“Small-town America pushes back against authoritarianism” as Traverse, Leelanau Indivisible hold third No Kings national day of action

Traverse Indivisible and Leelanau Indivisible are teaming up to hold a third No Kings national day of action in Traverse City on Saturday, March 28, as millions gather nationwide to protest the Trump administration’s policies and politics, at home and around the world. Organizers say they expect as many as 7,000 people to march in Traverse City “as small-town America pushes back against authoritarianism.” In a city of 16,000 people, that would make No Kings Day one of the largest protests in Northern Michigan history. The march begins at 1 pm at F&M Park in downtown Traverse City. Click here to read our coverage in the Glen Arbor Sun of the impact of the Trump administration’s politics and policy on Northern Michigan communities.

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Glen Arbor designated as Tree City USA

Glen Arbor earned the designation of Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in late February. A small, but persistent, group of local business owners and residents decided that it was time to ensure Glen Arbor’s recognition of trees as being crucial to the natural beauty of the small town’s scenic corridor/backdrop and the globally rare ecology of the surrounding Glen Lake and Crystal River watersheds. They worked for over a year to gain community support and build a coalition, the Glen Arbor Beautification committee (GAB), and meet the standards of the Arbor Day Foundation.

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The Homestead nominated for prestigious award

The Homestead is among a select group of resort properties nominated for the Best Of Hour Detroit awards. The Glen Arbor resort is nominated alongside the likes of the Grand Hotel, Inn at Bay Harbor, Hotel Walloon, Saint John’s Resort and others in the Michigan Resort category.

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Northern Michigan digs out of another devastating winter storm

Schools and most businesses were closed across northern Michigan on Monday as a winter storm continued to move through the region. The storm that started Sunday wreaked havoc Up North, with 31 inches of snow hitting Three Lakes in the northwestern Upper Peninsula while more than a quarter-inch of ice coated trees and power lines across the northern Lower Peninsula. The storm battered the area almost exactly one year after a devastating ice storm toppled millions of trees, knocking out the region’s power grid and leaving thousands of customers in the dark—some for as long as two weeks.

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Utilities work to restore power as late winter storm pummels Northern Michigan

The snow is falling fast and furious. Schools and businesses are closed. Northern Michiganders are arming themselves once more with shovels, snowplows and snowblowers. Nevertheless, the feared ice storm and threat of mass power outages that meteorologists warned us about appears not to have materialized—at least not in Leelanau County.

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Voices and Visions: Women artists declare “We will not whisper” at Alluvion exhibit

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For women in particular, art has long been a vehicle for confronting gendered, social, or political marginalization. Across generations, women have used storytelling, language, the body, performance, and self-representation to make experiences previously overlooked visible. That art resonates in present-day America—a time marked by rising authoritarianism, assaults on reproductive rights, threats to LGBTQ+ communities, pervasive gun violence, environmental instability, the humanitarian crisis surrounding migration, and now, an escalating global conflict in the Middle East. This tradition of female conscience persists today, urgent and uncompromising, manifest in the work of a cohort of women artists here in northern Michigan, presented in the exhibition “We Will Not Whisper” which is on display at the Alluvion in Traverse City until April 11.

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Bear Man’s lawyer questions Fishtown’s tax-exempt status, escalating Youth for Christ battle in Leland

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Business owners, local parents, and the Fishtown Preservation Society oppose Apollos Properties’ and Youth for Christ’s contentious bid for a special land use permit to create a youth ministry in a building they own in the heart of Leland’s business district. Now Youth for Christ is striking back and elevating the legal stakes of this battle playing out in a small Leelanau County town but with potential implications far beyond Northern Michigan. On March 10, Timothy White, an attorney with the Parker Harvey law firm, sent a letter on behalf of their client, Apollos owner Jim VanSteenhouse, to the Leland Township assessor and board of review. That letter questioned the charitable tax-exempt status of the Fishtown Preservation Society in the town’s historic district of fish shanties. The district includes VanSteenhouse’s property at at 110 North Lake St. where Youth for Christ wants a ministry.

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Leelanau Christian Neighbors announces expansion with new “Samaritans’ Closet” location in Empire

Leelanau Christian Neighbors announced today the expansion of its retail operations with a second Samaritans’ Closet thrift store, located in Empire. This new location aims to better serve the residents and visitors of the west side of Leelanau County, providing easier access to affordable goods and a convenient local donation center. LCN has officially signed the lease and is currently in the process of renovating the facility to create a welcoming shopping and donation experience. The organization expects to begin accepting community donations in mid-May. If renovations stay on track, LCN aims to host a grand opening and be fully operational by Memorial Day weekend, providing a fresh shopping destination just in time for the start of the summer season.

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Leelanau Conservancy completes land transfer of Sugar Loaf from Ball family. Stewardship work to begin this year

The Leelanau Conservancy announced in a press release today the successful transfer of ownership of Sugar Loaf, marking a major milestone in the community-led effort to permanently protect this beloved landscape. Plans for Sugar Loaf include a thoughtfully designed trail network for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross-country and backcountry skiing, along with universal access features, including a trail for visitors with restricted mobility. Plans also include a summit pavilion with sweeping scenic views, family friendly features like a sledding hill and nature play area, and ecological restoration efforts to protect native species, reduce erosion, and improve water quality within the Good Harbor Bay Watershed. The Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation, through its subsidiary, SPV 45 LLC, purchased the 288-acre Sugar Loaf property in 2020, and then subsequently funded the significant investment required to demolish the hotel, remediate the blighted property, and plan for its future.

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Glen Arbor Winterfest crowns chili, perch winners

Lucky 7’s took the gold medal for the best chili at Glen Arbor’s annual Winterfest held on the deck at Boonedocks on Saturday, Feb. 14. The crew at Crystal River Outfitters finished second. Boonedocks placed third. Meanwhile, Paul Blome won the inaugural Ken Fosmore Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament on the Glen Lakes with a 14 and 1/8-inch perch. Nick Rice finished second with a 13 and 5/16-inch catch. Madeline Carrol took third-place honors with a 12 and 7/8-inch fish. And Ron McNeal finished fourth with a catch of 12 and 3/4 inches. Proceeds from Winterfest are given out on senior scholarship night at Glen Lake School to deserving students to help offset college tuition.

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