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Next to neutrals, there is no easier color to work with than blue. It is versatile, elegant and refreshing, from the eye-catching vibrancy of cobalt blue to the almost black look of navy. Here’s a peek at a few options to add to your wardrobe this season.
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The LocalBeat What’s n e w w ith you r favor ite b u s ines s e S By Sarah Gray
FINISH LINE RESTAURANT The Finish Line Restaurant on M-99 in Hillsdale recently underwent a renovation and the results could not be better. “It was just time,” says owner Lisa Slade, adding that the restaurant has undergone several renovation in its 41 years but it had been about 15 years since the last one. The dining room was refreshed with a new ceiling, walls, and booths and the installation of new LED lights. The kitchen also was remodeled with new equipment as well as refreshing the restrooms. In addition, the building had a new furnace and air conditioning unit installed. The restaurant had to be shut down for two and half weeks for the renovation, but Lisa says the customers have been pleased with the results. “The response has been awesome. We have had lots of wonderful compliments. They like what we did.” With spring in full swing and summer just around the corner, The Finish Line is getting ready to bring out their warm weather seasonal favorites including their summer salads, fresh fruit, and muffins while still offering specialty ice cream, daily specials, and their award-winning breakfast all day. The Finish Line is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
SILVER & RUST Have a budding artist in the family? Looking for something fun for them to do this summer? Silver + Rust will be hosting a Summer Art Program for kids ages 8-12 from June 19 to August 9 at their store (307 W. Main St., Hudson).The eight classes are offered weekly either Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon or Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and are $150. The program will focus on a variety of art-related topics including mixed media, art history and principles, and elements of design. Snacks will be provided and transportation can also be accommodated within a 10 mile radius of the store for an additional fee. For more information about the art program, contact Angie or Penny at 517-306-7992 or email silverandrusthudson@gmail.com. Silver + Rust offers a wide variety of signs and apparel for the home. Come in and paint a custom sign any time or host a sign party at your home or at the studio. Parties are available for both adults and kids. Silver + Rust is open Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 517-306-7992 or visit www.silverandrusthudson.com. They can also be found on Facebook.
PITTSFORD FEED MILL Spring is finally here and Pittsford Feed Mill (4525 S. Pittsford Rd, Pittsford) is ready for all the new life and new growth the season brings – including baby chickens. The store will order baby chicks for either meat or egg that can be delivered in a matter of days. Chickens can be ordered now through midAugust, and the mill also has feeders and waterers for growing poultry. Besides chickens, pheasants, ducks, quail and geese can also be ordered. Pittsford Feed Mill has been owned by Rick and Sue Wallace since 1996. The business was first opened in 1919 and has passed through several owners. Next year it will celebrate 100 years of serving the community. The mill has a wide variety of feed for all species including cats and dogs. Custom food batches, food plots, lawn seed, pasture mixes, and hay seed are available. For more information call 517523-2454 or find Pittsford Feed Mill on Facebook.
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e c a G&r Discipline
Dance with Heart Studios
By Melissa McCance
Although some dance programs trend more toward flash than substance, Anya Noveskey of Dance with Heart Studios follows a different path. She embraces a tradition of dance as a serious and demanding discipline which can bring great joy and a true sense of accomplishment. “I have a dress code for classes of black leotards and pink tights. I’m very careful about the music we use, the choreography, and what they wear for performances. You won’t see bra tops and booty shorts on our students,” Anya stated firmly. Anya was an assistant teacher while still a ballet student herself. She performed with the Grand Rapids ballet but sustained a hip injury that, despite trying to work through it, ended her dancing dreams. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling, Anya worked for two years as a therapist.
During that time, Anya was asked to teach at her old studio and fell in love with training young dancers. She wanted an outlet to teach dance the way she felt offered the most to students, and Dance with Heart opened in Manchester in 2014. Anya believes that structured classes create an atmosphere more likely to yield progress than a freewheeling approach. The studio name— instead of emphasizing her—represents the human soul and the passion that is behind every dancer. “If you set reasonable standards and have achievable expectations, children will rise to them. They take pride in knowing what they’re supposed to do and upholding the standard you’ve set,” says Anya. “People ask how I can teach three- and four-year-olds, and I explain it’s because we have some rules and a routine to our class. The students know what to expect in class which helps them get ready for class. And, they know that if class goes well, we play dance games at the end!” she adds with a laugh.
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When she realized there was enough interest in Adrian to sustain a second location, Anya
opened a studio there in September 2016. The two studios have a current enrollment nearing 150 students and still growing. Accreditation is through Dance Masters of America as well as the Cecchetti Council of America which requires ballet students to pass an exam before moving to the next level of training. If all eight levels are completed, the dancer will be ready to enter a dance company upon graduation.
The studios’ instructors are held to a high standard. Each is certified by extensive teacher examinations, and Anya requires them to attend a week-long teaching retreat each summer and a fall teaching convention to ensure they are staying current with their dance education. Anya’s dancers do two shows per year: a Christmas show that sponsors a food drive for a Manchester food pantry and the Adrian Salvation Army and a full recital in June. This year’s recital dates are June 8 and 9 at the Lenawee Christian Centre with a “TV Land” theme—the music is well-known television theme songs. They do community shows each year at the Manchester Community and Lenawee County fairs. Dance with Heart has a competition team that competes yearly at the Dance Masters competition and other events. Anya says that competitions provide additional opportunities to perform publicly and can move the students to a higher standard. She is quick to add, though, that she puts the emphasis on competing with their own past performances. “I tell them that if they do better than last time then they’re on their way to their goals.” Dance with Heart Studios are located at 117 E. Main St. in Manchester and 137 S. Main St. in Adrian. Classes are available for children from 18 months and up and there are adult classes in jazz, ballet, tap and social dance. You can contact them by calling 517-902-6614, through the website (www.dancewithheartstudios.com) and the Facebook page and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
THE BENEFITS OF A TRUST Trusts are often promoted as the ultimate estate planning solution. The basic proposition is that trusts solve every conceivable problem, while wills lead to horrific results. Sensational stories about fighting children, ignored wishes, and excessive costs promote this conclusion. By Timothy Dixon Simply Hers Magazine
Trusts offer many advantages over a will, but they are not necessary for everyone. It is important that family and beneficiary situations are contemplated and that the desired distribution plans for the estate are considered when deciding whether or not a trust is needed. As a general rule, trusts cost more to establish than wills, but trusts avoid the costs of probate. In Michigan, however, probate is not as expensive as often believed. Most estates are administered without problems and require minimal court involvement. Even so, there are multiple situations when a trust may be a better choice.
Timothy E. Dixon Licensed Michigan Attorney Law Office of Timothy E. Dixon 27 N. Broad St. Hillsdale, MI 49242 Ph: (517) 437-4070 Fx: (517) 437-4062
A trust is often preferable when there are children from a prior relationship because it ensures that children will receive an inheritance from their parent. Couples often leave everything in their individual estate to their surviving spouse and trust him or her to include the children from prior relationships in the survivor’s estate. Sometimes, however, the surviving spouse ignores the agreement because it is easy for stepchildren to be removed from a surviving spouse’s will. Even distributions in a will can be overridden by the spousal election, which is an election the surviving spouse can take in spite of the will. Trusts can also be written to distribute inheritances under controlled conditions. A trust is often a better choice when beneficiaries are minors, cannot manage money, or when creditor or
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personal injury judgments are possible. For instance, instead of a minor receiving an inheritance at 18 years of age, his or her inheritance could be distributed following graduation from college, upon reaching a certain age, or even in portions at various ages. Trusts are also able to protect a person’s inheritance from creditors’ claims and court judgments. A special type of trust called a special need trust is the preferable estate planning document when a beneficiary is receiving needs based government assistance, such as Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid. Inheritances often disqualify beneficiaries from their government program causing him or her to have to reapply after the inheritance is exhausted. A special needs trust stops this result and is able to provide individuals with an inheritance while protecting his or her government benefits. Trusts are the preferred choice when estate taxes are possible because estate taxes can be minimalized. For the 2018 tax year, estate taxes begin when the estate’s countable assets exceed $11,200,000.00. For tax purposes, the taxable estate includes real estate, life insurance, retirement accounts, personal property, etc. Basically, every type of asset over which the decedent had absolute control or potential control over is included in your estate for tax purposes. There are many other reasons why a trust would be beneficial, such as asset protection and financial management. Nevertheless, a trust is not for everyone, and it is important to consider your particular circumstances when deciding whether or not you need a trust.
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Pieces and Patches of Jackson Our area quilt guild, Pieces and Patches Quilt Guild of Jackson, hosts a quilt show every other year in mid-May. With the upcoming show only months away, I thought I’d better start working on my entries. Yes, I know. I’ve had 24 months to work on these projects but managed to procrastinate this work until it’s down to the wire. By Diane K Clow Sewist and Long Arm Quilter Eversew Quilted
For this guild-hosted show, only guild members are invited to submit entries. With over 170 members, we are typically able to have over 200 pieces as part of the show. My entries include a quilt with reproduction fabrics that border and sash “rescue” blocks that I salvaged at a North Adams estate auction. These twelve, hand-embroidered, children-themed blocks were lovingly completed by some unknown artist, and they deserved to be finished in a quilt. I completed and labeled this piece as “Vintage Rescue.” My second entry is a very modern geometric design that looks like three-dimensional floating interlocking blocks—out of my wheelhouse and complicated. In fact, I tore out as many stitches (a.k.a. un-sewing) as I sewed in. I quilted in straight lines following the block shapes to enhance the geometric design and labeled this quilt, “I Wore Out My Stitch Ripper on This One.” In past guild quilt shows I have found it entertaining to hang out an aisle away (ok, stalking) from where my quilts are hung and listen in on the comments being made about my work. This has been educational. For example, one year I showed a large, 16-block appliquéd piece that took me a
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year to complete. Comments were positive but nothing to write a brag book about. The other quilt I had there was just a panel (a pre-printed scene on fabric) of a sand crane. All I did was sew on the borders, quilt it up in an echo pattern around the bird, and embellish with some iron-on crystals— kind of basic and almost a “cheater” project. But THIS one was getting attention! Oooohs and ahhs, gasps, and a couple of bows paying homage to this great work. Well, maybe not quite that strong of a response but noted, anyway. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this is certainly true even in quilting. For me, I have also wondered at the chosen fabrics and patterns of my fellow quilters. Once I saw a “quilt” that was embellished with pebbles and sticks. Yes, actual nature-provided, outdoor materials. I failed to see the vision. Call me traditional, but a quilt should be made with soft and pliable materials that you can wrap up in while you sip cocoa on a cold winter night. I like quilts that are intended for use and that you can throw in the washer every so often. However, I will take offense if one of my workintensive pieces of art is used in a dog bed. May the many enjoyable hours of quilting Keep Me in Stitches, or out of stitches with my stitch ripper as needed. *The Pieces and Patches Quilt Guild of Jackson Quilt Show is Saturday, May 19, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 20, noon to 5 p.m. at the Jackson Catholic Middle School, 915 Cooper Street, Jackson MI.
written By: Melissa Mccance
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Business Spotlight
Adrian Center for the Arts
Creating beauty in a beautiful setting
mid wide lawns graced with mature trees sit the buildings that once housed the Adrian Training School for Girls. The school closed in 2009 and is now the site of the Adrian Center for the Arts. Established in 2015 by the Lenawee Council for the Visual Arts in conjunction with the City of Adrian, the center offers studio space for working artists, classes for interested community members, and special events like their annual Spring Fling, Enchanted Forest, ARK summer camp for kids and professional development summer sessions for the Michigan Art Education Association.
Each of the currently-utilized buildings houses one or two different art forms. Some of the disciplines offer residencies which require the individual to submit an application and portfolio to be considered. Residents have 24/7 access to studio space and other perks in return for helping with studio open hours and maintenance and ACA special events. The residency program provides working artists with two wonderful benefits: reasonably-priced studio space—something that can be hard to find—and the opportunity to work in an environment populated by other artists. “Some of our residents work other jobs during the day and are only here at night,” explains Studio One Co-Director Jill Shaffer. “Others come during the day and return home at night to take care of family responsibilities. Artists work when they can, and the residencies give them studio space and a community of other artists.” 60
Kristine Willimann, Letterpress Department director, was looking for studio space after retiring from teaching graphic arts at Washtenaw Community College. Kristine investigated the ACA and fell in love with both the studio and the campus. She laughingly admits that the overhead door in her building was a draw as it made it much easier to move the heavy presses into the studio! The spacious building was necessary to accommodate not only the presses but also the large type cabinets and paper storage units. The white walls are covered with posters, printed quotations, and lino prints, displaying a fascinating variety of typefaces and design elements. Visiting working studios is a fascinating experience. The clay building consists of two large rooms. One is for the residents where they have generous shelf space for their pieces, large open tables on which to work, and storage for materials. The other room is for classes where both thrown and handbuilt techniques are taught. The building’s large
windows flood the rooms with light, sketches and photographs cover the walls, and there is a hum of of voices as the artists share ideas and feedback. In the glass building, amazing pieces of glass work catch your eye, as does the large sectioned bin holding the glass rods used for lampwork, each color family contained in its own section.. A well-lit table has work stations spaced around it to ensure adequate distance between each student. Glass classes are kept small in size for safety because the art requires working with torches. Classes are available in ceramics, glass blowing, lampwork, letterpress, metal sculpture, painting and drawing, paper art, and winemaking and are open to all who are interested. The Adrian Center for the Arts is located at 2300 N. Adrian Hwy, Adrian. For more information about the center, classes, artists, and events, visit their website (www.adriancenterforthearts.org) and Facebook page.
Y K K AA Michigan No matter where you are in Michigan, you’re only six miles from a lake, river or stream, making the opportunities to get your paddle on almost endless. It’s time to get out your kayak or paddleboard and experience Michigan’s stunning bodies of water. If you’re looking for a quick paddle or a day-trip, the Mitten State’s waterways have something for everyone. 78
Cultivating Backyard Hops by Rachel Yoder Historically, hops have been grown for paper production and medicinal qualities (primarily treating anxiety, stress, and as a sleep aid), and they are best known for their use in flavoring and preserving beer. If you've mastered the art of home brewing or you enjoy gardening, you may want to consider trying your hand at growing hops in your backyard. Even if you don't use the cones to brew your own beer, the plants are beautiful to look at and make a wonderful conversation piece in the garden. Hops can come to you in two different ways: a rhizome (or crown) or a propagated plant from a nursery. Before beginning, perform a soil test as hops prefer a soil pH of 6.5. You can call your local extension office for information and pricing for a quality soil test that will be sent to a lab for analysis. These tests are far more accurate and provide more in-depth information about your soil than the DIY soil tests you can buy at the hardware store. Additionally, the staff at extension services can help you interpret your results and help you make decisions on how to amend your soil if needed. Planting and Cultivation Hop plants are perennials that produce an annual vine. They will come back every year, so be careful when selecting the location of 90
your hops yard because it's gonna be there a while. Plant rhizomes or plants in April or early May as soon as the threat of frost has past; alternately, a fall planting can be done in early August. Plant in hills three feet apart and in rows eight feet apart. Trellising must be provided as hops vines can grow 15-20 feet tall in one growing season (sometimes four to 10 inches per day!). Baling twine anchored with a stake works well to train vines up.
much, but it will increase in the following seasons after the plant has established itself. Hops cones tend to mature at different rates, so expect several harvests per season. You'll know when the cones are ready to be harvested when they feel light and papery and bounce back after being squeezed in your hand. They will be fragrant when squeezed and lupulin glands at the base of the cone petals will be a golden color with a sticky residue.
Choose two or three healthy vines from each crown to train up the trellis and prune the other shoots back to the crown. This pruning of new shoots will continue for the entire growing season. You want the plant to focus on growing a few vines you selected, resulting in a higher yield. Keep your hop yard well weeded. Prune two- or threeyear-old plants back to the crown when they hit two feet of growth as this reduces disease and encourages vigorous growth. At the end of the season, prune vines back to the crown. Pruned plant matter can be composted or burnt. Some people report a mild rash after working with hops, so wear long sleeves and gloves when pruning and harvesting to avoid this.
Dry harvested hops cones in a dehydrator or oven at 135-140 degrees, though take care not to get hotter as temperatures above 140 can damage the hops. Or, you can dry them on screened trays in a dry, well-ventilated place, turning once by hand each day. This method may take two to three days depending on humidity. Store dried hops in the freezer in vacuum-sealed bags with the date and contents marked.
Harvest and storage The first year of growing hops won’t yield
Hops (Humulus Lupulus) Growing Facts: Perennial Rhizome Full Sun Well drained, sandy loam soil. 6.5pH 15-20 ft tall, requires trellising, can be trained to climb strings. Several harvests per year