Northern Express - March 14, 2022

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • march 14 - march 20, 2022 • Vol. 32 No. 11 Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 1

“Northern Express has helped me immensely in the sale of many properties throughout the area.

I highly recommend using Northern Express as a marketing tool. You won’t be disappointed.”

Mike Annelin Century 21 Northland

We help grow northern Michigan businesses. info@northernexpress.com

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letters Seniors and Families Need Tax Breaks Without Cuts In 2011, Michigan Republicans overhauled the state tax structure, eliminating the Michigan business tax with a resulting loss of $1.65 billion in state revenues. To offset that loss, they created a tax on senior retirement income that helped recoup most of what they had given away to businesses.

Seniors who have worked hard, played by the rules, and saved their whole life have sacrificed much of their retirement income in taxes to fill that revenue void since.

Now, the Republican legislature wants you to believe they’re on your side by proposing a $2.5 billion tax rollback that extends breaks to all but Michigan’s most needy, while benefiting those with the highest incomes. Additionally, small businesses that struggled through the pandemic, including restaurants and brick and mortar retail stores, get nothing.

Because federal rules prohibit spending stimulus money on tax breaks, the nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency estimates Michigan would likely need to cut spending by an estimated $4.1 billion over the next three years to pay for the GOP proposal.

Those cuts are yet undefined, but generally target road funding, schools, revenue sharing, police, and other critical public services.

Governor Whitmer will likely veto and has called the GOP plan irresponsible and unsustainable. She is calling on the legislature to put seniors, low-wage earners, and working families first with a tax reduction proposal that repeals the retirement tax— saving a half million households $1,000 annually—and restoring the earned income tax credit back to its original amount, providing a tax refund of about $3,000 to 730,000 working people. By the end of 2024, her plan would again exempt public pensions and restore deductions for private retirement income including private-sector pensions, withdrawals from IRAs, and that portion of 401ks subject to employer match.

All without any cuts in spending.

Families, seniors, and small businesses have taken the hardest hit the past few years. Call your state legislators and ask them to support Governor Whitmer’s plan that gives Michigan’s working families, lowincome earners, and seniors a significant tax break without cuts to state services.

Eric Lampinen | Manistee

No Economic Argument for Keeping Putin in Power Putin’s only concern are his yachts and his billion-dollar bank accounts. He has absolutely no empathy for his own people.

He doesn’t care if they live or die. He has lost touch with reality and he is mentally unstable.

He also has his finger on the nuclear button.

The Russian economy is just worth one trillion per year, compared to the United States economy of 13 trillion. Why are we being so nice? Obviously, Putin is a warmonger and has no respect for human life, especially those of his own countrymen.

We have the undisputed power to take him out. Why are we tap dancing with this autocrat? We absolutely have all the options to remove him from power.

Are we concerned about worldwide economic collapse? For God’s sake, Russia is nothing but a giant gas station. Other than a few thousand barrels of oil it supplies to the world economy every day, it offers absolutely nothing else. So, we as a world economy, can’t jump start oil production a little bit and make up for that deficit?

C’mon, let’s show this insane dictator that what’s left of democracy in this world has some balls!

Bret Albright | Traverse City Misbehavior at Public Meetings Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau County administrators and law enforcement should be taken to task for allowing public meetings to be seized by unruly people who often shout, attack, and threaten in failed attempts to get their way. A specific although sadly not unique example involves Health Director Lisa Peacock.

The fact that law enforcement is now political is in itself distressing. If the officers agree with the out-of-order people’s rancor, why intervene to keep the peace? What is the law enforcement policy in this regard?

People choosing the honorable field of public health do so knowing other fields offer more money. They realize an inner satisfaction much like teachers, hoping to make lives better. Director Peacock’s effort and steady leadership are lauded.

Here’s hoping each offending county ends up in court to answer for obvious damages to a fine person and true public servant.

Bradley Price | Northport

Lessons from Inflation of the 1970s If you were not at least age 20 in the 1970s, then you didn’t experience real inflation. This means if you are not about 70 now, you really do not have any understanding of inflation, what can cause it, and what can control it.

There were two energy crises in the 1970s: one in 1973 and one in 1979. Since energy was involved in almost every product, it caused price inflation. Wage increases followed, and then the spiral of price-wage-price increases.

President Nixon in 1971 instituted wage and price controls, for 90 days; the controls lasted much longer. The outcome was that inflation forces didn’t wane; they just built up. Energy is a major component of inflation, and the world price of oil is set by world supply and demand. With the Middle East closing off supply through oil embargos, the price increased. When supply is limited, demand will always cause prices to increase, as is happening today.

Gerald Ford became president on Aug. 9, 1974, after Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal because Nixon’s original VP, Spiro Agnew, resigned under a criminal scandal. See a pattern here with old and current Republican corruption? Ford gave us the WIN button to fight inflation: Whip Inflation Now. None of this worked.

Inflation continued to increase through the late 1970s during President Carter’s term. Carter installed Paul Volcker as Fed Chairman in 1979, and Reagan reappointed him in 1983.

Volker raised interest rates and tamed inflation. Why did that work? It caused a recession that lowered demand, and inflation stayed low for 40 years. So what can Biden do to stop and lower inflation?

Not much. It is a global issue now as before, and dislocations from the pandemic and Russian war are global. History shows us two things that will lower inflation: we can, on our own, lower demand for products, or the Fed raises interest rates that will then lower demand. Both are a bitter pill.

Dan Bielski | West Bloomfield Correction: In last week’s Top 10 about the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read of An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo, we incorrectly stated that Harjo’s appearance with the National Writers Series would take place April 22. That event, now a virtual one, is planned for April 19. Learn more at nationalwritersseries.org. We regret any inconvenience our mistake caused.

CONTENTS feature

St. Patty’s Events...........................................11 Drink Disruptors..........................................13 A Hoppy Medium..........................................16 Funky Soul From Syria..................................17 Here They Come...........................................21

columns & stuff Top Ten........................................................4

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................6 High Notes (sponsored content)..................... 7 Opinion.........................................................8 Weird............................................................9 Dates........................................................18 Nitelife..........................................................22 Film..........................................................23 Crossword.................................................23 Advice......................................................24 Astrology...................................................25 Classifieds................................................26

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Editor: Jillian Manning Senior Writer: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris, Jill Hayes For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Joe Evancho, Sarah Rodery Roger Racine, Gary Twardowski Charlie Brookfield, Randy Sills Contributors: Ross Boissoneau, Craig Manning, Amy Martin, Stephen Tuttle, Meg Weichman, Lynda Twardowski Wheatley

For Traverse City area news and events, visit TraverseTicker.com

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Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 3

this week’s

top ten Welcome, Spring!

Float Your Boat at the TC Boat Show Ready to start planning your summers on the lake? The Traverse City Boat Show heads back to the Grand Traverse Civic Center March 18-20. Presented by Blue Water Promotions, this show features ski boats, pontoons, cabin cruisers, personal watercraft, kayaks, docks, lifts, water toys, and much more. It runs Friday, March 18, 3 to 8pm; Saturday, March 19, 10am to 6pm; and Sunday, March 20, 10am to 4pm. $7 adults, $2 kids 6-15, and free for kids 5 and younger. traversecityboatshow.com

Sunday, March 20, is the first day of spring, and whether it’s 25 degrees or 45 degrees, we’re celebrating the return of warmer, longer days. (Though let’s be honest—we’re ready to get the temps well above freezing.) The Little Fleet in downtown Traverse City is celebrating too: their Spring Fling event runs from noon to 7pm, where they will be unveiling their spring cocktail lineup and giving away free flowers to mark the change in season. Though we’re still a ways out from the return of the full food truck fleet, Happy’s Taco Shop will be slinging up delicious tacos and burritos throughout the day to curb your hunger. (As always, seating at the Little Fleet is first come, first served.) Eat, drink, and bring your best, flowery vibes for a day of springtime fun. See more at thelittlefleet. com.

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After a man is deliberately run off the road in a remote stretch of Australia, he wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how he got there or even who he is. And with that tantalizing mystery of a start, HBO Max’s new imported miniseries (first airing on the BBC) begins its twist-andturn-filled wild ride. Jamie Dornan (Belfast, Barb & Star) stars as the unknown man who is questioned by a police officer (Danielle Macdonald) determined to figure out why this gorgeous Irish man has landed in her small town. Akin to The Bourne Identity by way of the Outback, this sharp and satisfying thriller with great performances will keep you guessing. The Tourist is now streaming on HBO Max.

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tastemaker Grand Traverse Pie Company’s Michigan ABC Crumb

If you haven’t already had this pie, do you really live Up North? An oldie but a very goodie, the Michigan ABC (apple, blueberry, cherry) Crumb has everything you love in a pie: a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth crust on the bottom; globs of toasty crumb topping; and a delicious blend of Northern Spy apples, Michigan Rubel blueberries, and Montmorency cherries inside.

If you are one of the few northerners who has not yet sampled this Michigan glory, head to your nearest Grand Traverse Pie Company location on March 14, aka Pi Day (3.14…get it?)

They’re celebrating Pi Day by giving away a free slice of ABC Crumb with any purchase. Is this an excuse to go to lunch and get a free slice of pie? Yes, yes it is. Is it also an excuse to buy at least one whole pie to take home? We’ll leave that up to you.

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Hey, watch it the tourist

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Making Maple Syrup

’Tis the season for syrup in Bellaire! The sap is officially flowing, and you can get up close and personal to see the syrup in the making at Grass River Natural Area between 11am and 3pm on Saturday, March 19. At “MapleFest,” GRNA staff will be tapping trees, hanging buckets and lines, collecting sap, and running the evaporator so you can watch every step it takes to get from sticky sap to sweet, sweet syrup.

Experts will be on hand to answer questions, and a limited supply of Grass River Maple Syrup may be available for sale. As always, their hiking trails will also be open for your (free) enjoyment. Learn more about MapleFest at grassriver.org/classes-and-programs. And stay tuned—next week, Northern Express will offer a DIY guide to tapping a tree and making your own syrup right in your backyard!

Stuff We Love: found: The Remains of the Atlanta Shipwreck The 130-year mystery of the Atlanta schooner’s underwater burial site has been solved.

The barge, which sank in a Lake Superior storm on May 4, 1891, lies in 650 feet of water 35 miles from the coast of Deer Park. Credit for the find goes to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and Marine Sonic Technology, which partnered to map more than 2,500 miles of Lake Superior’s bottomlands last summer. The Atlanta (whose sister ship, Nirvana, is pictured above) met its fate while carrying a load of coal in tow of the steamer Wilhelm.

According to the two survivors, the vessels got caught in a northwest gale so fierce that it broke all three masts off the Atlanta and snapped the towline between the two boats. The crew took to a lifeboat, coming just within sight of the Crisp Point Life-Saving Station—but overturning before they could reach it. To see a video of the wreck and underwater images, visit www.shipwreckmuseum.com. Love tales of things lost and found? The North’s own shipwreck hunter Ross Richardson will offer a free presentation for all ages about some of the biggest Michigan Mysteries from 2pm to 3:30pm March 20 at the Traverse Area District Library. www.tadl.org.

New Name, Same Problem One of northern Michigan’s peskiest, pestiest insects is now operating under a new name. Introducing the Spongy Moth, previously known as the European Gypsy Moth.

Why the change? According to a statement from the Department of Natural Resources, the name switch was made by the Entomological Society of America “because it contained a derogatory term for Romani people. The move is part of the society’s Better Common Names Project.” Although it has a new and improved moniker, the moth remains a danger to tree populations up north, especially oaks and aspens. Spongy Moth caterpillars hatch in April and feed through June, defoliating trees in their wake. Here’s what you can do to stop the spread: keep an eye out for black, hairy caterpillars that turn a mottled yellow/ gray with a distinctive red and blue dot pattern; report any egg masses or hatchings to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network; and be sure to check for Spongy Moths before moving firewood, outdoor recreation gear, and outdoor furniture.

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Oh, So Lucky CELEBRATE ALL WEEK

Monday - Friday | Happy Hour March 17 | Corned Beef & Cabbage March 18 | Prime Rib & Karaoke CITYPARKGRILL.com DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY

bottoms up City Park Grill’s Speakeasy Cocktails Way back in 1875, when Alanso McCarthy built the eponymous McCarthy Hall in Petoskey, it was known for three things: billiards, cigars, and “intoxicating beverages.”

The location’s notoriety as a go-to for good libations persisted throughout the years—even through those pesky bits between 1917 and 1933. Then-owner Frank Fotchtman flouted Michigan’s Prohibition rules and built tunnels under the building to transport liquor to and fro. Though the tunnels are long gone, several of their old doorways remain visible in the basement today. Above ground, the building’s tenant since 1997, City Park Grill, is paying homage to its Prohibition heritage with a just-added round of speakeasy-style drinks on its cocktail menu: the Rum Scoundrel (Bacardi Silver rum, fresh lime juice, brown sugar simple syrup; $8), the White Lady (Beefeater gin, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice; $10), Jack Rose (apple brandy, grenadine, fresh lemon juice; $10), and the Ward 8 (Bulleit rye whiskey, orange juice, lemon juice, and a splash of grenadine; $12). Find them all at 432 E. Lake St. cityparkgrill.com.

Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 5

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Ukraine has been in the middle of squabbles do it without Ukraine. So what do they have signature full payment betweenA Asia in is therequired East &and Europe must in bethat’s so almighty important? received by PJ’s before a die will be the West for centuries. Even their modernmade. history is one of conflict.

You start with enormous, mostly untapped natural gas reserves, Europe’s second largest Within a year of the Russian revolution after Norway’s North Sea bounty. Ukraine of 1917, Ukraine was under constant still gets half their gas from Russia, but attack, and the occupation and control of would need not do so if they exploited their Kyiv, their leading city and today’s capital, own resources as part of the EU. changed hands repeatedly. In just 18 months between late 1918 to mid 1920, the Russian They are one of the top iron ore producers Bolsheviks, then the Germans, then the in the world (Russia and Australia produce Bolsheviks, then the Russian White Army, more) and have large manganese ore, then the Bolsheviks, then the Poles, and mercury ore (cinnabar), and lithium finally the Bolsheviks yet a fourth time, took deposits. Not to mention they have the brief turns in Kyiv. largest uranium deposits, the second

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Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine is “not a real country,” a convenient lie about a real country he’s trying to destroy.

The Nazis came calling at the beginning of World War II in Europe, which some Ukrainians saw as a relief from being under a Stalinist thumb. Forced collectivism of the 1930s destroyed a vibrant Ukraine agricultural economy. Impossible-to-meet production quotas led to grain rationing restrictions, and as many as 10 million starved to death.

Then, in 1944, Joseph Stalin’s thugs forced the relocation of nearly 200,000 ethnic Tatars from Crimea to what is today’s Uzbekistan, thousands of miles away, accusing them mostly unjustly of sympathizing with the Nazis. As many as 20 percent of that population died in the process. Songs of protest are still written about it and regularly performed.

Ukraine became the crown jewel of the Soviet Union’s satellites of Soviet Socialist Republics and their leading arms manufacturer. Pleas for, and attempts at, independence were regular events as the extremely limited autonomy granted by the Soviet leadership was insufficient for Ukrainians’ instincts for independence. The Soviet Union collapsed, and Ukraine finally became fully independent in 1991.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine is “not a real country,” a convenient lie about a real country he’s trying to destroy.

Strategically located on the Black Sea, today’s Ukraine is only slightly smaller than Texas but with a population of nearly 44 million, a number likely shrinking under Russian bombardment. They would like to be a member of the European Union (EU) and they have much to offer. So much, in fact, that they would represent strong competition for Russia in providing all manner of valuable exports to Europe.

Putin, a former KGB agent, is a megalomaniacal imperialist who wants to rebuild the old Soviet Union, and he can’t

6 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

largest coal deposits, and the second largest titanium deposits in Europe. They also have a host of obscure rare earth metals needed for our modern digital world.

They are a treasure trove of natural resources, much of which is still untapped. Should Russia annex them, it would give Ukraine even more leverage over Europe. And their exports aren’t limited to just minerals and fossil fuels.

Despite their history of being in conflicts they didn’t start and their rich natural resources, their economy is driven by agriculture.

They have more arable land than any other European country. They are the world’s leading producer of sunflower seeds and oil and sit in the top 10 globally for barley production and exports, corn production and exports, potato production, and rye production.

Their government has been beset by various corruption scandals and occasional wild instability, but they are a very young democracy feeling their way while Soviet loyalists who benefited from the bad old days have fomented unrest. Two small states in a western corner of the country clamor for what would be pro-Russia independence.

Putin’s invasion justification was first a peacekeeping mission, then a “denazification” quest. In truth, he’s just an oppressive bully whose mind is stuck in a bygone era. He wants to keep Ukraine out of the EU and to steal their substantial resources. He is perfectly willing to kill tens or hundreds of thousands in service to his vile thievery.

We have no treaties with Ukraine. They are not members of the EU or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), so no one is obliged to defend them. But, having tasted real independence, however messy, Ukrainians will continue fighting for their freedom as they have been forced to do for centuries. And Vladimir Putin will rue the day his delusions of grandeur got the better of his common sense.

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GOING GREEN ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY You don’t need the luck of the Irish to have a great time this year. Dunegrass Co. can enhance your plans this holiday, whether you have a party invite or you’re keeping it low-key by chilling at home. Best of all, our newest delivery service in Beulah—which reaches to the west side of Traverse City—will help you keep the good times rollin’ without leaving the house.

These days, green beers and the infamous “Kiss me, I’m Irish” T-shirts are a thing of the past—all you need is a little bit of weed for a great time. Experienced cannabis users can smoke a pot o’ gold-en bud from the wide selection of flowers provided on our menu. If you’re not a smoker or are just beginning your cannabis quest, we recommend eating the rainbow with an infused gummy. Low and slow is the way to go when consuming edibles, and you’ll get to enjoy the night without ever having to stand in line to get a drink.

Although St. Patrick’s Day is known as a day dedicated to drinking, people are more willing now than ever to try alternatives to alcohol. Another great way to skip the booze is to add dissolvable THC drink enhancers to your favorite non-alcoholic beverages. These drink enhancers will have you dancing in a matter of minutes with no chance of a hangover. And speaking of the dreaded next-day headache, research has found cannabis to help with symptoms of a hangover, so taking precautionary measures by having a few wake ‘n’ bake joints on hand can’t hurt!

We all know impaired driving increases on St. Patrick’s Day, and Dunegrass hopes to help change that by bringing the fun to you with several delivery options available across northern Michigan. (Just make sure all cannabis users at your house have arranged a safe ride home!) Visit dunegrass.co to learn more about delivery and pick out everything you need for your party, relaxing night in, or a hangover helper. We’ll take care of the rest.

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Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 7

THE WORLD WANTS PEACE CORPS BACK: IT NEEDS AND DESERVES OUR SUPPORT guest opinion

By Kama Ross

taste & learn     

Walk, talk, and taste your way around Oryana as we brush up on what healthy snacking looks like!

MARCH AND APRIL | AM & PM

Peace Corps Week, which concluded March 5 this year, commemorates President John F. Kennedy’s establishment of the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961. Since early 2020, nearly 7,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have been grounded by COVID-19, with no volunteers currently serving abroad. All 60 host nations that had volunteers prior to the pandemic have indicated they look forward to having volunteers return, and soon, they will.

It’s my hope, as the president of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Northern Michigan (RPCV-NM), that Peace Corps returns even better than before.

Living in a small, rural community, communicating in Spanish and very poor Guarani (Paraguay has two official languages), learning best stewardship practices for semi-tropical ecosystems, and establishing a native tree seedling nursery from the ground up taught me so many skills and shaped the person I am today. But Peace Corps can always improve, and now is the time for action as volunteers again prepare for service.

This year’s theme, “Meet the Moment,” recognizes the many ways that Peace Corps network members have met the challenges of the past two years, setting the stage for the Peace Corps’ ambitious agenda—one focused on innovation, intentional change, and accountability. I am confident about Peace Corps’ future, but the organization needs legislative support.

We have seen Washington take to heart the views of the Peace Corps community.

Reforms to programs are being adopted.

New ideas about incorporating racial justice and equity into agency activities are being advanced. The first step toward completing an overhaul of Peace Corps operations is new authorizing legislation.

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Peace Corps evacuees joined returned volunteers and staff in formulating these reforms that will improve Peace Corps and expedite the reentry of volunteers.

Because these improvements are now part of H.R. 1456, please join me in urging our House Representative, Jack Bergman, to pass this important legislation. Please also urge Senators Stabenow and Peters to actively join the House in supporting bipartisan passage of this key legislation, an important step toward deepening our

We have seen Washington take to heart the views of the Peace Corps community. Reforms to programs are being adopted. New ideas about incorporating racial justice and equity into agency activities are being advanced.

The first step toward completing an overhaul of Peace Corps operations is new authorizing legislation.

I served as a forester and environmental educator in Paraguay from 1981-1983. I am one of the many RPCVs (240,000 nationwide with over 110+ involved in our Northern Michigan organization) who benefited from volunteer experience.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49684

to service after COVID brought them home; and raise opportunities and respect for Peace Corps service.

The “Peace Corps Reauthorization Act” (H.R. 1456) includes provisions to improve in-service and post-service health care; extend the critical mission of a Sexual Assault Advisory Council; enhance several volunteer financial benefits; expedite applications for volunteers wishing to return

nation’s commitment to service and our nation’s highest ideals.

Our voices were organized by our returned volunteer membership organization— National Peace Corps Association—to ensure that America’s most iconic service agency lives up to President Kennedy’s grand vision of bringing the world together in peace. This vision is more urgent today due to global threats we all face, from the pandemic to climate change to the retreat of democracy around the world.

As volunteers return to the field, battling COVID-19 will be a significant part of their work. As Acting Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn emphasized in her October 2021 testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, “The Peace Corps is committed to playing a critical role in global COVID-19 response and recovery by returning volunteers to work in partnership with underserved countries around the world.”

Climate change is also a priority. “There’s no time to waste,” Spahn said in a recent interview. Countries where volunteers serve are feeling some of the most damaging effects of climate change, and Peace Corps will be partnering with communities to address these issues as well.

It is crucial that Peace Corps promptly returns to host countries and that Congress passes this key legislation to support volunteers as they experience “the toughest job you’ll ever love.” I am sure they will.

Kama Ross recently retired as the District Forester with the Leelanau, Benzie, and Grand Traverse Conservation Districts. She has turned her lifelong desire to serve closer to home and is running for the Leelanau County Commissioner District 5.

This Gig Stinks Omni, a plant-based pet food company in Britain, is offering a lucky(?) few dog owners more than $6,000 to “record their experience of introducing their dog to a plant-based diet, monitoring their bowel movements, stool odor, health, energy levels, behavior, sleep pattern and physical attributes, such as weight, skin and fur condition” over a period of two months, according to the company’s website. Omni will provide a free supply of its pet food for the gig and will cover the cost of visits to a pet nutritionist, who will oversee the pets’ transition to plant-based food.

Those dog owners who successfully complete the poop-monitoring period will earn the aforementioned cash for their work, while their dogs will receive a supply of dog toys and vegan treats. Applications will be accepted on Omni’s website through March 31.

Check, Please!

Michael Spressler, 58, of Brick, New Jersey, thought he had broken a tooth when he bit into a raw clam and felt something hard in his mouth during a Presidents Day weekend visit to his favorite Jersey Shore seafood restaurant, The Lobster House. “I thought one of my molars cracked,” Spressler told NJ Advance Media. But instead of one of his own pearly whites, Spressler found a perfectly round white pearl. “I’ve been eating clams all my life. This is the first time this ever happened to me,” Spressler said. Indeed, the odds of finding a pearl in a clam are said to be roughly 1 in 10,000, and The Pearl Source website says the little gem, which Spressler’s wife, Maria, would like to have set in a piece of jewelry, could be worth anywhere from $50 to $100,000.

Golden Ticket On Oct. 26, 1984, Northwestern student Michael Cole attended a basketball game alone, having been unable to find a friend to use the extra ticket he had purchased for $8.50. Thirty-eight years later, on Feb. 27, Cole, now 55, watched that spare ticket, which he had held onto as a keepsake, sell for $468,000 at auction. What was so special about the ticket? It just happens to be the only known intact ticket from Michael Jordan’s debut game with the Chicago Bulls. Cole, whose 2012 Kia Sorento died just one week before the auction ended, said he plans to use some of his earnings to replace it with “a sensible used car.”

A Little Faith in Humanity Perhaps it’s a sad critique of the world we live in when a story like the following is classified as “weird” -- but greed abounds in this modern age, so when an act of kindness rises above the usual dreck, it is weird news indeed. Eduardo Martinez of Honduras, who works near Broadway in New York, probably expected a more typical ending to his story: On March 2, as he rushed to get to work through jam-packed Times Square, Martinez dropped his wallet. Losing his IDs and personal effects would have been devastating enough, but Martinez also had $4,000 in cash inside his billfold. As he waded through the crowd of tourists and searched the ground, two police officers approached and informed him that the wallet had been picked up by a fellow commuter and turned over safe and sound -- with all $4,000 intact. Here’s to happy endings!

Animal Adventures The Lang family of Whidbey Island Station in Washington owns five horses, but on the morning of March 2, only four could be found.

The family began a search and discovered that Blaze, the missing horse, was in deep trouble -15 feet deep, to be precise. The horse had broken through a barrier around 10 a.m. and fallen down a concrete well. Rescue workers from the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station dropped in and sedated the horse, and North Whidbey and Central Whidbey Fire & Rescue crews were able to get a harness around Blaze and lift all 2,000 pounds of equine out of the hole using an excavator from a neighbor’s farm. Blaze received an IV and was treated for a few minor cuts, but otherwise was unhurt in the incident. “If he had gone down any other way, he wouldn’t be alive,” owner Karl Lang told KING-TV 5. “Luckily he went down heinie first.”

A 15-year-old poodle named Snowball has been reunited with his owner, Kathy, of Norfolk, Virginia. What kept the two apart?

Only about five years and more than 900 miles. Snowball, who arrived recently at the Cape Coral Animal Shelter in Florida with matted fur, infected eyes and ears and severe dehydration, had gone missing from Kathy’s home in Norfolk some five years ago. But thanks to the microchip Kathy had implanted in her bestie, the poodle was quickly identified, and Kathy booked a flight shortly after receiving a call from the shelter. Fox 4 Southwest Florida reports that Snowball’s eyes have been treated, his vaccinations have been updated, and his new health certificate will allow him to fly home with Kathy.

Did Somebody Say “Shot”?

On Feb. 27, the Smoking Gun reported, Christina Blair, 33, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, began honking her horn and yelling obscenities at Gabriel Chavez while the two drove their cars on an Albuquerque road. Blair told police she had become enraged upon seeing Chavez’s “Vaccinated” bumper sticker.

After Blair hit Chavez’s car with an object (later revealed to be a water bottle) at a red light, Chavez accidentally backed into Blair’s car.

The two pulled into a Walgreen’s parking lot, where Chavez expected to exchange insurance information; instead, Blair pulled a handgun from her car and racked the weapon. Chavez called 911, and police were able to use Chavez’s cellphone video to acquire Blair’s license plate info and track it to her residence. Blair was taken into custody and booked on a count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Two-Drink Minimum The buggy-drifting skills of Ray Byler, 20, of Sigel, Pennsylvania, sound impressive; his alcohol tolerance, not so much. Byler was charged with a misdemeanor for driving under the influence and also was cited for careless and reckless driving. Police began following the Amish buggy he was driving and watched as Byler sped up at a turn and locked the brakes, sending sparks flying.

According to Trib Live, when Byler pulled over to let the officers pass and they asked if he was OK, Byler’s response was slurred, and he smelled of alcohol. When asked if he’d been drinking, Byler told the officers he’d had “a couple of beers.” Byler was allowed to stand by his agitated horse’s side after the field sobriety test; police said he refused to take the blood draw test at the hospital.

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An outdoor celebration of Michigan beer, Featuring hundreds of fresh, local beers from many of Michigan’s finest breweries. Food available for purchase.

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TICKETS: $50 in advance. $60 day of (if available). Tickets are limited. Advance purchase recommended.

No refunds. Tickets online only at MiBeer.com. Includes 15 drink tokens, available as you enter the festival.

Beer tokens required for beer samples. Sample size is 3 oz. Additional tokens available inside festival.

Hear conversations and stories about Michigan breweries

Must be 21 and over. I.D. is required. Rain or shine.

BEER TOKEN POLICY: To comply with Michigan Liquor Control Commission rules, tokens must be exchanged for beer samples. Any attempt to obtain beer samples without the appropriate exchange of tokens is a violation of MLCC rules and may result in removal from the festival.

10 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

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Celebrate the Wearin’ of the Green ST. PATTY’S EVENTS ACROSS THE NORTH Northern Express Staff & Contributors Welcome to the magical time of the year where St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, and spring all come together to create a flurry of events around northern Michigan. Whether you’re seeking green beer, green beads, or the return of greener grasses, we’ve pulled together 10 events to pack your social calendar this weekend.

THURSDAY, MARCH 17 1. It’s pub crawl time! The Rocking Thirsty-Union Pub Crawl starts at 1pm, and attendees will bop back and forth between Thirsty Fish and Union Street Station for 12 hours of fun.

Four musical acts—Timebombs, Rolling Dirty, Stonehengz, and Soulpatch—keep attendees entertained at each stop as the libations flow until 1:00am.

2. Just down the road, The Parlor will help you get your jig on with specials on Jameson, Guinness, and Baileys and tunes from the Old Mission Fiddle Vine. Led by fiddler Michael Markley, the band offers traditional Irish music with country, bluegrass, and cajun influences.

(And if one show isn’t enough, catch the Old Mission Fiddle Vine again at the Music House on Saturday!)

3. If you’re searching for classic Irish revelry in downtown Traverse City, Kilkenny’s Irish Public House will feature music throughout St. Patrick’s Day, much of it with an Irish brogue.

The corned beef reuben and Gaelic egg rolls are always on the menu, but tonight’s the night to order double.

4. Frankfort’s Stormcloud Brewing Company is rolling out the green carpet with an Irish-inspired feast at the pub. Those who need their green beer fix will find a verdant version of the Birdwalker Blonde on tap, a light-bodied and lightly hopped Belgian. An Irish music show from Ben Traverse and Josh Holcomb closes out the night from 8-10pm.

5. For more music and drinks inspired by the Emerald Isle, don’t miss the celebration at Lake Ann Brewing Co. Lake Ann will host the Jameson Brothers in their heated outdoor tent alongside a great brew and a meal of corned beef and cabbage from nearby Stone Oven restaurant.

6. Have you caught a show at Encore 201 yet? TC’s newest entertainment space, located at 201 E. Front St. (above Sparks BBQ), is hosting a night of live music and dancing featuring acoustic classic rock trio Project Six from 9-11pm. Tickets are $5 at MyNorth.com.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY MARCH 19-20 7. Ready to get your crazy on? Or celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? At Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls, they are one and the same. Boyne Mountain Carnival Weekend combines aspects of Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day to create an event that locals refer to as “Krazy Daze.” (Note: this is a 21+ party—not for the kiddos!)

More properly dubbed “Carnival Weekend,” the two-day celebration offers revelers a bevy of events from which to choose. On Saturday, there’s the Spring-a-licious Snow Beach Party with inflatable lounge and lawn games at the Mountain Express Base Area. Later that day, don’t miss the costume party at the Snow Beach Stage, where there will be music all day long from bands and DJs. That night, check out the Après Ski Party at the Back Forty Biergarten.

Sunday the fun continues with the infamous Slush Cup at the base of North McLouth.

The Last Man Standing Brunch & Bloody Mary Bar runs from 10-1 at Stein Eriksen’s and The Alpen Hut. And of course there’s skiing, snowboarding, ziplining, and more all weekend long.

8. Turns out Krazy Daze is just the tip of the mountain. Head to Crystal Mountain for its annual Celts and Kayaks event. Look for leprechauns on the slopes and the fun of the kayak race down Cheers to Lou. Its own Slush Cup is sure to provide chills and spills, with music, a scavenger hunt, and a pot of gold challenge.

9. If you don’t mind a wee bit of travel, head to Ludington for a full day of fun. “A Wee Bit Late St. Patrick’s Celebration” on Saturday includes an Irish jog 5K and 10K, Kegs & Eggs breakfast, Follow the Rainbow scavenger hunt, a Shamrock Parade, Pied Piper Pub Crawl, and lots of live music. For specifics, go to downtownludington.org/stpatricksday.

10. Last but not least, while not quite a St. Patty’s celebration, great drinks are still involved at the ever-popular Slush Cup at the Highlands in Harbor Springs. You’ll find skiers braving the pond at the bottom of the hill with wine slushies from Brys Estate as the themed beverage. That’s just one of the wineries participating in the wine tasting event on Saturday, along with Verterra Winery, Mackinaw Trail Winery & Brewery, Left Foot Charley, and WaterFire Vineyards.

Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 11

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Co-founders Loghan Call (l) and Roman Albaugh (r)

Drink Disruptors Audacia Elixirs is out to change the way we drink

Ross Boissoneau Whether you’re the designated driver, it’s dry January, or you’re just taking a night off from the strong stuff, there are countless reasons to seek alcohol alternatives. For those of us skipping the booze, the status quo has long been pop, water, or a virgin daiquiri. If you’re tired of the same old, same old, Roman Albaugh and Loghan Call have just the thing.

The two are partners in Audacia Elixirs, a new Traverse City company based around the notion of creating alcohol-free drinks “crafted to rival the complexity, taste, and presentation of a traditional cocktail.”

Trying Something New Albaugh, a mixologist by trade, is the owner of the Bartending Company, an onyour-site beverage catering outfit. He had managed bar programs for numerous bars and restaurants in the Los Angeles area before returning to his hometown of Traverse City and starting up the beverage service.

Four years ago, he got a call from local chef Loghan Call of Planted Cuisine, who was preparing a six-course dinner for a client. The kicker: the event was to be alcohol-free. “I did six spirit-free beverages with his six courses,” says Albaugh.

The two quickly became friends, and eventually, business partners. Albaugh had observed how those who chose not to drink

alcohol had few options and even sometimes felt stigmatized. “The offerings were slim to none: club soda with lime, maybe a syrupy mocktail, kombucha. I wanted to create a more inclusive environment.”

They both saw an opportunity. “The zero-proof movement is taking off,” Call says.

“There’s not that much out in the market here.”

Several years after their first team-up, Audacia Elixirs was born. The onset of the pandemic had led to the loss of most business for both Planted Cuisine and the Bartending Company, but there was a silver lining: it was a perfect time to start their new business. By December 2021, the duo was ready to present at TCNewTech…and they won the pitch night.

Focusing on Flavor Now officially up and running, Audacia Elixirs offers three zero-proof spirits.

Albedo is citrus-based, with flavors derived from lemon and grapefruit, as well as sweetness from fenugreek. It also offers notes of juniper and fennel. Radici (which means roots in Italian) blends roots from dandelion, chicory, astragalus, and burdock and includes cacao, French oak, and cinnamon. Baca (floral in Latin) is derived in large part from hibiscus and rose, which give it its intense red-pink color, though the schisandra berry and linden flavor are perhaps the most prominent.

Albaugh says the three spirits are not

meant for drinking neat. One of his favorite ways to use albedo is, as he puts it, to go the margarita route, mixing with ingredients like lime juice, orange juice, honey, grapefruit, mint, or ginger, all of which will complement the somewhat bitter, intense flavor profile.

The fruit- and herb-based recipes go back to Call’s catering business, Planted Cuisine.

He offers a variety of food-related services, from catered dinners to cooking classes to immersive farm market experiences, all of them plant-based. While happy to provide wine and other alcoholic beverages, he’s excited about the upswing in requests for non-alcoholic drinks.

As is Albaugh, who has embraced the challenge. “I knew it would push my creative boundaries,” he says.

They are joined in the venture by Call’s mother Naomi, credited as their “alchemist.”

The owner of Alchemy Farms in Maple City, she is a clinically certified herbalist who has worked as a chef, certified nutritionist, and teacher for over four decades. They combine their various knowledge bases to create spirits that offer the complexity of whiskey, gin, rum, and other alcohol-based spirits.

Shifting the Narrative Albaugh says the goal of Audacia is really twofold: first, to develop high-quality zero-proof spirits, and second, in turn, to enable those who choose not to imbibe to

do so without feeling like they’re not part of the fun.

“What we’re trying to change is the stigma around not drinking,” he says. He makes it clear that they are not looking to demonize alcohol, but to make sure those who are not drinking have options that are both tasty and healthful. Albaugh says the three elixirs enable him to create flavorful original drinks, rather than trying to imitate popular drinks with fake booze and create so-called mocktails.

“Coming from the food world, trying to recreate meat products is a losing game. So we wanted to come up with originals…with bold, complex flavor profiles,” says Call.

At this point, their zero-proof spirits are only available at a few places. “They’re on the menu at the Cook’s House and Iron Fish.

They’re good friends, and we want to work with those we know and get feedback,” Call says. “By April, the plan is to get into as many local establishments as possible.”

They hope to eventually go the retail route as well as expand into other places where alcoholic beverages are served. “We want to be in the breweries and wineries. They don’t [typically] have a lot of mixers, so we’ll be doing some pre-mixed cocktails,” says Albaugh.

Find recipe inspiration, upcoming events, and more information on their website audaciaelixirs.com and their Instagram @audaciaelixirs.

Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 13

SPRING BUDS AND SUDS Five beers to try Up North this season Amy Martin With the groundhog’s prediction behind us and the first day of spring mere days away, signs of the northern Michigan thaw are all around: waning snow drifts, mud (or if you’re lucky, grass) peaking through, and the early onset of spring beer fever. It’s time to empty your fridge of the dark stouts and porters that got you through the frigid winter and open your palate to the blossoming options of other beer styles.

As Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer Gustav Mahler once said, “Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.” We recommend you get out of hibernation and breathe in a new bouquet of hops, malt, and yeast by trekking to one of the following breweries and imbibing the showcased brews. Then take a deep breath and have hope that spring is nigh.

2. Expert Advice Imperial Juicy IPA | 9.5% ABV Five Shores Brewing, Beulah If you’re a fan of hops but not so much the bitterness to usher in springtime, try the Expert Advice Imperial Juicy IPA. Clocking in at 42 IBU, it is brewed in a way that uses the hops less for bittering and more for imparting the fruit-forward taste Five Shores is known for. This brew uses MI Copper, Mackinac, and Amarillo hops to pack in the flavor.

Head Brewer Ellie Maddelein speaks to the hops used, stating, “Michigan hops are ridiculously good, and the one non-Michigan hop in it is just a good juicy one. All the hops in it are ones I personally felt were going to contribute the juicy flavors.”

Expert Advice has a body like a cloud with a full-palate distinct sweetness to it and boasts bright, heavenly hop aromas alongside flavors of mango, papaya, pineapple, and orange.

3. Peach Wild Ale | 6% ABV

Silver Spruce Brewing Company, Traverse City

1. My Chest Hurts American IPA | 7.2% ABV Snowbelt Brewing Co., Gaylord, MI Despite the wintery name, Snowbelt Brewing Co. serves up mouthwatering beer for every season in downtown Gaylord. If you, like so many, have been on a malty kick over the winter and are ready to break back into the world of hops, My Chest Hurts, an American IPA, is the perfect spring segue.

Started with a simple malt bill, this brew stands out thanks to the timing of hop additions and the medley of selected hops. For the beer geeks out there, here’s how the sausage gets made: Snowbelt’s brewers only add one hop variety during the boil, aka when all those wonderful chemical reactions occur with the hops, producing bitterness, taste, and aroma, as well as getting rid of unwanted off-flavors. During the whirlpool stage, which happens at the end of the boil to separate solid particles from the liquid, the brewers then add a multitude of tropical hops. Finally, the beer is “dry hopped,” a process where the hops are not boiled to extract oils, but instead are added during or after fermentation for extra hop flavor and aroma. The inclusion of a small amount of sweet caramel malt helps keep this hop bomb balanced.

“We’re pushing 100 plus IBU with this beer, and it’s sure to cure any hop head’s cravings,” says Nate Muellenberg, Snowbelt’s owner and brewer.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term IBU, it stands for International Bitterness Units, a scale of measuring the bitterness of beer. Though this beer may be bitter, it is chockfull of other flavorful notes, including citrus, pine, stone fruit, mango, and guava.

14 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

There’s nothing like a sour or funky wild ale to wake you up and drag you out of your long winter fugue, and Silver Spruce’s Peach Wild Ale will do just that. This beer itself is well-versed in hibernation—it took over a year to develop from start to finish.

The beer’s journey began by fermenting with ale yeast in stainless steel, and then was transferred to white wine oak barrels after the first fermentation was complete. Once it was in oak, a wild yeast called Brettanomyces was added with the job of slowly eating the remaining sugar, imparting dryness and complex, earthy flavors. After giving the wild yeast plenty of time to do its job, Silver Spruce added whole local peaches as well as the bacteria lactobacillus.

Unlike brewers yeast, which metabolizes sugars and creates alcohol, lactobacillus metabolizes sugars and creates lactic acid. It is responsible for the tart, sometimes acidic flavors found in many sour, mixed culture, and wild ales.

After fermenting on the fruit for four additional months, the beer is here and ready to enjoy. You’ll find it to be dry and tart with a delicate peach finish. Even if we get some spring snow, this brew will have you dreaming of sweet sunny days when the peach buds are blossoming.

5. Intermingling Kolsch | 5.2% ABV Stone Hound Brewing Company, Williamsburg

4. Charley Belgian-Style Ale brewed with Blaufränkisch grape skins | 7% ABV Earthen Ales, Traverse City In the world of wine, spring is when the grapevines start to perk up and the bud break occurs. Charley, a beer from Earthen Ales, may just have you dreaming of walking through a vineyard, sipping rosé on a bright day.

Charley is an annual collaboration that Earthen Ales does with their neighbor Left Foot Charley for the brewery’s anniversary. The newest version, brewed to celebrate year five of the taproom, features a Belgian yeast strain and rosé grape skins.

“Think of it less as a fruit beer and more of a beer and wine hybrid, or mash up, if you like a good pun,” explains Jamie Kidwell-Brix, co-owner and brewer at Earthen Ales.

Not only does reusing the grape skins further their lifespan, but it also brings a rich mouthfeel and effervescence to the beer. The grapes are particularly noticeable in the nose, but also linger at the end of a sip. Mid-palate, you’ll get some subtle spice and fruitiness from the Belgian yeast.

Sometimes what you need to get dark winter beers out of your system and prepare for the longer days ahead is a clean, light, crisp, easy-drinking beer. Intermingling Kolsch from Stone Hound Brewing Company checks all of those boxes and more. This brew is a perfect front-porch sipper and will also quench your thirst after an early springtime bike ride.

Intermingling Kolsch was originally brewed last spring as a collaboration with Silver Spruce Brewing Company and is back by popular demand. Stone Hound chose the Kolsch style to represent Silver Spruce’s affinity for classic German styles.

“As most of our beer names are inspired by local trails, we chose ‘Intermingling’ because it is a segment on the VASA Single Track and also ties in with the idea of mingling with our good friends at Silver Spruce,” notes Head Brewer Chris Cargill.

Taking after a traditional German Kolsch and incorporating German malt, Intermingling also has a northern Michigan twist with locally-sourced hops from MI Local Hops and malt from Great Lakes Malting. This beer gives off notes of honey, fresh bread, and herbal aroma from the Tettnanger hops.

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Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 15

A HOPPY MEDIUM Michigan Hop Water bridges the craft beverage gap

COCKTAIL RECIPES Once you get your hands on some Michigan Hop Water—you can place an order on the website or pick some up at local stores like the Beverage Company or Oryana Natural Foods Market—it’s up to you on how to enjoy it. Drinking Michigan Hop Water on its own is easy and refreshing, but we also had a lot of fun testing out its utility as a cocktail mixer. Here are some basic Michigan Hop Water cocktails to get you started:

Gin & Tonic

2 oz gin 4 oz lime Michigan Hop Water 1 tbsp lime juice Craig Manning If you’ve been looking for a local alternative to your favorite sparkling water brand—be it LaCroix, Perrier, or Bublé (sorry…Bubly)— Beards Brewery has you covered.

Since opening its doors in 2012, the Petoskey-based brewery has made its name on cleverly-named craft beers, like Oh! The Citranity!, a citrusy American pale ale; or Deez Nuts, a brown ale with a manic-looking squirrel as its mascot. Last year, though, Beards launched itself into a brand-new market with the introduction of Michigan Hop Water.

Michigan Hop Water is a zero-alcohol, zero-sugar, zero-calorie sparkling water made with locally grown hops. Fans of IPAs will clock the bright, piney, lightly bitter flavor that the hops impart upon the water—a unique left turn for a sparkling water market where flavors like lemon, lime, or grapefruit are far easier to come by. If you love the flavor of hops and want to enjoy it without the alcohol and calories that come with drinking a beer, Michigan Hop Water is the drink. But it’s also a dynamic cocktail mixer, especially, Beards Brewery notes, for gin drinks.

A Bubbling Market It’s no surprise that breweries like Beards are aiming to expand into the sparkling water market. Projections from Grandview Research say the global sparkling water market will be worth $76.95 billion by 2028, up from $33.43 billion in 2021. That growth coincides with a time that has seen more consumers looking for non-alcoholic beverages, and on the heels of a massive spike in the popularity of hard seltzers.

According to Emily Hengstebeck, the sales rep for Beards, the brewery is well aware of these trends and the need for craft beverage makers to diversify into different markets.

“What’s awesome about the craft beer industry is that beer is just the beginning,”

Hengstebeck says. “At Beards, we started with the craft of beer, but we believe craft— creativity, innovation, quality—goes into everything we do. So, when we looked at the market and saw so many seltzers out there… we looked closer to see what was missing.

We decided we wanted to offer something simpler, something anyone could drink anytime, anywhere: water.”

Homegrown Inspiration As Beards started seeking inspiration to guide its first foray into the sparkling water niche, the brewery looked in the most logical place: its own backyard.

“Michigan—and northern Michigan, specifically—really defines who we are as a company already, so we used that to guide our creativity,” Hengstebeck explains. “We had seen and heard about a few other hop waters at the time, but no one in Michigan was owning a specific Michigan-made product yet. So we dived in. It seemed almost obvious to celebrate the Great Lakes by creating a product that was literally water.”

From there, it was a matter of finding ingredients to provide flavor, texture, and aroma. Hengstebeck says, “That, in a way, also became super obvious to us pretty quickly: the Michigan copper hop. Copper hops are born and bred here in Michigan, and we’ve been using them in our beer for many years. So, why not use a Michigan indigenous hop in our all-Michiganingredient product? Great Lakes water, plus Michigan Copper hops, plus carbonation, equals Michigan Hop Water.”

Using copper hops grown in Williamsburg by MI Local Hops, Beards Brewery perfected the formula for Michigan Hop Water and started self-distributing the product early in 2021. Last summer, that distribution strategy moved to the next level thanks to a partnership with Cherry Capital Foods, which has helped widen the footprint. Along the way, Hengstebeck says Beards has had a fun time trying to find the

16 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

target audience for Michigan Hop Water, given that it’s not quite like any established product in the marketplace right now.

“It’s been really interesting and lots of fun,” Hengstebeck says of crafting, tweaking, and optimizing the marketing approach for Michigan Hop Water. “Hop water is a new category in the craft beverage game so everyone—us, distributors, retailers— we’re all trying to figure out where to put it. Do we put it next to Bubly and LaCroix?

Does it belong next to the drink mixers and tonic water? How about next to the CBD drinks and kombuchas? The answer, really, is ‘Yes’ across the board. Because of its versatility and simplicity, it’s a product that has garnered a lot of intrigue and follow-up questions. We’ve been seeing new individual consumers and new stores and restaurants— and even other breweries—reach out to try Michigan Hop Water.”

High Hop(e)s Right now, Michigan Hop Water is available in three flavors: “Original” (which puts the focus squarely on the local hop taste), lime, and cherry. However, Hengstebeck says there are plans in the works to expand and grow the brand in the not-too-distant future, including, probably, the introduction of more flavors.

Otherwise, Beards Brewery is just hoping to spread the word about the product, especially among loyal, lifelong Michiganders.

“We called it Michigan Hop Water because that’s exactly what it is,” Hengstebeck says. “It’s a Michigan-born product made from Michigan resources. We all know Michiganders have big state pride, so it’s important to us to emphasize and utilize those ingredients that we are lucky to have.

Plus, it’s simple and fun hydration in a can that can go with you anywhere.”

Learn more at michiganhopwater.com or at Beards Brewery 215 E Lake St, Petoskey.

A twist on a classic. Fill a glass with ice, add your favorite local gin (we used Traverse City Whiskey’s Verse Gin in ours), top with Michigan Hop Water and lime juice, and stir gently.

Hengstebeck recommends using the lime flavor of Michigan Hop Water in this cocktail, but Original works in a pinch. The hop water imparts a unique, floral flavor to the drink without compromising that familiar G&T character.

Hopped-Up Rye

Rye whiskey Original Michigan Hop Water This one is even simpler: Hengstebeck recommends “adding a splash of Original Michigan Hop Water” to a glass with a couple (generous) fingers of your favorite rye whiskey in it.

“The subtle hop flavor and mellow bitterness really brings out the spicy bite of the rye,” she says. We concur.

Photos by Samer Almadani Photography

Funky Soul from Syria Bassel & The Supernaturals head to Milliken Auditorium

Ross Boissoneau For Bassel Almadani, sharing his experience as a first-generation Syrian American involves more than just talking to people. For a start, you can dance to it.

That’s because he’s the frontman for Bassel & The Supernaturals. The band blends his soulful melodies and funkinspired rhythms into a jazzy stew that features lyrics regarding love, loss, and even the war in Syria.

If that sounds an unlikely combination of elements, you’re not wrong, but even a brief listen reveals how well it works. The audience at Milliken Auditorium will be able to judge for itself when the band performs March 19 at Dennos Museum Center.

The Beats of the Business Almadani began playing violin at 10 before shifting to drums a few years later.

Then he picked up a guitar and began writing his own songs. He continued his academic studies as well, graduating with a BA before studying business at the Ohio State University, eventually earning graduate degrees there in both logistics management and international business.

Those degrees have served him well when it comes to building a broad-based career.

“It’s drilled into you when young, you’ve got to put your head down, work your ass off,” Almadani says. “Most music institutions don’t fight against that [singular] approach.

They don’t teach you how to create a brand, seize opportunities, make a living.”

The layered approach to his music

career became even more important when the pandemic shuttered venues and cut off performing for virtually all musicians.

Almadani says the shutdown gave him a chance to step back and take stock. “Writing, rehearsing, touring—it’s endless and it’s vicious. I recalibrated my life, what I want to do with family, friendships, music.”

To Syria, with Love Speaking of family, though Almadani was born and raised in the U.S., many of his relatives, including his parents, are from Aleppo, Syria. Bassel & the Supernaturals works closely with organizations to build awareness of and empathy for Syrian refugees through events, residences, and donating a portion of its proceeds to foundations and charities.

“The music is going to be phenomenal,” he says of the upcoming show. “And there’s a deeper layer to our engagement. The stories are deep and personal, connected to my advocacy work. Above and beyond the music is an opportunity for advocacy.”

In this pursuit, Almadani has collaborated with the Syrian American Medical Society, Intercultural Music Production, and several Arab-American artists. He’s outspoken about his heritage and how negative stereotypes impact us all, using music to connect to anyone with ears open to listen.

Almadani says he has observed and experienced prejudice in his life. “There was a lot of racism (against Arab Americans) in the wake of 9/11. When Trump was in office, he targeted specific countries, which led to extra negative attention,” he says.

That despite what people from his homeland, among other places, did both abroad and in this country. “People like my father. A doctor, he brought 4,000 babies into this world.”

As an example of what he’s gone through, Almadani relates a story about meeting a woman at a church in Wichita, Kansas.

She came up to him and agreed that Syrian refugees needed to be welcomed. “They really deserve a better place—just not here,” she told him.

“It’s tough. It hits you in the gut,” Almadani says.

Almadani admits he was afforded a privilege others were not as a result of simply growing up in the U.S. He says he didn’t do

anything to earn it or deserve it, telling the Toledo City Paper, “Songwriting has been a way for me to lift up (my family’s) voice and to help me stay connected with my cultural DNA, at a time when I feel it’s threatened.”

Being able to combine advocacy for all people, no matter their race or ethnic heritage, with music that moves people is Almadani’s passion. “It’s Syrian beat with Midwest soul,” he says of his musical approach. “We’re bringing grooves, a fresh sound: R&B, jazz, lots of flavors. You’ll find yourself tapping your toes and thinking deeply about the context.”

For ticket information, go to dennosmuseum. org/events/milliken.

Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 17

mar 12

saturday

KID’S FESTIVAL WEEKEND: Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, March 11-13. From face painting, paintball & rock walls to family movies, silly ski races & coloring contests, Kid’s Festival Weekend is geared towards kids of every age. Check out the Happily Ever After: Cinderella’s Royal Ball & other princess events. boynemountain. com/upcoming-events/kids-fest-weekend

---------------------LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: 9am, The Workshop Brewing Co., TC. Cost is $35 for in-person or virtual race. Prices increase after March 10. runsignup.com/Race/MI/TraverseCity/LeapinLeprechaun5K

---------------------SPRING CARNIVAL: Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Featuring the Cardboard Classic Race; build a sled using only cardboard & duct tape, On-Slope Scavenger Hunt, Candy Jar Challenge, Slush Cup; ski or ride through a giant pit of icy slush, & more. crystalmountain.com/event/spring-carnival

---------------------GUIDED SNOWSHOE HIKE: 10am, Michigan Legacy Art Park, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Executive Director Angie Quinn will lead you on a tour on wooded, snowy trails to view the sculptures in the Art Park. Meet at the Art Park trailhead. If there is no snow, it will be a hike. $5/adults, children free. michlegacyartpark.org/tours-workshops/ winter-art-park-tours

---------------------KEHL LAKE GUIDED HIKE: 10am, Kehl Lake Natural Area, Northport. Join Leelanau Conservancy docents to talk history during this hike. Free. leelanauconservancy.org/ events/kehl-lake-guided-hike-docents-joinedby-executive-director-tom-nelson

---------------------LITTLE WAVES YOUNG CHILDREN’S LIBRARY SERIES: Children can discover their own unique gifts & interests through interactive activities with GLCO musicians. This year’s theme is “My Favorite Musical Instrument.” Held at Petoskey District Library at 10:30am, & Charlevoix Public Library at 1pm.

This month will feature the horn.

---------------------FRIENDS OF GLEN LAKE LIBRARY POPUP BOOK SALE: 11am-3pm, Glen Lake Community Library, Program Room, Empire. glenlakelibrary.net

---------------------TC’S ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: 1:30pm. Take part in this familyfriendly event with the Ancient Order of Hibernians in downtown TC. Starts at Kilkenny’s.

---------------------“THE PROCESS”: 2pm & 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Phoenix Theatre.

See what happens when the performer & the person step to the stage as one. Witness the last leg of a journey rooted in self-discovery through art. This devised theatre presentation showcases the personal narratives of students who journeyed The heal.be.live.

Method. $21 full, $16 student. interlochen. org/events/process-2022-03-11

march

12-20

---------------------ART IS SWEET: 2-5pm, Downtown Bellaire. The Annual Sweet Bake Off with a twist.

Check out local artist exhibits in various locations. Purchase tickets to taste sweets made by local bakers & vote for your favorite. Tickets can be purchased at various downtown Bellaire businesses. $10. bellairechamber. org/event/art-is-sweet

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

---------------------MOREL PICKING SEMINAR WITH ANTHONY WILLIAMS: 2pm, Interlochen Public Library. After winning the National Morel Hunting Championship five years in a row, Anthony retired from competitive picking to become the “Expert in Residence” for The National Morel Festival. 231-276-6767.

----------------------

REMEMBERING TRAVERSE CITY’S CLINCH PARK ZOO: 2pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Traverse Area Historical Society board member & former Clinch Park Zookeeper Jennifer Loup will present the history of the Clinch Park aquarium, animals, & attractions from the early 1930s through the closing of the zoo in 2007.

A building from the original Traverse City Miniature City will be on display, on loan from the Music House Museum. Attend in person or join online via Zoom. Free. events.tadl.org/event/ traverse-area-historical-society-presents-remembering-clinch-park-zoo

---------------------SLUSH CUP: 2-4pm, Shanty Creek Resort, Schuss Mountain, Bellaire. Watch the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat as skiers & riders attempt to cross an icy 60′ pond. Some take it to another level with crazy costumes. shantycreek.com/event/slush-cup

---------------------SONG OF WYOMING: 2pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Presented by Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre. Written by Thomas Morrell, the “Song of Wyoming” pays homage to Western classic characters & scenes. $12-$20. mynorthtickets.com/events/song-of-wyoming-2pm-3-12-2022

---------------------COMEDY W/ BOB ZANY: 7pm & 9:30pm, TC Comedy Club, TC. Bob has appeared on over a thousand national TV shows, including The Tonight Show. Currently he can be seen on Showtime in Billy Gardell’s Road Dogs.

He has numerous film credits including “Joe Dirt” with David Spade. Bob has performed in all 50 states & D.C., plus nine countries. $20$25. traversecitycomedyclub.com/bob-zany

Castle Farms will host the 2022 Business Expo & Taste of Charlevoix on Weds., March 16 from 4-7pm. Stop by vendor booths in a wide range of categories, including retail, professional, industry, service, tourism and more.

Restaurants offer a sampling of their specialties. Taste and vote for your favorite place. $5. business.charlevoix. org/events/details/2022-business-expo-taste-of-charlevoix-13628

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA: Old Town Playhouse, TC. Forced into a life of servitude, a young woman dreams of a better life. Then, with the help of her fairy godmother, she is transformed into an elegant young lady who meets her prince at the ball.

Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from Feb. 17 through March 19, starting at 2pm on Sundays & 7:30pm all other days. Adults: $28; youth under 18: $15 (plus fees). tickets.oldtownplayhouse.com/ TheatreManager/1/login&event=358

---------------------TSO MAESTRO SERIES: OTHALIE GRAHAM, SOPRANO: 7:30pm, Historic Barns Park, Cathedral Barn, TC. Main floor, $45.50. traversesymphony.org/concert/maestro-series-othalie-graham

mar 13

sunday

KID’S FESTIVAL WEEKEND: (See Sat., March 12)

-------------

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS FINALS WITH JACK CHENG: 2pm, City Opera House, TC. Pre-

sented by NWS. A book-based quiz competition for fourth & fifth graders in the Grand Traverse community. Kids read stories together & then compete. Today is the Championship & All-Team Finale. It will feature Jack Cheng, author of “See You in the Cosmos.” In-person tickets: $5-$25. Virtual: Free. nationalwritersseries.org/product/jack-cheng

---------------------RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA: (See Sat., March 12)

---------------------JAZZ (LATE) BRUNCH W/ JEFF HAAS TRIO & LAURIE SEARS & THE NMC JAZZ LAB BAND: 3pm, The GT Circuit, TC. Wine from Chateau Chantal & food from The Good Bowl.

Masks required. $20 suggested donation.

---------------------TSO MAESTRO SERIES: OTHALIE GRAHAM, SOPRANO: 3pm, Historic Barns Park, Cathedral Barn, TC. Main floor, $45.50. traversesymphony.org/concert/maestro-seriesothalie-graham

---------------------GUEST ARTIST RECITAL: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Dendrinos Chapel & Recital Hall. Featuring Patrick Williams on flute & Olivia Staton on flute. Free; no tickets

Be the Reason For This Smile Substitute Bus Behavior Aides $18.00 per hour

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18 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

Traverse City Area Public Schools

Great Community, Great Schools

.net/jobs

required. interlochen.org/events/guest-artistrecital-patrick-williams-flute-and-olivia-statonflute-2022-03-13

mar 14

monday

KID’S CRAFT LAB: POT OF GOLD: 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Make a rainbow with loops. Hang up a pot of gold decoration all leprechauns will love. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

---------------------SOUP & BREAD: 6-8pm, The Little Fleet, TC. Local chefs donate soup. You eat soup. Donate what you can. Participating restaurants: Farm Club, Bubbies, Sugar to Salt, Cooks House, & Modern Bird. thelittlefleet.com/events

---------------------G.T. HUMANISTS MEETING: FISHPASS: 7pm. Featuring Dr. Daniel Zielinski of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Learn about FishPass, the proposed fish sorting system that would replace the present Union Street Dam on the Boardman River in TC. Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qdeGpqjwqEtE7xUVM6m5KY-PG45qouTdj Free. gthumanists.org

mar 15

tuesday

STORYTIME ADVENTURES: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “Green Eggs and Ham”

by Dr. Seuss. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

---------------------FOL MOVIE NIGHT: 6:30-8pm, Bellaire Public Library. Featuring “The Dish,” rated PG-13.

GTHC PROGRAM: HIGH POINTS: 7pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Following club meeting, Tami Stagman will present a program, “High Points.” Free. facebook.com/ GTHikers

---------------------SWEETWATER EVENING GARDEN CLUB MARCH SPEAKER & MEETING: 7pm, Acme Township Hall, Williamsburg. The guest speaker will be master gardener Cymbre Foster, who is also a creative teacher & successful business owner. She presents “Preserving Nature’s Bounty.” If interested in attending, call 938-9611. Free.

mar 16

wednesday

ICE BREAKER SPEAKER SERIES: 12-1pm, held via Zoom. “Rolling on the Rivers.” Brian Kozminski of True North Trout will tell you tales about enjoying peace & quiet on the Maple, Jordan, Black, Pigeon, & other rivers in the area. Expect some fly fishing tips from a master. Register. watershedcouncil.org/attend-anevent.html

---------------------2022 BUSINESS EXPO & TASTE OF CHARLEVOIX: 4-7pm, Castle Farms, Charlevoix. The largest networking event in the Charlevoix area featuring vendor booths in a wide range of categories, including retail, professional, industry, service, tourism & more. Restaurants offer attendees a sampling of their culinary specialties. Taste & vote for your favorite dining establishment. $5. business.charlevoix.org/events/details/2022business-expo-taste-of-charlevoix-13628

---------------------AFTERNOON DELIGHT: 4-6pm, Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, 118

E. Main St., Harbor Springs. Find out what’s happening around town & enjoy some appetizers & drinks. Sponsored by Stafford’s Pier.

---------------------AN EVENING WITH EMILY PITTINOS: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, The Writing House. Join this poet & teacher for an evening of poetry & discussion of the writer’s craft. Hosted by the Interlochen Arts Academy Creative Writing Division. Free; no tickets required. interlochen.org/events/evening-emilypittinos-2022-03-16

mar 17

thursday

KID’S CRAFT LAB: POT OF GOLD: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Make a rainbow with loops. Hang up a pot of gold decoration all leprechauns will love. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS

Mon March 16- $5 martinis, $5 domestic beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher.

FROM Tues OPEN-6PM - 4-8pm: The Pocket

Hours MondayKung 2pm-9pm 9pm-1am: Fu Rodeo Tues-Thurs 2pm-2am • Fri-Sun noon-2am

in the can night - $1 domestic, WedMonday - Get it March 14th - Jukebox $3 craft- w/DJ JR

TUES TRIVI 7-9PM

A

M SUN 6-8P NGO MUSIC BI

TO-GO OR DERS AVAILABL E 231-2524157

Sun-Tues Noon-9pm Fri/Sat Noon-10pm (kitchen open noon-9pm) closed Wednesdays

Tues March 15--$2 OpenoffMic from 8-9:30 Thurs all Comedy drinks and then 10pm-2am Electric Open $2 Labatt drafts w/DJ RickyMic T Wed March 16 DJ Coven $2 domestic Fri March 20 - Buckets of Beer starting at drafts $8 (2-8pm)

DRINK SPECIALS (3-6 Monday-Friday): $2 well drinks, $2 domestic drafts, $2.50 domestic bottles, $5 Hornitos margarita SUNDAY - $6 Ketel One Bloody Mary & $4 Mimosas

Thurs March 17th • 3-7pm • Rolling Dirty Sat March 21 -9pm-1am The Isaac • SoulRyder PatchBand (No Covers)

Monday - $1 chips and salsa Tuesday - $1 enchiladas Thursday - $5 fried veggies (cauliflower or mushrooms) Friday - $5 hot pretzels w/ beer cheese THURS MARCH 17TH - OPEN NOON-10PM Time Bombs 1-4 & Stonehengz • 6:30-9:30 • On the patio!

& $3 craft drafts Happy Hour: The Chris Michels Bandfrom Then:9pm-close.

The Isaac Ryder Band

Friday March 18th22• E.B.D. Sunday March

Sun March 20th SatKARAOKE March 19th ( 10pm-2am) The Brothers Crunch Karaoke

941-1930 downtown TC check us out at unionstreetstationtc.net

DAILY FOOD SPECIALS (3-6pm):

221 E State St. - downtown TC

---------------------PETOSKEY BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-7pm, Northern Lights Recreation, Petoskey.

Most festive & spirited person or group wearing green will win a prize. $10 Chamber members; $15 not-yet-members. petoskeychamber.com/business-after-hours

---------------------INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FORUM: 6pm. “The Rise of Populism: Germany’s New Role.” A virtual event on the rise of Populism & Germany’s new perspective, including commentary on Russia’s war in Ukraine, featuring Jeff Rathke, president of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University. $10 livestream suggested donation; free for current students & educators. tciaf.com/event-3-17-2022

---------------------INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY ORCHESTRA SPRING CONCERT: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Dr. Leslie Dunner takes the podium as the IAA Orchestra presents an evening of instrumental music. $9-$12. interlochen.org

---------------------RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA: (See Sat., March 12)

friday

Give our team a helping hand.

----------------------

Refer a nurse. Get rewarded!

----------------------

Know an experienced nurse who would make a great addition to our healthcare team?

Earn up to $1,000 when you refer a nurse who joins our team of registered nurse rockstars.

mar 18

CARNIVAL WEEKEND: Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, March 18-20.

Featuring a Spring-a-licious Snow Beach Party, Adult Costume Contest, Aprés Ski Party featuring DJ Mike, Slush Cup & more. boynemountain. com/upcoming-events/carnival-weekend

COFFEE @ TEN, TC - NORTHLAND WEAVERS GUILD: 10-11am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Carnegie Rotunda, TC. Join in a conversation with this northern Michigan fiber guild. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-cityctac-online/coffee-ten-northland-weavers-guild STORYTIME ADVENTURES: (See Tues., March 15)

---------------------TC BOAT SHOW: 3-8pm, GT Civic Center, TC. Featuring a selection of pontoons, ski boats, cruisers, personal watercraft, docks, boat lifts, paddle boards & more. $7 adults, $2 ages 6-15, free 5 & under. traversecityboatshow.com

Learn more at munsonhealthcare.org/ReferANurse.

---------------------RING IN SPRING AT THE HIGHLANDS: 4pm, The Highlands at Harbor Springs. Today features cookies & hot cocoa in the Main Lodge Lobby. highlandsharborsprings.com

---------------------RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA: (See Sat., March 12)

Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 19

mar 19

saturday

CARNIVAL WEEKEND: (See Fri., March 18)

-------------

CELTS & KAYAKS: 9am4pm, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Look for onhill leprechauns for some luck of the Irish & a photo op. Also featuring Kayaks on the Snow Race, On-Slope Scavenger Hunt, food, Pot of Gold Challenge, music & the Slush Cup. crystalmountain.com/event/celts-kayaks

---------------------RING IN SPRING AT THE HIGHLANDS: The Highlands at Harbor Springs. Today features Slush Cup registration, wine tastings featuring northern Michigan wineries, live music in Zoo Bar, & Slush Cup. highlandsharborsprings.com

---------------------14TH ANNUAL TC BOAT SHOW: (See Fri., March 18, except today’s times are 10am6pm.)

---------------------MAPLEFEST: 11am-3pm, Grass River Natural Area Center, Pavilion, Bellaire. Stop by & see the process in action of making maple syrup. Ask staff questions & hike on the trail to see where they tap trees, hang buckets & lines, & collect sap. grassriver.org WOMEN’S MARCH TC PROTEST: 1-3pm.

Women’s March TC will hold a protest against the war on Ukraine. Stand on the sidewalks at the corner of Union & the Parkway, downtown TC. Bring signs & your voice. They request donations be made to Voices of Children. Call Monica at 231-325-6812 with questions or for more info.

---------------------GOPHERWOOD CONCERTS PRESENTS DREW NELSON & HIGHWAY 2: 7-9:30pm, Cadillac Elks Lodge. Nelson is a storytelling songwriter & multi-instrumentalist, as well as a fly fisherman & world traveler. He writes about those he has met along the way, mixing Americana & roots-rock with traditional folk styles. He has toured with Melissa Etheridge & Edwin McCain. $7-$15. mynorthtickets.com/ events/drew-nelson-highway-2-3-19-2022

---------------------OLD MISSION FIDDLE VINE: 7pm, The Music House Museum, Williamsburg. Michael Markley (fiddle) & his band mates specialize in fun, upbeat American country, bluegrass, Cajun & Irish traditional music. Special guest, performer & local teacher, Peter Deneen, will also perform. $25. mynorthtickets.com/ events/the-music-house-museum-is-proudto-present-old-mission-fiddle-vine-on-march19-at-700pm-3-19-2022

---------------------RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA: (See Sat., March 12) BASSEL & THE SUPERNATURALS: 8pm,

Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Hear the story of Bassel Almadani’s experience as a first generation SyrianAmerican. Enjoy soulful melodies, funk inspired rhythms, & lyrics regarding love, loss, & the war in Syria. $20-$28. simpletix.com/e/ bassel-the-supernaturals-tickets-79515 THE SIXTIES SOUND FEATURING MICKY DOLENZ & THE FAB FOUR: 8pm, Little River Casino Resort, Manistee. $0-$55. lrcr.com/ event-calendar/concerts/the-sixties-sound

mar 20

sunday

CARNIVAL WEEKEND: (See Fri., March 18)

--------------

ongoing

GTCD ANNUAL NATIVE SEEDLING SALE: Presented by the Grand Traverse Conservation District. Offering more than 25 high-quality, bare-root tree & shrub species.

This year’s selection includes four Michigan Assisted Tree Range Expansion Project (ATREP) species to support Climate Change resilience in our forests. The sale runs through March 31 with order pick-ups at the Boardman River Nature Center on April 2930. natureiscalling.org/native-seedling-sale

art

TARPS FOR PINTS: Join Restoration Church & Right Brain Brewery in collecting tarps, solar chargers, & crank flashlights for the homeless community. Bring a donation to Right Brain Brewery starting at 4pm & get a pint for $1. Live music.

YOUTHS ARTS EXHIBIT: Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. Celebrating the work of K-12 art students & educators from throughout the Grand Traverse region.

Runs March 15 - April 16. crookedtree.org/ event/ctac-traverse-city/youth-arts-exhibittraverse-city

14TH ANNUAL TC BOAT SHOW: (See Fri., March 18, except today’s times are 10am4pm.)

PAPERCRAFTS BY BETH SHUSTER: Alden District Library. Runs March 2-30. 231331-4318.

TC SENIOR CENTER RALLY: Noon, TC Senior Center, 801 E. Front St., TC. For a new building for seniors to use.

“LOVE LANGUAGE”: Higher Art Gallery, TC. Twenty artist group show. Runs through March 14. higherartgallery.com

LOCAL SHIPWRECK HUNTER ROSS RICHARDSON PRESENTS MICHIGAN MYSTERIES: 2pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Explore some of Michigan’s most mysterious disappearances & learn how some of these baffling cold cases get solved. Includes shipwreck stories & documentation & updates on current searches for missing aircraft. This program is held in person & via Zoom. Register. Free. events.tadl.org/events/ local-shipwreck-hunter-ross-richardson-presents-michigan-mysteries

CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION 2022: Charlevoix Circle of Arts, Charlevoix. This annual exhibit showcases student artwork.

Students, teachers & community members will be in attendance. Artwork from area 11th & 12th grade students will be on display through April 9. Free Youth Art Lab classes for ages 10 & up will take place during the exhibit timeframe: March 19, 1-3pm: Watercolor Paintings & Pastels; March 25, 1-3pm: AirDry Clay; April 9, 1-3pm: Intro to Sewing with Sewing Machines. Pre-registration required. charlevoixcircle.org - NCMC STUDENT SHOW: Runs through April 9 in Atrium Gallery. This annual exhibition recognizes the work of NCMC students. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ncmcstudent-show - 2022 YOUTH ART SHOW: Young artists working throughout Char-Em ISD are showcased in the Gilbert & Bonfield galleries. A reception will be held on Sat., March 19 from 2-4pm. Runs March 19 - May 11. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/2022youth-art-show DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - COLOR & SHAPE: BLACK ARTISTS FROM THE DENNOS COLLECTION: This exhibit of works by Black American artists

---------------------- ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ----------------------

---------------------A FAMILY SURPRISE - MUSIC FOR EVERYONE: 3pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Presented by the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, this program will include Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals, A Little Night Music & Hadyn’s Surprise Symphony. $28-$65. traversesymphony.org/concert/a-family-surprise

---------------------FRIENDS OF IPL CICERO’S PIZZA FUNDRAISER EVENT: Order pizza from Interlochen’s Cicero’s tonight from 4-9pm & 25% of the sales will be given to Interlochen Public Library to support community programs. To order call 231-276-6324. cicerospizzainterlochen.com

highlights the growing legacy of this collection. Comprising 70 years of artistic prowess, the collection ranges from abstract painting to figurative drawing & digital photography. Artists include Charles McGee, Carole Harris, Felrath Hines & Dex Jones. On view through April 3, Tues. - Sun. from 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/temporaryexhibits/color-shape.html - NWMI JURIED EXHIBITION: The 2022 NWMI Regional Juried Exhibition submissions comprised 388 artworks from 217 artists throughout the 37-county region. The final juried show features 94 artworks from 83 artists, with media ranging from charcoal, watercolor, & acrylics to aluminum, wood, fiber, & more.

Held regularly at the Museum for 30 years, the exhibition features art made by regional artists over the last year & juried by an arts professional outside of the region. On view through May 29, every Tues. - Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view/temporaryexhibits/nwmi-juried-exhibition.html - NATHALIE MIEBACH EXHIBITION: Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Miebach’s exhibition, “Stay Healthy and Strong,” features new installations & sculptures that she completed during a 2021 residency at the Ucross Foundation in Sheridan, Wyoming.

It explores climate data & COVID trends through art. Runs through May 29. Open Tues. through Sun. from 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/?utm_source=cision&utm_ medium=email&utm_campaign=DMC-Nathalie-Miebach - THE ART OF: DEL MICHEL: Michel has participated in competitive & invitational exhibitions throughout the U.S. & has won many prizes. He has been selected for seven international exhibitions & is represented in numerous private, corporate, & university & museum collections throughout the U.S., Europe & Mexico. On view through April 3, Tues. - Sun, 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-onview/temporary-exhibits/del-michel.html

---------------------GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER: - “PAPERWORK”: Runs through March 24.

This exhibition focuses on works on paper, & works made of paper. It features the work of 21 artists from throughout Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, & the nation of Chile.

Check web site for hours. glenarborart.org/ events/paperwork-exhibition - “WOODLAND STUDIES”: A small exhibition of black & white photographs by Grand Rapids photographer Rodney Martin. It runs through April 13 in the Lobby Gallery. Martin focuses his lens on the landscape. For the images in “Woodland Studies,” he zeros in on rivers, woods & orchards in Benzie, Grand Traverse & Leelanau counties. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org/events/ exhibit-woodland-studies

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20 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

HERE THEY COME Little River hosting blast from the past with The Monkees and The Beatles

Ross Boissoneau Coming soon, a chance to hear the music made famous in the ‘60s by those four lovable mop tops.

Wait, are we talking the Beatles or the Monkees?

Improbably, it’s both. The Sixties Sound concert at Little River Casino on March 19 will feature the music of the Beatles performed by tribute group the Fab Four, with headliner Micky Dolenz singing the hits of the Monkees.

The Fab Four has received accolades for recreating the music of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr. It has performed across the globe and won an Emmy Award in 2013 for the PBS TV special, “The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute.”

Dolenz says he’s worked with the Fab Four previously and they do a great job recreating the hits by the biggest band of all time. As for Dolenz’s band, who doesn’t love “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “I’m A Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” and the other pop gems the band crafted?

More than Monkeying Around By now, the Monkees’ story is well known. The success of the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night enabled producers Bob Rafaelson and Bert Schneider to sell their idea of the zany antics of four lovable guys in a band as a comedy show to NBC. Auditions led to the casting of Peter Tork (suggested by none other than Stephen Stills after Stills was rejected), Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones, and Micky Dolenz. The first two were folksy musicians, the latter two actors. They came together as the at-first imaginary rock group, performing music by songwriters like Neil Sedaka, Carole Bayer Sager, Michael Martin Murphy, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Neil Diamond, and Gerry Goffin. Later, they turned to making original hits of their own.

After two years of comic TV adventures and millions of albums and singles sold, the band split up, with each going on to other ventures, sometimes together, often not. For

years Dolenz lived in England, where he pursued a career as a television and film writer and director. He also did some stage and television work.

It was while in Britain that he attended an Everly Brothers concert. “I hope they do their hits,” he says of his thoughts pre-show. Sure enough, the set list included gems like “Wake Up Little Susie” and “All I Have To Do Is Dream.”

“I stood up with everyone else and sang, tears running down my face. I remember thinking if I’m ever asked to go back and sing, I’m gonna make damn sure I sing the hits.”

He said unlike some people who find fame only to disavow it later, he always embraced his time as a Monkee. “My approach is as an entertainer. I’d been a child star, and [The Monkees] was my second series. It wasn’t a group; it was a show about a group.

I’ve seen artists that refuse to sing any of their original hits. I never had any issues. I never wanted to reinvent the music.”

He got his chance in 1986, when MTV began showing Monkees reruns, which led to demand for the return of the group to the stage. Sold-out concert tours featured Dolenz, Tork, and Jones, with Nesmith occasionally joining in. Jones’s unexpected death in 2012 led to additional concerts by the three surviving members, and when Tork died in 2019, Dolenz and Nesmith performed as “The Mike and Micky Show.” Nesmith passed away in December of last year.

Still Busy Singing Dolenz remembers his fellow Monkees as his brothers and appreciates the fact their music remains popular today. And he’s still recording and touring. When Dolenz’s record company asked if he wanted to do a new original album, he jumped at the chance, thinking back to a recording made by his pal Harry Nilsson where Nilsson performed songs by Randy Newman.

“In the 70s, my dear friend Harry Nilsson did Nilsson Sings Newman. I’d been at some of those sessions. I thought, ‘What a cool idea.’”

Dolenz’s most recent project is entitled Dolenz Sings Nesmith, an EP series that features him singing music composed by his longtime performing partner. The album was produced by Mike Nesmith’s son, Christian.

“Nez was by far the most prolific songwriter. I just always appreciated his songs. I sang lead on most of them,” notes Dolenz.

The cover art of Dolenz Sings Nesmith even echoes the art from Harry Nilsson’s album, which had the performer driving an old car through a sepia-toned American landscape, with Newman in the back seat. It was painted by Dean Torrence, half of the popular vocal group Jan and Dean. This version features Dolenz driving with Nesmith in the back.

Dolenz goes from this tour with the Fab Four to the Beach Boys Good Vibrations Cruise, then hits the road with “Micky Dolenz Celebrates the Monkees” before joining onetime Rascal Felix Cavaliere for a series of concerts. It’s a pace that could make a younger performer struggle to keep up, but the now 76-year-old (!) Dolenz keeps on keeping on. “The main thing is a moving target is harder to hit,” he says with a laugh.

“It’s what I do. It’s my career. I’m blessed I’m can still make a good living.

“I always tell people they pay me to travel and I sing for free,” he continues. He admits that as he gets older, the stresses of travel get tougher. “I’m careful about travel arrangements.

I don’t do well on a tour bus, so I avoid that. I am being a lot more selective, I don’t accept everything that comes along.”

So why keep at it? “I love doing the show,” he says simply.

The fans continue to come, with a mix of ages you typically don’t see at other performances. “When MTV got on it, it spawned an entire new generation. So there’s the original fans, their children, then their children’s children. It’s not unusual to have three generations.”

For tickets and more information, go to lrcr.com and click on Events, or call 800-514-3849.

Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 21

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska DELAMAR, TC ARTISAN WATERFRONT RESTAURANT & TAVERN:6-9: 3/13 -- Rhett & John 3/17 -- Blake Elliott 3/20 -- Big Rand LOWER LOBBY: 3/12 & 3/19 -- Drew Hale, 7-11 3/18 -- Adam Dennis, 7-10 ENCORE 201, TC 3/12-13 -- Jabo Bihlman Band, 9-12 3/17 -- Project 6, 9-11 3/18 -- Blair Miller, 9 3/19 -- Jon Archambault Band, 9-11 FRESH COAST BEER WORKS, TC 3/18 -- 1000 Watt Prophets, 6-9 KILKENNY’S, TC 3/17 -- Irish Rock Music w/ The Blue Footed Booby, 3-6; Stonefolk, 9-1 LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC THE BARREL ROOM: 3/14 -- Barrels & Beats w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9 LIL BO, TC Thurs. – Jazz w/ Larz Cabot, 6-9

Fri. – Live music Sun. -- Karaoke - Shooting Star Entertainment, 8 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, TC 3/16 -- Eric Clemons, 7:30-10:30 TC COMEDY CLUB, TC 3/11 -- Comedy w/ Bob Zany, 7:30 3/12 -- Comedy w/ Bob Zany, 7 & 9:30 THE GT CIRCUIT, TC 3/13 -- Jazz (Late) Brunch w/ Jeff Haas Trio & Laurie Sears & The NMC Jazz Lab Band, 3 THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 3/13 -- 78s for The People: Spinning Original 78 rpm Records from the 1920s -1950s, 6 THE PARLOR, TC 8-11: 3/11-12 -- John Pomeroy 3/15 -- Jesse Jefferson 3/16 -- Wink Solo 3/17 -- St. Patty’s Day w/ Blue Footed Booby 3/18 -- David Martin 3/19 -- Jazz Cabbage

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 3/12 -- DJ Ras Marco D, noon2pm; Rolling Dirty, 7 3/14 -- Vinyl Lovers w/ Eugene’s Record Co-op, 7 3/15 -- Open Mic, 7 3/16 -- Jazz Show, 6 3/18 -- Cold Leather Seats, 7 3/19 -- DJ Ras Marco, noon-2pm; Botala, 7

HELLO VINO, BELLAIRE 3/12 -- Doc Woodward, 7-9 MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BELLAIRE 3/12 & 3/19 -- Clint Weaner, 7:3011:30

UNION STREET STATION, TC 3/11-12 -- Scarkazm, 10 3/13 & 3/20 -- Karaoke, 10 3/14 -- Jukebox, 10 3/15 -- Open Mic Comedy, 8-9:30; Electric Open Mic, 10-2 3/16 -- DJ Coven, 10 3/17 -- Rolling Dirty, 3-7; Soul Patch, 9-1 3/18 -- E.B.D., 10 3/19 -- The Brothers Crunch, 10

SHORT’S BREW PUB, BELLAIRE 3/11-12 -- Biomassive, 8-10:30 3/13 & 3/20 -- Sunday Vibes Sessions w/ Local DJs, 2-5 3/18 -- Harborcoat, 8-10:30 3/19 -- The Rolling Dirty, 8-10:30

Emmet & Cheboygan BEARDS BREWERY, PETOSKEY 3/12 -- Charlie Millard Solo, 6 3/13 -- Celtic/Traditional Irish Session, 5 3/19 -- The Real Ingredients, 6-8 3/20 -- Owen James, 5 BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY 2-6: 3/12 -- Pre-St. Patrick’s Day

Celebration w/ Adam & Pat 3/19 -- Chris Calleja CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY 3/18 -- Annex Karaoke, 10 THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN 3/12 -- Lonely Pines, 7:30 3/18 -- Lori Cleland, 7 3/19 -- Blake Elliott, 7

edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC PATIO: 3/13 -- Music Bingo, 6-8 3/17 -- Time Bombs, 1-4; Stonehengz, 6:30-9:30

Antrim & Charlevoix ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS 3/12 -- Deerfield Run - Alex & Luke Duo Show, 8-11 3/19 -- St. Patrick’s Celebration w/ Bard Jim Ribby, 5-6; & Music w/ John Richard Paul, 8-11

nitelife

mar 12 - mar 20

Irish foot stomping band Blue Footed Booby will be right in their element in TC on St. Patty’s Day, first playing Kilkenny’s from 3-6pm and then The Parlor from 8-11pm.

Leelanau & Benzie BEL LAGO VINEYARD & WINERY, CEDAR 3/19 -- Blair Miller, 5 CICCONE VINEYARD & WINERY, SUTTONS BAY Thu -- SnowGood Thursdays w/ Open Mic, 6-9 3/19 -- North Bay Celtic Band, 2:30-5 CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE VISTA LOUNGE: 3/11 -- Drew Hale, 8-11

3/12 -- Drew Hale, 2-5; Drew Hale Band, 8-11 DICK’S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU Sat. -- Karaoke, 10-1 LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 6:30-9:30: 3/12 -- Runaway Mule 3/17 -- St. Patrick’s Day w/ The Jameson Brothers 3/18 -- Drew Hale 3/19 -- Two Third’s Coast

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 6-9: 3/12 -- Jedi Clampetts 3/18 -- Blake Elliott 3/19 -- Jesse Jefferson STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT 3/12 -- Luke Woltanski, 7-9 3/17 -- Ben Traverse & Josh Holcomb, 8 3/19 -- Tim Jones, 4; Lynn Callihan, 7

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee THE HIGHLANDS AT HARBOR SPRINGS SLOPESIDE LOUNGE: 3/15 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7 ZOO BAR: 4: 3/12 – Chris Calleja 3/19 -- Michelle & Pete

LITTLE RIVER CASINO RESORT, MANISTEE 3/19 -- The Sixties Sound Featuring Micky Dolenz & The Fab Four, 8

Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD 3/18 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

BENNETHUM’S NORTHERN INN, GAYLORD 3/15 -- Jeff Greif, 5-8

BIG BUCK BREWERY, GAYLORD 3/12 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6-9

ACME DENTAL HEALTH CARE 4 4 8 0 M T. H O P E R D . , S U I T E A WILLIAMSBURG, MI 49690 2 31. 4 8 6 . 6 8 78 AC M E D E N TA L H E A LT H . COM

BELLAIRE DENTAL HEALTH CARE 638 WILLOW DR. B E L L A I R E , M I 4 9 615 2 31. 5 3 3 . 5 0 01 B E L L A I R E D E N TA L H E A LT H . COM

22 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

by meg weichman

Another day, another superhero franchise reboot. At this point, I’ve become numb to reboot culture, so instead of rehashing the merits of making another Batman film, how about we instead just accept the continual remaking of beloved intellectual property as a natural part of life? And in the case of The Batman, without situating it within a broader conversation of franchise history—and whether it is in fact better than The Dark Knight or not—the film itself does prove to be something genuinely fresh and worth watching.

Unlike how Justin Timberlake’s Sean Parker urged Mark Zuckerberg to drop “The” from the “The Facebook,” in the name of it being “cleaner,” in titling the film The Batman, director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) sends a clear (bat) signal that he’s going for something far grittier. And not only is this film grungier than recent DCEU takes on the character (see also that Nirvana fueled soundtrack), it also isn’t really that much of a superhero movie, instead leaning more into the realm of an epic crime saga, resulting in something magnificently moody. And as far as vibes go, operatic and hard-boiled noir really does suit the Caped Crusader, even if at times The Batman feels like watered down David Fincher.

Mercifully, this Batman iteration spares us from an origin story. And if anything, it builds more upon the myth of Gotham than of Bruce Wayne. When we come across Batman, he’s been working the streets for nearly two years now and is fully teamed up with Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). But after two years serving as the city’s vigilante crime fighter, it doesn’t seem like Gotham’s crime stats have gotten any better.

Shaking up Batman’s regular routine of busting skulls after dark is the Halloween night murder of Gotham’s Mayor. Gordon brings Batman to the crime scene, and it soon becomes clear this is no ordinary slaying. The killer left behind puzzles and clues for Batman, all in the name of uncovering the corruption at the heart of the city and exposing the lies of not only the local organized crime outlets, but also the city’s most “upstanding” public servants.

From there the movie pretty much becomes a serial killer investigation a la Zodiac, with Batman basically filling the same role as Brad Pitt in Se7en. This film is much more in line with one of his original monikers as the “world’s greatest detective,” a far more cerebral and grounded affair that is low on fancy gadgets and high on brainpower.

In the hands of Robert Pattinson, aka RBatz, Batman is a melancholy, tortured poet type, all doom and gloom, and not the tuxedo-donning playboy. With his dark eye shadow, this is truly the goth-emo Batman we didn’t know we wanted, but the goth-emo Batman we deserve. From sparkly vampires to celibate space prisoners, there really isn’t anything Pattinson can’t do—blockbuster action movies included. And whether this weirdly wonderful Batman resonates with you or not, you can’t say Pattinson is not selling it.

He’s also backed by a supporting cast that is firing on all cylinders. It’s not a spoiler to tell you that the killer they’re tracking is the Riddler (Paul Dano), who, with his Eastern Europe early 80s military energy, really nails the villain as a domestic terrorist role. And

the batman

Dano, sporting a mask for most of the film, is truly unnerving, though his face-to-face interactions with Batman leave something to be desired.

Batman also teams up with Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle, who is a true revelation.

Written like an empowered femme fatale, she’s a cocktail waitress at a club where crime lords mix with politicians who is seeking justice for the roommate who went missing after her ties to the slain mayor were revealed. Kravitz’s chemistry with Pattinson is off the charts, and it’s a shame they were not given more opportunity to explore it the way they deserved.

Filling in other familiar roles is a uncomfortably hot Andy Serkis as Alfred, Batman’s loyal butler turned father figure; an unrecognizable Colin Farrell as the Penguin (a smaller part showing lots of promise for the future); and the categorically fabulous John Turturro as Gotham’s biggest crime boss, Carmine Falcone.

Topping out at around three hours, the story is complex, but not in an overstuffed or indulgent way. Liberated from the blockbuster formula, the action set pieces are restrained, used judiciously, and favor procedural elements over explosions. That is until the third act, when it seems studio pressures prevail and the drama goes up a notch, while the film’s sense of confidence crumbles.

Reeve brings together a truly incredible team of artisans, from Michael Giacchino’s hauntingly minimalist score to Greig Fraser’s (an Oscar nominee for Dune), stellar cinematography. Yet for all its craftsmanship and seriousness, there’s not a ton of depth— emotional or otherwise. And while there are plenty of thrills, the twists and turns seem like a forgone conclusion.

Very much a product of its time—see the uprising of internet trolls—The Batman seems to suggest a futility in achieving any actual change unless we burn it all down to the ground first, so why not go beat up on some sad, desperate people in the meantime? Yet it also leaves the door open for criticism as to why Bruce Wayne doesn’t use his billions to support social programs that could alleviate crime instead of the ineffectiveness of his fist. It will be interesting to see how these threads are developed in the probably alreadygreenlit sequels.

“Jonesin” Crosswords "It's In a Name"--for all across theme answers. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1. British men’s mag 4. Mennen shaving brand 8. Dangly throat bit 13. Future school members 14. Pig’s feed 15. What “atterizar” means, at Ibiza Airport 17. Late Canadian wrestler and brother of Bret 19. When many work shifts start 20. Soup at sushi bars 21. Wesley’s portrayer on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” 23. “___ in St. Louis” (1944 Garland film) 25. Battle cry against Cobra Commander 26. Acted as guide 27. Was a candidate 28. Dungeons & Dragons humanoid 31. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” composer Morricone 34. ___ Bop (child-friendly versions of hit songs) 36. Squished circle 37. Louisiana band named for the genre it played 40. “The Sopranos” actress Falco 41. Atmospheric prefix for sphere 42. Had all rights to 43. In medias ___ 44. Disco ___ (“Simpsons” character) 45. Indian state formerly ruled by Portugal 46. Excessively theatrical 48. Like library materials 52. Star of multiple self-titled sitcoms 56. “To Sir With Love” singer 57. Cold sore-fighting brand 58. Father of Pocahontas (and example of the hidden word in the theme answers--this one just happens to be consecutive) 60. Fasten again 61. Legal appeal 62. “We ___ the Champions” 63. Country type 64. Himalayan monster 65. Big letters in gossip

DOWN 1. Psychoanalyst Erich 2. “Deal Or No Deal” host Mandel 3. 1980s attorney general Edwin 4. Pokemon protagonist 5. Far from perfect 6. Television’s Spelling 7. In a befitting way 8. Team that moved from New Orleans in 1979 9. Determine by ballot 10. Arm bones 11. Cafe au ___ 12. A as in A.D. 16. Recliner room 18. Dissimilar, say 22. It comes before “the wise” or “your mother” 24. Cat call 28. Roast roaster 29. See who can go faster 30. Ball of dirt 31. Celebrity hairstylist Jose 32. “The Thinker,” for instance 33. “JAG” spinoff on CBS 34. Actress Riley of 2021’s “Zola” (and granddaughter of Elvis Presley) 35. Actor Ziering 36. Juice brand bought by Coca-Cola, then discontinued in 2020 38. Reach the limit 39. “The Sun Is Also a Star” author Nicola 44. Fleetwood Mac singer Nicks 45. Stood out in the rain, say 46. Move stealthily 47. Like some small dogs 49. ___ sea (cruising) 50. It might help you get up 51. Oscar of “The Office” 52. Candy unit 53. Don’t ignore 54. Czech Republic’s second-largest city 55. Walk-on, for one 59. “Bali ___” (song in “South Pacific”)

Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 23

JENNIFER GASTON (231) 313-0591 jennifer@jennifergaston.com www.jennifergaston.com

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Q

Q

: I knew my girlfriend wasn’t right for me, and I was super unhappy. Friends I confided in kept saying “Relationships take work” and “Take the good with the bad.” I listened to them and stayed in the relationship, which led to an ugly breakup.

When evaluating a relationship, how much should you take advice and how much should you rely on your instincts?

— Peer-Pressured

A

: Every year, it happens. Men who love power tools end up effectively celibate for a year after buying their wife a vacuum cleaner for Valentine’s Day. (Sad penis emoji.)

This gift-giving fail is a cousin of your friends’ relationship advice-giving fails.

Both stem from how bad we humans are at “perspective-taking.” That’s psychologists’ term for a conscious effort to put ourselves in another person’s shoes: trying to see the world from their perspective so we can figure out how they feel and what they need and want. Sounds like a pretty positive thing, right? And it is — in concept.

In practice, however, we tend to take the lazy way out, explains psychologist Nicholas Epley.

Getting a fix on what would work for another person starts with a good long think about who they are — and takes lots more mental sloggery after that. So, we go with what we’d want, customize it ever-so-slightly for them, and then tell ourselves it’s what they’d want.

GRAND TRAVERSE COMMONS

120 feet of private frontage on all sports Spider Lake. Largest part of Spider Lake, sunshine on Woodsy setting beautifulbottom. view of Duck Lakecon& the westthe beach all with day,a sandy Quality erly sunsets.commercial Shared Duck Lakew/frontage within a very short rm, kitchen, work room, bathroom & 4 Exceptional space 8 private offices, conference struction, perfectly maintained. Open floor plan w/ soaring vaulted pine ceiling w/ a wall of winwalking distance atentrances. the end ofGreat the layout, road. Large wrap-around separate exterior plenty of windows & all new stone, carpet throughout.

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24 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

BY Amy Alkon

For example, your friends’ “Take the good with the bad,” applied to your relationship, became “Take the miserable with the miserable.” Chances are your friends aren’t secret sociopaths, plotting to ruin your life.

But there’s (often subconscious) self-interest in advice-giving, like what I call “valuessignaling”: the showoffy confirmation of the awesomeness of one’s principles by shoving them on others. And then there’s the “helper’s high,” the buzz we get from do-gooding -- or the mere belief our do-gooding’s done good.

If you find a friend wise and think they fully understand your situation and share your values, it might be helpful to hear them out. However, your best bet is taking stock of your own values and then factoring in what’s made you happy (or miserable) in past relationships, along with the likelihood your current relationship will give you enough “good” to make the “bad” worthwhile. In short, the world’s best expert on what works for you is you — because you don’t have to imagine yourself in your shoes; you just have to go find the one your hellshow of a girlfriend threw out the window.

: My husband’s a great guy: an excellent father and provider, dedicated to our relationship. However, if I text him something emotional, like if I’m having a hard time at work, his response doesn’t seem genuine or heartfelt. Sometimes it’ll be inappropriately robotic, like texting a sad emoji. How can I get him to be more emotionally engaged?

— Annoyed

You did not marry Oprah. At best, you A:married Stedman.

Men are generally not as emotionally fluent as women, meaning not as able to identify and express their emotions. Say a woman puts her husband on the spot: “Well, come on...how do you feel about this?!” Assuming he loves her, he wants to tell her, but what comes out is “I...um...uhh...um...” (He figures he must have a feeling, but he’s not sure what it is, where it is, or how to find it.)

This isn’t to say men are broken or deficient.

They’re just different from women. Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen explains that women tend to be feelings-focused “empathizers.”

From toddlerhood on, women specialize in identifying others’ emotions and responding “with an appropriate emotion.” This comes in handy for narrowing down why the baby’s howling -- instead of going with a wild guess: “I dunno...maybe he wants a beer?”

Men, in contrast, tend to be engineeringfocused “systemizers,” driven to figure out the workings of predictable, rules-driven “systems,” like an AM/FM radio. “Predictable” because — for example — a radio remains a thing that receives and transmits electromagnetic waves; it doesn’t announce in a teary huff, “It’s that time of the month!” and spend six days acting like a repeating saw.

What’s actually making you unhappy is not your husband but your expectation that he be both your husband and Carrie Bradshaw.

Unfortunately, that’s unlikely to happen.

Bummer, yes, but consider how you describe your husband: a “great guy,” an “excellent father and provider,” dedicated to your relationship.

So...you could continue going around resentful that, well, your man isn’t much of a woman — or decide to shake your head and laugh at this wonderful man’s lame efforts to “speak chick.”

You might also consider that men’s native language (when among men) is often grunting or just silently coexisting — which makes evolutionary sense. A guy gabbing it up on the hunt would’ve scared off the wild boar — and then pissed off the wife when he brought home the tree bark and tried to pass it off as bacon.

ng issues lOGY

MARCH 14- MARCH 20

BY ROB BREZSNY

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20):

“Never underestimate the wisdom of being easily satisfied,” wrote aphorist Marty Rubin. If you’re open to welcoming such a challenge, Pisces, I propose that you work on being very easily satisfied during the coming weeks. See if you can figure out how to enjoy even the smallest daily events with blissful gratitude. Exult in the details that make your daily rhythm so rich. Use your ingenuity to deepen your capacity for regarding life as an ongoing miracle. If you do this right, there will be no need to pretend you’re having fun. You will vividly enhance your sensitivity to the ordinary glories we all tend to take for granted.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1634, English poet John Milton coined the phrase “silver lining.” It has become an idiom referring to a redemptive aspect of an experience that falls short of expectations. Over 350 years later, American author Arthur Yorinks wrote, “Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.” Now I’m relaying his message to you. Hopefully, my heads-up will ensure that you won’t miss the silver lining for any reason, including the possibility that you’re fixated on gold.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “This is the

most profound spiritual truth I know,” declares author Anne Lamott. “That even when we’re most sure that love can’t conquer all, it seems to anyway. It goes down into the rat hole with us, in the guise of our friends, and there it swells and comforts. It gives us second winds, third winds, hundredth winds.” Lamott’s thoughts will be your wisdom to live by during the next eight weeks, Scorpio. Even if you think you already know everything there is to know about the powers of love to heal and transform, I urge you to be open to new powers that you have never before seen in action.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Witty

Sagittarian author Ashleigh Brilliant has created thousands of cheerful yet often sardonic epigrams. In accordance with current astrological omens, I have chosen six that will be useful for you to treat as your own in the coming weeks. 1. “I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent.” 2. “I have abandoned my search for truth and am now looking for a good fantasy.” 3. “All I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power.” 4. “Do your best to satisfy me—that’s all I ask of everybody.” 5. “I’m just moving clouds today, tomorrow I’ll try mountains.” 6. “A terrible thing has happened. I have lost my will to suffer.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “All

experience is an enrichment rather than an impoverishment,” wrote author Eudora Welty.

That may seem like a simple and obvious statement, but in my view, it’s profound and revolutionary. Too often, we are inclined to conclude that a relatively unpleasant or inconvenient event has diminished us. And while it may indeed have drained some of our vitality or caused us angst, it has almost certainly taught us a lesson or given us insight that will serve us well in the long run—if only to help us avoid similar downers in the future.

According to my analysis of your current astrological omens, these thoughts are of prime importance for you right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

): “Life swarms with innocent monsters,” observed poet Charles Baudelaire. Who are the “innocent monsters”? I’ll suggest a few candidates. Boring people who waste your time but who aren’t inherently evil. Cute advertisements that subtly coax you to want stuff you don’t really need. Social media that seem like amusing diversions except for the fact that they suck your time and drain your energy. That’s the bad news, Aquarius. The good news is that the coming weeks will be a favorable time to eliminate from your life at least some of those innocent monsters.

You’re entering a period when you’ll have a strong knack for purging “nice” influences that aren’t really very nice.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Singer, dancer,

and comedian Sammy Davis Jr. disliked the song “The Candy Man,” but he recorded it anyway, heeding his advisors. He spent just a brief time in the studio, finishing his vocals in two takes. “The song is going straight to the toilet,”

Now This Is How You Start Your Day

surprised by who’s reading this right now?

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he complained, “pulling my career down with it.” Surprise! It became the best-selling tune of his career, topping the Billboard charts for three weeks. I suspect there could be a similar phenomenon (or two!) in your life during the coming months, Aries. Don’t be too sure you know how or where your interesting accomplishments will arise.

MICH

IGAN’S

WEEK

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June

2 - Jun

e 8, 201

4 Vol . 24

No. 22

Micha

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an Photog

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Baked French Toast

203 S. Cedar - Kalkaska TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I love author Maya

Angelou’s definition of high accomplishment, and I recommend you take steps to make it your own in the coming weeks. She wrote, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” Please note that in her view, success is not primarily about being popular, prestigious, powerful, or prosperous. I’m sure she wouldn’t exclude those qualities from her formula, but the key point is that they are all less crucial than self-love. Please devote quality time to refining and upgrading this aspect of your drive for success.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I’m not fake in

any way,” declared Gemini actor Courteney Cox. On the face of it, that’s an amazing statement for a Gemini to make. After all, many in your tribe are masters of disguise and shapeshifting. Cox herself has won accolades for playing a wide variety of characters during her film and TV career, ranging from comedy to drama to horror. But let’s consider the possibility that, yes, you Geminis can be versatile, mutable, and mercurial, yet also authentic and genuine. I think this specialty of yours could and should be extra prominent in the coming weeks.

surprised by who’s reading this right now?

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): Leo classicist and author Edith Hamilton specialized in the history of ancient Greece. The poet Homer was one of the most influential voices of that world. Hamilton wrote, “An ancient writer said of Homer that he touched nothing without somehow honoring and glorifying it.” I love that about his work, and I invite you to match his energy in the coming weeks. I realize that’s a lot to ask.

But according to my reading of the astrological omens, you will indeed have a knack for honoring and glorifying all you touch.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Starhawk, one of

my favorite witches, reminds us that “sexuality is the expression of the creative life force of the universe. It is not dirty, nor is it merely ‘normal’; it is sacred. And sacred can also be affectionate, joyful, pleasurable, passionate, funny, or purely animal.” I hope you enjoy an abundance of such lushness in the coming weeks, Virgo. It’s a favorable time in your astrological cycle for synergizing eros and spirituality. You have poetic license to express your delight about being alive with imaginative acts of sublime love.

N O R T H E R N

Have a median income above $86,500 an incredible 92 percent of express readers have purchased food, wine, or products based on an ad they saw on our pages For advertising information contact: info@northernexpress.com

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(June 21-July 22): “Sometimes I prayed for Baby Jesus to make me good, but Baby Jesus didn’t,” wrote author Barbara Kingsolver about her childhood approach to self-improvement. Just because this method failed to work for her, however, doesn’t mean it won’t work for others. In saying that, I’m not implying you should send out appeals to Baby Jesus. But I suggest you call on your imagination to help you figure out what influences may, in fact, boost your goodness. It’s an excellent time to seek help as you elevate your integrity, expand your compassion, and deepen your commitment to ethical behavior. It’s not that you’re deficient in those departments; just that now is your special time to do what we all need to do periodically: Make sure our actual behavior is in rapt alignment with our high ideals.

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Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 25

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLA SSI FIE DS PAID JOB TRAINING FOR 55+: Part-time positions waiting to be filled. Paid job training for qualifying seniors. Must be unemployed, seeking work and meet program guidelines.

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NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE IS HIRING NMC is seeking an Automotive Instructor (Faculty) and a Residence Hall Manager (Staff).

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26 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly

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We believe every child deserves a hero. Through our partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan and NMC’s College for Kids, we are striving to make that belief a reality.

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Northern Express Weekly • march 14, 2022 • 27

28 • march 14, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly