Entries by editor

Leelanau’s spring treat

Summer visitors miss the early flowers that bloom as the trees unfurl their leaves, so here is an illustration to give you a taste of that beauty. Leelanau County in May is a glorious experience. Wildflowers spring up on the hardwood forest floor, spreading a carpet of green and white over dead leaves of winter.

Empire Asparagus Festival Poetry Contest Winners

Here are the 2012 Empire Asparagus Festival poetry contest winners: First place, “Will the real asparagus please stand up” by Marcy Branski; Second place, “Asparagusto!” by Jennifer Weil; Third place, “A spare god” by Mary O’Neill

Empire Asparagus Festival Recipe winners

Empire Asparagus Festival recipe winners

Empire Museum hosts history series

The Empire Area Museum will conduct a series of fun-filled history lessons over four Fridays in May and June at the Empire Township Hall. “It’s a great opportunity to meet with summer friends, munch some free popcorn and learn about this area’s wonderful heritage,” said museum spokesperson Dave Taghon. “We encourage all newcomers, as well as the old natives, to come out and share their thoughts after each presentation.”

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An artist colony in Empire? Sleeping Bear Gallery hopes so

Sleeping Bear Gallery owner Heather Caverly hopes to bring an art revolution to Empire. Caverly purchased the Empire Clipper Building across Front Street from the Village Office in January and, together with curator Becky Willis, she aims to turn it into a haven that features artists in residence, demonstrations and lectures and, of course, displays of unique art including metals, wood, glass, fibers, paintings, sculptures, ceramics and photography. Caverly and her husband Mark live in the apartment upstairs.

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Empire Asparagus Festival turns a nifty nine

Don’t miss this weekend’s ninth annual Empire Asparagus Festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring and precedes the official opening of Northern Michigan’s tourism season a week later.

Leelanau holds second annual Bird Fest

The Leelanau Peninsula BirdFest is in its second year. It is a ‘standard’ birdwatching festival in that it is a combination of scheduled, guided field trips and evening keynote addresses. Field trips go to various habitat locations to observe as great a variety of birds possible. Field trips are led by top flight birders who in most cases are capable of identifying birds by sight and sound. Birdwatching festivals generally feature a specific bird or birds, or field trips offering a special experience.

Glen Arbor Summer Singers gets Kuhl new director

From staff reports Upon the retirement last summer of Dick DeVinney, the Summer Singers director for many years, Patrick Kuhl, will be the new director of the Glen Arbor Summer Singers. Patrick is a summer resident of Northport where he has been the organist for the Omena Presbyterian Church since 1993. He has also been […]

National Park grants free access to active duty U.S. military

To show our appreciation for those who serve in the U.S. Military, on Saturday, May 19 – Armed Forces Day – the National Park Service will begin issuing an annual pass offering free entrance to all 397 national parks for active duty military members and their dependents.

Area schools promote local food

With asparagus spears and rhubarb stalks poking up above the ground, schools throughout northwest Lower Michigan are spending their last weeks of school capping off a big year of celebrating and serving locally grown food. This, in turn, offers a number of opportunities for compelling in-school photos and video of the local Farm to School celebration. These media opportunities include: