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The Arranmore Pipe Band will arrive tomorrow aboard the Emerald Isle, launching this weekend’s Irish Féile. A flotilla of small boats will escort the ferry into the harbor before the band marches off the boat around 12:45. Everyone is invited to welcome them at the dock—no festival wristband will be needed. #IslandEvents
The Arranmore Pipe Band arrives on the Emerald Isle after their travels from Arranmore tomorrow at 12:45. Photo from Arranmore Pipe Band
Beaver Island will hold two September 11th remembrance events Friday. A 9:30 morning gathering will take place at the Twin Towers beam outside the St. James Fire Station. At 3:30, a memorial ceremony and celebrity currach (KUR-uck) races organized by the Currach Club will honor those lost and recognize emergency responders. That’ll be at Jewell Gillespie Beach. #IslandEvents
Michigan and tribal scientists will launch an emergency effort this fall to preserve Lake Michigan’s collapsing whitefish populations. Using more than one-million dollars in state and private funding, teams will collect spawning fish from Naubinway to Saugatuck and breed them in hatcheries. Invasive zebra and quagga mussels have devastated the food supply for young whitefish. Scientists hope preserving threatened bloodlines now could allow their descendants to eventually help repopulate the lake. #Envionment
Officials in Grand Traverse and Wexford counties are consulting lawyers over a proposed 1,800-acre solar farm. Ranger Power’s 375-megawatt Shipyard Solar project would sit mostly in Wexford Township, with part of the project and battery storage extending into Grant Township. The developer could seek approval directly from state regulators under a new law limiting local control. Residents worry about farmland loss. The dispute comes as northern Michigan communities also consider how to regulate large data centers amid concerns about their demands for land, water and electricity. #Energy
Meantime, the Traverse City Ticker reports Traverse City Light and Power customers will see a five-percent rate increase October 1st. Utility officials say it’s needed to maintain reliability, modernize the electric grid and cover rising costs. Most residential customers will pay about three-dollars-and-74-cents more per month. A new locally administered energy-assistance program will also begin October 1st. There’s no indication that the hike has anything to do with data centers or solar farms. #Energy |
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Now here’s a look at upcoming events on your Emerald Isle…
First your meeting planner…
Transportation Authority meets today at noon. At school today at 3:30, there’s a parent meeting for all students considering being involved in athletics this year. On Thursday, B-I-C-S students will meet the boat it arrives at 12:45 with visitors from Ireland for the Feile. A-A meets 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…
Wednesday, there’s Summer Restorative Yoga at 9:00 and Summer Therapeutic Chair Yoga at 11:00, and at 1:00 there is Afternoon Bingo all of those at the BIC Center up in the Hangout. At 4:00 the Amik Cultural Preservation Center will be open. And evening Pickleball remains on the calendar. That starts at 7:00 on the outdoor courts at Peaine Township Park.
Thursday, there’s Pickleball at Peaine Township Park at 9:00. There’s COA Cardio Drumming at 10:00 and Art Therapy at 11:00, both at Peaine Township Hall. 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 Weekly Bocce Ball roll is on at 4:00 on the courts at the Peaine Township Park. And, Thursday evening at 10:30, there’ll be a Dark Sky Viewing event at the Little Sand Bay Nature Preserve. Telescopes and binoculars will be on hand, but bring your own if you have them. It’s expected to be a little cool, so bring along a jacket or sweatshirt. And your red light.
Highlights for the rest of the week include…
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 Chair Strength Training up in the Hangout. The Feile main events get underway Friday with registration and info at their H-Q at Holy Cross Hall. At the BIC Center Friday, Feile events include a Singing Workshop with the Singers of the Celtic group Roane. That’s up in the hangout at 1:00. At 5;45, the Bastard Bearded Irishmen take to the BIC Center stage, playing until 7;15. Then, after a break, it’s Altan for Donegal in Ireland starting at 8:00. Music at other venues includes the Arranmore Pipe Band playing at the point at 10:30 to greet the early boat, Catriona Kennedy at the Wild Strawberry at 1:00, Danny & Friends on the Museum Patio at 2:00, the Kreellers unplugged at the Circle M at 3 and Roane unplugged at Whiskey Point Brewing. The Feile tent comes alive with music at 4:30 with Latency. The Kreellers play there at 9:30. The lineup at the Beachcomber starts at 7 with Danny and Friends, Roane at 9:00 and wraps up with a Music Session led by Catriona Kenndy and Roane at 11:00. The evening lineup at the Circle M kicks off at 8:00 with Catriona Kennedy and Enda Reilly and wraps with the Stay Happy Band starting at 10:00. Down at the Brewery, Enda Reilly plays at 5:00 and there’s a surprise Traditional Irish Music Session set for the Shamrock at 11:00. Lots of other Feile events around town, too, including a raffle for the Arranmore Life Boat with the Pipe Band at the Feile tent at 7:30. A Feile wristband is required for all events. There’s a full schedule in the calendar entry in the Community Calendar online. And, amidst all of that, Friday afternoon, the B-I-C-S soccer and volleyball squads head up to Hannahville for matches that evening and Saturday morning.
[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. At 10:30, Feile events get underway with Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the BIC Center, with the inductees lead in by the Arranmore Pipe Band. All are welcome for that event. At 12:30, the Tides That Tie podcast will record live on the BIC Center stage with guests the band Altan and the Beaver Island Irish Dancers. At 2:30, Catroina Kennedy will be up in the Hangout for an Irish Language Workshop. At 5:00, the new band Latency plays in the BIC Center Theater. It’s made up of the Island’s Hillary Palmer and Arranmore Island’s Shawn McDonough. The day wraps up at the BIC Center with the Kreellers taking the stage at 9:00. A Feile wristband is required for entry to all events except the Hall of Fame induction. And, if you get hungry amidst all that activity, don’t forget about the dining options at the Feile Food Department at the Hall, plus 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. And the Beaver Island Dark Sky Festival gets underway with a session on the Drake Equation at 5:00 out at the Beaver Island Retreat. All are welcome. What’s the Drake Equation? It’s a theory from 1961 on estimating the number of communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy.
Looking ahead to highlights for next week…
Monday, COA has Cardio Drumming at 10:00 and Art Therapy at 11:00 at Peaine Township Hall. At 11:30, the Beaver Island Soccer and volleyball squads take on Ojibwe in away action. Dake Sky Festival events continue at 2:00 with a Solar Telescope viewing at the Retreat. At 5:00 at the retreat there’s a session o Light Pollution basics. Learn about the impact of unneeded light in our night skies. At 6:00, the Episcopal Mission has a book study on the book forgiveness. That’s at the Print Shop Museum. And evening Dark Sky events include a session at 7:00 on Green Laser Stargazing, and at 10:00 the scopes come up far an evening of telescope viewing…both of those activities at the retreat. And, don’t forget, Monday evenings are All You Can Eat Pizza and Salad night at the Beachcomber, |
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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 Edith. 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: Joe Timsak, Sue Howard, Theresa Mooney, Matt Siller and Sally Schild and are celebrating today. Happy Birthday to Sally, Theresa, Sue, Matt and Joe, 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 1776, America officially becomes the United States. Two months after approving the Declaration of Independence, the Second Continental Congress orders that “United Colonies” be replaced with “United States” in all continental commissions and other official documents. The change gives the newly independent nation the name it still carries 250 years later. The original flag of the United States, the “Grand Union Flag,” incorporated a rendition of the Union Flag from Great Britain. It lasted about a year until it was replaced with the “Betsy Ross Flag” that substituted a circle of 13 white stars in a field of blue for the Union Jack. Image from Wikipedia Commons |
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Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is stigma [STIG-muh], a noun meaning a set of negative and often unfair beliefs associated with a person, condition or circumstance. For example: Advocates are working to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental-health treatment. The word’s roots are connected to tattooing and branding, but today a stigma is usually a figurative mark of shame or disapproval. |
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Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Wednesday… |
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Here’s a thought for the day attributed to Betsy Ross when George Washington and others asked her if she could make a flag with 13 stars in a field of blue with 13 red and white stripes: “I do not know, but I will try.” |
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On a lighter note… |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Wednesday, September 9th, 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 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 8am. Cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 73 at the beach and 77 inland. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 68/69. Northwest wind around 10 mph. Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable. Friday Sunny, with a high near 74/75. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Saturday A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 71/75. Breezy. Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Sunday Partly sunny, with a high near 69/71. Sunday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Monday Showers likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 71/74. Monday Night Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Breezy. Tuesday Showers likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 68/71. Breezy. |
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Air Quality Index at 6:48 was 58. |
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Fire Danger: Moderate |
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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 WSW wind 15 to 20 kt, with gusts as high as 30 kt. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am, then a slight chance of showers between 7am and 10am. Waves 3 to 4 ft. Thursday WNW wind around 10 kt. Sunny. Waves around 1 ft. Friday SW wind 10 to 15 kt, with gusts as high as 25 kt. Sunny. Waves 1 to 2 ft. Saturday S wind 10 to 20 kt becoming WSW in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 kt. A chance of showers. Waves 2 to 3 ft. Sunday NW wind 5 to 10 kt. Partly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water Temps: 70 at the mid-lake buoy southwest of Gull Island, at Sleeping Bear and in Little Traverse Bay. 68 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…
Beaver Island prepares to welcome the Arranmore Pipe Band. The Island will pause Friday to remember September 11th. And scientists launch an emergency effort to save Lake Michigan whitefish. Plus, local officials seek legal help over a massive solar project—and Traverse City electric rates are going up.
Those stories along with more local news, a run down of local events, birthdays, this date in history and more are up after this global and national news… [Time check.] |
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Today’s featured image: The Arranmore Pipe Band arrives on the Emerald Isle after their travels from Arranmore tomorrow at 12:45. Photo from Arranmore Pipe Band |
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