June 20, 2021  Solstice Celebration
 Nathan Altman and Sarah C. Mueller and crew erected a magnificent art sculpture at Paradise Bay, Beaver Island, Michigan today.  The Inner Sun Project sculpture was unveiled near the recently named “Best Harbor in the U.S. at Paradise Bay, Beaver Island.  Beaver Island Municipal Marina, North is next-door neighbor to the Inner Sun and the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce.  Chamber director, Paul Cole was on hand with a small gathering of thirty people, just dropping in to see what was happening in the harbor.
Cole said, “Beaver Island has always possessed an “inner sun”  within its pristine environment,  peaceful and quiet shorelines and in the self-reliant and friendly people.  This sculpture adds more.”  Photos below,  Residents and visitors gather to view the sculpture.  Left, the hands.  Right,  Nathan Altman, securing the structure.
Why Beaver Island?

St. James Township Campground to Start Renovations in the Spring The St. James Township Campground, located just off Donegal Bay Road on Beaver Island, will begin a major renovation and addition of facilities this Spring. Currently the campground is for rustic camping only with a policy of “first come first served’; has three pit toilets; and a manual water pump which services 10 lovely rustic camp sites on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.

​Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. In March, bids will go out for the addition and development of a full-service bath house with flush toilets, sinks and showers for both men and women. Six of the campsites will be upgraded to electric. While the rest of the camp sites will remain rustic, there are future plans to expand the number of rustic campsites to include a group gathering site which can house multiple tents and campers. The campground will be renovated with the plan ...Click below to read more...

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go to www.stjamestownship.org to read all the news from St. James Township

​The Clarke Historical Library, a part of Central Michigan University, is pleased to announce that over the next few months The Beaver Beacon, published between 1955 and 1958, will be digitized and made freely available online.
 The Beaver Beacon  was begun in 1955 by the Beaver Island Civic Association. Individuals who paid for a membership in the Civic Association received the newsletter. Each issue was filled with the news of the Island happenings, contact information for servicemen and women, weddings, births, deaths, birthday and anniversary celebrations and school events. It was run as a public service more so than profit-making venture.
 

BelowThe Northern Lights were visible on Beaver Island, March 13 and 14th, 2021 and clearly seen with the naked eye as a white gleaming display of towers and bars across the harbor.  Glimpsed as a pearly spread of light across the Northern tip of the island and farther,  skywatchers saw the lights rise up and down from 9 pm-1:00 am on both nights from the St. James Township Campground, down East Side Road, Sloptown road and from behind the CMU boathouse.  
In the camera, a long shutter exposure captures and reveals the colors not seen by the naked eye,  as illustrated above and below in the phots by Cynthia Hector-Johnson, editor of the NorthernIslander news.  Watch for more geo-magnetic activity beginning March 18th and onward, as the earth experiences a new cycle of solar activity that sometimes causes amazing displays of this un-earthly phenomenon. Below:  as seen in the camera and with plain eyeballs...

The vaccine rollout is being centrally managed, federal to state to county/regional health departments. Health department of Northwest Michigan is the group that’s had jurisdiction for vaccination clinics and is the one with access to supply. The health center has been completing all the necessary paperwork to provide the vaccine once it’s available for local distribution. The White House just (March 11th) ordered that health centers will now be able to provide the vaccine to rural and under served communities.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/.../fact-sheet-president.../
“Community Health Centers: Today, the Administration announced that over the next six weeks the Administration will deliver vaccines directly to up to an additional 700 community health centers that reach underserved communities, increasing the total number of participating community health centers across the country to 950. These health centers serve low income and minority patients, provide services to rural communities and Tribal communities, and many will utilize mobile vans to deliver services.“     Link to the Official Website:  Fact Sheet: President Biden to Announce All Americans to be Eligible for Vaccinations by May 1, Puts the Nation on a Path to Get Closer to Normal by July 4th | The White House

Covid-19 delayed the process of a grant that would have completed improvements to the St. James Township campground this Spring.  The grant was extended and now St. James Township Board members and the planning commission forged through paperwork and more delays to keep the project going.  The campground will be closed and the completion not known until the bidding process is completed as soon as possible.  Bid packages were available at the township offices and work will go forward once that process is completed.   More information to come soon!

Hurry and register for exciting classes at CMU this summer on Dark Sky Island!  "Anyone can register for one of our workshops, you do not have to be a CMU student.  Workshops we are offering this summer, says CMU Director at Beaver Island,  John Gordon. 
Beaver Island Bird Diversity during Migration (2 credits)
Introduction to Observational Astronomy (1 credit)
Stream Ecology (1 credit)
Emerging Issues in Water Resources (1 credit)  Read more for information on the Astronomy class...