Tom Karas recently published an article about the Empire Community Wind Energy Project through the Institute Daily from the Michigan Land Use Institute. It's worth a look about this very interesting effort that's under way in Empire. From their web site:
The Community Wind Energy Project seeks to engage the public in the research and development process of wind energy projects that have a net benefit to the community. We are a group of citizens concerned with the future reliability and sustainability of our energy sources. Community wind projects are locally-owned, commercial-scale wind energy developments that optimize local benefits.
It is our vision that Empire becomes 100% powered by a clean, renewable, and local energy: the wind. With the help and resources of the community members we can do this in the most effective and sensitive manner. The Empire area has ample wind resources to power the entire village or township, and we will be investigating how to do this socially, politically, economically, and environmentally with net benefits to all.
I think that community energy is a topic that we'll all be talking about here in Leelanau County and Northern Michigan - congratulations to the folks in Empire for blazing the trail!
Photo: Storm on the beach! by jsorbieus
Craig (cyoas55) has a great shot for anyone who's feeling twinges of cabin fever: just close your eyes and whisper, there's no place like home.
Be sure to check this out bigger, and if it's not enough, check out his Sleeping Bear slideshow.
Have a great weekend!
Mirrored Reeds by tylershumway
News from the Week
Stories from the week included Leland's boys basketball team advancing to last night's regional finals a falling just 2 points short to #1 ranked Ellsworth. There was also an excellent photo feature titled Garage Sale Culture from photographer David McGowan (w/ music by Lux Land who will be in Traverse City at InsideOut Gallery next Saturday night), Seth Bernard & May Erlewine's CD Release Parties at the Old Art Building in Leland and at InsideOut Gallery next weekend, a neat photo from North Manitou Island and the cast from the Wizard of Oz (c. 1912) wishing you a Happy St Patrick's Day. All in all, a busy week.
The Week's Weather
It has been sunny, sunny & more sunny. Like July or something - minus 20 degrees of course - and even the early mornings and nights have been clear and full of stars. I'm sure there's some dire consequences to that, but all I have to say is "what cabin fever?" in response.
March 12, 2009: Early clouds w/ afternoon sun & upper teens (20/5)
March 13, 2009: Sunny & 30 (33/4)
March 14, 2009: Sunny & low 40s (43/23)
March 15, 2009: Sunny & low 50s (53/24)
March 16, 2009: Sunny & upper 50s (60/26)
March 17, 2009: Sunny, breezy & upper 60s! (70/38) Just 4 degrees off the record high!
March 18, 2009: Mostly sunny & low 50s (53/33)
Here's the Leelanau News Archive from March 2008.
<Leelanau Almanac for the Week of March 19-25, 2009
Leelanau Almanac for the Week of March 5-11, 2009>
Frozen Monsters, Empire Beach by jsorbieus
News from the Week
The weather was front and center in the news this week: the State celebrated the first freezing of Grand Traverse Bay with a Rich Brauer film and a we had that huge dump of snow! There was also a cool photo of a fox from the Why Leelanau? blog and a photo from my dad of maple sap in a bucket (along with some syrupy good links). We also continued our reports on Boys & Girls basketball.
The Week's Weather
The week's weather was a see-saw complete with an 18+ inch dump of snow on Sunday night that played the part of the bully who jumps off.
March 5, 2009: Sunny & 40s (48/30)
March 6, 2009:Partly sunny & 50 (51/33)
March 7, 2009: Sunny & 40s (44/30)
March 8, 2009: Cloudy & 30s with 18+ inches of snow overnight! (41/27)
March 9, 2009: Sunny & 30s (37/16)
March 10, 2009: Mostly cloudy, light rain & 40s (47/29)
March 11, 2009: Mostly cloudy, very windy (40+ MPH) and 20s (45/17)
Here's the Leelanau News Archive from March 2008.
<Leelanau Almanac for the Week of March 12-18, 2009
Leelanau Almanac for the Week of February 26 - March 4, 2009>
In celebration of Grand Traverse Bay freezing over, there will be a screening of the freezing winter comedy feature FROZEN STUPID from Traverse City's own Brauer Productions. The screening takes place next Monday night (Mar 9) at 6 PM at the State Theater in Traverse City. Click here for the details from The State Theatre.
As the Record-Eagle reports (as this photo shows):
The bay last froze in 2003 and the time before that was in 1996, records show.
Ice must form from the southern shoreline of the bay in Traverse City about six miles out to Power Island to officially be considered frozen. Monday's ice eclipsed that standard.
NWS satellite images also show ice formed in the big lake from west of Leelanau County northward along Michigan's western shoreline, Brian Adam, NWS meteorologist said.
"There are some open spots, but there's pretty good ice from the Manitou Islands all the way to the Straits of Mackinac," he said.
Grand Traverse Bay came close to completely freezing about four weeks ago, but a couple days of windy, spring-like temperatures near 60 degrees broke up the ice sheet.
Photo: Frozen Bay, Pruning Vines by Andy McFarlane
Sleeping Bear Dunesmobile by Seeking Michigan
News from the Week
This week saw the return of Sugar Loaf to the news with a report that Leelanau County is seeking stuimulus money to facilitate the resort's redevelopment (Jason has nothing on the Loaf!). Other stories from the week included Gen Netxt, a new group for young professionals in Leelanau County (is it 4 U?), unfavorable reactions at plans to combine MSU Extension & Hort Research Station budgets and then slash them (agriculture is a bright spot, so the state of Michigan will try and kill innovation), a photo of the Glen Haven Canning Co., and the 2009 Boys & Girls Basketball District Tournaments (boys start next week).
The Week's Weather
The week's weather featured more sun than most weeks in July ... though the subzero temps meant nobody was fooled!
February 26, 2009: Sunny & 30s with evening rain & snow (36/28)
February 27, 2009: Mostly cloudy, windy, light snow & low 20s (26/4)
February 28, 2009: Sunny & teens (18/-7)
March 1, 2009: Sunny & teens (16/1)
March 2, 2009: Sunny & low teens (13/-9)
March 3, 2009: Sunny & low 20s - a beautiful day that looked like this (26/-7)
March 4, 2009: Mostly sunny & 30s (39/3)
<Leelanau Almanac for the Week of March 5-11, 2009
Leelanau Almanac for the Week of February 19-25, 2009>
Click for the Leelanau News Archives from February 2008 and March 2008.
Copycat & Meltdown, photos by farlane
This isn't really an official "Photo Friday" - I just had to show you all what a difference two days can make!
Frozen to South Manitou by farlane
News from the Week
Stories this week included a national radio feature on Leelanau Hoop Houses and CSA Farms, the winners of our Grocer's Daughter Chocolates Valentine's Giveaway and a look at the odd phenomenon known as "guerrilla knitting" that has arrived in Suttons Bay.
The Week's Weather
The week's weather was great ... for April. For February, I found it to be scary and upsetting as it whacked our beautiful snow cover.
February 5, 2009: Light snow and teens (26/5)
February 6, 2009: Sun & 30s (36/4)
February 7, 2009: Sunny & 50! (50/30) TIED the record from 1925!
February 8, 2009: Sunny & 30s (37/25)
February 9, 2009: Partly sunny & 40 (41/23)
February 10, 2009: Sunny, windy & upper 50s (57/37) Record High!
February 11, 2009: Rain & 40s (46/36)
<Leelanau Almanac for the Week of February 12-18, 2009
Leelanau Almanac for the Week of January 29 - February 4, 2009>
you can see whaleback by {D}
News from the Week
In addition to a Valentines concert with Breathe Owl Breathe, the Cherry Capital Winter Wonderfest and the new Empire Museum History Nights, we had a cool photo of Fishtown "Through the Viewfinder" and a report that the 2009 Tour de Leelanau bike race has been canceled. Bummer.
The Week's Weather
The week's weather was warmer on average than recent weeks. Of course the surface of Neptune is warmer as well. Except for yesterday, when it was about the same.
January 29, 2009: Heavy snow (over 6") and upper teens (21/16)
January 30, 2009: Light snow, windy & teens (19/11)
January 31, 2009: Light snow and 30s (35/9)
February 1, 2009: Sunny, breezy & 30s (38/20)
February 2, 2009: Cloudy, light snow and upper 20s (29/8)
February 3, 2009: Clouds, light snow and upper teens (19/3)
February 4, 2009: Morning snow, afternoon sun and 10 (12/-2)
<Leelanau Almanac for the Week of February 5 - February 11, 2009
Leelanau Almanac for the Week of January 22-28, 2009>
Click for the Leelanau News Archives from January 2008 and February 2008.
North Beach 1/5/09 by Halley
News from the Week
This week we had a feature from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore about their Saturday snowshoeing in the park. There was also a nice Points North interview with 3 Sutherland brothers from IPR, a look at this weekend's Winter Wine & Vine Experience at the Old Art Building in Leland and the upcoming Glen Arbor Winterfest, and a photo of a winding road in the lakeshore in autumn.
The Week's Weather
The weather was cold. No, that's not fair. The weather was FREEZING.
January 22, 2009: Partly sunny, flurries & low 20s (26/23)
January 23, 2009: Cloudy, freezing drizzle early w/ diving temps late (30/14)
January 24, 2009: Partly sunny, flurries and low teens (15/9)
January 25, 2009: Partly sunny w/ wind and light snow (13/6)
January 26, 2009: Mostly sunny & teens (16/-8)
January 27, 2009: Partly sunny & teens (20/-9) Record low!
January 28, 2009: Mostly sunny & mid teens (20/7)
<Leelanau Almanac for the Week of January 29 - February 4, 2009
Leelanau Almanac for the Week of January 15-21, 2009>
Click for the Leelanau News Archive from January 2008.
