Emily Manthei

Features Emily Manthei “Sister Cities” in Michigan represent a wide range of countries, including Japan, Germany, Cuba, China, and Russia. You may have seen those signs indicating a town’s “sister city” upon driving across its city limits - but do you know exactly what being a “sister city” means?
Established during Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidency to promote cultural understanding, economic growth, and peace starting at the civilian level, the Sister Cities International program has flourished across the United States throughout its 52-year history, building partnerships between U.S. cities, counties, and states with international “sister” or “twin” cities in any number of foreign locales.
Yes, it’s true - while politicians were still making enemies, people around the world had decided to make friends instead.

Features Emily Manthei It was a fairy-tale wedding that only photos could describe: a beautiful winter bride, dressed in snow-white furs and surrounded by real snowflakes, caught up in the romance of a special day more than fifteen years in the making – yes, fifteen years. When Dan and Ruth Wilkey were finally married, their story was a tale of love, loss, and reconciliation that spanned more years than many modern marriages.

Features Emily Manthei The New Year’s song from time immemorial, “Auld Lang Syne” is the perennial favorite of merriment makers at the stroke of midnight. But maybe you’re looking for a little more musical originality on the Eve of 2008. Here are a few suggestions for your party’s playlist to help you be the DJ that ushers 2008 in with a little of the old, a little of the new, and a little bit of timeless cheer.

Features Emily Manthei Oh, the parties, the shopping, the cookies, the mistletoe, the fruitcakes! Traditions abound this time of year, and if you’re anything like me, you might feel like a bit of a Scrooge if you catch yourself wondering why you’re stuck finding Aunt Marge another collectable Hummel and what on earth you can get to follow up the pair of styling electric scissors you got Dad last year. So this year, I wanted to rediscover the true spirit of old St. Nick in the present-exchange experience before an unwanted “bah-humbug” set in. So I followed him right to his source:

Features Emily Manthei Stepping outside on a typical Petoskey afternoon in mid-October, you might first notice the crisp autumnal air on the tip of your nose, or the colored leaves drizzling the sidewalks with brightness, or the final attempts of the sun to break through the impending winter sky; but doubtless, whatever it is you notice first, you’ll know you’re in the North. And for the fifth year running, this particularly magical time in the North country has seen an equally magical collaboration of scholars, artists, and churches, along with local retail and hospitality, to produce a month-long program of theatre, music, art, lectures, debates, and even a dedicated series of pub nights. What is it, you might wonder, that brings this remarkable cross-section of events and people together? Well, C.S. Lewis, of course.
The British academic and author is perhaps most famous for creating the Chronicles of Narnia series in the 1950s, and the book Mere Christianity, the best-seller that was adapted from a series of radio talks on the BBC during World War II. C.S. Lewis has captured the attention of Northern Michigan locals – and, increasingly, visitors from the Midwest and the wider U.S. and Canada – during the annual C.S. Lewis Festival, which drew nearly 4,000 participants to Petoskey last year. With a full slate of events this year focused around the 2005 PBS Documentary The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life, numbers are expected to increase yet again.