Plans & Priorities: The Great Lakes Commission has created a webpage outlining its "Vision for a Healthy and Resilient Great Lakes Basin" priorities for 2020 and announced in a newsletter with an image of Lake Superior. The goals run from reauthorizing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to protecting drinking water to strengthening the navigation system. The GLC was established by the Great Lakes Basin Compact of 1955 and authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1968. Its website is also a great resource for information on all of the Great Lakes and news from around the entire basin.
A Sense of Wonder: Photographer/videographer Aaron Peterson of Marquette has become a powerhouse of a visual storyteller since his days as a newspaper photographer to his work now through Aaron Peterson Studios. He recently posted a video, "24 Leeches," of joyous wonder during a camping trip to the Slate Islands with his family. Narrated by his son Josiah, it also addresses climate change. The joy, though, is tinged with the sad knowledge about Josiah revealed in Aaron's notes: "In August 2019, I lost my sweet boy to a fungal brain infection contracted during treatment for leukemia. He was 10 years old. The project has now become a memorial to my best friend and adventure buddy, a very special kid that experienced more in his decade than many do in a full life. I ache to know what he would have become." Brian Cabell of Word on the Street spoke with Aaron and wrote about the video, calling it "Ten minutes of almost indescribable beauty and poignancy."
Depot Man: No one would ever accuse Ken Buehler, sometime sled dog race announcer, sometime weatherman and full-time executive director of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, of being a shy guy. But during the shutdown and to keep the museum and the North Shore Scenic Railroad on people's radar for donations and future visitations, Ken has been hosting his own daily tours. Yesterday was episode No. 44 on, as Ken says, "the 5,783rd day of self-imposed quarantine … or does it just seem that way?" In costume or street clothes, Ken highlights a different aspect of the museum and its collection every day. Model trains were on the docket yesterday. This photo shows Ken explaining the coupler systems on historic trains. You can also contribute to specific projects online. So use the 3 to 10 minute shorts as a break in your stay-at-home day or maybe as a little history note for the kids while you enjoy a quick cup of coffee.
Skate Must Wait: The cancelling of the 2020 Summer Olympics put on hold – for now – Thunder Bay native Adam Hopkins' bid to be on the Canadian Olympic skateboarding team, CBC News reported after the cancellation announcement in March. "He plans to make use of the extra time to ensure he qualifies for the Games once they are rescheduled," the story noted. Adam told the CBC, "I had a couple of injuries throughout the past couple years as well, so it's just like a bonus year for me." Adam moved to Canada's west coast to work on his skateboarding. If the opportunity comes to return to Thunder Bay this summer to do workshops in the city's skateboarding park, which he helped to create, he will. It "would be pretty fun," he said. "It does open up that window. I've always wanted to do some lessons at the skate park there." TBay photographer Damien Gilbert did a short clip showing Adam skate his stuff on the Thunder Bay streets. Damien introduces the short by explaining how hard it was to keep up.
Picture This: Visit Cook County is one of the tourism promoters posting lovely downloadable images for those Zoom backgrounds – or maybe even as a desktop screen image. Not a bad view to linger over. The five images show the Pigeon River waterfalls from Grand Portage, a couple aerial images (Grand Marais and Lutsen-Tofte-Schroeder), northern lights over water and a canoe bow relaxing (yes, the canoe looks relaxed) on a Gunflint Trail inland lake.
Just Checking In: Some of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario's more famous hometown folks were brought together – virtually, of course – by the city to send good wishes from around Canada and beyond to their original home port. Among those with messages of hope and good will are astronaut/author Dr. Roberta Bondar; academic/author/statesman the Right Hon. David Johnston, TV personality Tanya Kim; former pro hockey players Ted Nolan, current pro player Colin Miller, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, curler Brad Jacobs; Canadian Football League safety Jordan Hoover; and world-class skiing competitors Mac and B.J. Marcoux.
A Sad Passing: It is with great regret we bring news of the April 25 death of Dr. Robert Powless in Duluth. A member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, he came from a poor background but after his service as an Army medic in the Korean War, he completed a bachelor's degree in Education and a master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A respected elder in the community, he became the director of the American Indian Studies Program for the University of Minnesota Duluth. He taught at UMD, at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth and Mount Senario College in Ladysmith, Wis. He sometimes took his American Indian students to do outreach with Native inmates at the Sandstone State Prison. He and his wife, Linda, contributed $50,000 from their retirement funds to start the American Indian Community Housing Organization’s Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin housing program in Duluth. His many contributions to the community were honored in 2017 with the naming of AICHO's Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center. In its tribute to him, AICHO quoted Dr. Powless (named "The Sunset Man") about his commitment to educating on Native history and culture. “The thing that has made a difference for me has been the encouragement I got from my mother. She said, ‘Make sure wherever you go, they always know you’re an Indian.’ One time a student asked me, ‘Do you always talk about being an Indian?’ I replied, ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I always do.’ Yes, I am an Indian.”
Photo & graphic credits: Great Lakes Commission; Aaron Peterson; Lake Superior Railroad Museum; Adam Hopkins; Visit Cook County; City of Sault Ste. Marie, ON; Ivy Vainio/AICHO