Sibelius Academy Festival to feature folk, classical, contemporary music Sept. 21-25

HANCOCK -- Three music genres and three nations are represented at this year’s Finlandia University Sibelius Academy Music Festival! The genres are folk, classical, and contemporary. The nations are Finland, Spain, and Estonia.

The 12th annual Sibelius Festival takes place next week, Tuesday, Sept. 21, to Saturday, Sept. 25. Student musicians from the Sibelius Music Academy of Helsinki, Finland, will present five concerts at four locations in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Here’s a look at the musicians:

From Finland comes the folk duo PAJU -- Pauliina Pajala, who plays fiddle, viola, and nyckelharpa (a traditional Swedish string instrument), and Juulia Salonen, who sings and plays accordion and puhaltimet (a Finnish wind instrument). The repertoire of these playful and spontaneous musicians includes modern and traditional Finnish and Finnish-Swedish folk tunes and their own compositions.

The Finnish folk duo PAJU -- Pauliina Pajala on fiddle and Juulia Salonen with puhaltimet (a Finnish wind instrument) -- will perform during the Finlandia University Sibelius Academy Music Festival next week, Sept. 21-25, in Hancock, Calumet and Ishpeming. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

From Spain, Duo Aguirre and León will perform popular traditional Spanish folk songs and selections from contemporary Spanish, Argentinean, Finnish, and Norwegian composers. Accordionist Arantza Aguirre and clarinetist Ana León have performed numerous concerts and music festivals in Barcelona and other cities in Spain.

Accordionist Arantza Aguirre, left, and clarinetist Ana León will perform popular traditional Spanish folk songs and selections from contemporary Spanish, Argentinean, Finnish, and Norwegian composers during the Sibelius Academy Music Festival.

From Estonia, pianist Maria Aru will perform classical piano pieces by Beethoven and Schumann, as well as compositions by 20th-century Estonian and American composers.

Estonian pianist Maria Aru will perform a solo concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock and will participate in the five-musician concerts in Calumet and Ishpeming as well.

Two of this year’s Sibelius Festival events are daytime concerts in Calumet and Ishpeming, which are free for middle and high school music students and their teachers. These concerts -- at Ishpeming’s W.C. Peterson Auditorium and the Calumet Theatre -- are intended to connect youth with other cultures and inspire them in their music-making. The informal 90-minute concerts will include comments from the musicians about themselves, their instruments, and their lives as musicians, followed by short performances. Community members are invited to attend for just $5 per person, general admission.

Here is the concert line-up:

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, folk duo PAJU, will appear at the Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy St., Hancock. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for students.

The five musicians will present a free concert for middle and high school music students at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at W.C. Peterson Auditorium, 319 E. Division St., Ishpeming. The informal concert is open to the public; tickets are $5 for community members.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, classical pianist Maria Aru will perform at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1000 Quincy St., Hancock. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for students.

At 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 24, the five musicians will present a free concert for middle and high school music students at the Calumet Theatre, 340 6th St., Calumet. The informal concert is open to the public; tickets are $5 for community members.

All five musicians will present a full length concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Calumet Theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for students.

Concert tickets may be purchased at North Wind Books, Hancock, on-line at http://finlandia-university.ticketleap.com, or at the door prior to each performance. Calumet Theatre performance tickets are also available at the theatre. Finlandia University students may attend the concerts free.

For additional information about the 12th annual Sibelius Academy Music Festival, please visit the Finlandia Web site, or contact festival coordinator Karen Johnson at karen.johnson@finlandia.edu or call 906-487-7348.

For the most accomplished student musicians in Finland (and for musicians around the world) the Sibelius Academy is the destination for the best and brightest. The prestigious Sibelius Academy, founded in 1882 and named for Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, is one of the largest and best regarded music academies in Europe.

Updated: Help clean up Michigan beaches Sept. 18-Oct. 2

Seven-Mile Point, a Lake Superior beach purchased for public access by the North Woods Conservancy. To celebrate the Keweenaw portion of the Michigan Coastal Cleanup, a Social / Coastal Clean Up BBQ will be held here from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26. Sandy Britton is the Beach Captain for the Seven-Mile Point Cleanup.* (Keweenaw Now file photo)

CALUMET -- This year the Michigan Coastal Cleanup, part of an international effort to pick up trash on beaches around the world, need not conflict with the Sept. 18 Parade of Nations in Houghton-Hancock. While the official Cleanup date this year is from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 25, Beach Captains can choose for their particular beach site any date and time within a week before or a week after Sept. 25, i.e., Sept. 18-Oct. 2, 2010.**

The North Woods Conservancy (NWC) is the coordinator for Houghton and Keweenaw Counties, and parts of Baraga and Ontonagon Counties. Contact Jane or John Griffith at 906-337-0782, or visit the Coastal Clean Up page on the NWC Web site.

You may volunteer to clean up ANY BEACH or waterway around the Keweenaw Peninsula including Lake Superior beaches and any inland lake or stream.

Visit the NWC website for a list and aerial photo of "claimed" and as-yet unclaimed beaches (or choose your own). If there is no Beach Captain listed for a site, NWC needs you! Join a group at an already-adopted beach, or become the Beach Captain for a beach that is special to you.

Beach at Bete Grise Preserve. The Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District invites volunteers to help them clean up the Bete Grise beach at the Preserve (about 5 miles from Lac La Belle, just off the Gay-Lac La Belle Road) and the public beach at Bete Grise North. Meet at the Bete Grise Preserve parking lot or at the Bete Grise North public beach at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26. Sue Haralson is the Beach Captain. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

The idea is simple: pick up trash at local beaches and record the amounts and types of each trash item so garbage sources can be identified and hopefully terminated -- this is how the bottle bill was passed. It’s a good reason to stretch your legs, enjoy the beautiful fall weather and see some gorgeous coastal scenery.

You can sign up by contacting the NWC or by stopping at the Ahmeek Streetcar Station (4 miles north of Calumet on US 41) between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. weekdays and between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. weekends). A master map, bags, gloves, aerial site maps, and data forms are available at the Streetcar Station.

No beach is too large or too small. You can choose one of the listed beaches, or do your own beach. Perhaps you and your neighbors would like to claim and clean a portion of private beach (maybe a whole subdivision or neighborhood)? Just let NWC know so they can add you to the list.

A Social / Coastal Clean Up BBQ (byo everything) will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Seven Mile Point.

"Stop by and share your trash talk," says John Griffith. "Working together, we can clean every inch of beach in the Keweenaw!"

Conglomerate Falls update:

NWC MUST RAISE THE $30,000 DOWN PAYMENT BY OCT. 1, 2010, for the purchase of Conglomerate Falls, a spectacular fishing and birding spot located on forty acres of big trees and a quarter mile of the Gratiot River. The North Woods Conservancy purchased the property, which includes a cabin for visitors, in August 2009 for public access ownership.

Please consider donating what you can to help raise this down payment by Oct. 1. You may win one of the following prizes:

• $100 donors are entered into a drawing for one week at the cabin (10 prizes)
• $500 donors get one week at the cabin (includes deer hunting rights)
• $1,000 donors get a week at the cabin and their name on a plaque at the cabin
  

"We just passed the $17K mark!" report the Griffiths on Sept. 16. "Thanks to all who have contributed and thanks for your help spreading the word."

Update: Beach Cleanup in Big Bay Sept. 25

MARQUETTE -- The Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve (YDWP) will host a beach cleanup in Big Bay at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, at the public beach in Big Bay. YDWP participates in the International Beach Cleanup every September.

To get to the beach from Marquette, drive up County Road 550 until you reach Big Bay. Continue through Big Bay, past the churches and around the curve. Take a right toward Bay Cliff Health Camp. Continue down the hill and veer left. Go straight until you see beautiful Lake Superior. You are there!

For more information visit the YDWP Web site or call 906-345-9223.

Editor's Notes: See our Jan. 27, 2010, article, "North Woods Conservancy purchases Conglomerate Falls property," with photos by Eric Munch. Click here for directions to Conglomerate Falls.

*See Sandy Britton's July 18 "Seven Mile Smiles."
Update: ** Saturday, Sept. 25, is also National Public Lands Day. If you're not near a beach, why not help clean up a city park? Click here for information.

McDowell, Stupak, blast Benishek's statement on drugs

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- As law enforcement officials continue to fight the influx of illegal drugs into northern Michigan, Dan Benishek said he does not believe federal authorities should play a role in helping to keep drugs off the streets. At a Sept. 5 Tea Party event in Mackinaw City, Benishek said the federal government should not be involved in the fight against drugs.*

"Dan Benishek’s position on drugs is not only dangerous but insulting to the men and women in law enforcement who work everyday to keep drugs away from our kids and off of our streets," said State Representative Gary McDowell, a candidate for Congress in Michigan’s First Congressional District. "As we continue to see illegal drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine in our communities, our police forces and sheriffs’ departments need more, not less, federal resources to help combat this problem."

Multi-jurisdictional task forces including UPSET (the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team), SANE (Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement), HUNT (Huron Undercover Narcotics Team), TNT (Traverse Narcotics Team), BAYANET (Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team) and STING (Strike Team Investigative Narcotics Group) fight drug-related crime in the First Congressional District using a combination of federal, state and local funds.

The Iron Mountain Daily News reported recently that the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), a drug task force partially funded with federal funds, assisted federal law enforcement officials with the U.S. Forest Service in busting and dismantling a meth lab in Delta County.

"As a former Escanaba police officer and Michigan State Police trooper, I know firsthand the impact drugs have on our communities and the need for federal resources to help fight this epidemic," U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak said. "The first bill I sponsored and passed in Congress was to crack down on bulk purchases of ephedrine, which is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine (meth) and methcathinone (cat).

"Cat was a huge problem in northern Michigan in the early 1990s because of the toxic waste associated with manufacturing the drug as well as the effects of individuals abusing the drug," Stupak continued. "Without my legislation cat labs would have continued to proliferate and our youth would have access to yet one more illegal drug. I am appalled that any candidate for Congress, much less a physician, would support such a radical position that is clearly not in the best interest of northern Michigan. We need someone like Gary McDowell in Congress to continue the fight to keep drugs off our streets not someone who will make it even easier for drugs to destroy lives, families and communities."

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie is quickly becoming a key transit point for drugs heading to Michigan and the rest of the United States.

* Click here to view the video of Benishek’s comments at the Tea Party event.

D80 Conference presenters' deadline is Sept. 17

HOUGHTON -- The Michigan Tech campus will host the annual D80 Conference, "Act Local, Act Global," from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9, in Fisher Hall.

The D80 Conference addresses service and research done by students from Michigan Tech and elsewhere in addressing the needs of the poorest 80 percent of humanity. The conference, which is open to anybody, highlights efforts of students working domestically and abroad.

Presenters are welcome; they must submit information by tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 17. For a group presentation, only one person needs to submit information. To attend the free conference, register through Thursday, Sept. 30.

To submit presentation requests and register, visit the D80 Center Web site.

Updated: Parade of Nations to feature 80 nations, cultural groups, Cass Tech Marching Band Sept. 18

The Cass Tech Marching Band performs on the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2007 Parade of Nations. The popular Detroit band returns this year for the 21st annual Parade of Nations. Click on photos for larger versions. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

HOUGHTON -- This Saturday, Sept. 18, Michigan Technological University will hold its annual Parade of Nations. The event, celebrating its 21st year, features representation from more than 80 nations and cultural organizations by students, staff and faculty from both Michigan Tech and Finlandia universities, joined by community participants.

Finnish students from Finlandia and Michigan Tech universities march across the bridge from Hancock to Houghton during the 2009 Parade of Nations. (2009 photos and video clips by Keweenaw Now)

This year, the parade’s theme is "Many Nations -- One Heart." Parade participants will will march through the streets of downtown Houghton and Hancock while displaying the flag of their nation and wearing traditional dress.

African students from Michigan Tech represent several countries in the 2009 Parade of Nations.

The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. at Hancock Middle School and will conclude at Dee Stadium in Houghton. Following the parade, the public can enjoy a variety of ethnic foods, music and crafts at the Multicultural Food and Music Festival, also at Dee Stadium.

A colorful banner announces "Puerto Rico, the enchanted island." (2009 photo)

The Cass Tech Marching Band will march in the parade, perform at the Multicultural Food and Music Festival, and entertain during half-time at Saturday’s Michigan Tech football game against Wayne State University, which begins at 1 p.m. at Sherman Field.

Japanese students and friends wear colorful traditional dress in the 2009 Parade. They are joined by Mariana Tonchev of Bulgaria (third from left).

Chinese students from Michigan Tech and Finlandia march together during the 2009 Parade.

Free shuttle services will be provided by the City of Houghton. Shuttles will leave the Michigan Tech's Memorial Union Building from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Videos and more photos from the 2009 Parade of Nations:

Boliviamanta, a Bolivian-American dance group, performs on the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2009 Parade of Nations. The theme last year was "Dancing with Diversity."

Turkish families and students march in the 2009 Parade.

Susan LaFernier of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) accompanies the Native American float in the 2009 Parade.

Michigan Rep. Mike Lahti (D-Hancock) and Michigan Tech University Dean of Students Gloria Melton join the 2009 Parade of Nations in Hancock.

Guatemala is well represented in the 2009 Parade of Nations by members of CCGAP (Copper Country Guatemala Accompaniment Project).

Members of the Argentine "delegation" march in the 2009 Parade.

Members of Michigan Tech's Husky Tae Kwon Do group do a demonstration on the bridge during the 2009 Parade of nations.

Finnish students sell their traditional baked goods and dance during the 2009 Parade of Nations Multicultural Food and Music Festival in Dee Stadium.

Lucas and Marisa Lago serve Argentine empanadas and stew to a customer during the 2009 Parade of Nations Multicultural Food and Music Festival.

Keweenaw Now's Gustavo Bourdieu joins his compatriots Marisa and Lucas for a photo after all their homemade traditional specialties have been sold.

A Chinese dancer performs in Dee Stadium during the 2009 Parade of Nations Multicultural Food and Music Festival.

McDowell urges regulators to protect Great Lakes from Enbridge pipeline repairs under Mackinac Straits

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- As a congressional hearing in Washington today highlights the failures of Enbridge Energy Partners that led to a 1 million gallon oil spill this summer along the Kalamazoo River, State Representative Gary McDowell, a candidate for Congress in Michigan’s First District, called on federal and state regulators to take precautions to ensure northern Michigan and the Great Lakes are not jeopardized as Enbridge repairs its pipeline that runs along the bottom of the Great Lakes through the Mackinac Straits. Scheduled repairs to the pipeline running along the lake bottom could begin as early as Friday.

"Enbridge has a history of negligence not just in Michigan but across its pipeline system in the Great Lakes region, making it clear that state and federal regulators need to apply additional scrutiny as the company prepares to perform work on its pipeline through the Mackinac Straits," McDowell said.

"An oil spill from a pipeline rupture through the Mackinac Straits could be devastating for the health of the Great Lakes and the thousands of jobs that rely on them," McDowell continued. "Regulators must take every possible precaution to prevent this from happening, including requiring Enbridge to stop oil flow through the section of pipeline running through the Straits while repairs are being performed. If Enbridge officials won’t take this common-sense precaution to protect our Great Lakes on their own, then federal and state regulators must make them do so."

Enbridge plans to add support structures to its underwater pipeline running through the Straits. Work is scheduled to begin Friday and last 10 to 30 days. The pipeline is more than 50 years old and runs along the lake bottom through the Mackinac Straits, which reaches a depth of almost 300 feet.

Music, CD releases by Bernie Larsen, Pasi Cats Sept. 17

HANCOCK -- The long-waited moment of the reopening of the old St. Mary's Hall at Atlantic Mine is finally here...

Poster announcing opening of Brownstone Hall (old St. Mary's) in Atlantic Mine with music by Bernie Larsen and the PasiCats. (Poster courtesy Pasi Lautala)

This Friday, Sept. 17, Bernie Larsen and PasiCats have the honor to blast out the first tunes in the newly renovated Brownstone Hall at Atlantic Mine (used to be St. Mary's) between Houghton and South Range.

Doors will open at 7 p.m.
7:30 p.m. -- Bernie Larsen will release his new solo CD Out of Reach and
9 p.m. -- PasiCats will release their new Live CD Where's Valki? -- and they'll play as long as people dance.

Dress up (old or new) and return or make your first visit to the gorgeous Brownstone Hall.

"We'll guarantee that it'll be an experience!!!" Pasi says.

The hall is located at 46925 Huron Street in Atlantic Mine. You can get there from Houghton by taking M-26 south to Atlantic Mine. Turn right on Erickson Drive. Go past the Post Office and turn right on Huron. The hall is across from Top Dog Kennels.

If you can't make it, you can get both CDs also from Good Times Music in Houghton and the PasiCats CD from the Finnsight web site.

Khana Khazana to serve Pakistani meal to aid flood victims Sept. 17

HOUGHTON -- Khana Khazana is back on the Michigan Technological University campus this fall. The weekly series of international lunches, a collaborative effort of a group of international students and Michigan Tech Dining Services, will kick off with a Pakistani meal this Friday, Sept. 17, with half the proceeds going to benefit flood victims in Pakistan.

The menu -- cooked by Pakistani students Saad Sikander, Amna Zahid and Iltesham Syed -- will include chicken biryani, a spicy chicken dish served with rice; vegetable samosa, a pocket of vegetables in deep-fried dough; sheer khurma, a Pakistani dessert; and your choice of fountain drink.

A full meal is $6, with half donated to Pakistani flood relief. Food will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Last year, Khana Khazana did two benefit lunches for Haitian earthquake victims.*

Khana Khazana means "food treasure" in Hindi. Cooked by international students and served in the Memorial Union Food Court, Khana Khazana will feature the cuisine of a different country each week. It is a way to share the international flavor of Michigan Tech with the campus and community. The weekly lunches are open to the public.

*Editor's Note: See our Apr. 24, 2010 article on the last Khana Khazana Haitian benefit lunch.

Arts Center to hold goods, services auction Sept. 17

HANCOCK -- Art, outdoor adventures, tours, a photo shoot, gift baskets, dinners, desserts, drawing lessons and dance lessons are among the many special items that will be up for live and silent auction as a fundraiser for the Copper Country Community Arts Center happening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17.

The auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Arts Center ballroom with auctioneer Ray Sharp delivering the goods and fun for the evening. Music will be provided by Steven Loukus and John Snyder of the On the Spot Blues Band. Gourmet hors d'oeuvres will be served, and admission to the event is a suggested donation.*

Along with art and jewelry, some of the exciting items up for bid include: Create Your Own Garden of Eatin’ with Barb Hardy, PasiCats Play for Your Party, Natural History Field Trip with Dana Richter, Sailing Excursion with Debbie Karstu, Weekend at KLT Lightfoot Bay Cabin, Sushi Instruction with Christa Walck, Mary Kay Make Over with Rebecca Anderson, Bees Knees Honey Gift Basket from Algomah Acres Honey Farm, Dance Lessons with Phyllis Fredendall and Hannu Leppanen, Karelian Piirakka Baking Lessons, An Evening of Sweets and Songs with Jane and Tom Hiltunen, A Day on Silver Island with Bill and Nanno Rose, Vegetarian Dinner for Four by Valorie Troesch, Juggling Lessons with Ansley Knoch, Glam Photo Shoot with Adam Johnson of Brockit Inc. and Pamela Kotila of SYR+ISM, Keweenaw Adventure Company gift certificate, Bike Shop tune up, Kangas Café and Catering gift certificate, De La Terre gift certificate as well as a Cross Country Sports ski wax and tune-up.

Stop by the Arts Center to pick up an auction booklet or flyer for a full listing of all the wonderful art, goods, and services up for auction!

The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. Call 482-2333 for more information or visit www.coppercountryarts.com.

* Suggested donation: $5.

Updated: Hancock's Tori offers fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, more ...

At Hancock's Tori Market, a large display of baked goods, jams and jellies can be seen each week at the table of Martha Sohlden of Chassell, Tori market master. In the background are Sandy Soring of Copper City, Tori co-manager, who makes baskets, and Gustavo Bourdieu of Hancock, who sells fresh vegetables and honey. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

By Yunhua Li*

HANCOCK -- The Tori Market on Quincy Street in downtown Hancock sells locally grown vegetables, plants, and flowers; locally made jams, jellies, and baked goods; locally crafted jewelry, towels, and baskets. It is held every Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from June through October -- rain or shine.

Sandy Soring of Copper City, Tori co-manager, displays her hand-made baskets at the Tori. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

"The weather does affect the market sometimes (heavy rain, etc.) but there is a tent up next to the Finnish Heritage Center and people are showing up even on the less sunny days," Tori Market Co-Manager Jeanne Medlyn said.

Tori means market in Finnish. The Finnish people in the local area want to maintain the culture of having a big outdoor market. The Tori market was formerly located at Montezuma Park, but now is on Quincy Street, in front of the old Hancock Middle School.

"Parking is more convenient," Carol Williams, one of the merchants, said. "It is better here than the park."

The Tori moved to a new place because Finlandia University has a Finnish background and wanted the market to move close to them. The City of Hancock wanted them there because the City is going to tear up the road near the Montezuma Park area.

"I get to know a lot of people in the community and it is fun," said Williams with a smile. "It doesn’t cost that much, and it is inexpensive to do."

Williams earns her living by making jewelry. She has been at the Tori Market for four years. She likes to make necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with beads. Their prices vary. The lowest-priced earrings are $10, and the necklaces are always $70 or more. She spends many hours making the more expensive pieces. Her works are also in the Copper Country Community Arts Center, located in Hancock on Quincy Street. Her husband creates baked goods for sale in the Tori.

"I love working here," 81-year-old Dan Kemppainen said. "All I like to do is gardening."

Dan Kemppainen displays his vegetables in the Tori. (Photo © 2010 Yunhua Li for Keweenaw Now)

Kemppainen noted he has a garden 200 by 200 feet, where he grows tomatoes, radishes, onions, lettuces, beets and other vegetables. Kemppainen lives in Altantic Mine in the house where he was born. Now he spends winters in Arizona, but returns home every summer to be with his son and plant his garden.

Kemppainen and his wife were founders of the market in 1982. It moved several times before coming to Hancock’s Montezuma Park five years ago.

Gardeners John Lennington and his mother, Dawn Tweedle, of Lake Linden, also grow fresh farm produce and sell several kinds of vegetables and plants, displayed in small baskets.

John Lennington (center, behind table) and his mother, Dawn Tweedle, sell several kinds of fresh vegetables and plants at the Tori Market. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

The vegetables included broccoli, sweet onions, cabbage, zucchini and snap beans. Lennington gave me a snap bean and asked me to try it. It was sweet, crunchy and fresh. I bought two fresh zucchini and later cooked them with pork in a Chinese way, and the taste was wonderful.

Dorn Dyttmer of Hancock sells a variety of items in the Tori. There are CDs, frames, photos, instruments -- all kinds of things around him. He designed several convenient, practical items; for example, a paper cutting board which looks like paper but is stronger. A person can use it for three or four days. It is good for camping because it takes only a small space and is very easy to use and throw away.

From note cards to memory aids, Dorn Dyttmer's spot at the Tori offers a variety of items he has designed and crafted himself. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

He designed a wooden box which he calls a d’light box. Dyttmer displayed two styles of these boxes. The one for Christmas has a Christmas tree carved on the top. When the box is plugged in, the lights come on and one can see a colorful Christmas tree shape on the box. The other d’light box is made for Halloween. On its top is a skeleton shape, which lights up when it is turned on. Another product that he designed is the "Adult Diet / Dinner Calculator" -- a memory aid. It is for the adult who has a memory problem.

"Always something different," Jeanne Medlyn said. "Early spring did not have many vegetables; June returned early vegetables; July and August have had many more; September and October will have pumpkins and cabbages."

Medlyn sells products from the fleece of sheep instead of vegetables. She sells white with blue, and pink with brown yarn. She also had a basket of black fleece at her feet.

Sheep are dirty, so to make yarn people have to wash the wool, dye it and then spin it into yarn, Medlyn explained. She gets fleece from her friend’s sheep. Medlyn likes to use a spinning wheel to demonstrate yarn making. She makes sweaters, scarves, mittens and other things. Medlyn invites people to come work with her if they are interested in making yarn.

The Tori Market offers artists and artisans as well as farmers and gardeners a place to sell their products. Here artist Vanessa Lipson chats with a customer about her crafts. (Photo © 2010 Yunhua Li for Keweenaw Now)

For those who want to sell their products, the market is set up between 8:15 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. and selling begins at 9 a.m. The cost is $5 for the day, and you have to bring your own table or chair.

"If you only have a small amount to sell -- three tomatoes and five onions, for example, you just pay 10 percent of your total sale up to $5," Medlyn noted.

The new State of Michigan cottage food law has really opened the market to more people who like to sell homemade food like jam, bread, cookies, honey, etc., Medlyn explained.

Customers interested in buying the really fresh organic vegetables should get to the Tori early. There is plenty of parking, and one can park in front of the Finlandia bookstore or on the street. One convenience of the market being near Finlandia is that you can use the bookstore restroom and take your time to enjoy this outdoor market.

Gustavo Bourdieu of Hancock sells his fresh vegetables and natural honey in the Tori. His onions have been especially popular this summer! (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Dorn Dyttmer)

One of Gustavo Bourdieu's favorite onions. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

I was there around 10:30 a.m., and the sellers had already sold half or more of their vegetables. The customers kept coming. Most of them were previous customers who prefer to have organic vegetables. The vegetables are fresh and the sellers pick them early in the morning. The prices are affordable, and the sellers are local people who are kind and cheerful. Even though some customers do not buy anything, the sellers still like to talk with them. In interviewing the gardeners, I found that they graciously talked about their experiences and shared their information. The Tori Market is a part of local culture.

For more information about the Tori, please call 482-1605 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Editor's Notes: Visit the Tori Market Web site for more photos. Visiting reporter Yunhua Li was a student in David Clanaugh's summer journalism class, for which she wrote this article. She interviewed the market sellers earlier this summer, and we apologize for the delay in posting this article. See also her July 23 article, "A Chinese look at July Fourth celebrations."

Update: Hancock's Finnish Theme Committee developed the concept of the Tori Market. According to City Manager Glenn Anderson, Hancock's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) provides funding and is planning to supply a new tent for the Tori next year. The City of Hancock provides insurance and some marketing for the Tori.

Native American author, filmmaker to speak Sept. 14 in Rozsa

HOUGHTON -- Sherman Alexie, the author of the book that was featured in this year's Reading as Inquiry project for Michigan Tech first-year students, will speak from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 14, in the Rozsa Center. The public is welcome.

Alexie's presentation is, "Without Reservations: An Urban Indian's Comic, Poetic, and Highly Irreverent Look at the World."

Alexie is a poet, novelist and filmmaker who received the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award. His book titled The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is based on his own experiences and tells the story of a Native American teen who transfers from the reservation school to a wealthy, white school in a nearby town.

In the Reading as Inquiry project, first-year students read Alexie's book over the summer and discussed it during Orientation. The purpose of the program is to introduce students to college-level reading, inquiry and discussion.

Editor's Note: For more details on the Reading as Inquiry program and Alexie's book, see Keweenaw Now guest author Samantha Stauch's Aug. 22 article "Michigan Tech’s Reading as Inquiry Program creates community connections."

Another distress flag flies at Rio Tinto mine site

A distress flag flies above Eagle Rock, the entry of Rio Tinto-Kennecott's planned sulfide mine near Big Bay, Mich. The site is on leased state land. Mine opponents, including members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) question the legality of the lease and of the mine permits granted to Rio Tinto by the Michigan DNRE (Department of Natural Resources and Environment). (Photo courtesy Stand for the Land)

EAGLE ROCK -- Stand for the Land reports another distress flag has been hung at Eagle Rock, the Ojibwa sacred site, now fenced off as the entry location for Rio Tinto-Kennecott's Eagle Project sulfide mine for nickel and copper.

A short article on standfortheland.com reports, "At first we thought Rio Tinto might be flying a Chinese flag (China owns more of Rio Tinto than any other entity) but a zoom lens revealed that another distress flag was flying above Eagle Rock (one flew over the site on July 4 weekend). It’s a sign that, while Rio Tinto and the DNRE (Department of Natural Resources and Environment) continue to break the law, the public is still keeping watch."

Editor's Note: Read about the distress flag and what it represents for Native Americans in our May 27, 2010, article, "A hot day at Eagle Rock -- before arrests of campers." Visit Stand for the Land for more photos.