by Sandy Planisek Mackinaw News Events in Mackinaw City
WEEKLY Low Impact Exercise - MWF 8am St. Anthony’s Senior Chair Yoga - Tuesday 10 am Church of the Straits Food Pantry - Wednesday 10 am - 11 am Church of the Straits Pickleball - Sunday and Wednesday 6 pm; Monday thru Friday 9:30 am (subject to change) or anytime you bring a friend
March 19 Tuesday • Band concert, school gym, 7pm
March 20 Wednesday • Memorial Parade Fundraising Dinner, Audie’s, 4 - 7 pm • Waterbird counter begins at McGulpin
March 27 Wednesday • Painting at Headlands, 7-9pm
March 30 Saturday • Native American Sugar Bush, Levering, 10am-4pm
April 3 Wednesday • Author of Murder Under a Dark Sky, library, 7pm
April 4 - 7 Thursday thru Sunday • Roller-derby Tournament, Recreation Center
April 5 - 9 Friday thru Tuesday • Raptor Fest
April 9 Tuesday • First and second grade basketball game, school gym, 6pm (donation for camping trip)
April 13 Saturday • Straits Area Job Fair, Recreation Center, 11 am - 1 pm
April 15 Monday • The Mackinac Bridge: Then and Now - Kim Nowack speaking at the Historical Society, library, 7pm, HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Card from the collection of Nancy Dean March 17, 2019 page 1 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek Dark Sky Docent Correction: Persons interested in participating in the Headlands Dark Sky Park docent program should contact Rod Cortright of the Northern Michigan Astronomy Club at (231) 675-0393 or by email at [email protected]
Author to Speak at Library
Wednesday, April 3, 7pm
Lori Rader-Day is the Edgar Award-nominated and Anthony and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author. She co- chairs the mystery conference Murder and Mayhem in Chicago and serves as the national vice-president of Sisters in Crime. Under a Dark Sky is the story of Eden Wallace, a recent widow who gets caught up in an Agatha Christie-like murder mystery while on a trip to a Dark Sky Park arranged by her husband before his death. The inspiration for the novel’s setting is sure to be familiar to local readers – but there will be more about that in the program.
March 17, 2019 page 2 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
School Band Concert
Tuesday, March 19, school gym, 7pm
Join us Tuesday, March 19th at 7pm in the Mackinaw City school gym for the March band concert! We will be featuring our middle school band, high school band, and some solo and ensemble acts. It is free to attend this musical event, but donations are always accepted. Our
students have been working hard to prepare for Katie Anderson the concert, and we hope to see you there!
Headlands Hosting ‘Painting at the Park’ Event
Wednesday, March 27, 7-9pm
Emmet County Parks and Recreation will host another educational event, Painting at the Park, later this month at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park. The staff at Cheboygan-based Creation Station will guide class participants through painting the Northern Lights for an evening class Wednesday, March 27, from 7-9 p.m.
The event is $35 per person and includes all materials, step-by-step instructions as well as refreshments. No painting experience necessary. Leonard Laub
Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Sign up now at www.creationstationmi.com/classes or call (231) 268- 3059. Payment is due at time of reservation to guarantee your seat. Credit card payments are accepted by phone and online.
Village Hall News
It is quiet at Village Hall. The e-team met to further discuss the idea of a community room or teen room at the Recreation Center.
The Recreation Center was busy with pickleball. They invite you to come at 9:30 am weekdays to play. It is open to all and it is pick-up style. page 2 March 17, 2019 page 3 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
AP Computer Science class wins award for diversity
by Lisa Rivera Our district was just notified this week that we have earned the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for 2018. The College Board strives to increase diversity in computer science, and we were recognized for this achievement. Last year there were more that 18,000 secondary schools worldwide that offered AP courses. Mackinaw City was one of only 685 that achieved this recognition!
The College Board recognized schools that had 50% or higher female representation. Only sixteen schools in Michigan were recognized for this accomplishment, and the only other school from northern Michigan was Kalkaska High School. Mackinaw City had female enrollment of 65% last year in AP Computer Science.
The College Board is a national organization that administers the SAT exam and AP exams, among other things. They are a non-profit organization focused on helping students successfully transition from high school to college through testing for college entrance and potentially earning college credits in high school.
Third graders learn Native American history from Keith Knecht Native American history is now part of the 3rd grade curriculum so Pellston schools joined Mackinaw to hear from an expert. The goal of the program was to reinforce the students’ classroom learning, let the students see reproductions of Indian possessions, and to dispel any misconceptions. For instance, our tribes did not have horses and did not build teepees. It was a question and answer interaction with Keith asking things like, “How did Indians travel, catch food, and build shelters. And did these answers differ during the different seasons? “
Congratulations All-Conference Basketball Players Girls 1st Team -Kameryn Hartman and Madison Smith Girls 2nd Team - Samantha Somers Boys 1st Team - Logan Smith and Kale O’Brien Boys 2nd Team - Robert Martin and Hunter Malczynski Keith Knecht
March 17, 2019 page 4 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek Science Research on the Mackinac Bridge
Piezoelectricity is an electric charge produced when a material is squeezed or stressed. Can that concept be used in the real world to monitor stresses on the steel of the Mackinac Bridge?
That is the question under investigation by MSU scientists. The physics involved was demonstrated by the Curie brothers in 1880. But using the physics in actual practice has involved overcoming numerous real world problems. Sensors, to pick up and transmit the electrical charge, have to be small, easily The PFG sensor costs $10 installed, cheap, dependable, low maintenance, and produce not just reams of data but actual, usable, illuminating information. The MSU scientists think they have the solution to all of these problems. They, working with PFG Technologies, have developed a tiny, cheap sensor. Once adhered to a beam of the bridge, it will measure the movement of the steel under the sensor’s surface. This data is sent to a sensor box to be picked up wirelessly by a computer. Then the data can be turned into actionable information.
Fifteen of these sensors were installed on the bridge 2-1/2 years ago. MSU presented their results at the March MBA Board meeting. In one clever graph they showed how the stresses on the bridge changed during the Labor Day Bridge Walk (see below). While eye catching, the graph did not tell the MBA staff anything they did not already know. Stress on the bridge changes during Bridge Walk.
The researchers plan to install 200 more sensors this summer. MBA staff want to set up a controlled experiment, put half of the sensors in areas with problems and half in areas without to see if useful data can be revealed.
Three sensors, embedded in the white wafers, attached to the bridge
The sensor box that stores and transmits the data
Photos from MSU page 4 March 17, 2019 page 5 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
Does this mean the initial experiment was a success? That depends. The MSU researchers seemed very enthused and hope to install 200 sensors this summer and 2,000 sensors in 2020. However, several of the initial criteria may not have been met.
Size - The scientists hypothesized how the sensors could have worked in the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis a few years ago with this slide. Notice that on this gusset plate they show 420 sensors, one every inch or so, and they do not show the sensor boxes required. With three sensors to one sensor box that means someone would have to find a place to put 140 sensor boxes for just this one gusset. Because each sensor monitors such a small section of the bridge, millions would be needed for the Mackinac Bridge.
Easily installed - The brand new paint job on the bridge was removed to install the sensors. To install them to the density suggested, a large portion of the paint job would have to be repaired to high standards.
Cheap - At $10 each, certainly 2,000 would be affordable. But to be useful they would have to cover the entire bridge. That would be millions of sensors. Probably not affordable.
Dependable - One of the merits of this system is that most of its required energy is generated by the movement of the bridge. MSU claimed that no batteries would be needed. But their slides show a battery in each sensor box, albeit, a battery with a 40-year life. The other modules of the system are given a 25-year life. If the projections are true, the sensors could be dependable if they live up to their life span projections.
Low maintenance - The sensor boxes would not only add weight to the bridge, but they would collect dirt and salt that would have to be cleaned. Also, the data reader has to be within 100 meters of the transmitter. To use a computer to collect the data, a boat, the collection vehicle they suggested, would have to be sent out routinely.
Useful information - The information presented was graphs of micro-strains. To be useful, it is imperative to know the orientation of the sensor in order to know the direction of any stress recorded. With millions of these it would be a lot of data. To be useful, the frequency of data collection would need to be more often than once every million vehicles the researchers suggested. But most importantly, a correlation between data anomalies and simultaneous real events, like the passing of a huge truck of known weight, would have to be established. Is that even possible?
So, the conclusion is that it is nice that MBA and MSU are working on this project and that useful scientific information is being generated. Yet, there are many, many hurdles to be overcome before remote monitoring could ever replace the team of humans inspecting the bridge constantly.
Sensor box - From the photos it appears that the sensor box is about 1 by 2 inches in size March 17, 2019 page 6 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek 25 YEARS AGO Mackinaw 25 years ago March 1994
It was time for village council to approve summer events that included an 18th Century Trade Fair and a visit by Smokey Bear to the Bridge Walk. The U.S. Forest Service informed us not to call him Smokey THE Bear; he is simply Smokey Bear.
Winter Activities As the cold weather continued, the water and sewer department had thawed 23 properties at a cost of $11,000, far less than the $32,000 to keep St. Ignace’s water flowing and the $500,000 for Sault Ste. Marie.
The winter opening of the fort in February brought 499 visitors. Reenactors of the King’s 8th Royal Regiment slept in the guard house. They could only get the room up to 45 degrees during the dog-sledding Mush when the outside was minus 22º; but once the outside went up to 30º the inside went up to 80º.
Village Hall News Village Hall was busy. The election results were in. Trustees Mike Arnold and Jim Carman replaced Bill Bertchinger and Kelly Alexander on village council. Paul Desy remained village president. Proposition A won both locally and statewide.
Land issues were on the agenda. The council was preparing to sell the old airport for development (now the golf course south of town).
The use of four acres of land south of the cemetery for low to medium income housing received a resounded rejection by the public at a public hearing. The
public was opposed to the family units, not the elderly units. The manager of Wawatam Apartments was opposed because his apartments brought problem families to town. Other concerns were that the Central Ave. location was prime development property that could be put to more valuable use; and the property was too far from downtown for residents to walk. The developer responded to the rejection saying this was a typical “not in my backyard.” In response, Judge Hathaway then asked to buy part of this parcel for a golf course. He would not pay for an appraisal. Council concluded that this land should not be sold at all. page 6 March 17, 2019 page 7 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
The village council received its environmental report on the railroad lands south of Central Ave. The report was that the environmental firm could not conclude anything without an additional $25-35,000 of test borings. In the days of active railroad use, fill dirt was brought in especially around the railroad dock. Understanding the contaminants in that fill would require more work. Village council wondered how Shepler’s could park boats around the depot but the village could not pave the area and park cars. The engineers noted that paving required a different type of state permit than parking boats in an old field.
Miscellaneous Emmet County’s Elisa Seltzer presented a recycling ordinance. If the village would pass the ordinance, the county would provide recycling bins usable by Mackinaw residents of both counties. The ordinance was passed. The sign ordinance was voted into effect. Mackinaw was designated a Tree City and six signs were ordered to note this designation. The village got notice that the Icebreaker Mackinaw would be decommissioned soon. Would the village be interested in acquiring the ship for a tourist attraction? A sewer line extension out W. Etherington and Lakeside received a grant of $410,000. But it came with the unexpected requirement that an archaeologist be on-site for the duration of the construction, adding to the project cost. If sensitive areas were exposed, an archaeological excavation might be required.
A New Zamboni for Mackinaw City
The power of voluntarism and a common interest in hockey linked the Mackinaw City Hockey Association with what was thought to be the oldest Zamboni in the US. Housed in a 1949 WWII jeep chassis, the 1956 Zamboni was donated to the local club in October of 1991 by Milford, Connecticut. Mike Fornes, hockey association president, was informed of the machine by phone and immediately flew out, rented a U-Haul and brought it back.
Before the Zamboni, the hockey club made ice by using a fire hose on the outdoor rink as soon as the weather was cold. They flooded and smoothed the ice until the volunteers dropped from exhaustion. It took 10-12 volunteers up to 2-6 hours, three times a week to maintain the base. There was no touch-up for an entire weekend of hockey. The ice became very rough. A Zamboni would allow between game touch-ups.
Eric Bancroft had no idea what a Zamboni was when it arrived, but being a mechanic he volunteered to repair it if he could. After about 8 weeks, he got the machine into condition. But in 1994 wear and tear was beginning to require replacement parts that were nearly impossible to find.
Mike Fornes, in the meantime, found a 1986 Zamboni in Texas for $8,500. With a request for financial aid, the village council, in 1994, agreed to loan the money to the Hockey Association, to be repaid by hockey volunteers servicing the laundry in the marina for four or five years. All the laundry funds repaid the loan.
Mike Corso and kids displayed the Zamboni in the Memorial Day R.J. (Bubba) Thompson on the Zamboni Dave Paquet, Bill Peppler, and Roy Cole working Parade on the ice that was outdoors at that time March 17, 2019 page 8 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
Wyld Life Club
Vicki Wagonis-Bryers and husband Steve, moved full-time to the Mackinaw area over a year ago. Both were recently retired from engineering jobs with the Federal Aviation Administration, Vicki as an engineer specializing in radar and computer systems, and as a manager in the technical side of air traffic, Steve in navigation systems. Retired - now what?
Steve and Vicki are both avid runners and Steve plays hockey. Vicki is a high- energy, athletic person who has run many marathons, completed a Half Ironman triathlon , presently into CrossFit and was looking for a way to contribute when the Church of the Straits was advertising a part-time job as Youth Director. Vicki got the job and has been working to get to know Mackinaw’s youth and their parents.
Her first impression was how companionable students of all ages are with each other. She noted that downstate high school students seldom speak to middle school students. Here, friendship is the norm. Second, she noticed a sparsity of social opportunities for middle school students.
As youth director she is working with the national organization, Young Life, to start an interdenominational youth program that emphasizes a safe place for students in grades 5 - 9 to meet, play games, listen to music, burn off extra energy, hear about spirituality, and feel loved. The group will have a place in the upstairs room of the Recreation Center and a place in one of the Church of the Straits’ lower classrooms. The group will be named the Mackinaw Straits Wyld Life Club.
The first meeting will be March 20th from 6 -7 pm at the Recreation Center. The next meeting will be March 27th and then every other week until summer when it will meet once a month. Of course flexibility is the key, responding to student interests and needs may change these plans.
Vicki worked for the FAA for 35 years, mostly at O’Hare and then at Metro Airport in Detroit. Her husband was born and raised in the Soo, where his father still lives, and owned a house on US-23 for 30 years so it was natural to them to retire here. Vicki is busy meeting people. She is at the school sports and music events, ran part of vacation bible school, and teaches Sunday school.
Since she got the job she has taken training from the Youth Life program. She plans to follow their philosophy, but Mackinaw is probably not big enough to be an actual member of the organization. She has been mentored by a Youth Life leader in Traverse City and has visited the programs in Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Her goals are to build a successful middle school program that could be expanded to high school next year. Maybe in the future it could even partner with Cheboygan and Pellston, cities that do not have programs. She has started to assemble a board of directors for the program and a list of potential volunteers. If you are interested, contact her through the Church of the Straits or at cosmackcity. [email protected]
Shepler’s new boat
Chris Shepler gave an update on the next Shepler’s boat to be built. Moran Iron Works will begin laying the keel soon. However, the Washington paperwork backlog from the shutdown means that the construction plans, which have to be approved by the Coast Guard before construction can begin, have been held up. As soon as permits arrive work will begin. page 8 March 17, 2019 page 9 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek One afternoon at the Recreation Center
COME OUT
Try a game at the Rec Center Pickleball HAVE A BALL Golf Basketball Softball Shuffleboard Ping Pong Billiards Air hockey
Call village hall to buy a pass 436-5351
March 17, 2019 page 10 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek Emmet County EMS 2019 Assure Membership Drive Underway
Residents living in Emmet County and Mackinaw Township should soon be receiving, or have received, a brochure in the mail on Emmet County Emergency Management Services’ Assure program.
Each year, the county EMS offers membership in the Assure program for those in its service area. Some benefits of Assure membership include no out-of-pocket expense for medically-necessary ambulance service to the nearest facility as well as basic and advanced life support services while in transit, according to Emmet County.
For an annual fee, members know that the entire cost of ambulance services is covered, after insurance or if one has no insurance. Cost of annual membership is $55 for an individual and $65 for a family or couple. Those participating in the Assure program last year will receive $5 off for renewing a membership. Membership in the Assure program is not a replacement for insurance. It is intended only to cover the cost of ambulance service not covered by a person’s insurance, Medicare or for those without insurance. Persons receiving Medicaid are not eligible.
Emmet County EMS has a highly-qualified group of paramedics, including eight persons on staff who are certified in critical care emergency medical transport services able to handle the most serious situations. Three of the eight just completed training in Critical Care in a program from University of Maryland that was offered through North Central Michigan College. The 100 hours of intense instruction trained the paramedics in providing care for patients in critical situations overwhelmingly focused on problems related to the heart and lungs, including training in the utilization of a mechanical ventilator, mechanical cardiac monitor, intra-aortic balloon pump, ventricular assist devices and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Contact the Emmet County EMS billing department at (231) 776-1002 to confirm eligibility. If you do not receive a membership form in the mail within the next two weeks, the form can also be downloaded online at emmetcountyems.org/ membership/. Emmet County
Mikayla Thorman, Michelle Hitner, and Dave Davis with their Critical Care certificates page 10 March 17, 2019 page 11 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
Signs of Spring
The DPW crew are busy chopping ice to the storm drains so the lakes on the streets can drain away
Summer workers have begun to arrive
March 17, 2019 page 12 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek Middle School Honors Band
Three Mackinaw school musicians participated in the 18th Annual Middle School Honors Band on March 13th. Jeffery Siebigteroth, Damon Morse and Alicia Vieau traveled to Kalkaska to play with other middle school band students from the area. They worked hard all day in rehearsal and performed in a wonderful concert that evening.
Katie Anderson (music teacher), Damon Morse, Alicia Vieau and Jeffery Siebigteroth
Photos by Katie Anderson page 12 March 17, 2019 page 13 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
Spring is close - the eagles are nest building
Squirrels and eagles are breeding now. Starting in early to mid-February mature bald eagles begin preparing their nests and will work on them for 1-3 months before mating. Both the male and female, who are mated for life, work on the nest. The bird below is not totally mature because it still has some dark in the white feathers. Patrick Brinksma
Watch for Bald Eagle nests Both parents build the nest that is in the tallest tree in a forest near water. A successful nest is used over and over. The nest will be in a fork near the very top and made of interwoven sticks lined with grass, moss and downy feathers. Some think the moss is important as an insect repellent.
The eagles defend their nesting territory during mating season. We would Compared to the size of a man expect egg laying in March or April in our area.
For contrast, Golden Eagle nests are smaller and flatter and found on clifts or open areas, not in the deep forest.
March 17, 2019 page 14 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
Mating is more subdued Mating occurs on a branch or in the nest. Courtship in a topsy-turvy world Although mom lays one to three eggs, both Dramatic aerial displays of courtship catch the eye parents take turns warming the eggs and of eagle watchers. The pair twirls, swoops, lock feet, flying off in search of food. A month later and exchange sticks in midair. This is described as a chicks emerge and three months after that bonding ritual. they fledge, although they may actively jump about before actually taking off. Yearlings often appear larger than their parents because they have extra long flight feathers to aid them in learning to fly. After their first molt they settle down to adult size.
Courting bald eagles
National Geographic
Growing Up as a Bald Eagle (Don’t confuse me with a Golden Eagle)
A wonderful web site by Ron Dudley shows many photos of various aged eagles. The biggest key to eagle ages seems to be the color of the beak and eyes. He says, “Eyes gradually change from dark brown to yellow while the beak goes from blackish-gray to yellow as they mature.” This photo illustrates the idea. The dark bird on the left is 1-year old, the center bird with splotches of white both on top of and below the wings is a few years old, and the pure white head of the Ron Dudley bird on the right indicates a mature adult. It takes 4 - 5 years to mature and be ready for mating.
https://www.featheredphotography.com/ blog/2017/11/22/a-guide-to-aging-bald-eagles-and- page 14 how-to-distinguish-immature-bald-eagles-from-golden- March 17, 2019 page 15 eagles/ Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek
U.S. 31 to have lane closure
Starting Monday, March 18, the next phase of U.S. 31 repairs will begin. There will be lane closures supplemented with a detour route as the work covers the stretch from Bayview to Mitchell St. in Petoskey.
The Michigan Department of Transportation will invest $11.2 million to reconstruct about 1.3 miles of US-31 in the city of Petoskey from the Mitchell Street Bridge to Fairview Avenue. The work will include realigning a portion of the highway away from the bluff area between Winter Park Lane and Fairview Avenue, construction of a retaining wall, drainage improvements, sanitary sewer and water main replacement, and traffic signal upgrades. This project will help ensure the stability of US-31 and will include additional guardrail and new pavement markings.
US-31 northbound traffic will be detoured, depending on weather and construction progress, and continue through the end of June. The project is projected to end November 1, 2019.
Wiped out: America’s love of luxury toilet paper is destroying Canadian Forests article in The Guardian, March 1, 2019
Virgin pulp is needed to make the soft, pillowy toilet paper that marketers have convinced Americans to use. This pulp comes from the boreal forest of Canada. The loss of trees, covering an area the size of Pennsylvania since 1996, has hurt indigenous communities and reduced the forest’s potential to absorb carbon dioxide from the Getty Images air.
Americans consist of 4% of the world’s population but use 20% of the world’s toilet paper. To help save the forests, buy toilet paper with recycled content.
March 17, 2019 page 16 Mackinaw News by Sandy Planisek Light Bulb Changes are Saving Electricity
Incandescent Halogen Compact LED florescent Coyote sightings and tips to prevent conflicts from the DNR
This time of year, it’s not uncommon to hear about an uptick in coyote sightings around the state. That’s because coyotes are more visible during their breeding season (January to March), as well as
in the spring and summer months when they’re caring for pups. Coyotes are extremely adaptable DNR and can be found just about everywhere: in forests, fields, farmlands, backyards, neighborhoods and cities. They’ve learned to survive in urban landscapes throughout Michigan. When food sources are available – things like trash bins, bird feeders and pet food – coyotes may become more comfortable around people.
To minimize potential conflicts and protect your small pets, DNR furbearer specialist Adam Bump has a few suggestions. “The first thing to remember is never to intentionally feed or try to tame a coyote; leave wildlife in the wild,” Bump said. “Remove those appealing food sources, fence off your gardens and fruit trees, clear out wood and brush piles, and accompany your pets outdoors rather than letting them roam free.”
Additionally, there are some hunting and removal options: • Coyote hunting is open year-round. Michigan residents need a valid base license to hunt them. See the current-year Fur Harvester Digest for coyote hunting and trapping regulations. • On private property where coyotes are doing or about to do damage, a property owner or designee can take coyotes year-round; a license or written permit is not needed. • A permitted nuisance control business can assist in the safe removal of problem animals in urban or residential areas.
Get more tips on understanding this species in the Coexisting with Urban Coyotes video or on the DNR’s page 16 coyotes webpage. Questions? Contact Hannah Schauer, 517-388-9678. March 17, 2019 page 17