Traverse, Northern Michigan’s – July 2019

Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine | JUL ’ 19 27

july | events

Downtown

Suttons Bay

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Spotting Scope

Looking to enhance

your view?

Bring “faraway” up close!

Distinguished authors James and

Deb Fallows wrote the book Our Towns,

documenting their travels across the country

as they experienced an emerging pattern of

American reinvention. On the ground, they

spoke directly with people shaping their

small communities. From a small plane, they

observed land formations that

explain the pattern of American

settlement. Green Elk Rapids,

an organization of volunteers

aiming to raise awareness of

environmental issues, will host

these authors for a special

event open to the public.

When the authors agreed

to speak at the event, it was

clear they had found kindred

spirits. Towns like Elk Rapids,

and other small communities

across Northern Michigan,

have been in constant flux, finding new

ways to reinvent themselves, while staying

true to their roots. This delicate balance is

a consistent theme throughout Our Towns.

“Green Elk Rapids was interested

because we saw ourselves as an example

of a local group working together and with

others to get things done in our community,

regardless of constraints and politics,” says

Committee Chair Royce Ragland. Green Elk

Rapids partnered with the Grand Traverse

Regional Community Foundation to help

the event come to life. “The

timing and the collaboration

has been a great team effort

and feels like the sort of thing

that the Fallows found in the

communities they visited and

wrote about.”

James Fallows has been

a national correspondent for

The Atlantic for 35 years and

is a winner of the National

Book Award and National

Magazine Award. His wife,

Deborah Fallows, an author

and linguist, also has two books and

numerous magazine credits to her name.

Their passion to highlight the energy and

renewal across the land promises to be

refreshing. GREENELKRAPIDS.ORG —Chris Loud

GREEN ELK RAPIDS, SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS

WHEN: THURSDAY, JULY 25 FROM 5:30–6:30 P.M.

WHERE: HERTH HALL, 401 RIVER ST., ELK RAPIDS

PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMAS VRANICH