Village and Township Life and Future

Morning at Peterson Park

The only constant is change. Our village lost a very special person this week with the death of Reverend Marshall Collins. Another long-time Northporter and regular customer of Dog Ears Books, Catherine Caraher, also passed away. Dr. Caraher taught history at the University of Detroit, but I knew her more as an avid reader and devoted dog-lover. One friend commented mournfully, “This is the trouble with living in a small town!” Really? 


In a large city, would we only rub elbows with other anonymous inhabitants and not be affected by their troubles and deaths? Wouldn’t the circle of acquaintance be about the same? There would be more people one did not know, but not everyone would be a stranger, surely. I remember when my father began to complain of the number of funerals he had to attend, and my mother, taking a brighter look, told him that was because they had lived there so long. They had moved from South Dakota to a county seat in northern Illinois in 1951, so of course in 50 years time they had made many friends. What she left out was that they and their friends had all aged 50 years in that same time period! Well, this happens anywhere, town or country, city or village, but I’ll admit that my friend in her sadness had a valid point to make: losing someone in a small village is a proportionately greater loss, due to the size of the population. And wherever you live, no one is a replacement for anyone else, but life goes on, so to whom will the torches pass?

Ashes to ashes: new ash tree sprouts in old tree's place

Village of Northport (incorporated), village of Omena (unincorporated), Township of Leelanau. Northport has come a lot way up from the Slough of Despond it was in six years ago. New energy is palpable and manifest all over town—new businesses (many made possible by new sewer system), improvements to buildings, new marina facilities, hiking trails, flowers, etc. Where do we want to go from here? What are the community’s priorities?

Looking for excitement? Make it happen!

To those who look at the postcard and poster for a Community Engagement Workshop and say, “Been there, done that,” I want to urge second thoughts. Yes, we had a series of meetings in 2007. Since then, a lot has been accomplished in Northport, Omena, and Leelanau Township. The question is, where do we want to go from here? You would not go into business with a plan carved on stone and never revisit the plan. You would not get married and set up a budget and never look at it again to see where changes in family life indicated new priorities. Yes, we’ve been through something like this before, but it’s time to do it again. It could even be fun! Come find out on Wednesday evening—7:30, small gym up at school. Bring your ideas and prepare to roll up your sleeves.

And before tomorrow night is tonight, with poet Teresa Scollin at the Leelanau Township Library in Northport. Don't miss this event, either. 

Volunteers created and maintain the gorgeous library garden

"Where the Road Ends, the Fun Begins!"

Did you come to Northport on Saturday, or are you coming soon?



If you arrived early on Saturday morning, you might have noticed this building and a sign on the door that said "Open June 9." If you looked up from the sidewalk, you could have read the banner:





WINE TASTING ROOM
SPECIALTY FOODS
MOTORCYCLISTS WELCOME

Later that morning an OPEN sign appeared in the door, and this sandwich board announced some of what was to be found inside.

Deirdre and Eric welcome customers

The selection of specialty foods will be growing weekly.

Isn't this pasta beautiful? Friends of theirs make it.

Wine and cheese. Handmade pasta. Put out dishes of fresh local strawberries and cream for dessert, and you've hardly had to work at all to produce a vacation dinner worthy of Tuscany.



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Blog note: This is August 11, and this is my 1,111th post. What were the odds?