B. I. News on the 'Net, August 8-21, 2016
Mass from Holy Cross, August 21, 2016, Excerpts
As usual, Mass from Holy Cross Church, Beaver Island, was live streamed on the Internet at http:://beaverisland.tv as a courtesy of Beaver Island News on the 'Net. Today Mass was with Father Mathew's younger brother Peter, who stated, "I seem to be following my brother around." Masses will include a rotation of priests from Charlevoix beginning this next Sunday, and the coming Saturday will be the last Saturday evening Mass.
Father Peter giving the Homily after the Gospel Reading.
View video excerpts from this Mass HERE
The 52 Lists Project #34
by Cindy Ricksgers
Christian Church Bulletin
for August 21, 2016
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 21, 2016
The heat/humidity has been broken! Thank you, Mother Nature for the inch of rain yesterday and last night. We certainly needed it. I took the dogs out this morning and could hear all the shrubs and trees going, "glug, glug" as they soaked it up. Right now it's 61°, mostly cloudy, wind is at 24 mph from the west, humidity is at 88%, pressure is rising from 999 mb, visibility is 9.8 miles, pollen levels are medium-high at 8.8, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. There is a beach hazard statement until 6:00 p.m. tonight for all the Lake Michigan beaches of Northern Michigan due to high waves and dangerous currents. Today: Mostly cloudy. Rain showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then isolated rain showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 40 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Scattered rain showers in the evening, then a slight chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows in the lower 50s. West winds 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. MARINE REPORT Gale Warning In Effect Until Noon EDT Today! Today: Northwest wind 15 to 25 knots with gusts to around 35 knots decreasing to 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 25 knots in the afternoon. Slight chance of waterspouts early in the morning. Showers in the morning with a slight chance of thunder. Scattered showers in the afternoon. Waves 5 to 8 feet subsiding to 3 to 5 feet in the afternoon. Tonight: Northwest wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Slight chance of showers. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
On this date of August 21, 1923 - In Kalamazoo, Michigan, an ordinance was passed forbidding dancers from gazing into the eyes of their partner.
Did you know that 32% of all land in the U.S. is owned by the government?
Word of the day: auriferous (aw-RIF-er-uh s) which means yielding or containing gold. Auriferous derives from the Latin word for "gold," aurum. It entered English in the mid-1700s.
FUNKY FUN FASHION SHOW THANK YOU
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! A big Thank you! Thank you to the ladies who attended the Funky Fun Fashion Show. Thank you to all the ladies who modeled. Thank you Elaine West. for the wonderful job announcing. Thank you! to those who helped set up, passed out the door prizes, and who stayed to clean up afterward. Thank you to Lenore and Dana who provided and arranged the flowers. Thank you to the Beaver Island Christian Church Ladies Circle for providing the beverages. And mostly...Thank you ladies who attended. Through your generosity $489.00 was split between the BI Food Pantry, BIFD and Emergency Services. Kathy, Janee and Dee
Obituary for Maureen Bussell
Bussell, Maureen K. 9/9/1931 - 7/25/2016 Arvada, Colorado Age 84, died July 25, 2016 from effects of Alzheimers. She was a graduate of St. Mercy High School in Bay City, an RN graduate of Mercy School of Nursing, Detroit, and trained as a Nurse Anesthetist at University of Michigan. Preceeded in death by parents, Vern and Margarete Runberg; brother, Maurice; and daughter, Catherine. Survived by husband, Tom; brother, John (Joyce); sons, Hugh (Gayle), John (Renate) Paul; and daughter, Therese Fieldsend (Scott). Mass in Napa, California, September 10 at 10:30 AM at St. Appolinaris Catholic Church. Burial in Napa. A loving person who put others first. A joy to know and be with.
Published in Bay City Times on Aug. 25, 2016
- See more at: http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/baycity/obituary.aspx?n=maureen-bussell&pid=181110504#sthash.hX3xT302.dpuf
A Message from Island Airways
We have been receiving phone calls and inquiries about the upcoming runway project at the Charlevoix Airport. During the months of September and October the main runway in Charlevoix is undergoing a resurfacing and grooving project. During the first three weeks of September all or part of the main runway will be closed. Island Airways has worked with the City of Charlevoix, the engineers, and the FAA to keep the grass runway open during this project. We do not anticipate any interruption to our flights. If you have any questions or would like more information please contact me at any of the following:
Home 231 448 2374; Mobile 231 675 7882 ;Terminal 231 448 2071; Charlevoix 231 547 2141; E-mail angel@islandairways.com
Help Keep Advanced Life Support on Beaver Island
prepared in support of Beaver Island EMS by the Beaver Island Association
P. O. Box 390
Beaver Island, MI 49782
www.beaverislandassociation.org
There has been a lot of discussion over the past few months about losing Advanced Life Support Service as part of Beaver Island EMS. After two very well attended Emergency Services Authority meetings, it appears clear that there is significant community interest in maintaining ALS—which requires paramedics on the island. But, current funding is apparently not sufficient to attract paramedics to the island. The townships have both allocated additional resources to help address this issue through the end of the summer season and plan to place millage proposals on the November ballot for a longer term solution, but it remains unclear whether there will be sufficient funding to assure continued service from the end of August until millage revenue becomes available if the ballot proposals pass. In response to suggestions made at the ESA meetings, the Beaver Island Association, working in cooperation with the Preservation Association of Beaver Island and Beaver Island Emergency Services, has developed a website to help raise this money to fill this gap to the extent possible and as needed and, after ALS needs are met, help update equipment and meet other needs.
If you are convinced of the need for Advanced Life Support on the island and want to help, you can stop reading now and go to www.biems.org to make a contribution by credit card, check or direct bank transfer. Your donation will be deposited in a special account set up by PABI and administered by the BIA.
If you have questions about what ALS is or why it is necessary on Beaver Island, please keep reading.
What is Advanced Life Support?
Advanced Life Support (ALS for short) is provided by paramedics who have received more than 3,000 hours of training in aggressive cardiac life support, pediatric life support, severe trauma and more than 200 other life-threatening emergency medical conditions. Paramedics can administer more than 30 advanced medications and can perform many medical procedures. They work to orchestrate an emergency medical scene and direct the operations inside the medical transport unit (ambulance). During an emergency medical call, the paramedic is in constant contact with a hospital emergency room physician. The paramedic and the physician pair together in making critical life-care decisions.
How does ALS differ from Basic Life Support?
Basic Life Support(BLS)
Ambulances provide transport to patients who do not require extra support or cardiac monitoring. A typical BLS ambulance staffed by EMT level caregivers transport includes:
· Lower extremity fractures
· Discharges to home and sub-acute care facilities (nursing homes)
· Medical and Surgical patients who do not require cardiac monitoring
· Psychiatric patients
Advanced Life Support (ALS)
Ambulances staffed by a paramedic transport patients who need a higher level of care during transport above those services provided by a BLS ambulance, but still do not require an R.N. Patients who typically require ALS transport include:
· Any medical/surgical patient with a continuous IV medicine but does not need a RN per state protocols
· Any patient on a cardiac monitor
· Obstetrical patients
· Patients from urgent care centers
· Patients with potential airway compromise
· Any patient deemed to have a potential complication during transport when report is received from the sending facility
Why do we need ALS on Beaver Island?
Without ALS capability on the island, air transport of critically ill patients (often cardiac and neurological emergencies) must wait an hour or more for off-island providers to arrive. Research clearly shows that “Time is Muscle” in a cardiac related event and that “Time is Brain” in a neurological stroke-like event. With island ALS, a patient can be at the hospital within an hour—at least 45 minutes more quickly than without. Research shows that delay in this critical period makes a substantial difference in patient outcomes.
It seems to make good sense that a community as rural and isolated as Beaver Island should retain and support the highest level of competence available for our Emergency Medical Service. Since the “Time to Hospital” can be prolonged and even uncertain with inclement weather, our local capabilities should be even better than those on the mainland. An ALS ambulance unit is effectively a “Mobile Emergency Room” when in real-time communication with an Emergency Physician.
You Can Help
You can help assure the continued availability of Advanced Life Support on Beaver Island by making a contribution to the cause at www.biems.org. Your donation will help assure the availability of funding for paramedic staffing until the Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority is able to work out a longer term funding plan with the townships and island taxpayers. All donations will be received in a separate account established and controlled by the Preservation Association of Beaver Island and will be dispersed to BIEMS as directed by the Beaver Island Association.
About BIEMS
BIEMS provides emergency medical services to Beaver Island. If you need urgent medical help, dial 911 and allow about 30 seconds for the call to transfer to the 911 center. They will dispatch BIEMS 24x7 to provide assistance. Dialing 911 is the fastest and safest way to get help. Patients in distress should not be driven or drive themselves in a private vehicle.
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Prepared in support of Beaver Island EMS by the Beaver Island Association
P. O. Box 390
Beaver Island, MI 49782
www.beaverislandassociation.org
Donations made at biems.org will be received in a separate bank account established and controlled by the Preservation Association of Beaver Island. They will be dispersed to BIEMS as directed by the Beaver Island Association as ALS needs are identified. If funding is not necessary to maintain ALS (or to the extent funds exceed ALS needs), funds may be used for other BIEMS needs such as equipment updates, supplies and other needs.
One Productive Day
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 20, 2016
It's 66° this morning, overcast, wind is at 2 mph from the west, it's muggy thanks to the humidity being at 96%, pressure is falling from 1009 mb, visibility is 4 miles, pollen levels are medium at 5.4, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Patchy fog in the morning. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the morning, then showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall. Locally heavy rainfall is possible. Highs in the upper 70s. Light winds becoming southeast 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then a chance of rain showers after midnight. Breezy. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall in the evening. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the evening. Lows in the lower 60s. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 40 mph. MARINE REPORT Gale Warning In Effect From This Evening Through Sunday Morning. Today: Light winds becoming southeast 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 25 knots in the afternoon. Slight chance of showers early in the morning. Showers and thunderstorms in the morning. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Southwest wind up to 30 knots with gusts to around 35 knots. Showers and thunderstorms. Waves 4 to 7 feet. WINDS AND WAVES HIGHER IN THE VICINITY OF THUNDERSTORMS.
On this date of August 20, 1967 - The New York Times reported about a noise reduction system for album and tape recording developed by technicians R. and D.W. Dolby. Elektra Record's subsidiary, Checkmate Records became the first label to use the new Dolby process in its recordings.
Did you know that the side of a hammer is called a cheek?
Word of the day: stultify (STUHL-tuh-fahy) which means to make, or cause to appear, foolish or ridiculous. Stultify finds its roots in the Latin word stultus meaning "stupid; foolish." It entered English in the 1760s.
Beaver Island ½ Marathon - September 3, 2016
9:00 A.M. – Half Marathon
9:30 A.M. – 10K
10:00 A.M. – 5K
Registration Link https://runsignup.com/bi
Final registration in order to get a t shirt is August 25. Registration the night before event 5-6 on the porch at Dalwhinnie. You can also register for the race at the start which is at the public beach at 8:00 on Saturday September 3.
The Beaver Island half marathon will cover the 13.1 miles over a variety of surfaces and beautifully changing scenery. The course will start downtown at Paradise Bay at the public beach and head south along the paved Kings Highway. This will give way to a turn to the west on a good gravel road coursing around beautiful Barney’s Lake.
Near the half way mark the course changes to wonderful trail through the woods finally coming out along the west side of the island running with Lake Michigan on your left. This gravel road will bring you back east along Font Lake before reaching town. The last portion of the run will be back on paved road through town along Paradise Bay back to the start/finish.
We believe this will be one of the most beautiful runs most will ever do. Wonderful variety, good shade, excellent surfaces, and only a few gentle hills. The course will be well staffed with plenty of water stops and support. This will be the run you will remember!
Rose of Sharon
This Rose of Sharon is located at the corner of Carlisle and Kings Highway. Different colors are available.
View a small gallery of Rose of Sharon pictures HERE
Two Fer
by Joe Moore from "Rural EMS is Different"
(Although similar patients may have had these conditions, this is fiction.)
Two Fer
By Joe Moore from “Rural EMS is Different”
I am in my classroom just before the afternoon classes are to begin. I am speaking with a substitute teacher who is subbing for my teacher friend Joe, who is off to the mainland for a dentist appointment. The telephone in my classroom rings, and I run to answer it. Today has been a really stressful, but joyful day at the school since today has been Grandparent’s Luncheon, which is the grandparent’s school sponsored time to be with the grandchildren in the school.
Lunchtime has been extended both directions, earlier and later, to have this wonderful social event for the grandparents and grandchildren. By the time I get to the phone, there is no one on the other end. I know of only four or five people that would be calling me in my classroom, so I begin dialing to find out who called. I get an answering machine with the rural health center. I get voice mail with my technology guru. I get an answer from my wife, and she says, “I didn’t call you. Maybe the medical center did.”
I tell her that I can’t get anyone to answer at the medical center. I hang up, and the phone rings, and I speak to my technology guru. He had called and wanted to let me know that things were getting straightened out with the warranty on the piece of computer equipment that was broken and not working properly. He wanted me to know that an empty box would be coming soon. When it arrived, I am to put the piece of equipment in the box, and send it back to the company who manufactured it for repair or replacement. No matter what, the equipment should be back in 7 days, either repaired or replaced.
I get on the phone with another computer support company dealing with a software program problem that I have been having for several weeks. We get about halfway through the troubleshooting procedure on this program when my pager goes off for a 51 year old male patient with chest pain at the rural health center. I end my support session with a quick, “Thank you, I’ll call back.” I talk to the substitute teacher in the room, and I ask her to stay and cover my class in case I do not get back to school for a while. The topics for the day include childbirth, and my drafted substitute is a new mother who feels okay with covering the topic with my 10th grade students.
As I walk over to the ambulance garage to get the echo car, the second page is completed, and I have yet to hear one single person call in service. As I get into the echo car, I call Central Dispatch and say, “I have not heard anyone call in service. Will you please set of the pagers again? 57 echo four is enroute to the rural health center.”
Read the whole story HERE
Fledged Osprey Feeding and Fleeing
Beaver Boodle Boding
The Beaver Island Boodle, a 5K is to take place on Saturday, October 1, 2016. The race begins at 11:00 a.m.. The proceeds benefit the Beaver Island Sports Booster Club. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Beaver Island Community School. The race begins at the Beaver Island Community School. Awards will be given for 1st through 3rd place in 5K run and Walk. There will be extra awards this year for decorations.
Title? Content?
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 19, 2016
It's 70° outside this morning, mostly cloudy skies, wind is at 10 mph from the south, humidity is at 96% and it's muggy, pressure is falling from 1013 mb, visibility is 9.4 miles, pollen levels are medium-high at 9.3, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 60s. Southwest winds at 10 mph. MARINE REPORT Today: Southwest wind 5 to 10 knots. Showers and a chance of thunderstorms early in the morning. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Light winds. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of August 19, 1917 - Team managers John McGraw and Christy Matthewson were arrested for breaking New York City's blue laws. The crime was their teams were playing baseball on Sunday.
Did you know that a deck of cards should be shuffled at least 7 times before playing?
Word of the day: mesmerism (MEZ-muh-ris-uh m) which means 1) a compelling attraction; fascination 2) hypnosis as induced, according to F.A. Mesmer, through animal magnetism 3) hypnotism. Mesmerism is an eponym formed on the basis of Austrian physician Friedrich Anton Mesmer, who popularized the notion of inducing a hypnotic state by animal magnetism. It entered English in the late 1700s.
POTLUCK SALAD/DESSERT LUNCHEON
AND FUNKY FUN FASHION SHOW!
The Annual Potluck Salad/Dessert Luncheon and Funky Fun Fashion Showwas held on Thursday, August 18, 2016, at 12:30 pm at Gregg Fellowship Hall. Over seventy people attended including four men. This is the first time that the only man wasn't the one running the video camera. Three other men came and participated in at least the luncheon.
The luncheon was a salads and desserts potluck luncheon This was followed by Pat Nugent doing some stand up comedy, and this was then followed the fashions modeled by local women. .
All free-will donation jar was at the entrance with proceeds to go to the Beaver Island Food Pantry, Beaver Island Fire Department and Emergency Services.
Elaine West was the MC
Pat Nugent did some stand up comedy.
View a small gallery of pictures of this event HERE
View video of this event HERE
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 18, 2016
Slept in which is nothing new anymore AND it feels so good. All the house windows are covered with moisture so the dew must have been rather heavy. Right now it's 67°, clear skies, wind is at 5 mph from the south, humidity is at 96% so it's still muggy, pressure is steady at 1017 mb, visibility is 6.1 miles, pollen levels are high at 9.7, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Mostly sunny. Areas of fog in the morning. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds at 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 60s. South wind at 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph after midnight. MARINE REPORT Today: Southwest wind 10 knots. Sunny. Waves 1 foot or less. Tonight: Southwest wind 5 to 10 knots backing south in the late evening and overnight. Mostly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
On this date of August 18, 1962 - Peter, Paul & Mary's "If I Had A Hammer" was released.
Did you know that the average person will consume 100 tons of food and 45,424 liters (12,000 gallons) of water in their lifetime?
Word of the day: opacus (oh-PEY-kuh s) which means (of a cloud) dense enough to obscure the sun or moon. Opacus is a New Latin construction that stems from the Latin opācus meaning "shaded."
Timeout for Art: Showing Work
by Cindy Ricksgers
Flyover by C-17
(Picture by Phyllis Moore)
A little before 4:30 p.m. this afternoon, August 17, 2016, Ryan Welman and crew flew a C-17 aircraft over Paradise Bay. This is not the first time that this training flight has come very close to Beaver Island. Ryan Welman is in the United States Air Force Reserves. Ryan Wellman's grandparents had a summer home here on Beaver Island.
Men's Summer Golf League Results
Tonight, August 17, 2016, was the play-off night and the end of the men's summer golf league for 2016. We all missed the wonderful dinner given by Buck and Mary Ann Ridgeway last year, but we appreciated the dinner prepared by Carolyn and Jennifer Works right there on the golf course. The winners of this summer's golf league were Dave Blanchard and Ron Stith. Second place was won by Joe Moore and Howard Davis. Two teams tied for third place.
Dave Blanchard and Ron Stith (L to R) pose by the 9th hole green having won the summer league
Whiskey Point
Sandhill Cranes on Sloptown Road
Beautiful Sky from Different Locations
Barney's Lake and and the way to Whiskey Point
Deer at Dusk
View a small gallery HERE
Loons at Barney's Lake
It also appears that only one baby loon has survived from the two eggs on the nest.
Salsify
or giant dandelions
Mating Milkweed Bugs
Osprey Fledgling Fledged
The osprey fledgling has completed its training provided by very doting parents. It appears that of the two fledglings, only one has survived to adulthood. Here are some pictures of the feeding osprey fledgling moving from location to location with dinner. The adult osprey seem to have left the nesting area.
Bird Feeder Invasion
Two chipmunks have invaded one of the bird feeders on Carlisle Road. Just like the cartoon characters, they chase each other around and fight over just about everything, except this bird feeder. They seemed to have determined a truce over the invasion of the bird feeder. The plan of attack was simple: climb up the shepherd's crook and down onto the top of the feeder. Push open the rotating top of the feeder and then climb inside. Fill cheeks with as many sunflower seeds as possible, but not too many, so they could get out the opening on the top of the feeder. As soon as one was done, the other one, who had been waiting patiently on the ground, took his place, and the invasion continued.
Time for a drink?
Hurry up, I'm getting impatient
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 17, 2016
Whooo hoooo, it looks like we are finally getting some rain! Right now I'm showing 71°, wind is at 6 mph from the SW, humidity is at 91% so it's muggy, pressure is steady at 1016 mb, visibility is 9.2 miles, pollen levels are medium-high at 9.2, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Partly sunny with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms (they have arrived!). Highs around 80°. West winds at 10 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the lower 60s. West winds at 10 mph in the evening becoming light. MARINE REPORT West wind 5 to 10 knots. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Waves 1 foot or less. Tonight: West wind 10 knots backing southwest after midnight. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Waves 1 foot or less.
On this date of August 17, 1982 - The U.S. Senate approved an immigration bill that granted permanent resident status to illegal aliens who had arrived in the United States before 1977.
Did you know that Britain was the first country to use postage stamps?
Word of the day: mountebank (MOUN-tuh-bangk) which means any charlatan or quack. Mountebank can be traced to the Italian term montimbanco meaning "one who climbs on a bench" in reference to the raised platforms employed by travelling salesmen to stand out in a crowd. It entered English in the mid-1500s.
What Goes Wrong
by Cindy Ricksgers
Tuesday: Exercises in Writing #11
by Cindy Ricksgers
EVERYONE ON BEAVER ISLAND NEEDS RURAL Advanced EMS
Another Chapter from "Rural EMS is Different" by Joe Moore
I can’t think of one old time Island name that hasn’t had a need to use the services of BIEMS one way or another with one exception, the Greens.
The Wojans, McDonoughs, Gillespies, McCaffertys, Ricksgers, Connaghans, Palmers, Boyles, and many more have used our services over the last 30 years.
On a day in 2002, we were paged to the medical center for a 81 year old female. The patient was found in an exam room at the medical center. She was complaining of leg weakness in both legs since yesterday. Her legs were “shaky”, and she fell several times today. She was alert and oriented. She had movement and sensation in all four extremities. There was no facial droop. The patient denied any loss of consciousness.
Read the rest of the story HERE
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 16, 2016
It's 69°, overcast skies, wind is at 4 mph from the NE, humidity is at 97% so it's very muggy, pressure is steady at 1015 mb, visibility is 3.5 miles, pollen levels are high at 9.7, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Mostly cloudy. Only a 20% chance of rain showers in the morning. Highs in the upper 70s. Light winds becoming NW 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: Partly cloudy. A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Southwest winds at 10 mph. MARINE REPORT Today east wind 5 knots backing west early in the afternoon. Patchy fog in the morning. Waves 1 foot or less. Tonight: West wind 5 knots backing southwest in the late evening and overnight. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Waves 1 foot or less.
On this date of August 16, 1954 - Sports Illustrated was published for the first time. It was claimed that 250,000 subscriptions had been sold before the first issue came off of the presses.
Did you know that a Chinese checkerboard has 121 holes?
Word of the day: honorific (on-uh-RIF-ik) which means a title or term of respect. Honorific entered English from the Latin honōrificus meaning "honor-making."
ALS versus BLS for EMS
by Joe Moore
For the last sixteen years, Beaver Island has maintained the Advanced Life Support emergency medical services agency with advanced skills and treatments for emergency patients. There are those that believe that the advanced skills and treatments are not needed any longer and that Beaver Island should go back to Basic Life Support. The reasoning for going backwards more than fifteen years is due to the cost of providing a paramedic staffing for the Beaver Island ambulance and/or the emergency response vehicle.
The reason for this increased cost is the retirement of Joe Moore, who worked sixteen additional months after giving a one year notice of retirement, a total of 26 months notice. He is one of the two resident paramedics on the island. The other paramedic is Kathie Ehinger, who owns and operates Daddy Franks.
Several Beaver Island EMTs and EMT-Specialists worked very hard to establish an advanced life support agency, and were successful in 2000 after going to school for eighteen months on almost every weekend in 1998-99. This was approximately ten years after moving up from the Limited Advanced designation accomplished in 1990. So, Beaver Island has had at least limited advanced ambulance service for more than twenty-five years.
How many people have received advanced life support on Beaver Island for the last few years? The answer to this question isn't very difficult to find since every single ambulance run since its creation is recorded in a book started by Michael McGinnity, a former medical center provider and continued by Joe Moore and Sarah McCaffety, former directors of BIEMS, and all directors since then. Prior to the limited advanced designation, every patient who had advanced treatments had to be accompanied all the way to the hospital by the medical center provider, so the need for advanced life support can be suggested by just the numbers of ALS patients.
The overwhelming number of patients treated and/or transported by EMS in last twelve years have required advanced life support skills and treatments as documented in the paperwork. The documentation of advanced versus basic treatments and transports was begun in 2005. Here are the specific numbers of ALS ambulance runs for the last twelve years.
Year |
Number of ALS Patients |
2005 |
50 |
2006 |
45 |
2007 |
42 |
2008 |
50 |
2009 |
33 |
2010 |
41 |
2011 |
37 |
2012 |
36 |
2013 |
34 |
2014 |
42 |
2015 |
55 |
2016 as of August 15th |
38 |
So, in the last twelve years, 465 patients have needed advanced life support skills and interventions or treatments. This is an average of just shy of forty patients per year, or one ALS patient every nine days for the last twelve years. All 465 patients received an advanced life support assessment, and advanced life support treatments, or they could not be included in the ALS list. Every other patient also received an advanced life support assessment, but it was determined that ALS treatment could wait until the patient arrived at the hospital. In the last three years, an ALS patient was treated and/or treated and transported approximately at the rate of one per week.
As a point of interest, the greatest majority of these runs mentioned above have allowed payments be made to paid, on-call volunteers, and the greatest majority of this money has remained in the Beaver Island economy. It has become necessary since July 2, 2016, to pay paramedics from off the island as employees instead of on-call paid volunteer paramedics.
"As a retired paramedic who still lives on Beaver Island," Joe Moore said, "I empathise will this quandary, but the other paramedics who lived here and I were never doing EMS because we were getting paid. We were doing it to help our friends and neighbors in need. Now, the community has to decide if their friends and relatives will receive the advanced treatments and quick transport to definitive care, or whether their advanced treatments and transport will be delayed. Since I am one of the senior population on the island, I hope the majority of voters will see the importance of the advanced life support skills. It has certainly made a difference in the lives of more than five hundred patients since its inception, and the limited advanced level goes all the way back to 1990 when we worked hard to get the needed treatments for our Beaver Island visitors, friends, and neighbors.Significant improvement in patient outcomes has been made over the last twenty five years. I hope we don't end up going backwards."
Quiet Morning
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 15, 2016
Monday again, these weeks are flying past. It's hard to believe we're already half way through August. Right now I'm showing 67°, partly cloudy skies, wind at 2 mph from the east, humidity is at 96% so it feels muggy, pressure is rising from 1018 mb, visibility is 7.7 miles, pollen levels are medium-high at 9.3, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Partly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs around 80. Light winds becoming northwest at 10 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s. Northeast winds at 10 mph in the evening becoming light. MARINE REPORT Today: Light winds. Patchy fog early in the morning. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: East wind 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of August 15, 1914 - The Panama Canal was officially opened to commercial traffic as an American ship sailed from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The first vessel to pass through the canal was the American cargo and passenger ship SS Ancon.
Did you know that all of the cobble stones used to line the streets in New York were originally stones found in the hulls of Belgian ships ballast?
Word of the day: whigmaleerie (hwig-muh-LEER-ee) which means a whim; notion. Whigmaleerie is a Scots term of uncertain origin. It is first attested in the 1700s.
Mass from Holy Cross, Sunday, August 14th, at Noon
Today, August 14, 2016, Homecoming Sunday, Father John Paul, Deacon Jim, and Bishop Raica provided the Mass service for the Holy Cross Parish. Tammy McDonough had rehearsed the choir on Thursday of this past week for this special service celebrating the Year of Mercy.
Bishop Raica
Bishop Raica delivers the Homily
Prayers prior to Communion with Deacon Jim, Bishop Raica, and Father John Paul
Same order, just before the end of the service
View video of this Mass HERE
The 52 Lists Project #33
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 14, 2016
There will be a Sunday morning Mass at 9:30 a.m. with Fr. John Paul officiating and an additional Mass will be at noon on Sunday with Bishop Raica officiating. If all goes as planned, Joe will be live-streaming the noon Mass.
Right now it's 64°, overcast, wind is at 4 mph from the west, humidity is at 84% so it's a bit muggy, pressure is at 1013 mb and rising, visibility is 9.6 miles, pollen levels are medium-high at 9.2, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Partly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds at 10 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows around 60. West winds at 10 mph in the evening becoming light. MARINE REPORT Today: West wind 5 to 10 knots. Patchy fog early in the morning. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Light winds. Patchy fog. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of August 14, 1935 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. The act created unemployment insurance and pension plans for the elderly.
Did you know that 70% of all Irish barley grown goes towards the production of Guinness beer?
Word of the day: sacerdotal (sas-er-DOHT -l) which means of priests; priestly. Sacerdotal stems from the Latin sacerdōs meaning "priest." It entered English in the mid-1300s.
Christian Church Bulletin for August 14, 2016
What's More Important?
An Editorial by Joe Moore
I would like to provide some interesting facts for you to consider.
1. Time is brain in any neurological emergency.
2. Time is muscle in most cardiovascular emergencies.
3. Time is tissue.
4. The Golden Hour and the Platinum Ten Minutes make a difference in patient outcomes.
If you take the American Heart Association ACLS, the University of Miami ASLS, the American Academy of Pediatrics PEPP, the NAEMT Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support, or ITLS, you will know that time is "of the essence" in all emergencies.
Some would have all emergencies go to the medical center, have them assess, treat, and then arrange transport with the off-Island air transport services. This is every patient's personal choice and option, but should not be the only option or the most used option.
Read the entire editorial HERE
Karma
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 13, 2016
It's a drizzle sort of morning today, 67°, wind at 10 mph from the east, humidity is at 93% so it feels muggy, pressure is falling from 1008 mb, visibility is 7.7 miles, pollen levels are low at 1, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Cloudy. Widespread fog in the morning. Widespread rain showers in the morning, then scattered rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph sifting to the north in the afternoon. Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows around 60. Northwest winds at 10 mph after midnight. MARINE REPORT Today: Northeast wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots becoming north 5 to 10 knots early in the evening. Widespread fog early in the morning. Patchy fog in the morning. Scattered showers early in the morning. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Northwest wind 5 to 10 knots. Patchy fog. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of August 13, 1942 - Walt Disney's "Bambi" opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, NY.
Did you know that artificial Christmas trees have outsold real ones every year since 1991?
Word of the day: me-tooism (MEE-TOO-iz-uh m) which means the adopting of policies or methods similar or identical to those of a peer, rival, or competitor. Me-tooism is an Americanism that arose in the late 1800s.
House Party, 7 p.m., August 12, 2016
Several combinations of Island musicians playing island music were present at this old-time Beaver Island House Party. It was held in the horse barn of John McCafferty on Sloptown Road with over a hundred in attendance. The tickets were $30 per person or $50 per couple with the money going to the building fund for the Beaver Island Historical Society. Thank you to all who attended to support our BIHS!
One combination of musicians, with Joe Moore, Brother Jim, Danny Johnsten, Hilary Palmer, and Danny Gillespie
Interview with Kitty McNamara, Director of BIHS:
Sheri Timsak, one of the performers, said, "Cannot say enough about the wonderful music - Danny Gillespie, Joe Moore, Danny Johnsten, Brother Jim, Edward Palmer, John McCafferty, Rita Palmer, Hilary Palmer - the House Party last night. It was like going back in time and being a part of the good ole house parties they used to have! Thanks to the great and generous hospitality of our hosts John and Tracey and for the use of their awesome horse barn, complete with stage and dance floor and beautifully set tables. It was truly a great night!"
View a gallery of photos HERE
View video of a large portion of the night HERE
Two Aught Aught Two—A Crazy Year of EMS
by Joe Moore from "Rural EMS is Different"
Editors note: It has been suggested that people may be concerned with privacy and that these stories make them uneasy. As has been stated previously, these stories have either had the patient's consent OR are completely fictional. So, as the saying goes, "No worries." Now on with the story:
Have I have already mentioned the difficulty that all EMS providers generally have when taking care of children? We frequently get angry. I’m sure that there is an inborn reason for this. Like last night, my teenage daughter had gone to an open gym school function that was supposed to get over at five o’clock.
Read the rest of the story HERE
Finally, Rain!
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 12, 2016
Well that didn't amount to much, it was more like Mother Nature drooled on us as she passed us by. We need a good, steady rain, lots of it. Right now it's 68°, overcast, wind is at 10 mph from the W with gusts to 24 mph, humidity is at 93%, pressure is falling from 1011 mb, visibility is 9.1 miles, pollen levels are low at 0.9, and the top allergens are ragweed, nettle, and chenopods. Today: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Patchy drizzle in the morning, then a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds at 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the morning. Tonight: Cloudy with a chance of rain showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 60s. East winds at 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph after midnight. MARINE REPORT Today: Northwest wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots becoming northeast 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Areas of fog early in the morning. Patchy fog in the morning. Slight chance of showers early in the morning. Chance of showers in the afternoon. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: East wind 10 to 15 knots. Chance of showers. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of August 12, 1865 - Disinfectant was used for the first time during surgery by Joseph Lister.
Did you know that turnips turn green when sunburnt?
Word of the day: blandishment (BLAN-dish-mih nt) which means something, as an action or speech, that tends to flatter, coax, entice, etc. Blandishment and its etymon blandish can be traced to the Latin blandīrī meaning "to soothe, flatter." It entered English in the late 1500s.
More Money for Michigan's Coastal Areas
Fifteen coastal projects in Michigan have landed more than $927,000 of federal money.
Rachel Cromwell is with the Office of the Great Lakes Coastal Management Program. The state agency decides which projects will be funded.
“The overall objective is to help restore and protect and enhance coastal resources. So we’re looking at different areas like public access, restoration, habitat, things like that, to help bring back those coastal resources or preserve them," she says.
The projects include restoring critical dune areas, improving access to the Headlands Dark Sky Park west of Mackinaw City, and planning a water trail around Beaver Island. As the Coastal Management Program fact sheet describes:
Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan, located about 30 miles offshore from the City of Charlevoix in northwest Lower Michigan. It is a popular tourist destination, especially during the summer months. The island’s Chamber of Commerce seeks to expand and diversify the island’s tourism potential without sacrificing its quiet, rural character. A water trail around Beaver Island would support the island’s tourism-centered strategy for economic development.
The grant money comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
AMVETS Scholarship
The Beaver Island AMVETS Post 46 is offering a $1000 scholarship to any student who graduated from the Beaver Island Community School and has completed at least one year of post-high school education and has not previously received an AMVETS scholarship.
We are accepting applications in electronic format at the following e-mail address.
Please submit an application stating the reason you believe you should receivee this scholarship to
The deadline for submittal is September 9th and the scholarship will be awarded not later than the 15th of September.
Timeout for Art: Old Friend
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 11, 2016
It's 69° outside this morning, partly cloudy (although it's looking like we'll be receiving some much needed rain a little after 5 or so, provided it doesn't go south of us.... just my guess), wind is at 4 mph from the SE, humidity is 95% making it muggy, pressure is falling from 1016 mb, visibility is 9.4 miles, pollen levels are medium-high at 8.7, and the top allergens are grasses, nettle, and plantain. Today: Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. Light winds becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Heat index readings around 95. Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then showers and thunderstorms likely after midnight. Lows in the lower 70s. Southeast winds 5 mph sifting to the SW after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. MARINE REPORT Today: Light winds. Chance of showers and thunderstorms late in the afternoon. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: South wind 5 to 10 knots. Showers and thunderstorms likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of August 11, 1909 - The American ship Arapahoe became the first to ever use the SOS distress signal off the coast of Cape Hatteras, NC.
Did you know that porcupines float in water?
Word of the day: lief (leef) which means gladly; willingly. Lief can be traced to the Middle English leef, which in turn comes from the Old English lēof.
Peaine Township Board Meeting
August 10, 2016
View video of this meeting HERE
Unapproved Minutes of this meeting below:
Island Emergency Services Authority (BIESA) established under Act 57 of 1988 by St. James
Township and Peaine Township for emergency medical services; and
et seq and may incorporate an authority for purposes of providing emergency medical services,
pursuant to MCL 124.601, et seq; and
proceeds of the tax for emergency medical services under Act 57 of 1988, MCL 124.613; and
purposes as authorized by the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and other laws; and
millage limitation on general ad valorem taxes up to a maximum of 50 mills for a period of not
to exceed 20 years at anyone time if approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting on
the question; and
of four (4) years to appropriate and contribute to the BIESA for emergency medical services;
Charlevoix County, approves the following millage ballot question language and directs the
Clerk to submit it to the County Clerk to be placed on the November 8,2016 election ballot:
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES MILLAGE
to the Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority, an emergency services
authority created by St. James Township and Peaine Township to provide
emergency services in both townships.
Peaine Township imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan
Constitution be increased by up to and including 3.0 mills ($3.00 per $1,000 of
taxable value) for the purpose of emergency medical services, and Peaine
Township be authorized to levy the new, additional millage for four (4) years,
2016 through 2019 inclusive, on all taxable property in Peaine Township?
will generate an estimated $200,691 to be disbursed to Peaine Township and the
when first levied in 2016.
Peaine Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan, pursuant to an interlocal agreement authorized by
Section 134 of the Michigan Aeronautics Code, MCL 259.134 and they share equally in the costs
of an updated Project description: Construction of terminal building - relocation of fuel monitor
reimbursement - construction, as further defined in contract No. M 15-04-C31. This further outlines
MDOT and Sponsor obligations with regards to the financial closure of the project.
sign all necessary documents.
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 10, 2016
Happy Birthday to my husband, best friend, and the person who reaches all the stuff on high shelves, Joseph Moore. Love you and hope you have a fantastic golf game today - maybe another hole in one?
As for the weather, right now I'm showing 72°, partly cloudy skies, wind is at 7 mph from the SW with gusts up to 16 mph, humidity is at 92% so it's very muggy out, pressure is rising from 1016 mb, and visibility is 8.7 miles, pollen levels are medium-high at 8.8, and the top allergens are grasses, nettle, and plantain. Today: Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. West winds at 10 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Light winds. MARINE REPORT: Today: Northwest wind 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy early in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Waves 2 to 3 feet. Tonight: Light winds. Mostly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of August 10, 1846 - The Smithsonian Institution was chartered by the U.S. Congress. The "Nation's Attic" was made possible by $500,000 given by scientist Joseph Smithson.
Did you know that a female ferret is called a jill?
Word of the day: titivate (TIT-uh-veyt) which means to make smart or spruce. Titivate entered English in the early 1800s when it was sometimes spelled tidivate, which, in turn, is thought to be blend of tidy and elevate, literally meaning "tidy up."
Mid-Week Woes
by Cindy Ricksgers
BICS Board Meeting
View video of this meeting HERE
Tuesday: Exercises in Writing #10
by Cindy Ricksgers
Mary Ann Ridgeway Passes Away
Mary Ann and Buck Ridgeway's son called at 10:00 pm tonight, August 6, 2016, to let us know that she had passed away.
Mary Ann (Hazeleger) Ridgeway, 72, of Beaver Island died on Saturday, August 6, 2016 in Brownsburg, Indiana in the presence of her family.
Mary Ann was born on January 16, 1944 in Kalamazoo, MI to Dick and Henrietta (Van Maaren) Hazeleger. She graduated from Richland High School in 1961, completed her undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University in 1967, and her masters degree from Western Michigan University in 1975. On September 4, 1964 she married Charles (Buck) Ridgeway in Kalamazoo, MI.
Mary Ann was an elementary teacher for Athens Area Schools for 28 years, and she retired in 1997. She also worked for Ravenna Public Schools and Mendon Community Schools. Mary Ann was a quilter and she made quilts for all of her grandchildren. She enjoyed flowers, baking, reading recipe books, swimming and spending time at her house on Beaver Island.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years Charles (Buck) Ridgeway of Beaver Island. She is survived by her children Chuck (Danine) Ridgeway of Brownsburg, IN and Rob (Lisa) Ridgeway of Battle Creek, MI; grandchildren, Tyler and Brock Ridgeway of Homer, MI, Emily and Cecilia Ridgeway of Brownsburg, IN; brother Dirk Hazeleger; sister, Susan Hazeleger; sister-in-law, Margaret (Marvin) Miller. She was preceded in death by her parents, and mother and father-in-laws Charles and Wynona (Everman) Ridgeway.
A memorial reception will be held for family and friends at Clara’s on the River, 44 MCCamly St. S., Battle Creek, MI 49017, on Wednesday, August 17th from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM. Contributions may be given in her memory to help support the Beaver Island Rural Health Center. Checks made payable to the “Charlevoix County Community Foundation,” with BIRHC Endowment on the memo line, can be sent to the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, P. O. Box 718, East Jordan, MI 49727
Helper on the Golf Course
by Joe Moore
"Your golf ball is the one underneath the grass back behind the broken branch. Don't be distracted by the other two. By the way, too much right hand with that golf swing is why you got here. I've been watching," spoke the rabbit next to Don Welke's driveway on hole number five of the Beaver Island Golf Course.
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 9, 2016
Another warm day is in store for the island. Right now it's 68°, partly cloudy skies, wind at 9 mph from the south, humidity is at 85%, so it's a bit muggy, pressure is steady at 1016 mb, visibility is 9.5 miles, pollen levels are medium-high today at 8.3, and the top allergens are grasses, nettle, and plantain. Today: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. MARINE REPORT Today: Southwest wind 5 to 15 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves 2 to 3 feet. Tonight: Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
On this date of August 9, 1944 - The Forest Service and Wartime Advertising Council created "Smokey the Bear."
Did you know that the fingerprints of koala bear are indistinguishable to that of a human?
Word of the day: simoleon (suh-MOH-lee-uh n) which means a dollar. Simoleon is an Americanism, but its origin is uncertain. It may be formed on the basis of the word Napoleon, which refers to a gold coin issued during Napoleon I's reign.
More Growth
From "Rural EMS is Different"
by Joe Moore
As I sit here writing this, I just came in from using an electric snow blower to clear my driveway. Beaver Island had received some six inches of snow with blowing and drifting all night long. At 2:20 a.m. this morning, BIEMS was paged to the BIRHC for an 87 year old female patient with chest tightness and pressure. I think that we could have our work cut out for ourselves this morning as I get dressed, and almost immediately call Central Dispatch that “57 Echo 4 is on scene.”
I live directly across Carlisle Road from the Beaver Island Rural Health Center. Upon arrival I found two of the “emergency rooms,” the rooms set aside for emergency treatment, both with a patient. I’m sure that our current FNP saw the expression on my face. “I have a twofer going,” she said after seeing the look on my face. “We are only going to transport one, though,” she said. “We have an 87-year old female patient, (who she named), with chest pain beginning about 12:45 when she woke her daughter. I got the second call and called in the RN to be with the second patient that you don’t have to worry about. It’s muscle spasms in the back. The one to transfer was given a GI cocktail because she has a history of GERD, (gastroesophageal reflux disease, really bad heartburn that can eat away the lining of the esophagus). I have also given her two nitro’s which seem to have relieved the pressure and pain. Since she is a full-code and since I am seeing something different on her EKG, I think we will be transferring her to Charlevoix. The son has already contacted the airline and the plane is waiting for you. I have an IV going. She is on the monitor, and she has a pulse oximeter hooked up. I have her on three liters of oxygen by nasal cannula. I have orders for additional nitro as needed and morphine. I’ll get the morphine and give it to you.”
You can read the rest of the Chapter HERE
Mass from Holy Cross, August 7, 2016
As a fofllowup on the Our Lady of Fatima visit to Holy Cross, BINN Live Streamed video of the mass.
We also recorded the Mass Excerpts from that day. Due to the requirements of the Baroque on Beaver Brass Ensemble, the edited version of the mass can be viewed below.
The edit included an attempt to block out the sound of the Brass Ensemble since their leader "did not want it on the Internet."
I have almost eliminated the sounds made by that group during the hymns. I tried the best I could to satisfy the B on B requirements.
Below is the video of the mass:
Internet Frustration and Family Joy
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
August 8, 2016
The nice thing about retirement is that you can sleep in, the bad thing about it is that one is getting older and does dumb stuff like accidently erasing all this post instead of posting it up. Soooo, starting over. Right now it's 64°, clear skies, wind is at 2 mph from the south, humidity is at 85% so it's a bit muggy, pressure is rising from 1019 mb, visibility is 7.2 miles, pollen levels are medium-high at 7.7, and the top allergens are grasses, nettle, and plantain. Today: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Light winds. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 60. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the south with gusts to around 20 mph after midnight. MARINE REPORT Today: Light winds becoming northwest 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon, then becoming northeast early in the evening. Sunny. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Southeast wind 5 to 10 knots. Mostly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of August 8, 2000 - The submarine H.L. Hunley was raised from ocean bottom after 136 years. The sub had been lost during an attack on the U.S.S. Housatonic in 1864. The Hunley was the first submarine in history to sink a warship.
Did you know that flamingos can only eat when their heads are upside down?
Word of the day: presentiment (pri-ZEN-tuh-muh nt) which means a feeling or impression that something is about to happen; foreboding. Presentiment is a loanword from French, stemming from the obsolete verb pressentir meaning "to sense beforehand." It entered English in the late 1600s.
Links
Holocaust Survivor Martin LowenbergVideo by Kaylyn Jones HERE |
Funky Fashion Show and Potluck LuncheonThursday, August 18, 2016, at 12:30 pm, at Gregg Fellowship Hall
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Announcements/Ads |
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January thru April |
Beach Rangers
Airport Commission Regular Meeting Schedule
August 6
November 5
Talking Threads Quilt Guild WEDNESDAYS
Talking Threads Quilt Guild invites all quilters, sewers, knitters, crocheters, weavers, spinners, and any other crafters to Peaine Township Hall on Wednesdays from 9:30 until noon. � Bring your projects, supplies, and enthusiasm. � Call Darlene at 448-2087 if you have questions , or just stop in on Wednesday.
Island Treasures Resale Shop
Open for shopping and donations
If you need help with your donation, call the shop at 448-2534
BIRHC Meeting Dates Set
The board of directors of the BIRHC has set these meetings for 2016:
All are Saturdays at 10 AM in the Community Room at the Center:
Sept 17
December 10 Annual Meeting
Results of Primary Election on Beaver Island
In St. James Township, 188 ballots were cast today in the primary election.
Bill Haggard received 76 votes on the Republican side for supervisor of St. James Township.
Diane McDonough received 88 votes, and Rich Gillespie received 56 votes on the Republican side for treasurer of St. James Township.
Jeff Powers received 82 votes, Travis Martin received 72 votes on the Republican side for trustee of St. James Township; Bob Tidmore received 55 votes, and Elaine West received 51 votes as well.
Kathleen McNamara received 25 votes on the Democratic side for supervisor of St. James Township.
Alice Belfy received 24 votes, and Dawn Mooney received 12 votes on the Democratic side for clerk of St. James Township.
In Peaine Township, 102 ballots were cast today in the primary election.
Bill Kohls received 58 votes on the Republican side for supervisor of Peaine Township.
Carla Martin received 66 voteson the Republican side for clerk of Peaine Township.
Larry Kubic received 54 votes on the Republican side for treasurer of Peaine Township.
Ernest Martin received 62 votes and Paul Welke received 61 votes on the Republican side for trustee of Peaine Township.
Millage Results in the Two Townships
Millage St. James Peaine Total County Transit Yes 110 No 41 Yes 67 No 28 Yes 177 No 69 County Limitation Yes 87 No 53 Yes 64 No 28 Yes 151 No 81 County Senior Yes 118 No 36 Yes 60 No 36 Yes 178 No 72 County Recycle Yes 126 No 25 Yes 71 No 26 Yes 197 No 51 In St. James Township, the EMS millage passed 124 yes to 21 no.
In St. James Township, the Historical Society millage passed 110 yes to 35 no.
View St. James Results from County Website HERE
View Peaine Results from County Website HERE
Accumulated Totals from the County Website HERE
Osprey Fledgling Stretches Wings
August 2, 2016
View a small gallery of pictures of the osprey fledgling HERE
Gospel Sing and Concert
August 1, 2016, 7 p.m.
Mike and Shelley Scripps
Mike and Shelley Scripps put together a wonderful full of the spirit gospel sing and concert tonight, August 1st, at the Beaver Island Christian Church. Approximately sixty people attended the event which had everyone involved in the singing of praises with songs that were quite popular.
The performers:
Mom and daughter, Ceska Sutton and "Izzy"
Bill Detwiler and Sheri Timsak
View a gallery of pictures from tonight's performance HERE
View video of the performances HERE
County Home Repairs and Home Improvement Programs
A Few Pictures of Wildlife
All were taken on July 31, 2016, Loon are obviously an obsession along with ospreys.
Antje Price at Protar's Home
Antje Price on Protar's Porch
View a small gallery of pictures HERE
View video of Antje Price HERE
You can view some more pictures of the Protar Home HERE from 2007
Video and BINN Report for July 2016
Unique IP addresses for July: 570
Live event viewing: 173 unique IP addresses
On demand viewing: 3070 video clips using 160 GB of bandwidth
Archives viewing: 76 unique IP addresses
Beaverisland TV live viewing access to the website: 424 unique IP addresses, 581 visits, 715 pages, 1191 hits
Beaverislandnewsarchives on demand access: 918 unique IP addresses, 1897 visits, 5944 pages, 48,333 hits
Beaverislandnews on demand access: 1067 unique IP addresses, 4,267 visits, 6,812 pages, 271,966 hits
Beaver Island Internet Access Survey
The Beaver Island Association is working to improve Internet service on the Island. As part of this project, we ask all residents and visitors to complete this short survey on use of Internet while on Beaver Island. The results, posted at the conclusion of the survey, will be used to guide next steps in the project, grant applications, potential partnerships, and so forth.
It will take less than 5 minutes of your time. We greatly appreciate your input. Take the survey HERE
Board of Directors
Beaver Island Association
House Party
Great Lakes Unbridged Islands
Newest Business Supporter
Click HERE to view AOS services
In Full Swing with Advanced Life Support, Our Busiest Year Yet
A Chapter from "Rural EMS is Different" by Joe Moore
Into the 21st Century- In Full Swing with Advanced Life Support, Our Busiest Year Yet
In one particular Allied Health class, we were talking about the three trimesters of pregnancy. “One of the students in this class that we know and love beat the odds by being born during the second trimester of pregnancy.” The fifteen year old student was my colleague’s daughter that was the cause of one of my early ambulance runs. I then showed my class the video on “Emergency Childbirth.” Some of the female students had to put their heads down on their desks because it was overwhelming to them to view the process of birth.
This always amazes me. The process that billions of mothers have gone through, and we still have a hard time recognizing how natural a process it is. We still mask it in mystery, try to keep it hidden, and “protect” our teenagers from knowing about this wonderful process. I don’t know why that society wants this kept from them and even from the adults. I can’t imagine a more spiritual experience than being present at the moment of birth at which the child takes his/her first breath and becomes a breathing human being. Why do we hide this from our youngsters in their teenage years?
Another of my colleagues was in the work room just off of the Allied Health classroom, and she came out and said at the conclusion of the class, “I can’t imagine a better birth control video than the one you just have shown. Anyone that wants to go through that process after seeing it is just nuts. The girls will be talking about that throughout their high school career.” The students just took this in stride as another opportunity to learn something “even though it’s gross.”
And then there was my other female colleague who was out to dinner at one of our local restaurants and was going down a set of steps into a recessed dining area. She slipped and fell going down the steps, and we thought she might have fractured a hip. We helped her take care of her transportation to get medical help. I pass her in the hallway every day, and we play music together for holiday celebrations. Another colleague had a son with very fragile bones. He ended up with a fractured femur, and was transported by our local EMS.
The 2nd day of the very next year, one of my former students was on some scaffolding at a construction site. The scaffolding collapsed and this patient fell nine or ten feet to the floor striking his face. He was transported to the medical center by his co-worker. The patient stated that he did not lose consciousness, but that he “saw stars.” He stated that it took a couple of minutes to clear his head. He was complaining of cervical spine pain at the level of his C-5 and C-6 vertebrae when it was assessed by palpation. He also had jaw pain and cheekbone pain on both sides with some swelling. The nose was swollen, and there was a “slight trickle of blood.”
We found no other injuries, and there was no drainage from the ears or down his throat. The patient was fully immobilized with a cervical collar on a spine board, taken to the local airport, and flown to Charlevoix. It was quite difficult to imagine that this former student might have some severe injuries that could affect his ability to work for the rest of his life. Luckily for him, he did not have any cervical spine injuries, and he was able to continue his life without any limitations caused by this fall. The first call of the year was a basic life support run.
Beaver Island is blessed to have a college program here in the summer time. Central Michigan University from Mount Pleasant has a Biological Station here which is busy throughout the late spring, summer, and early fall. There have been several college students who have needed the services of our local EMS over the years. The director and his wife are good friends (retired now) to most of the Island EMS providers. My son and I played music down at the Biological Station at its closing party for more than ten years. We know the workers and some of the visiting professors.
On this springtime May morning at about lunch time, we were called to the biological station for a 21 year old female who was complaining of her “heart beating out of her chest….racing.. “ and then she could not see. She had a history of ovarian cysts according to her friend who was also a student. Another college student who was standing around stated, “She was unconscious for a period of about five minutes. When she went unconscious, we called 911.”
When she awoke, she was shaking. Upon EMS arrival, we noted that her hands were shaking. Her last menstrual period ended the previous day and was “quite heavy.” Oxygen was administered by nasal cannula at 4 liters per minute as a precaution. Her vital signs were elevated with pulse of 132, respirations of 20, and a blood pressure of 160/100. Her blood sugar was measured by glucometer, and the reading was within normal limits.
An IV was started, and based upon the possibility of an internal bleeding situation, the IV was run wide open to give a 200 milliliter bolus per protocol. A cardiac monitor was placed which revealed normal sinus rhythm at a rate of 100. The pulse oximeter reading was 99% on the oxygen. After approximately 30 minutes with the patient isolated from others in the back of the ambulance, and enroute to the local airport, the patient’s vital signs were within normal limits, and the IV was checked to make certain that it was at the keep-the-vein-open rate. The patient was transported by normal means to Charlevoix Hospital.
I need to do a little compare and contrast at this point in time. For the last few years and at least up until the year 2001, BIEMS had a fairly good relationship with the medical center providers. I think that once we became able to provide much the same emergency care out of the facility and without any physician consultation, which was required for the Physician’s Assistants, that a certain amount of jealousy may have developed, but this is only my personal opinion. The order of our health center providers was:
1. RN who became a Physician’s Assistant (PA) and who responded to all our emergency calls because he started BIEMS,
2. retired physician who was used to doing everything by himself except the transportation,
3. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) who developed a close working relationship with the RN/EMT,
4. and then we went back to Physician’s Assistants.The medical center board had finally discovered that one person could not provide 24 hour care to the island for 365 days per year. The board hired two PA’s to provide the coverage that one person had been doing for many years. One of these PA’s was married to a paramedic, and their whole family moved to the island which brought us another advanced prehospital person to help provide care when he was not working on the mainland. The paramedic was and still is a manager for Northern Air, and I did clinical time under him down in Traverse City. (He has since retired from this position.)
It was a true pleasure to work an emergency with him. Unfortunately, the wife was not very willing to work with BIEMS, and/or BIEMS was not much willing to work with her. The patient care took on a “who owns what turf” kind of gang warfare state. Unfortunately for this PA, we pretty much knew the law of the land, and we were quite capable of quoting it word for word, “and if she wants to get into a fight over who’s in charge outside the medical center, we’ll win,” one EMS member stated. “Furthermore, when she pages us and we arrive, we assume responsibility for the patient because there is no such thing as a patient transfer from a physician’s office to the hospital.”
The lines were drawn in the sand. BIEMS had experienced the best working relationship with the FNP, and now was experiencing the worst relationship with a turf battle as the reason. The second PA was hired in, and BIEMS was always made welcome in the medical center under the direction of this PA. The second PA was also a licensed paramedic, so she had both an institutional license and a prehospital license, and we worked well with her when the other PA was not around. (Perhaps, the first PA became jealous of the working relationship with the second PA?) I can only say that the busy, early years of BIEMS at the advanced life support level became a battle to provide patient care in this turf war. The patient did not see or experience any of this as far as I could tell. All of the tension was behind the scenes, and BIEMS would become subservient when necessary for the good of the patient.
It was quite interesting to note that the medical center board ended up with a letter from the head of the Michigan Department of Health (not sure what it was called back then because it changed so many times over the last thirty years). The letter was from John Hubinger, the head of the department. The letter stated, “Once EMS is paged and they arrive at the location, in this case the Beaver Island Medical Center, the highest trained EMS person is immediately in charge of assessment and treatment of the patient as well as the transport of the patient. Once EMS is on scene, EMS is legally responsible for the patient and must follow the medical control protocols of the county. Patient transportation is the responsibility of the licensed EMS agency.”
Boy, did that make some people really angry, but the behaviors of the one PA changed. You know what the PA did? The PA waited until the last minute to call for EMS. She had completed all the treatments that this PA wanted to complete, and only then did she call for EMS. This went on for a few more ambulance runs until one night at about 8 pm.
A tall lanky young man called the PA for a cardiac emergency condition of his “heart beating out of his chest.” The PA responded to the medical center and found the patient in serious condition. The patient was pale, cool, and sweaty. His pulse was going so fast that it was “too fast to count.” He was going downhill fast. He wasn’t able to walk into the medical center, and had collapsed on the porch steps. The PA needed help, so a call was placed to the emergency dispatch center, at the time the Sheriff’s Department in Charlevoix. EMS was dispatched to the “ambulance garage and medical center for a cardiac patient.”
It took Bev and I less than three minutes to arrive at the medical center. Bev came from the other side of the harbor, and I came from half a mile away. Once we arrived, we helped walk the patient into the medical center with one of us on each side, and got him lying on his back on the exam room bed. The PA seemed quite frazzled. I grabbed the blue bag, our jump kit, from the ambulance. Bev started the IV while the PA was locating supplies. The PA came in and gave the patient an IV injection of a drug meant to chemically stop the heart temporarily, so that it could start back up at its regular rate instead beating so fast that it could not pump much blood to the rest of the body.
Unfortunately, the PA had not ever given this drug, and Bev looked at me, and I looked at Bev. I ran out to the ambulance and grabbed our cardiac drug box.
Bev said, “Okay, Joe, we need to give the adenosine the way we trained. I’ll draw up the drug. You get your 20 ml normal saline flush to get the drug in quickly.”
“I’m ready, Bev,” I said as the PA stepped back and gave me access to the IV. We put the needles into the two IV ports, the drug syringe ready at the closest port to the IV site, and the other port above that one.
“Okay, you kink the IV line above the port. On the count of three, we push. Ready? One, Two, THREE,” Bev said. On three, Bev pushed the 6 mg of Adenosine, and I pushed the 20 ml flush.
The heart rhythm seen on the monitor stopped. We had chemically stopped the heart. That was the longest eight to ten seconds! We saw some strange squiggly rhythms on the cardiac monitor and then the straight line showed up on the monitor. Bev had pushed the print button on the cardiac monitor. The heart had stopped electrical activity for those ten seconds.
“Damn, that was weird,” the patient said. “It felt really strange, but it didn’t fix it. I can feel it beating fast again.”
The patient was right. The monitor and the print-out showed the heart’s electrical activity and its beating at about 168 beats per minute. It was time to go to the next step in the protocol. Bev drew up the 12 mg of adenosine, and I drew up another 20 ml of normal saline.
“Just like last time,” Bev said.
“I’m ready,” I said.
“One, Two, THREE,” Bev said, and we both pushed the drug into the patient’s vein very quickly. The drug got into the heart and began the process of stopping the electrical activity of the heart. The monitor alarm went off signifying a change in the patient’s heart rhythm. The monitor and the print-out showed straight line, a lack of electrical activity.
I started counting out loud without realizing that I was. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven….It’s coming back. Yahoooo! We have normal sinus rhythm at a rate of 88,” I exclaimed a little loudly.
The PA said, “You guys DO know what you are doing! Good job! Let’s get this guy packaged for transport.”
I said to Bev, “Let’s get the pads on the patient, so we can be prepared in case something goes wrong during transport.”
“Good idea, Joe, and let’s get a twelve-lead on this rhythm to make sure nothing is going to surprise us during transport,” Bev said.
Bev and I went out to the garage to get the ambulance cot after pulling the ambulance out of the garage. While still in the rig, Bev said, “Good job, Joe. We did just what we learned in ACLS, and it worked. If we hadn’t been called when we were called, this patient could have gone into cardiac arrest. Instead, we fixed him, and he’ll get a night away from home and be monitored in the hospital for any other rhythm disturbances.”
Of course, the patient was flown to the mainland and was monitored over the night in the intensive care unit, but he was discharged the following afternoon. We got a nice thank-you from the patient when they returned to the island, but more important than that, we had a good experience of working with the PA that didn’t want us around. We hoped that this experience would improve the working relationship between the PA and EMS.
Now more exciting adventures of BIEMS in its ALS infancy stage.
At approximately 2 a.m. on a June morning, a knock came to the front door of my home. We always sleep with a fan running or some “white noise” to drown out the sounds of the cars going by our home at the intersection of Kings Highway and Carlisle Road. With the main highway on one side and a road to a bar on the other, there seems to be a lot of traffic even in the off-season (the non-day-tourist season). Thus there is a need to have some white noise to be able to sleep. The knock at the front door was not heard at first because of the white noise and because of our bedroom location. As the knocking became louder, and the person doing the knocking found the doorbell, my wife was awakened, and she answered the door.
“Joe, Joe, wake up,” my wife said. “One of the high school students is outside, and they need your help.” I am not easy to wake up in the middle of the night. It’s kind of interesting that I can wake up and be almost completely conscious very quickly when the pager goes off signifying and emergency, but to just wake me up in the middle of the night, I am very groggy. It took me about five minutes just to get dressed enough to go outside.
When I went outside, I was met by one of the high school trouble-makers who was very polite and explained, “There’s a girl in the car who tried to keep up with the island teens at a party. She tried to drink the same amount at the same rate as others at the party. We think she is really sick, and you need to…Check Her OUT,” his voice was slowly, but surely becoming panicky.
As I walked to the car to find her sitting in the front seat on the passenger side, several other of my students began talking at once. “Please, just relax and be quiet, so I can check her out,” I stated more calmly than my true feelings.
As I assessed the fourteen year old young lady, I could almost guess the ER diagnosis would include alcohol toxicity. “You’ll have to take her home, talk to her parents, and have them dial 911,” I said clearly to all of my students in the car. “She isn’t yet really in a life threatening situation, and I can’t do much without her parent’s permission. Please emphasize to her parents that, if she was my daughter, we’d be on the way to the hospital already. I’ll get dressed and go down to the ambulance garage and wait for the page. You get her home and convince her folks to dial 911.”
I went back inside the house, quickly got cleaned up, and made myself presentable. I got in my car and drove down to the ambulance garage to await the page.
At about a quarter to three in the morning, the pager did finally go off for this patient, and within five minutes, the echo unit and an ambulance were enroute down the East Side Road to a rental cottage. Upon arrival, BIEMS found a fourteen year old female patient lying on the couch of this home. My other students had brought her home. The report was that she had consumed “10 beers and an unknown quantity of rum.”
At this point, the patient was only responding to painful stimuli, but had already had several episodes of vomiting, and was now at the “dry heaves” stage. Her blood pressure was 92/60, slightly low, with a pulse of 72, and respirations of 16. Her skin color, temperature, and moisture were normal. The assessment revealed a small bruised area under her right eye. The bystanders stated that this was caused by a “fall onto an unknown surface from a standing position.”
In other words, she passed out and collapsed and fell from a standing position onto her face. No other physical deformities or injuries were found on physical examination. The 14-year-old female had oxygen administered at 4 liters per minute, an IV established in her right hand with a 20 gauge catheter, and she was given a 250 milliliter bolus of IV normal saline which brought her blood pressure up to 102/82. We loaded the young lady up onto the BIEMS cot, did a finger stick for a glucometer reading, and wheeled her out to the ambulance accompanied by her mother.
The glucometer reading was within normal limits. The weather had again not cooperated, so we had to contact the USCG for a helicopter from Traverse City Air Station. It was really hazy-foggy out there, and we completely understood the inability of our local airline to provide the service. The USCG helicopter landed at the township airport where we were awaiting their arrival. The mother had to go with the daughter to be able to consent to treatment at the hospital. The basic EMT/swimmer was not comfortable taking care of the patient because of the IV. We took the patient into the terminal building knowing full well that our ambulance cot would not fit in the helicopter. We moved our patient, yet again, onto our folding cot, secured her to the cot, and helped load her into the helicopter.
Mom was already loaded by this time. Now, our BIEMS paramedic was required to fly to Charlevoix Airport with the patient, mom, and the whole USCG crew. That helicopter was loaded with not one ounce of deck space left for anything. The USCG helicopter landed at Charlevoix Airport at 0440. The patient was loaded into the Charlevoix EMS ambulance along with our BIEMS paramedic, mom, and Charlevoix EMS EMT, and transported to Charlevoix Hospital, where report was given to the ER staff and care turned over to them.
Now our BIEMS paramedic was stuck in Charlevoix for the next few hours before the first flight might be able to return him to the island. He was dropped off at a motel for the rest of the late night and early morning since we had an arrangement for direct billing for just such a situation. Unfortunately for him, the fog did not get much better, so he had to sleep until checkout time at 11 a.m. By noon, the weather began to improve and finally our paramedic was able to return to the Island on a return flight using the local airlines. Of course, the return flight had to be charged to BIEMS. So adding up the costs to BIEMS for motel and flight and lost time for the paramedic from work, BIEMS and the paramedic lost money on this emergency, but we would do it again in an instant to help one of our friends, neighbors, or visitors.
As you read this, you might be thinking that BIEMS doesn’t have very much trauma, and you would be right. Beaver Island is usually pretty good to its trauma victims. They are usually able to get help at the medical center for the minor trauma situation, and there are few really serious traumas. Here is one of the few.
We are paged to a gravel road named Gull Harbor Drive, which is a road out on the point in the northeastern hook of the Paradise Bay Harbor. The page included the following information, “Respond to a 21 year old male patient, a victim of a motorcycle accident.” BIEMS was responding to one of the few trauma situations that have here. Once again, the only two persons that responded to this accident were Bev and I. We arrived to find this patient a victim of a motorcycle-gravel-bush accident lying in the road with friends around him. One of the friends had his head in her lap. Patient was very loud, acting confused, and yelling obscenities at the bystanders who always stand around to watch what is happening.
The patient had laid down his motorcycle on the gravel road and skidded into a bush where he had been impaled on a branch. There was a 2.5 centimeter puncture wound in his left shoulder with a large amount of blood loss. There was a good radial pulse in his left arm. The patient had been incontinent with front of his jeans being wet. He was able to move all his extremities well, had good hand grips, and foot movement. No other injuries were found in the head to toe assessment, but a strong odor of alcohol was present. His friends stated that he had consumed “at least six beers.” The patient seemed oriented and was able to answer all questions, but he continued to ask us, “What happened?”
We, of course, had immediately placed direct pressure on the shoulder wound, and then we followed up with a pressure dressing on this wound. A cervical collar was placed, and the patient was fully immobilized on a backboard to protect his spine. He was placed on a non-rebreather mask with 100% oxygen, and an IV was started in the right forearm with the fluids running wide open to help compensate for the blood loss. The patient was loaded onto the ambulance cot and into the ambulance, and we were enroute to the local airport.
The patient remained stable with vital signs within normal limits throughout the transport. Because the patient had an IV running wide open as fast as gravity would put the fluid in, we had to monitor the patient’s breath sounds to make sure we were not adding too much fluid to his circulatory system. We loaded the patient into the aircraft and accompanied the patient to Charlevoix where we turned the patient over to Charlevoix EMS for further transport to the hospital. We made no effort to stop at the medical center for any assessment, evaluation, or treatment. An entirely different medical center/EMS relationship was evolving.
Once again, looking backwards into the history of ALS brings back great memories of our patients, the treatments we were able to provide them, and the cyclical nature of the relationship with the medical center. From the beginning of EMS on this island, we were completely working in cooperation with the medical center, then one provider wanted to take over and our working relationship dissolved. This has happened three times in the last thirty years of the history of the island’s medical care.
BICS Budget Information for 2016-2017
The following links take you to the documents that were sent to BINN for the BICS 2016-2017 school year.
Link to the 2016-2017 Expenditures
Link to the 2016-2017 Budget Hearing Agenda
Link to the 2016-2017 Revenues
Link to the Budget Acceptance Resolution for 2016-2017
32 Miles of Water
A Documentary by Philip Michael Moore
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