|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
06/24/2007For a healthy future, let's look to the pastOne of the unique things about the Straits of Mackinac is the history that oozes from the region. Whether it's touring the tradition-steeped houses on Mackinac Island or chatting with old-timers north of the bridge about the lumbering and commercial fishing days, the tip of northern Lower Michigan and the Mackinac area are places that remember and celebrate their origins. Driving north along U.S. 31, the transformation begins on the north end of Petoskey, where stately homes in historic Bay View take visitors back to another era of northern Michigan. A string of mom-and-pop shops, motels and eateries dot the major roads that wind around the region, where a wayfarer can sit with locals and talk about how things have changed and how they've stayed the same. The problem with other parts of northern Michigan is that so many self-styled community "leaders” think nothing important ever happened until they got here. Their goal seems to be making this area more like the places they came from, complete with bypasses, fast-food joints and big-box stores, rather than embracing and preserving what brought them here in the first place. For too many, it's become just another place to make a buck, and the evidence is all around. There are a handful of notable exceptions. The restoration of historic Building 50 in Traverse City by local developer Ray Minervini is nothing short of remarkable. But recall that most of the local "leaders” — again showing a thimble of respect for the area's history — were poised to swing the wrecking ball at Building 50 before local preservationists demanded that Minervini be given a chance. The State Theatre downtown is another example, but again one filled with plenty of irony. After a multi-million dollar restoration effort by local powers-that-be went belly-up (just where did all that money go, anyway?), the building ended up with Rotary Charities. That group recently struck a deal with Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival to finally breathe some life into the historic theater, even as Moore quietly is viewed with suspicion or disdain by many in the region's political elite. Shining stars also include historic groups on the Old Mission Peninsula, where folks are determined to weave the peninsula's unique past into the region's fabric as it evolves as a patchwork of vineyards, orchards and million-dollar homes. The exceptions aren't the rule, however, and too many of our rules seemed geared toward turning the area into Anytown, U.S.A. Indeed, other than clutching to their 1960s and '70s-era style of running local government, many of our local decision-makers don't seem to know or care much about the history of the Grand Traverse region. But as anyone who remembers the Alice in Wonderland character knows, it's hard to know where you're going if you don't know where you've been. Bill O'Brien is the Record-Eagle's business editor. Contact him at bobrien@record-eagle.com
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
By Bill O'Brien
Printer Friendly Version
Email Page to a Friend
Subscribe