WVBI

From studios in the BIC Center on America’s Emerald Isle, this is the WVBI Community Calendar for Wednesday, January 13^th, 2021. 

First, some news…

Enbridge Energy told Michigan officials yesterday that the company will not comply with the state’s shutdown order. Enbridge says it is operating the pipeline safely and that the State’s order is invalid. While the State and Enbridge have gone to court over the issue, the company’s open statement that it will defy the shutdown order is extraordinary.  The dispute over continued operation of the existing pipeline is as separate regulatory issue from pending applications to construct a tunnel under the straits to house a replacement pipeline. The state says operation of the line must end in May.

MLive is reporting this morning that Governor Whitmer will extend the state’s current shutdown order prohibiting inside service and bars and restaurants through February 1st. They’ve been shut since November 18. After the 1^st, they’d be subject to a 10 p.m. curfew.  According to the Michigan’s restaurant trade group, Michigan is one of three states remaining with a statewide shutdown order and has had the most days of statewide restaurant dining closure of any state—while at the same time refusing to prioritize vaccination of hospitality industry employees.  All of the metrics the state says it will rely on in considering and extension have declined—without the post-holiday surge after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays that many had forecast.

Meantime, the state continues to lag behind in vaccine distribution.  Michigan has administered just 233,085 of the 829,200 COVID-19 vaccine doses distributed throughout the state during the first four weeks of vaccine availability—this after having more than nine months to prepare.  Despite problems on the mainland, the island is making good progress.  So far, 24 frontline folks—health workers and first responders– have been vaccinated. Another 150 vaccinations are set for the 19^th for additional front line workers as well as teachers and other essential workers. Health Center Director Tammy Radionoff says there is another clinic planned for the end of the month. It depends on how many doses are in the next batch, but we could very soon be to the point where nearly half the island’s winter population is vaccinated. 

New COVID-19 data from the state continues to look good.  There were 1,994 new cases statewide yesterday and 50 new deaths—along with another 50 deaths reclassified from prior dates.  The seven-day running average for new cases is down about 300 to 2,411.  For deaths it is 86—that number still being driven high by reclassifications that vastly outnumber new deaths. In the eight-county region we’ve followed from the start, there were 30 new cases and no new deaths. Charlevoix had four of the new cases. Seven were in Grand Traverse. Averages for the region are 57 new cases and one death a day.

Statewide there are now 115,317 active cases—down again this time by about 4,000.  Our region has 2,038—down again by just about 100. 

Last reported average positivity rate statewide is at 9.1% down a bit.  It is steady in our safe start zone, but still high at 10.3%.  The rate in Charlevoix county is 2.9%–where it has been hovering for almost a week after being higher for some time. The C-D-C target is 3%.  No update in the statewide and safe start zone hospital occupancy reports, but the last ones looked good.  Locally, there is one COVID-19 patient at Munson Charlevoix in a regular bed and there are ten at McLaren in Petoskey—all in their I-C-U. 

On the island, no testing update.  They have one test pending. No new positives since December 7^th—so we are now at the point where—according to the state’s standards, there are no known active cases on the island.

Complete data for our region plus summaries for the state, the T-C safe start zone and the U-P are in today’s script online.

Data from January 12, 2021

In other local news, the Transportation Authority board and Peaine Township board met last evening.  We’ll have reports on those meetings tomorrow.

Now, a look at what’s happening on your island… 

Here’s the meeting planner for the rest of the week: St. James Township board meets this evening at 5:30. All of the meetings will be virtual.  Details on the meetings and info on how to attend are in the calendar entries online.

Resale shop will be open Thursday and Friday from noon to 4 each day.

The Community Center is open this week from 1 to 3 through Friday as the staff continues renovation work in the Hangout. That work is going to continue into next week, so the schedule will remain the same. Given that, no movies this weekend. The current plan is to start them up again next weekend with Incredibles 2 at 4 and The New Mutants at 7.  Whether there can be concessions for them will depend on actions from the state.  You can check out the schedule for the rest of the month online at Bic Center dot org.  It’s also in today’s script.

Keep up to date on COVID-19 news with the W-V-B-I COVID-19 info page. Click COVID-19 Info in the menu at W-V-B-I dot net.

Weather, here there and everywhere – presented every day with the support of Hogarth’s Pest Control:

Today

Partly sunny, with a high near 35. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night

Snow showers likely, mainly after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 30. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Friday

A chance of snow showers before 11am, then a chance of rain and snow showers between 11am and 5pm, then a chance of snow showers after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Friday Night

A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Saturday

Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday Night

Scattered snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 22.

Sunday

Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28.

Sunday Night

Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20.

M.L.King Day

Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28.

Monday Night

Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20.

Tuesday

Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29.

TRAFFIC: None, Nada, Zip. But, roads are snow covered and slick, so  let’s be careful out there. 

BIRTHDAYS:  Leaha Cary is celebrating today. Happy birthday to Leaha and, if we missed you on that list, happy birthday to you, too, from all of us at WVBI and your Beaver Island Community Center. 

ON THIS DAY in 1910 the Radio Telephone Company transmits live performances of Enrico Caruso performing opera arias at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House. Radio receivers on ships in New York harbor, in hotels, and elsewhere throughout New York allow the public to hear the world’s first public wireless broadcast.  Also on this date in 1910 experts began predicting the demise of radio. (Bing.com)

WORD OF THE DAY: rapport (noun) [ra-POR], which means: a friendly, harmonious relationship; especially : a relationship characterized by agreement, mutual understanding, or empathy that makes communication possible or easy.  The word rapport bears a resemblance to a more common English word, report, which is no coincidence: both words come ultimately from the Latin verb portare, meaning “to carry,” and both traveled through French words meaning “to bring back” on their way to English. Report has been in use since the 14th century, when it entered Middle English by way of Anglo-French, the French language as it was spoken in medieval England. Rapport was first used in the mid-15th century as a synonym of report in its “an account or statement” meaning, but that meaning had become obsolete by the mid-19th century. (Merriam-Webster)

Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Wednesday…

Here’s a thought for the day: “If you make listening and observation your occupation, you will gain much more than you can by talk.”

On a lighter note:  Which Jedi always got his brother’s hand-me-downs?  Obi Two Kenobi.

That’s the Community Calendar for this Beaver Island Wednesday, January 13^th, 2021. 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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From studios in the BIC Center on America’s Emerald Isle, this is the WVBI Community Calendar for Monday, January 11^th, 2021. 

First, some news…

The second group of folks eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine can now sign up for a time to receive. That group includes those over 65 and teachers—and additional essential workers.  On the island, you can sign up by calling across to the health department. Details on how to do that are in today’s script and in a post on the W-V-B-I COVID-19 Info Page.  If you tried to follow those procedures over the weekend and didn’t get anywhere, you weren’t alone.  Lots of folks had the impression the process was automated and would work any time.  The Health Center says that you can only call in during the health department’s regular hours.

New COVID-19 data from the state continues to look good.  There were 2,706 new cases statewide for the two day period covered by the last report and 16 new deaths.  That’s 1,353 and 8 a day respectively.  There were also 207 reclassified deaths in the report.  The seven-day running average for new cases is down to 2,423.  For deaths it is up to 101—that number still being driven high by reclassifications that vastly outnumber new deaths. In the eight-county region we’ve followed from the start, there were 50 new cases and one new death. Charlevoix had one of the new cases. 27 were in Grand Traverse, and that was the location of the single death as well. Averages for the region are 52 new cases and one death a day.

Statewide there are now 124,046 active cases—down again this time by about 3,200.  Our region has 2,233—down by just over 100. 

Last reported average positivity rate statewide is pretty much steady at  9.9% and it is up again by almost half a point to 9.4% for our safe start zone.  The rate in Charlevoix county is at 2.6%. The C-D-C target is 3%.  Statewide and our safe start zone hospital occupancy reports continue to look good—no material change from yesterday. Locally, there are no COVID-19 patients at Munson Charlevoix and eight at McLaren in Petoskey—all in their I-C-U. 

On the island, the Health Center reports two test results back as negative.  They have one test pending. No new positives since December 7^th—so we are now at the point where—according to the state’s standards, there are no known active cases on the island.

Complete data for our region plus summaries for the state, the T-C safe start zone and the U-P are in today’s script online.

Data from January 9, 2021

Now, a look at what’s happening on your island… 

Here’s a planner for the week: School Board meets Monday evening at 7. On Tuesday, the Transportation Authority meets at noon.  Peaine Township Planning Commission has a meeting set for 5:00 and the Peaine Township Board is set to meet at 7. St. James Township board meets Wednesday evening at 5:30. All of the meetings will be virtual.  Details on the meetings and info on how to attend are in the calendar entries online.

Resale shop will be open Thursday and Friday from noon to 4 each day.

The Community Center is open this week from 1 to 3 through Friday as the staff continues renovation work in the Hangout. That work is going to continue into next week, so the schedule will remain the same. Given that, no movies this weekend. The current plan is to start them up again next weekend with Incredibles 2 at 4 and The New Mutants at 7.  Whether there can be concessions for them will depend on actions from the state.  You can check out the schedule for the rest of the month online at Bic Center dot org.  It’s also in today’s script.

Keep up to date on COVID-19 news with the W-V-B-I COVID-19 info page. Click COVID-19 Info in the menu at W-V-B-I dot net.

Weather, here there and everywhere – presented every day with the support of Hogarth’s Pest Control:

Today

A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly between 10am and 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tonight

A 20 percent chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 27. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday

Cloudy, with a high near 35. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. West wind 10 to 15 mph.

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Thursday

A 30 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 37.

Thursday Night

A chance of snow showers after 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 27.

Friday

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 33.

Friday Night

A chance of snow showers before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 23.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28.

TRAFFIC: None, Nada, Zip. But, roads are snow covered and slick, so  let’s be careful out there. 

BIRTHDAYS:  My daughter Erin Boyle is celebrating today. Happy birthday Pumpkin and, if we missed you on that list, happy birthday to you, too, from all of us at WVBI and your Beaver Island Community Center. 

ON THIS DAY in 1964 Surgeon General reports risks of cigarette smoking. In a publication that will spur the first major anti-smoking campaign in US history, Dr. Luther Terry reports that smoking tobacco is implicated in hazardous health outcomes, including cancer. (Bing.com)

WORD OF THE DAY: mimesis (noun) [muh-MEE-sis], which means: imitation, mimicry. Mimesis is a term with an undeniably classical pedigree. Originally a Greek word, it has been used in aesthetic or artistic theory to refer to the attempt to imitate or reproduce reality since Plato and Aristotle. Mimesis is derived from the Greek verb mimeisthai, which means “to imitate” and which itself comes from mimos, meaning “mime.” The English word mime also descends from mimos, as do mimic and mimicry. And what about mimeograph, the name of the duplicating machine that preceded the photocopier? We can’t be absolutely certain what the folks at the A. B. Dick Company had in mind when they came up with Mimeograph (a trademark name that has since expired), but influence from mimos and its descendants certainly seems probable. (Merriam-Webster)

Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Monday…

Here’s a thought for the day from Elvis Presley: “It’s hard to fail, but worse never to have tried to succeed.”

On a lighter note: Why don’t oysters share their pearls?  Their shellfish.

That’s the Community Calendar for this Beaver Island Monday, January 11^th, 2021. 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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