Operation Taconite, Engage!: The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie has launched its Operation Taconite, one of two Great Lakes ice-breaking task groups for the USCG. The other is Coal Shovel out of Sector Detroit. One of the Lake Superior-assigned cutters, USCG Biscayne Bay, is seen here in an earlier mission. According to the USCG, "Operation Taconite is the largest of these operations and is the largest domestic ice-breaking operation in the U.S. Shipping offers the only effective means of transporting the vast amounts of iron ore from the mines at the Head of the Lakes needed to meet the demands of steel mills in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. Operation Taconite is primarily responsible for ensuring the successful transport of this cargo amid the harsh winter conditions of the northern Great Lakes." The Sault News posted the USCG news release: "Tuesday, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay was assigned to manage the ice-breaking needs of western Lake Superior, specifically the twin ports of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin. U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay joined the operation, initially to work the ice in southern Green Bay before making their way to the St. Marys River. As ice coverage expands, U.S. Coast Guard officials will assign additional assets."
Another Devasting Fire: Two landmark buildings on Superior’s north end waterfront were destroyed by fire Thursday morning, according to a report in BusinessNorth. Firefighters were called to The Superior Warehouse Co. building (formerly Sivertson Fisheries) at 1507 N. First St. at 5:50 a.m. to find flames on the exterior of the large four-story, brick-and-timber structure. The building has been up for sale for nearly $800,000. For safety reasons, a decision was made not to fight the fire from the interior. The blaze quickly spread to a building at 1515 N. First St. that housed Bayside Warehouse and Twohy Mercantile Building. Both structures had been constructed in the late 1800s and were total losses, according to the Superior Fire Department. “I can report that no one was injured or killed in these fires. Crews will remain on scene throughout the day to manage the smoldering buildings,” Fire Chief Scott Gordon said in a news release. Thirteen off-duty members were called in at 6:10 a.m. to protect the city should another fire arise. This early morning photo of the fire, taken by Kate Ferguson from Duluth, illustrates how the burning buildings are sandwiched between the CHS grain terminal, on the left, and the General Mills elevators, on the right.
Wet December: November was drier than average, but December brought on the precipitation, according to a water-level update from the International Lake Superior Board of Control and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Still, Lake Superior water levels remain below the seasonal long-term average while Lake Michigan-Huron water levels remain above the seasonal long-term average. "Weather and water supply conditions were much wetter than average in the Lake Superior basin in December," the board reports. As a result, the Big Lake only declined 0.8 inches, while on average it declines 3.2 inches in December. At the beginning of January, Lake Superior is 2.8 inches below its long-term average water level (1918 – 2020) and 11 inches below the level of a year ago. Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron water levels typically decline in January. Depending on the weather and water supply conditions in the month, Lake Superior may decline by as much as 3.9 inches in January.
How Cold Was It?: On New Year's Day in Ely, Minn., it was cold enough to freeze off tossed hot water instantly, apparently. As Paul Pluskwik tells – and shows – us in this minus-30° below zero morning shot. "So, did the pot of hot water in the air to watch it vaporize while photographing through the lens ball," Paul describes it. Today would be another good day for the hot-water test. As we send this out, the U.S. Weather Service in Duluth reports minus-17° F with a wind-chill near minus-30° in Duluth. Ely's high temperature today should reach a balmy goose egg - that's 0° F.
Name that Baby: Duluth’s two major medical complexes, St. Luke’s and Essentia Health, have both released lists of top baby names for 2021 and named the first babies born at each in 2022. At St. Luke’s, 6 lbs.,15.5 oz. Roberta Margaret, daughter of Jennifer and Peter Paananen, arrived at about 1:30 a.m. Jan. 1, as Arman Rahman reports for Fox21. At that complex, more than 800 babies were born from December 2020 through November 2021. The most popular names for girls were Hazel, Charlotte, Mila or Myla and Nora. For boys, the tied top choices were Asher and Oliver. St. Luke’s has a delightful series of videos interviewing children born in its hospital. At Essentia, 6 lb., 15 oz. Bodhin Quast arrived at 6:56 a.m. Jan. 1, the first 2022 baby for that system, reports Brady Slater of the Duluth News Tribune. Bodhin is the son of Dyami Quast and Stephanie Madson. Essentia, delivered 2,627 babies in its six Minnesota hospitals in 2021 and noted the top boy’s names last year were Maverick or Mavrick, Noah, Henry or Henrie, then, tied, were Jack, Beau, Thomas, Lincoln, Hudson and Harrison. Tops for girls were Avery, Averie or Averi, Evelyn or Evelynn, followed by Harper and ties for Charlotte and Emma.
Tracing Tracy: Yes, when Europeans first arrived in our region, for awhile, Lake Superior was known as Lac Tracy. We've seen old maps with that name on it, but until this week had not seen a version showing both names – Lac Tracy "ou" (or) Superieur. Brendon Baillod, maritime history buff and avid collector and researcher, posted this map. "Shown here is one of several early and important Great Lakes maps that were made available recently from the Archives of the French Ministry of Marine," he notes. "The Ministry of Marine has been in existence since the 1600s and their archive has long been known to contain many seminal and important antiquities created by the Jesuits, explorers and other pioneers of New France. … This particular map is believed to be the hand-drawn original of Father Claude Dablon and Father Claude Allouez’ map from their 1669 circumnavigation of Lake Superior. These two famous Jesuits are believed to be the first Europeans to circumnavigate the big Lake, recording the shoreline features in detail. Prior maps of the Lake had shown it as a large amorphous body with little detail. The 1669 Jesuit map was published in 1673 in the Jesuit Relations, representing the first accurate depiction of Lake Superior. Although learned, and keen observers, the two Jesuits did not have modern mapping tools and many of the techniques for creating accurate maps had not yet been invented. Despite this, the men managed to record the shape of the Lake and its islands with decent accuracy." Read the interesting history in Brendon's full post.
Sad Farewells: Adolph Ojard Jr., former executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, son of a Lake Superior tug captain and one-time general manager of both the DM&IR railway and the Great Lakes Fleet, died Dec. 30, 2021. He was born in Duluth to Marion Torgersen Ojard and Capt. Adolph Ojard, captain of the Edna G. He attended Gustavus Adolphus College, but graduated from University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in English literature. He began his career at the DM&IR Railway loading boats and retired in 2001. He then was appointed and enjoyed his career as executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, retiring in 2013. Adolph's 31-year career included transfers to Erie and Pittsburgh, Penn., back to Duluth, Mobile, Ala., and finally back to Duluth again. He and his wife, Leigh Ann, then moved to Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga., to be closer to their children and grandchildren. They have been married 48 years. Plans are in the works for a memorial service this coming summer in Knife River, Minn., where he grew up.
Another maritime-related passing has also come to our attention. Audrey Jean LeLievre, 96, of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., died Dec. 18, 2021, in the same hospital where she was born. She describes her early years: "I spent my first 12 years on Lime Island, a freighter fueling station in the lower St. Marys River. My father and mother, William R. and Margaret (McLeod) Chown, and my grandparents, William A. and Alice (Newton) Chown, lived there as well. Everyone who lived on the island worked for the coal company that owned the island. My mother taught school there, as well as in Stalwart and Goetzville. My family moved to the Soo when it was time for us to attend high school." The lifelong Sault area resident served most of her 33-year working career in city government as a clerk for the Justice Court, a stenographer for the City Clerk's office and eventually as deputy clerk and then city clerk/purchasing agent there. After retirement in 1993, she worked helping her son, Roger LeLievre, with his Marine Publishing Co., putting out Know Your Ships. She frequently delivered the annual guide herself to local gift shops and outlets.
Explore for Free: Get a last view of Christmas – for free – at Glensheen in Duluth on Sunday. The historic mansion offers free self-guided tours from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for its Community Day. You can see the historic halls decked out, plus view the 25 Christmas trees and play a little "I Spy" to find the more than 25 hidden elves. It's a great way to spend what may well be a chilly winter day indoors with the family … unless you think a high temperature of 5° F seems too warm to be inside.
Photo & graphic credits: U.S. Coast Guard; Kate Ferguson; International Lake Superior Board of Control; Paul Pluskwik; St. Luke's; Brendon Baillod Collection; Adolph Ojard; Roger LeLievre; Glensheen