Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who faces a reelection campaign this fall, spoke to supporters in the Cherry Public House beer garden on August 17. The event was organized by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and by Cherry Republic. Nessel spoke about shutting down Pipeline 5 and protecting abortion rights.
How is Empire still Empire? It’s one of the main hubs for the Sleeping Bear Dunes, it has epic beaches, and it’s right along one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the entire region. Yet, the town of Empire remains solidly quaint, comfortable, and relaxed. Sure, the crowds come through, and the beaches get busy, but the town simply swells with the ebb and flow, and returns to its steadfast self. There have been small additions with big, positive impacts over the years, but it’s truly remarkable how Empire has stayed a classic northern Michigan beach town. And for families with kids, it’s a place where they can be active, get dirty, and start fostering those uniquely vibrant lakeside memories.
United States Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Thursday, Aug. 11, before she traveled north to Pellston to meet with survivors of Federal Indian Boarding Schools. At Sleeping Bear, she toured Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, visited the Dune Climb, and sites at Glen Haven including the Sleeping Bear Inn, the cannery and Lake Michigan. Haaland’s visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes was the second by a U.S. Secretary of the Interior. In June 1998, Secretary Stewart Udall spoke at an emotional standing-room-only public gathering at the Sleeping Bear Dunes—the Park he helped establish.
Today, northern Michigan is experiencing unprecedented growth owing to some unique influences. Most notably, the pandemic provided an opportunity for many to work from anywhere with an Internet connection and through videoconferencing. Some launched their own entrepreneurial dream here. Others have come—and will continue to—to escape climate change impacts such as drought, wildfires, and rising coastal waters. Additionally, there are the “boomerangers”: younger adults who left the region after high school seeking greener pastures, eventually realizing that northern Michigan’s matchless geography, climate, and sense of community make for an ideal place to raise a family. And of course, let’s not forget the tourists, whose numbers continue to climb. Residents, both lifelong and those who have assimilated over many years, greet this influx of visitors and those relocating as something of a mixed blessing.
Suttons Bay is a 20-minute trip up M22 from Traverse City, a 15-minute ride across the peninsula from Leland, or just a half-hour from Glen Arbor. With young kids in the car, quick trips are key. The accessible location on the peninsula is one of the many aspects of this bustling little town that makes it great for young families. But there’s so much more. Even for those who have been coming to Suttons Bay for years, you might be surprised by a few things.
In the Grand Traverse region, being on a boat is almost second nature to many, both men and women. Women are truly, and successfully, contributing to our modern-day maritime way of life. No longer considered an exclusively all male domain, even here in the Grand Traverse region women make their own mark captaining boats of all sizes. “One of the greatest things I like to hear is young women wanting to captain a ship,” said Lily Heyns, Relief Captain on both the Tall Ships Inland Seas and Manitou. Get to know Heyns, Heather Jankens, Rebecca Hancock, and Stephanie Watkins in Sandra Bradshaw’s story published in our July 14 edition of the Glen Arbor Sun.
The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department has created a portal in partnership with Laserfiche to increase access for residents to view their well and septic records. The portal went live on the website with Leelanau County records in early 2021 and Benzie County records have been digitized and added this week.
Northport seems to reinvent itself every couple of years, with new restaurants and bars popping up or changing hands,new boutiques in town, and now even a stylish cannabis shop up the road. Still, a few things have remained constant. First, the people are continuously warm and hospitable, with that eccentric twist that keeps Northport … Northport. Also, it’s still one of the best places for families with small children in the entire region. As a parent, I think about three main keywords when looking to take the family somewhere: Food, playgrounds, easy.
The Old Town Playhouse (OTP) in Traverse City just finished a run of CHICAGO, the Musical. It created tremendous buzz as one of the best-ever productions at OTP. Directed by Brett Nichols, the show included three Leelanau County women who brought great energy, talent, and pizzazz to their roles. Karen Cross played Matron “Mama” Morton, Elena Sica Mosher played Katalin Hunyak and was a dance captain, and Miishen Willis was understudy for Roxie Hart, and played Liz in the ensemble.
The excellence of the singing and dancing by these three women was astonishing for an amateur theater production. The Glen Arbor Sun asked each of them to summarize how they got interested in theater, how their auditions went, how they inhabited their characters, how they navigated several COVID-related delays, what their day jobs are, and when we can expect to be wowed by them on stage again.
“We at The Foothills take issues of dependency and overdose very seriously,” says co-owner Shari Bernstein. Now, out in front of the café, is a white metal box that looks comparable to a newspaper carrier, and in it is the naloxone nasal spray. It is there for anyone who may need it, no questions asked.