Every year, reporters from the Northern Express - sister publication of The Ticker - fan out across the region to find 20 average folks dedicating themselves to a not-so-average existence. The list focuses on people parlaying their passions into something bigger than themselves, whether it's Traverse City-based magician and performer Ben Whiting (pictured), prolific painter Rebecca Childs, Charlie Chaplin impersonator Harold Kranick, or bicycle recycler Don Cunkle.

The people on this year's list covers a fascinating and diverse range of careers, including Dr. Lynn L.M. Evans, Ph.D., who's overseeing the longest-running archeology project in the country as part of the painstaking reconstruction of Michilimackinac. Brian Edwards - and his trusty canine sidekick, Piper - have become famous across the country for their work on wildlife control at Cherry Capital Airport, while "skunk whisperer" Gregg Schumaker has earned a reputation specializing in skunk, bat, snake, racoon and other wildlife management and nuisance removal. Larry Warbasse is making international waves as a dominating cyclist, while Xavier Verna is breathing new life into the historic Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee as the new executive director of the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts.

See the complete list of northern Michigan's most fascinating and unsung residents in this week's Northern Express cover story, "20 Fascinating People." The Northern Express is available to read online, or pick up a free copy at one of nearly 700 spots in 14 counties across northern Michigan.