Opening Day at Locks

Last Sunday the Soo Locks opened for the 2010 season. The opening came early this year because the shipping companies needed to get transporting goods and spring came early which allowed shipping to resume with minimal difficulty from ice.

A good group of devoted boat watchers arrived in the Soo Saturday evening and Sunday morning to witness this annual rite of spring. The Locks generally open at midnight but this year the official opening came at 7 am much to the delight and comfort of boatwatchers.

The first boat was the Lee A. Tregurtha. This boat has a wonderful story of its past including time in World War II where she saw battle time. When she returned from the Pacific theatre, she was refitted for life on the Great Lakes by lengthening and getting ready to carry peace time supplies.

The Edwin H. Gott was one of several other boats to take advantage of the early opening day as she came up the river later in the morning.

So boat watching is in season now and the Soo is a great place to get up really close and see the boats.

From Asia to Michigan

My parents attended a presentation at the Bayliss Library on Thursday night about the Karen immigration to Michigan. My mother said it was very interesting. The Karen people have suffered greatly and have moved from several regions. A group of them have settled in Sault Ste. Marie. You can read a short story from the Soo Evening News at From Asia to Michigan.

A more detailed article can be found at Karen refugees describe their lives in Burma.

I can't wait to read more of these people and I welcome them to the Soo.

Winter Day in the Soo

The latest report from the Soo states that there is lots of snow. That's from my mother and father. My father is working hard to keep the driveway cleared and the Christmas decorations uncovered from the heavy snow.

I found an interesting picture of the Soo in the winter on-line today and you might find it interesting. The Soo in Winter. Enjoy

Sault Tribal Chairman Heading to Washington

Sault Tribal Chairman, Joe McCoy, has been invited to the White House by President Obama. He will be attending a Tribal Nations Conference today. There are 564 Federally recognized tribes in our country and the Sault tribe is the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River.

That is amazing to think our Sault Tribe is that large and now the Chairman is bringing the concerns of the Tribe, which seem to be mainly financial, to the attention of the President.

The Tribe is one of the largest private employers in the area as well with over 1700 employees. I'd like to read more about the effect of the Tribe and its operations on the economy of the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

Salmon Fishing that Rivals Alaska

I read an article on-line this morning detailing the glory of salmon fishing in the St. Marys River. Pink-chinook salmon says that salmon fishing near the Sault rivals fishing in Alaska.

Here is a description of river fishing from a guide. Even describing a new hybrid species called the pinooks.

Happy fishing to all of you. I'd love to hear your best 'fish story'.

"When pinks first showed up 30 here years ago, they ran every other year, like they do out west," said John Giuliani, a St. Marys River guide. "Now they run every year. One year there are huge numbers of them. The next there aren't as many, but they're bigger. This is a year for the smaller run, but they're just pouring in right now, and we're seeing a lot that go 4 to 6 pounds."

In the past week, anglers also have caught several fish that look like pink salmon but weighed 8 to 12 pounds. Fish that size almost certainly are pinooks, the hybrid that looks like a pink on steroids.

"They're amazing," Giuliani said. "They get their size from the chinook side, but they look just like a pink. We're really doing well on them on flies right now, mostly caddis larvae, and there's hardly anybody on the river. We're out here today and there are, what, two other anglers?"

Gershwin Program

Last night I spend a wonderful evening enjoying the music of George Gershwin at the Soo Theater in the Sault. The program was performed at the theater which is being renovated by community activists who are restoring the building to its former glory. It was built in 1930 as a vaudeville and silent movie venue. You can read about the project and also the many events held there at Soo Theater Project.

The entire show was well-done with high quality performances by some local singers who were joined by some very strong voices with Soo connections. The program was written by Mike Dempsey who grew up here. His skill on the piano was the highlight of the evening for me.

Freighter's Restaurant

Yesterday we took our family which includes my parents and our son, his wife and four grandchildren, to Freighter's Restaurant which is on Portage Avenue right across from the Locks. It is in the Ojibway Motel which is also the Ramada.

The view from the restaurant is beautiful and we could see boats entering and leaving the Locks.

This summer Freighter's has breakfast specials. There was a choice of french toast, pancakes or 2 eggs with either eggs, bacon or sausage to accompany it. It also included some fresh fruit. It was plenty of food and a great bargain for only $2.99. I recommend it for a relaxing, delicious breakfast.






The dining room was not crowded and our waitress encouraged us to sit and relax as long as we wanted.