Dive into lovely lavender soaps on Lake Street

By Jacob Wheeler Sun editor Cookie Thatcher prefers to think of her blends of lavender soaps as “flavors,” and that makes her the new chemist in town. At her new shop, Bay Lavenders, next to Becky Thatcher Designs on Lake Street in Glen Arbor, she uses only essential oils, free of manmade perfumes, and mixes […]

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Frontier Construction LLC is Ripe in the Land of the Sleeping Bear

By Norm Wheeler Sun contributing editor Another chapter in the story of ambitious young locals starting up their own business features Joel Diotte, 33, Matt Diotte, 32, Jeff Cook, 32, and Pete Stern, 36: the Frontier Group LLC. Now affiliated with ICF Energy Star Homes, the Frontier Group is constructing a spec home in the […]

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Petoskey Pete’s skips into Arbor Light building

By Jacob Wheeler Sun editor Bubba and Roger Popa are learning all the knickknacks and intricacies of the old Arbor Light building. They own the clothing outfit called Petoskey Pete’s, which moved out of the Mercantile Building on M-22 over the winter and into Glen Arbor’s grand dame on Lake Street. A fixture in town […]

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Restaurant mogul Frank embraces Friendly Empire

By Pat Stinson Sun contributor New restaurant mogul, Frank Lerchen, couldn’t be more modest about his transition from general manager of two restaurant-taverns to owner of three local food service establishments in less than six months, here in the seasonally somnolent village of Empire. As Frank tells it, he was being groomed for ownership for […]

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Taghon’s New Garage is ripe in the Land of the Sleeping Bear

By Norm Wheeler Sun editor One of Empire’s longest running businesses just packed up and left its historic digs on the corner of M-22 and M-72. Taghon’s Auto Service Garage has been a fixture in the village of Empire since 1924 when Charles and Louise Taghon established a car repair shop on the current site […]

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Chamber takes show on road

By Jane Greiner Sun contributor The Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce has been stepping out in new directions. This year’s participation in the Leelanau Business Expo is just one example of how the chamber is looking for new ways to make itself useful and fun. At the Expo kickoff breakfast the chamber gave a lively, […]

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A Whale’s Story

Fine beer brewed from local landmark’s inspiration By Daniel Herd Sun contributor On a cooling fall day, the sharp wind catches hold of a few remaining gold leaves, tearing them from an oak that sits on the eastern slope of the whaleback. Covered with evergreens, the front of this dune is soon to turn white […]

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Local companies produce area’s first fair trade/organic gift sampler

Press release Local businesses with a socially and environmentally friendly focus have joined together to offer consumers an organic and fair trade gift sampler produced here in northern Michigan. Grocer’s Daughter, By the Light of Day, Higher Grounds Trading Co., and Food For Thought, along with Leelanau Trading Co. and Third Coast Design have developed […]

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Local artist is best of show

By Norm Wheeler Sun editor Batik artist Jennifer Flynn of Empire won Best of Show in Fiber/Fabric at the Ann Arbor Michigan Guild Summer Art Fair. The popular art show includes entries from all over the United States and Europe. The award recognized Jennifer “for bringing the best in fine art and contemporary crafts to […]

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Kingsley Club a Diamond in the Rough

By Mike Terrell Sun contributor When you think golf in northern Michigan, especially the northwest corner of the Lower Peninsula, it’s normally of posh resorts and designer courses with some of the leading names in the game attached to them. Some will pay lip service to the “old masters” and the classic designs they produced […]

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