The results are in, and the new Mayor is…the horse, of course! Congratulations to Lucky Diablo Bosco, and to his owner, Missy Bosco. Brother and sister cats, Topsy and Turvy Stephenson, will be sharing responsibilities as co-Vice Mayors, thanks to the campaigning of their human, Cathy Stephenson. Kanda and Harold McKee’s 1-year old cat, Porsche, will be learning the political ropes in Omena as Deputy Vice Mayor. These positions go to the top three vote-getters. Congratulations also to Emmie Tomlinson and Ruby Emmert, and their owners, Cindy and Thad Tomlinson, and Lin Emmert, who completed the top five list. All of the candidates are members of the 2021-2024 Omena Village Council.
Nineteen animals competed in the sixth triennial Omena Mayor fundraiser for the Omena Historical Society (OHS). At the announcement ceremony Saturday, OHS Sally Viskochil thanked all of the candidates’ “campaign managers” for their creative and hard work, and thanked the community for their show of support for the event.
Building on the success of past elections, this year’s event surpassed the 2021 record setting event, bringing in $15,700 for the OHS. These funds help maintain the historic Putnam-Cloud Tower House, home to the OHS museum, and the its programs and archives.
Family members have started arriving for the Rule Family Reunion, which begins this coming Saturday. Stewart and Jill Smith have arrived on Omena Heights from Butte, Montana. Their daughter, Valerie Darrah, and her family, husband Dan and daughters Christina, 8, and Isabella, 5, are here from Justin, Texas. Marian Electa Powell and her husband Mark arrived from Mukilteo, Washington, after a leisurely road trip.
The Omena House will be home base to the Hessel clan starting Saturday for the Rule Reunion. Some of the Hessels are here this week at the Rule Cottage. Anne and Jaap van Voorden are here from the Netherlands with their daughter and son-in-law, Jeroen and Felice van Zijl, and their children, Julie, 13, Gijs, 12, and Eva, 8. They are joined by their friends, also from Rotterdam, Thijs de Boer and Suus van der Goot and their children, Sophie and Lotis de Boer.
Mary Kay Rodman is here from Portland, and Ed and Wendy Hessel from San Diego. They will all be joined at the Omena House on Saturday by Ann and Jaap’s son, Michael and his wife Pauline and their children, Anne and Thijs, from Utrecht, the Netherlands. Also at Omena House will be Mike and Janet Hessel from Shedd, Oregon, and their son, Colter, and his wife, Julie, and their son, Wiley.
There will be over 90 Rule family members starting Saturday staying around Omena for a week of reunion activities.
Omena House owners, Dale Manty and Liz Tuckermanty, were part of a group of friends who gathered this past week to celebrate Joy Bartholomew’s 75th birthday. Joy and her husband, Mark Edmundson, who came from Port Republic, Maryland, were joined by Dorothy Howe, also from Port Republic; Helge and Carol Swanson from Florida; and Drew and Jennifer Edmonston, currently from Northern Virginia, but soon moving to West Virginia. Roger and Linda Rayle were also part of the gathering. They were in town from Ann Arbor for Bob Purvis’ memorial service, as well. The group enjoyed paddling, walking, and exploring Leelanau County.
After a flooding incident, Omena House got a refresh this past spring and everyone approved of the color scheme, which was inspired by the Alden Dow House Museum in Midland.
There will be a presentation at Saving Birds Thru Habitat (SBTH) Discovery Center this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. by Mike Berst. Mike and his wife, Kathie, have spent many, many hours at SBTH rehabilitating the grounds. Thanks to their efforts and a grant from the Barton J. Ingraham and Gail G. Ingraham Foundation, over 700 native plants have been installed. The presentation will include a beautiful video that Mike did featuring “A Wildflower a Day.”
Mike and Kathie are welcoming volunteers to come and help them with the on-going restoration of the grounds. Volunteer days will be on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons from 1:30 to 5 p.m. in July and August. There is no need to register. Volunteers will be removing alien plants, putting in new plants, and learning about seed stratification and germination, and plant identification.
The Wet Paint Sale last Saturday at the Northport Arts Association (NAA) was a tremendous success, and caped off a wonderful Gene Rantz Plein Air weekend. The event continues to get bigger and better every year. The exhibit continues through August 3 at the Village Arts Building.
The NAA will be holding an Arts and Treasures Sale on Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11. They are welcoming items of fine art, vintage jewelry, artisan works, arts and crafts books and supplies, and other valuables and collectibles. Items can be donated or given as consignment. The NAA website has details on the consignment option. Drop-off of items is Tuesday and Wednesday, August 6 and 7, beginning at noon each day.
The Omena Presbyterian Church welcomes you to their worship service this Sunday at 10 a.m. Rev. Anders Edstrom, pastor of Greenfield Presbyterian Church in Berkley, Michigan, will be preaching. The special music vocalist will be Jeff Norris, Chair of Voice at Interlochen Arts Academy, ,and Patrick Kuhl will be on the organ.
Happy Birthday this week to Mariah Kalchik, Judy Fowler, Betsy Parker, Sophia Sica Mosher, Sam Goldman, Mary Smart, Carol Silverman, and Joan Kalchik TenBrock. Happy Birthday on July 30 to Kathy Spohn, Pete Leabo, Leah Putnam, and Debby Disch and her “twin” cousin Marguerite Giordano, who is in Omena for the Rule Family Reunion.
Happy Anniversary to Tim and Aimee Harris, Jeff and Cindy Dailey, and to Craig Pavia and Marissa Smith.
