The Leelanau County Housing Collaborative, an effort of the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation, and its partner organizations are inviting residents, workers, employers, and community members to participate in the Leelanau County Attainable Housing Survey. The survey is designed to gather public input on housing needs and community priorities to help inform future housing solutions across the county.
With 2024 in the rearview mirror and 2025 upon us, we’re recognizing 25 “influencers” we covered in the Glen Arbor Sun this past year who are making a meaningful impact on Leelanau County communities, commerce, and culture. Read below about those 25 local influencers, who include everyone from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, to Leelanau Investing for Teens, to Empire’s polar dippers, to popular new destinations River Club Glen Arbor, the Sleeping Bear Inn, and the Lively’s NeighborFood Market.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the New Community Vision (NCV) nonprofit have reacquired land historically known as “Mashkiigaki” (formerly called Timber Shores)—which totals more than 200 acres along West Grand Traverse Bay between Suttons Bay and Northport. The Band gets more than 188 acres, including 1,800 feet of pristine shoreline; NCV gets 24 acres along M-22. The transfer deed was recorded on Dec. 26. New Community Vision has worked for two years to acquire and preserve the former Timber Shores property, which developers unsuccessfully tried to turn into an RV park until they were stopped by a ballot referendum in 2022. NCV is collaborating with Peninsula Housing to develop attainable housing on its portion of the land. Mashkiigaki is one of the largest undeveloped coastal properties in the Grand Traverse region.
You never know when a good idea will come to fruition. That’s Paul Hamelin’s take on the upcoming July 27 performance by students from Interlochen Arts Camp and the Aug. 13 performance by Livingston Taylor at the Ridge at Verterra. A longtime supporter of various charitable organizations, Hamelin and his wife Marty pondered what else they could do. The classical music enthusiasts considered the idea of music at their Verterra Winery, but not the typical singer/songwriter performers popular at many such locales. “I’m a fan of symphonic music,” Paul says, noting shows he’s seen at Ravinia and Meadowbrook, the summer homes of the Chicago Symphony and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, respectively.