On Friday, May 6 at the Glen Arbor Township Hall, the Empire Area Heritage Group will present “The Boizard Letters” at 7 p.m. A half-hour video presentation will feature recollections of Julia Dickinson and Joan Bolton, who found over 100 letters written before, during and after the Civil War between a husband in the service, and his wife who stayed behind in Glen Arbor to fare for herself and her small child.
Local television personality Vic McCarty reports on The Ticker that the Dunegrass Festival is growing big once again — just three years after the popular Empire music festival outgrew its training wheels and all but careened off a cliff under the misdirection of Stephen Volas and Grassroots Productions.
Renowned local author Anne-Marie Oomen (American Map, Uncoded Woman) and theatrical dance director Gretchen Eichberger (American Document) will team up to develop a theatrical dance production with text inspired by late Benzie County naturalist Gwen Frostic’s meditations — in honor of the tenth anniversary of her death, (and in celebration of her life).
n early March 2011 I invited the Representative of Michigan’s 101st District, Ray Franz to come and speak with my students at Onekema Elementary School about his role in our State’s government, I asked him to speak of current issues in Michigan that would be of interest to a typical third grader, and to answer student questions regarding our natural resources, energy, transportation, and our civil liberties.
A group recently formed in Leelanau County is speaking out for immigrant rights. With Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or I.C.E. crack-downs across Northern Michigan becoming more common, the group of concerned citizens says they want to stand up for the members of our community that don’t always have a chance to stand up for themselves.
Elberta, in nearby Benzie County, could fall prey to Governor Rick Snyder and the GOP-controlled Michigan legislature’s controversial Local Government and School District Accountability Act. This means that debt-ridden and financially troubled Elberta could fall under government financial review and, hypothetically, the town could be disbanded and turned over to non-elected Emergency Managers.
Diane Conners of the Great Lakes Bulletin News Service wrote an informative story today about how legislation pushed by State Representative Ray Franz (who represents Leelanau, Benzie and Manistee Counties) and 14 other Republicans in Lansing would privatize food service for school cafeterias, which could hurt popular farm to school programs.
Northwoods Hardware in Glen Arbor will officially open its Back Barn on May 2 with an exciting array of garden related items and outdoor living essentials. Stop by between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and browse through the “back barn” which the store has cleverly transformed into a gardeners delight.
The Glen Arbor Art Association has unveiled its 2011 lineup of gallery shows. The Art Association is located behind Lake Street Studios across from Cherry Republic in downtown Glen Arbor. For more information call (231) 334-6112, e-mail office@glenarborart.org or visit www.glenarborart.org.
Join in the celebration of our country’s 394 national park sites right in your own backyard at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The theme for National Park Week 2011 is “Healthy Parks, Healthy People.” Get moving and attend a FREE Park Ranger-led program or just get to the park and enjoy some of the healthy activities the National Lakeshore has to offer during National Park Week, April 16-24.