5 YEARS AGO July 25, 2019
Officials of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians have lashed out against a former tribal official who is now working as a consultant for Enbridge, the company that operates petroleum pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac. A tribal attorney last week issued a news release asserting without evidence that the former head of the tribe’s Natural Resources Department, Desmond Berry of Suttons Bay, is an “employee of Enbridge and has been advocating for continued transmission of oil through the inherently dangerous twin pipelines within the Straits of Mackinac.”
*** Two storms over the weekend caused the cancellation of Wine on the Water and wreaked havoc on marinas with increasing water levels. Brian Adam, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Office in Gaylord, said two separate storms hit Leelanau County, adding the first arrived Friday night and lasted through the early part of Saturday morning while the second came Saturday early afternoon and ended in the late afternoon.
10 YEARS AGO July 24, 2014
Empire Beach has taken in $7,160 in parking fees during a new parking meter’s first couple weeks of operation — in spite of less than ideal beach weather for many of those days. Twenty tickets have also been written for those who opted not to pay for parking. Empire Village officials have struggled for years with the concept of charging to park in a lot at its popular beach.
*** Financial troubles as shown in a recent bankruptcy filing may have been a motive for Bingham Township resident and attorney Clarence K. Gomery’s allegedly attempted to hire a hit man to kill another attorney. Gomery, who filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in April, was arrested in Leelanau County on July 14 after details of his alleged plot to have attorney Christopher Cooke killed came to light.
25 YEARS AGO July 29, 1999
Rita Hadra Rusco, the last resident of North Manitou Island, packed her belongings to move to the mainland. Rusco’s lease expired in January 1998. She lived year-round on the island from 1942 to 1953 with her husband, Jack Hadra, who took a business manager position with the Manitou Island Association. She summered on the island for more than 45 years.
*** A 46-acre parcel of land owned by VFW Post No. 7731 has been submitted as a potential site for new county facilities. The property which was under land contract with DKL Construction Management, Inc. of Traverse City is now available. The site is located off M-204, to the rear of the Connie Binsfeld Resource Center.
50 YEARS AGO July 25, 1974
Leland Township Board has been reminded that costs of operating Leland Township Harbor will he the township’s responsibility and that the Michigan Waterways Commission (DNR) will be keeping a watchful eye out to see that things are done right, when the Township takes over the Harbor this fall. The MWCDNR decided last fall to cancel its lease at that time. A Region 11 representative of the Waterways Commission.
*** Mrs. Gerald R. Currier of Route 2, Maple City was awakened by the family Great Dane. “Panther” at 6:30 a.m. Monday. “Panther” was insistently pulling and tugging at Mrs. Currier’s arm and far good reason — the house was on fire. Thanks to the dog’s alerting the family. Mr. and Mrs. Currier and their four-year-old son escaped the blaze without injury and by the time two volunteer fire departments arrived on the scene they had successfully put out the blaze.
75 YEARS AGO July 22, 1948
A crime wave, ranging in seriousness from car theft to charges of gambling, hit Northport this week, keeping state police, sheriff and town marshal all on the job. The charges of running a gambling house, made by the State Police against Oren Ranger, grew out of two burglaries the night before that had brought the troopers to Northport to investigate.
*** The Manstique-Schoolcraft Chamber of Commerce this week invited the Leelanau County Car ferry committee to send a delegation to the Upper Peninsula early in August to plan a campaign for the proposed ferry line. State ferry service, from Northport to Manistique, was first suggested last Spring. At a mass meeting in the Northport school.
100 YEARS AGO July 24, 1924
Archie W. Gunn, editor of the Muskegon Chronicle, died last week at the home of his daughter, Mrs. W. B. Johnson of Traverse City. Mr. Gunn was a former Leelanau County newspaper man. For several years he published the Suttons Bay News.
*** Michigan beekeepers will hold their summer meeting at Traverse City August 5 to 7, according to announcements made by officials of the association. C. P. Dadant, editor of the American Bee Journal will be one of the speakers.
