Hot Stuff: Fun in the sun is great, but more rain will be welcome as wildfire danger remains high in most parts of the Big Lake neighborhood. As you can see from the province's fire map this week, multiple fires were alight in Northwestern Ontario. On Wednesday, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reported 60 active fires in the region with 28 fires not under control and 22 considered forest fires. In Michigan, the DNR ranked parts of the western U.P. as high and very high fire risks. Wisconsin luckily had very low fire danger this week, but in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, a wildfire near Hassel Lake caused campsite closures near Tower. The northern region remained on high danger alert, according to the Minnesota DNR.
PFAS in the Wrong Places: They make our cookware resistant to sticking foods, our fabrics resistant to water and our fire-fighting products resistant to, well, to fire. But the synthetic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that repel water and oil may also be permeating our waters. In fact, it literally may be raining PFAS, according to recent studies. Marie Zhuikov with Wisconsin Sea Grant in Superior wrote last year about discovery of their widespread presence in rainwater across the country. In her story, she quoted Martin Shafer, a researcher at UW-Madison, who said, “Everyone in the world, including those in northern Canada and remote regions, all have substantial levels of PFAS in their bloodstreams. Some people believe PFAS are a significant threat to human health.” This week Marie wrote about a young world-traveling research student who will come to the EPA Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division in Duluth to study the affects of PFAS on freshwater fish and ecosystems. Prarthana Shankar (in photo), who has visited from India to California on research projects, earned the opportunity through an EPA fellowship. She has been working already from her home in Oregon long distance with EPA mentors Gary Ankley and Dan Villeneuve. She plans to use fathead minnows and zebrafish in her studies.
Fair Play: We love this idea: Play It Forward Funland in Thunder Bay suggests a "pay what you can" fee to play on its new mini golf course, encouraging generosity to cover costs and to provide access for those without means. "We offer a fully refurbished 18-hole mini golf course, lawn games, bike rental and more on the beautiful shores of Boulevard Lake," says the website of the newly opened family centre. "If our centre is out of your budget, please come outside of the hours of 3-7 p.m. and pay what you can." The centre also offers birthday Par-Tee packages for all budgets, even for corporate events. The new business is the brainchild of founder Connor Gravelle, who says, "I have been an entrepreneur from a young age and believe that business and community should always be connected."
Too Cute: The Lake Superior Zoo did a mangabey reveal on Thursday, bringing out Táami (pronounced Tommy), born on May 15 to mom Kiwi and dad Videll. Táami is a black-crested mangabey monkey, one of four at the Duluth zoo and only 28 in the United States. It natural home is in the subtropical or tropical dry forests in parts of central Africa.
Super Duper: Sharp-eyed fans of the Great Lakes Aquarium or of Duluth graphic artist Scottie Gardonio could have spotted a familiar poster during a scene in the series finale of the popular sitcom “Superstore." (See it in the frame just behind actor America Ferrera as Amy?) During her 11 years in the business, Scottie has worked with more than 100 clients, now through her Daymark Designs and on Etsy. She's earned more than 20 American Graphic Design Awards and an award in the 2012 ICAS Marketing Competition In 2012 for her Duluth Airshow poster, among others. Scottie explains how the poster ended up in the show. "I sell my Northland-themed posters on Etsy (as of Feb 2021), and within 10 days of launching them, someone who worked on the set dressing for the show purchased one with extremely expedited shipping. She then reached out to get permission to use it as part of their set design, and I signed a release. … I legitimately thought it was a weird kind of scam since I wasn't overly familiar with Etsy yet, but it all turned out to be legitimate." Scottie enjoys her graphic work as much for the people as for the art, she says. “There’s no way to get bored, when every client and request differs so drastically from the rest. There’s also an added benefit of being able to meet, speak with, and deal with such a wide array of people. The personal connections that are made through the process are definitely one of the perks. … All work should be done with the mindset that if the project is local, it should uplift the community,” adds the Northland native. “The community is very supportive and engaging. And, it would be a near crime to avoid talking about the landscape. The beauty of the city and natural areas is something I know I can’t get anywhere else.”
Calendar Light: Look who showed up on the June image for the U.S. Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation School 2021 calendar. Our friend, retired USCG Capt. Peter Brunk sent along this calendar for our office, and we were tickled to see Stannard Rock Lighthouse for this month's photo. Stannard Rock is featured in the current issue of Lake Superior Magazine in "Standing with Stannard Rock," where we talk about the efforts of its current keeper, the Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP) in Marquette, to raise money for renovating the loneliest lighthouse on the continent. We've posted the story on our website to help with the cause along with links for donations. While you're there, check out "The Practical Partner, SWP Delivers the Solutions." It's the story from last year announcing the Superior Watershed Partnership as winner of the 2020 Lake Superior Magazine Achievement Award. Thanks to some nasty pandemic, we couldn't deliver the actual award last year, but next week, we're heading to Marquette and on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the pavilion in Presque Isle Park, we will be there to hand over the well-deserved honor in person. Join us there if you're in the neighborhood.
Do It for the Team: Take a break this weekend for the last chance to vote in the 2021 Best of the Lake Survey. Show some voting love for your favorite lodging, restaurant, attraction and location on each of the four shores. Do all the survey, or just pick the state or province you know the most. Survey ends Monday and the winners will be announced in the August/September issue.
Photo & graphic credits: Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services/Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Wisconsin Sea Grant; Play It Forward Funland; Heidi/Lake Superior Zoo; Scottie Gardonio/Daymark Designs; Aids to Navigation School; Lake Superior Magazine