Resistance awakes as “Hands Off” rallies energize Northern Michigan against Trump

As many as 4,000 demonstrators rallied at the Traverse City Governmental Center on Saturday, April 5, as part of nationwide “Hands Off” protests to oppose the Trump administration’s aggressive policies on trade tariffs, cuts to social services, health programs and National Parks, and threats against immigrants and free speech. Hundreds more protested along state highways in towns including Benzonia and Suttons Bay. Huge crowds at the “Hands Off” rallies suggested that the resistance to Trump’s policies has awoken.

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April Fools’ Day: Trump orders mass deportation of Piping Plover, calls migratory bird “un-American vermin”

The Trump regime plans to carry out a mass deportation of the Piping Plover, an endangered migratory shorebird that nests on the beaches of Sleeping Bear Dunes between early April and mid August before spending the winter along the Gulf of Mexico. The Glen Arbor Sun learned the news when a reporter was inadvertently added to an unencrypted text message thread between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “I want them gone. Gone from our Beautiful Country!” wrote Trump. “Those birds are Losers. They’re un-American, they’re vermin!”

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Piping Plover citizen volunteers sought, with Sleeping Bear Dunes employment in flux

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Ready or not, here they come. The endangered, migratory Piping Plover birds will return to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in April and set up their stony nests—regardless of National Park staff cuts and federal politics. Sleeping Bear staff might not be able to hire all the seasonal employees it needs to work with the shorebirds—or those workers might not arrive on time—since the federal hiring process resumed late in the winter. In their potential absence, volunteers are stepping forward. Grawn resident Maryellen Newport is recruiting local volunteers to monitor and protect the Piping Plover from predators. Read the story for a link to sign up.

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Benzie-Leelanau Health Department prepares for measles, holds vaccination clinics April 7-8

With multiple measles outbreaks occurring nationwide and Michigan confirming its first case of 2025 this past weekend, the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department is taking proactive steps to prepare for potential cases in Benzie and Leelanau Counties. “Approximately 81-83% of school-aged children in Benzie and Leelanau Counties are vaccinated against measles,” said Dan Thorell, health officer at the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. “That still leaves around 17-19% vulnerable to infection if measles reaches our community.” To prepare for potential cases, the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department is working with school administrators to provide information on measles and prevention strategies. Additionally, the department will host measles vaccination clinics with after-school hours on April 7 at its Leelanau County office and April 8 at its Benzie County office, making it easier for parents to get their children vaccinated. The measles vaccine is also available through other local health departments and through your physician.

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Leelanau Conservancy adds Phyl’s Forest preserve in Suttons Bay

Thanks to support from Ray and Jan Pezzi, the Leelanau Conservancy has preserved a vital wetland near the Leo Creek Preserve south of Suttons Bay, ensuring the protection of one of nature’s most precious resources. Their generosity has paved the way for Phyl’s Forest to become the newest preserve under the Leelanau Conservancy’s care, joining 29 other protected natural areas and preserves. The preserve, which will remain wild and full of life, is 67 acres and named in honor of Phyllis Stites, the late mother of Jan Pezzi.

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Nourishing body, mind and spirit: yoga and holistic wellness is on the rise in Leelanau

It’s 6 a.m. on a chilly March morning, and Leelanau County residents are filtering into a warm candlelit room for mysore ashtanga yoga. They quietly roll out their yoga mats and begin to move and breathe in a meditative flow. Later in the day, others will gather in a sunlit studio on the Leland River. They will slowly stretch and listen for the messages their bodies and breath hold. Some practice yoga daily, some weekly, and some simply attend as often as they can. All appreciate the benefits they experience in a consistent yoga practice. The yoga and wellness industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, reflecting a global shift toward health consciousness and the prioritization of well-being on all levels. That expansion is apparent here in Northern Michigan, where residents and visitors alike embrace a variety of yoga and holistic wellness practices as perfect complements to the healthy, active lifestyles they enjoy in our lush natural surroundings.

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Glen Lake Association names Kate Gille as first executive director

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The Glen Lake Association has named Kate Gille as its first-ever executive director. Gille will lead the organization in advancing its mission of “preserving and protecting the water quality, natural resources, and quality of life in the Glen Lake/Crystal River Watershed through leadership, education, and collaboration.”

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Demonstrators at Sleeping Bear Dunes and nationwide stand up for National Park Service workers

Bitter cold winds and temperatures in the teens didn’t stop them. Neither did the catatonic state of the federal government as the Trump administration and oligarch-in-chief Elon Musk take a wrecking ball to the national workforce. Yesterday, March 1, more than 60 local demonstrators gathered at noon at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore headquarters in Empire to rally on behalf of their fired National Park workers and to protest the federal spending freeze that will delay the hiring of more than 100 seasonal employees who are integral to opening our National Lakeshore to 1.6 million visitors this summer. They marched through snow and wind from the Visitor’s Center to the Empire public beach and back.

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Reich’s Sleeping Bear Dune Overlook named Manitou Music poster

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The Glen Arbor Arts Center has awarded Barbara Reich’s pastel, “Sleeping Bear Dune Overlook #10,” the honor of being the official Manitou Music poster in 2025. It is an acknowledgment of Reich’s exceptional ability to transform a familiar subject into something entirely unique, and a testament to her extraordinary talent, writes Katie Dunn. Every year for the past two-plus decades, the GAAC has chosen a distinguished piece of art representative of the area, reproducing the image as a poster and offering it at an affordable price.

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Cleveland Township Board stops proposed Maple City Dollar General with zoning, building moratorium

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Twice in 2019 Dollar General tried to build stores in Leelanau County. Twice the discount chain goliath was defeated by local zoning and citizen opposition. Leelanau remains the only county in Michigan without a discount chain store. Midwest V, the same company that targeted Maple City and Empire six years ago, now wants to build a dollar store at the corner of Maple City Road and Cemetery Road in Cleveland Township — 0.6 miles north of downtown Maple City. The Cleveland Township Planning Commission will hold a public hearing about the proposed development on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7 pm at the Township Hall.

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