperfect life are enough, and the voice telling you it’s not enough is selling something you don't need.
PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): The Inuit people have dozens of words for snow. The Scots have over 100 words for rain. Sanskrit is renowned for its detailed and nuanced vocabulary relating to love, tenderness, and spiritual bliss. According to some estimates, there are 96 different terms for various expressions of love, including the romantic and sensual kind, as well as compassion, friendship, devotion, and transcendence. invite you to take an inventory of all the kinds of affection and care you experience. Now is an excellent phase to expand your understanding of these mysteries—and increase your capacity for giving and receiving them.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Akan concept of Sankofa is represented by a bird looking backward while moving forward. The message is "Go back and get it." You must retrieve wisdom from the past to move into the future. Forgetting where you came from doesn't liberate you; it orphans you. I encourage you to make Sankofa a prime meditation, Aries. The shape of your becoming must include the shape of your origin. You can't transcend what you haven't integrated. So look back, retrieve what you left behind, and bring it forward.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to engage in STRATEGIC FORGETTING. It’s the art of deliberately unlearning what you were taught about who you should be, what you should want, and how you should spend your precious life. Fact: Fanatical brand loyalty to yourself can be an act of self-sabotage. I suggest you fire yourself from your own expectations. Clock out from the job of being who you were yesterday. It’s liberation time!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): We should all risk asking supposedly wrong questions. Doing so reminds us that truth and discovery often hide in the compost pile of our mistaken notions. A wrong question can help us shed tired assumptions, expose invisible taboos, and lure new insights out of hiding. By leaning into the awkward, we invite surprise, which may be a rich source of genuine learning. With that in mind, I invite you to ask the following: Why not? What if fail spectacularly? What would I do if I weren't afraid of looking dumb? How can I make this weirder? What if the opposite were true? What if said yes? What if I said no? What if this is all simpler than I'm making it? What if it's stranger than can imagine?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian novelist Octavia Butler said her stories were fueled by two obsessions: “Where will we be going?” and “How will we get there?” One critic praised this approach, saying she paid “serious attention to the way human beings actually work together and against each other." Other critics praised her "clearheaded and brutally unsentimental" explorations of "far-reaching issues of race, sex, power." She was a gritty visionary whose imagination was expansive and attention to detail meticulous. Let's make her your inspirational role model. Your future self is now leaning toward you, whispering previews and hints about paths still half-formed. You're being invited to be both a dreamer and builder, both a seer and strategist. Where are you going, and how will you get there?
“Jonesin”
Crosswords
ACROSS
1. Take another tour
5. Hank's wife on "King of the Hill"
10. ___ of certiorari
14. Shoe insert
15. Movie cowboy Lash
16. Tip-top
17. River through Luxor
18. In any way
19. Felt bad about
20. Sax mouthpiece that's mostly caramel and sugar?
23. Address a crowd
24. Unknowns in a linear equation
25. Heat source?
28. Neuralgia, e.g.
30. Unit of resistance
31. Overachieving high schooler?
38. Tapioca balls
40. Dr. on "The Muppet Show"
41. Last Ivy alphabetically
42. Super Bowl-winning coach Ewbank, if he had a team of arachnids?
45. ___-mo
46. Adopt-___ (shelter program)
47. Frequently
49. ___ de terre (potato, in French)
52. Mob
55. Flinging something at your parents in the front because you want the road trip to be over?
11/13 – Trivia Night w/ Marcus Anderson, 6:30-8:30
LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC
BARREL ROOM:
11/10 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9
TASTING ROOM, TC 11/14 -- Nick Veine, 5-7
MARI VINEYARDS, TC
4-6:
11/8 -- Dennis Palmer
11/14 -- Rhett Ducouer
11/15 -- John Piatek
MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC
7-9:
11/12 -- Trivia Night
11/13 -- Open Mic Night
NORTH BAR, TC 11/13 – Drew Hale, 7-10
OLD MISSION DISTILLING, TC SEVEN HILLS: 11/8 -- John Paul, 6 11/14 -- The Fridays, 7-9 11/15 -- Blair Miller, 6-9
TC WHISKEY CO. Tue -- Open Mic w/ Chris Sterr, 6-9
THE ALLUVION, TC
11/8 -- Charlie Hunter Trio: 7pm & 9pm; 7pm show is SOLD OUT! 11/10 -- Funky Uncle - Funky Fun Mondays, 6-8:30 11/13 -- The Jeff Haas Trio feat. Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, 6-8:30
11/14 -- Hail Your Highness, Antighost, & Drama Team, 8 11/15 -- Don Julin's Trio 25, 7:30
THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN 11/8 -- Happy Little Accidents, 8 11/14 -- Musician's Playground, 7 11/15 -- Emily Kenyon, 8 THE WIGWAM, INDIAN RIVER 11/13 -- Dominic Fortuna, 7:30-9:30
11/13 -- Open Mic w/ Josh Hall: Sign-up at 6:15; Music at 7
BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY
Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee
With 25 years of professional live music experience under his guitar, Derek Boik has a 500+ song repertoire, which includes music from the 60s until now, featuring blues, Motown, classic and alternative rock, folk and pop. Find him at Boyne Valley Vineyards in Petoskey, Sat., Nov. 8 from 2-6pm, and Brandy’s Harbortown, Bay Harbor, Fri., Nov. 14, 5-8pm.
nitelife continued...
Leelanau & Benzie
BLACK STAR FARMS, SUTTONS BAY
6-8: 11/8 – LoonShine 11/15 – Bob Roberts
FIVE SHORES BREWING, BEULAH 6-8: 11/10 -- Monday Music Trivia 11/13 -- Trivia Thursdays
FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR
11/13 -- Dennis Palmer, 3-6
IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE
5:30-7:30: 11/8 -- Chris Smith
11/14 – Henry Herig
11/15 – Brian Curran
LITTLE TRAVERSE INN, MAPLE CITY 11/14 -- Jameson Bros Trio, 6-9
ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH
11/8 -- Jakey Thomas, 6-9
11/13 -- Open Mic Night, 6-9
11/14 -- Blair Miller, 5-8
SWEET’S BAR & GRILL, HONOR
Mon. – Music Bingo, 7 Fri. – Music Bingo, 8; Karaoke, 10 Sat. – Karaoke, 8
-MANCELONA: Oversees Early Head Start center daily operations. Fulltime, year round, $21.42-$22.65 dependent on education. Minimum- Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education/Child Development. Fulltime, yearround. EOE. For more details and to apply, visit www.nmcaa.net Select Careers/Search Jobs.
1ST ALPENLIGHTS CHRISTMAS DRIVETHRU LIGHT SHOW: Experience a dazzling drive-thru light show at the Otsego County Fairgrounds, Nov 20-Dec 7, Thurs-Sun only 5:30pm-10pm and Dec 11-24, every day 5:3011pm. Escape to Gaylord this Holiday Season for a truly one-of-a-kind "Northern Lights" experience! $25/carload at the gate. Tickets on sale Nov 6, buy early & save up to 40%. Visit AlpenLights.com for tickets!
KUBOTA L245DT TRACTOR WITH SNOWPLOW & BACK BLADE: This well maintained Kubota 4 Wheel Drive Tractor is located in Carp Lake.
COMPUTER PROBLEMS?:: I'll come to your home or office and make your computer, tablet, phone and TV work! Call James Downer at Advent Tech. YOUR HIGH TECH HANDYMAN! Call: 231-492-2087
TRAVERSE CITY COTTAGE FOR RENT: 1 BR, Full Bath, Well Furnished, All Utilities Included, All New Appliances, W/D, Parking, Nice Setting, Month-to-Month to One-Year, No Pets; $1,600 per month. Call (231) 631-7512.
SEWING, ALTERATIONS, MENDING & REPAIRS. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248
JOIN THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION SERVICES STAFF Looking for a detailoriented professional to manage our small claims mediation program and volunteer pool. Prior office experience desired. https:// crsmediationtc.org/about/careers/
4 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home in Bay East Village on Old Mission Peninsula. Situated on a half acre lot on a cul-de-sac, just minutes from town. Enjoy views of East Bay and 450’ of shared beach frontage. The interior boasts an open floor plan, hardwood floors, and a bright, sunny kitchen with stainless appliances and granite countertops. The finished basement adds additional living space and bedroom and the oversized 2 1/2 car garage provides extra storage space for your toys. 8122 Bay East Court | $775,000
Green Lake paradise! Enjoy quiet mornings and evenings on your large deck with spectacular views of Green Lake. 2 BR, 1.5 BA home that sits on almost 7 acres, has 134’ of Green Lake frontage, a separate “workout” shed, and a carriage house garage with double doors and a finished loft area. Spacious backyard has a level lawn to the water’s edge and a large fire pit. One of the most idyllic settings on Green Lake. 10800 Puryear Drive | $950,000 BACK ON
