Governor Jennifer Granholm has disappointed farmland preservation advocates by vetoing a bill that would have changed the way farmland is valued for tax purposes.

Michigan is currently the only state in the nation that assesses farmland on the basis of its potential development value, rather than its agricultural use value, according to this Record-Eagle article. Granholm is of course responding to Michigan's horrendous budget problems--when you're fighting deficits as big as ours, you have to worry about any measure that will diminish tax revenues--but, like the defeat of the purchase of development rights measure in Leelanau last fall, it's gonna hurt the effort to preserve agriculture in Leelanau and elsewhere.

Posted by Publius at 08:52 AM | Permalink

A follow-up on the Record-Eagle's blistering editorial on the three Elmwood Township defamers Don Barrow, Noel Flohe, and John Stanek...

It occurs to us that perhaps the reason Barrows, Flohe and Stanek still have not written the letters of apology that the jury required of them is that they don't know how to begin. In that spirit, we thought we would reprint a letter suggested some time ago by an Empire resident:

"Dear Ms. Smith: I truly am sorry for the flaws in my human condition that led me to act in such a vile and intimidating way towards you. As we are all human, this has been a real learning curve for me. From here on out, I will treat people with respect and fairness. If I feel the urge to harass people, namely women, I will seek professional help in order to better understand and change my unacceptable behavior. I am so, so sorry for all the unnecessary problems I have caused. If I would have apologized from the start it may have avoided all this nasty court business. Sincerely ..."

~ Steve

Posted by Publius at 08:12 PM | Permalink

We have all seen the county number designations around Leelanau County, 616, 633, 667, etc. But just as numbers and location of state and federal highways have changed over the decades, Leelanau County's numbered roads were no different. To learn about this, we need to take a nostalgic trip to Leelanau County in the 1930's.

Some county road numbers are now no longer used, one of them being County Road 612. Starting at Empire, it followed an approximate course of what is now M-72, coming to a stop at a dirt road on the Elmwood/Solon Township line. As far can be determined, the dirt road is no longer there.

County Road 624 is another one relagated to nostalga, which connected County Roads 637 and 639 on what is now known only as Perther Road.

Does anybody remember County Road 639? It began at County Road 641 just north of Lake Leelanau along Eagle Highway, then turned west onto Alpers Road back to 641.

Does anyone know Solon Rd. from M-72 to 616 was County Road 649?

There is also County Road 665, which began at Oviatt on the Leelanau/Benzie County line, cosigned with 612, and followed what is now 669, Baatz Rd, Newman Rd., Valley Rd., and 667 through Maple City to M-22 near Little Traverse Lake.

The most recent county number to be removed from the county's road system
(c.mid-1980's) is County Road 671, which ran from 616 to M-22 near Bass Lake. Today, it is part of 669.

Some of the county numbers still in Leelanau County today did not always follow the courses they do now, and some of the differences may be quite interesting. County Road 633 from Cherry Bend Rd. to Suttons Bay followed what is now M-22, both designations exchanging places when the former 633 was upgraded to highway standards.

County Road 614 was originally on the west side of the county when it ran from 616 at Burdickville, around the southern shore of Glen Lake, to M-109 at Tobin Corners. Meanwhile, County Road 616 originally followed the eastern Glen Lake shore from Burdickville to M-22 near Glen Arbor on what is now County Road 675.

County Road 641 originally began on the edge of Cedar at 645, and followed to the village of Lake Leelanau on what is today's 643. Along some parts of Lake Leelanau's eastern shoreline, today's 641 was not even yet built at that time.

Other changes to Leelanau County's numbered roads also included minor reroutings and surface improvements, but, just like the state highways, the county's numbered have come a long way from their beginnings during the Model T and Model A era.

(Image courtesy of www.gribblenation.net)

Posted by Publius at 07:56 PM | Permalink

Though the idea of bluebirds in December in Leelanau County warrants some skepticism, once again this year, participants of the Lake Leelanau Christmas Bird Count observed Eastern Bluebirds on the Lake Leelanau Christmas Bird Count held in Leelanau County on Dec. 23, 2006.

Two CBC parties observed this species, possibly the same birds, about 1.75 miles apart. Jim Turner and Kate Trainer observed their bluebirds on that day on Honke Rd., not far from Schomberg Rd.. The author of this article observed his bluebirds on Schomberg Rd. about 1.75 miles south of Honke Rd. at the crest of the hill, where the road dips steeply to the south before rising to where Schomberg Rd. meets with Popa Valley Rd. but within 200 yards or so of where he observed about 7 of this species last year

The literature suggests that Christmas Bird Counts began in 1899. Around this time bird observers and scientists became concerned about diminishing bird populations. Accordingly, up until 1900 or so, the tradition was to have a Christmas “Side Hunt”. Outdoor enthusiasts would choose sides and then go into the fields and forests with their guns. Whichever side brought in the most dead birds and mammals “won”.

In 1900, an ornithologist and officer in the recently formed Audubon Society, a man named Frank Chapman, proposed a new Holiday tradition, a “Christmas Bird Census” in which birds would be counted, not killed.

As a result, 25 bird counts involving 27 participants were held that year around Christmas time from Northeastern North America to California. In all, these 27 individuals tallied 90 species and about 18,500 individual birds.

The Christmas Bird Count survey has become the oldest continuous wildlife survey in North America. Single observer counts evolved into a more organized effort wherein groups of people would count birds in a larger area in a single day.

Though the majority of participants still take part in Christmas counts for the fun of it, the sheer scope this Christmas survey has attained has rendered the data collected in this way of some scientific significance. In order to maximize its usefulness in that regard, it is now carried out under specific guidelines.

Each circle, which may not overlap any other circle, is restricted to an area with an exactly 15 mile diameter. Along with recording of the number of birds and bird species, weather variables, the number of counting parties, number and names of participants in each party, the time and distance walking, and the time and distance traveled by auto by each party are all documented.

Counts traditionally end with a convivial gathering at the end of a long birding day at which experiences are compared, field competence is impugned, and old counts recalled while holiday refreshments are consumed.

Lake Leelanau Christmas Bird Count December 23, 2006
Horned Grebe 1
Mute Swan 43
Canada Geese 217
Wood Duck 1
Black Duck 2
Mallard 412
Greater Scaup 1
Lesser Scaup 1
Scaup Species 50
Common Goldeneye 449
Bufflehead 292
Common Merganser 548
Red-breasted Merganser 17
Ruddy Duck CW
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Rough-legged Hawk CW
American Kestrel 2
Ruffed Grouse 2
Wild Turkey 41
Great Blue Heron 1
Bonaparte’s Gull 2
Ring-billed Gull 115
Herring Gull 51
Gull Species 22
Rock Pigeon 17
Mourning Dove 111
Barred Owl 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 7
Downy Woodpecker 19
Hairy Woodpecker 11
Pileated Woodpecker CW
Northern Shrike CW
Blue Jay 115
American Crow 1006
Common Raven 5
Black-capped Chickadee 432
Tufted Titmouse 17
White-breasted Nuthatch 28
Red-breasted Nuthatch 10
Brown Creeper 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Eastern Bluebird 6
American Robin 8
European Starling 594
Cedar Waxwing 53
American Tree Sparrow 23
Dark-eyed Junco 48
Northern Cardinal 18
Purple Finch 3
House Finch 43
American Goldfinch 380
House Sparrow 2
48 Species 5239 Individuals Snow Depth few patches

Starting time: 7:45 a.m. Ending time: 4:30 p.m.
Observers Leonard Graf; Barb Graf & Carole Groves; Jo & John Kreag; Jim Turner & Kate Trainer; Norm
Bistodeau; Pat & Ryan O’Connor & Charlie & Kathy Johnson; Bob Carstens.
Weather: A.M: 36-38 degrees Lt. Rain/overcast Wind WSW-W 8-16 mph ..gusts to 20 mph
P.M. 38 degrees Overcast/Lt. rain Wind ….West 14-20 mph gusts to 25 mph
Open Water: West Bay, Good Harbor Bay, 80% Lake Leelanau, 80% Lime Lake, 75% Lttle Traverse Lake
Compiler: Bob Carstens

Posted by Publius at 07:42 PM | Permalink

Jeff Howell, Elmwood Township Trustee and member of the Elmwood Planning Commission, informed board members and residents at the Township's regular board meeting held Tuesday January 9, that the township's long awaited zoning overhaul could be expected to be completed in February. Howell further detailed a process that would include a formal legal review to be accomplished by Elmwood's attorney leading to a public hearing on the legislation to take place in March.

Elmwood voters rejected a zoning ordinance adopted by the township in
2003 by an overwhelming margin in a referendum vote. Since then efforts to bring an acceptable ordinance to the public has been accompanied by a major re-shuffle of Township Board members by voters in 2004, and a major shake-up of Planning Commission members by the newly elected Supervisor. The campaign against the defeated ordinance centered on the propriety of the densities to be allowed in the rural zoning district.

While the planning commission has worked since April 2006 with its consultant, LSL Associates, to re-work previously written ordinance language, commission Chair Jack Kelly has admitted that the commission has yet to open discussion concerning basic residential densities and development options.

Elmwood's exposure to damages resulting from potential legal challenges stemming from its outmoded and conflict ridden zoning ordinance has been characterized in the past by the township attorney as "horrendous".

The planning commission has finished work on up-dating standards governing development in the township's Rural Resort zoning district, and has completed work on defining an overlay district that would govern the re-use of waterfront buildings in Greilickville.

Posted by Publius at 07:37 PM | Permalink

A blistering editorial in the Record-Eagle on Wednesday lambasted Elmwood township residents Don Barrows, Noel Flohe, and John Stanek for their refusal to honor a jury's verdict that they apologize for their anonymous smear of township supervisor Deri Smith.

Barrows, Flohe, and Stanek were convicted last November of sending a misspelled, anonymous mailing smearing Smith in 2004. Smith was elected to the supervisor position in Elmwood in 2004 as part of an effort to reform the township's ingrown and dysfunctional government, the same election in which Flohe and Stanek were swept from office. Barrows, Flohe, and Stanek were active in the 2006 effort to recall Smith, as were several of their close allies who remain on the Elmwood board.

The Record-Eagle editorial tells it like it is, characterizing the three defamers as "poster boys for the type of secretive, vindictive, back-room government that infests the Grand Traverse region, particularly in local townships." It asks that "the Larry, Moe and Curly of political espionage" remove themselves from future politics in Elmwood township, a position we heartily endorse.

~ Steve

Posted by Publius at 11:27 AM | Permalink

Leelanau vintners are proposing a Leelanau Tourist Trail which could bring millions of dollars in business to the county each year. The CraftWORKS Leelanau initiative would link together wineries, shops, galleries, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, farm markets and other local attractions to attract visitors to Leelanau year round.

Leelanau businesses must learn that their competition is not the restaurant or inn down the road, but rather Door County in Wisconsin or the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, according to this article in the Traverse City Business News. Rick Coates, a spokesman for the vintner group points out that “We don’t need a water park, we don’t need a resort, we don’t need chain hotels.” Rather, it's the unique natural beauty and local character of the region that will bring visitors--and their business.

Posted by Publius at 11:33 PM | Permalink

Elmwood Township's Don Barrows, Noel Flohe, and John Stanek are listed among the region's champion bad actors in the Record-Eagle's annual roundup of the news. The three were convicted in November of smearing Elmwood Township Supervisor Deri Smith in an anonymous mailing.

The Record-Eagle opinion piece includes a roster of those who made our region worse, not better. Others include disgraced former township officials Jan Gee and Joe Bartko of East Bay, as well as State Senator Jason Allen.

Posted by Publius at 11:33 AM | Permalink