Good morning, Traverse City.

The Adoption Options program features dogs and cats available for adoption every Friday at local shelters in Harbor Springs, Grayling, Lake City and Traverse City; contact each shelter for details.

On New Year’s Day, about 50 divers gathered near Clinch Park for an icy plunge in Grand Traverse Bay, where longtime couple Tim Middleton and Cheryl exchanged wedding vows.

The event brought together friends and local diving enthusiasts in a unique celebration of tradition.

NMC and the Grand Traverse Band signed a Letter of Intent to sell Boardman Lake Campus for $27 million; the sale will finish by spring (pending due diligence and Trustee approval).

The Band will use the campus as a government services center on their ancestral land with public recreation access.

At 11 a.m. today, the Traverse Area District Library (610 Woodmere Ave) hosts a drop-in program celebrating Louis Braille’s birthday with hands-on crafts, board games, and an activity packet that teaches braille basics and the importance of accessibility.

Munson Medical Center leaders and local health workers are featured for providing small acts of kindness that offer comfort to patients facing serious illness this season.

The personal accounts are available today through Saturday.

A Traverse City family welcomed their daughter Isla Mae Molasso at Munson Medical Center just after midnight on Jan.

1. The baby weighed 8 lbs 5 oz and measured 20 inches — hospital staff celebrated the first newborn of the year.

Tim Harding welcomes patients at Cowell Family Cancer Center, easing treatment stress with a warm smile and personal care (featured in today’s account of behind-the-scenes health care efforts).

Crystal Starkey has served as Munson’s only child life specialist since 2021 and helps patients 18 and younger cope with hospital stress by reducing anxiety during treatments.

New Year, New Garden: Landscape Design Workshop

10 AM - 2 PM — The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park — Cost not specified — Enhance your gardening skills in this immersive two-day workshop led by expert Matthew Ross.

Frozen Foot Race

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM — Eastern Elementary School — Entry fee applicable — Kick off the 2026 race season with a chilly 5-mile run through Traverse City.

Kevin Rhodes Plays it Forward

7-8:30 p.m. — Traverse City Philharmonic — $100 per ticket — Enjoy a benefit concert featuring Maestro Rhodes while supporting the TC Phil and community programs.

Ice Wine Festival

11 a.m.-5 p.m. — Chateau Chantal Winery and Inn — Free entry — Enjoy wine tastings, an ice sculpture luge, and outdoor activities like snowshoeing and S’mores.