Association Projects Update

The Sprinklers: The main line to the sprinkler system has been re-routed. It used to go under the parking lot from between units 20 & 21 to the mail boxes. The main line broke somewhere under the parking lot by the mail boxes sometime this Spring. AA Lawncare, George & Jerry tried to insert a smaller hose through the broken one to repair the line. Due to the break misalignment that couldn't be accomplished so they dug a trench from the mail boxes north north-west, around the north end of the garages and building #7 to the lakeside of Sam & Patty's unit# 31. They also added gate valves in several places so we can shut the water down to any particular area in case of a leak.

The Decks: The decks are all restained. Thanks again for keeping your furniture off of the decks during this project.

Spider Spray: The spider Lady is due to come out this week

Parking Area: Also scheduled to be out this week is the asphalt guy to fill the cracks in the parking lot.

Michigan asked to cut water exports

The Toledo Blade has more on efforts to make Michigan a regional leader on this important issue -- something Michigan so far has not stepped up to being. See the whole story here.

Michigan environmental groups today are to reveal their plans for a pledge campaign they have devised in hopes of getting a commitment on Great Lakes water withdrawals from the state Legislature. Legislators will be asked to return a signed pledge by July 12 to support bringing Michigan into compliance with a 1985 gubernatorial charter that calls for the eight Great Lakes states to curb diversions and bulk water exports.

The 1985 agreement called upon all Great Lakes states to register companies that use 100,000 gallons of water or more a day. It is a nonbinding accord among the region's governors, their first effort to stand together against unregulated withdrawals. But Michigan, which is surrounded by Great Lakes water, was the only state that never followed through by having the Legislature pass legislation to what then-Gov. Jim Blanchard had signed.

"This is something Michigan hasn't come on board with," Jeff Irwin, Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, said. "Michigan needs to be a regional leader."

In a sweeping, eight-page speech about water in January, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm urged the state's Legislature to bring Michigan into compliance with the 1985 agreement herself. She called the state's failure to do so "an embarrassment."

For the Great Lakes State to fail its leadership responsibility on this issue is truly an embarrasesment.

Public Tours of the Tawas Point Lighthouse Announced

Good news for lighthouse fans. The Friends of Tawas Point State Park have opened the 1876 tower to public tours every weekend through October.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been in charge of the tower since 2001. The state put a new roof on the beacon and sealed its bricks with sand and lime. Now, the DNR and the volunteers are teaming up to take everything that is new off the tower and lightkeepers house for a re-creation of life there 100 years ago.

Not too many years ago, all that we lighthouse fans could do was stand below them and gaze at their lofty heights. But now, through the efforts of many volunteer groups like the Tawas Point Friends, we are invited to see them inside and out, with history tours to boot.

Wurtsmith is possible site for National Korean War Museum

Interesting story reported by the Oscoda Press: Wurtsmith is possible site for National Korean War Museum:

A former education office building at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport is being considered as a possible site for a National Korean War Museum.

The organization currently operates a museum in Wahiawa, Hawaii, and is looking to expand to a second site on the United States Mainland. "Not everyone can afford to come to Hawaii, and we do not have room for tanks, planes, and a Wall of honor for the over 30,000 killed in action, and for those who served," said Kyle Kopitke founder of the National Korean War Museum.

Information about the museum in Hawaii can be found online at www.nkwm.org.

U.S. Rocket Launch Spurs Canadian's Hopes

SpaceShipOne made history yesterday and soared more than 62 miles above Earth's surface during its brief flight. This feat makes SpaceShipOne the first privately built manned craft to fly in space. But SpaceShipOne isn't the only ship in town. SpaceShipOne and others are competing for the X Prize and we have an entrant in our own backyard. Before summer is out we may be in the right place to watch a test flight or so ourselves from out on our own beachfront as this news article reports on the progress of the Canadian Arrow.

Geoff Sheerin is equally enthusiastic about his company's efforts to launch its first manned flight, even though SpaceShipOne appears to have a leg up in the international Ansari X Prize competition. The competition offers a $10-million US prize to the first team to safely launch and return a privately developed three-person craft 100 kilometres into sub-orbital space twice within 14 days.

Sheerin believes space tourism isn't too far off. Canadian Arrow has already opened the world's first private training school for astronauts and space passengers, and has designed its own lightweight spacesuits. The Canadian Arrow Space Centre, a 2,300-square-metre facility in London, Ont., contains an astronaut training centrifuge, flight simulator, recovery training course and ground school.

Canadian Arrow plans to launch test flights of its spacecraft later this summer from a site near Lake Huron, with manned flights to follow.

New diversion rules soon to test the water

Water diversion from the Great Lakes is an issue I first reported on back on May 17, 2004. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal (registration required) is reporting on a draft of new rules governing water diversion in an article entitled: New diversion rules soon to test the water.

Under the present law, any proposal to pipe Great Lakes water outside the basin requires approval from all eight Great Lakes governors, and they have a history of saying no. That law does a good job of holding the water in the lakes. But most of those involved in the issue agree that leaving Great Lakes diversion decisions to gubernatorial whim probably wouldn't hold water in court, and that it is only a matter of time until a thirsty city outside the basin sues.

The governors committed to reworking the law governing diversion so it would hold up in court and also make it difficult for distant places such as Asia or even the American West to drain water from the Great Lakes Basin.

Standing at Niagara Falls in June 2001, all eight governors committed to reworking the law in a process dubbed Annex 2001. Three years later, details of the closely guarded Annex drafted by representatives of the Great Lakes governors and two Canadian premiers remain murky, but the guiding tenet is that water taken out of the basin would have to be treated and returned so there is no net loss to the lakes. Communities that could not return the water would have to pay for projects, such as wetlands restoration, that would benefit the lakes.

"The states are only going to be able to say 'This is our domain' if they step up and do the right thing and the process succeeds," said the National Wildlife Federation's Noah Hall. "Ultimately, the regulation and protection of an interstate body of water like the Great Lakes is a federal jurisdiction. We've been given a long leash to manage this resource, but if we stretch it too far, they might pull it back."

A draft of Annex 2001 should be released for a 90-day public comment period in mid-July.

Project: Patio Door Window Replacement

Rick Groulx and I have been having some discussions regarding patio door replacements and I thought I'd pass on the current state of affairs. Our building (#3) was one of the first built. We have noticed that our patio doors (the door walls leading to the beach) have broken vapor seals which result in condensation forming between the panes. Rick set about researching fix or replacement options and here's what he found:

• According to the master deed, maintenance of windows is the responsibility of the owner and not the association. The master deed further states that repairs or replacements must match the outward appearance of the rest of the units; i.e., in this case the outside framing must be white in color.
  
• The cost to replace a single panel in any patio door is going to cost about $400. Regardless of the make or company doing the replacement the costs will be similar and the guarentee is limited. Because of the wind and weather we should expect broken seals in each of the panes before too many more years.
  
• There are various brands of replacement doors available. Rick visited the Oscoda Home Center, Northeastern Window and Door, and others in Au Gres, Omer, Standish, ...
  
• After considering the available brand options Rick decided to go with an Anderson replacement (model PS510) from Northeastern Window and Door, Harrisville. Northeastern was recommended by several residents, Anderson offers an extended guarantee, and the full installation price was comparable to downstate pricing (about $1,300 for the upstairs patio door -- complete install).
  

If you're interested in the details and the quote Rick received, drop either of us a note.

Wal-Mart seals the deal on D&M rail yard property

I've been looking for news regarding the construction of the new Wal-Mart on the former Detroit & Mackinac railyard. The best I turned up was an update on the track bypass construction from the Lake State Railway fan site -- apparently the track is down and the ballest is dumped on top. The track still needs to be cut in at both ends to the old main.

Back on April 7 the Iosco News reported that Wal-Mart seals the deal on D&M rail yard property

The building project is scheduled to be put out for bids by Wal-Mart June 1, according to Huber. It typically takes nine to 10 months to complete the SuperCenter stores. Work on the building is expected to begin in late June during the first week of July, Huber added. City officials anticipate the existing buildings at the former railyard will be demolished within the next month. [As of yesterday, they were still standing]

Dead bird found in Oscoda area had West Nile Virus

Continuing the story originally reported on here, the Oscoda Press is providing more details in this new article: Dead bird found in Oscoda area had West Nile Virus

A bird found near Lakewood Shores Resort in Oscoda is the first in the area to test positive for West Nile Virus. The dead bird was found about two weeks ago, according to Dianna Schafer, Health Officer with District Health Department No. 2.

Schafer urges people to protect themselves and limit their exposure to mosquitoes. "We've got a bumper crop of them this year," Schafer said. Wearing long selves and long pants and avoiding the outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active is recommended by local health officials. Using insect repellant containing DEET may also help protect against contracting the West Nile Virus.

Residents are encouraged to remove standing water from their yards in places such as bird baths, buckets and old tires, which can be a breeding area for mosquitoes.

Residents are encouraged to remove standing water from their yards -- yea, right. Tell that to the DEQ or the Army Corp of Engineers.

Debate rages as warbler count goes on

It's nesting season, and Kirtland's warblers are fending off rival males and attracting mates with their loud, persistent singing.

Then there are the critics, who are upset that the Huron National Forest is being clear cut and is restricted from visitors during the summer months. The Bay City Times reports this unique environmental debate where the environmental group involved in saving the wabler is pro-clear cut. Debate rages as warbler count goes on:

Kirtland's warblers are habitat specialists, only nesting in young jack pine forests in the northern Lower Peninsula. Numbers of the bird are directly related to the amount of available habitat. As the birds' habitat decreased populations dwindled, and in the 1970s the warbler was close to extinction.

But not everyone is enchanted by the warbler. Because each Kirtland's warbler prefers at least 80 acres of land for an individual nest, Huber says, clear cuts can be blocks of 300 to 1,000 acres. The large clear cuts needed to restore the species can be controversial with the public.

"From May to September there's areas that the public is not welcome and it's unlawful to enter," said Kathy VanLuven, a St. Helen resident who enjoys taking drives through the woods. "And they are cutting down our forest and planting jack pines, which are not a very pretty tree."

"If it wasn't for Michigan they would be extinct," said Len Stuttman, co-chair of the Michigan Audubon Society's Kirtland's Warbler Initiative.

This is an interesting article. If you have the time read the whole article as it gives a nice history of this bird and the fight to save it.

Rainfall boosts levels of lakes

Being up north for a few days it is apparent that the lake levels are higher. We even have a small "lake" between our grass area and the real lake. This new lake is several inches deep and runs the length of the property. The Detroit News is reporting that Lake Huron is up a foot (12 inches).

Heavy, recent rains that have flooded basements and roads have also boosted Michigan's lake levels. Lake St. Clair is up 9 inches from last June. Lakes Michigan and Huron are up 1 foot.

Normally at this time, the lake levels are rising but with all the rain, they've been rising, even faster," said Scott Thieme of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit. "We've definitely had an increase." Great Lakes levels have been below average since 1999 -- but they were above average for 30 years before that, Thieme said.

Five Channels Dam adds some muscle

The Bay City Times is reporting that Five Channels Dam is undergoing an upgrade.

For 92 years, Five Channels Dam has funneled the Au Sable RIver through its turbines to generate electricity. Now, a $350,000 project is under way to keep the Iosco County hydroelectric dam in tip-top shape.

Consumers Energy is injecting concrete columns into a 500-foot-long earthen embankment that pools the water entering Five Channels Dam. The concrete is shoring up a framework of old buried logs that have supported the embankment since 1912.

Five Channels Dam can be seen at the bridge on highway M-65.

Judge blocks sale of Holiday Inn Resort

Judge blocks sale of Holiday Inn Resort

A circuit judge has blocked Wednesday's planned foreclosure sale of the Tawas Bay Holiday Inn Resort."There are too many questions here. For now, I'm stopping this sale," Iosco County Circuit Judge Ronald Bergeron said.

Huron Community Bank initiated the foreclosure proceedings in May after Tawas Bay Associates defaulted on mortgages held by the bank totaling $2.65 million. A public auction of the resort was set for Wednesday before the court injunction stopped the sale.

Beneson testified that he did nothing wrong and did not vote or participate in discussions about loans to the Holiday Inn made by the city and county. Beneson said confidentiality and privacy issues also prevented him from revealing the hotel was having financial problems.

Judge Bergeron ordered a trial to decide if the injunction should continue for sometime after mid-July.

Project update

I'm off for a few days enjoying the sun in Oscoda. Sunday was very nice with warm weather during most of the day. We had thundershowers in the evening. So far on Monday the weather radar is clear with a high projected to be near 80 -- yipeeeee!!

The decks are looking good. They have all been spray cleaned (some more than once). Next come the application of the deck stain. Looks like the project will be completed in a week or so weather permitting.

Thanks to everyone for keeping their decks clear of furniture during this project.

Photo Gallery updated

Leo sent me two very nice pictures which I have added to the Photo Gallery. One is a beautiful sunrise over Lake Huron (see thumbnail below) and the second is a dramatic moonrise.

Iosco halts fund activity after questions raised about loan

Coverage of the foreclosure of the Tawas Bay Holiday Inn continues with this article from the Iosco News: Iosco halts fund activity after questions raised about loan.

The newest appointee to the Iosco County Economic Development Commission (EDC) alleges its members were deceived into voting for a $250,000 loan for a business which, a month later, was advertised for foreclosure.

In an hour-long presentation to the Iosco County Board of Commissioners last Wednesday, Kenny Schaaf of East Tawas said this particular loan and the way it was handled violated EDC policy, failed to conform with standard financial practices, and was peppered with deceit and conflicts of interest. "We are looking at the potential loss of $250,000 of taxpayer money," he stated.

Schaaf referred to a book-length application he said was prepared by Roger McIntosh, the managing partner of Tawas Bay Associates. The application declared the partnership in default of its loan to Huron Community Bank, according to Schaaf. It stated the county loan would be used to pay for supplies and vendors, allowing the Holiday Inn to keep operating until cash flow could be restored.

As security, the application pledged all hotel furniture, fixtures and equipment, valued by McIntosh at $750,000. It also offered the personal guarantees of the three Tawas Bay partners, McIntosh, Kenneth Myles and Ronald Tyler. Schaaf contended the collateral is not worth the paper on which it is written. The county's interest in the furnishings and equipment is in second position to Huron Community Bank's $2 million debt. It was never appraised, as required by EDC policy and good financial practices, according to Schaaf. If it had been appraised, the forced sale value would have likely come in at less than 10 percent of what Tawas Bay paid for it, he alleged.

The application contained a management projection prepared by the Holiday Inn's accounting firm. Schaaf identified several additional problems within it, calling the projections "wishful thinking."

The application was dated March 26 and was approved by the EDC on April 6, the same meeting at which the board accepted the resignation of Huron Community Bank President Robert Beneson. It is Huron Community which initiated foreclosure proceedings on the Holiday Inn.

Ugly, ugly, ugly. Gets worse by the day.

The cicadas are coming, but not to Oscoda

Take off your crash helmets. Put those outdoor family picnics back on your calendars. The 17-year cicadas are not coming to northeastern Michigcan this summer. Despite rumors to the contrary, those buzzing, rather un-handsome, red-eyed, 1-to-2-inch long, flying creatures won't emerge from underground in these parts EVER.

But they are coming by the millions to Livingston, Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne and Lenawee counties. If you haven't seen a cicada and are wondering if you will, here's a good rule of thumb -- they are primarily in older neighborhoods. "If the tree hasn't been there for 17 years, then you're probably not going to be affected by this brood," says Robert Ahern, an entomologist at the University of Maryland.

According to Dr. Thomas Moore, a former professor at the University of Michigan, the best viewing will be in the northwest and northeast edges of Ann Arbor. He is predicting the cicadas will appear in the next few days and will be gone by the Fourth of July.

For those not wanting to make the trip south to see them, visit the University of Michigan's Periodical Cicada web page. Here you will find more than you ever wanted to know about cicadas including broods, identifying pictures, life cycle, maps and song samples.

Rainy May has brought the bugs

Continuing on from yesterdays post regarding West Nile Virus found in birds comes this Ann Arbor News story about mosquitoes: Rainy May has brought the bugs.

Health officials are advising residents to use extra caution while outdoors, now that last month's torrential rains are yielding swarms of big, hungry mosquitoes. Record rainfall in May has made conditions favorable for mosquitoes, said Janet Olszewski, director of the department. Department spokesman T.J. Bucholz said that some state experts were predicting up to four to six times more mosquitoes than usual.

But the jury is still out on whether conditions are favorable for the species of mosquito associated with transmitting the [West Nile] virus to humans. "We have many different species of mosquitoes in Michigan and some respond to the rain, so wet marshy areas and puddles can lead to more of them," said Washtenaw County epidemiologist Laura Bauman. "But is it the type of mosquito we're really worried about? These are some of the questions that are still outstanding as we learn more about the mosquitoes and how the disease behaves."

Ned Walker, a Michigan State University entomologist and mosquito expert, said the bigger concern is the very hot weather. Hot weather causes more rapid development of the virus in mosquitoes, he said. That means it is more easily transmitted to birds, who then infect the next mosquito that bites them, and so on. At some point, it becomes so prevalent among the human and bird populations that it is more easily transmitted to people, Walker said.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five infected people will become ill with symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache and stiffness. Only about one in 150 infected people becomes seriously ill, but people who are over 55 or who have weakened immune systems should be especially careful.

Four to six times the mosquitoes as last year is a lot of mosquitoes whether infected or not!! No word yet on the projected population of this years black flies.

State identifies 10 new birds in six counties with West Nile virus

The Detroit Free Press reports on current West Nile testing.

Ten new birds have tested positive for the West Nile virus in six Michigan counties, state health officials said Tuesday.

Janet Olszewski, head of the state health department, said record rainfall in many parts of the state this spring has created favorable conditions for mosquitos.

Iosco is one of the 10 counties reporting a WNV positive test. A map of 2004 Corvid test results is available from the State of Michigan Emerging Disease web site. Last year Iosco had no corvid's test positive for the WNV.

A corvid is a bird that is a member of the Corvidae family (or crow family), which includes crows, blue jays and ravens. Corvids appear to be especially susceptible to West Nile virus infection and can be used as an early indicator of the virus in an area. Testing of corvids found within the area of a given zip code continues until one WNV-positive bird has been identified; i.e., no further birds found in that zip code area will be tested after the first positive has been identified.

The Iosco County Board of Commissioners is considering a tax millage for mosquito control but to-date has no plans to spray for mosquitos -- the actual carrier of the West Nile Virus.

Photo Gallery

Leo Barger sent me a few pictures he had taken so I created a Photo Gallery for these and hope to add to it as others have pictures to contribute.



I have also added a link to the menu on the left called Photo Gallery which links to this same page. Enjoy!

Iosco County fund made loan to Holiday Inn just before default

Fallout from the foreclosure of the Tawas Bay Holiday Inn is beginning. The Bay City Times is reporting that a late April loan was made to the owners and the total loan amount of $250,000 may be lost. See story here: County fund made loan to Holiday Inn just before default

Iosco County is suspending activity of the county's economic development board. The board oversees a $2.7 million revolving loan fund set up to help businesses create jobs. The directive was issued Wednesday after the Iosco County Board of Commissioners reviewed a recent $250,000 loan made to Tawas Bay Associates, owners of the Tawas Bay Holiday Inn Resort.

The loan, approved in April by the Iosco County Economic Development Commission, was issued a month before the hotel defaulted on its $2.65 million mortgage. The hotel is scheduled for a foreclosure auction June 16. "I see the county at risk of losing the $250,000," said Ken Schaaf, a former Iosco County commissioner newly appointed to a vacancy on the Economic Development Commission board.

Thomas Chatel, a former Tawas City manager who works as a consultant for the Iosco Economic Development Commission, said Thursday that the commission was aware the Holiday Inn was having financial troubles and that the loan could be risky. "The board had to weigh the risk versus the negative economic impact of the community's major resort hotel complex potentially closing," Chatel said.

Iosco considers tax to bite mosquitos

From the Bay City Times comes this article: Iosco considers tax to bite mosquitos.

Iosco County is spraying about 250 acres of land this week to get rid of some creepy, crawly gypsy moth caterpillars. The county's bug battles may soon target pesky mosquitos as well.

At Wednesday's Iosco County Board of Commissioners meeting, the board heard from a study group that looked at the mosquito issue and the potential for the insects to spread the West Nile virus. The county board agreed to have [Stephanie] Wentworth [Alabaster Township supervisor] work with township officials to place a question on upcoming property tax bills, asking people if they are interested in a millage for mosquito control.

William Carpenter, Iosco's MSU Extension director and a member of the study group, said the virus was not a significant problem statewide last year, after Michigan recorded 600 cases of humans contracting West Nile in 2002. Carpenter said experts aren't sure if last year's drop was a fluke or evidence that the problem had resolved itself. "We don't know what 2004 is going to be like," he said.

Au Sable fishing

Occasionally a news story is picked up by a large number of sites and reprinted. This story from the AP newswire made it into news sites all across the U.S. today -- For city-dwellers, holidays and weekends are prime fishing times. This link is from the San Louis Obispo Tribune although I had my choice of over 25 others. Anyway its a nice story about fishing in the Au Sable:

On Saturday, I drove to my favorite spot on the Au Sable River above Loud Dam to check on the fishing. I couldn't find a place to park my vehicle and chat with the folks in line waiting to launch their boats.

I love the fabled Au Sable River from its beginning in Grayling to its merging with Lake Huron and have fished the river for more years than I want to count.

Click the headline link for the rest of the story.

Tiny computers help track Lake Huron fish

I had a great opportunity last weekend to pay a visit to the Oscoda salmon stocking pond with Jerry Gossett. Jerry is a volunteer salmon-sitter for the next three weeks or so until the baby fish are old enough to be released into the river. It's quite an impressive setup which cares for over 500,000 young salmon while they are imprinted with AuSable River water. This imprinting enables them to find the AuSable River when they return in four years.

Jerry told us that some of the young salmon have computer chips imbedded in them to help the DNR track their whereabout. That sounded interesting so I did a little searching and found this Detroit News article from July 2003 which explained what these chips do: Tiny computers help track Lake Huron fish - 07/01/03

Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish are swimming in Lake Huron with minicomputers implanted inside them, helping the state collect information that will improve Michigan's sports and commercial fishing.

Computerized devices about an inch long record the water temperature and depth the fish prefer, adding information to a computer model the state Department of Natural Resources uses to determine stocking levels and harvest limits for commercial and sport fishermen as well as the Indian fish catch under an 1836 treaty, according to Jim Johnson, DNR station manager at the Alpena Fishery Station.

There's a $100 reward for the data-laden fish, which have a tag near the dorsal or pelvic fin.

May sets record for rainfall in southeast Michigan

In the as-if-you-didn't-already-know department, various newspaper are reporting the record rainfall we received last month. From the Detroit Free Press comes this article: May sets record for rainfall in southeast Michigan

National Weather Service officials said the 8.46 inches of rain that had fallen on the region as of Monday afternoon made this the rainiest May since the United States began recording rainfall in the 1850s, surpassing 8.05 inches in 1943, the Detroit Free Press reported in a Tuesday story.

May 2004 was also the second-wettest month ever, behind just July 1878, The Detroit News reported.

And the Grand Rapids Press had this to add:

Monday's rain pushed May's total to 9.26 inches at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, the region's third-wettest May. But this year's rain did far more damage than the record 10.01 inches in 2001 because of how and when it fell, National Weather Service Meteorologist David Beachler said.

This May's rain fell on wetter soil and was spread over successive days. That swelled the Grand River, which rose to its highest level in 20 or more years in many regions, causing flooding in Lowell, Ada, Comstock Park and Robinson Township in Ottawa County.

Agricultural experts say the wet weather has been costly. It's just a matter of how much. "It's a little bit premature to make an assessment," said Dennis Pennington, an agricultural agent for the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension office in Kent County. But Pennington said farmers are likely going to have to write off part of their soybean and corn crops. He is seeing signs of insects like the alfalfa weevil that farmers can't treat because they can't get into their fields.