info northeast's the guide to northeast michigan fall 2010 issue
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Fall 2010 issue of The Guide to Northeast Michigan.TRANSCRIPT
INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
INDEX 8 What’s bugging you? 10 Help for homeowners 12 Kayak 13 Krab salad 16 Recipes from Sandie’s Galley 18 News shorts 21 Cathedral in the corn 22 A time for rest 24 Update on Camp Grayling 26 Firewise
The Guideto Northeast Michigancovering the counties of Alcona,
Arenac, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Ogemaw,
Oscoda and Roscommon
October/November/December 2010Volume I, Issue III
Published by: Info NortheastJerry Nunn, editor
Tanger Outlet Center Office: (989) 345-0356 • Cell: (989) 780-0900
Contributing writers:Jerry Nunn, Jim Smith, Sandie Parker,
John Frye and Abby Ertel
Advertising sales and design:Scott Nunn
(989) 245-7140
Layout and design:K. Neff Photographics
By JERRY NUNN, editor
OPINION
Name one thing more essential to the strength of a community, the prospects for its future and the autonomy of its citizens than the presence of a local school.
Chances are you won’t come up with too many.
Folks in St. Helen did not even try.
As soon as the board of the Roscommon Area Public Schools voted to close St. Helen Elemen-tary School, effective at the begin-ning of this school year, parents in this lakeside community set out to fi nd a way to keep the classroom doors open. Forming the group they call REM – Rural Education Matters – parents, business owners and municipal leaders are hoping to form a charter school to serve St. Helen’s K-8 students.
A $160,000 grant from the State of Michigan helped fund REM. Already the group has hired Com-merce Township-based MidWest Management to provide business and human resource services, as well as Essayon Consulting Services of Lansing. REM has also procured an attorney.
REM’s inquisitions have un-covered numerous options such as modular classrooms on vacant land as well as the renovation the now-closed lumber retailer, Erb Lumber.
But a better option does exist in the now-shuttered St. Helen Elementary. Though the building now lies dormant, if all goes as REM organizers hope students will again use the building to at-tend daily classes.
For this school year, elementary-aged students from St. Helen are riding the bus to Roscommon, 12 miles away, to attend Roscommon Elementary School. But an aggres-sive effort is being made to open the doors of the proposed Charlton Heston Academy before school begins next year.
REM’s efforts to attain a charter school authorization were affi rmed when Grand Valley State Univer-sity accepted the group’s applica-tion and elevated the request to Phase II Status, the second level of a three tier acceptance process. Giving further hope, REM’s applica-tion was one of eight, out of 57 submitted, to make the most recent cut and undergo further scrutiny.
While dis-trict approval is not required to form the charter school, problems do exist. It would be in everyone’s best interest if those were hammered out.
For starters, Roscommon Area Public School offi cials seem dead set against the academy because the effort could remove around 200 students from their attendance roster and $1.7 million in state aid from the district’s budget.
But district offi cials fi nd them-selves in a public relations night-mare.
When they last sought a mill-age, marketing endeavors included a long list of physical repairs required at St. Helen Elementary School. After that millage was approved by voters school offi cials announced they would close the school in St. Helen and bus those students clear to Roscommon. Worsening the public’s percep-tion of school board dishonesty was the money allocated to repairs and renovations of Roscommon Elementary School so it could ac-commodate the increased number of students from St. Helen. As if that was not enough, the district spent even more of its hard-to-come-by budget on remodeling projects elsewhere.
Still, district offi cials could make it easier for everyone if they
found incentive to transfer owner-ship of the school to REM for their use as a charter school. Coopera-tive agreements for management and delivery of special educational services between the entities could
result in a gain for the larger dis-trict, or at least act as a mitigator of the district’s loss.
As if to further complicate the issue, the 60 acre property that St. Helen Elemen-tary School sits on belongs to the state, deeded to
the school system when the school was built in 1972. According to the deed, if the Roscommon Area Pub-lic School District fails to maintain an educational presence there, the property reverts to state ownership and the building must be removed.
Therefore a lease or sale of the building to REM would discharge the district from these and possibly other unforeseen obligations.
As St. Helen residents are quick to point out, in this era of dwin-dling state aid, the last thing the Roscommon Area Public School District needs now is a lack of support from the large block of tax-paying voters in St. Helen. Yet that is the likely outcome should offi cials from the Roscommon Area School District continue to buck St. Helen’s local efforts to save their elementary school.
Governance of Michigan’s public schools is supposed to remain in the hands of the parents whose children attend them. But regulations set forth as far away as Lansing and Washington, D.C. continue to erode that ideal.
It would be a shame if school administrators located one town over and just down the road, con-tribute to that loss of local parent’s control.
2
Rural education matters
Corrections: In the last issue of the Guide it was incorrectly stated that North and South Higgins Lake
State parks were located in Crawford County. Both are located in Roscommon County.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
October Calendar1-2: Octoberfest, at Tawas City
Park, across from the courthouse in Tawas City, offering family fun with many games and contests for the youngsters, a beer tent with entertainment, vendors, air boat rides, chainsaw demonstrations and best costume contest. $5 entry fee, 10-and-under free. Info: (989) 362-8643.
1-2: 2nd Annual Oktoberfest Celebration in downtown Gaylord, with authentic German food, music and dancing, with live bands each night from 7 to 11 p.m. Info: (989) 732-4060.
1-3: Depot Days at the Standish Depot, live entertainment, Schmidt Amusements carnival, Timberliner passenger train traveling to Gray-
ling, vendors, crafts, antique trac-tors, pie baking contest and more. Info: (989) 846-6560.
2: Oscoda Lions Club Fall Festi-val Arts & Crafts Show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oscoda Area High School, River Road in Oscoda. Info: (800) 235-4625.
2: Hartwick Pines Challenge, 7.2 and 3.1 mile run, at Hartwick Pines State Park, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Grayling. Info: (989) 390-5530.
2: Earleen Fox Memorial 5k Run/Walk, West Branch, promot-ing breast cancer awareness. Info: (989) 685-2552 or (989) 345-0200.
2: Bump and Run Derby, at the Ogemaw County Fairgrounds. Info: (989) 345-3033.
2-3: 3rd Annual Grayling Har-vest Festival. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. fea-turing antique passenger train cars pulled by a diesel engine and the Detroit Historical Museum’s Glan-cy Train Display will be showing at the Grayling Middle School with an antique tractor show and pa-rades, farmer’s market, model train show, arts and crafts, 5 and 10k Races and much more. Info: (989) 348-4461.
2-3: Timberliner Color Tour pas-senger steam train excursion leaves Standish each day, bound for Grayling, with side trips beginning and returning to Grayling. Info and tickets: (989) 348-4461 or (989) 718-3021.
3: Pork BBQ Dinner, noon to 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hale. Adults $8, children 6- to 12-years-old $4, 5 and under free. Info: (989) 728-4082.
7-9: 25th Annual Quilt Show and Raffl e, in downtown West Branch, hosted by Hospice of Helping Hands. Info: (800) 992-6592.
7-10: Mind, Body and Sew with Dawn, hosted by Ice House Quilt Shop, at the Days Inn in Grayling. Learn to make a Kaleidoscope quilt and pamper yourself all weekend long. Cost is $75 plus hotel accom-modations. Info: (989) 348-4821.
7-10: Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival, at Tawas Point, Stur-geon Point, and other Lake Huron Lighthouses. Events at East Tawas, including lighthouse tours daily,
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INFONORTHEAST•OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
sponsored by Friends of Tawas Point, $2 admission. Info: (989) 362-5041 or (989) 362-5658.
8-9: 4th Annual Eagle Festival athletic program fundraiser at Fairview School, starting with a pancake breakfast and including a parade, float competition, vin-tage vehicles, tailgate party, BBQ chicken dinners, business expo, blooper ball, 5K run, kids carnival and more. Info: (989) 848-7054.
8-11: Columbus Day Weekend Sidewalk Sales, at Tanger Outlet Center. Info (989) 345-2594.
8-10: Oktoberfest & German Beer Fest at Forest Dunes Golf Club, with German Beer Hall food
and beverages all weekend long. Info: (989) 275-0700, ext. 119.
9: Bulb and Bulb Container Gar-den Workshop, 11:30 a.m. at Tawas City Library. Workshop is free, pre-registration required. Info: (989) 362-6557.
9: Farm Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. behind the historical village in down-town Gladwin, featuring produce, craft items. Info: (989) 339-1780.
9-10: Color Tour, non-competitive trail riding event for all ages starting in Rose City. Bikes and Quads wel-come. Info: (248) 682-6540 or www.bentwheels.com.
9: Lion’s Harvest Bazaar, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Standish, with tables still available. Info: (989) 846-9880.
10: Garden Tractor Pulls at Wel-lington Farm USA, Grayling. Visit a Depression-era historic farm and see the little guys behave just like the big tractors. Info: (989) 348-5187.
10: Men’s Breakfast Club, at Glad-win Eagles #3292, 8 a.m. to noon, open to everyone, featuring eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, French toast, sausage, ham, fruit cocktail, coffee and juice, $5 all you can eat. Info: (989) 426-9348.
11-17: Golfers Appreciation Week in Gaylord, with a free round of golf and a cart with a paid night’s lodg-ing. Book a room in a participating
hotel and mention Customer Appre-ciation Week. Info: (800) 345-8621 or online at freegolfgaylord.com.
14: Senior Health Fair, 1 to 5 p.m. at the Alcona Senior Center, featur-ing flu shots, cholesterol test, blood pressure and glaucoma tests, dinner and more. Info: (989) 736-8879.
15-16: Haunted Lighthouse, at the Tawas Point Lighthouse in East Tawas, featuring all day games, evening tours, hayrides followed by Monster Dance. Info: (989) 362-5041, 362-5658.
16: Critters in the Moonlight, a Halloween Program at Hartwick Pines State Park. The program is free but a State Park vehicle pass is required. Info: (989) 348-2537.
16-17: Punkin’ Chunkin at Wel-lington Farm USA, check out life on a Depression-era farm and try your hand at tossing a pumpkin a hun-dred yards or more using a Medieval trebuchet. Info: (989) 348-5187.
16-17: Fall Harvest Festival at Gar-land Resort, with pumpkin picking, carving, hayrides, a harvest-themed menu, live music and more. Call for special room rates. Info: (877) 4- GARLAND.
17: Rodney Beyers and his Polka Pals at the Houghton Lake Playhouse Dance, 3-7 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Info: (989) 422-6393 or (989) 329-4493.
21: Uncorked in Grayling, Kiwanis Club wine tasting at the Grayling Country Club, with live music, hors d’oeuvres, and the chance to buy some fine wine; $15 entry. Info: (989) 348-5618.
22-23, 28-30: The Haunting of Wellington, the Depression-era his-toric farm undergoes a transforma-
tion, just in time for Halloween. Info: (989) 348-5187.
22-23, 28-31: Fright High, 6:30 p.m. at the former Oscoda Elemen-tary School behind Ace Hardware; featuring three floors of spooky adventures with indoor admission lineup and concessions. $5 general admission or $10 advance hall pass for unlimited one day entry. Not rec-ommended for kids under 12. Info: (989) 739- 2041.
22-23: Dinner Theater at For-est Dunes Golf Course, featuring Kirtland Community Theater in the theatrical performance. “Rehearsal for Murder.” Tickets cost $35, doors open at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 and show starts at 7 p.m. Info: (989) 275-0700 ext. 119.
23: Rich Little, impersonator, with a look at the life of Jimmy Stewart, 7 p.m. at the Kirtland Center for Per-forming Arts, at Kirtland Community College. Info: (989) 275-6777 or www.kirtlandcenter.com.
23: Haunted Woods Hay Ride, Beaverton. Info: 435- 3879.
23: Lion’s Club Poker Tournament, 6:30 p.m. at Beaverton Community Center, Texas Hold’em fundraiser for Christmas Basket program, featuring a $23 buy-in with one-half payout, cash bar, free snacks. Info: (989) 435-8435.
Every attempt at accuracy has been made while
producing this calendar of events. Nonetheless, events can change or
mistakes can be made. Thus, it is never a bad
idea to call ahead, before heading out on that three
hour drive north.
Watch Jim Smith and the Wellington Farm trebuchet in a pumpkin flinging video at www.youtube.com/user/
infonortheast.
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30: Lincoln Chili Cook-off, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Trick or Trunk noon to 2 p.m. Info:(989) 724-5107.
30: Trunk or Treat, at the Rich-field Township Park in St. Helen. Info: (989) 389-3725.
30: Trunk or Treat at the AuSable River Center in Roscommon. Info: (989) 275-8760.
30: Pumpkin Painting at Gladwin City Park, 10 a.m. Info: (989) 429-3272.
November Calendar1: Winter Registration begins at
Mid Michigan Community College and runs periodically through Jan. 7. Info: (989) 386-6661.
1: Winter registration begins at Alpena Community College and runs through Dec. 31. Info: (989) 356-9021 or www.alpenacc.edu.
4, 9 & 11: Death of a Salesman, matinee at Mid Michigan Com-munity College, show time is 2 p.m. with an optional traditional Thanksgiving luncheon at 12:30. Price is $8 for the performance or $18 including lunch. Info and reservations: (989) 386-6640.
6: “Rehearsal for Murder,” a Ro-tary Club dinner theater fundraiser at the Houghton Lake Playhouse; cost is $25, doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 and show time at 7 p.m. Info and tickets: (989) 366-5551.
6: Annual Auction and wine tast-ing dinner, hosted by Woodland Sanctuary in Mio and sponsored by the Oscoda County Chamber of Commerce; tickets cost $15 each or two for $26. Info and tickets. (989) 826-3331.
8-19: Early Winter Registration at Kirtland Community College. Info: (989) 275-5000 ext. 284 or look online at www.kirtland.edu.
12-13: Death of a Salesman, 7 p.m. at Mid Michigan Community College, tickets cost $8 adults and $5 under 12. Info: (989) 386-6640.
13-14: Tawas Area Art Tour, visit 10 to 12 artists in their home studios and galleries. Info: 989-362-2523 .
13: 34th Annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Show, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Houghton Lake Middle School. Info: (989) 366-8511.
13-20: Festival of Trees, Christ-mas Tree auction, sponsored by the Graying Professional Association and held at the Mini Mall in Gray-ling. Info: (800) 937-8837.
14: Men’s Breakfast Club, at Gladwin Eagles #3292, 8 a.m. to noon, open to all, featuring eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, French toast, sausage, ham, fruit cocktail, coffee and juice, $5 all you can eat. Info: (989) 426-9348.
15: Deer Hunter’s Swiss Steak Dinner, 5-8 p.m. at the Barton City VFW Post. Info: (989) 736-6168.
20: Christmas Walk, 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Grayling, with a shuttle to the Festival of Lights. live reindeer, nativity, Santa Claus, and other special events. Info: (800) 937-8837.
20: Step Afrika, celebrate the rich African dance tradition at Kirtland Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets cost $20 and $22. Info and reservations: (989) 275-6777.
26: Christmas Parade and Tree lighting, downtown St. Helen. Info: (989) 389-3725.
Check out St. Helen’s Trunk or Treat video at www.youtube.com/user/
infonortheast
See the center fold in this issue of the Guide to
Northeast Michigan.
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INFONORTHEAST•OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
27: Blizzard Trail opens at Cross Country Ski Headquarters, Roscommon, weather permitting. Info: (800) 832-2663.
27: Light Up the North begins at Garland Resort, featuring more than 100,000 LED lights in 12 themed displays, including the Snowflake Lights Ballet set to music. Horse-drawn sleighs and wagons available. Info: (877) 4-GARLAND.
December Calendar3: Jazz singer Sunny Wilkin-
son and the Alpena Community College Jazz Band, 7:30 p.m. at ACC’s Granum Theater, $10 adult, $7 youngsters, $30 family. Info: (989) 358-7271.
4: Pinecone Ball at Hartwick Pines, a Friends of Hartwick Pines event with details to come. Info: (989) 348-2537.
4: Northern Light’s Christmas Parade and Community Gather-ing, 5 p.m. in downtown Oscoda, parade starts at 6 p.m. preceded by caroling, hot cocoa, clowning and followed by a free kid’s movie. Info: (800) 235-4625.
4: Christmas Walk at Tawas Point Lighthouse, decorated
lighthouse tours and hayrides. Store open with treats followed by Christmas caroling and tree light-ing outside the lighthouse. Info: (989) 362-5041.
4: Harrisville’s Christmas in the Village, a day-long celebration with in-store specials at partici-pating businesses, bazaars, a visit from Santa, hayrides, cookie walk and more; 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Ann’s Catholic Church. Info: (989)724-5107.
4: Festival of Lights Parade, in downtown Gladwin. Info: (989) 426-6565.
4: Jim Witter, in a heartwarming holiday concert at Kirtland Center for Performing Arts. Tickets cost $24 and $26. Info and reserva-tions: (989) 275-6777.
5: 3rd Annual Northern Lights Parade, beginning with kid’s events at 5 p.m. at Oscoda Town Hall, caroling at 5:30 p.m. and the parade at 6 p.m. followed by mov-ies at the Lake Theater at 7 p.m. Info: (800) 235-4625.
6: Lion’s Club Wild Game Din-ner, Beaverton Community Center. Info: (989) 435-7715.
10-11: Farm by Lantern Light, at Wellington Farm Park, Northeast Michigan’s depression-era living
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history museum. Info: (989) 348-5187.
11: Children’s Christmas Party at the Mio Moose Lodge in Mio. Info: (989) 848-2692.
11-12: Snowshoe Lacing Work-shop at Hartwick Pines State Park, the first of several planned throughout the winter. For sched-ule, prices and info: (989) 348-2537.
12: Men’s Breakfast Club, at Gladwin Eagles #3292, 8 a.m. to noon, open to everyone, featuring eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, French toast, sausage, ham, fruit cocktail, coffee and juice, $5 all you can eat. Info: (989) 426-9348.
21: A 1932 Christmas Church Service, presented by Welling-ton Farm Park at the refurbished and historic Stittsville Church. A traditional Depression-era Christ-mas Church service that is non-denominational and open to the public. Info: (989) 348-5187 or visit www.WellingtonFarmPark.com.
January Calendar8: Guided Snowshoe Hikes, 1
p.m. at Hartwick Pines Visitor’s Center, with snowshoes to loan, held every two weeks while condi-tions allow. Info: (989) 348-2537.
9: Garland Resort’s Gourmet Glide season kick-off, a day of featuring Nordic skiing and gour-met delights at Garland Resort in Lewiston. Info: (877) 4-GAR-LAND.
9-Feb. 27: Hanson Hoppers Learn to Ski Program, Sundays, 11 a.m. at Hanson Hills Recre-ation Area; a four to eight week program designed especially for youngsters 4- to 7-years-old. Cost is four weeks for $89 or eight weeks for $119. DEADLINE to register is Jan. 9. Info: (989) 348-9266.
15: Cross Country Ski by Lantern Light, 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hartwick Pines Forest Visitor’s Center and held every other week while snow conditions allow. Info: (989) 348-2537.
21-23 & 28-29: 61st Annual Tip-Up-Town USA, on the shore of Houghton Lake, with carnival rides, snowmobile racing, fam-ily and beverage tent, vendors, games, fishing contests, a polar bear swim and more. Info: (989) 366-5644.
28: Gabriel Bolkosky, violinist, at Kirtland Center for the Perform-ing Arts. Info and reservations: (989) 275-6777.
February Calendar3-6: 61st Annual Perchville
USA, at the State Harbor in East Tawas, with entertainment, games, a chili cook-off, beverage tent, polar bear swim and more. Info: (989) 362-8643.
5-6: St. Helen Winterfest, with games, prizes, a medallion hunt, food, beverages, fishing tourna-ment, sled contests, and more. Info: (989) 389-3725.
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INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
MIO – When the emerald ash borer arrived on our shores the metallic green insect quickly taught our state foresters and en-tomologists how little they knew about the destructive potential of foreign-bred insect invaders.
Count that a lesson learned.In order to thwart a repeat of
the disaster wrought by the de-structive bug, teams from across the state prowl our oak and pine forests, setting insect traps in 110 locations and searching for non-native insects that do not belong. Every insect caught in the study is shipped off to Michigan State University where a team of four entomologists will determine ex-actly what those insects are.
Failure to fi nd the exotic bugs the survey seeks will be the ul-
ti-
mate measure of the program’s success.
“Even though we are hunting for specifi c insects that do not belong here, we are really hoping that we do not fi nd any,” said Lora Freer, a part-time forester with the Michi-gan Department of Agriculture and the home horticulturist for Ogemaw County. “We don’t want to get caught like we did with the ash borer. When the emerald ash borer showed up here we had no idea that they even existed. No one had ever heard of that bug, much less studied them.”
Freer and her associate Donita Charron, director of the Oscoda County Conservation District, are one of 13 teams serving as foot soldiers in the 21-week war on ex-otic pests. Every three weeks the
Forester Lora Freer changes the attractant on a funnel trap as Donita Charron, director of the Oscoda County Conservation District, stands ready to collect the used sample. As part of a statewide exotic insect survey, the pair trek 300 miles across Alcona, Oscoda and Crawford Counties every three weeks checking traps and sending their fi ndings to entomologists at Michigan State University. Both say that early detection will be key in controlling the potential damage of the stateʼs next foreign insect invader.
MIO – When the emerald ash borer arrived on our shores the
mate measure of the program’s
What’s bugging you?By JERRY NUNN, editor
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pair set two days aside and trek 300 miles across three counties checking traps.
Oak sites have four rainproof traps known as delta traps, coated inside with a sticky substance, and a much larger funnel trap that insects think is the trunk of a tree. Pines sites receive similar traps as these, plus a large intercept trap. All are baited either with phero-mones or a chemical compound released by stressed or dying trees, and some traps are baited with up to three different attractants.
“Each one of the traps offers a different attraction,” Freer said, noting the strong odor the com-pounds contain. “Let’s put it this way, they arrive in the mail and they do not go into the house. They go in a shed out back. If I leave these in the back of my truck overnight, in the morning my truck is full of moths.”
Yet moths and their defoliat-ing larvae are merely one of the potentially destructive pests that program directors are searching for, according to Mike Philip, pest survey program manager for the Michigan Department of Agricul-ture. Also on the sought-after-in-sect list are bark beetles and wood borers.
And while the team has an eye out for specific species they also seek the unknown.
“That is one of the biggest points in the process,” Philip said. “How do you know, when you’re out in the field and looking into a trap, that what you are seeing in that trap is what you are looking for?”
Focus of the survey are those insects that come from somewhere else and do not belong.
“We don’t know what they are going to do when they get here,” Philip said. “The trees where they came from have developed a natu-ral resistance. In addition, they have left behind the insects and predators that kept their popula-tions under control.
Freer and Charron carry a sheet of photographs, showing some of the insects that they are hunting for. Some of those alien insects are decidedly different than Michi-gan’s native bug brood. But some appear so similar to insects that are native to Michigan that iden-tification is possible only under strict laboratory settings.
Philip says his team in the lab will use high powered micro-scopes to identify the insects that
are mailed back by the teams in the field.
“We are talking about differ-ences so small they are measured in microns,” Philip says, noting the differences are anatomical in nature – a greater distance be-tween their eyes, a difference in the length of a spine.
While those differences may be small, the potential damage that alien insects can inflict to our forests can be huge, as was demonstrated by the emerald ash borer. First detected in Southeast Michigan 2002, authorities figure the insect may have been here for a decade or more before its dis-covery.
That gave the insect plenty of time to establish itself says John Bedford, emerald ash borer pro-gram manager for the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Now the destructive bug is found as far away as New York, Kentucky, Iowa and in every state in be-tween.
That makes the work that for-esters Freer, Charron and their in-field associates perform all that more important.
“If the emerald ash borer had been caught real early, I think there may have been something significant done in the manage-ment of it,” Bedford said, noting that opportunity was lost with the emerald ash borer. While efforts aimed at managing the ash borer progresses, no methods have been found that can control the insect, he says.
But the failure to detect the emerald ash borer early stands as a lesson for when the next forest-destroying insect arrives.
“Even if we do not know what the next invasive will be, the ear-lier we find it the more successful we can be at managing it,” Bed-ford says.
9
INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
By JIM SMITHstaff writer
While more homeowners than ever struggle to meet their mortgage obligation, help has arrived in Northeast Michigan thanks to a newly-formed partnership between River House Inc. and the Michigan State Housing and Development Agency.
GRAYLING – Times are tough, tougher perhaps than at any time since the Great Depression. Un-employment is at historically high rates through out the country and more families than ever before, in our country’s history are threat-ened with the loss of their largest investment, their homes. Without belaboring the conditions that got us to this point, there is help avail-able.
There is also risk involved. Foreclosure prevention counsel-
ing is the latest feeding grounds for predators and scam artists, those people and business that make promises, charge huge fees and then disappear. Are their vic-tims any wiser? Chances are they are defi antly poorer and chances are they are even closer to fore-closure than before. How does the homeowner tell the difference be-tween the bad guys and the good guys? Do they still wear black hats or white hats? Unfortunately, that only works in the grade “B” westerns.
Michigan is a non-judicial state, meaning that the foreclosure process can be conducted outside the court system until the very end of the process. Throughout the process there are steps that may be
taken to stop, delay and even re-verse the foreclosure but the closer the homeowner gets to the end of the process, the fewer options there are available.
The “Bad Guys,” the predators and scam artists, will be very vis-ible in advertising. They probably will call you when the fi rst notice appears in the paper. They will make guarantees. They will want money up front and, after shuffl ing a few papers, they will disappear. And the homeowner will probably lose their home.
The “Good Guys” don’t wear white hats. They don’t make promises and they don’t ask for money. They are sponsored by reputable agencies that care about people and are results oriented. They are usually funded, trained and overseen by government agen-cies. The only guarantee they will make is to do their very best to help the homeowner understand the foreclosure process, deal with the paper work and understand their options at any given stage during the foreclosure.
Reputable foreclosure preven-tion counselors will be networked with other agencies in their area to refer clients to additional resourc-es for emergency loans, energy as-sistance, food, emergency shelter and other services that may be available to people in need. Most importantly, a reputable counselor and agency will be an advocate to the homeowner, serving as a go-between with the lender and loan servicer while educating, guiding, and negotiating where necessary.
HELPBy JIM SMITHstaff writer
taken to stop, delay and even re-verse the foreclosure but the closer
HELPfor homeowners
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.
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Depending on the individual ho-meowner’s situation, the counselor may be able to help them negoti-ate a modifi ed loan, refi nance into a new mortgage and even obtain fi nancial assistance to catch up on delinquent payments. Legitimate counseling services will assist the homeowner in developing a household budget, repairing poor credit and preparation of the documentation required to help avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. In the event that reten-tion of the home is not desired or economically possible, the good counselor will help the homeown-er in resolving the foreclosure with the least possible damage to their fi nancial and emotional health and then help with reloca-tion into a home that they can afford.
In Michigan the two most rec-ognizable foreclosure prevention counseling services are avail-
able through the Federal Housing and Urban Development and the Michigan State Housing and De-velopment Agency. Most of these services are concentrated in urban and suburban areas, however fore-closure prevention counseling may be obtained through many county offi ces. In Northern Michigan foreclosure prevention services are available in Cadillac, Boyne City, Alpena and now in Grayling.
Info Northeast staff writer Jim Smith is a freelance writer in Grayling, Michigan and a certifi ed foreclosure counselor for River House, Inc.
The newest Northern Michigan foreclosure prevention services are available from River House Inc., through the organizations newly formed partnership with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.Specializing in services for victims of domestic or sexual violence, as well as homelessness, River House is a provider of emergency social services in Crawford, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Roscommon Counties. River House also serves as representative for NEMSCA and MSHDA in other related social service fi elds.To contact the River House Inc. foreclosure counseling services, call (989) 348-1649.For contact information to a certifi ed foreclosure prevention counselor in your area, contact MSHDA at (517) 373-8370 or online at www.michigan.gov/mshda.
KIRTLANDCOMMUNITY COLLEGE
Affordability! Just $81.50 per contact hour! (About 1/3 of the cost of the average state four-year institution.)
The same quality of instruction that you’d receive at most four- year colleges.
Credits that transfer to other colleges and universities.
Over 80 certifi cate and degree programs to choose from.
Online classes let you learn at home.
And much more!
Check these reasons to choose Kirtland!
KIRTLAND
Affordability! Just $81.50 per contact hour! (About 1/3 of the cost of the average state four-year institution.)
The same quality of instruction that you’d receive at most four- year colleges.
Credits that transfer to other colleges and universities.
Over 80 certifi cate and degree programs to choose from.
Online classes let you learn at home.
And much more!
Check these reasons to choose Kirtland!
Check out our new
Fire Science programs
(main campus) and
Surgical Technol-
ogy program (West
Branch).
CHECK US OUT! www.kirtland.eduOr call 989-275-5000, ext. 284 for more information
11
INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
WEST BRANCH – By day dentist Chris Chrysler works with the precision tools of his trade, fi ne-tipped instruments that take a steady eye and require an even steadier hand. Come fi ve o’clock, Chrysler slips downstairs in the West Branch dental offi ce he owns with his dentist wife Mary, and gets out tools of a larger na-ture – the saws, drills, planers and sanders that carpenters and craft-ers use when working with wood.
But that change to a heftier implement does not mean Chrysler sets aside his painstaking accuracy.
The cedar-strip kayak that Chrysler recent crafted in the low-er level of his offi ce demonstrates the same attention to detail one expects from a drilled cavity or a fi lled tooth. While the narrow, pointed shape of the kayak’s hull is the same time-tested design defi ned by science and used for centuries, the decorative inlay that Chrysler applied to the watercraft was of his design.
“Whatever hits me when I’m working on it,” said Chrysler, of the artistry that goes into the kayak. Thus, the familiar orange-red of cedar is set off by narrow bands of wood in contrasting colors. “I wanted to personalize it somehow.”
Not an easy endeavor when you see how the boat is made.
Starting with a plywood form that determines the kayak’s shape, the hull is built from center strip, working fi rst towards the keel, then up each side by lying and gluing narrow strips of cedar edge to edge.
“Each strip has a bead on one side and a cove on the other, so they fi t together,” Chrysler said.
The point of beginning, a single strip running the full length down both sides of the vessel, remains unglued. This “shear strip” en-ables the kayak to be separated into two halves – top and bottom.
“You have to have a way to get inside and fi nish it. It has to be sanded and fi nished on the inside, too,” Chrysler said, explaining that hatches fore and aft in the deck serve the same purpose dur-ing construction, and then serve as a place to stow items once the kayak is complete.
Once the strips are all laid down and the hatch cut in the top, the kayak is split and fi nished, fi rst by planing the hull, then by sanding. While the close-by workspace proved a convenient place to ply his woodworking hobby, Chrysler did reach a point when he began to work with strong smelling res-ins, and abandoned the basement
of his dentist offi ce to move the works to a pole barn.
There the kayak was fi nished by coating it with graphite and fi berglass fi bers and a fi nish coat of resin. Then the splash guard that surrounds the hatch, designed to defl ect water, was installed and the two halves fastened as one.
Unlike the short and wide rec-reational model kayaks that have become so popular, Chrysler’s hand-crafted model is built in the long, narrow style known as a sea kayak.
“This is made for a lake,” Chrysler said. “You see how it’s long and narrow? It’s made more for open water.”
Approval of Chrysler’s attention to detail has been ratifi ed. Work has begun on a second kayak, in the same style with the same personal touch. That is fi tting, since Chris and Mary Chrysler discovered the sport of kayaking together.
“We fi rst got into kayaks when we were in Copper Harbor,” Chrysler said. “We both just loved kayaks. Before we even got home we had bought two.”
Those two mass produced watercraft will be set aside, now that the couple have handcrafted luxury models at their disposal.
Not an easy endeavor when you see how the boat is made.
of his dentist offi ce to move the works to a pole barn.
KayakKayakKayakKayakKayakKayakBy JERRY NUNN
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Krab Salad3 pkg. Krab, rough chop1/2 bunch of celery, sliced thin1/2 lb. red seedless grapes, halved1 C. ranch salad dressing2 C. mayonnaise1 T. onion powder1/2 T. pepper
Mix all together and chill two hours before serving
Presented by theRolling Stone Steakhouse3444 W. M-55, West Branchjust off exit 215therollingstonesteakhouse.com
The Rolling StoneSteakhouse & Buffet
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Members of the Grayling Promotional Association have found a unique and unselfi sh way to share their spirit of Christmas. For fi ve years running the group has offered up Christmas trees free for the taking by local businesses and organizations, with the stipulation that those trees be returned fully decorated and ready to raffl e off.
For one week, Nov. 13-20, more than 30 festive trees will be on display at the Grayling Mini Mall where folks can stroll at leisure, enjoying decorations ranging from the traditional to the non-conventional.
That’s where the sharing begins. Tickets can be purchased for a chance to win the tree of your choice at cost of $2 each for 6 for $10. On Nov. 20 at noon Santa’s elves will be on hand for the drawing of the winners.
And the sharing doesn’t end there. Money earned from the Festival of Trees allows the Grayling Promo-tional Association to dole out the holiday spirit year round, by supporting benevolent projects throughout the county.
For more information about the Festival of Trees call the Grayling Chamber of Commerce at (989) 348-2921.
5th AnnualFestival of Trees
Nov. 13-20, 201010 a.m. to 7 p.m.
At the Grayling Mini Malllocated one-half mile off I-75
on the Grayling business loop
INFONORTHEAST•OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Culinary artist and recipe writer Sandie Parker, rated as a five-star cook by “Better Homes & Gardens,” writes a regular recipe column for Info Northeast and others from aboard her boat, “Nice N’ Nauti.” Look for more of Parker’s recipes at sandiesgalley.com.
Oh boy, it’s hunting season once again; that means the men (some women, too) take off, bound for the woods, and the women go shopping. That seems to be the case anyway, with all the shopping malls advertis-ing “Ladies Day” and offering lots of sales. Before sending your hunter off, include a batch of this hearty chili. The recipe bursts with flavor, will sat-isfy their appetite and even help soak up some of the beer consumed around the campfire. (Ha, ha.) So to all the cooks packing up food, this should keep them very happy and full. If you like it hot, hot, hot, add more chili powder and or hot pepper sauce. To see more recipes, or to check out my two cookbooks, go online to www.sandiesgalley.com.
Hearty Hunters Mex Tex Chili1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground pork sausage or turkey sausage3/4 c. chopped onion3 stalks celery, chopped1 1/2 tsp. prepared minced garlic2 (15 oz.) cans dark red chili beans1 (29 oz.) can tomato sauce1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes (I blend them)3 T. sugar2 tsp. chili powder1 T. bottled hot pepper sauce1 tsp. dried basil1 packet McCormick’s Mex Tex chili mix1/2 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked and drainedsour cream and shredded cheddar cheese for garnish
In a large fry pan cook ground beef,
sausage, onion, celery and garlic until meat has browned. Drain grease and pour into soup kettle. Stir in un-drained beans, tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes. Now add the rest of the ingredients except the maca-roni and garnishes. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stir in macaroni and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Serve in bowl with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top. Makes 8 to 10 bowls.
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By SANDIE PARKER, sandiesgalley.com
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With the holidays creeping up on us, here is an easy dessert recipe to keep on hand. We all know the stress of making sure ev-erything is done and that includes menu planning. Well I am here to help. This pretty holiday ice cream cake can be made ahead, saving you time to fuss with other things. Best part about it? Everyone from children to adults will love it. Now, if you have the time by all means make your own Oreo crust. I did. I want to wish all of you, from all of us here in Freeland, a very happy holiday season! For requests, chit chat and questions, please email me at [email protected] and visit my web-site at www.sandiesgalley.com.
Chocolate Cherry Vanilla Bean Pie1 Oreo Cookie pie crust1 ( 7-1/4 oz.) bottle hard-shell chocolate ice cream topping1 ( 10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries, drained1 quart vanilla bean ice cream3 ounces peanut butter cups, chopped
Prepare the crust and drizzle half of the chocolate ice cream topping over the bottom and up the sides of the crust, following package directions to shake well. Freeze until firm. Set aside six or seven cherries, cut in half, for garnish; chop the rest. In a large bowl combine the cherries and the ice cream. Spread into prepared frozen crust. Sprinkle the top with chopped peanut butter cups, drizzle the remaining chocolate topping. Garnish with the cherry halves and freeze at least 15 minutes before serv-ing. I would make this up to two days in advance to get it done. Just cover it with foil until you are ready to serve and then sit down with a glass of wine and relax a bit!
Home-made Oreo Cookie Crust:1 1/2 c. crushed Oreo Cookies1/2 c. melted butter
Crush cookies by putting them in a
gallon size freezer bag. Use a roll-ing pin to crush them. Place them in a bowl, add the melted butter, stir to combine. Spoon crumb mixture into a 9- to10-inch pie plate, or double the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan. Pat down evenly on bottom and up the sides.
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INFONORTHEAST•OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER18
WEST BRANCH – By the time this issue hits the news stand, inmates in the Ogemaw County Jail ought to be settled into their new quarters, according to Mark Surbrook, jail administrator. Located in the former Dean Arbor Ford dealership on the corner of state highways M-30 and M-55, the facility was converted to a high tech jail at the cost of $6.1 million. While the old jail had a capacity rating of 26 inmates the
new Ogemaw County Correctional Facility can house 122. By keep-ing Ogemaw County’s 40 inmates, on average, within the community and renting space to neighboring counties, the new jail may well pay for itself, according to Sur-brook.
STANDISH – Last year, when federal prison officials looked to the state’s Standish Maximum
Correctional Facility as possible location to house prisoners of war from Guantanamo Bay, the idea created an uproar in this Arenac County town. Now federal cor-rections officials are looking at the Standish facility, along with others, once again. As the first step in possible federal acquisition, an environmental assessment is underway in Standish. And while one recent report suggests that the Standish prison will again be drop from consideration, Richard Cohn, an official with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, says Standish Max remains a viable option for federal purchase.
GLADWIN – While travelers approaching this town from the south will notice a change to the skyline thanks to the town’s new 500,000-gallon water tower, resi-dents city-wide have noticed a 15-pound increase in water pressure. Underground and electrical work still continues, but it is hoped the project will be completed some-
News shorts from across Northeast Michigan
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time in November, according to Chuck Carman, foreman with the Gladwin Department of Public Works. Adorned on each side with “Gladwin,” as well as the Ameri-can flag, the water tower project will cost about $1.6 million by the time it’s complete.
GRAYLING – The AuSable Artisan Village, a collaborative ef-fort between Kirtland Community College and Northern Michigan crafters in all art media, is under-way after a successful summer of showings, classes and exhibits. Dedicated to the promotion of area artists and their works, the fledgling initiative has big plans to combine artistic skills with entrepreneurial spirit. If all goes as envisioned, the AuSable Artisan Village will soon offer classrooms, studios and galleries to artists while serving as an economic driver and an attraction to well-healed art lovers. While a website is still in the works, organizers have created a Facebook page appropriately named “AuSable Artisan Village.”
LEWISTON – Continuing to broaden its horizons beyond golf and fine dining, Garland Resort dedicated its new athletic fields earlier this year with the help of several downstate soccer teams, including several Detroit-area youth leagues and the men’s soc-cer team from Oakland Univer-sity. By the time promotion of the fields gets underway full swing next summer the resort hopes to host football, lacrosse, track and more. Add that to the full service spa that Garland’s owners plan to open in January and folks else-where will have even more year-round reasons to visit northern-most Oscoda County.
OSCODA – Visitors to Oscoda and locals alike found plenty of reason to utilize the township’s new River Bank Park, located on the AuSable River, an easy walk from downtown and Oscoda Beach Park. With a new paved and accessible quarter mile walking
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INFONORTHEAST•OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
loop, accessible fishing stations and observation platforms, as well as a canoe and kayak launch area, the park makes a perfect place for a day’s outing, while picnic tables and restrooms make the River Bank Park make it great place for a family picnic or to begin your tour along the nationally recog-nized River Road Scenic Byway.
HOUGHTON LAKE – Even the onset of autumn can’t put up a road block to antique auto enthu-siasts from Roscommon County and beyond. Vintage vehicle buffs continue to meet up every Mon-day at the Big Boy restaurant here almost until the snow flies. It’s nothing to see classic cars clear to deer season, if the weather holds out. Of course they bring along their classic rides, making the restaurant’s parking lot appear as a scene from the movie “American Graffiti. Meetings are informal and all in fun. Best of all, gawkers are most welcome and appreci-ated.
TAWAS CITY – Long term strategy called for a two phase approach in the renovations to Gate Way Park at the Tawas River mouth, with fishing facilities and lighting installed now and a new boat launch sometime in the fu-ture. City leaders scratched those
plans and completed the entire project at once. Now anglers have easy access to the river, with an accessible boardwalk and fishing pier, while boaters have as easy route to the waters of the bay by use of a new boat launch. Best of all, families can still make use of the park – the popular cement play structures that have long popu-lated the park still remain.
Husband and wife camping enthusiasts Eliot and Naomi Haycock set out on a three month “Road to Recreation” promotional tour Oct. 1, hawking Michigan’s new Recreation Passport. From now until the end of the year the pair will be making appearances at festivals and events across the state. Offered as a replacement to the annual of the Annual State Park Vehicle Pass, the Recreation Passport will provide access to all state parks and boat launches and is available Oct. 1 at Michi-gan Secretary of State Offices. If all goes as planned, according to State Park officials, the Passport will increase funding for the main-tenance of state and local parks, campgrounds, trails and histori-cal sites. As part of their tour the Haycocks are offering several giveaways so if you see them about their travels, be sure to say hello.
20
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WEST BRANCH – The sum-mer wedding of Cole Kartes and Lauren Shepardson fulfi lled every hope and dream that newly weds hold dear as they begin their lives together.
Led by the Rev. Thomas Teall of Calvary Baptist Church, the ceremony honored the young couple’s faith while a lavish re-ception in the church gymnasium celebrated family and custom. The wedding party of six atten-dants on each side paid respects to the couple, while a slow-moving, eight-mile procession into town announced to friends and com-munity that Cole and Lauren were husband and wife.
Yet perhaps more than anything, the July 30 wedding paid tribute to family tradition.
Held in a corn fi eld on the third-generation dairy farm that Cole and his brother Keith will one day inherit, the ceremony paid homage and honor to the agricultur-al lifestyle that will support the young couple as they forge their own way in life.
“It was her idea,” Cole says. “At fi rst I didn’t want to do it. I said. ‘Do you know how much work that’s going to take?’ But Lauren wanted to do something special so I said, ‘Well let’s do it then.’”
For the groom’s part, prepara-tion took about six weeks, begin-ning after the corn was already planted.
“We went in, measured it up, squared it off and pulled the corn.
Then we planted grass,” said Cole, 26.
After that grass sprouted, Cole took on the meticulous chore of watering and mowing. By the time the couple’s big day arrived, the area had become a plush lawn surrounded by 10-foot-tall corn.
I don’t know why I thought of it, but I wanted something dif-ferent,” said Lauren, 22. “People who came were like, ‘This is so cool.’ It defi nitely drew atten-tion.”
That the wedding will serve as a lasting memory not only to Cole
and Lauren, but to all in atten-dance, can be no doubt.
Not that the couple haven’t already made a few memories.
The wedding follows six years of courtship and they met when Lauren worked at Dairy Queen in West Branch.
“He used to come in with his friends and they rode Harleys,” Lauren recalls. “I thought he was so cool. My mom didn’t like it too much at fi rst but she came around once she got to know him.”
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INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
John Frye, Director of Land Protection – HeadWaters Land ConservancyAbby Ertel, Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member - HeadWaters Land Conservancy
Unless you had the privilege to spend most of your summer in Alaska, you were likely one of the many Michigan residents that en-joyed a very long and warm sum-mer season. Gaylord had its fi rst 80 degree day at the beginning of April and its fi rst 90 degree day long before June. Those warm days ate up what little snow we had well before the end of March, providing the opportunity to get outside early and enjoy more days in the yard and garden than usual.
After a long season of hard work and play under the sun most of us are ready to sit back and enjoy the cooler weather in front of a warm fi re. Not so fast! Fall is the best time to wrap up many simple but important activi-ties that will give your gardens, wildlife food plots, trees, and shrubs an important head start next spring. Before you hang up
the hand tools for the winter, here are a few ways to put a little more effort into your land now and be rewarded with great results next year.
Composting – This is a great way to produce rich, healthy soil. Not only does it reduce costs associated with gardening, the amount of garbage you send to the landfi ll decreases too. Plan to completely mix and turn over your compost pile in the fall so that all of the organic matter is incorporated and can break down over the winter months. To add a boost to next year’s vegetables and fl owers, add in compost that has been decomposing all summer to existing garden beds. You can continue to add to the top of your compost pile all winter long.
Pruning – Depending on where you live, you may be one of the lucky folks who can success-fully grow fruit bearing trees and shrubs that are not subjected to mid-June frosts. In October, once the leaves have fallen off the trees and shrubs, plan to prune any damaged or undesirable branches
John Frye, Director of Land Protection – John Frye, Director of Land Protection – HeadWaters Land ConservancyAbby Ertel, Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member - HeadWaters Land Conservancy
Unless you had the privilege to spend most of your summer in Alaska, you were likely one of the
the hand tools for the winter, here are a few ways to put a little more effort into your land now and be rewarded with great results next year.
Composting – This is a great way to produce rich, healthy soil. Not only does it reduce costs
A Time for Re�
22
HeadWaters
Land Conservancy
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to prepare for next year’s growth. A sharp saw or pruning loppers are essential. Make sure to clean the blade after each tree with a quick wipe of bleach to reduce the risk of transmitting disease between trees. Also, it is best to prune with another person. This way, one person supports the branch while the other cuts, alle-viating the risk of tearing the bark. The absence of the dense protec-tive layer bark provides, leaves trees susceptible to insect infesta-tion and the spread of disease. Birds then further damage the tree by feeding on bugs or nesting in newly created cavities.
Flower Beds – The weeds are fi nally giving up and most of the blooms are gone, but the end of the growing season is the best time to prepare your garden beds for next year. A few simple steps include removing dead vegeta-tion (put it in the compost pile,) planting or dividing bulbs and collecting seed bearing fl owers into a giant wildlife bouquet to hang next to the bird feeder. You can also collect fallen leaves and grass clippings to spread around garden beds for further nutrient breakdown and soil protection. Additional leaves can go into the compost pile!
Wildlife Food Plots – Wildlife food plots are an excellent way to enhance property because they are benefi cial to native and migratory animals all year long and fall is the best time to prepare your food plot for planting the following spring. The fi rst step to success-fully enhancing a food plot is call-ing the local Conservation District or Natural Resources Conserva-tion Service offi ce and having a resource professional take a soil sample. This test will indicate what nutrients are missing from the soil, and what pH adjustments may be necessary, saving you both time and money. Once the
missing ingredients have been identifi ed, work the necessary fer-tilizer and/or lime into the ground with a set of discs or a tiller. Over the winter bacteria will take the nutrients you added plus the tilled vegetation and create rich soil for next year’s planting. In the spring your site will be ready to plant – perfect for native, non-invasive plant species.
Indeed fall is a great time for rest and refl ection, but it is also a time to think ahead. For more information on any of these sug-gestions please contact your local Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Ser-vices offi ce, or local Land Trust. These organizations can provide you with valuable information to guide you to a more beautiful and healthy property.
Gaylord-based Headwaters Land Conservancy land trust is dedicated to protecting and pre-serving the remaining undisturbed natural resources of northeast Michigan. To learn more visit Headwaters online at www.head-watersconservancy.org.
23
INFONORTHEAST • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Changes underway on Michi-gan’s National Guard Training Base better refl ect the situation our troops encounter overseas.
By JIM SMITHstaff writer
CAMP GRAYLING – The tragedy of September 11 caused many change across our country, including the recognition by the political and military leadership of our nation that the technology of war has changed. Thus it was they announced the expansion of activities at the Michigan National Guard Training Base in Grayling.
Recent warfare has taught us that organized armies are far less likely to come marching across the landscape in challenge to the oc-cupants for the possession of ge-ography. While the fear of nuclear weapons is still a possibility, the real threat now comes from small
groups of dissidents who infi ltrate a community unnoticed, to sud-denly wreak havoc and terror on an entire nation. Those enemies have learned to use the infl uence of fear as a powerful weapon.
Welcome to the world of terror-ism.
Camp Grayling was formed in 1913 when lumber baron Rasmus Hanson gifted 147,000 acres to the State of Michigan to be used as a military training camp. The fi rst troops arrived for training in 1914 and the camp, which straddles Crawford, Kalkaska and Otsego Counties, has been in use ever since as the largest National Guard Training facil-ity in the United States and the largest domestic military facility east of the Mississippi River. The camp trains not only Michigan National Guardsmen but soldiers from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, as well as Canadian and other foreign
This building to the left represents a typical urban area that either military or civilian law enforcement personnel may be called upon to enter and fi ght in an urban warfare situation. below, on the site of Camp Graylingʼs old “Tent City,” new barracks grow to house thousands of future troops in training.
Changes underway on Michi-gan’s National Guard Training Base better refl ect the situation our
groups of dissidents who infi ltrate a community unnoticed, to sud-denly wreak havoc and terror on
Update onCamp Grayling
24
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troops, along with regular Army and Army Reserve Units.
With the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in the wake of 9/11, the federal govern-ment committed $70 million to upgrade Camp Grayling’s train-ing facilities to better train troops heading into battle. Since the mod-ern requirements of warfare are similar to the battle-fields of ter-rorism, training at Camp Grayling has been modified to reflect an ur-ban environment. Special training programs have also been devel-oped for civilian law enforcement agencies. Customarily, the training programs have been limited to the warm weather months but to better utilize the new, expanded facili-ties, winter maneuvers and exer-cises are being developed that will allow the facility to operate on a year round basis.
The total capacity for troop housing at Camp Grayling has been 725 officers and 3,144 enlist-ed personnel. An additional 6,780 personnel could be housed in what has been traditionally called “Tent City.” New construction underway and scheduled to be completed by early next year includes barracks capable of housing several bri-gades at a time, each with its own mess hall.
Of the more notorious additions to the camp are replicas of Middle Eastern villages. In these make-believe environments, a variety of scenarios can be utilized to allow the troops to experience what they will be faced with prior to their deployment to those theatres of action. There is also an “Urban Assault” area complete with three-dimensional mock ups of city buildings for use, not only by the military, but for training of civil-ian law enforcement agencies that may be faced with terrorists or insurgent invasions.
More and more, as the cost of maintaining a standing army
increases, Washington lawmak-ers and the military industry have been passing the responsibility for providing skilled and trained fight-ing men and women to the states and their National Guard groups. As we have seen in recent years, volunteers that are well trained can be called up and deployed almost at a moments notice. As long as the troops are standing at the ready in their home states, the cost is minimal.
While the construction and development of Camp Grayling’s new facilities continue at a rapid pace, there is a lot more to come. By the time all is said and done, Camp Grayling will be one of the most comprehensive ground battle field training facilities available anywhere.
INFONORTHEAST•OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER26
Under the direction of project coordinator Ada Takas, a cadre of volunteers recently completed a Firewise landscape demonstration plot at the Four Mile Road rest area. Located on north-bound I-75 just south of Grayling and north of the U.S. 27 interchange, the newly renovated landscape sets a safer example for woodland home owners.
FirewiseBy JERRY NUNN editor
GRAYLING – The burned out shell of a woodland home or cot-tage is an all-too-common scene following a wild fire. Often, the catastrophe is brought on by the property owners in an unwise at-tempt to preserve or broaden the woodland ambiance that surrounds their dwelling.
Now an alternative fire-resistant approach to a beautiful landscape is on display at I-75’s Four Mile Road rest area. Using practices outlined in the national Firewise program, the new landscaping that surrounds the facility serves as a buffer should a wild fire threaten.
The demonstration plot sets a prime example of what forest dwellers can and should do to pro-tect their homes and cabins.
Enabled through a partnership between Michigan’s Departments of Natural Resources and Trans-portation, the $45,000 Firewise landscape project could not have been completed without a legion of volunteers. Three such plots were installed in Michigan highway rest areas; others are located in Cadillac and Seney.
Yet the Grayling location seems somehow most appropriate.
Located on northbound I-75, just south of Grayling, this roadside rest area was at the heart of the 2008 Four Mile Road fire that burned 1,350 acres and spread to the southern edge of Grayling. It is also situated a mere 12 miles from last summer’s Meridian Boundary Fire that devoured 8,500 acres of Craw-ford County forest and destroyed 12 homes.
“After the Meridian Fire last May, we drove around to check it out and it was devastating,” said Marilyn Stuart of Roscommon, a Master Gardener and one of the many volunteers who pitched in to make the Firewise demonstration plot a reality. While Stuart under-
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stands the desire of folks with woodland homes to “maintain that natural beauty of the forest” she also said that “the people who live in the woods, if they come up and see what we’ve done here, will have a good idea of what they can do to help protect their homes.”
That’s the idea behind the high-profile location, according to Ada Takas, the DNRE’s volunteer coordinator and supervisor of the Firewise projects.
Using plants with a high-water content, lower in naturally com-bustible oils, as well as fire resis-tant mulch, the area directly sur-rounding the building now serves as a “defensible space,” Takas said. Meanwhile, groundcovers help preserve soil moisture while trees and large shrubs are cleared back from the dwelling.
Before the demonstration plot was even complete, it was fulfill-ing its educational goal.
“People stop and watch us work and they are not afraid to ask us about it,” Takas said. “Everywhere we’ve been, it has been like that. I think this is going to turn out to be a great educational opportunity.”
The landscaping will certainly gain its share of attention; Takas says 1.4 million visitors pass through the re-planted rest areas in a single year. Descriptive signs explain the planting and send folks elsewhere for more Firewise information.
With its inter-mixed flowers, shrubs, stones and descriptive signs, the more practical landscap-ing gives folks a reason to ponder,
Takas says, recalling the elderly woman gardener who found the same flowers planted here that she chose for her wedding long ago.
“You don’t really think about gardening and flowers as being related to landscaping, but when people make that kind of connec-tion with what we are doing here, it resonates with them. They can draw that direct connection to their lives,” Takas said.
The list of companies involved reads like a local hardware and building supply guide.
Brinks Mid-Michigan Land-scaping of Cadillac provided the excavation.
“When we took on the project we weren’t sure what we were in for, but I am glad we did,” said owner James Brinks, noting he was unfamiliar with the Firewise concept. “We never really thought about it before but how many fires have they had up here? We’ll defi-nitely keep using these ideas.”
Menards supplied the fire re-sistant cocoa-hull mulch, while Home Depot of Gaylord will pro-vide ongoing labor for upkeep.
“We’ll come out and weed it. We’ll make it a family thing; come out have a cook-out, pull some weeds and make sure everything is looking good,” said Barb Reimer, captain of Home Depot’s employ-ee volunteer organization, Team Depot.
“A lot of our associates live in Grayling,” Reimer said, recalling the worry that co-workers expe-rienced during the recent Merid-ian Boundary fire. “I think a lot
of people watched that and said, ‘Hey, I am out in the woods, too. What can I do keep this from hap-pening to me?’ This is a way they can protect themselves and help educate and protect our communi-ties, too.”
Not all who helped live nearby. Jim Hunt and Vicki Carpenter, along with their kids Victoria, Taylor and Ted, drove clear from Eaton Rapids to help with the Crawford County project, not just once, but five times. To the family, who are members of Lansing Mo-torcycle Club and avid dirt bikers all, volunteering here was a way to give back to the state.
“We use a lot of resources, so we stay in touch with Ada, looking for ways that we can give back,” Hunt said.
Folks who adopt the Firewise approach and adapt it to their own landscaping will be surprised at the diversity of plants and materi-als that can be used, according to Paul Kollmeyer, DNRE fire pre-vention specialist. Perhaps best, for cabin owners especially, is that many of the plants and shrubs require low maintenance.
“We are hoping that people pick up on the idea and use it elsewhere,” Kollmeyer said, not-ing that the Firewise concept fits well with full time residences as well as seasonal homes. “In many cases, these are the types of homes that burn down. People don’t go to their cabins to mow the grass and prune the trees. They want to ride in their hammock with a cold bev-erage in their hand or whatever.
The point is, they don’t go to work and with this they don’t have to.”
“Anything that someone can do will help,” Kollmeyer said, not-ing that the Firewise program has many facets that folks can adopt. As far as the rest area projects, they make the Firewise program highly visible in an area that he figures will do the most good. “This is a wonderful way to get the message out,” he added.
1 Northstar Storage Barns2 Country Feed Supply3 Maple Ridge Metal Supply4 Pine Grove Woodworking5 Country Cedar Crafts6 Granny’s Jamery7 Shady Lane Footwear and Fabrics8 Oak Hill Country Furniture9 Bylers Custom Cabinets
Selected Amish Merchants From Oscoda County
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Bills Rd.
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Kneeland Rd.
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Kittle Rd.
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