DeTour Area
By Barbara Buschbacher 297-8075 bbann@sault.com

A friend brought over a sprig of lilac Saturday. I was surprised and puzzled. The plant cutting came from a greenhouse.

Each time I pass this little aromatic sprig on my table, I am reminded how close we are to spring, even as I look outside and it's 34 degrees. Spring is inevitable.

DeTour Village's newest shop is Dragonfly Floral and Gifts. Mother and daughter co-owners Tacy Koivisto and Bonnie Schlink cut a ribbon to open the shop Sunday, April 20.

The store is at 553 North Ontario Street at the site of the Passage Keeper, across from the marina.

When Bonnie and Larry Schlink moved to their new home on Ontario Street from the Bay City area, the first concern was what to do with the large tree that needed to come out on the edge of the property.

Rather than simply cut the tree down, the Schlinks decided to hire a master carver to create a statue and so the Passage Keeper came to be. Then daughter Tacy and family moved to DeTour Village from Traverse City and began a search for ways to use her experience in the floral business and her degree in earth science. They developed the concept for Dragon Fly Floral and Gifts.

The shop will carry a variety of items, both handmade in the DeTour Village area and manufactured. All will carry the common theme of being eco-friendly, such as organic coffees from the National Audubon Society, with a portion of the proceeds going to tree planting in the rain forest. Dragonfly Floral will also carry the cedar bark baskets and carvings by Laurie Kellighan and Lake Superior Stone Works by Jan Wilde, as well as a variety of clothing, jewelry, and gift items.

The shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Voting is Tuesday, May 6, for the renewal of an 18 mill levy to go toward school operations. There are also two DeTour Area Schools board seats that are becoming available. They are unopposed seats made available by retiring board members Milton "Red" Adams and James Bailey. The candidates are Jeannette Brussow of DeTour and Rachel Richwine of Drummond Island.

In E.U.P. Fine Arts Council news: Please note a correction. In last week's column, I wrote that the De- Tour Fine Arts Festival would take place June 3, while the actual date of this event is Saturday, June 28.

Rehersals are in full swing for "On Golden Pond," directed by DeTour's own Dave Rhinard, starring Ralph Shiplett and Sandy Wytiaz.

Watching a rehersal last evening, it was hard to believe that Ralph has never acted before. He is incredible, as is the rest of the cast. This promises to be a hit early this summer.

You can see the play at the Cultural Center (formerly the Catholic Hall) May 28 through June 1.

The Arts Council is holding a fundraiser Saturday, May 3, at the Cultural Center. Named "Restoration Races," this is a Kentucky Derby-themed event. The "races" will be displayed on a large screen TV. Doors will open at 7 p.m. The entry fee is $15. Proceeds are for the building restoration fund.

My neighbor, Donna Piche, is home after her long recovery. She is being taken care of by her loving husband, Roger. Glad to see her car back in the driveway, and she was thought of often and greatly missed by friends in the Village.

Also, Audrey Hawkins is home from Petoskey after suffering a heart attack. She is improving in her recovery and we send her our prayers and thoughts.

A thought for today: Old age to the unlearned is winter; to the learned, it's harvest time.