🌱 How a tiny downtown park could transform Manistee’s River Street gateway

Cheers Manistee! We’re back, helping you stay up to date with what’s happening. Let's take on the day together! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How a tiny downtown park could transform Manistee’s River Street gateway
• See how Manistee’s golfers stacked up at regional competition
• Have you toured Manistee County’s house made from 60,000 bottles?

Also on today's calendar: Planning Commission Meeting and 5 more events.

Today's riddle: What's a good time to go to the dentist? 🤔 (Answer below!)

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Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Plenty of sunshine, with a high of 69 and low of 42 degrees.
• Friday: Sunny and nice, temps: high: 71, low: 50.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny and nice, with a high of 73 and low of 43 degrees.

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📰 News we're reading

1. Manistee County Community Foundation plans park upgrades (ourmidland.com) — Downtown Manistee’s River Street plaza and the small foundation-owned park at its west end are slated for coordinated upgrades, including new pavers and a refurbished fountain. The Manistee County Community Foundation is working with the city and DDA on designs, while funding ties into the $1.86 million streetscape project already under construction.
   

2. Manistee takes 7th, MCC finishes 13th at regionals (shorelinemedia.net) — Manistee High’s boys golf team finished seventh at the Division 3 regional in Kent City, led by senior Max Scharp’s 18th-place round of 85. Several Mariners underclassmen also posted solid scores, giving local fans reason for optimism about next season.
   

3. A Michigan Man Spent 38 Years Building a House Out of Bottles (rivergrandrapids.com) — A quirky Manistee County landmark, the Kaleva Bottle House was built from more than 60,000 glass bottles by bottling company owner John Makinen Sr. and now serves as a museum. Weekend visitors can explore exhibits on Finnish-American history, early local businesses, and farming in the surrounding community.
   

4. Michigan's new ‘best beach' has been crowned — and it beat the two-time champ (mlive.com) — Manistee’s own First Street Beach has lost its two-year reign as USA Today’s “Best Michigan Beach,” with South Haven’s South Beach taking the 2026 crown. The piece explains what helped South Beach win, from its lighthouse views to new lifeguards and accessibility upgrades, and lists other nominated beaches across the state.
   

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📸 Around Manistee

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Manistee

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Friday May 29

• Mad Angler Trio →
  Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, 101 Maple St, Manistee
  7:30 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

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Other local events

Monday June 1

• Assessor's Office Hours →
  Manistee, MI Calendar, 70 Maple Street, Manistee
  1:00 pm
• PEG Commission Meeting →
  Manistee, MI Calendar, 70 Maple Street, Manistee
  6:00 pm

Tuesday June 2

• City Council Meeting →
  Manistee, MI Calendar, 70 Maple Street, Manistee
  5:30 pm

Thursday June 4

• Neighborhood Restoration and Beautification Commission →
  Manistee, MI Calendar, 70 Maple Street, Manistee
  4:00 pm
• Planning Commission Meeting →
  City of Manistee City Hall, 70 Maple St, Manistee
  5:30 pm

Friday June 5

• Great Lakes Environmental Festival June 5, 2026 →
  Manistee County Blacker Airport, 2323 Airport Rd, Manistee
  9:00 am
• Spectral Radio Show →
  Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, 101 Maple St, Manistee
  7:30 pm

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📣 Manistee Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday May 28

• Manistee County Planning Commission →
  Manistee County, MI Calendar Manistee, MI 49660
  2:00 pm
• Kanin Wren - Taylor Swift Experience →
  Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, 101 Maple St, Manistee
  7:30 pm

Monday June 1

• Manistee County Recreation Commission Meeting →
  Manistee County, MI Calendar Manistee, MI 49660
  6:15 pm

Wednesday June 3

• Manistee County Ways & Means Committee Meeting →
  Manistee County, MI Calendar Manistee, MI 49660
  9:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Why Some Homes Aren’t Selling Right Now…
  Why Some Homes Aren’t Selling Right Now If you’ve been watching the real estate market lately, you’ve probably noticed that some homes are selling… (Nextdoor Windsor Lane)

• Domino's Pizza posted a job opening for Crew Member (Pizza Maker & Customer Service) #1279 in Manistee. Apply here.
• Dollar Tree Family Dollar - Dollar Tree, Inc. posted a job opening for Customer Service Associate I in Manistee. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Manistee here.

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Ok Manistee! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: 2:30 (tooth hurty) (Thank you Pat A. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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