Banks opened for bands, hitchhiked thousands of miles, and never had a plan B; he was the class clown, who was ADD and never applied himself,” according to his About statement on Banks website. Owners of TOT, Lisa and David Reed, are committed to preserving the historic venue, continuing their mission by offering family-friendly entertainment and generating revenue for the restoration of the structure. “Each show promises an unforgettable blend of humor and music, creating an atmosphere of pure joy and holiday cheer,” co- owner, David Reed, said.

The concept is simple and based on the popular “12 Days of Christmas” song. Now, through December 20, visit participating Lowell area businesses and collect “12 Days of Christmas” trading cards. Once you have at least one card to represent each of the “12 Days” (four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, etc.), simply show your cards at the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, during standard business hours or during special hours for Santa Visits on the Lowell Showboat VI, and be entered to win $100 in Lowell Buck$. One winner will be drawn on Thursday, December 21, 2023.

Our small town gives BIG. When it comes to giving, it is not all about the money, even if that is the measuring stick that usually comes to mind. Donating money was not the beginning and ending the people who started Giving Tuesday had in mind, far from it. They promote and encourage all kinds of giving and sharing.

The Michigan Association of School Librarians, (MASL), has announced that the 2023 Outstanding Board of Education Award was presented to Laurie Kuna on Thursday, November 2, 2023.

Red Barn Market featured eight vendors, including Earth Stories Jewelry with Mary and Mike Lacy. “The atmosphere at Red Barn is so friendly and welcoming,” Mary Lacy said. “All the vendors are super nice and helpful. I love meeting new people and like to hear their stories about rock-collecting. Children are especially fascinated with various stones and rocks, so we sell $1 and $2 polished stones for them.

The MASL District Library Director of the Year Award recognizes a school district library media director who provides exemplary leadership and direction to an overall Beachler’s nominator and MASL member, Harry Coffill, stated that Beachler is, “a tireless champion for Lowell school libraries.”

While Southwick could not share addresses or even neighborhoods for the three houses featured on her House Hunters episode, she was able to share that two were in Grand Rapids, and a third was just north of town. Southwick joins a growing number of Lowell and Lowell-adjacent neighbors who have found themselves on reality TV shows.

“We know what a strong sense of community Lowell has, and really want this event to be a celebration of the love and support Lowell has for local organizations, while sharing in some community-wide fun. By registering your home or business, participants will help to secure a donation for the Lowell Rotary Club, and they’ll be able to share the beauty of the season with their holiday lighting display. It’s our hope that the event will be something everyone in our community can enjoy!” said Emily Mackie, Communications Specialist at LL&P.

Recently, Meppelink had a creative spurt overtake him, and he sort of stumbled upon an idea. He started making recipe books and workout journals and wanted to create more interesting covers than the plain ones he saw. Although it was interesting, the books he created didn’t inspire him.

For Scott Dittenber and Fred Bivens, of West Michigan Avid TypeWriters, the death of the primary typewriter market, at the hands of the personal computer and later the smartphone, led to the birth of an exciting new hobby. Recently featured at Lowell’s Market on Main, Fallasburg Arts Festival, and Fallasburg Historical Society Village Celebration, West Michigan Avid TypeWriters is a group of six organizers, and about 50 followers, who dust off their old typewriters for members of the public to play around on.

I had been working hard the past couple of years on my stage presence and nerves so that I could give it all I had this time, and, well, I suppose it paid off," Garcia said of her past with the show.

“Sometimes being a Son is just being a good listener,” Holst said. In addition to contributing to the support of the Legion’s bar, kitchen, and general premises, the Legion and Sons raise money to support local veterans with their immediate needs, like helping someone find a place to rent after his house had burned down, sending someone on a trip to Arlington with the help of Talons Out Honor Flight, paying heat, electricity, or water bills, providing a headstone for someone who has passed, or cleaning up at the cemetery.

The Red Arrow Closet is a room supplying a wide variety of needed items to students at no-cost. They accept donations of either gift cards or money so they can buy students new clothes that are in fashion.

With Lowell having the National Headquarters of the North Country Trail ensconced on Main Street, one almost feels guilty writing about the Appalachian Trail (AT). Our focus today is not to compare and contrast these two trails, but to celebrate the fact that Loretta Visser has recently completed hiking the entire length of the AT.

The Lowell City Council assembled for a 30-minute meeting on Monday, October 2, with all council members present. Standing in for City Manager, Mike Burns, who was busy representing Lowell at the 2023 International City/County Manager Association (ICMA) annual conference in Austin, Texas, was Assistant City Manager/Department of Public Works Director, Rich LaBombard, who filled the position following the retirement of Dan Czarnecki.

The Lowell Police Department has announced that Detective Aubrey Culver graduated from Eastern Michigan University Police Staff & Command Course, a course sponsored by the West Michigan Criminal Justice Training Consortium (WMCJTC). At EMU the Police Staff & Command is taught in-house over a period of 16 weeks.