Arriving Soon(ish): Next spring, the U.S. Navy's vessel named for the Twin Cities will finally get its formal commissioning here in Duluth, according to a press conference this morning that included the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul Cdr. Alfonza White. In our photo, Duluth Mayor Emily Larson, left, presents a City of Duluth flag to Alfonza, center, and Command Senior Chief Rafael Acevedo, right. They thanked the city for its future role in the vessel’s commissioning by presenting Emily with a ship’s coin. The Freedom-class Minneapolis-St. Paul LCS21 (littoral combat ship) is likely to arrive for the ceremony next May, executive officers of the vessel said today at the Soldiers and Sailors monument. Given the city’s history with the Navy and the ship’s Twin Cities namesake, its crew looks forward to the upcoming ceremony, according to the ship's commander. The Milwaukee native thanked Emily and Duluth residents for their long-time support of Navy initiatives. The combat vessel was scheduled to be commissioned last year until a design flaw in the propulsion system was discovered, as reported by The Associated Press. Here is a hard-driving video of it doing acceptance testing in August 2020 on Naval News. A specific new date in 2022 will depend upon spring weather conditions, Alfonza said. Until then, it will remain in a pre-commissioned status. The ship, christened in 2019, is scheduled to be homeported in Mayport, Fla., according to the Naval Sea Systems Command.
Opening Soon(er): The day before Canada Day, Fort William Historical Park will be re-opening to the public. The province is now allowing historical sites and similar attractions to open outdoor spaces, of which the historical park has plenty. The site has been closed to the public since December 2020 because of the pandemic. “Our entire team is looking forward to welcoming back visitors beginning Wednesday, June 30 to enjoy the unique experiences that Fort William Historical Park is able to offer at this time,” says Acting General Manager Patrick Morash. “Over the past few weeks, our staff have been busy preparing the site including de-winterizing all the exhibits and buildings, grounds maintenance, verifying and updating health and safety measures, and adjusting the site, programs and services to help ensure the health and safety of our staff and visitors. The tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit areas during the pandemic, and as the province continues to safely reopen, we look forward to continuing our role to support Northern Ontario’s tourism industry on the road to recovery.” As part of its phased reopening, the site will open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday, and will again offer a $5 admission per person with youth 12 and under free. According to the announcement, visitors can explore Fort William’s beautiful outdoor setting and use their smart phones and tablets to access high-definition, live-action videos in English, French and Oji-Cree via QR code signage located across the historic site. For U.S. visitors, sadly, the wait continues. The border will remained closed to non-essential crossings until at least July 21. Special arrangements have been made for those with seasonal homes in Minnesota's Northwest Angle, which is surrounded by Canada.
Breaking News: We're keeping an eye on news of a tanker truck that discharged fuel into the Portage Lake Ship Canal between Houghton and Hancock, Mich. According to a TV6 News Team report on Thursday, "The entire Portage Canal, including public access beaches and boat launches are temporarily closed for recreational boating and body contact. … The primary concern for public safety is exposure to benzene due to inhalation and skin contact. Affected residents near the spill site are being temporarily evacuated by emergency personnel due to safety concerns." The health advisory was issued from the Western U.P. Health Department working with the EPA and Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Superior Search and Rescue reported that "Around 8 a.m. a gasoline tanker tipped over at Santori’s Corner on US Highway 41 in west Hancock. The tanker immediately started spilling gasoline. It was carrying about 8,500 gallons." Updates can be found on the City of Hancock Facebook page, which posted these photos.
Meet Rieka: It's a tradition now at the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minn., to have a naming contest whenever new wolf pups are acquired for the Ambassador Pack. The winning name this time is Rieka (pronounced Rye-kuh) and it has an old Germanic origin and is said to mean "power of the wolf, peaceful ruler, power of home." With such an impossibly cute face, she obviously will be ruling the staff at the center in no time. As to the pack, that introduction will come later. Rieka, who was born at the Wildlife Science Center in Stacy, Minn., is in a socialization period. A northwestern subspecies of the gray wolf, she is 33 days old today and her ears are starting to lift into that fully raised position. Most of her milk teeth have come in and the guard hairs are growing on her ears, legs and tail. The center has set up two Rieka cams for those patient folk willing to wait for a glimpse of fuzzy cuteness. Plus the center is posting lots of pics and you can visit.
Of Wolves, Cars & Deer: Do wolves reduce the number of deer-vehicle crashes? Apparently so, according to a recent study. Christina Larson, a science writer for The Associated Press, notes that the study was done by a University of Wisconsin-Madison natural resources economist, Dominic Parker, and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “In a pretty short period of time, once wolves colonize a county, deer vehicle collisions go down about 24%,” Dominic told Christina. The change wasn't just because wolves were culling the number of deer, but also because deer became more cautious in the general "landscape of fear" the wolves presence created for them. “When you have a major predator around, it impacts how the prey behave,” he said. “Wolves use linear features of a landscape as travel corridors, like roads, pipelines and stream beds. Deer learn this and can adapt by staying away.” Just how big an impact might such a dynamic create (sorry about the pun)? In 2008, a study for the U.S. Department of Transportation estimated that nationwide such crashes cost more than $8 billion annually. The study authors acknowledge the complex social and economic influences, including livestock depredation by wolves, but contend that this is one more aspect to weigh in the management of wolves.
Delivering Done: It was a great pleasure to present – in person! – the 2020 Lake Superior Magazine Achievement Award to the Superior Watershed Partnership in Marquette. Hearing again about all of the vast variety of successful projects by the SWP, Editor Konnie LeMay realized the group was truly the "Swiss Army knife" of organizations, coming through whenever need arises. She presented the award to SWP Board Chair Maura Davenport and Executive Director Carl Lindquist. Also speaking at the presentation were Karen Kovacs, the new city manager for Marquette; Fred Stonehouse, maritime historian and city commissioner; and Dennis Stachewicz, the city's director of community development. Several news organizations covered the presentation, and we thank them all for taking the time, along with thanks to longtime photo contributor Tom Buchkoe, who took this photo. Here are links to stories by: Christie Mastric of The Mining Journal plus an editorial from that publication supporting SWP; Maci Cosmore of WLUC; Ben Raymond of WJMN (UPMatters); and Marta Berglund of ABC10News.
Welcoming a Russian Pilgrim: Last weekend, North House Folk School in Grand Marais welcomed the crew of the Pilgrim, which sailed more than 12,000 miles on a three-year journey from Russia to Duluth (and ultimately Grand Marais). Capt. Sergey Sinelnik and the crew visited the annual Wooden Boat Show and shared stories of their voyage. North House Director Greg Wright presented Sergey with the school's burgee flag. According to the Folk School website: "Brothers Sergey and Alexander Sinelnik spent two years building a 42-foot wooden lapstrake boat modeled after an 18th-century Russian sailing vessel used by fishermen and merchants. They splashed Pilgrim in 2017 in Petrozavodsk, Russia, and spent the next three years sailing more than 12,000 miles, finishing their last leg in Petrozavodsk’s sister city of Duluth in the summer of 2020. Now, they’ve hit the water again, and are raising the funds needed to ship their boat overland to Seattle, WA, where they plan to set sail again for Russia. Not only is their boat a historical replica, but they also have onboard a floating model exhibit of structures and vessels that represent Russian culture and history."
Tripping with Andy: Episode 14 of Andy Kaknevicius' Lake Superior Circle Tour series features a conversation with Lyle Nicol who spent time during his childhood in Jackfish, Ont., now a shoreside town long abandoned. "Remembering Jackfish, Ontario – Ghost Town" taps Lyle's memories of his family there and of the place now. It's nice to see new episode from Andy, who lives in Toronto. He promises to be visiting the Big Lake neighborhood soon (and may already be here). Lyle did a story for Lake Superior Magazine back in 2009 about the town, a story, Andy says, that helped to inspire his series.
Oatmeal-N-Bacon Greez: That's the name of a new podcast by Hudson "Migizi" Gauthier, a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe in Wisconsin. The name comes from his dad's favorite meal. Hudson describes his podcast thusly: "Oatmeal-N-Bacon Greez is a collection of interviews/stories of inspiration, struggles, hopes, traumas, successes, and survivors. We interview people from all walks of life including professionals, musicians, personalities, artists, athletes, activists, and the like. Most of our guests are minorities who share their stories with us by delving into their personal backgrounds sharing some of the most intimate details of their lives, which we like to call--"getting into the greez." In keeping with his sense of humor, Hudson's donation link is appropriately named "Buy Me a Cup of Coffee." His guests range from a two-spirited activist, a pro boxer, a Playboy centerfold to the founder of the sober squad and to local photographer Hannah Stonehouse Hudson, a Lake Superior Magazine contributor. For an interview in the tribal e-newsletter, Miisaninawiind, Hudson says he has always known he should use his gifts from the Creator to help people through expression, humor, understanding and sharing stories. You can read the interview online by scrolling down on the Miisaninawiind newsletter.
Photo & graphic credits: Communication Specialist 1st Class James R. Evans/U.S. Navy; Ron Brochu/BusinessNorth; Superior Search and Rescue & City of Hancock; Heidi Pinkerton/International Wolf Center; Tom Buchkoe; North House Folk School; Andy Kaknevicius; Hudson "Migizi" Gauthier/Oatmeal N Bacon Greez