Three stories of interest from Northern Michigan

It is a bit odd, but some interesting stories that have hit the newswire the past couple of days that all take place in Northern Michigan and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. First and foremost is the wildfire that has apparently stalled out after consuming some 18,000 acres of forest. For the first time since the fire began last week, the fire did not advance on Thursday. Fire lines have now ensnared about 70 percent of the fire's perimeter and hopes are high that the fire can be contained and snuffed out without further damage. Locals believe that the fire will not be officially put out until snow blankets the region.

Some sad news from the Mackinac Bridge of an unidentified woman who jumped 175 feet to her death just before 4 p.m. yesterday. There was another suicide at the bridge this past February and in the bridge's 50 years there have been more than a dozen such deaths at the bridge.

Here is a story that, if true, is one of those "how did that happen?" type of stories. An apple farmer and his family were searching for rocks along the Lake Superior shore at Fort Wilkins State Park when they came upon an orange weather beaten life preserver. Further inspection showed the faded and worn name of the ship - Edmund Fitzgerald.

Some are speculating that the preserver was planted by someone for whatever jollies they might derive from it. Is it possible that a piece of wreckage was actually found almost 32 years after the Edmund Fitzgerald sank? I think it is possible and so does a daughter, Cheryl Rozman, of one of the 29 who perished - Ransom Cundy.

The Keweenaw area is rugged and unpopulated and the preserver was found near a fallen tree which could have offered it a hiding place all of these years.

Take a survey about the Michigan state map

We all have one somewhere. It might be current or it could be a decade or so old and crumpled up in one of the recesses of our vehicles. There is no doubt (at least to me) that a state map is a handy thing to have with you. Even with the ease of getting our directions and maps at any number of online sites I still prefer to keep an actual honest to goodness state map on hand. There have been numerous times that the so-called surefire online directions have been wrong in any number of ways.

Incorrect mileage, wrong turns, and going miles out of the way are just a few of the problems with online maps.

Anyway, the state is asking for your opinion(s) on the current state map and what you might like to see in future maps. Head on over to www.Michigan.gov/mdot and take the short (less than 5 minutes - easy) survey.

While taking the survey I found out that it costs $.19 to produce a single map and the state produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 Million maps each year. For those not inclined to do the math that works out to $380,000 a year.

I think the state wants to see if this is money well spent and if they can somehow cut costs. I am sure the state wastes a lot more than $380,000 in other areas so I hope they do not discontinue producing the state map.

What do you think? Is the state map worthwhile?

Upper Peninsula forest fire continues to burn

The fire in Michigan's Upper Peninsula that is believed to have been caused by lightning has now destroyed over 15,000 acres. Thankfully there have been no injuries as of yet due to the fire. Evacuations for some nearby residents is also a possibility. This is the state's largest forest fire since one in 1999 burned just over 5,000 acres in western Marquette County.

The current fire is creeping up on Tahquamenon Falls state park and is also within 6 miles of Newberry. Residents have been informed that evacuations are still a possibility.

See the latest news here -

Via Google News The Marquette Mining Journal

Marquette residents reminisce about 1936 heat wave

As I am writing this the thermometer is saying that it is 88 degrees down here in White Pigeon. According to Weather.com it is currently 81 degrees in beautiful Marquette up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Normally, Marquette's average high in July is around 77 degrees. The Marquette Mining Journal has an interesting article about some folks who lived through a worse heat wave in the summer of 1936. You can read it here.

Back in the summer of 1936 Marquette saw temps in the triple digits during one scorcher of a week that hit the entire United States. According to the Mining Journal -

From July 7 to 13, 1936, the high reached between 101 and 104 four times in Marquette, according to Kevin Crupi, meteorologist and climatologist at the weather service office in Negaunee Township. Places from Ironwood to Iron Mountain set all-time temperature records, while Newberry had it even worse, with six straight 100-degree days.

71 years later, residents that experienced that heat wave of historic proportions still talk about it. There's some interesting quotes for us young whippersnappers to read and think about. Remember, 1936 was during the depression and the luxury of air conditioning (or even fans) was pretty much nonexistent.

Here is my favorite quote from the article -

The heat of a summer so long ago makes [Sarah] Bottrell [a chipper 102 year old] question the whole idea of global warming. “How do you explain how hot it was in 1936, if it’s only getting hotter now?” she asks.

Also of note, even though the heat was unbearable most residents do not recall a lot of folks taking a dip in the icy waters of Lake Superior to cool off.

I'll stick to drinking ice cold lemonade and eating ice cream. I don't think a doctor could describe a better treatment for the heat than that ;).