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!
Photo credit: Leland MI 1950s Fishtown Docks and Commercial Fish Tug and Nets before major Tourism by UpNorth Memories - Donald (Don) Harrison
More from Fishtown on Leelanau.com.
Kehl Lake ... sunset 9-26-12 by Ken Scott
The TC Ticker reports that Sunday night in Salt Lake City, northern Michigan took center stage as Glen Chown and Brian Price, executive directors of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) and The Leelanau Conservancy were jointly awarded the top award from the Land Trust Alliance, the first time a pair of organizations have shared the award:
“We’re innovators in the way we work with land preservation … and both organizations recognize that the economy is tied to the natural assets of the region,” Price says.
And ultimately, their collaboration – particularly with farmland – comes down to one simple truth: “If you protect farmland, you continue opportunities to invest in long-term agriculture,” says Chown.
He explains it this way: Say you’re the owner of a dried cherry plant. Won’t you feel a lot better about a $10 million investment that will require 10,000 acres of cherry trees if you know that fruit acreage is protected?
Also, consider this: Across the GTRLC and Leelanau Conservancy’s coverage area, agriculture contributes as much as $97.7 million annually to the local economy in the form of agricultural products sold. It employs more than 2,000 farm proprietors with net farm earnings of $6.6 million and more than 3,000 workers with a total payroll of $12.8 million.
Congratulations to both on the preservation of over 40,000 acres in northern Michigan!
Volunteers for Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear will make their fourth trek to North Manitou Island this Friday, August 17th to spend 10 days working on the Katie Shepard Hotel on “Cottage Row”. The goal is to restore the hotel for use once again as a boarding house for overnight- rustic accommodations.
Volunteers must sign up for a minimum of two nights, three days work. Space is limited and registration is required. Click here for all the details!
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore page on North Manitou Island Village explains that the Katie Shepard Hotel aka “The Beeches” was built in 1895 for Mrs. William Shepard for their daughter Katherine, who was popularly known on the island as “Miss Katie.” She opened the house as a hotel known as The Beeches around the time the Newhalls began logging around 1908 when they discontinued meal service at the dining hall at the northern end of Cottage Row.
Miss Katie operated the hotel and dining room until poor health forced her to discontinue the business in the early 1930s.
Dwell Magazine is having a contest to award $10,000 to one historical preservation effort that best rethinks the concept of preservation. Click here to vote for Fishtown Preservation! About this photo and the other ones they posted in Winter in Fishtown, the Fishtown Preservation Society writes:
The historical Leland, Michigan photographs below are from Erhardt Peters' original collection from the 1930s. Erhardt Peters was a prolific and talented photographer in the Ludington and Leelanau areas throughout much of the 20th century. During his career he generated thousands of black and white photos of Northern Michigan, but Leland and Fishtown were his particular favorites. There is a book called “Loving Leland” by David Peterson that features hundreds of Erhardt Peters photos. You can also purchase a CD of his photos from the Leelanau Historical Society.
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.
The Leelanau Historical Museum, Leland Chamber of Commerce, and Old Art Building hold their annual celebration of Leland's history next Saturday (Sep 17). Via the Leland Michigan website:
The annual Leland Heritage Celebration takes place September 17. This annual event is free and open to the public. Highlights include the Leelanau Historical Museum's "Wooden Boats on the Wall", Van's Garage antique car show, and the Fishtown Preservation Society offering music and festivities in Fishtown.
There will also be an exhibit titled "Windows on Leelanau; Past, Present, and Future" will be the featured for the Leelanau Community Cultural Center at the Old Art Building. Exhibit hours are 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and 12 to 4 pm on Sunday. The exhibit will feature original works of art using the window as a view on Leelanau. Artists will use the window as a metaphor beyond its mere architectural aspect. This will be a fun and creative exhibit by Leelanau artists.
The Leland Township Library gets into the act as well with their annual Fall Used Book Sale on the lawn at the Library. They will be featuring a display of the books of Leelanau County authors and books about Leelanau County. Library Director Sylvia Merz says, "We are always amazed at the number of authors who either currently or once upon a time called Leelanau County home. We’ve pulled as many volumes as we have and they will be featured on Saturday for visitors to browse and check out as they enjoy the events!"
Also check out the Leland Heritage Celebration photo gallery for photos from past celebrations.
2010 Winner Topher Fast
On Saturday, September 3rd, at 9 am, Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear (PHSB) will host the second annual Port Oneida Barn to Barn Run/Walk – a 5K on the Bayview Trail in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Sleeping Bear Dunes were recently voted as the most beautiful place in America by Good Morning America. "What ABC didn't mention in their wonderful coverage, is that in addition to its magnificent natural beauty, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore also boasts ‘one of the most prized historic landscapes in the nation' – an honor, and a treasure that contributes to this most beautiful place", said Susan Pocklington, Director of the nonprofit park partner.
The race starts and finishes at the Charles Olsen Farm located right off the trail in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, 3 miles north of Glen Arbor on M-22. The course meanders through the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, passing old farmsteads and panoramic views of Lake Michigan. Kids can join in the fun too with a 1/4 mile Kids Dash to the Schoolhouse.
Pre-registration is $20 through August 27th and $30 after that. The event will be limited to 300 participants this year. For registration and details, visit www.phsb.org, or contact 231-334-6103.
We try to post positive stories on Leelanau.com, and there's no question that photos like this strike a chord for many as they think fondle of their childhood fishing memories or teaching their grandchildren how to fish.
I think it's important that everyone spend a little time learning about the major threats facing the Great Lakes from Invasive species. Read on for a great feature from IPR's Peter Payette and a little of Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs exploring a new threat from an invasive species we have been able to control until recently, the sea lamprey.
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The Glen Lake Association (GLA) is one of four recipients of a 2011 National Fish Habitat Action Plan Award, given for extraordinary achievement in Fish Habitat Conservation. GLA lake biologist Rob Karner explains:
"There are seven GLA projects on which this national award was based. Each is an important part of resource conservation and protection. Without the commitment and oversight by the lake association, water quality and these other environmental initiatives would not exist."
The Glen Lake Association uses numerous outreach and educational campaigns to protect the Glen Lake watershed from aquatic invasive species, physical habitat degradation, and water quality impairment while promoting aesthetic and recreational enjoyment to riparians and the public. Last year the 800 member grassroots organization was named "Michigan Inland Lake Steward of the Year Award" by the Michigan Lake and Stream Associations in 2008.
You can learn about these programs right here. For additional information on the work of the Glen Lake Association and ways to become involved, visit www.glenlakeassociation.com or call 231 334.7645.
Photo Credit: - Glen Lake, Empire, Michigan. by creed_400 - get it background big right here!
Last year the Leelanau Conservancy purchased the Sonny Swanson Farm along with 90 acres including 73 acres of wetlands and 2000 feet of shoreline on Little Traverse Lake. One of the Conservancy's goals was to see agriculture return to the 15-acre farmstead. Numerous local farmers applied and Ben Brown's business plan was selected. The Conservancy explains that:
The bearded, bespectacled Brown, 27, earned a degree in Ecological Agriculture from the University of Vermont in 2007. He has apprenticed or worked on seven different farms—from family operated CSAs in Pennsylvania to cherry orchards on Old Mission Peninsula. Most recently he has worked growing vegetables for Leelanau Cultured Veggies, while running his new business Haymaker Poultry Co. on rented land. .
...The Conservancy's Board recently approved a 30-month lease with an option to buy possible after 24 months, if both parties are satisfied with the arrangement at the time. As for Brown, he can't wait to get going. "I've been looking for something to call my own," says Brown. "Something permanent." The agreement is expected to be signed soon.
The young farmer hopes to be stocking the famous yellow stand with at least a few varieties of vegetables this summer and is allowed to also bring in 50% of what he sells from other local farms too. But his main source of income will come from small-scale, grass-fed poultry raised on site that will also help restore the land's fertility and eliminate the need for any fertilizer or chemicals. Chickens and turkeys will graze in the fresh air in moveable, open pens, foraging for insects, grazing on rotated crops, while simultaneously enriching the soil. The result: hormone-free, antibiotic-free chickens and turkeys he will sell right from the farm. (To receive an order form to purchase a fresh bird – available every two weeks June through October, email Ben/Haymaker Poultry Co. at shasta707@yahoo.com.)
