Freshwater Reporter is a free, locally owned community paper serving Manistee County, Mason County, western Lake County and western Wexford County. We deliver fresh stories about our communities, including a continuously updated community events calendar. Find the paper in 150-plus locations. Some locations vary due to seasons, retail changes or COVID-19.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, advertising inquiries, stories, essays and creative writing, including original poems. Send us an email or write to us at: Freshwater Reporter, P.O. Box 188, Manistee, MI 49660.
©Freshwater Planet, LLC, 2019-2023.
The Crew
Editorial Guidelines
Mission
The Crew
Freshwater Reporter is a product of many hardworking people.
Publisher: Pat Stinson, Freshwater Planet, LLC
Editors: Pat Stinson and Mark Videan
Design/Layout: Amy Hansen
Advertising Sales: Pat Stinson, Stewart McFerran, T. Genter, Valerie Chandler
Delivery: Pat Stinson
Web Maven: M&M
Contributing Writers
Our talented contributors provide the fresh content found in Freshwater Reporter.
Brian Allen
Dr. Allen is a long-time birdwatcher and bird researcher based in Manistee County. Each spring he counts birds and bird species from Bear Lake to Wellston as a volunteer with the U.S. Geological survey. Reach him at manisteebirder@gmail.com
Gordon Berg
Gordon is a descendant of Manistee’s Bergs, Swansons and Martinsons. His debut book, “Harry and the Hurricane,” is about his father’s life as a young boy and how he survived the Miami Hurricane of 1926. www.harryandthehurricane.com
Christine Blackledge
Christine was a northern Michigan dairy farmer. She obtained master’s degrees in International Business Administration and Public Health and Food Safety, along with certificates in Hazard Analysis, Critical Control Points (HACCP) and International Food Laws and Regulations. For 10 years she has worked with USAID projects helping small farmers and processors to produce safe food for consumption and export.
Valerie Chandler
Valerie lives in Wellston with her husband Matthew and their border collie/Australian shepherd. She is a citizen and employee of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
Emily Cook
Emily is a resident of Arcadia, where she lives with her husband and two collies. She is a conservationist by training and a writer and artist when time allows. She explores the nearby nature trails and Lake Michigan beach as much as possible.
Judy Cools
Judy was a columnist, web designer, feature and business writer, and an editor for nearly 30 years. She lived with her husband in the woods near Ludington. Judy left this life in December 2021, but her caring, humorous words will remain on these pages indefinitely, with love and admiration.
Ramona DeGeorgio-Venegas
Ramona is a retiree of the Manistee Ranger District, Huron-Manistee National Forest, where she worked in recreation and as an outdoor recreation planner.
Jennifer Devine
Jennifer has a passion for writing and plants. She has lived in cities and homesteaded off grid. She likes to hunt, fish and forage and meet like-minded people. She is continuously learning, having adventures and making memories with her family.
Brooke Edwards
Brooke is a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador. She lives in Manistee and has given area presentations and hosted night-sky viewings at Fifth Avenue beach. Follow her on Instagram: brooke_of_stars
Joshua Elie
Joshua is a musician and retired building contractor. He now enjoys life as a homesteader.
Greg Gielczyk
Greg was sports editor at the Manistee News Advocate for 36 years and currently covers high school athletics for area media.
Susan Hintz
Susan is a creative entrepreneur who loves beachcombing, photographing nature and writing about the outdoors.
Kevin Howell
Kevin lives in Mason County. He loves the Michigan woods, lakes, people and, especially, Michigan craft beers – not necessarily in that order!
Dave Lein
Dave, a former newspaper editor and public relations manager, grew up in Kaleva and currently lives in Elk Rapids. He has two grown children.
Louisa Loveridge Gallas
Louisa is our current Freshwater Reporter Poet In Residence. Her poem “Basic Hygiene” won the 2022 Manistee Public Library Poetry Award in the adult category. Her book “The Wizard’s Dream” was a finalist in the Eric Hoffer Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing. Read more about her at: louisalovegallas.com
Stewart A. McFerran
Stewart illuminates current environmental issues in a historic context. He hopes readers will gain an understanding and insight into ways people interact with their environment.
McStellar
McStellar is a music and space enthusiast who digs blending and balancing the creative side of work and life. Parent to a wild-child toddler, the two-time MSU graduate is a northern Michigan native.
Katharine “Katie” O’Reilly
Katie is a Biology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Notre Dame. Find her on Twitter @DrKatfish.
Matt Rumpfeldt
Matt likes trains and baseball. He is also a photographer, space aficionado and NASA supporter.
Christina Ryan-Stoltz
Christina has been a writer since fifth grade. She is also an artist, herbalist, resilience coach, founder of SHESkool.com and ordained minister. She lives near the lakeshore and spends most of her time dreaming.
Robyn Schmidt
Robyn was raised in northern Michigan and lives in Portland, Oregon. She prefers traveling by bicycle, bus and surfboard and uses a camera and colored pencils to record her observations.
Ron Schmidt
A children’s author, Ron lives in the north woods with his Leader Dog, Lila. He enjoys long walks, listening to birds and music, and visiting St. Ambrose Cellars for his favorite wine and mead.
Nikki Schneider
Nikki lives in Bear Lake with her husband, Mark, and her best furry friend, Max. She combines her love of junkin’ and repurposing for Patina, the resale home-and-garden shop in Onekama she co-owns.
P.G. “Misty” Sheehan
Misty is a retired professor of humanities and the former executive director of the Benzie Area Historical Museum.
Christine Stapleton
A successful area real estate broker, Christine writes about life in northern Michigan and on her farm with her border collies, sheep and happy chickens.
Pat Stinson
Pat is a freelance reporter who also writes persuasive prose for businesses. She is the founder and co-editor of Freshwater Reporter, was the co-executive director of the Midwest Space Fest (Traverse City, Oct. 2013) and co-founder of the NAMI Michigan U.S. Tour of Hope, a series of U.S. concerts in support of the fundraising CD “1 in 5”.
Carmelitta Tiffany
Carmelitta resides in Mason County, where she spent the last 30-some years enjoying the blessings of rural life. She is a semi-retired journalist who serves those needing “wordy” advice.
Mark Videan
Mark is a printmaker, woodcarver, basketmaker and retired jeweler. He enjoys many hobbies, including board games, card games, trivia and homebrewing. He is co-editor of Freshwater Reporter and creates the comprehensive calendar of events contained in each issue and fun word puzzles sometimes found on the back page.
Chelsea White
Chelsea grew up in the service industry, working regular shifts hosting and busing as well as in the kitchen of her parents’ former restaurant on Beaver Island. She was behind the bar on and off since she was 20 and is passionate about all things alcohol. When she’s not working or on the beach, you can find her hanging out with her daughters, dabbling in writing or experimenting with new cocktails at home.
Milton F. Whitmore
Milton and his family moved to the Arcadia/Onekama area, where he taught middle school science and math until his retirement. He is active with the Arcadia Lions Club.
Editorial Guidelines – 2023
Submissions of stories, essays, poems, and photographs are welcome. We edit as needed for spelling, grammar and clarity.
We also reserve the right to add or delete passages. Send queries to: editor@freshwater-reporter.com. Submissions are due no later than 14 days prior to publication, unless approved by the editor.
We buy First North American Serial Rights and the right to share content online. We require that stories not be reprinted in other media for at least six months.
Stories accepted by the editor will be compensated at a rate of 5 cents per word and must be accompanied by at least one digital photograph with cutline. (See below.) Photos will be compensated at a rate of $10/first photo printed, $5 each additional photo printed. Please let us know in advance if you are unable to submit a photo. Story length will be assigned and most stories we publish are 500-1,000 words. Sidebars (accompanying stories) need prior approval.
Essays approved by the editor will be paid at a rate of 5 cents per word. Essay length: 200-600 words, generally. Poems related to the theme of the issue or of a timely subject matter will be considered. Payment to be determined. Poem length: not to exceed 36 lines.
Photographs or images must be original, in sharp focus, high resolution (300 dpi or higher), and accompanied by a cutline (who, what, where and photographer’s first and last names).
Mission Statement
Freshwater Reporter shares fresh stories of people, places and events – past, present and future – in Manistee, Mason, western Wexford and western Lake counties. We celebrate communities in Western Michigan and the exciting array of people, ideas and possibilities they represent. We offer a forum for personal insight and creative expression.