Here’s a roundup of recent news and photos around the Old Mission Peninsula. Got news? Send it to me, [email protected]. And if you sent me something and don’t see it here, send it again! I will never NOT post a news item you send me, but I get 50,000 emails and texts a day, and sometimes things get lost in the black hole of my inbox.
Overwhelmed with clutter and generational stuff? Consider hiring Ali LeJeune, an OMP-based professional organizer and home simplification expert, who helps to bring calm and clarity to our spaces. I attended her workshop at Peninsula Community Library and also took her class offered through NMC’s Extended Ed. Ali not only understands our emotional attachment to things, but helps us come to terms with WHY we have so much stuff in our homes, garages and basements. And she’s just a good person, to boot.
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If you’ve been reading the Gazette a while, you know that I have SO MUCH generational clutter in my house — seven generations worth — but I’m starting to take baby steps to organize it and even clear some of it out. And guess what? We don’t need to toss it all out!
Check out her website, Simply Ali, call her at (510) 942-9514, or email [email protected]. Here’s a picture of Ali, along with my current project – Tim’s desk. More to come on this. (Seeing Ali’s picture next to this project gives me hope and inspiration; it gives Charley — lower left – hope, too. “Come on, Mom. Get it together.”)
Shout-Out to S2S. I recently had breakfast with a friend at S2S | Sugar to Salt, a breakfast eatery at 1371 Gray Drive at the Grand Traverse Commons. Oh my gosh. I’ve been meaning to go there forever, and I’m so glad I finally made it over there. The food was fantastic, and it’s clear that the owners, Jonathan Dayton and Stephanie Wiitala, have a passion for cooking with local ingredients, supporting local farmers, and nourishing community.
And of course, they’re connected to the Old Mission Peninsula – read about Jonathan’s family here. If you haven’t checked out S2S yet, I highly recommend it! Below is Jonathan and Stephanie, and a photo of the yummy quiche I had, along with some of their take-home baked goods.
OMWC gets a grant. The Old Mission Women’s Club was recently awarded a charitable grant of $1000 from Precision Plumbing & Heating in Traverse City. The grant will help the club to fulfill its mission of supporting local charities.
From Precision’s Facebook page: Proud to support Old Mission Women’s Club as our Jan 2024 Precision Cares winner! Established in 1931, they’ve been making a difference for 90+ years. From Christmas stockings to grants, their impact is immense. Your favorite charity could be next! Nominate them here: https://www.precisiontc.com/nominate/precision-cares/
Barb Wunsch Honored. The Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities in Traverse City recently honored OMP farmer Barb Wunsch of Wunsch Farms as one of their “Food Heroes,” a series highlighting their “Farms, Food & Health” program. From their Facebook page:
“I’m glad farms are first, quality comes from the farm and we need good stable farms. We shifted our farm, Wunsch Farms, from a larger direct-to-processor farm to a more direct-to-consumer farm, and this has made us more successful to be closer to the consumer. As a farmer and dietitian, I know the best thing we can do for our health is to have access to fresh produce, and that is nurturing both professionally and personally. I envision more local produce being available to all people, and our goal is to make it affordable for a larger percentage of our people to enjoy.
“Barbara has also thought a lot about the H2A guest worker program and how the skyrocketing labor costs have affected produce costs. She has added professional development opportunities for advancements on the farm so all team members are more supported in their roles, ‘with all the dignity and power given back to them.’
“Barbara Wunsch is involved in an apple and cherry farm on the north end of Old Mission Peninsula. Over the past 30 years, Barbara worked as a clinical dietitian in both acute care and long term care settings and is currently retired. Barbara operated a fruit and vegetable CSA for 10 years.”
Marqueetown Premiere. I recently had the opportunity to attend the premiere of a new film by Old Mission filmmakers Joe Beyer and Beth Milligan at the Alluvion in Traverse City. If you have a chance to see Marqueetown, I highly recommend it. The film tells the story of one man’s mission to restore the historic arthouse of his youth — the Nordic Theatre in Marquette — to its former glory. The quest leads the filmmakers to discover a fascinating hidden cinema empire in the Upper Peninsula. The filmmakers are currently screening it all over Michigan, and I’ve highlighted some of the local venues here. A few pics from the premiere…
Eclipse Viewing at the Library. A fun crowd gathered at Peninsula Community Library on April 8 to view the eclipse. Library Director Vicki Shurly was on hand with NASA-approved viewing glasses, and Local History Librarian Mary Morgan handed out Moon Pies. I tried taking photos through my phone but failed miserably, so I’m including a few pics from my friend Maddy Agosa, who did a great job.
I think we had about an 80 percent eclipse here on the OMP, and it was definitely an eerie feeling when the sky turned dark and everything became quiet – even the birds stopped singing as it was happening.
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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.
Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our 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 OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette
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