Entries by editor

Northport community protects its public beach

Josh Rutila, a born-and-raised life-long Northport resident, was in the right place at the right time on July 4. His wife Ellie and young daughter, along with two visiting friends, had gone down to the beach near their home at the end of Seventh Street in Northport to cool off for a few minutes, when his wife was approached by a young man from a neighboring seasonal property, who told them that this was not a public beach and they couldn’t be there. Confused, Ellie called Josh to come help.

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Song of the Lakes keeps sailing onward: iconic band celebrates 40 years

“Oh Lake Michigan, beautiful pearl of America, thank you for finding me a home …” sings Ingemar Johansson, the transplanted songwriting Swede who wrote his anthem to the big lake in the 1980s. Along with his wife, flutist Lisa Johansson, and multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Michael Sullivan, the band Song of the Lakes is about to complete 40 years of celebrating the “sweet water seas” and the maritime culture and magical beauty of the lake-blessed center of the United States.

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“Save the Mill” vote wins zoning referendum

“Yes” votes to approve Glen Arbor Township’s rezoning of the Brammer parcel next to the historic grist mill on the Crystal River as “recreational” overwhelmingly won a special zoning referendum today, August 3, with 342 votes in favor and 229 opposed.

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Lake Street Studio Stage hosts Drew Nelson, Aug. 4, Mustard’s Retreat, Aug. 11

Lake Street Studio Stage in Glen Arbor is delighted to announce the next performance in its ongoing Studio Stage concert series featuring Red Horse Recording artist, Drew Nelson. The show is set for Wednesday, August 4, at 8 p.m. at Studio State, located at 6023 South Lake Street in Glen Arbor.

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Park holds Port Oneida Sampler instead of Fair

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has canceled the Port Oneida Fair this year (it was also canceled in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Instead, the Park invites the public to a Port Oneida Sampler, which will be held on four consecutive Wednesday afternoons in August. On each day, one of the Port Oneida farms will open a barn or house for one-way traffic and tours and may have a demonstrator on site.

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COVID on the rise: Leelanau posts largest single-day case count in nearly three months

The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department reported five new cases of COVID-19 today, August 2, as the Delta variant spreads throughout the nation, particularly among unvaccinated populations. The last time Leelanau County reported more than five COVID-19 cases in a single day was May 4 (when eight cases were reported). That was nearly three months ago.

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Voters asked to fund Glen Lake Library’s ongoing operations

On August 3, residents of Empire, Glen Arbor and Kasson Townships will be asked to consider a property tax assessment to fund ongoing operations of the Glen Lake Library, a treasured community resource which opened last September in a new building in Empire.

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Jump for joy

Marcus Fuhrman, age 8 from Bay City, catches air jumping off a cliff on the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb trail on July 16.

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A big catch

Ayed Arafah caught this giant Lake Trout on July 22 a few miles off Esch Beach together with boat captain Rich Delor. Arafah, a wood-working craftsman who lives in the Palestinian West Bank, arrived in northern Michigan 48 hours before the fishing trip. This was his first time in a boat or holding a fishing pole. Arafah’s host, Timothy Young, observed his friend’s “sheer joy and excitement.” That night, they grilled the Lake Trout with wild leek butter and lemon.

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Zoning: The Laws of the Land

Codified into laws and upheld by the courts, modern zoning ordinances have evolved to become the “laws of the land.” In Leelanau County, townships possess police power to enact and enforce zoning ordinances, while the county takes an advisory role through its planning commission.

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