Snow for Christmas!

You might have to look really closely to find the snow this Christmas. This morning, December 23, 2011, the day of the last ferry boat trip, the flurries began to come down. With any luck we might get some of these flakes to stick long enough to give us a white Christmas. As everyone with visitors coming for Christmas know, a little snow at the proper time is really what matters. As long as the weather is good enough to get family home for Christmas, and then also good enough to get them back off the Island, with no ferry boat option, is always a trick. Trying to capture a picture of the snow coming down is also a little difficult.

Snow flurries

Then there is the attempt to capture individual snowflakes once they land. Not so easy for this photographer, but why not try?

Snow begins to come down in earnest about 4 p.m.

While bets could have been placed earlier this morning about whether there would be a white Christmas, it certainly appears that there will be at least a white Christmas Eve. Travelers headed to the Island on a late flight today were stranded in Charlevoix due to the quantity of snow coming down making the visibility below the VFR rules. Some are staying with relatives; some are staying at the AmericInn, and some are staying at the Weathervane. With a little luck, the snow will stop long enough for these island visitors to actually get to the island in the morning.

The snow came down the night of the 23rd, and the island awoke to some very pretty snow on Christmas Eve morning. Looks like friends and relatives in Charlevoix should be able to make it to the island this morning.

Snow or no snow, Beaver Island News on the 'Net wishes all a very Merry Christmas! Thank you to all our supporters! Have a safe holiday week!

Interfaith Children's Worship Service

Holy Cross is sponsoring an interfaith children's worship service that will begin with the singing of Christmas Carols at 3:40 p.m. on December 24, 2011. The service will begin at 4 p.m.

Christian Church Service Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve service at Beaver Island Christian Church is at 5:30.  it is scheduled for this time to give people the opportunity to attend the mass at Holy Cross and the service at Beaver Island Christian Church.

Peaine Township Special Board Meeting, December 21, 2011

The purpose of this special meeting was to determine if the Peaine Township Board wanted to appeal the jury verdict of November 10, 2011, in a case against the Albins. The Peaine Township Board voted unanimously to forgo their rights to appeal the verdict based upon information provided to them by their lawyer. The judgement can now be entered into the record, the payments may now be made, and the Island can move on into the future without more legals fees being expended on this issue. According to an email received by Jack Gallagher, the St. James Township Board was not interested in attempting an appeal either, so this meeting was only with the Peaine Township Board.

On a side note: Other than the Peaine Township Meeting that wasn't really a meeting, tonight's meeting was the shortest in recent history, lasting less than seven minutes.

Video of this meeting

 

Copy of the Court Judgment

RESOLUTION

2011-XX 

Resolution offered by Welke and supported by LoDico:

WHEREAS: Peaine and St. James Townships filed an action in the Charlevoix County Circuit Court, as Plaintiffs to obtain property necessary for a runway protection zone from the owners William K. Albin and Christine F. Albin, as Defendants;

WHEREAS: A Circuit Court Jury rendered its verdict in such action finding for the Defendants;

WHEREAS: A Judgment in the amount of $1,085,992.61 will be entered by the Circuit Court against Peaine and St. James Townships;

WHEREAS: Peaine and St. James Townships may appeal such Judgment;

WHEREAS: Defendants have agreed that they will waive reimbursement of property taxes if Plaintiffs agree to forgo filing an appeal;

WHEREAS: Members of the Peaine Township Board are apprised of the right to appeal and understand the Township Attorney's belief that an appeal would not succeed;

BE IT RESOLVED: That the Peaine Township Board hereby waives its right to appeal and directs the Township Supervisor to advise the Township Attorney not to file an appeal.

ROLL CALL VOTE:

AYES: Welke Kubic LoDico Martin Gallagher

NAYS: None

Marie Connaghan LaFreniere in Hospital

Photo courtesy of Vince Left

Marie has been admitted to Northern Michigan Regional Hospital with surgery planned on December 22, 2011, for some circulation problems in her legs. While the hope was that she would get some drug therapy and be sent home, she will probably want to file a change of address card with Santa Claus in a hurry. Many on the island would like Marie to know that thoughts and prayers are with her!

Chamber of Commerce Adds Wedding Section

To www.BeaverIsland.org

The Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce has added a new section to its popular web site www.BeaverIsland.org called Plan Your Beaver Island Wedding.

Link to new section: http://www.beaverisland.org/weddings/index.html

“This new section in still in the start up stages,” said Chamber Executive Steve West. “We hope to continue to improve it and would appreciate any great Island wedding photos that we could add.”

COA Lunch Location Changed for December 30, 2011

In a special arrangement made with the Forestview Senior Housing, the COA lunch will be served at Forestview on Friday, December 30, 2011. The time is also changed to noon. The menu has also changed to accomodate the change in locations. This December 30th Friday menu will include a BBQ Pork Sandwich and baked bean as well as a vegetable. Please make certain to sign up at the BI Community Center if you wish to participate in this special lunch. You can phone them to sign up, email them to sign up, or just go down there and sign up. Let's make this special location change between Christmas and New Year's a huge success!

From Stoney Acres and Donegal Danny's

Friday's Dinner Special: Tilapia , a mild and tasty fish filet.
Plus full menu! 5-8:30pm Happy Hour till 8pm
Then Music by RIGORMORTIS at 8:30.
*Never a cover charge or drink price increase
ALSO:
*Every Wednesday is LADIES NITE!
$2 Domestic Beer & 10oz. Imported Drafts & $3 Well Bombs!
*Thurs. Dec. 22nd. Save $2...
FREE POP/Refills with any Lunch for Students!
*Also $2 Tues/Thurs Every Week ALL Day/Night Domestic Beer & 10oz. Imports!
**DART League starts in January...sign up soon!
Enjoy the Holidays!
New Year's Eve Dinner at Stoney Yes, we are taking reservations now for New Year's Eve!
Walk-ins are welcome too! Dinner's 5-9pm . Full Menu & Specials!
Happy Hour till 8pm. Music 6-8 with Danny & Danny , followed by Rigormortis at 9pm!
Dinner Specials:
*Twin Lobster Tails or Single
*Hand cut prime Top Sirloin 8oz.
*Surf & Turf (the best of both-YUM)
*Sauteed Prawns Annisette over Angel Hair Pasta
**Specials include: Starch, Veg, Small Salad, & Multi-grain roll.
***As soon as we know the market prices, I'll post what our prices will be. We've ordered extra, so there should be no problem with running out!
Our best to you in the New Year! Please join us bringing 2012 in!
Liam & Marilyn

Birds in the Yard

These three were seen near the bird feeders on the corner of Kings Highway and Carlisle Road

Phyllis feeding the turkeys; a trio of three large groups visit daily.

Eagle on the Hunt

Michelle LaFreniere tracked down this photographer today and mentioned seeing this eagle across the road from the post office. A quick trip down there provided these three pictures. Not sure why the eagle was waiting there. Perhaps there was a school of fish coming into the shallows.

Thanks for the tip, Michelle! It is greatly appreciated!

Eagle watches

 

Invasive Species Assistance on the Way!

Boyne City, Michigan-December, 2011

Beaver Island's invasive species program has entered into a new series of partnerships. The Beaver Island Association in collaboration with both Peaine and St. James townships has been awarded a grant from the Charlevoix County Community Foundation for assistance with the 2012 invasive species eradication efforts. The funding will be used to purchase GPS equipment, software compatible with the state and county governments, and herbicide to treat invasive species. The environmental grant will enable islanders to map invasive species, apply for permits, develop and coordinate effective eradication plans.

Invasive species has been identified as one of the biggest threats to our archipelago's environment and listed as a top planning priority on the recent St. James Recreation Planning Survey. To assist property owners, the Beaver Island Association will host an Invasive Species Summit on June 14th, . The Summit is open to the public and free of charge. Regional agencies and invasive species specialists will join us for an afternoon workshop to help land owners identify the highest invasive threats to their property and plan an effective treatment strategy. Stay tuned for further public updates.

For additional information contact, Pam Grassmick or Jim Jones, BIA board members. www.beaverislandassociation.org or www.agreatlakesjewel.org

Experiment With New Format

The thought pattern for this new format is that finding some links and some announcements can be slightly difficult since the size of this website has increased greatly. We are going to try this to see if it makes finding useful links more easily as well as making announcements easier to find.

Kim Newport Received Her Masters Degree

Kim Newport started at Northern Michigan University in the fall of 2008. All of her classes were online, but she also had to travel to campus occassionaly for a class. Kim's degree is a Masters of Arts in Education with an emphasis on Learning Disabilities. This will enable her to teach special education K-12. There were a total of 45 credit hours with the last 3 required credits, her graduate thesis. Her thesis was titled "Effective Components of Intervention for Struggling Readers." Her overall GPA (without her last class calculated) is 3.75. Graduation was held at Northern Michigan Univiersity on December 17, 2011.

Inducted into the National Honor Society

Photo courtesy of Yvonne Crandall

At a special meeting today at the Beaver Island Community School, three high school students were officially inducted into the National Honor Society: Marissa Crandall, Olivia Cary, and Erin Boyle. Congratulations, ladies! A wonderful honor, and a wonderful achievement!

Generator Being Installed at the BIRHC

As part of a plan to protect the infrastructures of Beaver Island in case of a major disaster, many buildings are being equipped with generators. The Beaver Island Rural Health Center is one of those buildings. While the BIRHC had a small generator, this generator could not support the power needs of the medical center during a disaster, but only a small part of the building. The old BIRHC generator is being donated to the fire hall in town. Currently the Peaine Township Hall and the East Side Fire Station are equipped with generators, and along with the BIRHC and the in-town fire hall, the majority of the necessary infrastructure including communications and medical care will be in place, in case of any serious disaster.

As explained to this reporter, the BIRHC is one of just a few building to make use of three-phase electricity. The three-phase electrical power comes to the BIRHC underground and terminates at a transformer box outside of the education room and just west of the dental entrance. The electrician and helper were making sure that the ground work is completed to make the installation possible. It may be up to two weeks before the generator system and switches are in place and put into operation.

Mark Belfy, related to the Beaver Island Belfy's somehow did a video interview for BINN

 

Links St. James Recreation Plan Survey Results BICS Newsletter December 2011 BIRHC Newsletter November 2011 Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Appeal Letter Page 1 Appeal Leter Page 2 Link to the Beaver Island Airport 10-year Plan B. I. Community School Board Meetings Schedule View Meetings Schedule HERE Beaver Island Association Invasive Species Click Here to View Slides Human Services Commission Resource Manual The Human Services Commission of Peaine and St. James townships has put together a resource manual--a guide to services available to all residents of Beaver Island.  A copy of this resource manual appears below.  Printed copies will soon be available at a number of locations, including the medical center and the library.  Other locations will be announces later.  Many thanks to Joan Vyse and Judi Meister for coordinating the information in the manual. Complete Guide to Charlevoix County Human Services HERE On the Beach of Beaver Island You will need Quicktime or another music player to enjoy this link. The music played in the Holy Cross Hall in the late 70's and early 80's, recorded for posterity and shared here. Beaver Island Transfer Station Information Beaver Island Food Pantry and Gregg Fellowship Hall Donations Accepted Click Here to donate Beaver Island Community Center BEAVER ISLAND COMMUNITY CENTER At the Heart of a Good Community Check www.BeaverIslandCommunityCenter.org or the Community Center for listings Beaver Island Community Center December Senior Center Activities for December COA Menu for December Meeting Minutes The minutes of all public meetings will be posted as soon as they are received. News on the 'Net welcomes minutes to all public meetings. All organizations are welcome to submit meeting minutes for publication on this website. Please email them to medic5740@gmail.com. Airport Committee Minutes Beaver Island Cultural Arts Association Minutes Peaine Township Board Minutes BIRHC Board Meeting Minutes St. James Township Meeting Minutes Beaver Island Community School Board Meeting Minutes Beaver Island Ecotourism Goals Draft, rev. 3, 19 Jan 2010 Beaver Island Natural Resources and Eco-Tourism Steering Committee Minutes Beaver Island Transportation Authority Minutes Joint Human Resources Commission Minutes Waste Management Committee Minutes Beaver Island Airport Commission Minutes New for 2011! Message to All B.I. Organizations BINN is willing to post any and all events on the News on the 'Net website! There is one exception to this rule. BI News on the 'Net cannot post your event if you don't send the information to BINN! We post school events, religious events, sports events, visiting minister events, and many other events including musical events, special events, and even regularly scheduled events. At the very least, the event will go on the Community Calendar, so others won't schedule something at the exact day and time of your event. Imagine the following: Two well known and exceptional fundraising events are scheduled on the same day. How sad for those who work so hard to raise funds for a good cause. This can be avoided by sending your dates to BINN,. You can send them by postal mail, email, or even call the editor at 448-2416. Email medic5740@gmail.com 2011 BICS Holiday Program The annual BICS Holiday Program took place Wednesday, December 15, 2001. Ron Marsh agreed to take time out of his evening and video tape this performance. Thank you, Ron! The program was and always is a wonderful way to get into the Holiday spirit, and for most on Beaver Island, a way to get into the Christmas spirit. There were lots of different styles of music included in the program as well as recitation of poems. The finale is the gathering of all past students, current students, and staff who all use American Sign Language as well as their voices to present the traditional Keep Christmas With You. Video of the Performance viewed HERE An Open Letter to the Citizens of Beaver Island Click HERE to view this letter St. James Township Board Meeting, December 7, 2011, Video View Video clips of this meeting HERE Expired Subscriptions Please send us your email address. There are quite a few subscriptions that will expire in July and some that have already expired. We appreciate your support and ask you to renew your subscription as soon as possible. Emails have been sent out, but quite a few have been returned without delivery, which means that BINN does not have your current email address. You can subscribe online by using PayPal and a credit card. Please click the link below if you wish to renew online: RENEW

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE PEAINE TOWNSHIP BOARD AT PEAINE TOWNSHIP HALL WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 21, 2011 7:00 PM  MEETING PURPOSE: The Peaine Township Board will meet to consider and decide whether to file an appeal to the verdict in the Albin lawsuit. POSTED: DECEMBER 20, 2011 PRIOR TO 11:00 AM JOHN GALLAGHER, SUPERVISOR COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON FILE IN CLERK'S OFFICE Lunch with Santa The Beaver Island AMVETs Ladies' Auxiliary put on a hot dog lunch for the kids today at the Gregg Fellowship Hall at 11:30 a.m., and gave them each an opportunity after 12 pm to sit on Santa's lap, or Mrs. Claus's lap, and, of course, tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. This also gave moms and dads plenty of photo opportunities. The stage was set by Tina Walker, Jean Kinsley, and Doug Tilly. These ladies worked very hard to make sure everything was just right and that lunch went off without a hitch. Lunch was served and all the kids, of all ages, awaited Santa and Mrs. Claus. And the guests of honor arrived: Santa and Mrs. Claus Santa, here's one more! The AMVETs Ladies did a wonderful job of organizing this event! Thank you to all of your members! Thank you to Santa and Mrs. Claus! It was good Christmas spirit event! Video clip 1   Video Clip 2   Video Clip 3   From Stoney and Donegal Danny's Full Menu Always Plus Daily Specials Lunch Mon-Sun 11-2 Dinner Mon- Sun 5-8:30 B-fast Traditional & Specials 11-2 Sat & Sun Daily Happy Hour Mon- Sat 2-8pm & Sun it's ALL DAY! $2 Domestic Beer & 10oz Drafts Every Tues & Thurs Weds. Ladies Nite - Happy Hour All Day & $3 Well BomBs Live MUSIC Friday, Dec. 23rd with Rigormortis! NEW YEARS EVE WEEKEND.... Fri Dec. 30th Live MUSIC with Danny, Danny, Cindy & Friends! Sat. Dec. 31st. NYE ...Full Menu Plus New Year's Eve Dinner Specials ( will post them soon ), Then MUSIC with Danny, Danny, & Cindy Happy Hour AND RIGORMORTIS to bring 2012 in! Sun. Jan. 1st ...some Island Tunes, GAME DAY !!! ( Lunch & Dinner not served this Sunday ... BUT , a Complimentary New Years Day Munchie BUFFET , will be available, along with our Famous Bloody Mary Bar , Noon to 8pm... PLUS , it's Liam's Birthday Celebration! Pub will be open until 2am Daily! Please Join us for... Great Food, Great Drinks, Good Times with Great Friends! Merry Christmas, Safe & Happy Holidays, and our best to you in the New Year! We appreciate your Patronage! Liam & Marilyn Peaine Township Meeting, December 14, 2011 The items discussed at the Peaine Township meeting included the traditional approval of minutes and bills for payment, the Townships Land Acquisition/Lawsuit Update, a Zoning Ordinance change to allow overnight lodging for limited time at the Welke Airport, a posting of the U.S. General Services Administration related to the Southhead Light property, a NRESC meeting report by Pete Plastrik with two resolutions, the status of a possible BIRHC/EMS merger, scheduling of a joint township meeting to meet with the EMS Emergency Air Transport Consultant, and a discussion of the Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority-its status and implications of current method of operations in Peaine Township. Video of the entire Peaine Towship Meeting is available HERE The next regular board meeting will be held on January 11, 2011, with the schedule special joint township meeting tentatively scheduled for Monday, January 23, 2011. Island Airways Report on Progress of Emergency Air Transport Operation At this meeting, Island Airways president Angel Welke publicly announced that the FAA from Grand Rapids had met with them. The possibility of becoming an FAA certified Air Ambulance is nearing completion and may be completed by February 2012. Angel also reported that Michigan legislators are working to pass a law that would require a two million dollar liability insurance amount instead of the current ten million dollar amount. Angel stated that Island Airways would be purchasing this two million dollar liability insurance policy, so "all pieces should be in place by February." This was a welcome announcement by all present, and BINN looks forward to publishing another article as soon as the paperwork is received by Island Airways. The FAA certification is the first step toward getting a State of Michigan licensed "Air Transport Operation" to be able to transport emergency patients off Beaver Island within a much shorter period of time than off-Island air transport companies are able to do. Although Northflight is a licensed Air Transport Operation, the timeframe for transporting patients is extended to more than two hours, and they will only come during the daylight hours. The USCG helicopter is a viable option, but it also takes a life threatening emergency to activate and also has an extended time of arrival. From the Beaver Island Community School-Ms. McNamara, Principal BICS Teachers Complete Teacher Miranda Rooy has received National Board Certification®! Miranda is one of only 348 teachers in Michigan who have received National Board Certification. Miranda's area of certification is: Generalist/Early Childhood. Miranda joins fellow teacher Deb Robert as a National Board Certified teacher; Deb renewed her Generalist/Middle Childhood certification last year. BICS is indeed lucky to have two such wonderful teachers on staff. The process for becoming a National Board Certified teacher is lengthy and comprehensive. There is a lot of self-evaluation and evaluation of your work by other highly recognized teachers. Through the lengthy and focused certification process, Miranda had to demonstrate through portfolio, video and written testing that she: •  is Committed to Students and Their Learning. •  Knows the Subjects she Teaches and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students. •  Is Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning. •  Thinks Systematically about Her Practice and Learns from Experience. •  Is a Member of a Learning Community. Beaver Island Community School is one of 9 school districts in the state that provides incentives for teachers to earn National Board Certification. Bloomfield Hills, Detroit, Dexter, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids are among the other Michigan districts that encourage teachers to become National Board Certified. School Enrollment Numbers Up by 6: The fall school count was 70 when you include the 3 preschool students who attend school three mornings per week. Since then, the count had increased to 76 students. The new students are spread out across the grade levels, with 2 elementary students, 2 middle school students and 2 high school students. School enrollment has fluctuated over the years with the average student enrollment for the last 50 years being 72. Three high school students to be inducted into the NHS On Wednesday, December 21 st , three new members will be inducted into the National Honor Society. According to NHS advisor, teacher Connie Boyle, current members Jenna Battle and Olivia Schwartzfisher will welcome new members, Marissa Crandall, Erin Boyle & Olivia Cary. New members will recite the following pledge at the induction ceremony which will be attended by families, mentors and younger students. I pledge to maintain high scholastic standing, To hold as fundamental and worthy an untarnished character, To endeavor intelligently and courageously to be a leader; And to give of myself freely in service to others. In doing so, I shall prove myself worthy of the National Honor Society to which I have been selected. Seniors “bring in the tree” Seniors, Gus Connaghan, Matt Cull, Dan LaFreniere, William Lemmink and Michael McCafferty brought in the traditional school Christmas tree to be lit and decorated by all grades. The tree rivals any from senior classes before as it towers and glitters in the multi-purpose room. BICS Places 2nd in Statewide Online Math Competition SumDog, a free online math gaming competition has held student (and staff and parent) attention for the last several weeks. When the competition ended on December 15 th , BICS took 2 nd place. New student, junior Michael Pryor, was the 7 th top student in the state with 12,211 correct answers. End of Year Thank You Wow, it is the end of 2011; seems like we just celebrated the turn of a new century. So much has happened here at school in the first decade of the new century and each year the community gives so very much to the school, its students, the parents and staff. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for this. I know I will miss people and/or groups as I strive to list many of the things that are done for the youth of Beaver Island and for with I am most grateful. Attendance at the Holiday Program; what a warm feeling to see so many of you there with smiles on your faces and praise for the students as they finished the performance. Mentors, formal and informal, what a wonder to me that so many of you who have other obligations and commitments, and, maybe even your own young children, take the time to support and mentor our youth – I have seen mentors help with homework, help with college applications, help set up opportunities that might not otherwise exist. Voters and taxpayers, I am grateful for your ongoing support without which the very idea of running a quality K-12 program on this remote inhabited island would not be possible. It is indeed a daunting financial task to meet all the state and federal requirements to keep a school open here and your commitment to doing that never ceases to amaze me. I see the students proud of their building and their opportunities because they know the community values education. The wildlife club, for the past three years, you have donated to the 21st Century Learning Scholarship fund to make it a little easier for students to tackle college. Community members who come to watch our students in their athletic events, referees from the mainland are constantly amazed at the number of spectators and at the sportsmanship shown by those who attend, it means so much to the youth of the island that you are there. The Property Owners Association, as the group who pays the most taxes on the island, you could gripe and complain that the youth of the island are not your responsibility; instead you take on a challenge to help organize an annual career awareness day. The townships, a simple thing like setting up volleyball net on the beach or a more complex action like setting up the Human Resources Commission which helps families meet the needs of their children are things I am grateful for. The many people who organize activities for the youth around special holidays throughout the year, over time it has been different people or groups, but in the end there is always someone who is willing to tackle the event planning and thank goodness for that. The AmVets Ladies providing opportunities for students to buy Christmas gifts for their families. The transit drivers who go out of their way to accommodate the students and their varied schedules even to the point of having them practice their poems in route. I can go on and on and never list or acknowledge a fraction of the positive gestures and actions taken on behalf of the youth of Beaver Island. I just want to say Thank You to all of you – what you do for the youth you do for the future of Beaver Island.

Announcements   Next Waste Managment Meeting January 17, 2011 at Peaine Hall 10am From Island Treasures Resale Shop We have many nice Christmas decorations available  at the BOGO- BUY ONE, GET ONE- sale this week only!  We will be open Thurs. through Sat., Dec. 15-17, noon until 4:00.  Come in for good deals on coats, hats, scarves, boots, and many other items.  The Island Treasures crew wishes to thank our community for their continued support . Merry Christmas!  We will be closed during Christmas week, Dec. 22-24 so that our volunteers have time for their celebrations. McDonough's Market Holiday Hours December 24th: 8 a.m.- 3 p.m., 5 p.m.-6 p.m. December 25th: Merry Christmas, Store Closed! December 26th, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. December 31st: New Year's Eve 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. January 1, 2012: News Year's Day 11 a.m.-noon January 2nd: 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. The Winter Town Trek: Fun and frolic for food and fairness The Beaver Island 99, a group of sturdy Islanders, will walk to support the Beaver Island Food Pantry and to show unity with the 99% across the country on Sunday, January 14, 2012, starting at 1:00 p.m. Like citizens everywhere, people here are suffering from unemployment, foreclosure, and poverty. Beaver Island 99 asks that large corporations and the wealthy, who have most of the money, pay their fair share of taxes. We also support legislation to make Wall Street accountable. Join our trek starting at Paradise Bay Park by the ferry dock to the lighthouse (weather permitting), and returning to the Community Center for hot chocolate, coffee, and JoAnne's Internationally Famous Cookies. Bring a donation (cash or non-perishable food) for the pantry, and your own sign or we'll provide some to share. Plan to get out of your warm houses, have fun in the snow, and show your support for a more compassionate and egalitarian USA. For more information contact: thebeaverisland99@rocketmail.com . Beaver Island Human Services Commission Announces 2012 Meeting Schedule At 2 p.m. at the Beaver Island Community School The Commission is a collaboration of organizations that advocates for the emotional and physical needs of island residents and visitors of all ages. January 19, 2012 February 16, 2012 March 15, 2012 April 21, 2012 May 17, 2012 September 20, 2012 October 18, 2012 November 15, 2012 Members: Mary Cook (Char-Em HSC), Donna Kubic (BIRHC), Bob Tidmore (AmVets), Alice Belfy/Adam Richards (BICS), Judi Meister (Food Pantry), Ann Partridge(COA liaison/Community Center), Lois Williams (Hospice), Kathy Tidmore(St. James Township Rep.), Pam Grassmick (Peaine Township Rep.) Human Services Commission Brochure Mammograms Save Lives With the help of the Circle of Strength Voucher Program, at Charlevoix Are Hospital, no woman has to go without a mammogram. Please call the Beaver Island Health Center for more information  448-2275. Birthdays This Week Monday, December 19th: Jimmy McCafferty Wednesday, December 20th: Rosie Boyle Yetter Thursday, December 21st: Jeremy Moses Friday, December 22nd: Chris Heikka Saturday, December 23rd: Rob McPherson, Rita Palmer, and Laura Gibson Sunday, December 24th: Carol Delamater and Ryan Wojan Free Health Tests Free Cholesterol Screening, Blood Pressure monitoring, EKG test. Call the Beaver Island Rural Health Center 448-2275 for an appointment This is made possible through a grant from the American Heart Association. NRESC Meeting Dates Determined Beaver Island Natural Resources and Eco-tourism Steering Committee 2011-2012 Meeting Schedule All meetings open to the public Entire Steering Committee to meet at 7 p.m. at Peaine Township Hall January 16, 2012 March 19, 2012 May 21, 2012 July 16, 2012 Executive Committee to meet at 4:30 p.m. at Peaine Township Hall **denotes date or time change December 19, 2012 January 16, 2012 February 20, 2012 March 19, 2012 April 16, 2012 May 21, 2012 June 18, 2012 July 16, 2012  Now Available The DVD, "I Dream of the Island" Great Christmas Gift The video is now in stock at McDonough's Market (231) 448-2733 and the Beaver Island Boat Co (888) 446-4095 . The suggested retail price is $9.95. There would be a charge for shipping and handling if you want the DVD mailed. The updated and complete list of Chamber member merchants selling the new I Dream of the Island DVD: McDonough's Market, Beaver Island Boat Co. (both locations), Paradise Bay Coffee Shop, The Blue Pearl, The Community Center, and the Beaver Island Marina. This DVD makes a wonderful Christmas gift.

Beaver Island Lighthouse School Honors Fall 2011 Graduates

There were many tears, cheers and congratulations for the two newest graduates of the Beaver Island Lighthouse School, Alicia Sepell-Rikli and Lance Flees.   Thanks to their dedication and hard work, both were excited and proud to be receiving their high school diploma.   Alicia received the honor of valedictorian of the class and was the recipient of the 10-10-10 scholarship.  She plans to attend college on the mainland next fall.  Lance intends to pursue a career developing electronic games.  We wish them both the best in the future and hope that they will remember us on Beaver Island. 

We must not forget the accomplishments of the other 22 Lighthouse students.  Each received a certificate of completion for the Fall 2011 session.   Their curriculum and schedule are rigorous, but each and every one of them did it!  Congratulations!!!

We are looking forward to another year with the Lighthouse students.  Hoops, Halloween haunted houses (which we don't know how, but, get better and better each year) and, according to one Beaver Islander, “the most ridiculously delicious spaghetti dinner on the island”!!  Thanks to each and every one of you and we will see you in February 2012!

Flu Shots Available

Donna Kubic, manager of the BIRHC, announced today that the flu shots are now available. Please call BIRHC at 448-2275 to set up an appointment. 

Santa's Workshop

The AMVETS and AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary, in conjunction with the BICS, will again be hosting a Santa's Workshop on Monday, December 19, 2011,  at the school.  The children will be able to purchase items for $1.00 each for their families members.  The AMVETS and the ladies will be available with paper to help in wrapping the packages. The ladies ask that the children again bring tags with the recipient's names to be put on each present after it is wrapped. 

WE WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!!

Sheriff W.D. (Don) Schneider Offers Safety Tips for On-Line Holiday Shopping

CHARLEVOIX -- On-line shopping is a great way to save time, travel, and money, but with the increase of online holiday shopping Charlevoix County Sheriff Don Schneider wants to remind shoppers to keep their identities safe.

· Never give out your Social Security number!  Reputable on-line merchants should never require you to submit your social security number. 

· Only shop using secure Web sites.  Most websites will have a pop up screen indicating that they have a security certificate, a “lock” should also appear in the bottom corner of your browser window.  Use only reputable Web sites that you are familiar with.  Unfamiliar companies can be checked by searching the Better Business Bureau Web site at www.bbb.org of by calling the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division toll free at 1-877-765-8388 .  If you are in doubt, don't order!

· Check out the merchant's privacy and security policies.  Some merchants ask for personal information to sell to other merchants, direct marketers, and even telemarketers.  Read their on-line privacy and security policies so that you know where your information is going.  Some merchants will allow you to opt out of giving this information.

· Avoid “spam” by creating an e-mail account that you use only for ordering.  With Yahoo and Hotmail among others offering free e-mail accounts it's easy to create a secondary account that you use to place on-line orders.  Any e-mails you receive to that account would then be solely order confirmations and unsolicited emails.  Making it easier for you to ignore seemingly legitimate phishing scams.  Never respond to unsolicited emails asking you for personal information.  Legitimate sites such as Pay Pal will never send you an email asking for personal information.  If you receive such an email do not click on the link, this may direct you to a fraudulent website.  Open a new browser window, type in the legitimate website, and follow their instructions for reporting a suspected fraudulent email.

· Use the same credit card when making all on-line purchases.  If you use only one credit card for all your on-line purchases it will make it easier for you to track them and identify any fraudulent transactions.  Fraudulent transactions can result from on-line merchants mishandling your credit card information.  If you use a card that has a relatively low credit limit this can also prevent thieves from obtaining authorizations for large purchases.

· Watch those shipping charges.  Carefully check and compare shipping and handling charges before ordering.  Some merchants will add 10% to 15% to the purchase price, making what seemed like a great deal into a bad deal.  Keep in mind there are lots of on-line merchants that will give you free shipping if you meet a minimum purchase amount, but if you go below that amount it can cost a lot!

· Print out and keep all copies of receipts.  Keep all you receipts in an organized file that you can easily access in case of any problems.  Matching those receipts with the packing lists that come with the products will ensure you receive everything that you ordered.

For more safety tips Sheriff Don Schneider encourages residents to visit the Michigan Sheriffs' Association website at www.misheriff.org where you can sign up to receive monthly newsletters.  Founded in 1877 the Michigan Sheriffs' Association is the oldest law enforcement organization in Michigan.

Video of USCG Cutter Alder

 

NRESC Meets with MSU Facilitators

In a six-hour session on December 10, 2011, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at approximately 4 p.m., the Natural Resources and Ecotourism Steering Committee met with two facilitators both from Michigan State University. John P. Beck is the Associate Director and Associate Professor in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Michigan State University. Julie L. Brockman, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations. Their contact information shows a mailing address for both. John Beck has an office in 432 South Kedzie Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1032. His email is beckj@mus.edu. Julie Brockman has an office at 416 S Kedzie Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1032. Her email is brockma4@msu.edu. The website for their department can be found at http://hrlr.msu.edu

The Facilitators, John Beck and Julie Brockman

The purpose of this meeting was to achieve a thorough discussion of all aspects of working together to form a complete plan for Beaver Island natural resources. The meeting began with a welcome, introduction, a listing of ground rules, and an overview of the agenda. This was followed with a review of the NRESC mission statement. The next item on the agenda was an environmental scan and capability analysis. This was to answer some questions to hopefully gain consensus. Waht is the current and future environment within which our RNESC efforts do and will operate? What is the state of our personal and institutional capability to meet the challenges of this environment and the potential of activities together? The group had to determine internal capabilities including strengths and weaknesses. They also had to determine the external environment that included opportunities as well as threats.

After this small group work was completed, the small groups came back together to debrief and discuss what each group had come up with.

Then the participants broke up again into the smaller groups to identify stakeholders and the interests of the stakeholders related to the subject. The small groups joined together again and presented their work by individual groups and identified those items that were the same and those that were different.

After this discussion, the agenda called for "Charter the Planning Process," which was a discussion with remediation about the following question: "Where do we go from here?" Then Mr. Beck and Ms. Brockman , Bob and Julie, discussed the next steps. The group provided an evaluation for the day, and then adjourned at approximately 4 p.m.

Editorial comments:

Out of the three hours of video taken at this planning session with the MSU facilitators, it became obvious that the differences in the groups represented fell into two methods of thinking and learning. There are two basic methods of thinking, planning, and learning that are in opposite directions on a horizontal line. These two diverse methods have names. The names are whole-part and part-whole. Most people fit somewhere in the middle of this continuum, but there are those that on complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

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whole plan ..........................................moving toward..................................individual parts

A whole-part thought process considers that the planning, taking into consideration the general understanding of the group, must be done before the plan is developed, and then all things after the plan must fit the plan. The whole must be considered before the individual parts.

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individual parts ............................................moving toward..............................................whole plan

A part-whole thought process suggests that all the pieces' thinking, planning and learning; must be put into consideration before the plan is developed. The individual parts must be in place on planned before the whole plan may be determined.

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concrete thoughts move to abstractions................................................................................abstract thinkers move from abstract to concrete

Then there is another method of thinking and learning that also is represented by a continuum. People may think on a concrete basis or an abstract basis.

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sequential thinkers move in a step by step order....................................................................random thinkers can move without steps

They can also think in a sequential basis or a random basis.

This island has people who are on opposite ends of the three continuums. Then all three of these continuums can be mixed together. Those who are absract random are usually on the whole-part side Those that are concrete sequential are usually on the part-whole side. However, these all can be mixed up.

This may not be exactly what these processes are defined as, but this was the diversion of thoughts presented at this meeting. Another way to describe this is that some thought that all the groups must conform to the plan, and some thought that the general plan would allow individual groups to continue with the plans already in place for the individual groups.

The basic differences in thought processes came out more toward the end of the session than at the beginning of the session. The video of this session will be available here, but realize that only specific parts are available which may include editorial decisions different in thought process from either of divergent patterns shown. (This editor is part to whole, concrete and sequential, so there may be some bias in the video sections included.)

Video Clips of Editor-Selected Portions of the six hour meeting may be viewed HERE

BICS Basketball Last Weekend

Lady Islanders First Half Highlights Grand Marais 12/10/11

 

Lady Islanders Second Half Highlights Grand Marais 12/10/11

 

Frank Solle's USCG Pictures

The Alder approaches


Just offshore


The light breaks through the dark clouds


The sun hits the ship broadside

At the mouth of the harbor

Cold duty on a cold day, bringing in the cans

Yes, it was that kind of a day

Beaver Island Christian Church Cookie Carnival

Take a quick look at the video to see some of the customers, but more importantly the wonder different types of cookies that were available at the Cookie Carnival.

 

The ladies and gentlemen working to get ready.

The Welcome message.

Some of the school children as customers...

Lil Gregg comes from the kitchen to greet Hellen Pike.

Grandpa Gregg's Peanut Brittle sold out early