Boyne Valley Garden Club scarecrows from a past contest.

Here's your chance to help Boyne City, win a prize and get into the spirit of the Harvest Festival season. The Boyne Chamber is inviting you to create and display scarecrows that are funny, scary, cute and most of all, original. This year's Scarecrow Contest theme is "Animals." Pick your favorite or maybe your scariest - just have fun!  New this year: judging will be done by the public via Facebook during the Sept. 28th Harvest Festival on September 28th.

Click here for registration form with rules. Prizes will be awarded. Here are some of the rules:

The Scarecrow Contest is open to any business, organization, student/kids, and resident/individual.  Entry forms should be received by Friday, September 13th to determine the location of your scarecrow in downtown Boyne City.  Entrants are responsible for installing their scarecrows beginning the week of Monday, September 16th and must be completed by 9 am Friday, September 27th. Entrants are responsible for removing their scarecrows by Nov. 4th.  Email a photo of your completed scarecrow to the Chamber at [email protected] . The winner of each category will be determined by the most votes on the Chamber's Facebook page.

> For more information, call the Boyne Area Chamber at 582-6222.

Music, fun and great times fill the streets of downtown Boyne City again this summer as Stroll the Streets returns for its 16th season every Friday from 6-9 p.m. Stroll the Streets is a signature summer event for downtown, organized by Boyne City Main Street.  Musical entertainment ranges from contemporary, country, bluegrass, traditional, folk, jazz, to rock. Special activities include magicians, caricature artists, face painting, balloon twisting and more fun activities for kids. Thanks to event organizer Karen Guzniczak of Country Now & Then and map designer Robin Lee Berry of Freshwater Art Gallery. V isit  www.strollthestreets.com   for the full summer schedule and updates. 

  

> Here is the entertainment lineup for this Friday:

• Sunset Park - Concord Academy Concert Band, 5-6 p.m.
• Coldwell Banker Real Estate - Jesus & Me Trio 
• Harbor House - Inland String Band
• Bob Mathers Ford/Boyne Arts Gallery - Library Bookmobile
• Parkside Grill - Twister Joe
• Boyne City Hardware - The Painted Lady Face Art
• Pat O'Brien Real Estate - Eric Jaqua
• Red Mesa Grill - Deb Adamcik Caricature Artist
• Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen - The Real Ingredients
• The Lawn at Lynda's - John Slough & Paul Schmidt
• Kilwin's - Terry Coveyou
• Berkshire Hathaway - Bill Russell
• Old Sportsman - James Greenway 
• Kidd & Leavy Real Estate - Dos Hippies
• Freshwater Art Gallery - Grayson Barton
• Lady Barber Shop - Pooch the Magician
• Main Street SOBO Pocket Park - "Make Art"
• Boyne District Library - Hap Wright sharing stories and poems

As always, Labor Day Weekend will be full of fun events in the Boyne Area. Here are the highlights: 

Friday, Aug. 30 - Stroll the Streets, 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Boyne City.

Friday, Aug. 30 - Boyne City visits rival Charlevoix in high school football, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 31 - Kiwanis Car Show, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Veterans Park.

Saturday, Aug. 31 - Farmers Market with 65 vendors and live music, 8 a.m. to noon

Saturday & Sunday - Sons of the Never Wrong perform at Lavender Hill Farm, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday - Hundreds of DALMAC bicycle riders will be passing through town or spending the night here. 

Saturday & Sunday -  Red Fox Regatta, Veterans Park

Sunday, Sept. 1 - Boyne City Triathlon, 8 a.m. at Peninsula Beach Park. 

Sunday, Sept. 1 - Drag Races, noon to 5 p.m. at the Boyne City Airport. 

Monday, Sept. 2 - Horton Bay Pig Roast at 4 p.m. and Candlelight Bridge Walk , 7 p.m. 

> For details, see our Labor Day stories below. 

> Live music at 6 restaurants, see our listings below.

	The Flywheelers Museum

The Northern Michigan Antique Flywheelers will host the Boyne Chamber's Business After Hours from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, September 17th. The Flywheelers show grounds are located at 145 US-131, north of Boyne Falls. Business After Hours is the Chamber's monthly business networking event, held at member businesses. There is no charge for admission or refreshments. 

This Business After Hours will have a fall harvest theme with exhibits and demonstrations such as the sawmill, grist mill, one-room schoolhouse, museum, and wagon rides. They will serve fall foods including cider and donuts. Several prizes will be given away in addition to some club freebies for all attendees.

> Fall/winter schedule of Business After Hours:

  September 17 (Tuesday) - Northern Michigan Antique Flywheelers

  October 17 - Schraw & Associates

  November 1 - Business & Community Expo at Boyne City High School Gymnasium

  December 12 - Resort Rentals North

Boyne City will celebrate its autumn bounty at the Harvest Festival from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28.  This family fun day will include music, crafts, children's activities, food and fall produce in the downtown area. Portions of Water and Lake Streets will be closed to traffic, as the extended Boyne City Farmers Market will be moved downtown from Veterans Park.

There will be children's games and activities including pumpkin painting, face painting, hay rides, a scarecrow contest, and live musical performances throughout the downtown. Local churches and non-profit organizations that would like to participate by organizing children's activities or harvest crafts are encouraged to contact Boyne City Main Street.  Join us as we shop the market and arts and craft vendors and spend time enjoying all that the downtown area has to offer.

>  The festival is supported by Boyne City Main Street . Click here for vendor registration .

Leadership Charlevoix County (LCC) is now accepting proposals for its annual Community Service Project from local nonprofit organizations. The program is starting its ninth year as a comprehensive training experience for community members seeking to play a more active role in leadership and their communities.

The Community Service Project is an integral part of the hands-on experience of LCC participants. Each year, the class decides on a Community Service Project, which will benefit an area of Charlevoix County. The project involves all members of the leadership class and focuses on team building, project management, and leadership skills. The proposals will be reviewed by the LCC Executive Board of Directors and then distributed to the Class of 2019-2020 at their opening session in September.  The new leadership class has been selected and will participate in an orientation session tonight. Their first class session will be a Beaver Island Overnight Retreat on September 8 and 9.

> More information, a full description of the proposal guidelines and a list of past projects.

The Boyne Area Chamber hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Avalanche Preserve mountain bike trail-building project, and to honor the volunteers who made it happen. The expert-level "Stroll the Steeps" was the final trail to be completed by volunteers from the Top Of Michigan Mountain Bike Association.

Photos by Alex Childress.

This year's Boyne Area Chamber Business & Community Expo will be held Friday, November 1st, in partnership with Boyne City High School in the school gymnasium. The Expo will be held from 3-7 p.m. with exhibitor networking from 3-4 p.m. before opening to the public from 4-7 p.m. More details and registration info will be announced soon.

Other upcoming Chamber events include:

Junior Achievement of Northern Michigan is hoping to reestablish their program in Boyne City after a lapse of four years if volunteers can be found. JA programs teach students in kindergarten through high school important real-world concepts in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. They also give students opportunities  to learn and apply critical soft skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. 

The time commitment for a Junior Achievement volunteer is as little as one hour a week over five weeks. You can coordinate your classroom visits directly with the school's teacher to make sure the schedule works for both.

> TO VOLUNTEER at your local school contact Matt Berger, District Director Junior Achievement of Northern Michigan, at (231) 582-4660 or [email protected] . Visit the JA website for a full description of their many programs.

Charlevoix County entrepreneurs and new businesses two years old or less are invited to apply to compete for startup cash toward their business in the first county-wide pitch night, "Ignite Charlevoix County," scheduled for October 9th at Castle Farms. The winner advances to the finale competition, Grand Event, to compete for more startup funds.

Here is the application, which is due by midnight of September 15th. Admission is free, so everyone is encouraged to come and cheer for your favorite entrepreneur - reserve your spot here.

Competitors will receive business counseling from professionals to help in preparing a 4-minute business pitch for the panel of judges on the night of the competition. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be awarded as well as an audience selected People's Choice Award.

There will also be time for competing businesses to network and make connections with other business professionals and angel investors in the audience. 

Doors open at 5 pm and the event starts at 5:30 on the night of the competition, October 9th. For more information visit www.charlevoixignite.com.

Charlevoix Ignite is sponsored by Consumers Energy and DTE Energy Foundation and various local sponsors, including Boyne Area Chamber, Boyne City Main Street.

The Charlevoix County Community Foundation announces the availability of grant dollars to support the work of area nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and municipalities. The deadline to submit a grant proposal is Tuesday, October 1. Grant applications to support arts and culture, education, the environment, community and economic development, health and human services, recreation and youth are available by calling the Community Foundation office. Applicants must call to discuss their proposal to begin the application process. Eligible nonprofit organizations serve residents of Charlevoix County and work to enrich or improve life for local residents. Applications will be reviewed by advisory committees made up of community representatives. The Youth Advisory Committee will review proposals that benefit young people in two or more communities in Charlevoix County.

The Community Foundation accepts contributions from donors and then uses a portion of the income earned from the investment of these gifts to help foster positive change in our area. In this way, our donors' contributions meet our community needs, now and in the future - For good. For ever.® 

To apply for a grant or for more information, call 231.536.2440 or email Mishelle Shooks for youth grants at [email protected] or Maureen Radke for all other grants at [email protected].

From damaged lumber, to close-out doors... if you're looking for really good deals on stuff from Barden Lumber, check out their latest ENewsletter. "We will be blowing out 50+ Door and Windows for rock-bottom low prices," they say. "Make us an offer and take it ALL. Get your cash ready."

If you burn wood pellets, Barden suggests you place your orders early this year. Pricing has increased nation-wide on fuel burning wood pellets due to supply and demand issues, as well as industry changes, which have producers moving towards food-grade pellets. 

> Barden Lumber is located at 205 S East St, phone (231) 582-9961.

Every Thursday morning Boyne City Kiwanis meets for breakfast to strategize on how to improve the world one child at a time. If you'd like to boost your faith in humanity, come see what the good people of Kiwanis are doing to make a positive difference in the lives of children in our community and around the world. We look forward to seeing you at 7 on Thursday mornings at Water Street Café. Your first breakfast is our treat. Kiwanis Facebook Page.

Red Brick Salon is happy to announce that Heather Patton has joined their salon team as a new stylist. She is available for walk-ins, same-day appointments, and scheduled appointments. Heather is ready to start her amazing career with us and our loyal guests as well as any new guests coming her way. She will be training with Laurie Gee and Jackie Kerr in the meantime, to meet all of you and follow our salon atmosphere and expectations of exceptional guest experience. She will also be training with the top Paul Mitchell educators to get her up to speed with this fantastic brand. Her dedication to her career is top notch.

Heather is already trained in all the latest haircuts and styling trends plus Paul Mitchell perms, and her focus will be polishing her skills on the Paul Mitchell color lines to bring you all the latest color trends that you have come to love.

Heather is a local from Boyne Falls and will be a full-time stylist with Red Brick. She will be available the hours of salon operation of Tuesday and Friday 9am-4pm, Wednesday and Thursday 9am-8pm and Saturdays 8:30am-1pm. We have flexible hours for special occasions if needed.

Call 231-582-7792 to experience a new look with Heather. She will have reduced prices for a limited time only, as we are sure she will be in high demand soon. 

The Charlevoix County Planning Commission and Parks Committee are in the process of updating the County Recreation Plan. There final open house opportunity to provide public input to assist county officials in updating the plan will be held September 19th  at the Charlevoix Public Library Community Room A.

The county has also developed an online community survey concerning county parks and recreation facilities. Click here to take the survey, which will be open until September 13th. 

For further information or questions, contact Kiersten Stark, County  Parks & Planning Director, (231) 547-7234, [email protected] .

> Flyer with details about the open houses and the survey. Hard copies of the survey can be picked up at Charlevoix County Parks & Planning Department, 301 State Street, Charlevoix.

Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark at Boyne Mountain Resort is hosting a school supply drive in partnership with the 12th Annual Char-Em United Way Stuff the Bus campaign. From now through September 2, park-goers can receive $5 off a single-day pass with the donation of two or more school supplies. 

Recommended school supplies include #2 pencils, colored pencils, pencil boxes, art supplies, backpacks, construction paper, chalk, crayons, erasers, folders, glue bottles and sticks, highlighters, dry erase markers, notebooks, rulers, scissors, and tissues. Items should be new and in original packaging.

School supplies will be donated to students in need within the Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District. Each year the program delivers over 10,500 items to help students prepare for the new school year. 

	Raffle prizes from last year's event.

Charlevoix Conservation District will be contacting local businesses toward the end of August/early September in search of door prizes for their Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will be held Thursday, November 14th from 6:30-8:30pm at the Old Middle School. Students from the Boyne Hospitality Class cook and serve the meal, and a guest speaker discusses a conservation topic. 

Door prizes are raffled off at the end of the meeting to anywhere from 50-70 county residents. "We greatly appreciate the local businesses supporting our conservation efforts here in Charlevoix County," said District Manager Alison Adams. "We are proud to support the local businesses in return, and thank everyone in our newsletter, annual report and newsletter - reaching out to over 2,000 members." Door prizes can be anything from a t-shirt to a logo coffee mug or a gift certificate. Conservation District website.

  Boyne Valley Trail construction moves ahead despite high bid - Story

  Charlevoix-Emmet County Fair continues through Sunday - Story

  9&10 News takes a tour of the tall ship in Boyne City - Story

  (The Pride of Baltimore II will be departing Boyne this morning, Thursday)

The Chamber/Main Street E-News comes to your inbox each Thursday morning. If you submit news for next week, please send it by Tuesday to [email protected]. More than 1,300 people open our newsletter each week, and you can reach them with your news release (no cost for Chamber members) or advertising message and a link for as little as $50. We have ads available starting Sept. 19, and we are  taking reservations through the end of the year.

> SPREAD THE NEWS - We'd love to send you and your friends the weekly Boyne Business News. To subscribe, just  email us .

This Saturday, August 24th, folks all over Northwest Lower Michigan will host dinner parties where they invite their friends to come to a benefit for the Charlevoix Area Humane Society. The parties can be themed, fancy or just a potluck. A number of area restaurants will be also hosting parties with special dinner rates with a portion of the bill to benefit the CAHS.

At 8 p.m. all participants and parties are invited to a grand afterglow at Veterans Park in Boyne City. At the Afterglow, we will have desserts prepared by the best area restaurants and desserteries in Northern Michigan. There, we will tally and celebrate the fundraising results with cocktails and dancing to live music. The Charlevoix Area Humane Society is an independent nonprofit 501c3 tax-deductible organization.

REGISTER YOUR PARTY and give your estimated guest count by calling the Humane Society at 231-582-6774 or email [email protected].

	Triathlon bling

A beautiful venue, incredible cause, and a significant prize purse await you at the 7th Annual Boyne City Triathlon-Duathlon on Sunday, Sept. 1 at Peninsula Beach. You'll also meet 4-time US Olympic Triathlete Hunter Kemper. This course will take your breath away the first time you see it. Athletes will start out swimming in the crystal clear waters of Lake Charlevoix before skimming the coastline on their bike and passing through town on their run. Last year this race brought you the largest cash prize purses in Michigan... stay tuned for this year. Funds raised from this event support Team Lucky Seven, Inc. and its mission of "Racing to Fight Brain Disease." In the first five years more than $25,000 was granted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, for the express purpose of research into MS, ALS and Alzheimer's.

Here is a summary of the USA Triathlon Certified Races: 

> Olympic Triathlon: 1,500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run

> Sprint Triathlon: 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run

> Sprint Duathlon: 5km run, 20km bike, 5km run

Events can be completed INDIVIDUALLY or as a RELAY team. Register here.

> VOLUNTEER - The Triathlon can always use local volunteers to help with various aspects of this event. You'll get an event gear bag and some great food! Volunteer here. 

> SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES are available. Contact event founder and organizer Rob Swartz at  [email protected].

Kiwanis Club of Boyne City is hosting their annual Labor Day weekend car show. They are having a "Friday Night Preview" during Stroll the Streets, free to participants on August 30. The next day, August 31, is the Saturday Car Show in Veterans Park with oldies music all day on the lakefront. Thick 'N' Juicy will be serving lunch on site. The show has 21 registration classes, with trophies awarded to registered participants.

There will be drawings throughout the day for door prizes. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Judging begins at 10 a.m. and awards start at 3 p.m. For more information contact Ken Visser, [email protected], phone 231-582-7649, or Syrina Dawson, [email protected], phone 231-582-2492. 

> Click here for registration form.

The 16th annual Boyne City Drag Race returns to the Boyne City Airport on Sunday, Sept. 1. Side-by-side, eighth-mile drag races will run from 12 noon-5 p.m. at the airport, 1048 E. Main St. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Boyne City Airport and the Boyne Valley Lions Club. The event is organized by the Lions and a committee of drag race enthusiasts. Entry fees are $25 in advance and $30 on race day for cars, trucks and motorcycles, while pit passes are $15. Spectators pay a $10 admission fee; children under 12 years are admitted free. Gates open to racers at 8:30 a.m. for registration and tech inspections. For information and registration forms visit www.bcdragrace.com. 

> VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Anyone interested in helping should call Mike Cain at 231-582-0377 or [email protected] . Volunteer help is needed on Saturday, Aug. 31, with set-up from noon until done and then on Sunday, Sept. 1, the day of the race, from 8 am until 8 pm.

Create: Community Arts Studio is hosting a 7-day online Drawing Challenge from August 16th through August 22nd. Participants can join by simply visiting the studio's website and uploading artwork directly to the site. Each day a new drawing prompt with be posted and artwork will be displayed in the online gallery the following day. No age restrictions apply and individuals can choose to remain anonymous. To view rules and submission guidelines and join the 7-Day Drawing Challenge visit: www.letscreatetogether.org.  Create: Community Arts Studio is a 501(c)3 arts and social service organization connecting members of the community through the arts.

Teri Rounds

Everyone is invited to come join the fun for "Pint and Paint" on the first Thursday of the month in the lower level of Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen. The first event of the fall will be from 6-9 p.m. Thursday Sept. 5th. You'll be painting with local artist Teri Rounds. Class fee is $25, which includes supplies and a pint from the bar. Proceeds will be donated to Create Community Arts Center to provide art scholarships for area children. 

Participants will have fun meeting new people and creating a work of art to take home. Teri Rounds is a self taught artist who has been painting for 7 years. Her work can be seen at Crooked Tree Art Center in Petoskey, Boyne Art Collective in Boyne City, and Art on the Lobby in Walloon.

> To register, contact Sue Metzger at (231) 582-7567 or email [email protected] . Flyer to print.

	Julie Stratton is a self-taught artist.

The featured artist at the Boyne Arts Collective gallery, located at 214 Water Street, is Julie Stratton, a contemporary impressionist painter. "Mostly depicting scenes based on local surroundings, I infuse emotion through bold use of color, sparking the imagination of the observer," she said, when asked to describer her work. "My paintings are oil on canvas with a signature style consisting of a bright fauvism color palette mixed with heavily layered impasto effects."

Stratton has a background in architecture, but her true love has always been the arts. She is self-taught and comes by painting naturally, as her father was an oil painter as well. Julie was raised at Walloon Lake and finds ever-present inspiration in hometown sights and vistas across Northern Michigan. Her paintings are found in many galleries and private collections around the country. She currently resides in Boyne City with her husband and son.

Provisions Wine Lounge, the new wine bar at 123 Water Street, will be opening soon. Owner Ed Brehm is hoping to open in mid-September, perhaps as soon as Sept. 10th. Brehm recommends following the Wine Lounge on their new Facebook page for updates. The Wine Lounge will be managed by Provisions employee Chloe Chaffee and is located next door with a connecting doorway to the Wine Emporium and Deli and Boyne Country Provisions.

Interested in learning more about gardening with native plants, and attracting pollinators? Join the Charlevoix Conservation District for an informative Native Plant Workshop on Thursday, August 29th, from 4-6pm with Vern Stephens of Designs by Nature. Learn the values behind planting native on local fauna, soil and your groundwater. Other interesting topics include site preparation, installation, maintenance and examples of different native plants. The workshop will also be an opportunity to pre-order your plants for the plant sale the following week.

The Native Plant Sale will be held on Friday, September 13th from 3-6pm.

Both events will be held in the Charlevoix Conservation District's Community Room. The workshop is free, but space is limited; RSVP by contacting Alison at 231-582-6193. 

PRE-ORDER YOUR PLANTS by Aug. 29 with this order form now or at the workshop. Prices are $6.50/qt for wildflowers, $7.50/qt. for woodland species, $70 for garden flats and $60 for single species flats. The plant sale is for those who pre-order, but the public is welcome to purchase any available extra items. For more information, stop by office or call 231-582-6193.