Courtesy Photo by Bronwyn Woolman Alpena Civic Theatre’s “Don’t Drink the Water” cast is pictured at a recent rehearsal. Seated in front are Traci Boyle, Matt Southwell, and Morgan Suszek. Gathered in back, from left, are Bridget Hollinshead, Diane Lozen, Zach Clement, Christine Elowsky, Bruce Michaud, Nick Hartman (seated), Kendra McInerney, Josh Gougeon, Mystery Person, and Randy Bouchard.

∫ Art in the Loft, on the third floor of the Center Building at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena, is currently showing its “WinterView” exhibit, on display through March 2. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Visit artintheloft.org, email director@artintheloft.org, or call 989-356-4877 for more information.

∫ Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan, located at 491 Johnson St. in Alpena, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, closed Tuesday, and open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, call the museum at 989-356-2202, or visit bessermuseum.org.

∫ Thunder Bay Arts Council Gallery, 127 W. Chisholm St. in Alpena, features 25 local artists’ work on display and for sale. Winter hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (January through March). Visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-354-2586.

∫ Dragonfly Art Gallery, 116 E. Main St. in Harrisville, is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, call 989-820-9614.

∫ Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library and the Alpena Downtown Development Authority present a micro-exhibit called “Lost Buildings of Downtown Alpena,” viewable through March 1 on the library’s first floor at 211 N. 1st Ave., Alpena. For more information, contact the George R. Cook and Edith Angell Cook Special Collections Department at 989-356-6188, ext. 17.

Today, Jan. 16

∫ The Association of Lifelong Learners hosts Mexican Train Express dominoes from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays.

∫ Great Start Collaborative Playgroup is held weekly at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at Alpena County Library. Looking for social and learning experiences designed to help your child grow? Join ACL for Early Connections, a recurring play and socialization program for children ages newborn to 5, and caregivers. Caregivers will participate in music and movement, social/play activities, and/or math activities with their child or children each week, followed by a short story time. Adults will interact with their child during the program, not sit on the sidelines. No registration necessary.

∫ TOPS #1614 Alpena welcomes new members who are looking for support in their weight-loss journey. Meetings are held every Tuesday morning at the First Presbyterian Church at 1600 W. Chisholm St. in Alpena. Weigh-ins start at 9:45 a.m. and meetings start at 10:30 a.m. There is no obligation to join if you attend your first meeting. For more information, call 989-255-4787.

∫ Potential homeowners can find out the steps they need to take to get closer to homeownership from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday at the Habitat for Humanity offices at 2630 U.S.-23 South in Alpena.

∫ Every Tuesday in January, practice ukulele at 10 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of Alcona County Library, with ukuleles available for checkout, and players of all skill levels invited to join.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center offers quilting at 10 a.m. and Spitzer at 12:30 p.m. each Tuesday.

∫ Good Grief is a grief support group at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, in-person at Friends Together, 105 Prentiss St. and via Zoom. Call Friends Together at 989-356-3231 for the link.

∫ The FamilySearch Center is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 411 Long Rapids Plaza in Alpena.

∫ The Alpena Lions Club hosts their weekly meetings at noon on Tuesdays at First Congregational Church, Alpena. For more information, visit alpenalionsclub.com or the Alpena Lions Club on Facebook.

∫ Mindful Movement, a healing, gentle, unique yoga program designed to nourish, inspire and empower each woman healing and dealing with cancer, is at noon on Tuesdays, in-person and via Zoom. For more information and the Zoom link, call Friends Together at 989-356-3231.

∫ Join ALL for an Inside Look at Private Investigations at 1:30 p.m. at M. Briggs Center. Ever wonder who hires private investigators? Anyone who has needed confidential assistance with matters involving criminal defense, infidelity, alimony/custody, workplace investigations, records retrieval, finding lost persons, and the biggest interest of late, internet dating. The “need to know” before making an important life-altering decision is what drives most people to call an investigator for help. Nancy Smith is a private investigator with over 30 years of experience involving all kinds of cases, from murder investigations to locating homeless people to giving them large inheritances. She worked nine years on high-profile criminal cases before leaving to start her own successful private investigation firm in Sarasota, Florida. She has recently relocated “home” to Alpena and is here to share her experiences and adventures with us.

∫ Tinker Tuesday is from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 at Alpena County Library. Tinker Tuesday is about getting together and exploring projects ranging from Makey Makey, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, 3D Printing, Strawbees, littleBits, Snap Circuits, sewing and more. Let your curiosity take over and explore! Participants must be age 5 or older.

∫ All women and young women, junior high age and up, are warmly invited to the WOVEN (Women of Victory Experiencing Newness) meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at New Life Christian Fellowship, 317 S. Ripley Blvd., Alpena. The evening will begin with a shared meal. There is no cost for this event. For more information, contact the church office at 989-354-0095 or visit newlifealpena.org or facebook.com/ALPENAWOVEN.

∫ Cub Scouts meet from 6 to 7 p.m., and Boy Scouts meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 727 S. 2nd Ave., Alpena.

∫ Bay View Center hosts a diversity support meeting at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday. This weekly potluck is for those in the LGBTQ community, their families, and supporters, at Bay View Center, 710 N. 2nd Ave. If you have questions, call 989-340-0955.

∫ Karaoke Night is from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Black Sheep Pub in downtown Alpena.

Wednesday, Jan. 17

∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the APlex. Call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 for details.

∫ Join the Alpena County Library Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon for Open MakerLab. Makers of all ages can tinker, collaborate, and create a project of their choice in our lab. Staff help is available if needed. Participants ages 5 to 15 will need parental supervision at all times. A signed waiver is required prior to using the MakerLab. MakerLab rules apply in the lab at all times because participant safety is ACL’s top priority. If you have questions about lab rules call 989-356-6188, ext. 20.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center hosts morning exercise from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

∫ Guys Like Us is a Wednesday morning coffee crew of men who are coping with cancer, meeting at 10 a.m., in-person at Friends Together and via Zoom. Call Friends Together at 989-356-3231 for the link.

∫ ALL hosts Journal Writing from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday at M. Briggs Center. This session invites us to write – for ourselves or others. Journal writing is a first step for creating stories, capturing memories, and exploring our ideas and feelings. This is writing for fun and insight in a no-pressure atmosphere. You can write in response to prompts the leader will bring or about whatever you choose, and you can do as much or as little writing and sharing as your time allows. The purpose is to have an hour devoted to exploring our creative spirit through writing. Bring paper or a journal, pens or pencils or a computer – whatever you need to be comfortable for writing. MaryAnn Krajnik Crawford has been a personal journal writer and teacher of writing for many years. She retired from Central Michigan University as an emeritus professor of English and director of the Writing Center and continues to write for the fun of it.

∫ The Alpena County Library Board of Directors will hold their monthly meeting at 4 p.m. on Jan. 17 in the Judith A, Stillion Conference Room.

∫ ALL offers a Second Square Dancing Class from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays at M. Briggs Center. Come work on your square dance calls.

∫ Women on Wednesday is a support group for women with cancer meeting in-person and via Zoom at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Friends Together. Come for a dash of hope, some laughter, and real talk.

∫ Overeaters Anonymous, a 12-step program of recovery for those with compulsive eating behaviors, meets at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday at 3100 Piper Rd. Alpena, in the back room. For more information, contact Diane R. at 989-821-9601.

∫ Alpena Sportsman’s Club is a nonprofit located at 4260 M-32 West in Alpena, open to members and non-members — everyone with an interest in shooting sports. Skeet and sporting clay shooting are offered from 5:45 p.m. until dark on Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, text Joel Suszek at 989-255-4928 or Jeff Welch at 989-255-6068.

∫ Open Mic Night is from 6 to 9 p.m. each Wednesday at Patchwood Plaza in Hillman. For more information, call the Hillman Area Chamber of Commerce at 989-742-3739.

Thursday, Jan. 18

∫ Community Walking Club for Everyone meets at 9 a.m. every Thursday in the parking lot of the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. Call 989-724-6796 for more information.

∫ Join the Alpena County Girlfriends at JJ’s Steak and Pizza House at 10 a.m. on Thursdays for coffee and conversation. This is a women-only group whose purpose is to make friends and socialize with women from Alpena County and the surrounding areas.

∫ Join ALL for Spitzer from 10 to 11 a.m. at M. Briggs Center, led by Marilyn Klingshirn.

∫ Zoom Book Club is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Thursday, with the Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Call the senior center for information at 989-356-3585.

∫ Pinochle and bridge are held at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

∫ Zoom meditation is at 2 p.m. on Thursdays, led by the Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents Woody Allen’s “Don’t Drink the Water” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Directed by Matt Southwell, the comedy features an all-star ACT cast and nonstop shenanigans. Call the box office at 989-354-3624 to reserve tickets, or for more information. final show is on Sunday, Jan. 21. The cast is pictured at a recent rehearsal in this courtesy photo by Bronwyn Woolman. Seated in front are Traci Boyle, Matt Southwell, and Morgan Suszek. Gathered in back, from left, are Bridget Hollinshead, Diane Lozen, Zach Clement, Christine Elowsky, Bruce Michaud, Nick Hartman (seated), Kendra McInerney, Josh Gougeon, Mystery Person, and Randy Bouchard.

∫ Join ALL for Hank the Deuce, the Guy on Barstool #7, and the Press at 1 p.m. at M. Briggs Center. The Digital Age has not merely revolutionized how we access news. It has redefined what “news” means. It has nurtured distrust in professionally gathered news. It has monetized opinion and rock-star journalism. It has driven us into ever more separate political camps. It is well along the path toward eliminating newsrooms as a source of news. The impact of newspapers’ disappearance ranges from the obvious (depriving cartoonists and 12-year-olds with bicycles an opportunity to make a buck) to the subtle but enormous loss of a shared daily experience, reaching far beyond the news, landing on your doorstep once a day. Tom W. Ferguson worked as an editor and as a reporter at the Detroit Free Press and Cleveland Plain Dealer during what he and many others consider the Golden Era of print journalism, from the mid-1960s into the early 1980s. His experiences from that vantage point are insightful, interesting, sometimes entertaining, and always a basis for contemplating where this revolution is taking us.

∫ Needles and Threads group is held from 2:30 to 4:30 pm every Thursday at the Grand Lake branch of Presque Isle District Library. Bring your latest knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlepoint, or other crafts. Call 989-734-2477, ext. 2 with questions. The library is located at 18132 Lake Esau Highway, Presque Isle.

∫ On Jan. 18, join Hope Shores Alliance with Alpena County Library for the first National Day of Action for Stalking Awareness from 6 to 7 p.m. to participate in the call to action in bringing awareness and supporting the prevention of stalking across our communities. Jan. 18 marks the first National Day of Action for Stalking Awareness as part of National Stalking Awareness Month.

∫ PIF Cider and Thunder Bay Cinema Society present Movies on Tap! A Celebration of Chill at 7 p.m. at PIF Cider, 205 W. Chisholm St. in downtown Alpena.

∫ Thursday Eve Serenity Group meets from 7 to 8 p.m. every Thursday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 351 Wilson St., Alpena. If a problem drinker has or is affecting your life, Al-Anon can help you. Meetings are anonymous and confidential. Call 989-354-5476.

Friday, Jan. 19

∫ ALL presents Magnificent Mature Skin Face Regimen at 9 a.m. at Soaps and Such, 125 W. Chisholm St., downtown Alpena. The fee of $25 was due to the ALL office by Jan. 11 for participants. Come on in and learn about taking care of mature skin. Kelly Bruning will take you on a journey where you sample products directly here in the shop. You will learn the “FABS” features, advantages, and benefits of the products along with some pro tips on how to keep your face healthy and beautiful. Samples we will be using in the shop for mature skin: 1) makeup remover/cleanser/moisturizer 2) toner 3) hydration product 4) serum 5) lotion. Participants should come in with makeup off and/or we will have our makeup remover here that you can sample too. Kelly Bruning is the founder of Soaps and Such. She is passionate about you having a choice of wholesome products and puts her doctorate degree in business and research to work creating exclusive formulas that work!

∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the APlex. Call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 for details.

∫ Exercise is at 10 a.m. at Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Then at noon, Mahjong is played, and pinochle starts at 12:30 p.m.

∫ On Fridays in January, get ready for a world of giggles, wonders, and creativity at 10:30 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library. Storytime and Craft for Kids is not just about learning; it’s about unleashing the joy of discovery!

∫ Presque Isle District Library’s Posen branch offers knitting and crocheting from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays. All levels are welcome. If you have questions, call 989-734-2477.

∫ ALL hosts contract bridge from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Fridays at M. Briggs Center. This is an ongoing group of card players who welcome any players at any time. This group is a teaching class but experienced players are also welcome.

∫ Teens and tweens ages 9 to 17 are invited to a Bad Art Night to create the most ridiculous and ugliest “art” they can imagine from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library. Supplies and tools will be provided. The worst of the worst will be awarded a “Bad Art Prize.” This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Youth Services Department at 989-356-6188, ext. 23.

∫ The Hillman VFW Post 2356 hosts its Friday Night Fish Fry from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday night, with your choice of fish or shrimp, potato, coleslaw, roll, and drink. The fish fry is open to the public, and the cost is $12 for the fish dinner or $14 for the shrimp dinner.

∫ The Association of Lifelong Learners hosts square dancing from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 or email all@alpenacc.edu.

∫ Gather your family for a bingo night hosted by the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19. Score a bingo and win books! All ages are welcome. This event is free to attend, and no registration is required. For more information, contact the Youth Services Department at 989-356-6188, ext. 23.

∫ Powerhouse Youth Ministry at Beaver Lake Community Church invites all high school students and young adults ages 14 to 25 to a free movie showing of “Jesus Revolution” from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19 at Beaver Lake Community Church, 9007 M-65, Lachine. Bring a blanket and a friend. Pizza and popcorn will be provided. No reservations or tickets required. For more information, visit Powerhouse Youth Ministry on Facebook.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents Woody Allen’s “Don’t Drink the Water” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Directed by Matt Southwell, the comedy features an all-star ACT cast and nonstop shenanigans. Call the box office at 989-354-3624 to reserve tickets, or for more information.

Saturday, Jan. 20

∫ The Alpena Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, 1302 State Ave. in Alpena. For more information, visit Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market on Facebook.

∫ On Saturdays in January, forge new friendships, strategize with your party, and let your creativity soar in our teen-exclusive Dungeons and Dragons Club! Will you be the hero who shapes the fate of the realm? Join to find out from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library.

∫ The APlex presents American Ages performing rock and country music Saturday night, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Get ready to sing along and dance to your favorite tunes as talented artists take the stage to deliver electrifying performances. Admission is $15 per person. The APlex is located at 701 Woodward Ave., Alpena.

∫ Join the Poetics Lab for New Year, Same Lies open mic night from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at PIF Cider, 205 W. Chisholm St., Alpena.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents Woody Allen’s “Don’t Drink the Water” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Call the box office at 989-354-3624 to reserve tickets.

Sunday, Jan. 21

∫ A euchre tournament fundraiser for the Alpena Plaza Pool will be held at the APlex on Sunday, with doors opening at noon and play starting at 1 p.m., hosted by the Friends of the Plaza Pool. The cost is $20 per player. Door prizes will be awarded. For more information, contact Judy at 989-884-2129.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre presents Woody Allen’s “Don’t Drink the Water” at 2 p.m. on Sunday.