M I C H I G A N
N E W S P A P E R
O F
T H E
75¢
Y E A R
Copyright 2012, Leelanau Enterprise, Inc., all rights reserved.
Vol. 136 — No. 06
Lake Leelanau, Michigan 49653
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Three Sections
44 Pages
Obama wins, but not here Dems overjoyed; President prevails
Your election road map
retains House village turnout Scripps Franz Democrat One seat, takes Leelanau. hits 82%, Page 9 new supervisor, Page 7 Page 6
Proposals unpopular here and elsewhere. Page 6
zoning goes Leland down, Page 7
Bailey joins Write-in School Board, Page 9
Meet the new village presidents, Pages 2 & 6
• GOP retains 6 of 7 Co. Board seats
By Alan Campbell of the Enterprise staff
By Amy Hubbell of the Enterprise staff
Enthusiasm for election results seemed to move west to east Tuesday night across the Peninsula. Republicans, who gathered at Dick’s Pour House in Lake Leelanau, had high hopes of capturing the White House and a few more Senate seats early on Tuesday evening. But as states were called and more votes were counted, their smiles turned upside down. Not so at the Leelanau Sands Showroom in Peshawbestown, where county Democrats had plenty to smile about — at least on the national level. President Barack Obama scored a decisive victory in the all-important electoral college, “I am happy with the national result, and pretty happy locally in Northport Village,” said Doug Scripps, former county Democratic Party vice chair. “But I thought statewide the Democrats didn’t do as well at all.” Included was an effort Leelanau to unseat State House repCounty did resentative Ray Franz, retained his seat not vote for who thanks at least partly to a Obama a victory in Leelanau second time County. Franz, who attended the Republican quiet rally at Dick’s, held a narrow lead about 10 p.m. when interviewed. However, he was concerned about national results. “I’m extremely disappointed by the Michigan vote,” Franz said. “I thought we had a great game plan.” Instead, Pres. Barack Obama dominated the Michigan vote, 54%-46%. The state was called early by the networks. Franz was taken back by Obama’s vote tally in “coal country” — Pennsylvania and Virginia. “I was very surprised about his success in coal country, given his policies and what they did to the coal industry,” continued Franz. However, Obama was not embraced by Leelanau County voters, who preferred Mitt Romney by a 7,483-6,576. In 2008, Obama
For the first time ever, the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners will be dominated by women. Five seats, three of which were in play Tuesday, will be occupied by females beginning in January. Republicans retained control of the body by a 6-1 majority over Democrats. Neither candidate running without party affiliation was elected. Melinda C. Lautner of Solon Township had the largest margin of victory among all commissioner candidates, topping Karl (Bill) Dungjen 992-603 or 62 percent of the vote. “It will be an interesting dynamic to watch,” said Lautner, who won her tenth consecutive District 7 election. “The two men on the board are more quiet than the women. I’m confident we’ll be able to work well together. I don’t see any personality conflicts on the horizon.” County Lautner took Kasson township by 448-277 Board chair over her challenger. Her fends off margin of victory was smaller in Solon challenge Township where she had from 544 to Dungjen’s 326. Newcomer Carolyn independent Peachy Rentenbach, one of two Democrats on the 2012 commissioner ballot, took two of three townships in District 6 to top former county board chairman Robert Hawley by a 54-46 margin. “Obviously the Democrats have a pretty good footing in Empire and Cleveland townships,” said Hawley, who fell to Rentenbach 1,195-981. “It wasn’t even close in Cleveland and Empire and I barely held my own in Glen Arbor Township.” Bolstered by 483 votes in Empire to Hawley’s 347, Rentenbach held the District 6 seat for Democrats. She also edged Hawley in Cleveland by just over 100 votes there, 387-277. The Republican nominee, Hawley, topped her in Glen Arbor, 357-325. Hawley also serves as the zoning administrator for Glen Arbor township.
(Concluded on Page 19)
GOP ONE FOR THREE
THE HOPES of Republicans who met at Dick’s Pour House in Lake Leelanau to take in election results dimmed as the evening progressed. Only one of three candidates whose signs appear in this picture were elected.
(Concluded on Page 19)
New name added to Veterans Memorial By Alan Campbell of the Enterprise staff
Now there are 111, as another name has been added to the list of Leelanau County warriors who died in combat. He is Thomas Yagle, a big guy from Elmwood Township who signed up for the Army during the Vietnam War partially out of a need to find steady employment, and partially as a way to serve his country. He dropped out of the Traverse City public school system as a sophomore, needing to find work to help his family’s income. Yagle died in a fierce firefight in Quang Nam in 1963, one of 58,148 Americans to die in the Vietnam War. He was 22. Friends and family members have tried for years to have his name included among Leelanau County’s war casualties. Until a few weeks ago, their requests fell on Thomas Yagle deaf ears. “I’ve tried to get fought, died his name put on the stone since 1969,” in Vietnam
Lives lost in war to be honored at ceremony Leelanau County residents are invited to attend a Veteran’s Day ceremony set for 11 a.m. Sunday at the Veterans Memorial on the county seat campus in Suttons Bay Township. The national holiday was set aside to recognize the loss of American lives during wars. The ceremony will coincide with the conclusion of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. recalled Gary Keyes, an Elmwood Township resident who attended Norris School with Yagle. “I’m just very happy you got this done.” Keyes kept up his efforts through the years, contacting new commissioners as they were elected about a need to properly honor Yagle. Keyes wrote a letter to the editor to the Leelanau Enterprise in December of 2009, prompting the
newspaper to write a detailed account of Yagle’s life and research the omission of his name on a granite plaque that serves as the centerpiece for the county’s Veteran’s Memorial at the County Government Center in Suttons Bay Township. Editorials followed seeking the LANCE CPL change — which fell THOMAS YAGLE on deaf ears until new county administrator Chet Janik was hired last fall. Janik took up the plight, and as part of other work at the memorial instructed that Thomas Yagle’s name be engraved on the plaque. Yagle’s addition was the first change to the tablet since it (Concluded on Page 19)
INSIDE
New technology at Glen Lake, Sec. 2
In Section 2:
✓ Fire/rescue crews get smartphones, Pg. 1 ✓ Microbrewery planned for Npt., Pg. 4
In Section 3:
✓ Classified ads
8
38413 30065
9