A refined Leelanau School is Ripe in the Land of the Sleeping Bear

By Norm Wheeler Sun editor Is your school overcrowded and boring? Are the classes dull and generic? Is everybody separated into isolated cliques, and none of them feel comfortable to you? Are you learning little more than how to hide and slide between the cracks because they want you to be a square peg in […]

Read more
/by

What happened while you were away?

The river, the arcade, the chocolate and the other new faces in town By Jacob Wheeler Sun editor You know that anticipation of spring — that pining for the day the snow melts and leaves behind a few surprises? Who dropped their mittens on the ground last fall, only to be buried under the drifts? […]

Read more
/by

Leelanau Lender-At-Large even makes house calls

By Pat Stinson Sun contributor In an age when you can arrange visits at home or in the workplace with everyone from chefs, personal fitness trainers and massage therapists, inviting your local mortgage lender to join you for lunch in your kitchen or work cubicle doesn’t sound too implausible — nor terribly exciting, if one […]

Read more
/by

How much is that dog food in the window?

By Shelly Yeager Sun contributor A familiar sight as she walks briskly along the roadside with one of her canine clients, Dawn Fitch braves the elements while caring for area pets. Through rain, snow or blistering heat, one can expect to see her out and about as she makes her thrice daily rounds. Recently, Dawn […]

Read more
/by

Haughn’s keep it local

By Norm Wheeler Sun editor Dave and Susan Haughn are the new owners of the Maple Lane Resort on the south shore of Little Glen Lake. Residents of Burdickville, Dave (a teacher in the Traverse City school system) and Susan (a social worker/therapist) are delighted to be moonlighting at Maple Lane Resort on Dorsey Road. […]

Read more
/by

Row, row, row Tarot, gently down the stream of consciousness

By Stephanie Mills Sun contributor Purpose and intention are all very well and good, if a bit over-esteemed. They’re the starting blocks we adults kick off from in the forward hurtle over the hurdles of life. Purpose and intention are critical and only a teeny constituent of destiny. Over 500 years old, the Tarot deck […]

Read more
/by

Heavenly chocolates made by Grocer’s Daughter are so good, you’ll moan!

By Pat Stinson Sun staff writer Oh, divine chocolate! They grind thee kneeling, Beat thee with hands praying, And drink thee with eyes to heaven. — Marco Antonio Orellana, 18th century For three centuries after the Spaniards brought the first cacoa beans to Spain from Mexico, “chocolat” was known only as a thick beverage, full […]

Read more
/by

Michigan Land Use Institute’s Smart Growth Coalition targets Leelanau County

By Jacob Wheeler Sun editor It’s a common misconception. Smart growth does not mean no growth. So forget nightmarish images of tree-hugging activists tearing up infrastructure and highways to rid the land of mankind’s tracks. Throw out that loaded word, communist, too. The Michigan Land Use Institute has no intention of gobbling up tracts of […]

Read more
/by

No Newbies! Taghon’s Garage has been community’s lifeline for decades

By Christina Campbell Sun staff writer The movie Night on Earth has a poignant scene between a high-powered casting agent and her young, female taxi driver. The casting agent says she has a part the cab driver would be perfect for. Wouldn’t she like to be a movie star? The young woman agrees it’s a […]

Read more
/by

Ice Cream Scoopers are ripe in the Land of the Sleeping Bear

By Norm Wheeler Sun editor The cool, wet weather of June and early July put scowls on many faces, but it was great for the restaurants in town. Bad beach days pack the lunch tables. Brendan Burroughs (Good Harbor Grill) and Tim Barr (Art’s) both report records for the week after July Fourth. When folks […]

Read more
/by