Rescue at the Rocks: A Minneapolis family of four got a lucky turn in a bad situation when they were spotted by a Pictured Rocks Cruises captain Tuesday night huddled against a narrow shore ledge beside the towering cliffs of Pictured Rocks. The family's canoe had become swamped in high waves and they had to abandon it to swim to shore. But parts of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore offer very little or no respite for such stranded paddlers. On its Facebook page, Pictured Rocks Cruises tells the rest of the story (here in an edited version):
"Last night, while returning from the 7:30 p.m. Spray Falls Cruise, Captain David Sliter of Pictured Rocks Cruises spotted a family stranded on a rock near the Painted Coves at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. His vigilance and subsequent efforts probably saved the lives of two adults and two young children. The family stranded on the rock had upset their canoe and been forced to swim to the base of the cliffs. Surface water temperature at the time was 47° F, and winds were building. The area where the family was stranded is littered with boulders and underwater obstacles making it impossible for the Pictured Rocks Cruise boat to get near them. Captain Sliter made several emergency calls, and the Alger County Sheriff's Department, as well as Dean Seaberg of the Grand Island Ferry Service, responded. Mr. Seaberg's boat had a shallow enough draft to allow him to approach the stranded family. Deckhand Alex Hill of Pictured Rocks Cruises and a physician who happened to be a passenger on the cruise boat boarded Mr. Seaberg's boat and climbed up the rocks to the stranded family. The two children were so weak and numbed by cold that they couldn't walk. Alex Hill and the physician carried them about 40 yards down the rock pile to an area where the Alger County Sheriff Boat could pick them up and rush them to Munising for medical attention. The family is alive and well thanks to Captain David Sliter and his crew, especially Deckhand Alex Hill, as well as the kind physician, Dean Seaberg and the Alger County Sheriff Department."
Fox9 News posted a video of the rescue and an interview with the captain. Officials at some of Lake Superior's shoreside national parks have become concerned about the level of experience of paddlers. Especially at Pictured Rocks, which can be unforgiving of poor paddling choices as these cliffside photos by Shelly Dinsmore show, safety should always be the first question. Our story on Kayaking Safely gives expert tips for how to enjoy the Big Lake while respecting its power and shifting moods.
USS Duluth Crewmembers Association
USS Duluth
The USS Duluth (LPD-6), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock
Rally Around the Flag: Under clear, sunny blue skies with, thankfully, only gentle Rally Around the Flag: Under clear, sunny blue skies with, thankfully, only gentle breezes, USS Duluth crewmembers unfolded and raised the giant U.S. flag into place beside Duluth’s City Hall Thursday morning. The seasoned crew had no problem working together to maneuver the 20-by-38-foot “battle ensign” flag intended to fly during battles to easily identify friends and foes. These Navy and Marine Corps veterans traveled from far and wide for a USS Duluth Crewmembers Association reunion in the namesake city of their vessel. Thursday’s flag-raising ceremony, attended by about 40 people, was just part of the week’s activities that would include a ride out on the former U.S. Coast Guard cutter Sundew Friday afternoon. The USS Duluth (LPD-6), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was commissioned in 1965 and decommissioned almost 40 years later. It was the second U.S. Naval vessel named for Duluth, the first being the USS Duluth (CL-37), a Cleveland-class light cruiser built during World War II. Second-class signalman James Barrett drove 13 hours from Kalamazoo, Michigan, for this week's reunion. The strong friendships James built with his crewmembers brightened his time at sea. "We all suffered together, and it kind of made it easier on all of us if we had our support group," James says. The flag will remain up today during Flag Day at City Hall and will be taken down at 5 p.m. Saturday, when the public is invited to join that ceremony. The vessel's ties to this city extend now beyond its name; its 14-ton anchor is installed on the Lakewalk near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Read more of Nik Wilson’s crew interviews on our website, and read the crew's stories posted on the crewmembers association website. The association is working to have another LPD-6 named for the city and for their former vessel and has garnered support from Duluth’s mayor and Minnesota Congressional representatives.
Bear in Mind: It seems like there has been a fair number of bear sightings around the Big Lake region, if Facebook chatter is any indicator. (Even our editor's yard has been frequented by a mom with three very quick cubs.) But bear-people encounters can result in tragedy, and a bear in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, this week was killed by police officers after a crowd gathered. The officers were concerned the bear was not staying behind a dumpster where they hoped to keep it corraled until help arrived from the Ministry of Natural Resources, according to a news release posted by SooToday. To help keep you – and the bears – safe, take a look at a short animated video (in photo) by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources about etiquette for living near bears. It boils down to: put away the feeders in summer (or at least at night, we think); clean the outdoor grill from any leftover fats that might attract bears and don't put out the garbage until the morning of pick-up day. In Duluth, Chris Balzer, area wildlife manager for the Minnesota DNR, says he's also noticed the uptick in Facebook notes about bears in this region, but that hasn't translated into a higher number of calls to his office. "There are always bears in Duluth," he says, because the city hosts so many forested areas. He does suggest reviewing the Minnesota DNR's "Living with Wildlife" fact sheet on bears.
Who's a Cute Poster?: This “Berry Happy Puppy” is a cute poster, the Marquette Downtown Development Authority decided when choosing this artwork to be this year’s Blueberry Festival Poster. The artist is Sabrina Stanley, a 19-year-old Marquette hometowner attending Northern Michigan University, where she’s studying Elementary Special Education and Deaf Studies. She also works part-time in Sayklly’s The Candy Store and at the SOS summer day camp at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Sabrina based her winning image on her UPAWS rescue dog, Snickers. “She has one eye, so it looks like she's permanently winking, which fits her personality. She is very goofy, and she makes the best faces, so I knew she'd make a great subject for the poster,” Sabrina says. The 18th annual Blueberry Festival in downtown Marquette will be July 26 this year, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. All 14 entries into the poster contest will be on display at the Marquette Downtown Development Authority Office, 337 W. Washington St.
Ooo-la-la: Vikre Distillery in Duluth is throwing a cocktail party Saturday to introduce its new concoction – a blend of rosé wine, Vikre’s organic, gold-medal-winner Boreal Juniper Gin, cane sugar and organic lemon flavor. The Frenchie cocktail definitely sounds like a summer sipper. Vikre is promising all the complexity of a cocktail without the hassle of mixing or shaking (or stirring); it gets right to the pouring. To introduce Frenchie to the Twin Ports, Vikre is hosting a daylong cocktail party in its newly renovated cocktail room (currently featuring a giant papier maché French bulldog, the cocktail’s mascot, which is prettily posed here with Vikre co-founder Emily Vikre) with a special kegged version of the cocktail on tap (no sales of cans allowed in the distillery by Minnesota law). The Vikre crew promises treats, flowers, polaroid photos, cameos by real bulldogs and live music in the evening. The party starts at noon.
Plugging into Soo Cycles: There's a new way to plug into traversing Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, thanks to Soo Cycles, a new business announced this week by the Sault Ste. Marie Convention & Visitors Bureau. You can rent the battery-powered cycles across West Portage Avenue from the Soo Locks Park downtown. “They’re effortless to drive,” Soo Cycles owner Sandy Gervais (in photo) told the Sault CVB, pointing out that they’re ideal for people over 55 years of age. “If you don’t want to pedal, you can just use the throttle.” It's just $10 an hour, $40 for five hours or $80 for 10 hours, with "squad rates" when three or more bikes are rented. "The e-bikes are capable of going 20 mph when drivers rev up their battery-powered motors, or they can be pedaled like a traditional bicycle," reports the chamber story. Meanwhile on Monday (June 17) bike lovers can join Bike Friendly Soo on its monthly Slow Ride, starting at 6:30 p.m. from the Farmers Market Pavilion on the corner of Ashmun and Portage.
Award-winning Fred & Finns: The Historical Society of Michigan named our own Fred Stonehouse as the 2019 Charles Folio Award winner. The award is named in honor of an Escanaba school teacher who worked to establish historical societies and promote history in the Upper Peninsula. Like other Folio winners, Mayor Fred (for indeed, he is also mayor of Marquette) earned the award for outstanding contribution to the preservation and promotion of Upper Peninsula history. Fred has authored more than 30 books, mainly on Great Lakes maritime history, including several for Lake Superior Magazine (We especially like the Haunted Lakes series.) The award will be presented at the 70th annual Upper Peninsula History Conference in Escanaba on June 28-30. Also at the conference, the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock will receive the Historical Society of Michigan’s Superior Award, established in 2006 to recognize historical organizations preserving and advancing U.P. history. The Finnish American Heritage Center opened on the campus of Suomi College (now Finlandia University) in 1990 to serve as a cultural focal point and national hub for exhibits, programs and musical performances. It also hosts the Finnish American Historical Archives, The Finnish American Folk School and the monthly newspaper, The Finnish American Reporter.
Sorry, But We've Got to Say It: Hibbing, Minnesota, and Hayward, Wisconsin, hit record lows for the day on Wednesday (June 13), making life miserable for all those garden plantings ... and for all those gardeners with faith we would not get a frost. Records do show, though, that frost has happened in northern Minnesota every month but July, apparently. In case you're wondering – the temps-not-for-the-timid were, according to CBS 3 – 28° F for Hibbing (past record, 30°) and 31° F for Hayward (past record 35°). Sorry.
Ripple Effect: A photo we posted made a lot of "waves" on Instagram this week. Michael Diduch, a Michigan native who sails on the Edgar B. Speer, gave us permission to use this lovely photo taken near Sault Ste. Marie. His Anchor & Freight website, with many examples of his photography showing the beauty of the Great Lakes maritime lifestyle, encourages people to share their own Lakes' stories. He also posts on his Instagram site @asailoratnight.
Sweet Introduction: Fannie Rose Candy Shop started in 2010 at 103 E. Superior St. in downtown Duluth. The store offers an assortment of treats, including nostalgic candy, licorice, taffy, malted milk balls, chocolates and truffles. Its specialty, though, is gourmet popcorn made on site and that has grown into a wholesale operation. Our summer intern, Nik Wilson, introduces you to the shop as part of our video series on downtown Duluth businesses within the four-block construction zone this summer. We hope this "taste" of Fannie Rose encourages you to visit, even amid the disruption. The shop opens 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. Or visit its website to plan your purchases.
Photo & graphic credits: Shelly Dinsmoore; Nik Wilson; USS Duluth Crewmembers Association; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; Sabrina Stanley; Vikre Distillery; Sault Ste. Marie (MI) Chamber of Commerce; Historical Society of Michigan; Michael Diduch; Nik Wilson