Lock on top of a lock: David Helwig of SooToday reports that the original hemlock boards of a 1797 wooden lock for fur-trading canoes have been discovered under an 1896 North West Company stone replica (seen here in David’s photo) built on the spot by Francis H. Clergue. The bad news: Both are in desperate need of repair. The original “lock” actually was a canal through which oxen could pull loaded canoes and boats. Fundraising is being discussed to make the $200,000 (cdn) of estimated repairs.
Welcoming Gales: Today starts the 30th gathering of the Gales of November program to support the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association and its main projects, the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center and the Maritime Heritage Archives in the Jim Dan Hill Library at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Lake Superior Magazine is a long-time supporter of LSMMA and we hope you’ll pop down for a day of great speakers and exhibitors. Plus, of course, a chance to win the Cruise of a Lifetime raffle for a ride on the Joseph L. Block. To get you in the mood, we chatted with Gales founder, Elmer Engman (pictured at right), about 30 Years of Good Gales.
There’s still gold in them there mines: The Hemlo gold mine near Marathon, Ontario, may have as much as a decade worth of production left, if the price of gold remains high and a Barrick Gold study shows extraction options are fiscally viable, reports the Chronicle-Journal of Thunder Bay.
Dog gone, dog found: It’s a happy ending story for a paddle-buddy pooch that went missing for more than two weeks after a thunderstorm scared her in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, reports the City Pages. Lindsey and her owner, John Lundquist, were in the BWCAW in early October when the thunderstorm frightened her and she bolted away – doggie life preserver and all. She was spotted by locals several times, including one night encounter when she appeared to be chased by a wolf, and caught for a short time once only to run off again. Posters were put up. She was finally “live trapped” under the advice of The Retrievers, a volunteer Minnesota group dedicated to finding lost dogs, and returned to Minneapolis.
Ah, remember those days of snow-free ground? It actually wasn’t that long ago before the inches began to pile up on our Big Lake towns. In mid-October, Molly and Rich Hoeg, frequent contributors to Lake Superior Magazine, spent a little quality time with a lighthouse, as Molly (seen here at the lighthouse) describes in her blog Superior Foot Prints. Molly is spending time in Grand Marais this weekend, hanging with other cool writers at the Grand Marais Art Colony’s North Shore Readers & Writers Festival that continues through Sunday with workshops and readings and general literary liveliness.
Plus she roasts a good cup of coffee: Alyza Bohbot returned to Duluth to take over Alakef Coffee Roasters, the business started by her parents Deborah and Nessim Bohbot in 1990. (She poses here with them at the launch of its newest brand, City Girl Coffee.) Turns out she isn’t just doing well with the business, she’s doing good. She recently earned Minnesota Business Magazine’s 2017 Manufacturing Award for Sustainability. Alyza is continuing the path of her parents, expanding sustainable efforts, such as recycling some roasting by-products as compost or mulch for local gardens and farmers and participating in the Trees for the Future program that plants trees in a coffee-growing region of Honduras. “From Alakef’s inception, we have recycled our paper, cans and plastics and also worked toward our goal of becoming the most sustainable coffee company in Minnesota,” Alyza said in a release about the award. “We will always incorporate alternative energy programs to reduce our consumption and waste by making use of environmentally friendly products and packaging as they become available.” The company recently introduced cornstarch-based packaging materials for its original Alakef brand and its new City Girl Coffee. The company also participates in the Rainforest Alliance, and Fair Trade and USDA Organic certification in addition to supporting women coffee growers and farmers in their countries of origin.
Cue the eerie music now … Nikki Davidson of Fox21 in Duluth did a haunting special report on Lake Superior Mysteries that features the tale of a ghost ship, retold by editor Konnie LeMay, plus other spooky stuff like a trip to Split Rock Lighthouse and this ghost light in the William A. Irvin museum ship that literally circles around through a wall.
When storms wash up uncomfortable truths: Along with beach glass, cool rocks and assorted driftwoods, the pounding waves from last week’s storms also accumulated masses of garbage, particularly plastic items, reports Word on the Street with photos to prove the point. Many of the items may have been blown out of unsecured garbage cans during the wind storms, of course, but this bluntly shows how careful we need to be, even away from the shore, to protect the Lake.
A video interlude that waves to you: Here’s a quick take from Christian Dalbec on some surfers and waves from the recent blows. The best part of the video, though, might be the impressive opening showing how waves build on the Big Lake.
Outdoor learning: Backpacker magazine ranked Northland College in Ashland second in the nation’s best colleges for hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, noting the college’s proximity to all that makes for great outside recreation. The magazine especially appreciated the college's Outdoor Orientation program, encouraging students to take advantage of the trails, rivers, outdoor clubs and other recreation opportunities.
Time to light up: Does your seasonal light display shine? Do you get a warm glow just from showing off your holiday spirit? You might want to sign up for one of the lighting competitions in the Big Lake neighborhood. In the Duluth-Superior region, the 2017 Lighting Challenge is being put on by Bentleyville and organized by A Sweet Event. Both businesses and residences can compete. In Marquette, the Marquette Board of Light & Power’s annual Lighting Contest covers multiple categories, from rookie to three or more houses in a grouping. In 2013, Lake Superior Magazine did a story about how folks judge lighting contests that you might enjoy.
Photo credits: David Helwig / SooToday; Lake Superior Magazine; John Lundquist; Richard Hoeg; Alakef Coffee Roasters; Andrew Krueger / Duluth News Tribune