At a special meeting tonight, the Cleveland Township Board unanimously passed a moratorium on any applications for zoning or building in the Business 1 and Business 2 zoning districts until Aug. 4, with the option to extend for another six months. The Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 5, has been cancelled. That moratorium stops, for now, a proposed Dollar General development at the corner of Maple City Road and Cemetery Road in Cleveland Township.
New this year at the Suttons Bay-based estate winery, Shady Lane Cellars, pair a glass of wine with a thrilling new read. Shady Lane Cellars Book Club debuts this month. The first selection is “Murder in the Merlot” by Michigan’s own Aaron Stander, author of the Ray Elkins mystery series and host of IPR’s Michigan Writers on the Air. The novel is paired with Shady Lane Cellars Hartwick Red, a red blend barrel-aged in French oak with expressions of dried cherry, espresso and earthy truffles. The first meeting is set for 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30.
’Tis the season for—wine? According to the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association, a.k.a. the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail, yes, it is. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty much always the season for wine. While the tasting rooms are most crowded in the summer and fall is harvest season in the vineyards, there are still plenty of reasons to visit wineries in the winter. Starting with the wines themselves, of course, but beyond that, there are a number of special events in the wintertime. “Our wine trail events are all about bringing people together to celebrate the exceptional wines that make our region so special,” said Andie Hobbins, managing director for the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. “Northern Michigan is producing wines of outstanding quality, and we love sharing that with visitors from near and far.”
Can a brilliant career be born from a moment of angst while hunched over a bathtub? If you’re Lissa Edwards, that’s a yes. “From the time I was cognizant of anything, I loved Glen Arbor. And I always knew I wanted to be a writer,” she says. Laughing, the proprietor of Glen Arbor Wines professes, “I often say I can write and I can pour wine; those are my only two skills. I have no others!” Nine months ago, Edwards retired from what is now called Traverse, Northern Michigan, where her career as a writer and editor spanned almost four decades. Throughout, Edwards mastered the ability of sussing out compelling stories where no one else was looking. Her ideas were virtually inexhaustible and her process uniquely her own—so much so that her colleagues coined the affectionate term “Lissariffic.”
Locals know a secret about Leelanau County winters. The season lends reprieve from chaos, re-rooting and grounding us after the busy, crowded summer season. Having this sacred place to ourselves for a fleeting moment allows for deeper camaraderie and connection to place. Tandem Ciders co-owners Dan Young and Nikki Rothwell have hosted a wassail celebration at their tasting room on Setterbo Road north of Suttons Bay since 2009, offering an opportunity for locals to connect with each other under the constellations in the depths of Leelanau’s winter. At Tandem Cider’s 16th annual wassail celebration, buoyant echoes of raucous partiers standing around a bonfire are somehow harmonious with the silence that vibrates from the black, night sky of deep winter. A collection of familiar faces represents a community slow to change, slow to grow, until the Covid migration occurred. These are faces that connect our past to this place we call home.
With 2024 in the rearview mirror and 2025 upon us, we’re recognizing 25 “influencers” we covered in the Glen Arbor Sun this past year who are making a meaningful impact on Leelanau County communities, commerce, and culture. Read below about those 25 local influencers, who include everyone from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, to Leelanau Investing for Teens, to Empire’s polar dippers, to popular new destinations River Club Glen Arbor, the Sleeping Bear Inn, and the Lively’s NeighborFood Market.
The Lively NeighborFood Market, located on M-72 east of Empire, is offering Christmas trees to five families who are in need of a little boost of holiday spirit. The trees come in various sizes between 6 and 11 feet tall. If you need to fill your house with a beautiful bit of northern Michigan’s finest, stop by the market at 3805 W Empire Hwy, or contact Jim Lively at 231-994-9339 or email jim@livelyneighborfood.com. Hurry, Santa Claus is coming to town!
The Homestead announced that Jim Becsey has been hired as the new manager of building and grounds at the Glen Arbor resort. As such, he will be responsible for the upkeep of resort-owned buildings and maintenance of the grounds, including the resort’s ski facilities. Ski hills are hoping for a La Niña weather pattern, which would bring a more typical snowy winter. While hoping to open just after Christmas, The Homestead will also offer a creative array of family-friendly activities, which could include live entertainment like magicians and jugglers, art shows and collaborations with the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail.
With the holiday season comes the panoply of seasonal markets, where artists and artisans, bakers and makers alike showcase their wares. For many, the season starts with the holiday shows in Glen Arbor and Empire that take place the weekend after Thanksgiving. The Glen Arbor Holiday Marketplace kicks off Friday night, Nov. 29, at 6:15 p.m. with the lighting of the Christmas tree and caroling. The town hall opens for shopping at 6:30 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m., then welcomes shoppers again on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “It’s been going on a long time. I put it together with a ton of other people,” says organizer Cre Woodard. “It’s like a machine.” The vendors line the walls at the town hall, the center of the room and the stage as well. Throngs of shoppers fill the room, perusing the displays of jewelry, mittens, art, holiday décor and more. Woodard has no problem signing up vendors, and when she runs out of room, she knows where to send them – just down the road to Empire. If there’s room there. “I filled up very fast,” says Linda Payment of this year’s Empire Artisan Marketplace, held in the Empire Town Hall. Payment has coordinated the daylong event for the last several years, which takes place the Saturday following Thanksgiving, Nov. 30. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District is excited to kick off the holiday season in Glen Arbor with another fun, family-friendly Strolling Lights Festival. This event is a great way for families, friends, teams, businesses and organizations to express their festivity, all while supporting a great cause. Whether highlighting your favorite thing to do in Michigan, representing a family tradition, or supporting a cause, each Strolling Lights tree is a blank slate ready to be decorated.