Share this:
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Print (Opens in new window) Print
- Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
Sleeping Bear Dunes hosts Maple Sugaring Days
Upcoming EventIt is maple sugaring time in northern Michigan, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is hosting its second public maple sugaring event. Maple Sugaring Days will be at the Dechow and Olsen farms in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District Saturday, March 2, and Sunday, March 3, each day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Experience the process of making maple syrup from start to finish and learn how maple sugaring has evolved over the last 400 years. Maple Sugaring Days is presented by the National Lakeshore in partnership with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear, and in collaboration with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ Natural Resource Department. On Saturday, March 2, join a Community Pancake Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., just down the road from Port Oneida at CQ’s Cabin in the village area of The Homestead Resort.
Op-ed: The Palestinian side of the story
Historical Feature, Letter to editor/Opinion“In Michigan’s primary election tomorrow, Democratic-leaning voters can either vote for President Biden or they can vote ‘Uncommitted’—with the goal of urging his administration to change course on the unfolding genocide that is occurring in Gaza with the ongoing complicity of the U.S. government toward Israel’s military,” writes Leelanau County resident and co-founder of MidEast:JustPeace Gina Aranki in this op-ed for the Glen Arbor Sun. Based on her personal experiences and trips to the Middle East, Aranki, a first-generation American of Palestinian parents, offers “The Palestinian side of the story.” Tomorrow’s vote has no bearing on how one votes in the November general election.
Old Art Building’s Blue Lantern Tea series counters information malaise
Historical Feature, Upcoming Event“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” Those are the prescient, portending words of Gertrude Stein, the American 20th century expatriate, novelist, art pioneer, and culturalist extraordinaire. Her words are still deeply salient—a century later. Divisiveness is easy currency—globally, nationally, locally. We have become, regrettably, media saturated and disconnected. The Leelanau Community Cultural Center at the Old Art Building (“OAB”) in Leland, most fortuitously, has provided a counterpoint — an antidote of sorts — to this malaise: the Blue Lantern Tea Room program — a reimagination of the historic, communal salon experience.
Cherry Republic supports local farmers during National Cherry Month
Business FeatureIn a significant move to bolster the agricultural community, Cherry Republic announced that during National Cherry Month in February, 2 percent of all sales from its six stores and online will be donated to the Farm Stress Program, supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Michigan farmers. “This February, every purchase at Cherry Republic is not just a tribute to the iconic Michigan cherry, but also a direct support to the heart and soul of our agricultural community — our farmers,” said Sara Harding, vice president of Marketing and Impact at Cherry Republic. The donation to the Farm Stress Program is a cornerstone of Cherry Republic’s campaign to spotlight the importance of mental health among farmers. The program, with MSU Extension, provides free resources including teletherapy, educational presentations, farm financial analysis, and business management strategies, among others.
Homes still pricey as Leelanau inventory remains tight
Business Feature, NewsSteady and tight. Perhaps those are the bywords to describe the real estate market in 2023 in Leelanau County. Overall, the market continued to slow down from the pace of 2020 and 2021. While residential real estate sales in Leelanau County for 2023 bested those of 2022, those totals lag behind the number of homes sold at the height of the pandemic. There were 377 sales for a total volume of $273,320,611 in 2023. That topped the previous year’s 358 for $268,182,620, though the average sale price dropped slightly, at $724,988 last year from $749,113 for 2022. Those numbers tell a different story than those of the peak years of 2020, 2021 and 2022.
La Becasse holds Caribbean night, Feb. 29
Business Feature, Upcoming EventOn Thursday, Feb. 29, at 6:30 pm, La Becasse, the French restaurant in Burdickville, will hold its almost annual celebration of the food (and rhum!) of the Caribbean, with a special nod to the island of Guadeloupe–timed just when we start really needing a warm-weather escape–even if it’s just for an evening (and in Burdickville). Typically five courses (details available soon), with paired drinks–our last event started with a Punch Planteur and ended with Rhum Coco, and featured wine pairings in between. Break out your Caribbean attire and come prepared for fun!
Creative Collaborators of Leelanau: Fernhaus Studio’s Kelsey Duda
Business Feature, Local PersonalityLeelanau County has long been a haven for artists and creatives, and the region is rife with individuals, businesses, and organizations working together towards common goals. For Kelsey Duda, co-founder and creative director of Fernhaus Studio, a hospitality group based in Traverse City, the region’s creative culture and collaborative community was a large part of what drew her to move to northern Michigan in 2020. In the three years since, the hospitality group has taken over Riverside Inn in Leland, Outpost (formerly Brew) in Traverse City, and perhaps most notably, restored The Mill in Glen Arbor, opening it in the spring of 2023 as a cafe. This summer, Fernhaus opened Millie’s in Glen Arbor, a pizza and ice cream shop where Riverfront Pizza was previously.
Sleeping Bear Dunes to visit schools with inflatable planetarium
NewsSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is excited to share that the park’s Interpretation and Education division now has an inflatable planetarium dome to enable immersive experiences related to the night sky, the Great Lakes ecosystem, and more! The dome was recently purchased as part of a grant from the National Park Foundation. A vertically mounted laser projector with a fisheye lens enables detailed 360-degree images and video to be projected on the inside, while a fan provides constant air pressure to keep the dome inflated.
Hugh Pool’s Cabin Fever Tour returns to Michigan
Upcoming EventGot cabin fever? You’re not alone. Fortunately, help is on the way. Guitarist and vocalist Hugh Pool’s Cabin Fever tour will touch down at the home of James Walker in Suttons Bay on Tuesday, Feb. 20. “WNMC has sponsored (concerts) and Mulebone played at (his) house. We’ve become friends,” says Pool. Mulebone is the bluesy duo with Pool and wind player John Ragusa, which has performed in northern Michigan numerous times. He and Ragusa still work together, and Pool is also part of an electric trio that plays in the New York area. This is simply a chance to play some dates that showcase a different side of his musicality. Pool also performed at Common Good Bakery in Traverse City and Peninsula Township Library.
Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail hits roadblock on northeast expansion
Investigative Article, Sports/AdventureA simmering feud between Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and TART Trails, and residents of Little Traverse Lake who oppose the northeast expansion of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is once again heating up. The popular, multi-use bicycle trail, which stretches 22 miles from Empire through the National Lakeshore to Bohemian Road, is set to expand by 4.25 miles northeast to Good Harbor Trail. Tree clearing and construction are slated to begin this fall, and the extension will open in late 2025 or 2026. But early this month the Little Traverse Lake Association released an environmental impact study the group had commissioned from Borealis Consulting, which found that Segment 9 of the Heritage Trail would require the removal of nearly 7,300 trees and trespass through sensitive wilderness, wetlands and dunes. Of the nearly 7,300 trees identified in the Borealis study, 82% are saplings or small trees with diameters of 10 inches or less. The Park has directed trail designers with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to “meander around the largest trees.” The Lake Association unsuccessfully sued the federal government in 2015 over the adequacy of the National Park’s 2009 environmental assessment.