The Guide to Northeast Michigan April-May 2011 issue

INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY2011

INDEX 6 Hooping it UP 7 Non-profitpasties 8 Centenarian 10 Raisinggrayling 14 ConservationCorner 15 Smallsteps 16 Northeastinfluence 17 Getfit 18 Finedining 19 Reed’sTuscanbeansoup 20 RecreationExpo 21 Brownbag 22 Sandie’sGalley 23 Brickery

The Guide to Northeast Michigan

covering the counties of Alcona, Arenac, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Ogemaw,

Oscoda and RoscommonAPRIL/MAY 2011 Volume 2, Issue II

Published by: Info Northeast Jerry Nunn, editor

(989) 780-0900 [email protected]

Contributing writers: Patrick Ertel, Jerry Nunn, Scott Nunn,

Shannon Nunn, Sandie Parker, Jim Smith and Kelly Trainor

Advertising sales and design: Scott Nunn

(989) 245-7140 [email protected]

Layout and design: K. Neff Photographics

[email protected]

PW On-Location PhotographyPenny Wojahn • (989) 305-1722 [email protected]

See some of my photography at www.flickriver.com/search/sunrisepenny/recent

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ByJERRYNUNN, EDITOR

I have to admit, I felt outclassed and overwhelmed stepping to the podium at the Huron Pines Annual Meeting to accept a 2011 O.B. Eustis Environmental Award on behalf of Info Northeast.

That’s not to say we are not grateful for the recognition.

The late O.B. Eustis, in whose name the award is given, was an Alpena-area industrialist and a staunch environmentalist who understood the unique challenges that face Northeast Michigan.

That I never met the man I consider to be my great loss. We appreciate the recognition plenty and look forward to fulfilling the challenges that we believe the award presents to Info North-east and the Guide to Northeast Michigan.

At the same time, my notion was not without reason.

I was outclassed (and proud to say so) by this year’s corecipients for the award, Claire Erwin and Carol Rose.

Rose, who serves as chair of the Upper Black River Watershed Council and vice-president of the Montmorency County Conserva-tion Club, has spent the past 20 years as a leader of environmental endeavors, an advocate for habitat improvement and an educator for conservation causes. So devoted

is Rose to the ecological issues of Northeast Michigan, that before moving north from Ann Arbor to champion the wilderness she loves, she and her husband Paul reorganized and downsized their nation-wide construction firm Jeffress Dryer to better fit our re-gion’s economy and the couple’s newly anticipated northern way of life. Carol Rose’s burgeoning roster of past accomplishment should serve notice to any who doubt the causes she has yet to adopt.

Not to be outdone is Claire Erwin, 14, a summertime resident of Grayling and recipient of the award’s youth division. When it comes to protecting our natural resources and the AuSable Riv-er’s North Branch, Erwin exhibits an energy that is rare in today’s youth. When it comes to the pro-motion and endorsement of those same resources, Erwin dem-onstrates a wisdom most often reserved for folks many times her

age. After playing a leadership role in achieving Green School status for her school in Bloom-field, Erwin spent the summer Up North, enrolled in three volunteer projects for Huron Pines. In her spare time Erwin participated in Huron Pines’ Cedars for the AuS-able Program and also planted and cared for native flora on her family’s vacation property.

Easy to see why I felt out-classed but I felt overwhelmed as well.

As a writer, I find few things as exciting as hearing a good story. Yet, if that old adage ever was true, that everyone has a story to tell, it was here, where 150 of Northeast Michigan’s most devoted conservation-ists made up the Huron Pines’ crowd. The type and caliber of environmental do-gooders who were there that day – agency leaders, organizational directors, devoted staffers and self-starting volunteers – are the kind of folks

Carol Rose of Hillman, Claire Erwin of Bloomfield and this author were recipients of 2011 O.B. Eustis Environmental Awards from the Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Eustis Memorial Fund, Huron Pines and the Community Foundation of Northeast Michigan.

Photo courtesy Huron Pines

Catching

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who write their own human inter-est stories.

While I like to say, “I merely share those stories with the world,” at Info Northeast we recognize the greater value of our task.

Claire Erwin and Carol Rose do not provide their often-lonely labor expecting some far-off recogni-tion. Whether their stories were ever told or not, they would be there, devoted to a cause to which they’ve sworn allegiance. Yet when we hear their stories it spurs us on to do better ourselves, to be more attentive to our environment and to be more aware of the natural resources that we all too often take for granted.

It is in that spirit that we devote the Guide to Northeast Michigan.

And in the spirit of O.B. Eustis. You see, Eustis understood that

not only is Northeast Michigan’s potential growth limited by our area’s vast natural resources, it must be defined by them as well; that the rights of usage run parallel to the responsibilities of steward-ship and that in all this uncommon abundance, you’ll find an unforgiv-ing vulnerability that we must not ignore.

It is by that principal that the industrialist O.B. Eustis lived his life.

It is a belief with which we could not agree more.

– Info Northeast would like to thank the Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Eustis Memorial Fund, Huron Pines and the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan for recogniz-ing our efforts to increase envi-ronmental awareness in Northeast Michigan. The $500 that was granted with the award, for dedi-cation to an environmental cause of our choice, went to Roscom-mon’s Marguerite Gahagan Nature Preserve, an environmental educa-tor to area youngsters.

CALENDAR OF EVENTSApril1: Open Mic Night, 6-8 p.m. on the

first Friday at every month at Flowers by Josie, downtown Grayling. Info: Ernie (989) 348-4006.

2: Spring Fling Gladwin Com-munity Arena. Food, crafts, silent auctions, petting zoo, door prizes, moonwalk, hands on activities for kids, Easter bunny. Admission is free. Info: Mark (989) 426-6436

5-16: Drinking Habits, a play by Tom Smith, at the Mid Michigan Community College Theater, offering a matinee and performance plays on a variety of dates; cost is $8 adults, $5 under-12 or $18 for a matinee luncheon. Info: (989) 386-6640.

5 & 12: The Standish Lion’s Club Annual Smelt Fry, 5-7 p.m. at the Granton Inn, at the light in down-town Standish. Cost is $9 per person. Info: (989) 846-9929.

7: Ogemaw County Business and Community Expo, 4-8p.m at Ogemaw Heights High School. Info: (989) 345-0692.

8: 27th Annual Spring Bazaar, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s of Standish Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility, with homemade soup and salad luncheon11 a.m. to 1 p.m., cost is $5, at the SMMSH cafeteria. Info: (989) 846-3525.

9: Papa Doo Run Run, a Beach Boys tribute, 7 p.m. at the Kirtland Center for Performing Arts; cost is $24 and $26. Info: (989) 275-6777 or online at KirtlandCenter.com.

9: Fashion Show, noon-3 p.m. at the Grayling Eagles Club, hosted by The Curves Team, featuring lunch, give-aways and more; admission is $10 with proceeds to American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Info: (989) 348-1055.

9: MMCC Rust Shaker Mountain Bike Race, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Mid Michigan Community College Harrison Campus, featuring forested trails over rolling hills, with some tighter technical trails and hilly two-tracks. Info: (989) 386-6651.

9: Scrapbooking Day, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Outdoor Adventures Club House, Standish; hosted by Bethle-hem Lutheran Church, proceeds to Relay for Life. Cost is $30 includes continental breakfast, lunch, dinner, beverages, snacks and a goody bag. Info: (989) 846-4147.

9&16: Pet Pictures with the Easter Bunny, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ogemaw County Humane Society. Info: (989) 343-7387.

10: All You Can Eat Country Breakfast, 8 a.m. to noon at Roscom-

mon VFW Post #4159, with pan-cakes, sausage, eggs made to order, hash browns, biscuits, sausage gravy, juice and coffee; cost is $6 adults, $3 for 10-and-under and toddlers eat for free. Info: (989) 275-4136.

15: Pheasants Forever Dinner & Raffle, 5:30 p.m. at the Gladwin Community Arena. Info: (989) 426-6414.

16: Spring Art and Wine Walk, downtown West Branch, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Info: (989) 345-5100.

16: Open Comedy Mic and Poetry Slam, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Gray-ling Country Club; tickets cost $5 in advance, $7 at the door, with benefits to Kirtland Ms. Club for student assistance. Info (989) 275-5000 ext. 325.

16: Ogemaw County Humane Society’s Pet Pictures 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ogemaw County Humane Society, located on M-33, with Easter Bunny Laura Dean. Info: (989) 343-7387

16: 26th Annual Auction to Support the Arts, at the Northeast Michigan Arts Center, at the corner of Grove St. and U.S. 23, on the curve north of Standish. Info: (989) 846-9331.

16: Moms to Moms Community Sale, 10 a.m. at the VFW Post in Roscommon, featuring good usable children and baby items, clothing, games, sporting goods, toy and more; sponsored by Friends Help-ing Friends Foundation. Info: (989) 275-6014.

19-30: Youth Art Show at the State Street Gallery, by West Branch Creative Arts Association. Info: (989) 836-2932.

21: Blast the Blues fundraiser for Tolfree Foundation, 5-8:30 p.m. at Dean Arbor Ford in West Branch, featuring food, art, auction and the best of blues music. Info: (989) 343-3690.

21-23: Pioneer Power Antique Tractor and Engine Club Spring Swap Meet, at the West Branch

Every attempt at accuracy has been made while producing this calendar of events. Nonetheless, events can change or mistakes can be made. Thus it’s a good

idea to call ahead, before venturing north.

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INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY2011

club grounds on M-33 just west of M-55. Info: (989)473-4702.

21: Craft Night at Roscommon Area District Library, meets 6-7 p.m. for a make and take craft. Info: (989) 281-1305.

22: 14th Annual Walleye Club Dinner, 4-8 p.m. at the AuGres VFW. Info: (989)

30: Arenac Choraleers Spring Concert, 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in West Branch.

30: Beatles Bash featuring tribute band Sliver Hammer, doors open at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 8 p.m. at the Ramada Inn of Grayling, 60s and 70s costume contest. Advance tickets cost $30 through April 23, benefits to Crawford County United Way. Info: (989) 348-1429.

30: 2nd Annual AuGres Fireworks Scavenger hunt, 4 p.m. at the Town & Country Lounge. Cost: $15 per person up to four per team before April 15, $20 per person after. Info: (989) 329-7444.

30: 3rd Annual Oscoda Business Expo, at the Oscoda Community Center on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Info: (989) 739-7322.

May1: Gourmet Delights, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the

Tawas Community Center, a chance to sample delectable locally-made treats, presented by Quota Club International of Iosco County.

5: High Tea and Silent Auction, to benefit River House, Inc., 4:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Grayling; pre-purchase of tickets pre-ferred, cost is $35. Info: (989) 348-3169 or www.riverhouseinc.org

6: Coffee Hour, 8-10 a.m. at Devereaux Memo-rial Library, hosted by the Friends of Crawford County Libraries. Info: (989) 348-9214.

6: Open Mic Night at Flowers by Josie, 6-8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, located in downtown Grayling. Info: (989) 348-4006.

7: Robin Speilberg, pianist at the Kirtland Center for Performing Arts; 7 p.m. tickets cost $20 or $22. Info: (989) 275-6777 or KirtlandCenter.com.

7: Spring Fling and Dinner Dance, 6 p.m. at Skidway Lake Chamber of Commerce. Info: (989) 873-4150.

7: Roscommon Rotary Club Spring Auction – Margaritaville, 6 p.m. to midnight at Roscommon Knights of Columbus Hall, more than 200 fabulous live and silent auction items, plus great food and drinks, cost is $25 in advance or $30 day of the event. Info: (989) 275-5169 ext. 1060.

7 & 8: 20th Annual Sunrise Side Woodcarving Show and Sale, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sun., at Oscoda High School on River Road west of Oscoda, featuring carving demon-

strations, competitions, tools and supplies, with soap carving for kids. Info: (989) 362-7982.

7 & 14: Arenac Area-wide Youth Art Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Northeast Arts Center featur-ing student artwork from Arenac-Eastern, Pincon-ning, Standish-Sterling and Whittemore-Prescott school districts. Info: (989) 846-4577.

8: All You Can Eat Country Breakfast, 8 a.m. to noon at Roscommon VFW Post #4159, with pan-cakes, sausage, eggs made to order, hash browns, biscuits, sausage gravy, juice and coffee; cost is 6.00 adults, $3.00 for 10-and-under and toddlers eat for free. Info: (989) 275-4136.

13-15: Tawas Point Birding Festival and the Michigan Audubon Annual Conference, headquar-ters at Tawas Bay Beach Resort, with daily semi-nars and field trips to area birding attractions. Info: (517) 886-9144 or (989) 739-5674.

13-15: Shoreline Players presents “Into the Woods,” Friday thru Saturday show time 7 p.m., Sunday show time is 2 p.m. Info: (989) 739-3586.

14-15: 3rd Annual Au Sable Recreation Expo , celebrating the heritage and recreational possi-bilities of the Au Sable area of Crawford County, featuring river sports, hiking, birding, camping, photography, geocaching, biking and more; located at Hanson Hills in Grayling.

14: Northern Water Series Hanson Hills Disc Golf Open, at Hanson Hills Recreation Area, Gray-ling. Info: (989) 344-0047 or AuSableRecreationExpo.com

17: Valerie Van Heest, presents the Sinking of the Lady Elgin, a steamer that went down in Lake Michigan in 1860, at the Houghton Lake Historical Society; doors open at 5:30, cost is $11.95 includ-ing dinner buffet. Info: (989) 366-6454.

18: 3rd Annual Roscommon Business Expo, 3-7 p.m. at the CRAF Center, featuring business and organizations from Roscommon County. Info: (989) 275-8760.

20-23: Victoria Days Weekend Sidewalk Sale at Tanger Outlet Center, West Branch. Info: (989) 345-2594.

19-22: Shoreline Players presents “Into the Woods”. Thursday thru Saturday show time 7 p.m., Sunday show time 2 p.m. Info: (989) 739-3586.

See your Northeast Michigan event or your high resolution photograph on these pages. Send them by email, along with a phone number where you may be reached, to [email protected]. Put “calendar of events” in the subject line.

To have the next copy of the Guide delivered to your door send a $2 check to:

Info Northeast, LLC3247 E. Sage Lake Rd.Lupton, MI 48635Be sure to include: name, address and phone number

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21: Kirtland’s Warbler Wildlife Festival, a cele-bration of nature and wildlife of all kinds, featuring the rare Kirtland’s warbler, with speakers, demon-strations, art, music, field trips, arts and crafts sale, food and more. Cost is $5 for 15-years-and-older. Info available online at: Warbler.Kirtland.edu.

21: Spring into Fashion, noon to 2:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Family Center in Grayling, with fashions by Ice House Quilt Shop, J. Dap, North Coun-try Corner, Parrot’s Perch and Riverland Gear, and music by Thane Doremire. Tickets cost $15, includes luncheon and door prizes. Info: (989) 348-4821.

21-22: Golf Swap, at Fox Run Country Club, west of I-75 on Four Mile Road, south of Grayling. Info: (989) 348-4343.

22: Thunder on the Strip at Gladwin Zettel Air-port. Racers $25, spectators $5 and children under 10 free Info: (989) 426-6151.

22: Alcona County Humane Society Benefit Spa-ghetti Dinner, at Maria Hall, dinner at 4:30 p.m., presentation at 7 p.m. and silent auction from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Info: (989) 736-PETS.

27-30: 20th Birthday and Memorial Day Side-walk Sales at Tanger Outlet Center West Branch. Info: (989) 345-2594.

28: Hanson Hills Hundred Mountain Bike Race, a first-year event in the Michigan Cup Endurance Series, featuring solo, two- and four-person teams. Info: (989) 348-9266 or online at HansonHills.org.

30: Sturgeon Point Lighthouse opens for the season, call for tower climb hours. Info: (989) 724-6297.

28-29: 19th Annual Shoreline Players Arts & Crafts Show, at Tawas City Park. Registration is $100. Show hours: Saturday 10 am to 6 p.m., Sun-day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Info: 800-55-Tawas.

June2: Perennial Exchange; West Branch Greenhouse

starting at 6 p.m. Info: (989) 345-1133.3-5: 13th Annual Garage Sale at the Villages of

Oscoda, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., about 100 participating homes, rain or shine. Info: (989) 739-4915.

5: Hanson Hills Challenge Mountain Bike Race, an MMBA Championship Points Series race, with prizes and awards in 30 different classes for youngsters, beginners and advanced riders. Info: (989) 348-9266 or online at HansonHills.org.

10-12: Noreast’r Music and Art Festival in Mio, with three stages of entertainment, juried art fair, instruction, demonstrations and a youth guitar give-away. Camping is available. Info: (989) 826-2159 or www.noreastr.net.

9-13: 28th Annual Lincoln Lions Fishing Tour-nament in Harrisville Harbor, with salmon, trout and walleye divisions, featuring daily and super tournaments. Info: (989) 736-8151 or (989) 471-5557.

4: Breezes on Tawas Bay Kite festival fly your own or watch the kites on display. Info: (989) 362-8643.

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INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY2011

By JERRY NUNN, Editor

MIKADO – Given that her fam-ily’s income depends on her produce, Alcona County farmer and commer-cial vegetable producer Kim Brittain is far less anxious for spring than one might expect.

That’s because Brittain, president of the Alcona Local Foods Associa-tion, has been harvesting crops all winter long in her 48-foot-by-96-foot hoop house.

Crops of beets and carrots have come and gone; salad greens and Swiss chard were harvested several times over. The potatoes Brittain planted in early March will see their first har-vest about the time most gardeners put theirs in the ground. Soon, tomatoes and cucumbers will join the spinach.

“All warm season crops, we’ll get a bump of about one month,” Brittain says. “We’ll have tomatoes by the Fourth of July. We’ll have them by the bushel.”

Brittain gained her off-season green thumb and her greenhouse last August thanks to the Alcona Local Foods Association and a U.S. De-partment of Agriculture grant. ALFA received nearly $78,000 as part of the Project Farmers Market Promotion

Program, accord-ing to Pamela Burt, ALFA secretary treasurer. The money will also pay for promotional efforts by ALFA to raise awareness of the Alcona Farmers Market

Brittain was among six suppliers o the Alcona Farm Market to receive a hoop house – an unheated, double-walled greenhouse that makes use of passive solar heat. In addition, ALFA built another hoop house desig-nated for community use and a second is planned. While most are half the size of Brit-tains, she and her husband Robert, owners of Brittain

Family Farm, paid the dif-ference in cost to install a hoop house that was larger.

“It has been a learning experience.

We didn’t really know what we were doing when we started, but we do now,” she said. “We’ve learned a lot and now, we’ll be able to teach others who want to do this.”

Ultimately, it was Brittain Family Farm customers who harvested the benefits.

“Each week I sent out a newslet-ter, telling people what I had; if they placed their order by midnight

Wednesday, their order was ready to be picked up Friday morning.”

Brittain, ALFA members and their commercial customers do not benefit alone – the ALFA community green-house in Harrisville, was filled to capacity all winter long and, as soon as spring weather breaks, another grant-funded greenhouse will be installed somewhere in the county.

Based on demand of Harrisville’s community greenhouse, that second structure can’t be completed fast enough, according to ALFA member Kim Pompa, owner of The Flour Garden in Harrisville.

“There are 14 beds and everyone is spoken for,” Pompa said. “The need is certainly there. We have more people interested than we can accom-modate now. We have people waiting for space.”

While the greenhouses came with U.S.D.A. stipulations, Pompa said meeting those has been no problem at all.

“The intention of the grant was so we could extend the season by two months in front and two months behind,” Pompa said.

Given that carrots planted in Au-gust were harvested the last week of January, and that salad greens were grown all winter long, Pompa notes that directive was easily met.

That ALFA foresees great need for

a second greenhouse comes as no surprise to Brittain.

After all she’s learned by partici-pating in the grant, she already plans a second hoop house for her single-family enterprise.

“It looked so huge when we first put it up but we knew every square inch would be in production,” Brit-tain said. “The demand for what we produce is far greater than we could ever accomplish without the hoop house. From what we’ve seen so far, I think it will be pretty easy to justify another one.”

Watch for a future issue of The Guide to Northeast Michigan, when we revis-it the commercial Brittain Family Farm to hear more about the family’s journey to self-sufficiency.

Hooping

it UP

Stepping gingerly, Kim Brittain navigates among the crops in the hoop house that allowed her to harvest salad greens and other crops all summer long. Alcona County farmers and communities received six of the structures through the U.S.D.A.’s Proj-ect Farm market Promotion.

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WEST BRANCH – Locals crav-ing an Upper Peninsula-style pasty can knock about 200 miles off their drive to get one. West Branch Ma-sonic Lodge offers the Cornish meat pies for sale every Thursday and Friday, 1-6 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or whenever a member can be found at the lodge.

Available as the traditional beef,

with rutabaga, carrot, potato and onion pie, the Masons also sell a chicken pie with veggies and gravy. Cost is $4 each; beef gravy is avail-able for 50-cents extra.

Money raised goes to scholar-ships, a community emergency fund and a wide range of other benevo-lent objectives. The American Red Cross, Ogemaw Heights High School senior lock-in and Hospice of Helping Hands are just a few of the organizations and events that benefit.

Made of fresh ingredients, the pasties are cooked and frozen, produced two or three times each month by a team of Masons-turned-chef who gather as much for the camaraderie as they do to cook

pasties. While dough fights have been known to break out now and then, lodge rules allow light-hearted ribbing but outright fighting is not tolerated.

“On a good month we sell 250 to 300 pasties,” says Phil Matthews, master of the lodge. “We used to think 100 was a good month.”

“We do it as required once or twice a month and we have a good time when we do,” said Charlie Symonds, referred to by his lodge brothers as the Pasty Master. “If we get to where we need them, we can knock out 350 or so pretty fast.”

A large batch of several hundred takes about four hours including clean-up, lodge members say.

The meat pies known as pasties are considered to be a product of Cornwall, England, where Cornish miners carried them in their pockets to work the underground mines. The tradition was brought to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula when Cornish im-migrants came to work U.P. copper mines.

You won’t want to transport a Mason’s pasty in your pocket – the

modern day version is far too tender and delicate for treatment like that. And while we’ve never sampled an Old World pasty, it is hard to imag-ine they are any more delicious than those made here in West Branch.

With one team rolling dough, an-other operates a turn-over machine – a hand-cranked unit that packs and crimps the meat pies. Another group mans the oven while a couple other members package the pasties for sale or freezing. All told, production takes nearly a dozen people or more.

“Other lodges make them, too. You can get them in Houghton Lake and Tawas,” said Bill Scherer, who learned the art of pasty making from his grandmother. “We needed some money and this is what we turned to.”

For five years now, the group has been filling empty bellies in an effort to fund their mission. But pasty production is only the latest in a long list of endeavors for one of Northeast Michigan’s most success-ful Masonic Lodge.

Last year the local group cel-ebrated their 125th Anniversary. The 140-member West Branch lodge has been meeting regularly since 1875. The current lodge, once the site of a shingle mill, has been in use since 1960. The group gathers the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. for a dinner that is open to the pub-lic, with a members-only meeting directly following.

For all the good work the Masons perform locally, you won’t find them bragging. They say it is not about personal recognition.

“We have a good group; we really do,” said Jim Hastings, lodge mem-ber and retired health inspector for District #2 Health Department. “We don’t beat our chests; that’s not our job. We see a need in the commu-nity and we fill it. That’s our job as Masons.”

West Branch Masonic Lodge

Located on Mead St., just off Houghton Ave., one block west of

the Michigan State Police Post

Beef pasties or chicken pies $4 each, beef gravy for 50-cents Thursday and Friday, 1-6 p.m.,

Saturday 11-3 p.m.

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Pastiesfor Non-Profit

By JERRY NUNN, editor

INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY2011

Starting in this issue of The Guide, Info Northeast will peri-odically celebrate a centenarian – those 100-year-old-plus citizens of our region who stood up to the Great Depression and endured two world wars in order to forge a future and build the Northeast Michigan we know today.

This issue, we visited with Ardist Morrison, 102, of Houghton Lake.

Born Ardist Grace King, on Jan. 8, 1910 in Belding, Michigan, Morrison grew up in the small settlement of Michelson, a logging outpost and shingle mill once located along the Muskegon River, just west of Houghton Lake, near the Reedsburg Dam.

Deeply faithful, Morrison is member of Houghton Lake Wes-leyan Church and has been devoted to God since young adulthood.

A voracious reader still, Mor-rison proved to be sharp-witted, articulate and intelligent as she told us about her life and the dif-ficulties that Northeast Michigan’s early residents faced.

As if to punctuate the hard times of her early years, Morrison arrived in Roscommon County fol-lowing the deaths of her parents – her father died of pneumonia when she was 1-year-old and her 26-year-old mother Pearl died when Morrison was only eight.

Morrison says she was “just a little bit of a snot” when she came north to live with her grandmother, Grace Wilson.

“It was harder then, but we didn’t know any different. You just made do with what you had,” Morrison said. “We were tough. People had to live like that or they’d starve to death.”

Those hard times were nearly always shared and Morrison says the common struggle bound com-munities together. Hard times also resulted in strong people and Morrison’s role model performed a variety of jobs to make ends meet.

“I don’t know of anything that woman could not do,” Morrison said. “If someone needed some-thing done they’d get Grace Wilson to do it.”

“She’d do anything for anyone,” Morrison says. “If someone burnt out, she’d take the wagon and go around the community house to house, ‘So and so burnt out, what have you got to give them?’ Before the end of the day they’d be in a house somewhere.”

A midwife, justice of the peace, as well as an acting nurse, Wilson was a great cook and ran a tidy house but was just as comfortable hunting, fishing and trapping.

“I remember we used to sit on the railroad tracks, where the trestle crossed the river, and fish,” Mor-rison said. “The train only came through once a week to bring sup-plies or pick up shingles.”

Seasonal op-portunity was used to full advantage and wild berries were picked and sold or fur bearing crit-ters were harvested.

“You had to stretch and dry the pelts and then the fur buyers would come in and they’d try to beat you down on price,” Morrison said. “In the spring they’d put a lantern on the front of a boat and go out spearfish-ing at night. I remember the fish. Everyone around would come get their share. We’d all eat fish for a week.”

During winter someone usually had venison hung up in the woods. Morrison said neighbors were free to bring an ax and cut off a chunk.

“When that one was gone someone else would get a deer and they’d share that one too,” she said. “If you had a loaf of bread and your neighbor didn’t, you’d give them half at least.”

Tough times demanded a strong constitution and back then disci-pline was nearly always more strict.

“My grandmother was very strict. You were taught manners; yes ma’am, no sir, and if someone

came in a room and there was no where to sit, you got up and gave them your chair.

“I’d get a switch if I misbe-haved,” said Morrison, noting she holds no hard feelings and feels corporal punishment should still be practiced. “That was the worse law they ever came up with, that you can’t spank a kid. Kid’s don’t have any respect these days.”

While she offers plenty of cri-tique concerning modern methods, Morrison has a crystal clear recol-lection of the ways of the past.

“My grandmother was never a very good driver,” Morrison said. “We had a Model-T Ford, and you’d go up along where M-55 is now and you’d get stuck in the mud.” Of course travelers always carried a spare inner tube as well as a patch kit. “Back then, the roads around

ConsideringA Century

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Ardist Morrison, of Houghton Lake

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here weren’t worth much. I learned to drive before I could reach the pedals. I was 12-years-old when I learned to drive.”

After school, Morrison moved to Flint where she worked cleaning offices for 35-cents an hour.

It was there she married Jesse Francis Morrison, of Merritt, who had moved south after a few years as a teacher to take an autoworkers job.

Jesse and Ardist were married for 53 years. They had two sons – James Morrison of Flint and the late Paul Morrison, of Swartz Creek. Jesse passed away in 1988. They have five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Jesse and Ardist’s life together began with difficulty.

“I met my husband at the dance hall, over in Nellsville,” Morrison said. “The day before we were to get married, he got laid off. It was right after the Depression and the automakers were in a slump.” Jesse thought they might call the whole thing off, but with plans in place the wedding went through. “It was a simple wedding, nothing fancy.

They didn’t spend a million bucks on a wedding like people do now. We didn’t have a blessed thing when we got married.”

Eventually the couple prospered and bought a cabin back up north. When Jesse retired, they returned to Houghton Lake permanently. Morrison now resides at The Brook Retirement Community in Houghton Lake assisted daily by long-time friend, Judy Swanson of Prudenville.

Looking back, Morrison said there are things she would have done differently. But she is quick to offer a piece of advice.

“I think in marriage, you need love and you have to have God at the front of your house. I always lived a Christian life. I still do,” Morrison said. “We were saved three years after we were married and I’ve always stayed very busy in the church.

“I’ve tried to live a good life and I feel I have,” she said. “I helped a few people find the Lord along the way and I helped build a few churches.”

9

Through the years: Ardist Morrison today, at her home at the Brooke Retirement Community in Houghton Lake, and on the facing page, as she appeared at her wedding to Jesse Morrison in 1935, and pictured with her mother around 1912, when she was two-years-old.

INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY201110

GLADWIN – With its graceful and sail-like dorsal fin, the gray-ling is a unique and beautiful fish. Sadly, it is extinct in Michigan’s wild waters, wiped out early in the last century by shoddy conservation practices and over-fishing.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some grayling swimming around still.

Vince and nephew Scott Schulz have a rearing tank full of 6-inch Arctic grayling at their Blue Springs Fish Farm in Gladwin. Once raised up, the fish will go to a private pond in Central Michigan.

“We are the only ones in the state licensed to raise them,” Vince Schulz, noting the fish he is raising arrived as fertilized eggs. “They are hard to get and a super difficult fish to raise.”

“Grayling need cold, clean water without any pollutants,” Schulz said. “They used to be in almost all our rivers.”

The grayling also grows at one-fourth the rate of the heartier brown and rainbow trout that have now replaced them in Michigan’s water-ways, according to Vince Schulz.

Those are the very traits that led to the fish’s demise, says Rob Burg, historian at Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling, a town that’s name was changed from Crawford because of the fish.

Legend has it the AuSable River once teamed with grayling so thick “they laid in the water like cord wood,” and Burg tells of stories from the past describing the fish as so abundant it was thought the resource would never run out. In

Crawford County and elsewhere the fish was harvested commercially, salted and packed in barrels, accord-ing to Burg.

Even sport anglers showed the grayling no respect, and stories abound of fishermen tossing their unwanted catch up on the riverbank.

“They tell of stories about fisher-men baiting their lines with multiple hooks and catching six fish in a single cast,” Burg said, noting he has also read tales about the stench created when river banks were over-run with dead, discarded grayling.

“Unfortunately, the Michigan grayling is extinct,” Burg said, not-ing that several attempts have been made to stock the similar Arctic grayling to Michigan rivers. “The last attempt, I think, was in 1980. It was a failure because our rivers are still too warm.”

While over-fishing played a large roll in the grayling’s extinction in Michigan, it was the logging indus-try that sealed the grayling’s sorry fate. Once riverbanks were stripped

of shade-providing trees, the gray-ling’s habitat changed substantially.

“In the spring, when the fish would spawn, they were sending logs down the river. That disrupted and destroyed their eggs,” Burg said, noting that increased amounts of particulate matter in the water clogged the grayling’s gills and choked the fish to death. “Logging aside the rivers did two things. It allowed sand to wash into the river, contaminating the gravel beds but it also allowed in sunlight.

Raisinggrayling

Vince and Scott Schulz, owners of Blue Springs Fish Farm, feed the trout in their Gladwin County pond. Blue Springs is the only fish farm in the state licensed to raise Artic grayling and is doing so for a private party in Central Michigan.

This lunker Kamloop rainbow trout came from the crystal clear artesian waters of Blue Springs Fish Farm.

Blue Springs Fish FarmIn addition to offering fee fishing to the public, Blue Springs offers brook, brown and rainbow trout for pond stock, sells pond supplies, fish food, aerators, water foun-tains and more. They also offer consulting.

For more information go online: www.BlueSpringsFishFarm.com Or call (989) 429-8029.

THEGUIDE 11

“Grayling are a cold water fish. The rivers became too warm.”

Even knowing the fish’s exacting parameters, Schulz figures he’ll be able to raise the young grayling to a stockable size. Specially installed fil-tration systems keep the brood tank’s water crystal clean, going so far as to remove the naturally occurring iron.

And if Blue Spring Fish Farm’s water is anything, it is cold: 1 mil-lion gallons of artesian spring water flow through the facility’s three large ponds each week.

While that cold water will serve the grayling, it is especially appreciated by the brook, brown and rainbow trout that Blue Springs raises for fee fishing and to sell to pond owners.

“Water quality is the most impor-tant thing when it comes to raising fish,’ Schulz said. “Trout are a cold water fish. This water is crystal clear and cold. Our trout do excellent in it.”

While most his fish measure 12- to 13-inches, lunker-sized, wall-hangers are not uncommon.

“Our goal is to have the finest fee fishing around,” Schulz said. “People can come here and catch some really nice fish but they have an opportunity to catch a 15-pounder as well. And, where the cold water really makes a difference, the fish taste just tremen-dous out of this water.”

While the grayling enriches Michi-gan’s history, Blue Springs Fish Farm lends its own history to the City of Gladwin.

Located on the west edge of Gladwin’s residential district, Blue Springs has been in the Schulz family for five generations.

“This property has been in the family since the 1880s,” Schulz said. “There was a grain elevator here until it burned down.”

In the early 1960s the ponds were dug and the wells installed. Up until seven years ago, fishing was mostly for family and friends, Schulz said.

“It started to get expensive and we didn’t want to charge family and friends just to fish,” Schulz said.

Now – in addition to raising Arctic grayling for a private owner – Blue Springs Fish Farm offers fee fishing, rears brook, brown and rainbow trout for pond stock, sells pond supplies and does consulting.

While the opportunity to catch a nice fish, and possibly a 15-pounder, are invitation enough, the well groomed landscape and crystal clear ponds of Blue Springs Fish Farm are worth a visit even if it is just to relax.

“It’s beautiful. We love living here,” Schulz said, noting the name of the business pretty much says it all. “The water is blue, especially in the summer time, when the sun shines on it.”

“We get a lot of return customers,” Schulz said. “We have fishing poles, bait, everything they need. You don’t need a license to fish here and we’ll even clean your fish.

Look for Denise’s photos in this issue’s center fold

kirtland.warbler.eduTawasBirdFest.com

Tawas Point Birding Festival Kirtland’s Warbler Wildlife Festival

Tawas Birding Festival photos by Denise M. Willis

warbler.kirtland.edu.edu

TawasBirdFest.com

Tawas Point Birding Festival Kirtland’s Warbler Wildlife Festival

Tawas Birding Festival photos by Denise M. Willis

INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY2011

AmeriCorps is a national service

program designed to strengthen citizenship

and the ethic of service by engaging thousands of Americans on a

full-time or part-time basis to help communities address their toughest challenges. The Corpora-

tion for National and Community Service administers AmeriCorps at the federal level and works with states to de-

velop service programs and create a community-based national service network. In 2007, the Huron Pines AmeriCorps program began out of

the realization that many local partners needed more hands. These hands were needed to recruit and train volunteers, complete on-the-

ground restoration projects, talk to the public about conservation solutions and develop ideas into innovative new programs.As the sole environmental AmeriCorps program in the state, Huron

Pines has created a model for other organizations to apply across the state. In 2010, the Huron Pines AmeriCorps program was selected as one

of the top 52 most innovative programs in the nation. With over 2,000 programs nationwide, it was an honor to be recognized for the time and ef-

fort that AmeriCorps members put towards conservation efforts in Northeast Michigan.

What makes the Huron Pines program so unique is the partnerships that are formed with other organizations. Many of the members are placed within conservation districts, conservancies, community organizations and state or federal programs. By utilizing these other groups, members can reach across the region and in multiple ways. They help combine the skills and resources of volunteers and professionals and have a tangible impact on our communi-ties.

The heart of the program is the ability of members to focus on the region’s most pressing needs. Huron Pines is a hands-on conservation organization that serves eleven counties in Northeast Michigan, and getting dirty is part of process. AmeriCorps members are leading the charge for invasive species removal, habitat restoration, educational workshops, and creating land stew-ardship programs. Without their service, many of these projects just simply would not get done.

The Huron Pines Invasive Species Removal program is one example of this. In October 2008, Huron Pines AmeriCorps member began doing surveys and inventories of invasive plant species such as phragmites, buckthorn, and purple loosestrife along the Lake Huron shoreline and inland areas. Local landowners and organizations received information through meetings and presentations and were advised on the best methods for early detection and rapid response. Through these efforts, a cooperative agreement was reached in 2009 between government officials, conservation organizations, and private landowners to effectively identify, remove, and monitor invasive species.

By the end of 2010, 33 acres of phragmites on 80 properties were treated and removed by volunteers and an AmeriCorps SWAT Team made up of three members and a crew leader. They also treated 4 acres of buckthorn in Alpena County and removed 45 trash bags worth of purple loosestrife along 30 miles of the Au Sable River. Huron Pines is now in the process of writing a 5-year plan to continue the vision and implementation of the program as the need for treatment of these and other plants is growing. The ability of an AmeriCorps member to devote so much time and energy to laying the framework for the program was paramount in getting on-the-ground treatment started.

In January, eight new members began a 10-month service term at seven different host sites. Now in its fourth year, these ‘Year 4 Corps’ members will continue the conservation efforts of their predecessors while implementing at least ten new programs in 2011.

For more information on the Huron Pines AmeriCorps program, go to www.huronpinesamericorps.org .

14

THEGUIDE

BySCOTTNUNN INFO NORTHEAST

Sustained and prolonged economic growth has been elusive for Northeast Michigan. During my travels I have spoken with many citizens, business owners, and legislators across our region. All have their own ideas for growth in Northeast Michigan’s sea-sonal, tourist-dependent economy.

Using those insights as inspira-tion, I have formulated a directive for Northeast Michigan’s success. Simple steps that if employed properly, could get Northeast Michigan on the track to prosperity without sacrificing the values that stand us apart.

The first step is regionalization, not defined by town lines or county borders but, rather, by commonality; common goals, common thoughts and a common drive for economic success. Embrace your neighbors regardless if they are competition or complimentary. Realize the truth behind the age old saying “the more, the merrier.”

One example to look at and admire is the recently formed Sunrise Coast, a shoreline advertising initiative formed last summer. These folks saw the need and opportunity to join eight shoreline municipalities along US-23 to raise funds for buy-in to the state’s Pure Michigan marketing campaign. Regardless of their opinions of each other, these entrepreneurs and com-munity leaders united in knowing that every dollar counts. Success of those around you can also mean your success.

Another example of economic unity is the AuSable River Country, a group formed in a cooperative effort by folks in Alcona, Crawford, Iosco and Oscoda counties to promote the world renowned river and the economy that surrounds it. ARC’s stated mission: To foster the development of the new economy in the Au Sable River

Region by attracting people to live their passion in a unique quality place through creating regional identity and encouraging a collaborative spirit throughout the region.

With those two marketing efforts as a model, I would like to propose a much larger task.

There are 3,429 businesses in our eight-county coverage area of North-east Michigan. If we each provided $2 per month to a non-profit fund, it would amount to $82,296 annually that our area could dedicate to region-alized promotion. If you expanded that number of businesses to include non-employer establishments, the number grows to 12,718 businesses and a more-than-$305,000 promo-tional pool.

Using those funds, we could in-crease promotional buying power, ad-vertise Northeast Michigan in larger regional markets or develop larger marketing campaigns aimed at a na-tional audience. Utilizing combined efforts in area-wide promotions, we could work together – unaffected by season and economic condition to establish Northeast Michigan as a year-round destination.

As a business owner in Northeast Michigan, I’d see this $24 per year as a small investment in my success and the success of the business owners around me.

Unity will help Northeast Michigan succeed in poor economic times and provide greater growth during the stronger ones.

Look for step two in June’s issue of The Guide.

– Scott Nunn is a business partner in Info Northeast and the company’s advertising manager. He can be reached at (989) 245-7140.

Success for Northeast Michigan starts with small steps

15

INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY201116

By JERRY NUNN, editor

OSCODA – Think a Northeast Michigan business owner can have no influence beyond our little corner of the world? Don’t tell that to Tom Ruedisueli, owner of Eymer Duch-ane Ace Hardware.

As chairman of the board for the North American Retail Hardware Association, Ruedisueli helps to direct his industry’s future.

“It’s an independent organization, not associated with any one hard-ware chain like Ace or Do It Best. Our goal is to improve things for individual hardware store owners,” Ruedisueli said. “The networking opportunities have been great; the friendships we’ve made have been great yet, while we are friends, we are hardware store owners. We can give each other advice.”

Telling how he moved up through the ranks, beginning with member-ship in the Michigan Retail Hard-ware Association, Ruedisueli says he has been involved with NHRA for about eight years.

A 10,000-member organization, NHRA provides industry-specific training and resources to the retail hardware trade, according to the group’s website. While conduct-ing studies on industrial trends and tracking legislation, NHRA facilitates communication be-tween vendors, manufacturers and hardware store owners. And while annual meetings keep industry and organizational leaders in touch with each other, Ruedisueli says NHRA’s online training services provide a wealth of resources to store owners and their employees.

Like other retail industries, hardware faces its challenges, Ruedisueli says. Some of those challenges, such as pressure from Big Box Stores, are a nation-wide phenomenon. Other pressures are

more prevalent in regional or local markets, he says.

“I think here, it’s not so much the Big Box retailers as it is people’s willingness to travel further dis-tances for products and services,” Ruedisueli said, noting that people “don’t think anything about driving to Alpena or downstate.”

From that perspective, the employee trainings and customer service resources that NHRA mem-bership provides are invaluable, Ruedisueli said.

As a small town hardware store owner helping to lead an industry, Ruedisueli says he is never made to feel out of place.

Not that he should, with two generations in the hardware trade behind him.

It was 1937 that Ruedisueli’s maternal grandfather, Percy Duch-ane moved from Alpena and teamed with business partner Roy Eymer to purchase the store.

“Originally when they bought it, it was a gas station for Standard

Oil,” Ruedisueli said. “The owner wanted to sell but he didn’t want to sell to anyone local. He wanted to bring in new blood. He thought they needed new families in town.”

Eventually, Duchane and Eymer made a transition from selling gaso-line to dealing in hardware as an af-filiate of Worthington Hardware and added three more partners. Retail lumber sales were added in 1942.

Ruedisueli’s father, James Rue-disueli, moved from Detroit to join the team after marrying Percy’s school teacher daughter, Mary Jane Duchane in 1956. In 1959 the store became an Ace Hardware affiliate and eventually James Ruedisueli became the sole owner.

While Tom Ruedisueli and his siblings worked at the store grow-ing up, his first career choice was law enforcement and he served as an officer for the Oscoda Township Police Department until 1993.

Ruedisueli and his wife Karen took over the store in 1997 and his father passed away in 1998.

Since becoming the owners they’ve made a few changes, clos-ing the store’s lumber division and operating a summer-time flea mar-ket in the former River Road facil-ity. In addition, the store now offers tool and party rentals in addition to paint, tools and other staples of the hardware trade.

As a member of the Oscoda Township Planning Commission, Ruedisueli stays deeply involved in the Oscoda community. After purchasing a shuttered, two-story school building located next door to gain use of the school’s parking lot, the Ruedisueli’s opened the build-ing to the community for use as a Halloween-season haunted house.

While the hardware industry has taken its share of losses in a bad economy, Ruedisueli says it’s not as bad as one might expect.

“I have felt it these past few years, that people are hurting, but what I am seeing is more of the do-it-yourself,” Ruedisueli says. “People are buying more paint; they’re fixing their own plumbing.”

“That’s where customer service becomes so important, especially in a small town,” Ruedisueli said.

And that offers opportunity not only for Eymer Duchane Ace Hard-ware or the NHRA that Ruedisueli leads, but to the future of the hard-ware industry as well.

“I think that’s what I take to the organization,” Ruedisueli says, noting one fellow NHRA board member owns a huge store in Bos-ton specializing in lumber. Another owns a chain of 40-some hardware stores.

“I’m one store in Northern Michigan,” he said. “But when we get together we’re not Ace Hard-ware, or Best Do It, or some other big hardware chain. When we walk through that door we’re just individ-ual hardware store owners.”

Among his wide array of supplies for homeowners, Tom Ruedisueli, owner of Eymer Duchane Ace Harware in Oscoda, talks shop with Rick Carstens, owner of Ossineke Building Supply. As chairman of the board for the National Retail Hardware Association, Ruedisueli is in position to help direct his industry’s future.

THEGUIDE

ByKELLYTRAINOR Northland Area FederalCreditUnion

Can you feel it? Spring is here. The days are getting longer, the sun seems to shine a little brighter and Old Man Winter is about to settle down for a long nap. By this time of year, many of us have had quite enough of sitting on the couch and watching TV. We may have a few extra pounds to show for it, too. Fortunately, this is a great time of year to get up, get busy and get healthy!

If you’ve gained a few unwanted pounds this winter, you’re not alone. Cold weather brings out the hiberna-tion factor in a lot of us. As fall turns to winter we start to slow down, spend more time indoors and munch on junk food more than we should. By the time spring rolls around, the sedentary lifestyle has become quite a habit. The good news is that bad hab-its can be changed into healthy ones.

No time for the gym? No problem. As springtime unfolds, you can get healthier just by enjoying the out-doors. Doctors have long touted the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. Even moderate exercise from outdoor activity can help you lose weight, reduce health risks, strengthen your immune system and improve mood. While we recommend a thorough physical check-up before any physi-cal training, to determine the level and intensity of exercise that’s right for you, it won’t be long before you can step outside and become a healthier you.

Pick a beautiful day and explore your neighborhood with a spouse or grandchild. Take your favorite pet for a stroll along a new route. A cardio workout can be as simple as a brisk walk in the sunshine. The key is to get your heart rate slightly elevated and to keep it that way for 20 minutes

or more. A good rule of thumb for beginners: While walking, you should be able to maintain a conversation without feeling overly winded. If you can’t, you need to stop and take a rest.

Need a little extra encouragement? Enlist the help of a workout partner. On days when you’re not in the mood to exercise, you’re more likely to fol-low through if you’re meeting some-one else. Ask a friend or neighbor to join you on daily walks. Schedule a recurring time that’s convenient for both of you and together you can stay motivated and keep boredom at bay. Carrying on a conversation as you walk will not only make the workout go faster, but burn more calories, too.

Think you’re too busy for daily walks? If you’re already working a full schedule, consider starting a lunchtime fitness walk at work. Give up part of your lunch hour for a brisk walk around the property. Even 10 or 15 minutes of activity can give you a healthy boost, make you more alert and build stamina. Check with your co-workers to see who might be in-terested, and you could be surprised. That’s what Northland Area Federal

Credit Union did, and soon the em-ployee F.A.N. Club (fitness/attitude/nutrition) was born. Ask around. Your co-workers may need someone to take the first step.

You can have a healthier, more active lifestyle just by enjoying the beauty we have right here in North-eastern Michigan. We have miles of national forest, amazing wildlife, rivers, beaches and a special beauty found nowhere else in the U.S.

All you have to do is step outside your front door!

Northland Area Federal Credit Union’s F.A.N. club is an employee-driven group that meets regularly to encourage one another in fitness and exercise goals. The club of-fers resources to employees such as pedometers, newsletters, information on healthy living, smoking cessation and more. For additional informa-tion on Northland, please visit www.northlandcu.com or call 800-336-2328.

Northeastern Michigan: A perfect setting to get fit

17

Lisa Green is the 2010 Top Exerciser of the F.A.N. club, an employee driven group at Northland Area Federal Credit Union that meets regularly to encourage proper fitness and exercise goals.

INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY201118

Quaint and unassuming, nestled between US-23 and the Tawas River in Tawas City, Reeds on the River is a gem of a delicatessen that once discovered will never be forgotten.

Owners, Tim and Sandy Reed take great pride in their establishment, set-ting the mold for others with the delicious foods they serve and the man-ner in which they serve them. Setting the bar even higher, Tim is often found in the kitchen preparing meals en-tirely from scratch. He starts his day early and ends late cooking chicken, turkey and even the roast beef found in the tantalizing foods served at Reeds on the River. Sandy makes for a difficult target to track moving from counter to kitchen to tables and back again. All the while she greets every customer with a friendly smile and most often by name.

Each of the four tables in the cozy restaurant is adorned with books focusing on wine, art and history. The walls are splashed with a bright paint and work of local photogra-pher, Penny Wojahn. Outside during warmer weather you’ll find ample, shaded seating. Reeds even offers Adirondack chairs as respite, while you enjoy the local flora and fauna of the river.

From the contemporary Oven-roasted Turkey, Ham and Cheese or Veggie Sandwich, to the robust Caprese Sandwich ($8 each) with its grilled tomatoes and basil pesto, or the portabella-packed Bella Chicken

Florentine Sandwich ($9), Reeds’ menu is sure to please any taste bud.

The specials menu alone makes Reeds on the River wor-thy of a visit. It frequently features the Muffaletta, a sandwich piled high with provolone, the dry-cured Italian prosciutto ham, salami, black forest ham and a homemade olive salad sandwiched between two warm ciabatta squares, Italian bread with a dense crust and a soft light body.

Made with ingredients rich in his-tory, the muffaletta dates back to the early 1900s, and this author believes the folks in the French Quarters of New Orleans created this sandwich with his tastes in mind. Accompany-ing the muffaletta is a healthy portion of crunchy kettle chips and a serving of Reeds’ Redskin Dill Potato Salad.

According to Tim, another local favorite is the RB Blue sandwich ($9): fresh homemade roast beef, blue cheese, grilled onions and horserad-ish sauce on a ciabatta square.

We suggest you follow your sandwich with a hot, steamy bowl of Tuscan bean soup. This soup is full

of Italian sausage, northern beans and baby portabella mushrooms. Served in a rich broth with fresh ingredients, and a light underlying touch of spice, this soup is a sure warmer and big winner.

Rising in popularity, Reeds on the River hosts Dinner and a Demo, where you are welcomed to the store, or occasionally off-location, after

hours. Dinner and a Demo is not only a unique dining experience, but a demon-stration on technique and preparation as well. Those who attend enjoy a fine dining experience among great company, and are sent off with recipes and knowledge to replicate their experience.

By SCOTT NUNNINFO NORTHEAST STAFF

Fine: Dining:

excellent, admirable, of highest qualityadj.

to eat dinner, especially at N.E. Michigan’s best restaurantsv.

Reeds on the River646 West Lake Street, Tawas City(989) 362-9964Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

THEGUIDE 19

Tuscan Bean Soup:3/4 cup onion – chopped1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage2 cups chopped Kale2 cloves garlic – minced8 cups Chicken Broth19 ounces Great White Northern Beans – rinsed and drained6 oz baby Portabella Mushrooms – Sliced2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsleyFreshly ground black pepper, Italian Seasoning, ground Fennel, red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:Brown Italian sausage in dutch oven over medium heat. When

browned add onion, continue cooking until tender then add garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes – don’t burn the garlic – it will be bitter. Stir in chicken broth then add chopped kale, slicked baby bella mush-rooms and great white northern beans. Simmer gently until temperature reaches 165° F – adjust spices and serve with croutons.

Created by Tim Reed,owner of Reeds on the River

ENT Ear, Nose &Throat

Speciality Care

St. Joseph Health System and Valley ENT have combined e�orts to form the new St. Joseph ENT.

St. Joseph ENT will provide more clinic and surgery days to increase availability and decrease wait time

for appointments and treatment. The outstanding quality of care remains the same along with our

physicians Richard Louden, M.D., Brian Perry, M.D. and Keith Scharf, M.D. They have a cumulative of 54

years experience and are all board certi�ed by the American Board of Otolaryngology. Our ENT’s

specialize in managing diseases of the ears, nose and nasal passage sinuses, larynx, oral cavity and

upper pharynx. We treat and perform surgery, if recommended on both adults and children. For more

information or to schedule an appointment please call 989.362.0188.

989.362.0188 • www.sjhsys.org

ENT

SoupTuscan Bean

INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY2011

ByJIMSMITH

GRAYLING – Wild success of Crawford County’s recreational opportunity has spawned a need for changes to the fast-growing AuSable Recreation Expo. This year’s Expo will be held May 14-15 at the much larger and historic Hanson Hills Recreation Area just west of Grayling.

Spawned by the ideas of a com-munity think tank, the AuSable Recreation Expo works to raise awareness of the rich heritage of the AuSable and Manistee Rivers.

As in previous years the Expo will highlight the unique fishing, canoeing and camping opportuni-ties traditional to both the AuSable and Manistee river systems.

Visitors will meet and watch demonstrations by some of the world’s best fly rod builders, fly tiers and precision fly reel manu-facturers. Also present will be craftsmen of all sorts, including some of the last AuSable River Boat builders. Folks will also be able to enjoy local historians who will share tales of the logging in-dustry that provided the lumber to build our major cities and story’s of legendary outfitters, trappers and guides who helped capture and preserve the romance of Northern Michigan’s early days. The work and crafts of local artists will be available and on display.

Workshops include a discussion of the Natural River Act, conser-vation education, the how to’s of fly fishing and music traditions of the rivers, presented by local musicians. Numerous vendors of outdoor products will be there,

along with professional guides and outfitters eager to talk about the premier fishing opportunities on these fabled rivers.

Photographers, basket weavers, painters and craftsmen from every imaginable discipline are represented at Grayling’s AuSable Recreation Expo. Representatives of state and local organizations and agencies will also be hand to answer questions about the use and enjoyment of Crawford County’s natural resources.

AuSable Recreation Expo celebrates its third year

Booth space and sponsorships are still available; registration deadline is April 20.

3rd Annual AuSable Recreation ExpoWhen: May 14-15

Where: Hanson Hills Recreation Area, Grayling

What you’ll find there: Vendors promoting Crawford County activities and recreational opportunities, along with educational programs, workshops, and hands-on

activities.

For more info: Go online to www.AuSableRecreationExpo.com.

20

THEGUIDE

Brown Bag Luncheon Series continues at Huron Pines

The Huron Pines Brown Bag Luncheon series continues with the second installment in the five-part series. The April 21 luncheon will focus on Huron Pines’ Large Woody Debris program, which replenishes rivers with fallen trees and brush to serve as fish habitat and stabilize riverbanks.

Now in its thirteenth year, the program has been largely focused on the Au Sable River but has expanded to sites on the Black and Pine Rivers. This year’s efforts will focus on South Branch Au Sable, with projects also beginning in the Pigeon and Sturgeon Rivers.

Huron Pines project manager Patrick Ertel will lead the upcom-ing discussion and luncheon.

The large woody debris program enhances in-stream habitat by using a diversity of tree size, type, and fall direction to move the river back to its naturally occurring state. The single technique of placing the large woody debris back into the water reduces erosion, diversifies habitat types, and manages sedi-ment as well as improving water speed, depth, and temperature.

The luncheon will provide a fo-rum for people to learn how Huron Pines chooses sites, what tech-niques are used for proper place-ment, and what changes are in store for 2011.

People interested in attending the luncheon are asked to RSVP by April 19 by emailing Ryan Reichle, Huron Pines AmeriCorps Outreach Specialist, at [email protected] or by calling (989) 344-0753

ext. 25. The discussion will begin at noon and last about an hour. At-tendees are encouraged to bring a lunch or snack with them. Brown Bag Luncheon details are available at www.huronpines.org/article/150.

continues at

Huron Pines

BrownBagLuncheon Series

TOPICS OF FUTURE June 16 — Invasive Species

August 18 — Small Dams

October 20 Road/Stream Crossings

For more information on Huron

Pines’ Brown bag Luncheon Series or to register, call (989) 344-0753 ext. 25.

BrownBagLuncheon Series

21

INFONORTHEAST•APRIL/MAY201122

107 Ottawa, GraylingPhone: (989) 348-8999Hours: Call before press. Have Summer and winter hoursWebsite: www.thebrickery.netSearch on Facebook: The Brickery

By SHANNON NUNNINFO NORTHEAST WRITER

With its bright red brick build-ing sharply contrasted by the rich and stately green entry-way, the Brickery most certainly catches the eye of any passer-by. Located one block north of the light in down-town Grayling, on the corner of Ottawa and the Interstate 75 busi-ness loop, you’ll find the interior just as unique as its exterior. From the weathered hardwood floors and a decorated balcony over-looking the sales floor, to the embossed tin ceiling you can’t help but appreci-ate the architectural history of the building.

Linda and Jeffrey Nickert opened the doors three years ago and cleared a spot off their shelves for more than 30 local artists to peddle their wares. You will find everything from handcrafted jew-elry, hats and paintings to doilies, furniture and more. And that’s not all that The Brickery has to offer – their inventory is fortified with antiques on consignment, gifts and home decor.

Besides serving as an example by supporting and growing their local community, Linda and Jef-frey Nickert provide another great model of how folks can move to Northeast Michigan and make it their home. Originally from Detroit, the couple certainly found their niche in this Northern Michigan community.

Q: What made you decide to open this business?

Linda: I was making birdhouses as gifts for family. They liked them so much they said I should sell them. I had a good response to it and became a crafter. My husband and I would travel Northern Michigan to different craft shows. After awhile it got to be too much always setting up and tak-ing down our displays. We decided to buy our own building and invite other artists to display their work.

Q: Do you know the history of this building?

Linda: The building is 101 years old. It was originally a temple for the International Order of the Odd Fel-lows. It has also been an opera house. When my husband and I bought it, it was a plumbing warehouse.

Q: Were you born and raised in Grayling?

Linda: No, I actually grew up in southwest Detroit. After we had chil-dren we decided to move out of the city. We have lived here for 20 years now never regretted moving. My family has every opportunity avail-able here, as they would have there.

Q: What are your best sellers and specialty items?

Linda: Most of my products are specialties because they are hand-crafted from local artists. Some of the handmade things include pillows, ornaments made from driftwood, wood carved bowls, sculpted pottery, handcrafted jewelry. I exclusively carry Blossom Bucket figurines and Patience Brewster greeting cards.

TheBrickery

THEGUIDE

We all know that most boaters love seafood and fish. With that in mind here is an excellent salmon recipe. I am sure many of you have had something similar in a restaurant and thought it would be difficult and time consuming to make. NOT. I have made it simple, fast, pretty and oh so good. The sweet taste of the glaze, along with the addition of the coconut and pecans, gives the salmon wonder-ful flavor. As for the salad? You will have a huge hit on your hands when you serve this for sure. It is good in the spring, summer, winter and fall. I served this during the winter holidays and everyone asked for the recipe. Now I must be honest and give credit where credit is due. The recipe originated from one of my husband’s secretaries. I eat with my eyes and thought the tomatoes and the purple onion would give it the color I needed to really dig in. I know if you make this once, you will make it time and

time again. Hope you enjoy both of these recipes. Visit my website for more recipes: SandiesGalley.com. Drop me a note while you are there; I love to read your emails!

Pecan Coconut Baked Salmon

2 nice size salmon filets1 1/2 c. butter3/4 c. honey1/4 c. brown sugar1/2 c. flaked coconut1/4 c. chopped pecans

Melt butter in saucepan over me-dium heat. Stir in honey, brown sugar, coconut and pecans. Bring to boil then remove from heat, cool slightly, then brush each side of salmon pieces with mixture, place on dish, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or more. Cover and refrigerate left over sauce also. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees,

spread half of the remaining sauce on bottom of baking dish to coat bottom. Arrange salmon in the dish and pour remaining sauce on top of salmon making sure you have some coconut and pecans on the top. Bake 25 min-utes, or until salmon flakes with fork. Serves two.

Crunchy Cherry Poppy Seed Salad 1/2 c. cherry flavored Craisins2 heads Romaine lettuce2 slices red onion, cut into pieces6 to 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half15-20 mandarin oranges sections, drained1 red sweet apple of choice, chunked3/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted with melted butter & sugar (see below)4 oz. can oriental rice noodles

Dressing:1/2 c. canola oil, not olive oil1/4 c. cider vinegar1/4 c. sugar1 T. Montreal steak seasoning1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds1/4 tsp. pepper

Roast almonds in a pan with 1 tablespoon butter and sugar, until browned, not burnt. Allow to cool.

Toss first 6 ingredients. Mix up the dressing, and add almonds, rice noodles and dressing just before serv-ing. Makes 4-6 servings.

By SANDIE PARKER, sandiesgalley.com

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Phone: 989-848-2172 • 600 W. Miller Rd., • Mio, MI 48647

Chocolate SpecialtyHand Dipped • Homemade

Granny’s Chocolates

AMISH MERCHANTS OF OSCODA COUNTY

1 Northstar Storage Barns2 Country Feed Supply3 Country Cedar Crafts4 Shady Lane Footwear and Fabrics5 Pine Grove Woodworking6 Granny’s Chocolates7 Bylers Custom Cabinets8 Highland Rail

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Gerber Rd.

Bills Rd.

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albraith Rd.

Kneeland Rd.

Co Hwy 608 / W. Miller Rd.

Kittle Rd.

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