I’m writing this with two days left in October and, by the time that you read this, October will be behind us. So I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the last two months (especially October) were good for us. I pay special attention to these two months for two reasons. First, everyone is back in school and, second, the weather (which relates back to the first).
The impact of roughly 3,000 public school and 10,000 NMU students is noticeable in several ways. Mostly good, but with the caveat that we really want everyone to be safe. Not only safe while traveling and learning, but also safe while recreating. Which brings me back to me second point, the weather.
Last years month of October brought a very violent storm to the area that hit around the third week. Not only did it cause extensive damage to several areas, including our shoreline, it also took two lives. Although not students, the two were visitors to the area who couldn’t resist the lure of watching the big waves on Lake Superior caused by that storm. There were also other “close calls” reported where people could have just as easily been injured or lost their own lives.
Marquette is a beautiful place to be in the fall. Even after the leaves have turned and fallen, there’s still the lake that can put on a pretty good show when the weather is right, and it’s not just limited to October. In 1975, November brought the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the rest of the winter can often bring strong winds and weather. My point is that I’d like everyone to enjoy our splendid beauty but do so with some caution (and common sense) especially when close to Lake Superior.