For Chief Elevator, Rebuilding Seems Unlikely

Town Awakens To Find Historic Structure Collapsed; City Cites High Cost To Maintain or Restore

The landscape of St. Ignace changed forever in the predawn hours of Wednesday, August 3. The foundation of the old railroad track elevator on the Wawatam Dock gave way and left a pile of iron and timber rubble in its wake. The failure ended the life of the waterfront’s distinguishing feature and undermined the city’s efforts to embrace its historic […]

Boat Show Is Saturday

Les Cheneaux

More than 120 antique wooden boats are expected to be on display at the 34th annual Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show in Hessel Saturday, August 13. Of these entries, more than one-third of the registrants are local, with a homeport in the Les Cheneaux area. This local flavor includes the 1917 26-footlong Kramen launch My Bill owned by […]

Piippos Named Citizens of Year

Rudyard

Husband and wife Tom and Kris Piippo have served the community of Rudyard for decades, purposely dodging the bright lights of praise whenever possible. At times, this meant quietly slipping out of situations when they knew notice of their deeds was imminent. Mrs. Piippo said she has gone so far as to duck into an unoccupied aisle of the grocery […]

St. Ignace Throws Street Party for Bayside Festival

Music Draws 1,300 on Hot Summer Day – And Everyone’s Smiling

The music of three live bands, entertainment, food, games for children, and near perfect weather drew more than 1,300 people to downtown St. Ignace Saturday, August 6. Now in its third year, the Bayside Music Festival received praise from children, adults, musicians, and restaurants. The summer celebration that takes over a block of State Street, reroutes traffic, offers views of […]

Millages in Garfield and Portage, Library in DeTour Get Voter Approval



Voters approved renewal millages in Garfield and Portage townships in Mackinac County and in DeTour Township in Chippewa County Tuesday, August 2, the only August elections held in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. The resulting levies will maintain and improve roads, provide fire and ambulance operating funds, and keep a library open. Portage Township Voters renewed two mills for three years […]

What to Do With the Ferry Franchise Fee Windfall



To the Editor: What to do with its ferry franchise fee windfall was discussed at the July 27 Mackinac Island City Council meeting, according to the July 30 Mackinac Island Town Crier report [The St. Ignace News August 4]. One City Council member called for a plan listing intended uses for this revenue, which so far has totaled $228,564.98, over […]

Let’s Be Neighborly: It’s Just a Dirt Road



To the Editor: I’m the great-granddaughter of Chief Joesph Santigo, whose Indian Settlement was at the eight-mile junction (Mackinac Trail and M-123 highway north of St. Ignace). Also on what was once Santigo Settlement is Santigo Lake, as well as an old gravel pit, which was dug when 1-75 was put in. Running into Santigo Lake is Martineau Creek. Disputes […]

Camp Has Pivotal Role on Capitol Hill

Michigan Politics

Northern Michigan’s three Republican congressmen joined the majority of the state’s House delegation and Democratic Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow last week in voting to raise the debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion, thus preventing a U.S. default. One of them, Dave Camp of Midland, could be a pivotal player in the next step—figuring out where to make […]

Divers Come From All Over the World To Explore Straits Shipwreck Preserve

Underwater Treasure Hunt To Challenge Divers at St. Ignace

It’s cold, quiet, and dark. Everything is fuzzy and gray. Then, looming behind layers of silt, a shipwreck appears. “It’ll just open up. It’s like someone just opened the curtains and it’s right there,” said Dan Friedhoff, secretary for the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve. Divers come from all over the world to dive the shipwrecks in the Straits area. […]

Women’s Native American Drum Group Takes Part in Fab Friday Activities at St. Ignace



Six women sit in a circle at the Father Marquette memorial, beating on their small hand drums and letting their voices carry Ojibwe words through the streets of downtown St. Ignace. They are the Grandmother Moon Singers, a women’s Native American drumming group from Cheboygan, giving a presentation and practicing their drumming as part of downtown Fab Friday festivities. Women’s […]