Shipping Strike Averted

The Great Lakes Sailors Union has decided not to strike against two steel-hauling fleets this year. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports, a strike could have been disastrous for an otherwise strong shipping season:

Lake Champlain Demoted

Lake Champlain didn’t last long as a Great Lake. Earlier this month, Midwest lawmakers were miffed when Champlain was designated the sixth Great Lake. Last week, the Senate voted to demote the lake and as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Martha Foley reports, this week the House is expected to agree:

Commentary – Champlain a Great Lake?

Earlier this month (March, 1998) President Clinton signed a bill declaring Vermont’s Lake Champlain as one of the Great Lakes. The move was engineered by Senator Patrick Leahy in order to make Vermont universities eligible for federal research dollars. But the move created a firestorm of ridicule and protest. Last week, the Senate voted unanimously to remove the designation. The House is expected to do the same this week—a move that pleases Great Lakes Commentator Julia King:

Great Lakes Story – An Enviromentalist Remembers

People who study and cleanup the Great Lakes spend a lot of time talking about their work. But they don’t always talk about why they do the work they do…Or about their personal connections and memories of the Great Lakes. But for environmentalist, Elaine Marsh, the memories of the Lakes flow constantly through her life:

Synthetic Wine Corks Popping Up All Over

The art of wine-making is thousands of years old, and the practice of closing the bottles with cork has been the industry standard for at least three hundred years. But corks can crumble or leak and for years, wine-makers have been looking for alternatives. Now, they may have one. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson has the story:

Snowmaking Keeps Slopes Open

For Midwestern ski centers, this past winter has been disastrous. Driven by El Nino, the resorts have been hit by warm weather and a lack of snow. But now, even in the first weeks of spring, one New York ski center is still running strong. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Carol Colella (cah-lella) reports:

Great Lakes Shippers May Face New Fees

The U-S Coast Guard has resurrected a proposal to make commercial shippers pay for ice breaking and buoy-tending services. But industry officials say it’ll cause an unfair burden on Great Lakes shipping companies. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports:

Potato Plague Resurgence

The fungus responsible for the Irish Potato Famine that claimed more than one million lives in 1840 is back and stronger than ever. Scientists are warning American potato growers to beware. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel has the story:

Commentary – Cutting Paper Waste

Remember the paperless society? As we all know, it never really happened. Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Bob Lilienfeld knows why, and has some suggestions on ways to cut back on the ever-increasing avalanche of paper used and thrown away: