Cheers
- To the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society for its summer star parties, which include monthly outings at various spots in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The next is scheduled July 21 at Platte River Pointe. Another sidewalk astronomy event was held June 5 at Traverse City ‘s Open Space, where a long line gathered to view the Venus transit through the club’s new Hyrdo-Alpha telescope, which enables daytime viewing of the sun. Volunteers take other telescopes to festivals, Friday Night Live, parks, summer camps, schools, restaurants and other gatherings.
- To the State Theatre and its patrons for passing around a collection jar on the June 30-July 1 weekend and raising $2,200 for Cherry Bowl drive-in owner-operator Harry Clark, who suffered a serious accident over the winter.
- To Chef Mario Batali, a part-time area resident, and the Pure Michigan campaign, for touting the area’s farms, restaurants, wineries and scenic landmarks to national journalists in a June 27-July 1 media tour. It also included a “Made in Michigan” epicurean and cooking demonstration by Batali at Chateau Chantal on Old Mission Peninsula..
- To Vietnam veteran Bill Bradfield, who will leave Cadillac July 12 on an 8,000-mile motorcycle trip through 29 states and 48 major cities to raise money and awareness to help veterans who have type 2 diabetes attributed Agent Orange defoliant exposure. Funds raised will benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. A total 27 million Americans battle the disease, including Bradfield, a former Marine. The 33-day trip will feature a changing roster of 50-60 riders.
- To Buzz Whitaker, 79, of Williamsburg, who raised flags for U.S. Marines at three famed World War I battlefield sides, including Belleau Wood near Paris in France.
- To Stone Circle poet bard Terry Wooten, who donated 75 percent of the proceeds from his poetry and story-telling circle on Saturday night to Bradfield’s “From Seat to Shining Seas” benefit ride.
- To Chris Sullivan, 38, of Traverse City who appeared Thursday night as a contestant on the popular TV game show “Jeopardy.” The show was filmed in February and aired Thursday. Sullivan placed third. After completing an online quiz in 2011, he did an audition in May of 2011 and found out in January that he would be one of 400 contestants on the show this year. The taping was Feb. 22.
Jeers
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To people who set off firecrackers in city neighborhoods well after 11 p.m. -- or even midnight -- on July 4. For a lot of people, the 5th was a workday, and they didn't appreciate losing sleep for someone else's fun.
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