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Not long-ago Consumers Energy announced it was exploring the sale of a number of its hydro power stations around the state raising concerns about their safety and future. Now, more than $770 million in federal funding could be directed toward those aging dams, raising hopes that some of the structures might stay intact. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has invited Consumers to apply for up to $749 million in loans for safety upgrades on six dams, while a separate federal program recently awarded $23 million for work on 10 of the dams. Fans of the dams hope the funding will help preserve the reservoirs, but river advocates argue the taxpayer dollars are better spent elsewhere. Consumers has one year to apply for the loan but says it’s still considering all options. Alcona Dam operated by Consumers Energy on the Au Sable River. Photo from BridgeMI.com by Kelly House Petoskey has celebrated its seventh annual event honoring the contributions of seasonal workers from Latin America. The Fiesta Love Your Neighbor on Sunday was hosted by Genesis Church and welcomed over 95 workers from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico. Petoskey Mayor John Murphy addressed the crowd, highlighting the workers’ role in beautifying the community and supporting the local economy. The fiesta, catered by LT’s Tacos, included axe throwing and homemade treats, fostering connections across cultures. Organizer Andrea Schuitema emphasized the event’s goal: to show appreciation and build a welcoming community for these essential workers. Down in T-C yesterday, Traverse City commissioners unanimously backed efforts to address homelessness, including allowing Safe Harbor to pursue becoming a year-round shelter. Safe Harbor, currently operating seasonally, will need to amend its land use permit and secure additional funding. The city also committed $40,000 annually for two years to support day shelter services at Jubilee House. Safe Harbor’s year-round expansion aims to reduce the homeless encampment at the Pines. Police Chief Matt Richmond outlined safety plans, including increased patrols, while the city joins a regional housing task force to find long-term solutions. If you’re enjoying the warm weather out there, M-Live forecasters have good news for you. They say it is going to continue to be warmer than usual through the end of the month Afternoon highs on the mainland will stay between 82 and 88 degrees through next week, about 10 degrees hotter than average with high on the Island in the high 70s and sometimes low 80s. By late September into early October, temperatures will cool slightly, but still stay in the 70s. Weather models show this warmer-than-normal trend lasting until at least mid-October. Island moon photo fans are in for a treat tonight with a supermoon and partial lunar eclipse lighting up the night sky. A supermoon occurs when the moon is closest to Earth, making it appear larger and brighter. Tonight it will have a reddish hue due to the partial lunar eclipse, when Earth’s shadow covers part of the moon. The eclipse will peak around 10:44 p.m. The special event comes just ahead of the dedication of the Island’s International Dark Sky Sanctuary on September 20. That event will be at the BIC Center starting at 7:00. There is no charge to attend but registration is required, to help plan with food for the event. Sign up at tickets dot bic center dot org.
Photo from Shutterstcok via BridgeMi.com |
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Now, here’s a look at events happening on your Emerald Isle… First your meeting planner… A-A meets Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, same time. B-I-A Board meets Tuesday at 4:00. Waste Management Committee meets Tuesday at 1:30. Library Board and J-TAC meet Thursday at 4:30. Locations and details for meetings are in the calendar entries online. On the fun front today, Tuesday, at 9:00 it’s the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program in the Hangout. Pickleball is on from 9:00 to noon outdoors on the Peaine Township Park courts. There’s a babes and toddlers mix-up at the library at 10:00 and then at 2:30 it is Story Time. BICS Soccer squad heads across to play Boyne Concord. Tuesday evening at 6:00 it is time to get quizzical at the BIC Center. It’s the September edition of the Beaver Island Trivia game. Sign up your group at tickets dot bic center dot org. Wednesday, folks will gather at the Health Center to care for the Wellness Garden. At 3:00 at the library, the book club will discuss The Best Part of Us by Sally Cole-Misch. Also at 3:00 over at the Peaine Township Park it’s time for a Bocce Ball roll. There’s BINGO at the Greg Fellowship Center. Games start at 7:00 with the doors open for fellowship at 6:15. On the radio Wednesday, there’s the Storyteller’s Night Sky with a special edition this week celebrating the dedication of the Island’s Dark Sky Sanctuary. [Listen for that after the news at 3 and 6 pm or catch the podcast at W-V-B-I dot net.][And Wednesday evenings are countdown time on the radio with the Top Ten Plus Five at 7:00, the Retro Album Chart Show at 8:00 and the Cool Jazz Countdown at 10:00 this evening.] Highlights for the rest of the week include… Thursday, at 9:00, Pickleball is outdoors on the Peaine Township Courts. Women’s Bible Study is at the Christian Church at 10:00. It’s Burger and a beer night at the Shamrock. And Euchre night spins up at Whiskey Point Brewery. Cards hot the table at 7:00. Friday, the day kicks off with Senior and Vets Coffee and Donuts at the BIC Center at 8:30. The Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program is on at 9:00 in the Hangout. On the radio, you’ll hear our fantastic Friday evening linup of shows to kick off the weekend. Right after the news at 6:00 there’s That Thing with Rich Appel, that top-down top forty sound from the 70s that so much fun. He’s followed at 9:00 by Titus Jennings with the Titus Jennings experience and lots of fine music from all genres and then is music and farce comedy and escape with Marilyn Tae Bayer and the Midnight special starting at 11:00. On Saturday, there’s Pickleball outdoors at 9:00. Saturday movies are back at the BIC Center. The 4:00 show is Despicable Me 4, Gru is back with the girls, the minnions and baby gru. It’s rated PG. At 7:00, it’s Twisters. A rave review winning wild ride with storm chasers. It’s rated PG-13. On Sunday, there are services at the Episcopal Mission at 9:00 and at the Christian Church at 10:00. Whiskey Point Light open for tours from 10:00 to noon. Mass at Holy Cross is at 12:15. On or Dark Sky calendar, lots happening this week. On top of the list is the dedication of the Island’s new Dark Sky Sanctuary. That’s Friday at 7:00 at the BIC Center. There’ll be special presentations, food from Bodega Catering and some dark sky viewing afterwards, weather permitting. But, ahead of that the Moon stars this week as it appears near Saturn tonight, is a full supermoon with a partial eclipse on Tuesday evening and reaches its perigee on Wednesday. On Friday night a deep dark sky event as Neptune reaches opposition. There’s more info on all of this at dark sky island dot org. Oh…and don’t forget to sign up for the Sanctuary Dedication on Friday. Do that at tickets dot bic center dot org. Looking ahead to next week… On Monday, there are three Dark Sky Events on the calendar. The moon will both be near Pleaides and in its last quarter while Mars will be starring in the sky next to three very bright stars. There are details on all of these events at dark sky island dot org and in the online community calendar. |
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NAME OF DAY: Today’s BIC Center Name of the Day is Darlene. If that’s your name come on into the BIC Center today to claim a free drink of your choice courtesy of your friends at the Beaver Island Community Center and W-V-B-I. BIRTHDAYS: Ellen Kuligoski and Larry Pease, Sr. are celebrating today. Happy birthday to Nancy and Emily 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: None, nada, zip for the most part. We are back to off-season traffic patterns. But, the kids are back in school. So, let’s be careful out there…especially in the school zone. |
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On this day in 1976, NASA’s new reusable orbital space vehicle, the space shuttle, is rolled out for its first public viewing in front of thousands of invited guests in Palmdale, California. It’s christened the ‘Enterprise’ after a write-in campaign by ‘Star Trek fans, and most of the show’s original cast is on hand for the unveiling.
Photo from bing.com |
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Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is dally (verb) [DAL-ee]. The word dally has a number of meanings. To dally can be to physically linger or dawdle, or to waste time. Dally may also mean “to act playfully,” especially in a romantic sense, or “to deal with something lightly or in a way that is not serious.” English speakers have been futzing around with dally since the late Middle Ages. They first started using it to mean “to chat,” which was also the meaning of dalier, the Anglo-French word whence it came, but this sense fell into disuse. Next, they applied it to acting playfully with someone especially in amorous and flirtatious ways (the noun dalliance, meaning “an act of dallying,” is to this day often used for situations where people get all smoochy and whatnot). The idea of more figurative flirtatiousness soon led to a sense of dally meaning “to deal with lightly or in a way that is not serious.” Finally, by the mid-16th century, perhaps because fuddy-duddies saw all of this fun and frivolity as a waste of time, dally gained the additional meanings of “to waste time” and “to dawdle.” |
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Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Tuesday…no time to dilly dally… |
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Here’s a thought from Leonard Nimoy, who played Science Officer Spock on the fictional starship Enterprise: “Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.” On a lighter note: Did you hear about the astronaut whose request to bring an orange on the space shuttle was declined? It was a fruitless Endeavor. |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar for this Beaver Island Tuesday, September 17th, 2024. 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 84. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Tonight Clear, with a low around 58. East wind around 5 mph becoming south after midnight. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 78. East wind around 5 mph. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. East wind around 5 mph. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 76. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Saturday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Sunday A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Sunday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Monday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. |
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Fire danger level on the island set at High… |
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Lake Forecast: Out on the big drink… |
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Today S wind 5 to 10 kt becoming NNW in the afternoon. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Wednesday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Thursday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water temps: 67 in Little Traverse Bay. 69 at the mid-lake buoy southwest of Gull Island. 65 in the Straits.
Photo from Midlake Buoy operated by National Buoy Center |
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Photos from webcams at wvbi.net and mackinacbridge.org |
