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Nearly a dozen wineries on Old Mission Peninsula won a landmark case this week, with a federal judge awarding them nearly 50 million dollars. The years-long lawsuit challenged Peninsula Township’s zoning rules that limited events and forced wineries to buy grapes locally. Judge Paul Maloney called those rules unconstitutional, saying they burdened wineries and risked driving farmland into housing. Damages ranged up to 12 million dollars for some. The township had already scrapped the disputed ordinance, but is weighing an appeal. Winery owners say the ruling lets them finally plan events that support local farms and community life. Housing North has launched a new online tool to help ease northern Michigan’s housing crunch. The Traverse City nonprofit calls it the Housing Exchange, aimed at connecting people looking for a place to live with those who have rentals. They say it could be anything from someone renting a garage apartment to homeowners sharing space and that while it will not solve the region’s affordable housing issues, it can provide some interim help. A reminder that the Beaver Island Transportation Authority will give Islanders a detailed briefing on new ferry options this evening. The session will be in the auditorium out at the C-M-U Biological Station starting at 5 p.m. This isn’t a meeting to make a choice on the next boat; instead it’s an opportunity to learn about the selection process, see some options on the table at this point, and provide some input on the process and choice. Consultants from Synergist Mobility Accelerator will be there to present their findings on one next-generation vessel option, followed by a panel discussion with BITA, local ferry operator BIBCO, and other community stakeholders. M-Hull option concept for a new ferry. Image from BITA Tunes Music Makers has piano and guitar planned lessons planned for the fall. Sign-up deadline is August 15th for lesson starting on September 8th. Scholarships are available. Heidi Bearss will teach piano while Paul Lamb guides the guitars. Tunes is looking for a vocal instructor so voice can be added to its lessons. There’s more info at tunes music makers dot org. The Queen of Hearts is still hiding at the Elks Lodge. The draw on Saturday by Mary Palmer was the two of hearts. The pot is now over 14-thousand dollars.
Elks game board. Photo from Beaver Island Forum post by Marie LaFreniere |
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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 at 6:00 at the Christian Church. St. James Township Board meets Wednesday at 5:30. On the fun front today… 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. 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. 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. At 7:00, there’s BINGO at the Gregg Fellowship Center. Doors open at 6:15 for fellowship. Highlights for the rest of the week include… Thursday, the Trails Association has a trail maintenance day planned. Meet at the BIC Center with your tools, bug spray and gloves. 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. At 5:00 the BIC Center will host another National Security Seminar with Tom Ehrhard and John Manza. At 7:30, artist Paddy Aidan will have a presentation at the library. She works in oil, charcoal and graphite to create works related to weather, natural places and movement of air. She’ll talk about here approach and show some works she has created while on Beaver Island. It’s Burger and a Beer Night at the Shamrock. Friday, 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. [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. At the BIC Center, the Celebrate Good Times season continues with Jennifer Westwood with Dylan Dunbar and their band. The music will range from Texas blues to Stax and sounds from Muscle Shoals-era artists all with ties to the sounds of Appalachia. Jennifer and Dylan along with a band of A-listers and underdogs from Detroit bars to the Grammy stage have built a family of fans from New York to Texas and soon here mon the Island. 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. Monday evening is all you can eat pizza night at the Beachcomber. Monday afternoon, the BIC Center will host a Community Forum on Marine Energy, energy from waves and how it might be possible to capture that in our waters all part of a collaboration between the University of Michigan, East Carolina University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Virginia Tech’s VTechWorks. |
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NAME OF DAY: The BIC Center Name of the Day is Ginger. If that’s your name, come on into the BIC Center today to pick out a free drink of your choice. BIRTHDAYS: Sheri Timsak, Terry Mooney, Kris Bontrager, Stacy Golden, Henrick Perdue and Bo Perdue are on our list today. Happy Birthday to Stacy, Kris, Terry, Sheri, Bo and Henrick 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. Still, let’s be careful out there. |
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On this day in 1850 James Jesse Strang is crowned King James of Beaver Island. Strang had come to the Island as a break-off leader of a group of Mormons who followed him into Wisconsin rather than go west with Brigham Young. He went on to be tried for treason, but acquitted. Then he was elected to the Michigan legislature, increasing his control of the region. Eventually his autocratic rule, unconventional religious beliefs and polygamous marriages caught up with him and he was shot by two disaffected followers who then fled the Island with the aid of the Coast Guard. He died from his wounds three weeks later. His followers were rounded up, stripped of nearly all their possessions, and shipped off Beaver Island to various Great Lakes ports. And so ended the reign of America’s only coronated King.
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Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is exemplary (adjective) [ig-ZEM-pluh-re] which means something that is extremely good and deserves to be admired and copied. Like a few other English words beginning with ex—such as exceptional and extraordinary—exemplary describes that which is a cut above the rest. But though exemplary, which comes from the Latin noun exemplum (“example”), describes something “excellent,” it almost always carries the further suggestion that the thing described is an excellent model to follow. |
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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 Jesse James: “Success is not measured by the riches you acquire, but by the challenges you conquer.” |
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On a lighter note… Here’s another thought from Jesse James: “I can run faster mad than you can scared.” |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Tuesday, July 8th, 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 Isolated showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 70 near the shore, 76 inland. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Tonight Scattered showers, mainly before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Wednesday Isolated showers before 11am. Partly sunny, with a steady temperature around 64 shoreside, 70 inland. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 75 at the beach, 82 in the woods. North wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 78 by the beaches, 85 inland. Friday Night A chance of showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Saturday A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77 near the shore and 85 inland. Saturday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 76 on the beach and 85 inland. Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Monday Sunny, with a high near 77 at the shore and 85 inland. |
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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. A chance of showers, mainly after 4pm. Waves 1 ft or less. Wednesday NNW wind 5 to 10 kt. Partly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Thursday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water Temperature: It’s 65 in Little Traverse Bay. The North Lake Michigan buoy southwest of Gull is reporting 61 with flat 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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🍇 Nearly a dozen wineries on Old Mission Peninsula just won a huge federal case, scoring close to $50 million after a judge ruled township rules grape buying were unconstitutional. Maybe pay attention to the commerce clause next time? 🏠 Meanwhile, a new online Housing Exchange from Housing North aims to connect renters with available spaces to help ease the region’s housing crunch. 🚢 And on Beaver Island, Islanders get a close look tonight at new ferry options—no decisions yet, but your input matters. 🎹 Plus, Tunes Music Makers is signing up for fall piano and guitar lessons (scholarships available!), and the Elks Lodge Queen of Hearts jackpot is now over $14,000. |
