My wife and I recently enjoyed watching “The American Revolution” on the Public Broadcasting (PBS) channel. It was a Ken Burns documentary presentation of the struggle by our forefathers to oppose British tyranny and to eventually become an independent, democratic nation. The brave colonials, led by Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson, and other rebel patriots, risked their lives and fortunes to secure freedom and democracy for future generations.
Starting with the Declaration of Independence, to the Articles of Confederation, then the U.S. Constitution, the states’ representatives established a central democratic government, without a king. The core principles start with “We the People” (individual rights), limited government, a separation of powers, checks and balances, distinct federal and state powers and require elected representatives to make laws and to govern. No single person has the authority to make decisions without the consent of the governed. Executive powers are specific and limited by the Constitution.
The primary duties of our elected representatives are clearly outlined in the Constitution, but it is questionable whether our 1st Congressional District representative and his colleagues are doing their job. Their duties are 1) legislating, 2) representing constituents, and 3) oversight of the president and Cabinet members. Our representative has yet to distinguish himself in any of these areas and has chosen to blindly follow the president.
We the people are presently witnessing an attack on the core principles that our forefathers fought for. The Republican representatives continue to defer to the president’s whims and retribution while prices increase, foreign relations fall apart, ICE raids separate communities, and Medicaid and affordable healthcare are threatened. Our Michigan Senators, Peters and Slotkin, are fighting for democracy as patriots. Our 1st Congressional District representative should learn from these two.
Gary Muller | Bellaire
Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC.
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Dine with Santa
BRUNCH WITH SANTA & HOT COCOA SOCIAL
December 14 | 10:00am or 11:30am
SANTA’S SUPPER
December 20 | 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Celebrate the holidays with two magical ways to dine with Santa. Get the details at artisantc.com.
The ideal place for your dreams, nestled between Elk Lake, Torch Lake and Lake Skegemog
top ten
Searching for a Sugar High
In the words of Cookie Monster, “NOM NOM NOM.” It’s cookie season, and we’re here for every gingerbread-y, sugary bite. Join in at Peninsula Community Library on Old Mission Peninsula on Saturday, Dec. 13, starting at 10am. The Old Mission Women’s Club is putting on their annual Holiday Cookie Sale with countless sweet treats, with proceeds to go toward various local nonprofits. Also at the library, support Friends of the PCL with their first-ever ornament sale and Holiday Book Bundles. Learn more at peninsulacommunitylibrary.org. Later that same day, The Little Fleet will host a cozy community cookie exchange at 3pm. Bring two or three dozen cookies—complete with cookie name and all potential allergens noted—and help put together cookie bags for Munson hospice nurses. (You can also snack and sample along the way!) Details at thelittlefleet.com/events.
2 tastemaker Idyll Farms’ Goata
As we settle in for this year’s long winter’s nap, our visions won’t be occupied by dancing sugar plums but decadent wheels of cheese—specifically, the Idyll Goata from Idyll Farms in Northport (which just won a 2025 World Cheese Award!). Each creamy, Gouda-style wedge goes back to this regenerative farm’s pasture-raised goats, whose fresh milk fuels the dairy train by way of slow-vat pasteurization, meaning it’s warmed and cultured to create curds, which are then pressed and masterfully molded. From there, these cheesy babies are meticulously brined, dried, flipped, and hand-waxed before ripening atop Norwegian White Pine boards in an aging cave for three-plus months. The result? Two dairy dream-worthy styles: one, a mild and versatile affair; the other, aged to complex perfection. Get the goods at 1091 E. Peterson Park Rd. in Northport, and check out their website for other wheelstocked spots! idyllfarms.com
Christmas in Sweden
Musical duo Ingemar and Lisa Johansson, also members of Song of the Lakes group, bring “Christmas in Sweden: A Musical Lecture” to Mills Community House in Benzonia (also held on Zoom) on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 4pm. Featuring music and stories of past and current celebrations of the Christmas season in Sweden, Ingemar shares his voice and strings, guitar and Swedish nyckelharpa, while Lisa contributes her flutes through baroque, blues, rock, and more. Their presentation is part of the Benzie Area Historical Society’s Benzonia Academy Lecture Series. Admission is by donation, with the recommended donation $5. benziemuseum.org
Hey, Watch It! Loot 4
How are we three seasons in, and yet we have never featured Loot in Northern Express?! Maya Rudolph, please forgive us. Now, to right this wrong, head to AppleTV+ and catch up on 30 episodes of this quirky take on what could happen if (heaven forbid) a billionaire decided to give away all her money before she died. Molly Wells (Rudolph) helped make her husband (played by Adam Scott) into a tech mogul with more money than god, so when they got divorced, she figured the best thing she could do was get involved in the charitable foundation she had started but otherwise ignored. Well, it turns out Molly doesn’t know how to run a charity— luckily, a dry-witted and long-suffering Michaela Jaé Rodriguez does—and plenty of good-hearted hijinks ensue. Think MacKenzie Scott meets Clueless set in a nonprofit (with the occasional private jet getaway), and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what happens in Loot
Reconnect with Nature
If the cold and the dark have you feeling down, brighten up the day with the three remaining 2025 events at the Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park in Traverse City. First up is their Free Family Fun Day, Dec. 14, where you can bring the kiddos along to make pinecone owls and other natural crafts. No registration is required; crafting takes place from 1-3pm. On Dec. 17 from 6-8pm, put your horticultural knowledge to the test with Holiday Plant Trivia. Come solo or make a team: tickets are $5 plus fees and include a series of botanical spirits, healthy snacks, and a holiday costume contest! Last but not least is the Winter Centerpiece Workshop on Dec. 19 from 6-8pm, where you bring a container and snips then create a festive, natural showstopper for your holiday table. Tickets are $40 for members, $50 for nonmembers (plus fees). thebotanicgarden.org/events
Ski Hill Openings
Winter arrived with a bang over Thanksgiving, which means we ski bums are eager to get out on the slopes. As of press time, here’s what we know about opening days at local hills and resorts. (All are dependent on conditions for snow and snowmaking—check each resort’s website for updated information and to see which runs and lifts are open, along with other features like tubing or terrain parks.) Boyne Mountain, Crystal Mountain, and Treetops Resort: Dec. 5. Caberfae Peaks, Nubs Nob, and Schuss Mountain: Dec. 6 (note that Caberfae will close again Dec. 8-11 for snowmaking, then reopen Dec. 12, while Schuss opening is for season pass-holders only). The Highlands Harbor Springs: Dec. 12 (lodging closed until Dec. 9). Hickory Hills: Dec. 19. Mt. Holiday: Dec. 20. Dec. 26: The Homestead and Otsego Resort.
Stuff We Love: Women Helping Women
Do you remember learning about Hestia in history class? She was a Greek goddess of the hearth and home (and sister to Zeus and Hades). In Charlevoix, her name is attached to the Hestia Women’s Giving Circle, a nonprofit under the umbrella of the Charlevoix County Community Foundation that has spent the last 20 years supporting organizations that serve women and girls. Since 2007, they’ve invested $900,000 that has helped dozens of grantees, from the Women’s Resource Center and Habitat for Humanity to the Great Start Collaborative and Big Brothers Big Sisters to the Manna Food Project and Good Neighbors Food Pantry. They also host educational events, including a Learning Series with the Health Department of NW Michigan (Dec. 10), that are open to the public. We give an Olympus-level cheer for their continued work in our communities! Learn more at hestiacircle.org.
bottoms up Iron Fish’s Ice Storm Whiskey
When the trees fell during the 2025 Michigan ice storm, maple syrup producers saw their livelihoods fall too, as over 100,000 sugar maples were destroyed. Iron Fish Distillery’s latest release, the Ice Storm Whiskey, was crafted in partnership with the Michigan Maple Syrup Association to help raise awareness and funds to restore sugar bushes in the region. The campaign included a series of dinners around the state from Petoskey to Detroit to demonstrate the craft of both spirits and syrup. The Ice Storm Whiskey is limited-release made with “a blend of fine whiskeys finished in maple syrup, cognac, and Scotch barrels” and “crafted to be enjoyed over ice.” While you’re picking up a bottle, be sure to snag some of their bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup for all the holiday brunches ahead. Visit 14234 Dzuibanek Rd in Thompsonville or shop online at ironfishdistillery.com.
Pictured: Boyne Mountain snowmaking
Give Today.
spectator
By Stephen Tuttle
A president’s constitutional power to offer clemency to prisoners, or soon-to-be prisoners, by way of pardon or commutation for federal crimes is absolute with the exception of impeachment. A pardon totally erases a conviction and immediately ends penalties associated with it and clears a person’s record of the offense or offenses. A commutation shortens a sentence but leaves the conviction intact.
That power is sometimes suspiciously used.
George H. W. Bush used the power to pardon six individuals from the Reagan administration for their roles in the Iran/ Contra scandal—Google it.
Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, a fugitive trying to avoid prison for convictions of tax fraud and racketeering. It likely helped considerably that his ex-wife raised significant sums for both the Democratic Party and the Clinton Presidential Center.
Barack Obama commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, who was serving 35 years for having given nearly 750,000 classified and otherwise sensitive documents to Wikileaks. She served seven years before her release. Joe Biden controversially pardoned his son Hunter in advance of him being charged or convicted of certain offenses.
But no president has ever used the presidential clemency powers to so reward friends and supporters as has Donald Trump. In fact, Ed Martin, the man the president appointed as his U.S. Pardon Attorney and Director of something called the Weaponization Working Group for the Department of Justice, has publicly declared, “No MAGA left behind.”
Trump has also appointed one of the people he pardoned as his “pardon czar.” Alice Marie Johnson was over-sentenced to life without parole in 1996 for a non-violent drug offense. Trump first commuted her sentence, then issued her a full pardon two years later. She has no experience with the legal system other than being its victim, so it’s not clear on what legal basis she makes her recommendations.
Trump started his blizzard of pardons on the first day of his second term when he issued full and unconditional pardons to the thugs who attacked and occupied the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to overthrow Joe
You might recall the violence that occurred that day, the millions of dollars of damage done, and the fact more than 140 members of law enforcement were injured seriously enough they required medical attention. Five people died subsequent to that day—plus four police officers who, within days or months of responding to the attack, died by suicide—but Trump pardoned all of those who had been, or were about to be, prosecuted.
He recently also pardoned the 77 fake presidential electors from 2020 who were willing to illegally replace the rightful electors, and those who either tampered with voting machines or allowed others to do the same.
Unfortunately, there is so much more. For example, the next time this administration talks about their commitment to stopping the illegal drug trade, just know they are lying. Trump has pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, the disgraced former president of Honduras, who was convicted of conspiring to facilitate the importation of 400 tons of cocaine along with machine guns into the U.S. That’s 800,000 pounds of cocaine.
Trump, who tried to influence the Honduran elections, says he thinks Hernandez was “treated very harshly and unfairly.” Hard to be unfair to somebody who helped dump 800,000 pounds of cocaine onto American streets.
Then there’s Ross Ulbricht, the founder of a dark web site called Silk Road where people could buy and sell drugs, guns, other people, and pretty much anything else anonymously and pay using Bitcoins so it was difficult to identify sellers or buyers or trace transactions. The U.S. claimed Ulbricht made hundreds of millions from the endeavor, convicted him of drug trafficking and money laundering, and sentenced him to two consecutive life terms plus 40 years. But his mother, a major contributor to Libertarian causes, lobbied Trump hard. The president ultimately pardoned Ulbricht and called the prosecutors on the case “scum.”
Then there is Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, a very large cryptocurrency exchange. Zhao was sloppy, had few guardrails in place, and was convicted of money laundering and forced to resign as CEO of Binance, pay a $50 million fine (sounds like a lot, but Zhao is supposedly worth around $30 billion), and spend four months in the lowest security prison. Trump says he was a victim of a “Biden witch hunt,” though the DOJ investigation started during Trump’s first term. Not coincidentally, Zhao also assisted World Liberty Financial, which is run by Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr.
He pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley, reality television stars convicted of bank and tax fraud but vocal supporters of President Trump. Ms. Johnson says they deserved clemency because people called them “the Trumps of Georgia.”
There are many, many more examples but the short version is this administration has fully corrupted our already tainted system of pardons and commutations; money and ideology now mean far more than either innocence or fairness.
HOUSING ZONING ATLAS & COMMUNITY PLANNING
GUEST OPINION
by Yarrow Brown
There is so much to celebrate in our region and across Michigan. We’ve made real progress in expanding housing options and acknowledging housing as an essential part of community well-being. Yet the urgency is unmistakable: we must work together to ensure every resident of northwest Michigan has a safe, healthy place to call home.
With looming federal and state funding cuts to supportive and deeply affordable housing, the task ahead is significant—but I believe we can rise to meet it. Tools like the new Housing Zoning Atlas (HZA) and coordinated community planning efforts give us a strong start.
The launch of Michigan’s first-ever Statewide Housing Plan and the formation of our Regional Housing Partnership provide our region with a common roadmap. These efforts encourage multiple jurisdictions to work together on housing affordability, infrastructure alignment, and long-term economic growth.
Why does this matter? Because pooling resources, coordinating land-use decisions, and aligning housing with transit, environmental protection, and infrastructure investments allow us to act strategically instead of reactively. A regional approach helps us use funding more efficiently, share expertise, and reduce long-term dependence on unpredictable state or federal programs.
To succeed, several key elements must continue to guide our work:
Collaboration: Through the Regional Housing Partnership, local governments, developers, nonprofits, service providers, and residents must stay engaged in identifying and implementing solutions. This shared effort is essential.
Data-driven decision-making: The Regional Housing Plan is grounded in our Housing Needs Assessment and other data sources. We need to rely on these findings to target strategies effectively and ensure we are addressing the region’s most pressing needs.
Integration across sectors: Housing doesn’t exist in isolation. It intersects with transit, infrastructure, workforce development, economic resilience, and environmental stewardship. Our planning work must reflect these connections.
Inclusive engagement: All residents—and all units of government, including our tribal communities—deserve a meaningful place in the planning process. While opinions may differ (sometimes strongly), I firmly believe we can move forward together toward shared regional goals.
One of the most promising tools supporting this work is the Housing Zoning Atlas. The HZA provides a clear, visual, map-based understanding of how zoning affects housing development. Seven communities in our region are already included at zoningatlas.org, with more to come.
The HZA helps communities visualize
existing land-use rules in a way that is easy for both residents and developers to understand and identify zoning barriers—especially areas where outdated or restrictive rules prevent higher-density housing or other needed options.
Other benefits of the HZA include streamlining development and reducing confusion and delays by making zoning more transparent; supporting policy updates by offering comparisons to best practices and illuminating opportunities for mixeduse or infill development; and encouraging community conversations to give residents and planners a shared point of reference to discuss housing needs and trade-offs.
Through our region’s housing partnership, communities will have access to facilitated discussions and technical support to use the atlas in strategic planning. The visual nature of the tool makes it especially powerful for community engagement—helping everyone see, literally, how zoning shapes what gets built and where.
We don’t want housing development to happen just anywhere or without thoughtful oversight. The goal is not unchecked growth— it’s intentional, coordinated, communitysupported growth.
The HZA helps identify where development makes sense, including locations near infrastructure, services, transit routes, and walkable or bikeable areas. It also supports collaboration with conservancies, watershed groups, and environmental partners to ensure we protect the natural resources that define northwest Michigan.
Seven of our 10 counties are already part of the HZA project, and with community support and continued funding, the goal is to complete the full regional atlas by 2026. This will position northwest Michigan as a leader in smart, balanced housing planning.
We are one of the few regions in the state experiencing population growth. That brings both opportunity and responsibility. We have a chance to shape a future where housing is attainable, communities are connected, and economic opportunity is within reach for everyone who calls this region home.
You can help. Join Region D’s Housing Partnership mailing list or working groups. Get involved with local housing coalitions. Attend planning sessions in your township or village. Show up for master plan and zoning discussions. These are the spaces where decisions get made—and where your voice can support diverse housing options while protecting the natural character and quality of life we all cherish.
Together, with urgency, collaboration, and optimism, we can ensure northwest Michigan remains a place where people of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds can live and thrive.
Yarrow Brown is the executive director of Housing North, a 10-county housing agency serving northwest Michigan.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
Mental Health Care for the Whole Family
Awesome!
Pope Francis' popemobile has been repurposed as a mobile health clinic for children in war-torn Gaza, NBC News reported on Nov. 25. Francis used the vehicle during a visit to Bethlehem in 2014 and blessed the project before his death in April. The open platform where he stood has been enclosed and converted to a treatment area. Caritas, the Catholic organization tasked with the conversion, said the vehicle will be able to treat about 200 children per day.
But the Turkey Is Doing Fine
Two men resorted to gunplay on Nov. 13 at a Food Lion in High Point, North Carolina, WBTV reported, with one suffering a gunshot wound to the arm. It all started when one of the men argued with an employee over a turkey; the second man allegedly stepped in, and both of them left the store to get their guns. The two men shot at each other outside the store. Police said one man was interviewed by detectives, but it was unclear whether either had been charged.
Precocious
On Nov. 14, a mom popped into W.A. Wright Elementary School in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to deliver some paperwork, leaving her 10-year-old son in the car outside. She returned to the parking lot to find the car gone, WSMV-TV reported, and assumed it had been stolen with her son inside. A witness said they'd seen the car driving recklessly out of the parking lot. But when police checked the family home about a mile away, they found the car in the garage and the child in the house with his dad. He explained that he'd had an argument with his mom and decided to drive himself home. Officers declined to charge the boy because he's too young to be held criminally responsible.
It's Raining ...
A woman driving to work on Nov. 19 in Bryson City, North Carolina, was stunned when a cat fell from the sky and crashed through her windshield, shattering about half the glass on the passenger side. The Charlotte Observer reported that the cat had been seen by a witness struggling with the eagle that was flying with it; the car was traveling at about 55 mph when the cat made impact. The driver was uninjured, the cat didn't make it, and the eagle made a quick exit.
The Passing Parade
Kohl Bertels, 33, had an unusual explanation for breaking into a Circle K store on Nov. 23, eating a bag of beef jerky and drinking a sweet tea, The Smoking Gun reported: "I know you're going to think I'm crazy," he said, "but there is an AI intelligence speaker in my neck." Bertels kicked through the glass door of the store in St. Charles, Missouri, around 2:15 a.m. He explained that the voices in his head told him to break the door, since it was locked. He faces charges of burglary and property damage, but it's not his first rodeo: His rap sheet is full of felony burglary convictions.
Recurring Theme
A Buddhist temple near Bangkok, Thailand, was the site of an unsettling situation on Nov. 23 after a woman was
brought in for cremation, the Associated Press reported. The "deceased" was in a white coffin that her brother delivered to the temple, but as workers went to unload the cargo from the bed of a pickup truck, her brother heard a faint knocking. "I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled," said the 65-year-old brother. "I saw her opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin. She must have been knocking for quite some time." The woman's brother said she stopped breathing two days before; after her startling recovery, she was sent to a local hospital.
Bright Idea
CNN reported on Nov. 25 that an unnamed 57-year-old man in Borgo Virgilio, Italy, dressed up as his mother, Graziella Dall'Oglio, and tried to renew her government ID card so that he could continue to collect her pension. He wore a wig, makeup and her clothing, but authorities were tipped off by the hair on his neck and chin. Inconveniently, the signora passed away in 2022 at age 82. Her son, an unemployed nurse, did not report her death to authorities. When they visited his home, they found his mother's mummified body in the laundry room closet, wrapped in sleeping bags. An autopsy was ordered, and the son was held in a local jail.
Scrooge Lives
On Nov. 22 (which, arguably, is a tad early for Christmas carolers), Paul Brian Susie, 58, was taken into custody in Annapolis, Maryland, after he allegedly pointed a firearm at three 12-year-old girls who arrived at his house to sing Christmas carols. WMAR2TV reported that the incident happened around 8:30 p.m.; police recovered a loaded .40-caliber Glock handgun from Susie's home. Exhibiting "loud and belligerent" behavior as he was questioned, Susie admitted to pointing the gun at the girls. He was charged with firstand second-degree assault.
Redneck Chronicles
Around 1 a.m. on Nov. 19, Hancock County (West Virginia) Sheriff's officers responded to a call about a man suffering a gunshot wound while a rifle was being cleaned. WKRC-TV reported that when officers arrived, two men at the home revealed the real story: They had been shooting out the secondstory window of the home at rats, they said, and the gun went off when one man tried to take it from the other. The victim was transported to the hospital; homeowner Mark Fuller was charged with wanton endangerment involving a firearm and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.
Questionable Judgment
Fifteen-year-olds aren't known for their excellent judgment, but this kid's antics were on another level. On Nov. 24 in Jerusalem, firefighters were called to a 36-story skyscraper with a crane on top -- and a 15-year-old atop the crane. The teenager was trapped on a small platform above the building. The kid told rescue teams he had scaled the crane around midnight to "see the view," the Associated Press reported. Fire official Eyal Cohen said they've responded to a number of cases of young people scaling large buildings. "This is a serious incident that ended in a miracle," Cohen said.
GRIEF SUPPORT UP NORTH
By Ren Brabenec
According to a WebMD survey, about 57 percent of Americans experienced a major loss in the last three years, and loss goes hand-in-hand with grief.
Grief is not just an emotion. Health problems associated with grief include depression, anxiety, and heart disease. According to the National Institutes of Health, bereaved individuals are at higher risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction (heart attack), especially in the initial days following a loss.
Perhaps most frustrating of all, for many, grief is not temporary. Losing a parent, spouse, child, sibling, or loved one can leave a permanent mark. Quoting Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, one of the leading intellectuals in the field, “The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not get over the loss of a loved one; you’ll learn to live with it.”
The risk and complications associated with grief and its long-term nature are why grief support is so critical. Founded in 2001, Michael’s Place is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting community members experiencing grief.
Mindy Buell, the nonprofit’s executive director and CEO since day one, met with us to talk about the nonprofit’s origins, its growth over the past quarter century, and how American culture is shifting its perspective on grief.
Michael’s Place: 2001 to the Present
“Michael’s Place began with a logo, a mission, and a card table and chairs from my garage,” Buell says when we ask her to tell us about the organization’s founding. “It was a grassroots effort driven by a bold vision to support those facing loss. We started with three families and six trained volunteer facilitators. Last year, we walked alongside more than 4,800 individuals, 1,000 more than the year before.”
Buell tells us that Michael’s Place was created to provide no-cost grief support and advocacy for children, teens, and adults navigating the death of someone significant. She emphasizes that while the organization is based in Traverse City, Michael’s Place serves eight counties in the area and has expanded its services to families, schools, workplaces, and communities across Michigan and beyond.
“Although our staff is small—just eight people—our impact is multiplied by a
In 2026, Michael’s Place will celebrate 25 years of showing up for the community
remarkable team of over 100 volunteers, many of whom regularly serve our families, offering their time on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.” Buell says. “Last year, we trained 14 new volunteer facilitators.”
Buell read off impressive statistic after impressive statistic. In 2024 alone, the organization’s volunteers provided over 2,700 volunteer hours, responded to four schools and five businesses experiencing losses, and provided grief support to people throughout 19 counties in Michigan. Since 2015, Michael’s Place has provided grief support to people in 37 Michigan counties, nine states, and five countries.
Buell credits the organization’s success not just to the hard work of its staff and volunteers, but also to a culturally shifting perspective on grief.
“In the early days, we knocked on school and business doors, offering our support,” she says. “Now, schools and businesses come to us for crisis response, grief education, in-school/in-business grief support groups, and ongoing support for students, school personnel, and employees. These partnerships have transformed not only individual lives but entire school communities across the region.”
Speaking of schools and businesses, much of the nonprofit’s expansion since 2007 has focused on bringing grief support into schools when a teacher or student passes away, and into businesses when a co-worker dies. In their early years at the nonprofit, Buell and Michael’s Place founder Chris Dennos noticed that schools and businesses typically lack support resources when such a loss occurs.
“Schools have plans in place for intruders, fires, and tornadoes, but not bereavement,” Buell says. “We created a School Grief Crisis Plan and our facilitators go into schools and provide workshops and educational opportunities for faculty to learn how to help students during times of loss.”
Regular Programming
As the organization has grown over the past quarter century, so too has its programming. We asked Buell to describe the primary initiatives she and Dennos are focusing on, and she gave us five:
1. Peer-Facilitated Support Groups: Support groups provide a safe, compassionate space for those coping with the death of a loved one. Guided by trained facilitators, participants share their experiences, support
one another, and find comfort in knowing they’re not alone.
2. Peer Navigation: The Navigation Program provides compassionate, shortterm support for grieving individuals. Peer navigators listen, build trust, and help identify needs, connecting individuals to additional Michael’s Place services, including support groups and community resources.
3. Robin’s Nest: This monthly, activitybased program offers what Buell calls “Best Day” experiences designed to support grieving children and their families.
4. School-Based Initiative: As touched on earlier, Michael’s Place provides support and guidance to school communities through in-school support groups for elementary, middle, and high school students grieving a death, and through guidance and training to help schools develop Grief Crisis Plans.
5. Compassionate Workplace: Michael’s Place provides support and education to businesses and organizations that have experienced the death of a co-worker.
A Word on Grief
In addition to speaking with Buell, we connected with the woman who founded Michael’s Place all those years ago, Chris Dennos. To this day, she has volunteered her time and energy alongside Buell and their cohort of facilitators and volunteers.
“The motivation to start Michael’s Place is a very personal story,” Dennos tells us. “At the tender age of 14, my cousin, Michael, died. Our large Greek family was devastated and lost. Trying not to upset Michael’s parents, we never talked about him or even mentioned his name, thinking this was the kindest approach.”
Dennos told us about how she silently
watched family members suffer with unresolved grief, an experience that led her to believe that there had to be a better way.
“Years later, I was introduced to a grieving center in Lansing, Elle’s Place, and I took their training to become a group facilitator,” Dennos says. “I saw the smiles, comfort, and relief in my group of teens as they talked about death and their own feelings with new friends who felt the same way.”
That was the seed that led to founding a similar nonprofit Up North.
“Michael’s Place is the result of my own experiences living with unresolved grief and helping others in their grief journey,” Dennos concludes.
2026 Programs, Events, and Celebrations
2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Michael’s Place, and we asked Buell for a preview of some of the events her organization has planned. First up is that Michael’s Place is launching a new podcast in 2026, with host Amy Smart and sound engineer Mark Wilson. They’ll also be releasing an updated and redeveloped School Grief Crisis Manual and Training.
On April 24, the nonprofit will celebrate its 25th anniversary at the City Opera House with a spring fundraising event. Later that summer, they’ll have a butterfly release event—a symbol of hope and transformation. The organization’s annual Restoring Hope Fundraising Luncheon will be on September 30.
WHEN SMALL CONVERSATIONS SPARK BIG CHANGE
Nonprofit Love Thy Neighbor and the power of two small words: “Let’s talk”
By Lourin Sprenger
The first thing most people notice when they walk into Love Thy Neighbor in Traverse City isn’t the stacks of handassembled layettes or the line of donated walkers and wheelchairs. It’s the feeling, an unhurried calm that suggests whoever just arrived isn’t an interruption, but the reason the place exists at all.
Matt Chapman, CEO of Love Thy Neighbor, says that nearly every day starts the same way: with a phone call or someone appearing at the door, unsure what to expect, apprehensive to ask for help. Last year, that happened thousands of times.
“Most people think they need just one thing,” Chapman says. “A crib. A gas card. A referral. But once we sit down and start talking, we usually discover the story is much bigger.”
That’s where Love Thy Neighbor does its real work: listening, connecting, and walking
alongside people who may feel like they’re carrying their entire world on their shoulders.
From One Room to a Community Anchor
Long before Love Thy Neighbor became the bustling support hub it is today, it started with something much simpler—a handful of volunteers responding to neighbors who were struggling.
The early days were small and informal.
A few dedicated community members stocked diapers, gently used clothing, and baby blankets in a spare room at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Word spread quickly: If you needed help, you came here. No paperwork. No hoops to jump through. Just people helping people.
As the stories multiplied and more families came looking for support, it became clear that the need had grown far beyond what a few volunteers and a storage room could sustain. Requests were increasing— strollers, car seats, hygiene products, emergency supplies—and families were showing up with challenges that stretched
far beyond baby gear.
The organization needed room, structure, and independence.
That’s when Love Thy Neighbor took the step to become an independent nonprofit, allowing it to expand its services, apply for grants, form partnerships, and build a more formal support system. What began as a small ministry evolved into a fullfledged community resource still driven by compassion, but now equipped with the tools to offer sustainable, long-term help.
Chapman says the move to independence didn’t change the heart of the organization. If anything, it sharpened it. Love Thy Neighbor would continue to meet immediate needs, but it would also begin walking alongside families long after the crisis passed.
A Legacy Built on Listening
Once the nonprofit was established, more than 13 years ago, the next major chapter came with Tony Nelson, who stepped into leadership as CEO with no idea how transformative the experience would be.
“I was so shy when I started,” Nelson recalls. “I didn’t even like talking on the phone.”
As he sat with parents in crisis, caregivers stretched too thin, and single moms starting over, something shifted. Nelson realized the work wasn’t about handing out items, it was about giving people space to breathe.
“Once you’re here, you’re part of this place,” he says simply.
Under Nelson’s guidance, Love Thy Neighbor expanded far beyond its early roots. It became a broad network offering transportation support, a growing hygiene pantry, emergency rent and utility assistance, a medical loan closet, life-skills classes, mentorship matching, holiday support programs, and its crib ministry, which continues to serve dozens of families annually.
Before long, Love Thy Neighbor was helping more than 1,700 families a year. But Nelson’s legacy isn’t measured in numbers. It’s measured in the names and faces.
There was Ariel, who came in for a crib years ago and is now a friend and steady volunteer. “She wanted to be a stylist,”
CEO Matt Chapman in conversation at the Love Thy Neighbor office.
Nelson remembers. “We helped pay for cosmetology school, helped her get licensed. Now she comes over every month to cut my hair.”
There was Mario, who became a biking partner after Nelson loaned him one of his electric bikes. And Mamie, a single mom of five who found herself suddenly alone and overwhelmed.
“It’s not about the service,” Nelson says. “It’s about connection. You don’t forget each other.”
The work is steady and quiet, but it changes people, the families, the volunteers, and those leading the movement. “The biggest change I’ve seen here is me,” Nelson says. “If you’re trying to help people grow, you end up growing too.”
A New Chapter, Same Heart
When Nelson officially stepped back in July of this year, he worried the handoff would be difficult. Instead, the first time he met Chapman, he knew immediately the mission was in good hands.
“When I interviewed him, I saw his passion immediately,” Nelson says. “I knew he was the right person.”
Even after stepping down as CEO, Nelson now serves as the organization’s accountant and a loyal volunteer.
Chapman brought a fresh perspective and the same deep respect for showing up. He still calls families personally. He still asks questions until he understands the full picture. And he still starts every interaction with the same invitation: “Let’s talk.”
Last year alone, those conversations led to: $14,700 in car repairs, 365 people receiving medical equipment, over 900 families using the hygiene pantry, and dozens of families receiving holiday, food, or emergency rent support. In total, Love Thy Neighbor allocates more than $85,000 each year in direct assistance.
If you are in need, looking to volunteer, or just want to hear the words “Let’s talk,” contact Love Thy Neighbor at (231) 9415683 or visit lovethyneighborgt.org.
Based on 2024 data, here is the impact of Love Thy Neighbor in the Grand Traverse Region and beyond.
Supporting the community with free cribs and baby gear have always been at the core of Love Thy Neighbor's mission.
Fighting Harder for Local Women and Children
How dwindling Victims of Crimes Act funds are affecting abuse survivors in northern Michigan
By Jillian Manning
Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center (TBCAC) has been navigating a particularly challenging year.
Though CEO Lander Bachert is proud that her CAC is “one of the best in the state” with “world-class mental health” care for the kids and teens they serve, she’s still seeing a “pretty intense spike of children coming through our doors.”
“When … families don’t have access to food, or when they don’t have access to housing, or when they don’t have access to economic security, that’s when people are the most likely to harm children because they’re stressed,” she says. “People are not their best people when under duress.”
Stress & Harm
TBCAC’s mission “is to provide a coordinated, multidisciplinary response to allegations of child abuse in a childsensitive, trauma-informed environment, to offer therapeutic treatment for those who have been harmed, and to champion a world without abuse through awareness, prevention, education, and outreach.”
According to TBCAC’s 2024 annual report, the organization performed 460 forensic interviews and offered 1,637
counseling sessions to child survivors and their families last year. An additional 3,226 people were served by the nonprofit’s Prevention Education arm, which offers training to the public to “prevent harm before it happens.”
It’s a difficult job under any circumstances, made harder by our country’s current social, economic, and political climate.
“We talk a bunch about how the economic security and the health and wellness of people as a whole—as a community or as a nation— directly impacts how many children we see,” Bachert says. “Our numbers are going up too because people are not doing well.”
Bachert points to delays to SNAP benefits, inflation woes, healthcare uncertainty, and the trickle-down effect of federal funding cuts to other nonprofits as issues that feed the fire.
“From where I sit, the people who are most likely to feel the impact of instability are children,” she says.
Dollars & Cents
As far as funding goes, Bachert knew from the start of the year that things were going to be rocky for her organization.
TBCAC is primarily funded—Bachert says nearly 70 percent—through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and the Crime Victims Fund (CVF). The legislation ensures that “criminal fines, penalties, and assessments
from federal offenders are directed toward victim assistance and compensation programs,” per the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators.
Thousands of domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, child abuse treatment programs, and other similar groups receive money from the Crime Victims Fund. That pot of money has often fluctuated since the act went into effect in 1984 but has been steadily decreasing since 2019.
Together for the Girls, a global organization working to end violence against children and
adolescents, notes that this decrease is “a result of lower deposits and a decline in the CVF balance as well as a lack of predictability as to when proceeds from CVF funding sources would be deposited. This decrease in funds was caused in part by increased reliance by the United States Department of Justice on deferred and non-prosecution agreements in white-collar criminal cases.”
As Bachert explains, one of the factors affecting the fund is that when cases that would normally support the CVF are settled out of court, the money “is redistributed,
Schultz
Bachert
not to the Victims of Crime Act but to the U.S. Treasury,” a trend that has become more common in the last “six or seven years.”
Legislation & Donations
To right the ship and keep funding consistent from year to year, advocates are trying to pass the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025, which was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives in February of this year. (With 322 bipartisan cosponsors, no less, with representatives from every state except Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming.)
The bill would “temporarily provide additional deposits into the Crime Victims Fund” from 2025 to 2029 when “amounts necessary to remunerate qui tam plaintiffs … are not available for deposit to the Fund.”
But the bill has languished in the House for nine months. “If they don’t get to it before the end of the session, then we have to start all over again,” Bachert laments.
“I’ve been trying to make that message pretty clear,” Bachert says of her conversations with donors, “if people really do care about their sustainability, now is the time to give because it’s so uncertain.”
Bachert is quick to add that TBCAC has “really incredible donors who are fighting with us every step of the way to get things done and to keep us safe,” but that kind of fundraising is only “a short-term solution.”
“All the philanthropic dollars in America—without federal assistance—could keep nonprofits running for less than 30 days,” Bachert says, noting that it would be almost impossible for private donations to replace federal funding.
Though TBCAC runs a relatively lean organization—a $1.4 million budget that supports almost 20 staff members and nearly 2,000 local children—this year alone they need to raise an additional $250,000 to fill in the gaps.
As such, Bachert says that TBCAC will have to depend on those local donors over the next few years while they work toward a more sustainable solution, supposing that the CVF and other federal funds continue to dry up and not get attention from Congress.
Gentleness & Giving
In the meantime, Bachert has two asks to make of northern Michigan.
“The first thing I’ve really been encouraging is just be cognizant of your community and the people that are in it. I think there is this belief that people who are struggling are somehow removed from people we see and interact with every day, but that is not the case. … These are kids that
people see at the grocery store and church [and] walking around.”
Putting that into action means being “aware that we share this community with each other and just be a little gentler, because people really are struggling, even if folks aren’t seeing it in their day-to-day worlds.”
Second on her list is to remind folks that every dollar counts.
“If everyone in Grand Traverse County gave $1, most [nonprofits’] budgets would be set. So I don’t want people to think that they don’t have anything to give. I think giving what you can, when you can, is important.”
Urgency & Adaptability
On the other side of town, the Women’s Resource Center is also watching the VOCA situation closely, as they too receive a significant chunk of their funding from the Crime Victims Fund.
“I would say not just for this year, but for the past two to three years, we have budgeted a 10 percent reduction in grant funding,” says WRC executive director Juliette Schultz. “The Victims of Crime Act fund has basically been reduced over time, so we’ve known for at least five years” that funding would diminish for their organization.
Schultz says that the WRC has gone to legislators every year to plead their case and demonstrate how the lack of VOCA dollars will affect survivors of domestic and sexual violence here in northern Michigan.
“Every year we’ve been getting louder and louder, and this year it really felt imperative,” Schultz says. “For me, the anxiety around this year’s [funding] was much greater than it has been in the past, in part because of the
federal and state standoffs.”
She is especially grateful that the donor base Up North also senses the urgency of the situation.
“The community has always come out to support us when we’ve been under any kind of pressure, and I think they recognize that we are an emergency service, so we are dealing with survivors in immediate crisis who need help,” says Schultz. “People are paying close attention.”
Fundraising & Thrifting
When it comes to funding, WRC has focused on diversifying. According to their fiscal year 2023-2024 annual report, the WRC received $712,482 in federal and state funding and another $214,045 in foundation grants. Household donor contributions totaled $506,048, with other organizations and businesses donating $358,157.
“We have really focused our attention on our fundraising for the past three years now and really building our own internal capacity so that we are able to, hopefully, withstand any scheduled or unscheduled cutbacks,” Schultz says. “We also, unlike a lot of organizations like us, have two thrift shops that support our mission. And so that’s another thing we’re really grateful and lucky to have.”
Indeed, the thrift stores added about $1.5 million to the WRC budget, per the 20232024 report. The stores also give $8,000$10,000 in free clothing and household items to community members in need each year.
For now, Schultz expects that the WRC will be able to hold steady even if more cuts come down the pipeline.
Survivors & Support
But the same can’t be said for the people needing the WRC’s help. Schultz says that last year, the WRC’s services to survivors went up 24 percent. The center is now fielding more than 5,000 calls per year.
And, after taking a look at the nonprofit’s call log last month, Schultz noticed the requests for food assistance were going up too. (WRC tracks calls as they relate to shelter, food, emergency financial assistance, and other needs.)
“I think it was even double the number of requests for assistance with food,” Schultz says.
Like Bachert, Schultz has a list of ways community members can make a difference beyond a monetary donation.
Up first is a trip to the thrift store. “If somebody wants to give a gift to somebody in the community, they can go through their closet and they can donate to our thrift shops, and it either supports our mission or community,” Schultz says.
Next is just being aware that the WRC is available to help 24/7 for both survivors and other supportive people in their lives.
“If they know of somebody who might be needing some support, they can refer that person to us. Or, if they want to provide support to somebody in the community or a friend or a family member, they themselves can reach out and they can talk to an advocate about the best way to do that.”
Schultz says that all of the above help support and advocate for the WRC’s mission “to protect, shelter, and empower all people impacted by domestic and sexual violence.”
To learn more about these organizations, visit traversebaycac.org and womensresourcecenter.org.
TRAVERSE CITY’S CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER LOOKS AHEAD
With continually growing programs and a building in flux, what’s next?
By Ellen Miller
Local arts and community center
Crooked Tree Arts Center—with locations in Petoskey in Traverse City—has no shortage of offerings from classes to exhibits to shows. And their dedication to cultivating the arts Up North shows.
“Our biggest success in 2025 has been seeing increased engagement across all our programs: classes, workshops, and free community offerings,” reflects CTAC President Angela Morris. “It has been exciting to see more people participating and connecting with arts in various forms.”
The Place of Art in the Community
Both Morris and Kristi Wodek, CTAC’s Vice President and head of the Traverse City location, are excited to see their programming grow in the year ahead—assuming funding stays steady.
“I’m pleased with the funding that was built into the state budget,” says Wodek. “And, while I’m pleased with that, at the same time it is important for me to acknowledge that Michigan is on the lower end [of arts funding] compared to the rest of the states in our country.”
Of course, Wodek is cognizant of the other challenges facing the state of Michigan and the U.S. more broadly. “I recognize that arts are not always going to be at the top [of the list], but … arts do provide a lot to our communities, and we need creative thinkers and we need ways for people to express
themselves, especially right now,” says Wodek.
Morris says that Crooked Tree is lucky to have a strong base of donors and support, but that funding is the biggest hurdle on the horizon.
“Obviously food/shelter is the number one priority, but we do believe arts are vital to the health and well-being of our community,” Morris agrees. “We are starting to feel ripple effects; there are lots of grants that we have applied for in the past that are closed indefinitely or on hold.”
Home Sweet…Home?
And of course, the Traverse City building and its future are never far from their minds.
CTAC TC occupies the Carnegie Building on Sixth Street, which dates back to 1905. Per our sister publication, The Ticker, Crooked Tree Arts Center moved into the Carnegie Building in 2015 after the History Center of Traverse City vacated the property. In December 2024, city commissioners voted to extend Crooked Tree’s lease—which was set to expire this summer—through October 2026.
The extension was intended to give Crooked Tree “time to continue programming through the 2025 and 2026 seasons while allowing the city time to assess the building’s maintenance needs and future use,” according to a memo from Assistant City Manager Deborah Allen.
The extension prompted an in-depth discussion about the future of the Carnegie Building. The City will now be conducting
a request for proposals (RFP) process to determine the building’s next tenant.
“The Traverse City location is obviously potentially a challenge if we lose our building,” says Morris.
“I respect that it’s going to be a transparent process,” says Wodek. “It’s important that the community is aware of it, and I’m glad that we are being given the opportunity to apply for consideration.”
Still, the uncertainty makes it hard for Wodek and her team to plan for the year ahead. “The more they delay it, it’s going to put us in a tight position,” she says. “We should be starting to plan for 2027 soon, but we can only plan until October.” And if ultimately the lease isn’t renewed, the CTAC team will need time to pack.
“I feel that we live up to Andrew Carnegie’s wish,” Wodek says. “The way we use the space and we allow people to come in and enjoy it at any level, for architecture or to look at art, is really important. I’m proud that people can come in. When we had our first big event after our lease expanded into Carnegie side, I felt this sigh from the building that finally it’s being used as a community space. I felt really proud of that.”
Carrying On
Despite the uncertainty, both locations are planning full slates for 2026 to build off the successes in 2025. Morris points to the summer programming in Petoskey as a notable win for the organization. CTAC received generous grants to support
the summer exhibitions and related programming in Petoskey, which enabled them to offer dozens of free experiences.
“We partnered with a ton of new, different nonprofits and other partners we haven’t worked with before. It was an amazing opportunity to bring a lot of new people through our doors,” Morris says. “We saw a lot of people who had never been to Crooked Tree before, who maybe were intimidated, and it was a cool opportunity to see so many new faces. Hopefully it will help us continue to reach a broader audience.”
The Traverse City location also experienced a strong 2025; Wodek points to their educational programming as their “superpower.” When Wodek started at CTAC nine years ago, only one class was running. Now, opportunities to learn for all ages abound.
“We have an instructor who is just dynamic with the preschoolers,” she says. When she stopped by their class recently, “I was overwhelmed with how many people were in the room. It’s a lot of word of mouth. People are starting to trust that they can come here and have a good experience, they are going to learn and grow. I’m really honored to see the growth continue.”
Speaking of young artists, in the spring, the annual youth art show returns. “This is one of our favorites and one of the community’s favorites,” says Wodek. “I can’t even tell you how many people come through the building for that show.”
Artist Kari Ganoung Ruiz demonstrating at Paint Grand Traverse.
Come summertime, Paint Grand Traverse will be back, the “crown jewel” of CTAC’s calendar; applications for artists are open through December 15.
Crooked Tree Traverse City will also have a vessel show, primarily featuring ceramic artists.
“We love that we have Paint Grand Traverse and landscape painters in our fold, and it’s important to me that we continue to be diverse, giving opportunities for all mediums,” Wodek says.
The team is also planning for summer art camp, where they have fun thinking
outside the box, with partnerships with other organizations like North Sky Raptor that allow them to lean into STEAM themes.
Overall, Wodek wants to continue to be a community-first place.
“We want people to come in here as a visitor and not just [be] by the art, because it’s a landscape and we’ve seen vineyards before, but to really stop and ponder, ‘What is this artist trying to say? Why did this artist choose these colors or subject matter?’ We try to take the experience to the next level,” she says.
BY THE NUMBERS
How many folks visit the Traverse City location? (Wodek estimates 4,000 on the lowest end, though they don’t have a foot traffic calculator.) How many classes happen throughout the year? Here’s what Wodek told us:
Class & Workshop Participation
• 887 adults and 709 youth have participated in classes and workshops
• 168 total classes and workshops offered
• 15 half-day youth summer art camps
Art Fairs
• Hosted two art fairs—one in Traverse City and one in Suttons Bay
• Each included 100+ participating artists, including an emerging artist tent for 10 youth in Suttons Bay
Exhibiting Artists & Sales
• 278 artists have exhibited at the Traverse City campus
• More than $83,000 in artist commissions paid so far in 2025 (not including the ongoing Merry Marketplace)
Artwork Displayed
• 610 pieces of exhibited work, not including pieces in the year-round sales gallery
Saturday, Dec. 13 & Sunday, Dec. 14
Visits with Santa Christmas Crafts
Hot Chocolate and S’mores
Shopping Specials
Musical Performances
And more!
For more details visit thevillagetc.com/events or scan code
An adult visual arts class at CTAC TC celebrates after completing their latest works.
Small Acts, Big Impact
Meet the NoMi nonprofit doing a little good every day
By Kierstin Gunsberg
If you haven’t heard of Elk Rapids’ nonprofit Do a Little Good, it probably wouldn’t surprise president Glori Crowell. When she and a few close friends started the community-focused organization in 2018, their aim wasn’t big media campaigns or gala fundraisers, but quite literally to do a little good by meeting the immediate needs of their neighbors Up North.
Those immediate needs are ones that, like the organization itself, fly under the radar—getting kitchen basics like pots and pans to our region’s tens of thousands of veterans, stocking Munson’s NICU with soft knit baby hats, or offering small scholarships to high school graduates to give them a leg up on their post-grad studies.
“We wanted to directly help people, not just donate money and goods, but never seeing any results,” says Crowell, adding that as a small org, Do a Little Good has zero paid staff, almost no overhead, and is fully volunteer-run by a rotating pool of 20 or so helpers who “love seeing the fruits of their labor” within their own communities.
Each member of the 10-person board is also responsible for a cause they shepherd from start to finish, from putting together childcare scholarships for working parents to collecting funds to pay off student lunch debt.
And whatever Do a Little Good can’t pull off alone, they team up with other community action organizations, including the Northwest Food Coalition (a group of 70+ food pantries and emergency meal sites), to fulfill their unofficial mission of helping “the adults, kids, vets, and pets of northern Michigan.”
Building The Little Free Food Library
One need that Do a Little Good is always in the process of addressing is food insecurity, a problem that’s steadily risen in northern Michigan as high food prices (and actually, all prices) stagnate and more families find themselves slipping into ALICE status. That is, Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed households that make too much for federal assistance but not enough to consistently make ends meet.
In Do a Little Good’s home county of Antrim, an estimated 25 percent of households fall into this category.
That’s where one of the organization’s latest (and largest) projects comes in. The Little Free Food Library is under construction outside the Elk Rapids Library’s future Cairns Road location. Much larger than the Little Free book Libraries that might come to mind, this one will be walk-in sized and include climate-control features to keep snacks and meal completers fresh and safe.
Most importantly, the 24/7 pantry will be designed to remove food access barriers for everyone.
“It will be that… anyone can walk into it at any time and get the food that they need,” says Crowell, who, ahead of the project’s kickoff, participated in Feeding Mi Families, a years-long University of Michigan research study examining food insecurity across the state. That research found that discrimination impacted 46 percent of families using food assistance.
When the Little Free Food Library opens, there will be “no screening requirements, no shame, and no judgement,” says Crowell, who hopes to see the pantry ready by spring. “We just had a company come in and set the forms to pour the foundation,” she says. Next up is installing electricity and an HVAC system.
“Honestly, we weren’t sure how people would feel about the 24/7 food pantry,” says Crowell. “We often hear from people who don’t believe that there are homeless people in the Elk Rapids community,” or who don’t believe there are many people who need help getting enough food.
Turns out, she was happily mistaken about community support. Folks like the giving group 100 Women Who Care–Elk Rapids stepped up to raise over $20,000 in funding for the pantry, and food donations are already coming in.
Even before officially opening full-time, the pantry has been feeding over 100 adults and children each week, offering both fresh and shelf-stable foods, plus hygiene items and other household necessities. Crowell’s team also stocks seven pantries within Elk Rapids and Bellaire schools, helping create easier access to food, clothing, and personal care items for over 200 students.
“Regardless of your family’s circumstances, every kid deserves to have clean clothes, enough food to keep them full, and all the basic needs items that everyone needs to have dignity,” Crowell says.
Season’s Needings
With so many of Do a Little Good’s projects relying on community manpower and time, Crowell says she’s continually awed by how northern Michiganders show up when asked. Over the years they’ve provided outdoor gear to keep kids warm during recess and volunteered their skills to help neighbors in need.
And, as the holidays approach, many of them are already showing up for Do a Little Good’s annual Season’s Needings project, which partners with other community organizations to spread cheer through giving. This year, they’re gathering Christmas gifts for teens.
“There are so many good programs for younger kids, but older teens can get
overlooked,” Crowell says.
Working with counselors, teachers, and community members, the group anonymously identifies teens who might not receive much—or anything—for Christmas. Each student’s wishlist becomes a tag hung on a giving tree at the Elk Rapids District Library. Community members “pull” tags and shop for gifts so each teen receives something they want, something they need, and a few fun extras.
“We try to include things like a family activity and even outings for pizza and movies so that even in tough times, families can make memories together,” Crowell says.
The Power of a Little Good
As the old saying goes, many hands make light work, and it doesn’t necessarily take money to pitch in, Crowell explains.
“We tell everyone that it’s easy to do a little good, and it really is,” she says. “Purge your closets, clear out your cupboards, and donate what you have too much of.”
The demand for everyday things is especially high this time of year. “Someone
might get a free turkey, but they don’t have a pan big enough to cook it in,” says Crowell.
“Kids need nice clothes for school programs, and adults want to provide a holiday experience for their families so that they have dignity, and everyone can have a wonderful memory to look back on.”
But donations, she adds, should “hurt a little,” meaning, “you should be donating good food that you would like to eat and items in good condition that you would like to have.”
While margins are tight for many as we head into 2026, Crowell points to the small, serendipitous ways people have rallied for each other in her eight years running Do a Little Good: a local MSU Extension office that turned old T-shirts into reusable bags for the pantry, or kids shopping from donated “white elephant” gifts to give to someone they love, so they too can feel the joy of giving.
“Small, local acts of good do such big things,” says Crowell.
Visit DoALittleGoodNMI.org to find out how you can give a helping hand too.
PROTECTING THE PLACES WE LOVE
Local environmental nonprofits share the ups and downs of 2025 and what’s to come in 2026
By Drew VanDrie
Northern Michigan is renowned for its expansive natural splendor and broad public access to outdoors spaces. But many of those trails, waterways, and undisturbed natural areas could not exist and persevere without the dedicated effort of several local nonprofit land conservancies.
As we round out 2025, Northern Express connected with a handful of these organizations to learn about recent exciting wins, foreseeable obstacles, and future objectives for conservation in northern Michigan.
GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL LAND CONSERVANCY
For over three decades, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy has been dedicated to the protection of farm, forest, and natural land in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Manistee counties. To date, GTRLC has protected over 48,000 acres and 157 miles of shoreline in the region.
Biggest Conservation Wins
“By the end of 2025, or soon after, we’re on track to have completed up to 10 different land protection projects that safeguard our region’s beautiful forests,
shoreline, farmlands, and scenic views,” says Katie Auwers, communications and outreach specialist.
“We have also made considerable progress improving the trail systems at places like Green Point Dunes Nature Preserve, Pyatt Lake: The Bill Carls Nature Preserve, and Arcadia Dunes: The C.S. Mott Nature Preserve. Additionally, we have planted roughly 2,500 trees and 7,500 native plant plugs, while removing countless invasive species with the help of volunteers.”
Conservation Challenges
As with most conservancies, fundraising is always top of mind for GTRLC, and 2025 was no different. “Last year, one of our biggest challenges was raising $19.5 million in under six months to acquire 35 acres of Elberta’s waterfront along Lake Michigan and Betsie Bay,” says Auwers. In 2025, the effort was advancing to the second phase of the project, which involved raising roughly $7.5 million to transform the site into a balanced mix of protected natural land, public recreational spaces, and communityfocused redevelopment.
Upcoming Conservancy Goals
“We currently have 19 active projects that have been board-approved, including one of our most ambitious projects,” says Auwers, a proposed nature preserve known
as “The Ridge.” This ecologically rich landscape in East Bay Township would seek to protect water quality, provide critical wildlife habitat, and offer exceptional potential for public recreation.
The Public Should Know
“You can play an essential role in land preservation by making a financial contribution, volunteering, or protecting your land!” she says. Learn more at GTRLC.org.
LEELANAU CONSERVANCY
Founded in 1988, the organization has protected over 18,000 acres in Leelanau County, created and maintained 28 natural areas and preserves, and boasts 48 miles of trails for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and more.
Biggest Conservation Wins
It’s no surprise that the exciting and wellpublicized acquisition of Sugar Loaf was the title win for the Leelanau Conservancy this year. “Our happiest moment was securing the opportunity to protect Sugar Loaf and transform this long-dormant landscape into a public natural area,” says Allison Acosta, communications specialist.
Acosta points to the overwhelming
community support and the generosity of the landowners which made this project possible. “This is a huge win for both ecological restoration and public recreation at Sugar Loaf,” she says. The vision for the site is to include a trail network for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross-country, and backcountry skiing. Also envisioned are family-friendly amenities, a sledding hill, nature play area, and ongoing ecological restoration to protect the landscape, watershed, and native species.
Conservation Challenges
The financial effort to acquire Sugar Loaf was the most significant hurdle faced by the conservancy this year. “The opportunity to preserve Sugar Loaf was both exciting and daunting,” says Acosta. “Our biggest challenge was raising $8 million to permanently protect this 285acre property.”
The conservancy credits the determination of its team along with the “astounding generosity” of the community to reach the fundraising benchmark in September. Acosta adds that while the goal has been met, any additional gifts will support long-term stewardship of Sugar Loaf.
Upcoming Conservancy Goals
“Our team is working tirelessly to prepare Sugar Loaf Scenic Area for its public
debut,” says Acosta. “While we anticipate the first phase of this project opening in summer 2026, it will take years to fully build out our recreation vision for this site. We’re looking forward to welcoming folks back to this beloved landmark.”
The Public Should Know
“Support your local land trust! Whether it’s volunteering your time at workbees, donating monetarily, or spreading the word about events, we’re only able to do the work we do because of your support,” Acosta says. “Every volunteer hour, dollar donated, and social media share makes a difference. These actions allow us to dream big and make good on our promise to preserve and protect our local landscape.” Learn more at leelanauconservancy.org.
LITTLE TRAVERSE CONSERVANCY
Since 1972, the Little Traverse Conservancy has committed to protecting the natural diversity and beauty of the region and services Chippewa, Mackinac, Emmet, Cheboygan, and Charlevoix counties. The organization has protected over 73,000 acres of land and 181 miles of water frontage in the area.
Biggest Conservation Wins
One of the big projects completed this year for Little Traverse Conservancy was the finalizing the universally accessible trail at Enji-minozhiiyaamigak: The Place of Peacefulness in Charlevoix County. Located in Hayes township, the half-mile trail leads to a lake overlook along a quarter mile of Lake Michigan shoreline. Also found at the overlook is a tree sculpture by the Spring 2025 class of the Industrial Arts Institute in Onaway. The sculpture holds a map showing historical locations around Little Traverse Bay of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.
Another accomplishment was the protection of Chigidaaki: Place of the Big Hill Working Forest Reserve. Located in Melrose Township, Charlevoix County, the property totals 654 acres offering hilly hardwood terrain, large open meadows, and miles of two tracks in addition to views of Lake Charlevoix and Boyne City. The reserve is adjacent to over 100,000 acres of state land, making it an important ecological corridor.
Conservation Challenges
“The March 2025 ice storm presented an incredible challenge to our trails,” says Anne Fleming, director of community outreach and communications. “111 volunteers
cleared trails with us at multiple work bees,” she says. Fleming adds that known volunteers gave 846 hours at 32 properties to clear trails during workdays held throughout the spring into fall of this year.
“As we get ready for winter grooming, more work is now being done to clear what has fallen from the canopy that was damaged in the storm,” she says.
Upcoming Conservancy Goals
Looking ahead to the new year, Fleming points to three objectives for LTC: 1) Increasing efforts to prioritize and protect more of the places that make northern Michigan so special. 2) Strategically increasing access to more preserves, particularly around higher population areas and for people with mobility challenges. 3) Deepening the conservancy’s process of inventorying the ecosystems they protect to better inform sound management decisions for those lands.
The Public Should Know
“Either protect your own land or support the conservancy to help others protect theirs!” says Fleming. “And, most importantly, get out and enjoy the elixir of Mother Nature!”
Learn more at landtrust.org.
HEADWATERS LAND CONSERVANCY
HeadWaters Land Conservancy got its start in 1994, and ever since has focused on conserving significant forests, farmland, and natural areas in northeastern Michigan. They have conserved over 10,000 acres of land in the region.
Biggest Conservation Wins
One of the largest wins this year for HeadWaters was the protection of an additional 6,500 acres.
“We expanded our coastal project at Hess Nature Preserve, advanced protection of a major regional wetland system, and partnered with a private landowner to conserve a large, undeveloped forest and wetland tract,” says Executive Director Julie Rubsam. “Together, these projects strengthen the ecological health and longterm resilience of northeastern Michigan.”
For additional successes this year, Rubsam also points to strengthened stewardship across over 18,000 protected acres and expanded public education through Landowner Workshops. “Our new workshop series brought dozens of landowners and conservation organizations
A waterside shot of the GTRLC's Elberta Waterfront Community Conservation Project. Photo by Rick Kane.
together to learn about conservation options, habitat improvement, invasive species management, and long-term planning,” she says.
Conservation Challenges
For HeadWaters and Rubsam, meeting growing enthusiasm with a lean team was a particular challenge. “With increased interest in conservation projects, the pace of new opportunities pushed us to work smarter, deepen partnerships, and refine our systems,” she says. “It became a year of rising to meet demand while keeping our long-term standards strong.”
Much like Little Traverse Conservancy, dealing with the aftermath of the March 2025 ice storm was also a significant hurdle for the conservancy group. “The storm brought widespread tree damage, blocked trails, and increased safety hazards across protected lands,” says Rubsam. The work to assess impacts, clear debris, and ensure the safety of visitors and volunteers stretched the resources of the organization already operating at full capacity.
Upcoming Conservancy Goals
Looking ahead, HeadWaters is setting the groundwork for long-term success. “We are preparing a three to five-year roadmap that will guide land protection priorities,” Rubsam says. Focuses for the future include staffing growth, public access planning, and continuing the conservancy’s role in strengthening conservation efforts across their 11-county service area.
Additionally, the organization is targeting expanded community programs and volunteer engagement. “We aim to offer more handson opportunities, educational programs, and stewardship days,” she says, “so residents across northern Michigan can directly participate in protecting the places they love.”
The Public Should Know
Rubsam urges people looking to engage with the landscape to begin close to home.
“Start with the land you know and love,” she says. “Walk your property, your neighborhood woods, or your favorite stretch of shoreline with curiosity. Learn what grows there, what wildlife depends on it, and what pressures it faces.”
She encourages people to then take the next step and help where possible, “whether that’s planting native species, removing invasives, volunteering with a conservancy, or exploring long-term protection options.”
“Conservation isn’t just something organizations do; it’s something everyday people make possible, one decision at a time,” Rubsam concludes.
Learn more at headwatersconservancy.org.
CADILLAC AREA LAND CONSERVANCY
For the past 30 years, the Cadillac Area Land Conservancy has managed and protected natural, forest, and farm land in Missaukee, Osceola, Wexford, Lake, and Mason counties and has preserved around 3,000 acres in the area.
Biggest Conservation Wins
A big focus for the Cadillac Area Land Conservancy (CALC) this year was building relationships and community for future projects. “The Cadillac Area Land Conservancy initiated or continued conversations and planning for developing new conservation easements,” says Chris Gentry, executive director. “When completed, [these projects] could lead to 1,000 additional acres of protected land in our service area.”
Conservation Challenges
Gentry points to expanding land
preservation while also being able to increase the capacity of the conservancy as a primary challenge in the year ahead.
Upcoming Conservation Goals
For CALC, progressing toward closing projects, expanding community outreach, and expanding partnerships are the objectives for the future. Gentry discusses closing on 500 to 1,000 new protected acres by partnering with private landowners and establishing conservation easements as a mission for the coming year. The organization is also focused on widening its network with community awareness, developing new volunteer opportunities, and making connections and partnerships with other organizations.
The Public Should Know
“We’d encourage everyone to get involved locally—whether it’s through volunteering, donating, or advocating for natural spaces,” he says. “Even small actions can have a significant impact, and by supporting conservation efforts, readers are helping to preserve the places that make this region so special for future generations.”
Gentry also suggests people take small steps in their own lives that can have major impacts like using native plants in landscaping, reducing water use, or simply being mindful of how development affects the natural world. It all adds up!
Learn more at calc-landtrust.org.
Cages around native species trees help them survive deer browse and grow tall and strong. Photo courtesy of HeadWaters.
Saturday
2025 PROVEMONT HOLIDAY MART: 10am-3pm, St. Mary School, Lake Leelanau. Family-friendly event with live holiday music, more than 50 vendors showcasing handmade crafts, food, giveaways & crafts for kids, as well as a visit from Santa at noon. Find on Facebook. Free.
4TH ANNUAL ELF RUN: 10am, 202 N. Bridge St., Bellaire. A 5K run/walk. $25. runsignup.com/Race/Events/MI/Bellaire/1st AnnualElfRunBellaire
A VERY BAY HARBOR CHRISTMAS: Dec.
4-7. Held in collaboration with Village at Bay Harbor, Village Suites Bay Harbor, Inn at Bay Harbor & Great Lakes Center for the Arts. Includes a Hallmark star Meet & Greet, Running of the “Grinches,” Kris Kringle Holiday Market, Wreath Workshop, Holiday Tree Fundraiser, The Christmas Carol on the Great Lakes Center stage, holiday movies on the GLCFA big screen, cookie decorating & more. See web site for times & details. bayharbor.com/christmas
CADILLAC GARDEN CLUB HOLIDAY HOME TOUR: 10am-3pm, Cadillac. Enjoy a self-guided tour of four unique homes. Addresses & map are on tickets, which are available at Brink’s Art & Framing or Horizon Books, both on Mitchell St. in Cadillac. $15 advance; $20 day of. cadillacgardenclub.com
FRIENDS OF THE LELAND TWP. PUBLIC LIBRARY USED BOOK SALE: 10am-2pm, Leland Twp. Public Library, Munnecke Room. Includes puzzles & games. lelandlibrary.org
HOLIDAY MERCHANT OPEN HOUSE & HOT COCOA CONTEST: Downtown Charlevoix. Merchant Open House: All day; Hot Cocoa Contest: Noon-4pm; Community Movie at Charlevoix Cinema III: 10:30am. Bring one canned food item or an unwrapped toy for admission. business.charlevoix. org/events/details/holiday-merchant-openhouse-hot-cocoa-contest-14841
MAIER CERAMICS WINTER SHOW + KILN TOURS: 10am-6pm, 10201 S. Center Hwy., TC. An afternoon of art, community & holiday cheer. Featuring the newest pieces from a handmade collection. Also enjoy festive cocktails & cookies. maierceramics.com/holiday
MANISTEE JINGLE BELL JOG 5K RUN/ WALK: 10am, Manistee Elementary School. $20; increases after Nov. 30. runsignup.com/ Race/Events/MI/Manistee/ManisteeJingleBellJog5K
CHARLEVOIX HOT COCOA RUN: 11am, Park Ave., next to First Congregational Church, Charlevoix. Featuring a 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run. See web site for various starting times & to register. $10-$15. runsignup.com/Race/Events/ MI/Charlevoix/CharlevoixHotCocoaRunK
FILL THE ECTO TOY DRIVE: Join the Cherryland Ghostbusters, Rock 105, Cherry Capital Comic Con & more while they collect toys at Five Below in TC from 11am-3pm. Toys donated will benefit NW MI Marines Toys For Tots. traverse-city-mi.toysfortots.org
SAY NO TO ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE: 11am12:30pm, Grandview Parkway + Union St., TC. The ceasefire in Gaza has not stopped Israel from killing Palestinians every day. Join MidEast:JustPeace in a weekly demonstration to demand our representatives stop taking money from the Israeli lobby, stop serving Israel above America, stop shipping weapons to Israel, & to stop the starvation & killing in Palestine. mideastjustpeace.net
TC SUZUKI SCHOOL DEC. RECITAL: 11am, TC Philharmonic Center, Cherryland Center. Enjoy the youngest violin, cello & piano students in their winter recital - both solo & group performances. Free. tcphil.org/concerts
1ST ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE: 11:30am, Riverside Marina, Bellaire. This year’s theme is Candy. Prizes for Best Costume, Most Spirited Team, & Coolest Plunger. Free; register. Check in at 11:15am. bellairechamber. org/polar-plunge
THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS CORNER IN THE VILLAGE: Noon-4pm. Enjoy a Christmas celebration in the Village of Ellsworth. Featuring a soup cook-off, family picture, crafts, caroling & much more at the Ellsworth Community Square & the Good Samaritan Furniture Store.
JAZZ ORCHESTRA: DUKE ELLINGTON’S
“NUTCRACKER”: 1pm & 4:30pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. Get into the swing of the holiday season as the Interlochen Arts Academy Jazz Orchestra performs Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy an evening of playful takes on your favorite songs from Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday ballet as reimagined by The Duke himself! $15. interlochen.org/events/jazz-orchestraduke-ellingtons-nutcracker-2025-12-06
MARTY MACLEOD BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Resident Marty MacLeod will present her new book, “All About Old Towne, Telling Tales of Traverse City’s Old South Side.” horizonbooks.com/event/2025-12-06/marty-macleod-book-launch-signing
Left Foot Charley is hosting their 15th Annual Presentation of Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night, Fri., Dec. 12. A worldwide event created in 1992 in NYC, this free, outdoor participatory sound sculpture of many individual parts played through a swarm of cellphones/Bluetooth speakers, boomboxes, and tablets (Unsilent Night app is available in app store) is carried through a cloud of sound which is different from every listener’s perspective. Gather at LFC’s Tasting Room, TC at 6pm with your own portable musical device; the sound sculpture and walk through The Village at Grand Traverse Commons property begins at 6:30pm; and glass pours and bottles are available from 7:15-8pm. leftfootcharley.com/event/15-phil-klinesunsilent-night-left-foot-charley-2/
“A CHRISTMAS CAROL,” GLCA: 2pm & 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Performed by Allen Fitzpatrick on a bare stage, who creates 26 different characters out of himself! Based on Charles Dickens’ novella, “A Christmas Carol” captures the spirit of the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday & shines a glaring light on the mistreatment of the poor. Tickets start at $32. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/achristmas-carol-2025
CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE (HERITAGE VILLAGE): 2-4pm, Heritage Village, Mackinaw City. Step back in time & experience the warmth & wonder of a 19th-century Christmas. Join in the chapel for a holiday service, live music, holiday treats, warm beverages, a community celebration & more. Free. mackinawhistory.org
NORTHWEST MICHIGAN BALLET THEATRE PRESENTS “THE NUTCRACKER”: 2pm & 7pm, TC Central High School Auditorium. Enjoy a Christmas classic - Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Featuring original cho-
UP NORTH PRIDE’S TEEN COOKIE DECORATING PARTY: 2-4pm, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse, TC. For youth in 6th through 12th grades. Please register. upnorthpride.com/event/2025/12/6/ teen-cookie-decorating-at-uucgt
HOLIDAY FEST BY THE ART OF GIVING BACK CLUB: 3-5pm, Traverse Area District Library, Atrium, TC. Members of The Art of Giving, a student-run volunteer organization based in Interlochen, will be hosting stations throughout the library. Visit the Atrium station for snowflake & ornament crafting. Free. tadl.org/event/holiday-program-interlochencenter-arts-atrium-28297
HOLIDAY FESTIVAL WITH THE PHIL!: 3-4:30pm, TC Philharmonic Center, Cherryland Center. Featuring the Northern LOWER Brass Quartet, TubaChristmas!, carol sing-
ing with local choir, & possibly a visit from Santa. Free. tcphil.org/events/holiday-festival-tubachristmas-2025
OLIVER ART CENTER WINTER CELE-
BRATION: 3:30-5:30pm, Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. Live music, caroling, sweet treats, fun prizes & more. Free. oliverart.org
“CHRISTMAS LIGHTS” CONCERT: 4pm, First Presbyterian Church, Elk Rapids. Featuring the combined Elk Rapids & Antrim County Community Choirs. Free-will offering.
16TH ANNUAL LIGHT UP THE NIGHT & SOUP COOK OFF: 4-7pm, Broad St., downtown Bellaire. Taste 11 soups for $15. Tickets available at area businesses. Also enjoy the Bellaire Christmas tree lighting & parade. You can visit with Santa & enjoy downtown festivities.
COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES PRESENTS
“THE BOOK OF ST. JOHN”: amical, TC, Dec. 1-7. Founded in 1994 & acclaimed for its simple recipes, focus on quality ingredients, & zero waste cooking. Written by Fergus Henderson & Trevor Gulliver. amical. com/cookbookdinnerseries
SANTA’S WORKSHOP AT THE GARDEN: 4-5:30pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. Visit with Mr. & Mrs. Claus, enjoy crafts & storytime with the Elves, & write letters & send to the North Pole. Following will be the Frankfort Tree Lighting at 6pm. Free. gardentheater.org/comingsoon
BENZIE AREA PRIDE NETWORK 3RD ANNUAL NO STRESS HOLIDAY PARTY: 5-8pm, Mills Community House, Benzonia. Enjoy free pizza, sandwiches, salads, desserts & NA beverages, live music with Nick Veine, cool takeaways like pride flags & Little Queer Library, & easy retro crafts. benziepride.org
HOLIDAY LIGHTS HIKE: 5-8pm. See the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, Northport all dressed up for Christmas at the Holiday Lights Hike at Leelanau State Park campground & around the lighthouse. Your hike starts at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum & ends with Christmas at the Lighthouse. New this year is Santa’s Workshop in the Fog Signal Building, where kids can make crafts to take home; as well as the “Parade of Trees” throughout the property & historic buildings. $10 adults, $5 children & $25 for a family of four; includes 3D glasses. mynorthtickets. com/events/holiday-lights-hike-12-5-2025
WINTER SOUNDS: 5-7pm, Michigan Legacy Art Park Amphitheater, Thompsonville. Enjoy hot cider, a bonfire, winter hike through the woods, & an outdoor performance from TC West Middle School Madrigal Singers. $10
adults; children are free. crystalmountain. com/events-activities/events/event-calendar/ winter-sounds
THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: 5:30pm, New Hope Community Church, TC. Experience the Story of Christmas from Creation to Bethlehem & beyond on a 45-minute outdoor walking tour through the woods. Guided groups will encounter live actors, animals, & immersive scenes bringing the first Christmas to life. Dress warmly & wear appropriate footwear. Free. newhope.cc/journey
‘TIS THE SEASON! - BROADWAY ON FRONT: 6pm, City Opera House, TC. A gala concert benefiting City Opera House. Featuring Broadway stars. Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres before the show, a few drink tickets (based on seat location) & a cash bar available. Attire is cocktail+. Balcony GA: $75. cityoperahouse.org
2025 MERCHANTS HOLIDAY OPEN
HOUSE: 6-9pm, downtown Harbor Springs. Main & State streets will be closed to allow the community to stroll between stores & enjoy a relaxing evening of tradition. Live music by the Petoskey High School Steel Drum Band.
BLISSFEST TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY
DANCE: 7:30pm, Littlefield/Alanson Community Building, Alanson. Music will be provided by The Hybrids, with Cynthia Donahey calling. All dances taught (circles, contras, squares & more). No need to bring a partner. Perfect for families. Potluck at 6:30pm. Bring table service & dish to pass. $10/person, $5/ student, 12 & under free. blissfest.org
ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL: 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Matilda is an extraordinary girl, unloved by her cruel parents, impressing her teacher, & raising the ire of her school’s mean headmistress. But Matilda’s courage & cleverness could be the school pupils’ saving grace! $35 adults; $25 youth under 18. oldtownplayhouse.com/ performances/mainstage/matilda.html
THE LITTLE TRAVERSE CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS “WINTER REFLECTIONS”: 7:30pm, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Petoskey. With Andre Strydom, director, & Cynda Coleman, pianist. Tickets: $15 adults, $5 students, under 12 free. Available from LTCS members or at the door.
KENNY G - SOLD OUT: 8-9:30pm, Little River Casino Resort, indoor venue, Manistee. Enjoy this Grammy winning American, adult contemporary & smooth jazz saxophonist. Kenny G is the biggest-selling instrumental musician of the modern era, with global sales totaling more than 75 million albums. $50$80. lrcr.com/event/kenny-g
A GRAND PLACE TO GIVE BACK
Sunday
A VERY BAY HARBOR CHRISTMAS: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
GREAT LAKES CINEMA SERIES: “LAST CHRISTMAS”: Noon, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. $5. greatlakescfa. my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/ a0FQi000004DEcLMAW
THE GREAT HOLIDAY COOKIE CHALLENGE: 1-3pm, Almira Town Hall, downtown Lake Ann. Ten bakers from Lake Ann are chosen to vie for the coveted title of Lake Ann’s Favorite Holiday Cookie. Townsfolk will cast their votes for the winner. $10 minimum donation/per plate. thedashingsanta.com/ the-great-holiday-cookie-challenge
NORTHWEST MICHIGAN BALLET THEATRE PRESENTS “THE NUTCRACKER”: (See Sat., Dec. 6, except today’s only time is 2pm.)
ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL: (See Sat., Dec. 6, except today’s time is 2pm.)
THE LITTLE TRAVERSE CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS “WINTER REFLECTIONS”: 3pm, First Presbyterian Church, Harbor Springs. With Andre Strydom, director, & Cynda Coleman, pianist. Tickets: $15 adults, $5 students, under 12 free. Available from LTCS members or at the door.
“CHRISTMAS LIGHTS” CONCERT: 4pm, Church in the Hills, Bellaire. Featuring the combined Elk Rapids & Antrim County Community Choirs. Free-will offering.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, COH: 4pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. With Allen Fitzpatrick, who creates 26 different characters soley out of himself, on a bare stage. $10$30. theoperahouse.org
COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES PRESENTS “THE BOOK OF ST. JOHN”: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
JORDAN VALLEY COMMUNITY BAND WINTER CONCERT: 4-6pm, East Jordan Community Auditorium (EJMHS). Free; donations welcome.
THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
WUWU WHOOP-DE-DO: 5:30pm, Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. This festive community gathering will feature live music by The Handstanders, a silent auction, food & drink, & door prizes throughout the evening.
& CELEBRATE
In Grand Traverse County, the season sparkles—twinkling lights line our streets, local shops glow with hometown charm and fresh snow transforms familiar places into winter wonderlands. December is a month filled with generosity and joy, where neighbors come together to support local causes, share traditions and lift one another up.
OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE BACK AND CELEBRATE IN OUR COMMUNITY...
+ Holiday Tree Stroll at the Civic Center Kicks Off December 5th from 5-7pm
+ Commission on Aging Baskets of Bounty Program Giving Back to Seniors Who are Alone for the Holidays + Volunteer Opportunities at the Senior Center Network, Parks & Recreation and Commission on Aging
There’s no admission fee, but donations are encouraged, with all proceeds supporting the Elberta Labor Heritage Center’s Building Fund. Free. elbertalaborheritagecenter.org/ event/wuwu-whoop-de-doo
JAZZ ORCHESTRA: DUKE ELLINGTON’S “NUTCRACKER”: (See Sat., Dec. 6, except tonight’s time is 7:30pm.)
monday
LEARN ABOUT SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER: 5pm, Glen Lake Community Library, Empire. Join for an informative session with wellness guru Amy White. She’ll discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder, a common condition that affects millions of people every year. Amy will look at SAD’s relationship to sunlight, Vitamin D & other factors. Class space is limited. Call 231.326.5361 to register. glenlakelibrary.net
NWS: JIM HARRISON, A WRITER’S LIFE - WITH BIOGRAPHER TODD GODDARD: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. An associate professor at Utah Valley University, Goodard has written the first & only biography of author Jim Harrison: “Devouring Time.” Considered one of the finest voices of his generation, Harrison wrote 21 books of fiction & 14 books of poetry. Joining Goddard will be guest host Doug Stanton, a #1 New York Times bestselling author who counts Harrison as one of his early mentors. $16-$32. cityoperahouse.org
dec 09 dec 08
tuesday
REFLECTIONS: 1-3pm, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Decorate a journal worthy of gift giving. RSVP. 231-223-7700. Free.
HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS BUSINESS AFTER HOURS: 5-7pm, Keyhole Bar & Grill, Mackinaw City. Networking, cash bar, raffle & prizes. $5-$10.
BUST A MOVE WITH LIZZIE BENNET: 6:30pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. An evening of dancing suitable for any Regency ballroom. You will learn a little social etiquette as you dive into some English Country dance. Free. tadl. org/event/busting-move-lizzie-bennet-26185
MONTHLY MOVIE CLUB: “A CHRISTMAS STORY”: 7:30pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. Bring your holiday cheer & wear your best greens & reds! Free. gardentheater.org/comingsoon
wednesday
HOLIDAY SELECTIONS:
1pm, Mission Hill Church, TC. Presented by Grand Traverse Musicale & featuring the TC Central High School Choir. The singers are under the direction of Tamara Williams. Come earlier for the Holiday Bazaar at 12:30pm. 2025 Scholarship winners Alex Ulrich & Gage & Cole Muran perform. Free. gtmusicale.org/event-schedule
HOLIDAY AFTER HOURS: 5-8pm, The Ellison Place, Gaylord. Food, cocktails & networking. Please bring a new/unwrapped toy to donate to the Toys for Tots Toy Drive for additional chances to win prizes. $5-$10.
AUTHOR TALK: BRYAN GRULEY: 6:30pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Bryan will talk about his most recent work, “Bitter Frost,” which Crimereads has described as “his best work yet!” Free. tadl.org/bryangruley
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FORUM: THE TRUE COST OF DEFENSE: Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. A revealing look at the hidden environmental, social, & economic impacts of U.S. military spending. Panel includes Jack Segal, U.S. Consul General ret.; MajGen Mike Lehnert, USMC ret.; Col Steve Briggs, U.S. Army ret.; Infantry Marine NCO Jacob Martindale, 22 2 NONE. 6:30pm: Coffee reception by Higher Grounds Coffee. 7pm: Documentary film screening. 8pm: Panel discussion. Free; reserve tickets. tciaf.com/event-december-10-2025
COMMUNITY NIGHT: NO ONE CARES ABOUT CRAZY PEOPLE: 7pm, State Theatre, TC. Presented by NAMI-GT & NW Michigan Supportive Housing. Inspired by Ron Powers’ acclaimed book of the same name, the film is an intimate deep dive into the crisis & chaos of severe mental illness in America. $10; $6 students. stateandbijou.org
thursday
CHRISTMAS IN SWEDEN: A MUSICAL LECTURE: 4pm, Mills Community House, Benzonia (also held on Zoom). Featuring musical duo Ingemar & Lisa Johansson (also Song of the Lakes members). With music & stories of past & current celebrations of the Christmas season in Sweden, Ingemar shares his voice & strings, guitar & Swedish nyckelharpa while Lisa contributes her flutes through baroque, blues, rock & more. This presentation is part of the Benzie Area Historical Society’s Benzonia Academy Lecture Series. Admission is by donation, with the recommended donation $5. benziemuseum.org
“THE NUTCRACKER”: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Marvel at the wonder & magic of the holiday season as the Interlochen Arts Academy Dance Division performs Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet The Nutcracker. The timeless story of Clara, her enchanted Nutcracker, & their journey through the Land of Sweets. $19-$42. interlochen.org/concerts-andevents/all-events?search=The+Nutcracker
ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
dec 11 dec 12
friday
LUNCHEON LECTURE: AFFORDABLE HOUSING: 11:30am, NCMC, Library Conference Center, Petoskey. Affordable housing in Emmet County is on the rise. Presenting on this topic will be David “DJ” Jones, executive director of the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, & Kyle Ulrich of Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity. Register. $15. ncmclifelonglearning. com/event-6289915
THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
15TH ANNUAL PRESENTATION OF PHIL KLINE’S UNSILENT NIGHT: 6-8pm, Left Foot Charley, TC. A free, outdoor participatory sound sculpture of many individual parts played through a roving swarm of smartphones & maybe a boombox or two; all carried through a cloud of sound which is different from every listener’s perspective. Each person is asked to bring their own portable musical device (cell phone & bluetooth speaker recommended) to carry along the walk through The Village at Grand Traverse Commons property. 6pm: Gather for Unsilent Night in the Tasting Room at LFC. 6:30pm: Start of sound sculpture & walk. 7:15-8pm: Glass pours & bottles available.
CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY PARADE OF LIGHTS & TREE LIGHTING: 6pm, Mackinaw City. Christmas Parade of Lights along Central Ave., followed by the annual Christmas tree lighting, carols, cookies, cocoa & Santa’s arrival in Marina Park.
LITTLE TRAVERSE HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 6-8pm, Little Traverse History Museum, Petoskey. Includes cookies & cocoa. Howard Richards will play carols on the Hemingway piano & Mrs. Cushman will speak about Christmas past. Free. petoskeymuseum.org/cornroast.html
LADIES NIGHT IN ELK RAPIDS: Downtown Elk Rapids. Enjoy shopping with special deals, laughter & festive cheer! Early Bird Shopping runs from 3-5pm. Main event runs from 5-8pm.
MEN’S NIGHT: 5-9pm, downtown TC. Shop exclusive holiday deals at local TC stores. There will be a free hot cocoa station inside Front Row Center, 121 E. Front St. See web site for participating merchants & special offerings. downtowntc.com/mens-shopping-night
MESSIAH BY CANDLELIGHT: 7-9pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Featuring the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra Chorus & guest soloists. $35-$65. glcorchestra.org/concert/messiah-by-candlelight-4
DECEMBER UP NORTH: 7pm, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Beulah. Benzie Community Chorus Concerts: December Up North - That One Year. Freewill offering. benziechorus.org
MESSIAH BY CANDLELIGHT: (See Thurs., Dec. 11)
“THE NUTCRACKER”: (See Thurs., Dec. 11)
ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
THE BERGAMOT: A SOUTH SHORE
CHRISTMAS: 7:30pm, City Opera House, TC. Founding members Nathaniel Paul Hoff & Jillian Speece & their full band invite you to kick off the season with soaring harmonies, heartwarming stories, timeless classics, & favorite originals. $20-$30. cityoperahouse. org/TheBergamot
saturday
COOKIE WALK & CRAFT
FAIR: 9am-2pm, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Interlochen. All proceeds benefit local & world missions. redeemerofinterlochen.com
NORTHERN MICHIGAN TRINITY LUTHERAN & SCHOOL ANNUAL CHRISTMAS
COOKIE EVENT: 9am, 1003 S. Maple St., TC. Featuring 23,000 hand-decorated traditional sugar cookies, old world favorites & more. tctrinity.org
DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY HOLIDAY PARADE: 10am, Pennsylvania Park, downtown Petoskey. This community event will fill the streets with festive floats, lively music, & cheer. Featuring the Petoskey High School Marching Band. petoskeydowntown.com/events
FREE KIDS COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS
MOVIE: Gaylord Cinema West. Presented by Gaylord Rotary. 10am: Meet Santa. 11am: Movies start & include Elf, The Christmas Chronicles, & The Muppet Christmas Carol (choose 1 of 3). Free for ages 3-13; donations for others. Wear your favorite cozy pajamas. Free gift for first 300 children.
HOLIDAY MARKET AT CASTLE FARMS: 10am, Castle Farms, Charlevoix. Explore a variety of vendors offering unique gifts, handmade crafts, holiday decor, treats & more. castlefarms.com/events/holiday-market
HOLIDAY-CHRISTMAS THEME STORY
TIME: 10am, Alden District Library. Miss Bri will read stories with a Holiday-Christmas theme & do a simple craft with kids. 231-3314318. Free.
OLD MISSION WOMEN’S CLUB HOLIDAY COOKIE FUNDRAISER: 10am, Peninsula Community Library, TC. Runs until cookies are sold out, so come early. Boxes will be provided with gloves to choose your own cookies. Large assortment of holiday cookies, candies, truffles, quick breads & even doggy treats. All proceeds benefit local nonprofits. Entry free; $15/lb. for cookies. oldmissionwc.org
DIY NEEDLE FELTED ORNAMENT WORKSHOP: 10:30am-noon, Suttons Bay Bingham District Library. All materials will be supplied. This program is geared towards adults & adult/child duos. Space is limited & registration is required; email: information@sbbdl. Free. sbbdl.org
CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY: CHRISTMAS COCOA & CHOCOLATE CRAWL: 11am3pm, Mackinaw City. Also take a horsedrawn wagon ride compliments of Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry from noon-3pm.
FAMILY HOLIDAY CRAFTING DAY: 11am2pm, Oliver Art Center, Frankfort. Make holiday crafts including cards, candles, printmaking & paper crafts. All supplies included. Meet Mrs. Claus & her elves too. Free. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org
SAY NO TO ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
SWEET EXCHANGE: Noon-3pm, The Little Fleet, TC. A community cookie exchange. Bring 2–3 dozens of the same homemade cookies to share, sample, & send some love out into the world. Snack, sip, & swap while putting together cookie bags for Munson Hospice House Nurses. Go to web site to sign up & for more info. thelittlefleet.com/ events/sweet-exchange
THE GREAT NORTHERN CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL: Noon-9pm, 1902 Resort & Retreats, Wolverine. Featuring the Snowy Pines Merchant Market, rotating daily activities, photos with Santa, gingerbread house contest, food truck village, live music, The Great Christmas Feast & more. Find on Facebook.
HEATHER SHUMAKER BOOK SIGNING: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Heather is the author of “Saving Arcadia: A Story of Conservation and Community in the Great Lakes.” horizonbooks.com/event/2025-12-13/heather-shumaker-book-signing
“THE NUTCRACKER”: (See Thurs., Dec. 11, except today’s times are 2pm & 7:30pm.)
CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE: 3-6pm, The Village at GT Commons, TC. Featuring shopping specials, visits with Santa, musical performances & more. Admission is free. thevillagetc.com
GLCO PRESENTS FAMILY HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT: 3pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Celebrate the season with beloved carols, festive holiday favorites, chorus & CTAC Nutcracker ballet dancers. $35-$65; free for students 18 & under, Veterans, & active service members. glcorchestra.org/concerts
THE BENZIE COMMUNITY CHORUS: DECEMBER UP NORTH “THAT ONE YEAR...”: 3pm, Frankfort United Methodist Church. Help celebrate fifty years of heightening the spirit of the season through the power of music. Free/free will offering. benziechorus.org
A COLONIAL CHRISTMAS: 4-7pm, Colonial Michilimackinac, Mackinaw City. Storytellers recount the various traditions of historic residents, a retelling of the first Christmas at Mackinac in 1679, & the church at Ste. Anne’s prepared for Christmas Mass as it would have been in the 18th century. Create crafts to take home & head out on the Parade Ground for historic games. $15 adults; $10 ages 5-12; free for ages 4 & under. mackinacparks.com/event/a-colonial-christmas-2
FAMILY MOVIE DAY: “ELF”: 4pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. Singing & dancing preshow, followed by the movie. Free entry with donation of nonperishable food for BACN. $1 popcorn, juice boxes & snacks. gardentheater.org/comingsoon
CHRISTMAS MARKET ART & CRAFT FAIR: 5pm, downtown Gaylord. Held in partnership with the Downtown Gaylord Christmas Stroll & Gaylord Arts. Peruse vendors under the Pavilion on Court for gifts & goodies. gaylordarts.org
THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
DEAD POETS
SOCIETY - OPEN MIC POETRY: 6pm, Blessed Be Tea and Apothecary, TC. While the group focuses on poetry, also welcome are writers, musicians, & all performance artists, sharing both mainstream & original works. Held the second Sat. of each month. Recommended for ages 15+. Presented by The Conscious Community Coven. Free; suggested donation: $5-$10. blessedbetea.com
THE 4TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS AT THE OLD ART BUILDING: SOLD OUT: 6-7:30pm, Old Art Building, Leland. A Variety Show Spectacular. Hosted by Andrew Dost, this retro-inspired performance includes caroling, comedy & holiday cheer. Featuring a wide assortment of talented musicians, a jazz combo, sketch comedy, & more. Enjoy cookies, cocoa, & a cash bar. To be added to
the waitlist email: info@oldartbuilding.com. $40. oldartbuilding.com/events/christmas-atthe-old-art-building-a-variety-show-spectacular-2025
GAYLORD COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA & CHOIR CHRISTMAS CONCERT: 7pm, Gaylord High School, Gornick Auditorium. $20; students are free. zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ christmas-concert-14
SEASONAL CONCERT W/ DAVE CALENDINE: 7pm, The Music House, Williamsburg. Enjoy a concert/sing-a-long of seasonal music with Red Wings & Tigers organist Dave Calendine. $25 online; $30 door. mynorthtickets.com/events/ the-music-house-is-proud-to-present-aspecial-concertsing-a-long-of-your-favoriteseasonal-music-with-red-wings-and-tigersorganist-dave-calendine-12-13-2025
COUNTER METHODS - EVOLUTION: 7:30pm, City Opera House, TC. Presented by Boyne Country Sports. A snowboard & ski film premiere. See up & coming snowboarder Nahli Curtis pursue her life goal of finding success in the mountains. Evolution is a documentary ten years in the making, showcasing what it’s like to grow up riding the limited terrain within the midwest & the effort it takes to be ready to master the mountains of the western ranges. Connecting with other like-minded winter athletes & riders throughout the season is the backbone of the story. $20. cityoperahouse.org
DOWNTOWN SOUND: CHARLIE MILLARD BAND WITH LARA FULLFORD & DANE TOLLAS: 7:30-9:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. Enjoy a dynamic blend of indie, Americana, & rock influences. $10-$40. crookedtree.org/events-and-exhibitions/events/downtown-sound.html
ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL: (See Sat., Dec. 6, except today’s times are 2pm & 7:30pm.)
FRANK & MARILYN - A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS: 8pm, Leelanau Sands Casino Showroom, Peshawbestown. Step into the golden age of Hollywood as Frank Sinatra & Marilyn Monroe return to the spotlight for a Christmas tribute. $50. leelanausandscasino.com/events
dec 14
sunday
CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE: (See Sat., Dec. 13, except today’s time is 2pm.)
HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR & AUCTION: 11am-2pm, The Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. Presented by MidEast: Just Peace. Featuring fine art, gift certificates to local shops, wineries & restaurants, & handmade crafts. Free admission. mideastjustpeace.net
THE GREAT NORTHERN CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL: (See Sat., Dec. 13)
FREE FAMILY FUN DAY: 1-3pm, The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, TC. Make pinecone owls & other natural crafts. All materials provided. No registration required. thebotanicgarden.org/events
GREAT LAKES CINEMA SERIES: “ARTHUR CHRISTMAS”: 1pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Santa’s clumsy son & Grandsanta race to deliver a misplaced gift before Christmas is over! $5; $3 ages 5 & under. greatlakescfa.org/events/ detail/arthur-christmas-1
HOLIDAY MUSIC: TCAPS CHORAL-AIRES: 1pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Free. tadl. org/choralaires
SECOND SUNDAY ART PROJECT: 1pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Take part in a vibrant participatory artistic experience every second Sun. of the month. From printmaking to painting & weaving, each session offers a unique & creative activity. $0-$10. simpletix.com/e/second-sunday-artproject-tickets-227579
CTAC SCHOOL OF BALLET’S SUGAR PLUM FAIRY TEA: 1:30pm, Inn at Bay Harbor, Sagamore’s Restaurant. Includes an afternoon of festive activities with principal performers of the Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” including: Clara, Nutcracker, Snow Queen, & the Sugar Plum Fairy. Each reservation includes tea or lemonade, sweet treats, tea sandwiches, a reading of “The Nutcracker” story & a ticket to a performance of “The Nutcracker.” $50; free for infants. crookedtree.app.neoncrm.com/np/ clients/crookedtree/event.jsp?event=21091
“THE NUTCRACKER”: (See Thurs., Dec. 11, except today’s time is 2pm.)
ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL: (See Sun., Dec. 7)
GREAT LAKES CINEMA SERIES: “THE HOLIDAY”: 3pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Two women, one in England & one in Los Angeles, swap homes for the holidays to escape their complicated love lives. $5. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/the-holiday
HOLIDAY MUSIC-CHERRY CAPITAL MEN’S CHORUS: 3pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Free. tadl.org/ccmc
WITH THE HOLIDAYS IN MIND: 3-4:30pm, TC Philharmonic Center, Cherryland Center. Featuring the Encore Symphonic Winds. Free. tcphil.org/events/encore-symphonicwinds-dec-2025
TAYLOR SERIES - FREE HOLIDAY RECITAL: 4pm, Christ Episcopal Church, Charlevoix. Experience the warmth & spirit of the holiday season in an intimate setting with a true chamber orchestra. glcorchestra.org/ concert/taylor-series-free-holiday-recital
THE CHRISTMAS JOURNEY: (See Sat., Dec. 6)
DMC CONCERT: MR. SUN: 6pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Mr. Sun has taken the inspiration of Duke Ellington’s re-interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Suite as an opportunity to re-invent this multi-faceted work through the lens of the American String Band. Mr. Sun consists of fiddler Darol Anger, guitarist Grant Gordy, Scottish bassist Aidan O’Donnell, & mandolinist Joe Walsh. $25-$30. simpletix.com/e/mr-sun-tickets-228063
THE BENZIE COMMUNITY CHORUS: DECEMBER UP NORTH “THAT ONE YEAR...”: 7pm, Frankfort United Methodist Church. Help celebrate fifty years of heightening the spirit of the season through the power of music. Free/ free will offering. benziechorus.org
“A CHRISTMAS CAROL” AT THE LEELANAU SCHOOL: 2pm, The Leelanau School Community Auditorium, Glen Arbor. Featuring music & a sing along, a dramatic reading of “A Christmas Carol,” & cookies & punch. Local actors include Don Kuehlhorn & Drew Gibson. Free. Register: leelanau.org/scrooge25.
helping hands
- MACKINAW CITY: Church of the Straits youth group is accepting monetary donations along with new winter coats, boots, snow pants & socks. All donations stay local. The monetary donations go towards a youth shopping trip to purchase needed winter items for children in need. Drop off at Church of the Straits, Mackinaw City, or St. Anthony Padua, Mackinaw City. Runs through Dec. 14. 231-436-8682.
- FIFTH ANNUAL STROLLING LIGHTS FESTIVAL: Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District, Glen Arbor. See the Strolling Lights Festival Trees that were purchased, helping the Empire Area Food Pantry, which serves those who are struggling to put food on their tables. Monetary donations can also be made online. With the funds that are raised from this festive tradition, Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District hopes to increase the amount of protein, flour & sugar on hand, as well as helping four-legged family members who often go unfed. Runs through New Year’s. crystalriveroutfitters.com
ongoing
ALPENLIGHTS CHRISTMAS DRIVE-THRU LIGHT DISPLAY: Otsego County Fairgrounds, Gaylord. Featuring more than 60 unique light displays presented by Holiday Lamplighters & Events. Runs every Thurs. through Sun. from 5:30-10pm or until last vehicle, Nov. 20 - Dec. 7; & every day from Dec. 11-24 from 5:30-11pm or until last vehicle. $25 per car at the gate (plus processing fees for credit cards). alpenlights.com
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT: Held every Weds. at noon at Christ Church, 430 Fair St., TC. NAMI groups are for folks with mental health conditions & their families & friends. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges & successes of others. The groups are led by trained leaders with lived experience. namigt. org/support-and-education/support-groups
art
WINTER AND THE BLUES: Art on Union Gallery, TC. Enjoy seasonal sips & sweets as you explore the local artwork that reflects the calm, light & quiet of winter in northern Michigan. Runs through Dec. 24. Open Tues. through Sat., 11am-4pm. artonunion.com
CHARLEVOIX CIRCLE MARKET: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. A festive holiday marketplace featuring an array of goods, original artwork, & locally produced specialty treats, all created by Michigan artisans. Runs through Dec. 30. Check web site for hours. charlevoixcircle.org
CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY:
- 2025 HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Held in Galleries. A showcase of original art available for purchase during the winter holiday shopping season. This juried exhibition includes knits, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, notecards, prints, ornaments, artwork & more. Runs through Dec. 18. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/event/ctacpetoskey/2025-holiday-bazaar-petoskey - PORTRAITS OF PLACE: Held in Atrium Gallery. Presented by CTAC’s Kitchen Painters, this is a vibrant exhibition celebrating the beauty, spirit, & shared stories of northern Michigan. Runs through Jan. 10. See web site for hours. crookedtree.org/events-andexhibitions/exhibits/portraits-of-place.html
- OPEN STUDIO: Held in the Visual Arts Room, Saturdays, 10am-1pm. Free drop-in art studio for the whole family. New projects are offered weekly. crookedtree.org
CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC:
- GUILD POP-UP EXHIBIT: MARILYN REBANT: Held in Libragallery through Dec. 18.
Marilyn Rebant’s Eclectic Vision celebrates the beauty of inspiration in motion. Each piece captures shifting moods, subjects & mediums as they arise. See web site for hours. crookedtree. org/events-and-exhibitions/exhibits/guild-popup-exhibit-marilyn-rebant.html
- MERRY MARKETPLACE 2025: HOLIDAY ART MARKET: Runs through Dec. 13 in Cornwell Gallery. Shop hundreds of unique handmade gifts & works of art from artists all over the state. See hours on web site. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city/ merry-marketplace-holiday-art-market
DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC:
- DEWEY BLOCKSMA: ROUNDTABLE: Blocksma’s artwork is a gathering of figures & ideas, real & imagined, informed by medicine & art. Common themes include: puzzle heads, violin women, fake computers, Dutch cowboys, porcupines, & much more, all within a world assembled & reassembled, juggling toys buffeted by current events. Runs through Jan. 4. Check web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org/art/nowon-view
- ICE INTO OCEAN: ARCTIC TRACINGS: This exhibition is the result of a seven year collaboration between Cy Keener & Justine Holzman, exploring how ice shifts & reshapes the landscapes of the Arctic. Through large scale drawings, images, & installation, the exhibit investigates the nature & movement of ice & water across this remote environment. Runs through Jan. 4. Check web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org/art/now-on-view
- BENEATH THE SURFACE: TRAINING TOMORROW’S WATER STEWARDS: The Great Lakes Water Studies Institute at NMC is advancing freshwater, groundwater, & marine science through cutting-edge technology, education, & research. This exhibit highlights NMC students’ hands-on work with remotely operated vehicles, sonar mapping, & groundwater sampling. Runs through Jan. 4. See web site for hours. dennosmuseum. org/art/now-on-view
GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER:
- SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT: MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS BY CAROL C SPAULDING: Held in Lobby Gallery. Enjoy this small group of new mixed media paintings that runs through Dec. 17. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org/exhibits
- 2025 SMALL WORKS HOLIDAY EXHIBITION: An annual showcase of 2D + 3D work that offers small, original art at affordable prices... $150 or less. The exhibition runs through Dec. 17 & features more than 100 works of art, 12x12 or smaller, by 19 artists. See web site for gallery hours. glenarborart. org/events/all-events
HIGHER ART GALLERY, TC:
- 8TH ANNUAL ART TREE & ORNAMENT SHOW: Runs through Dec. 31. Featuring hundreds of handmade ornaments. See web site for hours. higherartgallery.com
- LOCAL ARTIST MELONIE STEFFES SOLO EXHIBIT: WILDER ALTERNATIVES: Runs through Dec. 25. Featuring Steffes’ whimsical imagined realism oil paintings. See web site for hours. higherartgallery.com
OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT
- OAC HOLIDAY ARTISAN BOUTIQUE: Find gifts from regional artists showcasing a variety of ready-to-gift handmade items, holiday cards, ornaments, accessories & more. Runs through Dec. 24. Tues. - Sat.: 10am4pm; Sun.: noon-4pm. Oliver Art Center is closed on Mondays. oliverart.org
- WINTER MEMBER EXHIBITION: Runs through Jan. 2. OAC member showcase is an all-media exhibit just in time for holiday gift-giving. Hours are Tues. - Sat., 10am4pm; Sun., noon-4pm. Closed 12/24, 12/25 & 1/1. oliverart.org
Beginner Olympic Fencing
Experience the excitement, focus, and athleticism of Olympic fencing!
No experience needed — ages 9 & up welcome All equipment provided
New Session Starts January 11th
twoonthetowninc.com • 231-944-3910
The Perfect Gift!
Available on our website or at these fine locations:
BAYSIDE MARKET
US-31 , TC
BURRITT’S FRESH MARKET
Front Street Market , TC
THE BEVERAGE COMPANY
Next to Randy’s Diner, TC
PEPPERCORN
Downtown TC
BENJAMIN TWIGGS
Campus Plaza, TC
DEERINGS MARKET
Barlow Street - TC 14th Street - TC
BOTANGLES 14th Street , TC
WILLIE’S REAR
S. Airport Rd. , TC
PENINSULA MARKET
Old Mission Peninsula , TC
CORNER DRUGGIST
Elk Rapids
KINGSLEY FOOD MARKET
Kingsley
HAROLD’S HAIR DESIGN
Interlochen
AFTER 26 DEPOT
Cass Street, Cadillac
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GVSU student leads efforts to give back to nonprofits that once helped her family
Michele Coffill Grand Valley State University
Kristen LaPan serves as the vice president of the Richard Paul Clodfelder (RPC) Student Society, the service-focused student organization for GVSU’s Physician Assistant Studies program that volunteers with Traverse City nonprofit organizations.
For RPC, LaPan works with fellow student leaders to coordinate and participate in volunteer efforts, including serving meals at the Central United Methodist Church community breakfast and volunteering at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum.
Before beginning her graduate studies in GVSU’s Physician Assistant Studies program, LaPan was president of the Pre-Physician Assistant Society at Northwestern Michigan College, where she led student volunteer efforts with local nonprofits such as the Father Fred Foundation and the Goodwill Inn, two organizations that had once supported her family during difficult times.
A native of Traverse City, LaPan said her family experienced periods of poverty and homelessness when she was younger. “There were times when we stayed at the Goodwill Inn and relied on food pantries and community clinics,” LaPan said. “Those local resources made a huge difference for my family and they inspired my goal of becoming a PA who serves this same community.”
The opportunity to give back to her hometown community in Traverse City has been one of LaPan’s favorite parts of studying at Grand Valley’s Traverse City campus. She values the close-knit connections and local service opportunities that both NMC and GVSU have provided.
It was her drive to help people that led LaPan to begin working at Munson Healthcare as a nurse assistant when she was 18. “I just fell in love with health care and the careers that were available,” she said.
LaPan enrolled at Northwestern Michigan College and took classes as she could afford them. In 2023, she earned a bachelor’s degree in allied health sciences from GVSU. She continues to work at Munson, now as an emergency department technician.
“My advisors at NMC and GVSU were all very supportive of me enrolling in classes as I could afford them, yet keeping me on track to graduate,” she said. “When I decided on physician assistant studies at Grand Valley, my NMC advisor knew exactly what classes I would need.”
In August, Physician Assistant Studies and all other GVSU academic programs moved to NMC’s Front Street Campus, operating from the Beckett Building, which was updated to feature classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, labs and collaborative spaces. GVSU is among five universities that offer classes in partnership with Northwestern Michigan College. All five had operated from NMC’s University Center, near Boardman Lake.
Shannon Owen, director of the Northern Michigan region, said being in the new location naturally provides more space for collaboration and innovation, strengthening opportunities for students and the broader community.
Grand Valley opened its satellite PAS program in Traverse City in 2015 to educate students who would receive training at Northern Michigan hospitals and health care organizations and then want to work in the area after graduating.
LaPan is among the more than 70% of students who plan to stay in the region. “We’ve learned a lot about rural health care. And I want to give back to the area that has helped me so much,” 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.
Kristen LaPan
The Alabama Solution
With the holiday season of “peace on earth and goodwill toward men” upon us, it may shock you to know that almost two million Americans will spend it behind bars in a nation with the highest incarceration rate in the world.
The United States locks citizens up so aggressively that even our smallest states have more prisoners than most other countries. Our criminal justice system is also the most expensive, costing taxpayers an estimated $270 billion dollars each and every year to operate.
This is all before being strained by the current ICE raids, mass detentions and deportations, and aspirations of an “Alligator Alcatraz” government and for-profit businesses that are building more prisons than ever before at an astonishing speed.
Unless we know someone serving a sentence, we probably tune out when we hear anything in the news about them—except for the escapes and manhunts or true crime recreations our society seems to adore.
But if you challenge yourself to watch The Alabama Solution, an astonishingly raw documentary from HBO Max, you will find a counter narrative from the inside that could permanently change your views. It was by far the most powerful film of 2025 for me, exposing the very worst and the very best of humanity at the same time.
Documenting and photographing disturbing truths that can’t be denied has an obvious and long tradition in storytelling, as does a predictable audience reaction for such work—we typically look away, or scroll past, or more often than not, simply pretend these horrors don’t exist.
Sometimes films use extraordinary access or tactics to gain this truth (Capturing the Friedmans), or other times it comes forward through tortured revelations by people in their own words and the power of their own voices in revealing it (Catfish). It can be discovered, or pieced together by directors and editors and archivists who play the part of investigator and theorist (The Jinx).
The filmmaker Andrew Jarecki has used all
by Joseph beyer
these methods and more in his remarkable career so far, but in The Alabama Solution, he and his co-director Charlotte Kaufman have captured a story that should never exist. They dig deeply to piece it together in collaboration with the prisoners who capture these atrocities using sometimes contraband cell phones, calls and recordings, and footage from within the overloaded Alabama Department of Corrections system over the course of many years. As one man says in a confessional phone video, “There’s no hope in prison, so you have to bring it in.”
The multi-layered stories of personal cases and prisoners, their families on the outside, and those who work within the system all flow together in an editing rhythm that keeps us engaged at a deeply personal level. The entire creative team should be commended for their sense of respect for the subjects and the nature and tone of what’s at stake.
During the making of the film in 2020, the Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit against Alabama and the ADOC for the overwhelming violations it found, as well as a systemic and racist pattern of prisoner abuses. The state fights back, proposing autonomous reforms and rejecting government claims, calling their approach The Alabama Solution.
The consequences, sadly, are deadly. And I predict most people who give the 1 hour 54 minute documentary their attention will have to sometimes pause, collect themselves, or stop to wonder if what they are seeing and understanding could actually be real. It’s difficult, and is not suitable for all audiences.
But in addition to the unthinkable stories The Alabama Solution reveals and the anger it should provoke about a prison-industrial complex and modern system of slavery, what makes it shocking could also be so powerful as to finally provoke reforms and compassion.
That is, if enough people can watch and not look away, and then demand justice.
The Alabama Solution premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Now available on HBO Max and through HBO Max programming on Amazon and Hulu.
“Jonesin” Crosswords
"All In Order"-at least the first 12. by Matt Jones
ACROSS
1. Mag with quizzes
6. Honey structure
10. Obsolete tape players
14. Cymbals with a foot pedal
15. Largest oceanic dolphin
16. "Hi" on the high seas
17. Certain Scottish girl's lessons with designer Bill?
20. Worm work?
21. Feeling awful
22. Hits the mall
23. Long shocker
24. Gilbert & Sullivan's "Princess ___"
25. Equalize
26. Removes moisture from a Great Lake's fast-food side?
31. "Hamilton" creator ___-Manuel Miranda
32. Mooch in the "Mutts" comic, e.g.
33. Org. that looks over Heat and Thunder
34. Cereal holders
37. Ruin
38. Eleanor in a Beatles song
40. Actress de Armas
41. Gained
42. Granola bit
43. Reached the temperature of some Greek vowels?
50. The most recent Bond
51. "___ be a pleasure!"
52. Former "All Things Considered" co-host Shapiro
53. Catches, as fly balls
54. Raw material
55. Bowie rock genre
56. Nebulous area between a "Simpsons" bully and the late MMA fighter Slice?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Leonardo da Vinci painted his iconic Mona Lisa on a thin panel of poplar wood, which naturally expands and contracts with changes in humidity. Over the centuries, this movement has caused a crack and measurable warping. One side of the classic opus is bending a bit more than the other. Let’s use this as a metaphor for you, Sagittarius. I suspect that a fine quality you are known for and proud of is changing shape. This should be liberating, not worrisome. If even the Mona Lisa can't remain static, why should you? I say: Let your masterwork age. Just manage the process with grace and generosity. The central beauty may be changing, but it's still beautiful.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the deep Pacific Ocean, fields of giant tube worms thrive in total darkness around hydrothermal vents, converting toxic chemicals into life-sustaining energy. These weirdly resilient creatures challenge our assumptions about which environments can support growth. suspect your innovative approach to gathering resources in the coming months will display their adaptability. Situations that others find inhospitable or unmanageable will be intriguing opportunities for you. For best results, you should ruminate on how limitations could actually protect and nurture your development. You may discover that conventional sustenance isn't your only option.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): For a long time, scientists didn’t understand why humans have an organ called the appendix. Most thought it was useless. But it turns out that the appendix is more active than anyone knew. Among other functions, it’s a safe haven for beneficial gut bacteria. If a health crisis disrupts our microbiome, this unsung hero repopulates our intestines with the helpful microbes we need. What was once considered irrelevant is actually a backup drive. With that in mind as a metaphor, here's my question, Virgo: How many other parts of your world may be playing long games and performing unnoticed services that you haven't understood yet? Investigate that possibility!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): ): In the coming months, you’ll be asked to wield your Libran specialties more than ever. Your allies and inner circle will need you to provide wise counsel and lucid analysis. For everyone’s sake, I hope you balance compassion with clarity and generosity with discernment. Certain collaborations will need corrective measures but shouldn’t be abandoned. Your gift will lie in finding equilibrium that honors everyone’s dignity. When in doubt, ask: “What would restore harmony rather than merely appear polite?” True diplomacy is soulful, not superficial. Bonus: The equilibrium you achieve could resonate far beyond your immediate circle.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Hubble Space Telescope is a school bus-sized space observatory orbiting 320 miles above the Earth. There, it observes the universe free from atmospheric distortion. Its instruments and detectors need to be recalibrated continuously. Daily monitors, weekly checks, and yearly updates keep the telescope's tech sharp as it ages. I believe it’s a good time for you Scorpios to do your own recalibrations. Subtle misalignments between your intentions and actions can now be corrected. Your basic vision and plans are sound; the adjustments required are minor. For best results, have maximum fun as you fine-tune your fundamentals.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
“Apoptosis” is a word referring to programmed cell death. It’s a process by which your aging, damaged, or obsolete cells deliberately destroy themselves for the benefit of your organism as a whole. This "cellular suicide" is carefully regulated and crucial for development, maintenance, and protection against diseases. About 50-70 billion cells die in you every day, sacrificing themselves so you can live better. Let’s use this healthy process as a psychospiritual metaphor. What aspects of your behavior and belief system need to die off right now so as to promote your total well-being?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Which parts of your foundations are built to strengthen with age? Which are showing cracks? The coming months will be an excellent time to reinforce
basic structures so they will serve you well into the future. Don't just patch problems. Rebuild and renovate using the very best ingredients. Your enduring legacy will depend on this work, so choose materials that strengthen as they mature rather than crumble. Nothing’s permanent in life, but some things are sturdier and more lasting than others.
PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Along the Danube River in Europe, migrating storks return each spring to rebuild massive nests atop church steeples, roofs, and trees. New generations often reuse previous bases, adding additional twigs, grass, roots, and even humanmade stuff like cloth and plastics. Some of these structures have lasted for centuries and weigh half a ton. Let's make this a prime metaphor for you in the coming months, Pisces. I see your role as an innovator who improves and enhances good traditions. You will bring your personal genius to established beauty and value. You will blend your futuristic vision with ancestral steadiness, bridging tomorrow with yesterday.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Home is a building you live in. It’s also a metaphor for the inner world you carry within you. Is it an expansive and luminous place filled with windows that look out onto vast vistas? Or is it cramped, dark, and in disrepair, a psychic space where it’s hard to feel comfortable? Does it have a floor plan you love and made yourself? Or was it designed according to other people’s expectations? It may be neither of those extremes, of course. My hope is that this horoscope will prod you to renovate aspects of your soul’s architecture. The coming months will be an excellent time for this sacred work.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): During the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1872, workers made an uncanny discovery: They could detect approaching storms by observing vibrations in the bridge's cables. The massive metal structure was an inadvertent meteorological instrument. I’m predicting that your intuition will operate with comparable sensitivity in the coming months, Taurus. You will have a striking capacity to notice subtle signals in your environment. What others regard as background noise will reveal rich clues to you. Hot tip: Be extra alert for nuanced
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Sloths are so energy-efficient they can survive on 160 calories per day: the equivalent of an apple. They've mastered the art of thriving on minimal intake by moving deliberately and digesting thoroughly. Life is inviting you to learn from sloths, Gemini. The coming weeks will be a good time to take an inventory of your energy strategies. Are you burning fuel frantically, or are you extracting maximum nourishment from what you already possess? However you answer that question, I urge you to experiment with being more efficient—but without depriving yourself. Try measuring your productivity not by speed and flash but by the diligence of your extraction. Dig deep and be thorough. Your nervous system and bank account will thank you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Danish concept of arbejdsglæde refers to the happiness and satisfaction derived from work. It’s the joy found in labor itself, not just in its financial rewards and prestige. It’s about exulting in the self-transformations you generate as you do your job. Now is an excellent time to claim this joy more than ever, Cancerian. Meditate with relish on all the character-building and soul-growth opportunities your work offers you and will continue to provide.
Grand Traverse & Kalkaska
ENCORE 201, TC
12/6 & 12/13 -- DJ Ricky T, 9
12/12 -- Peril, 8-10:30; DJ Ricky T, 10:30-2
IDENTITY BREWING CO., TC
12/11 -- Beyond Trivia!, 7-9
KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC 9:30:
12/5-6 -- Lucas Paul 12/12-13 -- Risque
KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING
12/9 – Open Mic Night Hosted by Kevin & Sierra LaRose, 6-9 12/11 – Trivia Night w/ Marcus Anderson, 6:30-8:30 12/12 – KDJ, 7-9
LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC
BARREL ROOM:
12/8 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9
TASTING ROOM:
12/12 -- 15th Annual Presentation of Phil Kline's Unsilent Night, 6
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