Leland

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Missing the Manitous

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A visit to the Manitou Islands requires focus and strategy to navigate abundant poison ivy, black flies, mosquitos, and ticks. Although many fall in love at first sight with this pair of remote islands in northern Lake Michigan, part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, some may wonder what the draw is, as they disembark onto either of these windswept, buggy, and vegetation-dense islands, writes Abby Chatfield. With the Manitou Islands all but closed to visitors this year (unless you have a private boat)—as the National Lakeshore rebuilds the docks, we are reflecting on the Manitous with an ongoing series about experiences we’ve had on the islands.

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What’s in a name? Truths and mistruths behind Leelanau’s names

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So said Juliet in the Bard’s most famous work. But would Leelanau really be such a land of delight if that’s not what its name really meant? Spoiler alert: The name Leelanau doesn’t come from any Native American source. That’s despite the stories that have sprung up around it, some of which were spread by the person who came up with the name. Many of the county’s locations have stories surrounding their names. Start with Sleeping Bear Dunes, the story of which is well-known. Mama bear and her cubs swam across Lake Michigan to escape a forest fire. When Mama reached shore, she looked back, waiting for her cubs. She eventually became the sand dunes, while the cubs became the Manitou Islands.

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Stick it to Leland

Viva the Stick! The Leland Stick hung on through blizzards and windstorms. For more than two years, a humble stick came to symbolize the spirit of Leland. Once hanging from a powerline crossing M-22 just south of Leland, the Leland Stick is no more. Around 3 p.m. on May 12, a tree crew clearing limbs removed the branch and almost certainly reduced it to undifferentiated chips. For many, it was the unofficial Welcome to Leland sign.

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Youth for Christ in Leland, Twin Flames raid, Trump’s government cuts, Art’s Tavern sells—Glen Arbor Sun’s most read stories of 2025

A controversial youth missionary group recruits inside Leland school and rattles the community; Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel orders a raid of the Twin Flames Universe cult’s home near Suttons Bay; Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore leadership and staff face cuts and uncertainty under Trump and DOGE’s wrecking ball; Barb and Paul Olson acquire Glen Arbor’s iconic Art’s Tavern, and tribal fisherwoman Cindi John survives a mass stabbing at Walmart in Traverse City. Those were the most-read online stories of 2025 in the Glen Arbor Sun. Here’s a list of our top 10, by online views.

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Honoring migrant farmworker graduates and their families

High school graduations typically celebrate the students. But a special ceremony held by Northwest Education Services (NES) at Creekside School in the Grand Traverse Commons on June 21 honored not just local migrant farmworker graduates but also their hardworking families. A page on the foldout printed program declared ¡Sí se pudo! “Yes they could” with a silhouette of graduates in caps and gowns tossing their tassels overlaying a scene of an apple orchard. Ellos creyeron que podían, así que lo hicieron. “They believed they could, and they did it.” “The motivation for holding a separate celebration was to celebrate the parents as well,” said NES bilingual parent liaison Beatriz Moreno. “Parents go through great struggles and sacrifices to help lead their children to graduation. Many of our parents did not get an education or had limited schooling. This is a thank you to our parents for helping get to graduation.” This was the first year the migrant graduation ceremony was held since 1997, when Moreno, herself, graduated from Leland.

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The Telgards and tales of a Leland legacy

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Change is difficult for many people, but it is also challenging to lead change. This is what the Telgards have been doing for five generations in Leland and how they became a local legacy family influential in protecting the town’s heritage and character, writes Abby Chatfield. The Telgards own the iconic Bluebird Restaurant and Tavern, which was recently demolished and is being rebuilt. Common threads throughout the family’s history are forward thought towards its future generations’ ability to thrive and the important role they play in providing a social hub for the community. Their reputation is based on a foundation of consideration for their community’s needs—not an easy role to maintain for well over a century.

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5 Loaves 2 Fish hosts fundraiser

Mark your calendars. 5 Loaves 2 Fish will host its second annual “Big Change Equals Big Change” fundraiser on Tuesday, Aug. 22. The fun starts at 6 p.m. at Main Street Gallery’s magical spot along the Leland River, and attendees will be treated to music by Geno and the Big Change Band; hotdogs and brats (featuring authentic Detroit Coney Sauce) courtesy of Franklin’s Wiener Wagon; fresh and inventive salads; Janiecake’s cupcakes; complimentary beer and wine; and our signature Big Change cocktail for $5. 

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Leland, Glen Arbor hold Labor Day Bridge Walks

Labor Day bridge walks will be held Monday, Sept. 2, both in Leland and in Glen Arbor at high noon.

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Leelanau farmers markets yield fall bounty

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One of the highlights of living or vacationing in Leelanau County during the summer is the proliferation of fresh fruits and vegetables and locally produced meats, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, jams and jellies, flowers and baked goods found at roadside stands and farmers markets. For many, a weekly, or twice weekly, visit to one of the county’s five farmers markets is a tradition, not only for purchasing local products but for chatting with vendors, socializing with other customers (and dogs!) and taking photos.

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Orchards and Orphans — a Love Story

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They met in the summer of 2012. Still in college, she had come north from a suburb of Detroit to take a job as a waitress at the Cove in Leland. He was managing The Cyclery in Glen Arbor and beginning to think about ways to create a high-density apple orchard in the hills above Lake Michigan, land his family has farmed since they came from Bohemia in the 1870s. They had friends in common. Her best friend, Bradi Pasch, from college, was the sister of one of his best friends, Dave Pasch, a young man who was his partner in the orchard enterprise. He is Brad Houdek. She is Gina Wymore.

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