Latest news with #EdmundFitzgerald
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Her canvas is cookies
Mar. 26—This is not exactly cookie decorating season — though last week's St. Patrick's Day usually brings us cookie shamrocks with green frosting. Still, with graduations on the horizon along with Easter, Mother's Day and other opportunities to celebrate, a Rochester woman is making a name for herself and earning a reputation for creating amazing art with frosting. I'm calling her the "cookie artist" and here's why: A few weeks ago a local study group heard a presentation on the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, among other vessels. Chris Cross brought cookies as a snack, and we soon saw these were not ordinary cookies by any means. They were all decorated in a palette of colors resembling a shipwreck, complete with waves washing over the ship's sides. Naturally there came a chorus of "ohs and ahs" and we soon found out that not only were they amazing to look at but delicious to eat as well. So, who was the talented creator? Eva Harmon, a bookkeeper at Mayo Clinic Hospital-Methodist, who is new to Rochester. Prior to moving here she had a thriving cookie business in California, then Mississippi and hopes to do the same here. Cross found here through Harmon's fiancée who was fixing Cross' garage door and gave her a few Halloween cookies. "They were amazing," she says. "I knew I needed to order some for the study group event." Harmon initially came to this business through trying to get cookies to decorate for her niece's first birthday. She ran into a few roadblocks and decided to just do them herself. That was eight years ago and it's been going strong ever since. "Fortunately my job is finished every day at 2, so I have the afternoon and evening to do the cookies." As friends and family saw what she could do the rush was on and her business took off. While many home-bakers do a great job with decorating cookies, Harmon takes it to a whole new level. Those first birthday cookies were elaborate snowflakes, an immediate hit. Knowing she had found a niche, she set out to learn everything she could to make her creations unique. "I studied the internet, watched videos, watched YouTube, and just practiced," Harmon says. It certainly paid off. She has literally decorated hundreds, if not thousands, of cookies for just about any occasion you can think of — birthdays, graduations, wedding showers, baby showers, you name it and she has probably provided the cookies. She even had a recent order from a customer in Mississippi. Harmon puts a tremendous amount of time into each cookie, some taking as many as 20 minutes per cookie to decorate. "It's a process, " she explained. First there is the actual baking of the cookies and letting them cool completely. Once that happens she "floods" them with an icing that acts as the base for the actual decorating. Often then she lets them sit for a day to be totally dry. Then the decorating takes place. A perfectionist, this takes quite a bit of time, depending on what the customer wants. Her frosting of choice is Royal Icing, a favorite of professional bakers as well. What has been her biggest decorating challenge? "Creating Teen Titans for a young boy's birthday. It took me days but I got them done." (I had to look up what those were.) Interesting her cookies are never frozen and she wraps each one individually. Another interesting aspect of her creativity is what she can do with cookie cutters. "I love to see how many different shapes I can get out of one. For instance a simple cupcake cookie cutter can be flipped over and turned into a gnome." Have you even seen Santa as a lumberjack? She's even done that. You'll likely want to see for yourself what she can do. Her business is called Sugar Coated and she can be reached at 559-719-5869. Post Bulletin food writer Holly Ebel knows what's cookin'. Send comments or story tips to life@ .
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wreckage Of SS Western Reserve, Lost In 1892, Discovered In Lake Superior
We love a big boat, don't we, folks? From MV Evergiven to MV Mark W. Barker to good old MV Golden Ray, big boats are typically good for hours of family entertainment. Sometimes, however — especially if you have the honor of living in the Great Lakes Region — there's a darker side to messing around in boats. Somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 shipwrecks litter Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior, and the lakes have claimed the lives of roughly 30,000 mariners and passengers since we started keeping records. While Lake Michigan has the most shipwrecks, and Lake Erie has the highest density, Lake Superior has, perhaps, the most famous. There are nearly 600 vessels scattered across the bottom of Lake Superior, everything from nameless barges and tugs to the legendary Edmund Fitzgerald herself. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located on Whitefish Point — a spit of land every bit as dangerous as the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn — along Lake Superior's southern shore in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. There are nearly 200 shipwrecks within spitting distance of Whitefish Point, including the aforementioned Fitz. So many, in fact, that locals call it the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes". One of these long-lost vessels, SS Western Reserve, has eluded discovery since she disappeared in a late-summer gale in 1892. In 2024, however, Darryl Ertel — Director of Marine Operations at The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society — discovered a wreck in 100 fathoms water some 60 miles northwest of Whitefish Point. It was a large vessel, broken in half with the bow section resting on the stern at a roughly 45-degree angle. At long last, the Western Reserve had been found. Read more: There's A Relic Runway From America's Failed Supersonic Future Hiding In The Everglades SS Western Reserve was laid down at the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1890. One of the first ever lake propeller-driven lake freighters made entirely of steel plate, she was built for financier and shipping magnate Peter G. Minch's Minch Transportation Company. She was 301-feet long, 42-feet abeam, drew 21-feet of water, and had a crew of 26 officers and men. The ship's power plant was a thoroughly modern CSC triple-expansion steam engine that gave her a top speed around 12 knots, or 14 miles per hour. She was, by all accounts, a stout, fast, well-built ship that promised to revolutionize bulk shipping on the Great Lakes. Built to break cargo shipping records, Western Reserve entered service in late 1890. For the next year and a half, the big vessel carried countless tons of bulk cargo—typically iron and other bulk ores—without incident. She quickly gained a reputation for speed and safety, and was nicknamed "the inland greyhound". Unfortunately, her career was cut tragically short when, in 1892, she was lost in a Lake Superior gale with only one survivor. In late August of 1892, SS Western Reserve set sail from Cleveland, Ohio, under the command of Captain Albert Myer. She was in ballast and headed for Two Harbors, Minnesota, to pick up a cargo of iron ore. Along with her officers and crew were embarked her owner, Peter G. Minch, and Minch's wife, children, sister-in-law, and his sister-in-law's daughter. The weather was fair, and everything looked fine for a late-summer cruise across Lake Superior. By the time Western Reserve reached Whitefish Bay, however, the weather had started to turn rough. Captain Myer gave the order to drop anchor and wait out the weather. Eventually the winds died down, the ship weighed anchor, and they set off again toward Two Harbors. The lull in the weather was a fakeout, however, and the ship was hit by a massive squall at around 2100 hours that evening. She foundered in the heavy seas, and as Captain Myer gave the order to abandon ship, Western Reserve broke in two and sank. Two lifeboats were launched, and all officers, crew, and passengers escaped the doomed ship. Sadly, one of the lifeboats capsized almost immediately. The other lifeboat, containing Minch, his family, and a handful of crewmen, rescued the two survivors from the capsized lifeboat and made its way into the eye of the storm. They were almost rescued in the night by a passing steamer, but without any flares aboard, the passing ship's lookout missed the tossing lifeboat. The next morning around 0730, the lifeboat approached shore near the Deer Park Lifesaving Station, but rough surf capsized the boat less than a mile from shore. Only one person survived, Wheelsman Harry W. Stewart of Algonac, MI. The rest, including Minch and his family, drowned within sight of salvation. Western Reserve's foundering and the loss of her owner and his family sent shockwaves through the Great Lakes shipping industry and community. The disaster was even covered by the New York Times. At his post-rescue debriefing, Wheelsman Stewart's description of previously unreported metal fatigue throughout Western Reserve's hull and the rapidity with which she broke up suggested shady dealings on the part of Cleveland Shipbuilding. An investigation turned up evidence that CSC had used steel contaminated with sulfur and phosphorus in Western Reserve's construction. The addition of those elements to the steel made it weak and brittle, unable to stand up to the constant abuse of the Great Lakes shipping season. Nearly two months later, SS W.H. Gilcher, a ship of comparable size and speed to Western Reserve, disappeared in northern Lake Michigan with the loss of all hands. Gilcher had been built at the same time as Western Reserve and with the same steel. Outrage at the loss of both ships, a beloved ship's captain and his family, and the ensuing contaminated steel scandal led to serious changes in the laws governing what materials Great Lakes freighters could be built from. In late summer of 2024, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society research vessel David Boyd, under command of Director of Marine Operations Darryl Ertel, discovered an unidentified wreck northeast of Whitefish Point. "We (were) side-scan looking out a half mile per side and we caught an image on our port side," said Ertel in a story posted on the GLSHS website. "It was very small looking out that far, but I measured the shadow, and it came up about 40 feet. So we went back over the top of the ship and saw that it had cargo hatches, and it looked like it was broken in two, one half on top of the other and each half measured with the side scan 150 feet long and then we measured the width and it was right on so we knew that we'd found the Western Reserve." Once the results of the Sonar scan were analyzed, GLSHS performed a handful of ROV (remotely operated vehicle, think a small, remote-controlled submarine covered in lights and cameras) missions to the wreck site. Researchers confirmed the identity of the wreck as the Western Reserve using the ship's known dimensions and the existence of some identifying artifacts including the vessel's bell, foremast, and port-side running light. The Western Reserve's starboard running light — the only artifact ever recovered from the ship — washed ashore not long after the disaster and is now on display at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio. Discovering a long-lost Great Lakes shipwreck is always satisfying, especially when it's one that researchers have been after for so long. It's also quite sobering, and a reminder of just how deadly the Great Lakes can be. "Knowing how the 300-foot Western Reserve was caught in a storm this far from shore made a uneasy feeling in the back of my neck, a squall can come up and anytime." Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Yahoo
Michigan turns 188 on Sunday. Here are reasons to celebrate our 'water winter wonderland'
What do you get a state that has "everything" for its birthday? Michigan turns 188 on Jan. 26, and it already has matching left and right mittens. Michigan residents will have to make do with five Great Lakes, the birthplace of the Motown, tart cherries, 400-plus breweries, 103 state parks, 300 waterfalls, and too many other attractions to keep track of. Native Americans have lived in what is now Michigan for millennia. After Europeans came to North America, the state passed between the French and English before becoming part of the U.S. On Jan., 26, 1837, Michigan officially joined the union, surrendering a bit of Ohio (yay) for the entire Upper Peninsula. Michigan, known as the Wolverine State, was the 26th state to join the union. The capital is Lansing, since 1847; prior to that, Detroit served as capital. Michigan now is home to about 10 million people. If you need a reason to celebrate, here are 10, just in case: In Rudyard Township, in the eastern Upper Peninsula, snowy owls make themselves at home in the winter. The township and the Michigan House passed resolutions calling the township the Snowy Owl Capital of Michigan — they even have a sign, so that makes it pretty official. Snowy owls spend summers far north of the Arctic Circle hunting lemmings, ptarmigan, and other prey in 24-hour daylight, All About Birds says. Sometimes the largest North American owl flies from the deep north to the Upper Peninsula. With bright white feathers and striking yellow eyes, they have a reputation for being difficult to spot, but the chances are greater in Rudyard. Paradise, in the Upper Peninsula and Hell, in southeast Michigan, are about 240 miles apart. Google maps suggests it's about a five-hour drive, mostly down Interstate 75 and U.S. 23, but as everyone knows, a lot of things can distract you on your way to Hell and make the trip longer. The late Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald in song after the ship sank in November 1975 in Lake Superior. But the ship certainly isn't the only one to founder in the lakes' late-season storms. "An estimated 6,000 vessels were lost on the Great Lakes with approximately 1,500 of these ships located in Michigan waters," according to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy website. At Whitefish Point, at the end of the road north of Paradise, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum offers tours of shipwreck exhibits, including the Edmund Fitzgerald. The site also includes one of the oldest lighthouses on Lake Superior, operating since 1861. In Michigan's thumb, Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park, near Cass City, protects and interprets Michigan's largest known collection petroglyphs created by Indigenous peoples. The carvings — called ezhibiigaadek asin, "written on stone," in the Anishinabe language — remain culturally significant to many Anishinabek. "Michigan is one of 10 states with the largest population of Native Americans. The Ottawa, Ojibway, Chippewa, Potawatomi and others have a significant place in Michigan's history, both as groups and individuals," according to the Library of Michigan says. In Baraga County, northeast of L'Anse, is Michigan's highest point, Mount Arvon. The peak stands 1,979.238 feet above sea level. It's not the easiest place to reach, and four-wheel drive is definitely recommended. It's not clear how the mountain got its name, but it lies within Arvon Township. The township, according to Wikipedia, is named for an area in Wales. Not far to the northwest is Houghton-Douglass Falls, which falls 110 feet from top to bottom in Houghton County. The falls are on state land, but not officially within a state park. The area remains mostly undeveloped. Woody the Woodchuck is among Michigan's weather prognosticating representatives. Woody lives at the Howell Nature Center's Wild Wonders Wildlife Park in Marion Township and word is he's prepping for his upcoming Feb. 2 decision — a shorter winter or more cold weather. We're all watching closely. On the Detroit River near Detroit, the J.W. Westcott acts as a post office on water, delivering mail to large cargo ships passing by since 1847. President Donald Trump this week signed an executive order declassifying a large number of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Many hope the release will clear up lingering questions about Nov. 22, 1963. At the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, guests can view cars used to transport previous U.S. presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The 1961 Lincoln Continental presidential limousine that Kennedy was riding in with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connolly when he was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963, is a major attraction. "Michigan's coast accounts for approximately 62% of the total coastline of the Great Lakes basin," theDepartment of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said The impressive freshwater shoreline is the longest in the U.S. and is home to more than 300 coastal communities. With all that shoreline comes the need for lighthouses to keep ships away from danger. Michigan has more than any other state. According to and Wikipedia, there are dozens of Michigan natives who have excelled in the music industry, including: Stevie Wonder, from Saginaw Aretha Franklin, from Detroit Eminem, from Detroit Madonna, from Bay City Bob Seger, from Detroit Iggy Pop, from Muskegon Smokey Robinson, from Detroit Diana Ross, from Detroit Big Sean, from Detroit Grand Funk Railroad, from Flint Ted Nugent, from Detroit Alice Cooper, from Detroit This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan celebrates 188 years of statehood. 10 things to know about
USA Today
26-01-2025
- USA Today
Michigan turns 188 on Sunday. Here are reasons to celebrate our 'water winter wonderland'
What do you get a state that has "everything" for its birthday? Michigan turns 188 on Jan. 26, and it already has matching left and right mittens. Michigan residents will have to make do with five Great Lakes, the birthplace of the Motown, tart cherries, 400-plus breweries, 103 state parks, 300 waterfalls, and too many other attractions to keep track of. Native Americans have lived in what is now Michigan for millennia. After Europeans came to North America, the state passed between the French and English before becoming part of the U.S. On Jan., 26, 1837, Michigan officially joined the union, surrendering a bit of Ohio (yay) for the entire Upper Peninsula. Michigan, known as the Wolverine State, was the 26th state to join the union. The capital is Lansing, since 1847; prior to that, Detroit served as capital. Michigan now is home to about 10 million people. If you need a reason to celebrate, here are 10, just in case: Arctic visitors make Michigan home in the winter In Rudyard Township, in the eastern Upper Peninsula, snowy owls make themselves at home in the winter. The township and the Michigan House passed resolutions calling the township the Snowy Owl Capital of Michigan — they even have a sign, so that makes it pretty official. Snowy owls spend summers far north of the Arctic Circle hunting lemmings, ptarmigan, and other prey in 24-hour daylight, All About Birds says. Sometimes the largest North American owl flies from the deep north to the Upper Peninsula. With bright white feathers and striking yellow eyes, they have a reputation for being difficult to spot, but the chances are greater in Rudyard. Just exactly how long does it take to get from Paradise and Hell? Paradise, in the Upper Peninsula and Hell, in southeast Michigan, are about 240 miles apart. Google maps suggests it's about a five-hour drive, mostly down Interstate 75 and U.S. 23, but as everyone knows, a lot of things can distract you on your way to Hell and make the trip longer. Love the lakes, but they can be treacherous when the gales of November come early The late Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald in song after the ship sank in November 1975 in Lake Superior. But the ship certainly isn't the only one to founder in the lakes' late-season storms. "An estimated 6,000 vessels were lost on the Great Lakes with approximately 1,500 of these ships located in Michigan waters," according to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy website. At Whitefish Point, at the end of the road north of Paradise, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum offers tours of shipwreck exhibits, including the Edmund Fitzgerald. The site also includes one of the oldest lighthouses on Lake Superior, operating since 1861. Thumb reminds us Native Americans have long lived in Michigan In Michigan's thumb, Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park, near Cass City, protects and interprets Michigan's largest known collection petroglyphs created by Indigenous peoples. The carvings — called ezhibiigaadek asin, "written on stone," in the Anishinabe language — remain culturally significant to many Anishinabek. "Michigan is one of 10 states with the largest population of Native Americans. The Ottawa, Ojibway, Chippewa, Potawatomi and others have a significant place in Michigan's history, both as groups and individuals," according to the Library of Michigan says. From the top, to the bottom, there's plenty to see In Baraga County, northeast of L'Anse, is Michigan's highest point, Mount Arvon. The peak stands 1,979.238 feet above sea level. It's not the easiest place to reach, and four-wheel drive is definitely recommended. It's not clear how the mountain got its name, but it lies within Arvon Township. The township, according to Wikipedia, is named for an area in Wales. Not far to the northwest is Houghton-Douglass Falls, which falls 110 feet from top to bottom in Houghton County. The falls are on state land, but not officially within a state park. The area remains mostly undeveloped. Michiganders are unimpressed by Pennsylvania's groundhog Woody the Woodchuck is among Michigan's weather prognosticating representatives. Woody lives at the Howell Nature Center's Wild Wonders Wildlife Park in Marion Township and word is he's prepping for his upcoming Feb. 2 decision — a shorter winter or more cold weather. We're all watching closely. Where else can you find a floating post office? On the Detroit River near Detroit, the J.W. Westcott acts as a post office on water, delivering mail to large cargo ships passing by since 1847. Trump releases Kennedy docs. You can see the fateful limousine in Michigan President Donald Trump this week signed an executive order declassifying a large number of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Many hope the release will clear up lingering questions about Nov. 22, 1963. At the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, guests can view cars used to transport previous U.S. presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The 1961 Lincoln Continental presidential limousine that Kennedy was riding in with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connolly when he was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963, is a major attraction. Michigan's impressive shoreline provides a sandy spot for everyone "Michigan's coast accounts for approximately 62% of the total coastline of the Great Lakes basin," theDepartment of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said The impressive freshwater shoreline is the longest in the U.S. and is home to more than 300 coastal communities. With all that shoreline comes the need for lighthouses to keep ships away from danger. Michigan has more than any other state. Motown made music, but Michigan is home to many other singers and bands According to and Wikipedia, there are dozens of Michigan natives who have excelled in the music industry, including: Stevie Wonder, from Saginaw Aretha Franklin, from Detroit Eminem, from Detroit Madonna, from Bay City Bob Seger, from Detroit Iggy Pop, from Muskegon Smokey Robinson, from Detroit Diana Ross, from Detroit Big Sean, from Detroit Grand Funk Railroad, from Flint Ted Nugent, from Detroit Alice Cooper, from Detroit
