News Photo by Darby Hinkley
The Association of Lifelong Learners pose for a photo on Oct. 18 on the front steps of Leer Lutheran Church, one of the stops on the inaugural Alpena County bus tour.
Did you know that in the summer of 1879, five Norwegian families settled the village of Leer, named after Lier, Norway?
Did you know about a hidden gem, Wolf Creek Park, in Wilson Township?
Did you know that Holcim Alpena runs 365 days a year and has the capacity to produce 2.7 million tons of cement annually?
All these and many more interesting facts about places in Alpena County were shared on Oct. 18 during the inaugural Association of Lifelong Learners bus tour titled Fall Foliage, Facts, and Fun.
About 50 people attended the tour, which made planned stops all over the county, including traveling down into the Holcim Quarry in Alpena, stopping for lunch at the historic Leer Norwegian Lutheran Church, taking a peek at the beautiful Wolf Creek Park in Wilson Township, learning more about Birdsong Bay, and much more. At each stop, a presenter boarded the bus to share his or her knowledge of the history and current facts about each site.
News Photo by Darby Hinkley
Pumpkins are seen on display at AJ’s Berry Farm in Lachine, one of the stops on the ALL bus tour.
Along the ride, ALL members took to the microphone at the front of the bus and narrated the tour, led by Linda Ferguson, ALL bus trip committee chair. Along with Ferguson, other ALL committee members responsible for coordinating the bus trip included Beverly Bodem, Lisa Blumenthal, Annette Fortier, Tom Hilberg, Sue Nagy, Jane Roose, and Rob Roose.
The whole idea of the tour was to get people, some who have lived in Alpena County their entire lives, to say, “I didn’t know that!” That phrase was heard a lot on the bus, followed by laughter, as it kept popping up at nearly every stop. In addition, each participant received a goody bag and a ticket for a chance to win prizes throughout the trip. The prizes were donated by various local businesses, including ALL member and Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant Sherryl Kelly, who attended the bus trip with her mother, the birthday girl. It also happened to be the bus driver’s birthday, so the entire busload of jolly ALL members sang “Happy Birthday” to both of them on their special day.
The ladies of Leer Lutheran Church provided a mouth-watering luncheon to ALL guests, who made their way upstairs to the Leer Heritage Center, curated by Linda Pletcher. The museum gives a detailed history of Leer, from the 19th century until now, including a host of photos, descriptions, and many artifacts.
At the first stop, the bus picked up Holcim Quarry Manager Allan Idalski and Mining Engineer Ahmad Najeeb at Holcim headquarters before heading down into the Alpena quarry.
“I’m on the Alpena Township Planning Commission, and we approved a permit for a 100-acre solar farm,” Tom Hilberg said before the Holcim employees hopped on the bus. “The cement plant started in 1907, so, probably, a few of you remember that,” he joked, which garnered a busload of chuckles. “It started as Huron Portland, and then LaFarge, and now, Holcim.”
News Photo by Darby Hinkley
A tour bus full of ALL members sits in front of the Holcim plant on the morning of Oct. 18 before heading down into the quarry.
He noted that Holcim takes a clear stance on the environment, seeking greener practices.
“Their goal is environmental sustainability,” Hilberg continued. “They’re trying to do what they can to lower their carbon footprint.”
“We blast, on average, about two days a week,” Idalski said. “Typically, we do about 100,000 tons per blast. We will consume about 12,000 tons of stone a day, within the plant, and that will turn into roughly 6,000 to 7,000 tons of clinker, which is the product that makes cement.”
After Holcim, the bus headed out into Alpena Township, then to outlying townships within the county.
The next stop was along Thunder Bay River near the Norway Dam.
News Photo by Darby Hinkley
Holcim Quarry Manager Allan Idalski talks about plant operations to a bus full of ALL attendees on Oct. 18. The bus headed into the quarry while he narrated the tour.
“A group of lumbermen from Alpena formed a group called the Electric Light Co. to help in lumber production, and they figured they could also sell some electricity to the residents of Alpena, so they electrified Richardson Dam, which the remnants of that are still to be seen above the 9th Street Dam, if you look for them,” said Jane Roose, an ALL tour guide. “So, George Fletcher and his son, Frank, bought up the stock of the other lumbermen, and they eventually built dams at 9th Street, the 4-Mile, and the Norway dams.”
Other stops included AJ’s Berry Farm in Lachine, Manning Hill, and Partridge Point to hear from Nathan Skibbe, supervisor for Alpena Township.
Along the way, riders enjoyed seeing all the autumnal beauty.
“We’re seeing glimpses of some beautiful fall colors,” Roose added.
News Photo by Darby Hinkley
Above, Holcim Mining Engineer Ahmad Najeeb stands in the Alpena quarry during the ALL bus tour on Oct. 18.
Below, fall colors are seen from Manning Hill in Lachine, one of the stops on the tour.
News Photo by Darby Hinkley
An Association of Lifelong Learners bus tour of Alpena County earlier this month passed by beautiful fall foliage throughout the county.
News Photo by Darby Hinkley
An Association of Lifelong Learners bus tour of Alpena County earlier this month passed by beautiful fall foliage throughout the county.