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Expert supports wall
A nationally recognized expert in sea wall construction says the structure being built by National Gypsum at the site of a huge cement kiln dust deposit is adequate for the job of preventing further erosion into Thunder Bay.
The sea wall is scheduled for completion before the end of the year.
Guy Meadows, professor of naval architecture and marine engineering at the University of Michigan, came to Alpena as a resource partner with Technical Outreach Services for Communities. The organization is affiliated with Michigan State University and is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Meadows studied information on wind and waves in this area of Lake Huron along with the wall design proposed by National Gypsum. He found that most waves come from the southeast and average 3 feet in height, although they can be from 5 feet to more than 20 feet during severe storms. To handle that type of wave action, the wall's armor stone must weigh at least 2 tons. The wall being built on this site has armor stone between 3.8 and 6.5 tons each.
"The slope of the structure, and by slope I mean not only the finished slopes but the underlying slopes and the excavation that is going to occur, is good standard engineering practice," Meadows said. "Given all that, the revetment (sea wall) should withstand the natural forces expected at Alpena. It should have an expected minimum lifetime with reasonable maintenance of about 50 years. It should prevent slumping of land behind the revetment, which is the overall purpose of the revetment, and it should have minimal effect on the adjacent areas."
He said, however, that without a proper maintenance plan this wall will fail over time. Waves crashing into the wall don't break down the wall, but causes soil to erode from under it at the toe, the place where the wall begins its slope on the lake bottom.
"No engineering structure is forever. The purpose of the structure is to provide sufficient time to take care of the problem behind the structure and keep that material from coming in (to the lake)," Meadows said.
Daniel O'Neill is vice president of BBL engineers, hired by National Gypsum. He said the company currently is working on a maintenance plan as required by the federal permit for construction. He also said another 3,000 feet of wall is set for construction next year at the water's edge of the lower sections of the cement kiln dust pile.
On a related issue, John Vick, an environmental quality analyst with the Department of Environmental Quality, said a study of the contaminants in both the land and water portion of the cement kiln dust pile is completed and will be presented to the public during a special session in a few weeks.
In the meantime, a 16-pound copy of the land portion of the study is available at the Alpena County Library. Soon the water portion of the study also will be there. Then, in about six months time, a list of remedies for the pile, associated costs and recommendations will be produced by the DEQ, and then also presented to the public.
Following the session, David Bassett, a spokesman for Marx Layne, hired by National Gypsum and BBL as a public relations firm, said Meadow's presentation confirms information provided by National Gypsum's experts.
"Well, I think that there are a couple of recognized experts in the world on structures of this sort and Dr. Meadows is one of them," Bassett said. "Another is Baird & Associates, the designer of this wall. So, we are very proud of the structure and we think it can take anything that nature dishes out, and I think Dr. Meadows confirmed that evaluation. Dr. Meadows said it was three to four times stronger than it needs to be and that's the way Baird & Associates designed it."
Bassett said he did not take exception to any part of Meadow's presentation on the wall's design or the forces it must withstand.
"I think it was right on the money," Bassett said.
State superintendent salary soars
State Superintendent of Schools Arthur Ellis got a raise worth $27,000 a year Thursday. But since he plans to step down within months, he's not planning to collect much of it.
The Michigan State Board of Education, meeting in Alpena, voted 5-3 to give Ellis a raise from $118,000 to $145,000 effective Oct.1. The board wants to pay his replacement even more to attract strong candidates.
With one board member dissenting, the board also voted to establish a salary range of $150,000 to $165,000 for the position. Board members and others thought candidates might doubt the credibility of the board if the advertised salary range was so much higher than the current superintendent's salary.
Ellis, who plans to step down as soon as the board can replace him, did not ask for the raise. In fact, when he presided over last month's meeting he ruled out of order a motion to give him a raise.
"Now that you've done it, thank you," he remarked at Thursday's meeting, prompting laughter from the board and the audience.
There are four Democrats and four Republicans on the board. Democrats generally favored a lower salary range for the new superintendent while Republicans favored a higher range. Republican Eileen Weiser said the board will have to pay a higher salary if it wants to attract a top-notch superintendent. Democrat Kathleen Straus argued for a lower salary range, saying the higher range could anger state lawmakers.
Lee Pasquarella, a consultant hired to help with the superintendent search, told the board members a higher salary range would attract better candidates. He said he had one person in mind who would not even consider taking the job at Ellis' current salary.
"At $150,000 - yeah, she'll consider it," Pasquarella said.
When it came to a final vote, only Democrat Marianne McGuire voted against the $150,000 to $165,000 range.
During the discussion, Ellis warned the board members not to get distracted by political differences with Gov. John Engler. He explained after the meeting he is a friend of Engler and has implemented many changes the governor made in the education department.
None of that is relevant to the superintendent search, he said.
The board and officials from the state education department spent two days in Alpena during which they hosted a dinner for local education officials followed by a public forum Wednesday. They also toured local schools.
It is the third meeting the board has held outside of Lansing this year, but the first time the board has met in Alpena.
Don't grin, but still bear it
MIO - Black bears in Northern Michigan are not just surviving but thriving, which has led to more property owner-bear conflicts.
Elaine Carlson, a wildlife biologist at the Department of Natural Resources Mio office, said the DNR has received more complaints than usual.
"They (complaints) are up substantially across all Northern Michigan," Carlson said.
Humans are bears' only natural predator, and hunting is the main tool for controlling the bear population. "In the past, we have been relatively conservative with the number of permits that have been issued, and we have been continuing to increase those numbers of permits," she said.
Occasionally, bears become a nuisance to homeowners.
Carlson said rural homeowners need to remember it is they who are encroaching on the animals' habitat, not the other way around.
But if a bear is getting into garbage or bird feeders, a homeowner can help rectify the problem by eliminating the food source. Don't leave bird feeders out at night and clean up seed on the ground, get rid of the tempting garbage and feed the dogs indoors are some of her suggestions.
Bears have been known to walk up on decks or porches for a few licks off the grill. So, it's important to put the grill under cover if you live in bear country.
Carlson said the public should call the DNR when a bear is particularly pesky. DNR officers will use "hazing" methods to run off the bear.
As a last resort, the DNR will trap and remove the bear, she said.
Bears also cause problems for agriculture because they are attracted to beehives and farm crops.
Possible solutions include installation of an electric fence around the beehives.
A problem for farmers is that bears like humans love an ear of sweet corn. Carlson said this is more difficult for the DNR to solve. "Once one leaves, there's another one that moves in," she said.
She encourages farmers with bear problems to allow a hunter on their property.
She estimates there are 14,000 black bears in Michigan with approximately 2,000 to 3,000 in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. Although the state has increased the number of bear permits, Carlson expects only about a 15 percent success rate. "Bear hunting takes a certain amount of skill and a tremendous amount of patience," she said.
In 1993, the state had 16,000 applicants for bear tags, and this year there were almost 50,000 applicants, she said.
The DNR has changed its permit system this year to boost a hunter's chance to obtain a permit in future years. If a hunter does not receive a tag this year, he gets a preference point. "This is something the bear hunters had wanted. They were not willing to go any longer with just luck of the draw," Carlson said.
Accumulating preference points increases the chances a hunter will receive the tag in the future.
Hunters who do not apply for a bear tag three consecutive years will forfeit their preference points.
Bear season in Northern Michigan's red oak unit runs today through Sept. 28, when hunters can hunt with bows or firearms; from Oct. 6-12 is for archery only-no dogs.
Because of the numerous requests from our online readers, The Alpena News has added the following page: OBITUARIES |
Huron-Manistee National Forest fire coverage is here.
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