Region Watch

Region Watch Robert Downes No fix for a plague of tent worms & gypsy moths
By Robert Downes 6/1/09

A devastating onslaught of tent worms is stripping forests of their leaves across Northern Michigan, with a similar invasion of gypsy moths expected in the weeks ahead and no remedy in sight.
“They are especially bad this year,“ says Cindy Rutherford, coordinator for gypsy moth control in the Grand Traverse Conservation District.
The two pests are often thought to be one and the same, but Rutherford notes that tent worms are actually a separate species known as the Eastern tent caterpillar, while gypsy moths hatch in the early summer and occupy the canopy of trees.

Region Watch Best-selling author Doug Stanton of Traverse City was in Hollywood’s spotlight last week.
Variety Magazine, a trade magazine of the entertainment industry, announced in a front-page story that Disney and uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer acquired the screen rights for his soon-to-be-published book, Horse Soldiers.
There was more good news.
An exclusive excerpt of his book will run in the upcoming May issue of Men’s Journal, which boasts a 3.5 million national circulation. Stanton is a contributing editor for the magazine.
Bruckheimer, who will produce the movie, is famous for high-action films such as Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Horse Soldiers gives him a lot of material to work with. The nearly 400-page book chronicles the journey of a handful of Special Forces, from the time they first hear about 9/11 on their living room TV sets to riding horses along skinny mountain trails in Afghanistan, The Americans gaze down black precipices as they ride side-by-side with three warlords and their troops (the Northern Alliance) to defeat the Taliban.

Region Watch Hiking 350 miles through northern Spain is the goal of three local men who will walk in the ancient footprints of pilgrims.
From March 11 to April 10, Gray Hoensheid of Suttons Bay, Greg Wright, of Frankfort, and Pat Nestor, of the Traverse City area will trek across the Camino de Santiago Ancient Pilgrim Trail. The three friends will be joined by Joe Bottenhorn of Lake Leelanau for the final two weeks of their hike.
“El Camino de Santiago” is Spanish for The Road of St. James. The trail spans 500 miles from the border of France and heads west across Northern Spain, ending near the Atlantic Ocean at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, the burial place of the apostle St. James. It‘s said that St. James established the trail during his missionary work following the death of Jesus Christ.
“The Pilgrim Trail for me, at 57, represents an opportunity for reflection and spiritual renewal,“ says Hoensheid. “The tradition on a pilgrimage is to carry a rock, representing your transgressions in life. I will carry my rock throughout my trek and I will throw my rock in the Ocean at the end of the trail and begin with a fresh start,”
The hikers will pick up the trail at Burgo, Spain and walk the remaining 350 miles to the trail’s end at the Atlantic Ocean.

Region Watch Anne Stanton A Manistee County judge ruled recently that a portion of a Vietnam veteran’s disability benefits can be considered when determining the amount of alimony paid to an ex-spouse.
Veteran Calvin Murphy had argued in court that his disability benefits should be off limits to his ex-wife, but 19th Circuit Judge James Batzer disagreed.
Murphy, 61, testified in the trial that he served a harrowing 5 1/2 months in Vietnam and mistakenly believed for decades that he had killed a fellow soldier during a North Vietnamese attack. He was wracked by guilt that his entire squadron had been ambushed, shot in the head, and found with cards in their mouths that said “Yankee go home.” He was not with his squadron at the time of the ambush.

Region Watch What to do when
the oil runs out?
As many as 1,000 participants are expected to attend “The Sustainability Conference on Peak Oil and Climate Change” this weekend in Grand Rapids.
The coming crisis in the oil supply is one of three key topics to be covered at a conference bringing together national experts on “peak oil,” climate change and an environmentally-friendly and sustainable economy.
The conference is scheduled for Friday, May 30, through Sunday, June 1, at the Calvin College Fine Arts Center.
Many experts believe that the worldwide production of oil has “peaked” and that the coming decades will bring a decline in the amount of available oil, leading to a global economic crisis unless steps are taken to promote conservation and sustainable local economies.

Region Watch Anne Stanton Look for a major new museum in Northern Michigan this summer when the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians opens the Eyaawing Museum & Cultural Center in Leelanau County.
“The creation of a Museum & Cultural Center has been a long-time vision of the Grand Traverse Band,” said Pat Putney, GTB Elders and cultural department manager.
The emphasis of the new museum will be on education and increasing the understanding and respect for the Grand Traverse Band’s vibrant culture, art, and history. Although the specific date when Eyaawing will be open to the public has not been set, construction is slated to be completed at the end of May.
The name Eyaawing was selected by tribal members. It translates as “Who we are” in Anishinaabemowin, the native language of the Grand Traverse Band and Michigan’s Anishinaabek.
In addition to telling the story of the Grand Traverse Band through various exhibits, the Eyaawing Museum will be a place where the traditions and language of the tribe will be kept, taught, and celebrated. Eyaawing’s programming will be twofold, with some programs designed specifically for tribal members and others designed to share the culture, language and spirit of the Grand Traverse Band with the public.
Eyaawing will focus on both the traditional and contemporary culture and history of the Grand Traverse Band and Michigan’s Anishinaabek. Critical to that saga is the long path that leads to the Grand Traverse Band’s recognition as a Native Sovereign Nation on May 27, 1980.

Region Watch Anne Stanton For the love of kayaking...
...don’t miss the documentary, Pacific Horizons, directed and produced by Traverse City native Bryan Smith.
The action-packed travelogue takes you to some of the world’s coolest sea kayaking destinations in the Pacific Northwest.
You can meet director Bryan Smith, an avid kayaker, at the Traverse City premiere showing on Thursday, March 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Timber Ridge, 4050 Hammond Rd.
Be sure to ask him about his first movie, 49 Megawatts, which just won the award for best environmental film at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. That movie captured how privatization is damaging rivers in British Columbia, where Smith lives with his French-Canadian wife.

Region Watch When Reggie Box died in 1995 from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, the popular general manager of WKLT-FM left behind 28 boxes of rock memorabilia.
Those hundreds of items will be auctioned online in early April through backstageauctions.com, based in Houston.
“Reggie was a great collector and when he passed away, all of his rock and roll memorabilia was boxed up and stored in my basement,“ says Katherine Ryder Purcell, who was married to Box for more than 10 years. Their marriage encompassed the same years that Box worked at KLT, from 1985-‘95, first in radio sales and then as station manager. Many give credit to Box for his leadership in taking the station from a small signal in Kalkaska to a radio powerhouse that is heard across Northern Michigan.

Region Watch Robert Downes Can you afford to live in the town where you work? Or, are you forced to live far out of town where housing is more affordable?
That‘s one of the issues to be addressed at an upcoming conference on “Creating Housing Choices“ in northwest Michigan.

Region Watch The Vision Thing
Backers of an urban planning workshop series called The Grand Vision are thrilled with the turnout they had in late January to discuss the future direction of the Grand Traverse area.
“We were overjoyed with the turnout and the creativity of the participants,” said Bob Otwell in a release. Otwell is chair of TC-TALUS, the organization that initiated The Grand Vision. “Over a thousand people have now participated in The Grand Vision.”

Region Watch Kristi Kates Sculpture & snowshoes: what a concept!

Women interested in getting warmed-up for this weekend‘s 10th Annual Women‘s Winter Tour may wish to consider a new event: The Snowshoe de Art tour through the Michigan Legacy Art Park at Crystal Mountain in Benzie County.
Participants will snowshoe along the 1.6-mile trail through the Art Park, past 40 sculptures created by Michigan artists to fit the wooded, hilly terrain of the site.
Tour founder and artist Kaye Krapohl of Active Women Now says the $10 donation for the snowshoe tour will be split to support both the Art Park and domestic abuse centers to help women escape from unhealthy relationships.
The event takes place Saturday, Feb. 2, with registration at noon. Guided tours of the park will be offered at 12:30, 1 and 1:30 p.m. Snowshoe rentals will be available at Crystal Mountain‘s Adventure Center, located near the ski resort‘s conference center.

Region Watch WATCH CMTV AT CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN
Brand new this season at Crystal Mountain’s website (www.crystalmountain.com) is CMTV, a live look at the Crystal Mountain slopes and a weekly video Mountain Report that will air each Wednesday with host Nick Nerbonne. The Mountain Report is only one facet of CMTV’s offerings, as CMTV is also slated to feature videos providing skiing and snowboarding tips, recaps of special events, a photo
gallery, and opportunities for snowboarders and freestyle skiers to submit their own videos to sister website www.ridecrystal.com’s Fame Page.

Region Watch GINGERBREAD SUCCESS
The Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce’s Gingerbread contest, hosted at Stafford’s Pier Restaurant in downtown Harbor Springs, was a rousing success this year, with a record 26 entries in six categories. Winners were asked to choose a charity of choice that would benefit from donations connected to the success of their gingerbread creation; this twist in the event raised $2,489 for local, national, and international non-profit groups. The R.F.C. Fire Rescue Team won the People’s Choice Award. The Chamber hopes that the contest will contine to grow in following years.

Region Watch LARGEST TERRAIN IN MIDWEST
Boyne Mountain became home to the largest skiable terrain in the Midwest this month, with seven chairlifts and one Magic Carpet conveyor lift making a projected 35 runs available to skiers and snowboarders. Boyne Mountain, already beneficiaries of a plethora of natural snowfall early this year, have also made a $350,000 investment in snowmaking to increase snow output and grooming. Boyne’s cross-country trails are open, as well, with 10-15 kilometers of trails already groomed.

Region Watch Kristi Kates DRIVE OVER TO THE DENNOS MUSEUM
Cars, cars, cars are currently on display at the Dennos Museum in an exhibit that will appeal to those who appreciate beautiful design just as much as auto aficionados. The “Romancing the Automobile” exhibit is running at the Dennos all the way until January 6, and includes Buick concept cars on display as well as automobile artworks from the likes of Craig Brigham, Tom Hale, and Robert Rauschenberg, plus Ron Gianola’s designs for concept cars. And don’t forget that the Dennos’ great Inuit Art Gallery and Discovery Gallery are also both open.

UP NORTH TOWNS NAMED “THE BEST”
Detroit Home Magazine’s most recent issue - their “The Best of the Good Life” issue - named Harbor Springs, Petoskey, and Charlevoix (in a statistical tie) as the “Best Area For A Vacation Home.” Amenities and attractions such as beaches, galleries, dining, golf, and shops were cited as key factors.