Ross Boissoneau | Author

Local John Wunsch Brings Two Guitar Legends to TC

Oct. 6, 2018

Ten fingers. Twelve strings. Nylon and steel, melodies and magic. Alex de Grassi and Andrew York will fill Milliken Auditorium with music from their guitars Oct. 14.

Though well-known for his recordings and performances on steel six-string, de Grassi didn’t start ther… Read More >>

McLaren Nurses' Motivation to Improve Cardiac Care in Rwanda?

Sept. 22, 2018

Vianney Ruhumuliza wanted to give back to his home country. The mass murders of Tutsis during the Rwandan Civil War was one of the most harrowing acts of genocide in the 20th century: An estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed in 1994, constituting some 70 percent of the Tutsi p… Read More >>

St. Independent

Sept. 22, 2018

Commencement at St. Michael Academy in spring 2017 marked the first time students had graduated from a Catholic school in Petoskey in more than 45 years. That’s because the previoushigh school was shutteredin the early ’70s.

“It closed in 1971 when the nun… Read More >>

Ed Asner performing at Ramsdell

Sept. 8, 2018

Ed Asner has won more Emmy Awards — seven — than any other male performer. He’s one of the few actors to portray the same character in a comedy and a drama, and the only male to win an Emmy for both. He’s played Santa Claus in movies and TV shows numerous times, and … Read More >>

Less Attila the Hun, More Buddha

Sept. 8, 2018

The half-horse, half-human centaurs from Greek mythology were famous for their archery skills. The creatures, which also made several appearances in the Harry Potter stories and films, are the inspiration for a group based in Gaylord: The Michigan Centaurs. Their goal is to capture that exp… Read More >>

Picking Up STEAM

Sept. 1, 2018

Robots have fueled our imaginations for decades in books, TV, and movies. Today, what was science fiction is becoming the stuff of everyday classroom learning, from the high school level to elementary classrooms.

Philip Leete is one of those at least partially responsible f… Read More >>

Jazz Legend Chick Corea bringing Akoustic Band to Interlochen

Aug. 25, 2018

Jazz Legend Chick Corea bringing Akoustic Band to Interlochen

By Ross Boissoneau

It might have been his good friend and fellow jazz pianist Herbie Hancock who penned the jazz hit “Chameleon,” but no one in jazz shifts shades and styles as the ch… Read More >>

Foraging for Food

Aug. 18, 2018

“Ever eat a pine tree?” asked naturalist Euell Gibbons in TV commercials for Post Grape Nuts cereal in the 1970s. Clay Bowers would have, and probably has. The Traverse City resident gathers the majority of the food his family eats — and not from the grocery store.

Interlochen’s Off-season is on Fire

Aug. 18, 2018

At Interlochen, it’s all about balance. “We try to represent all the arts areas, especially those with majors at Interlochen,” said Rory Baker. “We want to provide students with examples [from their chosen art forms].”

As such, the upcoming season of th… Read More >>

LivelyLands Festival Returns for Second Year

Aug. 18, 2018

Starting a music festival from scratch? Sounds like a lot of work, especially if you wanted it to be a lively event. It was, and now that she’s done it once, Emily Lively has decided to do it again. Just not at her family farm.

Instead, LivelyLands 2018 will take place at vari… Read More >>

Earth Wind & Fire set for Interlochen debut

Aug. 18, 2018

Verdine White doesn’t bask in past glories. Despite being the only remaining original member of ’70s and ’80s hitmakers Earth, Wind & Fire, the bassist and vocalist instead looks at the present and to the future.

That was clear in a brief phone interview. &ldqu… Read More >>

Arts Junkies, Get Your Fix

Aug. 11, 2018

UNDER THE BANDSHELL & AT THE CAFE
Acclaimed jazz flutist Ali Ryerson will perform two shows during a brief sojourn to northern Michigan. She’ll be at the Torch Lake Café in Eastport on Wednesday, Aug. 15 with fellow woodwind players Chris Bickley and N… Read More >>

Meatless in Northern Michigan

Aug. 11, 2018

According to The Washington Post, the number of vegetarians and vegans in the United States has remained fairly consistent over at least the past 20 years, at around five to six percent. In northern Michigan, the number of dedicated vegetarian restaurants has pretty much remained c… Read More >>

From Interlochen to India … and Back

Aug. 11, 2018

Will Marsh and Josh Mellinger are looking forward to returning to their hometown of Traverse City from their adopted homes in California. But this isn’t just a chance to touch base with family and friends. Marsh, a guitar major when he attended Interlochen, and Mellinger, who studied … Read More >>

Underground Fashion

Aug. 4, 2018

In a basement setting just off Front Street, Michael Wahlstrom is creating an identity. Not a secret one, but one for those who want to feel Superior — with a capital S. His company’s name, Gitche Gumee, is derived from the Native American name for Lake Superior, and he stitches… Read More >>

From Annie, With Love

Aug. 4, 2018

“I did not want to be a librarian. I wanted to be a writer.” So said Annie Spence.

Funny how life works. The onetime librarian at the Traverse Area District Library now fills the same role downstate. But, yes, she’s also a writer. A published writer, writing about … Read More >>

School, Now Tailored to Suit

Aug. 4, 2018

Trying to fit sports and other extra-curricular activities into a school day can be difficult. For Zoë Vande Kieft, it was impossible. She found her love of and aptitude for hockey was at odds with the typical school day. So she opted to study online, and just graduated from Great Lake… Read More >>

Destination Empire

July 28, 2018

The tiny village of Empire, due west of Traverse City at the terminus of M-72, offers more than just a beachfront on Lake Michigan (though that’s lovely too). There are some great nearby hikes, a gorgeous drive, and other lakefront options, all within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National … Read More >>

Pit Stop: Empire’s Grocer’s Daughter

July 28, 2018

Bright green building façade? Check. Delectable chocolates, incorporating everything from lavender to liquor? Check. More visibility and more space? Check and check.

Looks like everything is set for a bigger summer than ever at Grocer’s Daughter Chocolates in Empire. Ow… Read More >>

Into the Pines

July 28, 2018

As an artist, Judy Jashinsky knew how important it was to have a studio where she could do her work without interruption. Her dream and that of her husband was to have such a place in the woods of northern Michigan. After he passed away, she went ahead with their plans. The result is Pines … Read More >>