From the CLA

by HAROLD WOLF President haroldwolf63@gmail.com

Good day, my fellow Canadian Lakers!

Well, it’s hard to believe the July 4th weekend is behind us. Before I share all the fun things the CLA Board members have been up to, I’d like to take a minute to give a personal “thank you” to Lindsay Halcomb for all you do—your support is very much appreciated.

The CLA Board members have been very busy since I wrote my last Laker letter, and it’s been GRRREAT! (I got that line from Tony the Tiger. Marsha worked at Kellogg Company for 40 years, and so I have heard it a lot!) It seems so nice planning events, hosting those events, and seeing so many happy Canadian Lakes members out and about. On June 9 the CLA hosted the Ferris Community Summer Band concert at the Castle. The weather was perfect, the band was wonderful, and the turnout was fantastic. The band members received a nice surprise when they were given cupcakes after the concert decorated in Ferris State colors with music note decorations on top (GRRREAT idea, dear!).

We recently started a Welcome Wagon program. Our committee has put together a packet full of helpful information about our CLA, which two of our CLA Board members will deliver to new house owners. Our intention is to help make sure our new members get off to a good start in their new community. You can help us with this simply by contacting me if you know of a new owner or you get a new neighbor in the future. You can reach me at haroldwolf63@gmail.com, or phone 269-209-9871.

We had our first Poker Run Contest and Shopping Spree Contest winners in June. Our CLA Board came up with these new contests to make sure no matter what the COVID-19 restrictions were, our CLA members would have something fun to look forward to, as well as have a chance to win some amazing prizes. Best Poker Hand winner is Denise Webb, who won a 2021-2022 Lakeside Motor Sports boat storage. For winning Most Cards Collected, Chris LaFave won two

rounds of golf at Tullymore Golf Course. Mary Taylor won a car detailing from Scott’s Body Shop in Big Rapids. Winners of our Shopping Spree Contest were Marcia Bomba, who won a 2021-2022 EMS boat storage; and Janet Lampron, who won a $200 gift card package. We collected 2,000 receipts totaling over $46,000 spent by our CLA members in our local advertising businesses. If you would like an opportunity to win some amazing prizes, it’s not too late. Our next Shopping Spree Contest will begin Friday, July 30, and run until Monday, November 29. Our next Poker Run Contest will run from Friday, August 27, to Sunday, September 12. If you are not already a CLA member, now is the perfect time to COME JOIN THE FUN! It will be the best $25 you have ever spent.

What a day in Canadian Lakes July 3 was—full of festivities! It all began at 7 a.m. with 260 golfers playing in the Firecracker Open. At 8 a.m. our Young Anglers Annual Fishing Contest began, with 120 youngsters hauling in a lot of fish! Then at 8:30 a.m. 125 people participated in the 5K Fun Run/Walk. At 1 p.m. we had the Canadian Lakes Independence Day Parade, with hundreds of people lining the street and doing their best to catch the candy tossed out by parade participants. Our Canadian Lakes Pickleball Club held an introductory clinic to pickleball beginning at 2 p.m., where they introduced 10 CL members to the sport. Finally, the CLA Summer Picnic started at 5 p.m. What a fun-filled event to finish out the day! We had approximately 500 Canadian Lakes members come out and enjoy the beautiful weather, live music, the balloon guy making his fun creations for the kids, Ant Hills where the kids received fun toys, lawn games, horse-drawn wagon rides, and food—all FREE and provided by the CLA. Thank you to the Morton Township Fire Department for burning those hot dogs to perfection. I also want to thank all of our volunteers. Without you, none of this is possible. And to my fellow CLA Board: congratulations on a job well done! Your attention to detail and dedication to providing the very best for your Canadian Lakes neighbors are truly inspiring. Thank you all!

Speaking of volunteers, two of our CLA Board members will be leaving our Board at the end of their three-year term limits this year. So now would be the perfect time to join the CLA Board and help us continue providing fun, educational, and entertaining events. The CLA has plenty more fun events in the planning process for August and September, so COME JOIN THE FUN!

Left top: Mary Taylor claiming her mini car detailing from Scott's Body Shop

Left bottom: Marcia and Duane Bomba receiving free boat storage from EMS

Right: Janet Lampron won the gift certificate package.

Below: Ferris State Summer Community Band performing at the Castle

Our first summer concert on July 5 was a success! The 126th Army Band out of Grand Rapids entertained Canadian Lakes members and their families and friends in a rousing concert of patriotic music. What a great addition to the July 4th weekend!

Two concerts are scheduled for August. Each begins at 7 p.m. at the Reuther Music Pavilion at Pierce Beach on the Main Lake. Bring lawn chairs—or your boat—pack some snacks, and enjoy an evening of top-notch entertainment by the water. In case of rain, check the Canadian Lakes emails for updates.

Here are concert details:

Atomic Annie, a female-fronted group, provides high-energy fun! This variety cover band presents music you know and love, with its own special twist—from ’60’s and ’70’s rock to ’80’s MTV classics to ’90’s alternative to modern rock/pop covers. This group’s unique style will have you singing along.

The Kari Lynch Band, a Canadian Lakes favorite, returns with its alt-country style. Based in Nashville, the group members are originally from Grand Rapids. Talented singers, songwriters, collaborators, and performers, they deliver an exciting, powerful, and memorable performance. Known for powerhouse lead vocals, solid harmonies, and dynamic live shows, their program spans musical genres and resonates with listeners of all ages.

These concerts are made possible by the generous sponsorship of Lakeside Motor Sports and Ice Mountain.

Thanks to Dave Spieker for his efforts in bringing the concert series back, as well as to committee volunteers Danielle Maneke, Susan Morris, Marilyn Yvon, Jim Brakora, Kathleen Reau, Jim Benoit, and Diane Spieker.

Join us for good music and a good time!

Concerts may be affected by future COVID-19 restrictions. Updates will be posted in the Canadian Lakes News and The Community Connection e-newsletters and on the Canadian Lakes Reuther Music Pavilion Facebook page.

BY CHRIS ZIMMERMAN

I WILL NEVER FORGET speaking to an old grouse hunter who once told me, “When I was a kid, my dad gave me five shotgun shells and told me ‘now bring me five of something.’” The man was old enough to have survived the Great Depression, when everything from gas to rubber was rationed. Shotgun shells were used to kill an assortment of game—grouse, pheasant, rabbit, squirrels, hares, ducks, snipe—that fed the family during tough times.

Back in the day, poor shooting skills weren’t an option.

Fast forward to 2021. Even though times aren’t tough, it feels like ammunition is being rationed because it’s not readily available. Sporting goods stores from Remus to Big Rapids and across the Midwest are in dire need of ammunition.

The Mecosta County Rod & Gun Club will be celebrating its 75-year anniversary next year. In addition to trapshooting, the club has a sporting clays course, access to a small lake, and the rifle and pistol range. Sporting clays starts at 1 p.m. on Saturdays, while trapshooting begins at 10 a.m. on Saturdays.

Annual membership dues are $45, which entitles the member to access the facility. The lake on the back of the property looks quite fishy. A small fleet of rowboats is available for member use.

On the third Sunday of the month, the club hosts an “egg shoot.” Raw eggs are placed on a stand, 100 yards from the shooter. Members use a small (.22 caliber) rifle and take aim at the eggs. The eggs explode when hit by the bullet. It’s a social event that’s fun for the whole family.

Randy Rice is the president of the Mecosta County Rod & Gun Club, located at 10600 11 Mile Road in Mecosta. “Yes, I’d say there is an ammo shortage,” he said. “It’s all but impossible to buy it on a regular basis.”

Rice has a theory for why most sporting goods stores are consistently out of shells and bullets. “Gun sales are at an all-time high, and those folks want to make sure they have enough ammo for their new firearms,” he said. “The other reason for the shortage is hoarders. They buy all the ammo they can, then sell it on the internet at a huge markup.”

That huge markup notion seems to be a recurring theme with John Dougherty, who owns JD Arms gun shop in downtown Remus. “Not that long ago, I usually paid about $30 for a box of 30/30 shells. Now I have to buy them online for $60 and sell them here at the shop for $65.” Dougherty believes that the materials needed to make ammunition are in short supply, as well as the labor to make them.

Bullseye, John.

The president of Federal Ammunition, Jason Vanderbrink, issued a statement regarding the ammunition shortage. As you might imagine, COVID-19 prohibited people from working in the ammunition factories, while commodity availability made production difficult. Acquiring brass, lead, and plastics was a challenge when everyone was at home or in quarantine.

Things are getting back to normal now, and federal factories in Minnesota, Remington factories in Arkansas, and a Hevi-Shot plant in Oregon are pumping out ammo 24/7. They are all designed to meet the demands of shooting sportsmen across the country. “We are doing the best we can to get your favorite loads out the door,” Vanderbrink said.

Lots of shooters are counting on plenty of ammo, including the Big Rapids High School trapshooting team. They practice and host other schools at the Mecosta County Rod & Gun Club. Chippewa Hills and Reed City are among those high school teams that participate in the trapshooting competition.

“Trap” in this instance does not refer to a device used to ensnare mice or small, fur-bearing mammals. “Trap” has nothing to do with a situation in which people lie in wait to make a surprise attack, either. According to Wikipedia, trapshooting “is one of the three major disciplines of competitive clay pigeon shooting. The other disciplines are skeet shooting and sporting clays.”

Clay pigeons are about the size of a saucer and shaped so they fly through the air like a small Frisbee®. When hit with a B-B fired from a shotgun, they break easily. When hit with multiple B-Bs, they turn to powder—a satisfying sight for shooters of all abilities.

In an organized trapshooting event, shooters are positioned at five stations behind the trap house. One at a time, the shooters call for the pigeon by yelling “pull!” That command directs the “trapper” to fling a clay pigeon from the trap house.

Each shooter takes turns firing at the clay pigeons as they fly at varying angles away from the house. It is remarkably similar to an upland hunting scenario where grouse, pheasant, or woodcock fly away from the hunter. After five rounds, the shooters switch stations and they repeat the process until each shooter has shot 25 rounds. Scores are tabulated based on how many clay pigeons they break. A perfect score is 25/25. In my experience, anything over 20 is pretty good.

According to urban legend, the term “trap” comes from the practice of shooting live birds released from a “trap.” Back in the day, the birds were live pigeons. Live birds have since been replaced with clay pigeons, but the term “trap” has taken hold.

Provided you can find ammunition, trapshooting at the Mecosta County Rod & Gun Club is a good time. It’s great practice for the upcoming bird seasons, and the members at the club are friendly and helpful. I highly recommend it.

Chris Zimmerman is a resident of Canadian Lakes and the author of six Michigan-based novels. Look for more “outdoor mysteries” in upcoming issues of the Canadian Laker.

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2021

Tuba Bach

BY JOYCE B. WILCOX

SSEVERAL WEEKS AGO, upon taking the fi rst sip of my morning coff ee, I was having one of those déjà vu moments in life. As I sat across the table from Dr. Edward Mallett in the quiet Big Rapids restaurant where we’d scheduled our Tuba Bach interview for Th e Canadian Laker, I felt he and I had actually met before. Th e truth is that we’d probably seen each other dozens and dozens of times, only we’d never offi cially been introduced.

Th is innovative Tuba Bach founder, artistic director, and very talented tuba and euphonium artist whom I’d had the pleasure of seeing on stage for many years was the same personable, witty, down-to-earth man seated at my table. Whether you meet Mallett up close or even when he’s on stage and you’re seated in the back row of an auditorium, his warmth, humor, and dedication to his music are ever present. It’s no wonder that he’s been able to bring so many other talented entertainers to play alongside him on stage and that this is Tuba Bach’s sixteenth season. Th is is defi nitely priceless entertainment presented free of charge! For your information and enjoyment, the 2021 Tuba Bach Festival runs on consecutive Saturdays and Sundays, September 11 through October 12. All performances are at Immanuel Lutheran Church at 726 Fuller Avenue in Big Rapids, with Saturday performances at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 4 p.m. See the fall schedule for the dates of the various performers.

In addition to the Tuba Bach Festival, some exciting new performances will take place throughout the year. Sunday aft ernoon concerts featuring Michigan State University students and faculty members, all held at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, will also grace the Big Rapids stage. Th e dates and times are to be announced.

I was pleased to be served a little history with that coff ee and breakfast that morning. I learned that Mallett attended Central Michigan University for his undergraduate studies and Michigan State University for graduate studies, with a Master of Music degree and Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He taught for an accumulative ten years at Hope College, Albion College, and North Carolina Central before returning to Big Rapids with his wife and sons. In 2006 Tuba Bach was born and Big Rapids was forever changed.

Tuba Bach’s Artistic Director DR. EDWARD K. MALLETT joins an outstanding roster of world-class musicians for the 2021 festival season

September 11-12

THE MCLAIN FAMILY BAND The First Family of Kentucky Bluegrass Royalty RAYMOND, RUTH, AL, ALICE and DAXSON start the season off with a bang! September 18-19

NOVA DUO Violinist ANNA KHALIKOVA and pianist/composer NOAH MALLETT in an elegant program featuring music by Brahms, Glinka, Mallett and Schoenfield September 25-26

THE FUNKY MITTEN FIVE New Orleans-style brass band with JIM ALFREDSON on the B-3 organ, LUTHER ALLISON on drums, MICHAEL DEASE on trombone, JASON HAINSWORTH on sax and ED MALLETT on sousaphone October 2-3

BROADWAY IN LIVING COLOR Stage and screen star KAREN MARIE RICHARDSON and Tuba Bach’s favorite pianist, ALVIN WADDLES present hits from some of Broadway’s greatest musicals October 9-10

THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE THEATRE ORGAN Travel back to the early decades of the 20th Century to an era of small-town America opera houses and silent movies, with organist DAVID WICKERHAM October 16-17

THE MUSIC OF KANSAS Prog Rock music with a low brass twist!

MICHAEL DEASE and REMUS WEBB on euphoniums, PHILIP SINDER and EVAN ZEGIEL on tubas, violinist ANNA KHALIKOVA, drummer NOAH MALLETT and keyboardist/vocalist ED MALLETT All concerts presented with no admission charge — PRICELESS ENTERTAINMENT ! Performances held at Immanuel Lutheran Church 726 Fuller Ave., Big Rapids Saturdays at 7:00PM; Sundays at 4:00PM Sunday concerts also livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook — direct links at tubabach.org Tuba Bach

with Alfreda Burke and Rodrick Dixon

and the Jo Ann Daugherty Trio Sunday, December 19 at 4:00 PM

Immanuel Lutheran Church also Livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube

No Admission charge Priceless Entertainment!

With a mission statement that reads, “Enriching the lives of adults and children in Big Rapids and West-Central Michigan through exemplary performances and programs presented by worldclass musicians,” you can begin to grasp the value of this venue. What you don’t realize until you attend a performance is how well Tuba Bach is recognized within the international music community. Musicians from around the world enjoy the opportunity to share the stage with Mallett, including highly acclaimed Grammy® award winners, Grand Ole Opry regulars, stars of stage and screen, as well as little-known jewels from across the globe giving sparkling performances. Simply put, I will toot Tuba Bach’s horn, at least on paper, to announce to audiences what the rest of the music world knows: Tuba Bach is well-known and well-received worldwide.

Mallett believes that concerts should be interactive and fun for both the audience and the performers. For this reason Tuba Bach concerts contain a variety of genres of music and a diverse roster of musicians. Classic Mallett is hardly purely classical music. His Tuba Bach concerts contain an eclectic assortment of genres, including jazz, country, blue-grass, pop, folk, gospel, and rock, as well as songs from Broadway musicals and just about any other type of music that’s music to your ears.

Talented artists have graced the Tuba Bach stage to accompany this distinguished director with their excellent performances on 28 diff erent instruments, from accordion to xylophone and everything in between. Mallet said that in his 16 years as the Tuba Bach artistic director, out of the hundreds Tuba Bach of musicians he’s featured, only one visiting artist declined his invitation to perform, apparently hesitant to step out of the Bachs and perform alongside a tuba. In other words, Tuba Bach is the place to be!

Since Mallett doesn’t believe in sitting still on JOIN TUBA BACH IN 2021 FOR OUR 16 stage, he doesn’t think his audience should be passive either. He challenges his fellow musicians OF PRICELESS ENTERTAINMENT to come out of their genre comfort zones and his audiences to be moved at times to come out of their seats. He’s a strong believer that the movements of music performed on stage should initiate movement within the hearts, minds, and bodies of the listening audience as well. When asked what kind of music he prefers, Mallett smiled and responded, “Probably the music that I’m playing at any given time.”

Tuba Bach was created to present quality music by talented musicians free of charge to the community. Mallett remembers being excited about attending free concerts in his youth performed by the Canadian Brass. He understands now that these concerts would have Enriching the lives of adults and children in Big Rapids and West-Central Michigan through exemplary performances been nearly impossible for him to attend if he’d and programs presented by world-class musicians had to pay admission. With Tuba Bach festivals, he strives to duplicate those musical opportunities by providing excellent entertainment at no cost to the audience.

Of course, nothing in life is truly free, and these remarkable musical memories are created through the generosity of sponsorships, grants, and incredible donors of all ages. With the six consecutive weekends of Tuba Bach concerts performed every fall and the other seasonal concerts sprinkled throughout the year, measure by measure the expenses add up. Th e cost of paying for visiting performing artists, their lodging, the venues, the music, the programs, the publicity—and anything else you can imagine that’s necessary—can total a whole lot of not-so-free-bills to pay. Mallett is personally thankful for every donation and simply asks that if you’re able to donate, you do it so that those less fortunate can continue to share in this musical experience. Th ese programs could not continue without the generosity of others.

So join Dr. Edward Mallett and all his musical friends as you relax, enjoy, and move as the music moves you. Whether you haven’t been to a Tuba Bach Festival or if you’ve been to them all Bach-toBach for the past several seasons, you won’t want to miss this 2021 season of talented artists and their priceless entertainment!

If you have any questions or would like to contribute, contact Tuba Bach at mallett@ tubabach.org or call (231) 796-0712.