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Here’s a roundup of recent and upcoming news around the Old Mission Peninsula, including the Old Mission Tavern, this month’s Peninsula Insights speaker, a new fire truck, Men’s Breakfast, used books that need decluttering (you know you have some), a WOMP lawsuit meeting, an upcoming barn sale and a tiny bit of sunshine!
Peninsula Insights. The next meeting of Peninsula Insights will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. at Peninsula Community Library. The guest speaker will be Michele Howard, Director of the Traverse Area District Library. A librarian for 30 years, Michele has a passion for learning and literacy. She has experience on various boards, including school PTO and local event and non-profit boards, as well as serving as a city commissioner and planning commissioner for the City of Traverse City.
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Michele graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a Master’s of Information and Library Studies from the University of Michigan. Michele and her husband Scott have lived and raised their three children in Traverse City since 1999. She is an avid cyclist, cat and dog lover, skier, and of course, reader.
Sunshine! Did you see the sun last week? I think it was out for about eight minutes one day. In case you missed it, here’s a pic off my back deck…
It was gone by the time I made it out to the Lighthouse Trail, but it’s still beautiful there this time of year. (I don’t know who these folks were, but it made for a great photo as they passed by me.)
Declutter those books. Are you cleaning and decluttering your house? The Friends of Peninsula Community Library (PCL) are now collecting used books, puzzles and games for their Annual Book Sale in August. All deliveries should be brought to the PCL Carriage House next to the library on the first and third Mondays of the month, 4 – 6 p.m., until the end of July. The next drop-off is this Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
Please keep in mind that the following CANNOT BE ACCEPTED: Reader’s Digest books of any kind, Encyclopedias, all magazines including National Geographic, textbooks, yearbooks, outdated tech/medical/travel guides, and VHS tapes and cassette tapes. Also note that any worn, dirty, highlighted or musty books will not be accepted, no matter what condition they are in.
New Fire Truck. On Jan. 8, the Peninsula Township Fire Department took delivery of their new Engine 1. From the fire department’s Facebook page: “CSI Fire Apparatus did a great job on our truck. The truck has many improvements to help us protect our residents better. We are excited to work and train with our new equipment. Special thanks to our community and Town Board for their support. Please wave hi when you see us out and about working with this great asset for our department.”
Old Mission Women’s Club Barn Sale. The club’s barn sale will take place on May 15-16 at the Fowler Barn, 6782 Center Road (next to the Unitarian Church on the first corner out of town). This will be the third time the event has taken place at the Fowler Barn, and the club always has lots of great treasures for sale. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to May.
Men’s Breakfast. The next Community Men’s Breakfast will take place on Saturday, Jan. 31, 8 a.m., at Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church, 16426 Center Road. Men of all ages are welcome.
Old Mission Tavern. The sale of the Old Mission Tavern finally went through on Jan. 7, 2026. New owner Stephanie Krupka says they’re hoping to open by March, and will have some new and old Tavern favorites. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, Stephanie and crew are cooking for the twice-monthly community dinners at the Old Mission Legion Post, where Rudy Rudolph says miracles are happening!
The Bartnick family thanks everyone for their 49 years of running the Tavern, starting when it was a small ice cream shop (Mission Freeze) back in the 1970s. Like many of you, I have fond memories of playing pool in what is now the main dining area, waiting out a storm with the Johnson Farms cherry shaking crew, and taking my mom and kids for those fabulous chicken dinners after church on Sunday. I’ve heard those chicken dinners will be making a comeback — I’ll check with Stephanie and get back to you.
WOMP Lawsuit Informational Meeting. Protect the Peninsula will hold its second public meeting on Monday, Jan. 26, at 5 p.m. at Peninsula Community Library. Discussion will take place regarding recent developments in the lawsuit, including appeals and settlement talks, the zoning process, and the constitutional issues involved. There will also be a Q&A time for any questions.
Note that the library is not a sponsor of this event, and is only providing space for the meeting. View an overview of the lawsuit here, all the court filings here, and questions and common misconceptions here. In July 2022, PTP was granted the right to intervene in the lawsuit by the 6th Circuit Appellate Court.
PTP’s first informational meeting in November 2025 was well attended and provided lots of info regarding the lawsuit. View the meeting and Q&A videos below, and check out their YouTube channel here.
In other lawsuit news, the law firm representing the wineries — Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC — is opening an office in downtown Traverse City.
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