Leelanau County’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 coronavirus has been released from Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. The gentleman is out of isolation, free of coronavirus, and poses no risk to the public, according to Michelle Klein, director of personal health at the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department.
Here’s a comprehensive (and growing) list of schools, businesses and organizations in Leelanau County that are stepping up or changing their practices to help people during this unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic. (We’ll update this list, so please let us know who else deserves to be included.)
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is closing the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire. In making these decisions, the National Lakeshore is following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department completed contact investigation for the first positive COVID-19 case in Leelanau County and determined that, based on the individual’s activities, the risk to the public is very low.
Glen Lake Community Schools is delivering free breakfasts and lunches to families of its students who qualify for free- or reduced-price meals during the statewide school shutdown. According to superintendent secretary Bethany Pousho, this includes approximately 25% of Glen Lake’s 200 students.
Anderson’s Market in Glen Arbor is offering free curbside pickup and free local deliveries during the Coronavirus global pandemic.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is commemorating its 50th anniversary throughout 2020. The next special event is a “Spring Break Escape — National Parks Film Festival” held over four dates in March.
A volunteer group of citizens are working to identify who owns the Glen Arbor Township Cemetery in the woods behind Forest Haven Road and M-22, on land that borders the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Registration for the 12th annual M22 Challenge will open on March 1 at 8 am. The Challenge, which takes place June 13, has been voted as one of the best endurance events in northern Michigan. The run, bike, paddle event takes place in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which makes for a beautiful backdrop while racing. The 900 participant race cap filled up in three minutes last year.
The Leelanau Conservancy announced plans today to expand its largest natural area of over 1000 acres. With the Palmer Woods 1000-Acre Project, the Conservancy hopes to purchase 350 acres of forestland adjacent to the 721-acre Palmer Woods Forest Reserve near Glen Arbor. The Conservancy is now asking for the public’s help to raise the final $325,000 of the $3.5 million goal to purchase the property. The expansion would offer additional recreational trails, as well as add a new dimension to the property by creating a 5-mile shared border with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. If the project is successful, Palmer Woods will eventually offer 40 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing trails.