New Third Coast, Leelanau county's premier Power Folk trio, will be in concert at the Old Art Building in Leland this Saturday (June 2) at 7:30pm. The event will be digitally recorded and used for their new CD, "It Is What It Is."
Plan on "dinner specials" at the 'Bird before or a picnic on the lawn and an afterglow party back at the 'Bird with pickin' late into the night. For more information or to order tickets by phone contact Patrick at (231)228-5524 or Seamus at (231)941-8667. Seating is limited, so be sure to get your tickets.
More about the band (including song clips) at newthirdcoast.com!
Photo Credit: New Third Coast at InsideOut Gallery by Bill Hauxwell
The Leelanau Community Cultural Center will hold an opening reception Friday (June 1) from 5-8 PM for their 2007 Artist in Residence, Fred Petroskey. You will be able to meet Fred, view a selection of his paintings and a slide presentation of a complete collection of his drawings and paintings. Workshop information will be available and refreshments will be served.
Get more information about Fred and view a selection of his paintings at the Old Art Building web site.
Photo credit: Pyramid Line by Andy McFarlane
News from the Week
News from the week included the arrival of the new Forty-five North Winery in Leelanau County, an announcement that the Traverse City Film Festival will assume control of the State Theatre (and show movies year-round) and a great feature about the history of South Manitou Island.
The Week's Weather
We had a very nice week of weather (though it could have been a few degrees warmer over Memorial Weekend). Still, quite nice for Northern Michigan in May.
May 24, 2007: Sunny & 80s (87Ëš/66Ëš) Record High!
May 25, 2007: Partly sunny, light rain and 60s (68Ëš/45Ëš)
May 26, 2007: Sunny & 70s with evening rain (73Ëš/40Ëš)
May 27, 2007: Mostly sunny and 60s (66Ëš/52Ëš)
May 28, 2007: Mostly sunny & 60s (66Ëš/52Ëš)
May 29, 2007: Mostly sunny & mid 80s (86Ëš/46Ëš)
May 30, 2007: Mostly sunny & upper 80s (90Ëš/64Ëš) Tied record High!
Click for the Leelanau news archive from May 2006!
The Traverse City Film Festival announced this morning that it would accept the deed to the historic Traverse City theater Rotary Charities of Traverse City. The nonprofit initially plans to have the theater open on weekends in the winter and seven days a week in the summer. Festival co-founder Michael Moore said:
"It has been our dream since we started the festival two years ago to bring the State Theatre back to life and restore it to its glory as one of the great movie palaces of the Midwest. Now, thanks to the generosity of Rotary Charities, people from all over northern Michigan will be able to see great films the way they were intended to be seen: projected on a big screen with great sound in an atmosphere where going to the movies can be an exhilarating experience."
You can read the complete news release at the festival web site, read Film Festival to Take Over in the TC Record-Eagle, and learn more about the Traverse City Film Festival which will be held July 31 - August 5, 2007 at traversecityfilmfest.org.
Photo credit: Michael Moore with the key to the State Theatre by Jennifer Hutchinson
The annual Leland Wine Festival will be held next Saturday (June 9) from Noon - 6 PM. Now in its 22nd year, it is the "Grandfather" of Michigan wine festivals and will include 15 local wineries, 15 local food vendors, and live jazz musical entertainment. For additional information, please call (231) 256-9382 or (231) 256-9971.
More at the Leland Chamber of Commerce web site including this Leland Wine Festival photo gallery. Another gallery at Flickr.
Also see the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners for information about Leelanau County wineries.
The Steamer Edward Buckley loading logs on the South Manitou main dock
Last week's Enterprise had an excellent feature on South Manitou Island that begins:
Its location was superb, and it was settled early.But the once excellent location became, with the passage of time, a liability, and residents drifted away. Today, South Manitou Island is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the days when the island was a hub of regional activity are long gone.
The island’s location athwart the north-south steamship lanes dictated a lighthouse, and one was built in 1839. New lightkeeper’s quarters were built in 1858 and the present 100-foot tower (one of the highest on the Great Lakes) replaced the original light in 1871.
There were more ships on the Great Lakes in the 19th century than the 20th, but they were smaller and more apt to need shelter when Lake Michigan became tempestuous. The island’s crescent shaped harbor was one of the finest natural havens available.
Read the rest of S. Manitou once a hub of activity in the Leelanau Enterprise and check out South Manitou Island at Life Along the Manitou Passage for more of the history of the region.
Photo courtesy Inland Seas Education Assoc. / National Park Service
You can get progress updates from the Forty-Five North Winery web site
Both MichWine.com and wine writer Sandra Silfven of the Detroit News are reporting on news that the new Forty-Five North winery owned by Indiana ophthalmologist Steven P. Grossnickle has hired accomplished Leelanau winemaker Shawn Walters, who has served as the winemaker for Leelanau Wine Cellars. Silfven writes:
"I'm the luckiest dude in the world," the 60-year-old Grossnickle said in a recent interview. He glowed about Walters' accomplishments, which include his sideline job making wine for the new Longview Winery in Cedar, and landing them a bunch of medals last year.
Joel Goldberg of MichWine adds:
"Opportunity is what it took for Shawn," said local vineyard manager Doug Matthies, supervisor of Forty-Five North's vineyard plantings. "Here he can concentrate on being a world-class winemaker. He has the opportunity to make $30 - $40 - $50 bottles and get on the world market with them."
Matthies told MichWine that the new facility is state-of-the-art, with the ability to do a full gravity flow operation and the capacity to make 30,000 cases of wine per year, although the initital goal is closer to 10,000.
Read Winemaker Shawn Walters Heads to "Forty-Five North" at MichWine and Leelanau Peninsula getting a new state-of-the-art winery: Forty-Five North in the Detroit News.
Photo credit: Pollen Heaven by {D}
News from the Week
The week's top story was news that Glen Lake runner Marissa Treece was named Athlete of the Year by Detroit Athletic Club. The award is given in recognition of the athlete's contributions in sports and also academics and community and this is the second straight year a young woman from Leelanau County has received this great honor (Leland's Alisha Glass won in 2006). In "sort of news" we gave a shout out to photographer Matt Callow, who will be the artist in residence for the Glen Arbor Art Association beginning next week. He will be doing a public presentation on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:00 at the Glen Arbor Art Association in Glen Arbor that I'm guessing will be very cool. (you can also follow that link to see a very cool slideshow of Leelanau photos).
The Week's Weather
When I look at the temperatures and report for the week, it doesn't seem like the last week was chilly and dreary, so maybe it wasn't. In any case, these last couple of days have been gorgeous and with lilacs coming out and trees leafing up, it's a great time to be in Leelanau - that's your cue to say TAKE THAT! to the weatherman and the gas man and get on the phone to make a last-second Memorial Day Weekend reservation.
May 17, 2007: Early clouds, afternoon sun & upper 50s (61Ëš/41Ëš)
May 18, 2007: Sunny & 70 (71Ëš/36Ëš)
May 19, 2007: Mostly cloudy & upper 60s with light rain (69Ëš/42Ëš)
May 20, 2007: Mostly cloudy & upper 40s (50Ëš/37Ëš)
May 21, 2007: Partly sunny & low 60s (63Ëš/37Ëš)
May 22, 2007: Mostly sunny & upper 70s (77Ëš/64Ëš)
Click for the Leelanau news archive from May 2006!
Apparently, in addition to being the start of the summer season, Memorial Weekend is also the time for flower fairies.
This Saturday (May 26) from 11 AM to 3 PM in Suttons Bay, Enerdyne will celebrate the natural world with a focus on Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies, emphasizing their connections with flowers and other plants. Learning about Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies can actually open doors to the world of horticulture, botany, natural science, and ecology as well as poetry. The event will be graced by a visit from the ultimate Fairy Godmother, Nan Worthington, who will tell some of her favorite fairy stories and perhaps entertain with her hand crafted harp.
Also featured will be the new game "CAMP!" by Eastport resident Tim Paczesny (who will be on hand to sign and play his game.
Also on Saturday the Leland Township Library is sponsoring a series of programs by Paul & Steveanna Roose. They open at the Leland Village Green with naturalist Paul presenting Michigan's Mysterious Wetlands from 1:30 - 2:25. That is followed by storyteller Steveanna presenting her Summer Flower Faeries Program with stories, poems and lore of ancient faery folk. Back at the Library from 3:30 - 4, participants can create a beautiful faery note card using pressed flowers, ribbons, faery dust and your own creative magic.
Call 256-9152 for more information - no registration necessary!
Photo credit: Faerie Flowers at the Village Green by Andy McFarlane
The Annual Plant Sale on the Village Green in Leland is coming! Last fall and this spring the Leelanau Conservancy Wildflower Rescue Committee dug up, potted and whisked native wildflowers out of the path of impending development. Now is your chance to purchase unusual natives like ferns, trout lilies and trillium, along with a huge selection of nursery perennials.
Sale begins Friday, May 25 and runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Sunday noon to 4 p.m. All proceeds help maintain the Village Green.
If you know of a site where wildflowers might be saved, or are planning to excavate your own property, call Rescue chairs Patty Shea: 256-9249 or Joanie Woods: 256-7154.
Village Green Plant Sale - Photo by Keith Burnham, Leland Report
