The Elmwood Township Board of Trustees has unanimously approved a new Parks and Recreation Plan that clears the way for several important projects. Along with the associated grant applications, the new plan will enable a reworking of the township marina and park, as well as new uses for the DeYoung property being acquired by the Leelanau Conservancy. Although some opposition had been expected (Cathy Lautner, wife of trustee Terry Lautner, wrote a letter opposing the plan), in the event support was unanimous and the vote was greeted by a round of applause from the meeting audience. Contacted for comment, township supervisor Deri Smith spoke of a "brighter future" for Elmwood.

Posted by Publius at 04:41 AM | Permalink

With all the discussion and controversy about Traverse City Light and Power's on-again off-again plans to build a wood-burning plant in Greilickville, it's worth reminding ourselves that other approaches to meeting the community's power needs are being discussed.

Several weeks ago we reported on the preliminary plans of Noble Environmental Power to build a farm of wind turbines in Centerville township. Now comes this Michigan Daily story on another project by the same company in Bingham township (that's Bingham township in Clinton County, not Leelanau) that is quite a bit further along.

Posted by Publius at 03:21 PM | Permalink

Leelanau lakes may still have ice on them, but caution is warranted, as this story from TV 7/4 warns. And that's not all. Grass fires are easy to start these days (see this and this) show.

Don't let your enthusiasm for spring carry you away!

Posted by Publius at 03:19 PM | Permalink

Maple sugaring is a Leelanau County tradition. And it still flourishes today.

Take a look at this very nice story and photo essay on the subject.

Posted by Publius at 03:18 PM | Permalink

The Michigan State Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the developer of the contentious Meadows project in Elmwood Township must pay the Elmwood Citizens for Sensible Growth group for its costs in fighting a suit by the developer.

At stake was a suit filed in March 2004 by the Stewart Investment Group, the developer of The Meadows. In 2003, the Meadows project had been approved by the Elmwood Planning Commission, but approval by the Board of Trustees had not yet been granted on the advice of the township attorney. The Stewart group filed a complaint for a writ of mandamus, which would have compelled the township to issue the permits for the project.

The township’s response to the initial suit was, as the Appeals Court judgment notes, largely confined to the assertion that the project had been passed by the Planning Commission. (The opinion can be read online here .) As a result, the defense of the suit was joined by Elmwood Citizens for Sensible Growth, which had a long history of opposition to the Meadows project and its predecessor Lincoln Meadows. (Full disclosure: Pei-shan and Steve Van Zoeren, publisher and editor respectively of The Leelanau Post, are founding members and long-time supporters of ECSG.)

Asked by the trial judge how its suit could be reconciled with the requirement that the project receive Board of Trustees approval, the developer’s lawyers claimed that a township official told them Board approval was unnecessary. Although questioned closely by the judge, both the developer and his lawyer declined to name this official, and in June 2004 the ECSG motion for summary disposition of the case was approved. In August 2004 ECSG was granted costs and fees by the trial judge.

Posted by Publius at 05:16 PM | Permalink

The DEQ said Monday that laws making it easier for beachfront property owners to clear away weeds and aquatic plants from their beaches should be scrapped.

According to this story in the Duluth News Tribune, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says that uprooting water plants along shorelines removes needed habitat for young game fish and also reduces the populations of invertebrates they feed on.

A state law passed in 2003 exempted beach grooming activities from wetland protection laws. The exemptions were sought especially by the owners of beachfront properties where falling water levels in the Great Lakes had exposed expanses of bottom lands formerly under water.

Posted by Publius at 10:25 PM | Permalink

Leelanau Enterprise // News // Thinking ‘out of the box’

Posted by Publius at 04:40 PM | Permalink

A Northport group opposed to the proposed sewer system there suffered a setback last week when a Leelanau judge dismissed their case.

According to this Record-Eagle article, 13th Circuit Court Judge Thomas Powers agreed with attorneys for the village of Northport and Leelanau Township that the question of whether or not the project was legally approved did not fall within the circuit court's jurisdiction. Opponents of the project promise that they will take the matter to the tax tribunal and then from there, if necessary, back to circuit court.

Posted by Publius at 01:02 PM | Permalink

A rapidly growing Lake Leelanau business is struggling to find adequate office space, and restrictive zoning laws may be the problem.

Oneupweb, which helps companies achieve better placement in search engine results like Google, has grown rapidly over the past six years, outgrowing offices in Traverse City, Suttons Bay, and Lake Leelanau, according to this article from the Michigan Land Use Institute. The company's owner would like to stay in Lake Leelanau, but zoning laws designed to promote residential uses and small businesses only within town limits are making it difficult to find a downtown commercial lot large enough to accommodate the growing firm.

Advocates for economic development and smart growth in Leelanau County, like Don Coe of Black Star Farms, point out that knowledge-based businesses like Oneupweb will benefit the county in a number of ways: they provide well-paying, year-round jobs that do not destroy farmland or the Leelanau landscape. Preserving the landscape and quality of life in Leelanau County is essential to not only tourism (including the agricultural tourism that many see as the county's future), but also to attracting the kinds of young, dynamic companies and workers that can grow the county's economy.

It would be ironic if master plans and zoning laws that were intended to preserve rural character and small-town life would have the effect of undermining them. Planners and others should seek ways to encourage the growth of businesses that invigorate the local economy without encroaching on farmland or the landscape.

Posted by Publius at 08:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Harleyville building (formerly the Lake States Insurance building) on M-22 just north of the Elmwood marina is being considered for conversion to condos.

According to this Record-Eagle article, a Dallas-based developer is considering purchasing the building and converting it to luxury condos tha might sell for as much as $500,000. Such a use would not be allowed by the site's current zoning, but the developer is seeking an amendment to the zoning ordinance to allow the project.

The waterfront south of the building is home not only to the Elmwood marina, but also to a number of other projects either under way or being planned, including an expansion and redesign of the township park, the Great Lakes Children's Museum, and another possible marina. Township officials are asking how the proposed condo conversion would combine with these other changes. Elmwood supervisor Deri Smith is quoted in the article as asking "How does it fit in with our plans for the waterfront? If the use is changed, how does it impact the neighborhood?"

Those are good questions. Elmwood has some good momentum going along its M-22 waterfront, and should seek to preserve it.

Posted by Publius at 12:54 PM | Permalink

The Binghan township Board of Trustees has finally approved the Leelanau Trail.

After having fought the trail since 1996, the Board finally voted last week to approve zoning that will legalize the Leelanau Trail, according to this Record-Eagle article.

In our opinion, the Trail is a wonderful resource for the community. It's good to see that those who opposed it are finally coming to accept it.

Posted by Publius at 11:29 PM | Permalink

Acme Township, on the other side of Traverse City, faces many of the same issues as Leelanau County -- pressure to develop on the one hand, and a desire to control and shape that development on the other.

This article in the Record-Eagle tells how Acme planners hope to implement a new urbanist solution in Acme's designated "town center" district--one that will create a walkable, human-scaled commercial center instead of yet another mall. But the plan faces opposition from developers, who are leery of the costs and constraints on their plans.

We wish them success, and look forward to lessons to be learned from their experiences.

Posted by Publius at 08:46 PM | Permalink

Accounting numbers for the Elmwood Marina recently made available show that, contrary to claims made in the Leelanau Enterprise, income at the marina is not down. In fact, when an accurate comparison is made to 2004, income is up. The increases suggest that the reforms and management changes made under Superivsor Deri Smith have helped at the troubled facility.

Combining all sources of income for January 1 2005 through Dec 31 and adjusting for the loss of buoys and slips mandated by federal and state agencies, the balance sheet shows an increase of income of over $17,000.

The 2005 dock slip payments were set by the previous management and reflect their practices and standards. Under the new management, consistent enforcement of the Township-approved fee schedule should increase the 2006 seasonal slip income by $18,000. A new Township-approved credit card policy should add another $6,000 to income. Taken together with the storage and other increases, income at the Marina under the new management should be up over $40,000 over a comparable period under the old management.

Evidence suggests that most of the shortfall in the revenues in 2004 resulted from a practice of granting discounts as favors at the Marina. In a similar way, the waiting list of boaters seeking moorings or slips at the Marina was often ignored, with some individuals promoted over others with more seniority, although all had paid the same $100 application fee.

Posted by Publius at 07:52 PM | Permalink

Cherry growers will pay a half-penny per pound levy to support research and promotions aimed at establishing the health benefits of cherries.

As we reported earlier, cherry growers have come under pressure from the Food and Drug Administration to support the ambitious claims being made for the health benefits of cherries. This Freep story describes how the Cherry Administrative Board recently approved a five-year assessment on growers to raise about $1 million per year to promote cherries and to "entice the medical community to take this to the next level of clinical analysis," in the words of Suttons Bay grower Bob Gregory.

Posted by Publius at 04:10 PM | Permalink

Septage costs, already under pressure to rise, may be further aggravated by a recent DEQ ruling.

The decision, reported in this Enterprise story, bans septage haulers from applying their loads to fields, at least in the winter. Instead, they must haul pump-outs to a waste-treatment plant in Grand Traverse or Benzie.

The Grand Traverse plant is already laying plans to compel all septage pumpers within a 15-mile radius to bring their loads to its plant, which must recoup the costs of its recent engineering problems.

Posted by Publius at 08:32 AM | Permalink

A citizen group has begun organizing opposition to the proposed power plant on the West Bay.

Traverse City Light and Power has proposed a wood-burning plant on a site owned by the utility in Leelanau's Elmwood Township. According to the Record-Eagle, the group has established a website, www.dontplantithere.org, which is collecting signatures for a petition opposing the siting of a power plant on the site of the old coal dock and storage area along M-22.

Posted by Publius at 08:24 AM | Permalink

It was said of the Bourbon kings who were overthrown in the French Revolution that they never learned, and they never forgot. The same might be said of the four Elmwood township Board members who are holdovers from the previous administration. On the one hand, they have steadfastly refused to learn, either from their own mistakes or from the suggestions of their critics. And they never forget a grudge.

The latest instance of this unfortunate combination was on exhibit at the Elmwood Township Board meeting Monday night, when the four holdover members declined to reappoint to the Marina Committee current members Dave Darga and John Melichar. Darga and Melichar have been energetic and constructive advocates for the reform of the troubled Elmwood township facility. So why were they not reappointed? Although there were some vague claims of conflicts of interest, the real reason seems to have been that the holdovers on the Board of Trustees don’t want to see the marina investigated or reformed. They have voted time and time again against plans and measures that would bring a measure of accountability and even handedness to the way the marina is run. And so in place of Darga and Melichar, the holdovers exercised their working 4-3 majority on the Board to install two additional boaters from the marina. Talk about the inmates running the asylum!

It’s sad to see the little bit of progress that has been made at the marina set back in this way. The marina belongs ultimately to the residents and citizens of Elmwood Township, and should be run on their behalf in a responsible, business-like way. The attitude of the holdover members on the board toward their constituents seems to be “Let them eat cake.” Perhaps they should take a lesson from the French aristocrats and reflect that such attitudes are not a recipe for long-term political success.

Posted by Publius at 06:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

By a 4-3 margin the Elmwood Township Board of Trustees voted on Monday against the re-appointments made by supervisor Derith Smith of Dave Darga, Chair of the township's advisory marina committee, and John Melichar, marina committee member. Darga and Melichar were both confirmed by the board in March of 2005 to single year terms.

In reversing themselves and voting against the re- appointments, the board majority bloc cited "the appearance of conflict of interest" as the overriding reason for removing Darga and Melichar from the committee. The appointments were supported by Trustees Howell and Walter. Walter, board representative to the marina committee, cited the hard work and professional expertise provided to the committee by both appointees. Trustee Howell questioned the conflict argument and stated that in his review of the proceedings of the marina committee he could not find an instance where a conflict of interest seemed to be at work.

While no specific complaints or examples of conflict of interest were cited, clerk Connie Preston spoke of "... grumblings..." and noted statements given by Judge Phillip Rodgers of the 13th circuit court in inveighing against Elmwood showing "the appearance of impropriety" in conducting its business. Although specific examples of written comments or examples of actual complaints were sought to illustrate problems with Darga and Melichar, Treasurer Deborah Street backed Preston up by noting that many of those that had commented on the alleged conflict did so anonymously, "They don't like to give (their) names," she told the board. After the board had voted Melichar's appointment down, supervisor Smith commented that, "Both Dave and John grew up in Elmwood Township, and they are expert in this field. Their help is an asset to the committee. No one has been excluded at the marina committee meetings. The contribution these two have made has been above and beyond..."

Darga owns a local marine service business and Melichar operates the gas dock at a private marina adjacent to the Elmwood's facility. Darga, as chair of the committee, has been central to the process of re-organizing marina operations and policies in the last year. The committee's work has been focused on instituting procedures that would end questionable practices followed in the past. Policies relative to parking, the marina waiting list, and fee collection practices have been re-examined and re-constituted . During last spring's board debate on the termination of Elmwood's previous harbormaster and deputy harbormaster, Darga provided the board with written findings detailing revenue shortfalls at the marina that resulted from his own examination of township records, marina operating receipts and fee schedules.

A consistent division among Elmwood board members has resulted in a series of 4-3 votes on marina issues. The same majority: Preston, Street, Lautner, and O'Rourke has voted against investigating previous marina practices, voted against validating supervisor Smith's action in dismissing the previous management, and voted to pay the terminated previous management $13,000 in return for a promise not to sue (no suit had been filed).

Judge Phillip Rodgers' original statement to the township regarding conflict of interest came as a part of a judgment against the township, and was made regarding the actions of John Gallagher (then township trustee and planning commission chair) and his involvement in a real estate deal he made with an applicant.

Posted by Publius at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore is offering ranger-led hikes, with or without shoeshoes. They say:

National Park Service (NPS) Rangers at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will continue offering the popular winter hikes every Saturday throughout the month of March. The longer daylight and often warm, sunny afternoons make March a great time to get out of the house and into an outdoor adventure. The hikes will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center at Empire, and we will use snowshoes when Mother Nature cooperates and hiking boots if there is insufficient snow. At the Visitor Center, Park Rangers will provide information about the day’s hike and basic snowshoeing instructions. Then, everyone will travel by car to a specific trailhead. Along the trail, the ranger will challenge the group to look for signs of animals and seasonal changes, while sharing fun facts about the park. Hikers should come prepared for any weather and plan to be outside until about 3:00 p.m. The hikes traverse approximately one and a half miles of mildly strenuous terrain, but we will travel at a leisurely pace. This allows visitors an opportunity to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers or to simply experience the Lakeshore during a quieter season.
One visitor who participated in a hike in February wrote, “I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful experience we had when we came to try snowshoeing for the first time. Our ranger was funny, interesting, and patient. I had never been on snowshoes and really enjoyed it. Because of the great time we had, we plan to buy snowshoes and explore all of Sleeping Bear Dunes in the winter!”

The National Lakeshore has a limited supply of snowshoes and will provide them free of charge. Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass to join in the fun. Space is limited, so please call 231-326-5134, extension 328, for more details and to make reservations. For more information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, go to www.nps.gov/slbe.

Posted by Publius at 04:28 PM | Permalink

Among the immigrants who settled in Leelanau County were those from Canada. Whether they became U.S. citizens or registered as permanent resident aliens, these Canadians have contributed to Leelanau County's history.

Some communities in Leelanau County had their beginnings with Canadian settlers. Two of them were started by one family. Antoine Manseau and his son were born in Canada and arrived in the U.S. in 1838. In 1853 they settled at the mouth of the Carp River. Father and son built a dam and sawmill on the river which were the beginnings of Leland, which would later serve as the county seat from 1883 to the early 21st century. In 1856, the senior Manseau bought an acre of land on a creek which he named Kenosha Creek, and in 1859 he built a dam on the creek and a flour mill for processing grain. In 1882, Antoine II built an addition onto the mill. The mill remained in the Manseau family until it was sold in 1906. The mill was closed in 1934, but its wheels for grinding the grain into flour can still be seen today between Suttons Bay and Omena on M-22. The site was known as Manseau, but it never consisted of anything more than the flour mill.

Another Leelanau County community of Canadian origin was the town of Keswick. It had its beginning in 1872 when Reverend John Lawrence, who was born in Keswick, New Brunswick, settled near the site. A gristmill was built nearby the new town, and a post office was established for it in September 1889. At its peak Keswick's population reached 200, but by 1910 only 40 residents remained and the post office was closed that same year. Now only the Keswick Methodist Church remains to show the sign of a village, located on County Road 633 between Bingham and Suttons Bay.

Norrisville, though not settled by Canadians, had one early settler named Jacob Groessner, who was originally from Hamilton, Ontario. Norrisville was renamed Greilickville in 1897. Provemont was another village that became home to some French-Canadian settlers; it was renamed Lake Leelanau in 1924.

Leelanau County also contains place names that recall Canada, even if only indirectly. For example, Elmwood Township has a namesake in the form of a small community in Ontario named Elmwood. The maple leaf is of course Canada's emblem, and the township once had a one room schoolhouse, located near Bugai and Lincoln Roads, named Maple Leaf School, which operated from about 1880 to about 1940. Maple City may be indirectly associated with Maple Leaf, Ontario, as may Cedar with its namesake in British Columbia. Finally, St. Joseph Catholic Church at Leelanau County's Bohemian Settlement recalls one of Canada's patron saints.

Authored by Thomas Baird

Posted by Publius at 10:35 AM | Permalink

The federal Food and Drug Administration has warned sellers of cherry products not to make undocumented claims about their health benefits.

This Record-Eagle story describes how the FDA has cracked down on claims made by producers of cherry juice concentrate and other cherry products that they can cure everything from gout to cancer.

The FDA says that such claims have not been proven with scientific studies--that they are "anecdotal." Well, here's my anecdote. For years, I had pain in the joint of my right big toe. My Dad had it. My aunt had it. For all I know, everyone in my family had it. But once I started putting a couple of tablespoons of cherry juice concentrate in my morning apple cider (nutritious and delicious, as Soupy Sales used to say), the pain went away. Not got better-- went away altogether. I say the FDA needs some better studies.

Posted by Publius at 08:38 PM | Permalink

The heads of Leelanau County's four school districts continue to search for ways around the budget woes looming on their horizons.

The discussion now seems to be focusing on "consolidation" versus "collaboration," according to this Leelanau Enterprise piece. Consolidation would mean an actual merger of the districts, while in the collaborative model the school districts would federate together to share some support functions while retaining their own individual governance and curricula.

One interesting fact mentioned by Leland Superintendent Mike Hartigan: of the 13 school districts in the state that do not levy the full 18 mills allowed by law, 3 are in Leelanau County. What does that say about the support for education in Leelanau County?

Posted by Publius at 07:18 PM | Permalink

A California man and his Michigan-born wife are planning a new winery to be located near Cedar.

On May, Alan Eaker and family plan to open Longview Winery, located on a 105-acre farm located next to the existing Bel Lago vineyards. The property's 10 acres of mature vineyards will open with a mix of vinifera, hybrid, and fruit wines, according to this story in the Detroit News. There will also be an off-site tasting room in downtown Cedar, as well as an associate restaurant.

The Leelanau wine boom continues, and Leelanau continues its transformation into wine and food destination. This is the kind of development we need in Leelanau County, providing jobs and income without destroying the county's natural advantages.

Posted by Publius at 09:36 PM | Permalink

The Record-Eagle has a thoughtful editorial Wednesday on recall elections.

Recalls are a right of voters, giving them the ultimate recourse when elected officials fail to do their job. But sometimes they simply become politics by another means -- a venue by which "embittered ex-officials" (in Elmwood Township's case) try win a victory that eluded them at the ballot box. The Record-Eagle rightly says that voters need to have a clear understanding of the issues at stake when they go to the polls for a recall election.

Posted by Publius at 04:16 PM | Permalink

Suttons Bay author Lynne Rae Perkins recently won the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel, Criss Cross. In this interview, she advises aspiring authors to read, read, read.

"I learned everything I know about writing from reading," says Lynne in this Freep interview, where she talks about reading all the Landmark books in her school library, her hopes for some good reviews (she got 'em), and her plans for the future. Worth a read.

Posted by Publius at 03:36 PM | Permalink

The Traverse City area has the highest gas prices in the state, according to the AAA. Gas prices averaged $2.47 a gallon here on Monday, as compared to a $2.43 per gallon statewide.

This Freep story doesn't give any background at all. I'd expect gas prices to be higher in our area than, say, downstate. But the highest in the state? Any readers who understand such things, please help out in the Comments section below.

Posted by Publius at 05:00 PM | Permalink

A knowledge of this bird’s preferred habitat of thickets, the edges of marshes, and weedy open areas with scattered trees begs the question of its name. In fact, it was given its name because of its likeness to the European Tree Sparrow.

It is a common migrant in Michigan, while in winter in Leelanau County it is a less common but not unusual visitor to feeders that border its preferred habitats. Bird banding verifies that this bird often visits the same feeders year after year. It breeds along the edge of the tundra where it nests, for the most part, on the ground.

The identification of this bird in the field is complicated by its resemblance to the field sparrow, chipping sparrow, and swamp sparrow. All of these and the tree sparrow have chestnut caps. All except the swamp sparrow have white wing bars. All have light colored breasts.

It distinguishes itself from the other three by the fact that it is the only one of these that has a black dot in the center of its breast and that has mandibles of dissimilar color. Its lower mandible is yellowish and the upper is blackish.

Its song is a pleasing, somewhat high frequency, lyrical lilt. Its other vocalization is a much quieter, brief, high frequency tsee which it emits while feeding and possibly to indicate potential danger.

It is usually not seen in the fall in Leelanau until October and is rarely seen in the spring after May 10.

~bob c.

Posted by Publius at 04:50 PM | Permalink

Wine production in the Leelanau and Grand Traverse region is one of the bright spots in the agricultural picture, and some experts say it's just the beginning.

This story in the Record-Eagle cites state officials and local growers who say that there is both the market and the capacity to allow a major expansion of wine-growing in our area.

That's a good thing. The spread of vineyards in Leelanau County can help preserve agriculture and our rural landscape; and the scenic and other advantages of our area make it a natural for the growth of the kind of agricultural tourism that has been so successful in Napa and Sonoma in California, among many other locales. Let's hope that state and local officials continue to find ways to facilitate the growth of vineyards here.

Posted by Publius at 04:52 PM | Permalink

The settlement at Port Oneida, north of Glen Arbor, formed a largely self-contained community of farmers on a landscape that was at once heartbreakingly beautiful and incredibly challenging. Today the Port Oneida community survives largely in some abandoned farmsteads and the memories of a few older residents.

Former Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore ranger Tom Van Zoeren has spent many hours interviewing current and former residents of the Port Oneida area to document the history of the area. These pages, which appear on the website of the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, tell the story of three Port Oneida families through words and photos.

Don't miss this recreation of world almost lost.

Posted by Publius at 09:57 PM | Permalink

Elmwood Township is making plans to link its waterfront with resources inland like the Leelanau Trail and the DeYoung farm property recently acquired by the Leelanau Conservancy.

This Record-Eagle article has the details on plans by Elmwood's parks and recreation committee to find ways to link Elmwood's revitalized waterfront with the DeYoung farm property, which includes nearly a mile of undeveloped shoreline on Cedar Lake, and which the Conservancy plans to open for hiking, fishing, and other activities.

What a great idea. Elmwood's waterfront is a wonderful resource, and one that is being transformed by the new park plan, the new Great Lakes Children's Museum, and the Maritime Heritage Alliance. But linking the waterfront via the Trail with all that the DeYoung property will have to offer--that's planning at its best.

Posted by Publius at 03:42 PM | Permalink

A developer is exploring the possibility of installing as many as 50 or 60 windmills along the high ground in Centerville Township. The windmills, which would be used to generate "green power," would also generate income for the farmers on whose land they were placed.

According to this Leelanau Enterprise article, Noble Environmental Power of Bad Axe is exploring the possibility of building the towers, which would supply power to utilities in the region. Landowners might receive $8000 to $10000 per year per tower.

Update: Here's the Record-Eagle story on the same subject.

Posted by Publius at 05:00 PM | Permalink

A local group has reached an agreement to buy and preserve Leland's historic Fishtown district. The Fishtown Preservation Society said that it has negotiated the purchase with the property's current owners, the Carlson family of Leland.

The group plans to preserve Fishtown as it is today, including the current structures and fishing operations, according to this Record-Eagle story.

That's good news. Fishtown is an irreplaceable link to an important part of Leelanau's past--and an important draw to visitors to our area.

Posted by Publius at 04:01 PM | Permalink

Recall elections have been scheduled for two Leelanau County communities, the village of Northport and Elmwood township. The contests will appear on a May 2 ballot along with school elections.

In Elmwood, John Stanek, a former Elmwood trustee ousted in the 2004 election, filed the petition to recall current Supervisor Deri Smith. Noel Flohe, a former supervisor who was defeated by Smith in the same election gathered the most signatures.

In Northport, the recall turns around the question of a proposed municipal sewer system, says this piece in the Record-Eagle.

Posted by Publius at 04:01 PM | Permalink