Gould City
By Marilyn McNeil 477-6925 donmar@lighthouse.net

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you didn't forget your sweethearts. I have many, all in different age groups. I hope you all had a happy day.

There's always lots of interesting stuff going on in Curtis. The Portage Anglers Club yearlong raffle winner for January 26 was Randy Papist of Newberry. He is now the proud owner of a shotgun.

The needlework and sewing art of Denise Danaher of Curtis is now on display at the Curtis Park Center. Her work can be viewed during Wellness Center hours.

The Curtis Community Arts Council (CCAC) is selecting musical groups to perform at this summer's "Music in the Park." If anyone is interested in being considered for a Wednesday evening performance, call Linda at (906) 586- 3667.

Plans are underway for the first Tri-Lakes Triathlon, which will be Saturday, August 11. The event will be sponsored by the CCAC and Helen Newberry Joy Hospital's Curtis Wellness Center. For more information, contact Lynda Soder at (906) 586-3667 or Carrie Sevarns at (906) 293-9182.

The 13th Annual Curtis Winter Carnival is scheduled for Saturday, February 17. This event is sponsored by the Curtis Area Chamber of Commerce. This year's carnival will have all the same fun and entertainment as last year, with the addition of a snowman-building contest.

The place for this event will be South Manistique Lake, and will feature all the popular attractions of the previous events. One big event each year is the chili cook-off, and Dan Duberville's Fish Coop along with the food booth, bake sale, kids' games, turkey bowling, and a mini sled challenge for the youngsters. The new family snowmanbuilding contest will serve as this year's theme for the carnival.

The Fish Coop, which starts at 9 a.m., is designed for all ages and costs $3 per kid and $5 per adult. Each fisherman drops a line, either inside the large ice shanty or out in the elements. Divers fastened the net to the bottom of the lake.

More than 1,200 rainbow trout are contained in the fenced-in area. Most are 14 to 15 inches long. Every fish caught is a prize, plus some are "golden trout," which entitles the lucky fisherman to a prize.

Others events will be the "fishoff" for adults and children, and a giant piñata for the kids at noon. The chili cook-off will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ice sculptors Richard Kristof and Steve Stuck of Houghton Lake will make new creations. Fireworks are scheduled for dusk. Dress warmly, and come on out and join the fun.

Congratulations to the Newberry and Engadine United Methodist Churches, who have just celebrated their second full year of offering free community meals. The meals are usually served the last Wednesday of each month. Most times the meal follows the theme of a holiday or the season. The meal for February will include spaghetti, green beans, salad, garlic bread, dessert, and beverages. Meals are served from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join in. These meals are free. Ramps are available for those with physical disabilities. Meals are cooked under the supervision of Chef Carol Harper.

An introductory sign language class will be offered Thursday, March 8, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the courthouse in Manistique. The instructor will be Cathy Harris, a certified NAD interpreter. This class will focus on signs used in American Sign Language, and skills will be developed in both expressive and receptive areas. Everyone is welcome to join.

Come and join in the fun at the Winter Carnival Saturday, February 24, on the east side of Millecoquins Lake in Naubinway. There will be a fishing contest with youth and open classes; top prize is a $100 gift certificate from Cabela's. There also will be a soup and chowder cookoff, with first, second, and third place cash prizes; top prize is $75 and a trophy. The first annual Polar Bear X-cross ski race and fun run will take place, with concessions and games on the ice, youth snowmobile slalom race (12 and younger), U.P. championship euchre tournament, and predator hunt. First prize is a Remington model 700 valued at $712. There will be snowmobile radar runs on the lake, poker run, ice skating, food, games, and lots of fun on the ice. For further information, contact the Hiawatha Sportsman's Club office at (906) 477-6592.

The Curtis Park Center was the place to be for an evening of great music last Saturday. A coffeehousestyle performance by Dan Flesher, as well as a guest appearance by Dave Menefee from Ann Arbor, kept the audience laughing, crying, singing, and humming until after 9 p.m. They played and sang songs about a wide range of things, jobs and life. Mr. Flesher performed Irish ditties and sang about homegrown tomatoes. Mr. Flesher and Mr. Menefee combined their musical talents and played together on the mandolin and guitar. This event was sponsored by the Curtis Community Arts Council. The next coffeehouse performance is scheduled for Monday, April 23, and will feature the music of Dave Menefee. Be sure to mark your calendars.

Happy birthday to a real sweetheart, Jim Papineau, February 14, Barb Hobbs, Fred Burton Jr., and Susan Fosdick February 15, LuAnn Scherer February 16, Sandy Ketcher February 17, and Joe Weber February 18. I'm wishing all of you a great year.

Stay safe and stay well. See you all next week.