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Glen Lake Library hosts Truman author David Roll
Upcoming EventThe Glen Lake Community Library in Empire will host author David Roll in conversation with Mel Laracey on Tuesday, July 2, at 7 pm. Roll, the author of Ascent to Power: How Truman Emerged from Roosevelt’s Shadow and Remade the World, will be in town to discuss his new book with Laracey, PhD., professor of history at University of Texas, San Antonio, and a summer resident in Empire.
Preserve holds Log Cabin Day event
Upcoming EventCome celebrate Michigan’s Log Cabin Day with National Park partner Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear on Sunday, June 30, from 11 am to 4 pm. The event this year will take place exclusively at the Boekeloo Cabin located in Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and Benzie County. Descendant Stuart Boekeloo will provide the interpretive history of the unique cabin situated on a cranberry bog at the end of a quiet two-track. The late 1800s log cabin location also has a walking path to Lake Michigan. Bill Herd, Preserve board member and retired interpretive ranger for Sleeping Bear Dunes, will also be on-site to highlight Preserve’s extensive preservation work on the cabin.
Miriam Pico’s joy in music
Local PersonalityIf it seems like Miriam Pico has been performing around the area for a few years, you’re right. But you may be surprised to learn it’s been nearly two decades. Pico is at least. “Next year is the 20th anniversary … of my first album,” she says, almost wonderingly. “It’s a big deal. That’s when I considered myself to be a professional, with no other job.” That may not be entirely accurate, as she’s worked in numerous settings or jobs over the past two decades. But they’ve all had music at the forefront. From a longstanding duo with pianist David Chown to current work with her husband, guitarist Ryan Younce, her child-focused “Mindful + Musical with Miriam Pico” and solo shows, she’s made music her life. “I’ve been able to make a living. I’m thankful. It’s not easy,” she says.
Sleeping Bear Surf celebrates 20 years with Beryl Days
Business Feature, Local Personality, Upcoming EventSleeping Bear Surf & Kayak, the beloved shop in Empire, will celebrate its 20th birthday this weekend, June 28-30, with “Beryl Days”—an homage to co-founder Beryl Skrocki, who passed away in October 2022 at age 61. The business is run by her husband Frank and their children, Ella, Reiss and Annabel. Click here for the full Beryl Days lineup. And read family friend Jim Lively’s reflections on Beryl, which the Sun published in 2022.
Twin Flames Universe holds covert Traverse City wedding
Investigative Article, Local PersonalityThe photos and cell phone videos suggested a typical northern Michigan summer wedding. But the ceremony held between Daniel Carboni and Cristina Fernandez on Sunday, June 16, at the Lodge at Hickory Hills—Traverse City’s municipal-owned ski hill—was anything but typical. The nuptials were the culmination of a four-day “Spiritual Life Summit” held by the Twin Flames Universe, a new age relationship cult run by Suttons Bay residents Jeff and Shaleia Ayan. They are accused of charging their cult members thousands of dollars while pressing them into toxic relationships and manipulating their emotional and mental health struggles. To avoid detection, the summit’s organizers used alias names when they booked Traverse City venues. Even so, an informal group of concerned individuals who call themselves Citizens for the Prevention of Predatory Commerce have worked behind the scenes, contacting many venues in the Traverse City region and Leelanau County and encouraging them to exercise due diligence if contacted by Twin Flames Universe. In February, the National Writers Series hosted author Janja Lalich—an authority on cults—and Twin Flames survivor Keely Griffin to the Traverse City Opera House for an event packed with drama, emotion and education about the nature of cults, then and now.
Pathways to Sleeping Bear hosts event series about Heritage Trail extension
Upcoming EventPathways to Sleeping Bear will host several events this summer, including happy hours and open houses, to share information about the Pathway to Good Harbor—the northernmost segment of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. Community members, visitors, trail users, and anyone interested in learning more about the trail are invited to attend these events. Open houses will meet at the intersection of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail and Glen Haven Rd. The next one is scheduled for Thursday, June 27, from 10 am-noon.
VerSnyder Orchards and Farm Stand
Food/Organic Living, Historical Feature, Local PersonalitySummer is that amazing time of year when farm stands come alive and are filled with a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables. Here in Leelanau, farm stands dot the peninsula and generally operate from June until November. The farm stands vary from a table underneath a pop-up tent, a pull-cart loaded with product, to a permanent structure displaying a farm’s produce offerings. The VerSnyder Orchards farm stand, which began operating in the early 2000s, is located just south of Lake Leelanau at 1530 South Lake Shore Drive at the front of the larger twenty-acre farm. This sesquicentennial farm was first homesteaded in the 1870s by Kevin’s great-great grandfather, Mathias VerSnyder, who arrived to the area from New York.
Glen Arbor artist Hoagland leads off Center Gallery exhibits
Local Personality, Upcoming EventLake Street Studios/Center Gallery in Glen Arbor dedicates itself to promoting and celebrating the arts with its annual summer exhibitions—titled “Center Gallery Art Shows”—serving as the centerpiece of its mission. This year marks the 34th anniversary of the weekly series of art openings that showcase local artists and include contributions from other prominent Michigan creative practitioners. They run every Friday evening from 6-8 pm. A total of nine artists will display their work this summer, June 28 through Aug. 31. To commence the 2024 summer season, Glen Arbor-based artist, Shirley Hoagland, will exhibit her pastel work. Hoagland has deep ties with Glen Arbor’s art community. She has been an instrumental part of the GAAC, serving as its vice-president in 2003 and then president from 2004-06.
Laughing in Leelanau author, legendary storyteller Scott Craig dies
Local Personality, NewsLeland resident Scott Craig, an award-winning documentary filmmaker who worked for CBS, NBC, PBS, Turner Broadcasting and HGTV—and later moved to Leelanau County where his plays, radio features, and stories have been omnipresent on the airwaves, at local restaurants and cafes, and on stage at the Old Art Building—died on Thursday, April 18, at age 89. A celebration of Scott’s life will take place on his 90th birthday, Monday June 24, at 4 pm at the Old Art Building, a place where he helped create a lot of theater magic. “I’m never happier than when I’m working on a creative project,” Scott told the Glen Arbor Sun in 2020. “I’ve only been bored a half a day since I retired … because I’ve always found something creative to do.”
Businesses buzz in Leland and Lake Leelanau
Business FeatureNumerous retail changes are taking shape in Leland and Lake Leelanau, but a handful of new businesses are creating quite a buzz this summer. Leland welcomes two new lifestyle boutiques, a locally designed clothing line, and a yoga/Pilates studio, while Lake Leelanau is home to a new consignment store. Click here to read about River Studio, Leelanau Goods, Goodness on Main, and Evergreen Consignment.