How do lovers of Glen Arbor who don’t have immediate access to our beautiful dunes and lakeshore stay in touch with their favorite destination? Chances are they follow the Glen Arbor Facebook page, which is facilitated by Paul May and his son Keenan (with help from Glen Arbor Sun co-editor Mike Buhler, and occasionally Simon Winograd, too). Paul May and wife Kristin Hurlin produce and sell their furniture, photography, ink and watercolor illustrations under the brand Glen Arbor Artisans.
Jeff Smoke, 35 of Buchanan, Mich., is not a newcomer to the M-22 Challenge, the podium or paddle triathlons. Smoke kayaked on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team and took first place at the 2011 and 2013 M-22 Challenge. In past years Smoke has dominated the paddle portion of the race and this is where he would win the event. However, in 2014 he picked up his cycling pace, which proved to make the ultimate difference for him, as Denny Paull was only one second off Smoke’s paddle time. Paull, the 2010 and 2012 winner, came into the transition area from the run well ahead of Smoke, but lost valuable time to Smoke on the bike portion of the race. Paull finished second overall.
The Glen Arbor Women’s Club (GAWC) has awarded scholarships to five Glen Lake High School graduates. The scholarships were awarded on the basis of academics, overall achievement and community volunteer activities.
Endurance Evolution’s third annual Glen Arbor Solstice Half Marathon & 5k takes place on Saturday, June 21 at 7 a.m. The event is a scenic half marathon and a 5k run/walk race in Glen Arbor. The half marathon will take runners around Big Glen Lake in a clockwise loop, starting and finishing in downtown Glen Arbor.
Glen Arbor Sun editor Jacob Wheeler took a spin Thursday evening on the newly completed Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail section between the Dune Climb and Empire. It’s a beautiful, hilly ride! Along the way, he interviewed Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Deputy Superintendent Tom Ulrich and Duneswood Resort owner Debbie Rettke, about how this leg of the trail differs from the Dune Climb-to-Glen Arbor leg, what the expanded trail means for the National Park, and for local biking in general, and how folks have reacted to it so far. Check out this video.
All are invited to join Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in dedicating their newly designated Wilderness on Friday, May 30, at noon at the breathtaking #3 Dune Overlook on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. A special program is planned which focuses all participants on the mission of preserving and protecting this special place now and into the future. The National Park Service is pleased to announce that Senator Carl Levin, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Dan Benishek will be among some of the special speakers at this event.
Maple City artist Carol C. Spaulding will conduct a painting demonstration on June 8 at 1 p.m. at the Lake Street Studios Center Gallery, 6023 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor. This demonstration is open to the public as part of the artist’s exhibition, “Color of Light,” at Center Gallery through June 26.
The League of Women Voters Leelanau County (LWVLC) will present a seminar titled “The Changing Dynamics of Leelanau County: What are the Opportunities and Challenges in our Corner of Michigan” at noon on Wednesday, June 4, in the lower level public meeting room of the Leelanau County Government Center.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Kettles Trail Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) is now available for public review and comment. This document evaluates alternatives for developing a trail system (“Kettles Trail”) on federal lands in the Bow Lakes area of the National Lakeshore. A public open house on the project is scheduled for June 4, from 5-7 p.m. at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center Auditorium in Empire.
The Empire Village Council last night upheld its initiative to charge visitors who want to park at the town’s prized Lake Michigan beach this summer. Anyone parking at one of the beach’s 87 spots, who doesn’t live in Empire Village or Empire Township, will pay $1 per hour at one, centrally located machine that accepts credit cards.