Art Bukowski | Author
Cash or Card?
Oct. 18, 2025
Cash was once king, but credit cards have pulled a coup. According to U.S. Federal Reserve data, cash accounted for about 16 percent of all in-person transactions in 2023, down from 31 percent only six years prior. According to some reports, cash was used for up to 50 percent of transaction…
Read More >>
The New GT County Senior Center Gains 13 Times More Members in 2025 than in 2024
Oct. 4, 2025
Has the new Grand Traverse County Senior Center been a big hit?
Consider these numbers: Since around the time the new and improved bayfront facility opened in February, it’s gained about 4,000 new members. In all of 2024, by comparison, they gained 307 members.
“…
Read More >>
Tariffs Loom Over the Wine Industry
Sept. 20, 2025
Tariff talk has been rampant in recent months, with much discussion about how these age-old economic tools applied with vigor by President Donald Trump will impact a variety of businesses across the nation.
Here in northern Michigan, the wine industry is rapidly approaching cherry p…
Read More >>
Seven Super Coaches in Traverse City
Sept. 6, 2025
If you’re a long-time reader of Northern Express, you know each fall we profile a slate of exceptional athletes to watch throughout the year. Well, this time we’re also going to profile the coaches who help them shine! Going forward, we’ll focus on a different are…
Read More >>
Strange and Severe Weather Threatens Local Agriculture Now More than Ever
Aug. 2, 2025
Local farmers face no shortage of challenges these days.
There are broad, long-standing problems like increased pressure to sell for development, declining interest from the next generation, and decreased prices due to competition from imported products. Then there are more acute is…
Read More >>
Traverse City Food & Wine Festival: A Preview
July 19, 2025
Traverse City’s newest festival is right around the corner.
Traverse City Food & Wine is a five-day event that promises to capitalize on and further promote the region’s blossoming culinary and wine scene. Organized and hosted by Traverse City Tourism, the event take…
Read More >>
Meet the Karens
July 5, 2025
Every so often, Northern Express includes stories suggested by readers. This is one such story, and it came from Ada Takacs. In her words:
“I have been hearing folks refer to ‘Karen’ in a derogatory sense for a few years, with many online comments referrin…
Read More >>
Cherries Are Who We Are: The State of the Cherry Farming Industry
June 28, 2025
It’s easy to get caught up in the National Cherry Festival’s fireworks, carnival rides, corn dogs, air shows, and much more. Northern Michigan’s signature event draws countless thousands to Traverse City in part because it offers a broad array of attractions for the whole …
Read More >>
Cherry Festival by the Numbers
June 28, 2025
Traverse City’s signature festival is here at last, and there’s a lot that goes into this annual celebration before, during and after the big week itself. Northern Express checked in with the folks at the National Cherry Festival to provide a glimpse at the festival by …
Read More >>
When It Comes to Immigration, “People Are Terrified”
May 31, 2025
The Trump Administration has been clear on one topic since Jan. 20: Immigrants are in the crosshairs.
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has placed a priority on cracking down on illegal immigration. The problem is that the administration’s zeal for tacklin…
Read More >>
Meeting in the Middle
May 3, 2025
Could have been better. Could have been worse.
Broadly speaking, that’s the consensus among folks on both sides of the fight for higher minimum wage, more sick time, and a phase-out of the tipped worker pay credit a few months after new legislation was adopted.
As pred…
Read More >>
A Hand Up in Housing with Habitat
April 26, 2025
Local Habitat for Humanity offices are in the business of making dreams come true, working one family at a time to battle housing insecurity in our region. While Habitat is perhaps best known for building homes, the organization serves residents in many other ways.
Norther…
Read More >>
April 12, 2025 They call it “California sober.” Generally speaking, this term applies to folks who use marijuana but abstain from alcohol and other drugs, particularly narcotics or other highly addictive substances. People choose this lifestyle for a variety of reasons, though it&rsquo…
Read More >>
March 22, 2025 It’s been just over five years since the world was turned upside down by the full onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, which by March of 2020 had led to widespread and major restrictions on work, socialization, and much more. While this may feel like a distant memory for some, the …
Read More >>
March 8, 2025 It was February of 2023 when the doors opened at Kingsley’s newest watering hole, giving locals a fresh space to relax, unwind, and enjoy a frosty pint. Now two years later, Kingsley Local Brewing has settled into a nice little groove. Located right in the heart of the village…
Read More >>
Feb. 15, 2025 Assembling historical exhibits often involves piecing together items from the distant past. A few grainy photographs, perhaps. Records gathered from old, dusty cabinets or dresser drawers. Artifacts that seem too fragile to touch. The lens through which history is viewed seems to get more f…
Read More >>
Dec. 21, 2024 Regardless of your profession, there’s something special and refreshing about the promise of a new year. Northern Express asked local civic leaders within our 13-county coverage area about their resolutions for the coming year. Dec. 14, 2024 It’s been a big year for Traverse City’s homegrown startup incubator and coworking space, and 2025 promises even more action as key staff and new initiatives are in place. 20Fathoms (named for the 120 feet that Grand Traverse Bay is clear to a depth of) has been helping …
Read More >>
Nov. 30, 2024 For a variety of health, financial, and personal reasons, many people reach for non-alcoholic (NA) drinks these days. And while a few companies have popped up in northern Michigan to offer these options exclusively, even outfits that have built their business and reputation around alcohol a…
Read More >>
Nov. 23, 2024 There are a lot of feelings to feel when you sit down to make lines that will (probably) stay on a person’s body until they die. Even veteran tattoo artists have a bit of nerves as the needle goes in, they say, as that ink is pretty unforgiving. And there’s a colossal se…
Read More >>
California Sober: Why People Are Switching from Alcohol to Weed
Looking Back at March 2020
Passing the Brewery Baton at The Workshop Brewing Company
(Mostly) Sweet Memories
Community Resolutions
Amy Shamroe, Mayor of Traverse CityRead More >>
20Fathoms Dives Deeper
No Alcohol, No Problem
Working in Permanent Ink