A Year without Irvin: Duluth's popular William A. Irvin museum ship will not be open in 2018. In fact part of the year it won't even be in its usual place at the Minnesota Slip, which is undergoing a massive restoration. In the fall, the Irvin may sail to the Fraser Shipyards in Superior for its own repairs and upgrades (kind of a freighter spa treatment). There will not be a Haunted Ship in October, but the museum ship should be ready for visitation in 2019. The 610-foot Irvin, launched November 1937, carried coal and iron ore for 40 years as the flagship of U.S. Steel’s Great Lakes Fleet. The Irvin holds the "speed" record for a vessel unloaded using Hulett Unloaders by unloading 13,856 tons of iron ore in two hours and 55 minutes. The record is likely to stand, points out the DECC, which operates the museum ship, because today's lakers use a self-unloading system. The Irvin is one of only three floating museum ships operating on Lake Superior. The SS Meteor, the last whaleback, is open in Superior and the Museum Ship Valley Camp, operated by Sault Historic Sites in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Plans are to open another museum ship, the Canadian Coast Guard’s retired Alexander Henry, for tour in mid-June in Thunder Bay, operated by the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society. So there's still a chance to tour a freighter this season.
Where's the Boat?: Twin Ports boat nerds have a new way to track the comings and goings of commercial maritime traffic thanks to the recently launched HarborLookout.com. Overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rangers running the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center at the foot of the Aerial Lift Bridge, the site notes the anticipated arrivals and departures at Duluth and Superior. "The No. 1 question we receive is, 'When is the next boat?" visitor center Director Denise Wolvin told Brady Slater of the Duluth News Tribune. The website, created by Saturn Systems, has a map locating vessels in port as well as the coming-going listings.
The End is Near!!!!!: Our survey ends at midnight tonight, so log on now to vote for this year's Best of the Lake honors. (Takes about 7 minutes.) This time around we are choosing the Best Waterfalls, Local Landmarks, Locally Made Stores, Local Music Groups, Restaurants or Cafes, Walking Trails, Family Attractions, Overnight Lodgings, Breweries or Distilleries or Cocktail Bars, Sandy Swimming Beaches and Doggie Destinations. Voting ends June 1 and the winners will be announced in our August/September issue. This season as you travel and enjoy the Big Lake, watch for our Best of the Lake logos in the windows of past winners. Stop in and find out why others chose those businesses and locations as our region's Best of the Lake.
Give a Rip: Rip current season is upon us. As temperatures soar and more people find relief and fun in Lake Superior's cool waters, it's good to remember to watch for the rip current warnings and flags on public beaches announcing dangerous swimming conditions. These currents, which have caused drownings on several Lake Superior shores, are created by winds and waves. According to Minnesota Sea Grant's Rip Current page, "Great Lakes rip currents are strong, narrow channels of water flowing away from shore. Rip currents are natural phenomena that transport sand and flush surf-zone water." The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth this week unveiled its new rip current signal flag to fly on the South Pier during hazardous times, Brett Scott reports for Fox21. The National Weather Service has a beach hazards webpage that gives current conditions and warnings around the Great Lakes. NWS reminds people that calm reaction to the currents, which draw you out into, but not under, the Lake, can save your life. "A rip current is a horizontal motion not a vertical motion. Rip currents do not pull people under the water; they pull people away from shore. The rip current is typically the strongest about a foot off of the bottom, which can cause your feet to be knocked out from under you making it feel like something under the water was pulling you. This is where the incorrect term 'undertow' comes from," according to NWS.
Rapids Revived: NOAA just released a short video about the Little Rapids Restoration Project, completed last year on the St. Marys River that removed a causeway inhibiting the rapids and replacing it with a bridge, allowing restoration of habitat and returning the fast-flowing water necessary for fish spawning, according to Lake Superior State University researcher Ashley Moerke, one of the LSSU researchers interviewed in the video.
Steeling for Tariffs: The announcement that U.S. tariffs on steel will be activated and will include Canada has caused concern in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, home of Canada's largest steel-making operations. In a CBC story, Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano called the tariffs a bad idea for Canada and the United States. Exemptions that had been allowed to Canada and the European Union expired at midnight Thursday. Algoma, which makes steel in the Sault, is one of northern Ontario's largest employers. In retaliation, Canada already has imposed an equal tariff (25%) on U.S. steel into its country and additional tariffs on maple syrup and aluminum imported from the United States, according to the CBC.
Lean & Green: Bayfield, Wisconsin, was one of five winners of the inaugural Water Utility Energy Challenge put on by the Great Lakes Protection Fund and American Water Works Association. Bayfield was named Water Utility Green Champion, earning the city $10,000 in the competition aimed at connecting city utilities with innovative software that reduces mercury and other emissions while reducing the utility’s operations and management costs. In Bayfield, the software helped to determine when to pump water with the least amounts of certain toxins, reducing emissions and saving energy. PRNewswire announced all the winners. In the photo, Sarah Mather and Josh Pearson from the city of Bayfield accept the WUEC Green Champion Award and a $10,000 check.
Stores Closing: Duluth got a one-two retail punch this week when it was announced that both its Sears and Kmart stores would be closing. The Kmarts in Virginia, Minnesota, and Ironwood, Michigan, already closed. Earlier the Younkers stores in Superior and Duluth also announced closures. These closures put dozens of people out of work. CNN has a map showing Sears closures. WDIO news reports that the Kmart in West Duluth's Spirit Valley Shopping Center and Sears in the Miller Hill Mall will close in early September. The Sears Auto Center at the Miller Hill Mall will close in late June. Liquidation sales will begin this month for both stores and are already underway for the Younkers in Duluth. Superior's Younkers closed earlier this year.
Ending on a Lighter Note: U.P. (or Yooper) know-how created this lovely and lazy way to enjoy a summer evening by Lake Superior with a freshly poured glass of wine (or can of beer). Check out this creative do-it-yourself video posted on the "You know you are from Marquette if ..." Facebook page.
Photo & graphic credits: William A. Irvin; Minnesota Sea Grant; National Weather Service; NOAA; Bayfield; It's Gone Viral.