Lake Superior Day: This Sunday, July 15, is the annual Lake Superior Day celebration, often observed in communities around Lake Superior. In Duluth, activities start early, today and Saturday, at the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center by the Aerial Lift Bridge with a host of water issue experts, plenty of creepy invasive species in bottles (courtesy Minnesota Sea Grant), a Lake Superior Trivia Challenge from The Duluth Experience, a pitch for volunteers by the Rock of Ages Preservation Society (featured in the June/July issue of Lake Superior Magazine) and, of course, our magazine editor eager for a chat.
New this year, the Park Point community (right across the bridge) invites everyone to get closer to the Lake and learn about one of the oldest residential areas in Duluth with a free self-guided tour brochure being passed out at the visitor center. There will be tours at the U.S. Coast Guard Duluth Station and St. Andrew’s By-The-Lake Episcopal Church as well as tours of the Lafayette Community Edible Garden and the chance to visit the Duluth Rowing Club building. At 11 a.m and 2 p.m. join a guided bike tour, with bicycles provided free thanks to the YMCA Bike Fleet. The Duluth Rowing Club also is hosting the 60th Duluth International Rowing Regatta this weekend, all part of the celebrations.
On Sunday, join the great gathering at Barker’s Island Festival Park hosted by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve. There will be free live music from Sarah Krueger and folk-country band Feeding Leroy, awesome booths from a host of Great Lakes organizations, plus games, food vendors and plenty of activities for the kids. The day there kicks off with a Paddle for the People recreational race by the North Shore SUP (Standup Paddleboarders).
Déja Wet: As some reports said, it was déja vu all over again for the Keweenaw Peninsula as heavy rains – about 3 inches worth – caused more flooding early Thursday in areas already working to recover from the June 16-18 devastating washouts. Roads, some just recently repaired from the June damage, were closed for much of the day, including M-26 by Hubbell and Tamarack City, according to reports. (The photo is in Hubbell after the June flooding.) In Houghton, hard hit by the June floods, Sharon Avenue was to reopen Thursday, City Manager Eric Waara told Garrett Neese of the Daily Mining Gazette. Meanwhile, the Keweenaw Community Foundation, which has been fundraising to help with disaster relief, released information on the first phase – $1,000 Visa cards – for those with home damage who would like to apply for funding. Updates on the situation in the Keweenaw are found on two sites for Copper Country Strong 2018, a Facebook page and website with official information from the Houghton County Office of Emergency Measures.
Jimmy Lovrien of the Duluth News Tribune reported on the waiting game for federal aid for Lake Superior areas in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin flooded in June. In Wisconsin, according to Jimmy, some $11 million in damage was caused to roads and structures by the storms. Minnesota requested federal aid for 36 counties and one tribal nation.
Coming Home: The tug Peninsula made its final journey this week from Thunder Bay to Marathon, Ontario, returning to its former home port and the small town that once also was named Peninsula. The tug had served the Marathon Pulp Mill that eventually gave its name to the town of Marathon. The Marathon and District Historical Society has been fundraising to bring the tug home, hoping it will become the town's symbol, much like the Wawa Goose. The tug, which originally served in the Royal Canadian Navy hauling damaged vessels, was enlisted to wrangle- rafts of wood for the pulp mill. Most recently it has been part of the Gravel and Lake Services Limited fleet in Thunder Bay. Looking at the tug's retirement, the owner wanted it to return to Marathon and contacted the historical society, according to Stan Johnson, president of the society. Eventual plans are to put it on shore for visitation. A video was made of its arrival home. Donations to aid the project, including the $100,000 purchase price, can be made online.
A Sweet Gathering: Around 200 maple syrup producers from Ontario launched their annual general meeting and summer tour this week in Sault Ste. Marie, reports James Hopkin of SooToday. On the agenda for the Ontario Mayple Syrup Producers’ Association was to plant a maple tree at Sault College (done Thursday) to discuss creation of a syrup bottling facility, estimated to increase the province’s maple syrup output by up to 40 percent, and to review ways to open for tapping the Crown lands with maple-dominant forests. “There’s so many thousands of acres just north of here that’s Crown land that has unbelievable maple on it, and if we can get access into it, we can produce more syrup,” OMSPA President Brian Bainborough told James.
A New Boat Garage: Pikes Bay Marina in Bayfield, Wisconsin, recently got an official ribbon cutting for its new marine repair facility. The new space gives the the marina’s repair technicians an expanded capacity and a collection of specialized tools to work on different kinds of vessels. The marina was used earlier this year to launch a 45-foot, 36,500-pound U.S. Coast Guard response boat.
A Space to Phil: The beloved little Phil’s 550 Store in Marquette may be open again by the end of summer, reports Brian Cabell in his Word on the Street blog. Phil’s 550 was the quirky party store/gathering place created by the legendary Phil Pearce, called by the Detroit Free Press “the quintessential Yooper,” who died in January this year at age 64 after a battle with brain cancer. Phil gained a popular following after his friend, photographer Tom Buchkoe, put his picture on a T-shirt and accidentally launched a product line, but also because he welcomed friends and strangers-soon-to-be-friends to join him for beers and chewing the fat at “Philville” outside the store. As with many folks making ends meet, Phil did a number of side jobs, from welding to weddings, so perhaps he was the quintessential Yooper. Brian says a purchase agreement for the store is in the works: “The new owners, if financing is finalized, will be Kevin Thomsen, the owner of the Queen City Running Company, and Aaron Leppanen, an architect who’s now living in Ecuador but frequently returns to his home in the U.P. He and Thomsen are longtime friends.” The two will keep the Phil’s 550 stock, plus a few more outdoor gear items, and the house beside the store would be converted for short-term rental. No word yet if the storeside chats will continue.
On Board for a Museum: In just 21 hours, Stand Up for Great Lakes members Kwin Morris, Joe Lorenz and Jeff Guy paddleboarded about 57 miles across Lake Superior to raise money for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society in Michigan and raise awareness for the need to protect and stand up for the Great Lakes. The team (who nicknamed themselves "Three Standup Guys") departed Sinclair Cove in Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario, Tuesday morning in fog and headed south to the site of the Edmund Fitzgerald wreck site 17 miles or so off Whitefish Point. They laid a wreath above the wreck area Tuesday evening, and by 6 a.m. Wednesday arrived at Whitefish Point, home of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and the Whitefish Point Lighthouse. A large crowd greeted them as the sun was coming up and the waves started to pick up. Stand Up for Great Lakes named the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society as the beneficiary of their fundraising this year. To donate, visit their website.
Photo & graphic credits: Konnie LeMay; Copper Country Strong 2018; Jennifer Johnson; Bob Gross/Bayfield Chamber and Visitor Bureau; Phil's 550; Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.