While the English often name their houses, here in the United States we typically do so only for our seasonal cottages. And the roads of northern Michigan are dotted with endearing cottage names painted and carved into roadside signs. Some signs seem homemade, others look professionally produced. Some are simple; others have elaborate scenic images and distinct fonts. They may refer to family name, the setting, the structure itself, values or preferences. A few declare that this is paradise.
This spring, Northern Michigan natives Jordan Bates and Jacob Wheeler (founding editor and publisher of the Glen Arbor Sun newspaper in Leelanau County) will relaunch the Betsie Current a community newspaper that will cover the dynamic, tight-knit communities of Benzie County. The Betsie Current will be your go-to source for local news and events, and coverage of arts, culture and entertainment, particularly in the vibrant communities surrounding Crystal Lake — Frankfort, Beulah and Benzonia.
The Congregational Summer Assembly (CSA) will host its 35th annual Arts and Crafts Fair on Wednesday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Assembly ball field on Crystal Lake. The fair will feature more than 100 artists from all over Michigan and beyond. Fair goers will find: jewelry of all kinds, from adornment made with old silverware to those made with semi-precious stones; decorative art, from pottery wall hangings to oil paintings, watercolors and fine photography of local landscapes; wooden objects of art – vases, bowls, birdhouses; children’s delights — American Girl doll clothes, books and handmade toddler outfits; handcrafted herbal soaps, paper goods, baskets and furniture; wearable art and more.
Fuzz Foster, along with original Beach Bards Bob Sutherland, Anne-Marie Oomen, Les Dalgliesh and me, and long-time Bards Bronwyn Jones and Joe VanderMeulen, kicked off the 23rd season of by-heart poetry, storytelling, and music on The Leelanau School beach on Friday, June 24.
Last weekend the Benzie Community Water Council held its first annual Benzie County Water Festival, a celebration and education event. In August of 2006, the first Michigan Water Festival was hosted in the Straits of Mackinaw City, but the festival has since moved to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, and even the far northlands of Marquette.