5 YEARS AGO April 2, 2020
People fleeing areas with signifi cant COVID-19 community spread or returning from travel outside the state are being asked to self-quarantine for two weeks. The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department (BLDHD), in collaboration with the Northern Michigan Public Health Alliance, issued a public health advisory Tuesday asking these subjects to stay put for 14 days. *** The Village of Suttons Bay has officially opened its North Park boat launch a couple of weeks early; and work on a long-awaited “streetscape” project along M-22 (St. Joseph Avenue) in the downtown area is slated to get underway Monday. The boat launch is expected to bring a little more traffic into the village in the weeks ahead, but the construction project will require that much of the traffic going through Suttons Bay will need to detour off M-22 onto St. Mary’s Avenue.
10 YEARS AGO April 2, 2015
Nightly news reports of Middle East violence do nothing to deter Jim McCormick from visiting the Holy Land. The retired District Court Judge and Bingham Township resident fell “in love” with Israel in 1993, when he and his wife, Marilyn celebrated their 25th wedding with a trip. “I’m fascinated by history, Church history, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and languages,” said McCormick, who served as an 86th District Court Judge from 1977 to his retirement in 2000. “A lot of people spend time doing things they love. I’m obsessed with (Jerusalem) and its history and spiritual meaning.” *** Several Empire Township residents think the township has too much money in the bank, especially when it comes to the Empire Campground, which has a fund balance — or savings account — of $155,410. And they made their views known at a budget hearing held Saturday, when about half a dozen residents said the money should be used to build public bathrooms in the downtown area or other capital improvements.
25 YEARS AGO April 6, 2000
Unseasonably warm temperatures this spring could result in the earliest cherry “full blossom” date in northern Michigan in recent history, if not the last 100 years. *** A discussion of the zoning ordinance, which now forbids the county from expanding facilities in Leland, was set to be held Monday by the Leland Township Planning and Zoning Board. Instead, a proposal to revisit the issue of “administrative offices” in the R-2 zoning district was removed Tuesday from the agenda of the Leland Township Planning and Zoning Board’s quarterly meeting.
50 YEARS AGO April 3, 1975
Plans to order several thousand Leelanau County official bicentennial emblem decal stickers for sale by each township in the County were outlined at a meeting of the Leelanau Bi-Centennial Committee with representatives of most of the townships present, held in the court room at the Leelanau County Court House Tuesday night. *** D. H. Day and Benzie State Parks no longer exist. ! The two state parks located near Empire (D. H Day) and in Benzie County did not just evaporate and disappear. They were transferred to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Nation Park Service) in official action in Lansing Tuesday.
75 YEARS AGO April 6, 1950
Winter waited for April to put on its worst storm. Starting Saturday and continuing at press time Wednesday afternoon, the storm piled Leelanau County with 12 inches of heavy, wet snow. It tore down Michigan Public Service, Cherryland R.E.A. and Consumers Power lines, disrupted telephone service at Empire and Cedar, isolated many farm communities, glazed roads with ice and put scores of cars into the ditch. A white Easter is in prospect. *** Three Dry Hours Word went out Monday to all licensed taverns in the state that the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, by unanimous resolution, has ordered that the sale of alcoholic beverages be suspended from 12 o’clock noon to 3:00 p.m., Good Friday, April 7th, 1950. The order adds: “This will be enforced.”
100 YEARS AGO April 2, 1925
The Leland high school has entered the National Oratorical contest and the class eliminations will be held this week. The winner in the school contest will be sent to Elk Rapids to contest in the district finals. *** Mr. Con. Lather popular agent for the Ford cars was in our village Monday on business. Con. reports business good.
