The new five-minute video will air on every Delta flight worldwide during the month of June. The hope is to reach a captive audience and build the city’s destination awareness in new markets.

The $37,000 price tag was paid for by Cherry Capital Airport, the Traverse City Convention and Business Bureau, and The Grand Traverse Resort and Casino.

NPS - Sleeping Bear Snowshoe Hike

Free Snowshoe Hikes

Hiking/Outdoors

(Sun. Sat. )

1:00PM to 3:00PM

Location: Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Center

Enjoy the splendor of Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and get some healthy outdoor exercise at the same time!

Regular snowshoe hikes will be offered at 1pm Saturdays and Sundays through February. These Park Ranger-led hikes are no more than one and a half miles, last about two hours are are mildly strenuous. – TC Convention and Visitors Bureau

The popular weekend afternoon adventures will continue on a regular basis every Saturday and Sunday through the month of February.  Dress in layers, wear waterproof boots, and don’t forget to take your camera along to capture the wonders of winter!

Park Rangers meet interested snowshoers inside the Visitor Center to first provide basic snowshoeing instructions, and then directions to a trailhead or off-trail area pre-selected by the Park Ranger.  If you do not have your own snowshoes, the National Park Service will loan you a pair free of charge. While exploring outside, the Park Ranger will encourage participants to inquire and learn about winter’s effect on the park’s unique features.  Be prepared to be outside until about 3:00 p.m.

Not only is snowshoeing easy, fun, and good exercise, it is also an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages.  The Park Ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for no more than one and a half miles.  This allows visitors an opportunity for discovery, adventure, and to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers.  Some snowshoers simply want to experience and enjoy a winter wonderland, which is what you will find at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

There is no charge for the programs, however, participants need to display the park entrance pass or have an annual pass to join in the fun.  Reservations are not required, but are suggested, especially if you wish to borrow snowshoes or are with a group.  Please call 231-326-5134, extension 328, for details and to make reservations.  For more in-depth information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, go to www.nps.gov/slbe.

Phone: 231-326-5134 ext 328

The State Theatre will be featuring dangerously funny film choices like the cult-comedy “Heathers,” and classic Cheech & Chong film, “Up in Smoke,” as well as a full day of Coen brothers films on Sunday, February 13th (that ought to be enough to “bed down” any appetite!). Tickets are $5, or $10 for the motherlode Coen Brothers Sunday Pass to  “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”, “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski”, and “Raising Arizona.”

This year’s Comedy for Kids movie selection is “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Tickets for this beloved family movie, featuring Gene Wilder, are only 25 cents.  The movie begins at 10:00 AM Saturday, February 13th. These events sell out quickly so it’s a good idea to get tickets in advance!

Here is a copy of the festival schedule to browse, download, print or share.

2011 Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival Schedule

For more information visit comedyfesttc.org.

Witnesses say a man walked up to another man and fired two shots, hitting him in the chest and shoulder area. They say the shooter then turned the gun on himself. Officials have not yet released the names of the individuals.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Yesterday, Paramount Pictures brought TV crews and journalists from a dozen countries to Traverse City to talk to me about my film, which is opening soon overseas. While they were here, I insisted that they come over to the State to see just what a movie theater should look like. They couldn’t believe their eyes! They got their cameras out and started filming. So there was the #1 TV network from France and Spain and Denmark and a bunch of others standing on Front St. and admiring what a town can do. One of them said to me, “We usually interview filmmakers in Hollywood or New York and I was wondering why we had to fly here. Now I can see why — and I’m sure glad we did!”

This Tuesday marks the second anniversary since we re-opened our incredible movie palace known as the State Theatre of Traverse City. 325,000 people have now walked through these doors! “Just Great Movies!” was our promise, but the State has become so much, much more to the community. All of you had a hand in this and have proven that when people come together for the greater good, anything is possible. (I just wrote a piece for this Sunday’s Record-Eagle on what else I think we can do here in the area to improve our quality of life, so check it out if you can.)

To celebrate this Year Two milestone, we’ve got a jam-packed week of incredible movies and events at the theater. We’ve chosen as our theme “The Great Movies of 1939.” On their 70th anniversary we’ve chosen to show an incredible group of movies that were all made, amazingly, in that one year.

We are especially excited about showing, for the first time, “Gone with the Wind.” It’s been newly restored and you won’t believe how great it looks and sounds. We’ve got it for one day only, Thursday the 19th, for only two shows: 1 pm and 6 pm. Tickets are only $5 for individuals, or $10 for the family.

We are also presenting a newly-restored “The Wizard of Oz” beamed into us by the same people who send us the Metropolitan Opera. The one time event will include a special introduction by Robert Osborne of TCM, followed by a behind-the-scenes making of short film with archival footage and rare musical outtakes. Showtime is 6:30 pm and tickets are $10, or $5 for children and students.

Our other 1939 films are all 25 cents or free, and include:

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” — a Mark Twain classic kids matinee with Mickey Rooney as Huck Finn, Saturday at 10 am for 25 cents

“Dark Victory” — our student film club night stars Bette Davis & Humphrey Bogart in a classic of the genre, followed by a one hour film school class by Rich Brauer & Michael Mittelstaedt, Monday at 6:30 pm for FREE

“Of Mice and Men” — Burgess Meredith & Lon Chaney Jr. dream of owning their own ranch in John Steinbeck’s classic story, Wednesday, at 11 am for 25 cents

“Wuthering Heights” — Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon burn as Emily Bronte’s star-crossed lovers, winner of the Oscar for Best Cinematography in the amazing year of 1939, Wednesday at 1:30 pm for 25 cents

“Goodbye, Mr. Chips” — Best Actor Robert Donat remembers his teaching career, Greer Garson, and his many children, Wednesday at 3:45 pm for 25 cents

“Gunga Din” — George Stevens directs Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joan Fontaine as Rudyard Kipling’s Brits in India, Wednesday at 6:15 pm for 25 cents

“The Hound of the Baskervilles” — the first of 14 films pairing Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce as the definitive Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson, Wednesday at 8:45 pm for 25 cents

On top of all this, we are going to try something for the first time: showing THREE first run films during the same week at the State! Take a look at the brand new films you can see this week at the State:

“Paris“ — they’re all here in one movie, the biggest actors in French cinema, gathered to make a love story about the great city of lights. Critics are saying that Juliette Binoche is more beautiful now than she was 20 years ago. Isn’t that nice? A funny, sad tapestry of a film, showing today through Thursday.

“The September Issue” – 20-year editor and fashion queen Anna Wintour is something to behold in this beautifully filmed documentary about the making of the record-breaking 2007 September Vogue. But some think going behind the scenes and to Paris with Creative Director Grace Coddington is even better. You don’t have to accessorize to enjoy this one. Showing today through Tuesday.

“Seraphine“ — the winner of seven Cesar Awards (the French Oscars), including Best Picture, this beautiful film about the discovery of a great artist and the relationship between art and madness was shown just once at the TCFF this year to a standing room only theater. If you missed it, you have just three chances to see it, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm.

It’s been stunning 104 weeks for the State Theatre and Traverse City. Be sure to thank our wonderful volunteers when you see them. And thanks to all of you who are members and donors, to all of you who help sustain this theater during difficult economic times. This is a community project and it thrives because it is not set up to make a profit — it exists for the common good.

Thanks again, everybody, for two great years! Let’s hit a half-million admissions in 2010!

Michael Moore