 L-R Shoni Jodway cuts the ribbon as Makiiya Jodway (L, ax in hand) and Isiah Carnegie admire his work. Axe Throwing Arrives In White Cloud Story by Ken DeLaat The closest I have ever come to Axe Throwing may have been tossing lawn darts (aka Jarts) back when they were legal. Or maybe it was darts in a favorite tavern on occasion back when I was young, single and spending an inordinate amount of time in such establishments. But I was admittedly intrigued when River Country Chamber’s Rachel Porter let me know about a ribbon cutting ceremony to be held at Aximum Effort, a new business opening in the downtown of our county seat featuring, you guessed it, Axe Throwing. Shoni and Makiiya Jodway were looking for a way to raise funds to support the Youth Center they opened in their downtown White Cloud storefront just over a year ago. “We have received a lot of generous support for the Youth Center from many places but when it comes to fundraising we’re not good at just going out and asking for money, “ said Makiiya. Always up for something new and fun they decided to give ax throwing a try. They checked out a couple of locations around the state, found it to be a good time and decided to bring a similar venue to their hometown. And on Valentine’s Day after much planning and preparation the Jodway’s opened the doors and greeted a couple dozen well wishers from the area who came to help celebrate the opening. Hosting a few private parties prior to the Grand Opening allowed the Jodways a few trial runs and it proved to be not only a fun way to spend time with friends but also a team building exercise for groups. Since I arrived early I was given the opportunity to try out the sport. After Shoni deftly tossed one into the target he delivered a few tips and I gave it a go. With my past experience involving Jarts and darts it would be great to tell you how well I did. How I sank the tip of the axe into the wooden frame directly dead center of the target with an accuracy that would remind onlookers of Conan the Barbarian But truth be told, it was not to be and I failed to rise to the occasion. I gave it 4 or 5 goes and not one time did my axe achieve the intended result. Being slightly more than mildly competitive with myself I was willing to press on but the time for the ribbon cutting drew near and I yielded my weapon with a promise to myself that there would be a return trip.
Aximum Effect looks to be an outstanding addition to our areas ‘things to do’ list. We love the name, the art of throwing an axe is one that Shoni assures me will come with practice, you can do this as a group venture and while they do not serve drinks it is a BYOB facility so friends can enjoy adult beverages while channeling their inner Viking or if you are a LOTR fan maybe your inner dwarf. Want more info? Care to reserve one or more of their three lanes? Here’s the skinny https://aximumeffort.com/?fbclid=IwAR2QAPDrwYuTkI2ac_9c5BpV6mbSoD-xoCZkYSHULsTSWNOOtzyg_B7AdrM And for younger readers, google “Ed Ames Teaches Johnny Carson How To Throw A Tomahawk” and watch the youtube video. If you are like me it will be impossible to not think of it when axe throwing is the subject. 
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 “Another Round” Concert at the Dogwood Center on February 25
You can expect a pitch perfect performance when Another Round, Indiana University's all-male a cappella group, performs on February 25 at the Dogwood Center! The group, whose performance will begin at 7:30 p.m., was originally known as Straight No Chaser back in 1996 when the group originated. An evening with the group will leave you with a tune in your head and a smile on your face. A cappella singing has been incredibly popular thanks to movies like “Pitch Perfect”. Major movements in modern a cappella over the past century include Barbershop and doo wop. Some a cappella groups use their voices to emulate instruments; others are more traditional and focus on harmonizing. Ten male students founded Straight No Chaser in 1996 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. In April 2006, a 1998 video recording of “The 12 Days of Christmas” was posted on YouTube. Straight No Chaser added humorous touches, and more than 16 million people tuned in. In April 2012, the collegiate group changed its name to Another Round, and the legacy continues. The singers provide their audience with not only a wide variety of music but charming and funny personalities to enjoy. Tickets are $17.50 and are available through the Dogwood Center Box Office, NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont, or on-line at www.dogwoodcenter.com or just click here. For information, phone 231.924.8885. The Dogwood Center is located one mile east of downtown Fremont.  Rod Glupker with some of the store's new line of hemp apparel. CBD Store of Michigan Now Carries Hemp Apparel
CBD Store of Michigan in Fremont now carries hemp apparel, hand bags, jewelry and more, announced Owner Rod Glupker, in addition to the 200 different CBD products already in the store. "We have shirts, skirts, dresses, hoodies and more," said Glupker. "You can find exactly what you need to express your unique style." All apparel is made from high-quality hemp and comes in a variety of sizes and colors, with brands like Toad & Co., Henotic Hemp and more. Shopping at CBD Store of Michigan is hassle-free in the Fremont location or online, with quick, free shipping and easy returns. "Hemp is an incredibly versatile, sustainable plant that has a variety of uses," said Glupker. "It can be used for textiles, paper, construction materials, food, fuel and more. Hemp is also an excellent source of nutrition and can be used as a powerful natural remedy for a range of ailments. Its sustainability makes it an ideal choice for those looking to reduce their environmental impact. CBD Store of Michigan opened in 2018 selling CBD from hemp. With over 60 brands and 200 different CBD products, it is one of the largest CBD retailers in the country. Also available for wholesale.  From our friends at Camp Henry: Camp Henry wants all children to have the opportunity to have a life changing experience along the shores of old Lake Kimball this summer. They have established a significant Scholarship Program for Day Camps and Overnight Camps, so that the cost of camp will not be a barrier that could prevent a child from having the chance to attend. A portion of the funding is available specifically for Newaygo County Residents. Camp Henry’s summer programs are for children ages 5-17. Camp Henry awards over $120,000 in scholarship funding to over 225 children each summer. The Scholarship Program is made possible due to the generosity of the Fremont Area Community Foundation, the Gerber Foundation, as well as other supportive foundations and donors. Camp Henry scholarships are awarded based on a sliding scale that considers a family’s annual income and the number of children in their household. Camp Henry has had the privilege of serving campers, families, and guests since 1937. They believe that a camping experience at Camp Henry has the capacity to transform lives in many ways. With such a concentrated amount of time, a beautiful natural environment, intentional camp programs and activities, opportunities to try something new, and campers being surrounded by positive Christian role models - the combination is perfect for enhancing and positively changing the lives of campers and guests who go to Camp Henry. For more information about Camp Henry or the Scholarship Program, please visit www.camphenry.org, or contact Leigha Oberle at leighao@camphenry.org or 231.652.6472.
  Newaygo Conservation District executive director, Lucas Cotton, engages middle school students in Soil Chemistry at Kropscott Farm Environmental Center. Kropscott Farm Environmental Center Hosts Winter Social Event
Monday, February 20th, Kropscott Farm Environmental Center (KFEC) will host a community open house to celebrate winter from 1:00 pm until 4:00. Visitors will enjoy a winter hike, bonfire with s’mores and hot cocoa, and a lesson on identifying winter trees. This event is made possible through a generous donation from Magna Mirrors of Newaygo. In the mid-1990s, Earle and Mildred Kropscott donated their 80 acre farm, six miles north of Fremont, to the Newaygo Conservation District. The Kropscott's wishes for this property were that it be used for educational and agricultural purposes, as well as scientific studies pertaining to the environment and our natural resources. In the late 90’s, funding was secured to construct learning labs and a dark-sky observatory named for former Fremont Earth and Space science teacher Stephen Wessling. In addition to being the home of the Stephen Wessling Observatory, the Kropscott property also contains Kropscott Farm Environmental Center. As per Kropscott's wishes, environmental education coexists with agriculture here. Visitors will see ecologically responsible farming in action. KFEC’s environmental education pairs community outreach with a variety of lessons targeting middle school students. Community outreach events have included sun viewing using special solar telescopes, hay rides, learning the science behind fall colors, ice cream making, and apple cider tasting. According to Lucas Cotton, executive director of the Newaygo Conservation District, “The main thing we want to convey is our desire to help our community engage with their environment in a way that is real and meaningful to them. We hope that this would result in a more unified community that will share their thoughts and ideas with us and each other, leading to sustainably managed natural resources both in publicly shared spaces as well as their privately owned lands. How do we use our natural resources to meet current needs without jeopardizing their use by future generations? This is the question we hope to answer together.”  Photo from Dave Bennett Rock and Roll Trio at Dogwood Center fb page Dave Bennett Trio at the Dogwood on February 11
The Dave Bennett Trio will perform on the Dogwood Center Main Stage on Saturday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. The Trio will perform the music of Elvis, Jerry Lee, The Stray Cats, Robert Gordon, Eddie Cochran, and so many others. The performance features Bennett on electric guitar, piano, vocals and clarinet, with Kurt Krahnke on bass and Doug Cobb on drums. Bennett is a multi-instrumentalist and singer who performs everything from jazz and swing to rock and roll. He has been a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops and has been featured with 35 other US and Canadian orchestras including Nashville, Detroit, Rochester, Omaha, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Orlando, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Portland, OR and Portland, ME. Some of his annual appearances include The Elkhart Jazz Festival, The Suncoast Classic Jazz Festival, The Arizona Classic Jazz Festival, The Sacramento Hot Jazz Jubilee, The Clambake Music Festival, and The Redwood Coast Music Festival. Tickets are $20 and are available online at www.dogwoodcenter.com, at the Dogwood Box Office, or at NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont or click here. The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. For information, phone 231.924.8885. The Dogwood Center is located one mile east of downtown Fremont.  Preston Hunt's award winning photo “Tahquamenon Falls” The NCCA-Artsplace Winter Community Photography Contest is a free annual contest for all ages and all levels of skill. The 2023 contest winners were selected by local photographer Ashley Folkema of Fremont. The first place award was given to Preston Hunt for his photograph “Tahquamenon Falls”, Nan Pokerwinski received second place for the entry "Winter Wander" and Sarah Ames was awarded third place for “Glaxe”. Honorable mentions went to Laura Johnston for her photograph "Winter Frost" and Carrie Homrich for "Winter Thaw". All entries will be on display through February 11 in the corridor gallery at NCCA-Artsplace, 13 East Main Street in downtown Fremont. Winter hours are Tuesday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Photo credit: Jason VanDort NCTC Announces New Board Members, Celebrates Record Breaking 2022
The Newaygo County Tourism Council (NCTC) held its first meeting of 2023 on Jan 10, inducting Genji LeClair of The Product Greenhouse and Brandmark Goods; MaryAnn Gasper of The Harrington Inn and Gabe Slominski of Newaygo Nationals as new board members. “We are excited to welcome new collaborators to the Tourism Council,” said returning Board President Julie Burrell, “the momentum we’ve achieved over the past few years would not be possible without our committed volunteers, and we are thrilled to add these talented individuals to our team.” Additionally, the end of 2022 marked the end of terms for Colleen Lynema, who has retired from River Country Chamber of Commerce and Lizz Reid, formerly Executive Director of the now dissolved Newaygo County Convention & Visitors Bureau. They served on the board for 7 and 2 years, respectively. NCTC leadership is appreciative for their many contributions to the success of tourism in Newaygo County. 2022 marked the best year in NCTC history, in terms of web traffic. Newaygocountyexploring.com boasted over 84,000 visitors throughout the year. While about 60% of this traffic hails from the Great Lakes State (mostly Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor & Detroit areas), NCTC is proud to share that individuals from every state in the US visited our website, learning about the amazing assets we have to offer in Newaygo County. The new year marks the launch of another big year for tourism. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation estimates tourism contributes $120M in Newaygo County annually, and the NCTC wants to capitalize on that spend. With a $72,000 marketing budget in 2023, NCTC plans to continue growing our digital marketing & email campaigns, developing additional mapping assets and expanding into new segments through influencer marketing. To support this robust plan, the NCTC has revised two of their existing programs, aimed at partnering with additional Newaygo County businesses. The NCTC is interested in partnering with lodging facilities, restaurants, lifestyle and retail businesses. For more information, contact council@newaygocountyexploring.com Additionally, the Newaygo County Tourism Council has created a program, partnering with local photographers! More is in store this year, keep your eyes peeled for additional announcements coming later in 2023! The Newaygo County Tourism Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and would not be possible without support from our volunteer board members and generous investors. Board Members: President: Julie Burrell, The Right Place Vice President: Kelly Wawsczyk, The Right Place Secretary: Marianne Boerigter, NCCA-Artsplace and Dogwood Center Treasurer: Nick Smith, Newaygo County Parks and Recreation/Dragon Trustee: Mark Kraus, Hesperia Area Chamber of Commerce Trustee: Reuben Tucker, Big Prairie Township Parks Trustee: Kelly Rider, River Country Chamber of Commerce Trustee: Karen Baird, Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce Trustee: Carmon Kolenbrander, Tucker Benner Realty Trustee: Genji Leclair, The Product Greenhouse, Brandmark Goods Trustee: Gabriel Slominski Trustee: Maryann Gasper, The Harrington Inn 2022/2023 Investors & Partners: Fremont Area Community Foundation, County of Newaygo, NCCA-ArtsPlace, Big Prairie Park , City of Fremont, City of Newaygo, City of White Cloud, Consumers Energy, Croton Township, Dogwood Center for Performing Arts, Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce, Harrington Inn, Hesperia Area Chamber of Commerce, Newaygo County Parks & Recreation, River Country Chamber of Commerce.  By Ken DeLaat Are you ready for some lakeside dining Near Northians? Things have been rocking at the site of the much anticipated Smuggler’s at North Shore eatery, a venue soon to take their place in the dining landscape of our region and committed to providing a unique dining experience. The groundbreaking in late September was welcome news to lake dwellers who have sorely missed the waterfront restaurant that has seen several incarnations at the site. Four and a half years have gone by since the fire that resulted in the closing of what was then called Smuggler’s Cove. After a lengthy process to gain approval, work began in earnest and the project has moved along steadily. We checked in with co-owner Raeanne Huskey for an update. “We are thrilled to see the progress at the future site of Smugglers at North Shore. CopperRock Construction is working hard at making our dreams a reality. We now have the framing completed and our contractors are beginning to work on the exterior and interior work. “Our teams are working diligently on making the restaurant an absolute showstopper. The interior design is going to be beautiful. We are excited to soon announce some of our future management team. Follow us on facebook for all the latest and greatest! “We can't wait to welcome guests to enjoy lakeside dining right here in Newaygo!” Coincidentally, we can’t wait either so we asked about a possible opening date and Ms. Huskey replied, “We are optimistically hoping for July.” Ah yes, Midsummer. A truly righteous time in our bipeninsular paradise and with the addition of a new establishment featuring top notch culinary creations? Life in the Near North looks to get a bit better.  Groundbreaking ceremony in September  The start  Spending a summer in our beloved bipeninsular paradise might lead the uninitiated to wonder why everyone doesn’t choose to live in a state that possesses so much natural beauty. With pristine beaches, extensive forests, and a treasure trove of inland lakes and waterways the state has to offer (to say nothing of missing out on the consistent intensity of summer heat found in other regions) there has to be a reason we have maintained a rather steady population over the years rather than a burgeoning brood of wannabe Mitten dwellers. One factor? Winter. We’re not saying everyone who calls Michigan home loves winter. Snowmobilers and ice fishing aficionados aside, few look for the arrival of the Old Man with fervid anticipation. But for we lucky ones it is little price to pay for three seasons of often idyllic meteorological magic. Knowing this, instead of doing the hibernation thing people find ways to not just endure the season, but to revel in it. The best of this approach to the ‘dark months’ are the winter-related festivals held throughout the state. A chance for residents to shake off a little cold-weather doldrums with some outside fun. And on Saturday January 28th Winterfest III arrives in Fremont. Organizers have put together an enticing array of events throughout the town. Some are inside and some are outside but all are part of celebrating the layering season that is upon us. We caught up with Fremont Chamber of Commerce Board President Genji Leclaire to pose a few questions. Why Winterfest? This was originally an idea from The Fremont Recreational Center - Dawn was thinking of ways to get people out of the house during 2020-2021 when we were all staying inside due to Covid. How did it come together? Dawn reached out to the Chamber and Boom - everyone loved the idea. The first event took place in early 2021 so this is our Third. The Rec Center championed 2021 and 2022 with lots of fun activities like Snow Mini Golf at Veterans Park, Cardboard Sled Races, Hot Chocolate Truck, Corn Hole Contest, and downtown we posted Poems in the shop windows and invited people to go on a poetry walk. Inside the Rec Center there was a Lions Club pancake breakfast and lego contest. Pretty soon, the Chamber got more involved, looking for ways to add more activities and bring people into shops and restaurants downtown. This year, we are collaborating - Rec Center, Chamber and Fremont Library. There is a mini golf tournament this year put together by Lakes 23 Golf Course. 10 businesses are building unique golf holes for a Holy Moly style golf game. Then the public can golf all day on the course and try their luck at the hole in one game to win free Top Tracer and Food from Lakes and Water's Edge. We are also holding a Soup Contest - sponsored by Camp Newaygo - Ridge Catering. 15 chefs in 3 categories will compete for fame, trophies and having their soup featured in local restaurants. We have 5 Junior Chefs, 5 Home Chefs and 5 Pro Chefs will present their soup for the community to taste and judge. Tell us about the snow/dodgeball event. Anyone who wants to have some fun playing dodgeball can join in. If there's snow - that will be great, but if not, the grass is perfect. We will divide into 2 teams and play until the last person is standing. The winner will receive the annual Snow Dodgeball Trophy (: What is the Olaf Costume? Olaf is the famous Snowman character from Frozen. Olaf will be down by the rec center saying hello to people and posing for photos. A word or two about the poetry and storytelling? The poetry walk is a wonderful way to spend time downtown in our shops and restaurants between Monday the 23 and February 4th. This is our 3rd year. We've included a word puzzle to solve as people read the poems. Anyone who solves the puzzle can drop their card off at the Chamber for a drawing held on Feb 7th. Winners will receive gift cards from our local shops and restaurants. Why should people attend? To enjoy a fun filled family day in downtown Fremont. Have fun - play some mini golf, taste some soups, visit the FireHouse to touch a truck, stop in shops up and down main to read poems and partake in the snowman scavenger hunt. The Rec center is having a polar dip and people can enjoy a bonfire and hayrides at the FairGrounds. There is so much fun to have and lots of fresh air to enjoy. There you have it folks. Winter fun in Fremont courtesy of the Chamber, Rec Center and Library. A chance to get in some wintertime reveling. And we could all use a little of that
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