Stories

 

 

Vacationers at the CSA may remember an event held here back in June by the Benzie Conservation District (CD). This important organization, based in downtown Beulah, works to protect natural resources in Benzie County and educate the public on how they can do their part to keep our beloved forests and waterways beautiful. Their close connection with the land we use and enjoy is shared by many at the CSA; one of these nature-lovers (and CSA member) Jane Perrino, works at Benzie CD as their development coordinator.

In Jane’s words, the mission of the Benzie Conservation District is “to ensure that every participant in our natural resources in Benzie - whether they're here for a day, week, or lifetime - has the information to be the best stewards of what they're interacting with.” The organization shares this information through educational events, literature such as booklets and their newsletters, and hands-on volunteer opportunities. The CSA is especially valuable in their mission due to its tight-knit community and location at the heart of the lakes. Both organizations were founded with a “boots on the ground” determination to do what they set out to accomplish, whether that be vacationing or conservation.

Despite being one of the smaller conservation groups in Michigan, Benzie CD’s effect is powerful. They organize two stream monitoring data collections in May and October as well as several beach-and-river cleanups during the summer. Volunteers should expect to get up close with nature and work as a team to reduce the impact of human activity in Benzie County. River cleanup specifically targets the Platte River and the Betsie River. These are great volunteer opportunities for anyone who seeks to improve their environment in a concrete, observable way.

Benzie CD collects data from the public every five years to see how people are using the resources available to them as well as gauge the issues most pressing to residents of the area. In their most recent survey, they received over 300 responses, identifying water quality and environmental education as issues the public felt were important. It only makes sense for water quality to be notable - Benzie County is home to over 17 named lakes. Between October 2023 and September 2024, Benzie CD monitored seven lakes and twenty-seven stream sites with the help of their staff and volunteers.

While their numbers are impressive, the truly remarkable quality of Benzie CD is their connection to the community. The lakes and rivers they protect are the same waters their children swim in; this kind of closeness with the earth allows them to serve their community and environment with love and commitment. They work alongside the community, guiding and educating through their various programs and events.

“We’re excited to bring like-minded, interested people together because we all encourage each other to be the best stewards of the landscape just by sharing that passion,” Jane says. If her words resonate with you, be sure to keep an eye out for volunteer or donation opportunities. Over 15% of Benzie Conservation District’s funding comes from donations, helping sustain the organization’s efforts to protect and serve the rivers, lakes, and land of Benzie County.

 

The Youth Citizenship Award seeks to recognize a youth member of the community who models our vision by cultivating integrity, fostering responsibility, promoting inclusivity, and building confidence within themselves and others. This year's recipient exemplifies all of those attributes.

 

At home, some might describe this year’s recipient as quiet, but as you get to know him, you’d discover more of his passions. He enjoys fishing, is comfortable around animals, and wants to pursue becoming a veterinarian. At school, he’s a fierce competitor on the water polo team and a state championship level swimmer.

Around the CSA you’ll find him always willing to help out, always there if needed. Like many, he’ll spend time playing with cousins on the beach or giving back to the CSA through service or work. His first official job was at The Crystal View under Fritz’ mentorship. Prior to that, Leslie on waterfront had him and his brother as junior life guards with those little red fanny packs helping out. Little did we know how impactful that informal role would become.

This summer, all of that was put to the test when our community experienced a serious incident at the swimming area. As the lifeguards were preparing to leave for the day, this year’s Youth Citizenship Award recipient approached a swim raft to inform others he was going off duty. But instead of wrapping up the day, he found himself called into action.

A swimmer was in serious distress at the raft. Weston quickly paddled over in a kayak, then dove into the water to reach the swimmer. Weston acted swiftly and decisively - applying his training and saving the swimmer's  life.

Sometimes, a summer job becomes something much more. More for those you serve, and more for yourself.

We are incredibly grateful for the outcome of that day, and that’s why we’re proud to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2025 Youth Citizenship Award recipient: Weston Leete!

 

If you tune in to the new radio station in Elberta, you’ll get music, local news, and community interviews. What you won’t get is the political rancor heard on many other media outlets.

 

Mike Tarkington, left, and Dave Beaton, center, interview actor/director Greg Abbey at WUWU’s studio about the CSA’s upcoming production of “Mary Poppins.” Link below.“We’re not open to people disrespecting each other,” said Dave Beaton, co-founder of WUWU 100.1 FM, the non-profit station on a mission to “build community.”

 

Beaton also co-founded the Elberta Labor Heritage Center, which holds WUWU’s license. He and partner Arlene Sweeting ran a low-power radio station in Sarasota, Fla., for 20 years before moving to Elberta in 2019 to retire. Instead, they became enamored with the local history and wanted to share it.

 

In short order, they bought the town’s old railroad boarding house to live in, founded the heritage center, decided to get back into the radio business, and applied for a low-power station license from the FCC. A retired Benzie County school teacher donated an RV, which they kitted out with second-hand equipment for the station. An all-volunteer staff does everything else.

 

CSA member Pearce Decker is one of 13 programmers who help keep the station on the air 24/7. Decker joined in November, a few months after WUWU began broadcasting. He had recently moved to Frankfort and was looking for a way to plug into the community. WUWU was a good fit.

 

“My initial training was just a single day with Dave Beaton. He showed me his process and after that they’ve just been giving me little pointers as I go.”

 

On-board with the mission, Decker added: “Hate is very easy in the abstract, it’s very complex and difficult in the specific. Your neighbors are your friends, your cheerleaders, and your safety nets.”

 

To help build community, WUWU hosts monthly events off the air. In June, it was a well-attended concert featuring the award-winning Cerus Quartet from Ann Arbor. Last spring, WUWU sponsored a Democracy Film Series at The Garden Theater in Frankfort. And from 5 to 8pm July 27, it will be nationally known musician Grant Peeples stopping by for a potluck and concert at the station’s studio in Elberta. Get tickets here: https://givebutter.com/g1eUBl

 

“The same reason we do community radio is the same reason we do events—to bring people together,” Beaton said. “When we get to know each other, we overcome our fears and our differences. If we all get together then we tend to act more civil.”

 

Matt Nahnsen, who with his wife owns The Roadhouse Restaurant & Bar in Benzonia, is another longtime CSA goer who now volunteers at WUWU. In January, he said he watched on TV as Elon Musk made a Nazi salute at a Trump rally. In response, Nahnsen organized a Unity March through Frankfort.

 

“I wanted everybody from all the political spectrums to come out and just walk in silence.” WUWU interviewed Nahnsen about the march, “and then they asked me if I wanted to do a show. I said absolutely.”

 

“Matt’s Movement Radio” show airs Tuesdays from 11:00am to 1:00pm. “It’s music that people can move to, whether it’s Motown or punk or whatever.” He might also throw in some guided meditation, deep breathing, haiku, poetry, whatever inspires him. Nahnsen said it’s designed to get people moving physically and maybe to move some mindsets, too.

 

Every programmer is allowed free rein in designing their show, within FCC limitations.

 

Decker has interviewed a variety of community members, but one that may resonate most with CSA members and local anglers was with Heather Hettinger, a fisheries management biologist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Joining Decker that day was his dad, David Decker, who drops in as co-host occasionally, especially when the talk is about fish. David and his wife, Christine, previously owned a fly-fishing ranch in Montana.

 

“What are the two or three biggest things that the Central Michigan fisheries is worried about?” Pearce Decker asked.Pearce Decker, left, interviews Elberta hang-gliding pioneer Mark Olsen in a recent interview. Photo by David Decker

 

“Whitefish are in a world of hurt right now,” Hettinger said. “We saw it in Lake Michigan first and we’re seeing it in our inland lakes now.”

 

The culprit? Quagga mussels, which are edging out zebra mussels as the current invasive pest of concern.

 

“They filter a liter of water a day and lock up all the nutrients in the water,” Hettinger said. Whitefish need those nutrients to grow.

 

David Decker turned the conversation to a fish whose ancestors date back 136 million years that he and others have recently spotted in Crystal Lake.

 

“Every year I get at least one report of a sturgeon in Crystal,” Hettinger said. “We don’t very often hear of sturgeon being in the Betsie… but at some point in time, something enticed them when the lake level control structure wasn’t there to squiggle up the Crystal Lake outlet and make their way into Crystal Lake. And maybe they were helped.

 

“We see that with a lot of species. People will hook and line catch a fish and pass them over the dam. They want to help it along,” Hettinger said “And for the most part they’re pretty happy campers in there aside from the fact that they’re stuck and they’re probably not going to be successful at reproducing.”

 

Most shows can be heard for two weeks after they air. The interview with Hettinger is one of a handful that will stay up longer at a listener’s request.

 

Beaton would like to ask people who “buy local” to “listen local.”

 

“I don’t think we’re playing anything that will offend you. Some people may not like ‘Democracy Now,’ because it can be depressing with the world news today but that’s the one show we figure we need to carry so people do know what’s going on.”

 

Anyone interested in volunteering at the station is encouraged to apply.

 

“We’re part of a much larger group of stations that are very small, that train people how to do radio, how to public speak. It’s important. It empowers people,” Beaton says.

 

There’s also something to be said for working in the middle of nature. A few weeks ago Pearce Decker interrupted an interview to comment on his view from the RV window. “A raccoon just passed by the studio…He’s just doing his own thing. I love raccoons.”

_________________________________________________________________

 

WUWU is a low-power station—limited to 100 watts—with a radius of about 10 miles, depending on the strength of your antenna. But it can be streamed anywhere via the website.

• To listen, set your dial to 100.1 FM or visit the Elberta Labor Heritage Center and click on WUWU-LPFM.
• To listen to Greg Abbey’s interview, visit the Elberta Labor Heritage Center website, click on the WUWU-LPFM tab, then the Archive link, then navigate to the 9am July 16 show.
• Call or text the station at (231) 774-6360; email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Jazz fans can sample the station’s broad jazz collection from 9pm to 6am daily

 

Janna Sobel, a Chicago-based performer and teacher, will be the guest speaker at the Women’s Association Annual Meeting on Thursday, July 10th at 10:15am in the Assembly Building. Her talk “Comedy in Community” will begin after the 9:30am regular business meeting of the Women’s Association and all are invited.

 

Sobel will also lead two improvisation workshops intended to connect the community through guided play and comedic interaction, one for adults and one for youth in grades 6-12. The adult workshop will be held at 11:00am on the same day as the meeting. The youth workshop will take place on Friday, July 11 from 12:00-2:00pm in the Assembly Building. These workshops are entry-level and require no previous experience with acting or improvisation. “They’re designed to be easy, fun, and accessible to everyone,” Sobel said. “Come with an open heart and an open mind and know that you’ll be taken care of.”

 

CSA Member Beth Seaton has taken Sobel’s improv and storytelling classes in Chicago. “Her classes made a big impact on me because they are such a blast,” said Seaton. “Her workshops are super fun, and I guarantee that everyone will laugh and have a great time.”

 

Sobel’s journey with improvisation began in her childhood, when she observed a disparity between her peers and the adults in her life. “I really enjoyed laughing with my friends. I loved how we could crack each other up to the point where our stomachs hurt and we couldn’t remember what we’d been laughing about in the first place. And for some reason, I was fascinated by the difference I noticed between kids and adults in that way. Of course I didn’t have words for it at the time, but I noticed that adults didn’t seem to laugh like that; that the young people around me seemed freer, more joyful, expressive, and playful… and had a bit more of their natural spark. While some adults seemed farther away from their expressive selves, and sort of tamped down. I can remember that this scared me a little. But there were some adults I knew who still seemed really playful, awake, and expressive, and I began to wonder how they kept that little spark.”

 

Sobel stumbled upon improv in high school and found that it seemed to foster and protect that light of creativity. “It looked to me like a way that people could lay down what burdened them for a little while. To practice trusting and honoring their own spontaneous, playful, creative nature. Improv teaches that, contrary to all our social conditioning, you can trust yourself. You can think of good ideas. You can connect and create things together. You can make your own fun.” Sobel became interested in teaching improvisation to kids and teenagers, and began her teaching career in San Francisco.

 

Sobel’s move to Chicago was spurred by being cast in a play that she loved. “If I could teach people to be brave and trust their own creativity, I should have the courage to do that, myself,” she said. She now teaches at The Second City, a world-renowned comedy training center. She teaches Improv Comedy and Live Storytelling there, and for other institutions like Chicago Dramatists, The IDEA Center at Notre Dame, The Booth School of Business, and The Chicago Cultural Center. She leads collaboration and communication workshops for companies like LinkedIn, GitHub, Moen, Allstate and McDonalds, and offers storytelling and public speaking coaching for TED talkers and keynote speakers.

 

The Improv work that Sobel will be sharing with us plays a large role in American comedy and has led to the development of beloved favorites like Saturday Night Live, The Office, Key and Peele, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Whose Line is it Anyway! But, she says, the work itself has its roots in social science. In post-Great War America, government officials identified a need for strengthened social connections and creative power in the fragmented American people, and the WPA commissioned Neva Boyd, a social scientist in Chicago, to help people recover from the collective trauma of The Great Depression through play and laughter. Improvisation has since grown into an art form that breaks down barriers and unites communities, influencing the arts and entertainment, union labor organizing, progressive education, and approaches to physical and psychological rehabilitation.

 

Improv comedy began as, and remains, a way to connect people with their imaginations and their natural brilliance. Sobel’s workshops will aim to bring our CSA community together through laughter and joy, forming new bonds and strengthening old ones. “It’s an easy and uncommon kind of fun!” Sobel describes improv. All are encouraged to come and reignite their creative spark!