Stephen Tuttle (Feb. 16) misunderstands the intentions of celebrities who use their moments of platform to address current issues. Clearly they aren’t trying to present a complete analysis of an issue, more to give a wake-up call to those who are unaware, or more importantly to offer support to viewpoints that larger forces are trying their best to crush.
Just who is qualified to express their opinion on issues of the day? “Experts” with an agenda? Politicians amassing power and looking for the next votes? I would much rather hear “F*** ICE”—honest and succinct—than the lies of Karoline Leavitt or Pam Bondi or Stephen Miller or Donald Trump. I could go on.
Shouldn’t all opinions be welcome, so that all viewpoints are aired? Isn’t that the very basis of democracy? Kind of appalling to have an opinion columnist trying to stifle the opinions of others.
Tuttle excoriates celebrities for having their say and then jumping into their limos and going about their business. Surely he forgot to mention politicians who mouth off and then settle into their multi-milliondollar gift jet from foreign interests.
He should do a little research into the good works of many leading celebrities, not just money where their mouths are but organizing and personal involvement in the lives of those who desperately need it and won’t find it in the self-serving politicians and experts.
And yes, shame on the cowards in ICE.
Jeffrey Hanser | Roscommon
A Word of Thanks
I was pleased to see the guest opinion piece and all three letters to the editor in the Feb. 23 Northern Express. Many thanks for such thoughtful opinions, which spoke so well about the times we are living through and what the outcome will be. It is obvious these writers have studied and understand our history and culture. My question is whether the right people are reading their thoughts and taking their comments to heart, because we are heading down a dark alley that we have to figure out how to get out of. My hat is off to Porter Abbott, Willie Jones, Jr., Diane Miller, and Bret Albright. Of course, I should also note that Stephen Tuttle often has good insight about where we are headed. Standing up, speaking out, and voting might help us get out of the alley we are heading down. So do so, please!
Stewart MacLeod | Traverse City
CORRECTION
Last week’s “From a Coal Dock to a Blue Tech Hub” story incorrectly stated that Rotary Charities provided a grant that funded the construction of Discovery Pier. Rotary Charities provided a grant for operational support to relaunch the organization. The redevelopment efforts on the pier itself came from a wide range of public and private funders (over $8 million of improvements) with most of the funds coming from private foundations and individuals.
Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC.
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top ten
Saturday on the Slopes
Can you believe it’s March?! Luckily, ski resorts are still making the most of the cold weather as we start to bridge the gap between winter and spring. This Saturday, Crystal Mountain gets the party started with Mardi Gras on the Mountain (pictured), running all day March 7 with lift ticket discounts for those in costume (there’s even mask-making from 1-3pm!), a southern-inspired feast at Lodge Deck, a slopeside DJ, a scavenger hunt, and more. Meanwhile, Gaylord’s Treetops Resort hosts their throwback Sylvan Daze (a nod to their 1950s name), with retro ski gear encouraged. Sylvan Daze includes a slush cup, and up in Bellaire, Shanty Creek is getting slushy too, with a 2pm competition for skiers and riders to attempt to cross an icy 40-foot pond. Last but not least, catch the Nub’s Nob Open Slalom Race for the speed racers among us. Find details on each resort’s website.
2 tastemaker
7 Monks Taproom’s Unbelieva-bowl
If you stop into 7 Monks Taproom in downtown TC on Wednesdays, you’ll get one of the best winter meal deals in town. Their Unbelieva-bowl is normally $15.50, but on Wednesdays, you can get the warming, delicious dish for just $10. The dish rotates from week to week, but we’ll tell you about the one we enjoyed in February. This version started with rice noodles in a rich beef broth paired with hearty strips of braised beef. Add in cilantro and scallion for flavor, and then jalapeño and chili crisp for some heat. No matter the ingredients, the bowl is plenty big for one, or makes for good sharing if you want to order a complementary appetizer. (We recommend the Fried Brussels Sprouts, $14.) Choose a beer or other libation from the massive drink menu—which boasts around 100 options—and you’re in for an unbelievable meal. Head to 128 South Union St. in TC, or visit 7monkstap.com/traverse-city.
Blood Moon Rising
Blood Moon Rising
Study the beauty of the Blood Moon at Hickory Meadows in Traverse City during a lantern-lit, self-guided hike with Grand Traverse Conservation District. When the full moon arrives on Tuesday, March 3, from 6-8pm, the moon will be cast in a deep red glow from a total lunar eclipse. The hike is $5/person; free for 12 and under. Registration required at natureiscalling.org/events/blood-moon-lantern-lit-hike.
4
Hey, read It! How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder
The year is 1986, and sisters Georgie Ayyar and Agatha Krishna Creel have suddenly found themselves forced to share their modest home in rural Wyoming with their extended—and estranged—relatives from India. As one of the only ethnic minorities in their predominantly white community, the girls have grown up as cultural pioneers, scouting the unfamiliar landscape of what it means to be Indian-American (the fault of British influence, AK says). But while there is love and belonging at home, there’s also uncertainty and even danger, especially when there’s no one to keep their slimy Vinny Uncle in check. Like the heroes of the American West, however, being a true trailblazer means fighting for what’s yours, and the sisters are concocting a plan to do that by whatever means necessary—even murder. Part bildungsroman, part family saga with a side of generational healing, Nina McConigley’s novel, How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder, is 100 percent killer reading!
7th • 12PM - 4PM
The First Seeds of Spring
If you’re ready to start thinking about all things green and growing, the Cadillac area has three events this week to help you shake off the winter blues. On Thursday, March 5, Master Mittleider Gardener Troy Carrigan will be at the Mesick Public Library from 1011am and the Manton Public Library from 1-2pm to talk about proper plant nutrition so that your vegetable garden will get all the TLC it needs to thrive. This is part of his ongoing Gardening for Food series, which will conclude on March 12! Registration is required; visit cadillaclibrary.org/Calendar. That same day, the Cadillac Farmers Market, Forest and Farm (a Cadillac farm), and Farm to Home (a local produce delivery service) team up for a “Seed and Garden Book Swap” from 4-6pm at the Cadillac Wexford Public Library. Learn more at facebook.com/CadillacFarmersMarket.
The Children’s Museum Gets a Shipwreck
The Curiosity Place at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum has a brand-new exhibit. Over the last three months, the Maritime Heritage Alliance team and volunteers—who are tasked with maintaining the MHA’s fleet of tall ships and have created other exhibits for the museum in the past—have built a replica of a famous Lake Michigan wreck for youngsters to explore. The design is a smaller version of the ship (no spoilers—it’s a part of the experience to discover which one!) at the bottom of the Manitou Passage. When kiddos come aboard, they’ll be able to pretend to pilot the ship, try out their knot-tying skills, and learn about the effect of invasive species like quagga mussels on Great Lakes shipwrecks. Access to the exhibit is included with daily admission ($9 per person for ages one and up). Get tickets at greatlakeskids.org and visit the museum at 3200 W. South Airport Rd, Ste 420 inside Grand Traverse Mall.
Stuff We Love: Celebrating Local Humanitarians
Each spring, the City of Traverse City’s Human Rights Commission honors individuals and businesses/organizations for their good deeds in northern Michigan.
The Sara Hardy Humanitarian Award—so named for the fascinating and generous woman who is also immortalized with the TC farmers market—is given to a person who embodies the Commission’s core values of “mutual understanding, respect, and inclusivity within our community,” while the Business/Organization Humanitarian Efforts Award goes to local groups with “sustained and meaningful commitment to helping others in the Traverse City region.”
The 2025 recipients were the late Holly T. Bird, Michigan Indian Legal Services, and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Nominations are open now through April 3 for the 2026 awards. Find the nomination forms at traversecitymi.gov/government/appointedboards/human-rights-commission/human-rights-commission.html.
We’re already thinking spring over here—specifically, spring in central Europe—and we’re setting the vibe with the 2024 Grüner Veltliner from Gilchrist Farm + Winery in Suttons Bay, which just won a Double Gold award at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition! Featuring all estate grown grapes, this boundary-pushing varietal known for its prominence in Austria took root in enriched, loamy soil before fermenting in stainless steel tanks for about six months. The result is an Old World-style white wine with a modern twist: dry with a crisp and acidic structure, with notes of juicy nectarine and white pepper carried by clean minerality. It’s perfect for sipping alongside the kitchen’s burrata with tomato, spinach slaw, and crostini (or on a one-way flight across the Atlantic…your call!). Prepare for travel-worthy bliss at Gilchrist Farm + Winery at 417 N St. Joseph St. in Suttons Bay. gilchristfarmwinery.com
Saturday March 7th, 2026
2-5 p.m. • Tickets: $10 cash
Downtown Bellaire
Theme: Brownies
Participating Businesses
Bee Well Meadery
Baker: Lexi Hill
Chloe’s Chop House
Baker: Hunter Sutherland
Corner Bistro
Baker: Taylor Sutherland
Spice & Tea Exchange
Bakers: Libby Hiser & Sarah Bozarth
Fireside Lounge
Baker: Ryan Johnston
Paddles & Pedals
Baker: M88 Morning Grind
Monica Malbouef
The Flying Pig
Baker: Shelly Dayton
Toonie’s Fish & Steak House
Baker: Tracy Watrous-Zapalski
Little Treasure’s Toy & Gift
Baker: Chris Smith
Short’s Brewery
Baker: Kerry V.
Additional Events
The Bellaire Public Library will be hosting their annual Tiny Art Exhibition and FREE Hot Cocoa Bar.
Tickets: $10 (Cash Only)
Available at the following locations:
• Bellaire Public Library
• The Flying Pig
• Paddles & Pedals
• Spice & Tea Exchange
• M-88 Morning Grind
of Bellaire Downtown Development Authority and Downtown Bellaire Buy Local Business Group.
Sponsored by:
The Inquisitor
Explore the life and legacy of Barbara Jordan in “The Inquisitor
AI IS HERE, PRIVACY IS GONE
spectator By Stephen Tuttle
If you are worried about artificial intelligence (AI) taking over and controlling your life, you are way, way too late because your fears have already been realized. AI is loose and capable of running wild. And don’t be concerned about your privacy, either, because you have none.
Let’s back up a little. Artificial intelligence in machines is not a new idea. More than 90 years ago, British mathematician, logician, and cryptologist Alan Turing— he helped break the Nazi enigma codes in World War II—predicted there would be machines that could “...remember, learn and expand capabilities...” This was a pretty bold pronouncement in 1935, since those primitive computers would not have even a minimal memory capability until 1948.
Of course, you can skip all the electronic devices, use an old land line for a phone, and eschew computers and cable/streaming on your television (yes, they now use AI, too). Alas, things won’t get much better if you leave the house because there is now digital surveillance pretty much everywhere: doorbell cameras on private homes, closed circuit cameras outside and inside businesses, and Flock license plate readers. In some instances, they’ve all been coordinated to be used together for some law enforcement activities. (No, we don’t have Fourth Amendment protections from these intrusions as there is “no expectation of privacy” when we’re in public.)
No expectation on your computer, either. The courts have decided the social media ether is a public space, not private. Plus, every site you ever visit, every keystroke
Artificial intelligence is already all around us in nearly all our electronics and appliances and its expansion will only accelerate.
Turing’s prediction came true in 1951 when the first computer with any form of AI taught itself how to improve at checkers. Computers’ abilities have become significantly more sophisticated. In 2021, the U.S. became the first country to land a satellite on an asteroid, but it was more than that. Once it began to orbit the asteroid, the spacecraft, NEAR Shoemaker, was on its own. It autonomously decided when to land, where to land, and how to land. These were not the pre-programmed actions it was simply following but decisions it was making without human intervention.
Generative artificial intelligence, the latest iteration, learns on its own and constantly expands its capabilities over time without human intervention. It “learns” by accessing everything out there in the digital world— literally all of it.
Scientists see AI as a tool that dramatically speeds their work in virtually every field and will lead to dramatic breakthroughs in medicine—it’s already working on creating more effective chemotherapy for cancer patients—and energy distribution, weather and disaster forecasting, and a host of additional activities that impact most everyone’s daily lives.
you make, every song you play, everything is in that box forever, and a savvy computer tech can retrieve it quickly. Law enforcement employs people who spend their days recalling all manner of computer files their owner thought were gone.
As expected, AI is fertile ground for military applications, and we are already seeing that in the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine is using relatively cheap drones, with cameras and explosives, guided by human operators, with great success. But they have also introduced autonomous drones that independently seek targets and make decisions absent human intervention. And they are learning as they go to counteract Russian anti-drone defense tactics. It presages a time when the battlefield includes no human actors.
As much as it has already advanced, the computer age is in its infancy. Even now scientists are working on something called quantum computers, thousands of times faster than current super computers requiring smaller boxes and using fewer resources. They will open new horizons everywhere in almost everything.
Dutmers Theater at The Dennos Wednesday, March 11 | 4:00 PM
Jordan was a groundbreaking Texas congresswoman whose sharp intellect and moral clarity transformed U.S. politics.
The League of Women Voters of the Grand Traverse Area will have a tabel and provide Michigan voting information. Free Film Screening & Community Conversation Scan the QR Code for free tickets and full program schedule
But there is also more than one downside, not the least of which is the absolute loss of privacy.
Your home “assistants” like Siri and Alexa are full of AI and are actually never off unless you unplug them. They are always listening and recording. They know what you talk about, what you watch on television and the music you listen to. They know the products you buy online. Your phone, tablet, and laptop keep track, too. Certain news feeds and ads pop up on our electronic devices because they have decided, for us, that’s what we want.
They might also make the huge resourcegobbling data centers with thousands of computers running nonstop for AI’s endless knowledge acquisition obsolete, or at least reduce the obscene amount of electricity and water these things greedily consume. (Neighbors aren’t crazy about the noise of that many machines whirring away, either.) When quantum computing takes over, we’ll have to decide if we still need these gigantic facilities.
Artificial intelligence is already all around us in nearly all our electronics and appliances and its expansion will only accelerate. Privacy is now mostly a myth both inside and outside our homes. The time for worrying about either has long since passed.
MEANT TO BE?
Guest Opinion
by Greg Holmes
Have you ever felt a strong desire or need to do something different with your life, perhaps something that at first glance didn’t seem to make any sense?
Some people experience these feelings as a “yearning,” while others can even go so far as to state that they feel “called” by some unknown force to change their path and instead follow a road less traveled. These feelings can occur at any time in life and may increase not only in frequency but intensity depending upon whether or not you are happy or not with your current life path.
is that the underlying parental needs are often unconscious or unspoken.
It can be very difficult, if not impossible, for the child to manifest their soul’s code in such a conflictual environment. Consider the case of Alysa Liu, the recent gold medalist. Although she was a gifted skater with a promising future, she walked away from the sport at age 16 when she realized she actually “hated” the training regimen she was subjected to. Specifically, as a 16-year-old who was constantly told what to do, she yearned for a more independent life where she
It can be very difficult, if not impossible, for the child to manifest their soul’s code in such a conflictual environment.
In his book The Soul’s Code , the Jungian psychoanalyst James Hillman asserted that there is something more than simple “nature or nurture” explanations of human development and behavior. Hillman believed instead that each individual comes into the world with a unique, individual energy (their soul’s code), which can be seen when they respond to their “calling and life’s work” if it is fully actualized. His theory and beliefs were highly controversial and subsequently rejected by the vast majority of his peers.
However, it is difficult to explain the experience that certain individuals have reported without referring to Hillman’s theories. Hillman gives several examples of famous individuals and documents how their early life experiences and subsequent adulthood were impacted by their “soul’s code.” Interestingly, some people experience a strong yearning or desire at an early age in childhood, and this can remain constant and unremitting for a lifetime.
Look, for example, at the biographies of the athletes at the recent Winter Olympics. It is not unusual to learn that an athlete became obsessed with the Olympics or a specific sport at an early age and consequently that sport became the primary focus of the child and their family. In the best case scenario, the parents recognize the importance of the child’s interests and passion and encourage them to pursue their dreams.
Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Why? It should not come as a surprise that parents often have their own wishes and fantasies about what their children should become and how they should go about achieving goals. The key problem here is that these stem largely from the needs of the parents, and not the needs of the child. Further complicating the issue
could make her own life decisions. Like so many before her, she was not interested in living someone else’s life.
Ms. Liu did decide to return to skating at age 18 and declared then to her father and coaches that unlike before, this time around things were going to be done her way. Her decision to return to skating under her own terms was likely a key to her success and the joy that she now reportedly experiences.
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We may never know all of the factors that influenced Ms. Liu, but I think it’s safe to assume that a strong passion for skating was a key part. And what role, if any, did her soul’s code play a part in influencing her passion and ultimate return to skating?
Contrast Ms. Liu’s story with that of “Steve” (not his real name). Steve sought out counseling after struggling with feelings of depression and anxiety that were related to his job. Although he was “successful” by the company standards, he was increasingly unhappy and wanted out but he did not feel he had any viable options.
When he was asked if he had any ideas when he was young of what he “wanted to be when he grew up,” he broke down crying. He explained he wanted to become a writer, but gave up that dream when it did not seem to be a viable choice.
A calling or yearning is important, and so is the courage to try to make it happen.
Perhaps similar experiences were hallmarks of your childhood, or are now important in the lives of your children. Regardless, paying attention to the calling—and putting in the work—can be a way toward discovery and freedom.
Greg Holmes lives and writes in Traverse City.
STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
JESUS ALCALA
It Was Only a Matter of Time
Anthony Sapienza, 63, was charged with two counts of felony battery on Feb. 8 in Port Orange, Florida, after a brawl broke out during a pickleball game at the Spruce Creek Country Club, the Associated Press reported. Sapienza's wife, Julianne Sapienza, 51, was charged with a single count of felony battery. The Sapienzas were playing against another couple when an argument began about a rule; words were exchanged between the men before the accused hit his opponent with his paddle, then punched him on the ground. Before it was all over, about 20 players became involved in the fight, police said. The victim was over age 65. [AP, 2/12/2026]
The Way the World Works
Back in the 1940s, carpenters would sometimes slide a newspaper between the floorboards of a house to fix uneven planks, The Washington Post reported. On Jan. 14, contractor Vincent Vincent tore up boards in a home in Fargo, North Dakota, and unsurprisingly found a newspaper page from Oct. 6, 1946. When he showed the paper to the homeowner, Casey Chapman, 75, Chapman recognized someone in the photo on the page: his mother. "It was just a shock," Chapman said. His family had no connection to the home before he bought it in 2017. That issue of the Fargo Forum featured the seven nominees for North Dakota Agricultural College's homecoming queen, one of which was Marty Anderson, Chapman's mom. (She won, by the way.) Anderson died in 2014. Chapman said she was "very active, and not afraid to take on leadership roles. My mother was a wonderful lady." He and his wife have already framed the clipping and will hang it in their renovated bedroom. [Washington Post, 2/11/2026]
Least Competent Criminals
A 25-year-old man in Philipsburg, Montana, drove to the Granite County Courthouse to pay a fine he had received for open container, KBZK-TV reported on Feb. 17. While he waited, Sheriff Rico Barkell observed that he appeared to be intoxicated. He asked if the man had driven to the courthouse, to which he answered yes. Then he admitted he had had two drinks and smoked two bowls of marijuana. A breath test confirmed the sheriff's suspicions, with the man's blood alcohol at three times the legal limit. He also had an open container in his car. He was charged with aggravated DUI and open container. The sheriff's office posted about the incident on its Facebook page, summarizing with "Stupidity is not an excuse!" [KZBK, 2/17/2026]
On Feb. 11, Dean Young, 26, entered a parked landscaping van in Hialeah, Florida, allegedly with intent to steal tools inside, NBC Miami reported. However, Young became trapped in the locked van and started screaming and beating on the doors. "Help me! I'm inside," he yelled. The landscapers called police but didn't free Young from the van, as there were machetes inside that he might have used as a weapon. Young, who had posted bail in an earlier case, was held on charges of burglary and criminal mischief.
[NBC Miami, 2/12/2026]
Irony
A famous rock formation in Melendugno, Puglia, Italy, called Lovers' Arch collapsed into the Adriatic Sea on Valentine's Day,
The Guardian reported. Strong storm surges and heavy rain pounded the area before the landmark fell. "It is a devastating blow to the heart," said Melendugno Mayor Maurizio Cisternino. "Nature has been overturned." [Guardian, 2/16/2026]
Meanwhile, at the Olympics ...
The real star of the Feb. 18 women's cross country team sprint qualifying round in Lago Di Tesero, Italy, was Nazgul, a 2-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog. NPR reported that as skiers flew across the finish line, Nazgul broke out of his doghouse and ran across, too -- even being captured with the official finish line camera. The dog's owner said Nazgul "just wanted to follow us. He always looks for people." [NPR, 2/18/2026]
Wrong Plane, Wrong Time
Fox5 Atlanta reported on Feb. 10 that a passenger on a United Airlines flight boarded the wrong plane, then wondered why it was taking so long. The passenger intended to fly from Los Angeles to Managua, Nicaragua, through Houston. Six hours into the flight, he asked a flight attendant why it was taking so long to get to Houston -- and realized he was on a flight to Tokyo. United Airlines paid for a two-night hotel stay as they worked out a new itinerary for the passenger and offered a $1,000 travel credit. [Fox5 Atlanta, 2/10/2026]
The Continuing Crisis
The Town of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, declared a local emergency on Feb. 17 after at least two sinkholes opened up on its streets, WFMZ-TV reported. A dump truck that was hauling asphalt to repair one sinkhole ended up falling into the ground, while farther down the street, a car fell into a hole. The dump truck also damaged a water main, which could not be repaired until the truck could be removed from the hole. Using ground-penetrating radar, officials located several different voids beneath the surface, said Mayor Randy Piazza. The emergency declaration allows faster access to resources and assistance, town officials said. Public Works Director Matt Noel said eight homes had been evacuated, and residents of other homes have been encouraged to leave. [WFMZ, 2/18/2026]
Repeat Offender
Michael Delsid, 46, is no stranger to Fresno, California, police. KMPH-TV reported that Delsid was arrested after a chase on Feb. 17 for the 36th time -- in this incident, for evading police, reckless driving and probation violations. Delsid's criminal record dates back to 1994 and includes violent crimes, drug offenses and property crimes. He is ineligible for bail. [KMPH, 2/18/2026]
Oops
Australian TV reporter Danika Mason offered an on-air apology on Feb. 19 after her coverage from the Winter Olympics got a little sloppy, CTV News reported. On Feb. 18, Mason reportedly stumbled over several words and wandered off topic (the price of coffee in Italy and iguanas in the United States) before one of her colleagues in studio blamed the cold climate for her slurring. The next day, Mason said she "totally misjudged a situation. I shouldn't have had a drink, and especially in these conditions -- it's cold, we've got altitude, and not having had dinner probably didn't help as well. It's not the standard that I set for myself." [CTV, 2/19/2026]
FASCINATING PEOPLE OF 2026
20 people Up North you need to know
By Northern Express Staff & Contributors
How well do you know your friends and neighbors? Would you be surprised to learn that one of them is a certified boat captain or a musician who’s shared the stage with Andrea Bocelli? What would you say if you noticed they were leading the charge to build a community pool or starting a nonprofit to save injured eagles? Would you expect the youngest person on the block to be a philanthropist and one of the older folks to be an activist trying to bridge the political divide? Well, that’s northern Michigan for you! It’s our pleasure to introduce this year’s class of Fascinating People.
Coltrane Paryani
The Young Philanthropist
Last year, the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center received almost $7,000 to expand trauma-informed mental health services. That money didn’t come from glitzy galas or viral fundraising, but from northern Michigan students who’ve learned how to request and secure funding through their Youth Advisory Councils (YACs), including the one Coltrane Paryani joined at Kalkaska High School a few years ago. For his first two years with the council, Paryani says he was “simply content to be a member, making a difference in our community.” But by the time he hit his senior year this fall, Paryani was named a Leadership Team member of the council, plus a committee member of the Michigan Community Foundations’ Youth Project (MCFYP), and, most recently, a 2026 director of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. Philanthropy, says the future astrophysics major, isn’t just for the wealthy or for adults, and it’s a way for youth to advocate for themselves, for each other, and for their communities “whether they think they can or not.” Because, small or big, “That impact spreads, and when you make the world a better place, you’ll find that it becomes a world you want to live in.”
Sam Getsinger The Lifelong Activist
Sam Getsinger was eight years old when she first got involved in activism, going door-to-door in her neighborhood trying to convince folks to adopt children after watching a documentary about orphanages. Now, at age 82, Getsinger—formerly one of the cofounders of Leelanau Indivisible— is carrying that torch forward with Common Ground, a Leelanau-based organization that seeks to bring people together across the political divide and “build a community together where we have hope and we can see each other despite differences.” Getsinger
Kaitlyn Bohnet
The Raptor Rescuer
Last year, North Sky Raptor Sanctuary and its founder, Kaitlyn Bohnet, helped treat and rehabilitate roughly 115 injured hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey across 32 Michigan counties. This year, as winter gives way to the first waves of spring, Bohnet and North Sky are teaming up with Grand Traverse County to break ground on a multi-milliondollar raptor hospital and public center at Camp Greilick, where visitors will peek into the wild world of some of NoMi’s most elusive creatures. The center will also expand community educational opportunities, something that’s always been an important part of Bohnet’s mission as a conservationist. All of this though, wouldn’t exist if she hadn’t happened to catch an IPR segment about falconry years ago. “I was struck,” Bohnet recalls of learning that the ancient sport of humans hunting alongside birds of prey is still practiced today “and by the depth of human/raptor relationships it revealed.” It was the catalyst for Bohnet—whose husband and North Sky co-founder, Jeffrey, recently described her to the Record-Eagle as a “lifelong learner”—to begin studying these deeply intelligent birds and, eventually, launch the little sanctuary that started it all back in 2018. “Fascination turned into responsibility,” says Bohnet.
is a retired kindergarten teacher who taught downstate until she was 73 and spent the first part of her career at the University of Michigan and Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute working in their early childhood programs. “If I wouldn’t have been involved with local politics, I would have wanted to transform education,” she tells us, noting that she saw decades of kindergarteners come to school with “genius” and “passion,” only to have stringent classroom rules and social pressures change them dramatically by the third grade. Today, she’s committed to transforming the dialogue in her community. “I want us to know each other as neighbors. I don’t want to change everybody’s mind. I just want us to see each other as people.”
Gerry Shiffman
The Captain (and Then Some)
Certified boat captain, musician, teacher, trainer—is there anything Gerry Shiffman doesn’t do? Born missing the fingers on one hand and a joint on the fingers on the other, with a mother who frequently hurt him, he left home and school at 16. His first check from a construction job paid his rent; with his second, he bought a guitar, which he still plays. Shiffman started his own construction firm, eventually selling to his employees to travel with his wife, Charol. They settled in Empire, where he founded the Empire Area Community Center Emergency Fund, which provides support for those in emergency situations. “We do concerts once a month” to raise funds, he says (and yes, he’s occasionally among the performers). Captain Ger—“I’ve been sailing since I was 13,” he says—also provides time on his 32-foot Catalina Impulse for under-privileged and at-risk youth. Tuesday through Thursday he takes care of two of his grandkids in Grand Rapids while his daughter works; as they’re homeschooled, Grandpa Ger, aka Papa Nanny, becomes Teacher Ger. One day a week he trains a small group of friends in his garage workout room, which boasts more equipment than some gyms. Now we just want to know what Ger will do next!
When Cristian Viveros Brummitt moved to Traverse City four years ago, she soon realized she was missing something: the familiar sound of people speaking Spanish. Viveros Brummitt was born in Mexico and lived in both California and Chicago, where it was always easy to converse with someone in her first language. So she decided to create Mi Comunidad, a “monthly Spanish language and cultural gathering” for Spanish speakers and learners. “I didn’t begin with a big plan,” Viveros Brummitt says. “I just wanted to recreate a space that feels like home.” The group gets together monthly, with food and holidays (like Día de los Muertos) at the center of the experience. “As an immigrant, you build home once, when you leave, and then you build it again where you land,” she explains. “Mi Comunidad is my way of building that second home and inviting others into it.” When not creating community, Viveros Brummitt is busy with an old film club, advocating for mental health services, and attending yoga classes around town. She also serves on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Fund Advisory Committee for the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. “That role allows me to support inclusion at a structural level,” she says of the advisory committee, “while Mi Comunidad creates that at a personal, relational level.”
Kyle Kiel The Race Pacer
If you’ve never run a marathon, you might not know that there’s a critical runner traveling with each pack: a race pacer. Pacers carry a sign with their designated pace on it and encourage the group of runners they are running with throughout the 26.2 miles until the finish line. Traverse City Track Club member Kyle Kiel is a staple in the scene; he’s run over 100 marathons, many of them as a pacer, including both local races and other major marathons like the Boston Marathon, the Detroit Marathon, and more. “I think pacing is a lot more fun; you get to talk to everyone and encourage them the whole time,” Kiel says. “If you ever done a Peloton workout where the instructor’s always talking, that’s kind of what the pacer is,” he explains. Sometimes Kiel will work with individuals to help them reach their goals when a race doesn’t offer pacers (including, recently, a 73-yearold friend!), but often he has never met the people he will be cheering on before race day. Kiel runs alongside them, encouraging them to keep going, regardless of the conditions, strain, or other hurdles in their way.
Cristian Viveros Brummitt The Comunidad Creator
20 FASCINATING PEOPLE
Nathan Wright
The Herbalist Teacher
When you think about having a career in music, you might expect to have to move away from northern Michigan. Fourth-generation Boyne City native Ruby Williams begs to differ. A part of the music industry since she was born, Williams works for a talent agency in Nashville. She works remotely and travels frequently, seeing shows and working to get people in the audience. When she’s home, she’s often supporting her parents at their Boyne City business, Freshwater Art Gallery & Concert Venue. “I was born into this family of legends, and I’ve always been trying to live up to that and keep up with them,” she reflects. (That goes beyond music—Williams laughs when she professes to have “stolen” all her family’s hobbies, from maple syrup making to morel hunting and ice boating.) At Freshwater, Williams brings in musical acts from across the country to play in Up North throughout the winter. During a season where many locals hibernate, Freshwater’s shows are frequently sold out. “Northern Michigan is a great place for music,” she says. “I want there to be an opportunity to go see music every night of the week, and it could happen.”
Carolyn Greenman
The Inclusive Body Advocate
In downtown Traverse City there’s a boutique that’s raising the bar for inclusivity by offering products and guidance for all bodies. Welcome to Intimi, where owner Carolyn Greenman will often be the one to greet you. Greenman, who also is a hand poke tattoo artist, describes Intimi as her ultimate passion project when she talks about how it’s grown beyond her original vision. “Through tattooing, I gave myself the audacity to move forward with a business like Intimi,” Greenman reflects. At Intimi, people of all genders and body types are able to shop comfortably for intimate apparel and products. Greenman is committed to employing locals and giving back to the community. “We’re giving people the opportunity to realign with their body, to feel good and feel like they have something that works for them,” she explains. She is committed to meeting the needs of her customers, both stocking products that the community has requested like smooth bras and providing sexual wellness education. “This is a huge underserved area for bras, good underwear that fit your body, and sexual wellness,” she says. “There isn’t anything like Intimi, so I’m excited to tell people.”
Nathan Wright is an Anishinaabe activist and herbalist whose environmental advocacy has grown and shifted throughout his life. As a child he experienced The Longest Walk, a pilgrimage of Native American activists to Washington, D.C., with his father. This spirit of advocacy followed him ever since. (He was at Standing Rock twice!) Wright’s advocacy is now rooted in teaching. He founded Herbal Lodge and frequently teaches classes on herbalism, herbal remedies, mushrooms, and permaculture. In his classes, he is able to share more about sustainability and the importance of water. He travels around the state to teach and organizes the Northwoods Nature Fest in Wolverine (held in May). “I always try to promote indigenous culture, not only because I am indigenous, but because there are a lot of good teachings in our culture about protecting our environment and growing without pesticides,” he says. “We need everything right now with what we are facing in the world. It’s not a time to be hoarding knowledge; it’s a time to be sharing it.”
Gary Gatzke
The Bassman
Gary Gatzke first encountered a bass in third grade, courtesy of music teacher Bill Hayes. “He asked me to hold it and pluck the strings,” Gatzke recalls. He started on violin before switching to double bass in junior high. However, it was a tough time as his mother battled cancer. “She was very sick. When I was in ninth grade, she died. It was such a hard time in my life,” he says. “My escape was to go to the junior high and practice every morning.” Gatzke attended Interlochen Arts Camp, eventually graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy. He spent nearly a decade in the Big Apple, earning his Bachelor of Music and his Master of Music degrees at the Juilliard School, working there in administration. “Eight years in New York City was enough,” he decided, and when he got a job offer at Interlochen, he returned home. Gatzke is now the associate director of continuing and community education, overseeing the Interlochen College of Creative Arts. He is also principal double bass with the Traverse City Philharmonic, while still doing freelance gigs. That includes playing at Little Caesar’s Arena with the famed Andrea Bocelli, which Gatzke calls “an incredible experience.”
Ruby Williams
The Nashville-NoMi Musician
Michael Poehlman Photography
20 FASCINATING PEOPLE
Kimmee Miller
The Hedgehog Wrangler
Kimmee Miller wears many hats. She’s a nonprofit director, a hedgehog wrangler, and is becoming a pro when it comes to outer space thanks to an inflatable dome planetarium. Miller is one half of the founding team of COGNiTiON in Beulah, a “science playground” that is geared toward curious learners of all ages and abilities. She and her mom, Laura Stanwick, began their journey after a trip to the Imagination Station in Toledo, which sparked the idea for an affordable and inspiring museum-style center in Benzie County. Today, the center houses everything from a virtual reality simulator to animal ambassadors to the aforementioned planetarium, in addition to other exhibits and activities. Miller says she’s “always learning” with COGNiTiON’s guests, who range from infants to kiddos to parents and grandparents to special needs adults. Her two favorite parts of working at COGNiTiON are the hedgehogs and the building kits that get even the older and more reluctant kids to think outside the box. Fast-forward nine years, and big things are happening. “We’re outgrowing our space and planning and preparing for an expansion,” Miller tells us, though she can’t give away more. (She does note that community members, who have “over the years, carved out the experiences that we have,” can fill out a survey on their website to help them plan their “next adventures.”)
Ralph Schweigert The Conductor
When Ralph Schweigert retired from the music program at Gaylord Community Schools, he didn’t put away his baton for long. Instead, he struck up the Northern Michigan Brass Band. Decades earlier, Schweigert had fallen in love with music at Petoskey High School. After a year of studying pre-law at the University of Michigan, he thought better of that idea and transferred to Central Michigan, majoring in trumpet. That led to his leading the music program at Gaylord Community Schools. He was approached by the Salvation Army in Alpena, asking if he had experience or interest in the organization’s brass band tradition. Next thing you know, he was up on the podium. “I was still teaching when I started the group. I retired the next year,” says Schweigert. The onetime trumpeter now serves exclusively as band director after a stroke left him unable to form his embouchure to play. The 30-piece band includes cornets, trombones, euphoniums, flugelhorn, two different tubas, and more. They typically perform two concerts each season, with the now-80-year-old Schweigert at the helm. “It’s really fun. They’re all really fine musicians,” Schweigert says of the ensemble.
Greg Thompson
The Prescription for Success
Greg Thompson, 84, of Thompson Pharmacy, loves people, and it’s been a hallmark of his business. He’s been described as thoughtful, kind, “always jolly,” and ever ready to help anyone who walks into the pharmacy. The profession has been his life—literally. Thompson’s grandfather and father were in the business, his son and daughter are both pharmacists, and he married into a pharmacy family. Since 1975, he has guided Thompson Pharmacy—now with three locations—to keep growing as the only locally-owned and family-owned independent pharmacy left in the Traverse City area. His secret? “For one thing, we treat our [employees] really, really well,” he explains, which carries over into customer relations. It’s not unusual for patrons to stop to thank him for going above and beyond, his professional care, and the excellence of the staff. Today, Thompson runs the business with son Mark, and is still working four days a week. “I love working,” he says, “and I love people.”
Diane Tracy
The Pool Warrior
Diane Tracy’s father was a trailblazing swim coach at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, reaching generations of children. Soon, Tracy hopes to do the same with the Benzie Wellness and Aquatic Center. The $25 million project, currently in pre-construction, will include two pools, fitness center, gym, locker rooms, two studios, and a meeting room. It’s a huge project for Michigan’s smallest county, but there’s a good reason: feasibility. Because Tracy knows, from her long career as a fundraiser for nonprofits across the country, to do your homework. A 2017 study indicated that a stand-alone public pool was not viable and unlikely to break even, but a larger project, pulling users from within a 25-mile radius and offering a wealth of year-round programs and activities, would be a hub for all residents, seasonal visitors, students, children and parents. Borrowing the YMCA model of a sliding scale, the BWAC will be available to all, furthering Tracy’s goals of encouraging a healthy lifestyle, decreasing social isolation, and promoting her first love: learn-to-swim programs for area youth. Tracy is quick to share credit with the “[huge] team effort,” adding, “this is not a sprint, [and] there is a lot of passing the baton. It takes a community to raise the BWAC.”
20 FASCINATING PEOPLE
Kat Byers
The Volunteer Paying It Forward
Callie Barr
The Second-Chance Politician
If you don’t already know Callie Barr’s name, you’ll soon see it everywhere as the Traverse City/Cheboygan-raised lawyer makes her second run to represent Michigan’s 1st Congressional District. “It was not a decision that was taken lightly,” Barr says of running again, but 2026 “felt much more urgent. It felt like a calling, how important it is to give people hope.” This time around, Barr is focused on pushing back against the tech oligarchy and uber-rich who are “exploiting us” and exacerbating the affordability crisis in our state. “To me, this is not a left and right issue. This is up and down,” she says, adding that “this is a tippingpoint moment for us as common, everyday people, to decide if we matter, to decide if we want to have a voice.” Barr’s life isn’t all politics; she says she’s taking great pride in seeing her daughters navigating junior high and high school and that she’s dipping back into poetry (the former English major wrote a poetry book years ago). She also continues to “consult on veteran benefit cases. That was always really close to my heart.” Barr concludes our call with one simple statement that’s guiding her work, family, and political aspirations: “We can’t give up on each other, because we’ll rise or fall together.”
In 2019, as a young mother with few resources, Kat Byers took advantage of Kalkaska’s Head Start program for her children and soon began volunteering for its Parent Policy Council. “I’ve always been a helper,” she explains. Indeed: Over the last five years, she has contributed more than 300 volunteer hours while also serving in leadership roles with the Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (NMCAA), a non-profit tasked with reducing poverty, promoting economic self-sufficiency, and improving quality of life in the 10-county area. Her efforts were recognized this year with the Volunteer Community Action Award from the NMCAA, for “extraordinary commitment and service…[through]…family engagement and parent empowerment.” Byers speaks honestly—and poetically—about her early struggles: “There was a point in my life when I was alone and I didn’t have help, so I became the person I needed.” Today, Byers lives her beliefs: She “took turns” with her husband as the stay-at-home parent while the children were young. “Family is very important to us,” she says, and she credits Head Start’s “social/emotional factor” with helping her develop as a parent while also helping her children. The program inspired her to pursue a degree in one of the “helping professions,” a BS in Human Services. She is now the Community Health Coordinator for District Health Department #10 in Kalkaska.
Anne-Marie Oomen
The Cold-Dip Author
Growing up surrounded by the shifting moods of Lake Michigan will instill both a healthy respect and curiosity for it. Anne-Marie Oomen feels all of it and then some before plunging beneath its frosty surface. “I’m always scared before I go in,” says the born-and-raised northern Michigan writer who’s been practicing cold-dipping since taking it up two winters ago as a hail-mary for her aching back, something a friend suggested might help. “Sometimes I have to talk myself into it,” admits Oomen. Yet, “afterwards, I’m always thrilled that I did it, and I feel better for hours.” Maybe it’s the adrenaline or the sense of community—she dips from October through March with a group of women who meet along the shoreline in Empire. Regardless, it’s become another way for Oomen to commune with the Great Lakes, which in turn inspires her writing (like 2018’s The Lake Michigan Mermaid: A Tale of Poems co-authored with Linda Foster) and which she’s advocated for through her involvement with Flow Water Advocates. As for the dipping, Oomen has three rules: “We never go in really high wind or waves, and we never go alone in those [cold-weather] temps.”
Ron Harig
The Champion of Play
The more time kids spend playing outside, the greater their academic outcomes—science says so, and Ron Harig’s got his own proof. The founder of Pathfinder’s forest kindergarten, Harig helps students excel at reading and math despite spending close to 70 percent of their school day in unstructured outdoor exploration, even on the frigid days that send adults scrambling to the thermostat. “Not a single complaint about it,” Harig says of his cohort. “The kids seem more at peace to me in the winter.” Harig’s more at peace now too, having created an environment he says he would’ve benefited from. Diagnosed with dyslexia in first grade, he navigated “years of embarrassment and tough struggles” in classrooms where he couldn’t keep pace with his peers or the curriculum. Now 64 and on the other side of the desk, Harig lets imagination rule while assisting students who need a little extra support. Extolling the power of play and nature as the best foundation for students of all abilities, he hopes to bring the forest kindergarten model into more northern Michigan schools. “When kids are in the classroom” full-time, he says, “where is the time to make connections?”
Jim Brouwer
The Shoe Collector
Jim Brouwer, fourth-generation shoe business owner, has a barn stocked with thousands of pairs of new, in-the-original-box vintage shoes from the 1930s through the 1970s. The collection is part of a 6,000-piece inventory of a shuttered Frankfort shoe store. Today, he and his wife welcome by-appointment customers who spend hours in this remote property adjoining the Pere Marquette State Forest. “Well designed, well-made shoes are fascinating,” Brouwer says, noting that “vintage shoes…[form] to your foot for long-term comfort.” Don’t just take his word for it: “There was one style from the late ’30s that surprised even me. Four women actually wore them out of the barn because they were so comfortable.” The shoes are made of all kinds of materials from kidskin (young goat) to kipskin (older goat), with exotic finds like cobra skin pumps ($528), rubber galoshes with rabbit fur trim, and even peacock leather soles. Brouwer has fielded requests from Hollywood and Broadway, and he has shipped worldwide: a pair of original Go-Go Boots went to a woman in England who wore them for her wedding. (Brouwer was invited but couldn’t make it.) Another pair went to Germany and adorns a woman’s fireplace mantel. (They aren’t her size, but she just always wanted a pair.)
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Ryan Deering
The Protector-Turned-Teacher
Ryan Deering always wanted to follow in his father Phil’s footsteps, so he started by working at the family grocery store in Empire alongside his dad and grandfather. Like dad, Ryan then joined the U.S. Army. “He was decorated for his service, including two Bronze Stars and Three Silver Stars,” Ryan says. “That’s why I joined Special Operations.” Seriously injured due to a parachute malfunction, he had to leave the service, becoming a firefighter and EMT—as had Phil. Breaking with tradition, Ryan briefly moved to Florida; that ended when his dad asked him to return to help run the store. He eventually decided it wasn’t what he wanted and returned to EMS, this time with North Flight. Ryan also enrolled in the marine tech program at Northwestern Michigan College. When he took a welding course, he fell in love with it, becoming a welding instructor. After serving as recruiter for NMC’s surveying program, he was only too happy to move back to oversee the welding program. “You have to have a passion for it,” Ryan says of teaching, and passion is one thing he’s never lacked.
GVSU student uses education to improve work as broker for Real Estate One
Cass Wainwright Grand Valley State University
Lisa Bradford, real estate broker of Real Estate One for the Traverse City Randolph and Beulah branches, has returned to school to complete her degree at Grand Valley State University as an Integrative Studies major.
It has been a bucket list item for Bradford to graduate from college, and after completing high school, she immediately began working towards this goal. However, finances and raising a family slowed her progress. She was once a double major in philosophy and religion at Oakland University
“I grew up, like many Americans, very poor and was unable to complete college because of the cost,” Bradford said. “Then I got married, had children, took a few classes here or there. And then began to work full-time and raise a family. Time kind of got away from me.”
Bradford has been a licensed realtor for over 20 years and a managing broker for the past four years. Now at 57, she has made it her goal to graduate before she reaches 60.
“I consider myself a person who completes goals, even if that means taking a 30-year break,” Bradford said. “It’s never too late to complete a goal or check off a ‘bucket list’ item!”
Entering GVSU with enough credits to be a senior, Bradford didn’t just return to college to cross an item off her bucket list and said she didn’t return to change
Lisa Bradford
careers, either. As a lifelong learner, Bradford returned to school to become a better leader and a better boss to her realtors.
“I think the support at Grand Valley is phenomenal,” Bradford said. “All the professors have been responsive. My academic advisor is phenomenal, and she understands that I’m not doing this to change careers.”
Bradford currently takes accelerated, six-week courses. To balance work/school life, she takes all her classes online, working on one class at a time. “I have a very
busy professional life, so GVSU allowed me to kind of go at my own pace,” Bradford said.
During the fall semester, Bradford took an Integrative Studies class, “Collaborative Communication.” Bradford led a two-hour World Café facilitation, which involved people sharing and collaborating on a question or topic. Her chosen topic, “grace,” focused on what grace meant to the participants and how showing themselves more of it affects their professional and personal selves.
Bradford continues to use her experiences at GVSU, like the World Café, in her work to improve herself and her team. She facilitated her own World Café activity at Real Estate One, starting off the conversation with the statement, “We can be different than any brokerage has ever been.”
Each of Bradford’s World Café facilitations was successful. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “It allows people to be heard, in that, it allows people to work in a space where they feel like they have something to contribute to the institution, to the goal.”
GVSU in Traverse City
Finish what you started on your own terms. Explore flexible degree programs and connect with an advisor at gvsu.edu/tcprograms.
Learn more at gvsu.edu/tcprograms.
Welcome to Jeannine’s
By Art Bukowski
In a bright and cozy space at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula sits Jeannine’s Restaurant, which opened in Northport’s celebrated Tribune building late last year. Owners Ron Marcotrigiano and Jeannine Logie aim to take up their predecessor’s mantle and become a go-to spot for hearty and delicious breakfast and lunch meals for years to come.
Northern Express sat down with the husband-and-wife team to find out more about their hopes, dreams, and (of course) food.
Long Island to Leelanau
Ron and Jeannine are both from Montauk, a small town at the very tip of Long Island in New York state.
Jeannine first came to northern Michigan about 10 years ago on a whim after reading that Sleeping Bear Dunes was the most beautiful place in America. Upon seeing the area for herself, she decided that was largely true and bought a home here.
She later returned to Montauk and met Ron while working at a restaurant there, she in the front of the house and him in the kitchen (the same holds true at Jeannine’s). The two traveled for a while all over the country, and she eventually brought him to northern Michigan.
“I didn’t really want to come up to the Great Lakes. I didn’t quite believe some of what I had heard. It can’t possibly be [that beautiful],” Ron says. “But then when she brought me up here, it was even better. Once we were here, I was immediately trying to
figure out how to have a livelihood here.”
They traveled some more, but the pull of northern Michigan was strong. They were headed to Idaho when they first heard about the Tribune space becoming available, a space that very much meshed with their dreams of opening a restaurant in the area.
Ron and Jeanine know that some might be wary or critical of outsiders opening a restaurant in a small, somewhat insular community, but they believe they’re very well suited to perform in this exact situation.
“We come from a teeny tiny town that was infiltrated about 10 years ago by people from Manhattan and business owners from Manhattan, so we were on the other end of what we’re doing now,” Jeannine says. “We know what it feels like on both ends of the spectrum and we feel for people.”
Cold-season Trial Run
Ron and Jeannine took occupancy late last year and decided to open by winter to iron out kinks before the crush of the tourist season.
“I’m happy we did it in the winter because we have time to actually get ready for summer,” Ron says. “We were going to get everything going in April, but then you put in all that effort and right away you’re getting hit in the head [with big crowds].”
They were open every day for a twoweek stretch right before the holidays to get the word out, and have been open on a more limited basis (breakfast and lunch four days a week) since then. So far, things have been “going wonderfully.”
“People are loving it and they’re coming back, which is just great,” Jeannine says. “I
mean, we’re in northern Michigan in the middle of winter in Northport, but a lot of people have been in here every weekend, both days, so we’re pretty happy with that.”
They’ve been dinged in the Google reviews with some people complaining about their prices (which at under $20 for most items on the menu, aren’t out of line with many other area restaurants). Ron and Jeannine contend their prices are plenty fair.
“The priority for us entering this situation is to provide as high a quality a product we can across the board,” Ron says. “And that comes with a price.”
“Nothing is overpriced,” Jeannine adds. “This is 2026 in northern Michigan, and the prices reflect the quality of the food, and it’s a great value. You’re spending $20 to get a huge plate of food, more than enough to bring home, with great fresh vegetables, mostly organic.”
Living and Breathing Food
About that food: Ron and Jeannine are pretty proud of it. Breakfast is their greatest joy, with plenty of good selections.
“ The frittata is amazing. He makes different frittatas, and it’s all fresh ingredients all the time,” Jeannine says. “Right now ours is sweet potato, cherry tomatoes, bacon, and cheddar.”
The list goes on. “We make a killer hash. The benedict is great,” Jeannine says. “His pancakes are amazing.”
Don’t sleep on lunch, though. “The patty melt is phenomenal,” Jeannine tells us. “We don’t have a burger on our menu, and we’re confident to do it because the patty melt is [so good],” she says. “It’s a really really, really
good patty melt.”
“I’m doing it on focaccia with a nice garlic aioli and an onion jam, but I caramelize the onions low and slow,” Ron adds. “It’s just a good one.”
The menu is ample, but not overbearing. This is by design and stands in stark contrast to the 10-page menus at some of the big chain breakfast places.
“I’m a fan of a smaller menu when I go out to eat,” Jeannine says. “I don’t want to spend so much time thinking about this and that—I love when the thought has been put in there for me and I can just use a dish that I know that the chef has thought about really well.”
Jeannine credits Ron for a menu driven by constant innovation.
“I have been around the restaurant industry my whole life, and I’ve known a number of chefs, and I will say that this guy is living and breathing food,” she says. “He’s thinking about the menu all the time, even when he’s not at work…and it really shows in all the food. So when someone asks what’s great on the menu, everything is great. They’re really high quality dishes.”
The next step for the couple will be activating the space in the evening hours with some good takeaway options.
“We’re getting this breakfast and lunch thing anchored in really well, and then we want to expand into high quality ice cream, and we’re thinking lobster rolls in the afternoon or evening,” Jeannine says.
Find Jeannine’s Restaurant at 110 E Nagonaba St. in Northport. (231) 386-1041; jeanninesnorthport.com
LeeLanau Is for Book Lovers
Four bookstores, four women owners, and plenty of reading recommendations
By Karen Mulvahill
Beaches and books—or blizzards and books—go together like coffee and croissants. Both pairings comprise a perfect start to a day in the paradise we know as the Leelanau Peninsula.
Here, we are fortunate to have way more indie bookstores per capita than average. According to the Census Bureau, the average population per bookstore in the U.S. is 54,999. In Leelanau County, it’s 5,650! We have four bookstores serving our population of 22,600.
(Just a few short weeks ago, we had five stores, including The Folded Leaf of Cedar. That quickly-growing shop has relocated to Traverse City—at least for the time being—with new digs in the Commongrounds building on Eighth Street.)
We often go on winery tours, restaurant tours, and color tours, but what about a bookshop tour? Let’s travel through the Leelanau Peninsula and stop in at our treasured bookstores. Like wine, each store has its own flavor and terroir. And each bears the stamp of a fascinating woman.
BAY BOOKS, SUTTONS BAY
When you enter the county from Traverse City, traveling along M-22 North, the first bookstore you will encounter is Bay Books in Suttons Bay.
When Tina Greene-Bevington moved to the county in 2012, armed with a PhD in Organizational Analysis and a culinary arts degree, she embedded herself into the community through volunteer work with a number of different organizations. Interested in opening a business in the culinary arts, she ran various ideas past friends and colleagues and continued to get the response, “That sounds nice, but we need a bookstore.” (The last bookstore in town had shuttered in 2013.)
Greene-Bevington listened. “I wanted to do something the community wanted,” she says. And it didn’t hurt that she loves to read.
Greene-Bevington rose to the challenge and opened Bay Books in May of 2018. She and the bookstore quickly became an integral part of the community, contributing to local charitable efforts, hosting author events, and developing book clubs.
When it became known that she would have to move the store to a spot a few blocks away, the entire village came out to help. On July 4, 2020, Tina recalls, “People came down the street with wagons and pushcarts, handcarts, baby buggies, bicycles with baskets, some people with their trucks to get the bookshelves, and they moved everything. I was so humbled.”
To enter Bay Books is to feel as if you’re walking into someone’s home. Cozy nooks and shelves laden with a carefully curated selection of books invite browsing. Greene-Bevington reads tons of publications and books to decide what to include on the precious shelf space, always leaving room for local authors. Her most popular books of late have been Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
If you ask her to recommend a book, Tina will ask you, “What was the last book you read that you liked?” and “What was the last book you read that you didn’t like?” She might also ask you about your hobbies.
Today it’s hard to imagine Suttons Bay without a bookstore—and not just any bookstore, but Bay Books.
DOG EARS BOOKS, NORTHPORT
Continue north on M-22, enjoying beautiful views of the bay on your right, and stop when you reach Northport. That’s where you’ll find Dog Ears Books, where the light reflects off the terra cotta and gold walls, and the scent of paper and old leather fills the air.
Owner Pamela Grath’s love affair with books began as a child with two books by Christopher Morley, featuring a bookseller. “Everybody I know who sells used books has read those books,” she says with a laugh.
When they lived in Kalamazoo, Grath and her late husband, artist David Grath, used to fantasize about having a used bookstore in a small village. In 1993, having moved to Leland, they rented a little shed in Northport, built shelves, and filled it with books purged from their own collection.
Now in its third location in Northport, Dog Ears Books also offers a section of new books, prompted initially by all the people who came in wanting field guides. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of her bestselling books is The Trails of M-22 by Jim DuFresne.)
The collection is anything but haphazard. There are sections for Fiction, History, Art Poetry, Science, Cooking, and even a section of French language books that Pamela will be happy to talk to you about—in French. And she loves having other bookstores nearby.
“I feel like every indie bookstore is unique. Each one has a personality. In this county, we’re colleagues, we’re not competitors. And I love that.”
Grath posts in-depth, thoughtful pieces on her blog (Books in Northport) two or three times a week. You’d expect no less from a woman with a PhD in philosophy. In fact, one of her plans for 2026 is to have more books on classic philosophy. “Especially the Stoics, whose philosophy is ‘Live each day as if it were your last.’”
When asked what book she might recommend today, she replied, “A lot of people right now, they just want a break…there’s a wonderful novel set in Shropshire called Precious Bane by Mary Webb. Also, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. It’s very simple and yet she had this wonderful way of explaining people. You understand why they are the way they are.”
LEELANAU BOOKS
In a bit of a challenge for the directionally impaired, M-22 runs north up to Northport, then turns to the south heading toward Leland. There you will find Leelanau Books.
“There isn’t a whole lot that’s happier than cherries,” says Paula Alflen, manager of Leelanau Books, “but then I thought, oh, well, books. That’s very happy.” Which explains why, with an MS in Nutrition and a position as quality manager for Shoreline Fruit, she agreed to run a bookshop.
“Friends of ours bought Leelanau Books, then recruited me to manage it. My first response was, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ because I had never worked in retail, but then I found all these ideas flooding into my head.”
As a parent and leader of many kids’ clubs and programs, Alflen identified an opportunity to focus on children. “We had a great following of customers who were over 70 and loyal to the store, as they were friends of the original owner. But I saw the need to expand that base. So I suggested to Kasey and John Morris, the owners, the idea of focusing on kids, and I had their full support.”
After closing for remodeling, the store re-opened the weekend of Fourth of July in 2018. The area behind the store became a central gathering spot for story time, crafts, reading tents and puppet theatre. Paula herself is a “fingerprint artist” and has designed a line of kits for children to use to create their own art. “So many people walk in here and say, ‘My kids made us come here first because this is their favorite place.’”
The bookstore kitty, Whimsy, is another attraction. “One little girl came in, bought a stuffed cat, and named it Whimsy, and every year the parents bring her in to celebrate Whimsy’s birthday.”
But the store isn’t just for children, as the cozy shop boasts an incredible variety. “I generally have one copy of everything and every night I reorder what I sold that day,” Alflen explains. “People are attracted to independent bookshops for personal recommendations,” she adds.
When asked what book she would recommend to someone today, she picks “Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. It’s a beautiful work of art, full of kindness, and the end unpeels like an onion.”
As if on cue, a young woman walked in to pick up a copy of a book she had on hold: Theo of Golden.
THE COTTAGE BOOK SHOP, GLEN ARBOR
Continuing south along M-22, through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, you’ll arrive at the village of Glen Arbor.
Tucked just around the corner from Art’s Tavern is a 100-year-old cabin that is a book browser’s paradise. Nooks and crannies are crammed with shelves and counters laden with books. On a table in the center of the store is a selection of recent releases, bestsellers, and staff favorites. Local art, puzzles, and games are also on offer.
For 30 years, owner Jenny Puvogel had been coming here on vacation. “My mom would bring us to the shop at the beginning of vacation, and we would all come in and everybody had to get a book,” she said. “There’s a lot of nostalgia in this building for a lot of people.”
When she wasn’t vacationing up north, Jenny taught elementary school in South Haven. “I had always said to Sue [Sue Boucher the previous owner], ‘You know, when I’m done teaching, this is what I want to do for my summer job.’”
In 2020, when Puvogel and her husband, Greg, moved up here permanently, she got her wish and worked part-time with Sue. Then, in 2024, she and Greg bought the business.
“I love reading. I love watching kids read,” says Puvogel. “I love when people find the right book. A lot of us are former teachers and that was always a thing that we did for our students; you want to keep them engaged.”
The Cottage Book Shop has been around since 1985 and is an integral part of the Glen Arbor community. Adjacent to the building is “The Pine Patch,” a park-like area where the bookshop hosts kids’ events, like story time, crafts and visits from children’s book authors. The shop also supports local writers and partners on events with the Glen Arbor Arts Center and the library.
One of the store’s most popular books last summer was Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. A consistently popular book, Puvogel says, is No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister. “That’s a book that we sell over and over again.” If you came in today, Jenny might recommend A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar. “I think that’s a book that has universal appeal.”
In a story that comes full circle, Puvogel is gratified by the number of families that, like hers, come in and say, “You’re the first stop on our vacation every year.”
Saturday
3RD ANNUAL SNOWSHOE POKER RUN: 9am, 7601 Old Lake Rd., Grayling. The length of the course is about 2.5 miles. Choose from one, two or three hands. $10-$30. runsignup.com/Race/ Events/MI/Grayling/SnowshoePokerRun
LIGHT THE DARKNESS - A MIDWINTER FESTIVAL OF ART: City Opera House, TC. A 2-day juried art fair dedicated to illuminating winter with imagination. Featuring artists & makers showcasing original fine art, handcrafted goods, & inspired designs. Today hours are 10am-4pm. Free & open to all, plus food vendors. cityoperahouse.org/art26
OLD ‘BROSE BEGONIA ICE BOWL DISC GOLF TOURNAMENT: 10am-1pm, St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah. One round random draw doubles tournament. $25 entry fee + any non-perishable food items. Proceeds benefit Benzie Food Partners serving Benzie County. Register. discgolfscene.com/tournament/Old_Brose_Begonia_Ice_Bowl_2026
2026 HARBOR SPRINGS RESTAURANT
WEEK: Harbor Springs area, Feb. 20 - March 1. Indulge in specially curated menus from local restaurants. harborspringschamber.com/ events/details/2026-restaurant-week-18667
CHAIN-O-LAKES CULINARY EXPERI-
ENCE: Elk Rapids & surrounding areas, Feb. 22-28. Participating locations feature special menus, discounted or fixe-price meals, tastings & unique culinary creations. Visit web site to see participating locations & menus/menu deals. elkrapidschamber. org/culinary-experience -
PROTEST ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE IN PAL-
ESTINE: 11am, Grandview Parkway + Union St., TC. Israel continues committing brutal genocide in Gaza & stealing more Palestinian land in the West Bank. Elected leaders are owned by Israel as the Epstein files show. It’s up to ordinary people to insist on justice. Stand together every Sat. mideastjustpeace.net
CLOTHING SWAP: Noon-6pm, Blessed Be Tea and Apothecary, TC. Bring an item, swap an item. All left over items will be donated to the Women’s Resource Center. blessedbetea.com
NORTHPORT WINTER CARNIVAL: Noon, Braman Hill, Northport. Enjoy broomball, milk jug curling, cardboard sled race, chili cook-off & more. facebook.com/ events/816308658072819
MOREL MUSHROOM HUNTER WITH ANTHONY WILLIAMS: 2pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. After winning the National Morel Hunting Championship five years in a row, Anthony Williams retired from competitive picking to become the “Expert in Residence” for the National Morel Festival. Free. tadl.org/event/morelmushroom-hunting-anthony-williams-29967
DID YOU GUYS EAT? ¿YA COMIERON?: 4pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. Presented by Interlochen Public Radio. A holistic look at life for Michigan farmers & the community that sustains them. Screening followed by Q&A with Director Stephany Slaughter. Free. gardentheater.org/comingsoon
DOCUMENTARY TO BENEFIT CHALLENGE MOUNTAIN: 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. “Michigan Skiing Legacy” documentary film will benefit Challenge Mountain. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the birthplace of organized
skiing in America. From ski jumping to Nordic & backcountry skiing, the film explores the skiing culture that continues to shape the lives of those who consider themselves Yoopers. Tickets: $20 minimum donation online at: greatlakescfa.my.salesforcesites.com/ticket/#/event. challengemtn. org/documentary-michigan-skiing-legacyto-screen-in-bay-harbor-benefits-challenge-mountain
EAST BAY DRIVE: 7pm, The Music House Museum, Williamsburg. This TC jazz-fusion band is made up of David Chown, Rick Kielhe, John Richard Paul, Alex Wyant wsg Ryan Critchfield & Skyelea. $25-$30. mynorthtickets.com/organizations/music-house-museum
INTERLOCHEN IN TOWN: AN EVENING OF WOODWIND CHAMBER MUSIC WITH PIANO: 7:30pm, The Alluvion, TC. Featuring works by Eugène Bozza, Joseph Horovitz, Claude Debussy & Bill Douglas. $28. interlochen.org/events/evening-woodwind-chamber-music-piano-2026-02-28
SHENANDOAH: 8pm, Leelanau Sands Casino Showroom, Peshawbestown. From platinum-selling success to over a billion career streams, Shenandoah is still delivering the country music fans love – from “Two Dozen Roses” to “I Want to Be Loved Like That.” $55-$65. leelanausandscasino. com/events
Sunday
MADE IN MICHIGAN: 4pm, The Bay Community Theatre, Suttons Bay. Featuring “The Spirit of Sleeping Bear Dunes,” directed by Keith Patterson. A look at the history of The Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, using a backdrop of historical footage to tell the Native American story. $15. thebaytheatre.org
2026 HARBOR SPRINGS RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., Feb. 28)
PUPS, PURRS, & PASTA COOK-OFF: 4-7pm, Overlook at The Chief Event Center, Bellaire. A fundraiser to benefit Help From My Friends Pet Crisis Center. Enjoy pasta dishes from local restaurants & Jake Slater performing an Elvis Tribute. $25 adult, $15 ages 5-12, under 5 free. Email: helpfrommyfriendsinc@ gmail.com or view Facebook post for details.
monday
COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES: BOBBY FLAY: CHAPTER ONE: amical, TC, March 2-8. Bobby Flay has left a significant mark on American cuisine with his innovative restaurants, cookbooks & TV shows. This cookbook compiles his most notable recipes from his career. amical.com/bfchapterone
tuesday
CHAMBER COFFEE & CONVERSATION: 8-10am, 118 E. Main St., Harbor Springs. Enjoy this opportunity to connect with fellow business owners & neighbors over coffee & light refreshments in a relaxed setting. Free. harborspringschamber.com/events/ details/chamber-coffee-conversation18778?calendarMonth=2026-03-01
TECH TUESDAY: IDEVICES: 2pm, Suttons Bay Bingham District Library, lower level
Community Room. Corey Buchan of BuchanTECH will provide a basic tutorial & be available to answer questions. Bring your Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac laptop, or Apple Watch) & your questions. No registration required. Free. sbbdl.org
OUR SHARED FUTURE: CENTERING DISABILITY STORIES: 3:30-5:30pm, Leland Twp. Public Library, Munnecke Room. A five-part community conversation series focused on disability, accessibility & equity. This month’s conversation is “Grounding in History.” RSVP on web site. lelandlibrary.org
COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES: BOBBY FLAY: CHAPTER ONE: (See Mon., March 2)
BLOOD MOON LANTERN-LIT HIKE: 6-8pm, Hickory Meadows, TC. Study the beauty of the Blood Moon during a lanternlit, self-guided hike with Grand Traverse Conservation District. The moon will be cast in a deep red glow from a total lunar eclipse. $5/person; free for 12 & under. Registration required. natureiscalling.org/events/bloodmoon-lantern-lit-hike
GREAT LAKES CINEMA SERIES: PAN’S LABYRINTH: 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. A dark fantasy that blends myth & reality in post Civil War Spain, following a young girl who discovers a haunting, magical world. $5 all seats. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/pans-labyrinth
wednesday
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS IN LOCALLY GROWN FOOD, CLEAN ENERGY & TRANSPORTATION: Noon, Leelanau County Government Center, Suttons Bay. This public forum is hosted by the League of Wom-
en Voters of Leelanau County. Groundwork Center for Resilient Community specialists are giving the presentation. Free. lwvleelanau.org
COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES: BOBBY FLAY: CHAPTER ONE: (See Mon., March 2)
MONTHLY COMMUNITY POTLUCK: 6pm, The Friendship Community Center, Suttons Bay. The theme this month is “Going Green.” Bring a “green” dish to pass or just come & enjoy the food provided. There will be live Irish music. Free. thecentersb.com/communitypotlucks
PLACE SERIES: Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. Join each Weds. of March. Indigenous community members share stories & histories that contrast the pervasive colonial narratives about this region. Sharing will be through storytelling, art, music, & ceremony. 5:30pm meal ($5-$7 suggested donation); 6:30pm program. March 4: Aki (Land). John F. Petoskey (General Counsel of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians) will give a presentation titled “GTB Indian Country-History, Present Scope and Future.” Find ‘PLACE: Re-taking the Story (week 1- Aki)’ on Facebook. Free.
thursday
AGELESS GRACE: 11:30am, East Bay Traverse Area District Library, TC. Brightletics founder Lisa George teaches low-impact fitness classes from a seated chair. Registration is not required. Free. brightletics.com
COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES: BOBBY FLAY: CHAPTER ONE: (See Mon., March 2)
JAY JULIO & PIANIST JOSH TATSUO CULLEN: 7pm, The
Music
Lions, Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings… anything DETROIT goes! Sport your favorite Motor City theme at Suds & Snow, “The Ultimate Party in the Woods,” Sat., March 7 from 1-6pm at Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort, TC. Start with a halfmile hike to the backwoods where you’ll find two stages, live music by 2BAYSDJS, 20 beverage vendors and two food trucks. Tickets are $40 in advance and include two drink tokens, good for one pint equivalent. For tickets and more info visit: tcsudsandsnow.com.
SERIES: BOBBY FLAY: CHAPTER ONE: (See Mon., March 2)
-
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S FAERY TALE:
7-9pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Presented by the Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre. The ballet is based on the children’s book of the same name by Wendy Froud & Terri Windling & was choreographed by artistic director Thomas Morrell. $12-$22. mynorthtickets.com/events/a-midsummernights-faery-tale-3-6-2026
LAURA RAIN AND THE CAESARS PRESENT “THE SOUL OF DETROIT”: 7:30pm, The Alluvion, TC. Featuring special guests Dawn Campbell & the Bohemians opening. $20-$25. thealluvion.ludus.com/select.php
saturday
2026 GAYLORD ALL OUTDOORS TRI 45 WINTER TRIATHLON: 10am, Forbush Corners, 4971 W Co Rd 612, Frederic. Includes a 5K skate ski, 10K fat tire bike ride across frosty terrain, & 5K winter trail run through snow-packed paths. Choose from the Tri 45 Solo, Tri 45 Group (2-3 people), or Duathlon Bike/Run. $70-$170. runsignup.com/Race/Events/MI/frederic/2024 GaylordAllOutdoorsTri45WinterTriathlon
MAPLE SUGARING DAYS: 10am, Olsen Farm, 3164 W. Harbor Hwy., Maple City. Experience the sugaring process through time. Learn the history of maple sugaring from the Anishinaabe, & then travel to the present day at the Olsen Farm. End your adventure by sampling warm syrup or making maple taffy. The event is free with a park pass. nps.gov/ slbe/planyourvisit/maple-sugaring-days.htm
MARDI GRAS ON THE MOUNTAIN: Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Lift ticket discount, Slopeside DJ, On-Slope Scavenger Hunt, & much more. crystalmountain.com/eventsactivities/events/event-calendar/mardi-grason-the-mountain
THE MINDFUL MARKET: 10am-2pm, Kaliseum Recreational Complex, Kalkaska. A free Brain Injury Awareness Month event to discover unique arts & crafts created by talented local artists, local resources for brain injury survivors, & much more. Sponsored by E3 Case Management and Beacon Therapies.
MUSICAL STORYTIME WITH THE TC PHIL: 11am, Traverse Area District Library, TC. Featuring Strings! Join members of the TC Philharmonic for music & movement. Explore rhythm & instruments of the orchestra with hands-on musical fun. Instrument petting zoo, story reading, movement, & crafts. Recommended ages: 7 & under. Free. tcphil.org/concerts
PROTEST ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE IN GAZA: (See Sat., Feb. 28)
HOPS ‘N HIGHLANDS: Noon, The Highlands at Harbor Springs. A day of Michigan craft beer, music, friendly competition, & après-style fun - all served slopeside. Tickets are $25 & include 4 sampling tickets. Take on the IFOSH Stein Hoisting Championship at
2pm for bragging rights & a $150 Highlands gift card, & then keep things going with live music from Yankee Station at the Zoo Bar. For ages 21+. highlandsharborsprings.com/ events/hops-n-highlands
GAAC GALLERY WALK + TALK: 1pm, Glen Arbor Arts Center, Main Gallery. Join a conversational tour of the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s current exhibits. GAAC Gallery Manager Sarah Bearup-Neal leads a Walk + Talk of INteriors, and Small Accomplishments. INteriors brings work that explores interior spaces real & imagined, in the home & mind. Free. glenarborart.org/product/gallery-walk-talk-2
MAC & CHEESE COOK OFF: 1-3pm, Gypsy Distillery, Petoskey. Sample a variety of creative mac & cheese recipes, enjoy live music by the M-22 Duo, & celebrate local culinary talent. Taste all entries for $10 & vote for your favorites. gypsydistillery.com
SENSE OF NATURE: 1-3pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Become a wildlife detective & explore the natural world using your senses. Presented by the Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund. Free. tadl.org/senseofnature
SUDS & SNOW 2026 - DETROIT THEME:
1-6pm, Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort, TC. “The Ultimate Party in the Woods.” Enjoy a half-mile hike to the backwoods where the event will take place. Featuring two stages, live music by 2BAYSDJS, 20 beverage vendors & two food trucks. Beverage vendors include Blackrocks Brewery, Old Mission Distilling, Tandem Ciders, Trail Point, Panther Coffee, & many more. $40$50. eventbrite.com/e/suds-snow-2026-tickets-1976262715983?aff=erelexpmlt
VOICES OF THE LAND: A SAND COUNTY ALMANAC COMMUNITY READING:
1-4pm, Charlevoix Conservation District, 303 North St., Boyne City. Among the shores, pines & vivid skies of northern Michigan, we join voices to honor the land that holds us. Let Leopold’s words awaken a deeper ethic of care as our communities expand, our landscapes feel new pressures, & reaffirm a simple truth: to live here is to care for the land. RSVP: 231-582-6193. Free.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S FAERY TALE: (See Fri., March 6, except today’s times are 2pm & 7pm.) -
NWS: ANNA QUINDLEN: 2pm, TC Central High School. Anna is the author of many bestselling books including the #1 New York Times bestselling novel “Rise and Shine.” Today she talks about her book “More Than Enough” that explores how we find ourselves again & again through the relationships that define us. $10-$55. nationalwritersseries. org/author-event/anna-quindlen-2
SLUSH CUP: 2pm, Shanty Creek Resort, Ivan’s Alley, Bellaire. Skiers & riders attempt to cross an icy 40’ pond. Some take it to another level with crazy costumes. Registration begins at 9am at Ivan’s. Yard games run from 9am-4pm. A Costume Contest takes place at 1pm at Ivan’s. Awards are at 4pm at Ivan’s. facebook.com/events/1754887495469658
BENZIE PRIDE NETWORK PRESENTS “COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT”: 4pm, The Garden Theater, Frankfort. See this Academy Award nominated documentary. “Facing an incurable diagnosis, two poet lovers embark on a poignant yet unexpectedly humorous exploration of love, mortality, and life’s moments.” Free. gardentheater.org/comingsoon
COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES: BOBBY FLAY: CHAPTER ONE: 4pm, amical, TC.
March 2-8. Bobby Flay has left a significant mark on American cuisine with his innovative restaurants, cookbooks & TV shows. This cookbook compiles his most notable recipes from his career. amical.com/bfchapterone
A YOGA-INSPIRED PRACTICE FOR ALL AGES: 4:30pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. Facilitated by Crystal Woodward-Turner of Karasi Fitness and Healing Arts, this is a calming & restorative yoga-inspired practice infusing music, movement, & mindfulness intended to invigorate from the inside out, nurturing a lifestyle of love, peace & purpose. Free. tadl. org/event/karasi-yoga-program-29732
29TH ANNUAL HIBERNIAN ST. PATRICK’S PARTY: 7pm, K of C Hall, Gaylord. Irish music by The Pub Runners. Irish dancing by Hubbardston Dance Troupe. $20. gaylordchamber.com/events/details/29thannual-hibernian-st-patrick-s-party-13313
FUNDRAISER – GOOD ON PAPER: 7pm, Old Town Playhouse, Schmuckal Theatre, TC. Good on Paper is TC’s longest-running improv comedy troupe, creating comedy scenes based entirely on audience suggestions. Join as they partner with Old Town Playhouse for this FUNdraiser. $25. oldtownplayhouse.com/performances/specialevents/good-on-paper.html
BLISSFEST TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY
DANCE: 7:30pm, Littlefield/Alanson Community Building, Alanson. Music will be provided by Harbor Hoedown, with Larry Dyer calling. All dances taught (circles, contras, squares & more). No need to bring a partner. Potluck at 6:30pm. Bring table service & dish to pass. $10/person, $5/student, 12 & under free.
DOWNTOWN SOUND: WAKEFIRE: 7:3010:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. Drawing their sound from Celtic rock, Baroque pop, Americana, folk rock, & their own signature style they call Bohemian Cabaret, Wakefire turns timeless songs into something fresh while crafting original music. $10-$40. crookedtree.org/ events-and-exhibitions/events/?page=1&loc ation=petoskey#class-list
IMAGINE US: YO-YO MA & INTERLOCHEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS CELEBRATE AMERICA AT 250: SOLD OUT: 7:30pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma & conductor Cristian Macelaru join Interlochen Arts Academy students for a vibrant celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday & the power of the youth creative voice. Tickets start at $65. interlochen.org/events/imagine-us-yoyo-ma-interlochen-center-for-arts-celebrateamerica-250-2026-03-07
sunday
MAPLE SUGARING DAYS: (See Sat., March 7, except today starts at 11am.)
AAUW GAYLORD - 2026
WOMAN MAKING HISTORY LUNCHEON & SILENT AUCTION: 12:30-3pm, BJ’s Events Center, Gaylord. To celebrate March as “Women in History” month, AAUW Gaylord Area Branch honors Otsego County woman Judi A. Doan as the 2026 “Woman Making History” for her positive, groundbreaking impacts. $30. gaylordchamber.com/events/ details/aauw-gaylord-2026-woman-makinghistory-luncheon-silent-auction-13332
COOKBOOK DINNER SERIES: BOBBY FLAY: CHAPTER ONE: (See Mon., March 2)
DMC CONCERT: TÉADA: 6pm, Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. A traditional Irish band with a truly worldwide reach, Téada celebrates 25 years on the road in 2026. $25-$35. dennosmuseum. org/events/milliken
art
THE WORK OF ROCCO PISTO EXHIBIT: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. Runs March 6 - April 11. Opening reception on Fri., March 6 from 5-7pm. Modern Expressionism, spontaneity & abstraction in watercolor. See web site for hours. charlevoixcircle.org/classes-workshops
WE WILL NOT WHISPER: The Commongrounds Building & The Alluvion, TC. Alluvion Arts presents “We Will Not Whisper,” an exhibition featuring 19 female visual artists, collectively responding to the ongoing erosion of civil liberties & democratic institutions in America. Opens March 7, 5-7pm. On view through April 11. See web site for hours. thealluvion.org
OUT OF THE BOX - ELEVATED CIGAR BOXES: Higher Art Gallery, TC. “Out of The Box” is a group show & invitational featuring 30 artists. Cigar boxes have been elevated, transformed & turned into treasures. The exhibit runs through March 14. See web site for hours. higherartgallery.com
DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - NEW PERSPECTIVES: RECENT AQUISITIONS FROM THE DENNOS PERMANENT ART COLLECTION: Held in McFarlane Gallery through May 31. From new paintings & works on paper gifted through the Museum Exchange program to generous donations on behalf of museum members, friends, & NMC alumni, New Perspectives seeks to highlight convergent, as well as, divergent perspectives on contemporary art & collecting practices in the 21st century. See web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org
- TWELVE-BY-TWELVE: Runs through April 1. Created by students & faculty at Interlochen Arts Academy, every participant had to create something that would fit within an imaginary twelve-inch cube. They self-imposed this limit to discover what ideas those boundaries might produce. See web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org
- IMPRESSIONS OF AN ERA: PRINTS FROM THE DENISON MUSEUM COLLECTION: This selection of prints, created between 1970 & 1990 by nationally & internationally recognized contemporary artists, reflects two transformative decades in contemporary printmaking. Artists include Dee Shapiro, Barbara Kohl-Spiro, KUDO Muramasa & James Rizzi. Runs through May 31. See web site for hours. dennosmuseum.org
GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER:
- INTERIORS EXHIBITION: An exploration of inner spaces, both real & imagined, spaces of the home & of the mind. Runs through March 12. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org
- SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY HARVEY GORDON: Enjoy this exhibition of acrylic paintings held in the Lobby Gallery through April 23. See web site for hours. glenarborart.org
OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT:
- IMAGE MAKERS, THE ART OF ILLUSTRATION: Runs through March 28. Pen & ink, watercolor, pencil, gouache, whatever the media, the Illustrator is an artist with a story to tell. What is the difference between a painting & an illustration? This exhibition will explore the work of several artist-illustrators, their processes, differences, & similarities between art & illustration. See web site for hours. oliverart.org
Grand Traverse & Kalkaska
CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE WINERY, TC
4-6:
2/28 -- Swingbone North
3/7 -- Jeff Socia
ENCORE 201, TC
2/27-28 & 3/6-7 -- DJ Ricky T, 9
IDENTITY BREWING CO., TC
3/2 -- Vinyl Night w/ DJ E-Knuf, 5-8
3/3 -- TC Celtic, 6-8
3/5 -- Beyond Trivia!, 7-8:30
3/6 -- Rebekah Jon, 6-8
KILKENNY'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE, TC
9:30:
2/28 -- Lucas Paul
3/6 -- Scarkazm
3/7 -- Protea
KINGSLEY LOCAL BREWING
3/3 -- Open Mic Night, 6-9
3/5 -- Trivia Night w/ Marcus Anderson, 6:30-8:30
LEFT FOOT CHARLEY, TC BARREL ROOM:
3/2 -- Open Mic w/ Rob Coonrod, 6-9
MARI VINEYARDS, TC
2/28 -- John Piatek, 4-6
MIDDLECOAST BREWING CO., TC
3/6 -- Monday Night Wine, 7-9
MT. HOLIDAY, TC T-BAR & GRILL: 2/28 -- Apres Ski Live Music w/ Matt Mansfield, 2-5
NOCTURNAL BLOOM, TC
Thu -- Thurs. Night Trivia, 6
OLD MISSION DISTILLING, TC SEVEN HILLS:
2/28 -- Chris Sterr, 6
3/4 -- Music Bingo: 80s/90s, 6
3/6 -- Jeff Socia, 7
3/7 -- Brett Mitchell, 6
RARE BIRD BREWPUB, TC
3/3 -- Tuesday Trivia Night, 7-9
TC WHISKEY CO. - THE STILLHOUSE 6:
2/28 -- Elizabeth Landry
3/6 -- Chris Sterr
THE ALLUVION, TC
2/28 -- Interlochen In Town: An Evening of Woodwind Chamber Music w/ Piano, 7:30-9
3/2 -- Funky Uncle - Funky Fun Mondays, 6-8:30
3/3 -- Ship Yard Series: Agnes Su and Neutral on Rice, 6-8:30
3/5 -- The Jeff Haas Sextet feat. Lau-
Antrim & Charlevoix
rie Sears, Rob Smith & Chris Glassman + Lisa Flahive, 6-8:30
3/6 -- Laura Rain and the Caesars “The Soul of Detroit” wsg Dawn Campbell, 7:30-10
THE HAYLOFT INN, TC
2/27-28 -- Off Duty, 7:30-11
THE PARLOR, TC
2/28 -- Loren Kranz, 9
3/1 & 3/8 -- Music Bingo, 7
THE PUB, TC
2/28 -- Jeff Linsell, 8-11
3/2 -- Karaoke Mondays, 8
3/5 -- Music Bingo, 7:30-10:30
THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC
3/3 -- Open Mic w/ Zak Bunce, 6-9
3/4 -- DJ Bingo, 7-8:30
3/5 -- DJ Trivia, 7-9
3/6 -- Jazz Jam w/ Ron Getz Trio, 6-9
3/7 -- Zie Simmons, 7-10
3/8 -- Full Tilt Comedy Presents: Comedy Lab, 6-8
UNION STREET STATION, TC
2/28 -- Last Call w/ Kenny Olsen wsg
The Dopes, The Timebombs, The Ampersands, Stone Travelbee, Wink Solo, The Fridays, & Prim, 2
nitelife
Emmet & Cheboygan
BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY
3/7 -- Chase & Allie, 2-6
BRANDY'S HARBORTOWN, BAY HARBOR
2/28 -- Derek Boik, 5-8
CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY
3/3 -- Trivia Night, 7-9
3/6 -- Annex Karaoke, 9:30
GYPSY DISTILLERY, PETOSKEY
3/7 – M-22 Duo, 1; Nick Visconti, 2
INN BETWEEN, INDIAN RIVER
3/5 -- Mike Ridley, 4-7
NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY
2/28 -- Michelle Chenard, 7-10
3/2 -- Quiz Runners Trivia, 6-8
3/4 -- Singo Bingo: Big Hair Bands & 80's Rock, 6:30
3/6 -- Lara Fullford, 7-10
3/7 -- Holly Keller, 7-10
NORTHERN LIGHTS RECREATION, HARBOR SPRINGS
3/5 -- Trivia Night, 6:30-8:30
3/6 -- Pete Kehoe, 6:30-9:30
ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY VICTORIES, 9:
2/28 & 3/7 -- DJ T-Bone
3/6 -- DJ Hotkeys
POND HILL FARM, HARBOR SPRINGS
2/28 -- The Real Ingredients, 5-8
THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN
2/28 -- Ryan Cassidy, 7:30
3/6 -- Musicians Playground, 7-10
3/7 -- The Beau House Band, 8
THE HIGHLANDS AT HARBOR SPRINGS MAIN LODGE BACKYARD, NOON4:
2/28 -- DJ T-Bone
3/1 -- DJ Michael Wilford
SLOPESIDE LOUNGE: 2/28 -- Chris Calleja, 6-9 ZOO BAR:
2/28 -- The Remedee, 4-8
3/7 -- Yankee Station, 5
BC LANES, BOYNE CITY
2/28 – Yankee Station, 8
BOYNE CITY TAPROOM
3/5 -- Adam & The Cabana Boys, 7
BOYNE RIVER INN, BOYNE CITY
3/5 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7
CAFE SANTÉ, BOYNE CITY
2/28 & 3/7 -- Sean Bielby, 7-10
3/2 -- The Shifties, 6-9
3/6 -- The Fridays, 7-10
CHALFONTE THEATRE, ELK RAPIDS THE PLATFORM:
3/8 – Tannahill Weavers, 5
ETHANOLOGY DISTILLATION, ELK RAPIDS
2/28 -- 80s Dance Party with DJ Franck, 7-11
FIRESIDE LOUNGE, BELLAIRE
3/6 -- Nick Vasquez, 6-9:30
LOST CELLARS, CHARLEVOIX
3/1 & 3/8 -- Mastermind's Trivia, 4-6
MUSKRAT DISTILLING, BOYNE CITY
3/4 -- Karaoke Night, 8-11
SHANTY CREEK RESORT, BELLAIRE IVAN'S 3/7 -- Collision Six, 8-11
LAKEVIEW HOTEL, BELLAIRE BALLROOM:
2/28 -- Brena, 8-11
SHORT'S PUB, BELLAIRE
2/28 -- SLowtaKo, 8:30-10:30
3/4 -- Open Mic Night, 6-8
3/5 -- Trivia w/ DJ Trivia, 6-8
TORCH LAKE CAFE, CENTRAL LAKE
Thu -- Nick Vasquez, 6 Fri. & Sat. -- Leanna Collins & Ivan Greilick, 7
TOWN CLUB, ELK RAPIDS
3/4 -- Mike Ridley, 6-9
BEL LAGO VINEYARD, WINERY & CIDERY, CEDAR
5-7:
2/28 -- Jakob Abraham
3/7 -- Andre Villoch
BOATHOUSE VINEYARDS, LAKE LEELANAU
TASTING ROOM:
3/6 -- Jesse Jefferson, 5:30-8
CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, THOMPSONVILLE
SLOPESIDE TENT, NEAR CRYSTAL CLIPPER CHAIRLIFT:
2/28 -- Meg Gunia, 3-5
VISTA LOUNGE:
2/28 -- Drew Hale, 2-5; WSKF, 8-11
3/1 -- Jesse Jefferson, 2-5
3/6 -- Jakob Abraham, 2-5; Barefoot, 8-11
3/7 -- Chris Smith, 2-5; Barefoot, 8-11
3/8 -- Christopher Winkelmann, 2-5
FIVE SHORES BREWING, BEULAH
6-8:
3/2 -- Monday Music Trivia
3/5 -- Trivia Thursdays
FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR
3/5 -- Keith Scott, 3-6
IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE 5:30-7:30:
2/28 -- Charlie Arnett
3/6 – Kevin Paul
3/7 – Brian Curran
LAKE ANN BREWING CO.
2/28 -- Silver Creek Revival, 6:30
3/4 -- Open Mic Night Hosted by Johnathon North, 6:30-9:30
3/5 -- Trivia Night, 7-9
3/6 -- BooneDoggies, 6:30-9:30
ALPINE TAVERN & EATERY, GAYLORD
3/6 -- Mike Ridley, 6-9
3/5 -- Trivia Night, 7
3/7 -- Daydrinker's Series w/ Jim Crockett Band, 2:30-5:30; Little Dipper, 7-10
PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): In systems theory, “critical points” are moments when long periods of small changes gradually accumulate, and then suddenly erupt into a big shift. Nothing appears to happen for a while, and then everything happens at once. Ice becomes water, for instance. I suspect you’re nearing such a pivot, Pisces. You’ve been gathering strength, clarity, and nerve in subtle ways. Soon you will be visited by what we might call a graceful, manageable explosion. The slow, persistent changes you’ve been overseeing will result in a major transition.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In Scandinavian folklore, there's a phenomenon called utiseta. It involves sitting out at night in a charged place in nature, like a crossroads or border. The goal is to make oneself patiently available for visions, wisdom, or contact with spirits and ancestors. I suspect you could benefit from the equivalent of a utiseta right now, Leo. Do you dare to refrain from forcing solutions through sheer will? Are you brave enough to let answers wander into your midst instead of hunting them down? I believe your strength is your willingness to be still and wait in a threshold.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are a devotee of the sacred particular. While others traffic in vague abstractions, you understand that vitality thrives in the details. Your attention to nuance and precision is not fussiness but a form of love. I get excited to see you honor life by noticing all of its specific textures and rhythms! Now, more than ever, the world needs this superpower of yours. hope you will express it even stronger in the coming months. May you exult in the knowledge that your refusal to treat the world carelessly or sloppily isn’t about perfectionism but about respect.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): ): Architect Antoni Gaudí spent over 40 years designing Barcelona's Sagrada Família cathedral. He knew he wouldn't live to see it finished. It's still under construction today, long after his death. When he said, "My client is not in a hurry,” he meant that his client was God. I invite you to borrow this perspective, Libra. See how much fun you can have by releasing yourself from the tyranny of urgency. Grant yourself permission to concentrate on a process that might take a long time to unfold. What a generous and ultimately productive luxury it will be for you to align yourself with deep rhythms and relaxing visions! I believe your good work will require resoluteness that transcends conventional timelines.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The ancient Chinese philosophical text known as the Tao Te Ching teaches that "the usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness." A vessel full of itself can receive nothing. Is it possible that you are currently so crammed with opinions, strategies, and righteous certainty that you've lost some of your capacity to receive? I suspect there are wonders and marvels trying to reach you, Scorpio: insights, inquiries, and invitations. But they can't get in if you're full. Your assignment: Temporarily empty yourself. Create space by releasing cherished positions, a defensive stance, or stories about how things must be.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Yoruba concept of ashe refers to the power to make things happen. It’s the life force that flows through all things, and can be accumulated, directed, and shared. Right now, your ashe is strong but a bit scattered, Sagittarius. You have power, but it's diffused across too many commitments and half-pursued desires. So your assignment is to consolidate. Choose two things that matter most and fully pour your ashe into them. As you concentrate your vitality, you’ll get more done and become a conduit for blessings larger than yourself.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What’s holding you back? What are you waiting for?
A nudge from destiny? A breaking point when you’ll be compelled to act? A hidden clue that may or may not reveal itself? It’s my duty to tell you this: All that lingering and dallying, all that wishing and hoping, is wasted energy. As long as you’re
sitting still, pining for a cosmic deliverance to handle the hard parts, the sweet intervention will keep its distance. The instant you claim the authority to act, you’ll see it clearly: the path forward that doesn’t need a perfect sign, a final push, or fate’s permission slip.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you’re anything like me, you wince as you recall the lazy choices and careless passivity that speckle your past. You may wonder what you were thinking when you treated yourself so cavalierly, pushed away a steadfast ally, or let a dazzling invitation slip by. At times I feel as if my wrong turns carry more weight in my fate than the bright, grace-filled moments. Here's good news for you, though. March is Amnesty Month for all Aquarians willing to own up to and graduate from their missteps. As you work diligently to unwind the unhelpful patterns that led you off course, life will release you from the heavy drag of those old failures and their leftover momentum.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Many ancient cultures had myths that explained solar eclipses as celestial creatures eating the sun. In China, the devourer was a dragon. A frog did it in Vietnam, wolves in Norse lore, and bears in several Indigenous American legends. In some places, people made loud noises during the blackout, banging drums and pots, to drive away the attacker and bring back the sun. I suspect you are now in the midst of a metaphorical eclipse of your own, Aries. But don’t worry! Just as was true centuries ago, your sun won’t actually be gobbled up. Instead, here’s the likely scenario: You will rouse an appetite for transformation that will consume outdated ideas and situations. Whatever disintegrates will become fuel for new stories. You will convert old pain and decay into vital energy. Your luminous vigor will return even stronger.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Maybe you have been enjoying my advice for years but still haven’t become a billionaire, grown into a potent influencer, or landed the perfect job. Does that mean I’ve failed you? Should you swap me out for a more results-oriented oracle? If rewards like those are the dreams you treasure, then yes, it may be time to search for a new guide. But if what you want most is simply to cultivate the steady gratification of feeling real and whole and authentic, then stick with me. PS: The coming days are likely to offer you abundant opportunities to feel real and whole and authentic. Take advantage!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1557, a Welsh mathematician invented the equals sign (=) to avoid repeatedly writing the words “is equal to.” Over the next centuries, this helped make algebra more convenient and efficient. The moral of the story: Some breakthroughs come not from making novel discoveries but from finding better ways to render and use what’s already known. I’m pleased to say that you Geminis are primed to devise your own equivalents of the equals sign. What strengths might you express with greater crispness and efficiency? What familiar complications could you make easier? See if can find shortcuts that aid productivity without sacrificing precision.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): One benefit of being an astrologer is that when I need a break from being intensely myself, I can take a sabbatical. My familiarity with the zodiac frees me to escape the limits of my personal horoscope and play at being other signs. always return from my getaway with a renewed appreciation for the unique riddle that is my identity. I think now is an excellent time for Cancerians like you and me to enjoy such a vacation. We can have maximum fun and attract inspiring educational experiences by experimenting. plan to be like a Sagittarius and may also experiment with embodying Aries qualities.
“Jonesin”
Crosswords
"Free
ACROSS
1. Reach half a century (which yours truly will do in March!)
10. SI unit named for a Serb
15. Differently
16. How some bras are available for order, color-wise 17. Fuel that can be made from soybeans
18. Yarn
19. Shady character?
20. To a tee, slangily
22. Envelope acronym
23. Seafood restaurant item
24. Pixelated image, on old computer displays
26. Major label broken up in 2012
27. ___ Pacific University (Christian institution near L.A.)
30. Doctor (Richard Dreyfuss) antagonized by Bob (Bill Murray) in "What About Bob?"
32. White Stripes album named after a Dutch art movement
34. Not raw
35. Fair
36. Hill crest, in England (or "sack" lead-in)
37. Diversion using parts of speech
40. Low-cost carrier based in Kuala Lumpur
44. The current record for one is 275.97 knots
47. Time served
48. System that reads credit cards
49. Rolled snack?
51. "Let There Be ___ ... Ruff Ryders' First Lady" (1999 debut rap album)
52. Piz Bernina and Schreckhorn, for two
54. Live dangerously
56. Miss Piggy tagline
57. Tale of Troy that doesn't get to the Trojan Horse
59. Misleadingly named little pet
61. Ours in Tours
62. Area affected by plantar fasciitis
63. Promotional link
64. Enterprise is its flagship
DOWN
1. Words after "Good" or "Born"
2. Draw on
3. Diamond figure
4. Australian bushranger Kelly
5. "Looney Tunes" animator Freleng
6. "___ my sunglasses at night" (Corey Hart lyric)
7. Regarding money
8. Sleeping sickness vector
9. Summon loudly
10. Contracted agreement
11. They'll check your head
12. Ski town near Montpelier, on envelopes
13. Wyoming's only university town (so their website says)
14. "You pick which one"
21. Mocha resident
25. Detection systems
28. Snatched
29. Martial art involving wrist and elbow grips
31. Tear
33. Half of #33?
36. Counterpart of kanji and hiragana
37. Classic drawing program with Airbrush and Curve tools
38. Retroactively named space mission of 1967
39. Notwithstanding
41. Always, in Acapulco
42. Dunning focus
43. When some primetime shows are scheduled
45. Ache near the stapes, maybe
46. Roll call entry
50. Potato gadget
53. Wrapped garment
55. Domain
58. Woodchuck's home
60. Tight one
Ticket" another tricky themeless. by Matt Jones
NORTHERN EXPRESS
CLASSIFIEDS
FREE WEEKLY ORIGINAL HOT YOGA COMMUNITY CLASS: EVERY WED. @ 7:30PM - 845 S. GARFIELD AVE. ORIGINALHOTYOGATC.COM 231-392-4798
CHAROLAIS AUCTION: Special Charolais Sale Bulls, Heifers and Brood Cows will sell at St Louis Mi. sale Barn on March 6 at 12 Noon. VG Charolais Farm New Era, Mi. If your looking for a herd Bull a fancy heifer or a great Pg. brood cow you will want to be at this sale. For more info call 231 578 8456
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR SALE
Near TC Airport: Office Building 2432 Sq Ft. Warehouse 3200 Sq Ft. 820 Duell Rd TC 231620-1002
TRAVERSE CITY COTTAGE FOR RENT:
1 BR, Full Bath, Well Furnished, All Utilities Included, New Appliances, W/D, Parking, Nice Setting, Month-to-Month - One Year, A/C, No Pets; $1,600 per month. Call (231) 631-7512.
SEWING, ALTERATIONS, MENDING & REPAIRS. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248
SEASONAL FIELD TECHNICIANS We are seeking two Seasonal Field Technicians for the field season, May-Oct. This includes a Stewardship Technician and a Conservation Easement Technician. Apply by March 6, 2026. https://leelanauconservancy.org/about-us/work/
GEEK TRADER MARKET @ RIGHT BRAIN BREWERY, 2/28 2–9PM (event space behind brewery) Shop collectibles, D&D & tabletop games, VHS, toys, trading cards, retro finds & nerdy crafts. Drinks on tap, pizza & pinball. Geek out with us! https://www.geektradermarket.com/
VETERAN LUNCH AND LEARN
THURSDAY, MARCH 26 11:30AM-1PM FRIDAY, MAY 8 11:30AM-1PM
THURSDAY, JULY 16 11:30AM-1PM
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20 11:30AM-1PM
Veterans and surviving spouses, come enjoy a lunch buffet on us while learning about the benefits that are available to you! Call 231-995-6070 to register
