July 4, 2024
It was standing room only at the Solon Township Hall in Cedar Friday night as the community gathered to battle over a fee that jeopardized the Cedar Polka Festival, scheduled for Aug. 22-25.
Ultimately, a unique motion resulted in letting the festival proceed in 2024.
However, negotiations over the festival’s fee of $1 will be discussed immediately for future years between the Cedar Polka Fest Foundation, a nonprofi t arm of the Cedar Area Chamber of Commerce, and Solon Township for the use of the park. *** Leelanau County’s District 1 Commissioner Jamie Kramer announced her resignation from her position Saturday, effective in about 30 days.
Kramer’s district is the most populated one in the county, as it includes Elmwood Township and a portion of the City of Traverse City.
In an email to other members on the county board, Kramer says she decided to resign because of “the growing demands of (her) business, Earthly After.” *** A fun visit up north ended tragically Saturday for a downstate couple.
The National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard, Michigan State Police, Leelanau Sheriff ’s Department and Glen Lake Fire Department searched.
Tuesday morning for a downstate man missing since Saturday when his kayak went down off Sleeping Bear Point. He was found shortly before noon Tuesday Merrith Baughman, ranger and public information officer, said several personal items of the missing kayaker were found, leading to recovery of the victim. It was the culmination of three days of work by several units of first responders. *** The Village of Empire voted to raise parking fees at Empire Beach from $1 to $2 per hour at the busiest beach in Leelanau County after a 4-3 vote at a regular meeting. Empire President Sue Palmer, and trustees March Dye, Meg Walton, and Chris Webb all said yes, while trustees Maggie Bacon, Tom Rademacher, and Linda Chase voted “no.”
July 11, 2024
Work resumed on Grandview Parkway/Front Street in Traverse City Monday, bringing rush hour traffic to a crawl. Crews completed the first segment of the project prior to the National Cherry Festival and are now rebuilding over a mile of the U.S. highway from Railroad Avenue to Division Street. *** The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) announced that it will distribute $643,166 in local 2% payouts for its summer alloca- tion cycle of video gaming revenue. The amount is a significant increase of more than $35,000 from the last two summer allocation cycles, which was $605,175 in 2022, and $601,770 in 2023.
July 18, 2024
Leelanau County’s interim administrator, Richard Lewis, said Tuesday that Cathy Hartesvelt has been hired as permanent finance director, after she served as interim finance director for almost nine months. She has been department head since the last permanent director, Sean Cowan, left the county in October 2023. *** The Leelanau Enterprise has earned 26 awards in the National Newspaper Association’s Editorial and Advertising Contest.
The contest is open to all newspapers in the country.
Both creative and editorial departments were recognized for their efforts.
“The work of the entire Enterprise team was recognized by judges from across the country in the 2024 National Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper contest. Combined, advertising, creative and newsroom teams won 26 national awards,” COO John Elchert said. “From advertising, design, photography, and editorial and writing, all facets of our operation were deemed some of the best in the country.”
July 25, 2024
It was a successful spear fishing day on Glen Lake Monday. The Thundering Aspens Sportsman Club out of Mesick contracted with the Glen Lake Association to remove multiple large koi fish that threaten the lake’s environment. They even got a world record in the process.
Greg Wright and Sam Jones of Thundering Aspens captained the hunt looking for the goldfish styled carp that are threatening the lake’s vegetation and ecosystem.
By the time they left, they successfully spearfished two koi and two common carp with one of those koi being a world record measuring in at 32 inches and 25.4 pounds. The record was confi rmed by Heather Hettinger, MDNR Fisheries Management biologist. *** New Community Vision (NCV), a Northport-based nonprofi
t, and the Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) are much closer to purchasing and restoring the former Timber Shores RV resort campground.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced July 18 its recommendation of an $11.9 million
grant to go towards preservation projects in the Leelanau
and Grand Traverse areas. *** Salmon aficionados anticipating summer surges of kings in the Manitou Passage have for years been let down.
They’re smiling now. “This is not as good as I’ve seen it, but it’s very good,” said Rod Price, a college professor and Hastings resident who graduated from Leland. “But it’s the best in at least 10 years, and maybe since 2012. That’s the last year I remember it being this good.”
Price brings history to his conclusion. He’s been fishing out of Leland for 33 years, spent nine years as a first mate to charter captains whose boats were stationed along the Leland River, and is the grandson of a commercial fisherman who worked out of the harbor.
Aug. 1, 2024
ADASTEC, an Ann Arborbased automated driving solution company, announced the deployment of the first Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant automated bus at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBDNL).
This initiative, in partnership withVicinity Motor Corp. and ARIBO, is part of the National Park Service (NPS) Mobility Challenge Program, which aims to develop sustainable mobility solutions for national parks. *** Leelanau’s endangered Piping Plover flock is nearing the end of its short 2024 summer season with both challenges and successes this year. Erica Adams, lead piping plover monitor at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBDNL), says the team is focused on the fledging of the last chicks.
“We have one chick that we’re still waiting on to fledge, and then that will be our last guy for the park we’re keeping an eye on in the Platte area. We are also monitoring for the birds that are still sticking around at the park.
Mostly it’s fledglings from this season, with a few males here and there and just a handful of females left in the park,” she said.
Aug. 8, 2024
Voters in Solon and Kasson townships determined that incumbent District 7 Commissioner Melinda Lautner will not be up for reelection as the Republican candidate in November. Instead, they chose a new candidate, Steve Yoder, who currently serves as a Solon Township trustee. Yoder’s current term as Solon Township trustee expires in January. *** The lawsuit filed by a developer denied a permit to build a Planned Unit Development in Leland appears to have come to an end — favoring Leland Township.
Judge Kevin Elsenheimer issued his ruling Monday in Williams and Main LLC v. Leland Township.
Developer Joel Peterson proposed to construct an 11,590 square foot commercial and residential structure on commercial property located across from the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Building in Leland. The Planned Unit Development required public hearing and there was plenty of input — nearly all negative. *** All three Leelanau Countywide millage renewal proposals on the Aug. 6 primary election ballot passed, according to the unofficial election results linked on leelanau.gov. Voters authorized the renewal of the county roads and highways maintenance and repair millage; the early childhood services millage; and the senior citizens services millage. *** Former Glen Lake band director Elijah George was sentenced to eight months in county jail and five years probation on two charges including use of a computer to commit a crime (a 4-year felony) and surveying an unclothed person (a 0-11 month felony).
Both sentences will be served concurrently.
George, 27, was arrested in February with no prior criminal record to speak of.
“I would like the court to know, and the families that I hurt, that I am truly sorry. I’m remorseful for what I’ve done.
I’m in therapy and counseling to ensure that this process goes well ... I am extremely sorry and regretful,” he said. “I will live with this for the rest of my life.
The only hope is that I can be forgiven one day.”
Aug. 15, 2024
Construction of a controversial extension of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail (SBHT) failed to get support this week from the Cleveland Township Board.
However, a final decision is expected during the board’s September meeting.
The township hall sits immediately across from the site where TART Trails and the National Park Service propose to begin extension of the trail, referred to as “Segment 9” to Good Harbor Beach—a $15.4 million project.
Cleveland Township Supervisor Tim Stein guided the conversation about ‘Segment 9’ as the township has been receiving extensive electronic and verbal communication from residents on what future action from the township should look like. *** The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners seems to have reached a consensus Tuesday that the next board should choose their own administrator, as the current board is unlikely to hire one before the Nov. 5 election
anyway.
*** In an Aug. 2 letter from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsacik, she pleaded for relief as “Michigan is experiencing a natural disaster for sweet cherry production.” *** Announcement of minimum wage increases has Leelanau Country establishments looking over their finances with concern for the future of their businesses and the people they employ.
Knot Just a Bar owner David Waskiewicz said it is not uncommon for a server to make $25-30 an hour after tips with a professional server bringing home a yearly W-2 of $50,000. With the announcement of a minimum wage increase over the next five years possibly lowering tips, Waskiewicz said that will be a thing of the past and will be destructive for the restaurant industry in Leelanau and Michigan.
Aug. 22, 2024
North Manitou Island is home to a million-dollar, unappreciated dock.
That’s because ferry service to the island, which is owned by the National Park Service, has been suspended even after an expensive dock extension was constructed earlier this summer to accommodate the ferry boat MisheMokwa.
Jimmy Munoz, captain of the MisheMokwa, said the 100-foot extension is dangerous under a variety of weather conditions for loading and unloading passengers. Consequently, the Manitou Island Transit (MIT) company has provided only one day of ferry service to North Manitou. *** The Old Art Building (OAB) in Leland finalized the purchase of riverfront property adjacent to its facilities on July 31, reaching its first milestone to extend its campus with 280 feet of shoreline on the Leland River as well as adding significant green space.
Now, the OAB is embarking on its public phase of a capital campaign to further fund the purchase and ultimate extension of the art center’s existing campus. *** A ring that was found at Bohemian Beach in Cleveland Township caught fire on social media leading back to its owner that lost the ring over three years ago.
Allie Layson goes to Bohemian Beach often to enjoy a swim after work.
On Saturday, she went with her dog and a friend, along with a new pair of goggles, and she patrolled the shallows looking for Petoskey stones.
“I usually just use them to go out and swim around. But I was out sort of scanning for Petoskey stones and I just saw the ring sitting right on top of this little rock. It was probably nine feet out from the shore,” Layson said.
Aug. 29 ,2024
Elmwood Township prevailed in court against former township Supervisor Jack Kelly Monday.
Thirteenth Circuit Court Judge Charles Hamlyn ruled in favor of the township and decided there was no legal basis for Kelly’s allegation that the township board violated the Michigan Open Meetings Act (OMA) at their Feb. 12 regular meeting, resolving the case without a trial. *** Sept. 5, 2024
Local legend Richard Zywicki, owner of Cedar Hardware, is fighting for his life after a golf cart accident in Cleveland Township.
Zywicki was injured in a golf cart accident at his home where he was pinned underneath, according to the Leelanau County sheriff’s office.
Zywicki is known as the hardware man with an unwavering commitment to helping others. *** The Enduro Motorcycle saga that gripped the community of Kasson Township is over. At least for now.
Last month, Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer ruled in favor of Kasson Township during a zoning battle to prevent applicants James Schettek, Bill Kasben, and Fran Seymour from seeking a Special Use Permit (SUP) to host public races from Schettek’s property. *** The outlook for the ninth most productive apple growing county in Michigan is an early thumbs up.
The apple harvest is already underway — between one and two weeks ahead of norm — as the crop sweetens and colors by On Sept. 10, 2019, the Cleveland Township Board approved the proposed recommended route for “the path to Good Harbor” otherwise known as Segment 9.
the day.
Sept. 12, 2024
And Tuesday, nearly five years later to the date, the township board voted to rescind this action.
“I think (the price) has nowhere to go but to continue to spiral up,” Township Supervisor Tim Stein said. “Fifteen-plus million is fiscally irresponsible. I still hold that belief today. I would add further that the user experience cost based on projected user visitations over 30 years is way too high to defend from a cost-benefit standpoint. It just doesn’t make any logical sense.” *** John Popa of Bingham Township, a county road commissioner, died Friday at Munson Medical Center. He died about three weeks after the Aug. 13 accident on Co. Rd. 641 in which he was driving a Polaris Ranger UTV. *** Weary travelers can take solace in knowing that what has become a daily traffic jam encountered while trying to drive across Traverse City should clear up in mid-November.
Then after about five months, construction is scheduled to begin anew for the western and northern part of an ambitious effort to rebuild U.S. 31 and M-22 from South Garfield Avenue to Cherry Bend Road in Leelanau County.
Sept. 19, 2024
Propelled by a near recordsetting June and solid performances in July and August, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore visitation appears headed for its busiest season in at least four years.
That presents a contrast with tourism in the Traverse City area, which the CEO of Traverse City Tourism recently rated as “B minus” compared to recent years.
During the three-month summer season, 1,189,279 recreational visits were recorded on the lakeshore. Summer visitation was limited to 1,119,441 visitors in 2023, 1,057,970 in 2022 and 1,168,108 in 2021. *** The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners approved the millage rates for the county’s senior services, road and highways maintenance, and early childhood programs at their Tuesday regular meeting.
Leelanau County residents voted to renew these millages in the Aug. 6 primary elections. The road and senior millages will be levied at the maximum allowed amounts by votes — 0.5000 and 0.3200 mills respectively — but the early childhood millage will be levied at 0.2000 mills out of a total authorized rate of 0.2530. Interim County Administrator Richard Lewis said that a 0.2000 tax rate will provide enough cash flow to support the budgeted programs. *** State Senator John DaMoose co-authored Senate Bill 1003, which simply reads “The cherry is designated as the official fruit of this state.”
Leisa Eckerle Hankins, a fifthgeneration cherry farmer, knows first-hand the challenges facing growers in Leelanau County. She formed the Cherry Growers Alliance earlier this year to shed light on the plight of growers after several years of scant or nonexistent profits.
She sees a statewide endorsement of cherries as Michigan’s official fruit as a major step in righting the industry.
Sept. 26, 2024
There’s been no headway to stave off a standoff that curtailed ferry service to North Manitou Island all summer, and now the National Park Service (NPS) is threatening to revoke its concession contract with Manitou Island Transit.
At issue — still — is whether a million-dollar temporary dock built by the Park Service specifically to provide passage to the island is safe under most weather conditions for loading and unloading.
NPS engineers say it is. But Jimmy Munoz, a captain of the
Mishe Mokwa
ferry boat, says it isn’t because an open design below the dock provides little protection from waves. *** The first month in which a million-dollar home sale in Leelanau County is considered “average” may be a ho-hum moment in the statistical world, but it nonetheless shows a continuation of high demand for high-end homes.
As of last week, only four homes were listed for sale on Glen Lake. Which helps explain the million-dollar average home sale figure for August. It was an anomaly; the result of having 13 home sales at or above $1.1 million out of 42 total sales in the county.
The highest-valued sale was made on Dalton Shores Road fronting on north Lake Leelanau; a $3.9 million sale was made off West Day Forest Road on little Glen Lake.
Oct. 3, 2024
The newspaper reached out to Leelanau County’s finance department head — then-Interim Finance Director Cathy Hartesvelt — to get estimates on the total amount of money spent on the county’s finance and human resources (HR) departments.
According to the county’s administrative department, based on data from Hartesvelt, $692,102 went into these departments by
mid-2024.
She estimated the county had already sunk $440,544 into starting its finance department by late June, just before she was hired as director. The largest single item going into this figure was $267,597 in wages and benefi ts for the directors, interim director, and assistant director. *** Last month, newly appointed full-time Finance Director Cathy Hartesvelt promised the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners that she would “build (them) a department.”
Since then, the county hired a new assistant finance director, Michael Birkmeier, and account clerk, Jodi Logan. Birkmeier and Logan started Tuesday. They also hired a new human resources (HR) manager, Jennifer Kane, who started a day earlier.
“For the first time in two years, thanks to a lot of work from the clerk’s office, and the treasurer’s office, and from Cathy and the administrator, we are fully staffed. We have a finance department. We have an HR department,” Board Chairman Ty Wessell said Tuesday. “That’s a day to celebrate,
I think.”
*** More than 150 people turned out Tuesday in Glen Arbor for the biennial Cherry Pie Debate, sponsored by the
Leelanau
Enterprise,
Interlochen Public Radio, and the League of Women Voters of Leelanau County.
Incumbent State Representative Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) was pitted against Republican challenger Lisa Trombley, and candidates for the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the community.
Oct. 10, 2024
Leelanau County was not on the list of recipients of grant funding through the Michigan Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) Renewable Energy and Electrification Infrastructure Enhancement and Development program, which were announced Sept. 26.
Energy Futures Task Force (EFTF) Chairman Joe DeFors, who helped prepare the county’s application for funds through this program, said that MPSC has not yet indicated why the county was not awarded the grant.
The county applied for $1.5 million from the MPSC to build solar arrays at the government center in Suttons Bay in February. While waiting for a response, opponents of the project shifted the narrative from the solar array project by making criminal allegations against the people who prepared it. *** The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners appointed a 14-member body in late 2023 to advise the county on efficient, renewable energy. The board agreed that this group, called the Energy Futures Task Force (EFTF), should report back to them a year later.
EFTF Chairman Joe DeFors attended the board’s Tuesday regular session and presented the group’s one-year report, with the recommendation that the group be authorized to continue their work for another three years. The county board postponed a decision on this recommendation.
The Oct. 8 meeting saw DeFors and Jim White, the Republican candidate for District No. 4 commissioner, exchange harsh words through public comment. DeFors accused White of “launch(ing) a litany of falsehoods and environmental myths against the task force and his opponent (in the general election).”
White counterattacked by accusing DeFors of “theatrics” and applying for projects that “will be … an eyesore, a public drain, and a misuse of public funds,” before calling on him to step down as chair of the EFTF because of his “hypocrisy.”
Oct. 17, 2024
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued disaster declarations for sweet cherries in 11 Michigan counties, including Leelanau County, Monday.
Leelanau County cherry farmers got the attention of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in August. She requested a Declaration of Disaster from the USDA to make available emergency resources for northern Michigan’s cherry producers.
In 2024, the state of Michigan saw losses of upward of 75% of their crops after a mild winter that led to a warm and wet season, causing significant insect and disease damage. *** Leelanau and Grand Traverse County commissioners are requesting state funds to improve an intersection in west Garfield Township, as the area is now seeing enough traffic to pose a safety hazard, according to some officials.
Some commuters have tried to circumvent construction on Grandview Parkway/ Front Street in Traverse City by entering the county further inland via Cedar Run Road to Gray Road, which is called Bugai Road north of M-72.
Unfortunately, the intersections here don’t seem to be able to accommodate that much flow, as evidenced by the presence of stop signs instead of traffic lights. And these intersections could see similar traffic next summer when the state begins construction of a roundabout just northwest of the current project. *** The Glen Lake Board of Education is exploring the potential of using its 180-acre property on Benzonia Trail in Empire Township for affordable housing development.
The proposal, which has been under discussion since spring 2023, aims to address the housing needs in Leelanau County.
The property was originally deeded to the Empire Agricultural School in 1941 for $1 for timbering purposes. In 1955, the school districts of Maple City, Glen Lake, and Empire consolidated to form Glen Lake Community Schools.
“Our greatest need is housing in Leelanau County, but it’s unattainable for families at this point and unattainable for some of our essential workers. We were really trying to solve a problem, and I would say that the DNR folks were sympathetic to our needs,” Sleeping Bear Gateway Council board member Mike Rivard said.
Oct. 24, 2024
The Leelanau County Election Commission held a public accuracy test for the Nov. 5 presidential election at the government center.
County Clerk Michelle Crocker said that a total of 1,582 ballots were fed into the tabulator, one by one, during the test. These included every permutation of complete and incomplete ballots that voters may produce, including “spoiled” ballots that were marked incorrectly.
According to Crocker, the test produced 100% accurate results, and all valid ballots were counted correctly. *** Village of Empire President Sue Palmer informed Empire Clerk Derith Smith and Treasurer Alacia Acton through a letter that they are not going to be reappointed to their positions when their terms end Nov. 20. “It’s my decision to make the appointments,” said Palmer.
According to village ordinances 133 and 134, Palmer has the right to make nominations for these positions, but not appointments. Palmer and Smith have had testy public conversations over numerous issues, mostly concerning procedure. *** Some Bingham Township residents may have seen smoke billowing up over Shady Lane at various times in the last week. Forest fires started in the area Oct. 11, and the Suttons Bay-Bingham Fire Department and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have been struggling to keep them from spreading further.
Suttons Bay-Bingham Fire Chief James Porter said the fire was contained Monday, but it will likely continue burning until the area gets some rain. Porter said the source of the fire was a nearby compost pile that overheated due to the unusually high temperatures and low humidity. An unseasonably warm period of dry weather lingered for the first part of the week in Leelanau County.
Oct. 31, 2024
Early in-person voting has already proven to be a hugely popular way to vote in the general election in Michigan, and Leelanau County is no exception.
According to County Clerk Michelle Crocker, who administers the election, 1,300 people have already voted in-person as of Tuesday afternoon. And that number may greatly increase by Sunday, since the nine-day early in-person voting period wasn’t even halfway over at that point.
An amendment to the state constitution granting the right to vote early in every statewide and federal election was passed by voters in November 2022. *** The campaign finance information disclosed Friday at the Leelanau County clerk’s office show that people backing candidates aren’t afraid to open their pocketbooks.
The Republican candidate for District No. 5 commissioner, Alan Campbell, was the biggest fundraiser, with a total of $13,475, with more than half coming from out-of-state contributors.
Campbell reported seven contributions of $1,225 — the maximum allowed for an individual or political committee — coming from residents of Wadsworth, Illinois; Lookout Mountain, Georgia; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Aspen, Colorado. Campbell also reported a $2,000 contribution from the Leelanau County Republican Party. *** North Manitou Island appears headed toward a second straight year of very limited visitation, with access to South Manitou curtailed in 2026.
And the future for island visitation doesn’t look bright, either, with the owners of Manitou Island Transit (MIT) railing over year-long shutdowns of their business. They have little faith that their ferry service will survive upcoming drought years for island visitation.
The ferry service successfully sued the U.S. Department of the Interior for lost revenue in 2020. MIT is suing them again over lost business in 2023 and 2024 that was also caused by docking controversy.
Nov. 7, 2024
The Associated Press declared victory for Donald Trump early Wednesday morning, but Leelanau County continued its trend of voting blue.
According to the unofficial election results linked on the county website, Harris received about 53% of 15,863 total votes, or 8,407 votes, in Leelanau County. Voters here also chose Barack Obama and Joe Biden over their Republican challengers in previous presidential elections.
And the Democrats will retain their majority hold on the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners for another four years, according to the unofficial election results. *** The Village of Empire had the closest race out of all county elections Tuesday, as former President Dan Davis edged incumbent Sue Palmer by 154 to 150 votes.
The winning margin of .97% had a close four-vote finish, with two write-in votes cast. *** Barbara Conley won the race for Leelanau Township Supervisor on Tuesday with approximately 882 votes (58.88%) against incumbent Mike McMillan, who earned 612 votes (40.85%), according to Leelanau County unofficial general election results.
“I am grateful to Leelanau Township voters for this opportunity and will work hard with residents to make Leelanau Township the best it can be,” Conley said.
Nov. 14, 2024
About 3,200 ballots were not recorded in the initial Nov. 5 General Election reports. They could change the outcome of three Leelanau County Board of Commissioners races and may show that the Republican Party reclaimed the board majority.
Republican candidates Mark Walter, Will Bunek, and Alan Campbell now appear to be the winners of the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th districts. Previously, their Democrat opponents — Scott Perry, Lois Bahle, and incumbent commissioner Kama Ross — were the unofficial winners of these races.
The total number of ballots cast increased from 16,253 to 17,827, which was enough to shift the scales in several elections. *** The discrepancies in Leelanau County’s unofficial election results were not caused by a computer error, according to county Clerk Michelle Crocker.
The clerk’s office inadvertently reported 1,582 sample ballots from an Oct. 17 elections accuracy in their Statement of Votes Cast. These sample ballots were fed into a tabulator that was later reused at the county government center for early in-person voting.
This test data was not purged, rejected, or deleted before early in-person voting started Oct. 26. And so, automatically generated reports sent to Lansing included just under 1,600 sample ballots instead of 3,156 actual votes from early in-person voting.
The Leelanau County Board of Canvassers found this mistake when the canvassers compared the Statement of Votes Cast with paper receipts from the tabulator used at the county government center.
When the election administrators contacted their vendor, ElectionSource, this weekend, they learned they had been told via an instruction manual to purge the data from the accuracy test before the election.
Nov. 21, 2024
The Leelanau County Board of Canvassers certified the Nov. 5 General Election results Saturday afternoon. The Statement of Votes Cast sent to Lansing differed from the unoffi cial results reported the morning
after Election Day, with
many more votes included.
Adding these 3,156 votes changed the outcomes of many races. *** Leelanau County government may be overseen by a new administrator very soon.
Three candidates for the position — Jim Dyer, Kipling Belcher, and Mark Brown — have been invited back for follow ups after clearing their first round of interviews Monday and Tuesday. *** The debate of the final 4.2-mile “Segment 9” extension of the Sleeping Bear Dunes Heritage Trail within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBDNL) came to a screeching halt last week in Empire after SBDNL Superintendent Scott Tucker paused the project following consultations with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB).
“The existing design work will serve as a foundation for future planning efforts, with continued collaboration alongside the Grand Traverse Band and project partners… (SBDNL) remains committed to enhancing nonmotorized connectivity throughout the Lakeshore and looks forward to continued, strong collaboration in the future,” a
SBDNL press release said.
Nov. 28, 2024
The Leelanau Enterprise has a new publisher.
David Thornberry joins the staff after decades in the newspaper business in a career that took him all over the country. Thornberry started at the Hammond Tribune in Indiana and worked at publications in 27 states, all of which had the same focus: community journalism.
Enterprise publisher John Elchert, who now is the chief operational officer of Blackbird LCC, continues to work at his office in Lake Leelanau. *** Lois Bahle, the Democrat candidate for the District No. 3 commissioner seat in the Nov. 5 General Election, filed a petition for a recount in her race against Republican candidate Will Bunek.
Bahle was initially shown as defeating Bunek when the county posted unofficial results after Election Day, with 1,114 votes to Bunek’s 973 votes. But by the end of the week, the Board of Canvassers discovered that test data was not purged from a tabulator used at the county government center.
This caused Bunek to leap ahead of Bahle in a dramatic reversal. Bahle fell just six votes behind Bunek, with 1,319 votes to Bunek’s 1,325 votes.
Dec. 5, 2024
Snow in the region is back in full force, as a winter storm warning will remain in effect until 7 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Gaylord, bringing with it widespread blowing snow and more hazardous weather conditions.
According to the National Weather Service in Gaylord, there was approximately 14 inches of snow recorded one mile east of Maple City through early Tuesday. *** A recount confirmed that Lois Bahle, the Democrat candidate for the District No. 3 county commissioner seat in the Nov. 5 general elections, fell behind the Republican candidate, Will Bunek, by just six votes, with Bahle at 1,319 votes and Bunek at 1,325 votes.
Dec. 12, 2024
If all goes well, Leelanau County may enter negotiations to hire its new full-time administrator by the end of today.
This morning, the two finalists for the position — Northport Village Manager Jim Dyer and MediaNews Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mark Brown — will start their second round of interviews. The county board may offer a one-year contract to their preferred candidate.
*** On a snowy Thursday night at a Solon Township meeting, negotiations concluded over the future of the Cedar Polka Festival.
The board and Cedar Chamber of Commerce agreed to pay $225 per day for approximately nine days ($2,000+) per year for a period spanning three years. The price may fluctuate slightly from year to year.
For 42 years, the Polka Festival has paid $1 per year for use of the township park in Cedar, including the tennis courts, which board members agreed are beyond repair with no intention of replacement or improvement.
*** The Glen Lake Board of Education quashed a potential affordable housing project on its 180-acre property on Benzonia Trail in Empire Township Monday.
“This is simply due to not having any process and procedure for changing the usage of this property. ... Before considering any potential changes designation, we need to become better educated ... the board will not be considering any changes to the current designation of the school forest property at this time,” Glen Lake Superintendent Jason Misner said in a prepared statement during the meeting.
Dec. 19, 2024
The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners extended a job offer to Jim Dyer, Northport Village manager, for the county administrator position after a follow-up interview Thursday. Dyer entered a one-year contract with the county Tuesday.
All six of the currently sitting county commissioners favored Dyer over MediaNews Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mark Brown, the other finalist, but commissioners Gwenne Allgaier and Doug Rexroat noted that both candidates were extremely qualified for the position. He will start as the fulltime county administrator March 31.
Dec. 26, 2024
Snow-covered landscapes and mild mid 30s temperatures promise a white Christmas filled with warmth and cheer this holiday season.
A clipper system brought winter weather advisories as well as several inches of snow to the region Monday. A gradual warming trend will begin by Christmas Eve and throughout the week, as temperatures are expected to rise to 40 plus degrees by the weekend. *** U.S. Army veteran Richard “Dick” Grout, 104, passed away Dec. 19 after a life of service to his country, community, and beyond.
Grout served during World War II and was part of D-Day operations in Normandy. Grout, a longtime Leelanau County resident, was awarded France’s highest distinction in February — the French Legion of Honor.
