5 YEARS AGO
June 19, 2003

Without a land use permit for the county's law enforcement center, county officials should reassess where they want the jail sited, commissioners heard Tuesday night.
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Initial estimates are that the 2003 tart cherry crop will come in between 70 and 85 million pounds — half the size of a typical harvest.
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Circuit Court Judge Philip E. Rodgers Jr. last week issued a scathing dismissal of the Glen Lake Association’s May 21 motion to vacate his April 30 order establishing new procedures for regulating Glen Lake and Crystal River water levels.

10 YEARS AGO
June 18, 1998

A $6.1 million expansion of the Leelanau Sands Casino — rivaling in cost any construction project in county history — was announced this week by Traverse Bay Casino Resorts.
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The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals had denied a request from the Village of Northport and Leland Township to “rehear” its recent decision declaring that the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians can occasionally use municipal marinas at no charge.
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It’s been nearly 30 years since former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall has been to the site he pressed to establish as a national park. He visited this week.

30 YEARS AGO
June 22, 1978

The county’s census count increased to 15,112 from 13,734 in the year’s period, a hike of some 1,400 and about equal to the combined 1970 population of Leelanau’s three incorporated villages.
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A special meeting by the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners to discuss procedures for establishment of an official water level for Lake Leelanau and a special assessment district in connection with the project will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the County Building in Leland.
Cherry output probably will be less than “bumper” in Michigan this year, and a winter wheat crop only half as big as last year’s is forseen by the Michigan Crop Reporting Service. But one plant seems to be thriving, a stand of luxuriant poison ivy.

55 YEARS AGO
June 18, 1953

A barn filled with lumber was completely destroyed and the interior of a tenant house a quarter of a mile away was ruined Monday night by fires at the Mrs. Joy Valsko farm five miles south of Suttons Bay on M-22. Loss was estimated at $5,000 to $10,000. The buildings were insured.
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The Leelanau County Sheriff’s department will begin soon to inspect boats offered for rent here in compliance with a new state law which stipulates that fleets of three or more boats may not be rented until they are properly licensed.
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Two “flying” housewives, both well known in Empire, captured first place Sunday in the Women’s International Air Race from Welland, Canada to New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

123 YEARS AGO
June 18, 1885

Owing to poor fishing on this shore, some of our fisherman have left for the Manitous.
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Some beautiful speckle trout are being taken out of the stream and millpond in Northport.
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Rain is badly needed.