More than 150 friends and supporters attended the evening, which benefits LCC’s Financial Aid Program and marks the opening of the organization’s 50th year of service.

LCC’s Financial Aid Program funds the gap between what families pay in tuition and the actual cost of care.

LCC serves three and four-year-olds, funded by tuition or, for children turning four by December 1, by the state’s free Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP).

Tuition is priced competitively within the region, but the true cost of care runs nearly double that, and philanthropy covers the difference for every child enrolled.

The proceeds from Leelanau Grown carry that support through the coming year. The need returns every fall.

Five decades ago, two Leelanau visionaries, Dee Glass and Molly Phinny, set out to make sure young children in the county had somewhere safe to grow and learn while their families built a livelihood. What began as an answer to a local need has since become foundational infrastructure for the community, the reason parents can farm, teach, run a business, or care for a neighbor, and the reason young families can build a life here rather than leave in search of care.

Fifty years of that work has produced something rare: a community that holds across generations. Children who once passed through LCC’s doors now bring their own children through them, and in some cases their grandchildren.

“For 50 years, LCC has been part of what keeps this community whole. The specialness of Leelanau, the thing all of us recognize, whether we’re here year-round or seasonally, depends on families being able to stay. Our community is a fabric, and every family that gets to stay and build their lives here is another thread,” said Jen Reutter, executive director of the Leelanau Children’s Center.

That case was made personally on Saturday night by Skyler Fort, an LCC alum parent and owner of Fortified Coatings, whose testimonial described how access to quality childcare supports working families and the long-term future of Leelanau County.

The evening’s giving opened with a raffle for an Ultimate Leelanau Beach Day package from Harbor House, followed by a spirited live auction for a two-night escape to North Farm with a private dinner prepared by Chef Abra Berens. Fort’s testimonial carried the room into the paddle raise, which sparked generous giving, and the night closed with a game of heads or tails for the chance to win a top-of-the-line Aventon 5 e-bike from Suttons Bay Bikes.

Guests enjoyed a locally sourced meal by Sense of Place TC, award-winning wines from Aurora Cellars, craft cocktails from Northern Latitudes Distillery, local brews from Arbor Brewing Company, and live music by Miriam Pico.

The evening was hosted by Simpson Family Estates and made possible by LCC’s Community Partner Sponsors. LCC extends particular thanks to the volunteers who gave their time to every stage of the event, and to its teachers, whose patient, nurturing work shaping how children see the world is the foundation beneath LCC’s fifty years of service.

Leelanau Grown opens a milestone year for the organization. LCC marks its 50th anniversary honoring five decades of first friendships and first classrooms, moments that shaped not only individual children, but the character of the community itself. Alumni families, former students, and longtime supporters are encouraged to reconnect with the Center as the anniversary year unfolds.

Donations to the Leelanau Grown Campaign are still being accepted at https://leelanauchildrenscenter.app.neoncrm.com/forms/leelanaugrown. More information about volunteering, giving, and getting involved is available at www.leelanauchildrenscenter.org.

BATA provided 26,876 free rides to residents and visitors during the 2026 National Cherry Festival. Part of the 26,000+ ride total included 2,197 rides to the Coast Guard Open Ramp event on July 3 and 424 rides to the MSU Orchard Tours at the Leelanau County Horticulture Station.

This year the first day of the Cherry Festival was Independence Day and included the Air Show and the 4th of July fireworks providing the perfect combination for people to use BATA’s free Bayline Cherry Festival transportation. Thousands of riders were able to avoid parking congestion while enjoying a safe, convenient ride to festival events and utilizing BATA’s Park-n-Ride lots at Meijer on US-31, NMC’s Maple Lot and BATA’s new LaFranier Park-n-Ride.

“We are grateful so many residents and visitors chose BATA during this year’s Cherry Festival,” said Patrick Preusser, BATA executive director. “Providing more than 26,000 rides during the festival helped reduce the traffic congestion and allowed attendees to spend more time enjoying the festival and less time sitting in traffic or searching for parking. This success reflects the teamwork across our entire organization. Our drivers, dispatchers, maintenance staff, supervisors, and administrative employees all came together to safely deliver exceptional service during one of the busiest weeks of the year.

“ Events like the National Cherry Festival demonstrate how public transportation strengthens our community by supporting our local economy, improving mobility, and enhancing the quality of life throughout our region. We heard many positive comments from customers throughout the festival about how easy it was to park and hop on BATA to get to all the festivities.”

This year’s festival ridership total is a 24% increase compared to 2025 (21,625) and is second highest total only to BATA’s record setting Cherry Festival ridership in 2019 of 29,019 rides. BATA’s previous single day ridership record of 4,847 rides was also set during the 2019 Cherry Festival.

The Bayline is free year-round, runs seven days a week and BATA encourages people to consider riding anytime to explore the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Downtown Traverse City, Northwestern Michigan College or the East Bay Beach District.

The findings were presented to the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners on July 9.

The Lansing law firm Cohl, Stoker & Toskey, P.C. conducted the review on the county’s behalf and sent separate letters to the two complainants: Rio Risbridger, the county’s finance director, and Elizabeth Gray, a former county employee.

Both letters were signed by attorney Sarah K. Osburn and copied to Board Chair Steve Yoder and Human Resources Manager Jennifer Kain.

Risbridger filed a written complaint with the Board invoking the Michigan Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, raising concerns about wage payment procedures, benefit deductions, delinquent invoices, credit-card controls, contract issues, and the absence of an adequate transition plan. This resulted in Leelanau County Administrator Jim Dyer’s placement on adminstrative leave June 9, one day after the complaint was submitted.

The review found that certain of those concerns constituted protected activity under the WPA and identified potential compliance issues under the Michigan Wage and Fringe Benefits Act, “including concerns regarding final paycheck and wage deduction practices,” Osburn wrote.

“The information gathered supported certain of the concerns described,” according to the letter. The review also flagged separate operational, communication, governance and employee-relations concerns that “may present risk to the County” but don’t necessarily amount to legal violations. The county said some of those issues were already addressed before the review concluded.

Gray complaint

Elizabeth Gray submitted a letter March 9 after her employment with the county ended. She alleged a hostile work environment and disparate treatment tied to “the treatment of female employees in leadership positions” at the county, according to Osburn’s letter.

Investigators interviewed 22 witnesses. The review concluded the evidence “did not support a finding that the alleged conduct constituted a sex-based hostile work environment or disparate treatment because of sex.”

As with the Risbridger complaint, the review separately identified “workplace climate, communication, governance, and employee-relations concerns,” which were documented in a full investigative report given to the Board.

That report itself was not made public until this publication

Both letters state the county prohibits retaliation against current or former employees for reporting concerns or participating in the investigation.

This season will feature 12 Met Opera productions and offer a special bundled ticket package for the first time allowing purchasers to enjoy every show and save 10 percent.

The season kicks off on Saturday, September 19 at 1 p.m. with Twenty Years of the Met in Cinemas: An Anniversary Celebration hosted by soprano Renée Fleming. The event is a celebration of the Met’s two decades of onstage glory featuring highlights from the company’s collection of more than 185 extraordinary onscreen performances. Next up is Mozart’s satirical comedy Così fan tutte on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. inspired by Coney Island in the 1950s and overflowing with gorgeous melody and hilarious hijinks.

The season continues with an Encore presentation of Macbeth on Wednesday, October 21 at 1 p.m. Lise Davidsen — the world’s reigning dramatic soprano — stars as the powermad Lady Macbeth, while Quinn Kelsey portrays the Scottish king. The next production will be an Encore presentation of Richard Eyre’s beloved interpretation of Bizet’s masterpiece Carmen on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.

The season continues on Saturday, December 5 at noon with Samson et Dalila, Saint-Saëns’s spectacular take on the biblical hero of legendary strength and the seductive Philistine whose beauty overpowers him returns in the Met’s larger-than-life production. Next up is an Encore presentation of a beloved holiday tradition, The Magic Flute, on Wednesday, December 16 at 1 p.m.. Mozart’s enchanting fable takes the stage in the Met’s abridged, English-language production by Julie Taymor — the Tony Award–winning director of Broadway’s The Lion King.

The season continues in 2027 with Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. This exhilarating drama of the Wild West returns in a new staging by celebrated British director Richard Jones, marking the company’s first new production of the work in over 30 years. On Saturday, March 20 at 1 p.m., The Bay hosts Pulitzer Prize–winning opera Silent Night by composer Kevin Puts (The Hours) inspired by the true events of the 1914 Christmas truce.

The season continues on Saturday, April 3 at noon with Manon starring acclaimed soprano Nadine Sierra as the irresistible title character of Massenet’s passionate drama and leading tenor Matthew Polenzani as her idealistic lover. That production will be followed on Saturday, April 24 at 1 p.m. by Verdi’s Otello, starring two of today’s leading dramatic tenors —Michael Fabiano and Brian Jagde — in the tour-deforce title role of what many consider the ultimate Italian opera.

The season continues on Saturday, May 8 at 1 p.m. with a special Encore presentation of Tosca, with soprano Lise Davidsen singing the title role of Puccini’s ultimate diva. The final production of the 2026-27 season will be Parsifal on Saturday, June 5 at noon a profound philosophical meditation on compassion and reconciliation, Wagner’s transcendent rendering of a medieval knight’s heroic quest for the Holy Grail returns in François Girard’s celebrated production.

The full 2026-27 schedule at a glance is: September 19 at 1 p.m.: Twenty Years of the Met in Cinemas: An Anniversary Celebration October 3 at 1 p.m.: Così fan tutte October 21 at 1 p.m.: Macbeth (Encore presentation) November 14 at 1 p.m.: Carmen (Encore presentation) December 5 at Noon.: Samson et Dalila December 16 at 1 p.m.: The Magic Flute (Encore presentation) January 23 at 1 p.m.: La Fanciulla del West March 20 at 1 p.m.: Silent Night April 3 at Noon: Manon April 24 at 1 p.m.: Otello May 8 at 1 p.m.: Tosca (Encore presentation) June 5 at Noon: Parsifal Doors for all Met productions open 45 minutes before showtime. Individual tickets are $25 ($20 for select Bay members). For the first time this season, Met fans can purchase an allaccess season pass and enjoy admission to every 2026-27 Met production at The Bay. Enjoy a 10% discount by subscribing! Both individual tickets and season passes are available at TheBayTheatre.org.

5 YEARS AGO July 22, 2021

A 36-page letter of complaint submitted to certain Glen Arbor Township Board Members and the Leelanau County Planning Commission (LCPC) on June 22 ahead of the LCPCs review hearing for a Township zoning change, alleges failures to disclose required conflicts of interest by three Glen Arbor Township Planning Commission (GAPC) members. *** An effort to tackle the lack of seasonal workforce housing has gotten a boost from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant. The Sleeping Bear Gateway Council (SBGC) has been awarded a $90,000 from the USDA to implement Phase 2 of its effort to address the lack of seasonal workforce housing in Leelanau and Benzie counties.

10 YEARS AGO

July 21, 2016

A new notice letting people know that 'no weapons are permitted' in the Leelanau County Government Center has appeared on the building’s main door. The hot pink sign, which is about the size of an 8-inch by 10-inch photo, was put up last week after a man was seen walking from Suttons Bay to Lake Leelanau carrying an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. But County Administrator Chet Janik questions the legality of the sign, saying that not just anyone can declare a public place a weapons-free area. *** It was a helpless feeling, but it’s passed. All Doug Matthies could do was watch as Mother Nature turned his 24-acre vineyard into a driving range, pelting grapes with enough golf ball-sized hail to total four farm trucks. Yet, somehow, the destruction wasn’t as widespread as anticipated, growers are now learning. “I saw my life flash before my eyes,” said Matthies, owner of Big Paw Vineyard Services and French Road Cellars.

25 YEARS AGO

July 19, 2001

Wage hikes totaling more than $50,000 were OK’d by a split county Board of Commissioners Tuesday night in an issue which some say has “divided the courthouse.” The first action was adoption of new 9-step wage scale that increases wages for non-union, noninspections employees by an average of 42 cents per hour. *** Lobbying by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians played a vital role in passage by the U.S. Senate of an amendment requiring Congressional approval before formerly federal land is transferred on South Fox Island. Jamie Barrientoz, vice chairman of the Tribal Council and tribal attorney Brian Upton were instrumental in convincing Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to introduce an amendment to a Department of Interior appropriations bill that will block the exchange of public land on South Fox until Oct. 1, 2002, unless authorized by Congress.

50 YEARS AGO

July 22, 1976

Up to $12.3 million may be earmarked in the federal fiscal year starting Oct. 1 for additional land acquisition for the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore park in Leelanau and Benzie Counties. U. S. Sen. Robert P. Oriffin of Michigan said last week that between $5 million and $12.3 million could be made available next fiscal year within a U.S. Department of the Interior appropriations bill. *** More than half an inch of rain fell in thundershowers Tuesday morning in much of Leelanau County to temporarily ease a dry spell which threatened field crops as well as unwatered gardens and lawns. John Veldman measured .67 of an inch of water in his National Weather Service precipitation gauge at Northport Tuesday, following intermittent thundershowers in the early morning hours.

75 YEARS AGO July 26, 1951

A large barn, with seven head of yearling cattle and 40 tons of hay, burned to the ground Tuesday at the Frank Houdek farm one-half mile east of the church in Gill’s Pier. Origin of the fire was unknown. The loss was covered by insurance. Flames could be seen from as far away as Fountain Point. Both Northport and Suttons Bay sent fire trucks but crews could only keep the flames from spreading. *** One of the outstanding features of the Glen Arbor Centennial celebration August 4 will be a display of the region’s historical relics. Miss Nan Helm and Mrs. Anita Tracy are in charge of this attraction, which will be at the Glen Arbor Town Hall. Persons in the area who have diaries, old letters, homemade clothing of the 1850s, old photographs, cooking ware, farm implements, or anything else used by Glen Arbor pioneers are urged to bring them for the display.

100 YEARS AGO July 22, 1926

Leelanau County is one of the seven counties in the state in which the Barberry Eradication Campaign is being carried on this summer. This campaign is being conducted by the U. S. Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the State Department of Agriculture and Michigan State College.

*** John Peters went to Manistee Monday. He returned Wednesday morning by automobile with Benjamin Noud Lumber Co. and Fred August, an employee.

That could have been a request in Galilee too, when the word got around that Jesus had walked across the Sea of Galilee. But for the apostle John, Jesus' miracles weren't party tricks or swimming shortcuts. They were signs pointing to something far more important.

In the . nal verses of John 20, we . nd the apostle's own explanation for writing his Gospel: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." Why did John write about Jesus' miracles? Because he wanted people to believe. Not just believe that Jesus existed, or that he was a good teacher, but that he was the Son of God, the Christ, the Savior.

"I think John picked the most amazing miracles so people would know that Jesus had God's power," says Bella, 9.

Yes! And John even tells us that Jesus did many other miracles that didn't make it into the book. In fact, the very next chapter (John 21:25) says, "If they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." John wasn't trying to write a complete biography. He wrote with a mission, to help people believe.

Jesus' miracles were signs. In the Gospel of John, they aren't just called miracles but "signs." Signs point to something. In this case, they point to who Jesus really is.

Turning water into wine, walking on water, feeding 5,000 people with one boy's lunch aren't just cool tricks. They show his authority over nature. Healing the sick and raising the dead show his power over life and death.

But miracles are about love. When Jesus healed a blind man or raised a widow's son, he showed deep compassion. His miracles revealed not just who he was, but what God's heart is like.

"The miracles help us trust Jesus," says Ella, 10.

Amen. That's exactly what John wanted. He didn't write so people would be amazed. He wrote so they would believe.

Dr. Norman Geisler once wrote, "The New Testament was not written in a vacuum. It was written in the context of eyewitnesses who saw the events and could con. rm or deny them." The Gospel of John was written by someone who walked with Jesus. He saw the signs . rsthand.

And John says that believing in Jesus brings something even greater than the miracles: life. Not just breathing and eating kind of life, but real life called eternal life. Eternal life is with purpose, peace, and a forever relationship with God.

Faith in Jesus is about receiving eternal life. Most people think of eternal life in terms of living forever. It's that for sure, but Jesus said it was so much more: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).

Think About This: Jesus' miracles weren't random acts of power. They were signs pointing to who he is, so that we would believe in him and have eternal life.

Memorize This Truth: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31).

Ask This Question: What miracle of Jesus helps you believe that he is the Son of God?

Kids Talk About God is designed for families to study the Bible together. Research shows that parents who study the Bible with their children give their character, faith and spiritual life a powerful boost. To receive Kids Talk About God three times a week in a free, email subscription, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/email.

ONGOING EVENTS: Manitou Moomers Ice Cream Sail- Tall Ship Sailing- Everyday at 1:00pm and 3:30 pm Manitou Brunch Cruise- Tall Ship Sailing-Select Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from 10 am-12 pm Evening Sail on the Manitou- Tall Ship Sailing- 6:30 pm-8:30 pm Book online at tallshipsailing.com/manitou 13170 SW Bay Shore Dr. Traverse City Ducks on Duty at Dune Bird Winery, Northport, from 1-2:30 pm. Watch the ducks work in the vineyard as part of Dune Bird’s regenerative farming practices. Every Tuesday.

Art Leelanau- July 24th- August 2nd at the Old Art Building, Leland

THURSDAY JULY 23RD Skellenger & Koss 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Live Irish Music Session Every Thursday 6:30 pm – 9 pm, Little Traverse Inn, Maple City Touch of Grey – 3-6 pm, Dune Bird Winery, Northport Jakob Abraham – 4-7 pm, French Valley Vineyard, Cedar

FRIDAY JULY 24TH Igor and the Red Elvises (Your Favorite

Band) – 7-9 pm, Northport Music in the Park. Kent Holton Pavilion at Northport Marina Park Broom Closet Boys – 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Rhett & John – 5:30 – 7:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar Weekly Bingo – Registration begins at 5pm, games begin at 6pm. Leelanau Sands Casino,Peshawbestown Thomas & Hyde 6-9 pm, Little Traverse Inn, Maple City Art Leelanau Opening Reception- 5:308:30 pm, Old Art Bulding, Leland

SATURDAY JULY 25TH Empire Highway 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Dominic Fortuna 3:30- 5:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar Laura Thurston – 9 am to 1 pm- Summer Concert Series at Suttons Bay Farmers Market at Ice Rink Park in Suttons Bay

SUNDAY JULY 26TH Rob Coonrod 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Weekly Bingo – Registration begins at 5 pm, games begin at 6 pm. Leelanau Sands Casino, Peshawbestown Miriam Pico – 4-7 pm in the Beer Garden at Little Traverse Inn, Maple City

Vineyard Forager’s Hike at North’s Farm – 12 – 1:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar Chris Smith – 3:30 -5:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar Highway North featuring Frederick’s Wood-Fired Catering Pop-Up – 3-6 pm, Dune Bird Winery, Northport Pipe Organ Concert Series at the Lake Leelanau RV Park, with Debbi Visser at 8 pm. 3101 Lake Shore Dr., Lake Leelanau

MONDAY JULY 27TH Jim Hawley 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Weekly Euchre Tournament - Registration begins at 6 pm, tournament starts at 7 pm.

Leelanau Sands Casino, Peshawbestown Dennis Palmer - 4-7 pm, French Valley Vineyard, Cedar

TUESDAY JULY 28TH Dave Martin 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Pinter Whitnick – 5:30-7:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar Running Bear Run (5k and Kids Fun Run)- 9 am at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor

WEDNESDAY JULY 29TH Levi Britton 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Weekly Bingo – Registration begins at 5 pm, games begin at 6 pm. Leelanau Sands Casino, Peshawbestown Summer Picnic Concert at Leelanau County Poor Farm Barn – Andre Villoch with Norm Wheeler & Anne-Marie Oomen (Modern Folk/Indie Rock) – 6-8 pm. 1110 West Burdickville Rd., Maple City

THURSDAY JULY 30TH Loose Change 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Live Irish Music Session Every Thursday 6.30 pm – 9 pm, Little Traverse Inn, Maple City Elizabeth Landry – 3-6 pm, Dune Bird Winery, Northport Luke Woltanski - 4-7 pm, French Valley Vineyard, Cedar The AMiE Trio with Colette Valentine - 7:00 pm - Leelanau Summer Music Festival at the Holy Rosary School. Tickets can be purchased at leelanaumusic.org or MyNorthTickets.com FRIDAY JULY 31ST Ben Daniels Band (Rock/Dance) – 7-9 pm, Northport Music in the Park. Kent Holton Pavilion at Northport Marina Park The Groove Suns 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Weekly Bingo – Registration begins at 5 pm, games begin at 6 pm. Leelanau Sands Casino, Peshawbestown Windy Ridge Quartet 6-9 pm, Little Traverse Inn, Maple City Bryan Poirier – 5:30-7:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar

SATURDAY AUGUST 1ST Dennis Palmer – 9am – 1pm – Farmers Market Summer Concert Series, at Ice Rink Park in Suttons Bay Rock Hat – 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Larz Cabot- 3:30-5:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar 16th Annual Port Oneida Run (5k, 10k, 1/2-Marathon) 4 miles North of Glen Arbor, Port Oneida Heritage Center Drive-In, Fly-In Pancake Breakfast- 8 am to Noon. Woolsey Airport, Northport.

Lighthouse Beach Party featuring Doc Probes. Beach & Buffet- 5-8 pm. Northport, inside Leelanau State Park.

SUNDAY AUGUST 2ND Broom Closet Boys – 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Song of the Lakes 4 pm – 7 pm, Little Traverse Inn, Maple City Loose Change featuring SongBird Provisions catering pop-up – 3-6 pm, Dune Bird Winery, Northport Larry Perkins- 3:30-5:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar

MONDAY AUGUST 3RD Andre Villoch – 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Larz Cabot- 4-7 pm, French Valley Vineyard, Cedar

TUESDAY AUGUST 4TH Chris Smith – 6-9 pm, River Club Glen Arbor Drew Hale- 5:30-7:30 pm, Bel Lago Winery, Cedar

Linda and Gary Thornton opened Leelanau Fresh Farm Stand in 2024 but neither of them expected it to take off the way it has.

“Honestly, we were surprised the first time we put stuff out there,” Linda said. “At the end of the day we were surprised we had something in the (cash) box.”

The stand is the newest chapter in the Thornton’s Leelanau farming story that began back in the 90s. Gary’s job with the MSU Extension brought the couple to the county in 1991, and then in 1998 they bought the Kohler Road property where they still live today. From there they began growing cherries for the wholesale market while still working their day jobs off the farm. This year marks their 28th cherry harvest.

“I’m starting to wind down,” Gary said. “I still do the sweet cherries, still take care of everything, but I don’t harvest them anymore.” Nearly three decades of tending the same trees has taught him what a cherry crop needs from him, and what’s simply out of his hands. “I think I have it down pretty good. You do as much as you can, and the rest is mother nature.”

Linda came to the farm from a career in healthcare, first as a nurse then in management before retiring from the IT department at Munson.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I retired at first, but I knew I didn’t want to land behind a computer,” she said.

What she did know is that she loved flowers and she wanted to be useful with the land they had.

“I’m a very busy person,” Linda said. “I don’t sit down during the day. In fact, my kids criticize me for it.”

That restlessness found its outlet in the corner of the farm Gary had given up on years earlier - a vegetable garden filled with rocks that Linda saw potential to grow flowers in. Linda took over the garden planting perennials and dahlias and started selling the extras at the end of the driveway. “I like to use the resources I have,” Linda said. “I don’t like to be wasteful and it seems like we have so much property, let’s use it.”

Selling the flowers led to selling vegetables which led to formally establishing the stand. The stand has grown a bit each year adding in produce like sweet corn, plums, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, apricots, garlic, shallots, purple potatoes, custom bouquets and now a CSA. In peak season the stand restocks several times a day and stays open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the end of September, though they might be moving closing time to 7 p.m.

They both agree that what’s kept them at it has been the growing, sure, but also the people they meet. “I think it’s how much interaction there is, I didn’t expect that,” Linda said, adding that she’s gotten to know the regulars by their produce preferences. “We have Barbara who likes beets, Paige who likes peaches and Andy who likes it all,” she said.

There’s a group of pickleball players who have started stopping by after playing a game for cantaloupe and cucumbers and recently they had a customer who was driving all the way from Lewiston chasing a craving for peaches and left with tomatoes and green beans as well.

The same instinct for connection led Linda to host a bridal flower event this summer in her “she-shed,” a converted machine shop where she preps her flowers and bouquets. Roughly 30 women packed in to build their own bouquets for the wedding. “They were so proud of what they made. It really engaged them in the whole event,” she said.

For Gary, the work and the farm both carry a history and an obligation of stewardship. One made real by a child’s footprints pressed into the barn’s cement floor, the year 1916 etched in beside them. “We’re just stepping in for the short time while we’re here,” he said.

Looking ahead, the Thorntons aren’t in a rush to expand beyond what feels manageable for two people. They’ve talked about running electricity out to the stand for better refrigeration, and about growing the CSA slowly. Showing up to sell at a farmers market might be next or maybe more flower events with Linda. For now, they’re happy to let word of mouth do the work it has been and to keep on as they are.

More information can be found on their website: www. leelanaufresh.com.

The seat matters well beyond Michigan.

Control of the U.S. Senate could hinge on a handful of races like this one, and both parties have treated it accordingly — pouring in national money, national endorsements and national attention.

The Democratic primary was a three-way contest until July 5, when state Sen. Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign, saying she couldn’t break through in a field that had consolidated around her two rivals, Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed.

Stevens, who represents an Oakland County-based district and has positioned herself as the race’s moderate, picked up an endorsement from Peters himself after previously stating he would remain neutral.

El-Sayed, a physician who ran for governor in 2018 and led Wayne County’s health department through the pandemic, is running as the field’s progressive, with backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Polling has told two different stories depending on who’s asking. A Detroit News/WDIV-TV poll of 500 likely Democratic primary voters conducted in July found Stevens leading El-Sayed 48% to 41%, with about 10% undecided. An earlier survey from Tavern Research, polling 2,211 likely primary voters, found the two candidates statistically tied, with Stevens ahead by just a single point inside the margin of error. What isn’t in dispute is the money: outside super PACs backing Stevens have outspent those backing El-Sayed by roughly 12 to 1 on television advertising in the final stretch before the primary, $26.9 million to $2.1 million.

On the Republican side, there’s effectively no primary at all. Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a former Army officer, FBI special agent and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is making his second straight run for the seat after losing narrowly to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024 by less than half a percentage point. President Donald Trump gave Rogers his “complete and total endorsement” this cycle, as he did in 2024.

Rogers has built his campaign around bringing manufacturing jobs back to Michigan, lowering the cost of gas, groceries and prescription drugs, protecting Social Security, and improving public education. He points to his role creating Michigan’s 529 college savings program and his vote for the 2009 auto industry rescue as evidence he can deliver for the state’s manufacturing base.

General-election polling shows no clear front-runner yet, and the numbers shift depending on which Democrat ends up as the nominee.

For now, the only certainty is that Michigan will have a new senator for the first time in over a decade, and that both parties see this seat as one of the races most likely to decide who runs the Senate next year.

Cox bent the knee due to President Donald Trump’s endorsement of James in late June that “placed him out of reach” in what had been a threeway race.

The move caps a fast-moving few weeks. Within hours of the endorsement, state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt dropped his own bid and endorsed James as well, shrinking a once-crowded field to three — and now, with Cox’s exit, to two.

James, 43, represents a district north of Detroit and is in his second term in the House after two unsuccessful runs for U.S. Senate. He’s built his campaign around Michigan’s economy, pointing to manufacturing job losses and what he calls economic stagnation under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He’s also made education a centerpiece, calling for a return to phonicsbased reading instruction and more accountability in schools, and has said that as governor he’d work with the Trump administration to tighten election security. Much of his message has been aimed squarely at Whitmer’s two terms in office, which he blames for the state’s problems on everything from education to jobs.

That record didn’t stop his own primary rivals from going after him first. At a pair of increasingly heated GOP debates on July 8 and 9, Cox and Johnson both took direct aim at James. Cox called him a “nepo baby” and argued that James Group International, the family logistics business James once ran, had collected state tax credits without delivering the jobs it promised. Cox also cited data from the trade-tracking site ImportGenius showing the company had brought in more than 900 shipments from China worth an estimated $1.25 billion, and accused James of hypocrisy on trade. James pushed back hard, saying the company’s work is for Ford Motor Co. and General Motors and dismissing the attacks as “deceit and defamation” from rivals he called desperate.

That leaves Johnson, a Bloomfield Hills businessman who built his fortune in qualitymanagement consulting, as the last Republican standing in James’s way. Johnson is selffunding much of his campaign — he’s said he plans to put roughly $9 million of his own money into the race — and has made eliminating Michigan’s roughly $13.5 billion income tax the centerpiece of his platform, along with a broader propertytax overhaul and a promise to consolidate and modernize state government using the efficiency playbook from his business career.

This isn’t Johnson’s first run at the governor’s office. He was one of five Republican candidates, including then-frontrunner James Craig, disqualified from the 2022 primary ballot after state elections staff found thousands of fraudulent signatures submitted by paid petition circulators — a scandal that later led to forgery charges against three people. Where that leaves the race heading into the primary’s final two weeks depends on which poll you look at.

Whoever wins will face a steep climb in November for a state that has not gone blue at the governors level since Rick Snyder.

This and other books by Firestone can be purchased at local book stores.

Suttons Bay, Peshawbestown, and Bingham Shores on Grand Traverse Bay. 1850s Suttons Bay is a perfect example of how early settlers built docks, docks brought commerce, new businesses were established, and the town grew to add young families while still keeping names of its pioneers.

Before any white settlers came to live in the Suttons Bay area, the Leelanau Peninsula was governmentally attached to Grand Traverse County. The first land survey was as early as 1839; and after a re-survey, Suttons Bay and Bingham were included in the larger township of Centerville, in 1856.

In 1863, Leelanau was detached from Grand Traverse County, and the Suttons Bay and Bingham settlements and outlying acres became the township of Bingham and shared Leelanau County with eight other townships.

When the bigger Centerville Township was still in place, government surveyors noted, “The southwestern portion of this township is hilly and broken. The northern and eastern portions are somewhat elevated but level on the summit. The soil is generally of excellent quality and timbered with sugar maple, beech and elm. Nearly every section in the township is well watered with small streams and springs of pure water. The swamp noted in Sec. 33 is mostly timbered with white cedar, affording a large amount of fencing material. Soils is a rich black loam and would make, if cleared, excellent meadow.”

It’s obvious that surveyors saw the monetary value of timber and how it could help build communities, and the newly cleared land would be suitable for homesteads and farming.

When white settlers came to the shores of Grand Traverse Bay, there were already Native Americans in small groups, traveling on foot and by canoe. When Europeans arrived, the Peshawbe/Peshaba family became acquainted with the Rev. Peter Dougherty and his mission community near the end of what came to be named Old Mission Peninsula.

The Indigenous people had seen schooners built by white settlers, and Chief Ben Peshawbe or son Gabriel built at least one schooner near the south end of the Old Mission Peninsula. The Peshawbe family had a vessel named “Wabezee” ( or other spellings: Wabeze, Wah-bu-see, Wabizee,Wilbizee, Miguzee) that was 60-foot long with deck and cabin. This little boat was known around Grand Traverse Bay as one which helped settlers get to their destinations. Around 1853 Chief Peshawbe had another boat named Eagle.

Gabriel’s mother was Agatha Kweshmeggaka. Pay-shaw-bay was another spelling for his family’s surname. Names for the native people were spelled a variety of ways, because whoever was doing the writing spelled it in the way it sounded to them. Spell-guessing also occurred with European settlers’ names, at times.

Some historical writing say in 1852, a group of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians from L’Abre Croche (Harbor Springs) founded a permanent settlement north of present-day Suttons Bay.

But residents in Leelanau placed a marker stating Peshabatown was settled by an Ottawa-Chippewa Tribe in 1845. Father Ignatius Mrak assumed leadership of the Catholic mission in 1855. They called the place Eagle Town. Another missionary, Father Angelius van Pacmel, soon followed and helped open the church and school in 1858. The people tapped maple trees for producing syrup. They planted gardens, trapped and fished. Baskets made from strips of black ash tree bark were sold to settlers and later tourists.

Reverend Philip Zorn served along Grand Traverse Bay in 1869 and 1870 and renamed the settlement Peshawbe or Peshawba.

The official M-22 highway sign marks Peshabestown.

“The topographic survey is done, they’re doing a hydraulic analysis of Shalda Creek now, and they’re doing modeling,” Supervisor Tim Stein said at the township board’s July meeting.

Once the modeling is complete, engineers will finalize construction plans and submit them to the Leelanau County Road Commission. Stein said the township will then have a better understanding of the overall project cost beyond the $25,000 engineering study already approved.

The township is also working with state and federal agencies on plans to remove beaver dams before construction begins. Stein said he has received “tentative approval” to remove the dams in advance of the project, allowing water levels to be lowered and reducing the need to divert the creek during construction. He will be attending the Little Traverse Lake Property Owners Association meeting on August 1 to discuss the issue.

The board also unanimously approved a motion supporting proposed amendments to the Cedar Area Fire and Rescue interlocal agreement. Stein said the proposed revisions would make all four participating townships joint owners of the department’s current and future fire stations and require the municipalities to share future capital costs for station construction. The amendments would also require any township withdrawing from the agreement to satisfy its share of any outstanding debt related to construction before leaving the department.

Stein said that no additional action will be taken until each participating township formally voices their support moving forward.

“If we get approval from all four townships, then I plan on meeting with the new (legal) counsel and have them put together a proposed amendment for the townships to look at,” he said.

Finally, Todd Nowak reported that the planning commission will be holding a public hearing on the master plan during its regular meeting on August 5 and they are hoping to have a lot of public participation in the meeting.

In the late 1890s, the resort expanded its sleeping space by building an eight bedroom annex several hundred feet away from the hotel. When Rink’s grandparents bought the hotel property in the 1940s, the annex, which was not winterized, became the summer home for his parents, Martha (Rule) and Tom Smith, and was nicknamed “Martom Hou.”

The Voight family had also bought their own property near the hotel and built a fieldstone home in 1895. In 1900, Lewis Voight’s son-in-law, Herman Goebel, bought the hotel property and the Voight house. His daughter Gertrude continued to summer in Omena, and was the aunt that Debbie’s father visited when he was young. That house became the home of Rink’s grandparents, George and Helen Smith, and is now owned by Rink’s sister, Debby, and her husband Les Disch.

Speaking of the Smith family, Rink and Debby’s aunt, Rat Renz, who also spent summers in the fieldstone house on Omena Heights for many years, arrived in Omena from Cincinnati with her daughter, Cynnie First, who is from Bellingham, Washington. Also at the Renz Cottage this week is Alan Donald from Snohomish, Washington. Cynnie and Alan will be here for a week before leaving for their annual visit to Chautauqua Institution summer camp, and then a few days in Quebec.

Rat’s son Bill Renz and Susan Casey arrive later this week from Cincinnati, and Rat’s granddaughter, Meredith Renz, arrives from Chicago, where she is a Lieutenant Commander with the US Navy at the Great Lakes Naval Station.

The other small world story came together last Wednesday at Trivia night at the Knot in Omena. The Putnam family, with deep roots in Omena’s history, had a lot of family in Omena for their summer gathering. Joining Helen Putnam Bradley and her brother John and his wife Lee, who are all seasonal residents, were their brother Bill and his wife Bev from Albuquerque, New Mexico and their sons Rennie from Salt Lake City, and Zach and his friend Jude Lieberman from Portland, Oregon. Bev’s sister, Wendy Stout was also there from Albuquerque. Many of the Putnams were there for Trivia.

Susan Grogan Faller came to the Knot from Leland, not realizing it was a crowded night. Debby Disch introduced her to the Putnam clan, who invited her to join their team. It was mentioned that the Putnams were descendants of Rinaldo Putnam, one of the first farmers in Omena. In 1871, Rinaldo and Mary Donovan Putnam left Canada and came to Omena by boat. They purchased land from General George Custer and his wife Libby one mile south of Omena, where the Jesuit Villa Marquette is now located. In 1876 they built a frame house to accommodate their growing family.

Susan mentioned that she was related, by marriage, to the family that had donated some of the land to the Jesuits. That connection was through Helen Grogan Cloud, who was Susan’s grandfather’s first cousin. Helen’s husband Joe’s uncle and aunt, Frank and Julia Cloud, from Cincinnati, purchased the Putnam farmhouse and the surrounding land in 1893. They expanded the house to be their summer home. The Cloud family summered there until they built the “Rock House” down the hill from the “Tower House.” So, amazingly, relatives of both the Putnam family and Susan’s extended family had ties to the same building.

When Julia Cloud died in 1936, she bequeathed the family properties to her children, one of whom was the Rev. Charles H. Cloud of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus, whose members are called Jesuits. Charles donated 130 acres of the Omena farm, including the Rock House and the Tower House, to the Society, and it became the Villa Marquette in 1937, as a retreat for its seminarians.

The “Putnam Cloud Tower House” was moved to downtown Omena in 2004 to be the home of the Omena Historical Society Museum. The museum is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am – 2 p.m. through September 5. You can also visit them on their website.

The Perseid meteor shower, which just recently started, is set to be spectacular this year. The shower will reach peak activity overnight on Aug. 12-13 under the dark skies of the new moon.

Don’t miss the Great American Picnic and Lighthouse Beach Party fundraiser for the Grand Traverse Lighthouse at the Leelanau State Park on Saturday, August 1 from 5 – 8 p.m.. The Jimmy Buffet-themed event will have food, live music and an auction. It is their big fundraiser of the summer. Go to their website or MyNorthTickets for more information or to register.

The Omena Presbyterian Church welcomes Rev. Dr. Nathan Hart to the pulpit this Sunday. He is the Dean of the Chapel at Hope College. The special music will be provided by Roxanne Diebel and Kama Ross, with Patrick Kuhl on the organ. Everyone is invited to attend worship at 10 am.

Happy Birthday this week to Betsy Parker, Mary Smart, Mariah Kalchik, Judy Fowler and Sam Goldman. It must be summer in Omena. We have as many anniversaries as birthdays to celebrate this week. Happy Anniversary to Dennis and Kim Armbruster, Richard and Dana Colling, Tim and Aimee Harris, Jeff and Cindy Dailey, and to Dan and Lane Torrington, who were married 10 years ago at the Rule Cottage.

The highly anticipated event kicks off with an opening reception on Friday, Aug. 7 , from 6 to 8 p.m., giving the public a first look at the collection alongside the internationally acclaimed artist.

Kabaker is an award-winning painter, writer, and visual storyteller celebrated for her work through a distinctly feminine lens.

Best-known for her iconic New Yorker covers — including her debut 2012 cover “June Brides” celebrating marriage equality, and nine subsequent covers since — Kabaker’s career highlights also include painting 100 portraits for the book and Kennedy Center exhibition “Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower,” as well as authoring The Washington Post column, “Sketching My Way Through Crisis.”

“Finding Beauty & Light” explores Kabaker’s love of painting and her ongoing quest to capture the extraordinary thread of beauty found within everyday, ordinary moments. The exhibition weaves together quiet observations of daily life, intimate scenes and travelinspired landscapes — including paintings deeply inspired by the shifting of light on water and coastal scenery right here in Leland.

“We are incredibly honored to host Gayle Kabaker at the Old Art Building,” said Sarah Mills, OAB executive director. “Her ability to elevate the ordinary into the luminous is remarkable. Having an artist of her global stature not only display her work but also engage directly with our community through public talks and hands-on workshops a profound opportunity for northern Michigan.”

In addition to the daily free exhibit, community members and visiting artists can engage with Kabaker through a curated lineup of workshops and events:

• Aug. 10, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. — “Anyone Can Sketch Workshop” is a low pressure, playful onehour warm-up sessions designed to train the eye to see and interpret a simple still life naturally. Cost is $20 per person.

• Aug. 10 — 6 to 7 p.m. — Artist Talk with Gayle Kabaker — An intimate conversation exploring Kabaker’s creative process, her work with The New Yorker, and her artistic inspiration ranging from Leland’s waters to the intimate female form.

The talk is free. However, registration is required.

• Aug. 12 —4:30 to 5:30 p.m. — “Family Workshop: Let’s Draw Monsters,” is inspired by the joyful sketchbook practice Kabaker shares with her 5-yearold granddaughter. This handson workshop invites families to create imaginative drawings together. Cost is $15 per person.

• Aug. 16 — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — “Perfectly Imperfect: A Full-Day Painting & Drawing Workshop, a comprehensive masterclass where participants will learn to observe the work with fresh eyes, establish a sustainable sketchbook practice, and learn to paint not just what they see, but how they interpret it.

Finding Beauty & Light will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the exhibition and the opening reception is free to the public. Due to limited spacing, advance registration is require for workshops and the free Artist Talk.

To register for workshops, view scheduling, or learn more about the event go to www.oldartbuilding. com/events/findingbeauty- light-a-gayle-kabakerexhibit or call 256-2131.

Lively Acres has announced the first Backyard Blues, Brews & BBQ this August 7 & 8 at their Backyard event space.

“I’ve been a blues fan forever, and always showed up for ‘Girl Thornetta’ at (former) JR’s Warehouse in Traverse City. She rocked the place to the ground back then, and she’s still doing it today. I’m excited to share the best of Detroit and northern Michigan blues with our neighbors and visitors to the area, along with delicious BBQ and brews,” owner Jim Lively said.

Located in the shadow of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, tickets are on sale now, headlined by Detroit-based and nationally acclaimed Thornetta Davis, along with other Michigan talent.

Lively Acres will serve a home-cooked barbecue meal from local meats and produce, paired with northern Michigan beer and wine. The venue sits on M-72 outside of Empire and offers RV and tent camping onsite, a working farm, and a full-service farm market.

Musical lineup: Headlining is Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, Thornetta Davis, who tours nationally and internationally and was recently honored at the 47th Annual Blues Music Awards in Memphis with the Soul Blues Female Artist award. She has opened for Bonnie Raitt, Etta James, Gladys Knight and other blues legends, recorded with Bob Seger and Alberta Adams, and recently paid tribute to Bessie Smith for Preservation of Jazz. Opening are local legends The Fabulous Horndogs, celebrating more than 30 years of regional boogie history, and rising star Brendon Linsley of metro Detroit, a semifinalist at this year’s Memphis International Blues Challenge. Mississippi-based blues historian and acoustic guitarist Captain Dirk Wissbaum opens the show at 3:00 p.m.

Lively NeighborFood Market is hosting authentic BBQ featuring local pork from Recker Swine Farm and beef from Noonan and Sons of Empire Township. Traverse City pitmaster Adam Eastman leads the smoker, and Lively Acres’ own Chef Tero Valtonen will serve up sides, including gluten- free and vegetarian options, all sourced from the all-local NeighborFood Market. Stormcloud Brewing of Frankfort will pour a variety of beers, while Mawby Sparkling and Big Little Wines provide the wine selection.

On Friday, Aug. 7, campers and locals can enjoy Sugar Mae’s Blues Camp, sponsored by Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine publisher Sugar Mae Owens, featuring an open-mic blues campfire hosted by Captain Dirk Wissbaum. It’s included for campers with a two-night minimum; locals can purchase a ticket for $10. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Pyramid Point Custom Guitars, an event sponsor, will have custom instruments on hand for viewing and purchase.

Local nonprofit Row by Row, dedicated to providing nutritious food to the underserved, is the event’s nonprofit partner and is hosting beer and wine sales. Additional community sponsors include Empire Business Association, Sleeping Bear Surf, Grocers Daughter Chocolate, Baileys Kombucha, Nature Walk, Higher Grounds Coffee, Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast, Sleeping Bear Storage, Devette & Ford Insurance, Stanz Dozer, Logic Electric, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, and Williams & Bay Septic Pumping.

Tickets and details: livelyacres. com/ events/ backyardblues- bbq-brews

Lions Club members will serve pancakes, sausage, coffee, water and punch. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for kids, 5 to 12 years. Kids 4 and under eat without charge.

There will be a car exhibit, the Northport Community Band, private aircrafts arriving and departing.

Woolsey Airport is located on East Woolsey Lake Road or County Road 629, north of the Village of Northport.

Registration is currently open for swimmers, support paddlers, and volunteers who play a vital role in making the event safe, successful, and enjoyable for participants.

“The Swim for Grand Traverse Bay is a unique opportunity for our community of passionate swimmers to experience firsthand the waters we all work to protect,” said Christine Crissman, executive director of The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay. “Every year, dedicated volunteers help create a safe and memorable event. We encourage anyone who cares about the health of Grand Traverse Bay and enjoys being part of a meaningful community event to join us.”

Volunteers will receive an event T-shirt and be treated to a complimentary pancake breakfast immediately following the event.

Volunteer opportunities include:

Safety Squad

Experienced kayakers are needed to help monitor swimmers and support paddlers along the course. Safety squad volunteers assist with swimmer counts, provide an additional layer of safety and visibility on the water, and help ensure a smooth event experience.

General Volunteers

Volunteers are also needed to assist with event setup, participant check-in and packet pickup, course support, finish line activities, event cleanup, and other day-of-event tasks.

“The success of the Swim for Grand Traverse Bay depends on the enthusiasm and dedication of our volunteers,” Crissman added. “Their support helps us connect people to the bay while raising critical funds for clean water protection across the Grand Traverse region.”

The Watershed Center gratefully acknowledges Traverse Tall Ship Company, the event’s $5,000 Tidal Sponsor, for their continued support of the Swim for Grand Traverse Bay.

To register as a swimmer, support paddler, or volunteer, visit swimforgtbay.org.

Together, these appointments represent an investment in the future of St. Mary School and its mission to provide a Christcentered education rooted in Catholic values while meeting the needs of its growing school community.

“I am deeply grateful that God has called both Mr. Coffman and Mrs. Summers to serve at St. Mary School, “ said the Rev. Jim Siler of St. Mary parish and school. “Their faith, experience, and love for Catholic education will be a tremendous blessing to our students, families, and faculty.

“They are exceptionally qualified leaders whose dedication and gifts will help advance our sacred mission of forming young people in faith, wisdom and virtue. I look forward with great hope and excitement to all that God has in store for St. Mary School.”

A lifelong disciple of Christ and devoted Catholic educator, Coffman brings nearly 15 years of experience serving Catholic schools as a teacher, coach, athletic director, and administrator. He is passionate about helping students grow in both academic excellence and the Catholic faith while fostering strong partnerships among the home, school, and parish.

Raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Coffman credits his parents’ sacrifices to provide him with a Catholic education as the foundation for his own vocation in Catholic education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history and culture from Arizona State University, followed by both a Masterof EducationinSecondary Education and a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University.

Coffman and his wife, Emma, met while teaching at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School in Phoenix. After the birth of their first child, they felt called to return to northern Michigan, where Emma is originally from, to raise their growing family. Together they are the proud parents of seven children and are joyfully expecting their eighth child in September. Their two oldest sons will begin first grade and kindergarten at St. Mary School this fall.

“I am honored to serve as the new principal of St. Mary School,” Coffman said. “Thank you for entrusting us to partner with you in the education and formation of your children. It is a privilege to join this exceptional school community, and I look forward to getting to know each of you in the months ahead.

“I believe Catholic education is much more than transmitting knowledge or preparing students for a career. It is developing a strong partnership among the home, the school, and the parish by providing rigorous academics rooted in Catholic tradition, developing virtue in our children, and ultimately coming to know Jesus Christ more deeply so that we can follow Him more faithfully.”

St. Mary School has also announced that Leslie Summers is joining the leadership team as director of student services and vice principal, a newly created position designed to strengthen student support, enhance academic success, and provide additional leadership for faculty and families.

She brings more than 34 years of experience in education, with the majority of her career dedicated to Catholic schools. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Central Michigan University and holds a Certificate in Catholic School Management from the Villanova School of Business.

Throughout her distinguished career, Summers has served students and families as both a teacher and administrator at the elementary and secondary levels. Her extensive experience and deep commitment to Catholic education make her an outstanding addition to the St. Mary leadership team.

The creation of the director of student services and vice principal position reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to providing students with exceptional academic support, faith-based formation, and strong administrative leadership as the school continues to grow.

The new venture, called The InterArts Collective, will offer one to two week residencies for artists, makers and other creative entrepreneurs looking to test the waters of operating a brick and mortar business. Instead of signing onto a long term lease or investing in the costs of opening and operating their own retail space, selected creatives will be able to rent the storefront for a modest fee while showcasing their work in downtown Suttons Bay.

“They can see what it’s physically like for a short amount of time without having the overhead of the utilities and Wi-Fi and all of the extra things that come with a brick and mortar,” Skowronski said.

The concept is also a callback to the building’s origins as it is historically known as the InterArts building - an open concept gallery featuring multiple artists under then owner Ken Krantz. It wasn’t until the 90s that walls were put up to separate the space into multiple storefronts.

Skowronski said reviving that collaborative spirit in this way has been part of her vision since opening Poppy Things in 2019.

“It’s kind of an ode to the original InterArts building and what Ken had originally intended the building be used for,” she said.

In fact, the original concept for Poppy Things itself was much closer to an artist gallery before evolving into the curated boutique it is today. When the adjoining storefront recently became available, it gave Skowronski the chance to finally pursue that vision.

The collective will host one resident at a time, with participants occupying the space for one to two-week periods. While visual artists such as ceramicists and painters are encouraged to apply, Skowronski envisions the collective extending beyond traditional fine art. Bakers operating under Michigan’s cottage food law, florists, workshop instructors and other creative entrepreneurs could all use the space to introduce themselves to new audiences.

“I’m just kind of looking for a variety,” she said. “I want to try to make it things that are different from what my store and other stores in Suttons Bay already have.”

One of Skowronski’s main criteria for applicants is that they are at least “semi-established.”

So while they don’t need to have a storefront, she’s looking for those who have some experience selling their work through markets or online shops.

The collective is also intended to address the difficulty of finding affordable retail space, something Skowronski said is one of the biggest challenges for creatives trying to establish themselves in the county.

“Storefronts are just really hard to find in general,” she said. “They’re very few and far between, especially in Suttons Bay, and when they do open up there’s always an insider, so by the time you even make a phone call, it’s already rented.”

Rather than taking a percentage of renters sales, Skowronski plans to charge a “modest rental fee” designed to remain accessible. She also hopes the collective will draw foot traffic to the north end of Suttons Bay’s commercial strip and benefit the neighboring businesses along with her own.

“When I do good, everybody on our street does good. We all work together to bring in more people,” Skowronski said.

Renovations on the space began in the last two weeks and are being done mostly by Skowronski and her team, with hopes of opening by the end of August.

For now, those interested in applying can sign up for updates through a link on the Poppy Things’ website or Instagram page. The formal application is expected to go live within the next few weeks.

“It’s been an honor to work on behalf of the watershed, together with the association and my network of collaborators,” Karner said. “It’s not just a oneperson effort, it’s a team effort. And I’ve been working with really high-caliber people. It’s just been a real joy.”

Karner was born in Dundee, Michigan, and grew up along the Crystal River halfway between there and Glen Arbor. A job offer brought him north in 1977, when he was hired straight out of student teaching to work at the Leelanau School — landing, in his words, his “dream job” on his very first interview.

“It was so wonderful,” he said. “I was just so impressed with the Leelanau School and the people there and the environment. It was unbelievable, beyond my wildest expectations.”

He went on to teach there for 38 straight years, retiring from the classroom about 12 years ago — and stepping into his second career as the Glen Lake Association’s watershed biologist, a position that was always part-time. It’s that role he’s now stepping away from.

Karner traces his love of northern Michigan’s ecology back to his early years at the University of Michigan Biological Station.

“I really gained an appreciation for the abundance and the diversity of life in northern Michigan,” he said. “It’s spectacular. When you go elsewhere and don’t see what we have here, it comes to light.”

That appreciation shaped how he taught. Rather than confine students to a classroom, Karner brought them into the field — canoes, waders, binoculars and small vans, exploring the lakeshore firsthand.

“What a great way to get to know what lives here yearround,” he said. “You don’t just look things up on the internet. You actually see and believe what’s there, and experience it, as opposed to just knowing about it.” He and his wife also founded the recycling center at the Leelanau School, which has operated ever since.

Karner believes he was the first lake biologist hired by a lake association in Michigan — a model more associations have since adopted. Over his 12 years with the Glen Lake Association, he points to several projects he’s especially proud of: Invasive species control: Working with bow fishermen from the Thundering Aspens community, Karner helped lead an effort to eradicate invasive Japanese koi from the watershed. The population has been kept in check through ongoing drone and camera surveillance, with only small numbers reported during breeding season.

“We hope it’ll never happen if we keep the pressure on to keep the population low,” he said.

Milfoil eradication: Glen Lake became the second lake association in the state, after Lake Leelanau, to eliminate Eurasian watermilfoil using non-chemical treatment.

Rethinking swimmer’s itch: Partnering with academic researchers from the University of Alberta, Karner studied the parasitic life cycle behind swimmer’s itch in depth — and discovered that three species of waterfowl, not just one, carry the parasite. The finding shifted strategy away from costly efforts to trap and relocate common mergansers, saving thousands of dollars, and toward educating swimmers on prevention instead.

“We really need to teach swimmers how to swim,” he said. “You don’t have to get swimmer’s itch if you don’t want to.”

Septic system research: Karner helped bring Glen Lake into a multi-lake university study — among the first of its kind — that definitively showed septic systems were influencing surface water quality. The 2018 findings were later used to help persuade county commissioners to adopt a countywide septic inspection ordinance triggered upon the sale of a property.

Working with the National Park Service, Karner helped establish a “no-mow zone” along roughly a mile of parkowned shoreline on the west end of Little Glen Lake. Native plants quickly returned once mowing stopped, which discouraged Canada geese from congregating on the beach — and, in turn, ended the E. coli outbreaks that had plagued the area.

“What a great story that was,” he said.

Mapping the lake bottom: While conducting underwater video surveys to search for Eurasian watermilfoil, Karner and his team also began cataloging every native plant and fish species they spotted along the way. The result is a GPSbased biological map, viewable on Google Earth, covering more than 100 sites down to the species level — documentation that had never existed before. “We have a beautiful biological map that we can trust and use for the future,” he said.

What’s Next

The Glen Lake Association is moving to hire a full-time biologist to succeed him — a step Karner welcomes — even though he never wanted the job to be full-time himself.

“For them to hire a full-time position is a testimony to the value of what they saw me doing part-time,” he said. “I’m grateful that a lot of what I’ve started would continue, and maybe more new things to come as well. I’m only wishing the best for the GLA.”

Retirement won’t mean stepping away from the watershed, though.

“You’re retiring from a job, but you’re not no longer a biologist,” Karner said. “I’ll still be watching the fish and the birds and the water quality — it just won’t be on any kind of employee basis. It’ll just be for fun.”

He plans to remain a fixture around Glen Lake in whatever form that takes.

“I’m going to continue to enjoy the watershed, continue to be a part of anything that happens,” he said. “So I’m going to keep going with watching, observing, marveling, wondering — all of those things come into play.”

They left from Van Buren State Park in Grand Haven at the beginning of July and the 2026 Jiimaan Journey concluded when the crew paddled into Josephine Ford Park in Harbor Springs last week.

Jiimaan Caretaker Fred Harrington brought out a second jiimaan for the final day which allowed the entire crew to paddle through the final stretch, which was split into two legs for a combined total of just under four hours of paddling.

Despite a small leak in the second jiimaan, crew members pumped water out of the vessel and pushed forward through smoke, coming from the Minnesota and Ontario wildfires, with no other troubles.

As the jiimaanan took off for the second leg of paddling, a sudden, but short, burst of heavy rain hit the area which many expressed made the journey’s final paddle even more beautiful.

Once they arrived at the landing point, they were greeted by supporters and elders from the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. Many crew members expressed that the end of the 2026 journey felt like the beginning to a series of new jiimaan similar journies to come.

The division has a new commander this season: Cary Garton, who spent 33 years with the Sheriff’s Office as a corrections deputy before retiring late this past winter.

Borkovich asked him to return and take over Marine operations, a role that runs roughly six months out of the year.

“Cary’s doing a fantastic job,” Borkovich said. “He’s a big asset to have,” Joining Garton is Steve Freeman, the division’s most experienced deputy, who works the position four to five months a year. A Suttons Bay resident and lifelong boater, Freeman handles boat maintenance, equipment and engine troubleshooting in addition to patrols and rescues.

Marine deputies’ duties this time of year run the gamut: fireworks and drone-show safety patrols, routine water safety enforcement, and rescues. The office has also fielded reports of boats breaking loose from anchors and moorings — including at least one pontoon boat that drifted into another vessel.

Kayaks and canoes remain one of the division’s biggest headaches, largely because, unlike motorized boats, they aren’t required to be registered or marked with identification. When one is spotted drifting alone in open water, deputies have no way of knowing wheth-

Wednesday, July 15

6:24 a.m. — Bingham Township — Caller reports a pontoon is 250 feet off this beach with a mooring ball. Caller has spoken to the people on the boat and believes they must have a permit. (Caller was referred to the marine patrol.)

10:11 a.m. — Bingham Township — Black GMC truck crossed over the center line into oncoming traffic several times.

10:32 a.m. — Bingham Township — Intoxicated driver in a gray hatchback. Possibly a Hyundai Tucson.

12:28 p.m. — Kasson Township — Silver sports cars are traveling at a high rate of speed. Eastbound on M-72.

2:55 p.m. — Suttons Bay Township — Subject is standing between his house and the church next door. Has never seen him before. Info only in case law enforcement was looking for somone.

3:50 p.m. — Leelanau Township — Caller’s father victim of a scam.

7:16 p.m. — Solon Township — Subject just left and has been drinking. White Chevy truck.

8:43 p.m. — Glen Arbor Township — Caller lost bag somewhere in Glen Arbor yesterday. No sure exactly where or what time.

10:13 p.m. — Suttons Bay Township — Fireworks going off since just before 10 p.m.

10:43 p.m. — Glen Arbor Township — Caller pulled alongside caller’s driveway. Group of intoxicated kids got out to urinate.

Thursday, July 16

10:21 a.m. — Suttons Bay Township — Caller is being harassed.

11:29 a.m. — Solon Township — Caller bit by a raccoon.

2:39p.m.— SuttonsBay Township — Truck turned and dumped water and cherries on the road.

3:39 p.m. — Suttons Bay Township — Caller complains that a subject is parking her vehicle in their designated “customer only” parking slots.

3:50 p.m. —Bingham Township — Identity theft. Two student loans taken out under caller’s name.

7:41 p.m. — Suttons Bay Township — Disorderly person.

Friday, July 17

7:21 a.m. — Suttons Bay Township — Blue Subaru Forester passing on a doubleyellow

line.

3:38 p.m. —Leland Township — Bear sighting. Made its way across the Leland Golf Course and was last seen going toward the woods north of town.

5:49 p.m. — Bingham Township — Black Ford parked in front of caller’s house for a few hours with at least one person inside.

8:44 p.m. — Kasson Township — Red Taurus all over the road. Varying speeds going off the shoulder. Eastbound toward Traverse City.

9:06 p.m. — Leland Township — White Dodge Ram conversion van parked. Caller advised it looks like it is going to remain there overnight because it is running and AC keeps cycling. Caller unsure of parking ordinances and would like it checked out. (Per law enforcement, vehicle is parked. Air conditioning is running because there are pets inside and they are fine. It’s a long-distance travel trailer.)

Saturday, July 18

1:24 a.m. — Centerville Township — Customer needs to be trespassed. Driving very fast through the park.

1:53 a.m. — Leelanau Township — Suspicious incident on West Smith Avenue. Caller heard a knock at back door. Knock on the window just now. All windows and doors are locked.

7:28 a.m. — Glen Arbor Township — Illegal camping on West Miller Road.

9:02 a.m. — Glen Arbor Township — Illegal camping on South Fisher Road and South Dunn’s Farm Road. Town and Country in the boat launch parking lot with someone asleep inside.

12:38 p.m. —Bingham Township — Pontoon boat sinking with seven people on board. They are taking on water. Everyone was able to find a life jacket. The boat will not start. However, they have leveled out enough and the waves are no longer coming over the edge for now. Being pushed toward Power Island. Two “souls” on board en route to the pontoon boat. Requesting a tow for the disabled boat. All occupants are back to the dock.

1:25 p.m. —Bingham Township — Black Ford Escape or Jeep Compass swerving over the center and fog line.

4:45 p.m. — Elmwood Township — Male stepping into traffic. White shorts, black shirt and backpack.

9:34 p.m. — Solon Township — Gunfire east of caller’s house. Has been going on all day.

Sunday, July 19

1:47 a.m. — Suttons Bay Township —Family trouble.

11:17 a.m. — Kasson Township— Family trouble.

8:11 p.m. — Elmwood Township — Neighbors dogs are continuously at large, Coming into caller’s yard. She has a video of them killing her chickens.

There are over 800 fires burning in Canada & a dozen or more in the northern U.S. This is a result of climate change yet our present administration spews more disinformation.

Have you noticed that the 1,000-year floods are happening closer and closer together. We cannot solve this with wishful thinking.

Yes, our fossil fuel burning habits are accelerating this. One of the most efficient ways to do this is getting onboard with solar cells.

Yes, I know we can’t all afford an electric car or more efficient furnace.

What we can do is get behind solving the problem.

Ever month China installs what we put up every 10 years in solar. Can you imagine the number of solar installations we could have built with the $100 billion we have spent on the ware we started with Iran?

We cannot stand by and fiddle while we burn.

Mark Oberschmidt Empire.

I was glad to see last week Rep. Bergman’s interest in minimizing the effect of wildfire smoke from Canada on Michiganders. But of course, he is missing the point.

Accelerating climate change, largely from the burning of fossil fuels, makes wildfires bigger, hotter and more destructive. Canada is warming twice as fast as the global average. Canada is home to more than a quarter of the world‘s boreal forests. Given the extent and remoteness of Canada‘s forests, it would take enormous resources to mitigate wildfires, if the pace of climate change persists or increases.

So instead of threatening our neighbors to the north, Michigan’s next Representative from the first Congressional district must focus on the underlying causes of Canadian wildfires, and advocate for energy policy that emphasizes renewable resources and reduces fossil fuel consumption. Bergman is clearly not up to the task.

Kevin Weber Suttons Bay

A two-part story featuring the couple leading the effort to establish a “home” for the Youth For Christ (YFC) organization in Leland seems to have ruffled some feathers.

Our in-boxes were filled Thursday with emails from persons who apparently think the newspaper went overboard in a sit-down with Liz and Jim Vansteenhouse, the applicant for a permit to operate a “clubhouse” from a building at 110 North Lake Street in the commercial district near Fishtown.

However, opponents argue that the space is zoned only for businesses, not religious clubhouses, and that the center would displace much-needed retail space and further reduce availability of space which is at a prime each summer in Leland.

After months of contentious public debate, the Leland Planning Commission officially voted 4-1 to reject the special land use permit application. The proposal will go to the Zoning Board of Appeals at the request of the organization on July 30 to overturn the decision.

During multiple public hearings, opponents turned out in full force — letting the planning commission know exactly how they felt.

Our reporter sat through all these contentious meetings and reported on the zoning process, which included many negative comments from opponents to the proposal.

However, we never sat down with the Vansteenhouses, to get their side of the story, which has garnered statewide media coverage.

We are obligated to let people know what’s going on in their community and tell both sides of the story.

That’s what we did.

We have no dog in this fight.

However, we will continue to follow this story and will be at the township Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, July 30, when the board considers Apollo Properties plea to overturn the planners’ decision.

Leelanau County hit the “unhealthy for everyone” category on the air quality index causing events and businesses to be canceled and closed here and across the state. A newly released report from Anderson Economic Group put Michigan’s total losses from the smoke at more than $4 billion, among the hardest hit states in the country.

Even in recent years when we’ve gotten some smoke drift, it’s been easy to think of the wildfires as some distant tragedy. Trees and animals and houses hundreds of miles away, none of it touching us directly, none of it changing our daily lives. Until this year.

(And I know I’m speaking in generalizations from my own view point - I’m sure this smoke has absolutely affected people in the area in very real ways before this year.)

Because it wasn’t just wild nature that took a hit. People dug out their old stash of face masks, dealt with sore throats and tight lungs and rubbed itchy eyes as they looked up to watch small flakes of ash float to the ground. We forget that we are a part of nature too. Not separate from it, not above it, just another species trying to breathe well. When the air turns bad enough to block out the sun and close a golf course on a hot July day, that’s no longer an abstraction of our changing reality.

In Lansing this last week, Michigan’s own environmental regulators approved key permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project under the Straits of Mackinac, a reversal that put Whitmer’s administration at odds with the position she ran on in 2018. Many longtime supporters and environmental advocates have said they feel betrayed and have accused the administration of choosing industry over the Great Lakes - the very water millions of us rely on and love while tribal nations, who’ve fought the project for years over sovereignty and treaty rights in the Straits, say their concerns keep getting sidelined.

Two systems, one physical and one political, moving in the same direction. That’s not a coincidence that can be dismissed.

None of this needs to be a partisan issue. Clean air and clean water shouldn’t be a red or blue position, they’re baseline conditions every one of us needs to survive, regardless of who we voted for. What happened this weekend wasn’t a policy debate, it was smoke in your throat and ash on your windshield. It was real and it was scary and it’s really starting to feel like this is becoming a new summer routine.

So what do we do now? Well, we gotta keep asking the uncomfortable questions. Is this the new normal for the Great Lakes region? What does it mean for our summers and tourism if this happens year after year? And when protections for the land and water around us get rolled back at the same moment we’re breathing in the consequences of a warming world, what exactly are we willing to change and are we capable of looking beyond the divide in order to actually do something?

I don’t have tidy answers and I’m not sure anyone does. But I know I won’t be forgetting what the sky looked like this weekend anytime soon.