One More Day: One minute after midnight on Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will open the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and officially open the 2022 Great Lakes shipping season. The area has undergone ice breaking by U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard cutters this week and looks a lot more open than this image from a week ago, taken by the helicopter crew at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City. The MacArthur Lock, the only other active one at the Soo Locks, will remain closed until April 30; it was shut down early as well last year, closing to marine traffic on Dec. 15. “The 800-foot-long MacArthur Lock, built in 1943, is 78 years old; the maintenance period is critical to keeping the lock in operation during the shipping season,” Maintenance Branch Chief LeighAnn Ryckeghem said at the time. Construction continues on the unnamed New Lock, which will match the 1,200-foot Poe Lock's size. The Poe, opened in 1969, has been the only lock capable of handling larger Great Lakes freighters and handles about 80% of the more than 4,500 vessel traverses through the locks annually. Iron ore, coal, wheat and limestone are the most frequently carried commodities making up the up to 80 million tons of cargo crossing the Lake annually.
Fish Food Guidelines: Just in time for the annual smelt run in late March and early April, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has sent a release reminding people that it still recommends only one serving of smelt per month taken from Lake Superior's waters and watershed. The smelt have been found to have elevated levels of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), which is one of the better known PFAS or perfluouralkyl substance. A serving is considered 8 oz. of smelt for adults and 2-4 oz. for children. Both Minnesota and Wisconsin have similar consumption guidelines. Ontario also has a fish consumption guide. According to the Michigan DHHS, "The guideline, first put in place in 2021, was created based on data shared by the Wisconsin DNR that showed elevated PFOS in Lake Superior rainbow smelt. In 2021, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, along with other partners collected smelt from several locations in Lake Superior and its related watershed. Early results from MDHHS PFAS analysis indicate that PFOS levels in smelt collected in Michigan are similar to smelt collected in Wisconsin. The smelt are now being tested for other contaminants and guidelines may change in the future.
Meanwhile … The Minnesota DNR discovered for the first time white-tailed deer within Grand Rapids infected with CWD. Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease that affects cervids, including moose. "There now are eight areas spread across Minnesota, from north to south, where CWD has been found in wild or farmed deer," reports the DNR. "Despite these detections, the disease remains rare in Minnesota. Fewer than 1% of deer have tested positive for CWD in areas where the disease has consistently been detected during the past five years. Since 2002, DNR has tested 106,000 deer statewide and 153 have tested positive. Most of those cases occurred in southeastern Minnesota."
Taking On Water: A tug once owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ended up in a tough spot this week. Photographer Paul Scinocca noticed the Lake Superior listing on Monday morning behind a salt plant (not the tug owner), took a shot and sounded the alert on Facebook. The news, and the concerns, quickly spread. The latest posting on Lake Superior Ports & Shipping by David Schauer notes: "The local USCG Marine Safety Office is monitoring the tug for pollution issues and work is underway to refloat it. Initial reports indicate it developed a hole in a ballast tank." Melissa Turtinen of Bring Me The News got a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard saying it is "aware of this situation and investigators from the Marine Safety Unit Duluth are responding. There have been no reports of any pollution or impacts to the environment." She also quoted Joseph McGinnis, the waterways management branch chief with the Coast Guard, as saying, "The vessel was listing over the weekend but was supported by ice. Since the ice started melting, the stern of the vessel sunk." According to TugboatInformation.com, the tug was built for the U.S. Army in 1943 by Tampa Marine in Florida as the Major Emile H. Block. In 1950, it was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was renamed the Lake Superior and retired from service In 1996. For a time, the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center used it as oen of the floating museums in the slip near its operation (along with the William A. Irvin and eventually the retired U.S. Coast Guard cutter Sundew). Both the tug and the Sundew were sold to different private parties. The tug recently had been listed for sale again, according to a story by Ian of MIX108.
May Day: USS Minneapolis Saint Paul (LCS 21) will finally – after a one year wait – come to Duluth for its official commissioning at 10 a.m. May 21. Members of the public who wish to be considered for tickets to the commissioning must make a request online from the Minnesota Navy League Council. “We have worked diligently over the past two years to support the commissioning of the ship and are excited to finally be able to see this work come to fruition,” said LCS Commissioning Chair Brian Skon in a release announcing the event. “It will be an exciting day for the state and the city as this is the first time a Navy ship has been commissioned in the state.” The Navy League is planning a series of events during the week for the ship, the crew and the public. People can donate to the event expenses online, too. The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the 11th Freedom-variant LCS designed by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wis. The Navy accepted its delivery in 2021, a delay due to the pandemic. It is the second naval ship to honor the Twin Cities, although each city has been honored twice before with a named vessel. According to the U.S. Navy, the first warship named Minneapolis-Saint Paul was a Los Angeles-class submarine launched in 1983 who took part in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (SSN 708) was the first submarine to carry Tomahawk missiles specifically designed for use in strikes against Iraq during the Gulf War. Having served for over two decades with distinction, the submarine Minneapolis-Saint Paul was decommissioned in 2007.
Bake On: A fundraiser has been launched to help expenses for baker Sarah Champine, the bakery manager of Coco - Artisan Bakery & Good Eats in Washburn, Wis., who needs a bone marrow transplant. She has been battling what the fundraising site called Myeloid Malignancy for five years, including many trips to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "Sarah will be living in Rochester for 3 months and will be spending an entire year recovering. She's got a team working for her to deal with insurance, but insurance doesn't cover food, utilities, clothes, chicken feed, cat food, car insurance, underwear, or the mortgage." Says the café's Facebook page, "If you've been to Coco - Artisan Bakery & Good Eats, you've certainly enjoyed a treat she made – and don't get us started on those lemon bars."
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list:
Michigan
March 25-April 2: The Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts on the Houghton campus of Michigan Technological University is hosting a series of interesting speakers and a unique play in the upcoming week. At 7:30 p.m. Friday in the center, Sudanese-American musician Sinkane will perform what Indy Week has called “funky, lighter-than-air global pop.” At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Vieux Farka Touré takes the stage with his incredible guitar playing. He's been described as the "Hendrix of the Sahara." Then things go virtual on Tuesday, when the U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo, arrives for an evening of conversation and Joy reading from her latest book, An American Sunrise. U.P. Poet Laureate M. Bartley Seigel will join Joy in a conversation that centers on her poetry and experience as the first Indigenous U.S. Poet Laureate.The event is virtual and will be streamed live. You can submit a question for Joy in advance. Monday begins the Wolf's Head Theater Company performances of "The Thanksgiving Play" by Larissa FastHorse in which "good intentions collide with absurd assumptions … as a troupe of terminally 'woke' teaching artists scramble to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month."
Today-Saturday, March 24-26: The only thing better than buying a book to read is getting a great deal and supporting a local library – check, check and check for the Peter White Public Library in Marquette. The presale ($5 entry fee) is on for tonight from 5-8 p.m. and then there is no admission on Friday and Saturday, which is 1/2 price sale day on the remaining books. Now: Travel Marquette has launched its Marquette Brew Pass, a way to discover the city's craft brewers and earn a little swag and a few discounts along the way.
Minnesota
Tuesday, March 29: Cook County Historical Society will host nine journalists from around the globe for a World Press Institute public forum at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in Grand Marais. The round-table discussion will be 7 p.m. Tuesday and will feature a question-and-answer session. Moderating the event will be Marja Erickson, board president of the society. The forum is part of the 2022 WPI fellowship program that hosts journalists from Argentina, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China (Hong Kong), Finland, Germany, India, Iran and Nigeria. Participants making the Grand Marais stop are on a three-week Minnesota tour before heading out on a five week tour of the United States.
Friday-Saturday, March 25-26: Minnesota Ballet wraps it season with a finale that brings together multiple choreographers who INSPIRE. Dances showcase the work of nationally acclaimed choreographers LeeWei Chao, Ashley McQueen and Thom Dancy along with those of Minnesota Ballet's own LilaAnn Coates White, Jennifer Miller, and Karl von Rabenau. There are Friday and Saturday evening 7 p.m. performances, as well as a 1 p.m. Saturday matinee at the Duluth Playhouse Family Theatre in The Depot.
Wednesday-Sunday, March 30-April 3: 54th annual Arrowhead Home & Builders Show brings vendors, displays, local contractors and designers plus entertainment to get you in the mood for making your home space better.
SAVE THE DATE – April 1-2: No foolin' – the 2022 Upper Midwest Scuba and Adventure Travel Show at Jimmy's Event Center in Vadnais Heights might be a bit outside our watershed, but its right within our areas of interest. Plus it benefits past Lake Superior Magazine Achievement Award winner - the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society.
Wisconsin
Friday, March 25: World of Wheels Skate Center in Superior will host its Super Glow Skate Party from 5-8 p.m. Friday. Those who attend the weekly parties are encouraged to wear neon clothing and everyone gets a free glow stick.
Friday-Sunday, March 25-27: The Heartland Communications Home and Sport Show comes to the Bay Area Civic Center in Ashland this weekend. There will be displays and demos. Hours are: Friday from 5-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Ontario
Wednesday-Saturday, March 30-April 2: The West End Theatre Project performs "Sister Act," the first show of the 2022 season. When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won't be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Buy tickets online.
Thursday-Sunday, March 24-27: The Thunder Bay Psychic & Crystal Fair comes to the Ramada - Airlane Hotel all weekend. Top psychics, mediums, astrologers, healers, tea leaf and palm readers, plus aura photography and rune reading. Add in tables of crystals and handmade jewelry.
Photo & graphic credits: USCG Traverse City; Wisconsin DNR; Paul Scinocca; Minnesota Navy League Council; GoFundMe/Noreen Ovadia Wills; Rosza Center; World Press Institute; World of Wheels Skate Center; West End Theatre Project