Leelanau Township will again hold its Rolling Taps in Northport at 10 a.m. Memorial Day. The Taps stations start just south of town and continue all the way to the Leelanau Township Cemetery, where the Memorial Day Service will start at 10:30 a.m. The Northport Community Band will play at the service, and the featured speaker is Jim White. The Memorial Day Rolling Taps started in Northport in response to COVID. The annual service was not held that year, since people couldn’t gather. The response to this moving start of the program has become part of the tradition.
This Friday is the opening reception for the Northport Arts Association’s Annual Northport Photo Exhibit at the Village Arts Building in Northport. This year’s exhibit is the biggest since the first show in 2018 in terms of both number of artists and the diversity of work. This year features over 35 photographers, both professional and emerging, and hundreds of photographs, framed and unframed. The reception is from 5 to 8 p.m. this Friday, and the exhibit runs through June 9.
Dale and Joan Blount traveled to East Lansing this past week to attend the Tony Award Winning Broadway musical, “Six”, at the Wharton Center at Michigan State University. This is an all women musical about the six wives of Henry VIII, each telling their story in song and dance. Their stories in brief: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. It’s an entertaining and creative blend of history (her-story), humor, and music. In addition to an outstanding allwoman cast, they are backed up by amazing all-women musicians.
Several area residents went to the memorial service for Larry Reynolds on the Central Michigan University campus in Mount Pleasant last Saturday. Bob and Jeannie Grabowski, Dan and Mary Ziegler, and Ty Wessell all attended the program. Former colleagues and students were there and paid tribute to Larry as a professor, leader of the American Sociological Society, mentor and friend, and family member. The afternoon included about three hours of both fun and moving tributes from around the Country. Bob Grabowski spoke representing the Omena Breakfast Society.
For all of you getting back up here to do spring cleaning, there’s an opportunity to donate some of those things that you don’t need anymore. The Northport Arts Association (NAA) is holding their Arts and Treasures fundraiser on August 10 and 11. They are looking for donations of fine art, sculpture, pottery, prints, frames, glass art, vintage jewelry, art and craft books and supplies, and other collectibles. The drop off date is not until August 6, but it’s not too early to start setting those items aside. You can go to their website for more information on this, and on current classes and other upcoming events.
Sunday marks the opening of the Omena Presbyterian Church for the 2024 season. The Rev. Dr. Timothy Brown is guest pastor. He is a frequent speaker, professor of preaching and president emeritus of Western Theological Seminary. The special music will be provided by Northport soloist, Mary Robertson, with Patrick Kuhl on the organ. Everyone is welcome to attend the 2024 opening worship service at 10 a.m.
Late May is the only time in the year that the Omena News Birthday and Anniversary section can have a week with only one person to recognize. From May 23 through June 2, there are just two Omena birthdays to my knowledge. Happy Birthday this week to Barbara Rufli.
I hope that everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend. Please also take time to remember those who have served our country. Originally called Decoration Day, from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, Memorial Day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to our country. The Leelanau Township Memorial Day program is one way to celebrate the meaning of Memorial Day.
