Dog Island: The Plane Crash

by Lance Terrill Olson

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

Chapter 3-The Plane Crash, Part 1

One adventure that turned out to test Tommy and me and change several lives forever was the afternoon a plane crashed in the interior of the island.

Tommy and I were deep into the island, on a typical adventure. Well, it was typical for awhile.  It was getting late and was time for us to head back home.  Earlier, Tommy had eaten one sandwich and drank water from his canteen, but he couldn't eat the second one. I would have volunteered to eat it, but it wasn't offered to me.  I could also smell that he had some chips with him... well, there I go, talking about food again...

Anyway, we were about 3 miles away from home, in the woods. Tommy had his GPS with him, a birthday present when he was 10, but we didn't need it. I could get us home easily. Just follow the yellow brick road.... That was a joke, get it?

The sun wasn't shining and the clouds were moving in rapidly from the West. It wasn't raining, but it was overcast and the air was getting damp. The temperature was in the 70's and beginning to cool off as it often did towards nightfall.

We heard a small plane flying low, over our heads.  It was heading West and a little North.  The engine was sputtering like it was running out of fuel.  Then it became quiet for a moment. We were surprised, because the airport was about 5 miles away and to the northeast of us.

Then there were snapping sounds like gunshots. Like trees snapping and metal shredding! The hair was beginning to stand up between my shoulders as I could feel rumbling through my paws. The sounds were frightening and Tommy had a look of terror in his eyes.

"Oh, shit, Max!" Tommy said. "I think that plane crashed!" After a moment of confusion, he said, "We better find it fast. Someone could be hurt!" So, off we went, running at first.
But after awhile, I could tell that Tommy was getting tired and frustrated. He stopped and undid his zipper and tried to pee.
But, his hands and legs were shaking a little and he had trouble getting it out. It was so awkward, he peed on one of his hands, briefly, but then regained control and finished. He wiped his hand on his pants where there was already dirt from several previous wipings.

Too shook up to remember to zip his pants, we started out again.  He had a look of fear and concern on his face.  I wasn't sure how to act since I had no obligations but to Tommy.  But I finally understood where we were headed and took off out in front of him towards the crash. Tommy was moving slower now, and was starting to cry a little, stumbling through the woods and brush and skirting around the thousands of juniper bushes.  As it turned out, the plane was over a mile away from where we first heard it. It took us about 45 minutes to reach it.

It was on the far side of a clearing, into the trees. The  plane was upside down and it's badly crushed nose, with propeller was on the ground. The rest of it was still in the air. It seemed so big, close up, even though it was just a small plane. The tail section, half broken off, was about 8 feet in the air.  One wing was torn off and the other was at an unusual angle and crushed. We could hear someone crying inside the plane.

There was a small girl standing next to it looking dazed and whimpering. She had blood on her forehead, running down from her short, coal black hair, but it didn't look like she had a bad wound. She had on a yellow sweatshirt with some school’s sports team logo on the front and was wearing black jeans.  She stared at us, blankly, like we were ghosts, coming through the woods. I could smell some blood, but the pungent smell of gasoline was almost overpowering.

Fortunately, there was no fire or smoke.    Lucky the plane was made of aluminum and didn't cause sparks when it  crashed and tore apart. Several trees were snapped off or broken and their long white splinters exposed. Some trees had paint scrapes. The trees were mostly poplar and birch with a few swamp maples.

Although Tommy was somewhat in shock and trying to figure out what to do as we approached, I didn't really understand what was going on. New smells and sights took up my time as I ran ahead and sniffed the little girl and explored the wreckage.  I could smell human feces from the nose of the plane and a neutral human odor that wasn't threatening. I  could tell that the girl was very frightened and she seemed afraid of me when I first went up to her.

After a time, I looked at Tommy to see his expression... to see how I should act. I had no real emotion of my own at that time. My boy didn't seem to be under any threat and so I relaxed and looked to him for guidance.

By now, Tommy seemed to be in control of himself. He ran with his exhausted, wobbly legs for the last few feet up to the little girl.  "My mom's still in there.  I think she has a broken arm. She can't get her seatbelt off...!"  Tommy noticed that she was, absently, looking down between his legs while she was talking.  When he looked down, he realized that his zipper was wide open. He turned around and pulled it up, embarrassed like you would expect of a 12 year old.

The girl looked behind him and then from left to right. Then she noticed he was alone... just a boy with his dog. "Where are the ambulance and the police? We need help! Where is everyone?!" She began to cry and just plopped down into the grass.

Tommy went to a window of the plane and looked inside.

The mother was still buckled into her seat, but was upside down. She was a little out of it and didn't notice him.   Her arm was bloody and swollen to twice the size of her other arm. She was remarkably calm, but couldn't suppress occasional bursts of crying. She was probably a good looking woman, judging from her features.  Maybe around 30 like his mom.
She had black hair like the little girl and she wore a light, colorful, red jacket with the sleeves rolled up.

The door of the plane was open next to the seat behind the mother. Probably where the girl escaped. The opening was about 3 feet off the ground and the door was completely open, resting against the plane. Gravity was holding it open.

He walked toward the nose of the plane where door was torn away, exposing the pilot. He was quietly hanging from his seatbelt, arms dangling. But his eyes were wide open, milky and lifeless.  He was obviously dead. He took the brunt of the collision with the trees. There was the smell of blood and poop. And it looked like he had some yellow-red liquid dripping from his open mouth.

This was the first time Tommy had seen death up close.

Sure, he saw his Grandfather at the funeral, but he had looked like he was peaceful, although he didn't really look exactly like when he was alive. He was clean shaven and dressed in an uncharacteristic suit and tie. His face looked different. It was like a drawing of him that contained the essentials, but didn't really look exactly like him.

Tommy didn't feel repulsed at the sight of the dead pilot before him. It, somehow, seemed like an exhibit in a museum somewhere... graphic, but not real. His thoughts were interrupted by sounds. He turned back to the girl who was now up and pacing, looking around asking... no more like pleading, "Where is the ambulance?! Where are they?!" He felt sorry for her. She didn't understand the reality of the situation. He knew that this wasn't the big city and the EMS vehicle on the Island couldn't reach this spot... there were no roads, not even logging trails, within a mile of this area.  And there was lots of swampy land.  He didn't know for sure how they were going to get these people out.

The thing that surprised Tommy the most, so far, was that Nature continued uninterrupted, even though there was a huge, human tragedy laid out before it. Birds were singing and flitting about and he could hear the gentle breeze through the leaves of the trees. An occasional sound of a mosquito could be heard buzzing around his ear.  A short distance away, a squirrel bounced along the ground and leapt onto a tree. I was laying in the grass, rolling back and forth on my back like I was in my living room. Somehow, it all didn't seem right to him.

I noticed that Tommy looked up at the sky. It was getting late.  It would soon be dark. I don't have much problem with the dark. I can see pretty well at night, but Tommy can't. The air was also getting damp.

He wondered where the fire, medical, and rescue guys  were. They were a good group of about 30 local volunteers who all knew the interior of the island pretty well.  These people snowmobiled and rode quads and side-by-sides all  over. Surely, they knew the plane had crashed by now.  He had a spike of adrenaline when he had the fleeting thought that he was on his own... maybe they weren't coming after all. He was frustrated that things weren't working out smoothly.

Luggage and some other cargo were tossed about. Some on the ground, but mostly inside the cabin, on the ceiling that was now the floor. There were several packages that looked like they were wrapped in brown wax paper.

The small girl's mom was upside down with her head about two feet from the ceiling. Her face was all blotchy and red, yet pale at the same time. She had mosquito welts and stable fly bites all over where she had exposed skin.

Tommy thought about the gasoline smell all over and how that would become a flaming inferno if he set off a spark. But, he knew he needed to help the woman get free and out of the plane. Then, he would think about what to do next.

He went to the open door in the fuselage and looked in.

Her seat hung down to about her shoulder blades. It was still fastened to the floor, above.  There was about a foot of open space along one side of the seat. It would be a tight area to work in.  I heard him say, "My name is Tommy.  I'm not sure what to do, but I think we need to get you out of here."

She responded with a jerk of her head. "Oh, Tommy.
Thank God you are here! Where are the others? Is there an adult with you? Are you alone?! What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"Max and I were out in the woods when we heard your plane come down. We got here as fast as we could."

"Thank God. Where is Max? Can he help me out of here?"

Tommy replied, "Max is my dog. We are alone. But, others should be coming soon. They must know that this plane is down."

The woman looked at him with a confused expression and then began to cry again and then started laughing hysterically. Tommy didn't understand this rapid change in emotion, but soon understood.  She said, "We're out here in the middle of this Island dying, and all we have to help us is a small boy and a dog! That's rich!" For the moment, she thought she hated this boy, but she really hated what life had just given her to get through. What could this "child" do for her and her daughter?! She started laughing and crying again. But, soon, she realized that she and her daughter were lucky to have anyone there at all. It wasn't his fault they were in this situation.

(Chapter 3 The Plane Crash, Part 2 will be posted next week.)

Congratulations to All Elected Officials

(3:15 pm, Wednesday, November 5, 2014)

Beaver Island News on the 'Net wishes to congratulate all elected officials from yesterday's election!

With your success goes great responsibility---responsibilities to the community, local government, state government, and federal government. You have the responsibility to communicate with all of your constituents, not just those that helped elect you. You have the responsibility to follow all state laws and other organizational rules as spelled out based upon the area of government your position is assigned. If you are recently elected to the township board, you have a responsibility to become educated by the Michigan Township Association. If you are elected to the school board, you have a responsibility to become educated by the Michigan Association of School Boards. You have the responsibility to listen to your constituents, to answer questions faithfully and honestly, and to respond to requests for information whether informal questions or FOIA requests. You have the responsibility to formulate policies consistent with the rule of law. The following quotation from the Michigan Association of School Boards sums up something that is very important, especially in a small community and should be practiced by every group on the island:

"Good business practice and, in many instances, the law itself require the board to adopt written policies governing the operations of the schools and to make these policies easily accessible to school employees, parents and the general public.
Because policy-making is central to the board’s governance and oversight responsibilities, it is imperative that adopted policy be clearly written, up-to-date and legally viable.
The board and staff have specific roles in policy development, adoption, implementation, review and evaluation.
Policy development is a cooperative effort involving the board, the staff and the community.
Policy adoption is the responsibility of the board.
Policy implementation is the responsibility of the superintendent and staff.
Policy review and evaluation is the responsibility of the board based on information received from the staff, community and other resources.”

This statement should pertain to all boards, commissions, and committee on our island and in our community. When governmental entities become transparent, the community supports and accept their actions much more frequently. It's only when the entity attempts to keep information from the public by not being transparent that discontent and distrust has a chance to grow.

Election Results by Township

(Tuesday, November 4, 2014, 10:45 p.m. )

St James. Township Results from Charlevoix County Website

Peaine Township Results from Charlevoix County Website

Votes Cast by Township

(Tuesday, November 4, 2014, 10:45 p.m.)

St. James Voters Total 223

Peaine Voters Total 237

St. James Township Trustee Election

(Tuesday, November 4, 2014, 10:45 p.m.)

Rick Speck 139

Kathleen McNamara 133

Brian Cole 90

Unofficial Results of School Board Election

(Tuesday, November 4, 2014, 10:45 p.m. Updated, 11/10/14 at 2:30 p.m.)

These are labeled as unofficial because they include write-in votes that need to be evaluated at the county level.

Four Year Term

*Susan Myers 248

*Kathy Speck 229

*Gerald LaFreniere 201

(*There were 30+ballots that did not have ovals filled in, so these votes don't count.)

*Judith Boyle 186

Janet Nank 173

Angel Welke 129

Eric Naranjo 56

Finish Out Term to 12/31/2016

*Judith Gallagher 268

*Dave Avery 237

*Dusty Cushman 233

Mark Engelsmen 183

Andy Kohls 180

SHERIFF Don Schneider  REMINDS DRIVERS TO BE ALERT DURING DEER SEASON

(3:15 p.m., Wednesday, November 5, 2014)

Charlevoix County -- Sheriff Don Schneider reminds motorists that with fall and the hunting season in full swing,deer populations will be on the move. This activity heightens the chance of a car/deer crash occurring.
Last year more than 49,000 accidents in Michigan involved deer.  "Most often, you'll see a deer near dawn or dusk," said Sheriff Schneider.  Motorists are encouraged to look beyond the beam of their headlights for eyes of deer that may be near the path of your vehicle.
Trying to dodge a deer is not a good idea according to Sheriff Schneider.  Deer often move erratically and swerving may cause you to lose control of your vehicle, resulting in injury or even death.  In 2013 1,087 injuries and 12 deaths were reported as a result of a car-deer collision.
These tips may help you avoid a deer crash:

Heed the warning signs!  Collisions occur most often in prime deer habitat, which in Michigan could be forested areas OR farmland.

Drive at a safe speed. Wildlife experts recommend 55 mph as a suitable speed for wildlife zones in good weather conditions.  If conditions are not idea, slow down!  When you travel too fast.

You can't stop quickly enough to avoid a collision

The impact of your car/truck increases exponentially with your speed {remember F=ma or Force = mass times acceleration)

Your ability to take evasive action is massively reduced and you're more likely to resort to swerving instead of braking and gently responding.

Drive Defensively!  Be prepared to take evasive action, which includes being able to slow down quickly, brake suddenly or turn down blinding headlights.  Drive so that you are able to stop within the space of your headlights.  Make sure you and all your passengers are wearing their seatbelts.

Observe your surroundings. Actively scan the sides of the roads as you drive for any signs of wildlife.  Have passengers scan too, but make sure they do not shout out causing the driver to react badly. Make sure you watch both sides of the road. There is some research that suggest drivers tend to watch the passenger side of the road more than their own.

Be especially alert at sunset and sunrise.  Deer tend to move at these times and they are also the hardest times for our eyes to adjust to light changes.

Drive carefully at night. Use your high beams where possible. Move into the center of the road IF there is no oncoming traffic.  Make sure your windshield is clear and not reflecting grime. Drive below the speed limit - this has fuel economy benefits as well. Scan the sides of the road for animals' reflective eyes, which are often visible at great distance. This may be the only visible part of the animal until it is directly in your path.

Slow down when other cars are behaving erratically. If you see flashing lights (hazards, headlights or brake lights), hear tooting horns or see vehicles swerving slow down and be ready to stop!

Be alert - even when you're approaching a town or a city. Deer wander into towns and city outskirts in search of food.

Know when not to swerve.  If you suddenly have a deer in front of your car brake firmly.  Do NOT swerve and leave your lane; many crashes result when a driver swerves to avoid a deer and crashes into an oncoming vehicle or obstruction at the side of the road.
If a crash is inevitable here are some steps you can take to minimize the damage and injuries:

 Try to move to where the animal came from. This may take you away from it. Animals are more likely to keep moving forward. However, this will only work if there is only one animal. In the case of deer it is highly likely there are more coming!

Shift your line of eyesight to the spot you are steering - if you look at the animal you are likely to steer that way.

Try to skim, rather than fully impact the animal.  Brake firmly!

Pull over if possible, put your hazard lights on and leave the headlights on the animal, if possible.

Check passengers for injuries and call 911to report the accident and request medical help if necessary. Treat everyone for shock, if it is cold put on warmer clothes or wrap in a blanket. Stay in the car for warmth.

Avoid going near the animal; it may kick or gore you from fear and pain.  If it blocks the road use road flares or triangles to warn other motorists of the hazard (if you have them).  Only attempt to move the animal if you are 100% certain that it is dead.

Once the accident report is filed and the animal is off the road you may leave the scene, if your vehicle is deemed drivable.

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

Cable's Creek, Cable's Bay, and Iron Ore Bay

First trip around the island in a long time makes this day an excellent day off work. The sunshine kept breaking through the trees as the walk from Cable's Creek progressed to Cable's Bay. It was little bit of a walk down and over the hilly trail, but the scenery of this fall walk was worth the effort. Perhaps, this was just an escape from the day-before-the-election advertisements, a day away from the glare of the computer screen, and a day away from the ringing telephone and cellphone, but no matter what the motive it was good to just get out and walk and check out the spots that haven't been seen since last spring.

The typical spots to visit, going east first on a trip around the island include Cable's Creek, but the fresh air and the pounding surf could be heard, and the allure of seeing Cable's Bay was too much for two island seniors.

Lots of run-off water from the swamps and feeders into Lake Geneserath.

It is quite unusual to have this much water moving in Cable's Creek this time of year. It is probably due to the more than ten inches of rain falling on Beaver Island in the last few weeks. Some deer seasons, which is less than two weeks away, have very little water in the creek bed here and all the way up to Lake G.

It was time to take a walk to Cable's Bay. The sounds of pounding surf came loud and clear through the trees.

Lots of hills between the bridge over the creek and Cable's Bay

The roots of many trees how the pathway together and the leavers from the trees provide a padded pathway.

It took a while to get through the hills and the trees out to the sanddunes, and it's still a way to the beach.

Getting closer, the path continues and footsteps of others show in the sand.

Finally out of the trees and woods and onto the sanddunes and near the lake.

A few waves, but the sound is much louder, then a look to the left

A look to the right, and then head back toward the bridge.

Back into the woods, and there on the left is huge birch tree.

An oak trying to take root in the pine forrest......growth on a pine tree.....finally, (breathing hard) back to the bridge.

Video of the Cable's Creek and Cable's Bay Walk

On to Iron Ore Bay 

Iron Ore Bay had the water of the lake being pushed onto the shoreline by the wind. It even seemed like the Iron Ore Creek was flowing backwards.

Taking a fifteen in twig and tossing it into the creek near the culvert, the expected direction was for the twig to head out along the long creek to the lake. On this day, whether the wind or the currents caused the twig to go under the road and get trapped in the culvert. It didn't come back out on the water side, and it didn't make it to the other side of the road.

The waves were breaking just short of the shoreline, but getting closee to the sand walkway formed by the creek.

Fascinating waves and fascinating shapes the breaking waves made.

Time to head back north us the west side.

Shortly after starting up the west side of the island, the oil light came on for the car. This is one of those things that bring an excellent day down to a questionable day. No more stops were made on the way back north, due to the worry about whether or not the car would start once it was shut off.

Video at Iron Ore Bay

 

Voting Day

by Cindy Ricksgers

I am a voter.

I was twenty years old when I first voted.

The law had just changed.

The government was sending eighteen year old children over to Vietnam to fight in that war effort. It was suggested that if an eighteen-year-old is old enough to die for their country, an eighteen-year-old should be old enough to have a say in the laws and governance of that country. The legal voting age was lowered from twenty-one to eighteen.

The legal drinking age was changed at about the same time, and for many of the same reasons. That was perhaps not as well thought-out.

Voting, though!

I cared about the issues of the day, and felt that---along with raising my voice to support a cause and marching or sitting in protest---voting was a key necessity in helping to shape a world that I’d be comfortable living in.

I knew some history of the American Suffrage movement, and was in awe of the sacrifices, pain and imprisonment women before us were willing to endure so that we might have this privilege.

In the forty-plus years since I cast my first vote, I have missed only one mid-term election, and a few special---millage---elections.

Of course, I am not that same starry-eyed twenty-year-old. I have seen how slowly change happens, how much compromise plays a part, and how few truly “black and white” issues there are. I have been disappointed when my candidates lost, but also sometimes disappointed in their job performance when they won. I---like everyone else---have grown terribly tired of all of the mean-spirited rhetoric.

Still, I vote.

I am fortunate to live in a small town where each voter can see the difference their actions make. We once had to hold a school election three times, as the first two counts ended in a tie!

That helps me to know that my vote always counts.

Even when the platform is broader and the numbers are larger.

Even when the electoral college blurs the logic.

Even when I haven’t kept up with some issues and I cast my vote based on gender, ethnicity or just to negate my son-in-law’s always ultra-conservative vote.

My vote counts.

And so does yours.

BI District Library Halloween Party

The Teen Advisory Board put on a Halloween Party on the evening of November 1st for all ages from 5-7:30 pm with the high school age group continuing later. The party is an excellent idea, reminiscent of the Tina Walker party held in past years at the Peaine Township Hall. The more activities available to the children of our community the better our community becomes. Deb Bousquet reported that the younger children were in costume, but the some of the olders were not. Here are some pictures of the event, the first sponsored by the district library.

Video of the Library Party

April Fool's or What?

With temperatures below freezing and the windchill in the 20's, a trip around Gull Harbor seemed like a waste of time, but it wasn't. The biggest question was: "What is that huge bird standing on the rock?" It didn't remain a mystery after a quick trip home to get a camera with a zoom lens. On November 1, 2014, there is still a heron here that has not begun the migration route.

And then the heron was off.....

Halloween on the Island

This holiday seems to be the second most popular holiday for the adults, and almost at the top of the list for children everywhere. For Beaver Island, this is the time that the largest majority of adults and children get to play a different part from their normal daily routine. Older retired adults get to see the interesting costumes for the younger adults and children. Activities are mixed and varied from the Trunk and Treat at the Gregg Fellowship Center to the Circle M party to music and costumes at Stoney Acre and Donegal Danny's Pub. The early evening and night time were filled with music and dancing, as well as partying for the adults.

Gregg Fellowship Center's Trunk or Treat

It was pretty chilly outside on October 31, 2014, by five o'clock in the afternoon, so the decision was rightly made to have the event inside in the warm building. Here are some pictures of the event here.

Coffee, Cider, and plenty of treats greeted the trick or treaters..

Video of the Gregg Fellowship Center

At Stambaughs

Circle M

This very tradiational Colleen and Bud Martin party has for quite a few years been at the Circle M. Years ago, the costumes and gathering were at the Shamrock, but now they are focused on the Circle M and Stoney Acres. Here are some pictures taken out at the Circle M. Rigormortis was the performing band here this year with a substitute drummer replacing Rich Gillespie, who is in Florida. Thanks Brandon Maudrie for stepping up and taking the sticks. Rich Scripps and Randy Osborne, two normal members of the band, also performed here.

Video at the Circle M

 

At Stoney Acres and Donegal Danny's Pub

Paul Lamb and the Amalgamations performed to a packed house at the Pub. A wide variety of styles of music were performed here.

The Band

Video of the Band at Donegal Danny's

 

And the band.....

 

Another wonderful Halloween on Beaver Island!

Island Treasures Resale Shop

Winter Schedule 2014-2015

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

12:00 until 4:00

Open for shopping and donations

If you need help with your donation, call the shop at 448-2534 or Donna at 448-2797.

Donate to the Food Pantry