As a grandma with grandkids who are new to our area, I would like to express my gratitude to Alpena’s many volunteers, businesses, and organizations that made this a fun-filled, adventurous summer for me and my grandsons!

Many thanks go out to the Alpena County Library for their “Reading Across the Universe” Summer Book Club and all of its activities including a ventriloquist, a magician, outer space activities, for partnering with the Besser Museum for Space Adventure Day, and for partnering with LaFarge for a trip to the Paxton Quarry that included fishing. The Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan hosted a Family Fun Day with a bouncy house, planetarium show, and more space activities. Alpena gymnastics offered open gym, and the Rotary Club’s splash park was a hit! The Brown Trout Festival offered educational activities and the Optimist Club hosted a downtown fountain fishing event (where both of our boys caught a fish!). Our summer wrapped up with fun at the Alpena County Fair as we walked through the animal barns, then rode carnival rides for free from the fundraising efforts of the Alpena Horsemen’s Club.

Alpena has so much to offer our kiddos. And, almost everything was free. Many thanks to all of the individuals who put in so much time to make these events happen.

LISA HILBERG,

Alpena