Mackinac Island Winter Update – Vol. 13 – 2/29/2012

Hi everyone!

The BIG NEWS for Mackinac Island is that ferry service has started again!  No one can remember the last time ferries were running in February, but as of today (Feb. 28) Arnold Ferry’s Huron is making three round trips daily from St. Ignace to Mackinac.  And that makes the 500+ year-round Island residents mighty happy!

More ferry news came from a called Mackinac Island City Council meeting on Monday:  For those qualifying for Resident Passes on ferry tickets, they must be purchased prior to March 31.  Summer residents are urged to make arrangements to purchase those tickets before that date, even if your arrival time to the island will be later.

Have you ever heard of an International Dark Sky Park?  I hadn’t either.  But only a few miles west of Mackinac Island and north of Petoskey – along Lake Michigan –  a small 600-acre stretch of old-growth timber has been declared Michigan’s first such park – one of only six in the U.S., and only 10 total in the world.  Very few places on this earth offer a full night sky of stars and galaxies that isn’t drowned out by lights from streetlights and buildings.  The Dark Sky Park was designated by the Arizona-based International Dark-Sky Association.  Experts measured the amount of light in the area, and found that it offered a clear, unaltered view of the night sky.  Full status will be granted shortly, and Emmet County has passed an ordinance to curtail the growth of artificial light at night in surrounding areas, with the land in and around the park zoned for natural conditions and stringent lumen limits. (Source: Triple Tri Blog)

The night sky - without lighting from the earth.

This past week a film crew was out on the ice in front of Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City shooting a documentary on Great Lakes ice and its impact on the environment.  For more information about the film, visit www.projecticemovie.com.

A Mackinac Island Historic Parks photographer captured the film crew out on the ice.

I absolutely love that there is a Meals on Snowmobiles program during the winter on the Island.  Every Tuesday and Thursday over 40 hot meals are delivered to senior citizens who are year-round Island residents.  If snow covers the ground, the meals are delivered  by snowmobile.  This winter, however, with snow not being very plentiful, the meals have been delivered at times by a fire department truck.  The meals are prepared by John Cadotte, who has been a chef on the Island,  and Tom Boburka, who is an artist and cooks at Sinclair’s Irish Pub and other restaurants. Island volunteers help with the delivery of the meals, and at least once a week children from the island school make deliveries, helping them stay connected to the older members of the community.  The program is funded by Ste. Anne’s Church, with support from the Mackinac Island Community Foundation.  (Story source:  The Mackinac Island Town Crier)

You know how excited I get about seeing the “Horton” name in the Town Crier?  Well, you can imagine my excitement when they used a photo of Ted, Blake, and I from our Colorado trip in the Winter edition!

Our “Village” neighbor, Jackie Bradley, was named Mackinac Island’s Volunteer of the Year recently.  Jackie passes our condo on an almost daily basis, walking to town with several children she watches for working parents.  She is everywhere on the Island – always helping others.  A great choice for this award!

I think I’ve mentioned that I am speaking to a DAR group in my hometown of Sylvester next week about Island history as it relates to the American Revolution and the War of 1812.  Ted has volunteered to go with me and cover the history aspect of the talk, while I will mainly talk about the “magic” of the Island (kind of a two-for-one special).  An email to Mary McGuire Slevin of the Tourism Bureau yielded a big package of goodies to share with the DAR ladies.

Thanks, Mary!

That about covers the news I have.  Now for a group of photographs that you are going to LOVE!

My Mackinaw City friend, Chris Ann - who winters in south Florida - had family members staying at their cottage on Lake Michigan last week. They emailed her this photo of part of their group walking on the ice just off the shore of their property. You can see the Mackinac Bridge off to the right.

This made me dizzy looking at it - a VERY old photograph of the bridge under construction in the 1950's from LIFE Magazine via Circle Michigan. The roadway is not there yet - just the suspension cables. Oh. My. Goodness.

Smi Horn captured this scene last week of the Mackinac Island Fire Department responding to a minor fire downtown. Main Street almost has a traffic jam!

Ice in the harbor and a great view of the East Bluff cottages. (Photo: Heather May)

Coffee Trail. (Photo: Heather May)

This parking space is occupied. (Photo: Heather May)

This photo by Heather May looks almost "otherworldly". It was taken right in front of the Island School and shows ice stacked up by the wind and water currents. That sky looks really eerie. Heather said she used a couple of filters to get some of this effect.

An inside shot of the Mackinac Island Public Library by the Tourism Bureau. I have always LOVED this blue. It is different, it is striking, it is "Mackinac".

The road ahead, taken from the snowmobile of Mary Mcguire Slevin.

Until today, the airport was the only game in town to get on and off the island. These two photos from Robert McGreevy show a full parking lot . . .

. . . and a plane arriving filled with supplies.

I think that’s it for this week.  Hope all of you are doing well.  Spring is right around the corner!

God bless.