Training Vessel State of Michigan Enters Drydock
The Traverse City, MI-based training vessel State of Michigan entered drydock at Sturgeon Bay on Thursday for routine inspection and maintenance. The four tugs doing the towing, steering, and pinning were Erika Kobasic, Nickelena, Escort, and Krystal.
[Rosann Hollinger]
Michigan is paying $600K to settle a police case and getting an artifact from a famous shipwreck
DETROIT – The state of Michigan has acquired a life ring that washed ashore 50 years ago from the Edmund Fitzgerald, a rare artifact that strangely became part of a settlement in a lawsuit that had nothing to do with the famous shipwreck.
Taxpayers are paying $600,000 to settle the lawsuit by Larry Orr, who accused a state police officer of violating his rights during a sexual abuse investigation that was discredited, court records show.
Orr, in turn, agreed to give up the life ring, which he owned. U.S. Magistrate Judge David Grand said it was an “unusual settlement conference” when lawyers appeared in court on Oct. 8 and put the deal on the record.
The Associated Press reached out to the state police this week to try to learn why it wanted the life ring and who had authorized Lt. David Busacca’s attorney to bargain for it.
“Upon learning the details of the settlement, we are not comfortable with the life preserver being included and will be reaching out to Mr. Orr’s attorney,” spokesperson Shanon Banner said in an email Thursday.
Banner wouldn’t answer follow-up questions. The state already has the orange ring.
Orr found it on the Lake Superior shore after the Fitzgerald sank during an incredible storm in November 1975. All 29 men on the ore vessel died. Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the disaster with an iconic ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
Orr had planned to auction the ring, figuring it might attract more attention around the 50th anniversary in a few weeks, said his attorney Shannon Smith.
Busacca apparently knew that Orr had one, and it was suddenly brought up during talks to settle Orr’s lawsuit against him, Smith said.
She said it probably represented half the value of the $600,000 deal reached over allegations of police misconduct.
“Are we at a mediation for a wrongful prosecution or an estate sale?” Smith said she wondered.
Busacca’s lawyer, Audrey Forbush, declined to comment when reached by AP. Orr, who is in his 70s, also declined to comment.
The life ring had been on loan to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula until Orr retrieved it this year.
“They’re pretty unusual,” museum director Bruce Lynn said. “I don’t honestly have any idea how many are out there.”
[AP, WOOD TV]
Kahlenberg horns made in Two Rivers echo on sea, land and in sporting venues worldwide
TWO RIVERS (WLUK) — When it’s time to make some noise, Kahlenberg Industries literally sounds the horn.
From super yachts to NHL arenas and NFL stadiums, the Two Rivers company is making its mark around the world.
The Kahlenberg Brothers Company started making engines in Two Rivers in 1895. 130 years later, in the same building where it all started, the brothers’ company has expanded. While they’ve moved away from engines, a main focus of what is now known as Kahlenberg Industries is producing horns.
“You know, we often say they’re the Rolls Royce of horns in the marine industry,” says sales manager Alex Kahlenberg, a fifth-generation member of the business.
From commercial vessels to super yachts, Kahlenberg makes horns for ships of all sizes. For tugboats the sounds of Kahlenberg horns are literally heard around the world. The T3A is one of the most popular. It can been seen on yachts anywhere from 40 meters and up.
That loud sound from a Kahlenberg horn was music to the ears of Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz back in the 1970s.
“He liked the sound of his horn on his yacht, so he wanted to put it in the arena,” Kahlenberg said. “And, you know, that was a tradition that they started — sounding the horn after goals — and it became a leaguewide tradition to blast the horn after a goal.”
Fifty years later, Kahlenberg horns are in almost all NHL arenas. Their most recent installation was in Salt Lake City, following a special request from the Utah Mammoth of the NHL.
“When they came to us looking for a goal horn, they had a specific chord in mind and were wondering if we could replicate that chord, and luckily, we were able to, because you know, it’s a very large air horn that’s powered through a diaphragm,” said Kahlenberg.and military aircraft carriers, the horn is most likely a Kahlenberg.
The organization put out a video to introduce its new sound.
“They are a C sharp major chord. They have a C sharp and F, a G sharp and a B,” said Kahlenberg about the Mammoth’s sound.
Four notes from four horns that make up one of the most unique goal horns in the NHL.
“It’s been amazing to see the history, see the hard work that’s been put in every day by our workers, to you know, give the fans an experience they can remember,” Kahlenberg said.
Kahlenberg horns can be found in plenty of other sporting venues, too.
For example, in the NFL realm, Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, has one.
See full article and all videos on this story at this link: https://fox11online.com/news/local/kahlenberg-horns-echo-on-sea-land-and-sporting-venues-worldwide-nhl-utah-mommoth-chicago-blackhawks-goal-horns-family-business-yacht
Boo on the Boat Marks Halloween
at National Museum of the Great Lakes
Toledo, Ohio – The National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) invites families to celebrate Halloween at Boo on the Boat, happening Friday, October 24 through Sunday, October 26. Join us during museum hours for Halloween fun aboard two of Toledo’s most historic haunts—the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Museum Tug Ohio.
Costumed trick-or-treaters can explore the pilothouses and galleys, collecting treats in pre-portioned, sealed bags at haunted stations along the way. The event offers a frightfully fun way for young explorers to dive into Great Lakes history while enjoying the spooky season.
[See details in the gallery below.]
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
