The Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce hosts their annual Leelanau Business Expo next Wednesday (Apr 30) from 11 AM - 6 PM at the Strongheart Center in Peshawbestown.
The event is free to the public and the Leelanau Enterprise reports that over 100 businesses will be exhibiting.
Event co-organizer Jackie Morrison expects a full house of exhibitors, but said the Chamber will try to fit in any last-minute attendees.
“There is still some room,” said Morrison. Jackie and Bill Morrison are organizing the event, which is held every other year. They are owners of the Business Helper in Suttons Bay.
“But it’s going to be cozy,” she added, with some 112 spaces already rented out to a variety of businesses and non-profit groups. Some businesses, such as the Bill Marsh auto dealership in Traverse City and Stander Marine of Leland, will be showing cars and boats on the grounds of the center.
Read the rest of Big Turnout Expected at Chamber's Expo in the Enterprise.
Photo: Strongheart Center by Andy McFarlane
Peshawbestown is located just a few miles south of Omena and is part of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians'. The Leelanau Sands Casino is located in Peshawbestown and attracts many visitors every summer. Originally founded as a mission, Peshawbetown's exact history and dates are disputed. Peshawbestown was established by 1855 and in 1911 the Detroit Free Press published an article about the village. According to the article in 1911 Peshawbestown "was the only pure Indian village in all of Michigan." The village had "two long rows of log cabins" which showed "the battering of nearly three-quarters of a century of tempestuous northern winds and snows... broken window panes [are] stuffed here and there with rags to keep out the cold... the doors of the houses all fasten with a latch string, a piece of bent wire hooked over a nail or an occasional padlock." The village was originally called Eagle Town and then renamed Peshabestown after Chief Peshaba who was Chief in 1859. Today the Peshawbestown Pow Wow remembers the history and culture of the Ottawa Chippewa Indians.
Wikipedia's Peshawbeston Entry
Peshawbestown is located just a few miles south of Omena and is part of the Grand Traverse Indian Reservation, which is owned by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The village is composed of a community center, Indian art store, medicine lodge, governmental center, Strongheart Civic Center, Fire/Rescue/Police departments, and the historic Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church, and many historic houses. The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians' Leelanau Sands Casino is located in Peshawbestown and attracts many visitors every summer. Originally founded as a mission, Peshawbetown's exact history and dates are disputed.
Peshawbestown was established by 1855, and in 1911 the Detroit Free Press published an article about the village. According to the article in 1911 Peshawbestown "was the only pure Indian village in all of Michigan." The village had "two long rows of log cabins" which showed "the battering of nearly three-quarters of a century of tempestuous northern winds and snows... broken window panes [are] stuffed here and there with rags to keep out the cold... the doors of the houses all fasten with a latch string, a piece of bent wire hooked over a nail or an occasional padlock." The village was originally called Eagle Town and then renamed Peshabestown after Chief Peshaba who was Chief in 1859.
Today the Peshawbestown Pow Wow remembers the history and culture of the Ottawa Chippewa Indians.
Local area links:
Wikipedia's Peshawbestown entry
Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce's Peshawbestown page
The other day Cher Fettes drove from Empire to Northport for the Gallery Walk. Along the way, she stuck her camera out of the sunroof and clicked away. To view the results, click for her Off the top slideshow and then change the speed in the bottom left to fast. It's just like a summer drive ... only faster. Astute viewers may notice a little extra back-and-forth - we're guessing she'll remember the concert tickets next time!
Cher and her husband Tom own Cheyenne Glass in Empire.
The Leelanau Enterprise has an article on the Traveling Vietnam War Memorial. The wall is an 80% scale replica of the actual Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC. It will be in Leelanau County through Sunday night, also making an appearance at the Junior Royale Parade in TC tonight at the National Cherry Festival.
There is an official opening ceremony at 9 AM Friday in Peshawbestown in the parking lot just north of the Eagletown Market across M-22 from the Leelanau Sands Casino.
Read Months of work culminates with Vietnam Wall event in the Leelanau Enterprise for much more info.
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians will disperse just under $1 million to a variety of government and nonprofit agencies in the region as part of the state-mandated slot machine gambling agreement.
In addtion to a $75,000 Government to Government Agreement payout to Leelanau County, funding requests were approved to pay for the replacement of the track at Suttons Bay School, to help fund a village police officer in Suttons Bay, to help fund repairs at the Suttons Bay Public Library, $60,000 to purchase address signs for 2,000 homes in Leelanau County, almost $40,000 for the Strengthening Leelanau Families programs (Family Support Team, Baby Pantry and Laundry Project), $20,000 to the County Planning Department to digitize old maps.
Read GT Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians gives out close to $1M in the Record-Eagle.
Photo credit: Luck by Lemanz R ... and how cool is it that a picture from halfway around the world fits perfectly with this story?
On Wednesday night I attended a very interesting event hosted by the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association <lpwines.com> (LPVA) regarding ways that businesses and organizations in tourism-related fields can work together for mutual benefit. A few of the ideas discussed by representatives from the wineries, chambers, arts organizations and galleries, lodging and agricultural businesses and others included:
- More "cross-marketing" efforts to copy the successes of states like Wisconsin, Western North Carolina (Handmade In America) and industries like the cruise industry and deliver a more complete visitor experience.
- More events for the January - June period.
- Input from geographic communities and also business sectors along with the creation of new initiatives like Project Authentic Leelanau, CraftWORKS Leelanau, a Leelanau Art Gallery Trail, a Leelanau Agricultural/Culinary Trail and the Leelanau Tourism Initiative.
- Joining together to tell more people what a wonderful experience the Leelanau Peninsula offers.
Working with the LPVA's Rick Coates, we at Leelanau.com have pledged to provide a space for discussion of these efforts and for periodic reports from ongoing meetings with all kinds of organizations & communities.
In early 2007 Rick will be coordinating community-brainstorming sessions in each of the villages. These will be open to all interested in coordinating a peninsula wide effort. Check back here for dates and locations of these sessions.
Have an idea or a question? Don't be shy - post a comment! Too shy for that? Call Andy at 231-256-2829!
Photo credit: Little Girl at Port Onieda Beach by Jim Sorbie
The latest in the Record-Eagle's excellent "Generation Why" series features Northport student Rose N. Petoskey, a young woman who I once taught how to throw hula hoops on the playground at the Leelanau Children's Center. She has grown and become quite a writer as you will see if you read on:
My name is Noozeen (Rose) Nimkiins (Little Thunder) Petoskey (Rising Sun) and I am Anishinaabek.
Many people would associate the word Petoskey with the souvenir stone found on the northern Lake Michigan shorelines. However, to my family, the word Petoskey represents much more than a souvenir.
The Petoskey stone is a fossilized coral created by impressions made in limestone during the last Michigan ice age. These stones were named "Petoskey" because the impressions resembled the rising sun coming up over the water. Just as the image of the rising sun is implanted within the Petoskey stone, the archaeology of a person's names is implanted within. All names within our Anishinaabek culture reflect an individual's personal history. Rocks go deep, but names go much deeper to reveal the stories of the past.
I strongly encourage you to read the rest of What's in a name by Rose Petoskey in the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Photo Credit: Sanded and Wet by Nikki McReynolds (click to view larger!)
The annual Pow Wow of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians takes place at the Strongheart Center in Peshawbestown (on M-22 north of Suttons Bay) this Friday-Sunday (Aug 18-20). The event features native singers, dancers and artists and includes traders' booths and food booths. For more information, please call (231) 271-4104 or (231) 995-0313.
The Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau has a great article on what a pow wow is all about that includes a quotation by Steve Feringa, chairman of the Peshawbestown Powwow committee: "A powwow is a social gathering, it’s not a sacred gathering per se. We’re trying to bridge that gap in our community between Native and non-Native in all kinds of ways. Powwow is a great thing that brings everyone in and gives all different people a chance to know each other."
Last year's Leelanau Enterprise featured A return home to Peshawbestown, the story of 85-year-old Delia Morgan and her memories of life in Peshawbestown in the early 1900s. This one is highly recommended as well!
Photo credit: Backdress by Jeff Kubina
The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners has declared May 10 Leelanau County Business Appreciation Day and approximately 100 Leelanau business leaders will showcase their products at the second Leelanau Showcase - Business Expo on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 from 11 AM - 7 PM at the Strongheart Center. The Strongheart Center is located on Stallman Road, just west of M-22, four miles north of Suttons Bay, Michigan.
For more information, contact the Leelanau County Chamber of Commerce at 231.271.9895 or email info@leelanauchamber.com.
Click for much more info from the Leelanau Chamber
