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Articles by Alex Tank
Reform School
Guest Opinion By Hal Gurian | April 24, 2021 Michigan needs to reform its public and charter schools. Both traditional public schools and public charter schools suffer from a lack of accountability and transparency, which only puts our children at risk for a sub-par level of education. “Michigan K-12 system is among the weakest in the country and falling behind,” contends Education Trust-Midwest, an online website evaluating schools.
Rad.Ish
Totally rad plant-based eats in TC By Ross Boissoneau | April 24, 2021 A family heritage, a profound change in diet, and a family tragedy together paved the way for Rad.Ish Street Food. Though Lisa Moberly grew up learning Mexican cooking from her grandparents and other relatives who wanted to be restaurateurs, it was her husband, Ryan, who became a chef. Lisa found herself working as a preschool teacher while her daughter, Izabel, was growing up.
High School Fishing pals, Now Business Partners
EJ Jigs enters year three By Ross Boissoneau | April 24, 2021 For Jack Flynn (pictured above) and Ethan Stoops, fishing isn’t the only thing. There’s school, there’s family, there’s friends. But if fishing isn't the only thing, it’s certainly one of the biggest and best things. So much so that the two pals not only enjoy fishing, they’ve turned their passion for the sport into a business. EJ Jigs was born three years ago. The two had formed a fast friendship based around their love of the sport.
Good Harbor Vineyards’ Trillium
Bottoms Up By Lynda Wheatley | April 24, 2021 While you await the annual arrival of the season’s striking vermillion and white wood lilies, you can sate your taste for them with Good Harbor’s ode to their natural brilliance, Trillium. A white wine of impeccable balance — medium sweet, medium dry, medium priced — the liquid Trillium is, like its forest-floor-born namesake, a Michigan spring standard that shines far too brightly to ever be called a wallflower.
Jr. Golf is Better Up North
Get ’em swinging By Ross Boissoneau | April 24, 2021 Yeah, we’ve all seen Tiger Woods play. But maybe some of you caught sight of him playing alongside his 11-year-old son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship scramble in Orlando, Florida, back in December.
The Stories in Our Stars: Spring Edition
Up North's night sky now By Mary Stewart Adams | April 24, 2021 How fitting it is — when the blossoms are bending toward the sun, the bees are rushing toward the blossoms, and everything is humming along to the greater mystery of warmth and light — — that the first meteor shower of the spring should emanate from the region of the constellation Lyra, the musical instrument of the ancient sun god Apollo, and his mother, Leto.
Give Reform a Shot
Spectator By Stephen Tuttle | April 24, 2021 2020 wasn't a very good year. At all. Aside from the horrific toll of the pandemic and the post-election insanity, we became a lot more violent. Murder rates were the highest in the last two decades, according to the FBI. Other violent crimes increased comparably. Chicago saw a 50 percent increase in murders in 2020, with 750 fatalities. New York City murders increased by 40 percent; Los Angeles, 30 percent.
Plotting a Championship Course
This May, Northern Michigan will unveil a premier disc golf course designed by world champ By Alex Tank | April 24, 2021 By the sweat and determined efforts of a small but dedicated crew, a world-class golf course is rising up in the woods near Interlochen. And though it won’t be open for competition until its inaugural Green Lake Open tournament May 15–16, this one-of-a-kind course is already drawing national attention from pros and expected to draw top competitors from around the world.
Spring Refresh
Breathe new life into your wardrobe By Lynda Wheatley | April 24, 2021 Sustainably Yours Passion Lilie doesn’t use screen-printed fabrics, only ikat-woven and block-printed beauts like the 100-percent organic cotton, Fair Trade-certified Charlie Jumpsuit here. Add sandals for strolling or a pair of wedges for dinner, and you’ve got the most versatile, figure- and functionally friendly (thank you, drawstring waist and pockets!) piece of the season.
Mary’s Kitchen Port: The Gobbler
Tastemaker By Lynda Wheatley | April 24, 2021 Those who claim turkey as Thanksgiving’s bird have clearly never tried the Gobbler at Mary’s Kitchen Port. Much like Michigan’s own robin, Mary’s famed Gobbler is every bit as much a harbinger of spring, shaking off the dormant days of winter and welcoming us back to languid days where riverside picnics are once again possible.
Critical Discourse for the Living
Legendary radio hosts Diane Rehm and Cynthia Canty to talk death, dying, and deciding By Anna Faller | Feb. 20, 2021 Of all the topics we’d rather not talk about, death has long ranked near the top. The last on our list of cultural taboos, mortality still makes most Westerners squirm. After all, who really wants to discuss their own demise — or perhaps even worse, that of a loved one? Acclaimed radio host and author Diane Rehm does, and she wants her readers to talk about it, too.
Charlevoix's Pigs Eatin' Ribs
Slow and low is the tempo By Eric Cox | Feb. 20, 2021 By 2008, Charlevoix Chef Adam Kline had seen and tasted enough. The Northern Michigan food scene had stagnated, he said, into a pre-fab nightmare of canned goods and ready-made bar food. At age 24, Schoolcraft College culinary degree in hand, Kline and his wife, Jill, bailed out.
Dreaming of Foreign Lands
The plight of Peace Corps volunteers By Patrick Sullivan | Feb. 20, 2021 In this time of a shut-down world with borders closed and travel brought to a halt, Kama Ross has been thinking a lot about the Peace Corps, and she said she believes that the institution — which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year ‚ has perhaps never been more vital.
Getting Wild with the Foeder
Foeder (prounounced food-er) has landed Up North By Karl Klockars | Feb. 20, 2021 Drinkers with a discerning eye may have noticed a couple interesting-looking wooden containers in the back of Traverse City’s Silver Spruce Brewing. Behind a row of wine barrels sit two tall vertical barrels clad with stainless steel, huddled into a back corner. They’re called foeders, and at Silver Spruce they have one main job: taking beers and getting them to go wild.
The Power of Our Example
Guest Opinion By Jack Segal | Feb. 20, 2021 Every new president faces a daunting array of problems, but 2021 will go down in the history books: Our country is under siege from a virus that has killed 485,000 Americans; Congress is locked in partisan struggles over the election, the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and another stimulus bill; and our people are deeply divided. These domestic challenges would have been plenty for President Biden to tackle.
Look Up
Spectator By Stephen Tuttle | Feb. 20, 2021 Now that we've solved all our earthly problems, perhaps we should look skyward. There are issues lurking up there. This all started in October 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, which did nothing more than blink and send a simple radio signal. Many alive at the time watched the little orb whizzing across the night sky, a marvel of sorts. The United States joined the party by launching Explorer 1 just four months later.
Framing Britney Spears
Hey, Watch It By Meg Weichman | Feb. 20, 2021 You might think you know the story, and even if you do know the story, it’s time to get outraged all over again. Tracing the life of Britney Spears from her rise as a pop princess to global phenomenon and then her tragic downfall as a national punching bag, the documentary Framing Britney Spears revisits Britney’s story a now-unbelievable 13 years into a legal conservatorship that has taken away her most basic rights.
The Oakwood Proper Burger
Tastemaker By Alex Tank | Feb. 20, 2021 The aptly named Oakwood Proper Burgers seems to do it all right. This newly opened hot spot at the corner of Traverse City’s Eighth Street and Garfield serves up smash burgers, hand-cut fries, and classic milkshakes, with a sizeable splash of midcentury style on the side.
Tiny Pink Bubbles
Bottoms Up By Lynda Wheatley | Feb. 20, 2021 Hey, ladies, do we have the pink drink for you: Aerie’s Tiny Pink Bubbles. With a taste and body as delicious as its name and presentation is darling, this fanciful concoction masterminded by manager Alex Truck is utterly worth our obsession.
Samosa & Aloo Gobi
Tastemaker By Alex Tank | March 7, 2020 An inviting aroma drifts from an unassuming kiosk in the Grand Traverse Mall food court. Behind the counter, Golam Rabbani and his staff urge passersby to sample a Taste of India. They’ll happily describe the colorful dishes on offer: dal, chana masala, basmati rice, naan, biryani — all the classic staples. “This is the traditional food of the common people,” Rabbani said, but the flavors at Taste of India are uncommonly bold.
Long Road Grand Absinthe
Bottoms Up By Ross Boissoneau | March 7, 2020 Said to cause hallucinations and possibly violent behavior, absinthe was banned in the U.S. and abroad for nearly 100 years. Kyle VanStrien, co-founder of Long Road Distillers, never gave credence to the tales, and when the anise-flavored liquor was legalized in 2007, one of his distillers came to him with a recipe. He gave it the go-ahead, and the result is available at its Boyne City location, as well Grand Rapids and Grand Haven.
Strange Brew
John Niedermaier, craft beer madman and magician By Craig Manning | March 7, 2020 He’s not running the biggest or the oldest brewery, but you can call Brewery Terra Firma’s John Niedermaier the godfather of northern Michigan craft beer. Before he opened his own place in 2013, Niedermaier was playing an important role in shaping Traverse City into the beloved beer town it is today. Humble Origins Niedermaier’s beer story reaches back decades.
Anti Viral
Snapshots of prevention in northern Michigan as COVID-19 looms By Patrick Sullivan | March 7, 2020 Health officials in northern Michigan are gearing up for the arrival of COVID-19, a.k.a. coronavirus. We circled the region to find out what's happening, where — and what's next. ‘Prepared, not Panicked’ Many people never have to worry about what a local health department does – until a pandemic is declared.
Eilish. Billie Eilish.
Modern Rock By Kristi Kates | March 7, 2020 Grammy-winner Billie Eilish (along with her writer-producer brother Finneas, who’s a solo artist in his own right) will be the featured artist for the theme song to the next James Bond movie, No Time to Die. The movie and song will hit theatres and outlets on April 10 in the U.S. (it’ll arrive in the U.K. on April 2); the song was co-written by Eilish and her brother.
Get Your Green On
St. Patrick's Day Celebrations Around the North By Ross Boissoneau | March 7, 2020 Saint Patrick was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop. Legend credits him with teaching the Irish about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity by using a shamrock. He’s also credited with banishing snakes from the island. Saint Patrick is now the primary patron saint of Ireland. He’s celebrated March 17, the supposed date of his death, with the Feast of Saint Patrick, a.k.a. St. Patrick’s Day.
It Takes Two to Brew
The couples of the northern Michigan craft beer scene By Alex Tank | March 7, 2020 The only thing better than drinking a cold beer is brewing one with your favorite person. In northern Michigan, four couples are not only committed to one another, they are committed to making quality craft beer together, with all the accompanying challenges and triumphs brewed into every pint. So, how can you get to know these brewing duos? It’s easy: Go taste their beer. Enjoy the spaces they’ve curated.
Pretty Good Odds
Spectator By Stephen Tuttle | March 7, 2020 We are quick to assume the worst and equally quick to panic. The latest example is the novel coronavirus now circling the globe. It requires caution and some preparedness – but not the frenzied response we're now seeing. Ably abetted by attention-seeking politicians and overly dramatic headlines, we've decided the end times are nigh. The stock market, now driven more by crises and fear than anything resembling value, was especially panicky.
The Spirea Question
Guest Opinion By Grant Parsons | March 7, 2020 Someday – hopefully – my spirit will be lounging under a spirea hedge in Sunset Park and a dog will sense it and (as dogs do) lift a leg and water it. Before then, of course, there are two metaphysical predicates (me dying, me having a spirit) and a physical predicate (a spirea hedge in Sunset Park.) Alas … the spirea hedge I would lounge beneath eternal is missing.
Pigs Fly in Lansing
Guest Opinion By Amy Kerr Hardin | Feb. 15, 2020 Bipartisan cooperation in Lansing. Yes, you read that correctly. Two Republican leaders and two Democratic officials put their heads together to form a joint task force with the goal of fostering better outcomes for those in the criminal justice system and for the communities in which they live.
Gabrielle Aplin - Dear Happy - Never Fade Records
FourScore By Kristi Kates | Feb. 15, 2020 Pop singer Aplin returns with her third album, which stays pretty much in her usual modus operandi: strong vocals and a common melodic tone throughout. This is a very produced, calculated set, where you can almost see the plotting of “how to make a hit single” — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Sanctuary from Nothing
Spectator By Stephen Tuttle | Feb. 15, 2020 Kalkaska County is now a Second Amendment sanctuary county. Gun owners there will now be safe from an intrusive government and so-called red flag laws, universal background checks, and prohibitions against semi-automatic long guns and high-capacity magazines. As a bonus, their declaration says their county prosecutor has the discretion to simply ignore any such unconstitutional laws. Except none of that exists.
Tater Time: Inside Kitchen Farms
The family potato farm in Elmira, cranking out 70 million potato pounds a year By Al Parker | Feb. 15, 2020 Just north of Alba and south of Elmira, a foot-thick blanket of crisp snow covers the dormant fields of Kitchen Farms, a 5,000-acre potato-growing operation that straddles both sides of US -131. The fields are quiet and will remain so until spring when planting begins.
Maroon and Meghan Hit the Road
Modern Rock By Kristi Kates | Feb. 15, 2020 Maroon 5 will be careening around the U.S. on tour this spring and summer, with some of the biggest shows in the band’s career to date. The mix of stadium and arena shows kicks off May 30 in Chula Vista, California, with opening acts Meghan Trainor and Leon Bridges in tow. Additional stops include Chicago (June 13), Toronto (June 28), and Milwaukee (Aug. 30), and Cincinnati (Sept. 1).
Gold Baby Biscuits
Tastemaker By Alex Tank | Feb. 15, 2020 Where was your last great biscuit moment? Somewhere south of here would be a reasonable guess. Now you can simply head to Suttons Bay to have a memorable, potentially addictive biscuit experience close to home. Next door to Mundo’s coffee shop, Alicia Manson & Lyndsey Egli of Gold Baby Biscuits are taking a modern tack on the Southern classic with satisfying flavor and delicate texture. Each biscuit is fluffy, miraculously moist, and, of course, golden.
Staying Power
Highlighting the folks who are the longtime lifeblood of the North's restaurant industry By Ross Boissoneau | Feb. 15, 2020 Doesn’t matter how good the food is. A restaurant isn’t worth its salt without a smart, efficient, and highly skilled staff who knows how to hustle, smile, and make even a casual night out special. Here, we highlight just a few of the folks who are the lifeblood of one of the region’s biggest (and most demanding) industries. Our aim?
Retired Interlochen Instructor Launches Debut Album
Crispin Campbell, Celloist By Ross Boissoneau | Feb. 15, 2020 Crispin Campbell plays well with others. His cello repertoire is outside the normal realm of orchestra and chamber music groups, including rock, jazz, Gypsy and classical. In fact, his debut album, About Time, features three exemplary jazz musicians: pianist Steve Stargardt, drummer Randy Marsh and bassist Jack Dryden.
Where to Eat Now
A roundup of our most recently featured restaurants By Kristi Kates | Feb. 15, 2020 Please be seated for these abbreviated versions of the restaurant reviews we’ve featured since our last RestauranTour issue. Bon Appetit! TUCKER’S – Northport Tucker’s of Northport is a big, friendly restaurant first, and a lively entertainment center second. Its namesake was a friendly, beloved golden doodle — and servers even provide special water dishes outdoors for their four-footed guests.
The Tale of TC's Taste of India
One family making other families happy with their food. By Janice Binkert | Feb. 15, 2020 While its cuisine is exotic by Northern Michigan standards, Taste of India’s location — namely, the food court at Grand Traverse Mall — is quite the opposite. However, judging by the number of customers who line up daily at the ordering counter to feast on everything from Tikka Masala to Aloo Gobi, those seemingly contradictory factors have not hurt business at all.
Struggles of a Mom and Pop Pot-shop Owner
A veteran marijuana dispensary owner talks about how the business has changed over the years and the challenges he faces today. By Patrick Sullivan | Feb. 15, 2020 Stephen Ezell has been in the legal pot business as long as than just about anyone in northern Michigan. He’s lived through the awkward, clumsy legalization of first medical and the recreational marijuana.
Bier’s Inwood Brewery Updraft
Bottoms Up By Alex Tank | Feb. 15, 2020 A few miles south of Charlevoix on US-31, Bier Art Gallery’s red schoolhouse entices travelers with the promise of northern Michigan art. Those who are more beverage-attuned, however, might glimpse a simple painted sign pointing the way to Bier’s Inwood Brewery. Tyler and Anna Bier opened the brewery in 2018, just a stone’s throw from the gallery. The renovated farmhouse interior is bright and thoughtfully planned.
Zoning - and its Tie to the Affordable Housing Shortage
Guest Opinion By Donna Gundle-Krieg | Feb. 8, 2020 For many reasons, lack of affordable housing has long been a big issue in Traverse City. The problem has now spread to the surrounding areas, such as my town of Mancelona. As a real estate broker who works with housing issues daily, I do not see this housing shortage improving soon. Lack of affordable housing obviously impacts families and their quality of life.
Insights and advice from couples who make it work 9-5 … and then some
For love & money By Ross Boissoneau | Feb. 8, 2020 Love and marriage are hard work, but some couples take this challenge to a new level. Northern Express spoke with the rare breed that both live and work together. The couples shared their not only their concerns and challenges, but also what brought them closer together.
Valentine's Gifts - For Him, For Her, For Yourself
Who doesn't deserve an expression of love? By Ross Boissoneau | Feb. 8, 2020 That day is coming again. Expressions of love – from candy hearts to flowers to chocolates – are all the rage on Valentine’s Day. But why be stuck with the mundane? Whether for a loved one or even yourself, there are plenty of unique and intriguing gifts and ways to spend the holiday BELLY DANCING Anyone can dance … even belly dance, says Amira Hamzar, and she should know.
Fall Out Boy Falling Into Tour
Modern Rock By Kristi Kates | Feb. 8, 2020 Fall Out Boy is now in outlets with its second greatest hits collection for Island Records, dubbed Greatest Hits: Believers Never Die – Volume Two. This collection was just released and serves as promo for the band’s upcoming global tour, which will kick off on June 13 in Paris, France.
Lawson Rollins - True North - Infinata
FourScore By Kristi Kates | Feb. 8, 2020 Lawson Rollins – True North – Infinata With the title alone sure to appeal to northern Michigan fans, Rollins offers up a dozen new original contemporary jazz-pop/experimental guitar compositions showcasing his writing skills as well as the strength of his improv abilities, with which he takes plenty of risks.
Ethanology's Fresh Frost
Bottoms Up By Alex Tank | Feb. 8, 2020 Just off Elk Lake, Ethanology is embracing the art of shaking off winter’s chill with warming spirits. All products of the three-year-old business are distilled on site, using hyper-local ingredients sourced within a 33-mile radius. Co-owners and spouses Geri and Nick Lefebre produce vodka, gin, white whiskey and Mel, a unique spirit derived from local honey.
Alpine Chocolats
Tastemaker By Al Parker | Feb. 8, 2020 Here's your chance to score some sinfully delectable treats for your Valentine from the number-one chocolate shop in the state, Gaylord's Alpine Chocolat Haus. The chocolatier was given that high ranking late last year by mentalfloss.com. Manager Heather McKinnon says that chocolate-covered fruits and nuts do well at the store. “Our chocolate-covered oranges and strawberries, along with our pecan caramels are among our most popular choices,” she said.
Cadillac’s Clam Lake Beer Co.
Primo craft beer and hearty fare for hard-working locals and day-trippers alike. By Craig Manning | Jan. 25, 2020 It’s 3:00 on a Thursday afternoon, but Clam Lake Beer Co. is already bustling with regulars. The taphouse and brewery, which is located right on the main drag of S. Mitchell Street in downtown Cadillac, is a popular local hangout spot no matter the time or day. In the winter, it’s a go-to stop for skiers and snowmobilers.
A Punishment to Fit the Crime
For the fourth time, a judge will sentence Robert Jensen Schwander for murdering Carly Lewis in Traverse City. By Patrick Sullivan | Jan. 25, 2020 The trial of Robert Jensen Schwander for the brutal murder of Carly Lewis in June 2011 was not about whether or not Schwander killed Lewis — he confessed to killing her early in the investigation. Rather, the trial was supposed to determine what kind of killing had occurred.
Dealing with Iran
Guest Opinion By Jack Segal | Jan. 25, 2020 What is U.S. policy toward Iran? Since the Jan. 3 killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), we’ve seen a war of words between President Trump and Ayatollah Khamenei, missile strikes by both sides, and the murder of 176 innocent passengers on a Ukrainian airliner.
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