Patrick Sullivan | Author

A Septic Battle in Kalkaska

Sept. 28, 2019

A decade ago, Kalkaska County’s board of commissioners took a small step to bolster water quality and make purchasing rural properties more predictable: They passed a resolution, with assistance from the district health department, that required septic system inspections any time a ... Read More >>

Sorry, Folks — Park’s Closed

Sept. 21, 2019

This July, after so many years of bitter strife that divided Hayes Township and pitted neighbor against neighbor, construction of Camp Seagull Park on the northern shore of Lake Charlevoix finally appeared to be complete.

At least that’s what township resident Bill Henne ... Read More >>

An End to the Leelanau County Wedding Barn Dispute?

Sept. 14, 2019

Neighbors of an Elmwood Township farm-turned-wedding-venue have hunkered down and are deciding what to do next after the township settled a federal lawsuit and agreed to allow special events to happen at controversial Noverr Farms overlooking South Lake Leelanau.
The settlement betwe... Read More >>

A Race to the Top in Empire

Sept. 7, 2019

It was inevitable, perhaps, that someone would decide to see who could be the fastest to climb that winding road that snakes its way through thick forest to the top of a Lake Michigan bluff at the edge of Leelanau County.

Thus began the Empire Hill Climb, a rag-tag race that wa... Read More >>

Death in the Woods

Aug. 31, 2019

Justin Beutel (pictured above right) had recently achieved a life goal that afforded him more free time to do things he loved, like go to his family’s hunting property Up North.

The 38-year-old had months earlier opened his own Harley-Davidson garage in Midland, a dream h... Read More >>

Whiskey Point’s Island Amber

Aug. 31, 2019

The Island Amber, so far the bestseller of Whiskey Point Brewing Co.’s inaugural summer, is a smooth and well-balanced brew that’s refreshing on long, hot summer days and remains satisfying now that cooler, autumn air is descending upon Beaver Island, the archipelago Whiskey P... Read More >>

IAF's Big Get

Aug. 24, 2019

Leila Hilal grew up in Petoskey, but she left home at 18 and moved around the country through college, law school, and grad school. She spent time as a lawyer in New York City, then became a peace facilitator working in the West Bank.

But after a decade spent living and working... Read More >>

Intervention

Aug. 17, 2019

It starts with a phone call from someone who needs help for someone they love. That leads to a meeting in Tom Gilbert’s office, if the person can get to Traverse City. If they live too far away, they talk by phone.

Gilbert gives them the book “Love First: The Family... Read More >>

Traverse City to Welcome “the Dirtbag Left”

July 27, 2019

A group of leftist Twitter users founded the political and humor podcast Chapo Trap House in 2016 and in just a couple of years it’s become a surprising runaway success.

Now they’ve been invited to the Traverse City Film Festival for two special performances. On Jul... Read More >>

"Evil Dead" Descendant Bros Brett and Drew Pierce Bring "The Wretched"

July 27, 2019

Brothers Brett and Drew Pierce grew up downstate with a father whose interest in filmmaking and special effects led him to work with Sam Raimi on the cult classic Evil Dead.

Fast forward nearly 40 years: The Pierce brothers are all grown up and bringing their own horro... Read More >>

Michigan’s Davy Rothbart is Coming Home

July 20, 2019

There are several reasons why this year’s appearance at the Traverse City Film Festival will be special for filmmaker and FOUND Magazine founder Davy Rothbart.

The Ann Arbor native will host the Michigan premiere of his film, 17 Blocks, a project that’s bee... Read More >>

Cadillac, Michigan: Pro Wrestling Hotbed of the North

July 13, 2019

On a hot Saturday night in Cadillac, inside the auditorium at the Wex, a ring is set up, surrounded by rows of folding chairs on each side. At the back, there’s a stage and a runway where wrestlers can make dramatic entrances under spotlights. In the lobby, a couple hours before sho... Read More >>

An Otherworldly Beauty

July 6, 2019

People come to northern Michigan for its natural beauty. Whether it is sparkling waters, rolling hills, steep sand bluffs, or dark green forests, there’s no shortage of stunning vistas around here.

Chris Roxburgh, an electrician from Traverse City who got seriously into d... Read More >>

Walter Hagen's Northern Michigan

June 29, 2019

Imagine this: One of the biggest sports stars in the world lives in Traverse City. He’s retired and a bit pudgy now. He’s been weathered by years of drinking and chasing women. No doubt he’s past his prime.

But every day, he hangs out at Little Bo’s. On ... Read More >>

A Life-changing Crash

June 22, 2019

When Kaischa Smith set off on a beautiful summer Sunday morning on her Trek hybrid bicycle for a ride on the Leelanau Trail, she was unaware that a life-defining moment was on the horizon, one of those points in time that separates everything before from all that comes after.

A... Read More >>

Michigan A.G. Dana Nessel on the March

June 15, 2019

Attorney General Dana Nessel, the first openly gay person to hold state office in Michigan, isn’t in the fight of her life. But she might be in the fight of our lives. She’s battling Enbridge to shut down Line 5. She’s taking on the rules, regulations, and c... Read More >>

The Making of a Public Space

June 8, 2019

If you haven’t been through the Village of Walloon Lake in the past five years or so, you will notice some changes — it’s gone from a sleepy, tattered ghost of a place to a vibrant, handsome town center that can draw tourists who formerly would have been only tempted by ... Read More >>

Jetty Rae Rolls In

June 1, 2019

For three years, folk singer Jetty Rae, her husband, Jason Stewart, their three children— Beck, Rowin, and Jude — and their pug, Otis, have logged tens of thousands of miles traveling the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while towing their home, a 1970 Airstream camper.
Read More >>

Judgment Day for a Dog

May 18, 2019

Based on appearances, the small, fluffy Norwich terrier looks fun-loving, with a little hint of mischief in his eyes.

Based on a court ruling handed down on May 9, the dog, Chili, must be destroyed.
It’s a complicated case of a dog who viciously attacked a woman and ... Read More >>

How a Near-environmental Disaster Spawned a Wetlands Laboratory.

May 11, 2019

Fifty years ago, the notion that a vast tract of wetlands could be preserved in its pristine state rather than be developed into lakefront lots was a novel idea. There were no land conservancies. There was no such thing as a conservation easement. The Nature Conservancy, the nonprofit est... Read More >>