Empowerment on Water: Female captain breaks boating barriers

Whether it is hobby or career they seek, it is difficult for females to enter the sport of boating. Sailing is especially challenging in northern Michigan, where weather only permits a six-month season in contrast to warmer climates that offer more time during the year to practice. “It takes a really brave person to go into hibernation and come out boating again after a long break,” said Captain Stephanie Watkins, a Leelanau County resident and possibly Traverse City’s first female sailing captain.

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Horndog Newt Cole is still Fabulous

This story proves the adage: Old musicians don’t disappear, they just change keys. Long time local musician/band leader Newt Cole and wife Deb sold their house in Florida and have returned to Leelanau County to stay. And already Newt has re-configured The Fabulous Horndogs with both former and newer cats and is revving up crowds around the area.

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Cherry Republic names Sara Harding VP of Climate & Community Impact

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Cherry Republic has announced that Sara Harding will fill the company’s new role of vice president of Climate and Community Impact. Harding will be a member of the company’s leadership team and will lead Cherry Republic’s newly formed impact department.

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Grocers Daughter Chocolate’s long-awaited gelateria opens in Empire

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If Jody and DC Hayden, owners of Grocers Daughter Chocolate, didn’t already win you over with their high-quality dark chocolate truffles, sumptuous cookies, or perfect-on-a-summer-day fudgsicles, you’ll almost certainly submit to their smooth and creamy gelato. In fact, don’t even try to resist. The Haydens will officially open their long-awaited gelateria next to the chocolate shop on M-22 in downtown Empire on Saturday, July 23.

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Nittolo’s: Pizzeria, fine dining, and now an exclusive club as well

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Eric Nittolo is continually upping the ante. Not satisfied with a trendy pizzeria, he added a fine dining option to his Lake Leelanau establishment—though to be fair, that was always the plan. Nittolo’s Pizza and Nittolo’s Seafood and Social quickly became hits. But he had another idea up his sleeve. He added Nittolo’s Powerhouse Speakeasy to the mix, and the members-only jazz club has quickly established itself as another success.

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Paddle wheeler “Discovery” tours West Grand Traverse Bay

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This latest addition to the waters of West Grand Traverse Bay, the 65-foot tour boat, “Discovery,” takes passengers for a tour on the bay by her capable owner and captain, Harley Hoy. He gives a colorful narration that brings past history back to life again for those listening onboard, as well as other little known but interesting tidbits about fascinating West Grand Traverse Bay, many of them even new to some of us locals, as I might add from first-hand experience.

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Trapper Ron comes to the rescue

There is nothing quite as upsetting as to find unwanted “guests” in our home or cottage. A lot of these newcomers we may see entering our homes have been hibernating through the long, cold northern Michigan winter. Now, re-awakening, they are eager to find comfy beds and free food. Enter Trapper Ron Baker, an amicable man, yet as professional and capable as can be when it comes to helping rid our residences of these critters. He has more than 20 years of wildlife control experience, and – if asked – may share some true stories and real hands-on advice for handling these invaders. This includes everything from mice, squirrels, skunks, ground hogs, raccoons, birds, bees, muskrats, coyote, and opossum.

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Singer/Gardener Chris Skellenger helps Northwoods Hardware

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Local troubadour and gardener Chris Skellenger and former Buckets of Rain treasurer Mike Binsfeld have created a new nonprofit called Row by Row, which helps economically challenged Guatemala women establish community gardens on vacant public land. Buckets of Rain previously taught bucket drip irrigation to communities in Lesotho and Detroit. Skellenger also plays guitar and sings at Boonedocks, Little Traverse Inn, French Valley Vineyard, Cherry Republic, and Lake Ann Brewery with an assortment of his musical friends. And Skellenger is the new nursery manager at the expanded Northwood’s Hardware & Garden Center in Glen Arbor. “We are so happy to have Chris Skellenger to help us get this going,” said co-owner Jeff Gietzen. “He is a skilled, legitimate nursery person.”

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Spotlighting Glen Lake student leaders

By Zinnia Dungjen Sun contributor Young leaders are more important now than ever before—in schools, in extracurricular groups, in sports, and in community service—as a changing climate, a global pandemic, and societal rifts pose ever more challenges for teenagers and young adults. We profiled five students at Glen Lake School who are rising to the […]

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Snowplows, kazoo corps, kissing Elvises. Anything goes in Glen Arbor’s Fourth of July parade

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“This has to be one of the only Fourth of July parades in America that include a snowplow,” joked the Glen Arbor parade’s unofficial organizer Stan Brubaker. “I called the Leelanau County Road Commission chairman last week and reminded him that we’re looking forward to see the snowplow there. Anything goes in our parade!” True story. Glen Arbor’s parade features antique cars and firetrucks, the Kazoo Corps and Cherry Republic bear, a team of Elvis impersonators, live music played from a flatbed trailer, and local newspapers tossed from a convertible. Anything goes.

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