The Northport Promise is putting on a Follies show that will have about 15 acts from serious to silly. It will include skits, singing, instrumentals, dance and past pictures and videos of previous Follies performances. There will be a silent auction in the lobby.
Edward Perez, a senior, invites you to sample hearty snacks and healthy appetizers that he has prepared in the lobby following the performance. This is his senior project and he is also a second year Culinary Arts student at the Career Tech Center in TC.
Tickets: adults $10, age 12 to 18 $5, 12 and under are free. Tickets are only available at the door before the event with open seating. For more information: gloriat@charterinternet.com
The Northport Promis is also have a Winter Warm Up Raffle. Tickets are still available, and will be drawn at the Northport Winter Carnvial on February 27.
Other great ways to contribute to the Northport Promise: Dine at Stubbs in Northport on Tuesdays and 10% of your tab goes to the Promise. Also, many locations in Northport will accept your Tom's receipts, part of which also goes to the Promise.
Photo: Northport MI Old Northport School House Leelanau County Postmarked 1909 by UpNorth Memories - Donald (Don) Harrison
Join Grand Traverse Yacht Club and Charlevoix Yacht Club, this Saturday and Sunday (August 29 & 30) for a rendevous in Omena Bay. Sailors will race from TC and Charleviox; cruisers and boaters of all kinds are invited to make it a destination for the weekend! Water taxi service provided into Omena, or arrive via land. Dinner by Knot Just A Bar, cash bar to benefit Omena Historical Society, awards from Leelanau Cellars, and dancing to the band Egon will make it a memorable social event.
All are invited- you don't have to be a boater, but it will be mainly a boating crowd.
Download flyer with additional information or contact Scott Porter. 231-392-5701 / scott1619@gmail.com
The political energy is high in Omena this week, as candidates and their campaign managers, start the fast and furious campaign for the first ever Omena Mayor to be elected Sunday, July 19. With over 27 candidates, the competition is fierce. But wait...candidates include a snail? A horse? Some cats? And over twenty dogs? Next it will be donkeys and elephants.
The Omena Mayoral election is actually a fundraiser for the Omena Historical Society, modeled after a similar election in Rabbit Hash, KY. Nominees are any living pet of any genus or species that is a resident of Omena. Voting started on Saturday, July 11, and will continue through Saturday, July 18. Everyone, not just Omena residents, are encouraged to vote. Chicago voting rules are in effect, which means that voters may vote as early and as often as they wish as long as the cash and checks are good. Ballots, which are $1.00 each, and pictures of the candidates are available in two Omena locations: the Putnam-Cloud Tower House and the lobby of Leelanau Wine Cellars/Knot, Just A Bar. The daily election tally will be posted in front of the Putman - Cloud Tower House.
A parade of all the candidates will take place on Sunday, July 19 at Noon, beginning at M22 & Isthmus Rd, ending at Omena Point Rd beach park. The winner will be announced at the end of the parade, with inauguration celebrations with an Oompah Band, an ice cream social, and special events will follow. For more information, visit the Omena Historical Society site.
Photo: Omena Post Office, Courtesy Omena Historical Society
Much has changed in Northport during the two years since the first Northport - Omena Summit in 2007. The sewer project is complete and functioning. The 2nd round of Northport graduates will be accepting their tuition funds from the Northport Promise this spring. Work is underway on the Northport Highlands. Many new businesses have opened in Northport and Omena. These changes and their current effect on Northport, Omena and Gill's Pier will be the focus at the 2nd Northport - Omena Summit.
The Northport - Omena Summit II will be held on Wed, May 20 at 7:00pm in the auditorium at Northport Public School. The program will start with speakers reporting on their specific business or interest in the Northport area communities. The presentations will take just over an hour, then they speakers will adjourn to the lobby where they will be available to audience members for questions and continued discussion.
The topics and speaker are as follows:
Natural Environment and Renewable Energy -- Phil vonVoightlander
Agriculture: Cherries, Grapes, Wine and Alternative Crops -- Nikki Rothwell and Rick Cross
Light Industrial, Construction Trades and Consulting -- Dick Solon
Local Government Challenges and Initiatives -- Jim Neve and Greg King
Northport-Omena Commercial Development -- Lisa Drummond
Economic Development Corporation -- Marsha Buehler
Future by Design -- Ann Marie Mitchell
Northport Promise -- Ruth Steele Walker
Leelanau Children's Center -- Maggie Sprattmoran
Northport Public School -- Jeff Tropf
Refreshments will be served after the presentation and during the discussions in the lobby. For more information, please contact Summit organizer Andy Thomas at andyt@charterinternet.com.
photo: Northport by photoshoparama
Tonight from 4-8 PM, shops, stores & galleries in the village of Leland will host their annual Men's Shopping Night to help all you Last Minute Larrys find that perfect gift.
If you are in last second mode, definitely consider doing your shopping in Leland, Lake Leelanau, Suttons Bay & Peshawbestown, Northport & Omena, Glen Arbor & Empire, Cedar or Maple City - you won't have to fight the crowds and you will get friendly and personal service and help your neighbors!
Photo: Aurora Borealis Designs by farlane
The new m22colortour.com web site hopes to cooperatively market M-22. A feature in the Traverse City Record-Eagle relates that Rand McNally recently rated the scenic route as one of the five greatest driving tours in America and that:
The M-22 Color Tour promotion is a collaborative effort of the visitors bureaus in Benzie and Manistee counties, along with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The three organizations pooled resources and marketing dollars to spread the word about the color route.
In addition to the Web site, the groups printed about 10,000 rack cards that are available at their respective offices, at Michigan Welcome Centers and at businesses along the route...
At a time when many folks are watching their gas gauges, one appeal of the M-22 Color Tour is that it's a one-tank trip for many in Michigan and across the Midwest. That makes it an appealing day trip or weekend getaway for those who want to savor autumnal beauty.
It certainly is a gorgeous route, as you can see from the photos in the Michigan Highway M-22 Group on Flickr - here's a slideshow for "fall" from the group which I imagine will grow as the color proceeds.
I should add that you can also find great places to stay along M-22 on our lodging page!
photo courtesy m22colortour.com
If you're looking for a reason to get back to Leelanau this fall - or a fun way to spend the weekend if you live here - consider the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association's annual Harvest Stompede Vineyard Run & Walk and Wine Tour over the weekend of September 20 & 21. It's considered one of the most scenic running & wine touring events in the Midwest and is returning to the Leelanau Peninsula for the eighth year.
The race itself is the kickoff of the weekends festivities and will be held on Saturday, September 20 at 9 a.m. Designed for serious and recreational runners and walkers, it's a great event for spectators as well. Race coordinator Nate Rousse says "This is a one-of-a-kind annual run sponsored by the Traverse City Track Club and hosted by the Leelanau Peninsula winemakers. The course winds through absolutely gorgeous vineyards and is open to the public only on race day."
The Harvest Stompede Wine Tour follows the race and offers a special pour and food celebrating the season at each of the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association member wineries.
There are still some tickets available and you can get tickets and more information on the Harvest Stompede page at the LPVA web site. Also check out this slideshow from the 2007 Harvest Stompede!
Photo: Run through the Vineyards by Andy McFarlane/lpwines.com
Omena is a small community in Leelanau County located between Suttons Bay and Northport. Omena began in 1852 when Reverend Peter Daugherty brought a band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians from Old Mission and settled in what is now Omena. In 1858 the Protestant Church was dedicated, and is the oldest in Leelanau County. As legend has it, services have been held every Sunday since the church was dedicated. That same year a post office was established in the village.
In 1868 Valentine Miller built a dock which was used to fuel passing steamers, and allowed passengers to disembark. By 1884 so many summer tourists came to the area that a group of Cincinnati businessmen purchased what was the mission school and remodeled it. The mission school soon became the Leelanau Hotel, attracting visitors from all over Lake Michigan. In 1903 the Manistee and Northeastern Railroad reached Northport, stopping in Omena which allowed more summer tourists to arrive in the area.
It is said that the name "omena" was an Ojibwe expression that meant "is that so?" or "is that really true." Local tradition says that Rev. Daugherty responded to most statements made by his flock with "omena." Another meaning of Omena is "apple" from the Finnish word, although it is not known if many Finns arrived in the area.
Today Omena is perfectly situated on beautiful Grand Traverse Bay and backed by stunning rolling hills filled with orchards, vineyards, farms, and forests. Many of Leelanau Counties orchards are found near Omena, as are many vineyards. One of The Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association wineries is located in Omena, and many others are just minutes away near Suttons Bay. The Tamarack Gallery must be visited. According to Traverse Magazine, it "has one of the best collections of sculpture to be found anywhere in Northern Michigan."
Wikipedia's Omena entry
Omena Historical Society
The Enterprise has a little more about Sugar Loaf in this week's paper, but since they haven't posted it, I thought I'd link to this article about Sugar Loaf suitors and Omena residents Brad & Linda Lutz from last week.
I should also link over to the Traverse City Record-Eagle, whose editors say Brad has a steep hill to climb and though:
It's easy to imagine Brad Lutz as just another Sugar Loaf victim in waiting. He's never done this before and he is treading where others have failed.
But a lot of people also wrote off Ray Minervini, the developer who took over the Grand Traverse Commons and, step by step, has revitalized parts of the former state hospital grounds.
We at Leelanau.com: Jeremy, Fred, Steve, Jen, Andy and our families would like to wish all of you the happiest of holiday seasons and the very best for the year to come.
We very much appreciate the business we have received and also everyone who visits our site and shares our love for this beautiful part of the earth.
If you have a holiday message to share with everyone that you please post it in the comments below!
The photo is Christmas at Tamarack Gallery by tamarackgallery, and you can see more photos from the gallery right here and also visit the web site for Tamarack Gallery in Omena.
