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About 20 people came in from a beautiful afternoon to get an update on what’s going with fiber for broadband on the Island. Your news guy made the presentation, which covered a proposal for a community owned system that would bring fiber delivered broadband to all of the island. That’s in contrast to current T-D-S work, which will bring fiber only to many but not all locations in St. James Township and just a few at the north end of Peaine. The plan would require tax supported financing that would be expected to go down after a few years as the system generated revenue. There was a robust discussion about the plan, with concerns expressed about competing infrastructure needs and the possible strain on Island resources if the addition of improved broadband drew additional visitors or full-time residents. If the township boards vote to present the plan to taxpayers, the funding for it would appear as a millage proposal next May. You can provide input on the plan through a survey on the Beaver Island Association Website. That’s at Beaver Island Association dot org, and the survey is linked in today’s script online. https://www.beaverislandassociation.org/ https://www.beaverislandassociation.org/bif-survey/ #Broadband
The St. James Board met yesterday afternoon to consider rehabilitation of the space now being used to bore the line that will carry fiber to the U-P for the P-F-N built fiber line that will connect the U-P to the L-P. The board decided to proceed with a planting plan that will turn the area into a grassy area reserved for future uses. Other plans considered were own to make additional camping space aimed at RVs and another to make a Dark Sky observation area that could be used for that and other outdoor presentations. #LocalGovernance
The St. James Board considered three alternatives for restoration of the St. James Campground fiber drilling site. They selected the Basic Restoration plan at the top. The other plans were for an RV camping area and an outdoor planetarium. Drawings from St. James Township
Michigan is preparing to buy nearly 4,500 acres of forestland near the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula for nearly five million dollars. The property borders the Copper Country State Forest and is the first of two planned state acquisitions aimed at preventing the land from being divided for private development. #Environment |
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Now here’s a look at other upcoming events on your Emerald Isle…
First your meeting planner…
The Irish Heritage Group Meets today at 5:30. Transportation Authority meets Wednesday at noon. A-A meets Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6:00
…and that is it for the week. Locations and more details are in the calendar entries online.
On the fun front today…
Tuesday, at 9:00 there is Pickleball on the Peaine Township Courts. At 9:30, there’s Chair Strength Training up in the Hangout at the BIC Center. At 10:00, Babes & Toddlers mix it up at the library. At 11:30, there’s drop-off and set-up for the Quilt Show at the Beaver Island Gallery. At 7:00, there’s a presentation on astronomy at the Biological Station. It’s Fire from the Sky: Viewing the Perseid Meteor Shower presented by Professor Kevin Dehne of Delta College. Also at 7:00, TUNES has a Traditional Tune Workshop at the Brother’s Place. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Email tunes@tunesmusicmakers.org to register.
The TUNES Workshop events are coming next week. First up is a Traditional Tunes Workshop. Register at tunes@tubesmusicmakers.org. Image from TUNES via WVBI Community Calendar
Highlights for the rest of the week include…
Wednesday, there’s Summer Restorative Yoga BIC Center at 9:30. Also at 10:00, there’s American Mah Jongg at the BIC Center in the Hangout, and at 1:00 there is Afternoon Bingo. Protar’s House will be open from 1:00 to 4:00. At 1:28, a very short solar eclipse will reach its peak in our sky. While the eclipse will be total in some place, it will be partial here obscuring less than five percent of the sun. It will only last a few minutes. At 4:00 the Amik Cultural Preservation Center will be open. TUNES workshops continue with a session on Percussive Dance. That’s at 7:00 on the stage at the BIC Center.
A Solar Eclipse happens on Wednesday, but we will be far from the area of totality in Greenland. A partial Lunar Eclipse comes up later this month. Graphic from Time and Date.com
Thursday, there’s Pickleball at Peaine Township Park at 9:00. The COA’s normal Cardio Drumming and Art Therapy is off today on vacation. Those sessions return mid-August. There’s Women’s Bible Study at 10:00 a.m. at the BI Christian Church and at 10:30, there’s Senior Tai Chi at the BIC Center. The Annual Quilt Show opens at 11:30 at the Beaver Island Gallery. See the latest work by Island artists alongside the first and latest quilts made by students at B-I-C-S. The Weekly Bocce Ball rolls is on at 4:00 on the courts at the Peaine Township Park. And, Thursday evenings are Burger and a Beer Night at the Shamrock. TUNES Presents continues with their week of workshops with a session on singing Beaver Island and Great Lakes Songs. That’s at the Brother’s Place. At the BIC Center, Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers take to the stage for a night of folk and jazz. Showtime is 7:30. Tickets are at tickets dot bic center dot org.
Claudia Schmidt returns to the BIC Center with Sally Rogers on Thursday for another unforgettable evening of song, story, and harmony. Tickets are available at the BIC Center Front Desk or online at tickets.biccenter.org. Graphic provided by BIC Center
Friday, there’s Senior and Vets Coffee and Donuts from 8:30 to 10:30 in the Welcome Center at the BIC Center. At 9:00 A-M Pickleball Outdoors on the Peaine Township courts. Back at the BIC Center at 9:30, there’s Summer Yoga in the Theater plus Chair Strength Training up in the Hangout. At 7:00 at the library, author and poet Steve Brown will read from some of his work and answer questions. Also at 7:00, TUNES Presents an outdoor concert at Gene Masta’s garden featuring internationally acclaimed musicians performing Irish, Appalachian and Great Lakes traditional music. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the music, the garden and the company of Islanders. Your free will donation will help support Tunes.
As part of its week of music workshops, TUNES presents a multi-artist concert in the garden. Image from TUNES via WVBI Community Calendar
[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, the Artisan’s Market is on at the Point starting at 10:00. Also at 10:00, there’s a writer’s workshop at the library with author Steve Brown. At noon, TUNES has a Guitar & Chorded Instrument Workshop at the TUNES Studio with Brian Miller. It’ll be an interactive, hands-on learning experience designed to help participants master the fundamentals of guitar chords and their application in music. Open to all levels. Registration is required. There’s a link in the calendar online. Protar’s House will be open for tours from 1:00 to 3:00. And Saturday nights 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, take a trip back to the best of the 80s and 90s with the Mix Tape show (that’s a 120-minute TDK cassette tape for those in the know) hosted by WVBI’s Adam Pettigrew. 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 at the Christian Church at 10:00. Mass is at Holy Cross at 12:15. And the Amik Cultural Center is open 1 to 3 PM.
Looking ahead to highlights for next week…
Monday, at 9:30, summer yoga is on at the BIC Center. It’ll be a session on Basic Flow. COA has Cardio Drumming at 10:00 and Art Therapy at 11:00 at Peaine Township Hall. At 11:00, there’s Summer Therapeutic Chair Yoga at the BIC Center and over at the library, it’s the Senior Digital Café. And, don’t forget, Monday evenings are All You Can Eat Pizza and Salad night at the Beachcomber, so you can go next door to grab dinner before or after the show. |
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Those are the highlights. Find a full listing of events at calendar dot W-V-B-I dot net. |
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Today’s BIC Center Name of the Day is Foster. If that’s your name, come on down to the BIC Center today to pick out a free drink of your choice. |
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On our Birthday List: J-P Stigall, Augusta Connaghan, Kellie Gillespi, Randy Osborn and Caitlin & Connor Williams, are celebrating today. Happy Birthday to Caitlin, Kellie, Connor, Randy, Augusta and J-P, and if we missed you on the list, Happy Birthday to you too from everyone at the BIC Center and WVBI. |
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TRAFFIC: No delays inbound or outbound to the airports. The Island Beltway is running smoothly. There are no bridge delays. But, it is busy in town when the ferries arrive and there are lots of folks out hiking and biking. So, let’s be careful out there. |
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On this date in 1965, the Watts uprising begins in Los Angeles after a traffic stop escalates into a confrontation between police and residents. Six days of unrest follow, leaving 34 people dead and more than a thousand injured. The uprising becomes a major moment in the civil-rights era. And on this date in 1984, President Ronald Reagan makes one of broadcasting’s most famous microphone gaffes. During a sound check before his weekly radio address, Reagan jokes that he has signed legislation outlawing Russia and that “we begin bombing in five minutes.” The remark isn’t broadcast live, but a recording gets out and quickly becomes international news. |
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Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is pedagogical (adjective) [ped-uh-GAH-jih-kul]. It means relating to teaching, education, or the methods used to teach. For example: “The professor tried a new pedagogical approach, using hands-on projects instead of lectures.” It comes from the Greek paidagōgikos (pie-dah-GOH-gee-koss), meaning “of or for a teacher,” ultimately from paidagōgos (pie-dah-GOH-goss) — a person responsible for guiding or educating a child. A useful distinction: something educational teaches you something; something pedagogical has to do with how teaching is done. |
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Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Tuesday… |
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Here’s a thought for the day from Vincent van Gough: “For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.” |
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On a lighter note… Because the teacher said it was a piece of cake. |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Tuesday, August 11th, 2026. I’m Kevin Boyle reporting from W-V-B-I’s Langford Family Studios wishing you a great day and asking: why not go ahead and make it the best day ever? And thanks for listening. |
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WEATHER |
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[Current Condition Report, then…] |
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Today A 40 percent chance of showers before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 77 at the beach and 84 in the woods. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning. Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. North wind around 5 mph. Wednesday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 4pm and 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75/82. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 10%. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. North wind around 5 mph. Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 75/82. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Friday Sunny, with a high near 73/80. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 74/77. Saturday Night A chance of showers after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Sunday A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73/76. Sunday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 75/78. |
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Air Quality Index at 7:51 was 37. |
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Fire Danger: High |
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Out on the Big Drink…
Photo from the North Lake Michigan Buoy. Provided by the National Data Buoy Center |
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Today Variable winds 5 kt or less. A chance of showers, mainly before 8am. Waves 1 ft or less. Tonight Variable winds 5 kt or less. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 4am. Waves 1 ft or less. Wednesday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Wednesday Night Variable winds 5 kt or less. A slight chance of showers before 1am. Waves 1 ft or less. Thursday N wind 5 to 10 kt becoming WNW in the afternoon. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Thursday Night NNW wind 10 to 15 kt becoming NNE after midnight. Mostly clear. Waves around 1 ft. Friday NNE wind 5 to 10 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Friday Night N wind 5 to 10 kt becoming SE after midnight. Partly cloudy. Waves 1 ft or less. Saturday SSE wind 5 to 10 kt. Partly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water Temps: 68 at the mid-lake buoy southwest of Gull Island. 72 at Sleeping Bear and in Little Traverse Bay. 71 in the Straits. |
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Photos from webcams at wvbi.net and mackinacbridge.org |
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Coming up in our Community Calendar Report…
Coming up in the news: Islanders get a look at a proposal to bring fiber broadband to every location on Beaver Island. St. James decides what to do with the campground property being used for fiber construction. And Michigan moves to preserve nearly 4,500 acres in the Keweenaw. Those stories along with a run down of local events, birthdays, this date in hisotry and more are up after this global and national news… [Time check.] |
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Today’s featured image: At their meeting yesterday, the St. James Board considered three alternatives for restoration of the St. James Campground fiber drilling site. They selected the Basic Restoration plan shown here. The other plans were for an RV camping area and an outdoor planetarium. Drawing from St. James Township |
