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CSA Women's Association Helps Local Kids Fall in Love with Winter

COMMUNITY IMPACT  ·  BENZIE & SURROUNDING COUNTIES

A Summer Organization Helps Local Kids Fall in Love with Winter

Thanks to community donors like the CSA Women’s Association, over 1,000 northern Michigan kids hit the trails this winter — many for the very first time.

By Liz Negrau  ·  Crystal Community Ski Club  ·  Spring 2026

This past winter, 1,027 students from 12 schools across five counties laced up ski boots — many of them for the first time — and skied the groomed trails at Crystal Mountain Nordic Center through Nordic Rocks, a programnordic rocks trailHeading down the trail at Crystal Mountain Nordic Center. of the Crystal Community Ski Club (CCSC), a local nonprofit. Sessions are free for all schools, and every 3rd through 5th grade class can register for up to four sessions across the season. That structure is intentional: this isn’t a one-time ski field trip. It’s a real introduction to a lifetime sport, with enough repetition for skills to actually take hold — all while falling a little in love with northern Michigan winter.
 
It was a fifth-grade boy at Traverse Heights Elementary who offered the most accurate assessment anyone has made of the Nordic Rocks program. Taking a break at the top of Thumper, one of Crystal Mountain Nordic Center’s intermediate trails, cheeks flushed, poles planted, he turned to a classmate and delivered his verdict: on a scale of one to ten, Nordic skiing rates an eleven. 

 

Nordic Rocks was built with every kid in mind. Nearly half of participants qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the program deliberately reaches rural schools where winter recreation can feel out of nordic rocks woods smilingA group works its way through the forest trails - coats ditched, spirits high.reach. It asks very little of families. There are no equipment costs, no special clothing requirements, and coaches keep spare gloves and socks on hand for kids who need them. And while kids are busy having fun, they’re also getting one of the best full-body cardio workouts of their young lives — legs, core, arms, lungs — the kind of workout that feels like play. Healthy bodies, active minds, and a genuine love of being outside in winter: Nordic Rocks delivers all three.

 “I love doing this — it makes me feel so alive inside. I can’t understand why more people don’t do this!” — ZOE, 4TH GRADE, BLAIR ELEMENTARY

After each session, kids pile into the Nordic tent — cheeks red, boots off, skis racked — and wrap cold hands around hot chocolate while popcorn disappears faster than it can be refilled. The tent gets loud. The stories get bigger. Nobody is in any hurry to leave. Teachers report that ski days are favorites all around — and not just for the obvious reasons. The confidence kids carry back onto the bus tends to follow them through the rest of the school day. They’re calmer, more positive, and with notable changes in behavior — fueled by the particular confidence that comes from trying something that scared them — and finding out they were more than up to it.

nordic rocks coachesThe Nordic Rocks coaching team brings genuine passion to every session. Program coordinator and coach Liz Negrau is second from right. Not pictured: part-time coach and fellow CSAer Matt Nahnsen.

Thank you, CSA Women’s Association.

This season, the CSA Women’s Association generously funded Nordic Rocks equipment — skis and boots sized specifically for 3rd through 5th graders — making it possible for hundreds of kids to experience the sport on properly fitted gear. That investment shows up in every session, in every kid who pushes off for the first time and discovers they can actually do this. We are deeply grateful. Your generosity is felt by every child who pulls on those boots, pushes off for the first time, and discovers they can do something wonderful.

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Report: Working Group on Community and Belonging

Click here to download a pdf of the Report: Working Group on Community and Belonging
 
Prepared for the Board of Trustees of the Congregational Summer Assembly
Date: October 1, 2025
 
Background
 
The Trustees established the Working Group in 2023 to examine diversity, inclusion, and belonging within the CSA today. During the summer of 2024, the group led a participatory process that invited the CSA community to reflect on diversity, inclusion, and belonging across the history of the CSA. During the summer of 2025, we led a participatory process to reflect on what people value about the CSA (what do we mean when we speak of The CSA Way) as a way to provide guidance for current and future leaders.
 
Methods

In 2024, the Working Group hosted nine weekly sessions on Community and Belonging, reaching approximately 100 participants. These sessions provided a platform for members to share experiences and reflections on diversity and inclusion within the CSA community. Additionally, the Working Group conducted in-depth interviews and research in the CSA Archives.

In 2025, the Working Group convened two structured conversations called, Values and Vision. Each meeting was open to the community and announced through the Assembly News, CSA social media, newsletter, white board postings, and CSA 411. Forty-two people participated.

Both years the conversations were facilitated through a combination of small and large group discussions. In 2024 we broke off into small groups and responded to a series of prompts to promote discussion. In 2025, we used small and group exercises to elicit shared values that have been important, are important now, or may be important to future generations. Participants worked together to develop a prioritized list of values.
 
Shared Values that Emerged from the 2025 Conversations (in order of importance as determined by participant votes)
 
  • Sense of Community
  • Multi-generational learning, fun and connection
  • Stewardship
  • Respect for the Natural World
  • Hospitality
  • Acceptance
  • Well-being for ourselves and our families/Renewal/Retreat
  • Spiritual Growth
  • Participation in the Arts
  • Kindness
  • Volunteerism
  • Respect
Questions that emerged from the 2025 Conversations:
 
  • How can the Trustees use these values to guide their leadership and decision-making?
  • How can Committees and staff use these values as a compass for their work?
  • Is there benefit in periodic reflection on our shared values? If so, should the CSA develop a plan to repeat the 2025 community conversations going forward?
Questions that emerged from the 2024 Conversations:
 
  • Given our diversity, how can we support the spiritual growth of all of our members as we strengthen our capacity to build genuine affirming relationships across our membership?
  • How can we engage younger generations in conversations that both mentor and value their unique experiences and visions to help the CSA innovate and evolve?
  • Can we develop and establish a new way of verifying membership that is both consistent and considerate (especially at the beach)?
  • How can we build relationships with newcomers and new family members, fostering engagement so they are truly connected to and welcomed in the CSA community
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Benzie Conservation District: Environmental Stewards

By Maggie Brew - August 14, 2025
 
Vacationers at the CSA may remember an event held here back in June by the Benzie Conservation District (CD). This important organization, based in downtown Beulah, works to protect natural resources in Benzie County and educate the public on how they can do their part to keep our beloved forests and waterways beautiful. Their close connection with the land we use and enjoy is shared by many at the CSA; one of these nature-lovers (and CSA member) Jane Perrino, works at Benzie CD as their development coordinator.

Benzie CD LogoIn Jane’s words, the mission of the Benzie Conservation District is “to ensure that every participant in our natural resources in Benzie - whether they're here for a day, week, or lifetime - has the information to be the best stewards of what they're interacting with.” The organization shares this information through educational events, literature such as booklets and their newsletters, and hands-on volunteer opportunities. The CSA is especially valuable in their mission due to its tight-knit community and location at the heart of the lakes. Both organizations were founded with a “boots on the ground” determination to do what they set out to accomplish, whether that be vacationing or conservation.

Despite being one of the smaller conservation groups in Michigan, Benzie CD’s effect is powerful. They organize two stream monitoring data collections in May and October as well as several beach-and-river cleanups during the summer. Volunteers should expect to get up close with nature and work as a team to reduce the impact of human activity in Benzie County. River cleanup specifically targets the Platte River and the Betsie River. These are great volunteer opportunities for anyone who seeks to improve their environment in a concrete, observable way.

Benzie CD collects data from the public every five years to see how people are using the resources available to them as well as gauge the issues most pressing to residents of the area. In their most recent survey, they received over 300 responses, identifying water quality and environmental education as issues the public felt were important. It only makes sense for water quality to be notable - Benzie County is home to over 17 named lakes. Between October 2023 and September 2024, Benzie CD monitored seven lakes and twenty-seven stream sites with the help of their staff and volunteers.

While their numbers are impressive, the truly remarkable quality of Benzie CD is their connection to the community. The lakes and rivers they protect are the same waters their children swim in; this kind of closeness with the earth allows them to serve their community and environment with love and commitment. They work alongside the community, guiding and educating through their various programs and events.

“We’re excited to bring like-minded, interested people together because we all encourage each other to be the best stewards of the landscape just by sharing that passion,” Jane says. If her words resonate with you, be sure to keep an eye out for volunteer or donation opportunities. Over 15% of Benzie Conservation District’s funding comes from donations, helping sustain the organization’s efforts to protect and serve the rivers, lakes, and land of Benzie County.
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2025 Youth Citizenship Award Recipient - Weston Leete

August 9, 2025
 
The Youth Citizenship Award seeks to recognize a youth member of the community who models our vision by cultivating integrity, fostering responsibility, promoting inclusivity, and building confidence within themselves and others. This year's recipient exemplifies all of those attributes.
 
Weston Leete 2025 Youth Citizenship RecipientAt home, some might describe this year’s recipient as quiet, but as you get to know him, you’d discover more of his passions. He enjoys fishing, is comfortable around animals, and wants to pursue becoming a veterinarian. At school, he’s a fierce competitor on the water polo team and a state championship level swimmer.

Around the CSA you’ll find him always willing to help out, always there if needed. Like many, he’ll spend time playing with cousins on the beach or giving back to the CSA through service or work. His first official job was at The Crystal View under Fritz’ mentorship. Prior to that, Leslie on waterfront had him and his brother as junior life guards with those little red fanny packs helping out. Little did we know how impactful that informal role would become.

This summer, all of that was put to the test when our community experienced a serious incident at the swimming area. As the lifeguards were preparing to leave for the day, this year’s Youth Citizenship Award recipient approached a swim raft to inform others he was going off duty. But instead of wrapping up the day, he found himself called into action.

A swimmer was in serious distress at the raft. Weston quickly paddled over in a kayak, then dove into the water to reach the swimmer. Weston acted swiftly and decisively - applying his training and saving the swimmer's  life.

Sometimes, a summer job becomes something much more. More for those you serve, and more for yourself.

We are incredibly grateful for the outcome of that day, and that’s why we’re proud to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2025 Youth Citizenship Award recipient: Weston Leete!
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CSA People Help Power New Elberta Radio Station

By Frances Somers - July 16, 2025
 
If you tune in to the new radio station in Elberta, you’ll get music, local news, and community interviews. What you won’t get is the political rancor heard on many other media outlets.
 
Interview with Greg AbbyMike Tarkington, left, and Dave Beaton, center, interview actor/director Greg Abbey at WUWU’s studio about the CSA’s upcoming production of “Mary Poppins.” Link below.“We’re not open to people disrespecting each other,” said Dave Beaton, co-founder of WUWU 100.1 FM, the non-profit station on a mission to “build community.”
 
Beaton also co-founded the Elberta Labor Heritage Center, which holds WUWU’s license. He and partner Arlene Sweeting ran a low-power radio station in Sarasota, Fla., for 20 years before moving to Elberta in 2019 to retire. Instead, they became enamored with the local history and wanted to share it.
 
In short order, they bought the town’s old railroad boarding house to live in, founded the heritage center, decided to get back into the radio business, and applied for a low-power station license from the FCC. A retired Benzie County school teacher donated an RV, which they kitted out with second-hand equipment for the station. An all-volunteer staff does everything else.
 
CSA member Pearce Decker is one of 13 programmers who help keep the station on the air 24/7. Decker joined in November, a few months after WUWU began broadcasting. He had recently moved to Frankfort and was looking for a way to plug into the community. WUWU was a good fit.
 
“My initial training was just a single day with Dave Beaton. He showed me his process and after that they’ve just been giving me little pointers as I go.”
 
On-board with the mission, Decker added: “Hate is very easy in the abstract, it’s very complex and difficult in the specific. Your neighbors are your friends, your cheerleaders, and your safety nets.”
 
To help build community, WUWU hosts monthly events off the air. In June, it was a well-attended concert featuring the award-winning Cerus Quartet from Ann Arbor. Last spring, WUWU sponsored a Democracy Film Series at The Garden Theater in Frankfort. And from 5 to 8pm July 27, it will be nationally known musician Grant Peeples stopping by for a potluck and concert at the station’s studio in Elberta. Get tickets here: https://givebutter.com/g1eUBl
 
“The same reason we do community radio is the same reason we do events—to bring people together,” Beaton said. “When we get to know each other, we overcome our fears and our differences. If we all get together then we tend to act more civil.”
 
Matt Nahnsen, who with his wife owns The Roadhouse Restaurant & Bar in Benzonia, is another longtime CSA goer who now volunteers at WUWU. In January, he said he watched on TV as Elon Musk made a Nazi salute at a Trump rally. In response, Nahnsen organized a Unity March through Frankfort.
 
“I wanted everybody from all the political spectrums to come out and just walk in silence.” WUWU interviewed Nahnsen about the march, “and then they asked me if I wanted to do a show. I said absolutely.”
 
“Matt’s Movement Radio” show airs Tuesdays from 11:00am to 1:00pm. “It’s music that people can move to, whether it’s Motown or punk or whatever.” He might also throw in some guided meditation, deep breathing, haiku, poetry, whatever inspires him. Nahnsen said it’s designed to get people moving physically and maybe to move some mindsets, too.
 
Every programmer is allowed free rein in designing their show, within FCC limitations.
 
Decker has interviewed a variety of community members, but one that may resonate most with CSA members and local anglers was with Heather Hettinger, a fisheries management biologist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Joining Decker that day was his dad, David Decker, who drops in as co-host occasionally, especially when the talk is about fish. David and his wife, Christine, previously owned a fly-fishing ranch in Montana.
 
“What are the two or three biggest things that the Central Michigan fisheries is worried about?” Pearce Decker asked.Pearce DeckerPearce Decker, left, interviews Elberta hang-gliding pioneer Mark Olsen in a recent interview. Photo by David Decker
 
“Whitefish are in a world of hurt right now,” Hettinger said. “We saw it in Lake Michigan first and we’re seeing it in our inland lakes now.”
 
The culprit? Quagga mussels, which are edging out zebra mussels as the current invasive pest of concern.
 
“They filter a liter of water a day and lock up all the nutrients in the water,” Hettinger said. Whitefish need those nutrients to grow.
 
David Decker turned the conversation to a fish whose ancestors date back 136 million years that he and others have recently spotted in Crystal Lake.
 
“Every year I get at least one report of a sturgeon in Crystal,” Hettinger said. “We don’t very often hear of sturgeon being in the Betsie… but at some point in time, something enticed them when the lake level control structure wasn’t there to squiggle up the Crystal Lake outlet and make their way into Crystal Lake. And maybe they were helped.
 
“We see that with a lot of species. People will hook and line catch a fish and pass them over the dam. They want to help it along,” Hettinger said “And for the most part they’re pretty happy campers in there aside from the fact that they’re stuck and they’re probably not going to be successful at reproducing.”
 
Most shows can be heard for two weeks after they air. The interview with Hettinger is one of a handful that will stay up longer at a listener’s request.
 
Beaton would like to ask people who “buy local” to “listen local.”
 
“I don’t think we’re playing anything that will offend you. Some people may not like ‘Democracy Now,’ because it can be depressing with the world news today but that’s the one show we figure we need to carry so people do know what’s going on.”
 
Anyone interested in volunteering at the station is encouraged to apply.
 
“We’re part of a much larger group of stations that are very small, that train people how to do radio, how to public speak. It’s important. It empowers people,” Beaton says.
 
There’s also something to be said for working in the middle of nature. A few weeks ago Pearce Decker interrupted an interview to comment on his view from the RV window. “A raccoon just passed by the studio…He’s just doing his own thing. I love raccoons.”
_________________________________________________________________
 
WUWU is a low-power station—limited to 100 watts—with a radius of about 10 miles, depending on the strength of your antenna. But it can be streamed anywhere via the website.

  • To listen, set your dial to 100.1 FM or visit the Elberta Labor Heritage Center and click on WUWU-LPFM.
  • To listen to Greg Abbey’s interview, visit the Elberta Labor Heritage Center website, click on the WUWU-LPFM tab, then the Archive link, then navigate to the 9am July 16 show.
  • Call or text the station at (231) 774-6360
  • Jazz fans can sample the station’s broad jazz collection from 9pm to 6am daily
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Keep Your Eyes Open for Bears

Keep Your Eyes Open for Bears
By Alan Marble - May 26, 2025
 
A new family moved into the CSA environs just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. A single mother with toddler twins, the “fam” has made its presence known in a very un-CSA manner, trespassing and even stealing bird feeders.
Bear and CubsThis mama bear and her cubs were spotted recently at a home on Ness Rd.
 
You guessed it, a sow bear with this year’s cubs have been seen on both Ness Road and Golf Lane in the past few days. She is pretty big for a female black bear and has her paws full tending to her two frisky, inquisitive cubs. The family probably left the den 6 or 7 weeks ago, and the cubs are slowly but steadily transitioning from nursing to solid foods. As the woods green up, more and more natural foods appear on the buffet in the form of wild leeks, grasses, wild strawberries and other succulent plants.
 
Feeding a family of three is a full-time job, and a sow with cubs will be much more active during daylight hours than a big, mature boar, which prefers dusk to dawn activity. Black bear biology stipulates a strict separation of duties between males and females…the male plays no role in rearing the cubs and is even known to occasionally prey upon cubs.
 
With all of the above in mind, it pays for each of us to be aware of our surroundings while we seasonally inhabit the home of these remarkable omnivores. Sows are very defensive of their cubs, especially if a potential threat (a human, for example), stumbles into their midst. The first line of defense for a sow bear is to quickly and quietly vanish, cubs in tow, usually before the intruding human is aware of the presence of the bears. If surprised, a sow will often bark at the cubs to alert them, and the cubs’ primary defense is to climb nearby trees, with astonishing speed. The sow may climb a tree as well or stand her ground until the threat is gone. In the rarest of scenarios, she may growl, bark, pop her jaws and make a false charge to get the intruder’s attention. An outright attack is a very, very rare occurrence.
 
What to do? Walking the woods, solo and in groups, is the most natural pastime for many of us. The natural presence of bears is part of nature’s bounty, for us to enjoy and be exhilarated by. Our best coping mechanism is toBear Bird FeederLunch! pay attention to our surroundings. Leave your earbuds and music behind, put away your screen, and walk, listen and watch your way through the splendid natural wonders around you.
 
If you have an encounter with a bear that doesn’t immediately flee, stand tall, raise your arms and make a lot of noise. Bears, like humans, do not like surprises, and the earlier you can make a bear aware of your presence, the more time that animal has to flee the scene.
 
And, by the way, under no circumstances should anyone feed bears, intentionally or otherwise. Michigan bears learn at a young age that garbage bags, garbage bins and coolers are never-ending, always-surprising, sources of food. Don’t put garbage out until the morning of pick-up…period. Repeat after me – “I promise not to put out my garbage until the morning of the day of pick-up.” Thank you.
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