Entries by editor

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Spitting pits and breaking rules

Mary Sutherland, the matriarch of a well-know Glen Arbor family who passed away in January at age 92—and who allegedly holds the record for pit spitting at Cherry Republic—inspired Viola Shipman’s latest book “Famous in a Small Town,” which has received accolades as one of the Best Summer Books of 2023 by the Good Morning America TV show, and Reader’s Digest. Wade Rouse, who uses the “Viola Shipman” pen name, will appear at Cherry Republic on June 23, from 4-5 pm in the Cherry Public House Beer Garden for a book signing and conversation with Bob Sutherland. “When I began writing fiction, I didn’t see many characters like my grandmother or my mom, or Mary Sutherland,” said Rouse.

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Arbor School Lofts has new owners

Tom and Juli Erdmann are the new owners of the Arbor School lofts in Glen Arbor’s historic schoolhouse across M-22 from the town hall. Both of the newly remodeled apartments sleep up to 6. The building was rebuilt in 1932 and in service as a school until 1967. Locals who attended the Glen Arbor school include longtime town hall custodian Leonard Thoreson, now 96. Thoreson remembered that students used to cross the street to the town hall in the afternoons to play basketball.

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Celebrate 50 years of Claudia Schmidt music at Grow Benzie

Claudia Schmidt has been weaving her musical magic for 50 years. It begins with her multi-octave voice, 12 string guitar and mountain dulcimer. But then the language leaps in, and it all comes together. Her love of language is obvious from the moment she opens her mouth. The Grow Benzie Community Center will host Schmidt for a concert on Sunday, June 18, at 4 pm.

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Glen Arbor Arts Center hosts PULSE Saxophone Quartet, Late Night Fridays, Forging for Peace

The Glen Arbor Arts Center is keeping the lights on a little longer this summer on Friday nights. Late Night Fridays continues June 16 with a front porch concert featuring the PULSE Saxophone Quartet from 7-8 pm. This unique chamber ensemble is the GAAC’s 2023 Musicians-in-Residence, part of the Manitou Music Series.

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Diane Conners shares abundance of local food

Twenty-plus years ago, Diane Conners saw an opportunity to trade her work in journalism for a more diverse career. She began working with farmers, conservationists, policy makers and others committed to protecting the land, the environment and a way of life she’d come to treasure in Leelanau County. Turned out, it was turning to the land. She shifted gears and began working for the Michigan Land Use Institute—now the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities. Conners authored the book “Shared Abundance: Lessons in Building Community Around Locally Grown Food” just prior to her retirement. Groundwork Center dubs it “Part gorgeous, story-filled coffee-table book and part local food economy strategy manual.”

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Suttons Bay hosts Artisan & Wine Walk

The Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce will host the annual Artisan & Wine Walk, A Toast to Suttons Bay on Friday, June 16. Patrons will enjoy extended hours from 5-8 pm at participating shops that will also feature a local artisan along with their work. Art will be available for purchase, and some artists will be demonstrating their craft in person.

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Glen Lake Library begins Summer Kids Program

The Glen Lake Library in Empire will begin its summer kids’ program schedule on Thursday morning, June 15, at 11 am, with a special performance by the PULSE Saxophone Quartet. Programs will take place every Thursday morning through August 17, featuring a variety of activities including music, art, nature exploration, exercise, and magic. All programs are presented free of charge, with no advance registration required.

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Empire Asparagus Festival 2023 Poetry and Recipe Contest winners

Here are the winners from the 2023 Empire Asparagus Festival poetry and recipe contests. This year’s festival was held on Saturday, June 3.

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Life on the Schaub Farm: Cocktail memories

The Schaub name, now ubiquitous on the peninsula, begins to appear on plat maps for Leelanau County in 1881, writes Rebecca Carlson in this second installment in a series about the legacy and impact of Leelanau County farming families. According to relatives of Marv and Edie, the Schaubs arrived from Germany landing at either the Fox or Manitou Islands before moving to the Leelanau Peninsula. These immigrants worked the lumber camps on these islands, made money and then proceeded on to the peninsula. The Homestead Act of 1862 opened the opportunity for these immigrants to own land, prosper, and raise their families. A family member stated the early Schaub settlers brought grapevines with them to plant for their first crops; later, potatoes and cherry trees were added to the farm produce.

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DeCook, Paull repeat as M22 Challenge champions

Ryan DeCook, a 42-year-old resident of Washington, Michigan, won his second consecutive M22 Challenge on Saturday, June 10, with an overall time of 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 47 seconds. This was the third time he has won the popular triathlon, which local organizers consider one of the most beautiful races in the nation.

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