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Northern Michigan golfing offers a short season but great variety

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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Although the golf industry in Traverse City faces seasonal issues by Northern Michigan’s harsh winters, it comes back in full swing as spring swings around. Traverse City offers golf courses across the area with designs like Arnold Palmer’s, Jack Niclkaus’s, Jerry Matthews, Gary Player’s etc. The sport attracts large amounts of business which in turn impacts the city immensely. Michael DeAgostino at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, says they offer three distinguished 18-hole championship courses, as well as private lessons, on-course instruction, team builds, ladies-only schools, junior camps, clinics for corporate groups, memberships, and club fitting.

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Northern Michigan a hub for agriculture in the Great Lakes State

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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Located in Northern Michigan, Traverse City is filled with opportunities to interact with the surrounding agriculture and livestock. Brian Matchett, the Program Coordinator of the Institute of Agricultural Technology at Northwestern Michigan College describes Northern Michigan as a hub for agriculture, agricultural support and a culture of appreciation for agricultural producers. He says he believes this has changed significantly over the past 20 years as people have gained a new appreciation for the food that is produced in our community as local produce. “It is important that we continue to provide education to students in our public school systems about food and food production,” says Matchett.

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Youth sports opportunities abound in northwest Michigan

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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — According to the United States Census Bureau, 10.5 percent of the population of Traverse City, Mich. was between the ages of 5 and 18 years in 2015. Across the area, programs and groups are offered to this age group in different activities. Dena Schweitzer says that there are many opportunities to try different sports after she has been in the area for 25 years.

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Northwest Michigan is up to date when it comes to the world of tech

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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Is Northwest Michigan caught up to society in terms of technology? What locally-created forms support this? These questions were asked to Todd Neibauer, the vice president for Student Services and Technologies at Northwestern Michigan College, after he’s held positions related to educational technology for the past 20 years in the area. “Traverse City is as well connected as anywhere,” says Neibauer.

Northern Michigan’s growing acceptance of the LGBTQ community

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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The existence of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community has become apparent in Traverse City, Michigan, through events like those put on by Up North Pride. The Fourth Annual Up North Pride Rally and Visibility March was held on Sunday, June 25, as the attendees “shut down Front Street,” according to Turnbull, in a march through downtown. “I think citizens of Traverse City who may have been publicly uncomfortable with their sexual orientation are feeling more accepted and able to show their true feelings around others because of events like this,” say Alice Trumbull Hilner, who moved her family to Traverse City 12 years ago. Up North Pride was founded in 2014 by Jenn Cameron, Elon Cameron and Marta Turnbull.

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Organic produce trend reaches northern Michigan

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TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. — The trend of organic produce is growing in society, as citizens are turning to allegedly healthier options across the board. Traverse City is following this direction with businesses like Oryana. General manager of Oryana tephen Nance says that their organic and natural foods and products have gone from being a small niche to mainstream with lots of availability in many stores. Oryana Natural Foods Market in Traverse City, allegedly originated on Randolph Street in 1973.

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A connection within the Northern Michigan environment.

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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — “Traverse City is one of the fortunate few within the state,” says Maia Turek, a Resource Development Specialist of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “The beachfront area on Grand Traverse Bay as well as the TART Trail are examples of opportunities within the area that are utilized to make the city even more recreationally appealing for not only visitors, but also for the local residents.” “My work with the DNR invites new recreational events to occur in the area as we support them through our organization,” says Turek. An example of this is stand up paddle boarding, which is allegedly becoming progressively more popular within the area, according to Turek.

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Traverse City dilemma: ‘Sanctuary City’ or not?

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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Human Rights commissioners of Traverse City are allegedly looking to make the northwestern Michigan city more “immigrant-friendly.” One way of doing so would be to declare sanctuary status, or making TC known as a “Welcoming City.”

“There are jobs in Northern Michigan that need immigrants to take them,” says Mark Dixon, who has been a citizen of Traverse City for over 60 years. “Faming here, especially with the abundance of cherry crops, attracts a lot of immigrants, as well as some jobs at Munson, the local hospital.”

“This had never been an issue before (President Donald) Trump’s presidency,” says Dixon. “I think this is because he initially campaigned with restrictions to countries like Mexico by ‘building a wall’ across the border.”

Early in Trump’s presidency, an executive order attempted to withhold federal grants to sanctuary cities. However, at the end of April, a federal judge in San Francisco put a nationwide end to this.