Your chance to go “up, up and away” in a “beautiful balloon” could be just around the corner. Balloonist Ted Gauthier, a graduate of Walled Lake Central, grew up in the Union Lake area (now considered Commerce). The retired firefighter, who served with the West Bloomfield Fire Department for 30 years was Deputy Fire Chief for Bloomfield Village Fire Department for 12 years, is a paramedic, registered nurse, instrument rated airline pilot, and Designated Airworthiness Inspector for the Federal A

Fowler and her husband of 17 years, Derek, a diesel mechanic, own the place, which is located on Duck Lake Road between Cooley Lake Road and M-59. They started the farm in 2011. “I break it, he fixes it,” she laughed. “He’s really good at fixing things,” which, she added, came in handy when fixing up the foreclosure property they purchased. Since June, it’s been open to the public. “We are primarily an alpaca breeder,” she explained. In 2015, Shetland sheep were added, followed by chickens and