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Cleveland Township Board stops proposed Maple City Dollar General with zoning, building moratorium

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Twice in 2019 Dollar General tried to build stores in Leelanau County. Twice the discount chain goliath was defeated by local zoning and citizen opposition. Leelanau remains the only county in Michigan without a discount chain store. Midwest V, the same company that targeted Maple City and Empire six years ago, now wants to build a dollar store at the corner of Maple City Road and Cemetery Road in Cleveland Township — 0.6 miles north of downtown Maple City. The Cleveland Township Planning Commission will hold a public hearing about the proposed development on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7 pm at the Township Hall.

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Dollar stores squeeze rural grocery stores

Among the biggest stories of 2019 has been attempts by dollar stores to gain a foothold in Leelanau County. Zoning regulations and citizen opposition in Kasson Township stopped a bid in Maple City this spring; then Empire instituted a 6-month moratorium on new commercial development on July 17 to prevent a contractor that works with Dollar General from purchasing land in the village.

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Glen Arbor Sun sister publication, the Betsie Current, relaunches in Benzie County

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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.

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A David vs. Goliath tale of trademark infringement

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Corporate giants Huffington Post, owned by AOL, and food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill have collaborated on a new blog about food named Food for Thought. A small 18-year-old food company in Northern Michigan, however, trademarked the name Food for Thought years ago, and has been writing a blog about food for some time. Is this a case of a huge company stepping on the toes of a small business, or is it simply corporate oversight? Timothy Young, of Food for Thought, Inc, has launched a campaign to get his trademark recognized by the corporate giants.

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Help Cherry Bowl Drive-In get digital equipment

The Honda corporation is holding a lotto for five of America’s Drive-Ins and will pay for the conversion from analog to digital for the theater that gets the most votes. The Honor Area Restoration Project encourages residents of Leelanau and Benzie Counties to vote once a day until Sept. 9 and support the Honor-based Cherry Bowl Drive-In.

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Green Cuisine rolls out sustainable carpet on July 13

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Green Cuisine, scheduled this year for Wednesday, July 13 from 5-8 p.m., is Michigan’s first zero waste event and an expression of Food for Thought’s mission to “raise awareness around just and sustainable food systems” and an effort to promote the best in local food and sustainable business practices.

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The Honor Area Restoration Project

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Residents in the village of Honor have banded together to form the Honor Area Restoration Project (HARP) to restore their home to the magical place they once knew. Formed only seven months ago when three local businesswomen decided to hold a meeting to stop the decline of what they saw as a dying town, HARP has big plans for the small village’s future. HARP knows that in order to get the entire area on board, they have to show villagers they can get things done. And that first step towards a brighter future is putting in a sidewalk that will connect the downtown to the shopping plaza, making the short trip safe to walk or cycle.

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Locals run across Ethiopia

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In January, a contingent of northern Michiganders will run 250 miles across Ethiopia, from the capital, Addis Ababa, to the Yirgachefe coffee growing region in the southern part of the ancient East African nation, as part of a campaign to generate awareness and raise $100,000 for local education projects, including the construction of much-needed schools in coffee-harvesting communities.

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