Lunch with Santa

Lunch with Santa began with a hot dog lunch provided by the Friends of the AMVETs with several young ladies and men attending the luncheon. The program began at 11:30 a.m. with lunch, and Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived about 12:15 p.m. Another year and another wonderful program for the kiddies on 12/13/14.

 

Ladies in the kitchen cooking the hot dogs..

Eating lunch

Santa arrives with Mrs. Claus

And it's time to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what you want for Christmas.

Then some pictures of Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the workers

 

Emergency Services Authority

Meeting 12/11/14

Video HERE

Beaver Island Lighthouse School Performance

December 11, 2014 at 7 p.m. at Community Center

Approximately 75 people attended the program at the Community Center. The program began with an American Indian Hoop Dance. It was well accepted. The audience was blown away, not only by the comedy, but by the dramatic presentation at the end. In addition to the audience in the building, another fifty-four unique IP addresses also watched the program. Since there is no way to know how many people watched at an individual IP address, we can only state that over one hundred thirty people watched the performance tonight, December 11, 2014.

Santa character was narrator and comedian.

Traditional Native American Hoop Dance

Steve Finch introduced the first skit

"This program does not meet the Common Core Standards," stated the state inspector.

"Where is the punishment?" asked the state inspector.

The state inspector repeats the non-compliance issues, but the Board of Education praises the program.

There were two video productions that were part of the performance, and then a second skit.

Christmas presents skit

Then Santa provides a few more gifts and jokes.

The dramatic skit that followed was very figurative and spoke of the battle within each child. This skit was powerful, but gladly had a happy ending.

The white shirt represents the power of good inside each child.

The internal battle of good versus evil was portrayed with the dark side representing evil.

The movement toward the dark side with temptations figuratively presented.

The attempts of family and true friends helping to break the perceived evil victory.

More temptations that are turned away.

"The Battle Within" lyrics sung to Peter, Paul, and Mary melody.

Steve Finch thanks all who attended the performance

Video of the performance HERE

At the Gregg Fellowship Center

 Christian Church Annual Cookie Carnival NOON until  4PM, December 11, 2014

In years past, the Cookie Carnival had a limited variety of types of cookies. That certainly was not true for this year's cookie carnival. Each and every one of these pictures were of at least one different type of cookie and some include more than one. There was also peanut brittle, chocolate cherries, and other items besides the wide variety of cookies.

Lorrie and Jean were the head cashiers for the Cookie Carnival.

Lillian Gregg, who turns 90 years old this weekend, posed with the nutmeg logs that she has made for years and years.

Video clip of the cookies and other items

 

Flags at 1/2 Mast at the Memorial Park

To Honor Deputy Whitaker Who Died in the Line of Duty

Michigan Senate Votes to Gut Michigan Endangered Species Act

Peaine Township Meeting

December 10, 2014

Link to video of the meeting

Northern Lights League Names All-League Teams

For Soccer and Volleyball

All-League Volleyball Teams

All-League Soccer Team

USCG Alder Replaces Summer Buoys

Every fall or early winter, the USCG sends a buoy tender out to replace the aids to navigation or buoys for vessels traveling around the Beaver Island Archipelago. Some, like the harbor channel buoys are simply removed. Today, Wednesday, December 10, 2014, the USCG Vessel Alder came to the mouth of the harbor, and could be seen up close at Whiskey Point. The summer buoy was removed and replaced by the the winter ice buoy while another smaller vessel was launched to take care of the other buoys between the island and in the harbor.

Preparing to place the ice buoy.

Interested ice sculptures causing by the waves on a bush near Whiskey Point

Placing the ice buoy at the mouth of the harbor.

Replacing the one mile buoy

Video clips of the Alder

 

Hot Milk White Cake

This hot milk white cake recipe is a very simple one. There are not lots of added ingredients. It is a simple white cake. The icing is carmelized brown sugar mixture as shown in the recipe. It is not complicated to make, and it is really very tasty. The major difference between this cake recipe and the store-bought cake mix is that it does not contain as much sugar, and, of course, does not have all the additives that you will find if you look on the label of the cake mix. Absolutely delicious!. See the recipe down, lower on this page.

Sunday's Cantata

There are two performance of the Christmas Cantata. One is on Saturday at 3 p.m., and the second performance is on Sunday at 3 p.m. While just shy of 50 people attended the Saturday performance, just shy of seventy people attended the Sunday performace. A little over one hundred unique IP addresses viewed the Cantata this past weekend. It is not possible to guess how many people viewed the live streaming of these events. It is only know that at least one person at each IP address viewed the performances, so this makes at least two hundred people enjoyed the Christmas presents to the community by the musicians, children and adults.

Here are some pictures taken on Sunday during the performance.

Joe and Judi..............Sheri and Mike...........Miranda and MIke

Sheri R, Marianne, and Sheri........Sheri and Mike.........Sheri..........................................Mike...........

Strings Ensemble

Men's Choir

Layla Hall......Little Drummer Boy with Children's Choir.......Mike Scripps

Mike Scripps and Bell Choir

Mike Scripps solos and cute little soloist

Cantata Choir singing I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Children's Choir join adults for Silent Night

Click Here for Video of Sunday's Performance

BICS School Board Meeting

December 8, 2014

This meeting was the last for the appointed board members. These appointed members were Julie Martin, John Martin, and Gerald LaFreniere. This also the last meeting for Dana Hodgson as board member. The new board members will begin at the January meeting. They are Judy Boyle, Judy Gallagher, Dave Avery, Kathy Speck, Susan Myers. The two that will be continuing on the board are Dusty Cushman and Jessica Anderson.

As expected the twenty-three questions asked at previous board meetings between May and October 2014 by community members were not answered. The offer to answer these questions privately was again repeated, but the board did not answer even one of those previously asked questions. Perhaps the new board sitting in January 2015 will be more willing to answer publicly asked questions.

Here is the video of the board meeting for those interested.

Eye Opening Questions

An editorial by Joe Moore

Click Here

Four Steps To Build A Culture Of Open Communication--The following is from an article by David Hassell for Forbes (modified by Joe Moore):

Here are four ways you can create an environment centered on open, two-way communication that builds cohesion.

1. Institute a Transparent Workplace
A common mistake administrators make is not sharing information across the organization. This demonstrates a lack of confidence and can lead to distrust. The best way to prevent this is to practice open, transparent communication.

2. Get Rid of “Us vs. Them” 
When administrators and staff aren’t communicating, administrators need to build practices that strengthen relationships between different stakeholders including the community.  You need to have a strong culture of open feedback and communication, but this is something you build over time by establishing genuine human connections.
Always look for ways to build connections between people.

3.  Make Your OKRs Public
To keep everyone aligned and focused on a set outcome, establish objectives and key results (OKRs). Always frame these within larger goals to show staff how their efforts support big-picture objectives, and make all OKRs public throughout the organization.

 
4. Ask and Answer Specific Questions
Your staff members have tremendous insight into the inner workings of your organization, and the best way to tap into this intelligence is by asking the right questions. In addition to regular team meetings, a feedback tool that asks employees relevant questions can prove invaluable for recognizing achievements and identifying challenges.
By maintaining regular, direct communication with staff members and community members, you’ll gain valuable insights into the operations of each part of the educational system and be able to resolve issues quickly.
Building a culture of transparent communication will open doors throughout your organization and the community, and help your entire organization run more efficiently.

This Old Cookbook-7

This old cookbook was found as an old house was being cleaned and items sorted out. It comes from a project of an elementary classroom from May 1958. BINN will present one recipe each week until the cookbook's last. An attempt will be made each week to actually make the weekly recipe. The title page states, "Dear Mother...I hope this book will help you cook."

Hot Milk White Cake

Beat 2 eggs until thick--lemon color

Add 1 cup of sugar gradually, 1 teaspoon of vnilla

Sift 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add this to first mixture.

Heat 1/2 cup milk and 1 Tablespoon butter to boiling.

Add milk and butter all at once to the other. Mix well.

Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting for Above Cake

5 Tablespoons brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons of cream

Mix over heat.

When cake is done--remove from the oven---cover with the above frosting.

Brown under broiler.

Watch to keep from burning.

Marsha Zick, 7 years old

Dog Island: The Plane Crash

by Lance Terrill Olson

This book written by Lance Terrill Olson is presented to BINN subscribers through an agreement between BINN editor and the author. This book is about an imaginary plane crash that takes place on an imaginary island, Dog Island. The book is for sale at a few places on the island.

Chapter 7-----The Survivors

About three weeks later, the little girl and her mom visited Dog Island. They were greeted at the ferry, in town, by Tommy and his father and me. Tommy's mom stayed at home to complete some last-minute preparations.

Tommy didn't recognize them in the crowd disembarking from the ferry. But then, he saw a woman with a cast on her arm, next to a small girl, nearing the bottom of the stairs.
They looked so different! He thought, without the cast, he wouldn't have been able to pick them out.

I recognized the girl by her size and smell and she got down on her knees to hug me and pet me fondly. We were both smiling. Of course, I was wagging my tail like she was a long lost friend. Well that and because of the smell of a treat in her pocket. So I kept nudging her pocket from which she finally withdrew the treat and gave it to me. I saw Tommy roll his eyes. "I'm just a dog you know!" I tried to convey to Tommy with my eyes...

Tommy and his dad walked over to them and his dad put out his hand to the woman and said, "I'm Tommy's dad, Michael. Denise stayed home to take care of some last-minute things since there wouldn't be enough room in the car.  And this, of course is Tommy and it looks like your daughter has already reunited with Max. Welcome to Dog Island." Then  he handed her a map of the Island and a flyswatter.

The mother looked at the flyswatter, briefly, and got the joke. With a big grin on her face, she said, "I'm Susan and this is my daughter Elizabeth. We call her Liz or Lizzy. It's so nice to finally meet you. And Tommy, it is really nice to meet you under better circumstances." She barely gave me any attention at all.

After shaking hands, and after Susan gave Tommy a long heartfelt hug, they walked to the ferry luggage rack and found their luggage and loaded it into the SUV. She volunteered "My husband, Ron, is still recuperating from a boating accident he had about two months ago." She got quiet, like there was something more she wanted to say but decided against it. "Maybe sometime in the future, he will ride along and meet you wonderful folks. Thank you for meeting us at the ferry. I've decided that driving is a lot safer.” and then she gave a big smile.

"You're quite welcome. We're happy to have you here and we have been looking forward to your visit. We'll just take a quick ride and show you the town and the lighthouse. Then, maybe tomorrow, we'll tour the Island and show you some other sights."

Before we could get into the SUV, Deputy Sherriff Jackson came over to us. He, almost always comes to the ferry dock when a ferry is coming in. But this time, I noticed that the other "summer" Deputy was sitting in his own car looking out the window at us from across the street. Deputy Jackson said, "Hi, Michael and Tommy. I assume this is Susan and Liz?"

Susan put out her hand to greet him with a smile. He said, "It's nice to see you are recovering so well. How long before the cast comes off?"

"About another two weeks, I think," she said.

"How long will you be on the Island?"

Susan smiled and said, "Just till tomorrow afternoon, I'm afraid. It is so beautiful here. Maybe we'll come back for a longer stay when my husband can make it."

The Deputy said, "I've been in touch with Special Agent Johnson and he says they haven't been able to pinpoint where your pilot was going. But, he said that this case was still keeping them very busy..." Then, he winked at her in a way  so no one could see him except Susan.  But, I saw him do it! I wondered what he was up to....

"Well, have a nice stay. Just by coincidence, Michael, Deputy McCarty and I will be working down near your area while they are here.  If you or they need me for anything, just call this number, and I'll be there in a flash.  Keep this card handy..." He gave Michael and Susan both, his card. Then, he turned and headed for his cruiser.

Susan and Michael sat in the two front bucket seats and Tommy, Liz, and I took up the back seat. There was still the smell of the treat so I kept licking her face.  I'm a dog... get over it!

The drive home was uneventful except for all the jarring and shaking on the washboard road. Michael said, "I know the shaking probably bothers you, but we are used to it and we'd rather have this than blacktop. It helps to remind us where we are."

"This Island is really beautiful from the ferry and seeing it close up in the sunshine is an extra treat. I love all these trees along the road. It's like going through a tunnel. You must be very well known on the Island... everyone that we pass waves at you."  Michael laughed and said, "No, that is just a small town thing. We are all friendly here and waving is sort of like sharing your feelings of contentment."

When we got home, Denise met them on the small deck behind the house, on the driveway side. Michael got the luggage while Tommy and Lizzy were playing with me in the driveway. I never did get another treat from her. But, "If you don't play, you can't win," I always say.

Denise and Susan hit it off immediately and they went through the house to the larger deck overlooking Lake Michigan.

"Oh, my God," Susan said. "This is such a beautiful view. You must feel really grateful for living here." Denise just smiled.

Later, that evening, after settling in and having an early dinner, Susan, Denise, and Michael sat out on the deck with some vodka-tonics and got to know each other better. Tommy and Lizzy went down to the water with me and we  disappeared down the beach, exploring.

"What is it that you do, Susan?" Denise asked.

"I'm a research chemist with a private firm in Wisconsin. We study and analyze data and trials of drugs and medications, usually after they are released by the FDA. Our clients are some of the largest, multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies in this country, but we have some multi-national companies as well. My firm is in Madison.
Since I research documents and analyze the track records of new drugs with my computer, I don't need to be there. I usually work out of our home in Appleton. It is very convenient for me, especially since Ron got hurt. I can take care of Lizzy too, without having her out with strangers all the time."

"And what does your husband do there?"

"Ron is an Architect and Builder in Appleton. He builds residential homes and sometimes commercial properties around our part of the State. He has won many awards for his work. Of course, he is limited in what he is able to do right now. But, he gets out and is working the best he can."

"If you don't mind me asking, where were you headed when your plane crashed?" asked Michael.
She, again, got a little quiet and then you could see determination in her face. "I was going to Mackinac Island to present a paper on my findings regarding an over-the-counter pain reliever I was studying. The Conference was sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Analysts Association. It was a chance to get away with Lizzy and have some well needed vacation as well as present my findings to this group."

"Sounds interesting," Denise said. "Too bad you couldn't present it. Are you going to have a chance to present it sometime in the future?"

"Well, my paper was included in the Conference minutes, but since I wasn't there, they just wrote a synopsis of the paper. They seemed to leave out the most important parts of my findings. Well, actually, they included it but the way it was presented, it was a little ambiguous. It didn't get the attention that it needed and deserved. It was a very important breakthrough. They haven't asked me to present it anytime in the future." Then, she broke down sobbing.

Denise and Michael looked at each other, puzzled.

Michael said, "I'm sorry, maybe I'm getting too personal with my questions. Let's talk about something else."

But, Susan recovered and said, "No, you should know what's going on. Tommy saved my life and changed the outcome of something horrible.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone… the FBI swore me to silence... but I just can't keep it to myself any longer. If you swear not to say anything to anyone, I'll tell you the story."

Denise became frightened, but Michael was curious. "You don't have to say anything to us, but if you want to, we promise not to let it get out."

Last Fuel Trip for the Shamrock of 2014

(Photos by Frank Solle)

Frank Solle got these wonderful pictures of the fuel barge and the Shamrock arriving back on Beaver Island for the last trip of the 2014 season. Frank is a photographer extraordinaire, and these pictures are terrific!

Coming in the harbor

Heading toward Martin's Dock

Arrival at dock

This will be the last trip of this fuel barge, according to the following USCG directives in enforcement of the elimination of the single hull oil/fuel barges beginning January 1, 2015. Beginning on this date, the single hull vessels are prohibited for transporting oil and oil products. A link to these directives is posted below.

View USCG Directives HERE

Until such time that a double hulled barge is purchased and arrives on Beaver Island, any fuel transport will have to take place in trucks transported by either the St. James Marine or the Beaver Island Boat Company.

Pearl Harbor Day

The American Flag is the burial flag of Lt. Col Giles McCann. According to Alvin Lafreniere, he was the only person from the island to serve in three wars WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

The Honor and Remember flag is on the right pole That pole normally has the Michigan Flag.

Thanks to Bob Tidmore for the story and the picture.

14th Annual Christmas Cantata

The first performance of the Christmas Cantata of 2014 was at the Beaver Island Christian Church beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 6, 2014. The program began with Kathy Speck thanking lots of people for their help in getting all of the different pieces of the puzzle in place to make this 14th Annual Cantata a success.

Kathy Speck welcomes those who have attended.

Joe Moore and Judi Meister performed O Holy Night.

Sheri Timsak and Mike Scripps performed Ordinary Baby

A Men's Choir performed two carols, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Joy to the World.

The Men's Choir included Adam Richards, Steve Stewart, Larry Hall, Bob Bass, Tom Whitman, Bill Detwiler, Bob Hoogendoorn, and Mike Scripps, with Mike Scripps on the keyboard.

Miranda Rooy sand Breath of Heaven, accompanied by Mike Scripps

Sheri Timsak,Marianne Weaver, and Sheri Richards performed O Night Divine

Mike Scripps sang Mary's Wish

Sheri Richards' String Ensemble performed a Christmas Carol Medley

The Strings Ensemble was made up of Sheri, Simeon, Elish, and Micah Richards; Kai and Zander Drost, Courtney Smith, and Sally Stebbins.

A group of young performers joined Sheri Richards, Layla Hall, and Rich Scripps to perform The Little Drummer Boy.

The youngsters included Sienna Anderson, Sophie McDonough, Micah Richards, Zander Drost, Gage Anderson, Elisha Richards, Simeon Richards, and Courtney Smith. They also performed Peace on Earth, O Holy Night, and Silent Night.

Cantata Choir

The Cantata Choir processed into the aisles with Sheri Richards and Mike Scripps playing. The Cantata Choir sopranos were Deb Bousquet, Shirley Detwiler, Shelly Scripps, Marie Shimenetto, Sheri Timsak, Marianne Weaver, Lillian Wiser, and Karen Whitecraft. The choir altos were Peg Hoogendoorn, Diane McDonough, Judi Meister, Kim Mitchell, Sheri Richards, Miranda Rooy, Davi Stein, and Jean Wierenga. The choir tenors were Susie Fisher, Bob Hoogendoorn, Joe Moore, and Deb Plastrik. The choir basses were Bob Bass, Bill Detwiler, Larry Hall, Mike Scripps, Steve Stewart, and Tom Whitman.

The Cantata Choir performed I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, celebrating peace on earth, arranged by Nan and Dennis Allen.

The Cantata narrators were Adam Richards and Elaine West

The pieces of music in the "Bells" Cantata were Carol of the Bells, O Come O Come Emmanuel, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, and.........

Marie Shimenetto had a solo in I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.

One of the last two songs in the Cantata was Silent Night, with solos by Larry Hall and Bob Hoogendoorn, as well as featuring the Kids Choir.

The Cantata Finale was He Is My Peace. This was a wonderful performance. If you missed the Saturday performance, you still can attend the Sunday performance which begins at 3 p.m. at the Christian Church.

(Many Thanks to Phyllis Moore for the pictures.)

Link to video of the performances HERE

Birth Announcement

Mackenzie Elizabeth

Welcome to the world, Mackenzie Elizabeth Gorlewski! She was born on December 5, 2014. She weighed 7 lbs 14 ozand was 21 inches long. She has ots of dark hair! Her proud big brother Trevor is in love, just like the rest of her family. Proud parents are Lindsy McDonough Gorlewski and Andrew Gorlewski. Proud grandparents are Tim and Denise McDonough. Proud great-grandmother is Skip McDonough.

Soaring Eagles Soar Over Islanders

The Hannahville Soaring Eagles won both basketball games last night, Friday, December 5, 2014. The Lady Soaring Eagles and the Soaring Eagles truly soared above the Lady Islanders and the Islanders. The Soaring Eagles, boys and girls, have become quite an aggressive group of basketball players. They are attacking the ball. They were stealing the ball. They were running past the Islanders for easy lay-ups. The Soaring Eagles will be a serious competitor for the Northern Lights League title.

The Lady Islanders played well. The senior Lady Islanders played with respect and celebrated the successes of their team. The island should be proud of these Lady Islanders. They played with class, kept playing hard, and never gave up. Great job, Lady Islanders! The Islanders basketball team is a young team with upper classmen sitting in the bleachers. The Islanders played hard, and only a few times became frustrated due to the ball handling capabilities of their opponent. The Islanders played hard, celebrated their successes, and displayed sportsmanship.

Games begin Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

Pictures and video will be posted when processed.

BITA Meeting Rescheduled

Annual Toy Drive

The Annual Toy Drive is under way!

If you would like to donate a toy, there are collection boxes in the Island Airway Terminals on Beaver Island and in Charlevoix. Or you may give the toy to Connie Boyle at home or the school office. (You can even leave it in my car wherever you see me, if you'd like----whatever is easiest for you!)

The toys go to children who live on or off the island. Families that qualify for help through social services are encouraged to fill out the paperwork with the county. Everyone's privacy is maintained as the toys are sent to social services (so please do NOT wrap the toys) and they will pick out which toys are best-suited for each child, based on age and gender. Beaver Island families who qualify will then receive toys from social services.

If you would prefer to make a donation and have someone do the shopping for you, I can take care of that---just give me a call at 231-448-2491.

It is helpful if most of the toys are donated by the week before Christmas so there is time to make sure all children are covered. But I will keep collecting toys after that.

Thank you, in advance, for your support. Everyone is always amazed at the quality and number of toys we collect!

Sincerely, Connie Boyle

BID Library Announcement

Crafters take note:

There is an open crafting group at the library every other Wednesday night (1st and 3rd Wed. of the month) starting at 7pm. This is not a "class" but a time to bring whatever you do, be it knitting, scrap-booking, or whatever (provided it is somewhat portable) and work on it amongst warm company.

FOIA Request Update 11/25/14

An Editorial by Joe Moore

Editor Joe Moore picked up a FOIA packet from the BICS office on Monday. Thank you for complying with the request. Apparently, the request did not get the information that would answer all the twenty-three questions asked. The following is coded to show what information was obtained from the FOIA request, information that doesn't exist, and information that was withheld due to the extensive costs suggested to obtain it. An appeal was sent to Jessica Anderson, President of the Board of Education requesting that the questions be answered and asking that the costs be waived or reduced. While several of the requests have been provided, the questions asked at board meetings from May through October have not been answered.

The following is the one question that has been answered out of the twenty-three asked at public board meetings:

What is science teacher’s certification? The answer is that he has certification for Science in High School, which was a concern by some.

A few other questions can be answered by the fact that there is no policy for some issues related to the questions. A request has been made to Riley Justis, superintendent/principal, via email to sends answers to the questions. BINN hopes to get answers to those questions and post them for any interested persons.

2014-15 BICS Basketball Schedule

Martha Guth CD Release

Martha Guth, opera singer and vocalist extraordinare, who has performed multiple times during Baroque on Beaver Classical Music Festival, now has a brand new CD for sale. The name of the CD is Schubert’s Women in Music.

Schubert’s unforgettable characterizations of women: Gretchen, Suleika, Mignon, Ellen and Delphine are the subject of this CD, devoted to exploring Schubert’s homage to das ewig Weibliche, Goethe’s expression for the eternally feminine. Soprano Marta Guth and fortepianist Penelope Crawford present these unique portraits with insight and sympathy, enhanced by the use of a magnificent original fortepiano by the great Viennese maker, Conrad Graf.

Email from Martha Guth

Dear friends, colleagues and neighbors!

I hope this email finds you all well---and for those of you fellow Americans---deeply rested after a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!

I am sending this big email around to you all because I am beyond thrilled to announce that my first solo CD is available! It is a disc of Schubert songs with Penelope Crawford on Fortepiano, playing an original Viennese Graf Fortepiano. This instrument is extremely rare, and for those of you who don't know about it, it was the precursor to the piano, and is able to make some really beautiful colors. It is a very different experience working with this kind of instrument, especially with Penny who knows and loves it so well! The songs are a group of some best loved and lesser known gems of Schubert's enormous song output, and all were tied together in a magnificent essay written by the very distinguished musicologist Dr. Susan Youens. Musica Omnia is a very special label out of Boston, and they have been really wonderful collaborators in producing the disc.

Suffice it to say that I am really proud of the way this project turned out, and I hope that you will consider following the link to the Musica Omnia Website. Right now it is available in hard copy, which when I really want something, for me, is still is the best option (and it is a beautiful booklet and package). But if you are interested in digital format, that will be out and distributed through Naxos in February.

p.s. We already have a second disc in the planning stages!

Here is the link:

http://www.musicaomnia.org/release/schuberts-women-in-music/

THANK-YOU!!

All my good wishes are with you all and your loved ones during the coming holiday season,

Martha

You can read more about the release HERE

You can order one HERE

Agents Investigate Elaborate Great Lakes Fish Trafficking Operation

Interesting article

While the article is interesting, there is no way of determing its consequences.

Response to FOIA Request

by Joe Moore

I am going to publicly ask that these twenty-three questions be answered publicly either in a public meeting or by publishing the answers in a newspaper or on a news website.
Just to summarize the situation so far, I watched the video of the school board meetings from May through October 2014.  There were a total of twenty-three questions asked in the public meetings of the BICS Board of Education during that period of time.  None of these twenty-three questions had been answered in the following months. In November one question was answered—one of twenty-three.
In an attempt to get answers to the questions, I submitted all of the questions to the president of the school board.  I did not receive any indication that the letter was received, nor any response to the questions being asked. 
So, ten days later I submitted a FOIA request which included the questions.  I did get a response from the president of the board and the superintendent.
At the November 2014 rescheduled school board meeting, one question was answered. 
I received an email requesting that I meet with Riley Justis, superintendent, and I responded that I would not meet with him until I received something from him regards the FOIA request.
Here is Riley Justis’ response to my FOIA request.

Apparently, in order to get answers to these twenty-three questions, I have to be prepared to pay over $3500.00, or over $150.00 per question asked.

Okay, I can't help myself. I have to comment. It takes 4000 pages of documents and 67 hours of work to answer the 23 questions. That's just less than twenty pages for each question, three hours of work for each questions, and $150 for each question. Does this seem logical to you? Considering that many policies don't exist, how can decisions be made about situations when there is no policy? Six of seven board members have resigned in the last two years. Why? The first ever grievance was filed by the Beaver Island Education Association. Why? Questions asked publicly will not be answered publicly. Why? Just answer the questions!

Crooked Tree Strings Program to Begin

Students who have at least 1 year experience will be Intermediates. Those students who have 2 or more years of experience can join the Youth Orchestra program starting with the Concert Orchestra. The Winter Concert will be on February 1, 2014, for Youth Orchestra and Spring Concert on May 17, 2014, for all string players. Sheri Richards will be teaching these classes.

Weekly classes will be held at Beaver Island Community School starting Monday, November 24, 2014, no class on November 26 (Thanksgiving Holiday)

Mondays & Wednesdays
3:30-4:20 Beginning
4:20-5:00 Intermediate
5:00-6:00 Concert Orchestra

Cards for the strings program provided by Crooked Tree can be handed into the school office.

For more information contact the Crooked Tree Arts Center, 231-347-4337 or visit www.crookedtree.org.<http://www.crookedtree.org./> or Sheri Richards at richaada@gmail.com<mailto:richaada@gmail.com>

Organizations Wanting Dates on the Community Calendar

BINN sponsors a Community Calendar as a one-stop location for anyone to view the meetings, programs, and events taking place on Beaver Island. BINN just included the entire year of 2015 in this location. Events already planned for a specific week or date could be placed in this location, so that no one else schedules an event that might conflict with your meeting, program, or event. In order for the editor to place these meeting, programs, or events on the Community Calendar, that information has to be emailed to the editor at medic5740@gmail.com. Please get this information to the editor as soon as possible.

From the Transfer Station

Recycling Information--No Cloth in off-season

Donate to the Food Pantry