Glen Arbor Sun

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August 24, 2000

Empire’s Book Discussion Group reads and reports

By Helen Westie
Sun contributor

An Empire book discussion group has been active in recent years. Meetings are held at 10 a.m. the last Wednesday of every month in the Glen Lake Community Library in Empire. Prospective members and visitors are invited to the next meeting on Wednesday, August 30th. Here are some of the books we have discussed recently with commentaries by members of the group:

Daughter of Fortune, by Isabelle Allende is the story of a girl brought up in Chile and her search for the father of her unborn child. The lengthy search takes her to the Gold Rush in California. It is also the story of a Chinese man, his former life, and the two of them helping Chinese girl slaves in San Francisco. (Barbara Gerndt)

Angle of Repose is on older Pulitzer Prize winning book by Wallace Stegner. He writes about his grandmother, Susan Burling Ward, a woman ahead of her times as revealed in letters Stegner found. She could have been an illustrator or a journalist, but she followed her husband, a mining engineer, all over the west. (Marcella Badoh)

Life and Death in Shanghai, by Nein Cheng, is a work that waxes and wanes in political correctness depending on US/China relations at a given moment. The book is the true account of the plight of Nein Cheng, a Chinese National who was the wife of a Chinese oil executive prior to the Cultural Revolution. She describes in graphic detail her struggle for survival during the dark years of the Cultural Revolution and the price she was forced to pay for her ultimate escape. The book is a stark indictment of China’s communist regime and recounts in detail the agony it has imposed upon citizens. (Mary Jo Raymond)

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman, is nonfiction, and the world should read this book about the Hmong people to know how hard we must all work to bridge the spiritual, medical, and social gaps that challenge our cultures and Christain values. It taught me more than any book I have read in the past ten years. (Jeanette Daniel)

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver’s ambitious and powerful novel about a fanatical Baptist minister who takes his wife and four young daughters to the Belgian Congo in 1959, is a must-read! The author skillfully uses the female members of the family to narrate the story. Each character experiences and reacts to post-colonial Africa in her own way. All characters are fictitious, but the historical figures and events are genuine. (Therese Sullivan)

Tender at the Bone, by Ruth Reichl (former food editor for the NY Times and now editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine), is an entertaining book about Ms. Reichl’s growing up years, and how she developed her passion for food. The book includes unforgettable great recipes. (Jan Taghon)

The Accidental Tourist, by Anne Tyler, is about Macon Leary, who writes travel books to protect unsuspecting businessmen from anything unfamiliar in foreign locations (e.g. Philadelphia and London). He also corrects his wife in her choice of words when she is trying to find out if he in any way shares her grief at the meaningless death of their 12 year old son. She leaves him. In his depression Macon descends into a morass of intended comfortable routine that doesn’t work. This erratic behavior leads his Welsh corgi, Edward, to a nervous breakdown because his own secure routine is dissolved. Can Macon find happiness with a talkative, confrontational, eccentrically dressed dog trainer who is casual about word choice? Tyler lovingly develops her characters. (Reuben Chapman)

Having lived in a small town during the depression, The Persian Pickle Club was for me a journey back in time. Sandra Dallas captures the hard times and the social fabric of the era. The strong bonds of friendship and loyalty that bind the engaging ladies of the club are interwoven with a mystery reminiscent of “Murder on the Orient Express.” This is a page turner! (Alice Diggins)

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is a compelling and heart-warming story of a young boy coming of age in South Africa during the late 30’s and 40’s. Young Peekay’s life is unexpectedly and powerfully influenced by an array of characters. Though he dreams of becoming the welterweight champion of the world, he learns he can become much more. Courtenay has created a tale filled with suspense, tragedy, comedy, and adventure that will leave you cheering. (Mary Wendell)

Another Country, by Mary Pipher, is an important book by a fine writer. Pipher contends that Americans in families and institutions have failed to meet the needs of our ever-growing older population. Part of the blame lies in attitudes of Baby Boomers and the next generation who do not understand their elders, especially their ultimate needs for respect and their need to love and to be loved. What an animated discussion we had when Pipher’s principles and case studies were reviewed! (Helen Westie)

Many of these titles are available to buy at the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor or to borrow from the Glen Lake Community Library in Empire.

Posted by editor at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)

Maintaining the Village

By Mary Sharry
Sun contributor

Strains of a Gregorian chant drift on evening air through an open window. Farther along, my ears are greeted by keyboard music, the notes of a Bach Two-Part Invention. Down an alley in someone’s backyard, a man blows out the flames on the burning marshmallow his child has brought to him. The other adults in the circle carefully rotate their sticks over the glowing embers of the fire pit. On another street, murmurs of conversation from a couple on a front porch swing blend with soft laughter. They acknowledge me with comments at this perfect time of day. This idyllic setting is part of the village life of Empire.

The morning brings commercial hustle and bustle when the mail truck turns the corner by the post office, and produce arrives at Deering’s Market and the Friendly Tavern. The pumps at Taghon’s Amoco Shop are turned on. Dennis Taghon opens the garage for another day of auto repair. People walk to the library to return videos and to check out books. They walk to the bank and cross over the street to Tiffany’s for coffee, donuts, and light or profound talk. Grownups and children ride their bikes down to the beach. A rainbow and colorful flowers have been drawn on a sidewalk by some child. I try not to step on them.

Greetings are hollered from the other side of the street. Some of these people grew up together. They attended the school here in town. That was years ago. Times have changed. The school has closed, so has one of the larger businesses, the hardware and lumberyard. The school and business made an impact on life in the village, and so did their closings.

At another day’s end, outside of town, silhouetted against the sky like dinosaurs and Maurice Sendak monsters, stand the machines. Come the dawn, they will gobble up land in preparation for new housing. This is not the housing that will invite glimpses of other lives, but rather housing that will stand apart, the inhabitants removed from the knowing of life in the village.

There are still a few pieces of open land and rolling hills, once farmed. These vistas give comfort to our human spirit, perhaps more than we know. They are going fast, though, and once they disappear, they will be gone forever. Land is being sold for profit and development at an alarming rate. Real estate has become a factor that drives the economy. This is not right. With the disappearance of open land, something far deeper in meaning which we might imagine is lost. The open views are the very thing that brought people to this area. It is sad to think we might discover, only after the loss of these vistas, that over-use and consumption have gone too far.

While our species has a great desire for view property, have we considered what happens once that property is gone? Perhaps future real estate ads will tout a chunck of land as having a view of the view property!

It is not only the views that will be gone, but so will extensive wildlife habitat. The loss will take a toll on bird populations, both those birds that thrive in open grasslands and those in need of forests. Their decline should concern us all.

In her book Touch the Earth, T.C. McLuhan writes: . . .the only decent future for us who live in America now is through a rediscovery of our environment. We need to establish a right relationship with the land and its resources: otherwise, the destruction of the Indian will be followed by the destruction of nature; and in the destreuction of nature will follow the destruction of ourselves.

There is a way to help preserve open land with careful planning, conservation, and land trusts. It is wise to remember our reasons for coming to this area, and it is wise to be careful that we not destroy that which we love, the appearance of the land that adds to our sense of peace and serenity.

Empire is an inviting village, and you often hear the comment “I’d love to live in your town, but could I make a living here? Where would I live?” This is a small town, and by the framework of its boundaries it will remain a small town. It should not be a closed town, however. Instead of growth outside of town, there is land inside the village with potential for healthy development - affordable housing, and the vitality that new businesses might bring.

I have a vision of the old school building being revitalized for just that, a school. Perhaps Glen Lake Schools could expand to accommodate a fine arts and crafts department here in town, a learning and exploring center where youthful creativity could flourish. I sense a need for that. Maybe the old hardware store could be converted into a medical clinic. Are there some doctors and their families who would like to live and work in the village? I don’t know if it’s for sale, but if it were, wouldn’t the former auto/livery barn on the corner of Niagara and Lake Streets be a grand location for new apartments? Development within the village can maintain the open spaces outside of town, and likewise keep the heart of the community alive and well.

There is something truly close and special about small towns and even cities. I have lived in a small town, in a big city, and in an area which was once open land, but which succumbed to the developer’s shovel - the suburb of a city, a place of large, grassy lawns, and much mowing and spraying of chemicals. There were no sidewalks in that suburb, and people got into their cars and drove to buy their daily bread. Both the city and the small town offered a sense of community which the suburb lacked. In the closeness, you felt as if you belonged, and part of that belonging came on foot - the advantage of being a pedestrian.

The intimacy of life in the city and town extended beyond musical tastes. Our homes were close together. Mindful of radio and television volume, if sound levels offended, it took nothing more than a courteous request to turn the volume down. Yes, occasionally raised voices carried next door, the verbal challenges of a marital spat. Such is the stuff of life, the manner of people living together.

Further housing development on the precious land outside of the village will bring people into this town by car and back out again without their ever knowing that someone listens to Gregorian chants or plays Bach on the piano.

Posted by editor at 12:07 PM | Comments (0)

Some Thoughts on the Meaning and Myths of Feminism.

By Anne-Marie Oomen
Sun contributor

I am a feminist. Those values and behavior seem obvious and natural to me. And I thought, after all this time, most people understood feminism even if they didn't agree with everything a feminist stood for. However, based on some recent conversations with young people, especially people in their teens, I realize those values-- which for me are so important and hard won-- are NOT automatically understood by others. Based on intolerant remarks I've heard recently, it appears that some negative stereotypes have evolved around this important political movement. What I'm about to write will, I hope, help us to think and to talk more openly about what it means to be a woman, a feminist, an equal person.

As a feminist I believe in the following things:
-equal pay for equal work
-equal opportunity in any field of choice
-power to choose what happens to my own body
-equal protection under the law
-an attitude of respect for and celebration of the roles women have played in history

That list summarizes basic feminist beliefs— all beliefs about equality and respect. With those beliefs in mind, I'd like to discuss some of the stereotypes which I believe, through my recent conversations, may have become attached to feminism.

Stereotype one: During a lively conversation at a potluck a few weeks ago, a young woman confessed to me that she didn't want to be associated with feminism because "The boys think you're a Lesbian." I hope young men are more intelligent than to think like that; but here are the facts. Feminism is one of the most diverse political movements in history. It includes men as well as women, people of all races, creeds, nationalities, and yes, sexual preferences. Claiming that feminists are lesbians is a sweeping generalization based on fear. People who say that are using a specific fear, homophobia, as a way to intimidate and control the behavior of women. However, what's important is that because the basic values of feminism are equality and respect, the movement may include many kinds of people. I'm proud of that.

Stereotype two: "If you say you're a feminist, people say you're macho. I don't want to be a macho woman." Because I was so startled by this twist of language, I looked up the word. It comes from machismo and means "a strong or exaggerated sense of manliness." I assume the remark means that if a woman is too strong or assertive, she sacrifices her femininity. I ask, then why do I know many women who are strong and assertive, who promote values of equality and respect for women, who aren't in the least bit "macho?" I think of leaders in the women's movement. They include mothers, nurturers who have families, and women who promote a variety of women's roles. They all reveal femininity to various degrees natural to them. All of them believe strongly in equality and respect. So why is this term being applied to feminists in general? Probably because more women ARE assertive, a quality which is traditionally associated with the "man's role." That threatens some people in power. People who examine this claim will discover one more way fear of being different is used to keep women timid or confused.

Stereotype three: Another person told me, "Feminists are man-haters" My immediate reaction was a personal one. "I'm a feminist, but I don't hate men. I'm happily married to a man." I realized another generalization was being used to instill fear and resentment, this time in men. That statement invites this opposition from males: "Well, if they hate me, why can't I hate them back." It's intended to divide instead of unify men and women. It puts hatred before equality. The truth is, feminists have varied attitudes about men, and for that matter—about women. Some women who are feminists have had difficult encounters with some men, and as a result distrust men, or don't want to have strong associations with men. This is their right. But many women (myself included) see that men may be allies and colleagues in the work for tolerance and mutual respect.

Though there are other stereotypes, a particularly dangerous one goes like this: "We don't have to think about women's rights anymore. It's been done; lets move on." I'd love to believe that. I do believe important strides have been made. However, because women are still paid only 73% (national average) of what men are; because of the increased incidence of abuse, as well as sex and hate crimes against women; and because remarks like those cited above reveal sexual stereotyping and misunderstanding, I think we have work to do. I hope we remember that sexism, racism, and other cultural injustices recur only if we let them. Many of us may need to look closely at our behavior, language, and thinking. When we make derogatory remarks about women (or men) are we doing so out of fear of change? Are we compensating for feelings of insecurity or inferiority by criticizing someone else's beliefs or objectifying somone else’s body? Are we making unfair generalizations? I'm proud of being a woman who believes in feminism. I'm saying respect me, my rights, my body, and you will earn the same respect from me.

Posted by editor at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)

A Place to Hang My Hat

By Holly Spaulding
Sun staff writer

Not too long ago I ran into an acquaintance who said that she had heard I was back in the area. . . possibly for good. Whatever that means. I told her that Robert and I had just moved into our own home near the village of Cedar. "What happened, did your brain fall out of your head?" she queried in disbelief, as if my having done so was a defeat, a rejection of idyllic possibilities, and therefore a compromise that someone like me would be unlikely to make.

She meant well, half-serious and half-kidding; being familiar with my nomadic habits, she probably intuited how strange this decision must be for me. We run into each other infrequently between my trips away. She works in the office with one of my editors-- the one who always asks where I've just blown in from, then hesitates, throws his hands in the air with exasperation, and says "I don't even want to know because I can never keep track of you anyway."

My acquaintance confided that her boyfriend is trying to convince her to move to Nashville, where he lives, but she has told him that she thinks this is a crazy idea, regardless of love, and she would never consider it--unless he happened to be living on a big lake. Despite ourselves, we recognize how special this part of Michigan really is.

Meanwhile, it’s been over three years since I've had a place to hang my hat
for more than just a few weeks at a time. Writing this, I am conscious that there is an element of this lifestyle that is both disconcerting and yet worthy of respect. The truth is, I enjoy the shifting scenery, the sense of adventure, and the ways movement and transition flesh out the person I am always becoming. I would not forfeit the experience of waiting out repairs on a decrepit ferry off the coast of western Thailand, for example, for the sense of place or home that I speak of when I say I want to hang my hat at last. I would not edit out the disorientation I felt when I suddenly knew very little about the prevailing cultural and intellectual climate as a graduate student in Ireland. I would not recognize myself for who I am if it weren't for the books I read and the places I found myself as a result of having roommates in college who did not share the same background.

It seems that now is the time to be mobile and unpredictable. And this is the advice plenty of mothers and grandmothers have given me, knowing that as soon as children come into the picture it can be much more difficult to take off to New York, Cologne or Auckland on a whim. But it is also true that I am a nester, and this means that I'll admit to entertaining the fantasies of someone who wants nothing more than to unpack the bags and unbox the books. For two years I have been wanting walls to hang my collection of beloved paintings and photographs on, and a well-equipped kitchen where I can finally learn some of the Indian recipes that I so love when others prepare them for me!

As a writer I know that I require the dynamic, life-changing perspectives that moving from place to place can offer. And yet as a writer I also want a desk and my library close at hand. For now I will attempt to achieve a fine balance of the two, and to do this I have chosen a place that has always been a source of peace and creativity. My family is close by, and for the first time in ten years we can spend time together, even work together, instead of only enjoying short visits throughout the year. My brother Peter is entering his senior year of High School and will soon be off to who knows where. So coming home to Michigan was not only a choice, it was an opportunity.

These days I begin my morning deep in the grasses of my overgrown yard. I make my way slowly to the small patch of vegetables and flowers that we have cultivated, and I take great pleasure in the arrival of mature broccoli heads, crisp lettuce. At the moment, we await the grapes that will soon fall from the overburdened arbors. Other thrills of the landed life have been the unanticipated perennials the last owners must have spent years planting around the homesite. I begin my morning looking at these, perhaps cutting a few blossoms to place around the house. I go into my kitchen-work table, or up to the porch, and I drink my coffee and read to the sounds of birds and insects.

In the years since graduating from high school I have watched dozens of friends move to one or the other of the coasts. I have taken advantage of my well-situated contacts in New York, San Francisco and elsewhere to visit and enjoy these places. I love the hum of activity and the immediacy of emergent thinking and activism that ripples out from these origins in concentric circles. I love the concentration of great minds and artists who milk the intensity of the moment. Daniel, a composer and musician and college friend, rang last week from New York. As usual he is in the thick of things: writing and performing music for some of the best dance companies and choreographers in the city, producing his own CDs, teaching kids at an art school in Harlem; one of his latest works premiered at Carnegie Hall in January. How can I listen to this and not think: "Ah, how I would love to be doing that, too!" Surrounded by other artists and an infinite number of collaborations and venues, Daniel would not think of being anywhere else. But despite my deep love for New York, I'm not sure if I could truly give up the woods, meadows and streams that always put things into perspective for me.

Then from the other coast comes a call from Kyle, who until last fall had been
working for an internet start-up firm. She left when she began suffering repetitive stress syndrome in her hands from typing, though not her own poems or articles as she would like. She has tried numerous physical therapies to treat the injury but is still in pain. For the time being she is a student and resident at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in the Carmel Valley. She tells me that when she returned to the Bay area for a visit recently, she ran into a friend who still works for Kyle's previous employer. When Kyle asked her friend if she was happy, the friend paused and said "Well, I suppose I am, about a third of the time." She stays in the job because the money is good and the stock options are even better. Stock options!?

This is when I have the surreal sense that I am not a twenty-six year old adult, but rather the eighteen year old who lives paycheck to paycheck, satisfying immediate needs, but otherwise disinterested and naive to the big bad world of financial planning-or any kind of planning, for that matter. Kyle confided that she would rather get by on five dollars a day and have enough time to drink her coffee slowly in the morning, to play her guitar, to write songs, and to read, than to be slaving for any amount of money. I couldn't agree more.

When people say to me "So, I hear you are settling down" I cringe at the phrase, as it brings to mind the whole suburban-nuclear family-mini van-I'll travel when I retire-mentality. Then I remind myself of how happy I am, even without the boundless city or the internet economy. I still find myself rebelling against anything that puts me at risk of truly settling down. I've already marked my calendar for multiple excursions out of state and beyond, despite our being just three months in our house. But this is the fine balance I speak of: a home as a base, and a schedule that allows me to get away and to be spontaneous when that is where my heart pulls me. The sort of settling that many people choose at approximately my age is not an inevitability, and with this in
mind, I place my faith in a long tradition of making things up as I go, so that whatever is needed in the moment, it can be satisfied.

By now it is no secret that Leelanau offers a quality of life and an aesthetic experience (very close to the same thing in my mind) that is increasingly precious. While teaching in Detroit recently, I was reminded of how pervasive urban sprawl is, and how this has tremendous effects on how people get around (almost exclusively by car), the amount of free time they have (virtually none, since the commute to and from work is so consuming), and where they spend their time (basically indoors, often shopping).

When I finished work or had a day off, I would have liked to go for a long walk, or at the very least be in the fresh summer air somewhere away from asphalt or the interstate. Where does one do such a thing in the land of perpetual shopping malls? More importantly, where do kids play? If they are outdoors, it is among cars and noise; if indoors, my students showed a preference for television and playstations, despite their all being bright and artistically inclined. I know that given the option, many of them would love to be swimming, building forts, or fishing.

Robert and I may be in Nepal this winter, or South America, or by the ocean in one of our favorite campsites. But we will eventually come home to Cedar, and this will be good.

Posted by editor at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)

HORNING IN ON SUMMERTIME

The Fabulous HornDogs Shine On

By Deborah Cole
Sun contributor

Let's just get the rumors dispelled right off. The band is not splitting up. And Paul is definitely not dead. In fact Paul Kuepfer, former trumpet man for The Fabulous HornDogs is back to stay, and very much alive. For just a couple of weeks more The Fabulous HornDogs is an eight-piece band with two trumpets. Newt Cole, saxophone player and the leader of the band, was excited at the prospect of a larger horn section because it would allow for the addition of a baritone sax to the mix. "But you need at least four horns to cover all the parts," he explained.

Trumpet player Chuck Navyac will be leaving the band in September, heading for Ann Arbor to continue his education, and so the band membership returns to seven. But Newt has not dropped the baritone sax idea. In fact he's been beefing up his lip on his piano-sized bass sax, and making sounds about adding it to the horn mix.

Those who made it to the Dunegrass Festival August 5 of this year, and heard the Dogs there, may have noticed a few new original tunes in their repertoire. In early spring of this year the group recorded their first original song, Summertime Shoes, which began with lyrics passed by Deb Cole to guitar player Mike Marois, in an effort to "light a fire". Mike added some lyrics of his own and took the tune to a rhythm sectional at the home of bass player Joe Williams, and then to the complete band. The result was a tune with great driving rhythm, sort of a rock and roll rap, that brought audiences to their feet. Soon after that, Joe had written another fast moving tune, "Surely Got Me," which seemed to fuel the horn section into action. Trombonist Jimmy Gallagher wrote three songs, Free HBO, Cage of Love, and Had a Good Day before the arrival of summer threw the band into the maelstrom of back-to-back performances that won't end until summer does.

Until that happens, the band is having fun blasting out with four horns. "Summer crowds are fun to play for. They like to get up and dance their socks off," said keyboard player Tim Wire, "but the local fans are the best of all." Wire should know. He was off on a whirlwind tour through the French Riviera with Blues Legend Son Seals last month. "The French love the American Blues," he wrote on a postcard that arrived two weeks after he returned home, "but I can't wait to get back and blow some notes with the Dogs!"

The Dogs all say that the Goodbye Fudgie Blast (at the Cove in Leland on Monday, September 4) is the best of both (next to the Dunegrass) "It's outside, it's still summer, it's all our friends, and they're out there celebrating having survived the summer," said Newt. "We're all celebrating our survival of the summer!"

But, anticipation is a good thing. It keeps the spirit afire. And the band is excited about their in-progress all-original CD, and about the opportunity, finally, to complete it this fall. There are rumors about a reggae tune in the works, something about a tiki bar hidden somewhere in the dunes.

"It is happening," promised Mike Marois. "This is a group that loves to work together, but it's a big group and that can make it hard. The great thing is, we all have these wonderful, creative ideas, and somebody will just toss something out and somebody else will grab on and run with it -- you never know where it will go. We're definitely going to have something special when it's finished."

Posted by editor at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2000

Riverfront Pizza and Deli expands into their 18th year

By Norm Wheeler
Sun editor

It’s hard to pin down Tim or Sue Nichols for an interview at Riverfront Pizza & Deli. This time of the year they’re almost too busy to talk. And showing up at the end of lunch hour is bad timing. But after 18 years of serving the Glen Lake area, they are one of the town’s oldest businesses still operated by the original owners, so they are patient with me, and they are always gracious. Sue takes time to tell me about the new deli operation that they started in May. “We have sandwiches, rollups, salads, cheesecakes, and bar cookies ready to go out the door,” Sue says. “Everybody seems to be in such a big hurry when they’re on vacation!” The deli hopes to expand with entree-type take-outs in the fall, including hot food and soups “like the former Exquisite Edibles in Traverse City used to sell.” The deli is open daily (except Sunday) from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sue has tried several local jobs over the years before realizing she is happiest “just making food.” She did accounting for Leelanau Coffee Roasters, and before that she managed Becky Thatcher Jewelry Designs. “It’s most satisfying to do something you really like,” admits Sue, “and our help, especially Suzy Viswat, is great!”

Tim Nichols anchors the original “pizza processing plant”, which is in reality just a tiny kitchen. From that end of the building customers pick up pizza, fried foods, subs and salads from 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. “We plan to expand with another pizza oven, and hopefully with a steam bar with self-service for soups in another month or so,” Tim announces. Tim is a familiar face in Glen Arbor, as he also is an EMT, a member of the Fire Department, and a former member of the town council. “When it snows we’ll shut down the lunch service, and I’ll make pizzas from 5 - 10 p.m,” he says. Tim delivers food to the Leelanau School dorms at the end of winter evening shifts, and says “The appetites of those Leelanau School students definitely keeps us going in the winter.”

The busy summer season and the prospect of expansion has buoyed up the Nichols’ after a sad spring. “We lost our dog in February, Tim’s dad in April, and both of my grandmothers in June and July,” Sue laments, “so we’re real tired of funerals. I told the florist to just sign me up for the ‘plant of the month’ club.” But despite their busy schedule, Tim and Sue Nichols share their home with Tim’s mom, Harriet Nichols,who is 87. “She’s very sharp both physically and mentally,” Sue reports, “so that is really a blessing.”

So now Riverfront Pizza can provide you with both lunch and dinner. If you happen to be floating by in a kayak or a canoe, you are allowed to shout your order to the staff and come back to pick it up when you get out of the river! Tim and Sue Nichols have been taking care of their little bend in the Crystal River for 18 years by serving good food out-the-door. Now, as their menu expands, I can’t wait to try the oxbow soup!

Posted by editor at 11:57 AM | Comments (0)

Odell hopes to awaken “The Sleeping Giant in the Sleeping Bear Dunes”

By Norm Wheeler
Sun editor

The new president of the Leelanau School is Richard Odell, and he feels he has come home. Originally from Vermont, Odell says “The beauty of this area is much like the environment where I was brought up, so I’m am very pleased to be here.” For the past three years Odell has been starting up the Pendleton School in Bradenton, FL, a private school on the property of the International Management Group Academies. “That’s a sports training center for kids,” he explains. “Monica Seles, Venus and Serena Williams, and Andre Agassi all went there. So now they have an academic program to go with their sports training.” Richard Odell has also been the president of Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Chicago Academy for the Arts. He once owned a gourmet delicatessen in Brattleboro, VT called “Tastebuds,” and he worked at the Northfield Mt. Herman School in Massachusetts.

I asked Richard Odell why he decided to take the job at the Leelanau School. He replied, “Educationally, it’s an opportunity to help a school achieve its full potential. This little school is something big that’s ready to burst forth. It’s like a sleeping giant in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. All the puzzle parts are here to create a beautiful educational picture and experience.” Given the faculty, surroundings, and program, Odell believes the Leelanau School “can successfully secure students who are interested in or focussed on the areas of environment, medicine, the sea, the sky, and writing.”

Full of ideas and enthusiasm, Mr. Odell talked about his visions for the Leelanau School. “We’re here to provide a superior educational development opportunity for focussed youth. We will be making some improvements to campus facilities, and we will be reaching out to collaborate with the community of Glen Arbor and surrounding communities to create this opportunity.” Mr. Odell is considering how to create some weekend environmental programming for families, for example, how to provide more educational opportunities for visitors of the Homestead and Glen Arbor, and how to get Leelanau students involved with more community service projects. He sees the cultural diversity of the Leelanau School to be a continuing strength. “Not all kids learn the same way.” Richard Odell said. “We sometimes try to make everyone fit into one program, not noticing their inherent differences. This school can be an international melting pot for various learning styles and values. I look forward to getting to know the people of Glen Arbor and hearing what visions they may have for the Leelanau School as well. This school is a gem in the middle of the national lakeshore, and we’re determined to sparkle and shine and be one of the jewels of this community!”

Posted by editor at 11:56 AM | Comments (0)