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Larry’s Dunes & Dogs fundraiser held in memory of Lawrence Boyd

Family and friends of Lawrence Boyd IV will hold a memorial fundraiser in Glen Arbor on Thursday, July 2, in honor of the Traverse City parking services employee who last November was shot and killed on the job. The day of remembrance, community, and giving back will take place at the Glen Arbor Township Park with a memorial bike ride at 11 am and a dog walk at 1 pm along the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, a kayak trip on the Crystal River, and a silent auction and dog costume contest from 10 am until 4 pm.

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Crystal River high water: an omen and a lesson in resilience

The good news is that the Crystal River is healthy. She winds like a lazy snake through wetlands protected by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, so when excessive rain or snowmelt inundate her environment—as happened during record flooding in early April—the extra water has a place to go. The other good news is that the removal of culverts in three locations under County Road 675 during the past five years has helped the river flow more freely and relieves pressure during high water events. The bad news is that two more culverts remain downstream of The Mill. Those culverts restrict water flow beneath Overbrook Drive. The other bad news is that scientists who study climate change in the Great Lakes region predict more frequent and more intense extreme weather events, including rainstorms.

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Glen Arbor Sun named local news media publication of the year, wins 18 awards from Michigan Press Association’s 2025 Better Newspaper Contest

The Glen Arbor Sun was named local news media publication of the year and won 18 awards in 11 different categories from the Michigan Press Association’s 2025 Better Newspaper Contest for stories published between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025. The awards were unveiled on Thursday, April 23, at MPA conference at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.

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Crystal River flooding compromises The Mill, residents downstream

Heavy rain in recent days has resulted in flooding at The Mill, the iconic restaurant and cafe just east of Glen Arbor, which remains open with regular operating hours despite the hurdle. Three culverts were removed in the past couple years upstream and under County Road 675. A remaining culvert downstream from The Mill, beneath Overbrook Drive, is underwater and stemming the flow of the river. The problem could worsen with more heavy rain expected tonight and in the days to come. The problem is not new, but has exacerbated since a late winter snowstorm in March and ensuing spring melt overwhelmed the river’s watershed.

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DeKornes take Crystal River Polar Plunge

For their 2026 spring break, the DeKorne kids polar plunged in the Crystal River this past weekend. As locals walked by, they said, “You’re definitely first in the river this year! Send to the Sun!” Pictured in this photo are: Kate (10), Klaire (7), Dan, Drew (10) and Jack (7) DeKorne.

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Glen Arbor designated as Tree City USA

Glen Arbor earned the designation of Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in late February. A small, but persistent, group of local business owners and residents decided that it was time to ensure Glen Arbor’s recognition of trees as being crucial to the natural beauty of the small town’s scenic corridor/backdrop and the globally rare ecology of the surrounding Glen Lake and Crystal River watersheds. They worked for over a year to gain community support and build a coalition, the Glen Arbor Beautification committee (GAB), and meet the standards of the Arbor Day Foundation.

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River Club celebrates one year in Glen Arbor

Since opening a year ago on June 24, and pumping even more excitement into an already thriving downtown, the River Club Glen Arbor minigolf course and outdoor lounge has hosted wedding receptions, corporate events, family reunions, many kid playdates, a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, the M22 Challenge afterparty, and at least one marriage proposal on the venue’s sky deck. Sheldon and his team built the venue on the banks of the Crystal River large enough to be able to accommodate both special events and everyday customers. “What’s unique about this place relative to the alternatives is that we can handle a massive amount of people and not have it overwhelm the system,” said Sheldon. “You couldn’t go to average bar or small winery [elsewhere in Leelanau County] and do that. Plus, we have live music, and the river, and food. People are discovering that it’s an ideal location if you have a group.”

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Crystal River culvert replacement project resumes

GTEC USA will resume its Crystal River culvert replacement work on June 15 at the crossing near the corner of M-22 and County Road 675, close to The Mill. This project will include removal of the existing culverts and replacement with a 65-foot steel bridge by the end of August. CR 675 will be closed to thru traffic from M-22 to S Westman Road, and rerouted for the duration of the project. Two previous Crystal River culvert projects were completed last year.

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Celebrating songs of Leelanau: Laura Hood’s “Eddy Up”

Our story series celebrating songs inspired by Leelanau County and the Sleeping Bear Dunes continues with Laura Hood’s “Eddy Up,” which the retired music teacher and Cedar resident first wrote for The Leelanau School’s graduating class of 2000. For the past 25 years, Hood has performed “Eddy Up” as the benediction music at the school’s graduation ceremony, sending the graduating seniors off into the big wide world, and giving the families and school community a moment to reflect on the growth and pride of such an important transition in life.

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Hunt for Easter eggs in Glen Arbor

The Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District will host the fourth district-wide Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 19, at the M22 Glen Arbor store. The afternoon will be full of Easter activities with spring drink specials and Peep S’mores by the fires. The event will kick off at 12:30 pm with the Easter Bunny arriving via kayak on the river.

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