The “staycation” trend has pushed visitation at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore up by 12%.  Chicago Tribune excerpts and link:

While high gas prices and job jitters have resulted in a disappointing bottom line for luxury hotels and resorts, campgrounds—both public and private—are the beneficiaries of this new belt-tightening, with many sites posting record seasons.

“The problem with the greenhorns is that they show up and then are surprised to find that we’re full . . . while the experienced folks have had reservations for months,” Baughman said.

Back at the Indiana Dunes, many campers predicted that that economic anxieties might be the catalyst, but once these rookies have had a taste of the great outdoors, they will be converts.

“When my wife can’t handle it anymore,” Schroeder said, “she’ll run home to shower.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-camping-01-sep01,0,4630023.story

It has been a very interesting travel season.  Reports have been flowing through my Google reader that suggest travel locations near large population areas seem to be doing relatively well.  Those sites that are farther afield seem to be doing poorly.

The Leelanau Enterprise reports that visitation to the Sleeping Bear Dunes is down dramatically this year.  Excerpts and link:

For the first time in 21 years, the annual number of visitors at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore may fall below the 1-million mark.

National Park Service statistics through July 31 indicate a nearly 30 percent decline in visitors from 2007 at the Lakeshore, with record-high gas prices and cool weather in the late spring and early summer contributing to the drop.

“We’d be speculating, but certainly visits to this park are definitely weather-driven,” said assistant park Superintendent Tom Ulrich.

According to the National Weather Service, there were more days in April in northern Michigan when the temperatures rose above 70 than in May. In fact, Weather Service statistics indicate that the average high June temperature was three degrees below previous years.

Through July, a total of 257,401 visitors to the Lakeshore were estimated, compared to 366,734 at the same time as last year. If trends continue for the rest of 2008, the final visitor count for the year will be in the range of 870,000. Visitation at the Lakeshore has topped 1,091,000 every year since 1987.

Of the 366,734 visitors this year, 24,507 were in park campgrounds. Another 6,163 were “backcountry” camping visitors, compared to 10,700 by the same time in 2007.
“Overall, we’ve seen a slight drop in the number of backcountry campers,” Ulrich said. “But, the Manitou (islands) visitation appears to be good.”

Full story:

http://www.leelanaunews.com/blog/2008/09/02/visitation-at-sleeping-bear-down-30/

Indiana’s Amish community is going big into solar and wind power generation, according to this Chicago Sun-Times article:

GRABILL, Ind. — Northeastern Indiana’s large Amish community is starting to embrace wind and solar energy to power their homes’ lights, refrigerators and other equipment.

Although many Amish rejected high-voltage electricity in the early 1920s because of the power lines that would have connected their people to the outside world, limited use of site-generated, low-voltage electricity is acceptable to many Amish.

The latest Amish resident hoping to tap into natural energy sources is 63-year-old Victor Wagler. He’s seeking permission from Allen County officials to erect a $15,000 steel tower that will stand 87 feet and be topped with a wind-driven, electricity-producing turbine.

‘‘With the cost of fuel, it should pay for itself in three years,’’ Wagler told The News-Sentinel of Fort Wayne for a story published Saturday.

Along with the generator and a solar panel, it would power the lights in his home and barn near Grabill, about 10 miles northeast of Fort Wayne, along with the refrigerator and freezer.

Wagler hopes a zoning hearing officer approves his wind turbine during a meeting Tuesday.

According to papers filed with the county, the proposed turbine would generate about 538 kilowatts of electricity per month at a wind speed of 12 miles per hour.

Even a cursory drive through northeast Allen County’s Amish country reveals several barn roofs adorned with high-tech windmills that — while much closer to the ground and smaller than Wagler’s proposed 7-foot blades — have much the same function.

Full story:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1138117,amish083108.article

The Toledo Blade reports that there are 25 freshwater shrimp farmers in the State of Ohio.  The closest is in Whitehouse, OH, just to the south of Toledo.  That farm is having a shrimp harvest day on Sept. 13th.  Excerpt and link:

There is growing interest in aquaculture in the state, and the closest aquaculture farm is a freshwater shrimp pond at the Whitehouse Christmas Tree Farm owned by Duke Wheeler at 11500 Obee Rd. in Whitehouse.

His first shrimp harvest will begin at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13.

Last week I visited the three-quarter-acre pond where he is growing Malaysian freshwater tiger prawns using multiple aerators.

Although it is next to two ponds that have been on the property for 30 years, a new pond had to be dug for the freshwater shrimp. “Bass and blue gills eat them,” says Mr. Wheeler. Other natural predators are geese, ducks, and turtles. “Blue heron are the best fishermen,” he says. To keep the ducks out of the pond, music was played on a stereo system. Now the shrimp, which are bottomfeeders, are big enough and fast enough to escape enemies.

Back in June, about 16,000 baby shrimp were stocked in the pond. “We didn’t count them,” he says. “They are sold by weight.”

Twice a day the shrimp are fed (50 pounds of food per day) and the pH and oxygen levels are checked. “There’s photosynthesis in the daytime,” he says. “At night the shrimp consume oxygen.”

It’s an expensive process. The pond was dug, the aerators put in place, the back-up generator readied for power, and harvesting equipment installed. Now he hopes the harvest will be 800 to 1,000 pounds, but no one knows for sure until the day comes to drain the pond.

Full article:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080902/COLUMNIST26/809020310/-1/RSS06

The flowering rush eradication crew has been very successful during the past few weekends pulling the invasive plant from the River Raisin in and near Downtown Monroe.  The temperatures will soon grow too cold for more cleanups, so the final day of the effort for this season is Saturday, Sept. 13 from 9-11AM along the Monroe Riverwalk near St. Mary’s Park.  Link:

http://www.yes2fred.com/

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

Trailblazer Volunteer Newsletter  September 2008 Dear Volunteer, September is a very busy month and we will need help with some of the many activities and events that are quickly approaching.  Thank you again for all you do. See you at the refuge!   Kristi Thiel Volunteer Coordinator Festivals   Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival                                                 Hawkfest (at Lake Erie Metropark) September 20th & 21st                                                                   Semptember 20th & 21st 8 AM- 5 PM                                                                                     10 AM-5 PM   Volunteers wanted to assist staff at the refuge booths at both festivals.  Two hour time slots are available.    Contact: Kristi Thiel 734-692-7604               Kristi_Thiel@fws.gov   For more information on the festivals:  Point Mouillee Waterfowl Festival www .miwaterfowlfest.org                                                            contact  Dick Whitwam at 734-379-4292.                                                               Hawkfest   Call 734-379-5020                                                2nd Annual Big Sit! at Humbug Marsh    October 12, 2008 Sign up to join ”The Sentinels,”  the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge’s Big Sit team.  THE BIG SIT! is like a Big Day, or a bird-a-thon in that the object is to tally as many bird species as can be seen or heard within 24 hours.  Please direct questions to US Fish & Wildlife biologist Greg Norwood. To register for a two hour time slot call 734-692-7649.  National Public Lands Day at Humbug Marsh    Celebrate National Public Lands Day at Humbug Marsh with a Volunteer Work Day. From 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM we will remove invasive plant species, groom trails, and pick up litter. The day will also be an open house from 10 AM to 3:00 PM.  Volunteers are also needed to staff a welcome table for visitors and answer basic questions.  Please contact Kristi Thiel at 734-692-7649 by September 20th if interested.  For more information on National Public Lands Day visit http://www.publiclandsday.org/ If you plan to attend, please fill out a Volunteer Form and if bringing minors also fill out the parental agreement form.  All minors must be supervised.    volunteer agreement form    http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-2148.pdf  parental agreement form     http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-2087.pdf  Photo courtesy of National Environmental Education Foundation Humbug Open House    Saturday, September 13, 2008 10 AM until 3 PM   Saturday, September 27, 2008 10 AM until 3 PM   Enjoy a walk through the woods and don’t forget to take a look at the eagle platform placed on the western side of Humbug Island, just across from the observation deck.  The photo to the right is of David Best of the US Fish & Wildlife Service constructing the eagle platform.

Note: The newsletter above is a production of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Staff.

The Obama campaign allotted 180 tickets for members of the general public to attend tomorrow’s Labor Day barbecue in Monroe.  That is an absurdly small number given the 84,000 spots that supporters filled for Obama’s nomination acceptance in Denver.  Even Battle Creek planned for 14,000 visitors at tonight’s ballfield rally in mid-Michigan.

But one can see why the Obama campaign is hosting such a small-scale campaign event.  The senator from Illinois has been criticized for being too “Hollywood” in his approach.  There is nothing like a good, union-local barbecue to chase the Left Coast glam away.

Needless to say, competition for the 180 spots was fierce this morning and afternoon as Monroe residents and others lined up along Washington Street for the much-desired pieces of paper.

And my sister was one of the lucky few.  She reports that the line this morning was just disorganized enough that a few line-jumpers were able to get tickets.  One person who tried to cut ahead, however, was so ostracized by other citizens of the line that she was escorted away by campaign staff.  The Obama campaign didn’t immediately tell those past spot number 180 that they were out of luck.  They waited until everyone had the chance to sign a volunteer contact form.  I guess that you can’t blame them.

Now, I have to admit that I am just a bit jealous.  I love to follow politics.  I even remember debating the relative merits of Ronald Reagan versus Jimmy Carter on my kindergarten bus ride to Manor School.

But, really, Obama couldn’t have picked a better person for that ticket.  My sister, Michelle, is a former Hillary supporter.  She is a member of AFSCME.  She’s a young, married, middle-class, Catholic woman.  She’s married to a UAW member who works for Ford Motor Company.  In short, it is people like my sister who will decide this election.

And it can’t hurt that they sent my sister on her merry way with an Obama T-shirt and button.  Maybe she will help turn a few members of her key demographic cohort.

The corner of Mill and Detroit in the City of Monroe has seen quite a bit of history.  During the War of 1812, Americans lost their lives to British soldiers near that corner during the First and Second Battles of the River Raisin. 

A little more than a century later, in 1937, a battle of a different sort raged on Detroit Avenue, pitting a small group of unionized steelworkers against nearly a thousand non-unionized employees in the famous Newton Strike.

So, it seems appropriate that the corner will host another battle of sorts tomorrow.  Barack Obama will arrive in Monroe at that corner in his battle with John McCain for the hearts and souls of Michigan’s working-class voters.

Why Mill and Detroit?  Well, it’s the headquarters of the local chapter of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union.  If Obama is to win Michigan - and he needs it to win the presidency - he will have to convince thousands of union members to back his fight.  He’s hoping to encourage the effort with a Labor Day barbecue.

During my visit tonight to the site, I noticed a buzz of activity.  A logistics company was setting up risers, lighting and a speaker system.

Several union members were enthusiastically setting up a large barbecue grill in preparation.

30 or 40 volunteers were being prepped by campaign staff for their roles in tomorrows festivities.

And a gigantic American flag was draped from roof to ground on the back side of the union hall.

It was a very American scene - active citizens preparing for a presidential candidate visit.  And what a better way to celebrate Labor Day Weekend than with a little bit of labor for the cause.

For several days, I’ve been plotting my strategy for how to cover the impending visit of Senator Barack Obama to Monroe and the rest of the Lake Erie West region.  So, I saved all the visit coverage in my Google reader and tried to figure out how I might gain access to some of the events.

And, of course, I failed miserably.  My wife takes precedence over any blog-related events and we just so happened to have planned a night out at the Westin Hotel at Metro Airport.  We had a great time, but that meant I pulled up to Washington Street in Downtown Monroe at noon.  Anyone who saw the crowds gathered there this morning knows that I didn’t get tickets.  No one else got them either.  The barbecue was limited to 180 participants.

Plan B was to head to Battle Creek for Obama’s evening rally at the local baseball stadium.  However, by the time I reached Adrian at 3PM, I was already seeing pictures on the internet of hundreds of people in line for the event.  Rather than risk driving two hours each way for nothing, I decided to stay at home.

So, I think that I’m going to stick around Monroe and just catch the vibe of the visit.  My sister got one of the lucky tickets, so I’ll be able to get the scoop from her every once in a while.  And I’m going to see if I can snag a media credential so I can live blog up-close.  If not, I’m charging up some auxiliary power sources and checking out the wifi situation around Detroit Avenue.  Maybe I’ll just live blog from my Buick on the motorcade route.

This is EXCITING.  Over and out.

Update: I have decided to sit this one out.  It’s the last day for me before school starts and I’m going to grill out at home with my wife.

Jonathan Schechter at the Observer & Eccentric papers has a nice column related to the increasing number of bears moving into southern and even southeast Michigan.  Bear encounters in our region are still extremely rare.  And bear attacks, yesterday’s Ishpeming attack not withstanding, are extremely rare:

Wildlife biologist Julie Oakes of the Michigan DNR reminded me that several years ago a black bear was hit by a car on I-75 near Flint, another made it across I-69 and wandered about Lapeer County for awhile, and credible rumors of black bear surfaced earlier this year in Hadley Township on the Oakland County line. None of this should be surprising for black bears, especially younger males, have great wanderlust.

Bears are masters of opportunity, one the world’s most adaptable carnivores. Their reasoning ability, long-term memory, omnivorous food habits, dexterity, speed and strength coupled with their ability to travel unseen along bushy roadside edges and waterways means it is time for us to Be Bear Aware. Aware, not panicked, for most of the time bears avoids humans.

Oakes is correct when she states, “Black bears are not aggressive like grizzly bears, they will usually turn tail and run, if you make noises and scare them off.” Usually is a key word. There are well-documented accounts of defensive (protecting cubs) and predatory (they want you for dinner) black bear attacks (not in Michigan) and bear-human encounters are likely to increase.

To keep the situation in perspective look to the Great Smokey Mountains. Nine million visitors annually. Approximately 1,600 black bears. Eighth bear attacks in a decade. Two fatal predatory attacks. The fact of the matter remains clear: Aggressive encounters between people and black bears are extremely rare. But once bears associate people with food, they lose their instinctive fear of humans and conflicts are inevitable. In the colorful new DNR brochure, “Preventing Bear Problems in Michigan” they changing dynamics are noted, “Black bears may be found almost anywhere in Michigan, but are most likely to be seen in the northern two thirds of the state.” DNR tips to avoid problems include “Never feed bears” and “Keep garbage and odor at a minimum by removing trash.” Yet, jump to on-line bear hunting regulations of the same DNR and we find a different story for a different audience: bear hunters. Hunters may use the following products without quantity restrictions to lure in bears, “dog food, bakery/confectionery products including jams, jellies, sweeteners, candies, pie filling and yogurts…”

Full story:

http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080831/NEWS27/808310484/1020/rss17