With the Aug. 7 primary election a stone’s throw away, and with incumbent Curt VanderWall (a Republican from Ludington) vacating the State House seat that represents Michigan’s 101st District (serving Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee, and Mason counties), we submitted the following questions to four candidates vying to be our next state representative in Lansing.
In Northport, the nonprofit housing development corporation Leelanau REACH project hopes to establish a model for sustainable, quality affordable housing in both physical development and community philosophy.
A shortage of low-cost housing led Cherry Republic and The Leelanau School to enter into a beneficial partnership in recent days. The Cochran Dormitory on Leelanau School’s campus is being renovated through a $30,000 donation from Cherry Republic which will turn it into a desirable and affordable summer lodging option for employees who work for Cherry Republic and other area businesses.
Wessell, the incumbent, is challenged by Republican Tom Van Pelt in District 4, which represents Leelanau Township, which includes the town of Northport
Soutas-Little, the incumbent, is challenged by Republican Dale Schaub in District 5, which represents Leland and Centerville Townships.
The streets of downtown Glen Arbor are packed these days with tourists, beachgoers, and shoppers. The tills hum at apparel shops, rented bikes and kayaks roll off the assembly line at Crystal River Outfitters, and there’s a hungry line out the door at Art’s Tavern. But “help wanted” signs on storefronts, restaurant entrances and social media appeals, have become as ubiquitous in our tourism boomtowns — in Glen Arbor and up and down the Lake Michigan shoreline.
If you want to solve Glen Arbor’s affordable housing problem, some say look no further than Empire. Here, the Sun speaks to several prominent village citizens who have varied responses to the issue of affordable housing. All, however, agree on one thing: they love Empire.
Skyrocketing land prices and high taxes have priced Glen Arbor out of the market for most service workers and working professionals like teachers and emergency medical workers. Over the past five years, we’ve lost countless professionals who have moved to other areas. But it’s not hopeless, say some.
Glen Arbor needs help — hired help, the kind that works for wages. Although the community turned itself inside out to help one another after the recent superstorm, the devastation left in its wake after the tree and power line pros left highlights a pre-existing problem. We who are of a certain age (and I do speak for myself) need young, able-bodied workers — desperately.
Many of Glen Arbor’s employers can’t find employees, and if things don’t change, some foresee the area’s economy drying up. Last year, three major Glen Arbor businesses — Cherry Republic (CR), Anderson’s IGA, and Leelanau Vacation Rentals (LVR) — were short an estimated total of 100 summer employees.