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The National Wildlife Federation wants state regulators to require a stricter review of Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. The permits now under consideration don’t include a review under the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act — something the group says is critical due to risks of lakebed collapse and harm to cultural sites. EGLE says environmental protection is a top priority but hasn’t yet required that permit. In Lansing, Michigan House Democrats have introduced a bill that would ban law enforcement officers from concealing their identity while interacting with the public. Bill sponsor Rep. Betsy Coffia of Traverse City says ICE’s use of masked, unidentified officers during raids has created fear and eroded public trust. Her bill would require visible ID and make violations a misdemeanor with jail time or fines, while allowing exceptions for undercover and high-risk operations. ICE defends the practice, saying it protects agents and their families from harassment and threats. The restart of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant cleared a major hurdle yesterday. The NRC says Holtec’s plan poses “no significant hazards” and approved steps toward restoring its operating license. Palisades could be the first U.S. plant ever to restart after being decommissioned. Also yesterday, a worldiwde Starlink outage cut off users on the island and, well, everywhere for two and half hours yesterday startiong at about 3:00. A bad software update is to blame, say experts. Across, the Charlevoix Courrier reports that Raven Hill Discovery Center in East Jordan has named Haley Breniser as its new executive director. With two decades of nonprofit experience, she’ll lead the 34-year-old center into its next chapter. Founder Cheri Leach stays on as program director. Cheri Leach and Haly Breniser at Raven Hill Discovery Center. Phot provided by Raven Hill Down in T-C, the pedestrian bridge over US-31 near Traverse City State Park may be torn down sooner than planned after a dump truck struck it last week. The DNR says repairs could temporarily stabilize the structure, but it’s unlikely to reopen so those hoping for one last walk across the iconoc structure may be out of luck. A new ADA-accessible bridge is possible, but no funding or location has been secured. On the Island, Baroque on Beaver 2025 kicked off last evening with a Festival Preview at the Print Shop. We’ve got a full rundown of Baroque events in our calendar report…speaking of which… |
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Now, here’s a look at events happening on your Emerald Isle… First your meeting planner. A-A meets Saturday at 6:00 at the Christian Church and next week Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday same time and place. And that’s it on the meeting front through the end of next week. On the fun front today… Friday, kicks with 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 and Pickleball on the Peaine Township Courts. Summer Yoga is at 9:30 with a basic flow session in the theater at the BIC Center. C-O-A has a Walkersize session at 10:30, a walk from Heritage Park to the St. James Campground and back. At 11:00, the Rita Gillespie Memorial Blood Drive gets underway at the Gregg Fellowship Center. You can get an appointment online at vesrsiti dot org slash M-I or call 866 M-I blood. Forget to sign up? Just show up any time before 4:30 Friday afternoon and give the gift of life. [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 on out by the lighthouse at Whiskey Point. That starts at 10:00. Baroque music gets underway with their Opening Night Benefit at the BIC Center featuring renowned pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko. There’ll be a pre-show reception with food, wine and champagne and an opportunity to meet the artist afterwards. The reception starts at 6:30. Showtime is 7:30. Tickets are at tickets dot bic center dot org. Your admission price includes a donation the Beaver Island Performing Arts Alliance. [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… Monday Summer Yoga is at the BIC Center at 9:30 in the Theater with a Basic Flow session followed by a Therapeutic Chair session at 11:00. C-O-A has Cardio Drumming at 10:00 and a Crafter’s Social at 11:00, both out at Peaine Township Hall. Baroque events continue with Brass on the Grass out at Whiskey Point. That’s at 3:00 out by the lighthouse. Monday evening, its New & Next, contemporary classical with Robert Nordling at the BIC Center. Showtime is 7:30. And, for dinner Monday evening, the Elks have Burger Night. Charcoal grilled burgers with all the fixins’ for $10. Preorder by phone or just drive through from 5:00 to 6:30 at the Gregg Fellowship Center. Or if pizza is your thing, remember that Monday evening is all you can eat pizza night at the Beachcomber. After dark, head outside to enjoy the Delta Aquarids meteor shower. It can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak, which is tonight just after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky. 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 10:30, there’s C-O-A Walkersize with a walk from Heritage Park out to the St. James Campground and back. At 1:00, drop by the BIC Center Hangout to play Mah Jongg [mah jawng]. At 3:00, head over to the Beaver Island Gallery to enjoy the Emerald Winds outside in the pines. Its Chamber Music al Fresco and there is no admission, but a free will donation supports Baroque on Beaver. Tuesday evening head down to the Bio Station to enjoy Chamber Music Waterside. The music starts at 7:30. Tickets are at tickets dot bic center dot org. Wednesday, Summer Yoga is on at the BIC Center at 9:30 with a restorative session. At the library, there’s Kids Storytime, Crafts and Art for three years and up at 10:00 and then for 10 years and up at 11:00. At the BIC Center, there’s Bingo at 1:00 in the Hangout. At 3:00 C-O-A has Fun & Gamers out at Peaine Township Hall. Also at 3:00, at Whiskey Point Brewery, Baroque on Beaver presents the St. James Jazz Ensemble. The show is sold out. At 7:00, there’s BINGO at the Gregg Fellowship Center. Doors open at 6:15 for fellowship. At 7:30, down at C-M-U it is Baroque’s Chamber Music Waterside. Tickets are at tickets dot bic center dot org. Thursday at 9:00, there’s Pickleball on the Peaine Township Courts. At 10:00 a trifecta 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. Again, all those events starting at 10:00. At 11:00, the COA has a Crafter’s Social at the Peaine Township Hall. At 7:30 the Baroque on Beaver Festival Orchestra is on stage at the BIC Center featuring pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko in a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 and Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.1. Tickets are at tickets dot bic center dot org. And it’s Burger and a Beer Night at the Shamrock. |
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NAME OF DAY: The BIC Center Name of the Day is Frank. If that’s your name, come on into the BIC Center today to pick out a free drink of your choice. BIRTHDAYS: John McNeil, Beth Ann Lucas, Ed Troutman and Mike Eicher are on our list today. Happy Birthday to Beth Ann, Mike and John 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 it is very busy in town when the ferry arrives, and the warm weather means lots of folks at the public beach plus hikers and bikers everywhere. Plus, baby turtles are busy crossing. So, let’s be careful out there. |
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On this date in 1932, artist Diego Rivera began the actual painting of his frescoes in the Garden Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Rivera had begun his research and preparation in April. The 27-panel work was entitled “Detroit Industry” was completed on March 13, 1933 and first seen by the public a couple weeks later. Six years later, Zoltan Sepeshy will be commissioned to create a work in a similar style about the fishing industry. Made for the Lincoln Park Post Office near Detroit, it eventually makes its way to Beaver Island where you can see it today at the Print Shop Museum.
Grand Rapids Electric Light & Power Company buildings in late 1890s. Image from Michigan Day-by-Day
Zoltan Sepeshy’s “Hauling in the Net” hangs in the Print Shop Museum. Photo of mural from Cranbrook Institute of Art |
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Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is sui generis (adjective) [soo-eye-JEN-uh-ris], a a formal adjective used to describe someone or something in a class or group of its own, or in other words, unlike anyone or anything else. Many English words ultimately trace back to the Latin forms gener- or genus like general, generate, and generous. But sui generis is truly a one-of-a-kind genus descendant that English speakers have used to describe singular things since the late 1600s. Its earliest uses were in scientific contexts, but where it once mostly characterized substances, principles, diseases, and even rocks thought to be the only representative of their class or group, its use expanded by the early 1900s, and it is now used more generally for anything that stands alone. |
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Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Friday… |
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Here’s a thought for the day from Bob Dylan, who on this day changed things up at the Newport Folk Festival playing Maggie’s Farm with an electric guitar: “If you want to keep your memories, you first have to live them.” |
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On a lighter note… Why couldn’t the fisherman play his guitar? Because he lost his tuna. |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Friday, July 25th, 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 Widespread haze. Sunny, with a high near 77/83. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the morning. Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. West wind around 5 mph becoming east in the evening. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 78/86. South wind around 5 mph. Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 79/85. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Sunday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Monday A 40 percent chance of showers before 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79/85. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 77/83. Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 75/80. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 74/79. |
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Fire Danger Level on the Island set at Low. |
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Out on the Big Drink… |
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Today Variable winds 5 kt or less. Patchy fog before 8am. Waves 1 ft or less. Saturday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Sunday SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Monday WSW wind around 10 kt. A chance of showers before 1pm. Waves 1 ft or less.. Tuesday N wind around 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water Temperature: It’s 67 in Little Traverse Bay. The North Lake Michigan buoy southwest of Gull is reporting 67 with one to two 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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🌊 The National Wildlife Federation is pushing for tougher scrutiny of Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel, warning the current permit review skips a key law protecting the Great Lakes. 👮♂️ In Lansing, Rep. Betsy Coffia has introduced a bill banning masked law enforcement during public interactions—aimed at ICE practices she says erode public trust. ⚛️ The Palisades Nuclear Plant restart just took a major step forward, with the NRC saying Holtec’s plan poses “no significant hazards.” 🛰️ Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet system, suffered a rare global outage yesterday. 🧪 Raven Hill Discovery Center in East Jordan has a new executive director—Haley Breniser steps in as founder Cheri Leach shifts to program director. 🚧 Traverse City’s pedestrian bridge over US-31 might be demolished sooner than expected after being struck by a dump truck. Repairs are possible—but reopening isn’t. 🎻 And on the Island, Baroque on Beaver 2025 is officially underway! Full concert details in our calendar report |
