Leelanau.com is a sponsor of the annual Traverse City Film Festival. We do this because it's one of the coolest events in our area year after year. Through the work of hundreds of volunteers, our area is able to host a film festival that can stand eye to eye with almost any in the world.
I really hope that you take some time, and some chances to see some of the great films that are still available like Anvil (which will be followed by a live performance of the band), Hamlet 2, Trumbo and many more. Even if you can't catch a film, there are filmmaker panels every morning at 10 AM at the Opera House and all kinds of things happening all over town like the premier of locally filmed movie Blind Pursuit at Inside Out Gallery (click for a trailer) and free movies on the big, big screen at the Open Space.
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!
The Relight the Light project seeks to fabricate and install replica third order Fresnel Lens in the lantern room of the South Manitou Island Lighthouse and Illuminate the lens using a solar powered L.E.D. light. You can learn much more about the project and donate online at www.leelanau.com/lighthouse. They still have a lot of money to raise, so please donate if you can!
Artworks Florida is dedicated to the history and preservation of historic Fresnel lenses used to illuminate lighthouses. The first restoration was completed in 1993 in St. Augustine, Florida, where glass prisms were machined and polished to Fresnel's original formulas developed in 1819.
They have some really cool information about the process right here and be sure that Leelanau.com will bring you more about this story as we have it!
The proposed new zoning ordinance provisions may make it easier for the owners of farms and other agriculturally zoned properties to engage in businesses related to farming that will bring more tourists to the township. Examples already occurring in Bingham Township include special events held at local wineries, bed-and-breakfast operations at local farms, and on-site sales of locally produced food and beverages.
Planning Commission chairman Mike Park said the draft zoning ordinance amendment has been forwarded to the Leelanau County Planning Commission for review and will also be examined by township attorneys before being considered for adoption by the Bingham Township Board, tentatively next month. Park credited Don Coe, a co-owner of Black Star Farms in Bingham, for suggesting that the commission consider drafting the amendment. Black Star Farm includes a winery, a tasting room, a cheese-making and retail sales operation, horse boarding stables, a petting zoo, and a bed-and-breakfast inn.
Each month we make a post where you can let people know what you're thinking about stories in the news items, tell about some fun things you did (or want to do) and share your observations of what's happening in the great outdoors.
June in Leelanau means graduation, strawberries, baseball and the return of bare feet and beaches!
This June we're going to join with Absolute Michigan and Taste the Local Difference to promote local food and also to take our coverage of Leelanau County and northern Michigan to a new level!
On Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 6 PM the Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay will present a special premiere showing of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Rated PG-13).
Leland Division 1 and 2 Odyssey of the Mind teams both captured 1st place at the regional and state competitions and now move on to the Odyssey of the Mind World Competition at the University of Maryland (May 31-June 4th). At the state competition, they proved they were up to the challenge of the competition by holding a combined weight of 771 pounds with just 36 grams of balsa wood and they are seeking the help of the community in raising funds for the trip.
You will be able to do just that by purchasing a special advance ticket for only $5! ($6.50 at the door) We have devised an exciting contest where the audience will try to beat the 771 pound weight by filling a treasure chest. Every $1 will equal 1 pound and everyone in attendance will get a chance to guess the total “weight” of all the dollars, cents and checks given, with the closest guesses winning movie posters, cds and other fabulous prizes!
Tickets may be purchased at the Leland Public School office, from any of the 14 team members or by calling Merry Hawley @ 432-0011.
The October 21, 1970 Act of Congress that established the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore declared that "...the Congress finds that certain outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena, exist along the mainland shore of Lake Michigan and on certain nearby islands in Benzie and Leelanau Counties, Michigan, and that such features ought to be preserved in their natural setting and protected from developments and uses which would destroy the scenic beauty and natural character of the area."
Before it's all over, you will have hopefully enjoyed the photos, maps and links and checked out 5 "must-do" ways to experience the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. (I'm hoping folks who know and love the Dunes can add many more tips for visitors!)
Check it out - I'm really happy with how it came out!
Every month we make a post where you can let folks know about news items, fun things you did and observations of what's happening in the great outdoors.
Every May we know we can expect cherry blossoms and the beginning of the summer travel season.
This May on Leelanau.com, we're also going to be focusing on summer travel with stories about cool vacation ideas and (hopefully) some vacation giveaways courtesy some of our great sponsors.
On the heels of that comes news that Wine Enthusiast magazine has selected Black Star Farms, Suttons Bay as one of America's Top 25 tasting rooms in its May issue.
It seems almost an anti-climax to report that this week they added online wine ordering to their web site.
Leelanau.com is a sponsor of the annual Traverse City Film Festival. We do this because it's one of the coolest events in our area year after year. Through the work of hundreds of volunteers, our area is able to host a film festival that can stand eye to eye with almost any in the world.
Leelanau's 
