Putting our Best Foot Forward

Open Discussion - for our Readers, Islanders, and Web Site Visitors alike. Discussion regarding any and all aspects of Beaver Island are welcome here. Also a place for general Beaver Island conversation and discussion.

Moderator: Gillespie

JFPowers
Posts: 506
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:15 am

Post by JFPowers »

74% Vacant Stardust. Retail stores base projections on active households, 262 out of 1031 total households. It is on the link I sent these vacant counts are over twice Charlevoix County and 6X the state average.

It is tough to run any sort of business that depends on customer through put and nothing is happening to increase the number of active households and trips such as on the ferry are down 30-40% during the last 15 years.

More folks shop via the internet.

Well... you do the math.....
islandliving
Posts: 526
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 9:10 am
Location: Beaver Island, Michigan

Post by islandliving »

We dug ourselves our own graves by investing in a future that didnâ??t happen. In our parents time much money was made on almost every real estate investments. Now we are all losing. Why is northern Michigan thriving and Beaver Island dead in the water?

John McCafferty
Darby Campbell
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:30 pm
Location: Western Subs - Chicago

Post by Darby Campbell »

An excellent question Mr. McCafferty. One that everyone should be asking and seeking answers for to assure Beaver Island's long term survival.
DC
Ron Wojan
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:36 pm
Location: Beaver Island
Contact:

Post by Ron Wojan »

Hang on everyone. Donâ??t panic. Beaver Island has seen many ups and downs and has always come through with flying colors. Hmmmmmm? What is the origin on this flying colors thing. Is that form our national Anthem or from a ship coming out of battle with itâ??s flags still up (flying). Maybe someone can google that and enlighten us? I love those old sayings and their origins. So much wisdom in them but we ofen take them for granted. If we put Beaver Island on a Wall Street ticker tape, you would definitely see some ups and downs. We are currently recovering from the Great Recession of 2009. But almost everyone is busy right now. Speaking of ships - a good analogy for us- our ancestors with sails only would change direction for awhile (tac) and then head for home when conditions improved. Beaver is no different than the national economy. Itâ??s going to have its ups and downs. Our country has endured a revolution, a civil war, the Great Depression, wars I and II and Vietnam, civil rights, and many other things. Weâ??re still â??flyingâ?￾. Same for Beaver Island. In the mid 1800â??s a self proclaimed King put the Islanders in small boats, shoved hem off and said â??get lostâ?￾. His own followers shot him on his dock in front of Jeff Powers hardware store. I donâ??t think itâ??s a coincidence that the USS Michigan was at the dock that day and the King was going down to talk to them. They took the killers to Mackinaw, where the citizens there carried them on this backs to the jail . The jailers young son accidentally dropped the keys to the cell where they could reach them. Those guys were never found or prosecuted. After some pressure and intimidation, the rest of the Mormons fled in their boats in a mass exodus. The Irish rushed in to fill that vacuum. There were embers in the fireplces and cows in the barns that needed milking. Bonnerâ??s landing was named after Patrick Bonners dad came in a straight line from Wisconsin, hit the beach and went up the bluff and grabbed the 1st Mormon home he found. The Mormons were easily displaced without compensation because they did not consider themselves part of the United States and did not pay taxes . See what happens when you donâ??t pay your taxes. So pay your taxes and be happy that anyhone in this country can own their own land. A principal reason that people immigrated to his country. Did you know that there were 2000 Irish on the Island at one time? The fisherman supplied most of the Midwest with fresh fish. There were 25 net sheds on the Harbor. They brought in the money but the subsistant farmers had the milk, eggs, pork, beef, vegetables, and horses. They didnâ??t eat the horses. The horses did most of the work. The fishing died out. Initially there was an over supply of fish and not enough demand and the price of fish went down to .05 a pound. Then the lamprey eel devastated the fish stocks. When we were kids we would peeks through the cracks on the docks to see the carp go by. Each one had 3 or 4 eels on it. Most of the Island kids had to go to Chicago or Detroit for jobs. They sent cash home so their parents could pay the property taxes. The parents had everything else they needed except they got old. It used to be our job to go out to the farms and help them out up hay and shuck the peas. No electricity, went to bed a dark and up at daylight. Farms are a lot of work. I used to tell my guys, when we had to work in difficult weather conditions, that ever since we came out of the caves and decided to be civilized and live in communities, that we have to have a system with currency, police force and government. Any time you can walk into McDonoughs store, hand them some green paper (money) and walk out with anything you want, then we need to work and get these jobs done. Your other choice is to go back to framing and thatâ??s harder than what weâ??re doing now. Growing vegetables and taking care of a bunch of animals is tough. In Alaska, those people canâ??t stay home in their comfy cabins. They have to trap to make money. Haul their own water, chop their wood and on and on. My Dad came back to Beaver after Island hopping in the South Pacific for 39 months. His brother ED was killed in house to house fighting in Germany. Walter had been working in Detoit but while he was away , my Grandfather Tony Wojan moved to Beaver to do lumbering. He went broke trying to haul logs off in the 1930â??s but came back in th 40â??s with a sawmill and cut the lumber on the Island and sold it to Grand Rapids which at one time was the furniture capital of the world. Tony was a major employer for several years. When he was done he told my Dad to get packed â??weâ??re going back to Charlevoixâ?￾. Grandpa used Beaver Island lumber to build homes and apartments in Charlevoix. But my mother (Vera) was 4th generation on the McDonough side and wanted to stay. When my Dad told his Dad, Grandpa asked him â??what are you going to doâ?￾. My Dad said Iâ??m going to work for th tourists. My Granpa asked â??what the hell is a touristâ?￾ . Iâ??m one of th last employersâ?￾ â?? when they get done moving off this Island there will be you and one Indian pony leftâ?￾. There wernâ??t a lot of tourists then and my Dad continued with the sawmill. Then people came and bought the King Strang Hotel and others bought the Mormon print shop. Dad got jobs repairing the foundations, etc. We did not invite the tourists but welcomed them. People come to Beaver Island because they liked it for what it is. They enjoyed the people of the Island, itâ??s remoteness,itâ??s natural beauty, the boat ride, etc. The rest is History.We were down to 128 people on the Island in the 60â??s . But they kept it going. So weâ??ve been through a lot an weâ??ve survived a lot. And we will get past the current bumps in the road. In the 1960â??s we had very few cabin owners. Today we have many and I think that base will sustain us as we move forward. Some of the Sand Bay cabins are on their 3rd of fourth generations of families that pass these houses on down. They have a great Love of the Island. Patti and I are on the road and we were talking. How low can the student # go and still have a community. Well, pretty low given the base of cabin Owners that we have. Weâ??re not like Mackinaw where their entire economy is dependent on thousands of people per day. But the people that nail the boards together run the boats, etc. , do need a school. Will adjustments need to be made? Of course they will. As long as we donâ??t keep airing the dirty laundry on the forum and chase everyone away. Are there problems be taken care of on the Island. Sure there are. Just like whatever town you live in. I believe the Island will make the (tac) , as our ancestors did , and keep on making it home in the future.
Ronald L. Wojan
meadefamily
Posts: 280
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:35 pm

Post by meadefamily »

Ron

Thank you for sharing! We enjoyed reading about your family and history. The history of BI is rich and fascinating The settlers are strong, hardworking people. This is evident from generation to generation. That trait should be respected and not taken for granted. The forum should be a place to highlight the island and its people, not bring them down I agree! There is something magical about BI. After reading all of your great post summer can not get here soon enough so we can get back to our little piece of paradise on Lake G!

Kathe
Ron Wojan
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:36 pm
Location: Beaver Island
Contact:

Post by Ron Wojan »

Kathy, Very nice. Iâ??ll be waiting with my welcome sign. I appreciate your kind words. Glad youâ??re looking forward to returning.
Ronald L. Wojan
Darby Campbell
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:30 pm
Location: Western Subs - Chicago

Post by Darby Campbell »

Like Mr. Wojan, I think that if the good people of Beaver Island put their shoulders to solving the critical issues facing the island, better times are in the island's future. Wishing everyone the best of luck.
DC
DeerwoodLodge
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by DeerwoodLodge »

Ron's info and history is fascinating and much appreciated.

I've been coming to the island for 20 years now, and every time Ron and I speak I learn new things I had no idea happened, mindsets that existed, ideas that were discussed, etc.

His post this morning was enlightening, especially as it concerned the paradigm shift his father and other family members experienced as the island shifted from its fishing / logging centered economy to embracing a tourism based economy. What his post most underscored for me is that in many ways we are at the door of another paradigm shift on the island. The tourism based economy model has shown itself more and more as a seasonal boost to the island and more & more difficult as a year round boon. It is a steady, reliable boost for 4-5 months of the year. What then is the solution for year round steady economy that sustains full time residents and encourages more to come?

I propose the Chamber and townships investigate the huge quantity of business incubators throughout Michigan, analyzing start up companies, understanding the wealth of companies that have been created in the past ten years and are being created on a daily basis in Michigan that focus on information, information technology, and remote services that don't matter where the 'office' is located. We should assess what incentives, subsidies, tax breaks the County and township governments are willing to dangle for the businesses to located on the island. These incentives are almost always offset by the taxes paid for new property owners, increased local revenues, etc and are always not permanent, but over a period of time in order to draw in and allow businesses to establish themselves successfully. Sell the quality of the school as well, including the individualized instruction, the BI robot team's commitment to cutting edge technology, etc.

Ultimately, a financial incentives package, magnifying the qualities and uniqueness of several different aspects of the island can be put together to seek out and invite businesses to invest in locating here. On the island, there is a hard working in place population eager to find permanent steady work, a community eager to find solutions for growth and economic stability by providing opportunities for a business to locate here at a long term discount, etc.

The bulk of start ups these days are technology reliant, provide remote based services, focused on internet based communications and services, and have no required ties to any specific location, and more importantly almost no overhead based on materials, transportation, etc. In Michigan alone in 2014, 248 new technology companies were started with private investment in tech startups totaling $770million, according to the MEDC. Most of these were located in Detroit, Ann Arbor and other places with business incubators. But what happens when the business outgrows the incubator and gains self sufficiency? These businesses are looking for interesting, unique, inexpensive (due to what at the local governments will give in breaks) and creative places to locate, with almost no limitations on where that might be. All they really need is a reliable and fast wifi signal.

Perhaps we should acknowledge we are at a place where we have to find newer and wider solutions to making the economy of the island hum at a level that supports additional residents, better supports the cost of the school and other public services, in turn assists in bringing property taxes down for those that already have committed to the island, and to supplement the summer tourism economy in a 12 month per year steady manner.

The business are out there, the founders and current employees tend to be young and often generation y and millennials, will have kids in the coming years to contribute to the school's long term viability, and will generate permanent residents AND those that if they leave will return to find a second home, all who utilize the existing services of the island.

I would already be located full time on the island if I didn't have the site specific needs of architecture and real estate development to keep me centrally located with easy access to a commercial airport.

There are probably 1,000 companies in Michigan right now who would locate their headquarters to a hip spot they can hang their hat on with a high marketing and cleverness quotient like Beaver Island who are simply waiting for the information to be shown to them related to the correct package of incentives and subsidies that could add enticement to an already amazing place. The answer is in not waiting for something to come, but going out and finding what we want to come.

California has Silicon Valley. New York has Silicon Alley. We could be world renowned for having Silicon Island!
Ron Wojan
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:36 pm
Location: Beaver Island
Contact:

Post by Ron Wojan »

Sounds very promising Vince, Iâ??ll schedule a meeting at the Community Center this summer. Perhaps beteeen you and other people on the island at that time -we can get started down that road. There are many resourceful people that are on the Island (then and now) that could lend some direction or know the right people to approach. A town hall would give everyone a chance to weigh in on this idea. Thatâ??s probably where we should start. Thank you very much.
Ronald L. Wojan
Mike Finn
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 6:54 pm
Location: Beaver Island, Knoxville Tenn.

Bringing internet based businesses to BI

Post by Mike Finn »

I'm a new (mostly seasonal) resident, one of those retired "tourists", I guess. But I do own a house and pay taxes.

Since I'm off the island now, I wonder: did our internet service provider improve the speed of the internet yet, or is that still promised but not yet delivered.

This sees crucial to the idea of attracting internet businesses.
meadefamily
Posts: 280
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:35 pm

Post by meadefamily »

Mike

I believe some of the internet base businesses on the island use hughsnet service. I know it works on the south end of lake G.

https://www.hughesnet.com

Jeff, the administrator of the forum may have some insight as well.

Kathe
medic5740
Posts: 1108
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 8:28 am
Location: Beaver Island

Location, location, location

Post by medic5740 »

Since there is no way to check the speeds except by contacting the TDS employee here on the island, that is what I did. It is his understanding that the highest speed available in the downtown area is up to 50 down and 10 up. I live in this area, and I am very pleased with the connection speed.

Now, down the island is another story. I understand that the speeds decrease based upon the distance from the office in town. I would talk to TDS and see what they have to offer.

Joe Moore
kat
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 8:59 pm
Contact:

"Individual and Social benefits of Online Forums"

Post by kat »

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 321500268X

"The present research argues that engagement with online discussion forums can have under appreciated benefits for users' well- being and engagement in offline civic action..."

Many good points in this research article.
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