From the book
Historical Events:
Firebase Ripcord
Anti-WarProtests in Ann Arbor, MI
The bombing of the CIA office in Ann Arbor
Vietnam veterans and their return to the U.S
Agent Orange
Woodstock
The Beverly Hillbillies
Gilligan’s Island
1967 Detroit Riot
Drug Courts


Steve Parks
Steve Parks is a judge in a small town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Since 2014, residents of that beautiful region have been officially recognized as “Yoopers” by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary—a result of Steve’s humorous twelve-year letter-writing campaign. His efforts drew national attention and led to interviews with The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, and others, as well as special recognition by former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.
Known for his quick wit and dry sense of humor, Steve has carried those traits through a legal career spanning forty years. Before taking the bench in 2015, he served as the Delta County Prosecuting Attorney and co-founded the Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse. He also established the Delta County Drug and Sobriety Court and served as president of the local chapter of Face Addiction Now.
Steve lives with his wife and their cat on a small farm and has two adult children. When he isn’t in the woods or on the water, you’ll often find him putzing around his barn while listening to music from the sixties and seventies.