April 10, 2023 Northern Express

EVENT SCHEDULE

Trout-tastic! Opening Ceremony featuring Derailed, Wed

Flea Market, Thu-Sun

Skerbeck Family Carnival Midway, Thu-Sun

Shady Belle Local Entertainment, Thu-Sat

Trout Friday Concert with the Fabulous Horndogs

NWMI Fishing Club Portable Fishing Pond, Fri & Sat

Trout Friday Youth Parade

Whispering Pines Animal Kingdom, Fri-Sun

Kids’ Fishing Contest, Sat

Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser, Sat

Troutzillafest Music Stage, Sat

Grand Royale Parade, Sat

Winterfest Craft Show, Sat

Spring Fling Bump-n-Run Derby, Sat

Fireworks Display, Sat

Car Show (includes Pizza Eating Contest), Sun AND MORE! SPONSORS

No Nukes

Mr. Stout’s assessment of nuclear energy (Letters to the Editor, March 27) falls somewhat short. While his claim that only 1/360th of land is necessary for nuclear power generation could be true, he neglected to mention these would be micro-reactors only suitable for powering a small campus, hospital, or military complex. That only one model is in testing, that the projected cost is $100 million each, and these also generate more depleted uranium waste.

Commercial and conventional nuclear power generation still involves hundreds of acres of land, access to a large fresh water supply, mining and containment of tailings, and the unending problem of nuclear waste. Currently, there are about 80 locations in 35 states where spent nuclear fuel is stored with no long-term plans for disposal.

Most radioactive byproducts of nuclear power generation remain a health and environmental hazard for tens of thousands of years. More than 60,000 tons of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel is stored along the shorelines of four of the five Great Lakes and is routinely added to. Research shows a radioactive cloud from a spent fuel pool fire would span hundreds of miles and force the evacuation of millions in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Toronto, or other population centers, depending on where the accident occurred and wind patterns.

Over 12 years ago, the Fukushima disaster happened in Japan. This led to mass evacuations, no-go zones, and a government ban on fishing in large offshore areas of the Pacific Ocean because of high levels of radioactive cesium in the water. These still exist.

As I would not like to see any major nuclear reactors being built along our shorelines and causing habitat destruction, pollution, or depressing property values, neither do I want to see a mini-reactor behind my neighbor’s garage.

John Hunter | Traverse City

Collaboration and Beauty

Your unique particularity added to another’s unique particularity can harmonize; differences can make beauty. This is what I discovered while looking deeply into the art of the collaborators who sewed and painted and found objects and sculpted and felted and wrote and drew and built art together to make Collaborations Take 2, an art show now on display at Jordan River Arts Center.

Care and attention to the materials and to the principles of art are evident in Collaboration Take 2, which was originally going to open in 2020. They continued to create through the pandemic, to bring even more to this offering. The Jordan River Arts Center in East Jordan is a kind and excellent host and curator to this grouping of mixed media artists who have shared and created and found art in and through each other. Many thanks to you all for making this showing possible.

Christina Rajala | Petoskey

No Glaciers in Michigan

When I was in elementary school, we were taught that the earth was flat. Just kidding! Not that long ago! We were taught that Michigan was once covered by a glacier,

and we still hear that occasionally.

I kind of like living in Michigan now that the glacier is gone. It’s actually pretty nice. So why did the glacier melt? Did the cavemen build too many campfires?

Help me out here. What do you think?

Marilyn Donaldson | Traverse City

National Letters

Kudos to Bob Wallick of Cross Village for wanting to bring back the “All Letters Considered” policy.

It is difficult for me to understand how letters of a national interest are not appreciated and a concern of all locals. Does anyone think a person can ignore everything that goes on at the national level for very long before that person finds themselves handicapped when it comes time to vote, or when they wonder what happened to their social security check?

Bless all those that advocate for local issues, for they too are important. But not at the sacrifice of letting each according to their strength of knowledge contribute in whatever way they can to the well being and education of others. Or would you rather turn people into non caring, apathetic bystanders?

Thelma Rider | Frankfort

A Quarter Century of Change

It’s been more than 25 years since Manistee County has held a countywide celebration of Earth Day. It’s remarkable how much progress has been made since then. For example, renewable energy has become very affordable, electric vehicles are being marketed by many automakers, and natural gas has mostly replaced coal. Increasing extreme weather events have made the fact of global warming a non-debatable reality, and public pressure has made progress possible.

This year, there will finally be an Earth Day Celebration in Manistee. Dr. Zigmond Kozicki, a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy who has a summer cottage in Manistee, founded the Great Lakes Environmental Festival to bring more awareness to young people of the progress that has been made toward environmental challenges.

Judy Cunningham | Bear Lake

Editor: Jillian Manning

Finance Manager: Libby Shutler Distribution Manager: Roger Racine

: Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Todd Norris, Abby Walton Porter, Caroline Bloemer For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948

Creative Director: Kyra Cross Poehlman

Distribution: Joe Evancho, Sarah Rodery Roger Racine, Gary Twardowski Charlie Brookfield, Randy Sills Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold

Contributors: Joseph Beyer, Ross Boissoneau, Ren Brabenec, Brighid Driscoll, Anna Faller, Karl Klockars, Laurel Manke, Stephen Tuttle Copyright 2023, all rights reserved.

• Limited Special Record Store Day Releases

• Additional New Vinyl Collections

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1015 Hannah Ave. Traverse City 231-947-3169 RPMRecords.net

Did you know…

• In Antrim County, 14.3% of children are food insecure?

• In Benzie County, 8% of residents use SNAP (food stamps)?

• In Grand Traverse County, 9% of households visit food pantries?

• In Kalkaska County, 17% of children qualify for federal food programs?

• In Leelanau County, 7% of households are served by the Northwest Food Coalition members?

top ten

4 Yarn Bomb Flash Mob

Yarn bomb flash mob—try saying that five times fast. (We can’t. We tried.) Never fear, proper pronunciation is not required to participate in this event, hosted by Up North Arts, Inc. of Cadillac. The arts nonprofit is encouraging residents to do some spring cleaning in their closets and drop off knitted and crocheted items. In turn, Up North Arts will cut up the old pieces and turn them into bright tree scarves to dress up the neighborhood. Yes, we said tree scarves—they’re meant to make the pine stumps in front of the nonprofit’s building look springy and bright! Local knitting and crocheting experts will also be on hand to teach basic skills to those interested in learning the craft. This is just about the cutest and coziest flash mob we’ve ever heard of, and you’ll have two (free) chances to participate: April 15 and April 29 from 1-4pm. Learn more and register online at upnorthartsinc.com/events.

Hey, read It! Anywhere You Run

It’s the summer of 1964, and Violet Richards is in serious trouble. As a Black woman in Jim Crow Mississippi, one wrong move could spell disaster, and Violet’s just killed the white man who raped her. Before the trail can lead back to her, she flees with the help of her wealthy boyfriend, but a dangerous stranger is hot on her heels. Meanwhile, her sister Marigold—a law school hopeful and voting rights activist—heads north when the cops come asking questions. Marigold is in her own kind of trouble; she’s pregnant, and her new husband isn’t the father. Can the sisters outrun their secrets? From Publishers Weekly “writer to watch” Wanda M. Morris comes sophomore novel Anywhere You Run . Rife with Morris’s complex plotting and pages of meticulous research (which she hammers home with ties to the infamous Summer Freedom murders), this tight-paced thriller has the makings of an instant classic.

No, it’s not Skittles—it’s dinner! Up North Pride is pairing renowned local chefs with each color of the rainbow for a seven-course meal during their Taste the Rainbow event on Saturday, April 15. Dinner will be followed by a dance party with music by 2Bays DJs and live go-go dancers. Tickets for the full experience are $200, or you can attend the dance party for $20. Get details and tickets by visiting upnorthpride.com. 2

Even on a chilly spring evening, the vibes at Bay Harbor’s NOMAD—and the sunlight streaming in through the building’s floor-to-ceiling windows—are plenty warm and inviting. The restaurant’s menu has an array of small plates and snacks made for sharing, but if you’re extra hungry (or want leftovers to take home), we recommend leveling up with the Faroe Island Salmon “Carbonara” ($36). Udon noodles are the base of the dish, peppered with a touch of heat from the gochujang sauce, aka a sweet and spicy red chili paste. The noodles are topped with kimchi, scallion, seaweed salad, and pea shoots, so you know you’re getting your veggies. But wait—there’s more! A sunny side up egg, crispy bits of lardon, and a generous slab of salmon complete the dish. Get it while the winter menu is still available at 795 Front Street in Bay Harbor. (231) 881-9090, nomadbayharbor.com

tastemaker NOMAD’s Faroe Island Salmon “Carbonara”

Faraway Flavors

If you’re hungry for a taste of Spain but don’t have the miles to make the transcontinental flight, hop in the car instead and travel to Palette Bistro in Petoskey. On Friday, April 14, at 6:30pm, the restaurant will host a Galician Wine Dinner, a five-course food vacation to the Galician region of Spain. Your tour guides will be Chef Daniel Travis and special guest Inma Pazos, who will use her wine expertise to help you explore the exceptional wines of the Iberian Peninsula. As for the food, expect pickled shrimp, jamón serrano, black pepper and mushroom rubbed filet, macarrones con chorizo, and melindre doughnuts. Yum! Dinner and four wine pairings comes out to $85 per person, plus tax and tip. To book your reservation, head to MyNorthTickets.com and search “Galician Wine Dinner.” Contact Palette Bistro, (231) 3483321, with any other questions.

Looking for Employees?

Who isn’t? That’s why we’re gearing up for our spring “Now Hiring” issue, which will be online and on newsstands May 15. This issue includes a special section, sponsored by Munson Healthcare, with job listings from across the region. Now through May 1, you can submit your open positions to help fill those critical summer jobs—and the year-round ones, too— as we head into the busy season in northern Michigan. There is no limit to the number of positions you may submit, though we do not guarantee publication of all jobs. To submit a job posting, head to northernexpress. com/jobs. You’ll need to have the following information handy: employer name, position title, position type, pay range, city, a brief description, and a contact email or phone number. (Note: Only jobs in Northern Express’ 13-county northern Michigan readership area will be considered. If you’re not sure if your business falls in that area, drop us a line at info@northernexpress.com.)

Stuff We Love: Robotics Rockstars

A Traverse City team is headed to the VEX Robotics World Championships—the largest robotics competition on the planet—later this month. The allgirls Wings of Woodland Middle School team meets weekly after school and has competed in several tournaments in the region over the last school year. Their hard work paid off, and they got their ticket to the Dallas showdown after winning the Create Award at the Michigan State Championship in March. Now, the three-person team will go up against dozens of other groups from across the country and beyond. This year’s competition involves a game called Slapshot, which is a bit like curling mixed with air hockey…played by robots. (In short, it sounds awesome.) Woodland robotics coach, Alex Bloye, said of the team, “I am amazed at the technical skills the girls bring to the work, and more importantly the problem solving and collaboration skills they demonstrate.” Let’s go Wings of Woodland!

FINDING JOY ALL AROUND US

The National Writers Series and Interlochen Center for the Arts welcome acclaimed author and poet Ross Gay. new book, Inciting Joy considers what might be possible if we turn our attention to what brings us together, to what we love. Taking a clear-eyed look at humanity’s sorrows, Gay shows us how the study of joy might just help us survive.

Join NWS and ICA at Interlochen’s Corson Auditorium, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. (+ livestream option) for a conversation with Gay and guest host Ari Mokdad, NWS education director.

For in-person tickets, go to interlochen.org/rossgay

For livestreaming tickets visit NationalWritersSeries.org

Though Tolkien’s “all that is gold does not glitter” quote probably wasn’t about viniculture, it did inspire a beautiful bottle of wine at BOS Wine in Elk Rapids. Opened in 2021, BOS uses biodynamic farming to make world-class wine on Michigan soil. This week, our gold star (pun intended) goes to the All That Is Gold Riesling (2021). Made from Old Mission Peninsula grapes, this vintage features riper fruit, which lends just a touch of balancing sweetness to an otherwise highly-acidic sip. The result is a gorgeously off-dry wine driven by stone-fruity flavors of peach skin, honeysuckle, and navel orange and held together by a crisp backbone and a delightfully weighty palette. Pair a glass with a protein-rich snack (we recommend a stacked cheese board), and let your golden hour commence. Grab a bottle ($26) at BOS Wine in Elk Rapids (135 Ames St.), or order online at boswine.com. (231) 498-2073.

PERIPHERAL TARGETS

spectator

By Stephen Tuttle

It isn’t clear what Republican office holders support other than guns and Donald Trump, but it is crystal clear what they don’t support. They seem to think their beloved base only responds to the negativity they produce in abundance.

Let’s start with businesses and schools trying to undertake diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which are supposed to provide fair treatment and full participation for everyone. It’s difficult to understand, at least in the abstract, why this isn’t a good idea. Surely they can’t embrace the opposite notions.

The opposite of diversity is sameness or homogeneity. So, same ethnicity, same skin color, same political beliefs, same life philosophy, same religion, same nationality, same everything. The opposite of equity is inequity, inequality, and favoritism. Who gets the favored, special treatment, and,

Transgender individuals are a tiny chunk of our population. Transgender students who wish to participate in athletics, where most of the controversy exists, are an even tinier cohort. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are a bit more than 15 million high school students and around 8 million participate in some form of school-sponsored athletic extracurricular activity. But only 1.9 percent of all students identify as transgender and only 14 percent of transgender boys and 12 percent of transgender girls participate in school athletics. So, the big controversy is focused on a scant 0.4 percent of all student athletes.

There are real issues aplenty on which Republicans could focus. But DEI, CRT, transgenderism, and drag shows are just peripheral targets that further no real cause and advance no serious policy...

more to the point, who gets to decide? Equity for all or just for some? Obviously, the opposite of inclusion is exclusion. Again, who gets included or excluded, and who gets to decide?

There aren’t any GOPers advocating for homogeneity, inequality, or exclusion, at least not in so many words or publicly. But their nearly rabid opposition to DEI programs in general is concerning. Which is not to say progressives, who too often take a reasonable idea and push it to the extreme, haven’t made some easy targets.

The most recent example, a shameful episode at Stanford Law School, has been wellpublicized. The school’s Federalist Society chapter invited a conservative federal judge to speak where he was greeted with heckling. Front and center was the associate dean for the DEI programs not being the least bit inclusive or attempting to tolerate a diversity of opinion. Instead, she did nothing to quiet the hecklers and lectured the judge on the errors of his judicial ways.

DEI hopes to provide opportunities for traditionally marginalized groups but can’t itself become exclusive and discriminatory. If it doesn’t include everyone, it has betrayed its own name.

DEI isn’t the only Republican target in their current iteration of the culture wars. There’s critical race theory (CRT) they see behind every book, incident, or lesson that references our country’s history with slavery and racism. There’s LGBTQ+ issues that seem to dismay and frighten them, especially as it applies to anything involving the transgender community. Not to mention drag shows, which have somehow percolated to the top of the conservatives’ hit-list.

Opposition to teaching our students about racism and slavery is even more troubling, especially since so many politicians think any such honest exploration of our history is evil CRT. (Critical race theory, developed for college and university courses intended to foster debate, is not taught in U.S. K-12 public schools.) If we can’t honestly discuss our long and ugly relationship with slavery and post-slavery racism, then we cannot teach U.S. history at all. History absent facts is a dishonest fantasy created by dishonest politicians. If those facts and the truth bother our students, so much the better. (In Germany, all students take a trip to a still-standing concentration camp so they fully understand the horrors perpetrated therein.)

It is a bit of a mystery how drag shows got on this list given their tradition, lack of danger or criminal activity, and likely constitutional protection. (If stripping is a protected form of speech, then so too must be drag shows.) Cross-dressing has a very long history going back to the Aztecs, ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. Charlie Chaplin dressed in drag in his silent movies, and Milton Berle was famous for it on early television. There is no statistical connection between drag shows and criminality, and those activities most certainly pose no threat to our children despite what some politicians would like us to believe.

(You know who does pose a threat to our children? According to the Child Assessment Center, most assaults against children occur in the home of the victim or the perpetrator and are committed by a relative or acquaintance of the victim.)

There are real issues aplenty on which Republicans could focus. But DEI, CRT, transgenderism, and drag shows are just peripheral targets that further no real cause and advance no serious policy; they serve only to frighten the faint of heart into votes or campaign contributions.

HIGH NOTES

Experience the Beauty

“Experience the Beauty” is the slogan of the Betsie Valley Trail.

The trail is built on the former Ann Arbor Railroad bed. From 1892 until 1982, freight cars were carried across Lake Michigan on car ferries to Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Passenger service was discontinued in 1951 and freight service in 1985, allowing the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to buy the rail corridor in the ’90s.

The Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail (FBVT) is a nonprofit organization that advocates, promotes, and encourages the development and operation of the trail. Benzie County and the FBVT have been working with the DNR since 1993 to build the trail, celebrating its 30th year in 2023 of collaborating to create a better, healthier, and more connected community.

The 22-mile trek, which extends from Frankfort through Elberta and Beulah to Thompsonville in Benzie County, is one of the most inviting trails in northern Michigan for cyclists and pedestrians. Bicycles may be rented in Frankfort, Elberta, Beulah, and Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville.

The start of the trail allows for beautiful views over Betsie Lake and its marshland. As you travel six miles to Crystal Lake, catch periodic views of the Betsie River. On the three miles through Crystal Lake to Beulah, you’ll be pedaling next to the lake water the entire way.

Don’t worry about getting a rest break in: Frankfort, Elberta, Beulah, and Thompsonville have accommodations, restaurants, and camping. (Check out Dunegrass.co to help you find some of these hot spots in our location guide.) Visit the Beulah Trailhead and Visitor Center, for information on local restaurants and delis. Beulah also has a beautiful public beach on Crystal Lake.

Head to the trail website betsievalleytrail.org where you can learn more and help us fund the paving for the last twelve miles of the trail. The trail tour will help you understand more complex trail segments, like the remote portions that travel through Pere Marquette State Forest. You’ll also learn which parts of the trail are paved and where you can expect inclines and bridges.

Pro tip: Bring your binoculars along for the ride. Thanks to the marshlands and untouched natural areas near the trail, you’ll be in a prime spot for springtime birding!

Retreat

THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS

guest opinion

by Payge Lindow

The farm bill, the biggest piece of federal agriculture policy that impacts what we grow and eat, is on the docket in Washington D.C. this year.

What is the farm bill? Passed about every five years, the farm bill impacts everything from how food is grown to how families receive nutrition assistance. Everyone who either eats or grows food is impacted by this legislation— so basically everyone! In Congress, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees spend months hearing testimony, deliberating policy impacts, and working with producers and rural communities to address what they need most.

The next generation of farmers is working to make sure our elected officials find solutions to help us grow our profession and help feed and move the country forward. With rapid development and the climate crisis affecting food production, there needs to be change in

assistance and outreach need to be included for all USDA programs. There were many applications across Michigan, including efforts to fund land reparations for BIPOC farmers, farm succession, and cooperative-farm learning. The common goal among these efforts is to get land into the hands of farmers, which is impossible if they can’t access these funding streams.

A local example of land return comes from Stillwind Farm. They were founded in 2021 when Mikayla Rowden, a local young farmer, accessed an eighth-acre plot in Muskegon Heights. They quickly outgrew the space, gifting it to a local Black elder, and began looking to expand. Because farmland is incredibly expensive in West Michigan, Rowden purchased a home in Belding with a half-acre covered in shrubbery, trees, and poison ivy. They rented machinery to clear the space and convert it to farmland. Rowden had been working two jobs for five years, never

Whether you’re a landowner, farmer, or advocate, you play a part in our broken food system. On a local level, we can improve the resiliency of our food system by supporting farmers, sharing and returning land, and supporting the next generation of farmers.

making more than $12 an hour, and this land purchase wouldn’t have been possible without the support from their partner’s off-farm job.

This experience is not uncommon; farmhands and aspiring farmers who want to be business owners don’t have the capital to purchase farmland and struggle to obtain it while working in the food and farming industry. The farmland that is available is at a scale outside of what’s possible for them financially and capacity-wise. With 40 percent of land about to change hands in the next decade, this farm bill is our last chance to ensure a stable future for farmers and our food supply. The National Young Farmers Coalition 2022 survey found that land access is the top challenge experienced by the next generation of farmers, even more so for BIPOC farmers.

To elevate farmers’ voices on this issue, Young Farmers hosted a farmer fly-in earlier this month, and over 100 young—the majority of which are BIPOC—farmers from across the country flew to Washington, D.C. The group met with 159 decision makers and shared their stories and their struggles while advocating for changes and programs that would support them in the 2023 Farm Bill.

Whether you’re a landowner, farmer, or advocate, you play a part in our broken food system. On a local level, we can improve the resiliency of our food system by supporting farmers, sharing and returning land, and supporting the next generation of farmers. We all have a voice in the systems that must change in order to protect the health of the land, waters, and diversity of crops and peoples in Michigan.

this program, funds need to be prioritized to center land access for folks who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).

For community-based organizations and farmers to be able to access this funding, technical

As the Michigan Organizer at the National Young Farmers Coalition, Payge Lindow supports farmers to uplift their voices through policy advocacy. She is a former farm manager and youth educator.

231-334-2758

6675 W. Western Ave., Glen Arbor

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS AND NATURE LOVERS, HERE IS YOUR DREAM PARCEL!

NATURE! PRIVACY!

SHAUN JOHNSON BIG BAND EXPERIENCE

FRI, APR 21, 2023 - 8PM

Emmy award-winning crooner Shaun Johnson (and lead singer of the internationally known vocal group, Tonic Sol-fa) indelibly stamps vocal jazz and swing with a contemporary punch - to the delight of both traditionalists and newcomers - emerging as an original voice in the continuing tradition of the American singer.

SHUT THE FOLK UP & LISTEN

THU, APR 27, 2023 | 7:30PM

Keller Williams kindly invites you to Shut the Folk Up and Listen…again, as he teams up with folkie Troubador, Steve Poltz, for the third installment of Williams, Shut the Folk Up and Listen concert series. You can expect one set from each artist and a collaborative endeavor at the end. A seated evening of song, story and if all goes well, laughter.

INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY

CONTEMPORARY DANCE

FRI, APR 28, 2023 | 8PM

Enjoy a spectacular evening of contemporary dance and original music from students at Interlochen Arts Academy. Original music from student composers inspires the studentchoreographed dance scenes.

Old Guys on Dirt Bikes (Their Words!)

NoMi riders prove age is just a number

By Ross Boissoneau

When you’re young, it’s fun to hit the trails on a motorbike, flying around corners, soaring over tree roots, zipping between trees, and just having a blast. That fun can continue as riders zoom into middle age and beyond—like those still doing it in their 60s, 70s, even 80s.

There are plenty of bikers in northern Michigan whose enthusiasm hasn’t been tempered by their years. People like Bill Edmondson and Dave Geisler, who are among a group of riders who get together Wednesday nights—the Wednesday Night Nationals, or WNN—to ride various trails throughout the region and beyond. While some members are in their teens, 20s, and 30s, there are a significant number of those at the other end of the age spectrum.

“It started 20 years ago,” says Edmondson of the group, explaining how he and some guys he worked with started riding together. “At this age now—I’ll be 69 next month—it keeps you going.”

“I love the woods; I love the trails. I can go

slow and enjoy it,” adds the 70-year-old Geisler. Their group, which is now overseen by Epic Powersports, has grown in the last decade; in mid-2014 it was regularly 20-30 riders, and “on Dec. 5, 2022, we organized a WNN ride on a Saturday with 56 riders,” says Geisler.

A Lifelong Sport Edmondson was an early adopter of motorbikes. “When I was six, my dad rode [motorcycles]. I’d ride on the back of the motorcycle with him,” he says. That soon led him to riding his own, well before he could legally do so on the road. “I rode a dirt bike because I was too young for a license.”

Others came to the sport later. “For me it started in high school,” says Geisler. He bought an on/off road bike, but eventually realized it wasn’t particularly good for either one and converted to a motorbike exclusively for off-road use. His native Ohio didn’t boast a lot of trails, however, and by the time he married and had children, the activity became too much to balance. “I was a coach and parent till I sent [my kids] off to

college,” he says.

That’s when he bought a new bike. When his kids returned home and saw a dirt bike in the back of his truck, they were dumbfounded. (Who knew dads had their own hobbies and interests?!)

Soon after he moved to Empire following retirement, Geisler found out that Dick Burleson, one of the all-time greats in the sport, lived nearby. “When I moved up, I read an article about Dick that said he lived in Traverse City. I cold-called him. He hooked me up with other guys my age. That’s how I connected with a lot of these folks.”

The 75-year-old Burleson didn’t start riding until he was 18. But, boy, did he make up for it. He became one of the top competitors in American Motorcycle Association (AMA) history, winning a record eight consecutive Enduro National Championships. “King Richard” was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and was named an AMA Legend in 2016. He recently returned from Daytona Beach Speedway, where he was

inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame.

The Michigan native lived and worked in Ohio for much of his life. He attended a number of conferences at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, and he and his wife were having dinner one night at Peninsula Grill when the subject of where they wanted to spend their retirement years came up. “We said, ‘Let’s move here.’ It’s a wonderful place. My wife grew up in Holland; I grew up in St. Joseph. We’re lake people.”

Today he enjoys hitting the trails as much as ever. “It’s a lot of fun. Plus my buddies are here. It’s the joy of being out and about,” says Burleson.

All Ages Welcome

“Dick never lost his edge,” says an admiring Matt Harris, the owner of Epic Powersports and 10 Pines Ranch, a private track outside Mancelona. His was one of 10 families that purchased property in Mancelona that they converted into a track and camping area.

While it’s a private facility, Harris says they opened it up for one public race last

Dave Geisler and Bill Edmondson on the trails with friends.

year, and plan on two such weekends this year. “We sprinkle a few open rides where it’s open to the public.”

Harris’ passion for biking goes deep; he has also been around bikes all his life, though he doesn’t yet qualify for the “Old Guys” moniker. But the 42-year-old says he loves the fact he is part of the group of regular riders.

“As a younger rider, I’m looking at guys like Dick and Dave. I’ve been doing it since I was three. It would be a sad day to have to quit,” Harris says.

Not that that’s in the offing. Geisler points to a former northern Michigan rider Ted del Solar, who has since moved to Wisconsin, but who was riding until at least age 89.

(Hence the nickname “Young Ted.”)

“You can fight it,” Burleson says of his age. “At my age I can’t ride at the same level, but I still ride pretty good.” And while he loves getting together with his peers, it’s not just about oldsters. “My favorite riding buddy is my 14-year-old grandson,” says Burleson.

Ride to Ride Again

What keeps the guys on the trails? They say it’s about camaraderie, competition, and staying young in body and mind.

“It’s just a hoot. It’s social, being with like minds across generations,” says Geisler. “It’s

still a thrill—the thrill of getting through the trees as fast as you can,” he adds.

And they all enjoy being in the great outdoors. “It’s the joy of being out in nature, whatever the weather is,” says Burleson.

Geisler agrees. “The most memorable rides for me are the perfect snow conditions ride—frozen ground, 6 to 10 inches of fresh snow, first riders on the trail.”

Snow or shine, the group travels across the region to hit the trails. “Trail riders in Michigan typically drive long distances to get to new and different trails,” Geisler explains. Some of the hot spots that come up in conversations with the riders include Tomahawk Trail in Wolverine and trails in Evart and Cadillac.

Geisler says many of the riders give back by working to maintain the trails, working with the DNR and other entities.

“I belong to a couple different trail bike clubs that are responsible for maintaining some of the Michigan trails. I am also working with the DNR on a proposal for a new trail in Benzie County, on state land near Fowler Road.”

Today, the guys still love to zoom through the trails, but are mindful of doing so safely.

“Ride to ride again” is their mantra. “We’re just a bunch of trail riders. We know what it takes,” Geisler says.

"Young Ted" del Solar at an October 2018 ride.

INCITING JOY

Ross Gay’s newest book shows us why we need humanity and connection to find happiness and success

By Anna Faller

Prize-winning poet and author Ross Gay is about to challenge everything you thought you knew about what it means to “be together.” In his newest collection, Inciting Joy, he reframes everyday situations to remind us that, even in a divided climate, we still know how to care for each other— we’ve just forgotten where to look.

Tune in on Wednesday, April 12, as Ross Gay joins the National Writers Series, in partnership with Interlochen Center for the Arts, for a special presentation of Inciting Joy and a radical exploration of what happens when people come together.

Finding His Voice

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Gay wasn’t what he’d call a “readerly” kid. In fact, he didn’t much care for school. “I [preferred] comic books and skateboarding,” he says with a laugh. He was an avid music listener, though, with influences ranging from late 1980’s hip-hop (think De La Soul and Public Enemy) to Simon and Garfunkel and even some of his dad’s Japanese influences.

That music—specifically, the lyrics, he says—laid the foundations for his writing career. “I think a lot of what I’ve learned about making poems comes from how hard I was listening to music and studying [that] language,” Gay explains.

From there, he didn’t revisit poetry until he began college, when an English professor named David Johnson assigned him a project on Amiri Baraka, an acclaimed American

writer and activist. “I loved his [work],” says Gay. “It was then that I started reading and writing poetry very seriously.”

After completing his studies at Lafayette College, Gay went on to earn an MFA in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College, followed by a PhD in English from Temple University. “At that point,” he says, “I realized that there were streams toward a life of publication.” Indeed there were. Since then, he’s written four books of poetry: Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, which received both Kingsley Tufts and National Book Critics Circle Awards; Bringing the Shovel Down; Against Which; and Be Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award. His debut essay collection, The Book of Delights, was a New York Times bestseller.

Gay is also an editor with two chapbook presses and a founding editor of the online sports magazine Some Call it Ballin’. In addition to his writing career, Gay teaches at Indiana University and Drew University’s lowresidency MFA program, where his classes include poetry and poetry in translation. (Talk about a résumé!)

Seeking Joy in the Everyday Much of Gay’s success, he says, stems from his college writing collective. “What was so nice about grad school [for me], was that it got me in with other people who were also writing and publishing.”

While he admits that every poem he printed felt like a dream come true at the time, belonging to a group of writers not only helped promote Gay’s work by connecting him

to interested publishers but also cultivated an environment of critical artistic support.

As such, he says, our success isn’t solely defined by what we do, but who we do it with. It’s this topic of building community that his Inciting Joy collection explores. Gay highlights a quote from Fred Moten, an American cultural theorist and poet, as a foundational concept for the collection. “At one point, [Moten] says that we’ve got to get together to figure out how we’re going to get together,” Gay says. “That phrase [became] a guide for me.”

Published in October 2022, Inciting Joy delves into human connection and how we’re hardwired to care for each other. His definition of “joy,” however, is far from the expected “glee” or “elation.”

Instead, Gay says, “joy seems to be something like the practice of our entanglement”—that is, the innate human impulse to care for and belong to each other, an experience so commonplace that we often don’t even notice it. “What I wanted to do [with Inciting Joy],” he explains, “is not overlook those [everyday] practices of gathering and being together.”

The book includes 14 essays, with topics ranging from skateboarding as an examination of social structure (“Share Your Bucket!”) to the vegetable garden in “We Kin,” which Gay depicts as a model for sharing. (The takeaway: if you don’t offer up your excess zucchini, you’re more or less a lunatic). Each essay is meant to stand alone, but all are united by the theme of creating space to be with each other.

The book also provides a cheeky counter to the joylessness of the current climate. “As

I get older, I have more of a desire to tussle with things that are happening,” says Gay.

In the context of Inciting Joy, he enters the ring with the “horrific utility” of an economy spurred by war and big business. “Getting together when a structure or organization doesn’t want us to—that really is incitement,” he says. “Our capacity to care for one another is terrifying to authority.”

For Gay, though, the high point of the collection is a realization he makes an essay called “How Big the Boat,” wherein he compares an image of Dionne Warwick (depicted in the 1988 NAACP Image Awards watching Luther Vandross cover her song) to that of basketball player Gary Payton in response to a move by opponent Jay Williams.

“[Warwick and Payton] are making the same face,” says Gay, which he describes as “being cut back” by beauty. “That’s one of the pleasures of writing,” he continues, “that [you can have] these realms that are very far apart, but periodically stumble onto a connection.”

About the Event

An Evening with Ross Gay takes place at 7:30pm on Wednesday, April 12, at Corson Auditorium at Interlochen Center for the Arts and via livestream. In-person tickets are $33 (not including taxes and fees) and can be purchased through Interlochen. Digital tickets ($14), as well as sale-priced copies of Inciting Joy ($21.60), are available through the NWS website. The guest host for the event will be National Writers Series Education Director and writer Ari Mokdad. For more information, visit nationalwritersseries.org.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE TRAILS

Looking for more than a walk in the woods? Try these four NoMi trails.

By Ren Brabenec

The sunlight in your eyes may seem sharp after months of gray, but it’s a welcome reminder that we did it; we survived another Michigan winter. Now you want to get outside, but you want to kick the season off with something unique and special. Rather than the typical hike, you want something more engaging, a place where you can turn off the podcast and immerse yourself in an activity.

Here’s where you’ll find us this spring.

HICKORY HILLS DISC GOLF COURSE

Traverse City

Frolf fans, this one’s for you. Hickory Hills Disc Golf Course is a 23-hole course offering multiple layouts of varying difficulty. The course features major elevation changes, a mixture of open and wooded fairways, and great views of Traverse City.

“Disc golf offers a unique social experience in several ways,” says Greg Argyle, disc golf enthusiast with Aloft Disc Golf, a club based in Traverse City. “Courses are typically located in parks and wooded areas, providing players with an opportunity to enjoy the scenery and fresh air while playing. Disc golf is a sport that can be played by people of all ages and abilities, too. It doesn’t require a lot of physical strength or endurance, so it’s accessible to people who may not be able to play other sports.”

One aspect of an afternoon spent at Hickory Hills is the camaraderie one feels while disc golfing. “Our sport has a strong sense of community, with local clubs and organizations hosting leagues and tournaments that bring players together,” says Argyle. “That makes disc golf a social experience, encouraging players to connect with each other and enjoy the outdoors.”

Depending on your location, Hickory Hills may be a bit of a commute, so Argyle and his friends have helped build several courses across northern Michigan.

“We have a growing number of courses that our organization has helped design and install, from beginner level to championship caliber,” says Argyle. “For beginners, we recommend Almira Township Park in Lake Ann and Kingsley Civic Center South. Intermediate players will be challenged at the White Layout at Hickory Hills, the Bear’s Den [Kingsley], and Myles Kimmerly Park [Maple City]. For those seeking a higher level of difficulty, we recommend the Blue Layout at Hickory Hills and Green Lake DiscGolfPark [Interlochen].”

Folks interested in disc golf at Hickory Hills can find more information at traversecitymi.gov/ government/city-departments/hickory-hills/disc-golf.html.

PIGEON RIVER COUNTRY STATE FOREST EQUESTRIAN TRAILS

Vanderbilt

The region of Otsego County that Ernest Hemingway once called “wild as the devil, the greatest I’ve ever been in,” was preserved as Pigeon River Country State Forest (PRCSF) in 1919. It is 12 miles wide, 20 miles long, and contains 105,049 acres. It’s also one of the best places in northern Michigan to explore trails from horseback.

Located 20 miles north of Gaylord, the forest is often described as an outdoor playground. “The Pigeon River Country State Forest is unique in its own right, being the largest contiguous tract of state forest land in the Lower Peninsula,” says Paige Perry, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation trail specialist. “It is home to Michigan’s free range elk herd, [and] there are eight rustic campgrounds in the PRCSF, two of which [Elk Hill and Johnsons Crossing] are designed and intended for campers with horses.”

In addition to equestrian trails, the PRCSF features old two-tracks, winding forested trails, lakes, trout streams, and small rustic facilities tucked away on river bends and isolated lakes.

What is so enticing about the PRCSF is that it’s wilder than other state-managed nature preserves. Per the DNR, “If you’re planning a trip to the Pigeon, keep in mind that it’s managed differently than other state forests. To retain that ‘wild character’ that provides an opportunity for a remote, undeveloped, backcountry experience, it isn’t peppered with a lot of infrastructure and signs. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to explore—you just have to be ready for an adventure. Also be aware that cell phone coverage is patchy.”

Though remote, the PRCSF offers dozens of trail routes. “There is ample opportunity for loop riding within the PRCSF, and the trails/roads and state forest land outside of the PRCSF offer hundreds of miles of opportunities for equestrian enthusiasts,” says Perry.

If you’re looking to explore the PRCSF from horseback, visit pigeonriverdiscoverycenter. org/horseback-riding.

Photo courtesy of Aloft Disc Golf

CHAIN OF LAKES WATER TRAIL Antrim County

The Chain of Lakes Water Trail is located in Antrim County and connects a water trail of 12 lakes and rivers spanning 100+ miles. For those experiencing the water trail for the first time, their immediate takeaway is its uniqueness.

“Paddle Antrim is proud to host Northern Michigan’s only state-designated water trail,” says Deana Jerdee, executive director of the nonprofit Paddle Antrim. “The Chain of Lakes Water Trail is extremely special, providing quality access for people to see wildlife and explore natural areas and quaint lakeside communities. The water trail is unique in that it is a flatwater system, providing more flexible paddling opportunities. Because of the diversity in the lakes, it also provides opportunities for paddlers of all different skill levels.”

A dam in Bellaire separates the trail into upper and lower chain segments. The Upper Chain is made up of mainly smaller lakes, providing quality beginner and intermediate routes. That’s also where you’ll find Ellsworth, Central Lake, and Bellaire, if you want to stop for lunch or explore town. (Or even stay overnight before continuing your paddle the next day.)

Most folks paddle from point A to point B rather than making a round trip. “Because it is a flatwater system, it lends itself for people to go in one direction, circumnavigate a specific lake, or go out/back from the same location,” Jerdee explains.

As for the second segment of the water trail, Jerdee says it’s better suited to experienced paddlers.

“The Lower Chain goes from Bellaire to Elk Rapids and includes larger lakes like Elk Lake and Torch Lake. This lends itself to more intermediate and advanced routes while still incorporating two of our great trail town communities.”

In our conversation with Jerdee, she highlights how seasonal water levels and temperatures will make the trail look and feel different depending on what time of year people experience it. She also recommends St. Clair Six Mile Natural Area, Grass River Natural Area, and Skegemog Wildlife Area as bucket-list items for their natural beauty.

Lately, a focus for Paddle Antrim has been on making the Chain of Lakes Water Trail accessible to all.

“We have one universally accessible launch in Milton Township on the north end of Elk Lake,” says Jerdee. “We are excited to share that we, in partnership with the Village of Elk Rapids, recently reached our fundraising goal and are working on adding a second universal launch in downtown Elk Rapids. This will create our first [fully] accessible segment of the water trail as well, as they are approximately five miles apart.” Find signage information, digital maps, trail data, and helpful advice for paddlers of all skill levels at chainoflakeswatertrail.org.

SLEEPING BEAR BIRDING TRAIL M-22 from Manistee to Traverse City

Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Birding Trail (SBBT) is more than a simple birding trail—it’s a 123-mile span of M-22 that winds through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The stretch of road takes adventurers along forests, orchards, vineyards, wetlands, and beaches, affording visitors numerous pullovers, beach access points, scenic overlooks, and wooded walking paths. The result? A day’s drive along the SBBT provides birding enthusiasts access to numerous habitats and a diverse panoply of bird species living in those habitats.

“I always knew we had the resources to add birding to the area’s tourism brand,” says Dave Barrons, chairman and co-founder of Michigan’s first birding trail. “But the surprise was just how much access to diverse, public land there is along M-22… This is not just a single trail where you get out and hike around looking for birds. It’s a travel route, a way of connecting several birding sites in a way that allows you to include them in your itinerary and enjoy some incredible scenery.”

According to Barrons, the fields, forests, and beaches along the SBBT are home to 321 bird species.

There are 34 birding hotspots scattered along the 123-mile route, with the trail’s website set to publish trail maps later this year. Folks interested in exploring the SBBT this spring should look out for red-winged blackbirds, sandhill cranes, Canada geese, warblers, sandpipers, and puddle ducks.

Learn more at sleepingbearbirdingtrail.org.

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

THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRACKS

By Karl Klockars

In a different timeline, Macie Hefron would be studying to be a lawyer right now. Instead, due to the COVID-induced extension of a summer job in college, the Midwest is on the cusp of having its first rail bike operator right here in northern Michigan. Hefron, 22, is the driving force behind Wheels on Rails, set to open in May, and she says none of this would have been possible without a college job with the rail division of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

Hefron was studying for the LSAT when she took the MDOT job, which she says didn’t initially seem like a fit. “I never saw myself doing this, but I was like, ‘just let me take this leap of faith and try this job out,’” Hefron says. “And honestly, the minute I walked in, I felt so welcomed, and I learned so much so fast.”

From Tracks to Trails

As a student assistant rapidly learning to love the railroad, Hefron was in the field doing track inspections and working on legal agreements, which gave her a unique view of what was going on on the tracks.

That job was initially supposed to be a summer gig, as Hefron was going to college in Jackson and the job was in Lansing. A 90-minute round-trip is fairly prohibitive when you’re a full-time student, no matter how much you love the rails, but because of the pandemic, Hefron was allowed to work remotely “throughout my entire college journey, which was just so special. I worked throughout all of college and came to have more and more passion for the railroad through my position there,” she says.

Along the way, Hefron also took a tour with a rail bike operator in Maryland while on vacation and started to think this was something she could bring back to Michigan. Unfortunately, since rail biking was a new type of business without any precedent to point to, it was an uphill battle on every front.

“I started getting my idea out there, asking different railroads, and they were like, no. No. Every single place was a no. Even the insurance companies were all nos. Everything was a ‘no, this isn’t going to work,’” Hefron says. “But I have a huge passion for this. And if it’s happening elsewhere, it can happen here no matter what.”

The door first cracked open a little bit in late 2021. “I got my first yes about a year and a half ago after talking the railroad into it for almost a year straight. I pretty much blew up their email every day,” Hefron jokes. “I was just really persistent with my emails and my phone calls, and, of course, the railroad got really annoyed—but looking back they laugh about it. If it weren’t for that, I don’t think I would have gotten the yes.”

After that came convincing MDOT (she’s since left her role there), which required the help of then-State Senator Wayne Schmidt. Hefron says Schmidt caught the vision and the passion for the project, and a few weeks later, he called her to say a legal agreement was incoming. After that, Wheels on Rails started rolling.

The Bike Route

Located along a stretch of unused train tracks in Grawn, Wheels on Rails is one part bike tour, one part train ride. (It’s also most definitely not a pedal pub, which we’ll get into later.) Attendees can climb aboard a twoperson or a four-person rail bike, and over the course of an hour, take a self-propelled guided tour down a three-mile stretch of track and back again.

One of the best parts of rail biking, according to Hefron, is its inclusivity,

New rail bike business, Wheels on Rails, to open in Grawn this spring

especially for families. Not everyone can spend hours walking a golf course, go ziplining, or crash through waves on a boat or jetski, but people of all ages can participate in a rail bike tour. “That’s what I’m really setting in stone—anyone and everyone can do this regardless of limitations. Not a lot of activities offer that,” Hefron says.

That inclusivity extends to the bike construction and the pedal power as well. “There’s a lot of engineering that goes along with [the bikes]. They have special railroad wheels, and they’re made out of aluminum, [so] it’s kind of like a recumbent bike where you sit back and pedal,” Hefron says.

She explains that between the lightweight bikes and the flat track riders will travel along, the human power required is quite minimal. “Not everyone has to pedal,” Hefron adds. “Only one person really has to get the bike going.” (It’s certainly not a bullet-train-speed race along the rails; bikes will travel no more than 10-15 miles per hour, and there are tour guides at the front and back of every group.)

Trips will depart from Wheels on Rails’ home base along US-31 (across from Rico’s Cafe) and travel east through the forest, with just two road crossings along the way. “We get to see some really awesome springfed creeks that are really clear, we get to go under the main bridge [beneath US-37] … it’s a really, really pretty area. It’s really the definition of Up North, honestly.”

The track then travels through more forest alongside Hoosier Valley Road, and the tour ends where the track meets Beitner Road.

Gathering Momentum

So far, thanks largely to the unique nature of a rail bike tour—when it opens, Wheels

MORE RAIL TRAILS

on Rails will be the only rail bike location between Pennsylvania and Colorado— bookings have been steadily growing. Family trips, tour buses, and bachelorette parties all have scheduled tours, with interest coming from customers thousands of miles away.

“I had someone call from Washington, and I had a lady call yesterday from California,” Hefron says. “A lot of people are coming because they already had family vacations planned, but more so because it’s a brand-new business coming to the state. People are so excited about it.”

Unlike most other Traverse City area attractions, Wheels on Rails is going to be strictly alcohol free. There’s a number of reasons for this, not the least of them being their location. “It’s state-owned land on a federal line; we are not allowed to have alcohol,” Hefron says. “I think this is going to be a benefit—there’s so many other activities that have alcohol, so being able to be a completely sober activity for families, I think it’s going to be good.”

And even though there’s no steering involved, don’t assume you can pre-game before your tour. “We do have the right to kick people off if they come drunk,” Hefron tells us.

While the first season has yet to begin, based on the initial interest, Hefron admits she’s already looking at expanding. “I’ve gotten a few calls from people I used to work with or people that love trains in the state of Michigan, so people are wanting me to start expanding. One of the lines was down in Grand Rapids, and another one was down in Detroit, but I’m also looking out of state as well. But I will always say Traverse City is like my baby because I’ve grown it from the ground up.”

While few actual railroads still operate in northern Michigan, there are plenty of former railroad lines that have been converted to trails. According to railstotrails.org, Michigan has nearly 2,500 miles of rail trails, including these popular spots:

The Leelanau Trail, a 17-mile trail connecting Suttons Bay with Traverse City, was originally used for the Traverse City, Leelanau, and Manistique Railroad that briefly connected Northport to the U.P. by ferry.

The Betsie Valley Trail, a 22-mile trail connecting Thompsonville with Beulah, was once part of the Ann Arbor Railroad.

The Little Traverse Wheelway, a 27-mile trail connecting Charlevoix with Harbor Springs, was a segment of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad.

The North Western State Trail, a 32-mile trail connecting Petoskey and Mackinaw City, was also once part of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad known as “The Fishing Line.”

The North Central State Trail, a 62-mile trail between Gaylord and Mackinaw City, originally served as a section of the Central Michigan Railroad.

TRAIL TROUBLES

How our land conservancies juggle problems with trail costs, pests, and even people

By Laurel Manke

Our region’s nature preserves are home to dozens of incredible trails. Most northerners treasure these wooded walkways but often take for granted that they exist. Meanwhile, local conservancies juggle changing habitats, financial constraints, and workforce recruitment (among other challenges) to build and maintain outdoor spaces for all to enjoy.

We spoke with three organizations— Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Leelanau Conservancy, and Little Traverse Conservancy—to unpack their latest trail blocks.

Increased Growth = Increased Maintenance

The good news: All the conservancies say they’re protecting more land every year. The flip side of that coin is that almost every new property acquisition means expanded trail development and maintenance needs.

“We manage 25,000 acres and average around 1,000 acres of growth per year,” explains Derek Shiels, director of conservation stewardship with the Little Traverse Conservancy in Harbor Springs. “When we acquire property, it is our job to take care of it, and it is a bigger job every year as we grow.”

The challenges that come with growth

include ensuring fundraising, development, and staff and volunteer workforce can keep pace with growing property demands. For example, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy maintains 120 miles of trails, with more added all the time. Land Stewardship Specialist Steve Lagerquist says it’s just not possible—or realistic—to staff to that capacity. “We do not always have the capability internally to have boots on the ground and eyes on the property on every mile of trail,” he explains.

The Leelanau Conservancy is in a similar boat. The organization turns 35 this year, and Director of Natural Areas and Preserves Becky Hill notes that they’ve doubled their trail mileage in the past eight years.

Conservancy leaders say creating and maintaining trails as their organizations grow requires strategic allocation of resources toward top priorities, forging partnerships with community organizations, and relying on volunteers. Additionally, all three primarily depend on private donations to support their growth, which leaves them at the mercy of the community, though the conservancies try to take advantage of grants and public funding when possible.

The Varying Cost of Trail Construction

In addition to maintaining the collective 250+ miles of trail the three conservancies

support, they continuously strive to build out new trails on their properties. Depending on the complexity and type of trail, trail development costs vary widely, from $3-$7 per square foot on the low end for a basic trail up to $60-$85 per square foot for a boardwalk. That price tag can jump up $30,000 per mile if heavy equipment is required.

One of Leelanau Conservancy’s biggest current projects is Palmer Woods, a mountain biking trail in Leelanau County. Because it is designed for biking, it requires investment in more specialized development, though the upfront cost is meant to have long-term benefits.

“We hire contractors for things like bike trails because we want them to be built in a sustainable, professional way. Finding contractors and forming partnerships has been a great process, we are so pleased with the results of doing that,” Hill says.

Another factor that adds cost to a trail project is meeting accessibility standards so that people of all ages and abilities can use a trail. GTRLC and Little Traverse Conservancy both cite trail accessibility as a leading priority.

“We want to remove barriers for more people, and that comes with the added expense of boardwalks and consultants,” Shiels says.

Chris Garrock, director of stewardship for GTRLC, agrees. “We love boardwalk projects, but the significant challenge to those projects is the cost.”

Adapting to Changing Habitats

Even if the conservancies had all the money in the world to build and maintain trails of all kinds, they would still be at the mercy of Mother Nature. A crucial part of managing sustainable trails is evolving with environmental changes over time. Climate, water levels, and other challenges like invasive species and diseases present new challenges each season.

On the pest end of the equation, there just always seem to be more. Michigan has identified some top threats when it comes to invasive species, among them oak wilt and the hemlock woolly adelgid. The former is caused by fungus that grows in a tree’s water conducting system, and it’s been found in 61 of Michigan’s 83 counties. The latter is a tiny insect that feeds on sap from hemlock branches and shoots and threatens more than 170 million eastern hemlock trees in our state.

“We have to be more cautious in trail maintenance due to oak wilt and hemlock woolly adelgid,” explains Hill. “For oak wilt, we are cognizant that if a tree gets gouged, we need to seal it, so it won’t be as

An under-construction boardwalk segment of the Looyenga Family Trail, a universally accessible trail at Mitchell Creek Meadows. (Photo courtesy of GTRLC)

susceptible to oak wilt. And, with [hemlock woolly adelgid], we try to trim up branches in areas visitors and vehicles may be.”

GTRLC has also had to navigate oak wilt issues in recent trail design and maintenance processes.

“Oak wilt has been challenging at our new Turtle Cove Nature Preserve because the property has a lot of red oak. We are leaving the maples and black oak and have had to take the bigger red oak out of play,” Lagerquist says. Nearly 400 trees had to be removed from the preserve to stop the spread of the disease.

Beyond pests and diseases, trail designers must also navigate an evolving climate. One of the primary areas of concern is the recent increase in heavy rain events, which lead to more erosion. Conservancy leaders say their approach to avoid the effects of erosion is building trails in areas unlikely to be impacted by the issue in the first place.

“Ideally, we don’t have trails built on a fall line [the line down a hill which is most directly downhill]. If there is erosion, we try to reroute the trail, so it does not require special maintenance over time,” Hill says.

GTRLC does their best to build trails under the tree canopy, avoiding open areas that tend to get dryer and more susceptible to erosion over time.

Of course, erosion is not always environment-related but instead can be caused or exacerbated by human trail use.

“During COVID we saw a bump in visitors, and with that, we saw more erosion that led to more tree roots sticking up, which meant more safety hazards and more work,” Shiels says of the Little Traverse Conservancy. He also points out the importance of adding infrastructure such as stairs in trail areas most sensitive to erosion, like coastal dune areas.

People and Pets

Speaking of people problems, we all know weather and pests aren’t the only factors challenging our area’s trail caretakers. Humans (and our furry friends) play a role too. This was especially obvious as all regional conservancies saw a significant growth in trail use during the pandemic.

For example, Little Traverse Conservancy’s Clay Cliffs trail saw trail use more than double from 7,000 annual hikers pre-pandemic to 20,000 during 2020. This exponential growth left a mark.

“At the start of the pandemic, we saw a lot of our trails widening because of the sixfoot separation. People would step off the trail wide, which is not ideal for vegetation. We are working to restore these areas and make the trails narrower again,” Hill says.

And while many trails are open to fourlegged friends—who often go exploring in the margins of the trails—they also leave their mark, so to speak.

“Dog poop is a big issue. Picking it up is more than just a courtesy—it is good for the environment. Our dogs’ poop is different from scat from a bear; it contains bacteria that impacts our environment. We ask that people pick it up and pack it out to leave no trace,” Hill says.

A Team Effort

Fortunately, human trail users also do good. No conservancy has the bandwidth to keep eyes on every mile of trail they maintain as regularly as they would like, and this is where helpful hikers, volunteers, and partner organizations come in.

GTRLC leans heavily on volunteers to support their staff of about 30, including a seasonal crew that focuses on rooting out invasive species, while Little Traverse Conservancy’s volunteer coordinator manages their volunteer workforce of about 100 volunteers annually and hosts work bees each Thursday.

As for the Leelanau Conservancy, Hill says, “We have a great volunteer group that meets weekly April through October and work on our Palmer Woods trail. We also

have trail stewards at all our natural areas.”

Despite healthy volunteer programs, the conservancies say more help is always needed, and emphasize that any hiker can contribute. Anyone who uses a trail can report interesting wildlife and downed trees in trailways.

“The more eyes we have on our natural areas helping to inform us, the better,” Hill says.

At the end of the day, it’s up to all of us to help the conservancies keep trails in prime condition to preserve what makes northern Michigan so special.

Getting Involved

Little Traverse Conservancy: Share observations from the trail at inaturalist.org/ projects/life-on-little-traverse-conservancylands, and learn more about donating or volunteering at landtrust.org.

Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy: Report downed trees, trash, or notable wildlife on GTRLC properties via email or at the phone number on trail kiosks. Get information on volunteering and donating at gtrlc.org

Leelanau Conservancy: Join a volunteer crew, report an issue on the trail, or get more information about becoming a trail steward at leelanauconservancy.org

Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy volunteers work on a trail building project at Mount Minnie Nature Preserve in Benzie County. (Photo by Rick Kane)

THE WHEELS ON THE BIKE

Local bike shop owners offer pro tips and favorite spots to ride

By Brighid Driscoll

As temperatures begin to rise, so does the number of cyclists we see about town and beyond. Biking is a great way to commute, recreate, and spend leisure time behind two wheels instead of four, and it’s one of our favorite ways to take in all the beauty of northern Michigan. With bike season on the brain, Northern Express talked with some local bike shop owners about getting out on the roads and trails this spring.

Ethan

Ethan Przekaza has been passionate about bikes most of his life.

“I have been working professionally as a bicycle mechanic since 2012,” he says. “I have worked in several shops over two states, and before that, I was what you would call a ‘garage mechanic.’ I have always had a deep interest in bicycles and how they work, so owning my shop has been a dream. My wife, Meg Doby, has a retail management and banking background, so with our combined experience, a bicycle shop in Frankfort made too much sense to ignore.”

Coastline Cycles opened in spring of 2022. Located at 1100 Main St. in Frankfort, the storefront is on the Betsie Valley Trail, right by M-22, and is the only bike shop you’ll find in Benzie county. When they opened, they were flooded with repair requests, and the couple was pleasantly surprised that they could hit the ground running.

“Business has been great for the first season. Having a dedicated bike shop in Frankfort has generated a lot of excitement within the community,” Przekaza says. “There is still a significant interest in getting out on two wheels for many people, and we are in the perfect location. Supply chain issues continue to be a problem but are slowly improving.”

Where to Ride: “For casual riding, the Betsie Valley Trail is fun, easy, and mostly paved,” Przekaza says. “It touches three small towns in Benzie County, and there are several options for start-and-stop points, including bars, breweries, and restaurants. For more aggressive riding, like mountain biking, the Arcadia Dunes trails are great and can be enjoyable for all levels of riders. M-22 is smooth and safe for road bikers, with lots of scenic turn-offs and hills to keep it interesting.”

Pro Tip: “Don’t forget a mirror!”

For more information, visit coastline-cycles.com.

The new owners of Einstein Cycles in Traverse City, David Hagan and Trevor Schmitz, took over the bike business last year.

Before becoming a co-owner of Einstein, Hagan had been working at his own mobile bike business. “I was in the food and beverage industry forever and wanted out. I worked at a bike shop part-time every spring. Eight years ago, I decided to do that full-time. After COVID hit, I gutted a BATA bus and started running a mobile bike shop. I stopped in [Einstein’s] for parts one time, and later that night got a text from Jason, the owner, that says, ‘Do you want to buy Einstein?’”

Along with Schmitz, Hagan purchased the shop. It’s been just over a year of ownership, and business has been steady. “We’ve got Timber Ridge and the state campground right over here. You wouldn’t believe how many bikes we repair because they weren’t stored properly or something happened on the way up here. We help people carry on with their vacations.”

The duo tell us Einstein’s has bikes for every season and every rider. Road bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes, fat tire bikes, and more are all for sale, and Hagan can help you find a perfect fit. He advocates for people to avoid big box store bikes when possible, explaining that a bike purchased from a dedicated bike shop uses higher quality materials, is built with attention to detail, and is all-around safer with more longevity.

Kids’ bikes bought at Einstein are eligible for a trade-in program that allows customers to trade in the value of the old bike for a new one, helping ease the sting of investing in gear your kiddo will likely outgrow next season. For those who can’t afford a bike from the shop, Hagan still performs safety checks on big box bikes for $25. For him, it’s important for everyone to enjoy getting on a bike.

“You don’t want a kid who hates being on a bike because it doesn’t feel safe or it’s uncomfortable to ride,” he says.

Where to Ride: Hagan suggests that new bike owners ride around town and on the TART Trail to get used to their bike—and have easy access to places to stop and explore around TC.

Pro Tip: Steel yourself against what Hagen calls New Bike Buzz. “You’ll get people who are so excited that they ride to Suttons Bay and back, and their hands hurt, their neck, and their butt hurts. Start at 10, 12, 15 miles before jumping into 40 miles.”

For more information, visit einsteincycles.com.

Lee Milns of Ride Leelanau in Suttons Bay

E-bikes have skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years and show no signs of slowing down. They’re a great alternative for people who want to go the distance without feeling (too much of) the burn, allowing you to explore more of northern Michigan on two wheels.

There are three different classes of e-bikes; Class 1 and 2 can get to 20 mph, with Class 1 being pedal-assisted speed and Class 2 having throttle-assisted speed. Class 3 e-bikes are pedal-assist and can reach a maximum of 28 mph. There are regulations about which bikes can be used on motorized versus non-motorized trails; Class 3 bikes are meant only for roads.

If you’re interested in an extra boost for your bike, Ride Leelanau of Suttons Bay is an e-bike rental service to try before you buy.

“E-bikes are a game changer for recreation,” says Lee Milns, owner of Ride Leelanau and Bayside Gallery. “[For] folks who haven’t been on a bike in 10 years and need to build up their endurance, an e-bike is a less intimidating way to do that.”

Milns carved out a place at Bayside Gallery—the iconic aqua blue building smack in the middle of downtown—to house Ride Leelanau. After getting bit by the e-bike bug, he wanted to share the fun with the community.

“Having an e-bike of our own was really the inspiration for Ride Leelanau. My family and I just enjoy it so much,” he says.

The company’s first bike rental season kicked off last summer, and Milns is also expanding the rental service into an e-bike repair shop, anticipating that repairs will increase as the bikes get more in demand. Check them out when they re-open for the first weekend of May.

Where to Ride: Milns feels that with the business right next door to the Leelanau Trail, Ride Leelanau is uniquely situated to get e-bike users on the go. “We’ve got beautiful views, trails, and vineyards here in Leelanau, and this is a way for more people to enjoy that.”

Pro Tip: E-bikes offer a lot more accessibility, according to Milns. “People who have had hip or knee replacements can comfortably ride a bike again,” he says. For more information, visit rideleelanau.com.

Przekaza of Coastline Cycles in Frankfort

David Hagan and Trevor Schmitz of Einstein Cycles in Traverse City

Can't Possibly Be True

Pastor John Lindell of the James River Church in Springfield, Missouri, claimed on the congregation's livestream on March 15 that a "creative miracle" had taken place the day before at the church's Joplin location, the Springfield News-Leader reported. Lindell explained that "prayer team members" had prayed over Kristina Dines, who had had three toes amputated after her husband shot her in 2015. "As the ladies prayed for Krissy ... all three toes grew, and by that point, were longer than her pinky toe," Lindell said in the livestream. "Within an hour, nails began to grow on all the toes," he added. While Dines hasn't commented to the paper, she said in a video on Twitter that she saw the toes reforming. "Listen, do you understand? I can stand on tippy toes. No, I couldn't do that (before) because I didn't have toes to tippy on," Dines said. During the livestream, Lindell also suggested to parishioners that other miracles are coming: "... some people in this room -you're gonna raise people from the dead. It's going to happen." Stay tuned.

Weird Science

Australian company Vow has wowed the science world with a meatball made of meat cultivated from the genetic sequence of an extinct mammoth, the Associated Press reported on March 29. "This is not an April Fools' joke," said Tim Noakesmith, founder of the company. Using publicly available genetic information from the mammoth, along with data from the African elephant, Vow grew the cells in a lab. The large meatball -- somewhere between the size of a softball and a volleyball -- was displayed at the Nemo science museum in Amsterdam. "We wanted to get people excited about the future of food," Noakesmith said. "We thought the mammoth would be a conversation starter." People who were there as it was being cooked said it smelled good.

News That Sounds Like a Joke

Here's an item you can share at this weekend's cocktail party: The animatronics at your local Chuck E. Cheese may be powered by a 3.5-inch floppy disk. Of 600 restaurants around the world, about 50 still use the floppies, BuzzFeed News reported. In related news, a robust subculture of Chuck E. fans builds and restores the iconic animatronics at home, and vintage memorabilia has a strong market online. Here's the less cheery news: Subway trains in San Francisco run on floppies, and Boeing 747s and 737s get their updates on the '80s-era medium, too.

Saw That Coming

The Irish Times reported that The Virgin Mary, the only alcohol-free bar in Dublin, closed its doors for good on March 27. But Dubliners, do not despair! The bar's owners said the closing "marks an exciting new chapter for us," as they will provide a mobile experience all around the island. "IRELAND GET READY TO DRINK DIFFERENT!" a social media post read. Slainte!

Great Art

As you drive along the EastLink toll road in Melbourne, Australia, you might be tempted to spend the night at the Hotel

EastLink, Oddity Central reported. But it's literally impossible to get a reservation there, because it's not really a hotel. It's a sculpture that was unveiled in 2007 by artist Callum Morton. At only 20 meters tall, the "hotel" isn't exactly a high-rise, and it sits in the middle of an empty field. But it fools passersby with lights that come on at night in the "rooms" -- enough that people try to call for reservations. "Putting something in a space that is slightly beguiling or is a little bit strange ... changes the way people think about art or practice," Morton said.

Wilma Flintstone, eat your heart out. French luxury brand Coperni has revealed a fall 2023 limited-edition handbag that'll put buyers back $43,000, Oddity Central reported on March 24. The Mini Meteorite Swipe Bag is made of a meteorite that fell to Earth 55,000 years ago. It weighs about 4 1/2 pounds empty, is too small to hold much, is nonrefundable and will take about six weeks to arrive. So yeah -- maybe yabba dabba don't?

Compelling Explanation

Springfield, Missouri, real estate agent Clifford Craig Edwards, 52, got caught up in the wild and crazy atmosphere of spring break in St. Petersburg, Florida -- at least that's what he told police after he was arrested on March 16 for felony criminal mischief, The Smoking Gun reported. Edwards was spied by the owners of a van standing near their vehicle and "making motions." When they confronted him, he laughed and ran away. The owners discovered their car had been vandalized with a butter knife, causing "extensive paint damage" to the tune of $1,000, police said. Edwards had put his number down on a wait list at a nearby restaurant, so police got in touch with him; that's when he said his actions were a "spring break mistake." He was released on a $2,000 bond.

Wait, What?

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have found that using mindfulness to treat social anxiety is more effective when combined with sniffing body odor, Sky News reported. The body odor for the study was collected from people watching films, but it didn't matter whether they watched comedy or horror. Women who participated in a mindfulness session while exposed to the odor saw a 39% reduction in social anxiety, while those who did mindfulness alone saw only a 17% reduction. The scientists aren't sure why human sweat affects the response to the treatment.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

"Sammie," a housekeeper in Tampa, Florida, is cleaning up with a twist on the usual duties of the job, the New York Post reported. She makes $300 an hour -- before tips -- to tidy up a home while topless. "Today I cleaned five houses ... I have a security guy who sits out in the car and waits for me just in case something happens," Sammie said on a TikTok video. With tips, she made more than $2,000 that day. "If you think you needed a sign, this is your sign," Sammie advised. "Topless maid cleaning service for the win." One commenter noted that the security guy had the sweetest deal: $800 to sit in the car.

Introducing the official Traverse City Horse Shows Visitors Guide

Connect with participants at one of the premier equestrian events in North America

15,000 of the most affluent visitors from 46 states and 29 countries

• 5,000 copies handed to every participant in their registration packet, and on-site during all 12 weeks of competition

• 5,000 copies inserted into June 26 issue of Northern Express

• All full-page advertisers receive two tickets to Traverse City Horse Shows

Traverse City Horse Shows Is A Stunner

• World-class equestrian competition

June 7-September 17

• $7 million in prize money for world-class hunters, jumpers, and Olympic athletes

• The average visiting party is 8.9 members, spending $6,577 per day including housing, shopping, dining and more

• 34% have an annual household income of $500,000+

• $128 million in direct, non-horse related economic impact on the region via shopping, dining, supporting local businesses

The Visitors Guide Is Your Access

• Glossy-cover guide on-site for all 12 weeks; 10,000 copies printed and distributed

• Content includes profiles of key competitors, map of the facility, introduction to equestrian sport, and more

• Half page: $550

• Full page: $900 includes two tickets

• Inside front/back cover page: $1,500 includes two tickets

• Back cover showcase: $2,500 includes two VIP passes

• Average stay in the area of 33 days per visiting party

saturday

COFFEE WITH COPNOBO STYLE!: 10am, Traverse Area District Library, Atrium, TC. Chat & have a cuppa with the new North Boardman Team - TCPD Officer Justin Nowland & Social Worker Jennifer Campbell. Coffee courtesy of Cuppa Joe TC. Free. tadl.org/events

DOWNTOWN BUNNY HOP SCAVENGER

HUNT & STORY TIME: 10am-noon, Downtown TC businesses & Horizon Books, TC. Kids will be provided a card full of fun items to find around participating businesses downtown. Each business will be provided with stickers to give to kids who find an item on their list. Once completed, kids can turn the card in at the front of Horizon Books for a chance to win the “Downtown Easter Basket” with Downtown TC business goodies. There will also be story time at Horizon Books with the mayor from 12-1pm. Free.

EAST JORDAN LIONS CLUB EASTER

FUN & GAMES: 10am, East Jordan Elementary gym. Games, candy & prizes. Only school age children 5-12 can receive prizes. Children under 5 can still participate in games & receive candy. The Easter Bunny will be there too. ----------------------

FRANKFORT EASTER EGG HUNT: 10am, Mineral Springs Park, Frankfort. Hunt for over 3,000 eggs. Free. ----------------------

FREE DROP-IN FAMILY ART: 10am-noon, Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. Stop by for an art activity for all ages. crookedtree.org/class/ ctac-traverse-city/free-drop-family-art-april

JOURNALISTS SPEAK: WHY LOCAL MEDIA MATTERS: Meet the People Behind the Stories. Featuring David Zeman, Pulitzer Prize winning editor from Bridge magazine; Victoria Alfonseca, editor of GTB News; Jillian Manning, editor of the Northern Express; John Elchert, publisher of the Leelanau Enterprise; Mardi Link, a reporter for the Traverse City Record Eagle; & Jacob Wheeler, editor of the Glen Arbor Sun. Ed Ronco, news director at Interlochen Public Radio, will moderate. Held via Zoom at 10am. Register: us02web.zoom. us/webinar/register/WN_XesWkDOwQyOo4TuBpLOZEQ Free. leelanauindivisible.org

NORTE USED BIKE & BIKE STUFF SALE: 10am-2pm, Norte Clubhouse, south side of GT County Civic Center, TC. Sell your bike on consignment by bringing it in before the yard sale starts. 30% of the sale goes to support Norte Wheelhouse & Community Bike Shop. There are more than 30 used bikes for sale, primarily adult bikes, but also a few bikes for children. There will also be a section for free bikes with a wide variety. norteyouthcycling.org/calendar/norte-used-bike-and-bike-stuff-sale?mc_ cid=be705bc53d&mc_eid=df24b9efb4

SPRING BREAK FEST AT THE STATE THEATRE: 10am, The State Theatre, TC. “Hop.” Free. See website for full schedule. stateandbijou.org

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SPECIAL STORYTIME & SMART MONEY

GAMES: 10:30am, Interlochen Public Library. Presented in partnership with Michigan Financial Wellness Network’s Smart Money MI Kids Read program & TBA Credit Union. Geared toward kids 4-10 years old; siblings welcome. 231-276-6767.

CEDAR EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA: 11am, Cedar Softball Fields, behind Fire Station. Enjoy an Easter egg hunt & meet the Easter Bunny. Free.

FAIRGROUNDS EGG SCRAMBLE: 11am1pm, Emmet County Fairgrounds, Petoskey.

HARBOR SPRINGS EASTER EGG HUNT: Harbor Springs. The hunt starts when the police siren goes off at 11am sharp. Main Street will be closed like the Farmers Market for this event between State & Traverse.

SKY WATCHING WITH MACKINAW STRAITS RAPTOR WATCH: 11am-1pm, Mackinaw City. At the peak of migration, join birders from the Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch for a chance to see & identify raptors & more. Dress warm & bring your own binoculars & chair. Meet at the corner of Pond & Askin streets at the south end of Mackinaw City. Pre-registration required. 
Free. landtrust.org/events

SPECIAL STORYTIME EVENT: 11am, Traverse Area District Library, Youth Services, TC. Families are invited to join quilter & author Nancy Bordine for the release of her new book, “What Do You See? Developing New Perspectives with Quilt Patterns.” Free. tadl.org/events

THE SALVATION ARMY EASTER EGGSPERIENCE EGG HUNT & FAMILY FUN EVENT: 11am-1pm, The Salvation Army Community Center, 1239 Barlow St., TC. Featuring crafts, egg hunts (egg hunts happening every 30 minutes), a family photo booth, an ice cream truck, bounce houses, food, fellowship, & more. Free. centralusa. salvationarmy.org/traversecity/events/thesalvation-army-easter-eggsperience

WALK AND TALK THROUGH SWIMMING,

A FERAL HOUSEWIFE: 11am, Glen Arbor Arts Center. Glen Arbor Arts Center Gallery Manager Sarah Bearup-Neal leads a conversational walking tour of the SWIMMING & A Feral Housewife exhibits. Bearup-Neal talks about how the exhibiting artists interpreted the SWIMMING exhibition’s theme, both literally & symbolically; tools & materials used; as well as other insights into their creative process. A Feral Housewife is a selection of collages by Leelanau County artist Mary Beth Acosta. Acosta uses vintage images to build her smart, funny stories about big-finned cars, labor-saving devices, & the mid-century womanhood. Free. glenarborart.org/events-page/events-all

EASTER EGG HUNT: Noon, Johannesburg Christian Church, Johannesburg. Four different age group categories for ages 1-14.

ELK RAPIDS DECORATED EASTER EGG CONTEST: Downtown Elk Rapids. Hop down to Elk Rapids from 12-4 pm. Bring your completed, decorated egg & submit it for judging. Enter your egg into drawings for chamber bucks & get a coupon/discount sheet for shops all through town. The Easter Bunny will be downtown, by the clock, from 1-2pm for pictures. For more info, visit Facebook page. Free. facebook.com/downtownelkrapids

CRYSTAL RIVER OUTFITTERS RECREATIONAL DISTRICT’S 2ND ANNUAL DISTRICT WIDE EASTER EGG HUNT: M22 Glen Arbor, 6298 W Western Ave., Glen Arbor. 1pm: Face painting & crafts. 3pm: Easter Egg Hunt. Meet the Easter Bunny. crystalriveroutfitters.com

SATURDAYS AT THE LAKESHORE: 1pm, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center, Empire. Discover new areas of the National Lakeshore by joining park rangers on a guided hike to some of their favorite places. Meet at the Visitor Center for an intro, & then car caravan a short distance to begin the hike. Dress for the weather for this 1.5-2 hr. hike. The distance will be about

2.5 miles on mostly flat trails. Free, but must have a park entrance pass or annual pass. For questions, call 231-326-4700, ext. 5010.

CHARLEVOIX EASTER EGG HUNT: 2pm, East Park, Downtown Charlevoix. Come downtown early to do an Easter-themed scavenger hunt. Pick up scavenger hunt sheets at the Chamber office.

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MADE IN MICHIGAN FUNDRAISER: 7-9:30pm, Cadillac Elks Lodge. Benefits Gopherwood Concerts. Live music by various musicians. $10-$20. mynorthtickets.com/ events/made-in-michigan-fundraiser-4-8-2023

COMEDY W/ BOB ZANY: 7:30-8:45pm, Traverse City Comedy Club, TC. Bob has appeared on over a thousand national TV shows. He can currently be seen on Showtime in Billy Gardell’s Road Dogs. His film credits include Joe Dirt with David Spade & Stephen Soderberg’s The Informant playing Matt Damon’s attorney. $30-$35. mynorthtickets.com/events/ comedy-wbob-zany-4-7-2023

monday

PRESCHOOL ADVENTURES IN ART: 9:3010:15am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. Young artists can engage in themed activities while exploring various art methods. A short story will also be read. Early registration encouraged. $5. crookedtree.org/class/ctac-traverse-city/preschool-adventures-art-april-10

KID’S CRAFT LAB: SAND PAINTING: 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

MINDFULNESS 101: 1pm, Leland Township Library, Leland. Amy White will lead an introductory hour exploring the basics of the mind-body connection as it relates to our physical, mental & emotional health. The science of how meditation or other mindfulness

practices “work” in the body will be analyzed. Free. lelandlibrary.org/programs-events

HEALTH & WELLNESS: BE HEALTHY, BE ACTIVE COMMUNITY COOKING WORKSHOP: 3:30-5pm, Interlochen Public Library. With Chef Susanne. You will be shown a few techniques, & then you can cook the whole recipe from start to finish. Limited to 10 people. Registration required. Free. interlochenpubliclibrary.org

VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATORS SOCIAL HOUR: 4-6pm, Silver Spruce Brewing, TC. Northwest Michigan Association of Volunteer Administrators invites all nonprofit professionals working with volunteers to attend this social. There will be info about upcoming meetings - including the Day of Action event on April 20. Free. Please RSVP. unitedwaynwmi.galaxydigital.com/event/detail/?event_id

NMRPOA - MONTHLY MEETING (TC): 5:30pm, Harrington’s by the Bay, TC. RSVP for the dinner meeting of the Northern Michigan Rental Property Owners Association, a group of investors that meet monthly. Call or text: 231.714.9568. There will be a speaker on sourcing “budget” used appliances for your rentals. Free.

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REFIT® TC: 7pm, The Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. A group fitness experience that rocks your body, heart, & soul with powerful moves & positive music, to inspire you from the inside out. Classes are held Mondays at 7pm & Thursdays at 9:30am. $1 suggested donation. facebook. com/profile.php?id=100090460000055

tuesday COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS BREAKFAST: 8am, The Brook of Gaylord, Theatre Room. Join for casual networking & breakfast. RSVP: karrington@brookretirement.org. Free.

Nate Barnes is first up in Odawa Casino’s Country Concert Series, held in Victories Sports & Entertainment, Petoskey on April 14 at 9pm. This young, blue-collar power plant worker writes and sings about the work and everyday life he lived in the small town of South Haven, MI; about God, family, hard work, heartache, love, the simple life and it’s simple joys. These concerts are held the second Friday of every month, April through November, with a DJ following the shows. $10 cover. odawacasino.com

QUILTS FOR KIDS: 10am-noon, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Join Kellie Chase to help transform fabrics into patchwork quilts for kids facing serious trauma. Meeting quarterly starting 4/11. Quilts for Kids is a nonprofit organization. RSVP: 231-223-7700.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 10:30am, Suttons Bay-Bingham District Library. Stories, songs, & active fun. Free. sbbdl.org

STORYTIME ADVENTURES: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Featuring “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown. greatlakeskids.org

PARKINSON’S NETWORK NORTH SUPPORT GROUP: 1pm, The Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. Socialization, research & treatment update. Split session for Parkinsonians & Care-Partners. Speakers: Symptom focus & movement. If you own walking poles, bring them with you. Info: 947-7389. Free. pnntc.org

apr 12

wednesday

READ TO SKYE, A CORGI: Interlochen Public Library. Read to Skye, a certified therapy reading dog. Drop in between 4-5:30pm. 231276-6767.

GAYLORD BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-7pm, Bill Marsh Ford, Gaylord. Tiki bar theme. Register. $5 members; $10 not-yet members. gaylordchamber.com/businessafter-hours

PETOSKEY BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-7pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Enjoy networking, appetizers, the youth art show, & music by Jeff Pagel. $10 Chamber members; $15 not-yet members. petoskeychamber.com

NWS: ROSS GAY: 7pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. This awardwinning author of four books of poetry has just released a new collection of essays: “Inciting Joy.” Tickets: $25 adult; $10 child through college. Virtual: $14. nationalwritersseries.org/product/ross-gay

apr 13

thursday

BOOK SALE: 9am-5pm, Helena Township Community Center, Alden. Books, audio books, DVDs, music CDs & puzzles. Sponsored by Friends of the Alden District Library. 231331-4318.

GROVE STREET VOLUNTEER PLANTING

WORKBEE: 9am-1pm. Join Traverse City Light and Power & the Grand Traverse Conservation District in planting bare-root native shrubs to improve habitat within the utility easement along Grove Street adjacent to the TART trail. Water bottle, work gloves, & sturdy footwear are recommended. Shovels will be available; however, you are welcome to bring your own. Please register. natureiscalling.org/events

REFIT® TC: 9:30am, The Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. A group fitness experience that rocks your body, heart, & soul with powerful moves & positive music, to inspire you from the inside out. Classes are held Mondays at 7pm & Thursdays at 9:30am. $1 suggested donation. facebook.com/profile. php?id=100090460000055

AUTISM AWARENESS PRESENTATION BY NORTHWEST EDUCATION SERVICES: 10:30am, Interlochen Public Library. Learn about the impacts of autism & strategies to try in the home or community. Child care & snacks are provided. 231-276-6767.

KID’S CRAFT LAB: SAND PAINTING: 10:30am, 1pm & 3:30pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Sign up when you reserve your attendance at the Museum. greatlakeskids.org

SPRING CAREER FAIR: 11am-3pm, NCMC Student & Community Resource Center gymnasium, Petoskey. Open to any college student, alumni or community member seeking full-time, entry level or internship employment opportunities. Featuring 65 employers. Free. collegecentral.com/CCNEngine/ LiveEvents/LiveEvents.cfm?EventID=6187

INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES:

AWA ODORI - A TRADITIONAL JAPANESE

DANCE: Noon, NCMC Library, Petoskey. Learn about the history, customs, & transformation of the Awa Odori dance & festival. The session will end with a fun & easy tutorial. Register. Free. ncmclifelonglearning.com/ event-5221092

“THE SECRET LIVES OF BLUEBIRDS”: 2pm, Cadillac Wexford Public Library, Community Room, Cadillac. Renowned northern Michigan filmmaker & Cadillac resident Charles St. Charles will share select film footage of & discuss the challenges of making a wildlife film featuring the Eastern Bluebird. Free. friendsofthecadillaclibrary.wordpress.com/upcoming-programs

“A HISTORY OF CARING: THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOSPITALS IN BENZIE COUN-

TY”: 4pm, The Mills Community House, Benzonia. Local historian Jane Purkis will share the stories of the nurses & doctors dedicated to the health care needs of the community. Purkis is the curator of the Benzie Area Historical & Drake School Museums. Also held on Zoom. Donation; $5 suggested. benziemuseum.org

EAST JORDAN BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5:30-7pm, Jordan Inn, East Jordan. For Boyne City & East Jordan Area Chambers of Commerce.

JAZZ COMBOS: THE MUSIC OF HORACE SILVER: ANNETTE BASLER MEMORIAL CONCERT: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Experience the music of a jazz legend & support local students as the Interlochen Arts Academy Jazz Combos perform a program of jazz standards by pianist, composer, & hard bop pioneer Horace Silver. $12-$15. interlochen.org/events/jazz-combosmusic-horace-silver-annette-basler-memorialconcert-2023-04-13

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THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Cornley University Drama Society’s newest play, “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” a 1920s murder mystery, where things are about to quickly go from bad to utterly disastrous. Adults, $28; youth under 18, $15 (plus fees). oldtownplayhouse.com/ performances/mainstage/the-play-that-goeswrong.html

apr 14

friday

BOOK SALE: (See Thurs., April 13)

ELK RAPIDS BUSINESS

AFTER HOURS: 5pm, Ethanology, Elk Rapids. Join the Elk Rapids Area Chamber with Fischer Insurance for a fun evening of networking with fellow profes-

mar 22

FUNKY UNCLE

FUNKY FUN MONDAYS AT THE ALLUVION

JEFF HAAS TRIO

WSG NANCY STAGNITTA ON FLUTE

WATERCOLORIST LISA FLAHIVE

MAY ERLEWINE

BIG FUN

FUNKY FUN MONDAYS AT THE ALLUVION

BOARDMAN REVIEW

RELEASE PARTY

JEFF HAAS TRIO

WSG JIM COOPER ON VIBRAPHONE

WATERCOLORIST LISA FLAHIVE

EARTHWORK MUSIC

SPRING TOUR

FEAT. JORDAN HAMILTON, SETH BERNARD, SAMANTHA COOPER, AMBER HASAN, DEDE ALDER, RALSTON BOWLES, SARI BROWN, SARAH COHEN, CHRIS GOOD, JOSH HOLCOMB, AUDRA KUBAT, ELISABETH PIXLEY-FINK, DAN RICKABUS, VINCE RUSSO, MIKE SAVINA, JO SERRAPERE, NICHOLAS JAMES THOMASMA & BEN TRAVERSE

FUNKY UNCLE

FUNKY FUN MONDAYS AT THE ALLUVION

JEFF HAAS TRIO

WSG LAURIE SEARS ON SAXAPHONE & FLUTE

WATERCOLORIST LISA FLAHIVE

THE ALLUVION’S PREVIEW SERIES is a limited slate of programming while we get ready for our GRAND OPENING. We are still dialing in a dozen key systems and thousands of fine details—please pardon dust, wires, construction equipment, temporary furnishings, and other small messes, as well as occasional minor inconveniences and shortfalls of our ideal level of hospitali and accessibili .

sionals. Enjoy food, drinks, & conversation & bring your business card for prize drawings. $5 members; $10 non-members. business.elkrapidschamber.org/events/details/ business-after-hours-36402

NMEAC’S ENVIRONMENTALIST OF THE YEAR CELEBRATION: Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Food at 5:30pm; program at 7pm with Sarna Salzman of Seeds. Tickets online. nmeac.org

NORTE’S MORE GIRLS ON BIKES KICKOFF PARTY: 6pm, MI Moves Fitness, 2475 Dairy Sq., TC. Featuring games on balance bikes, short films, & plans for clinics, rides & meetups for the upcoming year. norteyouthcycling.org/calendar/more-girls-kickoff?mc_ cid=272ce61bb4&mc_eid=df24b9efb4

PEEENTS AND PINTS: 7pm, YMCA, Silver Lake Rd., TC. Watch & listen to the mating flight display of the American Woodcock, a spring ritual celebrated by nature enthusiasts for decades. Meet at the YMCA on Silver Lake Rd., at the east end of the parking lot. After the performance, head to Rare Bird Brewpub to enjoy the afterglow. Wear footwear suitable for damp meadows. A small flashlight might be useful. Contact leader Kirk Waterstripe (4walkinglightly@gmail.com) with any questions. Free. grandtraverseaudubon.org

A LAKESIDE CHAT WITH AUTHOR JOHN PATRICK HEMINGWAY - GRANDSON OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY: Talcott Event Venue, Downtown Walloon Lake. John Patrick Hemingway is the author of “Strange Tribe,” a memoir that details the turbulent, love/hate relationship between his father, Dr. Gregory Hemingway, & his grandfather, the Nobel Laureate Ernest Hemingway. Doors open at 7pm with a cash bar, followed by the discussion at 7:30pm, & a book signing to follow. Free. wmta.org/a-lakeside-chat-with-author-john-patrick-hemingway-grandson-of-ernest-hemingway/?utm_ source=Press+Contacts&utm_ campaign=31109d47a6-Press+Release_ COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: (See Thurs., April 13)

COMEDY W/ MICHAEL PALASCAK: 7:459:30pm, Traverse City Comedy Club, TC. Michael performed on both The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the same year. In addition, his resume includes A Little Late with Lilly Singh, Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Conan, has a Comedy Central Half Hour special, & was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing. $25-$30. mynorthtickets.com/ events/comedy-wmichael-palaczak-4-14-2023

COUNTRY CONCERT SERIES: NATE

BARNES: Odawa Casino Resort, Victories,

Petoskey. This young, blue-collar power plant worker writes & sings about the work & everyday life he lived in the small town of South Haven, MI; about God, family, hard work, heartache, love, the simple life & it’s simple joys. Doors open at 7pm; concert at 9pm; DJ to follow. $10. odawacasino.com

saturday

BOOK SALE: (See Thurs., April 13, except today’s hours are 9am-2pm.)

BEARY GOOD NEWS

HIKE: 10am, Houdek Dunes Natural Area, Leland. Join docent Ann McInnis, Bert Thomas, Keith Rhodes & other docents as they explore Houdek Dunes for evidence of bear activity, along with the early-springtime activities of the many animals & plants that call Houdek home. Free. leelanauconservancy.org/events/beary-good-news-hike-athoudek-dunes-natural-area

JOB FAIR IN ELK RAPIDS: 10am-1pm, Amvets Post #114, Elk Rapids. Whether you are looking for full-time, part-time, seasonal or permanent positions, there will be a place for you to apply. Free. business.elkrapidschamber. org/events/details/job-fair-in-elk-rapids-36403

SPRING BREAK FEST AT THE STATE

THEATRE: 10am, The State Theatre, TC. “Hoot.” Free. stateandbijou.org

PURPLE UP FOR MILITARY KIDS: 11am1pm, American Legion Post 281, 101 E. Third St., Harbor Springs. Join American Legion Post 281 for a free luncheon for military families & their children. Please wear purple to show your support.

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

FIESTA OF FEELINGS!: 1pm, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey. Meet the creators of “Feeling all the Feelings Workbook,” Betsy & Brad Petersen. A kids’ guide to exploring emotions. Enjoy snacks, games, new friends & more. Best for ages 2-10, but all ages welcome. RSVP: 231-347-1180. Free.

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

NANCY BORDINE BOOKSIGNING EVENT: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Nancy will sign copies of her debut book, “What Do You See? -- Developing New Perspectives with Quilt Patterns.” horizonbooks.com/event/nancybordine-booksigning-event-what-do-you-see

CONTRA DANCE: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, TC. Presented by Bayside Travellers. 7pm: dancing workshop. 7:30-10:30pm: dance with caller Pat Reese. Woodland Celtic will provide live music. Donation.

JOSHUA DAVIS: 7-9pm, Old Art Building, Leland. This folk songwriter, guitarist & vocalist heads back to the stage for an evening

of music about life, love, change & growth. $30; $25 OAB Members. oldartbuilding.com/ events/joshua-davis

COMEDY W/ MICHAEL PALASCAK: (See Fri., April 14, except tonight’s time is 7:30-9pm.)

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: (See Thurs., April 13)

CHEAP TRICK: SOLD OUT: 8pm, Little River Casino Resort, Manistee. Formed in 1973, rock icon Cheap Trick has performed thousands of shows & sold millions of records. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. lrcr.com/eventcalendar/concerts/cheap-trick

sunday

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS

FESTIVAL: 1:30pm, City Opera House, TC. Enjoy the winning student play submissions as they come to life! Each winning playwright works with a national theater mentor on honing their plays for your viewing pleasure. Free. cityoperahouse.org/ypf?mc_cid=1ceeda551e&mc_ eid=36a666ea46

FILM SCREENING: “KISS THE GROUND”: 2pm, The Opera House, Cheboygan. Enjoy this film screening, followed by a discussion with the farmers of Harvest Thyme Farm, a sustainable farm providing fresh vegetables & flowers in the Cheboygan area. “Kiss the Ground,” narrated by Woody Harrelson, is a full-length documentary shedding light on a new, old approach to farming called regenerative agriculture. Free. theoperahouse.org

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: (See Thurs., April 13, except today’s time is 2pm.)

TSO SYMPHONIC SERIES: BRAHMS + BEETHOVEN: 3pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Featuring Jeffrey Biegel, piano & the NMC Chorus. $25.50 - $61.50. traversesymphony.org/concert/brahms-beethoven

art“CHARLEVOIX CREATIVES COLLECTIVE – TOOLS OF CREATIVITY”: Featuring artwork by six local artists who are members of the Charlevoix Creatives Collective, an artist group that meets weekly at Charlevoix Circle of Arts. Member artists include Jennifer Carroll, Mary Duggan, Shayla Johnson, Kathie Libert, Ruby Smith & Sharon Smithem. Runs through April 8 at Charlevoix Circle of Arts, which is open Mon. - Fri., 11am-4pm; & Sat., 11am3pm. charlevoixcircle.org

CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY:

- SPECIAL NEEDS ARTISTIC MOVE-

MENT: Held in the Dance Studio, this class provides the special needs community a chance to expand their artistry & movement creativity while giving the example that the arts are for everyone. This dance & movement class is designed for teens & adults. It includes basic to intermediate dance education, & is held on Mondays & Fridays from 1-2:30pm through May 12. Register. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/special-needs-artistic-movement

- EMERGING ARTISTS 2023: A COLLECTION OF NCMC STUDENT WORKS: Held in Atrium Gallery through April 15. Work in glass, metals, ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, illustration, video, & more will be on display. This exhibition is organized by NCMC faculty. crookedtree.org/event/ctacpetoskey/emerging-artists-2023-collectionncmc-student-works-opens-march-14

- YOUTH ART SHOW 2023 - PETOSKEY: Work by students working throughout CharEm ISD fill the galleries in this annual showcase. Runs through May 4. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey/youth-art-show2023-petoskey-opens-march-18

DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC:

- “US”: Teresa Dunn’s solo exhibition is a collection of her recent narrative painting series that brings voice to stories that people of color, individuals with complex cultural identities, & immigrants shared with her about their daily experience in America. Runs through May 28. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm.

- “VITALITY AND CONTINUITY: ART IN THE EXPERIENCES OF ANISHINAABE, INUIT, AND PUEBLO WOMEN”: This exhibit celebrates some of the critical roles Anishinaabe, Inuit, & Pueblo women fulfill in their families, their communities, the art world, & beyond. Runs through May 19. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org ----------------------

GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER:

- A FERAL HOUSEWIFE: Held in the Lobby Gallery. An exhibition of collages by Leelanau County artist Mary Beth Acosta. Runs through April 21. Acosta uses simple, familiar tools & a range of recycled, vintage papers to create collages about mid-century housewives, big-finned cars, & labor-saving appliances that were promoted as drudgery-busting machines that would revolutionize the modern home. A video interview with Acosta about her materials & methods can be seen as part of the online version of this exhibition: glenarborart.org/events/exhibit-a-feral-housewife

- “SWIMMING”: Featuring exhibitors Margo Burian, Barbara Bushey, Nancy Crisp, Royce Deans, Sheila Stafford, Melonie Steffes, Kimberly Stoney, Michelle Tock York, & many others. Runs through June 1. glenarborart.org/events/exhibit-swimming

BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER

It was hard to imagine that a boxing film— one of cinema’s most predictable and enduring genres—could still hold surprises for audiences, but that’s exactly what happened in 2015 when a young director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station and Black Panther) and actor Michael B. Jordan (People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive alum) created the character of Adonis “Donnie” Creed, a young boxer with enormous natural talents who struggles to control personal demons that audiences could all relate to.

If it sounds familiar, it should. And if you missed the earlier generations of the famed Rocky franchise created by Sylvester Stallone—an early indie film maverick just like Coogler—you won’t need them here to love Creed III, though the older films do add echoes to a growing storyscape that feels like they were meant to work together. Both Stallone and Coogler are continuing producers on the Creed spinoffs.

Michael B. Jordan not only stars in Creed III but also acts as the director, just as Stallone did in 1971. Jordan shows true creativity behind the camera while still remaining restrained and true to the themes that defined the Rocky films and showed that there was real power in the most quiet and personal moments.

It’s the ghosts of his past that haunt Creed in this movie installment, launching a kind of Cape Fear-style stalking and a Romulus versus Remus faceoff which he can’t shake until he confronts pain he has hidden his whole life. A remix of Dr. Dre’s “The Watcher” opens the Los Angeles based narrative’s score, which explores society’s jealousy and voyeurism as well as the wild extremes between the lucky and the not.

CLASSIFIEDS

This bout features Damian “Dame” Anderson, a Compton street brawler. Actor Jonathan Majors delivers a haunting performance of Diamond Dame reminiscent of Mr. T’s focused fierceness as Clubber Lang in Rocky III. In some of the most tense sequences of the film, Anderson’s rage flows out into violent determination you can feel through the screen with each thundering punch.

From there, the PG-13 plot takes some wild leaps of logic, but it doesn’t matter much because the film still delivers the central promise of a personal grudgematch while oscillating between vendetta and forgiveness, heart pounding training sequences, and the final tension-filled showdown title fight set in Dodger Stadium.

There’s also a stellar ensemble cast that includes actors Tessa Thompson as Creed’s partner and wife, real-life boxer José Benavidez Jr., and Wood Harris as the trainer, among others. And Phylicia Rashad in the last onscreen performance connecting the franchise to the brilliant memory of Carl Weathers as the original Apollo Creed.

What I remembered most was the film’s patient investment in the young character Amara, who is deaf, brought to life by Mila Davis-Kent. Creed’s daughter and namesake uses her direct line of fighter energy in a way only her father can understand, and I am excited to see if Apollo’s granddaughter might be the next champion in the family.

Note: The film is out nationwide and worth a spin on the big-screen but also available at home during the premium window for $20-25. (Check your streaming services for details.)

Creed III

by Joseph Beyer

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska

ENCORE 201, TC

4/8 -- DJ Ricky T, 9

4/14 -- The Pistil Whips, 8; Friends With Benefits, 10

4/15 -- Jon Archambault Band, 8; DJ Ricky T, 10

FRESH COAST BEER WORKS, TC

4/14 -- Tai Drury, 7

KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC

4/7-8 – E Quality, 9:30

4/12 -- The Pocket, 8

Thu -- Ladies Night with DJ Leo, 9:30

4/14-15 -- Life Theory, 9:30

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC BARREL ROOM:

4/10 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9

4/14 -- Ted Alan & Ron Getz, 5

LIL BO, TC

Tues. – Trivia, 8-10

Weds. – Aldrich, 9

Sun. – Karaoke, 8

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, TC

4/11 -- JEM Trio, 7-10

MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC

4/14 -- Jesse Jefferson, 6-9

SORELLINA'S, TC

SLATE RESTAURANT:

Thurs. -- Tom Kaufmann on

Piano, 5-8

Fri. & Sat. – Tom Kaufmann on

Piano, 6-9

THE PARLOR, TC

8-11:

4/8 -- Old Mission Fiddle Vine

4/14 -- Blue Footed Booby

THE PUB, TC

4/15 -- Blair Miller, 7

Antrim & Charlevoix

BOYNE CITY TAP ROOM

Thu -- Sean Bielby & Adam Engelman, 6-9

ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS

4/8 & 4/15 -- Winter Music Series, 7-10

HELLO VINO, BELLAIRE

4/14 -- Beach Boys Karaoke, 6:30

PROVISIONS WINE LOUNGE, BOYNE CITY

4/11 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 8:

4/8 -- StoneFolk

4/14 -- Chris Michels

4/15 -- The Wild Honey Collective

THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, TC

Tues. – Trivia, 7-9

TRAVERSE CITY COMEDY CLUB, TC

4/7 – Comedy w/ Bob Zany, 7:45-9:15

4/8 -- Comedy w/ Bob Zany, 7:30-8:45

4/14 -- Comedy w/ Michael

Palascak, 7:45-9:30

4/15 -- Comedy w/ Michael

Palascak, 7:30-9

TRAVERSE CITY WHISKEY CO.

4/12 -- Chris Smith, 6-8

Leelanau & Benzie

BOATHOUSE VINEYARDS, LAKE LEELANAU TASTING ROOM:

4/14 -- Luke Woltanski, 5:30-8

DICK'S POUR HOUSE, LAKE LEELANAU

Sat. -- Karaoke, 10-1

FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR

Thu -- Live Music, 4-6:30

IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE

4/15 – Blake Elliott, 5-7

LAKE ANN BREWING CO.

4/8 -- Tim Jones & Friends, 6:309:30

Thu -- Trivia Night w/ Host Tom Kaspar, 7-9

4/14 -- Niemisto & Skellenger, 6:30-9:30

4/15 -- Jack Pine Band, 6:309:30

SHADY LANE CELLARS, SUTTONS BAY

4/14 -- Friday Night LIVE with Eliza Thorp, 5:30-8:30

ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH

4/8 -- Bill Frary, 5-8

4/12 -- Comedy Hive Open Mic, 7-8:30

4/13 -- Open Mic Night w/ Jeff Louwsma, 5:30-8:30

4/14 -- Lynn Callihan, 5-8 4/15 -- LaRose, 5-8

UPRIVER SLICE OF MUSIC, BENZONIA

4/12 -- Andy Littlefield, 6-8

ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD

4/14 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6

SHORT'S BREW PUB, BELLAIRE

8-10:30:

4/8 -- Jack Elliott

4/14 -- Chris Sterr

Otsego, Crawford & Central

BENNETHUM'S NORTHERN INN, GAYLORD

4/11 -- Pete Kehoe, 5-8

MANISTEE, WEXFORD & MISSAUKEE

LITTLE RIVER CASINO RESORT, MANISTEE

4/15 – Cheap Trick, 8-10:30:

SOLD OUT WILLOW MARKET & MEATS, CADILLAC

4/14 -- Blair Miller, 7

BEARDS BREWERY, PETOSKEY ROOT CELLAR: 4/8 -- Peter Allen Jensen, 6

-- Rhett & John,

-- Owen James,

BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY

MAMMOTH DISTILLING, BAY HARBOR

7-10:

4/8 -- The Real Ingredients

4/15 -- David Lawston

ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY VICTORIES:

Sat. -- Live DJ, 9

4/14 -- Country Concert Series: Nate Barnes, 9; followed by DJ

THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN

4/13 -- Open Mic, 6-8

4/14 -- John Piatek, 8-11

4/15 -- Myk Rise, 8-11

THE NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY

7-10:

4/8 -- Michelle Chenard

4/14 -- Todd Aldrich

4/15 -- Moon Howlers

lOGY

APR 10 - APR 16

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hope that in the coming weeks, you will keep your mind bubbling with zesty mysteries. I hope you'll exult in the thrill of riddles that are beyond your current power to solve. If you cultivate an appreciation of uncanny uncertainties, life will soon begin bringing you uncanny certainties. Do you understand the connection between open-hearted curiosity and fertile rewards? Don’t merely tolerate the enigmas you are immersed in—love them!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): ): You don't know what is invisible to you. The truths that are out of your reach may as well be hiding. The secret agendas you are not aware of are indeed secret. That's the not-so-good news, Virgo. The excellent news is that you now have the power to uncover the rest of the story, at least some of it. You will be able to penetrate below the surface and find buried riches. You will dig up missing information whose absence has prevented you from understanding what has been transpiring. There may be a surprise or two ahead, but they will ultimately be agents of healing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Visionary philosopher Buckminster Fuller referred to pollution as a potential resource we have not yet figured out how to harvest. A company called Algae Systems does exactly that. It uses wastewater to grow algae that scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and yield carbon-negative biofuels. Can we invoke this approach as a metaphor that's useful to you? Let's dream up examples. Suppose you're a creative artist. You could be inspired by your difficult emotions to compose a great song, story, painting, or dance. Or if you're a lover who is in pain, you could harness your suffering to free yourself of a bad old habit or ensure that an unpleasant history doesn't repeat itself. Your homework, Libra, is to figure out how to take advantage of a “pollutant” or two in your world.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Soon you will graduate from your bumpy lessons and enter a smoother, silkier phase. You will find refuge from the naysayers as you create a liberated new power spot for yourself. In anticipation of this welcome transition, I offer this motivational exhortation from poet Gwendolyn Brooks: "Say to them, say to the down-keepers, the sun-slappers, the self-soilers, the harmony-hushers, 'Even if you are not ready for day, it cannot always be night.'" believe you are finished with your worthwhile but ponderous struggles, Scorpio. Get ready for an excursion toward luminous grace.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): periodically seek the counsel of a Sagittarian psychic. She's half-feral and sometimes speaks in riddles. She tells me she occasionally converses by phone with a person she calls "the ex-Prime Minister of Narnia." I confided in her that lately it has been a challenge for me to keep up with you Sagittarians because you have been expanding beyond the reach of my concepts. She gave me a pronouncement that felt vaguely helpful, though it was also a bit over my head: "The Archer may be quite luxuriously curious and furiously hilarious; studiously lascivious and victoriously delirious; salubriously industrious but never lugubriously laborious." Here’s how I interpret that: Right now, pretty much anything is possible if you embrace unpredictability.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I’m not insane," says Capricorn actor Jared Leto.

"I’m voluntarily indifferent to conventional rationality." That attitude might serve you well in the coming weeks. You could wield it to break open opportunities that were previously closed due to excess caution. suspect you’re beginning a fun phase of selfdiscovery when you will learn a lot about yourself. As you do, I hope you will experiment with being at least somewhat indifferent to conventional rationality. Be willing to be surprised. Be receptive to changing your mind about yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): People of all genders feel urges to embellish their native beauty with cosmetic enhancements. I myself haven't done so, but I cheer on those who use their flesh for artistic experiments. At the same time, I am also a big fan of us loving ourselves exactly

as we are. And I'm hoping that in the coming weeks, you will emphasize the latter over the former. urge you to indulge in an intense period of maximum self-appreciation. Tell yourself daily how gorgeous and brilliant you are. Tell others, too! Cultivate a glowing pride in the gifts you offer the world. If anyone complains, tell them you’re doing the homework your astrologer gave you.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): I encourage you to amplify the message you have been trying to deliver. If there has been any shyness or timidity in your demeanor, purge it. If you have been less than forthright in speaking the whole truth and nothing but the truth, boost your clarity and frankness. Is there anything you could do to help your audience be more receptive? Any tenderness you could express to stimulate their willingness and ability to see you truly?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An old sadness is ripening into practical wisdom. A confusing loss is about to yield a clear revelation you can use to improve your life. In mysterious ways, a broken heart you suffered in the past may become a wild card that inspires you to deepen and expand your love. Wow and hallelujah, Taurus! I’m amazed at the turnarounds that are in the works for you. Sometime in the coming weeks, what wounded you once upon a time will lead to a vibrant healing. Wonderful surprise!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What is the true and proper symbol for your sign, Gemini? Twins standing shoulder to shoulder as they gaze out on the world with curiosity? Or two lovers embracing each other with mischievous adoration in their eyes? Both scenarios can accurately represent your energy, depending on your mood and the phase you're in. In the coming weeks, I advise you to draw on the potency of both. You will be wise to coordinate the different sides of your personality in pursuit of a goal that interests them all. And you will also place yourself in harmonious alignment with cosmic rhythms as you harness your passionate urge to merge in a good cause.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Some scientists speculate that more people suffer from allergies than ever before because civilization has oversanitized the world. The fetish for scouring away germs and dirt means that our immune systems don't get enough practice in fending off interlopers. In a sense, they are "bored" because they have too little to do. That's why they fight stuff that's not a threat, like tree pollens and animal dander. Hence, we develop allergies to harmless substances. hope you will apply this lesson as a metaphor in the coming weeks, fellow Cancerian. Be sure the psychological component of your immune system isn't warding off the wrong people and things. It's healthy for you to be protective, but not hyper-over-protective in ways that shut out useful influences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): One night in 1989, Leo evolutionary biologist Margie Profet went to sleep and had a dream that revealed to her new information about the nature of menstruation. The dream scene was a cartoon of a woman's reproductive system. It showed little triangles being carried away by the shed menstrual blood. Eureka! As Profet lay in bed in the dark, she intuited a theory that no scientist had ever guessed: that the sloughed-off uterine lining had the key function of eliminating pathogens, represented by the triangles. In subsequent years, she did research to test her idea, supported by studies with electron microscopes. Now her theory is regarded as fact. I predict that many of you Leos will soon receive comparable benefits. Practical guidance will be available in your dreams and twilight awareness and altered states. Pay close attention!

Crosswords

ACROSS

1. Skip levels, in early video games

5. Blasts with a ray gun

9. Part of a pasture

13. Standoffish

15. Fitzgerald of songdom

16. Sought damages in court

17. It's now just ... a bowl of hot water with roses and daisies (look to the right!)

19. Cribbage score markers

20. Jot stuff down

21. Bushy maze barrier

22. Early color TVs

23. Lowly, as a task

24. Mattress's place

27. "Where've you ___?"

29. Early 8-bit game console

30. Say with certainty

31. Philanthropic providers

33. They're now just ... bread and lettuce meals (look above!)

39. Julius Caesar's assassin

40. Comedian Kondabolu

41. Sat ___ (GPS system)

44. Iowa State's town

45. Encouraged, with "up"

47. Elite squads

49. "___ & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming"

50. System of principles

51. Recreational noodle?

56. "Bus Stop" dramatist William

57. It's now just ... a tree in your texts (look to the left!)

58. Wet weather

59. Ballet jump

60. Senegal's capital

61. Winter transportation

62. Get snippy with

63. Ceremonial flames

DOWN

1. Be carried on a breeze

2. "It was ___ dream"

3. Kasparov piece

4. Hostile takeover

5. Outer parts of peels

6. Succulent leaf plant

7. Favorable factor

8. Sugarhouse stuff

9. "Trembling" tree

10. Caught up to speed

11. Singer Carly ___ Jepsen

12. Ford fiascoes

14. Boundary marker

18. Type of show or warrior

21. Painter Matisse

23. Cat comment

24. Certain college degs.

25. Green of "Casino Royale"

26. Toothpaste form

27. Paycheck booster

28. Terminal points

31. Invitation info

32. It may help you find your classes on the first day

34. Playhouse offering

35. Adds up

36. Barn bale

37. "... ___ he drove out of sight"

38. "Science Kid" of PBS

41. Lowest points

42. Discordant, as music

43. Compete (for)

45. Lightning flash

46. Like a hungry pet, probably

48. Change, as a document

49. Skeleton parts

51. Legal appeal

52. Cheerios ingredients

53. Adjective that the Addams family are "altogether"

54. Slightly opened

55. Spare in the trunk

57. Late-night wear

"On the Hunt" --they've been

relocated. by Matt Jones

“Jonesin”

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLASSIFIEDS

COTTAGE FOR RENT: Traverse City, 1BR Cottage, W/D, A/C, Fully Furnished, All Utilities Included, Cable TV, Very Nice, Quiet & Clean, Month-to-Month to One Year, No Pets, $1,600 month; 231631-7512.

GREAT LAKES HOME CARE

UNLIMITED: Want to make a difference in someone's life and be part of a amazing team of rock star in home caregivers? Call today 1-888-242-4759 or Go online and apply www.glhcu.com

NEW HOPE NETWORK LOCATION

NOW HIRING!: Help those experiencing a mental health crisis by joining our direct care team. Sign on Bonus $1000. Starting pay $17. Full Benefits start first day. Paid training provided - no experience needed. All shifts available full and part time. Contact Dana @ 616-260-7266 or dgrummet@hopenetwork.org

MAH JONGG CLASSES WITH BARBARA: Novice/Refresher & Strategies levels. Starting 4/13; Thursdays 1-4 at MiddleCoast Brewing Co, 329 E. State St. For info & registration contact: chocolady@aye. net, 231-383-0803

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF TC REQUEST PROPOSALS 2023: Mission Committee of the Presbyterian Church of TC is seeking local organizations to submit proposals to receive grant monies. Our goal is to establish funding & in-service relationships with the organizations (even those in developmental stages)

which address needs in our community Deadline April 30, 2023: https://forms. gle/sZ3mAiHNvHThs3LQ6

PAID PART-TIME WORK TRAINING FOR SENIORS 55+: Paid Part-Time Positions Available for Seniors Aged 55 and over. Applicants must be unemployed/seeking work & meet income guideline. Reception/Clerical/ File Clerk, Employment Specialist Trainee, Customer Service/Retail, Custodial. For more information call AARP Foundation SCSEP at 231-2524544. We serve Grand Traverse region and other Michigan counties.

SEWING: SEWING, ALTERATIONS, MENDING & Repairs. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231-228-6248

DOWNTOWN ROOMS FOR RENT: THE WHITING. Downtown rooms for rent on a month to month basis. Rents starting at $400/mo, includes all utilities. Single occupancy, no pets. 231-9476360. www.thewhitinghotel.com

MR.GETITDONE: Need junk cleared away, brush to old couches. Mike can haul it away for fair prices and senior discounts. Powerwashing, many handyman skills. Call for anything 231871-1028.

PADDLE CRAFT SAFETY CLASS topics include weather conditions, life jackets, hypothermia, types of kayaks, safety equipment, and planning a safe day trip. this class will be held may 4,

2023, from 6-9 pm. the course will be taught by john chase, a certified aca instructor, author, and speaker. preregister by may 1st. contact dianne walker @ diannewalk48@gmail.com

VILLAGE OF ELK RAPIDS SEEKING STRATEGIC & INNOVATIVE MANAGER to lead the idyllic waterfront community. The village will offer a competitive compensation and generous benefit package, with a starting salary range of $100,000$125,000, depending on qualifications and experience. For more information on how to apply and to view the job description, please visit elkrapids. org/employment-opportunities/. http:// WWW.ELKRAPIDS.ORG

YOUR CRYSTAL CAREER STARTS

HERE!!! Summer Job Fairs will be held on Thursday, April 20 from 3pm6pm, Wednesday, April 26 from 3pm6pm and Saturday, May 13, from 10am-2pm. Full-Time, Part-Time, and Seasonal positions are available for immediate interviews. Employees receive free Golf and use of the pool and fitness facility and great discounts on Spa, Lodging, Meals and More! https://www.crystalmountain.com/ employee-benefits/

WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS?

COME JOIN US! Calling all Volunteer Administrators! Join the Northwest Michigan Association of Volunteer Administrators for a social at Silver Spruce Brewing, Monday April 10th from 4-6pm. The heart of NMAVA is to support one another by sharing

knowledge and resources along with fortifying our volunteering community in Northwest MI. We will be raffling off 2 $25 downtown Traverse City gift cards for attendees too! Thank you, TC DDA! Participants who pre-register for this event will receive a free drink ticket-follow our link to register. https:// unitedwaynwmi.galaxydigital.com/ event/detail/?event_id=91494

SPRING BOATING SAFETY CLASS

The boater safety class is for novice recreational boaters ages 12 and older. Topics covered include boating safety and safety equipment, emergency procedures, navigation rules and aids, boating regulations, and charting. The class meets in two sessions: Thursday, May 11 from 5:30 - 9 pm and Saturday morning, May 13 from 9 am – 1:30 pm. You must attend both classes to get your boater safety certificate. Cost: $15 to cover the cost of the book and certificate. Preregister by May 9 by emailing diannewalk48@gmail.com.