Don't miss Arsenic and Old Lace presented by Little Traverse Civic Theatre at the Crooked Tree Arts Center! This laugh out loud comedy has an incredible cast and crew, and is sure to be what everyone is talking about Monday morning. Performances this weekend are tonight, Friday April 24th and Saturday April 25th at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday April 26th at 2:00 p.m. Final shows take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday April 30th - May 2nd. Reserved tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for 12 and under with all tickets $10 for the Sunday Matinee. Get your tickets now! Box office opens 30 minutes before show time or call 231.348.1850 or purchase tickets online at www.ltct.org.

The YMCA of Northern Michigan's invites you to test your skill at the 2015 Meijer's 3-on-3 Basketball tournament held on Saturday, April 25th at Petoskey High School, beginning at 9:00am. All registration forms are due Wednesday, April 22. This double elimination tournament is open to all children in grades 3 - 12, with both male and female brackets. In 2014, 52 teams from all across the state competed in this fun and exciting tournament. Medals will be given out for the top three teams in each bracket. Concessions will be available all day! Connect with the Y for more information and registration documents: www.ymcanm.org, CSmith@ymcanm.org, 231-348-8393, and 434 E. Lake Street in Petoskey. 

Beacon Dental Center, owned by Dr. Michael Sullivan will host their fifth Dentistry from the Heart (DFTH) event on Saturday, April 25th, providing 100+ patients with free dental care.Dr. Michael Sullivan and the team at Beacon Dental Center will provide adult patients with free dental care including extractions, fillings and cleaning. There will be several dental professionals and members of the community donating their time and resources, in order to provide free dental care to as many residents in need as possible.

The line will begin early into the night before, and patients are seen on a first come, first serve basis. Registration will begin at 7:00am. For more information please visit www.BeaconDentalCenter.com or contact us at 231-237-5100.

Friends @ the Carnegie Lecture Series takes place on Monday, April 27th at 7:00 p.m. at the Carnegie Building, on 451 E. Mitchell St. Join Laurie Gaetano and Gary Appold as they take you on a journey of Headlands Dark Sky Park, a 600-acre park located about two miles west of downtown Mackinaw City in northwest lower Michigan.  This event is open to the public and admission is free. It is sponsored by the Friends of the Petoskey District Library. 

North Central Michigan College's Lecture Series program, featuring Marvel Comics Creative Director Bill Rosemann, has been changed to Wednesday, April 29th. The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. and doors will open at 6 p.m. Tickets are free and North Central will honor all tickets with the April 15 date. Attendees must have a ticket to enter. Tickets are available at all North Central locations. The lecture will be held in the gymnasium in the Student and Community Resource Center on the Petoskey campus. Rosemann's work can be seen in the recent blockbuster movies Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: Winter Soldier. For more information, call 231-439-6225.

 The Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce inaugural Business Showcase is on Wednesday, April 29th. Admission is free and the event is open to the public, with donations encouraged.The event will showcase nearly 60 exhibitors to visit with and learn from. Local restaurants will be serving up free "Samples of Harbor Springs" alongside local breweries & wineries. Representing the popular Street Musique will be musician Jeff Pagel who will be entertaining the crowd. April 29th 5-7 p.m. downtown at the Community Center of the Holy Childhood Church (150 W Main St.). For a full list of exhibitors, visit www.harborspringschamber.com. For up-to-date information, follow the showcase on Facebook 

Join Northern Michigan Society for Human Resource Management (NMSHRM) on April 30th for ARE YOU READY TO RETIRE? OR DO YOU NEED SOCIAL SECURITY 567?

Professional Optical's 9th Annual Frame Show is this Thursday, April 30th in the lobby of the Burns Professional Building. Our very successful show features thousands of new styles from this years' Spring collection as well as our extensive in-house frames. The show is from 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. All frames are offered at a special price with lens purchase during the show. Appetizers from Julienne Tomatoes and beverages will be available.

Porter Creek Fish House opens for the season Friday, May 1st! To celebrate, that evening we are presenting a free Appetizer Buffet from 4-6:00pm and complimentary small plates with tastings of our new menu offerings for your dinner table from 6-9:00pm. Give us your feedback to get 30% off your meal! Porter Creek Fish House is open Tuesday through Sunday for Lunch and Dinner. Dine indoors or out on our waterfront deck - every seat features the prettiest view on Lake Charlevoix. For reservations: 231-582-7080. You'll find us at Sommerset Pointe, just 3 miles from Downtown Boyne City, on the Advance Peninsula.

Spring Birding with Little Traverse Conservancy and the Greenwood Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday May 2nd from 10:00 a.m. - Noon at Greenwood Wildlife Sanctuary in Wolverine. Join Little Traverse Conservancy volunteer and birder extraordinaire Mary Trout as we explore the varying habitats of the Greenwood Sanctuary. May is the month for migration and courting, so we will look and listen as birds sing and establish their territories. Meet at Greenwood's Windswept gate along Webb Rd. Bring binoculars if you have them. There is no charge for this event, but pre-registration is required online at www.landtrust.org or by calling 231.347.0991.

Come visit McLean & Eakin, Booksellers on Saturday May 2nd for the nation-wide celebration of Independent Bookstore Day.  Enjoy hot chocolate and cupcakes during the festivities.  Sixteen exclusive books and art pieces for Independent Bookstore Day will be available including a signed, original Chris Ware print; a signed chapter book of original essays by bestselling author of Bad Feminist, Roxane Gay; a Margaret Atwood stencil; a literary map of the seas; a note from Stephen King about his new novel, Finders Keepers; an original signed Captain Underpants print and much more. More than sixty-five authors have shown their support for independent bookstores by donating works for this special day of celebration. Join in on the fun!

Crooked Tree Arts Center Coffee @ Ten with the CTAC School of Ballet on Tuesday, May 5th at 10 a.m. Heather Raue, the CTAC School of Ballet Artistic Director, will join attendees in the Gilbert Gallery for a talk about the School of Ballet and the Pre-Professional Dance Program. Coffee is provided by Roast & Toast of Petoskey. The Coffee @ Ten series is free and open to the public, no reservations necessary. The next Coffee @ Ten features Elin Noble, textile artist and summer workshop instructor. Elin will be teaching her "New Dyes, New Methods" workshop at CTAC-Petoskey June 26 - 29. Her lecture will take place on Tuesday, June 30 at 10 a.m.

The Leadership Little Traverse Class of 2015 will host a "Walk to School Day" on Friday, May 8th in cooperation with The Health Department of Northwest Michigan, as part of the Safe Routes to School initiative. All Petoskey Middle School students are invited and encouraged to take part in the event. All participants are required to submit a signed permission slip to the school by May 1st. Permission slips are available online at http://www.ymcanm.org/WalkToSchoolDay.htm. Leadership Little Traverse is a leadership development program offered through the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce whose mission is to inspire and prepare leaders in the Little Traverse Bay Region.

Emmet County's Headlands Park is proud to celebrate its 4th year as Michigan's only internationally-designated Dark Sky Park! The public is cordially invited to celebrate this growing international movement on Saturday, May 9th from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. during the program, "Great Lakes, Dark Skies." The Headlands is a 600-acre park on the Straits of Mackinac, two miles west of downtown Mackinaw City and is free and open to the public every day. While no camping is allowed, visitors are welcome to stay overnight to observe the dark sky overhead. The Headlands became the 6^th International Dark Sky Park in the U.S. and the 9th in the world in May 2011, and each month free programs are held for the public. For more information, visit www.emmetcounty.org

Lincoln Elementary School is hosting a 5k Fun Run/Walk on Saturday, May 16th at 9:00 a.m. The run/walk will start at Lincoln School then proceed down the beautiful Bear River Trail to the Waterfront bike path and back. Proceeds from the Fun Run/Walk will go towards the purchase of new playground equipment for the Lincoln playground. Prizes will be awarded to the top three runners in each age group. T-shirts are guaranteed for those registering by May 1st. T-shirts will be available at on-site registration in limited quantity and sizes and cannot be guaranteed. On-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Registration forms are available at Lincoln School and the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce. Contact Sue Kurtz at (231)348-2120 or (231)348-0892 for more information.

Charlevoix Area Community Pool's 3rd annual "iTri Kids" is Saturday, June 13th, 2015! This triathlon for kids' grades K-12 offers 3 different swim-bike-run course designs to match ALL skill levels. Children as young as 5 have successfully completed this FUN event! Training camps are available every Wednesday and Friday from 3:30-5:00 pm, May 6th - June 10th.  Athletes will get acclimated to their course and practice/condition for the main event! Our training regimen was designed by an international triathlete, specifically for this event. Camp cost is $5 for a drop-in or $50 for all 11 sessions. Call the Pool for more information at 231.547.0982 or email info@charlevoixpool.org. Visit our website at www.charlevoixpool.org.

Mark your calendars for the Little Traverse Bay Quilt Show on Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th at the Emmet County Fairgrounds Community Building
on 1129 Charlevoix Avenue (US-31), on the west side of Petoskey. Admission is just $6. For more information, go to: www.ltbquiltersguild.org and click on the link for the Quilt Show Page.

It's too bad money doesn't come with instructions. Because we all need to know how to spend it, save it and borrow it wisely. That's why banks, businesses, schools, libraries and lots of others are joining together to help support financial education during Money Smart Week - through April 25th. Be part of it. Learn to be Money Smart. For information and activity listings at the Petoskey District Library visit www.petoskeylibrary.org or to learn about other events in the area, visit www.moneysmartweek.org

The WRCNM Clothesline Project will be displayed in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey through April 30th. The exhibit will be on display from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the lobby of the main administration building. The shirts, created by WRCNM clients are an impactful, creative way for survivors to explore the power of their unique voices, to tell their stories and for the community to bear witness to this extraordinary, enlightening and empowering process. North Central, in partnership with the Women's Resource Center of Northern Michigan, is making the display available to the public. For details, visit www.wrcnm.org.
 

Greetings from Whitecaps! Painting, power washing, scrubbing and spring cleaning - done! Whitecaps staff is ready for the arrival of the spring and summer seasons.

Chef Tim Morey is busy planning new additions to our summer menu, so stay tuned...

Whitecaps Spring Hours: Monday thru Saturday, Serving Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and Dinner 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. We hope to see you soon, Whitecaps Grille & Spirits. Located at 215 East Lake Street in Downtown Petoskey, 231-348-7092, info@whitecapsrestaurant.com or whitecapsrestaurant.com.

Instant Wine Cellar - Thank You! On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Char-Em United Way, we would like to thank the many donors, sponsors and volunteers who helped make our 5th Annual "Instant Wine Cellar" a huge success. A special thank you to our sponsors as well as the Instant Wine Cellar committee and our event Chairperson Rebeca Otto! We had a fabulous turnout for the event with over 350 people attending!  The Instant Wine Cellar raises money to help support our Volunteer Connections program, a virtual volunteer center that matches volunteers with the hundreds of needs listed. To log on and see the program in action go to www.charemunitedway.org/volunteer and click on the VOLUNTEER TODAY button.

The Northern Health Plan continues to have money to help pay for premiums of people who cannot afford their employer-sponsored coverage. Northern Health Plan urges residents of Emmet, Charlevoix, Antrim, Otsego, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Montmorency and Alpena Counties to contact Enroll Northern Michigan if they have unaffordable employer premiums to see if they qualify for help. Contact Nichole Cyr at the Health Department of Northwest Michigan at (800) 432-4121. The NHP is a non-profit corporation funded by area hospitals and county government dedicated to helping uninsured people get coverage. It ended its old programs of assistance when the Affordable Care Act and the Healthy Michigan Program went into effect, but it still has funds to use to fill gaps in coverage.

Tired of boring lunch options? Stop in and check out Buffalo Wild Wings all new Fast Break lunch options starting at $5.99.  Don't forget about Boneless Thursdays and Traditional Tuesdays and enjoy 65 Cent wings all day. Late Night Happy Hour features $3 select appetizers and great drink specials. Dine-In, Take-Out, and Online Ordering Now Available. Visit www.buffalowildwings.com to place an order. Located at: 2180 Anderson Rd Ste. 150. Phone: 231-439-9167. Wings. Beer. Sports. Buffalo Wild Wings.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines! The Heatherwoods Golf Course at Charlevoix Country Club is now open for the season! For the balance of April, golf free with cart rental: $12 for 9 holes, $24 for 18 holes. Book your tee time on-line at http://www.chxcountryclub.com/teetimes. You don't have to be a member to golf at the Country Club, all are welcome! Plan to join us before or after your round, for lunch, dinner or just a drink on the patio, at The Bistro.

Symons General Store is now serving breakfast! You can now enjoy a breakfast sandwich on the go, all-day, 7 days a week. All sandwiches are served on an English muffin with egg and there are four delicious flavors to choose from including Veggie with Avocado, Tomato & Chile Tapenade; Sausage with Swiss & Symons Secret Sauce; Bacon with Cheddar, Sriracha Aioli & A&B Pepper Sauce and Ham with Swiss & Honeycup Mustard. If you are in a hurry, call us in advance at 231-347- 2438 and we will have it ready for you! Pair with our new lemonade, orange or grapefruit juice from Natalie's Island Orchid Juices made with freshly-squeezed 100% fresh Florida citrus. And of course for something sweet, we have our fresh baked pastries.

Spring is in the air and Knotsters are coming out of hibernation. Knot Just A Bar is gearing up for this year's Kentuckey Derby. The Woodford bourbon has been infused with mint for the past year.  Don't miss out on a great Mint Julep and a souvenir glass. In addition, there will be a contests for the grandest hat of them all as well as the race itself. It's equestrian time at The Knot and we need to party as if we were in the infield of Churchill Downs. Come on down, have a "hot brown", a mint julep, celebrate and win.

Camp Daggett invites the public to participate in wonderful events this spring and summer, supporting scholarships for youth at camp and in the Adventure Center. Mother and Daughter weekend, May 1st -3rd. Shopping Benefit day at Grandpa Shorter's Gifts on May 16th.12th Annual Camp Daggett Golf Benefit at Walloon Lake Country Club on Thursday, June 4th. 7th annual Kayak for a Cause on Walloon Lake is July 18th and July 19th. Every activity raises much needed scholarship dollars for area youth for camp and adventure center programs at Camp Daggett. For more information, call 231-347-9742 or visit www.campdaggett.org.

Worksite Wellness Programs and community health and wellness opportunities are available to you through McLaren Northern Michigan. One of the recommended approaches for improving the health of our state is to work on improving the health of our workforce. Worksite Wellness Programs are a great way to impact workforce health, improving employee morale, increasing presenteeism, and reducing absenteeism. To learn more about these services offered by McLaren Northern Michigan, go to http://www.mclaren.org/northernmichigan/worksitewellnessnm.aspx.

Bay Tennis & Fitness has created the Business Advantage Program designed for members of Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce! Get together with 5 or more PRCC members and start receiving the benefits! Benefits include price breaks on 3, 6, or 12 month memberships* Memberships include Fitness, Tennis, or Combo. Great for seasonal staff, or business with less than 5 staff members. Please see our website for the many programs we offer (including discounts offered to members). www.baytennisandfitness.com Contact Deb McCall at deb@baytennisandfitness.com for more information.

In addition to fire extinguisher sales and service Conway Professional Services now offer a full line of fire suppression services that include installation and service of kitchen fire suppression equipment, exit and emergency lighting, automatic sprinkler systems, fire pumps, back flow devices, special hazard systems, fire alarm systems and fire safety training. Call us today with to schedule services or a quote! (231) 487-9300 or visit us at www.conwayprowash.com.