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Voters around Leelanau County went to the polls yesterday. There's weren't many momentous decisions on the ballot, but it's always nice to have a chance to practice your democracy skills. Some highlights from the Traverse City Record-Eagle Leelanau Election Results:

Bay Area Transportation Authority Millage renewal passed 2541-865.

Leland Public Schools operating millage renewal passed (467-149) as did the Leland Township operating millage renewal (361-119), EMS and fire millages.

In Suttons Bay Township, the park system millage was defeated 440-252.

Photo credit: Fog Bank ... over 'the narrows' by Ken Scott

All November on Absolute Michigan we are featuring shipwrecks.  Leelanau is not without its own shipwrecks stories, and the tale of the wreck of the Rising Sun is one of these (be sure to click the pic for a larger view too!). Pyramid Point - Shipwrecks of the Manitou Passage from Life Along the Manitou Passage probably tells it best:

The remains of a shipwreck can be seen if you stand on top of Pyramid Point with the sun at your back. In the water below lies what is left of the iron boiler of the steamship RISING SUN.

The date was October 29, 1917. Coming south through the Manitou Passage, the steamship RISING SUN was going south for the winter carrying farmers and their harvest from Summer Island. She strayed off course in high winds and snow and went aground at night on the Pyramid Point shoal. Passengers and crew struggled ashore through the frigid surf and sought help from farmers living in nearby Port Oneida. The Sleeping Bear Point Coast was alerted and arrived by surf boat the next morning to find only an elderly man still on board. He slept through the ship's grounding!

An interesting side note is that the Rising Sun was owned by the House of David, a religious organization based in Benton Harbor that is a fascinating story as well! You can also check out the location of the Rising Sun and other Leelanau shipwrecks on this diving map of Leelanau.

The photo comes from the excellent online photo collection of the Traverse Area Historical Society. It was taken on October 29, 1917 by Carrie (Labare) Craker. (From the left) Martha (Popa) Craker is shown holding her daughter Julia Craker, W. A. Craker and Clifford Craker. The remainder are unidentified.

The Leelanau Enterprise reports that this week the 90' champion cottonwood near the corner of River and Lake streets will be taken down. The tree is estimated to be 109 years old, and clones of the tree have already been planted on north Lake Leelanau at the John Suelzer Memorial East Leland Park in East Leland.

According to the Leland Report, the operation starts today and Annie at Aurora Borealis Designs shared the photo to the right.

Trish P has a great memorial. She writes:

Yes. We are tree-huggers. People stare and point but we don't care. For years we have hugged our favorite tree in all of Michigan. A Champion in Leland, well over 100 years old. Think about it. This tree was likely here during WWI! It has stood the test of time against savage Lake Michigan weather, pavement and a boardwalk over its water-gathering roots, and droves of people walking by without even noticing it!

There was talk a few years back of taking it down. A foundation was formed, an arborist hired and it was given a little more time. Lately though, it's been losing more and more branches and struggling to leaf out. It's really at the end of its life and sadly, next month it will be taken down. Downtown Leland will not look the same.

It's really something to see in person. Hope you had a chance!

Someday there may be another Champion due to science!

Group Prepares Champion Tree Clones.

Again I am reminded that we are not just taking photos. We are recording history. Perhaps not earth shattering events, but history nonetheless.

Photo courtesy Sharon Kegerreis / deliciousmichigan.com

The Grand Traverse Insider has a cool feature on Bernie Rink of Boskydel Winery, who they rightly name Grandpère du Grape for Leelanau County and the northern Michigan wine industry. They look at Bernie's early years on a farm in Ohio and explain that:

Later in life, surrounded by books and with a tannic tinge in his blood, it seemed inevitable that wine would become a part of Rink’s life. The family was growing. There were now five sons and he found the book, “American Wines and Winemaking,” by Phil Wagner. It might be more accurate and prophetic to say that the book actually found him.

“I began testing wines for hardiness and disease resistance,” Rink said. “I tested 35 varieties, and settled on the six to eight we still have today. I began planting for commercial purposes in 1970.”

...With testing done, the Rink’s original, large scale planting in 1970 launched Leelanau into a new viticultural era. The workhorse was the de Chaunac grape, a French-American hybrid for red wines first developed by Adhemar de Chaunac in Ontario around 1860.

Extension reports describe the grape as having “good vigor and productivity along with disease resistance, producing a robust, colorful wine.”

Early success reinforced Bernard Rink’s evaluation of the land and decision to move forward.

“The plants thrived in this soil, a mixture of sand and gravel,” he said. “They like the glacial moraines. Grapes are actually pretty hard to kill. I saw the success that farmers were having with peaches, and that was a good indicator. Where peaches grow, grapes grow.”

This is a great feature on Rink, one of the driving forces behind the wine industry in not just Leelanau, but the entire state of Michigan. Go read it.

Our photo  is courtesy Sharon Kegerreis of Delicious Michigan. You should also check out the Michigan Uncorked column by Sharon and Lorri Hathaway at Absolute Michigan entitled Northern Michigan's wine pioneer keeps it simple.

If it's not too much reading, Bernie's son Jim has a wonderful recollection entitled Field of Dreams in Leelanau County about the establishment of Boskeydel's first vineyard ... and the loss of a ball field. Also get photos and updates from their Facebook.

Halloween dates back to ancient Celtic times, and although modern celebrations may not resemble the ancient ones, they're still a favorite of kids and adults alike! Here's our list of weekend activities in Leelanau and the surrounding area. Did we miss something? Undoubtably - add it as a comment below!

The Grand Traverse Lighthouse invites you out this Friday or Saturday night and next for a ghost walk where you can learn the stories of those who once dwelt there. Click through to get details from them. Also next Saturday Oct 29 in Northport is a free Halloween Concert at the Northport CAC featuring the Northport Community Band, The Village Voices and others - wear a costume!

Glen Arbor Trick or Treating for Children happens on Sunday, October 30 from 1-4 pm. The Empire Chamber invites you to the Town Hall on Front Street Halloween night (Oct 31) from 6pm to 8 pm for a spooktacular time filled with games & treats.

From 5-9 PM Cedar's Haunted House will again be scaring people October 31 starting at 5:00 pm. Come see what everyone is talking about!

The Haunted Hayrides at Black Star Farms will scare even the bravest of goblins, and are offered October 21, 22, 28, and 29, from 7-10 pm. $10 per person. Please call 231.944.1251 to confirm if the weather is iffy!

The Riverside Inn in Leland has reported ghostly activities in year's past, and while we have no official word, you should probably check it out. You might also enjoy Jacob's Corn Maze on M-72.

Looking for something unusual to do on Halloween? Check out the Zombie Run, sponsored by TART, a 5K Run/Walk starting at 9am on Saturday, October 29 at Right Brain Brewery. You are invited to register as "Infected" or "Survivor." "Survivors" will be given a one-minute head start at the beginning of the race and will want to be prepared to RUN FOR THEIR LIVES before the infected pursue their morning snack.

If you're wanting a little Halloween spirit in your cup, how about Vicious, an American wheat IPA from North Peak that pays tribute to Michigan's legendary Dogman? Read about the Dogman from Weird Michigan & Absolute Michigan. If beer's not your thing, Michiganvine.com suggests Leelanau Wine Cellars Witches Brew as the perfect treat. The secret recipe is made with cinnamon, cloves and other natural spices and is best served by warming it gently in the microwave by the glass or by simmering it in a crock pot with a cinnamon stick for a true “witches brew.”

Photo: Noche de luna llena - Full moon night by Flowery *L*u*z*a*

Here's a great video by Andrea Maio with naturalist Susan Fawcett about the work of SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps this summer on South Manitou Island. The Youth Conservation Corps is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s New Deal and works to help them build "green collar" job skills.

You an also see a video of their work on barn preservation on the Island.

SEEDS Youth Corps/South Manitou Island from andrea claire maio on Vimeo.

This photo shows Bill Carlson tending the smoker in Fishtown, sometime in the 1970s. It was taken by Paul Serratoni, and the funny thing is that it's not all that different today.

One of the reasons for that is the work of the Fishtown Preservation Society. You can help support their work through the Benefit Brunch at the Bluebird next Sunday (October 23) from 10 AM - 2 PM.

For $30/person, you can enjoy a buffet brunch with your choice of mimosa / bloody mary / wine, plus door prizes, music and fun – and all while supporting Fishtown preservation efforts! Click the link above for more information and ticket locations or to purchase your tickets online.

via Absolute Michigan...

Great Lakes Week takes place October 11-14, 2011 and celebrates one of the world's true natural wonders, the five interconnected Great Lakes. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior provide jobs, recreation and drinking water to more than 30 million people in the Great Lakes basin. Great Lakes Week is a new partnership to improve the places around the basin where people live, work, learn and play. This week's activities, meetings and conferences bring representatives of the U.S. and Canadian governments together with a broad coalition of public and private groups to highlight efforts to implement solutions for the lakes' most pressing problems. The event is headquartered in a single city for the first time ever and that city is Detroit.

Detroit Public Television (DPTV), in partnership with the International Joint Commission, the Great Lakes Commission, U.S. EPA, and Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, will be providing unprecedented access to the largest gathering of scientists, political voices, educators, environmentalists, and interested groups ever assembled to discuss the status and the future of the Great Lakes. Coverage starts today at noon at greatlakesnow.org!

Today's coverage kicks off at noon with an overview of Great Lakes Week, highlights of yesterday's Great Lakes Commission Meeting. Also on tap is the International Joint Commission of US and Canadian government agencies, a report on U.S. and Canadian efforts to restore the chemical, physical and biological diversity of the Great Lakes Basin, updates on critical issues from algae to aquatic invasive species and the Great Lakes Town Hall featuring top officials from both the U.S. and Canada answering on-site and virtual audience questions (Twitter hastag #AskGLW). Much more to follow tomorrow and Friday - check the schedule of events out for an idea.

photo credit: KAScott_20110930_3651fhenacb by Ken Scott/a>

Fall is here and the Northport Omena Chamber of Commerce invites you to Northport's annual Fall Festival this Saturday (Oct 15) from 11 - 4! The village is decorated for fall and the merchants are looking forward to greeting you when you visit. Enjoy the fall colors & decorations and dine at one of the local eateries. They will once again offer free rides on the horse-drawn wagonette, and local restaurants will be offering specials:

• Barb's Bakery - Pumpkin donuts and apple cider
• The Galley - A free order of breadsticks with any large pizza
• Garage Bar & Grill - Squash soup, roasted root vegetable salad, prime rib and apple crisp made with Kilcherman's apples.
• North End Eatery - A cup of butternut squash bisque, grilled cheese and a fountain drink for $8.00
• Stubbs - A full or half-rack of pork ribs at a reduced price
• Treasurer Chest - Boiled dinner soup (cabbage, ham, carrots etc.) and caramel apples

photo credit: KAScott_20111002_4456tmaBb by Ken Scott

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sent this over:

Fall was traditionally "shipwreck season" on the Great Lakes, and before radio communications were used at sea, ships could not call for help. Spotting a vessel in distress from the shore was the only way rescue crews knew that their assistance was needed. Therefore, 100 years ago beach patrol was an essential duty of a U.S. Life-Saving Service (LSS) surfman, who set out each night to hike the shoreline in search of ships in distress.

You have a chance to experience a little of what that was like on Saturday, October 8 and/or October 15 as you join Park Rangers to recreate a traditional evening beach patrol. Dress for the weather and meet at the Sleeping Bear Point Life-Saving Service Station/Maritime Museum in Glen Haven at 7:30 p.m.

You'll hear an in-depth explanation of the patrol process and some local shipwreck stories inside the station, then join National Park Service Ranger for a lantern-lit hike along the beach. There are always a few surprises along the way and everyone should carry a flashlight for safety. Wind and rain will only make the patrol more authentic, so be ready for any weather!

Unlike the original surfmen, hikers may turn back at any time during the one-hour, one mile roundtrip beach walk and return to the Maritime Museum where they will be welcomed by a volunteer and find shelter.

The entire program lasts about two hours. For more information, you can call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134, visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe and join them on Facebook.