Think Bold, Drink Bolder

   When I tip back a fresh cup of coffee, I envision that in 45 minutes I will be ready to start my day. I personally like to label the beverage as time-released motivation. In a normal early morning situation, I am desperately gunning for a mug once my feet have hit the floor. If I don’t grab a cup of fresh brew in the morning I will be a victim of some serious head nodding and low eyelid control. Regardless of what type of coffee or how terrible it is, I am notorious for hunting down anything that I can get my hands on. I’d like to break that habit. The only problem is that my idea of finding better and bolder taste leads me to believe that I must travel to Colombia. Thanks to mainstream America, I hope to wake up each day to a man with a donkey and a fresh pot of quality brewed flavor. The reality is that I still continue to burrow further into the closest can of Folgers or Maxwell House. I am sure I am not alone...

   Having dowsed myself in a large supply of random coffee grounds over the years, I figured that it was time to step up to the plate and get schooled on bean brewing. Jumping back to 4^th grade, I have learned to carry the coined phrase “Knowledge is Power” with me forever. So in this current expedition, I chose to apply my most cherished choice of words from School House Rock to enhance my roasting appreciation. I find that it is much better to go to the source of something rather than compromise the power of an excellent experience.

   In my quest to gain a little more knowledge on beans, I began the search to find out about a roasting facility that is located somewhere in the area. And yes, such a facility actually exists! Now that is a bit more exciting than buying a bulk load pre roasted beans from a giant company right? I’d like to hear about real people producing exceptional coffee than witness a truck drop off a palette of Folgers’ Classic Roast containers. I am interested in something more unique. In that case, I got in my car and drove to visit Uncommon Grounds in downtown Saugatuck.

  Mr. Darienzo is the owner of Uncommon Grounds and just happened to be in house. He was generous enough to give me the opportunity to witness their next roasting process. I gladly accepted the offer and capitalized on my field position. In order to see the roasting facility, I had to wait a week to see the action. The process only happens about once each week in the winter, but when summer approaches they are geared up to double their output to meet higher demands.

   When I stepped in the door to the roasting quarters, I immediately became thrilled. I had arrived amidst a current churning batch. I could smell the strong yet pleasant aroma of fresh beans being heated up to blazing temperatures. I thought to myself “there must be giant spinning drums 30 feet high with hundreds of pounds of coffee beans!” As I turned the corner I only saw one relatively small machine. Come to find out, there is great purpose behind his seemingly small contraption.

   Being the curious badger that I am, I certainly asked a lot of questions (with consideration to the fact that I am sure it would be the first and last time I would be included in this type of event). The coffee roaster is an upgrade to what used to be used inside the cramped shop. There are many benefits to having the new facility. Not only do they not have to worry about roasting in the store, but they have the ability to expand the business and add additional roasters if need be. The state-of-the-art roaster is accompanied by a smoke stack shaped object called an afterburner. This is the reason why you don’t smell each roast catching a gust and drifting down Blue Star Highway. Although I would enjoy the smell of coffee on my daily drives, Darienzo claims that not everyone enjoys the strong smell of cracking beans in the air. To each his own, I suppose.

   The more and more we spoke, I began to understand how much attention to detail Darienzo needs to devote. Right down to the very cracks of the beans! I realized that there was certainly more science to the roasting process than I had previously given credit for. We spoke about how giant companies (even Starbucks) roast around 200 pounds of beans or more at a time. At the Uncommon Grounds facility in Douglas they generally roast about 20-25 pounds of beans at a time. With such a manageable size to watch over, the roasting crew is able to produce a much finer batch and allow for a more precise roast. After doing this for so many years, I was told that you become accustomed to roasting by the sound of it and not by the time of it.

   Each time a batch goes in, depending on which type, the result of the taste is related directly to the length of the roast. What I enjoy about the technique that they use in Douglas is the fact that nothing is automated. This coffee is put through the process by man power from start to finish. I really do mean from the start too…

Once a year the Uncommon bunch travels to visit their coffee farmers and their families in Central America. Not a bad work week right? I only wish I had to tell my mother and father that I was headed down to Honduras on account of important business. On February 3^rd, they are shipping off to Honduras to get a close-up shot of their distant workforce. Not only do they get to experience the life of a days’ work in the business, but they also get to inspect their crop. It helps to inspect, because those beans will eventually end up on store shelves all the way from Zeeland down to Chicago. And yes, if you are wondering, Hoffman Street is not the only home for those beans!

   Uncommon Grounds actually has often donated coffee around the community as well. For example, the annual, twice-weekly Green Market has coffee donated by Uncommon Grounds. In addition to their generous track record, each season they brew a fundraiser blend to support local groups and events. Previous fundraiser blends have been awarded to the Saugatuck Public schools for example. So the next time you drop in to bask in the fumes of your piping hot macchiato, ask about the fundraiser blend. Why not get a jump start on your day and feel good about your purchase? Two birds, one stone…boom!

With about 50 accounts in the Midwest, even restaurants right here in the area such as Everyday People Café, Phil’s Bar and Grille serve Uncommon Grounds’ coffee.

   Uncommon Grounds is not only buying Fair-trade coffee crops, but they are also making a difference in the lives of the people that hand-pick the coffee cherries themselves. Many may not know, but Darienzo has been able to pay their partnership up to three times as much as local buyers in Honduras. It truly is a remarkable business endeavor. This type of practice is almost like reverse outsourcing in respect to pay wage.

   I enjoyed my time spent sipping on dark roast coffee as I watched the magic unfold in Douglas.

   

   So I say so long to my friends at Uncommon Grounds as I continue to dig deeper into a community. A community with such great edible wonders to offer! Each time that I purchase a cup of Uncommon’s finest, I will be thinking of the families that spend their lives dedicated to harvesting such an exquisite crop.

Quiet Streets, Busy Trails!

   As I pushed forth into my internship with an eager mind, I had aspirations to become an active individual before the dawn of the beach season. I’d like to think of the beach as my “X” factor. It is the one thing that can always push your will regardless of the circumstances. I want to believe coming into a new year brings a clean slate to your plate. I usually become fixated on changing my daily routine in hopes of creating a life-altering habit. The cold reality is that most of us come to terms with the phrase “good habits die hard.” I can’t say that I am a stranger to this phenomenon that seemingly takes us all by surprise. I saw it at college, year in and year out (I am on the five year plan). In the early weeks of January, local gyms tend to see new faces. The bright smiles of new patrons are always accompanied by a strong sense of determination.

   All is well in the world, and spirits are soaring high on motivation that happens to manifest itself from thin air. Case closed. Things are fine and dandy right up until a few weeks pass and another strange event takes shape. This is what I like to call the temptation phase of any one task. As soon as you feel accomplished, it is okay to slack here and there right? This is the type of logic that says it is more than okay to swing your arm over to hit the snooze button time after time. At this point for most new gym members and fitness enthusiasts alike, the will has now begun to fade and the newly formed resolution finds its way onto the backburner. Once again, the struggle continues.

   Some may be asking themselves, “How can I break the temptation to make excuses day after day?” I set out to find this very answer. As my journey begins, I continue to bridge new connections as I strive to keep a community aware of hidden gems that are sitting right in plain sight. Coincidently, this is always the goal of Scott Kierzek in the community recreation office. Finding new ways to get people moving, and ultimately improve the quality of life for people like you and I. I tip my hat to Scott as he provided information about a club that I could investigate. Now I know it may seem like the off-season for an avid hiker, but there happens to be a will to brave the snowy trails each week for an elite group of individuals. The few, the proud… the hiking club!

   

   I got word that the hiking club meets each week on Monday mornings just around 8:15 A.M. Having this exciting information, I didn’t just want to exercise my fingers and tell people when and where they could meet up while I sit in my cozy, pseudo-office. That is way too boring! Besides, talking about the hiking club does not do a justice to the people that wake up each Monday morning and complete a rejuvenating hike through the dunes. I held that thought in mind as I decided it was a prime time to join the hiking club for an early morning trek.

As I arrived at the Felt Mansion, the temperature was hovering above single digits, and I was sad that I didn’t have the power to grow a beard at the snap of my fingers. Soon after arrival, I was introduced to the brave and energetic group that straps up their boots week to week. I may have been the youngest person to join the group by about a decade or so, but I have to give them all a lot of credit. Most of the hikers were in better shape than I was. Let’s just say I wasn’t leading the excursion…

   We hiked up, down, around, up, up some more, down a little bit, and up a lot more. We finally hit the shore of Lake Michigan! Now some of you may be saying “who cares?!” Coming from someone who has never seen the frozen waves of winter, it was a sight to behold. Seeing the sight of water crashing over the crystallized beach was well worth the two-mile hike to get there. We walked along the shoreline for a while to let the lactic acid take a moment to recede from our tired legs. The best part is that we were halfway there! If anyone is familiar with long road trips, we all know that the ride back (in my case, the hike back) seems to always take half as much time.

   I found myself huffing and puffing as we retreated back into the woods up a steep incline. Right at this moment as I was zigzagging across the hill to keep my footing, I could not help to hold back a big smile from my face as I began to reflect on why I was out in the park in the first place. Some don’t take the time to reflect on what they have done, however, I find it as a great exercise to live in the now. It isn’t everyday that you jump right in with complete strangers and endure an exhilarating hike!

   

   Great conversations were to be had along the way through the winding trails. I came to the realization that the world always appears to become smaller and smaller each time I journey into the unknown. Sometimes when you throw yourself into unfamiliar situations like this one, more often than not you tend to come out with a better understanding of your own goals and ambitions. In addition, I had a lot of laughs with people I may have never met had I not sought out the adventure seekers that make up the hiking club.

   I believe it was Tom Petty that once sung, “…If you never slow down, you never grow old…” That is the motto I will stick with the members of the hiking club forever.

   

   Catch me next time on Digging Douglas as I bend your brains into the confines of a coffee cup.

Why Am I Here?

   The end of my semester was just around the corner. Needless to say I was afraid. I was afraid that I would be forced to brave the dull sights of my hometown for another long and boring summer. My professor at Central Michigan University brought the name Saugatuck to my attention one day in my class. The truth is I don’t think many people knew what she was talking about. I asked myself “what’s a Saugatuck?” Soon I learned that there was indeed a very unique and magical place that seemed to be tucked behind the shores of Lake Michigan.

   From the moment I drove into town I had begun to create lasting memories.

   I’d like to think that I lived a different life before I called this area my home. Most people know that this area is an absolute boomtown in the summer months. The locals maintain a life that could be described as a moment when you get tired of hitting the gas and switch to cruise control. From sun up to sun down the shops, galleries and restaurants are surging with foreign bodies. From Memorial Day to Labor Day this sleeping town comes alive and delivers a hint of the “good life” to visitors and seasonal residents. I am no stranger to vacation towns, but this town has true character. I was happy to say that I had the pleasure of experiencing a different life amidst the chaos of tourism at high tide. It wasn’t the same type of chaotic carnival that I experienced on a daily basis in southeast Michigan. It was a different and a friendlier atmosphere to behold. Life is good once you get past the realization that you have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a parking spot in downtown Saugatuck.

   Setting aside the nostalgia of summers as a kid, the summer of 2010 will go down as one of the best times in my life. There were festivals, concerts, socials, fireworks, great food and an endless supply of new faces. What more could I have asked for? Maybe a paid internship, but that is just wishful thinking.

   Just as the season had kicked off, it was now winding down. Although I was not ready for the inevitable, one more semester of classes was looming in my agenda. I worked at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts for a solid 15 weeks. It was a great experience and I would recommend it for anyone.

When December came around I would be back on the horse once again, looking for another internship that I could sink my teeth into. It was a struggle to find something that met my demands. Each day I became more and more stressed on the matter, and I had failed to have faith that I would land something that would be worth my time.

   One day a fellow advisor asked me, “Why are you trying to fight the current?” It was a bold statement; however, I had indeed been fighting the current. I knew exactly what she was talking about. It became a voice that echoed in my head for about an hour until I decided to make the call. I picked up the phone and on the other end of the line was Bill Underdown. It wasn’t just the voice of Bill that reassured my position on returning for my internship, it was the explosion of exciting ideas that seemed to resonate with our initial conversation. After a brief rundown from Underdown, I was now setting my sights for Douglas. I knew that Douglas was slow in the winter, but the pros outweighed the cons entirely.

   Even though we all know and love the summer circus that comes to town each year, I am here to explore the festive winter spirit that binds us all together this frigid season. It is here in the early months of the year where I feel the weather is getting the best of us. It seems that sometimes the only thing getting you to step outside is your daily trip to the post office. While the citizens of Douglas are low in numbers, I know there is a great sense of adventure to discover. I am out to get the behind the scenes story of how Douglas and the neighboring communities blend work and play into the lives of all of us. My plan is to seek out what is true to Douglas and how local sustainability has kept this town alive since 1870. I will put my curiosity to the limit and devour all that Douglas has to offer within my time as the Activities Leader in town.

   Less than a year ago I had never heard of this place. Now I am here to reveal the story of a year-round culture that calls itself The City of Douglas.