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Here’s a roundup of news and photos around the Old Mission Peninsula, including an update on the winery lawsuit, chicken BBQ, community potluck, Old Mission estate sale, new trail at the library, an update on Conor Rigan and a pediatric cancer fundraiser, gorgeous peonies and more. Read on…
Evelyn Johnson’s Estate Sale. If you love Old Mission stuff — and who doesn’t? — don’t miss this estate sale featuring all sorts of cool OMP/Michigan books, barn artwork and local history. Evelyn Johnson is known locally as “The Barn Lady.” She’s the one who published the book Barns of Old Mission Peninsula, which I refer to several times a week for Gazette stories — like this one about the McManus barn and this one about the Andrus barn on the north end.
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The book also led to all the beautiful “quilts” you see on barns around the OMP, also coordinated by Evelyn. She is still with us, but sadly, has dementia, and I believe might be living in an assisted living facility.
The sale is happening this weekend — Friday, May 30 through Sunday, June 1 — with hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. all three days at 16756 Whispering Pines off Smokey Hollow Road. Click here to check out lots of photos of items for sale. Here’s a photo of Evelyn at the Dougherty House in 2021. Love and hugs to her on this next chapter.
“More Than Four” Fundraiser. We’ve been following Conor Rigan’s health journey the past few years on the Gazette, and I’m thrilled to report that his most recent scans showed no evidence of a tumor. And he turns six years old TODAY – Happy Birthday, Conor!
The Rigan family has established the “More Than Four” Foundation to help kids fighting cancer. This Saturday, May 31, 2 – 5 p.m., you can help support the foundation by attending a fundraiser and auction party at Chateau Chantal, 15900 Rue de Vin, off Center Road.
The fundraiser includes an online auction that is LIVE all week long through May 31. The “Bids for Kids” auction offers a variety of experiences local to the Traverse City area, gift certificates, collectibles, sporting events and more.
Buy tickets for the Chateau Chantal event here. You don’t need to bid in order to attend the event. All of the money raised will go directly into the hands of doctors and researchers. The goal is to complete the funding necessary to bring a Phase 1 trial into fruition. If you’d like to see the progress already made, check out the More Than Four Foundation’s Annual Impact Report here.
Church Chicken BBQ. It’s that time again! The annual Chicken BBQ at Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church is happening on Saturday, June 21, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the church, 16426 Center Road. This is a community event, and everyone is invited. A free will offering is accepted.
The buttery-good chicken is grilled over an apple wood fire pit at the church. There will also be sides like potato salad, old-fashioned coleslaw, baked beans, and plenty of homemade desserts, including Annie’s Cherry Whatchamacallit (Ann Fouch’s iconic cherry dessert). Just drop in between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., or call for takeout earlier in the day, (231) 223-4393.
Potluck at the Legion Hall. The Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society (OMPHS) is hosting their annual Potluck and Meeting at the Old Mission American Legion Hall, 4007 Swaney Road, on Thursday, June 5. Gather at 5:30 p.m., and enjoy a delicious potluck at 6 p.m.
Everyone is welcome whether you’re an OMPHS member or not (though you are welcome to sign up and become a member at the potluck!). The dinner will include crispy fried chicken, cornbread and beverages, and paper products will be available. Bring a side dish or a dessert and yourselves — and neighbors and friends.
RSVP to Hospitality Chair Barb Wunsch, [email protected], by June 1, and let her know what you’ll be bringing. (While you’re there, you can also check out the new case displaying my dad’s military uniform – more on that later!)
Bayshore Marathon. As per usual, I had planned to get myself down the driveway in time to get a photo of the lead runner in the Marathon. My neighbor Pat texted me around 8:15 a.m. to let me know he’d already gone by headed “back” towards town! What a machine! In my defense, I was up late the night before getting a Gazette newsletter out. Anyway, here’s a photo of some of the other runners, who were just as impressive!
New Trail at the Library. There’s a new trail in the works at Peninsula Community Library. The universal access walking trail is being built in memory of Lori Brickman, a longtime library advocate who recently passed away. A memorial gathering was held for Lori at the library, where I played “What a Wonderful World” on my violin and apparently ended up on one of the local TV news programs.
From Library Director Vicki Shurly: “Lori was a member of the PCL Board from 2017 until her passing in 2024. An active trustee, she served on our building committee for the new library and many related committees. Lori especially loved the land the library sits on. She attended every meeting on the landscaping, every meeting on the Children’s Garden, every meeting on things as mundane to others as French drains and ditches and retention ponds and rain swales. She was at heart an environmentalist, a conservationist and a nature lover. Lori appreciated that the library feeds the mind and that the land feeds the soul. What better experience could one ask for than to have the two melded together for all to enjoy and enrich themselves from!”
Patrons will be able to enjoy a leisurely walk around the library’s 5.25 acres, winding in and around the vernal pond and through the meadow. Still to come: interpretive signs, benches and a platform to sit and watch the frogs, birds and dragonflies that have made the pond their home. Here’s a photo of Riley Ramoie of Modal beginning the process of creating the trail.
Men’s Breakfast. The next Men’s Breakfast will take place this Saturday, May 31, at 8 a.m., at Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church. This is a community event, and men of all ages are welcome. Bring a friend, and enjoy a delicious breakfast with your friends and neighbors. The church is located at 16526 Center Road on the Old Mission Peninsula.
Winery Lawsuit Update. Every week I have a few folks asking if there’s an update on the winery lawsuit. The short answer is no, we’re still waiting on Judge Paul Maloney’s decision. In October 2024, final closing statements were presented to the judge by the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula (WOMP), Peninsula Township and Protect the Peninsula. The case is complex (the judge’s words, not mine, but I agree), and said it might be a while before we get a ruling. And then I’m guessing there will be appeals.
I do, however, have an update on a similar case that was filed in Napa County. The same attorneys representing WOMP (read more about that here) sued the county on behalf of three wineries. That case, similar to the one filed here, asked the court to void long-standing zoning rules because they violated the wineries’ First Amendment rights, required local grape-sourcing in violation of interstate trade rules, were pre-empted by state liquor laws and more.
While the order noted that there was little merit to some of the claims, the dismissal was largely on procedural grounds. One of the wineries suing Napa County was already party to a pending state court case involving the same zoning provisions they challenged in federal court. The judge cited a legal doctrine which allows a federal court to decline to step in when a party has already raised the same claims in a different case.
See all the winery lawsuit documents over at Protect the Peninsula’s website here, including the three post trial briefs at the bottom of the page.
Flowers! The peonies are just about to pop out at Old Mission Flowers on the corner of Center Road and Ladd Road. Owner Ginny Coulter says, “Peonies, poppies, iris, lupines and alliums are starting to bloom. They’re perfect to pick a little before they’re fully open for a long lasting bouquet.” Hop over there and get yourself a bouquet of gorgeous flowers this weekend!
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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.
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