The Leelanau News Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

The village of Suttons Bay will have a fireworks display over Marina Park on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend (August 30 - rain day Aug 31).

For information about the talent show, call 271-4404 or check out the Suttons Bay Area Chamber of Commerce web site.

This year the Suttons Bay Chamber is sending out a plea for underwriting funds for this event. If you have a spare dollar or two (or many!) and would like to help underwrite this event please drop off checks or cash at the Fifth Third Bank, Korner Kottage Bed and Breakfast (Jim Munro), Bahle's Department Store (Lois Bahle), The Business Helper (Jackie Morrison). Anything you can contribute will help to make this another memorable end-of-summer celebration for everyone!

The photo is Scheveningen fireworks by ** Maurice **

Isadore Farm (2) by smartee_martee

News & such

While we aren't updating every day during the summer, we will try and post news and photos and such here. You can also get weather forecasts and links to comments below!

• The enterprise reports that a Munson Medical Center and Michigan State University have announced the establishment of a new medical education campus in northern Michigan.
• Marty Hogan (aka smartee_martee) takes special care to document Michigan's vanishing farms, homes and other structures. I've long been a fan of his work and I was excited to see that he visited Leelanau a few weeks ago! Here are his Leelanau photos. He uploads all his pictures big and they make great computer backgrounds!
• The Grand Vision is a citizen-led land use and transportation study that will help to guide future growth in our region for the next 50+ years. Next Tuesday (Aug 26) from 6-7:30 PM at the county Government Center between Lake Leelanau & Suttons Bay there will be a meeting to update folks on the progress to date and on The Grand Vision Decision, October 7-28, 2008. Read this Enterprise article for details and also check out thegrandvision.org for a whole lot more information, articles, photos, video and reports including citizen generated maps of what Leelanau could look like.

Coming Events

This weekend we can find just about nothing going on - can you believe it??!!! For more events, check the Leelanau Calendar. (more...)

Pictured is the 2008 Manitou Music Festival Poster with an oil painting by Margo Burian of the Kelderhouse Farm located in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

The Glen Arbor Art Association invites artists to submit original art entries for the 2009 Manitou Music Festival poster. The hugely popular limited edition posters are sold at the Glen Arbor Art Association and selected shops and art galleries in Leelanau County.

Submitted art works will be juried by the Manitou Music Festival Poster committee. Deadline for submission is September 1, 2008. For guideline details visit www.glenarborart.org, e-mail info@glenarborart.org, or call 231-334-6112.

Skimming by Andy McFarlane

News from the Week

Here are some stories that caught our eye:

• The Grand Vision is a citizen-led land use and transportation study that will help to guide future growth in our region for the next 50+ years. Next Tuesday (Aug 26) from 6-7:30 PM at the county Government Center between Lake Leelanau & Suttons Bay there will be a meeting to update folks on the progress to date and on The Grand Vision Decision, October 7-28, 2008. Read this Enterprise article for details and also check out thegrandvision.org for a whole lot more information, articles, photos, video and reports including citizen generated maps of what Leelanau could look like.
• The Record-Eagle's Mike Terrel had a nice feature on the immense maples, birches and other trees at Houdek Dunes, located between Leland & Northport along M-22 (visit the Houdek Dunes Natural Area page)
• The Enterprise had an article about a cool new online database of over 7000 photos from the region. Visit the Traverse Area Historical Society to check them out!

The Week's Weather

Last weekend was a beaut!! Sunny & 80s! This week's weather hasn't been as warm as you'd hope - kind of Septemberish - but it beats most places! (view detailed readings)

The Leelanau Enterprise reports that the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum will host their annual Lobster Fest Fundraiser on Thursday, August 21st. The event benefits the lighthouse foundation restoration project and features a dinner with fresh Maine lobster (or chicken), redskin potatoes, corn on the cob, cherry cobbler, slaw, coffee, iced tea, beer or wine. With entertainment by Big Noise of Suttons Bay, it's an evening not to miss!

Reservations are required and may be made by calling 386-7195.

The also say that the GT Light is leading the JEN-WELD Window & Door contest but that we all need to keep that vote margin up there - vote early and often!

Photo: Grand Traverse Lighthouse b by The Real Ferg

Suttons Bay by Pierre Bourgault

News from the Week

• The Enterprise reports that the new lens for the South Manitou Island Lighthouse is expected in the area in mid-August. (just heard that this will be LATE August)
• You might see Halle Berry in Fishtown, filming a movie called October Squall. Then again, you might see her buying some smoked fish.
• The Record-Eagle has complete election results for Leelanau County and also reports that Ray Franz of Onekama narrowly edged Leelanau resident Mike McManus in the 101st District Republican primary. It was just 9 votes, so there will probably be more to come on this story.

The Week's Weather

The weather last week (view detailed readings) was pretty nice, with the exception of an uncharacteristically chilly and windy weekend. Good news is that the forecast for this weekend is great!

Todd was up on the Empire Bluffs yesterday and saw that this iconic tree had split (view larger). Here's a view of the tree still standing the night before from Todd and another on our Backgrounds page.

There's also a discussion of the tree in the Seeping Bear Dunes photo group on Flickr.

The annual fly-in and breakfast at Woolsey Memorial Airport (four miles north of Northport on County Road 629) will be held this Saturday (Aug 16) from 8 AM - noon. You may also drive-in of course and the breakfast fee is $8 adults ($4 children). In addition to small planes, there are also Coast Guard Helicopter and military aircraft (one year there was a C-130!), antique & custom cars and the Northport Community Band who will play from 9-11 AM. All in all, it's a great day!

Photo Credit: Woolsey Airport by Geoff George

Also check out this report from 2004 on the Leland Report and also this nice collection of photos from the 2006 & 2007 Fly-in from Jim Sorbie.

It's the season for sidewalk sales in Leelanau County:

Suttons Bay's Sidewalk Sale takes place this Friday & Saturday (Aug 8 & 9). More about the shops and stores at the Suttons Bay web site.

The village of Glen Arbor hosts its annual Sidewalk Sale next Thursday - Saturday (Aug 14-16). Visit the Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce web site.

Leland's annual Sidewalk Sale will be held next Thursday & Friday (Aug 14 & 15) and you can learn more about Leland at the Leland Chamber of Commerce.

Photo Credit: Glen Arbor Shops by tpepper

Sweet and Delicious! by Pentax K1000 Gal

News from the Week

• The Record-Eagle has complete election results for Leelanau County and also reports that Ray Franz of Onekama narrowly edged Leelanau resident Mike McManus in the 101st District Republican primary. It was just 9 votes, so there will probably be more to come on this story.
• If you search Election 2008 in the Enterprise, you can read articles about the upcoming election.
• Leelanau resident Joan Jackson addressed the National Federation of Republican Women at its 70th anniversary celebration in Chicago.
• Leelanau seasonal resident and Kansas Governor Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius will speak in Leland for Obama fundraiser on August 6.
• Over on Absolute Michigan we posted an article about summer squash, which is now ready to pick!

The Week's Weather

We had a lot of sun, a little rain and in general a great week of weather. Get the details from Weather Underground: August 2008!