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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.

This photo is part of creed 400's excellent Sleeping Bear Dunes set (slideshow). You might also enjoy their M-22 set.

Leelanau.com doesn't have an Unofficial Guest Photographer position, but if we ever do, Jim Sorbie will certainly be on the short list to fill that post!

He took this photo of a sleigh ride on New Year's Eve at the Black Horse Farm in Empire, and it's one of many fine ones in his Christmas 2008 set (slideshow).

He has so many great sets of photos that are a result of his penchant for volunteering (and also just getting out an enjoying what Leelanau has to offer in every season) that it's hard to know what to highlight. A few of my favorites are Empire Winterfest, Traverse Area Community Sailing, Winter in Leelanau and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (slideshow).

As an added bonus, Jim uploads all his photos "background big" so you can outfit your desktop with gorgeous images from Leelanau!

I took this photo late yesterday afternoon north of Leland.

You can get it larger right here,  see some more photos from the day in this set and watch a little video below.

(note – it starts kind of loud)

In Offers to buy 'Loaf' revealed, Eric Carlson of the Leelanau Enterprise brings us up to date on the state of Sugar Loaf in a well-researched article. He says that numerous offers to buy Sugar Loaf Resort from the "unnamed guarantors" of the mortgage have been made … and rejected.

Real estate agent Allen Reed is quoted as saying that Kate Wickstrom appears to be out of the picture and also that the buildings are now viewed as more of a liability than an asset. Real estate agent and County Commissioner David "Chauncey" Shiflett of Leland agrees with Reed's assessment.  Shiflett helped establish the county's new Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and new Land Bank Fast Track Authority.

Clearly a "blighted or obsolete" property, Sugar Loaf Resort may present an opportunity for a developer interested in benefiting from special tax incentives as well as government loans and grants available for cleanup and redevelopment through the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

In addition, the county's newly-formed Land Bank Fast Track Authority has the legal ability to "quiet title" on certain properties where ownership is contested, unclear or potentially subject to forfeiture due to unpaid property taxes – circumstances which might describe Sugar LoafResort. Action by the two county authorities could attract a private developer willing to take on project to redevelop Sugar Loaf Resort.

"I have no idea whether the newly seated Leelanau County Board of Commissioners will support the idea of doing something to improve the situation there," Shiflett said. "But I know that trying to do so is something that I will be focusing on. I know that many of our constituents support the idea of the county taking some action to help revive Sugar Loaf."

Chauncey is quoted at the end of the article saying that:

"In some economies, it might not make sense for a county government to get too deeply involved in something like this, but we're not in a normal economy right now – and now may be the right time for the county to help spearhead an effort to revive Sugar Loaf."

Over the holidays, I looked around at the downtowns, and while I saw some activity, to me it looked like every winter weekend back in the day when Sugar Loaf was a going concern. I'm wondering what you think about whether or not the county government should get involved.

DH Day Farm by 1Cher

News from the Week

Stories from the (abbreviated) week included news that it's becoming easier to get fresh & local food in the wintertime, the liquidation of a real estate development company showing that the economic crisis is reaching us here in Leelanau and photos of Holiday Wishes and a beautiful barn.

The Week's Weather

Our weather was once again on the violent side – a record high on Saturday along with heavy rains that destroyed our snow cover followed up by heavy winds and snow.

December 25, 2008: Flurries, a bit of sun and 20s (25/18)
December 26, 2008: Heavy snow & 30s (40/19)
December 27, 2008: Heavy rain (1") and 50 (53/40) Record high!
December 28, 2008: Snow/rain & 40s (52/25)
December 29, 2008: Windy, flurries & 20s (38/23)
December 30, 2008: Snow & low 20s (24/21)

Click for the Leelanau News Archive from December 2007.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle has a cool feature titled Green Through The White: Year-round produce is becoming a reality that looks at a new trend in food that has to make you smile if you're a lover of fresh & local:

Sustainable greenhouse systems, year-round farmers markets and winter CSA programs are cropping up all over cold, cloudy northern Michigan, extending the short growing season and making it possible for locavores to get their greens — and other veggies — all year long.

One of the first in the region to go year-round, the Frankfort Farmers Market is offering fresh produce, along with honey, maple syrup, meat, eggs and other products, from its new winter site at the city-owned Recreation Center.

There's a bunch more about where you can get fresh eats in wintertime including the Wellington Street Market in TC and (sometime in 2009) the TC City Market. They mention Black Star Farms' Hoop House and CSA and there's also Oryana. Maybe if enough people express interest, we could get a year-round market in Leelanau County!

Definitely click through to read the rest – at the end, you'll get a tasty recipe from Chef Eric Patterson of The Cooks' House for his Classic French Onion Soup Gratinee!

The photo is Chili & Co. – check out more tasty treats in my Local Food slideshow!

The Leelanau Enterprise reports that McKeough Land Company, developer of the Bay Hill project (Leland Township off M-204 at Hoeft Road) has gone out of business.

“Unfortunately, we just couldn’t weather the real estate and credit crisis,” company president Mike McKeough was quoted as saying in a news release provided in response to an Enterprise query.
“Our cash flow really began to seize up in the beginning of 2008,” McKeough said. “And although we had many terrific properties with apparent equity, like Bay Hill of Leland, we just couldn’t raise the necessary capital to continue operating as McKeough Land Company.”

…A new company, Terra Firma Management, has been established to manage, market and sell McKeough’s holdings, offering many of its properties at “bank pricing” that in some cases may be 65 percent below previous list prices.

Photo: Dark times on Bay Hill by Andy McFarlane

LongingforLeelanau doesn't have too many photos, but the ones she does have a gorgeous – check them out in her slideshow!

As an extra bonus, she uploads them biggie-sized for your computer background!