Who’s to blame for the 20-month delay in transferring the title of Sugar Loaf resort from former owner Kate Wickstrom back to “new” owner Remo Polselli? Wickstrom received a contract back in March 2013 to transfer the deed.
The next Empire Area Community Emergency Fund concert will be held on Sunday, Nov. 30 from 4-6 p.m. at Joe’s Friendly Tavern in Empire. This month’s performance will feature Peter Bergin — an exceptionally talented musician both energetic and dynamic, a true artist.
On Thursday, October 16, Glen Arbor resident and business owner Chris Sack posted photos on his Facebook page that showed the basement of his home on M-109, west of Glen Arbor, flooding with water. But Sack’s frustration fell on deaf ears. Later that evening, at the Township Hall in Glen Arbor, State Representative Ray Franz (Republican) concluded a townhall forum by calling Climate Change “a hoax”.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Superintendent Dusty Shultz recently announced the issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Kettles Trail Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA). The National Park Service (NPS) has selected a modified version of the Preferred Alternative (Alternative 4) presented in the EA.
The Empire Village Council voted yesterday to implement and enforce paid parking at Empire Beach next summer, following what members perceive as a successful trial run in 2014. The parking meter near the picnic area, which charged visitors $1 per hour, generated more than $23,000 between July 3 and September 10, despite summer weather marred by rain and cold temperatures. Empire’s popular beach, which has 87 parking spots, sits in the middle of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
It was all about art in Glen Arbor, August 1-2, at the Glen Arbor Art Association’s sixth annual Plein Air Paint Out weekend. One of the largest plein air events in Michigan, attracting both artists and art collectors, the 2014 Paint Out featured 45 artists who participated for the Quick Draw on Friday afternoon and over 50 artists at the main event on Saturday.
Two bears walk into a Glen Arbor Township garden. No joke. How does that work? It works when a patron of the arts makes a gift of a limestone sculpture to the community. The patron wishes to remain anonymous. The artist is Gert Olsen of Jupiter, Fla. And the sculpture, titled “Father and Son,” is a modernist take on a locally iconic subject: an adult bear and cub.
The Leelanau Conservancy will hold its annual Friends Picnic and Auction on Thursday, August 7 at the gorgeous “Top of the World” property owned by the Gregory Family. The picnic begins at 5 p.m. and features a silent auction, as well as pre-picnic field trips, a Kids Tent and a special program. A local foods-focused meal will be served, along with local wines. Tickets are $30 for adults until August 4, when the price goes up to $35. Tickets for Kids Tent children under 12 are just $5.
The best overall male and female runners at Glen Arbor’s eighth annual Running Bear Run on July 22 was a married couple. Zach Ripley established a new course record, breaking his previous record, with a time of 15:31. His wife, Andi, won the overall women’s category with a time of 18:47. The Grand Rapids couple celebrates their fifth anniversary by camping in the area. “This is the second time we’re run in this race, and we love it,” said Andi. “This area is a little gem in Michigan, and Cherry Republic is one of our favorite places.” This is the second race where the Ripleys won the overall male/female categories.
Now in its sixth year, the Glen Arbor Art Association’s popular Plein Air Art Weekend is scheduled for August 1-2. Artists from across Michigan and throughout the Midwest are registered to participate in this special two-day event, which has become one of Michigan’s largest, and most popular, Plein Air Paint Outs.