Car.........Plunk!

This was on the front page of today's Eagle-Herald, and it's irresistible.  As a fundraiser, the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club are bringing back an old Menominee-Marinette tradition, the Car Plunk.  This VW van is parked on the ice in the middle of the marina in Menominee.  You can buy a ticket for the opportunity to guess the day, hour, minute and second (yes, down to the second) that it will drop through the ice as it melts.  Apparently, this was a tradition for many years, but was stopped about 20 years ago.  The Y and the B&G Club brought it back this year.  In the updated version, they got permits from the county and Army Corps of Engineers, removed the engine and transmission and anything else that might cause pollution, and put it out on the ice.  There is a webcam looking at the marina, you can access it via www.mmymca.org, follow the links to CARPLUNK.  What a riot.  I can't wait!  Small towns are a blast!

Tomorrow (Friday) is the big ceremonial contract signing at the shipyard.  Lots of special guests (Asst. Director of the National Science Foundation, Chancellor of the Univ. of Alaska, Chairman and CEO of Marinette Marine, a couple of Congressmen, etc.)  I'm supposed to wear a tie, and I *do* have to show up.  At least there's a party afterwards.