The Leelanau News Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

For the rest of the summer Leelanau.com will go to a summer schedule. That means that some days we'll update the site and this blog and other days we won't.

We will of course continue to post our weekly email newsletter (sign up on our home page) and you can check events in the Leelanau Calendar and follow comments on our July 2008 page.

Sorry if this puts you out, but we want to enjoy summer too!

(click to get the above photo at "background size")

The first annual North Bar Lake Skimboard Competition takes place this Saturday (July 19) at North Bar Lake just north of Empire.

Registration is from 10 to noon and the competition starts at 1 PM. For details, please call Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak at 231.326.WAVE (9283).

photo: Goofyfooted by Andy McFarlane

Photographer Ken Scott has put together a great photo show from the Leland Fireworks, complete with a classic track Pearl of America from Song of the Lakes. It's just great, so check it out!

Watch Leland Fireworks ... 2008 on YouTube.

Ken notes that this is a community sponsored event that needs your support, especially if you enjoyed the show and to send any donation(s) to:

Leland Community Improvement Association
PO Box 483
Leland, MI 49654

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that although the National Cherry Festival is underway, most cherry growers are about a week behind due to cooler than normal temps:

The sweet cherry harvest in Leelanau County should start by the end of this week, said Al Steimel, general manager of Leelanau Fruit along M-22 near Suttons Bay.

"It's not quite ready yet," Steimel said last week.

It's shaping up as a so-so season for area cherry growers. The projected tart cherry crop for northwest Michigan totals 75 million pounds, down more than 40 percent from last year's robust harvest and expected to be the lowest yield in six years. The statewide crop is forecast at 135 million pounds, down 30 percent from last year.

The smaller sweet cherry crop fared better, estimated at 25,000 tons statewide, down about 8 percent from last year.

Photo credit: Ya big lugs by Andy McFarlane

The annual Manitou Music Festival Dune Concert takes place this Sunday (July 13, 2008) at 7 PM at the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb. This year is the 10th Annual (amazing) and the theme is Two Cellos Ride the Dunes: Crispin Campbell & Eugene Friesen. Crispin Campbell is the former MMF Artistic Director and Eugene Friesen is a cellist with the Paul Winter Consort. Also, a six-piece string and percussion ensemble will perform Campbell’s blues and original improvisations and Friesen’s South American arrangements.

Pack a picnic and be sure to attend this concert in one of the world's most beautiful concert settings. Visit the Manitou Music Festival web site and/or check out photos on Flickr from the Manitou Music Festival.

You can get a nice photo of the "nosebleed seats" at the dunes right here and there's also a photo gallery from 2005 on the Song of the Lakes web site.

Shalda Creek by jsorbieus

News from the Week

The most emailed to me story for quite sometime was news that the Grand Traverse Lighthouse is in the running for free new windows. Click over and vote! The rest was all events and me being too busy to post news!

The Week's Weather

There was a little bit of rain and temps are still a bit on the cool side but all in all, a great early summer week of weather!

Jun 26, 2008: Partly sunny & upper 70s (79/62)
Jun 27, 2008: Partly sunny with brief storms & 80s (86/62)
Jun 28, 2008: Mostly sunny & 70s with brief evening rain (77/56)
Jun 29, 2008: Mostly sunny & low 70s with evening rain (74/54)
Jun 30, 2008: Mostly sunny & low 70s with evening rain (74/54)
Jul 1, 2008: Sunny & 80s (84/48)
Jul 2, 2008: Partly sunny with evening thunderstorms (some hail!) and 70 (72/56)

Click for the Leelanau news archive from June 2007 and July 2007 and our June 2008 page.

Weather Resources

Bouy 45002 in Lake Michigan is located halfway between North Manitou Island and Washington Island in Lake Michigan. It provides wind and wave data. Also check out Michigan Sea Grant Coastwatch for water temps (the "early evening" images in their archive will give you a better idea of actual temps during peaks swimming hours).

Weather Underground is just about as old as the internet (the first net weather service) and is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sometimes the above banner will show personal weather system data from Leland and sometimes it comes from a vineyard on Old Mission (it tells you which in the top left of the page it links to).

The Leelanau Enterprise reports that this Sunday (Jun 29) from 11 AM - 3 PM is the fourth annual Kids Fishing Day at the former Veronica Valley Golf Course (map). They say that while the state has been slow in forwarding funds for the sale to the county as a park, owners Bill and Diane Grant are holding the free event. Because bluegills are so aggressive, kids are pretty much guaranteed to catch some:

Many of the bluegills planted in past years have held over. They are found in such abundance that growth is starting to stunt.

DNR fish biologist Todd Kalish said 1,310 bluegills were planted this year in the ponds on the Grant property, most going 6-7 inches. A few were larger...

In addition, 25 rainbows that went up to 14 inches and weighed up to 2 pounds were planted, and should be available.

...More than 30 volunteers will be on hand to help in any way they can, from tying on hooks to taking off fish. Everything is free, including hot dogs, pop and potato chips

Photo: Nice...Boy with Giant Salmon Card by UpNorth Memories - Don Harrison

Taste the Local Difference says that strawberries are ready to pick! They have a great list of Leelanau farm markets and local food providers.

From Absolute Michigan (where you can also get recipes for Strawberry Shortcake and Strawberry Sorbet):

Strawberries are grown in every county of Michigan and your fun fact of the day is that 53% of seven to nine year olds say strawberries are their favorite fruit. Strawberries are high in iron and Vitamin C - Eight strawberries will provide 14% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C for kids - and have less than 60 calories per cup.

The MDA's Michigan Strawberries page has a ton of strawberry purchasing, growing and preparation info and some great strawberry lore, such as the fact that strawberries were a symbol of perfection and righteousness that medieval stone masons carved on altars and around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals and that:

In parts of Bavaria, country folk still practice the annual rite each spring of tying small baskets of wild strawberries to the horns of their cattle as an offering to elves. They believe that the elves, who are passionately fond of strawberries, will help to produce healthy calves and abundance of milk in return.

If you're looking for a fun place to eat strawberries, check out the Empire United Methodist Church Strawberry Social featuring strawberry sundaes, strawberry shortcake and lunch this Saturday (Jun 28) from 11 AM - 3 PM.

The annual Cedar Polka Festival runs Thursday through Sunday (July 3-6). Highlights include a parade on Saturday at noon, softball tournament, a polka mass and (of course) polka under the big, big tent with the big names of polka.

Thursday, July 3, 2008
The 27th annual Cedar Polka Festival begins with the flag raising ceremony at 5:00 p.m. Music and dancing begins immediately after the ceremony. Musicians are The Diddle Styx (Grand Rapids, MI) and Prime Time (Junction City, WI) and will alternating hourly until 1 am.

Friday, July 4, 2008
Music and dancing beings at 2 pm with Prime Time. From 5:30 pm until 1 am John Stevens' Doubleshot (Swayersville, PA) will alternate hourly with New Brass Express (Bad Axe, MI).

Saturday, July 5, 2008
Polka Fest Parade beings at noon at the Solon Twp. Hall. All participants should be at the Solon Twp. Hall by 11:30 am sharp.

Music and dancing begins at 2 pm with John Stevens' Doubleshot. From 5: 30 pm until 1 am dance to the music of New Brass Express, alternating with C.J. & The Krue (Grand Rapids, MI).

Sunday, July 6, 2008
Polka Mass celebrated with Bishop Cooney begins at 11 am under the tent. Music is provided by Pan Franek & Zosia Polka Towners (Muskegon, Michigan). Music and dancing resumes at 1 pm with Pan Franek & Zosia POlka Towners alternating with C.J. & The Krue.

Admissions (per person)
Thursday - $5.00
Fri. & Sat. - $10.00
Sunday - $5.00
3 Day Pass - $20.00
Ages 13-20 - 1/2 price when accompanied by parent
Ages 12 & Under - Free when accompanied by parent

Bands subject to change. Space available for rent on the tennis court.

For Info Phone: (231) 228-3378 or (231) 228-5562

2009 Polka Fest Dates: July 2, 3, 4, & 5

The photo is Polka Dancing in Krakow by beastiekeith.

Check out the Library of Congress Local Legacies

and the Leelanau.com/map Cedar Polka Fest location

I'm always happy when it's a slow news day and I can wander through Don Harrison's incredible collection of Northern Michigan postcards. He has hundreds of cool Leelanau ones and I always learn something new as a result.

Today I learned that Suttons Bay hasn't had that great marina (modern aerial photo) for as long as I thought. It was apparently built in 1962! (link)  Be sure to check it out larger and you can also order postcards and other items from Don's Up North Memories collection!