Courtesy International Wolf Center
Arctic wolf pups
Arctic wolf pups arrive at International Wolf Center
A pair of month-old arctic wolf pups from Canada are settling in at the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota.
Axel and Grayback, born on May 2 and flown to Ely in late May, won’t be integrated into the exhibit pack of four adult wolves until early August. Meanwhile, staff at the Wolf Center are socializing the pups, establishing routines and building trust. The pups have been introduced to the adults, but only through a fence.
“Adding arctic pups from the remote regions of Canada allows us to teach people about another subspecies of wolves – one that people would never see in the wild,” says wolf curator Lori Schmidt. “Visitors will see the pups growing very quickly – nearly a pound per day.”
The Wolf Center previously had arctic wolf siblings, Malik and Shadow, from 2000 to 2014, when they passed on.
Visitors will be able to see the pups during four daily programs. Already they’re developing distinct personalities, and Axel shows some signs of dominance over the smaller Grayback.
According to the center’s website, “Although these rare pups are dark in color and awkward now, their transition to pure white adults will happen quickly over the summer months. As the new pups grow each week, visitors at the Center will observe them developing survival skills and instincts that prepare them for being top predators.”
U.P. web series “Northbound” casting its second season
Want to act in a post-apocalyptic series set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan after a mysterious event kills millions in a single day? Then you just might want to mark the date for June 25, when you can sign up for casting auditions for “Northbound,” a web series shown on Geek Nation. Northbound is produced by Lullskull Ltd., a company started by brothers Seth and Nathan Anderson, who were raised in the U.P., and Minnesota native Jason Hagen. Production is about to begin on Season 2. On June 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Hole in 1, 700 E. Blvd. in Kingsford, you can hear Seth answer questions about the project, see early footage for the new season, enter to win exclusive items and sign up for auditions.
Courtesy Duluth Cargo Connect
Duluth Cargo Connect
Early Seaway opening aids shipping industry
This week the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership announced that the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway two weeks earlier than usual has made a positive impact on the shipping season. “During the first nine weeks of the 2016 navigation season, ships arrived from 30 countries and delivered high value cargo that supported a wide range of manufacturing,” Betty Sutton, administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. was quoted in the partnership release.
Vanta Coda, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, added, “The array of salties at our Clure Terminal this spring reflects the versatility and vitality of the Great Lakes-Seaway System. We’ve already handled heavy-lift oil and gas refinery equipment for a project in Montana; a load of kaolin clay from Brazil to supply Minnesota paper mills; and a shipment of 62-meter (203-foot) wind turbine blades for a wind energy project in Iowa (see photo). Two additional ships are en route with tower sections and nacelles and hubs for that same project. Making these vital connections to the heartland of North America is precisely why we market our services as Duluth Cargo Connect.”
Despite the early open, though, the St. Lawrence Seaway reported both ups and downs with systemwide cargo. The year-to-date cargo shipments March 21 to May 31 were 6.5 million metric tons, down 4.15 percent over the same period in 2015. The dry bulk category was up nearly 5 percent with salt, potash and gypsum in the positive column at 25, 35, and 108 percent respectively. Iron ore was down 9 percent; coal was down almost 1 percent. While steel products were down 23 percent, other general cargo was up 113 percent.
Roger Blough update: The last of the damaged ship’s cargo was transferred to other Great Lakes Fleet vessels, the U.S. Coast Guard reported on Tuesday. It ran aground two weeks ago in Whitefish Bay and is now at anchor in Waiska Bay. Divers have been inspecting the vessel’s bow.
Herbert C. Jackson catches fire in drydock: It’s currently being converted from steam to diesel power at Superior’s Fraser Shipyards. Fire crews spent more than 90 minutes dousing the blaze on Tuesday, the Superior Telegram reports. The extent of the damage isn’t yet known; no one was injured.
Split Rock’s longtime keeper wins award: Lee Radzak, who has managed Minnesota’s Split Rock Lighthouse since 1982, received the American Lighthouse Council's Lifetime Achievement Award. Lee was our own Achievement Award winner in 2014.
Bayfield berry season approaches: Local farmers anticipate a bumper crop. Blue Vista Farm tells us that it’s looking like the best blueberry year in decades. The season begins soon with strawberries (mid-June to mid-July), followed by raspberries (early July to mid-August), cherries (mid-July) and blueberries (mid-July through August). Some farms also grow blackberries, currants, gooseberries and juneberries. Keep tabs at Bayfield’s berry page.
Thunder Bay takes bids for rink cover at park: It would extend the outdoor skating season at North End Community Centre through mid-March, reports TBNewsWatch.
“Lady Dynamite” debuts: Duluth native Maria Bamford has a new show on Netflix. Duluth News Tribune staffers discussed it on this week’s Pressroom Podcast.
Cuteness alert: Up close with three baby chipmunks, recorded by a SooToday reader.
Thunder Bay-area art news: The summer artist-in-residence at Porphyry Island Lighthouse has been chosen – it’s Gayle Buzzi, who studied fine art at Lakehead University, writes the Chronicle-Journal. And the CBC reported on a public art project to brighten city streets.