The Michip an nDail -3nra il1'O(
1mwiuga vay - tnay,July 0, VV-
ichigLan radio now to produce educational
By Ginnefer Cox has also been named national "Station of the al sector. Dana Sims, who recently graduated from the
tal Stal Reportei Year" twice by the Public Radio Program University students said they are impressed University and is a Youth Team Leader for the
r
The University's public radio system.
Michigan Radio, has decided to branch out
into television production.
Michigan Radio will produce the Great
Lakes Television Consortium which will focus
nvironmental documentaries.
ichigan Radio is the state's largest public
radio system, and has a weekly audience of
lmost 250,000 listeners. It started in 1948.
and reaches over 80 percent of the state.
Since 1996, Michigan Radio has won the
Michigan Associated Press "Station of the
Year" award for four consecutive years. and
Directors.
The Great Lakes Television Consortium will
take its format from the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium, which is also produced by
Michigan Radio.
The GLTC programs will be produced by
Emmy award-winning producer Christopher
Cook, and will be ready for television in the
spring of 2001.
The GLTC will produce two documentaries
on land use issues. Specifically, the documen-
taries will focus on the social and economic
impacts of urban sprawl on cities, and
unplanned land development on the agricultur-
at the expansion of Michigan Radio.
LSA senior Reena Newton said she is look-
ing forward to the educational documentaries.
"I am interested in environmental issues,
and will watch the upcoming programs in
GLTC," Newton said.
LSA senior Kwami Attipoe said he felt it
would be beneficial for Michigan Radio to
produce documentaries on urban issues.
"Urban issues are real issues. I think we're
in a bubble at the
University, and we don't touch on urban
issues much. It would be worthwhile," Attipoe
said.
City of Detroit, said he is enthusiastic about
the GLTC documentaries on urban sprawl.
"Me personally, I would like to see pro-
grams about urban sprawl because it is a sub-
stantial issue in many of today's cities," Sims
said.
"The effects of racism and segregation can
still be felt today as a result of urban sprawl,
and therefore should be publicized as much as
possible," he added.
While initial programming for GLTC will be
on environmental issues, the station intends to
expand into sectors of arts, business, and sci-
ence topics as well.
Power outages on Mackinac affect tourism
I
By David Enders
Daily StaffReporter
MACKINAC ISLAND - After seven days of
intermittent electrical pow,,cr, Michigan's most
popular summer resort is expected to be up and
running on its normal power supply sometime
today, Edison Sualt Electric Co. President Don
SaWruk said yesterday.
Since Saturday, the Island has received
ower from six semi-trailer sized generators
provided and paid for by Edison Sault. Each
generator burns as much as 110 gallons of
diesel fuel per hour.
A state of emergency was declared last
Monday by Island Mayor Margaret Dloud,
which allowed relief agencies to provide
electrical generators to places such as the
Island's medical center, which did not have a
generator large enough to run all of its elec-
trical cquipment.
Neser in the history of Mackinac Island have
le sver faced anything like this." Doud said.
The lack of power left hotels and bars
without alarms and emergency lighting,
prompting Doud to declare a midnight cur-
few, which was enforced from last Monday
through Friday.
"The fire department had some very serious
concerns about alarm systems being out or com-
promised" said Mackinac Island Police
Lieutenant Peter Konblevitz.
Komblesitz also said concerns over the safety
of electric cenerators many establishments Were
usin" and the containment of the fuel being used
to run them led to the curfew.
Six persons were arrested for curfew vio-
lations last week, according to Konblevitz.,
but business owners complied with the order,
closing bars and other establishments by
midnli ht.
The outages began Saturday, July 22, when a
break occu ed in one of the seven cables that
feeds power from St. Ignace to the Island. The
eak caused other "cascading" breaks in the
sbles tnd an eventual fire that severed all the
lines carly Wednesday morning.
What caused the original problem is still unde-
termined, but Edison Sault Vice-President Ernie
Maas said it was "heat related."
" hose things are supposed to last 30 years.'
Sawruk said.
Sunday, engineers frosm Eciisit Sault
Electric Co. and "at least a dozen outside
entities,, some on standby, were at work
'eplacsg all the cabling i both sides of
Lake IHuron, Sawruk said, from the Island's
shore to its substation and from the St. Ignace
shore to the power plant there, a total
more than 2.5 miles of wiring, Maas
said.
Underwater cabling that connects the
Island to mainland appears undamaged
according to engineers' surveys this week
"Everything 'indicates the submarine
cables are fine," Sawruk said.
Senator Walter North (R-St. Ignace)
said the state's Public Service
Commission was asked Saturday by the
Mackinac Island State Park
Commission to review the situation and
how it has been handled, as well as to
look a the possibility of providing for a
power plant on the Island to be used in
ste eseni of future outages. The state '
park on the Island comprises, about 80
percent of the Island's total area.
"'T1ev save requested a reviesw of she
structure both present and future
North said.
Norths said he supports efforts to make
state land available for a new plant.
With a reliable power source appar-
ently in place, the Island's sense of cap-
italism took over. Tourists and Island
residents alike have already been seen A horse and carriage roll by the site where six electric generators are being run to power Mackinac Island.
wearing T-shirts reading "I survived the The Island is expected to be back to using its normal power supply today.
Mackinac Island Blackout" and multi-
ple Island businesses have placed orders for Mackinac. She planned on returning to her Bucholz said.
their own version of the souvenir. hometown of Napoleon, Ohio, last week, for "We've had to make some discounts," said
But as businesses looked for ways to capitalize more predictable employment. Daniel Musser I1, president of the Grand Hotel,
on the problem, they also counted their losses. "We lost five employees this week," said Kirk the Island's largest hotel and largest employer,
The outages invariably cost Island busi- Lipnitz, who is co-owner of Patrick Sinclair's with a staff of more than 500.
nesses money as they attempted to cope with Irish Pub and the Pilot House, both on Main The hotel went two nights without lights in
the situation duriing swhat is traditionally the Street. "Morale is kind of low." its 343 guest rooms before bringing in a pair of
busiest week of the year for the Island, fol- Low morale in many places was combated by generators. Musser said the Grand was provid-
lowing the annual Chicago to Mackinac concessions in employee housing. ing full refunds to guests "within our cancella-
vacht race, when more than 3,000 sailors We're actually cutting them a deal on hous- sion policy."
pour onto the Island. ing. We're splitting the cost of rent right now and "Fortunately, we have returning guests and
Somie were forced to close, others ran on we're feeding them," Golden said. we're being as fair as possible in the hope that
whatever power commercial electric genera- Other businesses that provide their they will continue to return," he said.
tors could provide and restaurants cooked any- employees with housing, such as - but not Overall, the outages and the state of emer-
thing they could prepare on outdoor grills. limited to -- the Grand Hotel and Kilwin's gency declaration did little to slow the flow of
"Yacht race Tuesday ou sales were under Fudge Shops, have been aiding their employ- tourists to the Island.
half of what this business did last year," said ecs in similar ways. "It was off slightly, but not as much as you
Michael Golden, who own the French Manv business people noted that the dilemma might expect," said Paul Brown of Arnold
Outpost Restaurant Oi Grand Avenue. had pulled employees together. Transit, one of the three ferry lines that shuttles
"We lost six figures-- casily " Golden "We've been pretty fortunate," said Robin visitors to the Island from St. Ignace and
said, addin that s40,000 alone was a loss of Bucholz, the general manager of the Lilac Tree Mackinaw City.
inventory. "It definitely is the busiest wek and Chippewa Hotels. "Everybody's stepped up Many tourists found activities that didn't
trith acht races." and is working through it" require power.
Loiss of personnel became a consideration Hotels suffered cancellations from patrons On Wednesday, Linda and Roy Bilsbarrow of
as well. cautious about vacationing with the power out. Crystal Lake, I1. took a bicycle ride around the
Amy Mever, a waitress o the Island, relies "We've had some people hearing the news Island's 8.3-mile perimeter and through the
heavily on tips and said she is uncertain of ald reading about (the outage) in the paper Island's state park, in search of landmarks not
whether tourists will continue to come to and calling to cancel and reschedule," downtown.