-- To Traverse City filmmaker Rich Brauer for his latest movie, "Fitful," filmed aboard the City of Milwaukee, a historic railroad car ferry moored in Manistee. The suspenseful, dark comedy finished filming last month and Brauer hopes to have the movie ready to show locally by Christmas. Brauer was named a Michigan Filmmaker of the Year earlier this year.
-- To the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for obtaining $1 million in federal money to purchase private property throughout the park that hugs Lake Michigan shoreline in Leelanau and Benzie counties. Park officials have identified 15 properties within park boundaries whose owners are willing to sell. Government appraisals will be completed and the land will be purchased if property owners agree to the price. The $1 million is not enough to buy all parcels.
-- To organizers and participants in the third Annual Harvest Festival Oct. 3 near the Grand Traverse Commons historical barns. The community gardens are a wonderful community resource that harvest much more than vegetables and flowers for the gardeners who keep them growing.
-- To all who organized and participated in the Oct. 3 Remembrance Run, an annual fundraising event for the local Women's Cancer Fund. It's an important event that honors and remembers cancer survivors and victims, their families and friends.
-- To the U.S. Coast Guard for its Oct. 4 open house and Coast Guard Appreciation Day, which offered thousands an opportunity to get an inside look at the Traverse City Air Station, HH-65C helicopters, an HC-144 maritime patrol plane, response boat and other craft as well as talk to Coast Guard personnel and watch a rescue demonstration. The admiration appears to be mutual. "Traverse City is the most open place we've ever lived," one aviation maintenance technician said. "This town is all open arms."
-- To the Bay Area Transportation Authority for adding three stops on public bus routes to Fife Lake and Kingsley. Riders can now board buses at Brownson Avenue and Blair Road, at the Mayfield post office and at River and Garfield roads.
-- To Jeff and Vern Gauthier and participants in the recent Lift for Athletes at Grand Traverse Mall. The Fit for You Health Club owners started the bench press competition 11 years ago. Participants this year raised $5,000 to help Special Olympians in the Grand Traverse region with year-round athletic training and competition.
-- To the Tri County Coalition for the Prevention of Child Abuse and volunteers for organizing the Oct. 3 Cycle for Solutions Family Fun Ride to increase awareness of child abuse and to raise money for the coalition's proposed Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center. The center would work with police, human service workers, prosecutors and counselors to provide a forensic interview process and other things to reduce trauma and stress on children as cases move through the courts and counseling.
Print this story
E-mail this story
