Here’s a roundup of recent news and photos around the Old Mission Peninsula:
Township Volunteers Honored. At a recent meeting, the Peninsula Township Board honored four long-standing volunteers who’ve worked tirelessly on boards over the years. Pictured above are, left to right, Rick Vida (Zoning Board of Appeals), Matt Cowell (Zoning Board of Appeals) and Marilyn Elliott (Planning Commission). Not pictured is Laura Serocki (Planning Commission). Thank you for your service!
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New Fire Station. At a recent Peninsula Township Board meeting, Fire Chief Fred Gilstorff presented a plan to turn a building near Haserot Beach into Fire Station 3. The building, located past the American Legion Hall on the left, is owned by Peninsula Township but was once used by Lawrence Mlujeak as a mechanic’s shop where he worked on tractors, autos and other vehicles. The building would not be staffed, but would house a fire truck for faster access to properties on the north end of the Peninsula.
The station would also help to improve the fire department’s ISO (Insurance Service Office) rating, which would result in better insurance premiums for homeowners in the area. The building would require $40,000-$60,000 in restoration, including making the door accessible for a fire truck. This is still in the planning stages. Gilstorff will gather more info and come back to the board.
Old Mission Bones Update: As we reported in September, Jeff Manigold discovered some human bones while digging an irrigation ditch in a vineyard next to the Old Mission General Store. The bones were sent to the Medical Examiner’s office at Western Michigan University, and I recently spoke with forensic anthropologist Jered Cornelison, who has been studying the bones. Read my interview with Jered here.
Santa and his Merry Elf. The iconic Santa Claus (Jack Lardie) and his wise-cracking Merry Elf (Mary Shultz) made an appearance at the Old Mission Women’s Club Christmas Luncheon at the Traverse City Golf & Country Club. The jovial duo handed out candy canes and surveyed the many Christmas stockings that the club put together for needy folks and kids in the Grand Traverse area. Santa declared the stockings great and thanked the club for their generous efforts during this holiday season.
Cookie Sale. The Old Mission Women’s Club also had a very successful Christmas Cookie Sale this year, which was held at the Peninsula Township Hall on Dec. 8, 2018. I got there about 10 a.m., and they were already on their way to being sold out of the delicious cookies.
Library Update: A lot has happened since the groundbreaking for the new Peninsula Community Library in October. Grand Traverse Construction has excavated the area for the two buildings (library and accompanying carriage house) on the corner of Center Road and Island View Road, and poured cement for the foundation (see photos here and here). They’ve also been installing the pipes for plumbing and the conduits for heating, electrical and electronic wiring. The well and septic system are in place, and the temporary utilities are nearly ready to roll. It’s anticipated that the slabs will be poured within the next few weeks.
The project is moving forward on schedule, and we’ll keep you updated here on Old Mission Gazette. The Library Building Fund now stands at $2.25 million, but they are still fundraising to get to their $2.5 million goal. Call the library, (231) 223-7700, or click here for more info on how you can help.
Youth Group Carolers. The youth group (Jesis and Me, aka JAM Kids) from Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church sang carols to some lucky listeners on the Old Mission Peninsula, including the Peninsula Fire Department, who gave the kids a tour of Fire Station 1. Here are a few photos of the fun event.
Oh, and if you lost a glove near Haserot Beach, this might be it. Look for it on a post just past the beach on the right.
A NOTE FROM JANE: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers like the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, and magazines like Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So of course, I started my own newspaper. Because the Gazette is mainly reader-supported, I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks my way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the Old Mission Peninsula. Check out the donation page here. Thank you so much for your support. -jb
[…] mentioned at a Township Board meeting last fall, a station on the north end would not only provide faster fire and emergency care to […]