Around the Circle This Week: October 11, 2019

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Big Deal Recreation: Outdoor recreation accounts for 2.7% of Minnesota's gross domestic product, 2.4% of Wisconsin's GDP and 1.4% of Michigan's GDP, according to a report released recently by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. "The U.S. outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2% ($427.2 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017," the BEA released in its most recent statistics. Outdoor recreation had the most influence on Montana's economy (5.4% of its GDP) and among states Connecticut ranked the least with 1.4% of its GDP connected to outdoor recreation. (Washington, D.C., ranked lower, with 1.2%, but it has a lot less area of course, unless you count walking to museums and monuments as recreation.) Nationally, boating/fishing ranked at the top of recreation influence on the GDP (see graphic), BoatU.S. pointed out in a story on the study. "Dollar value includes all economic contributions by marinas, boat dealers, repair shops, in-state boat manufacturers and additional impacts." Of course, boating certainly is important around the Apostle Islands area in Wisconsin, as Michael DeWitt, a frequent recreational boater and pro photographer among the islands, shows with his photo taken there just this week.

New Hands at the Helms: Two of the most popular maritime attractions around Lake Superior have recently announced new leadership. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chose to promote Sara Summers-Luedtke to director of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center at the foot of the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth. Sara has been a ranger at the center since 2014 and replaces Denise Wolvin, who took a position with the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska. "I have a background in museums, specifically collections management, but have a wide range of experience in exhibit development, interpretation, and non-profit management," Sara tells us. Her previous experience was as assistant director/collections manager for a tribal museum in Wisconsin. Asked about her plans for the center, Sara says, "My vision is to update the visitor center to include more interactive options, and not just more screens. I want to include a modern-day element to tell the story of current sailors. I also want to increase our presence outside in the park by installing interpretive signs and having park rangers outside more to reach the visitors who do not come inside. We are also planning on revamping our educational programming, with an emphasis on meeting educational standards. Finally, I want our exhibits to teach people what the Corps of Engineers does for the local community and the nation." Farther up the Minnesota shore, Split Rock Lighthouse Historic Site also gets a new site manager, who also is familiar with our region. The Minnesota Historical Society hired Hayes Scriven, current executive director of the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, to take on the role. He replaces Lee Radzak, who retired in April after 36 years living and directing the lighthouse site. Since Hayes, his wife, Jenny, and their two children moved to the North Shore, he’s quickly become involved in the community, according to the historical society. Besides directing the Bong Center since 2017, he serves on the board of the Lake County Historical Society and is a member of the Friends of the Edna G and city of Two Harbors’ Edna G Commission, working to preserve the last steam-powered tugboat on the Great Lakes. In fall 2018, the Duluth News Tribune named Hayes to its 20 Under 40 list. “I am extremely honored and excited to be at Split Rock. This a true dream come true for my family and me,” Hayes says in the release announcing his hiring. “I am looking forward to working with the staff and greeting all the visitors at one of Minnesota's most iconic sites.”

Gourd-ious: A 989-pound pumpkin earned the top slot at the recent Pumpkin Festival at Roberta Bondar Park in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, according to the SooToday staff, which also posted some glorious gourd shots from the weigh-in, like this one by James Hopkin. Kieran O'Neill's pumpkin was the big winner, a size he attributes to good seed, lots of water, sun and fun. Kieran's gourd weighed slightly less than his entry last year, also the first-place winner, according to SooToday. That pumpkin weighed 1,100 pounds, making a truly Great Pumpkin.

Winning Combos: Coffee AND beer may sound like some strange northwoods camp breakfast combo, but it's actually the gold award-winning (and eye-opening?) brew by Earth Rider in Superior. Duluth Coffee Pale Ale got the gold medal in the coffee beer-style category (yes, it's a category) at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival competition in Denver, "the world’s largest commercial beer competition," Earth Rider announced. Entries from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were judged, coming from 2,295 breweries. Earth Rider notes the Duluth Coffee Pale Ale as "a mildly hopped pale crafted using single-farm sourced beans roasted by the Duluth Coffee Company." Still sounds like breakfast to us. Also winning at the highly competitive beer fest was newcomer Ursa Minor Brewing in Duluth. It's Thistle Dew earned a bronze medal in the Scottish Ale category. See all the winners, local and beyond, online.

Life Imitates Art: The nationally acclaimed novel Virgil Wander by Leif Enger of Duluth may well be embodied by Bob Boone, who recently purchased West Theater and the adjacent building on Duluth's Central Avenue. The book revolves around a character who buys and tries to maintain a fading film theater in a small Minnesota North Shore town. That's more or less what Bob is doing, though in a little bigger town but still with an underdog theater. Bob, who also publishes The Reader, has heavily invested in reviving the historic building to its art deco style. He gets a big boost Saturday (that's tomorrow, Oct. 12) with the airing of CBS's Jeff Glor interview of him and author Leif at the theater. The segment will be on during the CBS This Morning Saturday program, on from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. CST. The theater is pulling together a morning view, with free popcorn; watch for details on the West Theater Facebook page.

Fighting CWD: With chronic wasting disease (CWD) continuing to march northward in our Lake Superior border states, the Wisconsin DNR encourages hunters to test their kill to help slow or stop the disease's spread among cervids (deer, moose, elk, reindeer, caribou). The neurological disease causes characteristic spongy degeneration in the brain of an infected animal and can incubate 1½ to 3 years before clinical signs appear. Symptoms in deer include  weight loss; excessive drooling and salivation; loss of fear of humans; loss of body control, tremors or staggering; drooping head or ears; and apparent confusion. In Wisconsin, there will be sampling and disposal locations around the northern area for bow and rifle hunters. A number of private veterinarians also offer testing services, but for a fee. At the state locations, the process is free. Wild deer have tested positive for CWD in Washburn, Barron, Burnett and Polk counties. "As part of this regional effort, hunters who harvest an adult deer in Ashland, Bayfield, Iron, Price, Rusk, Taylor and Sawyer counties are strongly encouraged to submit deer heads for testing," the Wisconsin DNR announced in a release. "CWD testing is free of charge to the hunter, and anyone submitting the head will receive their results in two to three weeks."

Just last week, the National Institutes of Health also announced that a study indicated a 5-minute soak in a 40% solution of household bleach decontaminated stainless steel wires coated with chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions, which indicates such cleaning on knives and saws could do the same. "To date CWD has never been found in people," the NIH release on the study states. "However, other prion diseases can affect people, therefore scientists, wildlife managers and public health agencies have suggested handling CWD cervid tissues with caution. … CWD prions adhere readily to stainless steel and can contaminate knives, saws and other equipment. For hunters and others who want to be cautious when handling potentially CWD-infected animals, the ability to decontaminate equipment is one approach to reducing potential exposure."

The End is Near: This image of Lighthouse Point, Two Harbors, Minn., earned Angela Hoffman of West Fargo, N.D., the Grand Prize in the 24th Annual Lake Superior Photo Contest. Will your photo win the 25th annual Grand Prize? You'll never know unless you enter your images by Monday, Oct. 14. See the rules and uploading details online.

Beyond the Season: Silver Creek Co. right beside the Silver Creek tunnel on Highway 61 just outside Two Harbors, Minnesota, plans to add a few days to the season when it usually closes until late spring. According to Michele Hogan, who bought the property in 2017 with her husband, Chris, the store will continued daily hours, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., until Oct. 27 and then open weekends in November and on Dec. 7-8 for holiday shopping. In the three years since they've had the store, Michele says they've increased the number of handmade local artisan goods. The interior has changed, too. "The outside and inside of the cabin were updated, and the displays fixtures switched over to repurposed and antique furniture pieces," Michele says. "I wanted to create a cozy 'Vermont' feeling full of charm while tying in the local Superior serenity. … We receive compliments daily on the charming ambiance." This weekend the store plans to host its first Makersfest with dozens of local vendors, live music by Matt Browne, a free kids craft and food from Louise's Place, free cider and s'mores. Originally scheduled for Saturday, the event will now be Sunday (good weather willing) from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Busing will be available at the Two Harbors High School from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Spirits & Birch Bark: We just have to give a plug to see the amazing paintings of Rabbett Before Horse Strickland and the birckbark artwork of Pat Kruse in an exhibit, Miinadoos & Wiigaas, that starts today in the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center in the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) building in Duluth. There's a reception for the opening from 5:30-7:30 p.m. today, but the exhibit stays up until the end of October. Both Rabbett (whose work is seen here) and Pat are members of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin, and Pat also is a descendant of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota. Both grew up away from their ancestral areas, Rabbett in the San Francisco Bay area and Pat in Oakland, Calif., but both bring strong influence from traditional storytelling and artistry.

Photo & graphic credits: Michael DeWitt; U.S. BEC; Sara Summers-Luedtke; Minnesota Historical Society; John Hopkin/SooToday; Earth Rider; Ursa Minor; West Theater; Wisconsin DNR; Jan Swart; Rabbett Before Horses Strickland