Read us online at UpNorthVoice.com! Where's
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See pages 9-12!
Vol. 13, Issue 4
Crowds ‘pour’ into West Branch WEST BRANCH – The West Branch Merchants Association is sponsoring its annual Art and Wine Walk on April 30 from 5-9 p.m. Downtown West Branch businesses with partner with local artists for the perfect evening. Each shop will host an area artist and their work, along with Michigan wines and hors d' oeuvres. Wine is complimentary, graciously provided by 20 participating businesses. Visitors who complete a punch card by visiting all the businesses will be entered into a random drawing for dinner and a movie for two. Fourth Street Gift and Gallery is also holding a raffle for a gift basket, with proceeds to benefit their annual scholarship program. ▪ See Art and Wine Walk map and pullout on pages B 5-8.
WEST BRANCH
Art & Wine Walk
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Strengthening the communities of Northeast Michigan
April 2022
IN THIS ISSUE:
Winter sports wrapped up across the Up North Voice coverage wrapped up with the boys basketball playoffs. Grayling High School won its first regional title since 1957 with a 52-40 win over Sanford-Meridian. See more basketball photos on pages A 14-15.
Below: Mark Vick cuts down the net when Oakland won its league championship. Left: Mark Vick HLHS Class of 1995, (center) receives his induction from Oakland University Athletic Director Steve Waterfield, Left and Glenn McIntosh, Current Senior Vice President for Student Affairs & Chief Diversity Officer (and Strength Coach to the 2005 Oakland Basketball Team)
Comfy Chair A-4 Where’s the Meat A 8-11 Hoops Wrap up A 14-15 Kittle Road A-16 Cost of freedom A-17 Grayling Awards A 18-19 Eagle Voice B-1 Fairview MMA – B 8-10
Cabin watercolor by Richard Rensberry
Art at the Steiner Museum
Houghton Lake native named to Oakland Hall of Honor
Editor’s note: Read the complete story about Vick’s induction on Thursday, March 30 at UpNorthVoice.com HOUGHTON LAKE – Houghton Lake native Mark Vick’s basketball career has taken him down some interesting avenues and garnered him some impressive honors of the years. But none could top the one he’ll be receiving from his alma mater, Oakland University. Oakland recently inducted him into its Hall of Honor for his accomplishments when he was coach, leading the school to its first ever NCAA tournament berth. Vick played high school sports at Houghton Lake, where his athletic skills were good enough to earn him
All-State and All-Conference honors before graduating in 1995. He attended Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, where he graduated with a B.S., and was student manager and camp counselor at CMU from 1997-2003. He received his M.S. at Florida State. From 2004-08, Vick was the men’s assistant basketball coach, video coordinator and camp director at Oakland University from 2004-08. He later became assistant men’s basketball coach, video coordinator and camp director at Rice University in Houston from 2008-2012. As well as coming back to coach at Houghton Lake, Vick was the varsity girls’ basketball coach at Hale
High School from 2012-13, before being hired to coach the Kirtland Community College women’s basketball team for the 2013-14 season. With 25 years of coaching experience at the youth, high school and college levels Vick can count among his accomplishments at Mid-Con Conference (now Summit League) tournament championship. He’s also led his teams to the Collegeinsiders.com tournament and MCCAA NJCAA post-season appearances. Four of his former players have gone on to play in the NBA. ▪ Read the complete story at UpNorthVoice.com
COMINS - With spring’s great awakening just around the corner, Artists of Oscoda County would like to invite Oscoda County artists to share their work in this year’s Art at the Steiner Museum show, entitled “The Artists of Oscoda County Past, Present & Future.” This is a celebration of Oscoda Counties’ innumerable visual Artists, and the Steiner Museum will once again be host to the Oscoda County Fine Art Show for 2022. This year’s event will feature artists of all ages in various mediums including, painting, photography/computer art, rendering/ illustrations, mixed media, and sculpture/3D. If you are an Oscoda County artist and would like to have a piece of your work in the show, please call 989-889-1742 for information and an entry form. Artists of Oscoda County will also be present at the annual Steiner Museum Pancake Breakfast if you would like to stop by in support of the arts and chat.