Northern Express - August 31, 2026

NORTHERN

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BACK IN CLASS + How TCAPS students use AI + Kalk aska launches new school model + Labor Day events for all ages

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • august 31 - september 06, 2026 • Vol. 36 No.35 Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 1

Put Some Sunshine on Your Calendar.

Fall Getaways. Winter Escapes.

Put Some Adventure on Your Calendar.

Fly from nearby!

Whether a long weekend or a well-deserved vacation, start planning your getaway from TVC today.

Cherry Capital Airport tvcairport.com

2 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

letters Thanks to the Bay A huge thank you to The Bay Community Theater in Suttons Bay for transmitting the New York MET OPERA Live in HD performances (eight live, three pre-recorded) this coming 2026-2027 season! These operas showcase the best singers on the planet and the best orchestra! Just thrilling and worth the drive to Suttons Bay. We need to support these performances. Think about attending or even buying a season ticket. You’ll be swept away!

Connie Leutloff | Traverse City Abandoned My daughter and son-in-law foster for HANDDS* dog rescue. Over the past 10+ years that they have been fostering, I’ve met several unique individuals in their care, from exuberant puppies, the disabled, to those needing hospice care.

As with all rescues, shelters, and fosters, they do their best to not have to turn any away and to provide the best care. I am continually amazed at the dedication and commitment of these people taking in, caring for, and finding forever homes. There are those occasions, though rare, when a sad, tough decision has to be made, but only after all avenues have been tried.

The people who volunteer, opening their homes and giving their time, are the lifeblood of rescues and shelters. Rescues and shelters do so much to care for these animals through veterinarian care, food, and supplies with limited financial resources of adoption fees, donations, and fundraising. They are thankful that there are veterinarians who will work with them in the care of these animals.

So, to me, the saddest situation for a dog is when they have been with a person/family long enough to create a bond and then are surrendered, or worse, abandoned. The animal grows to love and trust their human and does not understand when that bond is broken and they are left alone in a strange place with strangers. I am certain they feel the loss, which is shown by them shutting down, retreating to a corner, barking continuously, or recoiling from human touch. At this point, it is now up to the fosters, rescues, and shelters to help that creature regain their trust of humans and give them hope for a better life and a forever home.

I only wish that was the outcome in all cases.

Connie Rumbach | Cedar No One Voted for This As Stephen Tuttle points out in the Aug. 17 issue of Northern Express, the undermining of public health by anti-vaxxers and their misinformed followers is one of the causes that has made Americans considerably worse off than they were two years ago.

We now have $40 trillion in national debt, and what do we have to show for it? What have we gained from this reckless, heartless, out-of-control spending? Better and cheaper healthcare? Affordable and accessible housing and childcare? College or trade school tuition coverage? Safe and healthy food? More environmental protections? Nope, none of the above.

What we got instead, and what our children’s children will continue to pay for is an illegal, unprovoked war that has already cost us more than S100 billion dollars and driven gas prices sky high. We got demolition of the East Wing to build a ballroom that has so far failed to materialize. We got a pavedover Rose Garden and a destroyed reflecting pool. We got masked pseudo-soldiers in the streets of our cities, assaulting, kidnapping,

and murdering citizens and law-abiding immigrants alike.

We got a tainted food supply, the largest measles outbreak in 35 years, and the gutting of Federal agencies that exist to protect us from poisoned food, preventable diseases, extreme weather events, and corporate greed.

We got the chance to make our stretched budgets stretch even further, over the high cost of everything from carpets to coffee.

And on top of all this, we have lost our once high standing with countries all over the world, including our long-term allies, who don’t trust and don’t want to work with the current administration. No one voted for this—but let’s at least quit pretending it’s not happening.

SEPT. 12, 2026 10 AM - 4 PM

Book Fest The Marketplace at the Cadillac Commons

Meet the authors, buy the books, enjoy a literary event that is free to the public!

Featuring books for all ages and genre fans!

Greta Bolger | Thompsonville

CONTENTS

friendsofthecadillaclibrary@gmail.com

features Labor Day 2026..................................................9

Teaching Kids in the Age of AI...........................10 Kalkaska Public Schools: Then & Now..............12 Controlled Chaos in the Classroom....................15 The Mane Attraction.......................................16 A Taste of Southern Hospitality........................19

columns & stuff Top Ten.........................................................4 Spectator/Stephen Tuttle..................................6 Guest Opinion..................................................7 Weird..............................................................8 Dates..........................................................20 Astrology.......................................................24 Crossword.....................................................24 Nitelife...........................................................25 Classifieds....................................................26 Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Editor: Jillian Manning Creative Director: Kyra Cross Poehlman Finance Manager: Libby Shutler Sales: Lisa Gillespie, Kim Murray, Kaitlyn Nance, Abby Walton Porter, Michele Young For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Contributors: Sara Bagley, Joseph Beyer, Matt Dursum, Anna Faller, Kierstin Gunsberg, Ellen Miller, Beth Milligan, Rachel Soulliere, Stephen Tuttle Distribution: Marc Morris, Gerald Morris, Dave Anderson, Joe Evancho, Jason Ritter, Sherri Ritter, Roger Racine, Sarah Racine, Brandy Grames, Rachel Cara, Jackson Price, Lisa Price, Peggy Bell Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Copyright 2026, all rights reserved.

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Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 3

this week’s

top ten

Water Weekend

The annual Water Is Life Festival—part of the 2026 Water Weekend Sept. 4-7—heads to Bayfront Park West in Petoskey on Saturday, Sept. 5, from noon-9pm. Learn how to build power through community, to live in a holistic way with the water, and to protect our waters from threats. Plus, enjoy live music by Levitator, Jon Hayes & The Company, Kevin Johnson, Eliza Thorp, and SUNNI’i. There will also be activities, door prizes, and activities for all ages. Other weekend events include an open mic night, a “Pipe Out Paddle Up” paddle, “No Line 5 Tunnel” outreach, and more. oilandwaterdontmix.org/water_weekend_2026

Minnehaha Brewhaha You can’t say the name of this music festival without smiling. Sept. 4 and 5, head to Arcadia for the annual showcase of local talent, food trucks, and breweries. This year’s performers include the Jim Cummings Band on Friday, and then a packed Saturday with shows from 2-11pm by Delilah DeWylde, Jesse Jefferson, Atomic BombCatz, Mason Gratton, Djangophonique, Kevin & Darin, and Jennifer Westwood and The Handsome Devils. Lawn chairs are recommended, as seating space is limited.

Saturday tickets are $10 (includes all day access) for adults, and kids 12 and under are free. Tasting glasses are $5, while drink tickets are $2 each, and of course food trucks are pay as you go. There’s also a 5K and 15K race, plus camping available for overnight guests at Arcadia Marine. Get all the details at music-moves-me.org.

2 tastemaker Grands LC’s Peanut Butter Brittle Butty In the world of sweet flavor combinations, chocolate and peanut butter takes the cake, which is why we’re suckers for the Peanut Butter Brittle Butty from Grands LC in East Jordan. Inspired by an heirloom family recipe for peanut brittle, these hand-dipped “butties” (pronounced like “buddy”) comprise a peanut candy interior—made tender and crumbly by natural peanut butter and a layer of roasted peanut paste—enrobed in a semi-sweet chocolate shell and balanced by a touch of sea salt. Each bite-sized bar is a little crunchy, deeply peanutty, and totally addictive. In other words, the perfect treat for a grown-up kid in a candy store! Find Grands LC’s Peanut Butter Brittle Butty and their growing line of other goodies at dozens of retail locations in northwest Michigan (including B50 the Village Store in the Grand Traverse Commons). grandslc.com

4 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

Hey, Watch It! Ted Lasso The king of BELIEVE is back, baby! After concluding a three-season run in 2023, Ted Lasso returned to Apple TV+ this August, and if you’ve been searching for a feel-good show and missing the magic of the Richmond football crew, then tune in now. Ted has been recruited by his old pals Rebecca Welton, Keeley Jones, and Leslie Higgins to return to London to coach the new Richmond women’s team, which gets off to a rocky start with player injuries, a less-than-supportive fanbase, and even missing uniforms. But as each episode drops (Wednesdays), we see Ted building up a team again, with the help of his eccentric best friend Coach Beard and the prickly but big-hearted new assistant coach Alice Chilton.

Brett Goldstein reprises his role as the gruff Roy Kent, and other teammates make cameos throughout the season. Basically, it’s everything you loved about seasons 1-3, just with a new team. Go Greyhounds!

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6 Five Years Later

Five years after the fall of Kabul, what is happening in Afghanistan and here in Traverse City? On Thursday, Sept. 3, at Milliken Auditorium from 6:30-8:30pm, Traverse City’s International Affairs Forum will look back on the anniversary of 9/11, the 20-year war in Afghanistan, and the regime change earlier this decade. The event will offer a “compelling panel on the human impact of the 2021 evacuation and its direct connection to Traverse City,” which includes Greta C. Holtz, president and CEO of AmidEast and former U.S. Ambassador to Oman who oversaw evacuations in Qatar; resettled Afghan members of the northern Michigan community; and retired diplomat Karen Puschel Segal. Admission is free for all attendees, though registration is required at tciaf.com/event-september-3-2026.

Stuff We Love: The Fall Herd Did you know that Gaylord is home to a herd of 60 elk, the official mascot of Otsego County? And that there are places around the city where you can see them, including a new location in the updated Aspen Park with a fully accessible viewing platform? Head over this fall to see the busy season for the elk, when the bulls grow their massive antlers and strut their stuff for the females. September and October is the best time to see them, as they’re very active during daylight hours—and the bulls may even get into a headlock or two! This herd is maintained by the city and grew from just three elk from a shuttered nature preserve back in the 1980s, while wild elk are often spotted in Pigeon River Country State Forest.

Learn more and tune into the live cam at gaylordmichigan.net/get-outdoors/elk-viewingin-the-gaylord-area.

Can Leelanau Housing Become Affordable?

That’s the question the Leelanau County Housing Collaborative and Sleeping Bear Gateways Council are trying to answer via a community survey. Right now, Leelanau is ranked as the least affordable county in the state of Michigan, according to Michigan’s Senate Fiscal Agency, and has held one of the bottom spots for almost two decades. Zillow puts the average home value in the county at $656,811 (as of July 2026).

Per our sister publication, the Leelanau Ticker, “Early results show that 77 percent of Leelanau residents are concerned about local businesses being unable to find staff because workers can’t find housing, while 64 percent are worried about young families leaving the area because of housing challenges.” The 16-question survey remains open through Sept.

15; share your thoughts at leelanau4business.org/survey.

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bottoms up Rare Bird’s About Time IPA We were Heartbroken with a capital H back in April, when Rare Bird Brewpub suffered a fire that forced the beloved Traverse City spot to close its doors temporarily. Fortunately, damage was minimal enough that Rare Bird was able to reopen in early July. We would have raised our glasses in honor of this particular comeback no matter what, but we’re extra happy to do it with a glass of About Time, the beer Rare Bird made to commemorate its grand return. A punchy IPA with an 8.4 percent ABV, the fittingly named About Time is the best new IPA we’ve had at a local brewery this year, with a juicy, fruity flavor profile that balances perfectly with the beer’s blend of Citra, Idaho 7, and Sabro hops. Get a pour at 229 Lake Ave. in Traverse City. rarebirdbrewpub.com

Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 5

L L FA LS! W IVA E N RR A

MOST BOASTFUL, LEAST ACCOMPLISHED

spectator

By Stephen Tuttle We accept, perhaps to our own detriment, that politicians have a fairly distant relationship with the truth. Especially during campaign season, we know candidates are going to exaggerate any successes and minimize or completely ignore their weaknesses and failures.

There has always been a bipartisan tradition of truth avoidance. There is, however, one politician who has made this into a near art form. In his book, The Art of the Deal, Donald Trump refers to his lying as “strategic hyperbole.” He takes a step, or several steps, further when it comes to the difference between what he says and what he does. Fortunately, we have a record of both.

(231) 331-4845 Mon-Sat 10-5 Sun 11-4. Downtown Alden

Take, for example, his opinion on our ongoing foreign entanglements. When he ran for president in 2016, Trump referred to his opponents as, “war mongers and America-last globalists,” according to Politico. The Guardian quoted another speech in which he said we have to “stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about.” He said in 2024 he would stop the “endless and stupid” foreign wars because “Great nations do not fight endless wars.”

He was mostly right, and, in a rare instance, should have listened to himself.

Instead, he did nearly the precise opposite of his claims. We helped Israel destroy Gaza then further did their bidding with a foolish attack on Iran. We kidnapped and imprisoned the legally elected leader of Venezuela so we could steal their oil, and have threatened Greenland, Oman, Cuba, and Canada. Where we aren’t yet involved, we’re threatening to become involved, and it smacks of schoolyard bullying.

Trump also said he would “restore fiscal discipline,” “eliminate the deficit,” and “reduce the debt,” all pretty standard campaign pledges from a self-declared conservative. In a 2016 Fox News interview, he said he would completely eliminate the debt, “fairly quickly over a period of eight years.” Excellent, so how’s that going?

During Joe Biden’s four-year presidency, which the Trump camp likes to use as an example of profligate spending, the national debt increased $8.4 trillion, according to the Office of Management and Budget. During Trump’s five plus years, the debt has ballooned an additional $11.6 trillion, including a stunning $5 trillion just since January 2025. The Iran debacle alone has cost at least $37.5 billion, according to the Department of Defense, and those numbers are suspect as they have been underestimating those costs since we started that war.

Well, at least we’ll have low inflation and

6 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

unemployment and consumer costs will be down, as Trump promised.

You might recall during the 2024 presidential campaign, and since, Trump has claimed repeatedly the country had “the worst inflation in history under Biden.” We did have a serious inflation spike during Biden’s presidency but hardly the highest in history.

Inflation was the worst at our country’s birth at just under 30 percent at the end of the Revolutionary War. It spiked again at 20 percent during World War I and again at 14.4 percent right after World War II and then 13 percent in 1980. Highest it ever became during Biden’s tenure was 9.1 percent, a long way from the highest in history. More importantly, it was 3.1 percent in January 2025, when Trump was inaugurated, and is 3.4 percent now.

Additionally, the cost of gasoline, food, utilities, housing, and most everything else has increased significantly, and continues to increase, under Trump.

Then there’s the non-presidential activity we have to finance, too. You might recall during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign he leveled significant criticism at his predecessor’s golfing habits. Reuters reported Trump claiming, “I’m going to be working for you. I’m not going to have time to go play golf.”

Let’s check, since there are records for these things.

The total cost for all eight years of Obama’s recreation activities, including his golfing and family trips and vacations, was $97 million. The taxpayer cost for Trump’s golfing trips alone is $115 million and counting. Trump golfed an average of once every five days since being in office, almost always at one of his clubs in Florida or New Jersey. Obama, by contrast, played about once every 10 days but almost always at a local army base course.

Donald Trump claimed he would keep us out of foreign wars but has, instead, started an entirely new foreign war while continuing to expand our presence in the Middle East. He’s made enemies of former allies while cozying up to our real enemies.

His “fiscal responsibility” has been to spend and spend and spend while reducing the tax burdens of corporations and the ultra-wealthy. He didn’t end the deficit or reduce the debt, but he did manage to increase both and increase inflation and unemployment, creating an economy stuck in neutral spinning its wheels.

Donald Trump has managed to create the most boastful least accomplished presidency in our lifetimes. And that’s no lie.

THE END, AND THE BEGINNING GUEST OPINION

by Greg Holmes Friends, the end is near!

By the time you read this column, the summer season will be coming to a close, on its way to making its glorious transition into fall. If you are attached to summer and the opportunities it affords, now is the time to enjoy the last bits of it before the autumnal equinox issues the official end of summer on Sept. 22.

Many people in northern Michigan love summer, and for good reason. Unlike winter, when many of us disappear into our arctic wear to shovel snow and scrape the ice off our car windows, summer allows us to shed these protective layers and to tolerate the intolerable. Yes, summer weather can be challenging in its own right, hot and sticky at times, but so what? Isn’t that why we have multiple lakes and streams for dipping one’s toes and swimming to cool off?

would the purpose be in taking pictures or writing in journals or telling stories if things never changed?

The fact of the matter is that the summer of 2026 will soon come to an end.

Hopefully you have enjoyed it and made the most of it. Perhaps you will even miss it and attempt to store it away in your memory bank or hard drive. However, the end of something marks the beginning of something else.

In this case, the equinox marks the beginning of fall. While fall may not have the brash, in your face, let’s-party-now quality of summer, it does have many qualities that some people enjoy and look forward to. Unlike summer, fall is both subtle and seductive. The trees blush with color as they begin to undress and reveal their bare branches. It’s a time to wonder why and what created such a

Hopefully, the end of summer and the beginning of fall can contribute to an increased sense of wonder and gratitude in you.

But alas, all good things must come to an end. Not to depress you, but everything, including you and the people that you love, will come to an end someday. There’s simply no way around it. Change in things and people is constant, happening on all levels, even in the minute and unseen molecular changes in our bodies.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus summed it up nicely when he declared that “no man ever steps into the same river twice.” Why? Simply because both the river and the person are different and have changed since the first time around.

Some philosophers and theologians have referred to this phenomena of the constant change in everything as examples of impermanence. They remind us of the fact that few of us like to face and that many, if not most of us, prefer to deny. However, denying that everything will come to end someday can have unintended and potentially hurtful consequences.

Not acknowledging impermanence diminishes our experience by impacting our ability to fully enjoy and appreciate the moment. Gratitude? For what? Imagine for a moment that summer never ended. You might be excited by that thought initially, but the reality would set in over time amidst a growing sense of complacency.

Boredom might actually set in. What would you have to look forward to? What memory, if any, would you cherish? What

show when it would seem so much easier for the leaves to simply detach and to get on with it. (Failing to appreciate the process only intensifies the process at the end of leaf removal.)

On the flip side, fall can be a difficult season for some who feel that it is the harbinger of tough times ahead and even death itself. The resurrection that spring will bring is impossible for some to see, as it requires both a memory of the past and a belief, albeit at times unconscious, that it will be repeated once again. Living in and enjoying the present moments of fall are important—and the same goes double for winter—but the ability to remember and anticipate brighter days ahead can be an important antidepressant for the increasingly dark days to come.

Fall is an invitation for us to slow down and abandon the often manic, externally oriented behavior of summer. We are invited instead to go inside ourselves.

It is a potentially rewarding time for introspection and self course correction.

Hopefully, the end of summer and the beginning of fall can contribute to an increased sense of wonder and gratitude in you. It is in fact a magical time of year and one that deserves to be noticed and fully appreciated.

Greg Holmes lives and writes in Traverse City.

Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 7

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There's Gold in Them Thar Walls Construction workers in Belgium struck gold while working on a new sewer line in an old building -- literally $10.4 million worth of gold, BBC reported on Aug. 14. Workers removed part of the cellar wall and discovered a wealth of gold coins and bars, which they initially mistook for euros. They called the police, who recorded the haul and moved the gold to a secure federal vault. The building was once a brewery but is now owned by a welfare organization. Belgian law dictates that the gold's rightful owner has five years to claim it. However, investigators are still looking into the stash to determine whether it might be related to criminal activity. If not, and if no legitimate claim is made on it after five years, the gold will be split between the finders -- the construction workers -- and the property owner. [BBC, 8/14/26]

Art History Milwaukee landlord Tim Dertz was cleaning out an apartment unit after evicting its tenant when he found a Books shape how we see the world. Find handpicked painting left behind. Dertz took it to an reads for curious & compassionate minds, and Books shape how we see the world. Find handpicked reads for curious & compassionate antique dealer who recognized it as a fresh coffee minds, & tea to inside andkeep fresh you coffeemoving & tea to keep you moving inside Commongrounds Cooperative!

Picasso, possibly worth up to $50,000, Commongrounds Cooperative! the Associated on Aug. 414 E. Eighth St. Mon - FriPress 8 am to 8 reported pm Traverse City, MI 49686 am to 6 pm 14. Dertz Saturday then 10contacted police, who ld. Find handpicked reads for curious & compassionate keep you moving414 inside E Commongrounds Eighth StCooperative! in TC | Mon-Fri 8-8, Sat 10-6 | thefoldedleafnomi.com determined the painting had been stolen Mon - Fri 8 am to 8 pm from DeLind Fine Art Appraisals in 2018.

Saturday 10 am to 6 pm www.thefoldedleafnomi.com When police contacted owner Bill DeLind, he recognized the work as a "Toreo" print, w.thefoldedleafnomi.com signed by Picasso himself. In a bittersweet twist, DeLind said that his former gallery partner, who passed in February, used to call police every year on the anniversary of the robbery, asking for an update on the case. "He would have been over the moon about this," DeLind said. "It was special to him." The 2018 robbery remains under investigation with the FBI, and Milwaukee police are holding on to the painting in the meantime. [AP, 8/14/26]

Support or Volunteer Today!

8 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

Snake Takes WSLS reported on Aug. 13 that an 8-foot python was the source of overnight chaos at Forest Middle School in Bedford County, Virginia. While inside the school, the escaped snake knocked over a heat lamp, starting a fire, which triggered the school's sprinkler system and alerted the fire department at 12:31 a.m. Firefighters responded, found and secured the python, and proceeded to extinguish the fire. Eight classrooms were damaged, but Bedford County Public Schools stated, "This will not affect the first day of school as alternate locations within FMS for impacted areas will be assigned, if needed." Crews are working to repair and clean the damaged areas while the east wing of the school is temporarily closed. [WSLS 10, 8/13/26] A car ride took a surprising turn for a family running an errand in Lebanon, Tennessee, when a snake began slithering across their car's hood while they were driving. "We were on our way to Mt. Juliet," Analissa Hensley told News 2, "and we're just having a conversation, and my husband's like, 'There's a snake.'" Hensley began recording the snake's path across the hood. She estimates it to have been about 5 feet long. "I'm sitting there like, 'We have

a huge snake on the hood of our car.'" The family attempted to pull the car over, but Hensley said that was when the snake rolled and went off the side. Experts say the snake appears to have been a nonvenomous gray rat snake. [WKRN, 8/13/26] Let Sleeping Bears Lie The Norwegian government fined an unnamed perpetrator over $5,000 for sounding a foghorn that disturbed a polar bear, waking it and causing it to move. CNN reported on Aug. 14 that a boat was sailing through fjords in Svalbard, an archipelago that lies about halfway between Norway and the North Pole, when someone on board the vessel spotted a sleeping polar bear and used the ship's foghorn to rouse it. Polar bears are protected by Norwegian and international laws, which say that it is prohibited to "unnecessarily disturb, lure or pursue polar bears." Geoff York, vice president of research and policy at Polar Bears International, says that polar bears have fewer food sources in the summer.

"Disturbing bears during this time of year may be more significant for their survival or potential reproductive success if it's a pregnant or nursing female by causing them to burn calories unnecessarily," he said. The individual has agreed to pay the fine. [CNN, 8/14/26] Finger Lickin' Good WLKY reported on Aug. 17 that a bear made its way into a home and helped itself to KFC leftovers. Kendra North, of Harlan County, Kentucky, said she had left her home's front door open due to lack of air conditioning and forgot to shut it before going to bed. The bear, estimated to have been between 600 to 700 pounds, wandered in, ate the leftover food and shattered a glass table. While North slept through the encounter, her sister, who lives in a neighboring mobile home, was awoken by the bear. North said a few days later that a cub estimated to be around 300 pounds was on her porch as she made dinner. "I keep that front door shut good though at night now, and apparently 7 p.m. is bear time now too," she said. [WLKY, 8/16/2026] Not Even Dying Can Get You Out of a Parking Ticket The New Zealand outlet Stuff reported on Aug. 17 that a 54-year-old woman who experienced a medical emergency in a grocery store parking lot -- her heart even stopped briefly, making her "technically dead" for a few minutes -- and was taken to the hospital by ambulance was issued a parking fine for exceeding the allowed 90-minute parking limit. Her car was left in the lot for over five hours, and she received a fine in the mail for $80 from the third-party company that manages it. After being told of the circumstances, the parking lot company understood and ... reduced the fine to $30. The woman's father called the request "offensive." When grocery store staff caught wind of the parking situation, they stepped in and paid the $30, and the parking lot company has since apologized to the woman. "We have since reinforced our processes and provided further guidance to our team

All aboard the Manitou!

LABOR DAY 2026 10 events Up North

By Ellen Miller Before the kids go back to school, there’s time for one last hurrah over Labor Day weekend!

From a Moomers sailing trip to the Mackinac Bridge walk, here are 10 events to keep the whole family busy.

DAILY Brethren Days Dickson Township Park, Brethren | Daily, event times vary | Free | facebook.com/ BrethrenDays Brethren Days, an annual, familyoriented community festival, returns this Labor Day weekend in the Manistee National Forest! Expect lots of live music, an arts & crafts fair, a cornhole tournament, and fireworks at dusk Saturday.

10-Year Anniversary Celebration Iron Fish Distillery, Thompsonville | Free to visit, $15 and up depending on tour | ironfishdistillery.com Celebrate 10 years with Michigan’s first farm distillery! Take a tour of Iron Fish’s facilities or just stop by to grab a drink and enjoy live music, great food, and the incredible community that made it all possible. Across the long weekend there will be special tours, anniversary traditions, live entertainment, family activities, and a toast to the next chapter of Iron Fish.

Manitou Moomers Homemade Ice Cream Sail Traverse City | 12:30-2:30pm or 3-5pm / $57 for adults; $35 for children 3-12; $5 for 2 and under | tallshipsailing.com/manitou Sailing out of Traverse City, the Schooner Manitou is a replica of an 1800s

schooner, similar to those that sailed the Great Lakes. Hop aboard this tall ship, grab some Moomer’s ice cream, and enjoy the breeze as you cruise the harbor (non- ice cream specific sailings are also available).

Nate Armbruste is a product of the Detroit comedy scene!

FRIDAY, SEPT. 4

Weekend Tent Sale Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville | 11am5pm | Free until you buy something | crystalmountain.com Score huge discounts on past season’s ski and snowboard gear, plus get a first look at the hottest new equipment for the 2026-27 winter season at Crystal Mountain’s Labor Day weekend tent sale. If you show up Saturday at 10am for the snow dance, you’ll get early admission!

Stroll the Streets & Kiwanis Labor Day Weekend Car Show Boyne City | 6-9 pm | Free | boynecitymainstreet.com Downtown Boyne City comes alive as families and friends gather to “stroll the streets,” with music, entertainment, and children’s activities. The Boyne City Kiwanis also host their annual Labor Day car show, which benefits local youth programs, scholarships, and community service initiatives sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Boyne City. The car show will have a free preview Friday evening and continue Saturday.

Kamikaze Comedy Fest Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City | 8pm | $15 per person or 2/$25 | kamikazecomedy. square.site Kamikaze Comedy is bringing a killer lineup of talent to the stage for two nights, Friday and Saturday. Grab a beer, find your seat, and settle in for an unforgettable night of stand-up. Headliner

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPT. 5-6

SUNDAY, SEPT. 6 Car, Tractor & Motorcycle Show Tom’s, Interlochen | 11am-3pm | Free to look, $10-20 to register | interlochenchamber.org Come check out vehicles of all makes, models, and years. Admire classic cars, motorcycles, and tractors! If you are interested in showing a vehicle, preregistration saves you $10.

Elk Rapids Antiques Faire Twisted Fish Gallery, Elk Rapids | 8am4pm | Free until you buy something Hit up this family-friendly outdoor shopping event and see if you can find a new treasure! The fair is held on the north grounds of Twisted Fish Gallery.

MONDAY, SEPT. 7 Mackinac Bridge Walk Mackinaw City | 7am-noon | Free | mackinacbridge.org/events/walk Join thousands of pedestrians as they participate in a long standing tradition!

This event has been held every year since 1958. The walk begins at 7am on Labor Day and is the only day of the year that walking the Mighty Mac is allowed. Walk from end to end (5 miles), turn around in the middle, or go there and back—so long as you can do so in the time allotted!

Little but Mighty Bridge Walk Charlevoix | 1-1:30pm | Free | visitcharlevoix.com/events/ LittlebutMightyBridgeWalk Can’t make it all the way to the U.P.?

(Or just don’t want to trek 10 miles?)

Experience Charlevoix’s annual Bridge Walk instead! Meet at Town House Bar at 12:30pm; the group will walk to the north side of the bridge and cross after the 1pm raising and lowering of the bridge.

Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 9

TEACHING KIDS IN THE AGE OF AI TCAPS educators and leadership share their perspectives on AI in the classroom

By Matt Dursum Few technological revolutions have reshaped our society more than artificial intelligence. Like the personal computer and internet before it, AI is transforming nearly every aspect of daily life, including the way students learn in our local schools.

A 2025 College Board survey found that close to 84 percent of high school students in the country reported using some form of generative AI for schoolwork, most commonly for brainstorming, revising essays, and conducting research. At the same time, the report also found that one in five schools in the country don’t have an official AI policy in place.

For Dr. Jessie Houghton, chief academic officer for Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS), finding the right balance between an adaptable AI policy and transparency with students and parents is key to keeping pace with the changing technology.

“It’s very clear to us now that we are not the keepers of knowledge,” Dr. Houghton says. “A lot of the work we do is about developing the thinking skills, the analytical skills, and the collaboration skills that will translate to whatever future endeavors [students] have.”

To navigate AI’s impacts in the classroom, TCAPS has created a formal AI policy developed by a committee of instructional coaches, teacher leaders, principals, and

TCAPS’ Executive Director of Technology and Media Services, Evan Obranovic. A select group of students reviews the policy, and it undergoes yearly revisions.

How and When AI Is Used Local students begin using AI tools in sixth grade, with targeted practice in math and English and AI-generated feedback. The students also receive their first Chromebook provided by the school district along with courses in digital literacy and internet and AI safety.

“We let parents know that their students have access to this AI tool that’s been vetted through all of our security and privacy layers,” Dr. Houghton says, adding that special protections exist to keep student and faculty data private.

TCAPS uses AI tools such as Gemini and Goblin Tools in the classroom. The district also uses filters and monitoring tools for general security, including alerts for self-harm and possible threats to others. Administrators can follow up on these flagged concerns individually, access screens, and alert teachers.

The software flags when students use generative AI for assignments, including if a text was copied and pasted into a document.

Teachers can also use plagiarism-detection tools to compare their students’ work with other online material.

To help communicate when AI is

10 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

acceptable to use in an assignment, TCAPS uses a three-color chart: red means no AI, yellow allows limited use with proper citation and documentation, and green encourages unrestricted use.

The Pros Dr. Houghton says AI has shown some benefits to both students and teachers.

One benefit teachers cite is AI’s ability to engage an entire classroom at once, providing immediate, low-stakes feedback and questions that teachers may not have the capacity to offer every student individually. Teacher-provided AI tools with set parameters for learning and feedback can help students advance more quickly through activities while giving teachers insight into their thinking and learning styles.

When students get stuck on complicated problems at home, AI tools can help when teachers and parents are unavailable.

“If you’re a kid who’s taking honors physics, and you’re at home and you’re struggling, you could actually throw your physics problem into the bot the teacher has created, and it’s going to ask you questions or prompt you to look back at topics,” Dr. Houghton says.

The Cons Even with its potential benefits, educators see downsides to the new technology. Dr. Houghton says her biggest worry is that,

Houghton

when used inappropriately, AI can keep students from working through the learning process themselves.

“During my undergrad, I got a lot of things wrong,” she says. “But all those wrong turns in my thinking, that’s how I learned.”

Educators like Traverse City Central High School Librarian and AP Research Instructor Larissa VanderZee agree.

“I think [using AI] becomes inappropriate when you say, ‘fix all of my mistakes,’” VanderZee says. In her AP writing class, VanderZee teaches her students how to fix

Traverse City West Senior High

Traverse City Central High School

their own writing, without asking AI. “They learn to cultivate their own voice, lean into their own creativity, and understand how to become a person who has authenticity in their writing and their own sense of selfefficacy in their learning, which I think is the most important part,” she says.

VanderZee also believes classroom AI tools can erode trust between students and teachers. “When students rely on AI and their teachers are questioning everything they do, that is a trust issue,” she explains.

Trust can be broken both ways, she adds, when students see their teachers over-relying on AI for feedback or lesson planning. “They feel like, ‘Wait, this is AI feedback. This is not my instructor’s feedback.’ ‘I can’t use it, so, if my teacher uses it, that’s not okay,’” VanderZee says.

“They do not tolerate that, which I think is an interesting, reciprocal relationship.”

VanderZee says she notices many

students refusing to use AI in coursework and at home.

“I think, as a whole, there are more students who feel like they don’t want to give away their learning,” VanderZee says. “Some students think, ‘no, this is great. This is an awesome tool.

Why would I not use it?’ And then others say out loud, ‘I hate it. Don’t talk to me about AI.’”

has prompted some educators and school systems across the country to scale back the use of AI technology in classrooms. However, abstinence, Dr. Houghton believes, is not the best or most realistic answer to AI’s problems.

“My hesitation is, we have to propel these kids into the world,” she says. “Teaching them how to use things appropriately is really vital.”

Opting Out Part of TCAPS’ standard practice is accommodating students and parents who object to using AI in the classroom.

“At the end of the day, if a parent says, ‘I don’t want my kid’s writing to be coached by an AI, or I do not want my student’s math homework to be looked at by an AI bot,’ then we obviously respect that and provide alternative opportunities for those students,” Dr. Houghton says.

New research on the risks of AI in schools

Striking a Balance Aimee Cole, a teacher at Traverse City West Senior High School, also believes that kids need to be familiar with the technology.

“I think it’s something that isn’t going away and it really needs to be discussed and taught,” she says. “Students need to understand how to evaluate this information and where it’s coming from.”

Cole says that, alongside proper AI education, educators should teach students the value of working through problems

themselves rather than relying on quick answers from AI systems.

“That kind of friction is what builds their stamina, it builds their resilience, and they need to trust their own capable minds before running to AI,” she says. “But I also think it’s important to teach students how to use AI correctly and appropriately.”

As AI technology continues to evolve, TCAPS is staying current with the latest research and exploring creative ways to leverage AI’s benefits while safeguarding safeguards against potential harms.

“I don’t think that, long term, we’re at a point where we’re going into the land of ruinous demise, or a panacea for education,” VanderZee says. “But I think if we develop some policies and practices that allow for it to be used in a way that can support rather than overshadow, then kids can feel confident they can use it without it becoming a crutch.”

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Journey to dream career travels through GVSU Michele Coffill

accelerated after a fluke accident injured a tendon in a finger and she wore a splint for three months.

When one of Rebecca Remington’s young Grand Valley State University sons filled out a Mother’s Day card, he answered the prompt, “What does your mom love to do?” with an answer that made her laugh: Homework.

“You can’t scrub into the operating room when your finger is in a splint, so I had all that time to plan next steps,” she said.

Remington, now 37, visited GVSU’s Traverse City Center and discovered that GVSU offered the flexibility she needed through online courses and in-person classes held at its Traverse City location on Northwestern Michigan College’s Front Street Campus.

It’s true that Remington does a fair share of homework; she will finish a bachelor’s degree in allied health sciences through GVSU’s Traverse City Center next spring. It’s a step in her plan to become a physician assistant. She completed another step earlier this month: applying to GVSU’s master’s degree program in physician assistant studies.

“One of our sons said the other day, ‘I want to be a doctor like you’re doing, taking classes,’” Remington said. “It led to a discussion of how you have to study and learn a profession. They see me studying; I’m glad it’s making an impression.”

Remington has worked as a surgical technologist at Munson Healthcare for nearly a decade, after earning an associate degree through a collaborative program between Munson and Northwestern Michigan College.

She is also an active member of Grand Valley’s Pre-PA Society and Allied Health Sciences student group, noting that finding a community within the program has helped lead to study groups.

Rebecca Remington is pictured with her husband, Calvin, and their children, Wiley, 5, and Arlo, 7.

“I was fortunate enough to work in the same operating room for seven years with my father, who was an anesthesiologist before he retired,” she said.

The bachelor’s degree Remington earns next spring will be her second. A native of Traverse City, Remington earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from She’s the third generation in her family to work for the healthcare system, following her grandfather and Ithaca College in New York in 2011. While earning a master’s degree had always been a goal, her plan father, both of whom were physicians.

Remington added that the content in her classes has complemented her work in the operating room. “The transfer of knowledge from class to work has been full-circle and it makes it all worthwhile,” she said.

GVSU’s Traverse City Regional Center: The pathway to your future in Northern Michigan Grand Valley has the programming, resources and support to get you where you want to be.

Learn more at gvsu.edu/tcprograms.

Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 11

Kalkaska Public Schools: Then & Now In 1993, a budget crisis in Kalkaska schools changed Michigan school funding forever. Three decades later, how is KPS doing today?

By Beth Milligan In March 1993, the Kalkaska school district made a decision stunning enough to attract national attention. Faced with a budget shortfall, the district decided to end school 10 weeks early rather than cut more programming.

At that point, Kalkaska had already slashed its art, sports, and library budgets and repeatedly sought voter approval to increase taxes—to no avail. Rather than gut anything else, the school board decided to cut back its school year.

The move generated considerable debate.

Critics said the district chose to make a political point at the expense of its students, while defenders said the closure was the natural outcome of an inequitable funding system legislators refused to address. The slogan “No More Kalkaskas” eventually led to the state’s passing of Proposal A, which “promised a minimum per pupil foundation allowance, more equity among local school districts, lower property taxes, and more school accountability,” according to a 2002 report on Proposal A from the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Before Proposal A, Michigan’s property tax burden “was more than 33 percent above the natural average,” with the top 10 spending districts outspending the lowest 10 districts “by almost a 3:1 ratio,” according to the report.

A decade later, that ratio had dropped to less than 2:1 and Michigan’s property tax burden was near the national average, the report states. So how did Proposal A affect Kalkaska schools, which helped usher in the pivotal change?

“It’s a really complicated question,” says Kalkaska Public Schools (KPS) Superintendent Rick Heitmeyer. “Prop A was huge for schools that had trouble getting community support for operating millages.

It definitely had a great impact. But there have been so many tweaks and changes to it throughout the years that it’s lost what it initially set out to do. It’s so tied to property taxes that we now see many schools going out of formula,” he adds, referring to when districts collect more than their per-pupil allowance in local taxes and stop receiving state baseline foundation aid.

“I think there needs to be something done at the state level, and there are possible solutions,” Heitmeyer says. “But it’s a complicated maneuver to get to the next spot.”

In the meantime, KPS today is pursuing the same path as many rural school districts in Michigan: embracing creative— sometimes bold—solutions to challenges that include high transportation costs, staffing shortages, and declining enrollment.

Transportation & Staffing Heitmeyer, who became KPS superintendent in 2021, says one of the district’s biggest challenges is its size. “We cover 444 square miles, so we are huge,” he says. “We are most of Kalkaska County.”

While Michigan school districts received a 2.5 percent increase in their perpupil foundation allowances this year—to $10,300 per pupil, up $250 from last year— that increase isn’t enough to keep up with inflation, much less automatic staff wage increases or rising insurance and fuel costs, says Heitmeyer.

Faced with such a sprawling rural area

12 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

to cover and a shortage of bus drivers, KPS has a cooperative agreement with Kalkaska Area Transit (KAT) to help provide student transportation. The agreement means public transit covers about half of the district’s bus routes.

“I think since I’ve been here, we’ve had a constant sign out for hiring bus drivers,” explains Heitmeyer. “It’s a unique job. It’s a couple hours in the morning and afternoon and then some field trips. It’s an important job, but it doesn’t necessarily appeal to everybody. If we didn’t have that [KAT] partnership, I don’t know what we would do.

That’s one of our biggest challenges: getting everybody to school.”

The lack of bus drivers is part of a bigger overall issue facing school districts across the country: staffing shortages. In 2025, more than 400,000 U.S. teacher positions were unfilled or filled by those with inadequate teacher certification, according to the Learning Policy Institute. The American College of Education cites several factors for the teacher shortage, including a “mix of low pay, high stress, inconsistent leadership, and declining interest in the profession.”

KPS has just under 100 teachers and about 200 staff members overall, Heitmeyer says. Many of those employees are eligible or close to being eligible for retirement. “If they all decided to retire at once, it would be wild, because the folks aren’t out there to replace them,” the superintendent warns. That’s led to a complete reversal in school staffing trends, he notes.

“If this was 1996 instead of 2026, we would’ve probably encouraged retirement so we could get the next generation of teachers in place,” Heitmeyer says, explaining that

such an approach helped curb costs since veteran teachers are typically on the higher end of the pay scale.

“That’s one major change over the last 30 years. We need to keep our veterans now. We try to keep great relationships with our people to keep them here. We were able to fill our positions this year, but it’s usually not without taking somebody from our neighbors. It’s a free agent market for teachers, which is great for teachers but hard for districts. The number of teachers available does not meet the demand throughout the state of Michigan.”

Enrollment Declining enrollment is another challenge, not just for KPS but school districts across Michigan.

According to the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, about 80 percent of Michigan’s school districts have experienced enrollment deductions since 2009. That’s largely due to a decline in births overall, with the 5- to 17-year-old population decreasing from 1.92 million in 2000 to about 1.57 million in 2022, according to the state. That 18 percent decline in just two decades is likely to be repeated, with the state projecting another 18 percent loss by 2050.

At KPS, the district had close to 2,000 students in its heyday but is now down to about 1,350, Heitmeyer says. “We’re much smaller than we were in the ’80s and ’90s,” he says. “We probably get 30-50 fewer students every year. In the last five years, we’re probably down a couple hundred students.”

He points to surrounding school districts, like Forest Area, Bellaire, and Elk Rapids—“we call it the 131 corridor,” he

STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Rapid City Elementary School students learn the ropes of growing in a school community garden.

says—and notes that along with Kalkaska those districts have collectively lost roughly 1,200 students in the last decade. “That’s a reasonably-sized school district in and of itself,” he says.

Rightsizing & Reimagining Declining enrollment not only means reduced funding for districts but tough conversations about rightsizing schools. That happened at KPS this spring when school board members considered closing Rapid City Elementary School.

“Our original thought was that the building’s enrollment has declined in the last five years, so what if we made the 2025-26 school year a celebration [farewell] year?” says Heitmeyer, citing the school’s student population drop from the low nineties to the low fifties in recent years.

But then another idea emerged, particularly as the community expressed alarm about losing a beloved campus. “What if we did something completely different?” says Heitmeyer. Officials began a yearlong process to envision a new model for Rapid City. After researching and meeting with other districts, a new “place-based model” that embraces the school’s natural resources—its on-site garden and extensive acreage hosting forested terrain and the Rapid River—rose as the frontrunner option.

School board members approved that approach this spring, voting to keep the school open.

Rapid City Elementary School Dean of Students Kevin Malbouef says the new “stewardship campus,” as the model is called, teaches students to “understand they’re part of something bigger than themselves.” Core subjects like math, reading, science, and social studies are still taught but incorporated into an immersive, hands-on curriculum that emphasizes outdoor and community time as much as indoor classroom space.

The curriculum, called Project Learning Tree, is an award-winning, multidisciplinary environmental education program used in classrooms PreK-12 across the country. Staff trained with the Grand Traverse Conservation District to help learn the program, Malbouef says. The model switch, which incorporates multi-aged, family-style classrooms, is already meeting with enthusiasm. Enrollment for this fall is “hovering right around 70,” says Malbouef.

PARKER PRITCHETT (Senior - Benzie Central) The school is also introducing a new middle school component, adding a selfcontained classroom for grades 6-8. “We have veteran staff here; all of us have about 20 years of experience in education,” Malbouef says. “We have some of those new, nervous feelings about this, but we also have extremely dedicated educators who are excited about expanding the traditional classroom and about learning through application.”

The innovative approach is an example of how KPS continues to evolve to meet challenges, much as it did in the nineties, when daring decisions were sometimes necessary to secure the district’s future.

KPS still has strong community support, with voters overwhelmingly backing a 2021 bond that allowed the district to renovate Birch Street Elementary and add a new early childhood learning center.

While Heitmeyer is mindful of the financial “cliff ” that always looms for rural school districts, he’s confident in his team’s ability to face whatever comes next.

“We’re doing a lot of great things, and we get [as] creative as possible,” he says. “I feel great about navigating the challenges to come.” He adds, chuckling: “If we didn’t have challenges every day, it wouldn’t be any fun.”

Parker Pritchett is a senior standout three-sport athlete at Benzie Central who competes in football, basketball, and track. Parker maintains a 3.83 GPA while also earning multiple All-State honors. He is highly respected by his peers and throughout the school community.

A true leader both on and off the field, Parker’s work ethic, effort, and leadership exemplify what a student-athlete should strive to be.

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14 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

Controlled Chaos in the Classroom Inspired by 27 years of teaching, Cheboygan teacher Eric Hall pens new book

By Kierstin Gunsberg He may not have a magic, teleporting school bus or be able to shrink students down to molecular levels for an up-close look at cellular respiration, but in spirit, Eric Hall is something of a Ms. Frizzle to kids in Cheboygan, where he taught elementary for more than two decades until his retirement at the end of the 2025 school year.

Like The Frizz herself, Hall is a bit of a rebel against rote academics, living out his career by the principle that learning should be fun and hands-on, both things he reflects on in Controlled Chaos: Lessons They Didn’t Teach You in Teacher School, a primer for teachers-to-be which hit bookstores in July.

Over 27 chapters—well, lessons— Hall recounts the ways he made math an adventure (like Lesson Five, where he set his third grade cohort loose in a race to solve equations at local businesses) and doused the monotony of language arts with comedic performance as fictional Chef Henry (that’s in Lesson 17), asking students to quickly come up with adjectives to describe his lessthan-original Oreo, cheesepuff, and Skittle “recipes.” Afterward, he writes in the book, he left behind “a room full of students who just spent an entire lesson fully engaged, laughing, and – without even realizing it – learning.”

Why a Book?

As much as Hall revels in memories of his years in the classroom, including successfully getting his class on the first season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, writing

about those years wasn’t even his idea.

When asked by his students what his retirement plans were, “I told them I planned to do nothing,” says Hall. That wasn’t going to fly with the grade schoolers who had a very different vision for Hall’s post-teaching lifestyle. “They suggested I write a book about some of the classroom adventures I had.”

Writing the book took Hall a year, and edits took another four months. In some ways, the project is just a continuation of the only career Hall ever saw himself in starting back in his own elementary school days when he first met his fourth grade teacher, Gregory Driscoll, as a student in Connecticut. Mr. Driscoll, as Hall referred to him back then, was unpredictable in the best ways.

“You never knew what he was going to do next,” recalls Hall. And that’s what made learning so fun. Instead of just working through the curriculum, Mr. Driscoll showed his students how to dive in with curiosity. “It was the first time I wanted to go to school and [didn’t experience] the dread of having to go…”

And though Mr. Driscoll was prone to misadventure, like stinking up the classroom slow-cooking a peanut butter soup recipe he and the class had found in a book they’d read the day before, it was that kind of out-of-thebox teaching that inspired Hall to become a teacher himself.

“He was my idol and, ever since the day I first walked into his classroom, I wanted to be a teacher,” says Hall. “I never once thought differently.”

Crash Course Hall first kicked off his career in 1999 as a fifth grade teacher in Franklinton, North Carolina before moving to Cheboygan Area Schools in summer of 2000, where he taught second, third, fourth, and fifth graders until last year.

Now, with several teacher-of-the-year awards racked up and Controlled Chaos earning accolades with readers, here’s a few more lessons Hall shared with us.

Children are learning all the time—for better or worse. Because, says Hall, they’re in a constant state of observation, from what kinds of conversations teachers are having with each other on the playground to how teachers are reacting to student behavior.

“My job was to always remember that I had to model not only what I said but also what I didn’t say,” says Hall. “My facial expressions, my engagement by walking around the room and giving kids a fist bump,” was just as important as the standards he had to teach that day.

There’s a lot to be learned from risking (and owning) failure. It shows kids that it’s okay to admit when something you’ve tried doesn’t work, so you can try again, says Hall, recalling the time he walked his class through a math problem that the students couldn’t get, no matter how hard he tried.

Later, he realized he was actually the one who’d missed a step, not the other way around. “I told them it was my mistake, and let’s go through it again.”

As a teacher, it’s your job to find out what works best for each student. “You can’t expect them to all learn the same way,”

says Hall. “Some kids need time to think before an idea comes to mind. Some need a different way to solve a problem.”

Connection is the foundation of a curriculum. That’s something Hall’s first supervisor/principal taught him early on, after Hall was placed as a permanent teacher halfway through the school year following a rotation of substitutes that had left the kids feeling a little whiplashed.

“Being young, I wanted to start teaching right away,” says Hall. Instead, the principal advised him to pause academics to get to know the students first. “Learn everything you can about them,” Hall remembers being told. “Get to know their interests and show that you care. If you do that, the trust comes and the curriculum is much easier to teach.”

Though that’s easier said than done these days. The last decade’s K-12 reading and math scores are down across most of the country, and school districts are tightening up their curriculums in response. Just in the year since Hall’s retirement, a lot has changed, including stricter daily schedules across some Michigan schools. When he was teaching, he could take his class for a meandering walk with plenty of stops to answer their myriad questions about trees, leaves, and the world around them, then head back to read books about the topic together.

“You had time for that,” says Hall, who thinks teachers are now under a lot more pressure and time constraints that leave little room for student-led learning and exploration. “The wonder of a child asking a question is gone.”

Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 15

Kent Farrington on Greya. Photo courtesy of Traverse City Horse Shows.

THE MANE ATTRACTION Six riders to watch at the 2026 Tournament of Champions

By Rachel Soulliere June to September, the grounds at Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) are bustling with horses, riders, trainers, events, food trucks, shopping, and competition.

From discovering the world of horses for the very first time to watching Olympians compete at the highest level, TCHS makes equestrian sport accessible to all.

“At TCHS we believe there is something magical here for everyone and we want to make sure they all have an incredible experience,” says Gary Howe, TCHS director of marketing and communications.

“From a child learning how to ride a pony to hosting the world’s number one, who was here in June, we want everyone who steps on our grounds to feel a sense of pride to have this level of equestrian sport right in our own backyard.”

Howe encourages locals to take advantage of spectating, giveaways, meet and greets, and exploring the grounds, especially as the season comes to an end after a busy summer. Sept. 2-20 is the final stretch of competition for TCHS, also known as the Tournament of Champions.

Sept. 2-6 is the Traverse City Fall Silver Oak Jumper Tournament; Sept. 9-13 is the Traverse City Fall International; and Sept.

16-20 is the American Gold Cup to end the 2026 season. Between the three Tournament of Champions events, there are hundreds of thousands of dollars up for grabs for some of the world’s best equestrian riders and horses.

If this is your first time spectating the Tournament of Champions or you’re wondering who to keep an eye on this year, here are the top six riders and horses as recommended by Howe. Outside of the six riders featured, Howe also recommends watching Daniel Bluman, Abdel Said, and Lillian Keenan, three competitors he is confident will also have a great run at the 2026 Tournament of Champions.

Kent Farrington & Greya | USA #1 This is the pair everyone will be watching. Farrington, a seasoned Olympian and Pan American gold medalist who has held the World No. 1 position for much of 2026, swept both five-star grand prix weekends in Traverse City last year aboard Greya, his elite partner who is arguably the best horse in the world. Farrington is a fierce winner and nearly impossible to beat on any of his horses, but if he returns with Greya this September, they’ll undoubtedly be the team everyone is trying to top.

Shane Sweetnam | Ireland #3 One of Ireland’s most accomplished international riders, Sweetnam is a familiar face in Traverse City and a consistent contender in the sport’s biggest classes.

Known for his experience and precision, he’s always a threat in five-star competition, especially on his top horses who bring their own competitive edge. He has a history of being unbeatable in the annual American Gold Cup, and he will be fresh off an FEI

16 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

World Championship appearance, returning to Traverse City to keep up his winning ways.

McLain Ward | USA #12 A six-time Olympian and one of the most decorated riders in U.S. show jumping history, McLain Ward has earned Olympic and World Championship gold medals, FEI World Cup victories, and countless international grand prix wins.

His experience, precision, and competitive drive have made him one of the sport’s most recognizable and respected athletes.

Ward has a way of keeping his cool under extreme pressure situations, like being the tiebreaking rider to decide team gold at the 2018 World Championships. Put this man under pressure, and he will deliver.

He’s the rider you always want on your team and the rider you always want to root for.

Karl Cook & Caracole de la Roque | USA #29 Olympian Karl Cook and his remarkable mare, Caracole de la Roque, are one of the world’s premier horse-and-rider partnerships. Together they helped earn team silver for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics and have become known for their fearless style, speed, and consistency at the sport’s highest level. When Cook is in the ring with Caracole de la Roque, they’re always among the favorites. It helps that the horse wants to win just as badly as Cook, who might want it more than anyone else out there.

Erynn Ballard | Canada #30 Ballard is as enjoyable to talk to as she is to watch in the ring, though for completely different reasons. As a friend outside the ring, she turns into elite athlete mode as soon as she hears the start buzzer. As a Canadian Olympian and one of the world’s top international riders, Ballard brings experience, consistency, and a competitive edge to every class. Her positive attitude, outgoing personality, and love for every horse makes her an incredible addition to the sport, and Traverse City Horse Shows is lucky to consider her a regular every season.

Charlotte Jacobs | USA #48 Jacobs is truly on a roll. As a younger athlete with an impressive group of horses, she enters the fall season with momentum after winning back-to-back grand prix titles during the Traverse City Spring Series. She has poured time, devotion, and passion into each one of her horses, allowing them to progress on their own timelines, and as a result, she’s turned them all into winners. Another rider from a lineage of impressive horsemen, with her father Lou Jacobs representing the United States at the highest level, she’ll be a safe one to bet on as the level of competition reaches its peak.

A wide range of tickets and packages are available for Tournament of Champions, and revenue from GA ticket sales will be donated to Traverse City-area nonprofits. To view the full schedule and learn more about Traverse City Horse Shows and the Tournament of Champions, visit traversecityhorseshows.com.

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rcglenarbor.com Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 17

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18 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

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231-348-8100 2200 East Mitchell Rd., Petoskey

A TASTE OF SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY Crooked Biscuit’s first summer in Wolverine

By Sara Bagley After a road trip and a home bakery turned into a cozy storefront, Diawn Dupuy—better known by locals and friends as “Sunshine”—and her husband, Jeffery, have brought a southern flair to restaurant Crooked Biscuit in Wolverine, Michigan.

“Welcome to the south, Up North” says Sunshine, welcoming people into the small shop, run by herself, her husband, and a third helper in the kitchen.

Located between Boyne City and Indian River, the Crooked Biscuit is a passion project and ode to childhood recipes turned into a full-time job. Sunshine’s journey into culinary ventures began with selling homemade seasonings and buttermilk biscuits at the end of June 2025—first out of the back of their van, then a table in a soda shop, then a cooler in a boutique before it turned into the restaurant they have today.

A Wild Ride to Michigan “The favorite part of this whole story is how we got here,” Sunshine says, handing it off to Jeffery to spill the details of what exactly brought the pair to Michigan from their home in Alabama.

“It was the end of COVID 2021, and I’m a painter, I’ve painted my whole life since I was 16, so there wasn’t a whole lot of work.

They didn’t want nobody in their homes back in south Alabama, and I was doing DoorDash,” Jeffery recounts. “We’re in a little Mini Cooper. We slept in the seats … and we got up the next morning. We didn’t feel bad, and I was like, ‘Man, if we can sleep here, we can sleep anywhere. Let’s go through the nation.’ So we had $20 to our name. We put it in the gas tank, and we left home.”

The pair would drive 100 miles, DoorDash enough to pay for food and gas, and hit the road once again. They stood atop mountains, waded through crystal clear waters, and saw views they couldn’t have imagined from childhoods spent in Alabama and Louisiana. An impromptu visit to Niagara Falls brought them toward the Great Lakes, and their first visit to Kalamazoo, Michigan, was the moment they fell in love with the state.

They were greeted with 80-90 degree weather upon their return to Alabama, and they recalled the nice, in-between weather in Michigan, and immediately decided to make a risky decision.

“We sold everything we had, we gave stuff away, packed up what we needed, and we moved back up here to the Frederick area, and we lived in a tent for the first five months on the Manistee River. It was amazing,” Jeffery says. “Now we saved every time we could and bought a piece of land up north.

We bought a camper, and the day we moved into our camper, it snowed 13 inches, and that was the beginning of our first winter.”

Opening the Crooked Biscuit The Crooked Biscuit opened in early April of 2026 and was welcomed warmly by the Wolverine community. The eatery took over the old Trailside Deli building, converting it back to a culinary space after the dispensary vacated.

“We’re excited that the community is giving us a hug and welcoming us ... our reviews are really, really good because we put a lot of heart, soul, and butter in everything,” Sunshine says. “We have gotten the biggest hugs from the community. We have people that come from Detroit that come just to eat

here. We have people coming from the Soo, from Ohio, that are seeing our TikToks and Facebook because I don’t advertise except for that, because it’s free.”

But, because they bring a new cuisine to the area, a little bit of adaptation turned out to be necessary.

“The first week that we were open, people smiled and they’re breathing fire, you know?” Sunshine jokes about the spice level of her original dishes. “So now I’ve taken most of the spice away, and we have this thing called a spicy bar on the counter... homegrown jalapeño and cayenne, plus black pepper and pink salt and a few different hot sauces.”

For Sunshine, being able to cater to the community is part of the joy of her job, especially with the community passion for cooking that she grew up with down south.

“I grew up, literally everybody just said, get in here and cook with me, so I learned from everybody. It didn’t matter whose house you was in, somebody was cooking something good.”

What to Eat One of the more exciting aspects of running a restaurant is the opportunity for experimentation.

“Our menu is a chalk menu, and it changes daily, sometimes hourly,” Sunshine says. “We have the basics: biscuits and Cajun gravy, you can get that every day.

It’s flavorful, not spicy. And then we have gumbos, jambalayas, étouffées ... our 1910 fudge, which is a recipe from 1910, and it is the smoothest you’ll ever have in your life.”

One popular pick is the boudin balls, which have Sunshine’s own heart. “[My favorite] are the boudin balls. I

eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks; they’re so good. It’s pork shoulder that’s been cooked for 12 to 14 hours, rice, onions, bell pepper, seasonings, all balled up and crisped in the oven, and it comes with either a spicy or a sweet sauce.”

Jeffery’s go-to, on the other hand, is the crawfish cornbread with the gravy. Their gumbo is a top choice as well, with a variety ranging from chicken, sausage, and shrimp, all with a homemade roux.

A lot of the restaurant’s recipes are inspired by family traditions.

“I would like to give most of my cooking experience to my great-grandmother,” Sunshine says. “Her name was Louise Granger. But she was known as Katherine, because that was her middle name, and that’s what she went by. … She is the one that would feed any and everybody and never ask for anything back but a smile and a hug.”

After a successful summer season so far, the pair are still working hard and looking ahead. Ideally, they hope to one day own a food truck, serving up the same Southern dishes on the go.

“I know that sounds backwards, because most people go from a food truck and they want the brick and mortar. We happen to be blessed with this because it just popped open,” Sunshine says.

All in all, northern Michigan has turned out to be the dream that Sunshine and Jeffery were looking for, and they’re grateful to have found home in a wonderful community that enjoys their cuisine as much as it delights them to share it.

Find The Crooked Biscuit at 12909 S Straits Hwy, Wolverine. (985) 221-0189

Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 19

AUG 29

Saturday TEEN CLOTHING SWAP

AT IPL: 9am-2pm, Interlochen Public Library. For ages 12-18. Clean out the clothes that no longer fit or match your style, & then shop the swap for something new-to-you. IPL is accepting gently used, freshly washed clothing for all seasons, along with bags, hats, & accessories.

Donation deadline is Weds., Aug. 26. Free.

InterlochenPublicLibrary.org ---------------------------------37TH ANNUAL CORVETTE CROSSROADS AUTO SHOW: 10am-3pm, Mackinaw Crossings Mall, parking lot, Mackinaw City. Parade through town & across the Mackinac Bridge at 7pm.

---------------------------------CEDAR POLKA FESTIVAL: Aug. 27-30.

Today includes live music by Bavarski, Dynabrass, Polka Generations, & Scottville Clown Band; Run 4 The Kielbasa, Ultimate Air Dogs, Cedar Polka Fest Parade, & much more. cedarpolkafest.org/events ---------------------------------MACKINAW PREMIER ARTS & CRAFT SHOW: 10am, Conkling Heritage Park, Mackinaw City.

---------------------------------RADIO CONTROLLED AIRCRAFT SHOW: 10am-4pm, Thompsonville Airport. Bring chairs & enjoy a day of flying demonstrations, pyrotechnic displays, a candy-drop for kids & more. The event is hosted by members of the Benzie Area Radio Control Club.

Michigan pilots fly a variety of aircraft of all sizes, including fuel & electric-powered fixed wing airplanes, helicopters, warbirds, acrobatic flyers, & military & civilian aircraft powered with real jet engines. Free.

---------------------------------ELK RAPIDS WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL: Noon-6pm, Elk Rapids Harbor Pavilion.

This inaugural event is a celebration of local wine, beer, cider, food & community. Enjoy live music by Shortstop, TC Knuckleheads, & Jake Slater (Elvis Tribute Artist). Tickets are $35 ($45 day of) & include two drink tokens & a commemorative wine glass. Proceeds benefit the Elk Rapids Community Cupboard and ACTS Food Pantry. elkrapidswineandfoodfestival.com/product/entrance-ticket-drink-tokens ---------------------------------FREE PUPPET WORKSHOP: Noon-3pm, The MATCH, Cherryland Center, TC. Meet the puppets of A Sesame Streetcar Named Desire & learn more about how they were made. There will also be sock puppet making supplies & tips & tricks for more advanced puppet making. All ages welcome. mashuprockandrollmusical.ludus.com/200544228 ---------------------------------JOIN GRROM FOR A GOLDEN AFTERNOON: Noon-3pm, K&A Hop Dogs, TC. A fundraiser for Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan. For all dogs over 6 mos. of age.

Foam parties, wading pools, & plenty of room for your pup to play. $10/dog; humans without dogs, free. grrom.com/events/agolden-afternoon-in-traverse-city-krbpz ---------------------------------EMMET-CHARLEVOIX COUNTY FAIR: 1129 Charlevoix Ave./U.S. 31, Petoskey.

Aug. 24-30. Today includes Auto Cross Racing, a carnival & more. emmetchxfair.org ---------------------------------SPEAKING TO SOUNDS & TALKING TO COLORS - OPENING RECEPTION: 5-7pm, The Alluvion, TC. Hosted by Alluvion Arts on the second floor of Commongrounds. Enjoy an opening reception celebrating a solo exhibition of work by Johnny Camacho. Free. thealluvion.org/tickets/alluvion-arts-johnnycamacho-opening-reception ---------------------------------LET’S GO FLY A KITE: 3-5pm, Frankfort

Beach turnaround. Register at the event.

The first 100 participants will receive a free kite to fly. 231-352-7251.

---------------------------------BEYOND LABELS: Carnegie Building, Petoskey. A community conversation to reduce the STIGMA around Substance Use Disorder. 4-5:30pm: Community services available on site. 5:30-7:30pm: Presentation, keynote speaker & panel. 7:30-8:30pm: Appetizers & social hour. Free. crami.org ---------------------------------SUMMER BLOCK PARTY: 5:30-7:30pm, 701 Westminster Rd., TC. Hosted by Mosaic Church & the Presbyterian Church of Traverse City. Enjoy live music, a meal, carnivalstyle games, bounce house fun, giant bubbles & more. Free. tcpresby.org/2026/08/11/ aug-29-summer-block-party ---------------------------------DO DA POST: FISHING LURES & MORE EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION: 6pm, Elberta Labor Heritage Center. This exhibition features a wide-ranging selection of Ed Higgins’ work, including his internationally recognized Doo Da Post artist stamps, colorful Fishing Lure Paintings, Firecracker Label Paintings, & original portraits. Free. elbertalaborheritagecenter.org/event/do-da-postfishing-lures-more-exhibit-opening ---------------------------------SATURDAYS IN THE PARK: JEFF HAAS BIG FUN ELECTRIC BAND: 7pm, GT County Civic Center, Amphitheater, TC. Funky jazz/rock fusion with a melodic twist of bluegrass. Free; donations welcome. scullytour.com ---------------------------------NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENTS: STEEL MAGNOLIAS: 7:30pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. This comedic play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby risks her life to go through with a dangerous pregnancy. Confronted with the harshness of mortality, the others draw together to find strength & love in the wake of tragedy. $15-$25. theoperahouse.org ---------------------------------NORTHPORT COMMUNITY BAND: SUMMER’S END: 7:30pm, NPAC Auditorium at Northport Public School. Featuring a variety of music from a variety of genres, plus a little Sousa. Tickets range from free to $15. northportperformingarts.org/northport-community-band-summers-end-1

Aug 30

sunday CEDAR POLKA FESTI-

VAL: Aug. 27-30. Today includes live music by The Diddle Styx, Sunday Mass Under The Big Tent, & The Hagerty Classic Polka Fest Car Show. cedarpolkafest.org/events ---------------------------------SUTTONS BAY CARS & COFFEE: 10amnoon, 5/3 Bank parking lot, Suttons Bay. Held the last Sun. of every month. Free. m.facebook. com/groups/1531439788498838/permalink/1605077057801777 ---------------------------------EMMET-CHARLEVOIX COUNTY FAIR: 1129 Charlevoix Ave./U.S. 31, Petoskey.

Aug. 24-30. Today includes a carnival & more. emmetchxfair.org ---------------------------------BLUES AT ALDEN DEPOT WITH NICK VEINE: 2pm, Alden Depot Park & Museum.

Nick presents a musical & historical survey of the acoustic blues from the turn of the 20th century until World War II. Bring a chair.

Free.

---------------------------------NORTHLAND PLAYERS PRESENTS: STEEL MAGNOLIAS: (See Sat., Aug. 29, except today’s time is 2pm.)

20 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

aug/sept

29-06

send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

The 102nd Annual Manton Area Harvest Festival rolls into town Sept. 4-7. Enjoy plenty of live music, softball and cornhole tournaments, a parade, car show, and always a favorite - the Lumberjack Competition! Find ‘Manton Area Harvest Festival’ on Facebook.

THE CHERRY CAPITAL MEN’S CHORUS CELEBRATES 60 YEARS: 4pm, City Opera House, TC. “From zero to sixty in the blink of an eye!” Featuring Forefront & The Four Man Fishin’ Tackle Choir. GA: $30. cityoperahouse.org/events/ccmc60 ---------------------------------PETOSKEY’S BAYSIDE MUSIC SERIES: THE HAZEL JAMES BAND: 5-7pm, Bayfront Park, Petoskey.

---------------------------------THE ROCK ORCHESTRA: ARENA OF FIRE: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Kresge Auditorium. This band of 14 classical musicians combines classical music & metal. Tickets start at $38. interlochen.org/events/rock-orchestra-arenafire-2026-08-30

aug 31

monday WORDS & WRITERS: TOM

CARR: 2pm, The Bay Community Theatre, Suttons Bay. Author & local true crime historian Tom Carr is in conversation with interviewer Amy Monette. Amy has at times supported Carr’s work through her role as a librarian, bringing archival context to his research & storytelling. Free. thebaytheatre.org/movie/words-writers-tom-carr ---------------------------------INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY CEREMONY: 6pm, The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, TC. Gather in the “Walled Garden” to honor & remember those we have lost to substance use disorder & offer hope to those in need. Community speakers, music, candle lighting & Recovery speakers. Free.

BAY VIEW MONDAY NIGHT MOVIES: 7:3010pm, Bay View Association, Voorhies Hall, Petoskey. Featuring “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” Free.

sept tuesday 01

RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY SEPT. MEETING: 6:55pm, Grand Traverse Children’s Museum, GT Mall, TC. The Railroad Historical Society of NW Michigan’s Sept. meeting will look at EMD E-7 diesel locomotives. Anyone interested in railroad history is invited to attend.

---------------------------------SEPT. CHAMBER COFFEE & CONVERSATION: 8-10am, Birch Tree Bakery & Cafe, Harbor Springs. Connect with fellow business owners & neighbors over coffee & light refreshments. Free.

---------------------------------SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES: CHOOSING NATIVE PLANTS FOR YOUR GARDEN: 1011:30am, The Talcott Event Center, Walloon Lake. Join Monica Gruler of Gruler Gardens for a presentation on incorporating native plant species around your property. Free; register. walloon.org/all-events/?event=4043

sept wednesday 02

CRUISES WITH LOIS AROIAN: 10:30am, Jordan Valley District Library. Lois is an experienced traveler who will discuss cruising trips & answer your questions. Registration required. ejchamber.org/calendar ---------------------------------POSITIVE APPROACH TO CARE DEMENTIA WORKSHOP: 1-4pm, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Learn what typical aging is/is not, what dementia is, & how to connect with someone living with dementia. Free; register. acceleratethecare.com ---------------------------------SEPTEMBER RECESS AT CAMP GREILICK: 5-7pm, Camp Greilick, 4754

Scout Camp Rd., TC. Presented by The Ticker & Grand Traverse County. After work fun for grown-ups. Enjoy this quarterly business networking & social happy hour with snacks, pizza from Peegeo’s, Short’s beer, disc golf demos, walking tours, cabin tours, North Sky Raptors, s’mores & music. Every attendee will be entered to win a $100 Downtown TC shopping spree & an annual subscription to TCBN at each event, plus amazing host prizes, including an Aloft Disc Golf basket, Pavilion party rental & 2-night cabin rental at Camp Greilick, & an overnight stay at Power Island. Admission is $15. Find ‘September Recess at Camp Greilick’ on Facebook.

---------------------------------STORYPROV!: 7-9pm, Nocturnal Bloom Brewing, TC. Here:Say Storytelling & Full Tilt Comedy will come together for StoryProv - a show featuring open mic storytelling + improvised scenes. Come to the show prepared to tell a story & throw your name in the basket. If your name is pulled, tell a 5-minute story. When the story is over, members of Full Tilt Comedy will take over the stage to perform scenes inspired by the story. Honor cover. heresaystorytelling.com/storytelling-events/storyprov ---------------------------------C. BURROWS: 8pm, The Bay Community Theatre, Suttons Bay. At 22, C. Burrows set out to walk across the United States with nothing but a pushcart & a guitar. That walk inspired a collection of songs that turned into his 2026 studio album “Dark Blue.” His track “Agua Belle” was recently honored as NPR Music’s Song of the Day. $15. thebaytheatre. org/movie/live-at-the-bay-c-burrows

sept thursday 03

AIR PRESENTATION MEL BENKERT: 10am, Glen Arbor Arts Center. Mel’s creative focus is bookmaking.

During her Glen Arbor Arts Center artist’s residency, Benkert will advance a current book project to its next phase. She will describe her process, & show examples of her residential work during a public presentation today. Free. glenarborart.org ---------------------------------CONCERTS ON THE LAWN: 7pm, GT Pavilions, Grand Lawn, TC. Featuring Elvis Tribute Artist, Jake Slater. Concessions open from 5:30-7:15pm. Concert starts at 7pm. Bring a chair. Free. gtpavilions.org/news-events/2026concerts-on-the-lawn/band-lineup ---------------------------------INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FORUM - FIVE YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF KABUL: THE AFGHAN CONNECTION IN TRAVERSE CITY: 7pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. With the 25th anniversary of 9/11, reflect on the legacy of the U.S. 20-year war in Afghanistan & join IAF for a panel on the human impact of the 2021 evacuation & its direct connection to TC. Hear firsthand accounts from Ambassador (ret.) Greta Holtz & local panelists, moderated by Karen Puschel Segal. Free.

Registration required. tciaf.com ---------------------------------LIVE ON THE LAKE: FOG HORN JAZZ BAND: 7-9pm, East Park, Odmark Pavilion, Charlevoix.

---------------------------------GREENWICH VILLAGE FOLK NIGHT WITH ROD MACDONALD: 7:30pm, Elberta Heritage Center. Rod performs songs associated with two of the folk revival’s most influential voices - Bob Dylan & Phil Ochs, alongside selections from his own extensive catalog of original songs. $15. elbertalaborheritagecenter.org/event/greenwich-village-folk-nightwith-rod-macdonald

sept friday 04

102ND ANNUAL MANTON HARVEST FESTIVAL: Sept. 4-7. Today includes the Midway opening, Sam Cronkhite & Silver Creek Revival in concert, & more. Find ‘Manton Area Harvest Festival’ on Facebook.

---------------------------------2026 WATER WEEKEND: Petoskey, Sept.

4-7. Today includes extended hours at Tip of the Mitt Watershed Discovery Center: 10am6pm; & a feast, potluck & open mic at 200 Wachtel Ave. waterislifefestival.org ---------------------------------BOYNE CITY KIWANIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND CAR SHOW: 6-9pm, Boyne City Veterans Park Pavilion. Today is a Free Preview. Preview the cars in the 100-200 block of Water St. & meet the owners. Also enjoy live music & entertainment downtown.

---------------------------------LIVE ON THE LAKE: SWINGBONE NORTH: 7-9pm, East Park, Odmark Pavilion, Charlevoix.

---------------------------------MINNEHAHA BREWHAHA MUSIC FESTIVAL: 7-10pm, Arcadia. Two days of live music, craft brews, food trucks, family activities, camping & a 5K/15K run. Fri. features the Jim Cummings Band. Sat. features Delilah DeWylde, Jesse Jefferson, Atomic Bombcats, Mason Gratton, Djangophonique & others. $10; 12 & under, free. Free admission on Fri. music-moves-me.org/minnehaha-festival ---------------------------------BRETHREN DAYS: Dickson Township Park, Brethren, Sept. 4-6. Tonight includes The Downturners performing from 8pm-midnight at the beer tent. facebook.com/BrethrenDays ---------------------------------KAMIKAZE COMEDY: 8pm, Right Brain Brewery, TC. Chicago comedian Nate Armbruster headlines Right Brain Brewery. Featuring Jeremy West, & hosted by Scott Witkop. Doors open at 7pm. $15 or 2 for $25. kamikazecomedy.square.site/product/natearmbruster-september-4th-5th/XRC3NGEZY RST7APIMILJOEMW?cs=true&cst=custom

sept saturday 05

CADILLAC FESTIVAL OF RACES: 7am, Cadillac.

Featuring the Fast & Flat Boston Marathon Qualifier Full Marathon & Half Marathon, 1 Mile Kids Fun Run (ages 8 & under), 1/4 Mile Lake Swim Race, 7 Mile Team Relay Run around Lake Cadillac, 5K/10K out & back course, live music, food truck & more.

See web site to register & for race times/locations. cadillacareaymca.org/cadillac-festival-of-races ---------------------------------SIX MILE STRINGS: 6:30pm, Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. Enjoy this Detroit-based string quartet. $11.25 + tax. tickettailor.com/ events/oliverart/2194032 ---------------------------------BRETHREN DAYS: Dickson Township Park, Brethren, Sept. 4-6. Today includes a softball tournament, High Bridge Hustle 5K Run/ Walk, pancake breakfast, horseshoe pitching contest, live music by Landon Sanford, Andy McQuillen, Truck Driver Bingo, & Broom Closet Boys, fireworks & more. facebook. com/BrethrenDays ---------------------------------102ND ANNUAL MANTON HARVEST FESTIVAL: Sept. 4-7, Manton. Today includes the co-ed softball tournament, Firefighters Water Ball Competition, petting zoo, Clark Lewis the Juggler, Honeybadger, Derailed & Night Train in concert, & more. Find ‘Manton Area Harvest Festival’ on Facebook.

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22 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

2026 WATER WEEKEND: 200 Wachtel Ave., Petoskey, Sept. 4-7. Today includes Pipe Up Paddle Out from 9am-noon; & Water is Life Fest from noon-9pm - featuring live music by Eliza Thorp, Kevin Johnson, Whitney Boecker, Jon Hayes & The Company, Big Greasy Funk Band, Levitator, Rebel Eves & more. waterislifefestival.org ---------------------------------7TH ANNUAL TORCH LAKE LABOR DAY ART & CRAFT SHOW: 10am-5pm, Depot Park, Alden. Jewelry, pottery, painters, candles, photography & much more. facebook. com/daniellesblueribboneventsllc/events ---------------------------------BOYNE CITY KIWANIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND CAR SHOW: 10am-2pm, Veterans Park, Boyne City. Today is the Main Car Show. Trophies & awards will be given in multiple classes. There will also be raffles, kids’ activities, local food trucks & more. Awards Ceremony begins at 2pm. 231-675-2492.

---------------------------------ELK RAPIDS ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW: 10am-4pm, downtown Elk Rapids. Featuring more than 60 artisans & crafters. elkrapidschamber.org/arts-crafts-show-2 ---------------------------------LABOR DAY WEEKEND TENT SALE: 11am-5pm, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Get discounts on past season’s ski & snowboard gear, plus get a first look at the new equipment for the 2026-27 winter season. Reps from top ski brands will answer questions & provide fitting advice. crystalmountain.com/events-activities/events/ event-calendar/labor-day-live ---------------------------------BOOK SIGNING WITH ANGELA SHUPE: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Angela will sign her new novel, “In the Light of the Sun.” horizonbooks.com/event/2026-09-05/storebook-signing-angela-shupe ---------------------------------MINNEHAHA BREWHAHA MUSIC FESTIVAL: (See Fri., Sept. 4, except today’s hours are 1-11pm.)

---------------------------------THE SERIES PRESENTS HORTON CREEK BLUEGRASS: 6pm, Lavender Hill Farm, Boyne City. Enjoy a blend of traditional & progressive bluegrass with touches of country & rock. Steel & Wood will open the show with traditional bluegrass. $31-$42. lavenderhillfarm.com/the-series ---------------------------------LIVE ON THE LAKE: CAT DADDY TRIO: 7-9pm, East Park, Odmark Pavilion, Charlevoix.

---------------------------------“COME FROM AWAY”: 7:30pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Discover life as an islander with the story of the 38 planes that were diverted to Gander on September 11, 2001. “Come From Away” is a critically acclaimed musical featuring a culturally relevant script accompanied by a moving score by Irene Sankoff & David Hein.

Starting at $60. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/come-from-away-1 ---------------------------------KAMIKAZE COMEDY: (See Fri., Sept. 4)

sept 06

live music by The Nephews, Feral Cats, & Somebody’s Sister and the Goodfellas, & more. facebook.com/BrethrenDays ---------------------------------FORMULA 1 FREE WATCH PARTIES: ITALY: 9am, The Bay Community Theatre, Suttons Bay. Experience the thrilling races on the big screen! Includes Formula 1 games.

Doors open an hour before the start of each race. thebaytheatre.org/home-page ---------------------------------7TH ANNUAL TORCH LAKE LABOR DAY ART & CRAFT SHOW: (See Sat., Sept. 5) ---------------------------------LABOR DAY WEEKEND TENT SALE: (See Sat., Sept. 5, except today’s hours are 10am-2pm.)

---------------------------------INTERLOCHEN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CAR, TRACTOR & MOTORCYCLE SHOW: 11am-3pm, Tom’s Food Markets, Interlochen. Featuring vehicles of all makes, models, & years. Admire classic cars, motorcycles & tractors! Free. interlochenchamber.org ---------------------------------COMPETITION CONTINUES IN TC: 2pm, Flintfields Horse Park, Williamsburg. Enjoy international show jumping alongside a relaxed northern Michigan summer setting.

Explore food & beverage options, shopping, & open spaces throughout the venue. $15 & up. TraverseCityHorseShows.com/visit ---------------------------------“COME FROM AWAY”: (See Sat., Sept. 5, except today’s time is 4pm.)

---------------------------------PETOSKEY’S BAYSIDE MUSIC SERIES: TWO TRACK MIND: 5-7pm, Bayfront Park, on the promenade near the clock tower, Petoskey.

ongoing BIKES & BEERS: Held the last Weds. of

every month, as long as weather allows.

Meet at Nocturnal Bloom, TC at 6:30pm for a group ride followed by beers. All riders & abilities welcome. See web site for map & more details: nocturnalbloombrewing.com/ events/bikes-and-beers-pe4jp ---------------------------------DOCENT LED TOURS OF DOUGHERTY MISSION HOUSE MUSEUM: Ongoing docent led tours of the 1842 Dougherty Mission House built by Rev. Dougherty, Chief Agosa & the Odawa & Ojibwe people. Tour the house Old Mission Peninsula is named for, outbuildings & demonstration garden. See American chestnut trees. Tours Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11am-4pm. doughertyoldmissionhouse.com ---------------------------------BOYNE CITY’S STROLL THE STREETS: Downtown Boyne City. Held Fridays from 6-9pm through Sept. 4. Enjoy live music, children’s activities, & much more.

---------------------------------LELAND COMMUNITY SUNDAY NIGHT SING: Sundays, 7:30pm through Aug. at Leland Country Club. A summer tradition for over 100 years. Join to sing your favorites with scores of your closest friends. “Leelanau, Leelanau, land that I love!” facebook.com/ share/g/1BXL9Pu9bo

art sunday THE FLOW OF THE RIVER- KRISTEN EGAN SOLO EXHIBIT: Higher Art Gallery, 102ND ANNUAL MANTON

HARVEST FESTIVAL: Sept. 4-7, Manton. Today includes a pancake breakfast, craft show, Latitude 44 Car & Truck Cruise, Manton Travel Baseball Home Run Derby, & more. Find ‘Manton Area Harvest Festival’ on Facebook.

---------------------------------BRETHREN DAYS: Dickson Township Park, Brethren, Sept. 4-6. Today includes Community Church services, softball tournament, cornhole tournament, Grand Parade,

TC. Help welcome back Gourd sculptor, Kristen Egan in her 6th Solo Exhibit here. Runs through Sept. 1. higherartgallery.com ---------------------------------ROOTS: Jordan River Arts Council, East Jordan. This exhibition explores history, heritage, & the experiences that define us.

The works reflect personal, cultural, family, & environmental connections—examining how traditions, places, & pivotal moments influence identity & creativity. Runs through Aug. 29. jordanriverarts.com

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2026 - HARBOR OF CREATIVITY INVITATIONAL EXHIBIT: Village Arts Building, Northport. Presented by the Northport Arts Association. This popular exhibit is a mustsee for painting enthusiasts. Gallery open noon-4pm, Tues.-Sun., 8/16-9/12. Free. northportartsassociation.org/events-exhibits ---------------------------------“WOMEN AND WATER: WOVEN PORTRAITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD”: Petoskey District Library, 2nd floor. A traveling exhibition featuring handwoven jacquard portraits by artist Mary Burns that honor women who work with, protect, & advocate for water across the globe. Runs through Oct. 15.

See web site for hours. petoskeylibrary.org ---------------------------------GREAT NORTHERN ART EXPLOSION: AuSable Artisan Village, Grayling. Featuring incredible artwork from around the world.

Runs through Sept. 6. A Closing Award Ceremony will be held on Sept. 6 at 2pm. See web site for hours. Free. artisanvillage.org/ event/2026-greatnorthernartexplosion ---------------------------------“FOR THE BIRDS” ART EXHIBITION: Leelanau Twp. Library, Northport. Featuring local & international artists whose work explores diversity among birds & their importance to our shared ecosystem. Runs through Sept. 18.

See web site for hours. leelanautownshiplibrary.org/team-1 ---------------------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - IN MOTION: MAKING ART DANCE: Held in Gilbert Gallery. A juried exhibition of movement inspired visual art pieces, sharing works that address questions such as, “How do artists today show the energy of moving bodies in paintings, sculptures, or films?” Runs through Sept. 5. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/events-and-exhibitions/ex-

hibits/in-motion.html - CROOKED TREE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY: Held in Atrium Gallery. This summer exhibition features recent work by members of the Crooked Tree Photographic Society. Featuring intricate details from nature, evocative scenes & moments, & creatively constructed compositions. Runs through Sept. 5. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/events-and-exhibitions/exhibits/crooked-tree-photographicsociety.html - “MODERN MOVEMENT: MARTHA GRAHAM & BARBARA MORGAN”: Held in Bonfield Gallery. Featuring original Barbara Morgan photographs of Graham & her company in the 1930s & 40s. Runs through Oct. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/events-and-exhibitions/exhibits/modern-movement.html ---------------------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC: - “AMERICANA”: Held in Cornwell & Carnegie Galleries, TC. Artists across the Great Lakes region explore the many meanings of Americana through contemporary & traditional works that celebrate, question, reinterpret, or expand our understanding of American identity. Runs Sept. 4 - Oct. 3. An opening reception will be held on Sept. 11 from 5-7pm.

An artist talk will be held on Sept. 12 at 11am.

See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/eventsand-exhibitions/exhibits/americana.html - JON LANGFORD: HONKY TONK HEAVEN: Held in Carnegie Rotunda. One of the founding members of the British first wave punk band The Mekons, & in several bands since & presently, Jon is also a prolific & outstanding painter. Runs Sept. 4 - Oct. 3. Opening reception on Sept. 11 from 5-7pm. Artist talk on Sept. 19 at 11am. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/ events-and-exhibitions/exhibits/jon-langfordhonky-tonk-heaven.html - TRAVERSE AREA CAMERA CLUB - FALL 26’ WINNERS SHOWCASE: Held in Corn-

well & Carnegie Galleries. Annual exhibit of the ever-growing Traverse Area Camera Club yearly award winners. Runs Sept. 4 Oct. 3. Opening reception on Sept. 11 from 5-7pm. See web site for hours. crookedtree. org/events-and-exhibitions/exhibits/traversearea-camera-club-2026-award-winners.html ---------------------------------DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - “FULL CIRCLE: WASTE PLASTIC TRANSFORMATIONS”: TC raised artist Simon Anton returns to the area with a body of sculpture & design objects built over the last 12 years at his Detroit Studio for his solo exhibit. Anton uses plastic sourced from Detroit neighborhoods, factory waste & the automotive industry. Runs through Aug. 8, 2027. Dennos Museum Center is open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm; closed Mondays. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions - XAVI BOU: “ECHOES OF FLIGHT”: Artist Xavi Bou invites visitors to reconsider how we see the natural world—& how that way of seeing shapes our relationship to it. This exhibition bridges art, science, & environmental awareness through Bou’s innovative use of digital chronophotography. Runs through Sept. 6. See web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions - CAROLINE MONNET: “THIS OLD HOUSE IS ALL WE HAVE”: Through the interplay of image & object, Monnet foregrounds the deep entanglement of economy, development, & the natural environment. The exhibition serves as a reminder that economic prosperity & urban expansion have historically been built upon the exploitation of land & the Indigenous peoples who have lived in relationship with it for generations. Runs through Sept. 6. See web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions - “AMERICANS”: This is a traveling exhibi-

tion from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street & the National Museum of the American Indian, which explores how deeply intertwined American Indians are in the culture of the United States. Runs through Sept. 6. See web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org/art/ upcoming-exhibitions ---------------------------------GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER: - “AT LEAST A DOZEN FRIENDS”: Held in Lobby Gallery. Margo Burian is known as a painter of quiet, atmospheric landscapes, waterscapes, farmsteads, & rowboats hitched to old docks. Over the years she has been developing a body of work based on collage, image transfer, & mixed media. Her exhibit runs Sept.

3 - Dec. 17. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org/product/exhibit-at-least-a-dozen-friends - “TAKING FLIGHT”: Invitational group exhibition featuring the works of Shanny Brooke (paintings), Cynthia Marks (ceramic vessels) & Michelle Tock York (mixed media sculpture).

Runs through Oct. 29. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org/product/exhibit-taking-flight ---------------------------------OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT: - FIELD OF VISION: Explore the unique artistic voices of artists Mark Mehaffey, Sandra Ackerman, Logan Hudson, & Les Scruggs in Field of Vision. Each artist brings their own style & creativity to the depiction & interpretation of the environments humans interact with. Runs Aug. 29 - Oct. 2 with an opening reception on Aug. 29 from 5-7pm. See web site for hours. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org/music-series - MY MICHIGAN: Michigan artists Rick Koehler & Stan Myers capture that Up North feeling with contemporary works in oil & watercolor.

Viewers will find classic vistas, whimsical local scenes, & a deep appreciation for My Michigan. Runs through Sept. 11. Hours are MonSat: 10am-4pm; Sun: noon-4pm. oliverart.org

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Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 23

lOGY

AUG 31 - SEPT 06

BY ROB BREZSNY

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ve been extra reasonable

lately. How do you manage to be so responsible, measured, and composed? I'm not complaining. I admire your integrity. But now the cosmic omens are clear that’s it's time to address your soul's needs for more wonder and awe and reverence. So I will slip you a tantalizing prod: What's the best, most healing trouble you could provoke right now? I'm not referring to recklessness and chaos, of course. I mean twists and tweaks that stir up inspiration and liberate creativity. Are you bold enough to follow the truth and beauty that thrills and intrigues you?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Now is an ideal time to have fun cultivating the art of receptivity.

Have fun being as open to influence as you can imagine. Be innocent! Be amenable! Be willing and eager to be surprised! It doesn’t mean surrendering your drive or drifting aimlessly while life happens around you. I’m talking about an active, alert sensitivity that invites wonder and transformation. You think boldly, act with purpose, and radiate what’s uniquely yours, and yet you also remain humbly aware that learning never ends and that wisdom can arrive from unpredictable directions.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I am asking you

to give yourself slack in situations where you sometimes treat yourself carelessly or unkindly.

Instead of tightening, loosen. Instead of cornering yourself, offer an escape hatch. Ask: “What if I give myself 20% more mercy, 20% more time, or 20% less pressure?” Maybe you'll get an extension on a deadline or allow yourself to be a learner instead of an expert. Rather than calling yourself a failure because you're less than perfect, you'll decide, "It's good enough for now." As you slip away from the traps you set for yourself, you’ll teach your nervous system a fresh truth: You can be gentle with yourself but still be responsible.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio, you

rarely need to be lighter and breezier. Your assignment is almost always to delve deeper and explore further. This is true now even more than usual. Other people might shiver and cower in the face of your intensity, but I celebrate it because it drives you to excavate the rich, messy truths and complicated feelings that really shouldn't stay hidden. Regard this horoscope as your authorization to wield your emotional X-ray vision with precision, and to trust that the treasures you seek are often buried in places that scare others away.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In classical music, composers often develop a simple motif into a complex symphony. A short sequence of notes becomes the foundation for an entire composition. A key passage gets rearranged and elaborated in multiple ways. You will have a comparable opportunity in the coming weeks, Sagittarius: a seed of potential that seems modest at first could expand into more substantial riches if you cultivate it patiently. Your visionary aplomb and optimism can transform a core cell into a full orchestration.

the possibility that the problems you're so skilled at identifying are being called into existence by your identification of them.

And if you find that’s happening, STOP! Formulate some healing alternatives.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): “Dear Rob: Your

horoscopes delight me in a spooky way. They make me feel as if you’re watching me from afar, not like a stalker, but like an eccentric guardian angel who gives me a heads-up before I do something foolish, tells me about opportunities I haven't noticed, and shakes awake the part of me that’s inclined to quit. Thanks a million times! —Deep Pisces." Dear Deep: You have exquisite timing, because now is an ideal moment to pour out gratitude for the people who’ve lifted you up and helped you. Offering appreciation now will function as a potent prayer that will be far more effective than pleading for what you don’t have. It will set in motion an irresistible magic that draws even more blessings in your direction.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Most of us are

surprisingly clueless about the inner workings of our own bodies. Do you know where your gallbladder and spleen actually live or what jobs they perform on your behalf? Can you trace the journey your breath takes after it slips into your lungs? Have you ever experimented to discover in detail which foods best suit your one-of-a-kind system? Do you know, from experience rather than guesswork, how much sleep you require to stay vividly awake and emotionally balanced? The current astrological climate favors you becoming a curious apprentice of your body’s gorgeous mysteries.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The English

idiom "cut to the chase" comes from the silent films of the early 20th century. When the plot dragged, directors would literally switch to a chase scene to restore audience interest. Various languages have other ways to say “get to the point” or “skip to the crux.” Spanish: ir al grano. French: aller droit au but. Italian: venire al dunque.

Japanese: hondai ni hairu. In accordance with astrological omens, Taurus, I suggest you do that in the coming days.

Skip the boring parts. Jump to the action scenes. You can return later and fill in the story details, but for now you’re best served by moving toward the exciting essence or the crucial core of things.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): This is one of

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You seem

to be wandering in a frontier for which there are no maps. You're hovering in liminal zones, between worlds. So for now, I guess you will have to steer without your usual guidance.

That’s a good thing! What I can do is name the gifts that are likely to come your way as you explore the unknown: 1) turbo-charged intuitions about your best possible future; 2) a talent for spotting surprising connections you didn’t even know you were looking for; and 3) a provocative unpredictability that magnetizes allies who can help tease out and illuminate your hidden and buried desires.

those unusual times when laziness and apathy work in your favor. Life is organizing a relaxing renewal on your behalf, and your main job is to not interfere. So I advise you to skip the hustle and enjoy the thrill of being still. Put a pause on doing and indulge in the fine art of simply being. Please, Gemini? Set aside your ambitions for now. Hide your to-do list. Inform your chattering monkey mind that it’s on temporary leave from its usual jumping and squawking. Feel guilt-free as you immerse yourself in the most relaxed versions of feeling good and welcome whatever fresh vitality wants to flow in.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the 17th

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The

placebo effect has a lesser-known counterpart called the nocebo effect: Negative expectations can create negative outcomes. If you're told a harmless pill might cause headaches, you're more likely to develop them. Your belief in harm creates actual harm. I bring this up, Aquarius, because I’m worried you may be nocebo-ing yourself right now. Your conviction that certain outcomes are inevitable is encouraging them to manifest. So here’s my counsel: Which negative expectations or predictions are you treating as facts? Consider

century, Dutch inventor Christiaan Huygens discovered that two pendulum clocks hanging on the same wall gradually synchronized their swings. Why? He eventually realized that tiny vibrations traveled through the wall and made the clocks influence each other. Scientists call this “entrainment.” Now is prime time for you to capitalize on this phenomenon, Cancerian.

I urge you to be extra alert for how your moods, rhythms, and intentions subtly affect the people around you, and vice versa.

If you cultivate qualities you’d like to predominate in your relationships, you will find others unconsciously aligning with your rhythm.

24 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Magazine Covers"--it's all on the outside. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1. Insect stage 6. Ovo-___ vegetarian 11. Sea-___ (Washington airport) 14. Cookies in sleeves 15. Circumvent 16. Offline, initially 17. Like some turbines 19. Abbr. after Elizabeth Warren's name 20. Curious person 21. Big name on LinkedIn, perhaps 22. "Heaven Can Wait" actress Cannon 23. Nitric or boric 25. Contributing some chips 27. Thanksgiving tuber 30. Sped along 32. Carlos Alcaraz's sport 33. Org. that provides financial services to military families 35. Word often seen on kids' art supplies 37. "The Divine ___" (Bette Midler album) 39. Lines from Keats 40. Pop culture cliche 43. Chipmunk in the green shirt 46. Leave out 47. Gracefully slender 49. Sandwich alternative 51. Means justifier 52. "So soon?"

54. Mars, to Greeks 56. Like doilies 57. "___ genius!"

59. Teletubby spelled with only two letters (no, not that one) 63. ___ precaution 64. Caribbean area where pirates plundered 66. Tire filler 67. Coat material?

68. Old Treasury offering 69. 1400, in old Rome 70. Narrow street 71. Foul

DOWN 1. Valleys, mood-wise 2. "I Am Not My Hair" singer India.___ 3. Philosopher Descartes 4. Moscow Mule ingredient 5. Appearance 6. "The Good Wife" field 7. Sans opposite 8. Jazz pianist Chick 9. Connect with, in a way 10. Like seven, but not six 11. Respectable earnings 12. Fashion's Giorgio 13. Loud, metallic sounds 18. Constellation with a belt 22. Robert of "Killers of the Flower Moon" 24. "The Mystery of Edwin ___" (Broadway musical based on an unfinished Dickens book) 26. Send a message 27. "Tasty!"

28. "___ was saying ..."

29. Credit company with a logo resembling a Venn diagram 31. Financially support 34. Actress Benson of "Pretty Little Liars" 36. ___ firma 38. Facebook owner 41. Wrestling win 42. Abbr. at an airport terminal 44. Complex word?

45. "Downton Abbey" extras 47. Arabic word meaning "peace" 48. Pickle brand with a stork mascot 50. Mate of a "proud" avian 53. Bygone Yahoo address option that was easily confused with the Google version 55. Ballroom dance from Brazil 58. Only daughter of Elizabeth II 60. Asian country with no coastline 61. "___ Misbehavin'" 62. Serkis of "Animal Farm" 64. Relaxation spot 65. Suffix after conform

Leelanau & Benzie 45 NORTH VINEYARD & WINERY, LAKE LEELANAU 9/4 -- Dags und Timmah!, 3-6 9 BEAN ROWS, SUTTONS BAY 1-3: 8/30 -- Jen Sygit 9/6 -- Trillium Groove BEL LAGO VINEYARD, WINERY & CIDERY, CEDAR 8/29 -- Larry Perkins, 3:30-5:30 8/30 -- Chris Smith, 3:30-5:30 9/1 -- Pinter Whitnick - 80's Night, 5:30-7:30 9/5 -- Bryan Poirier, 3:30-5:30 9/6 -- Dominic Fortuna, 3:30-5:30 BOATHOUSE VINEYARDS, LAKE LEELANAU TASTING ROOM: 8/30 -- Pinter Whitnick, 4-6:30 9/2 -- Legal Rehab, 5:30-8 9/6 -- Jim Hawley & His Band, 3-5:30 CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE LEVEL4 LOUNGE, 8:30-10:30: 8/29 -- Jakob Abraham 8/30 -- Rhett & John 9/2 -- Johnny P 9/3 -- Loren Kranz 9/4 -- David Lawston 9/6 -- Nick Vasquez THE YURT: 9/5 -- Sean Baldwin, 6-9 DUNE BIRD WINERY, NORTHPORT 8/30 -- Luke Woltanski, 3-6 9/3 -- Billy & The Kid, 3-6 9/6 -- Broom Closet Boys, 6-9 FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR 4-7: 8/31 -- Chris Skellenger 9/5 -- Looking Forward - CSN&Y Tribute Band

HOP LOT BREWING, SUTTONS BAY 8/29 -- Empire Highway, 5-8 9/5 -- Split Decision, 5-8 9/6 -- Silver Creek Revival, 4-7 IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 8/29 -- Brian T. McCosky, 5:30-7:30 8/30 -- Jimmy Olson, 5-7 9/3 -- Stephanie Clark Harris & Vincenzo DeWald, 3-5; Keith Scott, 6-8 9/4 -- Alex Teller, 3-5; The Nightcrawlers, 6-8 9/5 -- The Mix Drift, 3-5; John Piatek, 6-8 9/6 -- Blair Miller, 3-5; Bauer Jones, 6-8 JACOBSON MARINA, FRANKFORT 9/5 -- Jim Hawley, 3-6 LAKE ANN BREWING CO. 8/29 -- Song of the Lakes, 3-6; Drew Hale & Levi Britton, 7-10 9/1 -- New Third Coast, 6:30-9:30 9/2 -- John Paul, 6:30-9:30 9/3 -- John Pomeroy, 6:30-9:30 9/4 -- Happy Hour w/ Brian Curran, 3-6; Stonefolk, 7-10 9/5 -- Mike Moran, 3-6; Fifth Gear Band, 7-10 9/6 -- Jim Crockett Band, 3-6 LITTLE TRAVERSE INN, MAPLE CITY 9/4 -- Miriam Pico, 6-9 BEER GARDEN, 4-7: 8/30 -- Hickory Creek Revival 9/6 -- Jazz North NORTHERN LATITUDES DISTILLERY, LAKE LEELANAU 9/4 -- Elizabeth Landry, 4:45-6:45 RIVER CLUB, GLEN ARBOR 8/29 -- Rock Bottom Remedy, 6-9 8/30 -- Larz Cabot, 6-9 8/31 -- Andre Villoch, 6-9 9/3 -- Chris Smith, 5-8 9/4 -- Vertical Limit, 5-8 9/5 -- Empire Highway, 5-8

9/6 -- The Mix Drift, 1-4; Chris Sterr, 5-8 SHADY LANE CELLARS, PATIO, SUTTONS BAY 9/4 -- Friday Night Live w/ Harry Thomas, 4-7 SOUL SQUEEZE CELLARS, LAKE LEELANAU 4-7: 8/29 -- Jazz Cabbage 9/4 -- Mountain Gloom & Mountain Glory 9/5 -- Some Like It Yacht ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH 8/29 -- Aaron Dye, 1-4; Blair Miller, 5-8 8/30 -- Billy Blanchard, 3-6 8/31 -- Lost in the Woods, 5-8 STORMCLOUD BREWING CO., FRANKFORT PARKVIEW TAPROOM: 9/3 -- Dann the Band feat. Chester, 6-8 9/5 -- DJ Jeshua Hyde, 3-7 SUTTONS BAY CIDERS 8/30 -- Loose Change, 5:30-8 9/3 -- DJ Trivia, 6:30-8 9/6 -- Jonathan North & Rock Hat, 5:30-8 TANDEM CIDERS, SUTTONS BAY Sun -- The Nightcrawlers, 1-4 THE CABBAGE SHED, ELBERTA 8/29 -- Jake Frysinger, 5-8 9/2 -- Vinyl Vednesday, 5 9/3 -- Open Mic Night, 6:30-9 THE HOMESTEAD RESORT, GLEN ARBOR WHISKERS, 6-9: 8/29 -- Laura Thurston 9/4 -- Craig & The Jolly Ranchers 9/5 -- Bryan Poirier

Otsego, Crawford & Central ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD 8/29 -- Brian Curran, 1-4 9/3 -- Mike Ridley, 7-10

BEAVER CREEK RESORT, GAYLORD 9/6 -- Nelson Olstrom, 4-7

Emmet & Cheboygan BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY 8/29 -- Chris Calleja, 2-6 9/4 -- Michelle Chenard, 4-7:30 9/5 -- Michelle Chenard, 2-6 9/6 -- Chris Calleja, 1:30-5 BRANDY'S HARBORTOWN, BAY HARBOR 12:30: 8/29 -- Elisabeth Christe 8/30 -- Hanna Von B DOUGLAS LAKE STEAKHOUSE, PELLSTON 6-9: 8/30 -- Mike Ridley 9/6 -- Tyler Parkin INN AT BAY HARBOR

CABANA BAR, 5-8: 8/30 -- Adam Engelman NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY 7-10: 8/29 -- Sydni K 9/4 -- Sean Bielby 9/5 -- Lara Fullford NORTHERN LIGHTS RECREATION, HARBOR SPRINGS 9/1 -- Trivia, 6:30 9/4 -- Ty Parkin, 5:30-8:30 9/5 -- Pete Kehoe, 5:30-8:30 POND HILL FARM, HARBOR SPRINGS 8/29 -- Underleaf Band, 5-8 8/30 -- Sierra Cassidy & Elizabeth Landry, 3-6

NORTHERN NATURAL CIDER HOUSE & WINERY, KALEVA 7: 8/29 -- Ben Traverse 9/4 -- Chief Jam-Open Mic 9/5 -- Brackish

AUG 29- SEPT 06 Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com Grand Traverse & Kalkaska ALEXANDRA INN, BLUSH: ROOFTOP TERRACE, TC Mon -- Fridays Music (John & Madeline Piatek), 5-7

LIL BO'S, TC THE YARD, 7-10:30: 9/2 -- The Timebombs 9/3 -- Brian Byrnes

APACHE TROUT GRILL, TC 8/30 -- Jim Hawley, 6-9

MARI VINEYARDS, TC 4-6: 9/1 -- Jerry Byville 9/3 -- Jeff Linsell

CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE, TC 5-8: 8/29 -- Swingbone North 9/4 -- Dan Casula 9/5 -- DJ Marco ENCORE 201, TC 8/28-29 -- DJ Ricky T, 9 IDENTITY BREWING CO., TC BEER GARDEN: 9/4 -- Red Thyme, 5:30-8:30 JACOB'S FARM, TC 6-9: 8/29 -- Friends with Benefits 8/30 -- Boardman River Band 9/2 -- Marco 9/5 -- Agnes Su Band 9/6 -- A.S. Lutes Band KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC Mon. -- DJ Trivia, 7-9 Tues. -- The Will Harris Trio, 8-12 Weds. -- The Pocket Band, 8-12 Thurs. -- DJ Leo, 9:30-1:30 8/28-29 -- Pink Violin, 6-9 KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING 9/1 -- Open Mic Night, 6-9 9/3 -- Trivia Night w/ Marcus, 6:30-9 LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC BARREL ROOM: 8/31 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9 PATIO: 8/30 -- DJ Ras Marco, Noon-3 TASTING ROOM: 9/4 -- Rebecca Rodriguez, 5-7

9/4 -- The Ampersands, 5-8 9/5 -- Twilight Tunes w/ Sax Player, 5-8 9/6 -- Stonefolk, 3-6 SEASONS OF THE NORTH WINERY, INDIAN RIVER 9/5 -- Duffy King, 6-9 THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN 7: 8/29 -- Amy Beach 9/4 -- Musician's Playground 9/5 -- Nate King THE QUEENS HEAD, CHEBOYGAN 9/4 -- Amanda Jane, 5:30-7:30 THE WIGWAM, INDIAN RIVER 9/3 -- Dominic Fortuna, 7:30-9:30 9/4 -- Karaoke, 8-11

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee MANISTEE NATIONAL GOLF & RESORT THE BACKYARD: 9/4 -- Paddock, 7

nitelife

THE GREENHOUSE - WILLOW/PRIMOS, CADILLAC 9/2 -- Trivia & Music Bingo, 6-9

MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC 6-9: 8/29 -- Rebekah Jon 9/4 -- Daniel Staggs & The Critters 9/5 -- The Rupple Brothers NOCTURNAL BLOOM BREWING, TC 9/2 -- StoryProv!: Say Storytelling & Full Tilt Comedy Collective, 7-9 Thu -- Trivia, 6 9/4 -- Bloom Bash One-Year Anni Party w/ DJ E-Knuf, 7-10 9/5 -- Hip Hop Show w/ One Be Lo, Blueprint, Marv Won, & Malaki The Most Hi, Skin Kwon Do & more, 6-9 OLD MISSION DISTILLING, TC SEVEN HILLS: 8/29 -- Wink Solo, 7-9 8/30 -- Bauer Jones, 7-9 9/1 -- Music Bingo, 6 9/2 -- Jimmy Olson, 7 9/3 -- Brett Mitchell, 6 9/4 -- 2Bays DJ, 6:30 9/5 -- Jesse Jefferson, 6:30 9/6 -- Brady Corcoran, 6:30 RIGHT BRAIN BREWERY, TC 8: 9/4 -- Comedy Night: Headliner Nate Armbruster feat. Jeremy West 9/5 -- Kamikaze Comedy: Headliner Nate Armbruster feat. Jeremy West TC WHISKEY CO. - THE STILLHOUSE 8/29 -- The Groove Suns, 6-8 9/4 -- Jeff Linsell, 8-10 9/5 -- Tai Drury, 8-10

THE ALLUVION, TC 8/31 -- Funky Uncle + DJ Ras Marco, 7-10 9/4 -- Ravi Coltrane Quartet: Centennial Celebration, feat. David Virelles, Dezron Douglas, Johnathan Blake, 7-8:15 THE HAYLOFT INN, TC 8/28-29 -- Off Duty, 7:30-11 THE LITTLE FLEET, TC 9/5 -- Little Dipper, 6-10 THE PARLOR, TC 8-11: 9/2 -- Rob Coonrod 9/6 -- White Party THE PUB, TC 8/29 & 9/5 -- DJ Producer AJ, 10 8/30 -- David Martón, 7-10 8/31 -- Karaoke, 8-11 9/2 -- Zeke Clemons, 8-11 9/4 -- DJ Vai, 10 THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC 8/29 -- Younce Guitar Duo, 7-9 8/30 -- Full Tilt Comedy - Comedy Mixtape, 7-9 8/31 -- USS Comedy Open Mic, 8-9:30 9/1 -- Open Mic w/ Zak Bunce, 6-10 9/2 -- Jazz Jam w/ Ron Getz, 6-9 9/3 -- DJ Trivia, 7-9 THIRSTY FISH SPORTS GRILLE, PATIO, TC 8/29 -- TC Guitar Guys, 6:30-9:30 (patio) TOWNLINE CIDERWORKS, WILLIAMSBURG 8/29 -- Spencer Hollenbeck, 6-8 9/4 -- Hey! Makers, 6-8 9/5 -- Chelsea Marsh, 6-8 9/6 -- James Dake, 3-5 TURTLE CREEK CASINO, WILLIAMSBURG 8/29 -- Brett Mitchell & The Mitchfits, 8-12

Antrim & Charlevoix BLU DOT FARM & VINEYARD, CHARLEVOIX 8/29 -- Jetty Rae, 4-7 8/30 -- Jelly Roll Blues Band, 5-8 9/5 -- Bill Oeming, 4-7

CELLAR 152, ELK RAPIDS 9/5 -- Blair Miller, 6-9

BLUE WATER BISTRO, ALDEN 8/31 -- David Lawston, 5:30-8:30

ETHANOLOGY DISTILLATION, ELK RAPIDS 8-11: 8/29 -- Charlie's Root Fusion 9/5 -- Harmolodics

BOYNE CITY TAPROOM 7: Thurs. -- Adam & The Cabana Boys Fri. -- Josh Raber & Patrick Ryan Sat. -- Patrick Ryan BOYNE RIVER INN, BOYNE CITY 9/3 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7-10 BRIDGE STREET TAPROOM, CHARLEVOIX Tues. -- Patrick Ryan, 7

CHLOE'S TAVERN, BELLAIRE 9/1 -- David Lawston, 7-10

FIRESIDE LOUNGE, BELLAIRE 7-10: 8/29 -- Matt Mansfield 9/4 -- Nick Vasquez 9/5 -- Clint Weaner LOST CELLARS, CHARLEVOIX 5-8: 8/30 -- Andy Kline 9/4 -- Michelle Keyboard

MUSKRAT DISTILLING, BOYNE CITY 9/2 -- Karaoke Night 9/4 -- Lou Thumser SHORT'S PUB, BELLAIRE BEER GARDEN: 8/29 -- The Timebombs, 7-9:30 8/30 -- Trivia, 6-8 9/4 -- Elizabeth Reed, 7-9:30 9/5 -- Ticket to Ride Electric, 7-9:30 9/6 -- The Go Rounds, 7-9:30 STIGGS BREWERY & KITCHEN, BOYNE CITY 8/29 & 9/4 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6-9 WATERFIRE VINEYARDS, KEWADIN 8/29 -- Dan Casula, 4-7

Northern Express Weekly • august 31, 2026 • 25

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLA SSI FIED S NIGHTLY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY STAYS NEAR TC!: “The Suites” Turnkey Homes & Motel. Travelers/Construction crews 231633-5464 ___________________________________ CARPET INSTALLERS NEEDED: Bodamer Brothers Flooring is looking for 1 full-time carpet installation person or team. Paying $10 yard + extras. Paid once a week. Insured and experienced only. 231-941-8446 Dan ___________________________________ SEWING, ALTERATIONS, MENDING & REPAIRS. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248 ___________________________________ PAINTER & DRYWALL/PLASTER REPAIR SPECIALIST: D'Achille Painting & Decorating 3 Generations of comprehensive service Extremely neat/clean Meticulous preparation wallpaper removal Free Consultation Nathan 586 855 9766 ___________________________________ SEWING, ALTERATIONS, MENDING & REPAIRS. Maple City Maralene Roush 231228-6248

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26 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

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28 • august 31, 2026 • Northern Express Weekly

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