The Guide September 2011

THEGUIDE•SEPTEMBER20112

INDeX 6 ............These walls do talk 8 ............Second chance ranch 10 ..........Woven Art Work 14 ..........Centenarian 15-18 ....Conservation corner 19 ..........Bulking Up 20 ..........From Tim's kitchen 21 ..........Alcona fall color tour 22 ..........Graveside Civil War ceremony 23 ..........A little bit of elbow grease

2

The Guide covering the counties of Alcona, Arenac, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Roscommon

SEPTEMBER 2011Volume II, Issue 6Published by: Info Northeast Jerry Nunn, editor (989) 780-0900 [email protected]

Contributing writers: Jakub Bednarek, Jerry Nunn, Scott Nunn, Casey Ressl, Tim Reed

Contributing photographers: Jack Guy

Advertising sales and design: Scott Nunn (989) 245-7140 [email protected]

Layout and design: Kathy Neff (989) 848-0787 [email protected]

Winner of the2010 O.B. Eustis

Environmental AwarenessAward

The GuideBy JERRY NUNNeditor

Doubling as our exploration headquarters, the huge yard was neatly bordered to the south by a fence and a quiet country road, with a towering barn and a grand old farmhouse standing guard along the sides.

At the back edge stood a garage, a work shed and a well stocked chicken coop; to the north beyond that the unpopulated and desolate frontier stretched farther than our imaginations.

Our complicated mission: After searching the premises for foreign troops, consulting a couple of docile Jersey milk cows and determining the position of the spying farm cats, was to lead the prisoners, (in this case

a dozen barred rock laying hens,) from the coop to an empty corn crib that was to serve as their new jail.

As enticement to the birds, we shucked corn from the cob until our young hands were raw and laid it in trails, kernel by kernel, from the coop, through the orchard and to the crib.

The plot sounded much better than it worked but the scheme remains one of my favorite childhood memories.

The farm is still there, just west of Gladwin on Willford Road. Back then it belonged to my grandfather, Lester Kiggins. Now it has passed from the family and a recent drive by the old homestead revealed the house to be much smaller than memory tells, the barn less formidable and the unexplored territory out back stretching only as far as Clendening Road, less than one mile north.

So much for memories.Fortunately for folks in

Gladwin County, where they’re celebrating their sesquicentennial year, memories have been on display in shop windows all summer long.

Called Windows to the Past, and sponsored by the Gladwin Arts Council, the project found 40 business owners and citizens from across the county decorating windows in an old-time fashion

with scenes and articles from their historic past.

All summer the windows acted as memory prompts for those old enough to recall and served as an education in local history for those who are younger.

Best of all, while the windows were put on exhibit in store fronts for the season, the memories will continue to be preserved when the windows go on permanent display at the Gladwin County District Library sometime after Labor Day.

There is much to be said for memories. They enrich our lives, provide an escape to the past and remind us of where it is we come from.

But sometimes memories fade.We applaud those folks from

the Gladwin Arts Council for helping to keep our memories alive.

This window at Edward Jones Investments in downtown Gladwin shows the former Halls Drug Store’s historic progress over the years.

Windows to the Past

THEGUIDE•InfoNortheast.com 33

Northeast Michigan Calendar of Events September 2011

September 2Fabulous Fridays in Victorian West Branch, the final week featuring Big Boys and Their Toys. Info: (989) 345-2821

Ants and Friends Picnic, 10:15 a.m. at the Alcona County Library. Info: (989) 724-6796

Open Mic Night, 8 to 10 p.m. first Friday of every month at Thanks a Latte and Flowers by Josie in downtown Grayling. Info: (989) 348-4006

September 2-5Labor Day Weekend Sidewalk Sales at Tanger Outlet Center, West Branch. Info: (989) 345-2594

September 38th Annual Junque in the Trunk, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grayling Mini Mall parking lot. Info: (989) 348-9419

Mio Mud Bogs, 1 p.m. at the mud bog south of Mio on state highway M-33. Info: (989) 826-3331

9th Annual Gun Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Steiner Museum north of Fairview. Info: (989) 826-6952

Run for River House, at Hanson Hills Recreation Area, Grayling, featuring a 5k run/walk and a one mile fun run; registration 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. with races following. Info: (989) 370-3636

State Championship Demo Derby, 2 p.m. at the Gladwin Fair Grounds, with bump and run, truck class demo derby, followed by fireworks. Info: (231) 425-6990 or www.ToddSorensenPromotions.yolasite.com

September 3-4Harmony Weekend, Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Craftmaker’s Cabin in Harrisville, featuring more than 400 exhibitors, music, food, parade and a Barbershop and Sweet Adeline concert at Harrisville Harbor pavilion. Info: (989) 724-7197 or www.HarrisvilleArtsCouncil.com

21st Annual Labor Day Arts and Crafts Show, Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Newman Street in East Tawas. Info: (800) 558-2927

18th Annual Labor Day Arts and Crafts Show at the Houghton Lake Middle School, Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. sponsored by the Houghton Lake Arts & Crafts Association. Info: (989) 366-8511

September 3-526th Annual Barton City Baseball Tournament with proceeds to MDA. Info: (989) 736-3401

September 4Hartwick Pines Vintage Base Ball, 1 p.m. at Hartwick Pines State Park, with the Swampers against the Northville Eclipse. Info: (989) 348-2537

AuGres Knights of Columbus Breakfast, 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the KC Hall in AuGres, All-you-can-eat includes coffee and juice’ adults $6, seniors over-60 $5.75, kids 5-12 $3, under 5 are free. Info: (989) 876-7717

September 4-5Iosco Sportsmen’s Club Wobble Trap Tournament, noon to 3 p.m. at the Wurtsmith Range in Oscoda. Info: (989) 295-5712

September 5Wounded Veterans Benefit, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Steiner Museum, north of Fairview. Info: (989) 826-6952

The Labor of Logging Program, 2 p.m. at Hartwick Pines State Park, a 90 minute program with historian Rob Burg. Info: (989) 348-2537

September 8Our Community and the New Economy, 7 to 9 p.m. at Alcona High School in Lincoln, a presentation by Dave Ivan, extension specialist, who highlights the five pillars of renewed prosperity; a free public prelude to the Leadership Program that starts Sept. 29. Info: (989) 724-6478

September 9-1113th Annual Hospice of Helping Hands Annual Yard Sale, with thousands of items ranging from electronics, house wares, furniture, antiques and more. No clothes. Info: (800) 992-6592

September 10-11Free Hunters Safety Class, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at the Eastern Arenac Sportsmen’s Club in Twining. Registration and info: (989) 873-3530

September 10Pigeon River Large Woody Debris, a Huron Pines volunteer event in Cheboygan County. Be prepared to get wet while installing habitat structure in the Pigeon River; a physically-demanding project to improve habitat for fish and aquatic organisms, diversify stream flow and protect the riverbank. To participate call Huron Pines: (989) 344-0753 ext. 21 or email to [email protected]

Northern Michigan Folk Arts Festival, 10 a.m. at Wellington Farm Park, a barn dance-style event featuring artists, musicians and storytellers from across Northern Michigan; adults $7.50, seniors and students $5.50. Info: (989) 348-5187 or www.WellingtonFarmPark.org

Made in Roscommon Show and Sale, noon to 6 p.m. at the AuSable River Center, featuring books, dairy goat products, woodcrafts, wool and more. Info: (989) 275-5826

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.


Ogemaw County Humane Society Mutt March, at Iron's Park, West Branch. Info: (989) 343-7387

Gardening Workshops, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Tawas City Library, with Butterfly and Hummingbird Gardens at 10 a.m. and Worm Composting at 1 p.m., classes are free but pre-registration is required. Info: (989) 362-6557

September 10-11Thunder on the Strip, 1/8 mile street legal drag racing at Gladwin County Fairgrounds and Zettle Airport, with live entertainment, kid’s events, car show and more. Race registration costs $25 and begins at 11 a.m., racing starts at 1 p.m. and $5 to watch the fun. Info: (989) 246-4386 or www.ThunderOnTheStrip.net

September 11Country Breakfast, 8 a.m. to noon at VFW Post 4159 in Roscommon, an all you can eat breakfast with pancakes, sausage, eggs made to order, hash browns, biscuits and sausage gravy, coffee and juice; $5.50 adults, $2.50 under-10 and toddlers eat for free. Info: (989) 275-4136

2nd Annual Bridal Show, at the Chapel in the Park in AuGres; a free event. Info: (989) 240-4615

September 12Tee Off for Tolfree - Annual Golf Outing, to benefit the purchase of new equipment and provide new services for the West Branch Regional Medical Center. Info: (989) 343-3690

September 15-16Punkin’ Chunkin’ at Wellington Farm Park, Grayling; a depression-era working farm, complete with costumed interpreters, a working steam tractor,

shingle and grain mills and more. Admission costs $7.50 adults, students and seniors $5.50, with a $27.50 family maximum. Info: (989) 348-5187 or www.WellingtonFarmPark.org

September 15-18 31st Annual Firemen's Memorial Festival, at the Memorial grounds in Roscommon, featuring a weekend of fun and a tribute to the fallen firefighters with youth activities, contests for firefighters and a light parade. Info: (989) 275-5880 or www.FiremensMemorial.org

September 16-18 Fall Plow Days with AuSable Valley Engine and Tractor Club. Info and location: (989) 826-5920

Civil War Encampment at the Michigan Magazine Museum in Comins, featuring the Third Battery 1st Michigan Light Artillery. Info: (989) 848-5688

September 172nd Annual Riverbend 5k Run/Walk for multiple sclerosis, at the West Branch Senior Center, 130 Page Street, with registration at 10 a.m. and run starting at 11:30. Info: (989) 225-9213

Evening at a Logging Camp, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Hartwick Pines State Park. Journey back to 1896, to Salling-Hanson and Company’s Section 9 Camp and learn about life of lumberjacks as they prepare for the winter’s logging season. Info: (989) 348-2537

The Osmonds, an American Tradition, 7 p.m. at the Kirtland Center for Performing Arts, tickets cost $32 and $36. Info: (989) 275-6777 or www.KirtlandCenter.com

The Wellington Country Music Show, 7:30 p.m. at Wellington Farm Park, Grayling; tickets cost $12.50. Info: 348-5187 or www.WellingtonFarmPark.org

September 17-1815th Annual Paul Bunyan Festival, at Fertaw Field in Oscoda, with the Great lakes Chainsaw Carving Championships, lumberjack show, arts & crafts fair, classic car show, pony rides, kid’s games, Bunyan Games, live bands, beer tent and more. Info: (989) 739-7322

12 & 24 Hours of Hanson Hills mountain bike races, a Michigan Cup endurance race, with registration 8 to 9:30 a.m.; racing starts at 10 a.m. Spectators welcomed and encouraged. Info: (989) 348-9266 or www.FunPromotions.com

September 18Timber Trail Trot and Timber Trail XT run/walk races at Mid Michigan Community College; run/walk starts at 10 a.m., the XT at 9 a.m. Info: (989) 386-6651 or www.MidMich.edu

19th Annual Mid Michigan Community College Fall Festival and Barbeque, noon to 4 p.m. at the Harrison Campus, with a classic car show, kid’s games, rock climbing and family entertainment. Tickets cost $5 in advance, $7 at the door, three-and-under free. Info: (989) 386-6629 or www.MidMich.edu

September 19St. Joseph Christmas Shopping Spectacular, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic School, West Branch; featuring more than 30 local vendors with raffles, pictures with Santa and lunch available. Info: (989) 345-0220

September 20Free Walleye Fishing Seminar, by exert Mark Martin, 6:30 p.m. at the AuGres Library. Info: (989) 876-8818

Iosco County Project Connect, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Plainfield Township Hall, a free day of services for those in need offering dental, eye and medical exams, legal assistance, food, clothing and much more. Info: (989) 728-4082 or online at www.HaleYes.org


September 22Eric Jylha talks about “What Michigan did to support World War II,” 7 p.m. at the AuGres Historical Museum. Info: (989) 876-7029 or 876-8818

September 23-24Alcona Humane Society Annual Garage Sale at the ARA site in Lincoln. Info: (989) 736-7387

September 23-25Hale Yes Hot Air Balloon Festival, centered at the Iosco County Fairgrounds, with hot air balloons all three days and a huge roster of Saturday events. Info: www.HaleYes.org

September 24Curran Black Bear Festival, featuring a car show, horse pull, cake walk, concessions, craft show, kid’s games, parade and more. Info: (989) 335-3947

14th Annual Pumpkin Run Car & Motorcycle Show and Cruise, centered at the Kmart parking lot in Houghton Lake with a cruise, show, oldies entertainment, car hops, contests and more. Info: (989) 366-5644

St. Joseph Parish Fall Festival, noon to 5 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic School West Branch, with local bands, lunch, as well as games and prizes for everyone. Info: (989) 345-0220

September 24-25Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival, featuring all Things fiber, with sheep and pasture seminars, vendors and fiber supplies, classes on shearing, spinning, yarn, knitting and more. Info: (989) 345-2434

September 28Customer is King, a free business seminar 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the AuGres Library, with Chemical Bank, Delta College and the City of AuGres. Preregistration is required at (989) 686-9597

OctOber 1Annual Nature Fest, by the Friends of Sprinkler Lake Education Center, featuring PaleoJoe, Smoke Bear and a

wealth of other presenters and activities focused on conservation and nature; $2 admission includes lunch. Info: (989) 724-5053

11th Annual Oscoda Lions Club Fall Festival Arts and Crafts Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oscoda School Complex. Info: (989) 739-3911

Grayling Rotary Fall Flinger Fundraiser Disc Gulf Tournament, registration at 8 a.m. and tee off at 9 a.m. at Hanson Hills Recreation Area, with three divisions, raffles, side games and prizes. Info: (989) 348-9266

Earleen Fox Memorial 5K Walk/Run Promoting Breast Cancer Awareness. All Proceeds go to OHHS Scholar ship fund. Info: www.EarleenFoxMemorial5kWalkRun.com or (989) 685-2552

State Bump and Run Derby Championship at Ogemaw County Fairgrounds. Info: (989) 345-7266

OctOber 5safeTALK Suicide Alertness Training, 9 a.m. to noon at the CRAF Center in Roscommon, a three hour workshop teaching practical skills to recognize persons considering suicide and connect them with the help they need; cost is $5 and register by Sept. 28. Info: (989) 366-1105

OctOber 6-827th Annual Quilt Show and Raffle, at the 4th Street Gallery, West Branch, and the West Branch Library, with more than 100 quilts on display, admission costs $5, quilt raffle tickets cost $2 each or three for $5. Info: (800) 992-6592

OctOber 8Ogemaw Trails: Railroading Ogemaw County – East Edition, a self-guided driving tour introduces you to the people and places that made railroad history in Ogemaw County. Info: (989) 873-5673


By JERRY NUNNeditor

MIO – For eight decades the Tunison family has been building memories on their AuSable River vacation property just downstream from this Oscoda County town. Now, fi ve generations worth of memoirs can be found scrawled in pen and pencil on their modest cabin’s unfi nished walls.

For the most part, the writings are a mundane chronicle of weekends at the cabin marking holidays, recording weather and documenting time spent together in the company of grandparents, cousins and family friends.

But the inscriptions also include the family’s hallmark moments, highlighted in the March 2006 scrawl of Jennifer Tunison, proclaiming that “James popped the question” and “I said, ‘Oh my God, YES!”

Now those recorded family times are through.

The 35-acre parcel that the cabin sits on is public land, part of the Huron-Manistee National Forest, leased to the family of the late George Tunison Sr. since 1931. Offi cials with the U.S. Federal Forest Service have terminated the lease, as is their legal right according to the written agreement, and they want the property vacated

by the end of this year.For the Tunison’s, termination

of the lease created some rueful and introspective moments.

“I really wish there was something we could do, but I know that there’s not,” says James Tunison. “We have to tear the cabin down and return the property to its natural state by January.

“All my favorite family memories are there. That’s were I proposed to my wife,” he said. “The only thing we’re left with now is deciding which wall panels we want to cut out and save. That’s our family history written there.”

The Tunisons are not alone. Across the state are nearly 30 other parcels whose lease-holders face a common fate.

When the original lease was signed, the property was part of the vast, private, riverside land holdings of Consumers Power. The company transfered the land to the public as part of a remediation agreement over fi shkills at a Lake Michigan powerplant.

While the lease holders had the opportunity to purchase the land when it was transferred, few took the opportunity. As for the Tunison’s, 1,500 feet of frontage along the AuSable River would have cost more money than they were willing to spend.

Now, some have hired lawyers

These wallsThese wallsThese wallsThese wallsThese wallsThese wallsdo talk ...do talk ...do talk ...do talk ...do talk ...do talk ...do talk ...do talk ...do talk ...

We are now offering 900MHz wireless services, within a 2 mile radius of our towers.

SERVICES•DSL•WIRELESS•T1 •DIaL up•STanDaRD pHonE•DIgITaL pHonE

$1000* discount for all

nEW DSL customers

Our DSL plan is for new or existing M33Access customers.

With downstream speeds up to 100x faster than dialup, our DSL plan is a better value than cable.

Downstream Speed: Up to 1.5 Mbps* Must have a land-line phone for service

1-888-686-5999 • www.m33access.com

What’s

nEW at


and vow to have the decision reversed.

Yet, to fight the ruling would be a waste of time and money, the Tunison’s say. In the end they would still lose the property, their fond Up North memories sullied by anger and resentment.

“When it first came up, an attorney met with a group of us and he said, ‘I’d be a crook if I took your money,’” said Dexter Tunison, father to James and grandson to the vacationland’s founder George. “It’s not complicated. It says right in the lease that they can terminate it anytime they want to.”

As it stands now, the family can still look back on the good times they spent there.

And while those ancestoral writings will make some great souvenirs when they are cut from the walls, they do not tell the whole story according to Dexter Tunison.

And the original lease that George Tunsion signed was good for his lifetime only. Shortly after he signed it, his sons sought a way to lengthen the lease terms.

“I don’t know all the ins and outs, but I think my dad went down to Jackson,” to the headquarters of Consumers Power. “I think he argued that they had the wrong name on the lease,” Tunison said.

Apparently the ruse worked, because the lease was transferred to Dexter’s late father James, and his uncle George.

“My dad built the cabin in 1936,” Dexter said. “He went to Bay City and made a deal on the lumber. He bought all the lumber it took to build it for $323; the $23 was the delivery charge to have it hauled clear from Bay City all the way to Mio.”

Yet, according to family lore, the cabin should never have been built there to begin with.

“Apparently, they weren’t supposed to lease anything below

the dams because of the danger of flooding,” Tunison said. Thus the original lease description had the property located miles upstream, above Mio Dam. After the deal was made, the land agent claimed there had been a mistake and they went back and changed it, according to Dexter’s admittedly vague recollection.

“I wish I knew all the stories about that place,” Dexter says. “It’s the only dwelling along that stretch of the river. It really is a local landmark.”

A landmark that will soon be torn down but will remain a piece of the Tunison family’s heritage

forever.“It’s was one of those places

where we went every weekend,” Dexter said. “My sons James and Dave learned to swim there, we spent a lot of time camping and canoeing there. It gave us a lot of great memories.

“Am I bitter? No. It is sad to see it go but the way I look at it is this: That piece of property belongs to the public but our family has had exclusive rights to it for the past 80 years. I’d say we’ve been very fortunate.

“It is a beautiful piece of land that we can still return to and visit. We know that we’ve been very, very lucky.”

Friends and family of James Tunison used the remain-ing time at the Tunison's Mio cottage to build lasting memories and celebrate the good times they've been experiencing there since 1931.


Second Chance Ranch

By JERRY NUNNeditor

ROSCOMMON – Gazing over the pasture, Carrie Miracle runs down the litany of complaints the grazing horses once suffered and the lasting effects of the past ill-treatment some of them received.

“That’s Ebony over there,” Miracle says, pointing to a stately Percheron-quarter horse cross. “She was starving so bad when we brought her in that we put a horse blanket on her and she fell right down. She could not stand up under the weight.

“That one over there is blind. That brown one there was skin and bones.

“And that’s Queen. She was going off for meat when we took her in. She’s one of our best people horses.”

One by one, Miracle tells the history of 17 horses that now call Second Chance Ranch their home. As she climbs through the fence, nearly all the horses amble over to offer a greeting.

All are friendly, obviously well-fed and apparently well cared for.

“They weren’t always that way, at least not when we got them,” Miracle says. “That one is blind and had her nose broken when we got her; they’d beaten her with a 2-by-4.”

For a little more than a decade, the Miracle family has been caring for cast-off and run down horses on a 10-acre spread they call Second

Chance Ranch. Recently, the farm acquired an additional 10-acres and they are currently in the process of outfi tting a newly-built barn.

It all began when the Miracles acquired a skinny, poorly-fed horse. By the time they’d nursed it back to good health, Carrie’s mother Jeri Miracle says all her grandkids had learned ride it.

Up until now the costs for the care, upkeep and medical treatment of the farm’s equine residents have been covered out of the Miracle’s own pockets and from a few precious donations.

But rising expenses have forced Jeri Miracle into forming a non-profi t corporation. With paperwork fi led, she hopes the approval process can be completed by the end of this year.

“This is the fi rst year we’ve asked for donations and we’ll probably call on volunteers for help around her cleaning it up and taking care of things,” said Carrie.

Don’t expect that new purchased 10-acre parcel to fi ll up with horses.

“We’ve had as many as 19 horses before, but I don’t like to have that many because you can’t spend time with them,” says Jeri. “It takes an amazing amount of time.

“A lot of the horses, when we get them in, won’t come up to you. We go out everyday and take care of them, feed them, talk to them and give them time.”

Time spent building the trust of a mistreated horse can be

considerable, according to Sam Sanchez.

“You have to bond with the horse,” Sanchez said. “Most like the attention but we have some shy ones. The big thing is we don’t push them. We let them come to us and

let them get used to us.”Cost for feed and maintenance

runs a “couple hundred dollars a week,” according to Jeri. Tack is often donated and to save money, general maintenance is performed by the Miracles themselves. Carrie even does the hoof trimming, a heavy chore that takes hours and is done every six to eight weeks on horses with healthy hoofs, more frequently on those that have foundered.

Nonetheless, veterinarian bills often run into the thousands of dollars.

Worse off among the horses currently at Second Chance Ranch is Trooper, a noticeably thin miniature with bad teeth. If $4,000 for oral

Carrie Miracle and Sam Sanchez visit with a miniature mare named Spice as the author’s grandson Conner, 5, looks on. Second Chance Ranch currently houses fi ve of the little breed, including 2-month-old Little Man Miracle.


surgery cannot be found, the horse may have to be put down.

“We’ve had some horses die here,” Carrie Miracle says. “It’s sad to have to put a horse down but sometimes you have no choice.

“Some we try to find new homes for but the older ones we keep because it we figure it’s not fair to them. We’ve taken some with the

understanding that we would keep them but most, if we have a good home, we let them go.

“We’d like to get some of them out of here now,” Carrie said. “Normally, they stay with us for a few years.”

Horses arrive here through a number of routes. Most are referrals. Some have been purchased if that’s what it takes to find them a better home.

One time, a large drug bust in Gladwin County resulted in the discovery of improperly cared for animals and the horses were brought to Second Chance Ranch.

“We’ve had animal control call us and ask if we’d take them,” said Carrie, noting the county agency inspects Second Chance’s

newly acquired horses to give an assessment of what the horse may need. “Lately, we’ve told them we couldn’t do it but we have taken them in the past.”

Perhaps, once their non-profit status is approved and good homes can be found for the recovered horses at Second Chance Ranch, the Miracles will be more apt to say yes

and better able to do what they’ve sought to all along.

That’s to give an animal a second chance.

“People think we’re crazy but this is what we like to do,” Jeri Miracle says. “Working around here and spending time with these horses is our relaxation time. Besides that, we love these horses.”

Horses at Second Chance Ranch are well-fed and cared for and the facility is in good repair. The Miracles hope to keep it that way by forming a non-profit corporation and accepting tax-deductable donations.

For more information about

Second Chance Ranch

Call Jeri Miracle at

(989) 389-0407


By JERRY NUNNeditor

STANDISH – Laid fl at out in bed by a back injury, with looming doubt cast upon his truck driving future, Glenn Lyons studied weaving as a way to recuperate.

Now, miles of hand-woven fl oor rugs and 32 years later, the 79-year-old Lyons still exhibits an unstoppable drive as he handcrafts fl oor coverings worthy of hanging on a wall.

“I was fl at on my back and got to fooling around with a loom,” Lyons recalls. “That’s what led me to here. I did craft shows on crutches when I could barely put one foot in front of the other.”

These days Lyons is most often found working from his Arenac County home. During the week of August’s annual Ogemaw County Fair, Lyons works from open to close, a well-known fi xture in the rug maker’s cabin located in the fairground’s popular antique village.

There Lyons works a traditional Newcomb Floor Loom identical to one he has at home.

“I could have bought the rights to build these looms a few years ago along with all their parts inventory but I couldn’t afford it,” Lyons says. “Besides, any part on here that breaks I can make myself and I’ll make it better because I’ll use hardened

steel.”While Lyons still keeps busy

weaving rugs, his is not the business that it used to be, when he had three people working under him, operating a total of 11 looms.

“When I had people working for me, I was selling to people who were selling woven rugs full time. They were doing craft shows, selling rugs, and they’d never made a rug of their own,” Lyons said. “When I was weaving this other lady’s material I was making over $15,000 a year just from that.”

Not bad for a weaver these days, Lyons says. One spring, on a three-weekend-circuit of antique and craft shows, Lyons sold $3,200 worth of rugs.

“Then, November through March I never made a sale,” he says.

A good weaver could “spend a lifetime developing patterns,” Lyons says. While customer wishes play into account to some degree, Lyons

Glenn Lyons works the loom at the Rug Maker’s Cabin everyday from open to close at the Ogemaw County Fair. While he now works alone, at one time he had three em-ployees operating 11 looms.

By JERRY NUNN

WOVENART WORK


has his favorite patterns and material.For making rugs he prefers using

white cotton cord as a weft, or fi ller, but is fast to admit “not everyone can put a white rug on their fl oor.”

So Lyons most often uses men’s pants and slacks in a variety of colors, cut into one inch strips – each winter he uses around 300 pairs of men’s pants, purchased from the Fish Resale Store in Hale. In that, he prefers corduroy and buys every pair he can get his hands on.

The lighterweight warp of the loom is threaded with cotton string – 24 strands, each 120 yards long – a painstaking task that takes “a good long day.”

While Lyons will explain his craft to anyone who asks, he is also good for a few words of wisdom as well as some lore of days gone by.

Lyons and his wife Leona claim to live a simple life. On their three-acre plot between Standish and Omer they maintain a “huge garden, a few chickens and a couple of pigs,” Leona says.

“We both grew up on farms,” she says, noting that garden produce is canned and aside from eggs which are sold, all they produce is shared among friends and family. “We know about chickens and cows. I used to milk cows and I’d go in the barn and throw hay bales around.”

Fittingly, the couple adheres to a philosophy that fi ts their lifestyle.

“We live pretty simply. We go in a grocery store and walk around. We don’t buy anything unless it is on sale,” Glenn said. “It’s like that saying, ‘It’s not what you make, it’s what you save.’ Or as my wife likes to say, ‘Get all you can, can all you get and sit on the lid.’”

“We grew up in hard times. We know what it is like,” he said.

Even though he takes life easy and tries to keep it simple, Lyons’ name has gotten around. In a tree trimming incident that sounds worse than it was, Lyons had a tree fall on him. Well wishes started coming in before word of the near-tragedy was even released.

“A lady I know at Three Oaks Mall, down by Detroit, called and asked if I was alright,” Lyons said. “My neighbors didn’t even know

what had happened yet.”Such is the price of

fame, one might say, yet Lyons’ rugs and weavings can be found all over the world.

“I made a rug that was shipped to New Hampshire that was made

of random strips of bleached white cotton,” Lyons said, noting the area rug destined for a bedroom measured a little larger than 12-foot-square.

“I had another lady tell me, ‘This rug is going to Florence, Italy.’

“I asked, ‘Do you know someone over there?’

“She said, ‘No, that’s where I am from,” Lyons said. “I thought that was pretty cool."

A sample of Glenn Lyonshandcrafted rugs

Custom Rug Weaving by Glenn Lyons1426 Wyatt Road, Standisheast of US-23, just past the

railroad tracks(989) 653-2588

St. Joseph Health System& Hale YES!

Hot Air Balloon FestivalSeptember 23, 24, & 25

Centered at the Iosco County Fairgroundswith events taking place all around town

Hot Air Balloon flights held at dawn and dusk beginning Friday evening and ending Sunday morning

and a balloon glow Saturday at dusk

All day Saturday activities include:

• Antique and Classic Car Show

• Antique Snowmobiles

• Society for Creative Anachronism

• Medieval reenactment

Plus you’ll find:

• Apple Cook-Off

• $5 for a sampler’s mug 1 to 4 p.m.

• Art Battle and Auction 4 to 7 p.m., with auction to follow

• Arts & Crafts Show, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Balloon Glow at dusk

• Fun Run, register at 8 a.m., race starts at 9 a.m.

• Gift Basket Competition, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Hale Garden Club perennial plant exchange, 9 a.m.

• Sunrise Harmony Choir

• Sweet Adelines Dinner Show, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is $15 adults, $10 for 10-and-under

• Wine Tasting & A Taste of Hale, Cost is $25 Begins at 7:30 p.m.

Plus lots more for youngsters and families.

For more information go online to www.HaleYes.org









• Wine Tasting & A Taste of Hale, Cost is $25



St. Joseph Health System& Hale YES!

Hot Air Balloon FestivalSeptember 23, 24, & 25




All day Saturday activities include:

• Antique and Classic Car Show

• Antique Snowmobiles

• Society for Creative Anachronism

• Medieval reenactment

Plus you’ll find:

• Apple Cook-Off

• $5 for a sampler’s mug 1 to 4 p.m.

• Art Battle and Auction 4 to 7 p.m., with auction to follow


• Balloon Glow at dusk




• Sunrise Harmony Choir


• Wine Tasting & A Taste of Hale, Cost is $25 Begins at 7:30 p.m.











• Wine Tasting & A Taste of Hale, Cost is $25




After visiting folks at Grayling Nursing and Rehabilitation Center last month, and meeting four residents who are aged 100 years or more, we knew we had to return to speak to one of them. So it is that we met and visited with Amelia Krenz, 100, of Grayling.Born in 1911, the fi fth in a line of eight children, Krenz was the daughter of a Czechoslovakian coal miner. Her early years were spent in St. Charles and when Krenz was in seventh grade the family moved to Saginaw.In 1934 Amelia married Manuel Krenz and the couple resided in Saginaw, eventually retiring to Higgins Lake.

It is not that she is surprised to have reached 100-years-old, it’s just that Amelia Krenz has given the notion very little thought.

“It’s not something you have to plan for, it comes to you,” says Krenz. “How are you supposed to feel when you’re 100-years-old? I feel fi ne.”

Quick with an anecdote and willing to share a memory, Krenz recalls what life was like in the early days of the past century.

“We were brought up different,” Krenz said. “I never talked back to my parents. We never sassed. And my mother did not yell at us. She just gave us something to do and we did it.”

Krenz learned early that bad decisions have lasting consequences. When she was only 3-years-old, Krenz snuck from the house to visit her father who was fi shing behind the house on the bank of the river.

“He thought he got a bite but he was snagged up on something,” Krenz said. “I was right close to him but he didn’t even know I was there.” When her father pulled the line to dislodge the hook, it fl ew right at the toddling Krenz. “The hook hit me in the eye, went right into my pupil. I’ve been blind in my left eye ever since.”

Krenz lost her father at a young age, in a tragedy that would be hard to imagine these days. When the family’s garage caught fi re, her father broke a window out to assess the situation. A fl ash of fl ames fl ew into his face and he inhaled the fi re. Unbeknownst to the family and obviously in distress, her father wandered across the road and collapsed.

“The police found him there and threw him in jail because they thought he’d been drinking. When they found out that’s what happened to him, it was too late. That’s what killed him.”

Looking back, Krenz recalls the feelings she had for her parents and the strong work ethic they instilled in her.

“I guess we had respect. Our parents told us never to lie. And you know that feeling you get when you tell a lie? That didn’t happen to me but a few times and I learned my lesson,” she said.

“My mother would go out and work in the fi eld every day, right along with the men. She had a baby and three days later she was

back in the fi eld at work.”

Like many youngsters back then, Krenz gave up school to get a job at Henning Sausage in Saginaw and pitch in toward family expenses.

Like most her age, Krenz has clear memories of the Great Depression.

“It was a time where you couldn’t fi nd work and when you did it didn’t pay much,” Krenz says, noting that her job at Lufkin Rule paid 18-cents-per-hour. “When you got a raise, it was a penny. What little bit you had, you had to live on. I gave most of my money to my mom.”

Of course prices were cheaper. A blouse back in the mid-1930s might cost “$3, $4, $5, but by then I was making a little more. We had a few nice clothes, a few but not many,” she said.

Quality of merchandise was not always as good as we remember either, Krenz says.

“They were getting away with a lot of stuff but you had to buy what was available. Over the years we bought the things they made. Even as adults if we outgrew something it was set aside and we’d wear it later,” she said.

Eventually she married and due to Henning’s rule against employing married women, Krenz left there.

“I didn’t marry young. I was 23-years-old and my husband was

three years younger than I was but I think he was

more mature.”The day before she was to be

married, at the height of the Great Depression, Manuel lost his factory job. He thought perhaps the couple ought to wait to be married but with all the plans in place Amelia felt otherwise.

After the wedding, she went to work at Lufkin Rule where she worked on and off for 20 years.

Eventually, the couple retired to their Higgins Lake vacation home.

“It was a dumpy little thing when we bought it. Then my husband made it over and it was pretty nice. He added two bedrooms and fi xed it up.” Trips to the cabin were far from weekly affairs, due to the time involved in drive, Krenz says. “When we used to fi rst come to Higgins Lake it took so long to get there because the roads were all so narrow,” she said. “There were a lot of smaller cabins at Higgins Lake back then, but I think it is a lot nicer now than it used to be.”

Nonetheless, time spent at Higgins Lake is fondly remembered.

“I caught a lot of fi sh out of there,” she said. “I used to love to catch perch. My husband, he always went for the big fi sh, and then he’d give them away to someone in the neighborhood. Those big fi sh weren’t much to eat. That’s why I loved to catch perch. I love fi shing on Higgins Lake.”

ConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringA CenturyA CenturyA CenturyA CenturyA CenturyA Century

ConsideringConsideringConsideringA Century



ConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringA Century



ConsideringConsideringConsideringAmelia Krenz, of Grayling

back in the fi eld at

Like many youngsters back then, Krenz gave up school

three years younger than I was but I think he was

more mature.”The day before she was to be

ConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringA CenturyA CenturyA CenturyA CenturyA CenturyA Century




ConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringConsideringA Century



ConsideringConsideringConsideringBy JERRY NUNNeditor


By Casey ResslHuron Pines staff

NORTHERN MICHIGAN – To most northern Michiganders, the Au Sable River is a familiar place. They might have walked across the East Branch on a hike through Hartwick Pines State Forest. They might have wished canoe marathoners good luck in Grayling as they raced off on their 120-mile journey through the night. They might have eagerly awaited the next hatch and their chance to catch this big one on the high quality trout fi shery. Or perhaps, they crossed the mouth of the Au Sable in Oscoda on a scenic tour of Lake Huron.

At Huron Pines, the Au Sable is a watershed with a whole lot going on. From road/stream crossing improvement projects to purple loosestrife removal, there’s never a dull moment.

In 2011, Huron Pines and partners will complete seven road/stream crossing improvement projects—four on the North Branch and three in the Pine River-Van Etten Lake sub-watershed, located in the lower Au Sable. In addition, three crossings were completed last year and four are in the works for

coming years. Huron Pines is also updating the road/stream crossing inventory that will help identify and prioritize resource concerns throughout the Watershed.

These road/stream crossing projects alone will keep hundreds of tons (yes, tons!) of sand from entering the river every year. Sand smothers gravel which is necessary for fi sh reproduction and changes the shape of the stream channel or stream morphology.

We’ll also be actively placing tree material in the North Branch and South Branch this year. These trees will create high quality fi sh habitat and habitat for other aquatic

life while protecting streambanks and reducing sand from entering the river.

Furthermore, our restoration crew

is nearing completion of a small dams inventory throughout the Watershed. Like the road/stream crossing inventory, the small dams information will tell us where to focus restoration efforts, making sure we spend our time and funding wisely. Most dams have a 50 year lifespan and by 2020, 80-percent of the dams in Michigan will be older than their intended lifespan. If they are not strategically managed

and dams begin to fail, it could wreak havoc on the natural resources of Michigan.

Last, but defi nitely not least, Huron Pines recently inventoried the North Branch for invasive species. Building on the efforts of the Lovells Hook and Trigger Club and the North Branch River Keepers to eradicate purple loosestrife from the area, Huron Pines fl oated the North Branch searching for populations of purple loosestrife, reed canary grass, and phragmites. Those populations will soon be treated by our crew of certifi ed pesticide applicators.

The critical undercurrents of all these projects are the dedication and perseverance of our outstanding partners and volunteers. We’ve been very lucky to partner with the Au Sable River Watershed Restoration Committee in placing an AmeriCorps member in the area. Huron Pines AmeriCorps member Lisa Tobin is spending her summer organizing volunteer projects, conducting road/stream

crossing inventories, monitoring and removing purple loosestrife, mapping key river stretches, and taking the fi rst steps to erosion control projects.

We know what a special place Northeast Michigan is and we want to make sure it stays that way for future generations. If you’ve experienced the splendor of the Au Sable River, you probably do, too. You can make a difference by supporting Huron Pines. Support us by lending a hand at a volunteer project. Help us build a solid foundation by making a donation. Contact us today to learn more about making a difference.

Contact Huron Pines at (989) 344-0753 or [email protected].

Purple loosestrife is showing up more and more in the region and is a main target for removal efforts in the Au Sable River Watershed. Forming dense monocultures, it crowds out native vegetation and signifi cantly disrupts wetland and riparian ecosystems.

Little known projects in a well known

place

Learn more about purple loosestrife at

www.huronpines.org.


By JAKUB BEDNAREKHuron Pines AmeriCorp

HIGGINS LAKE – On the fi rst day of Trout Unlimited’s Youth Trout Camp, 20 anxious youngsters settled into The Straits classroom at Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center. Only a few knew each other. Most traveled a ways to be here. One boy, Will Zera, came all the way from Illinois, an over six hour drive.

None of them knew what to expect. Yet they bonded quickly over educational activities, fi shing and evening games of euchre and it wasn’t long before they all had nicknames.

The fi rst afternoon of camp quickly unraveled with hands on instruction.

With fl y rod in hand, each camper practiced their fl y casting skills. Other crafts on the days agenda included knot tying, spinner making, fl y tying and making

lanyards. Afterwards, the details of proper catch and release techniques, to minimize hook mortality, were discussed.

Within a few hours, 20 campers – many of whom had never casted a fl y – were rigging their rods and gracefully casting fl ies. With luck they might be able to gently handle and release their catch back into the wild.

Now all they needed was a chance and having honed these skills, the camp took off to Grayling Fish Hatchery. As a generous initiation ritual, each camper reeled one in. It seemed like every camper had caught a fi sh except one, Will.

Discouraged and fed up with trying, our schedule catching up with us and the bus soon to arrive, Will shouted “Just three more casts” in protest.

But we couldn’t even squeeze one more cast in for Will.

That’s why they call it fi shing and not catching, I guess. But Will’s

Teaching conservation values through fly fishing

Youngsters who attended Trout Camp, sponsored by Trout Unlimited, work on a restoration project along the upper Manistee River.


consolation prize was yet to come. The activities that followed tied

fi shing in with related ideas of river ecology, biology and conservation.

Campers learned about the hydrology of a stream with the scaled down river model of the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited. This hands-on model demonstrates the processes of erosion and sedimentation in a time scale of minutes, rather than the months it takes to happen in nature. Watching the effects as they placed rocks and wood chips in to

reinforce the model’s river banks, the kid’s learned how putting large woody debris into a river helps restore eroding stream banks and channelized stream sections, while providing improved habitat for fi sh.

Another sensation with the campers was the electrofi shing process of DNR Research Biologist Todd Willis. He showed kids how electrofi shing is used to capture fi sh while explaining how a study using this method helps biologists assess fi sh populations. The presentation prompted many questions and discussion from both campers and counselors alike. Many kids were curious to know whether shocking the fi sh hurts them (it can if done improperly.) That’s why only Willis swept through the stream while our campers watched from the banks.

With the elevating chatter about

where Willis captured the biggest fi sh, the campers headed off to fi sh one of America’s great trout fi sheries, the Mason Tract on the South Branch of the Au Sable River.

I believe it was there that Will, the young camper from Illinois, caught his initiation trophy.

It may not have been a trophy-sized fi sh but thanks to the lessons he received in the value of conservation and proper catch and release, his catch may grow to trophy size.

While the Youth Trout Camp aimed to impart kids with a sense of respect and wonder about riverine systems and the fi sh that live there, the education was carefully balanced with the very recreational activities that make these natural areas worth enjoying.

Fly fi shing is the perfect activity to hook a kid’s interest, and teach them the importance of conservation and the pleasure of our environment.

Because fl y fi shing blends aspects of sports, art, science and culture, a young angler might become involved with canoeing, or hiking through the forest to a secret fi shing hole. She may become involved in the craft of fl y-tying while sharing her creations with fellow anglers. Maybe a former camper will pick up one of Hemingway’s stories about fl y fi shing in the Two-Hearted River. Or one may end up studying ecology in college.

And, hopefully, they will all share the value of conservation, which they learned at the fl y fi shing camp with their friends, families and neighbors.

(989) 826-5969Monday — Saturday 9am -5pm

786 W. Ki� le Rd., Mio, Michigan 48647

“Check Our PricesBefore Buying Elsewhere!”

Melvin Jr. & Barbara Gingerich ~ Owners

Country Cedar Crafts, L.L.C.RUSTIC LOG FURNITURE

• Beds• Dressers

• Nightstands • Tables & Chairs• Lawn Furniture

and more...

• Tables & Chairs• Lawn Furniture

(989) 826-5969


By JERRY NUNNeditor

GAYLORD – With vast tracts of forest, miles of rivers and an abundance of lakes, Northeast Michigan has more to offer outdoor enthusiasts than anyplace in the state, short of the Upper Peninsula.

As Headwaters Land Conservancy’s new director, Laura Justin, 43, of Boyne City, has vowed to do all she can to protect those resources.

“The eastern side of the state is so unique,” Justin says. “There is nowhere else in Michigan that has the contiguous tracts of land that you fi nd here.”

While providing an amazing resource, “there is also a huge responsibility to protect that,” she said.

As leader of Northeast Michigan’s largest land conservancy, an organization that covers 11 counties, administering conservation easements to protect a property’s natural features in perpetuity, Justin is in a unique position to help fulfi ll that responsibility.

Justin comes to Headwaters from Grand Traverse Resort, where she served as membership and recreational activities director. She lives in Boyne City, where her husband Curtis owns and operates Coach’s Choice, an endeavor to assist schools with sports team fundraising. Justin has a

bachelor’s degree in organizational communications from Central Michigan University and a teaching degree from Spring Arbor.

Those skills and that experience will help the organization achieve its goals.

“What makes a land conservancy successful is the face-to-face communication with families,” Justin says. “It’s not a six week process. Building those personal relationships takes a lot of time.”

Prior to any property being considered for a conservation easement numerous site visits are needed, conservation and monetary values must be assessed, and equitable legal papers must be drawn. Even beyond that, Justin says, concerns of all parties interested in the property must be addressed and that usually includes siblings and offspring. Before an agreement is reached, a year or more may be spent educating the land owner and building relationships.

That personal interaction is one aspect of her new job that Justin looks forward to the most as she sees her role at Headwaters Land

Conservancy as “two fold.”“There is the conservation

easement piece that land conservancies are known for. That’s

our mission,” Justin said. “Then, there needs to be a huge push for us to be out there in our communities. Really, we need to be a self-sustaining organization if we are to fulfi ll our goal of stewardship.”

As far as needed changes to Headwaters’ operation, Justin has not recognized any yet. She does see it as her obligation to operate “in a way that is business-minded,” reiterating the idea that she plans to focus in long-term commitments

and relationships, both of which she says are required by the organization’s mission.

But Justin brings some personal experience to the job as well.

Her mother and father have been working for two years with Grand Traverse Land Conservancy to establish a conservation easement on their Emmet County property. It’s a place that Justin calls home, where she spent her formative years and a place she is proud to see set aside for conservation.

“Being able to walk across my backyard to the Maple River, which is a fantastic trout fi shery and remains for the most part undeveloped, was a great experience,” Justin says, noting that time spent there taught her the

importance of resource protection. “It was very beautiful. I was very lucky.”

And she looks forward to a career in conservation.

“The passion of the people who work here and their concentration on the preservation of our natural resources is fascinating,” Justin says. “It excites me to get up and come to work everyday. I hope to be here for many years.”

Laura Justin, who took over as director of Headwaters Land Conservancy last month, with husband Curtis and the couple’s boxer, Zeta.

HeadWaters Land Conservancy110 South Elm Avenue, Gaylord(989) 731-0573www.HeadWatersConservancy.org

HeadWaters Land Conservancy110 South Elm Avenue, Gaylord(989) 731-0573www.HeadWatersConservancy.org

Heading upHeadWaters


Country Corner Bulk Foods 445 East Cedar Avenue, Gladwin (989) 426-2201Country Corners Bulk Food 1284 West Kittle Road, Mio (989) 826-6063Moores Bulk Foods 303 South James Street, Grayling (989) 344-5141The King’s Pantry 3285 M-65, Hale (989) 728-2882

NORTH-EAST MICHIGAN –

With harvest season upon us, folks will soon be stocking up for winter. That often means large pur-chases of canning supplies, spices and baking supplies, Shoppers may do well to consider buying in bulk.

In Northeast Michigan, those seeking larger quantities of no-brand and name brand goods have four choices of bulk food outlets to choose from. Spread evenly across the area, most folks will find at least one of the stores a short drives distance.

While all offer similar products, presented in varying ways, all are unique enough to warrant visit.

Buying in bulk is nothing new. Our ancestors purchased everything from saltine crackers and cookies to flour and baking supplies by the pound, served from wooden barrels or stoneware crocks.

These days, a few places still sell groceries that way.

Country Corner Bulk Foods in Gladwin has been in operation for 24 years. The store is outfitted in an old-time decour that plays up on that nostalgia, according to owner Barry

Carlson.“Here you can still get what you

want,” Carlson said. “Most places that call themselves bulk food stores buy in bulk, but then they repackage it before they sell it.

“Not here. Here you can stil buy a pinch or a pound,” he said.

Popular among the store’s items are baking supplies, whole nuts, pet foods, cereal and snack items.

“People come from miles around to buy our spices. And penny candy is popular. We still carry Squirrel Nut Chews and Black Jacks. People remember them. You used to be able to buy them all over,” Carlson said.

The unrelated, Amish-owned Country Corners Bulk Food in Mio has been around even longer though not in the same location on Kittle Road that you find it now.

“It started small, in the mid-1970s,” says Vernon Bontranger, who owns the store with Owen Beachy. “We’ve been around long enough that we’re widely known,

to the point that we don’t do any advertising.”

Word of mouth is enough, when you carry the offerings found at Country Corners.

Along with the seasonal big-selling baked goods and canning supplies, including canning lids and rings by bulk, Bontranger said the store’s “bent and dent” grocery section gets a lot of traffic. There you may find a little or a lot of anything with freshness and quality still intact, but with a damaged package.

“We get all kinds of merchandise and canned goods,” Bontranger said. “All we can do is put out what comes forth. It’s a challenge to keep it organized. An abundance of something one day may be replaced the next.”

Whether it’s a sign of resurgence, an indicator of increased awareness, or just coincidence, those two long-established stores were joined last February by two new bulk

food establishments. In Grayling, Moore’s Bulk Food offers bulk items and The King’s Pantry in Hale began peddling health care and food.

At Moore’s, where folks can find four kinds of dried mushrooms, five different popping corns, 10 fresh-ground nut butters (including the popular kicking-hot peanut butter,) and 20 varieites each of rice and pasta, variety is the rule. Also found here are un-homogenized milk, farm fresh eggs, goat cheese and an entire section of salt-, sugar- and gluten-free organic products.

Folks who shop bulk food stores are a diverse lot, according to owner Sheila Moore.

“With our huge selection of candies we get a lot of kids but we get grandparents too,” Moore says. “We see a lot of people in who are looking for just about everything in bulk.”

In Hale, The King’s Pantry sells “good health in bulk,” according to

owner Sharon Morgan.Offering natural health and

cosmetic items, teas and infusions, as well as foods and drinks, you may find just about anything here. One thing you will not find are artificial sweetners, flavors or colors – Morgan has declared her store free of these of these.

Big on the list of items King’s Pantry carries are hypo-allergenic goods (the store is peanut product-free.)

And along with food that she says will supply her shoppers with better nutrition as well as good health, Morgan also holds classes to help maintain your health such as the Sept. 10 class titled Cold, Flu and You. Future classes will cover canning, stress, diabetes and more.

“We are different than a bulk food store and we’re different than a health food store,” Morgan says. “I guess you could say we are natural bulk.”

Country Corner Bulk Foods, Gladwin


By TIM REED

Fresh acorn squash is a real autumn crowd pleaser and it’s a dish that allows you to really be creative!

We frequently stuff our cooked squash with a combination of wild rice, sausage, dried cranberries, raisins, and pecans. But we also make them with ground turkey and we make a vegetarian version too.

The point is to be creative.Try couscous, apricots, garbanzo

beans, shredded carrots, golden raisins, and ground lamb with some cumin for a Moroccan fl avor. If Italian is your thing, try them with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, Italian sausage, and basil and orzo pasta. The sky really is the limit; you could even think Mexican with chorizo, peppers, rice and beans. Then top it all with Jack cheese.

To prepare the acorn squash:Halve and seed the squash.

Then brush with butter, season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast in a 350° F oven until tender (30-45 minutes depending on the size of the squash). While the squash is roasting prepare your stuffi ng. When the squash is tender, fi ll the warm halves with the stuffi ng mixture and serve with a tossed salad, crusty bread and butter.

For two squash halved, allow approximately 1 cup of uncooked rice, couscous or orzo. Measure approximately 1/2 cup each of the other ingredients then season to taste.

SquashSquashStuffed Acorn

From Tim’s Kitchen

– Tim Reed and his wife Sandy own Reeds on the River in Tawas City, where this special menu item and other delectable recipes are served.


While the theme of the MSUE George Byelich Memorial Fall Color Tour remains a big secret every year, organizers promise that 2011 tour participants will again experience some amazing sights and opportunities as they explore Alcona County.

The tour, as the name implies, is in memory of the late George Byelich, former Alcona County MSU Extension director. Byelich organized the bus tour years ago to help citizens explore and learn about the many facets of life in Alcona County. And while it remains the Fall Color Tour, participants found themselves introduced to far more than red and gold autumn foliage and the tour became a sold-out, waiting-list-only, annual event.

Some things never change.Participants still fi nd themselves

introduced to more than autumn colors, an early morning line-up for ticket sales and a waiting list.

Highlights from recent years include a close-up view of Glenview Acres P & G Farms and their Clydesdale horses. In 2008, the “energy” theme included a tour of the High Mount Midwest Energy

plant, Viking Energy and the Cedarbrook Trout Farm. The next year participants were transported back in time, with some reported seeing ghosts in Springport Cemetery. Refl ecting on the county’s past, they explored ancient history while touring the Harrisville Cultural Center. Last year left

participants in awe as they viewed the unique Peyerk Tree Farm and other Glennie area gems.

In keeping with the spirit and tradition of the original tours, organizers have arranged yet another road trip that will give participants an opportunity to discover the cool stuff about Alcona County that is

right under their nose.The tour leaves Alcona County

High School promptly at 8:30 a.m., where a school bus will be waiting to take participants on an unknown journey. As with last year, the estimated time of return is 4:15 p.m.

Don’t miss the 2011 bus tour on October 6 or 7. Tickets go on

sale on Tuesday Sept. 6 at 8:30 a.m. at the MSU Extension offi ce, 320 S. U.S. 23, Harrisville.

Consider arriving early as tickets have been known to sell out quickly. The price is $16 per ticket, is limited to two

tickets apiece and includes the tour, informational materials and lunch.

Since travel is by school bus, participants must be ambulatory. If assistance is needed please contact the MSU Extension offi ce at (989) 724- 6478 before Oct. 1 so reasonable accommodations may be made.

2011 George Byelich Fall Color TourWhere: Alcona County, to secret locationsWhen: Oct. 6 and 7, leaves Alcona High School at 8:30 a.m and returns at 4:15 p.m.What you’ll fi nd: Tour the autumn draped fi elds and forests of Alcona County while discovering highlights of the community.Cost: $16, tickets go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Sept 6. Info: (989) 724- 6478

Last year’s participants of the Alcona Fall Color Tour were met with this gorgeous view overlooking Alcona Pond, just west of Glennie. The increasingly popular bus tours help participants discover the untold treasures of Alcona County.

Where is Where is Where is Where is Where is Where is Where is Where is Where is Where is Where is Where is the Alcona the Alcona the Alcona Fall Color Fall Color Fall Color Tour Going Tour Going Tour Going This Year?This Year?This Year?This Year?This Year?This Year?

(989) 826-10003 miles north of Mio on M-33

398 N. Mt. Tom Road, Mio, MI, 48647LaVerne Miller and Daryl Miller

Licensed Builder

NorthstarStorage Barns, LLC

SIZES FROM8’x8’ to 16’x32’Storage Barn Prices8x8................. $995.008x10............ $1,185.008x12............$1,206.0010x12.......... $1,525.0012x16.......... $2,350.00

Call for other prices and available options

We also do cabin, garage and polebarns

Your Choice

Metal Roofi ng or

Conventional

Shingles for the

Same Price

– photo by Jack Guy


LINCOLN – Marching off to the Civil War, Pvt. Josiah M. Donaldson had his father Joel at his side. The pair was together when they returned from battle as well.

Donaldson was Alcona County’s oldest surviving Civil War veteran when he died nearly 70 years ago. He lies alongside his mother and father.

On Sept. 10, Donaldson’s ancestors will pay fitting respects to family when they are joined by the public, veteran’s groups and the Alcona County Historical Society to commemorate Pvt. Donaldson. The ceremony will include Civil War re-enactors as a new headstone is dedicated.

And Jacob Donaldson, of the U.S. Marine Corps, will place an American flag and a Grand Army of the Republic Flag holder on Josiah’s grave.

Following the graveside ceremony, the group will reassemble at the Alcona Recreation Site for a lunch provided by the Alcona Historical Society.

There will be Civil War artifacts on display along with educational displays highlighting different aspects of a Civil War soldier’s life. The main program presented will be excerpts of letters written by Civil War soldier or family members. Most of the letters to be will be from unpublished letters from a private collection.

All who attend are encouraged to bring their own artifacts or documents to display or discuss and encouraged to wear clothing of the design of that era. Everyone interested in Civil War history is invited to this patriotic, historical celebration of community.

In memory of pvt. Donaldson,civil War veteran

Civil War re-enactors posthumously commemorate the service of Michigan’s last Civil War veteran, Orlando LeValley, at a graveside ceremony last month. On Sept. 10 civic and veterans groups will join family members in honoring Alcona County Civil War veteran Josiah Donaldson.

When: Sept. 10, 11 a.m.Where: Twin Lakes Cemetery in Lincoln, with a reception to follow at Alcona Recreation Site.What you’ll find there: Civil War re-enactors with period firearms offering a rifle salute, setting of a new gravestone at the grave site, with historical documents, letters and Civil War artifacts at the reception.Info by email at: [email protected]

Join the graveside commemoration of

Civil War veteran Pvt. Josiah M. Donaldson.


by SCOTT NUNNInfo Northeast staff

A bit of elbow grease goes a long way.

Bob Alward of Alward’s Market in Hale found that out recently when he picked up a paint brush and a few gallons of paint and brightened the appearance of his store. With a few hundred dollars and a couple hours time Alward made noticable improvements to his Iosco County grocery and meat market.

And by sprucing up his place, Alward brightened the appearance of the entire town of Hale.

That’s a lesson we all should learn – that half of the gift is in the wrap.

As we court customers into our establishments and visitors to our towns, sometimes the smallest efforts can have the greatest impact.

Taking Bob Alward’s lead, we should consider what we want our visitors to see and what we don’t. Some updates cost a great deal of time and money but often the ones that matter most cost little to nothing.

Here’s an idea that will make those projects cost even less and go a long way to helping those who live in our communities as well.

When the time comes to stock up on improvement supplies, stop into your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Habitat’s ReStore offers paint, building supplies, hardware and house wares at deep discounts to the

retail price while helping to fund the organization’s better known home building and renovation division.

Habitat is not a gift organization. Those who qualify for Habitat’s help repay the organization through low- or zero-interest loans and contribute hundreds of hours of sweat equity toward their project.

It’s an organization worth supporting, where every dollar collected stays within the county to benefit local residents.

We’ll come back and visit Habitat for Humanity in feature stories

throughout the year, visiting each county, with stories such as Ogemaw County’s Brush with Kindness program, Oscoda County’s unique bird hunting fundraiser as well as that county’s high school supported Habitat-built homes.

Bob Alward sets an excellent example of the small things we can do that result in big outcomes, for our own establishments as well as our community.

Habitat for Humanity takes that example one step further, by combining many small efforts to realize a much greater result.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity ReStore, visit the organization online at www.Habitat.org/ReStores

Habitat for Humanity is always on the look-out for good reclaimed items. With each donation you earn a tax deduction.

Documents

The Guide September 2011