Revisiting the mystery of the W.H. Gilcher

By Jed Jaworski Sun contributor The infamous loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald shocked the entire Great Lakes community. How could one of the largest vessels, using modern technology, simply vanish with all on board? Leelanau County experienced its own version of the Edmund Fitzgerald story in the 1890s, when the largest and most technologically advanced […]

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Diamond wreck brings Good Will out of caring townsfolk

By Jed Jaworski Sun contributor “If only those weathered old timbers could talk,” people often remark as they explore the ancient forests, gracefully aging barns and bleached shipwreck timbers along the shores of Benzie and Leelanau counties. Herein is the tale of an aged boat sinking into the muddy headwaters of Betsie Bay, a fishing […]

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Trail dangers: What to watch out for in the Sleeping Bear Dunes

By Jane Greiner Sun nature correspondent With recent press coverage of the cougars in our area, many people worry about the dangers of hiking the trails in the National Park, particularly if they have small children. When people asked me about it, I responded that I am much more afraid of getting lost or injured […]

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Acquisition of Empire schoolhouse sets changes in motion

By Thomas Benn Sun contributor Empire’s century-old schoolhouse is in the process of being acquired by a realtor from Plymouth, Michigan, who plans to make it into “a memorabilia mall like you’ve never seen before.” The prospective new owner, Joe Van Esley, is a highly successful real estate broker who has been collecting Americana for […]

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In Traverse City, Bush faces “largest demonstration in history”

By Eartha Melzer Sun contributor TRAVERSE CITY, Monday August 16 — Despite northern Michigan’s reputation as a Republican stronghold, more than a thousand protestors took to the streets to crash George W. Bush’s party at the Traverse City Civic Center earlier this month. The acting commander-in-chief flew into Cherry Capitol Airport on Air Force One […]

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“Not in my backyard” — Homestead sewage issue seeps to the surface

By Jacob Wheeler Sun editor Preceding the creation of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 1979, and long before tumultuous conflicts over golf courses and land swaps divided the local community, The Homestead was given sewage easements on two parcels of land totaling 12.9 acres just north and east of the sprawling resort.

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Moving Beyond the courthouse debate: Smart Growth debate sparking interest

By Jim Lively (Michigan Land Use Institute — Leelanau Smart Growth Coalition) Sun Op-Ed Contributor The Leelanau Smart Growth Coalition is disappointed but not discouraged by last Tuesday’s election. Yes, we lost on an issue we worked very hard to win: Keeping the county seat in Leland. But we, along with many other citizens, sparked […]

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A Boatwatcher’s Guide to the Manitou Passage

By Thomas Benn Sun contributor Far out in the lake, the “long boats” approaching from the south look like floating logs with small knots protruding above one or both ends. Some are on a course slanting in toward shore and the Manitou Passage. Coming closer, bulk carriers over a thousand feet in length can be […]

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It’s not a myth! Cougar seen in Glen Arbor

By Jane Greiner Sun staff writer GLEN ARBOR (June 24) — A family stopping for pastries at Barb’s Bakery in Glen Arbor this morning spotted a cougar walking behind the bakery. It was moving toward the rear of the Post Office, according to Joyce Long at the Philip Heart Visitor Center. Gregory and Joanne Newman […]

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National Park faces major decisions as spotlight focuses on D.H. Day farm

By Jacob R. Wheeler Sun editor At least once a day a curious tourist nudges up to the fence surrounding the D.H. Day farm to snap a photo or draw a sketch of the majestic 116-foot-long dairy barn that dominates the landscape along historic route M-109. This is one of the images that people associate […]

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