charliebunton

As August settled over Rogers City and the long, warm days of summer began to fade, signs of change could be found all across the community. It was a season when familiar institutions were being renewed, new faces were stepping into important roles, and local pride seemed to grow with each passing week. At Lucky Strike Lanes, an exciting new chapter was beginning. Roland Oliver, an Alpena native, Army veteran of the Korean War, and graduate of Alpena High School and Alpena Community College,...

Every great story has a beginning, and for Olympic bronze medalist Dave Gillanders, part of that beginning was written right here in Rogers City. John David "Dave" Gillanders was born on May 18, 1939, to Donald and Catherine (Schauber) Gillanders in Schenectady, New York. When Dave was still a little boy, the family packed up and moved to Rogers City, where his father went to work as an engineer at Michigan Limestone's Calcite quarry. For a number of years, the Gillanders family called this...

The hot July sun settled over Rogers City like a warm, familiar hand, and with it came the unmistakable hum of anticipation that always signaled the start of the town’s three‑day Fourth of July celebration. Families spilled onto sidewalks, children tugged at their parents’ hands, and the whole community seemed to breathe a little deeper, ready for the swirl of sights, sounds, and traditions that made this weekend feel like summer’s true beginning. Dairy Princess Judy Karsten, center, poses...