Some of the best folks you will ever meet live in Michigan's U.P.

Take that headline at face value because I don't believe it is hyperbole. The people that inhabit the U.P. are as kind as the views up there are beautiful. The ongoing Sleeper Lake Fire has provided a chance for more of the state (those of us below the bridge in particular) to see just how wonderful Yoopers are. Today's Detroit Free Press has an article about the Upper Peninsula community of Newberry in particular. Newberry is the largest community (about 2,000 folks) in range of the fire and has been used as a base camp of sorts for firefighters and other necessary workers involved with fighting the fire.

My favorite quote from the article -

"We are Yoopers," said Janet Linck, who owns a Jimmy Buffett-style restaurant in Newberry. "If our backyard is on fire, we'll just go camping in the front yard."

That right there sums up the mentality of Yoopers. Not much seems to faze them and I think that is a fine quality to have.

The fine community of Newberry has had numerous volunteers donating and preparing food for the firefighters. Residents have put up 'thank-you' signs in their yards and most nights as the weary firefighters are returning to their hotel rooms they are greeted by enough clapping and cheering residents that you would think it was a 4th of July parade.

The U.P. is full of the same kind of people that make up the community of Newberry. They are a hard-working group that enjoys the simple pleasures of a slower lifestyle. I think that gives them the time to realize the importance of doing what you can to help others even if your resources don't seem too great. It's amazing what can take place when you band together to get a job done.

One last quote from the article-

Newberry is not a rich community. It is a blue-collar community with heart. You can go for days without seeing a Mercedes, Saab or Volvo roll through. But you can look in any direction and see an American-made truck.

UPmag.net is the voice of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

I was reading about Upper Peninsula businesses at the WLUC TV-6 website and found a listing for UPmag.net. I am always looking for new sources of information about our beloved U.P. so I checked it out. I have to say I am quite impressed. UPmag.net is updated daily with local and national content. Recipes, Opinion pieces, Humor, great outdoor coverage, and a whole bunch of other interesting articles.

You can find all sorts of hidden U.P. gems by perusing the pages (yes, you can actually "turn" the pages of this online magazine) full of interesting tidbits.

I have added it to my list of favorite Michigan websites. It's a great addition to the other U.P. news sources.

UPmag.net

Three stories of interest from Northern Michigan

It is a bit odd, but some interesting stories that have hit the newswire the past couple of days that all take place in Northern Michigan and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. First and foremost is the wildfire that has apparently stalled out after consuming some 18,000 acres of forest. For the first time since the fire began last week, the fire did not advance on Thursday. Fire lines have now ensnared about 70 percent of the fire's perimeter and hopes are high that the fire can be contained and snuffed out without further damage. Locals believe that the fire will not be officially put out until snow blankets the region.

Some sad news from the Mackinac Bridge of an unidentified woman who jumped 175 feet to her death just before 4 p.m. yesterday. There was another suicide at the bridge this past February and in the bridge's 50 years there have been more than a dozen such deaths at the bridge.

Here is a story that, if true, is one of those "how did that happen?" type of stories. An apple farmer and his family were searching for rocks along the Lake Superior shore at Fort Wilkins State Park when they came upon an orange weather beaten life preserver. Further inspection showed the faded and worn name of the ship - Edmund Fitzgerald.

Some are speculating that the preserver was planted by someone for whatever jollies they might derive from it. Is it possible that a piece of wreckage was actually found almost 32 years after the Edmund Fitzgerald sank? I think it is possible and so does a daughter, Cheryl Rozman, of one of the 29 who perished - Ransom Cundy.

The Keweenaw area is rugged and unpopulated and the preserver was found near a fallen tree which could have offered it a hiding place all of these years.

Take a survey about the Michigan state map

We all have one somewhere. It might be current or it could be a decade or so old and crumpled up in one of the recesses of our vehicles. There is no doubt (at least to me) that a state map is a handy thing to have with you. Even with the ease of getting our directions and maps at any number of online sites I still prefer to keep an actual honest to goodness state map on hand. There have been numerous times that the so-called surefire online directions have been wrong in any number of ways.

Incorrect mileage, wrong turns, and going miles out of the way are just a few of the problems with online maps.

Anyway, the state is asking for your opinion(s) on the current state map and what you might like to see in future maps. Head on over to www.Michigan.gov/mdot and take the short (less than 5 minutes - easy) survey.

While taking the survey I found out that it costs $.19 to produce a single map and the state produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 Million maps each year. For those not inclined to do the math that works out to $380,000 a year.

I think the state wants to see if this is money well spent and if they can somehow cut costs. I am sure the state wastes a lot more than $380,000 in other areas so I hope they do not discontinue producing the state map.

What do you think? Is the state map worthwhile?

Upper Peninsula forest fire continues to burn

The fire in Michigan's Upper Peninsula that is believed to have been caused by lightning has now destroyed over 15,000 acres. Thankfully there have been no injuries as of yet due to the fire. Evacuations for some nearby residents is also a possibility. This is the state's largest forest fire since one in 1999 burned just over 5,000 acres in western Marquette County.

The current fire is creeping up on Tahquamenon Falls state park and is also within 6 miles of Newberry. Residents have been informed that evacuations are still a possibility.

See the latest news here -

Via Google News The Marquette Mining Journal