Ross Boissoneau | Author
LEGO my Art Center!
Sept. 4, 2021
Roldan Grace wanted to give back to the facility that has meant so much to him. So he’s going to build a replica of it using LEGO blocks. Grace, a 16-year-old student at Concord Academy in Petoskey, has participated in numerous programs at Crooked Tree Arts Center, including plays, ...
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Education, Faith & New Frontiers
Sept. 4, 2021
Who knew there was a college hidden away in the wilds of western Grand Traverse County back in the 1800s? Students of history do, though even some of them might not realize that the Mills House in Benzonia — the only building still standing from that long-ago social and educational ...
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Second Wind
Aug. 28, 2021
Jon Zickert thought he had it made.
He attended school for hospitality management, then almost immediately got a job with Marriott, eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife.
But the Wisconsin native and his wife, originally from Reed City, ...
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Don’s Drive-In
Aug. 21, 2021
It’s hard to determine exactly what it takes for someone or something to be dubbed an icon. Yet it’s clear that whatever those requirements are, Don’s Drive-In has met them.
Located on US-31 in East Bay Township, the eatery opened in 1958. While the world around ...
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Small Towns, Big Screens, High Hopes
Aug. 21, 2021
For many small cities and towns, a key to a vibrant downtown has often been the draw of a movie theater. That's proven especially true in northern Michigan.
In the latter part of the 20th century, many of our screens went dark as huge multiplexes and a rapidly expanding sele...
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Welcome to Ellie’s Dairy-free Kitchen
Aug. 14, 2021
While living in the nation’s capital and finishing her master’s degree from Georgetown University, Ellie Kebler had an idea.
She would leave Washington, D.C., move to a place she’d never been before and, while working full-time at a law firm, write about food. &n...
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Mayfair Tavern for Sale
Aug. 14, 2021
If you like history, small-town life, and the beautiful blue waters the area is known for, then Kari King has a deal for you. The Realtor with Century 21 Northland is representing the Mayfair Tavern of Elberta, now for sale at $549,900. The popular watering hole lies just across the stree...
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Donate Groceries From your Doorstep Aug. 23-27
Aug. 14, 2021
Groceries coming, groceries going. That’s the fresh idea behind Stocked, the brainchild of Zach Hite and Broc Crandall (pictured). Though Stocked’s main gig is delivering groceries to your door, for one week each quarter, they up the ante and provide the easiest opportunity to...
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Breathe Owl Breathe in Traverse City
Aug. 14, 2021
The downtown Traverse City venue Studio Anatomy is welcoming the Michigan alt/acoustic trio Breathe Owl Breathe for a concert Aug. 20. The group formed 20 years ago when Micah Middaugh and Andrea Moreno-Beals were introduced by a mutual friend at an ice cream stand. Middaugh is a songwrit...
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COVID-Proof Platforms for Local Musicians & the Listeners Who Love Them
Aug. 7, 2021
When COVID struck, Nate VerBerkmoes and his longtime pal Dan Smiddy (i.e., Sideshow Nate and Dan Strait) came up with an idea: Why not expand their South of the Straits podcast about Michigan music, comedy, and “all around Michigan BADASSERY” — to include a concert...
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Jack Conners’ Perfect World
Aug. 7, 2021
You might not have heard Jack Conners. But if you’ve ever attended a live show at Northwestern Michigan College or Glen Arbor’s Manitou Music Festival, if you’ve listened to Interlochen Public Radio or albums by the likes of Peter Erskine or Jeff Haas, you...
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The Singular Stoll Vaughn
Aug. 7, 2021
Like virtually every other performer, Stoll Vaughan is excited to get back on the road. Relieved. And a little concerned. “It’s still not the same. You just don’t know,” says Vaughan.
The Kentucky-based singer-songwriter will be performing in northern and W...
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The Double Life of Tobin Sprout
Aug. 7, 2021
Tobin Sprout has two different audiences. As a painter, his work graces private collections and displays at places like the Cincinnati Zoo and Ford Motor Company. Meanwhile, his music has been positively reviewed by Rolling Stone and garnered fans nationwide.
So which cam...
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Have Stage, Will Travel
July 31, 2021
Sometimes you can’t get to the dance, can’t easily afford to attend — or maybe just aren’t sure you’ll even like it. Traverse City Dance project is solving all three of those problems this summer. It’s bringing the dance to you.
This mont...
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Up North's Least Wanted Invasive Species
July 31, 2021
You won’t see them on posters at the post office. But make no mistake, these threats to our fields and forests, lakes and streams are most unwelcome. A huge number of plants, animals, and insects are recognized as non-native threats to the state. Many of them are even prohibited to ...
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Foreigner Returns to Interlochen Aug. 14
July 31, 2021
Sure, you can expect “Double Vision,” “Urgent” and the rest of the band’s hits when Foreigner hits the stage at Kresge Auditorium Aug. 14. What you might not expect is the sense of urgency lead singer Kelly Hansen promises he and the rest of the band wi...
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All-Access Fun Up North
July 24, 2021
One trend we can all get behind: the great strides made in creating and adapting recreational options Up North so people of all abilities can access and enjoy our extraordinary outdoors. Local, and regional groups alike have spearheaded efforts to build or retrofit playgrounds, install mo...
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Rock and Roll Hall of Famers on Way to Interlochen
July 24, 2021
People attending the Chicago show at Interlochen Aug. 3 may feel like they’re traveling back through time. The band will be opening the show with the first song from the band’s first album, Chicago Transit Authority, released in 1969. It will then move on to its hits from the ...
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Best News on Two Wheels
July 24, 2021
After a year in which the world closed and/or went virtual, in-person biking events are again a thing. That means that it’s time for people to pedal to get the medal. Or at least enjoy one another’s camaraderie on area trails.
More and more are doing so. Of the many tr...
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Alpine Chocolat Haus' Awesome in a Bag
July 24, 2021
If you ask someone — or at least the right person — at Alpine Chocolat Haus in Boyne City what the best treat in the store is, you might be surprised with the answer. It’s not one of the truffles. Not the dizzying variety of coated apples. Not even the chocolate-covered ... Read More >>