(Got news? Send it to me, [email protected].)
Here’s a roundup of recent news and photos around the Old Mission Peninsula…
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Men’s Breakfast. The Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church is once again hosting Men’s Breakfast. The next one is Saturday, April 29, 8 a.m., at the church, 16426 Center Road. Open to men of all ages in the community – enjoy a hearty breakfast, catch up with your friends and neighbors, and then get on with your day. I also heard a rumor that Cal Jamieson, who now resides in an assisted living facility in town, might be at this upcoming breakfast!
Need Mulch? The Boy Scouts are having their annual fundraiser and will be offering mulch at First Congregational Church, 6105 Center Road, the first two Saturdays in May – May 6 and May 13, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Stop by and grab some mulch, in bulk or bags. They’ll even load it for you. Everyone is welcome.
Township Schedules PDR Education Session. Peninsula Township will host a public education session about the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program. This is a great opportunity to learn about the program and ask questions to see if it’s a good fit for your land. You’ll also learn what it means to live next to land that is already in the PDR program. (Click here to read how the PDR program has impacted my farm family.)
The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 27, 7 p.m. at the Peninsula Township Hall, 13235 Center Road. All are welcome. The next round of PDR applications will open on May 3, 2023, and the deadline to submit applications is June 7, 2023, at 5 p.m. For more info, contact Township Planner Jenn Cram, [email protected], (231) 223-7314.
New Baby! There’s a new baby on the OMP (or as Tim would say, a new tiny human). Elise and Cory Holman, who own Garden Goods and whose farm family dates back to the 1800s, welcomed baby Henry to their family on April 19. Will we see this little pumpkin in Cory Holman’s Pumpkin Patch this year? I’m thinking we will! Here he is with great-grandma Georgia Holman.
Blessing of Blossoms. It’s coming right up on May 13, which is good because we’re starting to see some early blossoms, and the farmers are moving their bees into the orchards. Read all about this year’s Blessing here – its long history, a photo gallery through the years, and how you can get your land blessed this year.
Open House at the Old Mission Log Church. The displays inside the Old Mission Log Church on Mission Road (on the right just past the Old Mission General Store) have gotten a much-needed facelift. Yes, those ancient displays that I helped Mom and the Old Mission Women’s Club put together back in the 1970s are being updated!
A team of five from the Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society took on the challenge to create the new displays, and after two years of work, it’s now completed. There will be an Open House at the church on May 21, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with cookies and lemonade to enjoy.
Follow the history of the Old Mission Peninsula, from the Anishinabek and Chief Agosa to Rev. Dougherty to the post-Dougherty era. The new displays were made possible by contributions from the Old Mission Women’s Club, Peninsula Township, and Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society.
Meet the New Deputy. As mentioned previously, we have a new Community Police Officer on the OMP. Tony Martinez is replacing Sean Mugerian, who has been assigned to Long Lake Township. While I was not able to make the “Coffee With a Cop” event at Peninsula Market last week (but heard the turnout was great), I happened to see both of their cars at the Township Hall, so I swung in to get a picture (and a selfie!).
If you have an emergency, you should always call 911, but if you’d like to contact Tony for non-emergency comments or questions, call their office phone, (231) 223-4525, or (231) 995-5000, or email [email protected]. Welcome, Tony!
Old Mission Legion Dinner. The menu for the Tuesday, May 2, Legion Dinner includes Chicken Cacciatore, butter noodles, vegetable medley, with a dessert and appetizer to be decided. Gather at 6 p.m. for appetizers and conversation. Dinner will be served promptly at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $15 per person. Carry-out dinners are available by calling (231) 223-4433 after 5 p.m. that day. The Old Mission Legion is located at 4007 Swaney Road in the village of Old Mission.
GTACS Robotics Team Headed to Worlds. I recently posted about the GTACS Robotics Team (Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools) raising money to go to the World competition in Dallas. Well, they’re headed that way on Friday, and they were featured on Vic McCarty’s show on WTCM this week (I love his show with Wendy Nienhouse, who I believe might be an OMP resident – they are so fun). Here’s my sis-in-law Carol Johnson (married to my brother Ward) with two of the robotics team members at WTCM.
The Old Mission Store is Open. The Old Mission General Store is now open again. Jim Richards, who owns the store with his wife Marcy, had heart surgery a couple of months ago, but is looking great and ready to head into the busy season. They’re also looking for seasonal help at the store. Stop by, 18250 Mission Road, or call (231) 223-4310.
Here’s Jim, with help from Marcy, on a special call (via the afterlife!) to former owner Bob DeVol. What we wouldn’t give to hear Bob’s voice again, right? But Jim and Marcy are doing a great job of carrying on his legacy. We’re glad you’re open again! They’re also taking orders for pizzas, sandwiches and all the good things they make there.
Household Hazardous Waste. If you’ve got household hazardous waste, you’ll have an opportunity to dispose of it at Grand Traverse County’s Recycle Smart program. Find out what they’re accepting, and make an appointment at their website here. Sign-up will be available online one month before each event. The dates for this year are:
- Thursday, May 11, 2023
- Thursday, June 22, 2023
- Thursday, August 10, 2023
- Saturday, September 16, 2023
Scrap Tire Collection. Also, the scrap tire collection date, also part of the RecycleSmart program, is coming right up. The drop-off date is May 11, and you can make an appointment by calling (231) 995-6075.
Also Read…
SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: 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 and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, 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 I started my own newspaper.
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