Net news: Online travel clearinghouses such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz being sued for evading local taxes, Youth immune to TV ads, so carmakers turn to web advertising, Great Lakes IT Report gets new web site.

Quagga Mussels Have Overwhelmed Zebra Mussels

Photo Courtesy Michigan Sea Grant

The Duluth News Tribune reports that Russell Cuhel, a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute, says that the quagga mussel seems to have nearly annihilated the zebra mussel population. Zebra mussels devour plankton, filter nearshore waters to unnatural clarity that spawn excessive algae outbreaks, and clog industrial water intake pipes. Quaggas have done the same thing on a larger scale, blanketing the lake bottom in many of the deep, cold places that the more delicate zebras can't survive. Cuhel says "Everybody used to say, 'Oh no, zebra mussels!' Well, zebras don't hold a candle to what these guys are going to do to Lake Michigan."

The quagga may be responsible for the drastic decline in diporeia, a tiny, shrimp-like plankton that is an important food source for some fish. The average density of diporeia dropped from 1,836 per square meter five years ago to 293 today.
Read More invasive mussel appears to be taking hold in Lake Michigan from the Duluth News Tribune
Invasive Mussel information from Michigan Sea Grant

New Book on the Odawa Language
The Traverse City Record-Eagle has a feature on Ray Kiogima of Harbor Springs, author of "Odawa Language and Legends". The book contains Odawa/English translations of more than 1,000 common words and hundreds of phrases. Carla McFall, who runs the Little Traverse Bay Band's language preservation and revitalization program, says that Kiogima's is the last generation to be fairly competent speakers.

Kiogima says "I thought, if we can write it, we can preserve it, and that's what I want. It's always been a dream of mine, to have it written down. We want to get it to the younger crowd."
Read Author preserves dying language in the Traverse City Record-Eagle
Also see the Anishinaabemowin language site

Journalist Thomas to Attend Walk of Fame Celebration
Helen Thomas is scheduled to attend the celebration honoring the first twelve inductees to the Michigan Walk of Fame on May 25, 2006 at the Michigan Historical Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo St. in downtown Lansing from 6:30-10:00 PM. Helen Thomas is a news service reporter and a member of the White House press corps.
Read Helen Thomas to Attend Michigan Walk of Fame Celebration from the PR Newswire
Michigan Walk of fame web site
Helen Thomas on Wikipedia

Interview with Natalie of Need4Sheed

Today's Detroit Free Press has an interview with Natalie Sitto, Sheedologist, creative force behind Need4Sheed and one of our 2 favorite Detroit Pistons' bloggers (the other being Detroit Bad Boys).
Read Her need is for 'Sheed in the Freep

Houghton to Host National XC Championships
Friday's Daily Mining Gazette reported that the U.S. Skiing and Snowboarding Association (USSA) announced that Houghton will host the USSA Nationals cross country skiing competitions for the next two years. The races Races include 5 to 10k classic races, 10-15k freestyle races and the team sprint freestyle race and feature the nation's top racers. They are scheduled for January 1-7, 2007 and from December 31, 2007 to January 6, 2008.
Read Skiing Nationals coming to Houghton in the Daily Mining Gazette