The Leelanau Township Community Foundation (LTCF) has announced its March grant awards to support area organizations and quality of life in Leelanau Township. Four grants were awarded. The Leelanau Conservancy was awarded a $10,000 grant to help replace the stairway at the Lighthouse West Natural Area that will allow safer access to the natural area. New Community Vision received a $11,909 grant to assist in the enlistment of professional services for the creation of an initial concept plan and coordination of community outreach for an attainable housing development in Leelanau Township.
The Northport Area Heritage Association received a $3,000 grant to help fund the purchase of two fire-proof filing cabinets to house archival materials. Northport Public School was awarded a $945 grant from the Youth Endowment Fund to provide funding for an overnight field trip for middle school students to metro Detroit to visit the Detroit Science Center, the Holocaust Center, and the Detroit Institute of Art.
Applications for grants can be made online on the foundation’s website, www.leelanaufoundation. org.
The history of the LTCF goes back almost 80 years. When Gilman Marsten Dame was killed in a car-train accident just north of Suttons Bay in 1939. His death rocked Leelanau Township and the County. Dame was a Northport businessman, community leader and friend to many. His untimely death was a loss to the area. In 1945, to commemorate Dame and his contributions to the community, his friend and business partner, Francis Haserot, donated $35,000, a significant sum at that time, to create a foundation for the betterment of Leelanau Township. Haserot owned the Northport Cherry Factory, which Dame managed.
Omena has benefited from the LTCF’s grants over the years including significant donations towards the Township’s purchase of Omena Beach, the building of the Omena Community Room in the Fire Hall, repairs to the Omena Presbyterian Church, and funding for Omena Historical Society (OHS) and Omena Village Preservation Association (OVPA) projects. Current Omena area trustees are Kim Armbruster, Kristi Hallett, and Barbara Nelson-Jameson.
In travel-related news, one of Allan and Roberta Cohen’s grandsons, Killian Pozdol, is a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The school has a campus in Valencia, Spain, and Killian chose to spend the spring semester of his sophomore year there. Needless to say, the Cohens chose Spain as the destination for their spring trip.
They flew into Barcelona, where they toured the magnificent Sagrada Familia, an extraordinary cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi, a creative and imaginative Spanish architect. They then drove to Valencia to see Killian, who is loving this experience and the opportunity to travel to other countries in Europe while he is studying in Spain. He is a foodie, like his grandparents, and loves the chance to try new foods in all of those different countries. They said it was a delight to visit with him and see how well he’s adapting to life in Europe. They introduced Killian to tapas and paella — which originated in Valencia— and visited some of the amazing museums and other sites there.
The Cohens then headed back to Barcelona, spending two nights along the way, staying in a castle each night. Both castles were government- run paradors, or hostelries. The 9th century castle in Alacron had a 360 degree private walkway around the top of the crenelated tower which could only be accessed by a doorway in their room! The room itself was also incredible. According to Roberta, “It was absolutely magical.”
The next Poetry Month event at the Leelanau Township Library is this coming Tuesday at 7 pm. Linda Nemec Foster will read from her book, “Bone Country, Prose Poems.” She is the author of 12 books of poetry and was the first poet laureate of Grand Rapids from 2003 – 2005. There will be an event every Tuesday evening in April. On April 16, Siusan O’Rourke will hold a Song Writing Workshop. On April 23, the program will be led by Holly Wren Spaulding, an author and writing teacher in South Maine. Her collections include two Michigan-inspired poems. The final night on April 30 is Open Mic Night, so start getting your poem polished up to read.
Phil and Sarah Hallstedt, of Hallstedt Homestead Cherries, have adopted the stretch of M-22 that includes Omena as part of the State’s Adopt-A-Highway program. The next clean-up is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16 from 46 p.m. They are looking for volunteers to join them. Everyone should meet at the Omena Historical Society museum in downtown Omena at 4 p.m. You can let Phil Hallstedt know if you are interested in volunteering at [email protected].
The Community Coffee hours at the Omena Historical Society continue every Thursday morning from 10 to 11 am. Everyone is welcome.
Happy Birthday to Eric Hallett, Chico Luna, Al Flees, Tabitha Pearson, Amanda Waskiewicz, Tony Brown, Debbie Bussey Mann, Mary Tonneberger, Jackie Singer, and Hazel Jane Brown, who turns 2.
