Leah Turner, Maggie and Dana MacLellan, Isabel and Josh Fast kayaked the Crystal River on New Year’s Eve day, Dec. 31, 2022. Maggie started the annual tradition about a decade ago. Whether frigid or balmy, the friends close out each year bundled in warm jackets and with life vests in tow.
It’s winter, but the first half of January didn’t look or feel like it. “It’s milder than normal. It may turn colder toward the end of the month,” said Jeff Zoltowski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Leelanau resident and retired meteorologist Dave Barrons, a familiar face on local television for many years, says climate change is making expectations based on past years less reliable. “We’ve added more carbon dioxide to the air. Carbon dioxide holds more heat,” he said.
The first half of January was brown and green in Leelanau County. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Gaylord, we’re on pace to set a record for lack of snow this month. Even with a few white flurries late in January, we may still eclipse the previous mark. NWS measures snow accumulation in two County locations—Maple City and Northport.
The iconic Cedar Tavern in the heart of Leelanau County hit the market this week with a listing price of $1.2 million. Owner Ellen Stachnik confirmed the news on Facebook: “Well it’s out there. After a lot of talking we have decided to list the Tavern for sale. We love you all and appreciate your support and kindness over the years. 45 years it’s been a great time!!” In our 2013 feature story about the Cedar Tavern, Stachnik narrated the history of the business and its importance to campers and locals, alike.
The iconic Mill on the Crystal River, which Turner Booth has restored since he won zoning approval in a public referendum vote in August 2021, aims to reopen this spring and include a 47-seat all-day cafe and fine-dining restaurant. Early this month The Mill posted a job for an Executive Chef.
The latest effort to combat beech bark disease is underway at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Seven tree saplings made from cuttings taken from resistant American beech trees at the National Lakeshore were grafted and planted in early November 2022. The successful project came as a result of five years of planning and research in partnership with researchers at Michigan Technological University.
Meet the characters, restaurants and farmers impacting the Leelanau food scene
For Leelanau County, 2022 was a year of new businesses growing in our communities, a year of celebrating historic legacies, and a year of grieving the loss of community pillars who left us. The Glen Arbor Sun’s top 10 most-read online stories of the year included homages to Beryl Skrocki, whose family business Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak helped popularize standup paddle boarding in Empire and along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, longtime Cherry Republic general manager Kathy Baarstad, and storied Glen Arbor realtor and Sugar Loaf ski coach John Peppler.
The Crystal River Outfitters Recreation District on Glen Arbor’s east end, which includes the M22 and Coastal retail stores, is attracting customers to its Strolling Lights Festival, which continues through New Year’s Day. According to Katy Wiesen, who owns the three businesses together with her husband Matt, the year ahead will yield a new building across M-22 in the vacant lot which previously housed Riverfront Pizza & Deli.
Snow conditions are very good in most places along the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, report Friends of Sleeping Bear, which grooms and maintains the popular multi-use trail in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Get out there before the weather warms up the middle of this week.