Leland’s Fishtown is riding high these days, turning the corner on three years of shanty lifts and other reconstruction efforts imperative to preserving the future of this historic landmark as lake levels rise. This year has brought recognition on multiple levels, earning Fishtown a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and the Michigan Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation.
The Old Art Building in Leland will present a retrospective exhibit showcasing the artwork of former students and instructors who took part in a 50-year summer program established in 1939 Leland by Michigan State University (MSU). “A Summer Romance: MSU Finds Leland,” will open May 12-18.
On a blustery, cold April 8, with approximately 400 bundled, enthusiastic citizens as witnesses, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore superintendent Scott Tucker handed the keys of the Sleeping Bear Inn and Garage to Maggie Kato, executive director of the nonprofit Balancing Environment and Rehabilitation, which now has a 40-year lease to rehab the historic Glen Haven inn and re-open it as a bed and breakfast as soon as Spring 2023. Once resurrected, the Sleeping Bear Inn will be the oldest hotel in the National Park System where one can spend the night—even older than Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park, which was established in 1872.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has officially issued a 40-year lease to Balancing Environment and Rehabilitation (BEAR) for the historic Sleeping Bear Inn and Garage in Glen Haven. The lease allows the Inn to be rehabilitated and opened as a premier bed and breakfast lodge. A public open house of the buildings will take place on Friday, April 8, at 1 p.m., following a short ceremony. The open house will provide the public the opportunity to see the buildings as they are before their rehabilitation.
A love of the significantly rich maritime history bestowed upon the Great Lakes region, and of traditional sailing boats working on these lakes, was—and still is—the very foundation of the Maritime Heritage Alliance (MHA). Since the early 1980s, its mission, to Preserve, Interpret, and Share the Maritime History of the Great Lakes, is ever at its forefront. A dedicated and growing core of volunteers have been avidly working on projects ever since.
A cultural hub of the Leelanau community since its establishment in 1922, the Old Art Building (OAB) in Leland celebrates its Centennial birthday through 2022 with an ambitious lineup of events including four stage productions, 10 art exhibits, 15 musical performances, a varied selection of classes for children and adults, and other special events. This doesn’t account for the numerous private celebrations and gatherings that also take place there.
The Glen Arbor Sun caught up recently with Clay Carlson, a fifth generation son of Leland fishermen whose paintings capture the legacy of historic Fishtown. We asked Clay about his family history in Leland and the importance of fishing for each generation, what Fishtown means to him, what inspires his paintings and what they tell us about the history of Leelanau.
For 20 years, Michael Buhler was co-editor of the Sun. He designed these pages, adeptly arranged advertisements like Tetris blocks, and placed the stories and photos before you. Mike helped turn this rag into an attractive, full-color newsprint magazine with ads and images that pop, and stories that educate—a true asset of our vibrant community. But no longer. Mike died suddenly on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 16. He leaves a void in our hearts the size of the Manitou Passage.
Fresh off the heels of Omena’s mayoral race (this year handily won by nine-year-old, long-haired calico cat named Sweet Tart McKee), Northport will host the 22nd annual Dog Parade on Aug. 11. This march through the village of Northport begins by the Old Mill Pond on 3rd Street and eventually winds its way down to the marina.
Once again, the Port Oneida Rural Historic District awakens from its peaceful slumber and comes alive both Friday and Saturday, August 10-11. Beginning at 10 a.m. each day and running until 4 p.m., visitors are invited to step back in time to actively experience life as it was in this once active community of robust farms of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The fair promotes the preservation of rural traditional skills, crafts, landscapes, and communities of the Upper Great Lakes Region through education and artistic expression.