VELKOMMEN / VERBOTEN

Summer 2019, cars lined up for the ferry on State Highway 42. (WIFL photo)

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

Washington Island and its residents have been pleased and proud to welcome visitors for 170 years.

That welcoming attitude may have come to an end with a Town Board meeting, Friday, March 20.

Washington Island greeted spring by holding a meeting with 26 persons present in the Community Center gym, where fifteen or so chairs were set out on the basketball court, six feet apart. Town Chairman Richard Tobey stated a rational argument for protecting Island residents' health by encouraging  isolation, and at the same time, expressing concern for the health of anyone who might seek refuge and hospitality within this island's rural setting, now in reality a false refuge some might otherwise perceive as "idyllic."

His concern stems from the Island's lack of sufficient health support and supplies, and the means of treating and testing individuals who may exhibit Coronavirus symptoms. There is a total lack of facilities, beds, etc. in which afflicted patients may be treated.  Even our nearest hospital facility, in Sturgeon Bay, would soon find itself taxed beyond their means to provide care, should an outbreak of the virus occur.

Noting that we cannot block entry to Washington Island by ferry, we must continue transportation for necessities of life, yet at the same time reducing all non-essential travel.  Tobey noted that "Our Town may be legally challenged later by some.  But I do not wish to have the deaths of any resident on my hands should we have a Corona virus outbreak here, having ignored measures reasonable and possible to help stem the spread of that disease."

Those words admittedly reflect this writer's memory in paraphrasing what Chairman Tobey said, as the exact words he spoke, and those comments and questions from audience members, were often inaudible to an otherwise attentive audience, seated within the acoustically-challenged, cavernous gymnasium.  Unfortunately, no microphone or amplification was employed.

Following a presentation of the resolution, summarized in slides of the text, Town of Washington Resolution 2020-06 was then passed by unanimous consent:  Andersen, Foss, Jorgenson and Tobey voting Aye, Lux being absent, with the vote recorded by Clerk Carpenter.

Tobey then offered to modify a statement in hand made by the Town of Beaver Island, using words and phrasing that echoed the many points already outlined in Washington Island's formal resolution. It is a reader-friendlier version, he noted, minus the Whereas, Wherefore and Therefores.  That more readily understandable version is what is reprinted below, in its entirety.  

We should not ignore Tobey's comments about how essential certain services are, as will be the health of the people who provide them.  He named Mann's Store, the Island Clinic, the Ferry Line, and (following a gentle reminder by Co-op Manager Robert Cornell) the maintenance of our electrical grid by the REA crew.

I've heard expressed over national telecasts recently how isolation brought about by this virus strangely also brings us closer together.  We synchronize in our hearts and minds with those we know and love and rely on.

There may be no question that this virus and its aftermath, in community, state and nation, will take its toll.   Not yet comprehended, but of equal concern long-term, will be our economic health.  How many businesses will survive?  Can individuals and families continue to live well?  Will daily activities return to normal soon enough to bring about commerce at sustainable levels?  Those questions will remain to be answered in the coming weeks and months.

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Following is the Town's "Public Statement regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic" dated March 20, 2020:

 To Washington Island full-time residents, seasonal residents, families, businesses, and visitors:

Washington Island should not be considered a “safe haven” for those seeking to avoid the Coronavirus. On the contrary, Coronavirus cases are likely to occur on Washington Island, and the consequences to those on the Island could be more devastating than in mainland locations with greater access to medical resources and supplies. The Island is home to numerous individuals with compromised immune systems, as well as many aging and elderly residents who are at greatest risk. 

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has now been identified in most areas of the U.S., including northeastern Wisconsin. It is highly contagious, and is especially dangerous to those with compromised immune systems. As a result, health officials are discouraging travel of any kind, and local health providers strongly recommend against travel to Washington Island. Beyond the imminent threat of exposure from those traveling in from other parts of the state and country, the Island lacks the medical resources and facilities necessary to provide care to those who may be affected.

Unfortunately, this will impact the plans of those who normally return to Washington Island in the spring, as well as family members wishing to visit Island relatives, and other visitors. Island residents may encounter a delay in obtaining essential supplies, and travel on or off the Island is discouraged. Our Island businesses and services are forced to take special precautions to limit potential exposure and transmission of illness.

For those with no choice but to travel to Washington Island, including those residing on the Island who leave and plan to return, it is essential to take all of the following precautions for self-isolation:

·      Abide by all COVID-19 precautions established by the CDC and other government agencies, as well as the Town Board resolution and transportation companies serving Washington Island.

·      Avoid exposure to other persons at the harbor/marina, and all other points of access. Avoid sharing vehicles and/or riding in others’ vehicles, where the virus can easily be transmitted.

·      Upon arrival, plan to self-isolate by remaining on your private premises for no fewer than 14 days. Like elsewhere in Wisconsin, our food service establishments are unable to provide dine-in accommodations, by order of the Governor’s Office, until COVID-19 precautions are lifted statewide. At time of this release KK Fiske, Karley’s, and Middle Bar are providing limited take-out and/or delivery service, along with limited hours. Mann’s food store, the Mercantile and Death’s Door Fuel remain open at this time.  

·      If you have signs or symptoms of flu-like illness, including fever, cough, congestion, nausea, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and/or body aches and pains, consult your physician immediately and before any travel. Please do not travel to Washington Island if you have any alternatives whatsoever.

Washington Island Ferry Line has established COVID-19 response plans, and will abide by all recommendations from CDC and local health officials.

Coronavirus testing is available on Washington Island. The Washington Island Clinic will continue to operate. Anyone needing medical attention is asked to call the Clinic first, no walk-ins will be accepted. ALL patients will be evaluated over the phone by the provider with on-site visits scheduled for those with acute illnesses or urgent needs. Testing for COVID-19 is available for those with pertinent symptoms.

If you are returning to the Island, please follow the CDC guidelines and self-isolate for 14 days. After 14 days continue to practice social distancing, wash hands frequently, and avoid non-essential travel. 

If you are already on Washington Island and feel that you, or someone else in your family, party or household, are experiencing flu-like symptoms, remain isolated in place (i.e., in your home or cottage) and contact the Clinic for further instructions. Avoid contact with all other persons. If you experience an emergency requiring urgent medical attention and/or are in respiratory distress, call 9-1-1 and alert the dispatcher if anyone in your party or household has flu-like symptoms so that EMS responders can don appropriate personal protective equipment before entering. 

Travel and self-isolation precautions will remain in effect for Washington Island until they are lifted statewide by health officials and state government.

We will update this statement periodically as appropriate.

These websites provide guidelines for dealing with the current health emergency:

Local – Town of Washington https://washingtonisland-wi.gov/

            Washington Island Ferry Line https://wisferry.com/

            Washington Island Community Health Program (WICHP) https://www.facebook.com/Washington-Island-Community-Health-Program-WICHP-334806146564241/

            Washington Island Police https://washingtonisland-wi.gov/police-department/

State - Wisconsin Department of Health & Human Services https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/

National – Centers for Disease Control & Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2Findex.html

If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact:

Richard Tobey, Chairman or 

Valerie Carpenter, Clerk

Town of Washington

(920) 847-2522

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-  Dick Purinton

FAT FLAKES, SLIM SUNSHINE

 A twofer -  Snowfall plus dredging, taken at 8:35 this morning.
According to the weatherman, we'll see some sunshine later today
as this patch of moisture heads to the northeast.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Following Monday's snowfall, which let up in the early afternoon, our temperatures turned colder on the northerly wind, dipping into and staying in the 20s for several days. But, we at least saw sunshine, to help brighten our mood.

Monday evening's moon was terrific, the so-called blood moon. (I had to take Mary Jo's word for this one, a spectacular eclipse seen around 3 a.m.).  I did manage to stay up Tuesday evening (9:30 p.m.) for the moonrise, the official full moon.  It couldn't be missed because its light reflected from the slick surface of the refrozen harbor, brightening up the landscape.

I thought of the second shift crew as they dredged, and how working that evening must have been quite pleasant, given the garbage they put up with in the prior 24 hours.  Made me think of that Van Morrison song, with a local variation: "We get it almost every night, And when that moon gets big and bright, It's supernatural delight, Everybody was dancing (digging) in the moonlight." Or, for you hipsters out there, "digging the moonlight."  (Make your own variations.  It will stick in your head through this day, guaranteed.)

Tuesday evening, moonrise over Snake Island.

Dredging production since the project really got rolling Sunday has been quite good, with only short lapses for movement of the rig, and a blown hydraulic line on the excavator.  Trucks have been pounding the pavement - not an exaggeration.

The roads over which the spoils are trucked have been taking a spring beating, laden with frost and moisture.  The roadbeds are not all that deep to begin with, and as on Lakeview, bedrock isn't far beneath the surface.  Gargantuan potholes have developed, and the Town has been working to fill them with gravel, about the only remedy at this point.

Two Door County Highway dump trucks came in on today's morning ferry, and I can see another in the Northport webcam in line for the ferry, in an attempt to stockpile material for maintaining the roads.  Motorists are advised to go slowly over these roads, warned sufficiently in advance by orange Caution signs.  The toll on island blacktop is always great this time of year, but we'll see even more as the ground is still oozing moisture.

This County Highway truck, wing plow still attached,
was one of two trucks bringing gravel to
the island this morning.  

Why must road gravel be imported to an island famous for stone?

According to Town Chairman Joel Gunnlaugsson, the recommended size of aggregate for road base is larger than that which the Town has on hand (and possibly less sand content).  It is presumed - although I didn't ask - that such costs will be reimbursed with road maintenance dollars identified for road resurfacing in the dredging project funding.

Currently, there is little to no ice in the ferry route.  The large field jammed against Plum Island acts as a stopper in the bottleneck for the time being.  Pieces of drift ice that were problems last week have been blown far enough down the lakeshore that digging has not been affected, even with a southerly flow of wind last night.  A wind shift to the west later today should help to keep the channel open.

Due to the presence of ice in the route, or the threat of it, the Arni J. Richter remains the only ferry operating these days because it can navigate in ice.  And because the ferry schedule of six trips are more or less back-to-back, with little breathing room between departures, special runs for flammables such as fuel must be made in the off-hours.  This was done last evening when two tankers, one for LP, one for gasoline, were transported to the island around 6:30 p.m.

Digging Wednesday evening, without the benefit of moonlight.

This spring's extended winter touches many and varied parts of the island's economy.   In "normal" years the transport of fishermen and boats and trailers,  and of seasonal homeowners who start opening up their cottages, helps jumpstart tourism revenues.   Lacking that influx this year, dredging operations provide a needed boost for many local businesses.

-  Dick Purinton  

CHANGES IN THE WEATHER

DETROIT HARBOR -

First a photo of a bright crisp morning taken last Sunday, following three days of nearly non-stop snow.

Washington Island, for some reason, maybe lake effect, received 8.5 inches of rather wet snow.  It was a strange time, with pavement and patches of ground that remained totally bare because they'd been warmed during the previous week.

Sunshine and warmer temperatures melted nearly all snow, then more precipitation fell today, this time rain.

The overall change in lake level has been positive, an 8 or 9 inch increase since early January and higher during the gale force NE winds of last Thursday.  That afternoon, because of lake swells and not much ice to dampen their motion, the Arni J. Richter landed in the afternoon at Gills Rock, the first time in several years.   By Friday morning it was back again at Northport where, thanks to wind-driven lake levels that ferry was able to back in to the pier for the first time since October.  

We are still hopeful that all ferries will be able to transit the Detroit Harbor channel - if water levels continue to rise to allow business "nearly usual" - by late May.  The shallower draft Eyrarbakki, at approximately 8.5 ft., should be able to begin service sometime next week, after Coast Guard approvals on the installation for rebuilt equipment is granted, and final maintenance details have been completed.

Mike Kahr continued to dredge at Northport, completing work left undone there in early February.  That dredging permit, and the job of breaking and digging rock off the end of the Northport Pier, is finished, for now.  His next project will be for the State Park in Jackson Harbor.  It will impact where the Karfi can land.  He's also been contracted by the State to dredge loose cobblestone accumulated near the pier at Rock Island.

This has been a long winter, but we're starting to emerge from our hole.

April 11, 12 and 13 we received snowfall.  But now when the
days warm, it often reaches close to 50 degrees.

Good news of a different sort

Tuesday night the Town of Washington Board of Supervisors opened bids from three contractors for the job to dredge the Detroit Harbor channel.  The requirements were for three separate funding scenarios, so each bid package contained three different proposal figures.

There is more review to be done by the Town, assisted by their consulting firm Foth Environmental, before a contractor is named.   But, good news at this point is that each of the bids came in lower than we had anticipated, and it appears the bids might allow for doing the entire project in one, continuous effort.  They range from approximately $3 million (low bid) to $4.7 million (high bid).  Added to the contractor fees will be costs to repair Town roads, engineering and construction oversight fees, and a 15% project contingency.

East Side Road, Sunday morning April 14..

No official award has yet been made by the Town, but that should be forthcoming once finer details of the bids have been vetted.

State officials ought to find this basic set of bids well within their acceptable, affordable range, and Washington Island's citizens would be very surprised - and disappointed - if given these figures the State won't follow with project approval, then funding, over the next several months.

-  Dick Purinton

  

PRE-BID CONFERENCE HELD

Aerial view of Detroit Harbor - thought to have been taken
prior to 1964, as lake level approached record low.  
Shallows south of ferry dock were dredged in 1964, and spoils
were dumped along shoreline (currently location of
 island ferry terminal).  Appendage at Kap's Marina extending toward
channel was not yet constructed.
At lower left:  Green Bay Road and access road to Potato Dock.
(Ferry Line archives photo)

Washington Island, Wisconsin -  

A pre-bid conference for the Detroit Harbor dredging project was held in the Rutledge Room of the Community Center Thursday, March 28 at 10:30 a.m.  

The 90-minute conference with discussion was followed with a drive to inspect the probable trucking route, the Town spoils receiving site (adjacent to the waste transfer facility), and the spoils off-loading site at the Potato Dock.  Potential contract bidders were able to see first-hand the island facilities and locations that will be used.  Concerns regarding bid specifications were encouraged to be aired in the presence of the Town's engineering consulting firm, in order to provide clarification.  Each contractor was given a bound specification book prior to the meeting that included bid requirements and questions to be answered in order to submit a qualifying bid.

Sealed bid documents must be received by the Town of Washington no later than 4 p.m. Monday, April 15.  These will be opened at a Special Meeting of the Town Board, 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 16th.

If and when funded, the project start date would be no earlier than August 1, 2013, beginning with site preparations for receiving dredge spoils.  Digging and trucking would not begin before the close of Labor Day weekend, 2013.   Then, depending upon the project options selected and funded, the project could be completed as early as Memorial weekend of 2014, or it could extend beyond the summer of 2014 (with no trucking during peak summer months) concluding in late 2014.  The fact there are numerous project options, each requiring separate bid information, raises many potential questions. Clarification of contractor expectations was an important reason for the in-person conference.

In order to first qualify as a bidder, each contractor had to demonstrate that their company owns or manages the necessary equipment and has the expertise to handle such a project.  Barges, cranes or similar mechanical digging devices, and the successful completion of a project of at least 25,000 cu. yds. within the past three years, were among those qualifying requirements.

The Detroit Harbor project is sizable, both in terms of yardage and cost.  It is estimated 135, 457 cu. yds. will be dredged if the full project depth and dimensions are funded.  (One option includes widening the channel by 20 feet; others call for completion in consecutive funding years, at different project depths.)

The final engineering study recently completed under a State of Wisconsin grant late last fall helped to further define the project scope.  Foth Infrastructure and Environment, LLC was awarded that contract.  Their bidding document addressed the range of basic information a contractor should know before submitting a realistic, informed bid.

Because State funding for this project is still in question, and the dollar amounts of the project aren't yet exactly known (but is believed to fall in the $9 + million range) bidders were asked to submit their bids based on three option packages.  The project could be one, large continuous project - interrupted only by winter - if all of the dollars needed were granted at once.  Or, the project could be split into two phases over different funding years and at different project depths.  Those variables and uncertainties make it difficult to plan such a project, and it also requires faith on the part of an interested bidder to participate when funding and timing is uncertain.  From the State's funding point of view, having an actual contractor bid helps legislators and administrators to identify appropriations for WDOT.

Answers to the pieces of a fairly complex project were needed in order to better define the project.   One example:  in order to analyze bottom material that may be encountered, a number of core samples were taken in late December.  Those core samplings help a contractor determine what sort of equipment will best do the job, how difficult the digging might be, and in turn, how long it might take to complete the project.  Each miscalculation could markedly add to the project expense.

Much of last Thursday's discussion centered around offloading, trucking and dumping of spoils.  All phases - for which the selected contractor assumes responsibility - must work smoothly along with digging, in order to efficiently use equipment and labor.  Trucking will involve many hundreds of round trips by dump trucks to the Town's spoil site on Gunnlaugsson Road, and this activity is viewed by experienced contractors as the "choke point" of such projects.  If trucks can't keep up with the supply of dredged material, then it doesn't matter how fast material can be dug.  The actual trucking route, possible restrictions on hours for trucking, and the inevitable road damage that results from repeated, heavy traffic were among the concerns expressed.

Toward the close of the meeting, Foth moderator Ken Potrykus said it will take coordination of all parties involved in order to accomplish the goals of this project.   

Besides two Foth representatives who moderated the meeting, three marine contractor companies were represented:  Roen Salvage Company of Sturgeon Bay; Luedtke Engineering Company of Frankfort, Michigan; and Gro America of White Lake Dock and Dredge, Montague, Michigan.  Also present were Town Chairman Joel Gunnlaugsson, Town Supervisors Randy Sorenson and Tom Jordan, and audience members Lonnie Jorgenson, Mike Kahr, Hoyt Purinton and Richard Purinton. 

Attendance was mandatory for interested bidders, so that any questions and concerns regarding bids, and the responses, could be fairly addressed in an open forum.

-  Dick Purinton

DREDGING HOPES CONTINUE

Virtually every commodity needed to sustain the 
Washington Island community is transported by ferry, 
in addition to daily carriage of vehicles and passengers.

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

Were it not for regular ferry service, island commerce and island living would be much different.  And were it not for a serviceable entrance to and from port, with sufficient depth to permit frequent and safe passage, that lifeline ferry service could be interrupted.

The Town of Washington's recent application for a Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation (WISDOT) Harbor Assistance Program (HAP) grant was turned down, but there are several reasons to remain optimistic, and to redouble efforts in obtaining project approval.  The elements are in place and a base of knowledge has been gathered.  It's a matter of finding the right funding sources, or combinations of support, that will move the project forward.   

Recent discussions by state and federal officials concerning the Town of Washington's application for dredging, at a meeting held in the Rutledge Room of the Island Community Center, Friday, June 22,  recognized the potential calamity that suspended or restricted navigation would cause should the lake level continue to drop.  It was further recognized that at this point there is no imminent danger of ferry service interruption due to depth, they said.  And an increase in channel depth through abundant rain and snow fall could also occur.  But it is just as likely the lake level could drop even further.

The funds that were requested to execute this dredging project, approximately $7.6 million,  exceeded the WISDOT HAP dollars available.  There were five other project applicants after those same dollars, and the available funds were split among three applicants.  One or more applicants had been rejected for a previous application.

The Detroit Harbor project, in order to be accepted, would either need to be scaled back, made less expensive, or applied for in two, separate funding cycles.  A stronger and more conclusive case also needs to be made for getting this work done now, before lake levels drop further.

The possibility of funding with tax revenues from two fiscal years is being reviewed for feasibility. There is extra cost in mobilizing equipment for two separate project contracts.  Doing so could also impact island roads over a longer period of time with heavy truck traffic.

There were questions regarding the Town's project application.  A crisis is not yet at hand, but is there a likelihood a low water crisis could occur in the next year or two?   What do long range lake level predictions tell us?   The general consensus among members of the citizen review was that this was a worthy project.  But in order for this to proceed, further engineering needs to be furnished to arrive at more exact dredge spoil quantities.

Another question asked was, what type of bottom material would be encountered?   Might this channel accumulate silt within a 10 or 20 year period and have to be dredged again soon?   From dredging experiences and from numerous core samples that have already been taken, sediments of rock, clay and muck predominate.  There is no sand or gravel.  There has been no silting since the federal channel was dredged in 1937.   Would the type and quality of dredged material be useful for beach nourishment?  The likely answer to reusing dredge spoils on beaches is no, because they would lack the clean material useful for recreational shorelines.

The question was asked, how can engineering go forward when there is yet no approved state project?  The HAP grant program will fund final engineering, but only after the project has been accepted for grant funds.   The state will not provide engineering funds for projects that may not receive approval for construction.

Keep the project moving

There is greater momentum on the Detroit Harbor dredging project than ever before, with increased knowledge and interest on the part of principals representing state, federal and local agencies and governments.  It seems most useful to keep this project alive, even if that means the Ferry Line offers to help fund the additional engineering.

That is what the Ferry Line recently offered to do.  On July 3rd, the Ferry Line signed a contract with Foth Environmental for a continuation of their professional services, a figure that could approach $13,000, to provide finer project detail.  Through this sponsorship, the Ferry Line as a corporation recognizes that its vessels are a major user of this waterway.  We have long held that the Detroit Harbor federal channel is a highway, with both public benefit and public responsibility.  It is, in the end, the public's burden to maintain an essential channel for navigation.

For those who may still be skeptics, and who think that somehow this project will bestow special privilege or profit to the Washington Island Ferry Line, let us be clear:    there is no profit to be gained in dredging, nor is there profit in damaging vessels due to shallow waters.  Likewise, there will be no profit if ever we are forced to operate at reduced capacity, in an effort to avoid touching bottom.

Additionally, the immediate impact of lower lake levels to WIFL operations will be in late fall, winter and early spring, when lake levels are typically at their annual low, and the presence of ice requires use of our deepest draft vessel, Arni J. Richter.

Sufficient water depth and room to maneuver are the very basics of ferry transportation, and there are many cities, counties and states that have placed dollars on the line to attract or sustain regular ferry service.  Channel improvement is a rightful goal to be supported by all of Washington Island citizens, as well as the State of Wisconsin.

In pursuing all possibilities of action, we can't excuse the federal government, which dredged the channel in the first place and has ultimate responsibility for maintaining the charted depth.  But as a practical matter, the process of obtaining federal funding is difficult and lengthy (2016 or 2017 at the earliest, and then only if fast-tracked and accepted) and competition with other, larger ports for federal dollars is stiff.  Then there is the matter of cost benefit.  In this category Washington Island has difficulty proving that dredging dollars are well spent, that they will bring an effective return over time.

The best argument, it seems, is that without dredging, this community, its citizens and properties, will be up a creek at some point with low water.  When that happens, Washington Island will become a liability to the State.

To further facilitate getting this project done, State Senator Frank Lasee has suggested placing a special bill before the state legislature.  We're pleased to have his support, and Washington Island residents ought to back his efforts, whatever he determines is the most expedient course for funding.
       - Dick Purinton