West End News March 29

The ice left Sawbill Lake on Tuesday, March 27. This is the earliest ice-out date since records started being kept back in the 1930s. It beats the previous record, set just two years ago, by an incredible 8 days. It is also the first time in history that the ice has gone out in March. Historically, over the last 60 years, the average ice-out date for Sawbill has been May 1.

This mild winter and incredibly early ice-out date are just two more indicators of global warming. The other local signs of global warming are shorter ski seasons, hotter summers, larger and more frequent forest fires, and the disappearance of several species of wildlife, including the moose, just to name a few.

Science has known for at least thirty years that global warming is happening and is caused by human industrial activity. Unfortunately, some of those industries have staged a remarkably effective misinformation campaign over the last twenty years, denying the existence of global warming. They’ve managed to thwart any significant effort to address this important issue and now it is too late to avoid some very bad consequences.

On a global basis, the Pentagon is projecting more armed conflicts and terrorism as a side effect of climate change around the world. The insurance industry is taking steps to limit the huge liabilities that they are facing from increasingly violent natural disasters. Glaciers and the polar ice caps are receding at alarming rates. Rising sea levels are already displacing millions of coastal residents and will displace many more millions in the near future.

Nobody likes to hear bad news, but the time is long past for the world to come together to solve this critical issue. It is also long past time to call out the global warming deniers for what they are: at best misinformed and at worst deliberate liars. In particular, the politicians who are on the wrong side of this issue should be sent packing. They know what they are doing is wrong and are placing the short term interests of their special interest donors ahead of the well being of the human race - shame on them.

On to some good news: The Cook County Lodging Tax receipts through the end of February show steady improvement in our tourism economy. In an apples-to-apples comparison, lodging sales are up about 4 percent over last year and above where they were before the recession. Of course, the figures aren’t adjusted for inflation, which makes them a little less rosy, but at least things are headed in the right direction. March and April may not be great months this year, but we’ll find out about that in the next report.

Tofte Township also received some good news this week in the form of a 29 thousand dollar grant from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation to start working on the 30 acres of land that they own around the Birch Grove Center. The property is being studied for possible construction of senior and/or affordable housing. The grant will pay for an engineering survey to figure out which parts of the property are suitable for buildings, sewer systems, wetlands, etc. Birch Grove Foundation director Patty Nordahl, who will help administer the grant, says that there is much work to be done before the project becomes reality, but she is pleased to be taking this important step. Senior and affordable housing has been a Tofte Township priority for many years.

The Birch Grove Foundation also received a generous North Shore Health Care Foundation grant for their Busy Bodies project. This is a coordinated effort with local childcare provider Anna Lisa Peck, Saplings preschool, Open Gym and the North Shore Visitation Center. They have purchased large motor equipment for pre-school age children. Studies have shown that one hour a day of vigorous play improves the health of children and lowers the risk of childhood obesity. Open Gym for pre-schoolers and their families is every Friday at 9 am, and the play is reportedly very vigorous!

Finally from Birch Grove, the regularly scheduled community lunch will be a week later than usual in April. It will be at noon on April 17 rather than April 10.

I had the privilege of seeing two lynx this week during my normal travels around the area. In both cases, I was able to get a good, long look at the beautiful cat and it was quite obvious that they were lynx and not bobcats. The only thing I can’t be sure of is whether I saw two lynx – or the same lynx twice.