Danielle Horvath

Features Danielle Horvath The first time Rorie Asplet went horseback riding, he screamed from the parking lot to the doors of the arena. Rorie has cerebral palsy and has spent his life in a wheelchair and had a fear of animals, especially large ones, because he had always come face-to-face with them.
It took a few more attempts before Rorie began feeling the positive effects riding had on his muscles, while also developing a friendship with both the horse and its owner. Rorie, now 21, is now going on his seventh year participating in the Catch A Reinbow therapeutic horseback riding group and his parents are very glad they made that first trip.

Music Danielle Horvath A millage election will be held on August 8 in Benzie County for residents to decide whether to fund a new public bus service. A benefit concert by the popular local band Song Of The Lakes to help support the Benzie Bus Initiative is set for Saturday, July 15, 7:30 p.m. at the Elberta waterfront band shell. Admission is free and donations are welcome. A silent auction will also be held that includes a season ski pass from Crystal Mountain Resort.
Ingemar Johansson, a member of Song Of The Lakes, has been involved in the issue of public transportation – or the lack of – in the county for years. Here are his thoughts on the need for busing in Benzie.

Dining Danielle Horvath Originally built in 1867, it burned down in 1925, and was rebuilt during the Depression, and was renamed a few times over its long history. Today, the Betsie Bay Inn in downtown Frankfort is enjoying another rebirth through the hard work and dedication of its new owners, Geoff and Leslie Perkins.
During a vacation at their cottage near Chimney Corners last year, the Perkins were having lunch across from the former Hotel Frankfort and saw that it was for sale.
“We actually joked at the time about buying it,” Leslie explained. “We were thinking about owning a small restaurant or business, and when we found out a few months later that it was still available, we started to seriously consider it.”
The Perkins relocated from the Ann Arbor area, closed on the sale last July, and began the extensive renovations.

Art Danielle Horvath Belly dancing is not something you typically see in Northern Michigan. Just mention it and you’ll probably raise some eyebrows. Years of misconceptions, rumors and too many Hollywood movies with visions of women in harems running around half naked trying to please the sultan, have led many Westerners to see it as something sexually inappropriate.

Art Danielle Horvath S
isters Holly Nelson, 25, and Erin Fisher, 27, grew up in their parents’ Platte River Printing business, so when it came time to look for a place to showcase local artists, they once again turned to their roots. Along with Erin’s husband, Todd Fisher, 27, they remodeled the front of the family business near Honor to make way for a new art gallery and named it for its location on US 31.
Benzie County’s newest art destination, Gallery 31, opened on May 6 to rave reviews. Holly has gallery experience from her work from the past four summers at Les Sirenes Galerie D’Art in Frankfort, which features nationally-known batik artist Terri Haugen, among others.

Region Watch Danielle Horvath For the past nine years, A. C. Paw has rescued over 3,000 cats, dogs, puppies and kittens in Northern Michigan which would have otherwise been destroyed. This often means animals that have been abused, neglected, sick or when there is no room at the local shelters.
To celebrate their successes, they are having their second annual “Family Reunion” day on Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m. 5 p.m. at PetSmart in Traverse City. Anyone who has adopted a pet through A.C. Paw is encouraged to bring their animal, or a picture of them to the reunion. Highlights of the day will include door prizes, a display, and a raffle of specially-built dog houses to support the Gimme Shelter Project. The event will be broadcast live by Steve Cook from WTCM.
“This is a chance for all our volunteers to see the results of their hard work and dedication,” says Brian Manley, co-founder of A.C. Paw, along with partner June McGrath.

Dining Danielle Horvath Looking for a real up north tavern with the ambience and variety of a big city restaurant? Travel no further than Interlochen to the newly expanded Hofbrau, where owner Brian McAllister, who makes his rounds most nights, will probably meet you with a hearty handshake at the door.
In this year’s Best of Northern Michigan contest, Northern Express readers awarded The Hofbrau multiple prizes, including Best Tuesday Night Hangout, Best Waffles, Most Kid-Friendly Restaurant, Best Brunch, Best Seafood, Best Steak and Best Fajita.
Whew!
With its large cedar paneling, two stone fireplaces, newly expanded dining room, and choices that range from a hearty Hoffy burger to a slab of ribs to a stuffed chicken breast to a Surf & Turf combo, the Hofbrau has earned a reputation for good food at a fair price since McAllister bought it in 1998.
With a well-seasoned, friendly staff, menus that change with the seasons, popular winter specials and now seating for 250, the Hofbrau fills up most weekends year around. And in the summer, especially after a concert at nearby Interlochen Center for the Arts, it’s packed.
“Our cooks are very talented,” McAllister offered. “It’s the staff we have that makes everything work. We try to invite people in like we would into our own home. Everyone is friendly and nice and works hard to give our customers what they want.”

Features Danielle Horvath Do you wistfully stand at the window and watch it snow while imagining a beach volleyball game? Are you watching way too many Friends re-runs? Does it seem like everyone but you is going somewhere for spring break? It might be the dreaded Cabin Fever Blues, a common affliction in Northern Michigan this time of year.
But in the village of Honor, there’s a place called Cabin Fever, and it might offer some relief. Full of one-of-a–kind toys and games, a full cappuccino and espresso bar and featuring their own homemade fudge, it just might make you forget it’s the middle of winter.
Rachel Black relocated her unique store from California to Benzie County three years ago. She started the concept shop nine years ago with “cool games for cold nights.” “These are not games you will find at Wal-Mart or Target, there’s no Hasbro toys here,” Rachel said. “I like to think we offer different things from mindless to mensa.”

Features Danielle Horvath Stacie was homeless and carrying everything she owned in a few backpacks when she landed on the steps of Miracle Manor, a halfway home for women on State Street in Traverse City. She was on the verge of losing her five-year-old son; she was an alcoholic and drug user who knew something was wrong but didn’t know what it was. She only knew she was a failure as a mother, daughter, sister and friend who had lied, cheated, manipulated and made excuses for her life for years. “I put my son through five years of hell and I knew, deep down, I needed help.”
Stacie also knew that if she went for help, she might lose her son forever.
Theresa was pregnant for the fourth time, with her first three children born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Putting her in jail was the only choice the court had to keep the unborn child safe, which meant her other children would probably be split up in foster care homes.
Miracle Manor offered an alternative and the judge jumped at it. Theresa and her boys moved in together and three months later, she delivered a healthy baby girl.
Despite having three other children, Theresa could not bond with the newborn. She held her at arm’s length, like a doll. She couldn’t bathe her, cuddle her or rock her. Through therapy, Theresa was discovered to have been molested as an infant. She couldn’t rock her baby girl because she herself needed to be rocked, a measure of love she didn’t get as a child and didn’t have to give to her baby.
Kim was facing jail time for her third DUI and her three children were facing being placed in foster care homes. Miracle Manor meant a chance for the family to begin the healing process together. The children returned to school, the family received much needed medical and dental care, and through intensive therapy, Kim began to realize what her alcohol addiction was doing to her children and started taking steps to get her life back on the right track.

Features Danielle Horvath If a picture is worth 1,000 words, capturing the moments of someone’s wedding day is worth millions. And finding someone who understands what that day means to you and how you want it to be remembered is priceless.
Chandra Demers works hard to be that someone for area couples as owner of Hitching Post Photography and co-owner of Leelanau Weddings, Inc. A lifelong photographer who started with family pictures when she got her first camera at 11, Demers prides herself on finding those once-in-a-lifetime moments that capture human emotion and feelings.
“I’m definitely more of the journalistic style of photography, not just the typical posed shots. I try to find a different angle while still preserving the wedding traditions,” Demers said. “I might lie on the ground, or stand on top of something. I’ve climbed on roofs. In trees - I’ve balanced myself on all kinds of things to get the right shot.”

Features Danielle Horvath Bobbiesee and Vachong Ku searched from Grand Rapids to St. Ignace for the right spot for the business they always wanted. “We grew up in family restaurants and knewB someday we’d have our own,” Ku explained.
The couple opened Fusion Restaurant in the heart of downtown Frankfort last January. The first Asian restaurant in Benzie County, it quickly drew the locals out of their winter hibernation and the flow of customers didn’t stop through the summer.

Music Danielle Horvath Driving rhythms, strong guitar licks, full harmonies and just the right amount of angst is giving the Traverse City-based band SteelToe a place on the Northern Michigan rock scene. Made up of three guys with strong musical backgrounds, they are stretching the limits of local rock audiences by doing only original songs.

Features Danielle Horvath For around 20 bucks or less, you can…

…go back in time for that all-American summer date at the Cherry Bowl Drive In, just east of Honor. One of only a handful of drive in movie theatres left in the U.S., the Cherry Bowl is celebrating its 51st year and boasts all the nostalgia you’d expect, including the occasional Elvis sighting. Since it is a family-run place, movies are in the PG-13 range. Flicks are $7.50, with kids under 12 free. They change weekly, open April – September, show starts at dusk, call ahead for the latest line up, 231-325-3413.

Features Danielle Horvath Someday, the Betsie Valley Trail will connect to the Michigan Trailway System which is proposed to stretch over 1,000 miles across the state, creating a web of recreational trails that stretch from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan and from the south state line across the U.P.

Features Danielle Horvath It‘s like stepping into a circle of warmth in the middle of winter. Large windows bring in bright light, even on a gray day. The steel support beam dIrects your eye up to the skylight dome in the middle, and then down the wood trim that completes the circle to the wood floor. Open, airy and inviting, the yurt home of Karen Coussens stands out in a field overlooking an 80-acre valley in Benzie County.