Where are Herman’s trees?

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“As my 80-year-old dad and I make the trek slowly up the heavily-canopied, half-century old two-track, I wonder what his reaction will be as we make it to the cherry orchard entrance,” writes Rebecca Carlson in this first installment in a series about the legacy and impact of Leelanau County farming families. “With the sun shining in our faces, Dad stops dead in his tracks and takes his first look at the orchard in several years. ‘Where are all the trees? Where are all Herman’s trees?’ Silent and shaking his head, my Dad continues to scan the empty orchard. ‘Dad, all our trees were removed last year,’ I say. ‘There were only about 20 cherry trees left.’ He responds, ‘But I don’t remember agreeing to that.’ While his eyes well with tears, I realize this was yet another loss of family ties and precious memories from our years of farming.”

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Warming climate breeds ticks, disease, and caution

Tick bites and cases of tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis are increasing in northern Michigan, according to statistics from the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department and confirmed by local doctors and staff within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Leelanau County registered 14 cases of tick-born illness last year, more than doubling the previous year’s tally. Beyond statistics, the upward trend has proven tragic for this community. Glen Arbor lost popular realtor and ski coach John Peppler to a tick-born disease last August. National Lakeshore superintendent Scott Tucker said that one Park employee nearly died last year of Anaplasmosis caused by a tick bite that happened at a Sleeping Bear campground.

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Will Kasson Planning Commission allow motorbike events on farmland?

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Photo courtesy of Michigan Spring Enduros Contentious debate fills Township Hall tonight; riders invited to flood meetings By Jacob Wheeler Sun editor Voices both in favor and against a proposed motorbike race on Memorial Day weekend on rural farmland in Leelanau County’s Kasson Township will flood the Solon Township Hall tonight, May 8, and on […]

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“Art” and “Joe” top boys’ names in America—buoyed by popularity of local taverns

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Leelanau County has added another notch of fame to its belt. Now the two most popular boys’ names in America have their roots in beloved taverns in Glen Arbor and Empire. Last year, 18 percent of all newborn boys nationwide were honored with the names “Art” and “Joe” on their birth certificates. “Art” for Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor, and “Joe” for Joe’s Friendly Tavern in Empire.

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Innovative childcare program expands in Leelanau

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One year ago the Leelanau Early Childhood Development Commission launched a campaign to recruit more people to open home-based childcare facilities in Leelanau County—where a dire lack of affordable childcare options has imperiled the ability of young parents to return to work. The commission is well on its way to reach that goal, with three more facilities set to open soon. But the LECDC has also been forced to pivot and work with the state’s licensing agency to include centers outside the home, as well.

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Want predictable winters? Climate Change says ‘Forget it’

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It’s winter, but the first half of January didn’t look or feel like it. “It’s milder than normal. It may turn colder toward the end of the month,” said Jeff Zoltowski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Leelanau resident and retired meteorologist Dave Barrons, a familiar face on local television for many years, says climate change is making expectations based on past years less reliable. “We’ve added more carbon dioxide to the air. Carbon dioxide holds more heat,” he said.

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Septic regulations won’t hurt sales, realtors say

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Leelanau County’s decision to require septic inspections when a home is sold could be a boon to the environment. While opposed by the Michigan Association of Realtors, local agents seem to be in favor of it and doubt that it will negatively impact sales. “I’ve been a fan of that (regulation) for years,” said John Martin of the Martin Company. “It’s a great opportunity to upgrade old or failing systems. I think it’s the right thing to do.” “I don’t think it will have a lot of (negative) impact,” added Rob Serbin. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all.”

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Taking Account

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This summer, Petoskey-based writer Alexandra Dailey attended a national Road to Healing event in Pellston—part of a year-long tour by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (a Michigan native) to provide a platform for survivors of the federal Indian boarding schools to share their experiences and grievances. On Thanksgiving today, as she and her white family members gather and express thanks for their homes, shelters, and jobs, she plans to recognize her privilege of not having familial trauma associated with the Indian boarding school system. She writes in the Glen Arbor Sun that she will be grateful for the healing that is occurring within the tribal communities—grateful that she was able to witness the beginnings of the healing that is yet to come for our Native neighbors.

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Will Leelanau lean blue or red in November 8 election?

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Control of the 110-seat Michigan State House of Representatives could be up for grabs this election, and the new 103rd District, which includes Leelanau County, might prove pivotal in that race. Facing off are Republican incumbent Jack O’Malley and Democrat Betsy Coffia, who has attacked O’Malley over his record on abortion and his casting doubt on the 2020 election results. According to AdImpact Politics, more money has been spent to win the 103rd than any other State House seat.

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Tribes lead effort to restore aquatic ecosystems

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The Crystal River near Glen Arbor in Leelanau County is one of the central features in a new documentary film to be screened on WCMU Public Television at Noon on Sunday, Oct. 2. Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems shines a light on Michigan’s first indigenous-led, multi-agency collaborative created to restore and protect the ecology of streams and rivers across the entire region. Led by the Grand Traverse Band (GTB) of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the Tribal Stream and Michigan Fruitbelt Collaborative includes more than a dozen nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies working together to remove blockages to the natural flow of water in Michigan’s streams and rivers—often called “the arteries of mother earth.”

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