July 2, 2003
Tree Huggers has fun with serious cause
Talent show benefits NMEAC campaign against Hammond-Hartman road project
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
It's an evening where environmentalists let down their hair - so to speak.
(A chance to) kick off their Birkenstocks and relax their vigilance from trying to save a world that sometimes does not seem to (want saving.)
From music to humor to martial arts, the Second Annual Tree Huggers Talent Show showcased a variety of area talent with an environmental twist: the acts reflect the performers' passion and commitment to the planet.
The Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council sponsored the event and will use the proceeds to campaign against the Boardman River/Hammond-Hartman Road project.
While the turnout was significantly lower than last year's packed house at the Milliken Auditorium, Ken Smith, NMEAC chair, said donations are still coming in. Although totals may not reach last year's $8,000, he thinks it will add up to a significant sum.
In fact, with tongue in cheek, Smith boldly predicted that next year's talent show would turn the trend around.
"We'll be bigger than the Rotary Show, bigger than Gladhander, bigger than the Cherry Festival," he intoned, adding more seriously: "Satire is a good way to get a message across, people pay attention when they are having fun."
Smith does not blame the small audience Friday evening on issue fatigue or a lack of commitment among area environmentalists. The determination to prevent the construction of the controversial bridge is stronger than ever, he said.
"I don't think the cause had anything to do with the lower turnout, my sense is that we're gathering steam every day where people are realizing how important the Boardman Valley is to this are," Smith said. "I think it was just a Friday night and too much was going on in town."
Finding humor in the face of their worries about environmental despoliation is both a coping mechanism and a way to get the message out, Smith said. He and his daughter, Christine, reprised their wildly popular skit, "Mark Dillenburger, Private Eye," skewering the Grand Traverse County Road Commission and area politicians. Based on radio personality Garrison Keeler's "Guy Noir, Private Eye," skit, Smith said writing the gags come easily to him.
"This area provides a lot of material to work with," said Smith. "From Millie McManhole to Mary Dodsworthy, there's a lot of things to talk about."
"I just sit down with a cup of coffee and my laptop and just start writing," he added. "I write a lot of technical stuff in my consulting business and this is just a great vacation from that."
Robin Lee Berry again headlined the show, donating her time to the cause. Other acts included area singers, musicians and a demonstration by martial arts students from the Seung-Ni Martial Arts Academy. A video presentation on the Boardman River Valley rounded out the evening.
Activist Sally Neal of Northport has been a member of NMEAC for more than 20 years. She said that environmentalists' reputation as being all business and no fun is false. The talent show provided a way for activists to have a little fun themselves and still make their concerns and issues known.
"We environmental activists are always demeaned for our heavy-handed approach, that we have no humor," Neal said. "There's always people whose eyes go glassy, glaze over, when they see us coming, but it is a constant challenge to get the message out."
The fast pace of working in environmental causes can take their toll, she noted, and events like the talent show are a way to recharge activists' batteries.
"We're very conscious of having an antidote to burnout and that antidote is humor," Neal added. "Preventing the destruction of our beautiful natural resources is an uphill battle to save something for our kids and grandkids."