In reference to an article in the Feb. 24 issue, “Car Talk” by Ross Boissoneau, I would like to emphasize that the drop in EV sales is attributable to Tesla only. U.S. EV sales grew in 2024 with 700,000 sold in just the second half of 2024!
I purchased my EV last May and have never looked back. I searched out every dealership in the northern Michigan area from Petoskey to Grand Rapids, including Traverse City, but after contacting nearly 10 dealerships, I was out of luck. The RAV4 I was seeking was not available at any of them so I widened my search. Finding several in Illinois, Ohio, New York, and California with my particulars (year and mileage specifically), I flew to New York and purchased a car.
As a Cadillac resident, my daily commute is less than 10 miles; however, if I had to commute to say Reed City or even Traverse City that hybrid would get me there on electric power only. I would have to recharge at my office, but I would not need to burn gasoline either way.
When my electric battery runs out of power, it automatically switches over to the gas engine. I charge my vehicle at home using the standard 110 outlet in my garage. In addition, Consumers Energy has a program for EV owners to save money on their electric bill by switching you over to a three-tiered system. After 7pm, my rate drops, and after 9pm and on weekends, it drops even more. My electric bill has only increased by around $10 every month.
Also, as Boissoneau pointed out, battery technology is advancing in that the next generation of batteries will outlast the cars they power! Local dealerships need to step up and stock these vehicles.
Rose Clark | Cadillac
No More Hand Wringing
I visited Empire, Michigan, from St. Paul, Minnesota, last week. I have always enjoyed local newspapers from wherever I may be visiting. Mr. Bousamra’s column “Questionable Mandates” succinctly stated the feelings I (and I am sure a large number of us) are going through.
The current administration is uprooting and destroying the very basis of our country. Fears for those of us who listened to words coming out of #45 and now #47s mouth knew this was coming (while being told: “Oh, that is just Trump being Trump”) are becoming reality.
Lying, bullying and name calling are not acceptable in any of the households I remember growing up in. I would ask: “Would you allow #45/#47 to live in your household, teach your children?”
I can honestly say that “Tampon Tim” is a name call I think my Governor Walz should wear with pride. I would have appreciated non-embarrassments of that type of situation while attending school. I am proud he is my governor.
I could go on and on about the destruction of not only democratic foundations, but lives, livelihoods, communities, and morals, but I fear it would do no good. He has already accomplished a lot with the division of families in this country (I am not proud of having that distinction).
Thank you so very much for your column, Mr. Bousamra. It truly gives me hope that there are enough of us out
there to stop wringing our hands and start resisting (wringing hands will not save our democratic way of life). Russia is what we will soon become if we do not start resisting across the country.
Stacy Daniels | St. Paul, MN
Omitting Religion
Karen Mulvahill’s excellent column (March 10) contains one glaring historical omission: religion. By 1925, over 40,000 Protestant ministers had joined the Klan. In Pennsylvania, Texas, North Dakota, and Colorado, a Christian minister was the Grand Dragon of the entire state.
Many ministers preached pro-Klan sermons from their pulpits, turned churches over to Klan meetings, spoke at Klan rallies, and became national lecturers for Imperial Headquarters. Of the 39 Klokards, or national lecturers employed by the Klan, 26 were Fundamentalist Christian ministers.
Their modern counterparts exist today in groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, both involved in organizing the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. It has been Christian leaders like Ralph Reed, TV evangelist Hank Kunneman, Rev. Franklin Graham, Pastor Robert Jeffress, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Rev. Tony Suarez and their Christian followers and voters who believe in Christian dominion and Christian nationalism who have twice elevated Donald Trump to the Presidency.
Thomas Jefferson wisely prophesied the coming of someone like Trump when he stated: “Let us…get rid, while we may, those tyrannical [religious] laws. It is true, we are as yet secured against them by the spirit of the times. I doubt whether the people of this country would suffer an execution for heresy, or a three years imprisonment for not comprehending the mysteries of the Trinity….But…the spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may commence persecutor, and better men be his victims.”
Recall that our Founders rebelled against the Christian concept of the divine right of kings. Today Christians seek to overturn our Constitution and democracy. It never pays to ignore religion.
(Facts excerpted from The Second Coming of the KKK by Linda Gorden; quote from Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia)
Peter Bormuth | Traverse City
columns & stuff
Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com
Distribution Manager: Roger Racine Sales: Lisa Gillespie, Kim Murray, Kaitlyn Nance, Todd Norris, Abby Walton Porter, Michele Young For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948
Creative Director: Kyra Cross Poehlman
Distribution: Marc Morris, Gerald Morris, Dave Anderson, Joe Evancho, Jason Ritter, Sherri Ritter, Roger Racine, Sarah Racine, Brandy Grames, Rachel Cara, Jackson Price, Lisa Price, Peggy Bell Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold
Contributors: Joseph Beyer, Quinn De Vecchi, Solé Demuse, Anna Faller, Kailyn Groves, Isabelle Plamondon, Lainie Rintala, Tess Tarchak-Hiss, Stephen Tuttle
Copyright 2025, all rights reserved. Distribution: 36,000 copies at 600+ locations weekly. Northern Express Weekly is free of charge, but no person may take more than one copy of each weekly issue without written permission of Northern Express Weekly. Reproduction of all content without permission of the publisher is prohibited.
SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Keep your letter to 300 words or less, send no more than one per month, include your name/address/phone number, understand it may be further edited. That’s it.
Email info@northernexpress.com and hit send!
top ten
The Blue Economy
We all know our Great Lakes are one of Michigan’s most important natural assets, but they also constitute 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water. That puts Michigan on the global water map when it comes to sustainability, technology, and water-related economic growth. The Traverse City International Affairs Forum will be diving in (pun intended) with The Blue Economy: Michigan’s Global Role event held on March 20 at 6:30pm at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium. You’ll hear from John C. Austin, director of the Michigan Economic Center at the University of Michigan; Frank Ettawageshik, executive director of the United Tribes of Michigan; and John Lutchko, director of the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute at NMC. In-person tickets are $15, $10 for virtual, and free for students, educators, active-duty military service members, and IAF members. Learn more at tciaf. com/event-march-2025.
2 tastemaker
India Garden’s Chicken Butter Makhani
In early January, India Garden opened its doors in downtown Traverse City, and they’ve been slinging authentic Indian dishes for lunch and dinner ever since. The crowd favorite thus far is the Chicken Butter Makhani, also known as Butter Chicken ($16.95). Tender, flavorful chicken combines with a rich, buttery tomato sauce simmered with your favorite Indian spices for a dish that feels utterly decadent, even on your lunch break. The chicken comes with basmati rice, and we recommend adding on an order of the Garlic Naan ($3.49) to soak up every delicious bite. (P.S. You can find other Butter Makhani versions on the menu, including lamb, goat, shrimp, and salmon.) Find India Garden in the old Scalawag’s building at 303 E State Street in TC, or order online at indiagrdn.com.
Jammin’ with JigJam
Need more St. Patrick Day’s fun? Well, “when virtuoso Irish playing jumps the pond running naked through the fields of bluegrass/Americana,” you get JigJam! This iGrass (Irish/bluegrass) quartet takes the stage at The Cheboygan Opera House on Saturday, March 22, at 7pm. Tickets range from $15-$30 at theoperahouse.org
4
Hey, read It! The Note
It’s been a tough few years for good girlturned-big city prosecutor May Hanover. First, there was her not-so-voluntary departure from the D.A.’s office, followed by COVID’s isolation, and—the cherry on top—the viral video of her brush with racism on the subway, all but rebranding her as #AsianDAKaren. In fact, all that’s getting her by these days is a group chat with her oldest friends, Kelsey and Lauren. The trio first met as teens at camp, and after years spent living separate lives are finally reuniting for a bougie girls’ weekend in the Hamptons… that is, until a drunken prank leads to a missing person investigation. As terrible secrets start to spill out, everything, including their hard-won friendship, hangs in the balance. Everyone’s got something to hide in bestselling author Alafair Burke’s deliciously-twisty new novel, The Note.
5
SATURDAY, MARCH 29•6PM-9PM
Laugh, Dance, Repeat 6
Ethanology in Elk Rapids has a lively weekend ahead. First up, on Friday, March 21, professional comics take the stage while you sip on the distillery’s hyper-local spirits. Ray Roberts opens the show at 7pm, with a style that is “light and fun while still talking about the big stuff you’re not supposed to talk about at dinner but do anyways.” Headliner, 25-year comedy veteran, and firefighter David Dyer follows. (You may recognize him from The Bob and Tom Show comedy tour.) Tickets are $10 at the door. Then, on Saturday, March 22, dance the night away at the Up North Pride Silent Disco, with two dueling DJs spinning from 7-11pm. Tickets are $20 plus fees at mynorthtickets.com, and 50 percent of all ticket sales go to support UNP. See all their upcoming events at ethanologydistillation.com/events.
Fighting Back Against Invasive Species
The Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program has grated $3.6 million to 32 projects across the state to fight invasive species in our lands and waterways. More than $700,000 of that total is headed to northern Michigan. The Benzie Conservation District received $89,900 for their Aquatic Invasive Species Pathways Program, which hosts free boat wash events and provides educational materials. Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network, which serves Benzie, Grant Traverse, Leelanau, and Manistee counties, received $82,000 to support their general efforts plus $298,300 to expand their Go Beyond Beauty project—which encourages people to plant native species in home gardening and landscaping—throughout the state. CAKE Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (that’s Charlevoix, Antrim, Kalkaska, and Emmet counties) got $70,000 in core funding plus $165,000 to fight the hemlock woolly adelgid infestations on public and private lands. See more at michigan.gov/invasives.
Stuff We Love: Running with Friends
Oh, So Lucky
March 14 - 23 | Irish Pop-up Restaurant March 21 - 30 | Staycation Deals
LUCKY MARCH | Food & Drink Features
Trivia Night | Karaoke | Happy Hour
Bottoms Up
Hemlock Wooly Adelgid; Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
A BRIDGE TOO FAR
spectator By steven Tuttle
Michigan has always been a bit of a mecca for campers; put up a tent, build a fire, head out on a hike or to the beach, and enjoy all that Michigan nature has to offer. We’ve provided plenty of opportunities for our adventuresome residents and visitors.
Michigan has 103 state parks and recreation areas and, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), those locations saw 35 million visitors in 2024, a slight increase over 2023. Ludington State Park had the most visits, but our own Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park had the most reservations with nearly 12,000.
US-31. One assumes there would also be significant costs associated with a new pedestrian bridge.
MDOT instead intends to create a streetlevel pedestrian light and crossing. The risk factor will be significant. Apparently they have not spent much time observing how both locals and our numerous visitors choose to cross streets, especially in the summer. Not everybody politely goes to the light and then politely waits their turn. In town, with slower traffic, most of us can stop for the jaywalkers, but US-31 traffic likes to move faster, and vehicle pedestrian
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) tells us there is no way to replace the bridge with one that is ADA compliant because there is simply no room, especially on the north side of US-31.
(Keith J. Charters, a Traverse City resident, was the longest serving chair of the Natural Resources Commission and also served 20 years on the board of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust. His name was added to the park in 2011.)
Like anything receiving lots of use over a long period, these parks need the occasional upgrades or improvements or just significant maintenance. That’s the case with our state park, which will close for $8.5 million worth of upgrades starting July 7 of this year and will not reopen until the 2027 camping season, though the state park beach will remain open during the construction.
There will be a new, expanded entrance, a new headquarters, a new alignment of the intersection with Three Mile Road so it will be aligned with the beach entrance, and a new waste collection area. That all sounds perfectly reasonable.
Unfortunately, the upgrades will also include the removal of some 300 trees. Removing trees is practically a plague in these parts, as it seems every time something goes up, is expanded, or improved, trees come down. Let’s assume this culling is necessary and that other trees and the park will ultimately benefit. Besides, there is a more serious issue.
Among the changes will be the removal of the pedestrian bridge now crossing US-31 that makes it easier and infinitely safer for most campers to get back and forth from the campgrounds to the beach. True enough the bridge is old, likely needs repairs, and, regrettably, is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as there is no ramp, only stairs.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) tells us there is no way to replace the bridge with one that is ADA compliant because there is simply no room, especially on the north side of
interfaces will be unkind for those on foot. Additionally, yet another light along that stretch will add even more frustration in an area where there is already significant traffic congestion. Frustrated drivers and impatient vacationing pedestrians with their kids trying to get to the beach quickly are not a good combination at all.
And that bridge now being torn down is heavily used. As reported in The Ticker, a DNR survey found that 83 percent of state park campers used that bridge getting back and forth to the beach or the restaurants and shops on the north side of the highway at that location. That is thousands of bridge crossings safely above the traffic now relegated to street level and no real safety at all. What could possibly go wrong?
It’s not as if pedestrian fatalities are somehow insignificant. There were 183 pedestrians killed in Michigan in 2023, the highest number in a decade, and another 1,743 pedestrians were injured, an increase of 11 percent from 2022. (2024 numbers aren’t yet finalized.) Nationally, after a recordbreaking 2022, pedestrian fatalities fell to just over 7,300 according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Another 65,000 plus were injured, the majority of whom were children under the age of 18.
A better idea might have been to repair the bridge and then figure a way to help those who can’t use it to get across US-31. There needs to be a better solution than putting thousands of people at risk crossing at street level during the busiest time of the year.
We’re told saving the elevated crossing was a bridge too far. We wonder if clever engineers or forward thinkers couldn’t have come up with a better idea than putting all those people on foot, crossing US-31 while relying on frustrated drivers to behave themselves.
FOSTERING NEW FEMALE SPACES ON THE NET
Guest opinion
by Tess Tarchak-Hiss
My mother’s worst nightmare had come true: I had lice.
I got lice at the ripe old age of 12, posing two questions: First, can middle schoolers even get lice? And second, how did this even happen?
At the time, we’d been stuck in COVID quarantine for a month. I was placed in double isolation, walking around my house with a hairnet—looking like Chris Farley in SNL’s “Lunch Lady” skit—to prevent any jumping joys from making an escape.
Despite the drawbacks, there was an upside: Nobody from school knew I was cursed, and no anonymous alarm was sent out to the parents of my peers that “so-and-so” had lice. I was saved from the embarrassment and the shunning.
However, I was not saved from countless hours under piercing white lights, sitting on the floor in the bathroom while my mom rooted out my infestation. To prevent my squiggling, an iPod Touch was thrown into my hands. An iPod Touch with three worthy apps: Subway Surfers, Bitlife, and YouTube.
I’ve always adored video games—Sims, Animal Crossing, Sonic, Pokémon, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, you name it. Cute animals and a fun house to decorate? Sign me up. Through these games, I developed a further sense of creativity. I made stories about my villagers in Minecraft and mapped out my Animal Crossing island on the big poster board intended for my pre-COVID science project. Despite being stuck indoors, my world was large as my imagination ran rampant.
My mother, who was a survivor of Sims addiction back in her day, was hands-off regarding what I played. Working from home, she had priorities, and her daughter’s screen time was not one of them. At the time, the fear of being judged by my real-life friends over the lice situation was immense. Despite that, I wanted a community—I wanted a frequent force in my life I could admire, whom I could share a common interest with. I turned to YouTube to find those figures.
Female gamers on online platforms get a horrible reputation. On account of a few bad apples, a stereotype is perpetuated that all women who play video games are moneyhungry, overly sexual, clout chasers. I, and many others my age, found comfort in a specific group of women who knocked down these assertions and provided safe spaces.
These spaces were uplifting to awkward tweenage girls, embracing different backgrounds, interests, and various levels of weirdness. Watching YouTubers such as IHasCupquake, LaurenZside, LDShadowlady, and StacyPlays provided millions with warmth equivalent to a hug in a time where the closest physical interaction one could have was waving at the UPS driver dropping off a package at the top of the driveway.
These women fostered motherlike admiration from their fans, proving that women could be their most authentic selves in male-dominated spaces. Mai Lantz, a sophomore at Traverse City West Senior High, grew up watching these women and continues to incorporate their messages of originality and resilience in how she sees the world.
“There was a lot of guardianship that they provided when I was looking for a figure like that,” Lantz says. “They were parental figures to me—I wanted to be as strong and creative and as funny as they were. They showed me possibilities through my screen. These women, I always thought they were just extremely strong, because it takes a lot to put yourself out there, especially on the internet, especially as a woman. But they put themselves out there and were relentlessly harassed because of it.”
According to womeningames.org, “Some 59% of gamers who are women and girls have experienced some form of toxicity from male gamers, with 28% saying that they experience this regularly online.”
That’s not the only dark side to gaming. Online video games, despite immersive storytelling and visual elements, despite the community they build, despite the creativity that lurches out of it, cannot replace real life.
“It’s a whole different thing when you’re depending on a video game solely for your happiness. It puts a dent in how you learn, how you see things, and how you interact with people. Some people start depending so much on these games. Especially when it’s the only thing you have, and it’s the only thing you have to live through. It can be a positive and a negative. It’s a way for people to distract themselves from what they’re going through,” Lantz says.
Even though video games provide dopamine to doomscrollers and dungeon dwellers alike, finding a balance between Call of Duty lobbies and the outside world is key. The communities these female gamers assembled, while helping mold middle school girls into independent and eccentric young women, helped bridge some of these “chronically online” behaviors.
After the lockdown, we took what we’d learned online into normal life, looking for friends who were similarly drawn to women gamers who exhibited strength and spunk and passed it down to their viewers. Now, we viewers have developed our own trademark moxie, become the next generation of gaming role models, and built and embraced communities of our own.
Tess Tarchak-Hiss is currently a junior at Traverse City West Senior High. She explores the world around her by writing at her dining room table while listening to Wiz Khalifa.
7:30 PM
TICKETS $10 - $40
FOR INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE TICKETS
RAMSDELLTHEATRE.ORG
MANISTEE, MICHIGAN
Wait, What?
The owner of a Brazilian restaurant in Altrincham, England, was stumped on Feb. 20 after a sink worth 150 British pounds disappeared from the women's restroom, The Manchester Evening News reported. The theft was noted during a routine restroom inspection, said Robert Melman, and when staff reviewed the CCTV, they saw a woman come into the restaurant and head straight for the bathroom. Moments later, she walked out with something big in her bag. "I've had people steal lots of things over the years," Melman said, "but never something like this. This is quite unusual. All we could do was laugh."
What's in a Name?
suffers from a crippling fear of a common condiment: mortuusequusphobia, or fear of ketchup. The New York Post reported on Feb. 20 that Woodman likens seeing ketchup with "being held at gunpoint" on the trauma scale. "I can't even look at a bottle or have it anywhere near me," she said. "It makes me feel panicky." While her mother claims Woodman liked ketchup as a child, she can't remember a time when the popular condiment didn't upset her.
It's Good To Have a Hobby?
After authorities in Keene, New Hampshire, arrested Kelli Tedford, 23, on Feb. 21 for urinating on a variety of grocery products at the Monadnock Food Co-op, they discovered that her odd hobby goes back at least four years. NBC News reported that Tedford tainted produce and other items to the tune of $1,500 for the groceries and cleanup. Then police found online videos dating back to 2021 depicting Tedford in multiple locations, relieving herself on produce, surfaces and other objects. She was charged with felony criminal mischief and released on her own recognizance -- so she'll be able to piddle in public until April 7, when she's next due in court.
Recent Alarming Headline
When Nontra Null, 41, of Burbank, California, tried to apply for a visa to attend a friend's wedding in India, she kept getting the same response: The computer couldn't process the application. Turns out "null" is a troublesome name when it comes to filling out online forms. Yahoo! News reported on Feb. 23 that when "null" is entered in a field, it essentially means, well, nothing. Jan Null, a 75-year-old meteorologist, learned to reserve hotel rooms adding his first initial to his last name, and security auditor Joseph Tartaro, whose vanity license plate reads NULL, keeps getting random traffic tickets from all over the United States. Modern software has addressed the problem, but not everyone has upgraded, one tech researcher noted. Jason Kilburn of Omaha, Nebraska, learned about his daughter, Caroline, only after she was born, he told NBC News on Feb. 24. At her birth in November 2022, her mother had her placed with a foster family, but before that could happen, the baby received a certificate of live birth with a bizarre name: Unakite Thirteen Hotel. Kilburn was told it was a "computergenerated name." Now, as Kilburn raises Caroline and tries to get a birth certificate with her given name, he's stuck in a "circuitous, bureaucratic loop." Without the birth certificate and a Social Security number, he can't secure health insurance or child care. Just to get a routine checkup, Kilburn has to pay about $700 out of pocket. "It's not like I'm trying to pull something here," he said. "This is stuff she's entitled to as any American is." The Social Security Administration has issued a Social Security number, albeit with the original unusual name, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is working with Kilburn to straighten out Caroline's mess.
Update
Last week, News of the Weird reported about mysterious QR code stickers appearing on gravestones in Munich, Germany. The denouement is much less interesting than the mystery: The New York Times reported on Feb. 20 that a local business had been contracted to clean and maintain certain graves, and workers had used the stickers to help them keep track of which graves they had worked on. "We are a large company," said Alfred Zanker, a senior manager at the unnamed company. "Everything has to happen in an orderly manner."
Phobia Report
Leigh Woodman, 32, of Bristol, England,
Mitchell Ring and his wife, Jennifer Colin, were flying from Melbourne, Australia, to Doha, Qatar, in mid-February when another passenger on their flight collapsed and died, The New York Times reported. The crew tried to revive the woman, but eventually opted to put her body in a wheelchair and try to move it to business class, Ring said -- but the chair wouldn't fit up the aisle. That's when Ring, who was sharing a four-seat row with Colin, was asked to move over so they could place the deceased woman in the seat next to him. Colin ended up moving to a different row: "I'm not a great flyer at the best of times," she said. Ring endured the four remaining hours of the flight sitting next to the corpse, which was covered by a blanket. The International Air Transport Association confirmed that the flight attendants did the right thing; the deceased should be covered and strapped in with a seatbelt.
Least Competent Criminals
Some people just can't shut up. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced on Feb. 25 that it had settled a case of illegal possession of remains of an endangered species, KCRA-TV reported. The investigation began in late 2023 when two plainclothes CDFW officers were on a flight and struck up a conversation with a couple seated near them. The couple admitted to having a green sea turtle skull in their luggage -- a species that is endangered and illegal to possess and transport in the U.S. The couple went on to brag about having taken a mountain lion, protected in California, and a family member's possession of multiple taxidermied mountain lions, a wolverine and wolves. After landing, the officers filed search warrants on the couple's home in Chico, as well as the family member's home in Napa. The searches turned up more illegal species. All three defendants reached plea deals and were convicted of various violations.
Guest opinion
by Lainie Rintala
According to a survey by Common Sense Media, only one in five teens spend time reading for pleasure each day. However, teens spend an average of seven to 10 hours a day on social media. As a teen who indulges in both of those activities, I find these statistics troubling but not surprising.
Phone addiction is a real pandemic, especially in young generations, and I believe that one of the best ways to counteract this is by reading.
As a teenager who has grown up as social media has skyrocketed, I often find myself in cycles of endless scrolling. I know it’s not good for my mental health whenever I scroll for hours, but sometimes I can’t help it. The ways that it stimulates my brain just feels so addicting.
My mom is an English teacher, so naturally, when she sees me in these slumps, her first response is that I should pick up a book.
Many kids find that their parents tend to use phones as an excuse for all kinds of problems, even when it seems irrelevant. If you get a bad grade on a test, it’s because you’re on your phone too much. If you feel sad or mad, it’s because you’re on your phone too much. Although I also find this ideology frustrating, I admit that it does hold truth as well.
I know from personal experience how social media depreciates mental health. I notice how much my anxiety increases and how little motivation I feel to do anything else. If teens picked up a book instead of their phone every time they wanted to scroll, I believe that not only would their mental health improve, but their happiness, too.
However, even from a psychological standpoint, this is much easier said than done. Social media apps have trained our brains to expect that we should receive dopamine hits in a few seconds. Reading cannot provide that same instant gratification, even though it makes your mind and body feel much better in the long run. Scrolling on apps like TikTok every day lessens attention spans, making it harder to focus on a book and easier to get distracted. That is why these habits must be broken.
However, it is not entirely the kids’ fault. Parents are arguably the most influential people in their kids’ lives and serve as constant role models. If parents don’t set good examples of reading habits, their kids are much less likely to pick up a book.
As I mentioned, my mom is an English teacher and is always reading at any chance she gets. I am grateful that she has shown me how exhilarating reading can
be and how important it is to find genres and books you like, because then you are unstoppable. Although I got my constant worry and anxiety about things I can’t control from her, I also learned the best way to cope and escape those thoughts from her example.
There are seemingly endless different genres of books available to read, and when one finds the kind of books they enjoy reading, they are much more inclined to read in their free time.
One of my favorite genres to read is romance because the slow burn of the characters’ relationship development always keeps me wanting more to see where their story ends up. Reading historical fiction allows me to immerse myself in a different time period and challenge my mind to put myself in their shoes and imagine what life might have been like if I lived then, too. Another genre I enjoy reading is realistic fiction because it includes situations that feel like they could happen to me, and allows me to apply the lessons learned in the book to my life.
I am not the only one who has noticed the positive benefits of indulging in a good book. It is scientifically proven that the ways reading stimulates the brain can be beneficial in many ways.
Bibliotherapy refers to the use of reading material to help alleviate mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and grief. Bibliotherapy is used by many health practitioners and has been found to be sometimes more effective than more traditional forms of therapy. The simple act of reading can even be used to heal or treat patients suffering from dementia and psychosis.
There are many ways that society can attempt to get teens to read more. An article by Psychology Today highlighted an initiative in place in Baltimore to take these steps. Local organizations in Baltimore organized One Book Baltimore, which allows for 7th and 8th graders to all read the same book, producing conversations around important topics and connecting the community’s youth through reading. Programs like this also help to solve the issue of isolation that can often be a result of social media use.
Although all teens are in different circumstances, I am confident that if everyone made an effort to read for 15 minutes every day, they would notice so many differences in how they feel both mentally and physically. Maybe then we would start to crave reading more than scrolling on social media.
Lainie Rintala is a sophomore at TC West and enjoys playing tennis, golf, reading, and writing in her free time.
$100,000 over 000
If you love playing slots, then you’re going to love playing our slot tournaments in March!
all participants will win cash prizes!
Saturdays March 15, 22, & 29 9am-2pm fridays March 14, 21, & 28 4pm-10pm
Journalism is at an inflection point in the 21st century. Local newspapers are closing at a rate of 2.5 per week. News deserts are popping up in towns and counties across the nation. Social media is driving misinformation. Reporters are leaving oncerevered papers like The Washington Post to start new, independent news efforts online. Where is journalism heading? What should be preserved and what needs to adapt? What role will reporters play five, 10, or 50 years from now?
With the exception of our usual columns and special sections like the Top 10 or the crossword, this entire issue has been written by students in northern Michigan. Here’s what more than 30 students from North Ed Career Tech Center, Traverse City Central High School, and Interlochen Arts Academy had to say about the future of journalism.
Speaking Truth to Power
“The future will blow up the amount of news we take in, almost destroying the ability for people to easily find the truth. We should have less news, but more accurate news. Quality over quantity.” – Joshuah V.
“Journalism should be something with 100 percent freedom of speech with no punishment or judgement whatsoever.” –Jordan T.
“I think that the field of journalism, though it is constantly changing in its medium, will continue to carry the same core ideals and values that it has carried since the formation of the United States of America. Journalism is vital in maintaining an informed public, and though it will likely become social media based, it should always work to uncover deceit and to illuminate strife.” – Bridget B.
“The future of journalism should move beyond the illusion of neutrality, embracing its role as a historical record and an influence over it. Journalists might recognize their work as an act of world-making, where transparency about biases and the structures they serve becomes more valuable than the pretense of having none at all.” – Alice S.
Avoiding Bias & Misinformation
“Journalism should be fearless and uncensored, focused on truth over comfort—protecting facts instead of feelings.” – Nyah “I think that with the amount of things happening in the world right now, paired with the amount of misinformation being spread, we should see an increase in unbiased, fact-based journalism.” – Chloe
“Journalism (generally) is and always should be a source that delivers the absolute truth to the general public, and should be the catalyst for others to make their own opinions.” – Kaihe
“Journalism should be unbiased, free, accessible reporting with sources available for review and should not cater to one specific demographic.” – Sam
“Journalism should be completely facts and not opinions leaning one way or another, or if there is an opinion it should be stated as such. We should see both sides represented better.” – Annabelle
“Journalism should be improving in the future as in having no bias and the correct facts, but it seems that there are many sources that cater to people’s ideas, and whether those ideas are harmful or not doesn’t seem to matter, as long as these sources are being funded.” – Aiden
“There should be a larger focus on honesty compared to how it is as of now.” –Kaleb L.
“A blossoming community where diligence and facts prevail over fake news or exaggerations.” – Finn K.
“I think that journalism has become this really convoluted and political field. I think we should go back to reporting facts, unless it’s an opinion article. Especially with the internet and social media becoming more popular, it’s a lot easier for people to come across biased pieces of media that may have misinformation.” – Parker Z.
“Using the critical thinking skills we’ve learned to be able to decipher fake or poor journalism from real, we can filter the good sources.” – Jade M.
“Journalism on a larger scale should be fair to people, and should refrain from
generalizing certain situations, as that creates ignorance and finger-pointing. Stories should definitely refrain from exaggeration (by giving factual information) and giving commentary only in areas labeled as so. Journalists should be respectful, patient, and human. … Balanced bias would be good, too.” – Morgan H.
Standing Strong Against Outside Influences
“As a fourth estate, journalism should be outside the influence of any object or institution, it should pursue the truth beyond all other things.” – Sydney
“I’m worried about corrupt corporations/politicians infiltrating our news stations more than they already do. If they got paid enough, would they say/ advertise anything on the news without question?” – Kacie
“Unfortunately, I can see journalism catering towards corporations and elites rather than the people due to the increasing amount of corruption in our government becoming a cultural norm.” – Eily
“In my opinion, journalism should be uninfluenced by the money of people in power.” – Alex
“It seems that, going forward, journalists
are going to face more and more pressure regarding what they should be writing; however, should journalists lose their freedom, it will be easier for people with power to control the worldvie ws of those who consume the news.” – Lola
“I feel that the field of journalism could become a key component in how society will continue to function. It should at least clarify what new government policies will do and simplify the terms they are written in so that the general public can understand what policies are going into effect. I worry that it could be threatened or jeopardized by policies or politicians that begin to take power.” – Sean Humphrey
Changing with the Times
“Local journalism will slowly die; there will be a lot of big news outlets and mainly two different sides. If we try to support these local news outlets, we can save them because I believe they are essential to journalism.” – Elijah I.
“AI technology will greatly impact journalism in the future and change it in both negative and positive ways. There could be a rise in misinformation, ‘filter bubbles,’ and the loss of jobs and the human touch if we over rely on AI models in journalism.” – Evan W.
“I think that journalism could fully shift to being only online because most people are chronically online. News should be unbiased and the full truth.” – Hunter
“The next generations seem to rely heavily on social media to get their ‘news’ without much for fact-checking. I feel that having
more accredited news sources on those platforms could spark the next generations to pay more attention. Having links to read full articles attached to those short news clips could prove effective.” – Isabelle
“The field of journalism probably should continue thriving with the new growth of technology.” – Myah M.
“The future of journalism should strive to adapt by appealing to the younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences by moving towards unbiased, fact-based journalism, as well as leaning towards more short-form, entertaining content.” – M
“Journalism should appeal to younger audiences, as youth is our future and the next voice, so it will be more geared toward social media.” – Rosie C.
“I believe the field of journalism should grow to be something more appreciated in the world—something that more people view as a fun and interesting hobby rather than a boring, forced, unimportant activity. It should be a world where people feel happy and comfortable expressing themselves in various ways.” – Leo M.
“At the very least, I want it to remain alive in our world. So many things threaten
journalism as a whole, and I think that it’s an extremely important part of society and culture. It allows us as U.S. citizens to practice that ‘freedom of press’ right to express information to our audience. Additionally, journalism is fun! Not only do we write, but we also create. Journalism is a form of art— any writing is. However, this genre of art is not only for us to enjoy and reflect upon, but for the world to witness.” – Eliana H.
“I believe that the field of journalism should be a place curated to allow each person to freely express themselves through their writing, without being afraid of the ambush from opposers. Oftentimes people feel restricted, censoring themselves but writing should be seen as a gift of expression and creativity.” – Elaina C.
Telling Important Stories
NOT SAFE, NOT OKAY
Students speak out about the impact of gun violence
By Quinn De Vecchi Interlochen Arts Academy
The day of my first school shooting drill was when I was nine years old, a week after the Parkland shooting. My elementary school was in Hollywood, Florida, 30 minutes away from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The first time I hid under my desk, I thought it was a game. But then, when the emergency lights were flashing, I looked up, and there, covered in blood-red light, was another nine-year-old student. He was covering his mouth with his tiny hands, and silently crying.
When I was fifteen, I did my first active shooter drill at my boarding high school in Interlochen, Michigan. In a closed off community like mine, it felt like a school shooting could never happen.
By the Numbers
The truth is, the fear of a school shooting, even at a boarding school, is real. Everytown, a gun violence prevention organization, wrote that in a typical year, around 1,421 people die from guns in Michigan. This is compared to a staggering national number of 45,738 deaths annually.
Stated on their “Everystat” website (which focuses on gun violence statistics), “Michigan has the 27thhighest rate of gun deaths in the US.”
Of those initial 1,421 people in Michigan, 115 of them are children and teenagers. Twenty-nine percent of the 115 (33 children and teens) die by guns used in suicides. Sixty-seven percent of that 115 (74 children and teens) die from gun homicides. Nationally, over 4,320 kids die every year from gun violence.
Gun violence doesn’t just stem from school shootings. Many deaths from guns (especially with children) happen unintentionally. Misfires, unlocked safes, and loaded guns in homes are some of the major reasons. Accidental gun deaths happen because of the lackluster safety regulations on gun handling. One way that parents and families can make sure to keep their children safe from accidental gun violence is locking their guns. Gun safes are a great way to store guns and keep them away from any unwanted users. Gun locks, locking a gun so it can only be accessed via a code or key, are another way to have a gun kept away without having to invest in a large safe.
Three Codes
Another helpful option is joining gun prevention organizations, such as Everytown’s child groups,
SDA Students at a walk-out in Nashville.
Moms Demand Action (MDA) and Students Demand Action (SDA). Both organizations are nonprofits and activism focused, catering to parents and students with an interest in confronting gun violence in the United States.
In the fall of 2023, Interlochen Arts Academy (IAA) hosted a club fair in which the starting chapter of SDA announced themselves. At first, IAA’s SDA only had around five members. Now, more than a year later, there are over 17 of us. While the growing numbers may seem minimal, introducing students to activism work related to gun violence is an increasingly difficult task.
I talked with my close friend, and one of the founding members alongside me for SDA, Soph Stenz, about the threat of gun violence. Soph is the Student Lead of the SDA chapter on campus. She is a senior musical theatre major, and is graduating in the spring. Soph introduced me to a code her mother had taught her years ago in the event of a school shooting.
Soph’s mother, a public school occupational therapist for over 10 years, “wanted to develop a messaging system to communicate status quickly” in times of need.
“The first code was ‘safe and okay.’ So, if I heard something from [the news] about a school shooting, somewhere where my mom was, it’s so I wouldn’t go into an instant panic,” Soph explains. “The next one was ‘not safe, but okay’—which meant, ‘I’m still in the building. The police have been notified.’”
Then Soph says, “The last one was ‘not safe, not okay…I love you.’”
“The third code meant someone next to you was bleeding, you were bleeding, the gunshots…the screams were right next to you. And the next moments weren’t guaranteed,” Soph admits. “I had always heard of gun violence when I was little. But hearing my mom say those words in junior high, and then she’s had to use those codes before…that really started my passion for Students Demand Action.”
Soph does frequent activist work when off campus, and plans to dedicate her time in college to SDA and protesting gun violence.
It Can Happen to Anyone
SDA’s club advisor is also IAA’s Instructor of History and Political Science, Brian McCall. McCall has been working at IAA since 1998. He has taught at a myriad of colleges, has served as the president of the Benzie Area Historical Society Board of Directors, the vice president of the Traverse Area Historical Society, and as the board secretary of the Michigan Legacy Art Park.
“In my first year of teaching…we had just gotten TVs installed in classrooms. And I turned on the TV in between classes, and this was in the spring of 1999, and the mass murder at Columbine was happening,” McCall tells me.
“I was teaching a political science class, so I was torn…‘Should I turn off the TV and start class?’ and then the kids walked in, and we’d never seen anything like this.”
“But I made a decision to keep the TV on, and we just sat and watched it. We watched the kids be evacuated…It was very sobering,” McCall says. “But it also always seemed that most Americans viewed gun violence as an ‘African American poverty problem.’ And then this shooting happens at this upper-middle-class high school with a bunch of white kids running around.”
McCall continues, “This was something, for a lot of my students in 1999, that they could not imagine that that was happening because they had come from schools that looked like that to come to this school. ‘This was something that seemed to happen to other people, to African American people, to Hispanic people, to poor people. It didn’t happen to middle class white people.’ Well—it’s very American now. It happens to all kinds of people.”
Unfortunately, a few hours after McCall and I had done our interview, there was a shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee. Two students were taken to the hospital, and Josselin Corea Escalante, a 16-year-old girl, died from her injuries.
“Another American day, another school shooting. We’ve normalized these events, made them the same as natural disasters like floods
and tornadoes, and have given up trying to prevent them,” McCall wrote to me in an email a few days later. “All the lockdowns and hardening of schools avoids the central issue: easy access to guns. That’s the only difference between America and every other nation—including Canada, which actually has a higher percentage of handgun owners than us.”
Easily Preventable
Of course, school shootings aren’t the only dangers students face from guns.
After speaking with McCall, I decided to talk with another close friend of mine, Alisha McMillan. Alisha is a junior creative writing major at IAA and a member of the SDA chapter on campus. She’s lived in Suttons Bay her entire life, and drives to IAA every morning for school.
“In my freshman year of high school, I think it was September 26,” Alisha started when I had asked her about her personal experiences with gun violence, “my cousin killed herself with a gun.”
“And that really shook me. I didn’t grow up with guns…realizing that someone could have that much easy access to a gun was very
unknown to me.”
Alisha spends her time in SDA advocating for more gun safety measures. “The worst part was that I felt like it was easily preventable. She was in therapy. Everyone knew she was suicidal, but they still let her get access to a gun.”
In addition to her involvement with SDA, Alisha frequently joins gun prevention protests in town.
“Students’ voices matter,” Alisha says. “Rather than standing by and waiting for the next school shooting to happen, we could end it.”
She concludes, “Because, you know, with more gun safety, and if my cousin couldn’t have gotten a gun—maybe she would still be here. And it’s so heartbreaking that it could have been that simple. But because of the society we live in, that wasn’t the case.”
Students Demand Action at Interlochen hopes to continue educating students and faculty on gun violence, while also working with Traverse City to focus on a safer, and more gun-restricted, Michigan. If you are interested in working with an SDA or MDA group, you can visit Everytown’s website at everytown.org/actions for more information.
McMillan
McCall
Stenz
87 percent of readers report they have made a purchase based on an ad they saw in Northern Express. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PROVEN. PR
By Soledad Demuse Traverse City West Senior High
When you close your eyes and think of the word “success,” what do you picture? Do you see yourself leading a thriving business? Coming home to a big family you built? Traveling the world on your own time?
For past generations, the measure of success in life often depended on wealth, prestige, and common milestones, but that has morphed with rising generations. The younger generation has made it clear that success is no longer confined to the typical societal expectations, and we have redefined what it means to lead a meaningful life.
Changing the Narrative
Traditionally, many people viewed others as successful depending on their educational and professional achievements; things like a college degree, powerful positions within the workplace, and financial stability were celebrated. This view of “success”, however, fails to recognize one crucial aspect of personal fulfillment—finding pure happiness beyond work.
While getting filthy rich may truly be someone’s dream and idea of success, the expectation to do so has greatly declined amongst the younger generations. Instead, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and prioritizing mental well-being has become much more sought-after.
In a 2023 study done by Liberty University, a group of 421 participants were asked to rank their perceived importance of work-to-life balance on a scale from 2.00 to 10.00. Baby
Boomers averaged approximately a 5.19 on the scale, Generation X at 7.93, Millennials at 8.69, and Gen Z at a whopping 9.04.
Baby Boomers and Gen X have often been characterized by their stable, hardworking nature, but their dedication sometimes led to normalizing unhealthy work-life relationships, which deterred younger generations from that lifestyle.
Another major driver of this shift is social media. Not only have influencers been adamant about prioritizing mental health, but they have also inspired others to overlook societal expectations of success and carve their own path. Influencers have been able to make a living traveling the world, renovating old houses, sharing health, beauty, and fashion tips, and even cooking for their friends and families—none of which happens in a 9-to-5 office setting.
With millions of people sharing their stories, goals, and life journeys, it has been made clear that “success” comes in many fonts. Regardless of how people measure success, social media influencers have created a more progressive society that highlights a diverse portrayal of fulfilling lifestyles.
Different Strokes
As a senior in high school, I’ve witnessed the shift in conventional standards of going to college, getting a job, and getting wealthy firsthand. Today, many of my peers are choosing to go to trade school, go straight for a job, take a gap year, or follow some other path.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 61.4 percent of recent high school graduates enrolled in college as of October
Redefining Success Through the Generations
How Gen Z is forging a new path for the future
2023, marking the lowest rate in three decades.
To put that into perspective, The Financial Times claims that approximately 70 percent of high school graduates enrolled in college in 2016. Those numbers are only continuing to drop as younger students become more comfortable choosing alternate pathways— and warier about the mountain of costs of a college education.
Yet, these new advancements have fed into the misconception that Gen Z is “lazy” and not willing to work or go to college. While it may appear that the majority of Gen Z is slacking off because of their disinterest in maintaining long-term jobs, this take can actually be much more efficient for many individuals. In fact, Gen Z has learned from previous generations’ attempts to change the framework of success.
In many ways, the redefinition of success actually began with the Millennials. They were the first to start rejecting typical norms of staying loyal to one employer for 30+ years and started valuing flexibility and personal preferences over long-term employment. Many often embraced passion-driven work. Their lack of career tenure made many of them appear “less successful” in the older generation’s eyes, who valued job stability, loyalty, and ownership of assets.
As millennials began to take on more passion-driven projects, many embraced “hustle culture”—success from either overworking in their primary job or constantly working side hustles, often while holding down the full-time job that paid the bills. Although the intention of trying to take on more meaningful work was in the right place, the
execution of the practice resulted in burnout. In 2020, Vox called Millennials “the burnout generation,” and in 2024 Fortune reported that the generation was “aging from bright-eyed ‘hustle culture’ workers into exhausted middle managers.”
A New Way Forward
Gen Z, however, built on this foundation. My generation has held onto the concept of taking on passion-driven projects rather than following the conventional standards of the pathway to success, all while letting go of the toxic mindset that we must always be hustling to be successful. Prioritizing balance has become a more worthwhile goal.
(And besides, some of the milestones that were straightforward for Baby Boomers in their 20s and 30s—paying off student loans, buying a home, starting a family—are financially out of reach for most Gen Z workers, even those who hold down multiple jobs.)
Ultimately, the traditional prescribed path of success has been and will continue to be rejected by the younger generation as they reach adulthood. As a society, we have shifted from valuing homeownership, longterm employment, and financial stability to prioritizing a solid mental state and a balanced lifestyle.
While everyone has different needs and objectives, we need to continue to move away from one universal definition of success and embrace the reality that it is no longer onesize-fits-all.
Success is no longer a single route for everyone, it is a journey to a meaningful life—success is what YOU make it.
TOURISTS VS. LOCALS
Balancing economic growth with quality of life
By Isabelle Plamondon Northwest Ed Career Tech
Traverse City has always been a popular tourist destination. From our sandy beaches to our wonderful hiking trails, we are not lacking when it comes to memorable landmarks and beautiful scenery. As a result of the natural amenities of our region, Traverse City is a desirable place to live and visit. It’s been a tourist destination for over 120 years, so it’s nothing new.
What is relatively new, however, is the conversation about how increased tourism affects our town.
According to Pure Michigan’s 2023 Statewide Travel Visitation Report, 14.2 million people visited the Northwest Region in 2023. Per the report, the Northwest Region includes Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Kalkaska, Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet counties. (Data for 2024 is not yet available.)
This is compared to the 10.6 million travelers captured in the same reporting from Pure Michigan in 2022 and the 14.0 million travelers from 2021.
These numbers are likely to continue
rising in 2025, especially since The Wall Street Journal recently named Traverse City as one of the “10 Best Places to Go in 2025.”
Not Everyone Gets to Live in Traverse City
As tourism grows, locals face new challenges, from skyrocketing housing prices and difficulty staffing businesses to infrastructure strain and small-town growing pains.
“Property values have continued to increase due to the desirability to live here and visit here, and it’s challenging for yearround residents to find housing,” says President and Chief Executive Officer of Traverse Connect, Warren Call.
Housing affordability can limit the workforce for Traverse City, as it may be difficult for people to get safe transportation from outside the city to their place of work.
problem because we’re losing young people.”
Affordability for the workforce isn’t the only issue that city officials are concerned about. Tourism has also had an impact on the city’s infrastructure.
“Pure Michigan collects a tax on hotel reservations, then it all goes into a big pot and gets put right back into bringing more tourists here,” says Traverse City Commissioner Heather Shaw. She adds that “The state needs to help us balance the needs of our residents with tourism by putting some of that Pure Michigan money back into our infrastructure.”
Breweries talk cost, demand, and safety when it comes to making non-alcoholic beers
It’s a reflection on the local saying “Not everyone gets to live in Traverse City.”
Traverse City’s Mayor, Amy Shamroe, believes “Saying that is an excuse for having people have to drive 45+ minutes to come work at the bookstores or restaurants you frequent. It’s not sustainable, and it’s a
Shamroe echoes this sentiment. “Right now, there’s no mechanism for the city or counties to collect tax money from the typical tourist things, even though they have an impact on our infrastructure.”
Overtourism—when too many people visit an area and strain a destination’s services, infrastructure, and/or environment—is also a concern.
“I think that we could end up like places like Venice or Paris, where we’re overwhelmed with tourism in the summertime,” Shaw says. For Venice particularly, this has been a problem, with day trippers infringing upon
local life and threatening famous landmarks, leading the city to require a tourism fee to visit at peak times.
Businesses Need Visitors
Tourism may inflate our housing prices and wear on our roads, but it also brings a vital economic boost to the area. Many businesses in downtown Traverse City are independently owned and operated, and they rely on visitor spending to keep the doors open.
“A lot of retail businesses will tell me that they make all their money in the summer and that’s how they budget some of their stuff for the rest of the year,” Shamroe says.
According to the 2023 Tourism Economic Impact Report from Pure Michigan, visitors spent about $630.8 million in Grand Traverse County in 2023. Visitors spent $583.8 million in 2022 and $493.2 million in 2021.
The Pure Michigan report also found that 55 percent of people visiting the Northwest Region in 2023 shopped in locally owned businesses. (The average rate for U.S. tourists shopping in independently owned stores in 2023 was 42 percent, putting
us 13 percent higher than the norm.)
“If we didn’t have tourism, businesses wouldn’t be open year-round,” says Trevor Tkach, CEO and President of Traverse City Tourism (TCT).
A Traverse City for Us and Them
If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that tourism is here to stay. “A misconception people tend to have about tourism is that we can somehow wave a wand and have it go away, which is not possible,” Call explains.
So how does Traverse City maintain its small-town charm and livability for
residents without losing the much-needed tourism revenue?
“An effective way to keep businesses open year-round and spread out when people visit our region is to diversify tourism,” says Tkach.
According to Tkach, this means advertising more than just the beaches, Cherry Festival, and wine tours, which tend to bring in the most tourists. Instead, he says TCT is emphasizing advertising for other events or activities in different seasons, like skiing and color tours.
Shaw takes it one step further. “It’s not just about our beaches and sand dunes, it’s
also about all this cultural infrastructure that’s been built over many decades, and Pure Michigan and the tourism industry need to be more respectful of that.” To Shaw, this means highlighting the musicians, artists, and writers who work and live here, too.
Shamroe believes that emphasizing community and building bridges between locals and tourists can also help.
“We sometimes underestimate the connections to the community that tourism has brought to us,” she says, explaining that without some of the city’s cornerstone events, we wouldn’t have as many
opportunities to connect with friends, neighbors, and strangers.
As for us locals? We can be part of building a better TC experience, too. Go to farmers markets, frequent locally-owned businesses, and support our arts and culture scenes. This keeps the money in the community, creates stable jobs for residents, and preserves Traverse City’s unique identity and community.
As Shaw says, “We make a place where people really want to live and stay and start businesses and families, and that is your economic growth.”
Guest opinion by
Greg Holmes
There is a canyon in the Southwestern United States where legend has it that if you walk into the canyon alone, the walls will talk to you. How can that possibly be?
Of course the walls in the canyon don’t actually “talk.” But what does happen, however, is that when we are stripped of the distractions that constantly surround us in our daily life, we “talk” to ourselves. Talking to ourselves can come in many forms, be it as memories and feelings about the past, reactions to your present life situation, or as imagination about your future.
What about the effects of punishing children by placing them in a “time out” against their will?
The key difference between the children and the prisoners is that unlike the prisoners, the children can choose to end their confinement by simply changing their behavior.
There are several potential benefits that can be found by seeking and experiencing solitude. One such benefit is that we can discover more about who we truly are, what our purpose in life is, and whether or we are on a path that is fulfilling our needs. By choosing to remove ourselves from others, albeit temporarily, we give ourselves a chance to check in.
Find your canyon, your trail, your beach, whatever, and leave your distractions (i.e., cell phone) behind.
Fortunately, one doesn’t need to travel to the Southwest to experience this phenomenon. You can do it right here in Michigan: on a trail, on the beach, or even in the comfort of your own home. The key is not where you go or where you are, but whether or not you choose to be alone.
When is the last time you chose to be truly alone? Think about it. Chances are that you are like the vast majority of people who have not sought out the experience of solitude. Most people avoid solitude like the plague. Why?
Many of us fill up our schedules to the brim with work and activities so we end up with little or no time to be alone. Being alone can be scary, lonely, and depressing at times. In fact, many people turn on their televisions even though they have no intention watch them order to create the semblance that someone else is home with them.
The experience of solitude and the feeling of loneliness are quite different. Loneliness is typically the feeling of being isolated or separated from other people even when they are around you. There are many factors that can lead up to this feeling, but most often loneliness is experienced as an involuntary and distressing state of mind.
Solitude, on the other hand, is most often a conscious choice to be alone and involves the decision to withdraw temporally from social contact with others. This is most often done for the purpose of self-reflection and to gain clarity and potential resolution into issues that you currently have or have had in your life.
However, solitude can have harmful consequences if it is forced upon you. Such is the case with solitary confinement, often used as punishment in the penal system. A number of studies have shown that solitary confinement can have long lasting psychological, physical, and neurological effects on those who are forced into isolation.
Although there are several potential benefits from seeking solitude, most people will simply not pursue it. Even though choosing to be alone and letting go of the distractions in our lives can be clarifying and ultimately healing, we usually refuse to do so. Why? Of course there are the usual suspects one can use as an excuse, such as we don’t have the time. Another commonly used excuse is that we have more important things to do or that we simply don’t need to be alone.
But here’s the deal: We often want to avoid our thoughts and feelings, from our regrets about roads not taken to our grief about losses we have experienced. To refuse to be distracted and explore our feelings is often too painful. There is a plethora of ways we distract ourselves, from taking medications for our anxieties and dysphoria, to engaging in compulsive shopping, to spending endless time on social media.
There are two paths to solitude. For those not ready to truly go it alone, you can join a retreat or class as a first step in peeling away distractions and to practice listening to your inner voice. One caveat here; some instructors believe that such a class should include music. I remember aclass where the soundtrack included Kermit the Frog singing “Rainbow Connection.” Now I have nothing against Kermit, or frogs in general, but I found the music during the meditation session to be…distracting.
The second path to solitude is for those who are ready is to simply go it alone. Find your canyon, your trail, your beach, whatever, and leave your distractions (i.e., cell phone) behind. Yes, you may miss an “important” call or text, but what you don’t want to continue to miss is your true self, the one that has waiting to talk to you.
Greg Holmes lives and writes in Traverse City.
Single MOMM Doubles Down
The family-focused nonprofit eyes a new headquarters and expansions in services for 2025 and beyond
By Kailyn Groves Traverse City Central High School
Back in 2012, my family faced a major change that would create a ripple effect throughout my life. When my little brother and I were forced to move to Michigan with our mother, Jodi McCailb, we had to adapt to the new changes that altered our childhood.
In 2013, my mother heard about the Single Mom Ministry (Single MOMM) through her Bible study leader and decided to learn more about it. After she got involved, she would take us to events held at a local church. My brother and I would spend time with kids our own age while our mom was getting the support she needed.
My mom’s experience changed her perspective on the situation she was unexpectedly put into. “If it weren’t for Single MOMM, my faith, and the support I built around me with other single moms, I’m not sure I would’ve thrived like I did,” McCalib says.
Triple the Work
Single MOMM was born out of the hardships of its founder, Jennifer Finnegan Pool, shortly after she became a single mother herself.
“I had become a single mom when my kids were one and three, [which made] transitioning from a two-parent family structure to becoming a single parent [difficult],” she recalls.
TCAPS Indigenous Education
Coordinator Christine Willow, a single mother for 11 years and Single MOMM member, wishes “…people understood that when you’re doing parenting on your own… it is actually tripling it.”
Besides the family dynamic changing, Finnegan Pool faced financial challenges, difficulty balancing work and motherhood, and lack of community support. Because of these obstacles, she recognized there was a great need and desire for a supportive community in the Traverse City area, which brought her to the creation of Single MOMM.
“It [started with] a group of women in the community that really felt this need that we need to just start something where single moms could help other single moms rise up,” Finnegan Pool says.
Established in 2008 as a mom-to-mom experience, Single MOMM’s main focus is to provide personal support and create healthy independence for single mothers who are struggling to raise their children on their own.
“We pursue helping women thrive for the long haul,” states Finnegan Pool, “allowing them to gain that confidence and then really run after what it is that is good for their family.”
Putting Moms First
Today, Single MOMM has several core programs for its clientele.
There’s Mentorship 360, offering peerto-peer support for “parenting, finances, practical, emotional, and spiritual needs,”
per their website. There are classes and courses focused on everything from personal resilience to “budgets and finances, parenting topics, spiritual matters, insurance, healthy menu planning, legal matters, and self-empowerment.”
They also support moms with the No More Crazy Process, a legal organizational tool designed for women going through a contested custody dispute or divorce, and the A.R.R.I.S.E. program, which helps single moms and their kids with secure housing.
“This organization is impacting the next generation because when we have healthy parents, we have healthier kids,” Finnegan Pool says.
From childcare to office work, community volunteers are essential to the organization’s stability. Having a consistent, supportive circle to reach out to even in difficult times is crucial to the growth of the families served.
“[Single MOMM] helped me know that I was not alone,” Willow explains, “and that other moms were also out there struggling, [which] provided me a community of people who fully understood my struggles, [as well as] those different aspects of navigating life as a single mom with multiple kids.”
Room to Grow
What began as a small, grassroots movement in Traverse City has grown. The organization is now a nonprofit, with a board of directors from the local community
and subcommittees focused on emergent needs. Single MOMM now has a presence in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Missaukee, and Wexford counties. Their goal is to be accessible to the whole state of Michigan in the next 10 years.
Despite all the big, exciting changes, Single MOMM, like any other nonprofit organization, has its challenges.
“Every penny that we give and engage single moms with comes directly from our communities. We do not receive state or federal funding,” Finnegan Pool explains. This ultimately puts the community’s donations in the driver’s seat. “The most vulnerable populations in any place in the United States get impacted the hardest, and so we sometimes find ourselves ebbing and flowing along with the economy and the way things transpire,” she notes.
On the positive side, all that growth has meant that Single MOMM has had to look for a new home. After years in a building near the Cherryland Center, the organization is working on renovations in a 4,600-square-foot facility on E. Eighth Street in Traverse City. The new space will house their headquarters and Single MOMM Grand Traverse operations.
They plan to relocate in April to better serve the community and “expand our mentorship rooms, our classrooms, and our offices,” Finnegan Pool says.
To learn more, visit singlemomm.org.
Saturday
CELTS & KAYAKS: Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Featuring Kayaks on the Snow Race, Slush Cup, on-slope scavenger hunt & more. Get decked out with your best St. Patrick’s Day attire & you’ll receive $10 off your open-toclose window lift ticket. crystalmountain. com/event/celts-kayaks
FIFTH THIRD BANK LEAPIN’ LEPRECHAUN 5K: 9am, corner of Union & Lake streets, TC. Includes prizes for best Irish costume & best pet costume. Proceeds benefit Munson Medical Center’s Family Birth Center. $35-$40. runsignup.com/Race/MI/ TraverseCity/LeapinLeprechaun5K
DOWNTOWN GAYLORD ST. PADDY’S PARTY: Noon-5pm, 132 W. Main St., Gaylord. Wear your green & watch the Eagle 101.5 parade, shop, & more. facebook.com/ events/930620455725031?ref=110
NORTHERN MICHIGAN HOME & OUTDOOR LIVING SHOW: 9am-4pm, NCMC, Petoskey. Featuring 70 booths. Kitchen & bath, builders, general contractors, home systems, decks, patios & more. Home Depot free kids build on Sat. from 11am to 3pm. $5 adults; kids free. homeshowupnorth.com
SAINT PATRICK’S 5KRAWL: 9am, The Greenhouse, Cadillac. Presented by Cadillac Firefighters Local 704. Wear all of your green for this 5K. After the race, join inside Primos. $30 + fee; increases after 3/14. runsignup.com/Race/Events/MI/Cadillac/ SaintPatricks5krawl
TORCH AREA ARTISANS GUILD SATURDAY SEW-IN: 9am-4pm, Helena Township Community Center, Alden. Work on charity quilts & other projects. 231-331-4318. facebook.com/TorchAreaArtisansGuild
DRAWING & NATURE JOURNALING
CLUB: 10am, Glen Lake Community Library, Empire. The Sleeping Bear Nature Group will meet for another field trip, led by artist & environmentalist Penny Krebiehl. Meet at the library before heading out to explore & observe. Be sure to pack pencils/ pens, paper or drawing book/journal, water bottle, snacks/lunch, & dress for the chilly weather. 231-326-5361. glenlakelibrary.net
HEALTH & WELLNESS FAMILY COOKING CLASS: 10am, Interlochen Public Library. Families will learn how to create fresh, scratch-made meals that are easy to prepare & won’t break the bank. Registration required: 231-276-6767. Free.
MARDI GRAS AT NUB’S NOB: Nub’s Nob, Harbor Springs. Includes the Fat Tire Boogie, Crazy Kids & Mogul Muncher’s Silly Slalom, The Dorie Sarns Challenge, Silly Slalom, Soaker Cup, & more. nubsnob.com/ mardi-gras
RING IN SPRING: The Highlands at Harbor Springs, March 14-16. Enjoy a festive weekend of Irish-inspired food, Irish whiskey tasting, winter games, & the Slush Cup. highlandsharborsprings.com/events/ring-in-spring
TC BOAT SHOW: 10am-6pm, GT County Civic Center, TC. Blue Water Promotions will showcase northern Michigan’s marinas, dealerships, dock & hoists, boat club & more. $8 adults, $2 ages 6-15, & free for ages 0-5. traversecityboatshow.com
MAPLEFEST: Noon-3pm, Grass River Education Center, Pavilion, Bellaire. Join to boil sap to syrup on the evaporator. Stop by any time & see the process in action of making maple syrup. Ask staff questions & hike on the trail to see where to tap trees, hang buckets & lines, & collect the sap. Free. grassriver.org/classes-and-programs.html
BOOK LAUNCH & SIGNING: 1-3pm, Horizon Books, TC. Author of “At Home in a Faraway Place,” Lynne Rae Perkins will sign her book. horizonbooks.com/event/lynnerae-perkins-book-launch-signing
CARNIVAL WEEKEND: Boyne Mountain, Boyne Falls. Today includes a Mountain Top Party, Costume Contest, Carnival Close Out Party, Wet Noodle Pool Party, Snowflake Party & more. boynemountain.com/upcoming-events/carnival-weekend
TC SAINT PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & CELEBRATION: 1:30pm, MiddleCoast Brewing Co., TC. The parade starts at MiddleCoast Brewing Co. Presented by The Bun Brady Division of The Ancient Order of Hibernians. facebook.com/events/590140413821489?active_ tab=about
STEAM CAREERS: CONSTRUCTION: 2-4pm, Interlochen Public Library. Work on a project using your carpentry skills with real carpenters. 231-276-6767.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL: 2pm & 7:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. The Addams family has lived their unique values for hundreds of years. But now, beloved eighteen year-old daughter Wednesday has fallen in love with a respectable boy from Ohio! Adults: $33; youth under 18: $20. oldtownplayhouse. com/performances/mainstage/the-addamsfamily.html
“JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT”: 7pm, TC West Senior High School, Auditorium, TC. Presented by WSH Music & Theater Departments. Tickets available online. Auditorium parking lot is closed. $15-$25. tcaps.booktix.com
AUSABLE ARTISAN VILLAGE SAINT PATRICK’S CELEBRATION: 7-9pm, AuSable Artisan Village Performing Arts Center, Grayling. Featuring a live performance by Celtic duo Shannon Lee & Irish ales on tap. $20. artisanvillage.org/event/ausableartisan-village-st-patricks-celebration
THE MOANIN’ FROGS: 7pm, City Opera House, TC. “The Canadian Brass of Saxophone,” The Moanin’ Frogs features six saxophones from sopranino to bass in a blend of jazz, classical, pop, a cappella singing, & comedy. $20-$40. cityoperahouse.org/node/579
----------------------
DOWNTOWN SOUND WITH HATCHWING RIDER: 7:30-9:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Theater, Petoskey. These Mid-Michigan natives & lifelong traveling musicians play “heavy-hearted folk-rock paired with a restless psychedelic Americana.” $10-$20. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/downtown-sound-hatchwing-rider-march-15
HENHOUSE PROWLERS: 8pm, Freshwater Art Gallery & Concert Venue, Boyne City. Bluegrass Ambassadors for the U.S. State Department, the Henhouse Prowlers have traveled to more than 30 countries, teaching & performing music. Enjoy this Chicago group who brings their storytelling, songwriting & intricate instrumentation. 231-582-2588. $45. freshwaterartgallery.com
----------------------
KAMIKAZE COMEDY: 8pm, Delamar, Traverse City, Ballroom. Enjoy Grand Rapids’ Carl Sobel & TC’s Jeremy West. Hosting for the evening is Scott Witkop. Carl’s storytelling mixed with off the cuff tangents will keep you laughing at all his misadventures. Jeremy is known for his blend of observational humor, rapid-fire wit, & a touch of anarchy. $20 online or $30 at door. checkout.square.site/merchant/ ML7EQ7FEVXY9T/checkout/FUCQ32RP5BFXS5NTS4QCSLKX
Sunday
RING IN SPRING: (See Sat., March 15)
That is a good looking vehicle! The MARVAC 33rd Northwest MI RV & Camping Show pulls up to the Grand Traverse County Civic Center, TC, March 21-23. Explore a wide variety of models from luxurious fifth wheels to compact trailers featuring the latest amenities and technology, presented by Bish’s RV, Krenek RV, and Tri City RV. You can also talk with experts about RV rentals and onsite financing, enter a giveaway, and check out exhibitors for exclusive campground info. Adult admission (ages 13+) is $7, and senior admission (ages 55+) is $6. Ages 12 and under get in for free. Friday and Saturday’s hours are 11am-8pm; Sunday runs 11am-5pm. showpass.com/33rd-annual-northwest-michigan-rv-camping-show/
Sat., March 15, except today’s time is 10am4pm.)
----------------------
CARNIVAL WEEKEND: 11:30am-1pm, Boyne Mountain, Boyne Falls. Today includes the Slush Cup. boynemountain.com/ upcoming-events/carnival-weekend
“JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT”: (See Sat., March 15, except today’s time is 2pm.)
FREE FRIENDS & FAMILY FUN DAY: 2pm, The Botanic Garden Visitor Center at Historic Barns Park, TC. Free fun-filled craft event. Make a heart-shaped paper bunny basket using the Scandinavian paper weaving method. No registration required. All ages welcome. thebotanicgarden.org/events
TRAVERSE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY: 2pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. The goal of the Traverse Area Historical Society is to share local history of TC & the Grand Traverse region. Free. tadl.org/event/traversearea-historical-society-12103
THREE AMIGOS VISIT SPAIN: 3pm, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Corson Auditorium. TC Phil’s principal bassist Gary Gatzke, Jr. plays the bass in the Carmen Fantasy. Dorothy Vogel will perform the Nights in the Gardens of Spain. Guitarist Matthew Cochran plays the Concerto de Aranjuez. $27-$65. tcphil.org/concerts/three-amigos-visit-spain
KENNEDY’S KITCHEN: 4pm, The Bay Theatre, Suttons Bay. This family friendly band is rooted in traditional Irish music, jigs, reels, hornpipes, recitations, stories, songs & much more. They have been performing since 1998 & have released six CDs. $20$25. thebaytheatre.com
monday
dominated by men. Meet Rev. Linda Stephen, Central United Methodist Church, & Rev. Julie Delezenne, Presbyterian Church as they share their stories of women in pastoring roles. traversecityarea-mi.aauw. net/2025/02/28/women-matter-voices-ofwomen-clergy
17 mar 16 mar 18
TC BOAT SHOW: (See
WOMEN MATTER: VOICES OF WOMEN CLERGY: 6pm, Dennos Museum Center, Janis Room, NMC, TC. AAUW - TC March Meeting. Women matter in all walks of life & increasingly are making headway in professions that were once (or still are)
tuesday
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: 10:30am, Suttons Bay-Bingham District Library. Preschool children of all ages & their caregivers are invited to join every Tues. for stories, songs & more. Free. sbbdl.org
“WOMEN OF WALLOON VILLAGE”: 11:30am-1pm, The Talcott Event Center, Walloon Lake. A Connecting Women in Business event featuring three women entrepreneurs who will talk about their businesses. They include Jackie Garret of Vilah Bloom, Taylor Malpass of Iron Goat Coffee Company, & Kalin Sheick of Sweetwater Floral. Register. $35 CWIB members; $45 all others. petoskeychamber.com
----------------------
ISEA VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE: 4-6pm, Inland Seas Education Association, 100 Dame St., Suttons Bay. Whether you are interested in sailing, teaching, science, or helping out around the office, this is the event for you. You will have the opportunity to meet with ISEA staff & current volunteers. schoolship. org/news-events/2025-public-event-schedule
PWR! MOVES: MICHIGAN PARKINSON FOUNDATION EXERCISE CLASS: 4pm, Traverse Area District Library, McGuire Community Room, TC. An hour long exercise class based on the PWR! moves for people with or suspected Parkinson’s Disease & their caregivers. The class will be run by a PWR! certified physical therapist. Free. tadl.org/event/pwr-moves-michigan-parkinson-foundation-exercise-class-21977
BACKPACKING MICHIGAN’S PIGEON RIVER COUNTRY: 7pm, Boardman River Nature Center, TC. Join Grand Traverse Chapter of North Country Trail Association as Sally Dykhuis shares her solo backpack trek on the High Country Pathway which circles
wild Pigeon River Country. Close encounters with elk & coyotes, river crossings, & navigation around swampy blow downs. Free. meetup.com/grand-traverse-chapter-northcountry-trail-association/events/306380097
CHEBOYGAN HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ
BAND: 7pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. This band will be joined by special guest artist Laura Crowe, a northern Michigan-based jazz vocalist, pianist & songwriter. Free. theoperahouse.org
GREAT LAKES CINEMA SERIES PRESENTS “CLOSE”: 7pm, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, this is a portrait of the intersection of friendship & love, identity & independence, & heartbreak & healing. $5. greatlakescfa.org/events/detail/close
QUEER TALES BOOK CLUB: 7pm, Traverse Area District Library, Nelson Room, TC. Chat about books that are by &/or about LGBTQIA+ people. Reading is not required, & everyone is welcome. Meets on the third Tues. of the month. Book selections will be announced about a month in advance. Free. tadl.org/event/queer-tales-book-club-17688
wednesday
PROJECT CONNECT:
10am-3pm, NCMC, Petoskey. A day of service for those in need in Charlevoix & Emmet counties. Connect with a range of health & human services provided by about 70 local nonprofit agencies & other businesses. For a list of what to bring & more info, visit web site. Free. projectconnect231.com
INDIE LENS POP-UP: 4pm, Dennos Museum Center, NMC, TC. Featuring “Home Court,” the coming-of-age story of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy in southern California whose life intensifies as recruitment heats up. Free. dennosmuseum.org
STEAM GIRLZ: 4:30-6pm, Interlochen Public Library. Girls in grades 4th-8th will explore technology & science in ways that resonate with them. 231-276-6767. Free.
ART MEET UP: 6-8pm, City Opera House, TC. Presented by Up North Pride. Bring your own art project & enjoy an artful evening with friends. If you don’t have a project, just bring yourself! upnorthpride.com/event/2025/3/19/ art-meet-up-at-the-city-opera-house ----------------------
PLACE SERIES: 6:30pm, The Presbyterian Church of TC, 701 Westminster Rd. Join in this series that examines the injustice of colonization, celebrates the resilience of Indigenous peoples, & works toward truth & restoration. This year’s focus is the harm of Native American Boarding Schools. The planning team includes members of the GTB, the SALT coalition, & PCTC. Supper at 5:30pm ($5-$7 suggested donation); program at 6:30pm. March 19: Survivors of the Holy Childhood School of Harbor Springs will share their first-hand experiences. An atmosphere of respect and sensitivity will be fostered as panelists bear witness to their realities. Attendance by children is not recommended. April 2: A huge celebration of life & resilience of Indigenous people who survived the boarding schools. Free. tcpresby.org
thursday
COFFEE @ 10, PETOSKEY: 10am, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Gilbert Gallery, Petoskey. Featuring “Curricular Resources for Anishinaabek Art Education” with Amanda Weinert. Free. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey/coffee-10-curricular-resources-anishinaabek-art-educationamanda-weinert
LUNCH BREAK RHYTHMS: Friendship Community Center, Suttons Bay. Join in for percussion improv games. Every Thurs. in March will be a facilitated rhythm circle from noon-1pm. This is a chance to beat your heart out & make joyful sounds together. No musical or drumming experience is necessary. A variety of hand drums & percussion instruments will be available to play with. This is a drop-in style, community based meet up. Come for any portion of the hour. Free (donations encouraged). loticflow.com/classesworkshops/lunch-rhythms-suttons-bay ----------------------
POETS’ NIGHT OUT: 4pm, Espresso Bay, downtown TC. Join the 3rd Thurs. of the month for live poetry reading. TADL will be there to sign you up for a library card & they’ll have a selection of PNO chapbooks & the two 10-year anthologies available for sale. 932-8502; ask@tadl.org. For questions about reading at the event, email: jenna@ espressobay.com. Free. tadl.org/event/poets-night-out-espresso-bay-21226
BELLAIRE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS:
5:30-7pm, The Flying Pig, Bellaire. Enjoy networking, snacks, refreshments & door prizes. $5 chamber members; $10 non-members. bellairechamber.org/2025/03/20/241095/ business-after-hours-3
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FORUM - THE BLUE ECONOMY: MICHIGAN’S GLOBAL ROLE: Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium, NMC, TC. Featuring John C. Austin, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution & director of the Michigan Economic Center at the University of Michigan; Frank Ettawageshik, executive director of the United Tribes of Michigan; & John Lutchko, director of the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute at NMC. 6:30pm program; 5:30pm reception. Hybrid event with online livestream available. Advance in-person tickets recommended. $15 in person; $10 online livestream; free for students, educators, & active-duty military. tciaf. com/event-march-2025
MARCH SCHOOL SHOWCASE: CHEBOYGAN AREA SCHOOLS CONCERT BANDS: 7pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. These bands under the direction of Garrett Romero will perform a selection of pieces that are fun for all. Free. theoperahouse.org
friday
MARVAC 33RD NORTHWEST MI RV & CAMPING SHOW: March 21-22: 11am8pm; March 23: 11am-5pm. Explore a wide variety of models from luxurious fifth wheels to compact trailers featuring the latest amenities & technology, presented by three dealerships: Bish’s RV, Krenek RV, & Tri City RV. You can also talk with experts about RV rentals & onsite financing, enter a giveaway, & check out exhibitors for exclusive campground info. Adult admission (ages 13+) is $7, & senior admission (ages 55+) is $6. Ages 12 & under get in for free. showpass.com/33rd-annual-northwest-michiganrv-camping-show/
OSTARA PARTY: 5-7pm, Blessed Be Tea and Apothecary, TC. Welcome the spring equinox with magick, community & celebration. Featuring a mini ritual, seasonal craft, & snacks to share. Bring a snack to pass. Free. blessedbetea.com
“UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL”: 5:45pm, Eagles Hall, Cheboygan. Dinner Theater presented by the Northland Players. A librarian in Hoopfdorf discovers a wildly overdue book. Played by Karl Heidemann, he takes the audience on an adventure through time & around the world to try to find answers to a string of questions. Call 231-420-9019. $30. nlplayers.org
MAIDEN KING & LEVITATOR: The Alluvion, TC. Doors open at 7pm; music at
SHIP YARD (EMERGING SONGWRITER PROGRAM)
FEAT. WHITNEY MARIE + SIMPLE MACHINES
BENEFIT CONCERT FOR MUSICIANS IMPACTED BY LOS ANGELES FIRES
JAZZ 4 ALL W/ THE JEFF HAAS TRIO
FEAT. LAURIE SEARS + LISA FLAHIVE
HAIL YOUR HIGHNESS + BIMBO + TRASH CAN SYMPHONY
THE VINCENT CHANDLER EXPERIENCE (ALLUVION JAZZ SERIES)
TIM ERIKSEN WSG LAUREL PREMO
FUNKY FUN MONDAY W/ BIG FUN
MAY ERLEWINE “WHAT IT TAKES” ALBUM
RELEASE SHOW NIGHT ONE
MAY ERLEWINE NIGHT TWO
JAZZ 4 ALL W/ THE JEFF HAAS TRIO
FEAT. LAURIE SEARS + LISA FLAHIVE
INTERLOCHEN IN TOWN CANDLELIGHT CONCERT
FEAT. KARA HUBER + ARA SARKISSIAN
FUNKY FUN MONDAY W/ FUNKY UNCLE
HERE:SAY STORYTELLING: BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
JAZZ 4 ALL W/ THE JEFF HAAS TRIO
FEAT. LAURIE SEARS + LISA FLAHIVE
JAKE ALLEN W/ HANNAH ROSE GRAVES
FUNKY FUN MONDAY W/ BIG FUN
"A WATER TRAIL" DOCUMENTARY SCREENING + AMBER HASAN + SHEA “PHIRE-SIS” COBB
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE + URSA MAJOR (ALLUVION JAZZ SERIES) EARLY SHOW
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE + URSA MAJOR (ALLUVION JAZZ SERIES) LATE SHOW
JAZZ 4 ALL W/ THE JEFF HAAS TRIO
FEAT. MARION HAYDEN, LAURIE SEARS, ANTHONY STANCO + TARIQ GARDNER
PHIL COOK
THE KOMBOS COLLECTIVE (ALLUVION WORLD MUSIC SERIES) FEAT. MICHAEL MALIS, CONSTANTINE NOVOTNY + ELLIE FALARIS GANELIN
THE ALLUVION BIG BAND
FUNKY FUN MONDAY W/ FUNKY UNCLE
7:30pm. A standing room style rock show. Maiden King - Chicago based experimental indie rock. Levitator - northern Michigan based psych-heavy rock. $15 advance; $20 door. thealluvion.org/tickets/maiden-kinglevitator-3-21-25?fbclid=IwY2xjawI8b65leHR uA2FlbQIxMAABHZcahPrzq3ugWZmDF2vE cvLOkmSBde70kmlShkfjg3lAUEajCvopOBDg0A_aem_vLf_9TtAOJ7JByY4UZKrtw
saturday
MARVAC 33RD NORTHWEST MI RV & CAMPING SHOW: (See Fri., March 21) RETRO DAY: 9am-4:30pm, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville. Wear your best neon, ringer tees, gigantic jeans, & vintage sweaters. If you wear retro gear, you receive $10 off your open-to-close window lift ticket. Slopeside DJ will play your retro favorites at the Crystal Center Patio, & there will be an onslope scavenger hunt. crystalmountain.com/ event/retro-weekend
MAPLE SUGARING DAYS: 10am-5pm, Port Oneida Rural Historic District, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Experience the full maple sugaring process across two historic farm sites in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. Sample warm syrup, enjoy kid-friendly activities, & witness sap boiling demonstrations. From 5-8pm each evening, visitors can visit the Dechow farm for the self-guided maple sugaring history hike along lantern-lit paths. No registration required. All programs are free with a valid park entrance pass. Passes may be purchased at the Phillip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, & cost $25 (per vehicle) for seven days, or other options available. nps.gov/slbe/ planyourvisit/maple-sugaring-days.htm ----------------------
MAPLE SUGARING: 1pm, Maple Bay Farm, Williamsburg. Participants will learn about every step of the maple sugaring process, from tapping the trees & boiling the sap down to maple syrup, to tasting the finished product. Choose your adventure. Staff & volunteers stationed in the sugar bush, cellar, & sugar shack will demonstrate the sugaring process, showing how sap is transformed into maple syrup. Full winter attire is recommended. Registration required. Check the web site calendar to confirm the final event date. Free. gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/ event/home/maplesugaring
“UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL”: (See Fri., March 21)
JIGJAM: IRISH BLUEGRASS: 7pm, The Cheboygan Opera House. JigJam made its Grand Ole Opry Debut in Nashville in March 2023 & received a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd. They were joined that night by Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Steve Earle, Lauren Alaina, & many others. This band has started the first wave of attack in the new Irish invasion of Americana. $15$30. ci.ovationtix.com/36618/production/122 3472?performanceId=11567775
sunday
MARVAC 33RD NORTHWEST MI RV & CAMPING SHOW: (See Fri., March 21)
INDOOR FARMERS MARKET: The Village at GT Commons, The Mercato corridor, TC. Saturday mornings, 10am-2pm. thevillagetc.com
----------------------
FREE EVENTS @ THE CENTER, SUTTONS BAY: friendshipcommunitycenter.org/events; 248505-7457
- 5LOAVES2FISH COMMUNITY MEAL DISTRIBUTION: Every Weds. from 4-5:30pm, 5Loaves2Fish hosts a meal distribution site. Fresh, homemade meals are available at no cost on a first come, first serve basis. No questions asked.
- ADVANCED TAI CHI: Mondays & Thursdays, 10am. Prior Tai Chi experience & an RSVP are necessary.
- OPEN TAI CHI: Mondays, 11:30am. No prior Tai Chi experience is required, nor is an RSVP.
- SPANISH CONVERSATION COURSE: Tuesdays, 2pm. Chat with, & learn alongside community members of all levels.
- TIMELESS TAPPERS: Wednesdays, 1pm. An adult tap class. No prior tap knowledge is necessary, nor is an RSVP.
art
2025 YOUTH ART EXHIBIT, TC: Crooked Tree Arts Center, TC. Runs through April 5. Celebrating the work of K-12 art students & educators from throughout the Grand Traverse region. An opening reception & awards ceremony will be held in Cornwell Gallery on Sun., March 16 from 1-3pm. Gallery hours are Tues. through Fri., 11am-5pm, & Sat., 10am4pm. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traversecity/2025-youth-art-exhibit-traverse-city
CREATOR’S CORNER: A JOURNEY OF 12 ARTISTS: Charlevoix Circle of Arts. Runs through April 19. This art exhibition features a curated selection of works from 12 artists featured in Charlevoix Circle of Arts’ 2024 Creator’s Corner YouTube series. Open M-F, 11am-4pm; Sat., 11am-3pm. charlevoixcircle.org/exhibits-2025
CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY:
- OPEN STUDIO, PETOSKEY: Saturdays, 10am-1pm in Visual Arts Room. Free drop-in art studio for the whole family. New projects are offered weekly. crookedtree.org
- EMERGING ARTISTS 2025: A COLLECTION OF NCMC STUDENT WORKS: Held in Atrium Gallery. Each year, students in NCMC’s art program exhibit their work. Work in glass, metals, ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, illustration, video, & more will be on display. This exhibition is organized by NCMC faculty. An opening reception will be held on Sat., March 15 from 11am-1pm. The exhibit runs through April 5. Hours are Tues. through Sat., 10am-5pm. crookedtree. org/event/ctac-petoskey/emerging-artists2025-collection-ncmc-student-works
- YOUTH ART SHOW 2025 - PETOSKEY: The Gilbert & Bonfield Galleries will be covered floor to ceiling with thousands of unique works of art created by area students artists. Runs through April 26. An opening reception will be held on March 15 from 11am-1pm. Awards will be selected during the first month of the exhibition & announced at the awards ceremony on Thurs., April 17 from 6-8pm. Gallery hours are Tues. through Sat., 10am5pm. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/ youth-art-show-2025-petoskey
Museum for over 30 years, the exhibition features artwork made by regional artists over the last year & juried by an arts professional outside of the region. This year’s juror is Teresa Dunn. It runs through May 25. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/northwest-michigan-juried-show-and-call.html
- “ART OF REGENERATION”: This exhibition was inspired by the regenerative powers of axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, an aquatic salamander, also known as the Mexican walking fish. They can regenerate multiple body parts throughout their adulthood. Bright-field microscopic images highlighting axolotl limb regeneration process were used as design elements. The exhibit runs through March 30. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/art-of-regeneration.html
- A STYLE ALL OUR OWN: CANADIAN WOODLAND ARTISTS: Runs through May 25. In the early 1960s, young Indigenous artists from the Great Lakes region created a unique style of painting known as the Woodland School of Art. Early members of this prolific art community included Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray, Roy Thomas, Sam Ash, Jackson Beardy, & Daphne Odjig. Perhaps the best-known of the group is Norval Morrisseau, who is often referred to as the Father of the Woodland School. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/ now-on-view/canadian-woodland-artists.html
- CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE CERAMICS FROM THE HORVITZ COLLECTION: Runs through Sept. 28, 2025. An array of works by contemporary Japanese ceramic artists, this is a sampler of the great diversity of styles, forms, glazes, & ages. These artworks are drawn from the curated collection of Carol & Jeffrey Horvitz, some of the leading collectors of Japanese contemporary outside of Japan. Open Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum.org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/index.html
GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER: - OUTDOOR GALLERY EXHIBIT: MARGO BURIAN + ORDINARY MAGIC: Leelanau County artist Margo Burian’s collages have been chosen for display in the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s 2024-25 Outdoor Gallery exhibition, an annual, invitational exhibit. Burian’s collages are rooted in the idea of Ordinary Magic, or delight. They were reproduced on five, 5-foot-square, weather-resistant aluminum panels created by Image 360 of TC. Runs through April 20, 2025. Check web site for hours. glenaborart.org
- “REFLECTIONS IN WATER”: Held in Lobby Gallery. A small exhibit of colored pencil drawings depicting a vital life force by Judith Shepelak. Runs through April 24. Shepelak captures the dynamic, changing, & diverse faces of water as she has encountered it during travels locally & throughout the United States & Canada. The GAAC is open Mon. through Fri., 9am-3pm, & noon-4pm on Sat. glenaborart.org
- “THE SKY IS ALWAYS THERE”: This exhibition moves beyond direct representation, beyond portraits of puffy clouds. Applicants were asked to consider the sky from its atmospheric characteristic to its mythic history. Runs through March 20. The GAAC is open during the week, 9am-3pm, & on Sat., noon4pm. glenaborart.org
OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT:
- PIECE WORK: AN EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY GEE’S BEND QUILTS: Held in the Fisher Room through March 22 in observation of Black History Month. The unique handstitched quilts are from a collection on loan from area resident Patricia Reich, who inherited them from her mother Jan Dolland, who was an advocate for the Quilters of Gee’s Bend in Boykin, Alabama. Oliver Art Center is open Tues. - Sat., 10am-4pm, & Sun., noon-4pm. oliverart.org
ongoing
FAMILY & FRIENDS MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP: Wednesdays, noon-1pm, Christ Church, 430 Fair St., TC. namigt.org
FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP: Mondays, 6-7:30pm, Builders Assoc. Bldg., 3040 Sunset Lane, TC. namigt.org
FREE COMMUNITY YOGA CLASS: Wednesdays, 7:30pm, Original Hot Yoga Traverse City. originalhotyogatc.com
DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC:
- “SMALL EXPRESSIONS”: The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.’s “Small Expressions” exhibit is an annual juried exhibition showcasing contemporary small-scale works using fiber techniques in any media. Works do not exceed 15 inches in any direction, were completed within the last two years, & were not previously published. Runs through May 25. Hours are Tues. through Sun., 11am-4pm. dennosmuseum. org/art/upcoming-exhibitions/small-expressions.html
- “NORTHWEST MICHIGAN REGIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION”: Held regularly at the
- “SHE: HONORING WOMEN IN ART”: Enjoy this exhibition highlighting what it means to be a woman & an artist in today’s world. It focuses on aspects of positivity, strength, resiliency & creativity & highlights the artists’ ingenuity & ability to build community, generate support, creatively problem-solve & create & sustain life & beauty. An artist talk will take place on Fri., March 28 from 2-4pm. The exhibit runs through March 28. Michigan artists Judy Jashinsky, Melissa Jones, Rebecca Mott & Shelly Taylor will be featured, alongside work in all media curated through an open call. Hours are Tues.- Sat., 10am-4pm; & Sun., noon-4pm. oliverart.org
Deadline
for Dates information is Tuesday for the following week.
by JOSEPH BEYER
The Apprentice
While the glitter and shine from the 97th annual Academy Awards is still hanging in the air, and with geopolitical unrest all around us, allow me to button up this awards season with one last recommendation before the curtain falls (on the film industry and/or America respectively).
If you haven’t seen The Apprentice yet, you are missing two of the finest performances that didn’t win at this year’s Oscars and a riveting portrait of Donald J. Trump’s aggressive pursuit of wealth and power.
Not to be confused with the reality television show of the same name, The Apprentice has been one of the more fascinating and flinty independent films of the year. Debuting at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival to international praise, then struggling to find a distributor brave enough to take on this cultural hot-potato, it nonetheless persevered and is now available on multiple streaming and VOD platforms.
All this despite attempts to catch and kill the project, with the main subject denouncing it, “a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job.”
Written by journalist-turned-screenwriter Gabriel Sherman, (who penned the fictional treatise of Trump’s youth in New York City and his particularly fraught relationship with attorney Roy Cohn after covering Trump’s 2016 campaign), The Apprentice is directed with a vibrant punk edge not by an American storyteller, but by Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi.
Abassi got the assignment after Paul Thomas Anderson and Clint Eastwood passed on the project due to business concerns about taking on an unflattering portrait of the now political leader.
But so ferociously talented are the two lead performances in The Apprentice (actor Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Cohn), that the film could not be denied, with both artists receiving Best Actor and Supporting Actor nominations at the Oscars, respectively.
While focusing on Trump’s formative years in the real estate scene of the 1970s and ’80s, the story explores the intimacies of his complicated relationship with Cohn, the notoriously aggressive lawyer who shapes Trump’s worldview and becomes his dark mentor. Cohn’s true life influence on Trump is well documented, but in The Apprentice it explodes on the screen until the tragic finale.
Stan’s portrayal of Trump’s fragile ego at work and his almost desperate attempts at attention explain in some part how we got here now, with a sitting president so hellbent on political revenge that he’s overseen the largest purge of federal employees in the history of our country.
In Strong’s performance, Cohn is a haunting pessimist who sees the world in black and black with no patience for those unwilling or unable to attack first. In Trump, he sees a dazzling white canvas he can shape and influence and a handsome young man oblivious to his darkest secrets.
Stan’s Trump soaks in all in and gradually makes Cohn’s ethos his own, adopting and changing it as he sees fit until abandoning his friend when he’s extracted all he needs from him. It’s precise and unnerving and calculated. It will repel you.
While it may not be a surprise that a dangerous portrayal of a powerful man has been somewhat suppressed by the mainstream, it was remarkable that Trump didn’t even get a name check at the politically-muted Oscars, in spite of being depicted as a character in one of the biggest awards categories of the night.
Perhaps the performances in The Apprentice hit a little too close to home, or Hollywood was a little too on edge…or a little too afraid. Thankfully, the film is not, and I hope you’ll seek it out.
Rated R for the sleazy drug use, adult language, and sexual content, The Apprentice runs exactly 2 hours in length and is available on all major video platforms, with an average price of $5.99 for a rental.
3/15 -- Pre-St. Paddy's Day Celebration w/ Song of the Lakes, 2:30-5:30; Rolling Dirty, 7-10
3/19 -- Trivia Night, 7-9
3/21 -- Clint Weaner, 6-9
NORTH BAR, TC
3/15 – Blue Footed Booby, 1pm
3/19 -- Jesse Jefferson, 7-10
3/20 -- Drew Hale, 7-10
3/21 – Jonathan Stoye, 7-10
OLD MISSION DISTILLING, TC
SEVEN HILLS:
3/15 -- Gemini Moon, 6:30
3/20 -- Comedy Show w/ Tom Massey; Hosted by Marti Johnson, 7
3/21 -- Chris Smith, 6 3/22 -- Matt Mansfield, 7:30
TC WHISKEY CO.
3/22 -- Stanley & Quiggle, 6-8
THE ALLUVION, TC
3/15 -- Breathe Owl Breathe & The Antivillains, 7-10
3/16 -- NoMi Song CirclePresented by firelight: embodied ritual & practice, 3-6
3/17 -- Funky Uncle - Funky
Fun Mondays, 6-8:30
3/19 -- Julian Lage, 7
3/20 -- The Jeff Haas Trio feat. Laurie Sears + Lisa Flahive, 6-8:30
3/21 -- Maiden King & Levitator, 7-10
3/22 -- Alluvion World Music Series: The Oblivion Project, 7:30-9
THE HAYLOFT INN, TC 7:30-11:
3/14-15 -- DanceMix
3/21 -- Little Dipper
3/22 -- Vertigo
THE LITTLE FLEET, TC
3/19 -- DJ Dusty Staircase, 6-9
THE PARLOR, TC
3/15 -- St. Patty's Celebration w/ Blue Footed Booby, 7:30
3/18 – Jesse Jefferson, 8-11
3/19 – Rob Coonrod, 8-11
3/20 – SkyeLea, 8-11
THE PUB, TC
3/19 -- Zeke Clemons, 8-11
3/20 -- David Martón, 7-10
3/22 – Beans N’ Cheese, 9-12
THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO., TC
3/15 -- St. Pat's w/ The Hey! Makers, 7
3/18 -- Open Mic w/ Zak Bunce, 7
3/20 -- DJ Trivia, 7 3/21 -- Jazz Jam w/ Ron Getz Trio, 6
3/22 -- 90s Night w/ The Cassettes, 7
UNION STREET STATION, TC
3/14-15 -- The Brothers Crunch, 10
3/17 -- St. Patty's Day Party w/ The Time Bombs, 4; Rolling Dirty, 9 3/20 -- DJ 1Wave, 9
3/21 -- Jazz Cabbage, 10
3/22 -- DJ Parker Marshall, 10
Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee
Big Rapids’ folk/acoustic duo Stanley & Quiggle released their debut album, “In All of This” on iTunes and Spotify in February. Here’s your chance to hear them live in TC, Fri., March 21 at Left Foot Charley in the Tasting Room from 5-7pm, and Sat., March 22 at Traverse City Whiskey Co. from 6-8pm.
Emmet & Cheboygan
BOB'S PLACE, ALANSON
3/19 -- Mike Ridley, 6-9
BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS, PETOSKEY
2-6:
3/15 -- Chris Calleja
3/22 -- Michelle Chenard
CITY PARK GRILL, PETOSKEY
3/18 -- Trivia Night, 7-9
3/21 -- Annex Karaoke, 9:30
GYPSY DISTILLERY & EVENTS CENTER, PETOSKEY
3/15 -- Elisabeth Christie, 2-4
HIGH FIVE SPIRITS, PETOSKEY
3/15 -- DJ Parker Marshall, 9
Antrim & Charlevoix
BOYNE CITY TAP ROOM
3/20 -- Adam & The Cabana Boys, 7
CAFE SANTÉ, BOYNE CITY
3/22 -- Nelson Olstrom, 7
ETHANOLOGY, ELK RAPIDS
3/21 -- Stand Up Comedy Night, 7
3/22 -- PRIDE Silent Disco w/ DJ Franck & DJ Botala, 7-10
FRESHWATER ART GALLERY & CONCERT VENUE, BOYNE CITY
3/15 -- Henhouse Prowlers, 8
JAX NORTHSIDE, CHARLEVOIX
3/19 -- Trivia Night, 7-9
JUNCTION BAR & GRILL & EVENT CENTER, WALLOON LAKE VILLAGE
3/15 -- Jelly Roll Blues Band, 8
MUSKRAT DISTILLING, BOYNE CITY
8-11: 3/15 -- Eric Jaqua 3/21 -- Pete Fetters
PROVISIONS WINE LOUNGE, BOYNE CITY
3/18 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6
SHORT'S PUB, BELLAIRE
3/16 -- St. Praxtice Day w/ Shortstop, 12:30; Braxton Hicks & The Contractions, 1; & The Hey! Makers, 2 3/20 -- Trivia w/ DJ Trivia, 6:30
BLACK STAR FARMS, SUTTONS BAY BISTRO POLARIS, 6-8: 3/15 – Izzy Joy 3/22 – Jakob Abraham
CICCONE VINEYARD & WINERY, SUTTONS BAY
3/16 -- North Bay Celtic Band, 2-4:30
FIVE SHORES BREWING, BEULAH
6-9:
3/20 -- Trivia Night w/ Mark 3/21 -- Open Mic w/ Andy Littlefield
FRENCH VALLEY VINEYARD, CEDAR
3/20 -- Highway North, 4
JAX NORTHSIDE, CHARLEVOIX
Wed -- Trivia Night w/ Michael Swartz of My Clueis Trivia, 7-9
NOGGIN ROOM PUB, PETOSKEY
3/15 -- Mike Ridley, 7-10
3/17 -- Brian McCosky, 7-10
3/19 -- Singo Bingo, 6:30
3/21 -- Lara Fullford, 7-10
3/22 -- Paul Bedour, 7-10
ODAWA CASINO RESORT, PETOSKEY VICTORIES:
3/14-15 & 3/21-22 -- Live DJ, 9
POND HILL FARM, HARBOR SPRINGS
3/15 -- Underleaf, 5-8
RUSTY SAW, BRUTUS 3/22 -- Mike Ridley, 6-9
THE BEAU, CHEBOYGAN 3/15 -- Ahab & The Smelt Dippers, 7-11
3/21 -- Musician's Playground, 7
THE HIGHLANDS AT HARBOR SPRINGS
SLOPESIDE LOUNGE: 3/15 -- Nelson Olstrom, 6
THE WIGWAM, INDIAN RIVER 3/20 -- Dominic Fortuna, 7:309:30
IRON FISH DISTILLERY, THOMPSONVILLE
5:30-7:30: 3/15 -- Andrew Dalton - The Fireside Wake
3/21 -- Brian Curran
3/22 -- Fred & Smed
LAKE ANN BREWING CO.
3/15 -- St. Patrick's Day Party w/ Rigs & Jeels, 3-6; Empire Highway, 7-10
3/20 -- Trivia Night, 7-9
3/21 -- Mike Moran & Ryan McGee, 6:30-9:30
3/22 -- Drew Hale, 6:30-9:30
LITTLE TRAVERSE INN, MAPLE CITY
3/15 -- The Wild Sullys: Pre-St. Patty's Day Party, 6:30 3/17 -- Rigs & Jeels, 6-9
ST. AMBROSE CELLARS, BEULAH
3/15 -- Ruby John, 6-8
3/20 -- Open Mic Night, 6-9
3/21 -- Polly Mauer, 5-8 3/22 -- Barefoot, 5-8
SHADY LANE CELLARS, SUTTONS BAY
3/15 -- St. Patty's Day Party w/ Whiskey Charmers, 2-5
3/21 -- Friday Night Live w/ Kevin Johnson, 4-7
SWEET’S BAR & GRILL, HONOR Mon. – Music Bingo, 7 Fri. – Music Bingo, 8; Karaoke, 10 Sat. – Karaoke, 8
Leelanau & Benzie
lOGY
MAR 17 - MAR 23
BY ROB BREZSNY
PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Coast redwoods are the tallest trees on the planet. If, Goddess forbid, lumber harvesters cut down one of these beauties, it can be used to build more than 20 houses. And yet each mature tree begins as a seed the size of a coat button. Its monumental growth is steady and slow, relying on robust roots and a symbiotic relationship with a fungus that enables it to absorb water from fog. I propose we make the redwood your power symbol for now, Pisces. Inspired by its process, I hope you implement the magic of persistent, incremental growth. Treasure the fact that a fertile possibility has the potential, with patience and nurturing, to ripen into a long-term asset. Trust that small efforts, fueled by collaboration, will lead to gratifying achievements.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Fireflies produce very efficient light. Nearly all the energy expended in their internal chemical reactions is turned directly into their intense glow. By contrast, light bulbs are highly inefficient. In accordance with astrological omens, Leo, I urge you to be like a firefly in the coming weeks, not a light bulb. You will have dynamic power to convert your inner beauty into outer beauty. Be audacious! Be uninhibited! Shower the world with full doses of your radiant gifts.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Brazil nut trees grow in the Amazon—but if only they are in the vicinity of orchid bees, their sole pollinators. And orchid bees thrive in no other place except where there are lots of blooming orchids. So the Brazil nut tree has very specific requirements for its growth and well-being. You Virgos aren’t quite so picky about the influences that keep you fertile and flourishing—though sometimes I do worry about it. The good news is that in the coming months, you will be casting a wider net in quest of inspiration and support. I suspect you will gather most, maybe all, of the inspiration and support you need.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1858, businessperson James Miller Williams was digging a new water well on his land in Ontario, hoping to compensate for a local drought. He noticed oil was seeping out of the hole he had scooped. Soon, he became the first person in North America to develop a commercial oil well. I suspect that you, too, may soon stumble upon valuable fuels or resources, Libra—and they may be different from what you imagined you were looking for. Be alert and open-minded for unexpected discoveries.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I've been through the US education system, and I can testify that our textbooks don't give the French enough of the credit they deserve for helping our fledging nation gain independence from Great Britain. The 18th-century American Revolution would not have succeeded without extensive aid from France. So I'm a little late, but I am hereby showering France with praise and gratitude for its intervention. Now I encourage you, too, to compensate for your past lack of full appreciation for people and influences that have been essential to you becoming yourself. It's a different kind of atonement: not apologizing for sins, but offering symbolic and even literal rewards to underestimated helpers and supporters.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): As I survey the astrological aspects, I am tempted to encourage you to be extra expansive about love. am curious to see the scintillating intimacy you might cultivate. So, in the hope you're as intrigued by the experimental possibilities as am, I invite you to memorize the following words by author Maya Angelou and express them to a person with whom you want to play deeper and wilder: "You are my living poem, my symphony of the untold, my golden horizon stretched beyond what the eye can see. You rise in me like courage, fierce and unyielding, yet soft as a lullaby sung to a weary soul. You are my promise kept, my hope reborn, the infinite melody in the heart of silence. I hold you in the marrow of my joy, where you are home."
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Four facts about a mountain goat as it navigates along steep and rocky terrain: 1. It’s strong and vigorous; 2. it’s determined and unflappable; 3. it’s precise and disciplined; it calls on enormous stamina and resilience. According to my astrological analysis, you Capricorns will have maximum access to all these capacities during the coming weeks. You can use them to either ascend to seemingly impossible heights or descend to fantastically
interesting depths. Trust in your power to persevere. Love the interesting journey as much as the satisfaction of reaching the goal of the journey.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Swiss Army knife is a compact assemblage of tools. These may include a nail file, scissors, magnifying glass, screwdriver, pliers, blade, can opener, and many others. Is there a better symbol for adaptability and preparedness? I urge you to make it your metaphorical power object during the coming weeks, Aquarius. Explore new frontiers of flexibility, please. Be ready to shift perspective and approach quickly and smoothly. Be as agile and multifaceted as you dare.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Cheetahs are the fastest land animals. From standing still, they can be running at 70 miles per hour three seconds later. But they can’t sustain that intensity. After a 20-second burst, they need to relax and recover. This approach serves them well, enabling them to prey on the small creatures they like to eat. encourage you to be like a metaphorical cheetah in the coming weeks, Aries. Capitalize on the power of focused, energetic spurts. Aim for bursts of dedicated effort, followed by purposeful rest. You don’t need to pursue a relentless pace to succeed. Recognize when it’s right to push hard and when it’s time to recharge.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Inside a kaleidoscope, the colored shards of glass are in an ever-shifting chaotic jumble. But internal mirrors present pleasing symmetrical designs to the person gazing into the kaleidoscope. I see a similar phenomenon going on in your life. Some deep intelligence within you (your higher self?) is creating intriguing patterns out of an apparent mess of fragments. I foresee this continuing for several weeks. So don’t be quick to jump to conclusions about your complicated life. A hidden order is there, and you can see its beauty if you’re patient and poised.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Spiders spin their webs with meticulous care, crafting structures that are delicate, strong, and useful. Their silk is five times more robust than steel of the same diameter. It’s waterproof, can stretch 140 percent of its length without splitting, and maintains its sturdiness at temperatures as low as -40 degrees. With that in mind, Gemini, I bid you to work on fortifying and expanding your own web in the coming weeks—by which I mean your network of connections and support. It’s an excellent time to deepen and refine your relationships with the resources and influences that help hold your world together.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Chichén Itzá was a large pre-Columbian city from around 600 to 1200 CE. It was built by Mayan people in what’s now Mexico. At the city center was a pyramid, The Temple of Kukulcán. During the equinoxes, and only on the equinoxes, sunlight fell on its steps in such a way as to suggest a snake descending the stairs. The mathematical, architectural, and astronomical knowledge necessary to create this entertaining illusion was phenomenal. In that spirit, I am pleased to tell you that you are now capable of creating potent effects through careful planning. Your strategic thinking will be enhanced, especially in projects that require long-term vision. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for initiatives that coordinate multiple elements to generate fun and useful outcomes.
“Jonesin”
Crosswords
"It's Free Real Estate"--a themeless expanse. by Matt Jones
ACROSS
1. Sgt.'s superior
5. Lost and trying to find a way out, maybe
12. 2025 Best Picture Oscar winner
14. Counter offers?
15. "Broadway Joe"
17. Rhapsodizes
18. Something to run for
20. Not entirely
21. Lab enclosure
23. Graham McPherson, in Madness
26. Like tougher steaks, maybe
28. Syllabus segment
29. "Too much excitement!"
31. "Girls5___" (Busy Philipps sitcom)
32. Grand Theft Auto: ___ Andreas
33. Stannic metal
34. Station where you scan your own groceries, for short
35. Hideaway
36. '70s hoops grp.
37. M
40. Middle range
42. Temperance, e.g.
43. Preserves
45. "Episode I" villain
47. "Getting to Know You" musical locale
49. Mount acrobatically, as a horse
50. Being
53. Actress Reeves of "Slow Horses"
54. Pretty close
55. Obsolescent
56. Workplace of 2024 sitcom character Dr. Ron Leonard
57. Distress signals, plural (and yeah, it's the preferred spelling but looks weird)
DOWN
1. Did some wicker work
2. Simple audio cord
3. Fruit part used to make the spice anar dana
4. Get (mud) on the carpet
5. "Son of," in some surnames
6. Navy Yard team, to fans
7. Workout consequences
8. Dress that translates to "cut off"
9. Ordered hierarchically
10. Zuider ___
11. Sinuous shape
13. Confirm
14. Tale that mentions the Trojan horse
16. Verbal nudge
19. Pitch in a window
22. Downwind side of the river
24. Responsibilities handed down
25. R.E.M. hit
27. Ravioli filling options
29. "Forever Blue" singer Chris
30. Mouse alternative for a laptop
38. Capital of County Kerry
39. Appetizers served with chutney
41. Religion, in a Marx quote
44. Did not reveal
46. A bunch
48. Chicago Symphony Orchestra "Music Director Emeritus for Life" Riccardo
50. Dol. parts
51. Balderdash
52. Icelandic band Sigur ___
FOOTPATH TRAIL / BEAUTIFUL
KINGSLEY 4.86 Parcel Nestled in the serene landscape of Kingsley, Michigan, this 4.86-acre wooded parcel offers a perfect canvas for your dream home or getaway retreat. $69k https://nglrmls. paragonrels.com/paragonls/publink/view. mvc/?GUID=4cd8edee-d159-447f-939739568865fe88&Report=Yes
TRAVERSE CITY COTTAGE FOR RENT: TC 1 BR Cottage, Very Nice, Utilities Included, Fully Furnished, All New Appliances Including W/D, Patio, BBQ, No Pets, Month to Month to 1 Year; $1,600 per month; (231) 631-7512.
SEWING, ALTERATIONS, MENDING & REPAIRS. Maple City, Maralene Roush 231228-6248
MAH JONGG CLASSES IN APRIL: Dive into Mah Jonng - learn the game or sharpen your skills. BEGINNER (Thurs. 4/3 - 4/24) & STRATEGIES (Tues. 4/8 - 4/2). Call/e-mail for details: chocolady@aye.net, 231-383-0803.
TRAVERSE CITY COTTAGE FOR RENT: TC 1 BR Cottage, Very Nice, Utilities Included, Fully Furnished, All New Appliances Including W/D, Patio, BBQ, No Pets, Month to Month to 1 Year; $1,600 per month; (231) 631-7512.
WANTED: LEGOS - FATHER & SON LOOKING TO BUY LEGOS: looking to sell any legos? if so, we're buying. give me a call at 231-463-0026
THE FLATS - A GREAT PLACE TO CALL HOME!: new condos, williamsburg,2 & 3 bedrooms for rent. available now231.499.9310!
