Ice Boats III by Andy McFarlane.
News from the Week
As is normal this time of year, high school volleyball and basketball tournaments are the lead stories. In volleyball action, Suttons Bay and Leland moved on to Saturday's Class C & D volleyball regionals. In hoops, Leland is the sole county survivor and plays Traverse City Christian on Friday night. Other news included a generous gift to the NW Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation and an article about how county schools are still wondering how much of the money that they have already spent that they will actually receive,. There's also a photo of ice-covered pilings on Omena Bay that would make a great background – Joy! I'm talking to you here!!
The Week's Weather
I kept a little log for a few days this week – the sheer velocity of the weather seemed to demand it.
Monday: There's still tons of snow and it's supposed to get near zero overnight. I've heard of "in like a lion," but do we need quite this degree of lion-osity? There were gusts reported at over 50 MPH early this morning.
Tuesday: It's not as windy, but man is it cold! I thought we might be flirting with a record, but then I saw -16 from 1972. Note to self: Skip March 6, 1972 in any time machine travels.
Wednesday: We definitely got some snow overnight – white, fluffy, beautiful!!
March 1, 2007: Light snow and low 30s (32Ëš/26Ëš)
March 2, 2007: Light snow and low 30s (33Ëš/28Ëš)
March 3, 2007: Mostly cloudy, windy w/ light snow (30Ëš/24Ëš)
March 4, 2007: Partly sunny, breezy & 20s (30Ëš/21Ëš)
March 5, 2007: Very windy, snow & teens (30Ëš/10Ëš)
March 6, 2007: Light snow, some sun and single digits (17Ëš/1Ëš)
March 7, 2007: Light snow & teens (21Ëš/9Ëš)
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that Suttons Bay fell to Kalkaska by a score of 55-44 and then Kingsley defeated Glen Lake 59-40 in Class C District action.
In the Class D district opener at Leland, the host Comets turned it on in the 4th quarter to defeat two-time defending district champion Northport 62-50. According to One and undone: Comets foil district jinx in the TCRE, Leland coach (and Northport alum) Jason Stowe said:
"Northport's won it the last two years and we never got a chance to play them. The last two years we've been out in the first round. To get a win tonight was pretty important, to kind of get that little monkey off our backs a little bit."
Lake Leelanau St. Mary fell 56-50 to Traverse City Christian last night in a hard-fought game. Leland meets TC Christian on Friday.
Kenneth E. Bull has established two funds to help support programs at the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station and to provide annual scholarship money for area students pursuing a degree in horticulture at Michigan State University. The $26,000 gift will be used by the NW Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation as a challenge grant to raise $200,000 in gifts by the end of 2008. Foundation president Rick Sayler said:
"Mr. Bull continues his lifetime commitment to the fruit industry. Through his pioneering gift, he will be providing an endowment for a brighter future for area growers. The establishment of permanent funds that benefit the research station and area students is a wonderful way to insure that his generosity and leadership will leave an everlasting legacy."
Bull (age 95) has been active in Michigan's fruit industry for over eight decades. He raised apples, cherries, peaches, plums and pears on 500 acres in Casnovia Township and served as a Director of Michigan Farm Bureau.
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that the Leland Lady Comets captured their 9th straight district volleyball crown. They cruised over Northport 25-16, 25-13, 25-11 and powered through the final 25-13, 25-21, 25-7 over Traverse City Christian. The Comets are 47-15-1 and will move on to the Class D regionals next Saturday at TC St. Francis. Competition starts at 10 AM and Leland plays in the second match which will begin around 11 AM.
In Class C, Glen Lake fell in a tough match to Mesick 25-18, 25-19, 22-25, 25-22.
UPDATE: Contrary to what I read (or misread) Suttons Bay's spikers battled past Kalkaska 25-21, 25-10 & 25-22 in the opener and then swept Traverse City St. Francis 25-13, 25-13, 25-16 to win their third straight district title. The Norse will face Rogers City on Saturday at the Class C Regional in Gaylord (app. 11:30 AM).
Here's a photo for you taken last week on Omena Bay – have a great weekend!
The Leelanau Enterprise reports that county schools are bracing for a mid-year cut in funding (though March or April on a June-June year is more than mid-year). Governor Granholm's proposed budget preserved the increase in per-pupil funding promised to schools by the legislature last fall (which is also the number that they based their budgets upon). State lawmakers and are working on a counter plan, to which the Governor may in turn counter.
Suttons Bay Superintendent Mike Murray said "This ping-ponging could keep going until the year runs out. To not know (revenue) this year and not know what to expect for next year really puts us in a bind." Leland Superintendent Mike Hartigan added "There are so many unknowns it's difficult to say how things will turn out. We're at the three-quarters point of our school year and that money's already been spent." Glen Lake and Northport are out-of-formula and rely directly on the non-Homestead property tax.
Read SB Schools may 'Take a hit' in the Leelanau Enterprise.
Photo credit: Omena Power I by Andy McFarlane.
News from the Week
Stories from the week included schedules for Leelanau District tournaments in volleball and basketball, the launching of a web site for the Northport Promise, and a feature about the play Almanac of the North featuring scenes selected from works by Ernest Hemingway, Bruce Catton, Jim Harrison, Lynne Rae Perkins, Kathleen Stocking and Anne-Marie Oomen (to be performed this weekend).
The Week's Weather
We took a Snow Day this week and thought a little about how cool is it that Michigan kids get these random holidays through the winter – probably not many of those in Arizona. We're also in the middle of another today! Last weekend will probably be legendary in the annals of Leelanau iceboating for the amazing conditions.
February 22, 2007: Rain, snow & 30s (39Ëš/18Ëš)
February 23, 2007: Light snow then some sun & 20s (21Ëš/10Ëš)
February 24, 2007: Sunny & upper 20s – gorgeous day! (30Ëš/12Ëš)
February 25, 2007: Heavy snowstorm, wind & 20s (30Ëš/23Ëš)
February 26, 2007: Snow, late freezing rain & low 30s (34Ëš/28Ëš)
February 27, 2007: Light snow/drizzle and low 30s (33Ëš/30Ëš)
February 28, 2007: Fog, light rain & 30s (35Ëš/27Ëš)
Click for the Leelanau news archive from February 23rd – March 1st, 2006!
Leelanau Hills: A Steal of a Deal
