Ross Boissoneau | Author

The Garden Theater’s Green Energy Roof

April 20, 2024

In 2018, Garden Theater owners Rick and Jennie Schmitt and Blake and Marci Brooks looked into installing solar panels on the roof of the Frankfort landmark. Just one problem: The engineer told them the roof was so compromised it could collapse from the weight of a heavy snowfall. That led... Read More >>

The Legacy of Marian Gyr: Environmentalist, Patriot, and Local Icon

March 16, 2024

You could say Marian Gyr took the road less traveled, but you’d need to apply that saying both literally and figuratively.

She was a fierce advocate for numerous causes, going her own way despite whatever the prevailing winds were. A world traveler, she lived in Europe and C... Read More >>

Young People Doing Big Things: Six High Schoolers Making Their Mark

Feb. 24, 2024

You don’t have to be an adult to change the world. Just look at Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, and the like and all that they accomplished while in their teens.

Locally, there are plenty of young people doing their part to stand out from the crowd. Beyond academic or athl... Read More >>

Meet Maud Miller Hoffmaster

Feb. 10, 2024

A celebrated painter. An illustrator. A teacher. A building designer. A nomenclator.

Wait, what? Yes, Maud Miller Hoffmaster is credited with creating a well-known name, the term “litterbug.” And she was all those other things as well, yet the former Traverse City resi... Read More >>

Friendly Venues for Hugh Pool

Feb. 10, 2024

Brooklyn guitarist/vocalist Hugh Pool is performing three dates locally this week and next. Half of the popular blues duo Mulebone, he’s playing Common Good Bakery in Traverse City Feb. 17, Peninsula Township Library Feb. 19, and at the home of James Walker in Suttons Bay Feb. 20. U... Read More >>

On the Move with Mobile Crisis Care

Jan. 27, 2024

A recently developed collaborative program is providing those facing a mental health emergency in Grand Traverse County an option beyond first responders or a trip to the emergency room.

“If someone is in a mental health crisis, they should be talking to a mental health clin... Read More >>

Shoulder Season Celebrations in 2024

Jan. 6, 2024

Winter isn’t just coming—it’s here. While the fire may indeed be so delightful, that’s no reason to stay inside, sip hot cocoa, and brood until April. Not when there are restaurants, shopping, ski hills, movies, plays, laughs, and music to be found. If you’re... Read More >>

Blissful Sounds at Crooked Tree

Jan. 6, 2024

Crooked Tree Arts Center and Blissfest Music Organization are teaming up once again for their Downtown Sound series, a slate of shows held at the downtown Petoskey art center. The music runs the gamut, from folk to blues, jazz to Celtic, with stops in between and all around.

Monic... Read More >>

How to Keep Four of America’s Most Common Resolutions

Dec. 23, 2023

It’s far and away the number one New Year’s resolution: To get healthy.

But health has many facets. Exercising more. Eating better. Taking care of the body and mind. Even watching spending, leading to better financial health.

So how can you start the New Year o... Read More >>

Your 2023 Holiday Soundtrack

Dec. 9, 2023

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…especially for those who love the sound of Christmas carols, whether it’s Mel Tormé or Mariah Carey, Mannheim Steamroller or Trans-Siberian Orchestra. We know you’ll already be listening to Christmas with Brandy<... Read More >>

Collaboration Is the Name of the Game

Nov. 25, 2023

How long does it take to create a cultural center? As few as three years, or as many as 170. Sometimes both.

The organizations that comprise the Leland Cultural Campus have been around for varying lengths of time. The Leelanau Historical Society dates back to 1957, the Leland Town... Read More >>

A Swashbuckling Society

Nov. 11, 2023

Who doesn’t love a good sword fight? Whether it’s Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, Brad Pitt’s Achilles in Troy, or Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, such conflagrations provide plenty of thrills and chills.

But sword fighting in re... Read More >>

All's Well for All Hallows' Eve

Oct. 21, 2023

Halloween can be a frightening time, what with ghosts and goblins, Freddy and Jason. But as long as the kids are safe and criminal mischief is kept to a minimum, it should be a happy holiday.

That’s the hope for folks around the region, from law enforcement to those hosting ... Read More >>

Playing a New Tune with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra

Oct. 7, 2023

It’s a season of change for the Traverse Symphony Orchestra (TSO).

First and foremost, the organization will soon be moving from Radio Centre in downtown TC to the former Kmart building at the Cherryland Center, leasing space from the Traverse City Curling Club. “It is... Read More >>

Taking on the Next Big Adventure

Oct. 7, 2023

Ah yes, the golden years. That time when you qualify for an AARP membership and there’s nothing better to do than sit in the rocker on the front porch and sip lemonade while the days drift by.

Or not.

These three adventurers certainly chose the “or not” r... Read More >>

The Land of Opportunity

Sept. 23, 2023

Be brave. Take a big swing. Go big or go home.

Randy Mann has a better idea: Go big and go home. The owner and developer at Great Lakes Land Company sells estate-size parcels, perfect for those who want to build a home that provides them with some space and privacy, while... Read More >>

Employees Are Calling the Shots

Sept. 9, 2023

The field of human resources is ever-evolving, and that’s never been more true than in the years following the onset of the pandemic. Remote and/or hybrid work has become more prevalent and accepted than ever before, and the last three-plus years have seen increases in pay and great... Read More >>

Waterfront Field of Dreams

Sept. 2, 2023

If you rebuild it, they will come back. That’s the plan in Boyne City, where a group of dedicated volunteers are working hard to refurbish the Little League baseball field on the shores of Lake Charlevoix dubbed the Waterfront Field of Dreams.

“The goal is to maintain ... Read More >>

Welcome to the Childcare Desert

Aug. 26, 2023

While it may be home to dozens of lakes, bays, and rivers, much of northern Michigan is a desert. No, not the kind with cacti and camels—a childcare desert.

Lest that sound overly dramatic, that is exactly how the situation is described by those in the industry. In fact, Mic... Read More >>

Capturing the Magic of Live Music

Aug. 5, 2023

When guitarist Rick Kiehle and pianist David Chown met through the Northwestern Michigan College jazz program, they forged a musical connection. Chown’s friend and longtime cohort Charlie Tomlin had passed away, and he was looking for another guitarist for his variety band, The Look... Read More >>