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Recently reviewed by www.boatnerd.com
Paperbound,162 pages…. $29.95 plus $5.05 shipping |
Mackinac Bridge: A 50-Year Chronicle, 1957- 2007
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The stories of what has taken place on and around the Mackinac Bridge during the past 50 years are told through words and pictures in a new book named a Michigan Notable Book for 2008. “Mackinac Bridge - A 50-Year Chronicle • 1957-2007” is a more than 200-page tribute to the Mackinac Bridge and its colorful 50-year history, according to the book's author, Mike Fornes. “The Mackinac Bridge means Michigan to so many people,” he said. “Over the past 50 years there have been some pretty incredible stories that have taken place on the bridge, over it and underneath it. I wanted to tell the stories in one history that would encompass the time frame of 1957 to 2007.” He was inspired to write the book for those who care for the bridge and have been involved in its history. “This book is about the Mackinac Bridge,” Fornes said. “At the same time, it is a book about people. There are people who crossed the bridge, crossed under it and over it. Nearly all completed their journeys safely, but some did not. However, the theme that continually rang true while writing this work was that remarkable people have cared for this bridge since it opened in 1957. Without them, the Mackinac Bridge would be like so many other public or government-run facilities - sort of anonymous in the sense that they are not cared for in the same way as the Mighty Mac.” Nearly 400 photographs, charts, graphs and images are included in the book. Fornes said the book took him about three years to write, during which he researched many accounts of significant happenings relating to the Mackinac Bridge. “The bridge has seen some pretty comical episodes over the years, some very interesting events and without question some serious tragedies,” Fornes said. “There have been three births up there, you know. The deaths that have occurred have given the bridge perhaps its most public moments. All have stories behind them that took quite a bit of research to tell. “I received tremendous cooperation from bridge workers, past and present, and administrators too,” he added. “Many members of police agencies stepped up to help me get the facts from their reports.” The book includes 21 chapters ranging from milestone crossings to accidents that have occurred on the bridge to stories from tollbooth collectors. “The toll collectors are a special group of people,” Fornes noted. “They have a window on the world that is unique in the human contact they see each day. Boy, did they have some stories to tell, and they are all in one chapter titled ‘Tollbooth Tales.' I thought they were hilarious and I think people will really enjoy reading about the things that have happened at the tollbooths.” The book's foreword was written by Lawrence A. Rubin, executive secretary of the Mackinac Bridge Authority from 1950 to 1984, who also wrote two books himself on the construction and the political process of getting the bridge built. “Mike Fornes has completed a monumental task in writing the history of the Mackinac Bridge since it opened 50 years ago,” Rubin noted. “I said in 1985 when writing my own book about the bridge's construction years that it was my intent to report in detail the events from 1950 to 1957 that led to the opening of the Mackinac Bridge. Mike has picked up the task of reporting 50 years of happenings on the bridge from there and has documented a great story about a magnificent structure.” Fornes has covered the Mackinac Bridge for more than 20 years for several media outlets in Northern Michigan, including radio and television stations and the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. He broke the story of Leslie Pluhar's Yugo plummeting off the bridge for WPBN/WTOM TV 7&4 after noticing police lights on the span from the dining room window of his home on the Straits. The incident was named the top news story in the state of Michigan for 1989. A resident of Mackinaw City, Fornes is also frequently in demand as a guest speaker and presenter to tour groups, cruise ship organizations and historical societies. He estimates that he has given more than 1,500 tours of the Mackinac Bridge from motor coaches, cruise boats and shore-based presentations. Paperbound,209 pages…. $29.95 plus $5.05 shipping
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USCGC Mackinaw WAGB 83: An Illustrated History of a Great Lakes Queen |
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On November 1, 1957, traffic officially opened on the Mackinac Bridge. That was the culmination of 70 years of talking and dreaming about a straits bridge, of discouraging attempts for legislative and congressional approval, of efforts to raise the funds, and finally of a three-year construction program necessary for the world’s longest and costliest (to date) suspension bridge. Michigan’s greatest symbol is expertly maintained, fully funded and amazingly resilient to the many forces and factors of man and nature that have failed to seriously affect its status as the lone highway link between Michigan’s two main peninsulas. The “miracle bridge” at the Straits of Mackinac truly allows a view that epitomizes the state motto of Michigan, Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice, or “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” Mike Fornes has covered the Mackinac Bridge for more than 20 years for several media outlets in northern Michigan, including radio and television stations and the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. He has given more than 1,500 tours of the Mackinac Bridge from motor coaches, cruise boats and shore-based presentations. Fornes has compiled the best photographs from Michigan Department of Transportation files and private collections in this stunning look at “a symphony of metal and stone.” The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all. Paperbound 127 pages $19.95 plus $5.05 shipping |
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MACKINAC BRIDGE Arcadia Publishing ”Images of America” |
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Copyright©Mike Fornes 2008 |
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How do you keep score? This scorebook has a place for every type of note and statistic you’ll use in your broadcast. Simplifies preparation so your notes and the game score sheet are all laid out in front of you. All your notes in one place! Designed by NHL play-by-play announcers. It’s unique… · It’s the new, fifth edition of the 50 games per book · 22 - player line-ups Complete goalie stats · 33-player daily summaries In-game commercial log · Scoring & shot locator · Team records (home-road, vs. div., series, month, OT) · Shoot-out log
Quick, easy to read & refer to who’s on the ice, who’s in the game and their stats!
Keep track of: All game action & shootouts plus PPG, SHG, GWG, PIM, Plus/Minus, Shots, Officials, Coaches, GF/GA, Injured Players, Trainers, Attendance, Engineer, even the 3 Stars! ORDER FROM: Mike Fornes, P.O. Box 305, Mackinaw City, MI 49701 • mfornes@core.com Send $35.00 U.S. Funds (includes shipping & handling). Order online below. |
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Hockey Broadcaster’s Scorebook |
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This book is about the building of the bridge |
