Fleeing Fire: Thunder Bay received about 250 people on Thursday evacuated from the remote Pikangikum First Nation where nearby wildfires caused the First Nation’s Chief Amanda Sainnawapto to declare a state of emergency. “We are hosting the most vulnerable people, the elderly, those in poor health, children and families,” says city Fire Chief John Hay, who is directing the city’s response. The community residents were airlifted via Canadian military Hercules aircraft, according to the CBC. According to The Chronicle-Journal of Thunder Bay, about 1,600 from the community of more than 2,300 were expected to be evacuated Thursday to Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout and other Northwestern Ontario cities. Pikangikum, located about 500 kilometres (310 miles) northwest of Thunder Bay, is accessible only by air or by winter road. Travis G Peters has been posting photos on Facebook from Pikangikum, like the one seen here. The wildfire is generating smoke that makes it difficult for community residents to breathe, a local teacher, Jenn Wallace, noted in her tweets from there. She wrote this morning that she and 50 non-local teachers would be among the rest of the community being evacuated. “This is huge!” she tweeted along with a map showing the fires’ close proximity to the edge of the community. “We definitely need to get everyone out today!!!” The First Nation’s chief was concerned that the smoke might inhibit flights in and out. Smoke from a different fire – huge wildfires in Alberta – have been the cause of haze around Minnesota and Duluth, contributing to the ultra red sun and morning skies (seen in Jan Swart’s photo here). Meteorologist Kevin Huyck of the National Weather Service in Duluth says the Alberta fires are sending smoke up 20,000 to 40,000 feet and then it is blown to our region. The smoke from the Northwestern Ontario fires likely is blowing more into Michigan and eastern portions of Lake Superior, he says.
Global Market: Andy Pearson and his family from Sixth Street Market in Ashland, Wisconsin, traveled to Germany and came back with some heavy medal – nine gold medals, one silver medal and a gold cup of honor for the 10 products they entered in the Internationale Qualitatswettbewerbe des dutschen Fleischer-Verbandes (a German master butcher association event). Andy says it was their first time at the event, held every three years. The market was honored with gold for its Ella’s Italian style snack stick, garlic summer sausage, honey barbecue snack stick, smoked bratwurst, smoked Italian sausage, ring bologna and andouille sausage, plus got silver for Penokee Mountain summer sausage (and just hearing Andy read this list made us hungry). "Everything is produced here," Andy says of the market's meats. Holding up those medals in this photo are the Pearsons, from left, Linda (Andy's mom), Andy himself, Ella (his daughter), Jerry (his dad) and Jennifer (his wife). Congrats for making our Big Lake neighborhood proud, Pearsons!
New Prez: The College of St. Scholastica announced its new president this week. Dr. Barbara McDonald will become the private Duluth college’s 13th leader when she takes the reins in August. She’s been the president of North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, since 2015. NHCC is one of the largest and most diverse community colleges in the state, serving more than 10,000 students. She grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, and early in her career she and her family lived and worked in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. She’s also taught and served as faculty assessment and service learning coordinator for Rainy River Community College in International Falls (1997-99) and held various leadership roles at Itasca Community College (ICC) in Grand Rapids before being promoted to provost. She also served as interim president for one year at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington.
Much Appreciated: This is the annual Visitor Appreciation weekend on Madeline Island and Madeline Island Museum is gearing up for a busy few days with its half-price admissions. “Madeline Island Museum visitors continue to play a crucial role in maintaining the museum as a community resource that houses more than 300 years of island history,” the museum posted. “Visitor Appreciation Weekend is a way of saying ‘Thank You.’” Those crossing from the mainland on the Madeline Island Ferry Line can get a one-way passage over and a free ride back if they go to the museum and, after their visit pick up the free one-way return ticket (good for passengers only, not for vehicles, bikes or kayaks onboard). “This is an excellent weekend for families and those who have never been to Madeline Island to experience it for themselves,” the ferry line encourages. Other island shops, restaurants and venues (places like Bell Street Gallery which boasts “the best in local music in Wisconsin's smallest bar” and Madeline Island Candles, winner of multiple Best of the Lake awards) will have specials and the two main parks – Big Bay State Park and Big Bay Town Park – have activities. Big Bay State Park’s open house Saturday means free vehicle parking and there is free shuttle service to Big Bay Town Park. Our own Bob Berg visited Madeline Island for a three-day stay (not nearly enough time to visit every great spot, but a good way to whet your whistle for a visit to Lake Superior’s only island with year-round residents.
Do You Use a Stone Paddle?: Ask a special crew at Michigan Technological University in Houghton what floats their boat, and they’re likely to say, “Well, you start with concrete.” The Michigan Tech Concrete Canoe Team will be bringing its boat, Driftwood, to the National Concrete Canoe Competition, sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers, June 6-8, at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. Driftwood, named to remember Great Lakes beaches and communities flooded this year, weighs 164 pounds and is 20 feet long (thank goodness they only have to float it, not portage it). In a Michigan Tech story by Cyndi Perkins, team co-captain Cole Schilling explains “Concrete floats when it has a lower density than water. We substitute the heavy sand and stone (aggregate) for lighter, less dense materials like small hollow glass spheres and expanded shale. This results in a concrete mixture that is just 59 pounds per cubic foot, which is less dense than water at 62.4 pounds per cubic foot.” We’ll take Cole’s word for it … and wish the canoe team successful paddling. A shout out, too, to Michigan Tech’s Steel Bridge Team heading to the National Student Steel Bridge Competition, sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction, this weekend at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
It's Official: Duluth’s new 32-foot, all-hazard rapid response boat got a public unveiling this week at Pier B Resort. Marine 19, named in honor of the 19 firefighters who have died on duty since the fire department began, will have a lot of versatility, as it won’t be limited to just fighting fires in Duluth, according to a story by Nik Wilson in BusinessNorth. Superior, Wisconsin, Fire Chief Steve Panger says this resource will be available on both sides of the bridges in the Twin Ports. “Shared assets are very important, working together is really important,” he said at the unveiling. The nearly $600,000 cost of the boat, built at Lake Assault Boats in Superior, was paid for by a FEMA grant and local matching funds. “I think they’re the best anywhere, as far as what they do with putting together these fire boats,” Steve said. Duluth firefighter and fireboat captain, Dan Smith, says Marine 19 potentially could be used around the state. “It’s considered a state asset, so it can be deployed by the state duty officer to anywhere in the state really. It can be trailered," he says, "so it could be called upon by the state to go to Lake of the Woods, or a larger body of water."
Your Moment of Cute … today is brought to you by avid wildlife photographer Evelyn M. Gillson of Thunder Bay, who notes “FINALLY. I got a decent photo of Mom and a Fawn.” Looks like they’re bulking up now on plenty of greenery around TBay. Nice to see spring firmly arrived.
Photo & graphic credits: Travis Peters; Wikipedia; Jan Swart; Sixth Street Market; College of St. Scholastica; Michigan Tech Concrete Canoe Team; Nik Wilson; Evelyn M. Gillson