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.
This Memorial Day weekend, the Leelanau Press will publish a new book by photographer Ken Scott of the rare ice formations he captured this past winter off the shores of Lake Michigan in Leelanau County. Through his lens, the viewer will experience ice caves in early winter, after a March thaw and refreeze, ice balls, ridges, volcanoes and pancake ice in a color spectrum from white to green to blue. Words cannot describe the beauty of these unusual natural ice structures that only a few brave souls have experienced.
Anderson’s Market has just completed the full renovation of their corner market, and is celebrating this and their 20th anniversary with a four-day food-centric block of events. Festivities kick off on May 20 from 6-8 p.m., when owner Brad Anderson and his staff will host a casual cocktail party with wine tastings, Michigan-made product samplings and other tastes of fine foods from around the globe. “It’s a chance for us to give thanks to our community and customers for their support by treating them to a fun evening,” Anderson states.
Again this year the students at Glen Lake and Farmington High Schools started many, many flats of vegetables in their greenhouses. We also received some growing space from Grow Benzie, Birmingham Groves and Mr. D’s at the Highland Park Renaissance Academy. We’ve got about 7200 baby veggies.
Gerry Shiffman, president of the Empire Area Community Center, reports that last Sunday’s Empire Area Emergency Fund Concert was a blast — and marked the two-year anniversary of the unique, community supported effort. The performers at Art’s Tavern were folksinger Jim Crockett along with Chris Skellenger, Patrick Niemisto and the gifted Beach Bards including Norm Wheeler, Bronwyn Jones and Joe Vandermeulen, who played to a full house. The impromptu appearance of Louan Lechler, Sandy Blumenfeld and the Leelanau School’s budding musicians was icing on the cake.
The next 5.5-mile segment of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail from the Dune Climb to Empire is expected to open by July. As part of the project, a donor recognition plaza will be constructed at the base of the Dune Climb to recognize donors of $1,000 or more. Donations received by May 5, will be included in the plaza this summer. After May 5, names on the donor wall will be updated once each year until the entire 27-mile long trail project is complete.
The Glen Arbor Art Association’s (GAAA) Artist-In-Residence program begins its 13th season May 4. Linda Beeman, an Owosso, Mich., resident specializing in Japanese woodblock printing is this year’s first resident-artist. Beeman’s residency continues through May 17. As part of the program, artists are asked to make a public presentation at the end of their residency. These talks are open to the public at no charge. Beeman’s presentation is Thursday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Art Association, 6031 S. Lake St., Glen Arbor.