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If you like music we have a wide range of options available to us this weekend. The Dogwood Center is delivering a one-two punch this weekend featuring a pair of performances on Friday and Saturday. Tonight (Friday) Sandi Patty the renowned contemporary Christian music artist will be taking to the stage. Ms. Patty was forced to cancel her scheduled visit here in early August and her fans are happy to know her show is, at last, making a Newaygo County stop. http://www.dogwoodcenter.com/?p=7080 Saturday marks the arrival of An Dro, an enticing gathering of talent performing in the club-like atmosphere of the Black Box. Those who were fortunate enough to be at the Luthiers Concert this past winter should recall Jim Spalink performing on the harp. As part of An Dro he expands his instrumental repertoire and together with fiddler extraordinaire Michele Venegas, the multi-instrumental skills of Cara Lieurance, and innovative percussionist Carolyn Koebel creates a sound destined to charm an audience of listeners. http://www.dogwoodcenter.com/?p=7057 Lean a little more to Rock and Roll? Tetrad is a favorite draw in these parts for those who like their music with a bit of edge. You never know what will be coming up next given Tetrad’s wide swath of musical journeys, but you always know it will be delivered with an abundance of energy. They will be making a stop at the River Stop Saloon in downtown Newaygo Saturday. And make sure to take advantage of the variety of dining establishments we have available to us in our region. Weekends should have a celebratory feel to them and a morning, midday or evening dining experience provides a little food and a little fun all the while giving the mealmakers among us a bit of a break. 
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 'Expedition: Dinosaur' Opening Party Takes Over the Grand Rapids Public Museum This October Including Special Appearance by Dinosaur Train’s Buddy the Dinosaur
Grand Rapids -The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is excited to be hosting a special Expedition: Dinosaur Opening Party to welcome the newest traveling exhibit on Saturday, October 13! Expedition: Dinosaur lets visitors become paleontologists as they explore the Mesozoic-era dinosaurs and see and control life-sized animatronic dinosaurs! Expedition: Dinosaur will open on Saturday, October 13 with a special Opening Party fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. benefiting the GRPM. Visitors of all ages will have first access to the exhibit at this party to explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils. The Opening Party will be first access to Expedition: Dinosaur and take over all three floors of the GRPM with live dinosaurs roaming and additional dinosaur hands-on activities. Activities include cracking geodes with Dr. Diggs, going on a fossil dig, seeing and touching fossil artifacts from the GRPM Collections, and a special photo opportunity where visitors become dinosaur in special face morphing technology! Community partners will also be hosting special dinosaur themed activities throughout the Museum as well, including making dinosaur buttons out of retired dinosaur books with Kent District Library, DIY geological dig with 4-H Tech Wizards, live birds, reptiles and amphibians with Blandford Nature Center, a raptor vehicle outside the Museum from Keller Ford, and special appearance of Buddy the Dinosaur from PBS Kids’ popular Dinosaur Train program. Thanks to sponsorship from WGVU Public Museum, Buddy the Dinosaur will be at the Museum from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 13. Buddy the Dinosaur is a curious, funny, and intelligent T-Rex and the star of PBS Kids show Dinosaur Train. He is cautious, but always ready to jump into action and start asking questions. While on the Dinosaur Train, Buddy makes a hypothesis and begins searching for the answers to his questions with the help of his Mom, the Conductor, and the new dinosaurs he meets on the train. The Expedition: Dinosaur Opening Party will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $13 for children, $10 for member adults and $5 for member children. The Opening Party has limited capacity. Special meal deals will be available throughout the day. For tickets and more information on the Expedition: Dinosaur Opening Party visit grpm.org/DinoParty. Before the Opening Party, visitors can join the Museum for an exclusive Breakfast with the Dinos on Saturday, October 13 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Breakfast with the Dinos includes access to Expedition: Dinosaur, special hands-on activities, breakfast and make and take your own fossil! Breakfast with the Dinos is open to only 200 visitors. Breakfast includes pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, donuts, juice and coffee. Breakfast with Dino ticket holders are invited to stay for the Opening Party. For tickets and more information on Breakfast with the Dinos, visit grpm.org/DinoBreakfast. Breakfast with the Dinos and Expedition: Dinosaur Opening Party are sponsored by Arnie’s Bakery & Restaurant, Aunt Millie’s Bakeries, Kaat’s Culligan of Grand Rapids, Old Orchard Juices, Tyson Foods, Pepsi and Van Eerden Foodservice. Expedition: Dinosaur Expedition: Dinosaur taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures. It is perhaps the closest experience to what it would have been like to be in the presence of a living, breathing Mesozoic-era dinosaur. This exhibit has something for every age and interest, from life-sized and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs to mechanical and electronic learning stations. Visitors can learn about modern imaging techniques like high-energy neutron beams that reveal the inside of a T. Rex skull in microscopic detail never seen before. The exhibit includes a number of hands-on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today. Exhibition: Dinosaur comes to the GRPM from Stage Nine Exhibitions and is on display from October 13, 2018 through Spring 2019. This exhibit focuses on the science of paleontology. Exhibit developer Stage Nine Exhibitions engaged renowned paleontologist Dr. Thomas Williamson to consult and inform the exhibit. Dr. Williamson, Curator of Paleontology at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, was featured in the PBS documentary "The Day The Dinosaurs Died."
Newaygo North Country Trail Section 11 – W. Pierce Dr. to Nichols North Trailhead By Bret Brummel Distance: 7.29 miles The sunshine, blue skies and cooler temperatures made it an ideal day to run another section of the trail. I had heard some good things about this section and was hoping it would live up to the hype. I laughed when I put our destination into Google Maps and realized we would be driving 45 minutes one way to our destination. After all that time in a van, a good run would be appreciated. We began our run weaving through a wooden gate used to keep vehicles off the trail. The path was the normal single track, but it was wide enough to run side by side if we wanted. The unusual feature was the trail was cut about 5 feet below the ground level of the forest on either side. It was like running in a peaceful, dried-up canal. In a half mile, we exited the canal and encountered a foot bridge crossing Bear Creek that led us toward a few sections of wetland. The trail had a perfect balance of turns and hills to keep things interesting but not too difficult. We would approach one marsh at ground level and pass the next running on the bank of a hill. We would run through some mature planted pines, then through an oak forest. The trail would break into the open, head back into the woods, then cross a creek. There was so much to see that the miles were passing quickly. We did stop at mile 3 to take a picture of the bridge crossing Tank Creek hardly believing we had gone that far. With Anna leading the way, we crossed 11 Mile Road heading toward the Nichols Lake Campground. The trail is well marked, but at our running pace, we had to stop to make sure we were heading in the right direction after we crossed the road. We found the blue rectangles that led us up a few hills near the lake. At the top of one hill, you could see the lake in the distance. I informed Anna that I wanted a picture of the lake, so we kept running looking for a good spot to stop for a photo. We followed the trail around the south end of the lake, down a very steep hill, to a spot where we had to choose between 3 forks in the trail. Anna had no idea which fork to take and nowhere on the trees did we see the familiar blue rectangles that mark the way. We ran about 50 meters up the steep hill in two different directions without finding the blue markers and determined that we must have taken a wrong turn. We had to backtrack a quarter of a mile to find the error. We had missed a turn that would take us down to the boat launch on the south side of Nichols Lake. I did end up getting a good picture at the boat launch, it just would have been nice to not have to run the extra half mile to get it. Beyond the boat launch, the trail runs within 10 feet of the lake for a quarter mile before heading back into the woods. From there, we ran to the top of a hill that bordered the lake and offered a nice view as we continued north. Finally, we could hear some cars in the distance and it wasn’t long until we were back to the van. This was our favorite section of the trail so far. It definitely lived up to the praise I had seen online. If you’ve never hiked the trail, I’d suggest trying this section. You might want to wait a few weeks for the leaves to change color. You won’t be disappointed.    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.   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. |
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