B. I. News on the 'Net, September 19-October 2, 2016
Christian Church Bulletin for October 2, 2016
Mass from Holy Cross at 9:30 a.m. Sunday
October 2, 2016
Video of Mass excerpts available HERE
Former BI FNP Supports ALS for EMS
As a former relief care provider at the Rural Health Center and as an island property owner (Peane Twp), I am saddened by the recent discussions that involve implementing a backward movement in EMS care for residents and visitors of this remote island. I cannot support the loss of paramedics on this island because with them comes a higher level of care that is under control of the Charlevoix Medical Authority. This is evidenced based practice level of care that is standard and provided by highly trained individuals.
Why would the board and community consider discarding this higher level of care in order to have BLS only providers that move a sick or injured patient to the Rural Health Center? The health center is a clinic, not an ER, and therefore is a delay in getting the patient to a definitive care setting-ie Munson Charlevoix ER.
.
Most of you probably don't know my background so I will fill you in. I have been part of this island's health care on a regular basis from 1998-2008 when I filled in for the regular care providers. I have been involved in numerous emergent care situations where a patient needed quick evacuation from the island, and in most cases, bringing them to the medical center was a delay in critical care treatment, so I was happy to have the paramedics (Mr. Joe Moore) there to help facilitate a rapid and safe departure on Island Airways to Charlevoix Hospital.
We did call North Flight Air from time to time but there is always a delay in getting them here because the crew has an hour to respond for the fixed wing flights if they are not at base. The fixed wing (King Air) may be needed in the UP or Alpena or any where else in Northern Michigan and just not available. Also, perhaps North Flight cannot make it in due to low minimums on the approach to the island airport and they may not be able to land. I understand this because I am a licensed pilot with instrument landing endorsement. I have flown over on Island Airways medical transport with patients who could not have waited for Northflight because they were too critically ill. The patients received excellent care from the time of intercept until handoff in Charlevoix and the care was not delayed until the patient arrived in Charlevoix.
The medical center NPs do a great job caring for patients but paramedics who are current in their skills and protocols are a different aspect of medical care and their role is absolutely essential to a good outcome in most medical emergencies. The evidence is there if you look at the stats for emergency outcomes in ACLS and the Journal of Emergency Medicine.
I know that the cost for the fixed wing is, I believe, be around $10,000 for a flight to and from the island. This may not be true now and all insurances do not cover this cost. Island Airways can deliver faster transport at a lower cost. Paul Welke has worked hard and spend a lot of money on the air medical certification for his air ambulance service. That certification is hard to earn and he does keep to the standards of that certification. Island Airways emergency air transport is here and the pilots know the intracacies of this crazy island weather. Utilize them and our amazingly talented and caring paramedics (if we can keep some!-that is for another discussion on failure to put a paramedic on the Peane Twp ballot.)
I also am an EMT-S and a former flight nurse with North Flight Air from 1988-2004. I know how medical control can help guide our standardized care. I also worked at Munson ER as a nurse from 1987-1998 so I saw numerous transports from all over the state, including Beaver Island. Coast Guard and NorthFlight transfers were lengthy. NorthFlight provides excellent care but it takes so long to transfer.
I am currently practicing at Munson Urgent Care in Traverse City as an NP.
Jo Hendrix, EMT-S, FNP-C
nppilot@charter.net
52 Lists Project #40
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
October 2, 2016
Well, that was a mighty liquid sunshine day yesterday, over an inch. Right now it's 56° outside, humidity is 99%, wind is from the west at 6 mph, barometer says 29.83 inches, visibility is 8 miles, pollen levels are low at 0.4. Pollen concentrations for Sunday will be at about the same level in the extremely low range. There is little or no local pollen being produced at this time. For the record, In the past 30 years, it has rained 22 out of 30 times on this date. Therw was 0.3 inches of snow in 2003. The record high temperature for this date was 76°, while the lowest was 31° in 2003. (Just thought it was interesting). Today: Cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Scattered rain showers in the morning, then isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 60s. North winds at 10 mph. Chance of showers 50%. Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Lows i the lower 50s. Light winds. MARINE REPORT North wind 5 to 10 knots. Patchy fog early in the morning. Scattered showers early in the morning. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Northeast wind 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of October 2, 1836 - Charles Darwin returned to England after 5 years of acquiring knowledge around the world about fauna, flora, wildlife and geology. He used the information to develop his "theory of evolution" which he unveiled in his 1859 book entitled 'The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection'.
Did you know that there is no rice in rice paper?
Word of the day: understory (UHN-der-stawr-ee) which means the shrubs and plants growing beneath the main canopy of a forest. Understory entered English in the early 1900s. Its second element, story, comes from the Anglo-Latin noun historia meaning "picture decorating a building, a part of the building so decorated," hence "floor, story."
State of Michigan Terminates UPEMS Contract
View the article and some video HERE
Artists at the BIC Center
Lots of interesting things available at BIC Center in the auditorium.
View a gallery of pictures HERE
Wildlife Club Bites
The Beaver Island Wildlife Club had set up some Wild Bites of Beaver in the Power's Hardware location. There were quite a few interesting items here including turkey nuggets, salmon patties, and venison chilli. There were also hot and cold beverage containers and raffle tickets available there.
View a small gallery of pictures HERE
Apple Pie Contest Winner
Donna Fase
Beaver Boodle Winners
Overall Men's Winner, Noah Griffith; Overall Women's Winner, Alex Dartt
Bite of Beaver
10/01/2016
When the editor walked in the door for the Bite of Beaver, the Holy Cross Hall was packed with people. Lillian's Amazing Desert was already gone, but there were lots of other wonder food items available. Staying around for the raffle drawing for the Lois Stipps painting at 2 p.m. was part of the plan. Greg Larson was that winner.
View a gallery of photos HERE
Beaver Boddle Begins
10/012016
The Boodle began just a little after 11 a.m. at the public beach.
View a small galery of pictures HERE
Islanders Beat Polar Bears 9 to 2
10/01/2016
Thanks to Sheri Richards for this photo.
View a gallery of pictures HERE
Video of this game HERE
October 1st
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
October 1, 2016
Happy October! Right now from the new weather station, it's 59°, humidity is at 84%, dew point is 54°, wind is at 5 mph from the ESE with gusts to 24 mph, barometric pressure is 29.68, pollen levels are low at 0.5, The amount of pollen in the air for Saturday will be falling into the extremely low range. This change results in part from rising humidity, weakening winds and expected precipitation in the morning, afternoon and evening which tends to wash pollen out of the air. Today: Cloudy with a 50% chance of rain showers. Highs in the lower 60s. East winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Tonight: Rain showers likely. Patchy fog. Lows in the lower 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Chance of showers 70%. MARINE REPORT Today: East wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Slight chance of showers in the morning. Rain showers likely in the afternoon. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Northeast wind 5 to 10 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Patchy fog. Showers likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of October 1, 1971 - Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, FL.
Did you know that bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers were all all invented by women?
Word of the day: amphiboly (am-FIB-uh-lee) which means ambiguity of speech, especially from uncertainty of the grammatical construction rather than of the meaning of the words. Amphiboly comes from the Latin noun amphibolia meaning "ambiguity," which, in turn, stems from the Greek verb bállein meaning "to throw." It entered English in the late 1500s.
Islanders Win Friday Night Soccer Versus Grand Marais
Islanders get team picture taken
Final score is Islanders 9, Grand Marais 0
View a gallery of photos HERE
View video of the match HERE
Windy Fall Day
September 30, 2016
It's a windy fall day on Beaver Island for the Bite and the Boodle as well as for the last home soccer day.
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 30, 2016
Last day of September already! Our oldest daughter's birthday. This month has flown past. Thank you again, Joseph Moore, for the new weather station! This morning on the island it's 59°, dew point is 55°, wind is at 2 mph from the NE with gusts to 19 mph, humidity is 88%, barometer 29.86, clear skies, pollen levels are low-medium at 2.7. Concentration of pollen grains in the air for Friday will be falling in the low range. Since the weather has a major influence on pollen dispersal, this decrease is due in part to falling temperatures and expected precipitation in the morning, afternoon and evening which tends to wash pollen out of the air. Today: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers in the morning, then a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 60s. East winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Chance of showers is 40%. Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of rain showers. Lows in the mid 50s. East winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. MARINE REPORT Small Craft Advisory In Effect Through Saturday Morning Today: East wind 10 to 20 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Slight chance of showers early in the morning. Chance of showers in the afternoon. Waves 2 to 3 feet. Tonight: East wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Chance of showers. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of September 30, 1982 - "Cheers" began an 11-year run on NBC-TV.
Did you know that a rat can tread water for three days?
Word of the day: testudinal (te-STOOD-n-l) which means pertaining to or resembling a tortoise or tortoise shell.
Clarification
by Cindy Ricksgers
BI Emergency Services Authority Meeting
2 pm., Today, September 29, 2016
Today, regular meeting of the BIESA took place beginning at 2 p.m. with all five board members present. One of the actions taken today was the appointment of Brian Meade as interim director of Beaver Island EMS. Brian Meade is a paramedic that has been coming to the island and giving days off to the resident paramedics. Concern for the maintenance of ALS brought twenty-eight people out to the meeting today.
Video of the meeting is available HERE
Special Peaine Township Meeting
10 a.m. Today, September 29, 2016
This special meeting was called to order by Bill Kohls at the Peaine Township Hall at 10 a.m. The purpose of the meeting was to approve a levy of general fund millages that had already been approved by the Peaine voters. The reason for this proposal was that "the millage request was mailed to the County Clerk, but was never received." A motion was made by Bill Kohls to approve the proposal presented with the proposal seconded by Paul Welke. The proposal on the table is posted below:
The votes on this proposal are shown below:
Ernie Martin "Yes"
Colleen Martin "No"
Bill Kohls "Yes"
Larry Kubic "No"
Paul Welke "Yes"
Motion to levy the millages as presented passed 3 to 2.
Video of this meeting may be viewed HERE
Timeout for Art: Unintended Images
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 29, 2016
It's 59° outside this morning, clear skies, wind is at 7 mph from the NE, humidity is at 89%, pressure is steady at 1026 mb, visibility is 9.7 miles, pollen levels are low-medium at 3.4. The pollen levels for today will be greater than today's levels but will still remain in the low range. This increase is due to rising temperatures, strong winds and lower relative humidity. If you have these allergies, tomorrow will likely be more difficult outdoors. Today: Mostly sunny. HIghs in the upper 60s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph decreasing to 20 mph after midnight. MARINE REPORT Small Craft Advisory In Effect Through Friday Afternoon. Today: Northeast wind 10 to 20 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Mostly clear. Waves 2 to 3 feet. Tonight: East wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
On this date of September 29, 1829 - The first public appearance by London's re-organized police force was met with jeers from political opponents. The force became known as Scotland Yard.
Did you know that the ball on the top of a flag pole is called the truck?
Word of the day: lodestone (LOHD-stohn) which means 1) something that attracts strongly 20 a variety of magnetite that posses magnetic polarity and attracts iron 3) a piece of this serving as a magnet. Lodestone is made up of distinctly English components, ones that have been part of our language since before the 12th century. "Lode" comes from the Old English "lād," which means "way, journey, course." The word stone derives from the Old English "stān," which had the same meaning as the modern term "stone." When the two ancient words were combined to form "lodestone" around 1515, the new term referred to magnetite, an oxide of iron that forms a natural magnet.
Lady Islanders Split Double Matches Today
September 28, 2016
The Lady Islanders' Volleyball team played a double match against the Ojibwe team beginning at 1 pm. The first two games were split with the Islanders winning one game and the Ojibwe team winning one game. The Island lost the tie breaker match with Ojibwe 15, Islanders 13. In the second match, the Lady Islanders went to work. They won the first game and then proceeded to win the second game in a two out of three volleyball match. So, the matches were split with the Islanders winning one match, and Ojibwe winning one match.
View a gallery of pictures HERE
Video of second match is available HERE
Summing Up
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 28, 2016
It's 53° outside this morning, partly cloudy skies, wind is at 9 mph from the east, humidity is at 95%, pressure is rising from 1011 mb, visibility is 9.6 miles, pollen levels are low at 0.5. he quantity of pollen grains in the air for Wednesday will remain relatively stable in the extremely low range. There is little or no local pollen being produced at this time. Today: Patchy fog in the morning. Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of rain showers. Highs in the mid 60s. East winds 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear. A 40% chance of rain showers in the evening. Lows in the mid 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. MARINE REPORT Today: East wind 10 to 15 knots. Gusts up to 20 knots in the morning. Patchy fog early in the morning. Chance of waterspouts early in the morning. Chance of showers through the day. Waves 2 to 3 feet. Tonight: Northeast wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Mostly clear. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
On this date of September 28, 1955 - The World Series was televised in color for the first time. The game was between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Did you know that ants don't like baby powder (talcum powder)?
Word of the day: eeristic (e-RIS-tik) which means 1) pertaining to controversy or disputation; controversial 2) a person who engages in disputation; controversialist 3) the art of disputation. Eristic can be traced to the Greek adjective eristikós meaning "fond of wrangling" and further to the Greek noun éris meaning "discord." It entered English in the 1630s.
Holy Cross Bulletin for October 2016
Tuesday Exercises in Writing #17
by Cindy Ricksgers
BINN Video Report for September
As of September 27, 2016, the videos of the Beaver Island News on the 'Net have been viewed by 611 unique IP addresses, with 2658 views, and a data transfer of 154.8 GB, which indicates an increase over the previous months. The current video access includes 553 unique IP addresses. 32 unique IPs are viewing the live streaming and the rest are viewing older videos. The total data transfer is increasing by a factor of 35% for each of the last two months.
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 27, 2016
There is no debating this... it's fall on Beaver Island! Right now it's 57°, cloudy skies, wind is at 18 mph from the west with gusts to 35 mph, humidity is at 84%, pressure is steady at 1000 mb, visibility is 6.7 miles, pollen levels are low at 0.5, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Based on past pollen counts and expected weather conditions, pollen levels for Tuesday will remain stable in the extremely low range. With Pollen concentrations now at extremely low levels, The next plants to pollinate in the area will be the trees which produce large amounts of often highly allergenic pollen. Today: Rain showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 50s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 35 mph. Tonight: Rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then numerous rain showers a a slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Patchy fog through the night. Lows in the upper 40s. Southwest winds at 10 mph with gusts to around 20 mph in the evening becoming light. MARINE REPORT Small Craft Advisory In Effect Through This Afternoon. Today: West wind 15 to 25 knots decreasing to 10 to 15 knots early in the evening. Gusts up to 30 knots. Slight chance of waterspouts early in the morning. Showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms through the day. Waves 3 to 7 feet subsiding to 3 to 5 feet in the afternoon. Tonight: Southeast wind 5 to 10 knots. Chance of waterspouts and patchy fog. Numerous showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Waves 2 to 3 feet or less.
On this date of September 27, 1938 - "Thanks for the Memory" was heard for the first time on the "The Bob Hope Show."
Did you know that snakes can't blink?
Word of the day: haimish (HEY-mish) which means homey; cozy and unpretentious. Haimish comes from the Yiddish term heymish, which, in turn, can be traced to the Old High German word heimisc meaning "pertaining to the home." It has been used in English since at least the 1920s.
Charlevoix County Commission on Aging Announces New Plan
Beaver Island In-Home Reimbursement Program
Charlevoix, Michigan – Charlevoix County Commission on Aging will be turning the In-Home Services world on its head with the launch of Beaver Island In-Home Reimbursement Program, a new service that allow seniors (60 years of age and older) to remain independent and live in their own homes on Beaver Island. The reimbursement program started on September 1, 2016. The senior population on the island will be able have services provided to them by someone who is also a resident of Beaver Island.
Beaver Island In-Home Reimbursement Program will be a one of a kind program that is only offered to the seniors who reside on Beaver Island, and will offer reimbursement for services such as personal care, respite care, and homemaker service.
After several meetings with the senior citizens of Beaver Island, we have decided to launch this new program. We had received wonderful ideas from the island seniors and took them into consideration in developing this new program.
The eligible senior will have the freedom to choose their own provider. Be able to have a few things done for them and be reimbursed for a portion of their expenses.
The commission on aging is delighted to be able to offer this new program.
Charlevoix County Commission of Aging
218 W. Garfield Ave.
Charlevoix, Michigan 49720
(231) 237-0103
Mushrooms
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 26, 2016
It's 61° outside this morning, lightly raining, wind is at 16 mph from the WSW with gusts to 21 mph, humidity is at 87%, pressure is falling from 1012 mb, visibility is 9.4 miles, pollen levels are low at 0.5, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers in the morning, then a slight chance of rain showers in the afternoon, Highs in the lower 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 40 mph. Chance of showers is 50%. Tonight: Numerous rain showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 50s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. MARINE REPORT Small Craft Advisory In Effect Through Tuesday Afternoon Today: West wind 15 to 25 knots with gusts to around 30 knots. Chance of showers. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to 4 to 7 feet in the morning. Tonight: West wind 15 to 25 with gusts to around 30 knots. Slight chance of waterspouts, frequent showers, and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Waves 4 to 6 feet.
On this date of September 26, 2006 - Facebook was opened to everyone at least 13 years or older with a valid email address.
Did you know that 'underground' is the only word that begins and ends with the letters 'und'?
Word of the day: bon mot (BON MOH) which means a witty remark or comment; clever saying; witticism. Bon mot is a borrowing from French, translating literally as "good word." The term entered English in the mid-1700s.
Red-Headed Heron in Eagle Tree
When sitting in the car waiting to see the Wendy Anne come around the point between Garden Island and Gull Harbor, this sight greated this photographer. While we all know that the heron does not have a red head, it certain looks like it with the sky and the sun reflecting off of the heron sitting in the eagle tree. While not the first time this tree has had a heron on the branch, it is certainly the first time that the heron has appeared to have a red head.
Mass from Holy Cross
September 25, 2016
Father Mathew was on duty today at Holy Cross while Father John Paul was off due to a friend's issues. Jim Siler was gone for his weekend retreat in Conway.
View video excerpts of Mass HERE
BI Christian Church Bulletin
September 25, 2016
The 52 Lists Project: #39
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 25, 2016
Welcome home to the Squaw Island work crew! You guys did an awesome job over there. It no longer looks neglected. Can't wait to see Corey Adkins documentary on it. It's 58° outside this morning, clear skies, wind is at 9 mph from the SE, humidity is at 85%, pressure is steady at 1022 mb, visibility is 9.8 miles, pollen levels are low-medium at 3.8, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Partly sunny. Highs around 70. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Tonight: Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then rain showers and chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. MARINE REPORT Small Craft Advisory In Effect From 2 PM This Afternoon Through Monday Afternoon. Today: Southeast wind 10 to 20 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Chance of showers in the afternoon. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: South wind 10 to 20 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Rain showers and a chance of thunderstorms. Waves 2 to 4 feet.
On this date of September 25, 1983 - A Soviet military officer, Stanislav Petrov, averted a potential worldwide nuclear war. He declared a false alarm after a U.S. attack was detected by a Soviet early warning system. It was later discovered the alarms had been set off when the satellite warning system mistakenly interpreted sunlight reflections off clouds as the presence of enemy missiles.
Did you know that the atomic symbol for iron is Fe as the original name for iron was Ferric?
Word of the day: albatross (AL-buh-traws, -tros) which means 1) a seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt or responsibility 2) something burdensome that impedes action or progress. Albatross is related to the Portuguese term for "pelican," alcatraz. The spelling was likely influenced by the Latin word for "white," albus, due to the coloring of the bird. It entered English in the late 1600s.
Wendy Anne Returns from Squaw Island
The Wendy Anne came back into the St. James Harbor, Paradise Bay, pulling the barge of equipment that was over on Squaw Island to make a road and to make improvements to the Squaw Island Lighthouse. The arrival in Paradise Bay was at approximately 7:30 p.m., Saturday, September 24, 2016. The crew did an amazing job over on Squaw Island, and Cory Adkins is doing a documentary of this project.
Two pictures for comparison
Lighthouse in 1993.........Lighthouse in 2016 just finished
Thank you to Ann Willis for the 1993 photo and Brian Cole for the 2016 photo---Twenty-three years difference in time.
View a small gallery of pictures of the return of the Wendy Anne and the equipment HERE
This Gift to Myself
by Cindy Ricksgers
Trail Cam for Layton's Turtles
The trail camera was left out in the position of the turtle egg nest for four days. The trail cam took 1761 pictures during that four day period. The interesting pictures are in the gallery below, but so far no pictures of the baby snapping turtles coming out of the nest. The SD card in the camera was checked and replaced. The hope is that, in the near future, the baby snappers will be coming out and that this will be captured by the trail cam. These few pictures in the gallery were just interesting to the editor.
View pictures from the trail cam HERE
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 24, 2016
It's fall. No question about it when the morning temperature is 54°. Wind is at 4 mph from the SE, partly cloudy skies, humidity is at 92%, pressure is rising from 1025 mb, visibility is 8.3 miles, pollen levels are low-medium at 3.7, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. East winds at 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the morning. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. Southeast winds at 10 mph. MARINE REPORT Today: East wind 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Southeast wind 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of September 24, 1968 - "60 Minutes" premiered on CBS-TV.
Did you know that the heart of a woman beats faster than the heart of a man?
Word of the day: cackleberry (KAK-uh l -bee-ee) which means a hen's egg used for food, Cackleberry is formed on the basis of the onomatopoeic verb cackle meaning "to utter a shrill, broken sound or cry, as of a hen." The slang term arose in the U.S. in the early 1900s.
Sandpiper?
Out at the carwash, this bird was seen on the beach. Could it be a sandpiper?
Donna Hardenburg suggests that this is a Black-bellied Plover.
The water seemed quite rough out toward Garden Island today, September 23, 2016
I Was A Paramedic
by Paramedic Nat
Read this article blog HERE
CCSD News Release on Missing Boater
September 23, 2016
Charlevoix County Sheriff's Office is investigating the report of a missing boater off Beaver Island.
It was reported during the late evening, early morning hours of Thursday night Friday morning, September 15 - 16, 2016, approximately 2:00 am, a 39 year old Gregory Froede of Harbor Springs jumped overboard off of a 20 foot pleasure craft and has not been seen since.
Daniel Rowland, age 38 of White Thorn, California, the only other person on the boat, circled the area for about two hours looking for his friend until he ran out of gas.
The boat then drifted to shore in Mackinac County when Rowland called the Mackinac County 911 to report his friend missing.
Mackinac County Sheriff's Office began the report until they discovered the incident took place in Charlevoix County where upon the information was turned over to this office.
The U.S. Coast Guard and a Sheriff's Marine Unit from Beaver Island searched the area without locating the victim. The Sheriff's Office requests the local boaters and fishermen be on the lookout and advise our 911or 1-800-577-1911 should the victim surface.
Rowland threw a couple life jackets and a cooler overboard in the event his buddy came back up. Alcohol is believed to be a factor.
W.D. (Don) Schneider Sheriff
Beaver Island Community School Schedules Special Meetings
The two meetings scheduled are:
September 29, 2016, at 3:30 pm for "Grading, Clubs, Evaluation, Homeschooling, etc."
September 29, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. for "Working Session on Superintendent's Search and Vocational Education"
Sandhills
Sandhills in the rain
The sandhill cranes are still here on the island this year a little later than years past.
Visiting Guinea Fowl
Patrick and Larissa McGinnity have these animals in their yard, but they have begun moving out in their range.
Video of the guinea fowl
Squaw Island Bell Story
September 22, 2016
"Before we came over to do this job Mike Martin told a few of us a story his dad told him. Years ago the owner of Squaw Island gave Charlie Martin this bell from the fogg building.Snappy decided to bury it on the island by the chapel so no one would steal it. Mike told us to keep an eye out for it.Ernie knew nothing of the story but when he was on the dozer he found it today. We're thinking Snappy had alot to do with his grandson finding it today. You would have thought we found gold today the excitement in camp," said Brian Cole.
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 23, 2016
It's 59° outside this morning, mostly cloudy skies, wind is at 12 mph from the NE with gusts to 16 mph, humidity is at 90%, pressure is rising from 1020 mb, visibility is 9.6 miles, pollen levels are low today at 0.5, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Partly sunny. Areas of drizzle in the morning. Highs in the mid 60s. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s. East winds at 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the evening. MARINE REPORT Today: East wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Mostly cloudy early in the morning then clearing. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: East wind 5 to 10 knots. Mostly clear. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of September 23, 1962 - "The Jetsons" premiered on ABC-TV. It was the first program on the network to be carried in color.
Did you know that your right lung takes in more air than your left?
Word of the day: plutocracy (ploo-TOK-ruh-see) which means 1) the rule or power of wealth or of the wealthy 2) a government or state which the wealthy class rules. Plutocracy finds its origins in the Greek words ploûtos meaning "wealth" and krátos meaning "rule, strength, might." It entered English in the mid-1600s.
Long Day, Late Night
by Cindy Ricksgers
Working with the Primary Care Providers Over the Years, Part 1
By Joe Moore
Dr. Leonard Suidara
Prior to the creation of Beaver Island EMS, which didn’t happen until the middle 1980’s, the Beaver Island Medical Center was staffed by a doctor. That doctor was Dr. Leonard Suidara in the late1970’s. It’s hard to believe that this was more than forty years ago. Luckily, the doctor on the island had some helpers in the form of retired nurses and other helpers in the administration of the medical center. The medical center board was also part of the support structure.
One day, a nice elderly lady was having a serious medical problem, a possible stroke. I’m not sure how the McDonough boys recruited me to help them get the lady loaded up into the back of a pickup truck. It seemed like an old interior door was used to lift the patient and this became my first experience with medical issues on Beaver Island. There apparently was not a doctor on the island at this time, and the only choice was to get this lady to the mainland and to a hospital in a hurry. The rest of the details have faded away from my memory, but the need for helping our friends and neighbors did not.
When the medical center lost its funding for a doctor, there was a serious search started for other options. The physicians from Pine Rive in Charlevoix were enrolled to provide oversight for the medical center provider, Michael McGinnity, Registered Nurse, who had lots of experience working emergencies in the Upper Penninsula. Mike McGinnity came to the island with his family, and began the task of continuing in the shadow of the island physicians. He quickly learned that there was no way that he could handle every emergency by himself 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
PA Mike McGinnity
So, in 1985, Mike made contact with a friend named John LaMont, and Mike convinced John to come to the island and teach a basic EMT class. Mike ended up with some licensed EMTs to help, but only a couple stayed on the island. Others either didn’t pass the state exam, or moved off the island to pursue their own desires. The one that is still on the island from this original class is Bill McDonough, who worked with Mike to help him in emergency situations.
Mike McGinnity realized that it was important to have more help than just a couple of helpers because sometimes those couple could be off the island at the same time. So, another class was scheduled for the next year. Every patient that had any advanced care required Mike McGinnity to travel with the patient. This took a lot out of Mike because sometimes the transport over was quick, but getting back was delayed. For example, he might fly a patient over to Charlevoix at ten at night and not get back to the island until mid-morning the next day.
Mike set a great example for all of the volunteers. Even though he was paid to work at the medical center, his dedication to his patients was a learned skill put forth upon the EMT students that he helped teach in the second class that started in 1986 and finished up in 1987. Several EMTs were successful in licensing in this class including Joe Moore, John and Joyce Runberg, Bill Markey, Neal and Connie Boyle, and others.
Mike McGinnity was still an essential part of EMS while most of the EMTs worked hard to show the community the skills that they had obtained, but Mike’s advanced skills were still essential in getting patient’s to definitive care at the hospital to obtain positive outcomes. As can happen when you are on-call and needed 24/7/365, Mike began to burn out.
Some of the newly formed Beaver Island EMS, setup like a club with the help of the original members mentioned already, decided that there were high level skills and specific treatments needed for time when Mike McGinnity was off the island. Mike had his life of becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church, and eventually becoming a member of the National Guard, and attending Physician Assistant’s program in North Dakota. The island needed a higher level of care to help cover the common emergencies that kept occurring on the island.
In 1989, an EMT-Specialist class was taught by Mike McGinnity and Larry Hansen, now director of Emmett County EMS, with Bill Markey, Jerry Sowa, Joe Moore, and others. They worked toward this higher level of licensure. The three mentioned were successful. Special protocols were written to help take care of cardiac emergencies, diabetic emergencies, and severe allergic reactions, and the first automatic defibrillator class was taught on the island.
While this class was going on, a group of island people raised money in a fundraising effort entitled, “Hundred with a Heart.” The plan, in working with the medical center and EMS, was to attract one hundred people to donate one hundred dollars to be in a position to purchase an automatic external defibrillator and all the training materials including CPR manikins with CPR monitors built into them. Beaver Island had moved into the advanced area of care for emergencies even though it was limited to specific situations.
Dr. Phil Lange
While Mike McGinnity was off in North Dakota working on his license for his Physician’s Assistant, Doctor Phillip Lange stepped out of his retirement to help cover the medical center position and to maintain the excellent primary care available on the island. Dr. Lange gained everyone’s respect for his level of knowledge and his desire to help all the islanders. At one point in this period of time, Dr. Lange flew with a pre-term mother.
Doctor Lange was also an entertainer when not involved in primary and emergency care on the island. He was an accomplished musician, an excellent story teller, and sometimes even combined the two talents for Music on the Porch, an annual Historical Society event during Museum Week. Doctor Lange was obviously in charge when a patient was at the medical center, but he was willing to work alongside the EMS providers in the medical center and was happy to get patients wherever they needed to go in the most expeditious manner.
In 1991, Dr. Lange understood the limitations of his position in the medical center. If the patient needed more than what his equipment availability could provide, Dr. Lange would have EMS come and help. If the patient had more advanced treatments needed, higher than EMS could monitor, Dr. Lange would go along with the patient with EMS. Everyone in EMS respected Dr. Lange for all that he did for the community.
Mike McGinnity came back after his PA program as a Physician Assistant Certified provider. The medical center was back under Mike’s control as Dr. Lange stepped back after two years of stepping out of retirement, but Dr. Lange became the chairman of the medical center board. Dr. Lange worked toward the improvement of not only the primary care of island patients, but also the improvement of emergency care for all on the island.
Mike McGinnity continued as an excellent provider at the medical center, seeing patients during the day, and being available for emergencies, not only during the daytime, but also at night. It wasn’t very long and Mike was burnt out again. He didn’t want to respond to emergency scenes, but he would respond to the medical center if his expertise was needed. Once he even responded to meet up with the ambulance crew at Welke Airport to give a cardiac patient the dose of a specific drug that was needed prior to EMS flying the patient off the island. This turned out to be a fortuitous situation which led to two future paramedic classes being offered on Beaver Island.
Mike finally decided it was time to leave the island after eleven long years of service. Before Mike McGinnity left the island, he made sure with the help of the EMS providers that they moved up from Basic Life Support to Limited Advanced Life Support. Mike provided the expertise in developing special protocols for use of an EpiPen for our EMTs, Autodefibrillation for cardiac arrest, and treatments for Insulin Shock for diabetics. With his help these protocols were written and approved by Charlevoix County Medical Control Authority.
A wonderful farewell party was organized at the Holy Cross Hall for Mike and Pat McGinnity in 1996 All of the EMS providers and all of the Holy Cross Church members and community members were sad to see PA and Deacon Michael McGinnity move off the island.
FNP Penny Kiss
The next provider in the medical center was Penny Kiss. Penny was a excellent provider and was a licensed family nurse practitioner. She and her husband Karl were very good friends with CCSD Deputy Mike Russell and his wife Beverly. Penny Kiss loved primary care and working at the medical center, but the emergency work was not her favorite. This does not mean that she wasn’t very good at treating emergencies. It just means that she preferred the primary care appointments during regular office hours. Bev and Penny worked together very well. Bev was an RN and an EMT at this time. Bev had both licenses before she moved to Beaver Island.
Perhaps my favorite memory of Penny Kiss was a elderly lady who we believe to be having a heart attack, but the lady could not calm down. She would hyperventilate and then pass out. Bev and I were on that ambulance run, and we decided to stop by the medical center and get something to calm the patient down. Penny gave an IV drug, and almost immediately the patient chilled out, her vital signs improved, and she stopped passing out. The transport to the mainland was uneventful, the patient was treated by a cardiologist, and returned to the island a week later.
Penny’s husband Karl was an amazing technician. He joined the EMS by taking the EMT class as had Mike Russell. The needs of the island patients were the major reason for continuing to improve the level of emergency medical care on the island. Basic Life Support wasn’t enough. Limited Advanced Life Support wasn’t enough. Beaver Island needed advanced life support.
It wasn’t long after that the daughter of a previous patient of BIEMS was convinced to come to the island and teach a paramedic class. Karl, Mike Russell, Bev Russell, Joe Moore, and Bob Hamil took this class in 1999, while Penny Kiss was still the provider at the medical center. It is a little sad that Mike McGinnity didn’t get an opportunity to be present when we moved up to advanced life support. This ALS service would have taken a great deal of the pressure off Mike.
Years later Mike McGinnity came back to the island to fill in for one of the providers. He was so used to responding to the emergencies on the island from his previous years of dedication on the island. Mike caught up with the ambulance as the paramedics were waiting to fly the patient off the island. Mike climbed into the back of the Beaver Island ambulance prepared to go to work. He saw that the cardiac monitor was already hooked up. He saw that the IV was already established. He saw the IV pump running the needed drug for this cardiac patient. He saw the two open drug boxes.
Joe Moore gave Mike McGinnity a patient report with the hopes of working alongside Mike McGinnity one more time. Mike listened to the patient report including the doses of drugs already given to the patient and the current drip rate of the IV pump. Mike said, “You obviously have this under control and don’t need me. Keep up the good work.” Mike then climbed out of the ambulance and went about his routine.
Back to 1999.
Lisa McCann (of the island McCanns) was the instructor for the paramedic class along with Steve Rose. Lisa was in charge of the paramedic program at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan. Her father had been the man that had needed the medication previously in this writing. He received the correct medication and Lisa was impressed that Bev and Joe knew which medication was needed and that we called Mike McGinnity to come and provide it. At a conference for instructors, Lisa had introduced herself and said, “Thank you for helping my Dad. If there is anything that I can do to help you, just let me know.”
During the next break at the conference, I walked up and said to Lisa McCann, “Did you really mean it? Would you be willing to help us out on the island?”
Lisa replied, “What do you have in mind?”
“Would you be willing to come to the island and teach us a paramedic class? That way we wouldn’t have to call out the medical center provider for those with cardiac issues,” I replied.
“Let me think about this for a while, and I’ll get back to you,” Lisa McCann said.
This was the beginning of the advanced life support program on Beaver Island. The program took eighteen months of weekends with two paramedic instructors coming to the island every weekend except Christmas and Easter. Class ran on Friday nights, all day Saturday, and Sunday until about 3 pm. Additional study nights were scheduled. This advanced lifes support skill quickly became the standard of care on Beaver Island with four paramedics passing the State of Michigan exam and becoming licensed as paramedics. The four successful paramedics were Mike Russell, Beverly Russell, Joe Moore, and Bob Hamil. When they returned to the island, the fire department and most of the community met them out at Welke Airport with applause and a special welcomes.
With this improved level of care, EMS on the island was actually able to provide help to the medical center provider in times where more than one person was needed for treatments at the medical center.
Penny Kiss, the medical center provider at the time, was even attending the class when it was convenient to her schedule, and her husband Karl was in the program. Beaver Island had moved forward with improved patient care standards quickly in place and excellent working relationships with the medical center provider. Beaver Island became the second agency in Charlevoix County to move up to the advanced life support level. East Jordan’s Jay Peck beat Beaver Island as the first, getting his ALS agency license less than three weeks before the island accomplished the task of purchasing equipment, writing the protocols, and getting approval from Charlevoix County Medical Control Authority.
Beverly continued working as an RN at the medical center and at Charlevoix Area Hospital. Mike continued working as a Charlevoix County Deputy Sheriff. Joe continued teaching at the school. Advanced Life Support was born and licensing was accomplished on Beaver Island in 2000.
Layton's Turtles
Update Layton's Turtles:
Today, September 22, 2016, a check of the two locations of the snapping turtles laying eggs turned up some that had hatched. Unfortunately one of them had been run over by a car, but that is the first one that was seen. Then, shortly thereafter, near the intersection of Paid Een Oggs and Kings Highway, the hole in the ground where the turtle eggs were laid was found, and a couple more of the baby turtles were seen, one on the road and another on the shoulder. The second location has not been disturbed, so the trail cam will stay there until it will hopefully record the opening of the turtle eggs' location.
View a small gallery of pictures HERE
One small snapping turtle baby crawling away
Earlier in the summer of 2016, the week of June 13th, editor Joe Moore was coming from the township airport down Paid Een Ogs Road, and when he reached the Kings Highway, he saw a vehicle pulled over on the side of the road with two young ladies looking down at the ground. One of these young ladies was Layton White. She had been videoing and taking pictures of the snapping turtles as they dug holes in the ground to lay their eggs. After asking them if they had a car issues or other problems, the editor of News on the 'Net asked if Layton would share her video and pictures with our subscribers. Layton agreed to share them, and they can be found:
View a small gallery of pictures HERE
Snapping Turtle Laying Eggs by Layton White
This is old news, but editor Joe Moore has been checking the spots where these turtles laid the eggs very consistently, and so far none of those locations show any action or movement that any turtles have hatched yet. On September 10, 2016, BINN put a trail camera on the site of one of these turtle egg holes with the hope that it might be possible to video or photograph the hatch of some of the eggs. The site is marked with a sign, and we ask that no one disturb the site, and nor remove the trailcam that is there to record the hatch if and when it occurs.
Hatchlings will emerge from their soft shells 55 to 125 days after the mama snapping turtle lays the eggs. The time to hatching is longest in the northern part of the snapping turtle's range. Generally, incubation takes from 75 to 95 days, and hatchings emerge between August and October. Since these eggs were placed in the gravel along Kings Highway in June on the fifteenth, the hatch could take place sometime in the next four weeks or so.
Pictures Out and Around
Outside the front door
At Gull Harbor
At Barney's Lake
At Whiskey Point
Ragweed at the public beach
Timeout for Art: Bill
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 22, 2016
Happy First Day of Autumn! It's 60° outside this morning, lightly raining, wind is at 7 mph from the east, humidity is at 94%, pressure is steady at 1018 mb, visibility is 9.1 miles, pollen level is low today at 0.6, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Cloudy. Rain showers likely and a chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 70°. South winds at 10 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Tonight: Cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then a chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows in the mid 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Chance of precipitations is 40%. MARINE REPORT: Southeast wind 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest in the late morning, then becoming north in the afternoon. Showers likely early in the morning, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Northeast wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Chance of showers. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
On this date of September 22, 1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy signed a congressional act that established the Peace Corps.
Did you know that a squid has 10 tentacles?
Word of the day: flavescent (fluh-VES-uh nt) which means turning yellow; yellowish. Flavescent entered English in the mid-1800s. Its immediate source is the Latin present participial stem flāvescent- “becoming golden yellow, yellow” from the verb flāvescere “to become golden yellow, yellow.” The verb derives from the adjective flāvus “golden yellow, yellow.”
St. James Township Special Meeting
September 21, 2016
The agenda of this special meeting was to pass a resolution for the repayment plan of township funds from one fund to another fund. In addition, the township board needed to acto on something like an arbitration ruling relating to the lawsuit of Gillespie Enterprises and the St James Township.
The township board assured BINN editor Joe Moore than none of these repayment resolutions will cost a St. James taxpayer any additional dollars. The Yacht Dock fund is self-supporting with no tax dollars needed to support it. The sewer fund is becoming self supporting with the current billings and the rates being considered for the future. Neither of these funds will cost the taxpayer any money.
Video of this meeting is available HERE
Link to St. James Township Audit Documents
Vist state website HERE
(Thank you, Maura Turner for this link)
The following were downloaded from the above website and are available here.
St James Audit Financials
2016 St James Audit Deficencies
St James Audit Procedures Report
St James Deficit Letter
Strings Program Presentation
Robert Dudd and the Crooked Tree Arts Center will be at the BICS tomorrow September 22, 2016. They will be giving an orientation/presentation of the string instruments students learn and play through the strings program. All parents and students are invited to come, with time afterward for questions. So please join us in the gym at 2 pm, Thursday.
New Master Plan Process
Beaver Island launches new master planning process focused on community resilience
The “Resilient Beaver Island” master planning effort aims to strengthen the island community against future shocks and stresses, from economic shifts to climate change.
BEAVER ISLAND, Mich. – September 21, 2016 – Communities on Lake Michigan’s largest island have banded together to face future changes and challenges in a groundbreaking master planning project called Resilient Beaver Island.
At 54 square miles, Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan, located about 30 miles offshore from the City of Charlevoix in northwest Lower Michigan. The island’s rich history includes Native American and European settlers and industries such as fishing and logging. Today, it is a popular tourist destination.
The Resilient Beaver Island project aims to engage the residents of Peaine Township and St. James Township in the development of a new joint master plan for the two island jurisdictions.
Much like a blueprint, a master plan serves as the public’s guide for the development of a community and the management of its resources. Although portions of the island’s current joint master plan have been updated throughout the years, the last comprehensive update to the master plan was completed several years ago.
“Resilience” is a measure of the sustained ability of a community to utilize available resources to respond to, withstand, and recover from adverse situations. Communities that are resilient are able to learn from adversity and adopt quickly to change, both of which are hallmarks of successful communities today.
The Resilient Beaver Island planning process will address a wide range of concerns such as natural resource preservation, efforts to build the local economy, and ways to manage the impacts of climate variability. A series of stakeholder meetings will be held on the island on Tuesday, September 27 and Wednesday, September 28; the full schedule is available on the project website, www.resilientmichigan.org/beaverisland.
The resources for the Resilient Beaver Island effort are being provided through the Traverse City-based nonprofit Land Information Access Association (LIAA), which is also managing the project. Most of the project costs will be covered by a grant provided to LIAA by the Michigan Coastal Zone Management Program, Office of the Great Lakes, Department of Environmental Quality.
According to Harry Burkholder, LIAA’s executive director, the project will help island residents plan with an eye toward buffering the greater community against damaging forces that can cause long-term economic and human hardships.
“Public planning processes lay the groundwork for transportation improvements, economic development programs, and other community improvement efforts,” Burkholder said. “By planning with resilience in mind, communities can reduce their vulnerabilities to both wild swings in the economy and extreme weather events.”
Complete information about the project — including meetings, workshops, presentations and interactive questionnaires — is available on the project website, www.resilientmichigan.org/beaverisland.
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 21, 2016
Beautiful sunrise this morning, unfortunately by the time I would have made it to town, the colors would have been long gone, Hopefully, someone captured it. Right now it's 63°, mostly cloudy skies, no wind (at the moment), humidity is at 94%, pressure is steady at 1020 mb, visibility is 5 miles, pollen levels are low-medium at 4, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. Light winds becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Tonight: Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then rain showers likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. Light winds. Chance of precipitation 70%.. MARINE REPORT Today: Light winds. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: Northeast wind 5 to 10 knots. Showers likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of September 21, 1937 - J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" was first published.
Did you know that the first Lifesaver flavor was peppermint?
Word of the day: afflatus (uh-FLEY-tuh s) which means 1) inspiration; an impelling mental force acting from within 2) divine communication of knowledge. Afflatus stems from the Latin term afflātus meaning "a breathing on." The Latin root flāre means "to blow." It entered English in the mid-1600s.
Some Random Thoughts
by Cindy Ricksgers
Exercises in Writing #16
by Cindy Ricksgers
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 20, 2016
It's 63° outside this morning, clear skies, wind is at 10 mph from the west with gusts to 19 mph, humidity is at 80%, pressure is steady at 1018 mb, visibility is 9.5 miles, pollen levels are low-medium at 4.4, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds at 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. MARINE REPORT Small Craft Advisory In Effect Through This Afternoon. Today: West wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Sunny. Waves 2 to 3 feet. Tonight: Southwest wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
On this date of September 20, 1995 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to drop the national speed limit. This allowed the states to decide their own speed limits.
Did you know that the first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum?
Word of the day: circumbendibus (sur-kuh m-BEN-duh-buh s) which means a roundabout way; circumlocution. Circumbendibus blends the prefix circum- meaning "round about, around" with the noun bend and the Latin plural ending -ibus. It is a humorous formation that arose in the late 1600s.
Band of Rain Comes In
The band of rain coming in over Barney's Lake- about a quarter inch.
Video of the rain coming in and how hard it came down
The sky was interesting to watch as the front moved in. Watching it was mesmerizing!
Deadly Opioid Carfentanil Potentially in Michigan
One Suspect Case Identified
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) together with Michigan State Police (MSP), local health partners, and local law enforcement, are warning Michigan residents that the deadly opioid carfentanil is now likely circulating in the state. At this time, one suspect case is under investigation in Kent County.
“Opioid and heroin use have deadly effects and the introduction of carfentanil into the drug supply makes the potential for fatality due to overdose even greater,” said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of the MDHHS. “Michigan residents need to know that carfentanil is a real danger to our communities, and its consequences are fatal.”
Mixed with heroin, and sometimes sold in pill form, carfentanil puts Michigan residents at great risk of accidental overdose and death due to the extreme potency of the drug. The onset of adverse health effects – disorientation, coughing, sedation, respiratory distress or cardiac arrest, and death – occur within minutes of exposure. The drug is 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the National Institutes for Health. The use of carfentanil has been linked to multiple overdoses causing death in Ohio.
At the request of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the Michigan State Police (MSP) Grand Rapids Forensic Science Laboratory recently tested an unknown powder seized during an investigation, which was determined to likely contain carfentanil.
“The Michigan State Police is closely monitoring the potential presence of carfentanil in Michigan,” said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. “We continue to work with our public safety partners to thoroughly investigate possible cases involving carfentanil to keep this dangerous drug out of our communities.”
MDHHS has issued a Health Alert Network notification to notify and urge all hospitals, local health departments, medical control agencies, and emergency first responders to treat unknown chemicals and substances with extreme caution.
At this time, the Michigan Poison Control Center is not reporting an increase in calls related to drug-related overdoses.
Carfentanil is often used to tranquilize large animals and is not approved for human use because of its extreme potency. People and animals such as canines may absorb carfentanil, fentanyl, and other opioids via skin contact, inhalation, oral exposure, or ingestion.
To find help dealing with substance abuse, please contact your physician or local health department. If you or someone you know suspects an overdose, call 911 immediately.
Starting Today
by Cindy Ricksgers
Cormorant Health Issues
A cormorant picked up along the Charlevoix County Shoreline on the mainland has tested positive for Newcastle disease. If any cormorants are found dead on the Beaver Island shoreline, the DNR would like to collect them for testing if possible. However, it is important to be careful when handling a cormorant that could potentially have Newcastle. Wearing rubber gloves is a must and eye protection is highly recommended and double bagging. Because of the earlier die-off on Cormorant rookeries in Minnesota and Wisconsin, tissues from the cormorant was tested for Newcastle Disease Virus as well as West Nile Virus and both were positive. If you find a dead cormorant, please call Jackie (2220) or Pam (2314).
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 19, 2016
It's 66° outside this morning, clear skies, wind is at 14 mph from the south with gusts to 18 mph, humidity is at 87%, pressure is falling from 1012 mb, visibility is 9.9 miles, pollen levels are medium at 5.1, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Partly sunny with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Breezy. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the SW 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 35 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 35 mph decreasing to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. MARINE FORECAST Small Craft Advisory In Effect Through This Evening Today: Southwest wind 15 to 25 knots with gusts to around 30 knots. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms early in the morning, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning. Waves 2 to 3 feet building to 4 to 6 feet in the morning. Tonight: West wind 15 to 20 knots with gusts to around 30 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 3 to 5 feet.
On this date of September 19, 1876 - Melville R. Bissell patented the carpet sweeper.
Did you know that the longest time someone has been in a coma was 37 years 111 days? November 26 1978, after 37 years 111 days of being in a coma, Elaine Esposito passed away.
Word of the day: cosset (KOS-it) which means 1) to treat as a pet; pamper; coddle 2) a lamb brought up without its dam; pet lamb 3) any pet. Cosset is of uncertain origin. The noun entered English in the late 1500s.
Planned Takeover of EMS
An Editorial by Joe Moore
A secret meeting and distorted inaccurate statistics form the basis of a planned take -over of BIEMS by the BIRHC.
Who was present at the secret meeting? Bill McDonough; Dr. John Martin as moderator; Lynn Jenks, CEO of Charlevoix Hospital; Rod Nelson and Karen Cheeseman of Mackinac Stratits Health Systems of St. Ignace; Connie Wojan, BIRHC Board; Denny Cook, BIRHC Board; Donna Kubic, manager of BIRHC: Susan Solle, FNP of BIRHC; Carolyn Space, FNP Provider of BIRHC; Bill Kohls, Peaine Township Supervisor and Chair of the Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority; Gerald LaFreniere, EMT, from BIEMS; Angel Welke, President of Island Airways, the BIEMS licensed Air Transport aircraft owner.
Missing from this meeting are EMS providers and the EMS Executive Director Kevin White, who stated that he wasn't made aware of the meeting. Also missing from this meeting was any representative from the Charlevoix County Medical Control Authority.
Inaccurate statistics have been used once before by the rural health center manager. New on the ‘Net is not sure where the manager got the statistics this time from, but they are not only inaccurate they are distorted and an out-and-out falsehood.
“95% of the time, BIEMS transports 911 patients to the BIRHC treatment rooms for evaluation and stabilization before evacuation.” It’s not 95, not 85, not 75, not 50, and not even 25 percent of 911 patients get transported to the medical center.
“As a matter of fact,” Joe Moore, an EMS provider on Beaver Island for thirty years, stated, “we have been told by the Charlevoix Medical Control Authority, the agency in charge of all emergency patients in Charlevoix County, to not transport patients to the medical center, period, because they are not a licensed hospital. While we have to comply with patient wishes, less than 11% percent of 911 patients with EMS responses went to the medical center for 2015 and 2016 although another ten percent may have originated with the medical center. I should know since I transported almost 80 percent of the patients in 2015. We transport patients to the medical center location when patient and family request it, or when the paramedic has determined that the situation is not a serious emergency needing further transport. By law, the paramedic, following the laws of the State of Michigan, the administrative rules for that law, and the protocols of the Charlevoix County Medical Control Authority, has the responsibility and the authority to advocate for the emergency patient. This has never been delegated to the BIRHC manager or provider in any written document ever.”
Let’s see here, the medical center manager doesn’t know the difference between BLS and ALS with inaccurate statistics presented in a mailed-out report to all post office box holders in 2015, and now the manager is inflating 11% of 911 dispatches to 95% when the person that was paged to those emergencies isn’t consulted at all, nor is the director of EMS. Doesn’t this seem just a little fishy?
Another reason given by the medical center manager for combining the two, and making BIEMS a part of BIRHC, is “Availability of care providers for direction on patient care.” This demonstrates the ignorance of those involved in this take-over. First of all, if Charlevoix County Medical Control Authority (CCMCA) won’t allow patients to be transported to an unlicensed facility, why would they allow the provider at the BIRHC to direct emergency pre-hospital care? Second of all, the providers at the BIRHC have no authority over the emergency pre-hospital treatment of patients nor the determination of transport mode nor destination. The law, the rules, and protocols demand and are written to provide the treatments accepted outside a licensed hospital. These protocols are established by the CCMCA and are consistent with the protocols adopted for all pre-hospital patients in the State of Michigan. A licensed physician in a licensed facility can provide written treatments for patient transfer from one physician to another. Even a licensed physician in an unlicensed facility cannot order deviation from these CCMCA protocols unless granted this authority from the medical control physician and only if willing to accompany the patient all the way to the hospital.
The simple facts are that a licensed physician or a licensed Family Nurse Practitioner may not take charge of any patient outside of a licensed facility without the medical control physician granting them the authority and the responsibility for that patient, AND, once granted, that physician or FNP must accompany that patient all the way to the hospital to turn the patient over to a licensed physician in a licensed facility.
These two reasons should be enough to slow down the process of the somewhat hostile take-over of the local EMS by the BIRHC.
Mass from Holy Cross Excerpts
September 18, 2016, with Father John Paul and Reader Jacque LaFreniere
The excerpts can be viewed HERE
Phyllis' Daily Weather
September 18, 2016
It's 63° outside this morning, mostly cloudy skies, wind is at 9 mph from the west, humidity is at 92%, pressure is falling from 1014 mb, visibility is 9.1 miles, pollen levels are low-medium at 4.1, top allergens are ragweed, chenopods, and nettle. Today: Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of rain showers. Highs in the lower 70s. West winds at 10 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds at 10 mph. MARINE REPORT Today: West wind 5 to 10 knots. Slight chance of showers early in the morning. Waves 2 feet or less. Tonight: South wind 15 to 20 knots with gusts to around 25 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
On this date of September 18, 1769 - It was reported, by the Boston Gazette, that the first piano had been built in North America. The instrument was named the spinet and was made by John Harris.
Did you know that the shell is 12% of an eggs weight?
Word of the day: stentorian (sten-TAWR-ee-uh n) which means very loud or powerful in sound; a stentorian voice. Stentorian comes from the name Stentor, a warrior in Greek mythology who, in Homer's Iliad, is said to have a voice as powerful as fifty men. It entered English around 1600.
The 52 Lists Project, #38
by Cindy Ricksgers
A Windy Day at Gull Harbor
Barney's Lake Quiet
The Turkey Whisperer
Dragonfly
Chicken of the Woods? No!
Pom Pom mushroom, Lion's Mane Mushroom, Bearded Tooth Mushroom, Hedgehog Mushroom, Satyr's Beard, Bearded Hedgehog Mushroom, Chandelier Fungus, Bear's Head Tooth or Bearded Tooth Fungus
Unknown Diving Bird
Possibly a grebe?
Historical Society Seeks Board Member
The Beaver Island Historical Society seeks to fill one seat on it Board of Trustees. The BIHS board typically meets 10 times per year to ensure the smooth running of its museums and programs. Interested candidates must be BIHS members; if you aren't already a member, this can easily be accomplished by going to our website www.beaverislandhistory.org or emailing bihistory@tds.net. Persons interested in becoming a BIHS board trustee should email a brief message explaining their interest and desire to serve by October 10, 2016 to bihistory@tds.net. The appointment will be made at the October 20, 2016, BIHS meeting. The selected trustee will serve until the Society's Annual Meeting on August 17, 2017 at which time they may seek reelection.
Progress on Squaw Island Lighthouse
September 16, 2016
As reported on facebook, the crew over on Squaw Island working on the lighthouse has been busy although sometimes slowed due to the rain. One side of the roof of the house is completed, and the other is ready for shingles. Other work is obvious on the porch and the steps. Great job, guys! (Pictures are courtesy of Brian Cole)
El Hagerman Passes Away
This wonderful and caring lady has passed away. More information will be posted when it becomes available.
There will be a Celebration of Life Memorial for El Hagerman at their home on October 2nd from 2:00 til 4:00 p.m.
House Fire on the Island
At 11:16 p.m. last night, September 13, 2016, the Beaver Island Fire Department was called to 27496 Island Woods Road for a house on fire. The fire department and EMS responded to this residence to find a home engulfed in flames. It is rumored that the resident had taken the dog for a walk and had returned to find the house on fire. The home is across the street from the Dave Adams residence.
Residence before the fire
View pictures of the residence after the fire taken 9/14/16 HERE
View a video walk-around of the residence taken on 9/14/16 HERE
AMVETs News
Last night AMVETS Post 46 awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Lillian Wiser and $600 scholarships to Erin Boyle, Samantha Kuligoski, Hannah Roberts, and Stryder Crosswhite.
The Post wants to thank all those who supported our fundraisers, which allow us to provide these scholarships, support Beaver Island veterans and maintain the Beaver Island Veterans Memorial Park.
Obituary for Trudy Works
Gertrude “Trudy” Elizabeth (Zerbs )Works, aged 87, passed away peacefully with her son John by her side September 6, 2016 at her long-time summer home and most favorite place in the world, Beaver Island, Michigan.
Trudy was born May 13, 1929, in Salem, Ohio to her parents Victor and Gunda (Berninger) Zerbs. She attended Salem High School, and graduated from Sullins College, Bristol, Va., in 1947. Trudy then received a B.A. from Bard College (1951) and subsequent Management Training Certification from Radcliffe (Harvard) College in 1952. She taught at the Brown-Hathaway school in Cleveland, Ohio, before she married the love of her life, John W. Works, also from Salem, in 1955.
She is survived by three children: E. Gabriel Works (John O’Connor) of Grand Rapids; John W. Works, Jr. (Carolyn) of Beaver Island; and James B. Works (Denise) of Stow, Ohio. She is also survived by her beloved grandchildren Michael and Matthew Works of Stow, and Margaret Works of Beaver Island, as well as many nieces and nephews. Trudy’s sister-in-law Ruth Zerbs also survives her and still resides in Salem, Ohio.
Trudy was predeceased by her husband, John, in 2007, and her daughter Margaret (“Meg”) in 1983. Also preceding her in death were her parents, her sister Ada Frye and her brother Victor Zerbs.
A memorial service is planned for June 2017 on Beaver Island. Memorial gifts honoring Trudy’s life can be made to the Beaver Island Rural Health Center through the Charlevoix Area Community Foundation or directly to the Beaver Island Fire Department Auxiliary.
Please visit Trudy's guestbook at www.winchesterfuneralhome.com
Layton's Turtles
Earlier in the summer of 2016, editor Joe Moore was coming from the township airport down Paid Een Ogs Road, and when he reached the Kings Highway, he saw a vehicle pulled over on the side of the road with two young ladies looking down at the ground. One of these young ladies was Layton White. She had been videoing and taking pictures of the snapping turtles as they dug holes in the ground to lay their eggs. After asking them if they had a car issues or other problems, the editor of News on the 'Net asked if Layton would share her video and pictures with our subscribers. Layton agreed to share them, and they can be found:
View a small gallery of pictures HERE
Snapping Turtle Laying Eggs by Layton White
This is old news, but editor Joe Moore has been checking the spots where these turtles laid the eggs very consistently, and so far none of those locations show any action or movement that any turtles have hatched yet. On September 10, 2016, BINN put a trail camera on the site of one of these turtle egg holes with the hope that it might be possible to video or photograph the hatch of some of the eggs. The site is marked with a sign, and we ask that no one disturb the site, and nor remove the trailcam that is there to record the hatch if and when it occurs.
Hatchlings will emerge from their soft shells 55 to 125 days after the mama snapping turtle lays the eggs. The time to hatching is longest in the northern part of the snapping turtle's range. Generally, incubation takes from 75 to 95 days, and hatchings emerge between August and October. Since these eggs were placed in the gravel along Kings Highway in June on the fifteenth, the hatch could take place sometime in the next four weeks or so.
B. I. Food Pantry
Links
Holocaust Survivor Martin LowenbergVideo by Kaylyn Jones HERE |
CCSD News ReleaseAccident on Beaver IslandOn September 9, 2016 at approximately 3:51 p.m., the Charlevoix County Sheriff’s Office on Beaver Island was dispatched to the area of Forest Ave near King’s Highway for a person who backed over by a golf cart. The driver of the golf cart, 71 year old Ron Stipp of Beaver Island, backed over 76 year old Suzie Fisher, also of Beaver Island, just after she exited the golf cart. The golf cart was rolling downhill when Stipp put his vehicle in reverse, not seeing Fisher and knocking her over. Fisher suffered injuries to her neck, back, and ankle. She was transported to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey for her injuries. (BIEMS provided ALS ground ambulance transport and air transport using its licensed ALS air transport vehicle.) Speed and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the accident, which remains under investigation. |
Announcements/Ads
Soccer and Volleyball SchedulesSoccer Schedule
Volleyball Schedule
|
||||
January thru April |
Beach Rangers
Airport Commission Regular Meeting Schedule
November 5
Talking Threads Quilt Guild WEDNESDAYS
Talking Threads Quilt Guild invites all quilters, sewers, knitters, crocheters, weavers, spinners, and any other crafters to Peaine Township Hall on Wednesdays from 9:30 until noon. � Bring your projects, supplies, and enthusiasm. � Call Darlene at 448-2087 if you have questions , or just stop in on Wednesday.
Island Treasures Resale Shop
Open for shopping and donations
If you need help with your donation, call the shop at 448-2534
BIRHC Meeting Dates Set
The board of directors of the BIRHC has set these meetings for 2016:
All are Saturdays at 10 AM in the Community Room at the Center:
Sept 17
December 10 Annual Meeting
Facts
An Editorial by Joe Moore
Facts
I gave twelve months notice and then worked an additional sixteen months beyond the year’s notice. I participated in training and educating all of current EMS responders on the island other than the paramedics. I have taught EMS classes on Beaver Island since 1989 after taking my EMT class beginning in 1986, which makes me involved in emergency medicine and emergency medical services on Beaver Island for thirty years. I was director for BIEMS for more than fifteen years. I have been teaching the medical legal portion of MFR and EMT classes since becoming a licensed State of Michigan instructor coordinator in 1989.
I participated in the improvements of local emergency care from the Basic Life Support level in 1987 up through the limited advanced life support level in 1989, and then through the advanced life support level established in 2000. I have done the development of initial education classes from medical first responder level to include Basic EMT and EMT-Specialist, through the paramedic level.
I have been an Advanced Cardiac Life Support instructor and Basic Life Support instructor with the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. I have taught BLS and ACLS to doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and others at Marshall Hospital, Charlevoix Hospital, and in Kellogg Community College programs since 2000. I have been an Advanced Stroke Life Support instructor since its introduction in Michigan. I have taught the ASLS class for Northern Michigan Hospital and for BIEMS. I have been a Pediatric Emergencies for Pre-Hospital Providers and an AHA Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructor for many years.
I helped develop the special protocols for EMTs and EMT-Specialists in Charlevoix County, and, before the State of Michigan decided to standardize the protocols throughout the state, I had written and presented the protocols for Charlevoix Medical Control Authority for approval for the entire county.
I have been involved in the EMS education standards requirements for Michigan EMS Instructor Coordinators, and truly have made motions regarding these standards in the regional meetings that ended up getting to the EMS Coordinating Committee for action. I made two presentations on the need for the locally licensed air transport operations on Beaver Island prior to its licensing, one on Beaver Island and one in Marquette, Michigan, at the UPEMS Conference.
I have researched the time issue with the American Heart Association in their BLS, ACLS and PALS programs as well as their Experienced Providers program; with University of Miami Advanced Stroke program, with International Trauma Life Support in this trauma program, with six EMT textbooks, six MFR/EMR textbooks, and in Advanced EMT and paramedic textbooks; and the National Association of EMTs as well as the National Association of Emergency Physicians. I have made reports on all of these issues related to the necessity to get emergency patients to definitive care hospitals in the shortest possible time period.
Repeating some of these will help us to understand the reasons behind moving patients to definitive care settings as quickly as possible is important.
“Time is Muscle” when a person has chest pain or possible heart attack. “Time is Brain” when a person has stroke symptoms. “Time is Tissue” in any trauma. Time to definitive care is the MOST important aspect along with excellent pre-hospital assessment, treatment, and transport at the Advanced Life Support level.
Further Facts
Percentages of ambulance runs and flights by Joe Moore for the last eight years
YearPercent
2009
17
2010
20
2011
38
2012
54
2013
69
2014
79
2015
First ½ of 201637
59Joe Moore has completed just less than 50% of all ambulance runs and flights in the last 7 ½ years from January 1, 2009, to July 1, 2016. Joe Moore has had an EMT license since 1987, EMT-S license since 1989, IC license since 1989, and paramedic license since 2000. Joe is not only certified in AHA BLS, AHA ACLS, AHA PALS, ASLS, PEPP, and ITLS, he is currently certified as an instructor in all except ITLS and is a NAEMT Instructor for “Stop the Bleeding.” Joe Moore was director of EMS for BIEMS for more than fifteen years.
Ambulance runs by medical center manager are less than 5%. Medical center manager has received an EMT license in 2005; and RN license in 1995. Medical center manager is certified in AHA BLS and AHA ACLS. Medical center manager dropped out of the paramedic class ending in 2006-7.
Who is being consulted about the future of Beaver Island EMS? The manager of the rural health center.
How many questions have been asked of the most experienced person in this field who has worked on the island doing EMS for thirty years? Not one single question.
Who has been invited to meetings and has been consulted by phone? The manager of the rural health center.
Who has not received one single phone call from the chair of the BIESA? I bet you can guess.
Ryan Wellman Flyover
1902 on 09/08/15
Coming in the mouth of the harbor
Headed toward the Mackinaw Bridge
From a different perspective:
The BIBCO dock
Thanks to Pam Moxham for the last two pictures!
Rural EMS IS Different, How?
by Joe Moore from "Rural EMS is Different"
This chapter is historical and is presented with the permission of the patient.
Read this chapter HERE
Help Keep Advanced Life Support on Beaver Island
prepared in support of Beaver Island EMS by the Beaver Island Association
P. O. Box 390
Beaver Island, MI 49782
www.beaverislandassociation.org
There has been a lot of discussion over the past few months about losing Advanced Life Support Service as part of Beaver Island EMS. After two very well attended Emergency Services Authority meetings, it appears clear that there is significant community interest in maintaining ALS—which requires paramedics on the island. But, current funding is apparently not sufficient to attract paramedics to the island. The townships have both allocated additional resources to help address this issue through the end of the summer season and plan to place millage proposals on the November ballot for a longer term solution, but it remains unclear whether there will be sufficient funding to assure continued service from the end of August until millage revenue becomes available if the ballot proposals pass. In response to suggestions made at the ESA meetings, the Beaver Island Association, working in cooperation with the Preservation Association of Beaver Island and Beaver Island Emergency Services, has developed a website to help raise this money to fill this gap to the extent possible and as needed and, after ALS needs are met, help update equipment and meet other needs.
If you are convinced of the need for Advanced Life Support on the island and want to help, you can stop reading now and go to www.biems.org to make a contribution by credit card, check or direct bank transfer. Your donation will be deposited in a special account set up by PABI and administered by the BIA.
If you have questions about what ALS is or why it is necessary on Beaver Island, please keep reading.
What is Advanced Life Support?
Advanced Life Support (ALS for short) is provided by paramedics who have received more than 3,000 hours of training in aggressive cardiac life support, pediatric life support, severe trauma and more than 200 other life-threatening emergency medical conditions. Paramedics can administer more than 30 advanced medications and can perform many medical procedures. They work to orchestrate an emergency medical scene and direct the operations inside the medical transport unit (ambulance). During an emergency medical call, the paramedic is in constant contact with a hospital emergency room physician. The paramedic and the physician pair together in making critical life-care decisions.
How does ALS differ from Basic Life Support?
Basic Life Support(BLS)
Ambulances provide transport to patients who do not require extra support or cardiac monitoring. A typical BLS ambulance staffed by EMT level caregivers transport includes:
· Lower extremity fractures
· Discharges to home and sub-acute care facilities (nursing homes)
· Medical and Surgical patients who do not require cardiac monitoring
· Psychiatric patients
Advanced Life Support (ALS)
Ambulances staffed by a paramedic transport patients who need a higher level of care during transport above those services provided by a BLS ambulance, but still do not require an R.N. Patients who typically require ALS transport include:
· Any medical/surgical patient with a continuous IV medicine but does not need a RN per state protocols
· Any patient on a cardiac monitor
· Obstetrical patients
· Patients from urgent care centers
· Patients with potential airway compromise
· Any patient deemed to have a potential complication during transport when report is received from the sending facility
Why do we need ALS on Beaver Island?
Without ALS capability on the island, air transport of critically ill patients (often cardiac and neurological emergencies) must wait an hour or more for off-island providers to arrive. Research clearly shows that “Time is Muscle” in a cardiac related event and that “Time is Brain” in a neurological stroke-like event. With island ALS, a patient can be at the hospital within an hour—at least 45 minutes more quickly than without. Research shows that delay in this critical period makes a substantial difference in patient outcomes.
It seems to make good sense that a community as rural and isolated as Beaver Island should retain and support the highest level of competence available for our Emergency Medical Service. Since the “Time to Hospital” can be prolonged and even uncertain with inclement weather, our local capabilities should be even better than those on the mainland. An ALS ambulance unit is effectively a “Mobile Emergency Room” when in real-time communication with an Emergency Physician.
You Can Help
You can help assure the continued availability of Advanced Life Support on Beaver Island by making a contribution to the cause at www.biems.org. Your donation will help assure the availability of funding for paramedic staffing until the Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority is able to work out a longer term funding plan with the townships and island taxpayers. All donations will be received in a separate account established and controlled by the Preservation Association of Beaver Island and will be dispersed to BIEMS as directed by the Beaver Island Association.
About BIEMS
BIEMS provides emergency medical services to Beaver Island. If you need urgent medical help, dial 911 and allow about 30 seconds for the call to transfer to the 911 center. They will dispatch BIEMS 24x7 to provide assistance. Dialing 911 is the fastest and safest way to get help. Patients in distress should not be driven or drive themselves in a private vehicle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prepared in support of Beaver Island EMS by the Beaver Island Association
P. O. Box 390
Beaver Island, MI 49782
www.beaverislandassociation.orgDonations made at biems.org will be received in a separate bank account established and controlled by the Preservation Association of Beaver Island. They will be dispersed to BIEMS as directed by the Beaver Island Association as ALS needs are identified. If funding is not necessary to maintain ALS (or to the extent funds exceed ALS needs), funds may be used for other BIEMS needs such as equipment updates, supplies and other needs.
Beaver Boodle Boding
The Beaver Island Boodle, a 5K is to take place on Saturday, October 1, 2016. The race begins at 11:00 a.m.. The proceeds benefit the Beaver Island Sports Booster Club. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Beaver Island Community School. The race begins at the Beaver Island Community School. Awards will be given for 1st through 3rd place in 5K run and Walk. There will be extra awards this year for decorations.
ALS versus BLS for EMS
by Joe Moore
For the last sixteen years, Beaver Island has maintained the Advanced Life Support emergency medical services agency with advanced skills and treatments for emergency patients. There are those that believe that the advanced skills and treatments are not needed any longer and that Beaver Island should go back to Basic Life Support. The reasoning for going backwards more than fifteen years is due to the cost of providing a paramedic staffing for the Beaver Island ambulance and/or the emergency response vehicle.
The reason for this increased cost is the retirement of Joe Moore, who worked sixteen additional months after giving a one year notice of retirement, a total of 26 months notice. He is one of the two resident paramedics on the island. The other paramedic is Kathie Ehinger, who owns and operates Daddy Franks.
Several Beaver Island EMTs and EMT-Specialists worked very hard to establish an advanced life support agency, and were successful in 2000 after going to school for eighteen months on almost every weekend in 1998-99. This was approximately ten years after moving up from the Limited Advanced designation accomplished in 1990. So, Beaver Island has had at least limited advanced ambulance service for more than twenty-five years.
How many people have received advanced life support on Beaver Island for the last few years? The answer to this question isn't very difficult to find since every single ambulance run since its creation is recorded in a book started by Michael McGinnity, a former medical center provider and continued by Joe Moore and Sarah McCaffety, former directors of BIEMS, and all directors since then. Prior to the limited advanced designation, every patient who had advanced treatments had to be accompanied all the way to the hospital by the medical center provider, so the need for advanced life support can be suggested by just the numbers of ALS patients.
The overwhelming number of patients treated and/or transported by EMS in last twelve years have required advanced life support skills and treatments as documented in the paperwork. The documentation of advanced versus basic treatments and transports was begun in 2005. Here are the specific numbers of ALS ambulance runs for the last twelve years.
Year
Number of ALS Patients
2005
50
2006
45
2007
42
2008
50
2009
33
2010
41
2011
37
2012
36
2013
34
2014
42
2015
55
2016 as of August 15th
38
So, in the last twelve years, 465 patients have needed advanced life support skills and interventions or treatments. This is an average of just shy of forty patients per year, or one ALS patient every nine days for the last twelve years. All 465 patients received an advanced life support assessment, and advanced life support treatments, or they could not be included in the ALS list. Every other patient also received an advanced life support assessment, but it was determined that ALS treatment could wait until the patient arrived at the hospital. In the last three years, an ALS patient was treated and/or treated and transported approximately at the rate of one per week.
As a point of interest, the greatest majority of these runs mentioned above have allowed payments be made to paid, on-call volunteers, and the greatest majority of this money has remained in the Beaver Island economy. It has become necessary since July 2, 2016, to pay paramedics from off the island as employees instead of on-call paid volunteer paramedics.
"As a retired paramedic who still lives on Beaver Island," Joe Moore said, "I empathise will this quandary, but the other paramedics who lived here and I were never doing EMS because we were getting paid. We were doing it to help our friends and neighbors in need. Now, the community has to decide if their friends and relatives will receive the advanced treatments and quick transport to definitive care, or whether their advanced treatments and transport will be delayed. Since I am one of the senior population on the island, I hope the majority of voters will see the importance of the advanced life support skills. It has certainly made a difference in the lives of more than five hundred patients since its inception, and the limited advanced level goes all the way back to 1990 when we worked hard to get the needed treatments for our Beaver Island visitors, friends, and neighbors.Significant improvement in patient outcomes has been made over the last twenty five years. I hope we don't end up going backwards."
BICS Budget Information for 2016-2017
The following links take you to the documents that were sent to BINN for the BICS 2016-2017 school year.
Link to the 2016-2017 Expenditures
Link to the 2016-2017 Budget Hearing Agenda
Link to the 2016-2017 Revenues
Link to the Budget Acceptance Resolution for 2016-2017
32 Miles of Water
A Documentary by Philip Michael Moore
As appropriate today as it was then!
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