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April 9, 2026 | Issue #79 | Past issues

Help us celebrate Local News Day

Readers are invited to celebrate Local News Day and join the Boyne Citizen for free coffee, Lake Street Market pastries and other goodies this morning (Thursday) from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 9, in the Community Room of the Boyne District Library. Meet our board members, editors and writers. We’ll even give everyone who attends an “I’m a Boyne Citizen” sticker for you to stick on your car, shirt, or computer. 

Inside this issue:

• City moves to fill vacancy after Pritchard resignation
• Main Street gets ready to sell the theater
• County to reduce HHW collection events
• Ironton Ferry tentatively set to open Wednesday
• Ed May wants you to see his historic photos
• Friends of Library host "Art of The Pour"
• WLAC celebrates new 34-acre nature preserve
• Gas prices are up $1.10 to $4.19 - for now
• Rescheduled Project Connect set for April 22
• Charlevoix Hospital hosts Baby Expo on Tuesday
• Get outdoors with Little Traverse Conservancy
• Astronomy: Back to the Moon with Artemis II
• Patrick McCleary history: Recollections of a Boyne City boy
• News briefs, Obituaries & Municipal News
• Thanks to the donors who keep the news coming!
• Music and entertainment listings

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www.CharlevoixStateBank.com

Sponsored post

Five citizens apply to fill commission vacancy after Pritchard resignation

By Annie Doyle Grove, annie@boynecitizen.com 

Five applicants are seeking appointment to the Boyne City Commission seat vacated by Sandy Pritchard, with commissioners set to review candidates at a special meeting scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday, April 13.

The vacancy follows Pritchard’s resignation. In a two-page letter dated March 19, she said she could no longer serve effectively, citing what she described as a fundamental disagreement with the commission’s approach to governance, oversight and budgeting.

City officials have set a 4 p.m. Friday, April 10 deadline for applications. As of early this week, five residents had applied for the seat:

• Aaron Place, a graphic designer and former Planning Commission chairman
• Dean Solomon, a retired former city commissioner
• Nichole Moblo, a radiology technician and current Planning Commission chairman
• Marvin Verwys, a sales representative
• Mary Grayson, head of youth services for the Boyne District Library

Their full application forms are included in the April 13 City Commission Agenda Packet, where they answer questions about why they wish to serve and other community or civic service experience. This agenda will be updated if there are any new applicants by the 4 p.m. Friday deadline.

Commissioners are expected to review those materials during Monday’s special meeting and may also conduct interviews or discuss next steps in the selection process.

City Manager Sam Demel said he has intentionally stayed out of evaluating candidates to avoid influencing the commission’s decision.

“I haven’t even looked at them, and I don’t even want to know the names,” Demel said, noting the applicants are ultimately being considered by his governing body. 

Demel said commissioners will be responsible for developing their own interview questions and evaluation criteria.

“I told the commission, you’re going to have to come up with your own set of questions and everything else you want to ask them,” he said, noting that he did not want to show any potential bias by submitting questions.

While some discussion has surfaced around the possibility of a special election, Demel said that option would likely not take place until November under Michigan election timelines.

At the same time, he indicated the commission has not directed staff to pursue that route, and the scheduling of the April 13 meeting to review applicants suggests the city is moving forward with an appointment.

In the meantime, commissioners appear focused on restoring a full commission through the application process.

Whoever is appointed will serve the remainder of Pritchard’s term, which runs until November 2027.

Main Street gets ready to sell the theater

By Jim Baumann, jim@boynecitizen.com 

The Boyne City Main Street Board met Thursday, April 2 and decided to sell the Boyne Theater. Board members all said they intend to find a buyer that will operate the building as a theater/event center, but they declined to outright offer the building to a group of local residents who plan to create a nonprofit organization that would do that.

Instead, the board asked Executive Director Ingrid Day to consult with City Attorney Matt Cross to draft documents that they would consider approving at their next meeting on May 7, putting the building up for sale until mid-July. 

Main Street purchased the building from Richard Bergmann for $350,000, but they do not intend to set a purchase price. The building has not been operated as a theater for more than 20 years, and it is expected that returning it to that use would be very costly. 

A first step to selling the building was completed recently as Main Street paid to have a building inspection performed by Home Inspections of USA at a cost of $749. As a result, the board decided to approve a comprehensive check of fire protection systems, install appropriate gas meters for the heating system, and address a small gas leak.

Michelle Cortright asked the board at its last two meetings to consider selling the theater property for the $350,000 purchase price. She stated that a 501c3 nonprofit organization could be formed by a group of supporters who are interested in restoring the building as a theater and community event center. Three other members of that support group also spoke in favor of this proposal.

But the board felt that they could still exercise control over the future use of the building after putting it up for sale. 

Board member Chris Christensen, who is a realtor, said, “You hold all the cards. The highest bid is not always the best.”

Board member Kristine Brehm agreed, saying that a theater would help businesses that were already in the downtown area, and the existence of a theater would also help attract more retail business. 

Several board and audience members bemoaned the fact that two prime retail locations in the 100 block of Water Street have recently been taken over by local builders, W.B. Builders and Matekel. 

County to reduce HHW collection events

By Carole Shane, cjshane@charter.net 

A budget shortfall will result in Charlevoix County reducing their Household and Hazardous Waste collection opportunities. Customarily, two events have been scheduled, in the spring near Charlevoix and in the fall in Boyne City.

In 2024, the two events cost $189,000. Last year, there was an unusually low turnout and the Recycling Department was able to pay for the two events out of savings.

This year, having two events is expected to cause a $98,000 shortfall for the department. If only one event is scheduled, the department will still have a shortfall, but it would be reduced to $20,000.

A request for a millage increase for the Recycling Department is being considered for 2028.

Commissioners approved a plan to offer just one HHW event this year, tentatively scheduled for June 5 and 6 with location to be announced closer to the date.

Latex paint will be accepted at $3 per gallon, substantially reduced from the $13 per gallon charged last year.

Equalization report

County commissioners heard and accepted the 2026 equalization report from Emily Selph, Director of Equalization. The report indicated there has been a large increase in the assessed value of county property over the last 10 years with a much slower increase in taxable value.

The gap between assessed value and taxable value is widening and relates to Michigan’s Proposal A, which limits increases in taxable value to the lesser of 5% or the rate of inflation. Property owners who maintain their homes over long periods of time benefit from this “cap cushion” when property values increase rapidly.

Selph’s report indicated that taxable values increased 2.7% over the last year. Ninety percent (90%) of the county’s equalized value is derived from residential properties.

Other business before the board on April 4 included:

• County Administrator Kevin Shepard said the county is now in the process of hiring seasonal staff for the summer.
• Discussion of a potential joint effort with the City of Charlevoix to install metered parking in a lightly used county owned parking lot on Mason Street. Revenue would be shared between the two entities if approved.
• Discussion of options for the Beaver Island Lighthouse renovation project
• Discussion of a sample survey that would assess county employees’ perceptions of the workplace culture
• Discussion of the process and forms to be used in evaluating county administrative performance

Resolutions approved included:

• Purchase of delinquent taxes
• Purchase of a side by side vehicle for the Parks Department from Burt Lake Marina for $21,000
• Purchase of a zero-turn mower from Don’s Tractor and Equipment for $18,918

Four of the six county commissioners were present with Robert Jess and Chris Christensen absent.

March 25 meeting report

Visitors to Whiting Park will soon be able to purchase T-shirts, hats and coozies adorned with a new park logo. Jim Spiers of the Parks and Trails Department presented a design featuring a wooded lake scene, camper and a bicyclist. Commissioners unanimously approved the image at the March 25th meeting.

 Other actions taken by the board in that meeting included:

• Removing Catherine Meintsma of Beaver Island from the Commission on Aging Committee as previously advised by Executive Director Amy Wieland
• Approving a resolution allowing the hire of an additional plumbing/mechanical inspector

You may donate online or mail a check to

Boyne Citizen, P.O. Box 83, Boyne City MI 49712

Thank you!

Ironton Ferry tentatively set to open Wednesday

The Ironton Ferry is tentatively scheduled to open for the season next Wednesday, April 15. The opening depends on whether ice remains in the Ironton narrows of the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix. The outlook is good because relatively warm temperatures are forecast for the coming week. 

To check on whether it’s open, riders can call the Ferry Info Line at 231-308-3727 or check the Ferry web page, which has links to live cameras and details on pricing and discount passes.

Operating hours for most of the season are 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., although the ferry will close at 9:30 p.m. until May 15, according to Bob Goodenough, one of the ferry captains. 

Last year, the ferry gave free rides for the month of April, and Goodenough says that may or may not be the case this year. 

Ed May has hundreds of historic photos and he wants everyone to see them

Boyne area resident Ed May has put together half a dozen PowerPoint programs on local history, featuring hundreds of photos, and he’d like to get them out so more people can see them. 

He has shown them in public programs at the Boyne District Library, senior citizen centers, retirement homes, and historical societies in other communities. 

“We are giving the public an opportunity to view a vast collection of about 2,000 previously unavailable captioned photos,” May said. The pictures and programs cover Boyne City’s history “from the onset through about 1950.”

The first in the series is called Roads Less Traveled, a PowerPoint pictorial of Lumber Era, shop owners and events from the 1930s and 1940s. This program was compiled by May and Roger White, a descendant of early community businessman and leader W.H. White, who gathered pictures and information on his family’s history.

He put together a program for the American Legion on military history for World War I, and there is another one on the D-Day invasion at Normandy.

May is offering programs to service clubs or to individuals who can view them at home. He can send you a PowerPoint file if you email edmay111@gmail.com. 

Friends of Library host "Art of The Pour" wine fundraiser and auction on April 22

Art lovers and community supporters are invited to “an evening of elegance and philanthropy” at the upcoming "Art of The Pour" benefit event. Hosted by the Friends of the Boyne District Library, the evening will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 22 at Boyne Valley Vineyards.

Event organizer Emily Beyne said, “This unique event combines the best of Northern Michigan’s culture - fine wine, local artistry, and community spirit - to raise essential funds for the Boyne District Library.”

The evening's centerpiece is a live auction starting at 7 p.m., featuring original pieces from local artists. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on and take home a piece of Northern Michigan artistry while supporting library programs and services.

Each ticket includes a complimentary glass of Boyne Valley Vineyards wine, a custom rechargeable book lamp, and appetizers served throughout the evening.

"We are thrilled to bring the community together for an evening that celebrates both the visual arts and the literary resources our library provides," Emily Beyne said. "It's a chance to enjoy a beautiful venue, sample great wine, and invest in the cultural heart of our district."

Anyone interested in attending can use this link to purchase tickets.

WLAC celebrates 75th land protection project with new 34-acre nature preserve

The Walloon Lake Association & Conservancy (WLAC) has announced the permanent protection of a 34-acre nature preserve, marking the organization’s 75th successful land protection project. The property was donated through the trust of Bill Benser and will be forever known as the Benser Preserve.

Located adjacent to the undeveloped area of Camp Michigania off Sumner Road on the west side of Walloon Lake, the Benser Preserve features rolling hills, mature beech-maple forest, and diverse native habitat characteristic of the region. The property strengthens an important corridor of protected land while preserving scenic views and ecological integrity in one of northern Michigan’s most cherished landscapes.

“This acquisition represents a major milestone for WLAC and a meaningful step forward in our ongoing conservation efforts,” said Jon Breithaupt, Executive Director of WLAC. “We are deeply grateful to Mr. Benser for his extraordinary generosity and commitment to preserving the natural character of Walloon Lake for future generations.”

The preserve’s forest canopy is dominated by beech and sugar maple, providing essential habitat for migratory birds, small mammals, and a rich understory of native plants. Its rolling topography enhances both visual beauty and ecological diversity, contributing to watershed health and long-term forest resilience while offering seasonal views of Walloon Lake.

WLAC plans to manage the property as a permanent nature preserve. In the near term, efforts will focus on securing funding to remove several dilapidated outbuildings and install a preserve identification sign. A comprehensive preserve management plan will be developed later in 2026 to guide trail development, public access, invasive species management, and forest health initiatives.

> Full press release and pictures.

Boyne City gas prices are up $1.10 to $4.19 - for now

Prices for regular unleaded gas dropped briefly to $3.89, then rose to $4.19 over the past week at the Marathon station at 470 N. Lake Street. That increase of $1.10 is more than 38% since the Iran war bombing began on Feb. 28.

Here are recent prices spot checked by the Boyne Citizen:

• March 3 - $3.099
• March 6 - $3.409
• March 12 - $3.669
• March 21 - $3.999
• March 26 - $4.199
• March 27 - $3.999
• April 6 - $3.899
• April 7 - $4.199

> Ceasefire may bring gas price relief soon - ABC News Chicago

Rescheduled Project Connect set for April 22

Project Connect, a day of service for those in need in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, April 22, due to the massive winter storm that occurred in mid-March.

“If you or someone you know is struggling with financial problems, housing issues, employment challenges or health concerns please join us for a day of free services and get connected to people who can help!” said Dana Lorian, Project Connect co-chair.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 22, at North Central Michigan College’s Student and Community Resource Center (SCRC). Free services will be provided by over 70 local non-profit agencies and other businesses. Guests can receive a hot snack while learning about the many resources available in the area.

“The idea behind this special event is to help individuals and families gain access to the services they need, all under one roof, on one day,” said Lorian. “Understanding the complicated social services system can be a challenge and at Project Connect we will help direct you to agencies that can offer assistance while you're there. And, if you are a veteran or part of a veteran's family, we have a special spot just for you, our Veteran's Corner where you can meet with representatives from state and county offices.”

Lorian added: “We at Project Connect believe that by helping people on the road to a more self-sufficient life, we will in turn strengthen our community as a whole.”

No pre-registration is required; however, in order to register for assistance, agencies recommend that you bring certain documents. For more details or to download a brochure, go to www.ProjectConnect231.com.

Volunteers are also needed to ensure the success of Project Connect. You can register to volunteer at www.ProjectConnect231.com.

Project Connect is a project of the Charlevoix-Emmet Human Services Coordinating Body.

Charlevoix Hospital hosts Baby Expo on Tuesday

Munson Healthcare will provide resources for individuals and families seeking pregnancy and newborn information at the 3rd Annual Charlevoix Baby Expo, taking place Tuesday, April 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Charlevoix Hospital Birthing Center, located on the lower level of 14700 Lake Shore Dr. in Charlevoix.

The Baby Expo offers an opportunity for individuals and families to connect with OBGYN and pediatric providers, tour the Birthing Center, and access information related to pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care. Guests will also enjoy refreshments, giveaways, and a variety of vendor booths providing expert guidance and support.

Participating vendors include Pregnancy Care Center, the Kiwanis Club of Charlevoix, local doulas, Steve Voci Eye Care, and more. Munson Healthcare specialists will also be on-site to answer questions and provide insight, including a healthcare dietitian, pelvic floor therapist, lactation and breastfeeding consultant, car seat specialist, and more.

For more information about the Munson Healthcare Baby Expo or Charlevoix Women’s Health, call 231‑547‑4477. Event flyer PDF.

Get outdoors with Little Traverse Conservancy

The Little Traverse Conservancy invites everyone to get outdoors and join them for these April events and programs:

Apple Pruning Workshop - Elizabeth B. Hoffmann Nature Preserve. Saturday, April 11 from 9am-Noon, in partnership with Tip of Mitt Whitetails. Through various techniques, trees can be greatly revitalized in a manner that also supports the ecosystem and landscape around them. Led by Little Traverse Conservancy’s Recreation, Access, and Maintenance Manager Nate Dionne, whose family has run an apple orchard business for many years, this workshop will feature demonstrations of pruning old and abandoned apple trees to increase their vigor, productivity, and appearance. Participants will then have the chance to put these principles and objectives to use on the trees found at the Elizabeth B. Hoffmann Nature Preserve, south of Charlevoix. Please bring your own loppers/pole saws. Limited quantities of tools, including pruners and pole saws, will be available for use during the hands-on portion of the workshop. Register or call 231.347.0991.

Weekend Woodcock Walk - Sally and Art Hailand, Jr. Nature Preserve, Emmet County. Wednesday, April 11 from 8-8:45pm. Join Brad Von Blon in experiencing the unique “sky dance” mating ritual performed by woodcock each spring. Please meet at the Sally and Art Hailand, Jr. Nature Preserve parking area. Register.

Earth Day: Icepocalypse Recovery Workday - Offield Working Forest Reserve

April 25 from 10am-2pm. Celebrate Earth Day, on a Saturday! The 2025 Icepocalypse did severe damage to the forests at Offield Family Working Forest Reserve. Especially in the pine plantations, having all that dead wood lying around creates a major risk for pine bark beetles to have a population explosion. To prevent this, LTC had the trees that would have died anyway harvested as timber. Now it is time to replant the forest. We will be planting the stand along Hathaway Rd, so park at this location. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. If you have a favorite tree planting shovel, bring it with you. If not, we will have everything you need including some snacks and drinks. 



News Briefs

SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY - Boyne City Main Street is asking small business owners to take a brief survey from Main Street America. “We want to hear from you, so that the Main Street network can better serve you,” their social media post says. “The results directly impact programs and advocacy. Take the survey.

SCHOOLS ARE HIRING - Boyne City Public Schools have announced multiple job openings for the upcoming school year. You can view all job postings and apply online. For more information about available opportunities, contact the Administration Office at 231-439-8190 or amatelski@boyneschools.org.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS - Spring is finally here, so the Boyne Area Chamber says they are bringing Business After Hours to the lake from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23. Barrel Back restaurant is hosting an Earth Day evening of cocktails, mocktails, conversation, and connection, celebrating Walloon Lake. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be provided, and there is no admission fee. Walloon Lake Conservancy and 106 KHQ are cosponsoring the event. Full Business After Hours schedule.

SHRED THE STIGMA - Surf the Earth MHC, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, will host "Shred the Stigma" Mental Health Weekend at Boyne Mountain Resort from April 11-12. The event combines winter sports, wellness activities, and mental health awareness programming to foster community connection and break down barriers surrounding mental health conversations. This year’s theme is “Many Tracks to Wellness,” highlighting the paths, both on and off the hill, that can be taken to better equip ourselves to curb stigma around mental health. Registration and complete event details, including discounted tickets and accommodations.

BLOOD DRIVES - Several local organizations are sponsoring blood drives in the coming weeks. Versiti Blood Center says, “The need for blood is urgent and constant. One in seven patients entering a hospital requires the availability of blood for various medical reasons.” Here are the upcoming blood drives in Boyne City and Boyne Falls:

• Boyne Falls High School - 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, April 16
• Boyne District Library - 1-5:30 p.m. Monday, April 20
• Boyne City High School - 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28

> To register, click here and enter your zip code for nearby locations.

BOYNE AREA SENIOR CENTER is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and serves daily lunches from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For seniors ages 60+, the lunch donation is $3, for ages 59 and under, $10; and for children 12 and under, $8. Here is the April lunch menu and the April activity calendar.



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Regional News

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City of Boyne City Municipal News

HOUSING COMMISSION - The Boyne City Housing Commission is seeking a dedicated individual to fill an opening on its five-member Board of Commissioners. This is a volunteer role with a chance to make a significant impact on housing opportunities in Boyne City and Charlevoix County. The Housing Commission manages Litzenburger Place and Deer Meadows apartments, individual homes in Boyne City, as well as overseeing future developments and administering housing vouchers to support individuals and families with housing costs in the area.

Position Requirements:

• Candidates must be 18 years of age and within the City of Boyne City.
• The commitment will be for five (5) years.
• Board members typically meet once a month (currently the fourth Thursday at 8 AM), with additional meetings as needed. Alternative dates are available upon request. There is an additional meeting for Deer Meadows throughout the year that follows the regular meeting.

For more information about the Boyne City Housing Commission, contact Bethany Hedgepath, executive director, at 231-582-6203 or via email at bhedgepath@boynecityhc.com. 

To apply, please complete the application Board/Commission Member Application, the Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure form, and return both to City Hall, attention Jessica Puroll OR email to jpuroll@boynecity.gov. Applications due 5/2/2026.

AVALANCHE WARMING HUT last day open for the season will be Sunday, April 12, and it will be open until 9 p.m.

SOUND SYSTEM BIDS - Boyne City Main Street is seeking bids to bring sound and plenty of music to downtown. We welcome bids from all qualified providers by the May 4 deadline. If you have any questions, call 231-582-9009. Details.

LITZENBURGER PLACE - The waiting list for Litzenburger Place apartments will be opening on Friday, April 10 at 9:30 am. Applications will be available at that time. Contact the Boyne City Housing Commission for more information at 231-582-6203.

SIGN UP FOR CITY ALERTS - The City of Boyne City has launched a new Alerts feature on our website to help you stay up-to-date on projects, notices, and other important things happening around town. It’s designed to be a quick, easy way to get real-time updates, as they become available, directly to your email or phone. Sign up at: https://www.boynecity.gov/enotify/index.php.

CITY MEETINGS – Click here for board information, agendas, and minutes.

> City Commission's next regular meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. Agenda page.

Obituaries

Leon F. Vercruysse

October 11, 1926 ~ April 1, 2026 (age 99)

The Artemis II launch, photographed by the author’s brother.



OUR NIGHT SKY

Back to the Moon with Artemis II

By Rod Cortright, cortrigh@msu.edu

The Artemis II mission represents a pivotal step in humanity’s return to deep space exploration. Organized by NASA as part of the broader Artemis program, Artemis II is the first crewed mission to travel beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo era, from 1969 - 1972. Its primary objective is to test the systems required for human spaceflight around the Moon, laying the groundwork for future lunar landings. Unlike its predecessor Artemis I, which flew uncrewed, this mission places astronauts aboard the spacecraft.

Ultimately, Artemis II is more than a test flight – it is a symbolic and technological bridge between past achievements and future ambitions. By successfully sending astronauts around the Moon, NASA aims to demonstrate readiness for Artemis III and beyond, where humans will once again set foot on the lunar surface. The mission also serves as a steppingstone toward even more distant goals, including a permanent lunar base and crewed missions to Mars. In this sense, Artemis II embodies both a return and a beginning: a return to deep space exploration and the beginning of a sustained human presence beyond Earth.

At the heart of Artemis II is the powerful Space Launch System (SLS), NASA’s most capable rocket ever built. Sitting atop the SLS is the Orion spacecraft, designed to carry astronauts safely through deep space and back to Earth. During launch, the SLS generates immense thrust, propelling Orion out of Earth’s gravitational influence. The mission profile includes a free-return trajectory around the Moon, allowing the spacecraft to loop behind the lunar surface and naturally return home without requiring major propulsion adjustments, an elegant and time-tested approach first used during Apollo.

The crew of Artemis II plays a critical role in testing Orion’s life-support systems, navigation capabilities, and overall performance in the harsh environment of deep space. Over the course of the mission, astronauts are evaluating everything from communication systems to manual spacecraft control, ensuring that all systems function reliably under real conditions. They will also observe Earth and the Moon from a vantage point few humans have ever experienced, gathering operational data that will inform future missions. This hands-on validation is essential before committing to more complex endeavors such as landing crews on the lunar surface. 

“Our Night Sky” is a monthly column by Rod Cortright, an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer who lives north of Boyne City. He is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador who does educational outreach for the agency. In the summer, Rod is a Sky Docent at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park.

Card players photograph courtesy of the Patrick McCleary Collection.

THROUGH THE HISTORIAN'S LENS

Recollections of a Boyne City boy

By Patrick McCleary

The Charlevoix County History Preservation Society

History comes in all forms - pictorial, written and oral. At times, memories and oral history converge as recollections of the past are written down and shared, as in the case of this week’s article. I recently uncovered a cache of clipped newspaper articles (undated) that contain letters to the editor. All had been published in the pages of The Boyne Citizen as well as some of its predecessors. 

It is unknown to me who is sharing these recollections. However, there is one vital “clue” as to what period the author is referring to. You will soon see a reference being made to throwing snowballs in front of Leavenworth’s studio. Russell C. Leavenworth was a Boyne City photographer whose studio sat next to the American Legion on South Lake Street. Leavenworth began his career in Northern Michigan but left Boyne City in 1919 at the behest of the City of Lansing. He went on to take thousands of images, documenting the industrial growth of Michigan’s state capital. This collection remains housed in the Library of Michigan. If the boys in question were throwing snowballs at Leavenworth Studio, they must have been doing so prior to 1919.

Here is one of those letters to the editor with fascinating commentary and details on life as a youngster growing up in Boyne City. In addition to the minor notations that I have added in red italics throughout, perhaps some of our readers can assist in pinpointing other locations or further details. 

* * *

School buses! They are a terrible detriment to education. Right after classes, they whisk the new generation homeward so that they can sit on their spines and watch the television until mom sounds the supper bell. It wasn’t always that way. Back in my own long underwear days, we left classes to get additional education all the way home. 

First there was a stop at Pat Robinson’s blacksmith shop, located just north of the library about where Bob Davis now parks his jeeps. (Patrick Robinson, Sr., born in 1872, operated a blacksmith shop for 18 years prior to his death in 1948. It sounds as if this location was approximately where the back parking lot of Bob Mather’s Ford is located today.) If you had a nickel, Pat might knock off his horse shoeing long enough to sell you a horseshoe nail ring. These were handy little things. The other kids didn’t swing at you so enthusiastically in a fistfight if you were wearing horseshoe rings. 

The lucky few who had some pennies left would stop off at a place on East Main Street called the Candy Kitchen, where there were big, long trays of taffy and sea fudge - none of that sissy wrapped up stuff that comes from Chicago nowadays. The going price was about a penny a square and there never seemed to be anybody in the place when you went in. You’d go in and cough a little and the man, or his wife, would emerge from the back through some gingham curtains (they call them draperies now) and they’d wait patiently for you to order a piece of this stuff, and that stuff, and some other stuff. 

If you had a couple of pennies left, you could run across the street to where there was a grip testing machine that fastened onto the front of Sol Buschert’s plumbing shop (where Norm Krueger now sells Marathon gas) and test your grip. (Solomon Buschert, born in 1875, was a master plumber and a member of the plumber’s union. He was engaged in the heating and plumbing business for many years. Later, Norm Krueger [1913-2001] owned and operated Norm’s Marathon in Boyne City for many years in this same location.) Real good grippers could make the scale go right up to 200 pounds. They probably couldn’t exert that much pressure, but that’s what the machine said, and it probably took in more pennies by lying. 

Then you’d toss a couple of snowballs way up into the air above Leavenworth’s old studio (now the Boyne Drapery Shop) to see how close they’d land to the slanted studio windows - all the time hoping that they didn’t do any damage. (Formerly located on the south side of the American Legion building on South Lake Street.)

About every third or fourth day you’d do the alleys on the way home, checking garbage cans for graduated medicine bottles which you could take home and wash up. “Dad” Bailey, the druggist, would pay you 2 cents each for the smaller ones and 5 cents each for the big ones. (William Wallace or “W.W.” Bailey operated the pharmacy at 207 S. Lake Street. However, at the time of this author’s story, Bailey’s Drug Store would have been operating on the site of the present-day Boyne City Car Wash.) That was before the glass lobby paid off the Congressmen to get some laws passed that us boys couldn’t do that anymore. It was also before the government had to hire a whole bunch of inspectors to visit the drug stores to see that us kids weren’t selling old bottles back to the druggist, and before we had to pay income taxes to pay the salary of the bottle inspectors.

Then we would play follow-the-leader around and on the trams of the Boyne City Lumber Company…until the yard boss spotted us and ran us back into the street. He called us “damned brats!” In today’s grand society we’d be called “delinquents.” (The trams were located all along North Lake Street - an elevated platform built above and along the waterfront that horse-drawn wagons could travel upon from the city dock to White’s Mill No. 1. In this way, general downtown traffic was not interfered with or slowed down by the transport of mill products.)

By lifting a woven wire fence, we could sneak into the storage shed at the Traction Engine factory (now the A&P store) and sit on the seats of some of those big Chicago-40 tractors that were made there. They never really ran for us, but by humming through our lips and making a kind of purring sound, we’d bring them to life and imagine we were snaking out a whole train of log-loaded sleighs, just like the Boyne City Lumber company was doing with some of those big war surplus Caterpillar tractors. (The Traction Engine Company is listed in the 1919 Michigan Gazetteer, with Frank Kaden as the company’s president. The A&P location changed throughout the years. First located on Water Street, then moving to 202 South Lake Street. It was this location being referenced by the author. Many residents may still recall the third location on the corner of East Main and Front Streets, which came along in later years.)

Then the master mechanic at the engine plant would come out and see us fooling with his junk and call us “damned brats,” and we’d wander over to the mill barn to check on the mules. If it was springtime, we could lure the mules to the rail with a handful of quack grass we’d pluck out of the alley. We’d try to pat their soft, velvety noses and climb up too high on the rails and someone would growl at us…and there would be Bill Smith (the same one that later became Mayor of Smeltania) who was the barn boss. He’d put the run on us, calling us “brats,” and we would pursue our after-school education elsewhere. (Willard “Bill” Smith [1877-1954] was barn boss for the White’s Lumbering Company for many years and later worked for the school system. He is better known for his conception of Smeltania in the 1930s. He presided over the “City on Ice,” which achieved national publicity.)

Along Front Street there were so many empty houses that you could jump into the side window on one, out the opposite side, and so on down the line and get through four or five houses before you came to a live one! There wasn’t a window in any of them, only plumbing they had was a pump in the backyard and there was a privy (always tipped over) out back too. These empty houses made good clubhouses as there was always a corner or two where a gang of fellas could gather out of sight of anyone. (The houses referenced here were located along Front Street, between Pleasant Avenue and Second Street. They remained that way for many years.)

Someone would produce a Three Castles cigarette they had filched from their father’s pack and light it up. It would be passed around peace pipe style, until everyone had a drag. Then the boys would talk speculatively about girls and life in a logging camp and being a blacksmith and going to Heaven or Hell and things like that. Then, when you got home, Ma had been so busy bending over a washtub all day long that she was too pooped to bawl you out for being late to bring in the wood! There are some things like these that the great society of today will never be able to recapture.

> Patrick McCleary is a Certified Genealogist affiliated with the Charlevoix County History Preservation Society (CCHPS), 12555 Taylor Road, Charlevoix, MI 49720. The CCHPS promotes the understanding and appreciation of the heritage of the people of Charlevoix County and its townships by seeking out, collecting, preserving, and interpreting artifacts of historical and cultural significance. For further information, contact Patrick by email: Throughthehistorianslens@gmail.com.

Thank you to the generous donors who are supporting local journalism and the Boyne Citizen!

> We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization. You can donate online here, or mail a check to Boyne Citizen, PO Box 83, Boyne City MI 49712.

2026 Donors

This week's new donors are listed in bold.

Donors from 2024 and 2025 are listed on our website.

MUSIC, ARTS, AND ENTERTAINMENT

Please email your special events and music information to jim@boynecitizen.com.

AMERICAN LEGION Post 228 - 302 S Lake St., Boyne City, (231) 459-4188.

Bingo every Tuesday, open to the public, refreshments provided. Doors open at 3 p.m., play starts at 5, ending around 9. The Legion also has a breakfast on the second Saturday of every month from 8-11 a.m.

BC LANES/THE VENUE BAR & GRILL - 1199 M-75 S, Boyne City, (231) 582-6353.

> Open bowling: 3-9 p.m. Tuesdays, 3-10 p.m. Fridays, 12-10 p.m. Saturdays, 12-9 p.m. Sundays.

> LIVE MUSIC:

• Saturday, April 11 - Timberline, 8-11 p.m.
• Saturday, April 18 - Yankee Station, 8-11 p.m.

BOYNE ARTS CENTER - 1 Water Street, Suite 203, Boyne City, (231) 622-2073.

> Upcoming classes and exhibits:

• "Return to Light" Exhibit - April 10 - May 25
• Kids Makers Class / April Showers & Flowers - April 18  
• Kids Art Camp - June 15 - August 14. Scholarships available. 
• Reviving Old Paintings - Demo Night with Julies Tibus - June 15
• Book a Private Art Party

BOYNE CITY FARMERS MARKET - Indoors at the Veterans Park Pavilion, 207 N. Lake Street, Boyne City, (231) 582-9009. Open every Saturday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

> Live music 10 a.m. to 12 noon Saturdays:

• April 18 - Terry Coveyou

BOYNE CITY TAP ROOM - 220 S. Lake St., Boyne City, (231) 459-4487.

• Mondays - Trivia
• Thursdays - Adam and the Cabana Boys, 7 p.m.
• Fridays - Patrick Ryan, 7 p.m.
• Saturdays - Patrick Ryan and Josh Raber, 7 p.m.
• Saturdays and Sundays - Sports on all screens.

BOYNE DISTRICT LIBRARY - 201 East Main St., Boyne City, 231-582-7861. Newsletter with April events and details.

BOYNE MOUNTAIN RESORT - 1 Boyne Mountain Rd., Boyne Falls, (855) 688-7024.

> Weekly schedule of events and entertainment at all Boyne Mountain venues.

BOYNE RIVER INN - 229 Water St., Boyne City, (231) 222-4053.

LIVE MUSIC:

• Thursdays through April - Nelson Olstrom performs, 7-10 p.m.

BOYNE VALLEY VINEYARDS - 05325 US 131 S, Petoskey, (231) 373-2090.

> LIVE MUSIC:

• Saturday, April 11 - Two Track Mind, 2-6 p.m.
• Saturday, April 18 - Chris Calleja, 2-6 p.m.
• Saturday, April 25 - Michelle Chenard, 2-6 p.m.

CAFE SANTE - 1 Water St., Boyne City, (231) 582-8800.

> LIVE MUSIC:

• Mondays in April - The Shifties, 6-9 p.m.

CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER - 461 E. Mitchell Street. Petoskey, (231) 347-4337.

> See website for updated art shows, entertainment, and children's activities.

• Friday, April 10 - Jeff Haas Music in coordination with Crooked Tree Arts Center presents Sheela Bringi and Elden Kelly with special guest Nabin Shrestha. Tickets and details.

FRESHWATER GALLERY & CONCERT VENUE - 217 S Lake St., Boyne City, (231) 582-2588. Call for tickets.

• Saturday, April 18 - Willie Nile, New York singer-songwriter.
• May concert to be announced.

GREAT LAKES CENTER FOR THE ARTS - 800 Bay Harbor Drive, Petoskey, (231) 439 -2600.

• See website for movies showing on the big screen.
• Sunday, April 12, 4 p.m. - Magic Rocks! Illusionist Leon Etienne. Tickets.

LAKE STREET PUB - 202 S. Lake St., Boyne City, (231) 497-6031.

> TRIVIA NIGHT - Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m.

MUSKRAT DISTILLING - 121 Water St., Boyne City, (231) 268-0178.

> KARAOKE - 8 to 11 p.m. every Wednesday

> LIVE MUSIC and events:

• Saturday, April 18 - 4th Anniversary Party featuring live music by Seasonal Road, 8-11 p.m.
• Monday, April 20 - Lit with Literature: "Carl's Doomsday Scenario" & "The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook" By Matt Dinniman, 7-9 p.m.

PIED PIPER ROLLER RINK - 04454 M-75 N, Walloon Lake. Admission $8, skate rental $2. Candy, chips, soda/pop, and pizza available for purchase. 

• Fridays - Open Skate (all ages), 5-9 p.m.
• Saturdays - Open Skate, 2-6 p.m. April 11 includes an Easter Egg Hunt.
• Thursday, April 16 - Christian Skate, 5-8 p.m.

STIGGS BREWERY & KITCHEN - 112 S. Park St., Boyne City, (231) 497-6100. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays for the winter.

“Give Back Nights” with 10% of the total bill donated to area non-profits:

• Wednesday, April 15 - Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy

WALLOON WATERSHED - 4128 M-75 , Walloon Lake, (231) 535-6048.

Live music 6-9 p.m.:

• Wednesdays - Pete Kehoe (except April 1 and 15)
• Thursdays - Laura Crowe

The Boyne Citizen

P.O. Box 83, Boyne City, MI 49712

Email: jim@boynecitizen.com

Phone: 231-675-8793

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