Alpena Lifelong Learners set a full week of food, writing, history, service dogs and wine events

Residents interested in local history, writing, education, service dogs, food access and wine will have six Association of Lifelong Learners programs to choose from next week. The schedule includes events at Alpena Community College’s Madeline Briggs Center and a tasting at Birch Hill Grocery in Presque Isle.

The schedule was released by the Association of Lifelong Learners in an announcement dated Sept. 29, 2026. Several presentations will also be available through Zoom, giving residents another way to participate.

Food co-op discussion opens the week

Food Co-op Monday will take place at the ACC Madeline Briggs Center from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The presentation will explain the proposed Alpena Food Co-op and why organizers say establishing one could be important for Alpena and northeast Michigan.

The Downtown Development Authority and United Way of Northeast Michigan received a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to begin an initiative aimed at creating the food co-op. Organizers have completed a market feasibility study, a pro forma and a committee structure. The next step is membership and the election of a board of directors.

Anne Gentry, executive director of the City of Alpena’s DDA, and Joseph Gentry, executive director of the United Way of Northeast Michigan, are listed as participants. Joseph Gentry is also a trustee of Alpena Community College and a fiduciary of the Northeast Michigan Healthy Food Initiative.

The food co-op presentation can also be viewed on Zoom using meeting ID 862 2856 2237 and passcode 223147.

ACC programs focus on support, writing and memories

“Providing a Strong Foundation for ACC Students” is scheduled for Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the ACC Madeline Briggs Center 140. Mary Eagan, executive director of the Alpena Community College Foundation, will discuss how donors support students beyond scholarships, the types of scholarships available and ways residents can donate to or establish an ACC scholarship fund.

Eagan is an Alpena Community College alumna who began at the college as a nontraditional student. She later studied creative writing at the University of Iowa, where she earned a bachelor’s degree, a certificate in nonprofit management and a master’s degree in strategic communication. The presentation also will be available on Zoom using meeting ID 863 5936 8183 and passcode 245278.

A writing workshop is planned for Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the ACC Madeline Briggs Center. The series centers on writing, sharing and feedback, with an emphasis on the idea that personal stories may be told, written or developed into memoirs for sharing. Mary Ann Krajnik Crawford, described as a longtime personal journal writer and writing teacher, will lead the workshop.

Later Oct. 7, Alpena Reminiscing will run from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the ACC Madeline Briggs Center 140. Doug Pugh, Roger Bauer and Doug Allyn will invite participants to share memories of Alpena from their younger years, including soda fountains, bars, downtown shops, local grocery stores, the State Theatre Popcorn Lady, home milk deliveries and activities for young residents.

Pugh is a retired attorney and former Probate Court judge. Bauer is an Alpena attorney who earned an associate degree from ACC, a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from Wayne State University; the announcement says he has been licensed for 58 years. Allyn is identified as the author of 13 novels and more than 150 short stories published internationally in five languages.

Service dogs and wine round out the schedule

“Training Dogs to Aid the Disabled” is scheduled for Oct. 8 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the ACC Madeline Briggs Center 140. Dawn DeBruyn will discuss her 13 years training dogs to help people with disabilities, and her dogs will demonstrate some of the skills they have learned.

DeBruyn began her dog-training business after becoming disabled herself and learning the benefits of a service dog at age 50. She generally begins training with young puppies but also has worked with older dogs.

The week’s final event, “Becoming an Oenophiliac One Tasting at a Time,” begins at 5 p.m. Oct. 8 and ends at 6:30 p.m. at 8121 E. Grand Lake Road in Presque Isle. Participants will taste five wines and hear discussion about each wine and wine generally. Food and cheeses will be available for purchase.

The event will feature wines associated with Birch Hill’s stated interest in small, nonindustrial wineries and changing varieties. Kris Fairey, whose family has visited Grand Lake since 1924, moved to Presque Isle in 2021 and later bought Birch Hill Grocery. She holds degrees in English, divinity, history, and Renaissance studies and history from Yale, and previously spent four decades in education while raising three children.

The Association of Lifelong Learners’ announcement describes the programs as opportunities for in-person participation, with Zoom access specifically provided for the food co-op and ACC Foundation presentations.