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Hot topics from the Leelanau Blog: Sleeping Bear Dunes on Good Morning America,
Mario Batali loves Leelanau, Leelanau Wine, Northern Lights | Sugar Loaf | Leelanau Cherries, Sleeping Bear Dunes
Karl Bahle shared a great set of photos from the 50s and 60s on Facebook of snow in Suttons Bay. Click here to see them all on Facebook.
Remember when there was snow all winter? Plus side - the Bay Theatre is open all year now!
Today's Michigan in Pictures notes that according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, Northern Lights are likely all week!
Ken took these photos of the Aurora Borealis from Empire Bluffs on July 15, 2012 and stitched them together. Check out an amazing time-lapse from Ken of that night's action below!
It's another year, and another winter that Sugar Loaf is no closer to re-opening.
Will this Leelanau icon ever return and offer scenes like this one from the 1970s on Waffle? Stay up-to-date at the Friends of Sugar Loaf group on Facebook.
Photo credit: NW Cedar MI Leelanau Days Gone By Skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain Resort... by UpNorth Memories - Donald (Don) Harrison
The photo above by John Levanen demonstrates just how low Lake Michigan is right now. An article in this morning's TC Ticker begins:
As of December 18, Lake Michigan water levels virtually matched a record low set back in 1964.
Andy Knott, executive director of The Watershed Center in Greilickville, says the level was computed at 576.14 feet above sea level, just .02 higher than the 48-year-old mark, bringing with it all sorts of ecological and economic problems.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers measures Great Lakes water levels daily. Mackinaw City is the closest reporting station to Traverse City.
“The water level of Lake Superior is 1 inch lower than its level of one year ago, while Lake Michigan-Huron is 17 inches lower than its level from last year,” the Corps says in a December 14 report. “Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are 21, 24 and 14 inches, respectively, than their levels of a year ago.”
And the Corps says levels will fall over the next month in all Great Lakes.
Read on at the Ticker.
The Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce shared this photo by Tom Kelly of the Inland Seas Education Association.
The photo shows record high water from 1986. Almost 30 years later we're looking at record low water levels on Lake Michigan that are just 2" above the all-time low from December 1948. Traverse City based AP writer John Flesher writes that As Great Lakes plummet, towns try to save harbors:
The Great Lakes, the world's biggest freshwater system, are shrinking because of drought and rising temperatures, a trend that accelerated with this year's almost snowless winter and scorching summer. Water levels have fallen to near-record lows on Lakes Michigan and Huron, while Erie, Ontario and Superior are below their historical averages.
The decline is causing heavy economic losses, with cargo freighters forced to lighten their loads, marinas too shallow for pleasure boats and weeds sprouting on exposed bottomlands, chasing away swimmers and sunbathers.
Some of the greatest suffering is in small tourist towns that lack the economic diversity of bigger port cities. Yet they are last in line for federal money to deepen channels and repair infrastructure to support the boating traffic that keeps them afloat.
Read on for more including how a federal budget crunch is making matters worse.
Ken Scott shot this photo of Plant Masters of Suttons Bay getting ready for the holidays. Many of these go to organizations in Leelanau who use them as a fundraiser - did you get yours?
Lots more in Ken's Suttons Bay slideshow.
The Bluebird in Leland is hosting the second annual Fishtown Benefit Brunch this Sunday, October 28th. Tickets are $30/person ($10 for children 12 and under), and include a buffet brunch and your choice of beverage plus door prizes, music and fun.
Proceeds support the Fishtown Preservation Society and their vital mission to preserve and protect Fishtown. Tickets can be purchased at: The Fishtown Preservation Society Office (next to the Leland Library), The Bluebird, Reflections in Fishtown, Tampico in Leland and Case-Daniels & Rae in Suttons Bay. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.fishtownmi.org.
After the ticket is purchased, call the Bluebird at 231-256-9081 to reserve your spot between 10:00am and 2:00pm. This is a popular brunch and seating is limited, so reserve your place early!
More from Fishtown on Leelanau.com.
Thanks to John McCormick of Michigan Nut Photography for this post!
"Graveyard Shoals" Wreck of the SS Francisco Morazan by Michigan Nut
Wikipedia says that the Francisco Morazan was a 1,442 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1922 as Arcadia by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, for German owners. She was sold in 1924 and renamed Elbing She was seized by the Allies in the River Elbe, Germany in May 1945, passed to the United Kingdom's Ministry of War Transport and renamed Empire Congress. In 1946, she was allocated to the Norwegian Government and renamed Brunes.
Brunes was sold into merchant service in 1947 and renamed Skuld In 1948, another sale saw her renamed Ringas. In 1958, she was sold to Liberia and renamed Los Mayas and then Francisco Morazan (for Francisco Morazán) the following year. She served until 29 November 1960 when she ran aground in Lake Michigan and was declared a total loss.
Fall color is here as this photo by Ken Scott Photography from last weekend shows. The color this weekend will be amazing, and whether it's a day trip or the whole weekend - now is the perfect time!
Ken has more shots of the great fall color in his slideshow, and we're featuring his photo on our Facebook. Also, don't miss the great ones on the Leelanau County Facebook and in the Leelanau (dot com) pool!
You're invited to join the free Worldwide Photo Walk at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore this Saturday (Oct 13) from 9:30 - 11:30 AM.
This free photo walk starts at the Glen Haven Cannery Boathouse is open to anyone with a camera who loves to take pictures and enjoys meeting fellow photo enthusiasts. They had over 50 people last year from all over the Great Lakes region last year, so sign up fast right here to make sure you are on the list!!
The photo was taken by walk leader Ken Snyder, who also took the photo above - see it background big right here!
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