TRAVERSE CITY -- Readers of the latest issue of Mother Earth News will soon find out what area residents already know -- Traverse City is a great place.
Traverse City, selected to the national magazine's Great Places You've Never Heard Of list, is one of nine communities named to the annual list by the magazine dedicated to sustainable living.
"Traverse City has a real handle on sustainable tourism, keeping the area pristine so that tourism can thrive," said David Wann, author of the article describing Traverse City as an active small town that is rich in culture.
"I also found the wind energy perspective and the interest in local foods intriguing, adding to the quality of life of the area," said Wann who, with editors of the magazine, selected Traverse City along with Ames, Iowa; Bethel, Maine; Berea, Ky.; Viroqua, Wis.; Moscow, Idaho; Bisbee, Ariz.; and San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Wann, who has fond memories of visiting northern Michigan as a youngster, says the magazine isn't suggesting that readers pull up roots and move to one of the selected locations.
"We are not trying to say this is a place to go live, it is more to learn about what is going right in Traverse City and learning to do things right in your own place," Wann said.
Bill Queen, program coordinator of extended education services at the Michigan Energy Demonstration Center of Northwestern Michigan College, knows as well as anyone what Traverse City is doing right .
"One of the first and foremost reasons Traverse City stands out is that our power comes from a municipally owned utility. Citizens have a say as to how to get their power," said Queen, who noted that the shift toward renewables with wind in the 1990s set Traverse City apart as a trend-setter in the field.
Queen also noted that Traverse City's environmental trend-setting is not limited to renewable energy.
"The Grand Traverse Home Builder's Association produced one of the first green building manuals in the state to help builders come to grips with green construction practices," he said.
Joe VanderMeulen, executive director of the Land Information Access Association, which is noted in Wann's article as a local organization promoting sustainability initiatives, chose Traverse City to locate the non-profit group 13 years ago.
"We chose Traverse City specifically because we love Traverse City and the environment here. We found a strong support for cooperative planning and community development," said VanderMeulen, whose group, Partnerships for Change program, is dedicated to helping people shape better communities through participation, education, information and the effective use of technology.
Print this story
E-mail this story
