We chatted with the experts, the bookworms, and bookstore owners, and here’s our roundup of local books, or books written by local authors, that were published this year. Find them at Leelanau County’s locally-owned, independent bookstores: Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor, Bay Books in Suttons Bay, Dog Ears Books in Northport, and Leelanau Books in Leland; or at your local library. Happy reading!
French Valley Vineyard hosted a free Family Fun Day at the North Barn on Aug. 18 featuring mindful music with Miriam Pico. Photo by Sarah Peschel
One Friday afternoon last July, Tim Mulherin’s wife, Janet, suggested they go down to Good Harbor Bay Beach CR 651 (Good Harbor Trail) for a few blissful hours of relaxation. That favorite Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore location is conveniently located about two miles from our home in Cedar. Janet had the right idea: It was a glorious northern Michigan summer day, the kind that makes you want to drop what you’re doing and report to the nearest Lake Michigan beach. “Sounds good,” Tim said, “with one exception: It’s July and the beach will be packed.” Mulherin, a self-described curmudgeon, writes here about accepting “packed beaches” at the height of summer.
Empire writer Anne-Marie Oomen has received the 2024 Michigan Author Award, an award given by the State Library of Michigan to a Michigan author for lifetime achievement. In celebration of this honor, the Empire Area Community Center and Glen Lake Community Library Friends of the Library will hold a reception in honor of her award and to celebrate her books on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 4-7 pm at the Empire Town Hall. Oomen is author of eight nonfiction books, editor of two anthologies, and co-author of two tales of fiction for young people. She has won numerous awards over the years. The Michigan Author Award is given through a nomination process from librarians and others, and David Diller of the Glen Lake Community Library was one of the nominators this year. “I’m so grateful to the librarians I’ve worked with over the years, but our local library has become particularly special to me,” said Oomen.
Self-taught local artist Michelle White is set to showcase her collection in a highly anticipated solo art show. The installation, titled “The Many Faces We Wear,” will be held at the Northport Arts Association from Sept. 6-9. “I have been drawing and painting minimal or wild faces since 2017 and have over 300,” said White. “I’ve never seen them all out together and felt urgently inspired to make a space for them and do a solo show. It’s a personal quest and an invitation to join me for an interactive experience of ‘The Many Faces We Wear’.” The opening reception will be held on Sept. 6 from 6-8 pm at the Northport Arts Association.
“Shooting the tube” through the Crystal River culverts under County Road 675 is now an experience of the past. This month the Grand Traverse Engineering & Construction will remove the three culverts and replace the road above them with an 80-foot timber bridge. The work should be complete by the end of November, according to GTEC construction manager Ken Ockert. S. Dunns Farm Road will be closed to thru traffic and rerouted around Big Glen Lake for the duration of the project. Labor Day Monday, Sept. 2, was the last day for kayakers, canoers and paddleboarders to float through the culverts. Their removal is bittersweet for the staff at Crystal River Outfitters, which has sent thousands of people down the river in the past three decades. “It’s fun to look back at the last 30 years and think that the term ‘shoot the tube’ has become synonymous with Crystal River Outfitters kayak trips down the Crystal River,” said Katy Wiesen, who co-owns the business together with her husband Matt. “Shooting the tube became not only an annual family tradition but also led to many variations on stickers, hats, t-shirts and more that are soon to be a piece of history.”
Leland native Paige Cook will be a junior at the University of Michigan when classes resume in early September. She currently works on the podcast team of What the F, a feminist magazine on campus, and has participated in Central Student Government. Cook and other student leaders at U of M have protested and stood up for the rights and dignity of Palestinians since Israel’s war in Gaza began nearly 11 months ago. The brutal conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians and caused the spread of disease and famine in the occupied enclave—following Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the killing of 1,200 Israelis and seizure of hundreds of hostages. The Glen Arbor Sun spoke with Cook about her Leland upbringing, her experiences in Ann Arbor, and how it has felt to attend college in a town that’s once again a hotbed of student activism.
A Women’s Clothing Swap will be held on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 2, from 2-4 pm at Old Settler’s Park on the east side of Big Glen Lake. The fundraiser is to support a small school in Guatemala. Clean up your wardrobe or pick up a few new things. Suggested donation is $10 or any other support. Women’s clothes, shoes and accessories in very good condition are accepted. Bring your gift items between 1-2 pm.
Farming is tough, and the margins are small. The same is true for grocery stores and for restaurants. So, of course, Jen and Nic Welty decided to combine all three. They say it’s worth all the work, and judging by the crowds at their farm/café/retail bakery, so too do those enjoying the fruits of their labors. “It’s been pandemonium. We’re taking the winter to regroup,” says Jen. The latest iteration of 9 Bean Rows includes indoor seating as well as the outdoor pizza oven and outdoor seating. Lines for the bread and pastries frequently extend out the door, while diners navigate the ordering process through QR codes at their tables. Part of our series on agritourism and solutions to the farming crisis.
The Manor on Glen Lake will hold a pre-renovation sale on the porch on Friday, Aug. 30, and Saturday, Aug. 31, from 9 am-3 pm. Come meet Susan Rife, the new owner of the Manor, and learn the latest on her renovation plans for the historic property. Rife has scoured the 118-year-old Manor for vintage books, including children’s books, artwork and other treasures available for purchase on Labor Day weekend.