What do carp, walruses, toilets, lazy journalism, sexy cardinals, beer, fish fights and phone books have in common?

They are all fodder for the Echo staff’s favorite headlines of 2010.

These photos of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising, Michigan came to Great Lakes Echo from Tim Stein. Thanks Tim! To submit to Great Lakes Echo Photo Friday, send your photo, a caption and your name to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.

Miles of coastline, beautiful beaches and spectacular sand dunes. But Michigan’s wines and beers, fresh fruits, fish and other local flavors are attracting visitors as well. On Jan. 10, state organizations meet to promote culinary tourism.

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Ohio’s Cuyahoga River once was noted for catching fire. But check out another temperature extreme in this clip from the Today Show featuring a Lake Erie lighthouse at the river’s mouth near Cleveland.  The river is a heck of a lot cleaner now – it doesn’t burn. But I’m not sure any amount of flames could melt that ice coat this week.

Training for alternative energy jobs is a hot new mission for community colleges.
Eleven schools in Michigan are part of an alternative energy collaborative that helps schools create curriculum and training programs.

As the industry grows, finding qualified instructors is a challenge.

People feel more productive and healthier in green buildings, according to an MSU study. But some researchers say buildings made airtight for energy efficiency could trap gases that pose health problems.

Several years after Michigan and other Great Lakes states imposed tougher regulations on ships, there’s still a call by environmental groups, biologists and shippers for federal rules.

State standards for ballast developed piecemeal, and Carl Lindquist, the executive director of the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Trust based in Marquette, said they were a step in the right direction. But ballast water is still carrying invasive species, he said.

It’s about time that the Great Lakes region got its own superhero.
New York got Spiderman, Gotham hosted Batman, Metropolis got super-powered by Superman…
… and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula gets “Sooper Yooper.”
That’s right. The book “Sooper Yooper” written by Mark Newman and illustrated by Mark Heckman tells the tale of Billy Cooper  who defends the Great Lakes environment against forces that threaten it. He’s pictured on the website snatching up a sea lamprey with his bare hands!
But, Billy is just an average guy – very average. The authors decided against giving Billy …

Heavy rainfall often overflows Detroit sewers, dumping untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials and other debris into streets and waterways.
Separating sanitary and storm systems is costly and time consuming. So Detroit is tackling water before it hits the streets.

These photos came to Great Lakes Echo from Derek Kelly, a science education student at Buffalo State College. Thanks Derek!
To submit to Great Lakes Echo Photo Friday, send your photo, a caption and your name to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.