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Boat fire on Glen Lake rallies neighbors. Five boaters, one dog safe

Soon after Jason and Jennifer Mott Paupore, their children and dog embarked in their 2006 Galaxie Deck boat on Saturday, July 15 for an early evening of tubing, they accelerated and heard a sudden bang and a pop from the boat’s engine. Jason saw smoke and flames coming out of the engine. He used the fire extinguisher to attempt to put out the fire, but it didn’t help. “We couldn’t stop the fire, so we hopped in the lake and let the boat burn,” said Jason. Conor McCahill, owner of On the Narrows Marina, pulled up to the burning vessel, hopped on board and took Pepper onto his own boat, “like a hero running into a burning building,” said Jason. “A huge ‘thank you’ to the Glen Lake Fire Department, the sheriff’s office, the McCahills both for their work on the water and their hospitality when they got us back to shore, and to everybody on Glen Lake who came by and offered to help!”

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O Pioneers: African-American settlers on Glen Lake

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The historical and human significance of the presence of the Johnsons and other African-American families in the Empire and Glen Lake area cannot be overestimated. To be there they would have had to deal with all the exigencies of frontier life, mainly the constant hard work and the ability to maintain good cheer and endure isolation. In addition, to get there in the first place, they would’ve had to have survived slavery, including the physical brutality and the trauma of family members being sold. They would have needed to be diplomatic enough to circumvent the laws that made it illegal for slaves to learn to read, write or own property in order to acquire the skills and the goods they’d need if they were later to escape.

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Rapid temperature hike causes unusual fish die off in Little Glen Lake

In early June, Glen Lake Association (GLA) watershed biologist Rob Karner reported a significant fish die off, the likes of which he had never before seen in his more than 40 years of observing the lakes and rivers in the Glen Lakes watershed. The die off included at least four species—perch, small mouth bass, northern long nosed gar, and sand shiners.

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Using riprap rock to save a lawn on Glen Lake

Michelle and Greg Christensen bought their house on the east side of Big Glen Lake in September 2016, when they still had a sandy beach. Within a couple years the rising water had claimed the beach and threatened to erode and devour their grass lawn. They hired Len Allgaier of Peninsula Pavers in 2018 to install stone riprap to protect their lawn.

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Fight COVID. Fight plastic. Wear cloth masks.

Invasive PPE masks routinely defile oceans but rarely the Glen Lakes. “Fight invaders,” says Jack Beam. “Fight COVID. Fight plastic. Wear washable cloth masks.”

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Glen Lake Association wants Overlay District to protect watershed

The Glen Lake Association (GLA), which turns 75 years old this year, is advocating for the creation of an “Overlay District” to protect the Glen Lake and Crystal River watershed. The initiative, three years in the making, is modeled after the Crystal Lake Overlay District in Benzie County, which took effect 25 years ago. A consultant hired by the GLA also championed the Crystal Lake district in the mid-1990s.

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Crystal Harbor Marina purchase, major housing development sought by On the Narrows owner

The McCahill family hopes to greatly expand its boating business on the Glen Lakes by acquiring Crystal Harbor Marina. But they face staunch local opposition.

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Local cops face-off against firemen this Saturday for Maple City’s DePuy family

Mandy DePuy and her two Glen Lake daughters will benefit from this year’s Guns-N-Hoses event on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Centre Ice in Traverse City. The annual Guns-N-Hoses game originated with Traverse City’s Sara Posey, a former Munson EMT, and her firefighter husband, Tony.

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Glen Lake Winterfest returns, Feb. 16

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Join your fellow hearty northern Michiganders for Glen Lake Winterfest, held by the Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce, on Saturday, Feb. 16 (President’s Day Weekend). Festivities include a perch fishing contest and chili cook-off on the deck at Boondocks.

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Christmas lights across the water

Frank Siepker, Jr., has launched his floating Christmas tree on Big Glen Lake for the fifth year in a row. The tree’s lights are solar powered. Photo by Taro Yamasaki

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