Entries by editor

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Making a day of it in Cedar and Maple City

Thousands of visitors flock to Leelanau County each year, many of them attracted by big draws such as the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. But while nothing compares to the delight of bounding down the Dune Climb after a sweaty trek uphill, or taking in the pristine view of the Manitou Islands from a sugar sand beach, there are plenty of lesser-known places in the county to have fun, too. Two of these places are sister communities Maple City and Cedar.

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Center Gallery features Jim Markle

Grand Rapids artist Jim Markle exhibits new views of the Sleeping Bear Dunes and Glen Arbor, Aug. 22-28 at Center Gallery, 6023 S. Lake St. in Glen Arbor. A reception opens the show Aug. 22 at 6 p.m.

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Glen Arbor Art Association features Peggy Godwin, Wendy McWhorter

The Glen Arbor Art Association (GAAA) is hosting an exhibition of paintings by Peggy Godwin and Wendy McWhorter, Aug. 22-23 at the Art Association, 6031 S. Lake Street in Glen Arbor.

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Bob Russell’s germinating seeds

One year ago, on warm August night along the south shore of Big Glen Lake, there passed a man that many in our community loved, however, few of the countless lives he touched will know his name. Bob Russell died last August 23 at the age of 62. He was many things to many people, from Eagle Scout, Internet guru, opponent, gather, activist, organizer and more. I recently had a chance to reflect on Bob’s life with his widow, Sally Van Vleck, on that very deck on Glen Lake where I last spent time with him.

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A place called home: Paths to affordable ownership in Leelanau

Leelanau County has long been known as “the land of delight,” but for many of its people, the terrain leading to a place called home appears more difficult. For at least the past 25 years, homes and land have been bought and sold dearly, but a confluence of circumstances has brought the issue of affordable housing to a crisis state today. These include the start of the Great Recession in 2008, a severe tightening of lending practices, a lack of permanent, full-time jobs in a growing tourism and service region, and the refusal of government and some community leaders to recognize and act on long-term solutions to the county’s housing challenges.

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Cavaliers battle Spartans in Leelanau

The University of Virginia women’s Division One soccer team will play a preseason match against Michigan State University (MSU) women’s soccer team on Friday, Aug. 15, at 1 p.m. at Myles Kimmerly Park, one mile west of Maple City. The event is free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and prepare to enjoy a fast-paced game of the world’s sport.

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Center Gallery features Jeff Condon

Grand Rapids artist Jeff Condon paints “With A Light Heart,” an exhibition of contemporary landscapes opening Aug. 15 at Center Gallery at Lake Street Studios, 6023 S. Lake St. in Glen Arbor. This show opens 6 p.m. with a reception.

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Hopping into retirement

Scott Whybrew is a man with a plan for retirement: hops farming. “You’ve heard of people spending their children’s inheritance?” he asks with a straight face. In October Scott and his wife Gerri, the parents of three adult children, purchased a 110-acre former apple orchard on Kittlinger Road in Empire Township. Over the course of the fall and a challenging winter, the couple employed a crew of eight-to-10 local men who turned the feral orchard into a working hop farm.

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Dune Dash four-mile run to benefit Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail

Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails (TART), Inc. announces the third annual Dune Dash, a four-mile run/walk along the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, to be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16. The course showcases the trail, which opened during summer of 2012 within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

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The Characters of Burdickville, take 2

The future of Burdickville is now. The engagement of Max Miller to Heather LaBerge is another indicator that the next generation of Burdickville-ians is poised to take over from their parents. Max’s mother Pat Miller lives in the house she built in 1988 on MacFarlane Road opposite the foot of Bow Road inside the corner that used to be an apple orchard, but she has been coming here since 1954. Along with sisters Nancy and Jan and brother Don, Pat now owns and operates the Miller Cabins that their parents bought in 1961. So all of the Millers virtually grew up in Burdickville.

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