Entries by editor

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Wine for wildlife: Dune Bird’s new rosé supports Piping Plover conservation

Dune Bird Winery is collaborating with Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, to protect the endangered Piping Plover and other resource protection efforts along Lake Michigan’s shorelines. On Thursday, May 1, Dune Bird will release a sweet rosé called Pink Plover. Click here for information on attending the event. The Piping Plover is a small, endangered shorebird which breeds along the shores of the Great Lakes from April to August each year. Almost half of the Great Lakes population nests within the National Lakeshore. Dune Bird’s Pink Plover represents a community commitment to protect one of Michigan’s most beloved and vulnerable species. A portion of every bottle sold will go toward supporting conservation efforts for the Piping Plover and other Friends of Sleeping Bear resource protection programs.

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Health Department faces federal funding cuts, low measles vaccination rates

With dangerously low child vaccination rates against measles in this region, federal government funding cuts couldn’t come at a worse time for the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. The BLDHD learned on April 1 that it would face a funding shortfall of more than $230,000 in the coming fiscal year—much of it related to school health services the department provides to local schools. In Leelanau County, 82 percent of children between ages 6-18 years have received the MMR vaccine, which offers 97 protection against measles, mumps and rubella after the second dose. In Benzie County, the number is 83 percent. “That rate is relatively low. Ideally, we should be at 95 percent,” said BLDHD health officer Dan Thorell. “Very few vaccines are as effective as the measles vaccine.”

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Support Leelanau Christian Neighbors at “Run for the Roses” Derby Day Party

Get ready for an evening of Kentucky Derby excitement with a purpose. Leelanau Christian Neighbors (LCN) invites the community to its “Run for the Roses” Derby Party fundraiser on Thursday, May 1, starting at 6 pm. The festive event will be held at the picturesque Mountain Flower Lodge at The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor. Guests will enjoy the thrill of the Kentucky Derby, complete with delicious food and drinks, lively music, and the anticipation of the “greatest two minutes in sports”—all while directly supporting LCN’s crucial programs. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the Derby spirit and don their most stylish hats and bow ties.

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Once more unto the Beech: Beech trees, Passenger pigeons and the struggle to survive in Northern Michigan

When the last big passenger pigeon flock flew to Northern Michigan in 1880, they sought refuge where they best knew they could find it—the beech and maple forests where they’d been before, writes Jess Piskor in the first of a two-part series about beech trees and passenger pigeons, once prominent along our lakeshore. Killed nonstop for centuries, they were hunted out of the East Coast, had fled the Appalachians and found no succor in the Plains. Deep in our hardwood forests they made nests in numbers so thick their weight broke branches. They sought beechnuts along Lake Michigan, amidst the dunes and the lakes. Thrice daily—twice the males and once the females—would fly across the county in sky darkening flights for food, taking turns sitting on the nest of their typically singular egg. Crop full they’d return to a 40-square-mile forest along the Platte River, where they sought to raise a last brood.

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Supporting community through live music: Emergency Fund expands to Benzie

For over a decade, the Empire Area Community Emergency Fund has addressed sudden financial need, one note at a time. Last year, the Benzonia Area Community Emergency Fund followed suit. The two non-profits offer a financial hand to those in need, with all their funding coming from a once-a-month source: area venues hosting a concert, where the musicians eschew their usual fee and the fund collects donations. Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor will host the next Empire Emergency Fund concert on April 27, from 4-6 pm, and feature Jim Crockett and the Beach Bards.

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Earth Week includes rally in support of National Parks, Leelanau Conservancy events, Seth Bernard concert

This week is Earth Week, with Earth Day honored on Tuesday, April 22. It’s also National Park Week. Events in Leelanau County include a rally on Tuesday at 3 pm in Empire to support Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore—which has faced deep spending cuts and a hiring freeze by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, the Leelanau Conservancy offers opportunities each day this week, starting tomorrow, to join hikes, volunteer, attend a trivia night, and learn about local efforts to preserve trees.

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Glen Lake Chamber hosts Restaurant Week, April 25-May 3

Get ready to indulge during the 11th annual Glen Lake Restaurant Week. From casual bites to gourmet dining, participating locations will feature specials or a prix-fixe menu that highlight the best of the local culinary scene. Whether you’re craving comfort food, fresh ingredients, exquisite drinks, or an elevated dining experience, there’s something for every palate. Some may also offer breakfast, lunch and dinner specials in accordance with their own hours and offerings. For special menus and the full lineup of participating businesses, click here.

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Celebrating songs of Leelanau: Seth Bernard’s instrumental ode to the Manitou Islands

Our story series celebrating songs inspired by Leelanau County and the Sleeping Bear Dunes continues with Seth Bernard’s “Manitou,” an instrumental that he wrote in June 2019 during a residency sponsored by the Old Art Building in Leland. “I wrote this simple piece on acoustic guitar looking out over the islands near Van’s Beach around sundown,” said Bernard. “It’s a little magic carpet ride to that peaceful, serene, early summer Leelanau sunset vibe. Bernard returns to the Old Art Building on April 24 at 7 pm for an Earth Week-themed concert.

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Sleeping Bear Dunes to conduct prescribed fires this spring

The National Park Service plans to conduct four prescribed fires in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore before May 15. Prescribed fire is used as a tool to assist in restoring forest habitat while also reducing the threat of wildland fires. In the Platte Plains area of the National Lakeshore, two prescribed fires will be on 1,490 acres. One burn unit includes and surrounds the Lasso Loop of the Platte Plains Trail. The second burn unit falls between Peterson and Lasso Roads.  

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Bookstore, cultural haven coming to Cedar

What would you call a cozy retail shop that sells books, plants and art? Oh, it also hosts music and some craft workshops. Don’t forget the occasional food truck, and whatever else Rachel Zemanek dreams up. Unsure what to call it? Zemanek calls it a snuggery. The dictionary definition is “a cozy or comfortable place,” which is just what she intends it to be. “It combines my love of nature and books,” Zemanek says. You can also call it The Folded Leaf, because that’s what she’s calling it. She named it for the way some people mark their place in a book. The fact that those are also the organs of a plant that provide sustenance is a happy coincidence. The Folded Leaf is located at 9044 S Kasson Street, across from the Cedar Tavern. Cedar’s newest retail entry is scheduled to open April 26.

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