5 YEARS AGO

August 2, 2007

As a controversial plan to build docks in the Lake Leelanau Narrows heads to a new venue — 13th Circuit court — developer Wayne Tyge is ready to begin building them. The board of directors of the Lake Leelanau Lake Association has voted to file suit in Circuit Court to keep the Narrows Land Development Company, owned by Tyge, from building eight slips in the Narrows that would be used by owners of a condominium project already approved by the Leland Township Board.

* * *

The Northport Promise, now a reality, needs an economic shot in the arm to help give the program to fund scholarships for Northport students a boost. This week, the developers of the proposed Timber Shores project did just that. The Northport Promise Steering Committee announced that NM Investment Company, L.L.C., has pledged to contribute $500 from the sale of each unit from Timber Shores and Northport Landings to the Northport Promise.

* * *

Continuing high temperatures and a lack of rain are contributing to low water levels in the Great Lakes, according to officials of the Army Corps of Engineers office in Detroit. Great Lakes water levels have remained flat this summer and were a full 19 inches below the long-term average.

10 YEARS AGO

August 1, 2002

More than one thing will be different for some of the county’s 16,190 registered voters when they go to the polls Tuesday. In addition to redrawn lines for county commissioners and state Senate and House seats, voters in three township will be casting their ballots using a computerized scanning system. Accuvote scanning systems will be used for the first time in Kasson, Cleveland and Leland townships. They are the last of the county’s 11 townships to make the switch from manual to a computerized system.

* * *

Federal and state agency officials were expected to meet on South Fox Island to look at David Johnson’s “emergency shoreline stabilization” project and discuss plans Johnson has to build a permanent seawall and two piers near his new house on the island’s southeastern shore.

* * *

The Suttons Bay Board of Education will likely decide Monday night who the new principal of Suttons Bay Elementary School will be. Sixteen people applied for the principalship following the resignation of Rob Glass last month. A district “search committee” pared the field of candidates down to seven.

35 YEARS AGO

August 4, 1977

Damage in a wild storm that swept through Leelanau County early Sunday, uprooting and smashing trees, snapping power lines and possibly spawning at least a pair of small tornadoes, still was being assessed yesterday. Packing winds of more than 50 miles an hour in some areas, the violent electrical storm hit sections of the county about 2 a.m., with particularly heavy damage near Glen Arbor.

* * *

Leelanau County’s 1977 death toll in highway accidents rose to five Sunday when a 19-year-old Dearborn girl died in a single-car crash on Co. Rd. 633 just north of Herman Rd. near Suttons Bay.

* * *

Rainfall in July totaled 4.2 inches at the Leelanau County Road Commission garage at Suttons Bay, above the norm of 2.9 inches for the month and believed to have arrived in time to aid fall fruit and field crops stunted by a drought stretching back to the spring of 1976.

60 YEARS AGO

July 31, 1952

There now are 2,539 children of school age in Leelanau County and 965 of pre-school age, according to a census report released this week by Harry R. Dumbrille of Glen Arbor, county superintendent of schools. This represents an increase of 17 schoolage children over last year and a decrease of 24 in those of pre-school age.

* * *

Al Raney of Elmwood, one of the track owners, announces that the first hot rod auto race at Rollin’ Hills Speedway, six miles north of Traverse City on M-22 will be held Sunday afternoon. Time trials will begin at 1:30 and the races at 2:30, he said. The quarter mile oil track, banked all the way around, is nearly completed.

* * *

With an all-time high of 4,653 registered voters and several contests for local offices the primary election Tuesday, August 5 is expected to bring out a record number of voters in Leelanau County.

115 YEARS AGO

July 29, 1897

A very delightful fishing party in honor of J.H. Hibbard and wife of Chicago, was given on the Lady Watts on Carp Lake, and the afternoon was enjoyed by all.

* * *

Maple City. Dr. Fralick has and elegant boat in process of construction. It will soon be sailing on the lakes in this vicinity. Miss Martha Mahn was married to Mr. Otto at the residence of her parents near here. May they live long and happily to-gether. The W.C.T.U. are at work for the relief of the unfortunate people of Lake Ann. The ladies of this town are hustlers. Miss Winifred Pratt, of Traverse City, talked to the Y.P.W.C.E. at the Friends’ Church.