Matthew Branton, owner of North Country Kitchen and Bar in Suttons Bay, has been operating the establishment for the past year since closing on the purchase from Karen Boone in March 2023. Since opening last June, Branton moved to Leelanau County to run his newest business venture and has been getting acclimated to working in the restaurant industry.

This is one of my most favorite times of year, although we didn’t have a bad winter people seem to come alive at this time year. Hear the hammers and the leaf blowers and everybody is getting ready for a great summer.

The Village of Empire will hold its annual spring cleanup on Wednesday and Thursday, May 8 and 9. Residents are asked to leave bagged leaves and brush in piles next to their street or alley by 8 a.m.

In Northport, Isabelle Scott, affectionately known as “Isa,” has been forging her unique path as a herbalist and the proprietor of Circles & Cycles. Since its inception in 2019, Circles & Cycles has grown from a personal passion project to a thriving business offering a range of herbal products.

Doug McInnis, a Leelanau County resident living in Northport, has made his mark on the county as one of the founders of Leelanau Energy, a community action agency advocating for clean energy like solar and wind power.

The Leelanau County Housing Collaborative, a group of four organizations focused on creating a Housing Action Plan for Leelanau County, is announcing the housing survey to help bring housing for all to Leelanau County.

Spring activities dominated conversation this week by the Leland Township Board. The board during its regular monthly meeting Monday acted on proposals that signal the arrival of spring and warmer weather.

Kelly Kehl, who moved back to the Village of Northport in January with her husband, John, recently opened her very own “Little Beauty Kitchen” business location downtown. Kehl, an herbalist, artist, and esthetician, said she could not be more happy to continue her work at the new space in Barb’s Bakery.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore (SBDNL) biologist Erica Adams is living the dream as she monitors the endangered Piping Plover and is a lead on educating the public. Adams, 29, originally from Rochester Hills, has paved her way through the National Park system at various parks throughout the country, but eventually wound up back in the Sleeping Bear Dunes in 2019.

David Johnson of Suttons Bay is currently the president-elect of Suttons Bay Rotary Club. He’s had a storied legal career practicing as a lawyer in three states, including Ohio, New Mexico, and Missouri, and up until the end of last year, he was actively maintaining a law practice.