The Great Lakes

There are a lot of residents in TGO who live up north within the Great Lakes region, and there are a lot of interesting facts about those lakes. Here are a few to share with your friends.

1. Lake Superior is actually not a lake at all, but an inland sea.

2. All of the four other Great Lakes, plus three more the size of Lake Erie, would fit inside of Lake Superior.

3. Isle Royale is a massive island surrounded by Lake Superior. Within this island are several smaller lakes. Yes, those are lakes on a lake.

4. Despite its massive size, Lake Superior is an extremely young formation by Earth’s standards (only 10,000 years old).

5. There is enough water in Lake Superior to submerge all of North and South America in 1 foot of water.

6. Lake Superior contains 3 quadrillion gallons of water (3,000,000,000,000,000). All five of the Great Lakes combined contain 6 quadrillion gallons.

7. Contained within Lake Superior is a whopping 10% of the world’s fresh surface water.

8. It’s estimated there are about 100 million lake trout in Lake Superior. That’s nearly one-fifth of the human population of North America!

9. There are small outlets through which water leaves Lake Superior. It takes two centuries for all the water in the lake to replace itself.

10. Lake Erie is the fourth largest Great Lake in surface area, and the smallest in depth. It’s the 11th largest lake on the planet.

11. There is alleged to be a 30- to 40-foot-long “monster” in Lake Erie named Bessie. The earliest recorded sighting goes back as early as 1793.

12. Water in Lake Erie replaces itself in only 2.6 years, which is notable considering the water in Lake Superior takes two centuries.

13. The original publication of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax contained the line, “I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie.” Fourteen years later, the Ohio Sea Grant Program wrote to Seuss to make the case that conditions had improved. He removed the line.

14. Not only is Lake Erie the smallest Great Lake when it comes to volume, but it’s surrounded by the most industry. Seventeen metropolitan areas, each with populations of more than 50,000, border the Lake Erie basin.

15. The shoreline of all the Great Lakes combined equals nearly 44% of the circumference of the planet.

16. If not for the Straits of Mackinac, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron might be considered one lake. Hydrologically speaking, they have the same mean water level and are considered one lake.

17. The Keystone State was one of the largest and most luxurious wooden steamships running during the Civil War. In 1861, it disappeared. In 2013, it was found 30 miles northeast of Harrisville under 175 feet of water.

18. Goderich Mine is the largest salt mine in the world. Part of it runs underneath Lake Huron, more than 500 meters underground.

19. Below Lake Huron, there are 9,000-year-old animal-herding structures used by prehistoric people from when the water levels were significantly lower.

20. Lake Huron is the second largest among the Great Lakes, and the fifth largest in the world.

21. In size, Lake Michigan ranks third among the Great Lakes, and sixth among all freshwater lakes in the world.

22. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that is entirely within the borders of the United States.

23. The largest freshwater sand dunes in the world line the shores of Lake Michigan.

24. Because water enters and exits Lake Michigan through the same path, it takes 77 years longer for the water to replace itself than Lake Huron, despite their similarity in size and depth. (Lake Michigan: 99 years, Lake Huron: 22 years)

25. Within Lake Michigan there is a “triangle” with a similar reputation to the Bermuda Triangle, where a large amount of “strange disappearances” have occurred. There have also been numerous alleged UFO sightings.

26. Singapore, Michigan, is a ghost town on the shores of Lake Michigan that was buried under sand in 1871. Because of severe weather conditions and a lack of resources due to the need to rebuild after the great Chicago fire, the town was lost completely.

27. In the mid-19th century, Lake Michigan had a pirate problem. Their booty: timber. In fact, the demise of Singapore is due in large part to the rapidly deforested area surrounding the town.

28. Jim Dreyer swam across Lake Michigan in 1998 (65 miles), and then in 2003, he swam the length of Lake Michigan (422 miles).

29. Lake Michigan was the location of the first recorded “Big Great Lakes disaster,” in which a steamer carrying 600 people collided with a schooner delivering timber to Chicago. Four hundred and fifty people died.

30. Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes in surface area, and second smallest in depth. It’s the 14th largest lake on the planet.

31. The province Ontario was named after the lake, and not vice versa.

32. In 1804, a Canadian warship, His Majesty’s Ship Speedy, sank in Lake Ontario. In 1990, wreck hunter Ed Burtt managed to find it. Only, he isn’t allowed to recover any artifacts until a government-approved site to exhibit them is found. He’s still waiting.

33. Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run at Hanlan’s Point Stadium in Toronto. It landed in Lake Ontario and is believed to still be there.

Be Firewise...

The goal of our Firewise Committee is to encourage our TGO residents to take action that will help minimize losses due to wildfires from within and around our community. Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the information below, and the evacuation map to the right.

Have a Plan - The time to plan for any emergency is before the event.

• Put together a quick kit with a list of what to take with you if you need to leave your home in five minutes. Include medications, passports, valuables and important documents.

• Practice a family fire drill. Evacuations for wildfire can occur without notice.

• Have a plan for your pets including carrier/leash, food and water.

• Leave before it’s too late. Decide where you will go and how you will get there.

• Know the basic evacuation routes from your home in case of an emergency.

• During an emergency, emergency services personnel may direct you to a different exit route or a staging area.

Be Prepared - A few simple actions may help save your home!

• Clean the roof and gutters on your home or/and RV. Dried leaves and pine needles are perfect materials to catch on fire.

• Clean out flammable materials underneath your deck and RV.

• Consider your outbuilding construction type. Is it flammable? What is stored in it? Think of combustibles inside that once ignited, will make the fire go from small to explosive; Significant fire hazards include LP tanks, gasoline, lawn chemicals, or fertilizers.

• Have your house number easily visible from the street so that emergency services can find you during day or night.

• Keep 25-50 feet of hose readily available at a faucet away from the structure.

• Have tools such as a shovel, rake, handsaw, bucket, broom, and fire extinguisher easily available.

Defensible Space - Keep your landscaping clean

The goal of Firewise landscaping is to ideally create and maintain a 30-foot safety zone around your home and/or RV. This “defensible space” reduces the wildfire threat to your home by changing the characteristics of the flammable vegetation and increases the likelihood that a home or RV will survive a wildfire, even in the absence of firefighters. This defensible space does not need to be devoid of shrubs and trees but should be wisely landscaped with plants known to be less flammable.

Keep Your Landscaping Lean, Clean, and Green:

Lean – Prune shrubs and cut back tree branches.

Clean – Remove dead plant material from around your home; this includes dead leaves and dry vegetation.

Green – Plant fire-resistant vegetation that is healthy and green throughout the year. Note: You need to contact CSA/ARC before working beyond your property line.

Also Remember To:

4 Landscape with less-flammable plants.

4 Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Prune all trees six to 10 feet from the ground.

4 Take out the “ladder fuels” vegetation that serves as a link between grass and treetops

These fuels can carry fire from vegetation to a structure or other trees further spreading the fire.

4 Replace vegetative mulches such as shredded bark with stone.

4 Make sure there is no vegetation touching any structures.

4 Dispose of cuttings and debris by bringing them to the curb for CSA to haul away.

See the list of less-flammable plants on page 5 of the Firewise Brochure available at this QR Code

Emergency Traffi c Plan

EMERGENCY EXIT VIA

BLUE HERON WATER

RECLAMATION FACILITY

This exit will NOT support heavy or long vehicles. Do not plan to use your RV as an evacuation vehicle.

110 Windsong Way - $310,900

• Amazing RV site with Executive Suite with lake view

• Suite newly renovated with 46’ lake frontage

• Immaculate suite features 868 sq. ft. living space fully furnished

• All appliances and washer & dryer included

• 3 heat/air split systems newly installed

• 9’ x 11’ separate laundry room with ample storage

• Full bath with shower

• Wood-look vinyl flooring throughout

• Ceiling fans throughout

140 Windsong Way - $269,900

• 790 sq. ft. Executive Suite on beautiful lakefront RV site

• Furniture and appliances included

• New split A/C in 2018; bath A/C in 2021

• CertainTeed roof membrane 2017

• 175 sq. ft. screened patio overlooks lake

• Painted driveway plus lush tropical landscaping

• Driveway will accommodate longer RVs plus parking

• Approximately 10’ x 19’ bathroom with shower and laundry facilities

Welcome to the Middle of Summer

Or worse yet... August! Compared to all the other months, August is the red-headed stepchild of the calendar. It's the hottest month of the year. There are no National Holidays so three-day weekends don't exist. It's basically 31 days of.... well, the good news is 22 of those days are for Leos, with 9 days left over for the Virgos. Not exactly sure why that is good news unless you are a Zodiac fan. Not all is lost though, as our research department here at The Happenings did some investigating and came up with a holiday for each day of the month along with some great moments in history. Enjoy, you can thank us later!

Important Dates in History that Happened in August

August 24, 79 CE: The eruption of Mount Vesuvius: The ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under volcanic ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted, resulting in their preservation and offering valuable insights into Roman life.

August 18, 1920: The 19th Amendment in the United States: The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote.

August 5, 1962: Marilyn Monroe's Death: The iconic American actress and model, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home. Her passing remains a subject of speculation and intrigue.

August 8, 1922: The first photo of Bigfoot: Although his lore is associated with the northwest, the first recorded image of Bigfoot was taken in West Virginia.

August 6 and 9, 1945: Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: During World War II, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in the deaths of over 200,000 people and the eventual surrender of Japan.

August 16, 1977: Elvis dies: Hard to believe that it's been 46 years since the King of Rock and Roll died from a heart attack - due to some excessive weight and drug use over the years.

August 28, 1963: March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech: Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic speech, advocating for civil rights and equality for African Americans.

August 9, 1974: Richard Nixon's Resignation: Facing impeachment over the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president to resign from office, leading to the ascension of Vice President Gerald Ford.

August 15, 1945: V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day) was celebrated, marking the end of World War II after Japan's surrender.

August 31, 1997: Princess Diana, who was known for her humanitarian work and often associated with the entertainment industry, tragically died in a car crash in Paris. Her death had a profound impact worldwide, leading to an outpouring of world-wide grief.

August 20, 1977: NASA launched the Voyager 2 spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Voyager 2 was part of the Voyager program, which aimed to explore the outer planets of our solar system. Its primary mission was to study Jupiter and Saturn.

August 25, 2017: Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Rockport, Texas: When Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane, made landfall it brought catastrophic flooding and devastation to various parts of Texas, particularly the Houston metropolitan area. The storm caused extensive damage, displaced thousands of people, and resulted in the loss of many lives.