
Guess These Dates: We get so excited about the possibility – okay, the probability – of spring around here that we’ve grown a number of contests to help us anticipate open water. There’s still one left that you can enter (which, of course, means it's still kinda wintry on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula) and the results are pending on the other two.
Sink the Sled is the Rotary Club of Houghton, Michigan’s annual fundraising contest to benefit the club’s high school scholarships. You buy guesses for $3 or, the best deal, two guesses for $5 online. The closest prediction as to the date, hour and minute the eco-friendly vintage snowmobile (see photo) sinks into the Portage Canal earns up to $1,000 (or half of the ticket take). Their website has a link to a webcam, though watching ice melt is much like watching paint dry. The snowmobile gets pulled back up each year, dried off and readied for the coming winter. We’re not even going to mention when that might be.
In Duluth, entries closed March 25 for Visit Duluth’s First Ship Contest to guess the time and date the first saltie (oceangoing vessel) comes in under the Aerial Lift Bridge, but the prizes have not yet been awarded because the first saltie has yet to arrive. Last year, the Lake Ontario, under the flag of Antigua, sailed under the Aerial Lift Bridge at 17:32:05 (5:32 p.m.) on April 3 and the contest winner missed the boat, so to speak, by only 2 minutes. In most recent years, mid-April seems to be when the first salties make it here. We’ll be watching next week as the oceangoing vessels make their way into the Upper Great Lakes.
In Wisconsin, the guess you needed to make was: When will the Madeline Island Ferry Line resume boat service from the mainland to the island … and how long the first trip will take given that it might be negotiating through some ice? Sorry to say, the deadline passed for this contest, but we’re still eager to see who will win the free round-trip fare for two people and a vehicle. The ferry line added these notes: “Extra credit for guessing how many times the boat has to back up to gain momentum.” So far as we can see, most guesses center around mid-April. We don’t know if this changes those guesses, but the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Morro Bay will be breaking ice between Bayfield and Madeline Island this Saturday.
Another Port Departure: A Duluth Seaway Port Authority veteran announced his retirement this week, just as a search is under way for a new port executive director after Vanta Coda left for Indiana in January. Jim Sharrow, director of port planning and resiliency, will retire Monday, April 9, after 15 years with the port authority, reports Brady Slater of the Duluth News Tribune. Jim, who also has been a frequent resource for Lake Superior Magazine, earned a degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from the University of Michigan and worked for a time for Great Lakes Fleet, based in Duluth. He was involved in design of the Edwin H. Gott and Edgar B. Speer. He is president of the Duluth-Superior Sailing Association and vice president of the Duluth Boat Club, meaning his “retirement” likely will be quite busy.
Giga-waabamin, Ogitchida: It was learned this week that Master Sergeant Jonathan Dunbar, 36, one of two soldiers killed by an improvised explosive device March 30 in Syria, is the son of a woman living in Bad River, Wisconsin. A British soldier also was killed. Jonathan’s mother, Linda Dunbar, works at the wellness center for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Although there likely will be services in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and in Austin, Texas, there will also be a traditional and military service at Bad River done by Red Cliff veterans on April 14. The band posted an Ashland Daily Press story by Rick Olivo about the tragic death and the upcoming memorial service. Linda told Rick that her son was a true “ogitchida,” a warrior and leader, and his honors during his military career show that to be very true. Jonathan Dunbar, who was born in International Falls, Minnesota, received three Bronze Stars, four Army Commendation Medals, six Army Achievement medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, the Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. “I know I will see my son again,” Linda said. “In our language we say ‘giga-waabamin’ – ‘We’ll see you later’ – and I truly believe that.” Jonathan is survived by his wife, Jolinda, two daughters, one son and a baby expected in May. Michelle Alfini of CBS3Duluth also interviewed Linda. Donations are being sought to help the family go to the military services. Donations can be sent to: Linda Dunbar, 70503 Caville Rd., Ashland, WI 54806.

Spill Response: The U.S. Coast Guard Station at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, joined others in responding to a mineral oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac this week. In this photo taken Thursday, Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon McCarty, a marine science technician assigned to Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, conducts a waterside investigation of a mineral oil spill while Matt Kleitch, an environmental quality analyst for Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality, looks for possible affected wildlife on the Straits of Mackinac. The Coast Guard has been overseeing response efforts from the mineral oil spill that leaked from utility lines on Monday. The Coast Guard told Bob Brenzing of Fox17 that the spill was isolated, estimating 600 gallons of the mineral oil leaked from the utility lines. The threat to wildlife and people is low, but there is some concern about waterfowl coming in contact with the oil. As of this morning, no oil sheen or indications of pollution are present, the Coast Guard reported.
Dry AND High: Despite a dry March with water supplies below average, Lake Superior’s water level remains high, according to the International Lake Superior Board of Control. The monthly mean average for the Lake in March was 602.17 feet, the second highest March on record in 100 years and 3 inches below the record set in 1986. "The high levels coupled with strong winds and waves have resulted in shoreline erosion and coastal damages across the upper Great Lakes system. Additional shoreline erosion and coastal damages may occur this spring and summer should active weather continue,” the board said in its release Thursday. The Lake’s water level did drop 4 inches this March, while the average decline is 0.4 inch for the month. The Lake is expected to rise during April.

Movie Extravaganza: We’re almost like Hollywood North by the Big Lake these days. Well, sort of.
An independent film shot in Minnesota is hitting the local screens. “Cold November” is a coming-of-age story about a young girl (played by Minnesotan Bijou Abas seen above) on her first solo deer hunt during which she must rely on her training and instincts to overcome a challenge. Director/producer/actor Karl Jacob is from northern Minnesota and splits his time between his home state and New York. His co-directorial debut, “Pollywogs,” showed in 2013 at the Los Angeles Film Festival. The film will show April 21 at Zinema 2 in Duluth and the list of screenings nationwide can be found online.
In Duluth this week, a crew will be filming a new Christmas movie with Danny Glover, Denise Richards and Cameron Seely in the halls of Marshall School, Fox21 reports. “Christmas Break-in” is scheduled to be released by the holidays at the end of this year. The filming will be done over the next few weeks and needs a snow-covered school, so while some of us may be yearning for flowers, the crew hopes we stay a little snowy. Young Cameron, who played the daughter to Hugh Jackman’s P.T. Barnum in “The Greatest Showman,” is the star of the plot about 9-year-old Izzy whose parents can’t pick her up from school before Christmas break. She saves the day when some bad guys kidnap the janitor (Danny Glover) and plan other mischief.
Meanwhile in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, actor Thomas-Dylan Cook of nearby Batchewana First Nation came home for a screening of “Indian Horse,” a film based on the book by the late Anishinaabe author Richard Wagamese, reports James Hopkin of SooToday. (The executive producer is Clint Eastwood and the director is Stephen S. Campanelli.) The plot centers around the life of Saul Indian Horse, taken from his home, damaged by time in a residential school and redeemed, for a time, by escaping into professional hockey. Thomas-Dylan plays the character Stu Little Chief. After the screening of the movie, there was a panel discussion. Thomas-Dylan, who now lives in Toronto, says he was pleased to bring the film to his home area. “Home is where the heart is, and it’s tough to leave home sometimes. It seems like every time I leave, I come back. I love home and it’ll always be home, no matter where I go.” The film, which already has been shown at the Toronto Film Festival, has a national release on April 13.
Finally, we got this announcement on Thursday: “Ironbound Studios, in the heart of Minnesota’s Iron Range, has announced a feature film production, ‘The Harbinger.’ The high-stakes, mystery thriller centers on a man who must save his daughter from eternal damnation. Veteran Films, which is a nonprofit production company that focuses on educating, training and placing out-of-work veterans, abused women, Native Americans and ‘Rangers’ into the film industry, retained Ironbound Studios to provide the soundstage necessary to produce the film. Los Angeles writer, actor and director Will Klipstine and partner Amy Mills wrote 'The Harbinger.' The executive producers … are both Native American women who not only helped shape its production, but have also helped shape Veteran Film’s mission.” Ironbound Studios is headquartered in the former Chisholm, Minnesota, city hall. Andrew Kirov of Fox21 interviewed those working on "The Harbinger," a $2 million feature film production.
So move over L.A., L.S. (Lake Superior) is making the scene(s) with a lot of movie making.

What’s Up with Smedley & the Fish?: We’re starting to get a little jealous of the work that Wawa, Ontario, resident James Smedley does after seeing his mug with a recent catch in two publications. The freelance outdoor writer/photographer made the cover (on left) of Sentier Chasse-Pêche, a hunting-fishing magazine in Quebec and was featured in a story by Gord Ellis (another Ontario outdoorsy fella from Thunder Bay) for Ontario OUT OF DOORS magazine (on right). Apparently James does not realize you can’t work at recreational fishing. That just would not be fair to the rest of us. James wrote about ice fishing for Lake Superior Magazine. We’re seeing a highly fishy pattern here.

Anticipating Spring: The Two Harbors Chamber of Commerce posted on Facebook a floral arrangement that brings some comic relief to our transitional season between real winter and real spring. Lots of folks responded to the image including Erica Lynn Monroe, who had a wonderful poetic take on this time. We’re only teasing out a few of the verses; you’ll need to link through for the full experience!
'Twas the middle of was the middle of April
And all through the State
Minnesotans were complaining
Our spring was too late!
Our children were tired
Of playing in the snow,
The winds were unbearable,
It continued to blow.
The hats and the boots
Should have been in storage by now,
Who would have thunk that in April
We’d still need to plow?
Photo & graphic credits: Houghton Rotary; Madeline Island Ferry Line; Ensign Pamela Manns; Cold November; Iron Horse; Sentier Chasse-Pêche; Ontario OUT OF DOORS; Two Harbors Chamber of Commerce.