Much of the industry in the nation’s mid-section relies on
shipments of raw materials on the Great Lakes. Great Lakes ports in the
U-S and Canada handle more than 200-million tons of material annually.
The Lakes are also a source of water and recreation for nearly a third
of
the nation’s population. But, during the last two years, water levels
have
been falling at a record breaking pace. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:
Tag: ships
Sub to Be Tourist Site?
A Lake Superior-based yacht company is selling a Soviet attack
submarine… and it might make some community the proud owner of a
unique tourist attraction. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike
Simonson has more:
Transcript
A Lake Superior-Based yacht company is sellin a Soviet attack submarine. And it might
make some community the proud owner of a unique tourist attraction. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports:
Not surprisingly, this is probably the only Soviet “whisky-class” attack submarine on
the market. A steal at $495,000, says Richard Rose-Oleck of Owen’s Yacht in Duluth.
The 250 foot sub is docked in Sweden, where it’s used as a mueseum. but Rose-Oleck
would like to see soemone or some community in this region buy it and move it for
display.
“I would love to see it in the Great Lakes. Number one, it would last longer, and I
think it would be an interesting exhibit.”
The fresh water in the Great Lakes would help preserve the diesel-powered sub. It no
longer has any of its twelve torpedoes, but the engines work, and the 1955 vintage
craft has been restored.
The submarine has been on the market since December. There’ve been serious inquiries,
including one from Duluth-Superior, the only one from the Great Lakes region. Another
offer is from a private company which would use it as a corporate boat, giving new
meaning to the term, “hostile takeover.”
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Mike Simonson in Superior, Wisconsin.
Seaway Director to Push for Upgrades
The new director of the Saint Lawrence Seaway says he’ll push
Congress for money to overhaul the locks and lengthen the shipping
season. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson has more:
A New Great Lakes Ice-Breaker ?
There’s a breakthrough in getting money for replacing the ship
responsible for keeping shipping lanes on the Great Lakes clear of ice.
A Wisconsin member of Congress says that after six decades of service,
they need to retire the coast guard ice-breaker “Mackinaw.” The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson has more:
Federal Proposal May Drown Farmland
It doesn’t happen very often, but for the last year, a republican
governor, the farming community, and environmentalists have been working
together to protect endangered wetlands, by taking certain farmlands out
of production. But now, a new federal proposal could be separating the
groups. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Jonathan Ahl has the story:
Coast Guard Feels the Heat
A Wisconsin member of Congress is warning the Coast Guard to pay more
attention to Great Lake’s needs. U-S Representative Dave Obey says he
is fed up with what he calls foot-dragging to replace the World War Two
vintage ice breaker, Mackinaw. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike
Simonson reports:
Sailors Find Refuge at Mariner Centers
Every day, thousands of ships dock at American ports. They arrive with
a crew of sailors who don’t know anyone and often don’t speak the
language. At many ports, volunteers run mariner’s centers. They provide
food, clothing, and most importantly, a connection to home. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly visited one of these centers and
has this report:
Great Lakes See Increase in Foreign Shipping
1998 was a record-setting year for foreign shipping on the Great Lakes.
And as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports, the
shipping boom meant an unexpected increase in port jobs and grain trade
for Midwestern farmers:
Screening Out Exotics
Efforts to find new technology to stop the spread of exotic speciesentering the Great Lakes continue, even as some worry that a virus-basedthreat could make its way here. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s MikeSimonson has more:
Relatives Return to the &Quot;Lucerne"
The story of the sinking of the 200 foot long wooden cargo ship"Lucerne" has the familiar tone of other shipwrecks…caught in a Novemberstorm on Lake Superior, it went down with all hands. But this summer, aface was put to that 19th century wreckage, as the family of the"Lucerne’s" captain came to Wisconsin to dive the site and bid him afinal goodbye. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson hastheir story: