B. I. News on the 'Net, February 22-March 7, 2021

Mass from Holy Cross

March 7, 2021

Father Peter Wigton was the celebrant.

Bill McDonough was the reader.

Beaver Island Christian Church Service

March 7, 2021

Judi Meister did announcements and played a Prelude

Susan Oole and Bill Detwhiler did the readings

Pastor Lee Bracey did the sermon and lead the prayers

View Video of the Service HERE

Disappointment

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 7, 2021

Mostly clear skies, 6°, calm, humidity is at 87%, dew point is 3°, pressure is rising from 30.44 inches, cloud cover is 30%, and visibility is 10 miles. Today: Sunshine and a few clouds. High near 30F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy skies. Low 28F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

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ON THIS DAY March 7, 1876, 29-year-old Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for his revolutionary new invention: the telephone.

The Scottish-born Bell worked in London with his father, Melville Bell, who developed Visible Speech, a written system used to teach speaking to the deaf. In the 1870s, the Bells moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where the younger Bell found work as a teacher at the Pemberton Avenue School for the Deaf. He later married one of his students, Mabel Hubbard.

While in Boston, Bell became very interested in the possibility of transmitting speech over wires. Samuel F.B. Morse’s invention of the telegraph in 1843 had made nearly instantaneous communication possible between two distant points. The drawback of the telegraph, however, was that it still required hand-delivery of messages between telegraph stations and recipients, and only one message could be transmitted at a time. Bell wanted to improve on this by creating a “harmonic telegraph,” a device that combined aspects of the telegraph and record player to allow individuals to speak to each other from a distance.

With the help of Thomas A. Watson, a Boston machine shop employee, Bell developed a prototype. In this first telephone, sound waves caused an electric current to vary in intensity and frequency, causing a thin, soft iron plate–called the diaphragm–to vibrate. These vibrations were transferred magnetically to another wire connected to a diaphragm in another, distant instrument. When that diaphragm vibrated, the original sound would be replicated in the ear of the receiving instrument. Three days after filing the patent, the telephone carried its first intelligible message—the famous “Mr. Watson, come here, I need you”—from Bell to his assistant.

10 Things You May Not Know About Alexander Graham Bell

CHRISTOPHER KLEIN

1. He was an immigrant. Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. After attending school in Scotland and London, the 23-year-old immigrated to Canada with his parents in 1870. The following year, Bell moved to the United States to teach at the Boston School for the Deaf. After gaining fame for developing the telephone, the inventor became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1882.

2. Bell’s middle name was a birthday present. Baptized Alexander Bell, the inventor longed for a middle name as a child, perhaps to differentiate himself from his father and grandfather, who were both named Alexander. On the boy’s 11th birthday, Bell’s father allowed the youngster to adopt the middle name “Graham” in honor of Alexander Graham, a former student of his who was boarding with the family.

3. Bell’s mother and wife were both hearing-impaired. A childhood illness left Bell’s mother mostly deaf and reliant on an ear trumpet to hear anything. Young Alexander would speak close to his mother’s forehead so she could feel the vibrations of his voice. Bell’s father and grandfather were both distinguished speech therapists, and from a young age the future inventor joined in the family business. Bell became a voice teacher and worked with his father, who developed Visible Speech, a written system of symbols that instructed the deaf to pronounce sounds. In 1873 he became a professor of vocal physiology at Boston University where he met his future wife, Mabel Hubbard, a student 10 years his junior who had completely lost her hearing from a bout of scarlet fever. Living and working with the hearing impaired sparked Bell’s interest in the principles of acoustics and his experiments in transmitting sound waves over wires.

4. He faced more than 600 lawsuits over his telephone patent. Bell’s patent application for the telephone was filed on February 14, 1876, just hours before rival inventor Elisha Gray filed a caveat with the U.S. Patent Office that announced he was working on a similar invention. On March 7, the 29-year-old Bell was awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone, and three days later Bell’s assistant, Thomas Watson, clearly heard the inventor’s voice crackle across a wire in their Boston laboratory in the first successful telephone transmission. The message? "“Mr. Watson, come here, I need you.” It didn’t take long for the first of hundreds of legal challenges to Bell’s patent to begin. Five of them reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately upheld Bell’s claims in one of the longest patent battles in American history.

5. Bell developed a wireless telephone. More than a century before the proliferation of cell phones, Bell invented a wireless telephone that transmitted conversations and sounds by beams of light. Bell proclaimed his “photophone” (from the Greek words for “light” and “sound”), which was patented in 1880, to be “the greatest invention I have ever made; greater than the telephone.” He told the Boston Traveller that he foresaw its application for navigators communicating from sea to shore and “in times of war, when telegraph lines are down and the country is desolated.” Given the technology of the time, however, the photophone’s utility proved limited. It wasn’t until fiber-optic technology was developed many decades later that the transmission of sound by light found its first wide-scale commercial application.

6. He invented a rudimentary metal detector in a quest to save the life of a president. In the weeks that followed the July 2, 1881, shooting of President James Garfield, the chief executive’s condition worsened as doctors made repeated probes with unsterilized fingers and instruments in order to find the location of one of the bullets. Believing that “science should be able to discover some less barbarous method” for locating the bullet, Bell developed an electromagnetic machine that he tested on Civil War veterans who still had bullets lodged in their bodies. Bell was twice summoned to Garfield’s White House bedside with his machine, but his “induction balance” failed to locate the bullet, in part due to interference caused by steel wires in the bed mattress and the president’s chief physician only permitting a search of the right side of the president’s body where he was convinced the bullet was lodged. After Garfield’s death on September 19, the bullet was found to be on his left side.

7. Bell connected Helen Keller with Annie Sullivan. In spite of gaining fame as the inventor of the telephone, Bell continued his lifelong work to help the hearing impaired. In 1887, Captain Arthur Keller traveled from Alabama to meet with Bell in order to seek help for his 6-year-old daughter, Helen, who had become blind and mute at the age of 19 months, possibly from scarlet fever. Bell directed them to Boston’s Perkins School for the Blind, where they met recent graduate Anne Sullivan, the miracle-working tutor who would teach Helen to write, speak and read Braille. Keller dedicated her autobiography to Bell, whom she credited with opening the “door through which I should pass from darkness into light,” and the two remained lifelong friends.

8. A Bell-designed speedboat set a world record. Bell began experimenting in aviation in the 1890s, even developing giant manned tetrahedral kites. His dreams of airplanes that could take off from water led him to work on the designs of winged hydrofoil boats that skipped across the water surface at high speeds. The HD-4 model on which he collaborated reached a speed of more than 70 miles per hour during a 1919 test on a lake in Nova Scotia, a world water-speed record that stood for more than a decade.

9. North American telephones were silenced in Bell’s honor following his death. Bell died at his summer home in Nova Scotia on August 2, 1922. Two days later all telephone service in the United States and Canada was suspended for a full minute at the precise moment when Bell was lowered into his grave. An army of 60,000 telephone operators stood silently at attention and did not connect any new calls as the continent’s 13 million telephones went quiet.

10. Decibels are named after him. Bell’s name remained in the popular lexicon after his death. To honor the inventor’s contributions to acoustical science, the standard unit for the intensity of sound waves was named the “bel” in the 1920s. The decibel, one-tenth of a bel, is the most commonly used metric for measuring the magnitude of noise. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW 1932 Unemployed autoworkers are attacked at Ford's River Rouge Plant.

River Rouge Plant In the middle of the nation's worst economic depression ever, unemployed Detroit auto, aircraft, and vehicle workers organized a protest “Hunger March” from Detroit to the Ford Motor Company's headquarters in Dearborn. Amongst other things, the workers demanded two fifteen minute rest periods per shift, full wages for part-time workers, and the right to organize. Intended as a peaceful march, it quickly turned violent when resistance was met from Dearborn and Ford Motor Company police. When the fighting was all over, five marchers were dead and over sixty were wounded. The Ford Hunger march served as a rallying cry for future labor demonstrations in San Francisco, Chicago, Flint, and elsewhere. (cmich.edu)

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WORD OF THE DAY meticulous (muh-TIK-yoh-lus) which means marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details. It may surprise you to learn that meticulous is derived from the Latin word for "fearful"—meticulosus—and ultimately comes from the Latin noun metus, meaning "fear." Although meticulous currently has no "fearful" meanings, it was originally used as a synonym of "frightened" and "timid." This sense had fallen into disuse by 1700, and in the 19th century meticulous acquired a new sense of "overly and timidly careful" (probably influenced by the French word méticuleux). This in turn led to the current meaning of "painstakingly careful," with no connotations of fear at all. The newest use was controversial among some usage commentators at first, but it has since become by far the most common meaning and is no longer considered an error. merriam-webster.com)

Hubert J. McCauley, RIP

Hubert J. McCauley passed away on March 4, 2021. More will be posted when it becomes available.

Kathleen Richards, RIP

From Adam Richards

We will having a funeral for my mother, Kathleen Richards, on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at 11am. The mass will take place at St Patrick's - St. Anthony's in Grand Haven, MI. I will post a link for a video feed once I have it.

"IRELAND: THE SOUL OF EUROPE"

WED MARCH 17 @ 7 p.m.

A Live online event. Slideshow, video, storytelling and poetry celebrating the singular inspirational role of this Celtic Island Nation today. We’ll travel from Dublin sites that recall the Famine and celebrate the 1916 Easter Rebellion, to the ancient portal tombs of Sligo, where the grave of W.B Yeats lies beneath the Cailleach of Beara, the Wild Winter Grandmother of the Mountains. Our journey will end with a pilgrimage to Arranmore Island, origin place of the exiles who became present-day families of Beaver Island. You will see amazingly beautiful landscapes, meet some of the 400 proud residents of Arranmore who are kith and kin with, and twinned forever with Michigan’s “Emerald Isle”, and hear an elder Irish Bard tell the true tale of the Ghost Giant of Arranmore.

To get tickets to this even, click HERE

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 6, 2021

For Phyllis Gregg Moore

I'm sure that you've all had one of those technology days where all the work seems to disappear, just by one keystroke, and you don't know what happened to cause it, and you can't get the d*** work back. Yes, you know you should save the work as you go along, but you get complacent in that you didn't have to do that the last time. If you understand the frustration of something like this happening and if you want to tell Phyllis that, you will certainly have my appreciation. That's what happened to Phyllis' Daily Weather this morning. So, you're stuck with me.

Weather by Joe

Here on Carlisle Road this morning at 9 a.m., it is 8 degrees. BRRR! At the moment, the sun is shining, but there are clouds in the sky. The pressure is 30.38 and visibility is ten miles. The air is holding 63% of the humidity and the dewpoint is 13 degrees. The wind is out of the northwest at 5 mph.

TODAY, it is expected to see the peeks of sunshine even with the clouds. The high is to be 27 degrees. Wind will be from the NNW at 10 to 15 mph.

TONIGHT, it is forecast for partly cloudy skies with a low around 15 degrees. The wind will switch to the NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

TOMORROW, it is forecast for generally sunny skies with a high near 32. Wind will be from the SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

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ON THIS DAY

The German company Bayer patents aspirin on March 6, 1899. Now the most common drug in household medicine cabinets, acetylsalicylic acid was originally made from a chemical found in the bark of willow trees. In its primitive form, the active ingredient, salicin, was used for centuries in folk medicine, beginning in ancient Greece when Hippocrates used it to relieve pain and fever. Known to doctors since the mid-19th century, it was used sparingly due to its unpleasant taste and tendency to damage the stomach.

In 1897, Bayer employee Felix Hoffmann found a way to create a stable form of the drug that was easier and more pleasant to take. (Some evidence shows that Hoffmann’s work was really done by a Jewish chemist, Arthur Eichengrun, whose contributions were covered up during the Nazi era.) After obtaining the patent rights, Bayer began distributing aspirin in powder form to physicians to give to their patients one gram at a time. The brand name came from “a” for acetyl, “spir” from the spirea plant (a source of salicin) and the suffix “in,” commonly used for medications. It quickly became the number-one drug worldwide.

Aspirin was made available in tablet form and without a prescription in 1915. Two years later, when Bayer’s patent expired during the First World War, the company lost the trademark rights to aspirin in various countries. After the United States entered the war against Germany in April 1917, the Alien Property Custodian, a government agency that administers foreign property, seized Bayer’s U.S. assets. Two years later, the Bayer company name and trademarks for the United States and Canada were auctioned off and purchased by Sterling Products Company, later Sterling Winthrop, for $5.3 million.

Bayer became part of IG Farben, the conglomerate of German chemical industries that formed the financial heart of the Nazi regime. After World War II, the Allies split apart IG Farben, and Bayer again emerged as an individual company. Its purchase of Miles Laboratories in 1978 gave it a product line including Alka-Seltzer and Flintstones and One-A-Day Vitamins. In 1994, Bayer bought Sterling Winthrop’s over-the-counter business, gaining back rights to the Bayer name and logo and allowing the company once again to profit from American sales of its most famous product.

WORD OF THE DAY

impunity; noun; (im-PYOO-nuh-tee); exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss

Impunity (like the words pain, penal, and punish) traces to the Latin noun poena, meaning "punishment." The Latin word, in turn, came from Greek poinē, meaning "payment" or "penalty." People acting with impunity have prompted use of the word since the 1500s. An illustrative example from 1660 penned by Englishman Roger Coke reads: "This unlimited power of doing anything with impunity, will only beget a confidence in kings of doing what they [desire]." While royals may act with impunity more easily than others, the word impunity can be applied to the lowliest of beings as well as the loftiest: "The local hollies seem to have lots of berries this year.… A single one won't harm you, but eating a handful would surely make you pretty sick, and might kill you. Birds such as robins, mockingbirds, and cedar waxwings eat them with impunity." (Karl Anderson, The Gloucester County Times, 22 Dec. 2002).

(from Merriam Webster and history dot com)

Beaver Island Community School Weekly Update

Friday, March 5, 2021

Islander Basketball Splits Mackinac Games!

What a joy it was to see our athletes play here in on Beaver Island yesterday! The girls’ team came back from a deficit and got within three points in the last two minutes of the game, creating a battle against the clock at the end. The boys’ team dominated throughout the game, giving a chance for every Islander athlete to get some quality playing time and win handily 54 to 40. We also honored our senior athletes and their parents yesterday. Special thanks to the parents of Quintan DeLaat, Zander Drost, Zander Holmes, Jessica LaFreniere, Skylar Marsh, Mackenzie Martin, and Elisha Richards. Thank you parents for having these wonderful children and cheering them on the field and court! Thank you to all the spectators for keeping your masks on and food and drink out of the gymnasium yesterday. Thank you to Joe Moore for live-streaming the games so those at home could keep up with the action! The Islanders play Big Bay on next Tuesday (girls) and Wednesday (boys). Go Islanders!

CMU Bio Station Classes

We are so lucky to have the Central Michigan Biological Station here on Beaver Island! This summer, the CMUBS is offering several classes, including water quality chemistry, field biology, observational astronomy, and stream ecology. Attached you will find a flyer with information on all the courses, many of which can be taken as a non-credit workshop so you don’t have to be an CMU student. BIO 100z is a three credit university course for high school students, but anyone could take it if they wish (this flyer is attached as well). There are scholarships available for BICS high school students who would like to take BIO 100z—but the deadline is March 15th, so contact me ASAP if you are interested. Again, these are great courses and I encourage high school students and all parents to take advantage of this great opportunity!

Help the Library and the Historical Society Win a Grant to Digitize the Beaver Beacon! The Beaver Island District Library and the Beaver Island Historical Society have applied to CMU’s Clark Historical Library for a grant to digitize copies of the Beaver Beacon from 1955 to 2001. This is a competitive grant against the other three finalists…and Beaver Island wins by getting the most votes! There are two ways to vote. The first is Twitter and the second is by sending a post card. To vote by Twitter, post a tweet that has the hashtag #DigBeaverIsland. You can send as many tweets as you like (yes, you can vote often!). To vote by postcard, send any postcard of Beaver Island to:

Clarke Historical Library

250 E. Preston St.

Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859

Make sure you include the #DigBeaverIsland on your postcard to make sure that the Beaver Beacon gets credit for your vote. Postcard votes can be sent between March 15th and March 21st. Tweet votes can be tweeted between March 22nd and March 28th.

COVID-19 Travel Considerations

As families finalize plans for spring break, I’d like to remind everyone of the Health Department of Northwest Michigan’s travel safety recommendations: limit indoor gatherings, wear a mask at all times around people not in your household, maintain social distance, and wash your hands often. We can do these things to stay healthy and still have fun!

Have a Great Weekend!

Deb Pomorski

BICS Secretary

debbiep@beaverisland.k12.mi.us

231-448-2744

CMU 2021 Summer Classes FLYER

CMU BIO 100Z class flyer 2021

Vote for BIDL

This was for a grant to have the Beaver Beacon digitally scanned and accessible through the Clarke Historical Library at CMU. (from the library)

Dear Applicants:

We’re pleased to announce that your institutions have been selected to be the four finalists in this year’s newspaper digitizing competition. Congratulations to all!

#DigBeaverIsland — Beaver Island District Library,

Beaver Island Historical Society — @LibraryBeaver

#DigBelleville — Belleville Area District Library — @bellevillearea1

#DigMonroe — Monroe County Museum System — @monroecomuseum

#DigDioceseOfSaginaw — Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw —@DoS_News

An announcement to the public will be made on Friday, March 6 via Twitter @DigMichNews. Please feel free to promote your newspaper(s) after this announcement has been made. The essay response in your application will be posted on the Clarke Historical Library website. Please take a look at it and if any edits are needed, please let us know; we are happy to fix them for you. You will soon receive social media graphics and a customized flyer to help you promote your newspaper. As you recall from the rules, the winner will be selected by a public vote, conducted via Twitter, with an option for voting by postcards individually mailed to the Clarke Historical Library (or, in case of hand-drawn postcards, mailed as a group). Twitter voting will take place between March 22 and March 28. Postcard votes must be postmarked between March 15 and March 21 and received by March 28. Neither early nor late votes will be accepted.

The best thing you could do to familiarize yourselves with past contests is search Twitter for #DigSparta, #DigSaugatuck, and #DigMichNews. But for now, congratulations, and start thinking about how you can engage your community and make the newspaper you nominated the ultimate winner.

Best of luck,

Megan Farrell

Digital Project Manager

Clarke Historical Library

Central Michigan University

DigMichNews@cmich.edu

2021 DigMichNews - finalist Congrats Flier

dig_mich_vote_poster_2021

finalist flyer_BeaverIsland_2021

BITA Meeting

NOTICE OF THE BEAVER ISLAND TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING
TO BE HELD Both Electronically and in Person
March 9, 2021, @12 noon

View meeting notice and info HERE

BICS Board of Education

March 8, 2021, 6:30 p.m.

View board packet and info HERE

Basketball - Both Games - Entire Afternoon

Islanders and Lady Islanders........Lakers and Lady Lakers

View video of the whole afternoon HERE

Islanders vs Lakers

March 4, 2021

The visiting Lakers and their coach came to Beaver Island a little later than the Lady Lakers. They arrived after the Lady Lakers began playing. The Lakers is a young team, but one of their players was amazing at the three point and long two point shots. The Islanders were taller and faster than the Lakers in this game, and the Islanders won the game.

The 2021 Islander basketball team

The 2021 Laker basketball team

View video of this game HERE

Seniors' Parents' Recognition

March 4, 2021

The games for which this recognition was previously scheduled had been canceled due to the COVID exposure of two teams for the first one, and the weather for the second one, but between the two games on March 4, 2021, the ceremony took place. The seniors and their parents were recognized at this ceremony.

View a small gallery of pictures HERE

View video of this ceremony HERE

Lady Islanders vs Lady Lakers

March 4, 2021

This was the last home game for the Lady Islanders for the basketball season. The COVID pandemic has certainly messed with the seniors on Beaver Island at least as far as some student activities. With two teams of the Northern Lights League being quarantined due to the virus, the BICS teams have only had two home games this year, but that didn't put any lack of enthusiasm in the spectators, who were there to support the teams.

While the Lady Islanders did not win this game, they played clean and were good sports in their loss. Congratulations to the Lady Islanders! Your community supports you!

The Lady Islanders played the first game of the day.

Lady Islanders' team.....Lady Lakers' team

As always, the sporting event begins with the pledge.

A shout out to Skylar Marsh from her family

Our scorekeepers and our game officials

View video of this game HERE

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 5, 2021

Growing up we had aquariums, sometimes with tropical fish and sometimes with fish from Lake Michigan. Either kind was interesting to watch. When we were in college we had a 55 gallon tank and were sorry we had to sell it when we moved back to the island.

Joe loves to fish and once, when he was out of bait, he stole a fire mouth meeki from the tank. Nope, he didn't catch a thing, and the fish wasn't too excited about being the bait either. I miss having a tank and watching the fish. My oncologist's office has a huge tank and I don't mind waiting when I have them to watch. Did you have pet fish? Even a gold fish?

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Cloudy skies, 28°, feels like 22°, wind is from the WNW at 7 mph with gusts to 10 mph, humidity is at 81%, dew point is 23°, pressure is at 30.30 inches, cloud cover is 100%, visibility is 10 miles, and the cloud ceiling is 4,000 feet. By the way, pussy willows are out so spring must be on the way. Today: A mix of clouds and sun. High 32F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight: A few passing clouds. Low 19F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.

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ON THIS DAY March 5, 1963: the Hula Hoop, a hip-swiveling toy that became a huge fad across America when it was first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, is patented by the company’s co-founder, Arthur “Spud” Melin. An estimated 25 million Hula Hoops were sold in its first four months of production alone.

In 1948, friends Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr founded a company in California to sell a slingshot they created to shoot meat up to falcons they used for hunting. The company’s name, Wham-O, came from the sound the slingshots supposedly made. Wham-O eventually branched out from slingshots, selling boomerangs and other sporting goods. Its first hit toy, a flying plastic disc known as the Frisbee, debuted in 1957. The Frisbee was originally marketed under a different name, the Pluto Platter, in an effort to capitalize on America’s fascination with UFOs.

Melina and Knerr were inspired to develop the Hula Hoop after they saw a wooden hoop that Australian children twirled around their waists during gym class. Wham-O began producing a plastic version of the hoop, dubbed “Hula” after the hip-gyrating Hawaiian dance of the same name, and demonstrating it on Southern California playgrounds. Hula Hoop mania took off from there.

The enormous popularity of the Hula Hoop was short-lived and within a matter of months, the masses were on to the next big thing. However, the Hula Hoop never faded away completely and still has its fans today. According to Ripley’s Believe It or Not, in April 2004, a performer at the Big Apple Circus in Boston simultaneously spun 100 hoops around her body. Earlier that same year, in January, according to the Guinness World Records, two people in Tokyo, Japan, managed to spin the world’s largest hoop–at 13 feet, 4 inches–around their waists at least three times each.

Following the Hula Hoop, Wham-O continued to produce a steady stream of wacky and beloved novelty items, including the Superball, Water Wiggle, Silly String, Slip ‘n’ Slide and the Hacky Sack. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW 1836 Second Baptist Church Former slaves petition the state legislature for a church.

Thirteen escaped or freed slaves petition the legislature to start a church. Their efforts lead to the formation of the Second Baptist Church --the first African American church in Detroit. Its members met in various halls and schools until 1857, when the group purchased the Zion Reformed Evangelical Church on the site of the present Second Baptist Church. (cmich.edu)

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WORD OF THE DAY abhor (ub-HOR) which means to regard with extreme repugnance : to feel hatred or loathing for : loathe. Abhor implies strong feelings of repugnance, disgust, and aversion. This degree of distaste is seen in the word's history. In earlier use, abhor sometimes implied an actual shrinking away from something in horror or repugnance. Appropriately, the word's Latin source, the verb abhorrēre, comes from the prefix ab- ("from, away") and the verb horrēre ("to bristle, shiver, or shudder"). As you may have guessed, the Latin horrēre is also the source of the English words horror, horrify, and horrible. (merriam-webster.com)

Beaver Island Historical Society Presents

In honor of Women's History Month the Historical Society is hosting Ladies of the Lights for a special presentation on Sunday, March 21, 2021 @ 4 PM. There is no charge for admission, a freewill donation of $10 is suggested. To make a donation please visit: https://www.beaverislandhistory.org/donation/

Ladies of the Lights: They were women before their time, taking on the romantic, yet dangerous and physically demanding job of tending to the beacons that protected the shoreline. In all, some 40 women have been identified who excelled in this profession over the years — dating back as early as the 1840s and as recent as present day. Nearly 70 images of keepers, their families and their lights make up this presentation. The program includes readings from newspapers and autobiographies, as well as handouts including the list of featured ladies and additional reading references for attendees.

Lori Taylor-Blitz, BIHS Executive Director, is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: BIHS PRESENTS: LADIES OF THE LIGHTS

Time: Mar 21, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85338549483

Meeting ID: 853 3854 9483

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Beaver Island Rural Health Center Board of Directors

37304 Kings Hwy Beaver Island, MI 49782

SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE

NOTICE OF MEETING TO BE HELD ELECTRONICALLY, BEAVER ISLAND RURAL HEALTH CENTER, BEAVER ISLAND, CHARLEVOIX COUNTY, MICHIGAN To: The residents and property owners of Peaine and St. James Townships, Charlevoix County, Michigan, and any other interested parties. Please take notice that a meeting of the Beaver Island Rural Health Center Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, March 4th, 2021 at 4:00pm by electronic remote access; see included agenda. Electronic remote access, in accordance with Michigan law, will be implemented in response to COVID-19 social distancing requirements and limitations on the number of individuals in a meeting hall.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CALL IN TO ATTEND THE ZOOM SPECIAL MEETING AS FOLLOWS:

Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/i/83203875422?pwd=MVV4a0lzQzE3a3R3K3Mvd2VLZ0Jodz09

Meeting ID: 832 0387 5422
Passcode: 561167

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+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adHAgwFGw

Member of the Board of Directors may be contacted prior to the meeting at the following:
Frank D’Andraia, President: francisdiandraia@gmail.com
Diane McDonough, Vice President: mcdonoughdiane11@yahoo.com
Ed Troutman, Treasurer: beavertrout@comcast.net
Carla Martin, Secretary: martincarla254@gmail.com
Cody Randall: codyrandall21@live.com
Kate Leese: kleese@kineticscompany.com
Kellie Sopczyknski, KSopczynski@versiti.org
Laurence Birch: laurencepbirch@gmail.com
Lori Taylor-Blitz: bihistory.director@gmail.com

Beaver Island Rural Health Center Board of Directors Special Meeting to be held on Thursday March 4th, 2021 at 4:00pm

I. Call To Order & Declaration of Location

II. Presentation and Question/Answer Session with Chip Hansen, President, Charlevoix County Community Foundation

III. Public Comment

IV. Adjournment

** In order to facilitate access to the remote meeting, BIRHC will reimburse any member of the public who is charged by their phone provider for this call in the amount of the actual charge for this call upon presentation of a bill to the Secretary demonstrating an itemized charge for this call. This does not apply to members of the public who have unlimited calling plans through their phone provider. **

In addition, you may submit any comments that you have prior to the meeting (to be read at the meeting) to the following address:
Beaver Island Rural Health Center
Attention Board of Directors-President
37304 Kings Hwy
Beaver Island, MI 49782

The BIRHC will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities upon 72 hours advance notice by contacting Carla Martin, Secretary, by email, phone, or mail at the following:
PO Box 91
Beaver Island, MI 49782
peainetownshipclerk@yahoo.com
231-448-3540

View the Slideshow for this meeting HERE

View video of this meeting HERE

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 4, 2021

Remember those winter/spring days when the weather wasn't good enough to play outside? Jigsaw puzzles, board games, card games, etc became the things to do. I remember some of my favorites were Uncle Wigley, Chinese checkers and tiddleywinks. Did you have a favorite?

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Mostly cloudy skies, 19°, feels like 7°, wind is from the NNE at 10 mph with gusts to 16 mph, humidity is at 70%, dew point is 11°, pressure is rising from 30.31 inches, cloud cover is 76%, visibility is 10 miles, and the cloud ceiling is 6,500 feet. Today: Partly cloudy skies. High near 25F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight: A few passing clouds. Low 19F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

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ON THIS DAY March 4, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States. In his famous inaugural address, delivered outside the east wing of the U.S. Capitol, Roosevelt outlined his “New Deal”–an expansion of the federal government as an instrument of employment opportunity and welfare–and told Americans that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Although it was a rainy day in Washington, and gusts of rain blew over Roosevelt as he spoke, he delivered a speech that radiated optimism and competence, and a broad majority of Americans united behind their new president and his radical economic proposals to lead the nation out of the Great Depression.

Born into an upper-class family in Hyde Park, New York, in 1882, Roosevelt was the fifth cousin of Theodore Roosevelt, who served as the 26th U.S. president from 1901 to 1909. In 1905, Franklin Roosevelt, who was at the time a student at Columbia University Law School, married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, the niece of Theodore Roosevelt. After three years as a lawyer, he decided to follow his cousin Theodore’s lead and sought public office, winning election to the New York State Senate in 1910 as a Democrat. He soon won a reputation as a charismatic politician dedicated to social and economic reform.

Roosevelt supported the progressive New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, and after Wilson’s election in 1912 Roosevelt was appointed assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy, a post that Theodore Roosevelt once held. In 1920, Roosevelt, who had proved himself a gifted administrator, won the Democratic nomination for vice president on a ticket with James Cox. The Democrats lost in a landslide to Republicans Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, and Roosevelt returned to his law practice and undertook several business ventures.

In 1921, he was stricken with poliomyelitis, the virus that causes the crippling disease of polio. He spent several years recovering from what was at first nearly total paralysis, and his wife, Eleanor, kept his name alive in Democratic circles. He never fully recovered and was forced to use braces or a wheelchair to move around for the rest of his life.

In 1924, Roosevelt returned to politics when he nominated New York Governor Alfred E. Smith for the presidency with a rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention. In 1928, he again nominated Smith, and the outgoing New York governor urged Roosevelt to run for his gubernatorial seat. Roosevelt campaigned across the state by automobile and was elected even as the state voted for Republican Herbert Hoover in the presidential election.

As governor, Roosevelt worked for tax relief for farmers and in 1930 won a resounding electoral victory just as the economic recession brought on by the October 1929 stock market crash was turning into a major depression. During his second term, Governor Roosevelt mobilized the state government to play an active role in providing relief and spurring economic recovery. His aggressive approach to the economic crisis, coupled with his obvious political abilities, gave him the Democratic presidential nomination in 1932.

Roosevelt had no trouble defeating President Herbert Hoover, who many blamed for the Depression, and the governor carried all but six states. During the next four months, the economy continued to decline, and when Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, most banks were closed, farms were suffering, 13 million workers were unemployed, and industrial production stood at just over half its 1929 level.

Aided by a Democratic Congress, Roosevelt took prompt, decisive action, and most of his New Deal proposals, such as the Agricultural Adjustment Act, National Industrial Recovery Act, and creation of the Public Works Administration and Tennessee Valley Authority, were approved within his first 100 days in office. Although criticized by many in the business community, Roosevelt’s progressive legislation improved America’s economic climate, and in 1936 he easily won reelection.

During his second term, he became increasingly concerned with German and Japanese aggression and so began a long campaign to awaken America from its isolationist slumber. In 1940, with World War II raging in Europe and the Pacific, Roosevelt agreed to run for an unprecedented third term. Reelected by Americans who valued his strong leadership, he proved a highly effective commander in chief after the December 1941 U.S. entrance into the war. Under Roosevelt’s guidance, America became, in his own words, the “great arsenal of democracy” and succeeded in shifting the balance of power in World War II firmly in the Allies’ favor. In 1944, with the war not yet won, he was reelected to a fourth term.

Three months after his inauguration, while resting at his retreat at Warm Springs, Georgia, Roosevelt died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 63. Following a solemn parade of his coffin through the streets of the nation’s capital, his body was buried in a family plot in Hyde Park. Millions of Americans mourned the death of the man who led the United States through two of the greatest crises of the 20th century: the Great Depression and World War II. Roosevelt’s unparalleled 13 years as president led to the passing of the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which limited future presidents to a maximum of two consecutive elected terms in office. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW The White Pine was named Michigan’s official tree. The white pine tree (Pinus strobus L) of Michigan's forests was adopted as the official State Tree on March 4, 1955. The white pine was frequently targeted by Michigan’s massive lumbering industry. (cmich.edu)

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WORD OF THE DAY smorgasbord (SMOR-gus-bord) which means:

1 : a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (such as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads, and relishes)

2 : an often large heterogeneous mixture : mélange

Although smorgasbord might make us think of a variety of foods, the Swedish word smörgås refers to a particular food item—an open sandwich or, alternatively, a slice of bread covered with butter—which is a staple of the traditional Swedish smorgasbord. (The word smör means "butter," and gås can mean "a lump of butter" as well as "goose.") Smörgås teamed up with the Swedish word bord, meaning "table" or "board," to form smorgasbord; the word first appeared in English in the later part of the 19th century. By the mid-20th century smorgasbord was being used outside of food-related contexts to refer to something that comprises a mixture or assemblage of different parts. (merriam-webster.com)

Updated MDHHS Orders

March 2, 2021

LANSING, MICH. Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated two of its epidemic orders, allowing for increased capacity limits at various venues, larger residential and nonresidential gatherings and expanded visitation opportunities at residential care facilities. Changes are designed to balance reopening while controlling the spread of COVID-19 and save Michiganders’ lives. Although progress has been made in reduction of hospitalizations, it is crucial that Michiganders continue to mask up and socially distance as we reopen.

“As we continue our vaccine rollout and make steady progress against the virus, we are taking additional incremental steps to re-engage to ensure we are protecting our families and frontline workers and saving lives,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Michigan is a national leader in the fight against COVID-19, and our fact-based, data-driven approach will help our state rebuild our economy and resume normal day-to-day activities. As always, mask up, maintain social distancing, and wash your hands. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of the virus so we can end this pandemic together. One of the most important things Michiganders can do is make a plan to get the safe and effective vaccine when it’s available to you.”

“More than 2 million doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and a third vaccine will soon be arriving here in Michigan to help us end the pandemic in our state,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “We continue to monitor the data closely, and based on current trends we are taking another step toward normalcy. We urge Michiganders to continue doing what works and wearing a mask, washing their hands and avoiding crowds.”

MDHHS had been closely monitoring three metrics for stabilization or declines over the past several weeks. As with other states, Michigan’s metrics are mixed. The presence of more infectious variants, such as the B 1.1.7 variant, threatens our progress in control of the epidemic and MDHHS will be monitoring data closely. In recent days:

Hospital capacity dedicated to COVID-19 is now at 3.9%. This metric peaked at 19.6% on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
Overall case rates: After declining for six weeks, this metric is plateauing at 91.2 cases per million. The rate is similar to what we were at the beginning of October.
Positivity rate: is now at 3.7% having increased slightly from last week (3.5%). This metric is similar to where we were at the beginning of October.

With all residents at skilled nursing homes having been offered their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and a vast majority having had their second dose, the Residential Care Facilities Order goes into effect immediately. The order encourages communal dining and group activities for residents and allows indoor and outdoor visitation in all counties regardless of county risk level. Visitation is allowed as long as the facility has not had a new COVID-19 case in the last 14 days and all indoor visitors ages 13 and older are subject to rapid antigen testing. Testing will help keep residents, staff and families safe while allowing for visitation and an increased quality of life for residents. Adult foster care homes licensed for 12 or fewer residents, hospice facilities, substance use disorder residential facilities and assisted-living facilities are encouraged to implement visitor and staff testing protocols.

Visitors will be required to wear face masks or other personal protective equipment when required by the facility at all times. In general, visitors will need to maintain six feet from residents.

“While we continue to have virus very present across the entire state, our improvements in case numbers, test positivity, and vaccinations mean we can move forward with reopening in an incremental way,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “I am glad we continue to make progress, but that progress is fragile. Everyone should continue to do important things like wearing a mask, washing hands, avoiding large gatherings and getting one of the three safe and effective vaccines when it becomes available to you.”

Changes to the Gatherings and Mask Order go into effect Friday, March 5, and remain in effect through Monday, April 19.

Capacity changes include:

Restaurants and bars are allowed to be at 50% capacity up to 100 people. Tables must be six feet apart with no more than six people per table. There is now an 11 p.m. curfew.
Indoor non-residential gatherings where people interact across households are permitted up to 25 people, allowing public meetings and other small indoor gatherings to resume.
Outdoor non-residential gatherings where people interact across households are permitted up to 300, allowing larger outdoor events to resume.
Indoor entertainment venues are allowed to be at 50% capacity, up to 300 people.
Exercise facilities are allowed to be at 30% capacity with restrictions on distancing and mask requirements.
Retail is allowed to be at 50% capacity.
Casinos are allowed to be at 30% capacity.
Indoor stadiums and arenas are allowed have 375 if seating capacity is under 10,000; 750 if seating capacity is over 10,000.
Outdoor entertainment and recreational facilities may host up to 1,000 patrons.

Indoor residential gatherings are now limited to 15 people from three households, while outdoor residential gatherings can include up to 50 people.

The epidemic order continues to temporarily pause other venues and activities where participants have close physical contacts and are not consistently masked, like water parks. As before, employees who work in jobs that cannot be performed from home can continue to go to work, while employees who can work from home should continue to do so.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine.

BICS Committee of the Whole

March 3, 2021

View video of the Zoom meeting HERE

CMU Biological Center to Offer Classes this Summer

2021 Summer Classes FLYER

astronomy class flyer 2021 (003)

2021 CMUBS Course Schedule

Time Sensitive Survey

Share Your Experience With Storm And Climate Events In An Indiana University Survey

Dear Great Lakes Community Member:

It’s important for community members in the Great Lakes to be aware of and able to prepare for the risk and impact of storms and climate concerns. Dr. Diane Henshel at Indiana University is working to do exactly this. Indiana University researchers in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the United States Coastal Research Program, are surveying households across the Great Lakes watershed to better understand risk, vulnerability, and resilience to storm and climate events.

Your thoughtful answers to the survey are critical. The Indiana University research team will analyze the results to identify vulnerability and resilience and develop guidance to help communities. This is an excellent opportunity for you to provide feedback on the impacts of storm and climate events on your household.

We’d appreciate your response by March 12, 2021. This survey will take approximately 25 minutes to complete. Your answers are anonymous, and the data gathered will be released only as summaries. You may begin the survey by clicking on the following link.

Link: https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3rephDk9fC6QWEK
After you complete the survey, click the link to enter to win one of twenty-five $25 Amazon gift cards.

If you have questions or comments about the survey, please contact Dr. Diane Henshel at dhenshel@indiana.edu.

Thank you for providing information on risk, vulnerability, and resilience to storms and climate concerns in the Great Lakes region!

Sincerely,

Diane Henshel

GLIA Minutes February

Veteran's Park Flags at Half Staff

The flags at the Veterans Memorial Park will be at 1/2 staff for the following week in honor of Rollie Cull and John E. Carey, veterans of the US Army.

Bob Tidmore

AMVETS Post 46

Timeout for Art: Time

March 3, 2021

by Cindy Ricksgers

St. Patty Bingo March 1-7 symbols

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 3, 2021

Remember the maypole at the public beach? It's been gone for years, but when it was there, what fun we had. My dad taught us how to wind one chain over all the others and then hang on tight as it spun us up and out. You almost expected to land on Grace Cole's roof or on the Holy Cross Hall porch. Frightening, but loads of fun. I'm sort of sad that kids today don't have that, nor the merry-go-round, or that huge slide. We had the best the playground had to offer.

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Partly cloudy, 30°, feels like 29°, wind is from the WSW at 5 mph, humidity is at 92%, dew point is 28°, pressure is rising from 29.80 inches, cloud cover is 35% and visibility is 10 miles. Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. High 34F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low 18F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.

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ON THIS DAY March 3, 1887, Anne Sullivan begins teaching six-year-old Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing after a severe illness at the age of 19 months. Under Sullivan’s tutelage, including her pioneering “touch teaching” techniques, Keller flourished, eventually graduating from college and becoming an international lecturer and activist. Sullivan, later dubbed “the miracle worker,” remained Keller’s interpreter and constant companion until the older woman’s death in 1936.

Sullivan, born in Massachusetts in 1866, had firsthand experience with being handicapped: As a child, an infection impaired her vision. She then attended the Perkins Institution for the Blind where she learned the manual alphabet in order to communicate with a classmate who was deaf and blind. Eventually, Sullivan had several operations that improved her weakened eyesight.

Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880, to Arthur Keller, a former Confederate army officer and newspaper publisher, and his wife Kate, of Tuscumbia, Alabama. As a baby, a brief illness, possibly scarlet fever or a form of bacterial meningitis, left Helen unable to see, hear or speak. She was considered a bright but spoiled and strong-willed child. Her parents eventually sought the advice of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone and an authority on the deaf. He suggested the Kellers contact the Perkins Institution, which in turn recommended Anne Sullivan as a teacher.

Sullivan, age 20, arrived at Ivy Green, the Keller family estate, in 1887 and began working to socialize her wild, stubborn student and teach her by spelling out words in Keller’s hand. Initially, the finger spelling meant nothing to Keller. However, a breakthrough occurred one day when Sullivan held one of Keller’s hands under water from a pump and spelled out “w-a-t-e-r” in Keller’s palm. Keller went on to learn how to read, write and speak. With Sullivan’s assistance, Keller attended Radcliffe College and graduated with honors in 1904.

Helen Keller became a public speaker and author; her first book, “The Story of My Life” was published in 1902. She was also a fundraiser for the American Foundation for the Blind and an advocate for racial and sexual equality, as well as socialism. From 1920 to 1924, Sullivan and Keller even formed a vaudeville act to educate the public and earn money. Helen Keller died on June 1, 1968, at her home in Easton, Connecticut, at age 87, leaving her mark on the world by helping to alter perceptions about the disabled. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW NATIONAL ANTHEM DAY

National Anthem Day commemorates the day the United States adopted “The Star Spangled Banner” as its National Anthem. Written by Francis Scott Key, the “Star Spangled Banner” became the National Anthem in 1931.

Oh Say Can You See Fort McHenry

The story behind “The Star Spangled Banner” is as moving as the anthem itself. While an attorney, Key was serving in the Georgetown Light Field Artillery during the War of 1812. In 1814, his negotiation skills as a lawyer were called upon to release Dr. William Beane, a prisoner on the British naval ship, Tonnant. Early in September, Key traveled to Baltimore in the company of Colonel John Skinner to begin negotiations.

While Key and Skinner secured Beane’s release, the British navy had begun attacking Baltimore. The trio waited at sea to return to Georgetown.

Fort McHenry is built on a peninsula of the Patapsco River. Just across the Northwest Branch is the city of Baltimore. In 1814, the population of Baltimore was roughly 50,000 people, hardly the metropolis it is today. The country itself was still young, and often families of soldiers lived nearby, providing support to their soldiers.

The Rocket’s Red Glare

The British navy abandoned Baltimore and turned their full attention to Fort McHenry on September 13th. As the 190-pound shells began to shake the fort, mother nature brought a storm of her own. Thunder and rain pelted the shore along with the bombs and shells. Throughout the night, parents, wives, and children in their homes could hear and feel the bomb blasts across the way. There were reports of the explosions being felt as far away as Philadelphia. It was a long night of fear, worry, and providing comfort to one another.

At sea, Key had a similar night. Being a religious man, one who believed the war could have been avoided, he watched the bombs bursting in air over the water and steadily pummeling Fort McHenry. It was undoubtedly a sight to behold.

For 25 hours, the star-shaped fort manned by approximately 1,000 American soldiers endured over 1,500 cannon shots. The Fort answered with their own with almost no effect.

Does that Star-Spangled Banner Yet Wave

In the early morning of September 14th, after Major George Armistead’s troops stopped the British landing party in a blaze of gunfire, the major ordered the oversized American flag raised in all its glory over Fort McHenry. Sewn a few months before by Mary Pickersgill and her daughter, the enormous banner replaced the storm flag, which had flown during battle.

As Key waited at sea for dawn to break and smoke to clear, imagine the inspiring sight in the silence of the morning to see his country’s flag fully unfurled against the breaking of the day and the fort standing firm.

Key was so moved by the experience he immediately began penning the lyrics to a song which were later published by his brother-in-law as a poem titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” (nationaldaycalendar.com)

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WORD OF THE DAY contaminate (kun-TAM-uh-nayt) which means:

1 a : to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association

b : to make inferior or impure by admixture

2 : to make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements

Contaminate, taint, pollute, and defile mean to make impure or unclean. Contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source (logically enough, it derives from the Latin word tangere, meaning "to touch"). Taint stresses a loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contact ("tainted meat"). Pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy ("the polluted waters of the river"). Defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred, and commonly suggests violation or desecration ("vandals defiled the mausoleum"). (merriam-webster.com)

Wind and Waves

March 2, 2021

At only five feet off the ground, the wind gauge at the corner of Carlisle Road and King's Highway shows the highest gust of wind, remember only five feet off the ground, of 28 mph. The further south you go on the island, and that location was at Iron Ore Bay, the wind was gusting to 45 mph with huge waves coming in to the shoreline. The tops of the waves out a hundred yards from shore were being blown off by the wind. Several pictures were taken as the trip to the South End was taken near 4 p.m. today.

Headed to the south end with views of the shoreline waves and splashes

Headed to Iron Ore Bay

Iron Ore Bay gave some wild spray, getting the camera wet.

The camera was level. It's the trees that were bent at an angle by the wind.

Some more waves on the southeast side of the island.

Almost calm seas at the Bill Wagner Memorial Campground beach.

View video of the wind and waves HERE

BICS Basketball Rescheduled to Thursday

ST. JAMES PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING AGENDA

Updated 3/2/2021 at 3 p.m.

Please use this link for the SJPC meeting tonight. The original link sent out a couple of weeks ago was corrupt and disappeared from the calendar. All platforms have been updated.

Reattached are the packet files for your convivence. The packet files for a proposed Elks discussion were removed from the agenda and tabled for a future meeting.

Lori Taylor-Blitz is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: St. James Planning Commission
Time: Mar 2, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 867 9889 2198
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03021_SJPC_Agenda_Final

020221_SJPC_Draft Minutes_V1

Food Truck Analysis 2021

View video of the meeting HERE

St. James Meeting Documents

March 3, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom

2021-03-03-01 Resolution Setting Board Salaries Supervisor

2021-03-03-02 Resolution Setting Board Salaries Clerk

2021-03-03-03 Resolution Setting Board Salaries Treasurer

2021-03-03-04 Resolution Setting Board Salaries Trustees

2021-03-03-05 Resolution Designating Social District

Dock Seasonal Slip Assignment Policy - March 2021 Draft

monthlyfinancereport3march2021

SJTBagn030321

social district map - draft

supervisorslens3March2021

Budget 321

Draft Minutes 2321 regular meeting

Draft Minutes for February24 2021 Special Meeting

Payroll 2221-3221

Bills for approval 2221-3221

View video of the meeting HERE

Weather by Joe

March 2, 2021

Here on Carlisle Road, the temperature is 23, bit it feels like 19, due to a light wind gusting up to ten miles per hour at 8 a.m. The pressure is 29.97 with a humidity of 69%. It is ten degrees cooler at the township airport with a slightly higher pressure. It is cloudy with visibility of ten miles.

TODAY, it is expected to be windy with snow showers with winds from 25 to 35 miles per hour and a high of 36 degrees. The chance of snow is 60% and the wind may gust to 40+.

TONIGHT, it is forecast for cloudy skies clearing slightly to partly cloudy around midnight. It will be windy at 20 to 30 mph from the West. The low will be 28 degree.

TOMORROW, it is forecast for some sun in the morning becoming cloudy later in the day. The temperatures will be in the low to mid-30s. Wind will be from the NNW at 10 to 15 mph.

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ON THIS DAY

Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, the author and illustrator of such beloved children’s books as “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham,” is born in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. Geisel, who used his middle name (which was also his mother’s maiden name) as his pen name, wrote 48 books—including some for adults—that have sold well over 200 million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Dr. Seuss books are known for their whimsical rhymes and quirky characters, which have names like the Lorax and the Sneetches and live in places like Whoville.

Geisel graduated from Dartmouth College, where he was editor of the school’s humor magazine, and studied at Oxford University. There he met Helen Palmer, his first wife and the person who encouraged him to become a professional illustrator. Back in America, Geisel worked as a cartoonist for a variety of magazines and in advertising.

The first children’s book that Geisel wrote and illustrated, “And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street,” was rejected by over two dozen publishers before making it into print in 1937. Geisel’s first bestseller, “The Cat in the Hat,” was published in 1957. The story of a mischievous cat in a tall striped hat came about after his publisher asked him to produce a book using 220 new-reader vocabulary words that could serve as an entertaining alternative to the school reading primers children found boring.

Other Dr. Seuss classics include “Yertle the Turtle,” “If I Ran the Circus,” “Fox in Socks” and “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.”

Some Dr. Seuss books tackled serious themes. “The Butter Battle Book” (1984) was about the arms buildup and nuclear war threat during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. “Lorax” (1971) dealt with the environment.

Many Dr. Seuss books have been adapted for television and film, including “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and “Horton Hears a Who!” In 1990, Geisel published a book for adults titled “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” that became a hugely popular graduation gift for high school and college students.

Geisel, who lived and worked in an old observatory in La Jolla, California, known as “The Tower,” died September 24, 1991, at age 87.

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WORD OF THE DAY

organoleptic; adjective; (or-guh-noh-LEP-tik)

1 : being, affecting, or relating to qualities (such as taste, color, odor, and feel) of a substance (such as a food or drug) that stimulate the sense organs

2 : involving use of the sense organs

English speakers got an early taste of organoleptic in an 1852 translation of a French chemistry textbook. Its spelling is an Anglicization of the French word organoleptique, which derives from organ (same meaning as in English) and Greek lēptikos, meaning "disposed to take or accept." Lēptikos is also an ingredient in neuroleptic (a type of powerful tranquilizer). The parent of lēptikos—the verb lambanein, meaning "to take or seize"—contributed to the formation of several English words, including epilepsy and syllable.

Gorgeous Sunset

March 1, 2021

After a quick trip to put a couple letters in the mail, one look suggested that the trip to Donegal Bay was definitely going to be worth the effort.

Can you see the color suggested in this photo?

Upon arrival at Donegal Bay, the trip was a completely worthwhile step toward recording the gorgeous sunset.

Talk about a beautiful sunset!

It is important to note that there were not filters and not photoshopping of these photos except the sizing option necessary to have the photos fit on the page.

Panorama of the sunset 1

Panorama of the sunset 2

Panorama of the sunset 3

Panorama of the sunset 4

The sunset was worth the trip, definitely gorgeous and beautiful at the same time.

Snow and Blowing Snow

March 1, 2021

Quite the interesting day today, the first day of March 2021, it is. At one moment with the snow squall and the wind, there is no clear view across the harbor. Within the time it took to drive to the point and back to the playground, the sky and the sun had decided to be completely clear. It's a strange occurence in comparison within a very short time.

First is a view of the point from the playground, second is looking back to the playground from the point.

A good view of the blowing snow across the harbor and across the road.

And this was the view, just about ten minutes later, first back to the playground from Martin's dock and then back at the point from the playground.

Live Streaming Video Report

March 1, 2021

Beaver Island TV had 312 unique IP visitors during the month of February. Several of those were repeat visitors. The BICS Basketball games were viewed by 228 unique IP addresses. There were a total of 708 visits viewing over a thousand pages of video. This video is all viewed on the http://beaverisland.tv website.

The recorded video from the month of February included 235 viewers watching 685 different clips with a total viewing time for the month of 149 hours accessed from 78 different websites. One hundred eight viewers watched the recorded basketball games on February 20, 2021.

There were 526 views of live streamed events. The total viewers for the year so far that have viewed more than one live stream session are 268 watching for 212 hours.

From Charlevoix County COA

March 1, 2021

Good Morning,

Just a note to keep you up to date on what is going on with the COA and to respond to requests for more information. Please find attached the March 2021 Senior Hi-Lites Newsletter. Should you have ANY questions about program requirements or qualifications, please contact Lonnie our Site Coordinator on Beaver Island or Sheri Shepard in the COA Office.

We have had no one this month express interest in the Wellness Check program partnered with the Sheriff’s Department this month.

The recommendation for Advisory Board Meetings at this time is to not meet in person and should there be a time when a meeting is needed, it will be held via ZOOM until further notice.

All Mainland Senior Centers are still CLOSED at this time, but meals and services are still being provided just in a different format.

Beaver Island COA Office Updates:

The BI COA Office is located at 26466 Donegal Bay Rd will now be open daily with new protocols in place for the safety of those visiting and our staff. The phone number is 231-448-2124.

The COA will continue to send emergency frozen meals for seniors to pre-purchase at the BI COA Office as needed during the COVID-19 crisis though the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services – Aging & Adult Services Agency Recommendations – Risk Level A. Our county is currently at Risk Level E.

Meal Voucher Program update:

Nutritional Program Participation for the following locations has been approved by the Charlevoix County Commissioners

Beaver Island Community School
Dalwhinnie Bakery and Deli
The Shamrock – WELCOME BACK!!!!

Other COA Updates:

Lonnie has been really getting creative on how to better engage and entertain our aging adults on Beaver Island during this time of pandemic. We want to keep you safe but also understand the challenges of isolation and loneliness. We appreciate your patience and understanding that things need to be different, but we are still trying to support you when we can in a safe way.

Upcoming Zoom Activities from the mainland though all are encouraged to participate…

Thursday, March 11 @ 1PM Caregiver Support Group

Join us by calling your Center for details and an email invite

March BI Activities…

Beaver Island – Weekly Leprechaun Hunts, St. Patrick Day themed bingo, Drive though Easter Dinner…..Call Lonnie for more info at 231-448-2124

Tax Prep information through NMCAA…

The following is information on what is happening with tax preparation this year. Due to the Covid pandemic there is not in person tax prep. Please be sure to call 1-800-632-7334 ext. 3 to request a tax preparation packet to be completed before you drop off your taxes. Drop off locations are: NMCAA, 2240 Mitchell Park Drive Unit A, Petoskey MI. The other 3 locations are in Honor, Cadillac, and Traverse City. There is also a drop off in Charlevoix at the First Baptist Church of Charlevoix (06781 M66 North) on Tuesdays only starting on February 9, 9AM-1PM.

Online/DIYmyfreetaxes.com

For do-it-yourselfers we recommend MyFreeTaxes.com, an easy, fast, self-facilitated tax program backed by H&R Block software, the IRS VITA Tax grant program, and the United Way. For simple returns, it offers free filing for those with income 72K or less. For self-employed returns and incomes above 72K, there is a very low filing fee.

Virtual tax prep

Though we are not taking in-person appointments, we have several virtual tax preparation options available. Follow these steps to get started:

Download and complete the Tax Prep Packet Important: NMCAA will not process any tax returns without this paperwork complete. (This information is on their website www.nmcaa.net)
Once completed, return your filled-in paperwork and supporting documents by fax, mail, email, or drop box. Detailed instructions on where to submit your documents will be provided in the Tax Prep Packet (above).
After submitting your documents, our tax preparers will complete your return. A copy of the prepared return will be mailed/emailed once completed. You will have a chance to review the return before it is submitted to the IRS (please allow one week or less for this process). If our preparers have any questions during the preparation of your return, you will be contacted directly.

Questions? Contact us! (800) 632-7334 #3 taxes@nmcaa.net

I wish you all on the island to Be Safe and to Be Well!

Amy Wieland <wielanda@charlevoixcounty.org>

View Senior Hi-Lites HERE

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 1, 2021

Welcome to March. Can't guarantee how long I can keep posting this, so if it suddenly stops you'll know. It's 19°, feels like 4°, mostly cloudy, wind is from the NW at 13 mph with gusts to 23 mph, humidity is at 58%, dew point is 7°, pressure is rising from 29.99 inches, cloud cover is 90%, visibility is 10 miles, and the cloud ceiling is 5,800 feet. Today: Windy with intermittent snow showers around this morning. Winds diminishing some this afternoon. High 21F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Tonight: A few clouds. Low 14F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

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ON THIS DAY in 1872, President Grant signs the bill creating the nation’s first national park at Yellowstone.

Native Americans had lived and hunted in the region that would become Yellowstone for hundreds of years before the first Anglo explorers arrived. Abundant game and mountain streams teaming with fish attracted the Indians to the region, though the awe-inspiring geysers, canyons, and gurgling mud pots also fascinated them.

John Colter, the famous mountain man, was the first Anglo to travel through the area. After journeying with Lewis and Clark to the Pacific, Colter joined a party of fur trappers to explore the wilderness. In 1807, he explored part of the Yellowstone plateau and returned with fantastic stories of steaming geysers and bubbling cauldrons. Some doubters accused the mountain man of telling tall tales and jokingly dubbed the area “Colter’s Hell.”

Before the Civil War, only a handful of trappers and hunters ventured into the area, and it remained largely a mystery. In 1869, the Folsom-Cook expedition made the first formal exploration, followed a year later by a much more thorough reconnaissance by the Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition. The key to Yellowstone’s future as a national park, though, was the 1871 exploration under the direction of the government geologist Ferdinand Hayden. Hayden brought along William Jackson, a pioneering photographer, and Thomas Moran, a brilliant landscape artist, to make a visual record of the expedition. Their images provided the first visual proof of Yellowstone’s wonders and caught the attention of the U.S. Congress.

Early in 1872, Congress moved to set aside some 2 million acres of public land straddling the future states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho as America’s first national park. President Grant signed the bill into law on this day in 1872. The Yellowstone Act of 1872 designated the region as a public “pleasuring-ground,” which would be preserved “from injury or spoilation, of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within.”

For a nation bent on settling and exploiting the West, the creation of Yellowstone was surprising. Many congressmen gave it their support simply because they believed the rugged and isolated region was of little economic value. Yet the Yellowstone Act of 1872 set a precedent and popularized the idea of preserving sections of the public domain for use as public parks. Congress went on to designate dozens of other national parks, and the idea spread to other nations around the world. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW On March 1st, National Dadgum That’s Good Day ushers in a season of satisfying seasonings, cooking and overall good times spent with family. “Dadgum, That’s Good!”™ is much more than just a Southern phrase and the title of John McLemore’s best-selling cookbook series. It’s the summation of a life’s work in creating delicious food with his world-class Masterbuilt cooking products.

John’s signature dishes and cooking style leave a lasting impression wherever he goes – especially in the South, where people love to proclaim, “DADGUM That’s Good!” The McLemores show their love for others by sharing great meals – and stories – around the table. He’s appeared on national television and dedicates his life to making the cooking process accessible and simple for everyone.

Whether it’s a delicious meal, time with your loved ones, or the perfect combination of both, today is a day to celebrate all things “DADGUM good!” (nationaldaycalendar.com)

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WORD OF THE DAY gazette (guh-ZET) which means:

1 : a paper that is printed and distributed usually daily or weekly and that contains news, articles of opinion, features, and advertising : newspaper

2 : an official journal

3 British : an announcement in an official gazette

You are probably familiar with the word gazette from its use in the names of a number of newspapers, but the original Gazettes were a series of bulletins published in England in the 17th and early 18th centuries. These official journals contained notices of government appointments and promotions, as well as items like bankruptcies, property transfers, and engagements. In British English, gazette can also refer to the kind of announcement that one might find in such a publication. It can also be used as a verb meaning "to announce or publish in a gazette." The word derives via French from Italian gazetta. The related word gazetteer, which we now use for a dictionary of place names, once meant "journalist" or "publicist." (merriam-webster.com)

Island Currents - The BIA Newsletter - Winter 2021

View a PDF of the newsletter HERE

SFC (Ret) John E. Carey, RIP

August 13, 1966 - February 9, 2021

SFC (Ret) John E. Carey, age 54, resident of Fort Mitchell, Alabama, passed away on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 while serving his country with the U.S. State Department in Baghdad, Iraq. Funeral services are scheduled at the Chapel of Vance Brooks Funeral Home, 3738 US Hwy 431N, Phenix City, Alabama on Monday, February 22, 2021, 1 p.m. EST with Reverend Mike Reeves officiating. Interment with military honors will be held at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday, February 21, 2021 from 3-5 p.m.

John, son of Dr. Charles Wesley Carey and the late Beverly Jean Burgess Carey, was born August 13, 1966 in Shields, Illinois. He was retired from the U.S. Army, where he served his country honorably for over 20 years. During his distinguished military career he served in many stateside and overseas assignments including Friedberg and Frankfurt, Germany, Ft. Benning, GA, Ft. Bragg, NC, and Ft. Campbell, KY. John was deployed to numerous missions including Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Operation Desert Storm (Gulf War) in Iraq, and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq War). John was also deployed on several missions during his time in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). While serving, he received numerous medals and ribbons to include the Bronze Star; Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal (6th award); Army Achievement Medal; South West Asia Service Medal w/Bronze Service Star (3rd award); Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; NATO Medal; Ku-Lib-Medal (Saudi Arabia); Ku-Lib-Medal (Kuwait); Combat Medical Badge (2nd award); Expert Field Medical Badge; Parachutist Badge; and Air Assault Badge. After retiring from the military, he began a career with the U.S. State Department, serving for the past 9 years in Kabul, Afghanistan as a team member on the US Embassy Emergency Response Team and in Baghdad, Iraq as a Site Lead for Embassy Security.

John consistently lived his life for others. He was always enjoying life with his family and friends. One of his favorite things was spending time on his beloved Beaver Island with family. John loved scuba diving; riding roller coasters, particularly at Cedar Point in Ohio; enjoyed target shooting; going hunting with his dad; traveling, especially on Caribbean and European trips with his wife; grilling for family and friends; working in his yard; physical fitness; playing darts; watching college football and rooting for both Alabama and Michigan; and watching movies, some of his favorites being comedies and animated films. But most of all, he enjoyed spending quality time with his wife. The family remembers John as the best husband, father, son, and provider that anyone could ever have wished for.

Other than his mother, Beverly, he was also preceded in death by his aunt, Lisa Burgess, and his uncle, Kirk Burgess. John is survived by his loving wife of 22 years, Lisa Carey of Fort Mitchell, Alabama; his father and mother, Dr. Charles and Terri Carey of Beaver Island, Michigan; two sons, Trey Forrester and his wife Kashmir of Columbus, Georgia and Brian Carey, also of Columbus; two sisters, Cheryl Anderson and her husband Pete of Houston, Texas and Jodi Morecroft and her husband Simon of Welwyn, England; one brother, Jason Tanner and his wife Kristin of Flushing, Michigan; as well as numerous nieces and nephews who were very special to him.

Mass from Holy Cross

February 28, 2021

Our celebrant was Father Peter Wigton, and our reader was Jacque LaFreniere

View video of the Mass HERE

Beaver Island Christian Church

February 28, 2021 – 10:00 a.m.
Worship Leader: Pastor Gene Drenth

Judi Meister did the announcements and played a Prelude

Mary Ellen Dawson and Bob Bass did the responsive readings

Pastor Gene Drenth gave the message.

View video of the service HERE

Destiny

by Cindy Ricksgers

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 28, 2021

It's 29°, feels like 23°, mostly cloudy, wind is from the ESE at 4 mph, humidity is at 100%, dew point is 29°, pressure is falling from 29.98 inches, cloud clover is 76%, visibility is 5 miles, and the cloud ceiling is 36,500 feet. Today: A few showers early with precipitation turning to a mixture of rain and snow for the afternoon. High 39F. Winds SE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 90%. Tonight: Cloudy skies. Windy this evening. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 17F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph.

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ON THIS DAY February 28, 1983, the celebrated sitcom M*A*S*H bows out after 11 seasons, airing a special two-and-a-half hour episode watched by 77 percent of the television viewing audience. It was the largest percentage ever to watch a single TV show up to that time.

Set near Seoul, Korea, behind the American front lines during the Korean War, M*A*S*H was based on the 1968 novel by Richard Hooker and the 1970 film produced by 20th Century Fox and directed by Robert Altman. Its title came from the initials for the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, an isolated compound that received wounded soldiers and was staffed by the show’s cast of doctors and nurses.

At the heart of M*A*S*H were the surgeons Dr. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce (Alan Alda) and Dr. “Trapper” John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers); these roles were played in the Altman movie by Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould, respectively. Hawkeye and Trapper’s foils on the TV show were Dr. Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Senior Nurse Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan (Loretta Swit), who disapproved of the surgeons’ boozing, womanizing and disregard for military authority. Other key characters in the series were the bumbling camp commander, Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) and his clerk and right-hand-man, Corporal Walter “Radar” O’Reilly (Gary Burghoff).

M*A*S*H premiered on the CBS television network in September 1972. Under threat of cancellation during its first season because of low ratings, the show turned things around the following year, landing in the top 10 in the ratings and never dropping out of the top 20 for the rest of its run. While the show began as a thinly veiled critique of the Vietnam War, its focus switched to more character-driven plotlines after that war’s anti-climactic end, allowing the series to continue to hold the public’s attention as it developed. In the middle of the show’s tenure, Alda began to take more and more creative control, co-writing 13 episodes and directing more than 30, including the series finale. Alda became the first person ever to win Emmy Awards for acting, directing and writing for the same show.

Elements such as long-range and tracking camera shots as well as sophisticated editing techniques distinguished M*A*S*H from more traditional TV sitcoms. From the beginning, the influence of Altman’s movie was evident in the cinematic nature of the show’s camera work. In addition, each half-hour episode of M*A*S*H contained a signature mixture of dramatic and comedic plot lines, and its success marked the rise of a new genre of TV show dubbed “dramedy.”

After earning consistently high ratings throughout its 11-year run, M*A*S*H enjoyed enduring popularity in the following decades, as it became one of the world’s most syndicated shows. It also spawned an unsuccessful spin-off, AfterMASH, which CBS aired from 1983 to 1985. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW 1977

Earvin Johnson Michigan high-school basketball is televised.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson scored 27 points as Lansing Everett defeated Lansing Eastern in a district basketball game. The game was the first in Michigan High School Athletic Association history to be televised. Two years later, Johnson led Michigan State University to its first national championship. (cmich.edu)

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WORD OF THE DAY deference (DEF-uh-runss) which means respect and esteem due a superior or an elder; also : affected or ingratiating regard for another's wishes. We need to be specific when we tell you that deference and defer both derive from the Medieval Latin dēferre, which means "to convey, show respect, submit to a decision," because there are two defers in the English language. The defer related to deference is typically used with to in contexts having to do either with allowing someone else to decide or choose something, as in "I'll defer to the experts," or with agreeing to follow someone else's decision, wish, etc., as when a court defers to precedent. The other defer traces to the Latin differre, meaning "to carry away in varying directions, spread abroad, postpone, delay, be unlike or distinct." That defer is typically used in contexts having to do with delaying or postponing something, as in "a willingness to defer the decision until next month" (merriam-webster.com)

Beaver Haven Tales 6

by Glenn Hendrix

Story #6: The Show-off

Phil usually took Sundays off and I often was the only one at the marina. The only place on the island to launch a boat was at the marina. One day a brand-new station wagon pulled in to launch a fancy racing boat. The car, trailer, and speedboat were all painted to match with fancy purple paint and metal flecks. The speedboat had a HUGE engine with all sorts of chrome-plated parts bulging out. It seated only two people. The boat caused quite a sensation and soon lots of kids were there to watch.

The owner, a young man, was obviously delighted with the attention. I helped him launch his boat, but was rather disgusted with his show-off attitude. He started the engines. This may have been the loudest noise ever heard on the Island. The mighty roar of that huge engine filled the entire harbor. It made the seagulls fly up and squawk and started all the dogs barking--and attracted more island kids.

The owner picked one of the kids. I think one of the McDonoughs, to go for a spin in his speed machine. He revved up his monster and took off incredibly fast. We were all watching this grand tour around the harbo. And we watched as the boat, going easily 60 miles per hour, flipped.

I jumped into the Chippewa, which was an old lighthouse boat owned by CMU, and started to the resuce. Fortunately, others with faster boats got there first. It was a miracle no one was hurt. Later, Phil used the Chippewa (he said it had a rudder like a barn door) to tow the upside-down speedboat back to the boat ramp. Only about a foot of the bow was sticking up above the water. We could see the fiberglass hull was cracked when Phil lifted it out with the crane. Phil told me later the propell shaft had come loose, and the propeller hit the rudder. The torque of the propeller flipped the boat. I don't think that boat ever floated again.

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 27, 2021

Very special thanks to Donna Stambaugh, CEO of Island Treasures Resale Shop. Without her input this couldn't have happened. Here is what she wrote:

The charter for BIFD Auxiliary is dated 1984. The first location was the basement of St.James Township Hall. They briefly relocated at Malloy Meat Market. I remember that spot, so maybe 1987 or 88. The Livery was a step up from there. There was a lot more space, but no running water !

We operated out of the Livery until about 2004. Lock the door, run over to the public restroom . Come to work with a bucket of hot, soapy water to try to clean things. The roof leaked, there was no heat, but we did OK.

We closed down as people tried to locate a better place for us. The lot on Donegal Bay Road was purchased by the two townships. The first building was a gift from the Amvets. We reopened in October 2007.

Because of Carol LaFreniere’s vision, and a 50% grant from the tribe, we added Carol’s Barn in 2012.

BIFDA was originally solely dedicated to the Fire Department for equipment purchases.

BIFDA was originally solely dedicated to the Fire Department for equipment purchases. In recent years we have expanded that to include EMS. We primarily purchase equipment, but we helped sponsored the last Fire Academy that was held here on the island.

We have also purchased several AEDs for the island. The goal of every public building - not private businesses- having the AED will be met this summer when the museums will be equipped with them.

The volunteers are absolutely amazing. There is a solid core of year round workers and a large number of summer helpers. We have about 30 people a year who run the register, load and unload boxes, sort, clean, and organize.

The Resale Shop has purchased many thousands of dollars of Fire fighting equipment. Self contained breathing apparatus, auger, hose winder, ATVs for search and rescue.......Tim could probably give you specific examples better than I can. We plan to help with the purchase of new turnout gear this summer.

EMS has received a hydraulic gurney, suction machine, computer system, and “Thumper” ( automatic CPR device).

Island Treasure Resale Shop is the ultimate recycling service for the community -a place to donate things and purchase things.

We have so many women, and face so many personal and family challenges. Each season we gather up the able bodied and make it work.

Yes. Bingo was BIFDA. There were other events such as Fireman’s Ball, the “Roasts”, New Year’s Eve parties, raffles..... but none of them were as profitable or as appreciated as the Resale Shop.

The Resale Shop Ladies are our unsung heroines for this week.

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It's 34° this morning, mostly cloudy skies, feels like 26°, wind is from the SW at 10 mph, humidity is at 89%, dew point is 31°, pressure is rising from 29.80 inches, visibility is 5 miles. Today: Snow showers this morning. Peeks of sunshine later. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Tonight: Cloudy skies. Low 29F. Winds light and variable.

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ON THIS DAY On February 27, 1827, a group of masked and costumed students dance through the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the beginning of the city’s famous Mardi Gras celebrations.

The celebration of Carnival—or the weeks between Twelfth Night on January 6 and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian period of Lent—spread from Rome across Europe and later to the Americas. Nowhere in the United States is Carnival celebrated as grandly as in New Orleans, famous for its over-the-top parades and parties for Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season.

Early French settlers brought the tradition of Mardi Gras to the U.S. Gulf Coast at the end of the 17th century. In fact, Mobile, Alabama celebrated its first carnival in 1703. However, Spanish governors later banned the celebrations. After Louisiana Territory became part of the United States in 1803, New Orleanians managed to convince the city council to lift the ban on wearing masks and partying in the streets. The city’s new Mardi Gras tradition began in 1827 when the group of students, inspired by their experiences studying in Paris, donned masks and jester costumes and staged their own Fat Tuesday festivities.

The parties grew more and more popular, and in 1833 a rich plantation owner named Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville raised money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration. After rowdy revelers began to get violent during the 1850s, a secret society called the Mistick Krewe of Comus staged the first large-scale, well-organized Mardi Gras parade in 1857.

Over time, hundreds of krewes formed, building elaborate and colorful floats for parades held over the two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday. Riders on the floats are usually local citizens who toss “throws” at passersby, including metal coins, stuffed toys or those now-infamous strands of beads. Though many tourists mistakenly believe Bourbon Street and the historic French Quarter are the heart of Mardi Gras festivities, none of the major parades have been allowed to enter the area since 1979 because of its narrow streets.

In February 2006, New Orleans held its Mardi Gras celebrations despite the fact that Hurricane Katrina had devastated much of the city with massive flooding the previous August. Attendance was at only 60-70 percent of the 300,000-400,000 visitors who usually attend Mardi Gras, but the celebration marked an important step in the recovery of the city, which counts on hospitality and tourism as its single largest industry. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW 1836

Russell A. AlgerRussell A. Alger is born.

Orphaned as a young boy, Russell Alger went on to study law and began a practice in Cleveland. During the Civil War, Alger became colonel of the Fifth and Sixth Michigan Regiments. After the war, he moved to Michigan and founded the Manistee Lumber Company, becoming one of the state's wealthiest men. In 1884, he won election as Michigan governor, and in 1892, he was appointed Secretary of War during the Spanish-American War by President McKinley. From 1902-1907 he served Michigan as a United States Senator. (cmich.edu)

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WORD OF THE DAY turbid (TER-bid) which means:

1 a : thick or opaque with or as with roiled sediment

b : heavy with smoke or mist

2 a : deficient in clarity or purity : foul, muddy

b : characterized by or producing obscurity (as of mind or emotions)

Turbid and turgid (which means "swollen or distended" or "overblown, pompous, or bombastic") are frequently mistaken for one another, and it's no wonder. Not only do the two words differ by only a letter, they are often used in contexts where either word could fit. For example, a flooded stream can be simultaneously cloudy and swollen, and badly written prose might be both unclear and grandiloquent. Nevertheless, the distinction between these two words, however fine, is an important one for conveying exact shades of meaning, so it's a good idea to keep them straight. Turbid, like its relative turbulent, comes ultimately from the Latin noun turba, meaning "confusion" or "crowd." (merriam-webster.com)

BICS Basketball Games Canceled Today

February 27, 2021

From Kerry Smith:

Sorry to inform everyone Ojibwe will not be coming today they are quarantined. Big Bay de Noc had a player test positive for Covid and Ojibwe just played their teams so they are not able to come

Welcome to the March 2021 Edition of the Beaver Island Christian Church Newsletter

10 a.m. SUNDAY SERVICE

VISITING PASTORS

March 7, 14, 21, 28 – Pastor Lee Bracey

View/download the Newsletter HERE

Mr. Cwikiel Weekly Update

February 26, 2021

Beaver Island Community School Weekly Update

Islander Basketball at Home this Weekend!

The Islanders host the Ojibwe Eagles this Saturday. Please note that spectators at home games will be limited to two spectators per athlete. Athletes have already given their names to the Athletic Director. All spectators must wear school-appropriate masks (no exhaust valves, gaiter-style masks must be double-layered, etc.) that cover the nose and mouth and must practice social distancing in the stands from those not in their immediate household. In order to ensure that spectators keep their mask on, there will be absolutely no food or drink consumed by spectators. There will be no concessions and there will be no food or drink (including water) allowed in the school building. To reduce congestion between the games, we are expecting spectators to enter the building through the front door and leave through the door by the staff parking lot. Spectator guidelines are attached. Those not following these guidelines will be asked to leave the premises. We are so grateful that we are able to have a basketball season for our students, and we are hoping that all spectators follow the guidelines so that we may be able to continue. Joe Moore will be live streaming the games so those at home can keep up with the action! Go Islanders!

Senior Athlete Parent Recognition Tomorrow

We will be honoring the parents of our senior athletes tomorrow between the girls and boys basketball games—at approximately 11:30 am. Since we are really trying to keep the spectators from the girls and boys games separate for COVID-19 purposes, we are asking that the girl’s spectators stay for the recognition and that only the senior boy’s parents and athletes come in for the ceremony. After the ceremony, we will have the girl’s spectators depart and the boys spectators enter the gym.

Lunch Order Sheet Reminder

Although now all students are eligible for free lunch, each month we still need to know if your student is going to be dining with us for planning purposes. Please make sure you communicate with Ms. Pomorski each month to let us know your plans.

Thank YOU!

Beaver Island Community School was pleased to host several vaccination clinics for Island residents over the past month. I really appreciate the flexibility of our students, their parents, and our staff members for keeping the learning going while we were providing this important service to our community. In addition, I’d like to specifically thank the Beaver Island EMS crew for being on hand in case of an incident, Donna Kubic and Pam Grassmick for coordinating the flow inside the building, and Gerald LaFreniere, Nicole Olson, and Angel Welke for coordinating the flow outside the building. The health department team was very pleased with how smoothly the clinics ran, and we could not have done it without everyone’s support and cooperation.

Beating COVID-19 is as Simple as 1-2-3!

Although we are close, we are not out of the woods yet. The key to beating COVID-19, especially with the new variants on the rise (they have been found in Northern Michigan), is to stick with three simple actions: 1) wear a mask, 2) social distance, and 3) avoid large gatherings. Together we can do this!

Have a Great Weekend!

Deb Pomorski

BICS Secretary

debbiep@beaverisland.k12.mi.us

231-448-2744

Spectator Guidelines

Waiting for the Plane

February 25, 2021

While waiting for the 4:30 p.m. flight to arrive at the Welke Airport, along with several others, apparently the editor was the only one interested in looking around to see some others waiting for the airplane's pilot to arrive. There were eleven cars and several people waiting for the plane to arrive, and it did arrive just a little after 5 p.m.

Interestingly enough, the people got their items, loaded up, and left, while the editor decided to take just a moment to take a few pictures of the large herd of deer and the large flock of turkeys who were also awaiting the plane's arrival.

Now, this is only the editor's guesswork, but the animals, deer and turkeys, were awaiting the arrival of owner of the airport and the pilot for the flight. Wandering between Paul Welke's home, his parent's home, and the airport terminal were several of these deer and turkeys as you can see in the pictures below.

WWTV/WWUP- Preserving History: Saving the Squaw Island Lighthouse

This was an amazing video done by Corey Adkins. The call to him came from Brian Cole, and the project to restore the Squaw Island Lighthouse is quite the amazing and wonderful project documented by Corey Adkins. It can be viewed at the following link:

View the video HERE

Help Clean Up the Island

February 26, 2021

Link to the Joes' Junk website HERE

BI COA Announces Addition

Beginning on March 1, 2021, there will be another location available for seniors to get senior meals. Some island seniors have been waiting for this announcement for quite a while and are quite happy about it. Joining in for the senior meals is the Shamrock Restaurant owned by Hodgson Enterprises. This will be joining the other locations of Dahlwhiine's and the school lunch program.

From BICOA:

Hello friends,

The Charlevoix County Commission on Aging on Beaver Island is pleased to announce that on March 1, 2021, the Shamrock Bar and Restaurant will accept COA meal vouchers.

The Shamrock’s COA menu will be available daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. – 2p.m. and dinner is available from 5-8 p.m.

Also, from 10 a.m. – 2p.m. on Saturday and Sunday the Shamrock will offer COA breakfast during and its regular lunch menu During their weekend brunch.

For questions about the menu or hours call the Shamrock at 448-2278 or information about COA meal vouchers call 448-2124.

I would like to remind all COA clients using the meal voucher program that only one voucher per day can be used. Please do not eat at one establishment for breakfast, lunch or dinner and then go to another establishment for another meal. These actions will not be tolerated by the COA. Questions about the policy can be directed to Lonnie at 448-2124 or the main office in Charlevoix at (231) 237-0103.
Grace and peace be with you,

Lonnie Allen
Site Coordinator, Beaver Island COA
Charlevoix County Beaver Island
Building coordinator/Maintenance assistant
(231) 448-2124
allenl@charlevoixcounty.org

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 26, 2021

Remember the old television shows? Roy Rogers and Dale Evans? Sky King? Captain Kangaroo? Masterpiece Theatre? The list goes on forever and during the winter months was a great time to watch when it was too stormy outside. Now with satellite we can step back in time and see some of the old ones. Bonanza when Hoss was the Easter Bunny, for example. Don't you wish things were that simple now?

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It's 31°, feels like 28°, cloudy skies, wind from the SSW at 6 mph, humidity is at 85%, dew point is 27°, pressure is 30.15 inches, cloud clover is 76%, visibility is 10 miles, and the cloud ceiling is 38,400 feet. Today: A mix of clouds and sun. High 36F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Tonight: Overcast. Low 31F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.

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ON THIS DAY In a crucial step toward U.S. entry into World War I, President Woodrow Wilson learns of the so-called Zimmermann Telegram, a message from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador to Mexico proposing a Mexican-German alliance in the event of a war between the U.S. and Germany.

On February 24, 1917, British authorities gave Walter Hines Page, the U.S. ambassador to Britain, a copy of the Zimmermann Telegram, a coded message from Zimmermann to Count Johann von Bernstorff, the German ambassador to Mexico. In the telegram, intercepted and deciphered by British intelligence in late January, Zimmermann instructed his ambassador, in the event of a German war with the United States, to offer significant financial aid to Mexico if it agreed to enter the conflict as a German ally. Germany also promised to restore to Mexico the lost territories of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

The State Department promptly sent a copy of the Zimmermann Telegram to President Wilson, who was shocked by the note’s content and the next day proposed to Congress that the U.S. should start arming its ships against possible German attacks. Wilson also authorized the State Department to publish the telegram; it appeared on the front pages of American newspapers on March 1. Many Americans were horrified and declared the note a forgery; two days later, however, Zimmermann himself announced that it was genuine.

The Zimmermann Telegram helped turn the U.S. public, already angered by repeated German attacks on U.S. ships, firmly against Germany. On April 2, President Wilson, who had initially sought a peaceful resolution to World War I, urged immediate U.S. entrance into the war. Four days later, Congress formally declared war against Germany. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW 1836 William Austin Burt receives a patent for his solar compass.

During the 1830s and 1840s, Burt and his crew surveyed much of Michigan. According to the U.S. surveyor general, Burt produced "the most satisfactory" work he had ever seen. Burt also invented the solar compass to work in areasm where minerals in the ground might make the needles of their magnetic compasses act wildly and produce errors. Burt's solar compass saved the U.S. government lots of money when the country's western territories were surveyed. (cmich.edu)

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WORD OF THE DAY megillah (muh-GHIL-uh) which means:

1 slang : a long involved story or account

2 slang a : an elaborate, complicated production or sequence of events

b : everything involved in what is under consideration : ball of wax

Although megillah is a slang word in English, it has perfectly respectable Hebrew origins. Megillah derives from the Yiddish megile, which itself comes from the Hebrew word mĕgillāh, meaning "scroll" or "volume." (Mĕgillāh is especially likely to be used in reference to the Book of Esther, which is read aloud at Purim celebrations.) It makes sense, then, that when megillah first appeared in English in the mid-20th century, it referred to a story that was so long (and often tedious or complicated) that it was reminiscent of the length of the mĕgillāh scrolls. The Hebrew word is serious, but the Yiddish megile can be somewhat playful, and our megillah has also inherited that lightheartedness. (merriam-webster.com)

Chief Tim McDonough for BIFD

February 25, 2021

As part of the Project Read, the interviews of heads of different agencies and organizations are interviewed. Tim McDonough is the chief of the fire department here on Beaver Island, and he was asked to provide some history of the department as well as future plans and future training. Thank you, Chief!

View video of the interview HERE

BIESA Minutes

Thursday, December 17, 2020

BIWMC Minutes

February 23, 2021 at NOON

Font Lake Park Project

February 25, 2021

Peaine Township is applying for a grant to improve the Font Lake Park behind the Peaine Township building. The information about the grant and the budget for this project are presented below.

Font Lake Park

Attachment 1 Font Lake Resolution 2021 (1)

From BI COA

February 25, 2021

Hello friends,

I have a joke to start off this Beaver Island Commission on Aging announcement. What stays in the corner but travels all over the world? The answer after this COA announcement.

I think all Charlevoix County Commission on Aging clients on Beaver Island will be thrilled to know a grateful member of this community has paid the suggested $6 donation for all 50 people who sign up for the COA Easter Dinner. I am in awe at the support this community has for each other. I would like to express I am very grateful to the person who left the envelope in the COA drop box. Thank you again for generous donation.

The menu includes honey baked ham, roasted vegetable, au gratin potatoes, dinner roll and dessert served with milk or juice. There also is a vegetarian pasta option available upon request. There are still 34 spots open for individuals looking to sign up for the Easter Dinner. You have till noon on March 19 to register for the dinner. Call 448-2124 to get your name for the meal. The entire meal will be prepared that day and served between 4-5 p.m. at the Beaver Island Community School. Remain in your vehicle and the meal will be handed to you to take and enjoy.

Joke: What stays in the corner but travels all over the world? Answer: A stamp

Grace and peace be with you,

Lonnie Allen
Site Coordinator, Beaver Island COA
Charlevoix County Beaver Island
Building coordinator/Maintenance assistant
(231) 448-2124
allenl@charlevoixcounty.org

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 25, 2021

It's 11° outside this morning, cloudy, wind is from the north with little gusts up to 4 mph, humidity is at 89%, dew point is 9°, pressure is 30.18 inches, cloud cover is 100%, visibility is 10 miles, and the cloud ceiling is at 13,900 feet. Today: Snow showers this morning. Peeks of sunshine later. High 32F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Tonight: Partly cloudy skies. Low 26F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

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ON THIS DAY The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson’s controversial film about the last 44 hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life, opens in theaters across the United States on February 25, 2004. Not coincidentally, the day was Ash Wednesday, the start of the Catholic season of Lent.

The star of action-packed blockbusters like the Lethal Weapon series and Braveheart, Gibson was earning more than $20 million per movie at the time he decided to direct The Passion of the Christ, for which he received no cash compensation. Largely based on the 18th-century diaries of Saint Anne Catherine Emmerich, the film was a labor of love for Gibson, who later told Time magazine that he had “a deep need to tell this story…The Gospels tell you what basically happened; I want to know what really went down.” He scouted locations in Italy himself, and had the script translated from English into Aramaic (thought to be Jesus’ first language) and Latin by a Jesuit scholar. Gibson’s original intention was to show The Passion of the Christ without subtitles, in an attempt to “transcend the language barriers with visual storytelling,” as he later explained. With dialogue entirely in Latin, Hebrew and Aramaic, the film was eventually released with subtitles.

A year before The Passion of the Christ was released, controversy flared over whether it was anti-Semitic. Abraham Foxman, head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) went on record saying that Gibson’s film “could fuel hatred, bigotry and anti-Semitism.” Specifically, its opponents claimed the movie would contribute to the idea that Jews should be blamed for the death of Jesus, which has been at the root of much anti-Jewish violence over the course of history. For his part, Gibson categorically denied the allegations of anti-Semitism, but they continued to haunt him years after the film’s release. (In July 2006, he was arrested for driving under the influence; a leaked police report of the incident stated that Gibson made anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting officer. Gibson later acknowledged the report’s accuracy, and publicly apologized for the remarks.) Meanwhile, Christian critics of the film’s story pointed to its departure from the New Testament and its reliance on works other than the Bible, such as Emmerich’s diaries.

Gibson, who put millions of his own money into the project, initially had trouble finding a distributor for the film. Eventually, Newmarket Films signed on to release it in the United States. Upon its debut in February 2004, The Passion of the Christ surprised many by becoming a huge hit at the box office. It also continued to fuel the fires of controversy, earning harsh criticism for its extreme violence and gore—much of the film focuses on the brutal beating of Jesus prior to his crucifixion—which many saw as overkill. The film critic Roger Ebert called The Passion of the Christ “the most violent film I have ever seen.” Gibson’s response to similar charges was that such a reaction was intentional. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, he claimed: “I wanted it to be shocking. And I wanted it to be extreme…. So that they see the enormity, the enormity of that sacrifice; to see that someone could endure that and still come back with love and forgiveness, even through extreme pain and suffering and ridicule.” (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW Each year on February 25th people across the nation have a bowl and spoon ready to be filled with clam chowder as they prepare to participate in National Clam Chowder Day.

A clam chowder in its simplest form is a soup or stew containing clams or fish. The most common type of chowder includes milk or cream as well as potatoes, though the Manhattan clam chowder has tomatoes.

The origin of the word “chowder” is up for a little bit of debate. The French word for cauldron is “chaudiere.” The English word “jowter” means fish peddler. Both are on the hook for possible origins.

In chowder, along with the clams, it is common to find diced potatoes, onions (often sautéed with pork or bacon drippings) and celery. (nationaldaycalendar.com)

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WORD OF THE DAY slipshod (SLIP-SHAHD) which means:

1 a : wearing loose shoes or slippers

b : down at the heel : shabby

2 : careless, slovenly

The word shod is the past tense form of the verb shoe, meaning "to furnish with a shoe"; hence, we can speak of shoeing horses and horses that have been shod or shodden. When the word slipshod was first used in the late 1500s, it meant "wearing loose shoes or slippers"—such slippers were once called slip-shoes—and later it was used to describe shoes that were falling apart. By the early 1800s, slipshod was used more generally as a synonym for shabby—in 1818, Sir Walter Scott wrote about "the half-bound and slip-shod volumes of the circulating library." The association with shabbiness then shifted to an association with sloppiness, and the word was used to mean "careless" or "slovenly." (merriam-webster.com)

Timeout for Art: Sketching

by Cindy Ricksgers

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 24, 2021

We are getting nailed by snow and it reminded me of the blizzard of 1978. That year we got buried in the white stuff. Our oldest, Phillip MIchael, was in diapers as was our neighbor's child. The snow was too deep to drive through so Joe and Perry Fortier decided to drag a sled and walk to town for milk and diapers. What a hike! They made it but it took them a while. That year the snow was so deep that the dog chased the cat up on to the roof of the house. Waist deep on the guys walking into town. Almost over my head!!

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Snow! 31°, feel like 22°, wind is from the east at 9 mph, humidity is at 98%, dew point is 31°, pressure is 29.64 inches, cloud cover is 100%, visibility is 2 miles, cloud ceiling is 700 feet. Today: Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the morning. High 34F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low near 20F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.

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ON THIS DAY February 24, 1836, in San Antonio, Texas, Colonel William Travis issues a call for help on behalf of the Texan troops defending the Alamo, an old Spanish mission and fortress under siege by the Mexican army.

A native of Alabama, Travis moved to the Mexican state of Texas in 1831. He soon became a leader of the growing movement to overthrow the Mexican government and establish an independent Texan republic. When the Texas revolution began in 1835, Travis became a lieutenant-colonel in the revolutionary army and was given command of troops in the recently captured city of San Antonio de Bexar (now San Antonio). On February 23, 1836, a large Mexican force commanded by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana arrived suddenly in San Antonio. Travis and his troops took shelter in the Alamo, where they were soon joined by a volunteer force led by Colonel James Bowie.

Though Santa Ana’s 5,000 troops heavily outnumbered the several hundred Texans, Travis and his men determined not to give up. On February 24, they answered Santa Ana’s call for surrender with a bold shot from the Alamo’s cannon. Furious, the Mexican general ordered his forces to launch a siege. Travis immediately recognized his disadvantage and sent out several messages via couriers asking for reinforcements. Addressing one of the pleas to “The People of Texas and All Americans in the World,” Travis signed off with the now-famous phrase “Victory or Death.”

Only 32 men from the nearby town of Gonzales responded to Travis’ call for help, and beginning at 5:30 a.m. on March 6, Mexican forces stormed the Alamo through a gap in the fort’s outer wall, killing Travis, Bowie, Davy Crockett and 190 of their men. Despite the loss of the fort, the Texan troops managed to inflict huge losses on their enemy, killing at least 600 of Santa Ana’s men.

The defense of the Alamo became a powerful symbol for the Texas revolution, helping the rebels turn the tide in their favor. At the crucial Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 910 Texan soldiers commanded by Sam Houston defeated Santa Ana’s army of 1,250 men, spurred on by cries of “Remember the Alamo!” The next day, after Texan forces captured Santa Ana himself, the general issued orders for all Mexican troops to pull back behind the Rio Grande River. On May 14, 1836, Texas officially became an independent republic. Texas joined the Union in 1845. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW 1863 Emancipation Proclamation Michigan supports the Emancipation Proclamation.

Governor Austin Blair supported a joint resolution of the legislature that "unreservedly" approved President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and declared that Michigan was "unalterably opposed to any terms of compromise and accommodation with the rebels, while under arms, and acting in hostility to the government of the Union, and on this we express but one sentiment-unconditional submission and obedience to the laws and constitution of the Union."

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WORD OF THE DAY fathom (FA-thum) which means

1 : to make a searching exploratory investigation : probe

2 : to take soundings

3 : to measure by a sounding line

4 : to penetrate and come to understand

Fathom comes from Old English fæthm, meaning "outstretched arms." The noun fathom, which now commonly refers to a measure (especially of depth) of six feet, was originally used for the distance, fingertip to fingertip, created by stretching one's arms straight out from the sides of the body. In one of its earliest uses, the verb fathom was a synonym of our modern embrace: to fathom someone was to clasp the person in your arms. By the 1600s fathom had taken to the seas, as the verb was used to mean "to measure by a sounding line." At the same time, the verb also developed senses synonymous with probe or investigate, and it is now frequently used to refer to the act of getting to the bottom of something, figuratively speaking.(merriam-webster.com)

Scott Allen Woodring, RIP

January 19, 1986 - February 15, 2021

Scott A. Woodring, age 35 of Beaver Island, passed away Monday, February 15, 2021. Private family services will be held. His family is being served by Watkins Brothers Funeral Homes, Durand Chapel.

Scott was born on January 19, 1986 in Flint, Michigan to Mark and Mary Woodring. He married Sharada Naranjo in Siesta Key, FL on May 30, 2015 and together would have 3 children.

Scott was a member of the Elks Lodge on Beaver Island and loved spending time on the beach with his family.

Scott is survived by his wife, Sharada; children: Sierra, Seth and Shyeanne Woodring; his father, Mark Woodring; siblings: Samantha Rosa, Jacqueline Rosa, Jeff Draper and his grandmothers: Nancy Martin and Patricia Woodring.

Scott was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Jill Weldon and his grandfathers: Paul Martin and Jim Woodring.

Memorials are suggested to Scott's family at this time. Online condolences may be shared with his family by going to www.watkinsfuneralhomes.com

To send flowers to the family of Scott Allen Woodring please visit our Tribute Store.

Beaver Island Waste Management Committee-Special Meeting

Time: Feb 23, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Budget Report for WM Meeting 2 23 2021

WM Feb 23 2021 Special Meeting Notice Agenda

minutes januray - waste management

The Waste Management Committee met today at noon. Some of the most important priorities were discussed including working with Joe's Junk group, moving toward single stream recycling, getting the metal crusher here to the island, and figuring out how to dispose of tires. Many of those on the committee have put in hours of work moving these items forward. Some of them may be worked on and preparations for some steps in the process are to take place this month and moving into the March. The major priority are the metal items and the education process of the customers of the transfer station.

View video of the meeting HERE

Minutes of Beaver Island Telecommunication Advisory Committee Meeting

February 18, 2021 4:30 pm

View minutes HERE

Special Meeting St James Township Board

Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2021 @ 5:30PM

View meeting notice HERE

View video of the meeting HERE

Roland J Cull, RIP

Roland passed away on February 22, 2021. More will be posted when available.

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 23, 2021

Another day of a blank mind. So going right on to the weather. It's 33°, feels like 30°, cloudy skies, wind is from the WSW at 6 mph with gusts to 8 mph, humidity is at 96%, dew point is 32°, pressure is rising from 29.38 inches, cloud clover is 100%, visibility is 10 miles, and the cloud ceiling is 3,000 feet. Today: Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight: Cloudy with snow showers becoming a steady accumulating snow later on. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.

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ON THIS DAY During the bloody Battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment of the 5th Division take the crest of Mount Suribachi, the island’s highest peak and most strategic position, and raise the U.S. flag. Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them and recorded the event. Americans fighting for control of Suribachi’s slopes cheered the raising of the flag, and several hours later more Marines headed up to the crest with a larger flag. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer with the Associated Press, met them along the way and recorded the raising of the second flag along with a Marine still photographer and a motion-picture cameraman.

Rosenthal took three photographs atop Suribachi. The first, which showed five Marines and one Navy corpsman struggling to hoist the heavy flag pole, became the most reproduced photograph in history and won him a Pulitzer Prize. The accompanying motion-picture footage attests to the fact that the picture was not posed. Of the other two photos, the second was similar to the first but less affecting, and the third was a group picture of 18 Marines smiling and waving for the camera. Many of these men, including three of the six Marines seen raising the flag in the famous Rosenthal photo, were killed before the conclusion of the Battle for Iwo Jima in late March.

In early 1945, U.S. military command sought to gain control of the island of Iwo Jima in advance of the projected aerial campaign against the Japanese home islands. Iwo Jima, a tiny volcanic island located in the Pacific about 700 miles southeast of Japan, was to be a base for fighter aircraft and an emergency-landing site for bombers. On February 19, 1945, after three days of heavy naval and aerial bombardment, the first wave of U.S. Marines stormed onto Iwo Jima’s inhospitable shores.

The Japanese garrison on the island numbered 22,000 heavily entrenched men. Their commander, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, had been expecting an Allied invasion for months and used the time wisely to construct an intricate and deadly system of underground tunnels, fortifications, and artillery that withstood the initial Allied bombardment. By the evening of the first day, despite incessant mortar fire, 30,000 U.S. Marines commanded by General Holland Smith managed to establish a solid beachhead.

During the next few days, the Marines advanced inch by inch under heavy fire from Japanese artillery and suffered suicidal charges from the Japanese infantry. Many of the Japanese defenders were never seen and remained underground manning artillery until they were blown apart by a grenade or rocket, or incinerated by a flame thrower.

While Japanese kamikaze flyers slammed into the Allied naval fleet around Iwo Jima, the Marines on the island continued their bloody advance across the island, responding to Kuribayashi’s lethal defenses with remarkable endurance. On February 23, the crest of 550-foot Mount Suribachi was taken, and the next day the slopes of the extinct volcano were secured.

By March 3, U.S. forces controlled all three airfields on the island, and on March 26 the last Japanese defenders on Iwo Jima were wiped out. Only 200 of the original 22,000 Japanese defenders were captured alive. More than 6,000 Americans died taking Iwo Jima, and some 17,000 were wounded. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW that on this day in 1882, the Village of St. Ignace in Mackinac County was incorporated. The village is Michigan 's second-oldest continuous settlement. (cmich.edu)

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WORD OF THE DAY habeas corpus (HAY-bee-us-KOR-pus) which means:

1 : any of several common-law writs issued to bring a party before a court or judge; especially : a writ for inquiring into the lawfulness of the restraint of a person who is imprisoned or detained in another's custody

2 : the right of a citizen to obtain a writ of habeas corpus as a protection against illegal imprisonment

The literal meaning of habeas corpus is "you should have the body"—that is, the judge or court should (and must) have any person who is being detained brought forward so that the legality of that person's detention can be assessed. In United States law, habeas corpus ad subjiciendum (the full name of what habeas corpus typically refers to) is also called "the Great Writ," and it is not about a person's guilt or innocence, but about whether custody of that person is lawful under the U.S. Constitution. Common grounds for relief under habeas corpus—"relief" in this case being a release from custody—include a conviction based on illegally obtained evidence; a denial of effective assistance of counsel; or a conviction by a jury that was improperly selected and impaneled. (merriam-webster.com)

From Beaver Island COA

Hello Friends,

What do you get when you cross a shoe with a banana? I will have the answer at the end of the announcement.

I have a few updates about the planned Easter Dinner on March 31. To register for the Easter Dinner please stop by or call the COA office at 448-2124. Registration for the dinner will end at noon on March 19, 2021 or earlier when the 50-person registration is reached. The menu includes honey baked ham, roasted vegetable, au gratin potatoes, dinner roll and dessert served with milk or juice. The meal will be drive-thru pickup only taking place between 4-5 p.m. on March 31. The meal is like the Sunday Dinners served before COVID-19 pandemic. However, instead of a gathering together the ham dinner will be served TO GO beginning at 4 p.m. on March 31, 2021. Remain in vehicle and we will bring the number of meals requested to the vehicle. Previously I said the meal was a suggested $3 donation like the costs of our meal vouchers, however, I was informed due to higher costs the meal is a $6 suggested donation. This is a suggested donation as with all C.O.A meals. Donation or no donation everyone registered for a meal will receive a meal.

The month of March will include a St. Patrick’s Day themed Bingo. Bingo cards are good for the entire month-long game. Bingo cards can be picked up at the C.O.A office.

I also have planned a Find the Leprechaun game. Each Monday I will place leprechaun cutouts of all sizes around town. Each week I will post clues for COA clients age 60 and older to help find the location of the leprechauns. Each leprechaun found will have a clue that will lead to the “pot of gold”. Bring the pot of gold to the COA office for some great prizes. There will be more than one leprechaun and more than one pot of gold. This is an activity designed to engage the mind while including some physical activity of getting outside and walking while searching for the leprechauns.

More activities are being planned for March and once those are confirmed another announcement will be made.

What do you get when you cross a shoe with a banana? A slipper.

Grace and peace be with you,

Lonnie Allen

Site Coordinator, Beaver Island COA

Charlevoix County Beaver Island

Building coordinator/Maintenance assistant

(231) 448-2124

allenl@charlevoixcounty.org

East Side to Iron Ore Bay

February 21, 2021

A trip was taken after church yesterday by the editor in the electric car to get blue ice pictures that you can view below, but the trip also was to go from one end of the island to the other. It was meant to show that this electric car would do the job of running from one end of the island to Iron Ore Bay and back to Whiskey Point and then back home. This isn't a big deal in the summer, but with the colder temperatures, there was a little worry that there might not be enough battery to make the trip. There was a two mile margin left in the batteries when the vehicle was parked, and there was no issue on the plowed roads at all.

Southhead Lighthouse

There was also a goal of arriving at the south end of the island in the winter, which is not something that a lot of us do this time of year. Now, some boodlers do this no matter which season of the year, but this editor hasn't done this much over the last forty or fifty years. The amazing thing is that the island has some things that do not change with the seasons, but there are lots of things that change daily. The views of the lake can be static for a bit, but then something changes, either weather or sunshine or winds or snowstorms or rain, etc.

Iron Ore Creek

The creek seems to change at Iron Ore Bay every single day. It seems to have many pathways for the run-off water, and the look is different every time you take the time to drive down here.

Ice mountains, but no volcanoes today.

Headed back up the east side

It appeared as if the roadway was passable aong Iron Ore shoreline, and Betsy Smith Trail looked like it could also be traveled, but the reason for the trip was not to get stuck and not to get trapped somewhere, so a turn around and heading back up the east side seemed to make the most sense. After all, a one car family needs to keep that one car safe.

Besides the blue ice, a couple of other water pictures were taken on this trip not far north of Iron Ore.

There were a lot of dirty ice floating along the shoreline. The piles of ice were pulled back into the water in a lot of places. The wind wasn't much of a help in locating the blue ice, but it was found and pictures shown below.

There were lots of deer to be seen on this trip down and back up the east side of the island.

The trip went back to Whiskey Point searching for the snowy owl, without success.

All in all, the trip was worth the time and the effort, and a recommendation for doing this trip to see the changes was a good decision.

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 22, 2021

Cloudy skies, 25°, little northerly puffs of wind at 1 mph, humidity is at 97%, dew point is 25°, pressure is falling from 29.57 inches, cloud cover is 100%, visibility is 3 miles, and the cloud ceiling is 2,600 feet. Today: A few snow showers scattered about the area this morning, otherwise a good deal of clouds. High 33F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 30%. Tonight: Snow this evening will give way to lingering snow showers late. Some rain may mix in. Low 32F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.

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ON THIS DAY In one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympic history, the underdog U.S. hockey team, made up of college players, defeats the four-time defending gold-medal winning Soviet team at the XIII Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. The Soviet squad, previously regarded as the finest in the world, fell to the youthful American team 4-3 before a frenzied crowd of 10,000 spectators. Two days later, the Americans defeated Finland 4-2 to clinch the hockey gold.

The Soviet team had captured the previous four Olympic hockey golds, going back to 1964, and had not lost an Olympic hockey game since 1968. Three days before the Lake Placid Games began, the Soviets routed the U.S. team 10-3 in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Americans looked scrappy, but few blamed them for it—their average age, after all, was only 22, and their team captain, Mike Eruzione, was recruited from the obscurity of the Toledo Blades of the International League.

Few had high hopes for the seventh-seeded U.S. team entering the Olympic tournament, but the team soon silenced its detractors, making it through the opening round of play undefeated, with four victories and one tie, thus advancing to the four-team medal round. The Soviets, however, were seeded No. 1 and as expected went undefeated, with five victories in the first round.

On Friday afternoon, February 22, the American amateurs and the Soviet dream team met before a sold-out crowd at Lake Placid. The Soviets broke through first, with their new young star, Valery Krotov, deflecting a slap shot beyond American goalie Jim Craig’s reach in the first period. Midway through the period, Buzz Schneider, the only American who had previously been an Olympian, answered the Soviet goal with a high shot over the shoulder of Vladislav Tretiak, the Soviet goalie.

The relentless Soviet attack continued as the period progressed, with Sergei Makarov giving his team a 2-1 lead. With just a few seconds left in the first period, American Dave Christian shot the puck down the ice in desperation. Mark Johnson picked it up and sent it into the Soviet goal with one second remaining. After a brief Soviet protest, the goal was deemed good, and the game was tied.

In the second period, the irritated Soviets came out with a new goalie, Vladimir Myshkin, and turned up the attack. The Soviets dominated play in the second period, outshooting the United States 12-2, and taking a 3-2 lead with a goal by Alesandr Maltsev just over two minutes into the period. If not for several remarkable saves by Jim Craig, the Soviet lead would surely have been higher than 3-2 as the third and final 20-minute period began.

Nearly nine minutes into the period, Johnson took advantage of a Soviet penalty and knocked home a wild shot by David Silk to tie the contest again at 3-3. About a minute and a half later, Mike Eruzione, whose last name means “eruption” in Italian, picked up a loose puck in the Soviet zone and slammed it past Myshkin with a 25-foot wrist shot. For the first time in the game, the Americans had the lead, and the crowd erupted in celebration.

There were still 10 minutes of play to go, but the Americans held on, with Craig making a few more fabulous saves. With five seconds remaining, the Americans finally managed to get the puck out of their zone, and the crowd began counting down the final seconds. When the final horn sounded, the players, coaches, and team officials poured onto the ice in raucous celebration. The Soviet players, as awestruck as everyone else, waited patiently to shake their opponents’ hands.

The so-called Miracle on Ice was more than just an Olympic upset; to many Americans, it was an ideological victory in the Cold War as meaningful as the Berlin Airlift or the Apollo moon landing. The upset came at an auspicious time: President Jimmy Carter had just announced that the United States was going to boycott the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and Americans, faced with a major recession and the Iran hostage crisis, were in dire need of something to celebrate. After the game, President Carter called the players to congratulate them, and millions of Americans spent that Friday night in revelry over the triumph of “our boys” over the Russian pros.

As the U.S. team demonstrated in their victory over Finland two days later, they weren't your run-of-the-mill amateur squad. Three-quarters of the squad were top college players who were on their way to the National Hockey League (NHL), and coach Herb Brooks had trained the team long and hard in a manner that would have made the most authoritative Soviet coach proud. The 1980 U.S. hockey team was probably the best-conditioned American Olympic hockey team of all time—the result of countless hours running skating exercises in preparation for Lake Placid. In their play, the U.S. players adopted passing techniques developed by the Soviets for the larger international hockey rinks, while preserving the rough checking style that was known to throw the Soviets off-guard. It was these factors, combined with an exceptional afternoon of play by Craig, Johnson, Eruzione, and others, that resulted in the miracle at Lake Placid.

This improbable victory was later memorialized in a 2004 film, Miracle, starring Kurt Russell. (history.com)

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DID YOU KNOW Governor Stevens T. Mason presented a flag to the Brady Guards, the first uniformed militia company in the new state. Many have considered this to be Michigan’s first state flag. On February 22, 1837, Governor Stevens T. Mason presented a flag to the Brady Guards, the first uniformed militia company in the new state. While this was not an official state flag, many have considered it to be the first flag of the state of Michigan. Designed by Allen Smith, a Detroit artist, the front side featured a portrait of U.S. Army General Hugh Brady, a state seal, an American Flag, a portrait of an unidentified lady, and several other items. On the reverse side was a portrait of Governor Mason, a Brady Guards cap, and a white horse. Underneath the portrait was a scroll which read, “Organized Brady Guards, May 1836.” Captain Isaac S. Rowland received the flag and stated that the Brady Guards would strive to be worthy of it. The present Michigan flag, in which the state coat of arms appears alone on a blue banner, was officially adopted in 1911. (cmich.edu)

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WORD OF THE DAY retarget (ree-TAHR-gut) which means to direct (something) toward a different target. The verb retarget first appeared in 20th-century English with the basic meaning "to direct toward a different target." In digital advertising, retargeting has to do with directing people who have left your website back to the site by displaying ads that remind them of your site on other sites they subsequently visit. The base word target is from the early French noun targe, which was used for a light shield carried especially by footmen and archers. French targette, a diminutive form of targe, was taken into English as target in the early 15th century with its French sense. In the 18th century, the word acquired the extended sense of "a shieldlike object to shoot at for practice." In the following century, the figurative senses referring to a thing or person that is marked for attack (especially of ridicule or criticism) begin to develop. The sense of "a goal to be achieved" originated in the 20th century, often in connection with a quantity or date (as in "production targets" or "target dates"). (merriam-webster.com)

Blue Ice on Beaver Island

February 21, 2021

Snow is white because full spectrum, or white, light is scattered and reflected at the boundary between ice and air. The white color of bubbles at the top of a dark beer work the same way—small pockets of air reflect and scatter visible light. Ice only appears blue when it is sufficiently consolidated that bubbles do not interfere with the passage of light. Without the scattering effect of air bubbles, light can penetrate ice undisturbed. In ice, the absorption of light at the red end of the spectrum is six times greater than at the blue end. Thus the deeper light energy travels, the more photons from the red end of the spectrum it loses along the way. Two meters into the ice, most of the reds are dead. A lack of reflected red wavelengths produces the color blue in the human eye.

Sometimes, weather conditions — such as a lack of high winds — allow water to freeze slowly and evenly, resulting in ice composed of large crystals (unlike snow, which is formed quickly and made up of small crystals).

When light hits these big ice crystals, it can travel deep into the structures (compare this to snow, wherein light hits a sharp edge and reflects off of it right away, resulting in blinding white). When the light travels deeper into slowly formed ice, some of the red wavelengths of sunlight — which is the longest wavelength of visible light — get absorbed into the ice structure.

The blue, which is the shortest wavelength of visible light, bounces back out, meets our eyes, and results in a deep aqua color.

So, the simple answer is that ice is blue because the shorter wavelength of the blue spectrum allows it to be reflected according to the laws of physics. Actually, it is quite pretty as well!

Mass from Holy Cross

February 21, 2021

Sally Stebbins was the reader. Our celebrant was Father Peter Wigton.

The Cantor was Sheri Timsak.

View video of the service HERE

Beaver Island Christian Church Service

February 21, 2021

Pastor Dan Johnson did the service today at the Christian Church, February 21, 2021.

Judi Mesiter did the announcements and the opening prelude.

After the opening prayer by Pastor Johnson, Delva Burton did a reading, followed by another reading by Rick Speck.

Pastor Johnson's message.

View video of the service HERE

Harbor Sky

Definitely not a summer sky when these pictures were taken, but the harbor sky is still beautiful, no matter when the pictures are taken. These were taken to show the obvious sunshine with a less than friendly sky in the distance.

Despair

by Cindy Ricksgers

Ice Fishing on the Harbor

February 19, 2021

The harbor is now frozen completely, and there are several cars and trucks pulled out on the ice to provide some sport of fishing through the ice. Several people are giving it a try this year.

View video of the ice fishing sites HERE

Snow Squall

February 16, 2021

Besides the steady snow that is encountered here on Beaver Island, there are also snow squalls that come across the lake and pass by the island. Sometimes, the island gets some of the snow, and sometimes the storm splits as it arrives on the island. Tuesday there were snow squall, and there was a couple of pictures and some video of this taken for those that don't get to experience it.

Looking at a snow squall over the lake southeast of Beaver Island

A little blowing snow across the harbor

And the squall has passed....

View video HERE

Lady Islander Basketball

February 20, 2021

The Lady Islanders played hard, but the Lady Soaring Eagles played more agressively and ended up winning the game. Here are a few pictures from the game.

Two officials for the two games.

View video of the girls's game HERE

Islander Basketball

February 20, 2021

The Islanders played well today against a very good team from Hannahville. The Islanders lead the game from the beginning to the end with some excellent three point shots as well as lay-ups and jump shots. The Islanders won this game today. Here are a few pictures of the Islanders today.

View video of the Islander game HERE

Islander and Lady Islander Basketball

February 20, 2021

The games took place today at the Beaver Island Community School gymnasium beginning at 10 a.m. today with the Lady Islanders versus the Hannahville ladies. The Islanders played beginning 11:30 a.m. With the issue of COVID hanging over the school, most of the students and the spectators wore their masks and kept what social distance could happen in a basketball game and in the spectator section.

Over a hundred individual IP addresses watch the games that were live streamed at http://beaverisland.tv. That is the second largest viewing of any live stream ever. BI News on the 'Net was very glad to be able to provide this service to the community here on the island as well as those viewing from Hannahville and across the state and nation.

While it will take a while to get the pictures processed, the entire three hours of the live stream can be viewed at the following link:

View video of the day at BICS HERE

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 20, 2021

Beaver Island filled with unsung heroes and heroines. Some of the biggest are members of the Beaver Island Fire Department.

Founded in the late 1950's, early 1960's, it is an integral part of our island community but only seen when needed. The first Fire Chief was Bud McDonough whose footsteps were followed by his oldest son, Tim McDonough.

Being a fireman isn't just stepping into the uniform, it's taking classes to become certified and it continues throughout their careers. For example:

Fire Fighter I and II require 250 hours

Strategies and Tactics 45 hours

Educational Methodology 16 hours

Command Officer I and II 80 hours

Incident Safety Officer 16 hours

Drivers training 8 hours

Practical evolutions 100 hours

Continuing education 40 hours a year

It isn't just the hours spent in classes, it is the time spent away from family and jobs. It's a total commitment by the firefighter and their family and their employers. We literally owe our lives to them and their dedication to this field.

The very first fire truck was purchased in 1965 and was a 1947 Chevy Pumper with a 300 gallon water tank. It was followed by a second 1951 Chevy Pumper with a 300 gallon water tank.

The Beaver Island Fire Department has an entire fleet of trucks:

1997 - Sutphen Pumper 500 gallon tank

2001 International Style Pumper 1000 gallon tank

2012 International Pumper 1300 gallon tank *

2013 Danko Tender 3000 gallon tank

1998 GMC T850 Tender 200 gallon tank

2018 Ford F350 YL Brush Truck *

1994 DNR Brush Truck

1990 DNR C60 Brush Truck

* Purchased for the Beaver Island Fire Department by the Steinbach family: Fritz, Anna, and Karen.

The Fire Department Auxiliary has purchased over $300,000 in equipment training for members.

On August 24, 1984 a base radio, 2 mobile radios for trucks, 20 pagers were put into action at Station I, capable of paging out emergencies instead of using 10 household phones with members to be called individually.

September 10, 1991 a new system was installed for Fire and EMS to be paged from the Charlevoix Sheriff's Department remotely.

So who are these special folks that protect us? They are:

Tim McDonough Fire/EMS

Jim Wojan Fire

John Works Jr. Fire

Jim McDonough Fire

Darryll Butler Jr. Fire

Steve Crandall Fire

Joe Timsak Fire

Neal Boyle Fire

Bob Turner Fire/EMS

Tammy LaFreniere Fire/EMS

Gerald LaFreniere Fire/EMS

Bob Marsh Fire

Dillon Butler Fire

Levi Connor Fire

Ben Mach Fire

* Ron Marsh Fire/EMS

*Jordan Marsh Fire/EMS

*Neal Green Fire/EMS

*Brad McDonough Fire/EMS

Quinn Jones Fire

* designated they took the Medical First Responder course of 80 hours for their EMS license.

As you can see, hundreds of hours are spend in becoming and remaining a member of the Beaver Island Fire Department.

Just a few history dates of fires fought on the island:

May 1, 1968 Peter Johnson home burned at 11 pm

December 6, 1969 Bing McCafferty home (Young James house) burned 3:15 am.

February 8, 1970 Old Vesty Farm House burned 5:30 pm

March 12, 1977 K&K Farms house burned 9:30 pm

March 12, 1980 Karl and Pinky Harmon's house burned 6 pm. High winds, cold temperatures and fear that the museum and the entire block may also burn.

May 8, 1987 Smoke reported by Captain Mike Green from the Beaver Islander with flames somewhere in the middle of the island. Fire was found between Hannagan Road and Fox Lake burning 40 to 60 acres before being extinguished - with help from the beavers and their dams.

April 13, 1989 Mike and Pat McGinnity home burned

May 20, 1994 Beachcomber Rose Cafe apartment fire at 4:45 am

December 20, 1998 Tom Whitman's house burned with extensive damage.

October 15, 2008 Gillespie Enterprises burns on Barney's Lake Road

December 1, 2012 Rose Cole called 911 at 12:15 am that their home was on fire. Extensive damage.

January 1, 2013 the Maudrie/Gillespie home burned with extensive damage about 4:30 am.

Our fire department is one of our greatest resources and we are so very lucky to have so many folks dedicated to our safety. When you see these folks, please thank them for their hard work and dedication to the island. They are our unsung heroes and heroines.

Special thanks to Chief Tim McDonough for his help in putting this together.

________________________

Mostly cloudy skies this morning, 19°, feels like 15°, wind is from the NW at 6 mph, humidity is at 92%, dew point is 17°, pressure is 30.22 inches, cloud cover is 90%, visibility is 10 miles, and the cloud ceiling is 7,600 feet. Today: On and off snow showers this morning. Peeks of sunshine later. High 24F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%. Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low 18F. Winds light and variable.

______________________________

ON THIS DAY In a highly controversial vote on February 20, 1985, the Irish government defies the powerful Catholic Church and approves the sale of contraceptives.

Up until 1979, Irish law prohibited the importation and sale of contraceptives. In a 1973 case, McGee v. The Attorney General, the Irish Supreme Court found that a constitutional right to marital privacy covered the use of contraceptives. Pressured by strong conservative forces in Irish society, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, the government was slow to change the law to reflect the court’s decision, and a number of proposed bills failed before reaching the books.

In 1979, the Irish health minister, Charles Haughey, introduced a bill limiting the legal provision of contraceptives to “bona fide family planning purposes.” Signed into law in November 1980, the Health (Family Planning) Act ensured that contraceptives could be sold by a registered pharmacist to customers with a valid medical prescription. Still, many people saw the law as too strict. Over the next several years, a movement began to make contraceptives more easily available, causing bitter divisions inside and outside of the Dail, Ireland’s main house of Parliament.

As the government debated the changes, Catholic Church leaders railed against them, warning that increased access to contraceptives would encourage the moral decay of Ireland, leading to more illegitimate children and increased rates of abortion and venereal disease. On the eve of the vote in early 1985, the Dublin archbishop claimed the legislation would send Ireland down a “slippery slope of moral degradation.” Some politicians were even threatened with violence if they voted for the legislation.

On February 20, 1985, a coalition of the Fine Gael and Labour parties led by Dr. Garret FitzGerald defeated the opposition of the conservative Fianna Fail party by an 83-80 vote. The new legislation made non-medical contraceptives (condoms and spermicides) available without prescriptions to people over 18 at pharmacies; it also allowed for the distribution of these contraceptives at doctors’ offices, hospitals and family planning clinics. Though it was still illegal to advertise contraceptives and use of the birth control pill remained restricted, the vote marked a major turning point in Irish history—the first-ever defeat of the Catholic Church in a head-to-head battle with the government on social legislation. (history.com)

__________________________

DID YOU KNOW 1852 The Michigan Southern Railroad reaches Chicago. 1909 The Hudson Motor Car Company is organized.

Hudson Motor Car CompanyFounded with the financial backing of Detroit department store founder J. L. Hudson, the company produced its first car on July 3, 1909. The company was later absorbed by the American Motors Corporation. (cmich.edu)

___________________________

WORD OF THE DAY perdure (per-DUR) which means to continue to exist: last. Perdure may be an unfamiliar word for many of our readers, but those who suspect they see hints of its ancestry in the more familiar synonym endure are correct. Perdure was borrowed into Middle English from Anglo-French and traces back to the Latin verb perdurare, meaning "to continue." Perdurare, in turn, was formed by combining the intensifying prefix per- with the verb durare, meaning "to last." Durare is also an ancestor of the English words endure, durable, indurate, and during, among others. (merriam-webster.com)

Beaver Island Community School Weekly Update

Friday, February 19, 2021

Islander Basketball at Home this Weekend!

The Islanders host the Hannahville Soaring Eagles this Saturday. Please note that spectators at home games will be limited to two spectators per athlete. Athletes have already given their names to the Athletic Director. If an athlete has only one person to bring, they may give their second spectator to another athlete. All spectators must wear school-appropriate masks (no exhaust valves, gaiter-style masks must be double-layered, etc.) that cover the nose and mouth and must practice social distancing in the stands from those not in their immediate household. In order to ensure that spectators keep their mask on, there will be absolutely no food or drink consumed by spectators. There will be no concessions and there will be no food or drink (including water) allowed in the school building. To reduce congestion between the games, we are expecting spectators to enter the building through the front door and leave through the door by the staff parking lot. The spectator guidelines are attached. Those not following these guidelines will be asked to leave the premises. We are so grateful that we are able to have a basketball season for our students, and we are hoping that all spectators follow the guidelines so that we may be able to continue. Joe Moore will be live streaming the games so those at home can keep up with the action!

Senior Athlete Parent Recognition Next Saturday

We will be honoring the parents of our senior athletes next week between the girls and boys basketball games. Parents—keep your eyes out for an e-mail from Kerry Smith, Athletic Director regarding more details on the logistics for our parent recognition event.

March Lunch Order Sheets Due on Thursday, February 25th

The lunch menu and order sheets are attached. If you are planning on having your student eat lunch at school next month, please complete the March lunch order and return it to the office by next Thursday. If you need any additional information, please call Ms. Pomorski, BICS School Secretary, at (231) 448-2744.

Another 130 Doses Administered!

I’d like to send a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make Wednesday’s vaccination clinic run smoothly! We were able to complete administering 130 second doses…another step in the journey to helping end the COVID-19 pandemic. I’d also like to thank the anonymous Beaver Island resident who purchased lunch for everyone working at the school during the clinic. The health department staff, school staff, and volunteers truly appreciated the delicious gift of a Dalwhinnie lunch!

Second Dose Pfizer Vaccine Clinic next Tuesday!

BICS will be hosting the clinic to administer the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine to those who received their first dose on February 2, 2021. Since we will have only 60 patients, this clinic will be taking place from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm. Given that we are able to separate the folks coming to the vaccine clinic from the elementary wing and the secondary wing, and the folks coming to the clinic have already had their first dose, we will be conducting school as normal during the clinic. To keep things as separate as possible, we will make some tweaks to the afternoon program: We will be having the secondary students leave the building through the Science classroom door at the end of the day and the elementary students will have their afternoon gym time outside. We will clean and sanitize the gymnasium immediately after the clinic so that basketball practice can begin at 5:00 pm. Although we will take all precautions to separate the immunization clinic from teaching and learning going on in the academic wings, if you would like to keep your student home from school after lunch, you are welcome to do so.

Complacency is Our Next Challenge

In a meeting yesterday between area school district superintendents and the health department leadership, Lisa Peacock, Health Officer for Northwest Michigan, noted that “complacency is our new enemy.” She noted that with every vaccine administered we are getting closer to the end of the pandemic, but that we are not anywhere close to “community immunity” yet. We still need to keep wearing our masks, social distancing, and avoiding large groups to keep the current trend lines of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths going in the right direction. BICS will continue to vigilantly follow our COVID-safe protocols…and we hope that you do too!

Have a Great Weekend!

March 2021 Student Lunch Order Sheet

BICS Spectator Guidelines

March Calendar with Meals Listed

From Beaver Island COA

Hello,

I received this attached document today from the COA main office in Charlevoix. This document provides information for individuals about pharmacies and other ways to obtain an appointment for the Covid-19 vaccine. I know there is nothing on here directly related to Beaver Island, however I feel the information is important to pass along to the community and I hope that each of you will consider passing this along.

Another side note I received is that as of February 19, 2021 there are 29,000 people signed up with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan who are signed up but still do not have a scheduled appointment for their first Covid-19 vaccination shot. The 29,000 individuals are in the 65 and older group and are spread out between Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties. All appointments depend on vaccines that are available at the time.

I appreciate each of you and the work you do in this community. May you all have a wonderful weekend and please contact me if you have any questions.

Grace and peace be with you,

Lonnie Allen

Site Coordinator, Beaver Island COA

Charlevoix County Beaver Island

Building coordinator/Maintenance assistant

(231) 448-2124

allenl@charlevoixcounty.org

View/Download the document HERE

Lynn Howard DeGrow, RIP

Lynn Howard DeGrow, age 76, of Charlevoix, Michigan, passed away Saturday, February 13, 2021, surrounded by his family. Born on December 16, 1944, in North Branch, Michigan, Lynn was the son of the late Hollis and Edith (Seelye) DeGrow. He married Linda (Murray) DeGrow on May 25, 1968, in Sudbury, Mass.

Lynn was a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy, served his country in Vietnam and retired from the Coast Guard Reserve as a captain. He was also a residential builder with DeGrow and Sons, owned and operated DeGrow’s Pro Hardware, and managed the Beaver Island Boat Company. He served as a director of the Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Kiwanis Club.

He is survived by his four children: Anne (Greg) Harmon of Mikado, Mich., Darcie (Rick) Clapp of Grand Haven, Mich., Brad (Liz) DeGrow of Cary, N.C., Kurt (Jenny) DeGrow of Allegan, Mich.; eight grandchildren: Kyle and Brooke Harmon, Claire and Ian Clapp, Ella and Abby DeGrow, Max and Grace DeGrow; and two sisters, Carol Crowel of Evergreen, Colorado, and Sharon Yale of Lexington, N.C. He was preceded in death by his wife, Linda; and his brother, Wayne.

Elks Fundraiser

February 18, 2021

So.... How lucky are you? Well, you're about to find out!!! The Beaver Island Elks Auxiliary is sponsoring a "St. Paddy's Pot O' Gold" raffle with multiple winners drawn on the final day of St. Paddy's weekend, March 14. Tickets are $5 each, or 5 for $20. Raffle prizes (including the famous basket of booze) are being collected as we speak. More details will follow. The raffle is open to the public. Michigan license number: X03779. C'mon Elks! Contact me (or any Elk) to buy tickets. And btw... All proceeds go to the Elk's Charitable Giving accounts. No revenue will go to a building fund.

Beaver Island Music Festival 2021

Join our team! Buy a shirt to help our cause today!

Help keep the music alive! Join the BIMF Team. Together we have the power to accomplish some pretty incredible things. We see it every day! The campaigns you support, the causes you rally behind, and the projects you bring to life, are what keeps the beat going. We need your help to support musicians and the cultural arts to keep the music flowing. You're doing something amazing by purchasing a Team BIMF t-shirt to support us in the work we are doing.
THANK YOU!

Since 2003 the Beaver Island Music Festival, an annual community-based event, has grown a vibrant cultural community on a remote Lake Michigan island. PARC is dedicated to creating ways to retain and support artists, personnel, festival goers, and community members who have been affected by the many cancellations by trying to minimize the devastating economic impact. We plan to continue events, either in person or by creating new platforms, that will support the mission of our organization and make sure this vital asset to our rural and isolated community does not disappear. These artists represent the cultural history and spirit of the island with a combination of traditional and current music. The Festival means much more than a set of musical performances. It is a way of bringing people to Beaver Island every year to experience the natural beauty, community spirit, enjoy talented musicians, and support an island that depends on summer visitors for its economic resilience. In the coming months we will need your support to keep moving forward into 2021. Beaver Island Music Festival 2020 will become BIMF 2021 with artists returning for a stronger festival. For more information https://bimf.ne

Order your t-shirt HERE

St. James Township Public Works Committee

FEBRUARY 17, 2021 @ 11:00AM @ VIA ZOOM

View/download the Meeting Notice and Zoom info HERE

January 2021 Minutes

February 2021 Minutes

Video of the meeting HERE

Search for Rental or Other

from Kelly Becker

ISO year-round rental options, land contract, rent-to-own, or fabulous home purchase options beginning late May, by June 1, 2021, needed. Please feel free to message me on Facebook Messenger, private message me, text or call me at 269-377-5049.

From St. James Supervisor

February 16, 2021

In 2017, St James Township on Beaver Island was awarded a C3F grant of $5,250 to hire a consultant to write a Recreation Plan for the township, and to position itself to submit proposals to potential grantors to improve and promote access to recreational sites for residents and visitors. The township leveraged the original $5,250 grant into nearly $3 million in grants and gifts over the last few years. Through state, tribal, and private grants and gifts, the following improvements are completed or underway: a new bathhouse and electricity at the campground, 500’ of harbor front property protected, electrical upgrades at two marina locations, improved boat launch and fuel pier, new marina office, and upgraded bathhouse at the public marina. We congratulate St. James Township on their extensive success!

(from the Charlevoix Community Foundation)

Commission on Aging Updates

Hello friends,

Here is a joke to start today’s conversation. What’s the difference between a hippo and a Zippo? I will have the answer posted at the end of this post.

The Charlevoix County Commission on Aging on Beaver Island now has Beaver Island Community School lunch menus and order sheets available online to print off and return to the COA office or they can be picked up at the COA office.

Valentine Bingo will wrap up next week. If you picked up a bingo card and got a bingo please return those cards to the COA office by noon on Friday, Feb. 26. If you still want to play all call symbols are available in the COA office along with Bingo cards. You can take a card and the sheet with this month’s call symbols on it home and mark your card to see if you got a bingo. All cards should be returned with name and contact number on them for the prize drawings.

I have had one couple contact me for the Not so Newlywed Game. We are looking for four couples who are age 60 and older to participate in the game show activity. The planned activity is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Beaver island Community Center. For more information call 448-2124.

In March, I will prepare a COA Easter Dinner for Beaver Island Commission on Aging clients. The meal is limited to 50 people and will require pre-registration. To register for the Easter Dinner please stop by or call the COA office. Registration for the dinner will end at noon on March 19, 2021 or earlier if the 50 person registration is reached. The menu includes honey baked ham, roasted vegetable, au gratin potatoes, dinner roll and dessert served with milk or juice. The meal will be drive-thru pickup only taking place between 4-5 p.m. on March 31.

What’s the difference between a hippo and a Zippo? One’s really heavy; the other’s a little lighter.

March COA order form

March COA Calendar

Special Peaine Township Meeting

Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 2:00 pm

View meeting notice and Zoom attendance information HERE

2 16 21 Peaine Special Meeting Packet_001

PLAN OUTLINE TO PROVIDE REMOVAL OF SCRAP METAL version 2-1

Single Stream Recycling

View video of the Zoom meeting HERE

Peaine Township Board Meeting

Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at 7 p.m.

Airport Budget Report

Peaine NonDiscriminationPolicy

Peaine Conflict of Interest Policy

Peaine Special Meeting Minutes 1 6 2021

PTBmin121520SM

PTBmin120820

Peaine 2021 January Regular Meeting Information

20201217 Easement Resolution

Letters of Interest

Peaine 1 12 2021 Bills for Payment_001

PLAN OUTLINE TO PROVIDE REMOVAL OF SCRAP METAL

View video of this meeting HERE

BICS Board Meeting

January 11, 2021, at 6:30 p.m.

View Board Meeting Packet HERE

View video of the Zoom Meeting HERE

Zoning on Beaver Island

January 11, 2021 (Updated on the 12th)

There is a move to attempt to match the Zoning Ordinance of Beaver Island to match the Master Plan for the Island. In this process, there is a lot of work to be completed. Before moving forward into this process, it is necessary to know where zoning is now before changing it. This Zoning Ordinance is getting a little old and does need work. The plan needs to be and island wide plan, not just a single township plan. Hopefully, both St. James and Peaine Townships will work together to accomplish the needed work.

The zoning ordinance is available online, but this website will make it available HERE for anyone interested. This was a joint zoning ordinance dated in 2004, There have been changes to the Peaine Township Zoning as well as the critical dune requirements. Peaine Zoning was redone in 2017 and their critical dune ordinance addition was done in 2018.

Peaine Township Codified Zoning Ordinance

Critical Dune Amendments & MDEQ Approval Letter 01-25-18

It may also be noted that part of St. James and Peaine Townships are in the Port of St. James Authority, and, if in this property in these areas, their information is important as well.

View PSJA info HERE

BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT COMMISSION

will hold its 2021 meetings on the following dates at 12:00 p.m. at the Beaver Island Airport

Feb 1st, April 19th, August 16th , and October 25th - 2021

Public Meeting Dates

View HERE

REGULAR MEETING DATES Posting040119

St. James finance and pwc meeting dates 2020-2021

List including St. James Finanace and Public Works Committee Meeting HERE

BEAVER ISLAND PRESS RELEASE

02/12/2021

Beaver Island was awarded an EXCITING Tourism Grant!

The Beaver Island Historical Society in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce was awarded an Infrastructure Development grant for $31,800 from the Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development with a total project amount of $45,400.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has selected our community through a competitive grant process. The state will be investing up to $31,800 in infrastructure development. We are working on a tight timeframe to implement a tourism campaign with the following objectives:

• 25+ Interpretive signs posted around Beaver Island for visitors to explore the island's natural, historic, maritime, agriculture and logging sites of Beaver Island.

• Heritage Park upgrades! New picnic tables, benches, a bike rack and trash receptacle.

• Blue -Buffalo Camp Trail improvements and safety development. This includes trail clearing, raised footbridges, wayfinding signs, trail cameras, personal safety beacons and motion trackers.

• Developing a Beaver Island Tourism App.

• Printing comprehensive trail maps.

To learn more about this exciting project, please contact the Chamber, Paul Cole, Office: 231.448.2505, Chamber@beaverisland.org ; or Historical Society, Office: 231.448.2254 Lori Taylor-Blitz, Bihistory.director@gmail.com

https://www.michigan.gov/.../0,4610,7-125-1572_28248...

Elks' Burger Night Success

February 12, 2021

Burger Night this past Wednesday was roaring success in spite of the cold weather. We sold 214 burgers. We learned from our first Burger Night (in late December) and solved two big problems: First, no one waited in line longer than 5-7 minutes; and Second, everyone who wanted a burger got one. The pre-order hot line worked very well. We took over 100 pre-orders. We'll do pre-orders again. A special shout-out THANK YOU to all the Elk volunteers who helped to pull this off. We've already marked our calendars for our next Burger Night -- March 10. So... This can become one of the answers for the famous question that we are asked in the summer: "What do people do on Beaver Island in the winter?" Answer: "We go to Burger Night!" (All of the proceeds go into the Elk's Charitable Giving accounts which goes right back into the community. None of the revenue goes to a building fund.) Patrick Nugent

(This information was taken from a public website and posted exactly as it appeared._

BICS Basketball

February 11, 2021

The BICS basketball teams, Islanders and Lady Islanders, will begin their season this coming weekend. The first games will be away games. The school here on the island is preparing for the home games, yet to be announced, by giving out the information that is needed to keep everyone safe from COVID-19. As we have seen with many of the professional sporting events, the attendance has been very limitied. Here is the list of protections for all to follow for these local games.

Beaver Island Community School
Spectator Guidelines for 2021 Basketball Season
Due to the size of our gym and the desire to keep our athletes and their families safe, Beaver Island Community School has established the following spectator guidelines for the 2021 Basketball season based on recommendations by MHSAA, MDHHS, and the Health Department of Northwest Michigan. We ask that all spectators adhere to these guidelines.

Each Islander athlete will be allowed two spectators for home games. Athletes will provide the Athletic Director with the names of their two spectators at least two days prior to each home game. Only spectators specifically named by the student athlete will be allowed entrance to the school.
All spectators must sign in at the door for contact tracing purposes.
Spectators may only stay for the athlete’s game for which they were scheduled. Spectators may not stay for both games unless they have an athlete on both the boy’s & girl’s teams.
7th-12th grade non-student athletes and BICS staff members will be allowed to spectate at all home games. BICS staff members or designated scorekeepers will not count against an athlete’s allotment of two spectators.
Media personnel (up to two) will be allowed into home games with prior approval from the Athletic Director to take photos and livestream games.
College athletic scouts may attend Islander competitions with prior approval from the Athletic Director.
Athletes on one team may watch their fellow athletes play (e.g., the boys may watch the girls’ team play and vice-versa).
There will be no food or drinks consumed during the game by any spectators. There will be no concessions and spectators shall not bring any food or drink of any kind (including water or coffee) to the school for to any competition.
There will be no gate fee charged at the door for home games at BICS.
All spectators, coaches, scorekeepers, students, and staff are required to be masked at all times with the mask properly covering both nose and mouth. (For those who have a medical condition that does not permit the wearing of a mask, you must submit a signed doctor’s order to the school office two days prior to the event.)
All spectators are to sit in the stands and are expected to maintain social distance of 6 or more feet from people who are not in your immediate household.

NOTE: Away games may have different requirements. Spectators should always check with BICS office to see what spectator requirements are before making arrangements to travel to away games.
If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, please call the BICS office at
448-2744 and speak to Wil Cwikiel or Kerry Smith email: kerrys@beaverisland.k12.mi.us

Read and/or download this document HERE

Peaine Township Meeting

February 9, 2021, at 7 p.m.

2021 February Regular PTB Agenda

Gen fund report 1 26 21

PTPCagn020921

PTPCmin030320

February 2021 Bills for Payment_001

PLAN OUTLINE TO PROVIDE REMOVAL OF SCRAP METAL version 2

Draft Minutes Special Meeting 010421

Conflict of Interest Policy

Addendum to January 6th 2021 Special Meeting Minutes

Addendum to December 15th Joint Special Meeting Minutes

Addendum to December 8th Minutes

Single Stream Recycling

2020-02-03-01 Purchase of Avigation Easement Hites RESOLUTION Feb 2021

2021 2022 salary resolutions

Peaine minutes January 2021 regular

View video of the meeting HERE

Beaver Haven Tales 5

by Glenn Hendrix

Story #5: The Rescue

I was a good swimmer and loved working on boats and on the docks. I was not afraid of water and didn't think about safety. However, most kids raised on the Island did not know how to swim. I had the luxury of learning in a swimming pool, but there was no pool on the Island, just Lake Michigan which was usually cold.

There were always kids hanging around the dock. Some would fish. The Kenwabikise kids just used some line, a sinker, and a hook. They lowered the hook through the cracks in the dock. They caught lots of rock bass. Once I saw one of those kids poking at a huge dead carp on the shore, and I suggested he should take it home to his mother to cook! I didn't realize it, but Phil watched these kids quite carefully.

One day some of the young McDonough and Green girls were playing at the end of the dock. This was normal, and I paid no attention to them. All of a sudden Phil raced past me--I never knew he could move so quickly! He grabbed a life ring hanging from the dock house, ran to the end and threw it in the water. One of the girls had fallen in. Phil fished her out of the water and comforted her while not making such a fuss that she would never go near the water again. I learned two lessons: docks are dangerous and Phil could run really fast.

Gus Schmidt BI Resident for Many Years

Gus celebrated his 21st birthday on the banks of the Rhine river during WWII.

Gus is celebrating his 97th birthday on March 2, 2021. This is likely his last, as he has been diagnosed with late stage cancer. If you would like to send him a birthday card his address is

Gus Schmidt

210 Garfield Apt 309

Charlevoix, MI 49720

BICS Board Meeting Packet

February 8, 2021, at 6:30 p.m.

View meeting packet HERE

View video of the meeting HERE

Joe's Junk Website Up

February 1, 2021

Hello Islanders!

My 100 year Joe's Junk clean-up project has officially started. After coordinating with the townships and others, our website is now public and we need your help with inventorying. Feel free to go to joesjunk.org and answer a few questions about your junk.

When we have a good idea of how much junk there is, we can approach potential buyers and coordinate logistics. But we need your help. And tell your neighbors and friends to help too. I recently learned there was a toxic clean-up job here in the 70's. It took years and made the harbor look awful. Let's avoid that. Join us today! Go to joesjunk.org. And remember, IT'S NOT ABOUT BLIGHT OR BLAME. IT'S ABOUT OUR WATER.

Barbara Rahn

Ice on the Harbor

Viewing the point from the playground

B. I. Community School Meetings

January 27, 2021

2021 Meetings Schedule

Committee of the Whole Mtg 2021

Beech Leaf Disease

Added to Michigan’s invasive species watch list

View this information HERE

Clan a Gals Cancel St. Patrick's Day Games

February 8, 2021

We regret to announce that the 2021 Beaver Island St. Patrick's Day festivities will be cancelled this year. Heather, Hilary and I had the opportunity to meet this past weekend and we decided that it would be best to not host the games due to many circumstances (COVID, State Restrictions, Weather, etc.) that are out of our control. We hope you all understand that this was a difficult decision for us to make as we enjoy planning and watching you all participate every year! We promise to make the St. Patrick's Day festivities in 2022 a weekend to remember! Slainte'

A Video from the Past

About seventeen years ago, the director of Beaver Island EMS was Joe Moore. His son Phillip Michael Moore was in a Master's Degree program in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant. It just so happened that the video project for his degree was to be a documentary about BIEMS and the need for a local air ambulance. His video was very professionally done.

It also happened that his grandfather, Phil Gregg, happened to have a heart attack while Michael was on the island filming for this documentary. Lots of volunteer EMS people are shown in this video, along with some of the patients, of course with their permission. The documentary was completed in 2004, prior to the second paramedic class taught on Beaver Island, so some of the current EMS providers were not in this documentary.

At the time of the filming, BIEMS was a volunteer EMS agency with people getting paid only a small amount for each emergency to help cover their gas expenses for participating in an emergency call. Some of them are listed here: Jim Stambaugh, Tim McDonough, Cindy Cushman, Gerald LaFreniere, and others. The "32 Miles of Water" title of the documentary referred to the miles from Beaver Island to the mainland hospitals of Charlevoix and Petoskey.

The Beaver Island community is so fortunate to now have Island Airways with a FAA certified air ambulance that has been operating for more than ten years now. At the time this video was made, the only emergency flights were done by Northflight EMS out of Traverse City, Michigan, or the US Coast Guard helicopter, also out of Traverse City. Sarah McCafferty was the EMS director and then Danielle Dedloff when the BIEMS licensed the Welke Aviation 866JA Britten Norman Islander aircraft with the State of Michigan as an air transport vehicle under the BIEMS agency license. This is the most efficient method of getting a patient off Beaver Island and to a hospital when an emergency occurs.

The concern 17 years ago was the time necessary to get the patient to the mainland hospital with the Golden Hour being the popular EMS period of getting the patient to the operating room within this 60 minute period of time. With the flight time from Traverse City to Beaver Island being almost an hour, this Golden Hour was taken up just getting the aircraft here. Now, with the Island Airways aircraft here on the island, the time to Charlevoix Airport or Harbor Springs Airport is less than 20 minutes or less than half the time to get the plane to the island from Traverse City.

The modern advanced life support agency, completed by a locally based air transport capability makes the island quite capable of transporting a patient within this Golden Hour, but only if the local aircraft and local pilot are available. Thank you, Paul Welke and Island Airways for you commitment to helping BIEMS accomplish this goal.

This video is seventeen years old, or thereabouts, but the accomplishments can still be applauded. Great job and thank you to all the volunteers that allowed this service to accomplish many successes. It has only been four and half years that the BIEMS is now a paid paramedic ALS agency, and the same challenges are still with us here today. The work of all those in the past to get this system set up in an efficient manner cannot be ignored. Great job to all the volunteers!

View this documentary from 2004 HERE

From Holy Cross Parish

February 5, 2021

Budget_Spreadsheet_V1.012321.December.Quarterly.Version

Holy_Cross_Letter_to_Parish.013121

Beaver Island Community School Committee of the Whole

Wednesday, February 3, 2021, at 5:30 pm

View agenda and meeting info HERE

View video of Zoom meeting HERE

(The editor had no time to view the video of this meeting because he was involved in the St James Township Board meeting, so this video was not edited.)

St. James Township Board Meeting Documents

February 3, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom

DRAFT Tele Ad Com Min 01212021 additions-1

monthlyfinancereport2_february.2021

PLAN OUTLINE TO PROVIDE REMOVAL OF SCRAP METAL version 2

SJTBagn02.03.21

SJTFCmin012521

supervisorslens2_Feb2021

120420-020121 Bills for approval

Draft Minutes 010621 regular meeting

Payroll 010121-020121

StJ Budget 0221

2020-02-03-01 Purchase of Avigation Easement Hites - replacing 2020-01-06-01

2021-02-03-02 Resolution - 2021County Parks Grant (1)

2021-02-03-03 Agreement to contribute financially to MiSAIL Partner Agreement

View video of the Zoom meeting HERE

Community Mapping & Michigan’s New Redistricting Process

Voters amended the state Constitution in 2018 to put everyday Michiganders in charge of drawing the voting district lines that determine who we vote for to represent us in state and federal government. Now, an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is responsible for drawing Michigan’s voting district lines by November 1, 2021. An important requirement is that commissioners should keep information from communities of interest collected through public input in mind as they draw the districts.

What is a Community of Interest? Communities of interest can be a group of any size whose members share cultural, economic, historic, and/or other shared interests.

Communities all across the state now have an exciting opportunity -- for the first time in the state’s history -- to give input and make sure Michigan’s election district maps result in better representation for the people. The Commission will rely on voters like you to identify, show and explain where Michigan’s communities of interest are. It will be holding public hearings throughout 2021 to get public input. When you participate, you will give your community a voice.

For more information, you can click HERE

(Info from Nishta Bahtia)

Street Address Editorial

An Editorial on Street Address Signs
By Joe Moore

While no longer in the local EMS or the local fire department providing services, nor as an auxiliary officer of the CCSD, I find that this past year as a federal Census employee, I had a difficult time finding addresses on Beaver Island.

This seems really strange to me since I’ve lived here or visited here for over fifty years in total. Living here for forty-five years, you would think that I’d be able to find most addresses on the island, and I did find this a definite advantage when I was functioning first as an EMT and then as a paramedic.

I was not aware that there was an ordinance that required the posting of the address on each and every driveway here on Beaver Island that was passed by the Charlevoix County Board of Commissioners. I was not aware that the sign needed to be green with white letters on both sides with the top of the sign five feet from the ground and adjacent to the driveway or on a mailbox adjacent to the driveway that is five feet to the top of the box. I also didn’t know that it had to be visible from both directions of the road that the address was on.

I was also unaware that the ordinance can have this post placed and the owner billed, in addition to a fine of $50-$100.

As a census employee, it was very difficult to find the many addresses that I was assigned, mainly because the ordinance was not enforced by the county, nor are some addresses posted following the requirements of this ordinance. My guess is that the visiting census employees not only cost more money to fly over to the island, have motel reservations, etc. but also having difficulty locating the addresses that they may have been assigned.

So, this editorial is really a request of property owners on the island. Please comply with this ordinance to help all the public service agencies on the island, and prevent the waste of funds involved in locating a particular property.

You may or may not be here on the island, but having all addresses shown on these signs can help during a serious emergency. I remember just one emergency down the East Side where it took us more than ten minutes to find the right driveway AFTER driving down there. Unfortunately, the patient did not survive.

Only the applicable parts of the ordinance are included here.

BITA Meeting Schedule

View/download HERE

Beaver Island Community Players

Interview with Jacque LaFreniere on 1/19/2021

View video of the interview HERE

BIRHC Board of Directors SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE

Friday, February 5, 2021 at 4:00 pm

View video of the meeting HERE

Beaver Island Airport Commission

February 1, 2021, at 12 p.m. via Zoom

airport commission 2 1 2021 regular agenda

DRAFT amended 20-21 and proposed 21-22 budget Airport Commission (1)

Oct 26 BIAC meeting minutes

The Beaver Island Airport Commission had a closed session in the middle of the meeting, but video of the other two halves of the meeting are available.

View the video of the meeting's Open Sessions HERE

Welcome to the February 2021 Edition-B I Christian Church Newsletter

10 a.m. SUNDAY SERVICE

VISITING PASTORS

February 7 – Pastor Gene Drenth
February 14 – Message from Chris Bass
February 21 – Pastor Dan Johnson
February 28 – Pastor Gene Drenth

View and/or Dowmload the Newsletter HERE

Ways to Give to BIRHC

The Beaver Island Rural Health Center raises only 28% of the funding it needs to operate from patient and insurance payments. The rest comes from property taxes, grants and donations.

There are several ways you can support the Health Center and the essential services it provides:

Amazon Smile

Did you know that much more funding than just patient payments are needed to support our health center operations? We are now a registered charitable organization on Amazon Smile! When you designate BIRHC as your charitable organization and shop through Smile.Amazon.com, Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to the Health Center. Amazon Smile is the same Amazon you know… same products, same prices, same service. Support the Beaver Island Rural Health Center by shopping at smile.amazon.com.

To do this, go to http://www.Smile.Amazon.com, and enter “Beaver Island Rural Health Center” as your charity of choice. Then shop under “Smile.Amazon.com” when purchasing products. Every bit counts!

AmazonSmile: You shop. Amazon gives.

smile.amazon.com

The BIRHC Special Projects Fund

This fund is held with the Charlevoix County Community Foundation. Its purposes are twofold: To fund new and improved programs and to serve as a contingency fund from which the board can borrow to operate the Health Center during times of negative cash flow. This is especially important due to the seasonal fluctuations of property tax receipts and patient revenue. The Special Projects Fund is always kept in liquid investments that do not vary with market conditions. This fund can be spent down to zero in emergency situations. To contribute to this fund click on the Charlevoix County Community Foundation link below and follow the site’s instructions. Specify “BIRHC Special Projects Fund” in the appropriate box on the page.

The BIRHC Endowment Fund

This fund is a permanent endowment fund also held at the Charlevoix County Community Foundation. It was the brainchild of the late Dr. Phil Lange. It is invested under the direction of the Community Foundation’s Finance Committee, is designed to grow over time, and is subject to the Foundation’s spending policy, which provides an annual distribution to the BIRHC. Because the fund is endowed, the principal can never be invaded. So donating to the BIRHC Endowment is a way to “do good forever.” The long-term goal of the BIRHC Board is to build a 1.5 million dollar endowment that could eliminate the current need to hold several yearly fundraisers in order to keep the Health Center doors open. Endowment Fund donations of $10,000 or more are recognized with engraved plaques on the “Legacy Tree” wall sculpture located in the reception area of the health Center. Gifts can be paid over up to five years.

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. Contributions can also be made online at www.c3f.org.

(from biruralhealth.org)

BITA Meeting Schedule

View/download HERE

Transfer Station Website Up and Running

August 19, 2020

View the website HERE

Transfer Station Prices Increase 10/1/2020

Due to some large increases of the American Waste company, the transfer station prices will need to be increased. There is a list here that you can see the increased prices beginning on the first of October 2020.

CHARLEVOIX COUNTY TRANSIT SERVICE HOURS/INFORMATION ON BEAVER ISLAND

CHARLEVOIX COUNTY TRANSIT IS COMMITTED TO ASSISTING RESIDENTS OF CHARLEVOIX COUNTY REMAIN HEALTHY AND SAFE.

DAYS/HOURS OF SERVICE MONDAY-FRIDAY 10:30AM – 2:30PM
DISPATCH OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:00AM - 4:00PM
231-582-6900 OR 1-844-792-6900

FARE RATES DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS:
 PASSENGER RIDES:
Seniors Free (thank you Commission on Aging)
19-59 Years Old $2.00
3-18 Years Old $1.50
Students $1.00 (discounted fare going to/from school only)
Under 3 Years Old Free with adult rider

SERVICES AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE DURING BUSINESS HOURS:
 DELIVERY OF MEALS, GROCERIES, PET FOOD (UNDER 25#), ETC. THROUGH DECEMBER 31
 DELIVERY OF PRESCRIPTIONS THROUGH DECEMBER 31
 DELIVERY OF MAIL THROUGH DECEMBER 31
 DELIVERY OF OTHER ESSENTIAL ITEMS THROUGH DECEMBER 31

PREMIUM RIDES/DELIVERIES AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS HOURS $10 PER PERSON/DELIVERY PER TRIP (based on driver availability)
WE SUGGEST PRE-SCHEDULING DELIVERIES AT LEAST ONE BUSINESS DAY IN ADVANCE. PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE BUSINESS FOR PAYMENT OF ITEMS PRIOR TO REQUESTING DELIVERY.

**Passengers Must Wear a Face Covering or Mask While Onboard Transit Vehicles and Sanitize Hands (provided) Prior to Boarding **

The Founding Documents for the Airport Commission

The Intergovernmental Agreement

The Rules for Procedure

Township Agreement with BIRHC

As I've already posted the challenge to the townships to begin posting all the agreements with all commissions, committees, and authorities, along with any governing documents and changes to those documents, it became necessary to begin a search for those that seem to be questioned nowadays. Thanks to the person that sent me this copy of this agreement. I believe that everyone should read these agreements and make certain that they are being followed. This agreement was signed in August 2002. No changes to this agreement have been able to be found using search engines.

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Posted on 9/6/18 at 9:15 a.m. Reposted 10/13/2020

Donate to the Food Pantry

Use this button below to donate to the Food Pantry.

Donate to the Live Streaming Project

The Live Streaming Project includes BICS Sports Events, Peaine Township Meetings, Joint Township Meetings, and much more.

Your donation may allow these events to be live streamed on the Internet at http://beaverisland.tv

B. I. News on the 'Net, February 22-March 7, 2021

Mass from Holy Cross

March 7, 2021

Beaver Island Christian Church Service

March 7, 2021

Disappointment

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 7, 2021

Hubert J. McCauley, RIP

Kathleen Richards, RIP

From Adam Richards

"IRELAND: THE SOUL OF EUROPE"

WED MARCH 17 @ 7 p.m.

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 6, 2021

Beaver Island Community School Weekly Update

Friday, March 5, 2021

Vote for BIDL

BITA Meeting

BICS Board of Education

March 8, 2021, 6:30 p.m.

Basketball - Both Games - Entire Afternoon

Islanders vs Lakers

March 4, 2021

Seniors' Parents' Recognition

March 4, 2021

Lady Islanders vs Lady Lakers

March 4, 2021

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 5, 2021

Beaver Island Historical Society Presents

Beaver Island Rural Health Center Board of Directors

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 4, 2021

Updated MDHHS Orders

March 2, 2021

BICS Committee of the Whole

March 3, 2021

CMU Biological Center to Offer Classes this Summer

Time Sensitive Survey

Share Your Experience With Storm And Climate Events In An Indiana University Survey

Veteran's Park Flags at Half Staff

Timeout for Art: Time

March 3, 2021

St. Patty Bingo March 1-7 symbols

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 3, 2021

Wind and Waves

March 2, 2021

BICS Basketball Rescheduled to Thursday

ST. JAMES PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING AGENDA

Updated 3/2/2021 at 3 p.m.

St. James Meeting Documents

March 3, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom

Weather by Joe

March 2, 2021

Gorgeous Sunset

March 1, 2021

Snow and Blowing Snow

March 1, 2021

Live Streaming Video Report

March 1, 2021

From Charlevoix County COA

March 1, 2021

**Join us by calling your Center for details and an email invite**

Phyllis' Daily Weather

March 1, 2021

Island Currents - The BIA Newsletter - Winter 2021

SFC (Ret) John E. Carey, RIP

Mass from Holy Cross

February 28, 2021

Beaver Island Christian Church

February 28, 2021 – 10:00 a.m. Worship Leader: Pastor Gene Drenth

Destiny

Phyllis' Daily Weather

February 28, 2021

Beaver Haven Tales 6

by Glenn Hendrix

Story #6: The Show-off

Phyllis' Daily Weather

Join us by calling your Center for details and an email invite

February 28, 2021 – 10:00 a.m.
Worship Leader: Pastor Gene Drenth