Trails, Tie-Dye & Transformation

This week on What’s Up Big Rapids, Chris is back from a run of shows with The Michael Allman Band, school is about to start, and somehow tie-dye season is upon us. Our guest is Paul Griffith from Friends of the White Pine Trail, and this one turned into a really interesting history lesson. We talk about the effort to pave and improve the trail, the restoration of the Depot, the railroad that once ran through Big Rapids, and how the trail continues to affect businesses and development around town. Plus, we finally announce the winner of the WUBR T-shirt design contest, run through a packed end-of-summer calendar, and Pat gives us his extremely important Cottage Inn order. ⏱️ Timecodes 0:00 – Intro & welcome 1:10 – Tie-dye shirts & the upcoming Tie Dye Festival 🌈 2:12 – Chris' shows with Michael Allman 🥁 4:45 – Pat's week 6:00 – Business After Hours at The Banded Raccoon 8:00 – First day of school is almost here! 🎒 8:50 – Shoutout to Pork For a Purpose 9:21 – Featured Creature: The Oranda 🐟 12:34 – Welcome Paul Griffith 12:45 – Paul's background & how he ended up here 16:24 – What is the Casanova? 18:06 – When the Casanova was a bowling alley 🎳 19:35 – Getting involved with Friends of the White Pine Trail 22:00 – The push to pave the trail 25:23 – Let's talk about the Depot 🚂 26:02 – The Depot transformation 27:30 – How the Depot was purchased from the DNR 28:58 – A look at the Depot in 1913 31:22 – Shoutout to Einstein Cycles 🚲 32:40 – Mapping the White Pine Trail 35:53 – Michigan Trails Magazine features the Depot 38:50 – The remonument effort 41:28 – New culvert project 44:19 – Who pays for trail improvements? 46:26 – Appreciating the people who make projects like this happen 47:50 – Thanks to Paul for joining us 50:15 – How to connect with Friends of the White Pine Trail 51:30 – Six new businesses located along the trail 53:58 – Where to learn more 55:27 – The 460-mile Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad 57:15 – WUBR T-shirt contest WINNER: Skylar Calendar! 🎨🏆 1:02:40 – Ferris students are coming back to town 1:03:20 – Burlington & Cottage Inn are hiring 1:03:40 – Pat's Cottage Inn order 🍕 1:05:07 – Planet Fitness closing briefly for new equipment 1:07:36 – Welcome new BRHS Athletic Director Cole Andrews 1:08:10 – The city wants your feedback on future projects 1:09:30 – What should WUBR be talking about? Tell us! 1:11:09 – Lisa Carol at Pocket Park 🎶 1:11:35 – John Hayes at Pocket Park Friday 1:12:30 – Big Dam Bike Ride 🚲 1:13:30 – Pork For a Purpose 🐖 1:13:50 – Big Rapids Labor Day Festival 1:14:50 – Recreating White Chicks with strangers 😂 1:16:04 – Scott Steiner's son brings wrestling to the football field 1:17:03 – Qdoba is back! 🌯 1:19:50 – Outro & goodbye #WhatsUpBigRapids #BigRapidsMI #WhitePineTrail #SupportLocal #ThingsToDo