HOUGHTON -- the Houghton County Democratic Committee is hosting a potluck luncheon at 1 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 11, in honor of Congressman Bart Stupak, who will be in town to deliver the commencement address to Michigan Tech graduates Saturday morning.
The potluck will be held at the Super 8 Motel in Houghton.
Beverages and dessert will be provided. If you would like to attend, please bring a dish to share and join in expressing appreciation to Congressman Stupak for his 18 years of dedication to our district and to the Democratic Party.
No RSVP is needed.
The next regular monthly business meeting of the Houghton County Democratic Party will be at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the new year, Jan. 5, 2011, at the Super 8 in Houghton. Visitors are welcome.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
U. S. Rep. Bart Stupak to speak at Michigan Tech commencement
By Marcia Goodrich, Michigan Tech senior writer(Posted on Tech Today, Dec. 8, 2010)
HOUGHTON -- Congressman Bart Stupak will address nearly 300 graduates at Michigan Tech University Midyear Commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 11.
A total of 242 students will be receiving bachelor's degrees. In addition, 26 master's degrees and 18 doctorates will be awarded.
Stupak will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Environmental and Energy Policy. He is retiring in January after 18 years of service to Michigan's 1st Congressional District.
He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and, as the ranking Democrat, chair of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
Before his election in 1992, Stupak was a Michigan state representative and worked as an Escanaba police officer and Michigan State Police trooper. He also practiced law.
A graduate of Gladstone High School, he earned an associate degree from Northwestern Michigan College, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Northern Michigan University and a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing.
Health care has been a priority for Stupak since he was elected to Congress, when he pledged not to accept the insurance that members of Congress receive until all
Americans could have access to that same quality health care.
He has been a leader in the international effort to ban the sale and diversion of the Great Lakes and opposed the drilling for oil and gas beneath the Great Lakes.
Stupak founded and co-chaired the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, a bipartisan organization that provides the law enforcement community with an avenue to participate in the legislative process.
He has been a leader in homeland security, particularly in connection with programs to train and equip local law enforcement officers and other first responders. In addition, Stupak co-chairs the Congressional Northern Border Caucus.
Khana Khazana to offer Indian, Thai cuisine Dec. 10
HOUGHTON -- Khana Khazana (Food Treasure) will feature Indian and Thai Cuisine from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, in the Memorial Union Food Court at Michigan Tech.
The menu will include Mutter Paneer (curry of green peas and Indian cheese served with Naan bread), by Indian chef Sahil Thakkar; Kesariya Doodh (a delicious beverage made with milk, saffron and nuts), by Sahil Thakkar; and Pad Thai (an authentic Thai dish made with stir-fried noodles, bean sprouts and shrimps), by Thai chef Parawe Pumwongpitak).
A full meal is $6; à la carte prices are Pad Thai $3, Mutter Paneer $3, Kesariya Doodh $2.
This is the last Khana Khazana lunch of the Fall Semester. Khana Khazana Friday lunches will resume during Spring Semester, beginning in January. The first anniversary of the Khana Khazana program, a collaboration of Michigan Tech International Students and Michigan Tech Dining Services, will be Jan. 28, 2011.
Chef Sahil Thakkar, Khana Khazana coordinator, said he is looking for ideas on how to celebrate the anniversary.
Editor's Note: Read more about Khana Khazana and see photos of last week's lunch.
The menu will include Mutter Paneer (curry of green peas and Indian cheese served with Naan bread), by Indian chef Sahil Thakkar; Kesariya Doodh (a delicious beverage made with milk, saffron and nuts), by Sahil Thakkar; and Pad Thai (an authentic Thai dish made with stir-fried noodles, bean sprouts and shrimps), by Thai chef Parawe Pumwongpitak).
A full meal is $6; à la carte prices are Pad Thai $3, Mutter Paneer $3, Kesariya Doodh $2.
This is the last Khana Khazana lunch of the Fall Semester. Khana Khazana Friday lunches will resume during Spring Semester, beginning in January. The first anniversary of the Khana Khazana program, a collaboration of Michigan Tech International Students and Michigan Tech Dining Services, will be Jan. 28, 2011.
Chef Sahil Thakkar, Khana Khazana coordinator, said he is looking for ideas on how to celebrate the anniversary.
Editor's Note: Read more about Khana Khazana and see photos of last week's lunch.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Mining expert Jack Parker says Eagle Mine likely to collapse
By Michele Bourdieu
TOIVOLA, Mich. -- Addressing the structural stability of Rio Tinto-Kennecott's Eagle Mine is a matter of life and death.
"Of course it is," says mining expert Jack Parker, semi-retired mining engineer/geologist, well respected for his practical experience in more than 500 mines around the world. Parker -- who has degrees in mining engineering, geological engineering and geology from Michigan Technological University -- specializes in practical rock mechanics, which he defines as "an understanding of the properties and behavior of rocks and rock structures -– and what to do about it."
Jack Parker of Toivola, semi-retired mining engineer / geologist, specializes in practical rock mechanics. He recently published two reports on the instability of Rio Tinto-Kennecott's Eagle Mine. (Photo courtesy Jack Parker)
Parker has written numerous technical papers on this practical approach and, since 1971, has independently given advice to miners and engineers to help them resolve problems in mine design and operation.
Most recently, Parker published two reports on the Eagle Mine, pointing out reasons why it is likely to collapse if mined as planned in Kennecott's mining permit application, which was approved by the former Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), now part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE). The permit has been challenged in a contested case, in which the MDEQ's Administrative Law Judge Richard Patterson ruled in favor of both Kennecott Eagle Minerals Co. (KEMC) and the company's apparent partner in the case, the MDEQ.*
Catherine Parker of Marquette, daughter of Jack Parker, reads an excerpt from Jack Parker's August 2010 report on the Eagle Mine at the Sept. 28, 2010, Marquette County Commissioners Sept. 28, 2010, Meeting of the Committee of the Whole Meeting. Catherine Parker gave commissioners copies of the report. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)
This case is now being appealed by the groups challenging the permit: National Wildlife Federation, Huron Mountain Club, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve. Parker was one of several experts testifying in the contested case held in the spring of 2008. He testified that the Eagle mine, as designed in Kennecott’s permit application, was likely to collapse. Later he published the reports to call attention again to the stability issue.
Jack Parker’s April 2009 report on the Eagle Project
In his first report -- dated April 2009 and titled "KEMC Eagle Project: A Fraudulent Mining Permit Application?" -- Parker said he had studied Kennecott's permit application for three years and concluded that the mine and its crown pillar (the rock above the mine) would not be stable. He called the application "misleading, deceitful and potentially dangerous." The report questions Kennecott's use of computer modeling as an approach to mine design. Parker also illustrates the report with photos of drill cores, showing weakness in the rock and pointing out missing numbers in Rock Mass Ratings that betray an effort to hide the poor core, thus misrepresenting the strength of the crown pillar. Samples of drawings also show how Kennecott concealed weak areas of rock in their use of color in the designs -- which would have deceived and misled the hired mine planners.
Parker says in this first report that he agrees with David Sainsbury, a rock mechanics expert hired by the MDEQ, who, in his 2006 Technical Review of the geotechnical portion of the application drafted by Kennecott's mine design consultants, Golder and Associates, was highly critical of the design.
Parker quotes Sainsbury as saying, "'The analysis techniques used to assess the Eagle crown pillar stability do not reflect industry best practice. In addition, the hydrologic stability of the crown pillar has not been considered. Therefore the conclusions made within the Eagle Project Mining Permit Application regarding crown pillar subsidence are not considered to be defensible.'"
"That was Sainsbury’s polite way of saying they were not supported by fact," Parker says.
As Parker points out, Sainsbury was asked more than once to rewrite his report and omit certain details, but still came to the same conclusion about the instability of the crown pillar.
"They hid those reports but hired a second expert, Wilson Blake, Ph D, also respected in the industry," Parker writes. "In a hasty response he gave KEMC/MDEQ some support but added that although he used to use their methods (numerical modeling), he gave up on them years ago, preferring instead to go look at the problem situations."
Although Blake testified for the MDEQ in the contested case, the Petitioners' Brief in support of their appeal of the contested case decision refers to Blake's respect for Parker's expertise: "According to the MDEQ's own expert, Parker's study of the geologic stresses in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the significance of those stresses for mine construction, remains the seminal work on the subject. MDEQ's expert voluntarily identified Mr. Parker as an 'icon' in his field. Parker testified unequivocally that the risk of collapse at the proposed Eagle Mine is 'likely.'"
Parker's practical approach is evident in the examples he gives of questionable sampling (choosing only the best rock samples to represent a rock mass and basing calculations, analyses and designs on these samples) and questionable testing (for example, using dry samples in a lab to test rock strength, thus assuring more optimistic results since wet rocks lose much of their strength).
During an interview with Keweenaw Now, mining expert Jack Parker explains photos of rock core samples in his April 2009 report on the Eagle Mine. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)
Noting that the MDEQ told their expert Sainsbury to leave case histories out of his reports, Parker says a geologist or person planning a mine should always look at similar mines in similar conditions in order to anticipate problems. Their second expert, Blake, said the same thing. Parker describes the 1987 collapse of the Ropes Mine near Ishpeming and the 1932 collapse of the Athens Mine south of Negaunee. In the latter case, the crown pillar was 1800 feet thick and described as "jaspilite," an extremely strong rock.
"Remember that KEMC/Golder first said that a crown pillar about 100 ft. thick would be stable," Parker writes. "After questioning they doubled it to 200 ft, and eventually, tripled it, to 300 ft. No confidence in their calculations and predictions? Strange that their hi-tech calculations would add an even 100 ft each time they were challenged. At the Athens mine the crown pillar, 1800-1900 feet thick, was 'Not relevant!' they say."
Parker adds, "It was 1800-1900 feet thick, but it did fail."
Parker concludes his 2009 report with an explanation of the importance of horizontal stress on the crown pillar.
A major problem with Kennecott's design, Parker says, is this: "NOBODY KNOWS EITHER THE ORIENTATION OR THE MAGNITUDE OF THE STRESSES IN THE CROWN PILLAR. IT FOLLOWS THAT NOBODY CAN PREDICT THE DEGREE OF STABILITY OF THE CROWN WITH CERTAINTY. NOBODY!" (Emphasis is Parker’s.)**
Jack Parker's second report, August 2010
In August 2010, Parker published a second report on the Kennecott Eagle Project. This one, only 16 pages long, is titled "THE KENNECOTT EAGLE MINE PLANNED FOR UPPER MICHIGAN IS PREDICTED TO BE UNSTABLE." Parker said he wrote this second report because it seemed no one had paid attention to the first one, perhaps because he had presented so many details on the errors in Kennecott's application.
"The reports begin to resemble encyclopedias, full of facts, perhaps, but nobody reads encyclopedias from beginning to end," Parker writes in his Introduction to the August 2010 report. "This time I confine my observations to the most significant errors -- those concerning health and safety, primarily the stability of the mine and the crown pillar in particular."
The crown pillar, says Parker, is all the rock between the top of the mine and the top of the bedrock.
In their permit application, Parker explains, "Kennecott includes everything above the top of the mine, including the weathered and fractured rock."
Parker considers that a grave error.
Parker's second report includes a page of color photos of 50 ft. of core samples (all dry) from the crown pillar of the Eagle Mine. His comment on these is as follows:
"Stability depends more on rock structure than on laboratory measurements of strength of small, select, intact samples."
This is one of the core samples Parker includes in his August 2010 report. "Would you care to work under this roofrock?" Parker asks. (Photo courtesy Jack Parker)
In just a few pages, Parker shows how Kennecott and their consultants, Golder Associates, used a computer modeling approach and arrived at designs based on numbers that are arbitrary -- or even missing, as in the example of the missing Rock Mass Ratings (RMRs) for 87 feet of the weaker rock types in the crown pillar -- which hid the potential instability of the rock.
"The rocks don't lie but the numbers do," Parker writes.
He also points out, as he did in his first report, that RMRs from dry samples have to be adjusted (lowered) since the actual rocks are wet.
"THE CORRECTED RMRs, APPLIED TO K/G (Kennecott/Golder) METHODOLOGY, PREDICT THAT THE MINE AND THE CROWN PILLAR WILL BE UNSTABLE," Parker notes with emphasis. ***
Two other nationally recognized experts on mining engineering and geological issues -- Dr. Marcia Bjornerud of Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis., and Dr. Stanley Vitton of Michigan Technological University -- testified for the Petitioners in the contested case. The Petitioners note that, along with Parker, Bjornerud and Vitton provided days of detailed testimony, corroborating, explaining and supporting the criticisms of the application made by Drs. Sainsbury and Blake, as well as the prediction of likely mine collapse.
According to the Petitioners' Brief, "Bjornerud studied extensive photographs of the core samples which showed the quality of rock in and around the intended crown pillar and, using generally accepted formulas, determined that the rock was of very low quality (rubble) and that the crown pillar itself could fail through crumbling or longer-term deterioration."
(The Petitioners' Brief also explains that Kennecott refused to produce the actual core samples so these Petitioners' experts had to conduct their analysis from photographs obtained through FOIA requests. The Administrative Law Judge in the contested case refused to order the actual samples and then, ironically, dismissed these experts' testimony based on the photographs because they didn't have access to the core samples!)
In their Brief, Petitioners question Administrative Law Judge Patterson's reliance on "experimental backfill procedures" to prevent crown pillar failure: "Even before blasting occurs in the secondary stopes, right up against the backfill in the primary stopes, the strength of that backfill is only a tiny fraction of that of the ore it is replacing (20,000 psi vs. 218 psi).
They note that Vitton's calculations show the blasting against the backfill combined with acidic action would lead to a prediction of 12 or more feet of settling beneath the Salmon Trout River. Respondents in the case did not contradict this conclusion.
Vitton recently told Keweenaw Now that, while the 12 foot of settlement would be in the backfill material, not necessarily the total settlement of the crown pillar, it would be close to that if the crown pillar failed.
View of the Salmon Trout River. Kennecott's ore body is under this trout stream. The river is at great risk if the mine underneath it should collapse. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)
The Petitioners' Brief refers to the testimonies of Parker and, Bjornerud and Vitton as "Unrebutted."
On the other hand, the Administrative Law Judge's Proposal for Decision (PFD), for reasons unknown, concludes that the mine will not collapse.
According to the Petitioners' Brief, "The way the PFD reaches a 'conclusion' that this mine will not collapse, against all of the testimony and calculations of the five geologic and mine engineering experts which indicate that it will likely collapse, was by either omitting (with respect to Sainsbury and Blake) or dismissing out of hand (with respect to Parker, Bjornerud and Vitton) all of the testimony indicating the likely catastrophic collapse of this mine."
Faced with all the expert criticism warning of the instability of the crown pillar, Kennecott proposed that the whole application "would be subject to future revisions during the course of excavation and mining, this time without any public review whatsoever," the Petitioners add.
Parker's main point in both of his reports is that safety was intentionally compromised by omission and guesswork, resulting in violation of Part 632, Michigan's Nonferrous Metallic Mining Regulations.
Parker includes in his August 2010 Report an excerpt from Section 324.63223 of Part 632, concerning violations and penalties. These include making a false statement in a permit application under Part 632 (a felony, punishable by a maximum of two years in prison and fines of $2500 to $25,000 per day for each violation or, in the case of a second conviction for this same violation, fines of $25,000 to $50,000 per day). If the court finds evidence of substantially endangering the public health, safety or welfare, that is punishable by five years in prison and fines of at least $ 1 million). ****
Recently, Parker told Keweenaw Now he sees compromise as the only solution to the dilemma of Kennecott breaking the Part 632 law but being allowed to proceed by the DNRE.
"Four and a half years of study still uphold the early findings that Kennecott doctored the technical data in their application to assure issue of permits," Parker says. "And they still maintain that they 'have a good plan and will stick with it' despite the fact that when corrected data are inserted into their design approach the results show that the mine will be unstable -- thus endangering life, limb, property and environment."
Parker notes Kennecott continues to work on mine construction, ignoring the requirements of the law and reinterpreting the law when necessary.
"MDEQ (now MDNRE) allows them to do so," he says.
Construction at the Kennecott mine site (shown in this Nov. 9, 2010, aerial photo) is ongoing, despite litigation still claiming the company is ignoring Part 632, Michigan's Nonferrous Metallic Mining Regulations. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Jeremiah Eagle Eye)
Despite this, as Parker sees it, the dilemma is that the ore bodies are very valuable, the State needs money and many local people need jobs.
"A fair number of them are already enjoying their work at the mine site and their paychecks and they ought not to be punished," Parker adds. "Put yourself in their
place."
Parker says he believes all of the existing plans could be improved upon immensely -- the access, the mining, the duration of mining, the ore processing, the transportation, the marketing and the sharing of proceeds.
"I would expect Kennecott to make such changes piecemeal, by subterfuge, by rewriting the law," he notes.
Editor’s Notes:
* "The consolidated contested case hearing began on April 28, 2008. There were 40 days of testimony, concluding on July 16, 2008, followed by a site visit. During the hearing, 59 persons testified, many of them expert witnesses. In addition, the de bene esse deposition of Dr. Sainsbury was admitted, as were numerous detailed technical exhibits. All parties' closing arguments and proposed findings of fact were filed by October 15, 2008." (Appellants’ / Petitioners' Brief, pp. 15-16) Click here for the Appellants’ Brief.
** Click here to read Jack Parker’s April 2009 report on the Eagle Project.
*** Click here to read Jack Parker’s August 2010 report, predicting the Eagle Mine to be unstable.
**** See Michigan's Nonferrous Metallic Mining Regulations: Part 632 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994.
Parker’s excerpt is taken from p. 14.
TOIVOLA, Mich. -- Addressing the structural stability of Rio Tinto-Kennecott's Eagle Mine is a matter of life and death.
"Of course it is," says mining expert Jack Parker, semi-retired mining engineer/geologist, well respected for his practical experience in more than 500 mines around the world. Parker -- who has degrees in mining engineering, geological engineering and geology from Michigan Technological University -- specializes in practical rock mechanics, which he defines as "an understanding of the properties and behavior of rocks and rock structures -– and what to do about it."
Jack Parker of Toivola, semi-retired mining engineer / geologist, specializes in practical rock mechanics. He recently published two reports on the instability of Rio Tinto-Kennecott's Eagle Mine. (Photo courtesy Jack Parker) Parker has written numerous technical papers on this practical approach and, since 1971, has independently given advice to miners and engineers to help them resolve problems in mine design and operation.
Most recently, Parker published two reports on the Eagle Mine, pointing out reasons why it is likely to collapse if mined as planned in Kennecott's mining permit application, which was approved by the former Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), now part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE). The permit has been challenged in a contested case, in which the MDEQ's Administrative Law Judge Richard Patterson ruled in favor of both Kennecott Eagle Minerals Co. (KEMC) and the company's apparent partner in the case, the MDEQ.*
Catherine Parker of Marquette, daughter of Jack Parker, reads an excerpt from Jack Parker's August 2010 report on the Eagle Mine at the Sept. 28, 2010, Marquette County Commissioners Sept. 28, 2010, Meeting of the Committee of the Whole Meeting. Catherine Parker gave commissioners copies of the report. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)This case is now being appealed by the groups challenging the permit: National Wildlife Federation, Huron Mountain Club, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve. Parker was one of several experts testifying in the contested case held in the spring of 2008. He testified that the Eagle mine, as designed in Kennecott’s permit application, was likely to collapse. Later he published the reports to call attention again to the stability issue.
Jack Parker’s April 2009 report on the Eagle Project
In his first report -- dated April 2009 and titled "KEMC Eagle Project: A Fraudulent Mining Permit Application?" -- Parker said he had studied Kennecott's permit application for three years and concluded that the mine and its crown pillar (the rock above the mine) would not be stable. He called the application "misleading, deceitful and potentially dangerous." The report questions Kennecott's use of computer modeling as an approach to mine design. Parker also illustrates the report with photos of drill cores, showing weakness in the rock and pointing out missing numbers in Rock Mass Ratings that betray an effort to hide the poor core, thus misrepresenting the strength of the crown pillar. Samples of drawings also show how Kennecott concealed weak areas of rock in their use of color in the designs -- which would have deceived and misled the hired mine planners.
Parker says in this first report that he agrees with David Sainsbury, a rock mechanics expert hired by the MDEQ, who, in his 2006 Technical Review of the geotechnical portion of the application drafted by Kennecott's mine design consultants, Golder and Associates, was highly critical of the design.
Parker quotes Sainsbury as saying, "'The analysis techniques used to assess the Eagle crown pillar stability do not reflect industry best practice. In addition, the hydrologic stability of the crown pillar has not been considered. Therefore the conclusions made within the Eagle Project Mining Permit Application regarding crown pillar subsidence are not considered to be defensible.'"
"That was Sainsbury’s polite way of saying they were not supported by fact," Parker says.
As Parker points out, Sainsbury was asked more than once to rewrite his report and omit certain details, but still came to the same conclusion about the instability of the crown pillar.
"They hid those reports but hired a second expert, Wilson Blake, Ph D, also respected in the industry," Parker writes. "In a hasty response he gave KEMC/MDEQ some support but added that although he used to use their methods (numerical modeling), he gave up on them years ago, preferring instead to go look at the problem situations."
Although Blake testified for the MDEQ in the contested case, the Petitioners' Brief in support of their appeal of the contested case decision refers to Blake's respect for Parker's expertise: "According to the MDEQ's own expert, Parker's study of the geologic stresses in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the significance of those stresses for mine construction, remains the seminal work on the subject. MDEQ's expert voluntarily identified Mr. Parker as an 'icon' in his field. Parker testified unequivocally that the risk of collapse at the proposed Eagle Mine is 'likely.'"
Parker's practical approach is evident in the examples he gives of questionable sampling (choosing only the best rock samples to represent a rock mass and basing calculations, analyses and designs on these samples) and questionable testing (for example, using dry samples in a lab to test rock strength, thus assuring more optimistic results since wet rocks lose much of their strength).
During an interview with Keweenaw Now, mining expert Jack Parker explains photos of rock core samples in his April 2009 report on the Eagle Mine. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)Noting that the MDEQ told their expert Sainsbury to leave case histories out of his reports, Parker says a geologist or person planning a mine should always look at similar mines in similar conditions in order to anticipate problems. Their second expert, Blake, said the same thing. Parker describes the 1987 collapse of the Ropes Mine near Ishpeming and the 1932 collapse of the Athens Mine south of Negaunee. In the latter case, the crown pillar was 1800 feet thick and described as "jaspilite," an extremely strong rock.
"Remember that KEMC/Golder first said that a crown pillar about 100 ft. thick would be stable," Parker writes. "After questioning they doubled it to 200 ft, and eventually, tripled it, to 300 ft. No confidence in their calculations and predictions? Strange that their hi-tech calculations would add an even 100 ft each time they were challenged. At the Athens mine the crown pillar, 1800-1900 feet thick, was 'Not relevant!' they say."
Parker adds, "It was 1800-1900 feet thick, but it did fail."
Parker concludes his 2009 report with an explanation of the importance of horizontal stress on the crown pillar.
A major problem with Kennecott's design, Parker says, is this: "NOBODY KNOWS EITHER THE ORIENTATION OR THE MAGNITUDE OF THE STRESSES IN THE CROWN PILLAR. IT FOLLOWS THAT NOBODY CAN PREDICT THE DEGREE OF STABILITY OF THE CROWN WITH CERTAINTY. NOBODY!" (Emphasis is Parker’s.)**
Jack Parker's second report, August 2010
In August 2010, Parker published a second report on the Kennecott Eagle Project. This one, only 16 pages long, is titled "THE KENNECOTT EAGLE MINE PLANNED FOR UPPER MICHIGAN IS PREDICTED TO BE UNSTABLE." Parker said he wrote this second report because it seemed no one had paid attention to the first one, perhaps because he had presented so many details on the errors in Kennecott's application.
"The reports begin to resemble encyclopedias, full of facts, perhaps, but nobody reads encyclopedias from beginning to end," Parker writes in his Introduction to the August 2010 report. "This time I confine my observations to the most significant errors -- those concerning health and safety, primarily the stability of the mine and the crown pillar in particular."
The crown pillar, says Parker, is all the rock between the top of the mine and the top of the bedrock.
In their permit application, Parker explains, "Kennecott includes everything above the top of the mine, including the weathered and fractured rock."
Parker considers that a grave error.
Parker's second report includes a page of color photos of 50 ft. of core samples (all dry) from the crown pillar of the Eagle Mine. His comment on these is as follows:
"Stability depends more on rock structure than on laboratory measurements of strength of small, select, intact samples."
This is one of the core samples Parker includes in his August 2010 report. "Would you care to work under this roofrock?" Parker asks. (Photo courtesy Jack Parker)In just a few pages, Parker shows how Kennecott and their consultants, Golder Associates, used a computer modeling approach and arrived at designs based on numbers that are arbitrary -- or even missing, as in the example of the missing Rock Mass Ratings (RMRs) for 87 feet of the weaker rock types in the crown pillar -- which hid the potential instability of the rock.
"The rocks don't lie but the numbers do," Parker writes.
He also points out, as he did in his first report, that RMRs from dry samples have to be adjusted (lowered) since the actual rocks are wet.
"THE CORRECTED RMRs, APPLIED TO K/G (Kennecott/Golder) METHODOLOGY, PREDICT THAT THE MINE AND THE CROWN PILLAR WILL BE UNSTABLE," Parker notes with emphasis. ***
Two other nationally recognized experts on mining engineering and geological issues -- Dr. Marcia Bjornerud of Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis., and Dr. Stanley Vitton of Michigan Technological University -- testified for the Petitioners in the contested case. The Petitioners note that, along with Parker, Bjornerud and Vitton provided days of detailed testimony, corroborating, explaining and supporting the criticisms of the application made by Drs. Sainsbury and Blake, as well as the prediction of likely mine collapse.
According to the Petitioners' Brief, "Bjornerud studied extensive photographs of the core samples which showed the quality of rock in and around the intended crown pillar and, using generally accepted formulas, determined that the rock was of very low quality (rubble) and that the crown pillar itself could fail through crumbling or longer-term deterioration."
(The Petitioners' Brief also explains that Kennecott refused to produce the actual core samples so these Petitioners' experts had to conduct their analysis from photographs obtained through FOIA requests. The Administrative Law Judge in the contested case refused to order the actual samples and then, ironically, dismissed these experts' testimony based on the photographs because they didn't have access to the core samples!)
In their Brief, Petitioners question Administrative Law Judge Patterson's reliance on "experimental backfill procedures" to prevent crown pillar failure: "Even before blasting occurs in the secondary stopes, right up against the backfill in the primary stopes, the strength of that backfill is only a tiny fraction of that of the ore it is replacing (20,000 psi vs. 218 psi).
They note that Vitton's calculations show the blasting against the backfill combined with acidic action would lead to a prediction of 12 or more feet of settling beneath the Salmon Trout River. Respondents in the case did not contradict this conclusion.
Vitton recently told Keweenaw Now that, while the 12 foot of settlement would be in the backfill material, not necessarily the total settlement of the crown pillar, it would be close to that if the crown pillar failed.
View of the Salmon Trout River. Kennecott's ore body is under this trout stream. The river is at great risk if the mine underneath it should collapse. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)The Petitioners' Brief refers to the testimonies of Parker and, Bjornerud and Vitton as "Unrebutted."
On the other hand, the Administrative Law Judge's Proposal for Decision (PFD), for reasons unknown, concludes that the mine will not collapse.
According to the Petitioners' Brief, "The way the PFD reaches a 'conclusion' that this mine will not collapse, against all of the testimony and calculations of the five geologic and mine engineering experts which indicate that it will likely collapse, was by either omitting (with respect to Sainsbury and Blake) or dismissing out of hand (with respect to Parker, Bjornerud and Vitton) all of the testimony indicating the likely catastrophic collapse of this mine."
Faced with all the expert criticism warning of the instability of the crown pillar, Kennecott proposed that the whole application "would be subject to future revisions during the course of excavation and mining, this time without any public review whatsoever," the Petitioners add.
Parker's main point in both of his reports is that safety was intentionally compromised by omission and guesswork, resulting in violation of Part 632, Michigan's Nonferrous Metallic Mining Regulations.
Parker includes in his August 2010 Report an excerpt from Section 324.63223 of Part 632, concerning violations and penalties. These include making a false statement in a permit application under Part 632 (a felony, punishable by a maximum of two years in prison and fines of $2500 to $25,000 per day for each violation or, in the case of a second conviction for this same violation, fines of $25,000 to $50,000 per day). If the court finds evidence of substantially endangering the public health, safety or welfare, that is punishable by five years in prison and fines of at least $ 1 million). ****
Recently, Parker told Keweenaw Now he sees compromise as the only solution to the dilemma of Kennecott breaking the Part 632 law but being allowed to proceed by the DNRE.
"Four and a half years of study still uphold the early findings that Kennecott doctored the technical data in their application to assure issue of permits," Parker says. "And they still maintain that they 'have a good plan and will stick with it' despite the fact that when corrected data are inserted into their design approach the results show that the mine will be unstable -- thus endangering life, limb, property and environment."
Parker notes Kennecott continues to work on mine construction, ignoring the requirements of the law and reinterpreting the law when necessary.
"MDEQ (now MDNRE) allows them to do so," he says.
Construction at the Kennecott mine site (shown in this Nov. 9, 2010, aerial photo) is ongoing, despite litigation still claiming the company is ignoring Part 632, Michigan's Nonferrous Metallic Mining Regulations. Click on photo for larger version. (Photo © 2010 and courtesy Jeremiah Eagle Eye)Despite this, as Parker sees it, the dilemma is that the ore bodies are very valuable, the State needs money and many local people need jobs.
"A fair number of them are already enjoying their work at the mine site and their paychecks and they ought not to be punished," Parker adds. "Put yourself in their
place."
Parker says he believes all of the existing plans could be improved upon immensely -- the access, the mining, the duration of mining, the ore processing, the transportation, the marketing and the sharing of proceeds.
"I would expect Kennecott to make such changes piecemeal, by subterfuge, by rewriting the law," he notes.
Editor’s Notes:
* "The consolidated contested case hearing began on April 28, 2008. There were 40 days of testimony, concluding on July 16, 2008, followed by a site visit. During the hearing, 59 persons testified, many of them expert witnesses. In addition, the de bene esse deposition of Dr. Sainsbury was admitted, as were numerous detailed technical exhibits. All parties' closing arguments and proposed findings of fact were filed by October 15, 2008." (Appellants’ / Petitioners' Brief, pp. 15-16) Click here for the Appellants’ Brief.
** Click here to read Jack Parker’s April 2009 report on the Eagle Project.
*** Click here to read Jack Parker’s August 2010 report, predicting the Eagle Mine to be unstable.
**** See Michigan's Nonferrous Metallic Mining Regulations: Part 632 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994.
Parker’s excerpt is taken from p. 14.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Carol Rose offers Ramblin' Rose Art Center, Studio for sale
Carol Rose, Keweenaw Krayons interim director, transformed this property in Mohawk, Mich., into the Ramblin' Rose Art Center and studio. Now planning to retire, Rose is offering both house and studio for sale. Click on photo for larger version. (See ad in right-hand column.) (Photo courtesy Carol Rose) By Carol Rose
MOHAWK -- It will be 14 years on the 16th of December, 2010, that I moved to the Keweenaw. I walked into my rental house and saw the Christmas tree my daughter-in-law, Sue, had put in the kitchen -- decorated by her and my three grandkids -- then 5, 5 and 6 years of age -- yes, there are twins.
I was in process of divorce -- the end of a 36-year marriage. I chose the Keweenaw and my Keweenaw family of Tom, Sue, Steph, Mike and Steve to be the place to begin again -- start over afresh -- but I didn’t know what "afresh" meant.
I hoped to be able to curl up and heal -- God had other plans! Heal I did. Curling up was not even a small part of that process.
A few months after I moved into the rental, the divorce now final, I found myself looking for property to purchase. I knew I wanted to be close to my Mohawk family. I looked at a few different places and made an offer on what is now the Ramblin' Rose Art Center. I will be writing a book (really and truly) on this process so won’t go into detail here, but this is where it all began -- "it"??? Well Keweenaw Krayons of course. The non-profit love of my life!
In 2005, Keweenaw Krayons Graphic Arts and Marketing teens, from left, Stephanie Fouts, Andrea Laurie and Ashley Bracco, work with Carol Rose in designing flyers for Keweenaw Krayons' Mardi Gras Dinner, an annual event. (Keweenaw Now file photo)*O.K. fast forward. Keweenaw Krayons is now located in the old Mohawk School -- sharing the building with Horizons Alternative High School. Because of a wonderful Strong Organization/Strong Youth (SOSY) Award, Keweenaw Krayons is on quite firm footing. Firm enough for me to be able to leave. While it does not yet have an executive director, it does have a strong volunteer base, very active Board of Directors and Executive Committee of that Board.
I have an apartment waiting for me in Grand Marais, Michigan; but in order to go there full-time (it’s been waiting for two years) I need to sell this wonderful, holy, magical, fun corner -- the corner where Keweenaw Krayons began some 13 years ago.
I am 68 years of age, and it is time to move on to yet another part of my life. There are words in my soul calling to be put on paper; photographs waiting to be edited; skiis, snowshoes, kayaks, and canoes are calling my name.
Keweenaw Krayons remains special in my heart and because of the SOSY award, I will be able to serve as Consultant and Historian -- working from afar. Life is good!
I put the house and shop on the market a couple years ago -- but not very seriously. It feels now like I was trying out the "retirement waters." And then a few months ago I became quite serious but still did not give the marketing process enough energy. My original price was $40,000 each for either the shop or the house or $54,000 for both, and I posted a few flyers here and there. Now I have an ad on this wonderful website and I’m ready to do a real blitz with many flyers. And I’ve LOWERED THE PRICE! New price -- only $45,000 for both! I’m offering an automatic $500 off that price if the sale closes before the end of 2010! Even in this economy, that is a really good deal!
I will consider options such as land contract, rent to own or just rent!
Anyone interested in pursing this opportunity is invited to email me at carolrose.u.p@gmail.com or call me at 906-369-4314.
*Editor's Note: Read more about Carol Rose, her plan to retire at her birthday celebration in 2004 and the history of Keweenaw Krayons. See the February 2005 Keweenawnow.com article, "Keweenaw Krayons former director retires -- but not!" by Jonathan Soper.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Khana Khazana Indian cuisine served to 400 at Michigan Tech
By Michele Bourdieu
Sahil Thakkar, right, and Komal Tayal, Khana Khazana chefs, serve their Indian specialties to Michigan Tech alumnus and visitor Chuck Brumleve during the Khana Khazana lunchtime meal today, Dec. 3, in the Michigan Tech Memorial Union Food Court. In the background is another student chef, Rochelle Prescott. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)*
HOUGHTON -- Today's Khana Khazana (Hindi for Food Treasure) lunch, featuring Indian cuisine prepared by Indian students Sahil Thakkar and Komal Tayal, was a great success.
"We served about 400 people," Thakkar said.
Today's menu included a hot and spicy vegetarian dish, Pav Bhaji, by Sahil Thakkar; Phada Lapsi, a delicious sweet dish made with cracked wheat, by Sahil Thakkar; a spiced Chai Tea, by Sahil Thakkar; and Chicken Tandoori, a classic Indian chicken dish, by Komal Tayal.
Indian chefs Sahil Thakkar and Komal Tayal, serving, foreground, are assisted by student chefs, back row from left, Rochelle Prescott, USA; Chun Zheng, China; Nassim Sabanfar, Iran; Rui Pan, China; and Sara Fernandez, Spain.
Thakkar, a Michigan Tech student in electrical engineering technology, is the co-founder, along with Safayat Alam of Bangladesh, of the Khana Khazana program of international cuisine served on Fridays at lunchtime in the Memorial Union Food Court on the Michigan Tech University campus. The program began in the spring semester of 2010.
The weekly series of international lunches kicked off this semester on Sept. 17 with Pakistani cuisine. Half the proceeds of that meal went to benefit flood victims in Pakistan. Last spring two Haitian benefit lunches cooked by international students raised $1,024 for Haitian earthquake victims' relief. One half of the lunch proceeds were donated to the Bush-Clinton Relief Fund.
Khana Khazana is a collaboration of Michigan Tech International Students and Michigan Tech Dining Services. The lunches are very reasonably priced and open to the public.
* Editor's Note: Setting it straight: We regret the error in stating this was the last Khana Khazana lunch of the semester. Another Khana Khazana lunch -- with Indian and Thai cuisine -- will be served on Friday, Dec. 10. These international lunches will resume in the Spring semester in January, 2011.
Sahil Thakkar, right, and Komal Tayal, Khana Khazana chefs, serve their Indian specialties to Michigan Tech alumnus and visitor Chuck Brumleve during the Khana Khazana lunchtime meal today, Dec. 3, in the Michigan Tech Memorial Union Food Court. In the background is another student chef, Rochelle Prescott. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)*HOUGHTON -- Today's Khana Khazana (Hindi for Food Treasure) lunch, featuring Indian cuisine prepared by Indian students Sahil Thakkar and Komal Tayal, was a great success.
"We served about 400 people," Thakkar said.
Today's menu included a hot and spicy vegetarian dish, Pav Bhaji, by Sahil Thakkar; Phada Lapsi, a delicious sweet dish made with cracked wheat, by Sahil Thakkar; a spiced Chai Tea, by Sahil Thakkar; and Chicken Tandoori, a classic Indian chicken dish, by Komal Tayal.
Indian chefs Sahil Thakkar and Komal Tayal, serving, foreground, are assisted by student chefs, back row from left, Rochelle Prescott, USA; Chun Zheng, China; Nassim Sabanfar, Iran; Rui Pan, China; and Sara Fernandez, Spain.Thakkar, a Michigan Tech student in electrical engineering technology, is the co-founder, along with Safayat Alam of Bangladesh, of the Khana Khazana program of international cuisine served on Fridays at lunchtime in the Memorial Union Food Court on the Michigan Tech University campus. The program began in the spring semester of 2010.
The weekly series of international lunches kicked off this semester on Sept. 17 with Pakistani cuisine. Half the proceeds of that meal went to benefit flood victims in Pakistan. Last spring two Haitian benefit lunches cooked by international students raised $1,024 for Haitian earthquake victims' relief. One half of the lunch proceeds were donated to the Bush-Clinton Relief Fund.
Khana Khazana is a collaboration of Michigan Tech International Students and Michigan Tech Dining Services. The lunches are very reasonably priced and open to the public.
* Editor's Note: Setting it straight: We regret the error in stating this was the last Khana Khazana lunch of the semester. Another Khana Khazana lunch -- with Indian and Thai cuisine -- will be served on Friday, Dec. 10. These international lunches will resume in the Spring semester in January, 2011.
From Headwaters: Activist-Turned-Miner touts Orvana Project’s virtues and failures in environmental law
By Gabriel Caplett
Posted Dec. 3, 2010, on Headwaters News
MARQUETTE -- Dave Anderson is the first to point out the possible disconnect between a life’s work protecting the environment and his new position as Orvana Minerals' project coordinator for its planned Copperwood mine, north of Wakefield.
"I was on the Rainbow Warrior Greenpeace vessel when we parked in front of Stone Container and I was on the tracks in Bad River when we stopped eleven billion gallons of acid from coming into the UP, and I was in Crandon for ten years," explained Anderson, referencing some of the more controversial regional environmental battles of the past two decades. "This project that I’m working on now is very different."
Anderson told the roughly twenty attendees of a public forum, held at the Ford Center in Alberta Thursday and hosted by the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition, of his decades-long work as an activist and scientist. Anderson worked with national environmental groups, Native American tribes and local citizen groups to fight controversial mining and paper mill proposals in the region. It was only after years of failing to find enough work as an environmental consultant that he landed the Orvana job. ... Click here to read the rest of this article.
Posted Dec. 3, 2010, on Headwaters News
MARQUETTE -- Dave Anderson is the first to point out the possible disconnect between a life’s work protecting the environment and his new position as Orvana Minerals' project coordinator for its planned Copperwood mine, north of Wakefield.
"I was on the Rainbow Warrior Greenpeace vessel when we parked in front of Stone Container and I was on the tracks in Bad River when we stopped eleven billion gallons of acid from coming into the UP, and I was in Crandon for ten years," explained Anderson, referencing some of the more controversial regional environmental battles of the past two decades. "This project that I’m working on now is very different."
Anderson told the roughly twenty attendees of a public forum, held at the Ford Center in Alberta Thursday and hosted by the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition, of his decades-long work as an activist and scientist. Anderson worked with national environmental groups, Native American tribes and local citizen groups to fight controversial mining and paper mill proposals in the region. It was only after years of failing to find enough work as an environmental consultant that he landed the Orvana job. ... Click here to read the rest of this article.
Finlandia to celebrate Finnish Independence Day Dec. 5
HANCOCK -- Finlandia University will present a Finnish Independence Day program at 2 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010, at the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock.
The 93rd annual celebration of Finnish independence at Finlandia University features a special musical program with local musicians and performers Libby Meyer, Oren Tikkanen, Pasi Lautala, Dave Bezotte, the Kivajat Dancers, Kay Seppala, the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra, and others.
The celebration also includes the Finnish Christmas tradition tiernapojat, or Star Boys, a singing procession and folk drama which has its roots in a medieval play based on the "Three Magi" Christmas story in the Book of Matthew (2, 1-28). The procession, led by Michigan Tech Finnish graduate student Hanna Nummila, includes the voices of three additional Finnish nationals living in the Keweenaw.
This year’s City of Hancock "Hankooki Heikki" -- who will preside over the Heikinpäivä mid-winter festival set for Jan. 29, 2011 -- will also be announced during the program.
Homemade Finnish refreshments will be available by donation to benefit FinnFest 2013. For additional information, please call the Finnish American Heritage Center at 906-487-7549.
The 93rd annual celebration of Finnish independence at Finlandia University features a special musical program with local musicians and performers Libby Meyer, Oren Tikkanen, Pasi Lautala, Dave Bezotte, the Kivajat Dancers, Kay Seppala, the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra, and others.
The celebration also includes the Finnish Christmas tradition tiernapojat, or Star Boys, a singing procession and folk drama which has its roots in a medieval play based on the "Three Magi" Christmas story in the Book of Matthew (2, 1-28). The procession, led by Michigan Tech Finnish graduate student Hanna Nummila, includes the voices of three additional Finnish nationals living in the Keweenaw.
This year’s City of Hancock "Hankooki Heikki" -- who will preside over the Heikinpäivä mid-winter festival set for Jan. 29, 2011 -- will also be announced during the program.
Homemade Finnish refreshments will be available by donation to benefit FinnFest 2013. For additional information, please call the Finnish American Heritage Center at 906-487-7549.
Daniell Heights Residents to hold Christmas Craft Bazaar Dec. 5 at SDC
HOUGHTON -- The Daniell Heights Residents Council (DHRC) will host its 40th annual Christmas Craft Bazaar, featuring locally made items, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 5, at the SDC Wood Gym.
A variety of vendors will sell such things as Christmas decorations, homemade soaps, paintings, organic lotions, jewelry and chain saw carvings. The family-friendly event will include a coloring table for youngsters to keep busy while you shop. Santa will visit from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
There will also be a raffle, and the concession stand will be open.
For more information, contact Sarah Anderton, president of DHRC, at 281-6014 or at smandert@mtu.edu .
A variety of vendors will sell such things as Christmas decorations, homemade soaps, paintings, organic lotions, jewelry and chain saw carvings. The family-friendly event will include a coloring table for youngsters to keep busy while you shop. Santa will visit from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
There will also be a raffle, and the concession stand will be open.
For more information, contact Sarah Anderton, president of DHRC, at 281-6014 or at smandert@mtu.edu .
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Khana Khazana lunch Dec. 3 to feature Indian cuisine
HOUGHTON -- The Khana Khazana (Food Treasure) lunch for Friday, Dec. 3, will feature Indian cuisine by Sahil Thakkar and Komal Tayal.
"It's the biggest lunch of the year," said Chef Thakkar. "We generally serve food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. , but this time we are serving till 2 p.m."
The meal will be served in the Memorial Union Food Court on the Michigan Tech campus. (An entrance is near the large visitors' parking lot just off U.S. 41.)
Prices are $6 for a full meal or $2 à la carte.
The menu will feature Pav Bhaji (Hot and Spicy -- most popular veggie dish from India by Sahil Thakkar), Phada Lapsi (delicious sweet dish made with cracked wheat by Sahil Thakkar), Chai Tea (India's famous spiced tea by Sahil Thakkar) and Chicken Tandoori (classic chicken dish from India by Komal Tayal).
Khana Khazana is a collaboration of Michigan Tech International Students and Michigan Tech Dining Services. The Khana Khazana chefs are prepared to serve more than 350 people tomorrow, so don't miss it!
"It's the biggest lunch of the year," said Chef Thakkar. "We generally serve food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. , but this time we are serving till 2 p.m."
The meal will be served in the Memorial Union Food Court on the Michigan Tech campus. (An entrance is near the large visitors' parking lot just off U.S. 41.)
Prices are $6 for a full meal or $2 à la carte.
The menu will feature Pav Bhaji (Hot and Spicy -- most popular veggie dish from India by Sahil Thakkar), Phada Lapsi (delicious sweet dish made with cracked wheat by Sahil Thakkar), Chai Tea (India's famous spiced tea by Sahil Thakkar) and Chicken Tandoori (classic chicken dish from India by Komal Tayal).
Khana Khazana is a collaboration of Michigan Tech International Students and Michigan Tech Dining Services. The Khana Khazana chefs are prepared to serve more than 350 people tomorrow, so don't miss it!
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Celebrate with First Friday events in Calumet
CALUMET -- First Friday events in Calumet for this Friday, Dec. 3, include art gallery exhibits, a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, a dance performance at the Calumet Theatre and a Christmas sale of gift items handmade by Santa's elves!
Vertin Gallery to host "Weathering the Storm" exhibit Dec. 3, 2010 - Jan. 5, 2011
Ice Dance II, watercolor by Peg Sandin, one of the Vertin Gallery artists whose work will be featured in the exhibit "Weathering the Storm." (Photo courtesy Vertin Gallery)
The Vertin Gallery is pleased to present this winter’s juried exhibit, "Weathering the Storm," featuring work by artists from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as well as the Midwest.
The exhibit will feature new art from Vertin Gallery Artists, each with his or her own unique interpretation as to how to "weather the storm" of winter here in the Midwest. The show will feature a variety of artistic mediums from painting and drawing to ceramic and glass. "Weathering the Storm" is part of the Vertin Gallery’s December tradition of group shows designed to feature and honor the many artists represented by the gallery. Please join the Vertin in recognizing these talented individuals whose efforts help keep culture alive here in the Upper Peninsula: Kanak Nanavati, Eric Munch, Bernard Park, Susan Hooker, Dave Walli, Stephanie Trevino, John Lundeen, Bill Wiard, Edith Wiard, Len Novak, Tom Rudd, Carol Phillips, Donica Dravilles, Margo McCafferty, Joyce Koskenmaki, Linda Powless, Jessica Speer, Ellen Torola, Kayo Miwa, Terry Daulton, Kerri Corser, Peg Sandin, Alysa Diebolt, Bob Dawson, George DeSort, Andrea Puzakulich, April Lehman, Ed Schuck, and Kathleen Carlton Johnson.
"Weathering the Storm" will be on display from Dec. 3, 2010, through Jan. 5, 2011. A public reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3. Refreshments will be served.
Located in the heart of downtown Calumet, the Vertin Gallery is one of the Upper Peninsula’s premiere galleries, featuring art across all mediums -- including painting, copper, jewelry, sculpture and fine woodworking. The work in the gallery changes frequently and, each month, premiers a new exhibit to feature fresh new artists of the highest quality. For more information on the gallery and upcoming events, please visit www.vertingallery.com or call (906) 337-2200.
Ed Gray Gallery: Exhibit, Open House
The Ed Gray Gallery will host a "Christmas Show," from Dec. 3 to Dec. 31. This is a juried, all media, open show. An opening reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3 in the gallery. Refreshments will be served.
On Saturday, Dec. 4, and Sunday, Dec. 5, the Ed Gray Gallery will welcome the public to "CALUMET CELEBRATING THE ARTS" -- an Open House from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days.
The Miskwabik Ed Gray Studio-Gallery is at 109 Fifth Street in Calumet. Visit www.edgraygallery.com for more information.
Calumet Art Center holiday events
Don't miss the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, at the Calumet Art Center . Warm refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Next week plan to attend the Christmas Concert at the Calumet Art Center at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10. The concert will feature vocalists Monica Rovano and Courtney Clisch, guitarist Cathy Isaacson, violinist Libby Meyer, and organist Kathleen Alatalo-Arten. The concert is a fundraiser to benefit the Art Center. A $5 donation is requested.
The Calumet Art Center is located at 57055 Fifth Street, behind the Keweenaw Heritage Center in the white building with the spire. Visit the Art Center's Web site for more information.
"A Christmas Carol" ballet at Calumet Theatre Dec. 3, 4
The Superior School of Dance will present a ballet/dance performance of "A Christmas Carol," based on the story by Charles Dickens and featuring a cast of many Michigan Tech University students, at the Calumet Theatre at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 3, and at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4.
Donna Armistead, of Michigan Tech's International Programs and Services, is the choreographer.
Students who will perform are Paige Borel, Allison Strome, Jared Berryman, Josh Stuempges, Joseph Massoglia and Cassi Warsinski. Scrooge will be played by John Griebel, Michigan Tech graduate, '09. In addition, the dance will feature children of faculty and staff and community members.
General seating tickets are $12 adults, $6 students and seniors.
Santa's Workshop at Copper Country Associated Artists
Santa's elves have been working their fingers to the bone to bring you a large selection of surprises for the holidays. Visit their workshop, the CCAA Gallery, 112 Fifth St. Calumet, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, and meet with Santa's helpers in person! They may be still working!
Excellent homemade bakery and coffee will be served.
This sale will be run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday during the month of December until Christmas Eve.
After the holidays, CCAA winter gallery hours will be reduced to Thursdays, First Fridays, Special Events and workshops.
Vertin Gallery to host "Weathering the Storm" exhibit Dec. 3, 2010 - Jan. 5, 2011
Ice Dance II, watercolor by Peg Sandin, one of the Vertin Gallery artists whose work will be featured in the exhibit "Weathering the Storm." (Photo courtesy Vertin Gallery)The Vertin Gallery is pleased to present this winter’s juried exhibit, "Weathering the Storm," featuring work by artists from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as well as the Midwest.
The exhibit will feature new art from Vertin Gallery Artists, each with his or her own unique interpretation as to how to "weather the storm" of winter here in the Midwest. The show will feature a variety of artistic mediums from painting and drawing to ceramic and glass. "Weathering the Storm" is part of the Vertin Gallery’s December tradition of group shows designed to feature and honor the many artists represented by the gallery. Please join the Vertin in recognizing these talented individuals whose efforts help keep culture alive here in the Upper Peninsula: Kanak Nanavati, Eric Munch, Bernard Park, Susan Hooker, Dave Walli, Stephanie Trevino, John Lundeen, Bill Wiard, Edith Wiard, Len Novak, Tom Rudd, Carol Phillips, Donica Dravilles, Margo McCafferty, Joyce Koskenmaki, Linda Powless, Jessica Speer, Ellen Torola, Kayo Miwa, Terry Daulton, Kerri Corser, Peg Sandin, Alysa Diebolt, Bob Dawson, George DeSort, Andrea Puzakulich, April Lehman, Ed Schuck, and Kathleen Carlton Johnson.
"Weathering the Storm" will be on display from Dec. 3, 2010, through Jan. 5, 2011. A public reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3. Refreshments will be served.
Located in the heart of downtown Calumet, the Vertin Gallery is one of the Upper Peninsula’s premiere galleries, featuring art across all mediums -- including painting, copper, jewelry, sculpture and fine woodworking. The work in the gallery changes frequently and, each month, premiers a new exhibit to feature fresh new artists of the highest quality. For more information on the gallery and upcoming events, please visit www.vertingallery.com or call (906) 337-2200.
Ed Gray Gallery: Exhibit, Open House
The Ed Gray Gallery will host a "Christmas Show," from Dec. 3 to Dec. 31. This is a juried, all media, open show. An opening reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3 in the gallery. Refreshments will be served.
On Saturday, Dec. 4, and Sunday, Dec. 5, the Ed Gray Gallery will welcome the public to "CALUMET CELEBRATING THE ARTS" -- an Open House from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days.
The Miskwabik Ed Gray Studio-Gallery is at 109 Fifth Street in Calumet. Visit www.edgraygallery.com for more information.
Calumet Art Center holiday events
Don't miss the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, at the Calumet Art Center . Warm refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Next week plan to attend the Christmas Concert at the Calumet Art Center at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10. The concert will feature vocalists Monica Rovano and Courtney Clisch, guitarist Cathy Isaacson, violinist Libby Meyer, and organist Kathleen Alatalo-Arten. The concert is a fundraiser to benefit the Art Center. A $5 donation is requested.
The Calumet Art Center is located at 57055 Fifth Street, behind the Keweenaw Heritage Center in the white building with the spire. Visit the Art Center's Web site for more information.
"A Christmas Carol" ballet at Calumet Theatre Dec. 3, 4
The Superior School of Dance will present a ballet/dance performance of "A Christmas Carol," based on the story by Charles Dickens and featuring a cast of many Michigan Tech University students, at the Calumet Theatre at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 3, and at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4.
Donna Armistead, of Michigan Tech's International Programs and Services, is the choreographer.
Students who will perform are Paige Borel, Allison Strome, Jared Berryman, Josh Stuempges, Joseph Massoglia and Cassi Warsinski. Scrooge will be played by John Griebel, Michigan Tech graduate, '09. In addition, the dance will feature children of faculty and staff and community members.
General seating tickets are $12 adults, $6 students and seniors.
Santa's Workshop at Copper Country Associated Artists
Santa's elves have been working their fingers to the bone to bring you a large selection of surprises for the holidays. Visit their workshop, the CCAA Gallery, 112 Fifth St. Calumet, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, and meet with Santa's helpers in person! They may be still working!
Excellent homemade bakery and coffee will be served.
This sale will be run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday during the month of December until Christmas Eve.
After the holidays, CCAA winter gallery hours will be reduced to Thursdays, First Fridays, Special Events and workshops.
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