Phil Bencomo / Lake Superior Magazine
Park Point on Labor Day 2016
Duluth’s Park Point Beach on Labor Day.
Lake Superior temp nears record
Minnesota Public Radio’s Dan Kraker reports on water temperatures that have soared this summer:
As late summer waves crashed around him on the beach along Park Point, 10-year-old Gage Jones of Superior, Wis., splashed in the often-frigid Lake Superior water.
"It's not the warmest it's been, but I think it's pretty good. Enough to swim in," he said.
"This is the warmest I've ever felt it, actually," said Candace Jones as she kept an eye on Gage and another son on the seven-mile spit of sand that stretches into Lake Superior from downtown Duluth.
The Big Lake’s average surface temp, now holding in the mid-60s, has been warmer than normal all year, but it soared in July and reached nearly 70 degrees in August.
“Warm” is all relative, of course. Lake Superior’s southern siblings regularly record average temps in the 70s. Lake Erie’s average almost hit 80 last month, in fact.
The near-record temperature isn’t necessarily cause for celebration, though, as Dan notes in his story. Major changes can disrupt the ecosystem and native species.
Help design a new Saxon Harbor
Saxon Harbor, Wisconsin, whose marina facility was destroyed in a July flood, posted a redevelopment survey this week:
Reconstruction of harbor assets is critical to restoring economic stability to the region and ensuring safe navigation on Lake Superior. As the focus shifts from response to recovery, a window of opportunity exists to develop a concept plan for the reconstruction of the harbor and adjoining area. The purpose of this survey is to collect public input which will help inform the planning and redevelopment of Saxon Harbor.
Read more about the disaster and recovery efforts in our new issue, mailing next week.
Unsung heroes
Two Northlanders will be among the four people honored today at the 2016 Virginia McKnight Binger Unsung Hero Awards.
Dr. Arne Vainio, a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and a physician at Min-No-Aya-Win Human Services Clinic on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet, is honored for his work at the reservation clinic, as well as for traveling to reservations across the United States to encourage wellness and to speak about suicide, which has touched his own family. He was the focus of a documentary, “Walking into the Unknown,” intended to get Native men to do necessary health screenings. A member of American Indian Science and Engineering Society, he promotes science studies with his “Mad Science” demonstrations for children and does a medical segment for the locally produced PBS show, “Native Report.”
Koresh Lakhan of Duluth is a retired elementary school teacher who serves the community in numerous ways, including participation in Duluth’s international Sister Cities program and teaching in the University for Seniors program at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He transports elderly nuns from the St. Scholastica Monastery for medical appointments. He’s taken a lead role in educating the community about Hinduism and helps to coordinate international exchanges for students and adults. He has coordinated, and even cooked, dinners to fundraise for community activities and this year catered an East Indian dinner supporting the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault's Emergency Fund for Victims of Trafficking.
Joining these two local residents are Deborah Jiang-Stein of Minneapolis, an advocate for prison and judicial system reforms who focuses on helping women in prison prepare for successful lives after release, and Qamar Saadiq Saoud of Minneapolis, an advocate for LGBTQ concerns, especially help for transgender homeless youth, which he once was.
Each honoree will receive $10,000 in the awards sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) and The McKnight Foundation.
– Konnie LeMay
Coast Guard airlifts freighter crew member: There’s no question who ya gonna call when you have a maritime emergency request – the Coast Guard. On Monday a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew airlifted an Algowood crew member suffering from chest pains. The 740-foot freighter was upbound for Thunder Bay, some 80 nautical miles from Marquette when the transfer occurred. The crew member was delivered to the Marquette hospital, reports the Duluth News Tribune.
Views from above: A NASA satellite turned its gaze on Apostle Islands National Lakeshore for a series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. The posted image is a remarkable view of the islands and the Bayfield Peninsula. Make sure you view the full-size image.
... and canopies of change: Part of the same series, NASA posted this graphic of forested land in the United States. You’ll note quite a concentration beside the Big Lake, especially in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s part of the reason our (fast-approaching) fall color season is so great.
A tale of two cities: Two towns on Lake Superior share the name Grand Marais, one in Michigan and one in Minnesota. Joe Friedrichs, a radio reporter for WTIP in the Minnesota Grand Marais, talked with residents of both towns for this fun piece. He leads with the story of vacationers who arrived in Grand Marais, Minnesota, only to discover that they’d booked a room eight hours away in Grand Marais, Michigan!
Father, sons and the northern lights: “Sault-based photographer (and local dadventurer) Jeff Dixon and his sons were in just the right spot a few days ago and captured some fantastic images,” says SooToday, which posted Jeff’s account and photos.