LIVE. WORK. PLAY. EMMET COUNTY, MICHIGAN

Transcription

IMAGINE
LIVE. WORK. PLAY. EMMET COUNTY, MICHIGAN
PETOSKEY · HARBOR SPRINGS · MACKINAW CITY
2011-12 · emmetcounty.org

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2
L I V E . W O R K . P L AY.
Petoskey Location:
1114 Charlevoix Ave
231.439.9700
E M M E T C O U N T Y. O R G
| Introduction
Welcome to the communities
of the North Country
I
f there is one word that embodies
Emmet County at this time it is “momentum.” It’s found in the entrepreneurial spirit that drives business success
here; in the diligent preservation of our
heritage and history; and abundantly in
the vitality of the people who live, work
and play in Emmet County, some of
whom you’ll read about in the following
pages.
We are truly on a roll in Northern
Michigan. With the release of 2010 Census data in spring 2011, the trend is clear:
More and more Michigan residents are
heading to the west side of the state in
search of quality of life that simply can’t
be found elsewhere. Northwest Michigan is one of just a few areas that experienced population growth over the last
decade, as larger cities and metropolitan
areas see residents moving away at higher and higher rates.
Emmet County has been witness to
this movement first-hand. One-time
summer homes are becoming year-round
residences; businesses are moving from
land-locked downstate cities to shoreline
communities circling Little Traverse Bay.
Technology is facilitating this momentum. No longer are people restricted to
a certain area because of a career obligation; instead, it’s becoming more important for families to first and foremost find
a community that offers a sense of place,
not just a zip code.
Emmet County is that place.
Our abundance of natural resources,
outdoor recreational opportunities and
family-focused communities are comple-
Lyn Johnson,
Emmet County Controller
mented by world-class medical care, a
business-friendly attitude, lively downtowns, and a strong sense of place established by our intriguing history and
nurtured by people who work tirelessly
to preserve Northern Michigan’s exceptional way of life.
Our momentum continues to pick up
speed and make headlines. In September
2010, Kathie Lee Gifford raved for nearly
five minutes on the “Today Show” about
a weekend trip she’d taken to Petoskey,
Harbor Springs and Bay Harbor (watch
the clip on our site, www.emmetcounty.
org). A New York Times writer gushed,
too, with a pen: “Below the town the
sun spread its diamond light over Lake
Michigan, over the boats and the swimmers and the shore. The small downtown was a throwback to some simpler
idea of American vacations … The
world was leafy and dappled, quiet and
cool. Within 10 minutes I started to wonder how I could spend the rest of my life
in Petoskey.”
The answer is simple: Join us. We
invite you for a visit, and even more
so, to stay.
…it’s becoming more
important for families
to first and foremost
find a community that
offers a sense of place,
not just a zip code.
Emmet County is
that place.
VISIT US ONLINE WITH
YOUR SMARTPHONE!
PETOSKEY · HARBOR SPRINGS · MACKINAW CITY · BAY HARBOR · ALANSON · PELLSTON · CROSS VILLAGE
3
Pellston Regional
Airport
W
hether you’re a visitor to Northern Michigan or a
resident returning home, Pellston Regional Airport
welcomes you with the warmth and ambiance of a
rustic lodge in the Northern wilderness. Hand-carved signs,
native wildlife displays, on-site restaurant and free parking are
complemented by an award-winning log design to create an
airport like no other. Daily commercial flights to Detroit Metro
connect you to anywhere you want to go — if you can bring
yourself to leave.
Incomparable convenience with no hurries, no hassles.
It’s the Up North lifestyle.
231.539.8441 • pellstonairport.com • North U.S. 31, Pellston, Michigan 49769
DAILY FLIGHTS • FREE PARKING • WIRELESS INTERNET • SMOKEY’S GRILL & BAR • GENERAL AVIATION SERVICES
CONFERENCE AND MEETING SPACE • WEDDINGS & EVENTS • BUSINESS CENTER • RENTAL CARS
Pellston Regional Airport (PLN) is serviced by Delta
4
Winter
IMAGINE
emmetcounty.org
Spring
Summer
Fall
The four best reasons to live up north.
Talk to one of our lenders today.
8011 S. U.S. 31 - Alanson, MI 49706
231-548-BANK www.CNBisMyBank.com
Cheboygan
For more information about Emmet County,
visit emmetcounty.org or call 231.348.1704.
Onaway
Mackinaw City
Pellston
Indian River
Alanson
EDITOR & WRITER
BETH ANNE PIEHL
Emmet County Communications & Web Director
[email protected]
of the United Methodist
Church
PHOTOGRAPHY
G. RANDALL GOSS
Northern Michigan Review, Inc.
[email protected]
LAYOUT & DESIGN
WENDY WOLFSEN
JUNE-AUGUST
• Worship
• Performing Arts
• Education
• Recreation Programs
LOCATED RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO PETOSKEY, WE WELCOME EVERYONE.
ERYONE
231.347.6225 • www.BayViewAssociation.org
[email protected]
Manna
ADVERTISING SALES
JEFF JOHNSON
The
[email protected]
BETH FLYNN
F O O D P RO J E C T
[email protected]
EMMET COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
LESTER ATCHISON
LARRY CASSIDY
PAUL HRAMIEC
JACK JONES
DANIEL PLASENCIA
JAMES TAMLYN, CHAIR
SHAWN WONNACOTT
LYN JOHNSON, COUNTY CONTROLLER
IMAGINE is published by Emmet County, 200 Division
Street, Petoskey, MI 49770, in conjunction with Northern
Michigan Review, Inc. (231.347.2544). Content may not
be reproduced without prior written consent from the
editor. Content subject to change without notice. All
rights reserved. ©2011
00290727
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IMAGINE
CONTENTS
8
INFORMATIVE
THE NUTS &
BOLTS OF EMMET
COUNTY
18
12
IMPRESSIVE
INVESTED
BUSINESS
SUCCESS
REGION-WIDE
INFLUENTIAL
THE PEOPLE OF
THIS PLACE
EMMET
COUNTY
PROPERTIES:
FOR THE
PUBLIC,
FOREVER
INVITING
LIFE IN THESE
NORTHERN TOWNS
INTRIGUING
HISTORICAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST
44
INCOMPARABLE
SMALL TOWN CHARM,
BIG CITY AMENITIES
INSTRUMENTAL
NURTURING AN
ARTS AND CULTURE
COMMUNITY
48
INVIGORATING
THE GREAT
OUTDOORS!
6
30
34
28
38

Cecil Bay
LINDA
MICHAELS
(Formerly Little Traverse Jewelers)
All things Petoskey Stone & more!
Jewelry • Clocks • Serving Pieces
Picture Frames • And More!
Belt Buckle, Pocket Knife &
Soft Spreader (paté)
inlaid with Mother of Pearl
& Petoskey Stone.
(231) 347-0261
313 E. Lake Street • Downtown Petoskey
00290193
www.lindamichaels.net
Education • Industrial • Health Care • Municipal • High Rise Residential
DeVere Construction Company
A Name Worth Repeating. . .
our customers do.
1030 DeVere Drive, Alpena, MI 49707
989-356-4411 phone, 989-356-1198 fax
7
| Informative
Emmet
County
The nuts and bolts
of Emmet County
EDUCATION
PRIVATE
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
E
very day, Emmet County schools’
graduates are making a difference
in the world. The best and the
brightest emerge as leaders from these
top-achieving districts whose alumni
excel thanks to well-rounded curricula,
dedicated teachers and a community
committed to education.
PUBLIC
• Petoskey, the largest with approx.
2,900 students, petoskeyschools.org
• Harbor Springs, approx. 1,100
students, harborps.org
• Littlefield-Alanson, approx. 400
students, alansonvikings.net
• Pellston, approx. 760 students,
pellstonschools.org
• Mackinaw City, approx. 245
students, mackcity.k12.mi.us
• Concord Academy of Petoskey,
K-12 charter school, fine arts
emphasis, approx. 300 students,
concordpetoskey.com
• Petoskey Montessori Children’s
House and Elementary, approx.
60 students (includes pre-K),
petoskeymontessori.org
• Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate
School District, (regional
educational services), char-emisd.org
8
• St. Francis Xavier (Catholic, pre-K
through eighth-grade), approx. 220
students, petoskeystfrancis.org
• Harbor Light Christian, (pre-K
through 12th grade), approx. 160
students, harborlightchristian.org
• Seventh-Day Adventist (K-8),
approx. 8 students, (231) 347-2560
ALL ENROLLMENT FIGURES: SCHOOLTREE.ORG
TRANSPORTATION
FLY FROM NEARBY
Pellston Regional Airport is
known locally and nationally as one
of the most alluring airport terminals
anywhere, with its log-cabin look, cozy
feel and native Northern Michigan
details including fieldstone fireplaces,
lodge furnishings and hand-carved
signage. But it’s not just pretty; it’s
also the most convenient way for
residents and visitors to travel to and
from Emmet County.
The airport is located in Pellston,
about 20 minutes from Petoskey and
about 15 minutes from the Mackinac
Bridge. It is owned and operated
by Emmet County and serviced by
Delta, with f lights daily to Detroit for
connections around the world.
About 70,000 passengers rely on
the airport for personal and business
travel, and numerous local businesses
utilize the airport to fulfill global
commerce and transportation needs. It’s
also a busy spot for general aviation and
private pilots, plus there’s an upper level
restaurant and bar, Smokey’s Grill.
The airport code is PLN; call (231)
539-8423 for flight information. For
airport information, go online to www.
pellstonairport.com.
• Municipal airport: A second local
airport, Harbor Springs Municipal
Airport, provides services and
facilities for general aviation.
(231) 347-2812.
• Roads: The county is situated
near major transportation routes
including U.S. highways 31 and 131,
and also interstate I-75.
• Ferries: Several ferry boat providers
transport thousands of visitors each
year from Mackinaw City across the
Straits of Mackinac to Mackinac
Island.
GOVERNMENT
Organized in 1853, Emmet County
today has 21 units of government,
which includes two cities, three
incorporated villages and 16 townships.
www.emmetcounty.org
CITIES
• Petoskey, the county seat, pop. 6,000
• Harbor Springs, pop. 1,600
VILLAGES
Alanson • Mackinaw City • Pellston
TOWNSHIPS
Bear Creek, Bliss, Carp Lake, Center,
Cross Village, Friendship, Littlefield,
Little Traverse, Maple River,
McKinley, Pleasantview, Readmond,
Resort, Springvale, Wawatam,
West Traverse
DEMOGRAPHICS
OF NOTE
• Population, 2010 Census: 32,694.
That number grows by tens of
thousands in the summer months
with resorters and seasonal residents
return.
• Emmet County encompasses more
than 460 square miles, of which
roughly half is land and half is water.
• The county seat is Petoskey.
• Average annual snowfall: 90-110 in.
• Tourism is the main economic engine,
driven by winter and summer sports.
• The area’s largest employer with
more than 950 employees is Northern
Michigan Regional Health System,
which operates Northern Michigan
Regional Hospital in Petoskey. Other
large employers are the Little Traverse
Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, which
operates Odawa Casino; Bay Harbor;
and Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
CHAMBERS
OF COMMERCE
• Petoskey Regional
Chamber of Commerce
(231) 347-4150
Petoskey.com
• Harbor Springs Area
Chamber of Commerce
(231) 526-7999
Harborspringschamber.com
• Mackinaw City
Chamber of Commerce
(231) 436-5574
Mackinawchamber.com n
Emmet County’s giving away
TWO prizes in 2011!
Four FREE ‘Mega Passes’ to the
2011 Emmet-Charlevoix County
Fair AND two days of free
camping at Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga!
(two winners will be selected)
Print and mail:
Name
Address

ACCOLADES
City/State/Zip
Phone
RAVE REVIEWS FOR EMMET COUNTY
We love it when they love us!
Rarely a year goes by without
several publications and their writers
discovering all the wonderful things
about Emmet County. We’ve been
featured in: Midwest Living; “The 100
Best Small Towns in America;” “The
Great Towns of America;” “America’s
100 Best Places to Retire;” “100 Best
Outdoor Towns;” Outdoor Life; “1,000
Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada
Before You Die;” GOLF magazine;
Where to Retire; “Best Places to
Live in Rural America;” Conde Nast
Traveler; CNBC; the Today Show;
New York Times; Boston Globe;
Travel + Leisure magazine.
Two chances
to win!
Email
Or email your entry to
[email protected]
Mail entry forms by July 1, 2011, to:
Emmet County “Imagine”
200 Division St. Suite 114
Petoskey, MI 49770

For more details: (231) 348-1704
Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga and Fair info:
emmetcounty.org
Pet-O-Se-Ga reservations subject to availability. Cabins and campsites available. Contest
deadline is July 1, 2011. Winners chosen by
random drawing, announced July 8, 2011.
9
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Copper Café • Ice Cream Shop
Gourmet 2 Go • Quill Box Gift Shop
O zone Night Club • Ovation Hall
Rendezvous Lounge • Odawa Hotel
1760 Lears Road • Petoskey, MI
(877) 4-GAMING • odawacasino
odawacasino.com
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Owned and operated by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.
11
| Influential
The people
ofthis place
LOU KASISCHKE
EVEREST SURVIVOR FINDS LIFE’S
SUMMIT IN EMMET COUNTY
T
here was a span of days, 15 years
ago, where Lou Kasischke was on
top of the world, quite literally.
He was 400 vertical feet from the peak
of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain
on Earth, perched near the famed Hillary Step as members of three climbing
expeditions weighed whether to plod
forth and reach the pinnacle of their
climbing experience or turn around instead — and live.
That one day, May 10, 1996, lives on
today as the worst disaster in Mount
Everest history, a culmination of raging
weather, unfathomable cold and poor
decisions.
“Not many people know this,” says
Kasischke, “but I did keep going at first,
even though I knew it was too late to
continue. But then something happened.
I was suffocated by the thin air, and all I
could hear was my heartbeat. It was my
racing heart that made me stop. It was a
phenomenon I can’t explain. The way I
see it, it was Sandy’s heart crying out to
be heard — to come back home.”
In the end, 12 climbers died and many
more suffered relentlessly in negative
100-degree wind chill at 28,000 feet. Kasischke knows he would’ve been one of
the dead if he hadn’t made the toughest
of decisions: to turn around and keep his
promise to Sandy, his wife of 43 years,
12
to come home.
“You never know what events will
transpire in life that lead you home,”
he said. “After Everest, I finally understood, by taking refuge here, that my
story is about the heart. The heart inf luences what you do and tells you who you
are. The heart brought me here.”
“I can’t imagine living anywhere
else!” Kasischke exclaims, playing on
the title of this magazine. “I’m not talking about the address. The word ‘place’
is important, because it can have a transformational effect on someone. This
place has done that for me.”
His personal journey that led him to
Northern Michigan starts with his time
spent skiing here as a youth, then to the
Harbor Springs became permanent
summer home he and Sandy and their Base Camp for the Kasischkes in 2001,
two sons first owned on Walloon Lake.
in a spectacular cliffside home along
In between work as a transactional M-119 — the well-traveled “Tunnel of
lawyer in Detroit and family life, Ka- Trees.” It’s a literal and figurative peak
sischke could be found on the side of for Kasischke here, if not only in his
a mountain. Throughout his life, he’s heart then proclaimed so in Italian, “La
climbed more than 40 around the world, Cima,” on a carving above the front
including some of the highest and the door. It means “The Summit.”
most spiritually significant. He’s also
“We’ve always lived in modest homes,
long been a writer, chronicling industry but when it came time for us to retire
norms and corporate law in his 900-page here, it had to be special,” said Kasischke.
book, “Michigan Closely Held Corpora- “We selected this land as a summit in our
tions” and since Everest, personal mem- lives, a high point. It pulls together all
oirs.
the things we wanted in our life.”
Lou Kasischke, who lives in Good Hart, is married to his wife of 43 years, Sandy.
They have two sons, Doug, of Petoskey, and Gregg, of Lansing.
“There was no story until noon,” Ka- storm abated May 12, they abandoned
sischke notes, in starting the Everest sto- everything and went for it, making it to
middle camp on a will to survive and
ry. “Everything changed at noon.”
As the weather began to take a disas- little else.
“God’s will and our love for each other
trous turn, three climbing expeditions
were bottlenecked at a checkpoint they turned me around a short distance from
were supposed to have passed. Ka- the top,” he wrote to Sandy from Everest,
sischke found himself on a ridge, 8,000 “and saved my life.”
feet of air on both sides. He was two
In the years following the disaster,
hours from the summit still — far behind the timetable that called for a 1 p.m. Kasischke was repeatedly asked for inturnaround. Clouds were beginning to terviews, many of which he declined.
form, and as Kasischke noted, “No one When he did speak, he imparted life lessurvives overnight this high in the open. sons culled from ref lection, rather than
You must be back to high camp in day- reliving tragedy: Be yourself. Keep your
word and your promises. Learn to say
light to live.”
Still, many climbers pressed onward. no. Listen to your heart.
The last time he told his story was two
Kasischke made the wrenching decision
to turn back, but he was not out of dan- years ago in Charlevoix, at the request
ger. The storm engulfed him and fellow of the public library. He compiled a speclimbers. He suffered intense sunburn of cial tribute to Sandy that scrolled at the
the corneas, rendering him snowblind. end to the song “My heart will go on.”
Afterward, they retreated once again
Hurricane-force winds shook his tent
and for two days he holed up at 26,000 to Base Camp, where the natural beauty
feet with other survivors. When the and amenities of Emmet County help
satiate his need to find meaning and
purpose in daily living. “Once the heart
led me here, I began to see more than
recreation. The whole area spoke to me.
The relationships we have with people
here, the environment, the beauty, the
solitude, the intellectual stimulation,
the inspiration — all of it.
“It inspires achievement; look at the
athletes we have in the area, the arts
and creativity, Bay View and what is has
to offer the community, the C.S. Lewis
Festival. On Friday night we’re going to
the Gershwin concert, where there will
be people in suits and ties and Levis and
ski jackets. These are the things that
give me enrichment, satisfaction. It’s the
perfect place. Home is where the heart is.
My heart is here.”
FOR MORE ABOUT THE INFAMOUS MOUNT
EVEREST DISASTER, READ JON KRAKAUER’S
BOOK, “INTO THIN AIR.”
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
13
| Influential
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
JIM ABBOTT
FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PITCHING
STAR CONTINUES AN UP NORTH TRADITION
J
im Abbott spent his storied base- in Newport Beach, Calif. Abbott is a
ball career traveling the U.S. and motivational speaker who still travels
the world, accumulating a re- the country, now inspiring others to
spected record as a Major League Base- “find something you love, and go after it,
ball pitcher and helping America win its with all your heart.”
first-ever gold medal in baseball during
“It’s a very rewarding post-baseball life,
the 1988 Summer Olympics.
to do work and to really feel like I can,
And whether he was pitching in New if not have an impact on, then certainly
York, California, Chicago or Milwaukee, connect with, a lot of people,” Abbott
there was always one place that beck- said.
oned him back: Emmet County.
And when the Abbotts head up North
“Our place is pretty remote and it’s a Michigan, mainly June-August, it’s an
little off the beaten path,” said Abbott, opportunity for them to connect, too —
about his family’s cottage north of Har- with each other.
bor Springs in Good Hart. “We have to
take an electric tram to get to the bottom
I really think it’s a great place
of the hill. It’s not always convenient, but
we love the privacy of it and the feeling
for families and I have great
of arriving in a place that seems unique
memories growing up there.
and a little bit sheltered from the rest of
the world, in a completely different en- JIM ABBOTT
vironment.
“We live a pretty fast-paced life out
“We love Emmet County. It’s a huge
here,” Abbott said. “It’s a chance for
part of our family’s life and lifestyle.”
us to slow down, make campfires and
Born and raised in Flint, Abbott’s
reconnect. We love the M-119 corridor
name is synonymous with both base— the Tunnel of Trees — and mountain
ball and inspiration. Despite being
biking in the morning before it gets too
born without a right hand, he excelled
busy. By the time summer’s over, we’ve
at baseball thanks to natural skill and a
hit every restaurant many times. We
determination that began at a young age,
love Petoskey and all the places through
when he would bounce a ball off a wall
that area. We spend time on the Bay wato practice fielding as well as throwing.
terskiing, sailing and wakeboarding —
After graduating from Flint Central
all that stuff.”
High School, he was drafted by the ToWhile Jim had been vacationing up
ronto Blue Jays; instead, he accepted a
north with his parents, Mike and Kathscholarship to play baseball at the Unileen Abbott, since he was a youth, Dana
versity of Michigan, where he led the
had never been to Michigan. “She’s fallWolverines to two Big Ten titles.
en in love with the area as well, and I
After U of M, Abbott became just the
think she looks forward to it as much as
15th player to make a professional debut
I do,” Abbott said. “We come back every
in the Major Leagues. His career would
other Christmas to be with my parents,
take him to the California Angels, New
and everyone loves it just as much for the
York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and
small taste of winter that we get then.”
ultimately to the Milwaukee Brewers,
For Abbott, Emmet County will alwhere he retired in 1999.
ways hold a special place in his heart, no
Today, he and his wife, Dana, and
matter where he’s traveling next.
daughters, Maddy, 14, and Ella, 10, live
‘
14
“I really think it’s a great place for families and I have great memories growing
up there,” he said. “My career took me
away from there, but I always want to
have that connection. As soon as I could
afford it, it was one of my dreams to
have a place up there to go with my family. It means the world to me to get back
there. I’m just so happy that my family
has come to feel the same way and that
they enjoy it as much as I do.”
TO READ MORE ABOUT JIM ABBOTT’S
EXCEPTIONAL BASEBALL CAREER, VISIT
WWW.JIMABBOTT.NET.
’
COURTESY PHOTO
Jim Abbott and his daughters Maddy
(left) and Ella, at Petoskey’s Winter
Sports Park.
ED HERRMANN
Los Angeles and belt out to Michigan to
open the place up, and spend a couple weeks
in bliss there. We would stay for as long as
we could,” Herrmann said.
Today, while their time is divided between growing families and careers, the
Herrmanns’ permanent home in Connecticut and work in Los Angeles, they still make
time to summer on the Straits.
“Emma plans her whole year around
Mackinaw and who she’s going to take up
with her this time,” Herrmann continued.
“In one of her applications to boarding school
she wrote an essay about Mackinaw and
the Straits, and how she knows she’s home
when she’s there; that no matter where she is,
she thinks about Mackinaw.”
‘60s, he teaches English at Illinois Central
For Herrmann, it’s an annual journey
College, and he’s this genius guy in this that brings him back to his roots.
beat-up old wonderful cottage built in 1907.
“I look forward to the sweetness of the air
We go mushrooming, but the places we go and the water and the flowers. I love everyare secret,” Herrmann said. “It’s wonderful thing about it,” he said. “It’s a very decent
to have the same friends that you see every and quiet area, and they leave you alone up
summer, and the same people you go to for there. It’s just lovely.”
your whitefish and fresh vegetables.”
The experience of “heading up North” is
a tradition he continued with his wife, Star,
WHERE YOU’VE SEEN ED HERRMANN:
and their children, Emma, 15; Rory, 34,
■ As Franklin D. Roosevelt in
head chef at Bouchon in Beverly Hills; and
made-for-TV movies (mid-1970s)
Ryen, 32, working toward a master’s degree
in interior design in New York.
■ Richie Rich (1994)
“When I was shooting ‘The Gilmore
■ Herman Munster in the Fox film
Girls,’ I had a regular schedule that finished
“Here Come the Munsters” (1995)
in April, and we would immediately leave
ACTOR CHERISHES THE SIMPLE SIDE
OF LIFE ON THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC
I
n between movie and television roles,
and lending his commanding voice
to advertisements and historical programming, Ed Herrmann and his family
have followed a pretty simple script when it
comes to their personal, family time:
They head to Northern Michigan for respite and reconnection, with each other and
their lifelong friends who linger each summer along the shore in unequaled Emmet
County.
Herrmann had been summering on the
Straits of Mackinac long before he became
Richie Rich’s dad, Herman Munster and
patriarch Richard Gilmore on the “Gilmore Girls.” In fact, he was just a toddler the
first time he traveled north, in 1945, with
his family from their home in Grosse Pointe
Farms to spend time at a place near Mackinaw City built by his grandmother in the
1920s.
“A Herrmann has been coming up to the
area since 1916 or so and it’s where we went
as children, which is such a common story
in Emmet County,” said Herrmann, who
was in between recording TV narrations in
Los Angeles during this interview. “And as
usually happens when families grow, more
and more people want to use the family
cottage, and so I looked around that territory that was so familiar to me — Harbor
Springs and Weque and Petoskey and Good
Hart — and I went back to the beach where
I grew up. It’s out of the way, very isolated
and we’re very happy up there.”
As a youth and young man, he recalled
neighbors tied to academia — professors
and writers and college presidents — drawn
to Emmet County for the same reasons as
so many others: The water, the peace and
the beauty.
“One friend of mine I’ve known since the
■ On Grey’s Anatomy, 30 Rock,
The Practice, St. Elsewhere, Oz
■ As Richard Gilmore
on the “Gilmore Girls”
■ As Goldie Hawn’s wealthy husband
in “Overboard”
■ Max, the mild-mannered head
vampire in “The Lost Boys”
■ The Aviator (2004)
WHERE YOU’VE HEARD HIM:
■ Narrating a Mormon Tabernacle Choir
performance as a special guest
in December 2008
■ “The Voice of Dodge”
for more than a decade
Hollywood actor and Mackinaw City
summer resident Ed Herrmann relaxes on
his boat, Iris, at the annual automobile and
boat show at Bay Harbor.
■ Narrator of numerous History
Channel and PBS programs
15
| Influential
THE SHEPERDS
BACK TO MICHIGAN FROM FLORIDA - AND LOVING IT!
C
“We had vacationed here as kids,” said
oming from one of Michigan’s
most innovative and academic Scott, 41. “We loved to come up skiing
communities, Ann Arbor, Dr. and snowmobiling and spending time in
Scott and Denise Sheperd had the world the summer.”
“We wanted to be able to incorporate
at their fingertips. Both students at the
University of Michigan’s School of Den- skiing into our lives,” added Denise, 47,
tistry, the two met at a campus mixer who said the proximity of three of the
Midwest’s largest ski resorts, Boyne
and began dating.
While pursuing their careers in den- Highlands and Nub’s Nob, both in Hartistry, the two wed and Scott served 12 bor Springs, and Boyne Mountain in
years in the U.S. Air Force, a path that next-door Charlevoix County, was a
took them first to New Jersey and then considerable draw.
Northern Michigan’s palette of seato near Destin, Fla., where he was as a
dentist at Eglin Air Force Base. They sons and innumerable outdoor recrealso started a family; twins Elena and ational activities, coupled with highperforming schools and a progressive
David are now 10.
When his obligation to the Air Force medical community, were enough to
ended in 2007, the couple looked to re- lure the family back home to Michigan
locate to a small community with much to stay.
An abundance of water resources
to offer their children, their professional
— miles of Lake Michigan shoreline
careers and their active lifestyle.
They found it in Emmet County.
lapped by cascading turquoise currents
Dr. Scott & Denise Sheperd and their twins, David
and Elena, enjoy every season of life up north.
16
and dozens of calm inland lakes and rivers — was another must-have on the list
of amenities.
The twins, first-graders at the time of
the move, quickly settled into their new
elementary school and community. The
family belongs to the Crooked Tree Arts
Center in Petoskey, where Elena perfects her graceful ballet skills. “Heather
(Raue, the instructor) runs a top-notch
ballet program there,” said Denise. “Her
students go on to summer studies in
New York and Chicago.”
In the wintertime, the family can
regularly be found at Petoskey’s Winter
Sports Park sledding and skating.
Summertime means kids’ camp at the
Winter Sports Park, transformed with
adventure-filled quests each week, and
the First Tee Program at Boyne Highlands, an acclaimed golf education and
leadership training program for youth.
“This is a small town, but there are a
lot of activities, and so many activities
for families,” said Scott, adding Cub
Scouts, Girl Scouts, viola and cello lessons as further examples.
Mirroring his family life, his practice,
Great Lakes Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Petoskey, has found a comfortable fit as well, while filling a need in
the region for skilled care in oral and
facial surgery.
His work is cutting edge, with the latest advancements in surgery, biopsies,
bone grafting and implants employed
daily. For instance, a soft-tissue laser
used on mouth procedures can result in
less pain and bleeding and no need for
stitches for some patients.
“A lot of people in this region are used
to coming to Petoskey for their medical
care, so it was a perfect location for us,”
said Scott.
And because of their success, the Sheperds are already looking at how they
can play a role in contributing to the
quality of life they’ve come to love in
Northern Michigan.
“Now,” added Scott, “we can start giving back.” n
GLLKA
Proud to partner with
Emmet County in the
Relighting of McGulpin
Point Lighthouse
Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association
Visit our Lighthouse Gift shop at
707 N. Huron Ave in Mackinaw City.
Across the street from
Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
Mark you calendar!
31st Annual
Blissfest Music
Festival
July 8-10, 2011
A registered not-for-profit organization dedicated
to lighthouse restoration and preservation.
231-436-5580
Festival Farm
3695 Division Road
Harbor Springs, MI 49740
A world of music and dance
in your own backyard with
over 50 folk and roots
performers on three stages.
Blissfest Music Organization
2000 Harbor-Petoskey Road
Petoskey, MI 49770
231.348.7047
www.blissfest.org
(PPHW&KDUOHYRL[
&RXQW\)DLU
6DWXUGD\6XQGD\$XJ$XJ&DUQLYDO$XJ
www.PetoskeyDowntown.com

0LGZD\IRRGIXQ0RQVWHU7UXFNVDXWRFURVVGHPROLWLRQGHUE\IUHHOLYHPXVLF+OLYHVWRFNVKRZVDXFWLRQNDUDRNHIDPLO\VKRZV
17
| Invested
INVENTIVE, INFLUENTIAL AND …
Invested in Emmet
County’s success
D
el Ingalls did it. So did
Karin Offield, the Hagen family and
David and Kathy Coveyou. Dozens of
others are doing it, too: Enjoying business success by following their passion
in a place that they love — Emmet
County.
Emmet County is a place where creativity, ingenuity and hard work are
rewarded by a quality of life that simply can’t be surpassed. For generations,
the most respected and internationally
regarded families, entrepreneurs, executives and corporate leaders have set
Harbor Springs
18
foot in Northern Michigan and found
it impossible to leave. Summer homes
have become year ‘round residences as
working families find a career niche
along the shores of Lake Michigan.
The region’s diversified economy —
a mix of successful retail, industrial,
tourism-oriented, agricultural, building trades and health and medical
professions — is buoyed by responsive
local units of government, convenient
transportation, state-of-the-art technological infrastructure and alliances of
business professionals in place to ensure success from day one.
As the following examples show, Emmet County is the calm in the economic
uncertainty of the world around us today, a place where business opportunity is met with an open door, a cooperative attitude and ultimate success.
Karin Offield owner,
Brek-N-Ridge Farm
ENJOYING THE RIDE
AT BREK-N-RIDGE FARM
Karin Reid Offield arrived in Harbor jumpers. Her successful ascension of dresSprings with a love of horses, an extensive sage levels led her to within sight of qualibackground as an accomplished rider and fying for the 2008 Olympic games in Hong
international equestrian connections. Years Kong, when her horse, Lingh — a top dreslater she came to a crossroads in life, and the sage stallion in the world — was injured and
question of “Where do I see myself” came could no longer compete.
to the fore; where is home?
“When you’re on a path like that, you have
Harbor Springs was the answer, and she to give up being at home,” Karin explained.
launched a successful business from a pri- “For a few years I was gone on this quest.
vate passion in Emmet County.
When I decided to make Harbor Springs my
Karin had spent years away from Harbor home, I knew I wanted to rebuild the relaSprings training for her dream of compet- tionships with people who mean a lot to me,
ing in the Olympics, perfecting her dres- in such an amazing place.”
She was first introduced to Northern
sage skills after a long career in hunters and
Michigan in the early ‘90s. “This area was
my former husband’s summer home, and he
wanted to bring me to where he described
as the most beautiful place on Earth,” said
Karin, an Aspen, Colo., native. “He just
loves it here more than anything. And from
the moment I arrived, I knew it was really a
very special place.”
In 2001 they had purchased Brek-N-Ridge
Farm and the 25 acres adjacent to Birchwood Farms — the “Home of fine horses,”
three miles north of Harbor Springs. When
Karin moved back full time in 2009, she
began envisioning the business potential of
opening the farm to the public for lessons,
boarding, training, injury rehabilitation
and pony camps. She set up her professional
status with the U.S. Equestrian Federation, which complements her U.S. Dressage
Federation Bronze, Silver and Gold medals.
She is also an international FEI Grand Prix
competitor.
Her long-time stable manager and instructor, Kate Etherly, brings a background
in equestrianship to lessons and stable management. “It’s a lot of work, and I knew with
Kate aboard she would enable me to run a
professional stable where we brought education, fun and love of horses to our community,” said Karin.
While she grows her business regionally,
Karin’s international connections remain
vital. She still owns Lingh, the horse that
nearly accompanied her to the Olympics.
He’s a breeding stallion in Europe, and
Karin works as “his PR person” from home
base in Harbor promoting him on his Web
site, http://www.lingh.nl./
Brek-N-Ridge is open to the public for
tours and hands-on experience with the 14
horses who live there. Pony Camps take
place during the summer, fall, winter and
spring holidays, and lessons are available
for all levels of riders.
“We can take a student to the top of any
equestrian goal,” Karin said. “And we can
back up our reputation with real experience.
What I want to try to get across about BrekN-Ridge is that we are a place where anyone
can just come and ride and learn more about
horses. It feels like I have been moving toward this for 20 years. It’s wonderful living
and working in Harbor Springs.”
For more information about
Brek-N-Ridge Farm: www.breknridgefarm.com,
or call (231) 242-0012
7359 S. Lakeshore Drive, on M-119,
next to the Birchwood Inn.
19
| Invested
SEALEX:
ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING U.S. COMPANIES
QUIETLY ACHIEVES IN HARBOR SPRINGS
In the early 1990s, Peter Hagen developed a revolutionary sealant that Dow
Corning, his employer at the time, wasn’t
interested in pursuing as a product line.
He took a leave of absence and developed
the technology that led to “ImmerSeal”
and “ImmerBond,” two products that
work in tandem to prevent leaks in numerous commercial and residential applications.
His business venture, Sealex, began
to take off from home base in Midland
County.
During that same time frame, Peter and
his wife, Christine, visited Emmet County. Strolling through downtown Harbor
Springs, they stopped to admire homes
listed for sale in the window of a local Realtor. They fell in love with one, made an
offer and it was accepted. It then became
his mission to combine the two passions:
His burgeoning business and his love of
Northern Michigan.
In 1994, Hagen and his son, Matt, did
just that, completely relocating the business from Midland to Harbor Springs. The
move helped entice his other son, Robert,
to join the family business as well.
“I love it here now,” said Robert. “I love
the water, and you can’t beat the commute.
I’m home at 10 after 5 every day.”
Indeed, things have gone well for the
Hagens and Sealex since relocating to
Running Sealex are (from left) Matt Hagen,
Jason Blakus and Robert Hagen
20
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Emmet County. The company is making a
name for itself with its pre-cured sealants
and adhesives. A unique manufacturing
process developed by Peter led to the formulation of the material that is used mostly to repair roof leaks, expansion joints,
leakage around windows and other places
in a home or business. Sealex’s customers
include large corporations, such as sealant
manufacturers, as well as waterproofing
and metal building contractors.
Today, Sealex produces a million feet
of various-width ImmerSeal product each
year, and the company has been named to
the Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest growing
privately held companies for three straight
years.
“We’re holding our own, that’s for sure,”
said Jason Bakus, Sealex vice president.
“From 2004 to 2010, we tripled our sales.
And we’ve been able to add quite a bit of
capacity to our facility.”
The Hagen brothers are fourth-generation sealant manufacturers who hailed
from Germany in the early 1980s. Their
great-grandfather first ventured into lacquers and paints, then sealants and adhesives, and the family at one time owned
the largest sealant manufacturing facility
in Germany, where Peter worked before
moving to the U.S. and going to work for
Dow Corning. Today, Dow is Sealex’s biggest customer.
Sealex does still maintain a small sales
office in Midland, from where Bakus
works once a week when he’s not in the
12,000-square-foot Harbor Springs manufacturing facility. And dad Peter remains
a consultant with the firm when he’s not
enjoying the Northern Michigan lifestyle
he afforded himself and his family.
“We live where other people vacation,”
said Robert. “It’s a great place to raise a
family and we’re glad to be here.”
njoy a beautiful plane ride
to jump altitude around Little Traverse Bay
followed by an exhilarating 45 seconds of 120
mph freefall and then a peaceful five minute
canopy ride back to the landing area.
Harbor
Springs
T
hrou
gh September
www.skydiveharborsprings.com
More information: www.sealexinc.com
21
| Invested
Del Ingalls (right)
and Dr. Jeff Wilder from
Bay View OB/GYN
REMOTE CONTROL:
POWER IT’S TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE KEEPS THE NORTH CONNECTED
Del Ingalls has a message for businesses
looking to relocate to or open new in Emmet County when it comes to the availability of the latest technology in this part
of Michigan that’s often viewed as peacefully remote and perhaps technologically
laid-back:
“Anybody looking to relocate to Emmet
County who is concerned about the pervasiveness of technology services doesn’t
need to worry,” said Ingalls. “The expertise is here to allow you to be successful,
and to take advantage of the unbeatable
lifestyle offered here for you and your employees.”
Back in 2000, Ingalls predicted the need
for technological expertise, computer support and network development would
only continue to grow up North, and he
launched Power IT in Petoskey to secure a
foothold in the exploding tech sector.
And it was about to get even bigger as
a lifestyle trend began to emerge, par22
ticularly after Sept. 11, 2001: More and
more professionals started deciding first
and foremost where they wanted to live,
then finding a way, via technology, to
work their global jobs from places like the
shoreline ringing Little Traverse Bay.
Complementing the change in lifestyle
focus has been the reliance of businesses
on technology and the Internet — more so
than ever before. Companies such as Power IT quickly became an essential utility.
“When I started Power IT, it was before the big dot.com boom. The Internet
was out, but folks were just toying with
it. Technology wasn’t a strategic part of
their business plan,” Ingalls said. “But
it became quite evident that the Internet
wasn’t a fad, and that the growth curve
was going to keep moving … Today, if the
computers aren’t functional, the business
quickly grinds to a standstill.”
Ingalls was poised to bring technological expertise to Emmet County after a
career in aerospace engineering in San
Diego, Calif. An East Jordan graduate, he
received his master’s degree in electrical
engineering from the University of Michigan and headed west in the late ‘80s to
work in a facility with 25,000 employees.
But his Northern Michigan roots continued to coax him back, and he looked
for a way to return. He landed a job with
Boyne Resorts in Boyne Falls, an international recreation company ready to launch
its IT department, with Ingalls’ help.
Ready for the challenges of entrepreneurship, he started Power IT in a downtown Petoskey loft in 2000. “Our focus
was on small businesses here in the northland and helping them put to technology
to work for them,” Ingalls said.
While he’s now in a larger office and
has eight staff members, Power IT’s focus hasn’t changed much from those early
days. The company continues to specialize in all types of service for computers and
networks throughout Northern Michigan.
Staff provides sales, maintenance, repair
and installation services, and they can
upgrade personal or professional existing
hardware and software or build an entirely new system or network from the ground
up. And the company provides “cloud”
computing solutions to enable businesses
to leverage this new technology architecture strategically for their business.
Power IT has also entered a new area
of service: Health care IT. Many medical offices had been among the last to
implement technology, particularly with
patient records. A mandate from President Obama and financial incentives for
participating providers toward the goal of
establishing complete electronic medical
records spurred recent momentum.
Power IT chose to partner with gloStream, using its “gloEMR,” an electronic
medical records program that harnesses
the power of Microsoft Word and leading
voice-recognition technology that works
through dictation, typing or drawing.
(GloStream’s founder, it’s worth noting,
also lives in Emmet County.)
Doing all of this from the town he and
his wife, Robin, and three children love,
brings additional satisfaction.
“It might sound cliché, but we really
enjoy doing business with people in the
north who do business with you. That’s
a very strong characteristic of Emmet
County,” Ingalls said.
More info: www.poweritllc.com
We carry many
Products made
in Michigan
DELI • MEAT • GROCERY • PRODUCE • WINE
Custom gift baskets, holiday time or anytime.
Our goall at H
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300 W. LAKE STREET • HARBOR SPRINGS • (231) 526-2101 • [email protected] • harborspringsiga.com
Welcome
to the neighborhood.
• Barber & Beauty
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750 E. Main Street, Harbor Springs, MI
231-526-2161 | www.baybluffs.org
Protecting What’s Important
For� the� past� 70� years,� KorthaseFlinn� has� made� a�
difference� in� your� community.� We� will� continue� to�
provide�you�with�trusted�advisors,�superior�personal�
SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS
IN EMMET COUNTY:
Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA)
www.northernlakes.net, (231) 582-6482
Michigan Economic
Development Corp. (MEDC)
www.michiganadvantage.org
Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce
www.petoskey.com, (231) 347-4150
service� and� proven� performance� in� every� aspect� of�
property�and�casualty�protection�for�business,�group�
benefits�programs�and�personal�lines�insurance,�and�
corporate�and�individual�financial�services.��
We’re honored to help protect
what matters most to you!
Emmet County Director of Economic
Development, Kelley Atkins
[email protected], (231) 330-1837
Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau
www.petoskeyarea.com, (800) 845-2828
www.korthaseflinn.com
East�Jordan�
231-536-2268
Petoskey� 231-348-8121
Boyne�City�
231-582-6512
[email protected]�
23
| Invested
COMMUNITY PRIDE:
DENTISTS INVEST IN PELLSTON’S MOMENTUM
With a two-block downtown located on
U.S. 31 and Pellston Regional Airport less
than one minute away, the community of
Pellston has long been a pass-through town.
Just 700 or so residents live here, and with
a motto as “The icebox of the nation” (after recording the lowest temperature ever
in Michigan, -53 degrees in 1933), Pellston
has remained a sleepy little community in
recent decades.
But back in its heyday, it was a bustling
lumber town that boasted dozens of businesses, including a downtown department
store, its own newspaper and hundreds of
mill workers and their families that brought
the population to 2,500. In 1936, a devastating fire destroyed much of the downtown
area, and a second leveled the mills. The
population plummeted to 300.
Once again, however, the pride of
Pellston’s residents and investment by business owners are helping to revitalize the village. Among those leading the charge is Dr.
Will Gillette of Northern Dental Group.
In 1996, the Upper Peninsula native purchased a dental practice in Pellston and
moved a short drive away to Harbor Springs
with his wife and three children. In 2006, he
built the most contemporary building in the
village, housing his office and additional
tenants. He also jumped on board with the
Pellston Downtown Development Authority, of which he is currently chairman, and
began pitching in with efforts to beautify the
community, one project at a time.
“We would like to see more investment in
Pellston, and that was one of the purposes of
building this building,” said Gillette. “We
are actively trying to promote this area for
physicians and businesses.”
Northern Dental Group Office, Pellston
COURTESYPHOTO
Growing his own practice was also part
of that initiative. In 2000, Dr. Eric Hayhurst
joined Gillette, and the two University of
Michigan School of Dentistry graduates today provide cutting-edge dental services to a
regional population.
Gillette said he chose Pellston specifically
because of its convenience for patients both
in Emmet County and in the Upper Peninsula. “Growing up in the U.P., I was accustomed to traveling distances for medical
care, and so many people are already coming to Emmet County to see their physicians
at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital,”
Dr. Will Gilette and Dr. Eric Hayhurst
24
| Invested
he said. “We have structured our practice
so that we can treat a whole family in one
trip. And if you provide great service and
quality, the patient base will seek treatment
in Pellston.”
To that end, the doctors continue to invest in the latest technology. For instance, a
CEREC machine can create crowns in one
day, allowing for full treatment without a
return visit needed — the only location in
Emmet County offering the service. Early
morning and evening appointments, with
three hygienists on staff, also makes the
practice family-friendly.
Northern Dental Group also provides
completely digital records, and the doctors
work closely with other dental specialists.
“For a community this size, an area like this
doesn’t typically have such a concentration
of such skilled specialists,” Gillette noted.
Hayhurst shares many of Gillette’s sentiments. Originally from Bay City, he, too,
was looking to practice amidst a small-town
atmosphere. “We wanted something in
the north to be able to enjoy what’s around
here,” Hayhurst said. “And we wanted to be
close to the Great Lakes. This seemed to be
a perfect fit.”
“The notion that I can drive to work and
see more wildlife than cars, that’s great,”
added Hayhurst, who also lives in Harbor
Springs with his wife and three children.
Gillette continues to parlay the pair’s business success into community improvement.
About the time he built the new building, the
DDA was just getting formed; since then,
they’ve been on a forward track. The DDA
recently landed a $500,000 Michigan Economic Development Grant for a streetscape
project that will bring new sidewalks, trees
and underground utilities to the village, beginning in summer 2011. The DDA is also
looking ahead to creating a new veterans’
memorial in the community park and has
been the force behind the annual Pellston
Summerfest Celebration.
“We are trying to promote Pellston as a
place to stop and visit some of the quaint
shops, and to encourage families and businesses to locate in the area,” Gillette said.
“Emmet County has a lot to offer. We enjoy
the water, skiing, the outdoors, and having
space to roam. It seemed like a good place to
be, and it’s worked out well for us.”
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25
| Invested
COURTESY PHOTO
COVEYOU SCENIC FARM:
THE NEXT GENERATION RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS
When David Coveyou talks about coming back to his roots, it’s both literal and
figurative.
He was raised on the 300-acre family farm
that commands the top of a hill overlooking
the turquoise-blue waters of Walloon Lake,
on the southern edge of Emmet County. If
you can bring yourself to stop staring at the
lake and the majestic hills and valleys that
surround the farm, there is much to be discovered — and it’s growing every day.
“For me, being raised on this farm was
one of the best ways to grow up,” said David.
“Seeing my father think through and solve
problems, grow great plants and work the
land helped me appreciate nature and the
simple things in life. It’s hard work, but with
so many positives.”
Coveyou and his wife, Kathy, returned
to the farm in 2007 and since then they’ve
incorporated those early lessons with a
21st century approach, offering new prod26
ucts, services, an emphasis on pesticidefree growing and several “green” features,
such as solar and geothermal heating in the
greenhouses.
They had been living in Massachusetts,
Kathy’s home state, where they met more
than 13 years ago. David was an engineer
in wireless communications, but longed to
return with his family to a life of farming
in Northern Michigan. Kathy was game for
the opportunity. “David always wanted to
come back here, to come home,” she said.
David, a 1982 Petoskey High School graduate, shares his pride in maintaining the
family acreage that was originally homesteaded in 1874, making him the fifth generation to work the land. The farm has transitioned with the times over these 137 years
from the original diary and sawmill of the
1800s to potatoes in the 1940s and then to
cereal grains with David’s father, Lorenzo.
Under David and Kathy’s management,
the acreage is transitioning back to a focus
on vegetables, fruit and potted flowers sold
directly to the public. They’ve started a farm
market out of a cavernous old barn and they
began offering a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) membership program;
for a set fee, members can pick up a box of
the in-season veggies and fruits being harvested at Coveyou each week during the
growing season.
Indeed, each season brings its own splendor to the farm. Summer means a prolific,
pesticide-free growing season that includes
more than 150 varieties of produce (30 varieties of tomatoes alone!), hanging baskets,
bedding plants and flowers. The autumn
air ushers in with it gourds, pumpkins, hayrides and mammoth mums nearly the size
of a small sports car. The winter season
brings mixed evergreen wreaths and table
centerpieces, and a wide selection of Christmas trees.
“My business model was to diversify,” David said, “and to focus on superb quality.
We really believe that quality is what people
‘There’s a certain
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Kathy is busy much of the year bringing
their freshly grown items to regional farm
markets, running the on-site market and
coordinating family and farm life. David
and a full-time staff oversee the day-to-day
operations.
They’re hopeful the sixth generation —
their sons William, 11, Andrew, 9, and Patrick, 8 – will carry on what generations before them have worked so hard to establish.
“We’ve come full circle,” said David.
“There are lots of choices out there, but this is
the place where I want to raise my children.
There’s a certain quality of life in this part of
the state that’s unique.”
Added Kathy: “People are invested in
each other here. I’ve lived a lot of places, and
we’re really on a cusp here with development. We need to work together to maintain
what makes Northern Michigan so special.
So much of what David sees here in keeping this farm running is what’s special about
Northern Michigan.”
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| Impressive
Emmet County
PROPERTIES
Emmet County’s vast tracts of
dense forestlands and expanses
of clear, clean, Caribbean-blue
waters are priceless recreational
assets for residents and visitors.
Through the decades, Emmet
County’s Board of Commissioners
has taken the necessary steps
to ensure these properties and
attractions remain accessible and
open to the public. In fact, nearly
30 percent of the county’s 300,000
acres remains in public ownership
(among federal, state and local
governments).
THE HIGHLIGHTS:
THE HEADLANDS
MAP COURTESY OF NICKEL DESIGN
28
Encompassing more than 600 acres
of dense woodlands and more than two
miles of undisturbed Lake Michigan
shoreline, the Headlands is a spectacular
property with much to offer. At the time
of publication, county officials were
awaiting word on International Dark Sky
Park designation for this lush wilderness
property, where night-sky viewing is
dramatic with little to no light pollution
diluting the astronomical wonders above.
At all hours of the day, visitors may
glimpse an abundance of wildlife at the
Headlands, including bald eagles, osprey,
white tail deer, turkeys, coyotes and
black bear.
Marked nature trails take visitors
throughout the acreage and along the
shoreline, guiding hikers, bicyclists,
cross-country skiers and photographers
past wetlands and old-growth forests in
each breathtaking season of the year.
Two large, waterfront residences are
available to rent (accommodating about
20 each) for weddings, reunions, family
picnics and professional retreats.
There is no charge to enter the park,
which is located at 7725 E. Wilderness
Park Dr., about two miles west of
downtown Mackinaw City.
it has been restored to period detail and
a gift shop has been added. More plans
for developing the historic site are in the
works.
There is no charge to visit the lighthouse,
located at 500 Headlands Dr., two miles
west of downtown Mackinaw City. The
season is May 15-Mid-October. Hours are
May: noon to 5 p.m.; June-September, 10
a.m. to 8 p.m.; and October, noon to 5 p.m.
(231) 436-5860
www.emmetcounty.org/mcgulpin/
(231) 436-4051
www.emmetcounty.org/headlands/
MCGULPIN POINT LIGHTHOUSE
CAMP PET-O-SE-GA
Since Emmet County purchased
McGulpin Point Lighthouse in 2008, it has
attracted tens of thousands of visitors who
have ventured here step back into Emmet
County’s past. The property is one-of-akind historic asset; it was the original site
of an Odawa village (known as Ottawa
in early years) and was the first deeded
property in the county. The lighthouse was
established in 1869 and served as a crucial
beacon on the Straits of Mackinac as it
guided vessels through the shoal-filled
waters. In 1906, the light was extinguished
and the property passed into private
ownership for the next 100+ years. Today,
One of Northern Michigan’s most
treasured campgrounds and waterside
parks, Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga in Alanson
keeps getting better. The park was
originally constructed in the 1930s as
a boys’ camp. Today, Emmet County
maintains its 300 acres that provide
year-round recreation to daytime and
overnight guests with nature trails, a
swimming beach on Pickerel Lake
and trout fishing. Facilities include 90
campsites with electricity and water,
modern restrooms and showers, fourseason rental cabins — including two
new additions in 2011 — playground
equipment and open field game areas.
There is also a recreational hall/multiuse building and a new open-air pavilion
available for rent. Throughout the summer,
outdoor movies are shown in the pavilion
on Saturday evenings.
11000 Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga Road, Alanson
Reservations: (231) 347-6536
www.emmetcounty.org/petosega/
CECIL BAY
A mile of unspoiled shoreline and 800
acres of wilderness to explore are the
characteristics that make Cecil Bay
appealing to rugged adventure-seekers.
Located about 8 miles southwest
of Mackinaw City, Cecil Bay boasts
sandy beaches perfect for picnicking
and sunbathing after a swim in Lake
Michigan. Fishing is permitted on the
Carp River, which flows through the park.
A boardwalk leads visitors from a parking
area off Straits View Road. Covered
pavilion and access points to the Carp
River are available.
Directions: From I-75, head west
on Central Avenue, then south on
Wilderness Park Drive. Cecil Bay is
located near the intersection of Cecil Bay
Road and Wilderness Park Drive.
www.emmetcounty.org/cecilbay/
Night sky at the Headlands on Dec. 21, 2010
PhotocourtesyofRobertdeJonge
29
| Inviting
Find your place
THEUPNORTHLIFESTYLE
What makes a place feel
like home? For some,
it’s found on acres of
remote farmland, where
the nearest neighbor is
a centuries-old church
and satisfaction each
day comes from turning
soil, tapping sap and
teaching traditions to
the next generation.
For others, it’s living a
walkable lifestyle in a
lively downtown, where
the arts, restaurants,
parks and playgrounds
are mere minutes on
foot or bike. Maybe
it’s somewhere in the
middle; a subdivision
on a rolling, wooded
hillside that combines
convenience and sense
of community with a
breathtaking view of
Little Traverse Bay.
Welcome home to
Emmet County. You’ll
find your place here.
30
THE DOUBLESTEINS:
Trevor, 33, Lisa, 32 and
Berit, 5, and Marta, 3
THE DOUBLESTEINS
‘WE ARE ABSOLUTELY A DOWNTOWN FAMILY’
Trevor Doublestein had his eye on the
rundown Victorian house in downtown
Petoskey for years. It had been vacant as
long as he’d remembered, and, as a builder,
he knew it was a special house. But it wasn’t
listed for sale. Still, Trevor and his wife, Lisa,
knew it was the house for them and their two
little girls — a place within walking distance
from parks and playgrounds, restaurants and
cultural opportunities.
“In 2010, we hunted for the owners, then
cold-called them offering to buy it without
even having been inside,” said Lisa. “We absolutely fell in love with its possibilities.”
The same could be said about how they’ve
fallen for Petoskey, too.
While Trevor and his family’s building
company, Doublestein Builders (www.doublesteinbuilders.com), worked on the renovation to their 120-year-old Victorian, Lisa
THE LAVICTORS:
Kevin and Doris, their daughters Abbey, 30; Kim, 28; Mary, 26; and extended family.
THE LAVICTORS
and the girls began their love affair with all
things downtown.
“We are absolutely a downtown family,” ‘WE LOOKED AT THIS PLACE AND
Lisa said. “We can hear concerts in the park
On a blustery early-March day in
from our open windows in the summertime, Northern Emmet, several figures begin to
and in the winter we pull the kids on sleds to emerge from the thick woods behind Dothe Winter Sports Park.
ris and Kevin LaVictor’s home. It is two
“When it’s warm enough, we walk to adults and two children, bracing their bodschool, to church, to the library — we love ies against the barreling wind and snow,
our pedestrian lifestyle. We especially appre- making their way back toward the house.
ciate that so many downtown businesses are
“There they are,” says Doris LaVictor.
staying open later, so that on our free eve- “The girls are out tapping to see if the manings and weekends we can really be part of ple sap’s flowing yet. We really need some
our community, meeting authors at the book very cold nights and warm days to get it
store, getting hot chocolate, and participat- started, but it might be too early.”
ing in family-friendly events.”
The “girls” — Kim, 28, and Mary, 26,
Sounding a bit Norman Rockwell-like? To LaVictor — come inside and shake off the
the Doublesteins, it is — and that’s the way cold with a couple dogs at their heels and a
they want to raise their girls.
report: Sap isn’t running yet.
“As a writer, I’m able to live just about anyIt’s a typical working day for the LaVicwhere,” Lisa said. “Trevor enjoys building tors, who live on 30 acres of farm and forest
on Walloon Lake and around Lake Michi- land in Bliss, a tiny community roughly in
gan, and through our remodel has discov- the center of Emmet County where it is its
ered a passion for restoring older homes. But most rural in character. Here, rollercoaster
he could, really, do that in any city. We just hills wind for miles through undisturbed
feel a really unique vibe here. The families woodlands and panoramic vistas spread
who live here choose to be here, and it shows out in sweeping expanses.
in their attitudes. The majority of the peoThey call their property “God’s Acres
ple here love Northern Michigan, and that Farm,” where the LaVictors do many
makes Emmet County a really fun place to things the way they were done back when.
be.”
Kim and Mary, for instance, live at home
WE KNEW IT WAS MEANT TO BE’
and work the property with Doris and
Kevin, a contractor by day (Mary works at
Wilderness State Park also in the summer,
and Kim has several lawn maintenance
jobs.)
Abbey and her husband, Phil, and their
five children, live on a couple acres next
door. Like her mother before her, Abbey
homeschools her children.
They are tight-knit, helping one-another
with what needs to be done and carrying
on traditions such as spinning wool from
goats and sheep; canning vegetables; raising their own chickens, pork and beef;
making their own butter, yogurt and
cheese; and boiling maple syrup in the
sugar shack out back.
“I always just desired to know how
things were made, how it was done,” said
Doris, who was raised near Petoskey on a
populated road close to town. “And I always wanted a milk cow.”
The cow — and many more — would
eventually come.
After she and Kevin married 34 years
ago, they moved to several different
31
| Inviting
homes around the Petoskey area, but
the country life kept beckoning her
back. They found the Bliss property in
1994, with its rundown 20-by-20 house,
barn and chicken coop. “We looked at
this place and said, ‘We love it.’” Then,
out back, they found the initials “KL”
carved into a beech tree; Kevin’s monogram. “We knew it was meant to be,”
Doris said.
“We have the absolute best memories
here,” said Abbey, while nursing her
newborn, Elizabeth, who was born at
home like her 2-year-old, Lydia.
Many improvements have been made
to the house, property and barn through
the years, and the women have begun an
entrepreneurial effort, selling mohair/
wool hats made with yarn spun by Abbey and dyed with natural ingredients
([email protected]; the hats are
sold on www.etsy.com). Extra produce
will be sold at the Bliss Township Farmers Market at the firehall this summer.
Asked why the family prefers this rural lifestyle to one of more convenience,
Doris, also the Bliss Township Clerk for
the past 10 years, notes: “It just doesn’t
compare. We wanted to eat better,
and there’s always something to do. I
wouldn’t trade going to back to town; I’d
much rather be doing this. I like being
able to use my hands. And I have three
daughters who work really, really hard.”
main building, plus duplexes and homes
on the rolling acreage, with residents of
each able to use the common gathering
areas and dining options.
In Petoskey, Independence Village
and Sunnybank offer assisted and independent living, with nurses on staff to
help with the needs of the aging population. Both also provide residents with
many social opportunities, regular and
healthful meals and transportation.
Bay Bluffs, Emmet County’s medical
care facility, provides a place for those
requiring more regular skilled medical care.
Renovations several years ago transformed
Bay Bluffs into an inviting, home-like building with 120 beds, where residents have social opportunities and where families are
welcomed. The long-term-care facility is
nestled on the bluff overlooking Little Traverse Bay and is just a short distance from
downtown Harbor Springs. (baybluffs.org)
Whatever step you are traveling along
life’s path, Emmet County has the perfect place to call home. n
RETIRING TO EMMET COUNTY
For decades, Emmet County has been
one of the nation’s most sought-after retirement destinations, for its combination of safe communities, world-class
medical facilities, recreational amenities such as skiing, golfing, boating and
biking, and temperate climate.
Numerous family-friendly neighborhoods, upscale communities on championship golf courses, gated associations,
condominiums and independent and
assisted living facilities can be found
throughout the county, providing warm,
welcoming lifestyle options for seniors.
In Harbor Springs, Perry Farm Village offers a collection of living options
for mature residents looking for a sense
of community. There are condos in the
32
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| Intriguing
An extraordinary past
INFLUENCES THE FUTURE
Big Rock at McGulpin Point
A
t least 395 years ago, French explorers
were navigating the treacherous Straits
of Mackinac as they explored the new
world. Along the shoreline near what is today known as McGulpin Point Lighthouse,
they relied on a 54-ton rock to gauge water
levels as they navigated in canoes along the
tumultuous waters between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
The McGulpin rock — named “chi-sin” by
Emmet County’s Historical Commission to
reflect the native Odawa (Ottawa) language
— has been observed since at least 1615 as an
aid to navigation around the time voyager
Etienne Brule was traveling the Great Lakes.
Native Americans, of course, used it much
earlier and it endures today as a symbol of
the area’s earliest origins.
The big rock was even mentioned in
1749 in a journal by French-Canadian voyager Michel Chartier de Lotbiniere, who
compiled sketches of the layout of Fort
Michilimackinac and described the area
in his writings. (Read his journal entry at
www.emmetcounty.org/mcgulpin/)
McGulpin Point Lighthouse and the 300
feet of Lake Michigan shoreline where chisin rests are owned by Emmet County.
FROM ‘TONEDAGANA’
TO EMMET COUNTY
Centuries before being discovered as a
34
resort destination, the area’s qualities drew
Native Americans to the verdant woods and
rivers for hunting and fishing, and enticed
Europeans for trading and later, logging and
shipping.
Prior to 1842, Emmet County was known
as Tonedagana County, named after an
Odawa (Ottawa) Indian chief from Cross
Village. In 1842, an act of the State Legislature changed the name to Emmet County, in
honor of Robert Emmet (1778-1803), an Irish
patriot of the time with no known ties to Emmet County or Michigan.
However, he was known globally for a
speech he gave on the eve of his execution
in Ireland that said, in part, “when my country takes her place among the nations of the
earth, then, and not until then, let my epitaph be written.”
The Robert Emmet Society, based in
Petoskey, works to keep a focus on the Irish
heritage of the county namesake. The group,
formed in 1989, has offered a scholarship for
the last nine years to a North Central Michigan College student study for a full semester
in Ireland. The society hosts fundraisers, including an Irish hoolie each March, to raise
the funds for the award, and it also holds an
annual Robert Emmet Remembrance Day
on Sept. 20.
“We have a living tribute to Robert Emmet
through the students,” said George Colburn,
documentarian and Robert Emmet Society
member.
RAILROADS AND RESORTS
Growth of the county was expedited
when the Grand Rapids and Indian Railroads started traveling to Petoskey in the
mid-1800s. While the soil was poor for farming, the lumbering was good, and after the
height of lumbering passed the resort industry flourished.
The first resort was Bay View, founded in
1875 by the United Methodist Church, just
outside Petoskey and along the Little Tra-
verse Bay shoreline. Bay View is a National
Historic Landmark community which is
home to more than 30 community-owned
buildings, nearly 450 cottages and two inns,
situated on 337 terraced acres. Generations
of families continue to visit their Victorian
cottages each summer, swelling the local
population and hosting public music, worship, lectures and educational seminars.
Bay View was followed by the Harbor
Springs resort communities of Wequetonsing and Harbor Point, exclusive enclaves of
storied homes and waterfront parcels.
Through the last century, the resort industry thrived, as resorters came north to
escape allergies and the heat of the summer
in the cool, clean environs of Emmet County. They wanted their children to splash in
pristine lakes, wander lush, thick woodlands,
and linger amidst unspoiled beauty until
summer faded to fall.
And still today, that hasn’t changed.
WITNESSES TO HISTORY:
LOCAL LIGHTHOUSES
Along with McGulpin Point Lighthouse
(see information on page 29), other light stations played integral roles in the early days of
Emmet County.
Although it was taken out of service almost
50 years ago, the Little Traverse Lighthouse
continues to stand sentinel over the waters of
Little Traverse Bay, noted Mary Cummings,
executive director of the Harbor Springs History Museum.
Located at the end of Harbor Point, a narrow peninsula of summer homes, the light’s
prominent position once guided sailing vessels and large ships into the port at Harbor
Springs. The 1884 lighthouse building is
impeccably maintained to this day by the
Harbor Point Association and its lighthouse
committee.
The building and the grounds are private
and the lighthouse is not open to the public.
However, the Harbor Point Association and
Photos courtesy Cliff Roberts
White Lake, MI
Waugoshance Point Lighthouse
COURTESYPHOTO
the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society,
will open the lighthouse for a one-day tour
on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. Tickets are limited and are available by reservation only
through the Harbor Springs Area Historical
Society.
(231) 526-9771; www.HarborSpringsHistory.org.
Waugoshance Shoal Lighthouse, located
off the coast of Emmet County north of
Cross Village, was first built as a lightship
in 1832. It became a lighthouse in 1850, after
mariners petitioned regarding the hazardous
conditions off Waugoshance Point. Work began with the construction of a timber crib on
St. Helena Island, which was then towed to
Waugoshance and sunk in place with large
rocks. Once construction was completed on
the base, the brick tower rose to 76 feet. It
was 20 feet in diameter at its base, with walls
five feet thick. Exposed to the weather’s fury,
it required multiple repairs to prevent collapse. Waugoshance Light was decommissioned in 1912. The structure remains today
but is inaccessible, though some Mackinac
Island ferry services offer boat tours.
SHIPWRECKS IN THE STRAITS
Some of Emmet County’s most historic
landmarks aren’t on land at all.
Around Michigan, several thousand sunken ships provide intrigue and mystery for
divers, and in the waters surrounding Emmet County, at least 84 documented wrecks
lure the underwater set for a peek at pieces
of history.
Dan Friedhoff is a member of the Straits
of Mackinac Underwater Preserve, which
formed in 1988 and is one of several state-
authorized organizations aimed at raising
Some of the shipwrecks are familiar
awareness of these underwater resources.
names; the most recent, in 1965, the CedarEach year, Friedhoff heads out to where ville, carried Friedhoff’s father, William,
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet to set who survived (10 others perished). The
moorings on a dozen shipwrecks, each with Sandusky, located in about 75 feet of waa buoy to the surface so divers can easily lo- ter six miles west of the bridge, is another
cate them. (The coordinates are publicized “excellent dive” — “It’s not too large, and it
online at www.michiganpreserves.org)
has a lot of interesting artifacts on it,” said
“The preserve itself stretches more than 20 Friedhoff, who noted the ship sank in 1856.
miles. It starts down by Cheboygan, goes
Friedhoff said a dive light is preferred in
across to Bois Blanc island, runs up to St. the sometimes dark, deeper waters of Lake
Ignace and then heads west into Emmet Michigan. The temperature varies between
County to near Waugoshance Point,” said 40 and 55 degrees, and a dry suit is recomFriedhoff, a Midland, Mich., resident who mended.
travels north as often as he can during divCONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
ing season.
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| Intriguing
Other wrecks in the Straits include the
Minneapolis, the Colonel Ellsworth, the
William Young and the Lucy Clark, discovered off Cross Village a few years ago.
“I’m a boat nerd, and when I head out
with a group on the charter boat I can point
out the freighters going past, where they’re
going and what they’re hauling. And I can
tell the stories about the ships underneath
the waters,” said Friedhoff. “They all have
interesting stories. You really get plugged
into it.”
For more information: “Shipwrecks of the
Straits of Mackinac” by Chuck Feltner and Jeri
Feltner
STOPPING FOR HISTORY:
TROLLEY TOURS
David Kaplan’s historical tours from the
Perry Hotel in downtown Petoskey take
visitors to some of the most important sites
in the area, infused with his enthusiasm for
living the Emmet County lifestyle.
The Petoskey resident moved here from
Maryland in 2004 and immediately became
immersed in all the area has to offer, especially its history. He first discovered Emmet
County in 1992, when he traveled here to
stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
“We came to Petoskey and it looked really charming,” Kaplan recalled. “I thought,
‘This is very nice up here.’” When a chamber
of commerce staff member put coins in the
meter for him to park, “I turned to my aunt
and said, ‘Well we’re not in Washington
anymore,’” he laughed.
He began digging into the demographics
Robert Emmet
statue photo taken
in Dublin, Ireland,
by Ed Karmann, of
County Emmet shop
in Petoskey
and eventually purchased property in 1995,
moving full-time to the area in 2004.
In 2006, he began narrating trolley tours
that begin at the historic Perry Hotel in
downtown Petoskey during the summer
months. A former teacher, he has a natural knack for detailing the points of interest
along the route that include the Petoskey
waterfront, Bay View, the Solanus Mission
Church and architectural interests.
“Bay View has the largest collection of Victorian homes in the United States; a lot of
Chautauquas in the United States are gated,
and here they invite the public in to learn
about the history. Just look at the culture
that we get in this area,” said Kaplan.
“Moving to this town for me is like moving
back 50 years — and that’s a big improve-
Grand Rapids & Indiana Suburban Station, Petoskey
PETOSKEYNEWS-REVIEWFILEPHOTO
ment,” Kaplan continued. “At night, you
can walk anywhere; how do you put a price
on that type of freedom? It’s healthier here.
The area is blessed with restaurants. It’s convenient. We have Pellston Regional Airport
in our back yard. There’s just so much to offer here.”
To catch one of Kaplan’s trolley
tours, contact the Perry Hotel for the
summer schedule; (231) 347-4000 or
www.staffords.com. n
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Little Traverse Bay
Lighthouse, Harbor Point
PHOTOCOURTESYOF
MARYCUMMINGS,HARBOR
SPRINGSHISTORYMUSEUM
Historical home in the Bay View Association
HISTORICAL POINTS OF INTEREST
UNIQUE TO EMMET COUNTY
ALANSON
MACKINAW CITY
Alanson Swing Bridge
Inland Waterway
Mackinac Bridge
Cecil Bay (former lumbering community)
McGulpin Point Lighthouse
Heritage Village
Hillside Gardens
St. Francis
Solanus
Mission
Church
CROSS VILLAGE
Cross on the hill
Leg’s Inn
“Tunnel of Trees” M-119
Skillagalee and Waugoshance light stations
GOOD HART
Sandusky Shipwreck
St. Ignatius Church and beach
Good Hart General Store
HARBOR SPRINGS
Andrew J. Blackbird house/museum
Ephraim Shay House
ODEN
Oden State Fish Hatchery,
originally established in 1921
PETOSKEY
Bay View Association
Stafford’s Perry Hotel & statue of Chief
Petoskey
Petoskey’s historic downtown district
St. Francis Solanus Mission Church, the
oldest building still standing in Northern
Lower Michigan
Wequetonsing
HISTORICAL MUSEUMS:
Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Bay Harbor, Pellston, Mackinaw City,
Inland Water Route Museum in Alanson
Prehistoric prevalence:
The Petoskey Stone
Michigan’s state stone (1965) is prevalent along the shoreline of Little
Traverse Bay. A Petoskey stone is a rock and a fossil that is composed of
fossilized coral, Hexagonaria percarinata. The stones were formed as the
result of glaciation and originally deposited during the Devonian period
some 350 million years ago.
37
| Incomparable
Small town
Charm
Big City
amenities
38
A unique combination of quaint settings and sophistication
makes Emmet County a destination for everyone.
T
here aren’t many rural places in America with such abundant natural beauty
and outdoor recreational opportunities that also provide world-class amenities within walking distance of each other.
But Emmet County isn’t like anywhere
else.
From medical care to education, recycling to veterans affairs, transportation
to cultural opportunities, Emmet County
is the place where it all comes together
for the benefit of the 36,000 year ‘round
residents and tens of thousands of resorters who live among us during Michigan’s
warmest months.
In the following pages, learn more
about the cutting-edge medical specialists,
educational opportunities, environmental stewardship and arts and cultural enclaves that set Emmet County apart from
its peers.
Optimal Health, an integrative medicine
and wellness program launched in November 2010 by NMRHS and providing
a range of holistic therapies for patients.
“We’re integrating complementary
therapies into the traditional Western
medicine model,” said Nielsen, the center’s Medical Director. “We’re putting
an emphasis on health and wellness with
complementary therapies to support the
whole person — mind, body and spirit.
It’s an important step forward.”
The support of the regional health system in opening the new Center for Optimal Health demonstrates its commitment
to caring for patients along a spectrum of
options, Nielsen said. Therapies include
integrative medicine physician consultations, acupuncture, behavior therapy,
biofeedback, clinical massage and Reiki.
The Center for Optimal Health and the
Wellness Pavilion are the latest ventures
in the continuum of services offered by
NMRHS that reach thousands of residents in a 22-county area. Numerous
medical and surgical specialists in areas
of heart, cancer, orthopedics and neuroscience services treat patients throughout Northern Michigan and the eastern
UP. The flagship of the health system
is Northern Michigan Regional Hospital, a 214-bed, regional referral center in
Petoskey with a staff of nearly 200 physicians.
More information:
www.northernhealth.org/optimalhealth;
www.northernhealth.org
BE WELL:
PREVENTIVE CARE
COMES TO THE FORE
HEALTH CARE
Emmet County’s health specialists
such as Dr. Carin Nielsen are continually
advancing and bringing the latest technologies and trends to regional residents.
Preventive care is one key area growing
nationally and here in Emmet County as
well. In addition to seeing an increase in
demand for services, wellness and prevention are main components of health
care reform and they’re directly linked to
reducing future development of chronic
disease, according to Nielsen.
Through the new John and Marnie
Demmer Wellness Pavilion and Dialysis
Center in Petoskey, Northern Michigan
Regional Health System (NMRHS) is
taking a significant step toward providing this level of care thanks in large part
to a generous donation of $3 million from
John Demmer of Harbor Springs and his
family, an anonymous gift of $1 million,
and a $400,000 donation from the Kircher family toward the new Everett Kircher
Dialysis Area.
The new Wellness Pavilion, slated to
open July 2011, will house The Center for
Dr. Carin Nielsen
39
| Incomparable
9-1-1
CENTRAL
DISPATCH:
LOCAL CENTER A MODEL
IN MICHIGAN AND BEYOND
Long before government leaders began
calling for counties to consolidate services to help stem Michigan’s economic
woes, Emmet County had partnered with
next-door Cheboygan and Charlevoix
counties to create a model 9-1-1 authority
that continues to lead the way.
“It’s a model not only for Michigan but
the nation. Consolidation can work well
and today it’s quickly becoming the preferred method — and our counties did it
15 years ago,” said Greg Clark, assistant
director for the Charlevoix-CheboyganEmmet 9-1-1/Central Dispatch Authority. “With the new push for counties to
consolidate their efforts around the state,
we say, ‘If you want to see how it’s done,
come to the ‘Tip of the Mitt’ and see what
we’re doing.’”
The idea to create a tri-county en40
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
hanced 9-1-1 center locally began in
1993, encouraged by a collaborative
group that included county officials,
emergency responders and police and
fire departments. They had a common
vision: Ensure prompt, coordinated
emergency response anywhere in the
three-county region.
That was not a simple task; the region
is the size of Rhode Island, and during
the height of tourist season it includes
more than 300,000 people living, working and playing up North.
The dispatch center, centrally located
in Petoskey, went live in 1996 and receives almost 70,000 calls per year. Rapid technology upgrades (think of the proliferation of cell phones over just the last
decade) require continual training of the
23 dispatchers and staff. While that has
added another layer of difficulty to their
work, on the f lip side it has resulted in
untold saved lives.
Cell phones now, for instance, can
be tracked or triangulated (estimated
distance from cell towers) so lost or injured people can be found faster. Coming in the near future, dispatchers will
be able to receive text messages and data,
such as photos and streaming video, explained Mary Albertson, central dispatch office manager.
For residents of the region, the stability and success of the CCE means peace
of mind, 24/7 — even though the efforts
go largely unnoticed.
“You don’t have to worry about it. You
pick up the phone and dial three numbers and it works — and that’s the way it
should be,” said Albertson.
“We are offering the same big-city
services in a small, rural area,” continued Clark, who called the dispatchers
the “unsung heroes” of the emergency
responders’ team. “We have the same
qualified personnel, the same apparatuses, the same training. The emergency
responders in our area are second to
none.”
Added Albertson: “People get to come
up here to enjoy that small-town feel and
appeal. They don’t need to worry about
not having the same level of emergency
services they have at home. We can provide that same level of service, and in
many cases, even better.”
NORTH
CENTRAL:
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
A CATALYST FOR
ACCOMPLISHMENT
North Central Michigan College in
Petoskey is more than a community
college; it’s a community itself. Its inf luence propels students of all ages and
backgrounds into a brighter future, provides employers with convenient training opportunities, and enriches area
residents through lively public programs
and activities.
“North Central provides high school
students an opportunity to get an early
start on college through dual enrollment
and other options, and many high school
graduates come here for an economical start on college,” said Dr. Cameron
HIGHER EDUCATION
Brunet-Koch, college president. “Many
adults come here for school because they
can take classes without leaving their
families and jobs behind. The community comes here for enrichment activities
that include classes for fun, speeches by
interesting people, exercise and inspiration from our campus art and our natural area.”
Students have 63 programs of study
to consider, from associate degree programs to certificates, certificates of
development and non-degree courses.
These programs can provide a freshman
with insight into a future career or an
adult the opportunity to reinvent theirs.
“During the recent economic downturn, hundreds of laid-off workers have
come here with state and federal assistance so that they could make their way
to a new path to economic success,” Brunet-Koch said. “Without North Central,
they would have been unable to receive
the educational support close by that
they needed to cope with our changing
times.”
More progress is ahead for the 53-yearold college that has about 3,150 full- and
part-time students. In 2010, the state
of Michigan authorized $5.2 million in
state funding to go toward a new $10.4
million Health Education and Science
Center on the Petoskey campus — demonstrating even more that North Central’s reach is both far and furthering.
“We partner with schools, governments, nonprofits, businesses and individuals throughout the year for the betterment of all concerned,” Brunet-Koch
said. “Our Institute for Business and
Industry Training provides customized
training programs for employers in our
region. Our graduates add to the economy through their increased earning
power and employers benefit by having
easy access to a trained and well-prepared job candidate pool.”
Aerial view of the NCMC campus
COURTESY PHOTO
41
| Incomparable
REDUCE,
REUSE:
RECYCLING
PROTECTING THE FUTURE
OF EMMET COUNTY
In the past year, Emmet County’s Department of Public Works recycled enough
paper products to save a few thousand trees
— 38,805 to be exact. In total, the facility
recycled/processed 7,900 tons of material
from the Northern Michigan region during
that time period, which equates to 300 semitruck loads.
The numbers continue to climb for the
county’s successful recycling program that
has kept its momentum going with a major
expansion to its facility in summer 2010, increasing capacity and acceptable products
exponentially; by increasing the curbside recycling program with additional totes for residents and businesses; and by offering new
programs such as free electronics recycling.
Combined, Emmet County continues to set
the benchmark for rural recycling programs.
“Recycling opportunities in Emmet County are unparalleled compared to other rural
communities, and even to most cities,” said
Elisa Seltzer, DPW director. “Curbside recycling is available to more than 60 percent of
county residents and to many of our summer
resort communities as well. Over 250 businesses receive weekly curbside collection.
And our drivers are committed to customer
service.”
Seltzer said the 12 recycle drop-off sites
throughout the county are available 24/7;
the main drop-off center in Harbor Springs
accepts many items in addition to household
recyclables, including old TVs, clothes, shoes,
stoves, sinks, tires and more.
And there’s more. Seltzer announced that
soon, both downtown Petoskey and Harbor
Springs will provide streetside recycle bins
for recycling bottles, cans and containers.
“It’s easy to recycle well and recycle a lot
in Emmet County,” she said. “And no other
community in the state provides such a firstclass recycling program without utilizing
general fund tax dollars. Emmet County’s
program has been self-supporting since
1991.”
For more info about the progressive recycling
program: www.emmetcounty.org/recycling/
42
Ribbon cutting at the grand opening of Emmet County Recycling’s new facility in
June 2010, adding to the list of opportunities for residents and business to recycle.
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VETERANS AFFAIRS
SERVING THOSE WHO
SERVED THE U.S.A.
Jim Alton
An estimated 5,000 veterans call Emmet County home, and county Veterans
Affairs Director Jim Alton said his office
works daily to make sure these men and
women have access to resources to help
them recover from service-related injuries
and events, and to ensure they and
surviving family members are
aware of the benefits and ser
services available.
“Our veterans’ service to
the United States of America
has been and continues to be
appreciated with the utmost
respect and gratitude,” said
Alton, a Marine Corps veteran.
“We are here to serve you who have
served this country; please let us know
who you are and how we can help.”
Each day, Alton and his “chief of staff”
Rick Wiertalla help provide vets with important information, such as the latest
national veterans’ news, compensation opportunities, help for homeless vets, low-cost
assistance programs, medical and mentalhealth related resources, care packages for
troops and more. The county also recently
began offering veteran photo IDs, at no
cost to vets; these can be used to receive
discounts at many restaurants and retailers
that offer savings for veterans.
“It is our sincere desire to make sure that
all of our veterans and widows are informed
of the possible benefits they may be eligible
to receive,” said Alton. “In Emmet County,
we have thousands of vets who have benefitted from these services. We hope to continue adding many more to our ranks.”
Reach the VA office at (231) 348-1780,
or online at www.emmetcounty.org/VA/
AND NOW, FOR THE
small town charm…
N
othing quite gives the feeling of
small-town enchantment like Emmet County’s quaint, eclectic and dynamic downtowns.
For well over a century, the shopkeepers, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs that
fill Northern Michigan’s downtowns have
catered to the tens of thousands of resorters,
tourists and locals who meander the streets
for one-of-kind items not found in big-box retailers or large city shopping malls.
Along these tree-lined, flower-laden lanes,
shoppers will find stylish boutiques and custom jewelry designers amidst art galleries
and gift stores carrying distinct items that
reflect the Northern Michigan lifestyle, such
as Petoskey stones, conversation-piece relief
maps of area waterways, vintage signs from
the earliest resort days, apparel emblazoned
with favorite Up North towns, and much
more.
And then there’s the food. Local downtowns are known for their range of palate-tempting eateries, coffee shops, fine
dining establishments, pubs, fudge and
ice cream outlets — and everything in be-
tween. Whether you’re looking to dine on
an unbeatable breakfast at a mom-and-pop
bistro or in a candlelit corner mulling over
an award-winning wine list, the downtowns of PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS and
MACKINAW CITY deliver.
The Village at Bay Harbor doesn’t have
the long history of Emmet County’s historic
downtowns, but it is writing a new chapter
as a storybook setting itself. This upscale
destination offers an array of culinary, entertainment and shopping occasions that bring
in visitors and locals throughout the year.
Two other small towns are as quaint as
they come, too. ALANSON residents and
business owners have gone full-throttle into
beautifying their town and adding unique
shops and restaurants over the last decadeplus. This tiny community is tying its down-
town to the ambling CROOKED RIVER out its
back door with new events such as the annual Riverfest.
PELLSTON, too, is drawing attention to its
walkable downtown and community, as a
destination for those traveling along U.S. 31
and year ‘round residents. Passing through
town, visitors are encouraged to pull over for
gourmet food, a picnic in the park and a few
shopping stops.
The vibrant downtowns throughout Emmet County take pride in their presentation,
with concerts in the park during the summer
events and dozens of fun, family-friendly
events in safe, inviting environments.
Make it a point to experience the downtowns of Emmet County, whether you’ve
lived here your whole life or you’re starting
a new one up North. n
43
| Instrumental
Elizabeth Pollie
ARTS &
CULTURE ADD
quality of life
‘Working within the field
of visual arts never seemed
like a choice, but rather a
place of true belonging.’
E
lizabeth Pollie wrote those words in
her resume describing her arrival as
a painter; but they seem to apply to
more than just her work on canvas. Her
place of true belonging in a more physical
sense is Harbor Springs, where her gallery,
West Wind Atelier, brings her awardwinning representational paintings to a
Northern Michigan audience.
Her images, culled from world travels
44
and local influences, are a reminder of the
breadth of artistic talent who find inspiration in Emmet County.
“I welcome more galleries to come to
Emmet County,” said Pollie. “Art brings
people in. I’d love to see it expand, to include more workshops, galleries, writers.
The arts enhance a community in ways
which may not be immediately obvious,
but are absolutely invaluable.”
Her contribution to the arts community
here began in 2001. A Flint native, she was
working as a painter, a freelance illustrator and teacher at the College for Creative
Studies in Detroit when she was began
contemplating whether to leave Michigan
for California. Retreating for a getaway to
Harbor Springs, where she’d traveled to
since the age of 10, she met Bernie Schaffer, owner of Schaffer Real Estate and a
former ski instructor who had arrived at
Boyne Highlands from Austria in the late
1980s.
They fell in love, “and it was bye bye,
California, and hello Harbor Springs,”
Pollie laughed.
She began painting full time and teaching from her studio, located a couple
blocks now from the gallery she established in 2005. She paints both in her studio and plein air from locations local and
global.
“Representational oil is a burgeoning
field right now,” Pollie said. “It means you
are painting images that are representing
tangible things from our world. My work
is primarily concerned with the poetic nature of the object I am painting.”
The well-awarded artist has been recognized around the country and close to
home. In 2010, she was named the winner
of the purchase award art contest by the
Mackinac State Historic Parks, in honor
of the grand opening of the Richard and
Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum
on Mackinac Island. Her winning painting, “Island Life,” will become a permanent piece in the state historic parks commission’s collection.
Finding inspiration in Emmet County —
from the cows she passes each morning to
the daily walks on the beach with Schaffer
— continues to nurture her talents.
“One of the most important things about
living here that I’ve discovered is there are
so few distractions,” Pollie said. “I have
more intimate connections here than I do
anywhere else I’ve lived. I’m constantly
allowing myself to observe this place.”
A nationally recognized ballet instructor
leads classes for young ballerinas, kids
get their energy out during hip-hop sessions and adults throw pots or explore a
medium they’ve longed to try. A strings
program takes teachers into local schools
with instruments, supplementing disappearing programs as more schools face
budget cuts. n
More information:
www.elizabethpollie.com, www.crookedtree.org
OIL PAINTERS’ EXHIBITION
In 2013, the CTAC is planning a show
combining some of the best regional and
national oil painters. In addition, in 2012
the International Hemingway Society is
holding its annual conference in Petoskey,
and the arts center is working in conjunction with organizers on exhibits reflecting
the life of the writer during his time in
Northern Michigan.
Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey
THE BIGGEST LITTLE ARTS
ORGANIZATION IN MICHIGAN
Not only a fine arts painter, Pollie also
serves on the board of the Crooked Tree
Arts Center, the regional hub of arts activities. The organization’s executive director,
Liz Ahrens, said the local arts scene spans
music, dance, theater, painting, photography and more.
“It is a very dynamic space,” said Ahrens.
“There is always something going on in the
building. We’re not this quiet little arts
center on the corner.”
As a member of the Michigan State
University College of Arts and Letters
Board of Directors, Ahrens presents Emmet County’s arts and cultural opportunities to a larger, statewide audience. She is
often asked to consult on development of
arts centers modeled after the CTAC location in Petoskey.
“We’re the biggest littlest arts organization in Michigan,” Ahrens said. “We help
a lot of communities trying to take nontraditional spaces and turn them into arts
centers.”
Serving the local community remains
at the core, through national-caliber exhibits, musical and dance performances
that reach thousands of visitors each year.
• Authentic Polish Cuisine
• Scenic Outdoor Garden Dining
• Panoramic Lake Michigan Views
• Over 100 International Beers/Wines
www.legsinn.com
At the end of M119 “Tunnel of Trees”
231.526.2281 • 6425 N. Lake Shore Drive
CROSS VILLAGE, MI
45
Feel Good. Live Well.
| Instrumental
HITTING THE
HIGH NOTES
EMMET COUNTY ARTSORIENTED ORGANIZATIONS:
Your Comprehensive Approach to Healthcare.
Our internists are specialists for daily life, doctors with the training
to help adults practice and maintain the essentials of healthy living.
· New Patients Welcome
· Annual Physicals & Health Screenings
· Electronic Medical Records with Online Patient Features
· No Insurance? Ask about SimpleCare
231.487.9702 · doctors4adults.com
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MOST MAJOR INSURANCE & MEDICARE ACCEPTED
• Bay View Association: Summer
arts and entertainment open to the
public. bayviewassociation.com
• Blissfest Music Organization:
Preserving and promoting the
cultural heritage and diversity with a
focus on folk and roots music, dance,
oral history and crafts from America
and all cultures. blissfest.org
• Crooked Tree Arts Center:
crookedtree.org
• Emmet County Fairgrounds:
Antiques shows, fair, garden
expos and benefits.
emmetcounty.org
• Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra:
Live orchestral performances.
glcorchestra.org
• Harbor Springs Performing Arts
Center: Performance venue for
students and for professional
groups and non-profits, such as
the Association for Harbor Arts.
harborps.org/PAC/pac
Historic Lodging. Waterfront Dining.
• Little Traverse Civic Theater:
Community theater. ltct.org
• Northern Michigan Chorale
(Facebook)
• Odawa Casino: Gaming,
entertainment, concerts.
odawacasino.com
Bay View Inn, Bay View
231-347-2771
Perry Hotel, Downtown Petoskey
231-347-4000
Pier Restaurant, Harbor Springs
231-526-6201
Weathervane Restaurant, Charlevoix
231-547-4311
• Vivace School of Music and Arts:
Music, dance, vocal, instrument
and arts classes. vivaceschool.org
STAFFORDS.COM
46
Bay View Hall Auditorium
=YfUÓHXUbUÓJ_eÓ=_fUÓd_ÓA\Qi
BOYNE HIGHLANDS
BOYNE MOUNTAIN
BAY HARBOR & CROOKED TREE GOLF CLUB
BOYNE HIGHLANDS RESORT
BOYNE
MOUNTAIN
RESORT
BAY HARBOR & CROOKED TREE GOLF CLUB
Each BOYNE resort is a collection of ﬁne neighborhoods
—residences, condominiums, estate-sized parcels and cottages—
surrounded by the Midwest’s best four-season sport and leisure venues.
www.BOYNEREALTY.com
800.88.BOYNE
47
| Invigorating
Get out!
OUTDOOR AMENITIES CREATE A ONE-OF-A-KIND WAY OF LIFE
Y
ou can be indoors anywhere. But where
would you like to be outdoors, every
season of the year?
In Emmet County, the only unknown is
what you want to do today: Golf, morelmushroom hunt, bike, in-line skate, hike, go
to the beach, swim, boat, snorkel, kayak, canoe, camp, skydive, parasail, ski … you get
the picture.
All it takes to enjoy the outdoors here is
a little imagination and momentum to get
moving. Because in Emmet County, trust
us: You don’t want to sit inside.
TRAIL TOWNS UP NORTH
Trails at the Headlands, Mackinaw City
The trail systems that crisscross Emmet County are part of a larger network
that includes 220 interconnected miles.
The jewel is the Little Traverse Wheelway,
which begins in next-door Charlevoix
County and travels into Emmet County
through Bay Harbor, Petoskey and Bay
View to Harbor Springs – 26 miles total
of black-topped path that draws thousands
of trail users to Northern Michigan each
48
year.
tained in the outdoor recreation realm.
“It is truly one of the most spectacular
Stephen Kircher, President of Eastern
trails in the country,” said Emily Mey- Operations for the company his dad, Everson, a local trails enthusiast and con- erett, founded and grew into a recreation
sultant with the Top of Michigan Trails powerhouse, said the resort company’s ofCouncil.
ferings continue to evolve to meet the everThe council’s executive director, Jeff changing demands of customers looking for
Winegard, said he continually hears new adventures.
compliments from Wheelway users, who
In Emmet County, Boyne Resorts opercompare it to rides in some of the most ates Boyne Highlands Resort and the Counrenowned locales. “I had one man from try Club of Boyne, both in Harbor Springs;
Lake Tahoe tell me that he’s been riding and Bay Harbor and Crooked Tree golf clubs
everywhere in the world, and his favorite and the Inn at Bay Harbor, all in Petoskey.
ride is between Bay Harbor and Harbor
“Over the years, the sophistication and the
Springs,” Winegard said. “That really broad spectrum of what people expect conputs it into a global perspective.”
tinue to expand, and there are many more
Added Meyerson, “In quality of life sur- options out there as well,” Kircher said.
veys, trails are always listed as a top ame- “We are constantly in the process of trying to
nity in what people look for when buying a develop amenities that meet and exceed our
home. People choose to live in places that guests’ new expectations.”
are walkable; trails are important to creatTo that end, Boyne Resorts continues to
ing a great place to live.”
challenge, with terrain and tubing parks,
Numerous trails provide a range of cross-country trails, hundreds of downhill
motorized and non-motorized opportuni- runs, ziplines, indoor/outdoor pools and
ties in Emmet County; contact the Trails spas, dog sledding, horseback riding and an
Council at (231) 348-8280 or go online indoor waterpark at nearby Boyne Mounto www.trailscouncil.org for assistance, tain in Boyne Falls, in next-door Charlevoix
maps, road biking, loops and more infor- County.
mation.
Boyne Mountain is the flagship resort for
The council is planning the 1st annual Boyne. Everett Kircher purchased the then100K and Team Relay “Ultramarathon” in Harbor Highlands ski resort in 1963. “It was
Oct. 15, 2011, from Gaylord to Mackinaw tiny — 40 acres with three ski runs, a T-bar
City. Info online.
and a small building,” his son recalled.
Today, Boyne is a huge economic engine.
About 1,600 people are employed in MichiBOYNE: A LEADER IN
FOUR-SEASON RECREATION gan during peak times, with 500 at Boyne
From golf season to ski season, Boyne Re- Highlands.
“Our biggest footprint is certainly in
sorts is one name many residents, resorters
Emmet
County,” Kircher said. “It’s a
and vacationers rely on to keep them enter-
collaborative, friendly and synergistic environment where people work together for the
common mission. We feel very good about
our continuing success and the environment
is certainly conducive to further growing
tourism. Our role is to create an economic
engine, but it’s also to create a quality of life
for the area.”
WE HAVE IT ALL!
Golf: A dozen or more public and private courses make Emmet County your
own private tee-box.
Ski resorts and winter sports:
Nub’s Nob in Harbor Springs is a
snowboard-downhill-cross-country
mecca, across Pleasantview Road from
Boyne Highlands. Nub’s is awarded
year after year for its friendly staff and
impeccable grooming. For a smaller
venue, check out the Winter Sports
Park in Petoskey for sledding, skating
and skiing, too.
Watersports: Check out these inland lakes: Walloon, Wycamp, Larks,
Crooked and Pickerel, and Little Traverse Bay.
The Stephen Kircher family
GREAT MEMORIES
CREATED DAILY.
Nature preserves: The Little Traverse Conservancy owns and manages
more than 164 nature preserves within
a five-county area, including Emmet.
Request a map: www.landtrust.org.
Rec sports: The city of Petoskey and
the Petoskey YMCA both offer recreational league sports for kids and adults,
from Little League to soccer and men’s
and women’s basketball, and softball.
Our lakeside towns in northern
Michigan are perfect for sharing
special times with those special to
you. Come continue a vacation
tradition. Or begin a new one.
OH WAIT – THERE’S MORE!
Geocaching, kayaking, festival-going,
food tastings, art fairs, outdoor concerts, autumn color tours, hunting and
fishing, farmers markets, pumpkin
patches and corn mazes, ice skating,
hockey, tubing, ice sailing … n
Free Vacation Guide
PetoskeyArea.comu800-845-2828
Petoskey u Harbor Springs u Boyne City
49
| Invigorating
Flowing through time
NAVIGATING A TREASURED RESOURCE: THE INLAND WATERWAY
T
he Inland Waterway is one of
Northern Michigan’s most unique
recreational amenities, but until
recent years, it has been somewhat of
a secret outside of local boating circles.
Its 38 miles of rivers and lakes have meandered from Conway to Cheboygan for
centuries, with its laid-back current and
scenic beauty along the way.
Preserving the treasured attributes
of the Inland Waterway, while making
it more accessible to the public, are the
goals of the Inland Water Route Historical Society, the Alanson Improvement
Group and the village of Alanson — all
of which are working together to ensure
it remains one of the north’s most valued
resources.
“It’s so unique, there really are no other
places like it in Michigan,” said Wayne
Blomberg, long-time owner of Ryde Marine in Ponshewaing, located near the
start of the route on Crooked Lake.
Blomberg is involved in efforts to improve Alanson and preserve the waterway’s unique history. He is on the board
of the Inland Water Route Historical
Society, which established a museum
downtown Alanson in 2006.
The museum lays out the route’s long
history, which starts with the first and
longest users, the Chippewa and Odawa
(Ottawa) Indians who used it as a way to
travel between Little Traverse Bay and
the Straits area to avoid the tumultuous
winds and waters of the Great Lakes.
Later, the river was a critical logging
route and eventually a means for shuttling tourists to the many hotels that
once lined the waterway.
Back in those days, steamers carried
passengers to their destinations. Today,
Blomberg and Improvement Group
member and Alanson businessman Tom
Fairbairn, among others, are looking to
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ABOUT THE ROUTE:
• 150 miles of shoreline;
38 miles of rivers/lakes
• Two locks, one in Alanson,
one in Cheboygan
• Dredged to five feet, width of 30’
• Route completely laid out with
channel markers; river entrances
marked with flashing lights
• Accessible from I-75, U.S. 127,
and U.S. 131
• The waters along the route:
Pickerel Lake, Crooked Lake,
Crooked River, Burt Lake,
Indian River, Mullett Lake,
Cheboygan River
bring back a replica steamer that would
provide an hour-long tour along the
route from Alanson to Burt Lake and
Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga on Pickerel Lake.
A design for the boat has been completed, and it is hoped the service could
be available as early as summer 2012.
It’s part of the momentum carrying
this small Northern town. The village
of Alanson and Alanson Improvement
Group will soon begin construction on
improvements to Sanctuary Island, including boardwalks, a gazebo, fishing
piers and dockage. The historical society hopes to rebuild a run-down boathouse adjacent to the island as a site to
operate the launch.
“In the early days, the river was the focus of everything and I think this Sanctuary Island project will help bring that
focus back,” Blomberg said. n
The Crooked RIver
Locks in Alanson
• Catch the 2011 Top O’ Michigan
Outboard Races July 30-31, 2011!
More information:
www.michigandnr.com;
www.IWRHS.com
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