The Last Ride on a Dinosaur?

[XLFD]

A State Senator who Doesn't Know Anything

I read a piece from a State Senator from Grand Ledge, Rick Jones, that surprised me, because it was something I have never heard before from the southern Michigan crowd that thinks the SS Badger is evil.  Surprisingly, Jones is a Republican that should support an enterprise that has a history of true economic growth for the areas it serves, but in this article:  State-Sen-Rick-Jones-asks-EPA-to-respect-Michigan-s-clean-water-laws  he comes out strongly against the Badger, citing very specific Michigan laws to back the EPA's decision:

“The Badger owners talk about going green while asking the federal government for another five years of special exemptions from Michigan law,” Jones said.

In the statement, Jones calls on the federal government to refrain from issuing any "discharge permit for the SS Badger that would result in a violation of our state’s criminal Great Lakes dumping ban."

Michigan law has banned dumping of all substances in the Great Lakes since the passage of the Watercraft Pollution Control Act of 1970, which prohibits the discharge of litter from water craft or commercial vessels. The act defines litter, in part, as waste material, debris or other "foreign substance of every kind and description.”

In 1979, the Michigan Supreme Court upheld the law, saying that “even the ash from an incinerator must be deposited onshore.''

“42 years of illegal Great Lakes dumping is enough time to adjust to market conditions and state laws," Jones said. “The SS Badger can stay in business for another 60 years by either capturing the coal or converting to a cleaner energy source as every other ship in the United States has already done. What it can’t do is thumb their nose at the rule of law.”

Honorable Senator Jones, you are a completely incompetent moron.  The state law you mention, the Watercraft Pollution Control Act of 1970, was completely repealed long ago Act 167 of 1970 , after the MI Supreme Court 1979 ruling that became irrelevant with the laws repealing.  If this was the eighties, you might have a point; as it it, you're trying to assist in the enforcement of a law which has spent around 20 years in a dumpster.

But the EPA still has the Federal Clean Water Act to interpret as they choose, and even though it was just revealed this last week that they have accepted the SS Badger's application for continued ferrying with the old rules in place, their ruling will not come from an unbiased courtroom, but a politicized government agency boardroom.

Riding on a Badger's Back

Be that as it may, me and the significant others-in-my-life took a mini-cruise on the SS Badger a little over a week ago.  Big ship, more fun is their motto, and we had the usual blast in the day and a half vacation across the channel and back.  Since this could be the Badger's last season, we made sure to take a bunch of pictures for posterity, and I include some of those here.  A brief summary of last year's cruise was  related here on the Torch.  But I have more pictures this time.

We got on board the SS Badger just before 9 AM and took a picture of her sister ship, the Spartan Spartan Aport before we took off, taking some pics of the lighthouse from a unique vantage:

Once you get out to the middle of the lake, there's a wide variety of things to do, whether it is watching a movie in the cineplex, shopping at the Badger Boutique, sunning on the foredeck, playing Badger Bingo with local celeb Todd Hansen, watching TV, eating food (pricy but good, plus you can bring your own), or just going to a quiet area and do your own thing with yourself and your family.  We did a variety of activities, winding up at the foredeck and took pics of the 'dancing mariner' that comes out close to Manitowoc:

Obviously from Wisconsin.  Well, you eventually get to see the port of Manitowoc on the horizon.  They also have a lighthouse which is a bit inferior to the Ludington one, I don't care where your loyalties lie:

The boys with the safety patrol jackets come up and tie this big ship (more fun) to the dock.  Today was special because there was a luxury cruiser in port for just a day docked at their Maritime Museum.  We disembarked, went up the roads, going past our favorite Budweiser factory, ate at our favorite chinese buffet, right next to our budget stayover, the local Econolodge.  This is right across from the police station and City Hall, with the municipal pools and I couldn't help but pose for this:

Before being banned by Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickles for an indefinite period for setting foot on that area.  I would use his name later on when the clerk asked me how I would like my 15 cents change.  Seriously, I have a lot of respect for Manitowoc's Mayor, who actually is that City's chief executive.  The youngster had her own time to pose with a local landmark in the downtown area.  Also in the downtown were spread a bunch of gay and festive pennants on the lampposts:

I happened to like more about these than Councilor Nick's useless gold-plated downtown signs in Ludington, at about a tenth of the price.  And, at least, these won't get you lost.  We always stop by the Rahr-West Museum on the way to the local zoo, to get some culture.  Here are some of my favorite artworks available this year:  Bottles   Crazy Colors  Swamp.   I always have to prudishly interpose myself when we go past the greek sculptures within, to annoy the child.

Sadly, they were doing some major work at the zoo, so we got a lesser effect than usual, though we did check out the monkey cage, and all the other animals like the black bear, timberwolf, bison, prairie dog, etc. exhibits.

The next day, we took a look at the submarine at the maritime museum, the dog park (on the way to the lighthouse), a bike path that went all the way to the nearest city, a YMCA, and some interesting architecture like this downtown building and this bank, which reminds me of our now-famous, but vacant, James Street bank.

Getting back on the boat, we saw the loading of turbine parts:

Shortly thereafter, we went back across the lake with a Coast Guard sendoff, we played a little bit on the boat, looking down and looking up, had some good luck playing Badger Bingo, when the youngster got a sailor's cap and took it to heart

But after a bunch of losses, I finally won the very last, and most important, game of Bingo, and got my own cap and restored pride.  We came back into town taking a look at the Old Coast Guard Station until finally getting ready to park.

If you've never experienced the Badger, make sure you take advantage of it before the end of the year.  It's no guarantee it will be around next year.  And we will have some idiot State Senator and misguided EPA members to thank for it.

[Willy]

What's so stupid about Rick Jones' comment and others who want to sink the Badger is that they don't seem to understand that all motors on every small craft on the great lakes dumps their exhaust into the water, thus, there are umpteen thousands of boats polluting the water all during the boating season. The senator himself probably has a boat and is guilty of the same crime the Badger is accused of committing.

[Willy]

Wonderful job of reporting your trip X and you also did a great job on the picture taking. Did you notice how dirty the river water is in Wisconsin as it flows into the Lake?

[XLFD]

I had that pointed out to me by the young one, and I have a picture of the anchor going down around the river mouth, and kicking up a bunch of sediment that made the water look like a diarrheic's toilet.  From a master photographer like yourself, I appreciate your compliment.

[masonco]

Is that the senator with a personal (financial) interest in the ferry that goes from Grand Haven?  Rumor had it that the Senator representing Grand Haven think their ferry will get more business and money once they eliminate all competition specifically the Badger. Course I never figured how Grand Haven's ferry would be dependable enough and able to handle all the trucking traffic especially the overload ones like the parts for the wind towers.

The Badger sails those truckers when the Grand Haven one can't handle the wind which is often I understand. Can this "rumor" be investigated?  If it is true, most people don't know it. Maybe Ludington needs to make it public all over Michigan that the Badger is privately owned and tax dollars funded the one in Grand Haven.

[Willy]

The competing ferry is located in Muskegan. Grand Haven had ferry service a long time ago but not at the  present time. The following link is for the Lake Express. I have always contended that Lake Express is responsible for turning the EPA dogs loose on the Badger because the owners of the Badger protested the fact the Lake Express was unfairly receiving a Government backed loan while the Badger operated solely without any type of Government assistance. Lake Express has never forgotten that and has been seeking revenge ever since.

http://www.lake-express.com/about/about.aspx

The City of Grand Haven has shown support for the Badger and is in fact an ally of Ludingtons ferry operation. While Muskegan  is deeply in bed with Lake Express and I'm sure is also guilty of letting the dogs loose on the Badger. This whole business with the EPA started at about the same time as Lake Express came into existence.

http://www.grandhaventribune.com/content/grand-haven-sends-support-...

[masonco]

Willly thank you for taking to to give the facts. Rumors abound and I really did not know what was true except that some senator keeps hounding EPA to shut down the Badger with the misconception the Lake Express will expand. I did not think they ferried (sp?) cargo like the Badger does. I do know they just see the passengers that ride the Badger and think those people would use their ferry if the Badger was shut down.

Duh...I would not trust the Lake Express and why bother taking that when I have to go to the western part of the UP? I'll just drive then.

[In Dulci Jubilo]

I tend to be on the bleeding-heart liberal, environmentally friendly side of the fence, but for chrissakes, it's the Badger, and I love it.    I don't care if it dumps coal ash, and I don't even care that my house, which lies just a few blocks from the docks, has coal ash embedded in its siding.   I would never recover from not hearing the sound of the ferry coming in to port.   Sheesh, I even cry when it docks for its last sailing of the season.   

[AQUAMAN]

That's a very nice tribute by you both, Dulci, and Willy, very well said, and I concur whole-heartedly, thanks. As for the trip, you pretty much covered it X, except for more pics. uptown, and the Badger interior, but, you did capture the essence. I just hope more will try the experience first, before, deciding which is best. The worst case scenario is great loss of revenues to Ludington every year, more unemployment, and the list goes on, the best is continuing a 150 year tradition of sailing, and as for the pollution? Try looking back at history of 200 years of hundreds of SS Sailing ships and the same pollution, it didn't ruin our Lake Michigan, as those now would portray, this great natural asset revives and cleans itself everyday, all day, just like most of our natural resources, it's called God's Country for a special reason, not just folly, unlike the MDNR, a true rebel of nature, more than an ally.

[AQUAMAN]

Btw, I should say the Lake Express Co. out of Muskegon, that littler ship cannot accomodate the wind turbine parts at all, it's a fast hydroplane type ship designed for passengers and cars only, not commercial shipping. It goes alot faster, but that is to a big city, Milwaukee, and I don't condemn it for that, just saying, it's got alot of public financial help along the way, which the Badger didn't.

[XLFD]

You're right, Aquaman, I did forget to take enough interior pictures of the Badger and didn't repeat some of the pics from Manitowoc of previous years.  In Dulci, I can concur with you about the sad vacancy that will exist at Maritime Drive if the Badger is badgered out of existence. 

[Jane]

iF TAKING THE BADGER ACROSS WHAT IS THERE TO DO For a day or two once there?

[Willy]

Manitowoc is a very nice town. We make the trip every year. Good places to eat and lots of nice shops.

http://attractions.uptake.com/wisconsin/manitowoc/56364159.html

http://www.manitowoc.org/