Leelanau.com Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

Read on for the news, events and other happening from this week in Leelanau. You can get it delivered fresh and hot to your inbox by signing up at the top right of this page!
(more...)

Even if we paid our farmers more than the fair-trade price for their coffee, they still could not maintain a sustainable way of life because they lack access to clean water, dependable healthcare, and education for their children. On The Ground provides a way of breaking that cycle.”
~ Chris Treter, Founder Higher Grounds Trading and On The Ground

On the Ground is a nonprofit based in Traverse City. Their major project is the Run Across Ethiopia, a run that is designed to raise awareness and money to build and operate schools in Ethiopia's coffee growing region. Starting on January 8, 2011 and spanning 12 days, a small group of runners will run 400 kilometers across Southern Ethiopia. Check down at the end of this post for more about On the Ground.

October is Fair Trade month and they have a full slate of events to build awareness, raise money and (of course) celebrate coffee!

Open House Fundraiser for Run Across Ethiopia at Pangea's Pizza - Saturday, October 2 - 5-9 PM
Free Pizza, Meet and Mingle, and Happy Hour Drink Prices!!! Pangea is also donating a portion of proceeds from their Ethiopian inspired pizza to Run Across Ethiopia!

Downtown Celebration for Run Across Ethiopia at Crema - Wednesday, October 6 from 5-8 PM
Door Prizes, Live Music, H'ors doerves provided by Crema, Free Tasting of Leelanau Wines. Crema is donating all their Ethiopian brewed coffee proceeds for the month of October to help us build schools in Ethiopia!

Higher Grounds Trading Co. - Chris Dorman CD Release - Thursday, October 14th at 7 PM

Food for Thought - Run For Ethiopia - Saturday, October 16th from 5-10 PM
A special evening of running, pasta and film (everything you need to be happy in life!). Following the races (5K, 10K, and 1M fun run), participants and their families can hang out on the farm and enjoy a post-race pasta dinner featuring the launch of Food For Thought's new Wild Leek Marinara Sauce! After dinner, the movie Black Gold will be shown. Bring your running shoes, blanket, loved ones and help Ethiopia!

Lake Ann Advent Church - Joshua Davis in Concert - Sunday, October 17 at 7 PM

Old Town Coffee - Tuesday October 19th - All Day
Portion of Proceeds of Sales all day will go to Run Across Ethiopia

The Grand Vision Energy Working Group invites you to the first of a series of forums titled “Focus on Energy” addressing topics important to our vital regional energy needs. The forums will provide forward- looking conversation highlighting the energy-related challenges and potential solutions that require our focused attention over the next few years.

The first forum takes place next Tuesday (October 5) from 7-9 PM at Northwestern Michigan College's Oleson Center. Titled "State of the State's Energy Infrastructure," it features John Sarver, Manager of the Michigan Energy Office. You can read some of Mr. Sarver's writings on energy policy at Pure Ecos.

Pre-registration is encouraged but not required – just send an email with your name and the number of attendees to energy@thegrandvision.org.

Future Forums

November 4, 2010: Feed-in Tariff
January 13, 2010: Natural Gas Combine Cycle
January 15, 2011: Energy Expo
February 3, 2011: Hydraulic Fracturing
March 3, 2011: Energy Efficiency
April 14, 2011: Energy Economics

Photo: Whaleback by Jeff Gaydash

One of Leelanau County’s more famous geographical landmarks is known as The Whaleback, Carp Point or simply Whaleback. This distinctive point juts into Lake Michigan just south of Leland and forms the north point of Good Harbor Bay. When viewed from the north or south along the shoreline or just offshore, it is shaped like a beached whale, but I was told as a kid that Whaleback is actually named for its resemblance to a style of ship common on the Great Lakes called a whaleback.

Here's the Whaleback slideshow from the Leelanau(dot)com group.

Technically, Whaleback is a moraine, having been formed by earth and stones deposited there by a glacier. Specifically, The Whaleback is a drumlin, defined as “a long, oval mound of boulder clay molded by glacial action.”

Whaleback is protected by the Leelanau Conservancy as the Whaleback Natural Area. It's a beautiful trail leading up onto the bluffs looking out over Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands. The trail is steep so be prepared, but the view is worth the effort of the climb. The Whaleback trail snakes through an area that is home not only to a variety of animals, but also, in the spring, to vast swaths of forest flowers such as trillium and columbine.

Cool things to do on the climb: spot trillium and columbines in the spring, spot freighters passing by when you reach the top, try to name the islands you see.

Spring Specialties: thimble berries, bird-watching
Summer Surprises: monarchs on milkweed
Fall Fun: brilliant colors
Winter Wonders: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing

Heritage Day at the Empire Area Museum Complex in Empire will be celebrated on Saturday, October 9th, 2010 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. There will be demonstrations in the making of apple cider, ice cream, butter, apple butter, maple sugar candy, sauerkraut, surveying (the old fashion way) and other demonstrations using turn of the century methods.

Other entertainment and activities will include blacksmithing, woodworking, live music, recorded old phonograph and music box music and player piano demonstrations.

There will also be several old tractors, cars and bicycles spread throughout the museum grounds providing various demonstrations. According to chairperson Dave Taghon, our 38th Heritage Days Celebration marks the end of another great season of keeping our past alive.

For more info, call Dave at 231-326-5519 or email.

Photo Credit: Leelanau Empire High School 1909 John Fry Card No#3 by UpNorth Memories - Donald (Don) Harrison

Read on for our weekly email newsletter and sign up at the top right of this page!
(more...)

"We all think we have problems, but you come here and you see what problems are really like."

Join others in 12 locations around the world including Traverse City this Saturday, September 25th to walk or run 5K (or just come to a Fiesta) and change a child's life! Great Lakes Friends of Safe Passage will host Esperanza 5K and Fiesta 2010 on Sept. 25th at the beautiful Grand Traverse Commons, located at 11th St. and Elmwood in Traverse City. Following the 11:00am 5K run/walk and 1-mile walk, the 5th annual Fiesta (12:00 – 2 p.m.) on the Village at GT Commons lawn will feature food and beverages, live music, Guatemalan craft market, video and slides, and much information about Safe Passage programs.

Visit their web site for details, email greatlakesfriends@safepassage.org or call 231-590-6072.

Safe Passage is a non-profit that educates at-risk children of impoverished families working in the Guatemala City garbage dump. The 5K will unite runners and walkers worldwide in bringing hope to families seeking better lives. Here's a video to take you a little deeper:

Over on Pure Michigan they list the Top 10 Reasons for a Fall M-22 Roadtrip. A few highlights...

Wine Tours. Leelanau peninsula is home to over 18 wineries, many of them off-the-beaten-path. Visit tiny tasting rooms like Chateau Fontaine in Lake Leelanau, or explore the impressive Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay. Each as diverse and interesting as the award-winning wines they produce.

Stand on the 45th Parallel. M-22 wraps around the Leelanau Peninsula on both coasts and has the unique claim of crossing the 45th parallel, not once, but twice! So go ahead, get out of your car and take that photo next to the big green marker.

Dining Destinations. From car-side service at the A&W in Frankfort to the Bluebird's famous whitefish, dining options along M-22 are mouthwatering. For gourmet waterfront dining visit Blu in Glen Arbor or enjoy a casual meal at Knot Just a Bar in Omena. I’m hungry just thinking about it.

Kilchermans’ Christmas Cove. Do you like apples? Then you’ll love these apples. Kilchermans grows over 280 varieties of antique apples. Think that’s unique? Check out their soda bottle collection, over 10,000 strong.

Head over to the Pure Michigan blog for more and list YOUR favorite color tour ideas in the comments!

Photo credit: M22 Fall Colors - Leland, MI by danenmolly

Read on for the news and events from the week!

(more...)

I can't think of too many better ways to spend two and a half minutes than watching this aurora borealis video (and many more from Ken Scott). I didn't see any northern lights this summer. I feel like I did now though. Ken writes:
The conditions were right, the forecasts were for strong sightings, I was there ... but this is all I was able to record. Two nights of aurora searching, just north of the 45th parallel ... it's good I have an appreciation for the process.