Achievement Award presentation – Saturday, Oct. 18
On Saturday, we’ll present Lee Radzak with the 2014 Achievement Award, in recognition of his 32 years as site manager of Minnesota’s Split Rock Lighthouse.
KBJR reporter Bryce Henry interviewed Lee and LSM Editor Konnie LeMay this week about the award and Lee’s work at the lighthouse.
Falling for our fall
The Lake Superior region got some love this week from two national media outlets. Woo-hoo!
CNN named the Lake Superior Circle Tour one of its 5 gorgeous road trips for fall, and AARP’s travel website included Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in its list of the top 10 fall foliage trips in the U.S.
“Michigan’s U.P. goes head-to-head with its energy future”
Andy Balaskoviz, Midwest Energy News:
Across the country, utilities, regulators and government officials are grappling with the complex question of how to replace the energy from retiring power plants.
On Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, that transition is playing out on a much more urgent timescale.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore proposes ice cave fee
The National Park Service has proposed a $5 fee, for those 12 and older, to visit the ice caves at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Fueled by social media and news coverage, the ice caves drew 138,000 people last winter, smashing visitation records – and the park’s budget.
Officials say staffing and visitor services at the ice caves cost more than $400,000, far beyond what’s normally budgeted for the winter. The park currently charges $3 to park at Meyers Beach, but after the small lot filled up, many visitors parked along Highway 13 and in temporary lots and didn’t pay the fee. The park collected about $47,000 in all.
The ice caves hadn’t been accessible in five years, which likely contributed to the viral visitation boom. Officials believe that, in years when the Lake Superior ice is sufficiently thick for safe access, visitation of more than 100,000 will be the new norm.
The public review period for the proposal ends October 28. Public meetings will be held on October 22 at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland, 10 a.m. to noon, and on October 23, 4 to 6 p.m. at the park headquarters in Bayfield. Written comments are welcome by email (myra_foster@nps.gov) and snail mail (Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, 415 Washington Avenue, Bayfield, WI 54814, Attn: Myra Foster).
+ Duluth News Tribune: “Gunflint Trail gets its sled dog race back.”
+ Amber Mullen, Ashland Daily Press: "Straight talk on wolves during Wolf Awareness Week."