Mesquite Down – Today in History
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society based in Minnesota posted a photo and a story reminder that today, Dec. 4, is the anniversary of the 1989 wreck of the U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender Mesquite, the last major wreck on Lake Superior. Mesquite was damaged in a collision with a reef off the Keweenaw Peninsula in the wee hours of the morning (about 3 a.m.) during a buoy collection operation.
"The crew worked for three hours to save their ship – but at 6:17 in the morning, the order to abandon was given," the GLSPS posts. "All 53 crew members donned survival suits and went over the side into three life rafts and the ship’s motor surfboat.
"The passing freighter Mangal Desai responded to the distress call. Picking up about 15 on each pass, the Desai slowly collected the Mesquite’s crew. Three with slight injuries were airlifted by helicopter to Hancock, Mich., with the captain and two other officers accompanying them. The rest rode to Duluth on the Desai.
"… Although there were initial plans to salvage the tender, she was too badly broken by the grounding and a series of winter storms for that to be practical. The Mesquite was decommissioned on January 31, 1990. Eventually, she was moved off of the ledge into about 120 feet of water to serve as a dive attraction."
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to "stabilize and protect our deteriorating shipwrecks of the Great Lakes region." Many of its members have been involved in underwater preservation as well as discovery of wrecks. The group earned the Lake Superior Magazine Achievement Award in 2010.
Winning Cards for Christmas
You definitely want to be on the Christmas card list from Mayor Matthew Shoemaker of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. The city of Sault Ste. Marie just announced the four winners of the Mayor's Christmas Card Competition.
The friendly competition asks elementary students to submit card designs. About 700 submissions were received, and five were selected to be used by the mayor and feature their names. Aryo Barzan, Mila Bitonti, Elliette Filek (two of Elliette's drawings were chosen) and Chloe Olivia Vance will receive a gift certificate and a copy of the Christmas card personally signed by the mayor. “I’m grateful to every student who contributed to this year’s Mayor’s Christmas Card Competition. Your artwork brought the festive spirit to life. I’m excited to share their creativity with the Prime Minister, the Premier and with people throughout our community,” says Mayor Shoemaker. The card pictured here by Aryo Barzan features the courthouse. See the cards of the other winners by clicking on their names.
Keep the Cheer Coming
Hancock Campground has become Santa’s playground this month for the city’s first Hancock Lights the Night (seen in the photo here). You can drive past holiday character blow-ups, strung lights and pass through tunnels of color. Lights the Night is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 5:30-8 p.m. through Jan. 3 and the full week of Christmas, except it will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The community project got partial funding through a Visit Keweenaw Destination Development Award, with additional donations from local partners to total more than $40,000 for the displays. “It’s a great example of how local creativity and our Destination Development Fund can work together to create memorable experiences for both residents and travelers,” said Visit Keweenaw Executive Director Brad Barnett. This Saturday (Dec. 6) visitors get the chance to walk through the park and enjoy Hancock’s holiday light show up close.
Downtown Hayward, Wis., brings the "Light Your Engines Parade" on Saturday (Dec. 6) starting at 6 p.m. Main Street will light up with holiday-themed vehicles and floats, all decked out in brilliant glowing displays.
"You’ll see everything from cars, trucks, trailers, ATVs and UTVs — even a huge illuminated cow," organizers promise. Plus an emcee will guide the fun.
The Julebyen Scandinavian Christmas Festival in Knife River, Minn., rocks with vendors, train rides from Duluth, great food and activities. (Julebyen means “Christmas village” in Norwegian.) The non-profit Knife River Recreation Council hosts the popular annual event from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
Catch a glimpse of Santa and of your neighbors in the most amazing array of floats and costumes at the Downtown Marquette Holiday Parade & City Tree Lighting on Friday, 6-8 p.m. a festive parade, live music, local vendors, and of course, Santa. Bring your letters for the jolly ol' fella because the Marquette Post Office will be collecting them during the parade … and make sure they include a return address so Santa can write back.
Scat, School Cat
The Minnesota DNR confirmed that a cougar sighting caused two Duluth schools to keep students indoors, according to Marisa Ornat of Northern News Now. The photo here was taken from a video provided by the DNR that apparently shows images of the cougar in earlier sightings around the region. Ordean East Middle School and Congdon Elementary both were placed on "secure status protocol" on Wednesday (Dec. 3) afternoon. The schools are in the eastern part of Duluth.
Classes continued as usual after a neighbor of the school sent a photo of the wandering cougar. The big cat is a lone male from Nebraska, where it was tagged with a radio collar that is now broken. Parents were notified about 2 p.m. of the situation. The school administration notified parents of students who usually walk home, advising them to pick up the students.
“We’ve been tracking it, if you will, through trail cam pictures that people send or home security videos all the way back since early September," John Erb, a research biologist with the Minnesota DNR told Marisa. “It’s been in Minnesota for nearly three months now.” It was first spotted in Fergus Falls before heading through many towns like Wadena, Nisswa, Brainerd, and just five minutes from his home in Grand Rapids.
See Marisa's full story here.
The Duluth Police Department also issued a press release acknowledging the sightings. "We have been in communication with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and they are also aware of the animal. At this time, there is no further action that law enforcement will be taking. As with any wild animal, we want to remind the community that you should exercise caution in their presence and never approach them."
Meanwhile … to view other wild residents, the Minnesota DNR's Eagle Cam is up and running and the eagle pair are up and nest building (we just checked it out this morning).
A Fetching Firefighter with the Most-stache Mustache
This week, the Duluth Fire Department announced the winner of its first ever Mustache Madness competition, which garnered 7,000 votes during the four rounds of the contest. "After weeks of fierce follicle flexing, dramatic upper-lip showdowns, and mustaches so bold they should come with a warning label… we have finally tallied the results of the 2025 Duluth Fire Department Mustache Madness Contest," the department posted before announcing on Wednesday (Dec. 3) that Capt. Dan Smith was the top vote-getter with 1,497 votes in the final round, in which 3,000 voted via Facebook comments. Link here to see all 20 original competitors.
Hard News This week, Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., announced it will lay off 1,050 employees by late March 2026 with the company and union officials blaming U.S. tariffs and current market conditions but with SooToday also noting that Algoma Steel's transitioning to using electric arc furnaces would have included eliminating about 1,000 positions. Since the beginning of 2025, the additional layoffs announced are added to the about 250 already lost this year, according to a story posted today.
Ways to Help
You can donated cookies for a good Claus in Bayfield. The Bayfield Chamber and Visitor Bureau is seeking "cookies for Santa and all the good boys and girls who will come to greet him at the Bayfield Lakeside Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 13. He'll be arriving by ferry from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. If you want to donate cookies for Santa's arrival, please drop them off at the Bayfield Chamber Office by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12.
Cable United Church of Christ in Wisconsin (where the church "motto" is "Be a Blessing") has posted a "reverse advent calendar" on its Facebook page with a list of items people can add to a grocery bag each day, then deliver that back to the church on Christmas Eve day to be blessed during the evening service and then distributed to those in need.
Two evenings of great music, two chances to help others. The Sault Blues Society hosts its 15th annual Blues for Food fundraiser on Dec. 12 & 13 at Soo Blaster in Sault Ste. Marie. Blues for Food was started by Rusty McCarthy in 2010 and now covers two evenings. See the full line up on the society's webpage. This year the events support The Soup Kitchen and St. Vincent Place.
CASDA – Center Against Sexual And Domestic Abuse, Inc. - in Superior is having an online fundraising "Give the Gift of Healing" auction until Dec. 15 with a wide variety of gifty ideas, including locally filled gift baskets, quilts, gift certificates to local businesses, hotel stays, teeth whitening and even more.
On Friday (Dec. 5), the Bay Area Swim Team will Wrap It Up for a Cause! from 5-8 p.m. at Bloom in Bayfield. The team will wrap your gifts to raise funds for the program.
Five Decades of Celebrating Arts
"A lot of art, in some ways, is taken for granted," says DeVos Art Museum Director Wayne Francis in a video about the importance of the arts. "… Art is not only visual art, it's performing art, it's theater, it's everything. It's a whole way of life." See the full interview here.
The museum on the campus of Northern Michigan University in Marquette celebrated its 50th anniversary throughout this year. Currently, the museum is hosting the NMU School of Art & Design Senior Exhibition, "Same as Never [anything to get out of here, right?]" The exhibit closes Dec. 15 with a reception from 7-9 p.m.
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list:
Michigan
Friday, Dec. 5: The public is invited to the 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Trailhead Pavilion at the I-500 Raceway at Sault Ste. Marie. There will be coffee, hot apple cider, trail mix, and bite-sized desserts.
Saturday, Dec. 6: Mt. Bohemia's winter season officially begins. The Saturday evening aSeason Pass Party features fantastic give-away prizes, including six Michigan white gold cards that allow the user one free day at 33 Michigan ski resorts.
Wednesday, Dec. 10: New York Times best-selling author John U. Bacon will talk about his newest book, The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald at the MUB Ballroom 2 on the Michigan Technological University campus in Houghton. He'll share insights and stories about the Great Lakes, the ship, the storm and, most importantly, the crew and their families. Books will be for sale on site by North Wind Books.
Next Thursday, Dec. 11: Larry Jorgensen, author of Make it Go in the Snow: People and Ideas in the History of Snowmobiles, will give a virtual presentation at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT thanks to the Crystal Falls Community District Library and the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA). Larry’s work was a winner of a U.P. Notable Book Award. For a Zoom link, contact Evelyn Gathu in advance at egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org, or by phone at (906) 875-3344.
Minnesota
Tonight & Saturday, Dec. 4 & 6: Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth is getting in the holiday spirit with two fun events. Tonight (and tickets are going fast) it hosts a concert from 6-9 p.m. with Pert Near Sandstone and also with Jon Stickley Trio and Dance Attic. On Saturday, Bent Paddle invites all to dust off that ugly sweater and get ready to dance, laugh and vibe from 6-9 p.m. to music from the Gemstones + Thomas Woytko Collective and with food from Bowlz N’ Thangz.
Friday, Dec. 5: Greg Tiburzi brings "Songs of Mesabi" to the Silver Bay Public Library beginning at 3 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 5: Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery hosts the opening reception for photographer David Johnson's "Wonders of the North Shore & More" from 5-7 p.m. The photographic exhibit continues through Dec. 28. Some may recognize David's name as a frequent contributor on the Lake Superior Magazine Facebook page with wildlife and landscape images.
Saturday, Dec. 6: The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra performs its Holiday Spectacular concerts, one at 2 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m. in the DECC Symphony Hall in Duluth.
On Now, Thru Dec. 21: Duluth Playhouse presents "Disney's Frozen: The Broadway Musical" through mid-month. The Dec. 12 performance will be ASL interpreted.
Saturday, Dec. 6: The Northwoods Fiber Guild open house and Holiday Sale is at Grand Marais Art Colony Studio 21 in Grand Marais, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The holiday market includes Pottery at Studio 17 and more local artisans.
Tuesday, Dec. 9: Storyteller and author Darrell Pedersen, who won the 2024 Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for Memoir, will speak at 5:30 p.m. in the Lake Superior Railroad Museum at The St. Louis County Depot in Duluth. It's part of the Veterans Memorial Hall series on History in a Pint.
Wednesday, Dec. 10: Celebrate the St. Louis River with cake, community stories, and a chance to win a kayak roof rack at the St. Louis River Alliance's "River Appreciation Party" at Clyde Iron Works in Duluth. The party runs 5:30-7:30 p.m. and you can pick up free Water Trail maps.
Wisconsin
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 5-6: Superior Public Library offers its Merry Little Book Sale, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. The Friends of the Library's annual sale helps the library programs. There's also refreshments, free gift-wrapping and a quilt raffle.
Friday, Dec. 5: Bayfield welcomes late-night shoppers to its Shop Late Until 8 event. Twinkling holiday lights will guide shoppers along their way and stores and restaurants will stay open late to offer exceptional deals.
Friday, Dec. 5: Superior-Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Holiday Open House from 2-4:30 p.m. at its office in Superior.
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 5-6: Yazmin and Beat Zero with guests The Havana Quartet & Scott Kirby perform at StageNorth in Washburn.
Ontario
Starts Today, Dec. 4-20: Magnus Theatre in Thunder Bay presents "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some)," a rollicking holiday performance on the theatre's mainstage.
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 5-6: West Thunder Community Centre features a Christmas Craft & Vendor Market with more than 40 vendors. The show runs 5-9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday with an appearance by Santa at 2 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 5-6 & 12-13: The Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site in Sault Ste. Marie invites everyone to its Holiday House Teas. Enjoy festive teas, sandwiches, house specials, sweet treats, and timeless holiday charm in a beautifully decorated heritage setting.
Sunday, Dec. 7: The Sault Symphony Orchestra performs its Yuletide Splendour at The Machine Shop in Sault Ste. Marie, starting at 2 p.m.
Photo & graphic credits in order of appearance: Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society; Ayro Barzan/City of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.; Visit Keweenaw; Downtown Hayward; Downtown Marquette; Minnesota DNR; Duluth Fire Department; Bayfield Chamber; DeVos Art Museum; Spotlight, from left, Mt. Bohemia/Duluth Playhouse/Bayfield Chamber/Magnus Theatre