Ross Boissoneau | Author

"It's a Ton of Work to Grow Food"

July 20, 2024

People got used to Zoom meetings during the pandemic, and now we conduct business of all kinds with a kitchen, library, bedroom, or other surroundings in the background. (Plus the occasional interruption from children and pets.) Still, it’s a bit out of the ordinary for someone to a... Read More >>

Halyards for Healers

July 13, 2024

The lure of Grand Traverse Bay entices people to do more than dip their toes in the water…for Brendan O’Donnel, it inspired him to move his entire life Up North.

“That’s what drew me to northern Michigan years ago,” he says of the region’s fres... Read More >>

Hemingway in Horton Bay

July 13, 2024

It’s a birthday party for one of America’s great authors, and everyone’s invited! On July 21, the Horton Bay School will host a party for Ernest Hemingway, born that day in 1899. Attendees will also learn about a new garden at the Bay Township Hall which will be home to ... Read More >>

A Bridge Through the Genres

June 29, 2024

Try to define the sound of Lake Street Dive. Go ahead, just try. There are some jazzy overtones, but it sounds like pop music. There’s a bit of a country lilt to vocalist Rachael Price’s voice, but also a resonance straight from earthy 1960’s soul. The band has done song... Read More >>

Summertime, and the Music Is EVERYWHERE

June 8, 2024

More music than you can shake a rainstick at—that’s northern Michigan in the summertime. Indoors, outdoors, all around the towns and cities, you’ll find bluegrass, classical, rock, and country, with experimental and totally traditional sounds. There are national touring ... Read More >>

Local Vet Is Still Flying High

May 18, 2024

If you're looking for Keelan McNulty, you might find him on a bike escorting kids to school. Unless he's the guy piloting a helicopter. Or maybe driving around in that brightly-colored van. Wait, isn’t that him greeting kids and parents in the school drop-off line?

The corre... Read More >>

Net-Zero Living

April 27, 2024

One-, two-, and three-bedroom units, pocket neighborhoods, and net-zero homes. Those are among the attributes of Evergreen TC, a residential development coming to the west side of Traverse City.

Evergreen TC is headed by Realtor Sue Kelly, green building expert Max Strickland, and... Read More >>

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 >>