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Contest Sample: General Stories

The following stories are examples of stories that you could submit to the Great Lakes Story & Photo Contest. They were read during a May 30 event at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to publicize the contest.

The first is a humorous tale by U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Michigan), a long-time supporter of the Great Lakes. The second is by Donna Stine, interim executive director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs, about a fishing trip during her days at the Department of Natural Resources. Following her is Andy Buchsbaum, director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office and a co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. The last story is by Grand Rapids Mayor George K Heartwell.

All four stories are exemplary and are not eligible for prizes. (Sorry Vern, Donna, Andy and George!)

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You Say Zebra Muscles, I Say Zebra Mussels

As told by Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers

When I first came to Congress in 1993, I was assigned to serve on the Science Committee. I am a research physicist, so I was pleased to be involved in crafting national science policy. It also gave me an opportunity to promote and expand scientific research into solving our national environmental problems. One particularly daunting problem is aquatic invasive species, particularly in the Great Lakes. They disrupt the balance of ecosystems, they cause tremendous economic damage, and once they get established, they are almost impossible to eradicate.

At one point, the Science Committee was debating a bill to provide funding for research of zebra mussels. One of the more conservative Members of the Committee was raising concerns with the bill. He boldly stated, “Mr. Chairman, I have strong objections to this bill! I find it absolutely unconscionable that we are spending taxpayer dollars to study the muscles of zebras!”

It was then that I knew that I had a lot of work to do to educate my colleagues in the Congress about the problem of invasive species and how they impact the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes and other important ecosystems.

I am proud to say that we have come a long way, but we need to act now more than ever. The Great Lakes Task Force in the House and Senate has pushed through several major initiatives, and more and more of our colleagues understand the importance of the Great Lakes to our country and to the world. The Regional Collaboration process and the Strategy produced in 2005 exemplify the cohesion that has developed among the stakeholders and advocates for the region. I am hopeful that this year will be a watershed moment when we pass comprehensive restoration legislation. I urge everyone to join me in this effort to protect and restore this wonderful natural resource.

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The Catch of a Lifetime

As told by Donna Stine.

Even though we were Michigan Department of Natural Resource employees, I was only slightly more immersed in all things dealing with “hook and bullet.” Basically, our outdoor gear meant umbrellas and fancy raincoats. I had, however, experienced the thrill of catching salmon on the Great Lakes. So when we were invited to go fishing with a colleague, I jumped at the chance. Jacie was not nearly so excited. I told her repeatedly, you will not believe how thrilling it is to catch your first salmon. As a “woman of the world,” she was very skeptical. But with a lot of pressure, she finally relented.

It was a beautiful Michigan summer day and the fishing was great. When it was Jacie’s turn at the rod, she fought a big, muscular, beautiful salmon until her arms ached and she couldn’t turn the reel. The 20+ pound salmon was hauled overboard as she sobbed with joy. I too joined her in crying. The Captain of the boat couldn’t believe that this everyday experience for him was so powerful to us. Women of the world, overwhelmed with joy over catching a fish…who would have ever thought.

Jacie was needless to say, very, very proud of her fish. There was no way that this fish wasn’t going to be shared with her husband and friends. The problem was we were on the first day of a several day business trip and that first night we were staying overnight at the Fort on Mackinac Island. The Fort is located a long way up a very steep hill. So we bought a cheap Styrofoam cooler filled with ice and began to carry this very heavy fish up this long hill. Of course the cooler begins to disintegrate, but that did that stop us. No! We ended up passing the fish back and forth between us up the hill, and then down the hill the next morning, across on the ferry, and to our business destination and then home. Of course, it was put back on ice.

So for all who don’t understand the implications of losing our salmon fishery to invasive species, I say, go out and catch a salmon. And then, let me know what you think.

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The World According to Lake Michigan

As told by Andy Buchsbaum.

I grew up just outside Chicago. Summertime was defined by two things: baseball and Lake Michigan. I was a Cubs fan, so baseball always broke my heart. Lake Michigan was what healed it. On steamy summer days, I used to take the El down to the North Avenue beach, lie on the sand until the heat was too much to bear, and then run into the cool, clear water of the lake. On special weekends, my parents would load my sister and me into our wood-paneled station wagon with towels and an umbrella and coolers, and we’d take the Skyway around the southern tip of Lake Michigan to the Indiana Dunes – towers of sand hundreds of feet high that swooped down almost directly into Lake Michigan. My dad would lie face down on his towel and sleep the for a couple hours, turning lobster red before strolling into the broad blue waters and swimming for miles. My sister and I would run down the dunes, taking huge jumps, trying to fly. Above us we saw the real flyers: wonderful, crazy guys who would launch their hang-gliders from the top of the dunes and hope that the winds would guide them down to the beach and not into the water, or even worse, the packed parking lot.

But the Great Lakes were more than a summer-time fling; they were a constant companion. They defined my world; they grounded me. Whether it was walking to school or taking trips around town, I’d always ask my mother what direction we were going. She’d always point and say, “The Lake is that way. It’s east; you can figure everything else out from that.” It was something you could always count on, even if you couldn’t see it: head east, and you’ll hit Lake Michigan.

Of course, the world got more complicated once I moved away from Chicago. I spent a few years in California, and never could quite get used to the ocean being on the wrong side. Now I live with my family in southeastern Michigan, and I think I’ve finally adjusted. When my wife and kids and I go on vacation now, it’s north to Sleeping Bear Dunes where I watch the kids run down the massive sand mountains into Lake Michigan. Or it’s to Lake Superior where we walk along 12-Mile Beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon, the only people in sight, clambering over the bones of old shipwrecks lying half out of the water. So it’s not a shock now when my sons talk about the Great Lakes as being “up north.”

But sometimes… sometimes I get this twinge when I hear that the Cubs have won a ballgame. And sometimes when we head to the beach, no matter what direction we’re going something deep inside me says “The Lake is east. You can figure everything else out from that.”

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A Meditation Along the Shores of Lake Superior

As told by Mayor George K Heartwell.

It was my first solo hike after my son – my hiking buddy – had left to start his adult life in California. I chose the Pictured Rocks Trail in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This wonderful hike from Munising to Grand Marais follows the edge of Superior’s southern shore, sometimes high along the craggy cliffs colored with mineral deposits, sometimes along the shore where a hot and tired hiker could stop and cool his feet in Superior’s icy waters.

The end of this particular day found me a camping area called Potato Patch, which is quite lovelier than its name would suggest. I had the campground to myself this day in early September and, after cooking dinner and cleaning pots and dishes, I wandered over to the edge of the cliff that looked out across the largest and deepest Great Lake.

I sat cross-legged on the ground and entered into a time of deep reverie, quiet contemplation. The clouds were heavy that evening, as they had been all day. Rank upon rank they marched across the sky reflecting the waves that rolled from far across Superior to break, one upon another, against the base of this ancient, rocky shore. I was conscious of the vastness of the sky, the endless expanse of the universe; yet, far from feeling small, I was spiritually aware of the vastness within me. This led me to reflect on the makeup of the human body and I recalled that something like 80% of our substance is water. I heard the rhythmic breaking of the waves, felt the connection of water to water, and sensed that Superior’s depth was merely metaphor for the depth of my soul. Lulled, almost sleeping, yet keenly aware of my surroundings, of my place in the universe, I and Superior were one.

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One Response to “Contest Sample: General Stories”

  1. Great Lakes Story and Photo Contest « THE SHADES WRITER Says:
    August 10th, 2007 at 5:16 pm

    [...] Click on the link below and look over the website.  They even offer samples of other story submissions so that you can determine whether your story is on the right track!  Here’s the link:  http://www.healthylakes.org/stories/general/2007/05/30/sample-general-story-buchsbaums-great-lakes-s... [...]

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