Ross Boissoneau | Author

Whither the Maize and (Azure) Blue?

Sept. 5, 2020

They came before “The Victors.” Before The Big House. Before the winged helmets. Indeed, before Michigan had even played its first football game. The University of Michigan’s maize and blue school colors go back all the way to 1867.

And they were chosen in part b... Read More >>

Mr. Music’s No Good, Very Bad Wedding Season

Aug. 22, 2020

Jordan Anderson knows technology. He knows how to help people have a good time. He knows all manner of tunes, from rock to country to hip-hop.

Now, if only there were some parties where Jordan, a.k.a. Mr. Music, could pack the dance floor. “I don’t know when things wil... Read More >>

Fermented Pickles, Aquatic Grass, and --- Pig Lard?

Aug. 15, 2020

Traverse City Pickle Co. Pickles
It’s hard to find a good New York deli-style pickle in Northern Michigan. So Brian Shaughnessy decided to make his own.

He had the time, as he’d retired from his position as superintendent of a Lansing-area charter... Read More >>

Brush Rats, Picks, Shovels & Song

Aug. 8, 2020

When you hear about a group of friends, who work primarily in church music, working on a resurrection, your first thought is … probably wrong. That’s because they are focusing on recreating songs from Michigan’s past, songs which would have been lost forever if not for ... Read More >>

The Other Summer Sounds

Aug. 8, 2020

As with virtually all venues, the enchanting forest-circled amphitheater inside Michigan Legacy Art Park — like its hallmark series of live music performances, Summer Sounds — is silent this season.

But if you listen closely, among the chirps and skitters of bird... Read More >>

Feed Your Brain

Aug. 1, 2020

You know what they say about all work and no play, right? If you agree, consider pulling your nose off the career grindstone and give your brain a little license to relax, learn about something entirely new (or just a bit outside of your wheelhouse), and get creative in other ways.
... Read More >>

Building Bonds and Climbing the Ladder — Even When the World is Closed

Aug. 1, 2020

 

No matter the field, career growth is challenging. For younger professionals without the benefit of decades of experience — or contacts — it can be even more difficult.

Couple that with starting out in an era when face-to-face work and in-person ne... Read More >>

Not just a job but an adventure

Aug. 1, 2020

No matter the work, fulfillment is about the enjoyment, the challenge, and the satisfaction of a job done well. That’s why Brian Kozminski, Scott Koontz, Russell Ferrill and Leslie Latham Schutte love what they do.

What do they do? Their jobs couldn’t be more different... Read More >>

Benzonia’s Hill Top Soda Shoppe

July 25, 2020

 

I scream, you scream — most of it directed at the road construction on US-31 in Benzonia — but despite the difficulties posed by the orange barrels and plumes of dust outside, Hill Top Soda Shoppe is drawing lines of customers.

You could say that’s... Read More >>

Starry Nights: Catch the Comet!

July 18, 2020

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s … Comet NEOWISE? That’s right — the comet discovered less than four months ago is now lighting up the northwest portion of the night sky. It will be visible to sky-watchers here on earth through mid-August.

So wh... Read More >>

Empire’s Shipwreck Cafe

July 18, 2020

It’s not a wreck of a restaurant. No, not at all. In fact, the cozy cafe in Empire is downright welcoming. And so far, the sandwiches sporting the names of ships that went down in the Great Lakes have been enough to entice seafarers and landlubbers alike to the restaurant Steve and ... Read More >>

Live Entertainment North of the 45th

July 11, 2020

 

Down but not out. That could be the motto for musicians and concert presenters across the country. Take heart: The slate of performers scheduled to perform in this area has been decimated due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there are still some cultural opportunities to ta... Read More >>

The Other Fly-Tying Legend

July 4, 2020

Most every Northern angler knows the tale of the Adams fly and its creator, Leonard Halladay of Mayfield. The dry fly Halladay crafted in 1922 to imitate an adult mayfly and lure many a Boardman River trout is still celebrated annually in Kingsley, at the Adams Fly Festival. But the Adams... Read More >>

Days of the Dunesmobile

July 4, 2020

The sand dunes at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore are monuments of nature, 2,000 years old and towering 100 feet in the air. Imagine if you could rocket across the sand in a big old car. What a thrill that would be.

Some folks don’t have to imagine; they just thin... Read More >>

Cruise On In: The Best Resorts of Summers Gone By

July 4, 2020

As a prime vacation spot, northwestern lower Michigan is home to a number of different lodging facilities, from rustic campgrounds to high-end condos with nearly every amenity known to mankind. Somewhere in the middle are old-time resorts, which often started as family compounds before op... Read More >>

Events Around the North

June 27, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic forestalls festivals and large-scale gatherings, traditional Independence Day festivities have been largely abandoned across the country. Even the famous Boston Pops Fireworks Festival in Boston has been canceled — though it’s being replaced by A Bosto... Read More >>

Big Boom Time for Home Fireworks

June 27, 2020

With social distancing sidelining most of the region’s large fireworks shows, many enthusiasts are turning to their local stores to light up the night. We asked some of them to give us insight into what’s new, what are the biggest (sellers) and brightest (best in show), and if... Read More >>

Required July 4 Reading: “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom”

June 27, 2020

Pulitzer Prize-winner David W. Blight will be the featured guest at the National Writers Series’ online event 7pm July 5, where he will discuss his book “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom” with guest host Rochelle Riley.

Blight is Sterling Professor of Histo... Read More >>

Mackinac Island, After the Shutdown

June 27, 2020

Mackinac Island — the four-square-mile spot Condé Nast readers named one of the best islands in the U.S. and that Trip Advisor ranked the No. 1 summer destination in America (both in 2018) — officially re-opened to visitors June 19.

The grand re-op... Read More >>

Meet the Unconventional, Unapologetically Inclusive Jeremy Wicks

June 20, 2020

When he was growing up, Jeremy Wicks didn’t want to be a baseball player. Or a doctor. Or an astronaut.

Nope, he had three career vocations in mind: police officer, teacher, pastor. Now the 41-year-old has done all three, though he’s not done yet. 

Wicks i... Read More >>