 West Michigan’s own An Dro returns to the Dogwood on Saturday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box. An Dro performs Celtic-based, Globally-infused, World-beat music. Armed with an array of acoustic instruments, they explore musical traditions of the world and perform original music in styles both ancient and modern. The group performs traditional acoustic music with a creative twist. An Dro’s sound is built on a foundation of Celtic tunes, but while that may be the starting point, it’s not where the journey ends. At an An Dro performance, you’ll hear traditional Irish melodies, medieval French songs, Breton ballads, Scandinavian refrains, Appalachian influences, Latin rhythms, and African drums, all injected with an improvisational flair that at times resembles jazz. An Dro consists of Jim Spalink on bouzouki, harp, and gurdy gurdy; Michele Venegas on fiddle; Cara Lieurance on flute, accordian, and vocals; and Carolyn Koebel handling world percussion. The band takes their name An Dro from a folk dance of Brittany where the dancers link fingers as they move in a spiral line dance. An Dro translates literally as "The Turn" and is an apt description of music that is alive and ever changing. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box. Tickets are $12.50 and are available through the Dogwood Center Box Office, NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont, or on-line at www.dogwoodcenter.com. For information, phone 231.924.8885. The Dogwood Center is located one mile east of downtown Fremont. 
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 First Place Photo "Fall Harvest's End" by Nan Pokerwinski The NCCA-Artsplace Fall Community Photography Contest is a free annual contest for all ages and all levels of skill. The 2018 contest winners were selected by Genji Leclair. The first place award was given to Nan Pokerwinski of Fremont for her photograph “Fall Harvest's End”. Second place was awarded to Jonathan Soto of Newaygo for the entry “Infinite Bridge” and Mark Guzniczak of Newaygo was awarded third place for “Leaves in the Spring Creek”. Honorable Mention awards were given to Austin Daniels of Newaygo for "Critter Crosser" and Colleen Hall of Fremont for "Look for the Sun". All entries will be on display through October 27 in the corridor gallery at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 East Main Street in downtown Fremont.  We at N3 World Headquarters & Bountiful Butterfly Barn like the idea of autumnal gatherings of people in quest of good times and the accompanying aura that seems to abound at such events. Fall arrives at 6 minutes before the 10 o’clock hour on Saturday so if there was ever a weekend to welcome in the premier bipeninsular season it is upon us. Love a Parade? Well, who among us doesn’t love a parade? And Fremont truly knows how to parade with the best of them. On Thursday beginning at 6pm the Harvest Festival kicks off their festivities with one of the coolest cavalcades of marching band music, imaginative floats, large vehicles,fire trucks, and the artful distribution of candy. And should Doug Harmon take to the mike again to describe the action? Well, all the better. Bonus time kids! It’s an election year so generally that means more candy coming at you from the politicians parading for votes. Not that one should make a voting decision based on what gets handed out at a parade but you can usually tell a lot about a person by what level of Halloween candy they buy so….. There are activities Thursday Friday and Saturday and you can check them out on their facebook page.. https://www.facebook.com/FremontHarvestFestival/?tn-str=k*F It’s not just the first weekend of autumn it is also the beginning of Michigan Trails Week and what better way to celebrate the winding wonders on land as well as the waterways then to embrace the Trail Town Celebration in White Cloud. This annual festival of forestry and fun continues to grow in attendance and activities with a bunch of cool things on tap and a beer tent to boot. There are races on land and sea (well... river actually) guided hikes cornhole competition, and should you care to karaoke with your version of “Freebird” here’s your golden opportunity to impress with those pipes. Details? https://www.nearnorthnow.com/news/trail-town-celebration For the third year Brooks Park will be the site of the Native American Gathering a celebration of Native American Indigenous music, dance, food and culture held Saturday, September 22 from 11a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, September 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m This is one of our favorites at N3WH and last year despite temperatures that hovered in the mid 90’s (with the obligatory humidity of course) the speakers and demonstrations were compelling and creative. “We hope everyone will come out to the Gathering and enjoy the cultures of our People,” said Laci Reagan of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, a beader and member of the Native Circle of Newaygo County. “It will be an experience you won’t forget!” Here’s the skinny: https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/we-are-still-here On Sundays there are still droves of folks who are bent on following the fortunes of the Lions or perhaps they have tossed in the towel and taken up with another team, say, the Packers or Bears. If you are not a football fanatic and are looking to get out of the house where it will be on all day, you need to check out the extraordinary drumming group Raion Taiko at the Dogwood on Sunday at 3pm. You will be astounded at what this pack of percussionists can accomplish on stage. Grab a friend and be ready to come away with an elevated impression of what can be accomplished when drumming is taken to new levels. https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/raion-taiko-japanese-drumming-at-the-dogwood-center-on-september-23 There you are folks, a weekend jam packed with fall fun and festivities and do not forget to grab a bite at one of our local eatery options because Marie Catrib's in GR is closing and we certainly don’t want to risk losing any of our fave food forums here in the Near North.  Suggestion Box is sponsored by Newaygo Brewing Co. Good food, good brews, epic atmosphere  NCCA-Artsplace and the Fremont Lions Club want you to know about a great art opportunity for Newaygo County youth! Lions International Peace Poster Contest is an international contest that encourages children, ages 11-13, to creatively express what peace means to them. The 2018-2019 contest theme is "Kindness Matters". The contest allows students to share their unique image of peace with others, so that we may all have greater tolerance and understanding. By entering the contest, our youth will be joining hundreds of thousands of children from around the world in sharing their visions of world peace. Contestants are asked to create a poster that visually communicates the contest theme, "Kindness Matters". The contest is open to children who will be 11, 12 or 13 on November 15, 2018. Entry deadline in November 2, 2018 by 5:30 p.m. Please submit entries to NCCA-Artsplace, 13 East Main Street in downtown Fremont. The Fremont Lions Club will select a winner from the Newaygo County youth entries. This selection will move on within the contest to Lions Club District judging….and then possibly on to international Lions Club judging! Posters will be evaluated on three criteria at each level of judging. The criteria are originality, artistic merit and expression of the theme, "Kindness Matters". All Newaygo County youth entering the contest will receive a "Certificate of Appreciation" from Fremont Lions Club for participating in the Lions International Peace Poster Contest. Up to twenty entries will be selected for display in the corridor gallery of NCCA-Artsplace, November 5 – 24. Information on the contest and rules are listed on the NCCA-Artsplace website, www.ncca-artsplace.org or click here for a direct link. Let's get our youth art-involved! This project is a great creative outlet for youth wanting to be more art-involved and helps them share how they feel "Kindness Matters"! NCCA-Artsplace is located at 13 E. Main Street in downtown Fremont. Regular hours are Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., with Thursday evenings until 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  The most awarded female vocalist in contemporary Christian music history, Sandi Patty, will be performing at the Dogwood Center on Friday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m. As one of the most highly acclaimed performers of our time with five Grammy® awards, four Billboard Music Awards, three platinum records, five gold records, and eleven million units sold, Sandi Patty is simply known as The Voice. She has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, as an Indiana Living Legend, and has released over 30 albums. Sandi was introduced to the world with her rendition of The Star Spangled Banner during the rededication of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. Virtually overnight she became one of the country’s best-loved performers. Her version of the national anthem has become synonymous with patriotic celebration, including performances at “A Capitol Fourth” with the National Symphony, the Indianapolis 500, the Dedication of Camp David Chapel, and ABC’s Fourth of July Special. While her thirty-year career is heavily rooted in the gospel music industry, Sandi has had the opportunity in more recent years to extend her career outside the genre. Sandi has performed with symphonies across the country, including the New York Pops, Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, Dallas Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Oklahoma City Philharmonic. She also headlined the title role in sold out performances of the musical “Hello, Dolly!” with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, co-starring Tony Award winner Gary Beach. In addition to her prolific musical career, Sandi is also an accomplished author. For the bestseller "Broken on the Back Row", Sandi received the 2006 Silver Angel Award. Her next book, "The Voice", will be released on November 6, 2018. Tickets, $30.00 for adults and $10 for children 18 and under, are available through the Dogwood Center Box Office, NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont, or on-line at www.dogwoodcenter.com. For information, phone 231.924.8885. The Dogwood Center is located one mile east of downtown Fremont.
Newaygo North Country Trail Section 10 – 6-mile Rd. to W. Pierce Dr.
By Bret Brummel Distance: 5.45 miles It has been 2 months since Anna and I had completed section 9 of our quest to run the Newaygo County portion of the North Country Trail. Anna has been recovering from mononucleosis and has been slowly getting her stamina back to where we could continue. An encouraging performance at the Spartan Cross Country Invitational gave her the confidence to tackle another section of the trail. So, our Sunday long run brought us to where the NCT crosses 6-mile road near Loda Lake. We began our warm-up stretches and were immediately greeted by a swarm of mosquitos who were glad we had come for a visit. With a quick application of bug spray for each of us and our mandatory race selfie, we were off. The first mile of the trail had a few more hills than we would have liked. That being said, the change in elevation did make the run more interesting as we went from one marsh to another. The biggest concern came from the mature oak trees we would run beneath. They were dropping acorns like it was a hail storm. Once I had to laugh as Anna put her hands over her head to protect herself from the falling missiles. Fortunately, we never took a direct hit. When running on the trail, it is a challenge to take in all the scenery while making sure to keep an eye out for any tree roots sticking up on the path. At the mile and a half mark, we saw the sign for a trail that led back to the Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary. Unfortunately, while looking at the sign, a root grabbed Anna’s foot bringing her to the ground. She assured me she was fine and instructed me to take the lead. It actually sounded more like “I’m fine… just go!”. So, I went. At the 2.5-mile mark, the trail exited the woods and entered an open grassy area filled with scrub oak trees about four feet tall. Some of the area looked as if it were remnants of a wildfire. It was a unique landscape we had not experienced. That portion lasted a mile and a half before entering another section of mature trees that led us to our van. The instant we stopped running, the swarm of mosquitos reappeared. I quickly unlocked the van, we both jumped in and grabbed a water bottle. It felt great to get back on the trail. It felt even better knowing that Anna was healthy again. Thanks to all who expressed concern for her while she was sick. It was appreciated. Three more sections to go to reach our goal!
By Ken DeLaat
50 years ago Monday the Detroit Tigers while on their way to their first World Championship since 1945, a drought of 23 years, clinched the American League pennant when Don Wert singled in Al Kaline (subject of a kind of shrine in the downstairs bathroom of N3 World Headquarters….Kaline, not Wert) giving them a record of 98-54 or 44 games above the break even mark. On Monday the current Tigers will have won roughly (depending on the next two games) 60 gamess and currently stand 28 game under the break even mark. Meaning they would be just 38 games removed from first place had they been playing the same year. Back then there were 10 teams competing for first. Just two leagues and no divisions nor wild card entries. Two team went to the Series. One from the American and one from the National. When the 84 Tigers won there were four divisions of 6 teams each. Four of 24 teams got to extend play those years. Now we have six divisions with 5 teams each and two wild card entries so 12 of the 30 teams get into some semblance of playoffs. Ok, so it’s still not the NHL where the teams play from October to April to eliminate just under half of the league from postseason action or the NBA when after a grueling 82 game season just 14 of 30 teams get sent home but it’s a lot closer than a 1 in 10 shot they had in ‘68. In fact only 60% of the baseball teams don’t get to play in October. And the Tigers are one. This is not to disparage the men who wear the Olde English D these days. It’s a rebuilding year, right? Meaning: “Don’t expect much folks”. We didn’t. And there wasn’t. There have been a few bright spots along the way. The infield sports a new look with some players who, while still pretty raw, show some ability and there could be a player or two among the outfielders who would later fit into a higher caliber team. Few seem to have any current capacity to get on base with any regularity but they could get better. The pitching is… well…. the pitching is suspect as always particularly the bullpen where ‘closer’ Shane Greene is often dreadful, but there exists a bit of young talent here and there. And besides, there are those of us who remember the ‘rebuilding’ year of 2001 when they won just 66 games. The following year of the ‘rebuild’ they won 55. And then came 2003. While our current Tigers have won 60 contests thus far that ’03 team? On September 17th? The day the ‘68 team posted win number 98? To clinch? They stood at 38 wins and 113 losses enroute to another 6 losses and one away from the worst record ever. Just 75 games from the break even .500 mark. Take heart Tiger fans. Take heart and hunker in. It just might be a bit of a stretch before game tickets become hard to get again. Oh, and for those interested in a butterfly update? As of Sunday 9 of the winged wonders have ‘hatched’ and been set free. The discussions about the impending future move toward an expansion of services continues, though ‘discussion’ generally entails a two sided talk and these have had more of a decree kind of flavor. Nonetheless it has been an interesting run and though we have both hung around (some of us recruited) in hopes of witnessing one bust through the crystallises the little buggers seem to realize it and and even the most momentary reconnaissance sabbatical can result in an emergence. But we (loose use of the term ‘we’) will undoubtedly keep trying. There are still 9 more of the jade colored jewels to transform and a week or two before the cages, plants, and other paraphernalia get retired as does the relative freneticism of the past few weeks. Until next year, of course. Thanks for asking.  The Michigan Irish Music Festival in Muskegon is the hands down best organized event in the region but beyond that it is an absolute jewel of jollification with top level entertainment and a boatload of activities to appeal to all ages and interests. But, of course, if you might be a Hibernophile this is a slice of neamh ar domhan (heaven on earth). The music is amazing, the Jamesons and Guiness are flowing, the food is fantastic, the shopping ops are intriguing and the whole tone of the place is upbeat and atmospherically pleasing. Like the whole Irish scene but don’t want to miss any of the football games on your Saturday calendar? Or perhaps want to check out and see if the Lions can possibly look any worse than last Monday? Not a problem. Giant TVs are in nearly every concert tent with a variety of games on tap (as is the beer) including of course the 2:30pm game featuring the Fighting Irish on Saturday. If you’ve ever been, you’re likely already going but if you have never hit the premier festival offered by our Lakeshore metroneighbor we would highly recommend spending some time at Heritage Landing. Once you go, chances are you will be hooked on Hibernia. Friday 5-11pm, Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday 10am-6pm. From Howard City? Ever lived there? Visited? Passed through? Well, no matter the level of relationship you might have with our panhandle pal to the east you’re invited to their 150th Birthday party (known officially as the sesquicentennial) with a variety of events taking place Saturday and Sunday. For details go to their facebook page (Howard City 150th Anniversary Celebration) HC is a great town and has aged well so stop in and check out a little community pride. Friday from 9-10am you can meet and chat with Dr. Rob Davidson the Democratic candidate for the 2nd Congressional seat currently occupied by Bill Huizenga. Where, you say? Kick Start Cafe the very cool coffeeteria located just a stone’s throw north of Grant on M-37. To vote informed, one must be informed so stop in and see what the nominee/physician has to say about health care and grab a bagel to go with your hot drink choice. Do you rodeo? Saturday smack dab between Newaygo and White Cloud (1343 E 40th St.) the Cowboys and Clowns Speed Show will be going on for the 4th (and final) time this summer. Barrel riding, pole bending and flag races are on tap and though our knowledge of such things remains minimal, it looks like fun. Starts at noon and details can be accessed by going to the Cowboys and Clowns facebook page.  Suggestion Box is sponsored by Newaygo Brewing Co. Good drink, good food and a good bit of charm.  "Peace Maker" moose antler carving by Gene Reid, Mohawk. The piece will be raffled off Sunday at 3:45pm at the gathering. Native American Gathering coming to Newaygo Photos by Larry Gouine The 3rd annual Native American Gathering will be held on Saturday, September 22 from 11a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, September 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Brooks Park in downtown Newaygo. This family friendly event is free and open to the public. “Everyone is welcome to come and share Native American Indigenous music, dance, food and culture,” said Richard Ritter of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, one of the coordinators of the event. “There will be demonstrations of moccasin making, beading and carving, among other arts and crafts.” Speakers will talk about current and historic topics related to Native Indigenous issues. Among the presenters will be Banashee Cadreau of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa who will talk about the Clans of the Anishinaabe; Gordon Henry of the White Earth Anishinaabe Nation of Minnesota who will speak about Ceremony; Beth Moody, Eagle Clan of the Shawnee Nation, whose topics are Water is Life, Cradle Boards and Moss Bags. Several other local and regional speakers will touch on subjects such as Indian Boarding Schools, Borders and Immigration, Indigenous Archeology, Grandmother Moon, and the Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978. “Peace Maker”, an original moose antler carving by Gene Reid, Mohawk Tribe, will be raffled off to a lucky winner at the Gathering on Sunday, September 23 at 3:45pm. Raffle tickets for this unique and beautiful work of art, valued at $1,100, will be on sale at the Gathering on both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are also on sale at these local businesses: Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center, Flying Bear Books, and Cronk’s Ace in Newaygo; Maike’s Bakery in White Cloud; Red Pine Crafts in Fremont; and Two Sisters Resale in Hesperia. Email for ticket information via nativecircle4@gmail.com. Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25, and donations are tax deductible. The Native American Gathering is the major annual event by the Native Circle of Newaygo County (NCNC), a 501c3 non-profit organization. NCNC’s mission is in part to share Native Indigenous cultures with all people and to tell the true history of Native Americans from their experiences and perspectives. NCNC also offers other events such as Indigenous film viewing throughout the year. “We hope everyone will come out to the Gathering and enjoy the cultures of our People,” added Laci Reagan of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, a beader and member of the Native Circle of Newaygo County. “It will be an experience you won’t forget!” For information about the Gathering, the Native Circle of Newaygo County, or if you are a Native American artist, crafter, drummer or dancer and would like to participate, please contact: nativecircle4@gmail.com. Or call Sally at 231.519.9471.
Have some fun this fall and shoot away….with your camera! Newaygo County is prime country for that perfect fall photo. Take your best shots and enter the NCCA-Artsplace Fall Photography Contest. The contest is an annual community event that anyone can enter and showcases the fall beauty of our area. Entry deadline is Tuesday, September 18, by 5:30 p.m.
This free competition is for all ages and all levels of skill. All entries must have a fall or harvest theme. Participants may submit up to two entries. Each entry must be an 8”x10” unframed photograph. All entries will be on display September 20 through October 27 in the corridor gallery at NCCA-Artsplace. First, second and third place ribbons will be awarded on Thursday, September 20 at 5:00 p.m. during Fremont’s Fall Harvest Festival. Registration forms for the competition are available at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 East Main Street, downtown Fremont or call 231.924.4022. The guidelines and forms may also be printed from www.ncca-artsplace.org. |
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September 2018
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