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Crews will survey Charlevoix County streams this fall to track invasive sea lampreys. From Sept. 23 to Oct. 2, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will sample Horton and Porter creeks and the Boyne River. The work helps decide whether control treatments are needed. Sea lampreys, which invaded the Great Lakes in the 1920s, can kill up to 40 pounds of fish each during their parasitic phase, making them one of the region’s most damaging invasive species. In Lansing, the Michigan Court of Claims takes up a lawsuit tomorrow over budget earmarks. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy argues money for ballparks in Lansing and Utica violates the state Constitution, which requires a two-thirds vote for local projects. The suit seeks to block or claw back those funds as lawmakers face an October 1 budget deadline. In an event we apparently shared with the world, Starlink users were knocked offline for 20-30 minutes last night, including here on the Island. The disruption appeared to be global — including at Ukraine’s frontline. Over 43,000 people in the U-S reported issues, according to Downdetector. No official explanation has been offered yet. Perhaps it was the Northern Lights getting ready to put on a show. They were out last not with David DuBois capturing a great image that’s in today’s script online. The Aurora over Paradise Bay, Photo by David DuBois And speaking of lights, birding expert Pam Grassmick reports that the fall migration of birds is now underway. They travel mostly at night to stay safe from extreme weather and predators. You can help them out (and help protect our dark skies) by turning out unnecessary lights at night and installing outside fixtures that direct any necessary light down where it can be used instead of up. The migration will continue through the end of October.
Photos of “perching birds” provided by Pam Grassmick In sports, both the B-I-C-S volleyball squad and the soccer team won their matches on Friday. The soccer team broke a three-year drought with a 1–0 home win. Coach Van credited hard practices and a stout defense. A key switch put Kira in goal and Lucas in midfield, where he scored off a long pass from team captain Lysander. The teams are away this coming weekend for matches against Big Bay De-Noc.
The Islander soccer squad scores a win Friday afternoon. X, Nathan and Clayton all have eyes on the ball. Phot by Kevin Boyle In Detroit, the Lions dispatched the Bears 52-21 yesterday, reversing their season opening loss. Over at the Elks Lodge, Nicole Shepardson won the weekly draw. But, the envelope she picked had the two of spades. So, the Queen of Hearts is still in hiding. The pot now stands at almost 31 thousand dollars.
The Elks Queen of Hearts board after the draw Saturday night. Photo provided by the Beaver Island Elks chapter |
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Now, here’s a look at events happening on your Emerald Isle… First your meeting planner…
On the fun front today… Monday, in our dark skies, Aquila the Eagle is home to the star Altair, which is one of the corners of the Summer Triangle. The best time to see Aquila is in the evening sky through November as it soars along the Milky Way. And, because our galaxy provides a starry backdrop, many clusters and nebulae lie within its borders. There’s more info at Dark Sky Island dot org. Tuesday, there’s Chair Strength Training at the BIC Center at 9:00. Pickleball is outside on the township courts at 9:00. Babes and Toddlers mix it up at the library at 10:00. At 3:00, the library will hold a Fiero Code Club Boot Camp info session for adults. Learn how to code and earn certificates to document your skills. And, in our Dark Skies, look for Jupiter in the early morning hours to the east. It will rise higher in the sky each night as we head to the end of the month. There’s more at dark sky island dot org. Highlights for the rest of the week include… Wednesday, at the BIC Center, there’s Bingo at 1:00 in the Hangout. Book Club meets at the library at 3:00 to discuss Call me Athena by Colby Cedar Smith. And, there is BINGO at the G-F-C. Doors open for fellowship at 6:15. Games start at 7:00. Thursday, at 9:00, there’s Pickleball on the Peaine Township Courts. At 10:00 a trio of activities: Tai Chi in the Hangout at the BIC Center, C-O-A Cardio Drumming out at the Peaine Township Hall and Women’s Bible Study at the Christian Church. And, Thursday evenings are Burger & a Beer Night at the Shamrock. Friday, Senior + Vets Coffee + Donuts is on at the BIC Center from 8:30 to 11:30. At 9:00, there’s Chair Strength Training in the Hangout at the BIC Center. There’s Pickleball at 9:00, too, on the outdoor courts at Peaine Township Park. B-I-C-S Soccer and Volleyball squads head up to Big Bay for matches on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Both teams are coming off wins last week against Ojibwe here at home. [On the radio, Kick off your weekend with our fantastic Friday lineup! After the 6:00pm news, enjoy “That Thing with Rich Appel” featuring top forty hits from the 70s. At 9:00pm, tune into “The Titus Jennings Experience” offering music from all genres, followed by “The Midnight Special” with Marilyn Rea Beyer at 11:00pm for music, farce comedy, and late-night escape.] Saturday, there’s Pickleball outdoors at 9:00. The Artisan’s Market is back this weekend starting at 10:00 out at Whiskey Point. Fiero Coding Club is on at the library at 1:00. Also at the library at 3:00, there’ll be a kick-off for the 2025-26 Big Read series with programming around the novel The Bear and the theme of survival. There’ll be books paired with movies at th BIC Center and more. Copies of The Bear and a schedule of events will be distributed, and there will probably be snacks. And, Saturdays are Prime Rib night at the Shamrock. [On the radio, tune in for Country Classics at 5:00 Saturday evening with host Sheri Timsak. At 7:00, Jackson Smith and Steve Girbach are in with Songs from the Trail. Mark Beltaire takes over at 9:00 with Rockin’ the Boat and continues at 10:00 with the Blues Cruise. Cousin Dan wraps up the evening with the Too Good Radio Show starting at 11:00.] Sunday, there are services at the Episcopal Mission at 9:00 and the Christian Church at 10:00, and Mass at Holy Cross at 12:15. Looking ahead to highlights for next week… |
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NAME OF DAY: The BIC Center Name of the Day is Cyndi. If that’s your name, come on into the BIC Center today to pick out a free drink of your choice. BIRTHDAYS: Paisley Hospenthal and Ray Cole are on our list today. Happy Birthday to Paisley and Ray, and if we missed you on the list, Happy Birthday to you too from everyone at WVBI and your Beaver Island Community Center! |
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TRAFFIC: No delays inbound or outbound to the airports. The island beltway is running smoothly with no bridge delays. But, let’s be careful out there—especially in the school zone. |
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On this date in 1878, Michigan’s very first phone book was published in Detroit. Called “List of Subscribers,” it contained just 124 names — and no numbers, since phones were connected by operator. Also on this date in 1886, the first classes of the Michigan Mining School — today’s Michigan Tech — were held in the Houghton Fire Hall with four professors and twenty-three students. And in 1935, the Detroit Tribune began publishing. For three decades it gave voice to Black Michiganders, guided in later years by Andrew Fruehauf, son of the founder of semi-trailer inventor August Fruehauf, who devoted his fortune to keeping it alive. By the way, the last Beaver Island Phonebook I have is dated 2018…
Watermarked image of the first Detroit Phonebook. Image from historicimages.com |
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Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is askance (adverb) [uh-SKANSS], and adverb that means “in a way that shows a lack of trust or approval” or “with a side-glance.” The word askance has long meant looking sideways — both literally and with disapproval. In Middle English, forms like askaunce or a-skans meant “as if to say” or “deceptively,” and may have blended with asqwynt, meaning “askew.” By the 16th century, askance firmly meant “sideways” or “with a sideways glance.” |
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Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Monday… |
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Here’s a thought for the day from Agatha Christie, who was born on this date in 1890: “Courage is the resolution to face the unforeseen.” |
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On a lighter note… I just read through an old phone book to pass the time. Lots of characters, but not much of a plot. |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Monday, September 15th, 2025. I’m Kevin Boyle reporting from W-V-B-I’s Langford Family Studios, wishing you a great day and asking you: why not go ahead and make it the best day ever? And thanks for listening. |
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Today Sunny, with a high near 69/75. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 61/58. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 70/79. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60/57. East wind around 5 mph. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 71/75. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 59/56. Thursday Partly sunny, with a high near 71/73. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 55/52. Friday Sunny, with a high near 65/68. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 53/50. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 65/69. Saturday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55/52. Sunday A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66/70. |
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Fire Danger Level on the Island set at Low. AQI this morning was 65.
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Out on the Big Drink… |
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Today ESE wind 5 to 10 kt becoming NNE in the afternoon. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Tuesday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Wednesday SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water Temperature: It’s 65 in Little Traverse Bay. The North Lake Michigan buoy southwest of Gull is reporting 63 with one-foot seas.
Mid Lake Michigan photo at time shown. Provided by NWS |
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Photos from webcams at wvbi.net and mackinacbridge.org |
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Crews target sea lampreys in Charlevoix streams, a lawsuit over budget earmarks lands in court, and a global Starlink outage hits the Island too. Plus — Northern Lights, bird migration, Island sports wins, and a $31,000 jackpot at the Elks. All of those stories in today’s Community calendar Report along with a look at this date in history, birthdays, a word of the day and a bad joke…all after a global and national news update from FSN. [timecheck] |
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Today’s featured image: The sun comes up over Marina North. Beaver Island Marinas photo |
