From the Publisher…As we begin the new year after celebrating Jesus’ Birthday at Northshore Publishing we are excited about all of the opportunities we are finding to share just a
little of some of what the Northern Great Lakes Region has to offer its residents and tourists. We live in a region that is truly second to none in what we have to share and offer people of all ages and demographics. Read the full post »
Posted by greatlakeslifeandtimes on December 28, 2011
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/from-the-publisher/
My husband’s company recently told everyone that massive layoffs are coming, and they should start looking for other jobs. Right now, all of his options are out-of-town. A real estate agent told us we’d have to remodel our kitchen in order to sell the house. We’ve got $3,500, but remodeling would take about $2,000. Should we get a second mortgage to get the work done?
Pamela
Dear Pamela,You might want to get another opinion. Sure, a new kitchen would be nice, but is that the end-all, be-all? Either way, there’s no way I’d go into debt to make this happen. Your house isn’t even on the market yet. There’s no reason to fix up a house that’s not for sale, especially when you only have $3,500 to your name!
There is, for sure, a financial storm brewing on your horizon. Start right now living on rice and beans and saving up piles of cash to build a bigger umbrella.
Wait until he actually lands another job before you make any big decisions. What if something pops up where you are? If you end up moving, then you might take $2,000 from savings to fix up the kitchen and get the house sold. Don’t do it unless you’re going to pay cash, though! You don’t want a second mortgage hanging over your heads, making everything even more difficult.
—Dave
My husband has been transferred again in his job. Right now, we have three houses and about $60,000 in other debts. He just found out that he can borrow against his 401(k) without hardship at the beginning of the year. Is this a good idea?
Yvonne
Dear Yvonne,Three houses? Do you buy a new house every time you move? You guys need to stop doing that. The “other debt” isn’t the problem. It’s those houses that are killing you!
I would never recommend that someone borrow against their 401(k) just to pay bills. It might be a different story if you were facingforeclosure or about to file bankruptcy, but that doesn’t sound like the case here. I think you’ve just made some really bad decisions, and these decisions are following you around and messing up everything else.
Most of the time in situations like this I have to say: “Sell the car!” In your case, it’s: “Sell the houses!” I know the market isn’t great in some areas, but these things are eating you guys alive. You’ve got to put some effort into getting rid of them. Then, start living on a really tight budget and clean up the other debt!
—Dave* For more financial advice please visit daveramsey.com.
Posted by gllteditor on February 22, 2012
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/back-by-reader-request-dave-says-column/
by Larry Chabot
With one-fourth of the country unemployed in 1933 (45 percent in the U.P.), the nation faced losing much of its youth to total dissolution. One of the first acts of the Roosevelt administration was establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps “to conserve our precious resources … [and] take a vast army of the unemployed out into healthful surroundings. We can eliminate at least the threat that enforced idleness brings to spiritual and moral stability.”
There were Civilian Conservation Corps scattered across the Upper Peninsula during the Great Depression. They turned hopeless, poorly schooled, unemployed young men into healthy, confident, skilled workers.
The first camp opened in Virginia on April 17, 1933. Within two weeks, there was one at Raco near the Soo. A week later, there were six, and eventually 123 of various size and length. About 50,000 young men went through the U.P. system, over half of them Yoopers. Initially, they came off welfare rolls, had to be 18 to 25 years old, and willing to work to improve our forests and streams. Nationwide, there were over 2,500 camps training three million youth, with an average stay of nine months.
Mindful of Roosevelt’s charge to foster “spiritual and moral stability,” a religious element was added to the system. In her excellent book Proud to Work, author Annick Hivert-Carthew wrote that camps initially welcomed nearby ministers. These clergy, however, weren’t familiar with the stresses of camp life or the boys’ backgrounds, so in 1935 the CCC began hiring chaplains.
The Fort Brady District, which oversaw U.P. camps, hired a district chaplain for its Soo headquarters, then added five more full-timers. In addition, there were part-time ministers and volunteers from nearby towns. Using clergy from a variety of faiths, all camps held weekly services. Chaplains also helped run recreational programs, officiated at sporting events and at weddings of CCC boys to their sweethearts, taught in education classes, and conducted Bible studies. They were known to round up pianos for camp music departments.
CCC boys were welcome at nearby churches; some camps drove the boys to services which were often followed by social hours and entertainment. Services were even held at Isle Royale camps in Lake Superior. Rev. Alex Tamminen of Mass City once drove his wife and “nine pretty girls from Mass City” to Camp Pori to entertain with a musical program. Chaplains also buried the dead; a boy from Camp Pori in Houghton County, who was hit by a car, died in the Ontonagon Hospital. The entire camp turned out for his funeral in Ontonagon.
One prominent cleric was former Newberry resident Ellis Youngdahl (pictured). He rose to the post of district chaplain after serving at five other camps in the peninsula.
When the program ended in 1942 (with a war on, it was tough to find campers), the CCCs could look back on a successful run. The youth were tougher, healthier, better educated, more self-confident and self-disciplined, and had learned a trade, how to live in groups, and how to take orders. They improved the land, saved themselves, and – through the wages automatically sent home – they saved their families.
“Best thing ever happened to me,” they said, one and all.
(Larry Chabot has chronicled the U.P.’s experience in the Civilian Conservation Corps in his book Saving Our Sons.)
Posted by gllteditor on February 9, 2012
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/they-saved-our-sons/
Lake Huron become hockey central in mid-February on 16 acres of ice.
(St. Ignace, Mich) – One of North America’s largest pond hockey tournaments is about to heat up the ice on Lake Huron. The Labatt Blue UP Adult Pond Hockey Championship gets underway February 17-19, 2012 in St. Ignace, Michigan.
Whether wielding a stick or cheering from the sidelines, attendees marvel at the spectacle on ice, where 16 acres are cleared by zamboni and divided into 30 rinks just steps away from downtown St. Ignace. Read the full post »
Posted by greatlakeslifeandtimes on January 20, 2012
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/st-ignace-gearing-up-for-one-of-americas-largest-pond-hockey-events/
ST. IGNACE, MI - The gravity-defying world of ice sailing will draw athletes from around the world to St. Ignace in February, when the World Ice and Snow 
Sailing Association (WISSA) holds its 2012 championship in Michigan.
WISSA, launched in the early 1980s, alternates its annual championship event between Europe and North America. The event glides back into the United States for the first time since 1995 when it lands February 20-26 in St. Ignace. Read the full post »
Posted by greatlakeslifeandtimes on January 5, 2012
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/beauty-and-speed-on-ice-world-ice-snow-sailing-championships-will-delight-spectators-in-st-ignace/
On the sandy shore of Lake Superior at the foothills of the Porcupine Mountains
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Posted by greatlakeslifeandtimes on January 4, 2012
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/mountain-view-lodges-gallery/
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Nothing is permanent but change. This is especially true with technology. Some of us do our best to escape it, while others embrace it wholeheartedly. The tricky thing is, it is becoming more and more difficult for the tech-shy to get away from it. Even if you don’t want it, technology may be forced upon you. Mediums that were at one time in every household are now all but gone. Have you seen an audiocassette player, a turntable for records, or a VCR for sale anywhere lately? Are they even serviceable anymore? These have given way to MP3 players, Blue Ray, and other digital formats.
Try shopping for a television these days. There are Plasma, LCD, LED, DLP, 3D and all kinds of other letters to learn before you walk out of the store with a new TV. Once you get it home, do you have the right cables to hook it up and do you know how to use them? The prospect can be mind boggling. Even common household appliances like refrigerators can be connected to the internet now. Good grief, my toaster has a computer in it!
What about the telephone? You don’t have to go back very far to remember the rotary dial telephone that was hooked to the party line. When I was a kid, I only had to dial four numbers to call my Dad at work. Then along came the cell phone. At first, we couldn’t understand why we would need one. However, it has quickly become a fixture on our belts or in our pockets. Some of us are so addicted we have been accused of having them surgically attached to our faces. It doesn’t stop there. Now getting a phone with buttons is tough. They have given way to smart phones with glass touch screens. Many of the “old school” phones with buttons can’t even be serviced anymore. Our phones are little computers that could fly spacecraft, given the right programming.
The emergence of the technological age is relatively new. Even some of the basic things that we take for granted were not developed until the twentieth century. Most of us wouldn’t think of the ball point pen as a technological innovation yet it wasn’t reliably mass produced until the 1940’s. The first handheld calculator wasn’t designed until 1967. This means my favorite muscle car of all time, a 1965 Pontiac GTO, was probably designed with a slide rule. This brings up an interesting question. How to make the leap? Can we embrace the now and future world by entrusting our schedule, our business, our family photos and a host of other important things to a computer, smartphone, or other new fangled gadget and still keep our sanity? Making educated choices can go a long way toward boosting our comfort level.
Probably the most bewildering part of all this gadgetry is the sheer enormity of options. It can be overwhelming for even the most tech savvy buyer. Start by making some decisions before you go shopping. Ask yourself the following questions:
No set of questions can guarantee success with every purchase or decision but this simple checklist can cut down on the vast array of choices available and make your selection process less stressful.
You may think that the capabilities of modern electronics far exceed your needs as a user but your smartphone, iPod, or tablet, can spell freedom in many ways. Imagine holding your office in your hand, accessing your local library when you are miles away on vacation, seeing your family members’ faces on your phone screen at the touch of finger. All of it is now available and learning to navigate it has many rewards. If you are interested in discovering the potential of the gadgets you own, or are considering buying, this column is intended to help you with that. We will be addressing questions regarding how to choose and use specific things such as televisions, cellular phones, tablets, laptops and the like. We hope you will enjoy reading and find the information helpful as you navigate the new technologies available to you.
Clear View Hand Held Services
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Posted by gllteditor on January 3, 2012
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/tech-corner/
WARNING : THIS COLUMN IS GOING TO INVOLVE WHAT MY MOTHER USED TO POLITELY REFER TO AS “MATTERS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE DINNER TABLE.” By the way, the “dinner table” meant any time you were seated with a group of people at a table eating food. Never-the-less, you have been warned.
If a person were being diagnosed for diabetes in the Middle Ages, physicians used to sprinkle a urine sample near an ant hill to see if the insects were unusually interested. Chinese physicians were known to taste urine to see if it was sweet. If you are healthy (and it is fresh), urine is probably sterile. Not that I would recommend it to anyone.
I am 58 years old and learned about a year ago that I am Type II diabetic. This means that either the cells in my body are insulin resistant, or I am not producing enough insulin. Either way, my blood metabolism is such that my body is not able to effectively use glucose which finds its way into my system after I eat. That means I have to modify my diet so that I nourish it but not eat too much of certain foods to make my blood glucose too high and cause my body to injure itself in order to deal with the excess sugar or glucose that I have in my system.
I don’t have to take insulin, but I do take a pill that is supposed to enhance my body’s ability to create or use insulin. I hope that I never get to the point that I have to take insulin, however I know that if I do, I am dealing with a very, very powerful substance. Upon taking it, will open the floodgates in my blood and the impact of the glucose I have in my system will be instantly put to use. If I don’t eat something within six to ten minutes of taking insulin I could have a condition known as hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which could result in my becoming comatose real quick.
Okay. Why am I writing this and why would I think that anyone would want to hear about it? Statistically, One out of three people that you know is a diagnosed diabetic, walking around undiagnosed as a diabetic, or is at risk for diabetes because of their health or genetic background. I’ve come by my diabetes honestly. My dad was diabetic, but I don’t think that I lived my life in a fashion that should have put me in a defensive mode. I can’t do anything about that, however I can tell you about the symptoms and ask each one of you to see if you experience anything like them, which means you should go to a pharmacy and buy a pre-diabetes testing kit or ask your physician to order a blood test at your local hospital or health laboratory. If the drug store tests say you need to talk to your doctor then by all means, get off your butt. Some symptoms include (but aren’t limited to) :
Extreme thirst. Put me next to a chilled jug of Buffalo Johns Spring Water and I can easily go through a gallon per day no problem. As good as that water is, most people would agree that the thirst was just a bit excessive.
Craving Sweets. I never had a sweet tooth until the last five years or so of my life and it seemed as if I didn’t meet a Snickers bar I didn’t love or a bottle of A&W Root beer which didn’t need to be consumed. In fact, while on the road, if I saw a place I could stop and get fresh-from-the-tap A&W Root beer I would consume a gallon in a couple of hours
Vision problems. My visual acuity seems to be deteriorating, at least at night.
Numbness or variance in normal sensations. The bottom of my left foot seemed to go numb on me and the pattern of numbness would occasionally change. I also felt a slight tingling in three of the fingers of my left hand for a period of time. It seems to have gone away. Both of these are symptoms of Neuropathy which is nerve damage your body has undergone as a result of dealing with a metabolically high blood sugar level. Glucose is supposed to be transmitted throughout your body for use as energy and when it sits in your bloodstream, it somehow has to be removed and that waste removal process is not how your body is designed. That glucose is to be used for energy. One of the ways it leaves the body is. . . well. . . reread the paragraph about the anthill.
Weight problems including the inexplicable gain or loss of weight. On top of all this, I am 5’11” and in the range between 172 and 180 lbs. If I do say so myself, this is not all that overweight and as I dictate this to you, I know that I can get in the water and swim five miles non-stop. I haven’t been in a pool or trained for almost a year. I am not in bad shape.
All of these symptoms were present for the last five years of my life which means that for four years I was undiagnosed. Women are generally better at taking care of their bodies than men so to some extent, I am preaching to the choir with you. On the other hand, you men out there (if you are anything like me) believe that you are ten feet tall, bullet-proof and the only reason why your hair is thinning is because hair does not grow on steel. Of course you feel like you never have to go to the doctor. You are wrong
Diabetes and a host of other diseases do not get better with age. Man up and go to the doctor and find out why you have been feeling so sluggish.
Remember, it’s the journey and not the destination.
Posted by greatlakeslifeandtimes on December 31, 2011
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/im-not-as-sweet-as-i-used-to-be/
Traveling from West to East across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula you get the feeling you are experiencing America in its earliest days. More affectionately
known as the U.P., it is 16,452 square miles of wilderness (mostly) inhabited by black bear, deer, moose, bobcats, snowshoe rabbits, beaver, porcupine and various other forest fauna. Read the full post »
Posted by greatlakeslifeandtimes on December 28, 2011
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/spanning-the-u-p-east-to-west-by-jen-varecha/
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It’s the dead of winter in Northern Michigan. The festive lights of the holiday season have faded away. The green leaves and bright flowers of spring are still months in the future. The snow-covered landscape is about as colorful as a pencil sketch. Read the full post »
Posted by greatlakeslifeandtimes on December 28, 2011
http://greatlakeslifeandtimes.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/a-heart-light-in-the-dead-of-winter-by-mark-shevy/
