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Another day and another batch of positive COVID-19 tests reported by the Health Center. Latest report shows another four tests with all of them back positive. That jumps the total of week or less old positives to 44. Meantime, the state released updated hospital occupancy again yesterday. No big changes there. Overall utilization remains near normal. COVID-19 occupancy ticked up slightly but is still under 1,000 persons statewide. No changes in our local hospitalization numbers with one patient at Munson in Charlevoix and six at McLaren in Petoskey. Perry Johnson isn’t giving up his fight to get on the August primary ballot for the G-O-P nomination for the governor’s race. Yesterday he filed a federal lawsuit asking for emergency relief to halt the printing of ballots and either decrease the number of signatures required or order his name placed on the ballot. He continues to claim that he had the required number of valid signatures, but some of them were thrown out without proper review. He had submitted about 23,000 signatures. 15,000 are required to make the ballot. The state says 7,000 of the signatures were forged leaving him short of the requirement. The Michigan Court of Appeals and after that the State’s Supreme Court have both upheld the state’s decision. His fellow former front runner James Craig who was also disqualified from the ballot says he is still evaluating his options. Craig was until recently Detroit’s Chief of Police. Perry is a businessman who runs a quality assurance consulting firm. Governor Whitmer is still non-committal on backing a plan adopted in the legislature to implement a tax holiday for gasoline. The proposal would suspend the 27 cent a gallon tax and the six percent sales tax resulting in a cut in prices on the island around 70 cents. The governor wants to tie the holiday to a tax credit of 500 dollars for what she calls “working” Michiganders. It’s not clear who fits in that group, but apparently it isn’t all Michigan taxpayers. She also wants to roll back the tax on retirement income and triple the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income workers. |
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Now, here’s a look at what’s happening on your island… Here’s your meeting planner for the week: St. James Planning Commission has a meeting set for next Tuesday at 6:00 at the Township Hall. B-I-C-S Committee of the whole meets Wednesday at 5:30 at school. St. James Township Board meets at the same time at the Township Hall. Elks Club meets Thursday Evening at 5:00 at Peaine Township Hall. On the fun front today, Tuesday, Pickleball is on at 10:00 over on the Municipal Tennis Courts. The Arthritis Foundation Exercise program is on at 10:30 in the Hangout. Tuesday evening, B-I-C-S 4th through 6th graders take to the BIC Center stage with the first show in our 2022 Theater series. It’s Wingin’ It. Still a few seats available. Get them at the BIC Center Front Desk. Wednesday, senior Chair Yoga is on up in the Hangout at the BIC Center at 10:30. Thursday, Tai Chi is on at the BIC Center at 9:30. Pickleball is on, too, outside on tennis courts from 10 to noon. Games Galore is on up on the Hangout from 1:00 to 4:00. Also, Open Mic Night at the Bodega is on and will become Music on the Porch as the event moves outside for the warm weather. Sign-up at 6:30. Performances begin at 7:00. Friday, the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program is on up in the Hangout at 10:30. And, at 12:30 it is time for BINGO brought to you by the C-O-A. Friday starts a statewide Free Fishing Weekend on the island and the official celebration of lilac blooms on the island—and they are out in force…the lilacs that is. On Saturday, Pickleball is on 10 to noon. At 11, it’s time for the annual gardeners day at the Rural Health Center. All sorts of island friendly plants will be available for sale with proceeds to benefit the Health Center Wellness Garden. Sunday there are services at Holy Cross, the Christian Church, the Episcopal Mission and the Lighthouse fellowship. Times and more details are in the calendar. Coming up next week there are basketball camps set for B-I-C-S—both elementary and high school. And, a final calendar note…tickets for the BIC Center W-V-B-I Secret Garden Summer Gala or on sale. You can get them at the BIC Center front Desk or online at tickets dot BIC Center dot org. This year’s event will be in Gene Masta’s beautiful gardens surrounding the old Lifesaving station that once stood at Whiskey Point…and that is now his summer home. Strolling dinner, music, libations, raffles and both silent and live auctions will add to the fun of mingling with your island friends in the Secret Garden. Monday, Chair Yoga is scheduled up in the Hangout. Start time is 10:30. |
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BIRTHDAYS: John Works, Ken Scoggins and Dennis Monachino are celebrating today. Happy Birthday to Dennis, Ken and John and, if we missed you on our list, Happy Birthday to you, too, from all of us at W-V-B-I and your Beaver Island Community Center. |
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TRAFFIC: Our W-V-B-I virtual octo-copter is flying high in the clear blue skies above the island and spies…no delays inbound or outbound to the airports, no traffic on the island beltway and some turtles busy by the bridges. In fact, lots of turtles showing up on the roads here and there. So, let’s be careful out there. |
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ON THIS DAY in 1942 a ferocious three-day battle a thousand miles west of Hawaii ends in a rout of the Japanese navy by an underestimated American defense. Pearl Harbor is partly avenged on its six-month anniversary, and the Battle of Midway turns the tide towards Allied victory in the Pacific. Meantime, a listener points out with respect to yesterday’s history note that as important as D-Day was, it didn’t mark the first return of allied forces to mainland Europe—in fact that happened a few days earlier in Italy. Also on this date in 1998, Julie Taymor is first woman to win directing Tony for helming the smash-hit stage adaptation of Disney’s ‘The Lion King.’ |
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MERRIAM-WEBSTER WORD OF THE DAY: vocation (noun) [voh-KAY-shun], which can refer simply to an occupation, or it can refer to a strong desire to pursue a particular kind of work or course of action. When vocation was first used in English in the 15th century it referred specifically to a summons from God to perform a particular task or function in life, especially a religious one. This meaning is no surprise given the word’s source: it comes from Latin vocation-, vocacio, meaning “summons,” which in turn comes from vocāre, meaning “to call.” Vocation also has a secular position in the English language as a word for the strong desire to do a certain kind of work, or as a word for the work itself, making vocation a synonym of the words calling and occupation. |
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Now, to wrap up for this for Beaver Island Tuesday… |
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Here’s a thought for the day from Admiral Chester Nimitz, one of the commanders in the Battle of Midway: “Hindsight is notably cleverer than foresight.” On a lighter note: How many meteorologists does it take to change a light bulb? Today there’s a 70 percent chance of one. |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar for this Beaver Island Tuesday, June 7th, 2022. 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 Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. Wednesday Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 5 to 15 mph. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Friday Sunny, with a high near 68. Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Sunday Sunny, with a high near 69. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. |
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Out on the Big Drink: |
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Today NW wind around 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy. Waves around 1 ft. Tonight W wind 5 to 10 kt becoming SW after midnight. Partly cloudy. Waves 1 ft or less. Wednesday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Partly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Wednesday Night Variable winds 5 kt or less. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 ft or less. Thursday WSW wind 5 to 10 kt. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water Temps: 50 at White Shoal and 53 at Sleeping Bear. Still a chilly 38 at the mid-lake buoy southwest of Gull Island. Little Traverse Bay station isn‘t reporting water temps. Still cold out there. Remember, if you are out in a small craft, remember to dress for the water not the weather. |
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Community Calendar for Tuesday, June 7th, 2022
