Community Arts Center presents 15th Annual Shaft Exhibit on mining

"Osceola 13," a fabric collage by Cynthia Coté, is one of 23 pieces now on display in the Community Arts Center's Shaft Exhibit of art inspired by mining. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu for Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- The 15th annual Shaft Exhibit is currently on display in the Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery. The community exhibit on mining includes 23 pieces by seventeen local artists: Leona Blessing, Daniel C. Boyer, Kevin Breyfogel, Fred Brouillette, Beth Cook, Cynthia Coté, Linden W. Dahlstrom, Bob Dawson, Tammy L. Gajewski, Sue Hamilton, Shawn Oppliger, Edwin Rajaniemi, Constance Stockwell Johnson, Phillip H. Switzer, Everett J. Symons, Fredi Taddeucci, and Stephanie Treviño.

"Mandan Location," acrylic by Leona Blessing.

The exhibit includes art depicting workers, lifestyles, buildings and landscapes as well as conceptual art in such media as photography, painting, digital, pencil, mixed media, clay, wood, fiber, collage and found objects.

"Skeletons in our Landscape," assemblage by Beth Cook.

Artists were invited to submit work inspired by mining in the Copper Country -- the physical signs of its presence or the effect it has had on the area and its people. Viewers are invited to cast their vote for public choice. Cash awards will be presented at the end of the exhibit on Saturday, Nov. 29.

The Youth Gallery also features some artwork on the mining theme by local students.

"Quincy Mine," by Luke Weingarten, 8, is on display in the Youth Gallery of the Community Arts Center as part of the Shaft Exhibit. Accompanying this piece is a short narrative in which Luke and his cousin Hunter Saarinen, 7, write about their great-great grandfathers, both of whom came from Finland to work in the local copper mines.

The Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday. For more information call 482-2333.

Spaghetti Dinner to benefit Omega House Nov. 15

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Student Nurse Organization will host its Fifth Annual Spaghetti Dinner to benefit the Omega House hospice from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 15, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Hancock.

Tickets may be purchased at the door. For information, call 487-7305.

New Hancock City Council members take oath of office

HANCOCK -- In a special meeting of the Hancock City Council on Wednesday, Nov. 12, newly elected and re-elected members took the oath of office to serve on the Council for a four-year term, while the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem were appointed by the Council for one year.

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, Hancock City Clerk Karen Haischer swears in new City Council member Richard Freeman, right, elected in Ward II, and William Laitila, second from left, re-elected in Ward I. Laitila was also appointed Mayor, after serving this year as Mayor Pro Tem. At far left is Hancock City Manager Glenn Anderson. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu, Keweenaw Now photographer)

John Slivon, left, is sworn in as newly elected City Councilman from Hancock's Ward III. Also pictured are, from left, Councilman James Hainault, appointed Mayor Pro-Tem for one year, Councilman Ted Belej and City Manager Glenn Anderson. (Photo © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Councilman and former Mayor Pro-Tem, William Laitila, Ward I, was re-elected to the Council for another four-year term after running unopposed. Council members also appointed Laitila Mayor for a one-year term. Councilman James Hainault was appointed Mayor Pro-Tem for this coming year.

William Laitila, re-elected to a second four-year term from Ward I, will also serve as Mayor of Hancock, appointed by the Council, for one year. Laitila served as Mayor Pro-Tem this past year. (Photo © 2008 Gustavo Bourdieu)

Hancock City Councilman James Hainault rises to accept the appointment by the Council to the post of Mayor Pro-Tem for one year. At left is new Councilman John Slivon from Ward III.

Two new Council members who ran as write-in candidates were sworn in by Hancock City Clerk Karen Haischer. John Slivon, elected from Ward III with 76 votes, defeated two other write-in candidates, Roland Burgan and Jeffrey Didion.* Voters from Ward II elected Richard Freeman, a former City Council member. Receiving 111 votes, he defeated another write-in candidate, Allyson Jabusch. These two positions were vacant because of the recent resignations of former Mayor Barry Givens and Councilwoman Sarah Baratono. The write-in candidates registered for the Nov. 4 election by meeting the Oct. 24 deadline. City Council positions are non-partisan.

*Editor's Note: John Slivon's Oct. 28 campaign article for Keweenaw Now can be accessed by clicking here.

International Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum Exhibit to close with ceremony Nov. 15

HOUGHTON -- A closing ceremony for the International Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit "You Gotta Have Guts" will take place from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Carnegie Museum in downtown Houghton. Local players and Frisbee fans are especially invited.

Frisbee memorabilia covers walls in the lower floor of Houghton's Carnegie Museum, now officially endorsed as the International Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum. (Photo © 2008 Dennis Walikainen)

The Exhibit, which has been on display in the lower floor of the Carnegie Museum since last summer, follows the history of the International Frisbee Tournament as well as other tournaments, held in the Upper Peninsula and elsewhere. It includes the plaques of the 25 members of the Hall of Fame, numerous photos of past Frisbee action and T-shirts worn by teams over the years. Scrapbooks, newspaper articles, pins and listings of the teams and players all add to the memories of Guts Frisbee and the tournaments.

Recently, the United States Guts Players Association officially endorsed the International Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum in Houghton's Carnegie Museum as the OFFICIAL Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum.

"I first played Frisbee in 1977," says Mark Pavlovic of Laurium. "A few of us had not played in 20 years until last year, the 50th anniversary of the 'International Frisbee Tournament.' It brought us out for sentimental reasons. We had such a great time we continued on and have played in 4-5 tourneys in the past year and a half. We took 4th at the nationals last year, and this year we defeated the Japanese team in Detroit."

Members of the Forest Inn frisbee team of Calumet, Mich., are seen here in action during the last International Frisbee Tournament held in July 2008. (Photo © 2008 Johnna Dudenas)

The International Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the history of Frisbee games and tournaments, focusing on Guts Frisbee, its history, players and tournaments around the globe. It also houses the aforementioned original International Frisbee Hall of Fame, established by Wham-o, Inc., and the Copper Country Chamber of Commerce with an original induction class in 1978. Additional members were inducted in 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, 2005 and 2007. Another class will be inducted during the 2009 International Frisbee Tournament in Hancock next July.

Wham-o is also working with the International Hall of Fame and Museum on a fund-raising initiative that will be announced soon.

For more information please contact Dennis Walikainen, Curator, International Frisbee Hall of Fame and Museum, at wally@mtu.edu.

Updated: International Food Festival to be Nov. 15 at MTU

HOUGHTON -- Tickets are on sale for the International Food Festival, set for 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, in the Memorial Union Ballroom on the Michigan Tech University campus.

Foods from India, China, Africa, Europe, Indonesia, Bolivia and other nations will be served.

Associate Professor Casey Huckins (Biological Sciences) will talk on the topic "Our World Environment." He conducts research on the coaster brook trout in the Lake Superior watershed and on the relationship between aquatic species, their habitat and resource use in the Upper Peninsula.

The evening will also feature live performances.

Tickets are $9 and are available at the door on Saturday and in the Fisher Hall Lobby from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. Tickets are also available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union this week. Ten percent of ticket sales will be donated to charity.

For more information, contact Amit Samal, vice president of International Club, at asamal@mtu.edu.

Hancock City Council to hold organizational meeting Nov. 12

HANCOCK -- The Hancock City Council will hold an organizational meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008. Three newly elected Ward Councilors will take the oath of office for a four-year term.

Bill Laitila will continue as Councilor for Ward I. He served as Mayor Pro-Tem this past year. New Councilors are Richard Freeman for Ward II, and John Slivon, elected to represent Ward III.

The meeting will also include nominations to elect a Mayor for a one-year term and nominations to elect a Mayor Pro-Tem for a one-year term.

The regular monthly meeting of the Hancock City Council will be heldat 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, preceded by a Work Session at 6:30 p.m.