Beginning Wednesday, June 11, 300 cyclists participating in the 2014 NorthWest Biking The Bear Tour will begin the annual five-day tour of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, Leelanau and Frankfort areas. Each day, cyclists will ride a looped route that starts from their base camp at Indigo Bluffs RV Park. They will visit the following areas to enjoy the scenery, restaurants, and tourist attractions of Northwest Michigan.
Andy Gale of Cedar is one such seeker who has made “waste not, want not” his personal and professional mission. The founder of Bay Area Recycling for Charities (BARC) discusses his visionary goals and the extraordinary growth of his six-year-old venture. BARC collects a wide variety of recyclable materials from both residential and commercial customers, offering both convenience and a cost-effective way to make their detritus “disappear.”
Futsal, while a relatively recent phenomenon in the United States (only three years ago, futsal balls were practically unheard of in Traverse City’s sporting goods stores, and had to be purchased online), has been a well-established sport for over eight decades in the rest of the world. According to the website of the English Football Association (the group was established in 1863), “futsal fever … owes a great deal of its success and all of its appeal to the streets and playgrounds of South America where the game was first conceived.”
Before the end of this year, Congress may approve “wilderness” legislation for the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore that — despite the implication of the word — would forever guarantee public access to the Park’s pristine beaches along county roads, to historic manmade structures, and continue to allow hunting and fishing within the Lakeshore.
Local nonprofits Buckets of Rain and Great Lakes Friends of Safe Passage are organizing a “music marathon” next week in Traverse City which, if successful, will feature Woody Guthrie’s patriotic ballad “This Land is Your Land” sung, over and over again, for 72 hours straight. The performance will begin at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 17 and conclude at noon on Friday, Sept. 20.
Local chef Jennifer Blakeslee of The Cooks’ House will team with Nasser Abufarha, founder of Canaan Fair Trade to hold a special Taste of Palestine on Sunday, Aug. 11 at 5 p.m. at The Box in Traverse City (425 Boardman). Guests will venture into the rich food culture of Palestine with a six-course meal, crafted with fresh ingredients from local Northern Michigan farms and accompanied by fine Northern Michigan wines. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to explore Palestinian culture, farming and cuisine among friends in a state-of-the-art open kitchen.
Naturally shy about promoting her own work, acrylic artist Michelle Hart Jahraus eventually came to the realization that if you want to make waves other than in a painting, you must put your art “out there.” The Maple City resident, and owner of Duck to Swan Gallery in Cedar, entered her 22” x 22” original canvas, “Cherry Orchard Reflections,” in the Adult Fine Art division of the 2013 National Cherry Festival poster competition and won, from a field of more than 100 entries.
When Sue Burns’ husband Kevin accidentally shrank her wool sweaters in the wash 20 years ago, she had no idea that their laundry mishap would be the catalyst for growing a creatively satisfying, financially robust business in Leelanau County. Unable to throw away her favorite garments, she cut and resewed the fabrics into colorful hats, jackets and sweaters for her two young daughters. When friends, acquaintances and even strangers asked where she’d gotten them, she realized she had the beginnings of a promising niche in the fiber arts market. Thus Baabaazuzu — the name combines the sound of a sheep with Sue’s nickname “Zuzu” — was born.
Endurance Evolution, the local marathon facilitator spearheaded by high school buddies Joel Gaff and Eric Houghton, will hold two races in Leelanau County this month to benefit good causes. On Saturday, June 15, athletes can run the Glen Arbor Solstice Half Marathon and 5K before the town’s BBQ and Brew festival, to benefit the Glen Arbor Park Commission.
Beginning on Wednesday, June 12, more than 300 cyclists participating in the 2013 NorthWest Biking “The Bear” Tour will begin the annual five-day tour of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Traverse City, Leelanau County and Frankfort areas. Each day, cyclists will ride a looped route that starts from their base camp at Indigo Bluffs RV Park south of the Glen Lakes. They will visit the following areasto enjoy the scenery, restaurants and tourist attractions of northwest Michigan.