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Glen Arbor Sun’s top 10 stories of 2022

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For Leelanau County, 2022 was a year of new businesses growing in our communities, a year of celebrating historic legacies, and a year of grieving the loss of community pillars who left us. The Glen Arbor Sun’s top 10 most-read online stories of the year included homages to Beryl Skrocki, whose family business Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak helped popularize standup paddle boarding in Empire and along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, longtime Cherry Republic general manager Kathy Baarstad, and storied Glen Arbor realtor and Sugar Loaf ski coach John Peppler.

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Meet Fishtown’s charter fishermen

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The beloved Up North destination we all know as Fishtown has been a commercial fishing spot since the late 1800s. Located in Leland at the mouth of the Leland River, which flows into mighty Lake Michigan, it’s a portal caught back in time—a collection of well-weathered old fishing shanties, fishing tugs and charter boats that are lined up along the Leland River. Here we can watch hundreds of years of continuous history oozing with charm that unfolds, day in, day out. Here, too, we can still see and feel a connection to the long tradition of fishing in the Great Lakes, a tradition far older than even the country we live in. Visitors from all over come to visit and fish here.

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Leland Fishtown’s past, present, and the woman guiding its future

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Leland’s Fishtown is riding high these days, turning the corner on three years of shanty lifts and other reconstruction efforts imperative to preserving the future of this historic landmark as lake levels rise. This year has brought recognition on multiple levels, earning Fishtown a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and the Michigan Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation.

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Fifth generation son of Fishtown captures Leland legacy in paintings

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The Glen Arbor Sun caught up recently with Clay Carlson, a fifth generation son of Leland fishermen whose paintings capture the legacy of historic Fishtown. We asked Clay about his family history in Leland and the importance of fishing for each generation, what Fishtown means to him, what inspires his paintings and what they tell us about the history of Leelanau.

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A historic journey through Leland’s Fishtown

Leland was established on the site of one of the oldest and largest Ottawa villages. These peoples migrated to the Great Lakes region around 1200 CE. Today, this charming town is a top tourist destination and has been for many years.

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Leland Gal moves temporarily out of Fishtown to downtown

Leland Gal Maggie Revel Mielczarek will temporarily move her creative fabrics and designer thread shop from Fishtown to the corner of River & Main in the heart of Leland. The new open-air market, dubbed “Leland Gal Under the Arbor” is the result of support from Benjamin Maier Ceramics and Dawn Fisher of River & Main. Mielczarek will set up and tear down each day and remain open daily from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., except when it rains.

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Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, Carlson’s in Leland Fishtown reopen May 15

Cherry Republic will open all six of its Michigan stores this weekend. Cherry Public House, the restaurant and brewpub on the flagship Glen Arbor campus will open Friday from noon until 8 p.m. and hold those hours through the following week. Cherry Republic may extend hours for Memorial weekend. Check out our interview with Cherry Republic president Bob Sutherland about the decision to reopen now, what will be different about the shopping experience, and the biggest hurdles he, his family and his staff have had to overcome during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Cheese Shanty closing, but Leland Fishtown remains open

Following news that the popular Cheese Shanty lunch joint in Leland’s historic Fishtown is closing early this year due to high water levels, Fishtown Preservation executive director Amanda Holmes issued wanted the public to know that Fishtown remains open. She wrote the following letter on Wednesday, Oct. 2:

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High water levels hit locals in the wallet

June swelled Lake Michigan by another 4 inches which is bad news for Megan Grosvenor Munoz, whose family owns and operates Manitou Island Transit. The company ferries passengers on pleasure tours to the Manitou Islands out of Leland. This spring and summer, they’ve had to cancel four or five trips, Munoz says, “because we can’t get people on South [Manitou] safely” due to water splashing over the dock on the island.”

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Run like a fish at the Fishtown 5K

Leland’s annual 2019 Friends of Fishtown 5K will be held Saturday, July 20, at 9 am in Historic Fishtown. Starting and finishing in Fishtown, the route takes participants through the beautiful streets of Leland, and along the Leland River.

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