CAUGHTCHA BEING GOOD!Ron Coyne
Photo by Kristie Wolgamott
Tis the spirit of giving and Ron Coyne has given in a big way this year. Last week he had 16 bicycles delivered to the Edward Jones office in the middle of a snowstorm for the Toys for Tots program. According to Julia Pollister Amos, program coordinator, Ron has given at least a dozen bikes each year for many years, but this December he outdid himself with his hefty donation. “His business has done well this year and he wanted to share his good fortune with area children,” added Julia. According to Ron none of this would be possible without the help of his employees, particularly Vince Trimark, Forrest Trimark, and Lambert and Olivia Adams, who have helped him to grow his business through the years! Caughtcha all being GOOD, and thank you, Ron – your kindness and generosity give added joy to the season.
Birch Lake Association improves Birch Lake Roadside Park
Volunteers work to install nearly 100 feet of coir logs to protect the shoreline from erosion. Courtesy photo
Have you noticed anything different at the Birch Lake Roadside Park recently? Take a stroll down to the water’s edge to see Birch Lake Association’s recent shoreline greenbelt improvements. The Association partnered with Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Adopt-a-Landscape program to install nearly 100 feet of coir logs (coconut fiber logs that biodegrade after ten years) and native plants. The coir logs, each 16 inches in diameter, protect the shoreline from erosion caused by ice damage and boat wakes. The chosen native plants (boneset, blue vervain, swamp milkweed, and blue lobelia) will provide deep roots to hold soil in place. The plants will bloom in a showy display of white, blue, and pink, and provide habitat for native pollinators. Sixteen volunteers helped install the coir logs and plants on October 4. The volunteers left with the hands-on experience to protect their own shorelines. A “no-mow” strip along the shoreline will be set up to allow native plants to thrive and signage will be placed to educate visitors.
The project has been in the works for a year and began with a meeting between Birch Lake Association president Jim Muth and Watershed Council staff. Both organizations brainstormed about ways to work collaboratively. The need for Birch Lake to restore the shoreline aligned well with the Watershed Council’s Watershed Action Volunteer Experience (WAVE) program, which funds small volunteer-led watershed projects over the Watershed Council’s four-county service area. Finding the right place to install the project took a long time, and it was finally settled that the Birch Lake Roadside Park would be a good demonstration site, as it needed repair and thousands of visitors stop there annually. The Watershed Council applied for permits from MDOT and the Department of Environment, Energy, and Great Lakes in order to complete the project. “Of all the WAVE projects, this one had the most pieces with two different permits and multiple vendors for the supplies. But it all came together in one day thanks to the many volunteers and sponsors supporting us” said Caroline Keson, water resource specialist at the Watershed Council. Jim Muth noted the importance of shoreline protection as it relates to improving or maintaining a lake’s water quality. The relative ease and effectiveness of installing shoreline protection in this manner makes it a great lake association, neighborhood, or individual property owner’s project. The WAVE program supplied $2500 for project costs through the Dole Family Foundation. Additional project supplies came from donations from Steur Excavating of Kewadin, North Shore Lawn Works of Harbor Springs, Hanes GEO Components Grand Rapids, Birch Lake Association’s “Restore the Shore” and Antrim Conservation District. Volunteers were powered by food donations from Roast and Toast and Plath’s Meats in Petoskey. Thank you to all of our sponsors! Paddle Antrim announces public phase of capital campaignPaddle Antrim is pleased to announce the public phase of its capital campaign to open the Chain of Lakes Water Trail. The water trail includes over 80 miles of trail through 16 unique lakes and rivers. To date, Paddle Antrim has raised over $180,000, two-thirds of its $275,000 capital campaign goal.
Through this campaign, Paddle Antrim will install the signage and develop materials needed for users to have a quality experience out on the water. The signs and materials will include practical information on the trail but also convey important messages such as stewardship, safety and highlight the local communities. Such information ensures paddlers will have a safe and enjoyable adventure but also be informed on how to be good stewards of our lakes, rivers, and wildlife. According to recent outdoor recreation studies, participation in all paddle sport industries are on the rise and water trails are a way to help those paddlers have a quality experience while out on the water. Water trails encourage healthy lifestyles, provide a sense of community and place, encourage preservation of waterways for future generations, and positively impact local businesses. “The communities and businesses along the Chain of Lakes Water Trail are so fortunate to have this “ever-lasting gift” presented to them!” says Mary Faculak, CEO/President of the East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce. “The economic impact of the Chain of Lakes Water Trail will be far-reaching and will only continue to grow and flourish over the years.” Paddle Antrim is working to complete this campaign by the end of the year so that installation of signage and development of materials will be complete for the 2020 paddling season. For more information on the campaign and to donate, go online: www.paddleantrim.com or contact Deana Jerdee, executive director at 231-492-0171 or deana@paddleantrim.com. Elk Rapids District
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Michael Peterson at Siren Hall.
Photo by Barb Mosher
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Jamie Wentworth at The Local.
Photo by Barb Mosher
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Ben Cross at Pearl’s.
Photo by Barb Mosher
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By Barb Mosher, Contributing Writer
Michael Peterson says it’s best to forget the Norman Rockwell image of a huge whole turkey delivered on a platter to the appreciative oohs and aahs of a family gathered around a Thanksgiving table.
“Those big old birds really aren’t the best to roast whole because they cook so unevenly,” said the chef owner of Siren Hall. “By the time the legs are cooked through, you’re bound to dry out the breast.”
Submerging the turkey in a saltwater solution overnight and then slow roasting it helps retain juices, Peterson explained. Better yet, he added, is to cut the breasts and legs from the carcass and roast the individual pieces, taking them out of the oven as each reaches its proper temperature.
Peterson’s ideal Thanksgiving menu also includes sour dough stuffing, roasted or grilled sweet potatoes, and a roasted vegetable salad tossed with pumpkin seeds and a cumin vinaigrette. He’s not a cranberry fan and firmly insists “No jello!” Dessert should be simple: apple or berry pie topped with homemade whipped cream. “I don’t like big and complicated. It’s more about the quality.”
Peterson always closes Siren Hall on holidays so employees can celebrate with family and friends. He’ll be joining friends this year and said his assignment is to bring the wine. “I’m getting off easy!”
Jamie Wentworth’s southern roots shine through in her Thanksgiving menu planning. There’s sweet potato casserole with gobs of butter, cream, brown sugar and pecans (hold the marshmallows), corn bread stuffing, sweet pea salad, and mashed potatoes (secret ingredient: mayonnaise).
Then there’s the turkey. Actually, there’s not a turkey. Her family will be enjoying beef short ribs this year.
“I don’t like turkey. There’s something about the texture,” said the owner of The Local, her expression clearly registering distaste for the traditional Thanksgiving bird.
She plans to prepare the ribs using the sous vide process of vacuum-sealing the meat in a bag and then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath.
“I’ve never done that before,” Wentworth admitted. “But I’m not afraid to wing it.”
Her guests will get to choose from three pies: pumpkin (because her twin 19-year-old daughters like it), buttermilk (because it’s her childhood favorite), and pecan (because “you can’t get away without having it”).
Wentworth said it was helping her mother and grandmother in the kitchen, especially with big holiday meals, that shaped her love of and approach to cooking. She looks forward to making new memories even as she reminisces with family about years gone by.
“We always sit around the table and talk about the stupid stuff we did as kids that our mom didn’t know about,” she said. “Then she scolds us even though it’s 25 years later!”
Ben Cross anticipates the day after Thanksgiving almost as much as the holiday itself. He looks forward to making what he calls “Pilgrim” sandwiches: leftover turkey, brie cheese, cranberry sauce, and stuffing piled between two slices of rye bread. It’s a nod to his days at a deli in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where the sandwich was a hit among customers and staff.
This year, his leftover turkey will come from one he smokes over apple wood chips. “I’ve never done a whole turkey in a smoker,” said the chef who’s been sharing his skills with diners at Pearl’s for six and a half years. “I only eat turkey, gravy and stuffing once a year. I love it all, but it’s a big meal to cook.”
Cross’s idea of the perfect Thanksgiving feast also includes green beans almondine, mashed white potatoes (peeled but lumpy), and cranberry sauce. “It’s so easy to make real cranberry sauce,” he said. “Cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and sugar.”
Cross said that after “eating way too much food,” his family will settle around board games: Apples to Apples, Scrabble, and Monopoly are favorites. He cherishes his own childhood memories of playing street hockey with cousins in his grandmother’s basement while the adults watched football on TV upstairs.
“And there was always a table of baked goodies that had to wait until after dinner,” he recalled. “Grandma always made a Swiss cake roll and pumpkin pie. It was so hard to wait.”
Michael Peterson says it’s best to forget the Norman Rockwell image of a huge whole turkey delivered on a platter to the appreciative oohs and aahs of a family gathered around a Thanksgiving table.
“Those big old birds really aren’t the best to roast whole because they cook so unevenly,” said the chef owner of Siren Hall. “By the time the legs are cooked through, you’re bound to dry out the breast.”
Submerging the turkey in a saltwater solution overnight and then slow roasting it helps retain juices, Peterson explained. Better yet, he added, is to cut the breasts and legs from the carcass and roast the individual pieces, taking them out of the oven as each reaches its proper temperature.
Peterson’s ideal Thanksgiving menu also includes sour dough stuffing, roasted or grilled sweet potatoes, and a roasted vegetable salad tossed with pumpkin seeds and a cumin vinaigrette. He’s not a cranberry fan and firmly insists “No jello!” Dessert should be simple: apple or berry pie topped with homemade whipped cream. “I don’t like big and complicated. It’s more about the quality.”
Peterson always closes Siren Hall on holidays so employees can celebrate with family and friends. He’ll be joining friends this year and said his assignment is to bring the wine. “I’m getting off easy!”
Jamie Wentworth’s southern roots shine through in her Thanksgiving menu planning. There’s sweet potato casserole with gobs of butter, cream, brown sugar and pecans (hold the marshmallows), corn bread stuffing, sweet pea salad, and mashed potatoes (secret ingredient: mayonnaise).
Then there’s the turkey. Actually, there’s not a turkey. Her family will be enjoying beef short ribs this year.
“I don’t like turkey. There’s something about the texture,” said the owner of The Local, her expression clearly registering distaste for the traditional Thanksgiving bird.
She plans to prepare the ribs using the sous vide process of vacuum-sealing the meat in a bag and then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath.
“I’ve never done that before,” Wentworth admitted. “But I’m not afraid to wing it.”
Her guests will get to choose from three pies: pumpkin (because her twin 19-year-old daughters like it), buttermilk (because it’s her childhood favorite), and pecan (because “you can’t get away without having it”).
Wentworth said it was helping her mother and grandmother in the kitchen, especially with big holiday meals, that shaped her love of and approach to cooking. She looks forward to making new memories even as she reminisces with family about years gone by.
“We always sit around the table and talk about the stupid stuff we did as kids that our mom didn’t know about,” she said. “Then she scolds us even though it’s 25 years later!”
Ben Cross anticipates the day after Thanksgiving almost as much as the holiday itself. He looks forward to making what he calls “Pilgrim” sandwiches: leftover turkey, brie cheese, cranberry sauce, and stuffing piled between two slices of rye bread. It’s a nod to his days at a deli in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where the sandwich was a hit among customers and staff.
This year, his leftover turkey will come from one he smokes over apple wood chips. “I’ve never done a whole turkey in a smoker,” said the chef who’s been sharing his skills with diners at Pearl’s for six and a half years. “I only eat turkey, gravy and stuffing once a year. I love it all, but it’s a big meal to cook.”
Cross’s idea of the perfect Thanksgiving feast also includes green beans almondine, mashed white potatoes (peeled but lumpy), and cranberry sauce. “It’s so easy to make real cranberry sauce,” he said. “Cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and sugar.”
Cross said that after “eating way too much food,” his family will settle around board games: Apples to Apples, Scrabble, and Monopoly are favorites. He cherishes his own childhood memories of playing street hockey with cousins in his grandmother’s basement while the adults watched football on TV upstairs.
“And there was always a table of baked goodies that had to wait until after dinner,” he recalled. “Grandma always made a Swiss cake roll and pumpkin pie. It was so hard to wait.”
VILLAGE OF ELK RAPIDS
Weather interfering with leaf pickup
The Village Council met Monday, November 18. The Proposed Ordinance #496 concerning Ethical Conduct was amended to include conversation with the village’s lawyer, as the council worked on the ordinance. The Employee Manual and the Sewer Study are still pending.
In New Business, the remainder of the 2019 schedule for council and commission meetings was passed. A Public Hearing for the Budget was set for Monday, January 6, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Also, support for Short’s license application was passed. Marcus Evans, Superintendent of the DPW, requested passage of Resolution 19-42, which is water meter reading software and hardware. In addition, Evans described the shoreline problem at the intersection of River and Oak Streets, which needs repair and extension. Both of the ordinances were passed by the council. In response to questions about the slowdown of leaf pickup, Evans explained the weather was the problem. Snow and melting snow have made the leaves so wet the machine cannot pick them up. He hopes the citizens do not continue to make piles of wet leaves. The final issue for discussion concerned the council’s use of iPads instead of printed paper agendas. Ed Bottcher, County Commissioner, encouraged the use due to the savings. He also encouraged the council members to give themselves time to get used to the iPads. The issue stemmed from the fact that one council member has vision issues and needs the paper copy. After the discussion, the council voted to provide paper copies when necessary.
During Council Comments, Assistant village manager Caroline Kennedy reported the staff is working on the fifth draft of the budget. At that point, the Village Council went into a closed session.
The next regular council meeting will be on Monday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m. There will be two Budget Workshops, one on Monday, December 9 and another on Tuesday, December 17, both at 6:00 p.m. The Budget
Public Hearing is scheduled for Monday, January 6, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. – Submitted by Dolores Hibbard, Contributing Writer
In New Business, the remainder of the 2019 schedule for council and commission meetings was passed. A Public Hearing for the Budget was set for Monday, January 6, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Also, support for Short’s license application was passed. Marcus Evans, Superintendent of the DPW, requested passage of Resolution 19-42, which is water meter reading software and hardware. In addition, Evans described the shoreline problem at the intersection of River and Oak Streets, which needs repair and extension. Both of the ordinances were passed by the council. In response to questions about the slowdown of leaf pickup, Evans explained the weather was the problem. Snow and melting snow have made the leaves so wet the machine cannot pick them up. He hopes the citizens do not continue to make piles of wet leaves. The final issue for discussion concerned the council’s use of iPads instead of printed paper agendas. Ed Bottcher, County Commissioner, encouraged the use due to the savings. He also encouraged the council members to give themselves time to get used to the iPads. The issue stemmed from the fact that one council member has vision issues and needs the paper copy. After the discussion, the council voted to provide paper copies when necessary.
During Council Comments, Assistant village manager Caroline Kennedy reported the staff is working on the fifth draft of the budget. At that point, the Village Council went into a closed session.
The next regular council meeting will be on Monday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m. There will be two Budget Workshops, one on Monday, December 9 and another on Tuesday, December 17, both at 6:00 p.m. The Budget
Public Hearing is scheduled for Monday, January 6, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. – Submitted by Dolores Hibbard, Contributing Writer
ELK RAPIDS SCHOOL
Snapshot of district financial standing
By Steve Yencich, Contributing Writer
On November 11, the Elk Rapids Board of Education received the Audit Report for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which ended this past June 30. The audit report represents a principal means by which the board honors its fiduciary duty to monitor the financial well-being of the District. The information presented was detailed and informative. The bottom line was that the District remains on solid financial ground, as evidenced by several outcomes of the audit.
First, the auditing firm of Dennis, Gartland, and Niergarth gave the District an “unmodified opinion.” That means, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, that the financial statements presented fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Elk Rapids schools. An unmodified opinion is the cleanest and most favorable opinion an audit firm can provide.
Secondly, the District ended last fiscal year with a fund balance of 7.7%. A district’s fund balance is the amount left in the school district’s accounts, after all expenses have been paid, at the end of the fiscal year. Michigan law requires that public schools not spend all the money in their funds. In other words, school districts cannot carry an “operating deficit” year to year.
Carrying a significant fund balance forward is essential because it provides sufficient cash flow for daily financial needs. It can also be used to offset economic downturns and provide funds for unforeseen expenditures or emergencies. A ten percent fund balance generally denotes a healthy district, although smaller, more rural districts can operate at an eight percent fund balance and still be considered healthy. School districts with a five percent or less fund balance are subject to takeover by the state.
Included in the presentation was a graph indicating the remaining fund balance at the close of each fiscal year since 2002, 18 years’ worth of data. Over that time, the lowest fund balance was $372,948 in 2002. The highest fund balance was $1.2 million in 2010, with the average fund balance clicking in at just under $950,000. The fund balance at the conclusion of FY 2018-19 was $958,137.
Total per-pupil counts, instrumental to state financing, stabilized and saw a slight increase over the previous year’s drop of nearly 50 students. Nonetheless, initial 2018-19 budget workups showed an estimated deficit of over $380,000. A variety of cost-cutting measures reduced the final gap at the close of the year to just over $131,000, which was covered by the District’s fund balance.
Due to the small size of the District’s administrative staff, ER Schools do struggle to have all the separation of financial duties that an auditor would like to see. However, this is a problem common to almost all small districts, and officials believe they have sufficient internal controls in place to safeguard district assets. The District has placed its Audit Report, graphs, and related documents on its website (at erschools.com). Click on the “Transparency Report” icon on the right side of the opening page and scroll down to “Audited Financial Statements.”
On November 11, the Elk Rapids Board of Education received the Audit Report for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which ended this past June 30. The audit report represents a principal means by which the board honors its fiduciary duty to monitor the financial well-being of the District. The information presented was detailed and informative. The bottom line was that the District remains on solid financial ground, as evidenced by several outcomes of the audit.
First, the auditing firm of Dennis, Gartland, and Niergarth gave the District an “unmodified opinion.” That means, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, that the financial statements presented fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Elk Rapids schools. An unmodified opinion is the cleanest and most favorable opinion an audit firm can provide.
Secondly, the District ended last fiscal year with a fund balance of 7.7%. A district’s fund balance is the amount left in the school district’s accounts, after all expenses have been paid, at the end of the fiscal year. Michigan law requires that public schools not spend all the money in their funds. In other words, school districts cannot carry an “operating deficit” year to year.
Carrying a significant fund balance forward is essential because it provides sufficient cash flow for daily financial needs. It can also be used to offset economic downturns and provide funds for unforeseen expenditures or emergencies. A ten percent fund balance generally denotes a healthy district, although smaller, more rural districts can operate at an eight percent fund balance and still be considered healthy. School districts with a five percent or less fund balance are subject to takeover by the state.
Included in the presentation was a graph indicating the remaining fund balance at the close of each fiscal year since 2002, 18 years’ worth of data. Over that time, the lowest fund balance was $372,948 in 2002. The highest fund balance was $1.2 million in 2010, with the average fund balance clicking in at just under $950,000. The fund balance at the conclusion of FY 2018-19 was $958,137.
Total per-pupil counts, instrumental to state financing, stabilized and saw a slight increase over the previous year’s drop of nearly 50 students. Nonetheless, initial 2018-19 budget workups showed an estimated deficit of over $380,000. A variety of cost-cutting measures reduced the final gap at the close of the year to just over $131,000, which was covered by the District’s fund balance.
Due to the small size of the District’s administrative staff, ER Schools do struggle to have all the separation of financial duties that an auditor would like to see. However, this is a problem common to almost all small districts, and officials believe they have sufficient internal controls in place to safeguard district assets. The District has placed its Audit Report, graphs, and related documents on its website (at erschools.com). Click on the “Transparency Report” icon on the right side of the opening page and scroll down to “Audited Financial Statements.”
Around Town
with Rob Ford
For the research and compilation of this column, here’s what I did: while proctoring a high school class, I walked to three different sections of the school library, grabbed the first piece of literature that caught my eye, then sat down and went to work.
Here’s what happened.
I’ve not read, in full, John Steinbeck’s sprawling work, Travels with Charley. But at a glance, I picked up one central idea. Other than the “travel” and his poodle “Charley,” he was in search for the truth about our country. Steinbeck concluded that whatever he had found and whatever memories he retained of those findings intermeshed with how he was feeling at the moment. External reality has a way of not being external at all. I have read many other John Steinbeck books, so I officially checked this book out.
I picked up a sort of poetry anthology and through a casual flip through the pages of this book I came to a poem titled “Fantastic Names of Jazz.” The poem is just a list of poet Hayden Carruth’s favorite jazz musicians. It begins with “Zoot Sims, Joshua Rodman, Billie Holiday, Pete Fountain.” In the mix are great names. Names like Thelonious Monk, Pinetop Smith, Bix Beiderbecke and Bunny Berrigan. The poem ends with the line “And of course Jelly Roll Morton.”
The closest I come to being a poet is that I often drive past Stone Circle Drive heading north or south on US 31 to a variety of local golf courses. That’s not very close, but it’s a lot closer than I get to being a jazz great with a poetic name.
I read a Sports Illustrated article about former Detroit Lion player Calvin Johnson. You may or may not recall the man nicknamed “Megatron” who was the Lion’s best player from 2006 to 2015. Famously, Johnson retired from football at age 30, just as his career was hitting mid stride. The article’s author surmised that Johnson’s early retirement could have cost him possible Super Bowl rings, all-time records and perhaps enshrinement in the professional football Hall of Fame. To all of that Johnson is still fine with walking away. As a lifelong Lions fan, Calvin Johnson remains a vivid positive memory wedged into six decades of NFL ineptitude.
At a glance, what have we got here then; a book written by one of literature’s best, a poem about jazz music’s best and a magazine writeup of one of sports best?
That much for sure.
As another year enters its final stages and Thanksgiving Day eases into the calendar’s crosshairs only to be chased along by Christmas and the year 2020, the real common thread of these three “bests” rattles in this man’s cage of numbered bingo balls ready to be called. That is, my curiosity hasn’t wavered.
Why do the great books remain so great?
Why do jazz musicians get the really cool and inherently poetic nicknames?
Why did Charles Johnson play so well and inevitably take the same career path as Barry Sanders?
Years will tick by and as sure as I’m as far away from the turn of the century now as I was when I last was in a college library back in 1980, my curiosity has remained.
People give thanks for all kinds of things and I think that’s great. For me, the list of things I have to be thankful is long and getting longer every day. But this morning, the thing that I will forever be most grateful for having is a thirst and a passion for reading, and a sense of curiosity.
May the rest of the year be filled with great reads, walks through libraries and all the “best.”
Here’s what happened.
I’ve not read, in full, John Steinbeck’s sprawling work, Travels with Charley. But at a glance, I picked up one central idea. Other than the “travel” and his poodle “Charley,” he was in search for the truth about our country. Steinbeck concluded that whatever he had found and whatever memories he retained of those findings intermeshed with how he was feeling at the moment. External reality has a way of not being external at all. I have read many other John Steinbeck books, so I officially checked this book out.
I picked up a sort of poetry anthology and through a casual flip through the pages of this book I came to a poem titled “Fantastic Names of Jazz.” The poem is just a list of poet Hayden Carruth’s favorite jazz musicians. It begins with “Zoot Sims, Joshua Rodman, Billie Holiday, Pete Fountain.” In the mix are great names. Names like Thelonious Monk, Pinetop Smith, Bix Beiderbecke and Bunny Berrigan. The poem ends with the line “And of course Jelly Roll Morton.”
The closest I come to being a poet is that I often drive past Stone Circle Drive heading north or south on US 31 to a variety of local golf courses. That’s not very close, but it’s a lot closer than I get to being a jazz great with a poetic name.
I read a Sports Illustrated article about former Detroit Lion player Calvin Johnson. You may or may not recall the man nicknamed “Megatron” who was the Lion’s best player from 2006 to 2015. Famously, Johnson retired from football at age 30, just as his career was hitting mid stride. The article’s author surmised that Johnson’s early retirement could have cost him possible Super Bowl rings, all-time records and perhaps enshrinement in the professional football Hall of Fame. To all of that Johnson is still fine with walking away. As a lifelong Lions fan, Calvin Johnson remains a vivid positive memory wedged into six decades of NFL ineptitude.
At a glance, what have we got here then; a book written by one of literature’s best, a poem about jazz music’s best and a magazine writeup of one of sports best?
That much for sure.
As another year enters its final stages and Thanksgiving Day eases into the calendar’s crosshairs only to be chased along by Christmas and the year 2020, the real common thread of these three “bests” rattles in this man’s cage of numbered bingo balls ready to be called. That is, my curiosity hasn’t wavered.
Why do the great books remain so great?
Why do jazz musicians get the really cool and inherently poetic nicknames?
Why did Charles Johnson play so well and inevitably take the same career path as Barry Sanders?
Years will tick by and as sure as I’m as far away from the turn of the century now as I was when I last was in a college library back in 1980, my curiosity has remained.
People give thanks for all kinds of things and I think that’s great. For me, the list of things I have to be thankful is long and getting longer every day. But this morning, the thing that I will forever be most grateful for having is a thirst and a passion for reading, and a sense of curiosity.
May the rest of the year be filled with great reads, walks through libraries and all the “best.”
Giving Tree Challenge
front row: Rotarians Olivia Adams, Lisa Worsley-Matthews. middle row: Village Market managers Jenny Sobbry, Vickie Anderson, Rotarians Carol Heles, Tom Stephenson, Doug Swartz and Rockne Paige. back row: John Kiblinger and Norm Veliquette. Courtesy photo
In the spirit of the holiday season, Elk Rapids Rotarians and the Village Market staff invites community members to pick up Giving Tree tags this week at the Elk Rapids Village Market location.
Tags on the tree identify a child, their age and a modest gift suggestion. (So, there’s no agonizing over the perfect gift; the tag provides the specific, requested details!) Gifts are to be turned in to the Village Market by Sunday, December 1.
The Village Market runs the Giving Tree program by seeking and identifying local children in need of a little extra holiday cheer. The Elk Rapids Rotary Club offers financial support to the program by donating $1500 toward Giving Tree gifts, in addition to picking up over 25 gift tags. Funds donated by Rotarians are raised through the club’s summer Rock-A-Thon, Chicken BBQ and fall Rotary Show.
Tags on the tree identify a child, their age and a modest gift suggestion. (So, there’s no agonizing over the perfect gift; the tag provides the specific, requested details!) Gifts are to be turned in to the Village Market by Sunday, December 1.
The Village Market runs the Giving Tree program by seeking and identifying local children in need of a little extra holiday cheer. The Elk Rapids Rotary Club offers financial support to the program by donating $1500 toward Giving Tree gifts, in addition to picking up over 25 gift tags. Funds donated by Rotarians are raised through the club’s summer Rock-A-Thon, Chicken BBQ and fall Rotary Show.
Betts places first in class at the NPC Western Michigan
Megan Betts. Photo by Jeff Robinson
Megan Betts, owner/CEO of the Elk Rapids Fitness Center in Kewadin, took first place at the recent National Physique Committee Western Michigan Bikini Championships held in Grand Rapids in the over 40 division “Grand Masters.” Megan took 2nd in March at Kalamazoo and placed 6th at Grand Rapids this spring. She went back to work and won her class at the NPC Western Michigan on Saturday, November 2. Megan is excited to switch to the upcoming Wellness division, for bikini girls who carry more muscle in the lower body. For more info: Elk Rapids Fitness Center at 231-322-3150.
Elk Rapids Almanac
As part of the almanac, we include the many ways we see and appreciate our natural environment. In “Our Wild Calling,” Richard Louv combines reportage, personal stories, and cutting-edge science, talking with researchers, medical and mental health experts, theologians, wild-life experts, indigenous healers, psychologists and others, making a compelling case for the value of animals in our lives and our role in maintaining a sustainable environment for all. Many community members shared their stories.
The Monarch-My grandma taught me how to find a Monarch caterpillar. Every summer, we spent time at an old cabin in the wilder part of Gaylord. We went on walks through valleys. When we happened by a stand of milkweed, I’d stop to carefully lift up a soft leaf – hoping that I’d find a white, black and yellow-banded caterpillar, munching away. When I turned 28, I received a gift of Swamp Milkweed to plant in the yard of my first home. I often find several caterpillars on this plant. As the caterpillar grows from the size of a fir needle into a plump fellow, it prepares for a transformation, a process that scientists still do not fully understand. When fully grown, the caterpillar sews a tiny silk button on a surface, then suspends itself in a J-shape, sheds its skin, revealing a delicate green vessel, decorated in gold. When I turned 32, on a windy day, I witnessed for the first time, an orange and black wrinkled butterfly unfurl from its chrysalis and take flight. –Dani Knoph.
Wild birds-I have always loved wild birds. As a child, I would spend hours looking through my dad’s Audubon Birds of North America books. On vacations, he would always point out birds to me and at home we always had bird feeders. As an adult, I would walk trails in my hometown and loved hearing the birds in the quiet. They were one of the reasons I enjoyed walking so much and why I started to research nature (trees, plants and other wildlife). When I was pregnant with my youngest, I was reading about birds and came across Wrens. I fell in love with the name and I saw some of my first Wrens while pregnant with her and knew it was meant to be. Wren, my daughter, loves seeing the birds on our hikes and in our yard. I am glad my love for wild birds carried over to my very own little bird! –Kerri Esterley
The Whippet - I was never a dog person. Twenty years ago, my wife-to-be was very much a dog person. We agreed that I would get to pick the breed who would join our family – hypo-allergenic, good with kids, not too large – and settled on a Whippet. The deal at the time was that my wife would mostly care for it. But lo and behold, my wife’s pregnancy made her sick at the slightest smell of our newly acquired Lily the Whippet. So, wouldn’t you know it, I largely found myself walking/training/feeding/etc. for the rambunctious puppy. It became so stressful for the two of us at one point we’d almost decided to give her up for adoption. Flash-forward 12 years and she was my best friend. “Wedged” behind me while napping, cuddled on my lap in the backyard lounge chair, Lily inspired our short film Dog House. And then she broke our hearts when she got cancer and died in front of us one night just three weeks later. I’ve never experienced such pain... But I’m also so incredibly grateful for having enjoyed such love. –Jeff Turick
The Monarch-My grandma taught me how to find a Monarch caterpillar. Every summer, we spent time at an old cabin in the wilder part of Gaylord. We went on walks through valleys. When we happened by a stand of milkweed, I’d stop to carefully lift up a soft leaf – hoping that I’d find a white, black and yellow-banded caterpillar, munching away. When I turned 28, I received a gift of Swamp Milkweed to plant in the yard of my first home. I often find several caterpillars on this plant. As the caterpillar grows from the size of a fir needle into a plump fellow, it prepares for a transformation, a process that scientists still do not fully understand. When fully grown, the caterpillar sews a tiny silk button on a surface, then suspends itself in a J-shape, sheds its skin, revealing a delicate green vessel, decorated in gold. When I turned 32, on a windy day, I witnessed for the first time, an orange and black wrinkled butterfly unfurl from its chrysalis and take flight. –Dani Knoph.
Wild birds-I have always loved wild birds. As a child, I would spend hours looking through my dad’s Audubon Birds of North America books. On vacations, he would always point out birds to me and at home we always had bird feeders. As an adult, I would walk trails in my hometown and loved hearing the birds in the quiet. They were one of the reasons I enjoyed walking so much and why I started to research nature (trees, plants and other wildlife). When I was pregnant with my youngest, I was reading about birds and came across Wrens. I fell in love with the name and I saw some of my first Wrens while pregnant with her and knew it was meant to be. Wren, my daughter, loves seeing the birds on our hikes and in our yard. I am glad my love for wild birds carried over to my very own little bird! –Kerri Esterley
The Whippet - I was never a dog person. Twenty years ago, my wife-to-be was very much a dog person. We agreed that I would get to pick the breed who would join our family – hypo-allergenic, good with kids, not too large – and settled on a Whippet. The deal at the time was that my wife would mostly care for it. But lo and behold, my wife’s pregnancy made her sick at the slightest smell of our newly acquired Lily the Whippet. So, wouldn’t you know it, I largely found myself walking/training/feeding/etc. for the rambunctious puppy. It became so stressful for the two of us at one point we’d almost decided to give her up for adoption. Flash-forward 12 years and she was my best friend. “Wedged” behind me while napping, cuddled on my lap in the backyard lounge chair, Lily inspired our short film Dog House. And then she broke our hearts when she got cancer and died in front of us one night just three weeks later. I’ve never experienced such pain... But I’m also so incredibly grateful for having enjoyed such love. –Jeff Turick
Guy and Dolls
Miss Adelaide (Naomi Spann) with her Hot Box Girls ready to finally marry her fiancé Nathan Detroit on Broadway Street. Photos by Diane Drogowski, By the Bay Photography
Considered one of the finest musical comedies ever written, a local production of Guys and Dolls made its debut in Elk Rapids this past weekend courtesy of the Elk Rapids Players. Set in Depression-era Times Square, the musical fable of Broadway is about a couple of big city gamblers and the women who love them. Directed by Roxanne Lutey, Guys and Dolls continues on November 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m. and November 24 at 3:00 p.m. at the Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall. Tickets: adults $16, seniors $13, students and children $10. Available at Village Market, The Nature Connection or online at www.accelevents.com/e/Guys and Dolls