  Irish Music & Culture coming to Hackley Park Sept. 18 Family Financial Credit Union presents HACKLEY HOOLEY, an event of the Michigan Irish Music Festival (MIMF), on Saturday, September 18 from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. at Hackley Park in downtown Muskegon. “We are excited to produce and offer a hybrid, one-day event that is still aligned with our mission: to promote Irish culture and heritage while enhancing the community through entertainment, tourism, education, and philanthropy,” said Chris Zahrt, MIMF President. "Though we had to cancel the usual four-day festival in our traditional format due to a variety of factors - from international travel restrictions to uncertainty surrounding the pandemic - we can't wait to welcome our patrons to a full day of Irish fun at Hackley Hooley." Hackley Hooley will present live music by four outstanding bands* on the Hackley Park main stage: BLACKTHORN What makes a Blackthorn show unique is the variety of tunes, tempos and textures. Each member of the band plays multiple instruments, including wooden flute, accordion, tin whistle, five string banjo, cittern, bones and more. These instruments complement the lead vocal of Belfast native Richard McMullan and the band’s tight blend of four part harmony. ONE FOR THE FOXES This exciting and dynamic transatlantic trio presents a rousing blend of Irish and American folk music. They offer both traditional and newly composed music, presented in an energetic and engaging manner. RUNA Runa breathes fresh life into traditional Celtic music by digging into the songs and tunes to find the universal thread that binds past to present. Contemporary Celtic music at its very best. SEAMUS KENNEDY A fan favorite, Seamus’ trademark is his ongoing interaction with the audiences. Fast-paced humor is very much a part of what Seamus does, whether he’s telling a series of rapid-fire jokes or launching into a lyrical parody. *Live music lineup is subject to change Hackley Hooley will also feature cultural displays and shopping offerings from Irish vendors. Patrons can expect their favorite Irish food and beverages, including craft beer, whiskey, Budweiser, and MI Irish Stout, a Pigeon Hill Brewing Company original brew. The Schedule: Noon Seamus Kennedy 1:45 pm Blackthorn 3:00 pm Muskegon Regional Police Pipes and Drums 3:45 pm One for the Foxes 5:00 pm Muskegon Regional Police Pipe and Drums 5:45 pm Runa 7:30 pm Seamus Kennedy Along with presenting sponsor Family Financial Credit Union, major sponsors for Hackley Hooley include Budweiser, Van's Car Wash & Quick Lube, G&L Chili Dogs, and the Mart Dock. 
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 Holton's Gail Howarth takes top honors
The award winners of the 2021 NCCA-Artsplace Statewide Photography Competition were announced on Friday, August 6. The competition is an annual event that exhibits and acknowledges some of the finest photographers in the state of Michigan. The exhibit and awards this year were selected by Dianne Carroll Burdick, a free-lance photographer in Grand Rapids. Award winners are: 1st Place – Gail Howarth of Holton for “Then She Walked Away", 2nd Place – Henry Droski of Grand Rapids for “Blue Swallow”, 3rd Place – Lori Rivera of Muskegon for "Just Winging It”, Honorable Mention – Richard Hinton of Fremont for “Produce”, and Honorable Mention – Lisa Medendorp of Muskegon for “I Will If You Won't". This interesting exhibit is a must-see and everyone is encouraged to stop in and take a stroll around the photographs on display through September 8. NCCA-Artsplace is located at 13 E. Main Street in downtown Fremont. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Simple Happy Parenting By Denaye Barahona, Ph.D.
Review by Stephani Gibson, Librarian at FADL I am a mom of two very energetic elementary-aged children. A few weeks ago, not for the first time, I was feeling particularly overwhelmed by this parenting gig and also feeling like I just wasn’t a very good parent. My kids were arguing with me and with each other a lot, and I was very impatient and yelling too much. So while we were at the library, I grabbed a book called Simple Happy Parenting. If you are a parent and your house is always perfectly clean and clutter free, you never raise your voice to your children, and you live in a happy world of unicorns and rainbows, then carry on, for you do not need to read this review or the book. But if you are like me, your house has SO. MANY. TOYS. And probably lots of other things creating clutter everywhere. I have a hard time staying on top of all of the stuff, and all of the responsibilities involved with being a wife, mom, and employee. The first section of this book is about the idea of “simple parenting.” It involves the “simple manifesto” which includes:
Next, the book discusses designing a simple family home. This was really the section that interested me the most, because it reminded me of the fact that my house has way too much clutter, and clutter stresses me out whether I’m always aware of it, and that in turn makes me more overwhelmed and impatient with my kids. There are tips for choosing furniture and housewares with children in mind, creating a capsule wardrobe for your kids, minimizing toys, and simplifying meal times. The author has recommendations for how to talk to your kids about minimizing the toys before you do it, and which types of toys to keep (hint: it’s not the flashy high-tech ones). I can say I followed this method with my daughter before we cleaned out her room, and for her, it worked well. I’ve also minimized the toys in our playroom, and other than a couple toys, my kids haven’t had a problem with what I chose to remove. According to Barahona’s research, “Children who have fewer toys are less stressed and more creative” and “Kids play better and behave better when they have fewer toys.” This section of the book also talks about her laundry routine, and I can say that her routine is working well for me. The last section of the book provides more detail on how to use the “simple manifesto” in parenting. While I can’t say I’ll be able to successfully implement all of the tips, I think some of them will stick with me, and I’ve seen some success already. This book is a quick and easy read, and I would recommend it if you are trying to brush up your parenting skills. Place a hold on the print copy here: https://bit.ly/3iwK1sZ or check out the ebook on Hoopla here: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/12376534  What’s happening this weekend We're nearly a week into the last real month of summer so beyond our smattering of suggestions there are ample opportunities to swim, paddle, pickleball, tube, disc golf, hike, or just sit someplace comfy and enjoy the lack of layering. Earth Helpers It looks to be an environmental kind of weekend. The BPW is hosting a tire collection day taking in all the used rubber you can roll in...well up to 10 that is. However, townships who earlier this year amassed a number of these potential backyard swings, race track cushions, football practice aids, etc. can haul in up to 200 for disposal. NCDC Dale Twing: "With a lot of help from the Newaygo County Road Commission, many volunteers, the board of public works, and the staff at the drain office we have successfully removed thousands of old tires from our county." This event is free, mind you, but don’t be cheap. Maybe toss a donation to the recycling efforts that help the effort to keep our community unspoiled. See the article here: https://www.nearnorthnow.com/news/this-saturday-its-time-to-trash-tires Interested in helping clean up the Mighty Muskegon, the supreme stream in these parts of our bipeninsular paradise? Look no further than Bridgeton for the 10th annual Muskegon River Cleanup, a popular initiative that has produced an absolute plethora of intriguing items, objects, artifacts, and stuff. Returnables alone often dwarf the collection sites of school can drives and if you’ve ever been around the holding spot for such drives… But back to the river. These are fun folks, they’ve made a huge dent in debris and they have cool giveaways. Here’s the skinny from a photo of a flyer they sent.  Laughs on the Pond
The Driftwood’s deck is one of my all time favorite spots to spend some time on a summer afternoon enjoying a beverage and a bite (love the BLT's) with LSC Lil. On weekends they tend bring in some really fine regional cover bands filling the pond with country, rock and country/rock. Friday night starting at 7pm they’re tossing in a bit of comedy when Fresh Ghost, a duo who have been making the rounds in the West Mitten area, presents their show.. Our last exposure to local laughs of the stand up variety was during the heyday of the Marvelous Megan Wirts who has remained on a lengthy sabbatical from the stage. A high bar indeed, Fresh Ghost. Let’s see what you’ve got. Short Drive? Deb and the Dynamics will be laying down some serious tunes at the wonderfully worth the drive eatery known as the Chase Smokehouse this Sunday from 2-5pm. Good band, good food, good atmosphere and did I mention the food? Longer Drive? We consider the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival one of 5 major lakeshore events along with the Irish Music Fest, the Tulip Fest, The Venetian Fest and the short rib bourguignon dinner at Hearthstone Bistro. It’s the second weekend, it runs through Sunday and there is a lot going on in GH. And a lot of people will be there to take in the goings on as well as taking in a stroll on that epic Boardwalk. There you go. Stuff to do, things to see, places to go. If you have something going on let us know and we’ll give it a shout. -N3  Award-winning folk and Americana artist Ralston Bowles will perform at the Dogwood Center on Friday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m. Bowles is a uniquely compelling troubadour whose influence and songs reach across the United States and the globe. The musician and singer-songwriter has released several critically acclaimed albums – including “Carwreck Conversations” and “Rally at the Texas Hotel” – containing songs that have been covered and reinterpreted by a host of indie-folk artists, from Peter Mulvey to Caroline Aiken. He has frequently toured the United States and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of Bob Dylan, Shawn Colvin, Arlo Guthrie, Hothouse Flowers and many more. Bowles' compelling and insightful songs have inspired a generation of musicians, evidenced by a recent double-album (“Michigan Music”) compiled as a tribute to Bowles, a project featuring 33 Michigan bands and solo artists. He also has been a regular performer at the annual West Michigan Luthier Concert. Tickets are only $15 and are available at www.dogwoodcenter.com, through the Dogwood Box Office, downtown Fremont at NCCA-Artsplace. For information, phone 231.924.8885. The Dogwood Center is located one mile east of downtown Fremont.  A scene from the June 2017 summer session during the 20th anniversary year. Photo courtesy of Michigan DNR Registration opens for fall program in the Upper Peninsula The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced today registration is open for its Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program, which is set for Sept. 10-12 in Marquette County. This will mark the first-ever Michigan BOW fall gathering for women, 18 and older, who are seeking an opportunity to improve their outdoor skills in a relaxed, noncompetitive atmosphere. The traditional February and June gatherings were cancelled earlier this year because of coronavirus precautions. “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman is a program where each individual is encouraged to learn at her own pace,” said Michelle Zellar, BOW program coordinator in Newberry. “The emphasis is on the enjoyment, fun and camaraderie of outdoor activities and sharing in the success of one another.” The fall BOW program is sponsored by the DNR and offers instruction in more than 20 different types of activities, including kayaking, wilderness survival, lake and fly fishing, rock climbing, geocaching, shooting sports, hammock camping, basic land navigation and introduction to turkey hunting. “Volunteer BOW instructors provide basic and advanced teaching that is tailored to each participant's individual ability, helping participants learn the basics in a short amount of time,” Zellar said.  Becoming an Outdoor Woman (B.O.W.) flyfishing the Ausable River in the Rain. Photo courtesy of Michigan DNR Please take the BOW Participation Survey to provide important information that will help shape future BOW gatherings. BOW participants in the fall program will stay and take their classes at the UP-Bible Camp, a universally accessible facility overlooking Farmers Lake, which is situated about 20 miles south of Marquette, near Gwinn. Participants will be housed in a dorm-style facility with amenities, including a sauna, basketball courts, high ropes course, zipline, hiking and biking trails, along with easy access to a beautiful, forested area. Registration enrollment will be limited to fewer attendees than our traditional summer event which typically hosts over a hundred participants. “All of our programs typically fill quickly, so early registration is encouraged,” Zellar said. The $225 registration fee includes all food and lodging, as well as most equipment and supplies. The deadline for registration is Aug. 15, 2021. A limited number of partial BOW scholarships are available to help low-income participants with the cost of registration. The scholarship application deadline is Aug. 6, 2021. Class information and registration materials are available online at Michigan.gov/BOW. Registrations must be mailed, with payment, to the Newberry Customer Service Center stated on the form. For more information on the fall BOW program, contact Michelle Zellar at the DNR Customer Service Center in Newberry at 906-293-5131 ext. 4004, or by e-mail at DNRBOW@michigan.gov.  BOW-2017 Photo courtesy of Michigan DNR  Parked in the driveway, an empty slate ready to convert to a family RV  The finished exterior parked in Wolfe's Neck Campground On the Run: A Covid Conversion By Alexis Mercer 1 bus conversion to RV 3678.4 miles 14 states 11 campgrounds We sat on the beach in the summer of 2019 and I listened to my husband plotting with my cousin's husband, John. I was used to this kind of talk. “Let’s build a floating oasis….” or some other kind of grand scheme. They were full of ideas. This time it was “We need to buy a bus and turn it into an RV.” His wife Stephanie and I just smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m sure,” we said with a knowing look. We had been here before. All talk. No action. Silly me. Fast forward to summer of 2020. The world had been in quarantine since March. Adam was, against my better judgment of course, taking an Amtrak to New Jersey where he had just purchased a 24’ school bus sight unseen. He would immediately turn around and drive it home so as to avoid any hotels. I couldn’t even begin to contain my shock that this was happening. “We will have it done by next summer so we can go on vacation even if everything is still shut down,” says Adam. It wasn’t until the bus pulled in the driveway, extendable stop sign and all, that I figured I better get on board for this project, otherwise I would be left in the dust.  Demolition time: removing the final braces from the original bus seats Demolition quickly began, giving our family a project to enjoy together and a long term goal to look forward to despite the despair of the state of the world in a pandemic. We knew next to nothing about renovating a bus. But no time like the present to figure it out. YouTube videos came in handy. We researched best practices for making this a truly livable and enjoyable experience. We drew out a rough sketch of what we were thinking to make it work for our family of 5. We made a long, long list of what we needed and off we went. Once the bus was gutted it was time to make decisions about materials that would go back in. Adam: “Let’s get our own trees milled.” Me: blank stare Adam: “No, really. We will cut them down from the property and the tree at your parents’ house that has to come down anyway and I’ll get them milled.” Me: blank stare Most people buy wood. Not my husband. Nope. So off we go trying to figure out how to get the massive tree my parents had cut down onto our trailer to get to the Amish to cut. Then I got to enjoy it drying in my garage for the winter months. Who needs two parking spots anyway? In the meantime we had my dad’s assistance installing the floor. We chose vinyl planks due to their versatility and ease in caring for them. This after the insulation went on the floor and every wall. I remembered the days of riding the school bus in the cold. I wasn’t interested in feeling that freezing again. Slowly but surely we made improvements. We found a dinette on Facebook Marketplace for $40. A foldout couch removed from a nearly brand new RV for $50. We planned on a bathroom (with just a portable toilet to avoid the difficulty of black water), as much storage room as possible and a kitchen area with a sink.  The kitchen cabinets in a finished bus Once it came time to use the trees, Adam’s dad came in to help with building cabinets, the doors and shelves. His mom did all the staining since by this time we were back to work and school full time in person and some of the smaller details were getting hard to do on our own! Plus she is an expert, so why not let it get done correctly? For the fridge, sink, and any other electric needs we installed an inverter. We would also bring a generator in case we were camping anywhere without electric for an extended period of time. My spring joy came from choosing dishes, towels, and accessories. Not too many, of course, because the last thing we wanted was to be stuck in a bus for hours upon hours without any room to even move! I managed to keep it simple. Choosing paint colors was one of those parts of the project that made me just shake my head. Adam’s vision was to make it like the original Eddie Bauer Bronco colors. Deep blue and tan. But paint colors don’t work the same as just finding an RGB value of a photo of an old Bronco. No, that would be too easy. What did we end up with? Buckskin and Medium Royal Blue. Which, in my opinion, sounded nothing like what he was going for. I mean...Buckskin? Ugh. But I’ll admit when applied it looks just fine.  A place of calm and restoration within Shenandoah National Park Now that this project was becoming a reality, we allowed ourselves to start planning the trip itself. We were dreaming big. The year was so challenging for everyone. Stress was piled layer upon layer on our shoulders and even though the kids handled it all better than I’m sure we did, they still needed a break. A true vacation. “East or West” we asked the kids? “EAST!” they all decided. West could be the next trip. After all, our last adventure before Covid had been to Yellowstone. Time to explore a completely different part of our vast country. This way we could bring the mountain bikes the kids had all acquired during the pandemic (after months of waiting, of course, since everyone else and their brother got one of those as well). Just the act of planning the vacation was cathartic. I ached to leave on the actual trip so I could begin the process of restoring myself to some normality. Some deep breaths in the mountain air. The biggest issue arose only about a month before we were set to leave. The air conditioner was not working. Which we never would have known since we hadn’t used it in summer yet. But the thought of driving in the summer humidity without an air conditioner was close to panic inducing for my husband. The place we found in Big Rapids that would be able to fix it (this was outside Adam’s area of expertise) started the process. We were confident it could get done in time but we hadn’t left them enough days to receive parts by the time it got to them, so the day before we left, we picked it up and set our minds that windows down was just going to have to cut it.  The smiles are genuine: Thunder Hole was absolutely amazing and the rain meant we had the place to ourselves Minus that one hiccup, the bus was complete and we were ready. We had done it. Not perfectly of course. But it was a true family project and we were on our way. Now to donn it with a name. “That there’s an RV, Clark.” I suppose it had to be named something. And so of course it had to be from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The bus would be Uncle Eddie. The trip ended up lasting three weeks. And it was heavenly. Exciting, relaxing, restorative. Exactly what we were dreaming of all those months. We enjoyed two weeks with my parents, sister, and her family (they all had tents while we enjoyed the luxury of the bus). Then we spent the last week exploring more just as our little family. Nothing could dull the vivid experience. It poured rain for a few days but Eddie was a dry refuge. We traveled hours upon hours on end to get to our next destination but Eddie gave us a way to rest and still relax while on the road. It was a record hot day in the East as we neared New York City but Eddie kept cool in the campsite on the Hudson. Mountains and rivers and valleys and waterfalls. Uncle Eddie got us there.  On top of Beech Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine The variety of the stops on the trip were what made it most exciting. Our stops: Niagara Falls, New York: Branches of Niagara Campground New Hampshire: Monadnock State Park (Gilson Pond Area) Acadia National Park, Maine: Bass Harbor Campground Freeport, Maine: Wolfe’s Neck Campground Massachusetts: Wompatuck State Park Boston (day trip) Nantasket to swim in the ocean (day trip) New Jersey: Liberty Harbor Campground New York City (took the ferry over for this day trip): 9/11 Memorial Museum, Times Square Pennsylvania: Ben Franklin RV Park Shenandoah National Park, Virginia: Mathews Arm Campground Shenandoah National Park, Virginia: Big Meadows Campground Pocahontas County, West Virginia: Watoga State Park, Beaver Creek Campground Pocahontas County, West Virginia: Watoga State Park, Riverside Campground We soaked in all this trip had to offer. Campfires, s’mores, the ocean spraying us with its powerful surf, the city streets, the Green Monster, hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail, finding new biking paths, Beech Mountain in Acadia National Park, navigating busy streets and the opposite - finding our way in the mountains of West Virginia inside the 13,000 acres of zero cell service and no GPS. We read books, we laughed, we rested, we wore ourselves out with adventure. We showered when we could and found rivers when no showers were to be found.
I ran everywhere we went. Trails upon trails galore. Once, while in Wompatuck State Park, I was about to jump in Heron Pond, a tiny but unbelievably pristine pond back in the woods, when what popped up to greet me, only inches from my face? The biggest snapping turtle I had ever seen. Followed by another one, who topped the first one’s size, and started fighting the first. I changed my mind about the swim. I like keeping my toes. I even came across a bear on my run in the Blue Ridge Mountains and made it out alive. (He really didn’t even care that I was there...but let me tell ya...I cared he was there.) One late afternoon I sat on top of a rock overlooking a 97’ waterfall and the skyline full of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I had descended nearly 900 feet from the campground to get there, so I knew my run back up would be intense. But all I could do was soak in the breathtaking beauty of the scene in front of me. All the months of stress leading up to this moment left me one breath at a time. I was by myself and couldn’t see another human for hundreds of miles. This was exactly what I had needed. I was flooded with relief; the peace I had been seeking. And it all started two years ago with two guys on a beach and a brilliant idea...  Heron Pond at Wompatuck State Park  Book Review: When the Stars Go Dark
By Alexis Mercer Two topics that render a book undesirable for me to even open are child abduction and death by cancer. I figure there are so many millions of books in the world, why would I bother with topics that terrify me? So why the book When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain called to me as I wandered through the shelves in a Barnes and Noble in Harrisburg, Virginia, I’ll have no idea. In fairness, a character’s death by cancer wasn’t on the book cover. But child abduction? Anna Hart is a detective in the San Francisco area who specializes in missing people. But a personal tragedy causes her to escape her everyday life and head to northern California, where she spent the majority of her childhood. While there she gets sucked into investigating a teenager’s disappearance. While working through the crime she grapples with her own life’s hardships, both past and present. The loss of her adoptive parents, the tragedy that befell her that caused her to leave San Francisco, the trauma of her childhood. The cover of this book includes a quote by Kristin Hannah: “A powerhouse of a novel that is guaranteed to keep the reader up all night.” At first I thought it meant because the story unfolded so well that I wouldn’t want to stop reading. Which was true. I flew through the book in two days and stayed up much too late doing so. But, at least for me, the quote also meant that I stayed up thinking about the traumas that were so vividly described in this novel. For whatever reason this book pulled me in at first sight and I am so glad it did. Emotionally heavy, but a great read nonetheless. The next book I read most definitely fell into the “beach read” category, with absolutely nothing of substance, in order to balance out. But the mixture of intensity was a good change of pace.  The National Baby Food Festival got off to a bang with crowds filling the downtown area during kids day to take advantage of the number of businesses, agencies and organizations setting up shop to deliver information and some giveaways. Down the street the carnival got into full swing, the park was the scene of an aerobics class, and lines began to form behind food trucks serving up nachos, corn dogs and of course, the always desirable elephant ears. When the unlimited rides wristbands went on sale at 5pm the booths were inundated with patrons who took to the variety of rides in droves. Carnival action continues today while the flea and farm market, the baby photo contest, a martial arts demo, movies in the park and other activities roll out as well. Check out the schedule at the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce facebook page. www.facebook.com/FremontAreaChamberofCommerce    It didn't take long for pickleballers to descend upon the new Henning Park courts Henning Park court improvements come to fruition By Ken DeLaat Photo by Mark Pitzer It doesn’t take long to recognize the booming popularity of the absurdly named net and paddle game known as Pickleball and nowhere is said popularity more apparent than at the corner of Darling and Maple in Fremont. There you will find the impressive P-Ball courts constructed a bit over 2 years ago and witness a constant stream of twosomes putting their game up against competitors with skill levels stretching from beginners to ‘if you’re going to be on the court with me you better be a serious player and for pity’s sake learn to stay out of the kitchen’. Yeah, personal experience. Adherents of the game are perpetually searching for places to ply their pickleball prowess and most possess the ability to sniff out a potential court from an impressive distance. And now a new sextet of courts will be drawing pickleballers to Henning Park. Behind a collaborative effort the Newaygo County Parks Department has taken the old tennis courts used for many years as a makeshift place for matches and created a stellar set that will see players from throughout the region taking advantage of the new digs. And one can easily predict there will be a number of pickleballing campers who wander over from their site to knock the ball around a bit. These are indeed beauties with new fencing, new permanent nets and total resurfacing. "I want to thank the local Newaygo County Pickleball Club, Newaygo Community Recreation Authority, and Newaygo TIFA for their financial assistance with the project,” said NC Parks Director Nick Smith. “ We have seen a dramatic uptick in users and a lot of new faces on the courts. We hope to see even more people in the future once the word gets out about how great the Park and courts are." Six more spots to welcome those who have picked up a paddle and joined the ranks of a burgeoning bevy of enthusiasts. Play on, pickleballers, play on. And if you’re a novice? Just try to stay out of the kitchen.  |
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September 2021
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