Northern Express - April 26, 2021

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Grow Your Own Morels • New World-Champ Disc Golf Course • Spring Fashion • Rad.Ish Triple Play • April Meteor Showers

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • april 26 - may 02, 2021 • Vol. 31 No. 17 Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 1

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letters Love what we’re doing here? Disagree with something on these pages? Share your views by emailing a quick letter to the editor: info@northernexpress.com A Few Rules: • Keep your letters civil and 300 words or fewer, one per month • All letters will be edited for clarity • Some letters or portions will be omitted due to space or issues with questionable facts/citations, privacy, publication in other media, etc.

• Include your full name, address, and phone or email • Note: Only your first name, first initial of last name, and city will be published.

We are temporarily suspending publication of letter authors’ full names.

Freedom to Vote The right to vote is a sacred, inalienable right of American citizens. Voting rights are being threatened by the introduction of the Michigan GOP’s 39 “election reform bills,” which are intended to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. The bills are based on the Big Lie. More than 250 local and statewide audits confirmed that Michigan’s elections were safe, secure, and accurate. These bills would affect lower income people, disabled people, and seniors. Call your state representative and state senator to oppose bills that disenfranchise Michigan voters.

M. Fletcher, Lake Leelanau

election in a district in which they are not running for office. They would learn election law and procedures and witness all that clerks and election inspectors are currently doing to safeguard our elections.

JoEllen R., Petoskey

Throw the Book at Him In the April 12 issue, Steve Tuttle said this in his opinion column, “Spring Cleaning”: “Businesses and private citizens are being asked to cough up $100,000 to pay an individual to teach some people there how to behave like grown-ups instead of fingerpointing, name-calling ninnies. If you thought library boards mostly discussed books, you would be wrong in Elk Rapids.”

It is true there is a group [Coalition of the Possible]trying to get governmental agencies to each kick in $10,000 for their project, but so far, only the village and DDA have done so. The library has nothing to do with this effort, is not planning to contribute, and has not even discussed it at a meeting. I am offended that you have implied the library is somehow involved with this boondoggle.

Also, library boards do not discuss books very often, unless there has been a challenge of one of our items. They do the very important work of overseeing the library operations by setting policy, ensuring adequate funding and approving a budget, planning for the future, and hiring a director to manage the library. Perhaps Mr. Tuttle could correct his statement in his next column.

Nannette M., Elk Rapids District Library

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Do the Job Before the Bills, GOP I am very concerned about the extreme number of proposed changes to Michigan’s election law. My years as an election inspector demonstrate that mail-in voting is totally safe and most proposed changes are unnecessary. They don’t address the needs of city and township clerks who successfully run elections. The 2020 election has been repeatedly audited, and it is recognized as one of the most voter engaged and accurate in years.

Proposed bills make mail-in voting more difficult and expensive for voters and clerks. The bills show an embarrassing lack of knowledge of voting procedures by GOP legislators. Senate bills 273, 278, 287 and 287 and 286 all make it harder for voters to vote absentee. With identify theft a huge problem, I do not want my license number nor photo mailed to anyone. The Qualified Voter File already has my name, address and birth date. A driver’s license number adds to info used in ID theft.

Election challengers need much more training and structure. However, election workers do not need well-intentioned bodies physically blocking us from election materials, equipment, or assisting voters. SB 276 could allow challengers to get even closer to voters at the tabulators than election inspectors are allowed — to film ballot tabulation and tabulator totals!

Our job is difficult, with exacting rules and procedures to follow within a short timeframe.

The greatest needs I see are more time to process absentee ballots before election day and more opportunities for early voting and the dropping off of absentee ballots.

I suggest that legislators throw out these ill-informed proposed laws and actually work as an election inspector in the 2022

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Dam Hinders Fish As I went down to notice the existing dam on Union Street, I saw a fish ladder not in use and netting — not letting — beautiful steelheads go upriver, beating? themselves, to death against a wire fence.

This stoppage of good fish not being able to spawn is criminal. Yes, there are sea lamprey already in the Upper Boardman, I’ve seen them myself 10 years ago, impossible to kill. But not letting the good fish through is really ridiculous. If you want the river to go back to its natural state, quit controlling nature, let it do its own thing, please. Haven’t we screwed up the planet enough in this dying world?

Bradford K., Traverse City

Spring RestauranTour Issue KEEPING THE TASTE ALIVE

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • may 11 - may 17, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 19 Photo courtesy of Providence Organic Farm & CSA in Central Lake

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CONTENTS features The Stories in Our Stars..................................9

EJ Jigs.....................................................10 Jr. Golf........................................................13 Morel Mushrooms.........................................14 Spring Refresh..............................................16 RAD.ISH........................................................19 Disc Golf.......................................................20

columns & stuff Top Ten........................................................5

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...............................6 Opinion..........................................................7 Weird............................................................8 Dates........................................................21 Advice.....................................................28 Crossword..................................................28 Astrology.....................................................26 Classifieds...............................................26

Northern Express Weekly is published by Eyes Only Media, LLC. Publisher: Luke Haase PO Box 4020 Traverse City, Michigan 49685 Phone: (231) 947-8787 Fax: 947-2425 email: info@northernexpress.com www.northernexpress.com Executive Editor: Lynda Twardowski Wheatley Finance & Distribution Manager: Brian Crouch Sales: Kathleen Johnson, Lisa Gillespie, Kaitlyn Nance, Michele Young, Randy Sills, Todd Norris, Jill Hayes For ad sales in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Boyne & Charlevoix, call (231) 838-6948 Creative Director: Kyra Poehlman Distribution: Dave Anderson, Linda Szarkowski, Sarah Rodery, Randy Sills, Roger Racine Matt Ritter, Gary Twardowski Listings Editor: Jamie Kauffold Contributors: Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsny Ross Boissoneau, Eric Cox, Jennifer Hodges, Michael Phillips, Steve Tuttle, Anna Faller, Craig Manning, Janice Binkert Alex Tank, Meg Weichman Copyright 2020, 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.

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Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 3

this week’s

top ten First in Northern Michigan: Mud, Sweat and Beers Launches 300-Rider Race May 1 The first major endurance race in northern Michigan since March 2020 is not only on — it’s happening next week. After canceling twice in 2020, the organizers of Mud, Sweat and Beers, a biking race/fundraiser traditionally held in Traverse City in May, made a big change: They decided to move the original, larger race of 1,000 riders to October 2021 and, in its place, launch a brand-new race for May: the MSB300, a 22-mile loop open to pro, elite and sport riders.

“MSB300 not only gives Mt. Holiday [a nonprofit ski area in TC] a much-needed financial boost, it is also a homecoming of sorts for the dedicated mountain bike riders of Michigan,” said race co-director Jim Kalajian, who has overseen the Mud, Sweat and Beers fundraiser for 12 years.

MSB300, sponsored by Short’s Brewing Company, Fox Motors, and McLain Cycle & Fitness, will begin at 9am on Saturday May 1, and will wind through Holiday Hills into the Pere Marquette State Forest, using specially designed trails by the Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association that blend single track with wider paths.

Riders can sign up by searching MSB300 at runsignup.com. Cost is $70 per rider.

All entrants must carry their own nutrition and water. There will be first responders on the trail but no water stations because of COVID restrictions. To learn more, visit www.mudsweatandbeers.com/214/event-info.

2 bottoms up

Good Harbor Vineyards’ Trillium

While you await the annual arrival of the season’s striking vermillion and white wood lilies, you can sate your taste for them with Good Harbor’s ode to their natural brilliance, Trillium.

A white wine of impeccable balance — medium sweet, medium dry, medium-priced — the liquid Trillium is, like its forest-floor-born namesake, a Michigan spring standard that shines far too brightly to ever be called wallflower. Initial sips of this Riesling-based blend suggest subtle flavors of nectarine and tangerine; every sip hits all the right mid-palate buttons before washing down in the sharp blaze of a bright acid finish.

A super pairing for a peasant-style picnic (think bread, cheese, apples) or a spicy dish of Sichuan anything, Trillium is a flexible wine that’s also reliable — one sure to score with a range of wine drinkers with different preferences. We found ours for $11.69 at Deerings Meat Market, 827 S. Union St., in Traverse City. You can also buy bottles at www.goodharbor.com and/or sip some on site at the longtime family farmed Good Harbor winery, 34 S Manitou Trail, in Lake Leelanau. (231) 866-8031.

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Great Lakes, Great Art Crooked Tree Arts Center’s second visual arts exhibit of the spring season — “GREAT: Reflections on the Great Lakes” — is even better than its name promises. Featuring 48 original works from Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois artists, all reflecting on the seemingly limitless theme of “great,” the juried exhibit is a stirring sight of traditional and conceptual approaches to photography, painting, mixed media drawings, ceramic pieces, and printmaking.

If the show itself doesn’t inspire you to capture your own vision of great with pen, brush, or camera, it’ll surely motivate you to reserve some spring time at your favorite Great Lake shore to recapture the sublime feeling these artists so readily convey. Case in point: Debra Howard’s Lake Michigan Nocturne oil painting, above. Runs through June 1 at CTAC Petoskey, 461 E. Mitchell St., (231) 347-4337, www.crookedtree.org

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Hey, watch it!

This Is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist

In the wee hours of a morning in March 1990, a pair of men dressed as Boston police perpetrated one of the greatest crimes of the century, robbing the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of 13 works of art valued at over a half-billion dollars. Now, 30 years later, the brazen crime remains unsolved, and priceless masterpieces by the likes of Rembrandt and Vermeer remain at large.

Offering some compelling theories as to what might have happened and where the art could be is Netflix’s latest true-crime documentary series, This Is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist. Featuring juicy interviews with eyewitnesses and investigators, this look into the peculiar and befuddling case identifies several “people of interest” and explains the criminal value of something that is unsellable on the open market. Buried by mobsters? Perhaps a hung on the wall of a faraway palace? Whatever the truth about where these pieces are today, the series’ knack for raising more questions than it answers is what makes it so fascinating.

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Raven Hill Re-emerges!

Pending state and local guidelines, Raven Hill Discovery Center in East Jordan — which has been closed since March 2020 — has reopened just in time for spring. The 175-acre site still offers hands-on experiences for all ages through programs, exhibits and facilities connecting science, history and the arts, but some safety-minded changes are making the experience better than ever.

Visitor numbers and time spent indoors will be limited and offered by appointment only, with masks and social distancing required indoors and outside. The indoors has been redesigned into a one-way series of “eyes-only” exhibits, along with hands-on exhibits such as generator bikes, marimba, and kaleidoscopes. Preliminary work has begun on a half-mile Connections Trail, which features with 40 hands-on learning stations. The Connections Trail will parallel the existing Taxi Trail; together the two will nurture informal education while encouraging the mental and physical health of visitors. To reserve a date and or for information on programs such as outreach, field trips, and summer camps, call (231) 536-3369 or email info@miravenhill.org.

Stuff we love

Bringing the Stars Home for Kids

Want to excite your child’s imagination in the night sky? The North’s own star lore historian, Mary Stewart Adams, has teamed up with her illustrious illustrator sister, Patricia DeLisa, to create “The Star Tales of Mother Goose: For Those Who Seek the Secret Language of the Stars.”

Using DeLisa’s original artwork, traditional Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, and a few whimsical takes of Adams’ own, the book introduces kids to basic astronomical concepts and the history of each rhyme, as well as the history of Mother Goose herself. (Didja know the title “Mother Goose” first appeared in 17th Century France but originates much earlier in legends of the goose-footed Queen Bertrada of Laon? Us either.)

Complete with easy-to-use sky maps, a key for finding the stars, and fun connections between Mother Goose rhymes and the stars above, the book is suitable for children and fun for adults. Find it at www.starlore.co (no “m”), and Between the Covers in Harbor Springs beginning May 11. Can’t wait? Turn to p. 9 for a peek at what’s up in the sky this spring.

Fulfill Your Need for Theater Speed Live theater might not be as high up as food, water, and shelter on your list of elements critical to survival, but lo, what a dull existence life would without such age-old human amusements. Thanks then to the perseverance of the Little Traverse Civic Theatre gang, which, after enduring months of pandemic-induced postponements to its inaugural Great Lakes Festival of Shorts, decided the live show they’d planned must go on … line. Originally planned to hit the stage for a live audience last November, the series of short plays — each running 10 minutes or less — will be available online for a 48-hour stint of the viewers’ choosing any time between now and May 3. Don’t like one performance? Simply fast-forward to the next. The stories, sets, and actors change with each Michigan-playwright-penned play; audiences — who can watch for just $10 a household — can expect six shows in one sitting.

Visit www.ltct.org for the link to purchase tickets and watch.

8 tastemaker Mary’s Kitchen Port’s Gobbler

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Those who claim turkey as Thanksgiving’s bird have clearly never tried the Gobbler at Mary’s Kitchen Port. Much like Michigan’s own robin, Mary’s famed Gobbler is every bit as much a harbinger of spring, shaking off the dormant days of winter and welcoming us back to languid days where riverside picnics are once again possible. Much more like the brains of the bird the bears its name, however, the Gobbler is a strikingly simple thing — stacked layers of sliced roasted turkey, lettuce, shredded cheddar, and Hellman’s mayo between two slices of freshly baked and salted focaccia — but so singular in its tastiness that we can neither understand or resist its utter addictiveness. We suspect it has something to do with the salt, the simplicity, or the combo thereof. No matter. It’s undeniably a city-wide favorite and, we found, even better when paired with a side of the smoky-spiced-and-sliced baked Mexican Sweet Potatoes. A little lime juice, a little cilantro, a little cumin and heat — they’re a zingy, warming foil to the straightforward sammie, and the two together make a spring afternoon sing. Get yours before lunch if you’re smart; the early bird gets the Gobblers. Find both at Mary’s Kitchen Port, 539 W. Front St., in Traverse City. (231) 941-0525, www.maryskitchenport.com.

Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 5

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by Stephen Tuttle 2020 wasn’t a very good year. At all.

Aside from the horrific toll of the pandemic and the post-election insanity, we became a lot more violent. Murder rates were the highest in the last two decades, according to the FBI. Other violent crimes increased comparably.

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Chicago saw a 50 percent increase in murders in 2020, with 750 fatalities. New York City murders increased by 40 percent; Los Angeles, 30 percent. Detroit had a 19 percent increase in murders and a 53 percent increase in non-fatal shootings. No urban area in the country was immune; overall, our murder rate increased 37 percent.

There is no question about the legitimacy of the overwhelming majority of police shootings. We can have an honest debate about dispatching mental health workers instead of police or addressing the core socioeconomic issues that inevitably lead to violence another time. The reality is, at least for now, we’re still going to have police-civilian interactions that end badly for the civilians. The most basic rule of these interactions — pull a gun on a cop, and he or she will shoot you — is too often forgotten by the civilian, to their terminal detriment.

There was a pause in mass shootings if for no other reason than there were extended periods of time when we were not allowed to gather in numbers, so there were no mass targets. We’re now making up for lost time, averaging 1.4 mass shootings per day in the

At the same time, smartphones of bystanders and body cameras of officers have shown too many interactions resulting in a police shooting we don’t understand. We don’t understand why police union leaders are so quick to defend what appears to be

Shamefully, we have so much violence, we have to create categories of killing. last 45 days, with more than 40 dead and dozens more injured. The Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as any incident at a single location in which four or more people are shot, lists 145 mass shootings already this year.

Shamefully, we have so much violence, we have to create categories of killing. We have mass shooters, who kill in one place in a very short time span. Then there are spree killers, who take their carnage to multiple locations but within a reasonably short time span. Then there are serial killers, who may kill in multiple locations over an extended period of time. Run-of-the-mill killers with just one or two victims don’t even merit their own category.

In among all of this are the incredibly high-profile police shootings, some of which are now brought to us in horrifying reality by law enforcement body cameras and civilians with camera phones. We pay particular attention to those shootings. Last year, 457 white people, 241 Black people, 169 Latinx people, and 154 people whose race was not identified were killed by law enforcement officers. That was a slight increase from 2019. About 97 percent of those fatalities were male.

(That more than twice as many white folks were killed by police as Black and Latinx people combined doesn’t tell the entire story. On a per-capita basis, minorities are several times more likely to die during interaction with law enforcement.)

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line of duty last year, a staggering 94 percent increase from 2019.

We pay less attention when it’s the officer being shot and killed, and that should embarrass us all. Some 264 law enforcement officers were killed in the

indefensible. We don’t understand why so few officers, some of whom are just bad apples, are convicted of criminal conduct.

While we try to understand the police shootings, we are completely baffled by the unbelievable carnage we unleash on each other every day without any law enforcement involvement at all. We just keep becoming more violent, not less. We solve domestic issues with gunfire, workplace issues with gunfire, traffic conflicts with gunfire, and thanks to our shoddy mental health system, the unhinged sometimes express themselves with gunfire, too.

We see the rise of violent white nationalist groups and militias. The FBI tells us domestic terrorists are the most serious threat to national security. Social media sites tolerate and perpetuate violent rhetoric, and politicians on both the extreme left and right do the same. And just about anyone can easily assemble their own arsenal no matter how deranged, and we don’t understand that at all.

According to Public Policy Polling, an arm of the Kennedy School Institute of Politics at Harvard, 83 percent of the public supports universal background checks, and about 80 percent support limits on the capacity of ammunition magazines. Even 72 percent of National Rifle Association (NRA) members support background checks without loopholes. That change would be a good start.

Congress and state legislatures, out of step with the public and up to their ankles in the blood of their constituents, continue to do almost nothing. Reform is hard, but maybe they should give it a shot.

REFORMING MICHIGAN SCHOOLS opinion

by Hal Gurian Michigan needs to reform its public and charter schools. Both traditional public schools and public charter schools suffer from a lack of accountability and transparency, which only puts our children at risk for a sub-par level of education.

“Michigan K-12 system is among the weakest in the country and falling behind,” contends Education Trust-Midwest, an online website evaluating schools. “White, [B]lack, brown, higher-income, lowerincome — it doesn’t matter who they are or where they live, they are failing kids, and that means Michigan risks getting dumber and dumber.”

According to U.S. News’ 2020 assessment of high school education, Michigan ranks 38th. Locally, Traverse City Central High School ranks 24th, and Traverse City West High School ranks 38th out of 1,147 highschools in Michigan.

Performance for white, Latino, and African American students has declined since 2013, according to Education Trust-Midwest’s tracking of educational outcomes.

Statewide, the amount allocated for teacher pensions in each district went from 11.7 percent in 2000 to 32.3 percent in 2018, according to a Bridge Michigan report published in the Oct. 27, 2019, issue.

This number continues to grow annually, reducing funds for education. The authors of this study, Bridge Michigan, assert that this may result in increased class size, cuts in enrichment programs, and a reduction in counseling and mental health services, as well as lower compensation for teachers.

I propose that teacher pensions be moved out of the educational budget and into the general fund, much like the Michigan State Police Retirement fund is totally separate from the funding of the state police.

According to the nonprofit Educational Choice, “The increase in administrative staff between 1950 and 2015 was more than seven times the increase in the number of students and three times the increase in the number of teachers.” This excess fat is the result of lack of accountability, in my opinion. We should also look elsewhere to cut some of the excess fat: ballooning administrations.

add more charters rather than improve them. In Michigan there are no minimum standards or experience levels required to run these schools; weak and lethargic authorizers are not held accountable for academic performance, which, according to Network of Public Education, leads to Michigan having the worst record of abuse of funds.

According to a Sept. 5, 2019 article in “Detroit Chalk Beat,” performance of charter schools in Michigan’s low-income areas are a mixed bag. Yet the inner cities of New York City, Boston, Chicago, and L.A., charter schools show better academic results than traditional public schools.

According to a 2015 Stanford University study comparing urban charter school students and their traditional public-school counterparts, the learning gains of the former are equivalent to 40 additional days of math instruction and 28 additional days of reading instruction. These gains were most significant for Black, Hispanic, and lowincome students. These accomplishments should be seen in Detroit and could be with better oversight.

I am proposing that the State of Michigan reform traditional public schools and public charter schools in a similar manner to Massachusetts, which is ranked No. 1 in the country for all public schools. In 1993 (the same year Michigan started charter schools), Massachusetts overhauled its educational system — a process initiated by the business community — and created a commission that included teachers, unions, charter advocates, politicians, and parents.

The landmark Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 was entirely state-led and emphasized academic content and high standards. Massachusetts State Board of Education oversees the public elementary and secondary sectors and also is the sole authorizer of charter schools. The Education Reform Act required the state to draft “liberal arts-rich curriculum frameworks to help schools choose curricula by specifying the content students should be able to master.” It also mandated charter schools demonstrate good results within the first five years of their charters or face closure, without chance of renewal, by the state.

Since 1993, when charter schools were created, Michigan has become one of the most ineffectual states in the country regarding charter school regulation, according to a report commissioned by the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School in February 2020. In all 45 states where charters exist, authorizers are the entities who can start a new charter school.

What will allow the state of Michigan to initiate reforms like this, which are so badly needed? What would enable our schools to provide a first rate-education?

The Massachusetts Education Reform Act would be a model worth emulating. Having both charter and traditional public schools overseen by the Michigan State Board of Education would be a first step. We the citizens of Michigan need to do what is best for our children.

In Michigan, most charter schools are authorized by universities or colleges, which oversee school performance. The majority are for-profit. The for-profit aspect motivates authorized groups to

Hal Gurian is a retired retailer and wholesaler in the greeting card and gift business. His interests lie in community affairs and nonpartisan problem solving: “Country first, over political parties.”

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Metaphorically Speaking Camille Coelho, 54, of Brookline, Massachusetts, an ICU nurse at South Shore Hospital, set out at low tide for a stroll with her son’s dog, Lucy, along Constitution Beach on April 8 to relax and look for sea glass, but found herself stuck in mud that reached past her knees instead. “It’s a great metaphor for the year,” she told the Boston Herald. “I can’t believe it. ... This past year has been awful.” Passersby rushed to help, but soon called firefighters, who arrived to pull her out.

Wait, What?

An anonymous New York resident seeking to marry their adult child filed suit in federal court in Manhattan on April 1 asking that laws barring incestuous marriage be overturned, Fox News reported. In court papers, the petitioner claims such a marriage is a matter of “individual autonomy” and asks to remain unnamed because “a large segment of society views (the request) as morally, socially and biologically repugnant.” The petitioner is a parent of an adult child, but court documents do not reveal the couple’s genders, ages, hometown or relationship.

The filing does detail that the “proposed spouses are unable to procreate together.”

Manhattan family and matrimonial law attorney Eric Wrubel predicted, “It’s never gonna fly.”

Repeat Offender Heather Poplasky, 32, of Plainfield, Connecticut, was arrested four times in 24 hours over the course of April 10 and 11, according to police. The first arrest came when police were called to her home, where they say she threatened to cut herself with a large kitchen knife and blame it on her boyfriend, WFSB-TV reported. Police charged her with reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct and took her to a hospital for evaluation, where Putnam police issued her a summons following an incident with a member of the staff. On April 11, Poplasky violated the terms of her release from the hospital by returning to her home, where Plainfield police say they again arrested her, adding more charges. While she was in custody awaiting arraignment the next day, police say she flooded her cell by putting a roll of toilet paper and trash in the toilet, and a charge of criminal mischief was added.

Her bond topped out at $30,000 for the various offenses.

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Feast or Famine Fox Business reported on April 13 that toilet paper sales have declined to levels below pre-pandemic levels, indicating that last year’s hoarding is affecting this year’s sales. Marjorie Greenburgh, 62, of New Rochelle, New York, said because she has 54 rolls still stored throughout her home, “I’m not planning on buying for a while.”

NielsenIQ clocked the decline in sales at 33% in March.

The BBC reported on April 15 that England is experiencing a shortage of garden gnomes. Factors contributing to this critical supply deficit include a shortage of raw materials, the recent blockage of the Suez Canal by a container ship, and the increased popularity of gardening during

the COVID-19 shutdowns. “We haven’t seen a gnome in six months,” said Ian Byrne, assistant manager of Highfield Garden World in Whitminster. “Raw materials are becoming a bit of an issue, and unfortunately, gnomes are a victim. ... Gnomes of any type -- plastic, stone or concrete -- are in short supply.”

Awesome!

Gary and Beth Machens moved into a historic home in Alton, Illinois, in December and uncovered more history to go with it when they found a 19th-century brick tunnel underneath the house. Gary Machens discovered the entrance to the tunnel as he was doing some sidewalk repair. The barrel-shaped tunnel, about 9 feet high and 60 feet long, is believed by local historians to have been built around 1840 -- 50 years before the house was constructed. “Whatever they built this for, it took a lot of men and a lot of hours. You know, one guy didn’t do this,” Machens told KTVI-TV. He believes the tunnel could have been used to store ice or carriages, or it could have been part of the Underground Railroad. “There was a ferry here in the Alton area to the Missouri side, and it’s possible it could have been used for that,” he said.

Vintage Weird Brian Robson of Cardiff, Wales, was 19 years old in 1964, when he accepted a job on the Victorian Railways in Australia. He almost immediately regretted his decision and started scheming about how to get back home, but he didn’t have enough money for the return trip. That’s when he had an idea: With the help of two Irish friends, Robson squeezed himself into a 30-by-26-by-38-inch wooden crate and shipped himself home in the cargo area of a Qantas flight. “The first 10 minutes was fine,” he told CNN. “But your knees start to cramp up when they’re stuck up to your chest.” When the crate arrived in Sydney, it landed on the tarmac upside down. “So now I’m sitting on my neck and my head,” he explained, “and I was there for 22 hours upside down,” until arriving next in Los Angeles, where two airport workers discovered him. He spent six days recovering in a hospital as word of his story got out, and Pan Am airlines sent Robson home to London in a first-class seat. Robson lost touch with the friends who helped him but now hopes to find them and reconnect. He’s never been back to Australia.

Compelling Explanations A Blount County (Tennessee) Sheriff ’s deputy was dispatched to a Dollar General store in Maryville on April 5 after a clerk was presented with a $1 million bill, The Smoking Gun reported. Amanda McCormick, 39, told officers she received the bill “in the mail from a church” and that she planned to use the funds to purchase the cart full of items she had, “including several gift cards ... for care packages for homeless individuals,” according to a police report. McCormick and her companion, Linda Johnson, 61, were not arrested but were banned from returning to the Dollar General store, and officers confiscated the bill.

The Stories in Our Stars SPRING EDITION

Photo courtesy of Usukhbayar Gankhuyag, Unsplash.

By Mary Stewart Adams How fitting it is — when the blossoms are bending toward the sun, the bees are rushing toward the blossoms, and everything is humming along to the greater mystery of warmth and light — that the first meteor shower of the spring should emanate from the region of the constellation Lyra, the musical instrument of the ancient sun god Apollo, and his mother, Leto.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower started April 16, and while it peaked overnight Wednesday, April 21, when the Moon was

“Just as the sacredness of the November crossquarter was anticipated by the mischief on its eve, known as All Hallow’d Eve, or Halloween, May Day enjoys something similar. The eve of May Day, April 30, is known in certain regions of Europe as Walpurgis Night, when witches are free to roam the Harz Mountains and cavort with the devil.” a waxing gibbous, misshapen and sloping westward well beyond the midnight hour — you can catch sight of it until April 30.

The trick to catching a meteor shower is to look for it when the constellation that bears its name is highest. In this case, the constellation is Lyra, which boasts the unmistakably bright blue-white star Vega.

Vega rises in the northeast around 9 pm, blazing a trail through the night from

northeast to southwest, sprinkling falling stars across the sky. It is the lead star in the summer triangle, which heralds the season of warmth for us in the North. The Lyrids are known to produce fireballs, despite not leaving persistent trails of stardust.

The lyre that lends its name to the constellation Lyra belonged to the ancient Greek goddess Leto, who played music to the gods of Olympus. She was consort to Zeus before Hera, and she bore the twins Apollo and Artemis, sun and moon. The myth of Leto relates how her childbirth was delayed until Iris, goddess of the rainbow, was gifted a necklace woven through with the golden threads of destiny, for use in persuading Ilithyia, goddess of childbirth, to make haste.

It’s easy to imagine such a tale in the northern spring, when warmth and blossom seem delayed by stubborn cold.

Just after the Lyrid meteors finish falling through the sky, we arrive at spring’s crossquarter, the halfway point in the season known popularly as May Day, on May 1. In each season we come to these cross-quarter points, which were celebrated much more vigorously in former times, in order to ensure health and fertility for land, animals, and the community.

Traditionally, the winter cross-quarter — our Groundhog Day — celebrated the inner light, whereas the opposite cross-quarter, Aug. 1, was about outer light and the first wheat harvest. During the spring crossquarter, May Day, ceremonies were designed to celebrate fertility and new life.

The opposite cross-quarter, Nov. 1, honored life at its fulfillment, as well as those who had died. And just as the sacredness of the November cross-quarter was anticipated

by the mischief on its eve, known as All Hallow’d Eve, or Halloween, May Day enjoys something similar. The eve of May Day, April 30, is known in certain regions of Europe as Walpurgis Night, when witches are free to roam the Harz Mountains and cavort with the devil.

Despite this mischief and mayhem, when community life is predicated on ceremony that is rooted in cosmic rhythms, a certain harmony prevails, one that reaches beyond religion, race, or creed. The idea is that under the stars, we are all one humanity.

In the merry month of May, the planet Venus emerges as our evening star. Though Venus will stay close to the horizon throughout the month, it’s really special to have the goddess of love and beauty grace the western edge of the world at the close of each day.

On June 10, there’s an annular eclipse of the sun. This type of eclipse is also called a “ring of fire” eclipse, because the moon is too far from the earth to appear to block the entire solar disc, and instead appears to stand fully embraced by the sun’s corona. This eclipse will already be underway by the time the sun rises in northern Michigan, around 5:51 am, and though it will appear only as a partial eclipse for us, it’s worth getting up for because it’s the only eclipse of the 21st Century that will cast its shadow over the North Pole, at the very top of the world.

Want to learn more about the sky and its stories? Check out www.StorytellersNightSky. com — the website of Star Lore Historian Mary Stewart Adams — to stay abreast of upcoming star-gazing events and audio recordings of her radio segment, or sign up for The Storyteller’s Night Sky newsletter, which delivers celestial updates to your email box.

Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 9

Jack Flynn (left) and Ethan Stoops, founders of EJ Jigs

HIGH SCHOOL FISHING PALS, NOW BUSINESS PARTNERS Flynn & Stoops’ EJ Jigs enters year three

By Ross Boissoneau For Jack Flynn and Ethan Stoops, fishing isn’t the only thing. There’s school, there’s family, there’s friends. But if fishing isn’t the only thing, it’s certainly one of the biggest and best things. So much so that the two pals not only enjoy fishing, they’ve turned their passion for the sport into a business.

EJ Jigs was born three years ago. The two had formed a fast friendship based around their love of the sport. “We’re passionate about fishing,” said Flynn.

Thing is, they were dissatisfied with the lures they were using. “There was a lack of durability,” said Flynn. So they set about to change things.

They started the company at age 16, when they both were in high school. Today, the 19-year-olds both attend Northwest Michigan College. Flynn is studying economics and finance, while Stoops is studying unmanned aircraft-vehicle piloting.

But that doesn’t mean they’ve abandoned their plans to continue creating and expanding EJ Jigs. On the contrary. “We want to go as far as it will take us,” said Stoops.

Their passion goes back to their very beginnings. Stoops said he first got into fishing as a youngster. “Mostly my grandpa, we used to go fishing all the time,” he said.

Flynn said he got hooked on the sport early on, too. “When I was really little. I was brought up trolling,” he said.

While a student at Central High School, Stoops was introduced to jigging — dancing a lure up and down underwater, as opposed to pullling it horizontally

through the water, to attract fish. He met Flynn shortly thereafter, and the two were off and fishing. “I got into jigging because of Ethan,” Flynn said.

That passion combined with their ideas on how to improve their jigs lured the two into business. While starting a business while still in high school might seem a bit much to some, their families were supportive from the start.

“We were determined to do it from day one. They were on board,” said Flynn. “Now they’re proud of us.”

The pair make all their jigs by hand with high-quality components, including extremely strong and sharp anodized VMC hooks and stainless steel split rings, then fully encapsulated the lures with durable powder coat paint.

On average, it takes the pair six to seven hours to fully produce 100 lures. EJ Jigs currently offers some 20 color combinations, most of which glow under water. “For jigging, glow jigs work well,” said Flynn.

They test their designs themselves — after all, it’s all about fishing and fun — primarily in East and West Grand Traverse Bay. While they take pride in their work, they also have fun with their business.

Take their Mako series, for example.

Not only does the duo note that it sets their lures apart from those of their competitors, the lures also bring to mind the ferocious ocean carnivore. “Our Mako Series product line was based off the gills of the Mako shark because it’s commonly known as a fierce predator,” said Flynn, noting it doesn’t really have anything to

10 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

do with baitfish commonly found in the Great Lakes.

Their lures are available at several locations across the region: Tangled Tackle Company in Manistee, Captain Chucks II in Ludington, Shooters Range in Traverse City, Ward Brothers Boats in Charlevoix, KatFisher Bait & Tackle in Cheboygan, Jay’s Sporting Goods in both Gaylord and Clare, plus thevery first retail shops to carry EJ’s, Frankfort Tackle Box in Frankfort and Roy’s General Store in Traverse City.

They also sell their jigs on sites like eBay and Hidden Michigan Monsters (HiddenMiMonsters.com), and are working on a new website that will allow for online sales. The two sold around 5,000 jigs in 2020, and look to up that by 1,000 to 2,000 more in 2021. They’re priced at $6 to $8.99 each or in multipacks for $19.95 to $34.95, depending on the lures and quantity.

The two say their lures are effective in catching a number of different game fish: lake trout, whitefish, cisco, bass, pike, and all types of salmon. And the season doesn’t matter; The jigs are effective in open water as well as through the ice.

What is the best lure they offer? As they say, it all depends — on the type of fish, the time of day and the conditions. “We have different colors for different water conditions,” said Flynn.

“Chrome series is great for morning or evening,” said Stoops; their glow series is useful when it’s overcast.

What’s next? Well, there is school, of course, but as far as the company goes, the two intend to keep at it. They want to continue to

expand their lines while broadening their retail footprint and then, they plan to do what all young startups do, said Stoops: “We have a YouTube video coming.”

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GET STARTED Youth programs are offered at

JR. GOLF IS BETTER UP NORTH Get ’em swinging

By Ross Boissoneau Yeah, we’ve all seen Tiger Woods play.

But maybe some of you caught sight of him playing alongside his 11-year-old son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship scramble in Orlando, Florida, back in December.

The Woods guys placed seventh overall (shooting 20 under) in the 36-hole event, and though Charlie’s skills were breathtaking to behold, the takeaway for America wasn’t only the not-so-surprising level of play from Tiger’s progeny but also how much fun the pro golfer and his son clearly had as they played.

Take note, moms and dads. Whether you play well or not, getting outside and playing golf with your kid is a pretty great way to spend a day. And luckily, the northwest Lower Michigan region boasts some of the best programs and people dedicated to the cause. (Read: You don’t have to be the one to teach your kid.)

One of the best in the region’s business is Professional Golf Association Pro Scott Wilson, at Bay Meadows. The national chapter of the Professional Golf Association agrees; it awarded him the prestigious Youth Player Development Award in 2019.

To hear Scott tell it, he’s not in it for the awards. It’s all about the kids and the game.

“It’s a sport for a lifetime, and you can start at any age, younger or older. Everything we do is to inspire a lifelong love,” he said.

Here’s the kicker: While Wilson is ostensibly teaching youngsters about golf, he said what he’s really doing is teaching them life skills and values, such as honesty, integrity, and playing by the rules. “You’re your own referee.

Honesty and integrity are crucial.”

He’s not alone in those thoughts. Judy Mason, head pro at Michaywé in Gaylord, said learning golf and life skills build on

one another. “The Gaylord Area Junior Golf Association — we call it GAJUGA — will help preserve the game and teach life skills,” she said.

Wilson said the up and down nature of the game — a great shot here, a missed putt there — mirrors life, and children who learn to how to deal with the reality of golf are able to apply those lessons the rest of their lives. “There’s always something. Whether you’re a young person or an adult student, it’s a constant struggle. It’s all about your outlook,” he said.

The PGA Junior League at Bay Meadows started with 28 kids when Wilson arrived at Bay Meadows in 2015. Now there are more than 90 enrolled in the program. But perhaps more important is his work at area elementary schools.

“I realized golf was never a part of school [physical education]. Traverse City allowed me to introduce golf to elementary students in phys ed classes. We have mini clubs and little tennis balls. I want to give them a taste of the game,” he said.

While it’s important to make sure all kids have opportunities to try their hand at the game, Melissa Hoglund believes it’s especially important for young girls. The executive director of First Tee Northern Michigan said while the entirety of her program is designed to teach and instill a love of the sport, its First Tee Girls Golf — the only single-gender summer class available in Emmet County — can help young women gain or retain their self confidence.

“From 8 to 13, girls’ self confidence has been scientifically measured to plummet 30 percent,” Hoglund said. “So one of our huge priorities and hopes is to be a countervailing force to that trend.”

She knows whereof she speaks. “I was that young girl who lost confidence and felt

inferior. I want to reach a hand back to help the next generation.”

Each of the lessons concentrates on one skill that is beneficial in both golf and life.

“It’s one core value, like perseverance. You can talk to a 7-year-old about perseverance in a way that’s very colorful and fun. It’s baked into the fun of the day,” she said.

Hoglund believes developing golf skills will help girls maintain their self-confidence as they grow up and find themselves in other situations where men can be and often are dominant. “It’s a man’s world,” she said. “It will teach them to excel elsewhere, like at a conference or in sales, when everyone else is men.”

Another benefit of helping youngsters learn about and develop a love of the game is the future opportunities it can provide.

Hoglund said teachers for the summer programs are graduates of the program they are teaching. “They are all local teens who have come up through the program. It’s good pay for good experience,” she said.

It goes beyond that. The game of golf opens doors for college scholarships and business opportunities. It’s also a sport that can be enjoyed with others throughout one’s life. “You can play for as long as you can walk.

And the social aspect — here at Michaywé, it’s our older people’s social network.”

And beyond that, it’s just fun, an opportunity to gather with friends and family. That’s been especially beneficial during the pandemic, when health concerns placed restrictions on gatherings. All those connected with the game said last year saw more golfers than ever, a trend they hope continues. Said Mason: “Once the lockdown was lifted we saw a surge of new and reborn golfers. You get outside, get fresh air, exercise, all safely. You could go out with a buddy or girlfriend you hadn’t seen.”

various courses throughout the region.

Gaylord Area The Gaylord Area Junior Golf Association program (GAJUGA) is open to youth age 7 to 17. It kicks off with registration and the first clinic at the Michaywe Pines Pro Shop at 4:30– 6pm, Wednesday, May 5.

GAJUGA provides junior golfers a foundation in the game of golf, including proper grip and swing, rules, professional instruction and etiquette.

The program includes a tee gift, nine instructional clinics, five on-course golf events and a Family Fun Night.

Juniors will be placed in two different ability levels: Beginners (ages 7–10) will play four holes. One parent is required to walk with each group. Intermediates (ages 11–17) must understand basic etiquette and hit ball 100 yards; play is for nine holes. GAJUGA membership is $75 per person. Registration forms and event calendars are available online at gaylordjuniorgolf.com.

Little Traverse Area Weekly league, competitive matches in a team format for boys & girls age 8–17: www.firstteenorthernmichigan.org Traverse City Area The TCJGA Junior Golf Lesson Program holds 20 lesson sessions boys and girls ages 5 through 15. The TCJGA In School Golf Program is available to girls and boys in grades second through fifth. Registration open. Lessons begin May 4. www.tcjga.com See also: BayMeadowsFGC.com/ learning-center Manistee Area Junior Camp clinic ($60) offers fiveday program covering golf basics of golf, open to boys and girls ages 6–16, June 10–14; Junior Golf League (details and pricing TBA) offers instruction for moderate to advanced young golfers, with on-course practice, fun competition, play at other local golf courses. Contact pro Denis Meikle (231) 398-0123, www.manisteenational.com

Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 13

Grow Your Own …

Morels?

Three MSU scientists are on track to make the seemingly impossible possible

Photo courtesy of Beth Macdonald, Unsplash

By Craig Manning Hunting for morel mushrooms is a springtime tradition in northern Michigan — especially Up North. But what if you could take this elusive, beloved genus of wild mushroom and grow it yourself, at home?

The party line, historically, has been that cultivating morel mushrooms is impossible.

Try reading a few “grow your own mushrooms” guides online, and you’ll likely see the idea of growing morels dismissed out of hand. Even the types of mushrooms that can be cultivated and grown at home or on the farm — from portobellos to white button mushrooms — aren’t exactly easy to grow.

According to Better Homes & Gardens, many mushrooms have some pretty particular (and sometimes pretty bizarre) growing needs: oyster mushrooms need to be grown on straw, and white button mushrooms need to be grown on … composted manure.

While cultivating mushrooms isn’t the easiest grow-at-home project in the world, it isn’t impossible. In fact, it might even be possible to grow your own morels.

That’s the prospect that a trio of researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) are chasing with a currently-in-progress threeyear study. Gregory Bonito, Trey Malone, and Scott Swinton — all professors at MSU — received a $199,993 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2019 to launch the research project, titled “Cultivating a Morel Mushroom Industry in the North Central United States.”

“Recent discoveries on morel mating systems and exogenous nutrition have led to breakthroughs in morel cultivation in China, resulting in thousands of hectares of morel

cultivation in China,” reads the team’s proposal abstract. “These new techniques have not yet been introduced to the United States, but they have the potential to dramatically expand the U.S. domestic market.”

The project aims to test China’s morel cultivation techniques on North American soil, focusing specifically on cultivation of the black morel variety. In addition, the study “will gauge market potential” for a morel cultivation industry in the U.S., touching upon everything from consumer taste tests to break-even numbers for crop yields.

According to Dr. Bonito, the MSU project — which officially launched last year — has eight farmers participating from across Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Some of those participants are working to cultivate morels in greenhouses, while others are conducting trials in forest systems.

Cracking the Code Whether indoor or outdoor, cultivation is a meticulous process with all manner of challenges. How do you ensure that the mushrooms have enough shade to grow?

How do you provide the correct levels of moisture and temperature? How do you protect against wind, pests, and other threats? How do you schedule key steps of the timeline, from planting to fruiting, to give the morels the best chance of surviving and thriving? Navigating all these questions, Bonito says, is the main purpose of the study.

“In all those steps, there are issues, just like any type of agriculture,” Bonito said.

“There’s pests and other problems that can arise. And so that’s what the research is.

What are those variables? What are the

14 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

important things to do [to make sure the mushrooms grow]? How do you do it across different soil types, different climates?”

In season, morels can command prices of $20 or $30 per pound, if not more. Out of season, those prices often double, with home cooks and restaurants alike eager to get their hands on this widely coveted good. Unsurprisingly, given the low-supply/ high-demand nature of the mushroom, the MSU study is not the first time someone has tried to crack the code on morel cultivation. According to Bonito, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that farmers and mycology enthusiasts alike have been trying to grow morels “for hundreds of years.”

Getting Closer In the past decade, though, Bonito says researchers in China have made huge leaps forward in cultivating morels. Now, scientists around the world are trying to adapt those discoveries to suit the “climate and soils and native species” of their countries and regions. MSU is taking a lead role in bringing the concept to America.

Even though scientists in other parts of the world have solved the puzzle of morel cultivation, though, Bonito notes that the knowledge is not widely available. From language barrier challenges, to mushroom producers that are treating their morel cultivation tactics as carefully guarded trade secrets, there are hurdles left to clear before morel-growing strategies become accessible to all. One of Bonito’s grand visions is being able to remove those barriers.

“No one has a book [on cultivating morels],” Bonito explained. “There’s no formula of ‘Here’s how you grow them in

Michigan, here’s how you can be successful.’

That’s what this project is about. It’s trying to make it so, at the end, we can have an MSU Extension bulletin or guide that says ‘Here’s how,’ just like there are guides for ‘Here’s how you plant your chard’ or ‘Here’s how you plant your beans.’ Here’s when you prep your soil; here’s what you need to do when you’re planting; these are the issues; these are the things to avoid doing. We’re hoping that, at the end of the three years, we’ll be able to say, ‘Okay, these are the things you need to do.’”

The Status Report So where do things stand over a year into the study? The project is nearing its first yields. Participating farmers first planted in 2020 and have been keeping an eye on everything from soil temperatures to the development of mycelia — the vegetative, underground network of a fungus — since.

Some farm sites even have “primordia” — or “baby mushrooms” — starting to show, a promising sign of progress. May, which is typically “morel month,” will ideally bring the project’s first mushroom harvest, as well as some valuable insights about where researchers and growers need to go next.

“With primordia started on some of our sites, we’ve had some success [already],” Bonito said. “But the question is, is it economically feasible? How much production do you get per area planted?

Those are the numbers that we need to improve upon. So, we’ll see in a minute where we’re at, and which farmers did what things right. And then we’ll have two more planting cycles: fall will be the second, and then there’ll be a third [next year].”

We’ll check back in.

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Two Mushroom Fests for May

May isn’t just morel month; it’s mushroom month. And if you’re in northern Michigan, it’s a particularly good time to be in the mycology mood. Not only are our region’s conditions often perfect for mushroom hunting, but there are also two mushroom festivals scheduled for May. And, as of now, both are still on, in spite of the ongoing elephant-in-theroom status of COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know: Mesick Mushroom Festival May 7-9 Mesick considers itself “the mushroom capital of the United States” and celebrates that status with this family-friendly weekend festival. Events on the schedule this year include a carnival, softball and cornhole tournaments, an antique car show, a grand parade, a Friday night street fair, a Saturday evening “Glow in the Dark” 5K race, mud bogging, and a variety of contests for mushroom hunters. Learn more at www.mesick-mushroomfest.org.

Boyne City’s National Morel Mushroom Fest May 15-16 Boyne City is planning on holding a “downscaled” version of its annual morel-centric spring festival. That means several major parts of the festival won’t take place as usual this year, including concerts, mass mushroom hunting events, and “The Taste of Morels,” which has traditionally pitted local restaurants against one another in a contest to come up with the best morel-based dish. Still, local restaurants will be featuring specials and morel dishes as part of the festival, and other events – including an arts and crafts show in Veteran’s Park and a limited “Wine & Dine” at the Deerlake Beach House – will be going forward. Visit bcmorelfestival.com for more information.

Photo courtesy of Andrew Ridley, Unsplash

Summer Hunting

Morels may be the diamonds of the mushroom world in May, but that doesn’t mean they are the only mushroom worth hunting down this spring, summer, or fall. On the contrary, MSU Extension resources indicate that there are 60,¬100 mushroom species in the state that are “regarded as safe to eat.”

The challenge? Those dozens of mushrooms exist among the 2,500-plus species that grow in Michigan, which means that the vast majority of mushrooms you find out in the woods are poisonous and potentially deadly. Complicating matters further is the existence of “lookalike” mushrooms, or varieties of mushrooms that resemble popular edible varieties (including morels) but that aren’t safe to eat.

To help amateur mushroom hunters identify true morels — and other varieties of edible mushrooms — the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting two wild mushroom clinics, June 6 and July 18, in Cadillac. The clinics are $40 and are limited to 30 participants each. To register for a class, visit michigan.gov/dnrlicenses and click on the “Purchase a license” button. Sign in and find your desired class under the “Outdoor Skills Academy” tab.

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Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 15

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Spring Refresh

Breathe new life into your wardrobe with bold color, blooming patterns, and breezy fabrics made to move.

(Sorry, fellas, this one’s for the girls.)

1. SUSTAINABLY YOURS Passion Lilie doesn’t use screen-printed fabrics, only ikat-woven and block-printed beauts like the 100-percent organic cotton, Fair Trade-certified Charlie Jumpsuit here. Add sandals for strolling or a pair of wedges for dinner, and you’ve got the most versatile, figure- and functionally friendly (thank you, drawstring waist and pockets!) piece of the season. We found it at Haven, inside the Mercato at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. $77, www. havenclothingtc.com 2. PEEKABOO BRALETTES We salute any woman who bucks her bra before allowing a ratty-tatty straightelastic bra strap to ruin the cut of a deep-V neckline or racerback tank. But if you’re one of those ladies who can’t stand the thought of letting her girls go unleashed, simply stock up on a few lacy bralettes like this dusty rose darling we found at Serendipity in Cadillac. Stretchy, comfy, and flattering with or without their removable bra pads, these 90 percent nylon/10 percent spandex bralettes come in nine colors that’ll complement a multitude of cutaways

with a pretty peekaboo balance of undershirt support and feminine style. $17.99 at Serendipity in Cadillac. iloveserendipity.com 3. BLINK ONCE IF YOU LOVE ’EM Screen addiction has never looked so chic. Caddis Miklos Screen Readers are considered the best-in-class frequency lenses for their ability to block 45 percent of the harmful blue blight at and around the most harmful wavelength (455 nm).

The lenses are infused, not coated, with the company’s own proprietary blueblocking technology. That gives you rare near-colorless lenses — ideal for allowing your own peepers to pop inside the handcrafted (and impressively durable) acetate frames, which, in several neutralesque colors, are flattering on just about any face. Anti-scratch, anti-reflective, and anti-smudge, too. $99 at Lake Affect in Petoskey. lake-affect.com 4. DAISIES REIGN Michigan women with a California soul will find their full-bloom potential in this flowy halter dress by BB Dakota. Made with SoCal sensibility (60 percent recycled polyester, Brah. And, like, 40 percent regular

16 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

poly, so whatevs.), this one-and-done dress is unlined and drapes romantically well, with a split neckline, tie halter, and just the right amount of flower power. $120 at V2V in Petoskey. shopv2v.com 5. SCOUT’S HONOR Time to send fall and winter’s crisp white cotton shirts packing and welcome the workhorse of your spring and summer wardrobe: the Xirena Scout Shirt. Pricey, yes — but so flattering in its loose but curve-shaping cut that we’d wear it 187 times a season even if it wasn’t so comfortable. Credit the softness to the brand’s iconic Chelsea Gauze fabric, which feels more like 100 percent cloud than 100 percent cotton. A perfect coverup for the beach, delicately light layer for a breezy afternoon, or a subtly sexy shirt when worn over a lacy white or bold black bralette and paired with jeans and heels — the Scout can take the lead in just about any warm-weather adventure.

True to size and no iron needed; just lay flat to dry. $187 at Threads in Petoskey.

Shopthreadsonline.com

6. THE SWISS ARMY SHOE Hull’s of Frankfort has just upped its shoe game, bringing on a few options from the affordably fun Avanti line. We’re eyeing the Ozzie strappy heel, whose comfortable and chunky mid-height heel and strappedin style make it a go-anywhere shoe only made better by a go-with-anything multihued olive upper. $39.99 at Hull’s. www. hullsoffrankfort.com 7. OH BABY The must-have of must-haves, the Magnetic Model Footies we found at 52 Up North Weekends are not only super silky soft and eco-friendly (100% bio-based fabric responsibly farmed from Beechnut trees — yes, it’s a thing), these darling PJs feature a magnetic fastening system that is sheer genius: simply open outfit and insert baby, no buttons, snaps, or frustrated dad fingers foiled again. Whether you’ve got a young nugget of your own or know someone with one on the way, these playfully patterned pjs (many more online at www.52upnorthweekends.com) will make any parent’s first year of long nights (and days) significantly sweeter. Sized snug, newborn to 12 months. $36, available at 52 Weekends in Boyne City.

112 North Main Street • Leland

MI 49654 • (231) 256-7747

Always the surprising and unique since 1986

231.932.0510 Downtown TC 126 E Front St

Leland Blue, Petoskey & Beach Glass

follow us: facebook.com/tampicolelandmi

Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 17

18 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

Rad.Ish Two (soon to be three) ways to get totally (or kind of?) rad plant-based eats in TC

By Ross Boissoneau

A family heritage, a profound change in diet, and a family tragedy together paved the way for Rad.Ish Street Food. Though Lisa Moberly grew up learning Mexican cooking from her grandparents and other relatives who wanted to be restaurateurs, it was her husband, Ryan, who became a chef.

Lisa found herself working as a preschool teacher while daughter Izabel was growing up. When Izabel was killed in an auto accident, part of Moberly’s way of working through it was embracing that family heritage. With a twist.

Thus, Rad.Ish. It’s “kind of ” rad. Their description; not ours. Though if you think about it, it fits.

First, there’s the restaurant’s choice of offerings — all plant-based. No meat, no way, no how.

“I’m half-Mexican, and when I said I’m not going to eat meat, my family kind of freaked out,” Moberly said with a laugh. She learned traditional Mexican cooking from her grandparents, then taught herself how to replace meat with various plant proteins.

Then there’s Rad.Ish’s business model.

When the couple moved to Traverse City from Long Beach in 2019, they started a pop-up series, then bought a trailer with the intention of making it a food truck. But before it got off the ground and on the road, the pandemic hit.

That actually led to a brick and mortar location, then a second while the first underwent renovation (the first just reopened). And yes, they still have the truck, but in the meantime, Moberly and Ryan are plenty busy enough, thank you.

REWIND Let’s go back a few years. Moberly’s father and uncle had always wanted to open a restaurant, and they passed on that desire

to Moberly. But after having Izabel, Moberly became a preschool teacher instead, and she passed her love of plant-based meal preparation to her young daughter. “I taught her how to make vegan sushi — that was her favorite,” Moberly said.

Tragedy struck when Izabel was killed in 2016, at age 7. As part of her grief journey, Moberly turned back to her love of cooking.

As the years passed, cooking became a larger part of Moberly’s life. Ryan did, too. Beyond a shared love of cooking, the two had found they had something else in common: a yen to get out of the hustle and bustle that was such a part of their lives in Southern California.

Neither had plans to leave the Golden State when they met, but while on a visit to Michigan — Ryan’s home state — when they were still dating, their mutual desire for some peace and quiet led them North. “We decided to check out Traverse City,” said Moberly, “and when we got here, I wanted to move.”Immediately.

So they did. “Within three months we moved here. Right in the middle of the polar vortex,” she said, almost shivering with the memory.

The couple started off cooking their food to sell at farmers markets. When they sold out every time, they dreamed bigger.

They found a small 1966 Streamline trailer they decided to convert to a food truck.

The planet had other plans, however, as the pandemic forced closure of all business, including those that hadn’t yet started. “All our projects were put on hold,” said Moberly.

Then a kinder fate stepped in. Scott Pierson, owner of The Coin Slot, in downtown Traverse City, offered to let them use the kitchen at his arcade. They began offering their vegan twist on sushi, as well as burgers and “Dirty Fries” — French fries with fermented beans and sushi topping. All vegan, of course.

Within just a few months, Stone Hound Brewing Company, on Bunker Hill Road in

Williamsburg, beckoned. The owner wanted to offer some food to go along with the brews, and that was able to satisfy Moberly’s passion for making her favorite: Mexican food.

As that was opening, Pierson offered more space to Rad.Ish at the downtown location, and so they remodeled with an eye to expanding the menu. Today they offer a host of sushi, such as the Hey There Tiger Roll, with bell pepper, crunchy greens, tomato, cucumber, and avocado, topped with imitation (plant-based) crab salad, tomato dust, micro cilantro, and pineapple habanero sauce.

Then there’s the Roy Choi, with bell pepper shoots, cilantro, pickled jalapeno, tomato, and chicken, with zesty tomato dust and Korean BBQ sauce. Or the Sublime, with tomato “salmon,” hatch chile, jicama or bell pepper, cilantro and cream cheese (vegan, of course), topped with wasabi guacamole and micro cilantro and served with unagi sauce.

Meanwhile, back at the brewery on the east side of Traverse City, the menu includes those famous fries, this time topped with cheese and vegan Asada, along with burgers, pretzel bites with hot honey mustard that’s infused with beer, taquitos stuffed with

jackfruit, even burritos and tacos with citrus beer-braised grilled “meat” with lime, cilantro, and green onion. Many of the items are made with Stone Hound beer.

“It’s been really nice. Cooking is my wheelhouse. People are so friendly — the support has been really rewarding and overwhelming.”

End of story? Not quite. Remember that food truck idea? Moberly said it’s still part of their plan. “We still have it. We’re really excited about the food truck. We want it up and running in the next couple years. I’m always looking ahead to the next thing.”

“We never sought all this out. It just happened.”

Hmmm. Sounds kind of rad … ish.

Rad.Ish is open 12pm-9pm Thursday through Monday at Stone Hound Brewing Company, 3593 Bunker Hill Rd., in Williamsburg. At the downtown Traverse City location, 346 E. Front St., Rad.Ish is open 12pm-9pm Wednesday through Friday, 11am-4pm Sunday, and 12pm-7pm Monday. Plans are for both to locations to be open seven days a week come summer. For menu and other information, go to www.rad.ishstreetfood.com.

Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 19

PLOTTING A CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE Northern Michigan to open premier disc golf course designed by world champ

By Alex Tank By the sweat and determined efforts of a small but dedicated crew, a world-class golf course is rising up in the woods near Interlochen. And though it won’t be open for competition until its inaugural Green Lake Open tournament May 15–16, this one-ofa-kind course is already drawing national attention from pros and expected to draw top competitors from around the world.

Your first thought: “Sure, exactly what we need, another golf course.”

Re-think it.

The Green Lake course isn’t just another golf course; it’s a disc golf course — one designed by a PDGA world champion (the “d” is for “disc,” of course), boasting an ultra-challenging layout, and built by passionate locals.

Greg Argyle, founder of Aloft Disc Golf — a Michigan-based organization dedicated to promoting the sport — was the driving force behind the Green Lake course. In fall 2018, Argyle and colleagues brought forward the concept and found willing partners on the Green Lake Township board. “We presented the idea of a world-class championship disc golf course unlike anything else in the area,” Argyle said.

With board backing in place, the fundraising began: “We used online platforms like GoFundMe, charity tournaments, fundraiser disc sales, and teesign sponsorships so local businesses could sponsor holes.” Vitally, Green Lake Township came through with $10,000 in matching funds to complete the financial puzzle.

Gaining so much tangible support from public, commercial, and municipal sources for a niche sport endeavor isn’t the norm, but it might have something to do with the high-impact recreational returns disc golf courses typically offer — and low-impact changes to the natural landscape in which they’re built. In contrast to manicured greens and fussed-over fairways, disc golf courses are generally less disruptive to the environment than traditional golf courses; they require no fertilizers, no irrigation, and no major manipulation of topography or the ecosystem. Argyle said the team carried the sport’s thoughtful approach throughout the Green Lake course’s construction: “We kept as many good-size trees as possible.”

With the partially donated services of Johnson Outdoors, the result feels more like

forest management, with each hole, each fairway having been selectively thinned to create challenging shots for future players while maintaining the integrity of a healthy woodlot.

PANDEMIC GROWTH SPORT Like so many fixtures on the American cultural landscape — think skateboards, popsicles, and wetsuits —disc golf was born in California. Argyle’s labor of love — building the northern Michigan disc golf scene, organizing players, and hosting tournaments — is a modern echo of the sport’s (arguable) founding father, “Steady” Ed Headrick. A lanky, affable guy with a flair for Frisbee, Headrick worked as an engineer at Wham-O in Carson, California, a familiar company to those who recall the ’60s and ’70s.

As he pushed the sport of disc golf forward via demos and tournaments in Southern California, he racked up several patents that shaped play, including the circa-1975 “Pole Hole” — the target, or pin, at the end of each hole, which is a metal pole topped with a ring cascading with links of chain, á la ’70s-era beaded curtains. This wire basket catches the disc, and then it’s on to the next tee. Like with traditional golf, players shoot for par, strive for birdie. And a low score is a good score, just like traditional golf, sans the pesticides and country club pretense.

Argyle describes the sport in recognizable golf terms: “The club is your body, and the ball is the disc.” On the Michigan disc golf scene, Argyle is mild-mannered but driven, a natural collaborator linking enthusiasts, area businesses, amateurs, and pros with the love of the sport. He sees the momentum continuing to build: “Disc golf has seen exponential growth in the last year, with estimates of nearly 40 percent of players starting to play since the pandemic hit.”

He doesn’t exaggerate. Legions of new players have shopped so hard in the last year that disc golf manufacturers have, at times, run out of discs to sell. The PDGA notes an increase in membership of nearly 84 percent in 2020; compare that to the 3.5 percent growth between 2018 and 2019. Argyle believes the overall growth can be attributed largely to disc golf ’s low barriers to entry — it’s inexpensive to get equipped and play a round, it’s available in many communities around the country, and it’s fun for all ages — but credits the sudden spike during the

20 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

pandemic to something else viral: “People were stuck at home watching tournaments on YouTube and getting way into it.”

As vaccines help ease pandemic paralysis, it seems the Green Lake DiscGolfPark and its May pro-tier tournament, Green Lake Open, are opening at just the right time. The course will have its real-time test run with the pros: brand new “turf tees” and “long pins” for the hard-throwing competitors.

Outside of tournament play, a concurrent set of “short pins” will cut the course’s overall distance and level of difficulty, making the course versatile and accommodating to players all skills levels, including that cadre of beginners setting up for their first throws in the north woods. The combination of long and short pins — and corresponding tee boxes — will give the course four unique layouts to keep the venue fresh, even after it has become a favorite spot for disc chuckers.

CHAMPIONSHIP DESIGN Argyle and Aloft Disc Golf aimed high while planning the Green Lake course.

He had an enthusiastic reception from Green Lake Township. He had the perfect, wooded location. Then, for the course design, he signed Avery Jenkins — 2009 Disc Golf World Champion; three-time U.S. Distance Champion; and now team manager at Discmania and sales manager for DiscGolfPark, Discmania’s course design arm. Jenkins has competed on the world championship stage for nearly three decades, playing over 1,220 unique courses in 21 countries, and in 49 of 50 states. Jenkins has designed 25+ courses already, with a lifetime goal of 200 courses.

When asked about the Green Lake site and working with Argyle’s team at Aloft Disc Golf, Jenkins remarked, “They let me have full reign.” With that freedom, Jenkins designed 18 holes stretching 10,350 feet total on the wooded 80-acre plot betwixt Green and Duck Lakes. That distance will make it one of the toughest courses in the state.

The relatively flat topography and selective tree thinning allow players the opportunities to make great shots, say Jenkins: “There’s a lot of potential to really open up, to throw a big driver off the tee, a distance driver, to go 400 or 500 feet.”

Avery told Northern Express he crafted the layout to include a variety of “different shot shapes, different bends in the fairway

Clockwise from top left Greg Argyle of Aloft Disc Golf takes a break with the tools of the trade. He and volunteers have put in 1000+ hours building the Green Lake course, just east of the intersection of Karlin Rd. and Youker Rd. Photo by Alex Tank.

Cameron Benak and Grant McMullen install benches beside tee boxes. Johnson Outdoors donated a portion of their services felling select trees and helping with construction. The majority of the work done was by volunteers. Photo by Alex Tank.

Avery Jenkins, course designer and 2009 Disc Golf World Champion. Photo courtesy of Avery Jenkins.

Grant McMullen puts the finishes on a “turf tee”, the first of its kind on a northern Michigan disc golf course. Green Lake DiscGolfPark will be one of the longest and toughest courses in Michigan. Photo by Alex Tank.

that’ll keep it interesting, challenging, and fun.” He also sees the universal attraction to the northwest Lower Michigan area, beyond the outstanding disc golf action he helped to create. “Tucked along the lake, with awesome weather, a beautiful landscape,” he said. “It’s a perfect place to have an amazing disc golf course that’s going to draw a lot more players and families up there to play.”

LEARN MORE

Want to learn more about the Green Lake Open May 15-16? Check out https://www.pdga.com/tour/event/49037

apr 24

saturday

TC TRAIL RUNNING FESTIVAL: 8am, 4050 Hammond Rd. East, TC. Today features the 5K ($40), 10K Run ($50), 25K Run ($70), & 50K Run ($80). Prices increase after April 22. All distances can also be done virtually ($45). runsignup.com/Race/MI/ TraverseCity/TraverseCityTrailRunningFestival

---------------------ARTS FOR ALL AMAZING APRIL AUCTION: Bid on helicopter tours, boat rides, local art & massages. Bidding begins on Mon., April 19 (12:15am) & ends on Sun., April 25 (11:45pm) via 32Auctions.com All funds raised will be put toward the scholarship fund as well as summer programming. In addition Real Estate One Charitable Foundation will match all funds raised at 50%. 32Auctions.com/ArtsForAll

---------------------FAIR HOUSING BOOK READING SERIES: 2pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Aspire North Realtors will present readings of “When Chocolate Milk Moved In”; “Same, Same But Different Too”; & “Strictly No Elephants.” On the final Saturday, April 24, Old Town Playhouse’s new Theatre for Young Audiences troupe will present a staged performance of “When Chocolate Milk Moved In.” oldtownplayhouse.com

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: The Watershed Center’s cleanups along the Grand Traverse Bay shoreline include do-it-yourself contactless cleanups from April 24 - May 2. Trash collection kits will be provided. gtbay.org/events/greatlakes-cleanup

---------------------VERONICA VALLEY PLANTING WORKBEE: 9am-noon, Veronia Valley County Park, Lake Leelanau. The Leelanau Conservation District is sponsoring this celebration of Earth Day & Arbor Day. Volunteers will be planting bare root native trees & shrubs, fertilizing plantings from past years, watering seedlings, spreading mulch, & more. Please wear gloves, bring a shovel or hoe, & a bottle of drinking water. Register: 231-256-9783 or kama.ross@macd.org.

---------------------EARTH DAY WEEK ACTIVITIES: 10am-4pm, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. GRNA will have Michigan wildflower seeds to plant along the entrance road. grassriver.org

---------------------INTERNATIONAL DAY OF TAI CHI: 10amnoon, Open Space Park, TC. Free.

---------------------TART TRAILS SPRING WORK BEE: 10amnoon. TART Trails is hosting work bees at various locations along the trail network. Sign up solo or grab your friends, family & coworkers for a feel good morning on the trails. If you have light tools, feel free to bring them along with anything else you think may be useful. A TART Trails staff member or ambassador will lead each work bee. Please register ahead of time. Questions: kate@traversetrails.org, 231.941.4300. traversetrails.org/event/tart-trails-spring-work-bee

GLEN LAKE RESTAURANT WEEK: April 23 - May 1. Held in the greater Glen Arbor area.

Enjoy an array of menu options “from French Fries to French Cuisine” with these confirmed participants: Art’s Tavern, Blu, Cherry Public House, La Becasse and Western Avenue Grill.

Look for a special 3 course, prix-fixe Restaurant Week Menu (dinner & some offering lunch) to range in price point from $25-$35. facebook. com/eatglenarbor

---------------------BIGS’ ANNUAL WINE EVENT: 6pm. A select group of ten champions across the area will host a private party in their home to celebrate & advocate the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters. These intimate gatherings will feature culinary delights from The Boathouse Restaurant & Sorellina, providing entertainment, specialty wines & more. cbo.io/bidapp/index. php?slug=bigs

apr 25

april/may

24-02 send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

sunday

ART ON THE TART WALK: Noon.

Starting at the Boardman Trailhead by Oryana, you will walk & view the Art on the TART ending at Hull Park with an activity being led

by Traverse Area District Library. Register. $5. artsforallnmi.org

---------------------ARTS FOR ALL AMAZING APRIL AUCTION: (See Sat., April 24)

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BIGS’ ANNUAL WINE EVENT: Noon. Enjoy Bigs’ Bubbles & Brunch. Stroll the dining room of Sorellina, TC, visit each of the epicurean stations featuring classic & specialty brunch cuisine prepared by Sorellina’s Executive Chef Josh Vinocur, & enjoy more than 25 champagnes & sparkling wines. All funds raised through the sale of tickets to the Brunch will be matched 50% by the Real Estate One Charitable Foundation. cbo.io/bidapp/index.php?slug=bigs

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: (See Sat., April 24) ---------------------GLEN LAKE RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., April 24)

apr 26

monday

BLISSFEST ONLINE: MUSICIAN MONDAY: Featuring Kyle Rasche (Chain of Lakes) at 8pm. blissfest.org

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

VIRTUAL SOCIAL HOUR: 6pm. Held via Zoom. Everyone is asked to wear stripes. Presented by Arts for All of Northern Michigan. RSVP. https:// form.jotform.com/211103787773155?mc_ cid=d7cfd22c96&mc_eid=31c0d0fd7e

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: (See Sat., April 24)

BOOK CATERING SERVICES EARLY !

Dates are filling quickly for rescheduled pandemic weddings 767 Duell Rd. Traverse City 1833-WB-CATER (922-2837) westbaycatering@gmail.com westbaycatering.com

Mashup Rock & Roll Musical brings the sequel to their live drive-in theatre adventure “Scooby Doo-Wop” with “Scooby Doo-Wop Two-Wop,” where you can help investigate a mysterious river monster that has been causing trouble, while staying safely in your car. Enjoy live dance and performance and solve puzzles and clues through your smart phone. The adventure runs May 1-2 and May 8-9 with start times at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

Limited spots are available and must be reserved in advance. The show will begin at the Old Town Playhouse, TC parking lot and then will move to one other location. $32 per car. mashuprockandrollmusical.com/scoobydoo-wop-two-wop CHEF LOGHAN CALL OF PLANTED CUISINE-TWO PART SERIES, VIA ZOOM: 6:30pm. Chef Loghan Call will provide an overview of the importance of soil health in relation to the food we grow, & how it impacts our own health as well of that of our local environments.

He’ll cover why local sourcing is important & the best ways to shop locally. There will also be a cooking demonstration that highlights a simple way to introduce healthy foods in an approachable, flavorful & appealing way. Free. tadl.org/ event/chef-loghan-call-of-planted-cuisine-twopart-series-via-zoom

---------------------GLEN LAKE RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., April 24)

tuesday

apr 27

CONNECTING WOMEN IN BUSINESS VIRTUAL EVENT: Join in a discussion with re-

Gifts

A r t Ti l e

cent Athena Award recipients, including Stephanie Baldwin of Edgewater Design Group, Mary Foster of Fletch’s GMC Buick Audi, Pat Fralick formerly of the Health Department of Northwest Michigan & Sharon Schappacher of Tip of the Mitt SCORE. Kathy Bardins, the CWIB group chair, is also an Athena recipient & she will moderate the discussion. Held via Remo. Virtual networking will take place from 11:30am-noon. The presentation will begin at noon & end around 12:30pm. Networking will resume & take place until 1pm. $20 CWIB members; $25 all others. petoskeychamber.com/events/details/cwib-virtual-event-april-27-2021-24099

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: (See Sat., April 24) ---------------------RESTORING OUR EARTH: REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE FORUM: 6:30pm. Join Citizens’ Climate Education for a virtual Regenerative Agriculture Forum. Hear from local experts in soil health, sustainable farming, & rotational grazing. The panelists will be discuss-

Jewelry

Pottery

Vi s i t o u r s t u d i o and gallery shop Alden, Michigan by beautiful To r c h L a k e O p e n Ye a r R o u n d Winter/Spring hours Thurs - Mon

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Shop our online store!

w w w. w h i s t l i n g f ro g. n e t Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 21

Y TUESDA TRIVIA TIO A P ON THE PM 7-9

TO-GO OR DERS AVAILABL E 231-2524157

Sun-Thurs Noon-10pm Fri/Sat Noon-11pm (kitchen open noon-9pm) closed Wednesdays

DRINK SPECIALS (3-6 Monday-Friday):

NOW ACCEPTING april/may NEW PATIENTS

24-02

$2 well drinks, $2 domestic drafts, $2.50 domestic bottles, $5 Hornitos margarita Monday - $1 chips/salsa Tuesday - $1 enchiladas Thursday - $5 hot pretzels w/ beer cheese Friday - $5 fried veggies (cauliflower or mushrooms)

ent tertainm Fri April 30th - Chris Michaels Band Patio en -9:30) 0 Sat May 1st - 1000 Watt Trio (6:3

221 E State St. downtown TC

HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS Tues - 4-8pm: The Pocket FROM OPEN-6PM

231.946.8822 MANISTEE AND TRAVERSE CITY LOCATIONS

9pm-1am: Kung Fu Rodeo Hours Mon-Thurs 2pm-11pm noon-11pm in the can night - $1 domestic, Wed - Get itFri-Sun

Diabetic Wound Care Management

Thurs -$2 off all drinks and Tues$2April 27thdrafts - Openw/DJMicRickyComedy Labatt T

Sports Injuries Ankle Replacements

craft- w/DJ JR Mon $3April 26th -jukebox

Wed April 28thstarting - DJ JR at $8 (2-8pm) Fri March 20 - Buckets of Beer $2 domestic drafts $3 craft drafts Happy Hour: The Chris Michels Band& Then: The Isaac Ryder Band from 7:30-11pm.

Sat March 21 - The Isaac Ryder Band (No Covers) Fri April 30th - Isaac Ryder One Man Band Sunday 22 Tucker Sat May 1st March - Speedball KARAOKE ( 10pm-2am) Sun May 2nd - Karaoke 941-1930 downtown TC check us out at unionstreetstationtc.net

divorce from her abusive husband — only to end up on trial for witchcraft. Guest host is media personality Christal Frost. Free (donations accepted). nationalwritersseries.org/upcomingevents

GLEN LAKE RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., April 24)

THE MOTH MAINSTAGE: 8pm, City Opera House, TC. True stories, told live without notes.

Each Moth Mainstage features old-fashioned storytelling, by five wildly divergent raconteurs who develop & shape their stories with The Moth’s directors. The Moth is a nonprofit dedicated to the art & craft of storytelling. Launching in 1997, The Moth has presented over 40,000 true personal stories, told live, without notes, to standing-roomonly audiences around the globe. $58, $48; $15 students. cityoperahouse.org/the-moth-2021

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apr 28

DAILY FOOD SPECIALS (3-6pm):

Mon March 16- $5 martinis, $5 domestic beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher.

ing how soil health impacts farming in northern Michigan & how regenerative agriculture can be used to restore the earth & make the planet more resilient. Login info will be emailed to you after registration. Free. eventbrite.com/e/ restoring-our-earth-regenerative-agricultureforum-tickets-147170191003

Dr Jeffrey S Weber, DPM, Fellowship Trained Surgeon Dr Randy G Hartman, DPM, Board Certified www.BirchTreeFootandAnkle.com

wednesday

NORTHWEST MICHIGAN VIRTUAL BUSINESS SUMMIT: 8:30am-12:30pm. Businesses can learn about getting back to business after COVID-19, diversifying their customer base, the talent pipeline, & much more. Featuring a keynote presentation by New York Times Best-Selling author, Angie Morgan, who will talk about how leaders leverage risk to win. Register. $30. networksnorthwest.org/business/northwest-michigan-virtualbusiness-summit-2021

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: (See Sat., April 24) ---------------------BLISSFEST ONLINE: SONG TREE OPEN MIC: Featuring The Vermeers, Jenny Bousquet & Gabbie Case. Three artists, 20-minute sets.

Join the Zoom audience or watch on Facebook.

8pm. blissfest.org

---------------------GLEN LAKE RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., April 24)

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POETS’ YEAR IN, POETRY READING VIA ZOOM: 6:30pm. With host & local poet Teresa Scollon. Since there is no in-person Poets’ Night Out this year, local people were asked to send in their original poems to be showcased in the website for Poets’ Year In (still to come).

Then the same poets were asked to join via Zoom & read their poems aloud during this event. Free. tadl.org/event/poets-year-in-poetry-reading-via-zoom

---------------------HARBOR SPRINGS FESTIVAL OF THE BOOK: ONE BAY, ONE BOOK COMMUNITY READS: 7pm. Held via Zoom. Featuring 2018 Festival presenter & National Book Award finalist, Brandon Hobson, as he discusses “The Removed,” a story steeped in Cherokee myths & history. The moderator for this virtual conversation will be Margaret Noodin, poet & professor of English & American Indian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Find out how to get a free copy of the book & register for the event at hsfotb. org/1bay1book. Free, but registration required.

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

SEEKING THE LORD: THE SEARCH FOR THE JARVIS LORD SHIPWRECK: 7pm. A virtual program hosted by the Leelanau Historical Society. Join shipwreck hunter & author Ross Richardson in exploring the depths of northern Lake Michigan while looking for lost ships & a missing aircraft. Dive down to Lake Michigan’s newest shipwreck discovery & meander through the histories & mysteries of the Manitou Passage. Register. zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_bUI6PKfxSI-yjBwGXPq5gw

apr 29

thursday

NWS PRESENTS: AN EVENING WITH CHRIS BOHJALIAN: 7pm. The National Writers Series presents a virtual evening of conversation with author Chris Bohjalian.

Bohjalian is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 21 books. His work has been translated into 35 languages & three times been made into movies. His 2018 novel, “The Flight Attendant,” debuted as a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, & National Indiebound Bestseller. The discussion will be about his newest book, “Hour of the Witch,” which tells the twisting story of a young Puritan wife, Mary Deerfield, who petitions for

22 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: (See Sat., April 24) ----------------------

---------------------GLEN LAKE RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., April 24)

---------------------RAPTORS REVEALED: 4pm. “Chasing Broadwingeds from Pennsylvania to Peru: Broadwinged Hawk Migration Ecology” shows results from one species of hawk that have worn GPS transmitters. Sharing her many years of research is Dr. Laurie Goodrich, director of Conservation Science, Hawk Mountain Bird Sanctuary, Pennsylvania. Register. Held via Zoom. Free. mackinacraptorwatch.org/events/#RaptorsRevealed

---------------------CANDIDATE FORUM: 7pm. Leelanau Energy, a Leelanau-based nonprofit group advocating for energy efficiency & renewable energy, will conduct a candidate forum for the public to meet & interview 2021 candidates for the Cherryland Electric Cooperative (CEC) Board of Directors.

One vacancy is an at-large seat representing all six counties served by the utility. The other open seat represents Grand Traverse & Kalkaska counties. Including the two incumbents, there are five candidates vying for the two seats. Held via Zoom. Attendance will be limited to the first 100 who enter the meeting. leelanauenergy.org

---------------------WALLOON LAKE READS: THE NICK ADAMS STORIES: 7pm. “A Soldier Home” with Jennifer Tianen (McQuillan), English teacher & founder of the Literary Garden at West Bloomfield High School in West Bloomfield, MI. Held via Zoom.

---------------------SKYDANCING WITH THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK: 7:30-9pm, Hailand/Helstrom Family Nature Preserve, Petoskey. Join LTC staff & the Ruffed Grouse Society to discover & witness the spring mating display of the American Woodcock.

Learn how these two organizations are partnering to improve habitat for upland birds, the Golden winged Warbler, & much more. Free. landtrust.org

apr 30

friday

BLISSFEST ONLINE: LUNCH IN THE BACK 40: Featuring Jerry D & Blissfest Radio, Brotha James. Catch via Zoom or Facebook. Bring your own lunch. Noon. blissfest.org

---------------------GLEN LAKE RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., April 24)

---------------------LUNCHEON LECTURE: “That Other Bridge”: Peter Petainen, general manager of International Bridge Administration, explains the International Bridge’s (Sault Ste. Marie) history, its importance to international trade & some details about twomile span. Free. Held online at noon. ncmclifelonglearning.com/event-4171214/Registration

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: (See Sat., April 24) May 1

may 01

saturday SCOOBY DOO-WOP

TWO-WOP: 11am, 1pm & 3pm. Mashup Rock & Roll

Musical presents a sequel to their Scooby DooWop, a live, drive-in theatre adventure. This Covid-safe performance allows for the audience to stay safely in their cars while they enjoy live dance & performance & get to be a part of the mystery by solving puzzles & clues through their smart phone. Limited spots are available & must be reserved in advance. The show will begin at the Old Town Playhouse, TC parking lot & then will move to one other location. $32 per car. mashuprockandrollmusical.com/scooby-doo-wop-two-wop

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: (See Sat., April 24) ---------------------STREAM MONITORING TRAINING: 9-11:30am, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. Twice each year, GRNA monitors several sites along the three major streams running through the natural area to assess the health of the waterways. Every year, new volunteers are trained to help collect this data & contribute to keeping GRNA’s creeks healthy. If you’re interested in learning how to collect this data, please pre-register by email to Emily@grassriver.org. grassriver.org

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: 10am, Keith J. Charters, Traverse City State Park Beach. Also 10am at City of Traverse City Volleyball Beach.

Hosted by The Watershed Center. gtbay.org/ events/great-lakes-cleanup

---------------------GLEN LAKE RESTAURANT WEEK: (See Sat., April 24)

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: 2pm, Old Mission Lighthouse Park. gtbay.org/events/great-lakescleanup

may 02

sunday

SCOOBY DOO-WOP TWOWOP: (See Sat., May 1)

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

“BIRDS & WORDS” NO. 2: 10am. A virtual experience celebrating the art & culture of the winged wonders around us every day that will be streamed on Zoom & Facebook Live & archived after. Collaborators at The Boardman Review, Here: Say Storytelling, & The National Writers Series each helped to curate a one-time only gathering of writers & guests from across the northern Michigan region. Follow along as birding expert, Nate Crane of Rare Bird Brewpub returns to host live bird watching & listening interludes from Michigan Legacy Art Park at Crystal Mountain, part of the Sleeping Bear Birding Trail. Free. michiganlegacyartpark.medium.com/birds-words-experiment-continues-in-second-edition-fdc9ef358396

---------------------GREAT LAKES CLEANUP: (See Sat., April 24)

art

COMEONCOMEONCOMEON: Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Manistee. Jef Bourgeau’s canvases are “big, blunt, clumsy fragments of color and rumpled, spinning geometrics.” Runs April 23 - May 21. Open Fridays from 4-6pm & Saturdays from 12-3pm. ci.ovationtix.com/35295/production/1044645

---------------------CAAC’S 2021 VIRTUAL YOUTH ART SHOW: Hosted on the Cheboygan Opera House website & promoted online & around town. The CAAC brings work from over 100+ youth art students each year. Homeschoolers & students from Bishop Baraga, Cheboygan Area High, Middle, & Elementary schools are displaying their best work.

Check out the 2021 Virtual Youth Art Show online starting May 1. To submit artwork, fill out this form: https://bit.ly/3aadQKX. Questions? Email Lisa at lisa@theoperahouse.org. theoperahouse. org/2021/03/29/caacs-2021-virtual-youth-artshow-opens-may-1st

---------------------CONCERT OF COLOR - WORKS BY RICHARD STOCKER: Old Art Building, Leland. Over 25 of Stocker’s paintings will be on display, & the artist will be on site four days each week coloring his own handmade ink designs. Stocker’s coloring pages will be available for purchase, & anyone interested is welcome to join a coloring session.

The show is open & free for public viewing from April 26 - May 14, 10am–4pm, Mondays through Saturdays. oldartbuilding.com

---------------------MELONIE STEFFES EXHIBIT: Higher Art Gallery, TC. HART welcomes local artist Melonie Steffes in her second solo exhibit with eight new oil paintings. “Undomesticating - Leaving Behind the Things of Man.” Show is open online in the virtual shop as well as in person during gallery hours. higherartgallery.com

---------------------“DON’T MISS THE BOAT”: Harbor Springs History Museum. Presented by the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society. This exhibit highlights the historic ferries of Little Traverse Bay & features original watercolors & giclees by local artist William Talmadge Hall. Runs through the summer of 2021. Hours: Tues.-Sat., 11am-3pm. harborspringshistory.org/history-museum-exhibits

---------------------“DREAM TO REALITY: EXPLORING WHAT WE BELIEVE AND WHY”: Runs through May 29 at Charlevoix Circle of Arts. This exhibit explores the path to why we believe what we believe through the mythological illustrations & writing of Charlevoix artist Kim Richelle. A Gallery Talk with Kim Richelle will be held on Thurs., April 29 at noon. Pre-register. Free. charlevoixcircle.org

---------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - A LAND’S CONSERVANCY: RECLAIMING NATURE: Runs through June 1. Over the past year, Harbor Springs photographer Raymond Gaynor has been documenting the Little Traverse Conservancy’s Offield Family Viewlands.

Gaynor’s images capture the way nature con-

serves itself through a process of growth & rebirth. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey/landsconservancy-reclaiming-nature-raymond-gaynor

---------------------- GREAT: REFLECTIONS ON THE GREAT LAKES: This exhibition asks Great Lakes-area artists to share original works of art that reflect on the theme “Great.” Juried by artist Susan Moran.

Runs through June 1. crookedtree.org/event/ctacpetoskey/great-reflections-great-lakes

---------------------- “KIDS ON COMMUNITY”: Youth artists were invited to submit artwork in response to the theme of “Community.” Fun, thoughtful & creative interpretations by Michigan youth (grades 3 - 12) are included in this online image gallery. Runs through June 30, 2021. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-petoskey-ctac-online/kids-community-online-exhibit

---------------------- THE COLLECTIVE IMPULSE - ONLINE EXHIBIT: Runs through Aug. Featuring the work of artists Ruth Bardenstein, Jean Buescher & Susan Moran. The three artists met in Ann Arbor &, over time, have nurtured both personal & creative connections. They regularly share & critique one another’s work & together visit gallery & museum exhibitions. The exhibition was hosted at the Crooked Tree Arts Center - Petoskey from Sept.

21 through Dec. 18, 2020. This online publication shares work from the exhibition. crookedtree.org/ event/ctac-petoskey-ctac-traverse-city-ctac-online/collective-impulse-online

---------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, TC: - SPRING ART MARKET: A two week indoor art fair & pop-up vendor market. Your purchases support area artists & the Crooked Tree Arts Center.

The event runs April 26 - May 8 with hours: 11am4pm, Tues.-Fri.; 10am-noon, Sat.; & extended evening hours on Thurs. until 7pm. Online shopping & private shopping appointments available. crookedtree.org/event/ctac-traverse-city-ctac-online/spring-art-market-featuring-20-artist-booths

---------------------- TC YOUTH ART EXHIBIT: ONLINE & INPERSON: Celebrating the work of K-12 art students & educators in the Grand Traverse Region. Runs through April. crookedtree.org/ event/ctac-traverse-city-ctac-online/youth-artvirtual-and-person-exhibit-traverse-city

---------------------DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - BLOW UP II: INFLATABLE CONTEMPORARY ART: Runs through May 16. This exhibit explores the imaginative ways that air is used as a tool to create large-scale sculptures. The artists translate everyday materials & imagery into larger-than-life, yet nearly lighter-than-air art. Curated by Carrie Lederer & organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA. - NMC ART DEPARTMENT JURIED STUDENT ART SHOW: View 30 artworks by local students selected for the show in honor of the museum’s 30th anniversary. View high school student art from April 17-29. dennosmuseum.org

GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER, GLEN ARBOR: - MINI MASTERPIECES: Outdoor exhibit. Tiny works will be hung on trees along the GAAC’s gravel walkway from Lake Street to the gallery & in the GAAC’s Grove behind the building.

This self-guided experience begins on April 26 & runs through May 26. Mini Masterpieces are 3” x 3” canvases illustrated & painted by children in Leelanau County. glenarborart.org - MANITOU MUSIC POSTER COMPETITION - CALL FOR ENTRY: The Glen Arbor Arts Center is accepting submissions of original paintings for its 2022 Manitou Music poster competition. The deadline for online submissions is Sept. 16. Open to all current GAAC members.

Each year, the GAAC selects an original painting for this limited edition poster. It is sold through the GAAC & at selected shops & art galleries in Leelanau County. glenarborart.org/artist-opportunities/manitou-music-poster-competition - CLOTHESLINE EXHIBIT CALL-FOR-ENTRIES: The Glen Arbor Arts Center is moving art outdoors. The Clothesline Exhibit, July 24 – Aug. 27, is an open-air exhibition of small work.

This year’s theme, Wild Friends, challenges makers of all skills to create an unframed painting, drawing, photograph or collage on a single, 5” x 7” sheet of paper around this theme. Each work will be placed in a sealed plastic envelope & pinned to a clothesline in front of the GAAC building at 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor. The Clothesline Exhibition may be viewed 24/7, rain or shine. For info on submitting an entry to the Clothesline Exhibit, go to GlenArborArt. org/ARTISTS. Deadline for submissions is July 6. 231-334-6112. glenarborart.org/artists/callsfor-entry/clothesline-exhibit-call-for-entries - CALL-FOR-ENTRIES: EVERYDAY OBJECTS EXHIBITION: Runs Aug. 27 – Oct. 28.

Online applications for this juried show may be submitted through July 15. It is open to 2D & 3D objects in a wide variety of media. The GAAC is open Mon. through Sat., 11am–2pm. glenarborart.org/artists/calls-for-entry/everyday-objectsprospectus - MEMBERS CREATE EXHIBITION: On display: 41 works in both 2D & 3D by northern Michigan artists & beyond. The online version of the exhibition is also available for viewing. Business hours: 11am–2pm, Mon. through Sat. glenarborart.org/ events/exhibit-2021-members-create

---------------------OLIVER ART CENTER, FRANKFORT: - ANNUAL REGIONAL STUDENT EXHIBITION: Runs through May 7. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org/gallery-gift-shop/exhibition-calendar - CALL FOR ART: LITTLE FREE ART GALLERIES: Oliver Art Center will have Little Free Art Galleries in three places: Oliver Art Center, Century 21 Northland, & Benzie Shores District Library, all in Frankfort. Volunteers make art on a small scale & place in the gallery. Visitors may view the art, take the art, leave their own art, or make a monetary contribution via oliverart.org. Frankfort’s Little Free Art Galleries will be installed & ready for art & visitors May 1.

Oliver Art Center is currently accepting art for the galleries. oliverartcenterfrankfort.org

Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 23

“We’ve worked so hard ... but we’re not going to save their lives.”

3rd annual

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Legendary

Dishes of Northern

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Why the World’s Water Scarcity Matters Here, Now

RestauranTour Issue

Where to eat now Fresh-Air H ear F rom L ocaL N urses oN tHe F roNt L iNes oF coViD NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • december 07 - december 13, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 48

Feasts

Essential Toys • The Mob Up North • Sleeping Bear Turns 50 • Outdoor Music • Virtual Art

The under-30 brewers shaping our beer future Lagers as the Czechs intended Kilts, Kaboom, and a tale of two Irish twins

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • july 27 - aug 02, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 30

Great Lakes.

Greater Flower.

The state’s best cannabis, now open for Rec sales in Petoskey, Mack City and Honor.

Visit Lume.com for our menus.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • june 17 - June 23, 2019 • Vol. 29 No. 24

24 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • march 09 - march 15, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 10

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • june 08 - june 14, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 23

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • march 15 - march 21, 2021 • Vol. 31 No. 11

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • november 30 - december 06, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 47

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Also inside: Holiday Entertaining Hot List • Must-see Movies • Chef’s Recipes • Retail Woes

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Old-Fashioned Family Resorts Vintage Cocktails The Assassination of Beaver Island’s King

TRADITIONS NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • july 06 - july 12, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 27

Purer Michigan.

The state’s best cannabis, now open for rec sales in Petoskey and Mack City.

10% off all orders during opening week. See Lume.com for menus.

The Dance of Eagle Spirit Daughter of Sleeping Bear Hunter on the Run Thanksgiving Weekend 2.0

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • november 09 - november 15, 2020 • Vol. 30 No. 44 Northern Express Weekly • nov 09, 2020 • 1

the ADViCE GOddESS

BY Amy Alkon

Life In The Fastened Lane Wait Problem

Q

: I’ve been with my boyfriend for a year, and I love him, but I also love my independence. I need alone time, meaning space from him and everybody. He wants to spend every minute together and seems to need constant closeness to feel okay. Is this a bad sign -- on his part or mine? Should I want to spend every second with him?

— Confused

A

: The sort of relationship where the partners are never apart tends to be a good thing for only one of them: the tapeworm.

Chances are your boyfriend’s preference for a more, uh, conjoined style of romantic partnership is shaped by his “attachment style.” “Attachment” is British psychiatrist John Bowlby’s term for a person’s habitual way of relating in close relationships: for example, securely (feeling they can generally count on others to be there for them) or insecurely (suspecting others will bolt on them at any moment).

Our expectations for how we’ll be treated by romantic partners appear to be driven by how we, as infants and tots, were treated by our closest caregivers. For example, if infant us shrieked out of fear or hunger or because of a soggy diaper, did our primary caregiver (usually Mommy, but maybe Daddy) reliably come running to soothe us and fix the problem? If so, we’d be likely to develop the psychological orientation that psychologist Mary Ainsworth, building on Bowlby’s work, called a “secure base from which to explore.”

If, however, our shrieks were ignored or only sometimes met with comforting, we’d likely end up “insecurely attached,” and this would become a template for how we act in our adult relationships. (Hello, fear of abandonment and boyfriend whose romantic role model seems to be “court-ordered electronic ankle monitor”!)

Decide what independence means to you in practical terms, like how much alone time you need and anything else that’s important for you, and tell him. Research suggests a person can change their attachment style -become more secure — but it takes a good bit of work on their part and their partner’s (through frequent reassuring attention and cuddly touch to challenge their expectation of abandonment). Are you and he willing to invest the effort? If not, you probably have to swap him out for a partner who’s more emotionally together: “I need you because I love you” (not “because I feel like a gaping human void without you”).

Q

: This guy texts and FaceTimes me daily, and he finally asked me out. I was expecting a date, but it was a group dinner in his friend’s backyard, and he didn’t make a move all evening. I was sure he was into me, and we’re both fully vaccinated. What’s his deal?

— Confused

A

: Sexually, if your date is a total animal, you’d prefer it not be the sort that gets bungeed to the hood of a hunter’s station wagon.

The underlying problem here is “information asymmetry,” which Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz explains as “Different people know different things.” (Asymmetry is simply a lack of symmetry, sameness: disproportion between parts of something, including unequally available information.)

Information asymmetry is an element of “signaling theory,” an area of economics that looks at the ways people behave — flowing from the decisions they make — because of the information they have (or lack).

In this situation, you know you want the guy to end the evening all mwah-mwah-makeout, but his mind might be filled with a bunch of bouncing question marks about whether you’re into him. It’s also possible he realized he’s just not that into you, he wants to take things slowly, or he’s generally timid about making moves on women (or especially so in hopes of avoiding #himtoo).

What ends the asymmetric information stalemate? Information! Send signals revealing the information you have that he does not: “I’M INTO YOU AND WANT YOU TO MAKE A MOVE!” Flirting is the ideal way to communicate this, as it gives each of you an ego cushion -- the ability to pretend it doesn’t mean what it seems to mean -- that putting it out there in plain words does not. Powerful forms of flirting include: looking into his eyes while you talk, touching him, playing with your hair, and playing with your clothes or his.

Err on the side of flirting heavily — way more than seems reasonable — because men can be a bit hint-blind.

His getting this information is likely to push him into action -- or tell you he’s gotta bow out.

But maybe consider being a little bit patient.

It was one date! My guess? Life mirrored art: those rom coms where the “nice guy” wants to kiss the girl at the door, but — whoa! There go his testicles, leaping out of his pants and going off to hide in the bushes, and he gives her a handshake goodnight.

“Jonesin” Crosswords "Knowing the Angles"--when it's all right. by Matt Jones

ACROSS 1 Hummus scooper 5 Snarls, like traffic 11 Pistachio, e.g.

14 Counting Crows singer Duritz 15 Prompt 16 “Suits” airer 17 Item of Mario Bros. lore where you can see the angle in the NW corner 19 Dose, informally 20 Covered with grime 21 Hummus brand 23 Liam Neeson film franchise 26 ___ folklÛrico (traditional Mexican dances) 28 Pol. entity that lasted from 962 to 1806 29 “That was my best effort” 33 Country singer Paisley 36 Frigid 37 “My kingdom for ___!” (Richard III) 38 Mount in Greek myth 39 Apprehends 41 Sharp-toothed spur wheel 42 Lo ___ (Chinese noodles) 43 Just had a sense 44 Ab ___ (from the beginning) 46 ___ deferens 47 Level-headed 48 Optician’s wares 49 Part of the psyche 50 In the wee small hours of the morning 52 Nattered away 54 Slash on a bowling scoresheet 56 Dispatched, as the Jabberwock 59 Sculpture, paintings, etc.

60 Intro to a certain cipher that resembles the angle in the SE corner 66 Homer Simpson outburst 67 Ferret’s cousin 68 Word before ringer or tired 69 Music with confessional lyrics 70 “Interview With the Vampire” vampire 71 Birds with dark green eggs

DOWN 1 Dog’s foot 2 William McKinley’s First Lady 3 “Que ___?” (“How’s it going?”)

4 Cause laughter 5 Like most restaurant orders, lately 6 “Put a sock ___!”

7 Website for craftwork 8 Word usually put in brackets 9 Actress Thurman 10 Drink with a red, white, and blue logo 11 On a calculator, it looks like the angle in the NE corner 12 Manufacturer’s target 13 Exclamation after a big finish 18 Region conquered by Alexander the Great 22 “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” author Mitch 23 Speculates 24 Tarot deck grouping 25 Where to find the letter that looks like the angle in the SW corner 26 Surrounds 27 Antarctic penguin 30 Adrenaline rush 31 Mara of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” 32 Late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve 34 Cheese in some bagels 35 Ted of “Mr. Mayor” 40 Pinky ___ 45 “Hamlet” courtier who oversees a duel 51 Push away 53 Pole on a battery 54 1993 hitmaker with “No Ordinary Love” 55 Dance with a lot of rentals 56 Roasting stick 57 “Girls” creator Dunham 58 Perform without ___ 61 Vexation 62 Ball club VIPs 63 On the left, for short 64 It might be free at a French restaurant 65 Mobile game interruptions

Northern Express Weekly • april 26, 2021 • 25

lOGY

APRIL 26 - MAY 02

BY ROB BREZSNY

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In her poem “Mirror,” Taurus poet

Halina Pošwiatowska wrote, “I am dazed by the beauty of my body.”

I applaud her brazen admiration and love for her most valuable possession. I wish more of us could genuinely feel that same adoration for our own bodies. And in accordance with current astrological omens, I recommend that you do indeed find a way to do just that right now. It’s time to upgrade your excitement about being in such a magnificent vessel. Even if it’s not in perfect health, it performs amazing marvels every minute of every day. I hope you will boost your appreciation for its miraculous capacities, and increase your commitment to treating it as the treasure that it is.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In her poem

“Every Day,” Scorpio poet Denise Levertov wrote, “Every day, every day I hear enough to fill a year of nights with wondering.” I think that captures the expansive truth of your life in the coming weeks.

You’ve entered a phase when the sheer abundance of interesting input may at times be overwhelming, though enriching. You’ll hear—and hopefully be receptive to—lots of provocative stories, dynamic revelations, and unexpected truths. Be grateful for this bounty! Use it to transform whatever might be stuck, whatever needs a catalytic nudge.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) I hope you’re not too stressed these days. There has been pressure on you to adjust more than maybe you’d like to adjust, and I hope you’ve managed to find some relaxing slack amidst the heaviness. But even if the inconvenience levels are deeper than you like, I have good news: It’s all in a good cause.

Read the wise words of author Dan Millman, who describes the process you’re midway through: “Every positive change, every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness, involves a rite of passage. Each time we ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation. I have never found an exception.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): We can safely say that Anais Nin was a connoisseur of eros and sensuality. The evidence includes her three collections of erotic writing, Delta of Venus, Little Birds, and Auletris. Here’s one of her definitive statements on the subject: “Sex must be mixed with tears, laughter, words, promises, jealousy, envy, all the spices of fear, foreign travel, new faces, stories, dreams, fantasies, music.” In response to Nin’s litany, I’m inclined to say, “Damn, that’s a lot of ambiance and scaffolding to have in place.

Must it always be so complicated?” According to my reading of upcoming cosmic rhythms, you won’t need such a big array of stuff in your quest for soulful orgasms—at least not in the coming weeks. Your instinct for rapture will be finely tuned.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “One is

always at home in one’s past,” wrote author Vladimir Nabokov. I agree. Sometimes that’s not a good thing, though. It may lead us to flee from the challenges of the present moment and go hide and cower and wallow in nostalgia. But on other occasions, the fact that we are always at home in the past might generate brilliant healing strategies. It might rouse in us a wise determination to refresh our spirit by basking in the deep solace of feeling utterly at home. I think the latter case is likely to be true for you in the coming weeks, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): “Not everything

is supposed to become something beautiful and long-lasting,” writes author Emery Allen.

“Not everyone is going to stay forever.” Her message is a good one for you to keep in mind right now. You’re in a phase when transitory boosts and temporary help may be exactly what you need most. I suspect your main task in the coming weeks is to get maximum benefit from influences that are just passing through your life. The catalysts that work best could be those that work only once and then disappear.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Poet Allen Ginsberg despairingly noted that many people want MORE MORE MORE LIFE, but they go awry because they allow their desire for MORE MORE MORE LIFE to fixate on material things—machines, possessions, gizmos, and status symbols. Ginsberg

revered different kinds of longings: for good feelings, meaningful experiences, soulful breakthroughs, deep awareness, and all kinds of love. In accordance with astrological potentials, Aries, I’m giving you the go-ahead in the coming weeks to be extra greedy for the stuff in the second category.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini poet

Buddy Wakefield writes that after the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004, “the only structure still standing in the wiped-out village of Malacca [in Malaysia] was a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. I wanna be able to stand like that.” I expect you will indeed enjoy that kind of stability and stamina in the coming weeks, my dear. You won’t have to endure a metaphorical tsunami, thank Goddess, but you may have to stand strong through a blustery brouhaha or swirling turbulence. Here’s a tip: The best approach is not to be stiff and unmoving like a statue, but rather flexible and willing to sway.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): No educator

had ever offered a class in psychology until trailblazing philosopher William James did so in 1875. He knew a lot about human behavior.

“Most people live in a very restricted circle of their potential being,” he wrote. “They make use of a very small portion of their possible consciousness, and of their soul’s resources in general, much like a person who, out of his whole bodily organism, should get into a habit of using only his little finger.” I’m going to make an extravagant prediction here: I expect that in the coming months you will be better primed than ever before to expand your access to your consciousness, your resources, and your potentials. How might you begin such an adventure? The first thing to do is to set a vivid intention to do just that.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Someone in me is

suffering and struggling toward freedom,” wrote Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis. To that melodramatic announcement, I reply, good for him!

I’m glad he was willing to put himself through misery and despair in order to escape misery and despair.

But I also think it’s important to note that there are other viable approaches to the quest for liberation. For example, having lavish fun and enjoying oneself profoundly can be tremendously effective in that holy work. I suspect that in the coming weeks, Leo, the latter approach will accomplish far more for you than the former.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo novelist

Agatha Christie sold hundreds of millions of books, and is history’s most-translated author.

While growing up, she had few other kids to associate with, so she created a host of imaginary friends to fill the void. They eventually became key players in her work as an author, helping her dream up stories. More than that: She simply loved having those invisible characters around to keep her company. Even in her old age, she still consorted with them. I bring this to your attention, Virgo, because now is a great time to acquire new imaginary friends or resurrect old ones. Guardian angels and ancestral spirits would be good to call on, as well. How might they be of assistance and inspiration to you?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “To hurry pain is to

leave a classroom still in session,” notes Libran aphorist Yahia Lababidi. On the other hand, he observes, “To prolong pain is to miss the next lesson.” If he’s correct, the goal is to dwell with your pain for just the right amount of time—until you’ve learned its lessons and figured out how not to experience it again in the future—but no longer than that. I suspect that such a turning point will soon be arriving for you.

26 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly

NORTHERN EXPRESS

CLAS SIFIE DS

OTHER

PAID JOB TRAINING FOR QUALIFYING SENIORS AGE 55 + Positions waiting to be filled. Earn while you job train in a parttime position. Must be age 55 and over, Unemployed, Seeking Work, and Meet Income Qualification. Call us to find out more, AARP Foundation Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), 231-252-4544.

Serving Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee and other Michigan counties. https:// www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/our-work/ income/scsep/info-2014/over-55-and-lookingfor-a-job.html _________________________________________ INTERLOCHEN SUMMER CAMP HOUSEKEEPER & CUSTODIANS $500 Bonus Opportunity Provide cleaning services for campus Valid Drivers Lic. pracilla.venhuizen@ interlochen.org _________________________________________ CRAFT & VENDOR SHOW! Crafters & Vendors from all over MI coming together! May 22 from 11am-4pm. The Ellison Place - Gaylord. First 50 people thru the door will receive a FREE goodie bag! Register as “going” on the event page to be entered into a $50 VISA giveaway.

See event page for details. www.facebook. com/events/3986763108011656 _________________________________________ PAID JOB TRAINING FOR INDIVIDUALS 55 + POSITIONS WAITING TO BE FILLED. Paid job training for qualifying seniors age 55 and over. Must be Unemployed, Seeking Work, and Meet Income Qualification. Earn while you job train part-time. For information contact the AARP Foundation SCSEP office, 231-252-4544, serving Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee, Wexford and other Michigan counties.

MEIJER IS NOW HIRING ALL POSITIONS Responsible for delivering remarkable customer service by providing customers with exceptional product knowledge, efficient service and a friendly attitude. jobs.meijer.com _________________________________________ LOCAL QUALITY HUMIFIED COMPOST -Krull’s Composting Builds soil 60+ years!

Delivery and spreading service available! 231360-0243 _________________________________________ MUSIC harmonica player looking for jump/ swing blues band (847) 420-0112 _________________________________________ NOW HIRING - COOKS Crystal Mountain is hiring Restaurant Cooks with premium and competitive wages based on experience.

Enjoy great recreation benefits for our summer season. Year round opportunities available.

Please visit www.crystalmountain.com to view more details and to apply today! http://www. crystalmountain.com _________________________________________ MASSAGE THERAPISTS, ESTATITCIAN, AND RECEPTIONIST GROWING SPA with wonderful atmosphere, needs Massage Therapists, Esthetician (waxing and lash extensions a plus) and Receptionist. GREAT PAY! (231) 938-6020 _________________________________________ AFFORDABLE HANDYMAN and cleanup: Need a spring cleanup? Then Mike’s your guy from cleaning out the basement to power washing the garage. Staining the deck or mowing the lawn.Cheaper than any contractor231-871-1028 _________________________________________ INTERSHIP - MUSIC INDUSTRY: Music Industry veteran seeks ‘the like minded’ to create a start-up 231 392-6121

Mike Annelin

Enthusiastic & Experienced

Call Mike 231-499-4249 or 231-929-7900 NE

15,000 sq. ft. office space in Copper Ridge business development Well-maintained, versatile office space $2,495,000 MLS# 1883032

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Grand Traverse Event Center, beautiful space Liquor license & inventory included $950,000 738 S Garfield

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Meticulous 4 bed/3.5 bath with 32’x48’ pole barn On 10 acres contiguous to state land $625,000 5200 Hanna Road

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0.72 acres, corner of Carver & Hastings Zoned industrial, empty lot $850,000 MLS#1882613

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Charming 3 bed, 1 bath, 1,295 sq. ft. home Great location, right in the heart of Traverse City $325,000 MLS# 1885201

5 bed, 2 bath, 2,117 sq. ft. home 1.23 acres, spacious deck and yard $325,000 MLS# 1884117

0.84 acre lot for a new build, near Kingsley Partially wooded with countryside views $28,500 MLS# 1882064

0.75 acre lot for a new build, near Kingsley Open lot, nice countryside views $28,500 MLS# 1882065

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Exquisitely updated 3 bed, 2 bath home Great location, minutes from downtown TC $275,000 MLS# 1884309

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28 • april 26, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly