Glen Arbor Sun

November 08, 2007

Foothills restaurant celebrates 50 years

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

In the sixties, if you dined at The Foothills Restaurant near Glen Lake, a baked chicken dinner with relishes, a loaf of bread, salad, potato, vegetable and beverage could set your pocketbook back $3.50.

Fast-forward to 2007. A lunch of chicken tenders can still be had for $3.75, but a half-century of inflation has had a predictable impact on other menu prices. However, later in November, Foothills’ owner Don Sielaff will turn the clock back to a time when coffee was cheap and conversation flowed slower than the Crystal River in August.

From Monday, Nov. 19, through Wednesday, Nov. 21, the restaurant will commemorate 50 years of service to Glen Lake-area patrons by offering a free slice of anniversary cake and a 50-cent cup of coffee.

“It’s our small way of thanking long-time customers, neighbors and new folks for their loyalty, friendship and future business,” he says.

In October, 1956, on County Rd. 675 (Dunn’s Farm Rd.), just west of Trumbull Road, the land that would later become the site of The Foothills was purchased by Roland and Genevieve Foote. By ’57, the motel and restaurant were born. In 1965, the Footes sold the improved property to Joe and Dorothy Zboyan, who owned and operated The Foothills Restaurant & Motel until 1988. In November of ’98, after 10 years under various owners and managers, Don Sielaff purchased the property. Prior to ’98, Don had managed 42 employees in a 24-hour, 125-seat restaurant in West Bloomfield called “Village Place.”

“The first time I ever walked into The Foothills, with all of those nice windows, I said, ‘I’m going to own this some day.’”

His dream was realized, and the slower pace of life appealed to his family — though as Don later noted, Sunday mornings were and still are every bit as hectic as what he experienced downstate.

Among numerous property improvements made in the last nine years are a paved parking area, air-conditioned dining room, cooling units in the cooking line, a walk-in cooler and new range. As proud as he is of his upgrades, Don is more impressed by the original diner-style tables, chairs and booths — all recently reupholstered.

“Many guests visit every year,” he says. “Five out of seven days, I’ll serve the same locals. I’ve even had people come in and say, ‘Oh, man, I worked here 30 years ago.’

“I always invite them in the back to tour the kitchen.”

For motel reservations and information, call 334-3495. To reach the café, call 334-7499. Hours for the café are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Posted by editor at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2007

New photographer sends a Ripple throughout local art scene

By Corin Blust
Sun contributor

Jeff Ripple may be “a Florida boy at heart,” but after marrying local Pam Lincoln last July he has begun to embrace the idyllic rolling hills and gentle landscape that characterizes Leelanau County. Ripple’s breathtakingly detailed wilderness photographs are on display at his new gallery and studio, Ripple Effect, on Front Street in Empire, next to the Blue Heron.

Jeff was born in Ft. Lauderdale, but his family moved around the American South quite a bit during his childhood. Before Ripple was seven years old he had already lived in Florida, Las Vegas, Missouri, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Even though Jeff is colorblind, he has “always been into art.” He drew and painted as a child, but “when I was about 17 I got to a point where I couldn’t do wildlife anymore so I gave up on it,” focusing instead on writing. He attended colleges in Iowa and Missouri before graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in English.

That English degree led Jeff to write natural history books. He has published nine books to date on subjects spanning from Sea Turtles to Manatees and Dugongs to the Florida Keys. Jeff’s most recent book is Day Paddling Florida’s Big Cypress Swamp and 10,000 Islands, published by Countryman Press in 2004. His books feature epic photographs and eloquently written information.

Jeff’s photography and articles have also appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, Outside, BBC Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Boating Life, Sail, Men’s Fitness, Falcon Guides and Audubon Field Guides.

After taking a three- or four-year hiatus from making his own visual art, Jeff found himself in the Ozarks, wishing for a better camera. “It’s a beautiful landscape there and there was so much I wanted to do with that, I wanted to make art of that, and all I had was a horrible little instamatic,” he remembers.

Once he moved back to Florida, Jeff “was bound and determined to get a real camera,” which ended up being an old Canon 81 35 millimeter. “A friend showed me how to load the film, and I started out with that,” he recalls.

About a year later, a coworker showed Jeff a book by landscape photographer David Muench, and “it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They were mostly big desert landscapes and the amount of detail from the foreground all the way back, the crispness and the depth, I was just enchanted by them. I knew that was what I wanted to do, make images like that.”

So Jeff, who is an entirely self-trained photographer, bought some books on photography and “set up in my yard with concrete blocks and worked on my depth of field until I could get the camera to do what I wanted.”

Over 20 years later, it’s clear that Jeff Ripple has certainly become a master wilderness photographer. His images, which often incorporate water, are rich with crystal clear detail, a wide variety of textures, beautiful backcountry settings, and light that spills luxuriously over the frame, elements that culminate to create a rare sense of drama.

Today he works with a “big wooden camera and very slow film, anywhere from a second to more than a minute” so that he can get a good “sense of activity- swirling water, clouds, wind,” in his photographs, he explains. His camera folds up into a box, which he then fits into a waterproof backpack and takes into the field on his kayak, or shoots from the platform he built on top of his van. This enables him to really get out into the wilderness and capture some images many of us would normally never see.

Visit his gallery and you will find yourself lost in the wilderness that Jeff so carefully documents. His large format photographs are especially enthralling because the wealth of detail he captures is so clear and crisp, it is the next best thing to actually being in the landscape; possibly even better because Jeff’s take on the land is so carefully visualized.

Since Jeff is relatively new to Leelanau County, he is still getting adjusted to the difference in climate from Florida. “I like sunshine,” he says, “It’s the lack of sun in the winter that would do me in.” Nevertheless, Ripple still enjoys the landscape around our area. “It has really expressive skies, and a kind of pastoral-type landscape, it’s not rugged. It has a very pleasing feel to it, and wonderful light, being a peninsula.”

Look for Ripple Effect in the third annual Fall For Art in Leelanau galley tour, October 5-7. Jeff Ripple will also be conducting photography classes next summer. To find out more about Jeff’s work or to purchase prints, stop by the gallery on Front Street in Empire, visit www.jeffripple.com or call (239) 642-2255.

Posted by editor at 02:07 PM | Comments (0)

August 09, 2007

Knitting yarns in Cedar

Codi Yeager
Sun contributor

One stereotype has long dominating the knitting world: an ancient, needle wielding grandmother with white hair and inch-thick glasses looking out at society in outright defiance of all the realities connected to true knitters and their yarn habit. Yet one step inside Inish Knits in Cedar reveals that the vibrant, knitting subculture of today is a far cry from the solitude of a drab rocking chair. And now that women don’t necessarily need to make socks and mittens for their families, knitting groups are much more than neighbors conversing while performing a necessary task. In fact, it is no longer a common task, but a common love that brings together the members of a knitting circle. For the women who meet at Inish Knits, knitting seems to have ceased being a ‘group’ activity and has instead become a sisterhood.

“We’re friends, not just knitters,” says Deb Herman, a regular member of the group that meets every Wednesday night. The others, spread about in clusters throughout the store and seated on various couches, stools and chairs, nod in agreement as they work on socks and hats. A few knitters compare sock patterns, and more call out their opinions. “Socks seem to be the new rage,” says Deb as she shows me the ones dangling from her needles. “You can take them with you, and they’re very easy to knit while you talk.”

Norvilla Bennett knitted her first pair of socks last summer, when she decided to take a break from mittens. “I had been knitting mittens for my five nieces and nephews for Christmas for about 20 years. Then I stopped. I joined the knitting group because I wanted to make mittens again,” she explains. Socks and hats were the next step, but she says she couldn’t have done it without the help of the group. “They really challenged me and were very supportive. I love watching and learning from them.”

Melissa Kelenske, the present owner of Inish Knits, has only been knitting since 2001, yet is one of the most advanced knitters in the group. “Without the group, without other people pushing me, I never would have become a better knitter,” she attests.

Daryl Webster, another group member, agrees that knitting with others makes her a better knitter simply because she sees different projects that she likes. “I would see a sweater that someone else was making, try it on, and say, well, I want to make that for myself.” Yet improved knitting skills aren’t the only benefit of the knitting group. “It gives you a real sense of community,” says Daryl. “There has been a kind of revolution. Before, knitting was solitary; it was something you did at home. Knitting together and sharing the experience is relatively new.”

Perhaps this is due to the fact that women in past decades have been slowly becoming more independent. “A lot of the time we don’t allow ourselves to get together as women and indulge ourselves. At first, I didn’t think it was okay to take the time for something like a knitting group, but now it’s my place to be on Wednesday night,” says Norvilla.

“It’s our night out,” agrees Deb. The ‘girls night out’ type of atmosphere is certainly present, evidenced by the constant chatter and almost constant laughter. Any subject under the sun is fair game, though mostly the talk pertains to knitting. That in itself opens the door to a plethora of topics. For example, is it safe to knit something for a baby that has yet to be born, or is that just plain bad luck? The consensus was that, if you want to be a grandmother, there’s no problem with knitting some baby booties or a hat, but if a want-to-be-mother is knitting clothes for a much desired baby, she’s playing with fate. Knitting and weaving seminars are another conversation, as well as felting stories that are strongly reminiscent of fish tales, (“The bags are this big before you wash them!” Norvilla says as she spread her arms in a giant arc.) Felting, by the way, is a process in which projects knitted with 100 percent wool are washed, shaped and dried until they become felt. The projects are intentionally knitted large so that when they shrink they reach the desired proportions. Melissa mentions that she is unable to do felting in her new washer, much to the dismay of the other knitters. After all, when knitting is your life, what use is an appliance that doesn’t cooperate with yarn?

And knitting is Melissa’s life. She learned the trade in the summer of 2001, before knitting became popular again, from a friend with whom she worked. “She was making a sweater, and I was just amazed,” remembers Melissa, “she gave me my first pair of needles and they’re still my favorites.” Melissa attended Hope College and majored in Creative Writing, and in the fall of 2006 she purchased Inish Knits from Fiona McPherson Grant. As the third owner, the store was already established as a yarn shop when Melissa bought it. “It was nice to purchase a business. All of the fixtures and furniture were already in place,” she attests. However, it still took a lot of work to achieve the Inish Knits that is present today. “I basically just had to put my touch on things. We painted every wall in the entire shop, got a new inventory and basically put a facelift on everything.” For her work, the rewards are satisfying. “I like helping someone who is learning to knit, or someone who has a problem that they’re having trouble tackling. I like seeing that light bulb moment for someone … when the world makes sense,” she says.

Selecting yarns for the upcoming seasons is another facet of her job that Melissa enjoys. “I choose primarily natural fibers, mostly wool, but I have cotton, Alpaca, silk a good mix of local products. I’m always searching for yarns that are spun and dyed in the United States,” she says. Melissa will try out organic wool this fall, but otherwise she has a “few secrets” in store for the future.

For now the Wednesday night knitting group will continue as it has since beginning with the first owner of Inish Knits, and will remain Melissa’s favorite part of her work. “It is such a bright spot in everyone’s week,” she says. “It’s so nice to get together and be together. I never would have met these women otherwise.”

Social workers, office managers, nurses … women from all walks of life are welcome in the community formed by the knitting group. Yet there is one thing they all have in common: they’re knitters. “Everyone here, we’re knitters. It has become so closely identified with myself, so closely related to my personality,” says Melissa, “I love interacting with people on a daily basis who love this fiber world as much as I do.”

Norvilla perhaps puts it best when she says, “I was asked what I did for fun and relaxation. Without even thinking I said, ‘I knit’. It’s just been fun.”

Posted by editor at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)

Friendly serves best burgers around

By Carly Brady and Helen Westie
Sun contributors

Carly Brady is a reporter for TV 7&4 News)

Joe’s Friendly Tavern in Empire recently received the most votes in local television station 7&4 News’ poll for the best hamburger in northern Michigan. The full story is available on 7&4’s website at www.tv7-4.com under the icon “Your Town Showdown.” The Friendly Tavern has been around for 70 years and the hamburgers have always been popular. Frank and Mary Lerchen purchased the restaurant last year, along with the Empire Village Inn, from Mike Wiesen. The Lerchens also opened Gemma’s café on M-22 in Empire last year. Visit our online archives at www.glenarborsun.com/archives/2006/05/restaurant_mogu.html for a feature on the Lerchens.

Visitors to Empire absolutely rave about the succulent hamburgers. The Original Friendly Burger and Joe’s Famous Cheeseburger are probably the most popular of the 11 kinds on the menu. Of the specialty burgers, Frank’s favorite is the Bleu Cheese Burger. The fresh ground beef patty gets seared to perfection before being covered with a generous portion of crisp bacon and grilled onions and then smothered with a homemade portion of bleu cheese dressing.

Another “must try” burger is the County Fair Burger. The famous ground chuck is topped with a pile of chili cheese and French fries.

Lenny, one of the cooks at the Friendly, says the burgers are so good because “we grind our meat fresh every morning.” The meat is weighed out and formed into one-third pound patties. Joe’s grinds up and sells nearly 14 tons of fresh hamburgers a year — about 600 or 700 every day during the busy tourist season.

“The process of grinding started about 50 years ago and is our claim to fame,” says Frank.

A stop at Joe’s Friendly Tavern should be on everyone’s “to do” list when visiting Empire.

Posted by editor at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2007

Empire’s Neighborly New Community

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

Norm and Cile Plumstead could easily picture themselves sitting on a front porch in Empire’s New Neighborhood and enjoying the pristine view of the forested ridge from lot number three. Prior to 2004, the couple had lived in cities near Lake Michigan with a similar small-town feel, such as Libertyville, Ill. (population 21,000), boasting century-old buildings, and East Grand Rapids (population 10,800), with recreational Reeds Lake as its centerpiece.

“We always knew we wanted to move north,” Norm says. “We were working our way around Lake Michigan.”

When Norm’s job necessitated a move to this area, his online research and reconnaissance trip to Empire (population 400, depending on the season) to “tool around the streets” brought him to the then-fledgling New Neighborhood community. While the couple liked the neighborhood concept, it was the commanding view of that hill in the National Park and proximity to Lake Michigan that helped clinch the sale.

“With a half-mile walk to the lake, it really has it all,” Norm says of his not-quite-three-year-old digs.

The family’s two-story home has a wide, south-facing front porch, just as they imagined, and their view of the neighborhood park across the street is uncluttered by homes or parked cars. Alley access and parking behind the houses mimic the original village design and are two of several Empire features the New Neighborhood developers sought to emulate.

Cile said the setting is perfect for their sons, three-year-old Henry and three-month-old Brody. “We spend a lot of time outside with Henry,” she says of her tricycle-riding, toy truck-playing oldest son.

On Saturday mornings in the summer, the family strolls down sidewalks a couple of blocks to buy fresh veggies at the farmers’ market. Many times, they’ll return downtown in the afternoon for ice cream at Tiffany’s. Evenings typically find them walking in the neighborhood, at a time when other families are doing the same. In another month, when Lake Michigan warms, Norm, Cile and the kids will spend a few hours each weekend along Empire’s sandy shoreline.

“We’ll take an early walk down to the beach with the wagon before the crowds get going,” Norm says.

On a Friday night, after an exhausting workweek, they sometimes head to the Friendly Tavern or the Village Inn for pizza.

Cile says living close to a large city like Chicago had certain advantages — such as more dining choices — but that it’s a worthwhile tradeoff. “When we do go out, we see people we know,” she explains.

Meeting and enjoying the company of neighbors is another aspect of small-town living the Plumsteads appreciate about Empire.

“We know just about all of our neighbors,” Norm says. Good friends with a young child live down the street. In fact, while sitting on their front porch describing their lifestyle, a couple of familiar faces — Jennifer and Chris — walked by, pushing a stroller, and Norm exchanged greetings with them.

“We had ‘game night’ last night,” Norm continues. “Next-door neighbors and other Empire residents walked over and back home.”

A “pretty casual” neighborhood street party is held annually but, in the meantime, residents sometimes dine at each others’ homes, and dogs greet each other on early morning walks around the block.

Very early morning is when Norm rises to run on park trails or fire roads before driving 12 miles to work at Honor State Bank.

“It’s great because we’re right in the middle of the (National) Park,” Norm says.

Both Norm and Cile enjoy running in marathons, and Cile plans to participate in an event held during Cherry Festival. Still on maternity leave from her part-time job at a Traverse City cardiology office, she says the half-hour commute isn’t a big deal when, in their experience, it was nothing to have an hour’s commute to Chicago from their Libertyville home.

Though the couple finds that they don’t sit on their front porch as much as they would like, (with two young sons to raise), as Norm says, smiling and glancing at Henry with his toy trucks, “There will be plenty of time for that later.”

For more information about the New Neighborhood, visit www.newneighborhoodempire.com or call Stapleton Realty at 231-326-4000.

Posted by editor at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)

Family-owned Maple Disposal puts customers’ needs first

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

With one truck and a goal of giving nothing but the best possible service and price, Dave Barron bought Cedar Disposal from Waste Management in the spring of 2002. The solid waste collection corporation, headquartered in Texas, had acquired the company from original owners “Art and Mike” when the pair decided to retire.

Now in its fifth year, Dave’s company, which he renamed “Maple Disposal,” is the only Ma-and-Pa operation still servicing the area, according to its owner.

“We had and still have a lot of growth,” Dave says. “We’ve added routes, people and trucks.”

He credits his ability to compete against three other major waste hauling operations with his family-owned business priorities: service first, employees second and profit third.

A heavy equipment operator by trade, Dave pushed and packed trash and worked in other capacities for 24 years, 19 of those with Glen’s Landfill on M-72. When Waste Management bought Glen’s, Dave said it was time to “fly or die,” and he made the decision to try the trash hauling business. Being able to look at the big picture and plan for the future were two things he felt were absolutely necessary for success. He said he is not in favor of “the corporate mentality of chasing money at all costs.”

“Thinking purely on price … you can’t do that,” Dave says. “Trucks wear out, costs go up. I have a formula I have to follow; you fail, if you don’t. You can’t be competitive if you don’t plan ahead and manage dollars.

Dave says residents who call Maple Disposal become the company’s top priority, and he never wants the company to get so big that it loses a one-on-one connection with its customers.

For a small company, Maple Disposal’s flexible service plans give residential customers a huge array of choices: two rental tote sizes or budget tag service for individual bags of garbage; weekly, every-other-week or monthly pick-up service; seasonal service; and special pick-ups on non-compactable items, (furniture, tires, large metal objects, etc.).

“I try to be fair with my customers,” he says. “We’re not the cheapest, but we’re certainly not the most expensive.”

To keep capital costs down, he partners with a friend in Grand Rapids — a third-generation garbage man — who has connections for used rigs. Dave’s ace mechanic can build a much less expensive truck by combining a cab from Michigan with a chassis from Washington State.

His commitment to top customer service at reasonable prices meant he had to turn down “tons of business” in Traverse City the first few years.

“I didn’t allow myself to cover too much area,” Dave says. “When gas prices went to $3.20 a gallon, a lot of haulers went out of business.”

His Leelanau County service area has expanded, however, to include the west side of Grand Traverse County and that portion of Benzie County north of Cinder Road. Though Frankfort and Old Mission Peninsula have called, he said he currently can’t service those areas properly.

It’s a matter of priorities … and Dave’s second priority is his employees. He says his staff of 13, (four office personnel plus eight truck drivers and one full-time mechanic), is “exceptional.” All are local people. The labor-intensive waste disposal business needs dependable employees, so Dave’s original “flight” plan included hiring key staff. To that end, he offered employment with good pay and benefits — Blue Cross/Blue Shield, a 401(k) plan, Christmas bonuses — to people with whom he had previously worked.

“I have one word for this business … effort,” he says.

He works five to six days per week, 12 hours per day, (as he has since 2002), and “flies down the road” with his laptop. Wife Amy does the all-important billings. When customer dollars come through the door, the money is spent locally, whenever possible. The black garbage totes are made in Michigan, as are the big, red roll-offs. Huge commercial cans are purchased from a family-owned business in the Thumb area. Supplies come from Buntings Market in Cedar or the Short Stop in Maple City. Fuel is supplied by Lawson Oil.

“It comes back in spades,” Dave says of his company’s local purchasing habits.

Dave is also active with the Leelanau County Solid Waste Council, which meets the first Tuesday of every month, and is currently the chair pro tem. (Counties are required to have at least two or three disposal company representatives on the board or council, Dave says.)

When Waste Management could no longer provide recycling services for Leelanau at rates the county could afford, Dave’s company bought the trucks, picked up the cans and began making runs to WM’s processing center. By the next year, Maple Disposal had its own transfer station and collected all of the recycling at the county’s seven drop-off sites. Since 2006, Maple Disposal has also furnished recycling services to Benzie’s seven sites.

“We were asked to improve the program and reduce costs, and we did both,” he says. “We reduced Leelanau County’s processing costs by $10 per ton. We keep finding ways to reduce costs and pass it along,” he says. “I’ve got a huge investment, and I try to maintain it,” Dave says. “I’m happy to make a smaller amount and do it for a long time.”

For information about Maple Disposal call 231-228-7274 or 22TRASH.

Posted by editor at 10:49 AM | Comments (0)

June 14, 2007

Glen Lake grads open ZeroHour Gaming

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

A little more than a year ago, Dustin Sielaff and Jason Lewis, (Glen Lake class of 1998), were just getting their bearings as new business owners on Traverse City’s west side. Fourteen months and a move across town later, the pair has established themselves as the twenty-something, low-key proprietors of ZeroHour Gaming, Traverse City’s premier center for social computer gaming. ZeroHour, defined as the point at which everything ends and everything begins, has become for its customers a place “where reality ends and gaming begins.”

Photo courtesy of Jason Lewis

Relocating from the way-cool but cavernous space at the Horizon Outlet Center to the friendly, local atmosphere of Colonial Square has had certain advantages. Colonial Square, on South Airport Road west of Garfield, is also the home of the Fun Factory, specializing in board and card games, such as Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Risk and Monopoly. All manner of game hobbyists weave in and out of the two shops. “It’s been good for business,” Jason said. A few doors west is J&S Hamburg, perfectly situated for gamers’ sometimes hungry forays into the “real” world.

What has enticed ZeroHour’s plugged-in gamers to follow the center to the ether-reaches? It could be the 16 high-end Dell computers, each with 50 of the newest games installed, or the fact that the ‘puters are networked, allowing a gamer to play against others in the room. Or, perhaps, it’s the center’s ultra-fast Internet connection that enables a gamer to join thousands of others across the globe in “real time,” interactive play.

“The difference between playing here and at home is, you can yell at the person here,” Dustin said with a chuckle. “It’s the interaction. You can play right next to the person playing against you.” He added that playing with or against a real person in the room, or online, offers endless possibilities — unlike the “finite” plays offered by computer programs.

Some ZeroHour customers prefer gaming on one of two Xbox 360s — Microsoft’s wireless, high-performance, digital videogame console. Each Xbox allows four people to play a game at the same time, as they lounge in comfortable AK Rockers, (high-back rolling chairs with arms).

The gaming center offers access to popular titles, including: Counterstrike, Battlefield 2, Warcraft III, Unreal Tournament, Command & Conquer 3, Oblivion, DotA … and one video arcade game called “Commando”.

“It’s the hardest game in the store,” Dustin said. “We let people play it for free, (a year ago). For the first month, no one could beat the high score set by the machine.”

The computer games are a mix of FPS or first-person shooters, (the gamer sees through the eyes of the character in a fast-paced shoot-‘em-up meant for solo players and smaller groups); RPG or role-playing games; team-based games, (one-on-one or up to 32 on a side); real-time strategy games like Warcraft III; and MMOs, massively multi-player online games. The MMOs are a tad more costly to play, with a $15 per month average fee in addition to the usual $5 per hour gaming charge. As a member of iGames, a collective of cybercafés, ZeroHour may purchase playing time for MMO games like Titan Quest at less expensive group rates. Gamers who are members can participate in any café-to-café tournaments that ZeroHour decides to host at the center.

If all of this leaves you mystified, chances are you’re over 25, or female, and/or your hobbies range more toward the low-tech or ambulatory type. (The average age of gamers is 16 to 25, and most are male.) If you have a quasi-understanding of the above, you’re probably a baby boomer with a dusty disc or two of Doom or Civilization in your collection. ZeroHour hosts “a couple” of female gamers and has a nice complement of customers “at either end” of the average playing age, according to Dustin. Those under 13, however, aren’t allowed in the store unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, and 12 house rules for gaming are followed, including one about swearing around youngsters. “We’re strict about what kids under 13 can play,” Dustin said. “They must be age appropriate. A majority of our games are rated T, (teen),” he added.

Dustin and Jason, who grew up “like cousins,” were young people, themselves, when their interest in computers and gaming began. Dustin said he was 12 years old when he plugged his first Radio Shack computer into his TV. “It had no memory, and it took me six hours to program it,” he said. “I melted my first real motherboard at age 14 … using tin foil for a jumper. I’ve destroyed many computers since.” When he reached high-school age, Dustin ran a computer system at Glen Lake Schools and even had an office with a phone number and a mailbox. He said he was often called out of the classroom to fix a teacher’s computer.

Jason remembers using “an ancient thing” to play his first games, including Nintendo, when he was much younger. Among his favorites today are Counterstrike, (pitting terrorists against the good guys who work to diffuse bombs and rescue hostages), and the latest version of Civilization, (where the player is ruler and must build an empire that is stronger than those of competing civilizations — through strategy, warring, diplomacy and by other means).

Gamers enjoy solving problems, and many are also sociable players, preferring to game in a group rather than sit at home, alone. As such, the reputation of the gamer as “geek” is almost passé. Though someone always wants to play the older games, Dustin said that games that aren’t played as regularly are put up for sale. Other items for sale through ZeroHour’s website (www.tczerohour.com) include logo wear t-shirts that are anything but geeky.

In addition to gaming, the center offers a connection to the Internet for those without access. An elderly couple renting a cabin came in last spring to check their email. Another person spent three hours making travel plans – obtaining maps, arranging flights and reserving rental cars.

The center has also hosted birthday parties, both private and “public,” (Sundays are best), and has occasionally offered tournaments for randomly-selected games, usually scheduled midweek, as ZeroHour’s busiest times are Friday and Saturday – though any night after 10 p.m. can be busy. The wee hours are also when most of the store’s 10-oz. bottles of Bawls Guarana, a high-octane caffeine drink, are sold.

“I like the atmosphere here,” Jason explained. “I get to hang out with cool people and game regularly. It’s laid back, and I’m my own boss. All in all, it’s a pretty good time.”

“I’d be sitting at home doing the same thing,” Dustin said of his game-playing, work-a-day duties. “This place is great for my social life. I’ve got lots and lots of new friends.” He also added, with a bit of a lament, “But none of them are girls.”

ZeroHour Gaming is located at 1045 S. Airport Rd, 933-6001, www.tczerohour.com

Posted by editor at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2007

What the spring brought, and what happened while you were away

By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor

Jack DeGroot of Grand Rapids didn’t catch any scale-breaking fish in Little Glen Lake the weekend before Memorial Day, but he also didn’t have to leave Glen Arbor to fill up his gas tank for the drive home — and that bit of news was enough to put a smile on the outdoorsman’s scruffy face. For the first time in two summers the Glen Arbor Quick Stop just north of town is up and running — or more accurately put, up and dispensing petroleum.

Downstater Jack DeGroot feeds his hungry tank

Sure, at over $3 a gallon, the only people jumping for joy are the Saudi royal family and Hugo Chavez, but the fact that Glen Arbor residents and tourists no longer have to drive to Empire or Maple City for a fill-up is good news for our seasonal economy. Thus, Debbie Smith and Homecare Management’s acquisition and opening of the old Shell Station on M-22 is the most important news around town.

Smell the flowers

Jeanne Stevens filled another gaping need in Glen Arbor when she opened the doors to Freshwater Floral and Gifts in late April, painting the town pretty with colorful plumage. Her store is located next to Glen Arbor Realty across M-22 from the Town Hall. Now the local young bucks can pick up a sensual bouquet on the way to meet their honeys at The Homestead (and fill up the BMW on the way out of town).

Jeanne uses only top-notch, fresh flowers that she gets directly from growers, avoiding the middlemen who would leave them to dry out in trucks and warehouses and have to give the flowers the equivalent of an IV injection before you buy them. Jeanne is originally from Burdickville and graduated from Pathfinder School in Traverse City before she lived in Florida for three years and learned the art of flowers from a native-Long Islander who ran a flower shop in Fort Myers. She quickly discovered she had a knack for florals and took classes with FTD (Florists’ Telegraph Delivery). “I’d been thinking about opening a flower shop for six or seven years,” says Jeanne. “I was able to open the store in Glen Arbor because the space became available and everything came together. It was just the right space at the right time.”

The enthusiastic florist was more than happy to tell me about the science of her trade. “Some think you just cut the stems off the flowers and stick them in a vase, and that’s it. But there’s actually a lot of care involved with fresh flowers before you get them. All flowers are different (and require different ways of staying hydrated). For instance, you should take all the leaves off the stem of a carnation because as they turn bad and fall into water they’ll foul it through the gasses they emit, which will hurt the flower because other flowers aren’t drinking the freshest water.”

Jeanne also sells a variety of unique indoor plants to go with gourmet gift baskets and foods, not to mention her mother’s handcrafted jewelry. She delivered a tropical bouquet with ginger and roses to Le Bear for its opening weekend. And she’s heard numerous passersby say the words, “It’s about time we’ve had a flower shop here.” We agree.

Same Totem, new owners

The Totem pole and benches will remain out front at the nearly 70-year-old Totem Shop, an integral part of the Glen Arbor tourism experience. In fact, not too much will change in the store that Diana and Marc Oberschulte ran from 1989 until they sold it in April to a new company called Leelanau Gear, owned by Richard Roberts and Doug Thomas, who also own acquired the Harbor House in Leland.

“We’re bringing in some new lines. That’s the only difference,” says Doug. “We’ll still keep the souvenirs and toys and gifts that have always been here. We’ll add to the sweatshirts and t-shirts and also some new apparel, like The North Face and Merrell shoes, which will become mainstays. We want to keep the same feel of a resort store where the tourists can find the things they’re looking for, but with products that also appeal to the local residents. They can come in and find a jacket or a fleece without having to drive all the way into Traverse City.

“One of things that appealed to me is that, having grown up in this area, I remember coming to visit the Totem Shop and going through the toy room to find something I wanted,” Doug remembers. “There’s some nostalgia there. It’s just a good store with a good name that has always been successful. The Oberschultes always said that the Totem Shop was a fun store. Lots of kids come in, and almost everyone who comes in is on vacation.”

Doug laughs when he remembers April 17, the day that Leelanau Gear and Diana and Marc closed the deal. “We met at the Traverse City State Bank to do the closing there. The fire alarm kept going off and we kept evacuating building. We joked, ‘Is this some kind of sign?’ So finally we moved down to the Oberschulte’s attorney’s office on Front Street to sign the papers.”

Add a cherry on top

Now there’s one more cherry outlet in Glen Arbor, though it’s not another colony in the Cherry Republic empire. While Bob Sutherland has opened a Cherry Republic store on Front Street in Traverse City, what’s new to our town this spring is Brownwood Farms, which is moving into the Art’s Annex next to the tavern. Brownwood Farms, which opened in 1945 with a line of cherry butter and kream mustard, has expanded to cherry salsa and cherry barbecue sauce. The Williamsburg-based company, which does 90 percent of its business wholesale, has distributed to nearby stores in Suttons Bay and Leland in the past. It will rent about half of the annex from Tim Bar and Bonnie Nescott, but not all the products inside will be under the Brownwood label. “Our goal is to have lots of local products,” confirms Brownwood Farms’ Jeff Hughes.

Garden grows out of old laundry

Phil and Sue Deering keep taking on more responsibilities around Empire. The owners of Deering’s Market have now launched a Garden Center in the old laundromat on M-22 just south of the blinking light, which sat vacant for three years prior. Sue ran the garden center in the alley next to Deering’s for the last three years, but as demand increased, the space grew more and more crowded.

In its new, spacious location, the Garden Center offers a full line of perennials, annuals, shrubs and potted plants. Sue also boasts four rooms of garden art, decorations, birdbaths, feeders, birdseeds, hummingbird feeders and oriole feeders. “It’s a fun, relaxing experience running into everyone around town in here,” says Sue. “It looks nice, a little oasis on the highway. And it smells like spring and summer.”

Insuring the Rembrandt Building

After 21 years at Devette & Ford Insurance in Glen Arbor, Traci Apsey is fulfilling her dream of owning a business. Traci ran into Jan Keuning, who runs the Lighthouse Insurance chain out of Holland, and his son Ken, while eating a burger at the Empire Village Inn following a snowmobile trip last winter. The conversation that unfolded over the burger prompted her to open a local Lighthouse branch across the street in the old Rembrandt Building, which had been vacant for three years. Lighthouse thrives on the small-town appeal and runs several profitable agencies in villages throughout northern Michigan.

Posted by editor at 09:07 AM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2006

Additions to your movie collection

By Josh Burrows
Sun contributor

Did anyone besides me feel like they missed out on seeing as many films at the Traverse City Film Festival as they would have liked? Never fear, thanks to some generous people you still have a chance to see most of the films from the last two festivals. Not many people are aware of this, but the film fest organization has been donating extra copies of the films shown to local libraries. Unfortunately they have been unable to provide all of the films, sometimes because there aren’t enough copies and sometimes because they haven’t yet been released on DVD.

Luckily David Diller at The Glen Lake Community Library has been diligently tracking down the movies that the fest couldn't initially provide as well as the ones that have since been released on DVD and video. At this point, the Library’s 3,000-title DVD and video section contains almost all of the 2005 and 2006 Traverse City Film Festival selections, and room is being made for more titles. The collection is searchable online through the library's website www.GlenLakeLibrary.net. Just click on the IPAC (internet public access catalog) link. The system is easy to use, and you can even find out if the movie you want is checked out before you go to the library.

If you're like me, the film festival rolls around right when you're working the hardest. It can be impossible to plan getting tickets and time off, just when the tourist season is at its peak. So I propose that you all hold your own film festivals, a few months late of course. Below is a list of my top picks from the last two years. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope that if you do, you'll take advantage of the rest of this great little collection — now a permanent part of our community.

The Killing

First I must give due respect to this year's featured filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. It would be impossible to describe in a few words the innovation and attention to detail Kubrick brings to his trade, so I won’t even try. I will say this: Kubrick was an avid chess player, and he approached his films as he would a chessboard. Try keeping this in mind when you watch this very early work. Kubrick takes what should have been a simple heist film and turns it into a life and death battle of wills.

Breaking the Waves

It may not be a very far stretch to see the existential overtones in The Killing. In Lars Von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves,” big issues like love and death, fate and God are presented with all the subtleness of a baseball bat. If you haven’t cried, gotten angry, or discussed theology by the end of this movie, well, you just weren’t paying attention.

Gunner Palace and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

I’m a huge documentary fan, and it seems appropriate that the filmmaker who brought us Roger and Me should have some good Docs at his festival. These are two of the best in recent years. They provide a window into events that may have happened only a few years ago, but are still mostly submerged in the flood of sound bites and talking points that we call “the news.” Watching “Enron” and “Gunner Palace” is an eye opening experience, mainly because they remind us of how much is held secret from us.

Posted by editor at 03:21 PM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2006

Village Connector is quick and cheap

Schedule bus service provided by BATA has finally reached the Empire-Glen Arbor-Maple City-Cedar area. With four buses each day, and pickups in each of those villages and also at The Homestead and Glen Lake School, it is easy to move around this part of the county, and to reach Traverse City.

For a mere $2, passengers receive a quick trip to the new transfer station on Hall Street (by Midas and the Candle Factory). There they may easily stroll to Front Street, or change buses and head for other Grand Traverse County destinations.

Glen Arbor resident Michael Buhler, often spotted in his convertible MGB "Sumrcar," recently rode the route to TC. "It was a great trip, and took just 45 minutes from the Town Hall to Hall Street. It was fleet, frugal, and almost fashionable."

Schedule information is available at www.bata.net or by calling 941-2324.

Posted by editor at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2006

Seep in tranquility with Great Lakes Tea and Spice

By Maggie Meyers
Sun contributor

August 19 marked the fiftieth day of business for the Great Lakes Tea and Spice Company, a promising new addition to Glen Arbor’s business community. Snugly situated in a quiet enclave near the Ruth Conklin Gallery on M-109 and tucked directly behind the Sleeping Bear Animal Clinic, the Tea and Spice Company’s space engenders an instantaneous sense of detachment from the noise and haste that fills Glen Arbor in the summertime.

A few yards west of the Pine Cone ice cream shop, just past the storefront to the Glen Arbor Botanicals Gallery, stands an enticing sign that reads, ‘Follow the Path to Enlightenment’. Curious passersby enter the shady stone path and are lead to a quaint courtyard, at the center of which sits the Tea and Spice Company’s retail shop, a charming 12 foot x 12 foot trading post. Upon entering the tiny shop, the visitor is inundated with fragrant aromas arising from the many enticing offerings that fill every inch of the cozy space. Each day, complimentary samples of three specialty tea blends — one hot and two iced — are freshly made for the enjoyment of all who wander through. Many a first time visitor’s attention heads straight to Cappy, a two-year-old Blue and Gold Macaw — an adoptee of the company’s owners, husband-and-wife team Chris and Heather Sack — which perches and chatters effusively in front of the shop. Cappy spends each day engaging visitors, especially those of the younger contingent, who, with a comical combination of anticipation and trepidation, approach him — hands outstretched — with offers of crackers and other treats.

Though still in its nascent stages, the Tea and Spice Company already offers an extensive selection of premium quality imported goods from China, South Africa, India and France. At present, the company’s product line includes 23 fine tea and herbal ‘tisane’ blends, and an assortment of innovative spice blends and fine sea salts that are capable of transforming even the most mundane meal into haute cuisine. Perhaps even more noteworthy are the 11 varieties of flowering teas that are as aesthetically appealing to the eye as they are pleasing to the palate. In addition to all of the consumable goods, the Tea and Spice Company offers a wide selection of high quality (yet affordable) heat resistant glass teaware, fine crafted kitchen accoutrements and an array of other international textile goods.

The couple traces their interest in the products they now sell to a business trip Heather took to China in 2003, as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid for The Leelanau School. There, Heather discovered a fondness for fine tea and an appreciation of its consumption as a daily ritual. But it was not until April of 2005 that the notion of a business enterprise focusing on tea and spices first struck the Sacks, subsequent to a moment of mutual clarity in which, according to Chris, Heather and I “realized the most straightforward way to achieve the lifestyle we wanted was to go start our own business.” One of their major long-term goals, according to Heather, is “to import and blend everything ourselves.” Chris and Heather are fundamentally committed to seeking out organic products that abide by fair trade standards whenever possible. Another of the couple’s aspirations is to have the means to pursue extensive world travel and gain a greater awareness of the tea and spice industry, in order to ensure they make socially responsible decisions when choosing merchants.

The ideal existence the Sacks envision is one in which they can provide a comfortable life for their children without sacrificing quality family time. For Chris and Heather, parenthood is without question the highest priority. In June 2003, the couple welcomed their son August (named after great-grandfather), and their daughter Amelie arrived in June of 2005. The emphasis that Chris and Heather place on the importance of family has been fundamental to their approach in developing their business. In Chris’s words, “Supporting each other to make significant things happen reminds you of the importance of family in building and founding a business.” In fact, Heather’s mother, Mariann, and her husband, Veterinarian Rodger VanderWerff, have generously provided Heather and Chris their space on the property of the Sleeping Bear Animal Clinic, which is owned by the VanderWerffs and run by Rodger.

Balancing parenting with jumpstarting a new business is an arduous undertaking, yet Chris and Heather embrace the constant challenges that continue to unfold. The couple’s ability to manage such a juggling act — and keep smiles on their faces all the while — reflects the incredibly high level of energy, enthusiasm and healthy optimism that Chris and Heather share. Their philosophy rests upon the principle of taking life seriously, yet in a lighthearted way, which lends to a business ethic, summed up by Chris as “having fun by selling fun.” Ultimately, the Sacks’ attitude towards running their new business mirrors their orientation towards life in general, and is rooted in strong family values and a commitment to community.

As partners in life and business, Chris and Heather’s strengths prove highly complementary. Heather contributes a keen sense of tea, professional experience in administrative work and finance, and solid graphic arts skills, which have been put to use in packaging design and marketing — and does all this while maintaining her full-time position at The Leelanau School. Chris, a savvy cook, has made most of the decisions in regards to the line of spice products, while his professional background in education and retail make him perfectly suited to tend shop each day and enthusiastically share his knowledge about the products with customers.

While the fine quality of the company’s product line speaks for itself, ultimately the charming and welcoming atmosphere that owners Chris and Heather Sack have created — incorporating mindfulness with a genuine passion for life — is what gives the Great Lakes Tea and Spice Company promising potential as a successful local business that will explore uncharted territory and become a peaceful gathering place for all locals and summer visitors to enjoy.

The Great Lakes Tea and Spice Company’s daily hours are 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. The shop will be open for business through October 20.

Posted by editor at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2006

The love story behind Cedar’s Longview

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

Asked how she found herself working for Leelanau County vintner, Alan Eaker, Longview Winery’s tasting room manager Kathy Meteyer, says simply, “I love wine.”

Take one sip of the new winery’s bright and fruity Riesling, or silky Pinot Gris or delightfully complex Pinot Noir, (all 2005 award-winners), and it’s apparent why she loves this wine.

“We won 11 medals before we opened,” Kathy says of the 2005 vintage. In fact, eight of the winery’s 12 offerings, (entered in one regional and two international competitions), received at least one gold, silver or bronze award. The tasting room, which opened its doors in June, is located next to the new Cedar Rustic Inn restaurant operated by Alan’s step-son, Aaron Ackley, and Aaron’s wife, Nikki and featured in the previous issue of the Glen Arbor Sun.

A retired art department chair and ceramics professor, Alan didn’t know how to grow grapes or make wine nine years ago. Aaron says his step-dad’s passion for both stems from memories of a childhood spent in Big Sur and an abiding interest in wineries and vineyards of that California region.

According to Kathy, the winery and its name have a love story behind them. Alan, then living in Florida, and Linda Ackley, a bronze sculptor living in East Lansing, met at an art function and began a long-distance relationship. At some point, Linda called Alan and told him that their arrangement couldn’t possibly work.

“Honey, honey, you have to take the long view,” Alan replied.

The two eventually married, and Linda re-located to Florida. Coming home from work one day before his retirement, Alan told his wife he loved her and asked if he could do anything for her. Linda, who fondly remembered her time spent as an art intern in Leland, said, “Yes, you can buy me a farm in Leelanau County.”

Alan complied by purchasing 103 acres near Gills Pier, next to a 40-acre vineyard owned by Charlie Edson of Bel Lago Winery. Alan, intrigued and excited by the sight of his neighbor’s grapes, planted vinifera, (old-world grapes grown from proven European stock), and hybrids, (of vinifera and North American grapes), on 10 of his acres, with help from his neighbor and mentor, Elmer Kalchik. From 2001 through 2004, Alan sold his grapes exclusively to Bel Lago.

Today, with the help of winemaker Shawn Walters of Leelanau Cellars, Alan makes wine from grapes grown on his property and fruit wines from apples and cherries picked on Elmer’s orchard. Julius Kalchik provides the honey used in Alan’s cherry mead, the first commercially-produced mead, (fermented honey), offered for sale by a Leelanau County winery. Kathy helps bottle and label the wines. The labels are Alan’s design.

A visit to Longview Winery’s tasting room is not a humbling experience. You don’t have to know a lot about wine to enjoy your visit. The feeling is friendly and casual. The mahogany bar and wood cabinetry are beautiful without being pretentious. Kathy and her assistant, Channing, (a Cedar native), smile and invite you inside. Step up to the bar and taste fruit-of-the-vine without fear. Enjoy a locally-made Charles Layton dark chocolate truffle with your sip of cherry mead or ice wine. As the winery promises, each bottle has a memory of Leelanau inside. That’s a gold-medal winner.

Longview Winery Tasting Room is located at 8697 Good Harbor Trail in Cedar. Call (231) 228-2880 or visit www.longviewwinery.com. It’s open May through October, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and Noon-6 p.m. on Sundays. Call for winter/spring hours.

Posted by editor at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)

Find Leelanau’s heart in Maple City

By F. Josephine Arrowood
Sun contributor

Like many a hardworking resident of Maple City, located in the heart of Leelanau, those wishing to sample the charms of the county’s tiniest hamlet should, as Lewis Carroll said, “Begin at the beginning, and go on from there.”

Start with an invigorating 6 a.m. workout at the Maple City Health and Fitness Center, located at the big red schoolhouse just west of town on Burdickville Road (County Road 616). Drop-in visitors are welcome, and monthly, annual, student and senior citizen memberships are available. Manager Char Blonshine will help set you up with Trotter Weight equipment, treadmills, stair climbers, bikes and Precor Transports. Take in an aerobics session with fitness trainer Camille DePalma Frixen, or WalkNTone in the full court gym, where drop-in volleyball and basketball can also be played. After a guts-to-glory workout, soothe tired muscles on the innovative new Migun Massage Bed, then clean up in the locker room showers before heading to downtown Maple City in search of breakfast. Before leaving, however, check out the Glen Lake Library’s annex in the Fitness Center, when patrons are on the honor system to borrow and return a selection of books that is updated periodically by library volunteers.

Just south of the intersection of Maple City Road (County Road 667) and Bellinger Road (County Road 616), Pegtown Station restaurant — named after the historic role the town once played in manufacturing lumber products — embraces the old-time atmosphere of the former “Cash Variety Store” with red plaster walls, wainscoting, and well-patinated hardwood flooring. Feast on a farmer’s omelet, complete with sourdough or whole wheat toast made from scratch, while enjoying the Foothills blend of the Leelanau Coffee Roasting Company, and watch the train whiz by overhead on tracks that circle the dining room’s perimeter. Pegtown’s lunch and dinner menus are worth a return visit, with a wide variety of hot and cold sub sandwiches on homemade buns, dinner baskets, and specialty pizzas, including such exotica as the “Philly Cheese Steak” pizza with roast beef, mozzarella, onions, and peppers, or “The Greek,” laden with garlic-infused oil, onions, feta, fresh spinach leaves, tomatoes, black olives, mozzarella and artichoke hearts on handmade dough. Pegtown Station is open year-round with extensive hours, and closed on Mondays.

For a larger lunch or dinner venue, seek out the Maple Leaf Restaurant, back “uptown” at the historic red schoolhouse that matriculated generations of Leelanau children (writer Kathleen Stocking is one distinguished alumna). The Maple Leaf plays to its strengths with organic and local foods in season in a casual yet elegant setting, classic homemade pizzas, and beers, spirits and fine local wines. Weekly specials include Friday night perch and prime rib on Saturdays, while Sunday brunch features a comprehensive feast at a reasonable price. Open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, and closed on Wednesdays.

Gabe’s Market anchors one corner of Maple City’s main intersection at Bellinger and Maple City Roads, across from the post office. Owners Mike and Kathy Gabourie offer a full grocery store, as well as their own smoked meats — sausages, hotdogs, and to-die-for brats — and a dazzling array of homemade beef, turkey and chicken jerkies, including extra-hot, teriyaki and Cajun flavors, perfect for day hikers, campers and casual snackers. Local produce can often be found at Gabe’s; currently, Tom Shimek’s bi-colored corn is winging its way out the door.

Do-gooders and feel-gooders meet at the Cedar-Maple City Lions Club (just east of Gabe’s on Bellinger Road), next to the enclosed playground that club members created several years ago for public enjoyment. Weekly bingo on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. complements frequent weekend pancake breakfasts, dinners and dances that raise funds for the community, including visual aids for the sight-impaired, and academic and music camp scholarships for Glen Lake School students. The Lions will next host a grilled steak and chicken dinner on August 19, from 4-8 p.m.

Fill up the gas tank at MC Shortstop gas station and convenience store before setting off west on Burdickville Road in search of the great outdoors. The cultivated landscape benefits from the attentions of the Westover Market plant nursery, where Bruce and Gail Westover have nurtured their labor of love for over a dozen years on five acres. Choose from shrubs, trees and a stunning selection of perennials, including “Doubledecker” purple coneflower, peonies, hostas and more, as well as berries in season, fertilizer and garden accessories. As summer swings into August, Westover’s offers many specials and inventory reductions, perfect for filling the late-season garden’s gaps.

The final stop of the Maple City Tour takes place one mile west of town, in the emerald gem of the county’s Parks and Recreation system. Myles Kimmerley Park boasts a driving range, disk golf course, and the one-mile long, wooded Pat Hobbins Hiking Trail, as well as activities for families that range from softball, soccer and tennis, to grilling and picnicking under the pavilion near the kids’ playground. Community volunteers as well as county employees help to maintain the park, with recent plantings of flowering trees and perennial beds. Artists and photographers seeking coveted long views of land and skyscapes can also find scope for their work here, amid the rolling green beauty of Leelanau’s heart.

Posted by editor at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)

Fettes couple rejuvenates Stu Stu Studio

By Corin Blust
Sun contributor

Tucked away on Aylsworth Street in Empire are Cheryl and Thomas Fettes, two artists enamored with the depth and luminescence of their respective media. Cheryl’s current medium is fused glass, though she has been working with glass in different ways for about 30 years. Thomas began painting abstract encaustics three years ago.

After Cheryl’s first class in glasswork, she thought she didn’t have much talent for working with cut glass, but loved it so she kept playing with it anyway. Then she found her niche in mosaics and fused glass.

“I was never that good at soldering and foiling and all that kind of stuff, but I kept doing it over the years, and then the mosaic thing started and I just fell right into it. The first one I ever made someone bought right out from under me, and it wasn’t for sale,” remembers Cheryl.

Her mosaics kept getting bigger, more elaborate, and heavier as they evolved “from birdbaths to benches to obelisks.” Then Thomas got Cheryl a kiln for Christmas that ignited her current obsession with glass fusing.

“A new love and a new way of playing with glass was born,” she continues.

After experimenting with the kiln for about six months, Cheryl went to New York and attended classes in glasswork at Hot Glass Horizons and Corning Glass Works Studio. There she learned more about her surprisingly difficult medium.

“It’s as much of a science as it is an art, because every kiln is different, and the temperature has to slow down at the right rate, at the right degree, otherwise it’ll shatter. And some glasses don’t fit with each other; they will cool and expand at different rates. It’s always a challenge — what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow, but I love it,” she insists.

Cheryl takes a mosaic approach to fused glass, melting carefully arranged compositions into landscapes inspired by the Sleeping Bear Dunes and Leelanau County. She also makes Giclèe prints of her glass landscapes, capturing the depth and feel of the glass without the heaviness.

“One of the things I liked about doing mosaic work to was that there was such a depth to it that a lot of people couldn’t get, so doing the [fused] glass work that I’m doing now, I work with so many layers so I can still get the depth,” Cheryl explains.

Her line of abstract fused glass jewelry is called Cher Wear, named with help from her background in computer programming.

“I went to college and was trained in computers, so I was involved in writing a lot of computer programs, and back a long time ago they used to have a lot of share ware out there, stuff that a developer would put out there for free for people to test and try out. In my computer brain — that was all I could think of — well, this is Cher Wear too.”

Thomas got inspired to work with encaustics after seeing an encaustic painting at River Street Gallery in Manistee.

“I just fell in love with it as a texture, and the colors stay really bright- they just last and last and I just like them,” he said.

Encaustic is an ancient form of painting that dates back to the Greek empire, when people used beeswax to patch seams in boats.

“Then they started mixing pigment in with it, and they started painting really colorful designs with it — it hardens fast, so you have to be quick with it, is the thing,” he explains.

Each one of Thomas’ encaustic paintings are made up of layer upon layer of locally produced beeswax. The base layers are plain undyed beeswax but Thomas adds color as the piece progresses, resulting in a depth and texture unique to encaustic.

“You can get great translucence out of this process. That’s one of the things I fell in love with, there gets to be so much depth in the painting itself, which I think is just cool.”

Thomas chooses to work abstractly because he enjoys having his forms capture a subjective mood and feeling rather than transmit a simple, clear image to the viewer, the way that traditional styles of painting do. By working abstractly, Thomas believes that his work will be enjoyed by almost everyone, since it’s easy to find an interesting image or feeling in an abstract work.

“I’ll look at it, and I’ll be in a mood, or the weather will be a certain way, and I’ll just work with it… and all of the sudden the painting is done — I do one more thing, and I’m not going to like it. Drawing a perfect leaf doesn’t do a mood for me, it doesn’t capture what I may be thinking at any given time,” he says.

Thomas recently entered one of his encaustics in a show sponsored by Gallery 50 in Traverse City, and was delighted to find out that he won an Honorable Mention.

“This was the first time he entered a contest, and there were 300 entries, 60 were accepted, and he got Honorable Mention,” Cheryl fondly tells.

“I was absolutely thrilled,” shares Thomas. “This is something I’ve never understood before — to have somebody develop a connection with what you did. It’s just a neat feeling, really neat.”

Cheryl and Thomas run a small gallery called Stu Stu Studio in their home at 10180 Aylsworth Street in Empire. The gallery is open from noon to five on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer, from Memorial Day thru Labor Day. Call (231) 326-5684 for an appointment if you are unable to stop by during business hours, or check out their websites: www.cheyenneglass.com, and www.artfolios.org/ThomasFettes. Cheryl’s work is also on display at Bellstone Gallery and Watermelon Sugar Gallery in Traverse City.

Posted by editor at 05:03 PM | Comments (0)

These are not your mother’s piano lessons

By Carol Purcell
Sun contributor

What if I told you there is a method that teaches you to play great music of many styles — jazz, pop, ballads, classical and blues —from your first lesson? What if I told you this broad-based music education method would teach you accompaniment skills, composition, improvisation, the ability to read music and to read lead sheets? Would you think I’d gone around the bend?

Four months ago that’s what I would have thought too.

I love playing the piano and I love to sing. I learned to play piano the way most people do: by using a reading-based, traditional approach. The traditional approach requires that the student be able to read music before they can actually play anything, including reading notes by name, note values (as in rhythm), knowing what the different clef symbols mean and even some words and symbols in Italian. If that sounds like a lot to tackle at once it’s because it is. This traditional approach fails more often than it succeeds, and so many people quit so soon after they began. A social anthropologist from Berkley California even stated that piano lessons have the highest failure rate of any taught subject.

The only reason I didn’t become one of those statistics is because my mother forced me to stick with it for the first seven years. It wasn’t much fun for me and it was probably less fun for my mother, and that’s largely why I’ve avoided teaching piano for years, even when asked to … until I heard about Simply Music.

Simply Music takes a playing-based approach rather than a reading-based approach. It is multi-sensory and uses its own unique set of concepts and language. The reading process is delayed until the students have a large repertoire of fantastic sounding music, and the reading is introduced in an equally unique fashion. Neil Moore from Australia developed this method. The main premise of Simply Music is that everyone is innately and profoundly musical. Its main goal is to give music to every individual as a companion in life — to able to sit down and play a large variety of musical styles and genres at any place and any time. Simply Music was born when Moore was asked to teach a young blind boy and came up with a system that works very well for everyone.

I am so excited to have been licensed to teach this method and I can’t wait to share it with others. How many times have I heard someone say “Oh, I wish I could play the piano” or “You’re so lucky that you can just sit down and play.” Now I can help people make that wish come true in a way that is fun and effective. Simply Music works very well with children, teens, adults and senior citizens, and it has also been used in prisons and inner city schools as well as at home and in the group environment. One of the many things I’d like to do is teach groups of adults. Can you imagine “adults night out” playing the piano?

My currents students range from children, to teens, to adults and they are all succeeding.

For example, I have an adult student who sustained a closed head injury 20 years ago. She is a traditionally trained pianist, but because of her injury she lost the ability to process technical data and, consequently, much of her piano skills. With the Simply Music method she will find a way to reprogram her brain so that she can regain her piano skills, like others with closed head injuries have done. In only five lessons my student has learned several new songs and arrangements. There are many inspiring stories about all kinds of people who have discovered the joys of successfully playing the piano with the Simply Music method, and you can read about them at www.simplymusic.com.

The Simply Music website is a great resource for students and teachers alike. All teachers of this method (currently in four countries) are connected by the ECL email communication link, meaning that anyone can share a question, comment or experience in cyberspace. Because we all keep records in the same manner and follow the same program, if I teach a student in Glen Arbor who moves to another city in the winter, that person can easily continue with the program with a different teacher. Or if no teacher is available the student can use a home video course until they return to Glen Arbor.

Only someone who has been licensed by the Simply Music organization and has gone through the training program with the founder can teach the SM method. Training is ongoing as the teacher learns new levels and supplementary programs. If I have questions or problems Moore is always available by phone or email and his many years of experience as a teacher and as a coach of teachers is invaluable.

I am currently conducting introductory sessions for Simply Music. An introductory session is an information event for people interested in finding out more about Simply Music. They are free and last about one hour. I’d be happy to talk to you in person, on the phone or to see you at an introductory session if you are interested in this method for yourself, for someone else or if you are just curios. Call me at (231) 645-5370 or visit www.simplymusic.com for more information.

Posted by editor at 01:16 PM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2006

Getting to know Cedar

By F. Josephine Arrowood
Sun contributor

What is there to do in Cedar now that the Polka Fest has rolled up its dance tent and beer barrels? Leelanau County’s central hub, with its one blinking-light intersection, may look like a one-horse burg — but there’s plenty to see, do, and buy on Kasson Street (County Road 651). Her merchants offer all of life’s essentials: fresh flower arrangements at Stachnik Floral: nuts and bolts at Cedar Hardware, as well as tools, electrical conduit, fishing licenses, seeds and even a cat or two for petting; antiques and vintage collectibles at the Antique Junction in the old railroad depot; and fine Petoskey stone jewelry at the new L. Saile’s next to Bunting’s Market.

Cedar has become a mecca for fiber fanciers, with two adjacent shops housed in charming historic buildings on Kasson Street’s east side.

The Liberty Quilt Shop offers specialty fabrics from lines such as Benartex, patterns, and quilt tops for sale. Inish Knits, under new owners Melissa and Curtis Kelenske, celebrates all things spun, crocheted, carded, felted, and yes, knitted, in their lively establishment. Veteran fiber artist Susan Curtis can often be found spinning wool into yarn, as she discusses the history of the craft, or praises the “super cluster of people who gather around this shop,” including Cedar sheep farmer Alesha Ashley, Jenny Kelly of Empire and employee Mary Peel. Items for sale include ultra-portable “Babe” spinning wheels made from PVC, roving (fiber prepared for spinning), carders, patterns, books, and handspun and dyed yarn from local suppliers like Sunlight Fibres of Maple City. The store also does custom design and production of knitted garments, and custom spinning for knitters. Every Tuesday evening Inish Knits offers spinning drop-in, and open knitting sessions on Wednesdays, both from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Food figures largely in this robust community descended from Polish and other immigrants in the 1800’s. Day travelers, summer residents and locals can choose from a variety of culinary options. The Cedar Rustic Inn and Longview Winery have recently opened on the north side of town, serving breakfast and lunch, while the Cedar Tavern offers a casual adult drinking atmosphere and frequent live musical entertainment at night.

Fresh food, much of it locally grown or made, can also be found at several locales. Pleva’s Meat, the nationally known headquarters of PlevaLean burgers and cherry sausage, embodies the small-town atmosphere and personal service that makes rural living so enjoyable. Right next door, the Cedar City Market offers a huge selection of fine wines, specialty liquor, and organic foods, including cheeses, soy milk, yogurts and local eggs; Fair Trade and Higher Grounds bulk coffees; breads from Traverse City; ecological cleaning products; and Moon Works laundry soap, made in Suttons Bay. Jovial Cedar City Market owner Phil Thiel can often be found presiding over his wooden counter, discussing progressive politics, sports or the best local beer with customers. The Cedar City Market also serves as a ticket outlet for music events, such as concerts at Kejara’s Bridge in Lake Leelanau and the upcoming Dunegrass Festival in Empire on August 4-6.

At the intersection of Kasson Street and Bellinger Rd (County Road 616), sits the Blue Moon ice cream stand with an eye-popping indigo metal roof. New owners Bret and Molly Crimmins offer Ashby’s specialty hand-dipped ice creams, flurries, sundaes, yogurts, shakes, and malts. Ask for their unique “Grasshopper” shake or sundae with crème de menthe, or try the “Morel” soft-serve cone, rolled in nuts and coated with chocolate. After sinful dessert, feed virtue with the main course: Pleva’s hotdogs and brats, chicken and BBQ sandwiches. While eating, watch the world whiz by from sheltered patio seating. Behind the Moon, Williams Orchards has a self-serve fruit stand, where daily harvests of local cherries, peaches and apples can be savored.

At Bunting’s Market, customers fill both gas tank and grocery bag with essential fuels. The latter includes local produce, Stone House bread, a full deli with meats smoked right on the premises, movie rentals, and lottery tickets. They also offer dinners to go for busy families, including broasted chicken, and pizza on Fridays and Saturdays.

After so many food opportunities, the idea of working off some calories may be either appalling or appealing. Opportunities for recreation as well as relaxation abound, with a playground, tennis courts, and softball field all located behind the fire hall on Kasson Street. Victoria Creek Park lies adjacent, too, with a boat launch and a scenic waterway winding through the lush wetlands of Pere Marquette State Forest to South Lake Leelanau.

For more socializing, the Cedar Area Community Foundation sponsors regularly scheduled activities, such as “Walking Friends,” open to all, who meet every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday at 9 a.m. by the tennis courts; “Elder Fun — writing and sharing our life stories,” every second Wednesday of the month at the Lion’s Club in nearby Maple City; and an August 6 ice cream social at the Solon Township Hall on Kasson Street. Call Cedar Area Foundation Director B.J. Christensen at 228-3426 for more information.

Posted by editor at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)

Cedar’s newest restaurant offers fresh, local dining

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

Blend an artist’s vision, a chef’s craft, and an entrepreneur’s spirit. Season with family collaboration and community support. The result is Cedar’s long-awaited family restaurant which, when paired with a gold medal-winning winery, lingers deliciously on the palate.

The Cedar Rustic Inn and Longview Winery tasting room, on the site of the former Eddie G’s restaurant in Cedar, opened last month after years of planning by artist and restaurant owner Linda Ackley-Eaker, her son Aaron Ackley, and her husband Alan Eaker — the owner of Longview Winery.

Currently serving breakfast and lunch daily, the new, non-smoking restaurant, run by the management team of Chef Aaron and his wife, Nikki, offers simple but delicious menu items. Breakfast for lighter appetites includes granola, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit cup. Hungrier folk can order pancakes or French toast, or choose from four types of omelets.

“You’ve seen omelets that look like the side of a mountain?” Aaron asks. “They’re cooked eggs wrapped around raw, cold ingredients. That’s not an omelet.” If you sauté your veggies first, like the French do, then add the eggs, Aarons says the eggs will soufflé and develop the flavor of the veggies and meats

“I don’t cook by recipe but by method. Everything cooked by sound method turns out right.”

Lunch items include charbroiled burgers, (“We do just a mean burger”), sandwiches, (the tuna melt is a local favorite), basket lunches of fried chicken or fish, soup of the day, Cedar dogs, and four types of salads. (Try the Thai Chicken Salad with water chestnuts, mandarin oranges and slivered almonds.) All salad dressings, save Italian, are made on the premises.

The “less more often” principle Aaron learned while at the Culinary Institute of America is applied to homemade menu items, such as dressings, coleslaw and soups. Cooking smaller amounts of food as needed produces less waste, Aaron explains, and makes it easier to control the cost and quality of the food. To ensure freshness and to adhere to the family’s philosophy of buying local products, Aaron shops at the Cedar City Market for organic foods, Pleva’s for fresh meats and Buntings Market for smoked menu items, like sausages.

Dinner will soon be served. While waiting for the approved liquor license paperwork to arrive, Aaron is busy putting the finishing touches on his menu of American regional cuisine. He describes mouth-watering entrees of Hudson Valley Pot Roast, Dried Cherry Pork Tenderloin, Perch Fillets, Strip Steak, Whitefish Gratinee, (with tomatoes and onions), Garden Pasta, Spaghetti Salad, Tamales and the “Real Deal” — southern-fried buttermilk chicken. Prices range from $9-$16 per entrée. Dessert lovers will drool and angst over choices like individual upside-down pineapple cakes, blueberry cobbler, peanut butter chocolate pie, and the piece de resistance … Frozen Maple Mousse.

Aaron and Nikki, proud parents of 15-month-old Annabelle, haven’t forgotten their young diners. “We’ve already had a lot of kids and families stop in, says Nikki. “And younger people are moving into the (Cedar) area all of the time.” Their most-requested menu items so far? Tuna melts, chili cheese fries, burgers and onion rings.

Like its menu, the décor is simple and tastefully done. Owner Linda, a bronze sculptor, created the restaurant’s door handle by making a rubber mold of a grapevine trunk and casting it in bronze. Aaron handpicked and logged twenty-two cedar trees from a swamp on Linda’s and Alan’s farm near Gills Pier. Columns of those smooth tree trunks support the porch roof, shading the sidewalk from the restaurant to the winery.

The restaurant’s interior touches are subtle reminders of Linda’s artistry and the family’s strong connections. Cheerful blonde walls meet a floor one could swear is leather, but is actually acid-etched, hand-troweled, poured concrete — a more practical choice. Bronze light fixtures hanging from the 10-foot ceiling were rescued from an old schoolhouse in Traverse City and painstakingly sanded and re-finished by Linda. She also chose the lamps above the leaning bar — with stained glass shades of grape clusters, paying tribute to her husband’s new venture. Prints of American Indians, from her private Edward S. Curtis collection, line the dining room walls. Aaron’s great-grandmother’s crazy quilt and a landscape painted by Nikki’s grandmother are also proudly displayed.

“We’re very interested in keeping everything local, and we used as many people from the county as we could,” Linda says.

The foyer’s carved wooden hostess stand and Scandinavian Hunt cabinet were purchased from the Antique Junction in Cedar. Local artisan B. Miller created the chalkboard depicting pine cones and cedar boughs. Even the locks on the doors were installed by Larry the Locksmith of Cedar.

Not least, they chose building contractor Marty Easling of Easling Construction in Leland to work with them.
“We were very happy with Marty’s ability to get a complicated project done in seven months, from demolition to opening day. I don’t think anyone else would have had the horses to do it.”
Though the original footprint from Eddie G’s was retained, the building was torn down and re-built. Linda’s vision of a three-story, 45 hundred square foot studio/gallery/café became, after several transformations, a single-story restaurant seating 63 with a next-door tasting room for Alan’s winery. An adjoining parcel was purchased later and includes Linda’s bronze foundry and studio.

“Mom is the visionary; she has the vision to get things done,” Aaron says.

“She’s the big dreamer,” Nikki adds, approvingly.

Of his step-dad, Alan, Aaron says, “He’s an entrepreneur at the very core. He’s all about opportunity. He’s been one of our bigger cheerleaders — he’s an eternal optimist!”

Aaron also speaks highly of the village zoning board and of previous Supervisor Al Garvin and current Supervisor Carl Williams, both of whom worked with them and told them what they could and couldn’t do ahead of time.

“I think this is the highest and best use for this corner, and for the community,” Linda says. “The timing was right, the political climate has been right and the economic environment is right.

We chose Cedar because there’s so much opportunity for growth and where we knew we could make a difference,” she adds.

The proof isn’t always just in the pudding.

Next time, we’ll visit the Cedar Rustic Inn’s neighbor, Longview Winery, owned by Leelanau County vintner and winemaker Alan Eaker. The Cedar Rustic Inn, is open for breakfast and lunch, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday thru Saturday and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Inn will open soon for dinner. Proposed hours are Tuesday thru Thursday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Call 228-2282.

Posted by editor at 08:20 PM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2006

Century-old Glen Lake Manor reopens its doors

From staff reports

Nancy Wright is at it again.

Four summers after she and Janet Niewold bid Le Bear Restaurant goodbye to make way for Dominic Moceri’s gigantic Le Bear Resort at the north end of Lake Street in Glen Arbor, Wright is charging onto the local scene once again.

The 100-year-old Glen Lake Manor, which was once owned by her parents and grandparents, has reopened its doors to the public after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 30. The Manor is a fine restaurant on M-22 just west of the Glen Lake Narrows offering private dining rooms, outside porch seating and a main dining room, looking out toward the Sleeping Bear Dunes across Little Glen Lake.

Offering what Wright calls “new American cuisine,” the Manor is open for lunch and dinner with a Sunday brunch, and will also host private parties, meetings and formal tea gatherings. The Glen Lake Manor features a classical style with white linens, chairs from Italy, gold-rimmed dishes and old-fashioned woven carpeting. The restaurant can accommodate a total of 140 diners with a fixed-price menu that will change daily.

“The Manor on Glen Lake” was built as a summer hotel at the turn of the last century when tourism flourished. Built in 1906 by John Biddleman, a lumberman who later married into the Tobin family, the manor is the only Glen Lake resort remaining. Originally named “Cold Spring Inn,” the manor was later sold to Biddleman’s manager and renamed “Ockers Inn.” Wright’s parents and grandparents, who had purchased land from Glen Arbor pioneer D.H. Day years earlier, acquired it in 1954 and renamed it the “Glen Lake Manor.” They continued to operate it in the European style and later added cottages.

Posted by editor at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)

Empire renews Breakfast at Tiffany’s

By Jane Greiner
Sun contributor

Breakfast will be just one of the features at the revamped Tiffany’s Café in Empire under the management of Ashlea Walter. The local community leader is giving the business a new lease on life after taking over from Dick Owen who ran the ice cream shop for the past 25 years. Walter has painted the interior in bright, sunny yellows, blues and mint greens and given it a fresh, airy feel.

The arrangement Walter and Owen worked out seems ideal for both. Having a café was “something I’ve always wanted to do, so it was good timing for both of us,” she says. Walter rents and owns the café now while Owen still lives in the back of the building and continues to bake fresh doughnuts every day.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s includes baked goods such as scones, muffins, brownies and cookies, doughnuts and cinnamon twists, plus tea or coffee. “His doughnuts are pretty famous,” Walter says. For a little more stick-to-your-ribs fare you can order breakfast stratas, a layered breakfast casserole dish, in either vegetarian or non-vegetarian versions.

Light lunches will also be on the menu. Sandwiches include hot dogs, roast beef, turkey and vegetarian. In addition, Tiffany’s will offer So Good Coffee, made by Derek Prechtl of local biking fame, and By the Light of Day Tea.

Besides breakfast and lunch menus, Walter plans to feature picnic items to take to the beach, including sandwiches, chips, sodas, baked goods and healthy fruit and nut mixes. “I think Empire really needs a light deli and picnic fixings” place, she says.

Of course, ice cream will still be the main focus. Tiffany’s carries Moomers ice cream, the delicious premium brand made near Traverse City.

Together with local chocolatier Mimi Wheeler, Walter has concocted a special Grocer’s Daughter Sundae. This delicious creation consists of vanilla or chocolate ice cream, Mimi’s chocolate sauce and topping, with roasted almonds, cocoa nips, maple and whipped cream. Makes me want to go there right now!

There is also a Fudge Brownie Sundae and one called Worms & Dirt, which is sure to appeal to the younger set.

Walter has moved fast in starting her new business. She began cleaning and painting the week before Memorial Day and commenced selling ice cream to customers the first week of June. Since then she has been busy hiring and training staff. “I have a great crew of about six people — a great group of kids, mostly 14-17.” She has added a small retail section, including Empire t-shirts and Glen Clark posters. “A little bit of everything,” she says.

Another innovation at Tiffany’s is lunch delivery, via bicycle, inside the village, Monday through Friday. “We have no table service, so it’s a faster, lighter alternative. We always have vegetarian options. We try to promote local and seasonal items as much as possible. We use organic and fair trade coffee, and the same with the tea.” The café is now smoke-free.

Summing up, Walter says, “We just want to make it a fresh, lively place for a light lunch or a treat.”

Tiffany’s Café, on the main street in Empire, will be open 7:30 am to 10 pm every day throughout the summer.

Posted by editor at 02:11 PM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2006

Maybings is Ripe in the Land of the Sleeping Bear

By Norm Wheeler
Sun editor

A colander of noodles floats in a pot of boiling water in the steamy corner of the kitchen. On the stovetop, savory bubbles pop through homemade Thai Peanut sauce. Sarah Jane Grierson says, “I’m just helping,” as she starts a batch of Sweet & Sour sauce from scratch. The weekend specials at Maybings, Glen Arbor’s new Asian inspired Eastern & Middle Eastern eatery, are at full simmer.

For some people, everything starts at once. Andrea Dean and McCord Henry just helped their son, McKai Leland Henry enter this world on June 4 at 11:01 p.m. (8 pounds, 4 ounces, 21 inches). Almost simultaneously they opened the new Maybings Take-out on Western Avenue in Glen Arbor. In the front room of the converted house is a small art gallery. Andrea shifts McKai to the other hip as she explains how the gallery will sell “my jewelry and photography, paintings by Jenny Evans, and soon stained glass by Hadley Wilkerson. We want to add more art and get a rotation going of works by some of the local artists.” There are some fine, eclectic pieces in the gallery for the eyes, but then the aroma leads you by the nose into the kitchen.

McCord is working on the menu for the summer. “Well, to start with we’ll have homemade egg rolls from scratch.”

“Everyone says they’re the best egg rolls they’ve ever had,” Andrea chirps.

“There’ll also be Greek pasta salad,” McCord continues, “As well as hummus, sesame chicken, fried rice, falafel, and veggie and grilled cheese sandwiches.” Maybings will also feature daily dessert specials (“like chocolate cheesecake and rhubarb strawberry”), and a Daily Special. “Today it’s the Tongol Tuna Sandwich. And we’ll have some Chef’s Choice specials depending on mood, weather, and ingredients.”

The aim of Maybings is to serve food that is all organic, fresh and from scratch. “Our goal is to be fast, efficient, but especially to focus on food that’s not generic. We want to be an exception to the usual 45-minute wait to eat in Glen Arbor when it gets busy.” Zoned for take-out, Maybings has no inside seating, but there are a couple of tables outside on a patio. McCord Henry brings the experience of working nine seasons at Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor as a prep and grill cook, and Andrea has similar experience from five seasons at the Village Inn in Empire.

McCord also moonlights in the restoration of vintage autos. “I apprenticed in Florida with Ron Mattheson at Sky Dog, Inc. making extreme hotrods. Up here I’ve restored a 1955 Studebaker, a 1968 Plymouth Valiant, and I drive a restored flat black 1964 Mercury Comet. (Surely this is the favorite all-time car for astronomers: two members of the solar system in its name!)

And how did Maybings get its name? Andrea explains: “We were opening in May, and we’re both inspired by an art nouveau enthusiast named Bing.” The young couple wants to keep Maybings open all year.

“The ideal would be for Andrea to eventually run Maybings and for me to get an auto restoration shop set up,” McCord smiles. “We’ll see.”

The giddy excitement of this new family with their tiny son and brand new business is infectious as they grin for the camera. The Glen Arbor Sun wishes Andrea, McCord, McKai, McCord’s sister Marion Marxer who is helping out this inaugural summer, and Maybings good luck. For Asian-inspired Eastern and Middle Eastern take-out call Maybings, 334-2442.

Posted by editor at 08:29 PM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2006

Dive into lovely lavender soaps on Lake Street

By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor

Cookie Thatcher prefers to think of her blends of lavender soaps as “flavors,” and that makes her the new chemist in town. At her new shop, Bay Lavenders, next to Becky Thatcher Designs on Lake Street in Glen Arbor, she uses only essential oils, free of manmade perfumes, and mixes them with honey, herbs, locally-grown spices and a few secrets to come up with the perfect bar of soap for a given person. Bay Lavenders originally opened in August of last year.

Naturally, women love this store, since they can dive into the lovely lavender scents after shopping for jewelry at her sister Becky’s next door. But Cookie also has a soap called Autumn Mist that’s just for men or, as she puts it, “women who love men.”

“What is Glen Arbor? It’s the water, woods and fresh, clean air,” Cookie surmises. “That’s what I try to put in this soap, so that when people take it home with them they will be reminded of the wonderful, fresh clean scents of this place.

For Cookie the soaps offer a visceral experience, like a good glass of wine.

“The Autumn Mist, for instance, is a walk in the woods on a rainy autumn day and drinking Jasmine tea afterwards next to a fire. In my soap the lime is the rain, the balsam is the woods, the patchouli oil is the fire and the lavender is the Jasmine tea.”

Bay Lavender soaps are all handmade, and especially good for people with sensitive skin. They are the perfect northern Michigan creation because, Cookie says, Leelanau County is ideal for growing lavender. In fact, lavender and grapes prefer the same soil and climate. “Lavender is more forgiving, since the frost won’t hurt it.” Cookie gets most of her lavender from two county farms, but especially Leelanau Lavender Breezes on East Johnson Road in Northport because, she says, the couple that planted that farm both have PhDs in the field and they do everything exactly right.

Cookie also grows her own lavender in a beautiful garden right behind the shop, and she encourages folks to stop in and watch her make the soap. In this age of outsourcing and lack of identification with what the consumer buys, Cookie wants her customers to see and understand how local her products truly are.

Cookie currently produces her lavender soap in the evenings after working for Becky all day. She spends six months a year in Glen Arbor and the other six months in Key West, which she has done since 2001, and she has worked for Becky since 1990.

Bay Lavender is in the building that used to be Rich Quick’s old gas station and storage shed, which sat behind what’s now the Art’s Annex until it was moved to its current location next to Becky Thatcher’s in April of last year. The building retains its original wood, but the pretty exterior singles have replaced the more industrial-looking aluminum siding. Cookie says it smelled of oil, antifreeze and tires before she moved in, but now she’s replaced that with the wonderful sent of lavender soaps.

Posted by editor at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

Frontier Construction LLC is Ripe in the Land of the Sleeping Bear

By Norm Wheeler
Sun contributing editor

Another chapter in the story of ambitious young locals starting up their own business features Joel Diotte, 33, Matt Diotte, 32, Jeff Cook, 32, and Pete Stern, 36: the Frontier Group LLC. Now affiliated with ICF Energy Star Homes, the Frontier Group is constructing a spec home in the Timber View Ridge Development just over the hill east of the Dunes Golf Course on the north side of M-72. Using the most recent materials and methods in super energy efficient homes, they use foot-thick ICF foam prefab blocks that are filled with six inches of reinforced concrete. “This enables an insulation value far beyond what is possible with traditional stick construction,” explains Jeff Cook. “It performs at the equivalent of an R-50. That’s matched by the 17 inches of insulation in the ceiling, also R-50.”

Joel Diotte adds, “Energy Star homes have zero vapor transfer or air infiltration. It’s a totally sealed building envelope. I think this is the future of building because of rising fuel costs and the depleting sources of quality wood.”

“As an Energy Star building partner we’ll have this home rated by a third party to test for compliance,” Matt Diotte continues. “There’s a point system for the walls, heating system, and the make up air system. Because the building is so tight there’s an air exchanger as well.” The home also features domestic and in-floor hot water heat from a boiler rated at 98 percent efficiency. Designed by the four men, the comfortable two-story house has an open floor plan with a walk-around kitchen island and dining room, a living room with a cathedral ceiling, and a master bedroom suite, all above a ground floor containing a huge recreation room and extra bedrooms. There is plenty of triple pane sliding glass, and a porch that hangs in the trees in the wooded setting. It should be finished by mid-July.

In order to join in with his boyhood friends in the Frontier Group, Jeff Cook left a job as a food broker in Grand Rapids to come back north. “I saw the need for homes like this in Leelanau County,” Jeff remarks, “and we all grew up together – we’ve been friends since grade school.” Matt and Joel Diotte started building homes four years ago, and the brothers have served as fine stewards of our natural environment basically since they were toddlers. At the tender ages of six and seven, Matt remembers, he and Joel helped their father Kip plant a forest off of Trumbull Road. The two boys are now full grown, as are the trees they created. They both graduated from Glen Lake and are Leelanau County lifers. Joel and wife Angie have a young family here, and Matt still moonlights as a waiter at Funistrada. Pete Stern operated his own painting business before joining the Frontier Group. “Pete also does construction – everybody does everything – and Pete provides the important comedic relief,” Joel laughs.

The Frontier Group’s spec home can be seen off N. Hermies Pass on Misty’s Trail in the Timber View Ridge Development. It is listed by Bob Ihme with LVR Realty LLC @ 334-6100. To contact the young men of Frontier Group LLC go to www.frontier-construction.com or call 231-409-1769.

Posted by editor at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2006

Petoskey Pete’s skips into Arbor Light building

By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor

Bubba and Roger Popa are learning all the knickknacks and intricacies of the old Arbor Light building. They own the clothing outfit called Petoskey Pete’s, which moved out of the Mercantile Building on M-22 over the winter and into Glen Arbor’s grand dame on Lake Street.

A fixture in town located across the street from Art’s Tavern and the Cottage Book Shop, the Arbor Light building is now 114 years old, and despite the holes under her stairs out back, her dead-end crawlspaces, and the creaking of floors on the second story as last century’s ghosts rummage about, this charming building is still open for business.

“People have been coming in and telling us stories about the building,” Bubba mused at the Chamber of Commerce meeting in early May. “Everyone else in town knows more about the building than we do.”

Gone is Karen Watson, caretaker of the building and proprietor of the popular Arbor Light destination for 20 years, and even longer gone are the huge ice blocks that locals used to purchase at the General Store back in the days before refrigerators. But Bubba and Roger have left some of the traditions in place. The Popas followed Karen’s advice and will continue to sell some of the Arbor Light store’s signature gift cards, but most importantly, the garden center on the building’s south side is still in bloom this spring. “We’ll keep the ‘Welcome to the Cottage’ signs as well,” Roger added. “Those are a mainstay.”

“I have mixed feelings about saying goodbye,” Karen admitted. “I’ll have summer holidays off for first time in 20 years, but I’ll miss the people and the traditions. I’ll especially miss the summer folks who always stopped into my store, but then again, now I can pretend to be a summer person, myself!

The Arbor Light had been on the market for over a year, and just when it looked like no suitors would come calling, the Popas approached Karen in November, and by December 16 the deal was closed. “The first of May rolled around and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t have to be here,’ Karen remembered. “Instead I can garden, go to the beach, plant my vegetables and play with my dog.”

She’s confident the new owners will do a good job, even though the building sports a new color and its sign no longer reads the Arbor Light. Karen pointed out that she was about the same age as Bubba and Roger when she inherited the reigns. How fast 20 years have gone by.

The Popas have owned Petoskey Pete’s for eight years, ever since the Sutherland boys built it. As they did in the Mercantile Building they will continue to carry shoes, Tevas, sunglasses, beach towels and any clothing you might need for your day on the water. They also offer screen-printing for a business and custom screen-printing. But the coolest things on display at Petoskey Pete’s are the piece of marble likely dating back to the old ice cream parlor in the Arbor Light building and a gigantic Petoskey stone that weighs 12 pounds and contains three different kinds of coral. They’ll even let you pet it if you ask nicely.

Bubba and Roger’s mother Ruthie, “the Ruthinator,” will run Petoskey Pete’s on a daily basis since Roger usually works in Traverse City. The back of the shop will house Pete’s Fleece, and the Glen Lake Artists gallery will continue to occupy the room next door, closer to M-22.

“We’re just happy to be on Lake Street,” summarized Bubba. “Everyone here has been so supportive and complementary, lending us everything we need, from buckets to hot water.”

Bonsai trees sold in the garden

After Glen Arborite Josh Humphrey Sr. returned from his Marine Corps tour in Okinawa in the late-90s, he saw a Japanese man selling the miniature bonsai trees he had come to love at the national arboretum in Washington D.C. These particular bonsais were grown by the man’s grandfather only a mile and a half from ground zero in Hiroshima and miraculously survived the atomic bomb blast at the end of the Second World War.

Josh is now an expert on bonsai trees and sells them from his home across M-22 from the tennis courts in Glen Arbor as well as in the garden next to Petoskey Pete’s. He’ll perform demonstrations and house calls (give him a ring at 231-642-6333), and hopes to become a nationwide bonsai expert with a large-scale hydroponic nursery where he can grow them. Humphrey, 31 years old, is a member of the Sakura Bonsai Club in Traverse City, and one of the few who isn’t retired. Fittingly, sakura is the Japanese word for “cherry tree.”

Bonsai trees are tough and hearty plants that, like lawn furniture, can survive a tough northern Michigan winter. They don’t need a lot of light and as long as they are kept in a setting above 25 degrees Fahrenheit they could live up to 300 years … not to mention survive a nuclear war.

The word bonsai means “shallow pot” in Japanese and it describes the tiny tree sometimes as short as the length of your arm, yet looks like a large, 80-foot tree seen at a great distance or off on a hill. Bonsais are actually native to China, where people often placed shrines or figurines in or around them.

Posted by editor at 09:24 PM | Comments (0)

Restaurant mogul Frank embraces Friendly Empire

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor

New restaurant mogul, Frank Lerchen, couldn’t be more modest about his transition from general manager of two restaurant-taverns to owner of three local food service establishments in less than six months, here in the seasonally somnolent village of Empire.

As Frank tells it, he was being groomed for ownership for the past five years by his boss, Mike Wiesen. However, it wasn’t until someone approached Wiesen about purchasing the Empire Village Inn that he began to seriously consider selling the taverns to Frank.

“Mike had someone interested in buying the V.I. but really wanted Mary and I to buy them, (the Village Inn and The Friendly Tavern), as we knew how to run them and knew the business,” Frank explained. “He wanted the businesses to grow and thrive.”

“It just kind of happened, and I really am thankful to him. He gave me a huge opportunity. Huge,” says Frank, shaking his head, still not quite believing his good fortune.

Sitting in his most recent acquisition, the former Moon Dog espresso bar and art gallery, now known as Gemma’s, (named after his daughter Gemma, who turned one year old on May 17), Frank is smiling. It’s after 8 p.m. on opening day, and the man shows no signs of fatigue. At the coffee bar, Gemma’s manager Ryan Romeike says between 80 and 90 people have passed through the doors since 7:15 a.m. today to offer their congratulations and to buy coffee and baked goodies, sandwiches and salads. As if on cue, Frank jumps up from his chair and asks if he can get (his fading interviewer) a cup of coffee. “Decaf? Half and half?” In a flash, he’s got a steaming cup of complimentary joe ready for his “customer.” Taking his seat once more near the café’s picture window, Frank gazes across M-22 to his other business, the Village Inn, while greeting people as they walk through Gemma’s door, and telling his story of working his way through the restaurant business.

“I really don’t know any different. It’s what I’ve always done. I was 12 years old when I started making pizzas. That was 28 years ago. I worked at the Bay View Inn in Acme and Pizza Plus, which used to be across Front Street from the fire station — where Burritt’s and Chef’s Inn and that whole building is today.”

Frank graduated from making pizzas to working weekends at the Flap Jack Shack while still in high school. Then, in 1985, Phil Murray of Windows hired him, and he worked on the line at one of the area’s finest restaurants for three years.

“Phil kind of took me under his wing and showed me the ropes and taught me how to cook.”

In 1988, Frank and a good friend headed for Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he cooked for two ski seasons, coming home each summer to work at Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor. At Art’s, he met owner Mike Wiesen, who also owned The Friendly and the V.I. After his Steamboat stint, Frank began working full-time for Mike at Art’s, at Windows, and “a little” at The Friendly, where he cooked and waited tables.

“In this business, it’s kinda what you have to do.” While working at Art’s, he also met another important person in his life, Mary Kearns, who later became Mary Lerchen.

Frank joined The Friendly Tavern as manager, eventually becoming general manager of both The Friendly and the Village Inn. “I had no idea I’d end up owning places. I was just trying to make a living … and here I am now.”

In January of this year, before the sale of both taverns was consummated, Frank pulled in to the Village Inn’s parking lot on an errand … and spied something on the opposite side of the highway that intrigued him.

“Dayton, (one of the owners of Moon Dog), had a sign in the window, and I walked across the street and that’s what started it,” says Frank of his coffee house venture. “I love the concept they, (Dayton and wife, Carmen), had going here. If I weren’t doing the taverns, I’d be doing this, anyway,” he says. Waving his hand, as if to stop traffic, he quickly adds, “Not that I don’t love the bars!”

Who can blame him for appreciating the open and airy feel of the new coffee house? Its funky purple trim, yellow couches, white ceiling fans and full-service coffee bar are a definite departure from the taverns’ pine paneling, bronzed by age and nicotine, and the bars’ mirrored back-drops.
Not to mention that a multiple-tavern owner’s day in a tourist town like Empire can begin anywhere from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. in the summertime. “I’m all over the place all day long. I might start with a walk around the Village Inn then head over to the office at The Friendly.” He smiles as he speaks of passing his general manager, Brian Reid, on the road, (“he works crazy, weird hours, too”), of laughing and waving to each other as they drive to their respective posts, during a day that can last until the Village Inn’s closing time of 2 a.m.

“I fought Mary about getting a cell phone, but she finally told me she has to be able to track me down.”

She’s not the only one. With 25 year-round employees and approximately 100 employees during the summer months, there’s bound to be a question or crisis to address.

It’s not all hard work, though. During the off-season, (late October through April), he takes his eldest son Maxwell, 6, to school and spends a couple of hours with son Henry Aaron, 3, and baby Gemma. He’s home every night for dinner and insists on having one day off per week — and makes certain that his general manager does, too.

He gives credit to Mike Wiesen for establishing good management and emphatic credit to Reid for helping him enhance his management, (including his team of managers: Shannon Sheridan of the Village Inn, Matt Christensen — a veteran employee of 16 years — of The Friendly Tavern and Ryan Romeike of Gemma’s).

Frank’s management style must surely benefit from a trait many managers and business owners either never had or sometimes lose along the way: a sense of humor.

“We played a joke on Mike one day,” Frank says remembering, with obvious glee, a prank pulled on his former boss. “We moved a table out into the middle of the road, and we were playing cards when he pulled up. He laughed and told us to get back to work. ‘Don’t you guys have something to do,’ I think is what he said.” (Frank still keeps in close contact with Wiesen, “once or twice a week,” and obviously appreciates the business acumen of his predecessor.)

Teddy Mead, who has worked at both The Friendly Tavern, (which his parents owned from 1968 to 1974), and the Empire Village Inn, a total of 37 years, describes other Frank attributes: “He’s always up, at least from what I know, and always tells you what a good job you’re doing…like when I got back from vacation and someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Frank, and he told me how much I was missed. That really means a lot.”

“He’s full of enthusiasm and lots of good ideas — not just talking about them, but doing them.”

When asked about those ideas, Frank mentions that there are two new flat-screen televisions at The Friendly, and that he now accepts Visa and MasterCard at all three business locations. He talks about the Village Inn formerly looking, “a little hard from the road,” and of cleaning the grounds and putting a fresh coat of paint on the exterior to soften the look for families. (He wants them to know they can bring their kids in for pizza.) Little has changed on the menu, and he’s quick to add that The Friendly burger is the same one Mike taught him how to make, using the same brand of beef that’s been served for years. According to Frank, The Friendly Tavern, which he says has been in business for 65 years, “…is an institution...and if I did too much, they’d crate me out on their shoulders.”

“They” refers to loyal customers and locals. “The Friendly is the flagship of the three, the anchor that lets us do the other two places. It’s the institution. I’ve seen people come in and watched them bring their kids in and their grandkids. The Village Inn is probably the more local place of the two, though we get a lot of nice tourists. What I don’t cover with The Friendly, I do with the Village Inn, and vice versa.”

One change that’s occurred without much planning has been the addition of music this year at the Village Inn. First, there was the winter benefit concert Chris Skellenger put together with New 3rd Coast and other area bands. Next, Frank had New 3rd Coast in for its own concert. Finally, he hired Chris’s band, 3-Hour Tour, to play during an Asparagus Festival barbeque held on the afternoon of May 21. Though it won’t be a regular offering, he says he’s open to hosting occasional future music events.

As for Gemma’s, Frank says he’d love to see the place “…be embraced by the locals and to be open year-round.” He points to a corner near the front door that will include a future corkboard for posting business cards and notices of local events. He points behind him to the sofas, (“a hang-out area”), and to tables and chairs toward the front of he café for “grabbing a bite to eat.” Along the back wall are coolers with gourmet sandwiches and specialty salads made fresh daily, Faygo original flavors, (including Red Pop, Rock & Rye and Root Beer), orange and grape Crush, Stewart’s sodas, Nantucket juices and bottled water. Beyond the coolers are local products like SoGood Coffee, roasted by Derek Prechtl, jams and other preserves by Food For Thought, Cherry Republic cherry products, art cards by Mary Sharry, photographs and postcards by Grace Dickinson and postcard packets by Kathleen Buhler. Frank is actively soliciting more local products, though manager Ryan jokes that Frank only let him “…get three-quarters done (stocking) before you made me open.“ Inside the door to the right, a large counter invites readers to browse through magazines from Time and Better Homes & Gardens to PC Photo and Vogue. Rounding the counter’s corner, the main attraction, Gemma’s coffee bar, serves regular and decaf coffee, (single, double or triple), espresso, mochas, cappuccinos, lattes, chai, hot chocolate, tea and homemade soup. A bakery counter tempts with fresh daily treats while an ice cream counter boasts gallons of gelato. Soon to follow are Italian sodas, iced coffees, fruit smoothies, frozen coffee drinks and… wireless Internet service, “Wi-Fi.”

It’s 9:15 p.m. now and downright exhausting listening to Frank describe his typical work day and plans for Gemma’s.

“I couldn’t do any of this without Mary and my kids and Brian and the people around me,” he says earnestly. “I know Gemma’s wouldn’t have happened without them and the customers. It’s like getting an Oscar. That is truly how I feel about this.”

Jumping up to help Ryan and Jessica with closing duties, he adds, “Three kids and three businesses. It’s crazy stuff!”

“Want the last oatmeal cookie?”

Gemma’s, 11590 LaCore, is open daily 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Friendly Tavern, 11015 W. Front St., hold daily summer hours 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., 326-5506. The Empire Village Inn, 11601 S. LaCore, is open summers from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. 326-5101.

Posted by editor at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)

Taghon’s New Garage is ripe in the Land of the Sleeping Bear

By Norm Wheeler
Sun editor

One of Empire’s longest running businesses just packed up and left its historic digs on the corner of M-22 and M-72. Taghon’s Auto Service Garage has been a fixture in the village of Empire since 1924 when Charles and Louise Taghon established a car repair shop on the current site of the Lakeshore Motel. Across the street and kitty-corner from Taghon’s was Verno & Middaugh’s repair shop, later a Sinclair gas station. Charles and Louise’s son Fred took over that location in 1945.

The building itself has an interesting h