| Michigan’s split Legislature is off to its slowest start in two decades. A Bridge Michigan review found lawmakers sent just six bills to Governor Whitmer in the first half of the year — far fewer than past sessions. Republican House Speaker Matt Hall says quality matters more than quantity, while Democratic Senate Leader Winnie Brinks calls it an excuse, pointing to the missed budget deadline that’s left schools guessing. Both parties blame each other for the gridlock, with partisan fights often stalling progress. Lawmakers may return July 15, hoping to break the stalemate.
It’s cherry season in northern Michigan, and the bright red fruit is front and center at the just completed National Cherry Festival in T-C. But the region’s vital cherry industry is feeling the squeeze. This year’s tart cherry harvest is expected to drop to just 30 million pounds—far below past yields of 180 million. Sweet cherries are rebounding after last year’s disaster, but farmers still face big questions over tariffs and federal research support, clouding future plans. I-P-R has detailed story about this that’s linked in today’s script online.
Down in Grand Rapids, there was a tree fire late Wednesday night…caused by fireworks. It damaged some siding before firefighters put it out. The fire danger on the island is set at high, so firefighters here are uring extreme caution with any type of fire and suggest you leave today’s firework displays to the experts.
On the Island, the Beaver Island Golf Course 4th of July Golf Tournament drew a huge turnout. The e winning team, with a score of 29, was made up of Scott, Jack, Dan, Bradon & Greg Welke.
A reminder that if you plan to be in the parade, you need to be lined up by 12:30 on Kings Highway south of Holy Cross. The Amvets are inviting all vets on the Island to join them at the head of the parade today. It doesn’t matter if you are a member of the post. There’ll be vehicles for those who need that for all or part of the parade.
Larissa McGinnity will be throwing mugs on a float in the parade today. If you’d like one of those special mugs, there’s a signup form at her website. The B-I-C-S robotics team B-I-robot will have almost all of the robots they’ve built in their ten years of competition on display on a float in the parade with this year’s robot running and demonstrating how it collected field pieces and scored them. The tema had a movie festival planned for Monday, but there’s a problem with the projector at the BIC Center, so that event has been postponed until a new projector arrives.
Tomorrow night, The Orbitsuns are at the BIC Center. Famous for low down, outlaw country, the band brings a new twist on familiar artists and has original charts as well. |
| You’re going to hear Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, senior Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, all the great classic country performers. We just love to play those songs. And of course, there are many original compositions that we will play. You know we have released a video and a single for a song we wrote and recorded called Hey, Lonesome. And we have a brand-new tune, which is a great dance song. It does a 2 step dosido though and it’s called micro dosing dosido though and if you want to know what that’s about, all you gotta do is come to an Orbitsuns show and you’re going to see it. Nothing but a great dance party and a damn good time. |
| 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, there is a Community Meeting on main street on today to celebrate our Independence. It starts at 1:00 and will end with fireworks.
On the fun front today…
Friday, is Independence Day. The BIC Center will be closed, so no Senior + Vets Coffee + Donuts, Yoga or Chair Strength training. Also closed are the library and the resale shop. Island Energies will be closed from 12:30 to 2:00 for the parade. But, the C-O-A has a Walkersize at 10:30, a walk from Heritage Park to the St. James Campground and back. And, there’s that community meeting. The Island’s Independence Day parade steps off at 1:00. Fireworks are at about 10:00 in the evening as soon as twilight has faded. [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.]
Just before sunrise on Saturday look for Neptune near the eastern-southeastern horizon. Look for the brighter Saturn first. Neptune will be just north of it. Check dark sky island dot org for more info. Then, head to the free Beaver Island E-M-S pancake breakfast at the Holy Cross Hall from 8:00 to 11:00. Fluffy pancakes, eggs, bacon, hot coffee, and lemonade. Did I mention it’s free? Work off the breakfast with Pickleball outside on the Peaine Township courts at 9:00. Then, there’s the Artisan’s Market out by the lighthouse at Whiskey Point. That starts at 10:00. At 1:30, the Eve McDonough Music School is in session at Red Deer. Check the calendar for sign up info. Saturday evenings are Prime Rib Night at the Shamrock. After dinner, you’ve two choices for music. The annual McDonough Memorial Concert is at 7:30 in the front lawn under the pines at Red Deer. At the BIC Center it’s the Orbitsuns, the Motor City’s finest purveyors of low down and dirty outlaw country. Showtime is 7:30. Tickets are at tickets dot bic center dot org.
[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 and Episcopal Mission at 9:00 and the Christian Church at 10:00, and Mass at Holy Cross at 12:15. At 1:30, the Eve McDonough Music School is back in session for its second and final day. Then at 9:00, it’s Red Deer Unplugged with Shaker Hites playing inside at the cabin.
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. C-O-A has Cardio Drumming at 10:00 and a Crafter’s Social at 11:00, both out at Peaine Township Hall. B-I-Robot, the B-I-C-S robotics team presents a robot film festival at the BIC Center. Wild Robot shows at 3:00. A robot discovers the wonders of nature in this award-winning hit. At 5:00 there’ll be a robot demonstration with a look at this year’s competition robot and robot racing. At 6:00, Companion takes to the screen. ‘ . Also Monday, Red Deer Unplugged is on for a second night featuring Ruby John. Showtime is 9:00, again in the cabin at Red Deer. And, Monday evening is all you can eat pizza night at the Beachcomber.
Tuesday, there’s Chair Strength Training at the BIC Center at 9:00. Pickleball has changed to summer days and times. Today at 9:00, Thursday at 9:00 and Saturday at 9:00. Babes and Toddlers mix it up at the library at 10:00. Also, at 10:00, pickleball outdoors on the Peaine Township courts. 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]. Tuesday evening the Beaver Island Jazz Series takes to the BIC Center stage with the first of its events for the season. Edye & Mike will be here as a voice and guitar duo performing tunes from the American songbook and more…all on a stage lit with candles. It’s candlelit jazz at the BIC Center. Showtime is 7:30. Tickets are at tickets.biccenter.org.
Summer Yoga at the BIC Center is on today at 9:30 with a restorative session. The library has plenty going on. 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. At 7:00, there’s BINGO at the Gregg Fellowship Center. Doors open at 6:15 for fellowship.
Thursday, at 9:00, the Farmer’s Market opens out at Paradise Bay Coffee Shop. Also at 9:00, there’s Pickleball on the Peaine Township Courts and 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. And it’s Burger and a Beer Night at the Shamrock. |
| NAME OF DAY: The BIC Center Name of the Day is Uncle Same. If that’s your name, come on in to the BIC Center today to pick out a free drink of your choice.
BIRTHDAYS: Bob Smith, Lilly Moon and Joddy Crosswhite are on our list today. Happy Birthday to Lilly, Joddy and Bob and, of course the U-S-A and, if we missed you on the list, Happy Birthday to you too from everyone at WVBI and your Beaver Island Community Center! |
| TRAFFIC: No delays inbound or outbound to the airports. The island beltway is running smoothly with no bridge delays. Still, let’s be careful out there. |
| On this day in 1776 the 13 American colonies throw off British rule as Philadelphia’s Continental Congress announces a new nation made up of united states. The anniversary of this Declaration of Independence, ratified one year into the Revolutionary War, will continue to be celebrated in the US as Independence Day.
Declaration of Independence. Image from U.S. National Archives |
| Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is Yankee (noun) [YANG-kee Yankee can refer broadly to anyone born or living in the U.S., more narrowly to only those in the northern U.S., or even more narrowly to only those in the states of New England. The broadest use is especially common outside the U.S. The lexicographic origin of Yankee is unknown, but historians know that it began as an insult. British General James Wolfe used the term in a 1758 letter to express his low opinion of the New England troops assigned to him, and from around the same time period there is a report of British troops using Yankee as a term of abuse for the citizens of Boston. In 1775, however, after the battles of Lexington and Concord showed that colonials could stand up to British regulars, Yankee was proudly adopted by colonials as a self-descriptor in defiance of the pejorative use. Both derisive and respectable uses have existed ever since. |
| Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Independence Day… |
| Here’s a thought for the day: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” |
| On a lighter note…
Paddy’s firework party was a complete disaster. “I don’t understand it,” he said. “They all worked fine when I tried them yesterday!” |
| That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Friday, July 4th, 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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| Independence Day
Increasing clouds, with a high near 73 in town for the parade and 79 inland. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 76 on the shore, 85 inland. Southwest wind around 15 mph. Saturday Night Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 62. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Sunday Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 8am, then a slight chance of showers between 8am and 2pm. High near 73 by the beach, 80 inland. West wind around 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Monday Sunny, with a high near 74, 81 inland. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 74, 81 inland. Tuesday Night A chance of showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Wednesday A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75, 82 inland. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 75, 82 inland. |
| Fire Danger Level on the Island set at High. |
| Out on the Big Drink… |
| Independence Day
SSE wind 5 to 10 kt becoming SW in the afternoon. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Saturday SW wind 10 to 15 kt. Mostly sunny. Waves around 2 ft. 2 to 3 ft. Sunday WSW wind around 15 kt becoming N in the afternoon. A slight chance of showers before 1pm. Waves around 2 ft. Monday NNE wind 5 to 10 kt becoming WNW in the afternoon. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Tuesday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Partly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
| Water Temperature: It’s 61 in Little Traverse Bay. The North Lake Michigan buoy southwest of Gull is reporting 60 with flat seas.
Mid Lake Michigan photo at time shown. Provided by NWS |
| Photos from webcams at wvbi.net and mackinacbridge.org |
| ️ Michigan’s Legislature is stuck in slow gear — just six bills sent to the governor all year, the fewest in decades. Meanwhile, cherry season’s here, but northern Michigan’s tart crop is way down, with farmers eyeing tariffs and federal help.
In Grand Rapids, fireworks sparked a tree fire, a reminder to play it safe with fireworks on the island. Also, we have golf tourney results, some parade news, and a reminder about The Orbitsuns and a wild country dance party tomorrow at the BIC Center. |
Community Calendar Report for Independence Day, Friday, July 4th, 2025
