Posts by Carol Ross
Traverse City Film Festival: Community in Action
I had the pleasure of visiting Traverse City, Michigan this summer, during their annual Traverse City Film Festival. Started just six years ago, the festival now draws thousands of visitors to this small resort town with 135 screenings of 80 films and 40 shorts. How many paid staffers are required to run this six-day event,…
Read MoreA Labor Day Story
Recently, I got off at a highway exit that I don't usually take, north of Denver. I was waiting at a stoplight at the end of the off ramp. Standing there was a man who appeared to be in his fifties, holding a white sign with simple block letters centered on three lines, "Need Work.…
Read MoreWhat Mao Really Stood For
Mao has become trendy. Or so it would seem, after my son returned home from a trip to China with a Mao watch, Mao playing cards, a thumbnail-sized copy of Quotations from Chairman Mao, and a Mao t-shirt. Photo by agitprop This instantly triggered my husband to dig out a well-researched book on the number…
Read MoreLiving With Independence
I never realized how quickly my children would become independent. After more than seventeen years, I've grown accustomed to the idea of their permanent status in the household–small human beings that make the really good snacks disappear within 48 hours, create piles of laundry and stacks of dirty dishes, and become a heat sink with…
Read MoreCatching Up With Chris Wendel, ABV Client
Last month, I had the pleasure of meeting with Chris Wendel in Traverse City, MI. Chris and his brother, Tim, were ABV clients when we did a pilot in 2008. They are the force behind Buffalo Nation, a popular blog about the Buffalo Braves basketball team from the 1970’s. Tim Wendel is also the author…
Read More